South Africa: SA holds Black Industrialists and Black Exporters Conference

South Africas economic growth and the inclusion of black businesses will come under the spotlight on Wednesday.

Government and the private sector will next week descend on the Sandton Convention Centre for the inaugural Black Industrialists and Black Exporters Conference. Over 500 delegates are expected to be at the event.

Addressing the media on Thursday, Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel said the conference was an opportunity to reflect on how far the country has come with regards to economic inclusion.

The conference will be broken into five broad components. These include a keynote address by President Cyril Ramaphosa and several panel discussions; the launch of important growth initiatives like the black export network; and a marketplace to showcase the products produced by small businesses.

"The fourth one will be the Presidential Awards that will be issued for Excellence in Business. The final part of it will be the release of research results on the impact of various policy measures to promote economic inclusion and grow the base participation in our economy," he said.

Minister Patel said the spotlight of the conference will be the 500 businesses "that are making, growing, and digging things, adding to GDP, employing South Africans, exploiting their products. It's about emphasising the opportunities that they have to grow the economy".

He said they are entrepreneurs - what they know about is making and producing food, making chemicals, cosmetics and the other products.

We'll also look at structures that limit the opportunities for Black shareholders to play a meaningful role in the economy, he said.

While government did not create industrialists, the State did create a supportive and enabling environment that either enables industrialists to take off or that limits their ability to do so.

Black businesses have the same challenges as other businesses.

They have challenges getting raw materials on time, at reasonable prices, getting the right technology, [and] fixing the technology when it breaks down.

[They have challenges of] recruiting a great team of managers and workers, training everybody, getting the infrastructure in place, including public infrastructure that they need, getting customers - let's call it the traditional problems of business.

Above this, black businesses face challenges of limited access to capital and finance.

He said it was for this reason that government started the black industrialist programme to find ways of supporting the entrepreneurial energy in spite of these challenges.

At the conference, government will outline many of the elements of the programme.

"We work in partnership with businesses [that] are working with black suppliers, bringing them into the supply chain. This has been replicated in many other parts of the economy," he said.

The programme was an element of a wider broad-based black economic empowerment society-wide programme.

These, he said, include worker ownership, union investment schemes, women-owned community schemes that bring together capital and then find ways of increasing the equity in businesses.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-07-14. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Two Vietnamese white-hat hackers honoured by Apple

Vietnamese white-hat hackers Ngo Minh Hieu and Pham Tien Manh have been recognised among security experts who have significantly contributed to Apples development over the last month.









This is the second time Hieu has been publicly acknowledged as a white-hat hacker by Apple. (Photo: NCSC)





The global tech giant publicised a list on its homepage in June of security experts who had found and reported bugs in Apple's web servers.



Minh Hieu, aka Hieupc, is one of 46 people listed in Apple's web server security acknowledgements last month.



Credits are added quarterly, after the issue has been identified and addressed, Apple said, acknowledging Minh Hieus contributions among 46 people in the list.



This is the second time Hieu has been publicly acknowledged as a white-hat hacker by Apple.



He is most notorious for being a hacker in the United States and for selling personal data to several crime rings. He was arrested in 2013 and sentenced to seven years in prison. He was released early after helping law enforcement investigate a string of cyberattacks.



Hieu then returned to Vietnam in 2020 and became an engineer with the National Cyber Security Center under the Ministry of Information and Communications.



Since then, he has been a white-hat hacker participating in community projects which give warnings and heighten awareness about cybersecurity.



Hieu is also a founder of the CyPeace project, which helps individuals and firms protect their brands from fake websites, and helps stop companies from being exploited by scammers looking to appropriate their assets.



In addition to Minh Hieu, Pham Tien Manh, aka ManhNho or Be May, was also a white-hat hacker that honoured by Apple. He is also a member of CyPeace.
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The Hill

The Trump Organizations chief financial officer is coming close to reaching a plea deal in a case investigating whether he funneled off-the-books income to himself and other executives at the company, but the potential deal reportedly does not bring prosecutors any closer to their main target: former President Trump. The New York Times reported Monday,
A small group of conservatives have released a report debunking a number of conspiracy theories supported by Donald Trump and his team after the 2020 election in the hopes of convincing the ex-presidents diehard supporters to abandon his false claims of a stolen election.

On Thursday, the group, led by two former US senators, a handful of conservative-leaning judges, and a former chief of staff to ex-House Speaker Paul Ryan, released a more than 70-page report that detailed several conspiracy theories leveled by the Trump campaign in the days and weeks after the 2020 election before addressing why they were false.

Among the claims responded to by the group was the Trump campaigns bizarre range of theories about Dominion voting machines. One attorney for the campaign famously suggested the machines had been created to help Democrats by Venezuelas long-dead socialist leader, Hugo Chavez.

Claims that an election was stolen, or that the outcome resulted from fraud, are deadly serious and should be made only on the basis of real and powerful evidence. If the American people lose trust that our elections are free and fair, we will lose our democracy, the group warned.

We urge our fellow conservatives to cease obsessing over the results of the 2020 election, and to focus instead on presenting candidates and ideas that offer a positive vision for overcoming our current difficulties and bringing greater peace, prosperity, and liberty to our nation, they added.

The effort to analyze individual claims in the report is exhaustive and covers dozens of individual allegations of misdeeds in every state contested by the Trump campaign after election night.

But its an open question as to whether Donald Trumps most convinced supporters will even look at the document or care about its conclusions. Many have insisted that the courts, organisations and state legislatures whose work is cited in the report are inherently corrupt and part of a deep state conspiracy to thwart the ex-president.

This is a good thing 20 months too late, one Twitter user wrote in response to the reports publication.

Donald Trump remains under investigation by state officials in Georgia regarding his attempts to overturn the results there, and the January 6 committee has laid out damning evidence of potential misconduct that members have clearly suggested the Justice Department should pursue as well.
Costs of living have been surging across the U.S. with rent being up as much as 15% to 50%. NBC News George Solis has more on a group of renters in Los Angeless Chinatown who are fighting back after a 30-year agreement between the city and their landlord that kept rents affordable came to an end.
The House on Wednesday approved legislation that calls for the creation of an active shooter communications network, which would notify community members when an active shooter is in their neighborhood.

The legislation, titled the Active Shooter Alert Act, passed the House in a 260-169 vote. Democratic Rep. Ron Kind (Wis.) voted with 168 Republicans in opposing the bill. Forty-three Republicans supported the measure.

Republican leadership recommended that lawmakers vote against the measure, according to a GOP congressional aide.

The lower chamber initially tried to pass the bill  which has bipartisan sponsors  last month under suspension, a fast-track process that allows bills to be passed quickly if they have two-thirds support. The measure did not garner enough votes in the 259-162 tally.

That night, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) vowed that the House would bring up the measure again and said Democrats in the chamber would pass it.

The bill seeks to establish an Active Shooter Alert Communications Network, a system that would advise individuals when an active gunman is in their community. Supporters have said the program would work in a way that is similar to the Amber Alert system.

It has been endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police and the National Police Foundation, among other groups. Additionally, the Office of Management and Budget on Tuesday said the administration strongly supports the bills passage.

The measure would call on an officer at the Department of Justice to assume the role of national coordinator of the communications network. That individual, selected by the attorney general, would be responsible for encouraging federal, state, tribal and local government agencies to carry out steps for reacting to active shooter situations.

That includes plans pertaining to travel across states and jurisdictions, including airports, border crossing locations and checkpoints, according to the bill.

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The national coordinator would also be required to write a report on the programs effectiveness in regions that implemented the communications network and urge states and governments to embrace best practices.

Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.), a sponsor of the bill, called the measure common sense, adding that we have to give law enforcement every tool they need to neutralize these threats and keep our communities safe.

This bill helps do that in a simple, effective way. Its not complicated, he said during debate on the House floor. It simply adds a tool to the tool belt of law enforcement all across the country, regardless of their size or location, to be used voluntarily.

The Rhode Island Democrat said that during active shooter situations, law enforcement are too often relying on social media to warn people so that no one accidentally walks into the line of fire or a crime scene.

Law enforcement deserves better than Twitter to communicate with the community they serve, he added.

Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), a co-sponsor of the bill, listed a number of shootings that have occurred in the U.S.

[In] media reports, the initial sounds were thought to be fireworks. Wouldnt it have been nice to have had a system that would have alerted the entire parade route to take cover, and maybe some of those folks that were killed or wounded wouldnt have happened? Upton said on the House floor, referring to the July 4 shooting during a parade in Highland Park, Ill.

A handful of Republicans objected to the measure.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) described the bill as an unnecessary gimmick to cede more authority to the already highly politicized Biden Department of Justice.

He argued that existing systems are achieving the same goals.

Federal, state and local officials already use the Integrated Public Alert Warning System, IPAWS, to send emergency alerts to mobile devices and to alert media platforms, he said during debate on the House floor.

Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) contended that the measure is another example of Washington creating another department, another position, spending more money we dont have in order to have a policy objective of continuing to advance fear among the American people.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Huntington Bank executive Sandy Pierce was named the new chair of the Detroit Economic Club's board of directors on Thursday.

Pierce, a senior executive vice president at the bank and the chair of its Michigan operations, takes over for Gerry Anderson, whose departure as Detroit Economic Club chair coincides with his retirement from DTE Energy.

"What I admire most about the Detroit Economic Club is its focus on making southeast Michigan an even better place to live and do business for everyone," Pierce said in a news release. "The organization brings together leaders passionate about supporting the economic prosperity of our great community and ensuring were competitive nationally and globally."

Following the recent merger of Huntington Bank and TCF, Sandy Pierce was named chair of Michigan/Huntington Bank.

A Detroit native, Pierce also is the chair of Henry Ford Health System Foundation's board of trustees, vice chair of Business Leaders for Michigan and a board member of Penske Automotive Group and American Axle & Manufacturing.

Steve Grigorian, president and CEO of the Detroit Economic Club, welcomed Pierce as chair.

"Im looking forward to working with Sandy, expanding on her years as an active board member," Grigorian said.

More: Detroit Economic Club adjusts events for remote work culture

More: Chicago Fed CEO on half-point rate rise in May: 'Perhaps it's highly likely'

Grigorian also thanked Anderson for his service, particularly during the pandemic.

Anderson started as the chair of the Detroit Economic Club in 2017. He worked at DTE for 29 years, and for 11 of those years, he was the company's chairman.

Gerry Anderson, DTE Energy executive chairman

"I want to thank Gerry Anderson for his years of service and leadership to the club, particularly in helping us withstand the months when we could not convene our members in person," Grigorian said.

Contact Adrienne Roberts: amroberts@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Huntington Bank executive named chair of the Detroit Economic Club
The chair of the Jan. 6 committee said the panel has started handing over information about former President Donald Trumps fake electors scheme to Department of Justice prosecutors.

Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said the panel was working with the DOJ to come up with a process for investigators to access the potentially incriminating evidence compiled by the committee.

The only issue weve engaged them on is the list of fraudulent electors, Thompson told reporters on Wednesday.

Thompson said that prosecutors want to see the transcripts of interviews with the bogus electors themselves.

The revelation could suggest that the Justice Department is swiftly investigating Trumps scheme to get Republican lawmakers in some states he lost to elect phony slates of electors that would vote for him instead of Joe Biden.

On the other hand, it could mean prosecutors are only seriously probing the fake-electors scheme, not the rest of the sprawling plot to keep Trump in power after he lost the 2020 election, like his incitement of the attack on the Capitol itself.

Thompson also said that the panel had turned over details of Trumps effort to contact a potential witness to prosecutors.

The chairman would not say if he believes Trump sought to intimidate the possible witness. The unnamed witness, who has yet to be publically identified, did not take the call and instead alerted their lawyer.

Its highly unusual ... thats why we ...put that in the hands of the Justice Department, Thompson said.

The panel is preparing for its next hearing, which is planned for next Thursday, July 21, during prime time.

The session is expected to focus squarely on what members are calling Trumps supreme dereliction of duty as the mob of his supporters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6

Lawmakers are hyping the upcoming session as the most explosive yet as they plan to reveal previously unknown information about Trumps failure to even try to stop the attack in real-time.

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The existence of the witness Trump tried to call suggests there are more bombshells to come, like the account of White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson that rocked Trumps defenders last week.

Hutchinson also told the panel that Trump insiders sought to silence her before her explosive appearance.


TOKYO (Reuters) - The Japanese government is preparing to hold a state funeral for former prime minister Shinzo Abe this autumn, public broadcaster NHK reported on Thursday.

Abe was shot dead while making an election speech in the western city of Nara last week.

(Reporting by Sakura Murakami; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
Federal nuclear waste managers do not expect anyone to lose their job at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant as a new contractor was poised to take over operations at the repository near Carlsbad.

On Monday, the U.S. Department of Energy announced Tularosa Basin Range Services of Reston, Virginia, a subsidiary of Bechtel National, was selected as the contractor to replace Nuclear Waste Partnership (NWP) which ran the WIPP site since 2012.

The $3 billion contract had an initial guaranteed timeframe of four years, with six one-year extensions for a total of potentially 10 years until it would need to be renewed.

More:$3 billion contract awarded to operate nuclear waste repository near Carlsbad

Nuclear Waste Partnerships contract expires Sept. 30, and DOE officials said most employees from that company were not expected to be terminated during the transition to Bechtels leadership, and that workforce impacts would be minimal.

DOE does not anticipate workforce reductions as a result of this contract award, said Tim Runyon, spokesman for the DOEs Carlsbad Field Office. DOE expects minimal impacts to Incumbent WIPP M&O Employees.

Runyon said the award would be followed by a 10-day period to allow the four other companies that bid on the contract to file any protests.

More:Nuclear waste oversight in New Mexico gets $12M from feds as state permit underway

After that, there was a planned 90-day transition to the new contractor, meaning Bechtel could take control of the WIPP site by the end of the year.

He said adjustments to contract periods could be made to accommodate the transition.

Nuclear waste site has multiple projects ongoing amid transition

NWP will assist the DOE during the transition, getting the new contractor up to speed on several key projects ongoing at the site.

A rebuild of WIPPs ventilation system, expected to cost almost $500 million, was hoped to be complete by 2026, along with a fifth air intake shaft to improve airflow in the underground.

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More:New Mexico nuclear power research gets millions in federal funds. Can it be made safer?

Meanwhile, an eighth panel for disposal of nuclear waste was being mined  the final panel permitted by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED).

The DOEs proposed permit renewal application being considered by NMED for another 10 years of operations included language to allow for two more panels to replace space lost in a 2014 accidental radiological release that halted waste disposal and mining for three years.

The renewal application notably did not include language conveying a closure date of the site  the previous permit set closure for 2024  as DOE officials contended WIPP could stay open as long as was needed to dispose of the 6.2 million cubic feet capacity specified by federal law.

More:Will southeast New Mexico store Michigan's nuclear waste? A company plans to do so

Bechtel will oversee these and all of WIPPs other capital projects and regulatory processes as the primary operations contractor of the site.

That also includes work to determine if waste meets required criteria for disposal at WIPP, transporting the waste to the site, and daily operations of the repository.

At WIPP, transuranic (TRU) nuclear waste made up of irradiated clothing materials and equipment is brought from DOE facilities throughout the U.S. and buried in a salt deposit about 2,000 feet underground for permanent disposal.

More:Nuclear waste repository could be open for decades, officials say, amid risk concerns

NWP will participate in the transition and DOE will provide oversight through a transition team that will be put in place to ensure that contract objectives can be met with the new contractor team and that there is a smooth transition of responsibilities between management and operations contractors, Runyon said.

As for the six, one-year extension options, Runyon said they would be considered annually.

The extension of the contract to include option years will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, based on contractor performance, at the time of the extension, he said.

More:$100M Contract awarded to ship nuclear waste to repository near Carlsbad

In a statement from Bechtel spokesman Fred DeSousa, he expressed the companys desire to be part of the Carlsbad community while fulfilling the mission of disposing of the nations nuclear waste.

The mission to safely dispose of defense-related nuclear waste is vitally important for protecting people and the planet, read the statement. Were honored to be entrusted with this mission and look forward to joining the WIPP team and the Carlsbad community.

Radiation release, COVID-19 mars past contract

During its 10 years running the WIPP site, NWP saw some struggles in fulfilling that mission, with most of its deficiencies discovered by the DOE tied to the 2014 event.

In Fiscal Year 2014, records show NWP earned just about half of its performance-based fee available from the DOE, which cited concerns related to the contractors preparedness for emergencies, regulatory compliance at protocols for radiation safety.

There were also concerns expressed in the DOEs annual performance evaluation of NWP for the loss of available space and the facilitys availability for disposal starting in February 2014 when the incident occurred.

Things began to look up in the following years as the contractor earned about 74 percent of the available fee for FY 2015, and 81 percent in FY 2016  years when waste was not being emplaced as the facility recovered from the release.

In Fiscal Year 2017, the year the facility reopened and waste shipments resumed in April 2017, NWP earned 89 percent of its fee with the DOE commending the contractor for responding to its deemed deficiencies and ultimately resuming WIPPs primary operations.

That percentage declined gradually in subsequent fiscal years to 81 percent in FY 2018, 76 percent in FY 2019, 65 percent in FY 2020 and 62 percent in FY 2021.

During these years, the DOE reported the contractor struggled to complete large capital projects, ramp up shipments, and grappled with rising COVID-19 infections and associated operations pauses at the site.

Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: Job losses not expected as nuclear waste site gets new contractor
Johnny Gaudreau stunned the hockey world on Wednesday night by foregoing expectations and deciding to sign with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Heading into free agency, it was expected that the Salem, N.J., native was going to sign close to home, with the New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders the front-runners to land his services.

Johnny Gaudreau stunned the hockey world by signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets in NHL free agency. (Photo by Ben Jackson/NHLI via Getty Images)

But after he put pen to paper on his seven-year, $68.25-million contract, there was overwhelming confusion and amazement that one of the best wingers in the game opted to commit his future to a franchise that is more than 500 miles away from home and has one playoff series victory in its 21-year history.

For Gaudreau, however, the answer was pretty simple: he just wants to have fun.

Id never been to Columbus before until I made it to the NHL, so when I started playing there I didnt know what I was walking into, and I was just  Wow!' Gaudreau told The Athletic's Aaron Portzline. Theyve always had great crowds, really into the game. I said to myself then, This looks like a really fun place to play.

One key part of Nationwide Arena, and a feature that has been fully embraced by the Blue Jackets and their fan base, is a giant Civil War-era cannon that goes off every time the home team scores. Gaudreau has a complicated past with the cannon, but fortunately he believes he can get over his fear.

Johnny Gaudreau is known to have beef with the Cannon in Columbus. pic.twitter.com/siwco7DqIR  rob (@IvanIvanlvan) July 13, 2022

That cannon kind of scares me a little bit, and Ive had a run-in with that cannon a couple of times, Gaudreau said. I used to not want to hear it. Now I want to hear it all the time. Hopefully well get that thing really blasting this season.

Beyond the environment, fans and the now-beloved cannon, Gaudreau said he was enticed to play with some familiar faces in the Columbus locker room.

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I played in the (world championships) with Zach Werenski. Ive known Eric Robinson for like 15-20 years. And some former guys, like Cam Atkinson and Dalton Prout those guys were just like, Youre going to absolutely love the place, Gaudreau said.

While professional sports teams in Ohio have historically not been looked at as an appealing destination for star players, Gaudreaus signing might change the tides ever so slightly. Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen certainly wants to make it that way, specifically for his team.

I think we can finally get rid of the bull**** that this is somehow a bad destination, a bad city, whatever, Kekalainen said. Because its never been true. We got a bad rap because a couple of people decided all along that they werent going to be here long-term for various reasons, but it has never been about the city or the organization.

"Weve just had to shut our mouth and deal with that, but every time I see a comment like that, I get a rash.

Well, hopefully Kekalainens skin will be rash-free for the next seven years, since Columbus has put themselves on the map as an up-and-coming team on the brink of success. Last season, the Blue Jackets finished 19 points out of a playoff spot with a 37-38-7 record, but will certainly now be a hip dark horse playoff pick with Gaudreau in the fold.

They still have some work to do this offseason. The Blue Jackets have a shade over $3 million in cap space and still have to sign restricted free agent winger Patrik Laine to a new contract, so more moves will need to be made. But that's a small price to pay to lock in one of the game's top players.

We thought about it long and hard, Kekalainen said. Were confident we can make it all work. This doesnt change our position on Laine at all. Were going to approach (negotiations with Laine) like its a work in progress, but we have plans to keep em both.

More from Yahoo Sports:
A federal magistrate judge in South Carolina has recommended that a defamation lawsuit filed against Congressman Ralph Norman by a Black man from Rock HIll be dismissed, court records show.

In a ruling issued late Wednesday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Shiva Hodges agreed with Normans lawyers that the United States government should replace Norman as the defendant in the lawsuit filed by Travis Price. And then the lawsuit should be dismissed because of legal rules against suing the federal government.

Normans lawyers claim in court documents that Norman is exempt from being sued because he is a congressman and government employee.

Norman, R-S.C., made comments on his U.S. House of Representatives Facebook page in June and July 2021 after the controversial arrest of Travis Price.

Travis Prices lawyers have not yet responded in court to the lawyers attempt to have Norman dropped from the lawsuit. Previously, Prices lawyers have said Norman needs to be held accountable for making false statements to tens of thousands of people on Facebook.

A spokesman for Norman has said that neither Norman nor his office will comment on the lawsuit while it remains pending.

Arrest led to Rock Hill protests

The arrests of Price , and his brother Ricky, On June 23, 2021, were captured on video that was released publicly on Facebook. The incident sparked three days of race-related protests in Rock Hill, and publicly called into question the use of police force.

The incident involving Plaintiff (Travis Price) was recorded by a witness and resulted in substantial public backlash and protests, Hodges wrote in court documents.

Both Price brothers are African-American.

Travis Price filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Rock Hill and Norman later in 2021. The suit alleges defamation against Norman, and civil rights violations among other claims against Rock Hill.

The recommendation filed Wednesday makes no mention of the part of the pending lawsuit against the city of Rock Hill.

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The higher presiding federal judge in the lawsuit, Terry Wooten, has not yet ruled Hodges recommendation. Wooten can accept or reject the recommendation.

The arrest

During the June 23, 2021 incident, Travis Price was charged with hindering police. Those charges were later dropped by prosecutors who said Travis Price did nothing wrong.

Police body camera videos released by police officials and prosecutors two weeks after the incident also showed Travis Price did not push or hinder police, officials said.

The City dismissed the criminal charges against Plaintiff, confirming at a press conference that Plaintiff did not commit any criminal acts and that Plaintiff did nothing wrong, Hodges wrote.

The officer involved in the subduing and arrest of Travis Price, Jonathan Moreno, was fired and charged with assault and battery in July 2021. Moreno was found not guilty after a trial in January 2022.

Travis Price, left, and his attorney Justin Bamberg listen during a press conference outside Moss Justice Center. Charges were dropped against Travis Price.

The lawsuit

The lawsuit alleges Norman pushed the public to believe false statements about Travis Price that came from the city and police department.

The police department issued a public statement on June 23, 2021, the night of the arrests, that stated Travis Price was at fault.

That Rock Hill police statement, which is part of the federal court records in the lawsuit, said:

Officers began searching (Ricky) Price when his brother, Travis Price, arrived on scene and approached Officers. Travis Price attempted to gather the belongings Officers were removing from Rickys person and was told to move back. Travis then used his body to bump the Officers backward as he continued trying to get near his brother to reach for the belongings while yelling belligerently. Travis was forced back and told he was under arrest for interfering, and physically contacting officers. Travis shoved Officers, refusing to comply with orders to place his hands behind his back. Officers pushed Travis against a large tank located behind him, telling him to put his hands behind his back. Travis continued his non-compliance and Officers began struggling with Travis. While attempting to gain control of Travis, Officers and Travis went to the ground.

Travis Prices lawyers say that statement was not accurate, and Price had been given permission to approach his brother. Prosecutors agreed.

On June 24, 2021, Norman made Facebook posts about the incident, and subsequent statements later in July 2021, that Travis Price said were defamatory and wrong. Those comments were seen by countless people online and harmed Travis Price who had been wrongfully arrested, the lawsuit states.

The June 24 posting from Norman, which also is part of the federal court record states:

Umm, Im sorry, but you dont get to take swings at officers... You dont get to be non-compliant with their lawful orders. And you dont get the luxury of resisting or evading arrest.

Norman wrote an update to the Facebook post On July 15, 2021. But Price says in the lawsuit that the update did not remove negative references. Price said in the lawsuit that Norman defamed him and pushed the public to believe the city polices June 23, 2021 statement.

Previously in court filings, Normans lawyers said he relied on information from the citys police department. Normans lawyers said in court documents that Norman had no ill will toward Travis Price.

What happens now?

Prices lawyers have two weeks to file arguments against Hodges recommendation, court documents show.

The part of Prices federal lawsuit against the city of Rock Hill alleging civil rights violations, gross negligence and conspiracy remains pending.

No trial date has been set.

Norman, a Republican in office since 2017, faces Democrat Evangeline Hundley, of Newberry, in Novembers general election.

Moreno, the officer involved and later acquitted in court, is a Republican candidate for York County Council in Novembers election.
London  Kevin Spacey pleaded not guilty before a London court on Thursday to four charges of sexual assault against three men, stemming from incidents that allegedly took place between 2005 and 2013. He also pleaded not guilty to one count of "causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent."

The Hollywood actor, 62, stands accused of assaulting the three men, who are now in their 30s and 40s, in London and Gloucestershire, England.

Spacey appeared in person at the Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey, in London, to deny the charges. The judge said a trial expected to run three to four weeks would begin on June 6, 2023, the British Press Association news agency reported, and granted Spacey continued unconditional bail. The judge said an additional hearing would take place earlier next year.

Spacey first appeared before a British court on the sexual assault charges about one month ago, where he was granted unconditional bail. He was not asked to enter a formal plea at that hearing, but his lawyer said then that he "strenuously denies any and all criminality in this case."

Actor Kevin Spacey arrives at the Old Bailey, in London, July 14, 2022. Spacey appeared at the court in London after he was charged with sexual offenses against three men. / Credit: Frank Augstein/AP

After U.K. prosecutors authorized police to charge Spacey in May, the actor said in a statement to "Good Morning America" that he would face the charges in court, and The Associated Press said he had vowed to "prove my innocence."

Spacey ran London's renowned Old Vic Theatre for 11 years, from 2004 to 2015, serving as its artistic director.

In 2017, after American actor Anthony Rapp alleged that, when he was 14, Spacey climbed on top of him in a bed, numerous allegations of assault and inappropriate behavior were made against Spacey, and two years after his departure from the Old Vic, the theater said its own investigation into his conduct had drawn 20 allegations of inappropriate behavior. It said it encouraged 14 of the people who made the allegations to go to the police.

Spacey was questioned by British police in 2019 over claims made by several men that he had assaulted them.

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"It sounds like Kevin Spacey feels that there's still a possibility of rehabilitating himself in this country. So, I think the strategy is to come over here, face the music, and see if he can salvage his career," Danny Rogers, editor in chief of PRWeek UK, told CBS News in June. "He must feel the damage is being done to 'Brand Kevin Spacey' after all the allegations over the past five, or 10 years. So, if the damage has been done, there's still some headway to be made by fighting new allegations."

In 2019, prosecutors in Massachusetts dropped a groping case that was brought against Spacey, who'd faced a felony charge of indecent assault and battery. The district attorney said he dropped it "due to the unavailability of the complaining witness."

Spacey was accused of groping a then 18-year-old at a bar three years earlier. The accuser said Spacey bought him several alcoholic drinks before groped him.

CBS News correspondent Holly Williams and CBSNews.com foreign editor Tucker Reals contributed to this report.

Woman known online as the Black Forager on finding wild edible plants for meals

Biden arrives in Israel for first Middle East trip,

More than 40 unaccounted for amid Virginia flooding
Jul. 14KINGSTON TWP.  The same day Robert C. Hickey III had a preliminary hearing on allegations he used a deceased veteran's bank card to withdraw money, Kingston Township police charged him with stealing a vehicle he crashed.

Hickey, 43, was arraigned Wednesday in Luzerne County Central Court by District Judge Brian James Tupper on charges of theft, receiving stolen property and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

Kingston Township police allege Hickey stole a 2017 Ford Escape from an apartment complex on Carverton Road that he crashed at Prospect Street and Middle Road in Nanticoke on Aug. 16, 2020.

Police charged Hickey with stealing the vehicle after receiving DNA test reports from samples taken from the interior of the Ford. Court records say Hickey's DNA was found inside the vehicle, which the owner told police he did not give permission for anyone to operate the Ford.

Police in court records say witnesses to the crash identified a white man with facial tattoos fleeing the wrecked vehicle noting Hickey formerly lived in the same apartment complex as the owner of the Ford.

Hickey had a preliminary hearing Wednesday on charges by Plains Township police he used a bank card of Brian George Jones, a U.S. Army veteran, at Sheetz to withdraw cash and make an $8 purchase on April 6.

Hickey used the bank card after Jones' death March 23, police alleged.

Following the preliminary hearing, District Judge Joseph Halesey of Hanover Township forwarded two counts of access device fraud to county court.
jetcityimage / Getty Images

Grocery store giant Kroger is one of the worlds largest retailers, with about 2,800 stores in 35 states operating under a variety of local banners, including Ralphs, Frys, Food 4 Less, QFC, Fred Meyer and Smiths Food and Drug. Kroger got its start in 1883 in Cincinnati when Barney Kroger put all the money he had  $372  into opening one grocery store.

Discover: 13 Ways To Make $100 in Just a Day

Check Out: 10 Things You Should Always Buy at Walmart

Today, Kroger retains its foothold in the Midwest and into the South and Southeast, with its other banners dotting the map across the country. While Kroger is known to have some terrific prices, there probably are some items you can find better values on elsewhere.

Just what deals should you be taking advantage of at Kroger, and just what isnt a deal?

The Best Deals at Kroger

Buy 5 or More Deals

Each week, Kroger advertises a selection of items from throughout the store  most of them already on sale  that qualify for the Buy 5 or More special. Buy five of the identified items and save $1 on each. Recent qualifying items included Thomas English muffins or bagels, Pepperidge Farms goldfish crackers, a variety of cereals and Bounty paper towels.

Private Selection Products

The house brand, Private Selection, offers some of the best products and the best prices, said Julie Ramhold, consumer analyst with DealNews.com.

Yes, there are Private Selection bags of produce, like petite gold potatoes, Ramhold said, but this store brand absolutely shines in other areas, including things like Bronze Cut Decadent Gouda with Aged White Cheddar Mac & Cheese, ice cream pints with flavors like Brown Butter Banana French Toast, and fancy frozen pizzas like Italian Buffalo Mozzarella & Arugula Thin Crust. There are plenty of other items in this lineup as well, including jarred sauces, breads, frozen vegetables, deli meats, raw meats and more. Its an affordable lineup of items that feel and taste more luxurious than your standard store brands.

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Kroger Brand Cookies

In the cookie aisle, look for the knockoffs of the most popular Girl Scout cookies, Ramhold said.

The Mint Fudge Enrobed Cookies taste just like Thin Mints, the Coconut and Caramel Fudge Cookies are perfect dupes of Samoas and the Peanut Butter Fudge Enrobed Cookies are a tasty and cheaper alternative to Tagalongs.

Simple Truth Organic Products

If youre looking for affordable organic products, Krogers line of Simple Truth is a great route to go, Ramhold said. Theyre typically cheaper than even other stores house brands, and theres a wide variety of items within it, so you can ostensibly shop for all organic groceries without spending a fortune.

The Worst Deals at Kroger

Batteries

If you need batteries, Kroger isnt the place to buy them, Ramhold said.

These arent exactly a big seller at grocery stores like Kroger, and their price  and selection  often reflect that. For instance, two Duracell AA batteries at Kroger could cost you more than $13; meanwhile, at stores like Target, you can get a 4-pack of AA batteries for less than $7.

Sure, you can opt for generic brands if you want, but a 24-pack of Krogers own brand will cost you about $18; whereas, at Target, you can get a 20-count pack of their store brand up&up for around $9 or even a 48-count for just $14. However you look at it, you can find better values on batteries elsewhere.

Cookware

Kroger may have a bigger selection of cook and bakeware compared to other grocery stores, but it doesnt mean they have the best selection or value in general, she said. Youre much better off heading to a big-box store like Target or Walmart to find what you need at better prices.

Books

Also avoid buying books at Kroger, Ramhold said.

Kroger is not the place to shop for books. In addition to not having a big selection, you likely will end up paying list price; whereas, at other stores  even bookstores  you can usually get at least a modest discount on the latest bestsellers. Unless youre just desperate for something to read, I would say avoid buying books at Kroger. Even if you are desperate, youre probably better off buying an e-book through Amazon, Google or Apple rather than purchasing a physical copy at Kroger.

Kroger has aisles and aisles of items to stock your pantry and your refrigerated shelves, and dont forget the variety of ways to save. By downloading the app or signing up for an online account, youll be able to review the store ad and pin online coupons to your account. Spending a few minutes to look at the savings tab can save you even more money at the register.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Krogers Best and Worst Deals
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York; Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images; Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Rep. Lauren Boebert slammed what she considers Democrats' "icky" political tactics in her new memoir.

That includes Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez using her name after growing up as "Sandy Cortez."

"This tactic feels icky, gross, and manipulative because that's exactly what it is," she wrote.

Rep. Lauren Boebert slammed what she considers Democrats' "icky" political tactics in her new memoir  including the name "Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez."

The Colorado Republican told readers: "Consider how Sandy Cortez, a girl who grew up in the affluent neighborhood of Yorktown Heights, New York, turned herself into the virtue-signaling, wildly popular paragon of progressivism and wannabe socialist congresswoman we now know as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez."

"This tactic feels icky, gross, and manipulative because that's exactly what it is," she wrote in the newly-released memoir, "My American Life."

Dunking on the New York progressive's name  she was called Sandy in high school  has been a common line of attack for conservatives who want to challenge her authenticity and working-class roots.

Ocasio-Cortez isn't the only Democrat who got a name check from Boebert. She also cited ex-Democratic Rep. Beto O'Rourke, a former presidential candidate who is now running for governor of Texas, as an example of "political contrivance."

Representatives for O'Rourke and Ocasio-Cortez did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

"And since 'Beto' is a common Latino nickname for 'Roberto,' surely he's Hispanic, people thought. Not even close," Boebert wrote. "The entire image he presented was a mirage, a purely political contrivance."

She quoted a Dallas Morning News story that said O'Rourke's late father Pat, a politician and El Paso County judge, once explained nicknaming his son "Beto" because it would give him a better chance running for office in El Paso than he would have as "Robert Francis O'Rourke."

"So it was all a con  sort of like the time Hillary Clinton spoke in a fake southern accent on a campaign trip down south," Boebert wrote. "It's a page ripped from the DNC playbook, which they've used with great success and likely always will."

Read the original article on Business Insider
NJ Transit train crew members have been threatened with guns and knives, beaten, spit on and intimidated and, in one case, had hot coffee thrown on them by passengersin the last two years, according to accounts detailed by 14 employees who sued NJ Transit in federal court this month.

Crew members described in court documents incidents involving passengers who refused to wear masks or pay fares or did not follow instructions while aboard NJ Transit trains. The crew members allege that NJ Transit, the sole defendant in this case, did not do enough to protect them and are each seeking $150,000.

In many of the instances outlined in court documents, the crew members allege there were no police present on the trains or at the stations and said they had to wait for transit police and local police to arrive in order to apprehend unruly customers  some of whom were carrying weapons, according to the lawsuit.

Details of the lawsuit were first reported by the New Jersey Monitor.

Among the altercations detailed in the lawsuit, one involved four crew members who encountered two passengers on the Northeast Corridor line who refused to pay and wear masks. One of the passengers punched and spit at a crew member, the lawsuit said. Another crew member came over to help and "forced [the passenger] to the ground." While they attempted to detain the passenger, he reached and pulled out a handgun, which he dropped during the altercation and crew members kicked away, the lawsuit said. The NJ Transit crew members called for NJ Transit police assistance and then called 911; local police arrived 10 minutes before the transit officers, according to court documents.

A conductor checks prior to boarding at Radburn Station on Sunday morning in Fair Lawn, NJ on 01/20/19.

In another instance, a crew member was working on the Northeast Corridor line when he attempted to collect fares from a group of threatening and belligerent individuals, the lawsuit said. While he stood on the Elizabeth Station platform, several passengers assaulted him, according to the lawsuit. NJ Transit police did not arrive until 20 to 25 minutes after the assault, the lawsuit said.

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One week earlier, a customer poured hot coffee on the same crew member, the lawsuit said.

These assaults have been going on for years. Theyre the same complaints over and over  insufficient personnel on the trains, insufficient security, said Robert Myers, an attorney at Pennsylvania-based firm Coffey, Kaye, Myers & Olley, who is representing the NJ Transit crew members.

A spokesman for NJ Transit declined to comment on pending litigation.

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Employee safety across the NJ Transit system has been a flashpoint during the pandemic, as mask enforcement often fell to front-line workers who drove buses or collected tickets on trains.

In September 2021, NJ Transit police began conducting mask enforcement details across the system, riding trains and buses or visiting stations to provide masks and ask unmasked people to wear them. In at least one case, an NJ Transit customer was issued a summons for noncompliance.

Three months ago, NJ Transit dropped its mask requirement after a federal court ruling.

While some members of the public have called on NJ Transit to pilot a mask-only car for health safety reasons, labor leaders have pushed back, saying it puts crew members at physical risk because of the harassment and assaults.

Concerns about transit employee safety predate the coronavirus.

There were at least 66 rail crew assaults between 2013 and 2020, according to the lawsuit filed this month.

Earlier this year, Gov. Phil Murphy signed a law that increases the penalties for assaulting a public or private transit worker and requires transit operators to install a communication system for immediate incident reporting. NJ Transit also hired a court advocate in 2019 to help front-line employees who are assaulted navigate the criminal justice system. NJ Transit buses are also being equipped with shields to protect drivers.

But Myers said he hopes the lawsuit will inspire more improvements.

We have to go one step further. Youve got to try to prevent this violence, and you have to have sufficient security personnel or train the people on the trains to defend themselves, he said.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ Transit lawsuit over train safety centers on crew assaults
Former President Donald Trump. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The Jan. 6 committee is revealing new evidence on Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 election.

Trump, meanwhile, is facing other legal challenges.

Experts say Trump has a few different options based on what he's charged with.

The House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection is using its final public hearings to showcase more evidence against former President Donald Trump and his attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

During Tuesday's hearing, Rep. Liz Cheney revealed that Trump tried to call a January 6 witness, which could constitute the crime of witness tampering.

But that's not the only thing Trump has to worry about.

The Justice Department, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, and New York Attorney General Letitia James are also conducting their own investigations into Trump and his business practices.

The January 6 hearings and other investigations into Trump could put him in greater legal peril.

Insider previously reported that Trump could have possibly also violated five federal laws based on the evidence presented by the House select committee. These laws include conspiracy to defraud the government, witness tampering, wire fraud, inciting a rebellion, and obstructing an official proceeding.

Five legal experts told Insider that Trump could use several legal defense strategies if formal charges are made against him.

Trump's team did not respond to Insider's request for comment.

Insanity

Throughout the January 6 hearings, the public heard testimonies from several former Justice Department officials who said that they informed Trump on multiple occasions that there was no evidence of election fraud. But despite their conversations, the former president continued to say the election was stolen and pushed election officials to find proof that there was election fraud.

Former Attorney General William Barr even said that at one point, Trump had become "detached from reality."

Trump could plead to insanity to avoid being prosecuted, some legal experts say. But others disagree.

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"I don't think it's very likely  assuming an indictment and a trial  that Donald Trump would defend himself as insane or mentally deranged and thus not criminally culpable," said John Q. Barrett, a former associate independent counsel in the Iran-contra investigation."I think Trump would largely defend himself the way he has conducted himself. He would say 'I won. It was a steal.'"

To push back on Trump's possible legal defense, federal prosecutors could present evidence that he was sane and clear-minded while attempting to overturn the election results.

Prosecutors could also point to other rhetoric Trump used before the presidential election, where he suggested that the election could be rigged. This would aid them in showcasing a pattern in Trump's behavior.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani looks on as then-President Donald Trump speaks. Joshua Roberts/Getty Images

Blaming others

Legal experts say Trump could also go another route and blame others for his continued effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

He consulted several legal advisers like John Eastman, Rudy Giuliani, and Kenneth Chesebro on efforts to cast doubt on the election result. The Fulton County special grand jury recently issued them subpoenas as part of Willis's investigation into Georgia's 2020 elections.

Renato Mariotti, a former federal prosecutor, previously told Insider that if Trump was charged for obstructing an official proceeding, he could claim that he was following Eastman's guidance, who, as his legal adviser, repeatedly pushed then-Vice President Mike Pence to reject electors from some states Trump had lost.

"It's hard to convince a jury that somebody who was following a lawyer's advice was acting corruptly," Mariotti said.

Cheney, who is the vice chair of the January 6 committee, has already hinted at this possibly legal defense.

"The strategy is to blame people his advisers called, quote, the crazies, for what Donald Trump did," she said during Tuesday's public hearing. "This, of course, is nonsense."

Trump's closest allies like Giuliani and Roger Stone, a conservative political consultant, also pushed conspiracy theories about election fraud.

His legal defense attorneys could point to evidence the January 6 committee provided on Tuesday about a meeting Trump had with Giuliani, his former national security adviser Michael Flynn, and his campaign attorney Sidney Powell. During the hours-long meeting held in December 2020, Trump's advisers suggested that he order the Department of Defense to seize voting machines so he could stay in office.

But prosecutors could point to new evidence provided by the January 6 committee as proof of Trump's direct involvement in overturning the 2020 presidential election. Cheney said during Tuesday's public hearing that Trump attempted to contact a January 6 witness  an offense that could potentially be seen as illegally tampering with a witness.

"After our last hearing, President Trump tried to call a witness in our investigation  a witness you have not yet seen in these hearings. That person declined to answer or respond to President Trump's call and, instead, alerted their lawyer to the call," she said.

Trump believed his claims

Trump's legal defense team could argue that he genuinely believed that the election was rigged and did not have an intent to commit a crime.

"If he actually thought he won and he was trying to get people to promote his victory, one could argue that he didn't have the intent to have people commit a crime. He had the intent to have people get to the truth," said Peter Odom, a former Fulton County prosecutor who has worked on election fraud cases.

Federal prosecutors could push back on this approach and use the testimonies of several White House legal advisers and Justice Department officials who told Trump they found no evidence to support the notion that the election was rigged.

Prosecutors would have to present enough evidence to show that "it's completely unreasonable" for someone to believe there was election fraud if they were told by all their lawyers and campaign officials that there was none, Barrett added.

Brad Raffensperger, Georgia Secretary of State, testifies as Gabe Sterling, Georgia Deputy Secretary of State, listens. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

One of the main things prosecutors could bring up if they charge Trump with election fraud or obstructing an official proceeding is the January 2, 2021, call he made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. At that time, Trump pressured Raffensperger to "find" more votes to overturn the state's election results.

Trump's team, however, could argue that his statements during the call with Raffensperger did not show "a real criminal intent" or "were ambiguous," said Nick Akerman, a former Watergate prosecutor.

But, Akerman argued, prosecutors could also bring in other evidence to show that Trump's actions were part of a larger pattern he used to pressure Republican state officials. For instance, there is a December 23, 2020 call Trump made to Frances Watson, who served as a chief investigator for the Georgia secretary of state, during which he urged her to find election fraud.

Robert Ray, a former prosecutor who defended Trump in his first Senate impeachment trial, said Trump's comments during these phone calls showed him suggesting that Georgia officials should look into allegations of election fraud  not for them to commit a felony.

"It may be reprehensible behavior. It may be a whole lot of things, but one thing it's not is criminal," he told Insider.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Sen. Lindsey Graham, left, at the White House in January 2019. Alex Wong/Getty Images

Lawyers for Sen. Lindsey Graham are seeking to quash a subpoena related to the 2020 election.

Graham has been asked to testify before a Georgia grand jury about calls he made to Brad Raffensperger.

Graham's lawyers say the South Carolina Republican has immunity under the US Constitution.

Lawyers for Sen. Lindsey Graham are arguing that the South Carolina Republican cannot be forced to testify before a Fulton County grand jury about alleged election interference, claiming he has "absolute immunity" under the US Constitution for phone calls he placed to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has been investigating efforts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to pressure officials in Georgia to overturn President Joe Biden's victory.

Graham, one of the former president's most loyal allies, was ordered earlier this month to appear before a grand jury. Others subpoenaed include Rudy Giuliani, Trump's former personal attorney.

At issue are phone calls Graham is alleged to have placed in November 2020 to Raffensperger, a fellow Republican whom Trump would later pressure to "find" him the votes necessary to claim victory in the state.

Speaking to The Wall Street Journal at the time, Raffensperger said that Graham had called him and suggested he throw out all mail-in ballots from counties with high rates of mismatched signatures. He refused. "We have laws in place," Raffensperger recounted saying.

Graham has disputed that characterization of the phone call, insisting he only wished to know more about the state's election processes.

In a filing on Wednesday with a US district court, attorneys for the senator maintained that the conversations cannot be subject to legal scrutiny and the subpoena  upheld by a Georgia state judge on Monday  should be discarded.

They insist he is protected by the Constitution's speech and debate clause, which states that federal lawmakers "shall not be questioned in any other place" for their remarks during legislative sessions. Graham's phone calls, because they could potentially be used to craft new laws, fall under this "legislative sphere," the lawyers argue.

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In an analysis published by NBC News, Carol C. Lam, a former US Attorney, called Graham's response to the subpoena "disturbing," arguing the senator's legal response is a delay tactic that "impedes Georgia's ability to investigate possible election corruption within its borders."

Kermit Roosevelt, a constitutional law expert at the University of Pennsylvania, told Insider that the argument being made by Graham's attorneys is at the very least "plausible."

"The speech or debate clause, if you're just looking at the text, seems like it's about things that members of Congress say on the floor, but the court has read it more broadly," Roosevelt said. The question is whether the court will accept Graham's characterization of his intent, prima facie, or itself seek to examine the substance of his conversations before ruling on whether they were loosely "legislative" in nature.

A spokesperson for the Fulton County district attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Jul. 14MARIETTA  By his own count, Barry Morgan's 25-year tenure as Cobb solicitor general makes him the longest-serving prosecutor in county history  edging out former District Attorney Tom Charron by a few years.

It all started, Morgan recalled, with his secretary bursting into his office on a January morning to say she had the governor on the line.

"So I go out into the middle of the office, and I pick up the phone and I hear this voice go, 'Barry?'" Morgan said, with his best imitation of a nasal, north Georgia yelp.

"'This is Zell Miller ... and I hear you want to be solicitor general of Cobb County,'" the governor said.

Morgan replied he did.

"And he said, 'Well, good, because I'm gonna appoint you. They'll call you later for all the details,'" Morgan said. "Then of course, now, I'm boohooing and standing in the middle of the office."

After decades holding the solicitor general's post, Morgan won't seek reelection this year. Bringing his career full circle, he's returning to his roots in music, which he taught for a dozen years before stepping into the legal world. Morgan plans to take up a teaching post at Troy University's music industry program once he's formally out of office.

As the county's junior prosecutor, Cobb's solicitor general handles most misdemeanor charges in the county. Morgan recalled the position was an innovation of former District Attorney Ben Smith Sr.

"(He) decided that, 'I don't like dealing with these misdemeanors over here, and I don't like this traffic stuff over there. So state of Georgia, I want you to create a court and make somebody take those away from me,'" Morgan said.

In the audience at Monday's Metro Marietta Kiwanis Club meeting was Senior Superior Court Judge Jim Bodiford, who earned plaudits from Morgan for his handle on his courtroom. Morgan remembered Bodiford's handling of the trial of Fred Tokars, an east Cobb attorney who was convicted of hiring a hitman to kill his wife.

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The courtroom, filled with high-powered attorneys like Charron, Jerry Froelich, and Bobby Lee Cook, "had a lot of big personalities," Morgan said.

"(Prosecutor) Russ Parker and Bobby Lee Cook got into a scrap  a verbal scrap  and I mean, it was starting to get heated. And Judge Bodiford looked at those cameras from Court TV ... and said fellas, if you're going to do that, you just need to take it outside and settle it out there," Morgan said.

Across his tenure, Morgan said, the docket in the solicitor general's office has lightened significantly amid reforms to Georgia's criminal justice system.

"When I first came into office, it was very, very busy. We had a police chief  George Hatfield  whose philosophy was that you discovered a lot of criminal activity through traffic enforcement," he said.

In those days, the office saw in the neighborhood of 180,000 to 190,000 traffic tickets each year. Those numbers have dropped significantly in the years since. The expansion of Cobb's alternative and diversionary criminal justice programs have also helped more residents reenter the community rather than languish behind bars.

Bodiford, who worked alongside Morgan for years, said while the program "was not the drug court of today," Morgan helped consolidate drug cases to clear the court's docket and make room for more pressing matters.

"We've talked about, you know, what do we have bail for? What do we (not) have bail for? What are the important things, we feel, that we have alternative things for? ... I think we've been on the forefront of that," Morgan said.

"When I was assistant DA in Cobb, doing the drug cases, a second sale of a small amount of a controlled substance was a mandatory life sentence," Morgan said. "And I mean, we clogged up the jails with a lot of folks that probably could have benefited from the drug treatment court that Superior Court has now."

This November, Republican Courtney Brubaker and Democrat Makia Metzger will face off to replace Morgan.

"We will make history whoever wins the election in the fall, because we will have our first female solicitor general," Morgan said.
A Qantas Airbus A380. AP

An ex-Qantas baggage handler told Nine's Today Show that luggage has been left in rooms for weeks.

The whistleblower, who was sacked in the pandemic, said there has also been damage to planes.

He told Today the travel chaos followed Qantas laying off staff during the pandemic.

A former Qantas worker has revealed how passengers' bags were left in rooms for weeks after the Australian airline fired thousands of staff in the pandemic.

The whistleblower, who remained anonymous, told the Nine network's Today show that he was one of the employees laid off following the outbreak of COVID-19.

Qantas let 2,000 workers go during the pandemic, according to the Transport Workers Union. The sackings have since triggered travel mayhem, the former baggage handler told the breakfast TV programme.

"You've got a skilled workforce that has just been totally sacked," he said in the interview.

Luggage has been left in rooms "for weeks at a time, waiting to be claimed," he told Nine. "There has been damage to planes."

He told Today that he enjoyed working at Qantas because of the camaraderie, but there was now no morale or incentive to work there.

Last month Qantas asked its office workers to help out at airports to cope with the surge in travel during school holidays in Australia.

However, the whistleblower told Today: "You can't just learn 30 years experience with a 20-minute security or safety online course. Bringing in a 50-year-old middle management person, that's a sedentary lifestyle for them and then they have to come in and throw 600 bags of 20-kilos plus for eight hours  that hurts young men."

The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) July 13, 2022

Qantas didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. The airline told Nine that outsourcing was not the problem, but rather COVID-19 had caused long delays across the aviation sector.

The whistleblower's comments come at a time when the airline industry grapples with a staffing shortage after the pandemic, which has brought travel chaos to airports and passengers.

Qantas is Australia's biggest and oldest airline, with about 37% of the domestic market, ahead of Virgin Australia. Qantas also owns the Jetstar budget carrier, which has about a 30% market share.

Read the original article on Business Insider
DAKAR (Reuters) -Mali's military-led government said on Thursday it was temporarily suspending troop rotations by the U.N. peacekeeping mission MINUSMA, days after arresting 49 soldiers from Ivory Coast who it said had arrived in the country without permission.

Mali's ruling junta, which seized power in an August 2020 coup, has repeatedly butted heads with many of its traditional partners following sanctions and condemnation over election delays and its security cooperation with Russian mercenaries.

When the U.N. Security Council renewed MINUSMA's mandate last month, Malian authorities vowed to defy U.N. calls to allow freedom of movement for peacekeepers to investigate human rights abuses.

The suspension of troop rotations for the nearly 12,000-strong mission will remain in place until Malian officials can organise a meeting with MINUSMA representatives to discuss coordination between the two sides, Mali's foreign ministry said in a statement.

The United Nations called for an "urgent settlement" after the suspension was announced and said it was ready for immediate discussions to resolve the matter.

"Rotation of contingents is crucially important for the mission's operational effectiveness and the safety and security of personnel," deputy U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters in New York, adding that some of the affected staff should have been relieved several months ago.

The Ivorian troops were arrested after arriving on Sunday at the capital Bamako's international airport. Mali's junta said the soldiers would be considered mercenaries and charged as such.

Ivory Coast says the soldiers were deployed as part of a security and logistics support contract signed with the mission in 2019 and that they were the eighth rotation sent to Mali under the convention.

A MINUSMA spokesman initially confirmed this information, but a U.N. spokesman in New York later said no Ivorian troops had been deployed under the convention.

Mali is struggling to rein in an Islamist insurgency, which took root after an uprising in 2012 and has since spread to neighbouring countries, killing thousands and displacing millions across West Africa's Sahel region.

(Reporting by Aaron Ross in Dakar, Michelle Nichols in New York and Kanishka Singh in WashingtonEditing by John Stonestreet, Andrew Heavens and Frances Kerry)
Jul. 13MANSFIELD  The Mansfield Public School District is searching for a new principal for Mansfield Middle School.

To help with the process of hiring their new leader, the district is asking for input from the community. Community members can access a link to the principal search survey on the town website ( mansfieldct. gov). The survey is open to Mansfield community members as well as students and staff from the Mansfield Public School District.

The survey asks five questions. It asks the person taking the survey their relationship to the school district as well as three qualities they feel are most important for a school leader.

The survey also asks stakeholders what skills, experiences and/or dispositions the Mansfield Middle School principal should have. The final two questions ask stakeholders to describe the strengths of Mansfield Middle School that the next principal should build upon and the top two priorities that the new principal will need to address at the school.

The district is seeking a new middle school principal, as Candace Morell, the current principal, has been named the district's director of teaching and learning. Morell has served as principal of the middle school since 2014.

Morell will begin transitioning to her new role as director of teaching and learning while still supporting the middle school through the start of the new academic year.

"We will ensure a continuity of support throughout the transition until we can appropriately name a new middle school principal," Mansfield Superintendent of Schools Peter Dart said in a letter to Mansfield families.

Mansfield Middle School serves grades 5 through 8 and was named a U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon School. In 2021, U.S. News & World Report magazine ranked Mansfield Middle School 18th out of 304 middle schools in Connecticut based on 2019 performances on state- required tests, graduation rates and how well students are prepared for high school.

Follow the Chronicle on Twitter  @ thechroniclect.
Mayor Cavalier Johnson said he is open to providing the city's poorest residents a monthly income payment, after Madison joined a growing list of cities instituting a guaranteed income program, but said Milwaukee just can't afford it right now.

Last month, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway announced a new guaranteed income pilot program that will give 155 families in Madison $500 a month for one year, which can be spent on anything. Madison is calling it a "no strings attached" plan.

A growing number of municipalities across the U.S. have instituted a program, including the Twin Cities, Chicago, and Lansing, Michigan.

Madison's program is a collaboration with the city and Mayors for Guaranteed Income, which is a network of mayors advocating for a guaranteed income.

Former Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett was a part of the network and signed legislation in 2020 directing the Department of Administration to develop and present a universal basic income program to the Common Council. The legislative effort to institute a universal basic income plan has been led by Ald. Chantia Lewis.

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson speaks at the newsmaker luncheon in June at the Newsroom Pub downtown.

It's important to note that a "universal basic income program" would result in all residents receiving a monthly payment regardless of income level. The legislation signed by Barrett, and championed by Lewis, is actually a "guaranteed income program," which only low-income residents are eligible for.

Universal Basic Income plans or UBIs were thrown back into the mainstream in 2019 when Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang began campaigning on the idea to send every citizen $1,000 a month, no strings attached.

Then, in June 2020, Mayors for Guaranteed Income was founded and many mayors around the country began joining with the hopes of creating a guaranteed income program for low-income people in their cities. The network has grown to at least 75 U.S. mayors, and about a quarter of those mayors have implemented such programs.

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As an alderman, Johnson was a co-sponsor with Lewis on the legislation Barrett signed in 2020. The measure passed Common Council by a vote of 10 to 5.

Ald. Michael Murphy voted against the legislation. Murphy said he looked at studies on UBIs, particularly European programs, and believes they would encourage people to not work.

Murphy added he believes the program would have led to public funds being used to help run the program. He said a program of this nature should be totally privately funded.

When the legislation was brought up again in 2021, the measure passed through committee unanimously but stalled before the full council, as they unanimously agreed to move the legislation back to committee.

Ald. Chantia Lewis

A little more than a month later, Lewis was barred from all her committee assignments after she was charged with five criminal counts accusing her of taking more than $20,000 in campaign funds and false travel reimbursements from the city. The legislation has been sitting in committee since July 2021. Lewis is due back in court for a pre-trial hearing later this month.

A spokesperson for Johnson said he is still open to the idea of guaranteed income, but the city has too much on its plate to consider it now.

"(Johnson) is open to the concept of guaranteed income, but the city is in no position to advance the idea because of our current fiscal situation," said the mayor's communications director Jeff Fleming.

The Common Council currently has a number of financial decisions it has to make. The city's annual pension contribution is ballooning. Current estimates predict the annual pension contribution will increase by nearly double, according to the city budget office. It is expected to remain elevated for years to come.

A quarter of the city's workforce could be let go between 2023 and 2025, affecting services the city provides to residents, according to a report from the city's Pension Task Force.

Members of the Common Council are also debating how best to spend the remaining 25% of funds given to Milwaukee from the American Rescue Plan.

U.S. President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 on March 11, 2021, to provide assistance to communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Roughly 75% was already allocated to help, in part, with affordable housing, lead paint abatement, reckless driving enforcement, providing attorneys for people facing eviction, shoring up the city's struggling ambulance system, and street light replacement

Johnson said that there just isn't any room for a guaranteed income plan in the ARPA funds, but Lewis told the Journal Sentinel she would like it to be considered as part of the ARPA funds, adding she believes income level is tied to violence prevention.

Milwaukee's proposed guaranteed income plan follows the Stockton, California model and is similar to the Madison plan, in that it would give $500 a month to participants. But, it differs from Madison in that Milwaukee's plan lasts 18 months and 125 families would be chosen.

Also similar to Stockton, Lewis' intention was to raise the funds through philanthropic donations, and she still believes "to be successful it has to be a privately funded/ran program." But, she said, she also believes ARPA provided a new opening for funding a pilot program.

Lewis said some public funds would have to be used to pay a program manager regardless.

A major sticking point for Johnson when the legislation was before the council was ensuring that no "government" funds would be used on a guaranteed income plan.

Most guaranteed income programs across the country are funded privately, although publicly funded programs do exist. Los Angeles' program is funded with taxpayer dollars, and Chicago's was funded using federal COVID relief funds.

More: L.A., Chicago giving away cash with no strings attached to residents in need. Are universal basic income programs working?

More: Is universal basic income closer to reality? Cities are already testing monthly checks for residents

Madison's program is funded through private foundations and philanthropy. No city tax dollars are being used. The state Department of Health Services did provide some funding to the program. The DHS said the funding is through a grant for local, tribal government agencies, and community-based organizations to address COVID-19 related health disparities. "DHS is not providing funding for direct payments to participants," said DHS spokesperson Elizabeth Goodsitt.

Johnson believes any guaranteed or universal income program should be initiated by the federal government, and he points to the child tax credit, which provided monthly payments to families with children, as a "version of guaranteed income," Fleming said. "In light of this, the mayor suggests the best approach could come from Washington," he added.

It's not exactly a policy that led to support from either political party though. A Morning Consult poll from April shows that tax credit recipients were just as likely to vote for a Republican as they were a Democrat. Neither party has made it exclusively their policy.

A conservative think tank based in Madison, The John K. MacIver Institute for Public Policy, believes the guaranteed income plans are "a dangerous precedent and slippery slope that we're now going to expand the current welfare system to include cash benefits, cash payments, with no expectation of anything in return from recipients," said Brett Healy, president of the MacIver Institute.

Healy agrees with Murphy that a guaranteed income program will incentivize people to not work.

But, Madison's mayor argues the program will help people find a better job. "We know that monthly cash aid can help families access healthy food, buy school supplies, or even get a better job," said Rhodes-Conway.

I think we have an opportunity, as we start to grow our economy again, to grow something that is more equitable, that is more sustainable, Satya Rhodes-Conway says.

"A guaranteed income can also improve the mental and physical health of recipients. Piloting this program in Madison not only helps Madison families, it helps build the case for a national guaranteed income program."

Madison's application deadline was July 3. To have been eligible a person's household income must be less than 200% of the federal poverty line, have at least one child under the age of 18 living in the household, and be a permanent resident of Madison.

Any family that is eligible and applied before July 3 has an equal chance of being selected, the program's director said. The families chosen to participate will be randomly selected.

Alison Dirr of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.

Contact Drake Bentley at (414) 391-5647 or DBentley1@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DrakeBentleyMJS.

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson open to guaranteed income for poor
The remains of William DaShawn Hamilton (right) have been identified after being found in 1999. A new reconstruction image (left) shows what he may have looked like in life (National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and the DeKalb County District Attorneys Office)

A mother is under arrest after a six-year-old boy whose remains were found close to a cemetery in Georgia in 1999 has finally been identified.

The 45-year-old mother has been charged with murder. DeKalb District Attorney Sherry Boston said on Wednesday that the revelation came after a tip came in from someone who saw an artists rendering of the boy put out three years ago, WLTX reported.

Ms Boston said the child was William DaShawn Hamilton, 6.

His mother, Teresa Ann Bailey Black, now 45, has been detained in Phoenix, Arizona and is set to be extradited to Georgia. Shes being held without bail pending extradition to DeKalb County, which includes eastern Atlanta.

Ms Black was indicted by a grand jury last month. She faces two counts of felony murder, two counts of cruelty to children, aggravated assault and concealing the death of another.

William was never reported missing, making it difficult to connect the remains to a specific child when the body was found in 1999.

For too long, this precious little boy had no name and no story, Ms Boston said in a statement. Through the tireless efforts of several individuals and organizations who were determined not to let this boy be forgotten, William has been identified, and justice will be served in his memory.

The child was found in a wooded area near a cemetery in 1999 (Screenshot / 11Alive)

The District Attorney said that William was taken from a school in Charlotte, North Carolina in December 1998 by Ms Black, and the mother and son moved to Atlanta.

Williams remains were found on 26 February 1999 in a wooded area at the corner of Clifton Springs Road and Clifton Springs Church Road.

Ms Boston said on Wednesday that they believed at the time that Williams remains had been in the area for between three and six months.

The cause of death wasnt determined when the remains were discovered, but Ms Blacks indictment now claims that she caused his death by giving him a substance or substances containing Diphenhydramine and Acetaminophen and hitting him in the head with an unknown object.

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The indictment also alleges that she didnt attempt to provide him with medical treatment and that she hid his death.

The remains of William DaShawn Hamilton (right) have been identified after being found in 1999. A new reconstruction image (left) shows what he may have looked like in life (National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and the DeKalb County District Attorneys Office)

The condition of the body precludes a facial identification, fingerprints  things we usually use to identify someone, DeKalb County Medical Examiner D Gerald Gowitt said in 1999, according to archival footage from 11Alive.

A tip on the identity of William was provided in May 2020 following the release over a year previously of an artists rendering of the child by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The remains of a boy found in 1999 have finally been identified (Screenshot / 11Alive)

Angeline Hartmann, a writer and podcaster, said on Wednesday that a woman called Eva recognised the rendering when she saw it long after its release. The woman had known William and had been trying to understand what had happened to him.

Ms Hartmann said the woman always felt that something wasnt right.

Eva said in a statement that William was like a shining star and that he liked to draw and read books such as the dictionary and encyclopaedias rather than childrens stories.

The child was found in a wooded area near a cemetery in 1999 (Screenshot / 11Alive)

William was going to grow up to be somebody, the statement said. I so wanted him to be alive. I wanted William to know that I never stopped looking for him. I loved William.

The authorities are still looking for help to solve the case, with Ms Boston noting on Wednesday that the mother worked for a short period of time at a club in Atlanta called Pleasers on Cleveland Avenue, which has since closed.

She added that the mother also could have been getting help from the Atlanta Day Shelter for Women and Children.

Anyone who may have been in contact with the mom or William in late 1998 or early 1999 has been asked to call the DeKalb County tip line at 404-371-2444.
Jul. 14WASHINGTON  A group of 41 Democratic senators, led by Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, sent a letter Wednesday calling on the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure same-sex spouses have access to the same benefits as other couples.

Murray, a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, asked VA Secretary Denis McDonough to revisit the cases of same-sex couples who would have qualified for benefits if they had been able to legally marry. Most states didn't allow same-same marriage until a 2015 Supreme Court ruling.

"Each of our veterans and their spouses deserve the same quality care and services once they leave the military  no matter who they love," the senators wrote. "Our veterans and their families, who selflessly served our nation and have sacrificed so much, must be afforded the benefits they have so rightly earned. This is not only a matter of fairness and equity, it is the morally right thing to do."

The issue came to Murray's attention in 2015 when her office helped Seattle-area resident Joe Krumbach become the first gay widower in Washington to receive VA spousal benefits. Krumbach's partner of 19 years, Army veteran Jerry Hatcher, died in 2008, four years before the Washington State Legislature made it legal for gay couples to marry.

Nearly a decade after the Supreme Court ruled in 2013 that denying federal benefits to same-sex couples is unconstitutional, the senators told McDonough they continue to hear from many spouses of deceased veterans who are facing barriers to receiving the VA benefits they are entitled to, including health care, monthly pension payments and help paying for burial costs. To be eligible for those benefits, couples generally need to be married for at least one year.

President Joe Biden signed an executive order in June that directed the Department of Health and Human Services to review barriers to accessing federal benefits and programs based on sexual and gender identity. The order also called for the VA to remove a ban on gender-affirming health care for transgender veterans, but it didn't mandate action on benefits for same-sex partners.

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"In spite of important progress in ensuring that same-sex married couples can access federal programs, many LGBTQI+ families continue to face barriers in accessing vital benefits and services," a White House fact sheet said, using an acronym that encompasses lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and other identities.

The Biden administration has taken other steps to make same-sex couples eligible for federal benefits. In November 2021, the Social Security Administration dropped appeals filed during the Trump administration in two class-action lawsuits over survivor benefits, making same-sex spouses eligible to receive Social Security benefits if they can show they were in a committed relationship and would have married if they had been able.

Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, the top Democrat on the Senate VA Committee, notably did not sign the letter. Nearly all other Democratic senators signed, including Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington.

Orion Donovan-Smith's reporting for The Spokesman-Review is funded in part by Report for America and by members of the Spokane community. This story can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. For more information on this, please contact our newspaper's managing editor.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  North Korea has become one of the few nations in the world to recognize the independence of two Russian-backed separatist regions in eastern Ukraine in support of Russias war against its neighbor.

Ukraines Foreign Ministry cut off diplomatic ties with North Korea in response and condemned Pyongyangs decision as undermining Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity.

North Korea has repeatedly blamed the United States for the crisis in Ukraine, claiming the West's hegemonic policy justified Russia's offensive in Ukraine to protect itself.

North Koreas state media said Thursday that the countrys foreign minister, Choe Sun Hui, sent letters to leaders in the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk a day earlier to convey the Norths decision to recognize their independence and its willingness to develop diplomatic relations with both.

Donetsk separatist leader Denis Pushilin acknowledged North Korea's decision Wednesday.

Luhansk and Donetsk together make up the Donbas region, a mostly Russian-speaking region of steel factories, mines and other industries in Ukraine's east. Separatists have controlled parts of both provinces since 2014, but Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized their independence only shortly before the invasion began in February. Syria has since recognized their independence as well.

Ukrainian Foreign Minster Dmytro Kuleba said Russias appeal to North Korea for support shows Moscow has no more allies in the world, except for countries that depend on it financially and politically. Ukraine had already suspended its political and economic contacts with North Korea because of international sanctions imposed on the North over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles program.

The level of isolation of the Russian Federation will soon reach the level of isolation of the DPRK, Kuleba said in a statement, using the initials of North Koreas formal name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.

Russias invasion of Ukraine has effectively paralyzed the U.N. Security Council, where Russia is a veto-wielding permanent member, leaving an opening for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to push forward his weapons development as he tries to cement the Norths status as a nuclear power and negotiate a removal of crippling U.S.-led sanctions from a position of strength.

North Korea has test-fired more than 30 missiles in 2022 alone, including its first flight test of an intercontinental ballistic missile in nearly five years. There are also indications the North is restoring tunnels at a nuclear testing site that was last active in 2017 in possible preparations to resume nuclear explosive tests.
A 27-year-old man has been charged in the sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl who reportedly traveled from Ohio to Indiana for an abortion in a case that drew international attention  and scrutiny  in the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Gerson Fuentes, who was arrested Tuesday, confessed to raping the child, according to documents filed in Franklin County, Ohio, Municipal Court.

He was charged with the rape of a minor and faces a life sentence and deportation, the documents state. Bond was set at $2 million, and an initial hearing is scheduled for next week.

An attorney who represented Fuentes at Wednesdays hearing did not immediately reply to a request for comment Wednesday evening.

The Columbus Dispatch reported that the charge is connected to the case highlighted by President Joe Biden and held up as an example by abortion rights advocates of the dangers of the end of a constitutional right to abortion.

She was forced to have to travel out of the state to Indiana to seek to terminate the pregnancy and maybe save her life, Biden said last week. Ten years old  10 years old  raped, six weeks pregnant, already traumatized, was forced to travel to another state.

The girl's situation began drawing attention after The Indianapolis Star reported that an Indianapolis physician who provides abortion services, Dr. Caitlin Bernard, said she had treated a 10-year-old rape victim. She said the girl had to travel from Ohio to Indiana after Ohio's "fetal heartbeat" law was enacted hours after the Supreme Court's ruling on Roe last month.

In Ohio, abortions are now outlawed at around six weeks of pregnancy, with no exceptions for cases involving rape or incest.

A number of media outlets and personalities have cast doubt on the reported details of the girls case.

Several right-leaning outlets also scrutinized Bidens decision to speak out, saying the details had not been verified by fact-checkers with The Washington Post or others.

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Snopes.com said it was unable to get corroborating information about the story.

After the story went viral, various media personalities and social media commenters questioned whether the story was real, Snopes.com noted on its website. It later updated its page to include details about Fuentes arrest.

Indiana legislators are preparing for a special session about an abortion ban this month.

Its hard to imagine that in just a few short weeks we will have no ability to provide that care, Bernard, the doctor, told The Star this month.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said that his heart aches for the girl and that justice must be served.

"I am grateful for the diligent work of the Columbus Police Department in securing a confession and getting a rapist off the street," Yost said.

He had previously been among those casting doubt on the girl's story, telling the USA Today Network Ohio bureau Tuesday that the more time passed with no confirmation of the story, the more likely "that this is a fabrication."

I know the cops and prosecutors in this state, Yost had said. Theres not one of them that wouldnt be turning over every rock, looking for this guy, and they would have charged him. They wouldnt leave him loose on the streets. ... Im not saying it could not have happened. What Im saying to you is there is not a damn scintilla of evidence.

CORRECTION (July 22, 2022, 8:40 a.m. ET) : A previous version of this article misspelled the first name of the accused. He is Gerson Fuentes, not Gershon Fuentes.
Protesters in Dayton, Ohio, hold placards expressing their opinion at a pro abortion rights rally. Photo by Whitney Saleski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

An Ohio lawmaker proposed a bill that would ban abortions at the moment of conception.

Republican Rep. Gary Click proposed the bill  dubbed the "Personhood Act"  on Monday.

On Tuesday, an Ohio man confessed raping a 10-year-old girl, drawing national attention.

An Ohio lawmaker and Baptist pastor has proposed a state-wide ban on abortions that would start at the moment of conception.

Republican Rep. Gary Click and seven co-sponsors introduced a bill on Monday dubbed "The Personhood Act," according to a draft of the legislation.

"The state of Ohio shall recognize the personhood, and protect the constitutional rights, of all unborn human individuals from the moment of conception. Nothing in this section shall be interpreted in any manner that would endanger the life of a mother," the text of the legislation read.

After the Supreme Court's decision to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling  which protected the constitutional right to an abortion  an Ohio law took effect that banned abortions after six weeks into a pregnancy, or when a fetal heartbeat is detected.

In a Thursday statement, Click said "conception is the only precise and defining event that distinguishes the introduction of a unique human being in possession of their own unique individuality as defined in their DNA."

"Any government that does not secure the right to life of each individual within its jurisdiction has fractured the foundation upon which it stands," he said.

Click told Ohio's Statehouse News Bureau on Monday that the bill does not make exceptions for rape or incest.

On Tuesday, an Ohio man was arrested after confessing to raping a 10-year-old girl on at least two occasions, according to Columbus police. The girl became pregnant and was ultimately forced to travel out of state for an abortion, an Indiana doctor who helped the girl told the Indianapolis Star.

The case led to widespread attention from media and politicians  including the White House.

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A spokesperson for Click told Insider that the case is "heartbreaking but unrelated" to the proposed legislation, and the language was drafted before the story was made public. They added that Click has made "no conclusive judgments" on the incident.

Majority Floor Leader Rep. Bill Seitz, a Republican, told Insider that while he understands the "sentiments" behind the proposed "Personhood Act," he can't vote for it "in its current form."

"Legislation is not a mere expression of altruistic intent, but must be clear in what it prescribes and I fear this very short bill raises a good many more questions than it resolves," he said.

Insider reached out to other members of Ohio's state majority leadership to see if they would back the proposed legislation, but they did not immediately respond.

The state's Republican Party also did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Cryptocurrency exchange OKX has been awarded a provisional virtual assets (VA) license in Dubai, the company said Thursday.

According to its press release, the license was issued by the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) and will allow OKX to provide trading services to investors in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Seychelles-based company also announced plans to open a regional hub in Dubai to expand the reach of cryptocurrencies in the region.

The [Middle East North Africa] region is one of the fastest growing markets for our industry, and we are very excited to be at the heart of this thriving ecosystem," said OKX General Manager Lennix Lai. Lai said the company will continue "innovating for the future in a regulated framework.

In February, UAE's Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) announced it was allowing Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASP) to establish entities in the country as it looked to become a global crypto hub.
CHICAGO  An attorney who represents the parents of the man charged with murder in the Highland Park mass shooting on the Fourth of July said they have been cooperating with the law enforcement investigation of the shooting.

In response to concerns that Robert Bobby Crimo IIIs father sponsored him for a firearm owners identification card, attorney George Gomez said, We still take the position at the time the father (Robert Crimo Jr.) consented to the FOID application, that he was not aware that the son was a danger to anyone else or himself.

Also, regarding police being called to multiple previous domestic altercations, Gomez told the Tribune, I dont know how any domestic violence from  years ago are related to any motive the child would have had.

Police reports show that officers were called to the alleged shooters family home nine times between 2010 and 2014 in response to domestic altercations involving the parents, Robert Crimo Jr. and Denise Pesina. Records showed neither had been charged with domestic violence in Lake County.

In 2019, Highland Park police reports stated that officers were called to domestic cases involving the family and were told Crimo III had tried to kill himself with a machete and threatened to kill everyone.

Crimo III denied it, and no charges were filed.

Local police reported Crimo III to Illinois State Police as a clear and present danger, but state police approved his application for a FOID card, with his fathers sponsorship in December 2019.

Crimos father told ABC News he was shocked and felt horrible about the shooting, but had no regret over helping his son get access to guns.

Gomez, a criminal defense attorney based in Libertyville, said he couldnt comment on whether the parents were being investigated for possible culpability in the deaths.

The parents are looking for an answer just as much as everybody else why the son had (allegedly) committed these actions, Gomez said.

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Prosecutors also would not shed light on what might happen with the parents.

Were still in the middle of a lot of investigative work, Lake County states attorneys office spokesman Steve Spagnolo said. We cant comment about it at this point.

The Tribune also submitted a request for an interview with States Attorney Eric Rinehart.


Warmate drone

Read also: Lithuanians purchased 110 anti-drone weapons for the Armed Forces of Ukraine

The drone manufacturer agreed to supply one system to Ukraine after the transfer of funds. The goal is to collect 4 million zlotys ($831,440). 59,000 zlotys ($12,258) have already been collected in two days.

Read also: Three donated Bayraktar drones are almost ready to ship to Ukraine

One system is a control station and 20 kamikaze drones that can destroy enemy targets deep in the rear (range of 10 km).

This is not the first fundraising in Poland for military equipment for Ukraine. At the end of June, the Poles started collecting 4.5 million zlotys ($935,000) for the Bayraktar attack drone.

Read also: Ukrainians donate almost $10 million in a day to buy Bayraktar drones for army

Currently, more than half of the specified amount has been raised.
Chicago tourism has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, but it could fully recover by 2024, and possibly before, industry leaders said.

In the four weeks ending July 9, hotel occupancy in the central business district was 75%, compared with 81% during the same time in 2019, according to research firm STR. And, in the first six months of the year, hotel stays generated 82% of the tax revenue they did during the same time pre-pandemic, according to Choose Chicago.

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Industry leaders expressed optimism at a news conference Wednesday about the pace at which tourism is returning. In the week leading up to the July 4 holiday, hotel occupancy exceeded 2019 levels for the first time since the start of the pandemic, said Michael Jacobson, CEO of the Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association.

The recovery will be significant as a bellwether for Chicagos economy as a whole.

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A tour boat ride moves along the Chicago River on July 13, 2022. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

Travel and tourism is at the epicenter of this vital hub and spoke model, and a true economic engine of our entire region, said Jack Lavin, CEO of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce.

Chicagos hospitality industry, battered by the pandemic, has been slower to come back than in other cities, the CEOS of Hyatt Hotels and American Airlines have said. The return of international and business travelers, traditionally a key piece of the citys hospitality industry, has been slower than the return of leisure travelers. Industry leaders have also been tasked with overcoming concerns about downtown crime, both real and perceived.

In one sign of the distress of the industry, Wells Fargo Bank recently took control of the JW Marriot Chicago hotel at a foreclosure auction.

The foreclosure likely will not lead to noticeable changes for travelers at the hotel this summer, but its not likely to be the last hotel foreclosure, Jacobson said.

I think when you look at the damage that was done to our industry, youre not going to, as good as the numbers are this summer, youre not going to make up for the losses with one strong summer, he said. There is still a lot of hurt amongst hotel owners.

A person takes a photo while visiting the London House in Chicago on July 13, 2022. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

Still, Glenn Eden, board chair for Choose Chicago, said he was optimistic not only that travel would return full force to the city, but that the city could reimagine what travel to the Midwest looks like.

He attributed the citys lagging recovery partly to an unfair comparison with smaller cities. Its reasonable smaller cities would come back quicker than Chicago because there were fewer travelers to bring back in the first place, he said.

Another factor likely at play is the citys now-lifted COVID-19 mask and vaccine policies. Travelers, especially business travelers, might have chosen not to come to Chicago when booking earlier this year or in previous years, while the mandates were in effect, because they werent sure how open the city would be by their scheduled travel, Jacobson said. One example, he said, was the Sweets & Snacks Expo, which went to Indianapolis in 2021 while McCormick Place was closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, and beginning in 2024 is set to rotate over 10 years between Indianapolis and Las Vegas.

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People cross Michigan Avenue in Chicago on July 13, 2022. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

But the citys virus policies likely brought other business meetings to Chicago, helping them feel safer, he said. And states policies on political issues like gun control and abortion rights are likely to play an increasing factor in bringing more business meetings and conventions to the city, he said.

Convention attendance has recently been around 70% of pre-pandemic levels, and he expects it to grow, Jacobson said. In the first six months of 2022, hotel bookings for leisure travel were at 76% of 2019 levels, and business travel was at 71%, according to Choose Chicago.

Should politics play a role in where a big event takes place? I cant say that, Jacobson said. But it does play a role, and in many ways Chicago is now beginning to capitalize on that.

Crime remains a concern for tourism agencies, but it hasnt led to any large changes in where visitors are booking hotels, Jacobson said.

Despite their optimism, the industry leaders cautioned against new regulations at an industry turning point. Lavin, with the chamber of commerce, called for policies to help with job training and retention, and incentives to attract conventions.

This is still very much an urgent time for this critical element of our citys economy, he said.

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sfreishtat@chicagotribune.com
By Keith Coffman

DENVER (Reuters) - A county clerk who was indicted on felony charges of tampering with voting equipment and then lost a bid for the Republican nomination to Colorado's top election-management post has become a fugitive from justice, court records showed on Thursday.

In a written court order, Mesa County District Judge Matthew Barrett revoked a $25,000 cash bond for Tina Peters, who is the county's Republican elected clerk and recorder, and issued a warrant for her arrest.

Court records show Peters left the state without permission, violating the terms of her bail bond that permitted her pre-trial release from jail in March.

Peters' lawyer, Harvey Steinberg, filed court papers later on Thursday seeking to block the bench warrant for her arrest. The motion acknowledged Peters had gone to Las Vegas, Nevada, this week to speak at a sheriff's conference but asserted she misunderstood the court-ordered travel restrictions she faced.

In March, Peters was indicted by a Colorado grand jury on election tampering charges stemming from an alleged breach of Mesa County's voting equipment, and was barred by Colorado's secretary of state from overseeing elections in the western Colorado county this year.

According to the 10-count indictment, which included charges of criminal impersonation, conspiracy, identity theft and official misconduct, Peters gave unauthorized personnel access to the county's election computer server.

Two of her deputies have also been criminally charged in the case, which gained national attention in part because Peters was outspoken in her support for former President Donald Trump's baseless claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged against him.

Peters has denied any wrongdoing, and blamed her legal troubles on her political adversaries, including Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat.

Undaunted by her indictment, Peters sought the Republican nomination to challenge Griswold, who is up for re-election in November. But Peters, who was permitted to travel outside Colorado while she was a candidate for statewide office, lost the Republican primary last month.

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Investigators learned that Peters had filed a document with Griswold's office this week, requesting a recount of the primary election and that it was notarized in Las Vegas. That revelation led Mesa County District Attorney Daniel Rubinstein to file a motion to revoke Peters' bond.

"Ms. Peters has less motivation to appear in court now that she is no longer a candidate," Rubinstein wrote. "Additionally, she has evidenced through her travel prior to the election that she has the means to flee if she wants to."

Peter's defense lawyer denied she was a flight risk and argued she believed she still had permission to travel out of state with 72 hours advance notice, as she did during her election campaign, and that her failure to provide such notice before going to Las Vegas was an oversight.

Peters was in Las Vegas on July 12 to address a symposium on election fraud held by the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, a conservative group of elected local law enforcement officials and their allies.

The criminal investigation of Peters was opened last year after images of Mesa County's election equipment passwords were on a right-wing blog site.

The suspected computer breach was pinpointed during a software update in 2021 and did not involve any actual election or voting irregularities, authorities said.

(Reporting by Keith Coffman in Denver; Editing by Steve Gorman and Daniel Wallis)
Jul. 14Four Brownsville teens have been arrested by police after a 70-year-old man reported being shot with a soft-pellet gun.

Bryan Salinas, 17; Anthony Gianni Vicencio, 18; Gabriel Sebastian Cisneros, 17; and a 16-year-old boy are each charged with one count of criminal mischief and one count of injury to a child/elderly/disabled person, said Investigator Martin Sandoval, spokesman for the Brownsville Police Department.

Under the Texas penal code, anyone 17 years or older who commits a crime is considered an adult.

Police were called at around 4 a.m. Thursday to the downtown area at the 1100 block of East Levee Street in reference to property damage, Sandoval said. A business owner told police four males in a black Mercedes Benz had thrown eggs at the door of his business, Sandoval said. He also said that one of them pulled out a gun and started to shoot at the front window.

The gun was identified as an air-soft gun, which shoots plastic pellets, Sandoval said.

A lookout was placed on the Mercedes Benz, and at about 4:40 a.m., officers responded to the 2636 Boca Chica in reference to a disturbance. A 70-year-old man told police he was out for his morning walk when a black Mercedes Benz pulled up next to him. Four males were in the vehicle, and one of them asked him for directions, the man told police.

"They asked the man for the directions, and the next thing you know they pulled a gun and started shooting at him," Sandoval said.

The man realized he was being struck by plastic pellets, and he ran to a nearby convenience store to call police.

As the man was giving his statement to a police officer, he saw the Mercedes Benz and pointed the vehicle out to the officer. "He said, 'hey, that's the vehicle'," Sandoval told The Herald, "and that is when the officer took jumped in the unit and took off after them. There was another officer in the area, and he pulled the vehicle over.

"And they actually did find the air soft gun in the vehicle," the investigator said.

Bonds on Salinas, Vicencio and Cisneros were set at $3,500 each. The juvenile was transported to the Darrell Hester Juvenile Detention Center in San Benito.
It is usually uneventful when a single insider buys stock. However, When quite a few insiders buy shares, as it happened in Lion Energy Limited's (ASX:LIO) case, it's fantastic news for shareholders.

While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether.

See our latest analysis for Lion Energy

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Lion Energy

The Executive Chairman Thomas Soulsby made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for AU$100k worth of shares at a price of AU$0.08 each. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of AU$0.032. It's very possible they regret the purchase, but it's more likely they are bullish about the company. We always take careful note of the price insiders pay when purchasing shares. It is generally more encouraging if they paid above the current price, as it suggests they saw value, even at higher levels.

While Lion Energy insiders bought shares during the last year, they didn't sell. Their average price was about AU$0.071. I'd consider this a positive as it suggests insiders see value at around the current price. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Are Lion Energy Insiders Buying Or Selling?

Over the last three months, we've seen a bit of insider buying at Lion Energy. Executive Director Damien Servant purchased AU$8.8k worth of shares in that period. It's great to see that insiders are only buying, not selling. But in this case the amount purchased means the recent transaction may not be very meaningful on its own.

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Insider Ownership

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Our data indicates that Lion Energy insiders own about AU$1.9m worth of shares (which is 14% of the company). We do note, however, it is possible insiders have an indirect interest through a private company or other corporate structure. We do generally prefer see higher levels of insider ownership.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Lion Energy Tell Us?

Insider purchases may have been minimal, in the last three months, but there was no selling at all. That said, the purchases were not large. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. We'd like to see bigger individual holdings. However, we don't see anything to make us think Lion Energy insiders are doubting the company. So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 4 warning signs for Lion Energy (of which 2 shouldn't be ignored!) you should know about.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Indianas Republican attorney general said on Wednesday that his office planned to investigate the Indiana doctor who helped a 10-year-old rape victim who crossed state lines to have an abortion.

Dr. Caitlin Bernard, an obstetrician-gynecologist in Indianapolis, has told multiple outlets that she provided care to the 10-year-old after a child abuse doctor in Ohio contacted her. The child was six weeks and three days into the pregnancy, Bernard said. After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last month, a wave of state-level abortion restrictions took effect, including in Ohio, a state that bans abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, with no exceptions for rape or incest. Abortion in Indiana is banned after 22 weeks of pregnancy, with some exceptions for medical emergencies.

Were gathering the evidence as we speak, and were going to fight this to the end, including looking at her licensure if she failed to report. And in Indiana its a crime  to intentionally not report, state Attorney General Todd Rokita said on Fox News on Wednesday night. This is a child, and theres a strong public interest in understanding if someone under the age of 16 or under the age of 18 or really any woman is having abortion in our state. And then if a child is being sexually abused, of course parents need to know. Authorities need to know. Public policy experts need to know.

There are strict reporting requirements in both Ohio and Indiana for abortions and rape allegations. Rokita doubled down on his threats of criminal charges in a letter dated Wednesday but released publicly on Thursday. The letter, to Gov. Eric Holcomb, a Republican, called for records from the Indiana Department of Public Health and the Department of Child Services to determine whether Bernard filed a report within the required three-day window.

"If Dr. Bernard has failed to file the required reports on time, she has committed an offense, the consequences of which could include criminal prosecution and licensing repercussions," the letter said.



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Ohios Republican attorney general, Dave Yost, said on Fox News on Monday that there was no evidence of a report being filed for the 10-year-old's case, though based on the felony complaint, a police report was generated in late June for the rape of the child.

The account about the young girl has garnered national attention amid the fall of the constitutional right to abortion in the United States  and has become a key focus of the abortion debate. The account sparked intense dialogue in Washington, with some questioning the storys validity, particularly after President Joe Biden cited the episode last week while slamming the courts decision in a major speech on abortion policy.

She was forced to have to travel out of the state to Indiana to seek to terminate the pregnancy and maybe save her life, Biden said in remarks at the White House last week. Ten years old  10 years old!  raped, six weeks pregnant, already traumatized, was forced to travel to another state.

The speculation stopped on Wednesday when Gerson Fuentes, 27, was arrested and charged with the rape of the girl, a felony of the first degree in Ohio. Police say he confessed to raping the child at least twice. The Columbus Dispatch first reported the arrest.

The clean-up followed shortly after the news of the arrest. Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan deleted a tweet in which he had called the story another lie. The Wall Street Journal editorial page had to walk back on an editorial titled An Abortion Story Too Good To Confirm that called the case a fanciful tale. And Yost, who originally cast doubt on the story, tweeted on Wednesday that his heart aches for the child and that he was grateful for the arrest  not acknowledging his previous skepticism.

Even before Biden used the example in his remarks, the case was already receiving significant attention. The Indianapolis Star reported on July 1 that Bernard received a call from a child abuse doctor in Ohio three days after the Supreme Court overturned Roe. Bernard put out her own statement on Wednesday night.

My heart breaks for all survivors of sexual assault and abuse. I am so sad that our country is failing them when they need us most, Bernard wrote on Twitter. Doctors must be able to give people the medical care they need, when and where they need it.

Aside from Rokitas threats, its not yet clear whether Indiana will actually prosecute Bernard. But abortion rights activists and legal experts have been warning for weeks of the unprecedented legal risks doctors face in the wake of Roes fall.
Chuck Leavell: Ill play Jumpin Jack Flash any day of the week, baby, and twice on Sunday. (Press)

Even if you dont know Chuck Leavell by name, youve almost certainly heard him play. You might know his piano work from the Allman Brothers Bands thrilling 1973 instrumental Jessica, which achieved hummable ubiquity across the UK as the theme tune from Top Gear. Then theres his session playing for bands such as Train, who put Leavell front and centre on their huge 2001 hit Drops of Jupiter. Alternatively, if youre one of the countless millions whove caught The Rolling Stones live at any point since Leavell started touring with them in 1982, youll have noticed his unruffled presence anchoring the worlds greatest rocknroll band from behind the keys. The 70-year-old with a cherubic face and snowy white beard from Birmingham, Alabama, credits his half-century of success to his ability to lend a touch of Southern rock authenticity to any song he graces. My hands, says a grinning Leavell, raising them up as if to play a riff on an invisible piano, have a Southern accent.

Hes speaking over video call from a hotel room in Amsterdam, the day after the Stones continued their 60th-anniversary celebrations in front of a local crowd of 53,000. The show had been postponed from June after frontman Mick Jagger tested positive for Covid, but he made a full recovery in time for the bands massive appearances in Londons Hyde Park. Micks back in perfect form. Hes a madman running around. He must be from another planet, is all we can figure, says Leavell with palpable awe. Most of us felt like it was between [the second Hyde Park gig] and Milan as the two best shows of the tour so far, but all the shows have been very consistent.

He says it with a note of pride in his voice. When it comes to the Stones, consistency is Leavells department. Ever since the Steel Wheels tour in 1989, Leavell has been meticulously taking notes of exactly how the Stones do what they do each night on stage. I did handwritten chord charts for every song, he explains. And I would make note of the tempo. If we needed to bump the tempo up, or if it felt good to slow it down a little bit.

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Rolling with the Stones: Leavell, Ronnie Wood and Mick Jagger onstage in Nashville in 2015 (Getty)

In what is perhaps an example of the essential yin-yang pull at the heart of the Stones, in the early days Leavell found that Jagger tended to want the tunes played faster, while guitarist Keith Richards was perpetually trying to ease things down a notch. I think somehow, through all this time, weve found the balance of the right tempo! says Leavell, whose encyclopaedic notebooks have become the bands bible. Theyve given me the moniker of musical director, which I scoff at, he says. Because Mick and Keith are the musical directors of the Rolling Stones.

Over the past four decades, Leavell has been afforded the perfect vantage point to observe the miraculous, sometimes fractious, Jagger-Richards partnership. In that time the pair have sniped, squabbled and publicly made fun of each others genitalia, yet somehow theyre still together. Whats their secret? First of all, its the songs, says Leavell, reverentially. Some of the greatest songs ever written in rocknroll. People ask me: Dont you ever get tired of playing Cant Always Get What You Want? Hell no! Ill play Jumpin Jack Flash any day of the week, baby, and twice on Sunday.

Beyond the music, Leavell says, Jagger and Richards have reached their diamond anniversary the same way any couple does: sticking it out. Yeah, theyve been through turbulent times and theyve had their differences, says Leavell, But its like a good marriage, man. Ive been married 49 years. Have we had bumps along the road? Hell yeah, but the more we stuck it out the stronger our relationship became. I think its the same with Mick and Keith.

In a band of notorious hellraisers, Leavells half-century of steady marriage and his easygoing manner sets him apart, but he cops to having enjoyed his share of wild nights. Look, every band Ive been in and artist Ive worked with, pretty much at some point in their careers have experimented with this, that and the other, and, you know, guilty! says Leavell, putting his hands up. Ive tried just about everything, but enough to know that, for me, the important thing was being able to play music.

Leavell with Ronnie Wood, Lisa Fischer, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Darryl Jones after the Stones played Brixton Academy in 1995 (Shutterstock)

Times have certainly changed since the debauched Stones tours of the Seventies. These days the band are what Leavell calls a big organisation, with hundreds of road crew, and the drugs backstage come with a prescription. We have a team of doctors that come and go, swapping in and out, explains Leavell. We have a Covid compliance officer. We have nurses. We have several rapid PCR testing machines, and were all tested at least three times a week.

Leavell always dreamed of being part of a big organisation like the Stones. When he was 13, growing up in Tuscaloosa, Leavell went with his sister to see Ray Charles. He was never quite the same again. It just absolutely blew me away, says Leavell wistfully. It was the Raelettes and the whole presentation. Billy Preston was playing organ, and Fathead Newman [on saxophone]. I left there thinking: Wow, if I could ever be in a band that would move people like that just moved me, then thats what Id like to pursue. It was life changing.

By then Leavell had already been learning piano for over half his life. His mother, Frances, was a keen player who would keep him occupied by sitting him at the keys. Shed say: Hey, Chuck, what do you think it would sound like if there was a big storm outside? recalls Leavell. So Id rumble in the low end and do some lightning strikes. Then shed ask: What do you think it would sound like if you hit a home run? She instilled in me the idea of thinking about music in terms of feelings and emotions rather than just chords and melodies.

At 18, Leavell moved to Macon, Georgia, the home of Capricorn Records, where his future wife Rose Lane White was working as an assistant. Leavell was trying to find work as a piano player, and one of his first gigs was with legendary New Orleans bluesman Dr John, real name Mac Rebenack, who had no qualms about putting aspiring musicians through their paces. After Rebenack told the band they might not be up to his standards, Leavell decided to pay him a visit at the Holiday Inn to get to know him better. We talked a little while, and then he says: Hey Chuckie, Ill be right back, recalls Leavell. He goes to the bathroom. I knew he was on methadone, but I didnt know he was still copping on the streets. Time goes by, and I see this notebook. Curiosity got the best of me and I turned the cover over and on the first page was the name of everybody in our band, and to the side was all these voodoo symbols. I thought: Oh, my God, what have I gotten myself into? As it turned out, the symbols were lucky charms. Reunited years later, Rebenack gave Leavell an envelope full of actual lucky charms. And boy, says Leavell with a wide smile, Have I had good luck ever since!

It was while playing with Dr John that Leavell caught the ear of Gregg Allman, who invited him to play on his first solo album Laid Back. Eventually, Leavell began jamming with the rest of the Allman Brothers Band, who were still reeling from the tragic death of lead guitarist Duane Allman in a 1971 motorbike accident. To his surprise, the band invited Leavell to join full time.

The Allman Brothers Bands Gregg Allman with Leavell in 2014 (Getty)

Joining the Allman Brothers catapulted Leavell to the top of the rock stratosphere. The bands concerts were the stuff of legend, and Leavell was there at Watkins Glen in New York State in July 1973 when 600,000 people turned out to see them on a bill with the Grateful Dead and The Band. The shows mammoth attendance broke the record set by Woodstock. That August they released Brothers and Sisters, their first album with Leavell and their most commercially successful. It contained timeless classics like Ramblin Man and Jessica, which featured Leavell prominently and has been synonymous with Top Gear since 1977. It was so well known in England! says Leavell happily. It took a while for me to know that it was on the programme. One of my British friends told me: Hey, man, did you know that song opens every episode?

I was going to become a tree farmer. My wife said, Well thats interesting, but the Rolling Stones called you today

Chuck Leavell

When the Allman Brothers split in 1976, Leavell continued playing with bassist Lamar Williams and drummer Jaimoe for a few years as Sea Level (a pun on the C Leavell the pianist had stamped on his tour cases). By 1981, however, Leavell thought his days as a touring musician might be behind him. Rose Lane had inherited land in Georgia, and Leavell told his wife he might focus on building a new career as a tree farmer. Fate had other ideas. She listened patiently, remembers Leavell, And then she said: Well thats interesting, but the Rolling Stones called you today.

Within 36 hours, Leavell was on a plane to Massachusetts to audition. Although former Faces keyboardist Ian McLagan was chosen for that tour, Leavell impressed Jagger and Richards enough that he made a guest appearance when the tour came through Atlanta, and then joined full-time on their 1982 European run. Hes been there ever since, an essential component of a line-up that remained remarkably unchanged until the death of longtime drummer Charlie Watts following a heart procedure in August last year. It still stings hard, it really does, says Leavell. It was just a shock, because everyone figured Charlie would recover, the doctors included. There was never a feeling of: Hey, were going to lose Charlie. It was just: Hey, hes got to have this thing done and in two to three months hell be fine. But it didnt go that way. Its a big loss all the way around: personally and musically. I think of him every day, and miss him.

The Tree Man: Leavell in his natural habitat (Press)

Away from the band, Leavell did stick to his plan to grow trees. In 1999, he and Rose Lane were named the National Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year. We need to really start thinking hard about not blowing this thing up, says Leavell when asked what his conservation efforts have taught him about the future of the planet. For me, theres a personal connection. Where does that piano come from? The thing thats given me so much joy and a great career. Theres a spiritual connection for me, to wood.

As Stones backing vocalist Bernard Fowler quips in The Tree Man, a 2020 documentary about Leavell, the pianist isnt just good at piano, hes good for the environment. Hes become, as Keith Richards once put it, the Stones own Southern Gentleman. Occasionally he still likes to take centre stage. His 2018 album Chuck Gets Big, recorded live with the Frankfurt Radio Big Band, saw him revisit music from throughout his storied life, with Stones, Allman Brothers and Sea Level tracks all in the mix. I wanted to have a representation of who I am and what I do, and also wanted to make sure that the songs would adapt well to the big band arrangements. We had a lot of fun with that, it was quite a trip.

Leavell seems happiest, however, when hes playing his part with the worlds greatest rocknrollers. After four decades and hundreds of Stones concerts, can any one show stand out as a highlight? Leavell has his answer ready: Prague, 18 August 1990. The first major cultural event in Czechoslovakia following the countrys Velvet Revolution and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Vaclav Havel had just come into power, who was a dissident and amazing human being who the band met with, recalls Leavell. There was this amazing feeling of freedom throughout the country, and the city, and we played to 130,000 people. The piano players eyes light up at the memory. The best part was the posters that read: Tanks are rolling out/Stones are rolling in. Fantastic!

Chuck Gets Big is available on BMG now. Leavell is currently on tour with The Rolling Stones as part of their 60th-anniversary celebrations
Russell T Davies gave a blistering speech at the South Bank Sky Arts Awards this week. (Sky UK)

Russell T Davies has issued a strong condemnation of the Conservative government during an awards show speech, referring to the party as "murderers, b*****ds, abusers and liars".

The incoming Doctor Who showrunner spoke about the current political situation while accepting the award for Best TV Drama on behalf of It's a Sin at the South Bank Sky Arts Awards, which were televised on Wednesday night.

Read more: It's a Sin leaves Baftas empty-handed

Davies praised Channel 4 and explained its importance as "a public service broadcaster dedicated to making this kind of programme", amid the current government's stated plans to privatise the channel.

He continued: "I know the governments wounded at the moment, but its like a wounded dog. A wounded dog bites everyone. And the rabies will spread. We're still in danger.

"They have said they're selling Channel 4 and they have said they're stopping the licence fee by 2027 and we have to realise that the things the Tories say they will do, they do.

"Theyre very good at that. Were full of doubt, theyre not. They will do this. It is wrong.

Read more: Russell T Davies says gay actors should play gay characters

"I know Im speaking to the converted, but theres money in this room. And if theres money in the room, that means theres Tory voters in the room.

"You are here, and youre certainly watching at home, so please know that you are voting for murderers, b*****ds, abusers and liars."

Ncuti Gatwa will take on the lead role in Doctor Who when Russell T Davies returns as showrunner. (Getty)

Davies has been a vocal supporter of public service broadcasting, claiming that It's a Sin  his acclaimed drama following young LGBT+ people during the AIDS crisis  wouldn't have been made by a privatised channel.

The 59-year-old TV veteran will return to the showrunner job of Doctor Who next year, after shepherding the show's reboot from its 2005 debut until 2010.

Read more: Everything we know about Doctor Who's near future

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Current TARDIS-dweller Jodie Whittaker will say goodbye to the lead role when Davies takes over from current head writer Chris Chibnall, with Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa set to play the Doctor.

Transgender actor Yasmin Finney  best known for Netflix series Heartstopper  is set to join Gatwa, playing a character called Rose.

Watch: David Tennant filming return to Doctor Who
Russia has been searching for new recruits

Read also: Russia resorts to calling up prisoners to make up for military personnel losses  UK MoD

For instance, SuperJob has ads for recruiting professional soldiers, in addition to snipers and medics.

Rapidly rising demand prompted SuperJob to create a separate category for these ads, which gathers up to 500 daily vacancies.

Read also: Russia desperate for volunteers to fight in Ukraine

After responding to one such ad, Delfis journalist was invited for an interview in Russia's city Bryansk, which would have been followed by several months of training and eventual deployment.

Read also: Russia digs in southern Ukraine, boosts mobilization, ISW report says

Head of Luhansk regional administration Serhiy Hayday earlier reported that Russia is now using mercenaries from private military company Liga to infiltrate nearby Ukrainian defensive positions.
A Russian missile hit the Mykolaiv hotel in the city center

Read also: Mass rocket attack on Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine damages medical institutions and homes

Utility firm reps are working on site. They have already cleared the road from debris and garbage to ensure safe passage for cars. Now they are cleaning the rest of the surrounding area.

Read also: Russians fire six missiles at Mykolaiv, one person injured  regional authorities

Russian troops launched a rocket attack on Mykolaiv on the morning of July 14.

Senkevich then reported that a number of civilian facilities were hit.

Help NV continue reporting on the Russian invasion
Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images

An oil tanker carrying 700,000 barrels of Russian oil reached Cuba on Thursday, Reuters first reported.

The ship's cargo is worth roughly $70 million at the current market price.

Moscow has aggressively sought alternative buyers for oil as Western sanctions mount.

A tanker carrying 700,000 barrels of Russian oil arrived in Cuba Thursday, Reuters first reported, as Moscow looks for alternative buyers.

The Liberia-flagged ship is owned by a unit of the Russian-operated shipping company Sovcomflot, which is currently subject to British, Canadian and US sanctions. At current prices, the cargo is worth about $70 million.

Russia has sought alternative markets as Western sanctions take aim at its oil exports. Cuba typically leans on Venezuela for its oil imports, but has been forced to make more expensive purchases in the spot market as Venezuela is among a slew of countries struggling to push output to meet its own demand.

Brazil also signaled this week that it would also embrace Russian flows, and its diesel will be used to support agriculture and drivers. In fact, Russia has quickly become one of the largest suppliers of oil to Latin America.

And although crude has dropped recently amid recession fears, Russia is still benefiting from elevated prices even as its own output remains in question. Moscow is still making billions from sales of its oil despite sanctions in response to its invasion of Ukraine.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The exterior of Macy's on State Street, formerly the Marshall Field and Co. Building, in 2017. Candy giant Ferrero will open a 45,000-square-foot innovation center in the historic building in 2023, the candy giant announced Thursday. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

Candy giant Ferrero will open a 45,000-square-foot innovation facility in the historic Marshall Field and Co. Building in the Loop next year, the company announced Thursday.

New Jersey-based Ferrero North America, which is part of the global confectionary company Ferrero Group, said in a news release that the new lab and offices on the buildings eighth and ninth floors will be completed in spring 2023.

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Ferrero will transfer corporate employees from its Old Post Office location, though subsidiary Ferrara Candy Co. will maintain its headquarters at the Old Post Office, where it moved from Oakbrook Terrace in 2019. The Marshall Field office will be home to 170 employees, most of them already based in Chicago, according to vice president of corporate communications Cheryll Forsatz.

Research and development at the facility will be focused on new confectionery and sweet packaged foods products, according to Forsatz.

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Candy giant Ferrero will open a 45,000-square-foot innovation center in the historic Marshall Field and Co. Building in the Loop in 2023, the candy giant announced Thursday. (Brookfield Properties)

Our goal for this space is to reflect Ferreros unique heritage and provide an opportunity to create greater synergies among our teams, Todd Siwak, president and chief business officer of Ferrero North America, said in a statement.

The company said the move will take place in two phases, with employees moving into temporary office space in the Marshall Field building while construction is underway. Employees who work on cookies, cones and crusts brands, including Keebler, Famous Amos and Mothers will move into the new facility, as will those who work on Fannie May, Forsatz said. Ferrara Candy Co. employees will remain in the companys Old Post Office location.

The move wont be Marshall Fields first brush with the sweets business: Fields used to make its iconic Frango Mints in melting pots on the buildings 13th floor until the company announced it was moving production out of state in 1999. The buildings eighth to 14th floors have since been converted to office space and related amenities.

The Marshall Field building was designated a Chicago landmark in 2005, the same year Federated Department Stores bought Fields parent company and converted it into a Macys. In 2018, Macys sold the buildings upper floors to Brookfield Properties, an arm of Toronto-based Brookfield Asset Management. Brookfield redeveloped those floors into almost 650,000 square feet of office space, and just over a third of that space is now leased.

[ Oct. 12, 1868: Marshall Field opens first store on State Street ]

Data and tech company Numerator has moved in and education tech firm Elevate K-12 will do so next week, taking up 60,000 and 20,000 square feet, respectively. Office spaces for online ticket broker Vivid Seats and coworking firm Industrious, both of which will clock in at 47,000 square feet, are under construction. Those two companies are expected to move in by the end of the year.

The redevelopment of the atrium and the top floors of Macy's flagship building on State Street by Toronto-based Brookfield Properties is seen in 2019. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)

Ferreros planned Marshall Field facility comes on top of another recent Illinois investment by the company.

Last month, the company announced plans for a $214.4 million expansion of its facility in downstate Bloomington, which it said would bring 200 jobs to the area. That expansion, which the company expects to be completed in 2024, comes after a $75 million investment into its first North American chocolate factory in Bloomington. The company broke ground on that project last year, and it is expected to be completed in spring 2023.

Siwak said Thursday he was proud of the companys growing footprint in Illinois. The company employs 1,400 people in the state, Forsatz said.

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We are thrilled to join Ferrero as it announces that Chicago will be home to the companys first innovation center in the United States, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a statement Thursday. Chicago is a global destination for innovation and Ferrero will be well-placed here, benefiting from the citys connectivity to the world and its strong network of companies driven by tech and innovation.

Lightfoot said she looked forward to more companies realizing Chicagos incredible potential.

Last month, Kellogg Co. announced it would split into three companies, with its snacks business headquartered in Chicago. Ferrero acquired a portion of Kelloggs North American snacks business in 2019.

But the city has also faced recent high-profile abdications. In June, Caterpillar announced it was moving its headquarters from Deerfield to Texas. And in May, Boeing announced plans to move its global headquarters from Chicago to Virginia.

Ferrero was founded in Italy in 1946. In addition to its portions of Kelloggs snacks business, it has within the last six years acquired Lemonheads-maker Ferrara Candy and chocolatier Fannie May, both Chicago-based companies, as well as Nestles U.S. candy business.
On Wednesday, Savannah Police detectives arrested three suspects in connection with the July 7 fatal shooting of 26-year-old Gary Pitts on West Park Avenue.

According to a SPD press release, Hershel Orr, 19, and Vincent Truesdale, 17, were booked into the Chatham County Detention Center on Wednesday on charges of murder, armed robbery and aggravated assault. A 16-year-old male was also booked into the Regional Youth Detention Center on charges of murder and armed robbery.

More crime news: Savannah Police dismissals in William Harvey's death highlight frustrations with leadership

Pitts was shot and killed around 11:40 p.m. on July 7 at the corner of West Park Avenue and Montgomery Street. Police were responding to a ShotSpotter alert in the area, where they discovered Pitts. His was the 20th homicide, thus far, in the city of Savannah in 2022.

Drew Favakeh is the public safety reporter for Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at AFavakeh@savannahnow.com.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah Police arrest three teenaged suspects for July 7 homicide
PORTLAND, Ore.  Scott E. Asphaug said Wednesday he is stepping down as U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon effective July 17.

The U.S. Attorneys Office said Wednesday he is leaving to become the Justice Departments resident legal advisor in Nairobi, Kenya, until his retirement in two years.

Chief U.S. District Court Judge for the District of Oregon, Marco A. Hernandez, said Wednesday he will appoint Natalie K. Wight as interim U.S. attorney pending her confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

President Joe Biden nominated Wight last month to succeed Asphaug. Wight most recently served as deputy chief of the organized and violent crime section of the office, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. Shes a 1992 graduate of Portlands Cleveland High School, has been working in the District of Oregon since 2012 and with the U.S. Department of Justice since 2003.

Asphaug, a 17-year member of the U.S. Department of Justice, will work with Kenyan counterparts on justice issues while assigned to the departments Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training. Asphaug was named acting U.S. attorney in February 2021, and in late December, was appointed interim by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Scott E. Asphaug steps down as district attorney
A Seattle man faces a hate crime charge after he was accused of yelling racist threats outside the home of Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., while he was packing a handgun.

Brett Allen Forsell, 48, was ordered held in lieu of $500,000 bail after he was arrested in King County near Jayapal's home late Saturday. Prosecutors have said that probable cause was found for a hate crime and that they could make a charging decision as soon as Wednesday.

A neighbor told police that the suspect had been yelling "go back to India" and "I'm going to kill you," according to court filings.

Jayapal, the first Indian American woman elected to the U.S. House, was home at the time. In a statement this week, her office said, "The Congresswoman and her family are safe and appreciate the many calls and good wishes she is receiving from constituents."

"She is very grateful for the swift and professional response from the Seattle Police Department, the US Capitol Police, and the FBI investigators who are working together diligently on the investigation, and ensuring that she and her family stay safe. Because this is an ongoing investigation, she will not be commenting further at this time.

Prosecutors said in court filings that Forsell had a .40-caliber handgun holstered on his waist when authorities arrived. Police said they had responded to a call that someone in a vehicle outside Jayapal's home was yelling very obscene language.

A witness said the person may have shot a pellet gun but unsure," and another person said she saw the suspect drive by the residence about three times.

Police said Forsell acknowledged that he "knew who lived at the residence and wanted to pitch a tent on their property."

Last month, an armed man was arrested near the home of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh after he called 911 on himself. When police detained him, the man said he was there to kill the justice. The suspect, Nicholas John Roske, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of attempted murder of a federal judge.
Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committee member Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) joins Andrea Mitchell to discuss the push for a deal to prevent the development of Iran's nuclear program after former President Trump pulled the United States out of the Iran Nuclear Agreement in 2018. Under that agreement, Iran was not producing enhanced uranium. We know that we had IAEA inspectors on the ground to see what they were doing. And because former President Trump pulled us out of that agreement, none of that is happening now. Iran is closer to a nuclear weapon, explains Shaheen. There have been ongoing negotiations to try and get back into an agreement, leading to a proposal on the negotiating table. I hope that Iran will look at that and will come back to the table and reach an agreement with us."
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore's foreign ministry said on Thursday Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had been allowed to enter the city-state on a private visit.

It said he has not asked for asylum and neither has he been granted asylum.

(Reporting by Chen Lin, Writing by Kanupriya Kapoor; Editing by Martin Petty)
MAPUTO (Reuters) - Southern African countries agreed on Thursday to extend their troop deployment in Mozambique for another month to help it fight an Islamic State-linked insurgency.

The countries, linked in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), agreed last year to send troops to Mozambique.

The mission's mandate was set to end on Friday but has been extended on an interim basis until an SADC heads of state summit in mid-August, when a more detailed report on the mission's progress will be considered.

The insurgency is concentrated in Mozambique's northern province of Cabo Delgado. It has claimed thousands of lives since it broke out in 2017 and disrupted multibillion-dollar natural gas projects.

Closing Thursday's virtual summit, SADC chairperson and Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera said the extension of the troop deployment prevented the mission from being compromised.

Separately, the European Union's diplomatic mission to Mozambique said the EU would provide the country's army with an additional 45 million euros ($45 million) of financial support.

Mozambique's military had been losing ground to the insurgency until it accepted help from SADC and Rwanda, which has also sent soldiers.

($1 = 1.0000 euro)

(Reporting by Anait Miridzhanian in Gdansk and Manuel Mucari in Maputo; Editing by Alexander Winning)
PAMPLONA, Spain (AP)  Bulls from Spains revered Miura ranch starred in a fast and uncomplicated final running of the bulls at this year's San Fermin Festival on Thursday.

The Navarra regional government said six people were treated for minor injuries following Thursdays run that lasted just over two minutes. Initially, the Spanish Red Cross said two people needed treatment.

No horn gorings were reported as the Miuras, known for their alertness and speed of reaction, kept mainly in a pack and took little notice of the runners as they raced to the bullring.

One runner escaped serious injury when one bulls horn appeared to graze the right side of his head before he fell to the ground.

The festival's eighth and final 8 a.m. run saw hundreds of people, mostly men and far fewer than usual, test their agility to accompany six fighting bulls and their guiding steer along an 875-meter (956-yard) route through Pamplona to the citys bullring. The bulls are killed by professional bullfighters later in the day.

Tens of thousands of visitors attend the Pamplona festival, which was immortalized in Ernest Hemingways 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises. The festival is also popular for its 24-hour partying.

During this year's festival, which started July 6, four people were gored, none seriously.

Eight people were gored in 2019, the last festival before a two-year hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sixteen people have died in Pamplonas bull runs since 1910, with the last death in 2009.
Jul. 14Candidates running for Washington's Secretary of State will take part in a live forum on Thursday hosted by the League of Women Voters of Washington and The Spokesman-Review.

Five of the eight candidates running for the office have confirmed their participation in the forum. Julie Anderson, Bob Hagglund, Steve Hobbs, Mark Miloscia and Marquez Tiggs will answer questions written by the League and The Spokesman-Review or submitted by voters.

The forum will be broadcast live at 6:30 p.m. Thursday on TVW and streamed on its website at tvw.org/video/. The public and the media are invited to attend via Zoom. To attend, visit the League's website at lwvwa.org and click on the Zoom link on the home page.

S-R reporter Laurel Demkovich will moderate the forum.

Laurel Demkovich's reporting for The Spokesman-Review is funded in part by Report for America and by members of the Spokane community. This story can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. For more information on this, please contact our newspaper's managing editor.
Its Thursday, Chicago.

One of the citys biggest music festivals is kicking off tomorrow. Whether youre a Pitchfork pro or a total newbie going for the first time (like me), be sure to check out our guide below for the must-see bands and all the details on what you can and cant bring to the Union Park fest.

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And the fun doesnt stop when the headliner wraps. Weve got 42 recommendations for late-night food and must-see after-party shows for those heading to Pitchfork  or Lollapalooza in a few weeks.

Meanwhile, weve got the details on Chicagos most expensive taco  a foie-co  that food critic Nick Kindelsperger sampled for his latest review. Plus, theater critic Chris Jones speaks with Elton John about The Devil Wears Prada musical, which is set to open in Chicago soon, and weve got a deep dive into what made Ms. Marvel such a hit.

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Stay hydrated, and see you next week.

 Kayla Samoy, deputy senior editor

Iman Vellani and Matthew Lintz in a scene from the series "Ms. Marvel." (AP)

By day, Ms. Marvel is Kamala Khan, a Jersey City teenager with cosmic shape-shifting abilities. She is also Pakistani American and Muslim and wrestling with generations of historic colonial trauma, still aligning her personal feelings with Islam and simply trying to be a teenager.

This show has been surreal for Desi people  to literally see their lives! On Disney! By Marvel! I doubt anyone couldve imagined, for a second, to be depicted so well in the most mainstream of mainstream, said Samira Ahmed, whos been writing the Ms. Marvel comic books since December. Read the full story here.

Asparagus with al pastor hollandaise at Obelix, 700 N. Sedgwick St. in Chicago. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

Tribune critic Nick Kindelsperger said Oliver and Nicolas Poilevey, the brothers behind Obelix, want a French restaurant freed from tradition and the expectations that come along with it. He writes that the best moments of the meal are when Mexican and French influences combine, including what could be the most expensive taco in town at $23. Read the full review here.

Phoebe is a 30-something podcast star living a broke and delightfully messy life in Brooklyn in Everythings Trash. From left are Jordan Carlos, Toccarra Cash and Phoebe Robinson. (Giovanni Rufino/Freeform)

Framed around a podcast, much like Jerrys standup on Seinfeld, Everythings Trash devotes the bulk of each episode to Phoebe-as-chaos-agent in her nonwork life, writes Tribune critic Nina Metz.

Its a funny, good-natured show, Metz writes, and worth a watch. Read her full review here.

Eric Williams, owner of Bronzeville Winery in Chicago, is seen there on April 28, 2022. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

After a two-year pandemic hiatus, the legendary Silver Room Sound System Block Party is back on Chicagos South Side, but in a new location  moving from 53rd Street in Hyde Park to 39th Street Oakwood Beach. Read the full story here.

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Mitski, Matt Berninger of The National and Questlove of The Roots, all headliners at Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago, taking place July 15-17. (Chicago Tribune)

Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. >

This years Pitchfork Music Festival boasts an eclectic lineup across multiple genres, featuring musical acts both big and small, writes Britt Julious. If youre heading to the festival this weekend, be sure to check out her full guide for the details on the must-see bands and important information about entering the event.

Pizza Friendly Pizza's pepperoni with Parmesan basil. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)

If youre going to the Pitchfork Music Festival or Lollapalooza this year, the fun isnt confined to the festival grounds. There are bars, restaurants, nightclubs and music venues around Chicago offering specials and hosting events. Weve got a list of places to go if you want to grab a meal or a drink after the fest, or see more of your favorite performers.

Taylor Iman Jones, left, and Beth Leavel star in "The Devil Wears Prada: The Musical" at the Nederlander Theatre in Chicago. The production is the next big musical to have its pre-Broadway opening in Chicago, directed by Anna D. Shapiro of the Steppenwolf Theatre ensemble. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

The Devil Wears Prada, widely seen as an escapist fairy tale that went well with popcorn, is getting turned into a musical. Opening soon in Chicago, the show is from the creative minds of Anna D. Shapiro, Kevin McCollum and Elton John, who discussed working on the show and modernizing it with Tribune critic Chris Jones. Read the full story here.

Dinah Clottey, center, and Jaden Woods, from left, Dayo Adeoye, Jabari Owens, Kealoha Ogunseitan, and Mya Dudley pose wearing Clottey's handmade clothing and accessories on June 23, 2022, in Chicago. Clottey created T'Kor Couture. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

Dinah Clottey learned how to crochet at the age of 12 to teach her mom the craft. While Clotteys mother didnt end up picking up the hobby, Clottey went on to create TKor Couture, a one-of-a-kind, ethically sourced clothing line, while studying at the University of Chicago. Read the full story here.

Lesley Manville stars in the 1950s-set comedy "Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris." (Liam Daniel/AP)

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris is the latest screen adaptation of the 1958 Paul Gallico novel about a humble London war widow. Lesley Manville and her fellow actors ensure that the film is something nice, writes Tribune critic Michael Phillips. Read the full review here.

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Many ranches offer horseback rides into national parks or the backcountry of national forests not usually seen by visitors. Riders at White Stallion Ranch in Tucson, Arizona, can ride on the ranchs more than 3,000 acres or ride into Saguaro National Parks Tucson Mountain District. (Eric Jay Toll/for the Chicago Tribune)

The phrase dude ranch is now synonymous with guest ranches, but the West offers a vast range of experiences within that category. Many are all-inclusive or provide a real-life experience for the whole family, while some offer lofty lodgings of four- and five-star magnitude. These ranches can be found across the Western U.S. (including in my hometown of Tucson, Arizona!). Read the full story here.
COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was on his way to Singapore on Thursday and was expected to stay there for the time being, a Sri Lankan government source told Reuters, after the president fled to the Maldives from his home country.

(Reporting by Waruna Karunatilake, writing by Krishna N. Das; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
A protester stands outside the official residence of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Thursday. (Rafiq Maqbool / Associated Press)

Sri Lankan protesters began to retreat from government buildings they seized and military troops reinforced security at the Parliament on Thursday, establishing a tenuous calm in a country in both economic meltdown and political limbo.

Embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled a day earlier under pressure from demonstrators furious over the island nations economic collapse. He finally emailed his resignation Thursday, a day later than promised, according to an official  but the crisis was far from over since he has further angered the crowds by making his prime minister acting leader.

Protesters want both men out and a unity government in to address an economic calamity that has triggered widespread shortages of food, fuel and other necessities. But with a fractured opposition and confusion over who was in charge, a solution seemed no closer following Rajapaksas departure. Adding to the turmoil, the president left the Maldives for Singapore on Thursday.

The slow and haphazard way Rajapaksa's departure and reported resignation unfolded underlined the confusion gripping the country. On Thursday, Indunil Yapa, an aide to Sri Lankas Parliament speaker, said Rajapaksa had emailed his resignation  but that it needed to be checked and an official announcement wouldn't come until Friday.

The protesters accuse Rajapaksa and his powerful political family of siphoning money from government coffers for years and his administration of hastening the countrys collapse by mismanaging the economy. The family has denied the corruption allegations, but Rajapaksa acknowledged that some of his policies contributed to the meltdown.

Months of protests reached a frenzied peak over the weekend when demonstrators stormed the presidents home and office and the official residence of the prime minister. On Wednesday, they seized the office of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

They initially vowed to continue occupying these places until a new government was in place, but the movement appeared to shift tactics Thursday, apparently concerned that any escalation in violence could undermine their message following clashes the previous night outside the Parliament that left dozens injured.

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The fear was that there could be a crack in the trust they held for the struggle, said Nuzly, a protest leader who goes by only one name. Weve shown what power of the people can do, but it doesnt mean we have to occupy these places.

Another protest leader, Devinda Kodagode, told the Associated Press that the demonstrators planned to vacate official buildings after the Parliament speaker said he was exploring legal options for the country in the wake of Rajapaksa's departure.

Protesters withdrew from the presidential residence, with some moving a red carpet they had rolled up back into place as they left. Others held a news conference to announce that they were pulling out of the prime minister's office.

Visaka Jayaweer, a performing artist, described the bittersweet moment of closing the gate to the presidential palace after the crowds cleared out.

Taking over his residence was a great moment  it showed just how much we wanted him to step down. But it is also a great relief" to leave, she said. "We were worried if people would act out. Many were angry to see the luxury he had been living in when they were outside, struggling to buy milk for their children.

The country remains a powder keg, and the military warned that it had powers to respond in case of chaos  a message some found concerning.

Troops in green military uniforms and camouflage vests arrived in armored personnel carriers Thursday to reinforce barricades around the Parliament, while protesters vowed they would continue to rally outside the presidents office until a new government was in place.

The government announced another curfew in the capital, Colombo, and its suburbs in the afternoon until 5 a.m. Friday. It's unclear what effect a curfew would have: Some ignored a previous one, but many others rarely leave their homes anyway because of fuel shortages.

Rajapaksa and his wife fled Sri Lanka early Wednesday for the Maldives, slipping away in the night aboard an air force plane. On Thursday, he went to Singapore, according to the city-states Foreign Ministry. It said he had not requested asylum.

Since Sri Lankan presidents are protected from arrest while in power, its likely Rajapaksa planned his departure while he still had constitutional immunity and access to a military plane.

The political impasse threatens to worsen the bankrupt nations economic collapse since the absence of an alternative government could delay a hoped-for bailout from the International Monetary Fund. In the meantime, the country is relying on aid from India and China.

The shortages of basic necessities have sown despair among Sri Lankas 22 million people. The countrys rapid decline was all the more shocking because, before the recent crisis, the economy had been expanding, with a growing, comfortable middle class.

It was not immediately clear if Singapore would be Rajapaksa's final destination, but he has previously sought medical care there, including undergoing heart surgery.

Assuming that Rajapaksa resigns as promised, Sri Lankan lawmakers have agreed to elect a new president Wednesday who will serve the remainder of Rajapaksas term, which ends in 2024. That person could potentially appoint a new prime minister, who would then have to be approved by Parliament.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
By Rose Horowitch

(Reuters) - Annie England Noblin, a 40-year-old resident of rural Missouri, had never had a problem filling her monthly prescription for methotrexate until this week.

On Monday, Noblin's pharmacist said she could not give her the drug until she had confirmed with Noblin's doctor that the medication would not be used to induce an abortion.

Missouri now bans nearly all abortions and methotrexate can be used to end a pregnancy. It also happens to be one of the first medicines prescribed by doctors to treat rheumatoid arthritis, which affects more than one million Americans.

The pharmacy ultimately filled the prescription, but Noblin said she will likely switch to a different, more expensive medication in case they refuse to fill her prescription in the future.

"It's infuriating," Noblin said. "It made me feel I couldn't be trusted with the medication prescribed to me simply because I have a uterus."

Dozens of women in states including Texas, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee also have had problems getting their methotrexate, either because of issues at pharmacies or because they say their doctors have suspended prescribing the drug, according to social media posts reviewed by Reuters and patient advocacy groups the Global Healthy Living Foundation and the Arthritis Foundation.

More than 30 states have enacted legislation that restricts access to medication that can be used to terminate a pregnancy. In Texas, it is now a felony to dispense methotrexate to someone more than seven weeks pregnant who uses it to end a pregnancy. Indiana bans medication abortion - including methotrexate - starting at 10 weeks of pregnancy.

Six other state laws specifically mention methotrexate as an abortion-inducing medication, said Steven Schultz, state legislative affairs director for the Arthritis Foundation.

These laws have a chilling effect on physicians and pharmacists, often leading them to not dispense drugs that also may cause abortion for fear of legal repercussions, Temple University Law Professor Rachel Rebouche said.

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On Wednesday, the U.S. government health agency instructed retail pharmacies that they are required to fill prescriptions under federal civil rights laws, calling out the denial of methotrexate as possible discrimination.

The governments guidance underscores the broad potential impact of limiting such prescriptions, but may not be enough to override concerns about state bans.

"It goes some ways in getting the message out that there are federal rules that can be brought to bear," Rebouche said. "Well have to wait and see what the federal government is willing to do to ensure people have the information they need."

Pharmacists are caught in the "crossfire" between conflicting federal and state regulations, the National Community Pharmacists Association, which represents 19,000 independent pharmacists, said in a statement.

Spokespeople for two of the biggest U.S. pharmacy chains Walgreens Boots Alliance and CVS Health say they instruct their pharmacists to confirm methotrexate will not be used to terminate a pregnancy before dispensing it to people in states that ban abortion in many circumstances.

COMMONLY PRESCRIBED DRUG

Methotrexate, an inexpensive generic drug made by more than half a dozen companies, is commonly prescribed to treat autoimmune diseases like lupus and has been approved to treat rheumatoid arthritis for more than 30 years.

It is also used to treat cancer and, in much higher doses, can terminate pregnancies, complete miscarriages, or end a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy.

About 500,000 methotrexate prescriptions a month were written in the past year, according to pharmaceutical market research firm IQVIA.

Restrictions on medication abortion could become further enshrined into law. Drugmaker GenBioPro is currently challenging a Mississippi law that requires patients to see a doctor in person to obtain mifepristone, a drug used in medication abortion.

Legislators who are not medically trained can open a Pandoras box, with far-reaching effects on other areas of medicine, said Michele Goodwin, a global health policy professor at the University of California, Irvine School of Law.

"For a lot of women we're going to see this reduced access," Noblin said. "Ultimately it's going to end up costing us money and costing us dignity."

(Reporting by Rose Horowitch in Washington; Editing by Caroline Humer and Bill Berkrot)
A man who barricaded himself inside a Hollywood home, which he later set on fire, was fatally shot by officers Thursday after he aggressively came toward a SWAT team with a long pole, using it like a spear, authorities said.

Around 9 a.m. Wednesday, the Broward Sheriffs Office was made aware that Matthew Hyde, a 36-year-old Hollywood man, was making threats to kill several people, according to the sheriffs office.

Hyde barricaded himself in his home, at 2720 Dewey Street. When arriving detectives tried talking to him, they say he threatened to hurt himself and the officers.

BSO detectives and Hollywood Police Departments SWAT team cordoned off the area. Several hours later, BSO SWAT relieved Hollywood SWAT and prepared to execute a search and arrest warrant

For more than twelve hours, investigators tried to deescalate the situation, including using a crisis negotiator, the sheriffs office said. But Hyde continued to become more hostile, throwing Molotov cocktails at the SWAT team.

Hyde even set his own home on fire, according to authorities. Using the smoke as cover, he ran into his backyard and hid.

Grabbing a pole and heating it with fire, the sheriffs office noted, Hyde tried to attack deputies.

When SWAT operators attempted to take the subject into custody, the subject aggressively lunged toward SWAT using the long pole as a spear, BSO said in a release.

BSO added that a SWAT member who BSO said feared for his life subsequently shot Hyde.

He was taken to Memorial Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, BSO said.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting, which is standard whenever there is a shooting involving police.

The SWAT member who shot Hyde was put on administrative assignment pending further investigation, per BSO policy.
By Simon Johnson and Johan Ahlander

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) -A Swedish court sentenced a former Iranian official to life in prison on Thursday for his part in the mass execution and torture of political prisoners in the 1980s.

Hamid Noury, 61, who was arrested at a Stockholm airport in 2019, was charged with war crimes for the mass execution and torture of political prisoners at the Gohardasht prison in Karaj, Iran, in 1988.

Handing down its conviction and sentence, the Stockholm District Court said Noury, who it said was an assistant to the deputy prosecutor at the prison, had been "jointly and in collusion with others been involved in the executions", which it described as a "serious crime against international law".

Iran condemned the verdict. "Iran is absolutely certain that Noury's sentence was politically motivated and it has no legal validity," Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said in a statement.

Iranian foreign ministry summoned the Swedish charge d'affaires in Tehran to protest the verdict.

Noury has denied the charges.

"We are obviously disappointed that our client has been convicted. We will now analyse and review the details found in the court's judgement together with our client," said Noury's lawyer Daniel Marcus in an e-mail. "We will appeal."

Amnesty International has put the number executed on government orders at around 5,000, saying in a 2018 report that "the real number could be higher". Iran has never acknowledged the killings.

Noury is the only person so far to face trial over the purge that targeted members of the Iranian People's Mujahideen, which was fighting in parts of Iran, as well as other political dissidents.

LOOKING FOR 'TRUTH AND JUSTICE'

Under Swedish law, courts can try Swedish citizens and other nationals for crimes against international law committed abroad.

Hundreds of exiled Iranians who had gathered at the court greeted the verdict with jubilant cheers.

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Reza Fallahi, 65, one of the plaintiffs in the case, said he hoped that while in prison, Noury would provide information about the killings.

"We are looking just for truth and for justice," Fallahi, who spent 10 years in jail in Iran for supporting the opposition, said.

The National Council of Resistance of Iran, an opposition umbrella group, said in a statement "justice will be served" when the highest officials were brought before the courts.

Rights groups say hardline President Ebrahim Raisi was one of four judges who oversaw the executions.

When asked about allegations, Raisi told reporters in 2021 that "if a judge, a prosecutor has defended the security of the people, he should be praised".

Some Iranian clerics have said the trials of the prisoners were fair.

The case has soured relations between the two countries, with Iran calling the trial illegal.

Shortly before the trial ended in May, Iranian media reported Swedish-Iranian researcher Ahmadreza Djalali, sentenced to death on charges of spying for Israel, would be executed. Sweden also said on May 6 that a Swedish tourist had been detained in Iran.

(Reporting by Simon Johnson, Johan Ahlander and Anna Ringstrom in Stockholm, Stine Jacobsen in Copenhagen; Editing by Alison Williams, Tomasz Janowski and Frances Kerry)
BALTIMORE (AP)  A 15-year-old was arrested on Thursday and charged as an adult in connection with the fatal shooting of a motorist during an encounter with people cleaning windshields for cash at a downtown Baltimore intersection, police said.

In a news release, Baltimore police said detectives arrested the teenager at approximately 6:35 a.m. at a home in Essex in Baltimore County.

According to police, investigators took the suspect and his father to the homicide section to be interviewed by detectives before he was taken to be charged with first-degree murder.

The Baltimore Sun reported on Wednesday that a dashboard camera video of last Thursdays shooting showed what appeared to be the teen shooting at Timothy Reynolds five times. The contents of the video were first reported by The Baltimore Banner, but the video has not been made public.

Reynolds, 48, of Baltimore, was driving through an intersection near the citys Inner Harbor when he had a heated interaction with so-called squeegee workers, parked his car and came back with a baseball bat, Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said earlier this week.

He swung the bat at one or more of those squeegee workers. In return, one of the squeegee workers pulled out a gun and fired, striking Reynolds, according to Harrison.

I hope that todays arrest brings some closure and peace to the family, friends and loved ones of Timothy Reynolds, Harrison said in a statement.

The workers, also known as squeegee kids, consist mostly of teens from low-income neighborhoods who clean drivers windshields at intersections in exchange for money.
(Getty Images)

Tesla has told users in Texas not to charge their cars during a heat wave.

The alert comes as the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which operates the states grid, is calling on residents to conserve energy  in order to stop the grid being pushed to near-emergency conditions.

A heat wave is expected to impact the grid in Texas over the next few days. The grid operator recommends to avoid charging during peak hours between 3pm and 8pm, if possible, to help statewide efforts to manage demand, an in-car alert sent to Tesla owners reads, as reported by Electrek.

ERCOT recommends that people in Texas avoid running appliances between 2pm and 8pm. There is a risk of it losing its power reserves "with no market solution available", Reuters reports.

Its website showed the operator entered late afternoon on Tuesday with about 3,600 megawatts of reserves, which is only enough to power three-quarters of a million homes.

One Tesla owner tweeted a photo in which Tesla offered supercharger rates up to 50 percent off for drivers willing to wait until after 8pm to charge their vehicle.

Thank you @TeslaCharging Checked my vehicle screen,

and half price charging is after 8 PM and before 11 AM  pic.twitter.com/yzmh7V8Tt5  Gail Alfar (Austin, TX) (@GailAlfarATX) July 12, 2022

Temperatures in the heat are reaching 38 degrees Celsius, and it is expected that the alert will be active over the next few days. The heat is also stopping wind power from being generated in Texas, which usually provides the state with a quarter of its electricity.

Bitcoin miners in Texas have also had to shut down operations due to the heat.

There are over 1,000 megawatts worth of Bitcoin mining load that responded to ERCOTs conservation request by turning off their machines to conserve energy for the grid. Lee Bratcher, president of Texas Blockchain Council told Bloomberg.

This represents nearly all industrial scale Bitcoin mining load in Texas and allows for over 1 per cent of total grid capacity to be pushed back onto the grid for retail and commercial use.
By Fatos Bytyci

SKOPJE (Reuters) - Thousands of people protested in North Macedonia on Thursday as parliament prepared to vote on a French compromise deal for settling the country's disputes with Bulgaria, which would enable its long-due European Union membership talks to start.

Police sealed off the parliament in the capital Skopje to prevent protesters, led by opposition parties, from storming into the building to stop the vote. Demonstrators yelled, whistled and threw ice cubes and eggs at the police.

The nationalist opposition VMRO-DPMNE, which has led daily protests since the beginning of July over the deal they said endangers the Macedonian language and identity, called for mass protests under the slogan "Macedonia is not for sale".

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, addressing parliament, urged lawmakers to approve the revised deal with Bulgaria commissioned last month by France, which held the EU presidency up until July.

The new deal proposes that North Macedonia's constitution should be amended to recognise a Bulgarian minority, while the remaining issues would be discussed between Skopje and Sofia. The proposal does not require Bulgaria to recognise the Macedonian language.

"Should you decide to endorse the revised French proposal, a political intergovernmental conference will be held within the next few days," Van der Leyen said. "We - the Commission  will then start, immediately, the process of screening the acquis. This is the first step in the negotiation process."

While she was speaking, a deputy approached her and served her a pamphlet with large "NO" written on it.

North Macedonia has been a candidate for EU membership for 17 years but its approval had been blocked first by Greece and now by Bulgaria, both members of the bloc.

A 2017 agreement to change the country's name from Macedonia to North Macedonia ended the dispute with Greece, and seemed to open the door for EU membership talks. However Bulgaria lodged a veto in 2020 over history and language issues.

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Addressing the language and identity concerns, Van der Leyen said: "There can be no doubt that the Macedonian language is your language. That's why the revised proposal refers to the Macedonian language, without qualification by the EU. The proposal also respects your national identity."

The Bulgarian parliament lifted its veto last month, which also caused unrest in that country and led to a no-confidence vote that toppled the government.

(Additional reporting and writing by Daria Sito-Sucic; Editing by Frances Kerry)
Jennifer Baez, with her husband, Jose Garcia, stands outside their Chicago house last month. Baez and Garcia were restricted from their son's school after a conflict with the principal over the boy being bullied by another student. (Victor Hilitski/for the Chicago Tribune)

Chicago student Jordan Garcia had an especially tough school year, his mother said.

Jennifer Baez said Jordan had been slapped, pushed and taunted by a classmate since the first week of fifth grade. Baez said her husband frequently spoke with school staff members, but the student continued to target her son. So when her husband told her of a new bullying incident on April 22, Baez decided shed had enough.

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Baez immediately headed to Columbus Elementary. She said she called 911 in front of the school employee who had intervened between the two boys. The dispatcher instructed the employee, Baez and her husband to wait at the school until officers arrived, Baez said.

In the meantime, Baez emailed Columbus principal, Wendy Oleksy, to let her know police were on their way. Oleksy replied, telling Baez that since the school day was now over, the employee is free to leave. You may wait outside the school for the police to arrive, if that is what you feel you must do. I will start a bullying investigation on Monday, the next school day.

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What transpired next led to Oleksy effectively banning both Baez and her husband, Jose Garcia, from Columbus until the school year ended on June 14. The couple received a letter informing them they violated visitor protocol by engaging in inappropriate and unacceptable conduct, according to a copy shared with the Tribune.

They were told they needed permission to step onto the grounds of the Ukrainian Village school for any reason, including public meetings. If they went to Columbus without consent, or received permission to be at the school and displayed unacceptable behavior, they would be directed to leave. Police would be called if they didnt comply.

Jennifer Baez and her husband, Jose Garcia, hug their son, Jordan Garcia, outside their Chicago home in June. (Victor Hilitski/for the Chicago Tribune)

Its unclear how many of these parent restriction notices principals have issued, as Chicago Public Schools says its not centrally tracked, but the district says its only done after a serious disruption  such as behavior thats threatening or abusive. There is no Chicago Board of Education policy regarding these letters, and there is no explicit recourse for parents who receive one.

CPS school and district administrators weigh very carefully any decision to restrict a parent from the school setting and ultimately a school leader will issue notice of restriction to a parent(s) or other visitor within the building after careful review and approval from our Office of Network Support and our Law Department, the district said in a statement to the Tribune.

Screening parents emails

Miriam Bhimani, a CPS parent and education advocate, said these restriction letters are just another tool the district can use to limit parent access to their childs school. Bhimani noted that CPS filtered and sometimes censored her emails  a practice she believes began after she was contacted by the CPS Office of the Inspector General on another matter.

Bhimani said a CPS employee was tasked with reading emails she sent to people in the district to decide if and when to forward them to the intended recipients. Bhimani said the censorship continued for months, until the state intervened in 2020 at her behest.

Bhimani sees similarity between that situation and the parent restriction letters. In both cases, CPS did not reference a policy or provide a way to appeal the action.

I think there are probably legitimate reasons to ban people (from school), although I might argue that the court system is the venue for that rather than individual principals, Bhimani said. When I typically (learn of) these restriction letters, its because a parent has advocated out loud and been vocal, so thats the connection I see with the email interception issue.

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Bhimani recently filed a Freedom of Information Act request for copies of parent restriction letters issued during this past school year. The district said her request was overly broad and burdensome, so she narrowed it to cover 10 schools, including Columbus Elementary.

In its response, CPS said it had no records of these letters at eight of the schools. CPS said Columbus Elementary did issue three restriction letters in the last school year, while William Howard Taft High School in Norwood Park sent out two  but the district didnt provide copies to Bhimani.

CPS cited concerns about violating student privacy. Bhimani said she plans to pursue legal action because the public is owed more information on this matter.

Through a public records request covering fall 2016 to spring 2022, the Tribune received from CPS copies of two restriction notices that were partially redacted.

One letter was sent in March 2019 to a parent who was told he or she could not enter any district facility before June 30, 2020, without prior permission.

What spurred the ban was not clear from the portions of the letter that were not redacted. CPS did not cite any code, statute or legal standing that allows it to enact these restrictions.

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The other notice  sent in May  prohibits the recipient from entering a CPS facility or being present on district property until June 30, 2024, without prior authorization. CPS general counsel Joseph Moriarty signed both letters, which were copied to district Chief of Safety and Security Jadine Chou.

Baezs letter, dated April 28, was not included in the districts response to the Tribunes records request.

In its reply, CPS said letters from individual principals are not comprehensively tracked nor maintained in any one central location, but are instead kept at individual schools and network offices.

While the district does not track restrictions that pertain only to parents at one school, the district does centrally track letters pertaining to individuals who have been restricted from accessing all district property for various reasons but predominantly those who have been involved in severe misconduct and pose a threat to the safety and security of students and staff, CPS said in its FOIA response.

The district declined to make Oleksy, the Columbus principal, available for an interview. CPS does not comment on individual student or parent matters, a spokesperson said.

Baez said the April 22 incident happened at dismissal. She said Jordans classmate tried to staple his hand in the hallway, as Jordan pushed him away and yelled for him to stop. The employee who separated the two told Jordans father she would speak with the other boys parents, Baez said. Baez told the Tribune she was tired of that response because calling the students parents had not changed his behavior.

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My husband called me and said, Should I say something back? And I said, No, Im going to go to the school, and Im going to call the police, Baez said. Because Ive had enough. This is enough. So I get to the school and nobodys there. Everybodys gone. Nobodys in the office.

According to Columbus website, the school day ends at 2:45 p.m. Baez said she called 911 around 3:40 p.m. She emailed Oleksy at 3:41 p.m., according to a copy of the email Baez provided the Tribune.

Baez said she experienced pushback from Oleksy, the employee who had intervened and another employee who had arrived on the scene. Baez filed a report with Chicago police that afternoon, accusing Jordans classmate of misdemeanor battery, police records show.

Three days later, on Monday, Baez and two parent advocates met briefly with Oleksy to discuss the incident, Baez said. Baez said Oleksy abruptly ended the meeting and threatened to call the police if they did not leave.

Principal calls parent verbally aggressive

Baez said she met virtually with her parent advocates, Oleksy and a representative from the CPS department of safety and security three days later, to draft a safety plan for Jordan because Oleksy had concluded he had been bullied. Baez said she felt good about how that meeting transpired and prepared to send her son back to Columbus  until she was blindsided when she received the restriction letter via email from Oleksy about 40 minutes after the meeting ended.

In her letter, Oleksy referenced the events of April 22, accusing Garcia of yelling at a school employee and describing Baez as verbally aggressive. She said Baez raised her voice, came towards (an employee) so much so that she had to step back, and refused to leave the school building when asked.

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Your son was witness to all this aggressive and unsafe behavior, Oleksy wrote. It is unacceptable for you to keep a staff member at school through use of threats of the police, especially when the school day has ended and the staff member has every right to leave the premises. It is unacceptable for you to yell at staff members and come into their personal space.

Baez and Garcia took issue with the letter  but decided not to try to fight it.

We were both equally upset about the letter. We both felt that nothing in that letter is factual, Baez said. We realized that its kind of just their word against ours, like, how exactly are we supposed to fight or go up against CPS?

Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. >

Baez said she pulled Jordan out of Columbus on May 4 to home-school him for the rest of the year. Baez said she already felt the district was failing her son  this was his third CPS elementary school  and the letter from Oleksy was the cherry on top.

Its just very disheartening, and at this point, I just feel like I have lost total trust with Chicago Public Schools, Baez said.

She said she had little communication with Oleksy after withdrawing Jordan. Then, on May 20, Oleksy emailed Garcia to tell him he was in violation of the ban.

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On Tuesday, May 17, you delivered lunch via Uber Eats from Panda Express to a staff member, Oleksy wrote in an email Baez provided the Tribune.

She continued: I am writing to remind you that you may not be on school property unless you have prior approval from me, and this includes delivering for Uber Eats. Please ensure you call the school, ask for me, and obtain my permission, should you need to deliver food to Columbus again. However, please avoid choosing deliveries to Columbus School in the future to avoid this.

In response, Garcia told Oleksy in an email that he has no control as to where Uber directs me to drop food off. I did not enter the building and was met outside by the person this order was for. He ended the email with: This is getting out of hand.

tswartz@tribpub.com
Former President Donald Trump tried to call a White House support staffer who has been speaking with the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the Capitol and could have corroborated the damning testimony given by former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson last month.

CNN first reported Wednesday that Trump called the support staffer  whose position had not been identified  shortly after Hutchinson, an assistant to former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, testified publicly before the committee. The support staff member didnt regularly communicate with the president while Trump was in office, and so the staffer was concerned about the call, CNN added.

The witness also could have corroborated part of Hutchinsons testimony under oath, according to the sites sources. CNN did not note what specific role the person served in.

NBC later reported that it had confirmed CNNs reporting.

Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) said it was highly unusual for Trump to make the call.

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), a member of the Jan. 6 panel, revealed earlier this week during a hearing that Trump tried to call an unnamed witness, saying the person did not pick up the call but had told their lawyer about the communication.

Let me say one more time: We will take any effort to influence witness testimony very seriously, Cheney said during Tuesdays hearing, adding that she had referred the matter to the Department of Justice.

In Hutchinsons testimony before the House panel, she told lawmakers that Trump knew the crowd during his Stop the Steal rally preceding the Jan. 6 insurrection was heavily armed and that Meadows told her he thought things could get real, real bad that day as Trump tried to retain power after losing the 2020 election.

Hutchinson also testified that the then-president tried to grab the wheel of his armored limousine when the Secret Service said they couldnt take him to the U.S. Capitol for security reasons.

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Lawmakers have since said her testimony helped uncover new information in its probe, expressing confidence in her accounts despite efforts by Trump and his surrogates to discount her role in the White House.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
In the same week that former Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office Lt. Scott Haines took a plea deal for state felony charges, he pleaded guilty in federal court to making false statements to the FBI.

Haines pleaded guilty to "making material false statements" to the FBI during the course of its investigation, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida Jason R. Coody.

"During his plea in federal court, Haines admitted that he became personally involved in the real property management and finances of an elderly woman in Santa Rosa County and deposited rental payments from tenants of the elderly woman into his own bank account without authority to do so," according to the release.

Haines' state charges: Former SRSO lieutenant who defrauded $10K from elderly woman takes 5-year probation deal

Haines taken into custody: Former SRSO lieutenant taken into federal custody for allegedly defrauding elderly woman

Haines not only lied to the FBI regarding his involvement with the rental property and finances, but he also lied about his knowledge of making himself the payable-on-death beneficiary of the 90-year-old woman's last will and testament, according to prosecutors.

His sentencing is set for 9 a.m. Oct. 17 and he faces up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.

He will also pay over $45,000 in investigative and prosecutive costs and relinquish his criminal justice certifications pursuant to the state prosecution.

In state court, Haines pleaded no contest to 29 counts of unauthorized access of a computer. In turn, the Florida Office of the Attorney General did not prosecute four counts of larceny and one count of exploitation of the elderly.

Haines was indicted in January for manipulating the woman by escorting her "to the office of her attorney and was thereafter appointed Power of Attorney for (the victim), thereby replacing a member of the (victim's) family," according to his indictment. Haines then added himself to her property management and realty business.

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Scott Haines

Retirement verses termination: SRSO internal affairs investigation prompts deputy to retire in lieu of termination

In August 2021, Haines retired from the SRSO prior to his termination following an internal investigation. Sheriff Bob Johnson did not comment on Haines' violations.

In 2020, Haines was demoted from the rank of captain to lieutenant at the conclusion of an internal affairs investigation after a female employee accused Haines of showing her a sex toy that he kept in his office and of making sexual advances toward her.

While Haines denied he made such sexual advances, he did admit to showing the woman the sex toy.

According to testimony from his accuser, the woman alleged Haines had come into her office and suggested she do him sexual favors. She also said he made lewd comments on at least a dozen occasions.

Haines will have a felony docket day for his state charges before Judge Clifton Drake on Aug. 2, 2022.

Benjamin Johnson can be reached at bjohnson@pnj.com or 850-435-8578

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Former SRSO lieutenant Scott Haines pleads guilty of lying to FBI
A Pensacola man was found guilty last month of multiple misdemeanor charges for his involvement in the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

At the conclusion of a two-day bench trial in a federal court in D.C., Jesus Rivera, 38, was convicted June 17 of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, knowingly engaging in disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds with intent to impede government business or official functions, engaging in disorderly or disruptive conduct on Capitol buildings or grounds, and parading, demonstrating or picketing in the Capitol building.

This is a screenshot from a Facebook live video that prosecutors say Jesus Rivera uploaded to his Facebook account on Jan. 6, 2021, while inside the U.S Capitol.

Original report: Two Pensacola men charged in Jan. 6 Capitol riot have both pleaded not guilty

Read more: Jan. 6 Committee: Rep. Matt Gaetz asked Donald Trump for pardon before and after Jan. 6

Based on evidence presented at the trial, Rivera illegally crossed a law enforcement perimeter and entered the Capitol grounds near the Northwest Lawn. While he made it to the northwestern stairway, he recorded the police line struggling to hold back a large group trying to enter the upper terrace, according the judge's written findings of fact and conclusions of law ruling.

"While filming, Defendant proclaimed to his audience, 'Patriots are going crazy. Let's get out there,'" the ruling document said. "Shortly after, and before the stairway line fell, (the Metropolitan Police Department) was, in Rivera's words, 'shooting pepper spray and stuff.'"

Jesus D. Rivera leaves the federal courthouse in downtown Pensacola on Jan. 20, 2021.

Rivera faces up to three years in prison as two of his misdemeanors carry a maximum one-year sentence and the other two carry maximums of six months, according to a U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia news release.

"The charges also carry potential financial penalties," the press release noted. "The Court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors."

According to court records, Rivera's sentencing is scheduled for 11 a.m. Nov. 3.

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A screenshot from a video that prosecutors say Jesus Rivera uploaded Jan. 6, 2021, shows a large and loud protest on the U.S. Capitol grounds.

A second Pensacola native, 26-year-old Tristan Stevens, was also arrested in February 2021 and charged with:

Assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers or employees

Civil disorder

entering or remaining in restricted building or grounds

violent entry or disorderly conduct

Stevens' trial has not started.

Benjamin Johnson can be reached at bjohnson@pnj.com or 850-435-8578

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Jan. 6 riot conviction: Pensacola man found guilty of multiple charges
Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty

A new NBC News documentary titled A Marriage on Trial: Johnny Depp, Amber Heard and Truth in the Age of Social Media is the latest deep dive into the celebrity defamation trial heard around the worldor seen everywhere on TikTok, more accurately.

Its been a little over a month since a jury decided that Aquaman actress Amber Heard defamed her ex-husband, Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp, when she referred to herself as the face of domestic abuse in a Washington Post op-ed in 2018. Depp was awarded $15 million in damages (receiving $10.35 million due to the states punitive cap) and Heard $2 million for a counterclaim she won.

Since that stunning verdict, speculation about the rulings impact on future domestic abuse cases and the overall fate of #MeToo has incited fear and anxiety amongst feminists, survivors of abuse, and domestic violence organizations. Much has also been said about the role of social media in the Depp-Heard case and the way videos mocking, manipulating, and reenacting Heards testimony became nearly inescapable across social media platforms.

Savannah Guthries Appalling Amber Heard Interview

Likewise, the widespread harassment campaign against Heard led by Depps online army of supporters (and influencers who may not have otherwise cared about the case but were able to profit off it) has earned comparisons to #Gamergate with a more mainstream audience. Digital writers, many of them women, have done most of the heavy lifting in terms of investigating and editorializing how Heard became the most hated woman online and this phenomenon could affect other high-profile survivors in abuse cases.

Meanwhile, television networks like NBC have gotten in hot water for embracing popular narratives in line with Depp supporters, providing what many have viewed as unethical coverage on Today and jokes about the trial on Saturday Night Live, but seem to slowly be catching up to the more progressive discourse about the case.

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That seems to be the goal of A Marriage On Trial, which aired on NBC News Now on Wednesday night and is available to stream on NBCNews.com and Peacock.

In a swift but impactful 30 minutes, the documentary attempts to frame Heard as a victim of online harassment and outline the disturbing ways an intimate matter between two celebrities became a virtual sport. Talking heads include one of Heards attorneys, Elaine Bredehoft; National Coalition Against Domestic Violence CEO Ruth Glenn; People Magazine editor Nigel Smith; American University law professor Jamie Abrams; and NBC News tech and culture reporter Kat Tenbarge. We also get plenty of soundbites from Depp supporters, including TikToker Gia Andreani, whose obsession with proving Depps innocence, which she discusses casually with a journalist, is one of the most jarring parts of the film.

A Marriage on Trial doesnt have the aggressive point of view of a similar documentary like Framing Britney Spears. The film doesnt set out to decide whether Heard was wronged by the juryalthough Glenn and Bredehofts perspectives are notable. Rather, the documentary broadly illustrates the tragedy that occurs when private matters become public theater. Moreover, it highlights the inhumanity of platforms like TikTok and YouTube, whereaside from average usersprofit-hungry influencers and toxic celebrity fandoms coalesce.

The first ten minutes of the documentary feels like an introductory course in the facts during and leading up to the defamation trial in Virginia, many of which were either manipulated or completely ignored by social media users. Experts mention the results of Depps prior defamation trial against U.K. tabloid The Sun, which found that he had committed at least 12 acts of domestic violence including domestic violence, including sexual violence, as Bredehoft states in the film. Heards attorney also brings up notes from Heards therapist documenting physical abuse that werent allowed to be submitted as evidence.

The social media element of the trial is both equated to the media frenzy surrounding O.J. Simpsons murder trial and framed as a direct consequence of it. Both judges controversially permitted cameras in their courtrooms, allowing these disturbing incidents to be consumed like a gladiator ceremony, said Nigel Smith. In the documentary, we see footage of fans waiting outside the courthouse with signs and dressed in Jack Sparrow costumes, and workers giving spectators wristbands to view the trial like a concert.

In addition to Depps legion of adoring fans, the documentary notes the amount of influencers and content creators who werent necessarily invested in the trial but saw an opportunity to gain followers and likes by pivoting to content focused on Depp and Heard, which was largely pro-Deppand partially why you might have noticed a drop in Depp content on social media immediately following the verdict. Like Framing Britney Spears, A Marriage On Trial shows how theres always money and clout to be gained from a womans suffering and humiliation.

Due to its brief length, A Marriage on Trial is not the most in-depth look into the nature of harassment campaigns on social media nor the psychology of toxic fanbases and the misogyny Depps fans harbor, specifically. The way Depps supporters have come to develop a strong parasocial relationship with himmostly through family movies hes starred inis explained in a fairly rational tone. Likewise, his fans are portrayed more as naive Disney adults than terrifying zealots.

The kind of tip-toeing you sense from certain participants in the documentary makes its commentary less potent and insightful than some columns written about the trial. Plus, if youve already been following the reporting on Heards presence on TikTok and other social media sites, you might not learn much by watching this film (although it does hit an emotional nerve whether or not youve heard this information before). Nevertheless, its a good introduction for people not as attuned to this angle of the trial and obviously for Heard skeptics, who only seem interested in information they can consume in a brief viral video.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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OLHA HLUSHCHENKO  THURSDAY, 14 JULY 2022, 07:03

Ukrainian Defence Forces repelled Russian assaults on the Sloviansk and Bakhmut fronts.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 06:00 on 14 July

Quote: "In some cases, the occupying troops food supply has been interrupted. According to available information, there is also a shortage of platoon commanders in the units of the 2nd Combined Arms Army of the Central Military District. The shortage was caused by significant losses [among Russian military personnel - ed.] and [their - ed.] refusal to participate in hostilities on the territory of Ukraine."

Details: There are no changes in the composition and dislocation of Russian units on the Volyn, Polissia and Sivershchyna fronts, or in the nature of their activities. On the Sivershchyna front, the Russian forces shelled the areas around Doroshivka and Hrabovske (in Sumy Oblast) using mortars and multiple rocket launchers.

On the Kharkiv front, the Russian army used different artillery weapons with a range of different calibres to fire on the areas of the towns and villages of Derhachi, Cherkaska Lozova, Dementiivka, Ruski Tyshky, Cherkaski Tyshky and Slatyne.

On the Sloviansk front, Russian soldiers fired on the areas around Barvinkove, Dibrivne, Kurulka, Podolivka, Chepil, Krasnopillia and Bohorodychne. The Russians tried to conduct an assault in the direction of Kurulka, but were unsuccessful and retreated.

On the Kramatorsk front, Russian occupying forces fired on the areas around Hryhorivka, Siversk, Kramatorsk, Verkhnokamianske, Zakitne, Serebrianka and Spirne using tubed and rocket artillery and conducted airstrikes near Verkhnokamianske and Maiaky. The Russians are mounting an offensive in the direction of Verkhnokamianske, where fighting is continuing.

On the Bakhmut front, the Russian forces fired on the areas around Novoluhanske, New-York, Pokrovske, Vesela Dolyna, Soledar, Berestove, Vesele, Vyimka, Semyhiria, Vershyna and near the Vuhlehirska Power Plant using tanks, as well as tubed and rocket artillery. Russian aircraft conducted airstrikes near New-York, Ivano-Darivka and Semyhiria. Ukrainian soldiers repelled Russian assault operations in the direction of Kodema and Vershyna.

Russian occupying forces did not conduct active combat operations on the Kurakhove, Novopavlivka, and Zaporizhzhia fronts, but fired on the areas around Novomykhailivka, Shakhtarske, Velyki Novosilky, Pavlivka, Novoukrainka, Vremivka, Zaliznychne, Olhivske, Temyrivka, Huliaipilske, Malynivka, Huliaipole, Kamianske, Mali Shcherbaky, Novoandriivka and Kamianka. Russian aircraft conducted airstrikes near Avdiivka and Kamianka. In addition, the Russians mounted an offensive in the direction of Kamianka, where they were partially successful.

On the Pivdennyi Buh front, Russian occupying forces are concentrating their efforts on preventing the Ukrainian Defence Forces from mounting a counter-offensive. The Russians fired on Ukrainian positions along the entire frontline using tubed and rocket artillery and tanks. Four naval-based Kalibr cruise missile carriers are on standby in the Black Sea.
Vice President Kamala Harris will appear Thursday in Orlando and Tampa, including holding a discussion with Florida legislators about reproductive rights, the White House said Wednesday.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra is expected to take part in the discussion.

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While in Orlando, Harris also will attend an Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority event.

She will later travel to MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, where she will meet with service members and receive a briefing.

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Cornelius OMalley, right, Kristine Brown and her 9-year-old daughter, Gabriella, and other anti-abortion protesters from the Pro-Life Action League and the Rockford Family Initiative participate in a "Face the Truth" Day on July 13, 2022, in Loves Park. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

Wisconsin medical providers are traveling across state lines to provide abortions in Illinois, expanding access to the procedure after the recent fall of Roe v. Wade.

Several new abortion clinics are also expected to open soon in Rockford and Carbondale, parts of the state with a dearth of abortion providers. Two new clinics are planned for Rockford  which hasnt had an abortion provider in about a decade  and a third clinic could begin providing medication abortions as soon as next month in Carbondale, the home of Southern Illinois University.

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Reproductive rights advocates hope the new clinics and additional medical providers will help Illinois handle the recent influx of out-of-state abortion patients, following the U.S. Supreme Courts June 24 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which had established the right to terminate a pregnancy nationwide since 1973.

Abortion opponents, however, lament that Illinois is becoming an abortion mecca, said Eric Scheidler, executive director of the Pro-Life Action League.

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The overturning of Roe v. Wade has turned Illinois into ground zero in the fight to protect unborn children, he said.

Planned Parenthood officials in Illinois and Wisconsin have launched a partnership to increase abortion access post-Roe, which includes physicians and other staff members from Wisconsin coming to Illinois to work at an abortion clinic in north suburban Waukegan.

Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin suspended abortion services after the Supreme Court ruling. Wisconsin has an 1849 law that almost entirely bans abortion, but the law was previously unenforceable under Roe.

During this time, weve seen a tenfold increase in patients from Wisconsin coming for care to Illinois, said Jennifer Welch, Planned Parenthood of Illinois president and CEO, at a news conference on Thursday. This is clear evidence that abortion restrictions and bans do not stop people from having abortions. Restrictions and bans only make it harder for people to access essential reproductive health care where they live.

Wisconsin abortion providers began working in the Waukegan clinic last week. All Wisconsin clinicians who are traveling there to work will be licensed in Illinois, Planned Parenthood officials said.

The majority of the team in Wisconsin providing abortion care have stepped up to travel to Illinois to serve that patient need, said Kristen Schultz, chief strategy and operations officer at Planned Parenthood of Illinois, during the news conference.

A Planned Parenthood of Illinois spokeswoman would not say exactly how many Wisconsin physicians, clinicians and other employees would be working in the Waukegan clinic, citing security reasons; she would not elaborate on what those security concerns were.

Wisconsin providers will also offer abortion services via telehealth appointments in Waukegan, but patients must physically be in Illinois during the visit, Planned Parenthood officials said.

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Planned Parenthood affiliates in both states are also providing designated abortion navigators who help patients with travel arrangements, finding funding to cover the cost of the procedure and other resources.

During the news conference, Welch described the case of one patient who had an abortion scheduled at a Planned Parenthood in Wisconsin the day after Roe was overturned. Her appointment had to be canceled but she still needed care quickly. The patient, a single mom with young twins, had to coordinate child care in addition to travel arrangements, Welch said.

Planned Parenthood was able to get her an abortion appointment a few days later at the Waukegan clinic. Wisconsin provided support for transportation and gas money, and Illinois provided financial assistance for the abortion, Welch said.

So that patient got the care she needed, Welch said. Sadly, this story is not unique. Weve seen a tremendous increase in patients coming from Wisconsin to all Illinois Planned Parenthood health centers.

A Wisconsin doctor recently bought two Rockford buildings  a former acupuncture office and a former veterinary clinic  with plans to turn the sites into abortion clinics, according to The Associated Press. The physician, Dr. Dennis Christensen, did not immediately respond to Tribune requests for comment.

The Rockford Family Planning Foundation, a nonprofit that incorporated in Illinois a few days after the Supreme Court overturned Roe, is overseeing plans for the new abortion provider at the converted veterinary clinic site. The foundations president, Jeanne Bissell, said that abortion clinic is expected to open in roughly three to six months.

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We wanted to make sure there was a safe, legal place for people in Wisconsin to get abortion care, she said. Its an essential part of health care.  Its lifesaving care. I also think pregnant folks will go to any length to get an abortion. Its really scary what will happen if we dont have safe and legal care.

Plans for the new clinics drew anti-abortion protests to Rockford on Wednesday.

This community does not want to be plagued again by the specter of abortion, said Dolores Pribble, outreach director of the Rockford Family Initiative. Were fighting to keep Rockford abortion-free.

Another abortion clinic could be opening as soon as next month in Carbondale.

Choices Memphis Center for Reproductive Health recently announced plans to establish that clinic, which is expected to first provide medication abortions and in a later phase add procedures. The abortion provider will be about three hours from the Tennessee cities Memphis and Nashville.

There are now roughly two dozen abortion clinics in Illinois, though most are located in the Chicago area. Eleven of the 102 counties in Illinois have at least one abortion provider; in five of those counties, only medication abortions are available, which is restricted to the first 11 weeks of pregnancy, according to Planned Parenthood of Illinois.

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Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. >

In the absence of Roe, the matter of abortion rights is now decided by individual states. Illinois established abortion as a fundamental right in the 2019 Reproductive Health Act. But nearly every other state in the Midwest is expected to either prohibit or nearly ban the procedure; some nearby states, like Wisconsin, have already done so.

Planned Parenthood of Illinois has predicted 20,000 to 30,000 more patients will be traveling to Illinois each year to terminate a pregnancy now that Roe has fallen.

That influx is on top of the thousands of patients that already cross state lines to come to Illinois to terminate a pregnancy. In 2020, nearly 10,000 patients from other states traveled here to have an abortion, according to the most recent data from the Illinois Department of Public Health; the number of out-of-state abortions has increased annually since 2014.

In preparation for more out-of-state travel, Planned Parenthood of Illinois in 2018 opened an abortion clinic in south suburban Flossmoor, near the Indiana border. The Planned Parent affiliate in the St. Louis area in 2019 opened another abortion clinic in Fairview Heights, close to the Missouri border.

The Waukegan clinic, which is just a few miles from Wisconsin, opened in 2020.

The proximity to Wisconsin  a state that poses stringent legal barriers to abortion  was a critical factor in choosing the location, Welch had said in a statement at the time.

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eleventis@chicagotribune.com
BEMPOSTA, Portugal (AP)  More than 3,000 firefighters battled alongside ordinary Portuguese citizens desperate to save their homes from several wildfires that raged across the European country on Thursday, fanned by extreme temperatures and drought conditions linked to climate change.

The central part of the country has been particularly hard hit by a spate of blazes this week. In the village of Bemposta, residents used garden hoses to spray down their lawns and the roofs of their houses in hope that they could save them from the raging wall of red flames that approached through the wooden hills late on Wednesday.

It began spreading towards that way (the right), the wind was blowing that way towards the mountain, said 88-year-old Antonio Carmo Pereira, while pointing to the flames on the outskirts of his village. I could see the view, but in a few minutes I couldnt see anything, just smoke.

(Its) dangerous, yes. Its surrounding all the houses, he said. I am afraid, but where can I go? Jump into a water tank? Let me stay here and look.

More than 800 firefighters still fought on in the Leiria district, where Bemposta is located, on Thursday morning.

Temperatures in the interior of the Atlantic country were forecast to hit 44 C (111 F) during the day as the mass of hot and dry air blown up from Africa continues to linger over the western edge of the Iberian Peninsula. In June, 96% of Portugal was classified as being in either in extreme or severe drought.

The hot air and parched ground, combined with winds, has created the perfect cocktail of severe fires.

Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said Thursday that with temperatures expected to remain unusually high for the coming days his government plans to extend a state of alert for wildfires until Sunday. The week-long alert was originally declared to run until Friday. The government has temporarily barred public access to forests deemed to be at special risk, banned the use of farm machinery and outlawed fireworks.

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Costa said that firefighters had to respond to 200 different blazes on Wednesday and pleaded for his fellow citizens to take extra care when in the countryside.

More than ever, we are the ones who must be extremely careful, Costa said. From a small act of carelessness a great tragedy can be born.

About 10,000 hectares (24,700 acres) have been scorched this week in Portugal, according to the Civil Protection Agency. About 865 people had been forced to evacuated their homes over the past week, although many had returned by Thursday. More than 30 homes and other types of buildings had been damaged.

Civil Protection commander Andre Fernandes said that 160 people, including at least 70 firefighters, have been injured so far, but that there are no confirmed fatalities from the fires. Four people, including two firefighters, were seriously injured. Portugal has improved its fire safety since wildfires killed more than 100 people.

The European Union has urged member states to prepare for wildfires this summer as the continent faces another extreme weather shift that scientists say is being triggered by climate change.

Neighboring Spain was still combating a fire started by a lightning strike on Monday in the west-central Las Hurdes area that has consumed about 3,500 hectares (8,600 acres).

Temperatures in many parts of Spain have been topping the 40 C (104 F) mark for several days and are expected to continue to do so through to next week.

In France, two fires raged out of control in the region around Bordeaux in southwest France for a third consecutive day, despite the efforts of 1,000 firefighters and water-dumping planes to contain them.

The fires have destroyed more than 3,850 hectares (9,500 acres) of forest and grassland in the region, the regional emergency said. It said firefighters struggled to contain the fire because of high winds and difficulty accessing the heart of the fires. More than 6,000 people were evacuated from campgrounds and villages in recent days.

The EU's concerns about combustible land reached its eastern edge in Hungary, where firefighters discovered a body in a rural area where a small forest fire had burned overnight. The body was found Thursday morning among the ruins of a burnt farmhouse buried under a collapsed roof, the countrys disaster management authority said.

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Joseph Wilson reported from Barcelona, Spain. Angela Charlton in Paris, Ciaran Giles in Madrid, and Justin Spike in Budapest, Hungary, contributed to this report.

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Follow all AP stories on climate change issues at https://apnews.com/hub/climate
The board of Waterloo Brewing Ltd. (TSE:WBR) has announced that it will pay a dividend of CA$0.0304 per share on the 3rd of August. This means that the annual payment will be 2.7% of the current stock price, which is in line with the average for the industry.

See our latest analysis for Waterloo Brewing

Waterloo Brewing Doesn't Earn Enough To Cover Its Payments

While it is always good to see a solid dividend yield, we should also consider whether the payment is feasible. Before this announcement, Waterloo Brewing was paying out 84% of earnings, but a comparatively small 56% of free cash flows. Since the dividend is just paying out cash to shareholders, we care more about the cash payout ratio from which we can see plenty is being left over for reinvestment in the business.

EPS is set to grow by 3.7% over the next year if recent trends continue. If the dividend continues on its recent course, the payout ratio in 12 months could be 101%, which is a bit high and could start applying pressure to the balance sheet.

Waterloo Brewing Doesn't Have A Long Payment History

The dividend's track record has been pretty solid, but with only 7 years of history we want to see a few more years of history before making any solid conclusions. Since 2015, the dividend has gone from CA$0.048 total annually to CA$0.122. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 14% per annum over that time. We're not overly excited about the relatively short history of dividend payments, however the dividend is growing at a nice rate and we might take a closer look.

Dividend Growth May Be Hard To Achieve

Investors could be attracted to the stock based on the quality of its payment history. Earnings has been rising at 3.7% per annum over the last five years, which admittedly is a bit slow. Earnings are not growing quickly at all, and the company is paying out most of its profit as dividends. That's fine as far as it goes, but we're less enthusiastic as this often signals that the dividend is likely to grow slower in the future.

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Our Thoughts On Waterloo Brewing's Dividend

In summary, while it's good to see that the dividend hasn't been cut, we are a bit cautious about Waterloo Brewing's payments, as there could be some issues with sustaining them into the future. The payments haven't been particularly stable and we don't see huge growth potential, but with the dividend well covered by cash flows it could prove to be reliable over the short term. Overall, we don't think this company has the makings of a good income stock.

Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. For example, we've picked out 2 warning signs for Waterloo Brewing that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Fresh seafood and corn are some of summer's biggest stars. On this week's episode of F&W Cooks, chef George Mendes combines them into one meal  his recipe for Ten-Minute Salt Cod with Corn and Littleneck Clams. Mendes says the salt cod component is inspired by "the traditional salting of cod, also known as bacalhau, in many of the European countries like Spain, Portugal." While you'd normally let the fish sit for at least two days, his quick version only takes 10 minutes. He then sears it so it develops a crust, and then cooks it with littleneck clams, garlic, herbs, and white wine  buttery, slightly lemony corn kernels round the meal out. Start-to-finish, it's a 40 minute-meal that you can easily throw together on a weeknight.

Sound good? Read on for Mendes' method and follow along with the video above.

Salt the Cod

You'll need skinless center-cut cod fillets for this recipe, as well as plenty of kosher salt. Place the fillets on a plate or rimmed baking sheet and cover them  we're talking all over, front, back, and sides  with the salt. Let them sit for 10 minutes, and then rinse the salt off and pat them dry. Since cod is such a mild and flaky fish, Mendes explains that salting it adds flavor and also helps firm it up.

Blanch the Corn

While the cod rests in the salt, take the shucked ears of corn and quickly blanch them; then, drain and pat them dry. Cut the kernels off the cobs and add them to a small skillet, tossing them with unsalted butter, fresh lemon juice, and some white pepper. You don't need to cook them for a long time  just until they're heated through.

Cook the Seafood

Next, heat some extra-virgin olive oil in a large, deep nonstick skillet. Dust the cod fillets with Wondra flour, season them with white pepper, and add them to the skillet skin-side down. Let 'em cook over high heat for a few minutes until they're golden  don't disturb them, you want a crust to form. Then, flip and cook them over moderate heat for one more minute.

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The clams go in at this point, along with the cilantro, thyme, garlic, and more white pepper (Mendes adds parsley here in the episode, too). Then, pour in the dry white wine, cover the skillet, and cook for a few more minutes over moderate heat until the clams open and the cod has cooked through. Make sure you discard the herb sprigs, as well as any clams that don't open.

Ten Minute Salt Cod with Corn and Littleneck Clams. Photo  Anna Williams

 Anna Williams

Serve

Before you serve the finished dish, rewarm the buttery corn. Then, divide it between four shallow bowls and top it with a cod fillet. Sprinkle on some smoked paprika, spoon the clams and broth over the dish, and finish it off with a garnish of fresh parsley. Then, all that's left to do is enjoy  don't forget a piece of crusty bread for sopping up the broth.

"This is such a summery dish," Mendes says after trying it.
CHICAGO -- Behind a row of industrial buildings and down a small path of stairs, a wooden platform skirts the rusting river wall, surrounded by floating gardens, sunken logs and quietly emerging microhabitats. With pops of color from its blue chairs and encroaching plant life, the platform sits at the North Branch canal of the Chicago River and regularly hosts eager students.

This learning platform is one of the latest additions to the Wild Mile, a 17-acre floating park that will stretch from North Avenue to Chicago Avenue. The project is spearheaded by environmental nonprofit Urban Rivers.

Nick Wesley, Urban Rivers co-founder, said he wants to make the project accessible to students of all backgrounds. An early collaboration with the nearby British School involved students designing and installing plants in floating gardens. Though a huge success, Wesley noted that not everyone can participate in such projects.

One of the things is that the British school has a lot of resources, so they were able to do this type of thing, Wesley said. Whereas a lot of schools, its much more difficult and so we wanted to lower that barrier to entry, hence the learning platform where you can come down without renting kayaks or doing any big projects. You can just come down for a tour or some sort of session.

On the learning platform, groups of students can work at different stations where they can test water quality, identify plants and learn about the rivers history.

The Wild Mile, which has largely been supported by city grants, philanthropic donations and partnerships with larger organizations like Shedd Aquarium, seeks to replenish and restore the rivers ecosystems, which have long been dormant due to the industrial nature of the river. In the 1850s, the river  in line with waterways across major cities  became a site of commercial transportation and the backyard to rows of factories, warehouses and waste management plants.

According to Phil Nicodemus, director of research at Urban Rivers, the river can host dozens of different environments in the space of just 1 mile. With floating gardens and smaller scale projects like sinking logs in the river, Wild Mile has already created a number of microhabitats supporting muskrats, turtles, mussels and more.

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A river within a mile can have like 20 different types of environments in it that make it so special and so diverse  Its really just like, can we inch closer and closer to that? Youd like to do it all at once, but if you cant, you just take the little victories where you can get them, Nicodemus said.

Wesley emphasized that behind each step of the projects planning and advancement is an emphasis on and prioritization of the rivers wildlife.

Its one of those things where the whole focus is a wildlife-first park, Wesley said. So everything we do, we want to make sure that it has a positive effect on the wildlife. Theyre the main client in some ways  we focus on the wildlife and then we create a unique space for people.

The new learning platform has already hosted more than 300 students in the past three months.

School tours fit into the learning platforms broader mission of bridging the gap between youth from different backgrounds in the area.

The Rev. Randall Blakey, executive director of the Near North Unity Program, which seeks to promote cohesion in Chicago Near North community, recalled attending a planning meeting for the Wild Mile when it was in the early stages. He said he began to think of the Wild Mile not only as an ecosystem for wildlife but an ecosystem for human life.

Around this time, Blakey said he and the Near North Unity Program were coordinating a merger between the Jenner Academy of the Arts, located in the footprint of the former public housing complex Cabrini-Green, and Ogden International School in the Gold Coast, bringing together students with whom there had previously been no interaction and no collaboration.

If we were to create a floating classroom, it would give us the opportunity to have kids that wouldnt normally interact with each other in the Near North Side to come together and learn together, he said.

Blakey, who said he saw a moral imperative for students to have a physical space where they could meet, was inspired by a quote from Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall: Unless our children begin to learn together, there is little hope that our people will ever begin to live together. The quote was penned in a dissent in Milliken v. Bradley, in which the court ruled against busing across district lines to combat segregation unless the segregation was the product of discriminatory acts by the school districts.

The Wild Mile has made significant headway in the past year, with more to come in the coming months and years.

The group recently installed a floating garden near a distribution center that will be leased by Amazon in the South Branch of the river and received another grant from the city for $1.7 million to support more construction farther north.

The Wild Mile has partnered with the Shedd, which Wesley noted hopes to begin programs outside their walls  in the community, instead of being kind of this isolated center.

Were building these gardens, we have a lot of research focus and habitat focus, which is right in line with some of the researchers that they have, Wesley said.

Wild Mile and Shedd also had plans to install a series of six floating islands in August in the turning basin outside Bubbly Creek  a branch of the Chicago River that runs through Bridgeport and was the dumping grounds of the now-defunct Union Stock Yards  but a bureaucratic hitch may delay the undertaking.

The federal government may own the land below Bubbly Creek, Wesley said, which could cause permits to take longer than anticipated.

Regardless of when permits are approved, Wesley said the group plans to install more floating gardens in August, possibly moving them south from the original Bubbly Creek spot.

The whole area is prime for this type of stuff  its historically one of the worst sections of river in the country, he said.

Wesley said he hopes that with the help of Urban Rivers and the Wild Mile, the Chicago River can undergo a transformation similar to that of Millennium Park in the eyes of Chicago residents.

Just using these kinds of corridors  in the future will be more or less boring. Itll be universal, in the same way you think about Millennium Park. People forget it was a parking lot, you feel like its been a part of the city for much longer than it really has, he said.

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The relocation of a recent Pride Month display of LGBTQ books at a Bedford County library brought multiple residents out to speak at a county board of supervisors meeting this week, with several expressing support for the librarys display and one saying the display should have been relocated or removed.

When Pride Month  a time federally designated for LGBTQ awareness and activism  kicked off in June, Bedford County public libraries, like other public library systems, added themed displays offering resources related to the LGBTQ community, and books with representation of this community.

Before long, the Forest Library branch was targeted by a small number of individuals, some affiliated with a local group that desired to remove or relocate LGBTQ materials. Other Bedford public library branches had Pride Month displays, Debbie Bahouth, chair of the BPLS board of trustees, said in an interview with The News & Advance, but the Forest location was the one that came under fire.

As Pride Month progressed, some opposed to Pride Month and having LGBTQ resources displayed in public libraries campaigned to remove books they thought to be inappropriate or problematic. One course of action encouraged was for someone to check out all LGBTQ-related books and materials from their local public libraries with the intent of not returning them.

Those opposed to the Pride Month displays also pushed for them to be moved to a non-prominent section of a library, or requested the displays be removed altogether.

Bahouth said workers at the Forest library received verbal comments and emails that led to a feeling of being unsafe. Out of concern for the safety of library workers, Bahouth said, the decision was made to move the display from the librarys traditional display location. At the Forest location, displays are set up across from the desk toward the main entrance of the library, visible to those walking in.

Bahouth confirmed all the LGBTQ books on display at the Forest library were checked out by one person and had not been returned for some time. The books eventually came back, but they had all been placed on hold, so were immediately checked out again and remain unavailable.

Never, to Bahouths knowledge, have any of Bedfords public libraries had to move a display for fear of the safety of library workers or faced individuals removing specific materials in this nature. The board and library staff, she said, were dismayed at the aggressive response from what she said was a small group of people.

We want to continue to provide information to the entire community, as diverse and inclusive as we can, Bahouth said. We have always had diverse topics with the display areas. We do not censor or show bias to anything. That is not our purpose; it is not anybodys individual opinions, as far as the staff, about what should or shouldnt be displayed. This is a service to the entire community, and thats what we strive to maintain.

At Mondays Bedford County Board of Supervisors meeting, county resident Donna StClair said taking books from public libraries and not returning them was a lawsuit waiting to happen, because those books are public property, funded by taxpayer dollars.

Jessica Scott, another county resident, said she supported displays of special observances at all Bedford public library branches. Libraries have traditionally set up exhibits for federally recognized holidays or awareness initiatives, such as Martin Luther King Jr. Day or disability awareness.

According to the Bedford County Public Library website, the objective of displays or exhibits is to provide educational, cultural, informative, and attractive exhibits for public view, Scott said, citing the online resource. According to the same website, she added, displays must meet a standard acceptable to the community. An 8.5-by-11 piece of paper with the word pride printed in rainbow colors and then just a handful of library books most certainly would meet that standard. Hiding displays isnt educational. Its not cultural, or informative.

Concern over the actions to remove or hide LGBTQ materials went beyond the matter of censorship itself. Speakers expressed dismay at what such actions meant to a space supposed to be inclusive, safe and informational for all.

Elizabeth Mansel, a former special education teacher who also spoke during the meeting, said targeting one minority group  the LGBTQ community in this instance  was a slippery slope to targeting still more groups, such as people of color, people with disabilities, or those who do not practice a Christian religion, as if such treatment were acceptable.

As a parent, Mansel said she understood the desire to protect children and acknowledged some topics might be uncomfortable for adults to talk about  but she said the actions shown by those working to remove or censor queer resources teaches children that LGBTQ topics are off-limits, period. Lines of communication need to remain open between youth and trusted adults, she said, and anything else only serves to drive young people to seek answers elsewhere.

Each family is responsible for determining what their children will be exposed to, but it is the responsibility of the public library system to provide a safe and inclusive setting to support all citizens, Mansel said. As public servants, your [the board of supervisors] obligation is to ensure that all citizens, including minorities, are represented equally and no one group is seen of lesser value.

Citing portions of American Library Association (ALA) policy, as well as the Library Bill of Rights, a document derived from the U.S. Constitution, speaker Cindy Younghouse said library exhibits need to be equitable and librarians need support to follow ALA policy.

ALA policy 53.1.15 states: The American Library Association stringently and unequivocally maintains that libraries and librarians have an obligation to resist efforts that systematically exclude materials dealing with any subject matter, including gender or sexual orientation. The Association also encourages librarians to proactively support the First Amendment rights of all library users regardless of gender or sexual orientation.

Mary Katherine Bennett spoke to supervisors at a June 13 meeting about the Pride Month displays in some of the public libraries, saying she wanted to bring the matter to the boards attention, citing the need to protect children.

Bennett, who also attended Mondays meeting, defended her stance.

I am not a hateful person, Bennett said after stating she was part of a local group, the Bedford County Patriots, which another speaker called a religious extremist hate group.

She said she just wanted children to be protected and wondered why others seemed to have a problem with that.

Bennett said she and others asked librarians at the Forest location, via emails, phone calls and in-person conversations, to relocate or remove the Pride Month display.

In an emailed statement Wednesday, a spokesperson with Bedford County Patriots responded to the incident addressed during Mondays board of supervisors meeting, saying: Concerned members of the Bedford community were made aware of sexually explicit materials being displayed in front of the childrens section at Forest Public Library. Our community came together and respectfully requested all sexual books be moved out of the childrens section. We are grateful that the staff at the Forest Public Library listened to our community and relocated the sexualized books to the adult section.

Bahouth said the display was not in the childrens section of the Forest library but in the same location that has been used for exhibits as long as anyone can remember, a spot used largely because of the buildings layout and space.

James Jones, a 35-year volunteer with the Friends of Bedford County Public Libraries organization, said at the supervisors meeting that libraries are the most democratic of institutions. He was troubled by the harassment and threats facing his communitys public libraries from local groups and individuals. Such censorship, he said, has no place in a pluralistic society, and any group who does not like the book selections presented has no right to deny those books to the rest of the community.

Tolerance of others is a sign of a healthy community, Jones said. We all need to support our library system, and the professional librarians who staff it. Let them do their job unencumbered by the condemnation of a few. Let our libraries continue to serve us one and all.
Sources within the investigation into the fatal shooting of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo say the suspect's mother likely donated nearly 100 million yen, or about 720,000 dollars, to a religious organization.

The sources quote the 41-year-old suspect, Yamagami Tetsuya, as saying his mother ruined his family by making huge donations to the group.

Yamagami reportedly told police he resented the organization, where his mother was an avid follower. Police say he apparently targeted Abe on the belief that Abe had close ties to it.

Police have been questioning the suspect about the donations and other circumstances since his arrest at the scene of the attack in the city of Nara on Friday. They have also talked to his relatives.

The sources say the total contributions apparently came to nearly 100 million yen, including the life insurance payout on the death of Yamagami's father. They say the proceeds from the sales of three real estate properties the family owned were also included.

A relative said the family complained to the organization, and it paid back 50 million yen, or about 360,000 dollars. But the relative said the suspect's mother donated the money to the religious group again.

The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, formerly called the Unification Church, has said the mother is a member. It says it has not been able to find out how much money she donated and exactly when.

But the organization says it paid back a total of 50 million yen over a period of 10 years through 2014.

It says why the repayment was made is not clear, but apparently in consideration of the family's circumstances.
China's foreign trade grows at double-digit pace in June with resilient outlook

Xinhua) 08:16, July 14, 2022

Aerial photo taken on March 2, 2022 shows a view of the container terminal of Qinzhou Port in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua)

* China's foreign trade saw a double-digit growth pace in June, a positive indicator that the world's second-largest economy is recovering from the headwinds of COVID-19 outbreaks.

* The country's foreign trade growth accelerated to 14.3 percent in June, compared with 9.5 percent in May and 0.1 percent in April, showed data from the General Administration of Customs (GAC) on Wednesday.

* "Overall, China's imports and exports showed strong resilience in the first half of the year," said Li Kuiwen, spokesperson for the GAC.

BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- China's foreign trade saw a double-digit growth pace in June, a positive indicator that the world's second-largest economy is recovering from the headwinds of COVID-19 outbreaks.

China's foreign trade growth accelerated to 14.3 percent in June, compared with 9.5 percent in May and 0.1 percent in April, showed data from the General Administration of Customs (GAC) on Wednesday.

From January to June, China's foreign trade of goods jumped 9.4 percent year on year to 19.8 trillion yuan (about 2.94 trillion U.S. dollars).

Exports rose 13.2 percent year on year to 11.14 trillion yuan, while imports increased 4.8 percent from a year ago to 8.66 trillion yuan.

"Overall, China's imports and exports showed strong resilience in the first half of the year," said Li Kuiwen, spokesperson for the GAC.

SWIFT RECOVERY

"The growth of foreign trade picked up significantly in May and June," Li said.

As the epidemic prevention and control situation improves and pro-growth policies are taking effects, foreign trade enterprises have resumed work and production in an orderly manner since May.

"In particular, the rapid recovery of imports and exports in the Yangtze River Delta led to a marked rebound in the overall growth of China's foreign trade," Li said.

For instance, Shanghai, the country's financial hub hit hard by the Omicron outbreak, saw its foreign trade swing back to growth in June, up 9.6 percent year on year.

Workers make clothes for export at a company in Taihe County, east China's Anhui Province, May 26, 2022. (Photo by Liang Xiaopeng/Xinhua)

CLOSER TRADE TIES

In the first half, China's trade with its top three trading partners -- the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the European Union and the United States -- expanded by 10.6 percent, 7.5 percent and 11.7 percent from a year ago, respectively.

From January to June, China's trade with Belt and Road countries and members of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership soared by 17.8 percent and 5.6 percent year on year.

In terms of types of goods, imports and exports of mechanical and electrical products expanded by 4.2 percent to account for 49.1 percent of the total.

Private enterprises posted strong performance as their imports and exports grew 13.6 percent year on year in the first half, outpacing the country's overall growth.

China's exports of labor-intensive products increased 13.5 percent to 1.99 trillion yuan, while imports of energy products including crude oil, natural gas and coal surged 53.1 percent, customs data showed.

Photo taken on June 30, 2022 shows a China-Europe freight train ready for departure at the Tuanjiecun station in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

POLICIES PAYING OFF

The rebound came as the country stepped up efforts to help foreign trade firms overcome difficulties amid domestic COVID-19 resurgences and external uncertainties.

The GAC has adopted a slew of measures to reduce costs for foreign trade companies, while customs authorities across the country have put forward 854 detailed measures to stabilize foreign trade.

These measures mainly aim to smoothen foreign trade logistics, strengthen financial support for foreign trade firms, stabilize industrial and supply chains of foreign trade, and improve the business environment at ports.

"In the next step, the GAC will pay close attention to the implementation of these measures and make every effort to promote the stability and quality of foreign trade," Li said.

Aerial photo taken on March 7, 2022 shows vehicles to be loaded onto a freight ship at Yantai Port, east China's Shandong Province. (Photo by Tang Ke/Xinhua)

RESILIENT OUTLOOK

Despite some unstable and uncertain factors, China's foreign trade is expected to maintain steady growth in the second half of the year, Li said.

Echoing Li's views, Zhou Junzhi, chief macro analyst at Minsheng Securities Co., Ltd., said that China's exports may continue to show better-than-expected resilience in the second half, with an expected increase of 7.5 percent year on year.

Boasting the world's most comprehensive industrial system, China is capable of meeting various outbound demands, be it anti-pandemic materials, durable goods, or industrial products, according to Zhou.

"In the second half, we are particularly upbeat about the exports of industrial supplies such as mechanical equipment and vehicles and auto parts," Zhou said.

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun)
An Ohio man has been charged with raping a 10-year-old girl whose case drew national attention following a doctors comments that the child had to travel to Indiana for an abortion, an account that had led some prominent Republicans  including Ohios attorney general and a congressman  to suggest it was fabricated.

Democratic President Joe Biden highlighted the case last week at the signing of an executive order aimed at protecting access to abortion as state after Republican-led state, including Ohio, enacted near-total restrictions after the U.S. Supreme Courts recent landmark ruling.

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[ With Roe overturned, Illinois  a Midwest refuge for abortion care  prepares for influx of patients from other states ]

A detective testified Wednesday at an initial court appearance for the 27-year-old suspect that Columbus police learned about the girls pregnancy after her mother alerted Franklin County Children Services on June 22, The Columbus Dispatch reported. The detective said the girl had an abortion in Indianapolis on June 30.

The detective said DNA from the Indianapolis abortion clinic was being tested to confirm paternity.

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An Indianapolis physician who provides abortion services, Dr. Caitlin Bernard, had told The Indianapolis Star that an abortion had been provided for such a child because the girl couldnt get the procedure in Ohio under a newly imposed state ban on abortions at the first detectable fetal heartbeat. A judge lifted a stay on the ban after the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling overturning Roe v. Wade.

Appearing Monday on Fox News, Republican Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said he hadnt heard a whisper from law enforcement in Ohio about any reports or arrests made in connection with such a case.

Another lie. Anyone surprised? Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan tweeted in reaction.

Then Wednesday, Jordan tweeted that the suspect should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. A message was left with his office Wednesday seeking comment.

In the Fox interview, Yost suggested that the young rape victim would have met the Ohio heartbeat abortion bans exception for medical emergencies.

This young girl, if she exists and if this horrible thing happened to her  it breaks my heart to think about it  she did not have to leave Ohio to find treatment, he said.

[ Nearly 10,000 women traveled from out of state to have an abortion in Illinois in 2020  a 29% increase ]

Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. >

The law defines an emergency as life-threatening or involving a serious risk of the substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function. Under that definition, the 10-year-olds condition wouldnt have risen to the threshold of an emergency, Kellie Copeland, director of Pro-Choice Ohio, an abortion rights group, said Wednesday.

In a statement Wednesday, Yost said the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation stands ready to help prosecute the case. He did not address his previous suggestions that the case was fabricated.

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Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, previously called the crime a tragedy. He has said that if the evidence supports, the rapist should spend the rest of his life in prison, said DeWine spokesperson Dan Tierney.

Police say the man confessed to raping the girl. He was arrested Tuesday and has not entered a plea.

Court records dont specify whether or how the suspect knew the girl. The prosecutors office declined to comment on the case, and the police department did not respond to a request for additional details. The Associated Press generally doesnt identify victims of sexual assault and, for now, is not naming the suspect to avoid inadvertently identifying the girl.

In 2019, the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana filed a lawsuit on behalf of Bernard, the doctor in the 10-year-olds case, challenging a law passed by Indianas Republican-dominated Legislature that largely banned a second-trimester abortion procedure, which the legislation called dismemberment abortion.

The law took effect for the first time last week after a federal judge lifted an injunction blocking it, following the Supreme Courts decision overturning Roe v. Wade.
Japan conducted large-scale joint exercises with the United States over nearby waters earlier this month involving a total of 52 aircraft, the Air Self-Defense Force said Thursday, amid intensifying maritime activities by China and Russia in the region.

Including aircraft that flew several times, 20 ASDF fighter jets, 29 fighters and two warplanes of the U.S. Air Force, and a U.S. Navy patrol plane participated in the drills on July 6 as well as Monday and Tuesday over the Sea of Japan, the Pacific and the East China Sea, the ASDF said.

Aimed at enhancing the ASDF's "tactical technique and the capabilities of joint Japan-U.S. actions in response" to armed attacks, the joint drills were carried out following two exercises conducted by the allies in late June, according to the ASDF.

In a related move, patrol planes of Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force and the U.S. Navy carried out a joint drill on Wednesday over waters near Japan's southwestern islands, the MSDF said.
Construction is complete on 425 Grand Concourse, a 26-story mixed-use building in Mott Haven, The Bronx and one of the largest Passive House structures in the city. Designed by Dattner Architects and developed by Trinity Financial and MBD Community Housing Corporation, the 310,000-square-foot project yields 277 residential units, with 248 units for residents earning 30 to 130 percent of the area median income, as well as a supermarket, a community health center, a cultural center, and a 30,000-square-foot educational facility for CUNYs Hostos Community College. Monadnock Construction served as the general contractor for the development, which is located between Grand Concourse to the east, East 144th Street to the south, Walton Avenue to the west, and Evelina Antonetty Playground and Hostos Community College to the immediate north.

Recent photos show the completed look of the structure and its gently curving massing, sleek metal facade paneling, and contrasting cutouts topped with protruding solar shades on the southern elevation. 425 Grand Concourse is by far the tallest building in the vicinity, providing residents with unobstructed views of the Manhattan skyline to the south.

A two-story brick-clad podium sits at the bottom.

425 Grand Concourses curtain wall incorporates a high-performance air-tight envelope that was designed to reduce heat loss and gain, surpass the Enterprise Green Communities Criteria, and cut down on greenhouse gas emissions by up to 70 percent. The structure also employs energy-efficient lighting and mechanical systems, water-saving fixtures, a green roof atop the podium, and a vegetated rooftop deck.

Residential amenities at 425 Grand Concourse include a recreation room, an outdoor landscaped rooftop terrace, a lounge space, a fitness center, on-site laundry rooms, bike storage, and a parking garage. All homes are fitted with dishwashers and energy-efficient appliances.

The closest subways to the property are the 2, 4, and 5 trains at the 149th Street-Grand Concourse Station.

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More than 50 soon-to-be Council Bluffs high school students learned about the production of corn ethanol and related careers Wednesday during a tour of Southwest Iowa Renewable Energys ethanol plant south of Council Bluffs.

The visit by 40 students entering Thomas Jefferson High School and 16 entering Abraham Lincoln was part of the school districts Leveraging Youth on the Freshman Team, a transition program for incoming freshmen. This is the third and final offering of the weeklong program this summer for both high schools.

LYFT provides high school orientation and a look at career pathways. Participants learn about the schools they will attend and why high school is important. The stop at SIRE was the latest in a series of afternoon field trips to local employers participants have taken this week, which also included TS Bank, The Hub and other businesses.

Using more than 44.6 million bushels of field corn a year raised by Iowa, Nebraska and Missouri farmers within a 75-mile radius, the plant at 10868 189th St. produces more than 130 million gallons of fuel-grade ethanol per year and more than 365,000 tons of dried distillers grain. It also produces more than 90,000 pounds of corn oil daily, as well as corn syrup.

We dont ever shut down, plant manager Dan Wych told students.

The ethanol is sold to oil companies, which blend it with gasoline to reduce carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide emissions and improve the fuels octane rating, which corresponds with how completely it burns, he said.

SIRE employs 65 people full time in production, maintenance, lab work, receiving, operations, office and management, creating a demand for a wide variety of skill sets, Wych said. Many plant employees work 12-hour shifts. No previous training is required for some entry-level positions, but all employees must be 18 years old and hold a valid drivers license.

We like to teach you how to do it our way, he said.

SIRE has a five-phase training program. Employees must meet a checklist, pass a written test and give a verbal presentation to progress to the next phase, which results in a pay increase. Reaching the top phase can take anywhere from one to five years.

An entry-level plant utility worker generally starts at $17 per hour and receives benefits. The company provides fire-retardant uniforms and personal protective equipment.

The school districts summer program is an initiative of the Iowa West Foundation and is also sponsored by 21st Century Community Learning Centers, according to the districts website. For the next couple years, the district will tap into Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds.
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Moroccos National Human Rights Council (CNDH), a constitutional and independent rights watchdog, has published a detailed report on its fact-finding mission to Nador where it has talked to public authorities, injured migrants, health workers and civil society activists and conducted examinations of the bodies of dead migrants at the morgue and investigated videos.

The CNDH report vindicated the authorities version of events confirming the death toll at 23 migrants due to asphyxiation at the narrow border gateway after a violent storming attempt in which migrants, mostly from Sudan, used sticks and threw stones at public authorities leaving 140 among them injured.

The CNDH noted the emergence of a new group among the migrant communities in Nador who are waiting for a chance to cross the fence to Melilla. A wave of Sudanese and Chadian migrants started arriving in the area from mid-2021. They are mostly men aged under 35 with the absence of women and children among them.

Unlike migrants from West Africa, East African migrants adopted violent tactics and blocked alleys leading to their bases in the forest, while engaging with authorities, going as far as taking five public authority agents hostage on June 18 after they responded violently to an operation to disperse their camps in the forests.

Hostage taking forced authorities to negotiate and secure the release of four whose helmets and belongings were confiscated by migrants. The physical integrity of the remaining security force member was seriously violated, and 56 other law enforcement members were injured in the operation.

On June 23, migrants retreated 20 kilometers away from Melilla. Authorities were met with stones and violent response as they attempted to disperse them. 116 public force members were injured in this operation.

The next morning, in the run up to the tragedy, 2000 migrants marched violently armed with sticks and bladed weapons and carrying bags full of stones. Authorities had to retreat in the face of such a large number of attackers limiting the use of force to sticks and tear gas only. The migrants stormed the fence and the narrow border gate leading to a stampede as many asphyxiated.

CNDH also deplored that some NGOs and media in good or bad faith used videos that have no relation to the incident while others showed half-truths.

The rights watchdog examined videos taken by authority agents showing Sudanese migrants taking a security force member hostage while throwing stones in large numbers in an organized way that reflects tactical experience.

At least 600 sticks were seized by authorities in the wake of the attack while security forces responded with only tear gas and sticks.

A video shared on social media showing a security force member hitting a migrant was an isolated individual action, authorities told CNDH, which however said such an act was unjustifiable.

CNDH also spoke to medical staff who confirmed the dispatching of 20 ambulances, adding that urgent surgeries were carried out and medical care was provided.

Five migrants died in the stampede and 18 succumbed to their injuries in hospital as the main cause of death was asphyxiation in the stampede as people fell on each other.

The prosecutor told CNDH that the use of force was proportionate by security forces who were outnumbered by well-organized migrants violently attacking them, using stones and sticks.

The 65 migrants who were brought before justice had guarantees for fair trial and an anatomy is ongoing to determine more precisely the cause of death of the migrants.

DNA analyses were also carried out to identify them and no migrants has been buried yet, contrary to many false reports by Spanish media.

The CNDH concluded its report by a plea for Morocco to negotiate a new partnership with the EU that breaks away with the security approach in line with Marrakech declaration for an orderly migration that puts human rights at the forefront.

Externalizing border control by the EU will only lead to more tragedies, it said, urging a new human approach towards migrants fleeing conflict.

CNDH also stressed the need for joint action against human trafficking networks that trade in the suffering of refugees and migrants.
Morocco has reaffirmed its determination to continue to boost ties and attachment with its Jewish diaspora.

This came during a Council of Ministers held in Rabat under the chairmanship of King Mohammed VI and attended by Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan.

During the Council that adopted a number of draft decrees and framework bills, including one seeking to introduce reforms to improve Moroccos national health sector and a new investment charter that offers a competitive framework to bolster the countrys attractiveness, Minister of Interior Abdelouafi Laftit made a presentation on the Moroccan Jewish Community.

The presentation covered the measures seeking to implement King Mohammed VIs instructions on the organization of the Moroccan Jewish community.

These measures are based on the supreme responsibility of the King as Commander of the Faithful and guarantor of the free exercise of worship for all Moroccans, all religious confessions included, and come to enshrine the Hebrew tributary as a component of the Moroccan rich culture, a statement by the Royal Palace spokesperson Abdelhak Lamrini said.

In his presentation, Abdelouafi Laftit spoke of the National Council of the Moroccan Jewish Community, overseeing the management of community affairs and the safeguarding of the heritage and the cultural and religious influence of Judaism and its authentic Moroccan values. Regional committees of the Council will be responsible for managing the day-to-day issues and affairs of the communitys members, the minister said.

The presentation also covered the Commission of Moroccan Jews living abroad.

The commission works to consolidate the ties of Moroccan Jews settled abroad with their country of origin, to strengthen their cultural and religious influence and to defend the supreme interests of the Kingdom.

In his presentation, the Minister also dealt with the Foundation of Moroccan Judaism, whose mission is to promote and watch over the Jewish-Moroccan intangible heritage, to safeguard its traditions and to preserve its specificities.
Mustafa Sanalla Wednesday defied Tripoli-based PM Abdulhamid Dbiebah as he visited the headquarters of the National Oil Corporation (NOC) following his sacking arguing that the Premier is illegal as his mandate has expired.

Pictures posted by NOC on social media showed Sanalla being greeted by employees of the company and security personnel.

In a speech, Sanalla said Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibahs mandate had expired and he did not have the authority to dismiss him as head of the state energy producer.

After the speech, an armed force was deployed to the NOC headquarters.

Earlier on Wednesday media outlets broke the news that Dbeibah fired the NOC chief and the entire board of directors. The decision to remove the entire board of directors was made last month at the request of Oil Minister Mohamed Aoun who has been in open war with Sanalla.

Sanalla has led NOC since May 2014. He has managed to be in the realm of the company owing to rivalries between various Libyans parties.
Shortly afteran alleged attack, Chicago police arrested a man who they say struck an officer in the face Wednesday night.

The man, who police identified as Monee resident Craig Smart, is accused of approaching an on-duty officer moments earlier in the 800 block of South Michigan Avenue, when he suddenly became aggressive and attacked an officer, striking him in the face, according to an online statement from police.

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In connection with the alleged assault, Smart, 34, was arrested in the South Loop, police said. In addition to the felony, he also was charged with two misdemeanors for resisting police, police said.,

The alleged attack comes days after off-duty police Officer Danny Golden was shot while trying to break up a Beverly bar fight. Golden was paralyzed in the shooting, and three men are being held without bail in connection with the attack.

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SUTHERLAND  Tom Kent was asked how he feels the future of energy production might look  not just years down the road, but decades.

Thats a really good question. Im not sure my crystal ball is that good, the president and CEO of the Nebraska Public Power District said as he stood outside the Gerald Gentleman Station in Sutherland on Wednesday morning.

But this site will always be part of our (power) generation, he said. Forty years from now, will it be burning powder river basin coal like we are today, or Powder River Basin coal with carbon-capture technology? Or will it be using some other technology? Yet to be determined.

But this location, because of all the efforts that has been done by predecessors  it has water, it has transmission and all the things you need to be a continued good location for generating electricity. The question will be, when we look at affordability, reliability and sustainability, what is the best fuel mix 40 years from now? That question has yet to be answered.

Gerald Gentleman Station by the numbers Unit 1 In-service date: April 2, 1979. Generating capacity: 665,000 kw. Type: Coal-fired. Physical Size: 275x500x500 feet. Cooling water circulating capacity: 263,000 gal. per minute. Coal capacity at full capacity: 420 tons per hour. Unit 2 In-service date: Jan. 1, 1982. Generating capacity: 700,000 kw. Type: Coal-fired. Physical size: 275x320x500 feet. Cooling water circulating capacity: 265,000 gal. per minute. Coal capacity at full capacity: 420 tons per hour.

Kent was at Gentleman, the largest electric-generating facility in the state, as part of a daylong celebration to mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the second of the two coal-fired generating units at the site.

Kent addressed the roughly 200 employees of the plant at a luncheon. In the morning, a handful of visitors, broken down into small groups, were given a guided tour of the inner workings of the multiple-floored plant that was constructed with 212,000 cubic feet of concrete and is marked by a pair of 550-foot chimneys.

It happens because of what you do, taking care of the equipment every day, Kent told the plant employees. The units look great and I want to thank you for that. Continue to do what you do every day. (The plant) doesnt work without the people. (The employees) are the ones that make it run reliable.

The plant celebration coincides with the NPPD board holding its regular meeting in North Platte this week. The board travels outside Columbus to another Nebraska community once a year.

The second unit was constructed at Gentleman in 1982, three years after the initial structure, and can produce 700,000 kilowatts of energy. Unit 1 at the site produces 665,000 kilowatts.

On a hot summer day like today, these units are helping to keep the lights on, Kent said. And on a cold day like in February 2021, these units are helping keep the lights on. (The units) are able to do that because of the care and dedication of the staff that works here.

The foundation of public power is serving the people of Nebraska, Kent said. The dedication that we have in the staff to deliver on that mission of low-cost reliable electricity is really incredible. Its not something that you necessarily see in other parts of the county.

When I come out and visit (power plants), I try and reinforce that (to the employees) and thank them for what they do and what a difference it makes to the general economy in Nebraska.
OMAHA  A proposed change to Omahas City Charter would allow the mayor to remain in charge when traveling outside city limits.

The proposal from Mayor Jean Stothert has prompted a debate on the capabilities and limits of new technology, as well as whether Omaha needs a clear line of mayoral responsibility in times of emergency.

Currently, the city charter requires the City Council president to serve as acting mayor whenever the mayor leaves Omaha. Its largely a caretaker position, including signing documents on behalf of the city. But an emergency situation  a major fire, a police shooting or a significant weather event  could require the fill-in mayor to take on a more active role.

Supporters of the change say the current wording is an outdated policy. They note that modern technology allows near-constant communication between an out-of-town mayor and other city officials.

In 2022, there is now the ability for the mayor  as there is any type of government official  to conduct business away from the city of Omaha, said City Attorney Matt Kuhse when he introduced the proposal earlier this year. The city also is considering a new document signing system that would allow the mayor to sign time-critical documents while traveling outside the city.

City Council President Pete Festersen and Vice President Vinny Palermo have concerns about the proposal to have the mayor run the city remotely, especially if a crisis arises.

In Lincoln, the council's chair or vice chair act as mayor when the mayor is out of town.

In 2020, the Lincoln City Council had considered letting voters decide whether the city should change its charter and require an acting mayor be appointed only when the elected mayor was unable to serve, not just out of town. However, the proposal failed when council members expressed concern about overly broad language and ran into a deadline that didn't allow time for clarification before the primary election.

Stotherts proposal was one of the first brought before the Omahas Charter Convention for consideration in May.

The convention, formed about every 10 years, is made up of members appointed by the mayor and Omaha City Council to review and suggest changes to the citys charter, the document that establishes the organization and procedures of Omahas government.

Originally, the Mayors Office proposed that an acting mayor would not be required unless the mayor was out of town for more than 10 days or left the continental United States.

On Monday, the convention members voted on a revision to the proposal that would allow the mayor to remain in power while traveling for up to five days. In cases of an emergency, an acting mayor could step in  but only when the mayor is unavailable by phone for two hours or more.

Festersen said hed be unlikely to support a change to the citys current system, even with the emergency amendment.

I think its important to have continuity and clear decision-making authority in case of an emergency, or in case someone is unreachable in a time of crisis, Festersen said. Anything can happen in a city at any time.

Through a records request, the Omaha World-Herald found that Stothert was out of town 39 days in the first six months of 2022, meaning she was outside the city for about 21% of that time.

For many of those days, Festersen was acting mayor. On a few occasions, Palermo stepped into the role when both Festersen and Stothert were out of Omaha.

While acting mayors usually do not rock the boat, that wasnt the case in 1998 when then-Mayor Hal Daub attended a U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in Reno, Nevada.

City Council President Lormong Lo used his temporary mayoral power to broker a deal with the citys firefighters union, attempting to end a 10-month impasse. An angry Daub said Lo had overstepped his authority. In the end, Daubs administration worked out a different contract settlement.

Palermo said that although he feels the City Council and Mayors Office currently have strong communication and work well together for the betterment of the city, he is hesitant to support a change.

I think there should always be somebody there, ready and working with the staff thats in place in times of emergency, Palermo said. I think its necessary we have somebody in place at all times.

Amendments to the charter passed by the convention, like the one approved Monday, are sent to the City Council for approval, and would then appear on the ballot in November.
Nuvo photographer Lora Olive attended the opening celebration of the Stephen Sprouse: Rock | Art | Fashion exhibit along with the Indy punk rock band The Zero Boys on July 13, 2022, at Newfields.

Stephen Sprouse: Rock | Art | Fashion features more than 60 ensembles and shoes designed by Indiana native Stephen Sprouse (19532004) whose transformative styles rocked the fashion world. One of the most innovative and influential American designers, Sprouse is best known for his Day-Glo, graffiti-covered apparel, and edgy rock music-inspired collections that combined street style and high fashion. In the late 1970s, he styled the iconic New Wave rock star Debbie Harry for her performances with the band Blondie. His later collections were inspired by the music and counterculture of the 1980s and the innovative energy of the circle of his friends such as Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, and Jean-Michel Basquiat.

In the 1990s, Sprouse designed exclusive lines for Barneys New York and Bergdorf Goodman. In the 2000s, he was hired by Louis Vuitton to graffiti a line of handbags and luggagea collection that sold out immediately, and later designed a collection of clothing and accessories for Target, dubbed Americaland, which became a huge success.

Andy Warhols 1984 double portrait of his close friend Stephen Sprouse will have its Indianapolis debut in the exhibition. This painting, along with another portrait by Warhol, is among the more than 10,000 pieces in the Stephen Sprouse collection that were generously donated to the IMA at Newfields by Joanne Sprouse and Bradford Sprouse, Stephens mother, and brother.

The exhibit opens this weekend.

INDIANAPOLIS MUSEUM OF ART GALLERIES

INCLUDED WITH GENERAL ADMISSION, FREE FOR MEMBERS

ADVANCE TICKETS REQUIRED
When I was a little girl, we couldnt afford to use hard-earned cash on new books. But, that was okay, because there was a lending library nearby.

My earliest childhood memories of West Point, Georgia, bring back visions of our weekly trip to Hawkes Library. Wed pile in the family Ford and drive across the Chattahoochee River Bridge to the tiny red-brick building, and while Mama browsed the big peoples shelves, my chubby fingers flipped the pages of picture books.

The library lady sat in a wheelchair behind the desk shuffling Library of Congress cards, ready to punch the due date in books. Stamp. A book slammed. Stamp. Another book. It didnt matter that I couldnt read or that I wasnt supposed to laugh or talk out loud. The library excursion was always my favorite outing. Back home my sisters sprawled in cushy chairs turning the pages of their borrowed books lickety-split while I sat in my little red rocker reading my books upside-down.

When my family moved to Auburn in the 50s, we all got library cards at the Hollifield Public Library on North Gay Street. I could read then, and my first chapter-book, a biography of Lou Gehrig, came from those shelves. And when I was sick, Mama brought home Little Men, The Hardy Boys, and Eleanor Estes Moffat series, and read aloud to me.

After I left Auburn, I found new libraries wherever I went. As a graduate student in Atlanta, I borrowed books from the scholarly stacks of the four-floor Asa Griggs Candler Library at Emory University. I was captivated by that dignified structure with its spiral staircases and floor to ceiling publications.

And, later when I lived in tidewater Virginia, I frequented the quaint library that perched on a knoll overlooking Urbanna Harbor. Steep stairs led to the brick cottage that was originally a tobacco warehouse built in 1766. It consisted of one large room, neatly bisected by the checkout desk. To the right and left, reading material was arranged alphabetically by an all-volunteer staff on hand-hewn hardwood shelves.

Back in Auburn, the Hollifield Library had moved to a bigger building on Ross Street. The card catalogue, its wooden drawers stuffed with subject-author-title cards, had been replaced by computers. And, as we might have predicted, the building soon became too cramped, and a new library was erected.

Not long ago, on a trip to Columbia, South Carolina, I visited the Richland County Library. While I explored this shiny, three-story structure, I became enchanted by the basement  a childrens paradise. The walls were painted with giant pictures from Sendaks colorful Where the Wild Things Are, and long-limbed potted plants added to the jungle aura. Snuggly chairs and stuffed animals stirred up images from past days.

Nowadays, I love spending time in Lanetts Chambers County Library. Its the place to go for their special programs and, of course, an abundant collection of books.

Wherever I go, I like to explore the library. Once inside, Im home.
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Two Auburn University graduate students in the College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environments Forest and Fire Ecology Lab have been selected to receive grant funding through the Joint Fire Science Program of the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Forest Service.

The program funds innovation in graduate research and is designated for students seeking research opportunities in forest and fire ecology.

Masters degree student Eric Brubakers proposal, Impacts of restoring fire to coastal pine forests on seed viability of invasive Chinese tallow, will receive $24,944.

Invasive species such as the Chinese tallow tree threaten the health of diverse ecosystems. The research is significant because there is currently no information on the role of fire on tallow seed viability, Brubaker says.

His proposed research will build on his existing thesis by adding an experimental component to test hypotheses about how increasing tallow leaf litter contribution to the fuel bed affects tallow seed viability and germination rates.

Brubaker hopes to achieve a broader understanding of the mechanisms that tallow tree spreads, as well as explore the effect of tallow litter contribution to the fuel bed on tallow seed viability.

Tallow invades by seed, and prescribed fire is commonly used in these systems to maintain or restore desired forest composition and structure, Brubaker said. Thus, understanding whether fire impacts tallow invasiveness would address a major knowledge gap in the literature surrounding the use of prescribed fire in biologically invaded ecosystems.

Doctoral student Arthur Lamounier Mouras proposal, Linking understory community functional traits and fire behavior in two fire-dependent forest types, was awarded $19,953.

With this funding, Lamounier Moura will investigate the influence of the herbaceous vegetation on the flammability of fire-prone forests.

Lamounier Moura hopes the study will improve the knowledge of fire management in fire-prone forests by taking into consideration the influences of the understory vegetation on flammability and bridge the knowledge gap between fire behavior and understory community.

The research can be a useful source of recommendations for land managers and foresters in the assessment of stand fuels, target species for restoration and defining burn objectives, said the students major advisor, Heather Alexander, associate professor in the College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment.

Lamounier Moura plans to locate different understory communities in fire-dependent forests across the southeastern U.S. and study the relationship between properties of their plant communities growing in the understory and the characteristics of experimental burns.

We will integrate real-time data logging and thermal imaging to assess the fire intensity and severity in our study sites, Lamounier Moura said.

(Written by Gracen Carter)
who would you all cast as Weiner?

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Chris Messina? First guy I thought of.





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ANY leading role for Chris except this.

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orlando bloom, but ugly him up?

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Zach Braff bc he is looking skeevier to me every time I see a new pic.

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Since Screech and Anton Yelchin are both dead, I guess maybe Adrien Brody, Zach Braff or Jesse Eisenberg could pull it off.



Edited at 2022-07-14 09:48 pm (UTC)

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bradley cooper just for the hilarity of it



although tbh, if he dropped a lot of weight and had a good wig and makeup, I think it could actually work he's also kinda got a vaguely bird-lookin face and I think arrogant buffoon is v much in his acting wheelhouse lol

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Brad Cooper?

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And who will play Bradley Cooper?

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luke wilson

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Victor Garber

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plot twist. bradley will play weiner.

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Dakota Fanning

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Bradley Cooper as himself.

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The documentary that they made about Weiner was so uncomfortable because he felt uncomfortably too open to the cameras

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I mean, I guess.

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I haven't seen her in a movie in a bit but this seems interesting.

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fucking carlos danger.



fred arminston or whatever should play him though

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I just Googled Carlos Danger. nnnnnnn.

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Credit where credit is due: thats an incredible fake name

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Will Bradley be playing himself then?

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My dumbass was like Frieda Kalo? How shes dead!



Lord, help my eyes. My glasses are officially useless.



Anywho,  love her!!

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I'm ignorant and had never heard of this woman til the post that she was dating bradley cooper so I was reading this post like a biopic? her?? hillary clinton??? anthony weiner????



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this post is very relevant to my interests haha



i just saw Mr Malcom's List yesterday and thought it was soo cute. Loved Freida in it. first time at a theater since MARCH 2020!



and since people were talking about Huma's memoir in the last post, I borrowed the audio book from my library. it's 22 hours long??! not sure if that's long really, but since i just binged 4 of the Bridgeton audio books, which were like 9 hours, I was shocked when I saw that lol

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the announcement of her/bcoop's relationship was weird...but now i get it lol

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Aren't they two entirely different ethnicities??

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Freida is South Indian, Huma is Indian-Pakistani.



I also double-checked in case lol.

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Hollywood thinks South Asia is one big monolith but tbf I cant think of many Pakistani actresses who are established like Freida

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Can we get Meryl back as Anna Wintour?



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Whos gonna play Hillary Clinton???

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An armed, masked group said to be affiliated with and acting on orders of the Libyan Government of National Unity (GNU) has stormed the National Oil Company (NOC) in an attempt to force long-time head Mustafa Sanella out and install a new board.

According to the NOC, on its Facebook page, some employees were injured in the raid, but Sanalla continues to refuse to step down. Following the raid on Thursday morning, Sanalla addressed the public on national television, saying that Dbeibahs government lacks legitimacy.

The NOC is now filing a formal complaint to protect the organization as the backbone of the national economy and the last lines of defense against it.

Earlier this week, the GNU in Tripoli, led by interim prime minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, appointed a new board to govern the NOC, dismissing chairman Sanalla, according to a leaked government decree. Dbeibah is attempting to replace Sanalla with Farhat Omar Bengdara, a former Central Bank governor.

Dbeibah and the Libyan Oil MInistry have attempted in the past to remove Sanalla from the NOC. All attempts have so far been unsuccessful.

The armed raid on the NOC comes amid an intensifying rivalry for control of the countrys oil production, exports, and revenues, for which the NOC is the gatekeeper. The NOC is a politically neutral body.

Dbeibah, whose term as interim prime minister ended when elections in December 2021 failed to transpire, has refused to step down for Fathi Bashagha, who was appointed prime minister by the countrys parliament in February. Bashagha, who is nominally backed by LNA leader General Khalifa Haftar, largely controls the countrys oil production and export terminals, while the Central Bank in Tripoli, under Dbeibahs purview, controls the oil revenues. Dbeibah is now attempting to take control of the NOC in order to control the entire oil chain. Related: Boris Johnson Resigns As Energy Crisis Worsens And Scandals Mount

In a Twitter comment, US Ambassador to Libya, Richard Norland, said he condemned the armed raid on the NOC:

At the same time, a new board member appointed by Dbeibah, has publicly rejected his appointment in a statement on the NOC website.

I have been made aware through the media that I have been appointed to the position of Undersecretary General of the Ministry of Oil and Gas and, also, as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Oil Corporation. This was further confirmed by an article published on the official web page of the Ministry of Oil and Gas, Dr. Khalifa Rajab Abdulsadek said.

As an employee in the national oil and gas sector for more than twenty years, and of my own volition, I reject this assignment. In the critical circumstances that, not only the country, but the oil sector in particular are going through, we are in dire need of preserving the unity and cohesion of the national oil sector, and adhering to the neutral, professional technical role played by the National Oil Corporation and its current management in good standing, despite the storms that it has weathered, he added.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
One plan being discussed involves Ukrainian vessels guiding grain ships in and out through port waters that are mined while Turkey would check ships for weapons.

Ukraine has estimated that up to 25 million tons of grain are currently blocked in its ports.

Military delegations from both Ukraine and Russia have held a face-to-face meeting in Istanbul as they attempt to break the impasse over grain exports.

Military delegations from Russia and Ukraine have held a face-to-face meeting in Istanbul in an attempt to break a damaging impasse over grain exports that has helped send global food prices soaring.

Turkish military officials and UN envoys also took part in the meeting on July 13, which is aimed at finding a way to get millions of tons of grain sitting in silos in Ukraine shipped out of the country's ports.

Turkey's Defense Ministry announced that the talks had ended about an hour and a half after they began but did not provide details.

A Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson said Moscow had presented a package of proposals for a "speedy, practical resolution of this issue" during the meeting, the Interfax news agency reported.

The first day of the planned four-day meeting came with the backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its seizure of ports on the Black Sea that were previously used to export Ukrainian wheat.

The negotiators hope to find a solution that would empty the silos in time for the upcoming harvest in Ukraine. Some grain is being transported through Europe by rail, road, and river, but the amount is small compared with what could be exported through sea routes.

While prices have caused hardships in most developed countries, many poorer countries, such as those in much of Africa, have been hit by widening food shortages.

Ukraine has been a major exporter of wheat and grain such as barley and maize. It has also supplied nearly half of all sunflower oil to global markets.

Many in Ukraine and the West have accused Moscow of attempting to export grain it has stolen from Ukrainian farmers in regions under its control.

Diplomats have said a plan being discussed includes having Ukrainian vessels guiding grain ships in and out through port waters that its forces have mined to prevent a feared amphibious assault by Russian forces.

The plan would also entail Russia agreeing to a truce while shipments move and Turkey -- with UN assistance -- would inspect ships to allay Russian fears of weapons smuggling.

UN chief Antonio Guterres on July 12 sought to downplay expectations for the Istanbul talks, telling reporters that we are working hard indeed, but there is still a way to go."

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said the talks would focus "on the safe shipment to international markets of grain waiting in Ukrainian ports."

Despite being a member of NATO, Ankara has maintained good relations with the Kremlin.

Turkey said it has 20 merchant ships waiting in the Black Sea region that could be quickly loaded with grain and moved on to world markets.

Ukraine has estimated that up to 25 million tons of grain are currently blocked in its ports.

Ukraine's recapture of tiny-but-strategic Snake Island in the Black Sea from Russian forces has enabled Kyiv to start its first shipments along the nearby Danube River running to Romania.

By RFE/RL

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Energy costs for German households could soar significantly later this year, the country's energy industry has warned, with one company suggesting this could lead to social unrest.

Per a Reuters report, energy sector officials said that household energy costs could increase threefold from current levels, with one industry executive saying annual costs could rise from 1,500 euros to 4,700 euros by October.

"We must help average households and set an upper limit for energy costs," Roland Warner told Reuters in an interview, adding, "If we get social unrest the state won't be able to cope."

Separately, the report cited an interview with the head of Germany's Federal Network Agency, the energy regulator, who said that Germans should set aside money for their future energy bills and reduce their energy consumption.

The industry has also called on the government to impose energy price caps to shield consumers from the worst of the price spike. The government, Reuters notes, has not been supportive of the price cap idea, with Economy Minister Robert Habeck recently saying that this would betray the idea of encouraging people to conserve energy.

Germany, because of its significant dependence on cheap Russian gas, is in a state of panic after Gazprom reduced flows along the Nord Stream 1 pipeline prior to its suspension this week for regularly scheduled annual maintenance.

There is growing fear among German politicians in power that the Russian company might not restart the flow of gas after maintenance ends in retaliation for EU sanctions for its incursion into Ukraine.

To prevent a collapse of the economy, the government has been desperately looking for alternative suppliers, but the global gas market has been as tight as the oil market, and Germany has yet to build the import infrastructure necessary to replace part of Russian gas imports with LNG. Conservation, therefore, has emerged as the primary means of coping with the looming crisis.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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"Most of the Middle East's imports from Russia are of fuel oil -- a leftover from the refining process and often used in power generation and shipping," Bloomberg noted.

Middle East buyers are scrambling to take advantage of cheap Russian fuels.

Sanctions on Russia by the United States and Europe have led to a dramatic change in Russian energy flows.

US and European sanctions have led to a significant shift in the direction of Russian energy flows.

Bloomberg reports diesel and other fuel products shunned by many countries in the West are heading to the Middle East. Increasing flows began after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and reached 155,000 barrels a day in June, according to new data from Vortexa Ltd. Meanwhile, European imports have slumped 30% since the invasion on Feb. 24.

Vortexa's data shows most of the products arriving in the Middle East from Russian ports are fuel oil, diesel/gasoil, and more recently, jet fuel and kerosene.

"Most of the Middle East's imports from Russia are of fuel oil -- a leftover from the refining process and often used in power generation and shipping," Bloomberg noted.

About a third of the inflows of fuel products went into the Fujairah Oil Terminal for storage in the United Arab Emirates. Imports of Russian fuel products are at a 2016 high and could increase further because of Western trade restrictions to punish President Putin for the invasion of Ukraine.

However, Koen Wessels, senior oil products analyst at Energy Aspects Ltd, said Russian flows to the Middle East will be temporary and could eventually slow because of shipping insurance-related restrictions for vessels leaving Russian ports.

Vortexa's data shows July's imports are on track to surpass June's figures. Already, inflows are around 220,000 barrels a day for July 1-11.

Besides the Middle East, the Visual Capitalist shows the top countries in the first 100 days (Feb. 24 to June 4) purchasing crude, oil products, pipeline gas, LNG, and coal. China was the top importer of Russian oil in the world.

The world is still desperate for Russian energy supplies, and flows are shifting to the East.

JPM's commodity desk noted earlier this week that if Russia cuts energy exports, Brent prices could significantly jump and spark even more economic turmoil.

By Zerohedge.com

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If the U.S. wants its LNG exports to continue to grow, it will need more pipelines in order to get the gas to export terminals.

In June, the European Union imported more LNG from the United States than it did natural gas from Russia.

U.S. liquefied natural gas has become an increasingly important part of the global energy mix since Russia invaded Ukraine.

The United States is shipping record volumes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe to help EU allies in their efforts to fill gas storage ahead of the winter amid growing uncertainty about Russian gas supply.

For the first time ever, the European Union imported in June more LNG from the United States than gas via pipeline from Russia, as Moscow slashed supply to Europe in the middle of last month.

Going forward, demand for U.S. LNG is set to remain robust as Europe races to reduce its dependence on Russian pipeline gas.

In the U.S., LNG export capacity is growing as new trains at Sabine Pass and Calcasieu Pass came online this year. But in order to continue growing, the LNG industry will need more domestic midstream infrastructure - pipelines - to carry natural gas from production centers to LNG export terminals on the U.S. Gulf Coast and demand centers on the Eastern Seaboard.

The Marcellus-Utica basin, the largest U.S. gas-producing region, and the second biggest gas-producing shale region, the Permian, could soon run into pipeline constraints that could undermine Americas ability to raise its LNG exports, energy analyst David Blackmon writes in Forbes.

The Federal Regulatory Energy Commission (FERC) hasnt raced to approve pipeline projects, while the mixed messages from the Biden Administration continue to add uncertainties for upstream and midstream operators.

Theres also opposition from communities to pipelines crossing their land or passing close to their homes.

Such is the case with the Matterhorn Express Pipeline, designed to transport up to 2.5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of natural gas through approximately 490 miles from Waha, Texas, to the Katy area near Houston, Texas. The pipeline developers WhiteWater, EnLink Midstream, Devon Energy, and MPLX LP reached a final investment decision in May to move forward with the construction of the pipeline, expected to be in service in the third quarter of 2024, pending the receipt of customary regulatory and other approvals.

But landowners in Williamson County, where the pipeline is planned to cross, are worried about the impact of the pipeline on their properties, although the county hosts at least a dozen pipelines already. Some Williamson County residents have asked the pipeline developers to reroute some parts of the project.

Williamson County lies in the most direct path from Midland to Freeport, County Commissioner Russ Boles told Austin American-Statesman.

The industry, for its part, calls for streamlined approval of pipeline projects that would help bring more gas to U.S. demand centers and LNG export facilities.

There are currently 11 major natural gas projects pending approval before the FERC, more than half of which have their final environmental documents, the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) said at the end of March 2022, days after the U.S. and the EU announced a deal for more U.S. LNG exports to the EU as the latter seeks to replace Russian supplies.

Related: Boris Johnson Resigns As Energy Crisis Worsens And Scandals Mount

FERCs approval is the imperative next step for these important projects. Without the additional capacity, which totals more than 12,141 MMcf/day pending currently, some of the added gas supply policymakers are calling on developers to produce will not reach American consumers or LNG terminals along U.S. coasts for export, INGAA said.

The American Petroleum Institute (API) has a ten-point plan to restore U.S. energy leadership. This plan includes a recommendation that the FERC should cease efforts to overstep its permitting authority under the Natural Gas Act and should adhere to traditional considerations of public needs as well as focus on direct impacts arising from the construction and operation of natural gas projects.

U.S. LNG exports are set to decline in the second half of 2022 because of the outage at Freeport LNG, the EIA said in its latest Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) on Tuesday. U.S. LNG exports are forecast to average 10.5 Bcf/d in the second half of 2022, which is 14% less than the forecast in the June 2022 STEO.

The EIA expects LNG exports will grow in 2023, averaging 12.7 Bcf/d on an annual basis, or 17% higher than in 2022.

The U.S. will need pipelines and a federal policy supporting such projects in order to continue growing LNG exports and delivering gas to the domestic demand centers.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway has bought another 4.3 million shares in Occidental Petroleum, bringing its total stake in the company to 19.2 percent, Reuters has reported, citing an SEC filing by Buffetts investment vehicle.

The stock purchase is the latest in a series that has seen Berkshire Hathaway increase its interest in Oxy from less than 14 percent to close to 20 percent. This has prompted talk that the investment firm might be planning to take over the oil major.

Three years ago, Berkshire Hathaway funded Oxys takeover of Anadarko with $10 billion in the form of equity. It was as part of this deal that the investment firm received the stock purchase warrants that could see it acquire 20 percent or more in Occidental.

Occidental bought Anadarko for $55 billion in 2019, making it one of the biggest M&A deals in energy over the past few years. In that, it outbid Chevron, which had earlier announced a bid for the energy company.

Yet Buffett is betting on more than one oil and gas horse. Earlier this year, the billionaire investor began reducing his holdings in financial services in favor of oil and gas, including, besides Oxy, Chevron.

Occidental has seen its stock price double since the start of the year thanks to the supply and demand imbalance in the oil markets and Russias invasion of Ukraine, which aggravated the already grave supply situation.

As a whole, the energy industry has outperformed every other industry, including Big Tech, this year, thanks to supply tightness in both oil and gas. This, in turn, has prompted investors to return to companies that were just months ago considered more or less a pariah because of their activities in oil and gas. Now, with the energy transition taking the back seat to energy security, oil and gas are once again a good investment opportunity, it seems.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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China is considering lifting a two-year ban on imported coal from Australia, looking to avoid a repeat of the shortages and blackouts from last autumn once Western sanctions on Russian coal and oil enter into force, sources with knowledge of the deliberations told Bloomberg on Thursday.

Chinese officials will pitch the proposal to lift the ban on Australian coal to senior leaders, Bloombergs sources said.

China is concerned that the EU ban on Russian coal would intensify a global run for non-Russian coal supply that could weaken Chinas purchasing power.

In April, the EU imposed a ban on imports of coal and other solid fossil fuels from Russia as of August 2022 as part of the fifth round of EU sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. The package includes a prohibition to purchase, import or transfer coal and other solid fossil fuels into the EU if they originate in Russia or are exported from Russia, as from August 2022.

As it looks to avoid a repeat of last autumns coal and energy crisis, China is now considering ending the ban on Australian coal, which was enacted in October 2020 after Australia backed a call for an international inquiry into the way China handled the initial COVID outbreak.

Reports of China considering ending the ban sent shares in Australian coal companies jumping on Thursday.

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

In March 2022, Chinas daily coal production hit a record high as it jumped by 15 percent compared to March 2021.

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

By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com

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Germany withdrew on Tuesday more natural gas from storage than the gas volume injected into storage sites for the first time since April, Russian news agency TASS reported on Thursday, citing data from Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE).

The first German net withdrawal of gas since April occurred as Russia halted on Monday all gas deliveries via Nord Stream with the start of the two-week annual maintenance of the pipeline carrying gas from Russia to Germany.

A month before the maintenance on Nord Stream began, Russia had already slashed gas supply to Germany, Italy, and Austria, blaming Western sanctions on issues with a turbine being repaired in Canada and unable to be returned to Russia because of the sanctions. Canada this week waived the specific sanctioning action to allow the return of the turbine to Gazprom for a Nord Stream compressor station. The gas turbine was being repaired by Germanys Siemens.

Belgium also withdrew more gas on Tuesday than injections to storage because of an incident at the Sleipner gas field offshore Norway, which impacted supply to the Zeebrugge gas receiving terminal in Belgium, Russias agency TASS reports.

Europe is racing against time to fill its gas storage sites to at least 80% by November 1, per the new EU recommendations for energy security after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

As of July 13, gas storage in the EU was 62.6% full, according to data from Gas Infrastructure Europe. Germanys storage sites were 64.53% full.



Related: Is Biden Really Responsible For High Oil Prices?

Germany, Europes biggest economy, and other EU member states are not ruling out the possibility that Russia may not resume gas flows via Nord Stream once the maintenance period is over, or it could cut supplies further.

Russian gas supply cuts could lead to widespread industrial collapse, German Federation of Trade Unions head Yasmin Fahimi said earlier this month.

Entire industries are in danger of collapsing permanently because of the gas bottlenecks: aluminum, glass, the chemical industry, Fahimi said last week.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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In the 1990s and early 2000s, the 100% Satisfaction Guarantee was all the rage among many hotels. The gist was simple: Encounter a problem and receive your money back.

In theory, this approach addressed fairly serious issues such as early-morning pool renovations that made the jackhammer an unwelcome alarm clock. Bed bugs. No hot water.

But some hospitality experts say that promise  a 100% refund if customers werent 100% happy  mightve made things worse for both the customer and the hotel.

A toddler spilling yogurt may take staff longer to clean up, evolving into a bad review about a dirty lobby and a request for refund, says Bijoy Shah, an Indiana-based travel advisor. The customer-is-always-right mindset created these guarantees, but it seems the customer learned to abuse it, as well.

These days, travelers are unlikely to find such confident promises. Meanwhile, satisfaction rates are lower than ever. But its not because the guarantee is gone. Its because it was there in the first place.

Hotel satisfaction is worse than ever

According to the American Customer Satisfaction Indexs Travel Study 2021-2022, which interviewed 6,000 travelers from 2021 to 2022, satisfaction fell 2.7% during that time period. Meanwhile, many hospitality workers say complaints are soaring.

Things got so rough in 2021 that the Rhode Island Hospitality Association launched a Please Be Kind Toolkit containing mental health resources and information regarding handling unruly customers. Some attribute this years especially high dissatisfaction rates to differences of opinions about whether the pandemic is over.

At the beginning of the pandemic, guests were sympathetic to frontline workers, says Andrea Stokes, hospitality practice lead at J.D. Power. Now, consumers want to get back to normal, but the hotel industry isnt back to normal  especially in terms of staffing.

While pandemic-related issues like a pause on breakfast buffets are partially to blame, the ongoing slump has been agitated  not driven  by the pandemic.

In fact, ACSIs numerical scores have been trending downward over the past decade, from a peak score of 77 in 2012 to just 71 in 2022.

The problem with the 100% Satisfaction Guarantee

Some hotel experts blame the lingering effects of the 100% Satisfaction Guarantee for low customer satisfaction. Beyond eating into hotel profits (and decreasing money to invest elsewhere), it may have inadvertently adjusted consumer demands.

Try as hard as you might  and most hotel staff bend over backwards  you can't manage everyone's unique and often-unrealistic expectations, says hospitality consultant Colleen Carswell. You cannot please everyone.

Hampton by Hilton is generally credited with creating the first-ever hotel 100% Satisfaction Guarantee (the guarantee was established before its former-parent company, Promus, was acquired by Hilton in 1999).

Shruti Gandhi Buckley, global brand head for Hampton by Hilton, says its introduction was instrumental in providing guests confidence that they would have a seamless and problem-free stay. If their expectations werent met, we would refund their money, no questions asked.

But some travel experts suspect this trained guests to believe that complaining equals compensation.

This benefit may have even magnified negative naysayers who are always looking for something bad to point out, often in a very disrespectful manner, says Carswell.

Gandhi Buckley maintains that abuse wasnt actually the problem, adding that while guests would sometimes have unusual rationale against invoking the guarantee, fewer than 1% of guests actually tried claiming refunds.

Yet Hilton reevaluated the offer after more than a decade. Now, its still a 100% Hampton Guarantee, but the outright refund language is gone.

We also found the original language signaled to a guest that something could go wrong, Gandhi Buckley says.

Plus, Gandhi Buckley says that most business travelers didnt care about refunds anyway (since stays were generally on their employers dime), and leisure travelers just wanted problems fixed. Hamptons new promise shifts away from refunds to empowering employees across all levels and departments to actually execute those fixes.

It allows team members to be more flexible, Gandhi Buckley says.

How to ensure you get hotel service you deserve

Be realistic: Understand that a lower-cost motel likely wont treat you as generously as a luxury resort.

Understand that a lower-cost motel likely wont treat you as generously as a luxury resort. Read online reviews: A previous traveler might tip you off to the soggy waffles.

A previous traveler might tip you off to the soggy waffles. Ask nicely: While Hampton still offers a refund when warranted, Gandhi Buckley says its common to receive other types of compensation. If your room isnt ready at check-in, you might receive a free snack. In situations where staff cannot fix the problem, polite escalation can be necessary. After all, you deserve what you paid for.

While Hampton still offers a refund when warranted, Gandhi Buckley says its common to receive other types of compensation. If your room isnt ready at check-in, you might receive a free snack. In situations where staff cannot fix the problem, polite escalation can be necessary. After all, you deserve what you paid for. Hold elite status: Stokes says it's more common to receive money-back guarantees when booking with elite status, as hotels prioritize customers expected to return.

Stokes says it's more common to receive money-back guarantees when booking with elite status, as hotels prioritize customers expected to return. Use trip insurance: In truly untenable situations, trip insurance might help. Coverage varies by policy  and youre unlikely to find one that covers soggy waffles. But most policies cover situations including the bell desk losing your luggage or severe weather preventing you from arriving. Also, many credit cards offer travel insurance for trips purchased on that card.

First seek compensation from the hotel. If those efforts dont work, ask your insurer.

Sally French writes for NerdWallet. Email: sfrench@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @SAFmedia.

The article The Surprising Reason Why Hotel Guests May Be Grumpier Than Ever originally appeared on NerdWallet.
Jennette McCurdy, who co-starred in Nickelodeon shows iCarly and its spin-off Sam & Cat, has written a book called I'm Glad My Mom Died. McCurdy tells about growing up with an abusive mother who she says pushed her into showbiz, encouraged her to starve herself and who insisted upon bathing her daughter into her late teens. Debra McCurdy died in 2013 from complications of cancer. It's taken McCurdy years of therapy to get to the point where she is able to not only share her story, but laugh about parts too. She also hosts a podcast called Empty Inside and says she no longer has an eating disorder.
Theres an elephant baby boom at the Omaha zoo.

Jayei, the matriarch of the elephant herd, is the latest pregnant elephant at Omahas Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium.

If all goes well, her calf will be the fourth elephant born at the zoo in a span of two years.

Officials say that Jayeis pregnancy further highlights the critical role the Omaha zoo has in maintaining a sustainable elephant population.

That role began on Jan. 7 with the birth of a female calf named Eugenia, the first elephant born at the zoo. A few weeks later, Sonny, a male calf, was born.

Sonny and Eugenia were oblivious to the zoo officials gathered Wednesday to discuss the significance of their birth. The two were preoccupied with each other, playing, climbing and exploring while their herd meandered nearby.

Soon, the herd will have two more little ones to keep an eye on.

Jayei is estimated to be about 30 years old and has had at least one other calf before. Her daughter Omma is a member of the zoos herd.

The zoos veterinary staff predict her due date to be in about 13 months.

Lolly, who is about 11 years old, is also pregnant and likely to give birth to her first calf in the spring of 2023.

Both expectant mothers have hormone levels consistent with healthy pregnancies, said Jessye Wojtusik, the zoos lead scientist.

And Eugenia and Sonny continue to grow at a healthy rate, said Sarah Armstrong, elephant manager.

They are doing everything little calves should do, Armstrong said. We couldnt be happier with the progress.

The calves and upcoming births are exciting to see in Omaha, but nationally the elephant birth rate should be much higher, said Dennis Pate, the zoos president.

Eugenia and Sonny account for the only two elephant births in the United States this year.

The good news is that theyre projecting six to be born next year, Pate said. This means that in the course of two years, Omaha will be the birthplace of half of the elephants born in the United States.

Its the kind of baby boom zoo officials were hoping for when they welcomed Callee, a bull African elephant, to the herd in 2019 from the Birmingham Zoo in Alabama.

The zoos five females, plus one male, arrived in Omaha in 2016 from Swaziland.

The 36-hour journey from Swaziland to Omaha included stops in Senegal, Texas and Kansas, depositing some of the herds elephants at two other American zoos. Veterinarians accompanied the elephants along the way, and zoo staff met the elephants at Eppley Airfield.

Since their arrival, the elephants have been housed in the zoos $73 million African Grasslands exhibit.

In September 2017, Warren, a bull elephant in the original herd, died during a procedure. He had been the herds lone male until the arrival of a male named Louie that summer.

Louie was never able to reproduce with the herds females and last year was transferred to the North Carolina Zoo based on a recommendation by the African Elephant Species Survival Plan through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Unlike Louie, Callee was an instant hit with the herds females, Pate said.

We got a little lucky there in finding the right bull, Pate said. To have four calves in two years is pretty unusual and pretty special. Theres maybe one or two other places that have done that nationally.
Fifty-five years ago today, Leslie Arnold and fellow inmate Jim Harding escaped from the Nebraska State Penitentiary in Lincoln.

As part of a plea agreement, Arnold had been sentenced to a life term for murdering his parents in 1958. Still three months shy of his 17th birthday, Arnold became among the youngest prisoners locked up in Lincoln when he was sent there on June 9, 1959.

A fellow inmate was the first to bring Arnold, then 24 years old, and 32-year-old Harding together. He knew both wanted to escape, so he made introductions.

Key to their ultimate plan was yet another inmate who was set to be paroled in May. It all got rolling the morning of July 5 with a secret message planted in the pages of The World-Herald. NOF arrives July 14, it cryptically read.

Although the meaning was unclear, the plot had called for the parolee to take out such an ad in the personals section. It was confirmation to Arnold and Harding that the plan was a go.

Soon after, the parolee drove by the prison fence in the darkness of night and tossed over a cardboard tube. The contents: hacksaw blades and two rubber masks.

It was Harding's job to scoop up the tube on one of his early morning walks around the prison yard and stash it.

Just off the trusty dayroom, there was a small music room with bars over the window. During a couple of days time, the two inmates skipped dinner to hide out and saw on the pair of thick bars over the window until they cut completely through. Then, to avoid detection, they used chewing gum to hold the bars in place.

Before the 11 p.m. head count on the night of July 14, Arnold and Harding stuffed pillows and blankets under their bedding to make their bunks appear occupied. They used the rubber masks to fashion heads for the dummy bodies. Then, the two slipped downstairs to the music room, pulled away the bars and climbed out.

At 7 a.m. the next day, guards in the trusty dorm were alarmed to find that the inmate count came up two short. It was soon affirmed that Arnold, No. 20841, and Jim Harding, No. 21151, were missing.

Law enforcement agencies all over eastern Nebraska were alerted. In a 30-mile dragnet around the prison, officers combed vacant buildings, bridges, culverts and wooded areas.

Little did they know that by then the two escapees were well on their way to Chicago.

Harding was captured nine months later, in Los Angeles but Arnold remains at large to this day.
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The third Shanghai Isaac Stern International Violin Competition will hold an online concert for the finals in August, the organizers announced Tuesday.

According to the plan, the six finalists will not be rated through competition. Instead, from August 26 to 28, they will jointly perform at a concert online in six different cities. Each of the finalists will be provided with a bonus of 20,000 U.S. dollars for their further study and career development.

"The competition is not only for the sake of competition, but to provide an international platform for the career development of young musicians. The 13 judges are proud of this innovative final plan, which confirms that China is setting new standards for international music competitions," said Yu Long, head of the organizing committee.

"Of course, this result is a little regrettable, but I want to thank the organizers for providing us with this opportunity and creating a friendly atmosphere. I think we all need to remember that music is much more than just competition. I am really glad to have such an opportunity to showcase my skills," said Angela Sin Ying Chan, a finalist from Hong Kong.

Founded in 2015 and first held in 2016, the biennial event is Shanghai's first world-class violin competition. It is named after renowned violinist Isaac Stern to honor his decades-long friendship with China forged through music.
Now settled into its new home, the legendary Anthonys restaurant steer probably isnt the slightest bit homesick.

Its new digs at a Columbus, Nebraska, truck stop are extraordinary, perfect for the large black Angus statue that spent most of its life on top of the popular Omaha steakhouse.

And its new dad, truck stop owner Bill Lehr, is thrilled to have the steer with him after bidding $45,000 in an auction for items from Anthonys, which closed in January.

I always did want that damn steer, he said the other day. He plans to give his new baby a name, probably Black Thunder.

Several facts  or coincidences, or even serendipity  seem to indicate that the steer has landed in the right place:

The truck stop has a highly appropriate name, the T-Bone, and a highly appropriate rural location at the corner of U.S. Highways 30 and 81 across from farmland just outside of Columbus.

It has large hand-painted cowboy boots, complete with spurs, perched on poles to mark both truck stop entrances. Lehr said they are part of the reason he bought the steer  the entire sale price went to Scare Away Cancer, an Omaha nonprofit that helps families touched by the disease.

It kind of works together with the boots, that we could give cancer the big boot, he said.

It has a clientele that includes farmers and other rural workers, busy cattle-truck drivers and a lot of locals who come to shoot the breeze, and at least one clerk who knows something about steers: Bailey Lehr, the owners granddaughter and the current Miss Rodeo Nebraska.

And it has Lehr himself, whose family has owned a cattle operation right down the road near Duncan, Nebraska, for more than 80 years.

What more could a bovine icon want?

Lehr appears determined to help the steer feel comfortable in its new surroundings and give its visitors a great experience.

He wont remove its red and white Anthonys blanket in homage to its longtime home and because the Lehrs have a family connection to the steakhouse.

Thats how its known. It was a very well-liked place in Omaha, he said. My wifes sister worked there for 20 years.

He wont put the steer on the roof in deference to its fans. Since the steer arrived a few weeks ago, he has watched people pull into the truck stop lot, get out, touch it, take pictures and then get in their cars and drive away  in fact, at least one person did that in the middle of an interview and video session for this story.

They couldnt do that in Omaha because it was on the roof, Lehr said.

It also would have been difficult and costly to mount the steer on the truck stop building  Lehr estimates that the statue weighs 3,000 pounds, even though its hollow. He had no idea what was used to make it  maybe some kind of fiberglass, he said.

Ive looked at it hundreds of times, and I still dont know what material it is, he said.

Springfield, Nebraska, residents Mick and Kathy Kriefels visited the steer when they were at the truck stop Tuesday on the way home from their cabin on Brandenburg Lake near Columbus.

Kathy said the now-closed steakhouse was a tradition in her husbands family.

He had gone to Anthonys since he was young for birthday dinners, she said, and the couple continued to go there after they were married.

When they were asked to deliver a quilt made by a friend in Rising City, near Columbus, to someone in Omaha, they arranged to meet at the T-Bone in part because the steer was there.

They posed for pictures, looked around the truck stop (which has a small cafe but not a lot of souvenirs or other products like its larger corporate counterparts) and  at Lehrs behest  paged through a book that chronicled the flood that hit the T-Bone in the 1990s, a seminal event for the businessman.

Lehr showed visitors the barriers he put up at the truck stop to ensure it never happens again and told stories about his tiff with the city of Columbus over the flooding.

He said he had a full-service cafe at the truck stop for about nine years until the cafe took water, but scaled it back in flood repairs. It served steaks in its heyday but now serves breakfast items, burgers and other diner-type food.

Though he really wanted the steer to fight cancer and honor his family legacy, Lehr set himself a limit in the auction. His main competitor was an executive from the corporate office of Fareway Stores Inc., in Boone, Iowa, who called to congratulate him after he won.

We were getting close to the cutoff point, Lehr said. We were thinking twice about it.

Luckily, time ran out in the auction when he had the winning bid, and he was able to honor members of his family: his son, who is currently fighting leukemia; and a brother who died from a different type of cancer.

At 81, Lehr still is fairly spry. He works on the cattle farm most days, primarily checking the herd for illness and other problems.

His grandson lives on the land and is the main caretaker for about 4,000 feeder cattle and 1,000 cows. Other family members drive semis full of cattle to stockyards in Nebraska and adjoining states.

Lehr, admittedly, is also feisty, a lifelong trait. He and his brother inherited the cattle operation when their father and their older brother both died within a short time. It came with a $4.3 million dollar debt.

Hes proud of the fact that it didnt fail  especially in the 1980s, a notoriously grim time for family farms  and that it remains successful today along with the familys four T-Bone properties (including three other Columbus-Duncan area gas stations) now primarily run by the women in the family.

I am a stubborn son of a buck, he said.
I sure could use a vacation about now  but I have no plans to take one this summer.

Thats the breaks for self-employed people like me who do not enjoy paid-vacation benefits. When I do not work, I do not get paid.

However, nearly one in four American workers are not taking a summer vacation, either  in part because were the only advanced economy in the world that doesnt mandate employer-paid vacations for them.

This is the time each year when I envy my friends in vacation-rich countries around the world.

In Kuwait, according to Far and Wide, employees receive 30 days of paid vacation. When including days off for religious holidays, employees can enjoy up to 64 days of paid leave  13 weeks off a year.

In France, the government mandates every employee get at least five weeks of paid vacation. French workers average 37 days of vacation a year  and 22 paid holidays on top of that.

Austria requires employers to give their workers 25 days off and 30 days off to those who have worked 25 years or more.

The Austrians also require one of the great job perks of all time: Employees can clock out at 3 p.m. on Fridays rather than suffer on until 5 or 5:30 as we Americans do.

Compare these generous time-off policies to America, where employees average about 15 vacation days a year.

We Americans really cant complain. Were world famous for being a nation of workaholics, even in good times.

In tough economic times such as now, when costs are soaring and the buying power of our paychecks is shrinking, we have to work even harder to keep revenues coming in.

We dont like our government telling us or our employers how we ought to conduct our business or how many vacation days employers must provide.

Our style has been, for the most part, to favor freedom over mandates of any kind.

Goodness knows our government has been so busy handing out goodies to citizens, its just a matter of time before the freedom lovers are overrun by the benefit lovers.

It will be a sad day if that ever happens. Well have a perpetually anemic economy, and all of us will have to struggle more to find the job opportunities thatll bring us happiness and wealth.

That said, we Americans could learn a thing or two from our vacationing friends around the world.

Vacating from the stresses, responsibilities and worries of our daily lives is great for our health.

We know we should take off work and go somewhere with our loved ones or friends and completely get lost for a week at a beach or lake.

We know we should find more time to sit at an outdoor restaurant as the sun goes down, enjoying good wine, conversation and the delicious foods we never have time to prepare.

We know we should step off the earth just for a little while, laugh heartily and sleep until we are fully rested.

Vacating, or vacation, is good for each of us  and America. It restores our equilibrium and helps us become more productive, civil and poised when we return to our daily lives.

Ah, heck, Ive talked myself into it.

Im going to plan a trip to the ocean this summer and let its powerful waves wash my daily worries away  for a day or two, anyway.
Heat wave deepens Texas drought

A heat wave across the state is exacerbating the extreme drought conditions plaguing Texas agriculture.

Cattle take refuge in the shade during the most recent heat wave. Daytime temperatures have routinely exceeded 100 degrees this summer. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Adam Russell)

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agents and regional specialists around the state have reported a wide range of issues related to triple-digit temperatures and worsening conditions for livestock and crop producers. There are reports of poor forage and growing conditions throughout the state, including failed to stunted plants and lower yield expectations on crops ranging from sorghum, cotton, peanuts and pecans.

Livestock producers in drier areas of the state have been weaning and marketing calves earlier and culling herds deeper than usual. There are also reports of herd consolidations occurring. The main factor driving higher and earlier cattle sale volumes is poor spring forage production from lack of rainfall and the high cost of supplemental feed.

Hay supplies are tightening and cuttings have been well below average in most parts of the state so far. Declining surface water and poor water quality in stock ponds and tanks is becoming a wider issue for many producers.

The extent of drought is driving local governments to implement restrictions on activities, including water consumption and outdoor burning.

Burn bans have been implemented by county commissioners courts in 206 Texas counties as of July 11, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.

Irrigation water for agriculture is also falling under use-restrictions that limit applications to crops like cotton and pecans due to below-normal water levels in reservoirs and aquifers that desperately need runoff rainfall to recharge.

Reagan Noland, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension agronomist, San Angelo, said the high temperatures and dry soil are leading to widespread crop failures even in some irrigated fields. There are no water restrictions on wells that pull from the aquifer for agriculture in that area.

Noland said his area had good rain until mid-August last year but received no appreciable rain between late October and late May. When the area did pick up a 2-inch rain around May 22, Noland said high temperatures and wind left muddy fields powder dry within days.

I hoped the rain in late May would provide a decent opportunity to plant cotton, but it wasnt enough. Our subsoil moisture was too depleted for any planting moisture to persist, he said. Some irrigated fields looked OK, but most dryland crop acres never established at all, or seedlings burned up in the heat.

Heat wave delivers 100-degree days

John Nielsen-Gammon, Ph.D., state climatologist in the Texas A&M College of Geosciences Department of Atmospheric Sciences, said much of Texas has been experiencing above-average temperatures for months.



South and Central Texas has been exceptionally hot this year, he said. San Antonio recorded 32 days over 100 degrees so far. The previous record for 100-degree days by this time of year in the city was 20 days in 2009. College Station has experienced 23 days with 100-degree temperatures, which is also more than ever recorded.

Statewide, the Big Bend region has seen 78 days of triple-digit temperatures. Other notable locations with 100-degree days include Cotulla with 62, Laredo with 57, Del Rio with 48, Abilene with 45, and San Angelo with 44.

San Angelo is almost on pace with 2011 for 100-degree days. The city recorded 46 days over 100 degrees by this time and ended that year with 100 days over 100 degrees, he said.

Multiple factors aligned to produce the high temperatures Texas is experiencing this summer, he said, including the early arrival of high temperatures. Locations in much of the state recorded record or near-record May temperatures that were above typical June average temperatures.

Above-average spring temperatures and drought conditions compounded environmental effects on summer temperatures. The lack of moisture means there is less evaporative cooling, and more of the suns energy heats the ground which heats the air.

Nielsen-Gammon said the water temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico are also well above normal. Most spring and summer air circulates into the state from the Gulf, and warmer conditions there translate into warmer air as it moves through the state.

Heat waves like the one Texas is experiencing are related to weather patterns that create a dome of high pressure over the state or to the north, he said. The pattern prevents the flow of moist, tropical air and instead delivers air that has been sitting over the state or other hot areas around Texas.

No relief in sight

Nielsen-Gammon expects summer temperatures to remain above normal as soils continue to lose moisture and retain heat.

Unfortunately, the very hottest temperatures typically occur later in the summer, so off hand, I dont see any relief in the future, Nielsen-Gammon said. It looks dismal for the next couple of weeks.

Nielsen-Gammon said a looming tropical disturbance could deliver some moisture to Louisiana and southeast Texas, but most of the state is likely to remain dry and hot.

According to U.S. drought monitor archives, 100% of Texas experienced at least abnormally dry conditions with almost 72% experiencing exceptional drought conditions. The 2011 drought conditions peaked in October when 88% of the state was exceptionally dry while 97% of the state was in extreme to exceptional drought.

Almost 98% of Texas is abnormally dry, but only 46% of the state is experiencing extreme to exceptional drought and 16% of the state suffering exceptional drought, according to the drought monitor. But it is a hard sell to tell many agriculture producers and farmers across Texas that 2022 has been better.

Much of the state has received some scattered rain since January, Nielsen-Gammon said, but a few areas have received less moisture than in 2011. Corsicana, for example, has received less than 20 inches of rainfall since Sept. 1, compared to nearly 25 inches over the same period in 2010-2011.

There are definitely people who would take issue with anyone saying conditions are better in 2022 than in 2011, he said. For some, the impacts are going to be worse.

CENTRAL

Extremely dry conditions dominated the area. Soil moisture levels were very short. An unrelenting streak of record heat and dry conditions continued with more than 30 days of temperatures exceeding 100 degrees. Stock tanks were seriously low or dry. Overall rangeland and pasture conditions were very poor. Hay prices were escalating. Producers were selling livestock due to the extreme drought conditions, and body conditions were fair. Crop conditions were poor overall. Crop yield expectations were all over the board but trending lower than previous years. Corn harvest continued, and yields were widely variable. Sorghum was maturing rapidly. Cotton growth and development was slowing, and fields were showing visible drought stress.

ROLLING PLAINS

Soil moisture was short, but some isolated showers were reported. Temperatures reached 105 degrees. Haygrazer and cotton were planted. Some fields were lost to drought and heat already. Irrigated fields were doing well with dryland fields suffering. Corn and sorghum were suffering, but some sorghum fields looked average and were starting to head out. Cinch bugs and minor worm pressure was growing in sorghum. Some producers were cutting corn and sorghum fields for silage. Dryland cotton had mostly failed. Irrigated cotton was struggling and in poor to fair condition. Smartweed borer moths and flea hoppers were noted in irrigated cotton. Grasshoppers were everywhere. Rangeland and pasture conditions were fair, but livestock tanks needed runoff rainfall to recharge. Cattle were receiving supplemental feed. Culling continued. Coastal Bermuda grass fields were browning under heat and drought. Hay bales were $75-$90 in the field and $90-$130 delivered.

COASTAL BEND

Conditions remained dry with little to no rain reported. Sorghum and corn harvests continued. Sorghum yields were fair to good with some better than anticipated outcomes. Corn yields were poor. Cotton fields were showing signs of stress and plants were dropping leaves in some fields. Some producers were expected to begin defoliation this week. Some rice fields had stem borer pressure already despite insecticide applications. Rangeland and pasture conditions were very dry, and increasing numbers of livestock were taken to market as evaluations and culling continued. Early weaning was also being considered for some livestock producers. Feed and hay continued to be an issue mainly due to economics and tight supplies. Many stock ponds were dry, and others were low with poor water quality.

EAST

Extreme drought conditions worsened. Spotty showers fell but did not provide relief. Water levels in creeks and ponds were lower. Hay production came to a halt. Producers were culling herds to lower costs, while others were feeding hay. Sabine County reported producers were getting 75-80% lower hay yields than normal. Pasture and rangeland conditions were very poor to poor. Subsoil and topsoil conditions were very short to short. Corn yields appeared to be average despite the hot, dry weather. Yields of irrigated watermelons also looked to be average with good quality. Grasshoppers and Bermuda grass stem maggots were reported. Wild pigs continued to cause problems.

SOUTH PLAINS

Conditions were very hot and dry. Some counties received some rain but needed more. Later-planted cotton was beginning to square. Cotton under irrigation was faring well but the dryland fields that remained were struggling. Sorghum was following failed cotton.

PANHANDLE

Dry conditions persisted with a few small, scattered showers reported. Soil moisture levels were short. Corn was doing well where irrigated but was behind schedule. Cotton was struggling. Winter wheat harvest was pretty much complete with yields well below the normal. Rangeland and pasture conditions were poor.

NORTH

Topsoil moisture was very short. Temperatures were 100 degrees-plus every day. The heat and drought were hitting producers hard. Crops planted on schedule were still looking good, but later-planted crops were struggling. Most crops were showing some drought stress. Disease and insect pests were holding at low levels due to the dry weather. Corn maturity was occurring quickly. Pastures were browning, and pools were drying down. Hay producers were uncertain about second cuttings if the current dry weather continues. Local cattle sale barns reported a major uptick in the number of animals in recent sales.

FAR WEST

Conditions were hot, windy and dry. The Rio Grande Valley received 1-2 inches of rain with more cloud cover than most areas of the district. The average high temperature was 98 degrees with an average low temperature of 75 degrees. Trace amounts of rainfall were reported. Conditions continued to be hot, dry, windy. Mozena obtusa nymphs hit mesquite trees heavily, and there were numerous reports of insects and webs in trees. Cotton was showing a lot of stress. Squaring cotton was using half an inch of water per week, while blooming cotton was using 1.15 inches per week. Irrigation could not meet plant demand. Spider mites were beginning to show up in melon crops. Corn was in poor condition due to lack of pollination. Hay producers were struggling. Small-acreage farmers were struggling to keep watermelons and other fruit and vegetables alive due to the salt levels in the water. The melon harvest continued, but yields were down. Ranchers continued to cull herds and sell due to a lack of grazing and prohibitive feed costs.

WEST CENTRAL

An unprecedented heat wave intensified extreme drought conditions, though a few pop-up thunderstorms occurred. Hay was in short supply and costing anywhere from $130-$150 per round bale. A lot of dryland cotton was zeroed out for insurance claims, but some irrigated fields looked fair. Producers were having a hard time irrigating enough. Supplemental feeding of livestock continued with more producers culling herds.

SOUTHWEST

Temperatures were 100-plus degrees each day. Scattered rains provided temporary relief for some crops with up to 0.75 of an inch reported, but some missed out completely. High temperatures and winds were expected to minimize the moisture impact. Crops were struggling. Corn and sorghum harvests were underway with very low yields reported. Cotton was prematurely blooming out of the top, which meant yield potential was likely to be lower. Rangeland and pasture conditions were poor. Hay was starting to arrive from other areas. Heavy supplemental feeding of livestock continued.

SOUTH

Soil moisture levels were very short in most parts of the district, but some southern areas reported adequate moisture. Temperatures were extremely hot and hit triple-digits daily with a high temperature of 108 degrees reported by Frio County. Peanut crops were pegging. Corn was dented, and cotton was setting bolls. Dryland crops were showing drought stress, including leaf wilt. Irrigated crops looked good to excellent. Corn and grain sorghum harvests continued. Cotton fields looked clean with some whitefly and chili thrip pressure reported in fields close to the Rio Grande River. Bolls were opening in early planted cotton, and some drought stress was showing. Citrus and sugarcane continued to receive irrigation. Sesame fields looked clean but needed moisture to make good yields. Crops looked clean but needed some moisture to make good yields. Grazing was limited, and rangeland and pasture conditions continued to decline under hot, dry weather. Supplemental feeding continued for livestock and wildlife. Local producers were reporting higher prices for all feeds, and culling continued as producers calculated hay needs and availability. Irrigated Coastal Bermuda grass was producing good hay bales. Wild pigs were active in suburban areas, looking for food and water.
LEXINGTON  McLean County farmers, agriculture researchers and officials met this week to learn more about nutrient stewardship, including a new cover crop with cash potential.

McLean County Farm Bureau hosted a Field Day at the Illinois State University Lab Farm near Lexington on Tuesday, giving participants a chance to see some of the research being done up close.

Among the visitors was Jerry Costello, Illinois director of agriculture. He thanked the Illinois Department of Agriculture, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Illinois Farm Bureau and local farmers for their cooperation on issues like nutrient loss and runoff.

Costello also hinted that his department was anticipating exciting announcements in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in coming months.

There are things going on that hopefully well have some good news to announce, he said.

He also highlighted about a program that provides credits on crop insurance to farmers who plant cover crops. From 2019 to 2021, the acreage in the program doubled from 50,000 acres to 100,000, Costello said.

Learning opportunities

The field days are chances to show off some of the projects that local farm bureaus are investing in through an Illinois Farm Bureau grant program, said Laura Lurkins, the state farm bureau's director of environmental policy. Using about $150,000 a year, the program has funded 100 projects with 70 local farm bureaus since 2015, though not all projects have field days.

She and her team have nine scheduled this summer around the state and did three earlier this spring.

Our field days are literally top to bottom (of the state ) the agriculture issues are different, the partners are different, Lurkins said.

The next one, for instance, is at about phosphorus removal technology at a suburban lake in Lake County.

New crops, new revenue

ISU has been one of institutions doing research on CoverCress, a genetically-modified version of pennycress, a field weed that Illinois farmers are likely already familiar with. USDA has dedicated $10 million to the research. Changes to aspects like the seed shell and oil yield have created a potential fall-to-spring crop that helps address soil health while also allowing a spring-to-fall cash crop.

Cover crops are great for ecosystem services like reducing erosion and nutrient runoff and capturing carbon, but for most of them, there is no revenue, said Bill Perry, associate professor of biology.

CoverCress Inc. (CCI), founded in 2013, is working with farmers, transporters and downstream partners to create a market for the product, area business lead Nathan Smith told the audience of about 50 people.

One of the big potential uses of the oil is biodiesel. Unlike most other biodiesels, it also can be used for aviation fuel, the researchers said. It also take relatively little carbon input to produce, making it a more sustainable biofuel to create.

CoverCress is interesting because it requires so little energy to produce, Perry said.

Part of the challenge in creating CoverCress as a new crop is that farmers do not yet know how to make revenue from it, said Rob Rhykerd, soil science professor at ISU.

Right now, if you have corn, farmers know how to market corn, he told The Pantagraph.

Smith said CCI has a goal of getting 70% of the oil value back to the farmer, with a goal of $150 net revenue per acre for the farmer.

Part of the assistance to start is covering some of the normal costs that would be involved in a cash crop, such as transportation costs to get the crop to market.

Were trying to mitigate as much risk from the farmers standpoint this first year as possible, Smith said.

CoverCress Inc.s target area for the crop to start is Central Illinois south of Interstate 72. Further north and the harvest dates start to run into planting dates for the spring-to-fall cash crops, Smith said.

Bunge and Chevron had partnered to dedicate a $600 million plan to expand two small-seed oil plants and invest in CoverCress Inc., Smith said.

Diversifying the tool kit

The potential of CoverCress intrigued David Meiss, who owns and operates a farm near Gridley. Field days give him a chance to learn how to improve his farming.

As a fourth-generation farm owner, he sees it as his responsibility to manage that farmland in a way that conserves and improves it for the future. He has also been involved with the Farm Bureau at both the local and state level.

I get so much from (Farm Bureau) programs, from education, even just the networking, even with people working outside of agriculture, he said.

He became more involved because it is important to give back, he said. If he gains from something, he wants to contribute to it too.

A presentation by Shalamar Armstrong, professor of agronomy at Purdue University, showed the beneficial impact cover crops can have in terms of minimizing nitrogen loss, but they need to be used with some consideration. He explained that radish and oats do not address phosphorus loss, and cereal rye can lower corn yields the next season.

Essentially, its difficult for a grass to grow behind a grass, he said.

Armstrong recommended overwintering legumes, especially balansa clover, as a strong cover crop practice.

Meiss said he was interested in learning more about cover crops. Since he does not have streams near his fields, some of the other projects he saw were less relevant to his operation, but still interesting.

Earlier in the day, the participants toured research sites around the ISU farm that are connected to efforts to minimize nitrogen and phosphorus runoff and keep those nutrients on the field. The first stop was a saturated buffer, a strip of field 50 feet wide that separates a field from a stream and spreads out the drainage from tiles in the field. This helps prevent nitrogen and phosphorus from entering the water system.

There are local impacts for nutrient management as well. After the field trips, Jeff Boeckler of Northwater Consulting spoke to the group about nitrogen and phosphorus management in Lake Bloomington and Evergreen Lake. Both lakes are regularly above government standards for phosphorus and are periodically above the standards for nitrogen, mostly after heavy rains, he said.

Cover crops would be the most cost effective way to address the runoff, Boeckler said.

Other sites the group visited included cover crop test plots, where researchers are exploring different cover crop systems, and a CoverCress trial field. One thing the researchers are working on is why the corn in the cover crop test plots is still shorter than the control plot, which was left fallow in the winter.

The test plots are on the smaller size, just square feet in dimension, compared to the large-scale acreage found on Illinois farms.
Robert E. Brice pleaded guilty Thursday morning to two Class 2 felony domestic battery charges. The severity of the charges were increased because Brice, 44, has four or more prior convictions for domestic battery.

Prosecutors said the charges stemmed from a July 2021 incident in which Brice got into an argument with a woman, pushed her down on a couch, jumped on her, shoved his elbow into her face and grabbed her by the neck.
FARMER CITY  Eastern Illinois Foodbank will distribute food to area families facing food insecurity from 9:30-10:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 13, at Trinity Community Fellowship, 1300 W. Clinton Ave., Farmer City.

The food giveaway is open to residents of DeWitt, Piatt and McLean counties. Those attending are asked to bring boxes or bags to transport food.

The distribution is part of the Foodbank's Foodmobile Program, a system of mobile food pantries designed to help bring nutritious food to rural or underserved areas.

Those who plan to attend should pre-register at EIFclient.com, but this does not guarantee a spot in line. Income guidelines will apply.

Visit eifoodbank.org for more information.
You are here: Business

A new China-Europe freight train route linking southwest China's Chongqing municipality with Melzo in Italy was recently launched.

A freight train, operated by the China-Europe Railway Express (Chongqing), departed from Chongqing on Saturday and will first arrive in Melzo. Thereafter, it will head to Verona, a tourist city in Italy's north. The entire trip will take about 22 days.

The train is carrying goods worth 10 million U.S. dollars, which include daily necessities, clothing, household appliances and machinery equipment, mainly from the eastern and southern regions of China, said Qi Dan, general manager of Yuxinou (Chongqing) Logistics Co., Ltd.

The China-Europe Railway Express (Chongqing), launched in March 2011, now operates nearly 40 routes reaching nearly 100 cities in Asia and Europe.




100 years ago

July 14, 1922: One of the new members of the Wesleyan faculty this fall is Mr. Arthur E. Westbrook, who has been elected as dean of the college of music. Westbrook comes to this city from Chicago, where during the past year he has been director of the American School of Opera. He earned his bachelor of arts and bachelor of music degrees from Albion College, and also studied at the New England Conservatory of Music, Boston.

75 years ago

July 14, 1947: Forty Bloomington-Normal Girl Scouts will find out how great-grandma felt when she moved into her first lean-to home in pioneer days. They'll move into Hike Haven, the new, partially finished Girl Scout cabin in Forest Park, for the first two weeks of camping at the new site. The cabin still lacks doors and windows, or any interior fixtures, and will be used for day camping only.

50 years ago

July 14, 1972: Doris Mae Knapp of Mackinaw, a medical technologist, is serving as a staff member aboard the SS Hope in northeastern Brazil. The ship is docked at Natal for 10 months on its 10th medical teaching treatment mission. Knapp, who earned a bachelor's degree at North Central College and studied medical technology at Northwestern Medical School, previously served with Project Hope in Ecuador.

25 years ago

July 14, 1997: Members of the Chenoa school board opened a time capsule from 1955 during a farewell celebration for Superintendent John Pearson. Inside, they found Chenoa High School commencement programs, a copy of the Chenoa Clipper-Times newspaper and programs from the community's 1954 centennial. Items are to be displayed at the Chenoa Historical Society Museum.
GRAND RIDGE  Three workers were hospitalized in critical condition and two others in serious condition Tuesday after an aluminum gutter came into contact with a power line while working on a northern Illinois home, fire officials said.

The five workers were erecting an aluminum gutter when it came into contact with a power line in Grand Ridge, about 75 miles southwest of Chicago, officials said.

The workers, from a company based in Roanoke, were all on aluminum ladders and touching portions of the house when the gutter became electrified, sending them tumbling 25 feet from the ladders to the ground, officials told WLS-TV.
SPRINGFIELD  IKera Hill, 3, died of malnutrition and dehydration at a Carbondale hospital on June 22, according to the child endangerment charges filed in Jackson County against her parents, Isaac Hill and Katrina Simelton Hill.

Her obituary stated that IKera died after a bout with COVID-19, and she was known as Peanut.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services confirmed last week that the agency had contact with the 3-year-old and her family, although it has not yet released a timeline of the most recent contact.

Since prosecutors and judges are barred from discussing the details of juvenile cases received from DCFS, the agencys timeline generally provides the only public disclosure of the actions taken to protect children who had contact with the state agency.

The Illinois State Police are investigating IKeras death with the help of their Child Death Investigation Task Force. ISP notified DCFS of the investigation, and an autopsy was conducted in Bloomington the day after IKeras death.

Last week, Jackson County Coroner Thomas Kupferer released IKeras name, but declined to release a preliminary cause of death or any information related to the case, citing the pending criminal case against the parents.

They remain in the Jackson County Jail on $250,000 bail.

IKeras obituary noted she was survived by 17 brothers and sisters. An obituary for another child of Isaac and Katrina Hill who died in 2015 noted the children lived in several places throughout southern Illinois, southeastern Missouri and northern Kentucky.

Capitol News Illinois reviewed documents which showed the Hill family was involved with the Illinois DCFS as early as 2012 when Isaac was charged with aggravated battery of a child for beating a boy with an extension cord on March 26, 2012.

On June 1, 2012, he pleaded guilty to the aggravated battery of a child charge and was sentenced to two years of probation and required to follow the directives of DCFS and to attend domestic violence counseling and parenting classes.

Katrina Hill requested and was granted a court order of protection against Isaac in Massac County on May 11, 2012.

But she requested the order be dismissed in August 2012 after she was charged with two counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, mob action and obstructing justice, which were later dismissed. The Paducah Sun reported Hill was charged after two people were shot on a Metropolis street after an argument.

In July 2014, the Jackson County court sought to revoke Isaac Hills probation for failing to comply with the terms. A month later, he agreed to complete domestic violence classes, extend his probation for six months and was put on a payment plan of $25 per month to settle the court costs and fees. There was no mention of complying with the directives of DCFS in the new order extending Hills probation.

Records also show IKera is not the first child of Isaac and Katrina Hill to have died.

The Hills daughter Kalisha Isanique Hill was born July 1, 2014.

She was 6 months old when her parents divorced in Alexander County. Four months later, on May 20, 2015, Kalisha died at the age of 10 months in Marion, according to an obituary. Isaac Hill was still on probation for abusing his son at the time.

Death certificates are closed in Illinois, and Williamson County Coroner Mike Junior Burke did not respond to calls and emails for comment, so the cause of Kalishas death isnt clear.

Isaac Hill was discharged from probation on child abuse charges on July 30, 2015.

Despite the divorce a year earlier, court records showed the couple reconnected and landed back in court.

In 2017, Katrina Hill again asked an Alexander County judge for an order to keep her ex-husband away. While there is no record that order was issued, the couple again reconciled.

Two years later, IKera was born.

As of Thursday, DCFS had not released the mandated timeline on their involvement with the childs family before her death.

DCFS has received scrutiny for a number of cases where children have died after having contact with the agency, including:

 Damari Perry, 6, of North Chicago

 Sophia Faye Davis, 1, of Mechanicsburg

 Zaraz Walker, 7 months, of Bloomington

 Tamsin Miracle Sauer, 3, of Nelson

 Navin Jones, 8, of Washington

 Amaria Osby, 7, of Chicago

IKera, the little girl they called Peanut, loved watching "CoComelon," an animated television show where the characters sing nursery rhymes and play dress-up.

Isaac and Katrina Simelton Hill were in court last week, each asking for their bond to be reduced and for a furlough to attend IKeras funeral.

The judge denied Isaacs request on both counts, but another judge granted Katrinas request for the furlough so she could attend IKeras funeral.

Katrina Hill left the jail on July 6 for IKeras funeral. She had to be back at the Jackson County Jail the same day to continue to await her trial.
CHICAGO - A fugitive with ties to Chicago was arrested Wednesday in Iowa for allegedly shooting a Chicago police officer in the head last month near the Englewood District police station, officials announced Wednesday afternoon.

The officer was still recovering at home, said police Superintendent David Brown during a late afternoon news conference at police headquarters on South Michigan Avenue.

Jabari Edwards, 28, committed a minor traffic violation and officers from a task force arrested him in Burlington, Iowa, Brown said.

Edwards, who has ties to Chicago, was charged with two counts of attempted murder of a police officer, said Brown and Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan, who also spoke.

The shooting happened June 1 about 5:45 p.m. in the 6100 block of South Paulina Street during a traffic stop at the Englewood police station.

Officers were fired upon, said Brown, and the officer was shot in the head and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center.

Edwards fled in a black car, which crashed. He also allegedly dropped a weapon, which police matched with shell casings found at the scene, said Deenihan, who added citizens helped with information.

Were glad to bring some sense of justice and peace to the mind of our officer as she continues to recover, Brown said.

Brown added that 34 Chicago cops have been shot at or shot while in the line of duty. Seven were struck by gunfire, he said.

We wont tolerate it, Brown said. The arrest should serve as a warning to those involved in criminal acts, Brown said. You cannot run nor can you hide from justice.

Edwards, who was convicted of an attempted robbery in 2012, remained in the custody of Des Moines County Iowa sheriffs police, awaiting extradition to Chicago to face the charges.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker began the week with a White House visit for an event marking the passage of bipartisan gun legislation and will end it Saturday with a speech at a fundraiser for Florida Democrats, further fueling speculation  and criticism  that hes eyeing a presidential bid even as he seeks a second term as Illinois chief executive.

The visit to Florida, a key presidential swing state, comes roughly a month after he made a similar appearance in New Hampshire, which has long hosted the first presidential primary and is a traditional stop for candidates testing the waters for a White House run.

The Florida trip, during which Pritzker will deliver the keynote address at the state Democratic Partys Leadership Blue Gala, also comes as Pritzker has raised his national profile with impassioned pleas for abortion protections and gun control in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade and last weeks deadly mass shooting at the Highland Park Fourth of July parade.

Pritzker has eschewed talk of potential presidential ambitions, repeatedly saying hes focused on winning another four years in the governors office and is supporting President Joe Biden for reelection in 2024.

But a sluggish economy and stalled legislative agenda have some Democrats looking for options to a second term for Biden, and Pritzkers name has come up as one of the possible alternatives.

After speaking with Biden at the White House on Monday about their shared desire for a renewed federal ban on certain semi-automatic weapons, Pritzker told reporters that he and the president had not discussed politics or strategy for 2024.

Pritzker is speaking to Florida Democrats at the invitation of the partys chairman, former Miami Mayor Manny Diaz. A Pritzker campaign spokeswoman said the trip is part of his larger effort to support fellow Democrats who stand up for abortion access and other key party issues.

Florida is in dire need of a pro-choice, Democratic governor, and Governor Pritzker is proud to support the Florida Democratic Party in their efforts to flip the state blue, spokeswoman Natalie Edelstein said in a statement. As a lifelong Democrat, Governor Pritzker is committed to supporting his party in every corner of our country.

In Floridas four-way Democratic primary to take on Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio in November, Pritzker has contributed more than $26,000 to the campaign funds of U.S. Rep. Val Demings, federal campaign finance records show.

Pritzker, a billionaire heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune who owns a home in Florida, has not made contributions to any of the four candidates in the states Aug. 23 primary for governor. One of the candidates, U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, received a $100,000 contribution from Pritzker in 2014, when the former Republican governor made an unsuccessful comeback attempt as a Democrat.

This year, Pritzker is excited to support whomever the Democratic (gubernatorial) nominee is, Edelstein said.

If the governor can play even a small role in helping Florida Democrats elect a Black woman to the U.S. Senate (Demings), flip the governors office, and elect pro-choice, pro-science, pro-worker candidates to the legislature  he will gladly do so, she said.

Pritzker has contributed to or campaigned for several other Democratic governors and nominees, including Govs. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Tim Walz of Minnesota, Tony Evers of Wisconsin, Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico and Janet Mills of Maine and candidates Maura Healey of Massachusetts and Tom Sherman of New Hampshire.

The winner of Floridas Democratic primary will face GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis, himself the subject of presidential speculation.

Among DeSantis supporters, state records show, are Pritzkers 2018 rival, former Illinois Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, who has contributed $650,000, and Pritzkers political nemesis, billionaire Citadel founder Ken Griffin, who has given $5 million.

Back home, Pritzkers Florida excursion is drawing criticism from his Republican rival in the November election, state Sen. Darren Bailey of downstate Xenia.

Imagine if we had a Governor focused on Illinois instead of running for President, Bailey said Wednesday in a post on his campaign Twitter account. Crime is out of control and families and jobs are fleeing. People are paying too much at the pump and at grocery stores. We need a Governor in Springfield addressing these issues.

Bailey made his own trip to Florida this spring to court the support of former President Donald Trump, who gave him his endorsement just days before Bailey handily bested five other candidates in the June 28 GOP primary.
As Burkina Faso battles with one of the worst growing seasons in recent years, Ghana risks facing a tomato shortage as the former controls 90 percent of the commoditys imports into the country.



The growing season in Burkina Faso, over the last two years, has been facing challenges owing to extremely sparse rainfall in around 20 of the countrys 45 provinces  with experts predicting that the situation could persist, and even worsen in the near future.



Data from the Ghana Incentive-Based Risk-Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (GIRSAL) indicate that Ghana currently imports 90 percent of its fresh tomatoes from Burkina Faso.



Tomatoes, according to GIRSAL, currently have a national consumption demand of 800,000 metric tonnes per annum. Local production however continues to slump, unable to meet half of the consumption targets.



Equally, the tomato processing industry in Ghana remains small and relies heavily on imports of raw materials  concentrate and additives.



Meanwhile, processing plants installed in Pwalugwu, Techiman and Wenchi have all been shut down due to the unavailability of quality raw materials at affordable prices.



Ghana is estimated to consume more than 100,000 metric tonnes of tomato mix annually, apart from the fresh fruit.



Why situations in Burkina Faso may impact Ghana



The Burkina Faso Ministry of Agriculture has said almost three million people are suffering from food insecurity, as new weather patterns have already turned 50,000 hectares of farmland into barren fields.



Last year, Burkina Faso experienced a 461,000-tonne grain and cash crop shortage countrywide. Government figures have indicated that more than 450,000 hectares of arable land lay fallow in 2021 owing to rising levels of violence.



In June this year, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in a statement said: Thousands of displaced people in Burkina Faso, facing both a major food crisis and an upsurge in armed violence, have come to rely entirely on government and humanitarian organisations. They are forced to abandon their crops and means of livelihood; these people are now extremely vulnerable.



The Red Cross however noted that over 32,000 people in the Est, Nord and Sahel regions  both residents and displaced people  were given crop seedlings, notable among which were tomato, onion, millet, sorghum and cowpea seeds in order to grow cash crops at the subsistence level.



These happenings, stakeholders have hinted, must be a guiding path for Ghana to begin the right processes to enhance domestic production with deliberate attempts to reduce imports.



Key issues remain with production in Ghana



Low yields continue to remain one of the major challenges for tomato production in Ghana, as most farmers cultivate less than 10 metric tonnes per hectare against the potential of 20 metric tonnes per hectare.



Besides, poor agronomic practices, lack of varieties for commercial agro-processing, as well as farmers still planting local varieties  typically with high water content, many seeds, poor colour and low brix level  have all been identified as key production setbacks.

Source: B&FT









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The Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, has reaffirmed the governments commitment to flipping the science-humanities ratio from the existing 40:60 to 60:40.

He said for that reason, the President had tasked the ministry to prioritise Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) education.



Dr Adutwum said in the area of STEM, only about 12 per cent of Senior High School (SHS) students were enrolled in science disciplines.



This will not enable the government to create the pipeline of students required to meet its targeted 60:40 science-humanities ratio if the status quo remains, he noted.



Event



Dr Osei Adutwum, who was speaking at the inauguration of a modern science laboratory of the Kumasi Academy (KUMACA) at Asokore Mampong last Saturday, said in addressing the gap, the government was expanding and retooling science resource centres to improve on science enrolment.



The government, he said, had started operationalising some STEM schools such as the Bosomtwe Girls STEM SHS, adding that others such as Diasu, Awaso, Akrodie and others would be operationalised soon.



At the tertiary level, he said the government was constructing five STEM-based universities in five of the six new regions which, upon completion, would increase science enrolment which had the potential to increase the desired ratio in the medium to long term.



Attendance



Present at the event were the Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah; the Municipal Chief Executive of Asokore Mampong, Kennedy Kankam, and the Nkwantakesehene, Nana Boakye Yam Ababio, an alumnus of the school, who was the Chairman of the occasion.



The rest included staff and students, as well as members of the Kumasi Academy Past Students Association (KAPSA-Akunini Global) who funded the project with support from other corporate institutions.



Science lab



Dr Adutwum lauded the old students (Akunini) for constructing such a laboratory to facilitate the teaching and learning of Science in the school.



This ultra-modern laboratory will play a strategic role to support the governments agenda 60:40 science-humanities ratio, he acknowledged.



Akunini



For his part, the President of the KAPSA-Akunini Global, Okunini Dr Kwabena Dapaah-Siakwan, said the initiative to carry out the project started in 2012 when KUMACA organised a homecoming ceremony.



The Akunini Science Laboratory, he said, was named after the past students of the school affectionately called Akunini, a Twi word meaning academicians.





The inauguration was on the theme: Where there is a will, there is a way, an English translation of the schools motto: Vouloir Cest Pouvoir.



Appeal



The Headmaster, Samuel Gato, said with the increasing number of over 3,500 students, the need had come for the school to get a spacious dining hall, adding that students now accessed the hall in batches to eat their daily meals.



That notwithstanding, he commended the government for recently constructing and handing over additional dormitory blocks to the school, which he admitted had drastically reduced congestion in the various boys and girls dormitories.

Source: graphiconline.com









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The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Mental Health Authority (MHA), Dr. Akwasi Osei has scored the state of Mental Healthcare in Ghana five (5) out of 10 base points.



According to him, if Kafui Dey, one of the three hosts of the Breakfast Show, a current affairs programme on GTV had asked him (Dr. Osei) before the promulgation of the Mental Health Act, Act 846, he would have scored Ghana two over 10.



Speaking on the Breakfast Show, Dr. Akwasi Osei said even though Ghana is not doing too badly after the passage of the Mental Health Act, Act 846, in 2012, there is still a tall mountain to climb.



He explained that prior to the passage of the Mental Health Act, anyone having a problem with mental health issues and needed mental healthcare will have to travel from wherever he/she is to any of the three Psychiatric hospitals (Accra, Pantang, and Ankaful Psychiatric Hospitals) which are all located in the southern part of Ghana.



But for the passage of the Mental Health Act, anyone who needed mental healthcare can now go to any public healthcare facility and will get some sort of mental healthcare, the CEO of MHA asserted on Wednesday, July 13.



He added that for the coming into being of Act 846, all regional hospitals are having Psychiatric wings to attend to the Psychiatric needs of the citizenry.



Dr. Akwasi Osei revealed that prior to the Mental Health Act, there were only 10 psychiatrists but the number has been increased to 55.



At with the coming into being of the Mental Health Act, Act 846, Ghana has been able to decentralised mental healthcare services, he noted.



Mental illnesses are health conditions involving changes in emotion, thinking, or behavior (or a combination of these). Mental illnesses are associated with distress and/or problems functioning in social, work, or family activities.





Source: gbc









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Private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu, has stated his surprise at a ruling by the courts that the Special Prosecutor could not continue to freeze the assets of the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, alias Sir John.



An Accra High court earlier this week ruled that the anti-corruption czar could not continue to freeze assets of the former New Patriotic Party, NPP, scribe.



Kpebu's surprise emanated from the fact that he expected all properties of the late Sir John to have been embargoed amid a probe, he, however; added that all hope was not lost yet.



Definitely, it is surprising because, I think a lot of us took it for granted that the application was just going to be granted, that is to say, the assets will be frozen for the longer period of the investigation and possible prosecution.



So, it is really surprising that this ruling has gone the other way. But that is how legal processes sometimes go, all is not lost yet. It is good that the Special Prosecutor has indicated that he is going to appeal, so let us see how it goes, he said in a March 12 interview with TV3 News.



An Accra High Court dismissed a request by the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyabeng, to extend his power to freeze the assets of the late Sir John.



The Special Prosecutor announced that the assets had been frozen pending investigations into allegations of unlawful acquisition of state lands.



The OSP stated that it was investigating suspected corruption and corruption-related offences including the alleged improper and unlawful acquisition of state property at the Achimota Forest enclave and the Ramsar catchment at Sakumono in Accra, as stated in late Sir Johns will.



The investigation follows a petition by Corruption Watch, a coalition of anti-corruption civil society organisations, including the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC), the Africa Centre for International Law and Accountability (ACILA) requesting the Special Prosecutor to investigate the acquisition of state lands in the Achimota Forest and the Ramsar area in Sakumono by three companies and two individuals as captured in the Last Will and Testament of Sir John.



The companies are Jakaypros Limited, Fasoh Limited and DML Limited, while the individuals are Charles Owusu and Sir John.



The Special Prosecutor then filed processes in court to extend this order.



According to a Myjoyonline.com report, Section 38 of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, Act 959, empowers the Special Prosecutor to direct the freezing of assets if he holds the view that it is necessary for investigations. He is then required to apply to a court within fourteen days for a confirmation of the freezing order.



It was based on this that the SP headed to court but the High Court however took the view that the Special Prosecutor should have initiated the process under Section 54 of the Act.



This provision deals with the procedure where a person dies or absconds. This empowers the SP to make a request for confiscation of such property.



The SP has protested the ruling and announced he will be appealing it.









Source: ghanaweb.com









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Mr Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, Member of Parliament (MP) for Ho West, has advocated for the amendment of the Asset Declaration procedure.



This, he said was necessary to ensure public disclosure of assets by Government appointees, parliamentarians and persons considered as political risks including all public servants in key positions.



The MP made the suggestion on the floor of Parliament, when he delivered a statement dubbed "Strategies and Mechanisms for the Transparent Management of COVID-19 Funds, to mark the African Anti-Corruption Day Celebration.



Mr Bedzrah recommended for consideration of the House that Section 124 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) be amended to make corruption a first-degree felony, instead of its present form as a second-degree felony.



He also suggested that persons found culpable in the Auditor-Generals Report should be dealt with according to the law.



Mr Bedzrah, who is also the Chairman of the Ghana Chapter of the African Parliamentarians Network Against Corruption (APNAC), said the Government must have the political will to fight corruption.



Touching on the COVID-19 pandemic, the MP said theme for year's African Anti-Corruption Day was timely and relevant because, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there had been a series of corruption allegations on how some African Governments had used the funds received on behalf of their citizens to manage the pandemic.



"Mr Speaker, the pervasiveness of corruption and its negative ramifications are widely witnessed in most developing countries.



"The existence of porous and weak institutions have provided a firm undergird for corruption to thrive in these developing countries," he said.



He added that it was an irrefutable fact that the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak had brought to the fore corruption challenges across countries in the world and in particular, Africa.



"It is significant to state that corruption related to COVID-19 has been reported in a number of African countries," Mr Bedzrah said.



"For instance, in Cameroon, a 2021 audit revealed the misuse of about $333 million meant for the pandemic response in 2020," he mentioned.



He noted that in South Africa, there were issues of irregular contracts to the tune of $10 million, whereas in Malawi, the Government revealed that some of its officials colluded with the private sector to misappropriate $1.3 million of COVID-19 funds.



The MP said the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority allegedly pilfered about $400 million meant to buy medical equipment.



He said in the case of Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Health allegedly bought 1,808 face masks for $96,000.



He said a similar situation was reported in Uganda, where four top officials were arrested for allegedly overpricing COVID-19 food relief items leading to a loss of $528,000.



"Mr Speaker, as reported by the High-Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows from Africa, the continent loses more than $50 billion annually through illicit financial outflows."



Mr Bedzrah said it was significant to state that for decades now, Africa had been continuously losing valuable assets through illicit outflows of not only her natural resources, but also treasured artifacts of African societies, and various proceeds of crime.



He said these outflows directly impact the quality of life on the continent.



He said it was sad to note from the Report of the Ghana Integrity Initiative that Ghana loses close to about $3 billion to corruption annually; stating that a report by the Ghana Integrity Initiative, Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition and SEND-Ghana also indicated that the country lost more than 30 per cent of its GDP to corruption every year.



He said in addition, a report by Imani Ghana and Oxfam revealed that, between 2015 to 2020, Ghana lost a total of GHS13.9 billion in financial irregularities covering stores/procurement, cash, tax, payroll, rent, and contract irregularities.



He said Ghana ranked 73 out of 180 countries in Transparency Internationals 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), saying "this is a clear indication that corruption is pervasive in Ghana".



"Mr Speaker, the above statistics is a worrying trend of how corruption is becoming endemic and systemic, in Ghanaian politics, and I must emphasis that if care is not taken, Ghanaians will completely lose trust in us as politicians," Mr Bedzrah said.





Source: GNA









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China will encourage more residential communities to evolve into low-carbon ones as part of the country's efforts to meet its climate goals.



By 2030, about 60 percent of the urban communities are expected to become "green communities," featuring more convenient, doorstep services that can be obtained by residents by walk, according to a government plan unveiled Wednesday by the country's housing and urban-rural development ministry and top economic planner.

Residents of such communities are expected to use more low-energy-consumption home appliances and less single-use products, conserve electricity in daily life, and opt for new energy vehicles, said the plan.

By 2025, all the country's new urban buildings will be constructed in line with green building standards.

With joint efforts, carbon emissions from urban and rural construction areas will likely peak before 2030, according to the plan.

China has announced that it will strive for peaking carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060.
The United Nations (UN) Eminent Peace Ambassador to Ghana, Dr Samuel Bernard Owusu has urged the Government to invest more into farming after it secures money from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).



That, he said, will fetch Ghana more money aside from the other avenues the country generates money from.



He recalled that during Ex-President Dr Kwame Nkrumah's reign, he initiated state farming where he engaged more farmers at the community level to plant more food.



Although he observed the 'Planting for Food and Jobs' is a good initiative, Amb. Samuel Owusu was of the belief that if the government supports a lot of farmers to grow grains in all communities, there will be enough food for the people, jobs and as well a boosted economy.



In an interview, Dr Samuel Owusu said, "The Government should invest some of the money from the IMF into commercial products or systems, especially farming."



He continued,"Dr Kwame Nkrumah introduced state farming, I am appealing to the president to send us back to state farming. Let us do community farming and give ourselves two years. Let us grow maize everywhere, in all the communities, towns, and regions in the country. Russia and Ukraine grow wheat such that they supply the whole world with wheat."



Dr Samuel Owusu again said,"Planting for food and jobs is a very powerful initiative, let us increase it, the President must focus on that, let us just use maize, grow it everywhere and within a short time, we can supply maize to the whole Africa or even the whole world and we can make a lot of money out of it. We can grow tomatoes and cassava and we will make money from it. The money some countries make from cassava alone is overwhelming, we do not have gold and we are farming too in smaller quantities. Let us do commercial farming. I am asking the President to take us back to state farming, community farming."



Amb. Samuel Owusu added that, "With this IMF money, we are just going to get some money which might not be enough, the government should invest one million dollars from what it is going for from the IMF in farming. For the youth that are unemployed, they should be employed to work three to four hours every morning to plant the food and be given an allowance and after working in the morning, they can go and do other things. I am not influenced by any political party, but we are all seeking the wellbeing of the country."

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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On Tuesday, July 12, 2022, officials from the Ministry of Trade, diplomats and multi-faceted entrepreneurs converged on the Kempinski Hotel for the launch of the Africa World Trade Network (AWTN).



The launch was held under the theme Showcasing Africas Industrialisation Capacities.



In attendance were the Secretary-General of AfCFTA, H.E Wamkele Mene, the Deputy Minister for Trade, Michael Okyere Baafi, H.E Asia Kirabo Kacyira, High Commissioner of Rwanda to Ghana and other diplomats from Africa, Europe and Asia.



In the wake of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), AWTN seeks to lead the way in pursuing tailored trade solutions in the best interest of Africans.



The Secretary-General of AfCFTA, H.E Wamkele Mene, in his speech lauded the initiative and made an audacious call to African leaders to dissolve barriers to free movement of Africans across the continent.



It is inconceivable that in 2022, as Africans, we require visas to enter other African countries, he said.



The signing of AfCFTA should be accompanied with free movement of persons across the African continent. This will boost trade and immensely benefit the continent, he added.



The Deputy Minister for Trade, Michael Okyere Baafi, who spoke on behalf of Alan Kyerematen, Minister of Trade and guest speaker for the launch, pledged the Ministrys unwavering support to AWTN for our collective good.

About Africa World Trade Network (AWTN)

AWTN is a pan-African events and networking platform that specializes in multi-sectoral trade-related programmers.



The platform provide the perfect framework to scaffold private sector actors, government and development partners onto initiatives to spur Africas economic gains with the aim of making the continent globally competitive.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Governance Lecturer at the Central University, Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah, has called on his fellow teachers who are on strike and government to reach a compromise regarding the increment they seek in their Cost of Living Allowance (COLA).



The teacher unions commenced their strike action on Monday, July 4 and continue to lay down their working tools despite calls on them to call off the strike.



Government's efforts to find an amicable solution to the situation haven't yet proven effective.



In a discussion about the labour unions' industrial action during Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' programme, Dr. Otchere-Ankrah noted that should the government offer to increase their allowance not by the 20 percent they request, the teachers must accept and resume work.



"I fully support you but if the government cannot give you the 20 percent but can provide 10, 15 or 18%, please accept it . . . they should soften their stance. There must be a compromise somewhere," he said.



He was worried that, "if care is not taken, in the next two/three weeks, the whole country will be brought to a halt", so asked the teachers to be considerate stressing "we are not in good times at all and all over the world, the countries are suffering".





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Gotabaya Rajapaksa has resigned as president of Sri Lanka after fleeing to Singapore in the face of mass protests at home over his rule.



He is believed to have wanted to leave Sri Lanka before stepping down in order to avoid the possibility of arrest under a new administration.

The cost of food, fuel and other basic supplies has soared for Sri Lankans.



In the capital Colombo, delighted demonstrators greeted news of the president's departure with dancing.



"We are beyond happy but also beyond relieved so we can take a break and go back to our lives," Viraga Perera told the BBC.



"At this stage we are so exhausted because of all the flip-flopping, that we consider this moment substantial enough as a victory."



Mr Rajapaksa arrived in Singapore earlier on Thursday after first flying to the Maldives on Tuesday night. Reports say he is accompanied by his wife and two bodyguards.



Singapore's foreign ministry said Mr Rajapaksa had not asked for asylum or been granted asylum. "Singapore generally does not grant requests for asylum," it added.



The acting president, Ranil Wickremesinghe, does not formally become interim president until he is sworn in.



After that, Mr Wickremesinghe - who was appointed acting president by President Rajapaksa after the latter fled - has 30 days for parliament to endorse him. If they do not, MPs need to hold a vote for a new president.



Read Full Story .... HERE >>> :









Source: Goal









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Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has expressed concern about the significant increase in Misinformation, Disinformation and Hate speech (MDH) in peacekeeping settings.



She said it was most worrying on the African continent where six of the 12 Peacekeeping Missions in the world were hosted.



The Foreign Affairs Minister expressed the sentiments in a remark she made at a Security Council High-Level Open Debate on Strategic Communications in Peacekeeping Operations convened under the chairmanship of Brazil in New York.



The Foreign Affairs Ministry in a statement said Ghana, a pioneering and major Troop and Police Contributing Country (TPCC), supported all efforts at promoting strategic communications as an important enabler and multiplier for the reduction of violence and the sustenance of peace.



Madam Botchway further highlighted areas for deepening and embedding strategic communications in Peacekeeping Missions.



The statement said earlier, Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, held bilateral talks with Mr Carlos Alberto Franco Franca, Foreign Affairs Minister of Brazil on the sidelines of the UN Security Council Meeting in New York to deepen the already existing cordial relations between the two countries.



It said the bilateral cooperation between Ghana and Brazil had become necessary following the establishment of the Headquarters of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat in Accra, which had reinforced Ghanas position as a gateway to trade with Africa.





Source: GNA









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Nigerias Inspector General of Police has banned the use of special number plates that grant holders priority on roads and security privileges.



In a statement, police cited abuse of the special plates, locally referred to as Spy, to disregard traffic rules.



It's unclear how many such plates are currently in use countrywide but they have all been revoked indefinitely.



Holders are to revert to their vehicles' original number plate, the statement by police spokesperson Olumuyiwa Adejobi said.



Police officers attached to senior government officials who use Spy number plates have also been ordered "to ensure prompt compliance with this directive or risk being arrested for violation of the order".



"This order is necessary to forestall the continuous disregard for traffic rules and regulations and other extant laws guiding road use by individuals hiding under," the police statement said.



There were no penalties specified for defaulters of the ban but police have been ordered to confiscate all special plates still in use.

Source: BBC









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The Concerned Farmers Association of Ghana has taken issues with the countrys continuous use of fertilizers for planting to boost production.



According to the association, the continuous use of fertilizers is the result of the low yields experienced by farmers across the country.



The president of the association, Nana Oboadee Boateng Bonsu said Ghanas soil is arable and does not need the use of fertilizers, especially chemical fertilizers to boost yield in the country.



He said the government's continuous introduction of chemical fertilizers to farmers has over the years contributed to low yields in the country leading to some scarcity of food in the country.



He condemned the government for the mass introduction of chemical fertilizers into the Ghanaian farming sector.



The president of the association expressed this concern while reacting to the issue of food shortages in Senior High Secondary Schools across the country.



He said instead of the government leading the chart to ensure selective applications of some of these fertilizers in the country, it introduced the product on mass usage leading to low yields any time farmers are not able to get a hold of the chemicals during the planting season.



The president of the association made these comments in an interview with Kwame Obeng Sarkodie, host of the Ghana Yensom morning show on Accra 100.5 FM on Wednesday, July 13, 2022.



He said if governments over the years were serious about safeguarding the interest of the ordinary farmers in the country, they would engage crop scientists to research into areas where chemical fertilizers are needed and where organic fertilizers are needed across the country.



But this was not done and farmers were introduced to these chemical fertilizers that have destroyed the texture of most soils in the farming communities. As a result of this, anytime farmers plant without some of these chemicals they experience low yields, he stated.



He blamed the division that has plagued the farmer front in the country for many of these anomalies, adding that there are farmers who swallow without questioning policies by the government.



Because we are not united like the commercial drivers are, it has led to the mistreatment of farmer advocate groups in the country, he lamented.

He chastised Parliament for also not showing respect to farmer holder groups in the country adding that they formulate policies without the input of farmers in the country.





Source: class fm









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As part of the efforts to ensure healthy lives for all, the government has invested heavily in the health sector in the Ashanti Region.

Currently, six health facilities are under construction, some of which have been completed, with the others at various stages of completion.



They are the over 40-year-old Maternity Block of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), the Afari Military Hospital, the 250-bed Regional Hospital at Sewuah in the Bosomtwe District, the Bekwai Municipal Hospital, the Kumawu District Hospital and the Konongo District Hospital.



This came to light during a recent tour of the facilities by the National Coordinator of the Monitoring and Evaluation Secretariat at the Presidency, Gifty Ohene Konadu, and her team.



The team was in the region to monitor and also inspect some of the ongoing projects in the region.



Commenting on the projects, Ms Konadu expressed the hope that when completed, the health facilities would aid in the rebound of the economy.



It is the belief of this government that all the projects will be completed. The impact that this will have on the lives of the people will be massive. The President Akufo-Addo government is committed to transforming Ghana through massive development projects, and these are evident across the country, she said.



KATH Maternity Block



The erstwhile NDC government, in 1999 and 2004, tried to reactivate the Maternity Block of KATH but could not do much before exiting office.



On Friday, May 15, last year, President Akufo-Addo cut the sod for the reactivation of the 155-million project after securing funding from the Deutsche Bank.



The project is expected to be completed in 2023.



When completed, the 750-bed Maternity and Childrens Block will serve as a referral centre for 12 out of the 16 regions in Ghana. It will have 10 operating theatres and diagnostic rooms, fully equipped with X-Ray, ultrasound and mammograph facilities.



The facility will also house an intensive care unit, a high dependency unit, isolation rooms and student lecture halls, with the capacity to provide catering services for staff, patients and students.



500-bed Military Hospital



Already behind schedule, the Military Hospital at Afari in the Atwima Nwabiagya District is a 500-bed facility being executed by Euroget De-Invest, an Egyptian Investment company.



When completed, it will be the second military hospital in the country, after the 37 Military Hospital in Accra, and will complement KATH as the two referral centres in the middle belt of the country.



It is one of the nine hospitals whose construction was awarded to the Egyptian construction firm.



According to the Resident Engineer of the project, Abou Shamaa, the hospital should be ready by December this year.



He said all the physical infrastructure, including staff accommodation facilities and medical blocks, had been completed, while the installation of equipment was at an advanced stage.



It has 15 operating theatres, Endoscopy operating Rooms, a central kitchen and laundry, a mortuary with a 153-body capacity, a parking area for 600 cars and 18 buses and 64 staff housing units.



Sewuah Regional Hospital



The 250-bed Regional Hospital at Sewuah in the Bosomtwe District was started in May 2015 by the erstwhile NDC government but work stalled for over one and a half years. It was reactivated by the current government as part of efforts to enhance healthcare delivery for the people in the Ashanti Region.



The facility, according to the Project Officer, Stephen Owusu Sekyere, was about 99 per cent complete.



The only challenges facing the project were the lack of an access road, reliable power and water supplies.



It has an administration block, a medical gas plant, a water treatment plant, an inpatient ward, a mortuary, a 20-unit staff accommodation, delivery suites, a gynaecology ward, a sterilisation department, a sewage treatment biogas plant and a power station.



Bekwai Hospital



The Bekwai Municipal Hospital is a 120-bed facility which was inaugurated by the President in November 2020.



It was initially started in the early 1970s but due to lack of funds, work stalled until 2010 when it was reactivated by the Ministry of Health. It, however, suffered another setback in 2013 as a result of the lack of funding.



Through a structured funding from Ellipse Projects to the tune of 23 million in 2018, the project was reactivated and eventually completed in 2020.



Key facilities at the hospital include an Accident and Emergency Unit, a mortuary, a kitchen, a laundry, a Central Sterile Services Department and an X-ray and Ultrasound Unit.



At the inauguration of the facility in 2020, President Akufo-Addo said the completion of the facility was evidence of the governments commitment to continue with major infrastructural projects inherited from the previous government so that their expected socio-economic benefits can be enjoyed by all.



Konongo District Hospital



Although completed, the 60-bed Asante Akim Central Municipal Hospital is yet to become operational due to the nature of the road leading to the facility.



The 1.4-km road, which has been awarded to Agyakot Company Limited, is yet to be completed, thereby delaying the operationalisation of the facility.



The hospital has facilities such as dental, cardiology, ophthalmology, paediatric, gynaecology and Orthopaedic clinics.



It also has four operating theatres, housing for lactating mothers, three wells serving as a backup to the main water supply system, a 10-unit staff accommodation facility, a 36-body capacity mortuary, a parking lot and an ambulance station.



Kumawu District Hospital



The Kumawu District Hospital, located in the Sekyere Afram Plains District, was scheduled to have been completed in 2017 but suffered some delay owing to the change in government.



Following the change, the $38.8-million project had to be redesigned to accommodate further expansion and also reflect the current needs of the people.



It is a 120-bed facility with the possibility to be expanded to 200 beds, and when completed, it will have two operating theatres and the full complement of a functional hospital with an ICU, surgical and medical wards, accident and emergency wards, OPD, among others.

Source: graphiconline.com









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The Central Regional Manager of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Emmanuel Ankomah, has cautioned customers to refrain from engaging unprofessional people to work on the companys transformers and other electricity installations in their communities.



He said it was not only dangerous but criminal to work on the companys electricity transformers in an attempt to check for any fault within their communities.



He warned that persons found to be tampering with the companys installations would face prosecution. Mr Ankomah made the call during a public forum organised by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC). The forum was organised by the Greater Accra and Central Regional Offi ces of the PURC at Kasoa in the Central Region last week Tuesday to fi nd ways of addressing the concerns of both utility providers and consumers.



It formed part of the commissions outreach programmes which also focuses on bringing activities of the PURC to the doorsteps of the public. Mr Ankomah called on consumers not to accept any metre from individuals but to contact the ECG if they needed metres.



Certified electricians



He further urged consumers to get certifi ed electricians for the electrical wiring of their buildings before approaching the ECG for connection onto the national electricity grid. He also asked consumers to refrain from engaging in illegal connection and cautioned that those found to have engaged in illegal connection would be dealt with in accordance with the law.



The Greater Accra Regional Manager of the PURC, Gifty Bruce-Nelson, explained that the commission was committed to ensuring that utility companies provided better services to consumers. She lauded the dialogue between the utilities and consumers and said it served a platform for consumers to express their complaints about services by utility service providers.



The Central Regional Manager of the PURC, Kesewaa Apenteng-Addo, in her address, reiterated the important role of the commission towards addressing the concerns of consumers and utility providers in the country.

Tampering with metres



She also cautioned consumers to refrain from altering metres of utility companies or transformers of ECG, explaining that anybody found to have engaged in such acts will be prosecuted according to the law. She urged consumers to pay their bills promptly and stated that consumers were required to pay their utility bills within two weeks after receiving their bills.



Ms Apenteng-Addo expressed the commitment of the PURC to protect the interest of consumers and utility companies. For her part, the Accra West Communications Manager of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), Solace Akomeah, explained that the company was managing the water fl ow situation at Kasoa and its environs.



Touching on new service connection, she urged consumers to avoid illegal connection and refrain from connecting to the main pipeline before approaching the GWCL for metres or to be connected to the main water pipeline. The GWCL, she said, had adopted an electronic payment system and called on consumers to use the platform in the payment of their water bills, saying the introduction of the e-levy does not affect utility payment.



Participants



A resident, Gifty Brown, expressed worry about the handling of complaints made to the utility companies at Kasoa and its environs, stating that the companies did not act promptly when issues were brought to their attention.



Another resident, Yeboah Kissi, mentioned issues relating to the allocation of electricity metres, unstable power and water supply as some of the problems that individuals living at Kasoa and its environs faced.











Source: graphiconline.com









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Police in Kenya has arrested a woman who allegedly stabbed her husband to death during a fight over a mobile phone at a bar in Homa Bay county.



The suspect, Cyndy Trinic, was arrested on Wednesday afternoon, July 13, after killing her 31-year-old husband identified as Charles Okoth Onyango. Onyango was an employee of the county government of Homa Bay. He died at the scene after being seriously wounded on the chest.



According to witnesses, the deceased walked to the bar located along Homa Bay-Kendu Bay Road and ordered some drinks. He was seated alone at a corner when a woman later joined him before she started drinking as well. It turned out that it was his wife.



As both were drinking, an argument ensued between them. It is alleged that the suspect was asking for Onyango's mobile phone. Her intention was to read text messages that the deceased had been receiving. But Onyango is reported to have declined to let go of this phone and instead began faulting the suspect for questioning him.



What started as a simple conversation between the couple later turned out to be a quarrel that attracted the attention of other people who were not interested in listening to their row.



Homa Bay town location Chief Joshua Ochogo, who confirmed the incident said the couple was acting under the influence of alcohol. "They were drunk and their actions were controlled by alcohol," he said.

At the time the argument got to its peak, the woman withdrew a knife and stabbed Onyango on the chest.



She had carried the knife in her handbag and appeared to have been prepared to kill. Mr Ochogo said the suspect stabbed the deceased once before he collapsed and died. Homa Bay Sub county Police Commander Sammy Koskeyi said investigation into the incident is ongoing.



"The suspect is in custody as investigators look into what led to their disagreement," he said. The body of the deceased was taken to Homa Bay County teaching and referral hospital mortuary.













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You are here: China

The Luohu district government has recently implemented a comprehensive public civilization index evaluation system to prompt governance in sub-district level.

The evaluation system will help resolve some difficult problems in the administration of city villagers where infrastructure facilities are comparatively less developed, and the population density is high.

The district's Civilization and Urban Management Work Office and the Comprehensive Law Enforcement Bureau of Luohu conducted surveys to ensure the evaluation system indexes can objectively assess the sub-district offices' performance in serving the people.

The indexes include the living environment in the community, public hygiene environment, public order, and infrastructure construction.

The district authorities carry out the evaluation once a month. Over the past two months, Dongmen has strengthened its regulation on illegal advertisement posters. Sungang focused on regulating mobile vendors, and Cuizhu addressed unlawful car parking.
Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Majority Leader and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, has said it is time for political parties to strictly align their development agenda with that of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC).



Their manifestoes should be woven around the overall development aspirations of the nation, he argued, saying instances where parties took power only to sideline the Commission did not augur well for sustainable socio-economic growth.



The practice has not been helpful to the cause of the nation in terms of continuity and long-term planning in the implementation of policies, programmes and policies.



Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who was delivering a paper at a public lecture, organised by the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, in Kumasi, contended that, at every point in time, the Commission ought to be the driver of Ghanas development agenda.



The parties vision should not be different from that of the NDPC, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Suame stated.



Speaking on the topic, Constitutional Review; the Perspective of a Legislator, Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said multi-party democracy was meant for the wellbeing of the citizenry.



The ultimate aim is to bring improvement in the living conditions of the citizenry in all aspects of their endeavours.



The lecture looked at the question of the need or otherwise for a review of the 1992 Constitution from the perspective of a legislator, and the spectrum for discussion covered the milieu of the crafting of the Constitution.



It considered previous efforts made at amendment, evidence of demands for amendment from prominent Ghanaians, situating the Constitution in the current global and local context, and taking advantage of the opportune time for a review.



A concept note underpinning the lecture said democracy is an inherently flexible system of government that has an intrinsic capacity to adapt to changing circumstances and priorities.



The Constitution, which is the anchor of any democracy, must, in that regard, be inherently resilient yet adaptable to remain relevant.



Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu observed that it had been three decades since the Fourth Republican Constitution was promulgated, enduring and serving the nation well.



However, it is imperative that some aspects of the document be looked at critically in order to bring provisions under the Constitution to contemporary democratic practices.



The legislator cited the need to amend the Constitution in order to decouple the Office of the Attorney-General (AG) and that of the Minister of Justice.



That, he explained, would allow the AG to work independently devoid of government influence.



Additionally, there was the need to consider the excessive appointing powers bestowed on the President by the 1992 Constitution, the Majority Leader noted.



According to him, in a situation where the President was mandated to appoint about 5, 000 government officials, including appointees to head state agencies and institutions, was not the best.



Some of these prerogative rights, he said, could be left in the care of Committees and Councils, thereby limiting the President in terms of the frequency with which he could appoint and dismiss appointees.



Touching on the legislature, Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu expressed worry at the way new constituencies were created almost every four years.



He warned that, if care was not taken, it would come at a time when the Parliament House could be overwhelmed by the excessive number of seats with its attendant budgetary cost to the nation.



He also lent his support to calls to reduce the number of Ministers of State drastically, arguing that operating a lean government with a limited competent personnel was what the nation should strive for.



Professor Ellis Owusu-Dabo, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, KNUST, said the public lecture was meant to serve as a platform for public discourse on issues affecting Ghanas development and growth.





Source: GNA









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The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has released its internal elections timetable to elect new leaders for the next years.



The event was also used to outdoor the partys digital payment platform to collect monthly dues, among other payments.



The www.ghanandc.com and the shortcode *920*25# give members various options from the comfort of their homes.



Addressing the media on Wednesday, July 13, 2022, at the partys Headquarters in Accra to announce the outcome of the Functional Executive Committee (FEC) meeting held on Tuesday, Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketia made it clear that only those who have paid their dues in full qualify to contest any position in the party. The FEC meeting also approved the new payment platform.



The NDC General Secretary also used the occasion to dispel rumors of the party delaying its internal elections. According to him, the opposition NDC has a constitution that spelled out the road map of any elections of party elections.



Digital Payment Platform



According to the Deputy General Secretary, Dr. Peter Boamah Otokunor, a QR code will be posted at all NDC offices and other vantage points to give easy access to members to scan and pay anywhere across the country.



He further added that all transactions across the digital platforms are only accessible when members input their digital membership card numbers and phone contacts in filling in the blanks.



At the launch of a road map for internal elections, the General Secretary of the party, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah said the innovation is to eliminate disagreements that come with filing nominations and this will also help the party keep track of paid-up members.



However, the party maintained its monthly dues at GHc2 and GHc10 as filing fees for aspiring branch executives.





Source: gbc









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The Privileges Committee of Parliament has left the decision to sack Adwoa Safo as MP for Dome Kwabenya or not in the hands of the entire plenary.



The committee also in a 15-12 majority decision, decided that Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong and Ayawaso Central MP, Henry Quarteys excuse of absenting themselves from the House for 15 days was tenable and, thus, they should not lose their seats.



The three MPs were hauled before the Privileges Committee for absenting themselves from parliament for 15 days without permission.



Mr Agyapongs excuse before the committee was that he was ill at that period. Mr Quartey also noted that he had a knee surgery, thus, his absence.



Ms Safo, however, did not appear before the committee and all attempts to get her to meet the committee via zoom proved futile.



She has been out of the country for close to a year taking care of her sick son in the United States.



The report of the committee, however, will be presented to the plenary for consideration and approval or otherwise.





Source: class fm









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Lawyers for the embattled Assin North Member of Parliament, James Gyakye Quayson, yesterday Wednesday, 13th July 2022, filed a supplement to their statement of the case in the Supreme Court

following the order of the court on Tuesday.



The Assin North MP had been given 14 days to file a supplement to his statement of case by the Supreme Court but filed the day after and has written to the Registrar to have the case listed before the legal vacation.



His lawyers insist that the Supreme Court lacks jurisdiction to entertain the originating writ seeking to invalidate the Assin North 2020 Parliamentary elections.



"The broad ground of the application to strike out the writ is that this court lacks jurisdiction as determined by previous decisions of this court", the Supplement Statement of Case filed for the embattled MP, Mr Quayson indicated.



"The first aspect of this grounds, which is referred to in paragraphs 5 and 6 of the affidavit in support of the application is that this court has previously decided that by virtue of article 99 of the Constitution and section 16 of the Representation of People Act (PNDCL 284), it has no jurisdiction to entertain a suit that involves invalidating the results of a parliamentary election. Even if dressed up as an invocation of the original jurisdiction of this court under article 130 or a suit for the enforcement of the Constitution under article 2, this court does not have jurisdiction. Relying on the case of Yeboah v JH Mensah, Bimpong-Buta vs General Legal Council among others, Mr Tsikata prayed the court to strike out the originating writ before them.



The defendant has also prayed to the court to list the case before vacation.



"In view of the obvious urgency of this case, particularly its significance for the representation in Parliament of Ghanaians in the Assin North Constituency, we respectfully ask the case be listed before the vacation."



James Gyakye Quayson, an NDC candidate got 17,498 votes representing (55.21%) and Abena Durowaa Mensah, an NPP candidate had 14,193 representing (44.79%) in the 2020 elections.



However, the sworn-in MP, Hon Quayson has been petitioned to annul his elections on grounds he holds dual citizenship, of which he has denied as factual.



One Michael Ninfa, a teacher and resident of Yamoransa in the Central Region had filed an interlocutory motion and urged the Supreme Court to bar the lawmaker from holding himself out as MP.



His application originated from the decision of the Cape Coast High Court dated July 21, 2021, that nullify the 2020 Assin North Parliamentary election because Mr Quayson, a Canadian citizen, failed to renounce his Canadian citizenship at the time he picked nomination forms to contest the election.

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Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com/ghana









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Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, speaking at the official launch of the Accra Business Schools IT Programmes on Thursday, 14th July 2022 said: with enhanced fiscal discipline and structural reforms to restore debt sustainability and growth, we should emerge stronger than we have with the previous 17 IMF programs.



But it will take hard work and difficult decisions. With great pride and personal pleasure, it is good that we are all part of this launch of three new programmes by the Accra Business School in collaboration with the South East Technical University," he said.



If you take out the fiscal impact of this quadruple whammy, Ghana will not be going to the IMF for support because our fiscal, debt and balance of payments outlook would be sustainable. Of the four factors, two (COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war) were external and the other two (the banking sector clean-up and the excess capacity payments) were the result of policies of the previous government," he added.



He explained why the government is seeking financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) despite earlier claims that the economy was buoyant.



He noted that in the midst of the worsening economic challenges, the governments options for generating enough revenue were limited, forcing the country to run to the IMF for support.



In the midst of this global crisis, Ghanas fiscal and debt sustainability has worsened. Some commentators have argued that the expenditures by government alone could not be the reason for the large increase in the fiscal deficit of the debt stock. In fact they are right.



Covid-19 expenditures alone were not the reason for the increase in Ghanas debt stock by the end of 2021. In fact, as I stated in my April 7th lecture, in addition to COVID-19, there were two major items of expenditure that are critical to understanding the evolution of the fiscal deficit and the debt stock: the Banking Sector Clean-up (GH25 billion) and the Energy Sector Excess Capacity payments (GH 7 billion), he explained.



The Vice President disclosed that government intends to introduce a policy that will authorize the Bank of Ghana to purchase any amount of gold mined in Ghana to generate more revenue.



The IMF concluded its visit to Ghana on Wednesday, July 13, 2022.



IMF again reaffirmed its commitment to support Ghana.





Below is the full text of his speech

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A Nigerian actor has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a minor between 2013 and 2014.



The trial of Olanrewaju Omiyinka at a special offences court in Lagos lasted a year.



The 49 year old is popularly known as Baba Ijesha in Nollywood - as Nigeria's film industry is called.



The judge ruled that Omiyinka should be sentenced to 16 years in total for the four charges of which he was found guilty.



However, as he is to serve the sentences at the same time, he will spend a maximum of five years in prison.



Two counts of sexual assault were dropped because of a lack of sufficient evidence.



Last year, Omiyinka admitted in court to molesting the victim, but said it was in the context of a role he was playing in a film campaigning against child sexual abuse.



Women and child rights activists say the ruling will serve as an example to anyone intending to take advantage of a child.



His lawyers are planning to appeal against the judgment.

Source: BBC









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Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is a treatment for infertility with an increased chance of a successful pregnancy. Here is some information about infertility treatment and who is best suited to it and what the process looks like. In this article, were going to describe everything you should know about ICSI such as the ICSI process, success rate, and how ICSI treatment works.

ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection)

ICSIor intracytoplasmic sperm injectionis a more advanced technique under the umbrella of assisted reproductive technology, developed to manage problems that cannot be solved by in vitro fertilization, such as a male partner who has undergone a vasectomy or whose sperm is unhealthy or a female partner with uterus problems or who has had surgery on the uterus, whose fallopian tubes are narrowed or blocked, or who is experiencing Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS).

With ICSI the scientist will select the healthiest egg and the healthiest sperm and inject the sperm directly into the egg to fertilize it into an embryo. Once it has grown enough the embryo is placed back into the uterus where it may continue to grow in pregnancy. ICSI is more successful than other methods and is an option for families that have tried other assisted reproductive technologies without success.

The difference between ICSI and IVF

With ICSI, the one strongest sperm will be injected directly into the highest quality egg. Once the egg is fertilized, becoming an embryo, it will continue to develop in the laboratory. This embryo will continue to grow in a special solution until it becomes a blastocyst, where it will then be transferred back to the uterus to continuing growing in pregnancy.

IVF involves selecting an egg and sperm and combining them in a laboratory to hopefully create an embryo. The embryo is then transferred into the uterus to hopefully progress into a successful pregnancy.

The difference between ICSI and IVF is the deliberate fertilization where the sperm is injected directly into the egg rather than allowing them to combine on their own. Therefore ICSI is often more successful, where the healthiest egg and sperm are used only.

Who should consider ICSI?

Couples who have been trying to become pregnant for a long time and have not been successful.

Someone experiencing infertility.

Men with low-quality sperm, whether the problem is with shape, motility, or number.

Men who have had vasectomies, but are still producing sperm that can be extracted using PESA, TESE, etc.

Women with blocked or narrowed fallopian tubes.

Women experiencing abnormal ovulation.

People with genetic conditions.

Couples who have had no success with IVF.

Couples who would like their embryos tested for chromosomal abnormalities (NGS).

The ICSI Procedure (Step-by-step)

The ICSI procedure is made up of six steps as follows:

1. Doctor consultation

The doctor will explain the procedure and preparation and set up the treatment plan. (Please see the doctor before your period.)

2. Ovarian stimulation

The female partner will undergo a health assessment to ensure she is ready for ICSI. She will then undergo ovarian stimulation to help several eggs grow at the same time. She will receive an ovarian stimulation injection on the 2nd or 3rd day of her cycle, with injections daily for 8-10 days to produce more eggs than during normal ovulation. The goal is to collect 8-15 eggs.

3. Egg and sperm collection

Once the eggs have reached the desired sizes, the doctor will remove them from the ovaries within 24-36 hours. The procedure is done under sedation and a needle is inserted through the vagina into the ovaries to collect the eggs, with ultrasound to guide the doctor. Fasting is required for the procedure so the female partner shouldnt eat or drink for at least 6 hours. The eggs will be cleaned in a specific solution and stored in the laboratory to be fertilized by sperm.

Sperm also needs to be collected. The male partner will ejaculate into a prepared container and the sample is taken to the laboratory so that the healthiest sperm can be selected for fertilization. An ICSI machine and a camera is used to inject the healthiest sperm into the healthiest egg in the laboratory. If the male partner is unable to ejaculate, sperm is collected from the testicles directly.

4. Embryo development (Blastocyst culture)

Embryos are kept in the sterile laboratory for 3-5 days where the environment is ideal for helping them develop, with the appropriate temperature, light, humidity, and pressure. The embryo is placed in a special solution appropriate for its development, in a storage container with the right temperature, humidity, pH balance, and gas. This process is as close to the natural process in the human body as possible. Embryos are stored until they become blastocysts (day 5), which is when they are strong enough to be transferred back into the uterus so they can implant and develop in pregnancy.

5. Embryo transfer

Once ready, the doctor and patients will select an embryo to be transferred into the uterus. This is done by inserting a small plastic tube through the vagina into the uterus, with ultrasound helping guide the perfect placement of the embryo.

6. Pregnancy test

The doctor will schedule blood tests every three days after embryo transfer to check hormone levels. Pregnancy can be tested for 14 days after the transfer.

Preparation before ICSI Treatment

Female Preparation

Avoid alcohol, processed foods, and foods high in added sugar.

Eat at least 60 mg of protein each day to improve egg quality.

Drink at least 1.5-2 liters of water each day.

Maintain a healthy body weight and exercise moderately by walking or doing yoga.

Avoid smoking and being exposed to secondhand smoke.

Get adequate rest each day and manage stress.

Male Preparation

Avoid soaking in hot water and using the sauna.

Avoid tight underwear.

Avoid caffeine and alcohol.

Avoid cigarettes for at least three months before the procedure and through until after the treatment.

Exercise regularly, get plenty of rest, and manage stress.

Pros and Cons of ICSI for Infertility

Pros of ICSI

It is currently the ART with the highest success rate.

It can treat a variety of problems.

No surgery is required.

It can be done even after a tubal ligation.

It can be done even with low sperm motility.

Genetic testing (next-generation sequencing or NGS) of the embryo can be done before it is transferred.

Cons of ICSI

ICSI costs significantly more than IUI.

It has a more complicated procedure.

The procedure lasts many days.

Some patients may experience side effects from egg collection, such as abdominal discomfort.

ICSI Success Rates

The success of ICSI depends on a number of factors, such as age, cause of infertility, previous pregnancies, etc. It is important to discuss the rate of success of ICSI with your doctor for the most accurate information.

The success of ICSI depends on:

The age of the female partner; the older the female partner, the fewer her eggs.

The number of eggs collected.

The quality of eggs collected.

The health of the sperm.

The thickness of the uterine lining on the day of transfer.

ICSI fertilization failure reasons

These are the main causes of ICSI failure:

The most common reason for failed ICSI has to do with the embryo itself. Even if the embryo is stored and developed in the laboratory with the most appropriate temperature and cared for by embryologists, fertilization can produce both low-quality and high-quality embryos. Low-quality embryos, whether they developed too slowly or incompletely in the laboratory, dont often implant in the uterus once transferred.

itself. Even if the embryo is stored and developed in the laboratory with the most appropriate temperature and cared for by embryologists, fertilization can produce both low-quality and high-quality embryos. Low-quality embryos, whether they developed too slowly or incompletely in the laboratory, dont often implant in the uterus once transferred. Another reason for failed ICSI is due to the uterus . The health of the uterus is an important factor when it comes to a successful pregnancy. No matter how high-quality the embryo is, if the uterus is not healthy, the embryo cannot implant. Furthermore, if any polyps or growths are found in the uterus, this will make it even harder for the embryo to implant.

. The health of the uterus is an important factor when it comes to a successful pregnancy. No matter how high-quality the embryo is, if the uterus is not healthy, the embryo cannot implant. Furthermore, if any polyps or growths are found in the uterus, this will make it even harder for the embryo to implant. Autoimmune problems in the female partner can impact cell walls and blood circulation, and these can impact blood flow to the uterus and prevent an embryo from implanting, leading to miscarriage.

problems in the female partner can impact cell walls and blood circulation, and these can impact blood flow to the uterus and prevent an embryo from implanting, leading to miscarriage. Problems with the endocrine system, such as thyroid disease that can lead to elevated prolactin levels, can cause difficulty in getting pregnant. These problems can be managed by the doctor before the ICSI process if you let the doctor know or if it is found through blood tests before fertility treatment is started.

ICSI Treatment Cost

When compared with intrauterine insemination (IUI), ICSI costs significantly more, but it is a worthwhile investment when dealing with infertility. The starting cost of ICSI is 200,000 baht and can go up to 500,000 baht per cycle, depending on the facility. ICSI is an involved process that is made up of several important steps: ovarian stimulation, preventing ovulation, triggering egg maturation, ultrasounds, egg and sperm collection costs, and the ICSI procedure itselfall of these have their own expenses.

At Beyond IVF we are please to offer a promotion price of 229,000 baht for one cycle of ICSI, which covers almost the entirety of the ICSI process.

FAQs about ICSI

How long does the ICSI process take?

The ICSI process begins on the second day of your period when you will be asked to come in for bloodwork and an ultrasound. Ovarian stimulation begins then and injections are administered daily for 10-12 days. During this time the doctor will ask you to come in occasionally. Two days after the last injection the doctor will schedule egg and sperm collection. The egg will be fertilized using the ICSI procedure and embryos will be grown and tested before being transferred to the uterus, a process that takes approximately 15 days. So one cycle of ICSI takes about a month.

Is the ICSI procedure painful?

Some aspects of the ICSI procedure can be uncomfortable, such as the blood tests and injections. Sedation and anesthesia is used for the egg collection procedure so there should be no pain with that. Possible side effects include lower abdomen pain, slight vaginal bleeding, and abdominal discomfort. If you experience any adverse effects from the procedures or medications, please let your doctor know immediately.

Can ICSI decide gender?

In Thailand it is against the law to choose gender of the embryo, but next-generation sequencing (NGS) of the embryo to check chromosomes also reveals the embryos gender (XX for female and XY for male). It is recommended that the healthiest embryo be transferred rather than focusing on the gender of the embryo.

Can ICSI cause twins?

In Thailand intentionally implanting multiple embryos in hopes of a twin pregnancy is not allowed and medically speaking, a twin pregnancy is considered higher risk. It is not recommended that you carry more than one baby at a time. However, in some cases the doctor may recommend transferring two embryos if they are of lower quality, with the hope that one will implant. In some cases, both embryos may implant, resulting in a twin pregnancy.

How successful is ICSI after vasectomy?

ICSI is not just a treatment option for infertility but can also help families become pregnant after a vasectomy or tubal ligation. ICSI bypasses any procedures done to prevent pregnancy as well as any narrowed or blocked fallopian tubes as sperm and egg can be collected directly from the testicles and ovaries. The ICSI procedure is as follows:

Ovarian stimulation

Egg/sperm collection

Egg fertilization in the laboratory

Embryo development

Embryo transfer through the vagina (no surgery required)

Final Thoughts

ICSI is a special procedure built on the IVF process to increase the chances of pregnancy. If you are experiencing fertility problems or think you may be infertile, please meet with a doctor first. Your doctor will carry out a thorough evaluation and offer you appropriate treatment options that are best suited for you and your family. If you are searching for an IVF center in Bangkok, please contact us Beyond IVF.

Thank you to BeyondIVF, IVF center in Bangkok for sharing knowledge.
A. Structures of stereoisomers of astaxanthin; B. Measurement of the singlet oxygen quenching capacity of antioxidants. Credit: Zheng Xinxin

Researchers led by Prof. Huang Qing from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have proposed a new method to evaluate the antioxidant activity of astaxanthin isomers against singlet oxygen. Results were published in Food Chemistry.

Astaxanthin has excellent antioxidant properties and is widely used in food supplements. It has many isomers and their physical and chemical properties are also different.

In this study, the researchers tried a spectroscopic method to investigate the antioxidant activity of isomers of astaxanthin against singlet oxygen (1O 2 ), a kind of reactive oxygen species with long life and strong oxidation capacity. Previous studies on the antioxidant activity of astaxanthin did not specifically distinguish active oxygen species and generally ignored the difference in antioxidant activity of astaxanthin's isomers.

Based on previous research, they used methylene blue (MB) as a photosensitizer to generate 1O 2 , and probe 1, 3-diphenyliso-benzofuran (DPBF) was used to detect 1O 2 in the solution. The singlet oxygen quenching capacities of astaxanthin isomers were evaluated by comparing the absorption changes of DPBF at 410 nm under different astaxanthin treatment, and the quenching constants of astaxanthin isomers were compared with that of vitamin E.

The researchers found that the singlet oxygen quenching constant of astaxanthin was three orders of magnitude different from that of vitamin E. The 1O 2 quenching capacities of the optical isomers of astaxanthin were almost identical in extracellular experiments. For the cis-trans geometric isomers of astaxanthin, the 1O 2 quenching capacity of cis-astaxanthin was significantly higher than that of all-trans astaxanthin.

This study offers a simple and facile spectroscopic method to assess the antioxidant activity of different forms of astaxanthin against singlet oxygen and reveals significant differences between geometric isomers, providing a new basis for practical application of astaxanthin in food industry and the development of future biological functions.

Explore further Light-independent metabolic pathways regulate astaxanthin accumulation in Haematococcus

More information: Xinxin Zheng et al, Assessment of the antioxidant activities of representative optical and geometric isomers of astaxanthin against singlet oxygen in solution by a spectroscopic approach, Food Chemistry (2022). Journal information: Food Chemistry Xinxin Zheng et al, Assessment of the antioxidant activities of representative optical and geometric isomers of astaxanthin against singlet oxygen in solution by a spectroscopic approach,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.133584
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Four thousand beagles from a breeding facility in Virginia accused of animal welfare violations will be transferred to shelters nationwide for adoption in the coming months, under a plan approved by a federal judge last week.

According to court records, the plan came after the federal government filed a civil enforcement case in May against Envigo RMS, which owns and operates the Cumberland, Virginia, facility that breeds beagles for medical research.

Federal officials accused Envigo of a chain of animal welfare violations at the facilityincluding dogs receiving insufficient food, inadequate medical care, housing in filthy conditions and some being euthanized without anesthesia. And an inspection report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that, between January and July of last year, over 300 puppy deaths were attributed to "unknown causes"with the facility not taking any additional steps to investigate the deaths or prevent similar losses in the future.

After the government filed its case against Envigo, U.S. District Court Judge Norman Moon issued a restraining order that imposed restrictions on the facility. Inotiv Inc., Envigo's parent company, announced it would "implement an orderly closure plan" for the facility in a June statement.

On Friday, following the judge's approval, the government and Envigo jointly filed a plan for the Human Society of the United States to remove "all" of the facility's beagles. The HSUS will then transport the dogs to shelters across the country, where it is hoped they can find new homes.

The removal process is expected to take about 60 days. Envigo will cover a monetary fee to help shelters with the costs of preparing each beagle for adoption, according to court documents.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, a Norfolk-based animal rights group that also investigated the facility, applauded the transfer plan.

"Envigo's surviving victims will soon be given the opportunity to have what every dog deservesthe freedom to enjoy life, love, and respect for their individuality as members of a family home," PETA Senior Vice President of Cruelty Investigations Daphna Nachminovitch said in a statement.

U.S. Sens. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Mark R. Warner, D-Va., who called on action from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in March to address Envigo's animal welfare violations, also celebrated last week's move.

"After months of advocacy, we're heartened to know that nearly 4,000 Envigo dogs will be spared a lifetime of suffering and will instead head to loving homes," Kaine and Warner said in a joint-statement. "We're also pleased to know that InotivEnvigo's parent companywill shutter its Cumberland facility and that no more dogs will be subject to the appalling conditions and inexcusable distress endured by so many dogs and puppies at the facility. We will continue working in the Senate to prevent the mistreatment of innocent animals across Virginia and the nation."

Hundreds have already been removed from the Cumberland facility. As of June 1, Envigo had relinquished 446 beagles determined to be in "acute distress," according to court documents.

Explore further Mammal testing could be cut by moth larvae

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A study published by The American Naturalist, and in which Faculty of Science and Technology researcher David Lopez-Idiaquez participated, explored whether climate change alters the plumage coloration of the blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus).

The work, which was conducted over a 15-year period (20052019) through a partnership between scientists from the UPV/EHU and theCentre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutivein Montpellier (CEFE-CNRS), focused on two populations of blue tits in the south of France, one located on the outskirts of Montpellier and the other in the northwest of the island of Corsica.

Each year between 2005 and 2019, all breeding blue tits in each population were captured. As a result, researchers from the two institutions were able to gather more than 5,800 observations on the coloring and other characteristics of the blue tits.

The blue tit is characterized by its striking coloring: a blue crest and a yellow breast. The results obtained in the study show a decrease in both populations of blue and yellow coloration between 2005 and 2019. In other words, the blue crests and yellow breasts of blue tits in these two populations are on average less colorful right now than when the research began.

"Our work suggests that environmental changes, and specifically climate change, could be the main reason why birds such as the blue tit are undergoing a change in their physical features, more specifically in the brightness and intensity of their coloration," said David Lopez-Idiaquez, researcher in the UPV/EHU's Department of Plant Biology and Ecology.

"A negative trend in terms of brightness and intensity of plumage coloration in both sexes and populations has been observed, although in Corsica this change is more associated with climate," explained Lopez." The change in plumage color seems to be the result of a combination of a rise in temperature (1.23C) and a fall in rainfall (0.64 mm), so climate change would be the potential cause of this difference," he said.

Change in species mating patterns

It may appear to be a purely aesthetic change, but just the opposite is true, as this change in plumage may have an effect on the "mating patterns" of the species. "In these birds, traits such as coloring function as signals to indicate to other individuals the quality of the specimen, which are decisive, for example, when it comes to breeding," explained David Lopez.

"This study was possible thanks to the continuous monitoring of the two blue tit populations for more than 15 years, which highlights the importance of long-term studies to understand the effects of climate change on the ecosystems around us," he said.

When there is a variation in the territory, animal populations have four options: the first is to undergo genetic change; the second is to undergo plastic change (change in physical characteristics without genetic changes); the third is to migrate; and the last, to disappear. "It is important to stress that this change is not genetic but plastic, one of the ways of adapting to new environmental conditions," he pointed out.

Change in the environment

"Given that our environment is quite similar, albeit less hot, our birds may be undergoing the same change," surmised David. "In any case, there are only four studies of this type in the world, and none of them has been carried out in the Basque Country; I think it would be very interesting to carry out more research like this not only on a Basque level, but also on a national level," he added.

Explore further Global warming may not be as bad for animal reproduction as thought, study suggests

More information: David Lopez-Idiaquez et al, Long-Term Decrease in Coloration: A Consequence of Climate Change?, The American Naturalist (2022). Journal information: American Naturalist David Lopez-Idiaquez et al, Long-Term Decrease in Coloration: A Consequence of Climate Change?,(2022). DOI: 10.1086/719655
Credit: Vivian Paul Thomas

An archaeological dig at a city park has uncovered what could be the earliest house found in Cardiff.

The Caerau and Ely Rediscovering (CAER) Heritage Project, a partnership between Cardiff University, Action in Caerau and Ely (ACE), local schools, residents and heritage partners, began excavations at Trelai Park, half a mile from Caerau Hillfort, a heritage site of national significance where Cardiff University archaeologists and community members have previously discovered Neolithic, Iron Age, Roman and medieval origins.

Experts believed the settlement, dubbed "Trelai Enclosure" could provide the missing link between the late Iron Age and early Roman period, showing what happened to people once they had moved on from the Hillfort.

But in fact, the roundhouse, located near Cardiff West Community High School, actually predates it. A clay pot discovered at the site has given the team a firmer indication of the time period the building can be traced to.

Dr. Oliver Davis, CAER Project co-director, based at Cardiff University's School of History, Archaeology and Religion, said, "What we've found is completely unexpected and even more exciting. This enclosure could be providing us with the earliest clues on the origins of Cardiff. The pot that's been found is beautifully decorated and well preserved. It is extremely rare to find pottery of this quality. It's also unusual to find a Bronze Age settlement in Wales there are only one or two other Bronze age sites in this country.

"The people who lived here could have been members of a family whose descendants went on to build Caerau Hillfort."

Nearly 300 volunteers have participated in the dig so far, with around 500 visitors coming to the site since its start.

Fellow co-director Dr. David Wyatt added: "We came looking for the missing link between the late Iron Age and early Roman period. What we found is something much more remarkable and much older.

"We believe the roundhouse could now have been constructed in the mid to late Bronze Age, going back to between 1500 and 1100 BC. The enclosure definitely predates the hillfort. People were living here before the hillfort was built.

"The whole communityvolunteers, school children and Cardiff University students, should be proud of what they've achieved here. It's an incredible development and sheds light on the earliest inhabitants of Cardiff."

Tom Hicks, an archaeologist who came through Cardiff University's Exploring the Past pathway and volunteer Charlie Adams both found and recovered the pot during the dig.

Credit: Vivian Paul Thomas

Hicks said, "This is a very well-preserved example of Bronze Age pottery and a significant find for the archaeological record in the region. It's a great opportunity for us to learn more about the lives of the people living on the site around 3,000 years ago.

"The beautiful decoration on the pot shows that these people wanted to display their creativity to others and further scientific analysis may be able to tell what the pot was used for before it ended up in the enclosure ditch and how or where the pot was made."

Martin Hulland, Headteacher at Cardiff West Community High School said, "We are delighted to be involved in this exciting archaeological project. Our students have loved learning about the history that's just a stone's throw away from their school."

Explore further Archaeologists carry out first dig at tomb linked to King Arthur
Forests sit below Tahquitz Peak in Southern California's San Jacinto mountain range. In new research from scientists in the UCI Department of Earth System Science, the number of trees in Southern California's mountains decreased by as much as 14 percent. Credit: Lucas Van Wyk Joel / UCI

The State of California is banking on its forests to help reduce planet-warming carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. But that element of the state's climate-change solution arsenal may be in jeopardy, as new research from the University of California, Irvine reports that trees in California's mountain ranges and open spaces are dying from wildfires and other pressuresand fewer new trees are filling the void.

"The forests are not keeping up with these large fires," said study co-author James Randerson, the Ralph J. and Carol M. Cicerone Professor of Earth system science at UCI. Across the entire state, tree cover area has declined 6.7 percent since 1985. "These are big changes in less than four decades," he said.

It's the first time that researchers have been able to measure tree population declines in California, and attribute the changes to such pressures as wildfires, drought stress and logging.

For the study, the UCI-led team used satellite data from the USGS and NASA's Landsat mission to study vegetation changes between 1985 and 2021. They found that one of the starkest declines in tree cover was in Southern California, where 14 percent of the tree population in local mountain ranges vanished, potentially permanently.

"The ability of forests to recover from fire appears to be dwindling in the south," said Jonathan Wang, a postdoctoral researcher in Randerson's research group, who led the study published in AGU Advances. "At the same time, the state's coverage of shrubs and grasses is rising, which could foreshadow more permanent ecosystem shifts."

The rate and scale of decline varies across the state. Tree cover in the Sierra Nevada, for instance, stayed relatively stable until around 2010, then began dropping precipitously. The 8.8 percent die-off in the Sierra coincided with a severe drought from 2012 to 2015, followed by some of the worst wildfires in the state's history, including the Creek Fire in 2020.

Fortunately "in the north, there's plenty of recovery after fire," said Wang, perhaps because of the region's higher rainfall and cooler temperatures. But even there, high fire years in 2018, 2020 and 2021 have taken a visible toll.

The tree decline has also affected carbon storage abilities in the state, said Randerson, who added that the next step is to precisely quantify the impact on forests' ability to absorb anthropogenic carbon dioxide. Co-author Michael Goulden, a UCI professor of Earth system science and director of the Center for Ecosystem Climate Solutions, is using the data to understand how changes in forest cover are affecting water resources, carbon storage and fire behavior across the state.

"This threat to California's climate solutions isn't going away anytime soon," Wang said. "We might be entering a new age of intense fire and vulnerable forests."

Explore further Human-triggered California wildfires are more severe than natural blazes

More information: Jonathan A. Wang et al, Losses of Tree Cover in California Driven by Increasing Fire Disturbance and Climate Stress, AGU Advances (2022). Journal information: AGU Advances Jonathan A. Wang et al, Losses of Tree Cover in California Driven by Increasing Fire Disturbance and Climate Stress,(2022). DOI: 10.1029/2021AV000654
On July 8, a glacier collapsed in the mountains of the Issyk-Kul region of Kyrgyzstan, triggering an avalanche. There was little knowledge of this incident for two days, until it was publicized by foreign tourists who witnessed it. These events took place at the Dzhuku pass on the Terskey Ala-Too ridge on the side of Central Asia's biggest gold mine, Kumtor.

Harry Shimmin, a British tourist, explained to a local news outlet that the ice mass melted off at the moment when a group of tourists was crossing the Dzhuku pass. Thanks to a lucky chance, the tourists had not yet passed the section directly in its path, which minutes later was covered with an ice mass. "If we had walked 5 minutes further on our trek, we would all be dead," Shimmin wrote on Instagram. He continued, "We traversed [the section] afterwards, walking among massive ice boulders and rocks that had been thrown much further than we could have run, even if we acted immediately." Had it not been for their presence in the area at this time, visual testimony of this disaster would not have been available.

Kairat Moldoshev, a professor in the Department of Ecology and Tourism of Kyrgyz Pedagogical University in the national capital of Bishkek, stated that the glacier's disappearance is a consequence of climate change. Due to the high air temperature and a heatwave which hit Central Asia last year, a large portion of the glacier melted, and part of its ice collapsed into the valley.

Now, as Moldoshev suggests, it is necessary to begin systematic observation of the pass into which the glacier descends, since the mass that reaches the lower elevations will melt and may provoke mudflows.

Glaciers in Central Asia, as in other regions, are melting. The partial destruction of a glacial ice mass is a common occurrence in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan. However, such a large-scale collapse rarely occurs. And it is even more unusual that such an event would be filmed on video.

In June, the Government of Kyrgyzstan proposed to Parliament that it give opportunities to international investors to use all metal and gold mines to provide extra income to the weakened economy of the country. It was announced that large investors will be invited to participate in open tenders for the development of the Jetim-Too iron ore mine in Naryn, the Sandyk aluminum mine in Jumgal, the Bala-Chychkan copper-gold mine in Talas, and the Kuttuu-Sai-II rare metals mine in Kemin. But scientists in the state geo-environmental agency safety department have warned that mining operations will bring negative impacts if measures are not taken to protect glaciers, fragile slopes, and ecosystems.

Under the previous government authorities, the initiative to open and develop the Jetym-Too and Sandyk mines was opposed by local populations and led to significant protests. Local populations have longstanding concerns that mining operations would harm pastures and soil.

Isakbek Torgoev, the head of the Laboratory for Geoecological Monitoring Center within the Kyrgyz National Academy of Sciences, told Azattyk Media that environmental safety measures are not provided, and open pit mining of those deposits poses a threat to the ecosystem of the mountain ranges:

"I am very much against open mining of the Jetym-Too iron mine. If we dig and work it in an open way, it will cause great damage to the environment. This is because in the Jetym-Too ridges, like in Kumtor, there is a source of water for the Naryn River. If we start to dig a mine, very large quarries will be created to extract iron ore concentrate, and millions of tons of rocks will be mined. The crust of the mountain ranges will be damaged, and the permanent ice and glacier system will collapse."

Dzhuku Gorge, the site of the disaster, is one of the most beautiful places in Issyk-Kul; a large number of tourist routes pass through the gorge. It is also close to the gold mine Kumtor. According to environmental activists and researchers, two big glaciers in the Kumtor mine are seriously threatened. Mining operations contribute to their shrinking, whether through direct removal of ice or through the deposition of waste and other dark materials on their surfaces. The accelerated decline of the glaciers may cause serious environmental problems not only to Kyrgyzstan, but to the entire Central Asia region, for which glaciers are a critical element in the provision of water resources.

The glaciers of the mountain ranges of Kyrgyzstan are not only an element of the landscape, but are also significant accumulators of moisture. The snow and ice concentrated in them are released as meltwater during the warm period of the year. This role of glaciers is increasingly important now, due to the drought and water shortages in the region, though the accelerated loss of glacierssignaled by this disastercall this role into question.

For major rivers in Central Asia, such as the Syr Darya, glaciers in Kyrgyzstan have become a critical source of water in the warmer months. In Kyrgyzstan, more than 8,000 glaciers and eternal snows stretching over 8,100 square kilometers make up about 8% of the country's territory. The fate of the glaciers is an urgent problem for Kyrgyzstan.

Kyrgyzstan is among the 195 countries that ratified the Paris Agreement in 2015. All ratifying states are obliged to take appropriate measures to prevent the rise in temperature on the planet by more than two degrees Celsius. The president of Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Japarov, made a speech at COP 26, the major global climate summit, last November, emphasizing the importance of this issue. He was the only leader from Central Asia to attend the event, and made a statement on melting glaciers, urging world leaders to take action and make commitments to save glaciers in Central Asia. As the recent disaster shows powerfully, the glaciers of this regionand the people and ecosystems that rely on themare facing growing threats. The time for concerted action, in this region as elsewhere, is now.

Explore further Climate change is destroying honey production in Kyrgyzstan

Provided by Earth Institute, Columbia University

This story is republished courtesy of Earth Institute, Columbia University http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu.
The lateral view of the skull unearthed from Red Dear Cave. Credit: Xueping Ji

For the first time, researchers successfully sequenced the genome of ancient human fossils from the Late Pleistocene in southern China. The data, published July 14 in the journal Current Biology, suggests that the mysterious hominin belonged to an extinct maternal branch of modern humans that might have contributed to the origin of Native Americans.

"Ancient DNA technique is a really powerful tool," Su says. "It tells us quite definitively that the Red Deer Cave people were modern humans instead of an archaic species, such as Neanderthals or Denisovans, despite their unusual morphological features," he says.

The researchers compared the genome of these fossils to that of people from around the world. They found that the bones belonged to an individual that was linked deeply to the East Asian ancestry of Native Americans. Combined with previous research data, this finding led the team to propose that some of the southern East Asia people had traveled north along the coastline of present-day eastern China through Japan and reached Siberia tens of thousands of years ago. They then crossed the Bering Strait between the continents of Asia and North America and became the first people to arrive in the New World.

The journey to making this discovery started over three decades ago, when a group of archaeologists in China discovered a large set of bones in the Maludong, or Red Deer Cave, in southern China's Yunnan Province. Carbon dating showed that the fossils were from the Late Pleistocene about 14,000 years ago, a period of time when modern humans had migrated to many parts of the world.

The reproduced portrait of the Red Deer Cave People or Mengziren. Credit: Xueping Ji

From the cave, researchers recovered a hominin skull cap with characteristics of both modern humans and archaic humans. For example, the shape of the skull resembled that of Neanderthals, and its brain appeared to be smaller than that of modern humans. As a result, some anthropologists had thought the skull probably belonged to an unknown archaic human species that lived until fairly recently or to a hybrid population of archaic and modern humans.

In 2018, in collaboration with Xueping Ji, an archaeologist at Yunnan Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Bing Su at Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and his colleagues successfully extracted ancient DNA from the skull. Genomic sequencing shows that the hominin belonged to an extinct maternal lineage of a group of modern humans whose surviving decedents are now found in East Asia, the Indo-China peninsula, and Southeast Asia islands.

The finding also shows that during the Late Pleistocene, hominins living in southern East Asia had rich genetic and morphologic diversity, the degree of which is greater than that in northern East Asia during the same period. It suggests that early humans who first arrived in eastern Asia had initially settled in the south before some of them moved to the north, Su says.

The excavation site of Maludong (Red Deer Cave). Credit: Xueping Ji

"It's an important piece of evidence for understanding early human migration," he says.

Next, the team plans to sequence more ancient human DNA by using fossils from southern East Asia, especially ones that predated the Red Deer Cave people.

"Such data will not only help us paint a more complete picture of how our ancestors migrate but also contain important information about how humans change their physical appearance by adapting to local environments over time, such as the variations in skin color in response to changes in sunlight exposure," Su says.

Explore further Middle Pleistocene human skull reveals variation and continuity in early Asian humans
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

A team of climate and environment experts has put the Great Barrier Reef in the spotlight by calling for it to be listed as "In Danger" in a wider argument to increase protection of World Heritage listed sites that are vulnerable to climate change impacts.

The discussion paper, published by Griffith University's Climate Action Beacon, proposes a structured way forward for the 21 World Heritage Committee government signatories to deal with the global threat of climate change.

The key measures outlined include:

More ambitious climate action by the government of the country in which the World Heritage site is situated;

More ambitious climate action by other country's governments who are also signatories to the World Heritage Convention;

Additional measures that would raise the profile of climate impacts on World Heritage sites in the other important international conventions, especially the UN Climate Change and Biodiversity conventions

The GBR has experienced major coral bleaching events in the past seven years with the latest event occurring during the current cooler La Nina cycle, which has prompted renewed calls for Australia to list the GBR as "In Danger' by scientists.

Co-Lead Authors Professor Brendan Mackey and Imogen Zethoven said the GBR faced two main threats: climate change and poor water quality from agricultural runoff.

"The Australian Government has committed substantial funds to address poor water quality and implement a reef water quality management plan," Professor Mackey said.

"However, while addressing water quality is necessary it does not protect the GBR from climate change. In the last seven years there have been four severe and widespread coral bleaching events and the threat from climate change increases with every increment of global warming.

"Therefore, as the climate change threat remains, there is a strong scientific case to have the GBR, and other at-risk World Heritage coral reef sites, placed on the In Danger list."

The discussion paper argues as the real purpose of the In Danger listing is not to "name and shame" a government but to send a clear signal to the world community for collective action.

Professor Mackey said the listing would present the Australian Government with an opportunity to enhance Australia's role as a leader on climate action by working in partnership with its neighboring countries who also have vulnerable tropical coral reef World Heritage sites.

These include the Lagoons of New Caledonia (France); Phoenix Islands Protected Areas (Kiribati); East Rennell (Solomon Islands); Rock Islands Southern Lagoon (Palau); Papahanaumokuakea (Hawaii, US), Komodo National Park (Indonesia) and Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (Philippines).

"Australia can work with these governments, and other signatories to the World Heritage Convention, to help increase international climate ambition, capacity build our developing country neighbors and share knowledge and experiences on healthy reef management," Zethoven said.

"This is about a global policy on climate impacts and risk that could apply to any climate-vulnerable World Heritage site, whether it's cultural or natural.

"Yes, the GBR is a case study, but this applies to every signatory country to the World Heritage Convention and will apply to an increasing number of sites.

"Let's look at this issue with a fresh pair of eyes, let's shift it from a perspective of 'In Danger' as being a negative or a penalty to the country, to this is what the science is telling us is the right thing to do.

"Let's use the 'In Danger' listing as a tool to both increase our ambition in Australia and urge other major emitters that they need to do more to protect World Heritage sites from climate change impacts."

Explore further Australia fights UN downgrade of Great Barrier Reef health

More information: For more information, visit For more information, visit whc.unesco.org/en/sessions/45COM
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

In recent years, many Americans have begun to rethink their views on racial justice and the prejudice that exists within our country. But as white Americans confront others who are spewing prejudice, how does that impact Black Americans?

New research by Indiana University (IUPUI)'s Leslie Ashburn-Nardo and former IUPUI student Charles Chu, now an assistant professor at Boston University, investigated these perceptions. During two experiments, they found that Black participants reported higher levels of self-esteem after a white ally confronted a white perpetrator of racial prejudice compared to no confrontation. However, the white person's motivations for standing up against prejudice in the first place had an impact on the Black person's self-esteem.

The study was published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.

The researchers said popular discourse and research on allyshipactions that advantaged group members can take to improve the treatment or circumstances of a marginalized grouphave grown in recent years. However, this study, they say, provides the first demonstration of the effect of a white ally confrontation on Black perceivers' psychological well-being, or self-esteem.

"People from advantaged groups must call out prejudice because it will help empower people from marginalized groups," said Ashburn-Nardo, a professor of psychology in the School of Science. "However, their motivations for doing so, and especially whether those motivations are viewed suspiciously or not, play a big role in the well-being of Black perceivers."

The researchers observed more of a positive impact on Black participants' self-esteem when they perceived the ally confrontation as more genuine or intrinsically-motivated. A white person saying that an anti-Black remark isn't okay because it violates their personal beliefs and values was more beneficial to Black perceivers than saying the remark isn't okay because it can upset other people.

This research can offer practical implications for white allies in the workplace and within American society, the researchers said.

"Now more than ever, it is so important to have allies speak out against prejudices being experienced by their friends, co-workers or others from marginalized groups," Ashburn-Nardo said. "For a variety of reasons, white people all too often do not speak out when they witness racial injustice, but that unfairly puts the burden of confronting on the targets of prejudice themselves. Our findings clearly demonstrate that confrontation, particularly when it is motivated by personal values of fairness and equity, is something white allies can do to improve the well-being of Black targets of prejudice."

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More information: Charles Chu et al, Black Americans' perspectives on ally confrontations of racial prejudice, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology (2022). Journal information: Journal of Experimental Social Psychology Charles Chu et al, Black Americans' perspectives on ally confrontations of racial prejudice,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.jesp.2022.104337
A study showed that an endangered population of beluga whales in the St. Lawrence River had one of the worlds highest concentrations of the flame retardant, PBDE, in their blubber. Credit: Shutterstock

Flame retardants are added to a variety of products to prevent or slow the spread of fire. They have been added to many consumer and industrial products, including building materials, plastics, polyurethane-based foams in furniture, textiles and automotive parts, and electrical and electronic devices. They're even in your iPhone.

Unfortunately, these product requirements are often poor predictors of actual fire risks and frequently lead to the misuse of these toxic chemicals.

When people dispose of consumer products that contain flame retardants, these chemical compounds end up in the environment, and contaminate, among other places, the St. Lawrence River, its estuary and wildlife. They can also travel great distances through the air to remote regions, including the Arctic. Flame retardants are now found in almost all species studied in the St. Lawrence River.

In animals, exposure to certain types of flame retardants is associated with hormonal disruption, and developmental and reproductive disorders. Halogenated flame retardants (those containing bromine or chlorine atoms) are among the most widely used and environmentally harmful.

Many of them have now been banned, including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), but a new generation of alternative flame retardants are taking their place. Their environmental impacts have not been sufficiently tested and are likely to cause similar effects.

As a researcher in ecotoxicology, I focus part of my work on flame retardants in the environment and their impact on wildlife, including three of Quebec's iconic species: northern pike, minke whale and beluga whale.

The research team removes the stinger biopsy. Credit: Meriscope, Fourni par l'auteur

St. Lawrence wildlife at great risk

When ingested or inhaled, PBDEs accumulate in animal tissues over time. Their concentrations are on the rise in species at the top of the food chain, especially in densely populated, heavily polluted areas.

River-dwelling organisms are exposed to flame retardants in municipal waste from large urban areas. For example, Northern pike, a predatory fish, which are exposed to effluent from Montreal's wastewater treatment plant, had liver PDBE concentrations four times higher than northern pike at an upstream river site. New flame retardants (replacements for PBDEs), such as chlorinated chemicals that are similar to dechloranes and used mostly in cable and electrical wire sheathing, were also measured in these pike.

A study conducted downstream of major urban centers in the St. Lawrence estuary on beluga whales, a population currently considered endangered, revealed PBDE concentrations in their blubber that are among the highest in the world in marine mammals. These concentrations do not appear to be decreasing despite the nearly 15-year-old ban on the use of PBDEs.

In comparison, PBDEs in beluga fat were measured at concentrations about four times higher than in minke whales, a baleen whale that is a seasonal visitor to the St. Lawrence estuary. A number of next-generation flame retardants were also measured in the blubber of belugas and minke whales in the estuary. History is repeating itself.

After separating the skin from the blubber in the whale biopsy, the research team quickly processes the samples to prevent their degradation. Credit: (Meriscope, Fourni par l'auteur

Possible impacts on animal health?

PBDEs are toxic to animals upon exposure. Without confirming causal links, wildlife studies indicate that exposure to flame retardants are associated with a range of harmful bodily effects on their hormonal, immune and metabolic functions, and consequently on growth, reproduction and development. This is partially confirmed by studies on the impacts of flame retardants in St. Lawrence pike, beluga and minke whales.

For pike, exposure to flame retardants in Montreal's effluent affected the regulation of their thyroid hormones and decreased the expression of some liver genes involved in lipid metabolism. Lipids are important sources of energy for several biological functions.

In belugas and minke whales, exposure to flame retardants, including some emerging compounds, has also been associated with hormonal effects. Researchers have found links between the concentrations of some flame retardants, such as PBDEs, in these two cetaceans, thyroid hormone levels and the expression of genes that play a key role in regulating the steroid and thyroid hormones involved in reproduction and metabolism.

However, chemical pollution in these species goes far beyond flame retardants. The cocktail of contaminants in the environment grows more complex year after year, and many of these accumulate in the tissues of marine animals, potentially creating compounding and even synergistic effects.

Sadly, the cycle of inadvisable substitutionsthe replacement of one toxic compound with another that may eventually be deemed toxic in turnseems to continue.

And that's not good news for the health of our mighty St. Lawrence River and its priceless wildlife.

Explore further Flame retardant exposure linked to income, BMI and household smoking

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
DePaul researchers will create a high-quality reference genome for two species of the endemic characid genus Rhoadsia and conduct resequencing of 20 additional specimens. Credit: Windsor Aguirre

The genetic evolution of freshwater fish in Ecuador could unlock new insights for conservation ecologists. A new collaboration between biologists and computer scientists at DePaul seeks to sequence the genomes of these species.

"This has the potential to give us real insight into the evolution and adaptation of these fishes, as well as the nature of the planet and the challenges we face," says Windsor Aguirre, an associate professor of evolutionary biology and a co-lead on the project.

Aguirre and Thiru Ramaraj, an assistant professor in the School of Computing, will create a high-quality reference genome for two species of the endemic characid genus Rhoadsia and conduct resequencing of 20 additional specimens. This will not only augment Aguirre's research and contribute to the history of the species, but also be a publicly available resource for researchers around the world who study the evolution of genomes.

"Humans are having an extraordinary effect on the planet, so every species is being forced to respond to humans," Aguirre says. "Every ecosystem has been affected to some degree or another, and many are being affected very severely."

Their research will use next-generation DNA sequencing and bioinformatics to examine why certain species persisted over time but others did not.

Ecuadorian fish hold genetic clues

Aguirre has been researching Ecuador's freshwater fish since 2008 and calls it a "global biodiversity hotspot." Last year Aguirre and his Ecuadorian co-authors published a review in the Journal of Fish Biology on the conservation threats to fisheries in Ecuadorthe first comprehensive summary of the status of the fish.

Many labs have access to model genomes such as mouse, rat, fruit fly or zebrafish. Aguirre wanted to take the next step in sequencing the genome of these endemic fish, and in turn create a resource researchers around the world can use to study and investigate the evolution of genomes. He also hopes it will encourage more research on the evolution of freshwater fishes in this important region.

Ramaraj joined DePaul in 2019 and the two met through a bioinformatics group formed by faculty in the Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media and the College of Science and Health.

"Thiru's expertise in the field of bioinformatics and computation science is incredibly important," Aguirre says. "With advances in technology, it is becoming very easy to generate these large amounts of data. The challenge becomes being able to understand them, and that requires computational tools working at high speed to filter, organize and process very large amounts of data."

In his previous position at a nonprofit biotechnology research institute, Ramaraj was a bioinformatics scientist and worked with next-generation sequencing data for almost a decade. He sequenced data from DNA and RNA across all domains.

"I have collaborated with microbiologists, zoologists, plant and human geneticists, and biochemists," Ramaraj says. He sought to continue that work at DePaul, and the projects with Aguirre was a perfect fit.

Genome sequencing no longer a moonshot

When the first draft of the human genome was published in 2001, Aguirre says it was a significant milestone.

"That was a massive, international effort involving government and private institutions, hundreds of millions of dollars at a massive scale," he notes. Now researchers can create genomes of comparable sizes for a few thousand dollars.

"Something that just 20 years ago was basically the equivalent to a moonshot we can now do in a university setting and tell our students about generating really extraordinary data on the basic evolutionary history of organisms," Aguirre says.

They will generate data using Pacific Biosciences sequencing technology, which produces long, high-quality DNA sequences and uses a computational method to put them back into a complete genome.

"The analogy is taking a book, ripping it apart, and putting it back together," Ramaraj says. "Once we have data, we can mine for interesting patterns, look at where the genes are and understand their function. We can also determine how the genomes themselves are different from closely related species."

Both researchers plan to leverage the project to increase awareness among DePaul students in biology, computer science and other areas about the field of computational biology. Data science can help provide real-world solutions to environmental problems, making it an excellent career path.

"As a computer scientist with this knowledge, you can work for pharmaceutical and plant biotechnology companies," Ramaraj says. "Everything you learn here can be applied in those fields."

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More information: Windsor E. Aguirre et al, Conservation threats and future prospects for the freshwater fishes of Ecuador: A hotspot of Neotropical fish diversity, Journal of Fish Biology (2021). Journal information: Journal of Fish Biology Windsor E. Aguirre et al, Conservation threats and future prospects for the freshwater fishes of Ecuador: A hotspot of Neotropical fish diversity,(2021). DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14844
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

The high heat and low water conditions produced by global warming weaken pine trees' resistance to disease by hindering their ability to mount an effective defense at the same time that pathogenic fungi in their tissues become more aggressive, new research suggests.

The study is the first to simultaneously examine metabolic gene expression in both host trees and the pathogens attacking them under normal and climate-change conditions. The findings help explain the mechanisms behind what has become a well-known fact: The warming world makes trees more susceptible to disease.

The study was conducted on Austrian pines, which are native to southern Europe and used ornamentally in the United States. Researchers tested climate change conditions' effects on the trees after infection by two related fungi that have killed large swaths of these pines over time.

"We decided to study the effects of the combined stresses of higher temperatures and lower water availability because that's what trees will experience in the future," said senior author Enrico Bonello, professor of molecular and chemical ecology of trees in The Ohio State University Department of Plant Pathology.

"Within three days of infection under climate-change conditions, the tree was pulled in two different directions: It was deprived of carbon by both reduced photosynthesis and enhanced acquisition of the carbon by the fungi. When we're talking about carbon, we're talking about sugars, food and reserves for all other metabolic processes in the trees, including growth and defense."

The research was published recently in the journal Frontiers in Forests and Global Change.

Carbon sequestration by the world's forests is a major mitigator of climate change's effects, and could be accelerated if improvements are made to their protection, management and restoration, experts say. In a 2021 study of U.S. forest plots, scientists estimated recent disease and insect disturbances had lowered carbon sequestration rates by 28% and 69%, respectively, from 2001-2019 compared to undisturbed forests.

"This is another reason to combat global warming induced by human activitiesanother piece of evidence that what we are doing to the planet has so many implications," Bonello said.

He and colleagues exposed 3-year-old Austrian pines to two sets of conditions: daily temperatures ranging from 59 to 82.4 degrees Fahrenheit for the control or, to mimic climate change conditions, daily temperatures of 68 to 91.4 degrees Fahrenheit, which reduced the amount of water in the atmosphere compared to available water in the cooler temperatures. After trees got accustomed to their conditions, they were inoculated with one of two strains of the pathogenic fungus.

Diplodia sapinea, an aggressive fungus, and its less-aggressive relative Diplodia scrobiculata are found in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. They remain dormant much of the time, waiting for the best opportunity to kill host cells and feed on the dead plant materialusually when their host is weakened. In addition to killing Austrian pines, the fungi have also begun damaging Scots pines in Scandinavia.

"The hypothesis is that the warming and lower water availability in those areas is making trees more susceptible to a pathogen that would normally sit in the background," Bonello said.

Three days after infection, the team collected plant and pathogen tissue that was used for an RNA sequencing analysis to identify gene activation, or expression, pattern changes in the trees and both strains of the fungi.

The analysis showed a fundamental change in the trees exposed to the climate-change conditions: Their capacity to carry out photosynthesis decreased, meaning they had fewer resources to invest in their own food supply, growth and defense against disease. At the same time, both strains of the fungus ramped up their carbon utilization machinery, and the usual difference between their aggressiveness disappearedthey became significantly more pathogenic, and to the same extent, than under normal conditions.

"Essentially, climate change conditions led the host to starvation, which is compounded by the fact that the fungi became more aggressive, grew faster and killed more host tissue faster," Bonello said. "These were early responses, but it gives us an idea of what's happening in the system."

While these results are one example of one tree species and one type of pathogen, the research offers insights into how much damage global warming may do to one of the planet's main carbon sinks.

"Pathogen and pest invasions are already having an effect on carbon sequestration," Bonello said. "If you make it even worse with climate change, carbon sequestration will be affected negatively because trees will die in ever larger numbers. Trees that might otherwise survive adverse environmental conditions for a while, and recover if conditions become better or intermittent, may be killed by pathogens in the meantime."

More information: Soumya K. Ghosh et al, Mechanisms of Pine Disease Susceptibility Under Experimental Climate Change, Frontiers in Forests and Global Change (2022). Soumya K. Ghosh et al, Mechanisms of Pine Disease Susceptibility Under Experimental Climate Change,(2022). DOI: 10.3389/ffgc.2022.872584
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Sri Lanka's acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday declared a nationwide curfew effective until Thursday morning.

The order directs that no person shall be on any public road, railway, public park, public recreation ground or other public ground or the seashore in such areas till 5 a.m. on Thursday, except under the authority of a written permit granted by relevant authorities.

Meanwhile, Wickremesinghe on Wednesday informed Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena to nominate a prime minister who is acceptable to both the government and opposition.

Protesters surrounded and entered the Prime Minister's Office in Colombo on Wednesday, calling for the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Wickremesinghe.

Rajapaksa, who left for the Maldives earlier on Wednesday, was expected to hand in his resignation from the presidency later in the day amid a severe economic crisis.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Analyzing the Haitian Revolution offers new perspectives on our times. Research from the University of Gothenburg shows that it was during this revolution that the relationship between political rights and inequality first came to a head, as reflected in contemporary global developments.

The origins of human rights and democracy have previously been traced back to historical events such as the American and French revolutions. More recently, researchers and social commentator shave instead pointed to the Haitian Revolution (17911804) as the breeding ground for these ideas and institutions.

The revolution took place during the same period as the American and French revolutions. However, it has attracted much less attention, despite being the only successful slave revolution in history. In his thesis, Carl Wilen examines the significance of the Haitian Revolution for the development of human rights.

"More recent interpretations argue that because slavery was abolished for the first time in the Haitian Revolution, this is the revolution that we need to examine in order to understand phenomena such as human rights and the origins of democracy," he explains.

Human rights and inequality are not incompatible

It was in the early 1990s that the significance of the Haitian Revolution in terms of human rights and democracy was first studied and discussed seriously within academia and politics. Carl has mapped the debate, which can largely be divided into two camps.

One side believes that the revolution laid the foundations for the modern-day notion of rights that apply to all people. The other side points out that authoritarian and unequal labor legislation was introduced during the revolution, which cannot be said to form the basis for human rights.

Carl offers a new interpretation that combines the two approaches.

"Our own era was born in the context of the Haitian Revolutionnot because it implemented human rights, but because it abolished a system in which social and political inequality were one and the same thing. The society that was born then is characterized by both political equality and socioeconomic inequality. Socioeconomic inequality can be extreme; it is today, and it was then, too."

By analyzing events during and after the Haitian Revolution, Carl aims to contribute towards a better understanding of our times. Over the course of the last four decades, human rights have broadened to include more people than ever before. During the same period, global trends have reversed, from growing socioeconomic equality towards greater inequality.

"There are problematic assumptions about how to describe the relationship between rights and socioeconomic inequality. It has been assumed, rather than proven, that the two sides of this relationship are incompatible."

Our ideas about rights are influenced by where we think they come from

Carl argues that it is important to know where our ideas about rights come from and what their historical function has been, since these perceptions influence how we view rights today and what we imagine they can do.

"We must address the question of how human rights relate to socioeconomic inequality and not assume that they are incompatible. A human rights policy may even contribute towards deepening inequality by not being a good and effective weapon against such a trend."

The thesis, "Interpreting the Haitian Revolution: From the Rights of Man to Human Rights," will be made available through an international publisher.

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More information: A summary and table of contents are A summary and table of contents are digitally available
Credit: Chart: The Conversation, CC-By-ND Source: SciVal

The United Nations and many researchers have emphasized the critical role international collaborative science plays in solving global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss and pandemics. The rise of non-Western countries as science powers is helping to drive this type of global cooperative research. For example, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa formed a tuberculosis research network in 2017 and are making significant advancements on basic and applied research into the disease.

However, in the past few years, growing tensions among superpowers, increasing nationalism, the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have contributed to nations' behaving in more distrustful and insular ways overall. One result is that it is becoming increasingly difficult for researchers to collaborate with scholars in other nations.

The near-global cessation of collaboration with Russian scholars following the invasion of Ukrainein everything from humanities research to climate science in the Arcticis one example of science being a victim ofand used as a tool forinternational politics. Scientific collaboration between China and the U.S. is also breaking down in fields like microelectronics and quantum computing because of national security concerns on both sides.

I am a policy expert who studies international research collaboration as it relates to global problems and geopolitical polarization. I understand the need for democratic countries to respond to the the growing strength of authoritarian countries such as China and acute crises like the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But reducing or stopping international research comes with its own risks. It slows down the production of knowledge needed to address long-term global problems and reduces the potential for future scientific collaboration.

Growth of non-Western science

Since the 1990s and the collapse of the Soviet Union, global collaboration in science has increased dramatically. There are several reasons for this development.

First, the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 led to an increased openness in global scientific exchange. In particular, there was growth in the number of students from developing and non-Western countries going to universities in the West. This movement formed networks of researchers from many countries. Second, massively collaborative scientific effortssuch as the Human Genome Projectas well as the ever-growing importance of expensive, large research laboratories and instruments have fueled international collaboration. Finally, the digital revolution has made it much easier to communicate and share data across borders. This all resulted in collaborative and fruitful research in many fields including gene technology, climate science and artificial intelligence.

While Western countries dominated the scientific landscape of the 20th century, globalization has benefited many non-Western countries.

In the latter half of the 20th century, China, India, Russia, Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and many other nations all significantly improved their scientific capabilities. In doing so they have greatly contributed to human knowledge. China in particular has invested heavily in its scientific capabilities and today is the world's largest producer of scientific publications.

The development of scientific capacity in many parts of the world and the building of academic ties is critical when it comes to responding to a new virus or tracking changes in climate. The more countries that share data and coordinate policy responses, the easier it should be to contain a virus or understand global warming.

Western concern of a rising China

Generally speaking, there are three global superpowers competing for scientific and technological leadership today: the U.S., China and the European Union.

Credit: Chart: The Conversation, CC-BY-ND Source: Scival

The U.S. government and the European Union frame the loss of scientific and technological leadership as not only about diminished economic opportunities, but also as a threat to fundamental values of democracy, free market competition and rule of law.

In May 2022, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: "China is the only country with both the intent to reshape the international order and, increasingly, the economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power to do it. Beijing's vision would move us away from the universal values that have sustained so much of the world's progress over the past 75 years."

China's rise in science and technology has been met with stern responses from the West. Australia passed legislation in 2020 that gave the federal government veto power over foreign agreements in research. In the U.S., the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 was designed to reduce dependence on China for emerging and foundational technologies.

Science as a tool of politics

Given this framing of research as a part of international competition between China and the West, it is not surprising that science is increasingly being used as a political tool.

The U.S. government has taken significant steps to try to limit China's scientific progress and international influence. In 2018, the U.S. launched a large-scale anti-espionage effort called the China Initiative. Under this initiative, the FBI broadly investigated U.S.-Chinese links within the corporate and academic sectors. The China Initiative failed to find any Chinese spies. But three U.S.-based scholars were convicted for failing to disclose Chinese ties.

The China Initiative has faced heavy criticism from researchers, university leaders and civil rights organizations because of claims of ethnic profiling. The Biden administration officially canceled the initiative in February 2022. But efforts to curtail China's science and technology industries through trade sanctions on companies like Huawei restrict American companies from doing business with Chinese tech firms. The China Initiative and sanctions have also made researchers on both sides wary of collaboration.

The European Union has taken a similar stance. It calls China simultaneously a partner, competitor and systemic rival. The EU has outlined goals of increasing European scientific and technological autonomy to reduce reliance on other countries, especially China, and started to implement the strategy in 2021.

China is also using science, technology and scholarly research generally to serve national interests. The government has explicitly pushed the idea that research shall primarily serve national needs, and Chinese scholars are increasingly under political control. In 2021 there were 18 research centers devoted to studying and promoting Xi Jinping's ideas on matters such as rule of law, economics and green development.

Global consequences

Many researchers in the U.S., Europe and China have voiced concerns that geopolitical rivalries are curtailing international research collaboration at a time when the world needs it the most.

There is a major risk that the impediments to international scientific collaboration will further increase, further harming data sharing, the quality of research and the ability to disseminate results that contributing to solving problems. I often hear researchers, university leaders and funding agencies in Europe, the U.S. and China vent their frustration with the current situation. Many in the research community would like to see a more open and global science landscape.

It is possible to work toward a future where science is more separatebut not naively isolatedfrom changing power dynamics. As issues like climate change increase in severity, it will become only more important that researchers build international relationships that are responsible, reciprocal, transparent and equitable.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Distortion and Holocaust denial is present on all social media platforms, but moderation and education can significantly reduce this, according to a landmark report today from UNESCO and the United Nations, supported by analysis by researchers from the Oxford Internet Institute.

In partnership with the World Jewish Congress, UNESCO and the UN sought to measure the extent of this phenomena on social networks and commissioned OII researchers to identify and analyze almost 4,000 posts related to the Holocaust, on five major platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, TikTok and Twitter.

They found Holocaust denial and distortion is widespread on Telegram, a social media platform which is widely used in Eastern Europe. Nearly half of Holocaust-related public content on this platform denies or distorts the facts. The Oxford researchers also found that this rate rises to more than 80% for messages in German, and around 50% in English and French. Furthermore, posts on Telegram, easily accessible to people looking for Holocaust-related information on the platform, are often explicitly anti-Semitic.

Even on moderated platforms, denial and distortion are present, but to a lesser extent, the research reveals. According to the report, 19% of Holocaust-related content on Twitter, 17% on TikTok, 8% on Facebook and 3% on Instagram all contained distortions and inaccuracies.

The researchers also identified that perpetrators have learned to evade content moderation, through use of humorous and parodic memes as a strategy intended to normalize anti-Semitic ideas and make them appear mainstream.

Dr. Jonathan Bright, Research Associate, Oxford Internet Institute, says, "Our social media analysis, carried out for the UNESCO and UN report, clearly shows the scale of the problem of Holocaust denial and distortion across the five major social media platforms, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, TikTok and Twitter, with Telegram being the worst offender in allowing misleading and harmful content to spread without any moderation from the platform.

"There is no place for any form of hate speech, racism, misogyny or xenophobia online and we urge the platforms and governments around the world to adopt the series of recommendations set out in the joint UNESCO and UN report released today. Only by taking collective action we can begin to tackle the fight against online hate."

The UNESCO and United Nations joint-report puts forward a series of practical recommendations, calling for greater action by social media platforms and governments to counter distortion and denial.

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said, "The report reveals there are still social networks where Holocaust denial and distortion spread without moderation, and that this content is used to fuel hatred. We can fight against these phenomena by taking action on content and educating users. UNESCO's partnership with Facebook and TikTok, which redirects users to verified information, is an example of best practice. But we cannot only rely on the voluntary participation of platforms: we also need common principles and guidelines. UNESCO will lead this discussion with all stakeholders, and in 2023, we will hold the first global conference dedicated to the responsibility of platforms."

Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, "This work is a core part of the mission of the United Nations. And it goes beyond the Holocaust itself. The report shows how intimately linked its denial is to other forms of online violence, including those rooted in racism, misogyny, or xenophobia. Antisemitism, Holocaust denial and distortion, and other forms of religious bigotry and hatred are a seismograph. The more they rattle our world, the greater the cracks to the foundations of our common humanity. Today, the cracks are impossible to ignore. This report is an urgent wake-up call that must jolt us into actionto pursue truth, remembrance, and education, and together build a world of peace, dignity and justice for all."

Ronald S. Lauder, President of the World Jewish Congress, concluded, "Holocaust denial and distortion take many forms online. This report outlines this troubling phenomenon and makes clear that it can no longer be ignored. What is evident, is that when platforms make a concerted effort to address this unique form of hate speech, it leads to results. But more must be done to eliminate it. As Holocaust deniers become more sophisticated, so must all those who are working to fight this evil. The World Jewish Congress looks forward to continuing to support the United Nations and UNESCO in their international efforts on Holocaust education and fighting antisemitism."

Explore further Facebook to ban Holocaust denial content
Lost or abandoned fishing gear can continue ghost fishing for decades. Credit: Shutterstock/Richard Whitcombe

Ocean plastic pollution was a focus at the recent UN oceans conference, which issued a declaration in support of an earlier decision by the UN Environment Assembly to start negotiations for a global plastics treaty.

This initiative has been welcomed almost universally, but it must not distract from the fact we actually already have good international laws regulating ships that plastics overboard. We are just not enforcing them properly.

An estimated half of ocean plastic pollution comes from some 4.5 million fishing vessels operating in national and international waters. Recent research suggests more than 100 million pounds of plastic enters the oceans from industrial fishing gear alone.

Better implementation and enforcement of existing laws would be a much faster way of addressing ship-source plastic pollution than waiting for a new treaty to be adopted.

By 2050, there could be more plastic than fish in the ocean. The time to #BeatPlasticPollution & #SaveOurOcean is NOW. We all have a role to play. Get inspired: https://t.co/QtPJbVXpcf pic.twitter.com/qZFwCxHWlK  United Nations (@UN) July 9, 2022

Plastic waste from fishing vessels includes lost and deliberately abandoned fishing gear such as nets, pots, floats, crates and fish aggregation devices (FADs).

Plastics have been found in the deepest part of the ocean in the Mariana Trench and in remote regions such as Henderson Island in the Pitcairn group.

Lost or abandoned fishing gear can result in "ghost fishing" where nets, FADs and other gear continue to "fish" for decades. Other impacts of ocean plastic pollution include entanglement, ingestion, transfer of invasive species and toxins, navigational hazards and beach fouling.

Global rules on plastic pollution from fishing vessels

In contrast to land-based sources of plastic pollution, where global regulation is weak, the international rules relating to ship-source plastic pollution are robust, at least on paper.

Two principal regimes have been developed under the International Maritime Organization (IMO). One is the London dumping regime, which regulates the deliberate dumping of plastic waste at sea from vessels and platforms. The other is the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), which regulates both deliberate and accidental discharge of plastics from vessels.

Under the London dumping regime, plastic waste including fishing nets and FADs must not be dumped or discarded deliberately by any vessel in all maritime zones outside the internal waters of states. Although there is an exception for the disposal of material incidental to the "normal" operation of vessels, it cannot be argued this includes deliberate disposal of plastic waste, given the harm it causes to marine ecosystems.

This position was confirmed by the parties to the London regime in 2018, when they asserted that deliberate disposal of fishing gear is contrary to its goals.

Accidental loss overboard

While the London regime does not apply to accidental loss of fishing gear, MARPOL does by prohibiting the discharge into the sea of all plastics, including nets, FADs and other fishing gear, both deliberate and accidental.

There is, however, an important loophole: the prohibition does not apply to fishing vessels where "all reasonable precautions have been taken to prevent such loss" or where the discharge of fishing gear is necessary for the protection of the environment. Guidelines adopted in 2017 provide some indication of what constitutes reasonable precautionfor example, proper sorting and collection of plastic waste in a manner that avoids their loss overboard.

Plastic pollution has also become an issue for regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs). They collaborate with the UN Food and Agricultural Organization on various initiatives to minimize the loss of fishing gear and the effects of ghost fishing.

For example, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), which manages fisheries in the Southern Ocean, bans the use of plastic packaging bands on most vessels.

The problem with these rules is lack of enforcement. It is hard to monitor and enforce the prohibition on plastic pollution from vessels on the high seas. Flag states often lack an incentive to do so.

Practical measures such as the marking of gear and particular stowage technologies to reduce waste are often contained in non-binding guidelines rather than mandatory rules. And there are insufficient incentives to persuade vessels to retrieve abandoned gear they come across while fishing.

Plastic pollution solutions

States should use their legal powers under the international law of the sea to take action against vessels entering their ports if there is evidence they have abandoned or negligently lost fishing gear at sea.

Flag states should require their own vessels to mark their gear and create financial incentives so that floating fishing gear can be retrieved and safely disposed of.

The London regime has a robust compliance process that could be more regularly used to address the dumping of fishing gear and highlight this issue at an international level.

While the new plastics treaty may ultimately play an important role in addressing ocean plastics, we do not have to wait until then to better address plastics pollution from ships. We just need to better enforce the laws we already have.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Salmon lice larvae being counted in the ocean. Credit: Frode Fossy

Salmon lice are one of the biggest challenges for the Norwegian aquaculture industry today and pose a threat to wild salmon. The authorities have therefore introduced several measures to reduce the lice levels in production facilities and the infection pressure on wild fish.

A "traffic light" system is designed to ensure predictable and sustainable growth in the aquaculture industry. The system uses the infection pressure from salmon lice on wild salmonids as an environmental indicator to determine whether production in an area can increase or needs to be reduced.

However, monitoring salmon lice is a demanding task. The current management system uses a combination of statistical models that calculate the spread of infectious salmon lice larvae from fish farms and manual counts in the field to monitor the lice on fish.

Field monitoring is done either by catching wild salmon in trawls and purse seines, or by putting farmed salmon into so-called "guard cages" and counting how many lice have infested the fish after two weeks in the ocean.

Lice larvae captured in open sea

Researchers at NINA, the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, have collaborated with NTNU to develop a new method for counting salmon lice larvae in the open ocean. This is ground-breaking work that can be scaled up and contribute to cost-effective monitoring of lice larvae along the entire Norwegian coast.

The plankton samples are analysed in NINAs genetics lab. Credit: Norwegian University of Science and Technology

The lice trap filters seawater and collects plankton. The plankton samples are analyzed at NINA's genetics lab, where the researchers have developed DNA-based methods for calculating how many salmon lice larvae are present per liter of seawater. Thus, the method can be used to calculate the density of lice larvae in the ocean.

"Experiments from our pilot studies along the coast have yielded very good results so far. This is the first major test of the method, which we're doing in connection with the national monitoring of salmon lice in the Hardangerfjord this summer," says Frode Fossy, a senior researcher at NINA.

Spreading of salmon lice larvae analyzed in Hardangerfjord

A total of 12 lice traps have been put out in Etne and Rosendal municipalities in the Hardangerfjord this summer. The Norwegian Institute of Marine Research already carries out ongoing salmon lice monitoring with guard cages, so the researchers can compare their data with the monitoring results from the Institute of Marine Research. Development of the new method will also help to calibrate the models used in the traffic light system and make the dispersal models even more accurate.

Ph.D. candidate Nathan Mertz and master's students Ingvild Tryggestad and Amanda Andersson at NTNU Sealab have collected large amounts of plankton from various localities in order to analyze the spread of salmon lice in the fjord system.

"These data will be very important and will complement the various national dispersal models for salmon lice developed by the Institute of Marine Research, SINTEF and the Norwegian Veterinary Institute. The method could become an important part of the traffic light system," says Bengt Finstad, a professor at NTNU Sealab.

Salmon infected with salmon lice. Credit: Bengt Finstad

Facts on salmon lice

Salmon lice are a parasitic crustacean which have salmonids as their host organism. Their life cycle consists of eight stages.

Sexually mature female lice hatch an average of 300 eggs each week. These develop in three free-swimming larval stages that disperse with the ocean currents.

In the third stage, the larva is called a copepodite and is dependent on attaching itself to a host fish; otherwise it dies of starvation. In the later attached stages and moving stages, the parasite feeds on mucus, skin and blood and can inflict major wounds on the host fish if the concentration of lice is high.

Explore further Widespread use of chemicals to combat aquatic lice in fish farms has led to resistance in other areas
A predictive map of Cook County in 2030, far right, shows how the racial composition of neighborhoods will change compared to maps using U.S. Census data from 2010 and 2020. Credit: Tomasz Stepinski/UC

A map created by researchers at the University of Cincinnati can predict with surprising accuracy how the racial makeup of neighborhoods will change.

UC College of Arts and Sciences geography professor Tomasz Stepinski created a machine-learning algorithm to predict in fine detail how neighborhoods will become more or less segregated in the next 10 years.

Stepinski, who works in UC's Space Research Institute for Discovery and Exploration, analyzed data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau every decade. They mapped the data by racial composition in the high resolution of 300-meter squares called cells.

The algorithm had to be "trained" to interpret the data from two census years spaced 10 years apart. The algorithm also examined individual cells in relation to those around them.

"The name 'machine learning' suggests there's something magical about it, but it's just more powerful statistics," Stepinski said.

Stepinski validated his algorithm by comparing its predictions to actual data from the 2010 and 2020 censuses and found it was up to 86% accurate.

"Our hypothesis that you can predict the class of a cell in 10 years based on the previous two classes and surrounding classes was correct," he said. "It's not perfect, but you can see it's pretty good."

Stepinski and co-author Anna Dmowska, an assistant professor in the Department of Geoinformation at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poland, applied their algorithm to Chicago's Cook County, Illinois, at one time considered one of most racially segregated places in America.

UC's map showed that many neighborhoods dominated by white and Black populations will become less segregated by 2030 with less noticeable changes in neighborhoods dominated by Hispanic and Asian American populations.

Stepinski said researchers in Chicago have conducted pioneering sociological research on race, ethnicity and gentrification using Cook County as their model. The sprawling, heavily populated county also provides a good model to study the algorithm because it still has many segregated neighborhoods despite trending toward greater racial and ethnic diversity over the last 50 years, he said.

Stepinski also applied the algorithm to Houston, Texas, and Los Angeles and San Francisco in California with similar success.

"The ability to predict demographic changes is essential from a scientific point of view and for policymakers, city development, etc.," co-author Dmowska said.

"As shown in the paper, the predictive maps are pretty accurate and show how the area might look in the next 10 years," she said.

University of Cincinnati geography professor Tomasz Stepinski developed an algorithm that can predict with 86% accuracy how the racial composition of neighborhoods will change over the next 10 years. Credit: Joseph Fuqua II/UC

Stepinski said the predictive maps could be used to help schools or governments plan for more services such as Spanish-speaking classrooms or interpreters. It also could help sociologists understand the driving forces behind the changing demographics of neighborhoods.

"My interest is not sociological. My specialty is computation," Stepinski said. "I leave the why to someone else. But I can imagine what's happening."

Stepinski said younger generations are often likely to remain in nearby neighborhoods if they remain in an area at all. And if one particular racial population declines in an area, others typically fill the void.

"It's diffusion," Stepinski said. "So in Cook County you have a Hispanic population that is growing faster than the white population. They're going to move close by. They're not going to move far from home."

Michael Chavarria, executive director of the nonprofit HOPE Fair Housing Center in Illinois, said he was surprised by the map's predictive accuracy.

"One incredibly powerful thing it does is affirm the narrative that people don't have as much control over where they live as decision makers think they do," he said.

"People think segregation is the result of individual choices. And some people might choose to live in places where everyone looks like them," Chavarria said. "But the idea that an algorithm can predict where people live shows there are other factors that control these decisions. That tells me that the choice about where we live isn't rooted in full agency."

In Cook County's case, Chavarria said the snapshot view the predictive map affords might suggest that some neighborhoods in Cook County are becoming less segregated. But it might also merely capture the transition from one type of segregated neighborhood to another just as segregated.

"Seeing these neighborhoods change could just be a precursor to more segregation," Chavarria said.

Olivia Cobbins, an investigator with the Cook County Human Rights Commission, said it's important to examine racial segregation in the context of issues such as housing discrimination or public services.

"Chicago has a history of racial discrimination, redlining and inequalities towards African Americans," she said.

Cobbins said policies and laws must keep up with changing demographics to ensure equal opportunities for everyone.

"Public officials and society have a moral responsibility and obligation to provide justice, equality and equity and to ensure public assistance and decent, affordable housing is available to those in need."

Explore further New map shows racial diversity of every neighborhood in continental U.S.

More information: Tomasz F. Stepinski et al, Machine-learning models for spatially-explicit forecasting of future racial segregation in US cities, Machine Learning with Applications (2022). Tomasz F. Stepinski et al, Machine-learning models for spatially-explicit forecasting of future racial segregation in US cities,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.mlwa.2022.100359
Does a painting from 1400 depict one of Jesus torturers as suffering from saddle nose, a common effect of syphilis? Detail of an Austrian painting c. 1400 of the Passion of Christ. Credit: The Cleveland Museum of Art

That the arrival of Europeans in the New World in 1492 led to a massive shift in the ecological landscape has been widely accepted for the past 50 years. Suddenly a trans-Atlantic exchangemaize for wheat, tomatoes for apples, tobacco for horsesmeant that plants and animals were moving between continents for the first time.

It was the same for pathogens, according to historian Alfred W. Crosby and his influential book "The Columbian Exchange." Diseases like smallpox and measles, brought to the Western Hemisphere by the invaders, soon killed almost the entire Indigenous population. In return, Europeans fell prey to syphilis, a venereal disease they picked up from the native people. Crosby's idea about the exchange of diseases was an interesting one and it made for a good story, suggesting that with the arrival of syphilis in Europe justice of a sort had been done.

The only problem is that this syphilis scenario is wrong, according to ongoing research by paleopathologists, scientists who study skeletal remains for evidence of disease. After decades of painstaking work, they have concluded that the syphilis-causing spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum already existed in the Old World long before Columbus boarded his ship and sailed to Hispaniola.

As a women's historian who has studied documents and artworks for evidence of syphilis in the medieval period, I believe the paleopathologists are right. Like skeletal remains, paintings show life as it was. Even manuscripts, although more open to interpretation, can reveal the truth once readers open their minds to new possibilities. Here's a sample of the evidence that Europeans suffered from syphilis long before they reached the Americas.

View of a human skull damaged by late-stage syphilis, the kind of evidence paleopathologists can look for. Credit: Canley/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Evidence from bones and teeth in the Old World

In a cemetery in West Sussex, U.K., archaeologists uncovered the skeleton of a young man with extensive damage to his skull, clavicles, arms and legsa combination typical of syphilis. He died in the sixth century.

In St. Polten, Austria, a medieval cemetery holds the remains of a child age 6 with deformed teeth consistent with a diagnosis of treponematosis, perhaps a case of congenital syphilis, when the Treponema pallidum bacteria are passed from mother to child during pregnancy or birth.

In Anatolia in western Turkey, the skeleton of a teenager revealed not only the same deformed incisors as in St. Polten, but also damage to the entire skeleton below the head. Involvement of both teeth and bones in the same specimen, and especially the large number of bones affected in this case, points to syphilis. The victim died in the 13th centurya couple hundred years before Columbus set sail.

And so it goes. While the absolute number of cases is not large, they keep turning up. Some of the evidence appears in the remains of people who lived more than 2,000 years ago.

In an early 15th-century painting, a discerning historians eye sees two soldiers (one in yellow, one behind red plume) with facial features indicative of advanced syphilis leading Christ to his crucifixion. Credit: The Disrobing of Christ from the Karlsruhe Passion (detail), c.1440. Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe, Strasbourg

There is an outstanding issue, however. Damaged bones and teeth seem to hold proof of pre-Columbian syphilis, but there is a possibility that they point to another form of the disease instead. Treponema pallidum appears in several strains. The subspecies that causes syphilis is the deadliest. But two other subspecies of the bacteria cause less serious, if still painful and unsightly, diseases called bejel (also known as endemic syphilis) and yaws that are not usually transmitted sexually. Nowadays all three can be treated with antibiotics.

How then, to distinguish between the three subspecies and prove that the venereal form had existed in Europe all along?

Writers and artists recorded other evidence

Documentary and artistic evidence can help settle the issue. Of all the pathogens known to humanity, only treponemes produce such widely divergent outcomes based on climate and culture, an important clue for finding evidence in manuscripts.

This fact explains my theory that medieval elites suffered more severely from treponematosis than peasants. Their wealthy lifestyle would have protected them from childhood infections their social inferiors picked up in their crowded and unsanitary households. But those childhood sicknesses would have had the benefit of triggering some future immunity in the peasantry.

If members of the elite reached sexual maturity without having had milder infections while growing up, they would be highly susceptible to contracting the disease for the first time during intercourse. A sore on the genitalia contains a massive dose of infectious bacteria compared with the small doses found on the shared clothing or bedding of the peasantry. Peasants who suffered a recurrence of the disease as adults could likely fend it off successfully because of their prior immunity. I contend this was not true for elites who then suffered more devastating illnesses.

In addition to dying young themselves, infected elites risked giving their children congenital syphilis, which often proved fatal to the next generation. Elites and their children died in such high numbers that some noble families had trouble maintaining their bloodlines, a point noted long ago without making a potential connection to syphilis.

One royal who I believe almost certainly died of syphilis was king Edward IV of England (1442-83). One of his councilors wrote that he died of an illness difficult to cure even in a person of lesser status, a cryptic comment not previously understood by historians. But his statement perfectly fits the difference between venereal and endemic syphilis, evidence that suggests both diseases existed in 15th-century England. The king's symptoms and reputation for sexual promiscuity help confirm my diagnosis.

Evidence for the presence of syphilis in the Old World also comes from art.

Doctors know that syphilis can result in "saddle nose," in which spirochetes invade a patient's nose and cause it to collapse in a distinctive way. Medieval artists from as early as the 12th century depicted this deformity in their work.

I believe they intended to show venereal and not endemic disease because they use saddle nose in depictions of sinful figures, including the men who tortured Christ or killed babies on the orders of King Herod.

Even the silly gryllus, a medieval monster with a face and legs but no body, was a symbol of human depravity.

Examples abound. Historians have ignored good evidenceas plain as the nose on your face, so to speakbecause they believed in the Columbian exchange. Regarding syphilis, however, that intellectual framework now appears outdated.

Explore further Concerning rise in syphilis cases across Minnesota

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Fish are helping researchers track down the origins of how brains compute mathematics, reports a review in Frontiers in Neuroanatomy. An international team has reviewed more than 200 publications, which together show that fish perceive quantities using parts of their brains similar to those used by mammals and birds. Research is still underway to find the specific brain circuitry that makes number processing possible, but these findings could eventually help treat human diseases that impair the ability to do math.

"Fish are on par with other animals in possessing a sense of quantity," said corresponding author Prof. Giorgio Vallortigara of the University of Trento in Italy. "There are species, most notably the zebrafish, that are ideal models for studying the molecular and genetic bases of the sense of quantity. This could have important implications for neurodevelopmental diseases affecting number cognition, such as developmental dyscalculia, which impairs math skills in up to 6% of children."

The video shows experiments described in the lab of Prof Vallortigara and reported in Messina et al (2022). On the left side an example is shown of the procedure of habituation of a zebrafish to a certain numerosity; on the right side one can notice that during the dishabituation test when the numerosity is abruptly changed the zebrafish exhibit increased stay close to the stimulus to explore the novelty. Controls showed that zebrafish responded to numerosity as such and not just to change in area or spatial positions of the dots. Credit: Giorgio Vallortigara / University of Trento

Lessons from fish

Estimating quantity is essential to a fish's survival. Vallortigara and his collaborators began with a collection of behavioral studies showing that fish rival mammals and birds in recognizing the difference between larger and smaller quantitiesof food or other fish, for example.

Many investigations have also used behavior to try to understand how fish gauge quantity, but Vallortigara's team found that this required looking more closely at the cellular and genetic level. To answer these questions, researchers have used brain imaging to show that fish use the same parts of their brains as many other vertebrates.

"Another open issue is whether numerical quantities are really computed as an abstract property or whether animals always think about numbers on the basis of other cues from their surroundings (such as surface area, contour length, or density)," said Vallortigara. "However, experiments are described in this review that show that pure numerousness is indeed used by fish."

The evolution of math

On an even more detailed level, other studies have gotten closer to finding the specific neurons that form the circuits that process quantity, including those specific for discrete quantities. Genetic analyses are also revealing exactly how similar these strategies are between different species.

"A big ongoing question is whether the mechanisms for quantity cognition in the different parts of the animal kingdom evolved from a common ancestor or separately as a result of convergent evolution under similar selective pressures," added Vallortigara.

On a genetic level, model systems like zebrafish are surprisingly close to humans and many researchers have been using zebrafish to better understand learning disabilities in humans.

Explore further Experiments suggests archerfish can differentiate between numbers

More information: Andrea Messina et al, Quantity as a fish views it: Behavior and neurobiology, Frontiers in Neuroanatomy (2022). www.frontiersin.org/articles/1  ana.2022.943504/full Andrea Messina et al, Quantity as a fish views it: Behavior and neurobiology,(2022). DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2022.943504
Members of The Philadelphia Orchestra, including Carol Jantsch, principal tuba player, took part in a study led by Penn scientists Paulo Arratia and Douglas Jerolmack. Their investigation examined the aerosols professional musicians generate as they play. Credit: Courtesy of Paulo Arratia

The latest research from the labs of Penn scientists Paulo Arratia and Douglas Jerolmack was an answer to "a call for help," says Arratia.

It was 2020, and the Philadelphia Orchestra, like so many cultural institutions, had suspended performances due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through P.J. Brennan, chief medical officer of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, the Orchestra sought expertise to help understand whether its musicians could return to playing in a safe physical arrangement that would minimize the chances of exposing one another, or their audiences, to SARS-CoV-2.

"The Orchestra director didn't want the musicians to be far apart; they needed to be close together to produce the best sound," says Arratia, of the School of Engineering and Applied Science. "And yet, if they needed to be separated with plexiglass, that also posed a problem." The musicians reported problems hearing one another and poor sightlines with plexiglass dividers. "The challenge was, how can we get away from this to the point where they can play unobstructed but still safely," Arratia says.

Now, in a publication in Physics of Fluids, Arratia, Jerolmack, and colleagues report on their findings, which suggest the aerosols musicians produce dissipate within about six feet. The results not only informed the arrangement of the Philadelphia Orchestra as they resumed performances in the summer of 2020 but also laid the groundwork for how other musical groups might think about safely gathering and playing.

"Having experts like Paulo and Doug, who could measure particle size and trajectory and distance and velocity, were really valuable in making decisions for the orchestra," says Brennan, who now serves on the Orchestra's Board of Directors. "Those decisions included the spacing between players, the distancing between sections, who needed to mask. As they gathered this information, along with the testing and case tracking that Penn Medicine was doing, it helped us make decisions with confidence."

Experimental approach

The research hinged on the questions of how many aerosol particles the musicians generated, how densely the particles were emitted from the instruments, and how fast they traveled through the air.

"You can have a big jet of air coming out, but if the aerosol concentration is very low it doesn't much matter," says Jerolmack, of the School of Arts & Sciences. "Or you can have a lot of aerosols that get concentrated in a narrow beam. Those things are important to understand."

To gather data, the researchers invited Orchestra musicians to campus, bringing along their wind instruments, including flutes, tubas, clarinets, trumpets, oboes, and bassoons.

In order to visualize and track the aerosols flowing out of the instruments as the musicians played, the researchers operated a humidifier that emitted water vapor droplets at the bell end of the instruments. This arrangement was only shifted for the flute player, for whom the humidifier was placed near the musician's mouth instead of the bell, since air travels over the mouthpiece while playing that instrument.

The researchers then shone a laser beam through the "fog" created by the humidifier, lighting up the aerosol particles and allowing them to be captured by a high-speed camera and particle counter.

"It's just like on a rainy day; you will see the water drops if the sun shines through," Arratia says.

The musicians played scales continuously for two minutes. It proved somewhat surprising to the researchers to find that the wind instrument musicians produced aerosols that were similar in concentration to those emitted during normal breathing and speaking, from about 0.3 to 1 micrometer in diameter.

Particles of this size, the researchers say, are small enough to travel far through the air, provided the air flow is strong enough to take them there. Thus, measuring their concentration and the flow became important to understand the potential risk of a musician potentially passing SARS-CoV-2 to another person.

Evaluating the velocity of the flow, the researchers measured speeds of roughly 0.1 meters per second, orders of magnitude slower than that of a cough of sneeze, which can travel 5 to 10 meters per second. The flute was an outlier but still only reached flow speeds of around 0.7 meters per second.

"When you observe the flow, you see these puffs and eddies, and we know that they spread, but we didn't know if there was going to be anything general at all between these instruments," says Jerolmack. "Here, we found that by measuring only flow and aerosol concentration and counts, we can make predictions about how far aerosols will travel."

Music's flow

Based on their observations, the aerosols produced by these "mini-concerts" dissipated, settling into the flow of the background air draft, within about 2 meters, or 6 feetreassuringly similar, the researchers say, to what has been measured for ordinary speaking or breathing. Only flute and trombone-generated aerosols traveled beyond that distance, for the flute perhaps because the air travels over the instrument instead of the instrument acting like a mask to prevent the spread of aerosols.

Overall, woodwind instruments emitted slightly lower concentrations of aerosols than brass instruments, perhaps because the wooden elements of the instrument absorbed some of the humidity and the numerous holes along the instrument may reduce the flow of some of the aerosols, the researchers speculate.

Because the measurements the researchers made were not connected to any specific quality of SARS-CoV-2, they can be used to extrapolate how transmission of other respiratory pathogens could be affected by making music.

"Now you have something to work with for potential future concerns, maybe an outbreak of influenza or something like that," says Arratia. "You can use our findings about flow, plug in your numbers about infectiousness and viral loads, and adapt it to understand risk.

"This was not exactly a problem that we work on routinely, but we felt compelled to take it on," he says. "It was a lot of fun, and we were lucky to have a problem to work on that made a meaningful difference during the difficult times of the pandemic."

More information: Quentin Brosseau et al, Flow and aerosol dispersion from wind musical instruments, Physics of Fluids (2022). Journal information: Physics of Fluids Quentin Brosseau et al, Flow and aerosol dispersion from wind musical instruments,(2022). DOI: 10.1063/5.0098273
Infrared (FT-IR) spectra and -sheet ratio of A peptides interacted with CeF3 NPs. The effect of CeF3 nanoparticles on amyloid beta protein structure is measured directly with FT-IR spectroscopy. The formation of secondary structure shows up as a feature in the IR spectrum. Credit: Masakazu Umezawa / Tokyo University of Science, License type: CC BY 4.0

Protein function and activity are determined by both their assembly and secondary structure. Abnormalities related to either protein aggregation or secondary structure can lead to neurodegenerative diseases. In a new study, an international research team reveals how fluoride nanoparticles, materials used in in vivo imaging, affect the assembly and structure of the amyloid  protein. Their results present a step towards better treatment and prevention of neurologic disorders like Alzheimer's disease.

Self-assembly, or the association of individual units of a material into ordered structures or patterns, is a phenomenon of great research interest for materials scientists. One prominent example of self-assembly comes from the self-assembly of proteins in biological systems. The function and activity of proteins are governed by their assembly state. Additionally, the protein's "secondary structure," characterized by its folding into structures, such as a -sheet, also plays a role. In fact, abnormalities in the protein secondary structures or their assembly can lead to various neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease.

Nanoparticles (NPs) offer a promising route for the treatment and prevention of such diseases by allowing a controlled and targeted drug delivery. Additionally, inorganic NPs, such as fluoride NPs, are used in brain imaging applications. Compared to organic NPs, inorganic NPs are considered a better candidate for developing high functional materials. But, there is much concern regarding their biotoxicity. While their interactions with bioproteins have been studied, the mechanism underlying these interactions are not well understood.

An international team of scientists from Tokyo University of Science (TUS) in Japan and Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan has now addressed this issue. In their study, which was made available online on June 2, 2022, and was published in the journal ACS Applied Bio Materials on June 20, 2022, the team investigated a section of the amyloid  peptide (a protein found in the plaques forming in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease) in a solution with fluoride ceramic (CeF 3 ) NPs. The study was led by Junior Associate Professor Masakazu Umezawa and included contributions from Mr. Naoya Sakaguchi from TUS and Assistant Professors Mehdi Amouei Torkmahalleh and Dhawal Shah from Nazarbayev University.

Simulation snapshots of the peptide aggregate interactions with various ions. Simulation results of the effect of ions within 0.1 nm on the peptides in the systems under study: (a) no salt, (b) 0.15 M NaCl, (c) 0.15 M NH4Cl, and (d) 0.15 M NaNO3. Coloring: beta sheet = yellow; Na+ = green; NH4+ = blue and white; Cl- = purple; and NO3 = blue and red. Credit: Masakazu Umezawa / Tokyo University of Science, License type: CC BY 4.0

The team used a technique called "Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy" (FTIR) to directly monitor the effect of the NP surface on the peptide bonds. "We found that near the nanoparticle surface, peptides are more likely to form -sheets. This comes as an effect of hydrophobicity. The parts of the peptide that repelled by the water solution stick to the nanoparticles, and form aggregates more easily," explains Dr. Umezawa.

In addition, the team investigated the effect of other surrounding ions in the solution. "What we found was very surprising. Even without the nanoparticles, the environment affected the rate of secondary structure formation," says Dr. Umezawa, "This effect, resulting from a combination of electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonding, was exaggerated upon adding nanoparticles. With a careful choice of ions and nanoparticles, the -sheet formation can be either suppressed or promoted. This implies that the process can be controlled and engineered to eradicate adverse effects."

The experimental results were complemented with molecular dynamics simulations performed by the Nazarbayev University team. This, in turn, helped design and guide the experiments as well as provide insights into the results.

With this deeper understanding of the interaction between proteins and NPs, the study paves the way for controlled protein folding processes. With such control, any protein deformations could be eliminated, and positive interactions and structural changes could be promoted. This could lead to a better prevention and treatment protocol for Alzheimer's disease and, eventually, to a better quality of life for aged adults.

Explore further Decoding protein assembly dynamics with artificial protein needles

More information: Naoya Sakaguchi et al, Changes in the Secondary Structure and Assembly of Proteins on Fluoride Ceramic (CeF3) Nanoparticle Surfaces, ACS Applied Bio Materials (2022). Naoya Sakaguchi et al, Changes in the Secondary Structure and Assembly of Proteins on Fluoride Ceramic (CeF3) Nanoparticle Surfaces,(2022). DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.2c00239
4 terrorists gunned down in operation in NW Pakistan: military

Xinhua) 08:47, July 14, 2022

ISLAMABAD, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Four terrorists were killed during an operation of security forces in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a military statement said Wednesday.

The military's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement that security forces conducted the operation when army troops observed and engaged terrorists' movement in North Waziristan tribal district of the province.

The security personnel killed four terrorists in an exchange of fire, the ISPR statement said.

Weapons and ammunition were seized from the terrorists, the statement said, adding that the killed terrorists were actively involved in terrorist activities against security forces.

Last week, a soldier was killed in a shootout between security forces and terrorists in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan district in the province, said the Pakistani military.

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun)
 Flash

U.S. President Joe Biden landed in Israel on Wednesday afternoon, opening his first visit to the Middle East as president, during which he will hold talks with officials of Israel, Palestine, and Saudi Arabia.



Biden was welcomed in an official ceremony at the Ben Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv by Israeli President Issac Herzog, Prime Minister Yair Lapid, ministers and lawmakers.

He received a security briefing at the airport on Israel's anti-rocket Iron Dome system and Iron Beam, a newly-developed laser-based air defense system.

In joint remarks, Lapid said that Biden is "one of the best friends Israel has ever known."

"We will discuss building a new security and economy architecture with the nations of the Middle East, following the Abraham Accords," Lapid said, adding "we will discuss the need to renew a strong global coalition that will stop the Iranian nuclear program."

For his part, Biden said the connection between Israel and the United States "is bone-deep," adding that he will work during his trip to advance Israel's integration in the region.

He will later go to Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem, for a wreath-laying ceremony to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust during War World II.

He will spend two days in Jerusalem before traveling to the West Bank to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday.

On Friday afternoon, he will fly to Saudi Arabia for talks with Saudi officials, where he will also participate in a summit with officials from regional countries.

Israel hopes that the visit will help to warm up ties with Saudi Arabia amid growing concerns over Iran's activities in the region and its nuclear program.

Biden is also expected to try to persuade Saudi Arabia to increase oil production amid the crisis in Ukraine.
(a) Perspective view of the unit cell of array. (b) Overall and local optical images of the CEP shifter from top view, and flexibility of the CEP shifter demonstrated by manually bending the sample. Credit: AIR

Manipulating terahertz (THz) waveforms is important for its applications. Despite the rapid progress in metamaterials (MMs), the carrier-envelope phase (CEP) control for THz pulse is still challenging due to its broadband feature.

THz scanning tunneling microscope (THz-STM) is an emerging technique combining both high temporal and spatial resolution.

A research team led by Prof. Wang Tianwu from the Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), proposes an ultra-thin THz CEP shifter composed of different MM arrays, which can modulate the CEP of broadband THz pulses in the sub-wavelength thickness range and maintain the electric field polarization.

The study was published in Advanced Optical Materials.

The CEP shifter is based on a specified split-ring resonator (SRR) with a pair of cross-oriented gratings to enhance the transmission efficiency. The CEP shift is realized by resonance phase and Pancharatnam-Berry phase of SRR, which can be shifted as high as 2.

When the incident pulse is modulated by different MM arrays in turn, the change of temporal waveforms of the THz pulse under different CEP values is clearly observed by THz time domain spectroscopy system (THz-TDS), which correlates with the simulation results.

The research team also verified that the CEP shifter has good robustness under wide-angle incidence and a large deformation of the sample. Compared to the complex THz CEP controller composed of different parts, the proposed CEP shifter is ultra-thin and flexible, with low insertion loss and is easy to install and operate. It is expected to be used as a key component for THz-STM.

The design scheme can also be applied to other frequency bands by appropriately scaling the geometry parameters of the structure. In addition, the proposed CEP shifter will allow investigation of the CEP dependence of THz matter interactions.

Explore further Researchers propose new compact 2D serpentine optical phased array

More information: Tong Li et al, Flexible THz CarrierEnvelope Phase Shifter Based on Metamaterials, Advanced Optical Materials (2022). Journal information: Advanced Optical Materials Tong Li et al, Flexible THz CarrierEnvelope Phase Shifter Based on Metamaterials,(2022). DOI: 10.1002/adom.202200541
Doctoral student Vaishnavi Balaji uses a high-resolution confocal microscope to study how neurons inside the retina are interconnected. Credit: University of Oldenburg

Many animals use the Earth's magnetic field for orientation. But exactly how they do this remains for the most part a mystery. At the University of Oldenburg, researchers from across disciplines are working together to solve the puzzle.

A unique spectacle awaits anyone who visits the German island of Heligoland in the spring or autumn: On some days, particularly after bad weather, thousands of migratory birds, including small songbirds such as robins, northern wheatears, chiffchaffs and song thrushes, stop to rest on this rocky archipelago in the middle of the North Sea. Some spend the summer in Scandinavia or Russia. A few northern wheatears even fly across the Atlantic to Canada in the warmer months to breed and raise their young.

In winter, the birds migrate to warmer climes in southern Europe or Africa. Professor Henrik Mouritsen, who heads the Neurosensory Science research group at the University of Oldenburg, points to a particularly surprising aspect of this phenomenon: "Most songbirds migrate at night. Young birds that have never flown this route before migrate alone, without their parents or siblings," he explains. Northern Wheatearspretty little songbirds that weigh just 25 gramscover distances of up to 15,000 kilometers a year. "Their navigation systems are incredibly precise. Experienced migratory birds can find their way back to the exact same burrow they used for breeding the year before after traveling thousands of kilometers," says the biologist. The big question for Mouritsen is how exactly they do thiswith a brain that in most cases weighs less than a gram.

Mouritsen has been searching for answers for a long time and his research has made significant contributions to solving the mystery. Since 2019 efforts have intensified. The biologist is working with a large international team in the Collaborative Research Center (CRC), which is conducting in-depth research into the impressive orientation abilities of vertebrates. The focus is on migratory birds such as European robins and blackcaps, and their astonishing ability to use the Earth's magnetic field for orientation.

Researchers from a wide range of disciplines including neurobiology, quantum physics, biochemistry, computer modeling and behavioral biology have joined forces in the CRC to find out how this still poorly understood sensitivity to the planet's magnetic field works. Led by Mouritsen, the team is studying the phenomenon at all levels: analyzing migration routes, conducting behavioral experiments and trying to determine how sensory stimuli are processed in the birds' brains and via which cells signals get there. The researchers' mission has brought them right down to the molecular level, where they are investigating the magnetic properties of certain proteins both in the laboratory and using complex computer models.

A quantum effect that might affect biomolecules

The team is hot on the trail of a fascinating mechanism: in recent years, evidence has mounted that the magnetic sensor of migratory birds is located in their eyes. Their magnetic sense appears to be based on a complicated quantum physical process that takes place in certain retinal cells. Mouritsen admits that at first glance, it is hard to imagine that such a process could form the basis for the magnetic compass in birds. Indeed, it was long considered unlikely that the extremely weak effects of quantum physics could influence biomolecules. However, together with various colleagues, the biologist has recently presented several findings that support this theory.

The search for the actual magnetic sensor has already yielded a hot contender: cryptochrome 4, a protein found in the retinas of migratory birds such as European robins, appears to be sensitive to the field lines of the Earth's magnetic field, thus triggering a cascade of chemical signals that transmit the stimulus to the brain. "Cryptochromes are present in the cells of many animals and plants," explains Oldenburg biochemist Professor Karl-Wilhelm Koch, who heads a subproject of the CRC. These proteins, of which there are six different types, can be light-sensitive and, among other things, ensure the functioning of the internal clock. Each animal species has its own, slightly modified variants of these proteins.

Magnetic for a fraction of a second

Cryptochrome 4 has a property that is very rare among biomolecules: "When it meets blue light, so-called radical pairs form," explains Professor Ilia Solov'yov, head of the Quantum Biology and Computational Physics research group at the University of Oldenburg. Radicals are molecules with an unpaired electron. Blue light triggers two such radicals in cryptochrome to form one coherent quantum mechanical state. This state lasts only a few fractions of a second, but during that fleeting moment, the protein is sensitive to the relatively weak influence of the Earth's magnetic field. Its direction determines into which of two possible products the cryptochrome subsequently convertsat least this was the theory put forward by the German physicist Klaus Schulten in the year 2000.

Together with colleagues from Oxford University, an Oldenburg research group led by Mouritsen was recently able to demonstrate this complex process in the cryptochrome 4 protein of the eyes of European robins. The researchers presented their findings in the cover story of a June 2021 issue of the journal Nature. An initial breakthrough came when Jingjing Xu, a doctoral student in Mouritsen's research group, succeeded in producing large quantities of cryptochrome 4 in the laboratory for the first time using bacterial cell cultures. The partners in Oxford were then able to demonstrate the protein's pronounced sensitivity to magnetic fields using ultra-sensitive techniques including magnetic resonance measurements and innovative optical spectroscopy methods. "The authors have brought us ever abiding closer to solving this mystery of sensory biology," zoologist Professor Eric Warrant of Sweden's Lund University commented in Nature.

Using computers as a microscope

An important contribution to this success were also the model calculations of physicist Ilia Solov'yov, who specializes in using computers like a microscope to gain a better understanding of molecules. "We calculate the position and motion of all the atoms in a protein using the fundamental equations of nature such as Newton's equations of motion, the laws of thermodynamics and quantum physics," he explains. These modeling operations require enormous computational resources: to model cryptochrome 4 in a realistic cellular environment Solov'yov has to calculate the behavior of about 100,000 atoms in tiny increments of time. For just one microseconda millionth of a secondhe needs two weeks of computing time on a powerful supercomputer.

The light-sensitive protein cryptochrome 4 (the yellow substance in the tube) is only stable for a short time. Credit: University of Oldenburg

But it's worth the effort: with his "computer microscope," Solov'yov can uncover things that remain hidden using other methodssuch as how electrons jump from amino acid to amino acid within the cryptochrome, or how changing environmental conditions affect the process. "The beauty of computer simulations is that we have complete control of the system," he says. In the case of the European robins' cryptochrome, Solov'yov, together with Professors Peter Hore, Christiane Timmel, and Stuart Mackenzie from Oxford, was able to identify which building blocks are crucial for the molecule's magnetic properties, and to confirm this using the proteins made in Mouritsen's group.

Solov'yov is currently modeling the cryptochromes of other organisms such as zebra finches, chickens, blackcaps and fish in order to identify differences in the proteins' magnetic properties. In addition, the physicist aims to measure the life span of radical pairs in various cryptochromesa crucial property for their suitability as magnetic sensors.

A successful search in gene libraries

While the secrets of this unique protein are gradually being revealed, biochemist Karl-Wilhelm Koch is investigating how the stimulus it provides is transmitted further inside the cells. "The perception of the magnetic field has to be translated into the language of the nervous system," he explains. Koch and his team have set out to find proteins that interact with cryptochrome. "We have identified six potential candidates in genomic libraries," he says. The team presented the results of their genetic screening in the journal Scientific Reports in 2020.

Koch and his team are currently studying two of these proteins in greater detail. One is a visual pigment that is sensitive to red light while the second belongs to an important class of proteins that transmit signals within cells. "We have already found evidence that these two proteins do in fact form a complex with cryptochrome 4 and we are now performing further measurements using special biosensors to better understand these interactions," Koch reports.

The researchers are still puzzling over the significance of these findings. The fact that cryptochrome interacts with a photoreceptor molecule could mean that a magnetic stimulus triggers the same signaling cascade as visual stimuli. The interaction with the second protein, on the other hand, could indicate that the magnetic sensor triggers its own, as yet unknown, signaling pathway. "These are open questions that we aim to clarify," says Koch.

Light-sensitive nerve cells as sensors for the Earth's magnetic field

A strong indication that these two proteins do indeed play a role in magnetic sensing is the fact that they are present in the same cells as cryptochrome 4. The research team hadn't specified this as a prerequisite in its search for potential interaction partners. But it emerged that all three proteins are produced in the double conesa specific type of sensory cells located in the retina. These light-sensitive nerve cells therefore appear to be the site of magnetic sensing.

"Double cones are photoreceptor cells found in fish, reptiles and birds," explains Oldenburg neurobiologist Professor Karin Dedek, who leads a subproject tasked with deciphering the nerve connections within the retina. These unusually shaped nerve cells consist of a larger principal member and smaller accessory member and make up about 30 to 40 percent of the photoreceptor cells in avian eyes. The CRC team thinks it likely that the cryptochrome molecules are not floating around freely in these cells but are in some way tethered. In the peripheral areas of the photoreceptors there are hundreds of parallel cell membranes. The scientists suspect that the proteins are fixed and aligned in rows here, which would increase their sensitivity to the direction of the magnetic field.

Dedek believes the peculiar geometry of the double cones makes them particularly suited to detecting the magnetic field: "For example, if the cryptochrome molecules in the two subunits are perpendicular to each other, that could aid the process of distinguishing between visual and magnetic stimuli." To understand how the retina encodes the stimuli, Dedek and her colleagues are studying the double cones and their interconnections with other neurons. "We want to know what types of cell then transmit the signal to the brain," she says. Another goal is to directly measure the reaction of the double cones to changes in the magnetic fieldand thus provide direct evidence that these cells detect the magnetic field.

Various findings suggest that a region of the brain called Cluster N is responsible for processing the magnetic signals. It is located near the region that processes visual stimuli in avian brains and, as experiments by Mouritsen showed in 2005, is highly active in night-migratory songbirds in light conditions such as low-level star and moonlight. In an article that appeared in Nature in 2009, Mouritsen's research group was able to prove that Cluster N does indeed process magnetic compass stimuli by demonstrating that when this brain region is not functioning, birds can still use their star and sun compasses, but can no longer navigate using magnetic stimuli.

To find interaction partners, the researchers use the Two-Hybrid System, a technique involving petri dishes filled with a nutrient medium. Credit: University of Oldenburg

When electrosmog drives migratory birds off course

How exactly the birds perceive the Earth's magnetic field is unclear. "The most likely option is that birds see the magnetic field as a visual pattern," Mouritsen says. In laboratory studies, experiments have repeatedly shown that the geomagnetic field helps birds to find their wayand that disturbances can cause them to lose their orientation. But what happens when they are out in the wild is a different matter. Within the CRC, ornithologist Dr. Heiko Schmaljohann is addressing this specific question. "We are looking at whether the results of laboratory experiments are also relevant for free-flying birds," he says.

In recent years, Schmaljohann, who conducts research at the university as well as at the Institute of Avian Research in Wilhelmshaven, has been testing whether electrosmog disrupts orientation in European robins and northern wheatears after their stopover on Heligoland. He began the experiments after a group led by Mouritsen reported in Nature that electromagnetic interference generated by some electronic devices disrupted orientation in caged birdsa result that fits in well with the theory of the radical-pair mechanism. For Schmaljohann, these findings raised the question of whether electrosmog also affects free-flying birds in the wild, such as long-distance migrants, whose populations have long been in decline for reasons that remain unexplained.

Using the sun for orientation

To put this to the test, Schmaljohann and his team set up various radio receiving stations on the island and around the German Bight to track the departure direction of robins and northern wheatears when leaving Heligoland. The researchers then attached radio transmitters weighing 0.3 gram to some 140 northern wheatears and 140 robins and exposed the birds to low levels of electrosmog or no electrosmog at all for several hours. "We then released them and used the radio telemetry data to see how they behavedwhether electrosmog would perhaps prolong their stopover on Heligoland, or whether they would be disoriented when they started flying and head off in the wrong direction," says Schmaljohann. The team is currently in the process of publishing the results of the experiment, and the researcher would only reveal this much: "It appears that the birds use different sources of information to determine the migratory direction from Helgoland. It can be the stars, but also the magnetic field or landmarks."

There have been many indications over the years that the birds don't rely on only a single source of information on their long journey. In addition to stars and landmarks, it is likely that migratory birds use both the sun's trajectory and their sense of smell for orientation. And they probably have a second, even more mysterious magnetic sensor in their beaks, which possibly consists of tiny iron crystals and enables them to use the magnetic field like a map for navigation. This mechanism is being investigated in other subprojects within the Collaborative Research Center.

Together with Oldenburg computer modelers Professor Bernd Blasius and Dr. James McLaren, Schmaljohann is now investigating which of the various compasses plays the key role on different parts of the journey. "We are putting together individual pieces of information from numerous studies around the world, like a mosaic, to gain a better understanding of global migrations," says Schmaljohann. "After all, if we want to protect these animals on their long journeys, it is important to know what causes some migratory birds to change direction mid-journey and why they react differently to certain stimuli depending on their location."

"Birds definitely face major challenges when navigating across long distances," Mouritsen summarizes. Their amazing feats continue to offer many interesting challenges for the CRC team, too. The biologist is confident that more fascinating findings are yet to come: "We have achieved the easy part of our research objectives. Now things will get even more exciting."

Explore further Quantum birds: Shedding light on the mechanism of magnetic sensing in birds

Provided by University of Oldenburg
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Promotional offers for newspapers, gym memberships, internet and phone services, and other subscription-based businesses sometimes come with a catch: after a honeymoon period of reduced pricing, the business renews the membership automatically, at a higher price. Then customers may find themselves unwittingly paying a recurring membership for something they don't fully use or want.

Many people are too busy, forgetful, or distracted to unsubscribe, and some companies lean on this consumer inertia to boost revenues. But this kind of exploitation may come back to bite them in the long run, according to research from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

The findings are detailed in a recent working paper from Asst. Prof. Avner Strulov-Shlain, a behavioral economist at Chicago Booth; Klaus M. Miller of HEC Paris; and Navdeep S. Sahni, Ph.D."12, a Booth alum who is now an associate professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

The researchers ran a field experiment tracking promotion-backed online subscriptions to a well-known European newspaper between 2018 and 2020. The newspaper ran a range of promotions offering free access or access at 0.99 for two- or four-week periods, culminating in either an automatic full-priced subscription or automatic cancelation. The researchers looked at eight promotional groups in total.

Miller, Sahni and Strulov-Shlain had access to the browsing history of more than one million potential subscribers from 14 days prior to the promotions to 27 days after. The newspaper also provided two years' worth of customer relationship management data on all subscriptions and contracts.

The researchers find that in the long run, the promotions automatically enrolling website users in an ongoing subscription at regular prices were considerably less successful than those that were obligation free or simply ended with cancelation. Automatic renewals attracted about a quarter fewer subscribers to the promo.

Thanks, but no thanks

When a newspaper offered potential subscribers a discounted promotion that led to an automatic renewal at expiration, most consumers either avoided it or quickly canceled.

This is most likely because these consumers were aware of the downside of their own future inertia when it came to proactively unsubscribing, the researchers say. Consumers significantly underestimated their own inertia, the researchers write, and yet many still demonstrated a sophisticated understanding of it.

"When they were offered something that would ultimately tie them into a situation that their own inertia would make it hard to break, they were overwhelmingly less inclined to sign up for it there and then," said Strulov-Shlain, an assistant professor of marketing at Chicago Booth.

Readers who received an offer tying them into automatic renewal were 9 percent less inclined to sign up for a subscription at any point during the two years following the promotion period, relative to those who'd been able to sign up obligation free. The mere offer of an automatic subscription renewal may have put them off signing up, the researchers speculated.

Even though the newspaper reported a 21 percent increase in revenue from these unwilling subscribers immediately following the promotions, the benefit quickly faded. After one year, the revenue generated from both promotional offers was equivalent, and there were more subscribers from the promotion that automatically canceled.

Any short-term revenue gains that were due to the inertia of subscribers who were automatically enrolled were outweighed by the longer-term effect, as locked-in customers gradually left, the researchers found.

"Subscription-based businesses focus on customer retention over customer acquisition, so if this is your model, you really need to pay attention to the data," said Strulov-Shlain. Locking in people turns off customers and deters potential ones, he added.

Strulov-Shlain thinks that a better strategy for subscription-based businesses is to make it transparently easy for people to leave when they want to. He points to Netflix and Amazon as companies that offer customers the option to cancel their subscriptions easily.

"They've understood that exploiting consumer inertia isn't healthy for long-term business," he said. "At the end of the day, it's as true of subscription business models as it is of all human relationships: you just can't simply force people to love you."

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CORINTH  An Indian Lake man was sentenced on Thursday to 16 years in prison for assaulting a Corinth man with an ax last October.

Justice D. Locke, 20, had pleaded guilty in Saratoga County Court in May to felony first-degree assault. Locke entered the apartment of the man at 16 Mallory St. at about 11:30 p.m. on Oct. 26 and attacked him with the tomahawk-style axe.

The Saratoga County Sheriffs Office received a call the following morning about a person with serious physical injuries. The victim was treated at the scene was treated by EMTs from Jessups Landing EMS and transported by helicopter to Albany Medical Center.

Investigators Jeff Bouyea and Steven Brown from the Saratoga County Sheriffs Office were led to Locke after receiving a report of a person who entered the Cumberland Farms in the village of Corinth in a highly agitated state and with blood on his hands.

The man was identified later as Locke.

Police located him in Indian lake and he voluntarily went with investigators to the Saratoga County Sheriffs Office for an interview, authorities said. Locke admitted to assaulting the victim with a tomahawk-style ax and then fleeing the scene. He hid the weapon in a building in Indian Lake.

Investigators located the weapon and analyzed forensic evidence collected at the scene to link Locke to the crime.

Police have not disclosed Lockes motive for the assault.

Saratoga County Court Judge James Murphy also sentenced Locke to 5 years of post-release supervision.

This was a bold and purposeful attack, which will affect the victim in this case for the rest of his life, Saratoga County District Attorney Karen Heggen said in a news release.
Retiring Fort Edward Police Chief Justin Derway admitted on Monday to falsifying training records.

Derway pleaded guilty to a second-degree misdemeanor count of offering a false instrument for filing in Albany City Criminal Court.

According to court officials, he was sentenced to a conditional discharge, which included the requirement to comply with a stipulation. The stipulation of the conditional discharge has not been made available to the public.

Ben Mastitis of the state Attorney Generals Office prosecuted the case.

Derway and Fort Edward police Sgt. Dean Watkins initially pleaded not guilty to 11 felony counts of offering a false instrument for filing in Albany City Criminal Court in March.

They were placed on administrative leave in January.

Derway submitted a letter of resignation to the Fort Edward Village Board in May that stated his retirement would be effective July 15.

Watkins could stand further disciplinary action pending a village hearing in accordance with Civil Service Law and Village Law. He has not yet been sentenced in Albany City Court.

The sentence comes after Derway and Watkins were charged in connection with falsifying police training documents from October 2019.

The felony complaint was brought to Albany City Court by Attorney Generals Office Detective Supervisor Samuel Scotellaro III, claiming both officers signed final evaluation field training documents that were submitted to the New York State Department of Criminal Justice Services.

The DCJS is a state agency tasked with setting the standards for police training across New York state and is responsible for certifying police officers and police training officers.

The documents state that Watkins and Derway signed evaluations verifying police trainees completed the requisite requirements for the police training program, when defendants did not directly observe completion of various training performance areas.

New police recruits are required to complete field training hours as a continuation of the job screening process and are required to complete police duties under the supervision of an appointed field training officer for a minimum of 160 hours.

The training officer and the recruit are required to fill out and sign daily observation reports to account for the training hours and submit the documents along with the final evaluations to the DCJS to grant the recruit certification.

The Attorney Generals Office complaint claims 15 police recruits were approved for a Basic Course for Police Officers directed by Watkins, which is required within one year of appointment to law enforcement, to be completed between Oct. 20, 2018, and Oct. 20, 2019. Eleven of the recruits were employed by the Fort Edward Police Department.

At the time of the course, Derway and Watkins were the only certified field training officers in the department. Watkins signed off on the training of seven officers and Derway signed off on four, according to the complaint.

The Attorney Generals Office stated that discrepancies were discovered after the DCJS requested the daily observation reports associated with the 11 trainees.

Specifically, they observed that Watkins and Derway worked an astronomical number of hours as an FTO (field training officer). Watkins was listed as working for 71 out of 78 calendar days for a total of 892.5 hours; he reportedly worked several shifts exceeding 24 consecutive hours and often had three or more recruits assigned to him simultaneously, the complaint reads.

As for Derway, the complaint also states he was assigned multiple recruits during the same shift and worked 51 out of 67 calendar days as an FTO for a total of 510 hours.

These numbers prompted the DCJS to request the attendance records of Watkins and Derway. It was then discovered that Watkins signed off on 668.5 hours of field supervisor time he did not work and Derway signed off on 228 hours he did not actually work, according to the complaint.
GLENS FALLS  GFK9 closed its doors for good on Tuesday after a recent incident of a dog getting out while in the facilitys care, and people protesting the business and its owner for what they claim is animal cruelty and negligence.

As first reported by the Glens Falls Chronicle, a family vacationing in Lake George from Pittsburgh placed their 1-year-old Australian shepherd named Alfie in the care of the GFK9 dog day care on June 22.

That day, the dog got out and would not be found for 2 1/2 weeks.

Mike Tartaglione, owner of GFK9, said that on June 22, he received a call from his staff saying that Alfie was running through the parking lot.

He said that everyone immediately went into search mode.

I was out till about 9:30 p.m., 10 p.m. that night looking for him, talking to people. There were sightings everywhere, he said.

The following morning, Tartaglione said that he watched the security camera footage of the area where Alfie had escaped with his owner Mike Miranda.

Tartaglione said that Alfie was playing and running around with six or seven other dogs.

The next frame skipped to Alfie standing outside of the fence.

Tartaglione said that he isnt sure if the footage skipped or the cameras were malfunctioning.

It was like he was teleported to the middle of the lot, he said. He just appeared about 50 feet away from the fence.

Tartaglione said that Alfie was found on Sunday night and returned to the family. The owners of the Australian shepherd could not be reached for comment.

Tartaglione said that one of his regular clients had found Alfie in their backyard. Tartaglione said the clients dogs had been playing with Alfie the day he got out from the play area at GFK9.

He texted me at 12:15 a.m. to let me know the good news, Tartaglione said. He actually stopped by the following day with Alfie in the car so I could see him.

Weekend protest

Drivers honked their car horns in solidarity with a group of protesters holding signs outside of GFK9 on Saturday afternoon. Tartaglione announced the closure of his business on July 5, but had remained partially open to honor appointments that had already been made.

Liz Dragon said the group was protesting years of abuse to the animals that are at the dog day care center.

Neglect, she said. Dogs have died in their care. Animals have gotten hurt in their care.

Her golden rottie retriever, Capone, was placed in the care of GFK9 around five years ago. Dragon said that he is injured permanently from that visit.

She said that Capones back was injured, and he came out with a large cut on his face when she picked him up.

Were here to shut this place down because we do not want this to happen anymore. Were here to support these animals, Dragon said.

Christopher Jones, a former employee of GFK9, said that the neglect that people are calling out is, in part, the fault of Tartaglione.

Jones said that he worked for the business for around four years, and left three months ago. He said that there were a few neglectful employees, but 90% were good at their jobs and loved the dogs in their care.

The other 10% he would not fire. Hes been addressed about all of them, he said. He would not fire them because he says, I just need a body here.

Tartaglione said the employees Jones was referring to were new hires that he had not been able to train quickly.

He said with new employees, you want to give the benefit of the doubt and give them time to learn the ropes. He said some of the employees that he would not name did not pan out as he would have hoped.

Tartaglione said that employees would come to him and demand that they be fired.

I need to give them a chance, and I need to get someone else that could replace them before I fire them, he said. I need someone to answer the phones and walk the dogs from the front to the back.

Jones said that there would be 60 to 70 dogs to take care of, split between two employees, which he said contributes to incidents like Alfie getting loose.

Tartaglione said that he had seven staffed employees for the last few weeks prior to the closure.

He said that GFK9 hasnt had 60 to 70 dogs at once in years.

He said that when he had 15 employees on staff, he would have 40 dogs per day for doggy day care. He said that on the last day GFK9 was open he had two employees caring for five dogs.

There was never 60 to 70 dogs to two people, he said. Thats impossible. Theres no way that could be done.

Tartaglione said that he and Jones did not get along toward the end of his tenure as an employee with GFK9.

Jones said that he has seen and heard people bashing employees for abusing the animals, which he said never happened.

It happens because there is 70 dogs to two people. As an ex-employee it hurts to hear. I hate talking about it, he said as he became choked up.

Sad to go

Tartaglione said that he had been better during a phone call on Wednesday.

He announced on social media that he would be closing his business due to the higher utility costs, the lack of people willing to work and he and the business being bashed on social media.

He said that it is very upsetting to him to hear some of the things that he has heard. He said that he couldnt respond to the comments he saw on Facebook.

He said that he has had someone tell him that there are people going after him for the things that he has done.

He noted that for five straight years, GFK9 was voted Best in the Region.

The bulk of my clients, when I sent notices to them, they called, emailed or actually sent me a card to my house saying how sad they were, Tartaglione said. Theyre all, for the most part, upset. And so am I.
UPDATE: As of Wednesday afternoon, the four Wildwood Crest beaches were no longer under advisories for elevated fecal bacteria levels on the DEP website.

WILDWOOD CREST  The state Department of Environmental Protection has issued advisories for four borough beaches due to high levels of fecal bacteria.

The advisories are in effect for the beaches at Miami Avenue, Lavendar Road, Orchid Road and Forget-Me-Not Road.

Regulators from the DEP are required to issue an advisory when the concentration of enterococci bacteria in a sample of water exceeds limits set by the State Sanitary Code. Enterococci are a kind of bacteria that is typically found in animal and human waste and can be harmful to human health in high concentrations.

After an advisory is issued, additional samples are collected until water quality again meets state standards.

There are not currently any beach closures listed on the DEP website. If two consecutive water samples at a beach exceed the maximum state standard, it will close until a sample indicates that bacteria levels are again within a healthy range.

Recreational beach-water quality monitoring is done weekly at 180 ocean and 35 bay monitoring stations positioned along the Jersey Shore, according to the DEP website.
BRIGANTINE  A 28-year-old woman was in critical condition after attempting to rescue her two children in the ocean, police said Wednesday.

Police and firefighters responded to a 911 call at 9:28 a.m. for a swimmer in distress. The Beach Patrol arrived and rescued two young children and their mother from the water. Police did not specify where on the beach the rescue took place.

Once the children and woman were pulled from the water, emergency personnel performed life-saving measures on the woman. She was transported to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, City Campus, in critical condition, police said in a news release.

The children were evaluated by the Brigantine Fire Department and were reunited with family, police said.

Help sought to care for injured seals rescued earlier this year BRIGANTINE  A pair of female seals were separated from their herds, leaving them behind as 

An investigation determined the two children were wading and swimming in the ocean, police said. According to one witness, the children appeared to have become overpowered by the current and were in distress. The witness saw the woman run into the ocean to attempt to rescue her children, but she became distressed and disappeared underwater. The witness dialed 911.

Police said that because of the mothers selfless actions and the witness immediately seeking help, the children were able to be rescued by Brigantine Beach Patrol who were training prior to their shift on a beach nearby.

Police said no further information will be released regarding the incident.

Brigantine lifeguards are on duty from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Waders and swimmers are strongly encouraged to do so only at guarded beaches and between the flags designating swimming areas.
ATLANTIC CITY  Years of planning to return the NAACP National Convention to the city were celebrated Thursday by some of the people instrumental in making it happen.

Mayor Marty Small Sr. officially kicked off the weeklong convention that could generate more than $9.3 million in spending in the city.

Through Wednesday, the convention will feature appearances from notable NAACP members and activists, including Channing Hill, Howard University NAACP president, and President and CEO Derrick Johnson.

U.S. Rep. James E. Clyburn, of South Carolina, will be honored with the Spingarn Medal, the NAACPs highest award, for his advocacy for protecting voting rights.

The convention also is expected to include a visit from Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday, said City Councilman Kaleem Shabazz, who is president of the citys branch of the NAACP.

This years convention theme is #ThisIsPower.

NAACP national convention returns to Atlantic City ATLANTIC CITY  Come Thursday, a large crowd of delegates will start arriving for the 113th 

Events throughout the convention will address issues related to voting and reproductive rights, student debt and police reform. The NAACP also will use the convention to lay out its policy agenda for the rest of this year and into 2023.

This is a milestone here in the great city of Atlantic City, Small said Thursday during a convention kickoff news conference at his office. Im just so proud to be mayor during this exciting time.

Nearly 8,000 people are expected to attend the convention, Shabazz said.

Shabazz, who was instrumental in getting the citys nod to host the event, said the vice president will be in attendance, based on word from Washington.

Harris and President Joe Biden attended the last in-person NAACP convention in 2019, when it was held in Detroit. The conventions in-person return had been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

A spokesperson from the White Houses press office directed questions about Harris appearance to be sent by email, but a request for comment was not returned by Thursday evening.

NJ Transit offering discounts to NAACP Convention riders ATLANTIC CITY  NJ Transit is making train and bus tickets half-priced for anyone using publ

Hotels, Shabazz said, are beginning to fill with attendees.

More than 7,700 room nights for hotel properties are expected to be booked. Programs are also taking place before the main events next week.

The National Organization of Black Law Enforcement will host a program from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday at St. James AME Zion Church on New York Avenue. Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver and acting Attorney General Matthew Platkin will be on hand for the program, a community-relations initiative with local law enforcement.

NOBLE has 60 chapters and represents 3,000 members worldwide.

It talks to our youth and also the adults on how to conduct ourselves during an interaction with law enforcement officers, said Henry White, the citys former police chief.

This isnt the first time the resort town has hosted the convention. It hosted the 46th annual convention in 1955 from Atlantic City High School.

Crackdown on repeat shoplifters underway, will continue after NAACP convention ATLANTIC CITY  A group dedicated to improving public safety in Tanger Outlets The Walk and 

The unique convention is key to promoting civil rights, particularly because of the young people who partake in it, said activist Hazel Dukes, a stalwart in the NAACP who serves as president of its New York State Conference.

Black civil rights have been at the forefront of American politics over the past two years.

The freshest calls for change stemmed from the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police Officer Derick Chauvin in 2020. Others continue to center on living conditions and poverty.

The need for healthy communities was reiterated Thursday by Shabazz in the wake of a 13-year-old Atlantic City boy being arrested for allegedly shooting two men Tuesday afternoon.

Weve come to Atlantic City to sound off, to tell America were going to make America what she should be  no division, Dukes said. Every child should receive an excellent and equity education, regardless of what your zip code is or where you live. Thats the American promise.
ATLANTIC CITY  Two officers rescued an unconscious man floating in the bay Tuesday afternoon, police said.

Officers Rebecca Seabrook and John Bell responded to the bay behind a home in the first block of North Trenton Avenue at 12:52 p.m. after the man was reported to be in distress and drowning.

The officers found the man, 43, floating unconscious and resting against rock pilings near the residences dock, police said Thursday in a news release. Family members advised the officers that the man, who was visiting from Dubai, had accidentally fallen off the dock and into the water before they called for help.

Being trained in water rescues, Seabrook jumped into the bay, grabbed the man and swam to a nearby boat docked at a neighbors home, police said. By the time Seabrook entered the water, emergency medical personnel had reached the scene and helped the man into the boat.

The man regained consciousness before being taken to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, City Campus. He was listed in good condition and was expected to fully recover, police said.

The citys Fire Department also responded and helped bring the man onto land, police said.
 Flash

According to a new survey published on Wednesday, 49 percent of the United Kingdom (UK) population do not trust the national government and only one in five (20 percent) report trust in the country's political parties.

The survey, released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), measures public trust in the UK government as eight politicians are bidding to succeed Boris Johnson as prime minister following his resignation last week as leader of the governing Conservative Party.

Conservative Party lawmakers cast ballots on Wednesday in the first round of an election to whittle down the field to the final two candidates to be selected by the party's around 200,000 members by July 21.

The ONS survey, carried out as part of an international study coordinated by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), showed that only 35 percent of the UK population trusted the national government, which compares to the OECD countries' average of 41 percent.

Trust in public services across the UK was higher than trust in the national or local governments, with the UK's National Health Service (NHS) being the most trusted public service (80 percent), followed by the courts and legal system (68 percent).
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ABSECON  Authorities have pinpointed the source of a racist remark during a February City Council meeting.

The person who made the remark lives in Greensboro, North Carolina, according to a statement Thursday from city officials.

City police and the FBI will send the investigation into the incident to Greensboro authorities. Absecon police said an arrest is forthcoming.

Greensboro Police Department spokesperson Josie Cambareri did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.

Two from Atlantic County plead guilty in 2017 health benefits fraud case Two Atlantic County men admitted defrauding state and local health benefits programs and oth

These efforts and results should serve as a teaching moment to inspire other municipalities and organizations to work together in fighting racism, Mayor Kim Horton said.

While the city hasnt publicly discussed the incidents nature, one woman, Debbie Cunningham, said in March that her husband, Glenford, who is Black, and another Black couple at the meeting were the targets of the racism.

Cunningham said her husband was at the Feb. 3 meeting to inquire about the citys usage of American Rescue Plan Funds tied to COVID-19 pandemic recovery when a voice came over the Zoom call from a remote location and said, I didnt know (expletive) were allowed at the meeting.

Absecon and the NAACP in March pressed for an investigation into the incident.
Joan McKenna, 91, of Mount Laurel, founder and executive director of South Jerseys Women Against Rape; a tireless volunteer and advocate for wounded veterans, underserved children, flood victims, the elderly and the sick; and a political activist who served in local, state and national positions, died July 6 of respiratory failure at CareOne nursing center in Evesham.

McKenna founded Women Against Rape in 1973 in her Collingswood home as a volunteer organization to support and counsel rape victims in Camden, Gloucester and Burlington counties. During its 20-year existence, the group operated a 24-hour hotline and aided thousands of women and families.

It also updated law enforcement officers, public officials and medical personnel about improved policing and examination procedures, provided temporary shelter and child care for victims, and created sexual abuse education programs for children.

McKenna was especially dedicated to protecting preschool children.

A horrendous thing like sexual abuse is hard to teach, she told The Inquirer in 1987. Molesters can be anybody. But most are right there in the childs own family, which makes the issue a very sensitive one.

She organized effective fundraising events featuring actors Connie Stevens and Michael Landon, and TV personality John Walsh. She ran seminars for other volunteer groups and won grants from the New Jersey Department of Health, Camden County, United Way and others.

Her budget for Women Against Rape in 1988 was $225,000, and many of the services she initiated had been absorbed by government agencies when it closed in 1993.

She was a leader, always hustling, said her son, Mike. She always answered the call.

Well-spoken and gregarious, McKenna gave lectures on rape at the Camden County Police Academy, served with the Camden County sexual assault coalition, testified to the state Senate on sexual assault legislation reform, and commented often in The Inquirer and other media outlets about rape and related issues.

She was featured in a 1984 New York Times story about the New Jersey Department of Healths new manual for dealing with sexual assault victims, and she told The Inquirer in 1992: We will attempt to raise the consciousness of communities, reach out to other counties and provide them with literature.

McKenna also organized gift drives for patients at Blackwoods Lakeland Hospital, fundraisers for flood victims in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, events for the March of Dimes and voter registration drives. She won the New Jersey Governors Volunteer Awards in the 1980s and 90s, and recognition from Presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush for her volunteer work.

Politically active, she became a Camden ward leader, county and state committeewoman, and delegate to the 1972 Democratic National Convention in Miami. She also worked as executive director of the Camden County Office on Aging, on the Camden County board of elections and as campaign manager for former Collingswood Mayor Mike Brennan.

Born March 3, 1931, in Brooklyn, Joan Marie Toole grew up in Pittston, Pennsylvania, 12 miles south of Scranton. She married John McKenna in the early 1950s, and they had sons John, Mike and PJ. After a divorce, she moved to Camden, worked as a secretary, waitress and in other jobs, and raised her sons as a single parent in public housing.

She was the strictest mom in the projects, said her son Mike. She was very protective of us. She had high expectations, was very literate, and insisted on a good education.

After moving to Collingswood, McKenna was active in church, taught Bible classes, and organized trips to holy sites in the Middle East. She celebrated her Irish heritage and moved from Collingswood to Mount Laurel about 30 years ago.

An amazing woman and a force to be dealt with, a friend said in an online tribute. Another said: She left a legacy that your family should be truly proud of. She fought fiercely and loved fiercely.

Her family said it proudly continues her legacy of faith, community and love.

In addition to two sons, McKenna is survived by four grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and other relatives. Her son John, former husband, two sisters and a brother died earlier.

Services were held Saturday.

Donations in her name may be made to St. Joan of Arc Church, 100 Willow Bend Road, Marlton, NJ 08053.
ATLANTIC CITY  For most kids, the perfect summer day may include building sandcastles on the beach or splashing around in the water, but for some, like Britney Gilhernandez, who is interested in technology, Wednesday was a good day to learn about wind turbines and energy.

I found it interesting how windmills are able to power energy, so I wanted to see other ways windmills can be used, said Gilhernandez, 11, who took part in a workshop on the Boardwalk sponsored in part by Offshore Wind 4 Kids.

Offshore Wind 4 Kids, an organization that teaches children about engineering and technology via offshore wind, and Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, one of the main companies contracted to build and maintain New Jerseys largest offshore wind turbine project, partnered on the workshop, the first for the companys Educational Community Outreach center.

Gilhernandez was one of 30 to 40 kids from the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City and Egg Harbor Townships Police Activities League who spent the day learning from industry professionals about engineering, renewable energy and how to work together to build their own model offshore wind turbines. The children ranged in age from 8 to 15 years old.

Gilhernandez, who is interested in having a career in tech when shes older, said she learned about different types of wind turbines and how they are built, as well as where the offshore wind turbines are being built, which she found the most interesting.

Being on the beach with the model wind turbine and playing with Lego windmills was also a plus.

Bungalow Park neighborhood meeting Thursday on wind project ATLANTIC CITY  Without fanfare or much discussion, the Planning Board on Tuesday memorializ

My brother is into technology, so he might be jealous, said Gilhernandez, the youngest of her two sisters and one brother.

Atlantic Shores Community and Industry Engagements Satsuki Sokol, along with Offshore Wind 4 Kids Director William Beuckelaers, kicked off the workshop with background about offshore energy, the major components of windmills and the benefits of renewable energy.

Its about being a good neighbor, said Sokol, who noted Atlantic Shores commitment to the community by giving city kids the opportunity to learn about the wind industry, while being transparent about their goals. There are other work options in Atlantic City other than working in the casinos. Were committed to getting kids excited about science and technology, so they understand it and can embrace it. 

In a joint venture between Shell New Energies US and EDF Renewable North America that started in 2018, the Atlantic Shores Leasing Area was approved after a two-year federal review process for a wind project 10 to 20 miles off the coast between Atlantic City and Barnegat Light. The project will span 185,000 acres. When it is finished, it will provide enough energy to power nearly 1.5 million homes, starting in 2027.

Jennifer Daniels, development director for Atlantic Shores, said the project will ensure her organization is here for a long time and will benefit the area.

Projects like this benefit everyone, so we want to make sure Atlantic City gets the benefits of jobs and economic development, said Daniels, who said the industry will provide opportunities in engineering, administration, communication, safety and manufacturing.

Ocean City seeks to divert wind power plan OCEAN CITY  City attorney Dorothy McCrosson took aim at plans to run a power line across th

Juan Carlos Puente, chief financial officer of Atlantic Shores, said the company was committed to spending $850 million in the state, developing supply chains and creating manufacturing plants and jobs.

Its very important to us as a company to explain what building a wind farm entails. Events like this help kids think about future careers and what building a wind farm requires, Puente said.

Mahki Rowe, 12, said he had never built a wind turbine before, but learning about it was fun.

I like building stuff, and my dad is a construction worker, so when I grow up, I want to be like him, Rowe said.

Building the wind turbine with his friends was Rowes favorite part of the day and inspired him to be a technical builder when he grows up.

Atlantic Shores said this was the first of many workshops it will host at its Education and Community Outreach (ECO) Center, which is located at the Stockton University Atlantic City Residential Complex.
WILDWOOD  A grant-funded project will bring brighter lights to downtown Pacific Avenue while using less energy, city officials said Wednesday.

A $200,000 grant from the state Department of Community Affairs will help light up the business district, the city said in a news release.

It comes to the Pacific Avenue Neighborhood Preservation Program through a Community Capital Needs grant, one of 13 grants totaling $3.75 million throughout the state.

The combined $364,017 in additional funding from the citys 2022 Urban Enterprise Zone Assistance Funds, the Wildwood Business Improvement District and the City of Wildwood will go toward the project in keeping with the goal of leveraging NPP funding to expand the resources and impact on the community, reads the announcement from the city.

Contract awarded for Wildwood landfill's closure WILDWOOD  City commissioners have approved a contract that will begin closing the Back Bay 

The Pacific Avenue Neighborhood Preservation Program District forms a rectangle from East Taylor Avenue on the south, New Jersey Avenue on the west, East Oak Avenue on the north and Pacific Avenue on the east. The district includes Byrne Plaza, more than 50 businesses and numerous residences.

The proposal calls for 143 light poles to be replaced with new LED fixtures. The new poles will include arms for banners for future marketing efforts. The current fixtures are described as obsolete. The new fixtures will be far more efficient and better simulate daylight, the city said.

Without this grant, this lighting project would never have become a reality, said Mayor Pete Byron. This gave us the opportunity to complete a vital project that our community told us they wanted, but for which we had no imminent funding. The CCN NPP grant will go a long way in moving this project and our community forward.

The project is scheduled to be completed next June.
MAYS LANDING  The Atlantic County Prosecutors Office says it has had enough of letting crime persistently harm Atlantic Citys quality of life.

The Prosecutors Office will begin using new policies and procedures to help thwart rising crime rates in the city, acting Prosecutor William Reynolds said on a video posted to Facebook on Wednesday afternoon.

Low-level offenders are going to be tracked, brought to court and be given an option.

You have help, or you have justice, Reynolds said in the video, and justice may be probation, it may be jail, it may be rehab. The choice is theirs.

Reynolds did not discuss specifics of the plan.

After weeks of meeting with stakeholders, the Prosecutors Office is prepared to begin tackling behavior said to be behind a string of violent crimes happening throughout the city, citing a shooting involving a 13-year-old gunman Tuesday.

13-year-old boy charged with shooting 2 in Atlantic City ATLANTIC CITY  Police arrested a 13-year-old city boy after he allegedly shot two men Tuesd

Reynolds said in the video that community leaders and lawmakers are rallying under a bipartisan initiative to help make Atlantic City safer and stop lawless and reckless behavior.

We are hitting the streets to address this culture, which has been created during the pandemic, and the courts inability to issue warrants and hold these persons accountable, Reynolds said in a statement Wednesday. This conduct and behavior will no longer be accepted or tolerated. We recognize and are addressing the importance of the quality-of-life issues in Atlantic County.

Atlantic City Councilman Kaleem Shabazz and city police Officer-in-Charge James Sarkos have, for more than a month, brought the stakeholders together to discuss ongoing crimes affecting the citys streets, businesses and homes. The group cited interrelated problems including drug addiction, mental health, retail theft rings, shoplifting, panhandling and the illegal use of all-terrain vehicles.

Warrants being authorized by municipal courts should help the program, the Prosecutors Office said.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, municipal courts were unable to issue warrants when offenders failed to appear in court. As of May 22, the Administrative Office of the Courts permits the issuance of warrants in Municipal Court, the Prosecutors Office said.

Along with its partners, the Prosecutors Office said it has identified many repeat offenders who continue committing crimes without seeking out other services or assistance.

Atlantic City teenager found with 'ghost gun,' police say ATLANTIC CITY  A city boy was arrested Monday night after pointing a ghost gun at a passe

Not taming the root causes of crimes, the Prosecutors Office said, can lead to events like Tuesdays shooting.

A 13-year-old boy was taken to the Harborfields Juvenile Detention Center in Egg Harbor City after he allegedly shot two men on Atlantic Avenue moments before 1 p.m. The teen locked himself in an upstairs apartment but was talked down by authorities after about an hour.
A new tavern-style bar has made its way to Bettendorf, adding to the new development on 53rd Avenue.

Oak Grove Tavern, 4371 53rd Ave., Bettendorf, held its grand opening Tuesday after being opened for limited hours to ease staff into the business. The tavern is open noon-2 a.m. Monday-Friday and 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Saturday-Sunday, even on holidays, co-owner Johnna Chesney said.

The bar is neighbors with Stout's Irish Pub & Grill, which opened earlier this summer.

Chesney and her husband, Austin, also opened and operate Public House and The Ridge Social Drinkery, both in Davenport. Austin Chesney is from Bettendorf, she said, so they decided to bring their expertise to his hometown.

"This area has a lot of growth and opportunity, and I know the neighbors here are very excited for us to be here," Johnna Chesney said.

If their other two locations had a baby, Johnna Chesney said, Oak Grove Tavern would be it. The atmosphere lends itself to more of a neighborhood bar, and they wanted the tavern feel to come through in the design.

Sixteen beers are on tap, along with selections of margaritas and Moscow mules. While no food is served in-house, Johnna Chesney said people are welcome to bring in whatever food they like to enjoy with some Oak Grove Tavern drinks. A patio will soon be built so customers can relax outside, she said.

General Manager Heather Lawson said the soft opening went well, and local customers gave them a warm welcome.

"I've had just an endless amount of compliments on our staff, how friendly they are," Lawson said. 'And I've heard great feedback about the cocktails."
A Moline man is wanted in connection with a shooting early Saturday in which one person was wounded, East Moline Police said Wednesday.

Stacy Taurice Smith, 37, is wanted on a charge of aggravated battery with a firearm. He is out of jail and on pre-trial release in two other Rock Island County felony cases.

The latest charge is a Class X felony under Illinois law that carries a prison sentence of six to 30 years.

According to East Moline Police Lt. Josh Allen, at 1:53 a.m. Saturday, East Moline officers were sent to Jims Domino Lounge, 1314 13th St., to investigate a report of a gunshot victim at the business.

Officers were told at the scene that the victim was taken to Genesis Medical Center, Silvis, and that the suspect fled the area.

Detectives spoke to the victim at the hospital. The victim had suffered a non-life-threatening wound.

Smith was identified as a suspect.

Smith is on pre-trial release in two cases in Rock Island County.

Smith was arrested Dec. 18, 2019, on one count of manufacture and delivery of 1-15 grams of a cocaine analog, or crack cocaine. That charge is a Class 1 felony under Illinois law that carries a prison sentence of four to 15 years. Smith also was charged at that time with driving under suspension-second offense, a Class 4 felony that carries a prison sentence of one to three years.

A hearing in that case is scheduled for Sept. 1 in Rock Island County Circuit Court.

On July 8, 2021, Smith made a first appearance in Rock Island County Circuit Court on two charges of aggravated driving under the influence while license is suspended or revoked, and one count of driving on a revoked or suspended license-third offense. Each of the charges is a Class 4 felony.

A pre-trial conference also is scheduled in that case for Sept. 1 in circuit court.

Police ask that anyone with information about the shooting incident or the whereabouts of Smith to call the East Moline Police Department Investigations Division at 309-752-1547 or Crime Stoppers of the Quad-Cities at 309-762-9500, or submit an anonymous tip via the P3 Tips mobile app or submit a tip online at qccrimestoppers.com.
After three years and two rounds of bids, Moline still is without a competing provider of high-speed internet and cable.

Business owners and residents are growing weary of the wait as neighboring cities have fully launched options to compete with Mediacom. Moline, meanwhile, has not yet selected a vendor who is willing to bury fiber and supply service.

Metronet, which provides broadband in Rock Island, East Moline, Bettendorf and Davenport, has been installing infrastructure without a city contract, and the work has irked some city officials.

At a recent meeting of the Moline City Council, aldermen voted to direct their broadband consultant to go back to vendors who have responded to the city's Request for Proposals, RFP. They want to negotiate a franchise agreement with a broadband company that will bury their lines, rather than string them from poles.

City officials have accused Metronet of hanging new aerial lines, which they say is against city ordinance. As Metronet already has hung cables, some fear other providers will not be able to compete if made to bury lines, which is a considerable expense.

Some aldermen said they too are growing weary of the wait and are skeptical that any provider now will be willing to invest in buried fiber, but six of the council's eight aldermen voted to direct their broadband consultant to pursue negotiations for buried cable.

Alderman Mike Wendt, 3rd Ward, recently was involved in a tense encounter with two Metronet workers, who he accused of hanging aerial lines against city code. He said the city should enforce its ordinances and make another attempt to get a contract with a vendor who will properly bury their fiber.

"We've waited long enough  to be bullied by one company," said Ald. Scott Williams, 1st Ward. "We're weak. We don't show a backbone. We're not united. They're playing us."

Some aldermen have been critical of Metronet in the past, saying maps supplied by the company suggested some low-income neighborhoods could be excluded from high-speed internet availability. Williams said he is concerned citywide coverage still is at risk.

Alderman Matt Timion, 4th Ward, voted against the recent request to negotiate for buried-only cable.

"I appreciate the desire not to be bullied, but I think we also need to make sure we're not being bull-headed," he said.

When city leaders last year said they were concerned about "redlining," due to some Metronet maps appearing to leave out coverage in certain lower-income areas, a company spokesman responded, saying initial coverage maps show only where the service begins.

'Initial is the key word, Metronet Vice President of Communications Keith Leonhardt said last year of the Initial Service Areas outlined in local contracts. We share any citys ambition to serve the entire community.

While Leonhardt referred to initial maps as the start-somewhere approach, some in Moline were so skeptical of the maps. The council initially rejected Metronet and instead asked for proposals from other companies.

In the recent second round of Requests for Proposals, respondents included AT&T, Geneseo Communications, Mediacom, Metronet and Windstream.

The city's consultant, CTC Technology, recommended the city negotiate with both Windstream and Metronet as preferred providers. Windstream has since withdrawn its proposal.

Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati is seeking public input and providing an update regarding the city's search for a new citywide broadband provider. The meeting will be held at the Moline Public Library tonight at 6:30.

Rayapati also noted at Tuesday's council meeting that aldermen should "devote quite a bit of time" discussing the search at the Committee of the Whole discussion Tuesday, July 19, including information gathered at the public meeting.
 Flash

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said Wednesday that the Islamic republic's stance toward the talks on the revival of a 2015 nuclear deal is quite clear, and Tehran will remain committed to the negotiation process for resolving the differences.

Nasser Kanaani made the remarks at a press conference in reaction to the comments by French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna on Tuesday, according to the official news agency IRNA.

Colonna warned there are only a few weeks remaining before the closure of the window of opportunity to revive the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), accusing Iran of using delaying tactics and going back on previously agreed positions during the talks in Doha earlier this month, while forging ahead with its uranium enrichment program.

Without Tehran's efforts, "the window of diplomacy would not remain open until now," Kanaani said, adding it is the United States that has pulled out of the deal and refrained from carrying out its obligations.

Nuclear negotiations are continuing either through exchanging indirect messages or talks between Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and the European Union's Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell, as well as their deputies Ali Bagheri Kani and Enrique Mora, he noted, adding that the date and venue for the new round of the negotiations will soon be determined.

Kanaani expressed hope that all European parties would adopt a constructive approach, helping the talks to bear fruit.

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 failed to result in any agreement to settle the remaining differences.
One of the first things Westyn Wilson asked when he learned his wish was about to come true was if his brother could join him.

Westyn, 12, and his 8-year-old brother, Aceyn, are as thick as thieves, and if Westyn was going to head to John Deere on a Make-A-Wish trip, Aceyn was going to be right there with him.

The two boys sat in the cab of a combine Thursday morning in the John Deere Visitor Center, fiddling with controls and waving to the Deere employees gathered below. Their parents watched fondly from the floor, speaking with people lined up to give their well-wishes and thanks for stopping by.

"They're four years apart, but they are best friends," Shelbi Wilson, Westyn and Aceyn's mom, said. "It was very hard for both of them when he couldn't come into the hospital every time, but it just made them closer and closer."

After two years of waiting, Westyn and his family were able to travel to East Moline from their home in Pine, Arizona, for his Make-A-Wish visit, a two-day excursion filled with everything John Deere. His first stop was to Deere Harvester Works, where he took a tour of the facilities and received Deere-themed gifts from employees.

The family will also make stops at the gift shop, Deere Pavilion, world headquarters, Coal Valley equipment test site and Modern Woodmen Park for a River Bandits game.

Westyn was diagnosed with Wilms' Tumor  a rare kidney cancer  four years ago. It had grown to touch his lung, and Westyn spent a year undergoing radiation and chemotherapy and has been in remission since. Doctors were able to preserve much of his kidney.

While Westyn was a bit shy in the face of all the attention, Aceyn was the opposite  stepping up to speak for his brother when prompted.

"He was so excited," Aceyn said of Westyn's reaction to seeing the Harvester Works and Visitor Center for the first time.

The kids' love for Deere goes back generations. Westyn's paternal great-grandfather bought his first brand-new piece of Deere equipment in the early 1960s, and passed that loyalty down. Both his grandfathers, one in construction and one in agriculture, use Deere machines, and Westyn has always been fascinated with them.

Dustin Wilson, the boys' father, said one of Westyn's favorite things to do is run the skid steer and work in other Deere equipment on his grandpa's farm. When Westyn grows up, he wants to go into a field where he can operate equipment of his own.

"That's all he wants to do, play in the tractors," Dustin said.

Westyn is the 10th child to visit Deere through Make-A-Wish, said Dustin Lemmon, in public relations for Deere. Westyn was originally supposed to travel to Illinois in 2020, but all Make-A-Wish traveling was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than choose a wish closer to home, Westyn wanted to wait.

Make-A-Wish Illinois Senior Community Engagement Manager Janet Glavin said she is thankful that the organization can go back to granting wishes like Westyn's again after having to pause the work. From what she heard Thursday, Deere employees were humbled that Westyn chose them for his wish.

"That Westyn really waited for two years to be able to have this wish, because of the pandemic, makes it even more impactful that we were able to do it today, thanks to John Deere," Glavin said.
Susan Stewart has heard the horror stories for years  cases of sexual harassment in the workplace experienced by high school and college students.

Its stuck with me through the decades, said Stewart, a human-resource management and marketing professor at Western Illinois University. Finally, I thought, Someone needs to start talking about this.

The college sponsored a public round table over Zoom on Wednesday about the sexual harassment of teenage workers through the Great River Human Resource Association.

Stewart, who led the presentation and discussion, focused on:

Rights and responsibilities of teenage workers

Like adults, teenage workers are protected from sexual discrimination and harassment through Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The presentation noted that lack of attention to this group is surprising, given their growing and active participation in the workforce.

Psychological, physical and behavioral effects of sexual harassment on teenage victims

Though most research focuses on harassment occurring in schools, the few studies focused on working teenagers found that early-career harassment was linked with heightened depressive symptoms nearly 10 years later. Symptoms included low self-confidence, emotional and physical distress, suicidal thoughts or tendencies, body-image disorders and a sense of feeling responsible.

One study found that teenage girls working part time experienced similar levels of workplace harassment as their adult, full-time counterparts  despite their shorter tenure. Stewart said this research leads to concerns that teenagers may normalize harassing behaviors in the workplace and form low work-expectations, potentially blocking future career goals.

Legal issues and court cases involving teenage workers

Often, cases become complex when dealing with statutory rape and consent of a minor. Some cases include acts that happen outside of the workplace, if it stemmed from on-the-job conduct.

Juries tend to be sensitive to the immaturity of teenage workers, therefore yielding large settlement awards. A sexual harassment suit against Chipotle in 2016 resulted in a $7.65 million settlement for one plaintiff.

New ideas for organizational actions

On-boarding actions discussed by Stewart and participants included an increased emphasis on socialization, giving time for teenagers to bond with co-workers, assigning teenagers an adult mentor and allowing parents or guardians to check the organizations culture.

Notable sexual harassment training actions included more customizable training for teenagers, allowing parents or guardians to attend trainings, presenting company policies in more creative, accessible formats and educating teenage workers to properly recognize and report workplace harassment.

Other organizational ideas involved broadening existing policies to include teenage workers and technology use and investigating incidents thoroughly and immediately following a complaint.

Calling for future research

Clearly addressing and researching teenage sexual harassment was a measure Stewart believes could lead to fewer incidents. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 22.5 million workers ages 16-24.

Stewart said most HR professionals think they adequately address sexual harassment in the workplace due to their policies and training workshops, but that her students insight, along with the #MeToo movement, was a wake-up call.

Most everyone has a policy on this topic, but what more can we do? she said. For those who employ teenagers, one answer is to include them and give special thought to this really overlooked population of workers.

Stewart highlighted how teenagers are easy targets for sexual harassment due to age, part-time/seasonal status, supervisor power imbalances, adolescent bullying, embarrassment and fear of jeopardizing payment or future employment prospects.

She also noted how teenage workers are sometimes left out of company sexual harassment training, so they may be unsure of proper workplace norms, behaviors and reporting mechanisms.

We really need focus on our company cultures, environments and what we do in HR to particularly pay attention to this group, and obviously commit to a zero-tolerance policy against sexual harassment no matter what the age, Stewart said. I hope to continually write and research on this topic over the years to come.

Stewart has several research or scholarly works published. Some of her most recent include "Generation Z Workers and Sexual Harassment" and "Teenage Workers Need Sexual Harassment Training, #TeensToo, both of which are featured in peer-reviewed, scholarly journals.

Shed like to see more longitudinal studies done to measure career outcomes or decisions victims make after experiencing workplace harassment in high school. More research on technologys role in furthering sexual harassment could benefit this area, too.

And we know theres a tendency among younger workers to blur the line between their work and social lives, Stewart said. Its very easy to become friends with supervisors or co-workers on social media, which could cause issues should there be inappropriate conversations going on through these outlets.

Research that explores demographic and workplace characteristics could note whether higher rates of victimization take place in certain occupations, areas or among specific nationalities. Stewart believes drawing from other disciplines  like developmental psychology  would provide better insight on this topic.

At WIU, Stewart teaches courses in human resource management, personnel selection, performance management, employment law, compensation, leadership and other field-related courses.

She earned her doctorate in psychology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and has taught at WIU for over 14 years.
CHICAGO - A former state Department of Agriculture employee has been indicted on federal charges alleging he groped five women during inspections of Chicago-area doggy daycares and then lied under oath about it in a civil lawsuit filed by one of the alleged victims.

Jose Guillen, 41, of Melrose Park, was arrested Wednesday morning on charges of violation of civil rights under color of law and perjury. He appeared by telephone before U.S. Magistrate Judge David Weisman, who ordered him released on a recognizance bond.

Guillens attorney, Nicholas Grapsas, said Guillen has left the Department of Agriculture but is about to start a new role with the state Department of Employment Security. Over Grapsas objections, Weisman ruled that his new employer should be notified of the charges because they stem from his official duties with the state.

Guillen resigned from the Department of Agriculture last year, according to a department spokeswoman. An Employment Security Department representative did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

Grapsas entered a plea of not guilty to all counts on Guillens behalf. Guillen is due back in court Aug. 10.

According to the indictment, Guillen worked as an animal and animal products investigator, assigned to conduct on-site inspections of animal care facilities in Cook County.

The indictment alleged Guillen grabbed and groped five separate victims between 2019 and 2021 while he was on duty and acting under color of law as a state employee.

Last year, Guillen knowingly lied during a sworn deposition in a federal civil lawsuit filed by one of the alleged victims, Leah Bindig, saying he had accidentally touched Bindigs buttocks during an on-site inspection as he was trying to break a fall.

It was accidental, Guillen said during the deposition, according to a transcript included in the indictment. I accidentally had my hand, it went like in that direction  I have two left feet so obviously I, Im a little clumsy.

He also falsely denied touching other alleged victims in the same deposition, according to the indictment.

WBBM-TV broke the story about the allegations against Guillen last year.

Bindig, who owns Aeslin Pup Hub locations in Bucktown, Noble Square and Ukrainian Village, told CBS that Guillen backed her into a watercooler during an inspection in 2019 and asked to see a photo of her in a bikini.

Surveillance video from the facility allegedly shows the encounter.

Then he starts putting his hand on my shoulder, on my arm, on my back, Bindig told the station. Im being inspected. Im not being  were not on a date.
Seven died in a mass shooting in Highland Park north of Chicago. At the same time Chicago tallied 10 dead and 62 wounded over the weekend. Yet the Windy City has some of the nations toughest gun laws. There are two differences  1) Highland Park was a single shooter. 2) Chicago happens every weekend as well as Philadelphia, Boston, and New York. All are Democratic-run cities.

I like data to influence decisions. A study of criminals that used guns while committing crimes found that 1.3% bought their guns legally. The rest either stole or purchased on the black market. The proposed gun laws would only affect 1.3% of criminals but 100% of honest citizens.

Are there any patterns to the mass shootings? Yes, 1) they are depressed, young, individuals taking prescribed drugs. 2) They watch violence on TV and play violent video games. 3) They lack a stable home life.

I do not know what the rise in mass shootings are caused by. We need to study the causes and act accordingly. Yet the leftists think the only solution is gun control.

New and more gun laws will not work.

Jim Turner

Fenton
Fishing activity has slowed somewhat, particularly on the larger prairie lakes, as hot weather has contributed to increasing water temps thereby causing fish to seek the cooler water at lower depths. The weather pattern has apparently cooled fish appetites to a degree as well.

Fortunately, for Black Hills anglers, the higher elevation lakes continue to produce excellent bites of trout and perch bites along with occasional sessions of bass, crappie and northern pike activity.

Also, the hot weather often serves as an incentive to catfish activity in the Cheyenne and Belle Fourche Rivers and the prairie lakes as well. And carp for those who perhaps the thrill of landing a big carp on lower test line.

Otherwise, fishing opportunities remain strong in the Black Hills area and on the Missouri for those who take their walleye fishing seriously and dont mind traveling at bit to pursue their quarry.

Here follows a brief peek at whats been happening.

Angostura Reservoir: The walleye bite has slowed as hot weather and increasing water temps has sent fish deeper and more difficult to locate as fish having been showing up in 30 feet of water. Pulling crankbaits has been the best option. Some bass and crappie activity still ongoing.

Bear Butte: Walleye and bullhead activity reported.

Belle Fourche Reservoir (Orman): Walleye activity has slowed somewhat. Fish have gone deeper and thus can be more elusive. Trolling at 3 mph with leeches and worms seems to be working best. Most of the activity is now centered in the northern park of the reservoir. Some catfish activity can be found at night in channel. Weather continues to be a factor as to fishing success on the lake.

Black Hills Area Streams: Warming waters and lowered flows have hampered fishing on some of the smaller streams in the area though Rapid, Castle and Spearfish Creeks at higher elevations remain reliable trout fishing streams. Dry fly and nymph fishing remain excellent in those streams as bug hatches continue to setup well for dry dropper rigs.

Curlew Lake: Crappie, bass and catfish activity reported on a variety of presentations though when and where can be problematical.

Custer State Park Lakes: No change here. Trout activity remains excellent at all locations with Center Lake a particular standout. Bass, perch, crappie and the occasional northern have been showing up at Stockade.

Deerfield Reservoir: Fishing activity picked up last week as higher elevation fishing became more popular due to high temps in the area. Trout and perch bites have been steady. Perch are being located off the bottom in 20-25 feet of water. Crawlers and powerbait have been working best.

Horsethief, Lacota and Roubaix Lakes: Trout activity remains excellent with fish responding to a variety of presentations including minnows, crawlers and spinner baits.

Keyhole Reservoir: Walleye activity is reported to be steady.

Pactola Reservoir: Trout and bluegills have been active as well as perch. Crawlers and spinners are working well for both species. A few northern pike are being caught in bays on chubs or smelt.

Shade Hill Reservoir: Walleye activity has picked up considerably including some nice-sized fish. Trolling with crank baits and crawlers recommended.

Sheridan Lake: Nice-sized perch and bluegills have been showing up on minnows, crawlers and spinner baits. And a pike bite near along 385 and near the dam.

Lake Oahe: Walleye activity has remained constant though fishing conditions have deteriorated due to high temperatures and windy weather. Fishing depths vary depending upon locale with deeper water 15-25 feet more active in northern reaches and 6-10 feet farther south. Larger fish are becoming more difficult to catch. Crawlers are the popular presentation on bottom bouncers, spinners and jigs with wraps. Catfish and bass are active as well.

Lake Sharpe: With the 15-inch requirement dropped after July 1, limits of walleye are more easily attainable though specimens in the 20-inch range are not uncommon. Bottom bouncers and spinner crawler rigs are working best. Fish are being located in 15-20 feet of water. The West Bend area has been producing plenty of walleye and smallmouth bass activity. And as the added advantage of being somewhat clear of heavy boat traffic in the Pierre area.

Lake Francis Case: Walleye bite remains excellent below the dam at Fort Thompson and in Chamberlain area. Fish, typically small, have been located in 16-18 feet of water and responding to bottom bouncers with crawlers.

Dakota Angler & Outfitter, 513 Seventh St., Rapid City; The Rooster, 1441 W. Main St., Rapid City; Wheel in Bait Shop, 18696 Fishermans Road, Fruitdale, and West Prairie Resort, 28354 182nd, Pierre (605-264-5303) have contributed to this report.
For the fifth year, Monument Health loaded a bus full of executives bound for the Pine Ridge Reservation for a Lakota Lands and Identity tour  a two-day workshop on wheels aimed at better understanding the history and culture of the Lakota people.

The two-day tour took place Monday and Tuesday and wrapped up Wednesday with a sit-down seminar at The Monuments Alpine Room in Rapid City. Tour participants  executives from Walmart, Mayo Clinic, Elevate Rapid City, Black Hills State, the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine and Monument Health, among others  gathered to brainstorm solutions and discuss lessons learned over the past two days.

Various speakers addressed issues highlighted on the tour, while 20-minute breakout sessions provided participants the opportunity to discuss and brainstorm solutions. Topics included understanding and analyzing healthcare disparities, Indigenous trauma, cancer disparities for Northern Plains Native Americans and health outcomes of COVID-19.

The group learned about political, socioeconomic, cultural and spiritual changes on their two-day excursion, learning Lakota language and participating in activities and conversations geared at cultural competence and awareness.

Allie Geier-Barlow, digital content specialist for Monument Health, joined the tour Monday and Tuesday. She described an activity that sent tour-goers into a grocery store with $20 and instruction to buy whatever food they could afford. Geier-Barlow got her hands on the last salad, bemoaned by many of her fellow tour-goers. The activity highlighted the difficulty of obtaining healthy food on the reservation  both in affordability and accessibility.

While labeled a tour, the event is an education, said Sandra Ogunremi, vice president of diversity, inclusion and belonging at Monument Health.

Its important for everyone to understand that we have to be able to take the time to listen, she said. We have to be able to take the time to show that we care, that we are inclusive.

The purpose of Wednesdays gathering, she said, was to show what the group can do collectively.

Wednesdays speakers included Donald Warne, associate dean of diversity, equity and inclusion at University of North Dakota. He also oversees the "Indians Into Medicine" and public health programs.

Warne spoke on Indigenous trauma, resilience and a path forward, with a focus on the effects of trauma on the health of Native American people  physical, psychological and emotional.

There's long-term impact when people are dealing with unresolved emotional or psychological trauma, he said. He also touched on the impact of the pandemic, and the significance of social isolation.

Warne's presentation showcased the role trauma has played throughout the history of Indigenous people, and the unique factors it creates in providing care.

A study called the Adverse Childhood Experiences study, or ACE, correlated childhood trauma with diabetes, suicide, addiction and cancer in adults. Warne also said the higher the ACE score, the higher rates of smoking, alcohol and drug use. They also see an impact on life potential, such as lower graduation rates and higher rates of poverty.

The path forward, he said, is what they were gathered to talk about Wednesday  increased awareness.

The education and understanding fuels Monuments vision of a mind, body and soul approach to care, Ogunremi said.

We learn a lot so that we can care for the whole being. The physical, mental, emotional and spiritual, she said.

The education is important, she said, because it helps them better understand the needs of their patients. Gaining a better understanding of culturally significant themes better equips their caregivers to show compassion and empathy, and to better relate to one another.

Brad Archer, chief medical officer at Monument Health, attended the Wednesday seminar, and participated in the two-day tour.

It feels like stepping back in time to drive back through some of those communities, he said. There just hasn't been a lot of change. In terms of historical trauma, we haven't done a lot to alleviate the social issues that they face.

Archer described conversations with friends posing questions like why cant they just get out? He referenced a pyramid from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention used in Warnes presentation, showing historical trauma at the base of adverse childhood experiences.

That's the answer, Archer said. It starts with that historical trauma. And that's what we learned.

Trauma-informed care, he said, has to be more than just a buzzword.

We have to actually approach patients, not only as individuals, but as population groups," Archer said.

In Archers break-out group following Warnes presentation, he said they talked about encouraging a spirit of volunteerism necessary to provide preventative medical care. Partnerships are essential, he said, in order to effect change.

So we are on this journey that we've been on for a while, Ogunremi told the Journal ahead of the event. This education is part of that whole big package of let's swim in the same direction, being culturally aware, culturally competent, embracing diversity, being stronger together.
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The 14th meeting of the China-Vietnam Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation took place Wednesday in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Both sides agreed to work towards building a community with a shared future with strategic significance.

The meeting was co-chaired by Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh.

Wang said that China and Vietnam have significant domestic political agendas this year. It is necessary to strengthen coordination and make joint efforts toward building a community with a shared future with strategic significance.

He put forward five pieces of advice for strengthening cooperation between the two countries.

The two sides should promote the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries to a new level, Wang said.

He said they should deepen the exchange of experience in governing the country and strengthen legislative bodies and party exchanges.

Wang said that the two sides should give full play to their geographical proximity and complementary industrial advantages and promote the upgrading of economic cooperation and trade exchange between the two countries.

He said the two sides should strengthen cooperation on climate change, green development, photovoltaic and clean energy.

The two sides should improve people-to-people exchanges, Wang added.

Pham Binh Minh said ties with China are the top priority of Vietnam's foreign policy, and friendship with China is Vietnam's strategic choice.

He said that Vietnam is willing to work with China to increase high-level exchanges, consolidate strategic mutual trust, and promote cooperation in various fields to demonstrate the strategic significance of their bilateral relations.




Henrico police in a statement Wednesday said an officer discharged a weapon after encountering a man with a knife, and the man was pronounced dead later in the evening.

The statement said police responded to a "domestic-related incident" in the 1600 block of Elsing Green Court at about 7:37 p.m. The neighborhood is off North Airport Drive in the Highland Springs area.

Richmond man who fled police with bank robber and crashed, killing him, gets 4-plus years A Richmond man who was acquitted earlier this year of co-robbing a bank in Chesterfield County was sentenced Wednesday to serve more than four

"During the investigation, officers encountered an adult male with a knife. During the incident, an officer discharged their weapon," the statement said.

The man was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, the statement said.

He "succumbed to his injuries" later in the evening, according to police, who are working to notify the family.

The officer has been placed on paid administrative leave, the police said.
Last summer, Virginia State University renamed a campus building for Otelia Roberta Shields Howard, a former professor and adviser. On Thursday, VSU announced it had received a $500,000 gift from Howards niece, Dr. Audrey Shields Penn.

This gift from Dr. Penn is an example of the residuals of good deeds, said Tonya Hall, VSU vice president for external relations.

Last summer, VSU took four buildings whose names were associated with the Confederacy or Jim Crow and renamed them for Black women.

Vawter Hall became Lula Johnson Hall, honoring the person who is believed to be the first woman to graduate from a Virginia public college.

Eggleston Hall was renamed for Lucretia Campbell, the first Black female member of the faculty.

Trinkle Hall became Johnella Jackson Hall, a nod to the woman who wrote VSUs alma mater.

Otelia Howard Hall used to be called Byrd Hall, named for Harry F. Byrd Sr., the leader of the Massive Resistance movement against school desegregation.

Howard was a Petersburg native who taught English at VSU in the 1920s and 1930s. Her niece, Penn, 88, is a neurologist and the first Black woman to become acting director of a branch of the National Institutes of Health. She taught at Columbia and conducted research on neuromuscular disease.

It is my pleasure to give to VSU to continue to push the mission of providing a transformative education to deserving students, Penn said in a statement.

Her gift will fund an annual scholarship.
The first case of monkeypox has been found in central Virginia as the disease continues to spread in the U.S.

The Virginia Department of Health announced a presumed case in an adult male who recently traveled out of the state and is now isolating. The health department is monitoring his close contacts.

Its the 40th monkeypox case in Virginia  cases have risen 48% in the past three days and have been identified in all regions of the state.

All 40 have sprung up since late May.

Were not seeing the kind of transmission other states and other areas of the world are reporting, Dr. Melissa Viray, who was previously the interim health director for Richmond and Henrico Health Districts, said last week.

The virus has spread across 65 countries. More than 11,000 cases have been identified worldwide, and more than 1,000 cases have been found in the U.S.

There have been three deaths reported, but none in the U.S.

The majority of cases have occurred in gay and bisexual men. Any person of any sexuality can become infected with monkeypox.

Patients often develop rash lesions on the genitals, perianal region or oral cavity. Some also develop fever, headache, muscle aches, exhaustion and swelling of the lymph nodes. Sexually transmitted infections have been reported among monkeypox patients.

Symptoms generally appear six to 14 days after exposure and, for most people, they go away on their own without treatment in two to four weeks. Spread occurs when a person comes in close contact or direct contact with an infected persons body fluids or contaminated materials, such as clothing.

While there is no approved treatment, patients can receive treatment to diminish symptoms, and two vaccines can prevent disease for people who have been exposed.

The health department advises people with symptoms to call their health care providers immediately.
A new concert venue coming to downtown Richmond is in development, according to a team led by Virginia-based music company Red Light Ventures LLC.

The company is proposing a modern amphitheater overlooking the James River that would hold up to 7,500 fans with the potential to expand to 10,000 and host between 25 and 35 shows annually.

Concerts at the venue would be managed by Starr Hill Presents, the promotional wing of Red Light Management LLC.

Red Lights founder, Coran Capshaw, is no stranger to projects of this size. Capshaw has had a hand in developing a 4,000-capacity venue in Charlottesville and the 6,800-capacity Ascend Amphitheater in Nashville, Tenn.

Capshaw had been in interested in developing in Richmond for some time, according to partner Bruce Hazelgrove, executive vice president and chief administrative officer at NewMarket Corp., a partner in this project.

Hazelgrove said Capshaw had looked at many places before checking out NewMarkets portfolio of parcels.

The places they were looking I think it could have worked, Hazelgrove said. But when we started bouncing ideas around, one thing led to another, and now were here.

The proposed site would be near two other NewMarket revitalization projects in Tredegar and Foundry Park. Hazelgrove said that over the companys 135-year history, NewMarket has always been committed to bringing life back to the riverfront.

Years ago, we brought Browns Island into the city park system, we gifted Tredegar Green to Venture Richmond, he said. The project that were talking about now, this amphitheater, its just one more step in fulfilling our vision for the riverfront, and it will be an amazing asset for the community.

The amphitheater will encompass approximately four acres on the hillside along the Kanawha Canal. Portions of the historic site  including the brick Company Store building  will be preserved as Richmond-based 3North puts the finishing touches on the design.

The 3North design team also serves as the architect for the Tredegar restoration project. Company managing principal Jay Hugo said in a news release that 3North wants to carefully knit the design into the surrounding setting.

Its going to be a modern building that really does celebrate the energy and the momentum of the city, but its also going to be knitted into this historic context, Hugo said. So its going to be sympathetic to all these existing structures and very thoughtful about how it integrates with the site.

The development is nearing its final stages as Capshaws team prepares to formally submit its proposal. The project is driven by private investments, but developers are still evaluating the cost of the build, a spokesperson said.

Initial plans call for Red Light Ventures to lease the four-acre plot from owner NewMarket Corp. The two companies would engage in a long-term lease agreement, but Red Light would be solely responsible for the cost of the development.
(Image: The Star/Lim Beng Tatt)

Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture (MOTAC) Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri has said that Malaysians will be able to obtain e-vouchers worth up to RM100 when they book hotel rooms online, starting from 15 July to 31 December 2022. These vouchers are provided through one of the initiatives under the Tourism Recovery Plan 2022.

According to Datuk Seri Nancy, the various e-vouchers will be provided when you book accommodations with hotel operators that are registered under selected associations and entities, as per the following details:

Associations Total hotels E-voucher value Details Cap Booking method  Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH)

 Malaysian Association of Hotel Owners (MAHO) Over 200 hotels (under both MAH and MAHO) RM100 Minimum spend RM150 19,900 customers Shopee Malaysian Budget and Business Hotel Association (MyBHA) 229 hotels RM50 Minimum spend RM60 7,960 customers Shopee Rangkaian Hotel Seri Malaysia (RHSM) Sdn Bhd 19 hotels RM50  Minimum spend RM170 (standard room)

 Minimum spend RM210 (family room) 5,970 customers Email, telephone, or walk-in

(Image: The Star)

The minister also explained that each Malaysian (with a valid MyKad) will be able to redeem a maximum of three e-vouchers throughout the whole campaign period.

Aside from these e-vouchers for accommodations, the Tourism Recovery Plan 2022  which was launched back in May 2022 to help revitalise the domestic tourism industry  also saw MOTAC collaborating with many other industry players to offer a range of incentives. Some incentives that have already been launched thus far include fare discounts when you travel with KLIA Ekspres and Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB), rebates on tourism packages, as well as e-vouchers for flight tickets.

(Source: The Edge Markets)

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With about 40 lawsuits pending against a Roanoke restaurant that was the source of a deadly hepatitis A outbreak, a federal judge is being asked to determine how much insurance money is available to the victims.

The question will likely boil down to whether there is $7 million or $14 million to be divided among the patrons of two Famous Anthonys restaurants where an infected employee unknowingly spread the virus.

About 50 people were sickened. Four of them died, more than 30 were hospitalized and two received liver transplants.

Frankly, whether its $7 million or $14 million, there just isnt enough money to cover what happened to these poor people, said Bill Marler, a Seattle attorney who represents 32 of the plaintiffs.

Famous Anthonys insurance carrier, Cincinnati Insurance Co., concedes that its policy applies to the losses but says there is only $7 million in coverage. The restaurant and the victims argue that the amount should cover each of the two locations where the outbreak occurred, for a total of $14 million.

The lawsuits were put on hold in January when Famous Anthonys filed for bankruptcy.

At a hearing Wednesday in Roanokes federal court, Judge Michael Urbanski granted a motion made by everyone involved  the restaurant, its patrons and the insurance company  to have him decide the question of insurance coverage.

Once that is determined, a bankruptcy court judge will decide who gets how much, based on an independent arbitrators assessment of each plaintiffs damages.

Famous Anthonys attorney, Andrew Goldstein, said the Chapter 11 filing for the two locations, on Grandin Road Extension and Williamson Road, allows them to remain open while they reorganize their finances.

Much about the outbreak remains unknown to its victims, who have not yet been able to acquire information from the legal process of discovery, Marler said.

The Roanoke health department has said the virus was spread late last summer by an employee who worked at three different Famous Anthonys locations, although all of the victims to date have said they dined at either the Grandin or Williamson road restaurants.

The unidentified employee did not know at the time that he or she had hepatitis A, which generally does not produce symptoms for the first two weeks, which is also the period in which it is most contagious.

Microscopic amounts of fecal matter from the employee, who is suspected of inadequate hand-washing after using the bathroom, was spread to food that was then consumed by the public, according to one of the lawsuits filed in Roanoke Circuit Court.

The lawsuit asserts that a tainted gravy biscuit was served to the customer, who became ill in mid-September. Among the claims made against Famous Anthonys are negligence and violations of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.

The spread of hepatitis A was not limited to any one item on the menu, Marler said, and may also have been contracted by contact with surfaces, such as tables or doorknobs that might have been touched by the employee.

The employee had multiple duties, which included cooking, waiting on tables and greeting customers as they came into the restaurant.

Hepatitis A causes liver inflammation. In addition to the virus being spread through fecal to oral transmission, people can become ill from using drugs with others, certain types of sexual contact or caring for someone else who has been infected.

Ive probably done 25 hepatitis A cases in restaurants across the United States in the past 30 years that look just like this, Marler said of the Famous Anthonys outbreak.

Its just a tragic situation.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Ballou was nominated Wednesday by President Joe Biden for a spot on the federal bench of Western Virginia.

Ballou was one of six nominees for judicial positions nationally that were described by the White House as extraordinarily qualified, experienced, and devoted to the rule of law and our Constitution.

The nomination now goes to the Senate, which must vote to confirm Ballou before he takes the job.

For the past 11 years, Ballou has presided over magistrates court, the lower level of U.S. District Court that handles initial appearances for criminal defendants, bond hearings, adjudications of misdemeanor and petty offenses, mediation in civil cases and other duties.

If confirmed, he will join three other full-time District Court judges that hear cases in a swath of Western Virginia that extends from the Lynchburg region north to Winchester and all the way west to Lee County.

Ballou will fill a vacancy created last year when Judge James Jones took senior status.

Last August, Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine submitted two names for Bidens consideration  Ballou and Juval Scott, the public defender for the federal courts Western District of Virginia.

Scott was considered by some a front-runner for the job, in light of Bidens pledge for more diversity to make the federal bench look like America in terms of judges race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and other factors.

Scott is black; Ballou is white. There has never been a black federal judge in the Western District of Virginia.

Both would serve with great distinction and have our highest recommendation, Warner and Kaine said in a joint statement when they recommended Ballou and Scott for the judgeship last year.

About 15 attorneys had expressed an interest in a vacancy.

Ballou was highly recommended by the Virginia Women Attorneys Association in a detailed vetting process last year. Scott was ranked as qualified by the association, which expressed some concerns over her ability to deal with counsel, witnesses and parties calmly, courteously, and open-mindedly.

Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond law professor who closely follows judicial appointments, praised Bidens selection Wednesday.

I think that hes a terrific nominee. I thought he was a terrific nominee last time, Tobias said, referring to Ballous recommendation by the two senators for a judgeship in 2018. Then-president Donald Trump instead expressed a preference for Thomas Cullen, who was confirmed by the Senate in early 2020.

Hes smart, hes decent, he works hard and hes independent, Tobias said of Ballou. I think its a great choice and its easy for the Senate to confirm him. I just dont see any down side at all.
WHITEWOOD, Va. (AP)  Flooding in a remote pocket of southwest Virginia has damaged more than 100 homes and left some 40 people unaccounted for, but there are no confirmed deaths or injuries, authorities said Wednesday.

First responders in Buchanan County began receiving reports of rising water and damage Tuesday night, authorities said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon. After daybreak, crews conducted aerial surveys to examine the extent of the disaster. Several small communities in the Virginia county that borders West Virginia and Kentucky were impacted, according to the sheriff's office.

About 40 people - a mix of adults and children - were reported unaccounted for, but that number was expected to decrease as swift-water rescue teams continued to survey the area, authorities said. A shelter was established at a local school.

Buchanan County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Eric Breeding said the number of persons unaccounted for is based on relatives trying to contact a resident in an area where there may be limited or no phone service.

"It doesn't necessarily mean that they are in trouble or in danger. They're just letting us know that we need to check on these people," Breeding told reporters.

An official from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management said accessing the remote area was part of the struggle for search-and-rescue teams. Many roadways are blocked by landslides and approaches to bridges are washed out, the official said.

"One of our neighbors' driveways completely collapsed and fell down the mountain and fell down the creek," Dominick Fragoso told TV station WCYB. "The roads, if you walk up there, they're completely destroyed."

Buchanan County also suffered serious flooding damage last year, when the remnants of a hurricane hit the area in September, washing away homes and leaving one person dead.

This week's flooding was less severe but more widespread, authorities said at the news conference.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency to aid with the response and recovery efforts.

"As we continue to assess the situation, I want to thank our first responders and the personnel on the ground for providing assistance with our ongoing operations in Buchanan County. While rescue and recovery continues, please join me in prayer as we lift up our fellow Virginians impacted by this tragedy," Youngkin said in a statement.

Heavy thunderstorms also led to flash flooding Tuesday evening along the Little Pigeon River in eastern Tennessee that prompted the evacuation of more than 400 people from a campground. No injuries were reported in the Tennessee flooding, but vehicles and debris from the Greenbrier Campground were washed downstream by floodwaters, Sevier County Assistant Mayor Perrin Anderson told news outlets.
Flooding in a remote pocket of southwest Virginia has damaged more than 100 homes and left some 40 people unaccounted for, but there are no confirmed deaths or injuries, authorities said Wednesday.
GRUNDY, Va.  Authorities confirmed everyone has now been accounted for and there have been no fatalities from the Tuesday night flooding that swept through a 30-mile stretch of Buchanan County.

During a noon press conference to update where the search and rescue operation stood, law enforcement and state emergency management officials said the only injury documented from the flood so far, has been a snake bite.

The number of people unaccounted for stood at 44 Wednesday evening but was reduced to 17 by early Thursday morning as search and rescue teams worked throughout the night in the Dismal River and Whitewood sections of the county to locate people who had been unable to confirm they were safe.

More than 100 homes over an extensive area are damaged or destroyed, according to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.

Water began rising rapidly Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning stranding several residents and displacing homes.

The estimate of the property damage to determine the extent of the disaster will begin Friday, according to authorities. The survey is expected to take some time due to the remote nature and topography of the area.

Most residents in the affected areas have no electricity, telephone, water or sewer service, state Sen. Travis Hackworth, R-Richlands, said Thursday morning. Hackworth said hes been in contact with the governors office regarding the severity of the flooding. Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency for the area yesterday.

Three roads are currently closed due to flood debris or damage. Route 628, Route 635 and Route 715 are currently closed. Routes 628 and 635 are expected to be passable as early as later Thursday or early Friday. Route 715 has a damaged bridge and will require more extensive repair.

The United Way of Southeast Virginia has set up a donation program for those wishing to give monetary or donations of goods to help the affected area of the county. Authorities said the items most in need currently are cleaning supplies. Mops, bleach, shovels were all mentioned as items that could be immediately be put to use to help residents clear their homes from flood damage.

Donations are being accepted at the Twin Valley Elementary School.

At an emergency shelter set up at Twin Valley Middle School, people loaded cases of water and other supplies Thursday morning, preparing to deliver them to those directly affected by the flood.

Though the shelter was ready, no one needed to spend the night there, said Marcy Watson, Buchanan Countys director of social services.

Theyre just coming here to shower, charge phones, she said.

About a dozen elderly people with medical conditions were placed in nearby motels because their homes were damaged, Watson said.

Denise McGeorge, disaster programs director for the Buchanan County Department of Social Services, was waiting at the shelter to take reports of damages.

McGeorge said she had already heard from people whose homes were devastated and who had lost everything theyve worked for in their lives.

She said that a couple described their residence beginning to collapse around them Tuesday night, with water rushing in so quickly that they had trouble getting out.

Hes 62 and the waters already up to his chest, McGeorge said.

McGeorge said that the man turned to his wife and said that if he did not make it out, he hoped she would tell the children that he loved them. The wife responded that they were going to make it, McGeorge said.

The couple then clawed at the ceiling until they broke through to rafters, and clung to them to keep from being swept away.

Another husband and wife reported being bitten by a copperhead snake and stung by bees as they fled from rising water, McGeorge said.

They all have their stories  and theyre all heartbreaking, McGeorge said.

McGeorge said that the extent of the floods damages would not be known for days or longer.

Hired to coordinate the response to the Hurley flood 10 months ago, McGeorge noted that state relief funds were still coming in for that disaster.

Were on the front end, the beginning stages of the response to Tuesdays flooding, McGeorge said.

Earlier story:

Number of unaccounted for people drops to 17 following Buchanan County floods

GRUNDY, Va.  Authorities continue to search for 17 individuals Thursday morning who remain unaccounted for due to a major flooding event in Buchanan County.

The number stood at 44 Wednesday evening, but more than half of them were located overnight through search and rescue efforts in the Dismal River and Whitewood sections of the county, according to Capt. Gary Russell of the Bristol Virginia Fire Departments Swift Water Rescue team.

No fatalities from the flooding have been reported.

The Bristol unit is one of about 17 from across western Virginia assisting with search efforts after flash flooding late Tuesday and overnight into Wednesday. The flood waters have generally receded.

More than 100 homes over an extensive area are damaged or destroyed, according to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.

Most residents in the affected areas have no electricity, telephone, water or sewer service, state Sen. Travis Hackworth, R-Richlands, said Thursday morning. Hackworth said hes been in contact with the governors office regarding the severity of the flooding. Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency for the area yesterday.

A shelter has been established at Twin Valley Elementary School.

A news conference is planned for noon at the Buchanan County Sheriffs Office to provide an update on the situation.
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" " The jet stream that circles Earth's North Pole travels west to east. But when the jet stream interacts with a Rossby wave, as shown here, the winds can wander far north and south, bringing frigid air to normally mild southern states. NASA/GSFC

Carl-Gustaf Arvid Rossby was a Swedish-born meteorologist who left quite a legacy behind. Rossby spent World War II training scientists for the U.S. military and gave prescient warnings about climate change. Though he died in 1957, the man's name lives on in a phenomenon he discovered during the turbulent 1930s: Rossby waves.

Also called "planetary waves," these have a huge effect on our atmosphere and oceans. As James R. Holton and Gregory J. Hakim write in their book, "An Introduction to Dynamic Meteorology," Rossby waves are "[the] wave type that is of the most importance for large-scale meteorological processes."

They influence everything from high tides to extreme weather patterns. And that's just what happens on Earth. Let us not ignore the sun, which experiences Rossby waves of its own. So do the atmospheres of Venus and Jupiter.

But what defines these things? What is it that makes a Rossby wave a Rossby wave?

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Fluid Science

Rossby waves are something that can occur within fluids.

We're not only talking about liquids here. Any flowing substance that's constantly getting deformed by stresses (like friction) that act upon its surface in a parallel direction is considered a fluid. By this metric, the air itself is a fluid, along with our wet and wonderful oceans.

A true Rossby wave needs to meet some specific criteria. For one thing, these waves only occur inside barotropic fluids  a category of fluids whose densities are a function of pressure alone. Also, Rossby waves are natural byproducts of the Coriolis effect.

" " Rossby waves, developing through the Northern Hemisphere's jet stream (a and b), finally detach a "drop" of cold air (c). HowStuffWorks/Wikimedia Commons (CC By SA 3.0)

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Putting a Spin on Things

It's time for a disclaimer. People have long accused the Coriolis effect of tampering with Australian toilets. This is false. Contrary to what the urban legends say, the Coriolis effect has little to do with how water swirls in a newly flushed john.

What it actually does involves the way some objects appear to move when they travel across a rotating body, like Earth or the sun.

Our home world rotates eastward around its own axis, the invisible line that cuts through the planet, connecting the North and South poles. Also, Earth is a lot thicker around the equator than it is at either pole. So, by necessity, as the planet turns, its equatorial regions spin at a faster speed than the higher latitudes do.

Every time you stand on the equator, you  and the ground beneath your feet  are being spun eastward at almost 1,030 miles per hour (1,670 kilometers per hour). But when you stand in the Arctic city of Utqiagvik, Alaska, at a latitude of 71 degrees above the equator, your eastward spin speed will be reduced to just 340 miles per hour (or 550 kilometers per hour).

That difference explains why airborne objects traveling in a North-South direction seem to veer off-course instead of moving in a straight line.

"Rossby waves exist because of the Coriolis effect," says Mausumi Dikpati, a senior scientist, modeler and theoretical solar physicist at the Colorado-based High Altitude Observatory (HAO), in an email. "No rotation, no Rossby waves."

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Sea and Sky

On Earth, Rossby waves occur in our atmosphere and our oceans alike. Scientists have known about atmospheric Rossby waves since 1939, while oceanic Rossby waves were first observed back in 1977.

The two have a lot in common. Dikpati tells us they're both caused by "the action of Coriolis forces."

Another contributing factor is the sun. Instead of warming our planet evenly, sunlight heats up the equator at a faster rate than temperate zones and the poles. Hence, Earth has a natural temperature gradient based on latitude.

Then we have the winds, whose strength and direction can be profoundly affected by their height.

"Atmospheric Rossby waves are excited by instabilities of the latitude temperature gradient and vertical wind gradient, while oceanic Rossby waves can be excited by both that and the effects of wind on the ocean surface," Dikpati explains.

When these waves take place in the ocean, they're usually smaller in scale than the Rossby waves in our atmosphere. Moreover, Dikpati says oceanic Rossby waves are "confined to ocean basins, while atmospheric waves propagate all the way around Earth."

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Rising Tides

You can't really observe marine Rossby waves with the naked eye when you're standing on the planet's face. But fortunately for scientists, artificial satellites can monitor their progress.

Calling the waves "slow-moving" would be an understatement. At low latitudes, they might "take months to a year to cross the [Pacific] ocean," according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Farther away from the equator, Pacific Rossby waves can travel at a pace that's even more leisurely, sometimes requiring a decade or more to traverse the world's biggest ocean.

Despite their slowness, Rossby waves aren't something that coastal communities should ignore. They can make high tides higher than usual. Not surprisingly, the waves have also been linked to severe floods.

Entire shorelines might be affected; incoming Rossby waves can raise the water level across hundreds of miles (or several hundred kilometers) of ocean-side property for a period of months  wreaking havoc on the local infrastructure.

A 2018 study found that Rossby waves may cause coastal sea levels to go up by over 3.9 inches (10 centimeters), which is nothing to sneeze at, not in a world where almost 40 percent of the population lives within 60 miles (or about 100 kilometers) of the ocean.

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Now Streaming

Jet streams are another playground for Rossby Waves.

Formed at the convergent boundaries of warm and cold air masses, jet streams are fast-moving currents. They cruise through our atmosphere roughly 5 to 9 miles (8 to 14.4 kilometers) above the planet's surface, traveling at an average speed of 110 miles per hour (or 177 kilometers per hour).

Earth has four primary jet streams  with two in the polar regions and a set of "subtropical" streams located on either side of the equator. All four travel from west to east.

"Waves in the [jet stream], as we see them on weather maps, are closely related to Rossby waves," says Dikpati. "They interact with the mean east-west winds to produce the wavelike patterns we see as well as the [large-scale] changes in weather we feel. This interaction is at the core of modern numerical weather prediction models."

" " A cloud formation, quickly moving from west to east, caused by a strong westerly jet stream over the eastern U.S. Wikimedia Commons (CC By SA 4.0)

Scientists documented "extreme heatwaves" in Europe during the years 2003, 2010 and 2015. Each of those events has been linked to a series of Rossby waves that had meandered through the Northern Hemisphere's subtropical jet stream.

The twisting waves can stall high or low-pressure weather systems, restricting their movement for long periods. Under the wrong circumstances, that can trigger natural crises like floods and droughts. Back in 2018, Rossby wave activity was implicated in both Japanese flash flooding and North American heatwaves.

Such events can have global ramifications. A 2020 study published in the journal "Nature Climate Change" argued that Rossby waves could pose a major threat to international food security. It's not hard to imagine heat spells brought on by these waves lowering crop production by as much as 11 percent in regions that've become crucial to the world's food supply. Delightful.

Now That's Interesting Among other things, Dikpati studies the formation and behavior of Rossby waves on the sun. "Solar Rossby waves were first observed in the movement of magnetic structures in the solar corona," she says. For the record, the corona is the sun's extended outer atmosphere, a bright layer that peeks out at Earth from behind the moon during total solar eclipses. By studying the sun's Rossby waves, scientists hope to gain a better understanding of environmental changes known as "space weather," that affect everything from TV broadcasts and power grids to GPS systems and military satellites.
Arsenal target Lisandro Martinez has agreed a deal to move to Manchester United (Getty Images)

Arsenal are exploring other left-back targets as Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez closes in on a move to Manchester United.

Ajax and Manchester United are in advanced talks for Martinez and there is optimism a deal will be concluded.

Arsenal had been trying to sign the left-back too, but their interest has cooled recently with Ajax digging their heels in over their 45million asking price.

The Gunners are now looking at other left-back targets, which will impact the future of Nuno Tavares.

The 22-year-old, who joined Arsenal last summer as part of a deal worth around 8.5m, is attracting interest from clubs who want to sign him on loan.

Arsenal could be open to agreeing such a move, but they will want to have a replacement lined up first.

Martinez has agreed to join Manchester United as he wants to test himself in the Premier League, while he is eager for a reunion with his old Ajax boss Erik ten Hag.

The Argentina international predominantly plays as a left-back, but he can also operate in midfield and the heart of defence too.

Arsenal are now in the United States for their pre-season tour after landing in Baltimore on Wednesday.

The Gunners have taken a 33-man squad for the tour, which includes games against Everton, Orlando City and Chelsea, but a number of those who have travelled face uncertain futures.

The likes of Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Bernd Leno, Hector Bellerin and Pablo Mari could all leave Arsenal this summer.
Travelers at Logan International Airport (BOS) in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.,

Vanessa Leroy/Getty Images

A cat named Rowdy, who spent three weeks evading capture at Boston's Logan Airport, has finally been apprehended and will be returned to her family.

In June, 4-year-old feline, Rowdy was onboard a Lufthansa flight home from Germany. While cargo loaders were unpacking the plane, Rowdy managed to escape from her crate to pursue some birds she spotted on the tarmac, according to The Associated Press. And so began Rowdy's three-week stakeout of the Boston airport.

The aptly-named cat was spotted several times around the airport, but no one was able to capture her until Wednesday.

"Whether out of fatigue or hunger we'll never know, but this morning she finally let herself be caught," Massport, the agency that operates the airport, said in a statement, the AP reported.

During the three-week hunt for Rowdy, airline staff and construction workers joined the efforts. The airport placed cameras and safe-release animal traps in the places where Rowdy had been spotted.

In order to help lure her to safety, airport staff were in constant communication with Rowdy's family. They figured out her favorite food and placed certain items that would be familiar in her path. Once she was captured in a safe-release trap on Wednesday morning, airport staff alerted Rowdy's family that they had finally caught their cat.

Patty Sahli, Rowdy's owner, joked with NBC Boston that her cat "inspects every box and every bag" and "would be great at airport security." When asked what she thought her cat was doing for three weeks at Logan Airport, Sahli said that she "probably put a dent on the mouse population at the airport."

The Animal Rescue League of Boston collected Rowdy at the airport Wednesday morning and performed health checks. The cat was reported as healthy but hungry. She is due to board a flight to Florida on Friday evening, where she will be reunited with her family.

Cailey Rizzo is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure, currently based in Brooklyn. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, or at caileyrizzo.com.
  240 10%1000 1.52% 2.79%8%   19826    11.67140.4%  3.2242.5%  643040.1% 3.3%     Verizon 202212 13012  Twitter 47FF91 85%  20%19% 74% 3  14%13% 15%    2.4687%  10%9%  88%121.9%  3500 0.33% 0.72%  134.963.91%  5.31172.99% 2.8  20015.6
Only in America, it seems, can border patrol agents be cleared of breaking any laws but still be punished, while those entering the country illegally mostly escape punishment.

President Biden, then-press secretary Jen Psaki and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, all rushed to judgment when they saw a video of Texas Border Patrol agents last September herding Haitians attempting to enter the country without authorization. Biden had threatened the agents, saying they would pay for their actions. They have paid in lost time on the job, the smearing of their character and probably an end to their careers. It is the administration that should pay. One hopes the agents will find a lawyer who sues them for slander.

In a 511-page report (only the government requires so many words to explain the obvious), Customs and Border Protection said the agents did not whip the migrants, who managed to get across the border anyway, but added they are still guilty of unprofessional conduct, including using unnecessary force on Haitians. Apparently, some of the agents used bad language while trying to turn the people back. Shocking, I know. Were they supposed to say: Would you pretty please turn around and go back to your country?

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has joined other Republicans in calling on President Biden and others to apologize to the four agents they falsely accused. Good luck with that. Being a high government official means never having to say youre sorry. Paxton said instead of being punished, the agents should be rewarded.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott is trying to do the job the Biden administration has so far refused to do by sending migrants who cross into his state back to an established crossing point where they can be processed. The administration opposes the move and is suing Texas to try and stop it. Yes, I understand that immigration is the constitutional responsibility of the federal government, but whats a governor to do when his state is being overrun by migrants, some of whom they say are destroying private property and committing other crimes, including rape and murder?

In Richmond, Virginia, two men in the country illegally were arrested prior to what authorities say was a plot to conduct an act of terrorism on July 4. Someone heard something and said something, preventing what might have been a tragedy had the men been able to proceed with their alleged plot. One of the men reportedly had been deported twice before.

If Republicans achieve a majority in the House and Senate in the November election, their top priority must be securing the border and restoring a legal process for those seeking to enter the country. President Biden is likely to veto any legislation passed by Republicans to achieve that goal, but if there are enough Republicans in Congress his veto can be overridden.

It isnt just those breaking our laws to get here that is a continuing problem, but also the large amounts of the deadly drug fentanyl coming in. Fentanyl now ranks No. 1 on the list of biggest killers of 18-to-45 year olds in the United States. And it is about the number of desperate people promised a better life by the cartels and human traffickers who have died on their dangerous journey.

All the administration has said is dont come, which is like telling a child not to raid the cookie jar. Secretary Mayorkas has repeatedly made the ludicrous claim that the border is closed. He should be impeached for lying and not enforcing the law, or maybe bring back the ancient whiplash form of punishment and apply it to high government officials (just kidding).
BATTLE CREEK, IOWA  Investigators in Ida County now believe they know what caused a house explosion on July 6 that leveled the entire structure and sent three occupants to the hospital with serious injuries.

According to a press release from Ida County Sheriff Wade Harriman, the cause of the explosion at 2362 Carriage Avenue in Battle Creek was an underground gas leak in the service line.

The three occupants of the home: Jeremy Bruning, 42, Sandra Jepsen, 68, and Joel Stapleton, 46, were inside at the time of the explosion but were helped outside by another person who had been outside. The blast was reported at 9:34 a.m., and the house was engulfed in flames when firefighters and emergency personnel arrived.

Working the case with the Ida County Sheriff's Office was the Iowa State Fire Marshal's Office. Responding to the initial blast were fire departments and emergency crews from Battle Creek, Ida Grove, Holstein, Danbury, Cushing, Kiron and the Crawford County Memorial Hospital Ambulance service and emergency services from Ida, Woodbury, Monona and Cherokee counties, plus the Iowa State Patrol.

As of now, the release said there are no updates available on the condition of the Bruning, Jepsen and Stapleton.

On July 13, exactly one week after the explosion in Battle Creek, an early Wednesday morning explosion in a residential neighborhood in Le Mars injured three people and destroyed two homes. In that case, Le Mars Fire-Rescue Chief Dave Schipper said three individuals were inside or around the home at 327 Third St. SW at the time of explosion and suffered injuries.
SIOUX CITY  Mike Pompeo, former Secretary of State and former director of the Central Intelligence agency during the Trump administration, will deliver the keynote speech at the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce's annual dinner in September.

The Chamber announced Pompeo as the speaker Wednesday afternoon. The 36th annual dinner, a marquee event for the Chamber, will be held Sept. 22 at the Sioux City Convention Center.

Pompeo delivered a video address Wednesday at the Chamber's announcement event.

"Hi, I'm Mike Pompeo. Being from Kansas, I am always excited to join fellow Midwesterners as we discuss the issues facing America and the world. That's why I am so excited to join the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce in Sioux City on September 22nd. I look forward to seeing you all there," Pompeo said in his video remarks.

Pompeo, as the Chamber noted in announcement materials, is the only person in U.S. history to have been both Secretary of State and the CIA director.

"Mike Pompeo's legacy of leadership and service to our nation is among the most distinguished in our country's history. From graduating at the top of his class at West Point, to earning his law degree from Harvard, being elected to Congress, directing the CIA, and finally leading the State Department as the 70th U.S. Secretary of State, Mr. Pompeo's record of service is one of unparalleled dedication and patriotism," Chamber Board Chair Brian Crichton said in a statement.

There have been indications that Pompeo, a staunch supporter of former President Donald J. Trump, might be considering a presidential bid in 2024.

"I am convinced that Secretary Pompeo's exceptional resume and extraordinary experiences at the very highest levels of our federal government will make him one of the most interesting, thought-provoking, and popular speakers the Siouxland Chamber has ever welcomed," Chamber President Chris McGowan said in a statement.

The dinner begins with a social hour at 5:15 p.m., followed by the dinner program beginning at 6:15. In addition to Pompeo's remarks, the Chamber will present their annual W. Edwards Deming Award for Entrepreneurial and Business Excellence, recognition of the 2021 Ambassador of the Year, and will present the Sailor of the Year awards to members of the U.S.S. Sioux City's Blue and Gold crews.

Dinner reservations are $100 per person for Siouxland Chamber members and $120 for non-chamber members.
SIOUX CITY -- The owner of dozens of snakes removed from a Sioux City home Monday is hoping city leaders will change ordinances that currently ban his animals within city limits.

The ball pythons taken from Parker Moos' home are classified under city code as dangerous animals, but this particular type, which doesn't grow nearly as long or heavy as other pythons, is not dangerous, Moos said.

"They're really docile," he said, adding that when threatened, the snakes, which reach a maximum of 5 feet in length and 10 pounds, ball up to protect themselves rather than attack.

The father of a 5-month-old daughter, Moos said he has no fears of the snakes posing a threat to his child.

"Not even a little bit," he said.

Moos, a Sioux City Realtor, has launched an online petition drive on Change.org to gain support for an ordinance change. By late Wednesday afternoon, more than 400 of a hoped-for 1,000 signatures had been received. Moos plans to address the Sioux City Council in the near future and ask councilmembers to amend the code to permit ball pythons and certain other types of non venomous snakes -- as Iowa law does -- and continue to ban snakes the state classifies as dangerous animals.

"We're not asking them to do anything outside of what Iowa already allows," Moos said.

Mayor Bob Scott said he'd listen to any proposal, but if the ordinance were to be changed, it likely would limit how many snakes may legally be kept.

"They're going to have to make a pretty convincing argument to me," Scott said. "We don't allow more than three dogs or cats."

When he bought the ball pythons around the beginning of the year, Moos said, he didn't know they weren't allowed in Sioux City. He had consulted Iowa law and assumed city code would be the same.

On Monday, animal control officers removed 58 snakes from Moos' townhouse at 4624 Harrison St. after the owner of the adjoining townhouse found a python in her garage and called police. Moos said a sibling looking after the snakes while he's on vacation may have failed to properly secure an enclosure, enabling the snake to escape, and he regrets any scare the neighbors received.

Moos said three boa constrictors under a year old also were taken. Other corn and king snakes, which are legal, were left in the home. The case has been referred to the city's legal department. Violation of the code can result in fine of $100-$750.

Moos said he's looking into opening a pet store featuring reptiles and, while researching pet store ordinances, discovered his ball pythons could not be kept legally within city limits, though the code says they may be housed in pet stores. Knowing his snakes were illegal, Moos said he had hoped to get a pet store opened, sell some of the snakes or find someone outside the city to care for them before the city learned of them.

"We were hoping to try and get something switched over soon," he said.

The snakes are currently being housed at the Sioux City Animal Adoption and Rescue Center. Moos said he was informed by the city's legal department late Wednesday that the snakes would not be released back to him or a keeper of his choosing, but will be relocated to reptile rescue facilities.

"It sounds like more than likely we're going to lose the snakes," Moos said.

City attorney Nicole DuBois did not return messages seeking comment.
SIOUX CITY  The number of tests coming back positive for COVID-19 is ticking upward in Woodbury County amid the emergence of highly contagious new subvariants.

The county saw a 39% increase in the number of positive COVID tests reported in the last seven days, according to the state's most recent COVID-19 report. The data, which was updated by the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) on Tuesday, shows 256 positive tests, which is up from the 183 positive tests reported on July 5.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's COVID Data Tracker rates Woodbury County's community transmission level as low. That level was calculated on July 7 using data from June 30 to July 6.

According to IDPH's website, 57.3% of Woodbury County residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Nationwide, the latest COVID-19 surge is driven by the highly transmissible BA.5 subvariant, which now accounts for 65% of cases with its cousin BA.4 contributing another 16%. The subvariants have shown a remarkable ability to get around the protection offered by vaccination.

The most common symptoms reported by patients infected with the omicron variant are cough, fatigue, congestion or runny nose, according to a CDC report published in December.

With the new omicron subvariants pushing hospitalizations and deaths higher in recent weeks, states and cities are rethinking their responses and the White House is stepping up efforts to alert the public.

Last week, UnityPoint Health -- Sioux City announced that it is once again requiring staff members, patients and visitors over the age of 2 to wear a mask at all facilities. The requirement went into effect on July 7.

In a statement, the Sioux City hospital said it had not seen an increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations, but wanted to take precautions to protect sick patients and those with weakened immune systems.

"It's important that we as a community remember the basic infection prevention strategies we've been practicing since the beginning of the pandemic  wash your hands, wear a mask, stay home when you're sick, and get your appropriate vaccinations," the statement said. "As always, the health and safety of our patients and team members is our top priority."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
A retired Los Angeles prosecutor has said a judge privately told lawyers he would renege on a promise and imprison Roman Polanski for sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl in 1977. A transcript of testimony by Deputy District Attorney Roger Gunson that had been sealed by a court for 12 years was obtained by The Associated Press late Sunday. The document provides support for Polanskis longtime claim that he fled on the eve of sentencing in 1978 because he didnt think he was getting a fair deal. Gunson said during closed-door testimony in 2010 that he wasnt surprised Polanski fled after the judge broke several promises. A lawyer for Polanski says he will seek to have the Oscar-winning director sentenced in absentia.
Bolstered by tens of millions in federal stimulus and COVID aid, both of Iowa's public research universities busted external funding records in fiscal 2022  by $49 million at the University of Iowa and $42.6 million at Iowa State University.

The UI secured $867 million in external funding  including research-related grants and support  topping the campus' previous record of $818 million set in fiscal 2021, representing a 6 percent jump.

Iowa State amassed $601.7 million in external funding  a nearly 8 percent jump over its previous high of $559.1 million the year before and marking its first step over the $600 million line.

External funding includes both research-related grants, contracts and awards along with fundraising dollars, gifts and bequests, and cooperative agreements with government entities, private individuals, corporations and nonprofits.

That pot of revenue has become increasingly important in recent years, with waning state support and less-reliable tuition income  given student losses during the COVID pandemic and the likelihood of an "enrollment cliff," with fewer regional high school graduates.

Total external funding for the UI a decade ago hovered just over $500 million, while Iowa State's total external funding in fiscal 2012 was $360.2 million  putting both universities up about 70 percent today.

Iowa State's private nonprofit fundraising foundation generated $229.5 million in gifts in the most recent year, 52 percent over its $151 million in fiscal 2021.

The UI reported gifts from individuals, foundations, and corporations at $169 million in the recent budget year, up over its $128.5 million tally last year.

"We are deeply grateful to those who have made donations to support the research endeavors of our faculty, students and staff," UI Center for Advancement President Lynette Marshall said in a statement. "Their generosity will make a profound impact on the life-changing work that is happening on our campus today and far into the future."

Research funding

Regarding research-specific grants, contracts, and awards, the UI netted $654.4 million in the recent budget year for 2,400 projects and programs to  among other things  treat disease, address the opioid epidemic, support mental health care for young people, and tackle renewable energy challenges.

That's down from last year's research-funding record of $702.4 million  which was driven in part by a 288 percent spike in NASA funding, from $9.2 million fiscal 2020 to $35.7 million in fiscal 2021.

Iowa State's research funding in fiscal 2022 was up, setting a record of $284.2 million  23 percent above last year's $231.1 million and 9 percent above its previous record of $260.9 million in the 2019 budget year.

"Even during the height of the pandemic that impacted the 2021 fiscal year, the Iowa State research enterprise never really shut down," ISU Vice President for Research Peter Dorhout said in a statement.

"The 2022 fiscal year reflects the resolve and excellence of our research faculty and staff and demonstrates that our partners in federal agencies, and in industry and nonprofits, truly value the creativity, expertise and innovation that the Iowa State research community brings to society's greatest challenges," he said.

Iowa State's biggest federal research supporter in the 2022 budget year was the Department of Energy, with nearly $68 million, followed by the Department of Agriculture with about $48 million.

The vast majority of the UI's federal external support came from the National Institutes of Health  at $186.3 million.

Specific projects

Research projects generating external support in the last year include:

 The UI-based Center for School Mental Health, a collaboration with the Iowa Department of Education, landing $20 million over two years to address mental health and well-being needs of pre-K-12 students and teachers.

 An Iowa Department of Justice award of $3.5 million to UI psychiatry professor Alison Lynch to address the state's opioid crisis.

 A nearly $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture for an ISU study assessing new approaches to cover crops  like growing turf grass between rows of corn.

 A $2.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health's National Human Genome Research Institute for an ISU project using genome sequencing data to understand disease mutations and create software capable of making predictions and treating patients.
How can you turn a 60-year-old Buick Skylark into a drag racer?

Jack it up, paint it red and give the dashboard a fake furry makeover, for starters.

In other words, leave it in the experienced hands of Rodney Reisdorph, who has a knack for switching up vintage automobiles by giving them some rockabilly love.

"At first, I thought a 1962 Skylark was too new a model for me," the Sioux Cityan and proud owner of a 1953 rust-colored Chevy 210 sedan, explained. "But I figured, what the hell. I needed a wintertime project and restoring cars is relaxing for me."

Reisdorph was one of the founding fathers of the Scene of the Crash Rockabilly/Psychobilly Car Show.

Currently in its eighth year, it will take place Friday and Saturday at South Sioux City's Dakota/Thurston County Fairgrounds, 1527 Stable Drive.

In addition to showing off a host of mainly post-WWII era cars, Scene of the Crash will also offer mini bike ride, hot rod dirt drags, food trucks kid activities as well as a Bettie Page-style beauty contest, hosted by Rodney Reisdorph's wife Kara, who is also a dead ringer for Page, AKA the 1950s "Queen of the Pinups."

"I knew Rodney was way into cars when we were dating," Kara Reisdorph said.

Indeed, both of the Reisdorphs call their nearly 70-year-old Chevy sedan the couple's "honeymoon car."

"We drove from Sioux City to Las Vegas in Rodney's rusty little sedan," Kara Reisdorph remembered with a laugh. "I figured it must be love since I stay married to a guy who drives cross-country in a car with absolutely no air conditioning."

While Kara prefers to stay in the passenger seat in her husband's cars, Hollie Fahrendholz can't wait to get behind the steering wheel of the 1950 Chevrolet Styleline Deluxe that she and Varian Green completely refurbished.

"When you think of cars, you think it will be a guy thing," Fahrendholz said, standing in front of the cherry-red car. "But when there's a woman behind the wheel you know she means business."

Green can identify that it takes a certain personality to drive a car that has seen more than a few birthdays.

"I'll drive a vintage car to work every day," he explained. "People will see me driving on the Interstate, figuring I'd be slow or something. Then, I'll gun it and pass them with no problem."

Like Green and Reisdorph, Zach Ankrum is a Scene of the Crash veteran.

The Sioux City man is proud of his 1964 Chevy C-10 pickup truck. So is his favorite passenger.

"Kids love cars, trucks and anything that moves," Ankrum said. "When my 3-year-old daughter Rory sees me pulling in the driveway with my shiny green green pickup, she's grinning from ear-to-ear."

Rory is even happier when she and her dad make a fast getaway.

"What's your favorite thing to do when you're in daddy's truck?" Ankrum asked.

"I like it when we burnout of a parking lot," Rory said without much hesitation.

"Now, that's a girl who will be interesting to watch growing up as a teenager," Kara Reisdorph noted with a smile.

However, her husband was quick to point out that Scene of the Crash has a strong family element.

A portion of the event's proceeds will go to Midwest Welding Academy, which offers a free, weeklong welding class for teenagers.

Which is important to Reisdorph, who was a son of a gearhead and a dad of a gearhead.

"That's how a lot of us got started," he explained. "We became interested in cars because we had family members who were always fixing something interesting the garage."

Standing in front of a display of vintage cars at the Sioux City Journal parking lot, Reisdorph said Scene of the Crash differs from other car shows.

"Sometimes, you'll see guys with old-timey cars that are so valuable that they're driven on special occasions," he said, shaking his head. "Where's the fun in that?"

"At Scene of the Crash, our guys love driving their cars everywhere and don't mind the stares that come our way," Reisdorph added.

Um, please remember this is the same dude who owns a jacked-up 1962 Buick Skylark dragster with a fake fur dashboard saying it.

"I love my dragster," Reisdorph said. "It's the perfect ride for me."
A statement from the Sac County Sheriff's Office said that deputies interviewed Laber, whose job is to maintain both sites. Laber first told deputies that someone had shut off the breakers that control the electricity the night before, causing the hogs' deaths. It was determined after a veterinarian inspection that the hogs had been dead for at least a week, according to the statement. Laber later told deputies that she knew the hogs had been dead for a week but did not know what to do. The hogs were in different stages of decomposition. They had no access to feed or water.

The hogs were owned by Corey AGR Inc., of Lytton, Iowa. The estimated loss is more than $150,000, according to the statement.
Care and Feeding is Slates parenting advice column. In addition to our traditional advice, every Thursday we feature an assortment of teachers from across the country answering your education questions. Have a question for our teachers? Email askateacher@slate.com or post it in the Slate Parenting Facebook group.

Is middle school just miserable? My 12-year-old hates school (and he enjoyed a fair amount of elementary school, pre-pandemic). His school has legitimate challenges, and he has ADHD and anxiety (addressed somewhat via meds and a 504). But I wonder if middle school just sucks for everyone, or if him coming home angry, frustrated, and anxious every day is just the norm for middle school in the time of COVID?

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Is This Normal?

Dear Normal,

It sucks for everyone.

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I worked in the top school district in my state for nine years. Teachers and parents loved the elementary and high schools, but the middle schools Everyone would just shrug in a were all doing the best we can way.

I also taught in middle school classrooms in two different districts over a decade. I wouldve told you it was a very difficult but good job. Now that I teach high school, youd have to double my salary to make me go back.

Middle school is tough on all parties. Parents find themselves titrating academic supportdo I keep fighting with my kid about homework, or do I let them learn a hard lesson? Teachers are asked to do way too much. (I taught 4 classes with a planning period eclipsed by meetings nearly every day.) And studentstheyre changing schools and changing classes, and wanting to be grown up while and wanting to be kids, and getting crushes and getting their periods.

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And those are the kids without special needs. Pile on top your sons ADHD and anxiety, and Im not at all surprised hes struggling.

So what do you do?

If you Google how to help my middle school student, youre going to find sunny articles that tell you to teach your child good organizational skills and talk about feelings. But if youre the parent of a middle schooler, youll say, Sure, let me just whip out my magic wand.

Here are my two bullets:

 Empathize. Remember that it sucks really bad.

 Ride it out. Know that this too shall pass.

In the meantime, take care of your own well-being. At worst, youll feel better. At best, youll model for your kid good coping skills, which every middle schooler needs.

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Ms. Scott (high school teacher, North Carolina*)

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My 11-year-old will be entering junior high as a sixth grader in the fall, and she is terrified. She worries the teachers will be mean, there will be bullies roaming the halls, the work will be difficult, and everyone will be growing up and she wont be a child anymore. She attended school virtually for about a year during 2020/2021 but went back in person for fifth grade. She struggled with anxiety around school even then and has been seeing a counselor for about three months. I try to listen to her worries, we talk through them, and her counselor has been a big help, but we can barely mention the idea of school without her being visibly uncomfortable. Is this normal for this age and is there anything we can do to help? She keeps asking if she can be homeschooled but that is just not something we really want/are able to do.

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Filled With Fear

Dear FWF,

Your daughters anxiety sounds more intense than typical new-school jitters; Im glad she is seeing a counselor and she should definitely continue those sessions. Its also important to make it clear to her that homeschooling is not an option, but you are here to support her.

Ask her what she likes about school and discuss happy memories from the past. Help her recognize that she will have these positive experiences (for example: art class, friends, etc.) in junior high as well.

Do what you can to help her feel prepared for the new school. Many junior highs have welcoming events for incoming students to tour the building and sometimes even meet their teachers. Help her organize her backpack, learn her new schedule, and get into her morning routine a few weeks before school begins.

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I hope that the counselor can offer practical strategies for supporting your daughter emotionally as she begins school in the fall. One of my favorite online resources, A Mighty Girl, recommends this parenting book for helping kids cope with anxiety. They also offer a list of books for kids about dealing with worries and fears (scroll down for her age range). Consider reading one with her and helping her identify strategies she can use while starting junior high.

As the first day of school approaches, do your best to convey your confidence in her. If you are calm and let her know that you believe in her, that will help her to believe in herself. Good luck!

Ms. Holbrook (high school teacher, Texas)

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How can I work on the preschool sight words over the summer without making it a drill? Is there a way to practice with my child in a fun way?

Reading is Fun

Dear Reading,

Im of two minds about this question. On the one hand, you shouldnt. There are more important things for a preschooler to learnsocial skills, play skills, social-emotional skills, etc.and they will not be behind if they begin kindergarten without a sight word repertoire. Kids need time off from working because they need to enjoy being kids. Thats their job; to play and explore their world. Furthermore, reading research is increasingly moving away from the concept of a sight word and toward a focus on kids learning high frequency words which they do not need to decode (think: sound out) but rather recognize quickly because they encounter them often.

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On the other hand (and with that sight word/high frequency word shift in mind), its good to expose your kids to reading! Its even good that youre motivated to practice. I dont mean to discourage any of that. Any leg up that makes reading easier for your child ultimately will make them more successful in school, which is directly linked to their happiness, self-esteem, etc.

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With these conflicting thoughts in mind, there are ways to spend time with your child, allowing them to play and explore their world and learn non-academic or para-academic skills that will also create opportunities to practice reading high frequency words. Read books with your child! Dont just read at them but engage them in the book: they do need to learn that in English, we read from left to right, top to bottom (and if you read to them in a language that doesnt, expose them to that information too)as you read, point to words. If your child happens to know some high frequency words, pause at those words and give your child a chance to read them on their own. Those opportunities should be frequent since, well, thats what makes them high frequency words.

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Take your child out into the world! There are dozens of signs we pass every day as adults, and every sign is an opportunity for your child to attempt to read. If theres a sign in the park that gives directions or information, stop and read it. Do the same procedure you would with a book: point to words and pause for the ones you think your child knows. They can practice reading words there as well. Then, do the same for recipes your child likes to make, or directions for building a new toy, or whatever else you do with your child. While youre at it, let your child read the numbers on the ingredients list. Not only is this extra practice reading, but it gives your child increased independence with cooking/baking, which is really exciting to the child brain. Children learn best through natural experience, so instead of seeking reading activities, just include your child in the reading activities youre already doing. This will be more fun for them, and probably more fun for you too.

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Obviously, try to read your childs mood while you do this. Kids who like to read are kids who grow up to be strong readers, so if your child is like ugh, stop, when youre doing this, ease up. Forcing them to practice reading will not foster a good relationship with reading. My point here is not that you should turn every activity into a little bit of homework; rather, any activity can be an opportunity for your child to learn, if you allow them the chance to lead the learning. If youre showing your child that they can make their favorite cupcake recipe with you, and that they even know some of the words in the recipe, that will excite your child. If youre like come, its now time to do chores AND school with Mommy/Daddy, that can breed resentment instead. Let your kid be a kid, and if they happen to practice some sight words along the way, all the better.

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Ms. Sarnell (early childhood special education teacher, New York)

More Advice From Slate

My daughter is a freshman in high school, and she recently got an assignment in life sciences that seems inappropriate. The assignment is for the kids to identify someone in their family who died of cancer, and then students are supposed to research that kind of cancer and create a poster presentation to display for the entire school. This seems like a terrible idea, and an invasion of privacy. Should I talk to the teacher?
In a caption to a meme about being what parents online call touched out, Becca Maberly, who posts on Instagram as @amotherplace, describes the intense fleshiness of parenting: [My babys] small hands clawing at me. His legs kicking me as he writhed in pain and frustration with the wind stuck in his tummy. Every time I put him down, he screamed. His cries were so piercing at times and the sound went straight through me and really hit a nerve. I had no choice but to pick him up again. And in a popular TikTok video, one woman says motherhood transformed her from a hugger who loved physical touch to someone who pushes her husband away. All day my body belongs to another human being, and at the end of the day I am done being touched, she says.

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When I became a mother, there were substantially fewer accounts of feeling touched out online. But I felt it. My body quickly became a curio, claimed and set aside by my childs request. Though I was trained as a writer and academic, I took a job at a home day care when I couldnt afford child care, and there I heard some pointed refrains, spoken by mothers who wrestled children off their backs, in and out of shoes, at drop-off and pickup. Alone at home with my daughter, at the end of a long day being pawed by multiple toddlers, I tried out the mothers firm phrases. I sat on the couch, and as my daughter scaled me, I took a heavy breath and said, Mommy is not a jungle gym.

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I continued to struggle with my daughters constant use of my body. Eventually, I found advice on the internet. I set boundaries, reminding myself I was teaching her about consent. These were lessons that were important to me because I had grown up without them. As a girl in the 1990s and early 2000s, I had never learned to say no to unwelcome physical touch. As a new mother, I tried to find the words to secure my own autonomy, barreling through convoluted phrasing and metaphors. When that didnt work, I ran away. Mommy just needs a break, Id say, fleeing to another room, my daughter chasing after me.

It was hard to locate what exactly I needed a break from. I eventually learned the term touched out by reading parenting forums online and talking with other mothers at the day care. At the time, reports of the tendency for mothers to be triggered by physical touch seemed to appear mostly on subreddits and parenting message boards, with posters linking the sense of bodily shutdown primarily to breastfeeding. A 2016 article on the feeling posted on the website of La Leche League described a mix of anxiety, claustrophobia, and guilt over feeling irritated by your loved ones. That tracked with my own experience. But the La Leche League guidance also implied that perhaps the problem was bigger: The author traced touched-out-ed-ness not only to evening cluster feeds but to mothers being the vehicle baby goes everywhere with and the parent who worries about giving her baby secure attachment.

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As a girl in the 1990s and early 2000s, I had never learned to say no to unwelcome physical touch.

The idea that mothers should make their bodies, as well as their focus and their time, completely available to their children is a historically specific one, emerging from the widespread popularity of attachment theory, but I didnt see it this way in my early years of motherhood. In the late 2010s, though I picked up some language online for affirming my own autonomy, I also received opposing messages. Attachment parenting gurus like Bill and Martha Sears encouraged mothersthe presumed figures of primary attachmentto set aside their own needs to perform the 7 Baby Bs: birth bonding, breastfeeding, babywearing, bed sharing, being responsive, bewaring of trainers, and balance. Trying to follow these guidelines and maintain boundaries around my body felt like some mystifying puzzle.

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My days as a mother were, in those early years, filled with pulls of skin, pokes of face, smears of food across my chest. Despite my attempts at boundary-setting, I had become not just jungle gym but also transport, toy, chair, napkin, utensil, and comfort object. As I loaned my body to my child, I thought back on my own experiences with assault and harassment. At times, my rejection of touch felt like a form of rebellion, however misaimed, against a misogynistic culture that expects women not only to service the emotional and physical needs of their children but also the needs of men. Other times, when I ran from my child or pushed them awayor when my need to not be touched transformed into rageI spiraled into cycles of regret, confusion, and shame, knowing how American culture side-eyes any negative emotions felt by mothers, especially when those emotions lead to rejections of closeness or tenderness.

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In the years since my early motherhood, the challenges of American parenting have become more visible in the media. Some have begun to question our cultural attachment to attachment science and to resist the intensive parenting practices that now dominate American parenthood. Millennial mothers have also become more aware of the touched-out phenomenon, an understanding that is inseparable from consent culture, which began informing parenting practices in the late 2010s. After the #MeToo movement began in 2017, some parents embraced teaching children healthy boundaries, modeling lessons on bodily autonomy and coercive touch. But these resources were rarely explicitly connected to the prevalence of parents own struggles with touch and consent in a culture with enduring gender trouble both inside and outside the home.

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Not surprisingly, however, the pandemic led to another surge of writing and online discussion of mothers who feel touched out. By the time COVID hit, I had regained some sense of agency over both my professional life and my body, and my irrepressible and sudden urges to push away those I loved had lessened. But, as for many parents in America, school closures and quarantines reminded me of the early days of motherhood. Waves of physical withdrawal surfaced each day. Frustrated by my inability to access anything like personal agency or bodily autonomy, I became consumed by the question of how the expectations of American motherhood echoed the rape culture in which I had grown up. The ease with which weve accepted women having overwhelming compulsions to rip off their own skin (as one poster wrote in a BabyCenter Birth Club forum) is telling.

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Despite the complex set of social, cultural, and political stressors at play in early parenthood, posts on motherhood blogs and coverage of mothers touch aversion on mainstream news sites frequently normalize and excuse womens suffering, claiming that not wanting to be touched by your husband and children is caused by nothing, specifically, even though we can now admit that its a thing. Some of this content is meant to be destigmatizing. Being touched out is a sign that the birthing parent needs time for restoration, Dr. Lucy Hutner, a NYC-based reproductive psychiatrist, said. And needing some time away from your infant is normal, natural and human.

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Touch, Hutner told me when we corresponded by email, is an undeniably essential component of care work. As the first sense to develop, it shapes our understanding of the world. Holding, feeding, putting them to sleep, comforting, playing, communicating, Hutner said. Touch is the day-by-day process of how you get to know your babys cues and to deepen attachment relationships. Touch has also been shown to be an important part of an infants neurobiological development. One study cataloged nine forms of maternal touch, from loving to playful, though there are likely many moreand it has been well documented that children who dont receive nurturing touch in infancy may become less attuned to the social value of touch later in life.

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Feeling touched out is so common that I tell patients in my practice to expect its going to happen, Hutner said. And yet, although plenty of research exists on the importance of touch in caregiving, research devoted to parental touch aversion is minimal. Hutner noted that most of whats known about the topic comes from research on what happens when mothers suffer from depression. Maternal depression has been shown to be associated with less responsiveness and engagement with  infants, with less communication and playful touch, especially in face-to-face interactions, Hutner said. Studies have found that mothers with chronic anxiety and depression were more disengaged in early parent-child interactions. Depressed mothers also tend toward less interactive touch with their children and are more irritable.

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And yet these findings need to be taken in context, Hutner said. Signs and symptoms of postpartum depressionwhich was already the most common complication of childbirth in the United States to begin withincreased severalfold during the pandemic, a direct indictment of the scarcity of social support and its impact on the mental health of mothers and all birthing parents.

Dr. Aurelie Athan, a clinical psychologist specializing in reproductive identity and matrescence, told me in our correspondence that research on the subject of feeling touched out also tends to focus on impacts on the child rather than on the caregiver. The research would change considerably if we were curious about a mothers own subjective experience of being touched, she said.

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The fact of the matter is that not many mothers are prepared for the developmentalboth the physical and psychologicalchanges during the transition to motherhood. The touched body, the degree and frequency it is touchedhow much and how oftenis not even imagined as a potential stressor until it happens or reaches a crisis, Athan said. Nor is the physical labor of bending and lifting, the wear and tear on the body. We have some education around core strength (e.g., diastasis recti, post-cesarean recovery, etc.), but that is not enough.

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My reactions to touch were physical and personal, but also political. I felt most touched out when everything else in my life seemed beyond my control, as when I was pushed out of the workforce in new motherhood. My aversion to touch flared again during the pandemic. And the feeling peaked when American culture sent clear messages about womens bodies: after the 2016 election, at the height of #MeToo, and when Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court.

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Not everyone has a visceral reaction to these sorts of news cycles, but many do. Political, economic, and social realities affect our bodies and, in turn, our ability to care for others with intention and presence. Bottom line: You have to feel safe to want to be touched, Hutner said. In our society there are many millions of people who have been made to feel fundamentally unsafe. You just have to open the news once a dayif you can bring yourself to do itto see yet another example of the violent threat all around us. Avoidance then becomes a form of self-protection.

Where clinical research comes up short, social media content created for mothers has in recent years offered more detailed explorations of mothers resistance to touch. Some of these content creatorsmany but not all of whom are licensed therapists or psychiatristshave begun to discuss how systemic political, cultural, and socioeconomic factors contribute to an overtaxation of parents bodies. A lot of the content created online about feeling touched out circles around how objectifying and violating motherhood in America can feeland how this shifts womens relationships with desire and intimacy.

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Others have speculated that feeling touched out can come from sensory overload and parental overstimulation, especially for parents with ADHD or sensory processing disorders. One TikTok argues that consumerism contributes to overstimulation, citing toys that make noise and mess in the home as potential triggers.

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More anecdotal touched-out accounts posted by mothers on social media further link the feeling to husbands sexual demands. The stories follow a similar pattern: After describing the hurried, knockabout nature of caring for children in isolation in an unmanageable domestic space, the narratives pivot to the male partner returning from work, shocked to find his wife pushing him away. And yet what of this need for space is really all that surprising?

During the pandemic, a Wall Street Journal article nevertheless suggested that people who feel too schlubby to have sex should just force themselves to start touching their partners. The article accepted the basic premise that fear, worry, loneliness and boredom are buzzkills but ultimately proposed more touching to get out of your head and let your body take over. Women who feel touched out often receive similar advice.

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But, as Hutner noted, feeling like you need to have sex when you dont want to is the opposite of intimacy. And the notion that women should sacrifice their bodies at the altar of parenting, and marriage, only extends and upholds the assumption that womens bodies are made for the taking.

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Athan suggested, however, that feeling touched out could open doors for parents to forge a new relationship with their bodies. Whether its a distorted body image or an actual, genuine embodied response, a woman can use this very basic, foundational feeling of needing space, to reclaim her boundaries and even her body, she said. When touch is finally desired and reintroduced, it could, maybe even for the first time, be on her terms.

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Athan believes this could be an opportunity for deep and important learning for caregivers, partners, and their children. At some point the issue of touchif, when, and howto approach it with more intentionality is waiting in the wings, she said. One could argue it is at the heart of learning what is truly meant by consent.

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Though most parents of my generation grew up in a culture that had little to no language for consent, many are now seeking out that language to reclaim their own bodies and to pass that language on to their children. As Ive become more attuned to the way my body speaks while Im mothering, Ive been able to invite and savor the sensual pleasures of motherhood: whiffs of hair, wet kisses, warm hugs. Ive also become better able to articulate for my children the importance of securing autonomy for themselves and for others. My generation may be a touched out one, but my children will grow up knowing that care necessitates consent, and that is a lesson that could have profound effects on the world in which they will come of age.

 2022 by Amanda Montei.
Earlier this week, the Jan. 6 select committee built this case. They pointed out a tweet that Donald Trump sent out in the middle of the night on Dec. 19. And this tweet, the committee said, was a bat signal for organized extremists all over the country. The tweet talked about a big protest in D.C. on Jan. 6 and ended with a flourish: Be there, will be wild! Committee member Jamie Raskin said that the tweet electrified and galvanized  dangerous extremiststhe Oath Keepers, the Proud Boys, and other racist and white nationalist groups spoiling for a fight with the government.

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The committee mapped out how this one message pinged around the internet. Testimony from an anonymous source inside Twitter itself explained how they watched Twitter users light up at the invitation to come to D.C. Then this enthusiasm on Twitter jumped to Reddit and YouTube. Not only did that Dec. 19 tweet whip all of the far right up into a frenzy about Jan. 6 specifically, but that immediately put them into a mode where they were planning for their last stand for their president, who, by the way, the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers see as their boss, says Andy Campbell, a senior editor at HuffPost and author of the upcoming book We Are Proud Boys.

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Campbell has been thinking about the implications of that Dec. 19 tweet for months now. Hes come to see this group as totally enmeshed in the events of Jan. 6. After all, a Proud Boy was one of the first people to breach the Capitol, smashing a window with a stolen police shield. The Proud Boys didnt just have an outsized role on the day, but they may have been the architects, Campbell says.

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Hes followed along as the government builds a criminal case against the Proud Boys. Federal prosecutors are charging some members with seditious conspiracy. The Department of Justice has even alleged some Proud Boys had a document with them, laying out what kind of chants to start on the day of the riot and whose congressional offices to occupy. But Campbell doesnt see this as the end of the Proud Boys: Since Jan. 6, weve only seen them ramp up their violent events. Theyre everywhere, every single weekend. In fact, with Trump out of office and with Jan. 6 behind us, extremist groups are completely untethered by Trump as their leader and are instead latching on to all sorts of Republican grievances.

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On Thursdays episode of What Next, I spoke with Campbell about why for groups like the Proud Boys, Jan. 6 wasnt the end, it was the beginning. Our conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Mary Harris: Youve been covering the Proud Boys since their inception in 2016, when you would notice them at Trump rallies. The Proud Boys stood out because they looked paramilitary. And they werent shy.

Andy Campbell: These guys dressed in makeshift body armor and makeshift weaponry and uniforms, showing up to Trump rallies. And these guys wanted you to know who they were. They wanted to be lionized for the acts of violence they committed, and they wanted to talk to the press. They were like, Yeah, heres my name. Tell everyone what I did because Im a badass.

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What do you mean? What were they bragging to you about?

One of the Proud Boys facing seditious conspiracy charges, Ethan Nordean, punched a guy unconscious in 2018, and it was caught on video. Alex Jones called it the Punch Heard Around the World. Gavin McInnes, the founder of the Proud Boys, called Ethan Nordean their greatest achievement. He was given a nickname, Rufio Panman, a reference to the leader of the Lost Boys in the movie Hook, and now that punch and that video of him committing an act of political violence is in every Proud Boys sizzle reel on the internet.

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In the early coverage of the Proud Boys, there was a desire to see them as silly. They would get together for drinks, and there was this kind of element of violence. But then they had an oath that you would take, and they were doing wacky stuff. You kind of get to there when you say one of them got a nickname from Peter Pan. Do you think that was intentional as a way to sort of confuse people?

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You hit the nail right on the head. The Proud Boys were formed on the online talk show of Gavin McInnes, the co-founder of Vice Media. This guy is a just abhorrent, racist misogynist.

And he made a name for himself by packaging misogyny and racism and bigotry into cool stuff for hipsters.

He had a Brooklyn beard is what I remember.

Oh, yeah. He maintains the hipster aesthetic: Hes got the Wayfarer glasses, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and suspenders. Hes constantly got this tongue-in-cheek attitude. But what hes saying is, Get out there, commit violence for the causethe cause being Trump and the GOP. And he is very serious when hes telling his audience to go out there and commit violence. So the Proud Boys, they are trained very well by Gavin McInnes to slather everything they do in irony and in nonseriousness so that when the dust settles they can say one of two things. What we were doing was defending ourselves; this is political demonstration. Or, none of this matters; the fact that we were calling for violence before the violence happened, we were just joking, yadda, yadda. And its completely snowed over members of the media and the government. An outgoing Homeland Security officer told the Times after Jan. 6 that they thought the Proud Boys were just a drinking club that gets in fights from time to time. And that is exactly the line that Gavin McInnes and the Proud Boys want you to think.

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I first started thinking about former President Trumps connections with the Proud Boys a little before the 2020 election. This is that debate Trump was in with President Biden, and he was asked to condemn white nationalist groups. He picked out the Proud Boys and it was the first time to me that I was like, Oh, theres a connection here, you know?

And that is a testament to two things. One, Trump really, really loves people that love him. And the Proud Boys have very publicly and very violently shown time and time again that they are out there for Trump. In fact, Trumps former lawyer Michael Cohen said prior to Jan. 6 that between that debate and Jan. 6, Trump knew exactly who they were and that he knew exactly what he was saying when he said, Stand back and stand by. He was giving them marching orders. Now, whether or not you believe that Trump was giving them marching orders or that Trump cant put a sentence together, so hes not really responsible for that moment, it doesnt matter, because immediately following that statement, the Proud Boys started prepping for civil war.

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How?

Across the country, they were watching TV. I spoke to Enrique Tarrio, the former chairman of the Proud Boys who is now facing seditious conspiracy charges for Jan. 6, and he said that that he had never gotten so many calls for recruitment, had never seen so much money rolling in until that moment. For the extremists of the world, this was like, oh, my God, the Proud Boys are top dogs. These guys have it.

The select committee talked about this moment this week, and they talked about it not from the perspective of the proud boys or the president or anyone else. They talked about it from the perspective of Twitter because they had someone testify from Twitterthis person was anonymous and their voice was disguised, so we dont know their gender or who they really are. But this person told the committee that this debate moment was kind of an earthquake on the platform. And it was a moment where Twitter considered having stricter content moderation policy because they could see how engaged people got right after the president called out the Proud Boys directly.

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As reporters covering this beat, we have told people time and time again that there is a direct line between Trumps rhetoric and the political violence happening out in the street.

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Trump says something and points at someone, and that person or that thing gets attacked. This has been happening over and over. Im old enough to remember when Trump called a number of top Democrats and reporters the enemy of the people, and then bombs started showing up at their houses. And this moment at the House committee hearing showed that the platforms which were boosting Trumps speech knew that, and they were amplifying it.

The connections the Proud Boys forged with Trump World ran deep. That was obvious when the Jan. 6 select committee shared a video of Trump adviser Roger Stone reciting the Proud Boys fraternal creedsaying Im a Western Chauvinist. And I refuse to apologize for creating the modern world.

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In the months since Jan. 6, the connections between the Proud Boys and the GOP have only gotten stronger. Its a little like the group has metastasized.

People are always surprised to learn this, but the Proud Boys are embraced and supported and very close to the full gamut of GOP elites next to Trump. After Jan. 6, Ann Coulter writes blog titled Thank God for the Proud Boys and reveals that shes been using them as her security for events for years. Roger Stone used them as his security for four years. And by the time Jan. 6 rolls around, he was in a mass text with the leaders of the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, Enrique Tarrio and Stewart Rhodes.

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Was the level of organization before Jan. 6 a surprise to you?

When it happened, we saw that things were going to be bad because we saw these guys getting crazy about Jan. 6 prior to it happening. We saw them gathering their resources. And we were concerned because this is what the Proud Boys do. And if they do one thing well, its coalition build. Theyre able to bring all sorts of extremist factions together under one banner, so thats very concerning. But even I didnt think that they were capable of being the full architects and the planners of a storming of the Capitol by thousands of people.

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They were creating maps of the Capitol and pinpointing locations of police in anticipation of Jan. 6, right?

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Right, and a year after Jan. 6, we learned through evidence that that Enrique had a plan in his hands to storm various buildings on Jan. 6. And that was absolutely wild to me. The Proud Boys have begun to show themselves as not a bumbling, drunken fraternity, but an actual terrorist group. Their leadership has been jailed time and time again over the years for various assault crimes. And every time, their chapters continue to work as normal. They were built to have some sense of autonomy.

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It sounds like cells.

Absolutely. And these cells are very easy to put together and very easy to deny their existence because all it takes to join one of them is to join their Telegram group and or Facebook group.

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Can you explain a little bit the ways that the Proud Boys have begun making themselves essential to the mainstream GOP? Ive read a little bit about what the Proud Boys are doing in Florida, in particular, which I find interesting because its not traditional running for office. Instead, its pulling the levers of power from inside the local Republican Party. Can you explain?

Miami is one of the seats of power for the Proud Boys in general, because its where Enrique Tarrio is from and its where he met, at a party, Roger Stone. So Miami was a natural place for the Proud Boys to insert themselves into real politics. And so they have a number of people who have taken seats at the Republican Party of MiamiDade County.

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Theyre in the executive committee right?

Yes, yes.

So they get to make the party platform.

And they already have. Republicans on that committee were questioned about it, and they say, Hey, weve got a lot of characters here. This is an American thing where you have a big difference of different voices.

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We have a big tent.

Right, big tent. And that speaks to how the Republican Party today, they are big tent. And its the reason why at what should be regular conservative political events like MAGA rallies, youll see a neo-Nazi standing by a woman who could be your aunt, and theyre protesting together.

You said this interesting thing, which is that no matter what happens now. The Proud Boys have a legacy at this moment because theyve created a playbook. I wonder if you see evidence of that out thereof other people looking to them and saying, Oh, they did something interesting here.

Absolutely. You have members of other extremist groups using the Proud Boys playbook by showing up to different civic events, committing violence, and then declaring that they are doing this under the auspices of constitutionally protected demonstration.

And we know that this works because a lot of people forget that the organizer of Unite the Right, Jason Kessler, is a member of the Proud Boys. But you dont often think of the Proud Boys when you think of Unite the Right, despite many members being there, and thats because they were able to lower their involvement after the fact and present themselves to the GOP, not as Nazis, but as a political force.

The Proud Boys playbook shows how you can go from bumbling street gang to a legitimate political force by gaining these relationships within politics and in by positioning your yourself as something other than an extremist gang.

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The first image from the James Webb Space Telescope was of a tiny, tiny speck of sky, so small you could blot it out if you held a grain of sand at arms length up to the heavens. But with the telescopes powereighteen giant mirrors, reporting from a million miles away just 12.5 hours of observing time reveals in that space thousands of galaxies, some clustered together, some swooping and swirling. Even the tiny smudges in the image are galaxies.

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On Tuesday, NASA released four more images, showcasing the range of the telescope: the spectrum of an exoplanet a thousand light years away, in which can be read its chemical composition (and the fact that it has clouds!); the nebula of a stars explosive death; the best ever image of the galaxies of Stephans Quintet; and a close-up of the Carina Nebula, a stellar nursery.

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This is one of those Big Science Moments, the kind that revolutionizes a field and galvanizes the public. A mission 30 years in the making, JWST offers scientists unprecedented views of the early universe, galactic and stellar evolution, and planets around other stars in our galaxy. The White House judged correctly when they had the president reveal the first image Monday night. Celebrities tweeted the images, a flood of memes ensued.

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This was a whole new vocabulary of images to make meaning with, but their intrinsic meaning was deliciously overwhelming, too. A YouTuber shared a zoom-out view situating the Deep Field in the night sky with were so small im gonna throw up. A friend shared the Carina Nebula image to her Instagram story with pst hey buddy you wanna feel feelings you were pretty sure the world in its current form had permanently numbed out of you. And science professionals were hardly immune. Science journalist Shannon Stirone tweeted, I cant get over the structure in these. I feel destroyed. The telescope destroyed me. Emily Calendrelli, host of the Netflix show Emilys Wonder Lab captured a sentiment Ive heard from many observers in a TikTok: I look at this image and think, There is no way we are alone in the universe. Wellis there?

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Practically, the search for life beyond Earth is usually confined to our own galaxy, the only space within which wed have a chance of detecting it. If life is rare, maybe were alone within the Milky Way, but these JWST images invite us to zoom out and out and out. The Deep Field image doesnt offer new information about the size or age of the universe, but it makes the vastness visible. Instead of 100 billion stars in one galaxy, now were talking about roughly a quadrillion stars (a number so big it feels like nonsense, you see why we need images to make sense of it). Even if life is extraordinarily rare, rare times a quadrillion still seems like it should end up meaning the universe is home to more than just us.

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This confident speculation is sort of half science, half emotion, astronomer Caleb Scharf, director of Columbia Universitys Astrobiology Center, told me over email. All that space means more chances for life, but we dont know what the odds are of life arising anywhere, even on Earth, where hindsight incorrectly makes it seem like it was a sure bet. Even with all the abundant real estate of the Deep Field, Scharf said, the likelihood of life depends acutely on the part we dont know, the odds for life, which might be unimaginably tiny, more or less canceling out the huge number of stars and galaxies.

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Astrophysicist Katie Mack told me over Twitter, I do think its extraordinarily implausible that life happened only on one planet in one solar system (among hundreds of billions) in one galaxy (among trillions), over 13.8 billion years. Scharf said he shares that feeling, but offered a caveat: until we know what the probability of lifes emergence is (or how it works) we really cannot say this scientifically since it hinges entirely on assumptions. Meaning, you cant extrapolate an events likelihood when you have only one example of its occurrence.

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Ample room doesnt necessitate occupation. Part of the problem is age. The galaxies in the JWST Deep Field, and the stars they contain, are not like what we see in the sky: theyre billions and billions of years older. Especially those most ancient red smudges, photographed in their youthin the universes youthwould be chemically quite different from the Milky Way. The first stars formed from the remnants of the Big Bang, with just hydrogen and helium to work with. Planets form from the same material as their stars, but those light elements arent enough for worlds that can host life as we know it, or possibly planets at all. For life as we know it to exist, Scharf said, built out of elements like carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen, the universe had to have reached a certain age where enough of those elements had been made by stars.

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But space is more than space for life. Maybe its limitingor belittlingto see these vast, cosmic structures and think, This is room for more stuff like me. Anthropologist Lisa Messeri, author of Placing Outer Space, told me, When were confronted with these awesome, hugely scaled images, we want to try to understandwe want to tame the awesomeness. So we seek the familiar. Maybe space is just like here, but a little different, we idly think. The New York Times reported that after Monday nights event, as the press was leaving the room, President Biden said, I wonder what the press are like in those other places.

Galaxies, nebulae, black holes. These incomprehensibly large anddare I say italien structures become manageable when thought of in terms of life. The sublime confronts us with this almost unfathomable immensity, Messeri said, and we are challenged to reign it in, to tame it, to make it understandable to our small human scale. We do this by returning to the familiar scale of the planet.

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The places in JWSTs first images are not places for us. But instead of seeking to speckle them with familiar, Earthly worlds, we can give in to the alienation and embrace the loneliness, let it transmute into a new kind of awe. Messeri told me that the JWST image that made her gasp was the one of Stephans Quintet, the galaxies tangled in gravitational dance. It was the scale of it, she said, but not just thatthe Deep Field shows far more galaxies, after all. Seeing these galaxies engaged in somethingthat, itself, is about not being alone. There doesnt need to be life for there to be communion. Theres another way to think about what it means to be alone that isnt a question of biology, that is instead a question of geography and gravity. Messeri called their relationship a kind of galactic community. But its a community we cannot access.

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Scientists study for years and years be able to understand the value of a galaxy unto itself. The rest of us can be awed by its scale, and entranced by the beautiful images (which are not raw images, but extracted by scientists from the telescope data, made beautiful with a layer of human processing and colorizing). So when we find ourselves thinking, Why is this important? Why is this beautiful? Why is this making me feel all sorts of big things? we may take a shortcut to This feels meaningful and immense because it shows theres room for life in the universe.

But sit with another possibility: What if we are alone? What if theres no other life at all? What is the value and meaning of all these galaxies and almost uncountable stars, still, then?

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The question of life in other galaxies will probably never be truly answered, not in our lifetime nor humanitys. We may find microbes on another planet, or not. We may, with JWST or another powerful telescope, see the traces of life in an exoplanets atmosphere, or we may not; this kind of evidence would hardly be conclusive of anyone running around out there. We may someday pin down the odds of lifes arising, its frequency and predilections, and we may be able to apply those principles to galaxies beyond our own. But humans will never travel to the far reaches of the universe on display in JWSTs images, will never know them with our own eyes or our feet on their ground. We can gaze at the images captured by our telescopic emissaries, and we can treasure life on Earth and be awed by the cosmos all the same. If we want aliens, the most alien kinship would be with the facets of the universe that dont have to do with life at all.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
This article is a co-publication of Zocalo Public Square and State of Mind.

My depression was triggered by The Lion King. Watching Scar throw Simbas father to his death, I started crying and couldnt stop. I was 11, terrified something would happen to my mommy lifeline, and the parent who had removed us from an abusive situation six years earlier. That night, it felt like a dark room opened inside my chest, filled with feelings I couldnt name.

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The room stayed with mesometimes growing larger, containing hopelessness and instances of self-harm, and sometimes emptying, only to fill up again with a new sense of despair. Ashamed of this endless loop, I struggled with how to integrate mental illness into my personal narrative.

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Those feelings were the catalyst for my new childrens novel, Zia Erases the World, the story of an 11-year-old girl facing her first depression. Zia doesnt know how to talk about her room of shadows, which she calls the Shadoom, and keeps her secret locked inside her. Upon discovering a magical dictionary that can erase whole concepts from existence, Zia erases fear, pain, and sadness. After the world unravels as a result, she has to make it right.

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When I speak at schools around the country, I share two stories: Zias, and my own. I acknowledge that todays students face realities I never imagined, from accelerating climate change to active shooter drills. In 2019 more than 1 in 3 high school students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, a 40 percent increase since 2009. That same year, 21 percent of American children reported having had a major depressive episode at some point.

In December 2021, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy released a landmark advisory on the youth mental health crisiswhich he called alarming before the pandemic and devastating after a year and a half of quarantines and isolation.

But if tweens and teens were given the chance to shape their own narratives, what would they say?

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I decided to find out by speaking with them directly. Most of the young people I interviewed were strangers to me. But after more than a dozen interviews, I got to know Diemond, Camryn, Iona, Jaime, Wyatt, and Rayan, all of whom asked me to use their first names for this piece.

Depression feels like a bad dream, said Diemond, a 19-year-old from New York.

The same dream over and over, and you cant wake up.

Camryn, an 18-year-old from Illinois, described depression as a lot more than just feeling sad. Its those ups and downs. Feeling empty and not having motivation to get out of bed, brush my hair, brush my teeth.

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Iona spoke to me outside their therapists office, two days before their 11th birthday. For them, the depression began as numbness. When my dog got sick, I felt absolutely nothing.

I couldnt grieve or cry. That was tough. My dog passed away and I didnt feel anything. It was just like if a snail died.

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I got worse, Iona went on. I started feeling again, and I wanted to hurt myself. These desires werent scary to me at the timeI just thought they were normal and this happened to everybody. Now that Im better and taking medication, I realize those werent normal thoughts.

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As I conducted more interviews, I noticed that the young people who identified as female or nonbinary spoke more about depression. Those who identified as male spoke more about anxiety. My sample size was admittedly smallaccording to the CDC, boys and girls report similar levels of anxiety. But the statistics do point to higher rates of depression, suicidal ideation, and attempted suicide among girls.

Jaime, a fifth grader from Los Angeles, told me by phone how he tries to stave off his anxiety attacks by focusing on something else. But sometimes it feels like youre delaying the feeling, and then it builds up like water boiling. You get that low heat and it starts to simmer, and then you notice it and think, Ive gotta turn down the heat. But at some point, youve just gotta throw in the pasta. You gotta let it boil. And then let it pass. Just try not to burn down the house.

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Despite the subject matter, these werent depressing conversations. One mom shared that her son came out of his room looking a foot taller. He told her, It felt so good to talk about everything.

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That was the one resounding common thread in all the interviews: Talking helps. Young people dont want to be forced to talk, but having even one person they feel safe opening up to makes a huge difference, whether its a teacher, therapist, parent, or friend.

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For 13-year-old Wyatt, the anxiety and depression began in third grade. My uncle, my grandma, my cousin, and my cat all died, which was pretty hard for me, he said. Eventually, he tried counseling. It took a couple of counselors to find the right fit, but the second one gave Wyatt tools that helped him move through the grief. In my house we had this little corner with soft blankets and squishy things. Me and my mom set it up. It felt like you were getting hugged by a whole bunch of penguins. We called it the Cozy Corner. I could go lie down and burrow in for a couple minutes or a couple hours, close my eyes and relax.

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Unsurprisingly, the pandemic came up often, and many acknowledged a pervasive sense of loss. Im 11, Jaime said. COVID was 25 percent of my life. When things finally started to get better, my mom took me to Trader Joes, and I just walked around remembering half the products in the store. Look at the Fig Newtons! Look at the mango popsicles! I was having the time of my life. Only later did I get sad. I realized what a big part of my childhood I missed.

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Rayan, a high school senior from Syracuse, used the time to be more creative. I created my first ever documentary during the pandemic, she told me. It covered my daily routine, coming to the United States, the fears of being an outsider. I have so many things people hate. Im Black, Im Muslim, Im female.

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When I asked Rayan about mental health, she said she doesnt like to talk about her emotions. But watching her quiet, haunting documentary, its abundantly clear she has found other means of self-expression. When I write, its kind of like Im talking to my emotions, she said. If nobody is listening, at least my notebook will listen to me.

As a writer, I believe in the power of artistic expression to heal, comfort, and connect. Shaping our own narratives can help us find light amid the shadows: something the tweens and teens I spoke to did with stunning clarity and courage.

As a child, I was fortunate to have adults in my life I could open up to. After The Lion King, I told my mom what I was feeling, and she immediately found a mental health professional to offer support. Even so, it took many years before I could find the right words for my experience. But as I speak more publicly about my depression in the wake of Zia Erases the World, it has put me on a path parallel to Zias. Inspired by the honesty of the children and young adults Ive met, Im trying to embrace mental illness as a part of my narrative. And by naming my most private pain, my darkest secret, I hope to help young people feel the same way theyve made me feel: less alone.

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At my last school visit, a fifth grader asked: When did your Shadoom go away?

The answer, much like depression itself, is complicated. It did go away, and it didnt.

But what I told herwhat I tell everyone I speak tois that you are always adding tools to aid in your self-care. Therapy. Medication. Friends. Art. Music. Books. If you can name your own dark room, the people in your life can rise up to meet you. Mental health struggles become a means of connection, not isolation. And instead of erasing your story, you tell it as a way to survive.

State of Mind is a partnership of Slate and Arizona State University that offers a practical look at our mental health systemand how to make it better.
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The reinforcement of the NATO presence in Slovakia became a topic of the day practically immediately after Russia invaded Ukraine, Slovakias direct neighbour, on February 24. The very next day, Germany was the first NATO ally to confirm it was ready to send its troops to the country. Since then, German troops and Patriot air-defence systems have arrived to Slovakia.

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As the German Ambassador BARBARA WOLF sees it, this resulted in defence and security becoming an important pillar of the bilateral cooperation that has previously been dominated by business and economy. In an interview with The Slovak Spectator, Ambassador Wolf unveils the concerns that were attached to the arrival of the troops, shares her opinion on what Germany and Slovakia can do to limit their dependence on Russian raw materials, and more.

The perception of the war in Ukraine was different in western Europe, including Germany, and in countries on the eastern flank of NATO, including Slovakia. Here, the urgency to help Ukraine with military assistance and with providing relief to refugees was greater because the perception of the existential threat was greater, due to historical experience and the geographical proximity of the warzone. Have you perceived this difference as the German ambassador to Slovakia?

I think February 24 was a big shock for all of us, and those who believed in a dialogue with the Russian government felt deceived. This shock, awe, anger, was the same for all of us.

If you talk about Germany, it is always good to look at where we come from historically. Germany has been on the intersection of the east-west divide, and it has experienced separation itself. This is still quite vivid in the minds of the people, and in politics.

Obviously, as a neighbouring country Slovakia is on the borderline and experienced the initial influx of refugees. We were all impressed by the engagement of civil society, the solidarity of the people and the commitment of the Slovak government to provide welcome to the refugees, be at the borders, and show political solidarity with Ukraine.
Economy Minister Richard Sulik on why his party is pulling out of the coalition deal. Learn more in today's digest.

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Good evening. Here is the Thursday, July 14 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.

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Aluminium maker facing closure, lays off hundreds

Aluminium scrap at Slovalco factory in Ziar nad Hronom. (Source: TASR)

A disaster - that is how Economy Minister Richard Sulik has described the fate facing Slovakia's only aluminium maker, Slovalco. The company is laying off 300 of its 450 employees in response to soaring energy costs, emissions restrictions and falling aluminium prices.

The firm, based in the central-Slovak town of Ziar nad Hronom, is also considering a complete shutdown of its plant - a development that means its ecologically-produced aluminium could be replaced by imports from Asia.

A further 2,500 jobs in the region which are tied to aluminium manufacturing are now also thought to be at risk.

The company has been sounding the alarm about its situation for several months. Production of aluminium at the plant was down 40 percent in February alone due to high costs of electric energy, while electricity expenses increased threefold year on year.

Slovalco is not the first large manufacturer to be affected by rising energy prices. Orava-based metallurgical business OFZ also recently announced mass lay-offs.

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If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, buy our online subscription. Thank you.

Feature story for today

At the beginning of July, the SaS party announced it was pulling out of the deal governing the coalition government, demanding the sacking of Finance Minister Igor Matovic due to what it said were constant internal tensions, attacks, and insults from him.

In an interview with the Sme daily, SaS chair Richard Sulik explains why the party wants Matovic out, the Finance Minister's cooperation with fascists in parliament, and what they will do if an agreement is not reached by the end of August.

Although the coalition can continue without the SaS, Matovic has forecast the party pulling out would bring about the collapse of the government.

Richard Sulik: Robert Fico is evil, but so is Igor Matovic Read more

Picture of the day

On July 14, 2022, a delegation of the EP Committee for Regional Development visited the Roma settlement in the village of Petrovce nad Laborcom, in the Michalovce District, to assess how funds for better inclusion of Roma people can be used.

(Source: TASR)

In other news

From Thursday and Friday, more hospitals in various cities and districts in Slovakia will put into effect bans on patient visits , with the exception of those visiting terminally ill patients or those in final stages of diseases, and for one person to visit a woman about to give birth. The bans come as Covid-19 infection numbers continue to rise. The cities include Levoca, Kezmarok, Krompachy, Faculty hospital in Nitra, and the Michalovce and Sobrance districts.

, with the exception of those visiting terminally ill patients or those in final stages of diseases, and for one person to visit a woman about to give birth. The bans come as Covid-19 infection numbers continue to rise. The cities include Levoca, Kezmarok, Krompachy, Faculty hospital in Nitra, and the Michalovce and Sobrance districts. Slovakia has received six recommendations from the European Commission in the third annual report on the rule of law. The recommendations are related to various areas, including removal of judges, cases of judges abusing law, regulating lobbying, conflict of interests and asset declarations, objectivity of the prosecutor's office, laws and other guarantees to improve the physical safety and working environment of journalists, and mechanisms to strengthen the independent management and editorial independence of public media.

The recommendations are related to various areas, including removal of judges, cases of judges abusing law, regulating lobbying, conflict of interests and asset declarations, objectivity of the prosecutor's office, laws and other guarantees to improve the physical safety and working environment of journalists, and mechanisms to strengthen the independent management and editorial independence of public media. The police informed that the National Criminal Police (NAKA) found human bones in the village of Dolny Chotar near Galanta , western Slovakia. The remains could belong to a mobster Robert Nigut murdered in 2013. According to cooperating accused, the locality is where Nigut was supposed to be buried. Analysis will have to be done in order to confirm the information. He was the right-hand man of the gang boss Robert Okolicany, who was sentenced to life.

, western Slovakia. The remains could belong to a mobster Robert Nigut murdered in 2013. According to cooperating accused, the locality is where Nigut was supposed to be buried. Analysis will have to be done in order to confirm the information. He was the right-hand man of the gang boss Robert Okolicany, who was sentenced to life. The Zilina water utility Severoslovenske vodarne a kanalizacie has said so far here are no problems supplying water to various cities and villages in the region. However, the volume of water in reservoirs managed by the company is nearing historic minimums. In recent weeks, several villages and districts have had trouble with water supplies. You can read more about life in a village that keeps breaking temperature records here.

However, the volume of water in reservoirs managed by the company is nearing historic minimums. In recent weeks, several villages and districts have had trouble with water supplies. You can read more about life in a village that keeps breaking temperature records here. If people see a suffering animal, or one locked in a car during heat, they can break the window without having to pay damages , says Pavla Dugovicova, chair of Sloboda Zvierat (Freedom of Animals), citing the Civil Code. People do not have to wait for a police officer.

, says Pavla Dugovicova, chair of Sloboda Zvierat (Freedom of Animals), citing the Civil Code. People do not have to wait for a police officer. The Slovak Hydrometeorological Institue (SHMU) issued a warning for strong winds, starting Thursday at 23:00 to Friday 06:00 hours for western Slovakia. It warns the winds could cause small scale damage. SHMU also said the weather will get colder soon, although it will not be enough to help mitigate ongoing drought.

starting Thursday at 23:00 to Friday 06:00 hours for western Slovakia. It warns the winds could cause small scale damage. SHMU also said the weather will get colder soon, although it will not be enough to help mitigate ongoing drought. Slovak paratroopers from Trebisov marched during a traditional Bastille day military parade in Paris . The event marks the anniversary of the assault on the Bastille in 1789.

. The event marks the anniversary of the assault on the Bastille in 1789. Slovak astrobiologist Michaela Musilova wants to apply to be a NASA astronaut. To gain experience she is planning a new scientific and educational expedition called the Crown of the Earth in which she aims to climb the highest peak on every continent.

To gain experience she is planning a new scientific and educational expedition called the Crown of the Earth in which she aims to climb the highest peak on every continent. During field work on his land in the village of Luky, Puchov district, a man discovered a WWII artillery mine of Romanian origin. The ammunition was taken away to be destroyed.

of Romanian origin. The ammunition was taken away to be destroyed. There will be an Open Day at the Presidential Palace on Friday.

If you have suggestions on how this news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.
Committee says lack of prospects for minority is "absolute scandal".

A Roma woman in the settlement in the village of Petrovce nad Laborcom. (Source: TASR)

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A European Parliament Committee has slammed the situation for Roma in Slovakia, describing it as a "scandal" and pointing to what they said were the "Middle-Ages" conditions the minority is living in.

Speaking as the European Parliament's Committee for Regional Development visited a Roma settlement in Petrovce nad Laborcom, Younous Omarjee, committee chairman, said: "We wanted to come here to see for ourselves what life is like in Roma settlements. The reality we see confirms the ideas we had before our trip.

"I think I can speak for my colleagues too when I say that it is absolutely scandalous and shaming for the European Union and Slovakia that European citizens are living in Middle Ages-like conditions."

The MEP pointed out that Roma children do not have access to education, and that there are no initiatives to integrate these people into the labour market.

"It is an absolute scandal that these people have no prospects," he said.

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In addition to the French MEP, the delegation included three other MEPs, Constanze Krehl from Germany, Monika Vana from Austria, and Peter Pollak from Slovakia. During their visit to the village in the Michalovce District they met with mayor Stefan Rovnak, members of the municipal council and representatives of the Roma community.

Younous Omarjee, second from left. (Source: TASR)

Slovakia regularly returns EU money

According to Pollak, an expert on Roma issues, it was surprising that Slovakia, despite the EU having allocated a special annual package of money since 2007 for the integration of the Roma community in the country, has not been able to improve conditions for them.

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"Unfortunately, the situation continues to be bad," he said.

According to the Slovak MEP, it is staggering that the country regularly either returns money intended for the integration of Roma to the EU budget, or transfers it to other projects.

The visit to the village was part of a multi-day day trip during which the delegation will focus primarily on infrastructure investments in eastern Slovakia. They will also meet representatives of the Investment Ministry, the government representative for Roma communities, the leadership of the Kosice and Presov self-governing regions, and others.

The MEPs will also visit the well-known Kosice neighbourhood Lunik IX, which has become home to thousands of Roma people, the Ukrainian refugee camp in Michalovce and the Slovak-Ukraine border crossing in Vysne Nemecke.
Men used trucks to clear route over bridge feared ready to collapse

The barriers on the bridge near the village of Herlany. (Source: TASR)

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Police are investigating after a group of Dutch people cleared concrete blocks off a bridge that had been closed because authorities feared it might collapse - and then drove over it and posted footage of what they had done on social media.

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Authorities in the village of Herlany near Kosice confirmed the incident to the local daily newspaper, Korzar, and said it was not the only act of dangerous vandalism the group had been involved in recently.

A Dutch man was recently reportedly detained after getting drunk and damaging an airport fence and entering a hangar at Kosice airport.

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Mayor: This is unacceptable

Mayor of Herlany, Slavomir Rusnak, said: "[This Dutch group] were in eastern Slovakia and caused several problems. They behaved badly not only here, but also in various establishments, and it is a known fact what one of them did at the airport. When I saw the footage, I could not believe my eyes.

"After that, cars passed over the bridge, then also through our village. They certainly did not think it was dangerous, even though the bridge is in a state of emergency."

He added that the behaviour of the Dutch group was "unacceptable".

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Police have said they are investigating both incidents.

Meanwhile, the bridge in Herlany is due to be demolished in two weeks.

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Sri Lanka's acting president says military appointed to maintain law, order

Xinhua) 08:49, July 14, 2022

COLOMBO, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday said a committee, comprising the chief of defence staff, military commanders, and the inspector general of police, has been appointed to control the situation in the nation after protesters took over the Prime Minister's Office.

In a televised speech, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, who was appointed as the acting president by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, said that the committee had also been instructed to ensure the security and the safety of the citizens during the ongoing protests.

Protesters surrounded the Prime Minister's Office in Colombo on Wednesday, calling for the resignation of Rajapaksa and Wickremesinghe.

Rajapaksa, who left for the Maldives earlier on Wednesday, was expected to hand in his resignation from the presidency later in the day amid a severe economic crisis.

Wickremesinghe, as the acting president, on Wednesday declared a nationwide state of emergency and a curfew in the Western Province including in the capital Colombo.

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun)
Crantini idled while the field settled, then powered to the point and drew off late to keep his two-race career unblemished in Wednesdays (July 13) $152,430 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at The Meadows. Kenobi captured the other split in the event, known as the Hickory Pride, for freshmen trotting colts and geldings.

Crantini launched his career with a 1:56.4 win  from post 8  in a PA All-Stars division at Pocono and was sent the 3-5 favourite as a result. But even though he appeared parked early, winning driver Scott Zeron indicated that was not at all the case.

Hes a really talented horse, and I thought the only way I would lose the race was by making a miscue early, Zeron said. So my intent was to not rush him out of the gate is all it was. I waited for him to get his feet underneath him and pressed on to the front. Hes super-nice, and he has three lungs. Were just hoping he still loves his job every week. Hes a chestnut; I hope nobody tells him that.

The son of International Moni-Peach Martini had little trouble repelling the first-over challenge of Southwind Distilld, downing him by three lengths in 1:56.2. Herodotus earned show.

Megan Scran trains Crantini for Thestable Crantini Group.

Kenobi scored a front-stepping, maiden-breaking victory in 1:57.3, thwarting a sustained uncovered challenge by Spitfire Oversees. Drive To Deliver was second, a length back, with Sinatra De Vie third. Winning driver Tim Tetrick said the point was not necessarily where he wanted to be.

Last week he ran going to the gate because he threw his head, Tetrick said. "He started doing it again, so I just turned him loose. Hes really no good on the lead; he just goes to sleep. He wasnt very brave out there today, but I kept pecking at him and talking to him. Hes meant to be a nice horse. I think hell be a much better 3-year-old because hes like a big kid now.

Marcus Melander conditions the son of Father Patrick-Passageway for Courant Inc.

$60,000 PA Stallion Series  Two-Year-Old Trotting Colts & Geldings

Canadians observe Dominion Day  now known as Canada Day  each July 1. On Wednesday, a pair of Canada-born horsemen, driver Anthony MacDonald and trainer Tim Twaddle, celebrated Domination Day, sweeping all three splits with Austral Hanover, Tailgate Buzz and Fashion Presidente.

As if that werent enough, Crantini, who races for one of MacDonalds fractional ownership groups, captured his PASS division to remain undefeated.

Twaddle said he couldnt remember sweeping anything previously  as a trainer or a driver.

Listen, he said, its always fun to win. Im real happy. I cant take much credit. Anthony sends them here, and theyre good to go.

Of the trio, Austral Hanover was most impressive, powering to the top at the quarter and crushing the field by 6-3/4 lengths in a career-best 1:57.2. Lookintogetlucky and Alonso rounded out the ticket.

I think hes on the cusp of breaking through to the sires stakes, Twaddle said. In fact, we discussed putting him there and trying him, but we opted for the more conservative route to let him develop. Anthony is very patient. He lets them let him know when its time.

Thursdays (July 14) 12-race card at The Meadows features a pair of events for three-year-old trotting fillies  a $133,982 PASS and a $40,000 PA Stallion Series event. On the wagering front, the program offers a $1,682.01 carryover in the Jackpot Pick 5 (Race 4) as well as a $1,280.39 carryover in the final-race Super Hi-5. First post is 12:45 p.m. (EDT).

(MSOA)
David Dowling has no trouble stating he wants to drive every horse and win every race but driving No Plan Intended in the 54th edition of the Governors Plate, presented by Summerside Chrysler Dodge, is a completely different feeling.

The Prince County classic will hit the track as Race 13 of the Saturday evening card starting off at 6:30 p.m. as the culmination of Governors Plate Week 2022 at Red Shores Summerside.

The Governors Plate sees a purse increase to $30,000 for this edition and Dowling is looking for the lions share of it with the Colin Johnson-trained No Plan Intended. Owned by Carl Jamieson of Puslinch, Ont. and Brian Paquet of Quebec City, Que., No Plan Intended was a winner in his elimination stopping the clock in 1:52.3 in line to Dowling, who has his sights set on his first Governors Plate victory. The only drivers in the field to have previously won the race are Gilles Barrieau and Marc Campbell.

Of course, the Gold Cup is the big one, Dowling said, but this is the next best one. You have in your head youd like to win them all but these kinds of races mean more.

Dowling says there is no denying the early speed that this race is sure to bring as Y S Lotus 1:51.4 track record is in jeopardy but says how his horse feels will tell that tale after putting in a first turn shuffle in his elimination.

I kind of hauled him down to the rail quick and when I steered him down, he kind of got a little funny, Dowling said. In post parade, he was kind of weird with his mouth so maybe it was just a little something bugging him. The rest of the mile he was perfect though. Ill have to leave a little bit to force them to go some speed up front. It will all depend on the weather, there are horses in there that definitely have the talent to beat 1:51.4.

Dowling looks at the program having his eye on rail-sitter Twin B Tuffenuff (to be driven by Dale Spence) as well as Post 4 starter Island Beach Boy (Barrieau), who cut torrid fractions of :26.2 and :55.2 before being collared by No Plan Intended at the finish in elimination action.

Gilles horse is legit, Dowling said. I only got by him halfway by the toteboard and he was gassed hard at the start. And dont kid yourself about Rose Run Quest [Post 3, Adam Merner] either. You can chase him out of there in :27 and a piece. Merner has him good right now. Hes legit and hes won this race before, you never know. You like to drive all the horses but its nice to drive good horses. As long as you dont make a real big mistake, they usually find a way to overcome it. This is going to be a great race.

The morning line favourite in the field is Post 1 starter Twin B Tuffenuff from the Ron Matheson barn for owner Pat Morris and 29-year-old driver Spence is looking forward to the chance for a career moment.

Its quite humbling really, Spence said. The best of the best are always in these races and its something to be in it. Ronnie had called me and said, You know Gilles is the number one driver but hell be in with one of his at some point so are you ok being number two? I said, 'Absolutely.'

Spence said it would be surreal to win the race after watching history being made this night every year but knows what he has to do to become etched in the history books himself.

Ill definitely be leaving, Spence said. I have the rail in a big race thats just how it is. Island Beach Boy is coming, Rotten Ronnie [Post 5, Redmond Doucet Jr.] will be firing and No Plan Intended looked a little rough in the first last week but Im sure theyll have that ironed out for this week but if were cooking into the turn that will be a factor. Were going to be going, itll be a quarter in :26.4 or more with the way the track has been lightning fast all week.

Also in the power-packed field are Beachin Lindy (Stephen Charlton) with Post 6 and 2020 Governors Plate champion Bugsy Maguire (Corey MacPherson) from Post 7, with 2021 champion Time To Dance drawing Post 8.

Theoretically, Id love to cut out the race because then I control my own destiny, Spence said. But Gilles horse is legit so it wouldnt be the worst thing to sit behind him and let David go first-up. Best horse will win the race at the end of day.

The program also features the Bob Dewar Governors Plate Consolation, the Ruby Chappell Open Pacing Mares Final and the Atlantic Sires Stakes for three-year-old pacing colts.

Fans can head to the track to watch history live at Red Shores Summerside or tune into the "Race Day" broadcast with Vance Cameron, Lee Drake, Rocky Schurman and Peter MacPhee at Redshores.ca. Customers can wager at the track with free WIFI through HPIBet.com.

To view Saturday's harness racing entries, click on the following link: Saturday Entries - Summerside Raceway.

(Red Shores)
Erv Miller made a clean sweep of the stakes action at Harrahs Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Wednesday, July 13 and had a total of four training wins on the evenings 14-race card. Two $70,000 divisions of Indiana Sires Stakes for the two-year-old pacing fillies were featured on the evening card as the fillies squared off in the opening round of their six-leg series.

Beauty N Grace, with driver Atlee Bender in the bike, made her pari-mutual debut a winning one as she captured the opening division impressively in 1:51.2.

Beauty N Grace left alertly to grab the lead from post four and led the field through splits of :26 and :56.1. Just as the field approached the half, Trace Tetrick had the heavy favourite, Sleazy Mama, up to take command and she would lead the field by a length through the three-quarter clocking in 1:26.1. Sleazy Mama appeared to be up to the task but Beauty N Grace wanted to have final say. Employing a :27 final quarter, Beauty N Grace surged passed Sleazy Mama to get the win by nearly two lengths.

Beauty N Grace paid $9.80 to win as the 7-2 third choice.

Bred by Victory Hill Farm, the daughter of Tellitlikeitis-Safta Perry recorded her first lifetime victory. Beauty N Grace is owned by Bowie Racing, Rocco Ruffalo, Louis Willinger and Rick Howles.

Not to be outdone by her stablemate, JKs Lucky Lou turned in an impressive performance of her own to capture the second stakes split in a new lifetime best of 1:51.4 with driver Trace Tetrick in the bike. JKs Lucky Lou is now undefeated in two starts this season.

Tetrick wasted no time and sent the heavy betting favourite to the front from post three. JKs Lucky Lou clicked off fractions of :27.1, :55.3 and 1:24.2. Turning for home, JKs Lucky Lou was on top by three but Tetrick would have to ask her for a bit more as Plan To Tell and Jimmy Whittemore staged a big rally late in the lane. JKs Lucky Lou dug in gamely to get the win by a neck over Plan To Tell. Shadowrage and Andy Shetler utilized a ground saving trip to capture third.

JKs Lucky Lou returned $3 at the betting windows.

With the win, JKs Lucky Lou has now bankrolled $40,000 lifetime from her two starts. Owned in partnership by Douglas Overhiser, Rocco Ruffolo and Rick Howles, JKs Lucky Lou was bred by David Yoder and Daryl Lehman.

Indiana Sires Stakes action will continue at Harrahs Hoosier Park on Thursday, July 14 with two divisions for the two-year-old pacing colts and geldings.

(With files from Hoosier Park)
The 2021 Yonkers Trot winner, Johan Palema, will have new connections after selling for six figures this week online.

The four-year-old son of Bar Hopping won last years first jewel of Trottings Triple Crown in 1:55 over a rain-soaked Yonkers Raceway. Sold by Bender Sweden Inc. of Vero Beach, Florida for $120,500 to lead this week's online auctions at onGait.com, Johan Palema leaves the Ake Svanstedt stable to join Per Engbloms barn. A five-time winner from 22 starts, he has banked just over $600,000 and took his mark of 1:50.4 as a three-year-old at The Meadowlands.

A total of 80 horses changed hands through onGaits auctions so far this week, including Lookslikagoodfella 2,2:01.4h, a two-year-old Ontario Sires Stakes performer with Blair Burgess the winning bidder at $77,000; Infinity Stone 4,1:52.4f, a son of Il Sogno Dream leaving the Engblom barn after being bought for $72,000 by Allen Hazzard; and Mark With A K p,6,1:48, sold to M Spacc Stables of New York for $70,000.

Ron Burkes 13-horse stable reduction consignment was led by the four-year-old Racing Hill mare, Heavenissofaraway p,4,1:51.2f, which sold for $75,000 to Mark Ford; Buy In p,5,1:50.2f, a $70,000 purchase for Greg Luther; and Ucanttouchthis p,4,1:49.4, a Control The Moment four-year-old sold to Joe Nelson of Maine for $62,000.

(With files from onGait.com)
NEWPORT NEWS, Va.What do cats, coffee and community all have in common?

Theyre all essential parts of a new business coming to Newport News this summer.

Cups and Claws Cafe will offer a chance to socialize with adoptable cats while drinking a cup of coffee and munching on baked goods. The owners want the cafe to be a place where the community can come to read, work, relax, create and play.

Our vision is more like a community center for adoptable cats and people, co-owner Kim Zettel said.

The cafe will function as a foster home for about 20 cats from local shelters and rescues, giving the cats regular socialization and the chance to find their forever homes.

When you go into the shelters or rescues you might not see the (cats) personality shine, Zettel said. A lot of people go to shelters and adopt animals, only to realize thats not the kind of cat they want. This will give potential adopters the chance to see what (the cats) look like in real time.

Cat decorations line the walls of Cups and Claws Cafe Friday afternoon July 1, 2022. (Jonathon Gruenke/Daily Press)

She said theres a big problem in Newport News with people dumping cats on the side of the road or returning them to shelters because the pet isnt what they were looking for.

Zettel, a retired teacher, along with her husband and co-owner Philip Zettel, have been fostering cats and dogs from local animal shelters for years  they fostered more than 60 animals in 2021.

The idea for the cafe came from Philip Zettel, a 26-year Navy veteran and senior chief petty officer, joking that they should do something with all of these darn cats.

Visitors will have the option to just stop by for coffee or baked goods without visiting the cats, which will be housed in a separate room. Entry into the cat room will require a waiver and fee and includes coffee. The money from adoption fees for any cats adopted from the cafe will go back to the rescues.

The cat visiting room will have seating and several places for cats to lay and play. The room is equipped with a cat wall for climbing, cat trees and a catwalk hanging from the ceiling. The cats will also have a separate space to eat, use the litterbox and take a break from people when they need it.

In addition to caring for the cats, Kim Zettel wants to prioritize community by providing activities for people of all ages.

Shes working to build partnerships with local entities such as the library to offer children a chance to come read to the cats. Zettel is also planning to offer painting and yoga classes with the cats at the cafe.

Newport News is very underserved with places for the older community, Zettel said. You dont really have many places where the elderly community can come and just relax and enjoy themselves.

Kim and Philip Zettel sit with cat, Louie, inside Cups and Claws Cafe Friday afternoon July 1, 2022. (Jonathon Gruenke/Daily Press)

Shes hoping the cafe will also draw college students and military members and their families who might feel lonely or be looking for a way to relieve stress.

Its really helpful to the animals  not just the people, Zettel said. Theres a duality in purpose.

The cafe, which is located at 11006 Warwick Blvd, Suite 458, is slated to open in late July or early August, depending on permits.

This isnt just for cat lovers, Zettel said. Its a place for people who want a unique experience.
Gering Public Schools families will see a price increase for school meals this upcoming year after the board of education approved a proposed price increase of 10 cents during Mondays regular meeting.

Director of Finance Stacy Rodriguez submitted the recommendation to the board after the district met with Taher, its food service provider, in late June. Jennifer Sibal, community engagement director for the district, said the board had no discussion on the proposed price increase.

It was a recommendation from our business manager in partnership with Taher, our food service company, Sibal said. They made recommendations for a 10-cent increase for this year.

The school meal pricing during the 2021-22 school year was $1.85 for breakfast and $2.90 for lunch for elementary students and $2.10 for breakfast and $3.15 for lunch at the junior high and high school levels. Visitors could also purchase meals at $3.70 for breakfast and $4 for lunch. The cost of milk was 50 cents.

Since the district participates in the National School Lunch Program, it is required to offer equal support for paid student meals and reduced or free student meals. As part of the United States Department of Agricultures ongoing requirements, the district will continue to include serving more fresh fruits and vegetables, serving more products with whole grains and not utilizing breaded meat food products, reduction in sodium and fat, all of which increase our costs.

The district used the lunch price calculator, provided by the USDA to establish the meal prices that were proposed to the school board.

The districts meal prices were free to all students for the past two years, ending on June 30, due to COVID funding from the United States Department of Agriculture.

The districts free and reduced lunch rate is 42% and 65% of students across the district receive school meals, although all students are eligible.

As the summer winds down, families are encouraged to complete the free and reduced meals form.

Our new application is out on our website, Sibal said. As we start our back to school information a few weeks before school starts, we will be sending several reminders.

We really strongly encourage them to do that free and reduced lunch form because not only does it impact school lunches, but if they are free and reduced eligible it can also really help them out with other school fees. We strongly encourage families to fill that out.

Families can visit geringschools.net/page/food-nutrition-services for more information about the districts services and to apply for free and reduced meals.

Sibal said the district will send families more information in August to help them prepare for the upcoming school year.
Wanting to help children and youth is what the Rev. Jan Brittain wanted to do as her last official act as the lead pastor at Williamsons Chapel United Methodist Church before her June 30 retirement.

And thus being able to present a check on behalf of the church to CareNet Counseling to assist in youth and childrens mental health, she said, just makes it a little more special to me.

The check for $5,000 came from the Pastors Discretionary Fund at Williamsons Chapel UMC, Brittain noted, and it was donated to CareNet Counselings Mooresville office, which is located on East McLelland Avenue.

Brittain shared that the donation is being made in response to the mental health issues that then play into the gun violence and especially among young adolescents.

Sharing that through her own experience working with this 12 years ago, she reflected that there are fewer services being provided as a society in mental health related fields to people.

A lot of the public agencies are closing down, and so I just feel like we have to rise up to do something, so we are hoping other churches will come along and join us in funding this, she said. Its a fund specifically for youth and childrens mental health to be used through CareNet as they choose in partnership with other groups or individually, whatever seems the best. We leave that to them, Brittain continued.

Upon receiving the check from the local church, CareNet Regional Director Cindy H. Ray, MS LCMHC, said, We so appreciate what Williamsons Chapel has done for us, and we will in earnest help those that need the help the most, and we would love to hear from other churches.

As the area grows, the need for counseling has grown as well. There are multiple CareNet Counseling offices in the surrounding area, and while they are affiliated with Wake Forest Baptist, Neal Howes, local community outreach person for CareNet, pointed out that each office is not funded by the hospital. Each is independently supported.

We are self-sustaining, each office is, Howes said. And each has to raise their own funds. We are the Central Piedmont Region.

Therefore, that is why they are working to raise funds, shared Howes. They have a goal of raising $100,000 for their current needs, and thus far, he said, they have donations of $6,000.

Both Ray and Howes noted that they would be happy to visit civic or church groups or any other organizations that would like for them to come and speak and share how they can help others. Contact Ray by calling 704-871-1712

Individuals and love ones are always asking what could I have done, shared Howes. You cannot go back, but forward, and one way is to make a donation to CareNet to help others have a positive mental health.
A local American Legion Post is being recognized this week at the World War I memorial in Washington, D.C.

At 5 p.m. each evening through Saturday, a bugler will play Taps in recognition of Hurst Turner and American Legion Post 65, which is named in honor of Turner.

Turner was killed on July 24, 1918, in Belgium and was buried at Oakwood Cemetery. Turner was 28 and the first Statesville soldier to be killed in World War I. Shortly after his burial, the American Legion post was named in his honor and still carries his name.

Daily Taps at the WWI memorial is a program supported and managed by The Doughboy Foundation to honor all those who have served or are serving this nation.

The playing of daily Taps can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDGFgZKY2Sg.
CHARLOTTE  U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn Jr. sentenced to prison three South Carolina men for a scheme that defrauded Lowes of more than $450,000, announced Dena J. King, U.S. attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

During the scheme, the three defendants made purchases at local stores in Mecklenburg, Gaston, Union, Lincoln, Cleveland and Iredell counties in North Carolina, as well as stores in South Carolina and Georgia.

King was joined in making this announcement by Ronnie Martinez, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department.

Cogburn ordered Bobby Cherry, 58, of Manning, South Carolina, to serve 41 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Russell Leroy Calvin, 43, of Sumter, South Carolina, was ordered to serve 33 months in prison and three years of supervised release, and Michael Marcel Montgomery, 48, also of Sumter, was sentenced to 27 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In addition to the prison terms imposed, the defendants were ordered to pay more than $450,000 jointly and severally as restitution. All three defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

According to filed documents and the sentencing hearings, from August 2019 to March 2020, Cherry, Calvin and Montgomery engaged in a conspiracy to defraud Lowes stores in the southeastern United States. The defendants and other co-conspirators created business accounts for fraudulent landscaping and home improvement companies at Lowes stores, passed fictitious and worthless checks to fund the fraudulent accounts, and then purchased expensive landscaping equipment, such as zero turn mowers, and other items using the account funds. In total, during the course of the scheme, the co-conspirators opened more than 30 such fraudulent business accounts which they used to obtain more than $450,000 in fraudulently purchased goods.

In making the announcement, King thanked HSI and CMPD for their investigation of the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney William Bozin, of the U.S. Attorneys Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
Potential exploratory drilling for minerals in the Green River Valley near Mount St. Helens has been in a standoff between the Canadian mineral development company Ascot Resources and conservation groups for over a decade.

Right now, Ascot is not moving forward. But those involved with the Green River Valley Alliance, an initiative founded by nonprofit Cascade Forest Conservancy, want to ensure no company is ever able to establish mining projects in that neck of the woods.

Campaign manager Sean Roome, 27, of Portland said the conservation group is not taking action because of the exploratory drillings impact to the environment. However, if the exploratory drilling is approved, he said it would be difficult to stop the area from quickly becoming a full-fledged mine. Current mining laws date back 150 years, making the process hard to stop for conservation purposes, he said.

The nonprofit is running a campaign by the name No Place for a Mine, and Roome will be at the Packwood Brewery from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 3 presenting on the issue and the organizations work. There will also be an action workshop where attendees can sign petitions and write letters while learning other ways to stop steps toward a mine at Mount St. Helens.

The group is currently pursuing a legislative mineral withdrawal, which requires an act of Congress. Roome said the act would only prohibit mining in the area and would not affect harvest of timber or other natural resources.

The first step in that process is securing support at the local and regional levels so that we can build a campaign and build support from a wide variety of audiences, from people from all different backgrounds, to leverage that into support from our federal representatives, Roome said.

David Stewart, vice president of corporate development and shareholder communications for Ascot, called the campaigns materials grossly misleading in an email. Stewart said the company has no plans to build a mine at the Mt. Margaret property. We have been trying to do some minimal-impact exploration drilling on the property, an incredibly common practice all over the world, and the ability to do that has been tied up in the courts for some years now.

Roome said the potential plans could also affect recreation. Trails in the area, he said, are beloved for hikers, mountain bikers, backcountry hunters and anglers, and horseback riders. The Green River is also a wild steelhead gene bank, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, meaning it has a self-sustaining population of wild steelhead and is not stocked by hatchery fish.

Roome said a mine would threaten the health of the river and what it provides to those fish and to communities downstream who rely on the glacial river for drinking water as it flows into the Toutle and Cowlitz rivers.

We firmly believe that its no place for a mine, Roome said. But, we are open to engaging with people no matter what their stance is.
As sunny days overtake a rainy and cool start to summer, counties in the region are limiting burning to help prevent wildfires.

Cowlitz Countys seasonal burn ban begins Friday and runs through Sept. 30 but could be extended if needed. Wahkiakum and Clark counties also ban outdoor burning during the same time period. Skamania Countys ban began July 1. In Oregon, Columbia Countys burn ban went into effect Monday.

April precipitation boosted snowpack but Southwest Washington fire season unclear After a drier-than-normal start of the year, Aprils snow and rain have helped boost the snowpack and push out the start of fire season, but t

The bans include land clearing, residential and silvicultural burning, even those formerly permitted.

Recreational campfires are allowed in fire pits in designated campgrounds. Campfires on private land are allowed as long as they are in a metal, stone or masonry lined fire pit, are smaller than 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet in height and are at least 25 feet from a structure or other combustible material, according to the Cowlitz County Fire Marshals webpage. Backyard barbecues are allowed.

Fire officials remind everyone that campfires must be watched at all times by a responsible person at least 16 years old, with the ability and tools to extinguish the fire.

Planned burns are happening again in Washington to help fight intensifying wildfire seasons A tool to combat the worst effects of wildfires has come back to Washington state: prescribed burning.

The National Interagency Fire Centers significant wildland fire potential outlook for July shows a below normal potential for Western Washington and the northwest corner of Oregon, but an above normal potential for much of the eastern parts of the states. The outlook for August and September is normal for western Washington and Oregon and remains above normal for the east.

The outlook predicts the risk for significant, costly wildfires and does not mean there will not be risk for smaller brush fires.

Burning regulations map Southwest Clean Air Agency has an interactive burn map where residents can check burning regulations for their address. The agency also tracks burn ban information, fire danger level, air quality on its website www.swcleanair.gov.

Washington State Department of Natural Resources places most of the state, including Southwest Washington, in moderate wildfire danger, meaning fires can start somewhat rapidly. Some areas east of the Cascades are in high fire danger, meaning fires can start readily and spread quickly, according to the department.

As of Thursday afternoon, there were no large wildfires burning in Washington or Oregon, according to the InciWeb interagency incident information system.
Some people in Cowlitz and Clark counties  including the cities of Woodland, La Center and Ridgefield  can decide on whether to approve a levy to better prepare their local fire department for what emergency crews say are rising calls and delayed ambulance services.

Voters in the 125-square-mile Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue district are asked to fund emergency medical services with a regular property tax levy of 50 cents or less per $1,000 of assessed property value in the Aug. 2 primary election. Ballots are set to be mailed Friday.

If passed, the owner of a $374,400 home would pay about $187 a year at the most for this levy and collection would start in 2023 for six consecutive years.

The department says approving the levy will pay for more employees, which is needed because of an increase in emergency calls, slowed response times by a private ambulance company and the forced closure of the fairgrounds fire station due to a lack of staff.

The levy revenue would pay for around 23 more hired staff members, and increase the departments minimum personnel at each of its six stations, including the fairgrounds. The minimum staff would increase from two people to three people on each rig so a paramedic can be included on every emergency call. A paramedic, which has more medical training than an EMT, is included on about half the departments emergency calls today, reports the department.

If you go What: Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue EMS levy open houses. When: 6 p.m., Thursday and 6 p.m., July 21. Where: Thursday's meeting is at station 21, 911 N. 65th Ave., Ridgefield, and the July 21 meeting is at station 26, 21609 NE 72nd Ave., Battle Ground. Info: clarkfr.org.

Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue responded to roughly 18% more emergency calls in 2021 compared to the year before, and 57% more since 2016, according to a March 3 department report.

Levy revenue would also purchase two department ambulances to use as backups when the departments contracted private ambulance company American Medical Response, or AMR, is delayed, said Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue Chief John Nohr.

Since 2019, AMR ambulances that took longer than 20 minutes to reach people in need increased by 109%, according to the March 3 report.

An AMR spokesperson said the company meets the required response times in its contract with the city of Vancouver, which Nohr said includes the department. Nohr said the roughly 7-year-old contract has outdated response time requirements because it was written when the area was less populated.
Both the Portland City Council and the Port of Portland voted to move the Interstate 5 Bridge modified locally preferred alternative plan forward, bringing the early draft  with plenty of room for changes  closer to the environmental testing phase.

Portlands City Council  Mayor Ted Wheeler and Commissioners Jo Ann Hardesty, Carmen Rubio, Mingus Mapps and Dan Ryan  all said they have questions and concerns but agreed to move the project forward.

There are a lot of ways this could go off the rail, but it certainly should not go off the rail on this vote, said commissioner Hardesty, a member of the Interstate Bridge Replacement Programs executive steering group.

Eleven people commented on the bridge plan at the Portland council meeting, by far the most public comments of any of the other government groups public comments on the bridge project vote. Some of the issues public commenters raised included climate, budget, tolls, steepness and bridge clearance concerns.

The Portland City Council, along with other Oregon and Washington government groups, have set conditions on their approvals that will be addressed as the plans evolve in the coming years.

After the vote, Wheeler said that he expects the new bridge to last another century, and its essential because of Vancouvers continued growth as well as the current bridges age, seismic inadequacy and lift span technology.

Im very bullish on the city of Vancouver and its long-term prospects, Wheeler said. Vancouver and Portland are going to become like the Twin Cities. I see Vancouver going through a significant growth spurt over the coming decades and therefore we need to think about the connectivity between our two communities.

Port of Portland

The Port of Portland also unanimously endorsed the plan for the new bridge Wednesday.

The ports general support for the program along with numerous other public entities in the region  indicates a recognition of the importance of this effort for the movement of goods and travelers and the urgent need for a seismically stable bridge for the region, said Ivo Trummer, state affairs manager at the Port of Portland.

Four groups have previously endorsed the bridge plan: TriMet, the Vancouver City Council, the Port of Vancouver and C-Tran.

Layout not yet final

The Interstate Bridge Replacement Programs modified locally preferred alternative was first announced in May. It calls for three traffic lanes, one auxiliary and two shoulder lanes in each direction. It also includes light rail, variable rate tolling and a bridge clearance of 116 feet. The U.S. Coast Guard said in June that it wants 178 feet of clearance for boats under the next Interstate 5 Bridge.

Whether the bridge is side-by-side or stacked has yet to be decided.

This is not merely the end of the process, said Greg Johnson, program administrator of the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program. This is the beginning.

On Thursday, the Clark County Regional Transportation Council Board of Directors and the Oregon Metro Council will vote whether or not to either endorse the plan.

The IBR will then seek approval from the executive steering group and the Bi-state Legislative Committee. The next step, if all groups endorse the plan, will move the project into the environmental review process. The IBR will develop a work plan to respond to the partners priorities in their endorsements.

Johnson said the IBR has begun the process of applying for federal funding. Construction is expected to begin by late 2025.
On July 14, 2000, Earth suffered one of the worst solar storms in history, according to NASA. The storm, known as the Bastille Day solar storm, caused massive damage. Check details below.

Exactly 22 years ago today, an unexpected solar storm struck the Earth and wreaked havoc. Later, it was understood to be one of the worst solar storms of the space age. In fact, there has been only one more solar storm in 2003 that was stronger. Named as Bastille Day solar storm, this gigantic mass of coronal mass ejection (CME) affected the Earth for 48 hours between July 14 - 16, 2000. This solar storm has also been credited with helping NASA scientists in developing a deeper understanding of this ferocious solar activity and how it is produced and how to predict them. Now, 22 years later, as the Sun is moving towards another solar maximum (a period of highest solar activity) it is interesting to revisit this storm and know the damage it caused back then.

According to NASA, the solar storm was caused by an X5-class solar flare. For the unaware, solar flares are classified into A, B, C, M and X classes where A is the weakest solar flare and X is the strongest. The solar storm was born out of a large sunspot which had a darker core than usual, indicating that it was highly unstable. On July 14, 2000, it blasted out a solar flare which pushed out a large amount of CME towards the Earth. And that was just the beginning of the Bastille Day solar storm.

Bastille Day solar storm took place today, 22 years ago

The solar storm has been named Bastille Day because it coincides with the day when the city of Bastille fell in 1789. The day is also known as the national day of France. As the strong magnetic waves engulfed the Earth, the solar storm started off causing aurora display in even the lower latitudes, highlighting its strength. It also damaged many satellites and caused radio blackouts and communication blockades. As in 2000 mobile phones were still gaining popularity, the effect on mobile network and internet services is not clear.

But even then, NASA was already using all its capabilities to study the solar storm. It was going to be an opportunity for scientists to test out their theories. It fits a lot of the standard theories of how flares work. It was a really big event and it was right there in the center of the sun. We had some of the best instruments at the time looking at it, Phil Chamberlin, a scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, told NBC.
Twitter Inc. wants a lightning-quick trial to resolve its claim that billionaire Elon Musk wrongfully canceled his proposed $44 billion buyout of the social-media platform.

Twitter Inc. wants a lightning-quick trial to resolve its claim that billionaire Elon Musk wrongfully canceled his proposed $44 billion buyout of the social-media platform.

Lawyers for the San Francisco-based company say they need only four days in Delaware Chancery Court to prove that the world's richest man should be forced to honor his agreement and pay $54.20 a share for Twitter. The company hopes to start the non-jury case on Sept. 19. Legal experts, however, predict the case will take about two weeks to try.

Unlike some states where it can take several years to get a case to trial, Delaware Chancery Court generally moves quicker. Chancery judges -- business law experts -- are known for being able to parse through the legal thickets of complex merger and acquisition disputes more quickly and thoroughly than other US courts. Even complex business cases are often argued before a judge within six or seven months of being filed.

The Twitter buyout agreement specifies all legal disputes over the deal must be heard in Delaware, corporate home to more than half of U.S. public companies, including Twitter and Musk's Tesla Inc..

Musk and his lawyers didn't immediately return emails Tuesday seeking comment on both the suit and whether the case can be tried on Twitter's schedule. Musk did issue a tweet Tuesday, saying: Oh the irony lol.

A judge hasn't yet been assigned to the case, but Chief Judge Kathaleen St. J. McCormick already has taken on investor suits over the teetering transaction. She may pick up Twitter's suit as well. McCormick, a Delaware native, is a former legal-aid lawyer and graduate of Notre Dame Law School.

Twitter's legal team argues it can easily show in less than a week of court time that Musk didn't have legitimate grounds to nix the $54.20-per-share buyout. Twitter shares rose 8.1% to $36.83 at 3:01 p.m. Wednesday.

Litigation on the schedule Twitter proposes permits the parties and their experienced counsel ample time to assemble a trial record, the lawyers wrote.

That would provide enough time for a judge to rule and have the Delaware Supreme Court review the ruling before the Oct. 24 closing date for the transaction, the lawyers said.

Charles Elson, a retired University of Delaware finance professor and former head of the school's Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance, says don't bet on it.

I'd say a four-day trial is way more than optimistic, Elson said Wednesday in an interview. There's a lot of water under the bridge on this deal and I'd say it going to take more like 10 days to try it.

Last year, Musk traveled to Delaware for over challenge from Tesla investors to his more than $2 billion purchase of renewable-power provider SolarCity, a company he founded with his cousins. That case ate up 10 trial days. A judge ultimately concluded Musk didn't force an overpriced SolarCity acquisition down the throats of his fellow Tesla directors.

The current case is Twitter v. Musk, 22-0613, Delaware Chancery Court (Wilmington)
Twitter Inc. Chief Executive Officer Parag Agrawal warned employees Tuesday that the companys lawsuit against Elon Musk will create a lot of distractions around the company, encouraging them to stay focused.

Twitter Inc. Chief Executive Officer Parag Agrawal warned employees Tuesday that the company's lawsuit against Elon Musk will create a lot of distractions around the company, encouraging them to stay focused.

The coming weeks will be filled with news and noise about this case, including speculation from the media and analysts, Agrawal wrote in an email. Some of the coverage will be helpful to explain this complicated process, but a lot of the speculation will be distracting.

He ended the email, which was filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission Wednesday, on an encouraging note. The work all of us do, as individuals and as #OneTeam, impacts people's lives and comes with deep responsibility and meaning, he wrote. Our resilience, collectively, will carry us forward.

Twitter sued Musk on Tuesday demanding that the Tesla Inc. CEO complete a $44 billion takeover agreement that he signed in late April. Musk is trying to abandon the deal, claiming Twitter has violated the terms of the accord and hasn't been helpful in sharing information about the number of spam bots on the service.

Twitter has denied that claim and is asking a Delaware court to force Musk to complete the purchase.

Musk apparently believes that he -- unlike every other party subject to Delaware contract law -- is free to change his mind, trash the company, disrupt its operations, destroy stockholder value, and walk away, Twitter's lawyers wrote in the suit.
Today, the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G and Nord CE 2 Lite 5G have been launched in Malaysia. Starting price of the new Nord phones is RM1199 but aside from that, there are also new wireless earbuds - the Buds Pro and Nord Buds but we will be talking about the phones here.

Since the Nord 2T 5G was already released before in other markets, here's a breakdown of the specs. It is featuring a MediaTek Dimensity 1300 chipset, a 6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED display (protected by a Corning Gorilla Glass 5) that supports a 90Hz refresh rate. Under the hood, there's also a respectable 4500mAh battery supporting an 80W SuperVOOC fast charging technology.

In addition, there is a triple rear camera consisting of a 50MP (main) + 8MP (ultrawide) + 2MP (monochrome) setup, whereas the front is a 32MP sensor. There are two memory configuration variants - 8GB + 128GB and 12GB + 256GB at the price of RM1899 and RM2099 respectively. Quite close to its European pricing counterpart.

On the other hand, the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G is a newer variant of the standard model. It is powered by a Snapdragon 695 5G chipset, a 5000mAh battery with a 33W SuperVOOC fast charging technology, and a 6.59-inch FHD+ 120Hz display. Then in the camera corner, there is a 64MP (main) + 2MP (depth) dual rear camera whereas the front camera is a 16MP sensor. This phone cost RM1199.
Demonstration of a memristive synapse. (A) Microscope images of fabricated RRAM samples. Individual memristive synapses are highlighted (see black dashed squares) in the intersections of their corresponding conductive electrodes. (B) Schematic operation of a volatile memristor. Plasticity events cause a pronounced and rapid change in synaptic efficacy observed on a fast time scale (STM) and a smaller but more stable change on a slow time scale (LTM). The change in synaptic efficacy over time is shown in (B) following the memory pattern applied in (C). (D) Schematic equivalence of the three consolidation stages in (B) with the analogous beaker theory. The temporal evolution of the first beakers liquid level is determined by the hidden state of the second beaker. The liquid levels of the first beaker at stages 1 and 3 are deliberately placed at disproportionate distances from the binary threshold to reflect the asymmetric response of the particular memristive synapse to potentiation and depression events. Credit: Science Advances (2022). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn7920

Biological synapses are known to store multiple memories on top of each other at different time scales, much like representations of the early techniques of manuscript writing known as "palimpsest," where annotations can be superimposed alongside traces of earlier writing.

Biological palimpsest consolidation occurs via hidden biochemical processes that govern synaptic efficacy at varying lifetimes. The arrangement can facilitate idle memories to be overwritten without forgetting them, while using previously unseen memories short-term. Embedded artificial intelligence can significantly benefit from such functionality; however, the hardware has yet to be demonstrated in practice.

In a new report, now published in Science Advances, Christos Giotis and a team of scientists in Electronics and Computer Science at the University of Southampton and the University of Edinburgh, U.K., showed how the intrinsic properties of metal-oxide volatile memristors mimicked the process of biological palimpsest consolidation.

Memristors are devices that can regulate the flow of electric current in a circuit to remember the charge flowing through it. Without implementing special instructions, the experimental memristor synapses displayed expanded doubled capacity while protecting a consolidated memory, as up to hundreds of uncorrelated short-term memories temporarily overwrote it. The outcomes highlighted how the emerging memory technologies can effectively expand the capacity of artificial intelligence hardware to conceptualize learning memory.

Biological intelligence vs. artificial intelligence (AI)

Neural networks in the cerebral cortex employ an estimated 1013 to 1014 synapses to generate a range of cognitive abilities, their re-engineered counterparts require an equal number of trainable parameters for far narrower applications.

To explain this learning capacity difference between biological intelligence vs. artificial intelligence, AI researchers suggest that synapses can consolidate multiple memories to be revealed at different time scales, much like a palimpsest. While synapses can remember long-term plasticity events, they can express altered states in the short-term. As a result, the brain can use the same resource for a range of computational processes. This flexibility can offer neuromorphic hardware a major milestone to integrate AI across a broad range of on-the-edge, continuously on learning systems.

Coexistence of STM and LTM in memristive synapses. (A) A set of six memristive synapses representing weights wn, n  {0,1, ...,5} is fed plasticity instructions bn as per patterns M1 and M2. Orange and purple stand for potentiation and depression, respectively. (B) Evolution of the memory trace overlap with M1 under the course of the 18 write events. One hundred percent overlap translates to perfect storage of M1, and since M1 and M2 are binary and mutually orthogonal, 0% overlap translates to perfect storage of M2. (C) Probability of recalling at least x% of M1, where x  {50%, 80%, 100%}. Credit: Science Advances (2022). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn7920

During the experiments, researchers had previously designed synapses that are largely based on phase change memory materials, and resistive random-access memory (RRAM)-based memristors to implement metaplasticity to tune the learning rate of artificial synapses in neural networks.

Giotis and the team built this study based on previous work, to bridge the synaptic plasticity with automatic consolidation and memory protection of learned memories from synaptic modificationsa vital element for efficient online learning. The team explored the characteristics of RRAM volatility to mimic the hidden biochemical processes facilitating palimpsest consolidation in biological intelligence. They realized two consolidated time-scales in a single device to create a technology that can protect a strong memory in its long-term storage with unique characteristics, without special biases or functional complexity.

Candidate volatile memories for palimpsest consolidation

The process of biological palimpsest consolidation assumes that hidden variables such as complex biochemical processes can induce changes in synaptic efficacies across different time scales. While these processes remain to be mapped, their phenotypic response can be modeled via fluid diffusion. The researchers used titanium dioxide-based volatile memristive devices to examine the potential of palimpsest consolidation and demonstrated the process on a single memristive synapse. The outcomes indicated how the artificial synapse protected a hidden memory while reserving the flexibility to express another memory atop it to double the memory capacity. Due to the high ratio of volatile and nonvolatile plasticity changes, which provided a key functional parameter of the system, the product provided a good candidate.

Memory performance under continuous stimulation. (A) Evolution of a LTM and following STM signals. Each randomly chosen STM briefly surpasses LTM before the latter reinstates its dominance. Decaying signals retain higher than chance overlaps (they remain above the 50% noise floor). (B) Observation of all random STMs after LTM consolidation. Red regions indicate that the total time STMx signal is stronger than LTM; blue regions suggest the opposite. (C) Histogram of distribution of all STM total lifetimes on the left y axis. The corresponding probability density function (PDF) and cumulative distribution function (CDF) curves are illustrated via the right y axis. (D) Weighted expected STM lifetime for different LTM consolidation strengths s. The green s = 2 line corresponds to the memory data presented in (A) to (C). Credit: Science Advances (2022). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn7920

Giotis and the team constructed a memristive network composed of six synapses to strengthen, or consolidate, two competing signals. They illustrated the experimental setup where each bit of memories was written on a corresponding memristive synapse and studied how the two memory signals interacted across the synapses. The synapses cycled through some consolidation stages and the scientists continued to macroscopically examine the memory performance. They credited the progressively more successful presentation of a specific memory to its capacity to overwrite a competing memory with the impact of noise as a deciding factor.

They conducted additional experiments and simulations to quantify how noise affected memory performance, and the outcomes showed that the characteristics of the device drove palimpsest consolidation by enabling reversibility from short-term memory to long-term memory states. The network also showed the capacity in familiarity recalls to identify if multiple memories were previously presented. They characterized the lifetime of short-term memories as the period where the short-term memory signal dominated the long-term memory. The work sheds light on the trade-off between capacity and recollection accuracy, alongside metaplastic properties specifically realized via the synapses. The researchers showed how high levels of consolidation appeared to safeguard long-term memory against hundreds of incoming short-term memories.

Consolidation of binary images. (A) Operation timeline: Images are written in memory every 10 s. Random noisy representations of a LTM (NLTM and LTM, respectively) are written three times before two images are written, once each, in the short term (ST1,2). (B) Original signals of image memories. An NLTM depiction is chosen at random. (C) Temporal snapshots of memory states. The initial snapshot corresponds to last observation before ST1 is seen. Time is referenced after that instant. The moments when the two short-term signals are written were noted. In both cases, a noisy trace of each short-term signal can be accessed in the memory immediately after observation. Then, the short-term signal gradually degrades, while LTM is reinstated in memory. (D) Outline of the LTM signal overlap, as it evolves following the timeline in (A). The initial overlap reflects the corresponding noise level. The experiment is repeated for different NLTM noise levels. Even if a noiseless version of LTM is never presented to the system per se, the memory that achieves above the baseline overlaps vis-a-vis LTM after consolidation has finished. This high overlap is retained even after the ST1 and ST2 are seen by the network. Credit: Science Advances (2022). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn7920

Visual working memory

The team further explored the visual memory based on concepts of short-term attention and unsupervised memory construction in the system. During the experiments, they drew inspiration from existing theories of working memory to construct a vision network with short-term attention complementary to its memory capacity. They also studied if the system could identify statistical significance without supervision. When they compared the long-term memory trace with snapshots that followed, they noted the network could automatically denoise consolidated signals.

Outlook

In this way, Christos Giotis and colleagues focused on binary synapses known to support learning in mathematical models and deep-learning algorithms. The interplay between intense bidirectional volatility and small non-volatile residues contributed to the palimpsest capability of the device. Future implementations of the research are not limited to the selected material of titanium dioxide technology and can be studied according to application-specific needs. The setup demonstrated transitions from long-term memory to short-term memory, while also resembling short-term attention mechanisms with promise towards more complex AI algorithms. The dual temporal capacity of the devices resembles the bistable switching known to govern synaptic plasticity. The team equate the functionality of core plasticity to the biological process of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II mechanism; a primary biological molecular memory mechanism.

Explore further Neuromorphic memory device simulates neurons and synapses

 2022 Science X Network
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

An innovative new collaboration between EPFL's HexHive Laboratory and Oracle has developed automated, far-reaching technology in the ongoing battle between IT security managers and attackers, hoping to find bugs before the hackers do.

On the 9th of December 2021 the world of IT security went into a state of shock. Before its developers even knew it, the log4j applicationpart of the Apache suite used on most web serverswas being exploited by hackers, allowing them to take control of servers and data centers all over the world.

The Wall Street Journal reported news that nobody wanted to hear: "U.S. officials say hundreds of millions of devices are at risk. Hackers could use the bug to steal data, install malware or take control."

93% of the world's cloud services affected

One estimate stated that the vulnerability affected 93% of enterprise cloud environments. At EPFL, all IT administrators were sent instructions to patch their server software immediately. Even Oracle Corporation, world leaders in information security, had to send out a distress call: "Due to the severity of this vulnerability and the publication of exploit code on various sites, Oracle strongly recommends that customers apply the updates provided by our Security Alert as soon as possible."

Victims of the log4j bug included the Belgian Ministry of Defense, the U.K.'s National Health Service and a range of financial trading platforms. So, what have corporations like Oracle done to try to prevent an incident like this occurring again?

In fact, Oracle had already been working against this kind of vulnerability before the outbreak, including a collaboration with Professor Mathias Payer of EPFL's HexHive lab.

"We had already covered similar kinds of program analysis, and had worked on cloud security as part of EPFL's EcoCloud Center," explained Payer, "but we had not approached bugs like this. Then we got to work with Oracle Labs which provided funding via a gift. Francois Gauthier and Kostyantyn Vorobyov, two Oracle researchers, introduced us to the complex technical issues that they were facing and we worked together to develop a platform for discovering these kinds of vulnerabilities."

"People have been attempting to find and exploit vulnerabilities in server code, including Oracle's, for years, either intent on gaining some kind of direct advantage or to earn money by submitting bug reports. Either way, these are dedicated, manual attacks. In these manual attacks, the analyst thoroughly analyzes the source code of the target and then painstakingly crafts their attack. What we have developed is a mechanism that automates that process, and allows Oracle to get ahead of the attackers," he continued.

Eight moves ahead, like a chess grandmaster

"In addition to this, the bugs that we are finding can be much more complex than the ones that experts are finding manually. Most analysts are trained to search to a depth of two manipulations. Our platform can do a search to a depth of up to eight manipulations," said Payer.

The battle between IT security managers and attackers is one where the defenders hope to find bugs before the attackers do and now security managers have one key advantage when it comes to using HexHive's platform. "Although our tool is neutral, that is, it can be used by both attackers and defenders, developers have full access to, and understanding of, their own code, which gives them a huge advantage over a hacker when it comes to interpreting the results. They therefore have a very good chance of finding weak points before the attacker."

Plans are underway to set up internships for HexHive researchers at Oracle Corporation, a win-win for both the company and EPFL. Oracle will have people who actually developed some of the code on site, making it easier to integrate the platform into their pipeline. At the same time, the placements will provide great experience for EPFL researchers and HexHive's prototype will remain open source with bug reports all published."

So long as information technology is around, the battle between security managers and hackers will rage on. Thanks to its collaboration with HexHive, Oracle will be able to keep one step ahead of the aggressor: faster, higher, stronger.

Explore further Oracle says Micros credit card readers hacked
Credit: Flinders University

Can a $1 device that attaches to a mobile phone become a pivotal tool to help solve the $1 trillion #foodwaste problem?

GoMicro CEO and founder Dr. Sivam Krish says the answer is yeswith GoMicro's Spotcheck App and a phone attachable magnifier designed for accurately assessing the level of ripeness or spoilage of fresh foods.

Dr. Krish provided evidence of GoMicro's Spotcheck device effectively reading the accuracy of food spoilage in his presentation at the 400M Agrifood Innovation Forum in Toowoomba, Queensland on 13 July.

Dr. Krish believes GoMicro's innovation, which provides greater accuracy through a superior imaging system and AI App, could save our agricultural industries vast sums of money.

"We can assess the ripeness or spoilage of fruits and vegetables with a 8699% accuracy, measured in days," says Dr. Krish.

"It's very topical issue for the food industry to address, with an estimated 30% of our food being spoiled.

"We can see that there are some very strong commercial opportunities for a cheap and portable devise to have the power to make accurate food spoilage assessments."

Dr. Krish says the GoMicro team took 100 images of an array of different vegetables every day to gather training images for building the AI application. Typically, AI applications require thousands of images for training and are unable to achieve high accuracies in field conditions.

It's the latest important step for GoMicro, a microscopy 4.0 company based at Flinders University's New Venture Institute that started in 2020 as an Edtech company and has pivoted to be an AgTech company. GoMicro won the Bayer Grants4Ag competition, which has led to an ongoing relationship with Bayer Crop Sciences, and won second prize in the 2021 Rocket Speeder FOOD WASTE + LOSS Accelerator Program pitch competition.

GoMicro's aim of re-inventing the microscope and instilling it with artificial intelligence is designed to make the highest quality technology accessible to the public and not just scientists.

The company's patent-pending technology creates lab-quality imaging conditions that significantly increase the accuracy of detection, reducing the number of images needed for training purposes, resulting in the most accurate AI detection that is available at this level of magnification.

GoMicro has placed its initial focus on agriculture to help farmers and agronomists detect pests, leaf disease and assess food quality accurately.

"Any farmer with a phone will have the diagnostic capability of an agronomistthrough building a more accurate AI engine into the Spotcheck microscope attached to a phone," says Dr. Krish.

"It's an important breakthrough, because microscopic information can provide a vast array of information across a wide range of agricultural issues. More importantly we will be making it possible for anyone to build and deploy accurate AI applications."

Explore further Consumers embrace milk carton QR codes, may cut food waste
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announces that Japan's Panasonic Corp. is planning to build a multi-billion-dollar plant in Kansas for manufacturing electronic vehicle batteries, Wednesday, July 13, 2022, in Topeka, Kan. State officials believe the new plant would employ 4,000 people and that other businesses supplying or supporting it would add several thousand more jobs. Credit: AP Photo/John Hanna

Japan's Panasonic Corp. selected Kansas as the location for a multibillion-dollar mega-factory to produce electric vehicle batteries for Tesla and other carmakers, lured by the largest package of taxpayer-funded incentives that the state has offered a private business.

The company and Gov. Laura Kelly announced the new project Wednesday, just hours after Kelly and eight top leaders of the Kansas Legislature signed off on a package of incentives worth $829 million over 10 years. The state had created a new program to offer incentives that could reach $1 billion or more only five months beforebecause of Panasonic's project.

State officials expect the new plant to have about 4,000 workers, which would make Panasonic a "top 20, easily" private employer for the state in terms of its size, Kansas Commerce Secretary David Toland said. He and other officials believe suppliers and other local businesses will create up to 4,000 new jobs, and there will be 16,500 temporary construction jobs.

The company said it would invest about $4 billion in the plant in DeSoto, Kansas, a town of about 6,000 people located about 30 miles (48 kilometers) southwest of Kansas City, Missouri. The town has been trying to redevelop a long-abandoned army ammunition plant.

But U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, of Kansas, also suggested the project has national significance because it lessens U.S. dependence on China for manufactured products.

Yasuaki Takamoto, Panasonic Energy executive vice president and head of its electronic vehicle battery business, discusses Panasonic's plans to build a multibillion-dollar manufacturing plant in Kansas, Wednesday, July 13, 2022, in Topeka, Kan. The company says the new plant will help support its efforts to advance the EV industry in the U.S. Credit: AP Photo/John Hanna

"It improves our job capabilities and increases our national security," Moran said during remarks to about 250 state officials and business leaders who gathered for Kelly's announcement and a reception afterward.

The White House characterized the project's announcement as part of an effort to give the U.S. a more secure supply chain. Brian Deese, its National Economic Council director, added in a statement, "The future of transportation is electric."

Kansas' landing the project represented a big success for Kelly, a Democrat who faces a tough reelection race this year. The announcement also comes as Kansas finds itself flush with cash and able to absorb the financial hit that the incentive packages could otherwise have on schools and state programs.

The announcement ended more than five months of secrecy in which Kansas officials were required to sign non-disclosure agreements to learn the details of Panasonic's plans. Legislators approved the new incentives program in February without state officials ever disclosing who would receive the benefits.

Kansas Commerce Secretary David Toland follows a meeting of leaders of the Kansas Legislature with Gov. Laura Kelly to review a proposed package of taxpayer funded incentives to bring a multibillion-dollar Panasonic Corp. manufacturing plant to Kansas, Wednesday, July 13, 2022, at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. Kelly and the lawmakers approved the package proposed by Toland, worth $829 million over 10 years. Credit: AP Photo/John Hanna

Kelly and the legislative leaders met Wednesday in secret for 45 minutes to review the details of the incentives package before approving it in a brief public session. They didn't name the company at or after that meeting.

Kansas was competing with Oklahoma. Tesla is building an electric vehicle plant in Texas, and it and Panasonic jointly operate a battery plant in Nevada.

Oklahoma State Sen. Roger Thompson, who helped put together his state's $700 million package of incentives, said he learned Tuesday that Kansas had landed the project.

"They may build another facility in Oklahoma, so Oklahoma may still be in the running," he said.

Aides for a Panasonic executive vice president at Wednesday's announcement declined to let him answer questions from reporters, including one about whether Oklahoma still might land a plant.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, left, confers with Kansas state Sen. Rick Billinger, right, R-Goodland, before her meeting with top legislators to approve a $829 million package of incentives for a new Panasonic Corp. plant in Kansas, Wednesday, July 13, 2022, at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. Billinger is chairman of the Senate's budget committee. Credit: AP Photo/John Hanna

After the announcement, Kelly defended the secrecy surrounding the project for months.

"We approached this project in a very professional way, very collaborative way, and we did what we needed to do to ensure the confidentiality of the company," Kelly told reporters. "That's the way business works."

While some earlier state estimates said Panasonic's new plant would pay an average of $50,000 a year, a Wichita State University study this month put the figure at $62,000. Both would far exceed Kansas' median income of less than $32,000 for individuals.

Meanwhile, the same law setting up the new Kansas incentives program also requires the state to cut its corporate tax rates by half a percentage point for every big deal closed, so that all businesses benefit. If two deals close, companies would save roughly $100 million a year and the state's top rate would drop to 6% from 7%.

People walk by the Panasonic booth during CES International, on Jan. 9, 2018, in Las Vegas. Japans Panasonic Corp. selected Kansas as the location for a multibillion-dollar mega-factory to produce electric vehicle batteries for Tesla and other carmakers, Gov. Laura Kelly announced Wednesday, July 13, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/John Locher, File

Backers of the new program argued that Kansas has lost out on other large projects because it couldn't offer generous enough incentives.

Ohio early this year offered Intel Corp. incentives worth roughly $2 billion to secure a new $20 billion chipmaking factory. Michigan lawmakers in December approved $1 billion in incentives, two-thirds of it for General Motors for plants to assemble batteries for electric vehicles.

But Wisconsin scaled back incentives for electronics giant Foxconn. It was supposed to invest $10 billion there and create 13,000 jobs but the deal now is for about 1,450 jobs with an investment of $672 million by 2026.

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Taiwanese tech giant TSMC said Thursday its second quarter revenue rose more than 40 percent on continued strong demand for high-performance computing and auto chips.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company operates the world's largest silicon wafer factories and produces some of the most advanced microchips used in everything from smartphones and cars to missiles.

The vast majority of the world's most advanced microchips are made by just two companiesTSMC and Samsungboth of which are running at full capacity to alleviate a global shortage.

The Taiwanese firm dominates more than half of the global foundry market, with clients including Apple and Qualcomm.

Revenue in the April-June period rose 43.5 percent on-year to Tw$534.14 billion (US$17.9 billion), it said in a statement, beating forecasts.

TSMC also posted a profit of Tw$237 billion period, a rise of 76.4 percent on-year.

Revenue from high-performance computing (HPC) and automotive rose 13 percent and 14 percent, respectively, while sales from smartphones were up three percent on-quarter.

For the current quarter, officials estimated revenue of US$19.8-$20.6 billion, chief financial officer Wendell Huang told an investor conference.

Chief executive C.C. Wei added the company expected a few quarters of inventory adjustment likely through the first half of 2023, because of softening demand for some products such as smartphones and personal computers.

"After two years of pandemic-driven stay-home demand, this type of adjustment is reasonable in our view," he said.

"Despite ongoing inventory correction, our customers' demand continues to exceed our ability to supply. We expect our capacity to remain tight throughout 2022".

 2022 AFP
The Twitter splash page is seen on a digital device on April 25, 2022, in San Diego. In a regulatory filing Wednesday, July 13, 2022, the company is telling employees that it's not planning any companywide layoffs, but there could be some restructuring and organization changes as it heads into a legal battle over the potential sale to Elon Musk. Credit: AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File

Twitter is telling its employees that it's not planning any companywide layoffs, but there could be some restructuring and organization changes as it heads into a legal battle over the potential sale to Elon Musk.

The San Francisco company included the communication in a filing Wednesday with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

It also says Twitter is losing workers at a slightly higher rate than in normal economic times, but attrition is in line with current tech industry trends. The company says it will monitor turnover "to ensure that we can quickly identify any areas of concern and help mitigate where possible."

Twitter said it had planned to offer packages to retain employees, and on June 20, it had asked Musk to agree to programs that had been approved by the board and its compensation committee. The filing said that Musk has "not provided his consent to implement these programs."

The employee question-and-answer document attached to the filing says that teams across the company are making changes so it operates responsibly and efficiently in the current environment. That means restructuring and organizational changes are possible "as we continue to align with our revised business needs."

Twitter sued Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Tuesday, trying to force him to complete his $44 billion takeover of the social media company by accusing him of "outlandish" and "bad faith" actions that have caused the platform irreparable harm and "wreaked havoc" on its stock price.

Back in April, Musk pledged to pay $54.20 a share for Twitter Inc., which agreed to those terms after reversing its initial opposition to the deal. But the two sides have been bracing for a legal fight since the billionaire said Friday that he was backing away from his agreement to buy the company.

Twitter's lawsuit in Delaware Chancery Court asserts that "Musk refuses to honor his obligations to Twitter and its stockholders because the deal he signed no longer serves his personal interests."

Part of Musk's argument for terminating the deal is his allegation that Twitter broke the acquisition agreement when it fired two top managers and laid off a third of its talent-acquisition team. But in its lawsuit, Twitter reveals communications from Musk starting shortly after the deal was signed showing his concerns about "headcount and expense growth" and his desire for more aggressive cost-cutting.

Twitter said Musk "refused to approveor even discussTwitter's proposed retention programs for key employees."

"Musk had notice back in early May of many of the actions about which he now complains for the first time," the lawsuit says.

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen will return once more to host a new series of Changing Rooms on Channel 4 in 2022.

After the home makeover series was first revived last year, Channel 4 has confirmed it will return for a second outing later this year.

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen will be back to present, this time alone with co-host Anna Richardson departing the series.

The show will see the return of Jordan Cluroe and Russell Whitehead of 2LG Studio, plus two new interior designers join the Changing Rooms family: Micaela Sharp and Whinnie Williams. Carpenter and joiner Tibby Singh is also back to help bring the designers visions to life.

Channel 4 share: The last series of Changing Rooms with Dulux saw colour return to homes across the UK with a variety of designs to inspire home decorators to be bold with their interior design choices. Amongst many things, the series featured a flamingo-themed party lounge, a cool Californian-inspired living room and a Bohemian-style, boutique bedroom.

Now, more friends and neighbours are putting their trust in design aficionado LLB and the other designers to help makeover a room in each others homes. But these are no ordinary makeovers. Each Changing Rooms transformation is guaranteed to be creative, design led and, sometimes, unexpected.

Changing Rooms will start on Wednesday, 10 August at 8PM on Channel 4.

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen said: Like Arnie in The Terminator and Jack in The Shining, Changing Rooms is back smashing down the doors of the nations most mneh interiors to let the colour and excitement of full fat decorating in.

Having loved every minute of last years revival that coincided with The Changing Rooms Silver Jubilee, Ive got some spectacular, nay superhuman, transformations planned.

This season, the worlds most iconic home show returns to its ensemble roots with Whinnie Williams and Micaela Sharp adding their own particular design DNA to the established aesthetic gene pool of myself and Russell and Jordan, which will guarantee that, in every episode, viewers will be able to always expect the unexpected

Jonny Rothery, commissioning editor for Channel 4, added: Last years reboot of Changing Rooms was a highlight of the year, bringing the inimitable Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen back to UK screens and introducing the very talented Russell and Jordan to our viewers.

Im thrilled were doing it all again and welcoming more new faces to the Changing Rooms family. I cant wait to see the makeovers our brilliant designers come up with.

You can catch up with past episodes on All 4 here.
In the spring of 2009, Elliott Naishtat persuaded his colleagues in the Texas Legislature to pass a bill that he believed would require the state to report court-ordered mental health hospitalizations for Texans of all ages to the national firearms background check system.

Nearly two years had passed since a student with a history of serious mental illness had gone on a deadly shooting rampage that left 32 dead at Virginia Tech. And Naishtat, then a Democratic state representative from Austin, argued that Texas was as vulnerable as Virginia had been to such mass shootings because it didnt require the reporting of involuntary mental health commitments to the FBIs National Instant Criminal Background Check System, known as NICS. Federally licensed dealers are required to check the system before they sell someone a firearm.

This bill will ultimately save lives, and I hope youll give it your most serious consideration, Naishtat said when he introduced the measure.

But 13 years after the legislation became law, following a string of mass shootings carried out by troubled young men, an investigation by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune has uncovered a major gap in the law and its implementation.

Despite language in Naishtats bill that says local courts should report to the states top law enforcement agency any time a judge orders any person, regardless of age, to receive inpatient mental health treatment, the news organizations found that they are not reporting juvenile records because of problems with the way the law was written, vague guidance from the state and conflicts with other Texas laws.

The widespread reporting failures are all the more important today because Congress passed legislation last month that requires checks of various state databases that should include juvenile mental health records for would-be gun buyers under 21. The bipartisan measure was passed swiftly after the May 24 school shooting in Uvalde that left 21 dead.

Currently, Texans who were involuntarily committed to a mental institution as minors arent ending up in NICS, so as soon as they turn 18 they can walk into a federally licensed gun shop and legally acquire a rifle because they will pass the required background check, assuming they do not have criminal records. Americans typically have to be 21 to purchase handguns.

County and district court clerks and juvenile probation officials in five of the states six largest counties, as well as Uvalde County, told the news organizations they werent reporting juvenile mental health commitments, either as a matter of policy or because they didnt think they had to. These include Harris, Tarrant, Bexar, Travis and Collin.

In light of what is happening too many times these days and in recent years, it bothers me tremendously to hear that this law may not have been implemented in the way that it clearly was intended to be implemented, Naishtat said. That legislation with respect to juveniles is probably more important today than ever.

The gap came to light only after the Uvalde massacre, when ProPublica and the Tribune started asking questions about reporting requirements for juveniles. The shooter was an 18-year-old who had passed a background check before buying two AR-15 semi-automatic rifles, despite what officials have described as a troubled mental health history. It is unclear if he was ever committed.

Officials with the Texas Department of Public Safety, which under the 2009 law is charged with collecting mental health records from local courts and passing them along to the FBI for inclusion in NICS, said that the agency routinely reports juvenile criminal records but not juvenile mental health records. Local courts do not provide DPS with juvenile mental health data, agency officials said.

There are a lot of protections that surround mental health data and juvenile mental health data, ML Calcote, assistant general counsel for DPS, said in a statement.

Experts, including county juvenile probation department officials and a former longtime juvenile judge, say the 2009 state law did not take into account the complexities of the juvenile justice system in Texas, which places strict limits on what records can be reported.

Following questions about reporting requirements from ProPublica and the Tribune, the state agency tasked with helping local courts abide by new laws moved to update its official guidance to clerks to make clear that the mental health reporting requirement applies to juveniles as well. A spokesperson for the Office of Court Administration shared a draft version of supplementary guidance that she said the office would put on its website and incorporate into future manuals.

ProPublica and the Tribune presented a summary of their findings to the offices of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan, who control the legislative agenda. They did not respond to questions about whether the issue is a priority for discussion in the next legislative session, which begins in January.

Dysfunctional reporting

When it comes to the reporting of adult mental health records, the Texas law has been highly effective. By the end of 2021, the state had sent more than 332,000 mental health records  the sixth-highest number in the country  to the national background check system, according to FBI data.

Unlike adult records, juvenile records are tightly controlled under state law, which includes criminal penalties for officials who release them unlawfully. That has likely contributed to widespread confusion about the reach of the 2009 law, which does not differentiate between adults and minors, said Dru Stevenson, a South Texas College of Law professor whose research focuses on gun violence and regulation.

Anybody dealing with either health records or juveniles are super skittish about preserving privacy and confidentiality, he said.

Mike Schneider, a former Harris County juvenile court judge, said the 2009 law fails to account for nuances in the juvenile code. For example, the law requires the reporting of all court-ordered mental health commitments. But Schneider and other juvenile officials say that in many cases juveniles end up in inpatient treatment not through a judges order, but via treatment plans agreed to by mental health professionals working on their cases. Additionally, Schneider said he interprets the law to directly address only the mental health commitments of juveniles already in lockup, not those first entering the system.

As a result, he estimated that some 99% of juvenile mental health commitments in the state are not the result of the kinds of judicial orders spelled out in the 2009 law.

Its just a really, really, really tiny sliver and would miss most of the people who are juveniles who have court-ordered mental health services, he said.

The Office of Court Administration convened a task force of clerks, judges and various state officials more than a decade ago to figure out how to increase the number of all mental health records being sent to DPS.

The resulting report, published in 2012, found that DPS lacks the resources to assist the district and county clerks with reporting mental health information. It made a number of recommendations for ensuring better reporting across the state, including that OCA distribute a reporting manual to clerks detailing the laws exact requirements. But neither the report nor the resulting manual addressed the reporting of juvenile records.

The agency has since moved to remedy that.

Recently, because of increased questions, we decided to update the quick reference table to make it even more clear that juvenile records should be included under those provisions, and an updated FAQ section will be going in the manual, spokesperson Megan LaVoie wrote in an email last month.

Amid a lack of clear direction, courts across the state arent following the law as Naishtat intended.

In Uvalde County, for instance, Chief Juvenile Probation Officer Mary Lou Ruiz said theres no specific way for us to report that to DPS. When asked why, Ruiz cited limitations of electronic reporting tools.

Travis County Probate Judge Guy Herman, who was a driving force behind the 2009 law and also chaired the OCA task force, said that his court has reported juvenile mental health commitments to DPS in the past, but that it hasnt had such a case in several years. Juvenile department and district clerk officials in the county say they operate under the belief that state guidelines dont require juvenile mental health reporting, according to a county spokesperson.

In Harris County, which oversees the largest juvenile justice system in Texas, district clerk spokesperson Al Ortiz told the publications no juvenile mental health records are reported to the state, citing what he described as long-standing guidance from the OCA and DPS.

On the other hand, Dallas County District Clerk Felicia Pitre said her office reports juvenile mental health records to DPS, in accordance with state law. Pitre declined to say how many commitments have been sent. She did not respond to a request for comment about DPS statement that Texas courts are not reporting juvenile mental health records.

LaVoie, the OCA spokesperson, said in an email that the office communicated to clerks that they had to report certain juvenile mental health commitments to DPS but declined to say when or provide specifics about its messaging. DPS press office has not responded to questions about what reporting guidance it has provided to clerks.

Juvenile advocates and gun rights groups have urged caution in the reporting of juvenile records, calling for avenues to allow young adults to have their gun rights restored.

And mental health advocates have warned against using mental illness as a scapegoat when it comes to gun violence. A vast majority of firearm violence is not attributed to mental illness, the American Psychiatric Association said in a statement after the Uvalde shooting. Rhetoric that argues otherwise will further stigmatize and interfere with people accessing needed treatment without addressing the root causes of firearm violence.

But recent shootings have again raised questions about whether it is too easy for young people with histories of mental illness to obtain firearms.

As in Texas, questions emerged about New Yorks mental health reporting laws following the May 14 supermarket shooting in Buffalo that killed 10 people, most of them Black.

The gunman, an 18-year-old New York man, had been taken into custody as a juvenile for a psychiatric evaluation after he threatened to commit a murder-suicide. But under the states mental health reporting law, because the gunman wasnt ordered into treatment, the psychiatric evaluation alone did not trigger a report to the background check system. A 2013 New York law requires mental health professionals in the state to report patients who in their reasonable professional judgment are likely to harm themselves or others, but no such report was made.

Its unclear whether Texas law would have prevented the Uvalde gunman from purchasing two semi-automatic rifles at a federally licensed local gun shop.

DPS has said the 18-year-old Uvalde shooter, who killed 19 children and two teachers, didnt have a mental health record, but agency officials also have consistently added a caveat: That we know of.

In news reports, the gunmans acquaintances have alleged that he had a history of truancy, cruelty to animals and violence at home and at school.

Texas Sen. John Cornyn, the GOP negotiator in the recently passed federal legislation, has implied the shooter had mental health issues as a juvenile.

Enhanced background checks of juvenile court, police, and mental health records likely would have disclosed what everyone in the community knew, he wrote on Twitter on June 12. The shooter was a ticking time bomb.

Eliminating ambiguity

The new federal legislation was mostly met with praise from gun control groups, especially for its provisions on juvenile records.

Lindsay Nichols, federal policy director with the Giffords Law Center, which is the legal arm of a national gun safety group created by Gabrielle Giffords, a former Democratic congresswoman who survived a shooting in 2011, said the measure now gives the background check system enough time to make an accurate determination about whether the person is eligible to purchase guns.

The new federal law gives the FBI up to 10 business days  seven more than are allotted under current rules  to investigate if an initial background check on a would-be firearm purchaser under 21 flags potentially disqualifying juvenile records. If the agency doesnt find anything during that time frame, dealers are legally able to make the sale. Any mental health commitments ordered before the person is 16 would not disqualify them from purchasing a firearm.

The law also directs federal investigators conducting background checks to contact local law enforcement agencies and state-level custodians of mental health records, as well as search juvenile criminal history databases, for information that would disqualify a person from purchasing a firearm. Yet as it stands today in Texas, checks with such entities would fail to reveal many court-ordered juvenile commitments.

While most states now require some level of mental health reporting, gun control advocates such as Giffords and Everytown for Gun Safety dont track how many states require searches of juvenile mental health records before gun purchases. An FBI spokesperson said the bureau doesnt keep track of it either. According to the Giffords Law Center, the 13 states that carry out their own background checks tend to conduct more comprehensive searches on juvenile records. And several of those so-called point of contact states appear to offer clearer guidance on the issue.

Like Texas, Florida has a mental health reporting law that doesnt explicitly mention juveniles. But a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, David Fierro, made clear that the law applies to people who are under 18.

There are no age limitations or exemptions. All court orders are required to be submitted, he said. The subject of these orders is disqualified from the transfer of a firearm.

Schneider, the former Harris County juvenile judge, said the Legislature should address the narrowness and ambiguity that has resulted in the widespread failure to report juvenile mental health records, though he said such an effort will require lawmakers to answer difficult questions about how to handle sensitive records. In his mind, the law should cover young Texans with troubling histories of bullying, animal cruelty and sexual assault, behavior that foreshadows what experts call future dangerousness.

What do you do with kids who have tortured a cat or a dog or done something really cruel, sexually or not, to another kid? he said. Those are, I think, the ones that people really worry about, because that seems to be so strongly correlated with really, really bad outcomes in the future.

Asked if more clarity from the Legislature would make the law more effective, LaVoie, the OCA spokesperson, said: Eliminating ambiguity is always helpful.
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MARION  Whether it's the dramatic increase in grocery and fuel costs or electric bills doubling this summer, hundreds of east Williamson County residents are reaching out for an assist from the Marion Ministerial Alliance.

And without hesitation, the Alliance does what it can to provide.

JR Russell, executive director for the organization, said the soup kitchen is open for lunch from 11 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday.

Local church groups serve the meals. Additionally, patrons who reside within the Marion Unit 2 School District are allowed a set amount of food items they can take home from the pantry to supplement what they are not able to afford at the stores.

Other families ask for help paying utility costs.

"That's become a pretty constant request this summer," Russell said. "Unfortunately, we have to cap our contribution toward those bills to $150 per household per year. So, that doesn't go very far, but every little bit helps.

"As for the pantry, our supplies are beginning to run a little short. We are providing food for 150 to 200 families a month. That is up from previous summers due to the rising cost of most all food items."

Rev. John Holst, representing the Zion United Church of Christ, is a member of the Alliance board of directors.

"The overall increase in costs this summer has been catastrophic to so many families here in Southern Illinois," he said. "And no school often means no meals provided, so that is an extra burden on families."

Holst said he is encouraged by the fact that the Alliance can provide at least some help.

"This community is a special place. The people here have so much empathy and care for one another. We have a homeless shelter. We have a food pantry. We have a school system that provides for our children in so many ways. We are a suburban life town with an amazing heart."

Russell emphasized that while the Alliance would never turn away a food donation, it is more helpful to him if the donation is cash.

"Bringing us 20 loaves of bread certainly helps, but it's just bread. We can't turn it into meat, for example. With cash, we can pivot to purchase those food items that are in short supply quicker."

To help restock the shelves, the Marion Ministerial Alliance hosts an annual "Rock for Food" fundraiser concert at the Civic Center. This year's featured attraction is Foghat, a 1970s band known for its mega hit, "Slow Ride."

Russell said the concert is set for 7 p.m. on July 31.

"We had to go on a Sunday evening this year instead of a Saturday to coordinate with Foghat's travel schedule," he said. "We still have plenty of tickets available. The cost ranges from $40 (balcony and floor level rear seating) and $60 (closer to the stage floor level) to $100 for up close and personal seating.

"Surprisingly, we have sold more $100 tickets than we have the others," Russell said.

For more information about the concert, call the Civic Center at 1-800-515-2171.
Derek Sample of Sesser has been elected Illinois FFA state vice-president.

Sample, 18, a graduate of Sesser-Valier High School and an agriculture education student at Rend Lake College was chosen as one of five state officers at the 94th Illinois Association FFA State Convention held in Springfield.

He will take a year off from his studies to serve the more than 23,000 members in 354 FFA chapters across the state.

This is the dream of a lifetime come true, Sample, who served as one of 25 FFA section presidents last year, said.

He said in addition to representing the organization at trade shows, meetings and other events, Sample will visit FFA chapters throughout Illinois to provide leadership training to members.

Being from a small chapter, I know challenges exist when theres a gap between small chapters and the larger FFA organization, Sample said. As a state officer, I want to bridge this gap and make sure members take advantage of all the opportunities the FFA has to offer.

Following his year of service, Sample plans to return to Rend Lake College to complete his associate degree before transferring to Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He said he hopes to become a teacher at the high school or community college level.

We are not only educating people about agriculture, although that is one of our big things, but also teaching our members on leadership, public speaking and all that FFA has to offer. My goal is to connect with members and help them network, he said.

Sample was elected by student delegates at the convention who also elected 18 year-old Rachel Hood of Industry in McDonough County as president. Waterloos Haley Bode, 18, was elected as state secretary. Levi Maierhofer, 19, of Seneca and Kate Colgan, 18, of Laura also were elected as state officers.

Sample said his interest for agriculture and FFA stems from high school.

Admittedly I grew up on the farm, but wasnt super active with it until a few years ago when my dad and I bought some Hereford cattle. Thats what really sparked my passion for agriculture, he said.

The officer team will serve full-time until the 2023 state convention in June.
Deon Craig led a group of his peers in an upbeat discussion about the pros and cons of Wheaties, Trix, Cheerios and other cereals. They compared flavors, visual appeal and also discussed marketing and advertising techniques by the manufacturers during the public speaking class at Southern Illinois University Carbondale this week.

The young man from Cook County is among a group of 48 newly admitted Saluki students visiting the SIU campus this month for the immersive Dr. Seymour Bryson Future Scholars Program, which will give them a jumpstart on their college careers. The students are living on campus July 4-29, and during that time, they are taking three college courses for credit, complete with mentoring and tutoring assistance. They are also exploring the region, learning all about the services and programs available both on campus and off, getting acquainted with other students, faculty and staff, and taking educational enrichment trips.

Academically intensive

Craig said the public speaking class, a core curriculum course in the School of Communication Studies, as well as the English and University 101 (orientation) courses havent been easy. But all have been great learning experiences and he appreciates being able to earn eight college credit hours before he begins his freshman year in August.

His classmate Emma Garcia, of St. Charles, Illinois, said although its hard work and intense to cram that much study into four weeks time, the SIU faculty have been very supportive and helpful.

The professors are very nice and open, she said. Mr. Jeff McGoy is such a great guy, too, and really helps us.

The faculty are likewise impressed with the future scholars and their initiative and drive to succeed.

These students always come to class very enthusiastic and engaged. They are excited to be a part of this program, said Kevin McCarty, a doctoral candidate in communication studies and graduate teaching assistant for the public speaking class. Its an intense month for all of them but they are rising to the challenges of the program. Its great that this program exists. I think everyone needs an opportunity to have a restart and be able to succeed in college, to be heard and have their needs met.

History of fostering success, bigger than ever

The Future Scholars program was established in 1991 by the late Bryson, a triple alumnus of SIU who retired in 2008 as associate chancellor for diversity and Rehabilitation Institute professor. The goal is to provide extra tools for students who didnt necessarily get the best grades in high school but have the potential to succeed in college. It also gives them a taste of university life before classes begin in the fall.

After a brief hiatus, the scholars program resumed in 2021 at the behest of Chancellor Austin Lane, with 28 participants and funding provided by the SIU Foundation. This years group of 24 women and 24 men is one of the largest ever to participate.

Throughout the month, the students are experiencing life as Salukis. They are living in student residential housing at Thompson Point as they complete their classes and learn their way around. They are participating in team-building activities, mandatory study sessions, and discovering the myriad resources available both on-campus and off.

In addition, they are getting the chance to meet campus and community partners, said Jeff McGoy, director of Exploratory Student Advisement, which coordinates the program.

The goal is not only to give them a jump start on their academic careers at SIU but also to help start them on the pathway to career success, McGoy said.

Expanding horizons

This year, a new element was added to the program. Each weekend, the participants are taking a field trip to a Midwest city for an educational and cultural enrichment experience. They visited the Arch and the Blues Museum in St. Louis on July 9. It was the first visit to the big city on the Mississippi for Craig, and he was impressed with the experience and what he learned.

The new Salukis will explore the Parthenon and Tennessee State Museum in Nashville Saturday, July 16, and their final trip on July 23 will take them to Memphis, Tennessee, where they will visit the National Civil Rights Museum. Garcia and the other Bryson Scholars said they really appreciate the cool opportunities the program is giving them.

Making connections

McGoy said the participants are also finding time to form new friendships and have some fun.

Im really enjoying meeting new people and experiencing everything about SIU and preparing to become a student here in the fall, Craig said.

He and the other scholars are also getting acquainted with faculty, staff and administrators and exploring campus and the surrounding community, including touring/trying out the gym, pool and other facilities at the Student Recreation Center and visiting the Banterra Center, Saluki Stadium and much more.

Students who participated in the program last year are serving as counselors for this years program, McGoy noted, and they have helped develop some of the non-academic programming for the new Bryson Scholars.

The scholars say that they are grateful for the head start on their academic careers through the program, but they are equally appreciative of the chance to learn about the campus and resources and especially the chance to make connections.

Its really beneficial to meet so many people and connect with so many different personalities that everyone brings to the table, Garcia said. Weve been able to make a lot of friends already and weve learned so much about what is happening here and whats available, we can help our peers when school starts.
CHICAGO  Candy giant Ferrero will open a 45,000-square-foot innovation facility in the historic Marshall Field and Co. Building in the Loop next year, the company announced Thursday.

New Jersey-based Ferrero North America, which is part of the global confectionary company Ferrero Group, said in a news release that the new lab and offices on the buildings eighth and ninth floors will be completed in spring 2023.

Ferrero will transfer corporate employees from its Old Post Office location, though subsidiary Ferrara Candy Co. will maintain its headquarters at the Old Post Office, where it moved from Oakbrook Terrace in 2019. The Marshall Field office will be home to 170 employees, most of them already based in Chicago, according to vice president of corporate communications Cheryll Forsatz.

Research and development at the facility will be focused on new confectionery and sweet packaged foods products, according to Forsatz.

Our goal for this space is to reflect Ferreros unique heritage and provide an opportunity to create greater synergies among our teams, said Todd Siwak, president and chief business officer of Ferrero North America, in a statement.

The company said the move will take place in two phases, with employees moving into temporary office space in the Marshall Field building while construction is underway. Employees who work on cookies, cones and crusts brands including Keebler, Famous Amos, and Mothers will move into the new facility, as will those who work on Fannie May, Forsatz said. Ferrara Candy Co. employees will remain in the companys Old Post Office location.

The Marshall Field building was designated a Chicago landmark in 2005, the same year Federated Department Stores bought Fields parent company and converted it into a Macys. In 2018, Macys sold the buildings upper floors to Brookfield Properties, an arm of Toronto-based Brookfield Asset Management. Brookfield redeveloped those floors into almost 650,000 square feet of office space, and just over a third of that space is now leased. Data and tech company Numerator and education tech firm Elevate K-12 have moved in. Office spaces for online ticket broker Vivid Seats and co-working firm Industrious are under construction.

Ferreros planned Marshall Field facility comes on top of another recent Illinois investment by the company.

Last month, the company announced plans for a $214.4 million expansion of its facility in downstate Bloomington, which it said would bring 200 jobs to the area. That expansion, which the company expects to be completed in 2024, comes after a $75 million investment into its first North American chocolate factory in Bloomington. The company broke ground on that project last year, and it is expected to be completed in spring 2023.

Siwak said Thursday he was proud of the companys growing footprint in Illinois. The company employs 1,400 people in the state, said Forsatz.

We are thrilled to join Ferrero as it announces that Chicago will be home to the companys first innovation center in the United States, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a statement Thursday. Chicago is a global destination for innovation and Ferrero will be well-placed here, benefitting from the citys connectivity to the world and its strong network of companies driven by tech and innovation.

Lightfoot said she looked forward to more companies realizing Chicagos incredible potential.

Last month, Kellogg Co. announced it would split into three companies, with its snacks business headquartered in Chicago. Ferrero acquired a portion of Kelloggs North American snacks business in 2019.

But the city has also faced recent high-profile abdications. In June, Caterpillar announced it was moving its headquarters from Deerfield to Texas. And in May, Boeing announced plans to move its global headquarters from Chicago to Virginia.

Ferrero was founded in Italy in 1946. In addition to its portions of Kelloggs snacks business, it has within the last six years acquired Lemonheads-maker Ferrara Candy and chocolatier Fannie May, both Chicago-based companies, as well as Nestles U.S. candy business.
BAMBERG -- Bamberg County Council will ask voters to decide if alcohol sales should be allowed on Sunday.

During their regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, council gave approval to an ordinance calling for a countywide referendum on the issue.

It was during an April 4 meeting that the issue was first brought up, with the council wanting to wait for additional information, including the cost of the referendum.

No one from the public spoke during a public hearing held prior to councils vote.

The referendum will be conducted during the November general election.

Approval by voters would allow stores to obtain permits to sell beer and wine on Sunday, with permitted restaurants and bars being allowed to serve alcohol, including liquor, by the drink. ABC stores that sell bottled liquor would not authorized for Sunday sales.

Councilman Evert Comer Jr. said, I want to be clear on what would be required. What do municipalities have to do? Do they have to buy into this, or they can buy out of it?

County Administrator Joey Preston explained that municipalities within the county dont have to follow suit, even if the countywide referendum is passed.

He said during the April meeting that the referendums passage means nothing to the cities unless the cities sign an intergovernmental agreement with the county.

In other words, if Bamberg wanted to do it, all they would need to do is really do an intergovernmental agreement and they would sign it, and then it would work inside the city. You may have some cities that dont want to do it, Preston has said.

The administrator said Monday that municipalities could hold their own referendum if they want to.

He said during the April meeting that they could do that, or the county could do it, and then theyd have to sign an agreement with you.

Comer asked, If they dont do anything, is that an automatic buy in?

Preston said. No, its not. Theyre going to have to make the decision.

In other matters, SouthernCarolina Alliance Project Manager Brian Warner updated the council on industrial prospects.

"Number one, Project Skyfall continues to look into Bamberg County. Number two, we actually had a site visit at the CrossRhodes spec building [Monday] with a California-based company that's looking to expand into the state," Warner said.

"We also have Project Homegrown, which is looking to expand within the state and is also looking into Bamberg County as a possible site. Finally, SCA is under contract to purchase the Wolfe tract. We're currently working through due diligence right now," he said, referring to the county's Wolfe industrial site on which the SCA has already started environmental and survey work.

He also updated council on SC Oak to Barrel LLC, the company that has announced it would invest $6.8 million and create 122 new jobs at the former Black Water Barrels plant at 3914 Bamberg Highway.

Warner said the company is working with both the South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership and ReadySC in training its workforce.

"We're also looking into ways to help them gain that workforce as well. But they're working very closely with SCMEP," he said.

Finance

County Treasurer Alice Johnson gave the May financial report, stating the county had $783,296.46 in income and expenditures of $729,803.10, leaving a positive balance of $53,493.36. When the positive bank balance at the end of May ($700,125.41) was added, the countys regular account stood at a positive $753,618.77.

County Finance Director T.M. Thomas reported that the countys general fund had year-to-date revenues as of the end of May of $7,116,308, with expenses coming in at $7,109,626, for a positive general fund balance of $6,681.

He said the county departments continue to operate within their budgets.

Administrator's report

Administrator Joey Preston reported that the county received a letter from the state Comptroller General's Office informing the county that it had to, along with the state's other 45 counties, complete its audit by Jan. 2.

"Now that's really hard on a small county that has small finance staff," Preston said.

"I wanted to let you all know this is going on. There had been a trend in the state recently. A lot of counties had not been able to complete their audit. Remember, we talked about this a while back. It's important for us to get this out as soon as we can and be done with it so we can start working on the budget. You can't work on your budget until your audit is finished," he said.

The administrator also warned that any grant from the state would be withheld if the audit is not turned in on time.

The [county] departments have to cooperate with us. We have to get this information in so that we can turn it over to the auditor so they can do their work and have the document prepared and presented to the comptrollers office by Jan. 2, he said.

Preston also presented a progress report on a Walterboro-based telecommunications company, Palmetto Rural Telephone Co-Op, and its work to expand broadband service in the county with the help of a grant from the states Broadband Infrastructure Program.

Phase 1 service installations are underway. Splicing/testing work in Phase 2 is currently being completed, with service installations to take place between Sept. 1 and April 1, 2023.

Phase 1 consists of Hadwin Road, Orange Grove Road and the Clear Pond area. Phase 2 includes the Lodge Road, Pocketville Road, Ashton Road, Rivers Bridge Road and Ehrhardt areas.

Individuals can contact the PRTC website at prtc.us to learn more about services and pricing, or call directly at 843-538-2020.

Constructions underway and it looks like everythings on schedule, Preston said.

County Councilman Larry Haynes said, These lines are being put in Clear Pond and all around, but theres not running down Farrow Road.

Preston said, Well, weve been talking to our delegation to make sure that theyre staying on top of that USDA grant that weve applied for. So we hope to be hearing on that fairly soon.

The administrator also reported 49 county employees participated in a cybersecurity training session on June 29.

In other business:

Council gave final third reading to an ordinance authorizing the inclusion of West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd., a wood products company, into a multicounty industrial and business park between Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell and Hampton counties.

The company will create 135 jobs in Allendale. Under the revenue-sharing agreement among the counties, the host county for an incoming industry in Quad-County Industrial Park III will receive 70% of the tax revenues, with the remaining three counties receiving 10% each.

No one spoke during a public hearing on the matter.

Approved the following appointments to the Keep Bamberg County Beautiful Board: Lisa Stokes, Dianne Williams, Dr. Gwenda Greene, Stephen Donaldson, James Wilson and Rosella Cooper.

Heard from county resident Miriam Beard, who thanked the council for its support of Shop Her Closet, a nonprofit organization that Beard said has done a tremendous job in helping individuals, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic.

She then asked the county to donate to the Cheez & Cracker Box emergency food and clothing bank, which is needing air-conditioner repairs.

Theyve been a staple in the Bamberg community for so long, and I would hope that you could see just doing a one-time donation to help them out, Beard said.

Councilwoman Sharon Hammond said the county already gives to the Cheez & Cracker Box, which Councilman Phil Myers said is a good organization that everyone should consider donating to.
Orangeburg County

Sheriff's Office

Speeds reached more than 130 mph as a deputy attempted to stop a car that someone allegedly took earlier during a carjacking incident in Richland County around 3 a.m. Tuesday.

Dispatchers radioed that the alleged driver of the Hyundai was headed to a mans house in Orangeburg. That mans family member claimed the driver called her and threatened to shoot up her house and burn it down if she didnt tell him the mans location.

The chase started on Shillings Bridge Road after the owner of the stolen 2015 Hyundai Genesis reported that her Apple watch was in it.

The watchs GPS feature allowed the owner of the car to provide details of the cars location to authorities.

A deputy found the car on a street near Shillings Bridge Road, allegedly the same street where the mans family member lived.

Deputies attempted to stop the car there, but it sped off, turning right on Lake Edisto Drive, toward North Road, reaching over 80 mph, according to an incident report.

The pursuit then went onto Kennerly Road and speeds continued over 80 mph.

After remaining on Kennerly Road for a little while, the car then turned onto Nandina Trail, where it turned around and began to drive toward the pursuing deputy.

Another deputy took over the pursuit as it continued from Nanadina Trail and left onto Burke Road.

A deputy noted that the driver had some handling issues, but managed to get from Burke Road to Interstate 26 westbound.

The car reached 125 mph on I-26 and a deputy drove over 130 mph to keep sight of it, the report states.

After encountering a construction zone, the deputy ended the pursuit.

The driver of the Hyundai, a 32-year-old Columbia man, is facing the following Orangeburg County charges: possession of a stolen vehicle, first-offense failure to stop for blue lights and hit and run resulting in property damage.

In an unrelated report, someone reported that a 2014 black Mercedes was stolen from a North Road residence. The Mercedes is valued at $11,000.
Today is a day that these families have been waiting for for many, many years, to know that Bowen Turner is going to serve a sentence in the Department of Corrections and will be on the sex offender registry. These are the things that these families have been pleading for for months and years, said attorney Sarah Ford of the S.C. Victim Assistance Network, which represents victims in cases.

On Wednesday afternoon in Orangeburg, Circuit Judge Roger Young revoked 19-year-old Bowen Gray Turners probation and ordered him to register as a sex offender.

The Jackson Drive, Orangeburg, man wore an orange jumpsuit, with shackles on his wrists and legs.

When Young asked him if he willfully violated his probation, Turner replied, Yes sir.

Public defender Jason Turnblad represented Turner at the hearing.

Turnblad told the court that Turner admits he has an alcohol problem and wanted to go to rehabilitation if he was allowed to return to a probation sentence.

Turners probation violation stems from a May 8 incident in which Orangeburg County Sheriffs Office deputies took him into custody after he was staggering in North Road and smelling of alcohol.

Turner was serving a suspended five-year probation term with certain conditions, such as refraining from alcohol.

Back on April 8, Turner pleaded guilty to first-degree assault and battery instead of his original charge of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.

He was 16 when he assaulted Chloe Bess at a party in Orangeburg County on June 2, 2019.

Now-retired Circuit Judge R. Markley Dennis sentenced Turner under the Youthful Offender Act not to exceed six years, suspended to five years of probation.

Dennis also stipulated that if Turner violated the special conditions of his probation, it would be revoked and he would be required to register as a sex offender.

Following Wednesdays hearing, Turners dad, Walt Turner, told The Times and Democrat that his son shouldnt have to register as a sex offender.

I think its wrong, Walt Turner said, because theres no evidence that he committed a sexual assault.

Bowen Turner will serve about a year in prison, said Ford, but he will be on parole for six years.

In addition to Bess, Ford also represents two accusers who claim Bowen Turner raped them in separate incidents.

In a 2018 incident in Calhoun County, a female teen accused Bowen Turner of raping her, but the S.C. Law Enforcement Division didnt bring any charges.

Then on Oct. 7, 2018, Bowen Turner allegedly raped Dallas Hayes Stoller.

He faced a charge of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in the case. But Stoller died of a self-inflicted wound on Nov. 14, 2021. The 2nd Circuit Solicitors Office dropped his first-degree criminal sexual conduct charge following her death.

Members of Stollers family attended Wednesdays hearing.

Afterward, her father, Karl Stoller, told reporters that he was a little surprised in the courts decision.

My initial reaction, I was actually a little surprised based on the history of things and the way it kind of works now and has in the past, he said.

Today was somewhat of a victory but we still have a long way to go in this case. Not only in just Dallas case and that other young lady involved, its a bigger picture than that. Its a much bigger picture than that, he said.

The Stollers and Besses have been advocating reform in how victims of crimes are heard in the judicial process.

Karl Stoller said he also doesnt want to see Bowen Turner defined by these incidents for the rest of his life.

I know that may sound curious coming from the father of a victim, especially one whos now deceased. We dont mean any ill will. Were not that kind of people. We try to forgive and move on, he said.

He had a really golden opportunity to change the course of his life. He was afforded an unbelievable opportunity, he said about Bowen Turners suspended five-year probation term.

Maybe its because of his young age that he made a juvenile decision. Unfortunately, he was wearing the title of a 19-year-old, which means hes a man so he has to face adult consequences, Karl Stoller said.

Karl Stoller is optimistic about Bowen Turners Bamberg County charge being reinstated.

The Stoller family has met personally with 2nd Circuit Solicitor Bill Weeks to discuss the case.

Im behind him 1,000%, Karl Stoller said.

Also on Wednesday, the S.C. Court of Appeals issued an order saying that an appeal by Ford could be heard.

The order denied a motion filed by the S.C. Attorney Generals Office asking the court to dismiss Fords request for an appeal.

Ford filed the appeal on April 18, claiming she wasnt allowed to argue motions prior to Turners plea hearing on April 8.
The life and legacy of Chief Justice Ernest A. Finney, former chief justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court, was honored by the South Carolina Supreme Court Historical Society in April at its annual meeting.

Special presentations on Finneys career were made by Luther Battiste, founding shareholder of Johnson, Toal & Battiste, PA, and Dr. Bobby Donaldson, director of the Center for Civil Rights History and Research at the University of South Carolina, plus the Jean H. Toal, former chief justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court.

Finney, who died in 2017, was born March 23, 1931, in Smithfield, Virginia, to Dr. Ernest Adolphus Finney Sr. and Collen Godwin. Dr. Finney died 10 days after he was born.

Finney earned a bachelors degree from Claflin University in 1952, and in 1954, he graduated from the Law School at South Carolina State College. Later that year, he was admitted to practice law and became a member of the South Carolina Bar.

Initially, he followed in his fathers footsteps and worked as a teacher in Conway for more than five years. In 1960, he moved to Sumter and began his full-time law practice, specializing in civil rights advocacy and defense. In 1961, he defended nine black college students from Friendship College in Rock Hill who were arrested after staging a sit-in at the segregated McCrorys five-and-dime lunch counter.

During his career, he would go on to defend thousands of civil rights cases alongside his good friends and brothers, Matthew Perry and Lincoln Jenkins. He would lose most of his first rounds in the South Carolina trial courts. However, he eventually won all but two on appeal. In 1963, he was appointed chairman of the Advisory Commission on Civil Rights.

Finney was elected to represent Sumter County (and part of Sumter County after the House of Representatives was re-apportioned in 1973) in the 100th General Assembly of the S.C. House of Representatives that met from 1972-75.

The four years he spent in the South Carolina House of Representatives were historic. Finney was the first African American to preside as speaker pro tempore. He was a vocal and ardent opponent of the death penalty. Finney led a critical reapportionment charge for fair and equitable voting rights.

He was a charter member of the Legislative Black Caucus and served as its chairman from 1972-75. Speaker of the House Ramon Schwartz said, I know of no man who has come to the halls of the General Assembly who was more quickly accepted or respected.

On July 22, 1976, Finney was elected circuit court judge on the 3rd Judicial Circuit. He became South Carolinas first African American circuit court judge since the 1870s, when federal troops were finally withdrawn from the former confederacy.

In 1985, he was elected as an associate justice on the South Carolina Supreme Court, replacing Julius B. Ness, who was elected chief justice. He became the first African American to sit in the states highest court in the 20th century.

On May 11, 1994, 42 years after becoming a lawyer in the state that had separate laws for African Americans, Finney was elected chief justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court, becoming the first African American to serve as chief justice in the states history. He served as chief justice until March 23, 2003, when he retired on his 69th birthday.

In 2002, he accepted one more call to duty. He returned to Orangeburg to accept the position of interim president of his alma mater, South Carolina State University, where he agreed to steer the school while searching for a new leader.

In a career that spanned six decades, Finney never lost faith that the law works and always remembered the great enduring sacrifice of his mother. He was quick to say, I feel a necessity to try to do a little more with my life than I might have otherwise to justify my existence.

Information in this article first appeared in the June 2022 edition of The South Carolina United Methodist Advocate. The original article was written by the Rev. Dr. J. Elbert Wiliams, who pastors the Lamar-Ebenezer Charge in the United Methodist Church.
Higher-than-normal rainfall prompted the S.C. Drought Response Committee, meeting via conference call on July 13, to downgrade the drought status for 29 counties in South Carolina.

Many of the counties were just upgraded on June 30. The Drought Response Committee tries to avoid going in and out of drought stages so quickly but decided conditions had improved enough to make the change.

Three counties (Charleston, Darlington and Marlboro) moved two stages going from moderate drought to no drought due to 6 to 11 inches of rain during the two-week period.

The committee decided to maintain the incipient declaration for 17 counties where rainfall amounts have improved, but not enough to support a status change at the time of the meeting.

According to Hope Mizzell, S.C. state climatologist, rainfall since the last meeting June 30 ranged from 0.78 inches in Pickens to 12.41 inches in Charleston. Other rainfall amounts across the state during the past two weeks include Anderson: 1.90 inches, Newberry: 2.36 inches, Lancaster: 3.04 inches, Florence: 4.61 inches, Walterboro: 6.54 inches, Reevesville: 9.44 inches, Hartsville: 11.24 inches, and Columbia: 11.76 inches. The state also welcomed a break from the heat and high evaporation thanks to the rain and clouds.

Unfortunately, the rain was too late for certain crops in some counties. Due to the very dry conditions in May and June, many livestock producers had to feed their hay reserve because of very poor pasture conditions. Their spring cutting of hay would normally not have to be used until November. However, the agricultural community is hopeful that if normal rain continues producers will end up with an average year for many of their crops.

The committee reviewed reports from Stephen Patterson, training and safety manager for the S.C. Forestry Commission.

Recent rain has reduced the wildfire threat in many areas across the state. However, where rainfall has been spotty, fuels continue to be dry.

As of the committee call June 30, the number of wildfires were 230% above normal for this time of year. In the two weeks since, the number is more normal fire behavior for this time of year.

There was further support to downgrade the drought based on improved streamflow and groundwater conditions.

According to Priyanka More, S.C. Department of Natural Resources hydrologist, flows in the North Fork Edisto River gauge experienced a substantial improvement, with 14-day average flows increasing from only 9% in late June to 74% of normal this week.

Jason Thompson, of Charleston Water System, helped lead the discussion for the Southern Drought Management Area and recommended a two-level downgrade for Charleston County. Counties in this DMA experienced much drier than usual conditions the first several months of 2022, leading to higher water utility demand, lower stream flows and very dry soil conditions which impacted the agricultural community the most.

Thompson emphasized that though potentially late for some of the agricultural growers, recent precipitation has led to improved conditions across all the Southern DMA counties, with the greatest improvements in Charleston County largely due to the more localized impacts from Tropical Storm Colin.

The S.C. Emergency Management Division had not received any drought impact reports, and there has been no water supply or water quality issues reported to SCDNR or the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.

The S.C. State Climatology Office will continue to monitor conditions and the Drought Response Committee will reconvene in one month.
Zimbabwe was once the breadbasket of Africa. Well, not really. Zimbabwe inherited the breadbasket of Africa status from Rhodesia i.e., Ian Smith. The Mugabe regime tried to maintain the glory that the white minority government had left shining on the country. However, faster than a bolt of lightning, they proved all doubters correct. Zanu-PF has no idea how to run a prosperous economy.

Zanu-PF has been in charge of Zimbabwe for 42 years and dreams of holding onto power for even longer. This would not be a problem if they were bringing prosperity to the country, but the reality is that Zanu-PF has run down the country and its recovery will not possible under their stewardship. Time after time, Zanu-PF have proved to the world over that they only have a talent for corruption at utter brutality.

Furthermore, Zanu-PF has proven that they are good at perpetuating excuses rather than producing solutions to fix the country and let it prosper as it was under the white minority rule. Hate him or not, Ian Smith made a prosperous country and Rhodesians were proud of their country.

Zimbabwe now being run by ED is an embarrassment that many Zimbabwe are weary to be associated with it. Zanu-PF has forced numerous citizens to live in the diaspora, with most choosing not to return to Zimbabwe unless they have visa issues or some nostalgia that is soon washed away by the reality on the ground.

As far as it stands, things will never improve. Zanu-PF does not know how to run a country. ED hired a well know and established economist in Mthuli Ncube, but he has failed to turn the ship around because Zanu-PF is toxic and can never fix the problems that it created.

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If Zanu-PF remains in charge, Zimbabwe will never see brighter days. The time for a change in Zimbabwe is long overdue but it will need a greater national awakening. For this to be successful, Zimbabweans need to ween themselves off Zanu-PF. Whether this happens, remains to be seen. The CCC opposition is popular but remains an unattractive alternative even though the future of Zimbabwe under Zanu-PF is gloomy.

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On Tuesday evening, the British-Luxembourg Society celebrated their 75th anniversary with a garden party at the British Ambassador's residence.

Friends and members of the British-Luxembourg Society (BLS) arrived in-style via a quintessentially British red double-decker routemaster bus. That very bus was also present in 2018, when the BLS - in the presence of then-ambassador John Marshall - was 'relaunched'. Founded in 1947, the BLS was originally made up of just one Brit and 23 Luxembourgers, and to this day the association is proud to count citizens of both countries in its ranks. That's not to say that you have to be British or Luxembourgish to join, however.

In her speech on Tuesday, BLS President Louise Benjamin spoke to attendees about past and future events set fourth by the club, highlighting the benefits of the intertwining of both the Luxembourg and British cultures. Ms. Benjamin also extended a warm welcome to any perspective BLS members, regardless of nationality, emphasising the only criteria is that they share a love for both cultures.

Drinks and nibbles were shared during Tuesday's celebrations, as guests mingled on the grounds of the resplendent ambassadorial residence, serenaded by the musical talents of Mia and the Moon.

As the host of the event, a speech was naturally also held by British Ambassador to Luxembourg Fleur Thomas - who, in case you missed it, we interviewed early in her time as Ambassador, an interview which in true RTL Today fashion also included a somewhat unusual element in the form of Kachkeis-tasting on video. Thomas spoke on her team's ambitions in continuing to strengthen the links between Luxembourg and the UK, much as her predecessor John Marshall did during his tenure through #LuxUKLinks, which was partially published exclusively here on RTL Today both in text and video form.

Click here for more information about BLS and membership.
Emergency services were called into action on two occasions last night.

A person was hit by a car in Cloche d'Or in Luxembourg City last night and suffered injuries in the process.

In Strassen, an apartment caught fire around 8.40pm. Nobody was injured.
In Luxembourg, French cross-border commuters earn lower salaries than those from other neighbouring countries.

According to the latest Statec study on the remuneration of cross-border workers, the French are still at the bottom of the list, as the National Institute of Statistics reported annual income differences exceeding 11,000 in 2020.

French cross-border workers earn on average 47,000 per year, compared to their Belgian or German counterparts, who earn 58,100 and 58,600 respectively.

Statec explains the gap is due to "specialisation" of cross-border employees in certain sectors of the economy. French employees tend to be over-represented in lower-paid activities, such as the Horesca sector, or trade, according to the report. French cross-border workers also tend to be younger, which could explain the wage disparity.

Despite their lower pay, French employees make up the majority of cross-border workers in Luxembourg, numbering 108,000, or 52%, back in 2020. Employees commuting from Germany or Belgium make up 24%, or 49,000 workers, respectively.

In 2020, only German cross-border workers observed a pay increase compared to 2019:
Luxembourgish minister attends a literary festival in Poland, hosted by the 2019 Nobel Prize Winner, Olga Tokarczuk.

The Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn, gave the main speech at this year's Literary Heights Festival (Festiwal Gory Literatury), which took place Thursday July 14, in Ksiaz Castle,a clifftop castle in Wabrzych near Wrocaw, in southwestern Poland.

Asselborn was invited to the event by the 2019 Noble Prize Winner, Olga Tokarczuk - a celebrated Polish author who hosts the event along with a poet and a literary critic, Karol Maliszewski.

The Literary Heights Festival is a literary festival founded in 2015 and takes place in the vicinity of Nowa Ruda, where a lot of Tokarczuk's novels take place and where she currently lives.

Asselborn's speech centred on Europe in the context of global changes, namely common values, past and future.
The Sinclair oil refinery is laying off 87 employees.

Thirty-two workers at the southern Wyoming refinery, one of the largest in the region, have already been laid off. Another 55 were notified theyd be let go at the end of September.

The cuts come just months after the refinerys parent company, Sinclair Oil Corp., was sold in March.

The plants new owner, HF Sinclair Corp., hasnt said much about why it decided to do layoffs  just that they were prompted by the sale.

As a result of the recent acquisition, we are aligning our facilities to reflect best practices for operational excellence, HF Sinclair Director of Corporate Communications Corinn Smith said in a Thursday statement.

Wyomings Department of Workforce Services is stepping in to help workers let go from the Sinclair facility, said Kari Eakins, an administrator for the agency.

Staff members from the agency will be going to Sinclair to assist workers with applying for unemployment benefits, connect them with job training and other educational opportunities and give them pointers on where to look for new jobs. Workforce Services is planning to send staff out to Sinclair next week to help laid off workers through that process in person, Eakins said.

While staff cuts are common in company buyouts, the transition is expected to be difficult for the refinerys surrounding community: the eponymous town of Sinclair, which has a population of roughly 400. The refinery is the towns main employer.

Workforce Servicess satellite office in Rawlins will be hosting two small job fairs on July 25 and Aug. 11.

The first job fair will take place from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Rawlins Old Depot, located at 400 W. Front Street. Booth space for employers is limited, Eakins said. Businesses interested in reserving a spot at the job fair can call Rawlins Workforce Services at 307-324-3485.

The office is planning to host another, larger job fair in early September, Eakins said in the email.

The Wyoming Department of Workforce Services was notified by HF Sinclair on Monday that about 20 people were laid off at the plant, Eakins said.

Workforce Services was told around 90-100 more workers would be cut the following September.

Gov. Mark Gordons office learned of the cuts Tuesday, said Michael Pearlman, Gordons director of communications.

I am troubled to learn of the HollyFrontier Sinclair refinery layoffs, Gordon said in a statement first given to Bigfoot 99, the Carbon County radio station that broke the news of the layoffs. My greatest immediate concern is with the displaced workers and the economic impact on the communities of Rawlins and Sinclair. My administration stands by to mobilize resources to assist the workers and their families, as well as the surrounding communities.

On Twitter Thursday afternoon, Rep. Liz Cheney called the layoffs devastating.

My office will work w/ the Governors office as well as these communities & individuals to ensure we do everything possible to assist those affected, Cheney wrote in the tweet.

Others in the Rawlins area also took to social media to offer support. Rawlins Chiropractic said it is partnering with the local St. Vincent de Paul food pantry to collect food, toiletries and baby items for families affected by the layoffs. Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse said employees whod been laid off can come get a free meal and drink with their Sinclair IDs through the end of the month.

Sinclair Oil Corp. was bought alongside its trucking company Sinclair Transportation Co. by HollyFrontier Corp. and Holly Energy Partners LP. The purchase was valued at $1.8 billion, according to trade publication Convenience Store News.

As part of that deal, HollyFrontier and Holly Energy Partners created HF Sinclair Corp. to act as their new umbrella company.

The Sinclair refinery, located just east of Rawlins, produces about 85,000 barrels of oil a day, according to its website. HF Sinclair also operates refineries in Casper and Cheyenne, as well as in Kansas, Utah, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Washington.

The Sinclair refinery is just one of two refineries owned by HF Sinclair that produce renewable diesel.

In 2020, the company  then still HollyFrontier  pledged $750 million toward the alternative fuel.

At the time, it also announced it would convert its Cheyenne facility from petroleum diesel to renewable diesel production. HollyFrontier said it planned to lay off 200 employees from the Cheyenne refinery by 2022. (The company hasnt publicly stated how many workers were ultimately let go from that facility.)

The Sinclair refinery was started by a separate oil company  Producers and Refiners Corporation (PARCO)  in 1924. The oil town that sprouted up around the facility was fittingly also called Parco.

After Sinclair Oil Corp. purchased PARCO in the 1930s. The refinery and the town were both renamed after Sinclair in 1943.

Sinclair Oil Corp. in 1968 established a sibling refinery in Casper, which produces about 30,000 barrels of oil a day. That refinery now belongs to HF Sinclair, too.
Rep. Liz Cheneys Trump-backed challenger Harriet Hageman brought in $1.8 million in campaign donations in the second quarter of this year, breaking her previous fundraising record, her campaign announced Thursday.

Her previous record was $1.3 million in the first quarter of 2022.

A U.S. House challenger breaking the $1 million mark in Wyoming would normally be shocking, but not in this race. The Cheney-Hageman battle has risen to national prominence as its become a proxy battle in the larger war between pro- and anti-Trump factions of the GOP. As a result, both candidates continue to put up huge numbers.

Cheney also raised another large sum of money in quarter two of this year  about $2.9 million, the campaign told the Star-Tribune. The second quarter spans from April 1 to June 30.

In the previous quarter, the Cheney camp raked in roughly the same amount: $2,942,170, but the the campaign declined to comment on whether or not it had broken another fundraising record.

Nearly $3 million would also be an astronomical number for any representative in Wyoming to raise in a singular quarter, but it is not shocking for Cheney. She is serving as the vice chairwoman on the House Jan. 6 committee, whose hearings kicked off during quarter two. In a number of the hearings, Cheney took on a high-profile role, likely sparking an influx of donations.

Cheney angered the former president and his allies by voting to impeach him and by serving on the Jan. 6 committee. She has not held back in her criticism of Trump, whom she says is a threat to democracy and the rule of law. Thats prompted a strong backlash from many in the GOP here. The Wyoming Republican Party censured Cheney last year and later voted to no longer recognize her as a Republican  a symbolic move.

Early voting has started in Wyoming and primary election is almost exactly a month away. As Hageman enters the home stretch, her campaign has about $1.4 million left to spend. The incumbent congresswoman has about $7 million, the Cheney campaign told the Star-Tribune.

With Wyoming being as deep red as it is, the Republican primary usually determines who will take over the seat, as the GOPs nominee tends to handily beat the Democratic choice.

Since Hageman entered the race in mid-September, her campaign has raised more than $4 million. Cheney meanwhile, has raised about $13 million over the course of her campaign, most of which has come from out-of-state donations. Hageman, however, has so far been beating Cheney in in-state donations.

Cheney and Hagemans primary has more or less boiled down to a referendum on the legitimacy of the 2020 election and Cheneys criticism of Trump following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Hageman has repeatedly criticized Cheney for being too distracted by her War on Trump to properly serve Wyomingites, but Cheney argues that her highest oath is to the U.S. Constitution.

During a July 1 debate, Cheney was as clear as shes ever been 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.

The primary is Aug. 16.
Trinidad and Tobago NGL Ltd (TTNGL) yesterday reported after-tax profit of $117.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2022, which represents a 40.6 per cent increase compared to the $83.6 million the producer of cooking gas and natural gasoline recorded for the same period in 2021.

Directors of TTNGL said the company continues to post a solid financial performance for 2022.
One month before his passing on May 6, 2001 the artist Carlisle Chang relived with relish th
The chair of neurosurgery at the University of Arizona was killed in a crash Wednesday afternoon on Tucsons south side, officials say.

Dr. Justin Schultz Cetas, 51, was riding a black 2021 BMW R18 motorcycle in a northbound lane of South Kino Parkway just after 1 p.m. when he collided with a tow truck, Tucson police said in a news release.

Cetas smashed into the side of a 2005 Ford F650 tow truck as it turned left out of a business driveway, police said.

Cetas, who was wearing a helmet, was taken to Banner University Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead, police said.

On behalf of everyone at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson and Banner-University Medicine, we would like to express our most sincere sympathies to Dr. Cetas family and loved ones, Michael M.I. Abecassis, the dean of the College of Medicine and Josuha Lee, the Physician Executive at Banner University Medicine Center said in a joint statement Thursday afternoon.

We are all deeply saddened by this sudden and tragic event that is so difficult to process, as we come together to grieve his passing. Dr. Cetas was an alumnus of the college and a talented neurosurgeon who dedicated his life to caring for others. He was also a skilled educator, respected researcher, trusted colleague and friend to many. He will be greatly missed.

Cetas was named chair of neurosurgery in July 2021, according to the UArizona Health Sciences website. He was UA graduate who earned his doctorate in neuroscience and medical degree at the UA College of Medicine.

Cetas became an associate professor in 2016 and served as the departments residency program director since 2017.

He returned to Tucson to lead the neurosurgery department from Oregon Health and Science University, where he was an associate professor in the Department of Neurological Surgery and chief of neurosurgery at the Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System in Portland, Oregon.

Tuson police say the driver of the tow truck immediately stopped and cooperated with the investigation. The driver was not impaired at the time of the crash, police said.

Failing to yield while making a left turn has been determined to have been the major contributing factor in the crash, police said. No charges or citations have been issued. The investigation continues.

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Person dies in custody of South Tucson police Authorities are investigating after one person died as South Tucson police attempted to take them into custody Monday night.

Two dead in crash on Tucson's northwest side Two 21-year-olds were traveling south at a high rate of speed when they crossed over into oncoming traffic, striking two other vehicles.

Tractor trailer crash, hazardous waste closed Interstate 19 Early Wednesday morning, a tractor trailer overturned on the southbound lanes on Interstate 19, south of Tucson, causing both directions of I-19 to close.
In 1953, the Strategic Air Command brought the jet age to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson with dozens of Boeing B-47 Stratojet bombers as part of U.S. efforts to counter the Soviet threat of invasion. The planes could carry conventional and nuclear payloads 3,000 miles before refueling. Nearly 1,100 personnel at D-M kept the planes in the air.

The Air Force began retiring the B-47 in the mid-1960s.
Update: John Gilliland was located in Benton County, Arkansas. He will soon be reunited with family, TCSO said in the early hours of Thursday.

A Silver Alert has been issued for a missing Tulsa County man with Alzheimer's.

John Gilliland, 83, was last seen about 7 a.m. Wednesday driving a gray 2008 GMC Sierra pickup with license plate HQQ-656 in the 16800 block of West 53rd Street, west of Sand Springs.

As well as having Alzheimer's disease, Gilliland has additional medical conditions that require daily medications.

Anyone with information about his location is asked to call 911.
The leader of a large retail theft ring based in Oklahoma pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to all 214 counts in an indictment.

Linda Ann Been, 49, also known as Linda Gann, admitted to a series of crimes linked to what prosecutors said was a six-state operation that used shoplifters to steal over-the-counter medications and other items that would then be resold online.

In her plea, Been admitted to instructing others to steal items for her and deliver the items to either her Cleveland, Oklahoma, mobile home park home or her home in a recreational vehicle park about seven miles north of Sand Springs. Been is now living in Tulsa, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorneys Office said.

After receiving the items, Been admitted to shipping the items to an out-of-state fencing operation and receiving about $4.5 million in payments.

Federal prosecutors announced in January that a grand jury had named Been and 22 others in a 214-count indictment that included racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering.

Been was accused of running the fencing organization with her boyfriend, Billy Don Osborne, and others.

Many of the same people charged in federal court also face state charges in Tulsa County District Court.

The indictment alleged that Been used more than 20 boosters, organized shoplifters, to steal over-the-counter medication and other items from stores in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri and Colorado.

The targeted drugs ran the gamut, including Allegra, Prevagen, Zantac, Rogaine, Zyrtec, Viviscal, Mucinex, Claritin, Culturelle, Flonase, Nasacort and vitamins  as well as cosmetic items and tooth-whitening strips, U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson said at a press conference about the case in January.

The boosters hit Akins Natural Foods, CVS, Costco, GNC, Reasors, Sams Club, Sprouts, Target, Walgreens and Walmart stores in Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Norman, Edmond, Moore, Owasso, Claremore and Jenks, according to prosecutors.

The investigation began in 2019 after Hector Leal, an organized crime investigator with CVS Health, noticed a trend of bulk thefts of specific items from Tulsa-area stores, an affidavit states. Using open-source records and sales on eBay, Leal linked Been and another person to several boosters and contacted the Tulsa Police Department.

TPD Detective Kayla Johnson, already investigating what appeared to be an aggressive shoplifting case involving Been, began connecting previous cases involving Beens boosters and called on the Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office for assistance.

The U.S. Attorneys Office in Tulsa also became involved.

Cities across the United States, including Tulsa, have seen a sharp rise in organized retail theft, said U.S. Attorney Johnson. The losses drive up costs for retailers, which are then passed on to consumers. As shown in this case, my office and our law enforcement partners will diligently work together to identify, investigate and prosecute theft rings operating within northeastern Oklahoma.

Others named in the scheme who have already pleaded guilty and await sentencing include:

Billy Don Osborne, who described himself in his plea as Ganns former boyfriend, pleaded guilty July 7 to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. He faces up to 20 years in prison.

Amanda Kay Johnson, who admitted to conspiracy in her July 8 plea agreement with prosecutors. She did not steal any goods but permitted the stolen items to be stored at her Sand Springs business, Suburban Revival Boutique, according to her plea agreement.

Citing her minimal role in the scheme, prosecutors agreed to recommend that she serve probation in lieu of prison time. The proposed sentence still requires judicial approval.

Been, meanwhile, admitted to one count of conspiracy, 165 counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of conspiracy to commit money laundering and 45 counts of crimes related to engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from a specified unlawful activity.
After a police chase through north Tulsa, two people were arrested on first-degree murder complaints Wednesday, Tulsa police said in a Facebook post.

Officers from the Tulsa Police Departments Fugitive Warrants Team were searching on Wednesday for Christopher Phillips and Jamilah Powell, both suspects in the June 27 shooting death of Tony Morrison, 43. Morrison was found shot to death in a car near Admiral Place and Delaware Avenue, police said.

While searching, officers spotted Phillips driving and attempted to make a traffic stop. He reportedly refused to pull over, and a pursuit began.

During the pursuit, officers deployed stop sticks, causing Phillips vehicles tires to deflate, police said.

The vehicle then crashed into a chain link fence near 1200 N. Peoria Ave. and went over a small ledge.

Both Phillips and Powell were stuck inside the vehicle before being taken into custody, police said.

Online jail records do not show that the two had been booked as of Wednesday evening.
OKLAHOMA CITY  With the federal right to abortion struck down last month by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Oklahoma Supreme Court may now determine whether the state constitution provides a fundamental right to terminate a pregnancy.
A former assistant district attorney in northeastern Oklahoma pleaded guilty to charges in Tulsa federal court Wednesday, less than three months after his arrest on allegations that he traded court favors for sex.

Daniel Thomas Giraldi, 44, a former assistant district attorney for Ottawa and Delaware counties, admitted to one count of possession of Oxycodone with intent to distribute and four counts of honest services fraud in connection with performing favorable court actions through corrupt means.

An arrest warrant approved April 25 alleged that Giraldi, of Joplin, Missouri, used his position as an assistant district attorney to have sex with defendants in exchange for favorable actions on cases filed in state court there.

A grand jury named Giraldi in a 14-count indictment filed May 18 that charged him with one count of bribery, one count of traveling interstate to aid in racketeering, one count of possession of Oxycodone with intent to distribute, one count of possession of Clonazepam with intent to distribute and 10 counts of using a communication facility in the commission of drug trafficking.

A superseding indictment filed July 6 in federal court swapped the bribery count for four counts of honest services fraud and kept the remaining counts.

Giraldi worked in the District Attorney District 13 office from 2019 until April 20, according to court records.

Before becoming an assistant district attorney, Giraldi worked in a private law firm, according to court documents filed in the case.

It was while Giraldi worked as a defense attorney in the private law firm that he began accepting sexual favors from women in exchange for helping others facing criminal charges and as payment for services rendered, according to the FBI.

A person identified only as unindicted individual 1 developed an understanding with Giraldi while he was a private attorney that consisted of the unnamed person making other women available to Giraldi for sex acts in exchange for favorable action in a specific court case.

One person, identified only as cooperating witness 1, engaged in sex acts with Giraldi on numerous occasions as payment for legal services for unindicted individual 1 and others, according to the indictment.

While an assistant district attorney, Giraldi, also known as Vegas G, Vegas, and just G, would reduce bond amounts, provide favorable treatment on other charges and in one instance, dismiss a driving while intoxicated charge entirely in exchange for sexual favors, the grand jury alleged.

One of the women, described as cooperating witness 1, met Giraldi April 12 outside the Ottawa County Courthouse, where she asked him to look into two child custody cases  hers and another womans, according to court records.

The meeting was video and audio recorded by the FBI, according to court records.

Giraldi and the woman later agreed to meet April 19 at a Quapaw home for sex, the documents allege.

After arriving at the home and giving the woman a bag of pills he pulled out of a shirt pocket, the FBI entered the room and confronted Giraldi, according to the documents.

Giraldi later admitted to FBI agents that he was going to give the woman the pills in exchange for sex after searching government records for any outstanding warrants involving the woman.

As part of the plea agreement, Giraldi has agreed to forfeit his Oklahoma Bar Association license and never hold any public office or hold any position of public trust within the state of Oklahoma.

He faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of not more than $1 million at his sentencing.
Two Rogers County prosecutors have been suspended amid allegations of felonious misconduct in a recent jury trial.

In a Tuesday letter addressed to Oklahoma Attorney General John OConnor, Rogers County District Attorney Matt Ballard wrote that an internal investigation into Assistant District Attorneys Isaac Shields and George Gibbs Jr. confirmed that the two  among unspecified others  watched a jury deliberate via a security camera feed.

Despite the feed most likely not having audio and the absence of any allegation that communication with jurors took place, Ballard wrote that the action was potentially illegal, citing state law that prohibits the observation of jury deliberations by any means and carries a maximum punishment of two years in prison and a $1,000 fine.

Ballard requested that his office be disqualified from any possible criminal investigation into the pair due to the conflict of interest.

In the letter, Ballard wrote that he launched the internal investigation after the judge who oversaw the trial made him aware of the allegation July 7.

Both Shields, a supervising attorney, and Gibbs, whom Shields supervised, were suspended upon the results of the internal investigation, Ballard wrote.

Shields is the lead prosecutor for the majority of Ballards offices major crimes in Craig, Mayes and Rogers counties and supervises all other assistant district attorneys, according to the offices website. He previously served in the Tulsa County District Attorneys Office as the director of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit.

Reached by phone Wednesday, Shields told the Tulsa World he would not comment yet.

The prosecutors dockets will be covered in their absence, a District 12 spokeswoman said, and an announcement is expected if the Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office decides to investigate the allegations.

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The U.S. Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe Vs. Wade is a violation of the First Amendment because it would establish religion.

At the heart of the abortion debate is the age-old question of when life begins and that is basically a religious or moral discussion.

The Right to Life advocates believe life begins at the instant the sperm penetrates the egg and is therefore a baby. It follows that abortion is outright murder.

Yet others contend the human embryo is not a baby until it can live outside the mothers womb; it is a potential life, just as an individual egg or sperm is a potential life. Therefore, abortion before the point of viability outside the womb is not murder. Jews and other religions hold this view.

The National Conference of Jewish Women describes the Jewish position succinctly:

Do abortion bans unduly favor one religious viewpoint over another? Yes, different religions believe that human life begins at different stages of development. Science can explain developmental timelines, but philosophic and religious viewpoints largely determine what exactly defines life or personhood for each individual. NCJW believes, as the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees, that no one religion should be enshrined in law or dictate public policy on any issue  including abortion.

Because this is a religious/moral question, the Supreme Court decision is in effect a ruling to establish religion and is therefore unconstitutional.

This not the argument for abortion we most often hear.

Abortion defenders most often contend that women have a right to choose or that there is a right to privacy embedded in the Constitution.

As compelling as those arguments are, the First Amendment forbids government from establishing religion. That is at the top of the list of freedoms in the amendment provided here:

Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people to peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Eight of the original 13 colonies had established official religions, several of which required church attendance and public tax support.

The men writing the Constitution in 1787 only briefly considered religion and specifically banned a state or official religion, thus the First Amendment. It follows that religious matters like abortion should be free of governmental dictate.

It is safe to say that the Founders were fed up with efforts to dictate religion, even though many of them were religious.

Thomas Jefferson, away in France at the time the Constitution was written, was among those urging amendments as a condition of its ratification. He had sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man, in reference to the clergy of his day. His statement is written large on his monument in Washington, D.C.

It is ironic that in 2022 the evil of religious tyranny is still with us. The abortion battle is but one area of our life in which there are efforts to coerce religion.

The founders understood that as good as religion is in modifying the worst impulses in man, it can be a tyranny if forced on society as a whole.

The Supreme Courts decision to outlaw abortion is a decision to force a specific religious view on everyone. It is a clear violation of the First Amendment.
China has begun importing durians grown in Vietnam via all border gates starting early this week.

On July 11, the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) signed a protocol on phytosanitary requirements for durians shipped from Vietnam to its northern neighbor.

Under the protocol, which will be valid for three years, Vietnamese durians will be permitted to enter China through all border gates approved for GACC fruit imports.

Chinese officials are expected to check relevant documents and complete any necessary phytosanitary processes upon the arrival of durians at border gates.

The Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and GACC spent two years negotiating the deal.

China asked that all Vietnamese durian farms and units charged with packaging durians for export to China register with both the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and GACC.

Those who fail to meet this requirement will not be allowed to ship their durians to China.

The registration process includes submitting names, addresses, and product codes so that authorities can trace the origin of the fruit that fails to meet the requirements stated in the protocol.

Before the first batch of Vietnamese durians can be sent to China, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development must send GACC a list of registered farms and packaging units to Chinese authorities for approval.

The list can then be regularly updated and uploaded to the GACC website.

All farms that wish to export durians to China must build a quality management and traceability system, apply good agricultural practices, meet hygiene requirements, and dispose of tree-fallen and rotten durians.

They are also required to apply an integrated pest management (IPM) program which includes monitoring for pests, controlling pests using chemicals or biological products, and other best-practice farming techniques.

The monitoring and management of durian farms approved to export the fruit have to be in line with regulations introduced by phytosanitary officials and other officers trained by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development or authorized subordinates.

Farms have to retain all documents relating to pest monitoring and control and provide them to GACC when asked.

The documents must include information about the names of chemicals, active elements, dates of use, and dosage.

In 2021, Vietnams durian yield reached 642,600 tonnes, up 15 percent from 2020.

China was the biggest buyer of fresh Vietnamese durians, but these purchases were mainly made through unofficial channels.

Vietnam exported over $46 million worth of durians in the first five months of 2022, surging 109.4 percent year on year, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

The export revenue for durians was the fifth-highest during that period, following dragon fruits, bananas, jackfruits, and mangos.

Besides durians, Vietnam exports mangos, dragon fruits, bananas, longans, lychees, watermelons, rambutans, jackfruits, mangosteens, and passion fruits to China via official channels.

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Experts are keeping a close eye on Vietnams economic potential due to the countrys leadership role in the region's transition to clean energy from fossil fuels, according to a speech given by a state-owned company executive at a seminar earlier this week.

Business France, the trade department under the French Embassy, organized a conference on energy transition applied to the Vietnamese power industry in Ho Chi Minh City on Monday, with cooperation from EVN, EDF, Hogan Lovells, PTSC, and T&T, as well as a delegation of ten French firms.

According to Nicolas Warnery, French Ambassador to Vietnam, the conference is part of an energy transition mission that aims to strengthen ties between French and Vietnamese enterprises in the energy sector, including the production, distribution, and storage of electricity and energy, as well as the development of hydrogen technologies.

During the conference, Nguyen Tai Anh, vice-president of state-run Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN), spoke about the accomplishments of Vietnam's energy transition over the past several years, as well as its challenges and economic possibilities.

From 2010 to 2020, our electricity output increased 3.4 times," Anh said.

"Our system's overall capacity reached 69,300 megawatts in 2020, up from 20,600 megawatts in 2010.

By the end of 2021, our total capacity had reached roughly 78,000 megawatts, placing us first among Southeast Asian nations and 22nd globally.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh underscored a commitment to energy transition by pledging at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), held in Glasgow, Scotland last year to stop building new coal-powered plants and to reduce his country's emissions in order to reach a net-zero carbon emissions target by 2050.

According to Anh, Vietnam is a country with a renewable energy advantage that will develop and implement measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions using its own resources along with cooperation and support from developed nations, in terms of both financial assistance and technology transfer.

With the strong commitment of the Vietnamese government at COP26, EVN has the foundation and conditions to implement its energy transition in a comprehensive direction, thereby contributing to the transformation of its growth model toward one that is more sustainable, low-emission, secure, and affordable.

From 2019 to 2022, EVN and the French Development Agency (AFD) have a credit agreement for a 250 million (US$250.4 million) non-government guaranteed loan to develop clean energy projects in order to unleash the countrys renewable energy potential.

Anh also discussed the goals of EVN's energy transition, which include developing power grids in synchronization with power generation sources accompanied by the modernization of transmission grids and the application of new technologies in grid operation; enhancing grid interconnection between neighboring countries in the region; building a competent workforce with the knowledge and professional skills to meet requirements for the management and operation of various energy sources; and promoting the use of renewable energy sources.

Anh stressed that similar to other developing nations, Vietnam is expected to encounter obstacles as it strives to meet its promises, hence the need for assistance from international partners, particularly France, is essential.

The French government, through the AFD, has pledged its readiness to assist EVN in planning a strategic plan to reduce net-zero carbon emissions with funding from EU countries.

For French businesses, EVN has also developed and maintained a partnership with the French stated-owned EDF Group since the 2000s.

More recently, the two sides strengthened their cooperation by signing memoranda of understanding in 2017 and 2020.

EVN hopes to continue to strengthen cooperation with EDF and other French enterprises in greenhouse gas emission reduction and climate change response by assisting the Southeast Asian country with high-quality personnel training and by providing funds and technical assistance for the development of a road map for the transition to green and renewable energy.

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Hanoi and Beijing need to make efforts to control disagreements, respect each other's legitimate rights and interests in accordance with international law, and maintain peace in the East Vietnam Sea, said Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh.

Deputy PM Minh and Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi co-chaired the 14th meeting of the Steering Committee for Vietnam-China Bilateral Cooperation in Nanning, the capital of China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on Wednesday.

At the gathering, the two sides reviewed the development in bilateral relations since the previous meeting of the committee in September last week and addressed existing problems.

Regarding the cooperation orientations in the future, both sides agreed to increase exchanges and meetings at high and all levels, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

They concurred to coordinate the management of the shared land border and properly settle related issues based on three legal documents regarding the land border between Vietnam and China.

The two countries agreed to strictly abide by the high-level common perception on maintaining peace and stability at sea, including the Vietnam-China agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of maritime issues.

The 14th meeting of the Steering Committee for Vietnam-China Bilateral Cooperation in China, July 13, 2022. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

Both sides will speed up the negotiations for a new agreement on fisheries cooperation in the Gulf of Tonkin and reach a deal on the cooperation in search and rescue at sea.

Deputy PM Minh underscored that both nations should work hard to control disagreements, not take actions that complicate the situation and expand disputes, respect each other's legitimate rights and interests in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and maintain peace and stability in the East Vietnam Sea.

The official suggested that China continue to create favorable conditions for customs clearance activities at border gates, especially for Vietnamese fruits, agricultural and aquatic products, as well as set up green lines to reduce the time for quarantine and customs clearance process.

Foreign Minister Wang affirmed that China attaches great importance to Vietnam's interest in expanding exports of agricultural and aquatic products to China and ensuring smooth customs clearance at border gates.

He added that his country is ready to open and upgrade border gates to meet the demands of both countries.

China will further open its market and cooperate with Vietnam in maintaining the stability of the supply and production chains, Wang said.

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Check out the news you should not miss today:

Politics

-- Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosted a reception in Hanoi on Wednesday for newly-appointed UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam Pauline Tamesis, who came to present the UN Secretary-General's credentials, beginning her term in the country, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

Society

-- Police in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh on Wednesday arrested and initiated legal proceedings against the former director of a local peoples credit fund for embezzling nearly VND1 billion (US$42,747) five years ago.

-- Some 300 residents in the north-central province of Nghe An on Wednesday gathered to object to a construction project that would close an old route running through an industrial park, injuring five local police officers.

-- The Peoples Court in Dak Nong Province on Wednesday sentenced six people to death due to a series of drug-related crimes.

-- A motorbike taxi driver was severely stabbed and had his motorcycle stolen on Tuesday, according to police in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh.

-- A Vietnamese woman whose breasts have been growing uncontrollably since puberty, causing her spine to deform and herniate, recently completed a successful operation to lower their size, according to doctors at Vietnam German Friendship Hospital in Hanoi.

-- A blaze suddenly broke out at a popular three-story club in Hai Phong, northern Vietnam on Wednesday afternoon and lasted until the evening, causing damage estimated at billions of dong. (VND1 billion = $42,747)

-- The ongoing tropical depression in the East Vietnam Sea has caused 32 houses to collapse, damaged 165 others, and flooded 465.5 hectares of rice paddy and 1,050 hectares of crops, with initial losses estimated at VND4 billion ($170,991), in Kien Giang Province for the last five days.

World News

-- Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives on Wednesday, driven out after an economic collapse unleashed a popular uprising that appeared to end his family's near two-decade dominance of the country, Reuters reported.

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Cay Soi paddy field in Huong Giang Commune, Huong Khe District, Ha Tinh Province has been continuously struck by lightning, with the reasons for the phenomenon remaining unknown to the authorities in this north-central Vietnamese province.

More than a dozen people and buffaloes have been struck by lightning, which also damaged many houses and electronic devices.

When there is thunder in the air, people immediately find their way home.

Local authorities affirmed that there were no grounds to conclude that a 35-kV electric transmission line passing through the rice field is attracting lightning.

Crops on fatal rice field

Over the past decade, local residents have lived in fear of lightning.

A Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporter went to the rice field to learn about the phenomenon first-hand.

It was a sultry afternoon. Lien flapped her hat to cool herself while looking at the dull sky.

Sweat dripped from her brow as she looked at dark clouds in the distance crackling with faint light and said worriedly that lightning is coming!

Two women quickly put bundles of grass into their carrying poles and ran back home at full speed.

Lien hurriedly hid a metal sickle by the path at the edge of the rice field and pulled her buffalo back home.

The skinny buffalo struggled to stay and eat to fill out its bony physique.

You should go! Be careful with lightning! You should not stay here. Its dangerous! Lien urged everybody.

During harvest periods at Cay Soi rice field, farmers are only worried about lightning.

Lightning strikes kill buffaloes and damage television sets every year.

Surrounding neighborhoods are also affected. No family dares to use electronic devices when it is raining.

Whenever farmers see dark clouds, they fling their sickles away and run, leaving behind harvested rice.

Last year, Luong Dinh Khang in Hamlet 4, which is one kilometer from the rice field, saw light bulbs along a road leading to his commune fade out suddenly and emit black smoke.

Khang hurriedly ran into his house and saw that his new refrigerator was deformed at a corner and his TV faced the same fate.

If electronics stores here do not offer a warranty, they will have no customers," Khang said.

All families have had their electronic devices damaged by lightning.

Most lightning strikes are seen between the rices flowering and the harvest season.

Khang and many other families have abandoned their rice to seek shelter from the lightning many times.

When it is sunny again, many families face losses. Dead cattle, fallen trees, and burned electric wires are all common.

Broken electronic devices pile up at repair stores in the center of the commune.

The tops of some electric poles turned black after being struck by lightning.

Local residents do not dare to build tall houses.

They use high-quality electric wires and install knife switches near entrances to quickly disconnect them in case of lightning.

No one knows exactly why the area attracts so much lightning.

Some people blamed the phenomenon on a 35-kV electric transmission line, while others said the commune is home to an iron mine.

Regardless of the reason, Huong Giang residents have not felt safe over the past decade.

Residents in Huong Giang Commune, Huong Khe District, Ha Tinh Province run home before there is a lightning strike. Photo: Vu Tuan / Tuoi Tre

Chilling memories

It was raining slightly, Vo Thi Lanh entered her kitchen to be with other family members.

The kitchen was lower than the main space of the house and warmer, so it spared them from the fear of lightning.

Some seven years ago, it was sultry and rained slightly as well.

Lanh was hit by lightning because she was holding an umbrella when she was driving buffaloes back home with three other people.

The lightning strike threw them in all directions. Lanh was at the center of the strike so she fell into an irrigation canal.

Her umbrella was torn to shreds and gave off smoke.

Dau Vien was walking behind the other three.

After the lightning, I felt dizzy. After a while, I could regain my composure," Vien recounted. "Lanh was in the irrigation canal and her clothes were shredded."

Still breathing! other farmers said.

They took mud from a nearby rice field to cover the body of Lanh.

That is our forefathers experience. When she regained consciousness, we took her to hospital, recalled Tran Dinh Dung, Lanhs uncle.

After such terrible lightning, Lanh had to stay at the hospital for two weeks.

Now when it rains heavily, Lanhs family gathers in the kitchen.

Loud sounds startle her and make her hair stand on end.

Dung also shudders when wind sweeps through the trees behind his house.

A buffalo was struck dead by lightning last year and a woman in the adjacent hamlet was also killed by a lightning strike in the year before last, Dung said.

We do not know why the God of thunder grows angry with local residents, Dung sighed.

He mentioned the family of Nhan in Hamlet 3.

Nhan is disabled so he has to use a wheelchair to travel. He lives on welfare with his first-born son.

Some years ago, Hoi, his wife, and their two sons were harvesting peanuts when there was a storm brewing.

The three immediately threw their sickles and pickaxes, and ran as fast as they could.

Hoi led her 10-year-old son and they were followed by her first-born son.

They were suddenly hit by a lightning strike. Local residents covered their bodies with mud and gave them artificial respiration but could save the older brother only.

There has been no conclusion about the reasons why Huong Giang Commune has faced so many lightning strikes.

Commune leaders said lightning strikes had killed five people and injured five others over the past ten years.

Losses in cattle and electronic devices have been huge.

Convincing reasons expected

If lightning is converted into electricity, local residents will have enough power for use for the whole year, Dung said.

We expect local authorities to study and find out the reasons so that we can take precautions against lightning and set our mind at rest.

"How to work for a living while being on tenterhooks?

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Three staff members of a toll gate in Lam Dong Province of Vietnams Central Highlands region have been praised for saving a truck driver who was suffering a stroke while at the station last month.

The management of the Lien Dam toll station on National Highway 20 in Lam Dongs Di Linh District gave the staff members, namely Tran Van Cong, Dang Le Huyen, and Tran Thi Thu Huyen, a reward for their heroism.

A representative of the toll station on Wednesday recounted that when the truck numbered 51C-830.08 stopped off at 3:00 am on June 12 to pay the toll, the driver suddenly had a stroke, with his arm twitching and his body collapsing.

His assistant driver was asleep at the time.

Cong, Le Huyen, and Thu Huyen -- who were on duty at the the toll station at that time -- quickly took the driver into the facility and gave him first aid.

Tran Van Cong (C), Dang Le Huyen (R), and Tran Thi Thu Huyen recieve a reward for timely saving a mini truck driver suffering from a stroke attack at the Lien Dam toll station in Di Linh District, Lam Dong Province, Vietnam, June 12, 2022. Photo: Lien Dam Toll Station

The driver regained his consciousness, articulateness, and mobility about ten minutes later.

He then continued to rest at the station until about 5:00 am, when his assistant driver took him to Di Linh District Hospital for a check-up.

The patient was determined to have had a stroke with mild symptoms which required a specialist examination to find the cause.

Among the three staff members who came to the driver's aid, Cong had once been a driver and was trained in first aid, allowing him to handle the aforementioned incident quickly.

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The Peoples Court in Dak Nong Province, located in Vietnams Central Highlands, has just sentenced six people to death and seven others to life in prison for drug-related offenses.

The Dak Nong Peoples Court conducted the trial of Vang Seo Trang, 52, and his 22 accomplices on Wednesday.

On March 6, 2021, police in Dak Nong Province caught Trang and Thao Thi Pang, 28, trading two bricks of heroin, according to the indictment.

Officers later expanded their investigation and arrested 21 other suspects.

Trang was taken to Dak Nong General Hospital the following day to receive treatment for his high blood pressure.

At the infirmary, the man managed to break free from his handcuffs and ran away.

His wife  Ly Thi Cha  and several others had already prepared some clothes, shoes, money, and a phone to help him hide from competent authorities.

They also contacted some unidentified individuals to help Trang cross the border illegally to Cambodia.

The defendants during the trial at the Peoples Court in Dak Nong Province, Vietnam, July 13, 2022. Photo: Dinh Cuong / Tuoi Tre

However, police managed to apprehend Trang in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong on May 16 the same year.

The People's Procuracy of Dak Nong Province indicted Trang for illegally trading in narcotics and escaping custody.

The other 22 accessories were prosecuted for drug trafficking, harboring the illegal use of narcotics, and concealing a crime.

At the end of the trial, the Dak Nong Peoples Court condemned Trang, Pang, and four other defendants to death.

Seven others received life sentences while two were jailed for 20 years for drug-related offenses.

The remaining eight defendants, including Trangs wife, were sentenced to between one and 2.5 years in prison for concealing a crime.

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Nine had a programming backflip this week, with an episode of Under Investigation led by Liz Hayes.

The episode was confirmed on Wednesday to screen on Thursday.

Following this weeks Covid outbreak on the Coral Princess the special was set to report on the dark side of the cruise industry and whether passenger ships should be sailing again.

But it was yanked from the schedule late yesterday afternoon and RBT was returned to its previous timeslot.

It isnt clear why the episode was pulled so late, but Media Watch has branded stories around the Coral Princess as a beat up compared to 819 current outbreaks in aged care across Australia.

Updated: We decided to hold it until the full season is ready to go which wont be until later in the year, said a Nine spokesperson.
UK period drama World on Fire -no pun intended- has finally returned to filming following the pandemic interruptus.

Creator Peter Bowker said in a statement that the long wait between seasons was down to a certain pandemic, but that it made the beginning of filming especially exciting.

It has been a real joy to pick up the story with our inspirational cast, both our established regulars and new and exciting talent who have embraced the shows scale and ambition, he continued.

Season 2, which will consist of six episodes, will take viewers back to October 1940, where lone pilots are tasked with destroying German bombers above the streets of Manchester.

The show will follow the war from the streets of Britain into occupied France, Nazi Germany, and to the sands of the North African desert as troops struggle to adapt to a different style of combat.

World on Fire, starring Helen Hunt, Sean Bean and Lesley Manville, has screened in Australia on BBC First and SBS.

Source: Radio Times
Russia sends humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan

Xinhua) 09:09, July 14, 2022

KABUL, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Russia sent 16 tons of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan on Wednesday, said a statement of Afghanistan's State Ministry for Disaster Management and Humanitarian Affairs released here.

A plane that carried the assistance and landed at the Kabul airport was received by Ghulam Ghous Nasiri, the acting state minister for disaster management and humanitarian affairs, the statement added.

Expressing gratitude to Russia, Nasiri said that the assistances included 1,000 blankets, 30 pieces of tents and medicines. The official also noted that another plane of Russian aid would arrive next week.

A devastating earthquake, which struck parts of Afghanistan on June 22 claimed at least 1,000 lives and left thousands of others homeless in the war-torn country. Moreover, monsoon rains and flooding have reportedly killed more than 100 people and rendered hundreds of others homeless in several provinces over the past couple of weeks.

Several countries including Pakistan, Iran, China, Russia, Uzbekistan, United States, Qatar and Turkey have sent humanitarian assistances to the needy and quake-affected families in Afghanistan.

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun)
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By Francesco Guarascio and Kate Abnett

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The European Commission has proposed to EU countries a deal with Azerbaijan to increase imports of natural gas and support the expansion of a pipeline to do this, according to a draft document seen by Reuters.

The draft memorandum of understanding, which needs approval from the governments involved and could still change, is part of European Union efforts to slash reliance on Russian gas following the war in Ukraine.

"The Sides aspire to support bilateral trade of natural gas, including through exports to the European Union, via the Southern Gas Corridor, of at least 20 billion cubic metres of gas annually by 2027, in accordance with commercial viability and market demand," said the document, dated July 11.

The Commission declined to comment. EU energy commissioner Kadri Simson is scheduled to visit Azerbaijan later this month.

The Trans-Adriatic pipeline, the final leg of the Southern Gas Corridor pipeline network, last year brought more than 8 bcm of Azeri gas into European countries such as Italy.

The draft says both sides will encourage financing the expansion of that network to increase deliveries to Europe, adding that such investments should be able to carry low-carbon gases in future to avoid locking in years of planet-warming emissions.

An uptick in deliveries would also require Azerbaijan to expand its domestic gas production.

The draft highlighted the importance of "long-term, predictable and stable contracts" to provide security to gas producers. But it also said future gas contracts would need to align with the EU's climate change targets, which according to Brussels will require gas use to plummet, particularly after 2030.

Both sides should increase action to curb emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, in their supply chains, including through incentives to collect gas that would otherwise leach into the atmosphere, it said.

Story continues

Concern over further cuts to Russian gas supply sharpened this week as scheduled maintenance began on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline bringing gas to Germany. Governments and companies have warned Moscow may prolong the outage.

The draft agreement said the EU and Azerbaijan would also examine the development of electricity interconnections and discuss future hydrogen trade.

(Reporting by Francesco Guarascio, Kate Abnett; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
After three long days of play in a brand new event stacked with notables, Sebastien Aube has joined the ranks of WSOP bracelet winners. Aube bested a field of 1,364 entries in Event #78: $2,500 No-Limit Holdem to take home a first place prize of $499,636 and the coveted WSOP gold bracelet.

Aube was in the top five chip counts to begin Day 3 and although it got a little rocky for a while in the earlier levels of the day, he slowly climbed back up. Heading into the final table, Aube had a dominating chip lead that he never relinquished throughout the rest of the day.

There were many big names and former champions in this tournament including James Gilbert ($20,585), Kenny Hallaert ($20,585), David Miscikowski ($25,474), Ran Koller ($52,240), Matt Berkey ($68,102) and Brian Keith Etheridge ($222,762) who all cashed in the top 25.

Event #78: $2,500 No-Limit Holdem Final Table Results

Place Player Country Prize (USD) 1 Sebastien Aube Canada $499,636 2 Jilien Loire France $308,817 3 Brian Keith Etheridge United States $222,762 4 Axel Hallay France $162,627 5 Leandro Vlastaris United States $120,177 6 Santiago Plante Canada $89,905 7 Matt Berkey United States $68,102 8 Ran Koller Israel $52,240 9 Jonathan Zarin United States $40,588

Winners Reaction

Sebastien Aube

This was Aubes first WSOP bracelet and only the second cash of his poker career, the first one being $2,815. I played recreationally in my 20s and when I opened my last business in the pandemic, I came upon the MasterClass of Daniel Negreanu. I always liked the guy so was like alright, let's go. He really psyched me up. Its the same recipe to succeed in poker as it is in business so it really called to me.

Aube came out to test the skills he picked up in his studies at the WSOP Main Event. It was his first time playing in the series and while the cards didnt fall right for him in the Main, they sure did in this one. He was radiating happiness and excitement after his win, Im extremely psyched. I was in it for the bracelet mostly and Im very glad that I got it. Im so excited, its a very good accomplishment for my second live cash in a tournament; a pretty good one to do it in.

His girlfriend and his 11-month-old child are back at home in Montreal, Canada, and were getting updates on his status throughout the day. I cant wait to celebrate with my friends and family. My girlfriend is asleep now but she is going to wake up and be so excited with the amazing news of my win.

Final Day Recap

WSOP bracelet winner Miscikowski was the chip leader heading into Day 3. Six other players busted out within the first two levels and the remaining 16 played for another few hours before Hallaert was eliminated in 16th place. Miscikowski was taken out in 13th and, within an hour, the remaining ten went over to the unofficial final table.

Brien Lee was the first one knocked out when his queen-high straight was beaten by Aubes king-high straight. Jonathan Zarin followed shortly after when an unlucky river gave Etheridge a straight, running over his ace-king (top two pair).

Matt Berkey busted at the hands of the eventual champion

Koller was next to go when the bracelet winner was taken out by Berkey's runner-runner two pair. After the dinner break, Berkey was eliminated by Aube in a race with ace-ten which ended with Aube hitting a set to knock him out.

Another player from Montreal, Santiago Plante, was short-stacked throughout most of the final table play but managed to capture sixth place when he came up against pocket nines and the deck didnt give him any help.

Leandro Vlastaris was knocked out in fifth after a roller coaster ride of highs and lows throughout the day, ending up all in against Aube who knocked him out with pocket jacks.

The final four went rather quickly with Axel Hallay going up against and losing to Aube and his monster stack. Etheridge busted out shortly after Julien Loire hit Broadway against him in an all-in hand.

On the final hand, the seven on the river hit for both Aube and Loire. When Aube moved all in, Loire quickly called and tabled his straight. Aube flipped over nines full of sevens and that was it as he took down the hand and the tournament.

Stay tuned to PokerNews as we bring you all the action from the last handful of 2022 WSOP bracelet-awarding events.
After 15 levels of play, the Day 1 action of Event #81: $5,000 Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em concluded with only 153 players out of 756 total entries managing to find a bag to tag.

All those entries created a total prize pool of $3,487,050, guaranteeing the winner will walk away with $665,459 for first place and the coveted gold WSOP bracelet, while 114 players total will be in the money on Day 2 for at least $8,021.

Mark Davis takes the overnight chip lead with a huge bag of 1,127,000 chips. The Alabama native counts $1,521,508 in total live earnings and will continue to battle for the first gold bracelet of his career. Trailing in second place is Yuki Kashihara with 829,000, who has $61,950 in live earnings but will be looking to top that with a deep run in this event. Closing the podium for today is Tony Bracy with 704,000 who is looking for his first cash of the series.

Event #81: $5,000 Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em Top 10 Chips

Place Player Country Chips Big Blinds 1 Mark Davies United States 1,127,000 141 2 Yuki Kashihara United States 829,000 104 3 Tony Bracy United States 704,000 88 4 Johannes Straver United States 670,000 84 5 Francois Pirault France 614,000 77 6 Kitty Kuo Taiwan 580,000 73 7 Terence Etim United Kingdom 524,000 66 8 Tzu Yen United States 510,000 64 9 James Romero United States 500,000 63 10 Javier Carcirreynaldos Spain 491,000 61

Several other big names also advancing to Day 2 include Kitty Kuo (580,000), three-time bracelet winner Cliff Josephy (419,000), Galen Hall (319,000), Landon Tice (244,000), Andrew Lichtenberger (173,000), and Adam Hendrix (172,000). They are just a few of the many well-known players in the poker world that have made it through.

Some of those unfortunate to bust out here on Day 1 include Main Event champions Ryan Riess and Phil Hellmuth, as well as bracelet winners Kristen Foxen and husband Alex Foxen. Other notables to bust before end of Day 1 include Darren Elias, Ethan Yau, and Matt Berkey, to name a few.

Day 2 will start at 2 p.m local time, July 14th, and the battle will continue until the final five players are reached. Play will resume at Level 16 with blinds at 4,000/8,000 with a 8,000 big blind ante. There will be a 15-minute break every two levels and players will also enjoy a 60-minute dinner break after Level 21, six levels into the action.

With many top players still in the field and two more days of play ahead, it will be an exciting road to victory for the champion of this event. Stay tuned to PokerNews for updates on all of the action in this tournament and what remains of the 2022 WSOP at Bally's and Paris Las Vegas.
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump AP Photo

Biden said he's not concerned about a possible rematch against former President Donald Trump in 2024.

"I'm not predicting, but I would not be disappointed," Biden told Israel's Channel 12.

Biden has insisted he will run again as Trump is reported to be considering another run.

President Joe Biden shrugged off the notion of a potential rematch with Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, telling Israeli media on Wednesday that he wouldn't be "disappointed" facing off again.

"I'm not predicting, but I would not be disappointed," Biden told local outlet Channel 12 in an interview when asked about the potential for a rematch.

He continued: "The one thing I know about politics  and American politics in particular  is there's no way to predict what's going to happen. I'm not even halfway through my term yet, and so there's a lot of room to figure out what's going to happen."

Biden landed in Israel on Wednesday to kick off a four-day visit to the Middle East with an itinerary that includes meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia.

Still more than two years out, there has been plenty of speculation and signs from politicians who may be considering throwing their hats into the ring if Biden and Trump don't run face each other again in 2024.

Biden defeated then-President Trump in the 2020 presidential election, a record turnout for voters as the nation battled the surging COVID-19 pandemic.

The election result sparked an onslaught of baseless and false claims about voter fraud and other conspiracies by Trump, his allies, far-right supporters, and Republican members of Congress.

Read the original article on Business Insider
By Holger Hansen

BERLIN (Reuters) - Household energy costs could triple in Germany as Russian gas supplies dwindle, officials in the sector said, and one company representative raised the possibility of social unrest unless there was a cap on prices.

In an interview with the RND newspaper group published on Thursday, Klaus Mueller, head of the Federal Network Agency regulator urged consumers to reduce consumption and set aside money.

And in an interview with Reuters, the head of the municipal works of Chemnitz, one of the 900 city-owned public companies that are a major part of Germany's energy landscape, went further.

"We must help average households and set an upper limit for energy costs," Roland Warner said, warning that annual bills of 1,500 euros could rise to 4,700 euros in October. "If we get social unrest the state won't be able to cope."

The energy ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent after working hours.

Energy minister Robert Habeck has in the past rejected calls for state price caps, saying the state cannot fully offset increased prices and that attempting to do so would send the wrong signal about the need to conserve energy.

After prospering from cheap Russian gas for decades, Europe's largest economy is facing a crunch as Russia dials back supplies.

Western governments say Moscow is retaliating against sanctions imposed over its invasion of Ukraine, but Moscow blames technical problems.

Some analysts warn that public backing for a tough line against Moscow could weaken further if living standards decline.

A Forsa poll published on Wednesday found that support for a boycott of Russian gas - a major source of finance for what Moscow calls its "special operation" in Ukraine - had fallen from 44% of respondents six weeks ago to just 32% now.

With spot prices soaring, Mueller warned that end-consumers rolling over their fixed-term contracts now would find themselves paying twice as much now, and three times at the end of the summer.

"Some prices on exchanges are up sevenfold," said Mueller. "It's not all going to come through immediately, and won't be fully passed on, but it's going to have to be paid eventually," he said.

(Writing by Thomas Escritt; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
President Joe Biden delivers a statement after his arrival in Israel (AFP via Getty Images)

President Biden is visiting Israel this week, before continuing to Saudi Arabia on Friday. Biden will likely praise Israels technological might and military prowess. Hell probably make a public statement about the inviolable bond between the United States and Israel, and celebrate Israel as a thriving liberal democracy.

But Biden has probably never heard of Ahmed Jundeya from the small village of Tuba in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank. Nor will he meet him.

When Ahmed was just a young child, he was forcibly expelled from his home to make room for an Israeli army firing zone, along with the rest of his villages residents. After they appealed to Israels Supreme Court, they were allowed to temporarily return to their homes until the court rendered its final decision. On May 4, 2022, the Supreme Court ruled that the army may evacuate the residents from their home and displace over a thousand Palestinians.

For Biden, like for Israeli Prime Minister Lapid, Palestinians like Ahmed Jundeya are invisible.

Like most Israeli politicians, from messianic right-wingers to those erroneously called the change bloc, the American president prefers to promote fantasies of economic peace over true justice for the two peoples sharing this land. In his op-ed this week in the Washington Post, President Biden boasted of rebuilding the US-Palestinian relationship and restoring some $500 million in aid for Palestinians. He had nothing to say about Israels occupation or Palestinians rights.

Like his Israeli counterparts, President Biden seems convinced that the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories can be managed, as if today exists some livable status quo that could  and should  be maintained. This fantasy is premised on the erroneous assumption that the Palestinian question can somehow be sidestepped en route to fostering a regional alliance between Israel and Arab countries like the UAE and Bahrain, while trampling over the most basic human rights of the Palestinian people  who live under an apartheid regime. But Ahmed Jundeya, like the rest of the Palestinian people, isnt going anywhere.

Story continues

The current administration continues to greenlight the expansion of Israels illegal settlements, the heinous 15 years-long siege over the Gaza Strip, home demolitions en masse, and wanton violence in the Occupied Territories. President Biden kept silent when Israel defined itself as an exclusive Jewish state, on both sides of the green line; when it continued to displace its Arab citizens in the Negev; and when it passed the racist Citizenship and Nation-State Laws, which legally enshrine and codify Jewish supremacy.

The sad truth is that today most Jewish-Israeli politicians wont even utter the word occupation, let alone dare speak about ending it. Without the international communitys deafening silence and the USs active support, Israel wouldnt dare to so blatantly violate international law and couldnt sustain its racist segregation regime, where theres one law for Jews and another for Palestinians.

Mr President, when discussing Israels booming high-tech economy with PM Lapid or speaking to Saudi Arabias dictator MBS about building a regional security pact to counter Iran and secure American hegemony in the Middle East, you should remember Masafar Yatas residents, like Ahmed Jundeya. These residents are facing expulsion to make room for an Israeli military fire zone  which we know historically is often a precursor to settlement development. Also keep in mind the brave Palestinian-American journalist, Shireen Abu-Akleh, who was killed by an Israeli sniper in Jenin  and whose death has not been investigated by the US or by Israeli officials. Remember Hajar and Mustafa Kaabaneh from Ras a-Tin, who were reportedly beaten and knocked unconscious by 15 Jewish settlers while inside their family encampment.

The occupation cannot and should not be managed. Regional security pacts that deliberately ignore the Palestinians legitimate demands  self-determination, independence and human rights  will not bring about peace, democracy or justice, for either Israelis or Palestinians. Establishing an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living peacefully side-by-side with Israel, is not just a Palestinian interest. There will never be peace, nor will there be a true democracy, without dismantling apartheid. No regional military alliance or normalization agreement with the Gulf states will ever change that simple fact.

Member of Knesset Aida Touma-Sliman represents Hadash/Joint List in the Israeli parliament, where she is the Chair of the Standing Committee on Women and Gender Equality
The sole surviving member of the terror squad that killed 130 people in Paris in 2015 has been transferred from France to Belgium, where he will be tried later this year for attacks there in 2016.

Abdeslam was handed a whole-life sentence by a French court last month for his involvement in the 2015 attacks at the Bataclan theatre and other locations in Paris.

The 32-year-old Frenchman of Moroccan origin who used to live in Brussels was on Wednesday flown from Fleury-Merogis prison south of Paris to Belgium's Ittre prison, according to a source close to the case.

He will be held in prison in Belgium until his trial on 10 October.

Abdeslam is being tried there for his involvement in March 2016 attacks that were carried out by the same cell behind the Paris attacks.

The attacks in Belgium, which killed 32 people at the national airport and in a Brussels metro station, were also claimed by the Islamic State armed group.

The Belgian trial could last until the summer of 2023.

Abdeslam was captured in Brussels by police days before the Belgium attacks and was handed over to France to face trial there over the 2015 attacks in Paris.

On 29 June, he was sentenced to life in prison with only a tiny chance of parole after 30 years, the toughest possible punishment under French law.

Abdeslam did not appeal the sentence after the trial, which was the biggest in modern French history.

He will be tried in Belgium alongside five of his co-defendants in Paris, including Mohamed Abrini, the "man in the hat" who abandoned his cart of explosives at the Brussels airport before fleeing.

Another native of Brussels, Oussama Atar, the alleged mastermind of the Paris attacks, will also be tried in absentia, as he is presumed dead in Syria.

(with AFP)
BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has stressed consolidating the foundation of economic recovery, calling for efforts to bring the economy back on normal track as soon as possible and keep it running in a reasonable range.

Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while presiding over a symposium on the economic situation attended by economists and entrepreneurs on Tuesday. 
By Patricia Zengerle and David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Voting in the Senate on a bill to boost the U.S. semiconductor industry and improve competitiveness with China could begin as early as Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has been telling lawmakers, a source familiar with the issue said on Thursday.

The source said the bill would include, at a minimum, billions of dollars in subsidies for the semiconductor industry and an investment tax credit to boost U.S. manufacturing.

Lawmakers hope to pass the legislation and send it to the White House for President Joe Biden to sign into law before they leave Washington for their annual August recess.

"We want as robust of a bill as possible," U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told reporters following a closed briefing with some members of the House of Representatives. But when asked if a scaled-back measure would be acceptable, Raimondo replied: "If that's what the members of both the House and the Senate feel is possible, then let's get it done."

Citing national security concerns if legislation were to continue to languish, Raimondo said, "We are out of time."

The planned legislation would be a condensed version of a bill the Senate passed in June 2021 that included $52 billion for chip subsidies and authorized another $200 billion to boost U.S. scientific and technological innovation to compete with China.

But that bill never became law. The House of Representatives never took it up, instead passing its own version in February similar to the Senate's measure but also included a number of trade proposals.

The overall plan - a priority for the Biden administration - more recently faced a new hurdle in the Senate, where it will need Republican support to move ahead.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said on Monday that if Democrats pursue a separate partisan social spending, tax and climate bill, it "will certainly crowd out our ability" to move ahead the bipartisan chips and China competition measure.

Story continues

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin issued a statement urging Congress to act. "Weapon systems employed on the battlefields of today and emerging technologies of tomorrow depend on our access to a steady, secure supply of microelectronics," he said.

The comments about Schumer's plans were consistent with what Raimondo told Reuters on Wednesday. She said lawmakers appeared to be moving to carve off the $52 billion in semiconductor chips manufacturing subsidies from the larger bill.

A shortage of chips has disrupted the automotive and electronics industries, forcing some companies to scale back production. Many companies think the shortage will last at least until late 2023.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle, Richard Cowan and David Shepardson; additional reporting by Eric Beech and Mike Stone; writing by Patricia Zengerle; editing by Leslie Adler and Diane Craft)
Defendants in the record fuel smuggling case on trial on Tuesday. VNA/VNS Photo

The defendants, who include regional commanders, are accused of smuggling, accepting bribes and helping people illegally flee abroad.

Four defendants are from the Coast Guard Command. They are; Phung Danh Thoai, former head of the Petroleum Offices Logistics Department; Le Van Minh, former commander of the Fourth Region; Le Xuan Thanh, former commander of the Third Region; and Luu The Duc, former deputy head of Reconnaissance No2.

Five others are from the regional Border Guard; Nguyen The Anh, former commander of Kien Giang Provinces Border Guard; Pham Van Tren, former commander of Tra Vinh Provinces Border Guard; Nguyen Van Hung, former head of Truong Long Hoa Port Border Gate in Tra Vinh Province Border Guard; Nguyen Thanh Lam, former head of Squadron 2 of Soc Trang Provinces Border Guard; and Son Hoang Ngu, Truong Long Hoa Port Border Gate employee.

The remaining defendants are Le Van Phuong, former deputy head of Tra Vinh Province Polices Traffic Police Department, and four other defendants, Nguyen Van An, residing in HCM City, Phan Thi Xuan in Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province, Pham Ho Hai in Can Tho City and Cao Phuoc Hoai in Binh Dinh Province.

A total of 16 lawyers have registered to represent the defendants in court.

The Central Military Procuracy has charged Phung Danh Thoai with smuggling, while Nguyen The Anh was charged with accepting bribes and helping people illegally flee abroad, as prescribed in the Vietnamese Penal Code.

Nguyen Van An, Nguyen Van Hung, Pham Van Tren, Le Van Minh, Le Xuan Thanh, Phan Thi Xuan, Nguyen Thanh Lam, Pham Ho Hai, Le Van Phuong, Luu The Duc, and Son Hoang Ngu face charges of accepting bribes.

Cao Phuoc Hoai has been charged with failing to report the crime.

According to the indictment, Dao Ngoc Vien, director of the Hai Phong Ocean, and Phan Thanh Huu, director of Phan Le Hoang Anh, asked Thoai to use his influence on the Coast Guard to help smuggle of about 200 million litres of gasoline, worth about $130 million, into Vietnam.

Thoai contributed VND5 billion ($213,730) and in return made profits of more than VND22 billion ($940,410) between September 2019 and February 2021.

Nguyen The Anh took advantage of his position and power to help cover the gasoline smuggling activities and took bribes of VND6.2 billion ($265,020) and $560,000.

Anh asked his cousin, Nguyen Van An, to receive money between October 2019 and January 2021. From February 2021, Anh also asked Cao Phuoc Hoai and Nguyen Van Quan to help receive money.

Between December 2019 and January 2021, former commander Le Van Minh received VND6.9 billion ($294,940) to help cover the smuggling activities, while Le Xuan Thanh asked his wife, Phan Thi Xuan, to receive VND1.8 billion ($76,940) from gasoline smuggler Phan Thanh Huu.

Several suspects, including Phan Thanh Huu and Dao Ngoc Vien, have been put on trial in Dong Nai Province.

Source: Vietnam News
SOFIA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The GERB-UDF coalition, the second largest group in Bulgaria's National Assembly, refused the president's proposal to try to form a government here on Thursday.

This was announced at a ceremony where Bulgarian President Rumen Radev had to hand a GERB-UDF's prime minister nominee an exploratory mandate.

Desislava Atanasova, Chairperson of the GERB-UDF parliamentary group, said it did not want to receive an exploratory mandate to form a government, nor would it name a candidate for prime minister.

Following the requirements of the Bulgarian Constitution, Radev first entrusted the task of forming a new government to the 67-seat "We Continue the Change" (PP) coalition on July 1, but after week-long efforts, it failed to secure a parliamentary majority.

According to the Constitution, the third exploratory mandate should be given to one of the minor parliamentary groups, including "Movement for Rights and Freedoms", "BSP for Bulgaria", "There Is Such People" (ITN), "Democratic Bulgaria", or "Revival", which have 34, 26, 18, 16 and 12 seats respectively.

"Should no agreement on the formation of a government be reached, the President shall appoint a caretaker government, dissolve the National Assembly and schedule new elections," the Constitution says.

The government led by PP's co-leader Kiril Petkov was ousted by a no-confidence vote on June 22, two weeks after ITN, one of the four partners in the ruling coalition, withdrew its support.

Petkov's government was elected last December after three parliamentary elections within eight months. 
Consumers, especially young people, prefer eating healthier after COVID-19 pandemic. -- Photo Courtesy Vero

HCM CITY  Clearly sharing the sources of raw materials is among the best ways for food and beverage brands to build more trust with customers as eating habits have significantly changed amid the COVID-19 pandemic, experts said.

"Given the general development trend of the food and beverage (F&B) industry, there are two key factors that receive a lot of attention: processing and ingredients. Business owners can share the source of raw materials that they use for a product. This is one of the ways brands can build more trust with customers," said Vu Tien Long, chief growth officer, Kamereo.

Viet Nam is among the fastest growing countries in Asia in terms of food expenditure. With GDP expected to start to grow sharply, the F&B industry will have a lot of room for growth.

However, there is also a lot of competition as more and more international brands are now starting to come to the country to research and launch their products.

Furthermore, eating habits have significantly changed after a long period of social distancing. Therefore, brands need to take wise steps to better serve the needs of their consumers, as well as maintain their positions in the market.

For many Vietnamese consumers, the nutritional value and health benefits of food and beverages are the most important factors when choosing a product.

A report entitled Helping Brands Tap into Viet Nams Changing Eating Habits, which was recently released by Vero and Decision Lab, found that more than 60 per cent of consumers choose healthy eating for better mental health.

Across Viet Nam, the report said, mental health is an issue and a trend that started even before the pandemic. Nearly 15 per cent of Viet Nam's population suffers from depression or anxiety disorders, with a growing number of cases in young people.

In 2021, Viet Nam was hit with one of the strictest lockdowns in the world. From June to September residents were told explicitly to stay at home. From 2020 to 2021, loneliness had one of the highest search term increases on Google, with weight gain as the concern that received the biggest search volume.

Stemming from the pandemic, consumers have understood that eating healthily also brings crucial benefits, in addition to keeping the body fit and healthy. Many studies have shown that food can help improve mood and wellness in general. This movement is on the rise, and has become a trend or buzz-topic among consumers.

About 64.3 per cent of Gen Z and 71.6 per cent of Gen Y responded that the main reason for them to choose eating healthier is because of the long-term health benefits. In addition, more than 60 per cent of consumers from both generations agree that mental health is also one of the great motivations for them to change their eating habits.

The pandemic has accelerated the use of vitamins, making them an important part of lifestyles and daily routines.

According to the report, more than 50 per cent of Vietnamese consumers search for information about healthy eating through social media.

Authority figures and experts are no longer the only trusted source for customers. Social media, friends and families, and influencers are increasingly becoming trusted authorities for consumers to seek out information about healthy eating.

Weve noticed that consumers are more open to trying new brands, stating sustainability, quality, or experience as the reason for this, said strategic planner Vero, Pham Hoai Anh. As the health and wellness movement grows in Viet Nam, consumers are gaining more knowledge about how to lead a healthier lifestyle.

There are many ways that brands can go further in producing products that support healthy lifestyles or adding more value to consumers' daily and casual meals. Helping consumers make better choices when it comes to what they eat, how they exercise, and how they cook will be key to developing strong authentic relationships.  VNS
HA NOI  The British Government handed over the Vietnam national trade repository (VNTR) to the Vietnamese at a ceremony on July 13.

The project was launched in 2020 under a letter of intent signed by the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) and the British Department of International Trade. The British side provided technical assistance for Viet Nam.

It demonstrates the Vietnamese Governments resolve to enhance trade commitment and policy transparency to help enterprises build business strategies, and improve competitiveness and capacity for joining global production and supply chains, MoIT Minister Nguyen Hong Dien said.

The VNTR provides information free of charge in both English and Vietnamese, covering tariff commitments in free trade agreements (FTAs) within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), to which Viet Nam is a signatory, most favoured nation (MFN) tariff, rules of product origin and non-tariff measures, along with trade documents.

It also introduces the best trade facilitation practices applied by ASEAN members, along with the lists of businesses given priority in handling tax, export, import, and customs clearance procedures in the member countries of the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) and the FTAs between ASEAN and partner countries.

According to the ATIGA, each member country will build its own national trade repository, which is connected with the ASEAN Trade Repository (atr.asean.org) to ensure policy transparency, facilitate regional trade, and support businesses.

Dien thanked the Government, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, and the Embassy of the UK in Viet Nam, along with relevant Vietnamese ministries and agencies, for their support and coordination while building the repository.  VNS
HA NOI - LG Electronics (LG) has cooperated with Thanh Nien newspaper to organise a community programme: "Kindness of Viet Nam  The Better Life Vietnam Deserves."

The programme honours individuals who are role models in daily life, spreading acts of kindness and noble deeds.

The activity is part of LG's efforts in improving life for Vietnamese people through practical contributions to society.

The opening ceremony was held in Ha Noi on Tuesday to honour the first five individuals, with the presence of representatives from several agencies.

Nguyen Ngoc Toan, editor-in-chief of the newspaper, said: "With the desire to encourage each individual's good deeds and gestures, both spiritually and materially, the newspaper and LG Electronics Vietnam have agreed to cooperate in organising the programme 'Kindness of Viet Nam - The Better Life Viet Nam Deserves.'"

LG strives to bring innovative technology solutions and products to help users enjoy life to the fullest. As a global brand with a history of business development in Viet Nam, LG accompanies local units and organisations to help create a civilised, innovative and developed society.

Over the years, LG has implemented many projects to improve the quality of people's lives in many provinces and cities nationwide.

In 2022, LG started "The Better Life Viet Nam Deserves" to accompany generations of Vietnamese to find new inspirations, create new experiences and evoke a spirit of solidarity.

With a network of trusted agencies nationwide and a high-level committee, the newspaper will evaluate different examples of good people and conduct for the programme.

Bright role models receive rewards from LG.

In the first phase, the project recorded five cased and awarded a cash prize of VN200 million (for each individual): Thai Ngo Hieu (ong Nai Province), Le Truong Hai (HCM City), Chu Quang Sao (Thai Nguyen City), Trung Van Nam (Ha Noi) and Nguyen Van Duong (Ha Tinh). They are individuals who showed kindness through selfless actions for their community.

From saving drowning people, rushing into fires to save lives to assisting in catching criminals, the five represent a generation of brave, kind, and ready-for-action young Vietnamese.

Trung Van Nam, who put out a fire to save a girl in Ha Noi in January 2022, said: "It is a great honour to receive the reward from LG and the Communist Youth Union of Viet Nam. Kindness is in nature of the Vietnamese, so I believe that not only me but any of us would do the same when we see people in need."

In the programme's second phase (from August to December 2022), LG and the newspaper will continue to select and honour individuals.

Sung Woo Nam, Managing Director of LG Vietnam, said: "Building a civilised and progressive society is the sustainable development goal of a global brand with long-term visions. As an inspirational brand, LG focuses on delivering campaigns based on the practical concerns of the community, on creating more positive values to spread happiness, and to light up a prouder Viet Nam." VNS
GUANGXI  Viet Nam expects China will facilitate customs clearance procedures for Vietnamese products via road and railway borders, especially seasonal fruits and agricultural produce.

The statement was made during the 14th Meeting of the Viet Nam-China Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation held in Chinas Guangxi Province yesterday.

At the meeting, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh and Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi both highlighted the importance of relations between the two countries in their overall foreign policy.

The two officials agreed that the two sides will continue to coordinate with each other, maintain stable relations and achieve positive results.

The two countries also organised exchanges and achieved important results in the COVID-19 prevention and control work.

The economic and investment cooperation between the two sides has continued to develop with Viet Nam maintaining its position as Chinas large trade partner in ASEAN and the sixth-largest in the world. China continues to be Viet Nams largest trade partner.

The leaders pointed out problems too, including increasing trade imbalance and goods congestion at border gates with China.

They agreed China should open its markets for Vietnamese agricultural produce more rapidly, and that some economic cooperation projects and non-refundable aid projects in Viet Nam need to be accelerated, even though travel between the two countries is still challenging due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The two leaders highlighted the need to maintain effective cooperation in such important fields as diplomacy, defence and security, as well as to enhance people-to-people exchanges.

Vietnamese Deputy PM Minh asked China to shorten the quarantine and customs clearance time for products exported to China.

He said he expects China to continue opening the market to Vietnamese fruits, creating favourable conditions for Viet Nam to launch a trade promotion office in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, as well as improving the efficiency of the Viet Nam-China international rail transport route.

It is also expected that China's high-quality investment into areas suitable to Viet Nams needs and sustainable development strategy will be expanded.

The two sides should also accelerate cooperation in cross-border e-commerce and improve the effectiveness of cooperation in fields including finance, transport, agriculture, environment and education.

Agreeing with the proposals from the Vietnamese side, the Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang said that China attaches special importance to Viet Nams interest in expanding the export of agricultural produce and fishery products to China.

China is willing to open and upgrade border gates as per the needs of the two sides and continues to expand markets and cooperation with Viet Nam.

China will consider cooperation with Viet Nam in such fields as digital economy, e-commerce, clean energy, emission reduction and recovery of commercial flight routes between the two countries as well as welcome Vietnamese students back to China to study.

Regarding the territorial border, the two sides agreed to coordinate in managing the land border and properly settling arising cases according to three legal documents on the land border between Viet Nam and China.

They also agreed to continue to strictly adhere to the high-level common perception on maintaining peace and stability at sea, including the agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of sea-related issues.

They also agreed to promote negotiation mechanisms to achieve substantive progress and accelerate the negotiation of a new agreement on fisheries cooperation in the Gulf of Tonkin.

Viet Nam and China will soon sign a cooperation agreement on search and rescue at sea and an agreement to set up a hotline for unscheduled cases of fishing activities at sea.

Vietnamese diplomat Minh emphasised that the two sides need to make efforts to control disagreements well, not take actions to complicate the situation and expand disputes; respect each other's legitimate rights and interests following international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and jointly maintain peace and stability in the East Sea.

The two sides signed several documents including an agreement on economic and technical cooperation on the provision of grants between the two countries for the fiscal year 2020, and a protocol on phytosanitary requirements for Vietnamese durian exported to China. VNS
The abandoned sturgeon breeding centre in Na Tong, Hua Trai Commune, Muong La District.  VNA/VNA Photo Huu Quyet

SON LA  A sturgeon breeding project worth more than VN50 billion (US$2.1 million) has been abandoned in Son La Province for the past three years, wasting State investment resources.

The concentrated sturgeon project in Muong La and Quynh Nhai districts was approved by the People's Committee of Son La Province in 2016 and completed in 2020.

The project includes a sturgeon breeding centre in Na Tong Village, Hua Trai Commune, Muong La District and a concentrated sturgeon farming area in Chieng Bang Commune, Quynh Nhai District.

It was expected to form a safe aquaculture area for concentrated sturgeon farming and be a focal point for the preservation, distribution, and consumption of aquatic products, providing breeds and fishery services to farmers.

To construct the sturgeon breed centre, which is worth VN40.8 billion, the People's Committee of Muong La District recovered more than 30,000sq.m of land from 112 households in Hua Trai Commune.

The amount of compensation for households was over VN3.5 billion. However, so far, the project has not been put into use, making households who have lost their land unhappy, while the local authorities do not know how to respond to the people satisfactorily.

"It is very wasteful when the completed project has not been put into operation so far. People here expect the project will facilitate their production after it is put in use," said Tong Van Khiem, vice chairman of the Hua Trai Commune's People's Committee.

Two years after being abandoned, many parts of the project, such as ponds, tanks, water supplies, drainage and power systems, protective fences and equipment have degraded.

Quang Van Duong, a resident, said he has been working as a security guard looking after the site since 2019.

The sturgeon breed centre was abandoned after two crops.

He took advantage of the abandoned ponds to raise ducks, goats and trash fish.

In Chieng Bang Commune, Quynh Nhai District, the construction of concentrated sturgeon farming area was built at a cost of over VN10 billion.

The work includes a fishing wharf, yard, embankment, roads, office, water supply and drainage system, wastewater treatment system and power system.

However, it has never been put into use since it was completed. Many items of the construction are rusted and damaged.

The VN10 billion project is now a place for farmers to dry their rice when harvest season comes.

La Van Lang, a resident from Bia Ban village, said his family earns a living from fishing in Son La reservoir.

He and many other households were very excited to learn the project would be built here.

People hope the local government will soon have a solution to put into use to facilitate their fishing activities, Lang said.

Vice-chairman of Quynh Nhai District People's Committee, Cam Van Huy, said the local government is submitting a plan to agencies for approval to organise an auction for lease.

Son La Provincial People's Committee recently has worked with relevant agencies to remove difficulties for the sturgeon breeding centre in Hua Trai Commune, Muong La District.

Accordingly, representatives of agencies suggested the centre should be managed by a unit under the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.  VNS
HCM CITY  Roche Pharma Vietnam and the University Medical Centre of HCM City will work together to improve cancer management and treatment as part of a Memorandum of Understanding signed on July 13.

The cooperation aims to improve the professional capacity of the hospital's medical staff in diagnosis, treatment, and care for cancer patients and strengthen cooperation with domestic and foreign oncology organisations and experts in the field of oncology.

It will also carry out activities for the benefit of patients and the community, such as implementing patient and community-oriented activities, developing and implementing the liver cancer project (2022-2024), and researching to collect data for treatment and patient care.

The event marks a comprehensive partnership between the two sides to enable cancer patients to access advanced therapies.

"We hope that the cooperation between the hospital and Roche Pharma Vietnam will help improve the functions of cancer patients, bring treatment efficiency, and create many benefits for patients. To facilitate the goal, the parties need to closely coordinate, develop in-depth expertise, continuously improve the diagnostic and treatment capacity of medical staff, and at the same time have many scientific projects and research to lay the basis for a master plan in the future," said Prof. Truong Quang Binh, Deputy Director of the University Medical Centre.

Lennor Carrillo, General Director of Roche Pharma Vietnam, said: "As a global pioneer in the pharmaceutical industry, Roche strives to give cancer patients more opportunities to access advanced therapies, easing the financial burden on patients, their families, the medical industry and society. The expansion of cooperation with leading hospital partners across the country, including HCMC University Medical Centre, is of positive significance to improving the healthcare system, strengthening medical examination and treatment capacity for medical staff in oncology as well as improving patients' quality of life."

According to Globocan 2020 data, Viet Nam's rank in new cancer incidence rates has increased by nine places to 90th out of 185 countries as the number of new cases rose from 165,000 in 2018 to 182,000 in 2020.

In Viet Nam, the five most common cancers in 2020 include liver cancer (14.5 per cent), breast cancer (11.8 per cent), stomach cancer (9.8 per cent), and colorectal cancer (8.6 per cent).  VNS
Fairy tales always seem to go better when theres magic and music involved and the Waco Civic Theatre plans to provide both in its production of Cinderella, the next-to-last offering of the theaters summer season.

The music comes from the celebrated Broadway duo Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, who wrote the original musical as a 1957 television production starring Julie Andrews.

The magic will be, in the words of director Lauren Weber, digital magic  visual projections and overlays added to the action onstage.

Its one of the theaters largest productions this year, with approximately 60 in the cast, one amplified by two childrens choruses, one of mice guys and the other village girls.

Those familiar with the original 1957 musical will find some changes in the WCT production. Concord Theatricals, which handles the performance rights for the musical, has four licensed versions: the original, a 1965 remake, a 1997 Enchanted production that featured Whitney Houston and Brandy, and the 2013 Broadway production.

The Enchanted production being staged features songs The Sweetest Sounds and Theres Music in You added to the original version, best known for numbers such as Impossible; Its Possible, In My Own Little Corner and Do I Love You Because Youre Beautiful?

This version is really fun and different, Weber Its a great family show.

Solei Johnson stars as Cinderella with Logan Allen her prince and Breshena Crosby her fairy godmother. Rounding out the principal roles are Marnie Abrahams as Cinderellas stepmother, Kaleigh Huser and Leah Boyd as her stepsisters, and Carlos and Kimberly Monzon as King Maximillian and Queen Constantina.

The cast will sing to recorded tracks with Kelly MacGregor serving as the productions music director. Meredith Sutton and Valerie Martinka Davis created the choreography and Mandy Yarbrough designed the costumes.

Cinderella opens its two-weekend run July 22 at the Midway ISD Performing Arts Center, 800 N. Hewitt Drive. The WCT will close its summer season with Into The Woods Jr., presented Aug. 11-14 at the community theater, 1517 Lake Air Drive.
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi co-chairs the sixth meeting of the China-Cambodia intergovernmental coordinating committee with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Hor Nam Hong via video on July 14, 2022. (Xinhua)

NANNING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, co-chaired the sixth meeting of the China-Cambodia intergovernmental coordinating committee with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Hor Nam Hong, on Thursday via video.

Next year will mark the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Cambodia and the completion of the two countries' first five-year action plan for building a community with a shared future. Noting this, Wang confirmed that China is willing to work with Cambodia to push bilateral cooperation at the forefront of the times, better serve the development of their respective countries and contribute to regional development and prosperity.

The facts show that the building of a China-Cambodia community with a shared future serves the fundamental and long-term interests of the two nations, and conforms to the trend of progress of the times and to the overall interest for peace and stability in the region. This cooperation is moving in the right direction, Wang said. The two sides are writing a new chapter in the high-quality development of bilateral relations in the new era, Wang adds.

Hor said Cambodia firmly adheres to the one-China policy, firmly supports the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, and wishes the upcoming 20th National Congress of the CPC a complete success.

Cambodia and China have made remarkable progress in fully implementing their plan of action for building a community with a shared future for both countries. Hor thanked China for providing a large amount of vaccines and anti-epidemic supplies, guaranteeing that Cambodia will be able to effectively control the epidemic and improve its economic situation.

Hor also thanked China for helping Cambodia maintain stability and improving people's standard of living, bringing tangible benefits to the Cambodian people.

"The Cambodian side is firmly committed to building a Cambodia-China community with a shared future and consolidating our ironclad friendship so as to bring more benefits to the two countries and their citizens," Hor added.

The two sides reviewed the implementation of the consensus reached at the fifth meeting of the China-Cambodia intergovernmental coordinating committee and made plans for the next step of their cooperation.

The two sides formulated a new action plan on building a China-Cambodia community with a shared future and coordinated exchanges and cooperation in various fields.

The two sides will deepen the exchange in governing their respective countries, and firmly support each other in safeguarding core interests and taking the development path in line with their national conditions.

The two sides will promote the joint construction of key projects of the Belt and Road Initiative with a high standard, continue to fight the epidemic together, and develop their cooperation in the fields of economy, trade and agriculture.

The two sides will increase flights between the two countries, implement livelihood projects, and strengthen cooperation in science and technology, education, culture, think tanks and tourism.

The two sides will adhere to the ASEAN-led regional cooperation architecture and reject any attempt to turn the East Asian cooperation platform into an arena for major powers to engage in game playing.

After the meeting, the two sides jointly announced the signing of cooperation documents on human resources and infrastructure. 

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi co-chairs the sixth meeting of the China-Cambodia intergovernmental coordinating committee with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Hor Nam Hong via video on July 14, 2022. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming)
Correction: This story has been updated to clarify that the video provided did not include the threat or the drawn weapon, which the victim reported to police.

Waco police arrested a woman Monday on charges that she brandished a handgun and threatened to shoot her neighbor, according to an arrest affidavit.

Police arrested Sumiko Bradley, 42, of Waco, near The Landing apartment complex in the 2500 block of Lake Shore Drive after she showed a Ruger LCP .380 Auto handgun to a neighbor while threatening to shoot her over dispute involving Bradleys child, the affidavit states.

After officers read Bradley her rights Monday, she told them she received a call from her 12-year-old daughter that a 27-year-old neighbor had shoved her, according to the affidavit. Bradley said she went to confront the neighbor, but denied pulling the gun or threatening anyone with it, police reported.

The neighbor provided security video with audio to officers that includes children screaming and cursing. The neighbor told officers Bradley drew the handgun and threatened to shoot her in the face, according to the affidavit.

Officers found the handgun in a car belonging to relative of Bradley, which they obtained written permission to search.

Bradley was jailed on a second-degree felony charge of aggravated assault before she was released on $5,000 bail.
City of Waco fees for everything from development review to admission at local attractions would increase in the next budget year under staff recommendations.

City department heads outlined several proposed fee increases during a City Council Budget and Audit Committee meeting Tuesday.

City Manager Bradley Ford will file a draft 2022-23 budget on July 29, and the city will set a property tax rate and approve a budget in the following weeks. If approved, the new fee structure will take effect with the start of the 2022-23 fiscal year Oct. 1.

One proposal would bump city engineering fees from 2% to 3% of estimated construction costs. Developers pay the fees to offset costs the city incurs reviewing plans and conducting inspections related to new subdivisions, but the $200,000 to $400,000 the current fee generates annually does not cover the full cost of those services, Assistant City Manager Paul Cain said.

Individual fees differ, but Cain said they dont collectively cover the cost of city process reviews, plan reviews and inspections conducted during construction. He said he expects resistance to the idea because of fears that the 50% increase would eat into developers profits.

The main thing, politically, is that its always a challenge to the development community, Cain said.

Public Works Director Amy Burlarley-Hyland said a cost analysis showed the fee would have to be set at 5% to fully offset the cost of reviews and inspections the city must complete.

Were working our way up to 3 now, Burlarley-Hyland said.

Mayor Dillon Meek said he has heard complaints about inefficiencies in the development approval process and raising the fees might provoke more.

These increases seem to be very reasonable to me, Meek said. Even slight increases open the door to developers, people who are regularly utilizing development services, coming to us and to yall with frustrations.

He said those frustrations are legitimate in some cases, but not all.

Cain said he does not think 3% is too aggressive, and he remembers 4% engineering fees 20 to 25 years ago.

Council Member Kelly Palmer said she is in favor of raising the fee because keeping it lower amounts to a drain on tax revenue that could be used elsewhere.

So many of my residents are well below our area median income, and I dont want their limited tax dollars subsidizing these big developers when they probably wont ever live in these homes, Palmer said.

Other fee proposals

The streets division recommended a creating a fee to help pay for emergency cleanup by streets crews. Burlarley-Hyland said it is usually the Waco Police Department that requests their help when a mess cuts off traffic.

If theres some kind of an accident and a contractors truck turns over and spills the contents  we want to be able to charge them the cost of us going out and doing that because thats not a normal day-to-day, Burlarley-Hyland said.

The traffic division recommended raising the hourly rate for barricades, cones and workers to close off streets for events by $130 during business hours and $193 outside of business hours. Fees for those services now run about $210 per hour, not counting traffic control and inspection fees.

Burlarley-Hylands staff also recommended adding an in-lieu fee for developers building on small lots with no room for detention ponds or other flood mitigation measures. Instead of requiring the mitigation measures, the city could use money collected from fees to pay for stormwater projects.

Other proposed fees include:

Development services fees, which start at $40, would include a $10 increase for electrical, plumbing, mechanical administration fees. Building permit fees would cost 5 cents more per square foot.

Adult admission to the Waco Mammoth National Monument would increase from $4 to $5.

Cameron Park Clubhouse rentals would cost an additional $150, bringing the rental fee to $1,250.

The Texas Ranger Museum and Hall of Fame would raise its ticket costs from $8 to $10 and raise the student group fee from 50 cents to $3.

Cameron Park Zoos ticket cost would rise from $13 to $14 for an adult ticket.
Workers have pulled a bronze statue of former Baylor University President Rufus Burleson from its original spot for a move to a less-prominent perch, one of the first tangible results of a report covering on-campus representations of the universitys historical ties to racism.

The university released the Baylor Commission on Historic Campus Representations final report in March last year, which makes a wide range of recommendations for how the university should handle its on-campus statues and monuments referring to figures from the universitys history with ties to racism, the Confederacy or the institution of slavery.

PDF: Baylor University's Final Report of the Commission on Historic Campus Representations In June 2020, the Baylor Board of Regents established the Commission on Historic Campus Representations as part of a unanimously passed resolu

Burleson, who served as a Confederate Army chaplain, owned at least one slave and expressed racist beliefs in his writing, ticks all three boxes. He served as president from 1851 to 1861 at the universitys original campus in Independence, and again in Waco from 1886 to 1897, overseeing Baylors merge with Waco University.

His legacy constitutes a harmful affront to current and future Black students, faculty, staff, alumni, and guests as well as to others in the majority community or group, the commissions report says of Burleson. Burleson should be recognized for the good things he did; however, this prominent representation must be viewed through the lens of the principles of speaking the truth in love and loving others through our actions.

The report says the statues location in what was then called the Burleson Quadrangle made it one of the more prominent depictions of a founding figure on campus, second only to the often-photographed 14-foot statue of Judge Robert Emmett Bledsoe Baylor, also a slaveholder, just outside Founders Mall. The commission recommended text on the base of the Judge Baylor statue referring to him as pro-church be changed or removed and that a monument to enslaved people held by Baylor founders be added nearby.

Baylor University Board of Regents voted in May to approve relocating the Burleson statue to a new spot between Burleson Hall and Draper Hall and renaming Burleson Quadrangle just the Quadrangle. The report does not recommend a change for Georgia Burleson Hall, named for Rufus Burlesons wife, who served as matron of the dorm, though it does suggest changes should be considered to a state historical marker related to her.

On Wednesday, workers from Adam Heath Construction used an all-terrain forklift to remove the statue from its granite pedestal.

Adam Heath, who started the company in 2007, said the bronze statue weighs about 500 pounds, and removing it was as easy as fastening straps around its waist and lifting it, then cutting the bolts attaching it to the granite foundation it stood on. He said the statue is on its way to Austin for refurbishment.

Removing the 6,000 to 7,000 pound foundation, which will be discarded, was trickier. Workers guided the forklift through a slow, steady path from the Quadrangle to Speight Avenue, past a display of bells from the original Independence campus and Waco University.

The commission noted the bell from Independence is inscribed with the name of the slave-owning Baylor trustee who gifted it to the university, Albert Horton. The report suggests moving them to a new location and surrounding them with a detailed history of early founders, board members, presidents and leaders and their ties to slavery.

The narrative concerning the bells needs to demonstrate repentance in word and deed by outlining the Universitys actions and initiatives to bring balance to its telling of Baylors early history around slavery, the report says.
Overcrowding issues that have plagued the Waco Animal Shelter since late last year are the target of a Waco Animal Welfare Board subcommittee drafting a series of policy change recommendations.

One of the changes under consideration could loosen requirements for euthanasia, which is now only done for health- or behavior-related reasons, but officials said they are working to ensure that is not necessary. Subcommittee members said they believe addressing intake, capacity and spay and neuter issues will prevent the need to act on a less-strict policy on euthanasia, which is considered a last resort and only necessary if all other avenues to reduce intake and free up capacity fail.

The board formed its subcommittee in May, and it is led by Sarah Moran, clinic manager at Animal Birth Control Clinic. The recommendations are likely weeks away from being finalized and sent on to the Waco City Council for consideration.

Humane Society of Central Texas Executive Director Kandi Hillyer said the overcrowding issues started in November and have slowly become more urgent. Over the past six to eight weeks, it has been rare for the shelter to drop below 95% capacity, Hillyer said.

The shelter has been waiving adoption fees to reduce overcrowding and will continue to offer free adoptions through at least the end of the month through a partnership with the Bissell Pet Foundation.

Hillyer said the shelter and its partners are doing everything in their power to reduce intake, but community support in the way of adoptions and donations is also needed to free up shelter capacity.

The subcommittees recommendations are meant to address several specific issues relating to the overcrowding of the shelter: the high level of dogs entering the shelter, the capacity of the shelter to perform spay and neuter surgeries, kennel and general shelter capacity, and the shelters criteria for humane euthanasia.

Welfare Board members said they want to support programs, such as the Human Animal Support Services program, that provide services to prevent animals from entering the shelter. Moran said the program offers resources to owners who might otherwise surrender their pets because of costs.

The idea is that you help the family with any resources they need to keep the animals from entering the shelter, Moran said.

Sometimes its supply needs like food, board and subcommittee member Michelle Nemec said. Sometimes people need a crate for their dog. Sometimes their animal has some type of easily treatable medical issue like mange.

Board members also said they want to provide more information to the public about alternatives to the shelter, such as taking found animals to local fire stations to scan for microchips or utilizing lost pet Facebook groups to find a stray pets owner.

Waco Animal Services Director Trey Buzbee said the Waco shelter is considered a regional shelter and has contracts with cities, including Bellmead and Hewitt, to provide shelter services. Subcommittee members said they want Waco to consider renegotiating contracts to encourage partner cities to look into spay and neuter and microchipping programs to reduce intake of dogs.

Spay and neuter surgeries have become difficult to perform at the shelter. Shelter veterinarian Dr. Michael Vallon said his staff has been behind on spay and neuter surgeries as the limited number of tables and veterinarians means the shelter has to juggle emergency surgeries with spay and neuter surgeries.

Subcommittee members suggested bringing in more contract veterinarians, expanding the veterinary suite with more operating tables at the animal shelter and building better relationships with local clinics so they may assist the shelter in performing more surgeries.

Members also have suggested providing more services directly in neighborhoods where a higher share of dogs end up in the shelter. The idea would be to offer microchipping and other services within walking distance for people who face barriers to accessing the services otherwise, Moran said.

Subcommittee members suggested the city study a general expansion of shelter facilities to increase the number of kennels, as well as create strategies to bring in more staff. Buzbee said the city would likely look to more cost-effective solutions, including the intake or outreach programs, before considering expanding shelter facilities, but would expand if deemed necessary.

The subcommittee also discussed a checklist for humane euthanasia to ensure all options for finding even a temporary home are considered before euthanizing an animal for nonmedical or nonbehavioral reasons. Since shortly after the animal shelter was reorganized as a city-managed operation in 2012, it has not euthanized animals for space, only for medical or behavioral reasons.

Animal Welfare Board Chair Aubrey Robertson said if intake, spay and neuter and capacity issues are addressed, changing the euthanasia criteria becomes a moot point. However, the city needs to have a procedure checklist in place in the event euthanasia ever needs to be considered, Robertson said.

The proposed checklist requires that before an animal is euthanized, workers verify there are no available kennels or cages for the animal in the shelter, and ensure the shelter contacts animal welfare organizations, the owner on record and local foster homes to explore all possible alternatives.

The subcommittee is expected to finalize the recommendations during its next meeting, tentatively scheduled for Aug. 2, and present them to the full Animal Welfare Board for consideration. The meetings are open to the public. The Animal Welfare Board will either approve or reject the recommendations before giving them to the Waco City Council for consideration.
Take a look at which counties have the most born-and-bred residents in Nebraska using data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
If Vladimir Putin uses the oil and gas reserves he controls to their full strategically destructive potential, the world's economies that rely on fossil fuels could be destroyed.

Just a few weeks ago, JP Morgan issued a dire warning about the impending collapse of the global economy. Yet, the news barely made headlines anywhere outside the financial press. It has been speculated that the world economy would suffer such a severe blow if Russia suddenly ceased exporting oil, perhaps leading to a fourfold increase in the price of oil to around $400 per barrel. All oil exports were a critical factor in this forecast that Russia would halt.

Right now, a barrel costs roughly $96.

The global economy would be jolted even more severely than in the 1970s, leading to a deep recession in the United States. This is because there is still a substantial reliance on oil worldwide. Russia halted natural gas exports to Europe this week via the Nordstream 1 pipeline. This was done in accordance with a predetermined maintenance schedule. The German government is very worried that Russia would completely cut off the water supply, even if only for a short period.

Putin has already begun to decrease gas supply to Europe in recent months, steadily increasing prices. It is simple to foresee the disastrous outcomes that could result from this scenario. Western European officials are understandably worried that Russia may deliberately delay the resumption of gas supplies or even keep them shut off in retaliation for the sanctions imposed on Russia and the military aid provided to Ukraine by the West.

If European countries stick to their current energy policy, this problem will worsen dramatically. Over 38% of the natural gas imported by the 27 countries that make up the European Union comes from Russia. Without a new energy policy, by 2040, between 50 and 60 percent of all gas imports will have to come from Russia. This is because numerous European countries intend to phase out nuclear power generation, the European Union aims to minimize greenhouse gas emissions by decreasing coal consumption, and domestic gas supplies are running low.

Due to their increasing reliance on Russian natural gas imports, the European Union and the rest of Europe may soon be in a very precarious scenario.

Germany's gas reserves are now at roughly 64% capacity. As part of its emergency plan, that number must be increased to 90% by the end of December. Stage three of Germany's emergency plan involves the government seizing control of gas distribution and instituting rationing measures if Russia cannot maintain normal supply levels.

The pricing of oil and gas are determined on an international scale, and Russia is a preeminent player in that market. In the wake of its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has reaped billions of euros in additional payments for oil and gas. The reason for this is because there has been an increase in cost.

A prohibition on exports from Russia would immediately send prices to "stratospheric" levels, according to JP Morgan, because global supplies are already at their maximum capacity.

While the United States is self-sufficient and has ample supplies, Europe still relies on Russia for its supply needs. The economies of Germany and Italy, in particular, would be severely harmed by increases in the cost of energy, and thousands of businesses would be forced to shut their doors.

The cost of people's energy bills would increase to unaffordable levels, and millions of people would lose their jobs as a result. Millions of people would find it financially impossible to own cars or cook their own food.

Putin has already begun to weaponize nonrenewable energy sources.

Recently, he threatened to cut off gas supplies to a number of European countries if they did not pay him in rubles. As a result, they were eventually forced to give in. In addition, he has been preventing the shipment of food from Ukraine, which has driven up prices everywhere else.

As stated by Bloomberg News, natural gas is quickly becoming a competitor to oil in terms of its influence on geopolitics, and there isn't enough of it to go around.

Putin's decision to suddenly cut off supply would have a devastating impact on the economies of the countries that are dependent on oil and gas. Although others believe it would be unwise for him to cut off his own source of income, the Russian government has accumulated a considerable cash reserve to assist protect against the possibility of such a scenario. In addition, Putin is running out of time: Germany has announced that it intends to cease its reliance on Russia by the beginning of the following year.

Concerned about a potential decrease in supplies from Russia, Germany activated the second level of the three-stage gas emergency plan it had in place one month ago. In this "alert stage," the German federal government warned its citizens and local governments to prepare for an increase in the cost of gasoline by reducing their overall gas consumption as much as possible. In addition, they urged citizens to reduce their gas consumption to the greatest extent possible.

Currently, Germany's gas reserves are around 64 percent full. Still, as part of its emergency plan, it has to have that number up to 90 percent by the end of December. Suppose it cannot do so and Russia cuts off all supplies. In that case, the German government will be compelled to activate stage three of its emergency plan, which will involve taking control of the distribution of gas and implementing rationing measures.

Poland, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Finland are the countries that have had their gas supply cut off by Russia as a result of their refusal to comply with Russia's order that they make payments using a bank account denominated in rubles.

Robert Habeck, the German minister responsible for economic affairs, referred to the situation as a "gas catastrophe" and accused Vladimir Putin of purposefully launching an economic assault against Germany. A day later, Habeck warned that industry shutdowns could possibly lead to job losses if gas reserves run low during the winter. He added that a further drop in supplies from Russia could cause a collapse of Europe's energy sector similar to the one that occurred in 2008 with Lehman Brothers.

Suppose Putin's policy is allowed to continue. In that case, stock markets may crash, and thousands of businesses will fail because they cannot afford their energy supplies, resulting in the loss of jobs for millions of people.

The Western world's governments might issue urgent decrees to accelerate the development of solar and wind energy on an industrial scale.

They could make the installation of new solar and wind farms much quicker, particularly on land, which is where most of these farms are located.

The most time-consuming part of the process, in terms of both cost and duration, is applying for and receiving necessary approvals and clearances.

Removing fossil fuel from our energy supply would need the rapid construction of a large number of solar and wind farms, which would relieve some of the demand on gas supplies, which are required for heating and cooking.

Additionally, we had the ability to increase incentives for the purchase of electric vehicles, which would have decreased our reliance on oil imported from other countries.

Instead, western governments have displayed an astounding lack of foresight over the entirety of this battle. We have spent the past few months putting a greater emphasis on acquiring additional oil and gas supplies. Any fresh investments made into new oil or gas fields  which we do not control  would not bring these fields online quickly enough. The discovery and development of a new oil or gas resource can take as long as ten years.

Because of our political systems acceptance of bribes and reelection donations and the interest groups' willingness to motivate the geopolitical decisions with hard cash, oil and gas lobbyists significantly increased our reliance on fossil fuels.

The clock is ticking down, not just for Putin but also for Europe. Time is running out. Not only do we need to recognize the threat that Putin poses to us, but also the threat that comes from Putin's most potent weapons, which are his oil and gas supply.

Europe's Ability to Weather a Russian Oil and Gas Ban
WATERLOO  The board of directors of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Cedar Valley will begin a national search for a new chief executive officer after James Lee III recently announced his resignation.

Lee, who has served in the role since March 2019, is leaving to pursue new opportunities, according to a news release.

Over the last three years, the Cedar Valley Club has seen growth in all areas  from our teen center coming online, growth in daily attendance, and expansion of after school programing, board president Gordon Davis said in the release. We thank James for his good work in advancing our Cedar Valley Clubs.

For the new Executive Director, were looking to find an experienced individual who will provide the vision and leadership needed to continue to move the organization forward and achieve our goals, as well as work with the dedicated Club staff to continue their great work with the kids in our community who need us the most. We are excited for the search process over the next few months to find the right person for the job, he added.

The organizations mission is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need it most, to reach their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens. For more than 50 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Cedar Valley has focused on providing program opportunities for youth ages 6-18 at its sites in Waterloo, Cedar Falls and Evansdale. The news release said members of the Boys & Girls Club tend to achieve better academic grades, miss fewer days of school, and display more positive behavior.

A search committee has been formed and community stakeholders will be invited to participate in the interview process. Anyone interested in more information about the role can go online to cedarvalleyclubs.org. Resume, cover letter and three references can be sent via email to apply@cedarvalleyclubs.org.

Until a new CEO is named, Bryan Burton, the clubs director of facility management, will serve as interim director and report to Davis.
A generous new scholarship will benefit Miss Oregon contestants who are admitted to Willamette Law beginning fall 2023.

Current and past contestants of the Miss Oregon Scholarship Program will be eligible for up to 50% off tuition annually if they meet certain criteria. Applications are due between Sept. 1 and June 15 of the year prior to the one intended for study.

Assistant Dean of Admissions Leah Straley presented the first Miss Oregon Law School Scholarship to Abigail Hayes of Damascus, Miss Oregon 2021, at a recent competition for the organization in Seaside.

from left: Miss Oregon 2021 Abigail Hayes, Assistant dean of admissions Leah Straley, first runner up for Miss Oregon 2022 and incoming Willamette Law student Hannah Garhofer and Miss Oregon 2003 April Robinson JD 23.

Over the last several decades, law schools have seen an increase in women applying to and attending law school, she said at the event. Lets keep that momentum going.

Founded in 1947, the Miss Oregon Scholarship Program highlights the unique aspects of each woman and their personal success, whether in the form of community service, the arts or academics. The program annually supports contestants educational and professional goals  in 2022, it awarded over $171,000 in cash and in-kind scholarships, as well as $51,000 in prizes focused on personal and professional development.

The new scholarship represents aligned goals between Miss Oregon and Willamette Law. Social impact, leadership and service are central to Miss Oregons mission, while the law school aims to advance graduates who become community leaders and changemakers, said Straley.

Its also not the first connection between the two organizations. Miss Oregon President Blaine Barklow graduated from Willamette in 2005, April Robinson JD 23 is Miss Oregon 2003 and Lucy Jensen JD/MBA 13 is Miss Oregon 2005.

Jensen, who is principal legal counsel at Sunrun in Park City, Utah, is also a member of the College of Law Leadership Cabinet and a former Willamette trustee.

Executive Director Beth McShane said the partnership is an exciting one that will boost the quality of candidates in both programs.



The Miss Oregon Scholarship Program is thrilled Willamette is helping us prepare great women for the world, and prepare the world for great women, she said.

Academic requirements for scholarship applicants must be met for eligibility and scholarships are renewable each year the applicant is enrolled at the college and remains in good standing.
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation in Ukraine. The enemy suffers significant losses.

High-precision strikes near Bereznegovatoye, Nikolaev Region, Konstantinovka and Kramatorsk, Donetsk Peoples Republic, hit temporary deployment points of units of 35th Marine Brigade, 54th Mechanized Brigade, 81st Airmobile Brigade and 109th Territorial Defence Brigade. As a result of strikes, the total losses of these formations amounted up to 1,000 personnel and more than 100 pieces of military equipment.

High-precision weapons of the Russian Aerospace Forces hit temporary deployment point of 14th Mechanized Brigade battalion manned by nationalists and foreign mercenaries near Chasov Yar, Donetsk Peoples Republic. The attacks have resulted in the destruction of 43 militants and about 170 injured.

Russian army aviation hit temporary deployment point of 97th Battalion of 60th Mechanized Brigade of AFU near Malaya Tokmachka, Zaporozhye Region, with high-precision missiles. The attacks have resulted in the destruction of 30 militants and about 37 injured.

Conflicts and clashes with the use of weapons have increased among nationalist fighters. On July 13, more than 200 fighters of the 226th Kraken nationalist formation refused to follow the commands order to move to the Kramatorsk area and claimed a transfer to the Kharkov city territorial defence. During the ensuing fight with the commanders and the ensuing gunfight, 6 militants were killed.

Russian Armed Forces continue strikes against military facilities in Ukraine.

High-precision sea-based Kalibr missiles destroyed multiple rocket launcher vehicles of 45th Artillery Brigade of AFU hidden in hangars at the high voltage equipment plant in Zaporozhye city.

In addition, high-precision weapons of the Russian Aerospace Forces destroyed 4 command posts, including those of 61st Infantry Jaeger Brigade of AFU near Bereznegovatoye in Nikolaev Region and 80th Airborne Assault Brigade near Kramatorsk, 3 ammunition depots near Soledar, Tatyanovka in Donetsk Peoples Republic and Nikolaev, 1 fuel storage facility for military equipment near Kharkov, and 21 areas of manpower and military equipment concentration.

As part of the counter-battery fighting, 1 battery of multiple rocket launchers near Slavyansk, 1 platoon of MLRS near Nikolaevka in Donetsk Peoples Republic, and 1 artillery platoon of US-made M-777 howitzers at firing positions in Pervomaiskyi in Kharkov Region were destroyed.

Operational-tactical and army aviation, missile troops and artillery hit 19 command posts, 78 areas of artillery units in firing positions and 232 areas of AFU manpower and military equipment concentration.

Russian Aerospace Forces fighters have shot down 2 aircraft of Ukrainian air force in the air: 1 Su-24 near Slavyansk and 1 MiG-29 near Troitskoye, Donetsk Peoples Republic.

Russian air defence means destroyed 12 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles near Balakleya, Izyum, Lozovaya, Shchurovka in Kharkov Region, Snegirevka, Novaya Kakhovka in Kherson Region, Belogorovka, Karmazinovka, Slavyanoserbsk, Mikhailovka in Lugansk Peoples Republic and Derilovo in Donetsk Peoples Republic.

In addition, 2 Tochka-U ballistic missiles and 6 rockets of Uragan multiple-launch rocket system were intercepted near Novaya Kakhovka in Nikolaev Region.

In total, 249 Ukrainian airplanes and 137 helicopters, 1,534 unmanned aerial vehicles, 354 anti-aircraft missile systems, 4,050 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 744 multiple launch rocket systems, 3,145 field artillery and mortars, as well as 4,292 units of special military vehicles were destroyed during the operation.

#MoD #Russia #Ukraine #report

@mod_russia_en

WtR
Weather Alert

...Another Round of Thunderstorms This Week... * Another surge of monsoon moisture will bring back thunderstorms to the region this week, with the best chances being Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. * Each day Tuesday through Thursday, most areas will have a 20 to 40 percent chance of seeing a storm. Storms are most likely in the afternoons and evenings, but overnight showers and storms cannot be ruled out. * Impacts will range from lightning, new fire starts, and strong outflow winds with blowing dust, to periods of heavy rainfall and flash flooding. It is too soon to project which hazards will be dominant so be prepared for any of these scenarios. * Ensure you have a way of receiving weather alerts or monitoring radar on your phone. If you have outdoor activities or projects planned this week, try to get them done in the mornings before storms develop. If you live in a flash flood prone area, especially near a burn scar, be ready to act quickly if heavy rainfall occurs.
It's almost time to start thinking about school starting up again -- and you can help make sure students have what they need come the first day.

From July 18-28, you can drop off school supplies at several area locations.

 Nevada State Bank branches throughout Washoe County

 Great Basin Federal Credit Union branches throughout Washoe County

 DR Horton (5190 Neil Road, Suite 310 Reno, 89502)

 Grand Sierra Resort (2500 2nd St, Reno, 89595)

The businesses are open between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday:

This school supply drive is in partnership with Communities in Schools of Nevada, which currently serves over 75,000 Nevada students.

Donations, including school supplies, hygiene products and clothing/uniforms, will help students as they return to school.

Some of the most needed items include:

 3-inch 3-ring binders

 New and unused backpacks

 Journals

 Art supplies (small canvasses and acrylic paints)

 Hygiene items (deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, unscented body wash, razors and shaving cream, shampoo & conditioner)

 Zippered, 3-ring pencil pouches and pencil boxes

 Laundry detergent and dryer sheets

 Coloring and other activity books

 Highlighters

 Colored pencils

You can also make a donation online if you can't make it.
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), on behalf of its fund Copenhagen Infrastructure IV K/S (CI IV), and Tokyu Land Corporation (TLC) are announcing a joint partnership to develop the

Aomori South

offshore wind project, located in northern Japan.



TLC and CI IV have established a new joint venture company, Aomori South Offshore Wind GK, which is developing the site in anticipation of participating in the upcoming auction.



The two companies stated that shareholders and the project team are working in close collaboration with local stakeholders and communities, with a focus on ensuring substantial benefits to the local and regional economy.

Aomori South

was identified by the Japanese Government as a promising area for the development of offshore wind projects under the Act on Promoting the Utilization of Sea Areas for the Development of Marine Renewable Energy Power Generation Facilities.



The Japanese government is targeting 10 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030 and between 30 to 45 GW by 2040 as part of its target to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

For more information on offshore wind farms worldwide,

click here

.
SC Thrive is partnering with AARP Foundation to get the word out about a number of the MSPs that can save low-income Medicare beneficiaries more than $7,000 a year in out-of-pocket health care costs.

Depending upon which program enrollees qualify for, their monthly Part B monthly premium  $170.10 in 2022  can be paid for, as well as other out-of-pocket copays and coinsurance charges. Part B covers doctor visits, diagnostic tests and other outpatient services. People who qualify for one of the MSPs can also enroll in another program called Extra Help, which helps pay for Part D prescription drug plan premiums and copays.

These programs put money back in peoples pockets that can help them afford healthier foods, afford health care and really secure the essentials  which is what were about at the foundation, says Nicole Heckman, AARP Foundations director of benefits access.

In an effort to remove barriers to peoples ability to participate in the Medicare Savings Programs, AARP Foundation has started an outreach campaign and is funding local organizations like SC Thrive in an effort to make more people aware of the MSPs. The campaign has started in three states (Alabama, Mississippi and South Carolina), and the foundation hopes to expand it in the coming months. To find out if you qualify for these programs, call AARP Foundation at 855-510-2107 and you will be directed to a resource in your state that can answer questions and help you apply. Each state also has a State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) with counselors who can walk Medicare beneficiaries through the steps to apply for an MSP.

In her outreach work, Tyler visits senior centers, houses of worship, farmers markets, barber shops and beauty salons  anywhere older folks congregate. She even stops by doctors offices to spread the word. If I can take one persons stress away, I feel Ive done my good deed for the day, she says.

At SC Thrive, our mission is to take our patrons from crisis to self-sustainability, Tyler explains. We want to make sure people know about the benefits and the resources. She says she doesn't want older Americans to have to decide whether they can pay for food and insurance or get their medications.

More than 10 million Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in an MSP. Over the years, studies have shown that many more enrollees are unaware that they might qualify for such assistance.

Whether someone qualifies for an MSP varies by state, and there are income asset thresholds. In general, an individuals monthly income cannot exceed $1,549, and a married couples income cannot be higher than $2,080. In addition, an individuals assets cannot be greater than $8,400, and a married couples assets cannot exceed $12,600.
Aerial photo taken on July 13, 2022 shows the Qingmiaozhai tunnel of the Guiyang-Nanning high-speed railway in southwest China's Guizhou Province. The Qingmiaozhai tunnel was through on Wednesday, which was the lastly drilled through one among all 63 tunnels on the Guiyang-Nanning high-speed railway designed with a maximum speed of 350 km per hour. (Xinhua/Liu Xu)

Aerial photo taken on July 13, 2022 shows the Qingmiaozhai tunnel of the Guiyang-Nanning high-speed railway in southwest China's Guizhou Province. The Qingmiaozhai tunnel was through on Wednesday, which was the lastly drilled through one among all 63 tunnels on the Guiyang-Nanning high-speed railway designed with a maximum speed of 350 km per hour. (Xinhua/Liu Xu)

A worker works at the Qingmiaozhai tunnel of the Guiyang-Nanning high-speed railway in southwest China's Guizhou Province, July 13, 2022. The Qingmiaozhai tunnel was drilled through on Wednesday, which was the lastly drilled through one among all 63 tunnels on the Guiyang-Nanning high-speed railway designed with a maximum speed of 350 km per hour. (Xinhua/Liu Xu)

Workers celebrate the drill-through of the Qingmiaozhai tunnel of the Guiyang-Nanning high-speed railway in southwest China's Guizhou Province, July 13, 2022. The Qingmiaozhai tunnel was through on Wednesday, which was the lastly drilled through one among all 63 tunnels on the Guiyang-Nanning high-speed railway designed with a maximum speed of 350 km per hour. (Xinhua/Liu Xu)

Workers work at the Qingmiaozhai tunnel of the Guiyang-Nanning high-speed railway in southwest China's Guizhou Province, July 13, 2022. The Qingmiaozhai tunnel was through on Wednesday, which was the lastly drilled through one among all 63 tunnels on the Guiyang-Nanning high-speed railway designed with a maximum speed of 350 km per hour. (Xinhua/Liu Xu)
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Living in a high desert town, many people erroneously believe its impossible to get fresh seafood because Santa Fe is a land-locked city. But high-end restaurants in New York and Los Angeles  and everywhere in between  fly in fresh seafood daily and planes fly here as well.

Whatever your relationship is with seafood, let me tell you about the best catch in town  Catch Santa Fe Poke serving uber-fresh and uber creative poke bowls that shines a bright light on how spectacular fresh fish and shrimp can be  and they also have a plant-based option. Located at 505 Cerrillos in the CHOMP Food Hall (which has yet to capture the communitys full attention as a culinary destination) is where you will find Catch Santa Fe Poke for their summer residency through August or until they open their brick-and-mortar location.

Coyote Cafes Executive Chef Dakota Weiss and her boyfriend and business partner, Rich Becker, are warming the market up with this culinary concept that is exactly what CHOMP needs to drive traffic. And what Santa Fe can definitely use more of  fresh seafood. Interestingly, this dynamic duo met when they worked at another poke restaurant in Venice, California, and, together, they are launching this concept in the City Different.

Poke is a Hawaiian tradition that continues to gain attention as a healthy option. Rice is topped with raw and cubed seafood, different sauces and additional ingredients to add a punch of color, flavor and textures that make poke a wholesome meal  and a perfect summer food.

On two different occasions, my dining companions and I met at CHOMP, a venue that offers four different culinary concepts, an artisans market and a bar under one roof. It was a sweltering 91 degrees the first time I went and we were greeted with a serious air-conditioning system that quickly and gratefully cooled us off. Unfortunately, we were not greeted by anyone working behind the bar, so we sat for more than 10 minutes waiting. This also happened the second time I went and it felt awkward and uncomfortable to be in a bar where no one pays attention to you. So, if you go to CHOMP, go boldly and step right up to the bar and place your order.

On my first visit, we went for the mocktails  the Cactus Cooler ($6) and a Monday Maria ($7). I had heard about the Monday Maria from a friend who said CHOMP has the best Bloody Mary in town.

The Monday Maria arrived in a high-ball glass with just enough ice, a lime quarter on the rim of the glass and a wooden stick speared with a green olive, pepperoncini pepper and a gherkin. The smart combination of a briny olive, pickled pepper and dill gherkin paired beautifully with the spicy tomato concoction that felt virtuous enough to consider a single vegetable serving. Chomp owner Ken Joseph told me he has been working on the Bloody Mary recipe for a long time. This proves that practice makes perfect as this drink went down easy and adding a shot of vodka will amplify the weekend brunch experience.

On my second visit, we ordered cocktails. I had a gin and tonic ($8) and my friend ordered an old fashioned ($10). Both drinks were good, but mine was served in a plastic cup while my companion received a real glass. This was another awkward moment but I am hoping the bar gets it together before long and realizes they are in the hospitality business.

After sipping our drinks, we headed straight for the Catch Santa Fe Poke food stall  the only food stall open. This was the first official week of operation for the Catch Santa Fe Poke team, but they had their act together and our bowls were ready to go as we finished paying.

All priced at $15, six poke bowls offer something for everyone. If you dont eat raw seafood, they created the Camarones de City Different with cooked shrimp for you. And if you dont eat seafood or are vegan, they have The Delicious Imposter, a plant-based tuna bowl made from bamboo, algae and potato starch. For poke beginners, they created the Pokay Tuna bowl. When they open the restaurant in early fall, they intend to expand the menu.

During my visits, we sampled the Spicy Tuna, Yuzu Kosho Salmon and Leche de Tigre Salmon and all were righteous. As Weiss says, These are not traditional poke bowls, but are inspired by California, Japan, Hawaii and New Mexico. 

Served in compostable bowls, each begins with a layer of black forbidden or light green bamboo rice  a short-grain white rice that is soaked in the juice of young bamboo, so its very rich in vitamin B, D and chlorophyll, Weiss informed us. At her recommendation, I ordered half-forbidden and half-bamboo on my second visit and was delighted with the gorgeous combination of textures and flavors this approach imparted.

When we returned to our seats near the bar area, of those there, everyone was eating poke. Of the Yuzu Kosho Salmon bowl, Weiss says, Yuzu kosho sauce is Japanese citrus with green pepper paste and that sauce has a lot of mirin, orange juice and yuzu juice so it is on the sweeter side. The bowl also has avocado, sake-braised lotus root and Persian cucumbers for crunch and cilantro for garnish.

On both visits, my dining companions had the Spicy Tuna poke, which will likely be the most popular, and they were happy with their order. Carefully cubed tuna is dressed with togarashi mayo and topped with avocado, sliced Persian cucumbers, hijiki (tiny seaweed that grows on rocks), cubed sweet mango and Hot Takis, a Latin-inspired Hot Cheeto, which adds serious spice and crunch factor. I also tried the Leche de Tigre Salmon poke and loved it. A critical part of Peruvian ceviche, Leche de Tigre sauce is made with lime juice, chiles and aromatics and cooks the salmon. Then they add avocado, edamame and jicama for crunch, cilantro and pickled Fresno chiles for a kick of heat.

The menu is still evolving and we will have a build-your-own bowl offering as well. Once we are fully operational in our own location, we will add a vermicelli rice base and keto-friendly vegetable base and we will probably expand to 8-10 more items that can be added to the bowls. Plus, we have six different sauces to add to the bowls, Weiss said.

When Catch opens the doors to their restaurant, I will be there. Until then, I will go to CHOMP for poke where I hope to be more than one of a few people dining on fresh seafood thats perfect for hot summer days.

Catch Santa Fe Poke at CHOMP

Three and a half stars

LOCATION: 505 Cerrillos, B101, 505-772-0946, @catch_santafepoke

HOURS: 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is one step closer to issuing a license to Holtec International for an interim nuclear waste storage facility on private land between Carlsbad and Hobbs.

The agency released a final environmental assessment Wednesday that says the projects first phase would have minimal impacts on land, oil and gas and livestock operations and public health.

Holtec is planning an initial $230 million facility under a 40-year license to store spent nuclear fuel in 500 stainless-steel canisters.

The NRC recommends issuing a license to Holtec based on the environmental review.

Even if an accident happened during transit of the waste, releases of spent nuclear fuel would not be expected from the proposed shipments, according to the assessment.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management cooperated on the review.

Southeast New Mexico officials praised the announcement as a boon for the regions energy industry.

Holtec has been a true partner on this important project, and we look forward to continuing to work together to bring jobs and economic growth to the area, said Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway.

But Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has strong objections to the facility.

Lujan Grisham accused the NRC of choosing profit over public interest.

The NRC has unilaterally decided to house the nations spent nuclear fuel in New Mexico, despite the fact that our state has not one nuclear power plant within its borders, she said.

New Mexico is suing the NRC over the project.

The state alleges that the federal agency is rushing the approval process.

The U.S. has yet to approve or build a permanent site for the nations nuclear waste.

Holtec would ship waste by rail from nuclear power plants to the 1,000-acre New Mexico site.

The first phase could store up to 8,680 metric tons of uranium.

A full buildout would cost $2.4 billion and store up to 10,000 canisters.

Texas is also opposed to an interim storage facility in that state.

A bill that failed to pass the state legislature this year would have prevented New Mexico regulators from issuing Holtec permits for industrial wastewater and construction even if the NRC approved the license.

Lujan Grisham said that New Mexico will not become a nuclear waste dumping ground.

My message to the state Legislature is clear: deliver a proposal to my desk that protects New Mexico from becoming the de facto home of the countrys spent nuclear fuel and it will have my full support, the governor said.
JERUSALEM  U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid stood side-by-side Thursday and declared they would not allow Iran to become a nuclear power. They parted ways, though, on how to get there.

Biden, in a joint news conference after a one-on-one meeting with the Israeli leader, said he still wants to give diplomacy a chance. Moments earlier, Lapid insisted that words alone wont thwart Tehrans nuclear ambitions.

While Biden suggested his patience with Iran was running low, he held out hope that Iran can be persuaded to rejoin a dormant deal intended to prevent it from building a nuclear weapon.

I continue to believe that diplomacy is the best way to achieve this outcome, Biden said on the second day of a four-day visit to Israel and Saudi Arabia. He also stressed on his first trip to the Middle East as president the importance of furthering ties between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

Hours before Biden was set to become the first U.S. leader to fly directly from Israel to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the kingdoms General Authority of Civil Aviation announced early Friday the decision to open the Kingdoms airspace for all air carriers that meet the requirements of the Authority for overflying.

It signaled the end of its longstanding ban on Israeli airliners overflying its territory  an incremental step toward the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel that builds on the strong but informal ties the erstwhile foes have developed in recent years over their shared concerns about Irans growing influence in the region.

President Biden welcomes and commends the historic decision by the leadership of Saudi Arabia to open Saudi airspace to all civilian carriers without discrimination, a decision that includes flights to and from Israel, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement early Friday.

Bidens emphasis on a diplomatic solution on Irans nuclear program contrasted with Lapid, who said Iran must face a real threat of force before it will agree to give up on its nuclear ambitions.

Words will not stop them, Mr. President. Diplomacy will not stop them, Lapid said. The only thing that will stop Iran is knowing that if they continue to develop their nuclear program the free world will use force.

Lapid suggested he and Biden were in agreement, despite his tougher rhetoric toward Iran.

I dont think theres a light between us, he said. We cannot allow Iran to become nuclear.

Biden, too, said, We will not, let me say it again, we will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi lashed out at the U.S. and its regional allies for stoking instability in the region, state-run IRNA news agency reported.

Any mistake by the Americans and their allies in the region and the world will be met with a harsh and regrettable response, Raisi said.

Biden warned that his patience is wearing thin for Iran to rejoin the nuclear deal, a day after saying hed be willing to use force against Tehran as a last resort. The president said the U.S. had laid out for the Iranian leadership a path to return to the nuclear deal and was still waiting for a response.

When that will come, Im not certain, Biden said. But were not going to wait forever.

Resurrecting the Iran nuclear deal brokered by Barack Obamas administration and abandoned by Donald Trump in 2018 was a key priority for Biden as he entered office. But administration officials have become increasingly pessimistic about the chances of getting Tehran back into compliance.

Israeli officials have sought to use Bidens first visit to the Middle East as president to underscore that Irans nuclear program has progressed too far and encourage the Biden administration to scuttle efforts to revive the deal.

Israel opposed the original nuclear deal because its limitations on Irans nuclear enrichment would expire and the agreement didnt address Irans ballistic missile program or military activities in the region.

Instead of the U.S. reentering the deal, Israel would prefer strict sanctions in hopes of leading to a more sweeping accord.

The one-on-one talks between Biden and Lapid marked the centerpiece of a 48-hour visit by Biden aimed at strengthening already tight relations between the U.S and Israel. The leaders issued a joint declaration emphasizing military cooperation and a commitment to keeping Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

In the joint statement, the United States said it is ready to use all elements of its national power to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb.

Iran announced last week that it has enriched uranium to 60% purity, a technical step away from weapons-grade quality.

The joint declaration could hold important symbolic importance for Bidens upcoming meeting with Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia as he seeks to strengthen a regionwide alliance against Iran.

The U.S. president, who is set to arrive in Saudi Arabia on Friday, said he also stressed to Lapid the importance of Israel becoming totally integrated in the region.

Israel during the Trump administration signed on to the Abraham Accords, declarations of diplomatic and economic normalization signed by Israel, Bahrain, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates that were signature foreign policy achievement for the Republican president. For Israel to come to such an agreement with the Saudis, an economic and Islamic epicenter in the Mideast, would be even more significant.

Lapid asked Biden to deliver a message on behalf of Israel to the Arab leaders hell meet with in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: Our hand is outstretched for peace.

Your visit to Saudi Arabia is important for Israel and for the region, Lapid added. For our security and for the future prosperity of the Middle East.

The president will visit Saudi Arabia after calling the kingdom a pariah nation as a presidential candidate and releasing a U.S. intelligence finding last year that showed the kingdoms de facto leader, Mohammed bin Salman, likely approved the 2018 killing of of Jamal Khashoggi, a U.S.-based writer.

Biden declined to commit to mentioning Khashoggis murder when he meets with the crown prince.

I always bring up human rights, Biden said at the news conference. But my position on Khashoggi has been so clear. If anyone doesnt understand it, in Saudi Arabia or anywhere else, then they havent been around for a while. He did not reiterate his position.

Thursdays appearances with Lapid could provide a boost to Israeli prime minister, who is serving in an interim capacity until elections in November, the fifth in less than four years. His main opponent is former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Lapids joint appearance with Biden could help burnish his credentials as a statesman and leader. Biden met briefly behind closed doors with Netanyahu, with whom who hes had a rocky relationship.

Biden didnt mention Israels upcoming election during the public portion of Thursdays meeting with Lapid, but told reporters we had a good beginning of a long, God willing, relationship.

Biden and Lapid also participated in a virtual summit with India and the United Arab Emirates, a collection of countries called the I2U2. The United Arab Emirates announced it will help finance a $2 billion project supporting agriculture in India.

The president was also honored with Israels top civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Honor, from President Isaac Herzog.

Biden finished his day with a stop at Jerusalems Teddy Stadium to greet U.S. athletes competing in the Maccabiah Games. Also known as the Jewish Olympics, its the countrys largest sporting event and held every four years for Israeli and Jewish athletes from all over world.

___

Megerian reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Josef Federman in Jerusalem, Amir Vahdat in Tehran and Darlene Superville and Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report.

___

This story has been corrected to reflect that President Joe Biden was the first American president to fly directly from Israel to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

A new ad hoc committee created to find ways to improve the state Children, Youth and Families Department includes lawmakers and child advocates among its members. But the public wont be allowed to attend its meetings.

A CYFD official told the Journal a meeting of the Enhancing Delivery of Services Steering Committee scheduled for Wednesday in Santa Fe wasnt open to the public and refused to permit a Journal reporter to attend online via a Zoom link.

The 24-member committee was to get an update regarding a still-confidential review by an outside consultant hired by the agencys leadership to evaluate CYFDs response to child fatality and critical incidents.

CYFD has refused to release the outside review publicly, citing attorney-client privilege. A spokesman for the agency promised last week the report from Collaborative Strategies LLC would be made public soon, after a review by CYFD attorneys.

The committee includes five state legislators, three state court judges, and representatives from Native American groups and child welfare agencies.

The new administration of CYFD Secretary Barbara Vigil pledged to increase transparency and accountability at the agency after she took over from Brian Blalock, who resigned last summer. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said at the time his departure was a mutually agreed-upon decision.

Vigil ordered the outside review of the embattled agencys response to critical incidents, including child fatalities, in January. And the CYFD steering committee was created about the same time. Its first meeting was in June.

The groups second meeting was slated to address the outside review, CYFD grievance and complaint procedures, retaliation of employees, and an announcement about the steering committee on CYFDs website, according to its agenda.

In response to a Journal reporters request to attend the meeting, CYFD childrens rights specialist Jennifer M. Martinez replied, It is not open to the public. We are working to get information posted on our website about these meetings.

Asked to explain, CYFD spokesman Rob Johnson later told the Journal in an email, The steering committee is a group of CYFD staff and invited external partners. Our purpose is to have a free and open discussion about policy issues, especially regarding how the department can better deliver services. The meetings are for steering committee members only.

While this committee, by definition, would not fall within the Open Meetings Act, one of the cornerstones of this committee is that it is open and transparent in its recommendations, Johnson wrote. We will post meeting minutes on the CYFD website.

The groups mission, according to the CYFD website, is to take an informed measure of the public-child welfare system in New Mexico, then use those insights to help the CYFD enhance the delivery of services to states children and families.

The members of the committee include chief judges of state District Court and Childrens Court in Bernalillo County, and Chief District Judge Angie Schneider of Alamogordo.

Of five legislators on the committee, all but one are Democrats. The legislators on the committee are: Sens. Linda Lopez and Gerald Ortiz y Pino, both Albuquerque Democrats, and Sen. Gay Kernan, R-Hobbs. Reps. Meredith Dixon, D-Albuquerque, and Candie Sweetser, D-Deming, are also members.

Other members include representatives of the Navajo Nation, Isleta Pueblo, Acoma Pueblo and nonprofit groups that include Disability Rights New Mexico, New Mexico Family Advocacy Center, High Desert Family Services, New Mexico Dream Center, Advocacy Inc., NM Child First Network and others.

While the background of the membership is broad, the focus is tight, the website states. The key is to concentrate on six specific areas  Courts (And Childrens Court Improvement Commission); Schools, Advocates and Community Supports; Parents Voices; Youth with Lived Experience; Native Children & Families; and Resource Families, Adoptions & Guardianships.

The committees report will include public comment, the website states, and ultimately will be released to the public.
TEHRAN, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry on Thursday rejected a U.S. official's claims as "lies" about Iran's alleged involvement in the Ukraine conflict.

The ministry's spokesman Nasser Kanaani tweeted that "apparently, lying and cheating are contagious among U.S. politicians who resort to fabrication for evil ends."

Jake Sullivan, Biden's national security advisor, said on Wednesday that "Russia deepening an alliance with Iran to kill Ukrainians is something that the whole world should look at and see as a profound threat."

Earlier this week, the United States also accused Iran of planning to provide Russia with combat drones that can be used in the conflict in Ukraine, the charges which were denied by Tehran.

Kanaani also slammed that Biden's visit to Israel was to "reinforce U.S.' unconditional support" for Israel.

On the first day of his regional tour, Biden arrived in Israel on Wednesday for talks on cementing ties with Tel Aviv, which will be followed by visiting Saudi Arabia on Friday. 
SANTA FE  Democratic Sen. Pete Campos of Las Vegas  one of the states longest-serving legislators  is back at the Capitol after undergoing surgery to remove a grapefruit-sized brain tumor.

Despite the surgeries, Campos participated in the legislative sessions held earlier this year and has attended recent committee meetings inside the Roundhouse.

Campos has been attending committee meetings and handling other legislative work this summer after the five-hour operation in May at the University of New Mexico Hospital.

UNM Health Sciences made the announcement this week alongside an update on how Campos is feeling.

I havent skipped a beat, Campos said in the hospital report. I continue to love life and serve people.

The announcement from UNM outlined Campos journey after a family member noticed a small change in how the senator walked in 2021, a few days after Thanksgiving. Doctors later confirmed that a large meningeal tumor was pressing on the part of his brain that controls motor skills.

Part of the tumor was removed in one surgery. UNM neurosurgeon Christian Bowers removed the remainder during a complex operation in May.

The doctor made an upside-down-U-shaped incision stretching across the back of Campos head.

He was just unbelievably tenacious and never stopped working, as far as I can tell, said Chris Nordstrum, a spokesman for Senate Democrats.

Campos, 68, has served in the Senate since 1991  second in seniority only to Sen. Stuart Ingle, a Portales Republican who started in 1985.

No one in the House has served longer than either of them.

Campos, a former superintendent and college president who is now retired from education, is a member of the powerful Senate Finance Committee. He represents an enormous district stretching from south of Santa Rosa to the Colorado border, including Los Alamos and Las Vegas.

ATTORNEY GENERAL: The Republican candidate for attorney general, Jeremy Gay, is heading into the fall campaign season with a financial edge over Democrat Raul Torrez.

Gay, a Gallup lawyer and former judge advocate in the Marine Corps, reported about $104,000 in cash on hand last week, while Torrez had $87,000.

Torrez, the 2nd Judicial District Attorney, is coming off a primary win against another well-funded opponent, Brian Colon.

Gay, by contrast, was unopposed. Recent donors to his campaign include Republican state legislators and the campaign committee of Bernalillo County Sheriff Manuel Gonzales, a Democrat.

Former Attorney General Gary King, a Democrat, is among the recent contributors to the Torrez campaign.

Dan McKay: dmckay@abqjournal.com
CATCHES OF THE WEEK

Nathan Stegent of Canyon, Texas, caught a 26-inch catfish at Alto Lake using a garlic scented nightcrawler worm July 8.

Charlie Muttitt, 12, of Albuquerque caught a 35-inch tiger muskie at Bluewater Lake using an orange and chartreuse jerkbait July 3.

Elijon Casados, 11, of Albuquerque caught a 10-inch brook trout at Cabresto Lake using a gold Mepps spinner July 3.

Julia Rivera, 10, of Nambe caught a 19-inch rainbow trout at Canjilon Lakes using rainbow PowerBait on July 2.

Candis Brinegar of San Miguel caught her limit of walleye, ranging in size from 18 to 20 inches, at Conchas Lake using 3-inch Lunker Grubs tipped with worm July 4.

At Eagle Nest Lake, Mady Kettler, 17, of Corrales caught a 23-inch, 3.5-pound rainbow trout using a Panther Martin spinner tipped with peach salmon PowerBait on July 6.  Mateo Trujillo, 3, of Rio Rancho caught his limit of trout averaging around 12 inches using rainbow PowerBait and worms July 3.

Angelo Saiz of Albuquerque caught a 16-inch rainbow trout at Heron Lake using garlic PowerBait on July 1.

Tom Chrobocinski of Ojo Caliente caught and released a 19-inch rainbow trout at Hopewell Lake using a fly under a clear bobber July 8.

Titus Spalding of Eunice caught a 27-inch, 6-pound catfish at Jal Lake using worms July 5.

Gabriel Chavez, 9, of Albuquerque caught a 30-inch pike at Navajo Lake using a 4-inch green grub July 3.

Ava DAlessandro, 8, of Santa Fe caught a 13-inch brown trout on the Pecos River using worms July 3.

Martin Molina of Rio Rancho caught a 26-inch rainbow trout at San Gregorio Lake using PowerBait on July 8.

Jeff Fredenburg of Los Alamos caught a 22-inch rainbow trout on the San Juan River using a chocolate foam wing midge fly in the Quality Waters section July 4.

At the Seven Springs Brood Pond, Landen Baros, 10, of Pueblo of Pojoaque caught a 17-inch rainbow trout using garlic chartreuse PowerBait on June 3.  Adrial Quintana, 10, of Rio Rancho caught his limit of trout, including two measuring 19 inches, using peach PowerBait on June 30.

Angelo Saiz and Cathleen Sanchez, both of Albuquerque caught their limits of trout at Trout Lakes using pink PowerBait, corn and salmon eggs July 2.

If you have a catch of the week story, send it to funfishingnm@gmail.com.

NOTES from GAME & FISH

Northeast fishing report

Fishing for trout at Cabresto Lake was good using gold Mepps spinners.

Fishing for trout at Charette Lakes was good using salmon eggs, worms and PowerBait.

Streamflow on the Cimarron River near Cimarron on Monday morning was 26.2 cubic feet per second (cfs).

Fishing for trout at Clayton Lake was good using PowerBait. Fishing for walleye was fair using fake minnows. Fishing for catfish was fair to good using chicken liver and homemade dough baits.

Fishing for walleye at Conchas Lake was good using 3-inch Lunker Grubs tipped with worm.

At Costilla Creek, the department is implementing the final phase of a project to expand Rio Grande cutthroat trout in 120 miles of the Costilla watershed in northern New Mexico. The final phase involves the removal of fish within a designated area (Rio Costilla from Costilla Dam downstream to the Valle Vidal Boundary, including all tributaries and Comanche Creek from the road culvert crossing on Forest Road 1950 downstream to its confluence with Rio Costilla and all tributaries). Tentative stocking of Rio Grande cutthroat trout is set for spring 2023. Places to fish nearby include Costilla Creek below the fish barrier, Upper Comanche Creek, Shuree Ponds, Upper Powderhouse Creek, Little Costilla Creek, Vidal Creek and McCrystal Creek. National Forest closures have been in place restricting fishing access. Visit the Carson National Forest webpage or call the Carson National Forest office at 505-758-6200 for the latest closure information.

National Forest closures have been in place restricting fishing access at Cowles Ponds. Visit the Santa Fe National Forest webpage or call the Santa Fe National Forest office at 505-438-5300 for the latest closure information.

Coyote Creek had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for rainbow trout at Eagle Nest Lake was good using worms and rainbow PowerBait. Fishing for pike was fair to good using rainbow trout pattern Rapala lures.

Eagle Rock Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

National Forest closures have been in place restricting fishing access at the Gallinas River. Visit the Santa Fe National Forest webpage or call the Santa Fe National Forest office at 505-438-5300 for the latest closure information.

Fishing for trout at Hopewell Lake was good using various flies. National Forest closures have been in place restricting fishing access. Visit the Carson National Forest webpage or call the Carson National Forest office at 505-758-6200 for the latest closure information.

Lake Alice had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for trout at Lake Maloya was good using PowerBait, Pistol Pete spinner flies, corn and dough bait.

National Forest closures have been in place restricting fishing access at Los Pinos River. Visit the Santa Fe National Forest webpage or call the Santa Fe National Forest office at 505-438-5300 for the latest closure information.

Maxwell Lake 13 had no reports from anglers this week.

The department will be conducting a native fish restoration project in Middle Ponil Creek from July 11-17 to remove non-native, hybrid fish to create suitable habitat for stocking Rio Grande cutthroat trout rescued from the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire. Public access will be restricted from the headwaters to the Forest Road 1910 crossing. Cimarron Campground and Upper Shuree Pond will remain open.

Monastery Lake is currently closed due to wildfire rehabilitation efforts but is set to reopen on August 1. For more information, visit the Open Gate webpage.

Morphy Lake State Park closures have been in place restricting fishing access. Visit Morphy Lake State Parks webpage or call 575-387-2328 for the latest closure information.

Streamflow on the Pecos River near Pecos on Monday morning was 358 cfs. Fishing for trout was good using worms. National Forest and State Park closures are in place restricting fishing access to much of the Pecos River. Visit the Santa Fe National Forest webpage or call the Santa Fe National Forest office at 505-438-5300 for the latest forest closure information. Visit Pecos Canyon State Parks webpage or call 505-670-8196 for the latest park closure information.

Streamflow on the Red River below the Red River Hatchery on Monday morning was 70.3 cfs. Fishing for trout was good using salmon eggs, beadhead nymph flies, hares-ear nymph flies and dry flies in the mornings and evenings.

Streamflow on the Rio Grande below the Taos Junction Bridge on Monday morning was 327 cfs. Fishing for trout was good using black and gold Panther Martin spinners near Pilar. Fishing for bass was fair using Panther Martin spinners.

Streamflow on the Rio Hondo near Valdez on Monday morning was 54.4 cfs. National Forest closures have been in place restricting fishing access. Visit the Carson National Forest webpage or call the Carson National Forest office at 505-758-6200 for the latest closure information.

Streamflow on the Rio Mora near Terrero on Monday morning was 181 cfs. National Forest and State Park closures have been in place restricting fishing access to the Rio Mora. Visit the Santa Fe National Forest webpage or call the Santa Fe National Forest office at 505-438-5300 for the latest forest closure information. Visit Pecos Canyon State Parks webpage or call 505-670-8196 for the latest park closure information.

Streamflow on the Rio Pueblo near Pe n asco Monday morning was 46.8 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good using stimulator flies and red Copper John flies. Forest closures have been in place restricting fishing access. Visit the Carson National Forest webpage or call the Carson National Forest office at 505-758-6200 for the latest closure information.

Fishing for trout at the Santa Cruz Reservoir was fair using green PowerBait.

Shuree Ponds had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for catfish at Springer Lake was good using chicken liver and nightcrawler worms.

Fishing for trout at Storrie Lake was very good using pink and orange PowerBait.

Stubblefield Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for walleye at Ute Lake was good using Walleye Diver lures, Flicker Shad lures and trolling lures that dive to 12 feet deep. Fishing for white bass was good using topwater baits. Fishing for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass was good using stick worms, artificial crawdad baits, jigs and tube baits in 10 to 14 feet of water. Fishing for crappie was fair to good using live minnows at night under artificial lights at night near brush. Fishing for catfish was good using Magic Bait and Danny Kings Catfish Punch Bait. Fishing for bluegill was good using nightcrawler worms. The main lake water surface temperature was in the 70s and the water clarity was clear.

Northwest fishing report

Abiquiu Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Streamflow on the Animas River below Aztec on Monday morning was 378 cfs.

Albuquerque Area Drains had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for tiger muskie at Bluewater Lake was good using orange and chartreuse jerkbaits and shad pattern crankbaits.

Fishing for trout on the Brazos River was good using worms.

Fishing for trout at Canjilon Lakes was good using rainbow PowerBait and orange PowerBait. National Forest closures have been in place restricting fishing access. Visit the Carson National Forest webpage or call the Carson National Forest office at 505-758-6200 for the latest closure information.

Streamflow on the Chama River below El Vado Lake and below Abiquiu Lake on Monday morning was 131 cfs and 116 cfs, respectively. Fishing for trout below El Vado Lake was fair using worms and PowerBait. Please remember, from the river-crossing bridge on U.S. Highway 84 at Abiquiu upstream 7 miles to the base of Abiquiu Dam is special trout waters with a bag limit of two trout only.

Fishing for pike at Cochiti Lake was fair to good using swimbaits. Fishing for crappie was slow to fair using swimbaits. Fishing for catfish was good using chicken liver, hot dogs and worms.

El Vado Lake can be accessed at Hargroves Day Use Area off State Road 322 and the Main Park area off State Road 112. The Rio Chama can be accessed at the North El Vado Day Use Area on State Road 95, 10 miles west of U.S. Highway 84. Lake levels are steady but expected to drop as crews work on El Vado Dam. The Dam Day Use Area is closed due to the ongoing construction. State Road 112 over the dam will experience periodic closures. For more information, visit El Vado Lake State Parks webpage or call 575-588-7247.

Fishing for trout at Fenton Lake was very good using nymph flies, worms, salmon eggs and garlic PowerBait.

Grants Riverwalk Pond has dried up due to pump failure. The city is planning to repair the pumps but is taking this opportunity to dredge the pond. They expect the pond to be offline for at least two to three months. Fish stocking will be discontinued until all work is done.

Fishing for trout at Heron Lake from shore was fair to good using garlic PowerBait.

At the Jemez Waters, streamflow near Jemez Springs on Monday morning was 79.9 cfs. National Forest closures have been in place restricting fishing access. Visit the Santa Fe National Forest webpage or call the Santa Fe National Forest office at 505-438-5300 for the latest closure information.

Fishing for trout at Laguna del Campo was good using PowerBait and spinners.

National Forest closures have been in place restricting fishing access at Lagunitas Lakes. Visit the Carson National Forest webpage or call the Carson National Forest office at 505-758-6200 for the latest closure information.

Lake Farmington had no reports from anglers this week.

Stocking efforts have been suspended due to extremely low water levels and unstable ground conditions at McGaffey Lake. Lake conditions will be monitored and stocking will resume once conditions improve.

Fishing for pike at Navajo Lake was fair to good using 4-inch green grubs and swimbaits. Fishing for smallmouth bass was good using plastic worms and Ned rigs in 20 feet of water. Fishing for trout was slow to fair using spinners. Fishing for kokanee salmon was fair to good using spinners tipped with corn.

Fishing for catfish on the Rio Grande near Albuquerque was fair to good using chicken liver and cut bait.

Riverside Park Pond (Aztec Pond #1) had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for trout at San Gregorio Lake was fair to good using PowerBait. National Forest closures have been in place restricting fishing access. Visit the Santa Fe National Forest webpage or call the Santa Fe National Forest office at 505-438-5300 for the latest closure information.

Streamflow on the San Juan River near Archuleta on Monday morning was 403 cfs. Fishing for trout in the quality waters was fair to good using size 24 grey foam wing emerger flies and size 24 root beer midge emerger flies. Fishing for trout in the bait waters was good using worms and PowerBait.

Fishing for trout at Seven Springs Brood Pond was good using garlic chartreuse PowerBait and peach PowerBait.

Tiger Park Reservoir had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for catfish at Tingley Beach was fair to good using nightcrawler worms and hot dogs.

Fishing for trout at Trout Lakes was good using pink PowerBait, corn and salmon eggs. National Forest closures have been in place restricting fishing access. Visit the Carson National Forest webpage or call the Carson National Forest office at 505-758-6200 for the latest closure information.

Southwest fishing report

Fishing for catfish at Alumni Pond was good using chicken liver, live worms, cut bluegill, cut carp and frozen Velveeta cheese.

Fishing for all species was slow at Bear Canyon Lake.

Fishing for catfish at Bill Evans Lake was good using homemade dough bait and live worms at night.

Fishing for crappie at Caballo Lake was fair using live minnows and small jigs; for walleye was fair to good using crankbaits; for white bass was fair to good using crankbaits; for catfish was good using live bait and chicken.

Fishing for catfish at Elephant Butte Lake was good using cut carp bait. Fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass was fair to good using white Ned rigs; for white bass was good using live minnows; for crappie was fair to good using green grubs and live minnows; for walleye was fair bottom bouncing nightcrawler worms.

Fishing for catfish at Escondida Lake was fair using shrimp and nightcrawler worms.

Streamflow on the Gila River near Gila on Monday morning was 121 cfs.

Glenwood Pond had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for trout at Lake Roberts was slow using streamers and black Woolly Bugger flies. Fishing for catfish was good using worms and chicken liver.

Fishing for catfish at Percha Dam was fair using chicken liver.

Fishing for trout at Quemado Lake was very good using light colored dry flies during the morning and evenings and dark-colored nymph flies during the afternoon.

Rancho Grande Ponds had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for catfish on the Rio Grande was fair to good using cut bait and homemade dough bait.

Snow Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for bass at Trees Lake was good using Blue Fox spinners. Fishing for catfish was good using live worms, beef liver and chicken liver.

Fishing for catfish at Young Pond was slow to fair using chicken liver, live worms, cut bluegill and cut carp.

Southeast fishing report

Fishing for catfish at Alto Lake was fair to good using garlic-scented nightcrawler worms.

Fishing for catfish at Bataan Lake was fair using chicken liver.

Berrendo Creek had no reports from anglers this week. Please visit the Open Gate webpage for more information on this property.

Streamflow on the Black River at Malaga on Monday morning was 11.4 cfs.

Blue Hole Park Pond had no reports from anglers this week.

Bonito Lake is closed until further notice by the city of Alamogordo due to fire damage. It appears that the lake will be out of commission until later this year.

Fishing for catfish at Bosque Redondo Lake was fair to good using nightcrawler worms.

Bottomless Lakes had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for largemouth bass at Brantley Lake was fair using wacky-rigged Senko worms. Fishing for catfish was fair to good using nightcrawler worms.

Fishing for catfish at Carlsbad Municipal Lake was fair using worms.

Chaparral Park Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Corona Pond had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for catfish at Eunice Lake was slow to fair using stink bait.

Green Meadow Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for catfish at Greene Acres Lake was good using worms and cut shad bait.

Fishing for trout at Grindstone Reservoir was fair to good using worms and peach PowerBait. Fishing for catfish was fair to good using worms; bluegill was fair using worms.

Fishing for catfish at Jal Lake was fair to good using worms.

Lake Van had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for catfish at Oasis Park Lake was fair to good using hot dogs and worms.

Streamflow on the Pecos River below Sumner Lake on Monday morning was 72.2 cfs.

Perch Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for rainbow trout on the Rio Bonito was good using worms.

Rock Lake Hatchery Kids Pond had no reports from anglers this week.

Streamflow at the Ruidoso River at Hollywood on Monday morning was 5.82 cfs.

The boat ramp at Santa Rosa Lake is temporarily closed for water release.

Fishing for walleye and white bass at Sumner Lake was fair using redheaded Buck Perry spoon plugs trolling in 8 feet of water. The main lake water surface temperature was in the upper 70s.

Timberon Ponds had no reports from anglers this week.
Activists opposed to oil and gas drilling are mobilizing for a mammoth turnout at the Valencia County Commissions special hearing tonight on an ordinance that could open the doors to local fossil-fuel development.

Commissioners scheduled the hearing to reconsider the issue after opponents packed the County Commissions June 1 biweekly meeting in protest against a new natural resource overlay zone that commissioners had previously approved in May. The overlay zone would allow developers to apply for exploratory surface and subsurface mineral development in the county without changing existing zoning on targeted properties, potentially expediting the permitting process to extract natural resources like oil and gas.

But the five-member commission repealed the ordinance at its June 1 meeting to correct a failure to appropriately provide advance public notice about the issue before approving it in May in a 3-1 vote with one commissioner absent and virtually no public input. And, given the huge overflow crowd that showed up on June 1, the commission set a special hearing for July 14 to allow more community input before reconsidering the issue.

That meeting is now set for 5 p.m. tonight at the Los Lunas Transportation Center at 101 Courthouse Road  a spacious facility that the commission chose to accommodate the huge crowd expected to show up. The meeting will also be live streamed on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/VCAdminandGov

High turnout expected

Since early June, Valencia Water Watchers has coordinated with nearly a dozen other local and statewide environmental and community groups to mobilize turnout, with a long list of speakers expected to provide public comment. That includes more than a dozen expert witnesses who will offer testimony about the potential environmental impacts of oil and gas development, said Water Watchers organizer Ann McCartney.

Weve networked with so many organizations and had so many people say they want to speak out that were expecting a huge turnout  possibly 150 people or more, McCartney told the Journal.

Ordinance supporters may also show up in force, something that didnt happen at the June 1 meeting.

That includes long-time oilman Harvey E. Yates Jr., who supports the ordinance to pave the way for his company  Albuquerque-based oil and gas firm Jalapeno Corp.  to begin exploratory drilling in Valencia County. Yates spoke in support of the ordinance at the May 3 meeting where commissioners approved the overlay zone.

He didnt appear on June 1, but he plans to speak at tonights event.

Ill be there, Yates told the Journal Wednesday evening.  I plan to answer some questions that have been asked about what weve done so far geologically that makes us think theres oil and gas in Valencia County.

An industry engineer may also explain the drilling process and safeguards against environmental impacts. And Yates will discuss the high-risk investment involved in exploring for oil and gas in the Albuquerque Basin  an undeveloped zone potentially rich in hydrocarbons  and the potential benefits for Valencia County if Jalapeno Corp. does discover a commercially viable deposit.

These wells will be very risky, with possibly a 90% chance of failure, Yates said. We may need to drill three to five wells. But if we find one thats productive, we could then spend the resources needed to develop the field around it.

Yates said hes perturbed by environmentalists who claim hes an outsider whos just swooping into Valencia County to go after oil. Hes actually a long-time investor in the county with two active ranches and other businesses. And oil development could bring new wealth and jobs to the local community, he said.

We may win and we may lose in this debate, Yates said. If we lose, it means I save a lot of money. But if we win, it means Ill invest a lot of high-risk capital that could benefit the county.

Opponents, however, say the environmental and health risks connected to oil and gas development outweigh any benefits, particularly the potential for surface and groundwater contamination, plus adverse health impacts from toxic chemicals and other pollutants released during operations. Those hazards are particularly elevated in the Albuquerque Basin, where subsurface layers of rock and sediment are filled with fault lines that could become conduits for oil and gas operations to contaminate the basins freshwater aquifer, said Water Watchers organizer Amber Jeansonne.

We want to emphasize at the meeting that this is a fractured risk zone, Jeansonne told the Journal. Its the most earthquake-prone region of the state, according to our experts.

Ordinance details

Opponents want the commission to completely table the ordinance, McCartney said. But if the commission does opt to pursue it, they want a lot more safeguards added to the ordinance, including clear opportunities for adequate public input on every proposed project, substantial financial assurance mandates for industry operators to repair and renovate potential damages, and a lot more study of possible hazards before moving forward on any projects.

The safeguards now written into the mineral resource district included in the countys current zoning ordinances are now far more stringent, McCartney said, and those requirements should be included in any overlay zone.

Still, Commissioner Joseph Bizzell, who sponsored the overlay zone, said the ordinance is inherently protective, because it facilitates natural resource development without changing existing zoning. That ensures current land uses can continue.

Without it, developers can still apply for county permits for mineral operations, but zoning on targeted properties could be permanently altered.

The ordinance excludes permitting on any land within the Middle Rio Grande District, defined as the countys green belt. Developers must also still apply to the county for an overlay permit through a public process with community input. And if an overlay zone is approved, the project must take place within 24 months, or the property reverts to its original zoning, Bizzell said.

Perhaps most important, Bizzell said, the ordinance aims to inspire a lot more local natural resource development well beyond oil and gas, including everything from extracting and cleaning up brackish water for community use to timber exploitation and gravel pit businesses.

As a life-long Valencia County resident, Im pro-business, and I want to see a lot more development here, Bizzell told the Journal. The ordinance can contribute to more economic growth in the county.
LOS ANGELES  Nick Barragan is used to wearing a mask because his job in the Hollywood film industry has long required it. So he wont be fazed if the county thats home to Tinseltown soon becomes the first major population center this summer to reinstate rules requiring face coverings indoors because of another spike in coronavirus cases.

I feel fine about it because Ive worn one pretty much constantly for the last few years. Its become a habit, said Barragan, masked up while out running errands Wednesday.

Los Angeles is the most populous county, home to 10 million residents. It faces a return to a broad indoor mask mandate on July 29 if current trends in hospital admissions continue, county health Director Barbara Ferrer said Thursday.

Ferrer conceded that for many this will feel like a step backwards, but requiring masks again is part of a toolkit of sensible safety precautions during a jump in cases thats reminiscent of the Delta variant-fueled surge last summer.

We are not closing anything down. We are not asking people not to gather with the people they love, Ferrer said during a public briefing. Were asking you to take a sensible step, when theres this much transmission with a highly transmissible variant, to go ahead and put back on a well fitting high-filtration mask when youre indoors around others.

Nationwide, the latest COVID-19 surge is driven by the highly transmissible BA.5 variant, which now accounts for 65% of cases with its cousin BA.4 contributing another 16%. The variants have shown a remarkable ability to get around the protection offered by vaccination.

With the new omicron variants again pushing hospitalizations and deaths higher in recent weeks, states and cities are rethinking their responses and the White House is stepping up efforts to alert the public.

Some experts said the warnings are too little, too late.

Its well past the time when the warning could have been put out there, said Dr. Eric Topol, head of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, who has has called BA.5 the worst variant yet.

Global trends for the two mutants have been apparent for weeks, experts said  they quickly out-compete older variants and push cases higher wherever they appear. Yet Americans have tossed off their masks and jumped back into travel and social gatherings.

And they have largely ignored booster shots, which protect against COVID-19s worst outcomes. Courts have blocked federal mask and vaccine mandates, tying the hands of U.S. officials.

We learn a lot from how the virus is acting elsewhere and we should apply the knowledge here, said Ali Mokdad, a professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle.

White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha appeared on morning TV on Wednesday urging booster shots and renewed vigilance. Yet Mokdad said federal health officials need to push harder on masks indoors, early detection and prompt antiviral treatment.

They are not doing all that they can, Mokdad said.

The administrations challenge, in the view of the White House, is not their messaging, but peoples willingness to hear it  due to pandemic fatigue and the politicization of the virus response.

For months, the White House has encouraged Americans to make use of free or cheap at-home rapid tests to detect the virus, as well as the free and effective antiviral treatment Paxlovid that protects against serious illness and death. On Tuesday, the White House response team urgently called on all adults 50 and older to get a booster if they havent yet this year and dissuaded people from waiting for the next generation of shots expected in the fall.

New York City, San Francisco and many other local governments also have stepped up reminders encouraging people to get boosters, wear masks and take other precautions but have refrained from imposing mask mandates lifted following the major spike last winter. During the latest surge, Philadelphia resumed its mask mandate in April but lifted the requirement within a few days.

For most of the pandemic, Los Angeles County has required masks in some indoor spaces, including health care facilities, Metro trains and buses, airports, jails and homeless shelters. The new mandate would expand the requirement to all indoor public spaces, including shared offices, manufacturing facilities, warehouses, retail stores, restaurants and bars, theaters and schools.

Its unclear what enforcement might look like. Under past mandates, no individuals were cited for refusing masks and officials favored educating people over issuing citations and fines.

On a typically sunny and warm summer day in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Sharon Fayette ripped off her mask the moment she stepped out of a Lyft ride and groaned when informed another universal mask requirement might be coming. Oh man, when will it end? she said.

Fayette said she was exhausted by shifting regulations and dubious another mandate would be followed by most residents. I just think people are over it, over all the rules, she said.

Barragan said he learned a harsh lesson about the effectiveness of masks when he went without a face covering at a film industry mixer last month in Los Angeles.

I thought it would be fine because we were all outdoors, said Barragan, 35. A few days later he started feeling sick and tested positive.

Hed avoided catching the virus for more than two years because he was religious about masking up.

The one time I took it off, I caught it! he laughed.

While hospitalizations and deaths have remained well below prior spikes nationally, the current trends are troubling. Last month, daily deaths were falling, though they never matched last years low, and deaths are now heading up again.

The seven-day average for daily deaths in the U.S. rose 26% over the past two weeks to 489 on July 12. The coronavirus is not killing nearly as many as it was last fall and winter, and experts do not expect death to reach those levels again soon.

But hundreds of daily deaths for a summertime respiratory illness would normally be jaw-dropping, said Andrew Noymer, a public health professor at the University of California, Irvine. He noted that in Orange County, California, 46 people died of COVID-19 in June.

That would be all hands on deck, Noymer said. People would be like, Theres this crazy new flu thats killing people in June.'

Instead, simple, proven precautions are not being taken. Vaccinations, including booster shots for those eligible, lower the risk of hospitalization and death  even against the latest variants. But less than half of all eligible U.S. adults have gotten a single booster shot, and only about 1 in 4 Americans age 50 and older who are eligible for a second booster have received one.

This has been a botched booster campaign, Topol said, noting that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still uses the term fully vaccinated for people with two shots of Moderna or Pfizer. They havent gotten across that two shots is totally inadequate, he said.

Noymer said if he were in charge of the nations COVID response he would level with the American people in an effort to get their attention in this third year of the pandemic. He would tell Americans to take it seriously, mask indoors and until we get better vaccines, theres going to be a new normal of a disease that kills over 100,000 Americans a year and impacts life expectancy.

That message probably wouldnt fly for political reasons, Noymer acknowledged.

It also might not resonate with people who are tired of taking precautions after more than two years of the pandemic. Valerie Walker of New Hope, Pennsylvania, is mindful of the latest surge but hardly alarmed even with two friends now sick and her husband recently recovered from the virus.

I was definitely concerned back then, she said of the pandemics early days, with images of body bags on nightly news broadcasts. Now theres fatigue.

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Johnson, an AP medical writer, reported from Washington state. Associated Press writers Bobby Caina Calvan in New York and Zeke Miller in Washington contributed.

___

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.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  The White House on Thursday announced the nomination of Matthew Garcia  now chief of staff under Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham  to serve as a federal judge in New Mexico.

The appointment requires U.S. Senate confirmation.

Garcia, 48, has been a key player in the Lujan Grisham administration since 2019. As general counsel in the early days of the pandemic, he defended the states emergency authority and pandemic restrictions before the state Supreme Court.

He holds bachelors and law degrees from the University of New Mexico, and a masters degree from Harvard University. He also conducted research while on a Fulbright Scholarship at the Helsinki School of Economics in Finland.

Garcia is now one of 123 federal judicial nominees from Democratic President Joe Biden.

A White House spokeswoman said the nominations fulfill Bidens promise to ensure that the nations courts reflect the diversity that is one of our greatest assets as a country  both in terms of personal and professional backgrounds.

Garcias nomination follows the appointment last year of David Herrera Urias to the federal bench in New Mexico. The Senate confirmed his nomination in December.

Bidens appointment of District Judge Margaret Strickland of Las Cruces was also confirmed last year.

Potential nominees to the U.S. District Court are often recommended by senators who are members of the presidents party and the Senate Judiciary Committee typically holds confirmation hearings.

Its a lifetime appointment.

Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan, both Democrats from New Mexico, said they would work with their colleagues to advance the nomination and complete the appointment quickly.

We are pleased that President Biden has accepted our strong recommendation to nominate Matthew L. Garcia to join the District Court of New Mexico, Heinrich and Lujan said in a joint statement. Mr. Garcia has built an impressive record of public service with a history as one of the states top civil rights attorneys.

Before joining the Governors Office, Garcia worked as a private attorney in Albuquerque, where he represented plaintiffs in civil rights, employment and personal injury cases.

Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, said Garcias nomination is a source of pride for the state and that he will be a fair judge.

Matt Garcia is a gifted thinker and talented lawyer with more than a decade of high-level legal experience, the governor said. As a born-and-raised New Mexican and a graduate of both the University of New Mexico and UNM School of Law, Matts nomination is a source of pride for all of New Mexico. I have no doubt that he will make an eminently dedicated and fair jurist.

Garcia remains the governors chief of staff for now.
NANJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Zhang Xinqi, a former senior legislator of east China's Shandong Province, on Thursday stood trial at the Intermediate People's Court of Nanjing in Jiangsu Province, charged with accepting bribes.

The Nanjing Municipal People's Procuratorate charged Zhang, former deputy director of the Standing Committee of the Shandong Provincial People's Congress, with taking advantage of his positions from 2001 to 2019 to seek gains for others in enterprise operations, project development and contracting, qualification approvals and job adjustment.

In return, Zhang accepted money and goods worth more than 155 million yuan (about 23 million U.S. dollars) between 2006 and 2021. Public prosecutors said that Zhang should be held criminally responsible.

Previously, Zhang served as mayor of Qingdao City, secretary of the Weifang municipal committee of the Communist Party of China, and mayor of Weifang City.

During the trial attended by more than 20 people, prosecutors presented evidence that was in turn examined by the defendant and his lawyers. Both sides gave their own complete accounts of events.

In his final statement, Zhang pleaded guilty and expressed remorse.

The court will reconvene at a later date to announce its verdict. 
The Division Bench of the Hon'ble High Court of Bombay today dismissed the appeal filed by USV against the order passed by a single Judge of the Hon'ble High Court in June 2022.

Dismissing the appeal, the Bench upheld the 17 June 2022 High Court order, which said that the advertisements launched by USV in January 2021, denigrated and disparaged HULs products.

In the said order, the Court had ruled Sebameds entire campaign based on the pH value of soap, comparing it to Dove, Pears and Lux, as disparaging, and had restrained Sebamed from airing the advertisement in any manner.

HUL confirmed the development and welcomed the order.

Speaking on the latest ruling, Dev Bajpai, Executive Director, Legal & Corporate Affairs, HUL, said, The Court rulings reaffirm that the advertisement campaign by Sebamed denigrated HULs brands and misled consumers on the basis of pH, which is just one of the many parameters that go into manufacturing soap. It is also pertinent to note that Sebameds campaign was irresponsible, and that such misleading communication was issued during the pandemic, when the Government and health authorities had advocated handwashing with any soap.

In the Sebamed campaign released in January 2021, Sebamed had claimed that Dove, Lux and Pears, well-known soap brands that HUL has been marketing for decades, had higher pH, which was not apt for sensitive skin.
In order to lead in the new market, Ryvalmedia is launching an office in Sydney this month. Ryancap CEO Simon Ryan is moving back to his former neighborhood and has hired Bianca Falloon from Carat.

Falloon joins Ryan, her previous boss at Carat, in the general manager position as the agency announced ambitions to scale swiftly in Sydney with an emphasis on investing in capability and expanding its team of digital specialists to meet client demand.

Due to its presence in Melbourne and Brisbane, this is Ryvalmedia's third market. With its expanding portfolio having one common characteristic, many are digital-first and disruptive firms geared toward the new economy, the agency claimed that the market has responded favourably to its concept.

Ryan stated that an M&A plan is in place in Sydney, with chats happening, as has been the case in the Melbourne and Sydney markets for Ryvalmedia.

Falloon joins Carat after ten years of working as a client lead; she left PHD in 2012 as group account director. After being elevated to the position of CEO in 2013, Falloon reported to Ryan at Carat. A few years later, he moved into the group role. Falloon worked with a variety of companies throughout her time at Carat, including Woolworths, BWS, Pandora, Dan Murphy's, and more.

In 2020, Ryancap was founded. Since then, a sizable number of former Dentsu employees have joined Ryan in his new business. Ryan resigned his group CEO position at Dentsu in 2018. In the new structure, Falloon will work with Joseph Pardillo, the former MD of Carat, and immediately report to Ryan as the Melbourne MD of Ryvalmedia.

She will work closely with the organization's other national offices to develop the Ryvalmedia team, brand, and client portfolio in Sydney, the agency noted.

Ryan expressed his delight that Bianca would be joining the Ryvalmedia team, which would have the support of the larger RyanCap network of companies. Our strategic plan is on track because we have concentrated on hiring individuals with high calibre talent and capability, which has fueled our success.

As a steadfast supporter of the sector driven by client company expansion, we can see the potential in expanding our offering and allying with the ideal client partners. Our goals will be to concentrate on other local and international markets after the business has successfully expanded to Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. The market's need and our client's success-driven relentlessness are closely related to this growth possibility.

Ryan has already discussed his plans to expand Ryancap into new areas via Mumbrella. Ryan stated last year that we would have to wait and see how things turn out about future investments in order to expand up the RyanCap business further after a capital raise for its data and tech business, Foxcatcher.

"I believe it depends on how it turns out. We might not need to raise additional funds if we discover that this investment truly provides us with the gross potential that we anticipate. We might raise another ten or something, though, if we decide to debut this in the US insteadand I have no reason to believe it won't be a success.

Falloon stated of his new position at Ryvalmedia: "I am honoured to be joining Ryvalmedia and have the chance to manage the Sydney team. It's great to be launching in Sydney after watching their success grow over the past two years in Melbourne and Brisbane. What makes Ryvalmedia's offer so intriguing is its distinctive strategy for assisting brands in thriving in the digital economy and its use of data to support business results. I'm excited to help them achieve more success as well as the success of our clientele.

In the category of Media Agency of the Year, Ryvalmedia was shortlisted for this year's Mumbrella Awards. The Royal Randwick in Sydney will host the Mumbrella Awards on August 4.

One of Ryvalmedia's most important clients, MYOB, is now in negotiations to be bought by ANZ Bank for $4.5 billion. It's unclear whether this would affect the relationship in any way.

The $40 million account for the gaming company Bet365 was just won by Ryvalmedia.
NIVEA India, Indias #1 Trusted skincare brand* is back with the second edition of its most awaited NIVEA Soft Fresh Batch after a colossal success of its premier edition last year. Elevating the influencer game one trend at a time, the Gen-Zs of today are looking at transitioning from being traditional content consumers to new-age creators. In the ever-changing multiverse of filters, challenges and hashtags, NIVEA India aims at becoming the first-choice of every Gen-Z girl by helping kick-start her influencer journey in this one-of-a-kind digital hunt - #NiveaFreshBatchHunt! Promising all things bigger and better, with more colleges, mentors, influencers, challenges, and rewards, this second edition is all set to uplift the life of every budding Gen-Z creator in the country.

After a whopping success of their debut edition, NIVEA India has announced the second edition of NIVEA Soft Fresh Batch exclusively in partnership with Moj, Indias number one short video app with 160 MAUs, that will help further ramp up the campaign in reaching Gen-Z creators and influencers across all the regions of India.

With an aim to make this season even bigger than the premier edition, NIVEA India is all set to bring back NIVEA Soft Fresh Batch in all things grand!

#NIVEAFreshBatchHunt on Moj - The campaign, will be hosted on Moj that will help tap into a wider Indian influencer network with a huge audience base that takes on trends and challenges. The campaign will be rolled out in 7 different languages on Moj - English, Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada & Malayalam, reaching diverse Indian users. For the campaign, a customized 2D Interactive lens or filter will be created that will enable a participant to choose their personality and submit their entry using #NiveaFreshBatchHunt.

Wider College Ambassador Program  With the hunt getting bigger, the brand is keen on curating a wider ambassador program with 1000+ colleges across various regions in India





Collaborate with #NSFBSquad  NIVEA India will curate a wider influencer network with 10 high-reach influencers in each personas squad including remarkable regional influencers to ensure deeper penetration across the country with 40 #NSFBSquad members





Exciting Rewards and Opportunities  This edition promises bigger rewards. Winners will get a year-long contract with the brand to kick start their influencer journey along with a chance to feature in NIVEAs Ad along with a photo shoot by a celebrity photographer, smartphone, workshops, and a content creation kit!

Announced by celebrity and brand face Taapsee Pannu, the aspiring creators will be guided and mentored by 40 of the most loved, popular, and well-established influencers in their fields with 10 of them leading each category of persona. College girls from across the country need to choose theirpersona and showcase their talent on MOJ to win some of the most exciting prizes. Up to 100 winners will be chosen for the grand celebration of the NIVEA Soft Fresh Batch of 2022.

Talking about the recent announcement, Mr. Ajay Simha  Marketing Director, NIVEA India, said, At NIVEA India, we have always aimed at curating conversations that are fresh, yet relevant. With the Gen-Z of today becoming the creators of tomorrow, we are enthralled to announce the second edition of our NIVEA Soft Fresh Batch after a remarkable first edition. Were all set to take things up a notch, while we aim to provide the right guidance, resources, and a platform to kick start their influencer journeys. As a brand that cares beyond skin, we aim to provide the right care, mentorship, and boost to the next generation of content creators. Along with being Indias Most Trusted Skincare Brand, NIVEA Soft Fresh Batch is our way to build upon the trusted legacy of our brand while engaging even more meaningfully with college students across India.

I am delighted to be a part, yet again, of this unique initiative by NIVEA India and Im looking forward to the content created by the enthusiastic Gen Z girls across India. I urge every aspiring influencer to participate in the NIVEA Soft Fresh Batch 2022 and showcase their personality uniquely. The holistic platform provided to the top winners will bolster their content creation journey. Im excited to be a part of the bigger & better second edition of NIVEA Soft Fresh Batch. Ms. Taapsee Pannu, Celebrity & Brand Ambassador, NIVEA India, said.

Talking about the NIVEA campaign on Moj Mr. Ajit Varghese, Chief Commercial Officer of Moj and ShareChat, said, We are excited to collaborate with NIVEA on their second edition of NIVEA Soft Fresh Batch that will discover the next generation of young influencers across multiple categories and languages. In the recent past, Moj has successfully enabled several brands and content creators to deeply engage with audiences across the country through innovative and bespoke hashtag campaigns, filters, talent hunts, and challenges. We are certain that NIVEAs campaign will resonate with our GenZ creators and users located in different regions of India.

The premier season witnessed more than 20,000 digital entries with winners from more than 45 cities and states across the nation. Showcasing different talents such as Art, Karate, Weightlifting, Dance, Comedy, Fashion, Makeup, etc. the campaign created a real impact in the lives of budding content creators by helping them kick-start their Fresh Journeys.

This initiative draws inspiration from the NIVEA Soft College Edition packs that come in 4 exciting designs that celebrate 4 unique personas of college girls - Fashionista, Sporty, Entertainer and Smarty. Leaving your skin soft and bringing an instant fresh feeling, these limited-edition NIVEA Soft packs will be available across all leading e-commerce portals & stores near you.
Aerial photo shows a job fair held in Zigui, central China's Hubei Province, Feb. 8, 2022. (Photo by Zheng Jiayu/Xinhua)

BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- China's employment market has seen signs of an upturn, amid broader improvements in key economic indicators and the implementation of multiple pro-employment policies.

The country's surveyed urban unemployment rate fell to 5.9 percent in May from 6.1 percent in April, compared with the overall goal of keeping the rate no more than 5.5 percent in 2022 set in the government work report.

Key economic indicators have also been on the mend. The purchasing managers' index for China's manufacturing sector, which measures the country's factory activity, came in at 50.2 in June, returning to the expansion territory.

Looking ahead, as the economic activities gradually get back on track, China's employment market is expected to improve further, according to an official with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

STABILIZING EMPLOYMENT

A State Council's Executive Meeting on Wednesday deemed employment a top priority in ensuring people's livelihood and an important underpinning for keeping overall economic performance stable.

The Xi'an Qiulin Commerce and Trade Co., Ltd. has seen its business revenues slipping since the COVID-19 outbreak, but didn't cut any jobs, thanks to a 3-million-yuan (446,000 U.S. dollars) refund of unemployment insurance premiums and other subsidies that it has received since 2020.

"We have maintained a team of 270, with basically no layoffs," said Wu Pingshan, a human resource staffer with the company.

China earlier implemented policies such as deferring social insurance contributions by employers, and refunding unemployment insurance premiums for enterprises that make no cuts or minimal cuts to staff number. Wednesday's meeting has decided to execute these policies on a one-stop basis.

From January to May, 2.73 million enterprises across the nation received 12.9 billion yuan of unemployment insurance refund, benefiting a total of 51.89 million people, official data showed.

"The COVID-19 pandemic will eventually wane, and we believe that our business will fare better as production and life restore," Wu added.

KEY GROUPS SUPPORTED

Liu Zhenzhong, director of the employment service center of the University of South China, has been busy since June coordinating with over 80 companies on online recruitment activities, despite the fact that many students have already graduated.

Many companies are rebooting their recruitment plans as production resumes, and government organs are stepping up efforts to expand employment channels for college graduates, Liu said.

College graduates and migrant workers make up key groups of China's employment pool. According to data, the number of people who reach the working age and will be employed for the first time stands at 16 million this year, marking a new high over the years. Among them, college graduates amounted to 10.76 million, also a historical high.

Keeping this in mind, China will provide tailored employment services on an ongoing basis to graduates who are yet to secure jobs, according to the State Council's Executive Meeting. Policies to expand employment channels for graduates will be effectively implemented. Resumption of in-person recruitment will be expedited. Policies will be rolled out to support service outsourcing industries to hire graduates.

Apart from the key groups, the meeting also highlighted the need to safeguard workers' equal employment rights. Employment discrimination against people who had earlier tested COVID-19 positive but have now recovered will be strictly forbidden.

Thanks to measures to aid the unemployed, 1.96 million people who had previously been laid off landed new jobs between January and May this year.

While the current employment situation has improved, the adverse impacts of COVID-19 have not been fully eliminated, and the general pressure and structural problems on the employment market still exist, China's human resource authorities said, calling on local governments to thoroughly implement the pro-employment policies. 
Public relations and social media agency Crosshairs Communication has successfully added another brand to its portfolio as they bagged a PR and social media mandate for the well-established brand Its A 10 Haircare by the self-made entrepreneur, founder and CEO herself, Carolyn Aronson. The agency is responsible for creating brand awareness as well as recognizing and distributing the brands products that are available in India.

Its A 10 Haircare, is a well-known professional hair care line that sells exceptional multipurpose products through salons and beauty supply stores all over the world. It's a 10 Haircare is committed to providing customers with the best hair experience possible as one of the world's only female-owned professional hair care brands. It's a 10 Haircare's collection include exceptional 10-in-1 multi-purpose products that have been perfected and simplified into a single line, providing solutions to all hair care needs.

Crosshairs Communications will proudly be handling Its A 10 Haircares social media as well as their PR communications in India. The agencys main objective is to bring brand awareness to locals, catering to a range of new audiences, and sharing products available to the Indian market.

Some best seller mentions of the products that are now available in India are from their Miracle line which consists of leave-in serums, shampoos, conditioners, masks and so on. In this regard, the agency looks forward to working with the successful brand, Its A 10 Haircare as they both embark on their future opportunities.

Stuti Jalan, the founder of Crosshairs Communication, who is more than thrilled to be partnering with the company It's A 10 Haircare, says "Crosshairs Communication persistently strives to meet the expectations of the brands on board. We are experts at addressing the brand's communication objectives and image-building requirements. We are overjoyed and ecstatic for the necessary responsibilities and commitments that come along.
Photo taken on July 13, 2022 shows a low level of Lake Como in Como, Lombardy region, Italy. (Str/Xinhua)

ROME, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Italians were bracing for yet another heat wave and dry spell on Wednesday, with meteorologists predicting record-high temperatures and experts warning of a crisis in the country's agricultural sector.

Daytime temperatures are forecast to exceed 40 degrees Celsius across much of mainland Italy, especially in the northern and southern regions. Last week saw a mild respite from record-high temperatures.

Italy is also suffering from its worst drought in at least 70 years, with practically no precipitation in some parts of the country since early April. The Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies said on Wednesday that so far this year rainfall has been half the long-term average.

The harsh conditions are having a major impact on agricultural production, with market research firm Mintec estimating that production of olive oil in Italy could be down 20 percent to 30 percent this year.

Coupled with similar production shortfalls in Spain, this could send global prices for olive oil surging, according to Mintec. Extra virgin olive oil prices in Italy are already nearly 30 percent higher than they were two years ago, it said.

Media reports said prices for high-quality tomatoes and rice could rise more than 50 percent as production in Italy dwindles.

"Agriculture has particularly serious problems, which has a direct impact on food quantity and prices on the markets," Italy's Agriculture Minister Stefano Patuanelli told Parliament on Wednesday.

"The government is accelerating every initiative (and) making resources available," the minister said, adding that surging fuel prices and global logistical issues are exacerbating the problems caused by the hot and dry weather. 

Photo taken on July 13, 2022 shows a low level of Lake Como in Como, Lombardy region, Italy. (Str/Xinhua)

Photo taken on July 13, 2022 shows a low level of Lake Como in Como, Lombardy region, Italy. (Str/Xinhua)

A man takes photos at Lake Como in Como, Lombardy region, Italy, on July 13, 2022. (Str/Xinhua)

Photo taken on July 13, 2022 shows a low level of Lake Como in Como, Lombardy region, Italy. (Str/Xinhua)

A man walks a dog at Lake Como in Como, Lombardy region, Italy, on July 13, 2022. (Str/Xinhua)
To promote equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and mutual accommodation between civilizations: Egyptian archaeologist

09:10, July 14, 2022 By Huang Peizhao ( People's Daily

I still vividly remember President Xi Jinpings visit to the ancient Egyptian capital of Luxor though its been more than six years, said Mamdouh Mohamed Gad Eldamaty, archaeologist and former antiquities minister of Egypt, in a recent interview with Peoples Daily.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly attend the inauguration ceremony of the Adly Mansour Station and the 10th of Ramadan Light Rail Transit (LRT) program, July 3, 2022. The 10th of Ramadan LRT program is the first electrified LRT in both Egypt and Africa. Its general contractor was the consortium of China Railway Engineering Corporation and AVIC International Holding Corporation. (Photo courtesy of the Chinese Embassy in Egypt)

Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Egypt from Jan. 20 to 22, 2016. Eldamaty accompanied him twice during the Chinese Presidents stay in the African country.

On Jan. 21, President Xi attended a celebration of the 60th anniversary of China-Egypt diplomatic relations and the opening ceremony of the China-Egypt Cultural Year 2016, together with President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt at the ancient Square of Luxor Temple.

I was the guide for the two heads of state at the Luxor Temple, Eldamaty recalled, saying at the temple, the two leaders talked about the characteristics of the ancient Chinese and Egyptian civilizations and reviewed the long history of mutual learning between them.

President Xi noted that both China and Egypt are ancient civilizations, so its necessary for them to strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges, deepen non-governmental friendship, and consolidate public support for bilateral cooperation, so as to promote the common development and prosperity of both sides.

What President Xi said mirrored his insight into history and his strategic vision, Eldamaty told Peoples Daily.

On the next day, President Xi visited the ruins of the ancient Egyptian civilization in Luxor. Again, he was accompanied by Eldamaty.

While watching the heritages, President Xi communicated with me. He showed a deep interest in the ancient Egyptian civilization, Eldamaty recalled.

He shook my hands to express his thanks when the visit was over. His erudition, horizon, passion for culture, and humility left a deep impression on me, Eldamaty said.

During President Xis visit to Egypt, he delivered an important speech titled Work Together for a Bright Future of China-Arab Relations at the Arab League Headquarters in Cairo.

Eldamaty said the speech left a lasting impression on him. President Xis speech offered guidance for the cultural exchanges and mutual learning between Egypt and China, and between the Arab world and China, he noted.

Photo taken on Jan. 24, 2022 shows the Cairo Tower during a light show in Cairo, Egypt. A light show was held at the Cairo Tower for the upcoming Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. (Photo courtesy of the Chinese Embassy in Egypt)

I agree with President Xis proposal to promote equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and mutual accommodation between civilizations. We need to replace estrangement with interaction and sharing, replace conflict with harmonious co-existence, and replace a sense of superiority with respect for diversity, Eldamaty told Peoples Daily.

Citing a proverb in Arabic that Seek knowledge even if you have to go as far as China, Eldamaty noted that the ancient Silk Road witnessed the common prosperity of the Arab and Chinese civilizations, which was the result of close exchanges and mutual learning.

The land and maritime Silk Roads, as a bridge linking the East and the West, promoted the progress of human civilization, he added.

Today, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) proposed by President Xi has revitalized the ancient Silk Road, and is bringing closer China and Arab countries in economy, trade, culture, and other sectors, Eldamaty remarked, saying the initiative is building a new paradigm of international cooperation featuring win-win results, guided by the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits.

During the interview, Eldamaty highlighted a series of China-Egypt cooperation outcomes. According to him, a joint archaeological team consisting of Chinese and Egyptian scientists has unearthed a number of buildings and valuable relics buried in ruins at the Temple of Montu, Luxor; two Luban Workshops were launched at Egypts Ain Shams University and Technical School for Advanced Maintenance Technology, Cairo, which marked further steps of vocational education cooperation between the two countries.

Chinese Ambassador Liao Liqiang and Egyptian Higher Education Minister Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar, who is also temporarily in charge of the Egyptian Health Ministry, attend a hand-over ceremony for China-donated COVID-19 vaccines in Cairo, Nov. 3, 2021. (Photo courtesy of the Chinese Embassy in Egypt)

Besides, steady progress is being made in the construction of the central business district in Egypts new administrative capital, and the China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone had attracted over 120 enterprises as of the end of 2021. The cooperation zone was considered an industrial park with the best environment, the highest density of investment, and maximum production output per unit in Egypt.

The alignment between the BRI and Egypts Vision 2030 has increasingly tightened the bond of friendship and cooperation between the two countries. We are very confident in building a brighter future of common prosperity, Eldamaty said.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
ABUJA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian police on Thursday said they are combing surrounding bushes in search of a group of gunmen who attacked a village in the country's northeastern state of Bauchi, killing one person and abducting three others.

In a statement, the police in Bauchi said the attack on Wednesday was suspected to have been carried out by kidnappers who invaded the Boto Village in the Tafawa Balewa local government area of the state.

The police immediately swung into action after receiving a distress call, mobilizing personnel who rushed to the village but the gunmen had already left with the victims, said the statement by Ahmed Wakili, a spokesman for the police in that state.

"We have in the past acted swiftly to rescue kidnapped victims and are ready to do the same in this situation," said the police statement while calling on local residents to cooperate with security agencies in the fight against insecurity. 
Decades of unprecedented prosperity have made westerners indolent, bored, and self-absorbed. Detachment from Judeo-Christian faith has made elites vulnerable to fanatics and charlatans peddling gimcrackery. These peddlers no longer hawk their nonsense in the name of God, as was done throughout much of history. Today, they claim to do so as enlightened people of science.

Two cults pose growing threats to the well-being of humanity in the coming years. Advancing critiques of these cults is necessary but insufficient. Offering a compelling alternative to the dark world they would fashion is critical.

One cult we know a lot about: anthropomorphic climate change. After a half century, saving the planet has been woven into the culture. Many people share the conceit that humans have the power to save or destroy the earth.

Over the years, green initiatives have made inroads, being translated into laws and policies. Now, though, a rising generation of left-wing Democrats, backed by aspiring oligarchs, is pushing a radical green agenda with greater intensity. Average Americans are already shouldering the costs.

The Biden administrations hostility to conventional energy production thats led to spikes in energy costs are conspicuous poison fruits of this emboldened extremism. But there are more Biden policies and bureaucratic efforts pushing green radicalism that are flying under the radar. They will do enormous harm to the nations economic and social fabric if allowed to stand.

The other cult, which is our focus here, centers on the rise of artificial intelligence, which futurists claim will supplant humans as governors. And, no less, the expectation that practically omniscient, predictive algorithms will control every aspect of human existence.

That seems like science fiction. In part, it is, in that the likelihood that artificial intelligence will match or surpass human intelligence is fanciful.

But theres a growing stable of intellectuals and elite who are convinced that intelligent machines -- or a merger of machines and humans -- will rule the earth. And not in some far-off time.

Per Newsmax, May 19:

The futurists assume theres a bridge between narrow applications of AI and the general intelligence humans possess. But no such bridge exists. As Erik J. Larson explains in his book The Myth of Artificial Intelligence, were not even on the right road to such a bridge.

But dont dismiss futurists claims. Their vision may be wrong, but its the pursuit of this vision that poses dangers.

Both cults are magnets for rich, powerful people. Both satisfy those who seek even greater wealth and power. Green radicalism is a path to both. A future run by elites and smart machines attracts elites who thirst for control. Then come those who seek to fill voids left in their lives by abandonment of God. Theyve sought religion substitutes in scientism.

Yuval Harari, a renowned public intellectual and pal of Klaus Schwab, who has the ears of many of the Wests elites, isnt just an academic describing the future (as if he or anyone else really knows), but a fabulist. History is littered with false prophets. Some have done great harm to humanity. Marx was the most notably destructive false prophet in recent times.

Hararis prophecy discounts human life. Humans are soulless and nature is simply mechanistic. Humans and nature are inferior machines to be subjugated and manipulated by superior artificially intelligent machines and a human elite -- or by a merger of both. AI machines, were told, will possess consciousness and independence.

Hararis matter-of-factness cloaks a callous disregard from mankind.

Most humans, per Harari, will one day be surplus. Heres what he says about that dilemma in videos and a transcript housed at Forbidden Knowledge, May 13:

Again, I think the biggest question in maybe in economics and politics of the coming decades will be what to do with all these useless people? [italics added]

The great unwashed, rendered superfluous, will require ministering. Harari states:

The problem is more boredom and how what to do with them and how will they find some sense of meaning in life, when they are basically meaningless, worthless? [italics added] My best guess, at present is a combination of drugs and computer games as a solution for [most]. Its already happening. Under different titles, different headings, you see more and more people spending more and more time or solving their inner problems with the drugs and computer games, both legal drugs and illegal drugs. [italics added]

Harari might have suggested that in his Brave New World useless people could be provided unprecedented access to education and the arts could be encouraged to become artisans and craftsmen making unique contributions to their societies, for example. A truly expansive, creative, and caring mind could devise countless ways for humans to bring meaning to their lives and value to a world run by smart machines.

Aside from Hararis preposterous claim that the elite will get a [sic] exemption from death in future world, he closes with this telling remark:

The most interesting place today in the world in religious terms is Silicon Valley. Its not the Middle East. This is where the new religions are being created now by people like Ray Kurtzweil and this these are the religions that will take over the world. [italics added]

So, were to believe that most of the human race, consigned to a scrapheap, pumped full of drugs and computer games, will flock to the Church of Silicon Valley to worship the elite humans and machines that have made their lives terrible? That would take quite a powerful drug to stupefy billions of people into joining one of Hararis new religions.

If most humans become useless, when will they be considered expendable? Why spend resources on useless people? Wont smart machines ask: This rabble exists for what purpose? To consume and do nothing? To injure the earth, which without them would be Eden-like? When would the mass exterminations start?

Harari, like Schwab, and like lesser lights, is a crackpot. As a kid, he must have devoured science fiction to the point that science fiction devoured him. His remarks, though sold as detached analysis, betray contempt for his fellow humans. Harari is a godless man, and it shows.

Harari and Schwab arent fringe players, as noted. Theyre Rasputins with global reach. The World Economic Forum, founded and chaired by Schwab, enjoys participation by notable players in a wide range of fields. Many head larger institutions, public and private.

Schwabs utopian vision, as stated in his book, The Fourth Industrial Revolution, is about:

connect[ing] billions more people to digital networks, dramatically improve the efficiency of organizations and even manage assets in ways that can help regenerate the natural environment, potentially undoing the damage of previous industrial revolutions.

But Schwabs sterile -- and sinister -- utopia is certain to hit roadblocks:

However, Schwab also has grave concerns: that organizations might be unable to adapt; governments could fail to employ and regulate new technologies to capture their benefits; shifting power will create important new security concerns; inequality may grow; and societies fragment.

In other words, those pesky inferior humans may not conform to Schwabs vision of a cold global society lorded over by merciless machines and elites. Renegades will surely roam the planet, among whom will be those espousing and fighting for God and liberty who know that mankind is Gods greatest creation and that freedom is a birthright.

But we neednt arrive at Schwabs dystopic world. A powerful counter worldview needs to develop. One that accounts for the spiritual in humans one that rejects materialism and declares faith and freedom as mutual one that peoples across the globe rally to because it stands for the inherent value of every human life one that will kill Schwabs monstrous vision before it kills us.

J. Robert Smith can be found regularly at Gab @JRobertSmith. He also blogs at Flyover .

Image: PxHere
Democrats are openly the party of violence and death. Their policies fail so they must advocate violence to get them implemented.

Democrats and their spinoff-isms promote and glamorize abortion, the killing of human beings. Barack Obama notoriously stated that he didnt want to see women being punished with a baby. Elizabeth Warren said that women who go to crisis pregnancy centers are met by people who want to do them harm. Liberals clearly believe that giving birth is not desirable but killing babies is.

They are big on defunding the police which increases the crime rate because criminals roam free to commit more crimes. This isnt rocket science. And so the crime rate skyrockets. Chicago, the deadliest city in the country, kills more people per weekend than were killed in the Parkland shooting. Democrats running these high-crime cities do not seem the least bit perturbed by violent crimes. They make no effort to put repeat criminals in jail and in fact, liberal DAs refuse to bring charges against the people who are serially killing other people.

Democrat-run San Francisco and Los Angeles are suffering from huge spikes in the crime rate but the locals seem content to continue electing Democrats who clearly have a soft spot for criminals and crime.

Chuck Schumer called for violence against Supreme Court justices:

"I want to tell you, Gorsuch, I want to tell you, Kavanaugh: You have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price. You wont know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions."

During the 2020 riots, Democrats in the media and in government actually praised rioters and arsonists and cheered them on.

Regarding same, Vice President Kamala Harris said,

"Protestors should not let up. Theyre not gonna let up and they should not."

Overall, we have these other calls to violence going back to 2017. From Lauren Boebert's website:

In 2008, President Obama said, I need you to go out and talk to your friends and talk to your neighbors. I want you to talk to them whether they are independent or whether they are Republican. I want you to argue with them and get in their face. Source

In June 2018, Rep. Maxine Waters said, If you see anybody from that cabinet in a restaurant, at a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd. And you push back on them, and you tell them theyre not welcome anymore, anywhere. Source

In June of 2018, then Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said, I just dont even know why there arent uprisings all over the country. And maybe there will be. In June of 2018, then Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said, I just dont even know why there arent uprisings all over the country. And maybe there will be. Source

Source In 2017, Senator Tim Kaine said, "So, the way we get outside the bubble is we take advantage of this tremendous public outcry against the administration What we've got to do is fight in Congress, fight in the courts, fight in the streets, fight online, fight at the ballot box, and now there's the momentum to be able to do this. Source

In August 2020, Rep. Ayanna Pressley said, There needs to be unrest in the streets for as long as theres unrest in our lives. Source

In October 2018, former Attorney General Eric Holder said, If they go low, we kick them. Source

In June 2017, Johnny Depp said, When was the last time an actor assassinated a President? Source

Source In September 2018, Carol Cooke said, Where is John Wilkes Boothe when you need him? Source

In January 2017, Madonna said, Yes, Im angry. Yes, I am outraged. Yes, I have thought an awful lot about blowing up the White House. Source

In August 2017, Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal said, I hope Trump is assassinated! Source

The question is this. Why are Democrats so married to the use of violence to get their agenda passed, or does the question answer itself? Democrats know in their alleged hearts that the people of America do not like their agenda, but that doesn't matter because Americans are too dim to know what is good for them.

Perhaps this is the answer: BlackRock CEO and WEF globalist Larry Fink publicly stated that force should be used where there is recalcitrance:

Behaviors are going to have to change and this is one thing we are asking companies, you have to force behaviors and at BlackRock, we are forcing behaviors, Fink said.

This attitude is not limited to companies but like scum, it floats and covers the entire American landscape. We on the Right have got to understand that the Left has no inclination to gain our acceptance for their policies or for changing hearts and minds. They want to use force and they are using force to get acquiescence for their policies. It doesn't matter to them that we abhor their policies. They believe they are right and they want to rule. It's the age-old Lord Acton sentiment, "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

The Left have abandoned the representative form of governance and have adopted an authoritarian form of government using violence when they think it's necessary. Millions of dollars are flooding the coffers of organizations that thrive on violence. The Constitution be damned.

These people must be jettisoned if America is to remain free. We're already on a knife's edge of liberty. We don't need the Left pushing us over.

Image: Robert Couse-Baker

Editor's note: An earlier posting of this item was published under an incorrect byline.
1. Facing an electoral wipeout in November, will Democrats try to meddle in the elections?

Chances of using a crisis like the 2020 pandemic to alter, bypass, or influence local elections in the name of fairness are less likely now that some states have tightened voter ID requirements. In addition, nineteen states have either prohibited or regulated private funding of elections. That leaves four possible options, all of which are much more overt.

One is for Congress to pass an amnesty bill turning all of the millions of illegal aliens residing in the country into U.S. citizens, allowing them to vote. President Biden could try using an executive order to do the same thing. However, it is doubtful that the Supreme Court would see that as constitutional.

A second possibility is that Congress passes something similar to the For the People Act, which passed by the House of Representatives in 2021 but stalled in the Senate. This would give the federal government control of the election process in all 50 states. In addition, it would likely result in the expanded use of mail-in ballots, drop boxes, and ballot-harvesting, which were cited as problems during the 2020 election.

A third option, actually in progress, is using federal resources  money and employees  to register voters friendly to Democrats and spur turnout. This is part of an executive order issued on March 7,2021, which encourages federal agencies to work with third-party organizations on voter outreach, registration, and participation activities. The executive order also gives federal workers time off to vote. Some or all of these activities may be violations of the Hatch Act.

The fourth option is that President Biden cancels the election over some real or imaginary threat in the name of national security or climate change. It is difficult to imagine something like this, but anything is possible. The real issue is, what happens if the election is canceled?

2. Are aspects of U.S. foreign policy being influenced by Hunter Biden?

This is a scary thought. This goes back to Hunter's appointment to the board of directors of the Ukrainian energy company Burisma. When Burisma was being investigated by Ukrainian authorities, Vice President Joe Biden famously threatened to withhold one billion dollars of foreign aid to get the Ukrainian chief prosecutor fired. This action protected Hunter's position and his salary of $1 million per year.

Hunter later bragged that his father would talk about anything he wanted, including working Hunter's suggestions into his political platform. Considering Hunter's previous ties to China, does this influence extend to disbanding an initiative to combat Chinese espionage? What about removing restrictions on TikTok, a Chinese social media platform whose managers can access U.S. users' personal data, or possibly eliminating tariffs on Chinese imports?

3. Does some entity or group within the Democrat party have a financial interest in promoting mass illegal immigration and drug-smuggling across our southern border?

Democrats obviously have a political interest in terms of new voters. But it is difficult to believe they allow Mexican cartels to make billions from human trafficking and drug smuggling without getting a piece of the action. I am tempted to finger Hunter Biden, but this is too big and bold for him. We may have to wait for a Republican Congress to investigate.

4. When will President Biden pardon his son Hunter?

This is not an if question. The most likely scenario is after Republicans take control of the House of Representatives in early 2023 and begin an investigation. Then Biden can claim they are being mean to Hunter and the whole thing is unjustified. Otherwise, he would have to do it before leaving office. The only way Hunter does not get pardoned is if Joe passes away in his sleep without a signed document on his desk.

5. Will Vladimir Putin risk World War 3 in his attempt to take over Ukraine?

The real threat to the world is not gradual climate change over one or two hundred years. It is a nuclear war tomorrow, the day after, or the month after. Some say Putin is already risking that war.

There are reasons to be hopeful this will not happen. One, the population of Russia is 145 million. The combined population of the NATO alliance plus Ukraine is roughly one billion. This means NATO has over six times more manpower than Russia alone.

Two, NATO has an advantage in the quality and quantity of weapons. The slight numerical advantage the Red Army possessed in tanks and other armored vehicles has disappeared thanks to five months of war against the tough-minded Ukrainians. Russia may have a lot of nuclear weapons, but so does NATO. The Russians may threaten and bluster about nuclear war, but they cannot attack a NATO country without a requisite and proportional response.

Third, northern hemisphere westerly air currents favor NATO. If Putin launches a nuclear strike on Ukraine or eastern Europe, radioactive fallout plumes will drift over western Russia. This is the equivalent of spitting into the air with a stiff breeze in your face. So if Putin is smart and sane, he won't do it.

6. Will Hillary run for President in 2024?

After being beaten by Barack Obama in 2008 and Donald Trump in 2016, she might take the hint and remain in her safe space on Earth 2. But Democrats foster a culture of entitlement, and Hillary feels entitled to be President.

7. What about Vice President Kamala Harris?

Yes, but why bother?

8. Billionaire Jeff Bezos?

He is already trashing Biden for not understanding economics. Not to mention he is super-rich. So, maybe.

9. How about California Governor Gavin Newsom?

Newsom recently invited Floridians to move from the safe, sunny beaches and low taxes of the Sunshine State to the Democrat nirvana of high-tax, drug-infested, crime-ridden, abortion-on-demand California. He may be clueless, but he wants to be president.

10. Will Donald Trump run in 2024?

Barring a serious medical problem, this is a given.

11. What about Florida Governor Ron DeSantis?

Maybe, just to establish himself for 2028 or to set himself up to be Trump's V.P.

12. Will there be a civil war in America?

Highly unlikely. Only a fool would contemplate such a thing.

From 1775 to as recently as 1941, the weapons an average farmer, hunter, or bank robber could get were not very different from those of regular army troops. Times have changed. Despite the Second Amendment, modern armies have all sorts of weapons average citizens cannot buy and are not allowed to possess. The best an irregular militia armed with handguns and rifles could do is fight a short guerrilla war. Anything else is a fantasy of extremists or writers trying to sell books or movie scripts.

Image via Pickpik.
"We are NOT tacos." That rebuke from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists to FLINO Jill Biden cracks me up. It's always the cultural left that reduces individuals to their unessential identity politics parts while simultaneously whining about "harmful stereotypes." And it's always the cultural left that says outrageously racist or stupid things about any group of Americans it sees as its own (or rather any group it thinks it owns).

If Lloyd Marcus, the beloved and much missed Unhyphenated American, were still with us today, he would have had a field day with the Bidens' inability to treat all Americans, regardless of their backgrounds, with the respect that decent human beings deserve. Why, I think he'd ask, would Americans choose to remain in a political party that sees them as nothing more than tacos...or perpetual victims...or sets of crazy pronouns? (I also suspect he might encourage any disgruntled Democrats looking for liberation to "Get Aboard the Trump Train" and try something new.)

Thinking of Lloyd and how his happy, endlessly optimistic culture-warrior spirit contrasts sharply with the nastiness regurgitated daily by the dour sourpusses constituting the Democrats' communist mercenary army, I am reminded how essential it is to understand the madness surrounding us today as a cultural clash for the future. Yes, we have the Davos Death Cult pushing their Great Reset agenda. Sure, we have O'Biden, Woke Capital, the national security Deep State, and their Antifa shock troops working tirelessly together to end private property and usher in an era of mass surveillance and total State control. Yeah, all those evil Soros-Schwab spawn are diligently utilizing pandemics, climate change hysteria, abortion on demand, transgenderism, and anything else up their wretched sleeves to advance their efforts to depopulate the planet. All that and a lot of other un-American commie crapola are raining down on us today. But at its heart, this is a culture war for the hearts and minds of Westerners everywhere. And unlike Brain-Dead Biden and his tacky, charmless wife, our cultural values are a lot more robust than what we might like to eat with salsa on Tuesdays.

One of the recurring "insults" leftist trolls throw my direction is to call me a "redneck." And I think, so you're accusing me of working hard in the hot sun, thanking God for all I have, believing that men should be masculine, knowing that strong women can still be feminine, not cowering in a corner when a firearm's near, and being more than willing to defend my rights and liberties as a free American? Why, thank you...I guess? (By the way, I think the same yahoos used to call America-loving, cowboy hatbedecked Lloyd Marcus a "redneck," too, and I'm pretty sure he took it as a compliment.)

I mean, really, who has a more resilient, exciting culture  the one endorsed by Mitt Romney and Liz Cheney and Biden's other useful eunuchs who populate RINOland or the one guarded by real, salt-of-the-earth folks who know there's more to life than being liked by the New York Times? Should the United States of America continue to divide and separate along cultural lines, get as far away from the blue megacities of death and dreariness as you can. And if you should find yourself lost on your way out of the deserts of neoliberal nothingness, just ask directions from a stranger. Out here, where people still look each other in the eye and judge friend from foe faster than a barefoot jackrabbit on a hot, greasy griddle, courtesy is the norm. Common sense, self-reliance, thankfulness, and respect for others are valued ways of life. People make and build things with personal knowhow, and then many of those same people blow those things up with M-80 firecrackers while listening to country and bluegrass music under wide open skies and bright, clear moons. Sometimes those things get done on Independence Day; sometimes it's just a regular Taco Tuesday. You never know. So seriously: Who wouldn't want to live where the rednecks roam?

If politics is downstream from culture, as another happy warrior and missed patriot, Andrew Breitbart, sagely pointed out, then who wouldn't want to be downstream from a culture of God, guns, unapologetic masculinity, no-nonsense femininity, can-do toughness, and indomitable American spirit? When all that goodness is rolling down the stream, dams break or wisely open up. Either way, now's the time to celebrate life and American culture because, whatever else may happen, none of this is going away. There are just too many rednecks and too much "flyover country" for the commiecrats and their corporate friends to find and Borg us all.

That reminds me of a piece I read last week from Patrice Lewis mocking a group of Antifa terrorists who are toying with the idea of bringing their blue-city mayhem to rural America, where conservatives are aplenty and police forces diffuse. Lewis quotes one social justice "warrior" in his/her/its/whatevs attempt to rally Reddit followers:

The radical Christians are found in the rural areas. Their towns are defenseless, they have almost no cops and their firemen are volunteers. They have to borrow cops and firemen from neighboring jurisdictions miles away in order to handle anything big. And they think they're safe out there. Forget burning cities, cities are on our sides. It's time for rural areas to feel the heat.

All I can say to that death wish is, "Good luck." Lewis points out that this will amount to nothing short of "Suicide by Redneck," and I heartily agree. Maybe stuck in some cubicle apartment shared by four gender-confused lost souls with no culture of their own, this seems like a good idea. Where culture, religion, patriotism, and family all mean a great deal, however, those without culture will not long survive. Nineteenth-century Prussian field marshal Helmuth von Moltke famously warned that no plan survives contact with the enemy. If New World Order types think conquering the vast red regions of America is going to be easy, they've got another think coming. After all, this is where the rednecks roam.

Image via Pixnio.
Dan Altman is an assistant professor of political science at Georgia State University. He has a Ph.D. from MIT and was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard's Belfer Center and Dartmouth's Dickey Center. He has just written a piece on the Foreign Affairs website explaining how the U.S. and NATO can safely escalate the Ukraine war. It is an article only an academic could write, full of abstract speculations about how the Russians will react to his proposed moves to escalate the war. "NATO," he writes, "should pursue a strategy of going as far as possible in Ukraine without plainly crossing Russia's redlines," which he identifies as "openly attacking Russian forces" or "send[ing] combat units into the country."

Professor Altman does not explain how he knows what Russia's "redlines" are today as it fights a war in Ukraine. His article lacks any discussion of Russian culture, history, or an understanding of Vladimir Putin's thinking about such matters. Altman provides some superficial accounts of historical events where escalation by wartime opponents or in crisis situations did not lead to global wars. For example, he cites U.S. actions during the Berlin Airlift and Cuban Missile Crisis as examples where American moves escalated the crises without leading to World War III. But during the Berlin Airlift, the United States enjoyed a nuclear monopoly, and during the Cuban Missile Crisis, we enjoyed overwhelming nuclear superiority. Neither situation exists today. And in both of those examples, Russia was not fighting a war that we chose to escalate.

Altman's discussion of proxy wars fought during the Cold War are more relevant to the situation in Ukraine. In Korea and Vietnam, he notes, Soviet forces secretly fought in limited actions against U.S. combat operations. In Afghanistan, the United States armed Afghan rebels fighting Soviet troops. More recently, Russian mercenaries in Syria fought U.S. forces in Kurdistan. In none of these instances, Altman writes, did escalation lead to global war.

From these examples, Altman concludes that "pushing as far as possible without openly attacking is often the best way to compete while managing escalation risks." "Creative policymaking," he explains, "can engineer options that achieve objectives without crossing redlines, thus preventing a wider war." He assures us that "Russia's nuclear weapons and greater interests in Ukraine" are irrelevant to whether "creative" escalation would widen the war.

Altman proposes the following escalatory moves: providing more arms (tanks, fighter aircraft, advanced surface-to-air missiles) to Ukraine; increasing economic sanctions against Russia; and encouraging, equipping, and funding NATO "volunteers" (with no upper limits) to fight with Ukrainian soldiers against the Russians. He is confident that none of these moves would cause Russia to escalate  as confident, one might add, as European statesmen were in 1914 that the assassination of Austria's archduke would not lead to a global war.

Altman's escalatory proposals come after Russia has witnessed decades of seemingly inexorable expansion of NATO to its European border  a reckless expansion that George Kennan (who knew a bit more about Russian history and culture than Altman) predicted would lead to conflict between Russia and NATO.

The great British geopolitical thinker Sir Halford Mackinder wrote that the most important quality of a statesman is to have "an insight into the minds of other nations than his own." Germany's Otto von Bismarck had that quality, and it enabled him to diplomatically create a structure of peace and stability in Europe in the late 19th century that unfortunately collapsed when he was forced from power. But then, Bismarck was not an academic who based his diplomacy and actions on data and superficial readings of history. That great Prussian/German statesman would have shuddered at the notion of NATO engaging in military escalation within Russia's sphere of influence. Remember, it was Bismarck who predicted in the late 19th century that the next world war would be caused by some damned fool thing in the Balkans.

Finally, Altman fails to address the most fundamental of all questions about Ukraine: what vital national security interest of the United States is at stake in Ukraine that is worth even the slight risk of a wider war? The best he can do is to state at the outset of the article that "many feel a burning desire to do more to support" Ukrainians. If Professor Altman shares that "burning desire," perhaps he should suit up as one of those NATO "volunteers" and fight for Ukraine. But that would mean stepping down from his ivory tower and suffering the consequences of his reckless policy advice.

Image: UNDP Ukraine.
A few days ago, I encountered for the first time an alarming term in the MSM and blogosphere: "Christian Nationalism." The reason I find it alarming is its enormous potential for controversy and chaos. Obviously, "Christian Nationalism" is a political movement intending to establish  or restore  America as a Christian nation. But what does that term mean? In the hands of the Progressives, that term will undoubtedly be rendered "theocracy." The purpose of this essay is to head off the "theocracy" accusation by unpacking what the term means in the context of American history and law.

You can go here for a quick, but comprehensive, review explaining exactly why the USA and each and every one of the fifty states is a common law jurisdiction. One huge clue to the cognitive meaning of the term "Christian nation" lies implicit in the fact that, from time immemorial, both English and American courts have held that "Christianity is part of the common law." This principle has been affirmed in numerous English and U.S. federal and state Supreme Court decisions, notably including the 1824 Pennsylvania Supreme Court in Updegraff v. Commonwealth and the 1844 United States Supreme Court decision in Vidal v. Girard's Executors.

It is important to understand immediately that the reference to Christianity in the stated principle that "Christianity is part of the common law" is not to Christian theology  that is, not to the "Father, Son, and Holy Ghost" doctrine underlying Christian worship. It is, instead, a reference to Christian morality  that is, to Judeo-Christian morality, which is to say to biblical morality. The reference is to the Decalogue and certain standalone moral rifle shots such as the prime directives "Be holy!" and "Choose life!" It is not a reference to baptism, penance, the Eucharist, etc.

Because the United States and each of the fifty states is a common-law jurisdiction and Christianity is part of the common law, it would seem to follow that those 51 jurisdictions are collectively a Christian nation. The United States Supreme Court affirmed precisely this principle in the 1892 decision of Church of the Holy Trinity v. U.S., in which the court's opinion by Justice David Brewer declared, "This is a Christian nation."



Image: George Washington takes his oath on a 1767 King James Bible (artwork in the U.S. Capitol). Public domain.

Moreover, in 1947, two years after the end of WWII, President Harry Truman affirmed this status by writing to Pope Pius XII that "this is a Christian nation."

So, there we have it. The American Christian nation is the USA as it emerged from WWII, having, for the second time in the 20th century, pulled the planet's chestnuts out of the fire.

But then, in the 1960s, came the Progressive attacks, skillfully targeting the foundations of that Christian nation. Because the Progressives understand that the American Christian nation is built on family, the family is built on marriage, and marriage is built on righteous sexuality, the Progressives have focused their attacks on these three pillars: family, marriage, and righteous sexuality.

A measure of the success of these Progressive attacks can be seen in comparing the culture of "then" with that of "now." For example, in 1977, the Supreme Court of the looney-blue state of Washington affirmed a public schoolteacher's termination on grounds of "immorality" because he was a homosexual. Such a result would be unimaginable today.

As for myself, having entered that Christian nation in a Norman Rockwell painting shortly before D-day, I have already outrun my allotted span and have witnessed the steady collapse of that nation as it fell prey to lie after lie and hoax after hoax until, today, it faces a powerful shrieking insane domestic enemy intent on the total destruction of that nation. And yet, today, we also find ourselves suddenly and inexplicably blessed by Donald Trump with a Supreme Court courageously determined to follow the law, which has opened before us a vision of a road to restoration of the nation the founders bequeathed us. Can we successfully travel that road?
NAIROBI, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The East African bloc said Thursday it will deploy an election observer mission to Kenya to observe the Aug. 9 general elections.

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu said the observer mission will be led by former Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome.

"We are also honored that Teshome will lead the IGAD election observer mission. He is a well-respected Statesman and a distinguished diplomat," Gebeyehu said in a statement without indicating when the team will arrive in the country.

IGAD, which is made up of eight member states including Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda, said it was honored to be invited by Kenya's electoral body to observe this year's general elections.

Gebeyehu said the regional bloc is pleased to continue to work with the people of Kenya, electoral institutions, political leaders, and other observer missions to advance the democratization process.

Only four candidates from an initial list of 57 aspirants met Kenya's constitutional and statutory threshold set by the electoral body to contest for the highest office in the land.

The four candidates include sitting deputy president, William Ruto, a veteran opposition leader, Raila Odinga, George Wajackoya, a legal scholar, and Waihiga Mwaure, a political activist. 
Stephen Flatlow, whose daughter Aliza was killed in a Palestinian terror attack in 1995, writes:

There's a need for gestures before Biden arrives

He reports that every time a U.S. president visits Israel, the State Department demands Israeli gestures, but he is referring to the need for Palestinian gestures.

I keep asking myself: why do the U.S. and E.U. keep supporting the Two-State Solution (TSS)? What's in it for them?

Flatlow argues that they have given the Palestinians $10 billion since 1994, and the E.U. has likely done the same.

Why?

They really don't care about the Palestinians, nor do they care if peace is achieved. Why not defer to Israel to solve the problem and help her if needed?

Some argue that the globalists want perpetual conflict because it's good for business. Or could it be because Israel doesn't buy into the New World Order, preferring to be a nation-state? Maybe.

I used to think they supported the Palestinians in order to curry favor with Saudi Arabia (S.A.) and the 300 million Arabs. No longer. The Arabs, including Saudi Arabia, no longer care about the TSS or the Palestinians as evidenced by the growth of the Abraham Accords.

Some argue it's due to anti-Semitism. Alan Dershowitz recently wrote:

The answer has little to do with the Palestinians, and everything to do with Israel, as the nation state of the Jewish people. It is a political manifestation of international anti-Semitism.

Can this really be the reason?

Can it be that they want Israel to be perennially under their thumb and not too independent?

Similarly, they both push for an Iran deal, no matter how bad. How can it be good for either the U.S. or Israel?

On the other hand, why does Israel accede to their requests and permit illegal Arab construction in Area C, which they support politically and financially? What is Israel worried about?

The E.U. is Israel's biggest trading partner, accounting for 29.3% of its trade in goods in 2020. Some 34.4% of Israel's imports came from the E.U., and 21.9% of the country's exports went to the E.U. The U.S. buys 30% of her exports.

Are we afraid to lose these markets? Is that the reason?

Or is it that the U.S. gives Israel $3.8 billion per year in military assistance?

Although the U.S. refers to this as foreign aid, making Israel the largest recipient of such aid, it really should be from the military budget of the U.S., in which case it would represent about 0.5% of their budget.

Amb. (ret.) Yoram Ettinger argues:

U.S. "foreign aid" to Israel  a mega billion dollar bonanza for the U.S.

...and he proves it. In other words, it's a great investment for the U.S.

He also argues:

Defiance of U.S. pressure  critical to Israel's national security

As Ettinger points out, Israel has resisted such pressure on a few occasions but can always be counted on to "make gestures." The gestures will bring about our death by a thousand cuts.

It's true, so why does Israel constantly bend to it?

Perhaps it's because too many people in Israel also support the TSS or they are hooked on U.S. support and cannot conceive of going it alone.

The reality is that Israel can say "no" to the U.S. demands more often than not, and the sky won't fall.

Image: Screen shot from Washington Post video, posted on YouTube.
Catching Joe Biden's gaffes, blunders, dementia, and lies can be amusing, but, mostly, it's extremely disturbing that the man at the head of the American government is a demented liar who gets worse every day. The first day of his trip to Israel was no exception. Biden was confused; he shuffled around; he seriously misspoke about the Holocaust; and, of course, because this is Joe Biden, he offered a grotesque lie about Trump's role in the Middle East.

Biden is at a stage in his decline that's sadly familiar to me. My mother spent her last decade in a very lovely retirement community, but the sad fact is that people left that community only one way (feet first, as they said). What was unnerving is that, if you were there as often as I was over the years, you could tell whose feet were beginning to point to that door. Biden's feet are pointing as the disabilities of his old age (which is creeping up on him like the Picture of Dorian Grey asserting itself) are beginning to overwhelm his public appearances.

First, there's that brittle, shuffling gait (and did you catch his surprised start when the trumpet salute played?):

But physical well-being is just one factor. Biden's suggests that his body is aging badly, but that doesn't mean he's mentally impaired. What suggests mental impairment is his inability to avoid gaffes. For example, there's just no way to dress up referring to the "truth and honor of the Holocaust." I assume Biden misread the phrase "true horror of the Holocaust," but, if his brain functioned, he'd never have made such a deeply offensive mistake:

JOE BIDEN in Israel: "...to keep alive the truth and honor of the Holocaust  horror of the Holocaust" pic.twitter.com/g5HeNRmihj  RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 13, 2022

Also, remember that Biden is working hard to reinstate the Iran deal, ensuring that Iran becomes a fully armed nuclear state  and a state, moreover, that is openly committed to Israel's genocidal destruction. For Biden then to talk about his commitment to avoiding a Holocaust is such a sneering insult that, really, there are no words. But Biden wasn't done yet. During a sit-down interview with an Israeli journalist, Biden had several bizarre points to make and one disgracefully dishonest one. One of the more disturbing things he said is that America could be supporting Ukraine for years  and then, when the interviewer, surprised, repeated that, he accused her of putting words in his mouth:

"[Russia's war in Ukraine] can take months, it can take years?"



BIDEN: "It could."



"You think the war could take years?"



BIDEN: "No, you said that, you said it could, ok? No, it could." pic.twitter.com/4qKCNJ63EH  RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 13, 2022

That was a twofer, both because the thought of sending taxpayer money to Ukraine's corrupt government for years is appalling and because the interaction showed that Biden's brain isn't tracking information from one second to the next. Biden did, however, very nicely refer to the Republican party as the "Mega party." I can see a lot of people wanting to back a "Mega party," rather than a Democrat party that is destroying the U.S. economy and waging a vicious war against cultural norms going back to prehistoric times (men are men and women are women; vive la difference!):

Joe Biden calls the Republican Party a "mega party" pic.twitter.com/lYmc5vKm7I  RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 13, 2022

And then there was the big lie. Trump did two extraordinarily important things in the Middle East. The first was to curb the Palestinians' outrageous demands. All past administrations, whenever the Palestinians said "no" to a good offer, sweetened the pot, encouraging Palestinians to continue saying "no." Trump did something different. When the Palestinians said "no," he started withdrawing things from the pot. If he'd had more time (i.e., his second term), he probably could have brought them to heel. Second, Trump initiated the Abraham Accords, from which Israel and her neighbors are continuing to reap benefits. This, too, withdrew things from the Palestinians. Trump essentially told the Arab nations that Israel is a more useful ally than the fractious, violent Palestinians. Thus, the Arab nations could do one-on-one trade and travel agreements with a functional nation rather than a terrorist state. Biden, instead of honoring Trump's accomplishments and promising to build on them, outright lied, because that's what Biden does:

Biden: "With the last administration, we sorta walked away from the Middle East."



FACT: President Trump's historic Abraham Accords continues to bring unprecedented peace and security to the Middle East. pic.twitter.com/wEYKjwSMjD  RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 13, 2022

Trump was a salesman who engaged in obvious puffery, promising that everything he did was the best and most wonderful. Anyone over five understands that puffery is opinion. Biden, however, is a stone-cold liar, making manifestly and substantively false assertions, a habit reflecting a combination of his personality and his declining mental wattage.

Every time Biden opens his mouth, America's enemies (and there are many) must lick their chops, while America's allies (and there are a diminishing number) must shake in their boots. It is to be hoped that a successful midterm election, giving Republicans such a decisive hold on Congress that even RINOs listen to American voters, will rein in Biden's more dangerous behaviors, whether in matters of policy or speech.

Image: Biden in Israel. YouTube screen grab.
Yesterday, Vice Kamala Harris delivered a speech at the American Rescue Plan Workforce Development Summit.

Harris told her audience the following:

Together, we are investing in training programs and apprenticeships that give workers the skills they need to take on the jobs with better wages and better benefits  in particular, workers from underrepresented backgrounds.

Harris had just achieved the seemingly impossible by her standard: she had constructed a meaningful sentence. But before her aides could leap with joy to celebrate the accomplishment, Kamala served another word salad.

She expounded on the importance of transportation with the following:

Transportation seems like maybe a small issue; it's a big issue. You need to get to go and need to be able to get where you need to go to do the work and get home.

KAMALA HARRIS: "Ya need to get to go and need to be able to get where you need to go to do the work." pic.twitter.com/ueNSjh9VI3  RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 13, 2022

Harris seems to be on a streak recently.

Last week, Harris delivered not one, but two alphabet soups.

When asked about the overall failure of Democrat presidents and Democrat-controlled Congresses to codify abortion rights during the 50 years that Roe v. Wade stood, 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

Harris displayed her verbal ineptitude and insensitivity while paying tribute to the victims of the July 4 parade shooting in Highland Park, Illinois that left seven dead and over two dozen injured.

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

Last month, on the Juneteenth holiday, Harris claimed it has been 400 years of slavery when it has been 400 years since slavery. What made this worse is that she was misinforming young schoolchildren.

Harris was incredibly productive during the month of March, delivering four syllable soups.

During a meeting with the Jamaican prime minister, Harris said, "We also recognize  just as it has been in the United States for Jamaica  one of the issues that has been presented as an issue that is economic in the way of its impact has been the pandemic."

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

In Sunset, Louisiana, Harris couldn't muster the words to explain the importance of affordable and accessible high-speed internet.

KAMALA HARRIS: "The significance of the passage of time, right? The significance of the passage of time. So when you think about it, there is great significance to the passage of time...there is such great significance to the passage of time." pic.twitter.com/jUsnyNiSpB  RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 21, 2022

At the Munich Security Conference, Harris displayed her lack of understanding regarding 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 presser with Polish president Andrzej Duda, Warsaw Harris responded with giggles when asked about the U.S.'s commitment toward Ukrainian refugees.

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

In January during an interview on NBC News, Harris struggled to defend Biden's 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 prattled on and awkwardly hammed it up in a pre-recorded NASA video aimed at promoting science among young children.

Shes not allowed to speak to adults anymore. pic.twitter.com/oURKkSjsnp  Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) October 8, 2021

Last June, Harris floundered when NBC News's Lester Holt questioned her about her hesitance 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

For all the above occasions, Harris should have been prepared. She should have either referred to prepared notes or insisted that a teleprompter was available during her public addresses. But she didn't. Perhaps she no longer cares.

We must remember that a teleprompter doesn't always help, as her boss Joe Biden recently proved.

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

Most presidents and vice presidents, do not write their speeches. They have speechwriters who hand them speeches. The speaker then makes edits to the speech to make it their own. The amended text is loaded to the teleprompter.

In Biden's case, there are no such amendments. He merely read whatever is before him, including the instructions, while Harris doesn't even care to do that.

So why did Biden's people pick such a talentless running mate?

Biden's rapidly declining cognitive ability is perfectly obvious to anybody watching. A vice president of moderate talents and passable verbal ability would have recognized Biden's incapacity as an opportunity and would lead a coup to replace him using the 25th Amendment.

If an individual such as Stacey Abrams were in Harris's place, she would have already become the first black female president of the United States, for which she would have been celebrated. Perhaps this is why Abrams expressed keenness on being Biden's running mate; she had her eye on the supreme post.

But Harris is so monumentally incompetent that despite her functioning cognitive abilities and mental faculties, she makes a man showing signs of dementia look like the brighter one. She may, like every other politician, have ambitions to overthrow Biden, but her ineptitude prevents any such possibility.

Once upon a time, Biden made Obama unimpeachable; now Harris is performing an identical function for Biden.

It is established that Harris was, is, and will continue to be an unmitigated catastrophe in every way. Why then should we even bother to document Harris's various struggles with syllables?

It is important because Kamala Harris is the vice president, which makes her the second most powerful human being in the U.S. She, by virtue of her office, is a heartbeat away from the presidency.

Harris's utterances are not just hers, but those of the nation. They are documented and will be referred to by historians in the future. A fall in her standards will reflect a fall in the standards of the nation.

Calling her out for her every world salad is holding her accountable for her considerable incapability and abject apathy towards her job and her country.

Photo credit: Twitter video screen grab.
Ohio state senator Andrew Brenner (R-District 19) Zoomed into a virtual committee meeting from his office in the historic Capitol Senate Building. Or did he? Members wondered why he appeared to be wearing a seatbelt. Confused colleagues soon surmised that he was actually driving in his car with a Zoom background selected to give the impression that he was at work. The senator was appropriately focused on his driving (he can be seen signaling his lane changes and checking his mirrors), but was he also focused on the state budget, which was the topic of the debate?

It is not surprising that the same legislators who closed schools, workplaces, and churches are some of the very last people in the country going back to work in person. But many are legislating remotely while working another job, eating in a restaurant, vacationing, or distracted at home. Some turn their cameras off, so you don't know what they are up to. It is long past time for legislators to join their constituents, who have gone back to work in person.

"You made me miss roll call because I couldn't unmute, because you were f------ cussing." Kentucky senator Denise Harper (D-Jefferson) screamed to her husband, as well as everyone else who was listening to her unmuted argument piped into a committee room over Zoom. Some mistakes are more than simply an embarrassing hot mic situation, however.

On July 1, THC-infused food and beverages became legal to make, sell, and consume in Minnesota. The bill's author, Rep. Heather Edelson (D-District 49), testified that she was merely adding child safety protections to currently legal products, telling HHS committee members that the products "are on the shelves in every single one of your communities, and this bill would require child safety packaging, ban packaging that targets kids, and require the products to be sold to those 21 or older." But her bill actually legalized previously banned intoxicating THC in food and drinks.

"That doesn't legalize marijuana  we just didn't do that, did we?" Sen. Jim Abeler (R-35) asked as the amendment carrying the language was slipped into a 475-page omnibus bill. Rep. Tina Liebling (D-26), his Democratic counterpart, said, "Oh, are you kidding? Of course you have. No, just kidding." The two legislators were not in the same city at the time. Neither of the two chairs seem to grasp that they were legalizing untaxed, unlicensed, and basically unregulated THC products in candy, beer, and snacks with zero appropriation, leaving a large mess for local governments and police to clean up.

It is impossible to believe that this mistake would have occurred if the legislators were not working remotely from their homes, cabins, workplaces, or cars.

Sometimes by design, and other times by the inherent clumsiness of virtual committee discussion, remote legislating limits members' questions and input. More importantly, it eliminates crucial in-person, informal discussions with staff, testifiers, and colleagues who are key in catching legislative mistakes and chicanery.

Some jobs can be done remotely. Legislating is obviously not one of them.

Matt Dean (mdean@heartland.org) is senior fellow for health care policy outreach at The Heartland Institute.

Image: Zoom.
The expression for which he is famous  "If anything can possibly go wrong, it will go wrong"  was around long before Colonel Edward A. Murphy gained fame by stating that dictum after the sensors on a U.S. Air Force test crash vehicle he was monitoring failed to provide useful data. Murphy's Law has remained a cautionary tale for all forms of human endeavor. It is only barely less certain than the law of gravity. While it is a given that what goes up must come down, it is only slightly less true that things will inevitably go wrong and muddy up what was seen as a sure outcome for any plan. The "law" applies to politics as well.

Republicans have anxiously awaited the 2022 midterm elections, believing that recapturing the House of Representatives and achieving a sufficient majority in the Senate to make it a filibuster-proof body is a certainty and will lead inevitably to a Republican president in 2024. They had best not discount the colonel.

Gas prices, which had risen to unheard-of levels, have not only leveled off, but fallen substantially in the last weeks. Joe Biden may or may not have been responsible for gasoline's unprecedented rise in cost, but the stickers placed on gas pumps depicting a laughing Biden pointing at the absurd amount drivers had to pay to drive away from the pump surely claimed he was. Now, no matter how addled his energy policies, he is able to point out the reversal of the high price trend and claim "he caused that."

The U.S. Supreme Court undoubtedly exceeded its constitutional authority when it made abortion universally available by its 1973 ruling on Roe v. Wade. Though that decision was unconstitutional and morally bankrupt, it was seen as settled law. Pro-life advocates hated the wrong-headed decree, but it has long been baked into the cake of a polarized electorate. Its reversal in the Dobbs decision has reopened that debate and threatens to put a dent in the female vote Republicans are counting on.

The seemingly endless mass shootings that have occurred almost weekly in the U.S. have caused most of us to realize that something must be done. Biden and his party claim they can solve this plague of gunfire by controlling the public's possession of those guns. Any sane person who looks objectively at the problem will realize that a country possessing over four hundred million firearms is not a candidate for gun control. But the perception that "empathetic" Democrats want to end the bloodshed while "bloodthirsty" Republicans want to perpetuate it cannot be ignored, no matter how insane it is. There are people who believe that nonsense, and many have the right to vote.

Hopefully, our trump card, pun intended, remains the feckless Biden. We can only hope he continues his ghastly gaffes and ridiculous remarks. A president who refers to the "honor" of the Holocaust before an Israeli audience and needs cue cards to tell him to sit or stand, then unwittingly displays those written commands to his audience, can only be seen as a gift that keeps on giving.

As the leader of the Democrat party, Biden will hopefully lead them over the cliff this November. But please, let's not forget Colonel Murphy. He stands ready, as always, to foil our plans. We had better do everything in our power to ensure that this time he will not have his way.

Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.
The Sultan of Science, Dr. Fauci himself, is back from his own personal battles with COVID after first testing positive on June 14 and then having a rebound case on the 28th. He had mild symptoms, thanks to being vaxxed and boosted.

On a Tuesday CDC call, he was once again warning the country that a new viral surge could sweep across America due to waning immunity. He called on yet another round of booster "vaccines" and recommended that everyone should again wear a mask when indoors claiming that the subvariant "has a transmission advantage," and that is why we are seeing an increase in cases.

To quote, this subvariant "appears to resist immunity from prior infections," and that "[i]mmunity wanes, so it is critical to stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines as primary vaccines and as booster were appropriate."

Rochelle Walensky also opined on the same call that "[s]taying up to date on your Covid-19 vaccines provides the best protections against severe outcomes."

Severe outcomes? Like hospitalization or even death?

The CDC.gov website states that while the vaccines may not stop infection, they "continue to protect against severe disease, hospitalization and death[.]"

Color me curious, but what data are they basing that claim on? I've not heard anyone ask that question in the media, but nothing the CDC has said has proven to be true, and I'm very skeptical that vaccines offer that type of protection. If vaxxed and boosted, you can still get COVID, can still pass it on, but you'll only get a little sick. That doesn't pass the smell test.

Looking back, we were told that the vaccines will "keep you from getting COVID" and that they are "safe and effective." We know that they certainly don't keep you from getting COVID or passing it along. It might also appear that you actually are more prone to catching it after you are vaxxed and boosted. As far as safe and effective goes, VAERS seems to disagree with that statement in a compelling way.

As their lies and half-truths were exposed, their fallback mantra became that "while you might get infected, it will protect you from serious illness, hospitalization and death." Quite clever, actually, because you cannot prove a negative. Case in point: An acquaintance recently had COVID for the second time (fully vaxxed and boosted) and stated that while his symptoms were very severe, he would have been "much sicker had he not been up to date with his booster." There is simply no way to prove or disprove that claim, but I suspect he'd have felt exactly the same way with or without being vaxxed.

I wish Fauci and the rest would simply be honest about what these vaccines can do and what they can't do. What's clear is that they want us to believe we are about to have another surge. Their vaccines and endless boosters haven't stopped it, yet they are doubling down on the same course of action.

I'd like to see a change of direction, but so long as the Sultan of Science is still employed, the change we'll likely see is yet another new definition for "vaccine" and "vaccination."

Image: David Hill.
During his speech decrying the Supreme Court decision returning the question of abortion to the people  where it properly belongs  Biden referred to a ten-year-old Ohio rape victim who'd been forced to travel to Indiana to get an abortion. His anger wasn't directed at the rapist; it was directed at the state that allegedly refused to provide an abortion because of Dobbs. The problem for Biden was that Megan Fox had already pointed to holes in the story. Now, though, the MSM have proudly announced that the story is real because a 27-year-old illegal alien was just arrested. If they thought it through, they wouldn't be so smug.

The Supreme Court issued the Dobbs decision on June 24, triggering Ohio's ban on abortions after six weeks. A week later, the IndyStar reported that, just three days after the Dobbs decision was handed down, Caitlin Bernard, an abortionist in Indiana, received a call from an Ohio child abuse doctor saying she had a 10-year-old patient who was exactly six weeks and three days pregnant. And that's the whole story: Bernard, in Indiana, performed an abortion on a 10-year-old child who was, quite coincidentally, exactly six weeks and three days pregnant.

The story went viral, but, by July 5, Megan Fox noticed a few problems. Nobody had bothered to do a deep dive into the facts, most notably the fact that, seemingly, no one had reported the rape. Democrats, instead, immediately used the story as a political cudgel. Bernard, it turns out, is a political activist who has a knack for getting her name in the leftist media. Since 2019, she had pending in Indiana a lawsuit to continue performing second-trimester abortions  a suit that Dobbs killed. Just days before Dobbs appeared, Bernard was predicting abortion Armageddon, and, like magic, she got that Armageddon.

The story's lack of details and Bernard's refusal to respond to Fox's queries about whether she had reported the rape didn't stop Biden from obsessively emphasizing the story during his July 8 speech:

Just last week, it was reported that a 10-year-old girl was a rape victim in Ohio  10 years old  and she was forced to have to travel out of the state, to Indiana, to seek to terminate the presnency [pregnancy] and maybe save her life. That's  the last part is my judgment. Ten years old. Ten years old. Raped, six weeks pregnant. Already traumatized. Was forced to travel to another state. Imagine being that little girl. Just  I'm serious  just imagine being that little girl. Ten years old.

With Biden having put the White House imprimatur on the story, it became more important than ever to assert that it was true. This was a problem.

Even the Washington Post's Glenn Kessler conceded on July 9 that, despite contacting every child services agency in Ohio's largest cities, he'd come up with nothing. Ohio's attorney general also said he hadn't heard anything about a ten-year-old rape victim but said that the Ohio law explicitly allows exceptions for medical emergencies, even extending beyond the life of the mother, meaning that the child had no reason to leave Ohio. The Daily Beast promptly attacked Jesse Watters for wondering what the truth was.

Yikes! The narrative was working against the pro-abortion crowd.

And then, miraculously, the news came through: 27-year-old Gerson Fuentes had been arrested for the child's rape.



Gershon Fuentes. Franklin County Jail image.

But here's what's funny about that report: Fuentes was arrested on July 12. The child was impregnated on May 10, 2022, a date we know precisely because she was six weeks and three days pregnant when Dobbs came down. Her mother allegedly reported the rape on June 22 and, by June 24, her status (six weeks and three days pregnant) was known, justifying a rush across the border to Indiana across ice floes, with bloodhounds at her heels. (Or maybe that last bit is from Uncle Tom's Cabin. The drama makes it easy to get confused.)

With these hard facts  and the child apparently identifying Fuentes by June 22  why was he arrested only after the story became embarrassing?

Perhaps the fact that Fuentes is an illegal alien has something to do with the shroud of mystery. That illegality is significant:

Every ... illegal alien[] is an outlaw  and the thing about outlaws is that, once you start down that road, why stop? You've already abandoned societal norms  and, if you're from some remote region in Mexico, Guatemala, or Africa, your norms may well be very different, especially when it comes to a man's right to have sexual congress with any boy, girl, or animal that catches his eye.

In North Carolina, where a database tracks child rapes by illegal aliens, 135 illegal aliens were arrested just in the first six months of 2022 and charged with 465 pedophile sex crimes. That's just in one state.

And therein lies the real issue with this case: it's not that a young Ohio child was exactly three days over the legal deadline for an abortion, justifying a dramatic race across the border; it's that some young, male illegal aliens have a propensity for pedophilia (including, frequently, incest) and that Biden is flooding our nation with these rootless, morals-free young men who live the lives of outlaws.
"When it is convenient" should be added to whatever Democrats say for any given movement. Everything said and parroted is a matter of convenience. There is no real belief behind the words.

Black lives matter when it is convenient. Most black lives do not matter to those who push the slogan. If black lives truly mattered, they would speak about things like gang violence, which results in a great many black lives and potential lost. Those lives do not matter, since these are the wrong circumstances for their slogan.

Black lives matter so long as they are the right black lives. Black conservative lives do not matter. Nothing brings a racist out of the woodwork faster than brilliant black conservatives like Thomas Sowell and Justice Clarence Thomas.

The high rate of joining gangs; dropping out of school, reducing their chances of employment drastically; the high rate of abortion; and the high rate of imprisonment are not the black lives that matter to Black Lives Matter.

There are very few black lives that matter to Black Lives Matter.

Choice matters when it is convenient, since most choices are not embraced by the pro-abortion crowd. Women who are anti-abortion, of which there are millions, are told their choice to oppose the sacrifice of their unborn children does not matter.

There are a lot of choices those who call themselves pro-choice do not believe in. They do not believe that women should have the right to choose to be armed so they can defend themselves. They do not believe that women should be able to choose against taking a pseudo-vaccine. So much for my body, my choice.

American democracy matters when it is convenient. Those who make the clearly false claim that Republicans are a threat to democracy conveniently leave out the anti-American Democrat attacks on the Senate and Supreme Court. There is a long history of hating both by those same Democrats.

American democracy does not really matter to those who claim to be the defenders of American democracy. They hate everything that makes American democracy uniquely American.

It works with everything, since those who scream out slogans and parrot them have nothing they really believe in, except gaining or holding onto power. Their slogans mean nothing, since every last one is a matter of convenience that ignores those who do not fit their preset narrative.

Bob Ryan is a writer who has an MBA. He is an American Christian Zionist who staunchly supports Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state. He has been a weekly blogger at the Times of Israel since 2019.
After lengthy evaluations and negotiations, Samsung last year settled on a site in Taylor, Texas for its second chip manufacturing plant in the US. The company is now looking to expand the sites footprint and has sought approval from the local government, Korean media reports.

According to the Korea JoongAng Daily, Samsung has applied to increase the land area for the new semiconductor campus by around 14 percent. It is seeking to add 176.76 acres (71.5 hectares) of land to the investment zone. The existing site is spread across 1,268 acres. The factory, construction for which has already begun, will sit on 138 acres of land within the site.

The new report further states that Samsungs proposed expansion of the under-construction chip campus in Taylor is one of the agendas for todays city council meeting. The publication saw related documents that contained an aerial view of the location, complete with the existing and proposed site footprint. As you can see in the image embedded below, the expansion area in the new site is marked in red.

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Samsung plans to invest $17 billion in the new chip plant in Taylor

Samsung spent several months last year exploring various sites across the US for its new chip factory. It eventually settled on this site in Taylor, Texas. The company considered factors like the existing semiconductor ecosystem of the state, infrastructure stability, and government support before reaching a decision.

Texas is already home to the Korean firms first semiconductor plant in the US. It is located in Austin, about 25 kilometers away from the new site. Dell has its headquarters in the state, while Apple is also constructing a new plant in Texas. The location facilitates easier access to big chip clients, such as Qualcomm and Tesla.

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Samsung plans to invest $17 billion in the new chip campus. It will manufacture advanced logic semiconductor solutions  5nm or smaller  there. The company has already begun mass production of 3nm chips in one of its South Korean factories. By the time the Taylor factory is operational, it may be ready to produce 2nm solutions. The Korean behemoth is aiming to launch 2nm semiconductors in 2025.

Samsungs arch-rival in the chip manufacturing space TSMC is also planning to move to 2nm technologies around the same time. Moreover, the Taiwanese giant is expanding its presence in the US too. But it has delayed the construction due to sluggish demand for semiconductors. Intel has also delayed its $20 billion project in Ohio.

Meanwhile, Samsung is looking to expand its site. But industry specialists believe this expansion is part of the companys long-term vision. It has already announced a $355 billion investment in the areas of semiconductor, biopharmaceutical, and AI (artificial intelligence).
ABUJA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- A Nigerian official think tank on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to co-publish and distribute the Contemporary World Magazine, a Chinese periodical publication circulated across the world.

With the signing of the agreement at the Chinese Embassy in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, the Nigeria edition of the magazine will be launched in September, according to Bakut Tswah Bakut, the director-general of the Abuja-based Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR).

About 60 percent of the contributors to the comprehensive magazine will come from China and 40 percent will come from Nigeria, said Bakut, who signed the MoU with a representative of the magazine.

The Contemporary World Magazine, a publication of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, offers an outlook on the world and a highly engrossing journey into contemporary China. It provides far-reaching analyses of global hotspot issues with a wealth of views from think tanks worldwide and renowned experts writing on world party politics, and dynamic changes in international relations.

The magazine also presents comprehensive multi-perspective views on topics ranging from global economy, politics, military, major diplomatic events, to social developments in the world.

"This is an intellectual high magazine which is focused on looking at issues that are not sentimental," Bakut said. "We look at real issues of governance, international relations, economics, development, poverty eradication, culture, and environmental issues."

With the Nigeria edition of the magazine in the pipeline, Bakut said there is already an arrangement to circulate the journal across Africa through the Nigerian embassies.

Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony, Cui Jianchun, the Chinese ambassador to Nigeria, said the co-publishing of the magazine would promote prosperity and strengthen the cooperation between China and Nigeria.

"Today is a very good example of how we can have cooperation between two most important institutions and try to provide our ideas, our approach, our solution to international matters," Cui said.

IPCR, established in February 2000, is under Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs aimed to strengthen Nigeria's capacity for the promotion of peace and conflict prevention, management and resolution. 
Twitter has begun testing custom-built timelines. This feature could make its way to the app, but its not guaranteed yet. This information comes from Shaokyl Amdo, the companys spokesperson, who talked to The Verge.

Twitter is testing a new, custom-built timelines feature

This custom timelines feature, at the moment, seems to be a limited test. The feature will be available for 10 weeks on the web for a small group of people in the US and Canada. Twitter is starting a test with a custom-built timeline for The Bachelorette.

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Whats the purpose of custom timelines? Well, it will enable users to scroll through one particular topic, essentially. The content for it is selected and ordered based on relevance to the Timelines theme.

For this, Twitter will use information like search terms, Topics, handles, and manual curation. Accessing the custom timeline will be fairly easy, as it will be readily available at the top of your timeline.

Now, like me, many of you likely thought of Twitters Lists feature when you read about custom timelines. That feature is kind of similar to this one. This feature is a bit different, as Lists are created by individual users and show tweets from accounts on a specific topic.

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This feature is different than Lists, but not entirely different

For custom timelines, a third-party creator will be in charge of custom timelines. This does sound somewhat interesting, though it remains to be seen if it will be any useful. It may not even launch, actually.

Twitter tests all sorts of features, though not many of them make it to the actual small group testing. This one did, so its closer to being available than a lot of other features the company is testing.

Twitter has released a number of features in the last couple of years. The company has to be careful not to offer too many forgettable features. Adding bloat to the service is never a good idea, of course.
(ANSA) - ROME, JUL 14 - Premier Mario Draghi's executive is on the brink of a formal crisis of government after 5-Star Movement (M5S) leader Giuseppe Conte said the group's Senators will leave the chamber when a confidence vote takes place on Thursday on an aid package for the cost-of-living crisis.

Former European Central Bank (ECB) President Draghi has said he will not continue with his government of national unity without the support of the M5S.

Draghi's administration was formed early in 2021 to address the COVID-19 pandemic and manage almost 200 billion euros in grants and low-interest loans from the European Union for Italy's National Resilience and Recovery Plan (NRRP) after ex-premier Conte's second government collapsed.

Up to now Draghi's executive had been supported by all the major parties in parliament, except for the right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) group.

On Thursday Relations with Parliament Minister Federico D'Inca, a M5S lawmaker who opposed Conte's stance, tried to mediate and find a way for the decree to pass without it being put to confidence vote.

But sources said Draghi rejected this idea as he saw a confidence vote as the only way forward.

If the Draghi government collapses, it may be necessary for Italy to hold early elections in the autumn.

This is what League leader Matteo Salvini and FdI head Giorgio Meloni have been calling for.

On Thursday Salvini spoke of "full harmony within the centre-right" alliance, which also includes ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia as well as FdI and the League. The M5S and the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) had been expected to run as allies at the next election, which had been set to take place early in 2023 at the end of the current parliamentary term.

PD leader Enrico Letta said that the M5S's position on the Draghi government "changes the political scenario.

"We take note of this decision," Letta added.

"It isn't ours and we don't agree with it.

"Today we will support the confidence vote with conviction".

Conte had recently presented Draghi with a list of demands he said the M5S wanted to be met in order to stay in the executive.

On Tuesday Draghi showed willingness to reach agreement on some of these issues, including a demand for the introduction of a minimum wage.

But he also stressed that the sense of his government would be 'lost" if the parties supporting it started to lay down ultimatums.

Some political commentators see the break with the government as a way for the once anti-establishment M5S to reaffirm its identity.

The Internet-based movement was only founded by Grillo in 2009 but it fast won support among people disaffected by Italy's traditional parties and it was the individual group that won most votes in the 2018 general election.

It has now been part of three coalition governments though and, with the compromises that come with being in power, a signification chunk of its support has fallen away recently.

The M5S is currently fourth in the polls with the support of around 12% of the electorate, according to surveys.

It is no longer the biggest party in parliament after Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio quit to form a breakaway group following a row over Conte's opposition to sending more weapons to Ukraine. (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, JUL 14 - Premier Mario Draghi's executive is on the brink of a formal crisis of government after 5-Star Movement (M5S) leader Giuseppe Conte said the group's Senators will leave the chamber when a confidence vote takes place on Thursday on an aid package for the cost-of-living crisis.

Former European Central Bank (ECB) President Draghi has said he will not continue with his government of national unity without the support of the M5S.

Draghi's administration was formed early in 2021 to address the COVID-19 pandemic and manage almost 200 billion euros in grants and low-interest loans from the European Union for Italy's National Resilience and Recovery Plan (NRRP) after ex-premier Conte's second government collapsed.

Up to now Draghi's executive had been supported by all the major parties in parliament, except for the right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party.

On Thursday Relations with Parliament Minister Federico D'Inca, a M5S lawmaker who opposed Conte's stance, tried to mediate and find a way for the decree to pass without it being put to confidence vote.

But sources said Draghi rejected this idea as he saw a confidence vote as the only way forward.

If the Draghi government collapses, it may be necessary for Italy to hold early elections in the autumn.

This is what League leader Matteo Salvini and FdI head Giorgio Meloni have been calling for.

On Thursday Salvini spoke of "full harmony within he centre.right" alliance, which also include ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia as well as FdI and he League. (ANSA).


(ANSAmed) - ROME, JUL 14 - Premier Mario Draghi went to the Quirinal Palace to meet President Sergio Mattarella on Thursday after the 5-Star Movement (M5S) failed to take part in a confidence vote in the Senate on a government decree, effectively pulling its support for the executive.

Former European Central Bank (ECB) President Draghi had said this week that he would not continue with his government of national unity without the support of the M5S.

The decree, on aid for the cost-of-living crisis, passed with 172 votes in favour and 39 against.

M5S leader and ex-premier Giuseppe Conte had announced on Wednesday that the movement's lawmakers would snub Thursday's vote.

Conte had recently presented Draghi with a list of demands he said the M5S wanted to be met in order to stay in the executive.

On Tuesday Draghi showed willingness to reach agreement on some of these issues, including a demand for the introduction of a minimum wage.

But he also stressed that the sense of his government would be 'lost" if the parties supporting it started to lay down ultimatums.

If the Draghi government collapses, it may be necessary for Italy to hold early elections in the autumn.

This is what League leader Matteo Salvini and FdI head Giorgio Meloni have been calling for.

On Thursday Salvini spoke of "full harmony within the centre-right" alliance, which also includes ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia as well as FdI and the League. The M5S and the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) had been expected to run as allies at the next election, which had been set to take place early in 2023 at the end of the current parliamentary term.

PD leader Enrico Letta said that the M5S's position on the Draghi government "changes the political scenario.

"We take note of this decision," Letta added.

"It isn't ours and we don't agree with it.

"Today we will support the confidence vote with conviction".

Draghi's administration was formed early in 2021 to address the COVID-19 pandemic and manage almost 200 billion euros in grants and low-interest loans from the European Union for Italy's National Resilience and Recovery Plan (NRRP) after ex-premier Conte's second government collapsed.

Up to now Draghi's executive had been supported by all the major parties in parliament, except for the right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) group.

Some political commentators see the break with the government as a way for the once anti-establishment M5S to reaffirm its identity.

The Internet-based movement was only founded by Grillo in 2009 but it fast won support among people disaffected by Italy's traditional parties and it was the individual group that won most votes in the 2018 general election.

It has now been part of three coalition governments though and, with the compromises that come with being in power, a signification chunk of its support has fallen away recently.

The M5S is currently fourth in the polls with the support of around 12% of the electorate, according to surveys.

It is no longer the biggest party in parliament after Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio quit to form a breakaway group following a row over Conte's opposition to sending more weapons to Ukraine. (ANSAmed).


Lithuania will allow transit of Russian goods After new European Commission guidelines

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUL 14 - Lithuania announced on Wednesday that it would permit goods from Russia that have been sanctioned to pass through its territory on their way to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, reversing its previous position in light of new guidelines from the European Commission.



Following weeks of conflict between Moscow, Lithuania, and the European Union that tried Europe's resolve to impose sanctions on Russia, the new guidelines were released on Wednesday.



(ANSA).





 Copyright ANSA - All rights reserved
Grunenthal acquires NebidoTM from Bayer AG for up to  500 million. The product is expected to add about  100 million to Grunenthals EBITDA in 2023.

NebidoTM is the gold standard for the treatment ofmale hypogonadism associated with testosterone deficiency. It is available to patients in over 80 markets worldwide.

Grunenthal has invested over  2 billion in successful M&A transactions over the last years, resulting in a significantly strengthened profitability.

Aachen, Germany, 14 July 2022  Grunenthal, a global science-based, privately-owned pharmaceutical company, today announced an agreement with Bayer AG to acquire NebidoTM, the well-known brand for the treatment of male hypogonadism and its associated brands for up to  500 million. NebidoTM is the only long-acting injectable treatment for testosterone deficiency. The product is approved and successfully commercialized in over 80 countries. Patent protection exists until March 2024 in the EU and until May 2027 in the US. The brand is expected to add about  100 million to Grunenthals EBITDA in 2023. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including approval by the relevant competition authorities. Closing is expected to occur by the end of 2022.

One in six men over 50 live with the symptoms of testosterone deficiency [1]. Too few of these patients receive appropriate treatment [2]. We are committed to facilitating access to treatment for even more patients in need, says Gabriel Baertschi, Grunenthal CEO. Grunenthals strong track record of acquiring established brands has significantly improved our profitability, allowing us to invest in research and development and create the next generation of pain therapies.

NebidoTM is the leading brand in the treatment of male hypogonadism. It is used for the treatment of clinical symptoms such as regression of secondary sexual characteristics, change in body composition, asthenia, reduced libido or erectile dysfunction due to low testosterone levels (testosterone deficiency). The product is directly administered by a physician every 10  14 weeks. NebidoTM demonstrated a robust safety and efficacy profile backed with solid long-term data.

The acquisition of NebidoTM is part of a series of acquisitions by Grunenthal, including the European rights to CRESTORTM and NexiumTM, the global rights to VimovoTM (ex-US and Japan), the global rights to QutenzaTM and the global rights to ZomigTM (ex-Japan). In 2021, Grunenthal acquired the Swiss biotech company Mestex AG including its innovative investigational medicine resiniferatoxin for the intra-articular treatment of pain associated with osteoarthritis of the knee. Grunenthal has invested over  2 billion in successful M&A transactions over the past years.

About hypogonadism (testosterone deficiency)

Male hypogonadism due to a reduced or absent secretion of testosterone from the testes is characterized by clinical symptoms such as low libido, erectile dysfunction, asthenia, small testes and decreased muscle mass. These symptoms are sometimes misinterpreted as signs of stress and ageing. In addition to physical symptoms, there can also be psychological symptoms, including depression. One in six men over 50 live with symptomatic androgen deficiency [3]. Only one in ten men between the age of 30 to 79 with symptomatic androgen deficiency receive treatment [4].

About NebidoTM

NebidoTM is the only available injectable long-acting depot preparation of testosterone undecanoate, developed for the treatment of male hypogonadism. NebidoTM is a well-known brand in testosterone therapy. The product is directly administered by a physician every 10  14 weeks. NebidoTM demonstrated a robust safety and efficacy profile backed with solid long-term data.

About Grunenthal

Grunenthal is a global leader in pain management and related diseases. As a science-based, fully-integrated pharmaceutical company, we have a long track record of bringing innovative treatments and state-of-the-art technologies to patients worldwide. Our purpose is to change lives for the better  and innovation is our passion. We are focusing all of our activities and efforts on working towards our vision of a world free of pain.

Grunenthal is headquartered in Aachen, Germany, and has affiliates in 28 countries across Europe, Latin America and the US. Our products are available in more than 100 countries. In 2021, Grunenthal employed around 4,500 people and achieved sales of  1.5 bn.

More information: www.grunenthal.com

Click here for our Grunenthal Report 2021/2022

Follow us on:

LinkedIn: Grunenthal Group

Instagram: grunenthal

[1] Araujo, A. B., Esche, G. R., Kupelian, V., ODonnell, A. B., Travison, T. G., Williams, R. E., & McKinlay, J. B. (2007). Prevalence of symptomatic androgen deficiency in men. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 92(11), 4241-4247.

[2] Hall, S. A., Araujo, A. B., Esche, G. R., Williams, R. E., Clark, R. V., Travison, T. G., & McKinlay, J. B. (2008). Treatment of symptomatic androgen deficiency: results from the Boston Area Community Health Survey. Archives of internal medicine, 168(10), 1070-1076.

[3] Araujo, A. B., Esche, G. R., Kupelian, V., ODonnell, A. B., Travison, T. G., Williams, R. E., ... & McKinlay, J. B. (2007). Prevalence of symptomatic androgen deficiency in men. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 92(11), 4241-4247.

[4] Hall, S. A., Araujo, A. B., Esche, G. R., Williams, R. E., Clark, R. V., Travison, T. G., & McKinlay, J. B. (2008). Treatment of symptomatic androgen deficiency: results from the Boston Area Community Health Survey. Archives of internal medicine, 168(10), 1070-1076.

For further information, please contact:

Fabia Kehren, Head External Communications & Editorial Management Tel.: +49 241 569-3269 Fabia.kehren@grunenthal.com Grunenthal GmbH, 52099 Aachen, Germany

PRESS RELEASE - Editorial responsibility news aktuell
Macron calls for summer plan to cut energy use 'Russia using gas as weapon of war, very difficult months ahead'

(ANSAmed) - PARIGI, 14 LUG - French president Emmanuel Macron on Thursday called on businesses, government agencies and households to do more to save energy as France braces for Russia to cut off gas imports amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.



In his televised speech, he added that: "We must prepare for a scenario where we have to manage completely without Russian gas", noting that the summer and early autumn would be very difficult and that the country would have to collectively get ready to consume less as the conflict in Ukraine will continue.



He said that Russia is using gas as a "weapon of war" and asked for "responsible compromises" on a controversial pension reform that is set to come into effect in the summer of 2023.



(ANSAmed).




TEL AVIV - A meeting was held on Thursday between US president Joe Biden - on his second day of a visit to Israel - and Israeli prime minister Yair Lapid.



The talk took place at Jerusalem's Waldorf Astoria hotel, not far from the hotel where Biden is staying.



Immediately afterwards, Biden and Lapid will be connecting online with Indian president Nerendra Modi and his UAE counterpart Mohamed bin Zayed for a conference on cooperation between the countries.



Later there will be the signing of the Jerusalem Declaration on strategic cooperation between Israel and the US, which will include an anti-Iran pact, Israel's integration into the Gulf, and an assurance for Israel that it will retain a qualitative military edge in the region.



A joint statement to the press by Biden and Lapid will follow.




France celebrates Bastille Day Initiatives in Rome as well, twinned with Paris

(ANSAmed) - PARIS, 14 LUG - About 125,000 police and gendarme have been called up across France to ensure security during Bastille Day on July 14, which celebrates the taking of the Bastille during the 1789 revolution.



The traditional military parade will be held in Paris on the Avenue des Champs-Elysees with President Emmanuel Macron and the top leaders of the state. Some 12,000 police and firefighters will be on the ground.



There have been calls for protests in Paris's Place de la Bastille made on social media by the Yellow Vests anti-government movement.



"Due to the high and persistent threat of terrorism, special attention will be given to security and control measures provided for by the Vigipirate counterterrorism plan, as well as the reactive capacities of our units," wrote French interior minister Gerald Moussa Darmanin in a message sent Wednesday to prefects.



Wednesday evening marked the final night of the Dolce-Vita-Sur-Seine/Nouvelle-Vague-sul-Tevere festival held in both Rome and Paris as part of twinning between the two cities.



In Paris homage was paid to Italian film director and writer Pier Paolo Pasolini, with readings by Ascanio Celestini and a concert with music by Nino Rota, 'Sognare Fellini'.



On Rome's Isola Tiberina there was a screening of Cleo de 5 a 7 by Agnes Varda.



The two capitals have been sister cities since 1956.



(ANSAmed).




We can cut gas to Europe, Hezbollah threatens Israel 'Lebanon can stop gas from east Mediterranean from being sold'

(ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, 14 LUG - Lebanon can stop natural gas from the eastern Mediterranean from being sold to Europe, said the leader of the Iran-linked Lebanese armed and political movement Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, in a televised speech in which he once again threatened Israel.



His comments came as US president Joe Biden was on a visit to Israel prior to travelling to Saudi Arabia, another ally of the US and also hostile to Iran.



Lebanon and Israel both lay claim to a part of the eastern Mediterranean Sea in which there is a large amount of natural gas.



Hezbollah, which is part of the Lebanese government, has for weeks threatened another war against the "Zionist enemy" if Israel were to - as expected, in September - begin drilling for gas in the areas that Lebanon has long laid claim to.



""If the objective is to prevent Lebanon from extracting oil and gas, no one will be able to extract gas and oil nor to sell gas and oil, no matter the consequences," Nasrallah said in a speech televised on Hezbollah's al-Manar television station.



(ANSAmed).




ABUJA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday restated his commitment to solving the country's security challenges by continuing to provide the needed support required to wipe out terrorists by the armed forces.

Buhari, while speaking at a graduation ceremony of the Armed Forces Command Staff College in the northern state of Kaduna, said the response of the military to the insurgency by Boko Haram, banditry, militancy, kidnapping, as well as the activities of separatists and armed militias, among others, have been commendable so far.

"This government will continue to provide the required guidance and support to ensure that the desired results are achieved," the Nigerian leader said, noting most of the security challenges facing the world today were both asymmetric and trans-border in nature, involving mainly non-state actors in different regions and sub-regions of the world.

According to him, the West African sub-region and the entire African continent are not immune to these threats.

"We have witnessed recent terrorist attacks in Nigeria bearing the hallmark of national and trans-border insurgents trying to cause havoc in Nigeria as well as in neighboring countries. It will be part of your duty to confront these terrorists and insurgents and wipe them off the face of the earth and bring peace to our countries," Buhari said.

He described the specifics of their training, which focused primarily on countering security threats, as "very important", adding that "combating these prevalent security threats effectively demands that African countries continue to work together at all levels, be it tactical, operational and strategic."

Buhari said the last 12 years have been very challenging for Nigeria, considering the different security threats that have besieged the most populous African country.

"Our government is poised to promote national security and development, as well as to remain committed to promoting a vision of a secure, safe, just, peaceful, prosperous, and strong Nigeria," he added. 
LISBON - Portugal has declared an extension to its current state of emergency until Sunday, July 17, instead of ending it at midnight on Friday due to continuing risk of fires.



The announcement was made by Prime Minister Antonio Costa after a briefing at the IPMA national meteorological center.



The country is expected to reach peak temperatures on Thursday of 45 degrees of the heat wave that has caused dozens of wildfires across the country.



For several days, thousands of firefighters have been working to put out fires from the north to the south of the country that pushed Portuguese authorities to request the activation of an EU civil protection mechanism. As part of this mechanism, two Italian Canadair arrived in Portugal and on July 13 worked against a fire in a forested area near Palmela, a few kilometers south of Lisbon. (ANSAmed).




Italy: Draghi 'reflecting' after M5S confidence-vote snub

(ANSAmed) - ROME, 14 LUG - Italian Premier Mario Draghi is reflecting and has not resigned as the head of government, at least for the moment, sources said Thursday after he met President Sergio Mattarella following the 5-Star Movement's (M5S) failure to take part in a confidence vote in the Senate on a government decree.



Former European Central Bank (ECB) President Draghi had said this week that he would not continue with his government of national unity without the support of the M5S.



The decree, on aid for the cost-of-living crisis, passed with 172 votes in favour and 39 against.



M5S leader and ex-premier Giuseppe Conte had announced on Wednesday that the movement's lawmakers would snub Thursday's vote.



Conte had recently presented Draghi with a list of demands he said the M5S wanted to be met in order to stay in the executive.



On Tuesday Draghi showed willingness to reach agreement on some of these issues, including a demand for the introduction of a minimum wage.



But he also stressed that the sense of his government would be 'lost" if the parties supporting it started to lay down ultimatums.



If the Draghi government collapses, it may be necessary for Italy to hold early elections in the autumn.



This is what League leader Matteo Salvini and FdI head Giorgio Meloni have been calling for.



On Thursday Salvini spoke of "full harmony within the centre-right" alliance, which also includes ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia as well as FdI and the League. Conte said Thursday that others were to blame for the M5S's decision not to take part in the confidence vote.



The decree incudes a measure on plans for a waste-to-energy plant in Rome, something the M5S opposes.



"The M5S gave its support from the start to this government...



with the cornerstones of the ecological transition and social justice," Conte told reporters.



"If then you have blackmail in which measures contrary to the ecological transition enter a decree, we will never give our vote.



"Those who forced things in this way they should take responsibility (for what has happened)".



The M5S and the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) had been expected to run as allies at the next election, which had been set to take place early in 2023 at the end of the current parliamentary term.



PD leader Enrico Letta said that the M5S's position on the Draghi government "changes the political scenario.



"We take note of this decision," Letta added.



"It isn't ours and we don't agree with it.



"Today we will support the confidence vote with conviction".



Draghi's administration was formed early in 2021 to address the COVID-19 pandemic and manage almost 200 billion euros in grants and low-interest loans from the European Union for Italy's National Resilience and Recovery Plan (NRRP) after ex-premier Conte's second government collapsed.



Up to now Draghi's executive had been supported by all the major parties in parliament, except for the right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) group.



Some political commentators see the break with the government as a way for the once anti-establishment M5S to reaffirm its identity.



The Internet-based movement was only founded by Grillo in 2009 but it fast won support among people disaffected by Italy's traditional parties and it was the individual group that won most votes in the 2018 general election.



It has now been part of three coalition governments though and, with the compromises that come with being in power, a signification chunk of its support has fallen away recently.



The M5S is currently fourth in the polls with the support of around 12% of the electorate, according to surveys.



It is no longer the biggest party in parliament after Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio quit to form a breakaway group following a row over Conte's opposition to sending more weapons to Ukraine. (ANSAmed).




No nuclear for Iran, Biden urges as Lapid calls for armed threat Israeli PM 'support two-state solution' with Palestinians

(ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, 14 LUG - President Joe Biden has pledged that the US is "prepared to use all elements of its national power" to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, claiming that this is vital for global security. He added, however, that the best route is through diplomatic means.



Biden was speaking on Thursday during a joint press conference with Israeli prime minister Yair Lapid, who instead said that "words will not stop them, Mr. President. Diplomacy will not stop them. The only thing that will stop Iran is knowing that if they continue to develop their nuclear program the free world will use force. The only way to stop them is to put a credible military threat on the table." "It should not be a bluff, but the real thing," Lapid continued.



"The Iranian regime must know that if they continue to deceive the world, they will pay a heavy price." urging him to "put a credible military threat on the table".



The US, he added, fully back Israeli security.



Biden said that a response was awaited from Iran on the nuclear agreement but that they would not wait indefinitely .



On the peace process with Palestinians, Lapid said that he had not changed his position and that the two-state solution was a guarantee for a state and democratic Israel with a Jewish majority.



The media reported that the two leader had also discussed the mission in Saudi Arabia, which Israel sees as very important.



The PM said that Israel had long sought to create a more moderate coalition and that there was a need for one.



Meanwhile, the US, India, and the UAE have announced joint plans on food security and energy.



The start of the first meeting - online - of the new forum I2U2 that the leaders of the four countries took part in was held after the meeting between Biden and Lapid. (ANSAmed).




War with Israel more honourable than starvation, says Hezbollah Only path to rescue the state, Nasrallah proclaims on TV

(ANSAMed) - BEIRUT, 14 LUG - Hezbollah, the Iran-linked political and armed group that is part of the Lebanese government and parliament, has stated that a new war with Israel is better than suffering the effects of the worst economic crisis in the country's history.



In a televised speech on Wednesday, Hassan Nasrallah once again accused Israel of contributing to worsening Lebanon's economic crisis. The UN has said that over 80% of the population is currently living in poverty.



Commenting on the sending of drones in recent days to near an Israeli energy platform off the Mediterranean coasts in an area disputed between the two countries, Nasrallah said that: "We are serious and this path (conflict with Israel) is the only path to rescue the state. If we continue in this manner, we are heading towards what's worse than war." He was presumably referring to the immobilism of Lebanese institutions in talks with Israel over the division of energy resources at sea.



Noting that there are sides that want to "destroy the country" and to "see people standing in queues and killing each other out of hunger," the Hezbollah leader said that, "threatening with war and going to war would be more honorable than what the enemy wants for us." (ANSAMed).




A suspected people smuggler has been arrested and is facing extradition.

Iranian-born UK national Kaiwan Poore was detained at Manchester Airport on Wednesday before he could fly to Turkey, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said.

The 37-year-old was wanted by the NCA, which was working with French police to find him.

He is accused by French prosecutors of being part of an organised crime gang smuggling migrants across the Channel in small boats.

Poore is thought to have arrived in the UK from Germany last week, a day before a slew of raids took place across Europe, leading to around 40 arrests as part of the biggest international police operation of its kind.

He appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court, wearing a blue T-shirt, on Thursday but the case was delayed because he asked for a Kurdish interpreter and there was not one available.

He was remanded in custody and is due to appear at the same court, alongside an interpreter, on Friday.

Operation Punjum, led by the NCA in the UK, was carried out alongside Operation Thoren in Europe to target a network suspected of smuggling up to 10,000 migrants across the Channel in the last 12 to 18 months.

Nearly a thousand officers were involved in the investigation, which seized about 1,200 lifejackets, close to 150 boats and 50 engines, several thousand euros in cash, firearms and drugs.

A 26-year-old man and a 22-year-old detained in London on suspicion of conspiring to facilitate illegal immigration have been released on bail pending further inquiries.

The major probe began with the arrest of a suspected people-smuggling kingpin in the capital in May.

Iranian Hewa Rahimpur, who was living in Ilford, east London, is accused of being a leading figure in a network organising human trafficking via small boats.

The 29-year-old is wanted by authorities in Belgium and faces extradition from the UK. He is next due to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Friday.

NCA deputy director Jacque Beer said: Our work to curtail the activities of these gangs continues, and working with our European partners we are determined to do all we can to disrupt them and bring them to justice.
Thousands of people have signed a petition to save a regional airport after its owners announced it may no longer be commercially viable.

News that Doncaster Sheffield Airports (DSA) owner, the Peel Group, has launched a review of strategic options has been greeted with dismay across South Yorkshire where the facility is seen as a key part of economic development plans for the region.

Political leaders have urged Transport Secretary Grant Shapps to intervene.

The airport issued a statement which said the review follows lengthy deliberations by the board of DSA which has reluctantly concluded that aviation activity on the site may no longer be commercially viable.

The airport opened in 2005 after it was converted by the Peel Group from the old RAF Finningley airbase.

It said in its statement that DSA has never achieved a critical mass of passengers to become profitable and this fundamental issue of a shortfall in passenger numbers was exacerbated by the announcement last month of the withdrawal of Wizz Air.

This left the airport with Tui as the only one base carrier.

Dear all DSA passengers, It is likely you have seen the news this morning that the Board of Doncaster Sheffield Airport has begun a review of strategic options for the Airport. (1/2)  Doncaster Sheffield Airport (@DSA_Airport) July 13, 2022

The firm said the challenge has been increased by other changes in the aviation market, the well-publicised impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and increasingly important environmental considerations.

It said: It has therefore been concluded that aviation activity may no longer be the use for the site which delivers the maximum economic and environmental benefit to the region.

Robert Hough, chairman of Peel Airports Group, said: It is a critical time for aviation globally. Despite pandemic-related travel restrictions slowly drawing to a close, we are still facing ongoing obstacles and dynamic long-term threats to the future of the aviation industry.

The actions by Wizz to sacrifice its base at Doncaster to shore up its business opportunities at other bases in the South of England are a significant blow for the airport.

Shadow transport secretary and Sheffield Labour MP Louise Haigh said she has written to Mr Shapps asking him what he will do to save the airport, saying the announcement presents a significant issue for the competitiveness of our city and region as a whole.

Read more here: https://t.co/qsBhmHKrmz  Doncaster Sheffield Airport (@DSA_Airport) July 13, 2022

South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard said: Its disappointing that Peel do not seem willing to match our ambition for DSA and have not been able to unlock the evident potential of an airport with a prospective customer base of millions.

I am seeking an urgent meeting with Peel Group to find the best path forward for the communities of South Yorkshire, and Ill be speaking directly to Government about the importance of our regional airport to the economic prospects of South Yorkshire.

An online petition launched to Save Doncaster Sheffield Airport reached 13,000 signatures on Thursday, with one contributor saying: Doncaster is a highly connected city with good motorway and railway links. How can the Government be serious about levelling up if it allows closure?

GMB organiser Sarah Barnes said: This news will be a deep shock to many of our members at Doncaster Sheffield Airport where GMB has sole recognition.

In the middle of a cost-of-living crisis the last thing our members and neighbouring communities need is uncertainty about their jobs and futures.

During the pandemic we met with the Government to secure an economic package for aviation which would save regional airports.

Ministers continue to bail out airlines like BA  whove slashed workers pay using fire and rehire  but leave regional airports to struggle.

A Government spokesman said: We recognise Doncaster Sheffield Airports announcement of a review into the future of the airport will be concerning for passengers and workers, and the Government is in close contact with the airport to understand its plans.

While this will be a commercial decision for the owners of the airport, we hope they conclude after consultation with stakeholders that there is a viable aviation future for the airport.

Regional airports are key in serving our local communities, supporting thousands of jobs in the regions and act as a key gateway to international opportunities.

We will continue to bring forward our plans to level up and ensure the whole of the UK has the connections people need.
The average rent being asked across Britain, excluding London, has hit a record of 1,126 per calendar month, according to a property website.

The average monthly rent being asked is 11.8% higher than a year earlier, Rightmove said, adding that the average rent is now 19% or 177 per month higher than when the coronavirus pandemic started.

Asking rents in London have surged by 15.8% over the past year, pushing the average asking rent there to a record 2,257 per month, according to Rightmove, whose latest figures cover the second quarter of 2022.

Rising rents continue to be driven by a shortage of available rental stock, although there have been some recent signs of improvement, the website added.

June saw the highest number of new rental listings coming to market of any month this year so far.

Rightmoves map shows average asking rents across Britain (Rightmove/PA)

Despite this, the available rental stock is still down by 26% compared with last years levels, while demand is up by 6%, which means competition between tenants remains extremely fierce, Rightmove said.

Rightmoves director of property science Tim Bannister said: The story of the rental market continues to be one of high tenant demand but not enough available homes to meet that demand.

Last year, we saw exceptional numbers of tenants looking to move and this year we have seen no let-up in this trend.

Whilst stock levels are beginning to improve, with June seeing the highest number of new rental listings coming to market so far this year, the wide gap that has been created between supply and demand over the last two years will take time to narrow.

Until then, this imbalance will continue to support asking rent growth. This has led to our revised forecast of (an) 8% rise in asking rents by the end of the year, up from 5%.

Rightmove also quoted the views of property professionals.

Nicola Fleet-Milne, CEO at FleetMilne in Birmingham, said: Quarter two 2022 has seen a sharp increase in rental prices in Birmingham city centre; a hangover of the stifled growth throughout the pandemic.

Couple this with a lack of good quality stock, and the result is an applicant base looking for homes six to 10 weeks in advance of their need.

She added: Older stock is falling dramatically behind the standards of the new units coming through, and whilst initially, they may demand similar rents, as more developments complete, the older stock may be relegated to a markedly lower price band.

Richard Davies, MD of Chestertons, said: Throughout quarter two of this year, Londons rental market has seen continuous growth in tenant inquiries as well as in the number of tenants extending their rental agreements.

Those who secured a property at a discounted rental rate during the pandemic are keen to hold on to this deal as long as possible, particularly in the face of rising living costs.

He added that with the return of office workers, international students and corporate tenants alike, the rental market in London is seeing demand outstripping supply.

Mr Davies said: This has created an extremely competitive market for tenants where many offer landlords over asking price in order to secure a property.
Government ministers are not avoiding scrutiny, a Downing Street spokesman has said, after both Dominic Raab and Priti Patel pulled out of parliamentary committee appearances.

Dominic Raab, on Thursday, cancelled an appearance at the Joint Committee on Human Rights, a move branded extremely disappointing by MPs and peers.

The Justice Secretary had been due to attend the committee next Wednesday, and it had been expected that politicians would grill him on the proposed British Bill of Rights.

The controversial plan would see the successor to the Human Rights Act assert that British courts do not always need to follow case law from Strasbourg and that the Supreme Court in London is the ultimate decision-maker on human rights issues.

Members of the committee have written to Mr Raab to express their concerns about his decision to cancel his appearance.

It comes after Home Secretary Priti Patel pulled out of an appearance at the Commons Home Affairs Committee earlier this week.

Ms Patel cited recent changes in Government and to her ministerial team as well as wider unprecedented changes as the reasons why she was no longer able to attend the session.

On Thursday, the Home Affairs Committee published a letter from Ms Patel to MPs in which she declined to meet the committee before the summer recess.

In the letter, she said: Thank you for your response to my request to postpone our regular evidence session to September and for setting out the committees expectations of an appearance next week. My suggestion of September remains.

The Home Secretary has declined to meet the Committee before the summer recess. Read her letter to our Chair here  pic.twitter.com/LCreEkPAJm  Home Affairs Committee (@CommonsHomeAffs) July 14, 2022

The Joint Committee on Human Rights, which is made up of MPs and peers, said it was crucial that they were able to scrutinise the Bill of Rights Bill and urged Mr Raab to reconsider.

We were extremely disappointed to hear yesterday that you will not be giving evidence to our committee next week, as previously arranged, SNP MP Joanna Cherry, the acting chair of the committee, wrote to Mr Raab.

Whilst we understand that there are pressures that come with holding the dual roles of Lord Chancellor and Deputy Prime Minister, accountability to Parliament should take priority. This date has been in our diaries and yours for some time.

It is not clear why, at such short notice, other matters should take priority.

We therefore ask you to reconsider your decision not to attend on 20 July. We expect that if you do not attend then, you will commit to appearing before us during the week of 12 September instead.

A Downing Street spokesman rejected the suggestion that ministers were avoiding parliamentary scrutiny, insisting that the work of the Government is continuing.

The Prime Minister said last week and we said last week that the Prime Minister remains PM and the work of Government will continue until a new leader is in place.

I would point you to the the Home Secretarys letter, which she sent to the committee herself, (in) which she outlined the reasons for looking at postponing that session until September.

The government continues to work on the priorities that the Prime Minister has.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: The Deputy Prime Minister has postponed his evidence session until after the summer recess.

The introduction of the Bill of Rights followed an extensive consultation, and it will be debated and scrutinised in Parliament in the usual way.
A hospital trust is being prosecuted over the death of a baby which could have been prevented if she had been delivered sooner.

Wynter Sophia Andrews died on September 15 2019 after she was born via Caesarean section at Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham, East Midlands.

An inquest the following year found that she died from hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy  a loss of oxygen flow to the brain  and this could have been avoided if staff had delivered her earlier.

Assistant coroner Laurinda Bower found the babys death was contributed to by neglect at the hands of Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.

On Thursday, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which regulates health services in England, said it would be prosecuting the trust.

Operations director at the CQC, Fiona Allinson, said: We have now concluded our investigation into the care provided to a mother and her baby by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH).

As a result of that investigation, we intend to prosecute the trust for its failure to provide safe care and treatment under Regulation 12(1) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 (RAR 2014) and will report further as soon as we are able to do so.

The babys mother, Sarah Andrews, was admitted to the hospital on September 14 2019.

In her preventing future deaths report, Ms Bower said that, on this day, the hospital had operated in a fundamentally unsafe manner due to being understaffed.

She said that Ms Andrews did not receive the care and attention that she clinically required and her baby ought to have been delivered by Caesarean section well before 14.06 hours when she was in fact delivered.

Ms Bower said: Staff told me this was not the first time, nor the last time, that they have been asked to care for multiple families simultaneously, meaning that those families cannot receive the time, focus and dedication they require.

Staff further told me that they have repeatedly raised their concerns about patient safety, but their concerns have been met with silence.

Ms Bower also highlighted an unsafe culture prevailing within midwifery services at the hospital  which are subject to an independent review by senior midwife Donna Ockenden.

NUH said it has made a number of improvements since Wynters death, including improving training around foetal monitoring, recruiting more staff, and introducing a 24/7 maternity advice line for mothers with concerns.

In response to the CQCs announcement, the trusts chief executive, Rupert Egginton, apologised to Wynters family and said improvements were being made.

He said: We are deeply sorry that we failed this family, and apologise unreservedly for the mistakes we made at the time.

We have taken action to address the failings that led to this tragic loss and introduced a range of improvements designed to offer the best maternity care to families using our services.

But we know there is a lot more work to do, and are committed to supporting the work of Donna Ockendens review team, which alongside the work of our own improvement team, will ensure we do everything necessary to learn and improve.
SINGAPORE, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has been allowed entry into Singapore on a private visit, a spokesperson of Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Thursday evening.

Local media reported that Rajapaksa flew into Singapore from the Maldives via a Saudia flight, which touched down at Changi Airport at 7:17 p.m. local time on Thursday.

In response to media queries, the spokesperson said Rajapaksa has not asked for asylum and neither has he been granted any asylum, according to the ministry's website.

Earlier, the Straits Times reported that it is not clear how long Rajapaksa will stay in Singapore or if he has another destination in mind.

Rajapaksa left Sri Lanka for the Maldives on Wednesday.

Sri Lankan Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said on Wednesday that a new president will be elected on July 20 through a vote in parliament. 
Almost 200 speaker requests or events were rejected by English universities or other higher education institutions in 2020/21, new figures show.

The numbers, published by the Office for Students (OfS), show that out of 19,407 external speaker requests or events, 193 were rejected in 2020/21, compared with 94 in 2019/20, 141 in 2018/19 and 53 in 2017/18.

The figures are the highest on record since the OfS began collecting data in 2017.

Some 632 events went ahead subject to conditions.

Susan Lapworth, interim chief executive at the OfS, said the organisation would be concerned if those cases suggest that lawful views are being stifled.

She said: This data shows that more than 99% of events and speaker requests were approved in 2020/21 and suggests that  in general  universities and colleges remain places where debate and the sharing of ideas can thrive.

However, it is the case that the number and proportion of rejections sharply increased in 2020/21, with almost 200 speakers or events rejected.

Ms Lapworth said universities are required to take steps to secure freedom of speech within the law and that this applies to their arrangements for external speakers, as well as to discussion and debate in lecture and seminar rooms or across academic communities.

Topics which some may find offensive or controversial must be open to free debate in those contexts too, she said.

She said the OfS will continue to regulate universities to ensure they are meeting their obligations, and that the body is willing to intervene where we have concerns this may not be the case in this fundamentally important area.

Some 47 cases were formally referred to external Prevent agencies, the OfS report also found.

Universities and other higher education providers were asked to identify any underpinning ideology for each case.

Of the 47, 15 were identified as potential extreme right-wing radicalisation, while 14 were identified as potential Islamist radicalisation.

The Higher Education Freedom of Speech Bill, currently at committee stage in the Lords, calls for universities to protect the freedom of speech of visiting speakers, with legal duties to promote free speech extended to students unions.

A new director for freedom of speech and academic freedom will sit on the OfS board, and the Government has said universities, colleges and students unions that breach (the new) duties may face sanctions, including fines.

Minister for skills, further education and higher education Andrea Jenkyns said: Universities and colleges must be places that champion debate and diversity of thought and this government has warned of the chilling effect of censorship on our campuses.

While we know that the pandemic made it difficult for many organisations to arrange speaking events, this sharp rise in rejected speakers is very concerning.

This is exactly why our new Freedom of Speech Bill will ensure universities not only protect free speech but promote it and ensure we are protecting the rights of students and academics across the country.
By Ron Bousso

OXFORD, Britain (Reuters) -Europe may need to ration energy supplies in what is shaping up to be a "really tough" winter due to declining natural gas supply as Russia restricts flows, Shell CEO Ben van Beurden said on Thursday.

European nations have scrambled in recent months to fill winter natural gas storage with the European Commission mandating storage reach at least 80% by November 1.

As a result, the prices of natural gas, used for heavy industry and heating, have shot up, weighing heavily on consumers and governments.

"It will be a really tough winter in Europe. Some countries will fare better than others but we will all be facing a very significant escalation in energy prices," van Beurden told the Aurora Spring Conference in Oxford.

In the worst case, Europe will need to ration its energy consumption, he added.

Some countries have said in the case of an extreme shortage they would curb supply to industry and prioritise supply to heat homes.

Europes stocks are currently 62.6% full and analysts have warned meeting the 80% target will be incredibly difficult if significant disruptions to Russian gas supply continues,

Moodys on Wednesday warned that Germany and Italy would be forced into gas rationing if flows do not restart through the Nord Stream pipeline following an end to maintenance scheduled for July 21.

There are concerns the maintenance will not end on time, with the Italian and Germany governments warning it could be used a pretext by Moscow to keep sending less gas to Europe.

(Reporting by Ron Bousso; additional reporting by Susanna Twidale; editing by Jason Neely)
(Reuters) -Twitter Inc was down for thousands of users across the globe on Thursday, its first such outage since February, according to outage tracking website Downdetector.com.

There were more than 50,000 incidents of people reporting issues with Twitter in the United States, according to the website. Users in other countries including the United Kingdom, Mexico, Brazil and Italy also reported issues.

The outage comes days after Twitter sued Elon Musk for violating his $44 billion deal to buy the company and asked a Delaware court to order the world's richest person to complete the takeover.

The outage began around 8:00 ET and prevented users from logging into the micro-blogging site on desktops and mobile phones.

It was not clear what caused the outage. Users were getting an error message: "Tweets aren't loading right now." Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but its status dashboard indicated that all systems were operational.

The company had suffered another widespread outage in February that it blamed on a software glitch.

Other big technology companies have also been hit by outages in the past year, with a near six-hour interruption keeping Meta Platforms' WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger out of the reach billions of users in October.

Notorious for outages in its early years, Twitter used to use its popular "Fail Whale" illustration, a beluga being lifted by birds, for such incidents but discontinued the logo in 2013.

Those who could use Twitter jokingly blamed the outage on Musk, the chief executive of Tesla Inc. "Elon Musk creates Twitter outage," one user tweeted.

Twitter shares were marginally down at $36.60 before the bell on Thursday.

(Reporting by Yuvraj Malik and Nivedita Balu in Bengaluru; Editing by Aditya Soni and Vinay Dwivedi)
FILE - Electric cars are parked at a charging station in Sacramento, Calif., on April 13, 2022. General Motors, Pilot Travel Centers and EVgo said Thursday, July 14, 2022, that they will build 2,000 charging stalls at up to 500 Pilot Flying J sites across the nation. GM says construction will start this summer with the first direct current fast chargers operating sometime in 2023. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

DETROIT (AP)  A major automaker, large truck stop chain and an electric vehicle charging company are proposing a network that would put charging plugs at 50-mile intervals along U.S. highways.

General Motors, Pilot Travel Centers and EVgo said Thursday they will build 2,000 charging stalls at up to 500 Pilot Flying J sites across the nation.

The companies wouldn't answer questions about the cost or how much each will pay, but a statement says they're counting on government grant money and programs from utilities to help put the network in place.

Construction will start this summer with the first chargers operating sometime in 2023, GM spokesman Philip Lienert said. The network should be finished in a couple of years, he said.

GM said the network would be along highways to enable interstate travel.

When finished, the chargers will help the Biden administration move toward its goal of 500,000 stations nationwide by 2030 as it tries to get people to switch away from gasoline-powered vehicles to fight climate change.

Bipartisan infrastructure legislation approved by Congress ended up providing just half of the $15 billion that Biden had envisioned to fulfill a campaign promise of 500,000 charging stations by 2030.

Even so, the $7.5 billion for charging stations has been a catalyst for industry investments, said National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy. Its exciting to see leading companies respond by setting their own ambitious goals, and investing in a convenient, reliable, and affordable nationwide charging network, she said.

Bidens Build Back Better proposal aimed to fill the gap but is stalled in Congress.

Administration officials now say the infrastructure law will help pave the way for up to 500,000 charging outlets by 2030. Thats different than charging stations, which could have several outlets. They say private investments could help fill the gap. Currently there are nearly 124,000 public EV outlets in the U.S. at over 49,000 stations.

The Department of Transportation said that $5 billion of the $7.5 billion for EV chargers will go to states, which can partner with other groups. The remaining $2.5 billion would go to competitive grants for charging projects. No grants have been awarded yet.

The new charging network is a step toward building out a charging network that will make the public more comfortable traveling in EVs, said S&P Global Mobility Principal Analyst Stephanie Brinley.

The infrastructure of electric vehicles needs to be a sort of combination of locations like Pilot, she said. It probably needs this level of support from many different voices to make it work.

Pilot says it has has more than 750 locations in 44 U.S. states and five Canadian provinces.

GM has set a goal of building only electric passenger vehicles by 2035. It has pledged to have 30 electric vehicle models for sale globally by 2025.

It has promised to invest nearly $750 million in chargers, but wouldn't say how much of that has been spent.

GM owners would get discounts and exclusive charging reservations on the network, the company said.
On a recent boiling day, she donned a crop top and cutoff shorts  the first time Casey LaCaze-Lachney had ever worn such revealing attire, she said in a viral video about a police encounter.

As she sat on the curb with her family listening to music at a street festival in Winnfield, La., LaCaze-Lachney noticed three female cops coming toward her. They singled her out, called her over and charged her with indecent exposure.

A woman was cited for wearing crop top and cutoffs in boiling Louisiana sun.



A woman was cited for wearing crop top and cutoffs in boiling Louisiana sun. (TikTok/Kazzi112/)

LaCaze-Lachney offered to go down the street to her house less than a mile away and change.

The officers said she could not. They insisted on writing her up for indecent exposure.

Were going to give you a citation, one of the cops said, according to a video account LaCaze-Lachney posted on TikTok that went viral, topping 2 million hits.

When her ex- and current husbands, who were attending the festival with her and her kids, tried to intervene, the officers told them to back off.

The citation was no small thing, since indecent exposure can be a felony in Louisiana.

Determined to fight the charge, LaCaze-Lachney hired a lawyer and requested body-cam footage. The cops had none. Luckily a bystander had taken a video snippet of the encounter, showing all my bits covered, as LaCaze-Lachney put it.

On June 15 the Winnfield Police Department responded on Facebook to what it said was pressure from social media and complaining that an unnamed citizen was blasting police officers.

The posting cited the ordinance LaCaze-Lachney had supposedly violated.

It shall be unlawful for any person to wear pants, trousers, shorts, skirts, dresses, or skorts in any public place or places open to the public which either intentionally exposes undergarments or intentionally exposes any portion of the pubic hair, cleft of buttocks, or genitals, the police posting said, noting that its punishable by fines ranging from $25 to $300, plus up to 40 hours of community service.

On Tuesday, LaCaze-Lachney and her attorney, Randall Hayes, met with Winnfield police chief Johnny Ray Carpenter and Winnfield City Attorney Herman Castete, who both admitted she had not violated the ordinance and had been wrongly cited, the Shreveport Times reported.

Mr. Castete said that he will have the citation officially dismissed, Hayes told the Shreveport Times.

Carpenter apologized, dropped the charges and told her she never should have been put through that, LaCaze-Lachney said in a TikTok update.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  Disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh was charged with murder Thursday in the deaths of his wife and younger son, who were fatally shot outside their home more than a year ago.

Murdaugh is already jailed and faces dozens of criminal charges that have piled up in the months since his wife Maggie, 52, and their 22-year-old son, Paul, were killed. But until now he had not been charged in connection with his wife and son's deaths.

The indictments handed up by a grand jury in Colleton County, where the shootings happened, contend Murdaugh killed his wife with a rifle and his son with a shotgun. They include no details on how police linked Murdaugh to the deaths after 13 months of investigation. More details may be released in a bond hearing, which has not been scheduled.

Murdaugh, 54, has repeatedly denied any role in the deaths, saying he was visiting his mother and ailing father and discovered his son and wife slain when he returned to their estate.

Murdaugh's family has dominated the legal scene in tiny, neighboring Hampton County for nearly a century. Murdaughs father, grandfather and great-grandfather were the areas elected prosecutors for 87 years straight.

Murdaugh once worked for the century-old, family-founded law firm, which discreetly boasted of securing million-dollar verdicts for accidental deaths, product liability or workplace safety cases. The firm said in September that he was stealing money.

The June 2021 deaths prompted authorities to look into all corners of Murdaugh's life. At least a half-dozen investigations resulted in charges that he stole $8.5 million from people who hired him and that he lied to police by saying he was shot by a stranger on a roadside when, officials say, he actually asked a friend to kill him so his surviving son could collect a $10 million life insurance policy just days after the family firm determined he was stealing money.

State police said information they gathered in the Murdaugh investigations also led them to review what was initially reported as the hit-and-run death of 19-year-old Stephen Smith in Hampton County in July 2015, although they didn't provide more details.

Agents also exhumed the body of the Murdaugh's housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, who the family said died in the hospital several days after a fall in 2018. Prosecutors said Murdaugh got his home insurers to pay more than $4 million in wrongful-death claims in Satterfield's case by saying he was negotiating for her family but didn't give them any of the money.

In June, Murdaugh was indicted in what prosecutors said was an eight-year money laundering and painkiller ring that also involved that same friend and former client charged with trying to help him commit suicide.

Murdaugh wrote 437 checks worth $2.4 million that his friend cashed over eight years, keeping some of the money for himself and giving the rest for wide-ranging illegal activities, according to the indictments unsealed last month.

Murdaugh has been in jail since October, held on a $7 million bond.

The South Carolina Supreme Court disbarred Murdaugh on Tuesday, confirming the inevitable after Murdaughs attorneys declined to contest arguments at a June disbarment hearing.

Maggie and Paul Murdaugh were shot several times between 9 and 9:30 p.m. the night of June 7, 2021, outside their home on the familys land near Islandton, authorities said. Their bodies were found near dog kennels, according to Colleton County Coroner Richard Harvey.

At the time, authorities reported that Alex Murdaugh discovered the bodies and called 911. Murdaugh sounded deeply upset and agitated on the call, immediately identifying himself and telling the operator his wife and child have been shot on his property.

Ive been up to it now. Its bad, Murdaugh said.
LONDON  President Biden skirted questions Thursday over whether he would raise the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi with Saudi Arabia's king and crown prince.

At a press conference with Israeli interim Prime Minister Yair Lapid, Biden was asked whether he would mention the 2018 murder during his visit to Saudi Arabia on Friday. The president responded by stating that his position on Khashoggi has been so clear. He added: If anyone doesnt understand it, in Saudi Arabia or anywhere else, then they havent been around for a while.

President Biden in Jerusalem on Thursday. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Khashoggi, a journalist for the Washington Post, was a harsh critic of the Saudi regime. In 2018 he was brutally murdered at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.

Biden defended his visit to Saudi Arabia, which he said was to reassert U.S. influence in the Middle East. I want to make clear that we can continue to lead in the region and not create a vacuum, a vacuum that is filled by China and/or Russia, against the interests of both Israel and the United States and many other countries, he said.

Biden is expected to travel to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Friday, where he will hold a meeting with King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other Saudi officials.

Days ahead of the presidents trip to the Middle East, Khashoggis wife met with White House officials. Hanan Elatr Khashoggi received the invitation after sending a letter to Biden last month.

Speaking to NewsNation, Elatr Khashoggi said she hoped Biden would ask for the release of Saudi Arabias political prisoners. Thats not a crime to say your opinion, advise your country and have some wishes about your country, she said. We deserve to have the freedom and democratic freedom to speak in the Middle East like any Western [person] in the streets of the U.K. or the U.S. or Denmark.

A poster showing the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at an event at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in October 2020, marking the second anniversary of his assassination. (Ozan Kose/AFP via Getty Images)

In 2020, on the second anniversary of Khashoggi's death, Biden accused the Saudi crown prince of orchestrating Khashoggi's murder and dismemberment in a statement. His offense  for which he paid with his life  was criticizing the policies of his government, Biden wrote.

Jamal Khashoggi and his loved ones deserve accountability. Under a Biden-Harris administration, we will reassess our relationship with the Kingdom, end U.S. support for Saudi Arabias war in Yemen, and make sure America does not check its values at the door to sell arms or buy oil.
President Biden on Thursday told Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid that the vast majority of Americans are committed to Israels security in remarks that came after Biden said that Democratic lawmakers in the U.S. who are critical of Israel are wrong.

I think the vast majority of the American public, not just my administration, is completely devoted to Israels security, Biden told Lapid during a bilateral meeting between the two leaders in Jerusalem.

Biden is set to hold a press conference with Lapid later on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Biden sat for an interview with N12 News in Israel and was asked about Democrats who have called Israel an apartheid state and called for an end to unconditional aid for Israel.

There are few of them. I think theyre wrong. I think theyre making a mistake, Biden said. Israel is a democracy. Israel is our ally. Israel is a friend, and I think that I make no apologies.

Biden and Lapid on Thursday also discussed integrating Israel into the Middle East.

I talked about how important it was from my perspective for Israel to be totally integrated into the region, Biden said.

Their meeting comes ahead of an expected joint declaration later on Thursday on military cooperation and preventing Iran from getting nuclear weapons.

We discussed the Iranian threat, Lapid said. There will be no nuclear Iran. This is not only a threat to Israel, but to the world, and we discussed some other issues we are going to keep to ourselves.

Biden is set to travel to Saudi Arabia on Friday, which was also discussed during the bilateral meeting between the president and Lapid.

Lapid after the meeting called Bidens trip to Saudi Arabia is extremely important to Israel.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running for election again, speaks during a campaign rally in Brasilia on Tuesday. (Eraldo Peres / Associated Press)

Under tight security and wearing a bulletproof vest, former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attended a political rally in the capital city of Brasilia. After passing through a metal detector, hundreds of Workers' Party backers gathered near the stage, where Lula called for them to remain peaceful and avoid confrontations with adversaries.

Lula's plea this week reflects growing concerns among politicians, authorities and voters about Brazil's presidential campaign and October election. The leftist leads all polls to return to the office he held from 2003 to 2010, but far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro has suggested that he may not accept the results and urged his allies to arm themselves.

Last week, Supreme Court Justice Edson Fachin, the chairman of the countrys electoral court, warned in a presentation in Washington that incidents worse than the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol could happen in Brazil this year. Last July, CIA Director William Burns told two Bolsonaro ministers that the president should stop attacking the electoral system.

Electoral tensions rose again Saturday night, when Marcelo Arruda, a Lula backer and Workers' Party official, was shot dead by a man who, witnesses told the police, had shouted support for Bolsonaro before pulling the trigger. The investigation is ongoing, but the killing reignited fears of political violence on the campaign trail, which officially begins in August.

We dont need to fight. Our weapon is our calmness, the love we have inside of us, our thirst of making peoples lives better, Lula said at the rally. We dont have to react to provocations. If anyone teases you, tell them to go bite themselves. Go home and take care of your families. Thats the lesson we need to teach.

Members of Lulas campaign and Bolsonaros presidency said they would not discuss security details with the media.

Bolsonaro, who was severely injured when he was stabbed in the abdomen at a campaign event in 2018, has presidential security at all times, including military personnel and local police.

Lula can count only on private security until his bid is validated by a party convention, which can take place until Aug. 5. After that, Brazil's federal police will protect him.

The federal police said in a statement that 300 officers would be among those protecting candidates.

The Workers Party has taken several measures to avoid conflicts between supporters and to ensure the former presidents security. Before the rally in Brasilia, the party leadership published guidelines asking supporters to move in groups, bring an extra shirt of neutral color and avoid conflict with adversaries.

Dont argue or attack any provocateur. Heroic actions might cause unnecessary risks to you and to your fellow supporters, the party said.

Two members of the Lula campaign, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to discuss the matter publicly, confirmed to the Associated Press that the leftist leader has been wearing bulletproof vests in public events since the beginning of July.

Lula supporters were thoroughly searched at the entrance of the pavilion where the Brasilia event took place. But the long lines were small concern for people like artisan Alessandra Melo, 50. She believes the former president's life is at risk, and that supporters like her could also be targeted.

I fear a lot for Lulas security. He likes to be close to the people. I worry for him, being out there amid all this violence," Melo said.

Smaller incidents against Lula supporters have been reported in recent weeks. On June 15, drones dropped liquid with a pungent smell on leftists attending an event in Uberlandia, in the state of Minas Gerais. Last week, a man threw a rudimentary explosive made with small-scale fireworks at a Lula rally in Rio de Janeiro.

No injuries resulted from either incident, and police have made arrests in both cases.

Lula was arrested in the wide-ranging "Car Wash" corruption probe as he led polls to win the 2018 presidential elections. His conviction also barred him from running. But the cases against him were quashed after the countrys Supreme Court ruled that Judge Sergio Moro was biased against the leftist, and he was freed from jail.

Brazilian politics is no stranger to violence. In 2018, Rio Councilwoman Marielle Franco and her driver were shot to death in their car while driving downtown.

Bolsonaro, under pressure to condemn Arruda's killing last weekend and any political violence, said Tuesday that there was no justification for the slaying. He has also called members of Arruda's family. In his recorded phone call, he suggested that they tell the media he shouldn't be blamed for the murder.

Since almost all of the press is on the left, they are basically putting this guy's actions on my back," the president told two of Arruda's brothers. The left has made this a political issue.

Arruda's killing occurred in the southern state of Parana, a Bolsonaro stronghold. Since then, many authorities have expressed worries about the risks of violence involving supporters of both candidates.

Melina Risso, a program director at the Rio-based security think tank Igarape Institute, said candidates will stop worrying about their safety only if Bolsonaro openly condemns those committing violent actions.

Bolsonaro sometimes takes some steps back when these incidents appear, but that is only until the news cycle is over, Risso said. The risks are very real, and there is no sign that will change until the election is over."

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
FILE - A person pays his respects outside the scene of a shooting at a supermarket, in Buffalo, N.Y., Sunday, May 15, 2022. The Tops Friendly Markets where 13 people were gunned down by a white gunman is set to reopen its doors Thursday, July 14 two months after the racist attack. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP)  The Buffalo supermarket where 10 Black people were killed by a white gunman is set to reopen its doors to the public Friday, two months after the racist attack.

A moment of silence and prayer will be held Thursday at Tops Friendly Market to honor the victims, employees and community impacted by the May 14 mass shooting, with a ceremonial reopening of the overhauled store before customers return Friday, the company said.

Ten Black people were killed when a then-18-year-old gunman wearing body armor and carrying a semi-automatic rifle opened fire on weekend shoppers and employees. Three people were wounded in the massacre.

Investigators say the shooter was motivated by white supremacist beliefs and researched the demographics of the predominantly Black neighborhood where the market is located with the intent of killing as many Black people as possible. He drove for more than three hours from his home in Conklin, New York, to carry out the attack, authorities said.

The decision to reopen, rather than relocate, the store has been met with mixed emotions in the East Buffalo neighborhood that, beset by high poverty, fought for years to get a grocery store. Since opening in 2003, the Tops location remains the only supermarket in the immediate area. Its closure in the wake of the shooting forced many residents to take buses to other locations or rely on stopgap measures like neighborhood giveaways to access fresh food.

We must go on, said Tops employee Rosalie Bishop, who has worked at the store for 12 years. She wants the store open again  and never for a moment considered not returning to work with colleagues who she considers family.

The store is there for a reason. The store is still there for a reason," said Bishop, 58, who was on her way to work when the shooting happened and said she's still processing her near miss. "The people will come back. They might not come today or tomorrow, but they will come back.

Other neighbors say reopening isn't the best path forward.

Suggestions to local media and on social networks include turning the site into a park or recreational center that would bring the community together, or having several supermarkets that are more dispersed throughout Buffalo's East Side.

Some simply cant imagine entering a store where such terrible events took place.

The shooter, Payton Gendron, was arrested just outside the stores front entrance. He is charged with numerous counts, including federal hate crime charges punishable by the death penalty, and has pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges.

Authorities say the gunman was motivated by white supremacist beliefs, including a baseless conspiracy theory about a plot to diminish the influence of white people. He chronicled his plans for months in an online diary, authorities said, and livestreamed the attack via a helmet camera.

Mayor Byron Brown said he was apprehensive while first touring the remodeled store but believes the overhaul will be helpful to customers.

I realize that not everyone will feel comfortable returning to the store, he said in a statement, adding that he is encouraging other retailers to serve the area.

None of us will ever forget the cruel, racist attack, Brown said. The reopening is a step toward healing, he said.

Bishop already has returned to the store to help prepare. Her first day went smoothly, but a security drill with flashing lights on the second day sent her home, shaken, mid-shift. Still, she said she is not afraid for her safety.

I just want peace. I just want peace, Bishop said. Itll never go back to the way it was. Were not looking for the way it was. But peace."
SINGAPORE, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa flew into Singapore from the Maldives on Thursday evening, the Straits Times reported.

The Singaporean newspaper said Rajapaksa arrived on board a Saudi flight, which landed at Singapore's Changi airport at 7:17 pm local time (1117 GMT).

It is not clear how long he will stay in Singapore or if he has another destination in mind, the newspaper added.

Rajapaksa left Sri Lanka for the Maldives on Wednesday, just hours before his resignation was expected to be announced, amid a severe economic crisis that has sparked protests in the country.

Sri Lankan Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena confirmed on Wednesday that a new president will be elected on July 20 through a vote in parliament. 
The large homeless population that is in Myrtle Beach has been able to get on the bus for free and ride up to North Myrtle Beach, said North Myrtle Beach City Manager Mike Mahaney at a July 6 council meeting.

Mayor Marilyn Hatley and city spokesman Donald Graham said Mahaney was referring to a fare-free policy by Coast RTA in place the last two years thats led to a four-fold uptick in the citys counted homeless population.

Mr. Mahaney did mention the fact that since last year, there was no fee for the homeless to ride Coast RTA, and we have seen an influx of homeless since that program was put in place, Hatley said.

In 2020, Horry County had the highest counted population of homeless in South Carolina with 807 sheltered and unsheltered people, according to a state report.

New Directions CEO Kathy Jenkins said only clients are given bus tickets through her organization so case workers can verify their whereabouts.

Im not really sure why somebody whos homeless would go from Myrtle Beach to North Myrtle Beach when the services arent available, she said.

The remarks came near the end of a closely watched City Council meeting that included Mahaney showing police body camera footage of an encounter with the owner of a local business being fined for setting up rented beach equipment without a franchise.

During deliberations, a resident asked if North Myrtle Beach had regulations about people staying overnight on public beaches, prompting Mahaney to explain current laws and then mentioning an increased homeless population.

Its illegal for anyone to sleep on the sand in Horry County or Myrtle Beach from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. North Myrtle Beach prohibits it from 9 p.m. to sunrise.

Graham told The Sun News city officials counted a reported 20 homeless people in the city in 2019, compared to 73 this year.

The increase in the homeless population in the city of North Myrtle Beach can be directly attributed to the Coast RTA bus transportation system, Graham said. The Coast RTA bus transit system provided free transportation which allowed transient people to travel to areas not previously available.

Coast RTA currently runs 10 fixed routes through Georgetown and Horry counties, servicing more than 2,000 daily riders. The agencys finance committee meets July 14. Spokeswoman Lauren Morris said RTA will resume fares within a few weeks at pre-COVID rates of $1.50 for single rides and up to $40 for multi-use passes.

Its Route 17 runs through retail-heavy portions of North Myrtle Beach, with stops at Barefoot Landing and Coastal North Town Center.

Further details about the comment and the context are hard to come by for the public. North Myrtle Beach stopped broadcasting its meetings coming out of COVID protocols and minutes of the July 6 session had not been posted to the citys website as of July 13.

South Carolinas open meetings law doesnt require communities to broadcast any of their deliberations, but nearly all of North Myrtle Beachs neighbors do it anyway: Conway, Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, the Horry County Council and Horry County Schools among them.

But when it comes to sending people from Myrtle Beach elsewhere, city officials have no role in that but work through area nonprofit New Directions and the transit authority, spokesman Mark Kruea said.

New Directions does provide transportation out of the area for people who wish to reconnect with their family support groups. And I believe they use some city-provided funding for that purpose  specifically bus tickets  but its not a frequent thing, Kruea said. And we certainly arent sending people to any nearby communities via Coast RTA or any other means.

Editors note: This story has been updated
With only 24 days left in his term in office, President Ivan Duque of Colombia went over the achievements of his administration, saying he was able to successfully overcome some of the major challenges in his countrys recent history, including the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the inflow of more than 1.8 million Venezuelans seeking to escape the dictatorship next door.

Duque, who spoke at the Concordia Americas Summit being held Wednesday and Thursday at the University of Miami, said that these events had a large impact on Colombias economy, while critics warned that allowing hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans to stay would lead to massive unemployment and the collapse of social services.

But even so, his administration was able to reach its goals and promote employment and economic growth even while facing strong economic headwinds from the coronavirus pandemic, he said.

Gladly I can say that we have passed through many complicated things, but we feel proud that 90 percent of the plan that we presented before the Colombian electorate has been met and we feel proud that during our administration we were able to promote the private sector [and] a generous and sustainable social policy, Duque said.

Highlighting that Colombia saw the largest increase in the countrys minimum wage and the creation of the largest number of jobs during his administration, Duque admitted that these achievements at times came at the cost of policies that were unpopular.

These were later exploited by groups wanting to destabilize his government by organizing at times violent protests, but Duque said they were the right policies for the country and that leadership is not a popularity contest.

Even so, he said his government was successful in confronting the dangers that threatened the countrys democratic stability.

We have defended democracy in Colombia and we are not going to allow anyone to take away our democracy, he emphasized.

Duque is scheduled to hand over the reins of government on Aug. 7 to former Colombian guerrilla Gustavo Petro, who won the presidential election in July running on a platform that advocated a radical change for Colombia, a country governed for decades by conservative and moderate parties.

Duque faced massive protests that at times turned violent during his administration, and his presidency will come to an end next month with very low popularity levels.

Shortly before delivering his speech, Duque received the 2022 Leadership Award from the Concordia organization, among other things for allowing almost 2 million Venezuelans fleeing the Nicolas Maduro regime to remain in Colombia and for promoting environmental sustainability.

The event marked the sixth time that the organizers have held the summit to assess the progress, problems and threats facing democracies in the region.

Several of the participants pointed out that Latin America today is under threat from the growing power of organized crime and from the efforts of extreme-left organizations that promote discontent and disillusionment toward their democratic systems in order to promote socialist autocracies.

The secretary general of the Organization of American States, Luis Almagro, said the regions ruling class must do all it can to ensure that the population has a greater participation in their democratic systems, but also emphasized the need for democratic institutions to do better in addressing the problems and challenges inside their countries.

Our institutions have to face the challenges of the 21st century. We have never been able to make the great leap to development in Latin America. We have been stagnant for a long time. Sometimes right on the border, sometimes turning back, Almagro said. We often talk about lost decades, but we have had 200 years of lost decades in our hemisphere related to our development.

Almagro said that each country faces its own set of problems, but one common threat is the difficulty of democratic institutions in providing answers.

Former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, meanwhile, warned about the risks that illicit economies and organized crime are posing in the region, saying these present great risk to the rule of law.

Uribe also questioned the obstacles imposed by some countries to the development of the private sector and said this was a great mistake because it hinders prosperity and economic development.

Former Uruguayan President Luis Alberto Lacalle added that prosperity is one of the necessary elements that is almost never mentioned when talking about the sustainability of democracies in the region.

The emphasis is always placed on the strength of democratic institutions, on respect for human rights and freedom of the press, but where is trade? asked Lacalle, before saying it is essential to promote prosperity and the stability of democratic regimes.

Lacalle also insisted that Latin Americans must be aware that their democracies are under siege by extreme leftist groups that have been organizing rebellions and street protests against democratic governments throughout the region.

You have to pay attention to the fact that there are organized negative forces dedicated to the destruction of democracies, he said.

He added that these organizations only seek to erode the peoples faith in their democracies and then encourage the emergence of populist movements.
Family members of a suburban Kansas City woman who was among the three passengers killed in an Amtrak train crash last month near Mendon, Missouri, have filed a lawsuit seeking damages in connection with her death.

Rachelle Cook, 57, was riding the Amtrak toward Chicago on the afternoon of June 27 when the train collided with a dump truck at an unguarded rail crossing. She and three others, including the truck driver, were killed and roughly 150 were injured.

Named as defendants in the lawsuit are BNSF Railway, the company that owns and maintains the train tracks, a BNSF safety official and MS Contracting, which operated the truck involved in the crash.

Lawyers for the family wrote in a civil petition that the crossing where the crash occurred was unsafe, alleging officials responsible for railway traffic neglected to address a long history of concern.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in Chariton County Circuit Court. Two of the family members listed as plaintiffs, Pauline Magin and Tiffany Powers, were on the train with Cook and another relative, Kim Holsapple, 56, who also died in the crash, The Star previously reported. The four were planning to visit Chicago for a weekend girls trip, according to an online fundraiser.

In a statement Wednesday, Michael Kuckelman said the family did not wish to make public comments as they were grieving the loss of loved ones.

The lawsuit alleges the railroad crossing was inherently dangerous, saying the steepness of the road poses a safety hazard because the sight lines are obstructed for passing motorists. Other conditions along the track, including unkempt vegetation growing alongside, was poorly maintained and compounded that issue, the lawsuit says.

Several cars of an Amtrak train traveling from Los Angeles to Chicago derailed Monday afternoon after it struck a dump truck at a crossing in northern Missouri, Amtrak announced. More than 200 people were on board the train at the time of the crash, which was first reported about 12:43 p.m. near Mendon, Missouri, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Three people were killed in the crash, the patrol said, including two people on the train and one person in the dump truck. This picture is looking east from the intersection.

Based on the long history of complaints, and based on basic safety practices, BNSF knew or should have known that the subject crossing posed an unreasonable danger to the public, particularly since passenger trains, trains hauling hazardous materials, and slow-moving farm equipment and industrial vehicles frequently traversed the crossing, lawyers wrote in the complaint.

The lawsuit also seeks to hold MS Contracting, the Missouri-based contracting company that operated the dump truck involved in the collision, liable for damages.

The lawsuit is among the first wave of expected litigation targeting BNSF Railway and Amtrak by passengers injured in the crash. The wife of Billy Barton II, the truck driver who was killed, is also suing BNSF and MS Contracting, the Missouri-based company her husband worked for, over his death.

Meanwhile, Amtrak and BNSF have filed a lawsuit blaming the trucking company for causing the crash. In that case, lawyers for the companies said the driver passed the crossing in an unsafe manner, saying the company and driver are responsible.
The smell of death permeates the air while the remnants of burnt corpses and destroyed homes litter corridors and concrete walkways. Drinking water and food have become a rarity.

Its a massacre thats happening in here, Olwich Louis-Jeune, 39, a resident of the Brooklyn neighborhood inside Port-au-Princes Cite Soleil slum told the Miami Herald on Wednesday, as the sound of automatic gunfire rang through the phone line. We need the presence of the police. People are getting killed; children are getting shot, old people are being shot. No one has come to our rescue.

Those who could, he said, had fled their zinc-roof-covered homes inside the slum and were sheltering at area schools and churches. Others took to the sea.

You have people who cant swim and they are firing into their canoes, Louis-Jeune said about the armed gang members. He said he has been sleeping in a school after being forced from his home by the nonstop shooting. All the roads are blocked inside; there is nowhere to go and no one can get in.

As a deadly gang siege in Haitis volatile capital entered another day Wednesday, the violence between the newly created coalition of armed gangs known as G-pep-la, led by Gabriel Jean Pierre, from Cite Soleil, and the rival G-9 federation, led by Jimmy Cherizier, a former police officer known as Barbecue, threatened to spill over and upend life elsewhere in Port-au-Prince.

Automatic gunfire could be heard throughout the metropolitan area as residents reported rock throwing, blocked roads and burning barricades at major roadways. Police, who still had not received their salary for the past month and lack fuel for vehicles, were present at some capital intersections but absent at others.

Decrying what they view as an unprovoked attack on Cite Soleil in the gangs war for control of territory, moto-taxi drivers launched street demonstrations to protest the shortage of gas and diesel fuel.

Though lack of fuel is a chronic problem in Haiti, the current shortages are being blamed on the violent gang clashes. Because of the fighting, access to the nearby Varreux fuel terminal has been blocked and two boats carrying petroleum and a third carrying propane were unable to dock into the port.

The National Human Rights Defense Network said the fight was triggered by a 3 a.m. Thursday attack by the G-9 Family and Allies federation against the Brooklyn neighborhood. Brooklyn is the stronghold of the gang G-pep-la.

A motorcycle taxi driver carries clients past a burning barricade set by taxi drivers to protest the countrys fuel shortage in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, July 13, 2022.

In a report, the network said that as of Wednesday it had counted 89 deaths, including 21 people who were burned to death, and 16 people have been reported missing. Another 74 people were injured by gunfire or stabbing, the network said, and 127 homes were destroyed. The report accused the gang of using government-issued equipment to destroy the homes and dig trenches inside the slum, which has about 300,000 residents.

Read Next: They lack guns, bullets and body armor. How are Haitis cops confronting gangs?

The human rights group criticized the lack of police intervention to stop the terror as well as the lack of a response by the political coalition formed by interim Prime Minister Ariel Henry.

The main victims of these armed attacks and massacres, recorded in deprived neighborhoods since 2018, remain the civil population, the human rights group said. They include seniors, children, babies and people with reduced mobility or ... disabilities.

Haitian government officials, who have yet to publicly address the ongoing violence, did not respond to requests for comment about the gang warfare or accusations they are funding and arming gangs. The prime minister has previously said he and his government have no relations with armed groups.

In a video that circulated on social media, Cherizier, displaying three automatic rifles, said the war was on and described his ongoing attack as a battle to free the country from kidnapping.

Residents of the slum, who are already poor and living in what amounts to concrete shacks with rusty zinc roofing, disagree.

I am not at all at ease, said a Brooklyn man who asked to be identified only as Henry because of fear of the gang, which forced him to go into hiding. The people in Brooklyn are not at ease.

Henry said armed groups affiliated with the G-9 gang had used tractors to destroy homes, including his, inside the community. Others fired shots into the office of the National Port Authority, as well as at residents seeking to flee by boat.

There is no hospital, there is nowhere to take people who have been shot, he said, adding that one of his neighbors died after she was hit by a bullet in her chest. We dont sleep.

The violence is taking place against a backdrop of increased hunger, higher food and fuel prices and a worsening political crisis. While the interim prime minister has managed to pull together a fragile coalition since coming into office after last years assassination of President Jovenel Moise, he has been unable to reach a political agreement with civil-society groups.

Attending a hemispheric summit in Miami on Wednesday, both the prime ministers of the Bahamas and St. Vincent and the Grenadines called the situation in Haiti troubling. Both countries are part of the 15-member Caribbean Community groupi known as CARICOM, which the U.S. hopes can help mediate Haitis political crisis.

The whole situation in Haiti has always been a troubling issue for all of us and its becoming ever [more] complicated, Bahamas Prime Minister Philip E. Davis told the Miami Herald after speaking at the Concordia Americas Summit at the University of Miami.

The incoming chairman of CARICOM, Davis said the challenges in Haiti are a security risk for the Bahamas, which along with the Dominican Republic and Turks and Caicos are among Haitis closest neighbors.

Until we secure the security elements and have those elements that protect citizens and its people and ensure that governance can come back in an orderly fashion, its all lost, he said.

With the mandate of the United Nations special political office in Port-au-Prince set to expire on Friday, the U.N. Security Council was supposed to vote on the future of its presence in the country on Wednesday. But the vote was postponed to Friday after the U.S. and the Peoples Republic of China failed to agree on a way forward.

Read Next: Luck and God: How Haitians survive gang violence, kidnappings in their nations capital

The U.S. is pushing for a renewal of the mandate of the U.N. Integrated Office in Haiti, which China does not support. Other countries like the Dominican Republic have called for the return of a foreign peacekeeping mission to address the deteriorating situation.

If we cant even renew what is there, can you imagine how much more difficult its going to be to put boots on the ground? St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said.

Gonsalves, also attending the UM summit, said without the renewal of the U.N.s mandate in Haiti there is no foundation for a political solution to the crisis. CARICOM, he said, has agreed to lead a mission to Haiti in the hopes of helping the various political factions find a Haitian-led solution.

Before we can have elections, we have to have proper security, he said.

But that is looking increasingly difficult. Video shared with the Herald by the mayors office in Cite Soleil showed burnt homes with only the walls standing. Others were flattened, their corroded zinc rooftops lying on concrete piles that once served as walls.
Tim Guill, a joint lecturer at Boise State, underwent his first vasectomy at age 33. He was a single father to a young son and said he was confident he did not want more children.

At 36, though, he had his vasectomy reversed.

Now, at 42, he is undergoing the procedure one more time.

Seeing the writing on the wall with things and potentially having contraception in danger in the future, I would rather I proactively take care of it on my end, Guill said. Its much less invasive for me than the counterpart for women.

Guill said he scheduled an appointment with his primary care physician to discuss getting a vasectomy as soon as the Supreme Court opinion leaked in May that Roe v. Wade would be overturned, canceling abortion rights for women across the country. Guill became part of a trend, as men across the country began seeking vasectomies in larger numbers than before.

In fact, following the official June Supreme Court abortion ruling in a Mississippi case, both men and women have sought contraception  from vasectomies and tubal ligations to birth control implants, pills and IUDs  in greater numbers around the U.S. And its no different in Idaho.

Protests of the Supreme Courts reversal of Roe v. Wade have been common since the ruling in late June. The decision has prompted an increase in inquiries about many forms of contraception.

Increase in vasectomies following Roe reversal

Most abortions will be illegal in Idaho when a trigger law passed by the Republican-dominated Legislature takes effect, although Planned Parenthood has sued in the Idaho Supreme Court to try to halt its implementation. The trigger law has led to more than just local protests  it has led many people to be proactive about reproductive health.

Theres been chatter nationally about the increased interest in vasectomies, Dr. John Greer, of the Idaho Urologic Institute, told the Idaho Statesman. Its an interesting effect, and were definitely seeing that here in Boise.

Greer, who will perform Guills vasectomy, is a physician who specializes in mens reproductive medicine at Idaho Urologic, and he said theres been a big spike in demand for vasectomy consultations in recent weeks.

Last year, in the first five days of July, Greer said the clinic received around 10 calls from men seeking consultations. This year, it received 67.

David Bishop, the CEO of IUI, said the clinic has opened more appointments for vasectomies and consultations to deal with the demand.

We dont know if this is kind of a blip early on with Roe v. Wade, or if were going to see it more long-term, Bishop said.

Women seek birth control options in wake of Dobbs decision

At Womens Health Associates in Boise, practice administrator Scott Tucker said there has been an increase in inquiries about all kinds of contraception, including sterilization.

Tucker said that the Monday after the Supreme Courts ruling, the clinic received an influx of calls from people inquiring about contraception or sterilization.

Womens Health Associates provides a wide range of birth control options, including IUDs, pills, implants, vaginal rings and birth control shots. The clinic also performs tubal ligations, or female sterilization procedures in which the fallopian tubes are tied off, preventing the travel of an egg from an ovary to the uterus.

Womens Health offers abortions only when medically necessary, such as in the case of fetal abnormalities or when the mothers life is at risk. But Tucker said the clinic supports any womans choice and will help individuals find an abortion provider.

Tucker said he is concerned about the scope of the Idaho abortion ban. He recalled one patient whose fetal anatomy scan showed a fetus with basically no face.

There was no way that fetus was going to survive outside the womb, and those types of situations arent excluded in the trigger law, Tucker said. That patient specifically, we wouldnt have been able to treat with the trigger law, and we would have to send them out of state.

The Idaho law provides exceptions if a mothers health is in peril, or in cases of rape or incest  provided the crime has been reported to authorities.

Male and female sterilization options carry risks, benefits

While vasectomies can be reversed in many cases, Greer  one of the few Idaho doctors who will perform them  cautioned that its not guaranteed. He said they are effective about 90% of the time.

We try to be sure to counsel patients appropriately that vasectomy reversal is possible, but success isnt 100%, Greer said. We dont want to mislead patients in any way.

Guills was successful, but he said he is happy to be getting a vasectomy again  for both him and his partner.

Im glad that Im doing something proactively for both of us, Guill said. We can keep what we want to do in life and our pathway forward safer, especially given the current circumstances.

The initial procedure, Guill said, was relatively painless. He said it took 15 to 20 minutes and required only local anesthesia. The reversal lasted a few hours and required general anesthesia.

Unlike a vasectomy, a tubal ligation is virtually irreversible, Tucker said.

Both procedures offer long-term or permanent contraceptive benefits. Greer said another benefit to sterilization for women is that it allows them to stop taking hormonal birth control.

Not all providers offer complete family planning services

For individuals seeking vasectomies, tubal ligations or other forms of birth control, using a Catholic health system can limit your options or simply lead to referrals.

Boises Saint Alphonsus refers patients seeking vasectomies to Idaho Urologic, its contracted partner for such procedures, according to Mark Snider, the communications director for Saint Alphonsus.

Catholic hospitals follow the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, which bars providers from administering many forms of contraception. They perform abortions only in the case of a severe threat to a womans life, even in states where abortion remains legal.

St. Lukes Health System has its roots in the Episcopal Diocese.

Considering the current uncertainty surrounding reproductive health, Tucker said the most important thing is for individuals to talk to their health care providers.

We really want to support any one of our patients in making whatever informed decision is best for them, he said.
A western Kentucky Man was killed Wednesday after his truck was hit by a train, according to Kentucky State Police.

State police responded to the incident just before 3 p.m. Wednesday. Police said Timothy Duvall, 33, entered a railroad crossing on State Quarry Road in the Cave City community and failed to see a CSX train that was heading through the railroad crossing. Duvall, of Leitchfield, was pronounced dead on the scene by the Barren County coroner.

Duvall was driving a 2014 Mack dump truck, according to state police.

Last month a train and vehicle collision in Floyd County sent one man to the hospital.
A mailbox exploded outside a North Carolina home, sparking a mystery in a mountain tourist destination, officials said.

Nancy McDaniel said she was in a pool when the blast left her mailbox in pieces at her West Asheville home on Tuesday, July 12, according to WLOS.

Now, the Asheville Police Department is investigating the explosion.

So far, officers think they might have found a cause.

It appears someone placed a commercially-available firework into the metal mailbox, causing the fireworks explosion, the department told McClatchy News in an email. The mailbox was completely damaged, but fortunately, no one was hurt.

Still, police arent sure why the firework might have been put in the mailbox. A day after the incident, officials said they had no suspects and were investigating whether the detonation was a prank or something more sinister.

Officers and the police departments hazardous device team reported the incident at about 6:30 p.m. In all, the explosion caused about $100 in damage outside the home on Pearson Bridge Road, northwest of downtown Asheville.

Im just glad nobody driving by was hurt, Jean Boyer, who heard the blast, told WLOS.

A Facebook user believed to be McDaniel didnt immediately respond to McClatchy News request for comment on July 13.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 828-252-1110 or send the message TIP2APD to 847411.

Historic, controversial Americas Stonehenge damaged in explosion, GA officials say

Man dies after illegal fireworks mortar explodes in his hands, California city says
An Oklahoma fisherman allegedly told investigators he was forced to kill his fishing buddy after that man summoned Bigfoot.

Police believe Larry Doil Sanders was under the influence of something after he admitted to a family member that he killed Jimmy Knighten along the South Canadian River Saturday, NBC News reports.

The pair was catching catfish by hand over the weekend when Knighten summoned Bigfoot to come and kill Sanders after an argument, the suspect claimed. Sanders allegedly struck and strangled the victim, apparently believing he was in danger.

Bigfoot



Bigfoot

Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch, is described by Encyclopedia Britannica as a large, hairy, humanlike creature believed by some people to exist in the northwestern United States and western Canada.

Though sightings have been alleged, no such animal is known to have been captured or recovered. Knightens body was found Sunday afternoon, but the case is still being investigated.

You still have to prove all the elements of the crime, and that what the suspect is telling you is actually what happened, Pontotoc County Sheriff John Christian told NBC News.

Fox News celebrates a quarter-century of ... whatever it is theyre doing over there

Sanders is accused of murder in the first degree.

Oklahoma lawmaker Justin Humphrey proposed a bill in 2021 that would pay $2.1 million for any tracker who could bag a bigfoot. He confessed the idea was in good fun. The legislation was not passed.

In 2013, a Rogers County, Okla., man was reportedly shot in the back while he and a friend were hunting the seemingly mythical creature. The victim was expected to survive. The county sheriff said that to his knowledge, there had been no Bigfoot sightings in the area.
Since the Lofts on the Square opened in a 91-year-old building in downtown Belleville last year, managers of the senior apartment complex have been able to lease every unit.

Its been so popular, there is even a waiting list to get a spot in the historic, six-story brick structure that towers above the Public Square.

Its developers held a grand opening ceremony Wednesday  months after the first residents moved in  because two previous attempts scheduled for last September and then January were canceled because of high COVID-19 rates in the community.

The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018 and is noteworthy for its Art Deco architectural style. It opened in the Great Depression as the Hotel Belleville in 1931 and then was the Meredith Memorial Home for retirees for about 40 years before it closed in 2010.

Lofts on the Square was developed by the Southwestern Illinois Development Authority, or SWIDA, in Collinsville and St. Louis-based Bywater Development Group. They pulled together $14.2 million for the project, thanks in large part to affordable housing tax credits, historic tax credits and loans they received from governmental agencies.

During the multi-year process of planning, financing and renovating the building, the developers have said the project would not been possible without the tax credits, which are sold to investors who use them to reduce their tax liability.

Mike Lundy, the former treasurer for the city of Belleville and now executive director of the Southwestern Illinois Development Authority, welcomed community leaders to the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the successful completion of this landmark project.

Lofts on the Square is fully leased and there is a waiting list, he said.

The unparalleled location provides residents with convenient access to local businesses and exciting leisure activities in the area surrounding the Public Square.

The 47 apartments are on the second through sixth-floors of the building and give residents great views of the Veterans Memorial Fountain in the middle of the Public Square. They can walk to places like the Lincoln Theatre and numerous restaurants. Events like Art on the Square and Bellevilles annual Chilli Cook-off are right outside the door.

Parking complaints from residents

Lofts on the Square residents who spoke to the News-Democrat acknowledged the charm of the prime location of the building at 16 S. Illinois St. but they said the downtown site presents a challenge when it comes to finding a place to park.

The building has about 14 parking spots on site but residents said those are often filled.

Parking is terrible, said resident Robert Butcher. I knew that when I moved in but I didnt think it was this bad. People go to the courthouse, they see an opening over here in this parking lot, theyll park. Thats happened several times.

Another resident, Barbara Norton, agreed with Butcher about the limited parking options.

Parking is very iffy, Norton said. Its first come, first serve.

Butcher and Norton also said they heard on Tuesday from the building manager that the city will be requiring people to pay for parking meters, which the residents had not been doing.

Police Chief Matt Eiskant said the police department seeks to find a common ground between downtown businesses and law offices who have customers and clients who need to park on city streets and residents who park on city streets.

Eiskant said the officers never want to be heavy-handed and will issue warnings before parking tickets are issued.

He also noted there are two lots where the Lofts on the Square residents can park for free.

To help residents with parking, Lundy said SWIDA has purchased a parking lot at the corner of South Jackson and East Lincoln streets. This lot was just repaved, but it is about a 3  minute walk from the Lofts on the Square.

Residents also have access to 22 spaces in the city of Belleville employees parking lot at the corner of South First and West Harrison streets.

It would be nice to have that lot across the street, Norton said.

She was referring to a vacant parking lot across the street from the Lofts on the Squares parking lot at the corner of Washington and Illinois streets.

Lundy said he has been unable to reach representatives of the corporation that bought that parking lot at 120 S. Illinois St. from the previous owner, the Belleville News-Democrat.

The corporation that owns the lot is called 120 S. Illinois St. LLC and is registered with the state of Missouri. The registered agent is Benjamin Evans in St. Louis. He could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.

Building renovation

The city bought the building from the Catholic Diocese of Belleville in 2010 for $487,500 but didnt immediately get a deal with developers for the site. City leaders later had to spend more than $120,000 to fix the roof.

There was a possibility that the building would be torn down to make way for a park but those plans were scuttled in the wake of complaints.

Then in 2016, SWIDA and Bywater proposed to renovate the former Meredith Home. It took about five years before residents could move into the building. The developers paid $600,000 to buy the building from the city.

The building was full of walls with mold, peeling paint and other signs of deterioration when the renovation began in 2020.

Swansea-based Holland Construction Services was selected as the general contractor for the project that included restoration of many of the buildings unique architectural characteristics, according to a news release from the developers.

Lofts on the Square, located at 16 S. Illinois St., held their delayed ribbon cutting inside the lobby of the former Hotel Belleville and Meredith Memorial Home. The building has undergone a $14.2 million renovation by Southwestern Illinois Development Authority and St. Louis-based Bywater Development Group. Currently at capacity, tenants must be 55 or older with incomes at or below 60 percent of the regions median.

Norton, who moved into the building in September, said she was particularly impressed with the level of detail the construction crews followed in the restoration.

The developers are still seeking a tenant for over 3,000 square feet of commercial space available on the first floor for retail or a restaurant.

Jim Nations, who was chairman of the SWIDA board at the time the project was proposed, was praised by Lundy for his support of the plan. Nations died in 2020 and in his honor, Lundy presented Nations family a framed photo and a plaque commemorating his service.

For more information

To find about future availability in the Lofts on the Square, call Beacon Property Management at 618-825-9011. This firm began handling rental services on July 1.

Monthly rent for an efficiency is $550 while a one-bedroom unit is $615 and a two-bedroom is $750.

The apartments are for people who earn less than 60 percent of the areas median income and are 55 and older.
HANOI, July 14 (Xinhua) -- A total of 201,840 units of automobiles were sold in the Vietnamese market in the first half of this year, up 34 percent year-on-year, the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers' Association said Thursday.

The sales of domestically assembled automobiles surged 37 percent to 116,066 units, while those of imported ones rose 30 percent year-on-year to 85,774, according to the association's monthly sales report.

However, in June alone, only 25,159 vehicles were sold, down 42 percent from the previous month.

Businesses blamed the decrease on the global semiconductor crisis and the lack of chips, as well as the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the geopolitical situation in some regions, Vietnam News Agency reported.

Thanh Cong Group, a local motor vehicle manufacturer, said the shortage of components has affected the production of all Hyundai products in Vietnam. Therefore, in terms of many models, they can only meet a small part of the actual needs of customers, the news agency reported.

In 2021, 304,149 units of automobiles were sold in Vietnam, up 3 percent from 2020, said the association.

The country spent nearly 8.7 billion U.S. dollars importing completely-built automobiles and components for assembly last year, posting a year-on-year surge of 36.2 percent, according to Vietnam's General Statistics Office. 
Planned Parenthood affiliates in Illinois and Wisconsin said Thursday they have formed a partnership to expand services at an abortion clinic in Waukegan to help serve residents of Wisconsin, where abortion services are now banned.

That announcement came three weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion nationwide. Once the court rendered that decision, a Wisconsin law dating back to 1849 that criminalizes abortion automatically went back into effect.

We opened the Waukegan Health Center in 2020 in anticipation of this moment, Jennifer Welch, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, said during a virtual news conference. We expected that Wisconsin would cease access to abortion care as soon as Roe fell, so we were prepared to give Wisconsin patients the care they needed.

Under the arrangement, patients can still go to one of four clinics in Wisconsin to receive care before and after the procedure. But several Wisconsin clinicians, nurses and other staff travel to the Waukegan clinic to expand capacity at that health center and other clinics in Illinois through telehealth.

Tanya Atkinson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, said her organization had anticipated the overturning of Roe v. Wade for years and had been working for the past several months to build partnerships with providers in other states.

Despite the devastating impact of this criminal abortion ban, we are grateful to have health care options for our patients right next door in Illinois, she said. Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin is working on many fronts to provide patients with information, support, financial resources and access to abortion services and to follow-up care.

Atkinson noted that even before Roe v. Wade was overturned, Wisconsin imposed strict regulations on abortion.

Restrictions imposed by Wisconsin

According to the Guttmacher Institute, an organization that supports abortion rights, even after the original Roe v. Wade decision, Wisconsin imposed a number of restrictions on the procedure.

Those included a 24-hour waiting period and state-directed counseling that included information designed to discourage a patient from having an abortion, a prohibition against the use of telemedicine to administer abortion medications; and a requirement for parental consent to perform an abortion on a minor, among others.

Illinois, by contrast, imposes virtually no legal restrictions on access to abortion services. A 2019 law known as the Reproductive Health Act declares access to abortion services a fundamental right under Illinois law. And last year, lawmakers repealed what was known as the Parental Notice of Abortion Act, requiring parents of minors seeking abortions to be notified before the procedure could be performed.

We are not just an oasis of reproductive care

Because of that, many Wisconsin residents seeking abortions went to out-of-state providers, including those in Illinois. But Kristen Schultz, chief strategy and operations officer at the Illinois affiliate, said that since Roe v. Wade was overturned on June 24, there has been a 10-fold increase in the number of Wisconsin residents coming to Illinois for abortion services.

Earlier in the week, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee about the increased demand for abortion services that Illinois is seeing from residents of other states where the procedure is now either banned or heavily restricted.

We are not just an oasis of reproductive care, but an island, she said, according to her prepared remarks. Heres what that looks like: It looks like disenfranchised yet determined patients coming from every surrounding state, but also from as far away as Tennessee, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida.

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government and distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
A protester stands outside the official residence of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Thursday. (Rafiq Maqbool / Associated Press)

Sri Lankan protesters began to retreat from government buildings they seized and military troops reinforced security at the Parliament on Thursday, establishing a tenuous calm in a country in both economic meltdown and political limbo.

Embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled a day earlier under pressure from demonstrators furious over the island nations economic collapse. He finally emailed his resignation Thursday, a day later than promised, according to an official  but the crisis was far from over since he has further angered the crowds by making his prime minister acting leader.

Protesters want both men out and a unity government in to address an economic calamity that has triggered widespread shortages of food, fuel and other necessities. But with a fractured opposition and confusion over who was in charge, a solution seemed no closer following Rajapaksas departure. Adding to the turmoil, the president left the Maldives for Singapore on Thursday.

The slow and haphazard way Rajapaksa's departure and reported resignation unfolded underlined the confusion gripping the country. On Thursday, Indunil Yapa, an aide to Sri Lankas Parliament speaker, said Rajapaksa had emailed his resignation  but that it needed to be checked and an official announcement wouldn't come until Friday.

The protesters accuse Rajapaksa and his powerful political family of siphoning money from government coffers for years and his administration of hastening the countrys collapse by mismanaging the economy. The family has denied the corruption allegations, but Rajapaksa acknowledged that some of his policies contributed to the meltdown.

Months of protests reached a frenzied peak over the weekend when demonstrators stormed the presidents home and office and the official residence of the prime minister. On Wednesday, they seized the office of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

They initially vowed to continue occupying these places until a new government was in place, but the movement appeared to shift tactics Thursday, apparently concerned that any escalation in violence could undermine their message following clashes the previous night outside the Parliament that left dozens injured.

The fear was that there could be a crack in the trust they held for the struggle, said Nuzly, a protest leader who goes by only one name. Weve shown what power of the people can do, but it doesnt mean we have to occupy these places.

Another protest leader, Devinda Kodagode, told the Associated Press that the demonstrators planned to vacate official buildings after the Parliament speaker said he was exploring legal options for the country in the wake of Rajapaksa's departure.

Protesters withdrew from the presidential residence, with some moving a red carpet they had rolled up back into place as they left. Others held a news conference to announce that they were pulling out of the prime minister's office.

Visaka Jayaweer, a performing artist, described the bittersweet moment of closing the gate to the presidential palace after the crowds cleared out.

Taking over his residence was a great moment  it showed just how much we wanted him to step down. But it is also a great relief" to leave, she said. "We were worried if people would act out. Many were angry to see the luxury he had been living in when they were outside, struggling to buy milk for their children.

The country remains a powder keg, and the military warned that it had powers to respond in case of chaos  a message some found concerning.

Troops in green military uniforms and camouflage vests arrived in armored personnel carriers Thursday to reinforce barricades around the Parliament, while protesters vowed they would continue to rally outside the presidents office until a new government was in place.

The government announced another curfew in the capital, Colombo, and its suburbs in the afternoon until 5 a.m. Friday. It's unclear what effect a curfew would have: Some ignored a previous one, but many others rarely leave their homes anyway because of fuel shortages.

Rajapaksa and his wife fled Sri Lanka early Wednesday for the Maldives, slipping away in the night aboard an air force plane. On Thursday, he went to Singapore, according to the city-states Foreign Ministry. It said he had not requested asylum.

Since Sri Lankan presidents are protected from arrest while in power, its likely Rajapaksa planned his departure while he still had constitutional immunity and access to a military plane.

The political impasse threatens to worsen the bankrupt nations economic collapse since the absence of an alternative government could delay a hoped-for bailout from the International Monetary Fund. In the meantime, the country is relying on aid from India and China.

The shortages of basic necessities have sown despair among Sri Lankas 22 million people. The countrys rapid decline was all the more shocking because, before the recent crisis, the economy had been expanding, with a growing, comfortable middle class.

It was not immediately clear if Singapore would be Rajapaksa's final destination, but he has previously sought medical care there, including undergoing heart surgery.

Assuming that Rajapaksa resigns as promised, Sri Lankan lawmakers have agreed to elect a new president Wednesday who will serve the remainder of Rajapaksas term, which ends in 2024. That person could potentially appoint a new prime minister, who would then have to be approved by Parliament.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
State-sponsored hackers from China, North Korea, Iran and Turkey have been regularly spying on and impersonating journalists from various media outlets in an effort to infiltrate their networks and gain access to sensitive information, according to a report released on Thursday by cybersecurity firm Proofpoint.

The report reveals that government-backed hackers used various tools to target journalists, including sending phishing emails to gain access to reporters work emails, social media accounts and networks.

The report also suggested that state-sponsored hackers routinely pose as members of the media because of the unique access and information they can provide, to those countries governments.

The hackers could potentially use information they obtained from compromised accounts to spread pro-state propaganda and influence a politically charged atmosphere.

A well-timed, successful attack on a journalists email account could provide insights into sensitive, budding stories and source identification, the report said.

In one of the operations, the report found that since early 2021, Chinese-backed hackers engaged in numerous phishing attacks mainly targeting U.S.-based journalists covering U.S. politics and national security.

Some of the malicious emails would have subject lines pulled from recent U.S. headlines, including Trump call to Georgia official might violate state and federal law, US issues Russia threat to China, and Jobless benefits run out as Trump resists signing relief bill.

The attacks also appeared to surge during moments that garnered international attention. For instance, the researchers found an increase in phishing attacks against journalists in the days leading up to the Jan. 6 insurrection.

The report also found similar cyber operations from state-sponsored hackers in Turkey, Iran and North Korea.

In Turkey, for instance, the researchers found that since early 2022, hackers have targeted social media accounts of mostly U.S.-based journalists and media organizations. Specifically, the hackers would attempt to gain access to Twitter credentials of any individual that writes for a media outlet or for an academic institution.

The researchers also speculated that Turkish-backed hackers may use compromised social media accounts to spread propaganda that favors Turkish President Recep Erdogan.

It is possible these attacks will ramp up as Turkeys 2023 parliamentary and presidential elections draw near, the report said.

In Iran, the researchers uncovered that hackers would impersonate journalists to gain access to their networks and directly reach out to sources that have expertise in Middle Eastern foreign policy.

The threat actor uses these personas to engage in benign conversations with targets, which consist mostly of academics and policy experts working on Middle Eastern foreign affairs, the report said.

The researchers concluded their report with a warning to journalists to protect themselves and their sources because these types of attacks are likely to persist as state-sponsored hackers attempt to gather more sensitive information and manipulate public perception.

In an era of digital dependency, the media, like the rest of us, is vulnerable to a variety of cyber threats [and] some of the most potentially impactful are those stemming from [state-sponsored] actors, said Sherrod DeGrippo, vice president of threat research and detection at Proofpoint.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Police have opened an investigation into Sir Mo Farahs revelation that he was trafficked to the UK illegally under the name of another child, it has been reported.

The four-time Olympic champion, 39, revealed in the BBC documentary The Real Mo Farah how he was brought to Britain from Somalia illegally having assumed the name of another child, after his father was killed in the civil war.

In a statement carried by the BBC, the Metropolitan Police said: We are aware of reports in the media concerning Sir Mo Farah. No reports have been made to the MPS (Metropolitan Police Service) at this time.

Specialist officers have opened an investigation and are currently assessing the available information.

In the documentary, broadcast on Wednesday night, Sir Mo said he was helped to obtain UK citizenship by his school PE teacher Alan Watkinson, while still using the name Mohamed Farah.

Ahead of the broadcast, Sir Mo said he created the documentary for his family.

He wrote on Instagram: Im so proud have represented Great Britain and to achieved what I have as a GB athlete.

But, my proudest achievement will always be being a husband and father to my amazing family.

I did this documentary for them, so they could understand more about the experiences that led us to becoming the family we are today.

Not every child will have the easiest start in life, but that doesnt mean they cant go on to achieve their dreams.

I hope youll all watch later and I cant wait to hear what you think.

The Home Office earlier confirmed it would not take action against Sir Mo after he revealed the information.
A man claiming mistaken identity who is fighting extradition to the United States on a rape charge is to have his fingerprints taken in a bid to prove who he is.

US prosecutors have said that the 35-year-old, who claims to be called Arthur Knight, is actually called Nicholas Rossi and is wanted in Utah.

The man appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday via video link, where Sheriff Norman McFadyen said his prints would be taken by Police Scotland in the interests of justice and as a belt and braces measure.

The suspect, who is said to have faked his own death and fled to Scotland, has been linked to a number of attacks on other women across the United States.

The man, who US prosecutors believe is Nicholas Rossi, outside court at a previous appearance (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Throughout the 74-minute hearing, the suspect, who denied that he was Nicholas Rossi when asked at the start of proceedings, repeatedly asked for oxygen.

Representing himself, the man said: I cant think properly or address my argument because I dont have any oxygen and I have not for nearly 36 hours and Im hypoxic.

But Sheriff McFadyen said: I have been told your saturation levels have been tested and they are normal.

The suspect then told the court that they were using a Poundland oximeter, a medical device which measures the amount of oxygen in blood.

Miranda Knight, the wife of the defendant, arriving at court on Thursday (Andrew Milligan/PA)

The suspect, who was in a wheelchair, was last week charged with threatening two hospital medics at Glasgows Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

Procurator Fiscal Julie Clark told the court that he has had his fingerprints taken in relation to that case, but it was the opinion of the Lord Advocate that they should not be used for the extradition matter, so another sample must be provided.

The man said he would agree to providing his prints, but said he did not want Police Scotland to be the ones doing so.

Sheriff McFadyen said the warrant was granted for fingerprints to be taken by officers from Police Scotland at Her Majestys Prison Edinburgh. I will make arrangements for officers to attend for that purpose.

He also said the next hearing of the extradition case would be adjourned until August 11, after the hearing at Glasgow Sheriff Court into the allegations he threatened two medics.

The man was remanded in custody.

Separately, US authorities charged fugitive Rossi with another count of rape.

The Salt Lake County district attorneys office said a no-bail warrant had been issued for the arrest of Rossi, and gave several aliases including Arthur Knight.

District attorney Sim Gill said: We are working with the Utah County attorneys office and the US attorney on the extradition of Nicholas Rossi from Scotland.

The presumption of innocence applies, Nicholas Rossi remains innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has met with German politicians and businessmen on the first day of a two-day trip to Berlin.

Sir Keir was joined by shadow foreign secretary David Lammy in a meeting with senior members of the newly formed Social Democratic Party (SPD) government on Thursday.

The pair arrived at the German Chancellery at around noon to meet Wolfgang Schmidt, Germanys federal minister for special affairs, head of the chancellery and commissioner for the Federal Intelligence Service.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer met Wolfgang Schmidt, federal minister for special affairs, at the Chancellery in Berlin (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

The Labour Party officials were photographed outside The Reichstag, the German equivalent of the Houses of Parliament.

During the private meeting, the three discussed the SPDs win in 2021 after Olaf Scholz was elected Chancellor, according to Labour.

Sir Keir and Mr Lammy later visited a business start-up hub, meeting with entrepreneurs and the CEOs of leading business support groups.

The pair are set to attend meetings with Mr Scholz and former German minister of foreign affairs Sigmar Gabriel on Friday.

Sir Keir is expected to tell Mr Scholz that Labour is ready to form a government and has a plan to ensure Britain and Germany can work closely together to help boost economic growth, harness the opportunities of a transition to greater environmental sustainability, and continue to stand united against Russian aggression, the Labour Party said.

During their visit, they are also aiming to find out what Britain can learn from the best economic models around the world, and how a possible future Labour government could work with other European nations to navigate a post-Brexit world.

Thursday also saw them visit the Memorial To The Murdered Jews Of Europe to reflect and remember the millions killed in the Holocaust.

Sir Keir took a guided tour of the memorial and signed a guest book before posing for photos with three students from Loughborough in front of the Brandenburg Gate.

The Labour leader lambasted the Tories as being in complete disarray and totally dysfunctional amid the partys ongoing leadership contest, as he spoke to reporters in Berlin.

He also said he wants a general election and a fresh start for Britain as Boris Johnson steps down.

Sir Keir said: I dont think the answer to the stagnation of the last 12 years is to change the candidate or the leader of the Tory Party.

We need much more fundamental change that, therefore, whoever emerges as the new leader of the Conservative Party is not going to be able to address the fundamental failure of the last 12 years.

This is like a club thats sinking into relegation, desperately changing the manager. That is not the change that we need. We need to change the Government, a fresh start for Britain, and that is what my Labour Party is able to offer.

Sir Keir and Mr Lammy touched down in Berlin on Thursday morning after their British Airways flight from Heathrow Airport was delayed by around 45 minutes.
Not at all. It just seems like a lot of back-and-forth talk.

Yes. I'm growing very worried over what might happen.

If it keeps up, I might be a little more concerned.

I think there are much larger things to concern us as a country.

It's hard to tell; I can't take the leader of either country seriously.

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CANBERRA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Australia's Health Minister Mark Butler has warned that "millions" of people could get infected with coronavirus in the coming weeks amid a winter surge.

Butler recently asked the Australians to wear masks and work from home when needed to mitigate the impact of a wave of BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariant infections.

There were 316,574 active COVID-19 cases in Australia by Wednesday -- a figure Butler said could increase within weeks.

"I think this is a very concerning wave. This is the third wave just this year that Omicron has thrown at Australia," he said on the TV program Sunrise on Wednesday.

"It's likely over coming weeks that some millions of Australians will catch COVID-19, some of them catching it again after perhaps having caught it earlier this year."

Butler said employers had been asked by chief health officers to think about whether their business can deal with a short period of working from home arrangements.

"People are strongly encouraged in indoor crowded spaces to wear a mask because we know it will cut transmission and cut the number of cases," he said.

On Thursday, Australia reported more than 35,000 new COVID-19 infections and more than 70 deaths.

According to government data published by the Guardian Australia on Thursday, 91 deaths were reported by aged care providers in the week ending July 8, up from 58 the week prior, and well above the weekly average of 69 since the beginning of March, when the last Omicron wave ended.

More than 2,000 aged care residents have died with COVID-19 in 2022 -- more than twice as many as the 917 in 2020 and 2021 combined.

As of Wednesday afternoon, a total of 8,596,145 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Australia, including 10,437 deaths, according to the latest figures from the Department of Health.

There were 4,477 coronavirus patients being treated in Australian hospitals on Wednesday, up from 3,781 a week earlier. 
YEREVAN, JULY 14, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Prime Minister Hambardzum Matevosyan received on July 13 Asian Development Banks Country Director for Armenia Paolo Spantigati, the governments press service said.

The meeting was also attended by Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Kristine Ghalechyan.

During the meeting deputy PM Matevosyan highlighted the constant support provided by the Asian Development Bank to Armenia, especially in the context of the agenda of ongoing reforms in Armenia.

He also highly appreciated ADBs engagement to funding infrastructure projects in Armenia, particularly road construction projects, as well as the North-South Road Corridor and Sustainable Urban Development investment programs.

In his turn Paolo Spantigati thanked the deputy PM for the meeting and called the cooperation with the government of Armenia effective.

Perspectives for new cooperation were also discussed during the talk.
YEREVAN, JULY 14, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Parliament convened an emergency session today at the initiative of lawmakers.

5 legislative initiatives are on agenda. Particularly, the MPs will debate the bills on making changes and amendments to the Electoral Code, the Judicial Code, the Law on Diplomatic Service, the Labor Code, etc.
YEREVAN, JULY 14, ARMENPRESS. During the Cabinet meeting today Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan touched upon the quality of ongoing road construction works in the Republic.

The PM stated that in fact, the problems connected with the work quality have not been solved.

Problems connected with quality emerge from time to time. In some cases, of course, there are additional factors that contribute to it, but in any case we should keep our focus on the qualitative part of the work. Moreover, in addition to the problem of quality of roads, we also have a problem of traffic of cars exceeding the specified weight. Our political decision is that we should have a road scale system, he said, adding that works are underway on this direction and some equipment has already been purchased.
YEREVAN, 14 JULY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 14 July, USD exchange rate up by 0.79 drams to 412.63 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 1.06 drams to 413.17 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.01 drams to 7.07 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 2.56 drams to 487.98 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 36.96 drams to 22879.17 drams. Silver price up by 1.67 drams to 251.46 drams. Platinum price stood at 16414.1 drams.
PHNOM PENH, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia is expected to attract one million international tourists in 2022, much higher than 200,000 in 2021, Tourism Minister Thong Khon said here on Thursday.

The Southeast Asian nation received 510,000 foreign visitors in the first half of this year, up 394 percent compared to the same period last year, he said, adding that Vietnam and Thailand were the largest sources of tourists to the kingdom.

"Based on this figure, we hope to attract around one million foreign tourists in 2022 and up to two million in 2023," Khon said during the closing ceremony of the ministry's three-day meeting.

The minister said tourism, one of four pillars supporting the country's economy, is forecast to reach its pre-COVID-19 level in 2026 or 2027.

In the pre-pandemic era, the kingdom welcomed 6.6 million international tourists in 2019, generating 4.92 billion U.S. dollars in revenue, according to the Tourism Ministry.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said Cambodia was among the first countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that had reopened borders and eased travel restrictions for international travelers.

"We have reopened the country and we don't think we will close it again because our vaccination rate is high and herd immunity is well achieved," he said. "We will continue to fight COVID-19 with confidence."

Currently, there are 24 airlines operating in Cambodia, with 2,214 flights recorded in the first half of this year, up 141 percent year-on-year. 
YEREVAN, JULY 14, ARMENPRESS. The Armenia-EU Joint Readmission Committee held its 8th session on July 14.

From the Armenian side, the session was attended by representatives of the Department of Return and Reintegration of the Migration Service, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Passport and Visa Department of the Police and the border troops of the National Security Service, the Migration Service said.

The meeting was held online.

The Co-Chair of the Committee, Head of the Migration Service of Armenia Armen Ghazaryan highly valued the cooperation with the EU partners in the field of readmission, as well as EUs support to Armenias planned institutional reforms in migration management field, also within the frames of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement.

The expert, technical and financial support that we get from the European Union is really important for us, because in the context of reforms we move on the path of digitization of processes, he said, introducing the single electronic platform workpermit.am, that was launched on January 1 this year for providing foreigners with employment-based residence status, as well as presenting the effective operation of the readmission management electronic system since 2019.

The Committee Co-Chair, Deputy Head of the Irregular Migration and Return Policy Unit, European Commission Mauro Gagliardi in his turn highly appreciated Armenias performance and constructiveness within the frames of the partnership in the field of readmission. Currently, we are working on a third assessment report about readmission cooperation with non-EU states. Armenias figures in the previous reports have been quite impressive, Mauro Gagliardi said.
YEREVAN, JULY 14, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia signed a decree on appointing Edvard Asryan Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces, the Presidential Office said.

Edvard Asryan was appointed to the post for a five-year term.

The President signed the respective decree based on the Prime Ministers proposal.
The cumulative Covid-19 vaccination coverage in the country has gone over 199.12 crore

As of now, the booster dose is available free of cost to only healthcare workers, frontline workers and all elderly population above 60 years of age at government vaccination centres. (AFP)

NEW DELHI: In a major move to expand the coverage of booster dose for Covid-19, the Central government on Wednesday announced that precautionary jab will now be made available free of cost for all individuals above 18 years of age at all government vaccination centres. This will come into force from July 15 onwards for 75 days.

Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said the decision will further strengthen the countrys fight against Covid-19 and urged all eligible citizens to get their precaution dose at the earliest.

The minister said that free booster dose drive is being held for the next 75 days as part of the government`s Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to celebrate the 75th anniversary of India`s Independence and to boost the uptake of Covid-19 precaution doses.

In a tweet, he said : Under the Amrit Mahotsav of Azadi, a 75-day free vaccination campaign will be conducted from July 15, in which all citizens above the age of 18 years will be given free vaccination doses at government centres.

As of now, the booster dose is available free of cost to only healthcare workers, frontline workers and all elderly population above 60 years of age at government vaccination centres.

The government is said to be concerned about the low utilization of Covid-19 booster doses, with only seven per cent of 18-60-year-old and 40 per cent of over-60s given the jab so far. As many as 5,10,96,109 booster doses have so far been administered against a target population of about 950 million eligible individuals.

The health ministry data shows that 59,26,210 booster doses have so far been given to healthcare workers, 1,11,24,805 to frontline workers while 2,98,75,819 to people in the age group of 18-60 years, and 2,67,53,532 to those above 60 years.

The cumulative Covid-19 vaccination coverage in the country has gone over 199.12 crore. Last week, the health ministry had even reduced the Covid-19 vaccine booster dose gap from nine months to six months. The decision was taken after the National Technical Advisory Group of Immunisation had recommended to revise the duration between the second dose and the precaution dose from nine to six months.

India, meanwhile, logged 16,906 fresh Covid-19 cases and 45 related fatalities -- 17 from Kerala, 13 from Maharashtra, five from West Bengal, two from Gujarat and one each from Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Odisha, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh  in the last 24 hours.

The active cases, which have increased to 1,32,457, comprise 0.30 per cent of the total infections. The national Covid-19 recovery rate has been recorded at 98.49 per cent.

The countrys daily positivity rate stands at 3.68 per cent and the weekly positivity rate at 4.26 per cent. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has gone up to 4,30,11,874, while the case fatality rate has been recorded at 1.20 per cent.

In Manipur, the state government has ordered closure of all schools till next week due to the recent surge in coronavirus cases. In an official order, Schools Education Commissioner H Gyan Prakash said the test positivity ratio was over 15 per cent in the state. The order stated that all schools -- government, state-aided, private schools affiliated to other boards -- will be closed with immediate effect till July 24 in public interest. Many schools in the state were scheduled to reopen after the summer vacation on July 16.

Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh had said earlier that the government would discuss the safety of the health for the children below 12 years as there was no effective Covid-19 vaccine for them in the prevailing situation in Manipur.
Patralekha Chatterjee focuses on development issues in India and emerging economies. She can be reached at patralekha.chatterjee@gmail.com

What do pilgrimages mean in the time of climate change and the consequent rise in extreme weather events?

An Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel helps pilgrims on their way to the holy cave shrine of Amarnath. (PTI Photo)

There is no full stop to the pilgrims progress. Undaunted by the tragedy, they have resumed their annual yatra towards the 3,880-metre-high Himalayan cave shrine of Amarnath from the Baltal route in central Kashmirs Ganderbal district, just four days after flash floods triggered by a cloudburst claimed at least 16 lives and left several others injured. Many are still missing.

In another part of the world, devout Muslims on the Haj pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, had been braving rising temperatures and extreme desert heat in recent days.

Which brings us to an intensely topical question  what do pilgrimages mean in the time of climate change and the consequent rise in extreme weather events?

Clearly, faith is intersecting with the fury of landslides, intense rainfall, soaring temperature and more. MIT researchers say increases in heat and humidity fuelled by climate change could make the Haj pilgrimage extremely dangerous in the coming years. They say it may be necessary to severely limit the number of participants allowed to take part in the pilgrimage.

In the case of last weeks tragedy near the Amarnath shrine, a huge volume of water suddenly gushed through and swept away tents set up for pilgrims below the cave shrine.

The faithful remain undeterred even as they grieve. Officials say the disaster has failed to dent the spirit of the devotees at the yatra base camp in Jammu. We have no fear in our hearts and minds. Whether there is a cloudburst or flash floods, we will go to Amarnath with the blessings of Bholenath pilgrim Surinder Singh from Kanpur told journalists. Meanwhile, climate change scientists tell us to factor in the unpredictable when it comes to weather.

It's high time we talked seriously about the carrying capacity of religious places, and the need for modifying the restrictions in the number of pilgrims allowed to visit holy sites, especially in difficult terrain.

What options do governments have? Are they going to focus on maximum safety or the maximum number when it comes to pilgrims?

Expanding on the theme, what about the necessary conversations on the carrying capacity of places which are not pilgrimage spots?

Coming specifically to the Amarnath Yatra, there is a report by the Nitish Sengupta Commission that is being referenced in the discussion around the tragedy.

Going through Lok Sabha debates, I came across this discussion in 2004 in Parliament. In 1996, snowfall and avalanches caused large-scale damage to life and property, following which, the government set up the Nitish Sengupta Commission to inquire into the incidents. The Nitish Sengupta Commission recommended restricting yatris to 3,500 per day, including 700 yatris via the Baltal route for the 30-day yatra, Shivraj Patil, then Union home minister, recalled. In 1996, 243 pilgrims died due to heavy rains while trekking to the holy cave shrine of Amarnath.

In subsequent years, during the Amarnath Yatra in 2000, 2001 and 2002, a number of violent incidents took place, Mr Patil noted. After the terrorist incidents, there was another recommendation to restrict the yatras duration in the fraught security environment to one month.

While security has been hugely beefed up for pilgrims, to what extent has the likelihood of unexpected extreme weather been factored in? In recent days, we have heard the countrys top meteorologists candidly admit the limitations of science in accurately predicting cloudbursts such as the one that led to last weeks tragedy.

Attempts are being made to improve safety. For the first time, each pilgrim on this years Amarnath Yatra was given a radio frequency identification device (RFID). The Army is using specialised mountain and avalanche rescue teams to look for missing pilgrims, and the RFID signals can be critical. However, according to media reports, officials say they ask the yatris to hang the RFID devices around their necks but most keep it in their bags or pockets, so data transmission is obstructed.

More measures are clearly needed.

In a 2019 commentary piece, environmentalist Chandra Bhushan pushed for restrictions and equality when it came to visits to religious sites. This can be done, he argued, by allocating a significant number of permits to the economically weaker sections of the population and charging hefty fees from the wealthy, in order to manage the sites well.

Some see religious tourism as Indias soft power. But like everything else, it has to adapt to the reality of climate change. There have been far too many casualties over the years on many holy trails even in normal weather. Climate change just makes things even more dangerous.

Climate Trends, a New Delhi-based non-profit, says the frequency of cloudburst events in the western Himalayan region has been on the continuous rise due to faster evaporation rates from glacial lakes at high altitudes, as a consequence of global warming.

Science is already telling us that extreme rainfall is going to get even more intense and frequent. Cloudburst could be more intense due to global warming, says Climate Trends.

On July 28, 2021, there was a cloudburst at the same place. But the Amarnath Yatra was not on last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and therefore no life was lost.

Why have no lessons been learnt from July 2021?

Consider what the Niti Aayog, the governments own think tank, had said some time ago. In its August 2018 Report of Working Group II Sustainable Tourism in the Indian Himalayan Region, the agency flags the need to build in the concept of destination carrying capacity for getting the balance right in the volume, timing and location of visits and for reducing congestion and ensuring socio-environment compliance.

Organisations overseeing religious places need to factor in the basics of crowd management. Disaster experts have been stressing measures like situating pilgrim tents in places which are safe, frequent weather risk assessments, especially in mountainous regions where there can be sudden changes of weather, contingency plans, far better marking of emergency exit/escape routes and ensuring pilgrims are aware of them.

All of this can be done if the numbers are strictly controlled. But can it be done  even in ecologically fragile terrain  if the key objective is to ensure the highest-ever pilgrim footfalls? The obsession with setting footfall records is costing lives. This year, the Uttarakhand government has capped the daily number of pilgrims visiting the famous Himalayan shrines in the state, especially Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath during the Char Dham Yatra, but ecologists say the cap is far too high.

It is time to talk numbers and be safe rather than sorry.
Rajapaksa has departed from the Maldives on Saudi Airline flight SV 788 to Singapore, sources said

Rajapaksa, who enjoys immunity from prosecution while he is president, fled the country on Wednesday before resigning to avoid the possibility of arrest (AP file image)

Male/Colombo: Sri Lanka's embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Thursday left the Maldives for Singapore after fleeing his country amidst the worst economic and political crisis faced by the island nation in decades.

Rajapaksa has departed from the Maldives on Saudi Airline flight SV 788 to Singapore, sources said.

Rajapaksa, the 73-year-old leader who had promised to resign on Wednesday, appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the acting President hours after he fled the country, escalating the political crisis and triggering a fresh wave of protests.

Earlier, Rajapaksa, his wife Loma and their two security officers were expected to leave for Singapore on board SQ437 from Male on Wednesday night but did not board the aircraft due to security concerns, the Daily Mirror newspaper reported.

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said that he is yet to receive the resignation letter from President Rajapaksa.

Rajapaksa, who enjoys immunity from prosecution while he is president, fled the country on Wednesday before resigning to avoid the possibility of arrest by the new government.

On Saturday after thousands of protesters stormed his official residence, blaming him for the unprecedented economic crisis that has brought the country to its knees, Rajapaksa announced that he will step down on Wednesday.

Rajapaksa's escape to the Maldives was negotiated by the Maldivian Majlis (Parliament) Speaker and former president Mohamed Nasheed, sources in the Maldives capital Male said.

Sri Lanka, a country of 22 million people, is under the grip of an unprecedented economic turmoil, the worst in seven decades, leaving millions struggling to buy food, medicine, fuel and other essentials. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe last week said Sri Lanka is now a bankrupt country. Last week, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka is now a bankrupt country.
by Vladimir Rozanskij

President Zaparov has raised the issue again. As in Soviet times, the police remain a 'punitive' force. Money from international organisations is only spent on anti-riot activities. The officers are at the service of the potentate of the day. The first objective is to increase street patrols.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - For over 20 years police reform has been on the agenda n Kyrgyzstan. It was initiated with the aim of forming police bodies that the population can trust. The issue has been raised again these days by President Zaparov as part of the basic aims of the fight against corruption in the country.

Already in 2002, the government had declared police reform indispensable, after militiamen opened fire against a crowd of demonstrators in the town of Aksy on March 17; the victims were defending a deputy under arrest. The authorities had involved international organisations, from the OSCE to the UN, which had provided material and technical aid to the Kyrgyz police for an effective fight against crime and ensuring security at all levels. However, humanitarian and civil activists denounce the lack of concrete results in this twenty-year period, while the Ministry of the Interior denounces a chronic lack of adequate funding.

The Aksy massacre ended with six dead and many injured, but it seems that the lesson was not enough. Then-President Askar Akaev had invited many international experts to change the way the militia, which was only used for strong-arm tactics and repression, works, but activist Aziza Abdirasulova says the methods have not changed, and the police remain a political weapon that stands between the people and the ruling caste: "There have been many other occasions of bloodshed, and the ruling fractions have always succeeded each other through the use of force, even in October 2020, when it seemed that the police had become a little more civilised; civil society must keep this issue in teh spotlight."

The lack of means, according to activists, prevents the continuous provision of adequate training programmes for new police officers, and the habit of politicians to use the police to defend their own partisan interests remains chronic. Reforms have often been limited to name and facade changes, at best a few training expeditions to Georgia or Turkey.

As Aziza puts it, 'we have remained at the conceptions of Soviet times, when the police was only a punitive organ, despite the millions of dollars donated by international donors; at least 20 million have been poured in from the OSCE alone, with which they bought the blinding grenades, tear gas and rubber bullets that they fire at demonstrations'.

The chairman of the Interior Ministry's Social Committee, Yalkun Daudov, repeats that much more funding is needed to achieve real results: 'In Georgia, for example, billions of dollars have been invested in police reform; it takes very substantial funds, it is not a light job, and it is no use continuing to kick policemen by accusing them of every social problem, while their possibilities are very limited'. As he explained, in Biskek each neighbourhood policeman answers to 5-6 thousand people, and due to the limited resources the shortage of personnel is chronic and deep. The international sponsors themselves are so far unable to give full evaluations of the reform attempts.

The head of the press office of the Kyrgyz Interior Minister, Tilek Otorov, tries to be a little more optimistic: 'Lately we have been training the tourist police corps and the digitalisation of the investigation offices is continuing, we have many more mobile patrols and the necessary technical and material basis is slowly being completed; we have given the officers on the streets uniforms equipped with video cameras, and we have reformed the forces dedicated to the fight against organised crime'.
by Louis Raphael Sako*

The Patriarch of Baghdad of the Chaldeans spoke at a conference organised by the Community of Sant'Egidio titled Catholics and Shias before the future. In his address, he mentioned the pope's visit to Iraq and call for respect for diversity. He urges studying the causes of extremism and finding ways to defeat it. He noted the shared commitment with Grand Ayatollah al-Sistani, and called for an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Rome (AsiaNews)  Card Louis Raphael Sako, Patriarch of Baghdad of the Chaldeans, spoke at a two-day conference titled "Catholics and Shias before the future" held yesterday and today in Rome. The event was organised by the Community of Sant'Egidio.

In his address, the prelate stressed coexistence based on respect for diversity as Pope Francis noted several times during his visit to Iraq. He stressed citizenship as the foundation of social relations and affiliation with the homeland on the basis of equality, not to mention reforming the educational system so that it is better adapted to todays circumstances, culture and people.

The conference brought together authoritative representatives of both communities, including Jawad Al-Khoei, secretary general of the Imam Al-Khoei Institute, and Mostafa Mohagheegh Damad, theologian and professor of Islamic Law at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, Iran. What follows are the main points made by Card Sako:

Today's society is different from that of the past. The world has changed and it is constantly changing, from tradition to modernity.

The world has become a digital village with social media, not to mention difficult and worrying political conditions. Hence, I propose an appeal to end to the war between Russia and Ukraine and find a diplomatic path to peace.

Our mission and responsibilities as religious leaders are universal, they include everyone and are not limited to a particular faith.

We must counter sectarian ideologies through our words and education, teaching the new generations. The God we believe in does not ask us: Are you a Shia Muslim or a Sunni? Are you a Catholic or an Orthodox Christian? The only question he asks us is: What did you do for your fellow human being?

God will judge us on our charity.

1 - Coexistence

We must commit ourselves to promoting dialogue and friendship, strengthening closeness and solidarity between different peoples, religions and cultures, to contribute to peace and the well-being of humanity, through close collaboration between the Shia tradition and the Catholic Church.

We must recognise others and respect them in their diversity. Respect for diversity, as the pope repeated during his visit to Iraq in March 2021, is the basis of coexistence.

When such differences are shared everyone gains. What we call coexistence means sharing bread () . . . the basis of nutrition, daily food! Not feeding people causes conflict.

As Antoine de Saint-Exupery said, the taste of shared bread "has no equal" and sharing in love and purity makes it tastier.

No one must be excluded nor remain indifferent.

This unique situation makes it a place of experimentation, to overcome the shock of divisions and start a courageous and sincere intercultural and interreligious dialogue.

Citizenship and coexistence are a natural right, not a secondary element to be tolerated. The concept of tolerance comes from  tollere, which means: I allow you to be.

Unfortunately, in recent years, an extremist mindset that incites hatred and violence "in the name of religion" has spread in our and other regions.

This ideology goes against the will of God who "created us different and represents a threat to the lives of citizens and the security of the state.

We need to study the causes of extremism and violence committed in the name of religion, and find ways to defeat them. In this regard, I would like to thank Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the supreme Marjia authority of Najaf, for his position.

2. Citizenship

Citizenship is the foundation of social relations and its principle is affiliation with this homeland. Citizenship means equality, respect for rights, coexistence and harmony among all citizens.

Sectarianism and the concept of parts do not help establishing a strong and modern nation state, but rather end up supporting a culture of special interests, which encourages exclusion.

Christians are an indigenous population of Iraq, not a community that comes from another country. They are people of this land, and so it is not acceptable to call them a "minority".

It is an injustice and, at times, Christians are targeted for their religious beliefs. The rights of Christians should be as sacred as the rights of others and they cannot be considered second-class citizens because of their faith. Diversity and differences must be a source of richness, a source of energy for creativity, balance and prosperity.

The way forward is the one that leads to a civic and democratic model of citizenship, not a sectarian regime that distributes and shapes the national identity and unity of the country at will. Democracy is an indivisible whole.

3. Changing the education system

Iraqs education system does not help today's coexistence and culture. We need effective intellectual reform in education, churches, mosques and schools, to adapt to people's lives, circumstances and culture. Otherwise, our societies will end up heading quickly towards a terrible fate.

To conclude, I will ask the Iraqi government to create a Ministry of Coexistence to strengthen relations and rights, as well as citizenship. I ask Almighty God to bless us and direct our steps toward a better future for our country and citizens.

* Patriarch of Baghdad of the Chaldeans

(Photo taken from the website of the Chaldean Patriarchate)
Today's headlines: in Sri Lanka, protesters hand back occupied buildings to the government; dysentery cases are on the rise in Afghanistan; dengue cases have more than doubled since last year in Vietnam; Shnaghai issues a heat wave warning; an airport in the shape of an Islamic crescent is to be built in Groznyj.

INDIA

Starting this week, India will provide free doses of anti-covid vaccine for 75 days. According to a local official, the measure was taken to mark the 75th anniversary of the country's independence, which will be celebrated on 15 August. Until now, vaccination was only free for the over-60s and health workers. 92 per cent of the Indian population has not yet had the booster.

SRI LANKA

Sri Lankan media reports President Gotabaya Rajapaksa did not take a flight to Singapore after arriving in the Maldives. Earlier Reuters had reported that Rajapaksa would fly to Singapore and from there send his resignation letter, which has not yet been received by the Speaker. This morning the protesters decided to return the occupied buildings to the government.

AFGHANISTAN

Rising temperatures combined with a lack of adequate sanitation facilities are causing an increase in dysentery cases in several provinces of Afghanistan. More than 100 patients arrive at the hospital in Kabul every day, doctors said. In Helmand province alone, 15 people have died so far.

VIETNAM

Dengue cases in Vietnam have more than doubled compared to last year, the Minister of Health has announced. The country recorded 89,120 new cases in the first six months of 2022, up from 35,936 the previous year. 'It is expected that the number of cases will continue to rise further, with more severe cases requiring hospitalisation,' the ministry said.

CAMBODIA

Cambodian authorities arrested 11 Chinese nationals on suspicion of illegal drug trafficking. Police seized two tonnes of ketamine in three different provinces and in the capital Phnom Penh. On the occasion of the National Day for Combating Drugs on 26 June, Cambodian Interior Minister Sar Kheng said that the police had seized more than 10,000 tonnes of drugs in 2021, of which only 6,000 were destroyed.

CHINA

For the third time this year, Shanghai has issued a warning predicting a new heat wave: in the next 24 hours, the city of 25 million inhabitants is expected to reach 40 degrees. Shanghai has issued 17 such warnings since 1873. Due to the use of air conditioning, the load on the power grid has reached its maximum.

RUSSIA - NORTH KOREA

North Korea's ambassador to Russia, Sin Hon Chol, handed over to Donetsk ambassador Olga Makeeva the document by which the Pyongyang government officially recognises the separatist republic of Donbass.

CHECHNYA

In Groznyj, the capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya, construction has begun on a new international airport, the shape of which will be modelled on the Islamic crescent, as President Ramzan Kadyrov himself triumphantly announced, and will be named after his father Akhmat, the historic president who put an end to the conflicts of the 1990s.
VIENTIANE, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Lao and Thai military forces plan to step up cooperation in border security, especially the crackdown on drug trade and illegal immigration, as the two countries' army leaders discussed.

Closer cooperation in border security topped the agenda when the Chief of Defense Forces of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, General Chalermphon Srisawasdi, and his delegation visited Laos this week, local daily Vientiane Times reported on Thursday.

"The visit aimed to bolster cooperation between the armies of Laos and Thailand, and in particular to increase security along the Lao-Thai border through tighter controls on drug trafficking and the smuggling of goods," the newspaper said.

General Chalermphon met for talks with Laos' Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense, General Chansamone Chanyalath on Tuesday, and Chanyalath said the visit strengthened cooperation between the two armies in suppressing illegal activities and other issues that have the potential to instigate unrest.

The two army leaders also agreed to develop activities in agriculture and animal farming between the Lao and Thai armies, and at the same time carry out more reciprocal visits on the basis of mutual trust.

General Chansamone thanked the Thai government and people for providing medical assistance to Laos in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and for assistance provided following the collapse of a dam at the Xe Pian-Xe Namnoy dam in southern Laos in 2018. 
Inspired by the Gladiator Farout concept from 2020, Earl is a subtle gray with hints of aquamarine that retails at $395. Reign, which is available through October 2022, is a very striking purple finish that retails at $495. Jeep has also introduced front-fender decals featuring the American flag, which pays tribute to the brands military heritage and the American workers who manufacture the CJs successor at the Toledo plant in Ohio.The Freedom edition , which is exclusive to the Sport S, costs $3,295 over the sticker price of the aforementioned trim level. The military-themed exterior and interior honor servicemen and servicewomen with tasteful touches such as an Oscar Mike badge and American flag decals. Goodies also include a winch-capable steel bumper, steel rails, and a $250 donation that Jeep will make to military charities with every Freedom edition sold. The aesthetic package is also available on the Gladiator in Sport S guise.Finally, the Rubicon has received new standard and optional wheel designs. There are five trim levels to choose from in total, starting with the Sport and Sport S. The Sahara is exclusively offered with four doors, just like the Rubicon 392 that takes its name from the displacement of the HEMI V8 hiding under the hood. The off-roady Rubicon slots between these trims.In the suck-squeeze-bang-blow department, Jeeps body-on-frame utility vehicle comes with a 3.6-liter V6 as standard. The Pentastar cranks out 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet (353 Nm). Available with eTorque mild-hybrid technology, the six-cylinder lump is joined by the Hurricane 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder with 270 horsepower and 295 pound-feet (400 Nm).Customers are further enticed with a plug-in hybrid, the Wrangler 4xe that delivers up to 21 miles (34 kilometers) of all-electric range and 49 miles per gallon equivalent. Finally, the Rubicon 392 is flaunting a 6.4-liter colossus that produces 470 horsepower and 470 pound-feet (637 Nm) of torque.
Clean Shipping Act of 2022 is the name of a bill that could go down in history as one of the most important steps towards a green shipping industry in the U.S. Congressman Alan Lowenthal (CA-47) and Congresswomen Nanette Barragan (CA-44), who represent the districts for the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, respectively, are the ones who have introduced the bill earlier this week.According to Maritime Gateway , Congressmen Lowenthal first spoke of this bill in June, ahead of the last meeting of the UN International Maritime Organizations Marine Environment Protection Committee. IMO is the agency that regulates shipping and which has set the goal of cutting carbon emissions by at least 50% compared to 2008, by 2050. But thats still not enough to comply with the Paris Agreement's target of preventing temperature rises above 1.5-degree Celsius (2.7 F) this century.Congresswoman Barragan, who co-sponsored the Clean Shipping Act of 2022, calls it bold legislation focused on climate-smart ports. According to Offshore Energy, this would be the first stand-alone legislation aimed at eliminating pollution from shipping in the U.S.On one hand, this bill is meant to set carbon intensity standards for fuels that would become increasingly higher. These would range from 20% lifecycle CO2 reductions required starting with 2027 up to 100% reductions by 2040. On the other hand, it aims to completely eliminate in-port emissions much earlier, as soon as 2030. This means that any ship berthing or anchoring in U.S. ports would have zero GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions while in port.The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would be responsible for making sure that these standards are met without disrupting the shipping flow. This bill will clean up our ports once and for all, with a straightforward nationwide policy, stated Congressman Lowenthal.
UK's new PM to be announced on Sept. 5, says Tory lawmaker

Xinhua) 09:21, July 14, 2022

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street for Prime Minister's Questions in London, Britain, July 13, 2022. Boris Johnson resigned as British prime minister and the leader of the Conservative Party in a statement to the country on July 7. The new prime minister of the United Kingdom (UK) replacing incumbent Boris Johnson will be announced on September 5, said Graham Brady, chairman of the Conservative Party's backbench 1922 Committee, on Monday. (Photo by Tim Ireland/Xinhua)

LONDON, July 11 (Xinhua) -- The new prime minister of the United Kingdom (UK) replacing incumbent Boris Johnson will be announced on September 5, said Graham Brady, chairman of the Conservative Party's backbench 1922 Committee, on Monday.

Brady said the 1922 Committee, which runs the Tory leadership contest, has decided that the candidates will have to get the backing of 20 members of Parliament (MPs) when nominations open and close on Tuesday. The threshold is markedly higher than the required backing of eight MPs seen in the party's usual rules.

The first round of voting among Tory MPs will be held on Wednesday, he said, adding that the contenders will need to receive 30 votes to enter the second ballot which is to be held on Thursday.

The number of contenders will be whittled down to two before MPs break up for the summer recess on July 21, he said.

The final two contenders will then go through a postal ballot of all the Conservative members, numbering around 200,000, over the summer and the winner will become the new Tory leader and UK's next prime minister.

"I am very keen we get this concluded as smoothly, cleanly, and rapidly as possible," said Brady, calling it a "perfectly reasonable" timetable that would allow the postal ballot to take place around the country over the summer.

"We do need to make sure there is a decent amount of time before the result is announced on 5th September," he added.

So far, 11 candidates have launched their bids to become the Conservative Party's next leader, with International Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, and former Health Secretary Sajid Javid among the frontrunners. Most of the contenders have vowed to cut taxes, ranging from corporation tax to income tax, as the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite.

The Tory leadership race was triggered after Johnson was forced to resign on Thursday by an avalanche of resignations of cabinet ministers and other junior government officials in protest against his scandal-hit leadership. Johnson continues to serve as the caretaker prime minister until a new Tory leader succeeds him.

Johnson, who won a landslide victory in the general elections in 2019, lost support after he was caught in a string of scandals, including the Partygate scandal and Pincher scandal involving his appointment of a politician accused of sexual misconduct.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street for Prime Minister's Questions in London, Britain, July 13, 2022. Boris Johnson resigned as British prime minister and the leader of the Conservative Party in a statement to the country on July 7. The new prime minister of the United Kingdom (UK) replacing incumbent Boris Johnson will be announced on September 5, said Graham Brady, chairman of the Conservative Party's backbench 1922 Committee, on Monday. (Photo by Tim Ireland/Xinhua)

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street for Prime Minister's Questions in London, Britain, July 13, 2022. Boris Johnson resigned as British prime minister and the leader of the Conservative Party in a statement to the country on July 7. The new prime minister of the United Kingdom (UK) replacing incumbent Boris Johnson will be announced on September 5, said Graham Brady, chairman of the Conservative Party's backbench 1922 Committee, on Monday. (Photo by Tim Ireland/Xinhua)

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun)
People push a vehicle on a flooded street in Lahore, Pakistan, on July 14, 2022. A total of 165 people were killed and 171 others injured in separate rain-related accidents during the pre-monsoon season in Pakistan since June 14, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Wednesday. (Photo by Jamil Ahmed/Xinhua)

ISLAMABAD, July 14 (Xinhua) -- A total of 165 people were killed and 171 others injured in separate rain-related accidents during the pre-monsoon season in Pakistan since June 14, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Wednesday.

The country's southwest Balochistan province remained the worst-hit region where 65 people died and 49 others sustained injuries due to torrential rains that triggered flash floods.

Local media also reported several incidents of dam bursts, which swept away scores of houses and infrastructures.

The Balochistan government on Tuesday imposed section 144 in the province amid more forecasts of rains for a month, a statement by the chief minister's office of the province said.

According to section 144, the public will be restricted from going for picnics at rivers, dams, and other water reservoirs. Swimming in rivers and water streams will also be banned.

Thirty-eight people were killed in separate accidents in Sindh province including the provincial capital of Karachi which has suffered heavy downpours for over a week.

The country's Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman said in a tweet on Wednesday that Sindh and Balochistan were still under heavy monsoon pressure for the last 13 days during which they received 625 percent and 501 percent more rains, respectively, above the 30-year average.

She said that a further rise in heavy rainfall is expected in the coming days with a weather cycle focusing on Sindh and Balochistan for high precipitation.

According to the NDMA, 24 people were killed by heavy rains in the northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, 23 in the east Punjab province, and 15 in other parts of the country.

It said that 171 people were injured including 61 in Punjab, 49 in Balochistan, 37 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 24 in other parts of the country.

A total of 1,319 animals perished in different parts of the country. About 350 houses were fully destroyed and 781 others were partially destroyed during torrential rains.

Relief operations by the NDMA are underway across the country. The authority is providing tents, tarpaulins, quilts, anti-mosquito nets, food packets, and lifesaving jackets to the people in rain-affected areas, local media reported. 

A man wades through a flooded street in heavy rain in Lahore, Pakistan, on July 14, 2022. A total of 165 people were killed and 171 others injured in separate rain-related accidents during the pre-monsoon season in Pakistan since June 14, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Wednesday. (Photo by Jamil Ahmed/Xinhua)

Photo taken on July 14, 2022 shows a flooded park in Lahore, Pakistan. A total of 165 people were killed and 171 others injured in separate rain-related accidents during the pre-monsoon season in Pakistan since June 14, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Wednesday. (Photo by Jamil Ahmed/Xinhua)

A man drives a tractor on a flooded field in Lahore, Pakistan, on July 14, 2022. A total of 165 people were killed and 171 others injured in separate rain-related accidents during the pre-monsoon season in Pakistan since June 14, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Wednesday. (Photo by Jamil Ahmed/Xinhua)

A man wades through a flooded street in heavy rain in Lahore, Pakistan, on July 14, 2022. A total of 165 people were killed and 171 others injured in separate rain-related accidents during the pre-monsoon season in Pakistan since June 14, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Wednesday. (Photo by Jamil Ahmed/Xinhua)
SUV

Honda is eager to raise the stakes for its Civic and Accord-beating crossover as it chases down the top Toyota RAV4 rival with all assets: a rugged and sophisticated design, along with a new, more advanced 4th-generation hybrid-electric system. Alas, not everyone thinks the Japanese automaker has earned the right to call this an all-new model.Marouane Bembli, the virtual artist better known as TheSketchMonkey on social media, is  as always  ready to identify the flaws of new releases and rectify them. For starters, although he kind of loves what Honda has been doing with its styling as of late, the pixel master still identifies the new CR-V iteration as a mere facelift rather than a fully-fledged sixth generation.Of course, he also comes up with arguments in the latest behind-the-scenes making-of video embedded below. So, as per tradition, around two-thirds of the new feature is dedicated to examining the novelties brought by the 2023 model year compact crossover. Only afterward, from the 7:45 mark, does the CGI reinterpretation commence, and the digital Honda CR-V incurs a string of subtle modifications.There is just one singular front three-quarters POV and most of the changes are related to the front end where Hondas fake vents get ditched in favor of a cleaner, minimalist CGI redesign. Additionally, because one can never have enough rugged wheels and tires, the latter also get beefier to remind us that crossover SUVs might also serve as (soft) trail adventure companions!So, what do you think? Is the 2023 Honda CR-V just a refresh disguised as an all-new generation or has the Japanese automaker made enough changes to earn the right to call it a completely different iteration?
The Cupertino-based tech giant is quietly working on its very own automotive revolution, as the company is developing a full car that could see the daylight in the second half of the decade.In typical Apple style, the iPhone maker has remained completely tight-lipped on the subject, so most of the information that makes its way online comes through unofficial channels.The most recent scoops on the Apple Car indicate the vehicle is still in development, so despite rumors, Apple is still very committed to launching this ambitious product. In the meantime, the companys executives stick with remaining completely silent on the project while also studying the competition on every single occasion.This is precisely what CEO Tim Cook had apparently managed to do recently when he attended the Allen & Co. Sun Valley Conference in Idaho. According to reports , Cook wasnt the only high-profile guest, which kind of makes sense given the event is also referred to as the summer camp for billionaires.But one particularly intriguing figure who also attended the event was Rivian founder and CEO R.J. Scaringe. Rivian is often described as one of the potential rivals to the Apple Car, so at first glance, Tim didnt miss the opportunity to study the competition.The CEO was spotted driving a Rivian R1T from the place of the event downtown to have dinner, though the Apple executive then remained completely silent on everything related to the car.The Apple Car could end up seeing daylight in 2025, but most of the details are currently unconfirmed. Its believed Apple was seeking a manufacturing deal with a traditional carmaker, but after several failed rounds of negotiations, the company could just go for a contract manufacturer such as a joint venture between Magna and LG.
Naturally, French automakers are not oblivious to its importance and Bugatti  for example  decided to explore the intimate connection with the French Racing Blue color that allows it to enjoy La Vie en Bleu  aka life in blue. Even better, the company also sips in a mysterious teaser, claiming the shade will soon be reinvented for a new era at Bugatti.For now, the exotic car manufacturer wants us to remember that blue has been a staple of its legacy ever since the Bugatti Type 35 enjoyed its early motorsport successes and up to contemporary achievements such as the introduction of the era-defining Chiron hypercar. According to Achim Anscheidt, Design Director of Bugatti, French Racing Blue means passion, it means motorsport pedigree and it means patriotism.The official legend puts the inspiration behind this particular shade of color on Ettore Bugattis wife, Barbaras fondness of a light-blue-packaged cigarette brand, and soon enough French Racing Blue even became informally known as Bugatti Blue. Times changed once the Bugatti brand was reinvented under the VW AG banner and the Veyron was critically acclaimed in a new nuance, while the company even invented a blue-tinted carbon fiber.Soon, the French company will embark upon a new adventure as it enters the joint company Bugatti Rimac era, and the definition of a new Bugatti Blue is already being considered as a core part of the brands future identity. So, it is going to be interesting how the exotic brand handles its legacy while also storming into a more sustainable age with help from Nevera's creators
The second Amels 60, known as Project Witchcraft , reached a significant milestone. The 60-meter (197-ft) superyacht has seen the light for the first time in the last 12 months. The vessel arrived at Damien's facility in Vlissingen for the outfitting phase a year ago, and now, it has finally touched the water.Onlookers were treated to a spectacular show when the Amels 6002 rolled out of the dry dock. For the first time, they could see its light color scheme and the style of its large windows, which have been designed according to the owner's specifications.Its exterior, drawn by the renowned Espen ino, has a sleek profile with elegant lines. The overall design focuses on offering guests the ultimate comfort at sea. There's plenty of deck space, allowing passengers to fully enjoy the large sun deck and swim platform. Since its a luxury yacht it also has enough space on the foredeck to host a 9-metre (29.5-ft) luxury tender.This Amels 60 can accommodate 12 guests and a crew of 12 in rooms that feel light and airy. The owners suite includes a private folding balcony. Every area has been customized to fit the needs and lifestyle of the owner. More details regarding its interiors are expected to follow as the vessel gets closet to its official debut.In terms of performance, the yacht uses hybrid power and propulsion technology to navigate at a top speed of 15.5 knots (18 mph/ 29 kph). The Amels 60 can cruise at 13 knots (15 mph/ 24 kph) and cover 5,179-mile (8,334-km) distances.Currently, the Amels 6002 is gearing up for its final build phase. The yacht will head to its new owner later this year in the Autumn.
Truth be told, you don't necessarily need an uber-expensive camera setup to do a great deal of the car-oriented photography the average Instagram influencer makes on a regular basis. Press members at major auto shows can often be seen walking around with high-end smartphones attached to selfie sticks mixed in with those who bring thousands of dollars in audio/video equipment.But what if you want to step up your game? Maybe you're a vehicle dealer looking to spruce up your online inventory or trying to get into the exciting world of automotive photojournalism. In that case, you might want to consider upgrading to an entry-level high-end photo camera setup. Especially if you've never handled a camera any more complicated than an iPhone 13's, that might feel like a daunting idea.From digital SLR cameras to mirrorless cameras, all different types of lenses, different shutter speeds, SD cards, tripods, and all the various pieces of a decent camera kit. It's bound to feel a tad overwhelming for a beginner. The question of mirrorless cameras vs. DSLR cameras is an especially contentious issue among prospective car photographers. There are even professionals who bring both camera types to important photoshoots.Long story short, a Digital single-lens reflex camera (DSLR) is a digital camera that uses both a mechanical shutter and an integrated mirror as a means of directing an image into a viewfinder exactly as it looks through the lens of the camera. If you ask industry professionals what their thoughts on the future of photojournalism are, many will say the future is in mirrorless camera designs.Even so, plenty of journalists from all walks of life still carry DSLRs with them to shoot photos, especially in situations where the crisp, precise shutter a DSLR produces makes the most out of dynamic shots of objects in motion. By in motion, we obviously mean drifting in our case. In truth, this applies to regular racing as well. Of course, a well-sorted mirrorless camera can also produce high shutter speed images, just with software instead of a mechanical mechanism.But industry professionals regularly say a quality DSLR camera like, say, a Nikon D850 or Canon EOS Rebel produces fewer visual anomalies, crisper target images, and well-focused shots of vehicles in motion than the equivalent mirrorless setup. But what if you're at the opposite end of the spectrum? What if you're looking to take stellar shots of static vehicles that are better in quality than an iPhone?Perhaps the venue you're shooting in has lighting like a movie theater at show time. If that's the case, a mirrorless camera setup might be a better choice. Mirrorless is the preferred setup of the photographer on the move, as opposed to a static camera taking photos of moving objects, for which a DSLR is more suitable. This is due to the compact and lightweight nature of a camera without a physical shutter or mirror.Instead, a digital sensor serves the same purpose that the mirror would in a DSLR. Granted, that often means a mirrorless camera's viewfinder and main display screen don't line up exactly. Without a mirror, the two elements are not linked directly via anything but sensors and software. Over the years, this problem has improved substantially with subsequent models.With ample time to sit back and take the finest shot possible, a good mirrorless camera like a Canon EOS R5 or Nikon Z5 can repeatedly get the most out of whatever scarce light makes its way through the lense. But again, so can most decent DSLRs. Perhaps not with the same proficiency, but certainly by slimmer and slimmer margins as the tech on both sides advances.One potential dealbreaker is that mirrorless cameras are notoriously easier to shoot quality video with as opposed to DSLRs. Another good point if you're looking to start a YouTube or TikTok page outside of your photography work. With all this said, regarding the ups and downs of DSLR and mirrorless cameras, it should be obvious at this juncture that either setup is capable of taking the shots you're liable to be making while photographing cars.The differences inherent to mirrorless cameras and DSLRs may be profoundly different, but attributes inherent to either camera are not always a dealbreaker. As photographers in just about any field of photojournalism will tell you, a quality camera is a quality camera. So in a sense, the choice between whichever camera setup you decide on is going to largely depend on the nature of the shots you're trying to create.In the end, you might find that features other than shutter functionality like autofocus quality, shutter speeds, image stabilization, and wi-fi/Bluetooth connectivity will be more impactful on photo quality and overall user experience than whether it's a DSLR or a mirrorless design.Ultimately, the photographer's skill will almost always trump fancy camera setups. So feel free to do your research, check out prices, and find a camera setup that works the best for your needs. We apologize if we didn't exactly solve the eternal DSLR vs. mirrorless debate here.But if you take away nothing else from us, let it be that the barrier to entry into automotive photojournalism nowadays is a halfway decent smartphone, the passion for taking great photos, and the skills to make it happen. So get out there and start taking photos! If you wind up taking some wicked car shots, you might even get your work featured by us here at autoevolution one day.
For starters, hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles are affected. The list kicks off with the 2022 model year Ford Maverick , pickup trucks produced at Hermosillo between February 2021 and June 2022. Next up, we have the 2020 to 2022 Ford Escape with build dates ranging from January 2019 through June 2022. The final entry is the 2021 to 2022 Lincoln Corsair, vehicles assembled at Louisville from October 2019 through June 2022.The chronology of defect begins on May 4th, when an issue pertaining to the 2.5-liter hybrid and plug-in powertrains was brought to the Critical Concern Review Groups attention. The CCRG analyzed the available data through June 8th, discovering 19 field reports of underhood fire or smoke. On the same day, the safety boffins issued a stop-ship order. Through the remainder of June, the Ford Motor Company continued to research the concern to better understand the reports, trends, scope, as well as the causal factors.Fast forward to June 22nd, and the number of field and warranty reports ballooned to 23. These reports are dated April 2021 through May 2022. Nine of them are for underhood or vehicle fire, six for localized underhood melting, seven described underhood smoke, and one didnt contain enough details to be categorized. In any case, Ford has a lot of vehicles to repair.Whats the problem, you might be wondering? Ford says that isolated engine manufacturing issues have resulted in failures involving engine block or oil pan breach. The fluid dynamics induced by the under-engine shield and active grille shutter may increase the likelihood of engine oil or fuel vapor expelled during an engine block or oil pan breach accumulating near sources of ignition, primarily expected to be the vehicles exhaust system.Whats the fix, then? The under-shield and active grille shutter are modified to redirect or purge the engine compartment of oil or fuel vapor from known ignition sources to reduce the opportunity for underhood fire. The shield modification adds additional drain holes, whereas the shutter modification ensures purge air flow through the engine compartment and reduced temperatures during forward motion or cooling fan operation.Of course, Ford will provide reimbursement for the cost of remedies paid for by the vehicle owner. The ending date for eligibility is August 22nd.
EV

Modern electric vehicles need strict thermal management to keep the battery packs at optimal temperature. Too low and the performance just isnt there; too high and they run into serious problems, from rapid battery wear down to thermal runaway, which is essentially a type of explosion caused by overheating. Electric vehicles initially employed air cooling to keep the battery at the optimum temperature. We know from Nissan Leaf that this is not working very well, and thats why most EVs today use liquid cooling. Liquid cooling improved things quite a bit, but its far from perfect. Usually,makers use cooling plates or channel ducts inside the battery packs to cool individual cells. This does the job, but the heat transfer only takes place over a small area. Flooding the battery in cooling liquid is a much better solution, but this presents its own problems. For instance, it needs a durable and safe dielectric cooling fluid to work, which has proven difficult.The Taiwanese company Xing Mobility thinks it has the perfect formula for such a cooling fluid. Its immersion cooling system called Immersio X25 allows a better temperature distribution between individual cells. This, in turn, helps with higher charging and discharging rates without the danger of overheating. This is especially important for heavy-duty and high-performance applications, where big battery packs can quickly get into thermal protection under stress.Xing Mobility Immersio X25 system combines a battery pack with a battery management system and an active safety module to enable super-fast charging and double the service life of battery cells. The system is primarily designed for commercial vehicles with correspondingly large batteries. Xing believes its batteries can last for up to 3,000 cycles. Xing says it has signed a contract with an unnamed Asian commercial vehicle manufacturer for a vehicle scheduled for production by the end of the year.
Originally equipped with an even firing 5.0-liter V10, the Gallardo leveled up to an odd firing 5.2-liter V10 in 2008. The Huracan followed suit in 2014 with an evolution of the 5.2-liter V10, an engine shared with the Audi R8.The LP 610-4, which stands for a longitudinally-mounted powerplant with 610 metric ponies and all-wheel drive, was only the start of the Huracan dynasty. The Raging Bull subsequently launched a less powerful rear-driven model, followed by the Performante, which lapped the Nurburgring Nordschleife in six minutes and 52 seconds. Facelifted in 2019, the mid-engined thoroughbred presently belts out up to 640 ps (631 horsepower).As you're well aware, that's not enough by modern standards. McLaren and Ferrari have both launched twin-turbo V6 plug-in hybrids with ridiculous power and torque. The supercar segment has been forced by lawmakers to adopt forced induction and hybrid assistance; otherwise, McLaren and Ferrari wouldn't have pleased the European Commission and Environmental Protection Agency. Given these circumstances, and the Lamborghini Huracan's increasing age, have a wild guess of what's going to happen next.October 2017 is when Stefano Domenicali, the former head honcho of Lamborghini, declared that  hybridization is the answer . Fast forward to January 2022, and thats when current big kahuna Stephan Winkelmann said that we are not yet disclosing what type of engine its going to be in the Huracans replacement. He added that its a completely new engine; nothing in common with the Urus or Aventador. Pretty intriguing, right? CAR Magazine understands that a high-revving V8, unrelated to the 4.0-liter unit of the Urus, will be used in the yet-to-be-named successor of the Huracan. This engine is reportedly capable of redlining to 10,000 revolutions per minute and is compatible with synthetic fuel. 850 hybrid-assisted horsepower are rumored, which is impressive by today's standards. Auto Express are much obliged to confirm plug-in hybridization. Chief technical officer Rouven Mohr told the cited publication that it will be plug-in hybrid. The engine will be bespoke for Lamborghini. On the final details we cant yet communicate this, but I would say more than six and less than 12 cylinders. Obviously enough, Mohr is referring to the V8 or the existing V10.The V10 isnt bespoke to Lamborghini for the time being, but it will be soon enough because Audi Sport is following the full-electric strategy of the German automaker. With the R8 going electric , the V10 can be considered a Lamborghini-exclusive powerplant. The question is, will it be this amazing-sounding V10 or the high-revving V8 speculated by CAR Magazine?Whatever the future holds, the Huracan will continue production into 2023. The Sterrato has been recently spied in SantAgata Bolognese with production-ready bits and pieces, and the grand reveal is expected next month. The Huracans successor is believed to enter production in 2024.
A highlight of this year's auction is a 1968 Shelby GT 500. The car comes with a 428 cubic inch engine and C6 automatic transmission. The rear axle is fitted with a 3.20 axle ratio. The car is equipped with air conditioning, tilt-steering, and Shelby 10-spoke wheels. It went through a complete and comprehensive restoration in 2001. The air cleaner was signed by Carrol Shelby himself and is listed in the Shelby registry,The famed Shelby is a variant of the Ford Mustang produced by Shelby American from 1965 to 1967 and by the Ford Motor Company from 1968-1970. Ford resurrected the high-performance brand in 2005. Over the years, the Shelby and Ford production cars have commanded big money due to their limited production and performance capabilities. From the initial GT350 to the GT500, Shelby Mustangs are the symbol of the 60's generation muscle car era and highly sought after by collectors from all over the world.Headquartered in Walworth, Wisconsin, the Mecum Auction Company is the brain child of founder and president Dana Mecum. From a small operation starting with their first auction in Rockford, Illinois in 1988, the auction house has grown to employ over 200 staff on event day. Since 2011, the company has held the distinction of being #1 in the world in the number of collector cars at auction and the number of cars sold at auction. Mecum is also #1 in the U.S in the number of auction venues and #1 in the U.S. for total dollar volume of sales.The company also hosts the largest collector car auction annually in Kissimmee, Florida, and the world's largest motorcycle auction held each year in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Meet the Dormobile, aka the Bedroom on Wheels, the mobile dormitory. These days, the market is over-filled with literal homes on wheels of all shapes, sizes and for all budgets, but in the early '50s, when the taste for travel was budding, the realization of this concept was revolutionary. Equal parts a daily driver and the perfect family holiday vehicle, the Dormobile offered sleeping for up to four people and even some home-like creature comforts, like a kitchen. Neither amenity was much compared to modern standards, but back then, it was the epitome of luxury . Even better, it was attainable luxury , since one such Dormobile sold for almost the same amount as a car.The Dormobile is widely regarded as the OG affordable campervan in its home country and, for as long as it was in production, it became synonymous with campervan. It wasnt an actual RV, but a conversion that was used as basis for almost any commercial van chassis available, from Volkswagen, BMC, Land-Rover, Toyota, Ford, and Vauxhall / Bedford, using either a standard layout or a customizable one.The company behind these conversions was Martin Walter, a former horse harness and carriage maker from Folkestone, south-east England, established way back in 1773. As the automobile began replacing carriages, Martin Walter moved on to making military vehicles and, still later on, commercial conversions, with the first one in a series of iconic models being the 1933 Martin Walter Wingham Vauxhall , which could transform from a closed saloon into an open-top tourer.Opening up interior space would become a trademark feature for the maker, as would the double functionality of the interior, through the Dormatic seats. First introduced on the 1935 Utilecon multi-purpose vehicles, the Dormatic seats could swivel and fold all the way down to become beds, and were described as comfortable seats for touring, eating and relaxing, or converting to full-length beds in an instant. Both features would peak in the Dormobile, and turn it into a highly popular RV option for British families from the early 50s and all the way through the late 80s.The first proper Dormobile was the 1952 model, a Bedford conversion that did not have the pop-up roof yet. It would be added to the model in 1957, and it would turn it into a smashing hit: at the press of a single button, the roof would open laterally on hinges and offer standing height. The roof-integrated windows for better ventilation and to avoid claustrophobia, since two people would be sleeping up there on canvas, fold-down bunk beds.Inside, you had two rows and four seats at the front, with the seats folding down and joining to become beds for two more adults . Swivel the first row towards the rear, plop a folding picnic table in between, and you had yourself a dining nook for all occupants. At the rear was the kitchen unit on both sides; the basic configuration offered a sink and two-burner stove, and cabinets, but higher-specced options included an ice box fridge and even a toilet. Fancy living is what this was!Its no surprise then that, soon, the Dormobile was on every British road, traveling in every direction, from coastline to the countryside. In 1969, Dormobile Ltd emerged as a separate entity from the Martin Walter campervan division, churning out hundreds of models from its new factory in Tile Kiln Lane, Bexley.Business took a turn for the worse in the late 80s, and in 1994, the entire Dormobile business shut down. Its still around, though: the company was sold off and reopened in 1997 and, today, theyre still making conversions using the trademarked side-hinged roof under the Dormobile name. Theyre also offering maintenance and repairs with original parts to the units of yore Speaking of the classics, many of them are still around. Mostly Bedfords and Ford Thames 400Es, many have been restored and are being shown around the country and the continent at various auto events, including the prestigious Goodwood Revival. The Dormobile community is very strong, both online and in person, and the love for this tiny, boxy and now-iconic campervan remains constant.
JAKARTA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia is recording 3,822 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, almost seven times higher than the 551 cases registered one month ago.

The death rate is not significantly increasing, figures suggested.

"The increase means that the transmissions grow worse again," spokesman for the country's COVID-19 Task Force Wiku Adisasmito told a virtual press briefing on Wednesday.

He said the positivity rate was also growing to 5.12 percent, beyond the World Health Organization's safety standard of 5 percent.

The spokesman urged all Indonesians to observe health protocols to avoid further spread of the virus. 
EV

The Hanoi-based car company is poised to raise roughly $4 billion through Credit Suisse and Citigroup to manufacture electric vehicles and batteries in the state of North Carolina. The funding is shaped by a mix of debt and equity. The two banks will reportedly each facilitate at least $2 billion in the financing, according to Asia-Nikkei.In April, Vinfast registered for an IPO in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that, if granted, would be the first for a Vietnamese company in the U.S. The news comes amid reports of the Ministry of Public Security in Vietnam investigating a misinformation probe surrounding Vingroup's founder Pham Nhat Vuong.Parent company Vingroup has joined a host of other Asian companies shifting manufacturing to the U.S., following South Korean automaker Hyundai and Taiwanese chip maker TSMC. The company is hopeful its marketing launch in California will garner the attention of a hungrymarket. Earlier this year, the state became the first in the nation with over 1 million registered electric vehicles, with one-third coming in 2021. In addition, according to the LA Times , the California Air Resources Board has proposed a mandate that 35% of all vehicles sold in California beginning with the 2026 model year be plug-in or other zero-emission vehicles.The Vingroup established itself as a maker of televisions and smartphones in Vietnam before making the leap to gas-powered vehicles inside Vietnam. The company reported a loss of 23.9 trillion Dong ($1.05 billion) in February due to slumping sales of gas-powered vehicles. The shift to EVs began last year with the design and development of the VF 8, which is expected to be priced at $40,700 for the base model.
kWh

Canoo just announced that Walmart has agreed to purchase 4,500 of its electric delivery vehicles, beginning with the LDV (lifestyle delivery vehicle), with the option to eventually buy up to 10,000 units. These all-electric vehicles will be used by Walmart for the delivery of its online orders, from groceries to general merchandise.The recently signed agreement is part of Walmart's plan to become emissions-free by 2040. Walmarts goal is to expand its last-mile delivery fleet in a sustainable way and to provide customers and Walmart+ members with more access to same-day deliveries while keeping costs low, as explained by David Guggina, Walmart's U.S. senior vice president of innovation and automation. Canoo s safe and ergonomic EVs will be driven by Walmart associates and might also be used for Walmart GoLocal, the companys delivery-as-a-service business.The retail corporation boasts of being able to reach 80 percent of the U.S. population with same-day delivery on a growing assortment of items.Canoos Lifestyle Delivery Vehicle is made on American soil and its optimized for sustainable last mile delivery applications. Just like all the manufacturers models, the LDV is also built on Canoos proprietary, multi-purpose platform architecture that integrates the motors, battery module, and other driving components. The vehicle uses true steer by wire technology, which reduces moving parts and cabin intrusion, and features a panoramic window for enhanced road visibility.The LDV is a two-seater with a payload capacity of 1,464 lb (664 kg) and an 80battery. It boasts a range of 200 miles (321 km) per charge.Canoo says that its LDV should hit the road next year but companies are already planning to kick off deliveries in the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex in the coming weeks, to refine and finalize vehicle configuration.
The leadership of the National Assembly affiliated with the party has increasingly threatened in recent weeks to ask the Constitutional Court to take such action. It was due to discuss the matter at a meeting slated for Thursday evening.

We have decided not to start such a process at this stage, Hrachya Hakobian, a Civil Contract lawmaker, told RFE/RLs Armenian Service hours before the scheduled meeting.

But we dont exclude that one day we will again discuss stripping them of their mandates, he said. I dont exclude that the [ruling partys parliamentary] faction will once again organize a discussion on this issue in September or October.

Hakobian, who is also Prime Minister Nikol Pashinians brother-in-law, said the parliaments pro-government majority is giving the opposition lawmakers another chance to return to the parliament.

One of those lawmakers, Gegham Manukian, dismissed the explanation, saying that the Armenian authorities simply want to avoid another blow to their democratic credentials.

I presume that some smart guy, who is definitely not a parliament deputy, told them, Guys you are going way over the top, disgracing the country, destroying the last ruins of our democratic bastion, and thats why they came out with such a statement, he said.

The 35 members of the 107-seat parliament representing the opposition Hayastan and Pativ Unem alliances began the boycott in April in advance of their daily demonstrations demanding Pashinians resignation. One of their leaders made clear on Monday that they will continue their boycott and hold more antigovernment rallies in the weeks ahead.

Under Armenian law, a parliament deputy can lose their seat if they skip, for non-legitimate reasons, at least half of parliament votes during a single semi-annual session of the National Assembly. The final decision to that effect is to be made by the Constitutional Court.

The parliaments leadership said earlier this week all 29 deputies representing Hayastan and four others affiliated with Pativ Unem can now be formally accused of absenteeism.
Anthem Blue Cross customers can breath a temporary sigh of relief. Dignity Health and Anthem will have a little more time to reach an agreemen
TASHKENT, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and visiting Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov held talks on Thursday to discuss expanding cooperation, especially in the energy sector, between the two neighboring Central Asian countries, the Uzbek president's press service said.

The Uzbek side expressed interest "in expanding cooperation in the energy sector, including the supply of electricity, gas and oil products from Turkmenistan," it said in a statement.

According to the statement, the Turkmen side also proposed diversifying and increasing trade relations, and developing industrial cooperation.

"Among the specific industries where our countries have great potential, we single out the agro-industrial complex, energy, chemical and petrochemical industries, engineering, textiles and pharmaceuticals," Berdimuhamedov was quoted as saying.

The leaders noted that the decisions taken on the creation of the Uzbek-Turkmen border trade zone and the opening of trading houses in both capital cities will contribute to maintaining positive dynamics and doubling the volume of trade in the coming years, the statement said.

According to the Uzbek Ministry of Investments and Foreign Trade, investment and trade agreements totaling 451 million U.S. dollars were signed during the Uzbek-Turkmen interregional business forum held in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, on Wednesday. 
One Lumberton native has taken home the gold.

Tricia Hidalgo recently was crowned Ms. USA by Pure International Pageants, competing in the modeling, formal wear and personal interview events that eventually gave her the high score.

In addition, Hidalgo won awards for her artwork, painting and photogenic entries during the recent Superstar Talent Competition.

Hidalgo, a 2013 Lamar University graduate with a master's degree in business, works for Hargrove Engineers and Constructors. She also volunteers as a career mentor with Dress for Success Houston to "help women identify their strengths and communicate them in the interview room," according to a news release.

RELATED: Neches River Festival's 74th queen is making history

Hidalgo's hopes to one day create her own #BeTheImpact project and help women to realize their strengths and use them to better themselves, their futures and to accomplish their goals.

Hidalgo will represent Pure International Pageants as a role model at festivals, parades, community activities and volunteer her time and effort to organizations.

She will move on next July to compete at the international competition in Orlando, Florida.

PURE is a Christian organization that strives to help contestants "love themselves and discover their self worth while building faith in Christ and restoring the family unit and expanding opportunities to improve communities around the world through our #BeTheImpact initiative," according to the organization's website.
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A Beaumont man on Thursday filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city of Beaumont, a police officer, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and the county jail's medical contractor, CorrHealth.

Christopher Shaw, his attorneys and representatives from the Rainbow PUSH Coalition announced the suits Thursday morning on the steps of the Jack Brooks Federal Building in Beaumont.

Shaw, 42, alleges that Beaumont Police Officer James Gillen on June 12, 2021 paralyzed him while in police custody.

In need of medical assistance and arrested for public intoxication, Shaw was taken by Beaumont police to Baptist Hospital for a safety check before being brought to the Jefferson County jail, according to one of his attorneys, Chance Lynch of North Carolina-based Lynch Law, PLLC.

RELATED: Paralyzed Beaumont man rejects plea bargain for alleged assault on officer

At the jail, Lynch said, Gillen attempted to bring Shaw inside where a "scuffle" occurred in which Shaw pulled away from Gillen, who then allegedly "reached for him and attempted to slam him on the concrete."

Both men fell, then three or four deputies from the jail came to assist.

Lynch said he and the other attorneys viewed video footage, which has not been released to the public, of what occurred once Shaw was brought inside the jail.

"When (Shaw) got inside, as a result of noncompliance, the three deputies had Mr. Shaw against a glass wall beside the book-in area," Lynch said. "Mr. Shaw, and I want to be very clear, was under the complete control and custody of those three deputies of the Jefferson County jail. He posed no threat, no risk to anyone in that proceeding."

RELATED: National civil rights leaders demand justice for Beaumont man

Lynch said the video showed that Gillen "snatched" Shaw, who was already handcuffed and detained by the three deputies, and flipped him in the air, causing him to land on his head on the concrete floor.

"Blood poured out of his head due to a laceration caused by the concrete floor," Lynch said. "The officer fell on top of him. And while the officer got up, (Shaw) laid there unconscious, not knowing what happened to him."

Shaw was then brought back to Baptist Hospital and released after a brief evaluation, Lynch said.

Gillen then took Shaw back to the jail.

RELATED: Activists looking to take Shaw case national

"Video surveillance shows that when Mr. Shaw arrived and got out of the patrol vehicle that he was placed in a wheelchair and an assisting officer had to help Gillen get him inside the Jefferson County jail by holding up Mr. Shaw's legs," Lynch said. "The jail surveillance video also shows that Mr. Shaw was slumped in his seat outside of a normal posture that he could not control his legs and had very little control over his arms."

Lynch said Shaw was placed on a bed but slid off because he had no control over his extremities.

"Mr. Shaw begged for assistance," Lynch said. "He asked the nurse that was on staff to help him. But what did she say? This is what she said, 'I'm not going to help you until you help yourself.' No one helped him. Using the restroom on himself, he laid in his own feces and urine and they still wouldn't help."

After almost 24 hours, Lynch said Shaw's breathing became labored and he once again asked for help.

RELATED: Beaumont citizens, activists march for Chris Shaw

An ambulance took Shaw to another hospital where he was determined to be paralyzed from the chest down, Lynch said.

Shaw has since undergone several surgeries but still cannot walk, he said.

After the incident, Shaw was indicted by a grand jury for assault on a peace officer and Gillen was cleared by the same jury.

Beaumont Police Chief James Singletary at the time said he stood by officer Gillen.

RELATED: Officials announce reforms after man paralyzed in police van

Singletary on Thursday said he could not comment on the lawsuit due to litigation.

Jefferson County Sheriff Zena Stephens on Thursday said that she was unaware of the lawsuit.

Beaumont City Attorney Sharae Reed said Thursday that she could not yet comment on the allegations made against the city because the city had not been served with a lawsuit yet.

"It baffles me that we stand outside of the federal courthouse in Beaumont, Texas on the corner of a street called Liberty while we fight for this man who was able-bodied, who was arrested for a misdemeanor of public intoxication," Lynch said. "It should baffle you and it should enrage you to ask a number of questions, to demand accountability."

RELATED: ENTERPRISE EDITORIAL: America cannot accept any more victims like like George Floyd

Co-council Harry Daniels of Georgia-based The Law Offices of Harry Daniels, LLC, at the news conference said that Shaw's case is similar to that of Randy Cox, a Connecticut man whose story gained national attention after video footage was released showing Cox sustaining an injury in the back of a police van that left him partially paralyzed.

"The difference, why the world's media is not here in Beaumont, is because the Beaumont officials have not released the video," Daniels said. "They've given us the indication that (releasing the video) may (compromise) security to the jail, but guess what? That same security and image that they're talking about is on the Beaumont sheriff's website. The same intake room for processing has a picture on the Beaumont sheriff's website. And that's the same place where Mr. Shaw was assaulted by Officer Gillen."

Shaw's attorneys and The Rainbow PUSH Coalition are asking for the video of the incident to be released in the name of justice and transparency.

Daniels said CorrHealth is included in the suit for the alleged "deliberate indifference of treatment" of Shaw.

RELATED: 'Wanted fugitive' arrested in Houston following Port Arthur child's death

"(Shaw) has a constitutional right -- a 14th Amendment right to be protected -- to get medical attention and aid. It didn't happen," Daniels said. "He's paralyzed. Who knows what (would have happened) if they acted promptly? Maybe Mr. Shaw would be standing here with us today, not in a wheelchair."

CorrHealth did not respond to a request for comment by press time Thursday.

The attorneys team has been in contact with the United States Attorney's Civil Rights Division for the Eastern District of Texas, who have sent the case to the local FBI field office, Daniels said.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages but Lynch said the suit isn't about finances, it's about families.

"This family will never be the same because of the actions of that officer and the inactions of those medical professionals that owed him a duty to give him medical attention they chose not to," he said.
Local environmental advocates recently joined with others across the nation to push the state agency charged with regulating air quality to address reportedly long-standing issues that disproportionately harm Black, Latino and low-income communities across the state.

A petition, which was sent late last month, was written by a coalition of representatives from 13 environmental justice organizations, including the Environmental Integrity Project, Earthjustice and the Port Arthur Community Action Network. It asks the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to take on "systemic deficiencies" by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality that don't include environmental justice review in air permitting and create barriers to public participation, according to Earthjustice Fossil Fuels Program Senior Attorney Erin Gaines.

"Until EPA addresses the deficiencies identified in the petition, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality will continue its discriminatory practices that ignore input from the communities most harmed by air pollution and neglect to evaluate environmental justice impacts in permitting decisions," said a news release from Environmental Integrity Project.

TCEQ Media and Community Relations Manager Laura Lopez declined to comment on the petition.

The petition focuses on three "significant barriers" that result in a lack of public participation in the TCEQ air permit proceedings and "are unlawful under the Clean Air Act," the release said.

The groups say that Texas law limits the people who can participate in hearings that contest air permits and allows TCEQ to define those "affected persons" to those who live more than 1 mile from the facility seeking the permit "even though air pollution is not contained to this short boundary," the release said.

The agency also denies public access to certain documents that industry members can designate as "confidential," even though they contain "critical facts about pollution releases," the release said. The process to make these documents public can take many months.

The third barrier raised by the group is Texas's permit-by-rule program, which allows certain plants to emit more pollution without showing its increases are safe or soliciting comment from members of the community.

RELATED: Local advocates detail impact of Supreme Court EPA decision

Gaines said the coalition started to work together about a year ago and came up with the idea to petition the EPA due to the continual air quality issues members of the team have seen.

"This petition is seeking to have the EPA take action on some systemic deficiencies that we have seen through working on the ground with communities who are fighting air pollution permits," Gaines said. "The petition specifically focuses on environmental justice and TCEQ's refusal to do any environmental justice review in air permitting, as well as three key barriers to public participation that also disproportionately harm environmental justice communities."

Gaines said the air permitting programs that TCEQ operates are delegated from EPA, from the federal government.

"It's important because right now, as you can see in environmental justice communities where industry is disproportionately harming African American, Latino, low income communities across our state," Gaines said. "This is explaining some of the reasons why that is happening and some of the barriers to achieving environmental justice and reducing air pollution and stopping new facilities or expansion in these areas."

Gaines said air quality is particularly important to Southeast Texas communities because they are surrounded by refineries, export terminals and petrochemical facilities. She explained these issues have been raised with TCEQ repeatedly, but they refuse to do anything about it.

"It's also important because we now have an EPA and administration both at the regional level and national level that have made very bold commitments to environmental justice," Gaines said. "We're providing this and remedies of how they can fix these problems at TCEQ."

RELATED: Texas environmental groups sue EPA

Environmental Integrity Project Senior Attorney Gabriel Clark-Leach said the issues the coalition is petitioning "are real, significant, long-standing problems."

"We're hoping that EPA will sort of perform its duties, exercise its authority granted under federal law to require Texas to reform its programs such that members of the public are able to participate in these processes as federal law contemplates," Clark-Leach said. "And environmental justice communities that have been disproportionately harmed for so long, will at least get the protections that the law guarantees and that they won't be sort of locked out of the benefits of federal law."

Clark-Leach said the issues the coalition is petitioning "are real, significant, long standing problems."

"We're hoping that the EPA will promptly respond to the petition and explain whether or not the agency agrees with our arguments that action needs to be taken," Clark-Leach said. "If the EPA agrees with us, the next step is for them to inform Texas that its programs are deficient and that starts a clock for Texas to fix its programs."

At that point if Texas fails to fix the programs, it will become the EPA's responsibility to step in, establish regulations and make changes to the system to address the problem, Clark-Leach said.
COPENHAGEN, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Denmark has detected the first case of the Omicron subvariant BA.2.75 thanks to its COVID-19 sequencing efforts, the Health Ministry said on Thursday.

"Although the BA.2.75 subvariant has caused more infections in some countries than any other known variant, it is unknown whether it will be able to compete with BA. 5. (which is dominant) in Denmark," said the Health Ministry on Twitter.

"It is currently unknown whether BA.2.75 is more contagious than other variants and whether it evades immunity after infection and vaccination to a greater extent. It is also unclear whether the variant provides a more serious course," said the Ministry.

The case was discovered in a Dane who had returned from vacation in Greece, where he or she was most likely infected, Danish news agency Ritzau quoted Soren Alexandersen, professional director with the Statens Serum Institut (SSI) as saying.

According to Alexandersen, the new subvariant is more contagious than previous Omicron variants due to a number of mutations in the so-called Spike protein.

The SSI director did not deny the possibility of further infections of the new sub-variant in Denmark.

"If BA.2.75 gains ground in Denmark, we could see a new small peak here this summer."

BA.2.75 was first detected in India. There are fears that it may spread rapidly and get around immunity from vaccines and previous infections.

By July 12, Denmark had reported 3,199,299 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 6,530 coronavirus-related deaths.

With COVID-19 infections on the rise, Denmark has announced plans to provide a fourth vaccine dose this autumn to nearly 2.5 million people living in nursing homes or aged over 50. 
A 24-year-old woman was arrested Wednesday in connection with a May 10 killing.

Lace Skyler Christian was arrested at her home and taken to the Jefferson County jail, according to a news release from the Port Arthur Police Department.

Christian is accused in the killing of Russell Vernon Reado.

The 71-year-old was found dead inside his home in the 1600 block of Maple Avenue. Police received a call at 5 p.m. for a shooting victim, a previous department news release said.

"Initial investigation revealed that the victim sustained a fatal gunshot wound," police said at the time.

kaitlinbain@beaumontenterprise.com

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Activists demonstrate in front of the district police superintendents office to protest the suspicious death of journalist Hasibur Rahman Rubel, in Kushtia, Bangladesh, July 14, 2022.

Press advocates and relatives of journalist Hasibur Rahman Rubel are calling on authorities to swiftly investigate his death earlier this month  the fourth Bangladeshi reporter to die under suspicious circumstances this year.

Rubel, 31, the acting editor of local daily Kushtiar Khabar and district correspondent for the Amader Notun Somoy newspaper, was last seen leaving his office on July 3 to respond to a phone call and his body was recovered four days later from the Garai river in Kushtia, a district in western Bangladesh, according to his uncle.

Citing local news reports and a journalist familiar with the case, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said Rubel had informed his office assistant that he would return soon and, after he did not return that night, his brother filed a missing persons notice with police.

Rubels uncle, Mizanur Rahman, filed a murder case on July 8 at the Kumarkhali police station in Kushtia, located 130 miles from the capital Dhaka.

We are very much disappointed as we have seen no progress in the case so far. But on the day of the incident, police said that 80 percent progress had been achieved in identifying and arresting the accused, Rahman told BenarNews.

We dont understand why they cant do anything or the police are not doing anything. Now, I am worried about whether the whole family will be plunged into danger, he said.

Since Rubels death, journalists have been staging daily demonstrations in Kushtia, where they protested at the district police chiefs office on Thursday.

Today is the last day of our week-long protest  but police have not been able to say anything about the killing or who was involved in it, Kushtia Editors Forum President Mujibul Sheikh told reporters.

Mostafizur Rahman, the additional superintendent of police in Kushtia, challenged complaints about the investigation.

Police have taken the matter seriously. Several teams are working on this. We hope to arrest those involved in the killing as soon as possible, he told BenarNews.

Rahman, meanwhile, said Rubel was last seen after receiving a call on his mobile phone around 9 p.m. on July 3.

Although no marks were found on Rubels body, there were signs of hanging from a rope on the back of his neck. Everything will become clear after we get the autopsy report, Rahman said.

Activist Nur Khan, a former executive director of Ain-O-Salish Kendra, a local human rights group, said the suspicious deaths of journalists needed to stop.

We have seen incidents like killing and torture of journalists in the past, due to the publication of objective news in the country, he told BenarNews.

Attacks on newsmen need to be taken seriously. Such crimes cannot be eradicated from the society if the murders remain as mysteries for eternity or justice is delayed due to negligence, he said.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Committee to Protect Journalists also called on authorities to carry out a thorough investigation.

Bangladesh authorities must conduct a swift and impartial investigation into the disappearance and death of journalist Hasibur Rahman Rubel, determine if he was targeted for his work, and ensure that any perpetrators are brought to justice, said Robert Mahoney , CPJs executive director, in a news release on Wednesday.

Authorities must work to end Bangladeshs dreadful record of allowing journalists deaths to remain unsolved and to wallow in impunity.

Unsolved cases

The news release noted that Bangladesh ranked 11th on its 2021 global impunity index , pointing to six unsolved murders of journalists. The nation moved up one spot from 2020 because of the convictions of the men who killed blogger Avijit Roy. He was hacked to death in February 2015 as he left a Dhaka book fair.

Rubel is the fourth journalist to die under suspicious circumstances in Bangladesh this year, according to Article 19, a United Kingdom-based human rights group working for free speech.

Mohiuddin Sarkar Nayem, 19, a reporter with the local daily Comillar Dak, was fatally shot on April 13 while working in the Burichang sub-district of Comilla.

On June 6, Police recovered the body of journalist Abu Jafar Pradeep, 35, from a pond in the Kalapara sub-district of Patuakhali.

Two days later, the body of Abdul Bari, 28, a senior production executive at DBC News, was recovered from the banks of Hatirjheel lake in Dhaka.
Activists carry signs as various groups protest to mark the final year in office of then-President Rodrigo Duterte near the Malacanang Palace in Manila, June 30, 2021.

The acting Philippine police chief called on Thursday for reinstating capital punishment for big-time drug traffickers and so-called high-value targets, despite a relentless counter-narcotics crackdown by the previous government that just left office.

While new President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had said in an earlier interview that he did not believe the death penalty would reduce crime, Lt. Gen. Vicente Danao, the officer-in-charge of the Philippine National Police, said the reinstatement of capital punishment was long overdue.

Danao said he supported a bill filed by Sen. Ronald dela Rosa  the former national police chief who had led the war on drugs  on reinstating the death penalty, abolished in 2006, for large-scale illegal drug trafficking.

First of all, we know the harmful effects of illegal drugs on humans. Especially for those who are drug dealers who were caught with so many kilos of illegal drugs, I think its high time to really bring back the death penalty, especially in that aspect of illegal drugs, Danao said.

Danao made the comments as the International Criminal Court (ICC) is set to investigate former President Rodrigo Dutertes relentless drug war that left thousands of suspected dealers and addicts dead.

Allaying fears that his bill is anti-poor, Sen. Dela Rosa said he was advocating the death penalty only for high-level drug traffickers.

Theres no high-level drug trafficker who can be considered small-time. Those ordinary street drug pushers will not be included, only big-time drug traffickers, Dela Rosa said in a television interview on July 8.

The senator is the ex-police chief who enforced Dutertes controversial and bloody anti-drugs policy in its early stages before he himself became a politician. The former president was also in favor of capital punishment and under his administration, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed legislation in 2017 to restore the death penalty, but the Senate blocked it.

Now, Dela Rosa is confident the measure will be approved because the new chairperson of the justice and human rights committee tasked to handle the proposal, Sen. Francis Tolentino, does not oppose capital punishment.

Dela Rosa has also said that given the chance, he would ask President Marcos to certify the measure as urgent.

But Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, who is expected to become the next Senate President, said the Marcos administration was unlikely to prioritize the measure. Marcos is set to announce his priority legislative agenda during his first State of the Nation address on July 25.

The countrys Commission on Human Rights has repeatedly opposed proposals to revive the death penalty, saying it would violate obligations made under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and its Second Optional Protocol, which requires signatories to abolish the death penalty.
Thai authorities are searching for three Uyghur men who escaped from an immigration detention center in central Thailand earlier this week, a police investigator said Thursday.

The trio broke out of their cell before dawn on Monday, police Col. Rattapong Tiasud told BenarNews. The fugitives used a sharp tool to saw their way through metal bars as they escaped from the detention center in Prachuap Khiri Khan province, about 320 km (199 miles) south of Bangkok, according to an image that BenarNews obtained from another source.

We are searching for them, and Im awaiting reports from the ground. The search is a bit slow because of the public holidays lately, said Rattapong, an investigator at the immigration bureau.

He identified the escapees by one name each  Ali, 25, Abdulla, 30, and Abdullah, 29.

As of late Thursday, the escapees were believed to be still at large. They were among more than four dozen Uyghurs who were being held at detention centers across Thailand after they allegedly entered the country illicitly while fleeing from northwestern China.

The Uyghur people, who inhabit the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), are a Muslim minority who have long endured persecution and repression by the Chinese government, cases of which have been well documented by human rights groups. Since 2017, Chinese authorities have ramped up a harsh clampdown on Turkic-speaking minorities including Uyghurs in Xinjiang through arbitrary arrests and lengthy detentions in internment camps.

In March 2021, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken labeled Beijings treatment of the Uyghurs as a genocide as he released his departments annual report on the state of human rights worldwide.

A Thai activist estimated that 52 to 56 Uyghurs were being held at detention centers nationwide.

Thai officials said the Uyghurs were detained after fleeing from XUAR as they tried to travel through Thailand in the hope of finding asylum in Turkey or other countries. The exodus began in 2013 and 2014 when about 475 fled to Thailand.

Since then, other Uyghurs have entered the country in a series of smaller waves.

Rights activists said human smuggling rings had allegedly aided Uyghurs entering Thailand from Myanmar and Laos. The asylum seekers traveled by roads and sometimes trekked through jungles to avoid police checkpoints along the way to Malaysia, but most ended up being rounded up in the far southern province of Songkhla, near the Malaysian border.

Those still held in detention centers are in an immigration limbo because China wants them back while Thailand has not decided what to do, said Chalida Tajaroensuk, director of the Peoples Empowerment Foundation, a Thai NGO that assists Uyghur refugees in the country.

They have been detained for nearly 10 years. So the government should consider releasing them, find them a good place to live  and never, ever send them back to China because that means sending them to death, Chalida told BenarNews in June.

Also, we would be very grateful if the Thai government allowed them to leave for third-country asylum. But it has hit a deadlock due to the Chinese governments pressure on Thailand.

Anniversary statement

Last week, the World Uyghur Congress announced it was among 52 international organizations calling for an end to the prolonged detention of Uyghurs by the Thai government.

The statement, released on July 8, marked the seventh anniversary of the forced deportation of about 100 Uyghurs, including women and children to China. The deportation occurred after Thailand sent about 170 women and children to Turkey, a traditional haven for Uyghurs fleeing persecution in Xinjiang.

The statement followed efforts in June by more than a dozen Thai and international organizations who lodged a petition to the parliaments foreign affairs committee seeking assurances that those being held in Thailand would not be sent back to China.

Rangsiman Rome, a member of the House foreign affairs committee, said he had received the petition and promised the NGOs that lawmakers would address the matter.
BEIRUT, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Austria offered to contribute to the reconstruction of the Beirut port alongside other European Union members, according to a statement by Lebanon's Presidency on Thursday.

The offer was made when Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer met with Lebanese President Michel Aoun to discuss ways to boost ties between the two countries.

"The port is very important, especially in light of the current food crisis; we have looked with Lebanese authorities into ways to cooperate in this regard," Nehammer said after the meeting.

Nehammer said he hoped that a new Lebanese government would form quickly so Austria could cooperate with it and provide necessary assistance in the port reconstruction and food support in light of the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

For his part, Aoun said that Lebanon welcomes Austria's contribution to the port reconstruction while reiterating the country's commitment to protecting the oil and gas wealth in the Exclusive Economic Zone in southern Lebanon.

Aoun also thanked Austria for its participation in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon and its various donations to help Lebanon combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lebanon has been suffering from an unprecedented financial crisis, which was further exacerbated by the Beirut port blasts that killed over 200 people and destroyed a big part of the city. 
MOSCOW, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Nations have reached consensus on some issues regarding grain exports and the negotiation will continue, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Thursday.

There was a substantive discussion during the talks in Turkey's Istanbul on Wednesday and some elements of possible agreements were formulated, the ministry's spokesperson Maria Zakharova said at a briefing.

Russian, Ukrainian and Turkish authorities are now considering the results of the first round of the talks, and after that contacts in the same format will be resumed, Zakharova said.

The Turkish Defense Ministry announced the end of the talks on Wednesday on Twitter without disclosing any immediate results or whether the talks would continue.

The meeting came at a time when global food prices have soared with growing concerns about food shortages due to the prolonged Ukraine crisis. 
Greg Sukiennik has worked at all three Vermont News & Media newspapers and was their managing editor from 2017-19. He previously worked for ESPN.com, for the AP in Boston, and at The Berkshire Eagle in Pittsfield, Mass.
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us

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The Vermont Office of the United States Attorney stated Thursday that Daeshawn Jones, 21, of Holyoke, Mass., was sentenced on July 12 by U.S. District Judge Christina in Burlington to 47 months imprisonment. On March 3, Reiss sentenced Alexander Johnson, 25, of Manchester, who had pleaded guilty to selling cocaine base, to 27 months in prison.
One cast member of An Untitled Love, the 2021 dance by the postmodern choreographer Kyle Abraham, has called the piece a Black love sitcom dance. Abraham, meanwhile, has called it his love letter to the neo-soul songs of DAngelo & The Vanguard. I call it a match made in art heaven, a love supreme.
Denzel Lafayette of North Adams has been found guilty in Bennington Superior Court of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old while in possession of a deadly weapon.
PERU  A lot can happen in 250 years. In a quarter of a millennium, the Berkshire County town of Peru has seen a name change, a short-lived gold rush scam and two notable plane crashes, among other stories.

On Saturday, Peru will celebrate its Sestercentennial. Though that milestone came in 2021, this weekends town-wide event was postponed due to the pandemic. Events will include music, food and explorations of the towns past.

Peru is home today to 814 people, according to the 2020 census, not counting the animals, including six that would feel at home in the other Peru as well: llamas.

It is small enough for the town librarian, Ruth Calaycay, not to need library cards to know whos borrowing what.

Kim Leach, the town clerk, said Perus size creates a lot of closeness, and community. Everybodys kind of a neighbor to everybody else up here. Its a close community. You can call your neighbors, or anywhere in town, and theyll be there if you need them, she said.

Originally named Partridgefield after one of the three purchasers of the land, Oliver Partridge, Peru was incorporated in 1771. The town legally predates the United States, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the U.S. Constitution and the majority of independent nations around the world, including the Republic of Peru, according to the Sestercentennial History Book of the Town of Peru.

In 1806, following complaints that the name was too long, the town decided to change its name.

The Rev. John Leland suggested Peru, citing similarities with the hilly country thats home to the Inca. It is like the Peru of South America, a mountain town, and if no gold or silver mines are under her rocks, she favors hard money and begins with a P, as quoted by Perus website.

Mysteries from the Morgue: Was the Berkshire gold rush an elaborate hoax? The crowd gathered at the Hinsdale Mining Co. on Oct. 7, 1899, held its breath as the hammer fell upon the clay crucible in the center of the room. It cracked, splinters flying into the air, as a 

Another notable event came in 1899, when Prof. John E. Sutphen convinced Berkshire County that there was a gold in the hills of a neighboring town. Many from Peru and beyond invested, only to lose their money, because two years later Sutphen told the miners he had fabricated the evidence.

Jim Kenney, chair of the Historical Commission, often shares the tragic story of a 1942 plane crash, during World War II, which caused the death of 16 paratroopers. [People in Peru] went up to rescue the survivors, After that the town stayed in touch with the survivors as well as built this monument and has a nice plaque with all of their names included, said Kenney.

All the small and large stories that make up this towns long history will now be accessible at the Peru Library.

The local history section features artifacts like a wool comb from the 18th century and documents such as the 1800 census.

People in Peru are really proud of their history. We have the goods  we have artifacts, we have really old photographs, we have the stories, said Calaycay, the librarian, who has been organizing mountains of archives in the past half year.

She said that, due to the towns age, many come to her from out of state attempting to trace where their families used to live. One woman came from Tennessee because she couldnt find on ancestry.com the location of a house that her ancestors lived in. She thought [it could be] Peru, and I was able to pull [a map] out, said Calaycay. They used to put the names of the families right on the map [and] the name of the family is on the map. If you can get the map, then you can tell the person where their ancestor lived.

In some cases, the library has pictures of the homes of the first settlers, including the dates they were built, the name of the people who built them, and sometimes artifacts found later in the ground.

Perus Saturday celebration will itself be one for the archives, including games for kids, a veterans tribute, a march (which organizers emphasize is not a parade), and fireworks.

Ed Munch, a former Select Board member and car collector, is looking forward to the car show.

It should be a lot of fun. Its supposed to be a nice day. The car show should be really exciting, said Munch.

One town panel is also working on creating future artifacts.

A time capsule is being prepared for the tricentennial celebration of Perus founding. Kenney, of the Historical Commission, said members are thinking about what should go inside.

A mask for COVID, certainly, he said. Some photos, some mementos. Somebody brought a big chunk of steel from the communications tower. I said, I think thats a little too big.

On Saturday, they will take photos of the towns children with their names, to include in the capsule, hoping they can dig up the past in 50 years.

Until then, the location of the time capsule will be kept a secret.
ZAGREB, July 14 (Xinhua) -- An estimated 3,300 hectares of land has been burned in the severe wildfire in central Croatia, a source with the government said Thursday.

The flames are now under control in Sibenik-Knin County, yet about 330 firefighters are still on guard at the fire site, said Damir Trut, director of the Directorate of Civil Protection.

He said an investigation has been launched to find out the cause of the fire as well as the exact damages incurred.

Meanwhile, Marko Jelic, prefect of the county, will launch an initiative to declare a state of major disaster, which will ensure additional financial resources to help the local residents whose homes have been damaged, he told local television N1.

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said Thursday the government will assess the damages and render support to the fire-devastated areas.

Three fires broke out in Croatia on Wednesday, with the worst in Sibenik-Knin County. No casualties have been reported, but about 20 houses were burned down. 




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
IMPROVING AIR QUALITY QUOTIENT WITH TECH

Air quality affects all living organisms in diverse ways. Airborne pathogenic microbes are associated with many infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), avian flu, anthrax, and SARS-CoV-2. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the real need for mechanisms to control the spread of airborne respiratory pathogens. Thus, preventing the spread of disease from pathogens has come to the forefront of the public consciousness. And this has brought an increasing demand for novel technologies to prioritise clean air by both big and small players. Startups are flaring up with innovations and technology that have the potential to change the situation, providing methods to combat air pollution and related infections sustainably, intelligently and in an affordable manner.

For Feedback, please email us at: communications@mmactiv.com
BASE brings to Infosys domain experts with commercial, medical, digital marketing, clinical, regulatory, and quality know-how

IT firm Infosys has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Denmark-based BASE life science, leading technology and consulting firm in the life sciences industry, in Europe.

The acquisition reaffirms the commitment to helping global life sciences companies realise business value from cloud-first digital platforms and data to speed-up clinical trials and scale drug development, positively impacting lives and achieving better health outcomes.

BASE brings to Infosys, domain experts with commercial, medical, digital marketing, clinical, regulatory, and quality know-how. Backed by a team of data science specialists, BASE is at the frontier of the latest technological developments and trends. It has a strong focus on data and AI, and the ability to bridge and integrate business logic and technology, driving insights for better health outcomes.

Together with Infosys, BASE will further expand its portfolio of expertise into consumer health, animal health, medtech and genomics segments. BASE collaborates with leading software technology providers in the life sciences industry such as Veeva, IQVIA and Salesforce. The acquisition is expected to close during the second quarter of fiscal 2023, subject to customary closing conditions.
Growth of the sample set to be supported by 6-8 per cent growth in the domestic market

The revenue growth of ICRAs sample set of 16 Indian pharmaceutical companies is estimated to moderate to 6-7 per cent in FY2023 after witnessing a Y-o-Y growth in revenues of 8.5 per cent in Q4 FY2022 and 7.7 per cent in FY2022 to Rs 1.87 lakh crore. The sample set revenue growth will be supported by 6-8 per cent YoY growth in the domestic market, 11-13 per cent in the emerging markets and 8-10 per cent in the European business. Growth in the US business, however, is expected to be muted at 1-3 per cent, owing to continued pricing pressures in the generics business.

ICRA expects the operating profit margin (OPM) of the sample set to moderate to 20.2 per cent in FY2023 from 21.5 per cent in FY2022 given the continued pricing pressures in the US generics market and high raw material and other input costs. The extent of the impact on margins will differ from company to company depending on the product portfolio, the geographic mix of revenues and the diversification of the vendor base.

The OPM for the sample set contracted to 18.3 per cent in Q4 FY2022 from 22.3 per cent in Q4 FY2021 and 21 per cent in Q3 FY2022. This was majorly on account of rising costs of raw materials, other input costs such as freight, packaging among others, pricing pressures in the US generics market (which is generally the most profitable market), and inventory write-offs for COVID-19 products for a few companies in the sample.

During Q4 FY2022, the Y-o-Y revenue growth for the sample set in the domestic market was healthy at 13.5 per cent, supported by new product launches, market share gains for some companies in the sample set, and robust performance of both chronic/acute segments.

The emerging markets witnessed a healthy Y-o-Y growth of 14.3 per cent in revenues in Q4 FY2022, although revenues were marginally lower by 2 per cent on a Q-o-Q basis. Overall growth for FY2022 was healthy at 17 per cent on a Y-o-Y basis and was broad-based, spread across all key regions. This was driven by new product launches, low base, strong demand and depreciation of the INR against certain currencies.

ICRA expects the research and development (R&D) expenses to stabilise at current levels of 7-7.5 per cent of revenues for its sample set as companies continue to focus on complex generics, first-to-file opportunities and speciality products, which entail higher R&D expenses. Stable investments in R&D to develop such products will support growth and margin improvement over the medium term.

The outlook for the Indian pharma industry remains stable led by the expectation of continued healthy revenue growth and margins.
The 2022 Television Academy's 74th Emmy nominees have been announced and include the category, Outstanding Commercial.

Source:  The Mill The Mill Walter the Cat Chevy Silverado is one of the nominees in the 2022 Emmys Outstanding Commercial category

Nominated in the category are Change the Refs The Lost Class and Apple iPhone 13 Pro's Detectives, both which earned top honours at Cannes. The Lost Class and the agency that created it, Leo Burnett Chicago, also won at the ADC Awards, the Clio Awards and The One Show.

The nominations for Outstanding Commercial include:

Detectives  Apple iPhone 13 Pro: Agency: Apple; Production company: O Positive

Everyone But Jon Hamm  Apple TV+: Agency: Media Arts Lab; Production company: Hungry Man Productions

The Lost Class  Change the Ref: Agency: Leo Burnett Chicago; Production company: Hungry Man Productions

Skate Nation Ghana  Meta: Agency: Droga5; Production company: Love Song

Teenage Dream  Sandy Hook Promise: Agency: BBDO New York; Production company: Smuggler

Walter the Cat  Chevy Silverado: Agency: Commonwealth//McCann; Production company: O Positive

The 2022 Emmy Awards take place on Monday, 12 September in the US.

This article appeared in AdWeek, oringally written by Shannon Miller
Moulding the future

Entitled Moulding the Future, the first global Clubfoot Africa Conference will take place 21-23 November this year. A hybrid event, onsite delegates will be hosted at the UCT GSB Conference Centre in Cape Town.

Karen Moss, founder and director of STEPS, the conference host says: In 2020, we had to take the difficult decision to cancel the Conference in the interests of safety. We are so thankful to our sponsors and partners for sticking with us and making it possible to create a platform for global experts and colleagues to join together for the first time in Africa!

The South African population has the second highest rate of clubfoot incidence in the world, affecting no fewer than 2,000 babies each year. A first for Africa, this Conference will not only bring specialists together to discuss treatment options but, as essentially, provide platforms for all stakeholders including patients families to gain cutting-edge information.

South Africa has in-depth knowledge about clubfoot treatment in resource-restricted environments, says Moss. We have also benefitted from working with specialists around the world who have shared their skills and expertise with us via webinars over the last two years. This years conference brings with it the opportunity to reach an even wider audience and to share learnings and ways to ensure that every single child born with clubfoot is treated and able to go on to live and enjoy a mobile life.

Clubfoot Africa Conference will focus on the following themes:

Clubfoot treatment in resource restricted settings

Innovation and technology in the treatment of clubfoot

Clubfoot in the older walking child

The fee structure is tiered according to the World Bank List of Economies to ensure that fees are kept affordable across the global delegate base.

To review the draft programme and impressive list of speakers, please visit Clubfoot Africa Conference.




The town of Franschhoek in the Western Cape has made Time Magazine's prestigious list of 'World's Greatest Places' for 2022. This collection includes 50 destinations from around the world that Time's correspondents and contributors nominated for exploring because of the destination's offer of "new and exciting experiences."

Source: Olga Ernst via Wikimedia Commons

The provincial minister of finance and economic opportunities, Mireille Wenger says: "This is excellent news, which once again puts a Western Cape destination on the world map, at precisely the time we are looking to boost our visitor numbers far beyond their 2019 levels."

She continues: "Just in this past week, we have learnt how our visitor numbers from key source markets are recovering to pre-pandemic levels, and that two Western Cape restaurants are in the global top 100 list. Together, this reminds us that there is still so much on offer in our beautiful province, with its diversity of experiences being amongst the best in the world. I encourage South Africans, in particular, to get out and see the beauty our province has to offer."

Valley of dreams

The mayor of Stellenbosch Municipality, Gesie van Deventer, joined Wenger in welcoming the announcement. "It isn't difficult to see where Franschhoek gets its flair - from the majestic mountains surrounding the historic village to an endless array of activities, from internationally acclaimed wine farms to a wide array of local businesses.

"This gem of a town has cemented itself not only as one of South Africa's culinary capitals but also as a must-see for any local and international tourist. We are proud that Franschhoek has made this prestigious list and welcome all visitors to our valley with open arms. Their continued support sustains thousands of jobs, said van Deventer.

CEO of Franschhoek Tourism, Ruth McCourt adds: "We are immensely proud that our valley has been recognised (once again) as one of the "greatest places" in the world to visit. We continue to strive for and celebrate the diversity of our unique village that attracts both local and international visitors. And indeed, puts the whole of South Africa on the world tourism stage."

Wenger concludes: "When I was sworn in as Provincial Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, I said that I was on the job for jobs. Leveraging our tourism and hospitality sector to do so is one of my priorities, and so, we will focus on removing the barriers that stand in the way of this sector, boost our destination marketing, and connect our region to more places around the world."
The Competition Commission has released the provisional findings and recommendations from its Online Platforms Market Inquiry, which are likely to have a significant impact on the way South Africa's largest online players do business.

Source: Takealot

The Commission launched the probe into competition and participation in the online economy last year, in response to the growing importance of the online economy and competition concerns in these markets emerging in other countries. The purpose was to ensure that consumers and businesses that use online platforms to reach consumers benefit from competition amongst online platforms, and that SMEs and historically disadvantaged businesses also get to participate fairly in the online economy.

This Commission's provisional report released on Wednesday, 15 July, follows 14 months of evidence gathering, public hearings, and in-camera hearings into online intermediation platforms including e-commerce, app stores, travel & accommodation platforms, food delivery and online classifieds.

The inquiry identified the country's leading platforms in each category, which are those that get the most consumer traffic, and its findings apply to these platforms in particular. The platforms were listed as follows: Takealot, Apple App Store, Google Play Store, Booking.com, Airbnb, Mr Delivery, Uber Eats, Property24, Private Property, AutoTrader, and Cars.co.za along with Google Search (including its specialist search units such as Google Shopping and Google Travel).

Potential changes to Google search results

Internet giant Google was singled out in the report for a lack of transparency around paid search results.

The Commission said that Google Search plays an important role in directing consumers to the different platforms, and in this way shapes platform competition. "The prevalence of paid search at the top of the search results page without adequate identifiers as advertising raises platform customer acquisition costs and favours large, often global, platforms. Preferential placement of their own specialist search units also distorts competition in Googles favour," the Commission said.

The inquiry therefore recommends that paid results are prominently labelled as advertising with borders and shading to be clearer to consumers and that the top of the page is reserved for organic, or natural, search results based on relevance only, uninfluenced by payments. The inquiry also recommends Google allows competitors to compete for prominence in a search by having their own specialist units and with no guaranteed positions for Google specialist units.

The inquiry is also looking into whether the default position of Google Search on mobile devices should end in South Africa.

Fair competition amongst platforms

In terms of competition amongst platforms, the inquiry makes the following provisional findings and recommendations, amongst others:

 In software application stores, there is no effective competition for the fees charged to app developers with in-app payments, resulting in high fees and app prices. The recommendation is that apps should be able to steer consumers to external web-based payment options, or alternatively, a maximum cap is placed on application store commission fees.

 Price parity clauses, evident in travel & accommodation, e-commerce and food delivery, hinder competition and create dependency, and the inquiry therefore recommends their removal. "Wide price parity clauses prevent businesses offering lower prices on other platforms and narrow parity prevents businesses from offering lower prices on their own direct online channel," the Commission said.

 In property classifieds and food delivery, new entrants and local delivery platforms face challenges signing up large national businesses, undermining their ability to compete. The inquiry provisionally finds in property classifieds this is a result of the investment and support of large estate agencies in Private Property and recommends the divesture of their stake. Facilitating the interoperability of listings on the leading platforms is a further recommendation to support entrants.

 In food delivery, national restaurant chains often prevent franchisees listing on local delivery platforms and the inquiry recommends this practice ceases along with any incentives provided by national delivery platforms to steer volumes their way.

 In food delivery, the inquiry also finds that the business model of substantial eater promotions alongside high restaurant commission fees can result in large surcharges on menu items that are not transparent to consumers and distorts competition with local delivery options. The inquiry recommends greater transparency on either the menu surcharge or the share taken by the delivery platforms.

Equitable consumer choice

In terms of competition amongst businesses on the platforms and consumer choice, the inquiry makes the following provisional findings and recommendations, amongst others:

 Across all platforms there is a tendency to sell top-ranking search positions to businesses, which are not the most relevant to the consumer and constitute a form of advertising that is not transparent. This impacts consumer choice and competition, especially for SMEs that cannot spend as much as large businesses, the Commission said. The inquiry recommends that advertising is clearly displayed as such and the top results are reserved for organic (or natural) search results.

 The inquiry finds that the extreme levels of fee discrimination against SMEs in online classifieds, food delivery and to a lesser extent travel & accommodation, hinders their participation and has no coherent justification. The recommendation is that a maximum cap is placed on the fee differentials between large and small businesses, potentially at 10-15%. In food delivery, it is recommended that more equitable treatment also occurs in terms of marketing commitments made in exchange for lower commission fees.

 In e-commerce, the inquiry finds that conflicts of interest arise in operating a marketplace for third-party sellers and selling your own retail products which can result in certain self-preferencing conduct such as product gating, retail buyers given access to seller data to target successful products, preferential display ads and promotions. The lack of a speedy resolution process also adds to the costs of sellers. The inquiry recommends an internal structural separation of retail from the marketplace to implement equitable and competitively neutral processes.

 In software application stores, the inquiry provisionally finds that SA apps face challenges in being discovered in competition to larger global app development companies. The inquiry provisionally recommends that app stores provide country-specific curation of app recommendations and provide free promotional credits to SA app developers to help get visibility.

Participation of historically disadvantaged people

On the participation of historically disadvantaged persons (HDPs), the inquiry has found that the digital economy is far less transformed than many traditional industries, and there are considerably more challenges resulting from historic disadvantage, especially in funding and support.

"For HDP digital entrepreneurs, general wealth inequality presents a hurdle to seed funding from close associates, and the venture capital industry offers little at this stage. Beyond seed funding, venture capital funds only seek out HDP entrepreneurs where there is an express mandate by the investors which is rare beyond the SA SME Fund (a joint government and CEO initiative)," the Commission said.

The inquiry recommends specific commitments on HDP mandates from private investors and for government to channel funds for HDP digital entrepreneurs through mandates to the venture capital sector along with requirements for transformation of the sector.

As businesses on platforms, the Commission said the same lack of assets and funding hinder HDP businesses onboarding and exploiting the opportunities provided by platforms. The inquirys provisional recommendation is that all leading platforms provide HDP businesses personalised onboarding, a waiver on onboarding costs and fees, free promotional credits, fees that are no higher than the best placed, and the opportunity for consumers to discover HDP businesses on the platform.

Finally, the inquiry has provisionally recommended that either guidelines or regulations be considered to address new leading platforms in established or new categories in future.

Call for public, stakeholder comment

Stakeholders and the public have six weeks to make submissions to the inquiry on the provisional findings and recommendations. All submissions should be sent to az.oc.mocpmoc@impio by close of business on 24 August 2022. Submissions should be substantiated with evidence where relevant. The inquiry will release another version of the main report in the next few weeks once over-broad claims for confidentiality have been resolved.

The provisional findings and recommendations will now be subject to a period of public comment and stakeholder consultation before a final report is released in November 2022. This means that the inquiry may change its views on the findings and recommendations during this period of consultation and public submissions.

The Online Platforms Market Inquiry provisional report can be found here.
BRUSSELS, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Belgium's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sophie Wilmes officially resigned from office on Thursday following King Philippe's approval.

"My husband's illness will be a difficult battle that I want to fight alongside him and alongside our children. My current duties in government would not allow me to do so," she said in a press release.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo immediately thanked Wilmes for her services in government, particularly her "commitment to Belgians and the dedication to our country that she has demonstrated in recent years".

Sophie Wilmes had been on leave from her duties since April 2021 to support her husband who is suffering from brain cancer. "Today, the disease has suddenly entered our lives and in particular that of my husband, Christopher, who is about to begin his battle against an aggressive brain cancer. This difficult ordeal is not without consequences for my family and therefore for my role within the Belgian government," said Wilmes.

Her departure from government implies that she will return to the House of Representatives from the start of the parliamentary term, according to the press release.

Sophie Wilmes is the first woman to have acceded to the post of prime minister in Belgium, from October 2019 to October 2020. 
Last night the Marketing Achievement Awards (MAA) named the Discovery Group the Accenture Song 2022 Marketing Organisation of the Year and its CMO, Firoze Bhorat, the 2022 Marketing Person of the Year.

Firoze Bhorat, CMO at The Discovery Group is named the MAA 2022 Marketer of the Year Award

Discovery Bank also won the Kantar Excellence in Brand Positioning Award and Discovery Insurance won the Telkom Excellence in Resourceful Marketing Award.

Jared Patel, head of marketing at Sea Harvest Group, was named the Mondelez 2022 Rising Star of the Year Award.

The MAA, presented by the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) and endorsed by the Marketing Association of South Africa (MASA, named winners across 14 categories at an event held at The Forum | Alice Lane in Sandton.

Strategic marketing to catalyse business growth

Ivan Moroke, CEO of Kantars Insight Division, South Africa and current chairperson of MAA says all three of the Marketing Leadership Award winners demonstrated impeccable application of marketing as a strategic craft and were most deserving of these accolades.

The MAA judges were very clear that the winners had to consistently show the potential of strategic marketing to catalyse business growth. These awards are an opportunity to prove, with empirical evidence, the positive impact of marketing and brand building as a critical commercial tool of growth, and Bhorat, the Discovery Group and Patel did just that, he says.

Marketer of the Year Award

Marketer of the Year Award is a nominated award category that was fiercely contested this year.

Doug Mattheus, adjunct professor of Marketing at the Nelson Mandela University and chairman of the Marketer of the Year selection committee, noted that all the finalists embraced this years MAA theme, marketing that means business', showing their understanding of the strategic link between marketing and business results.

Bhorat embodies all these attributesand more. His influence, value and presence are immense as he leads a large, centrally-controlled marketing team in a giant organisation, where each division is a business on its own that competes against other established companies in highly-traded sectors," Mattheus explains.

"As an exco member, he does justice to the profession in all its aspects, from his digital-first view to the detailed customer understanding he employs across all channels, creating shared value, promoting diversity, and building the brand and culture while showing excellent business results, adds Mattheus.

The Marketing Organisation of the Year Award

This Award celebrates the organisation that has most clearly demonstrated how its business, brand and marketing strategy are closely aligned and executed to drive sustained returns.

Haydn Townsend, MAA council member and an MD at Accenture Song  sponsor of the MAA Marketing Organisation of the Year Award  says entrants had to show how their marketing initiatives had related to sustained performance towards the triple bottom line over a three-year period.

This is one of the industrys most meaningful awards because it interrogates companies from a holistic perspective. It delves into what it takes to be an organisation that embraces the entire brand experience and remains relevant doing it.

"This award is not only important for the recognition it bestows on the winner  in this case, The Discovery Group but, as an example of best practice, also a future learning tool from which the whole industry can benefit, says Townsend.

(Supplied) Jared Patel, head of marketing at Sea Harvest Group, winner of the MAA 2022 Rising Star of the Year Award

Rising Star of the Year Award

This years Rising Star of the Year Award, sponsored by Mondelez Africa, celebrates the best young marketer under the age of 35 who showed their potential to become an outstanding industry leader, through impactful, analytical and creative marketing efforts.

Thembi Butelezi, equity and marketing strategy lead at Mondelez Sub-Saharan Africa, emphasises the importance of young marketers being able to leverage a balanced skill set, especially in a volatile operating climate.

The current business and marketing landscape is constantly evolving. This is complicated further by a highly competitive environment.

"The most successful marketers, like Patel, are those who leverage a diverse and commercially minded skill set to encourage transformation through thinking holistically about growth. This not only supports strategic growth now but future-proofs their organisations in the long term," says Butelezi.

2022 Marketing Achievement Award winners

The Sanlam Excellence in Purpose Led Marketing Award goes to Mondelez for Cadbury Dairy Milk #InOurOwnWords. Agency partner: Ogilvy

goes to Mondelez for Cadbury Dairy Milk #InOurOwnWords. Agency partner: Ogilvy Excellence in Strategic Sponsorship Marketing Award goes to Nedbank for Nedbank Runified. Agency partner: Levergy

goes to Nedbank for Nedbank Runified. Agency partner: Levergy The Kantar Excellence in Brand Positioning Award goes to Discovery Bank for Discovery Bank | The Future of Banking. Now.

goes to Discovery Bank for Discovery Bank | The Future of Banking. Now. The Absa Excellence in Marketing Innovation Award goes to Distell for Savanna Virtual Comedy Bar. Agency partner: Grey Advertising Africa

goes to Distell for Savanna Virtual Comedy Bar. Agency partner: Grey Advertising Africa The Old Mutual Excellence in New Product or Brand Launch Award goes to Tiger Brands for Facebook Flavoured Tinkies. Agency partner: Hellosquare

goes to Tiger Brands for Facebook Flavoured Tinkies. Agency partner: Hellosquare The Nando's Excellence in South African Resonance Marketing Award goes to Mondelez for Cadbury Dairy Milk #InOurOwnWords. Agency partner: Ogilvy South Africa

goes to Mondelez for Cadbury Dairy Milk #InOurOwnWords. Agency partner: Ogilvy South Africa The HKLM Excellence in Brand Marketing B2B Award goes to Nandos for Nandos B2B Voucher Programme.

goes to Nandos for Nandos B2B Voucher Programme. The Telkom Excellence in Resourceful Marketing Award goes to Discovery Insurance for Restaurant ReDiscovery Campaign, by Discovery Business Insurance. Agency partner: Rering Creative Kin

goes to Discovery Insurance for Restaurant ReDiscovery Campaign, by Discovery Business Insurance. Agency partner: Rering Creative Kin The Primedia Outdoor Excellence in Integrated Marketing Award goes to Mondelez for Cadbury Dairy Milk #InOurOwnWords. Agency partner: Ogilvy South Africa

goes to Mondelez for Cadbury Dairy Milk #InOurOwnWords. Agency partner: Ogilvy South Africa Excellence in Internal Marketing Award goes to Nandos for Nandos This Is Us! campaign: Using music to raise the spirit of Nandocas. Agency partner: Mama Creative

goes to Nandos for Nandos This Is Us! campaign: Using music to raise the spirit of Nandocas. Agency partner: Mama Creative The Google Excellence in Digital Brand Marketing Award goes to Sanlam for Sanlam Digital Brand Marketing | Live with confidence. Agency partner: King James

The Excellence in Reputation Management Award was not awarded. While there was some good work entered into this category, the MAA judges thought that submissions entered this year were not of the standard required to win a Marketing Achievement Award.

This years MAA entries in 14 different award categories were judged by 50 industry experts against strict criteria, including the impact of the marketing campaign on business objectives and bottom line.
Marriott International graduated its first group of ten leaders who participated in the company's Khulanathi Leadership Development programme, while also welcoming the second group of potential South African hospitality leaders.



Source: Supplied

The 12-month programme focuses on developing employment equity talent from within and supporting candidates in becoming hotel general managers, as well as those who have been recently appointed as a general managers.

Khulanathi, which means grow with us, affords candidates the opportunity to take on a five-month management development programme, run through the University of Stellenbosch Business School Executive Development. Marriott International grants participants the required study leave and provides full bursaries for the duration of the course. For the remaining months, candidates take on an internal curriculum which includes formal education, cross-exposure and job shadowing.

Francisca Martinez, chief human resources officer for the Europe Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region says: "The Khulanathi programme was launched to build a strong internal talent pipeline to put promising equity candidates on the path to growing to senior manager levels. Were delighted at the success of the very first ten Khulanathi graduates and we are now poised for this years second intake."

Source: Supplied

The first Khulanathi graduation ceremony was held on 13 June 2022. It was an occasion to celebrate the top performers in this group including Bridgette Ngono, General Manager of Protea by Marriott Karridene Beach.

Commenting on the programme, Ngono says: "Khulanathi has offered us a fantastic opportunity to focus on our development in leadership practices. The online learning modules, targeted on-the-job training, and special projects with assigned mentors enabled us to both learn important leadership theory, and then put it into practice in our workplaces. Its been a rewarding year of boosting our knowledge, skills and confidence in leading our teams."

Zamuxolo Benjamin Memani, area director of human resources for sub-Saharan Africa, Marriott International adds: "We congratulate the inaugural Khulanathi graduates who have worked incredibly hard over the past 12 months. T

"the African region is a strategic growth area for Marriott International and we are committed to unlocking the phenomenal leadership potential on the continent by looking within our own operations to identify and develop employment equity talent. Khulanathi graduates are being equipped to take up top roles, not just in our South African properties but throughout our organisation.
Airbnb has partnered with 20 destinations around the world to make it easier to live and work anywhere, including Cape Town, Bali, Lisbon, and the Caribbean.

Source: Marlin Clark via Unsplash

The news follows on from Airbnbs own remote-working policy, where co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky told employees they could work from anywhere. In the first week following the announcement, Airbnb received more than 1 million visitors to its career page - reinforcing the appetite people have to live and work anywhere.

Earlier this year, Airbnb launched its Live and Work Anywhere initiative to identify some of the most remote worker-friendly destinations in the world, and support governments and Destination Marketing Organisations (DMOs) in helping to revive tourism and provide economic support to communities after two-plus years of travel restrictions.

Over the next few months, Airbnb will work closely with Cape Town Tourism on a range of initiatives, including building a dedicated custom-built hub for Cape Town that will showcase top local long-term stay listings as well as important information relating to entry requirements and visa policies to attract remote workers. Airbnb will also partner with Cape Town on educational campaigns to promote responsible hosting and travelling as a remote worker. The Cape Town hub is expected to launch later this year.

Working remotely while travelling

Millions of people are now more flexible about where they live and work. As a result, theyre spreading to thousands of towns and cities, staying for weeks, months, or even entire seasons at a time. About one in five guests globally reported using Airbnb to work remotely while travelling in 2021  a trend that has continued into Q1 2022, with long-term stays at an all-time high, more than doubling in size from Q1 2019. They are essentially living on Airbnb as guests have already planned stays in over 72,000 cities and towns this summer.

Research conducted by the Harvard Business School shows that while it is clear that digital nomads, and remote workers in general, can be a boon to any economy, they also might play a key role in fostering entrepreneurship in the communities where they stay, creating "technology clusters" around the world.

Source: Supplied

Nathan Blecharczyck, Airbnb co-founder and chief strategy officer, says: "In the two years since the pandemic began, a new world of travel has emerged in which many workers are untethered to an office. In collaborating with these destinations, we want to make it easier for workers to enjoy this flexibility and support the return of safe and responsible travel. We know that travel brings significant economic opportunity to local communities and connects people around the world. Were excited to launch this one-stop shop for anyone thinking of joining the millions of workers that are already enjoying this new trend of working flexibility and travel."

The 20 destinations Airbnb will spotlight include:

1. Baja California Sur, Mexico

2. Bali, Indonesia

3. Brindisi, Puglia, Italy

4. Buenos Aires, Argentina

5. Caribbean

6. Canary Islands, Spain

7. Cape Town, South Africa

8. Colombia

9. Dubai, United Arab Emirates

10. Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

11. Lisbon, Portugal

12. Malta

13. Mexico City, Mexico

14. Palm Springs, California, USA

15. Queensland, Australia

16. Rural France

17. Salzkammergut, Austria

18. Tampa Bay, Florida, USA

19. Thailand

20. Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA

Alderman James Vos, the City of Cape Towns mayoral committee member for economic growth, says: "The City government has long been leading the charge to fully tap into the economic potential presented by the remote worker community. We have been pushing for a remote worker visa and have presented a proposal to National Government on how it can be implemented.

"We have learnt that each one of these working tourists tends to spend up to R50,000 during their stay which has the potential to add up to a significant boon for the economy. This revenue reaches multiple industries, including educational institutions, transport, accommodation, retail, and restaurants. I look forward to fully exploring this market with Cape Town Tourism, and Airbnb."

Leigh Dawber, Cape Town Tourism's chief marketing officer, says: "We are incredibly proud to be profiled by Airbnb as one of the worlds best cities for remote working. Cape Town offers an unparalleled experience as an inclusive, hospitable African city in the heart of nature. The work-life balance that our city offers is truly unique.

"You can work while looking up at Table Mountain, one of the 7th Natural Wonders of the World, and down at a beautiful sea view of one of our three blue flag coastlines, all at the same time. Being recognised as a World Design Capital and a leading African City for innovation, we welcome business travellers to visit Cape Town to be inspired and get the best of both worlds."
TotalEnergies recently announced the winners of its 2021/2022 TotalEnergies Startupper of the Year Challenge winners. Matome Motalane, MD at Mangau Animal Feeds, won the award for the best start-up business under three years old.

Matome Motalane, MD at Mangau Animal Feeds

The competition aims to drive entrepreneurship in South Africa while further supporting entrepreneurs who wish to create a sustainable business that will benefit the South African economy and local communities.

Here we chat with Motalane to find out more.

Share with us your start-up story. When, how and why did you get started?

My start-up journey started in 2013 when I was an undergraduate student, this is when I started volunteering in collaborative research projects, assisting post-graduates with their research projects focusing on either farming, disease studies and HIV/AIDS Labs. I was fortunate to obtain a BSc Biochemistry and Microbiology, which has since further fed my passion for developing my animal feeds business.

The aim of starting Mangau Animal Feeds was to solve the challenges of food insecurity in proportion to an increasing human and animal population, to find solutions to disease outbreaks within the continent and beyond, create more employment opportunities with the hopes to solve inequality, poverty, starvation and contribute to a positive social and environmental impact whilst innovating through the introduction of circular economy and technological developments.

I started by conducting a feasibility study in Limpopo, North West, Gauteng and Mpumalanga and I also relied on stats and daily media reports to find out about the state of livelihoods in the country, the continent and the lobe at large. I vowed to myself that I am going to become a change maker. I started my business by operating from the roadside which helped me to determine and understand business channels. It was not easy for me to accept that I am now on the streets with a degree, but I swallowed the last little pride I had so that I can start building toward the vision that I had.

Tell us more about Mangau Animal Feed?

Mangau Animal Feeds is a green business/circular economy that produces unique types of animal feeds that are organic, nutritious and of good quality including organic fertilisers. Our products will benefit livestock farmers to maximise production, expand their production capacity and ensure that their meat, milk and egg quality is 100% organic, and it is free from carcinogenic substances, free from growth promoters which are common causes of disorders and abnormal growth within animal and human populations. We are a circular company with zero-waste products and eco-friendly.

The company has introduced a unique mobile app called Mafats (please note that the app is available on the Google Play store as a minimal viable product). I am still working on it so that when it is fully operational, customers can get a world-class experience) which is there to offer customers convenience by saving them time and money whilst ensuring that farming becomes sustainable.

The aim of developing an app is to empower and be accessible to various farmers even those who are located in deep rural communities. A feature on our app called "Community Outreach Programme" will provide rural farmers with tips on how they can improve their farming skills and compliance.

What are some of the obstacles youve faced since you started Mangau Animal Feeds?

My journey in entrepreneurship was never short of challenges. These included sourcing reliable suppliers who could help with transportation and falling victims to crime.

In 2021, I experienced one of the biggest and most painful obstacles when everything I had invested in the business was stolen. Everything that belonged to the business (my mobile operating steel container was stolen with stock, equipment, stationery, shelves, office equipment and solar system) which came to a value of +-R120, 000.

I was shocked and disappointed that people could do this to another individual who is trying to uplift himself. I didnt have insurance or security measures in place at the time because there was lots of work that needed to be done and I couldnt afford it at that time. That is when I decided to adapt to digital transformation by developing an app and introducing methods of circular economy to try and get back up on my feet again. I am quite happy with the rebuilding process even though it takes time and requires more investments.

You recently won the award for best start-up business under three years  can you tell us more about your journey through the Total Energies Start-upper of the Year Challenge?

First of all, what I can say to TotalEnergies is that they really showed up for me because I always needed an opportunity where one or few people can say we believe in you Matome, here is the investment, go out there and do what you do best.

I saw the opportunity of the TotalEnergies Start-upper of the Year Challenge on Facebook and I just passed it because I realised that most of the things that I see on Facebook I must verify that information to avoid being a victim of a scam. But later on, I saw the post again then I decided to visit the TotalEnergies website to verify if there is such a challenge and luckily, I saw that the challenge/competition is legit.

I applied immediately and funny enough, I wanted to apply for all the categories (best start-up under three years and best business creation) other than the obvious one for the best female entrepreneur.

What does it mean to you to have won?

The award came with a cash prize to the value of R250,000 together with marketing resources for my business and mentoring support for myself which is very appreciated. It is much needed too because the prizes will enable me to overcome most of my challenges and ensure that product development is consistent whilst creating more employment opportunities. This will go a long way as I overcome challenges and run a sustainable business and strengthen circular economy business models through innovation.

This is the biggest win in my entrepreneurial journey and I always thank myself for not undermining opportunities and people who make remarks or give constructive criticism, I have also learned a lot from TotalEnergies panel of judges. They were making remarks as someone who is outside of the business because they were seeing things differently and I appreciate their honesty because as much as I can strive to be a jack of all trades, master of all there is, a touch of someone from outside can go a long way. I feel alive, empowered and ready to walk the entrepreneurial journey.

Why animal feed? Tell us about your mission>

Throughout my study years, I realised that everything starts with what people consume and I want to be one of the biggest role players in terms of being involved in the value chain of producing healthy food for both animals and people.

Just imagine the pain of buying what is not healthy or beneficial to your wellbeing. Most of the disease outbreaks come from what people consume and this is an area of concern, just recently we had an outbreak that nearly collapsed lots of economies, and has claimed lots of lives whilst weakening peoples immune systems. Therefore through healthy animal feed, farmers will be able to pride themselves on the right type of quality products used and produce healthy products for the market.

The mission of Mangau Animal Feeds is to become the leading green business that produces quality products while creating employment opportunities in areas we operate within and beyond and help local smallholder farmers to become economic participants because I believe that building sustainable value chains is of paramount importance in building local economies. I believe that food security and sustainability are vital to every nation. I am interested in tackling issues of global warming as a leading factor in challenges such as drought, floods, deforestation and rising waves.

We also have rising levels of poverty, malnutrition, unemployment, inequality, disease outbreaks and starvation.

There is an increasing demand for products of animal origin because almost 99% of the world population relies on products of animal origin either meat, eggs, milk, wool, fish, and ornaments and 0.1% are vegans.

What is next for Mangau Animal Feeds after winning?

The next step for Mangau Animal Feeds is to acquire operating equipment to be able to scale up and take our products to the market so that our customers can purchase valuable products whilst growing their farming business.

We also have services that are pay as use and we are looking forward to apply for more funding from government institutions and investors to ensure that we increase our operating capacity. We are looking to become a major economic participant so that we can create employment opportunities.

Any advice for those thinking of starting their own business

I would advise anyone who wants to start a business by starting with conducting a feasibility study to determine if the problem indeed exists and check areas where there is a market for products and services that you want to introduce into the market or avoid replicating business models that will set one for failure. Business requires resilience to challenges but be willing to grow and introduce new business models.

There is no formula that fits all in business. As an entrepreneur be always willing to go through training to learn different things about business compliance and operations. Always try to minimise risks and invest in the success of the business. Building networks help to reach new heights and be exposed to new people and environments which it would take a little bit longer if one did things on their own.

Business requires patience, dedication, and the spirit of learning from others and I would advise entrepreneurs to open a business and personal bank accounts to avoid spending business proceeds for personal reasons and learn to pay yourself if profit is generated. Focus on your passion, know your weaknesses and strengths and always ask for help once you tried something and you see that it is not working.

Where would you like to see Mangau Animal Feeds in the next five years?

Mangau Animal Feeds in the next five years will be a state-of-the-art company that invests in solid value chains, exporting our products and services whilst establishing Agro-Dealers to invest in Agri-Tech and e-commerce.

There are over 50 new, unique, and quality products to be introduced by Mangau Animal Feeds to ensure that challenges faced by various communities are solved through the introduction of circular economy models and technological and environmental practices that are eco-friendly. We are what the world has been waiting for and we are here and will always be here to offer our customers world class products and services. We are looking forward to exporting our products and utilising all Intra-African trade relations including BRICS.
A new state-of-the-art contact centre has been officially opened in Cape Town community Mitchells Plain by one of the country's leading global business services (GBS) companies.

Left to right: Franco Cotumaccio, Sadick Jaffer, Rudi Dicks, Ricardo Mackenzie, Adjoa Ayivor, Lance Greyling, Aeysha Coetzee, David Neale

Following an announcement earlier this year, Sigma Connected South Africa, which offers white label customer contact centre services across a variety of sectors, has now opened its Watergate Centre facility in the Cape Flats, becoming the first GBS operation to provide contact centre services from Mitchells Plain.

With plans to create 1,000 new roles in Mitchells Plain and nationally by 2025, many through Impact Sourcing, the contact centre was unveiled by the head of the Project Management Office, in the Private Office of the President, Rudi Dicks, who is working closely with the President Cyril Ramaphosa on the unemployment programme.

Ambassador Sadick Jaffer, chief director for Investment Promotion and Facilitation at the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, assisted Dicks and other delegates in cutting the ribbon to open the new contact centre.

The event was hosted by Sigma Connecteds managing director David Neale and attended by over 50 guests, plus the first 90 employees who have joined the business in Mitchells Plain.

David Neale, managing director of Sigma Connected South Africa said: I am proud that we have become the first GBS operation in Western Cape to provide contact centre solutions from Mitchells Plain. Our investment has given a real focus and profile to this community and will create careers for many years to come.

"So far we have received over 800 applications for jobs, with 300 being received within the first few hours of advertising the roles. I am pleased to say all of these came from local people living in Mitchells Plain.

"Over the next three years we are planning to hire more than 1,000 people across South Africa and we hope to replicate this model to make a real difference in similar communities across the country.

"With national youth unemployment rates currently over 70%, we hope other businesses will follow our lead and the opportunity to tackle the problem by creating lasting careers.

Through its impact sourcing partner, Shadow Careers, which is also based in Mitchells Plains Watergate Centre, the company has hired over 60% of its employees from excluded backgrounds.

Franco Cotumaccio, director and co-founder of Shadow Careers added: Sigma Connected South Africa shares our vision for creating meaningful career opportunities for excluded youth. We are excited about Sigma Connected opening their call centre operations right next to our new career creation centre in Mitchells Plain.

Our shared vision creates a new model for the future sustainability of the GBS sector, which could be replicated across the country to encourage others to invest in similar communities.

Shadow's aspiration is national and we are looking for partners to help us achieve this goal, thereby substantially increasing job creation.

An essential part of creating these outcomes is partnering with purpose.

Sigma Connected, part of the South African owned Digicall Group, supports businesses in the telecommunications, retail, insurance, financial services, government and logistics industries. They employ over 2,000 people in South Africa across a number of offices in Cape Town and Johannesburg.

In June, Sigma Connected was the only GBS company invited to the National Youth Opportunities Expo as part of this years annual Youth Day. At the event, Neale and colleagues met with the President to discuss Sigma Connecteds growth plans and success in tackling youth unemployment. It capped a successful month after the company won nine awards at the 2022 Cape BPO Awards.

Last year, the company was awarded the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) New Compliance Certification  Level 1 by the government for its work to support people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

For more information on the Sigma Connected Group and its services, readers can visit www.sigmaconnected.com/za.

For more information on Shadow Careers and its services, readers can visit www.shadowcareers.co




Via: Fox:

BREAKING: One of the most massive single groups we have ever witnessed cross illegally at the border is crossing into Eagle Pass, TX right now. The line of people went so far into the trees its hard to get a count. Hundreds upon hundreds. Coyotes guiding them in water. @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/ZjZIygarAv  Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) July 13, 2022

A massive group of hundreds of illegal migrants streamed across the southern border in Texas on Wednesday  marking one of the largest groups to flood into the U.S. in recent months, and a dramatic snapshot of the historic crisis facing officials at the southern border.

The hundreds of illegal border crossers were being guided into the water by smugglers, often referred to as coyotes, at the river in Eagle Pass, Texas, footage of which was captured by Fox News.

Federal sources told Fox there were 2,258 illegal crossings in Del Rio Sector on Tuesday alone. Over a seven-day period, there were more than 13,000 crossings in the sector.
MADRID, July 14 (Xinhua) -- A forum aiming to promote EU-China cooperation on climate change was held in the representative office of the European Commission in Madrid on Thursday.

The event, titled "Promoting EU-China cooperation in the field of Climate Action, Sustainable Finance as a driver for change," aimed to open a discussion about the opportunities for cooperation between the EU and China to combat climate change.

European and Chinese representatives of the public and private sectors reviewed progress in green finance, and discussed ways for further progress.

"This is a new platform, but one that is going to bring a lot of investment between China and Europe," Margaret Chen, President of the China Club in Spain, told Xinhua, adding that the world was in a "complicated moment, but we think we all have to help so the world functions well."

Meanwhile, Augusto Soto, President of the EU-China Trust, highlighted the need for trust in EU-Chinese relations, saying the forum was about "sustainable finances with great world experts."

"There are many ways we can look at our relation, but mutual confidence is the most important," he said, stressing the need for green investment as "the environment is our future as a species."

The city councils of the Chinese city of Hefei, the capital of east China's Anhui Province, and the Spanish city of Salamanca were among the key organizers of the forum, at which representatives of both cities signed a formal declaration of cooperation.

The event was backed by the Spanish Embassy in China and the Chinese Embassy in Spain and was attended by both ambassadors. 
QUITO, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The coup-planning confession of former U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton revealed the level of U.S. interference in other countries' domestic affairs, said an international political analyst on Wednesday.

"What the statements of the former adviser to the former U.S. President Donald Trump reveal is something notorious and vox populi at the international level and we all reliably know the level of interference that the United States government has done in the countries of the region (Latin America)," Decio Machado told Xinhua in an interview.

Bolton, in an interview with CNN on Tuesday, admitted that he has helped plot coups abroad.

Machado, a geopolitical research coordinator, said the world has known about the U.S. interference in foreign countries in recent decades since the revelations of the diplomatic cables in 2010 by WikiLeaks website founded by Julian Assange.

"We have seen how the cables of the U.S. State Department themselves clarified the level of interference that U.S. diplomacy and U.S. interests have in the matters of national politics in different countries of the region, which is obviously a violation of the norms of international law," said Machado, a Spanish citizen who has been living in Ecuador for years.

"We have seen many situations of this type throughout history and in recent years that we continue to see in Latin America," said the geopolitical analyst.

Machado, who is also a sociologist and political consultant, said that in this sense, "there is nothing new" in the statements made by Bolton.

"In any case, what it does show is the level of shamelessness that the Trump administration had at the time. In other words, his own advisers do not have the slightest shame in publicly expressing that they have been part of coup plots in different Latin American countries, which I believe not only in Venezuela," Machado said.

The expert said that the attitude the United States adopts is "reprehensible" and that everyone should reject interference.

"Obviously, it is a reprehensible fact. Some governments have publicly rejected it, but this is a reality that exists and on which measures must be taken. It seems to me that the Latin American countries should have a joint position in the face of this reality," Machado said.

According to Machado, the United States has interfered in Latin American countries through the coups in Guatemala, the invasion of Granada and Panama, the 1973 coup against former Chilean President Salvador Allende, as well as the atrocities that were committed in the war in Iraq.

In addition, there were more recent events involving the United States and even some attempts by it to destabilize governments like the one in Venezuela, said Machado.

"What is clear is that the United States is disrupting international order and law with this type of interference," Machado said. 
A Changing Middle East: The View from Israel

A Conversation with Chuck Freilich

Organized and edited by David Siddhartha Patel

Israels position in the Middle East is changing. The UAEs announcement in August 2020 that it would normalize relations with Israelformalized the following month in the Abraham Accords Declarationsparked a series of similar agreements between Israel and several Arab states. The perception of U.S. disengagement with the region has led countries to reconsider alliances and rivalries. And the election of new leaders in the U.S. and Israel heralds a possible reset in relations between those states. In this Crown Conversation, we spoke with Chuck FreilichGoldman Visiting Senior Fellow at the Crown Center and a former deputy national security adviser in Israelabout what these changes mean for Israels security and role in the Middle East. Freilich is the author of Zions Dilemmas: How Israel Makes National Security Policy (Cornell University Press, 2012); Israeli National Security: A New Strategy for an Era of Change (Oxford University Press, 2018); and Israel and the Cyber Threat: How the Startup Nation Became a Global Cyber Power (forthcoming 2022).



What has been the significance of the Abraham Accords and subsequent normalization agreements? Israel already had a range of relations with the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco; what differenceif anydid public normalization make?



An enormous difference. The Abraham Accords will go down as a turning point in Middle East history.



First, there has been a dramatic expansion in ties between Israel and these countries, especially the UAEarguably the trendsetter in the Arab world today. The UAE made a historic decision not just to normalize relations, but to do so big time and warmly. Agreements have been signed with all three countries in a variety of areas, including energy, tourism, medicine, cyber, and more. Israeli tourists travel to the UAE in droves. And an Emirati logistics firm, DP World, is a contender to buy the port in Haifa.



Moreover, it is unlikely that the Accords would have been signed without Saudi approval, and even the Saudis are slowly establishing ties with Israel. Remember the dramatic statement in 2018 by Mohammad bin Salman (colloquially known as MBS), the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, recognizing Israels right to exist as a Jewish state. Normalization with the Saudis awaits either his ascent to the throne or possibly still a breakthrough between Israel and the Palestinians, but informal Israeli-Saudi ties are already a fact of life.



With the other countries, the breakthrough took place even without progress with the Palestinians, a change of historic importance. For decades, the Palestinians had a lock hold on regional normalization beyond Egypt and Jordan; no one could go ahead without them. Even strong supporters of a two-state solution (like myself), who believe nothing is more important for Israels future, are thrilled to see incremental peace with the Arab world wherever possible.



Actually, the Accords have already had a critical impact on the Palestinian issue as well. Normalization provided Netanyahu with a pretext to back out of the corner he had painted himself into and postpone annexation indefinitely, probably permanently. It puts ongoing pressure on Israel to take Arab positions on this and other issues into account. The fear of simply being left behind may incentivize greater Palestinian moderation in future negotiations. It will take time, but the opening to the Arab world embodied in the Abraham Accords will shape attitudes on all sides.



More fundamentally, the Accords are an important step in the decades-long process of Arab acceptance of Israels existence.



Many analysts describe a de facto alliance developing between Israel and Gulf Arab states to balance against rising Iranian influence in the region. Is there a basis for such an alliance?



Alliance is a strong word. A shared fear of Iran was undoubtedly a critical motivation behind the normalization with the UAE and Bahrain and the de facto ties with the Saudis. It is also a factor for Egypt and Jordan, though not quite as critical.



Strategic cooperation is probably a more appropriate term. Think of policy coordination, of the Gulf states proximity to Iran, of the challenges of an Israeli military strike on Irans nuclear facilities. Think of refueling, airspace, operating bases, interoperability of weapon systems. Much of this will undoubtedly remain fanciful because the Gulf states do not want to expose themselves to Iranian retaliation, but maybe not all of it. The very fact that we can speculate about Gulf states cooperating with Israel militarily and even a joint strike is a further reflection of the dramatic change wrought by the Abraham Accords.



There has, however, been a major change in regional dynamics. If the shared fear of Iran, with much prodding by the Trump administration, was what led to the Abraham Accords, fear of American disengagement from the region may now be driving the players apart. The Biden administrations denials notwithstanding, neither the Gulf states nor Israel are convinced that the U.S. truly has their backs anymore when it comes to Iran. Justified or not, the regional perception is that the current U.S. administration is hell-bent on a deal with Iran, at nearly all costs.



The result is two conflicting trends. On the one hand, the Gulf states lack of confidence in the traditional American security guarantee leaves Israel as their most likely ally of significance. On the other hand, Israel is not a substitute for the U.S., and Gulf states have begun to hedge their bets and seek detente with Iran. The diminishing U.S. role is not good news for regional normalization and security.



You just finished a book on cyber threats to Israel. How does that developing challenge fit into Israels overall national security strategy?



Not just threats, but opportunities. The cyber realm certainly poses major threats to Israel, but it could also not be better suited to Israels national strengths. Despite its size, Israel has become one of the worlds top commercial and military cyber powers.



The bad news, from Israels perspective, is that Israel is one of the primary targets of cyber attacksmostly from Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamasbut Russia and China are growing sources of concern too. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and defense establishment are reasonably well defended, as are most critical public institutions, and we know of no major successful attacks against them to date. But the Iranians are a sophisticated and resourceful adversary. In 20202021, they pivoted from attacks against these targets to a series of attacks against a variety of less well protected private firms that imposed significant economic and reputational effects. Some of these firms also have important ties with the IDF and defense establishment, and, in one or two cases, the Iranians were able to gain important intelligence. We have, however, yet to see a devastating attack, whether because Israels defenses are sufficiently robust or because its adversaries are waiting for the right circumstances. Either way, cyber is a growing threat for Israel, economically and militarily.



The good news is that Israel is thought to have sophisticated offensive cyber capabilities, drawing on a unique cyber ecosystem. Cyber education in Israel begins in elementary school and continues throughout high school and university. The IDF is one of the greatest cyber training centers and incubators in the world, generating a cyber force comparable to a superpower, not only in quality, but remarkably also in absolute numbers. The number of Israeli cyber firms is astonishing. It is a fascinating story that I discuss in my book, which will be out in the fall.



The Netanyahu and Trump administrations worked closely together. How has the election of new leaders in both Israel and the U.S. affected the bilateral relationship?



The new government in Israel represents a potentially dramatic change in Israeli politics. The hard left and hard right formed a coalition, together with an Islamist Arab party but no Jewish religious parties. The glue that led to the coalitions establishment was, and remains, the desire to ensure that Netanyahu does not return to power. But it is more than that: It is a recognition that the overwhelming non-orthodox majoritymostly secular Jews but also those who follow some degree of traditionhas more in common than not and, with the important exception of the Palestinian issue, can work together.



It is premature to conclude that this will become the new normal, but the potential is there. Demographic and political trends are such that the left and center-left would have been hard-pressed to form a government for the foreseeable future. Together with the moderate right, however, there is a chance for more effective and accountable governance.



I think Biden is a true friend of Israels: one of those who gets it viscerally, from the kishkes (gut). But he is also a liberal Democrat, a party with an increasingly strident left-wing that is critical of policy towards Israel. Bipartisan support for Israel was always the basis for the unusually strong relationship. The leaders of the new government in Israel, both Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, are clearly deeply concerned by the downturn in relations with the U.S. in recent years and have made a concerted effort to improve matters. The Biden administration, which is interested in the new Israeli governments longevity, has similarly done its part.



On the Iranian issue Bennetts approach is not fundamentally different from his predecessors, although Lapid and Defense Minister Benny Gantz have taken a more nuanced approach in public. Like the Netanyahu government, but unlike what appears to be a majority position within the defense establishment, the new government views Iran as an existential threat and a return to the old nuclear deal as a dangerous mistake. It has, however, conducted the dialogue with the U.S. responsibly, not hiding the differences, but doing so in an appropriate manner and while offering constructive inputs. The extreme positions Iran has taken in the negotiationssuch as the removal of all sanctions, not just those related to the nuclear program, and a guarantee that no future U.S. administration will withdraw again from the agreementmade the Biden administration more receptive to Israels concerns, even as it pressed ahead for a deal.



On the Palestinian issue, the new Israeli government is more of a coalition of national paralysis than of national unity and is explicitly based on agreement not to go forward. The potential for friction with the U.S. is thus there. If on the Iranian issue the U.S. and Israel share the same strategic objectives but differ on some important means of achieving them, the differences on the Palestinian issue may be more fundamental, at least with that part of the Israeli ruling coalition that is not committed to a two-state solution. For now, at least, the Biden administration is focused on other issues, is skeptical of the prospects for progress on the two-state issue, and does not wish to undermine the fragile new coalition in Israel, especially before Lapid takes over as prime minister in 2023 and has a chance to establish himself as a future leader. Instead, it will probably focus on low-hanging fruit, such as renewed funding for UNRWA and the reopening of the consulate in Jerusalem or at least the PLO office in Washington.



Netanyahu was an outlier, in many ways, but in regard to the U.S. too. There is no doubt that he fully understood the critical importance of the relationship with the U.S. There is also no doubt that he is smart and a leader of rare ability. At the same time, his thinking and leadership were corrupted by too many years in power, which deteriorated into a desperate, no-holds barred attempt to stay in power (and out of jail). It is one thing to express disagreement with the U.S.Israels overarching strategic allyover an issue that Israel views as an existential threat. It is quite another to use tensions with the U.S. as a means of bolstering ones political base. The new government is fully cognizant of the damage caused and is doing its best, within the confines of political realities, to begin the healing process.



Weve discussed systemic, regional, domestic, and individual factors that are shaping the Middle East. From a strategic perspective, what characterizes the current period for Israel and what distinguishes it from previous periods?



An unusual mixture of both great potential and grave danger.



Israels economy has rebounded strongly from the COVID crisis, driven by its extraordinary high-tech sector, and Israel has never been stronger militarily and more secure. Israel no longer faces existential threats and wontunless Iran develops a nuclear weapon. There are no major conventional threats either. Israel won its existence. If one looks at it from a historical perspective, Israels national security strategy has been a resounding success. It is also a dramatic success of American policy: The special relationship was explicitly designed to ensure Israels security and enable it to defend itself, by itself, against any combination of threats.



The Abraham Accords ushered in a period of historic change, in terms of Israels regional acceptance and the possibilities for cooperation in nearly all areas. Israels international standing is certainly a source of considerable concern, but Israel has relations today with more states than ever before, including military relations. The alliance with the U.S. remains strong.



Conversely, Iran may be the first adversary that is too big, too powerful, and too far away for Israel to be able to defeat it. Israel can defend itself effectively and has already shown that it can impede Iranian entrenchment efforts in Syria. But it is an uphill battle. Iran is a regional superpower. If it is willing to pay the international price, its regional influence will grow and it will cross the nuclear threshold.



I greatly hope that the nuclear issue can be resolved diplomatically. A return to the nuclear deal, with some necessary adjustments, still remains the best of the bad options. I believe that all options short of direct military action must be exhausted, but the consensus in Israel is that Iran simply cannot be allowed to go nuclear. Most decision-makers and experts believe that the primary danger is not of Iran actually using a nuke against Israel: That would be totally irrational on Irans part, and they understand the consequences. The more realistic danger is the influence that a nuclear capability would give Iran in every limited future confrontation, but the mere presence of nuclear weapons poses a risk of escalation to the nuclearand therefore existential leveland fundamentally changes conflict dynamics. That is something Israel cannot afford.



If and when the crunch comes, as Iran is about to cross the nuclear threshold, Israel may very well stand alone, as it did in 1981 and 2007 when American inaction left it with little choice but to attack the Iraqi and Syrian reactors, respectively. An Israeli attack can likely achieve no more than a comparatively short delay in the Iranian nuclear program, and the Israeli home front will be hit as never before. This is a truly dire scenario, but the only worse one would be a nuclear Iran. So, I believe Israel will have no choice but to attack, to gain some limited delay in the program and mostly to create a situation in which the international community, led by the U.S., will be constrained to finally intervene decisively. There will be a heavy price for Israel to paythe U.S. may demand some of it in terms of concessions to the Palestinians and on other issuesbut Israel will have to act and let the pieces fall as they may.



Iran is a sophisticated and carefully calculating actor. Back in the 1990s, Iran astutely concluded that Israel had gained overwhelming conventional superiority over its enemies, but that Israels home front was its weak point. It thus adopted a decades-long strategy of attrition until destruction (i.e., long-term, asymmetric warfare designed to gradually weaken Israel and bring about its ultimate destruction). Since then, Iran has been focused on Israels home front, including the mammoth arsenal of some 150,000 rockets it provided Hezbollah, the smaller arsenals of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or Irans own large and growing stockpiles of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones. Even the nuclear program is designed primarily as a threat to Israels home front and as a deterrent, rather than for war-fighting purposes. A big change is Hezbollahs growing arsenal of precision rockets, which provide it with the capability that no Arab actor has ever had: to disrupt Israels mobilization processes, offensive operations, rocket defenses, command-and-control, and even to cause significant damage to its critical national infrastructure.



A critical challenge for Israel in the coming years will be to maintain the special relationship with the U.S. at a time when the prospects for progress with the Palestinians grow even dimmer and significant differences may emerge over Iran. The American Left is increasingly hostile towards Israel. Parts of the Jewish community, which is overwhelmingly on the Democratic Left, are also distancing themselves. Moreover, important demographic trends in the U.S. that are totally unrelated to Israel will negatively impact the relationship in the future. Little is more crucial to Israels national security than the relationship with the U.S.



Somehow, Israel will handle all of the above. What really worries me is that we are rapidly approaching the point of no return for a two-state solution. The Palestinians are very close to missing their historic opportunity to achieve an independent state, and Israel is similarly close to risking its future as a predominantly Jewish state. Thats what really worries me.



The opinions and findings expressed in this Conversation belong to the author exclusively and do not reflect those of the Crown Center or Brandeis University.
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MOSCOW (AP)  A Russian arms dealer labeled the Merchant of Death who once inspired a Hollywood movie is back in the headlines with speculation around a return to Moscow in a prisoner exchange.

If Viktor Bout, 55, is indeed eventually freed in return for WBNA star Brittney Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, as some published reports suggest, it would add to the lore around a charismatic arms dealer the U.S. has imprisoned for over a decade.

Depending on the source, Bout is a swashbuckling businessman unjustly imprisoned after an overly aggressive U.S. sting operation, or a peddler of weapons whose sales fueled some of the worlds worst conflicts. FILE - Viktor Bout sits while waiting for his verdict at the detention room at a criminal court in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009. The Russian arms dealer who once inspired a Hollywood movie is back in the headlines with speculation around a return to Moscow in a prisoner exchange for U.S. WBNA star Brittney Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan. (AP Photo/Apichart Weerawong)

The 2005 Nicolas Cage movie, Lord of War was loosely based on Bout, a former Soviet air force officer who gained fame supposedly by supplying weapons for civil wars in South America, the Middle East and Africa. His clients were said to include Liberias Charles Taylor, longtime Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and both sides in Angolas civil war.

Shira A. Scheindlin, the former New York City federal judge who sentenced Bout before returning to private law practice, can be counted among those who would not be disappointed by Bouts freedom in a prisoner exchange.

Hes done enough time for what he did in this case, Scheindlin said in an interview, noting that Bout, a vegetarian and classical music fan who is said to speak six languages, has served over 11 years in U.S. prisons.

He was convicted in 2011 on terrorism charges. Prosecutors said he was ready to sell up to $20 million in weapons, including surface-to-air missiles to shoot down U.S. helicopters. When they made the claim at his 2012 sentencing, Bout shouted: Its a lie!

Bout has steadfastly proclaimed his innocence, saying hes a legitimate businessman and didnt sell weapons. Hes had plenty of support from high-level Russian officials since he was first arrested. A Russian parliament member testified when Bout was fighting extradition from Thailand to the U.S.

Last year, some of his paintings were displayed in Russias Civic Chamber, the body that oversees draft legislation and civil rights.

Bouts case fits well into Moscows narrative that Washington is lying in wait to trap and oppress innocent Russians on flimsy grounds.

From the resonant Bout case a real hunt by Americans for Russian citizens around the world has unfolded, the government newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta wrote last year.

Increasingly, Russia has cited his case as a human rights issue. His wife and lawyer claimed his health is deteriorating in the harsh prison environment where foreigners are not always eligible for breaks that Americans might receive.

Last month, Russias human rights commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova said: We very much hope that our compatriot Viktor Bout will return to his homeland.

Moskalkova said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the General Prosecutors Office, and the Ministry of Justice were working to see if Bout might qualify for transfer to Russia to serve the rest of his sentence.

We are also constantly in dialogue in order to find a compromise in resolving this issue, she said.

Now held in a medium-security facility in Marion, Illinois, Bout is scheduled to be released in August 2029.

If you asked me today: Do you think 10 years would be a fair sentence, I would say yes, Scheindlin said.

He got a hard deal, the retired judge said, noting the U.S. sting operatives put words in his mouth so hed say he was aware Americans could die from weapons he sold in order to require a terrorism enhancement that would force a long prison sentence, if not a life term.

The idea of trading him shouldnt be unacceptable to our government. It wouldnt be wrong to release him, Scheindlin said.

Still, she said an even exchange of Griner for Bout would be troubling. The WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist was arrested in February at a Moscow airport, where police said they found cannabis oil in a vape canister in her luggage. While the U.S. government has classified her as wrongfully detained, Griner pleaded guilty to drug possession charges on July 7 at her trial in a Russian court. Her trial is scheduled to resume Thursday.

Scheindlin said Griner was arrested for something that wouldnt be five minutes in jail.

That sentiment is shared by others. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch said in a July 9 editorial that Bout illegally trafficked billions of dollars of weapons to feed wars around the world and has the blood of thousands on his hands, while Griner made a stupid mistake with a tiny amount of cannabis. She harmed no one.

Griner could face up to 10 years in prison. Her guilty plea was not unanticipated by those who understand that similar moves commonly precede prisoner swaps. Whelan was arrested three years ago on espionage charges that the U.S. has said were trumped up and false.

In April 2012, Scheindlin imposed the mandatory minimum 25-year sentence that Bout now serves, but she said she did so only because it was required.

At the time, his defense lawyer claimed the U.S. targeted Bout vindictively because it was embarrassed that his companies helped deliver goods to American military contractors involved in the war in Iraq.

The deliveries occurred despite United Nations sanctions imposed against Bout since 2001 because of his reputation as a notorious illegal arms dealer.

Prosecutors had urged Scheindlin to impose a life sentence, saying that if Bout was right to call himself nothing more than a businessman, he was a businessman of the most dangerous order.

Bout was estimated to be worth about $6 billion in March 2008 when he was arrested in Bangkok, Thailand. U.S. authorities tricked him into leaving Russia for what he thought was a meeting over a business deal to ship what prosecutors described as a breathtaking arsenal of weapons  including hundreds of surface-to-air missiles, machine guns and sniper rifles  10 million rounds of ammunition and five tons of plastic explosives.

He was taken into custody at a Bangkok luxury hotel after conversations with the Drug Enforcement Administration sting operations informants who posed as officials of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, also known as the FARC. The group had been classified by Washington as a narco-terrorist group.

He was brought to the U.S. in November 2010.

The Merchant of Death moniker was attached to Bout by a high-ranking minister of Britains Foreign Office. The nickname was included in the U.S. governments indictment of Bout.

___

Neumeister reported from New York.
When the Federal Reserve speaks, it speaks in Fedspeak. A pithy turn of phrase or a striking metaphor can all too easily turn into a headline, causing big market moves and a public backlash. So dry technical language and euphemisms are usually the way to go.

Given this reality, the bluntness of a recent speech on crypto regulation by Lael Brainard, the Fed vice chair, is almost shocking.

True, Brainard didnt go as far as Jim Chanos, the famous short-seller, who called crypto a predatory junkyard. But she came close. The very first heading in her remarks was, Distinguishing responsible innovation from regulatory evasion, and she strongly suggested that much of the crypto universe is driven by the latter.

How did cryptocurrencies come to be worth almost $US3 trillion ($4.4 trillion) at their peak? Credit:Getty

Traditional banking is regulated for a reason; crypto, in bypassing these regulations, she said, has created an environment subject to bank runs, not to mention theft, hacks and ransom attacks  plus money laundering and financing of terrorism.
Cost-of-living pressures have been rising for every household around Australia, with the last read from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showing prices rising by 5.1 per cent across our major capital cities. With wages only growing at 2.4 per cent over the same period, many Australians are struggling to make ends meet.

Now, according to the latest Domain Rent Report, released on Thursday, house rents in Melbourne have risen 2.2 per cent in three months to hit a record high of $460 per week, while unit rents rose by 5.1 per cent to $410 a week.

Cost-of-living pressures have been rising for every household around Australia. Credit:iStock

That means those seeking cheaper accommodation in units saw their rents rise more than double the rate of those paying more to rent houses. These rises send even those with stable full-time work into rental stress.

Regional rents had already been soaring, driving even greater cost of living pressures for thousands of Australian households. And now as we see rents that have been relatively flat in major capital cities of Melbourne and Sydney also start to soar these pressures are impacting even more Australians.
They were unlikely childhood friends, the daughters of rival newspaper magnates, born into high Melbourne society in the late 1800s, but determined to forge their own creative paths. Ethel Spowers and Eveline Syme were at the forefront of a modernist revolution in art, but like so many sidelined women artists, their work was long forgotten. It is only now that were learning the truth of their significance, their friendship and their art, thanks to an exhibition at Geelong Gallery.

Spowers and Syme lived in Melbourne but studied abroad together at a time when womens new-found freedoms were opening doors in ways that were previously out of reach. Spowers was born in 1890, Syme in 1888, and while the exact moment they met isnt known, they attended the same prestigious South Yarra school.

Both came from families of six children. Spowers father, William, owned The Argus and The Australasian, while Symes father, Joseph, part-owned The Age. Fortunately, this media rivalry didnt translate into social contest: the families moved in the same social circles and were equally philanthropic, their mothers attentive to charity and social-mindedness  a generosity their daughters would inherit.

From left, Ethel Spowers, The gust of wind, 1930, and Eveline Syme, The Yarra at Warrandyte, 1931. Credit:NGA

But as Sarina Noordhuis-Fairfax, curator of Spowers & Syme, explains, they had something their mothers were denied. Importantly, they were part of the first generation of Australian women able to have a professional career, she says. They were supported and allowed to study.
When she complained to Sothebys, the auction house said there was little it could do, saying its guarantee of authenticity was good only for a time. The company has offered her an $18,500 credit towards their fee on any future sales of artworks she owns, a gesture she calls inadequate. I trusted them through all those years, Clegg, 73, said in an interview. They were supposed to be reputable experts and I relied on their expertise. Now Clegg is in a standoff. Through her lawyer, she has asked Sothebys for $175,000. The auction house says there is no legal basis for that request and the discount it has offered on future sales would match the fee it earned from the 1994 sale of the painting. Given that the initial sale took place well over 20 years ago, we are far outside the period of time during which Sothebys guaranteed the authorship of the work and would have had any recourse with the seller, an auction house executive told Clegg in a 2020 letter. Among the vagaries that make the art world such a compelling, if risky, marketplace is the fact a change in attribution can sink the value of one work, or swell the value of another. Case in point: the Salvator Mundi, which reportedly sold at auction in 2005 for $1175 when it was thought to be by a nobody, and then soared to sell for $450 million in 2017, after several experts decided it was the work of Leonardo da Vinci.

Auction houses have sought to reduce their exposure to unfavorable changes in attribution by limiting the time they will guarantee that a work is genuine. In Sothebys case, it tells buyers that it will warrant the work for five years. Clegg contends Sothebys bears more responsibility than it is accepting for the situation she is in, given its extensive involvement with the painting  as the original auction house, subsequent appraiser and recent adviser on its potential resale. Her lawyer, Carter Reich, has accused the auction house in a letter of breach of contract, fraudulent misrepresentation, negligence and breach of fiduciary duty. Lawyers for Sothebys have denied all those claims, arguing the auction house acted responsibly and in accord with its standards and procedures. Clegg has held on to the page from the 1994 Sothebys catalogue that advertised the work, a signed watercolour and gouache on paper titled Le couple au bouquet de fleurs. The catalogue said Chagall had created it about1950 and it listed the paintings previous owners as L. Praeger, Galerie Petrides, both of Paris; a private collection; and then Achim Moeller Fine Art Ltd. in New York. In an email, Achim Moeller said he had no memory of being involved with that work but added through his lawyer that he would research his gallery records.

Sothebys auction catalogue identifying the page from the 1994 catalogue that advertised the work, a signed watercolor and gouache on paper titled Le couple au bouquet de fleurs. Credit:New York Times Sothebys pointed out in a statement that, while it is rare, there are occasions when new and revised scholarship results in works being deemed inauthentic, something the auction house does not make assurances against. Sothebys respects and maintains the confidentiality of its consignors and buyers, and does not comment on matters that are not of public record, the statement said, adding: This particular work was known to the market, and was traded multiple times prior to the auction in 1994. The Chagall hung for years on the wall of the bedroom Clegg shared with her husband, Alfred John Clegg, before going into storage when she moved to a smaller home. Thats where it was, she said, when Sothebys suggested in early 2020 that if she were interested in selling, her Chagall might do well. The work was shipped to the Comite Marc Chagall, a panel of experts founded in 1988 that makes decisions on the authenticity of works attributed to the artist. In late 2020, the panel released its findings regarding her work. In a letter to Clegg, Meret Meyer, one of Chagalls granddaughters and a member of the panel, reported that it had unanimously found the work to be inauthentic, adding that it is an amalgam of several other works including Le couple au bouquet, from about 1952, and Les amoureux au cheval from 1961.

Cleggs painting included recurrent iconographic elements of Chagalls work, including a bouquet, lovers, a horse profile, a rooster profile, a village silhouette and a crescent moon, the committee wrote but those lacked real presence, according to a translation provided by Cleggs lawyer. The letter went on to say that Chagalls heirs were requesting the judicial seizure of the painting so that the work may be destroyed. In France, courts have recognised the authority of expert panels to destroy works determined to be counterfeit. Nearly a decade ago, the Chagall panel moved to destroy a work, Nude 1909-10, that a British businessman, Martin Lang, had bought in 1992 for 100,000, thinking it was by Chagall, the BBC reported. Lang objected but then tweeted in early 2014: I have decided not to fight this expensive court battle! These committees lack human compassion! Loading Several authentication committees have been sued after ruling that a work was not genuine and panels that officially reviewed the works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollock have disbanded. Cleggs lawyer, Reich, declined to comment on the possibility of suing the Chagall committee.
Many modern dating shows establish a moral intention to suck us into an emotional vortex. In episode one of the current series of Beauty and the Geek Australia, host Sophie Monk says the contestants will face life-changing experiences of self discovery. Monk is dressed in a camo outfit while the geeks roll in on a tank set in the outback. Therell be death-defying challenges, obstacle courses, interrogations and transformations. The show is a rehabilitation centre for contestants to fix their personalities, to find love in the place they least expect it.

Dear reader, you might be thinking: of course these shows arent really about love! And yet, we cheer for the couples, cringe at bad dates, and check their Instagrams a year later to see if theyre still together.

Monogamy has gripped our viewing habits. Watching two people fall in love itches the psyche in the right spots and that feeling intensifies when drama unfolds. Is marriage the intended outcome of these matchmaking shows or is it simply an unethical competition behind the facade of true love?

Reality television has a bad reputation. The characters are vain, the tropes ridiculous, the editing choppy. The list of criticism is long. And yet, the appetite for it, particularly dating shows, remains ravenous.

This rehabilitation theme also applies to Netflixs Too Hot to Handle, where contestants face a celibacy challenge to inspire deeper romantic connections that dont rely on sexual attraction. In Netflixs Love Is Blind, contestants date without seeing each other, to inspire love without vanity, despite all the contestants being conventionally attractive.

These shticks make the shows engaging but are not reliable indicators of healthy relationships. The show attributes moral values to miniscule behaviours, and we eat it up! Watching beauties commando crawl in minidresses is silly, but I still gush when one geek develops a crush. We also relish cringing because these shows cater to the worst desires in us. When the contestants in Too Hot to Handle hook up with each other we sit on the couch and laugh: silly idiots! I could easily last three months without human touch.

Reality television has always used gimmicks to embarrass contestants and ignite primal urges. The competitive arena is conducive to the seven deadly sins running rampant. How entertaining it is to watch people succumb to their urges. In The Biggest Loser Australia season three in 2008, contestants were placed in a room full of doughnuts and cakes. The challenge was to abstain from temptation or to face shame. It was framed as a test for discipline for the real world. In reality, the show is an unethical competition that doesnt promote sustainable weight loss. The same applies for dating shows, replacing weight loss with monogamy.

Contestants face a celibacy challenge in Too Hot to Handle. Credit:Netflix

Monogamy is already competitive, and reality television exacerbates the threats. Dating shows are the human version of Animal Planet except courtship rituals play out by the poolside. Lust and romance is intoxicating, and its fun to watch the honeymoon stage of a relationship, particularly when multiple people are fighting for attention. In the Bachelor franchise, the rose represents being chosen (as the rose among thorns). If the man youre lusting after has a woman storming into his dates, he must be the prized jewel. It leads contestants to behave ravenously to secure the rose and the producers rub their hands with glee.
Biden arrives in Israel, starting Middle East trip

Xinhua) 09:40, July 14, 2022

U.S. President Joe Biden (L) visits Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem, on July 13, 2022. Biden landed in Israel on Wednesday afternoon, starting his first visit to the Middle East as president, during which he will hold talks with officials of Israel, Palestine, and Saudi Arabia. (Olivier Fitoussi/JINI via Xinhua)

JERUSALEM, July 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Joe Biden landed in Israel on Wednesday afternoon, opening his first visit to the Middle East as president, during which he will hold talks with officials of Israel, Palestine, and Saudi Arabia.

Biden was welcomed in an official ceremony at the Ben Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv by Israeli President Issac Herzog, Prime Minister Yair Lapid, ministers and lawmakers.

He received a security briefing at the airport on Israel's anti-rocket Iron Dome system and Iron Beam, a newly-developed laser-based air defense system.

In joint remarks, Lapid said that Biden is "one of the best friends Israel has ever known."

"We will discuss building a new security and economy architecture with the nations of the Middle East, following the Abraham Accords," Lapid said, adding "we will discuss the need to renew a strong global coalition that will stop the Iranian nuclear program."

For his part, Biden said the connection between Israel and the United States "is bone-deep," adding that he will work during his trip to advance Israel's integration in the region.

He will later go to Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem, for a wreath-laying ceremony to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust during War World II.

He will spend two days in Jerusalem before traveling to the West Bank to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday.

On Friday afternoon, he will fly to Saudi Arabia for talks with Saudi officials, where he will also participate in a summit with officials from regional countries.

Israel hopes that the visit will help to warm up ties with Saudi Arabia amid growing concerns over Iran's activities in the region and its nuclear program.

Biden is also expected to try to persuade Saudi Arabia to increase oil production amid the crisis in Ukraine.

U.S. President Joe Biden (1st R, Front) attends a wreath-laying ceremony at Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem, on July 13, 2022. Biden landed in Israel on Wednesday afternoon, starting his first visit to the Middle East as president, during which he will hold talks with officials of Israel, Palestine, and Saudi Arabia. (Olivier Fitoussi/JINI via Xinhua)

U.S. President Joe Biden (Front) attends a wreath-laying ceremony at Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem, on July 13, 2022. Biden landed in Israel on Wednesday afternoon, starting his first visit to the Middle East as president, during which he will hold talks with officials of Israel, Palestine, and Saudi Arabia. (Olivier Fitoussi/JINI via Xinhua)

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun)
Scientology has told a US court that three Australians who have accused it of human trafficking and forced labour should have their claims heard by an internal arbitration panel of church members.

In a legal defence filed in a Florida court this week, lawyers for Scientology said the court should not hear the claims brought by Australian Gawain Baxter and residents Laura Baxter and Valeska Paris.

One of the plaintiffs, Valeska Paris, the Freewinds cruise ship, and a portrait of Scientology leader David Miscavige.

The three alleged in a case filed in late April that they experienced horrific abuse while part of Scientologys Sea Org and Cadet Org entities that involved them signing billion-year contracts to provide free or cheap labour to Scientology. Pay was sometimes withheld or set at a maximum of $US50 a week, the lawsuit alleges.

Lawyers for Scientology said the three had signed contracts while members of the Sea Org that required them to settle disputes within the church, not through the legal system. Scientology has successfully used this legal defence on one occasion. Copies of contracts were included in the court filings.
The Indigenous women working to save the Great Barrier Reef

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This weeks summit of Pacific Islands Forum Leaders in Suva comes not a moment too soon. The lack of face-to-face meetings over the past three years has contributed to division in the region at a time when it most needs to come together to secure its future.

Our world faces a syndemic of challenges, prominent among them the climate crisis, COVID-19 and several conflicts. These have consequences for all countries, but for small island developing states with inherent vulnerabilities like those in the Pacific, there are particular impacts.

The first in-person bilateral meeting between Australian PM Anthony Albanese and Solomon Islands PM Manasseh Damukana Sogavare on Wednesday began with a hug. Credit:JOE ARMAO

Rising sea levels and evermore intense weather events pose threats to coastal villages, agriculture, infrastructure and whole economies. The pandemic has devastated the tourism-dependent economies. Now spillover impacts from the war in Ukraine have driven food and fuel costs sky-high, added to the already heavy burden of import costs in the Pacific.

All these issues and more, from the high prevalence of non-communicable diseases to the state of the oceans, will be uppermost in the minds of Pacific leaders as they meet. They will endorse the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific  a comprehensive regional plan to tackle the challenges. With unity, the Pacific can build the partnerships and mobilise the funding and capacities required to turn the strategy into action.
More than 300 handwashing stations are ready and organisers will pay closer attention to crowd numbers when the return of the Ekka coincides with the peak of Queenslands third COVID-19 wave.

There were 7517 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, including 859 people in hospitals, as well as 80 people with influenza, after Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard warned on Tuesday that coronavirus infections were still increasing.

The Royal Queensland Show, commonly called the Ekka, was cancelled for a second year running in 2021 but is returning next month. Credit:Bradley Kanaris

As expected, the COVID case numbers continue to climb and the peak of this current wave is not expected to be reached before the beginning of August, he said.

The Ekka will run for the first time in three years from August 6 to 14.
Paris: Emmanuel Macron has warned the French people their energy will soon be rationed because Russia is prepared to use gas supply as a weapon of war.

The French president told citizens to prepare for a total cut-off of Russian natural gas by supporting alternatives, having public lights switched off at night and engaging in a period of nationwide energy sobriety.

Russia is using energy, like it is using food, as a weapon of war, Macron said. We should prepare ourselves for the scenario where we have to go without all Russian gas.

French President Emmanuel Macron during a speech to militaries on the eve of Bastille Day. Credit:AP

The Russian invasion of Ukraine and ensuing sanctions have aggravated other factors driving up prices for energy and other goods. With no end in sight for the war, Macron said, the French should brace themselves also for costs to remain high.
New evidence has found a link between poor health as a newborn and mortality up to the age of ten. The new report from Englands National Child Mortality Database (NCMD), led by the University of Bristol, shows of the 4,829 children aged ten and under who died in England between 2019 and 2021, 72 per cent were found to have required additional care in the neonatal period.

The NCMDs third thematic report, published today [14 July], uses unique and comprehensive data on child deaths in England to examine how neonatal health affects child mortality. It looks at deaths reported to the database between 2019 and 2021, but also deaths reviewed by professionals within that period to draw out the insights and lessons from every case.

The report shows the dramatic impact of perinatal events  being born prematurely, or suffering an injury or infection shortly after birth  on mortality in the first year of life, where 83 per cent of deaths were linked to additional care requirements after birth. But more surprisingly, it shows for the first time how that risk persists throughout childhood; although they only make up 15 per cent of the population, these children account for 38 per cent of deaths aged 1 to 4 years, and 27 per cent of deaths aged five to nine years.

The publication also examines the factors that could be changed to improve the situation, and presents recommendations for policymakers and health officials. Smoking during pregnancy, lack of involvement from appropriate services and maternal obesity were the three most prominent modifiable factors identified by child death review, and the report authors have called for current interventions to be strengthened and new measures to be deployed to tackle these issues.

Karen Luyt, Professor in Neonatal Medicine at the University of Bristol, NCMD Programme Lead and the reports senior author, said: This report, based on our unique data on child deaths for England, is a tremendously important step in recognising the paramount importance of neonatal health to overall child mortality. ONS figures show that between 1990 and 2015 the UK made less progress on under-5 mortality than any European country except Malta  but this new insight gives us a chance to work together with a focus on improving and saving childrens lives.

Dr Camilla Kingdon, President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, added: This report is a powerful tool. It gives those of us who feel the pain of guilt after a childs death the chance to understand how often there are modifiable factors at play: up to a third of deaths have factors that could be modified, and in these cases a different outcome might have been possible. For bedside nurses and doctors, for public health doctors, for health service planners and commissioners, and for politicians, this report presents an opportunity to learn from these tragic cases and consider where interventions might prevent future deaths.

While these findings demonstrate that we can better understand and derive learning if we pool information, it is important to recognise that no two deaths are the same. The authors of this report wish to acknowledge that the death of each child is a devastating loss that profoundly affects bereaved parents as well as siblings, grandparents, extended family members, friends and professionals. They also wish to thank all the families who shared their data and experiences, and the Child Death Overview Panels who submit detailed evidence on every death to the database.

The report can be found on NCMDs website, together with details of an online lecture to introduce the findings of the report.

Report

The contribution of newborn health to child mortality across England by Dr David Odd et al published online.
Latest News Boomer Home Loans Group enters voluntary administration Specialist lender for over 55s seeks capital

Thousands of CBA customers face delayed interest rate pain This due to a measure aimed to help homebuyers through the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic

Mortgage brokers are continuing to navigate channel conflict with banks, despite the broker market share sitting at a record high of almost 70%.

Sydney brokerage owner operator of Astute Manly Sam Ayliffe (pictured) said banks were telling brokers the problem of channel conflict does not exist.

I have found with some of my existing clients that we have placed in the banks, when it comes time for them to re-fix their loan, the client will visit the bank directly and the bank will drop that clients trail from my trail book without doing an increase, Ayliffe said. To me, this is channel conflict.

Read more: Loan book minding solution is here for brokers

Ayliffe said he understands clients are busy and the fastest way for them to re-fix their home loan was to speak to a bank over the phone.

Bank branches are closing down everywhere you look, and brokers know that, he said. However, in my opinion, banks need to respect brokers trails and keep the longevity of the relationship between the client and the broker.

Ayliffe said at the end of the day, brokers can move clients between banks when it comes time to re-fix their loan to make money, however, most choose not to.

Some people are now being advised by their banks to re-finance their loan for a further 30 years, despite already chipping off x amount of time from their existing loan term, he said. If a client is 10 years into their 30-year loan term and they are advised to re-fix for another 30 years, there needs to be some accountability for that. As brokers, we are happy to work with banks on re-financing a clients loan, however it needs to cut both ways.

As a principal of a brokerage of over 20 years, Ayliffe said he makes a lot of his business decisions from his trail.

At Astute, we are constantly engaging with our clients and earning the right to keep our trail. Banks dropping off and doing simple variations is my pet hate and I do not think it is acceptable, he said. In saying that, most banks do get it right and respect the broker and client relationship.

Read more: Brokers, first home buyers enjoy updated scheme

Ayliffe said he encourages every broker to review their trail book and not let clients slip away.

It is a meaningful task, especially if you have a mature book  it is definitely something you need to constantly review, he said. I want my relationships with banks to be fruitful and with banks converting to digital and online, brokers need to beware.
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Airports decision to cap the number of departing passengers at 100,000 a day in order to limit queues, baggage delays and cancellations has impacted flight schedules between India and London.

On Thursday, Virgin Atlantic, for instance, cancelled its morning flight between London and Delhi. And rescheduled its London-Ahmedabad flight by several hours.

With the restrictions to remain in place till September 11, between India and London is likely to see slower growth over the next two months. The move to limit passengers comes as the UK's busiest airport struggles to cope with a surge in traffic.

The decision will result in cancelling or rescheduling their flights or moving them to an alternative airport in the UK.

Air India, Vistara, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic operate daily between India and the UK. operates 33 flights per week to London (Heathrow) and one weekly flight to Birmingham. Vistara operates a daily flight between Delhi-London. Passengers also travel one stop via transit hubs in Europe and West Asia between the two countries.

has asked to cancel some of their flights till July 25. Airlines, meanwhile, are looking at ways to minimise cancellations and offering to reschedule passengers instead.

"Discussions are on," said an airline executive. As a subsequent measure, limiting the number of departing passengers per flight has also been discussed. " has been sounded out on capping seats on sale. It is too early to guess the impact on the same," the airline said in a statement.

A Vistara executive said it had no update on London Heathrow operation. Virgin Atlantic said impacted passengers would be rebooked on alternative flights.





ALSO READ: Air safety: India sees eight aviation accidents every year on average

Dubai-based Emirates criticised Heathrows decision. Rebooking the sheer number of potentially impacted passengers is impossible with all flights running full for the next [few] weeks, including at other London airports and on other airlines," Emirates said.





The airline operates six Airbus A380 daily between London Heathrow and Dubai. "Until further notice Emirates plans to operate as scheduled to and from London Heathrow," it said.

A spokesperson, meanwhile, said: "We are working with to adjust schedules to ensure passenger levels do not exceed the available capacity of airlines, airline ground handlers and the airport. This will result in changes to flight schedules as the changes are worked through in line with the new cap. All of this is designed to give passengers a better, more reliable journey through the airport and to keep everyone working at the airport safe."

In July and August 2019, Heathrow had between 110,000 and 125,000 daily passenger departures. Heathrow has said that the average number of outbound seats remaining in the summer schedules is 104,000 a day  exceeding the 100,000 cap by 4,000.

The airports decision comes at a time when the India-UK air travel market had seen a rebound, with seat capacity in May back at 94 per cent of 2019 level (according to aviation consultancy Centre for Aviation, or CAPA).

Other major European hubs such as Amsterdam, too, have imposed a cap on traffic amid surge in demand and labour shortages.
Rating agency Standard and Poors (S&P) on Thursday said stress has decreased for Vedanta Resources as the company has addressed a large part of its debt maturities for financial year 2022-2023 (FY23).

While Resources still has some funds to raise, it has adequate cash held at subsidiary and will benefit from established banking relationships. However, Vedanta Resources' weakened access to capital markets and persistent refinancing needs constrain the rating, S&P said.

From needing to refinance about $3 billion at the start of the financial year, Resources' debt maturities for the rest of the financial year are now about $1.3 billion. The company will meet about half of the remaining amount due in FY23 through further dividends from Vedanta, and the rest will be refinanced, it added.

is looking at raising additional funding from Indian banks, similar to the $700 million it had raised in May and June from State Bank of India and Canara Bank.

Further, $300 million of debt due in December is at intermediate subsidiary Twin Star Holdings. Refinancing this debt should be relatively easier than the debt at the level, as evidenced by recent refinancing initiatives. The Twin Star debt is from the company's key relationship banks.

Beyond this financial year, the next key debt maturity for Vedanta Resources will be $900 million of bonds due in April and May. The company is likely to look at refinancing options later this year.

Even if Vedanta Resources is unable to raise funding for the bonds, it should be still able to meet the bond repayments through dividends from Vedanta.

The rating agency estimated that Vedanta will have consolidated cash of slightly more than $3 billion as of March, of which 80 per cent will lie at its subsidiary Hindustan Zinc. Following the bond redemption, Vedanta Resources has no material debt maturity until January 2024.
OneCard, a mobile-first credit card firm, became the 104th unicorn in India after it raised $100 million in a series D round of funding led by .

In 2022 so far, India has produced more than 20 fintech unicorns, which includes OneCard, Open, Oxyzo, and Yubi (formerly CredAvenue).

The latest round by OneCard, owned by Pune-based FPL Technologies, also saw from existing investors such as QED, Sequoia Capital, and Hummigbird Ventures.

The fundraise comes days after the (RBI) cracked its whip on non-banking-led credit lines via prepaid payment instruments (PPIs).

India confirmed the of its in OneCard and said the recent RBI crackdown didn't impact the company.

OneCard is not impacted by the PPI guidelines because it was not a PPI issuer and like some of the other companies, which now have to rebuild their business model, said Mohit Bhandari, managing director, (India), of .

Onecard is a tech solution provider for the banks. Its a proper credit card that the banks issue. OneCard, of course, plays a role as a technology solution provider there, he said.

FPL Technologies had raised $75 million earlier this year as part of its Series C fundraise. The round was raised from existing investors QED Investors, Janchor Partners, India, Matrix Partners, and others.

The company was founded in 2015 by Anurag Sinha, Rupesh Kumar, and Vibhav Hathi. The trio come with a banking background.

According to the ASK Private Wealth Hurun India Future Unicorn Index 2022, India will have 122 new unicorns in the next two to four years.

While addressing the Indian diaspora in Munich, Germany, last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said the country was leading the way of innovation. There was a time when India was nowhere in the race of start-ups. Today, we are the third-largest ecosystem, Modi was quoted as saying.
The on Thursday set aside an order of the summoning Sahara group chief in an anticipatory bail case.

Roy was a third party in the bail application hearing. The (HC) had asked to convey a plan for refunding the matured deposits of .

A bench of A M Khanwilkar and J B Pardiwala said they noticed that the HC had kept aside the issue of considering the anticipatory bail application and instead issued directions to third parties(Roy) to appear before it. This in our opinion is impermissible as the HC has exceeded its jurisdiction in this case. Accordingly, all the observations or notings made by the HC in respect of matters unrelated to the case of the applicant before it must stand effaced from the record in law," said the apex court.

When a bail matter is pending, a court should limit itself to deciding the matter at hand. "In such proceedings, we have no manner of doubt that an enquiry must be limited to facts relevant to the present application(bail) before the court and no attempt to probe into matters relating to the third party, much less beyond the scope of complaint/FIR should be in question, said the apex court.

Justices Khanwilkar and Pardiwala did not accept a lawyers view that such an observation may set a bad example for the high courts

The Supreme Court, on Wednesday, expressed its displeasure against a judge who had ordered Roys arrest on May 13. This was in a cheating case unrelated to the group.
Shapoorji Pallonji is targeting sales of Rs 400 crore from its new residential tower in .

The company has launched a tower named 'CEDAR', comprising 225 apartments, in its 46-acre residential project Parkwest in Bengaluru, Shapoorji Pallonji said in a statement.

The value of sales from these 225 units in the tower is estimated at Rs 400 crore, it added.

The price of each unit starts from Rs 1.62 crore.

The company has launched about 2,371 apartments. Of these, more than 700 units have been handed over to the homebuyers.

Commenting on the launch, company CEO Venkatesh Gopalakrishnan said: Considering the overwhelming response from homebuyers, we are launching tower CEDAR at Parkwest 2.0. We believe this is the right time to bring the best products to the Central micro-market."



Sumit Sapru, Business Head, Shapoorji Pallonji said the company has witnessed a steady demand for spacious luxury homes in the market.

The company is a part of the Shapoorji Pallonji Group an enormous multi-business conglomerate.

Shapoorji Pallonji Real Estate has presence in Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Gurugram and Kolkata. The company is developing six projects in phases.

(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.)
European consumers could face the prospect of energy rationing this winter as costs continue to soar amid the risk of Russia cutting off gas supplies, Shells chief executive has said, the media reported.

"It will be a really tough winter in Europe," said Ben van Beurden, speaking at the Aurora spring conference in Oxford on Thursday, The Guardian reported.

"We will all face very significant escalation in energy prices. In the worst case, Europe will need to ration its energy consumption."

Factors being blamed for the continuing surge in wholesale energy prices include ongoing uncertainty regarding Russian gas flows into continental Europe, as well as more recent concerns such as the halted strike by Norwegian gas workers, and the UK's continued reliance on energy imports.

Van Beurden said there was "no way of telling" whether Russia would restart gas supplies into Europe via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline after maintenance started on Monday. It is due to conclude on 21 July, The Guardian reported.

"Putin has surprised quite a few of us," he said, adding, "I feel disappointed by the outcomes. He has also shown that he better be taken seriously when he makes threats... For a long time we thought it was not in Russia's interest to cut off Russia's largest market. He is able and willing to weaponise supplies."

Asked about the race to become the next UK prime minister, Van Beurden said: "I hope there is no backtracking from net zero ambitions. There is a lot of popular opinion out there that is sometimes not helpful."

--IANS

san/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.)
on Thursday said its associate company, East Pipes Integrated Company for Industry, has received an order of 324 million Saudi Riyal (around Rs 689 crore) from Saline Water Conversion Corporation in .

The order is for the manufacture and supply of steel pipes and will be executed in the ongoing financial year, the company said in a statement.

"Associate company EPIC in the Kingdom of has been awarded a contract by SWCC for the manufacture and supply of steel pipes. The contract is valued at SAR (Saudi Riyal) 324 million (approximately) including value added tax and the same will be executed in this financial year," it said.

This is in addition to the recent work orders awarded by SWCC of SAR 497 million (around Rs 1,056 crore) in March 2022 and SAR 490 million (around Rs 1,041 crore) in May 2022.

According to the statement, EPIC is Saudi Arabia's leading manufacturer of Helical Submerged Arc Welded (HSAW) pipes.

Welspun Corp, the flagship company of Welspun Group, is a leading welded line pipe manufacturer.

(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.)
& Lighting has announced its foray into packaged food business in India. The company has appointed Anil Chugh, currently the India & SAARC head of the business, to head the vertical. Also, Neeraj Khatri, head of Wipro Consumer Cares Philippines entity, has moved to the role of India & SAARC head of business.

Vineet Agrawal, CEO of Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting, said: Our decision to enter the packaged food business would complement our existing categories in personal care, thus building a complete offering in the FMCG space in India.

Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting had recorded a revenue of Rs 8,634 crore for the financial year ended March 31.

It operates in personal wash products, toiletries, facial care, wellness, home care, electrical wire devices, domestic and commercial lighting, and seating solutions.

Our leadership changes align with our ambitions of being a significant and leading player in the FMCG space in all the markets we operate in, said Agrawal.

The company owns popular brands such as Santoor, premium personal care brand Yardley, Enchanteur, Hygienix, Chandrika, Glucovita, Safewash, Softouch, Giffy Maxkleen along with LED lights brand Wipro Garnet and male grooming brand Aramusk.
For the first time, schools, colleges, universities, government, non-government offices and most importantly, markets will remain open on .

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said that this will be celebrated as a special event this year in each district as it is the 75th year of Independence.

Chief Secretary D.S. Mishra said that a special sanitation drive would be carried out, as is done during the festival of Diwali, and this should be made into a public movement.

"Programmes should be held at places linked with freedom fighters. Each day of the week during the week should have a different programme. Independence Day celebrations should not be reduced to just an official programme. People should participate in it. People from all walks of life like social organisations, public representatives, NCC and NSO cadets, trade organisations should be linked with it," he said.

--IANS

amita/dpb

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Maharashtra government has given all the clearances for expediting the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, state Deputy Chief Minister said on Thursday.

Addressing a press conference after the state cabinet meeting, Fadnavis said Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has given all the clearances for the project.

The pending issues were related to the forest clearances and land acquisition, among others, he said.

The estimated cost of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad is Rs 1,10,000 crore, out of which Rs 88,000 crore are being funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Over 70 per cent land required in Maharashtra for the project has been acquired in Thane and Palghar districts.

The previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government headed by Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray had not taken any step to put the project on fast-track. Thackeray had instead asked the railway ministry to build the high speed train corridor between Pune and Nagpur cities.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his then Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe had laid the foundation of the in Ahmedabad in September 2017. The train is expected to cover the distance of over 500 km in around two hours.

(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 Wednesday attended the farewell banquet hosted in his honour by the Chiefs of Staff Committee.

Speaking on the occasion, the President said, "In the last five years, I had the privilege of visiting many military institutions and units in far-flung areas where he had occasions to interact with the brave personnel of the Army, Navy and Air Force. Their devotion to duty, their spirit of 'Service before Self' and commitment to the cause of security inspire the entire country. We are indeed proud of our Armed Forces who are safeguarding our frontiers in the most difficult terrains and amid challenging climatic and operational conditions."

"I feel a deep sense of pride in having served as the Supreme Commander of one of the most committed and competent Armed Forces in the world," he added.

The President said that the team spirit and 'never say die' attitude displayed by the Armed Forces during the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts put in by them for setting up hospitals, distributing relief material and extending every possible assistance to civil administration are praiseworthy.

"Selfless efforts Armed Forces during several disaster management operations have also been commendable," he said.

He expressed happiness that during his tenure as the Supreme Commander, the induction of women in the Defence Academy has also been initiated.

He said, "It is a great step which would give an opportunity to our daughters to serve the nation by enrolling in the military. They would prove to be worthy daughters of Mother India.

(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 noble initiative, Police's beat staff will visit homes of the elderly living alone in southwest district every evening and connect them with their children through phone or video calls, officials said on Wednesday.

The step comes after a 93-year-old woman died alone inside her house at Safdarjung Enclave in south . Her body was kept in the mortuary for at least five days until her son returned from the US for her final rites. She had been living alone for several years since the death of her husband.

The incident made the district police come out with a way to deal with the loneliness of senior citizens, especially those whose children are abroad and hardly get to connect with them.

Police said the elderly citizens living alone in the area told the security personnel that their children did not call them or contacted them after months.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Manoj C said, "A total of 3,347 elderly people are registered with Senior Citizen's Cell of the district, of which 1,075 live alone, 1,167 stay with their spouses and 1,105 reside with their family members. The police beat staff regularly visits the residences of the elderly to know about their safety, security and well-being. Various steps have been taken for the welfare of ."



"During our interactions with the elderly, they often talk about their loneliness and express their desire to talk to their children and family members, which gives them immense happiness. But their children never call them or call after several months," he said.

The officer explained that every evening, cops will visit the residences of and help them talk to their children. Evening hours have been chosen because of the time difference between India and foreign countries. Most of these elderly have children abroad, so evenings are the best time to talk to them through internet calls or otherwise.

Southwest district has upscale areas like Vasant Kunj, Vasant Vihar, Safdarjung Enclave and Satya Niketan, and police have also undertaken security audits of the residential premises of senior citizens, police said.

Regular verification of tenants, maids and fruit and vegetable vendors who regularly visit the residences of the elderly is done. CCTV cameras are also being installed in areas where live, they said.

"During the visit, police staff also check safety equipment like cameras and safety alarms installed in the houses of the elderly. To improve security, senior citizens have been advised to install security equipment like door chains, magic eyes, iron grilles and safety locks," the DCP 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 government led by on Thursday restored the meant for those political activists who were imprisoned during the Emergency imposed in 1975.

The scheme, which was introduced by the Devendra Fadnavis government in 2018, was scrapped by the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) dispensation in 2020.

The Fadnavis government, which was in power between 2014 and 2019, had taken the decision to provide pension to the activists, who had protested against the Emergency imposed by the then prime minister Indira Gandhi.

The pension amount ranged from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 depending upon the jail term they faced between 1975 and 1977. Anyone who underwent imprisonment for less than a month or up to a month would get Rs 5,000, while those who were jailed for three months and above would get Rs 10,000.

Fadnavis, who is now the deputy chief minister, said the activists who protested against the Emergency belonged to the RSS, Jan Sangh and some political parties.

"Several people were jailed because they protested for reinstating democracy. My own father was in jail for two years," he told reporters.

The MVA government may have stopped the under pressure from the Congress, 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.)
Expressing concern over low uptake of precautionary doses of Sputnik V vaccine, the Centre on Thursday asked states to increase it.

The uptake of precaution dose of Sputnik V is only 0.5 per cent of those who are due for it.

In a letter to all states and UTs, the on Thursday suggested some measures to increase the uptake of Sputnik V booster doses.

"It has been observed that uptake of precaution dose of Sputnik V is only 0.5 per cent of those who are due for it. Reference may be made to e-mail sent to all states and UTs on May 5, 2022, wherein it was mentioned that beneficiaries who have received two doses of Sputnik V vaccine, may be administered precaution dose using Sputnik V (Component I) in Private Covid Vaccination centers (CVCs) after completion of 9 months or 39 weeks," Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said in the letter.

To increase the uptake of precaution dose ofSputnik V vaccine by the due beneficiaries, availability of Sputnik V vaccine (Component I) and functionality of private CVCs may be ensured, he wrote.

Bhushan has also suggested that the private CVCs, which were providing Sputnik V vaccine, may reach out to the due beneficiaries to receive the due doses - both second and precaution dose.

The letter has also asked to establish targeted communication for the due beneficiaries of precaution dose of Sputnik V.

Meanwhile, the interval between the second dose and precaution dose has now been reduced to 6 months or 26 weeks for all vaccines.

(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 Centre on Thursday rushed a high-level, multi-disciplinary team to to collaborate with the state health authorities and institute public health measures after one case of monkeypox was confirmed in Kollam district of this southern state. A person who returned to from abroad and was hospitalised after showing signs of monkeypox tested positive for the same, state Health Minister Veena George said on Thursday.

The central team to comprises experts drawn from Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr RML Hospital, New Delhi and senior officials from MoHFW, along with experts from Regional Office of Health and Family Welfare, Kerala.

Earlier in the day, the had written to states, asking them to proactively work on public health response against the disease. The team shall work closely with state health departments and take stock of on-ground situations and recommend necessary public health interventions. Govt of India is taking proactive steps by monitoring the situation carefully and coordinating with states in case of any such possibility of outbreak occurs, the said in the evening.

The Centre had already issued guidelines for monkeypox disease management on May 31 amid rising cases across the globe.

A person who returned from overseas has been admitted to hospital after he showed signs of monkeypox. The samples sent to the Institute of Virology for testing, came back positive. The person concerned was in close contact with a monkeypox patient abroad. Already eleven people who came in contact with the monkeypox patient have been quarantined.

The has urged states to start working on their public health infrastructure to handle the disease. The ministry has asked states to start screening at points of entries, contact-tracing, and undertake surveillance activities following detection of a case. Testing and treatment protocols should be set and doctors working in hospitals, along with disease surveillance teams, should be alert about common signs and symptoms.

Patients have to be isolated until all lesions have resolved and the scabs have completely fallen off, the letter from Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said. Hospitals must be identified and adequate human resource and logistic support should be ensured at identified hospitals equipped to manage suspected or confirmed cases, Bhushan said.

Intensive risk communication should be shared with health care workers, sites like skin and paediatric OPDs, immunisation clinics, etc. People should also be encouraged to report the symptoms promptly, the letter added.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported 3,413 laboratory confirmed cases of monkeypox since January 1, and one death.

Majority of these cases have been reported from the European Region (86 per cent) and the Americas (11 per cent). This points to a slow but sustained increase in the spread of cases globally. Considering this is the first time that cases and clusters are being reported concurrently in five WHO Regions, WHO has assessed the overall risk of spread of cases as moderate at global level, the health ministry letter read.

Monkeypox typically begins with a fever, headache, muscle aches, back-aches and exhaustion. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that it also causes lymph nodes to swell which is unlike smallpox. WHO has said it was important to not confuse monkeypox with chickenpox, measles, bacterial skin infections, scabies, syphilis and medication-associated allergies.

The symptoms usually last for two to four weeks. It is usually a self-limiting disease.

After the initial fever phase, skin eruptions show up. Rashes are usually concentrated on the face, palms and soles of feet. It can also affect the cornea and the genital areas. These eruptions can last for two to four weeks; they harden, become painful, and get filled up with fluid and eventually with pus. Finally, the scabs form and they fall off.

The health ministry has asked to isolate patients till the time scabs fall off. It has also asked to watch out for any blurring of vision and decreased urine output.





STEPPING UP VIGIL
Forest Minister A K Saseendran will meet the union minister for environment, forest and climate change, Bhupender Yadav at New Delhi later Thursday seeking the Centre's support in getting the inhabited areas and agricultural lands exempted while implementing the recent apex court verdict on Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZ).

The top court had, on June 3, pronounced the verdict to create a one-km eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) around all wildlife sanctuaries and parks, which is generally considered to affect normal life of people living in such areas of the southern State for decades.

Before meeting the union minister, Saseendran told reporters in New Delhi that the state would consider further proceedings in the matter after understanding the Centre's stand on ESZs.

"We are here (in New Delhi) to meet the union minister with expectation that the Centre will adopt a favourable stand," he said.

The government, in the year 2020 itself, had requested the Centre to exempt the inhabited areas from the buffer zones being demarcated around wildlife sanctuaries and parks, he added.

Amidst mounting pressure from the opposition parties and the local people in high range areas, the Left government in on Tuesday announced that it was ready to "re-examine" a cabinet decision taken by it two years ago demarcating 0-1 km surrounding the protected forest areas as Eco Sensitive Zone (ESZ) in the state.

The state Forest minister had informed the state Assembly that they were ready for a re-look into the decision taken on October 23, 2019, which had been used as a political weapon by the opposition Congress-led UDF to target the LDF government over the buffer zone issue.

The Kerala Legislative Assembly last week unanimously passed a resolution requesting the Centre to exempt inhabited places and agricultural lands in the state while implementing the one km wide eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) around forests and sanctuaries as directed by the Supreme 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.)
Live news updates: Sri Lanka's anti-government demonstrators on Thursday decided to vacate some of the iconic administrative buildings, including the President's House and the Prime Minister's Office, they have been occupying since April 9 demanding president Gotabaya Rajapaksa's resignation. On July 9, protesters occupied President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's presidential palace and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's private house. The Prime Minister's Office was overrun on Wednesday.



Former Chancellor extended his lead in the prime ministerial race on Wednesday with the highest number of votes at 88 in the first round of voting by MPs, which narrowed down the race from eight to six candidates on the shortlist.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an emergency use authorisation (EUA) for the Novavax (Covid-19) vaccine in individuals 18 years of age and older. The Novavax vaccine will be available as two-dose primary series for adults, three weeks apart, Xinhua news agency reported.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky blamed for causing unrest in as well as around the world due to the blocking of food products during the invasion of .
South Korea's new cases more than doubled in a week to near 40,000 on Thursday, as the country has experienced a resurgence of infections amid the fast spread of a highly contagious new omicron subvariant.

The country added 39,196 new Covid-19 infections, including 338 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 18,641,278, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) was quoted as saying by Yonhap news agency.

Thursday's figure also more than doubled from 18,511 cases logged a week earlier, as the country has seen an upturn in infections from end-June due to the highly contagious omicron subvariant BA.5.

The daily count hit over 10,000 on June 29 for the first time in about three weeks, and rose to over 20,000 on Saturday and further to 40,000 on Wednesday.

The KDCA reported 16 deaths from the virus Thursday, putting the death toll at 24,696. The fatality rate stood at 0.13 per cent.

The number of critically ill patients came to 69, up from the previous day's 67. Despite the surge in new infections, the figure has stayed below 100 since last month.

The KDCA has said the country entered a new virus wave, ending a downward trend from the peak of more than 620,000 in mid-March, and that the daily infections could surge to as high as 200,000 next month.

--IANS

int/shs

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
MLAs and MPs loyal to former Maharashtra CM will not attend a meeting to be held in Mumbai on Thursday for the presidential poll campaign of Democratic Alliance nominee .

"We are not going for the meeting. There is no message yet whether Murmu will visit Uddhavji at 'Matoshree'," Sena's Sindhudurg MP Vinayak Raut told PTI.

'Matoshree' is the private residence of Thackeray in Bandra area of Mumbai.

Thackeray on Tuesday announced his party's support for Murmu in the July 18 presidential election.

He had said the Sena was announcing support for Murmu without any pressure, while acknowledging that this is the first occasion wherein a tribal woman is getting the opportunity to become the country's president.

The has 19 members in the Lok Sabha and three in the Rajya Sabha.

It has 55 MLAs in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly, whose current strength is 287 due to the death of a legislator. Out of the 55 Sena MLAs, 15 are with Thackeray, while the others have joined the faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Last month, a rebellion led by Shinde against the party leadership led to the collapse of the Thackeray-led tripartite government comprising the Sena, NCP and Congress.

Murmu had earlier served as the governor of Jharkhand.

The Opposition has fielded former Union minister Yashwant Sinha against Murmu in the presidential election.

(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 Democratic Alliance's presidential election nominee will meet the ruling alliance MPs and MLAs here on Thursday as part of the campaign to seek support for her candidature.

The meeting is scheduled at a suburban hotel, before which a luncheon has been organised with the parliamentarians and legislators, sources said.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis will welcome Murmu on her arrival at the airport in Mumbai.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday announced his party's support for Murmu for the July 18 presidential election.

But, it is not known if she will meet Thackeray here.

The Opposition has fielded Yashwant Sinha against Murmu in the presidential election.

Murmu had earlier served as the Governor of Jharkhand. If elected, she will be the first tribal woman to hold the top constitutional office.

(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 government is taking steps to promote and provide facilities and incentives to workers engaged in the handicraft.

The state government will set up a Plaza in Jaipur. The plaza will help to promote products and facilitate weavers of the state to showcase and market their products.

Rajiv Arora, chairman, Small Industries Corporation (RSIC), said technical consultants had been hired for renovating the Rajasthali complex to make it a centre of attraction for tourists.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has approved the draft of the Khadi Workers Economic Incentive Scheme. Along with this, he has sanctioned Rs 9 crore for assisting workers in 2022-23.

With this approval, over 20,000 khadi workers of the state will get remuneration.

Under this scheme, khadi spinners/weavers will get incentives per square metre (which is called gundi) in addition to the rates fixed by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission in accordance with the cost chart.

Apart from this, workers engaged in khadi organisations/societies will get an incentive per square metre on the items produced by such organisations/societies.

An amount of Rs 36 lakh will be for the manufacture of software, computer operators, and other works including data entry.

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission will invite applications from workers through khadi institutions/committees. The incentive will be transferred directly to the bank account of the beneficiary.

Meanwhile, Minister for Khadi and Village Industries Shakuntla Rawat said apart from aggressive marketing, the state government proposed an online platform to boost sales of khadi products.

She has asked officers to organise a month-long exhibition in every district in which khadi-related products should be showcased.
The on Thursday set aside the Patna High Court orders in an anticipatory bail case including the one directing Sahara Group chief to appear before it.

The orders were passed by the high court while hearing the anticipatory bail application of another person.

The apex court said the high court, while entertaining the plea for grant of anticipatory bail filed by the applicant before it, went into inquire into matters "unrelated" to the facts relevant for deciding the application.

"In the present case, we have noticed that the high court kept the application for grant of anticipatory bail pending and issued directions, including to issue notice to third parties to appear before the court. That, in our opinion, is impermissible and cannot be countenanced," a bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and J B Pardiwala said.

The top court set aside the February 11 and April 27 orders of the high court.

It had earlier stayed the order passed by the high court which had on February 11 directed to add Sahara Credit Cooperative Societies Limited and Roy as opposite parties to a bail petition pending before it and later, directed him to personally appear before it.

On April 27, the high court had directed Roy to personally appear before it noting that Sahara Group and other companies, which have been taking deposits till about one month back, are directed to come up with a plan for the return of investment of the investors.

(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 authorities on Thursday lifted the curfew, which was imposed in the Western province after the eruption of violence in the capital here, even as President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who has fled to the Maldives, was yet to submit his resignation letter.

Rajapaksa, the 73-year-old leader who had promised to resign on Wednesday, appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the acting President hours after he fled the country, escalating the political crisis and triggering a fresh wave of protests.

At least 84 people were hospitalised when protesters clashed with the security forces at the prime minister's office and at the main access junction to Parliament since mid-afternoon on Wednesday after fled the country.

The police fired tear gas and water cannons at the mob who were trying to break barriers and enter the restricted zone.

The police spokesman Nihal Thalduwa said protesters had grabbed a T56 firearm and 60 bullets from a Army soldier. A police complaint had been lodged, the police said.

Authorities had to impose a curfew in the Western province following the eruption of violence.

Wednesday's protests were more directed at Wickremesinghe. Calls for his resignation intensified after he was appointed the acting president.

Political party leaders are asking him to step down so that Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena can take control as acting president.

Wickremesinghe in a statement asked the Speaker to find a suitable nominee to become the prime minister in an all-party interim government.

However, the protesters have demanded that the interim government must only consist of politicians acceptable to them.

Meanwhile, President failed to send in his resignation on Wednesday as pledged earlier.

He was likely to send his resignation letter only after reaching his final destination on Wednesday evening, Sri Lanka's The Morning news portal reported.

The media here cited sources in the Maldives as saying that had failed to board the Singapore-bound flight from Male due to security concerns on Wednesday night.

Rajapaksa reportedly had raised security concerns about taking a civilian flight and was urging the Maldives authorities for a private jet to land in Singapore.

Meanwhile, the protesters continued to occupy the key administrative buildings they had seized since Saturday. There is an endless stream of sight-seers at the buildings. Videos show the properties have suffered serious damages since they were occupied.

The protesters stressed that they would only hand over the properties to authorities after an interim government would be in place.

The influential Buddhist clergy chiefs in a statement called for an end to violence. They said the country's security was in grave danger and Parliament must be summoned immediately to work out a political solution.

Rajapaksa, who enjoys immunity from prosecution while he is president, fled the country before resigning to avoid the possibility of arrest by the new government.

On Saturday after thousands of protesters stormed his official residence, blaming him for the unprecedented economic crisis that has brought the country to its knees, Rajapaksa announced that he will step down on Wednesday.

Rajapaksa's escape to the Maldives was negotiated by the Maldivian Majlis (Parliament) Speaker and former president Mohamed Nasheed, sources in the Maldives capital Male said.

Sri Lanka, a country of 22 million people, is under the grip of an unprecedented economic turmoil, the worst in seven decades, leaving millions struggling to buy food, medicine, fuel and other essentials.

Last week, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said is now a bankrupt country.

(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 Lanka's anti-government demonstrators on Thursday decided to vacate some of the iconic administrative buildings, including the President's House and the Prime Minister's Office, they have been occupying since April 9 demanding president Gotabaya Rajapaksa's resignation.

On July 9, protesters occupied President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's presidential palace and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's private house. The Prime Minister's Office was overrun on Wednesday.

We are peacefully withdrawing from all buildings except the old parliament (president's office) and Galle Face (the continuous site). We will continue to remain in these places, we will continue to until we reach our goals," a spokesperson for the group told reporters.

The government building includes the President's house, Presidential Secretariat and the Prime Minister's Office.

Protesters occupied the building demanding President Rajapaksa's resignation. However, the Prez on Wednesday fled to the Maldives on a military jet, hours before he was supposed to step down in the face of a public revolt against him and his family for mishandling the economy that has bankrupted the country.

Rajapaksa, the 73-year-old leader who had promised to resign on Wednesday, appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the acting President hours after he fled the country, escalating the political crisis and triggering a fresh wave of protests.

At least 84 people were hospitalised when protesters clashed with the security forces at the prime minister's office and at the main access junction to Parliament since Wednesday afternoon after Rajapaksa fled the country.

The police fired tear gas and water cannons at the mob who were trying to break barriers and enter the restricted zone.

The police spokesman Nihal Thalduwa said protesters had grabbed a T56 firearm and 60 bullets from a Army soldier. A police complaint had been lodged, the police said.

Protesters have been coming under pressure as the protests took a violent turn. The lawyers' body had asked them to vacate the buildings.

The spokesperson said, "their campaign has always been peaceful. We tell those in power not to use this opportunity to threaten people and show your military power.

(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 Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday conducted searches at three locations in the valley in connection with a terrorist attack in Jammu's Sunjwan area in April.

"Today (13.07.2022), NIA conducted searches at three locations in . One location in Pulwama District and two locations in Anantnag District in the case of indiscriminate firing upon the security personnel on April 22, 2022 during a joint search operation in the area of Sunjwan in Jammu by terrorists in which one ASI of CISF was martyred and several others got injured," said NIA.

During the searches, the NIA recovered and seized different types of incriminating materials.

Further investigations into the case are underway.

The Investigation Agency (NIA) in May arrested the key accused in Jammu and Kashmir's Sunjwan terror attack.

Abid Ahmad Mir, a resident of Putrigam in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama, is an Over Ground Worker of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

"Investigation has revealed that accused Mir is an Over Ground Worker of JeM and was a close associate of arrested accused Bilal Ahmed Wagay. He was also in touch with Pakistan-based handlers of JeM. He knowingly and voluntarily had extended support to the other co-accused persons in the commission of the instant crime," said the NIA.

In the attack, the CISF had said, Assistant Sub Inspector SP Patel laid down his life while treatment in hospital, one personnel was grievously injured and six other personnel of the Force sustained minor injuries while valiantly retaliating against the terrorist attack.

In the subsequent action, security forces succeeded to eliminate the two terrorists responsible for the attack.

Two fidayeen (Aatma ghati) terrorists of the Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit were present in the area.

The CISF had said that the terrorists were planning to target the security forces and innocent people. "If they could have managed to surpass the outer cordon (Naka), a major loss to the security forces might have been caused."

Due to the valiant response by CISF personnel, a major fidayeen attack was not only averted but terrorists were contained and eliminated.

The CISF then said its total of three companies were deployed in the Union Territory of Jammu and for Law and Order duties.

A CISF company (No. 757) of the 3rd Reserve Battalion was deployed at Jammu City for maintaining Law and Order with the local police of Narwal Police Station, Jammu.

Based on the inputs, the CISF said "some fidayeen terrorist organisations were planning a major attack in the Jammu region".

Considering the input, it said a joint "combing and search operation was being carried out in the area, wherein Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and local police personnel were deployed for inner cordon and search operation while CISF personnel were deputed at Naka near Chadda Camp meant for outer cordon".

(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.)
Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed has commended India's efforts to localise the monitoring of progress in implementing the UN's (SDGs).

In her message to a session on the Indian Model of SDG Localisation here on Wednesday, she said, "I commend the government of India and the NITI Aayog for the remarkable degree to which the SDGs have been localised (with) indicators and targets embedded into planning, budgeting and monitoring frameworks at all levels of government".

The SDGs are 17 agenda points set by the UN in 2015 for achieving by 2030 and they range from poverty alleviation and promoting health to climate action and social justice.

The Indian government's think tank, NITI Aayog, steers long-term policies and provides technical advice for their implementation.

It has developed monitoring tools to chart the progress of implementation of the SDGs at state levels and right down to the district levels, NITI Ayog Vice Chairperson Suman Bery said.

This provides for competitive collaboration among the states and entities within states as they try to scale their efforts, he said.

The SDG India Index dashboard "is creating intense competition amongst states: states that do well, in the third fourth position, strive to reach the first one (while) other states focus on doing better", he said.

"The spirit of competition has been prompting the states to do better (and) you will see that this has resulted in superior outcomes," Bery said.

Mohammed said, "The 2030 agenda remains as relevant as ever, the world's compass for navigating turbulent uncharted waters".

"The SDGs recognise that world is interlinked to an unprecedented degree" and the level to which this message of interconnectedness has been embraced in India, from the Centre and the states down to the district and individual household level is truly impressive", she said.

Under-Secretary-General Usha Monari-Rao said that India's model of localised SDG monitoring will be an example for other countries.

She said, "We aim to expand learning from these partnerships (of UNDP with India) to inspire efforts to do development in ways that transform global commitments into green, inclusive and equitable actions within India and, of course, and always around the world, using India as an example".

--IANS

arul/dpb

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Hathras court on Thursday remanded co-founder Mohammed Zubair to 14 days' judicial custody in a case in which he is accused of hurting religious sentiments, his lawyer said.

Zubair was produced before Chief Judicial Magistrate Shivkumari under heavy security in connection with a case filed at the Sadar Kotwali police station on June 14.

The journalist who founded a fact-checking website faces similar cases in different places over a Twitter post four years back, which the complainants say outraged Hindu sentiments.

Zubair was brought to the Hathras court from Delhi's Tihar jail with a Delhi Police escort, and remanded to judicial custody till July 27.

His lawyer Umang Rawat argued that since the matter is four years old, the journalist's arrest was malafide and made under political pressure."



On Tuesday, the Uttar Pradesh Police had constituted a special investigation team (SIT) for a "transparent" probe into cases lodged against him in various districts.

The team headed by Inspector General (Prisons) Preetinder Singh has been asked to conduct an investigation expeditiously and submit a charge sheet in court.

Separate FIRs have been lodged against Zubair in Sitapur, Lakhimpur Kheri, Ghaziabad, Muzaffarnagar and Hathras districts in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly hurting religious feelings, making sarcastic remarks on news anchors and disrespecting Hindu deities.

His lawyer told the Hathras court that the investigating officer in the case should be a technical expert " as the case related to an IT matter.

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court extended Zubair's interim bail till further orders in a case lodged in Sitapur district.

But the relief did not have an effect as the journalist was already in judicial custody ordered by a Delhi court in another case.

The Delhi Police had arrested him on June 27 for allegedly hurting religious sentiments through one of his tweets.

(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.)
Foundation and Foundation on Thursday said they have together contributed more than Rs 2 crore ($250,000) towards flood relief work in Assam.



The funds will help humanitarian organisation 'Doctors For You' support people impacted in the region, a joint statement said.



The Doctors For You supplies relief kits with essential food items, medicines and hygiene-care products and offers healthcare and psychological support to the affected population.



"Our hearts are with those affected by the devastating flooding in Assam, and together with the Foundation, we are here to support relief efforts," said Julie Gehrki, Vice President and COO of Foundation.



"The people of Assam have been severely affected by the floods and our endeavour is to provide the necessary support, care and compassion that is needed. With support from our colleagues across the organisation, we hope to leverage our capabilities and mobilise resources toward the most critical needs of people and communities," said Rajneesh Kumar, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Group.



As floods continue in several parts of India, Flipkart through its CSR arm is also partnering with Goonj to raise funds from customers to provide critical medical supplies and essential relief materials for flood relief efforts in the country. The company has also mobilised employee contributions for this cause, the statement said.



Foundation is a CSR arm of Walmart, while the Flipkart Foundation represents the Flipkart Group.



(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 Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) may bring regulation of deliberate misinformation and doxxing as offences under new legislation. According to a report in the Indian Express this new regulation is likely to replace the Information Technology Act, 2000. The new legislation is being referred to as the Digital India Act for now.

The report said that the law may have provisions for net neutrality, data privacy, and algorithmic accountability of platforms. It will focus on 'user harms' specific to the online world.

The Indian Penal Code (IPC) looks at misinformation from the lens of defamation. Beyond that, there is no adjudication on deliberate attempts at misinformation and the ministry is having a discussion to include it as an offence under the new Act, the official said told Indian Express. Deliberate online misinformation has to be separated from defamation, which is a very different kind of an offence

The report in IE also mentioned that the IT Ministry is mulling over adding doxxing as an offence under the new Act. Doxxing is when someone publishes or attempts to publish private or private or identifying information about individuals on the internet. The intent of the act is generally malicious.
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The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will invest $2 billion (about Rs 15,500 crore) in India to develop a series of integrated food parks, while the United States (US) will set up a hybrid project in Dwarka, Gujarat, with an investment of $330 million (about 2,500 crore) under the framework of I2U2. This was announced by the leaders of the four-nation grouping  comprising India, Israel, the UAE, and the US  as they held their first virtual summit on Thursday.

Participating in the meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said I2U2 had set a positive agenda right from the first summit. We have identified joint projects in many areas, and have also prepared a road map to move forward in them. By mobilising the mutual strengths of our countries  capital, expertise and markets  we can accelerate our agenda, and contribute significantly to the global economy, he said.

I2U2 was conceptualised during a meeting of the foreign ministers of the four countries in October last year.

Touted as the West Asian Quad, I2U2 has agreed to increase joint investment in six critical areas: water, energy, transportation, space, health, and food security. Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, however, brushed aside the Quad comparison, holding that the principal intention of the grouping was to mobilise private sector capital and deploy it for many areas of economic cooperation.



A NEW BOND I2U2 conceptualised during meeting of the foreign ministers of the four countries held in October last year

US President Joe Biden said the group will identify new infrastructure projects to invest in and develop together

may come up in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, focusing on food items such as bananas, potatoes, rice, spices and onions

ALSO READ: I2U2 established a positive agenda from its very first summit today: Modi

While the will incorporate climate-smart technologies to reduce food waste, conserve fresh water, and employ sources, the hybrid project, consisting of 300 megawatts (MW) of wind and solar capacity complemented by a battery energy storage system, is expected to help India establish itself as a global supply chain hub in the renewable space.

US President Joe Biden in his intervention said while the had the potential to sustainably increase Indias food yields threefold in just five years, the hybrid renewable energy project with battery storage system was going to help India reach its climate and energy goal of 500 megawatts of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030. Over the next few years, this group is going to work to identify new infrastructure projects that we can invest in and develop together. This meeting is just a first step, a chance to demonstrate the value of this new format for cooperation between our four nations, he added.

The $2-billion investment in food security projects will come from the UAE while the American and Israeli private sectors will lend their expertise and offer innovative solutions, contributing to the overall sustainability of the project. These investments will help maximise crop yields and, in turn, help tackle food insecurity in South Asia and the Middle East, a joint statement of the I2U2 group said.

Kwatra told reporters that the food corridors might come up in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh focussing on food items such as banana, potato, rice, spices and onions.

The $330-million investment in clean energy projects will be funded by the US Trade and Development Agency, while the UAE-based companies are exploring opportunities to serve as critical knowledge and investment partners.
China's lockdowns in major cities has affected trade and daily life causing the country to report a grim performance in the second quarter and increasing concerns of a global recession.

China's may have contracted in the three months ending in June, The Washington Post newspaper reported citing experts, adding that it is likely that Beijing will report modest growth.

Mercator Institute for Studies' chief economist Max Zenglein said, "The government will not acknowledge a contraction."

"The further growth is from zero, the less credible the official figure will be," Zenglein added.

China's grim performance in the second quarter will be a setback for the country.

Several countries including the United States reopened and lifted their restrictions in their rebound from the pandemic.

However, doubled down their "zero covid" policy stating that too many will die if the restrictions were lifted and the country was reopened.

The approach eventually became controversial and damaged their .

More severe lockdowns were implemented in the country as it continued to report more infections this year.

The two-month lockdown of China's Shanghai was particularly devastating, the article read.

The draconian zero-COVID policy implemented by the authorities in Shanghai, the world's largest port, resulted in unprecedented disruption in economic activity with factories getting shut, and ports facing delays.

Transport and logistics networks have been severely impacted, with restrictions hitting the delivery of goods around the country and to ports with major global shipping connections.

During a visit to Fuzhou last week, China's Premier Li Keqiang said that the economic situation was at a critical point and urged officials to steer the "back on track," Xinhua reported.

Despite Chinese President Xi Jinping's commitment to follow the "zero covid" policy, the photographs from the meetings showed that no one was wearing a mask in Fuzhou.

Many people have been unemployed and underemployed, especially in service industries, due to the repeated lockdowns in different parts of the country. Even a single automobile was not sold in Shanghai in the month of April.

Several cities reported an 18.4 per cent jobless rate of people aged 16 to 24 in the month of May.

"The Chinese economy is in a very bad shape now, consumer demand is very weak," Washington's Peterson Institute for Economics' research fellow Tianlei Huang said.

Huang added that even in the most optimistic scenario, the country will not be able to achieve its growth target of 5.5 per cent for the full year.

The lockdowns have affected factory production, supply chains and caused goods shipments delays to the rest of the world.

Consumer prices in the country rose by 2.5 per cent due to the dampened demand.

A lot of home buyers have been refusing to pay mortgages on unfinished projects, a media report said last week.

"The Chinese economy in the second half of 2022 still faces the uncertainty of periodic lockdowns in response to new covid breakouts. If a recession breaks out in the U.S. or Europe, it will add further difficulty to the Chinese growth," Columbia University professor Shang-Jin Wei said.

Foreign investors have been shifting production to other countries due to the economic uncertainties in China, Huang said.

"The recent very negative outlook of the foreign business community is probably not just some noise in the short term but may have some longer-term implications," 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.)
Chinas broad budget deficit in the first six months of the year widened to a record as government spending climbed and falling land sales and tax cuts cut income.

The deficit in the budgets for all levels of government was 5.1 trillion yuan ($758 billion), according to Bloomberg calculations based on data from the Ministry of Finance released Thursday. That was the highest ever for the first half period and compares with a shortfall of just 718 billion yuan in the first half of last year and a gap of 3.4 trillion yuan at the same point in 2020.

Chinas finances have been squeezed this year as its worst Covid wave in more than two years and restrictions imposed to contain the outbreaks curbed economic growth and tax income, while putting extra burdens on local governments to spend more to pay for virus testing and controls. Revenue has also been impacted by a tax relief plan to shore up the and a struggling real-estate market, which caused land sales to plummet.

The government recorded a combined 13.3 trillion yuan in general public and government fund income in January-June. General public revenue fell 10.2 per cent from a year earlier, but would have risen 3.3 per cent had it not been for the tax rebates, the ministry said.

The government had planned 1.64 trillion yuan worth of additional tax refunds to companies this year, but has actually returned 1.85 trillion yuan in the first six months, MOF officials said Thursday.

That means the impact of the program on government income will likely taper off in coming months.

Government spending continued to rise. Total spending was 18.4 trillion yuan, while general fiscal expenditure, which includes things like education, healthcare, defense and scientific research, was up 5.9 per cent to 12.9 trillion yuan.

Revenue from the sale of land dropped 31.4 per cent on year in the first six months of 2022 to 2.4 trillion yuan.

Infrastructure push

is making 7.2 trillion yuan ($1.1 trillion) in funds available for infrastructure spending, a decisive shift away from a focus on controlling debt toward supporting a lockdown-ravaged .

The figure refers to government-backed funds and is based on Bloomberg Newsanalysis of official announcements. It includes an unprecedented 1.5 trillion yuan of special bonds, mainly used for infrastructure, that local governments may be allowed to sell in the second half of this year, according to people with knowledge of the discussions.

With the government expanding its funding support, infrastructure investment in 2022 will likely rise 7.7 per cent from last year, according to Citigroup. That would be a major boost to the worlds second-largest as Beijing tries to offset the drag from repeated Covid lockdowns and a slump in the property market.

We have entered a new cycle of infrastructure development, said Yu Xiangrong, chief economist at Citigroup. Thatll be a new normal.

He estimates overall growth in fixed-asset investment will reach around 6 per cent this year, which would contribute 2 percentage points to Chinas gross domestic product growth. The tendency of shifting away from infrastructure investment due to the deleveraging campaign has come to an end, he added.

Regulatory crackdown

Alibaba Group is cutting over a third of staff in its in-house deals team, four people with knowledge of the matter said, after Beijings sweeping regulatory crackdown sharply slowed the Chinese e-commerce behemoths dealmaking pace.

Alibaba plans to reduce its strategic investment team of more than 110 people, mainly based in mainland China, to about 70, said two of the people, adding the company has already informed a bulk of staffers of their redundancy.

The job cuts mainly involve mid-level and senior people in the mainland, said the two people, declining to be named as they were not authorised to speak to the media. The companys deals team also has staff in Hong Kong, they added.

Alibaba did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
As many as 39 people have died in incidents of flash flooding in the past week with new districts in the east, south, south-east, and central regions of impacted by heavy rains.

"Since 5 July, flash have reportedly killed 39 people across five provinces - Uruzgan (20), Ghazni (6), Nuristan (7), Paktya (3) and Zabul (3). Nine of those killed were children, including six in Ghazni and three in Paktya provinces," the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a flood update.

The heavy rains have damaged or destroyed around 2,900 houses, a tenfold increase since the last reporting period, and also disrupted livelihoods. Critical civilian infrastructure such as roads and bridges have also been impacted.

With the rains, land has slipped resulting in unexploded ordnance being transported into several villages of Paktya. This risk will increase as heavy rains continue.

Families assessed to date report needing emergency shelter, non-food items, food and water, sanitation, and hygiene support.

In the eastern region, heavy rain caused new flash flooding in four districts and affected close to 500 families - 213 families in Nangarhar, 200 families in Laghman, 26 families in Kunar, and 14 families in Nuristan. This is the third time that the eastern region has experienced flash flooding in less than a month.

Three new provinces in the Southern Region - Kandahar, Uruzgan and Zabul - have been affected by heavy rains. Initial reports from partners and the ANDMA office indicate that some 600 households are affected in Uruzgan and Zabul, including damaged agricultural lands and livestock.

There are unconfirmed reports of 23 deaths - three people reportedly killed in Zabul from a house that collapsed and 20 people reportedly killed in Uruzgan in a bus that was overturned.

Multiple localized assessments and relief operations are ongoing. OCHA said that it continues to coordinate the emergency response on behalf of humanitarian partners in all four regions affected - central, eastern, southern, and south-eastern regions.

(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 said Thursday that the United States is not going to wait forever for Iran to rejoin a dormant nuclear deal, a day after saying he'd be willing to use force against Tehran as a last resort, if necessary.

At a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid following private talks about Iran's rapidly progressing nuclear programme, Biden said the US had laid out for the Iranian leadership a path to return to the nuclear deal and was still waiting for a response.

When that will come, I'm not certain, Biden said. "But we're not going to wait forever.

Even as he suggested that his patience with Iran was running low, Biden held out hope that Iran can be persuaded to rejoin the agreement. I continue to believe that diplomacy is the best way to achieve this outcome, he said.

Biden's desire for a diplomatic solution contrasted with Lapid, who said Iran must face a real threat of force in order to give up on its nuclear ambition.

The Iranian regime must know that if they continue to deceive the world they will pay a heavy price, Lapid said at the news conference. The only way to stop them is to put a credible military threat on the table.

Lapid suggested that he and Biden were in agreement, despite his tougher rhetoric toward Iran.

I don't think there's a light between us, he said. We cannot allow Iran to become nuclear.

Resurrecting the Iran nuclear deal brokered by Barack Obama's administration and abandoned by Donald Trump in 2018 was a key priority for Biden as he entered office. But administration officials have become increasingly pessimistic about the chances of getting Tehran back into compliance.

Israeli officials have sought to use Biden's first visit to the Middle East as president to underscore that Iran's nuclear programme has progressed too far and encourage the Biden administration to scuttle efforts to revive a 2015 agreement with Iran to limit its development.

opposed the original nuclear deal, reached under Obama in 2015, because its limitations on Iran's nuclear enrichment would expire and the agreement didn't address Iran's ballistic missile program or military activities in the region.

Instead of the US reentering the deal, which Trump withdrew from in 2018, would prefer strict sanctions in hopes of leading to a more sweeping accord.

The US president, who is set to travel to Saudi Arabia on Friday, said he also stressed to Lapid the importance of becoming totally integrated in the region.

Their one-on-one talks marked the centerpiece of a 48-hour visit by Biden aimed at strengthening already tight relations between the U.S and Israel. The leaders issued a joint declaration emphasizing military cooperation and a commitment to preventing Iran, which Israel considers an enemy, from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

In the joint statement, the United States said it is ready to use all elements of its national power to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb.

Biden, in an interview with Israel's Channel 12 that aired Wednesday, offered strong assurances of his determination to stop Iran from becoming a nuclear power, saying he'd be willing to use force as a last resort if necessary.

Iran announced last week that it has enriched uranium to 60% purity, a technical step away from weapons-grade quality.

The joint declaration could hold important symbolic importance for Biden's upcoming meeting with Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia as he seeks to strengthen a regionwide alliance against Iran.

I talked about how important it was for Israel to be totally integrated in the region, Biden said after his one-on-one meeting with Lapid on Thursday.

The president heads to Saudi Arabia after calling the kingdom a pariah nation as a candidate and releasing a U.S. intelligence finding last year that showed the kingdom's defacto leader, Mohammed bin Salman, like approved the killing of of Jamal Khashoggi, a US-based writer.

Biden declined to commit to mentioning Khashoggi's murder when he meets with the crown prince..

I always bring up human rights, Biden said at the news conference. But my position on Khashoggi has been so clear. If anyone doesn't understand it, in Saudi Arabia or anywhere else, then they haven't been around for a while. He did not reiterate his position.

Thursday's appearances with the Israeli prime minister could also provide a boost to Lapid, who is serving in an interim capacity until elections in November, Israel's fifth in less than four years. Lapid's main opponent is former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the joint appearance with Biden could help burnish his credentials as a statesman and leader.

Biden and Lapid also participated in a virtual summit with India and the United Arab Emirates, a collection of countries called the I2U2. The United Arab Emirates announced it will help finance a $2 billion project supporting agriculture in India.

Biden didn't mention Israel's upcoming election during the public portion of Thursday's meeting with Lapid, but told reporters we had a good beginning of a long, God willing, relationship.

Biden is expected to meet only briefly with former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with whom who he's had a rocky relationship.

Much like Lapid, Biden also faces a political threat from his predecessor. Trump, an ally of Netanyahu who still enjoys strong support from Republican voters despite his attempt to overturn the last election, may run for another term.

Asked in the Channel 12 interview if he expected a rematch, Biden replied, "I'm not predicting, but I would not be disappointed.

Given the U.S.'s status as Israel's closest and most important ally, Biden is at the center of the country's attention during his visit.

He is set to receive Israel's top civilian honor, the presidential medal of honor, from President Isaac Herzog on Thursday.

Biden also planned to meet with US athletes participating in the Maccabiah Games. Also known as the Jewish Olympics, it's the country's largest sporting event and held every four years for Israeli and Jewish athletes from all over world.

(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.)
Italian Prime Minister said he would resign on Thursday after the 5-Star Movement, a party in his ruling coalition failed to support a confidence vote, plunging Italy into political chaos.

"I will tender my resignation to the president of the republic this evening," Draghi told the cabinet, according to a statement released by his office.

"The national unity coalition that backed this government no longer exists," added Draghi, the former European Central Bank president who has been prime minister of a broad coalition since February 2021.

The confidence vote had become a focal point for tensions within Draghi's government as its parties prepare to fight each other in a national election due by early 2023.

The decision by the 5-Star party to boycott the confidence vote on Thursday triggered the sequence of events that prompted the 74-year-old Draghi to say he would quit.

Draghi had said he would not want to lead a government without 5-Star, which emerged as the largest party in the previous election in 2018 but has since suffered defections and a loss of public support.

PRESIDENT'S ROLE

Italian President Sergio Mattarella, the supreme arbiter in Italian politics, now takes on a central role.

He must decide whether to try to persuade Draghi to try to form another government, find a new caretaker leader to take Italy to an election next year or call an early election.

Italy has not had an autumn election since World War Two as that is normally when the budget is drawn up and approved by parliament.

The risks of a collapse of a Draghi government rippled through financial markets on Thursday where Italian bond yields rose sharply, indicating investors demanding a higher premium to hold its debt, and shares fell to their lowest levels since late 2020.

The turmoil comes at a challenging time for Italy, the third largest economy in the euro zone, where borrowing costs have risen sharply as the ECB starts tightening its monetary policy.

The ECB is working on a new tool to contain divergence between German borrowing costs and those of highly indebted member states such as Italy.

Draghi, Italy's sixth prime minister in the last decade, had been seen as providing reassurance that Italy would respect any conditions attached to the new mechanism but his departure would create fresh uncertainty.

(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 Government has appointed Mustafizur Rahman as the next High Commissioner of to India.

Mustafizur Rahman is currently serving as Permanent Representative of to the United Nations Offices in Geneva and the Ambassador to Switzerland.

"The Government has decided to appoint Mr. Md. Mustafizur Rahman, the serving Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations Offices in Geneva and the Ambassador to Switzerland, as the next High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India. He will be replacing Mr. Muhammad Imran in this capacity," Bangladesh Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Ambassador Rahman is a career foreign service officer belonging to the 11th batch of Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) Foreign Affairs cadre.

In his diplomatic career, he has served in various capacities in Bangladesh Missions in Paris, New York, Geneva and Kolkata. He has also served as the Bangladesh High Commissioner to Singapore. At the headquarters, he occupied various positions primarily in the United Nations Wing.

Rahman is a medical graduate from Sir Salimullah Medical College, Dhaka. He also obtained a Masters in Public Law from University of London, UK and a Post-Graduate Diploma from the Institute of Public Administration (IIAP), France.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh government has appointed Bangladesh's current High Commissioner to India Muhammad Imran as the next ambassador to the US.

"The Government has decided to appoint H.E. Mr. Muhammad Imran, currently serving as the High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India, as the new Ambassador of Bangladesh to the United States of America," the Bangladesh foreign ministry said in a statement.

Ambassador-designate to the US Imran is a career foreign service officer belonging to the 1986 batch of the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) Foreign Affairs cadre.

Imran has served as the Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Kolkata and Ambassador of Bangladesh to the United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan.

(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.)
Nick Barragan is used to wearing a mask because his job in the film industry has long required it, so he won't be fazed if the nation's most populous county reinstates rules requiring face coverings because of another spike in cases across the country.

I feel fine about it because I've worn one pretty much constantly for the last few years. It's become a habit, said Barragan, masked up while out running errands on Wednesday.

County, home to 10 million residents, is facing a return to a broad indoor mask mandate later this month if current trends in hospital admissions continue, county health Director Barbara Ferrer said this week.

Nationwide, the latest COVID-19 surge is driven by the highly transmissible BA.5 variant, which now accounts for 65 per cent of cases with its cousin BA.4 contributing another 16 per cent.

The variants have shown a remarkable ability to get around the protection offered by vaccination.

With the new omicron variants again pushing hospitalisations and deaths higher in recent weeks, states and cities are rethinking their responses and the White House is stepping up efforts to alert the public.

Some experts said the warnings are too little, too late.

It's well past the time when the warning could have been put out there, said Dr. Eric Topol, head of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, who has has called BA.5 the worst variant yet.

Global trends for the two mutants have been apparent for weeks, experts said they quickly out-compete older variants and push cases higher wherever they appear.

Yet Americans have tossed off their masks and jumped back into travel and social gatherings. And they have largely ignored booster shots, which protect against COVID-19's worst outcomes. Courts have blocked federal mask and vaccine mandates, tying the hands of US officials.

We learn a lot from how the virus is acting elsewhere and we should apply the knowledge here, said Ali Mokdad, a professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle.

White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha appeared on morning TV on Wednesday urging booster shots and renewed vigilance.

Yet Mokdad said federal health officials need to be push harder on masks indoors, early detection and prompt antiviral treatment. They are not doing all that they can, Mokdad said.

The administration's challenge, in the view of the White House, is not their messaging, but people's willingness to hear it due to pandemic fatigue and the politicisation of the virus response.

For months, the White House has encouraged Americans to make use of free or cheap at-home rapid tests to detect the virus, as well as the free and effective antiviral treatment Paxlovid that protects against serious illness and death.

On Tuesday, the White House response team called on all adults 50 and older to urgently get a booster if they haven't yet this year and dissuaded people from waiting for the next generation of shots expected in the fall when they can roll up their sleeves and get some protection now.

Requiring masks again helps us to reduce risk," Ferrer told County supervisors. She is expected to discuss details of the potential new county mandate during a public health briefing on Thursday afternoon.

I do recognise that when we return to universal indoor masking to reduce high spread, for many this will feel like a step backwards, Ferrer said on Tuesday.

For most of the pandemic, Los Angeles County has required masks in some indoor spaces, including health care facilities, Metro trains and buses, airports, jails and homeless shelters.

The new mandate would expand the requirement to all indoor public spaces, including shared offices, manufacturing facilities, warehouses, retail stores, restaurants and bars, theatres and schools.

It's unclear what enforcement might look like. Under past mandates, officials favored educating people over issuing citations and fines.

Sharon Fayette ripped off her mask the moment she stepped out of a Lyft ride in Los Angeles on Wednesday and groaned when informed another universal mask requirement might be coming. Oh man, when will it end? she wondered about the pandemic.

Fayette said she was exhausted by shifting regulations and dubious another mandate would be followed by most residents. I just think people are over it, over all the rules, she said.

Barragan said he learned a harsh lesson about the effectiveness of masks when he went without a face covering at a film industry mixer last month in Los Angeles.

I thought it would be fine because we were all outdoors, said Barragan, 35. A few days later he started feeling sick and, sure enough, tested positive.

He'd avoided catching the virus for more than two years because he was religious about masking up. The one time I took it off, I caught it! he laughed.

The nation's brief lull in COVID deaths has reversed. Last month, daily deaths were falling, though they never matched last year's low, and deaths are now heading up again.

The seven-day average for daily deaths in the US rose 26 per cnt over the past two weeks to 489 on July 12.

The is not killing nearly as many as it was last fall and winter, and experts do not expect death to reach those levels again soon. But hundreds of daily deaths for a summertime respiratory illness would normally be jaw-dropping, said Andrew Noymer, a public health professor at the University of California, Irvine.

He noted that in Orange County, California, 46 people died of COVID-19 in June.

That would be all hands on deck, Noymer said. People would be like, There's this crazy new flu that's killing people in June.'



Instead, simple, proven precautions are not being taken. Vaccinations, including booster shots for those eligible, lower the risk of hospitalisation and death even against the latest variants.

But less than half of all eligible US adults have gotten a single booster shot, and only about one in four Americans age 50 and older who are eligible for a second booster have received one.

This has been a botched booster campaign, Topol said, noting that the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention still uses the term fully vaccinated for people with two shots of Moderna or Pfizer.

They haven't gotten across that two shots is totally inadequate, he said.

Noymer said if he were in charge of the nation's COVID response he would level with the American people in an effort to get their attention in this third year of the pandemic.

He would tell Americans to take it seriously, mask indoors and until we get better vaccines, there's going to be a new normal of a disease that kills over 100,000 Americans a year and impacts life expectancy.

That message probably wouldn't fly for political reasons, Noymer acknowledged.

It also might not fly with people who are tired of taking precautions after more than two years of the pandemic. Valerie Walker of New Hope, Pennsylvania, is mindful of the latest surge but is hardly alarmed.

I was definitely concerned back then, she said of the pandemic's early days, with images of body bags on nightly news broadcasts.

Now there's fatigue, things were getting better and there was a vaccine. So I would say from a scale between one and 10, I'm probably at a four.

Even with two friends now sick with the virus, and her husband recently recovered, Walker says she has bigger problems.

Sometimes when I think about it I still put a mask on when I go into a store, but honestly, it is not a daily thought for me, she 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 Thursday won the second round of ballot in the Conservative leadership race with 101 votes - the most by any contestant so far - tightening his grip on the race to replace Boris Johnson as party leader and British Prime Minister.

There are now five candidates left in the Tory leadership contest after Suella Braverman, the Indian-origin Attorney General in the fray, was knocked off the shortlist with the least votes at 27.

Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt (83 votes), Foreign Secretary Liz Truss (64 votes), former minister Kemi Badenoch (49 votes) and Tory backbencher Tom Tugendhat (32 votes) remain on the ballot in the narrowing race after the second round of votes were cast by lawmakers.

Soon after 1922 Committee chair Graham Brady read out the results of the latest tally after 356 votes were cast by Tory MPs in a House of Commons committee room, 42-year-old Sunak said he was "incredibly grateful" to the colleagues who backed him.

"I am prepared to give everything I have in service to our nation. Together we can restore trust, rebuild our economy and reunite the country," he said.

The next few rounds of voting among members of Parliament to whittle this list down to just two by next Thursday is scheduled for early next week.

All eyes will now be on which way Braverman and her backers will swing, handing those 27 votes to shore up one of the remaining five.

"I'm convinced that I'm the best person to beat [Opposition Labour leader] Keir Starmer and secure that election victory, Sunak said in an interview earlier.

The British Indian former Chancellor and son-in-law of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy looks set to be among the final two candidates to hit the campaign trail around the UK for hustings to convince the wider membership ahead of a postal ballot to decide the winner.

At the end of next week, the headquarters will take over to oversee a one member, one vote process among Tories countrywide who have been registered with the party for at least three months.

While Penny Mordaunt has been in the lead in opinion polls among the party electorate base, some of her controversial views on LGBTQ+ rights have come under the scanner among her colleagues. A former Brexit minister, Lord David Frost, also expressed his doubts over her ability as a former minister in his team.

Liz Truss, who made a key policy speech just before Thursday's vote, claims to be the only one who has been "ready to be Prime Minister from day one".

The former Remainer, who campaigned for the UK to remain in the European Union (EU) in the 2016 referendum, has since taken a hardline stance and found the backing of many in the Brexit wing of the Tory party. It is believed that Braverman's votes are likely to be divided between her and Mordaunt.

The race is now narrowing down into a three-way fight between Sunak, Mordaunt and Truss with the others expected to throw their weight behind one of these three campaigns in the hope of securing a good Cabinet post under a new leader.

Johnson's successor will be known by September 5 and go on to address the first Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) in Parliament on September 7.

(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.)
Singapore on Thursday said it has allowed Sri Lankan President Gotabaya to enter the city-state on a "private visit" and there was no request for asylum from him, a day after he fled the country in the face of public revolt against his government's mishandling of the economy.

A Saudi airlines flight - SV 788 - carrying landed at the Singapore Changi Airport shortly after 7 pm (local time).

In response to the media queries, a spokesperson for Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that President has been "allowed entry into Singapore on a private visit".

He has not asked for asylum and neither has he been granted any asylum. Singapore generally does not grant requests for asylum, the spokesperson added.

Rajapaksa, the 73-year-old leader who had promised to resign on Wednesday, appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the acting President hours after he fled the country, escalating the political crisis and triggering a fresh wave of protests in the island nation.

On Saturday, Rajapaksa had announced that he will step down on Wednesday after thousands of protesters stormed his official residence, blaming him for the unprecedented that has brought the country to its knees.

Sri Lankan Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena on Thursday said that he is yet to receive the resignation letter from President Rajapaksa.

Rajapaksa, who enjoys immunity from prosecution while he is president, fled the country without resigning to avoid the possibility of arrest by the new government.

Rajapaksa's escape to the Maldives was negotiated by the Maldivian Majlis (Parliament) Speaker and former president Mohamed Nasheed, sources in the Maldives capital Male said.

Sri Lanka, a country of 22 million people, is under the grip of an unprecedented economic turmoil, the worst in seven decades, leaving millions struggling to buy food, medicine, fuel and other essentials. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe last week said is now a bankrupt country.

(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 President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Thursday emailed his resignation letter to the Speaker, soon after he was allowed by Singapore to enter the city-state on a "private visit", ending the suspense over his future in the face of massive public revolt against his government's mishandling of the economy.

A Saudi airlines flight - SV 788 - carrying Rajapaksa arrived in Singapore from the Maldives where he had fled early Wednesday without resigning as promised to avoid the possibility of arrest by the new government.

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena's media secretary Indunil Abeywardena on Thursday night said a resignation letter from President Rajapaksa has been received through the High Commission in Singapore.

"The Speaker wishes to inform that an official statement on this would be made tomorrow (Friday) after the verification process and legal formalities," Abeywardena said in a brief statement.

The Speaker wants to see the original signature. The original will be brought to Colombo from Singapore in the next available flight by a diplomatic officer, sources said.

The development comes on a day when anti-government protesters announced to vacate some of the administrative buildings, including the President's House and the PM Office, they have been occupying since April 9 demanding Rajapaksa's ouster.

With Rajapaksa's resignation Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will be the President.

Rajapaksa, the 73-year-old leader who had promised to resign on Wednesday instead appointed Prime Minister Wickremesinghe as the Acting President hours after he fled to the Maldives, escalating the political crisis and triggering a fresh wave of protests in the island nation.

From the Maldives, he went to Singapore on Thursday.

A spokesperson for Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Rajapaksa has been "allowed entry into Singapore on a private visit".

He has not asked for asylum and neither has he been granted any asylum, the spokesperson said, adding Singapore generally does not grant requests for asylum.

Speaker Abeywardena earlier Thursday informed Rajapaksa that he should submit his resignation letter as soon as possible or else he will consider other optios to remove him from the office.

A spokesperson for the Parliament said that given that the President had not yet tendered his letter of resignation, it is uncertain if Parliament would be convened on Friday.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, who is now Acting President, on Wednesday informed the Speaker to nominate a Prime Minister who is acceptable to both the Government and Opposition.

President Rajapaka's brothers - former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and ex-finance minister Basil Rajapaksa - on Thursday gave an undertaking to the Supreme Court through their lawyers that they will not leave the country until the Fundamental Rights petition filed against them is heard on Friday, the Daily Mirror reported.

A five-judge bench of Lankan Supreme Court comprising Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, Justice Buwaneka Aluwihare, Justice Priyantha Jayawardena, Justice Vijith Malalgoda, and Justice LTB Dehideniya are scheduled to hear on Friday the petition against the two members of the erstwhile powerful Rajapaksa family.

Mahinda, the patriarch of the Rajapaksa clan, resigned from the post of prime minister on May 9, hours after his supporters attacked anti-government protesters outside President Rajapaksa's office.

The 76-year-old former strongman was barred by a Sri Lankan court from travelling abroad in May in view of investigations against them for the deadly attack on anti-government protesters in Colombo.

Basil, a US passport holder, resigned as finance minister in early April as street protests intensified against shortages of fuel, food and other necessities and quit his seat in parliament in June.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan Army in a statement urged the protesters to desist from violence immediately or be prepared to face the "consequences", warning that the security forces are "legitimately empowered" to exercise force.

At least 84 people were hospitalised when protesters clashed with the security forces at the PM office and at the main access junction to Parliament on Wednesday after President Rajapaksa fled the country. The police fired tear gas and water cannons at the mob who were trying to break barriers and enter the restricted zone.

Authorities on Wednesday imposed a curfew in the Western Province following the eruption of violence. The curfew was lifted in the morning. But it had to be reimposed amid fears of violence as there was no word from Rajapaksa on his resignation.

The Army said that despite its repeated appeals the "unruly protesting mobs" on Wednesday tried to forcibly enter Parliament complex aggressively went on harassing and attacking the troops on duty using clubs, iron rods, stones, helmets, etc and snatched TWO T-56 weapons with ammunition rounds and caused injuries to a dozen of Army personnel.

It said the army troops used minimum force and brought the situation under control.

Wednesday's protests were more directed at Wickremesinghe. Calls for his resignation intensified after he was appointed the acting president. Political party leaders are asking him to step down so that Speaker Abeywardena can take control as acting president.

Sri Lanka, a country of 22 million people, is under the grip of an unprecedented economic turmoil, the worst in seven decades, leaving millions struggling to buy food, medicine, 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.)
Sri Lankan Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena on Thursday informed Gotabaya that he should submit his letter of resignation as the President as soon as possible or else he will consider other options to remove him from the office, according to a media report.

On Wednesday, the Parliament Speaker said that the President in a telephone conversation had informed that he would tender his letter of resignation during the day, before midnight. However, he has not done it yet.

Speaker Abeywardena said that he informed President to submit his letter of resignation as soon as possible, citing that he too is under pressure, News First Lanka reported on Thursday.

He said that since an acting President has been appointed, the Office of the Speaker is exploring the legal provisions to consider the option of "have vacated his post" if the President does not tender in his letter of resignation, the report added.

A spokesperson from the Parliament said that given that the President had not yet tendered his letter of resignation, it is uncertain if Parliament would be convened on Friday.

The Prime Minister's Media Division on Wednesday said that the acting President has informed Speaker Abeywardena to nominate a Prime Minister who is acceptable to both the Government and Opposition.

There have been mass protests in . At least 84 people were hospitalised when protesters clashed with the security forces at the prime minister's office and at the main access junction to Parliament on Wednesday after fled the country.

The police fired tear gas and water cannons at the mob who were trying to break barriers and enter the restricted zone.

The police spokesman Nihal Thalduwa said protesters had grabbed a T56 firearm and 60 bullets from a Army soldier. A police complaint had been lodged, the police said.

Sri Lankan authorities on Thursday also lifted the curfew, which was imposed in the Western province after the eruption of violence in the capital here.

Sri Lanka is going through a deepening political turmoil and .

Sri Lanka, a country of 22 million people, is under the grip of an unprecedented economic turmoil, the worst in seven decades, leaving millions struggling to buy food, medicine, fuel and other essentials. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe last week said Sri Lanka is now a bankrupt country.

(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.)
French President warned his country's people Thursday to prepare for a total cutoff of Russian natural gas by supporting alternatives, having public lights switched off at night and engaging in a period of nationwide energy sobriety.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine and ensuing sanctions have aggravated other factors driving up prices for energy and others goods. With no end in sight for the Ukraine war, Macron said, the French should brace themselves for costs to remain high.

This war will continue," he said in a televised interview marking France's national holiday, Bastille Day. The summer, early autumn will be very hard.

" is using energy, like it is using food, as a weapon of war, Macron said. We should prepare ourselves for the scenario where we have to go without all Russian gas.

He said the government would prepare a sobriety plan to conserve energy, which would start with turning off public lights at night when they aren't useful.

will keep looking to diversify gas sources, he said, calling for a faster shift toward offshore windfarms and more European cross-border energy cooperation to weather the current crisis.

Macron's political opponents on the far right and far left have blamed EU sanctions for reducing the purchasing power of French consumers while failing to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to pull troops out of Ukraine.

France's president gave no indication during the interview of policy shift toward Ukraine.

What do you want us to do? he asked. We want to stop this war without getting involved in this war. At the same time, we want to do everything so that doesn't win, so that Ukraine can defend its territory. We don't want a world war.

(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 on Thursday said the UAE's USD 2 billion investment to develop a series of integrated agricultural parks across India with the support of the American and Israeli private sector experts has the potential to sustainably increase the country's food yields in the region threefold in just five years.

Addressing the first virtual summit of the four-nation grouping 'I2U2' in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President Biden appreciated the work of the three leaders to deepen the linkage and the muscle cooperation between critical partners in the Middle East and Indo-Pacific to deliver very important projects for the people.

"India is a major, major food producer in the world. Think of the beneficial impacts this will have on India's farmers and the people suffering from hunger and malnutrition in the region," Biden said on the UAE's initiative.

Similarly, the United States has already funded a feasible a feasibility study for a hybrid renewable energy project in India to develop 300 megawatts of wind and solar capacity as well as battery storage, he said.

The will invest USD 2 billion to develop a series of integrated food parks across India under the framework of the four-nation grouping 'I2U2', the White House said.

The new grouping is known as 'I2U2' with "I" standing for India and Israel and "U" for the US and the UAE.

"With our four nations working together to unite our expertise and drive private sector investment, this is going to help India reach its climate and energy goal of 500 gigawatts of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030," Biden was quoted as saying by the White House.

"Our challenge together is to deliver real results that people can feel in their everyday lives," the US president said, adding that the four nations represent some of the most innovative, technologically capable, and entrepreneurial people on the planet.

Another key area where the four countries can make big differences is infrastructure," he said.

"There's an enormous need around the world for infrastructure infrastructure done the right way: transparently, in partnership with the communities that are being served. Right now, there's a vacuum," Biden said, in an apparent reference to China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Chinese President Xi Jinping's multi-trillion dollar BRI infrastructure initiative has been criticised for hitting nations like Sri Lanka with too much debt.

Last month, G7 leaders unveiled detailed plans to mobilise USD 600 billion in funding for the developing world in a move seen as a counter to China's Belt and Road Initiative.

In his remarks, Biden said that over the next few years, the I2U2 group will work to identify new infrastructure projects that they can invest in and develop together.

"This meeting is just a first step, a chance to demonstrate the value of this new format for cooperation between our four nations. And I'm looking forward to staying closely connected and engaged at the leaders' level as we build out the scope of the I2U2 and work together for everyone," Biden said.

"We can do a great deal if we stick together," the US President 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.)
Ukraine and Russia have made some progress at the talks on grain exports in Istanbul that also involved representatives of Turkey and the United Nations, Ukrainian President has sai.

"The Ukrainian delegation informed me that there is some progress. We will agree on the details with the UN secretary-general in the coming days," Zelensky was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

According to the presidential press service, the President on Wednesday said that Ukraine is making significant efforts to restore the supplies of food to the global market.

Earlier in the day, delegations from Ukraine, Russia and Turkey met with a UN delegation in Istanbul to find ways to export Ukrainian grain from Ukraine's Black Sea ports to the global market.

--IANS

int/shs

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ukrainian President blamed Russia for causing unrest in as well as around the world due to the blocking of food products during the invasion of Ukraine.

One of the major tactics Russia has used in their invasion of Ukraine is the creation of an "economic shock," Zelenskyy said, adding that several countries experiencing food and fuel shortages due to the disruption in the supply chain have benefitted Russia's agenda.

Highlighting the crisis in during a recent address at the Asian Leadership Conference in Seoul, he further said "The shocking food and fuel price hikes led to a social explosion. No one knows now how it will end."

War in Ukraine has left an estimated 1.6 billion people in 94 countries exposed to at least one dimension of finance, food, or energy crisis, with around 1.2 billion living in "perfect-storm" countries severely vulnerable.

Amid the ongoing protests, Sri Lanka's now acting President, Wickremesinghe stepped down from his post of Prime Minister due to the escalation in violence and protests in the country.

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. Notably, 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.

Moreover, due to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the increase in hunger since the start of the war is only ascending. The number of severely food insecure people doubled from 135 million prior to the pandemic, to 276 million over just two years. The ripple effects of the war could push this number to 323 million.

The Group of Seven (G7) leaders during the recently held summit also discussed the impact of Russia's war on food and energy supplies including the global economy and said the bloc is determined to support Ukraine in producing and exporting grain, oil, and other agricultural products. They called upon Russia to cease, without condition, its attacks on agricultural and transport infrastructure and enable free passage of agricultural shipping from Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea.

In a recent agreement between the Russian Federation and Ukraine, a months-long blockade of grain deliveries via the Black Sea will break, the UN Secretary-General Guterres said in a statement calling it a critical step forward in ensuring the safe and secure export of Ukrainian products.

(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.)
Shares of Monte Carlo Fashions hit a record high of Rs 840 as they surged 7 per cent on the BSE in Thursday's intra-day trade in an otherwise range-bound market. In the past one week, the stock of the garments and apparels maker has rallied 16 per cent after the company recorded best-ever sales for the June quarter 2022 (Q1FY23).

In comparison, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 0.12 per cent at 63,580 points at 11:22 AM. The stock has zoomed 36 per cent in a month, as against 1.8 per cent rise in the benchmark index.

The company said that its sales for Q1FY23 grew by 130 per cent over Q1FY22 and around 60 per cent over Q1FY20 (pre-Covid). The growth in sale was contributed by both spurt in volumes and calibrated price hike on the back of steep rise in cotton prices.

"During the quarter, the company saw strong demand across segments in terms of revenue as things normalise. The quarterly sales have not only surpassed the pre-Covid levels but also have been the best-ever for the company due to strong brand equity among consumers, latest fashion products and superior quality," the management said.

Monte Carlo Fashions is a leading branded apparel company with a comprehensive range of woollens, cottons, cotton blended, knitted and woven apparels for men, women and kids.

Meanwhile, the company had reported total sales of Rs 904 crore in FY22 on the back of strong brand positioning, quality products aided by normalised macro environment. Besides that, profit after tax, too, jumped 51 per cent to Rs 151 crore on a YoY basis, and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (Ebitda) margin improved 133 bps YoY at 19.9 per cent.

"We continue to witness encouraging trends via online channels as well and remain confident of its long term sustainable and profitable growth going ahead," the management added.
Mindtree: Mindtree reported 0.3% fall in consolidated net profit to Rs 471.6 crore despite a 7.7% rise in revenue to Rs 3121.1 crore in Q1 FY23 over Q4 FY22.

Tata Power: TP Saurya (TPSL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Power, received the 'Letter of Award' (LoA) from Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) for setting up a 600 MW hybrid (wind and solar) power project in Karnataka. The project will be commissioned within 24 months from the PPA execution date.

Hindustan Zinc: The board of directors of the company has approved interim dividend of Rs. 21 per equity share i.e. 1050% on face value of Rs. 2/- per share for the Financial Year 2022-23 amounting to Rs. 8873.17 crore. The record date for the purpose of payment of interim is 21 July 2022.

NHPC: The Ministry of Power, Govt. of India has accorded investment approval for pre-investment activities for Sawalkot HE Project (1856 MW) in UT of Jammu & Kashmir for an amount of Rs. 973 crore at November 2021 price level. The Project is being implemented by NHPC.

Sanofi India: The company's board will meet on 26 July 2022 to consider declaration of one-time special interim dividend for the year ending 31 December 2022. The record date for interim dividend has been fixed as 8 August 2022.

Mazda: The company has constructed a new factory for food division situated at Changodar, Ahmedabad and commenced initial phase of production.

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The domestic equity barometers traded with modest gains in the morning trade. The Nifty traded above the key 16,000 level after regaining that level in early trade. Pharma shares extended gains for the second trading session.

At 10:30 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 184.66 points or 0.35% to 53,698.81. The Nifty 50 index gained 55.95 points or 0.35% to 16,022.60

In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index rose 0.10% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index added 0.10%.

The market breadth was positive. On the BSE, 1,569 shares rose and 1,321 shares fell. A total of 148 shares were unchanged.

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth Rs 2,839.52 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs), were net buyers to the tune of Rs 1,799.22 crore in the Indian equity market on 13 July, provisional data showed.

Earnings Today:

ACC (down 0.67%), Larsen & Toubro Infotech (down 2.61%), Angel One (down 0.21%), Tata Elxsi (up 0.63%), Tata Steel Long Products (down 0.93%), Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation (up 0.83%), Butterfly Gandhimathi Appliances (up 3.16%), GTPL Hathway (up 0.10%) and Shakti Pumps (India) (up 1.63%), will announce their financial results for Q1 FY23 later in the day.

Buzzing Index:

The Nifty Pharma index added 1.71% to 12,838.20, extending its winning run to second trading session. The index gained 3.11% in the past two trading sessions.

Natco Pharma (up 4.19%), Strides Pharma Science (up 4.16%), Ipca Laboratories (up 3.2%), Laurus Labs (up 3%) and Granules India (up 2.87%), Torrent Pharmaceuticals (up 2.85%), Zydus Lifesciences (up 2.01%), Glenmark Pharmaceuticals (up 1.89%), Sun Pharmaceuticals Industries (up 1.7%) and Cipla (up 1.35%) edged higher.

Stocks in Spotlight:

MindTree fell 2.74% after the company reported 0.3% decline in net profit to Rs 471.6 crore despite a 7.7% rise in revenue to Rs 3,121.1 crore in Q1 FY23 over Q4 FY22. As compared with Q1 FY22, the company's net profit and revenue are higher by 37.3% and 36.2%, respectively. Employee benefits expense in Q1 FY23 was Rs 1,853.6 crore, up 5.9% QoQ and up 35.6% YoY. The company had a healthy order book of $570 million, up 13.1% in Q1 FY23.

Tata Metaliks tumbled 5.30% after the company's net profit dropped 98.7% to Rs 1.22 crore on 10.5% increase in net sales to Rs 666.37 crore in Q1 FY23 over Q1 FY22.

Hindustan Zinc rallied 4.84% after the board of directors of the company has approved interim dividend of Rs 21 per equity share i.e. 1050% on face value of Rs 2 per share for the Financial Year 2022-23 amounting to Rs 8873.17 crore. The record date for the purpose of payment of interim is 21 July 2022.

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Syngene International today announced the signing of a 10- year agreement with leading animal health company, Zoetis, to manufacture the drug substance for Librela (bedinvetmab), a first in class monoclonal antibody used for treating osteoarthritis in dogs. Launched in Europe, the UK and Switzerland, the product won 'Best new companion animal product' by IHS Markit Connect in 2021 for its transformational impact on pain relief for canines suffering from this debilitating condition.

Syngene's collaboration with Zoetis started in 2011.

Over the past 11 years, Syngene has undertaken development work on several monoclonal antibodies for use in animal health, including developing and manufacturing clinical supplies of a treatment for allergic or atopic dermatitis, now widely used, and Librela. This agreement, initially centred on Librela, paves the way for development and manufacturing of other molecules in the coming years and is expected to be worth up to US$ 500 Mn to Syngene over 10 years, subject to regulatory approvals and market demand.

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Welspun Corp said that its associate company East Pipes Integrated Company for Industry (EPIC), in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), has been awarded with a contract by SWCC for manufacture and supply of steel pipes.

The contract is valued at SAR 324 million (approximately) including value added tax & the same will be executed in this financial year.

This is in addition to the recent award of an SAR 490 million contract in May 2022 and SAR 497 million contract in March 2022, both of which were also awarded by SWCC.

Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) is a government corporation that operates desalinization plants and power stations in Saudi Arabia. It is the second largest electrical provider in the country.

EPIC is Saudi Arabia's leading manufacturer of helical submerged arc welded (HSAW) pipes. The technological know-how & ability to seamlessly execute large projects positions the company as the largest and most respected pipe company in KSA and is the most preferred supplier for projects both in the water and oil & gas sector.

Welspun Corp is a one-stop service provider offering end-to-end pipe solutions.

The company's consolidated net profit declined 22.9% to Rs 236.14 crore despite of 3.5% rise in revenue from operations to Rs 1986.56 crore in Q4 FY22 over Q4 FY21.

The scrip shed 0.50% to currently trade at Rs 209.80 on the BSE.

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The which has declared support for the Democratic Alliance's presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu did not expect her to visit Uddhav Thackeray's residence 'Matoshree' here, the party said on Thursday.

Murmu arrived in Mumbai on Thursday evening to meet the MPs and MLAs of the BJP as well as MLAs of the rebel faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

But though Sena chief Thackeray too has declared support for her, she was not slated to meet him.

Sena MP Vinayak Raut had said earlier in the day that party MPs and MLAs (from Thackeray's faction) would not be attending a meeting which Murmu was to address.

Asked about this, MP and Thackeray's confidante Sanjay Raut said the party's support to Murmu was not political.

We did not extend our support to her for visiting Matoshree. This is not political support, but it reflects our sentiments towards tribal communities, he said.

In the past, the had supported Pratibha Patil and Pranab Mukherjee in 2007 and 2012 presidential elections even though it was part of the BJP-led NDA then, Raut said.

Patil and Mukherjee, both Congress leaders, had visited Matoshree, he said, adding that this time the party broke ranks again (with allies Congress and NCP).

As for the first time a tribal woman leader was set to occupy the highest office in the country, many Sena legislators who have tribal roots or work in tribal areas felt that the party should back Murmu, Raut added.

The Opposition has fielded Yashwant Sinha against Murmu for the July 18 election.

(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.)
Toy manufacturer India on Thursday said it has acquired the licence to manufacture and distribute cartoon character Chhota Bheem and seven other action figures from Green Gold Licensing and Merchandising India.

Green Gold Animation has been engaged in creating animation content and over the years has become an established player in licensing and merchandising, movie production and distribution, and digital business.

"We are excited to add Chhota Bheem to our well established manufacturing and distribution capabilities. Our existing scale and distribution network establishes an ideal platform to achieve the full potential of Chhota Bheem in India and will address the significant unmet needs of the portfolio of products," India CEO R Jeswant said in a company statement.

"Chhota Bheem has always struck a chord with Indian children and Funskool, through the manufacturing of character and seven action figures has once again proved that India is moving towards being 'Atma Nirbhar' in manufacturing of quality toys," the company said in the statement.

Green Gold Animation executive director and COO Samir Jain said, "we are immensely pleased with licensing India with manufacturing and distributing Chhota Bheem and other seven action figures."



"With its expansive distribution network prowess, we are confident that Chhota Bheem action figures will reach every child in the 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.)
With lenders declaring Bajaj Hindusthan Sugar, one of the biggest producers in Uttar Pradesh, a non-performing asset (NPA), the entire sector in the state  apart from the companys future itself  has been pushed into uncertainty largely because of the sheer size of the company and the number of farmers directly associated with it for their income.

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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.
American tech giant has started experimenting with new UI changes to the Windows 11 taskbar, bringing back the familiar search bar from Windows 10, alongside notification badges for the Widgets section in Windows 11.

The operating system currently ships with a search button on the taskbar, which can be disabled and only shows the search logo. is now testing three different search taskbar visual changes, according to The Verge.

One experiment is the usual search icon, while two others include a small or large search bar in the taskbar.

is looking for feedback on the changes before they're rolled out more broadly, and the tests are part of Microsoft's new experimental Windows 11 features, which does mean they might not ship, reported The Verge.

After bringing back the Weather widget to the taskbar in Windows 11 recently, Microsoft is now testing adding notification badges.

The notifications are designed for content like breaking news and look similar to the badges you'd find in the Action Center on the right-hand side of the taskbar.

Apart from that, Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel will also be able to start testing a new Camera app for Windows 11. The design has been updated to match Windows 11, and it now includes QR and barcode scanning support, as per The Verge.

(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.)
Electronics major India is targeting to sell Galaxy M-series smartphones worth USD 1 billion this year, a senior company official said on Thursday.

India senior director and head of product marketing Aditya Babbar told PTI that the first half of the year has been very good for the company, with over 20 per cent year-on-year growth in value terms.

"We have 42 million happy M-Series consumers since 2019. We have very aggressive plans for the year. We have set ourselves a target of USD 1 billion this year coming from the M series," he said.

He was speaking on the sidelines of launching two new M-series smartphones - Galaxy M13 and Galaxy M13 5G.

The M13 5G with 6GB internal memory and 128 GB external memory is priced at Rs 15,999, while the another model with 4GB internal memory and 64 GB external memory will be tagged at Rs 13,999 apiece.

The external storage in the M13 series smartphones can be extended up to 1 terabyte (TB).

The company has priced the two variants of Galaxy M13 at Rs 13,999 and Rs 11,999.

Samsung's overall value market share between January to May 2022 grew to 22.6 per cent from 20 per cent recorded in the same period a year ago, according to Counterpoint Research.

market share for smartphones priced in the range of Rs 10,000 to Rs 40,000 per unit has reached 26.9 per cent from 21.4 per cent during the year-ago period, as per Counterpoint.

(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.)
Whats new: A group of Chinese nationals who were lured into Cambodia and abducted by a locally based telecom fraud group have been rescued, according to a statement from Chinas embassy in the country.

The victims went to Cambodia after being duped by fake job offers, the embassy said in a statement published Wednesday (link in Chinese). It didnt reveal the number of victims.
Henan's financial regulators have announced a plan to placate depositors caught in a local banking scandal following protests on Sunday.

Rural banks /

Four things to know about Chinas Henan rural bank scandal

A financial scandal in central China thats triggered protests outside a regional office of the countrys central bank turned the spotlight once again on the risks lurking in the vast rural banking sector, where regulation failed to prevent corruption and abuse of power by major shareholders.

Customers of six small lenders, all linked to a shadowy investment firm in Henan province, have been denied access to tens of billions of yuan of their savings since April, when the banks froze their deposits without explanation, sources with knowledge of the matter told Caixin.

Here are four things you need to know about the Henan rural banking blowup.

Caixin Summer Summit /

Indonesia to leverage nickel reserves for green transition, says commerce chief

Indonesia plans to leverage its abundant nickel reserves to attract investment in local supply chains as it hopes to become a leading country in the global transition to green energy, said the chief of its chamber of commerce and industry.

The resource-rich Southeast Asian nation is especially focused on nickels application in ternary lithium batteries, the key power source for electric vehicles. EVs are a nascent sector in Indonesia but one that is in the limelight after President Joko Widodo attended the launch of the first locally made electric car in March.

Covid-19 /

Shanghai records new wave of Covid cases as BA.5 subvariant spreads

Shanghai is battling a new Covid-19 outbreak as the financial hub records more than 430 cases in all 16 districts over the past 10 days, including infections from the more transmissible omicron BA.5 subvariant.

The rise in cases has renewed fears of a return to harsh Covid restrictions just after the city's 25 million residents emerged from a grueling two-month lockdown. Local authorities have already ramped up mass testing in 10 districts and other measures, such as tightening Covid rules for inbound travelers, to prevent a larger outbreak.

FINANCE & ECONOMY

Zhou Qingyu

Banking /

Exclusive: China Development Bank removes vice president

China Development Bank, the countrys largest policy lender, dismissed Zhou Qingyu as a vice president Tuesday, two months before his expected retirement.

The bank published Zhous removal on its website without providing an explanation. The state lender has been under the spotlight amid a long-running anti-corruption campaign that brought down at least nine senior executives as of late last year.

WMPs /

Shenzhen banks open 12,560 cross-border accounts in pilot program

Shenzhens 24 banks have opened 12,560 accounts under a pilot program that allows cross-border investment in wealth management products (WMPs) in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), Chinas banking regulator said.

Account holders wired 404 million yuan ($60 million) of cross-border funds and made 237 million yuan of transactions, Zhang Lixing, chief of the Shenzhen Bureau of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC), said Tuesday at a press conference.

Temasek /

China is no longer Temaseks top investment destination

China as an investment destination slipped to second place in Singaporean state-owned investor Temasek Holdings Pte. Ltd.s portfolio for the financial year ended March 31, the firms latest annual report showed Tuesday.

Temaseks portfolio exposure in China stood at 22%, down from 27% in the previous financial year. This marked the second straight annual drop. Meanwhile, Singaporean assets moved to the top spot with 27% of the companys total exposure.

Quick hits /

Morningstar cuts hundreds of Shenzhen jobs in China shift

BUSINESS & TECH

In the first half this year, airline passenger traffic declined 52% and cargo tonnage fell 18% from a year earlier.

Flights /

China cranks up international flights as Covid limits ease

China plans to allow airlines to gradually increase international flights after health authorities eased quarantine requirement for overseas travelers last month, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said Tuesday.

Regular international passenger flights will be resumed in a steady and orderly manner in accordance with the state of the pandemic, the optimization of recent prevention and control measures, and the improvement of local governments ability to provide support to international flights, the CAAC said at a press conference.

Moutai /

Moutai Group relinquishes control of unit, removing hurdle to IPO

The parent of luxury liquor-maker Kweichow Moutai agreed to hand over most of its stake in a wholly owned liquor-making subsidiary to a local government agency in a move that could help the company comply with rules that stymied a prior attempt to list it.

The deal will allow China Kweichow Moutai Winery Group Co. Ltd. (Moutai Group) to revive a plan to spin off the subsidiary, just as the government of its debt-ridden home province of Guizhou seeks to double the value of the local liquor industry by 2025.

IPO /

Tianqi Lithium slides below IPO price in Hong Kong debut

Shares of Tianqi Lithium Corp. were 3.5% lower than their IPO price as of noon Wednesday on their first trading day in Hong Kong after the company raised HK$13 billion ($1.67 billion) in the citys largest share sale so far this year.

The Chinese lithium mining giant priced its 164 million new H-shares at HK$82 each. The stock fell as much as 11% lower, but the decline narrowed over the morning.

Quick hits /

BYD sinks amid speculation Warren Buffett may cash out

Spicy hotpot chain Haidilao weighs HK listing of overseas unit

Long Read /

China SOE reform will turn companies into investors

GALLERY

An elusive cosmic universe

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China, Nicaragua sign FTA early harvest arrangements

Xinhua) 09:45, July 14, 2022

BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- China's Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Denis Moncada, representing their respective countries, signed the early harvest arrangements for a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) via video link on Tuesday.

The two officials also announced the beginning of FTA negotiations between the two countries.

On the same day, Wang and Laureano Ortega Murillo, adviser to the Nicaraguan president, signed a memorandum of understanding to officially establish an economic and trade cooperation mechanism between the two governments.

The signing of the early harvest arrangements, together with the beginning of FTA negotiations, is an important outcome in bilateral economic and trade cooperation since the two countries resumed diplomatic relations.

The moves will help cement and invigorate relations between the two sides, Wang said.

China and Nicaragua have made significant progress on bilateral economic and trade cooperation. From January to May, Nicaragua's exports to China increased by 128.9 percent year on year.

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun)
After debuting its technology and its merits for everyday driving , Nissan Philippines has now revealed everything you need to know about i...
Photo: Contributed Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola MP Dan Albas

It was early in March when I wrote about Canadas response to the illegal attack on Ukraine by Russia.

As many will know, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced some strong Canadian sanctions against Russia. At the time, I stated I believed the prime minister and the deputy prime minister had done an effective job, given that one country, such as Canada, can only do so much to impact another country, like Russia, that we have limited trade with.

I also committed my support for continued actions against Russia and standing with Ukraine as it fights off this (Russian President Vladimir) Putin-provoked military invasion.

As it turned out, I was incorrect when I stated Canada can only do so much to impact a country we have limited trade with.

Recently it was revealed that here in Canada, some critical Russian pipeline infrastructure, (natural gas turbines) were being serviced in Montreal. Under the trade export sanctions announced by the prime minister, those turbines would not be permitted to be sent back to Russia.

If the pipeline cannot be fully operational, it cannot raise peak revenues that Putin uses to finance his war against Ukraine. That was the very reason why the sanctions were announced.

However, the pipeline in question feeds natural gas to Germany and due to Germanys efforts to decrease its domestic emissions, it has increasingly relied upon Russian oil and gas.

As a result, Germany requested Canada release the turbines so they could be returned to Russia and the pipeline could resume full operation and, by extension, supply Russian gas to Germany.

Trudeau approved a one-time permit to return the turbines.

While this is satisfying news to Germany, it has been met with outrage by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as well as many Canadians who strongly support Ukraine and understand full well what the pipeline revenue will results in for Russias war machine against the Ukrainian people.

As Zelenskyy stated: If a terrorist state can squeeze out such an exception to sanctions, what exceptions will it want tomorrow or the day after tomorrow? This question is very dangerous. He added: Moreover, it is dangerous not only for Ukraine, but also for all countries of the democratic world."

While Zelenskyy has called on Trudeau to reverse his decision allowing the turbines to be returned to Russia, so far, the Canadian government has refused, citing the need to protect German livelihoods.

Currently the Nord Stream One pipeline that supplies natural gas to Germany from Russia is said to be running at 40% of its capacity without the turbines.

My question this week:

Do you support Prime Minister Trudeaus decision to return the turbines to Germany, which will in turn return them to Russia?

I can be reached at [email protected] or call toll free 1-800-665-8711.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
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Photo: The Canadian Press

Russian missiles struck the city of Vinnytsia Thursday, killing at least 20 people and wounding about 90 more in what Ukraines president called an open act of terrorism on the countrys civilian population in areas with no military value.

Ukraines national police said three missiles hit an office building and damaged nearby residential buildings in the city located southwest of the capital Kyiv.

The missile strike ignited a fire that expanded to engulf 50 cars in an adjacent parking lot.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a child was among the dead. He suggested the attack was deliberately aimed at terrorizing civilians.

Every day, Russia is destroying the civilian population, killing Ukrainian children, directing missiles at civilian objects. Where there is no military (targets). What is it if not an open act of terrorism? Zelenskyy wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

The Vinnytsia strike came after Ukraines presidential office reported the deaths of five civilians and the wounding of another eight in Russian attacks over the past day.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday blamed inadequate police security for the death of former leader Shinzo Abe, who was shot while giving an outdoor campaign speech.

Abe, one of Japan's most influential politicians, was assassinated last Friday in western Japan, shocking a nation known for its low crime rate.

Photos and videos of the shooting show the gunman was able to come close to Abe.

A suspect was arrested at the spot and is being detained for questioning.

Police and media reports say he told investigators that a rumored link between Abe and a religious group the suspect hated was the reason he killed the former prime minister.
Photo: The Canadian Press

The federal government says mandatory random testing of travellers arriving at four main airports will start again next week.

Ottawa paused the random testing of those entering Canada by air on June 11, as part of its strategy to transition to testing incoming travellers outside of airports.

The government now says testing will resume as of July 19 for fully vaccinated travellers arriving at the Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Toronto airports.

It says all testing will be completed outside of airports for unvaccinated people as well as those who are fully or partially vaccinated.

The testing will be completed either at an in-person appointment at select testing locations or via a virtual appointment for a swab test.

Travellers who are not fully vaccinated must test on both the first and eighth days of their mandatory 14-day quarantine, unless exempt.
Photo: pixabay

Coca Colas mandatory vaccination policy for its Lower Mainland facilities has been upheld by an arbitrator, three months after the same was decided in Ontario.

Teamsters Local 213, the union for Lower Mainland hourly employees in Richmond, Coquitlam, and Chilliwack opposed the policy, claiming that it is an unreasonable exercise of management rights.

The union argued that the policy failed to achieve its purpose as there were few infections in Richmond and Coquitlam prior to the spike in January 2022, and that Covid-19 continued to spread even after unvaccinated employees were removed from the workplace.

It also said that the policy violated the fundamental right for individuals to choose how to deal with their own bodily integrity issues.

The unions witness, Alec Kaloesnichenko, is an employee who worked in a laboratory at the Richmond Production Plant.

Kaloesnichenko caught Covid-19 in December 2020 and has been off work since Jan. 28, 2022 as he did not get vaccinated.

I understand data. After I got COVID I decided not to get vaccinated because immunity after you get it is just as strong or stronger, he testified, explaining that he had conducted his own research.

During the hearing, Kaloesnichenko was asked if he disagreed with Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, about the efficacy and safety of vaccines.

She might have got it right initially, but Bill Gates has stated numerous times that the vaccine is not effective, he said.

Coca Colas nation-wide policy was enacted on Oct. 26, 2021, which required all employees to submit documentation to prove they had received both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, unless an exception was made. New hires were also required to receive both doses before starting work.

According to the policy, violations could result in disciplinary actions such as suspension without pay or termination. Accommodations could also be granted for those who could not get vaccinated based on protected human rights. The policy was reviewed earlier this year, but no substantial changes were made.

At the time of the hearing, no terminations or suspensions were made, and no human rights exemptions were granted, according to Jose Alonso, Coca Colas director of labour relations for Canada.

The purpose of the policy was to maximize COVID-19 vaccination rates among Coke Canada employees as one of the critical control measures against the hazard of COVID-19, according to Coca Cola.

Coca Colas justification for the policy

Coca Cola told the arbitrator that its mandatory vaccine policy is consistent with its interest in ensuring the health and safety of all its workers, and it had repeatedly notified employees about the policy and potential consequences for breaching it.

In particular, Coca Cola quoted Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, who said vaccination was, the single most important preventative measure a member of a community can take to protect themselves and other members of the community from infection, severe illness and possible death from COVID-19.

It argued that the policy is reasonable because termination is not the automatic result of failing to get vaccinated. As well, Coca Cola argued that the policy offers employees a choice to either get vaccinated or be subject to the policys consequences.

Arbitrators analysis

In his analysis, arbitrator Randall J. Noonan said that Kaloesnichenkos evidence about the efficacy of Covid-19 vaccines was of little or no value.

We are collectively, in my view, at a time of scientific uncertainty, at least from a legal perspective, said Noonan.

He noted that neither side had produced expert witnesses to testify on the efficacy of vaccination and testing or introduce and interpret the scientific articles that were submitted as evidence.

Where there is no better scientific evidence properly before an employer when a policy is enacted or before an arbitration panel, the best evidence is the statements and orders made by proper authorities such as the Provincial Health Officer, he said.

I do not think it is appropriate to determine, based on anecdotal evidence, impressions, or arbitral notice that our understanding of COVID- 19 has shifted, that an employer policy that still requires mandatory vaccination never was or no longer is reasonable.

Noonan ultimately concluded that Coca Colas mandatory Covid-19 vaccination is reasonable and dismissed the unions grievance.

He also said that he did not think it was necessary to remove the provision for potential dismissal for violation of the policy, and clarified that just because the provision exists does not mean it would automatically lead to or justify a dismissal.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky blamed Russia for causing unrest in Sri Lanka as well as around the world due to the blocking of food products during the invasion of Ukraine.

One of the major tactics Russia has used in their invasion of Ukraine is the creation of an "economic shock," Zelenskyy said, adding that several countries experiencing food and fuel shortages due to the disruption in the supply chain have benefitted Russia's agenda.

Highlighting the crisis in Sri Lanka during a recent address at the Asian Leadership Conference in Seoul, he further said "The shocking food and fuel price hikes led to a social explosion. No one knows now how it will end."

War in Ukraine has left an estimated 1.6 billion people in 94 countries exposed to at least one dimension of finance, food, or energy crisis, with around 1.2 billion living in "perfect-storm" countries severely vulnerable.

Amid the ongoing protests, Sri Lanka's now acting President, Wickremesinghe stepped down from his post of Prime Minister due to the escalation in violence and protests in the country.

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. Notably, 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.

Moreover, due to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the increase in hunger since the start of the war is only ascending. The number of severely food insecure people doubled from 135 million prior to the pandemic, to 276 million over just two years. The ripple effects of the war could push this number to 323 million.

The Group of Seven (G7) leaders during the recently held summit also discussed the impact of Russia's war on food and energy supplies including the global economy and said the bloc is determined to support Ukraine in producing and exporting grain, oil, and other agricultural products. They called upon Russia to cease, without condition, its attacks on agricultural and transport infrastructure and enable free passage of agricultural shipping from Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea.

In a recent agreement between the Russian Federation and Ukraine, a months-long blockade of grain deliveries via the Black Sea will break, the UN Secretary-General Guterres said in a statement calling it a critical step forward in ensuring the safe and secure export of Ukrainian products.

(ANI)

Also Read: Heavy rains cause unseasonal floods, kill 39 in Afghanistan
Holcim sued by Indonesian island over climate change

ICR Newsroom By 14 July 2022

Residents of an Indonesian island threatened by rising sea levels are suing Holcim over its carbon emissions, according to TopWireNews. The island in question, Pulau Pari, depends on fishing and tourism for its economy but due to climate change large swathes of the island are expected to be submerged under water in 30 years' time, say the residents. They are now seeking compensation from Holcim for the damage they have already suffered as a result of climate change, as well as funds for flood protection, and a rapid reduction in the company's carbon emissions.

Although Holcim sold its Indonesia operations to Semen Indonesia in 2019, between 1950-2021 Holcim emitted more than 7bnt of CO 2 emissions worldwide. According to Yvan Maillard Ardenti, climate expert at Swiss Church Aid (HEKS), as one of the 50 largest CO 2 emitters of all companies worldwide, Holcim bears a significant part of the responsibility for the climate crisis and for the situation on the island. This will mark the first time that a Swiss company has been held legally accountable for its role in climate change, added HEKS.

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A man told police he was visiting his brother on Clio Avenue and that while inside the residence, someone stole his tan Chevrolet Malibu. He said that he searched the area and then went back to his house on Taylor Street and called police. He said he had no suspect information or any idea who would have taken his car. He did tell police that when he went inside to see his brother, he did leave it running with the keys in it. Before police were able to place the vehicle into NCIC, another officer located the vehicle at the Speedway, 1330 E. 3rd St. After speaking to the manager, she was able to pull the video of the vehicle pulling into the parking lot and stopping at pump 7. The front seat passenger exited the vehicle and went into the store. Police were able to get photos of the passenger and they were sent out to CPD Sworn for identification. Due to the quality of the camera footage, police were not able to get any pictures of the other two people. The people appeared to have car issues and could not get the vehicle started. They then fled on foot east up E. 3rd Street and out of camera view. The owner was notified and arrived on scene to take possession of his vehicle.

* * *

A man told police someone tried to drive a Kubota excavator on Snow Street, but only was able to move it a few feet. He said the person then stole the ignition key. He said it will cost $40 to replace the key. He said this is a a construction site where he is building his house. Communications set up a Watch for this location. He said he plans to install a wildlife camera on the location.

* * *



A woman on Stones Rest Circle told police just before 6 a.m. two black males went into her garage, which is attached to her home and is open. She said they stole a Springfield Hellcat, Radar detector, 12 gauge rounds, 22 rounds, a wallet with $150, a Social Security card, debit/credit cards and an ID. The suspect vehicle looked to be a gray sedan. Multiple homes around the area had cameras. The suspects are unknown at this time. The firearm was entered into NCIC.



* * *



An officer was patrolling on Hooker Road when she noticed a powder blue (almost silver) Lexus RX350 (NC tag) in the rear parking area of a duplex. Multiple stolen vehicles and vehicles used in violent crimes have been located from this address. The vehicle did not return as stolen, but was documented for possible future involvement.

* * *

A woman on Lee Highway told police a man was on her property and she wanted to tell him to not get on her property again. She said when she approached him, he started yelling at her. The man was detained due to his behavior. He was then let go once everything was cleared and he relaxed.

* * *

A woman on Bennett Avenue told police she exited her home that morning to find the door to her

Nissan Pathfinder unlocked, and found the glove box and center console open. She said she had approximately $15 stolen from the center console of her vehicle, which was parked in front of her address at the time of the theft. The woman said she does not remember if she had left her vehicle unlocked, but believes this to be the case. She would like to press charges if the suspect is found.

* * *

A woman told police she had been arrested at the 2100 Hamilton Place Mall and her vehicle was left parked at the mall parking lot. She said the 2007 Silver Lincoln MKX was stolen out of the mall parking lot. She also mentioned that she bought the vehicle from the Chattanooga Motors dealership, and she had to return to the dealership to pick up the title. Police ran the VIN of the vehicle, and it was still registered under the previous owner's name. The woman showed police proof of ownership. She also showed police the paperwork from the dealership with her name on it, and the bill of sale from the dealership with her name and her signature. There was no report of repossession or private property tow per the vehicle VIN. She also said that her white iPhone 8, her TN state ID, and her jewelry were inside the vehicle. The vehicle was listed in NCIC.

* * *

A woman on Shawnee Circle told police that she received a call from an unknown person on her land line. She said that when she answered the phone, the person told her that her nephew owes him $3,000. She told police that her nephew is currently serving time in prison in Jasper, Tn. She said she told the caller that she does not have that kind of money and cannot pay him. The caller then told her that he knows where she lives and then hung the phone up. She told police that she has no idea who the caller was. Police noted that this same caller called another of the woman's relatives. Police told the woman to contact Dispatch if anything out of the ordinary was to occur around her property.

* * *

A man on Ridge Top Drive told police he had received bank statements from two banks at which he did not have accounts. He said that he contacted the banks, United Community Bank and Scenic Community Credit Union, about the accounts. He was informed that the accounts had been opened online using his information. The man needed a report for his records.

* * *

Police located an abandoned vehicle at 7200 Shallowford Road. The blue Alfa Romeo with GA tag, was sitting in the roadway at the traffic light where Shallowford Road and the off ramp of I-75 SB meet. The vehicle was unoccupied with its hazard lights on. No one was around it. The vehicle appeared to have side damage to front and back driver's side doors. Yates wrecker service was dispatched to haul it off.

* * *

The manager at Anytime Fitness at 25 Cherokee Blvd. told police that homeless people have been entering the gym without permission. She said a member saw a homeless man sleeping inside the gym that morning. The manager thinks that homeless people may be following members into the gym without an access card.

* * *

A man told police that between 2-6 a.m. items were stolen out of the cab of his Ram pickup truck while it was parked at a residence on Wiehl St. The man said there were no signs of forced entry and the truck may have been unlocked. One of the items, a Hercules Drill, was entered into NCIC as stolen.

* * *

A man told police he was driving on Hemlock Circle when another vehicle was coming from the opposite way. The man said he pulled off to the side to let the other vehicle pass. When he did this, he slid into a ditch. There was no damage to the vehicle. The man is going to have the vehicle towed out of the ditch.

* * *

A man on Carriage Parc Drive told police that someone came into his home and poured hot sauce on his wall and floor. He said the person also took his router. He told police he thinks it was his "wife" who he said committed bigamy in Georgia. There is no known suspect at this time. He said he has a TPO in place and said his wife has been at the home. He did not know how much the router was worth. The man had no proof that his wife had been in the home. He said he was out of town when all this occurred.
The Department of Revenue announced the hiring of Courtney Swim as the agencys chief of staff, starting Aug. 1.

In this role, Ms. Swim will oversee the departments offices of Legislation, Communications, Research, and Tax Policy. Ms. Swim joins Revenue after working for the last year as an associate counsel for the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, where she researched and advised on federal, state, and local laws impacting the beverage alcohol industry.

Were excited to have Courtney back on our team, and we look forward to seeing the contributions she will bring to the Department, Revenue Commissioner David Gerregano said.

Ms. Swim previously served as revenues director of legislation, from 2019 through 2021. She first joined the agency in 2017, as an associate general counsel in the Legal Office. Ms. Swim began her career in state government in 2016 as a legislative research analyst at the Comptrollers Office.

A native of Kentucky, Ms. Swim received her bachelors degree in business administration from Belmont University in Nashville and her J.D. from Northern Kentucky University.
My great-granny Coppinger always told me, if somethings working well, dont tinker with it. Luckily for the voters in the 12th Judicial District, your Public Defenders office under Jeff Harmon is doing tremendous work. I should know, because I worked with him for almost six years.

Jeff possesses a superlative legal acumen and he treats all of his clients with respect and compassion. He also instills these values into his staff.

Furthermore, hes been a good steward of the taxpayers money, in the efficient operation of the Public Defenders office. Most are unaware the State provides the public defender with significantly less funding than the district attorneys conference. Its a misnomer to think the State extends endless resources to the defense of indigent defendants. Despite these limited resources, the office probably has hundreds of active cases across the six counties comprising this district, at any given time. I know for a fact the office handles these caseloads as efficiently as possible, settling those cases that can be resolved and trying those that cannot.

I know Jeff to be one of the finest men Ive ever met. Hes probably the most honest, patient and kind-hearted individual Ive ever known. That said, his opponent, Mr. Engle - a friend - is also a very fine man and attorney. But, again, if the Public Defenders office aint broke, why fix it?

Vote to keep Jeff Harmon as the 12th Judicial District Public Defender.

Doug Curtis, Esq.
With a rise in COVID cases across the community, the Chattanooga Rotary Club is providing funding to purchase over 400 combined Cepheid cartridges. The cartridges will allow for the rapid detection of COVID, Flu A/B, and RSV in the most vulnerable and uninsured populations in Chattanooga.

The local Rotary Club provided $15,000 for the effort and applied for a matching grant from the Rotary Foundation that resulted in a total of $30,000 for the effort. Clinica Medicos has performed over 25,000 COVID-19 tests, administered over 15,000 COVID-19 vaccines, and built a dedicated COVID-19 unit and staff, all the while championing equitable testing practices, whether for the uninsured or undocumented population so that all segments of the Chattanooga community remained as healthy and safe as possible.

The Cepheid cartridge used by Clinica Medicos is a single test that detects and differentiates between SARS-CoV-2, Flu A, Flu B, and RSV (common respiratory virus with cold-like symptoms). The test provides rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 (as quickly as 25 minutes) and provides results for all four pathogens in just 36 minutes with less than a minute of hands-on time. This is critical as patients have a rapid diagnosis and can then be instructed to follow specific procedures to minimize or eliminate further community spread of the designated pathogen.

Over the past six years, Clinica Medicos has served over 40,000 registered patients, >90% of whom are Latino, >50% of whom are uninsured, and >85% of whom are living below the federal poverty line. They work with La Paz, the Mayor's LatinX working group, Que Buena Radio, Life Spring and CEMPA for COVID messaging to make sure that unified, accurate vaccination and testing information is made available to the large Latino community in Chattanooga. Accurate information, confidence in medical personnel, and precise, rapid tests are critical to minimizing pathogen spread in one of Chattanoogas most vulnerable communities.

Between 400-500 individuals will benefit from Rotarys contribution.

Dr. Kelly Arnold of Clinica Medicos said, We are truly grateful for the relationship we have with the Chattanooga Rotary Club. Our mission is to make quality healthcare accessible to Chattanoogas underserved Latino community regardless of insurance status, language, pregnancy, age or gender. Every dollar we receive goes directly into healthcare or the education of physicians and residents who join us in focusing on good health for those we serve.

Rotary Club President Virginia Anne Sharber said, Don McDowell and Doug Thompson co-chair our club projects committee and have done an amazing job of doubling the donation to Clinica Medicos through a matching grant from District 6780. We are honored and grateful to put these dollars to work in the community.
The K-drama remake of the Netflix series Money Heist has done considerably well since its release in June. Money Heist: Korea flips the script when it comes to its leading characters backstories, like Tokyo (Jeon Jong-seo) being a soldier from North Korea. With only six episodes in its first season, and more of the original storyline to adapt, Money Heist: Korea Season 2 is on the horizon.

Money Heist: Korea Season 2 has already been filmed, according to Yoon Ji-tae

Fans are taken to a near future where North and South Korea have come together to create a Joint Economic Area. A city in itself, the area has its own currency, and citizens from both countries can work and live simultaneously. It also becomes the perfect opportunity to pull off the biggest heist the world has ever seen.

A group of outlaws and thieves are brought together by the Professor (Yoon). They plan to infiltrate the Royal Mint. Instead of stealing money, they will hold out a hostage situation to buy them time to fabricate their untraceable money. Money Heist: Korea adapts up to episode 11 of the first season of the original series.

There are a total of 13 episodes in the first season, with the following second season having nine. The K-drama has a long way to go before ending the grand heist. In an article by Soompi, actor Yoon told Elle Magazine there are a total of 12 episodes in the K-drama that have already been filmed.

Whats on Netflix confirms that the K-drama has yet to release the following six episodes of Money Heist: Korea Season 2. Yoon explains the K-drama adapted the first two seasons of the original series.

Money Heist: Korea Season 2 premieres in 2022

RELATED: Money Heist: Korea: Is the Professor the Mastermind Behind the Unification of North and South Korea?

There will not be a long wait for the remaining episodes and Money Heist: Korea Season 2. While Netflix has not made an official confirmation, Newsweek reports the second half will premiere later in 2022. A representative for Netflix explained the estimated time frame is for the last quarter of the year.

The first half has done considerably well. Netflixs Top 10 list has the K-drama remake ranked number three on the list with 15.63 million views watched by fans. The second half will likely do just as well as the first season. The first half ended on a cliffhanger.

There are many storylines left to explore that will take place in the second half. Fans saw small teasers of Rio (Lee Hyun-woo) and Tokyo developing feelings for each other. Despite the Professors fundamental rule about relationships. Money Heist: Korea Season 2 will also likely bring in significant deaths.

Fans will also see how Denvers (Kim Ji-hoon) and Mi-seons (Lee Joo-bin) relationship moves forward after their steamy sex scene. The question remains how Money Heist: Korea will unfold regarding Seon Woo-jin (Kim Yun-jin) uncovering the identity of her love interest/ the Professor.

Will the cast of Money Heist: Korea return?

RELATED: Money Heist: Korea Drastically Changes Berlins Backstory to Make It More Chaotic

The main cast of the K-drama will return for Money Heist: Korea Season 2, as the entire 12 episodes were filmed back to back. Based on the original Spanish series, it is unlikely that new characters will be brought in for the rest of the K-dramas storyline.

Yoon will reprise his role as the Professor, with Kim returning as the head negotiator Woo-jin. The heist team will also return with Jeon, Lee, Lee Won-jong, Kim, Jang Yoon-ju, Kim Ji-hun, and Lee Kyu-ho. Squid Game and Money Heist: Korea actor Park Hae-soo returns as the chaotic Berlin. Kim Sung-oh returns as Captain Cha Moo-hyuk and Park Myung-hoon as Cho Young-min.

RELATED: Money Heist: Korea: Rios Story Is Not What Fans Know From the Original Spanish Series
Cherokee Nation Marshal Service is receiving a $10 million contribution from Cherokee Nation Businesses to support the law enforcement agency as it responds to increased demands resulting from the historic McGirt ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2020.
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Worship leader and conservative activist Sean Feucht took his Let Us Worship concerts to Johannesburg, South Africa, over the weekend. Over 8,000 people attended the event.

Feucht celebrated the results of his first Let Us Worship event outside the United States in a social media post. He wrote, Salvations, healings, freedom from addiction and SO MUCH HOPE AND JOY restored today. God is ALIVE and MOVING in South Africa!!!

Salvations, healings, freedom from addiction and SO MUCH HOPE AND JOY restored today.

God is ALIVE and MOVING in South Africa!!! #LetUsWorship pic.twitter.com/66NRWVWW12  Sean Feucht (@seanfeucht) July 9, 2022

In an Instagram post showing people running to the front during the invitation, Feucht said, It felt like 1/3 of the crowd was running to Jesus for salvation, freedom from addiction, and surrender as drugs, needles, pills and lots more was thrown on the stage. Im undone and in awe again at the miracle power of JESUS tonight! HE JUST KEEPS ON GETTING BETTER!

Feucht is the son of a dermatologist-turned-missionary. He was born in Montana and became a Christian on a trip to the Amazon with his father. In 2016, he signed a deal with Bethel Music and became a worship leader at Bethel Church.

Feucht caught the attention of President Donald Trump in 2019 when he launched a bid to win the Republican nomination for the Congressional seat in Californias 3rd district. He only garnered 13 percent of the vote in the primary, but he was one of the faith leaders called by President Trump to pray over him in the Oval Office during the impeachment controversy in December 2019.

The fiery worship leader came to national prominence in 2020, when he launched his Let Us Worship tour in response to the restrictions on churches during the COVID pandemic. He led prayer meetings and preached in places like Minneapolis, Portland, and Seattle, which were sites of large Black Lives Matter protests after the killing of George Floyd.

Feucht also carried his tour to the nations capital in 2021. He led a worship service on the National Mall in September.

Feuchts ministry recently came under scrutiny from Rolling Stone. The magazine claims IRS records show that Feuchts ministry brought in $5.3 million in 2020, compared to only $280,000 in 2019. In addition, Feucht recently purchased a home in a gated community in Southern California and a five-acre spread in Montana. According to Rolling Stone, the value of the two properties is over $2 million.

He has not responded to the reports, but Feucht tweeted about Rolling Stone reporters investigating him in June. The mainstream media will stop at nothing to attack Christians, he said. Yet, weve seen God use this stuff to even change the reporters (sic) hearts.

The Rolling Stone saga continues.



Today, a different @RollingStone reporter (@karavoght) showed up to spy on our prayer team in D.C.



The mainstream media will stop at nothing to attack Christians. Yet, weve seen God use this stuff to even change the reporters hearts!   Sean Feucht (@seanfeucht) June 15, 2022

Feucht also demonstrated his generosity while he was in South Africa. The ministry participated in a grocery giveaway to families in need.

Grocery giveaway this morning in township areas of Johannesburg!!!



The love of Jesus becoming tangible for families across the city! pic.twitter.com/A1J7Q2eshe  Sean Feucht (@seanfeucht) July 9, 2022

Feuchts Let Us Worship tour currently has stops scheduled in Detroit this weekend and Boise in August.

Photo courtesy: Gage Skidmore/Creative Commons, image cropped and resized.

Scott Slayton writes at One Degree to Another.
July 3 has long been observed as Saint Thomas Day, commemorating the death of the apostle considered by many to be the patron saint of India.

Now it is also celebrated as Indian Christian Day (Yeshu Bhakti Divas), an annual opportunity for Jesus followers of Asian Indian origin to preserve their distinctive identity and their global presence by uniting across their many languages, denominations, regions, customs, and creeds.

This month, ICD celebrations were carried out in cities across India, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Bengaluru, as well as Indian diaspora locations around the world, including New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Dallas, San Francisco, London, Durban, and Singapore. This Saturday (July 16), Indian Christians in the Chicago region will gather for an evening of ethnic worship and prayer at Wheaton College, led by Indian worship leader Vijay Benedict from Mumbai.

Last year, the grassroots organizers chose the martyrdom of Thomas, one of the 12 disciples of Jesus, to celebrate the ancient heritage and rich legacy of Christianity in India because the ancient Syrian Christian community of India traces its origin to the apostle. And its not just Catholics that revere Thomas. So does my own reformed evangelical denomination, the Mar Thoma Syrian Church.

According to reliable traditions and well-known Christian historians, Thomas came to the Malabar Coast in Kerala in A.D. 52 and was martyred near Chennai in Tamil Nadu in A.D. 72. Thus, this month marks the 1,950th anniversary of his martyrdom in southern India.

Followers of Jesus Christ have lived in the Indian subcontinent for nearly 2,000 years. They have lived in peace and harmony with their diverse religious neighbors and have played a significant role in the making of modern Indiaespecially their contributions in the fields of education, healthcare, literacy, social development, and women empowerment.

Image: Courtesy of FIACONA

The ICD celebrations, coordinated in the US by the Federation of Indian American Christians in North America (FIACONA), are designed to display the enormous diversity of Indian Christiansranging from languages to doctrines, denominations, and generationswhile also serving as a uniting force across their differences.

Also, Indian Christian Day stresses the fact that Christianity reached India before Europe and North America, counteracting the false narrative that Christianity is a Western religion as propagated by some Hindutva fanatics. ICD events express solidarity through acts of worship, love, and service, including a series of charity projects to serve Indias poor and marginalized.

Since US immigration reforms in 1965, Indian Christians have been a steady stream of new immigrants coming to American shores. Currently, nearly 1 in 5 of the nations 5.1 million Indian Americans is Christian, amounting to a million fellow believers. More than 1,500 Indian immigrant churches have been established in North America. The Global Diaspora Institute of the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center is currently conducting research to better understand this stream of American Christianity, which is the most educated and wealthiest immigrant group in the US and brought with it one of the oldest Christian traditions in the world.

However, Indian American churches are established along the lines of language and denomination and often do not interact with each other. Most churches remain generational, since most second-generation Indian American Christians leave the churches they grew up in. It is of the utmost importance to bring all these groups together to realize their collective strength and to unleash their missional potentials to serve their adopted homeland, ancestral lands, and all peoples everywhere.

The Chicagoland event alone will gather together Malayali Anglicans, Tamil Pentecostals, Telugu Baptists, Hindi-speaking Mennonites, Goan Catholics, Gujarati Methodists, second-generation evangelicals, and more.

Image: Courtesy of FIACONA

ICD events have generated a remarkable sense of unity among Indian Christians of diverse backgrounds by celebrating the truth of the history and heritage of the Christian faith in India. Since last year when ICD was launched, more churches are collaborating and open to learning from each other of their common immigrant church issues. Seeing their leaders share a common stage, brushing aside differences in languages and doctrines, ignites a greater spirit of togetherness among Indian diaspora Christians.

Its also a potent reminder that American Christianity is diasporic at its core. Christianity is not native to this continent; it was brought here by immigrants. Wave after wave of migrants from different shores of the world have brought their distinctive culturalized Christianity, and over many decades and generations their interaction with each other and their regions of heritage have remade American Christianity continually. The more global we are and the more globally connected we are, the more globally relevant our faith will be.

One could even argue that Christianity is more native to India than to the United States!

Sam George, PhD, is director of the Global Diaspora Institute at the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center and a Lausanne Movement catalyst for diasporas. Of Asian Indian St. Thomas Christian heritage, he has authored or edited a dozen books, including a three-volume series on Asian Diaspora Christianity (Fortress Press 2021).
This article is the final of a four-part series based on the upcoming book by Marvin Olasky and Leah Savas, The Story of Abortion in America: A Street-Level History, 16522022.

When two young boys in a family learn that their three older brothers and their father have died of yellow fever, how does that affect their thinking about life and death? In the Hodge family two centuries ago, that consciousness led one brother to become the 19th centurys pioneering pro-life doctor and the other to become a pro-creation theologian who wrote three volumes of systematic theology still read in seminaries today.

The older of the two survivors, Hugh Hodge, graduated from Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine to became ship surgeon on a voyage to India. There, during a deadly cholera epidemic, he saw the Hindu burning of a widow with her dead husband atop a funeral pyre. She did not resist when the fire was lit, and he hoped she suffocated from smoke before feeling the flames.

Hodge almost died when the ship nearly sank on the way back to America. For most of the 1820s, Hodge served as doctor of the Philadelphia Almshouse Hospital in the poorest part of the city, where sometimes all went well and other times typhus raged: Few escaped the poison.  The mortality in the house was great. Hodge again almost died, but then recovered, joined a Presbyterian church, married, and had seven children.

In the 1830s, Hodge became professor of obstetrics and the diseases of women and children at the University of Pennsylvania. Each fall, Hodge presented an introductory lecture on obstetrics, but he did not speak about abortion until three deaths made him face that misery.

The first death: Hodges firstborn, whom he described as active, cheerful, intelligent, until perforation of the bowel led to sudden demise. Deaths two and three, which received wide newspaper coverage: Eliza Sowers and her never-born child, both victims in 1839 of a surgical abortion.

At a time when many thought of unborn children as lumps of clay during their first four months in the womb, Hodge in his 1839 introductory lecture emphasized that human existence commences from the moment of conception.

He emphasized pre-birth and post-birth continuity:

The child unborn absorbs nourishment from its parent through the medium of the uterus. After birth, it imbibes the materials for nutrition by means of the mammae, or breasts. There is essentially no difference in its physiological properties, or as to the independent character of its existence.

Image: Illustration by Mallory Rentsch / Source Images: University Archives and Records Center, University of Pennsylvania / WikiMedia Commons

While Hugh Hodge (17961873) was exegeting the unborn child, Charles Hodge (17971878) was teaching at Princeton Seminary and becoming known for his Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans. Charles Hodge went on to write other commentaries on Ephesians and 1 and 2 Corinthians. He culminated his publishing career with a three-volume Systematic Theology (18723) still used in seminaries and What is Darwinism? (1874), a vigorous critique.

The two brothers ran on parallel tracks, with the older saying an unborn child pointed to intelligent design and the younger expanding that to all creatures great and small. Charles Hodge wrote that Darwinian theory ascribes to blind, unintelligent causes the wonders of purpose and design which the world everywhere exhibits; and  effectually banishes God from his works.

Hugh Hodge emphasized medical science but contextualized it in theology:

The existence commenced in the ovary of a woman, mysterious and wonderful as it may be, is but the commencement of a series of changes, each more wonderful and glorious than its predecessor, to which the same identical human being will be subjected, perhaps for eternity.

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Death is not the end but the time when changes will be effected infinitely greater and more mysterious than occur at conception, and during gestation.

Image: Illustration by Mallory Rentsch / Source Images: WikiMedia Commons

Charles Hodge emphasized theology but contextualized it in a close examination of scientific claims. He wrote of Charles Darwins admission that if one species is derived by slow gradations from another, it would be natural [to find] the connecting links, yet such are not to be found.

What united the two brothers was faith in Gods works of providence, defined as his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing of all his creatures and all their actions. Charles Hodge described how biblical passages clearly teach (1) That the universe as a whole does not continue in being of itself. It would cease to exist if unsupported by his power. (2) That all creatures  are continued in existence not by any inherent principle of life, but by the will of God.

The Hodge brothers understood this as a macro-doctrine regarding the immense universe, and a micro-doctrine regarding tiny children. They did not see the beginning of the universe or the beginning of a child as, in the words of Charles Hodge, ateleological  the result of random occurrences.

That understanding led to Charles Hodges famous conclusion to his last book: What is Darwinism? It is Atheism. This does not mean  that Mr. Darwin himself and all who adopt his views are atheists; but it means that his theory is atheistic, that the exclusion of design from nature is  tantamount to atheism.

Hugh Hodge also gave an emphatic declaration: Abortion is a crime against the natural feelings of managainst the welfare and safety of womenagainst the peace and prosperity of societyagainst the divine command, Thou shalt not kill. It is murder.

How relevant is that to today? Depends on what we believe about creation and conception. Both big and little are either a product of chance, oras the brothers Hodge believedthe work of a Creator. Why did their three older brothers and their father die? That was a mystery. What could they do to preserve life and a reason for living? This was their calling, and ours.

Content adapted from The Story of Abortion in America by Marvin Olasky and Leah Savas, 2023. Used by permission of Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
This piece was adapted from Russell Moores newsletter. Subscribe here.

In the aftermath of the Supreme Courts Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization overturning Roe v. Wade, some people are wondering whos up and whos down in terms of getting or claiming power.

And while those kinds of people are usually the loudest, they dont represent most people who are asking the question What do we do to carry a pro-life vision into caring for women and children in crisis in our communities?

For others, the question itself is the problem.

Critics will point out that many of the states most likely to restrict abortion (such as the plaintiff in this case, my home state of Mississippi) also have high rates of infant mortality, higher likelihood of women dying in childbirth, and higher rates of hunger and poverty. They will also emphasize that these states often have the thinnest social safety nets for people in poverty or without health insurance.

Like many others, churches are asking, How do we care for these women and children? But those with a cynical view of pro-life Christians see this as a deflection from the issue of government policies that would benefit poor and struggling women and their childrenthose most vulnerable to the abortion industry.

For some, the cynicism comes from seeing the abortion debate as only a strategy to motivate voters. But the typical pro-life Christian asking about the next steps of ministry is quite likely already working to serve such women and childrenwhether by giving financial assistance, helping to get children out of the foster care system, or repairing families torn apart by substance abuse.

Typical pro-life Christians are almost never the people owning their political or cultural opponents on social media. After all, theyre usually engaged in persuading others to see the value of vulnerable human life and to not give in to the solutions offered by the abortion industry or the pressure of a boyfriend or husband or parents who want the problem just to go away.

Pro-life believers involved in this work dont demonize the women they seek to persuade; they serve them.

In any given community, I almost never have to look in different places to find the people who lead the day-by-day work of on-the-ground pro-life ministry and those who help orphaned or hungry children. The same goes for those who care for refugees and immigrants in need of clothing or shelter and who help women escape abusive situations.

Those calling attention to the vulnerable are almost always the very ones who are serving them and equipping others to do the sameand they usually transcend the expected tribal boundary markers to do so.

The cynics might say, Yes, but thats not nearly enough, and that would be fair.

Some people who oppose social safety nets for the poor of various kinds will say, If the churches were doing their job, we wouldnt need the government or society to get involved. In response, the cynics will point to the datathat even if every church were doing everything possible, we would not eradicate povertyto suggest that such talk is about charity, not policy.

Even aside from such skepticism, the church wanting to care for the poor might look at the same charts and wonder, What can we really do to change any of this? This sense of despair can then lead to inaction and inward focus.

But neither despair nor cynicism is seeing the issue rightly.

Indeed, we need policy changes to better care for vulnerable women and children. Policies like this, radically different in approach, are coming from such divergent sources as democratic socialist Elizabeth Bruenig and Republican U.S. senator Mitt Romney. The merits of these and many other policy reforms will be debated along prudential lines, determining whether they can deliver on the help they promise.

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The longer term, though, will require more than even the best solutions policy can bring. It will require convicted consciences that care for the vulnerable people in needboth born and unborn.

Church ministries that help women find alternatives to abortion, assist those women in caring for their children, combat poverty and homelessness, and reform an overburdened and often malfunctioning foster care system arefirst and foremostabout serving individual lives.

The key pro-life insight is that a lifes worth is not about power, viability, or state of dependence. Each life is, as the saying goes, an entire world. But it is also important to understand the way such care shapes and forms our consciences to pay attention to those we might otherwise keep invisible.

Eboo Patel would not agree with me on the abortion issue, but he does understand how social reform movements work. In his new book, We Need to Build, Patel makes the case that civic institutions at the local level can lead to change at the national level.

He points out the example of Jane Addamss Hull House, which cared for the poor and immigrants on the West Side of Chicago around the turn of the 20th century. Through Hull House, Patel argues, Addams not only cared for thousands of people, many of them children, but she also led the house to be a kind of laboratory that showed the rest of the world what was possible.

For virtually every problem that they discovered in Chicago, they modeled a concrete solution, Patel writes. Those who thought adolescents in such environments were doomed to delinquency and crime saw how Hull House changed young peoples lives.

Those who expected people to gather only in saloons saw a different model. Those who thought different ethnic groups or classes could not find common ground saw those tensions overcome at Hull House. Those who thought women didnt have the intellect to lead saw a thriving example of Addams doing just that.

The fact that local presence can shape consciences by modeling a different reality should not surprise us as Christians. The late theologian (and Christianity Todays first editor in chief) Carl F. H. Henry argued that the church is called not just to evangelical proclamation but also to evangelical demonstration. The church, he argued, is to mirror in microcosm what the future kingdom of God will be like.

Never is the church more effective in doing so than when she provides a living example in her own ranks of what new life in Christ implies, and never is she more impotent than when she imposes new standards on the world that she herself neglects, Henry wrote. A social ethic is not some kind of bureaucratic imposition by the church upon the world, but a mirroring to the world of the joys and benefits of serving the living God.

Thats what the church of the New Testament did in caring for widowsnot just those of the majority culture but those of Greek heritage too (Acts 6:17). James, the brother of Jesus, sought justice for the vulnerable poor being harmed (James 5:16) and called for the church to embody a picture of the coming kingdom in which the poor are equal heirs by faith (2:114). This starts, James wrote, with a choice as seemingly trivial as who sits where in church.

There is real power in churches who not only call the government to do its job in protecting the most vulnerable among us from the womb outwardbut who also embody what it means to love in both word and deed those others classify as problem pregnancies or burdens on society.

Of course, no church can do everything. And learning how to serve people effectively involves failing and persevering in the search for what works. But a church that lives out a pro-life vision consistently and self-sacrificially will be a catalystnot only for saving and serving countless lives, but also for awakening and reshaping many consciences in the long term.

Russell Moore leads the Public Theology Project at Christianity Today.

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The earliest known depiction of biblical heroines Jael and Deborah was discovered at an ancient synagogue in Israel, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill announced last week. A rendering of one figure driving a stake through the head of a military general was the initial clue that led the team to identify the figures, according to project director Jodi Magness.

This is extremely rare, Magness, an archaeologist and religion professor at UNC-Chapel Hill, told Religion News Service. I dont know of any other ancient depictions of these heroines.

The nearly 1,600-year-old mosaics were uncovered by a team of students and specialists as part of The Huqoq Excavation Project, which resumed its 10th season of excavations this summer at a synagogue in the ancient Jewish village of Huqoq in Lower Galilee. Mosaics were first discovered at the site in 2012, and Magness said the synagogue, which dates to the late fourth or early fifth century, is unusually large and richly decorated. In addition to its extensive, relatively well-preserved mosaics, the site is adorned with wall paintings and carved architecture.

The fourth chapter of the Book of Judges tells the story of Deborah, a judge and prophet who conquered the Canaanite army alongside Israelite general Barak. After the victory, the passage says, the Canaanite commander Sisera fled to the tent of Jael, where she drove a tent peg into his temple and killed him.

The newly discovered mosaic panels depicting the heroines are made of local cut stone from Galilee and were found on the floor on the south end of the synagogues west aisle. The mosaic is divided into three sections, one with Deborah seated under a palm tree looking at Barak, a second with what appears to be Sisera seated and a third with Jael hammering a peg into a bleeding Sisera.

Magness said its impossible to know why this rare image was included but noted that additional mosaics depicting events from the Book of Judges, including renderings of Sampson, are on the south end of the synagogues east aisle. According to the UNC-Chapel Hill press release, the events surrounding Jael and Deborah might have taken place in the same geographical region as Huqoq, providing at least one possible reason for the mosaic.

The value of our discoveries, the value of archaeology, is that it helps fill in the gaps in our information about, in this case, Jews and Judaism in this particular period, explained Magness. It shows that there was a very rich and diverse range of views among Jews.

Magness said rabbinic literature doesnt include descriptions about figure decoration in synagoguesso the world would never know about these visual embellishments without archaeology.

Judaism was dynamic through late antiquity. Never was Judaism monolithic, said Magness. Theres always been a wide range of Jewish practices, and I think thats partly what we see.

These groundbreaking mosaics have been removed from the synagogue for conservation, but Magness hopes to return soon to make additional discoveries. The Huqoq Excavation Project, sponsored by UNC-Chapel Hill, Austin College, Baylor University, Brigham Young University, and the University of Toronto, paused in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic and is scheduled to resume next summer.
Leaders of one of the nations largest and most prominent congregations say their new pastor has been cleared of allegations of abuse at his previous church.

In June, Andy Wood, pastor of Echo Church, a multisite church based in San Jose, California, was named the new pastor at Saddleback Church and the successor to founding pastor and bestselling author Rick Warren.

After the announcement, former staffers at Echo raised concerns about the culture at the church, calling it unhealthy. At least one former staffer referred to Wood as abusive. Questions were also raised about Woods decision to have disgraced megachurch pastor Mark Driscoll, founder of the now defunct Mars Hill Church in Seattle, speak at a leadership conference Wood runs.

Wood, his former church, and Saddleback have repeatedly denied any allegations of abuse.

On Monday, Saddlebacks elders sent an email to the congregation of more than 20,000, saying a follow-up investigation by Vanderbloemen, a Christian executive search firm, had cleared Wood. They also said the church had hired a separate firm, Middlebrook Goodspeed, to review Vanderbloemens work.

The team at Vanderbloemen interviewed former employees, former volunteers, peers, and current employees to ask them about their experiences with Andy, Saddleback elders wrote, citing the two firms. The sample can be said to be thorough. After our work, we concluded there is no systemic or pattern of abuse under Andys leadership, nor was there an individual that we felt was abused.

The Vanderbloemen report will not be made public, according to a church spokesperson.

Mondays statement was the second announcement church elders have made backing Wood. Saddleback will move forward with plans for Wood to begin as the new pastor in September, according to the elders. Wood and his wife, Stacie, who will serve as a teaching pastor, recently moved to Southern California, according to the church.

Warren plans to retire in early September.

We will now turn our attention to planning a celebration of Pastor Rick and Kays unprecedented 43-year ministry, and then welcoming Pastor Andy, Stacie, Caedmon, Sammy, and Karis as our newest members of the Saddleback Family, the elder statement said, referencing the couple and their children.

Echo Church has required former staffers to abide by a confidentiality policy, which is designed to guard against gossip, sharing passwords publicly, sharing sensitive data, etc. and cultivate a healthy culture, Grace Tran, director of marketing and communications for Echo Church, told Religion News Service in an email.

When asked repeatedly if former staff members are still bound by the confidentiality policy, Tran did not answer, saying instead that former staffers should talk to Vanderbloemen.

The Saddleback elder statement did not specifically address the culture at Echo Church but did refer to a conflict that occurred at that church, adding that while disappointment and hurt are not the same as abuse, they still wanted to act with compassion.

Elders also cited Saddlebacks role in founding a Christian 12-step program known as Celebrate Recovery, which helps people deal with every kind of hurt, abuse, wound, mistreatment, addiction, or other hurtful issues.

We know that we must minister in the REAL world, not the IDEAL world, the elders wrote. In our broken world, there will always be conflict, disagreements, and disappointments, so recovery and reconciliation in relationships will always be needed.

Stacie Woods planned role at the church as a teaching pastor may cause trouble for Saddleback in the future. The congregation is part of the Southern Baptist Convention, which bars women from serving in the role of pastor. The megachurchs status in the convention was already under review after Saddleback ordained three women staffers as pastors last year. Having women preach during worship services is also controversial among Southern Baptists.

Warren made a surprise appearance at the denominations annual meeting last month. After he spoke, the committee reviewing Saddlebacks status said it needed more time to make a decision.
Abortionist under investigation after questions raised about reporting of 10-year-old girl's rape

Indiana's attorney general's office is investigating whether an abortion doctor who made national headlines after revealing that a raped and impregnated 10-year-old girl crossed state lines to obtain an abortion reported the case to the proper authorities as an undocumented immigrant was arrested for the crime Tuesday.

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita said in an interview with Fox News Wednesday night that his office is looking into whether Indianapolis obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Caitlan Bernard failed to report the underaged abortion of the rape victim to the proper authorities as required by law.



Additionally, Fox News reported Wednesday that Bernard's employer, Indiana University Health, recently filed a HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) complaint against her for letting the girl's story get out in the news media. HIPAA aims "to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient's consent or knowledge."

The story about the 10-year-old girl was first published by The Indianapolis Star and repeated by Biden Friday while signing an executive order expanding access to chemical abortions and other "reproductive health services" following the U.S. Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade.

Bernard told the outlet on July 1 that she received a phone call from a child abuse doctor in Ohio. The doctor claimed that the call came three days after the Supreme Court returned the abortion issue to the states and triggered an Ohio law banning abortion after six weeks.

The story's validity was questioned in an article by Washington Post fact-checker Glenn Kessler and PJ Media's Megan Fox in a series of tweets. It is not clear if the girl felt she had to go to another state to obtain the abortion or if she was referred to another doctor in another state.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost contends that the girl could have had the abortion in the state because Ohio's abortion law contains a medical emergency exception.

Providing more validity to Bernard's claim, The Columbus Dispatch reported Wednesday the arrest of a Columbus man charged with the rape, a felony of the first degree in Ohio. Gershon Fuentes was arrested after he confessed to raping the girl on at least two occasions.

Citing an unnamed source with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Fox News reports that Fuentes is a Guatemalan national who entered the U.S. illegally.

The girl, who just turned 10, was believed to be 9 years old when the rape occurred, according to Assistant Franklin County Prosecutor Dan Meyer.

The girl's mother filed a report through Franklin County Children Services on June 22, which alerted Columbus police to the girl's pregnancy. During Fuentes' Wednesday arraignment, Detective Jeffrey Huhn testified that the minor underwent a chemical abortion in Indianapolis on June 30.

During a segment with Fox News Host Jesse Watters, Rokita said his office is gathering information and looking at Bernard's licensure.

"If she failed to report it in Indiana, it's a crime for  to not report, to intentionally not report," Rokita said.

"This is a child, and there's a strong public interest in understanding if someone under the age of 16 or under the age of 18 or really any woman is having abortion in our state. And then if a child is being sexually abused, of course parents need to know. Authorities need to know. Public policy experts need to know."

State law requires reporting abortions for girls under the age of 16 to the Indiana State Department of Health and the Indiana Department of Child Services within three days of the abortion.

An audit of pregnancy termination reports released by Indiana Right to Life in 2018 listed Bernard as one of nine abortionists who failed to report underaged abortions to the health department.

The news cycle surrounding the girl's plight has drawn renewed outcry from pro-life activists who contend that some abortionists are skirting reporting laws and covering up child sex abuse.

"We have tried for years to get this particular subject covered," Mark Crutcher, the founder and president of Life Dynamics, a pro-life group that provides information about abortion risks and abusive practices within the industry, told The Christian Post.

The organization has released numerous undercover investigations and information showing abortion facilities covering up child sex abuse.

Life Dynamic has documented numerous instances of abortion facilities failing to act as mandatory reporters in child sex abuse cases.

In February and March of 2002, Life Dynamics conducted an undercover phone survey of 813 of the 906 abortion facilities the organization identified as being a part of Planned Parenthood and the National Abortion Federation. In the phone calls, an adult woman with a childlike voice posed as a 13-year-old girl seeking an abortion after being impregnated by a 22-year-old man.

Life Dynamics claims this was a mandatory reporting situation, but 90% of the counselors they spoke to reportedly agreed to ignore the law.

In some of the tapes Life Dynamics posted online, clinic workers can be heard instructing the undercover investigator to provide a fake name and address, promising they wouldn't check it.

"Some of them even went to the point of saying, 'Look, you've already given me too much information, so call this other abortion clinic,'" Crutcher told CP. "And when you call them, don't tell them your boyfriend is a grown man. Don't tell them that you're 13 years old."

"What you have to understand is [the abortion facility] has got two people there that they're involved with. They've got the girl that's pregnant or may be pregnant," he continued. "And they've got the perpetrator. The perpetrator is the one with the money."

"So he's the one that they protect. They don't care about that girl at all. Anyone who cared about that girl would not be giving her this information on how to circumvent these laws and protect victims of child rape."

Life Dynamics has also collected information about cases of abusers taking underage girls for abortions without a report being made by abortion facility staff.

Crutcher said one particularly egregious case centered around a man named George England, who purchased a 5-year-old girl in 1972 after being discharged from the U.S. Army in Vietnam.

England traveled around the states with the girl, with court documents showing that he impregnated her for the first time when she was 13. He forced her to give up the first baby for adoption.

Court documents also show that England impregnated the girl an additional eight or nine times over the next six years, forcing her to have an abortion each time. Life Dynamics alleges that none of the facilities committing the abortions filed a report, noting that England continued abusing the girl until she was 19.

In 2018, the pro-life organization Live Action released a docuseries showcasing instances where Planned Parenthood carried out abortions on girls as young as 12, ignoring pleas for help and returning the victims to their abusers.

Live Action News summarized the cases of Planned Parenthood failing to report child sex abuse and performing abortions on minors.

Citing a 2015 Fox News report and a sheriff's report, the pro-life advocacy group described a case where Planned Parenthood Arizona counselor intentionally coded a 15-year-old girl's sexual assault as consensual. The counselor allegedly told the victim, "they did not want the hassle of having to report the assault to law enforcement as they were a mandatory reporter."

In 2012, Denise Fairbanks settled a lawsuit against Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region, alleging that they ignored her pleas for help after her father impregnated her and forced her to have an abortion. The lawsuit says Planned Parenthood's failure to report the sexual abuse forced Fairbanks to endure it for another year and a half.
Jill Biden faces criticism for comparing Latinos to tacos as Hispanic support for Democrats slips

First Lady Jill Biden's comparison of Latinos to tacos has come under fire from advocacy groups and politicians as questions mount about the Democratic Party's ability to win the Latino vote in the upcoming midterm elections.

While speaking at a LatinX IncluXion Luncheon at the 2022 UnidosUS Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas, Monday, Biden brought up the "diversity" of the Latino community, suggesting that the differences between subgroups of Latinos were "as beautiful as the blossoms of Miami and as unique as the breakfast tacos here in San Antonio."

The crowd, which consisted of activists affiliated with an advocacy group that describes itself as "the largest Latino civil rights advocacy organization in the United States," appeared amused by her remarks. But other Latino advocacy groups and politicians had a less favorable reaction.

The National Association for Hispanic Journalists, which characterizes itself as "a national network of professionals and students dedicated to the recognition and professional advancement of Hispanics in the news industry," strongly criticized Biden's comments in a statement.

"Using breakfast tacos to try to demonstrate the uniqueness of Latinos in San Antonio demonstrates a lack of cultural knowledge and sensitivity to the diversity of Latinos in the region," the statement reads.

"NAHJ encourages Dr. Biden and her speech writing team to take the time in the future to better understand the complexities of our people and communities. We are not tacos. Our heritage as Latinos is shaped by various diasporas, cultures & food traditions."

NAHJ encourages @FLOTUS & her communications team to take time to better understand the complexities of our people & communities.



We are not tacos.



Our heritage as Latinos is shaped by various diasporas, cultures & food traditions.



Do not reduce us to stereotypes. pic.twitter.com/KQIq5gwsht  NAHJ (@NAHJ) July 12, 2022

The National Association for Hispanic Journalists appears sympathetic to progressive causes. It recently published a blog post titled "An Undone Right," lamenting that "reproductive care will be even more challenging for marginalized people after the fall of Roe v. Wade."

Multiple Latinas running for elected office also took issue with Biden's remarks. Rep. Mayra Flores, R-Texas, who recently won a special election to a U.S. House of Representatives seat based in heavily Hispanic South Texas, cited Biden's taco comparison as an example of "liberal pandering."

They just dont get it. Latinos arent buying their liberal pandering; we care about the rising costs of housing, food, gas, issues that impact everyday Americans. No matter how loud they yell their made up words, it wont change the reality of their failed policies. @theMRCpic.twitter.com/gXK7BVUMpF  Mayra Flores (@MayraFlores2022) July 12, 2022

"We care about the rising costs of housing, food, gas, issues that impact everyday Americans," Flores stated in a tweet.

Flores took issue with the use of the term "Latinx" to refer to the Latino community, stating in another tweet that "Latina > Latinx."

Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican running to represent Florida's 13th Congressional District, dubbed the controversy over Biden's remarks "Tacogate" in a tweet Tuesday. A meme accompanying her post featured a picture of a Latino family next to the phrase "What we see" along with a view of cartoon tacos adjacent to the phrase "What Jill Biden sees."

Yesli Vega, who is running as a Republican to represent Virginia's 7th Congressional District, wrote on Twitter that her "heritage" and "culture" "are more than tacos."

The Hispanic community in America isn't a minority voting pop. for you to use in your punchlines," Vega wrote. "We are citizens who work hard & contribute to this nation. November is coming!"

Hey @FLOTUS, my heritage, my culture, & my history are more than tacos. The Hispanic community in America isnt a minority voting pop. for you to use in your punch lines, we are citizens who work hard & contribute to this nation.



November is coming!????????pic.twitter.com/RDk0zGmJ6W  Yesli Vega (@yestoyesli) July 12, 2022

Biden's remarks come as polls suggest Latinos are expressing dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party. While CNN exit polling found that 65% of Latinos supported Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, a recent poll from Quinnipiac University showed that just 24% of Latinos approve of the president's job performance.

A New York Times/Siena College poll conducted in July found that 32% of Hispanic voters approve of the job Biden is doing as president while nearly two-thirds said they disapprove.

Other polls conducted earlier this year asked Latinos for their preferences in the upcoming midterm elections. Results of a Wall Street Journal poll conducted in March indicated that Latinos favored a Republican candidate for Congress over a Democratic candidate by 9 percentage points. An April poll conducted by Marist College in conjunction with NPR and PBS NewsHour revealed that Latinos favor the Republican over the Democrat by 13 points.

In a previous interview with The Christian Post, Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, said he thinks the shift in polling suggests are Latino voters are "abandoning the Democratic Party or leftist ideologies."

Rodriguez, who participated in President Donald Trump's inauguration and the inaugural prayer service attended by President Barack Obama before his 2009 inauguration, believes the Democratic Party has become "a new progressive, socialist, anti-right, anti-Christian" party. He contends the party "completely ignores the rights of individuals and the idea that we were created in the image of God, with God-ordained rights."

Classifying Latinos as "people of faith," he proclaimed, "Latinos are not going to stand for that."
Pastor says lust is 'mosquito bite' that itches more when scratched: 'More spiritual than physical'

A popular pastor has warned that lust is like a "mosquito bite" in that the more it is scratched, the more it itches, and that getting married does not fix the problem.

Pastor Vlad Savchuk of Hungry Generation Church of Pasco, Washington, which has over 200,000 followers on Facebook, was a guest on Tovares Gray's "Godly Dating 101" podcast for a July 7 episode titled "Victory in The Battle Against Lust & How to Date Biblically."

Savchuk shared how he was bitten at an Independence Day weekend picnic by several mosquitos. He compared the itchy experience to battling the sin of lust.

Savchuk, who with his wife serves as lead pastor of the Assemblies of God church founded in 2003, said that when a mosquito bites the body, it starts to itch, and the itch tends to send a message to the body and mind that "if you scratch me one time, I won't itch again."

"The minute you scratch it, it just itches more, and that's how lust is. The more you scratch it, the more it itches, the more it wants. It never gets satisfied until you bleed to death. And that's why the Bible says, 'walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh,'" Savchuk said.

"The Bible doesn't say, 'if you walk in the Spirit, that it won't itch.' It just says you will have the power not to scratch the itch and then it will go away. Because as you crucified it, you ignore it, you walk away from it. It dies until the next day, and then it gets resurrected again. And then the process begins again. But, the more you do it, it becomes a habit, and walking in purity becomes a lifestyle."

Savchuk noted that young Christians who struggle with lust should first recognize that they aren't alone in their battle. He added that everyone has "private battles" and "everyone can be equipped to win them."

"There's this misconception that 'once I get married, that all of my private battles will just disappear because now I'll have pretty much unlimited amount of sex and it's going to be all legal and moral and right.' But in reality, lust doesn't get conquered with having access to more sex. Lust, it's this thing where if it doesn't get crucified, it gets intensified," Savchuk said.

"And so we have to overcome [lust] privately. It's like the lion and the bear that David faced privately before he fought Goliath. Marriage will have its own Goliath problems. Marriage will have a lot of challenges. And so, if you do not come into marriage already having victory over lust, it will make marriage, which is already challenging, it will make it even more challenging."

Savchuk encouraged young adults not to waste their single years by trying to date as many people as possible. Instead, they should spend time growing their faith, he said.

"One of the best areas you can prepare yourself is definitely in your relationship with God and figuring out who you are and what you want to do with your life," Savchuk said.

The pastor considered "establishing purity in your thoughts" the most important, especially "in your mind, in your eyes and as well as in your life."

"Whatever we feed grows. Whatever we starve, it dies," Savchuk noted as he referenced Galatians 6:8. "'Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.'"

Savchuk believes some people have "deeper issues that discipline and delight in God will not solve and they will need deliverance" because they have "allowed the enemy to have a foothold in their life" for too long.

Savchuk says this often plays itself out in the person's life through a demon or demons, which takes a spiritual hold that goes beyond just the issue of lust.

"A lot of times, these demons, they pretty much grab an area of our life, and now it's under [Satan's] control.  People ask me sometimes: 'Well, how do I know if it's lust or if it's a demon?' It's very simple. When the demon gets control of your life, you don't have control in that area," Savchuk said.

"And when the person comes and says things like 'I can't control myself,' 100% they have a problem now that's more spiritual than just physical. And it doesn't mean that they shouldn't practice self-control, but now they need prayer against the spiritual forces."

Savchuk recounted how he was exposed to pornography as a child and was addicted to pornography as a teenager after he migrated to the United States from Ukraine.

"Pornography would find me, and I would start battling with lust," he said. "It was around that time I started to step into youth ministry as a youth minister. So like, publicly, I'm supposedly growing with God. [But], privately. I am being beaten by this thing."

Lust creates deception, Savchuk continued, which makes many people think they can face the battle privately, and that is never the case.

"You got to bring it into the light," he stressed, noting that he went to his uncle, who was also his pastor, for help with his struggle. "I dragged this thing into the light, and that was when it started to lose its power. But I was still addicted."

Savchuk remembers being "desperate for freedom," which led him to fast and pray for seven consecutive days. He said his fast resulted in God freeing him from his porn addiction.

"I felt the Holy Spirit reveal to me that I opened the door to the influence of the enemy. And I [knew I had] to repent and renounce that and really command that thing to go," Savchuk said.

"Nobody prayed for me for freedom. I kind of experienced this through deep repentance and taking authority and commanding the enemy to leave. I belong to Jesus. My mind belongs to Jesus. I do not want to have this in my life. This has to stop."

Savchuk said he had a "holy rage" come on him during the fasting, with a "sense of relief."

"Temptations were still there. The only difference now was that I was in control because the Spirit gives us self-control," Savchuk said. "If somebody is battling and [they're] noticing: 'I went to the accountability group. I already confessed that. I memorized the verse[s]. I disconnected the social media apps. I installed all kinds of apps. I've done all of that.' You know, maybe you have a spiritual problem that you need somebody to pray with you."

"Just lead you through the prayer of renouncing. And it's very simple. Identify the first time that you were exposed. Ask God to repent of that, close that door and just command that enemy to go.  And you will begin to walk in victory."
Lisa Bevere on how understanding God's 'fierce love' can transform Christians 'lacking' humility

Lisa Bevere doesnt mince words when sharing that before she came to Christ, she was a complete heathen.

I did not have any righteousness that I could bring to God, Bevere told The Christian Post. And there's a lot of people that live great lives and then they become a Christian. That was not me.

Today, the 62-year-old mother and grandmother is a globally-recognized ministry leader  she and her husband, John, lead Messenger International  a sought-after speaker and bestselling Christian author. According to Bevere, the reason for this dramatic shift is simple yet profound: She experienced the radical, all-consuming, fierce love of God.

I experienced this love that consumed everything that was trying to unmake me, she reflected.

When I first became a Christian, I was in awe of God's love for me, and then wanting to surrender my life to do work for Him. And it had come to the place that He had to say to me, Lisa, who you are to me is more important than anything you will do for me. He said, You are first and foremost, my daughter.

To this day, Bevere said that when she prays, she feels God speaking to her as a daughter: He never says wife of John Bevere; He never says mother of four sons, He never says grandmother of almost six, He never says author, speaker. He says daughter. And that relational connection is so important. Too many people get so busy doing things for God, they neglect to do it with Him.

The Psalmist David, Bevere said, had a revelation and deep understanding of Gods love, as demonstrated in Psalm 139.

He said that God's love was basically innumerable, constant  when God looks at us, He says, How precious are your thoughts towards me? Thats God looks at each and every one of us. He said, If I could number them, they would outnumber the sands on this the sea shores. And then He said, And when I wake you are still there with me.

But over the years, Bevere began noticing that far too many professing Christians dont have a full awareness of Gods love for them; reacting out of anger instead of love, extending judgment instead of compassion and concentrating on their smallness instead of Gods magnitude. Other times, she said, people feel God is ashamed of them, or they have to earn His love.

We do not live in a day of pause and ponder. We do not live in a day of sacred spaces. We do not live in a day where we actually just recognize God's love for us in everything that we see, Bevere said.

It was the belief that Gods love isnt passive; its entirely present and pursuing, and a desire to share that belief with the world that compelled Bevere to write the 90-day devotional Fiercely Loved: God's Wild Thoughts about You. In it, she examines how, exactly, God thinks about His children and how a full and correct understanding of Gods fierce love will transform His Church and the way it interacts with the world.

When I receive love, I can give love, she contended. If I feel judged, I'm going to judge. If I feel shame, I'm going to shame other people. If I feel blamed, I'm going to make excuses for myself.

So when you receive the love of God for you, then you actually have a capacity to love others. And that's why God's like, You shall love the Lord your God with all your mind, your all your heart, all your strength. We love Him, and He loves us. As I pursue God, I actually become more who I really am. So when I have received the love of God and somebody does something hateful to me, I'm going to respond with love.

There is, she lamented, a lack of humility in churches that compels them to respond with love. She pointed to the way some Christians have reacted to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, ending federal support for abortion, accusing one another of not saying enough or simply saying the wrong thing.

I'm like, What in the world? Does the Body of Christ have an auto-immune disease where we're just going to attack ourselves? Because right now, I don't see people actually being able to look at the Body of Christ and say, Oh, we're going to know about Jesus because they love each other so well, she said.

I don't see people who have received the love of God, she continued. I see people who have somehow turned into Pharisees who are actually looking for reasons to exclude or discount other people rather than love because love calls us higher and love believes the best.  When I have a subtleness that God loves me, then I can actually be kind to other people who are cruel to me. And kindness is not an endorsement. Kindness is actually what leads a lot of people to repentance.

In an increasingly digital age, Bevere reflected on how Christians can practice love when posting on social media, especially when it comes to hot-button issues. She shared how, when she celebrated the overturning of Roe on Instagram, she received some hateful replies.

A young girl who was obviously upset said, You know, why do you even care? You're going to be dead in five years, you'll never see the overpopulation, Bevere recalled. And I just responded to her and said, I know you're afraid. Don't believe the lies.

Christians, she said, are called to look behind the slap to turn the other cheek, adding: It's not that God wants us to be hit again; you have to say what's really going on in this person's life? We don't answer according to our culture, we answer according to the Kingdom, which means we are ambassadors of a King. And that means Ive got to actually respond the way Jesus would want me to respond. And He loves people; He loves frightened people, He loves people that are captive. He loves people that are listening to lies. He loves people that have been wounded by the Church.

Once a believer truly grasps Gods fierce love for them, they can truly lead with love, the ministry leader emphasized. And she prays that through her book, readers will experience Gods love for them as it chips away at every stronghold of lies that say theyre less than.

I hope that love will begin to make them who they were always created to be, and it will just open their eyes to the wonder of a God who is love  not a God who has love but a God who is love, and just love them into a place of wholeness.
Beni Johnson of Bethel Church dies from cancer at 67; Bill Johnson says wife is now 'healthy and free'

Beni Johnson, the wife of Bethel Church Senior Leader Bill Johnson, has died following a lengthy battle with cancer, days after being put in at-home hospice care. She was 67.

Bethel is based in Redding, California, and reportedly has around 11,000 members. The church has garnered controversy for its belief in faith-healing and for running a School for Supernatural Ministry.

Healthy and Free, posted Bill Johnson on his social media accounts early Thursday morning, showing a photo of his wife that included a caption noting that she had died on Wednesday.

Brian Johnson, one of her children, also confirmed her passing on Instagram, writing, "My mom went home tonight. Love you mom."

In addition to her husband, Beni Johnson is survived by three children and 11 grandchildren. She co-led Bethel with her husband beginning in 1996.

In March 2018, Johnson was diagnosed with breast cancer. At the time, she shared that doctors had found two lumps in her right breast, which were caught early and removed.

When this all began in March and I walked out of the doctor's office shocked. I asked Jesus, 'what do I do now?' I heard Jesus tell me, 'just love me.' I said, 'I can do this,' she said in 2018.

There has been so much peace and at times those decisions that have to be made the peace has helped me navigate through.

During her surgical treatments, doctors discovered that Johnson had a mutation in her BR2 gene, which placed her at great risk of developing various cancers.

In February, Bethel launched a 24/7 prayer campaign for Johnson, as her cancer had apparently gotten worse and was interfering with her breathing and, by extension, her ability to sleep.

This is a serious situation. Benis health is a serious situation, said Bethel Lead Pastor Dann Farrelly during a Sunday worship service in February.

Listen, beloved, this is unjust that our matriarch, that Beni is being robbed of her sleep and having difficulty breathing  This is not as it should be.

On Wednesday, Bethel took to social media to announce that, after undergoing treatment for chemotherapy, Johnson had been moved to at-home hospice care the week before.

We continue to stand with the Johnsons for Benis complete healing. Medicine is a blessing and a great help, but in this moment we need a miracle from the Lord, stated Bethel. Please continue to pray for a total deliverance from all cancer, and for Benis strength to be renewed.

In 2019, Bethel garnered headlines and criticism when they held a resurrection prayer campaign for the two-year-old daughter of a couple who had been pronounced dead days earlier.
Christian director Andy Erwin encourages Chris Pratt to 'keep standing for Jesus'

Award-winning director Andrew Erwin took to social media to encourage actor Chris Pratt, who recently said that his faith in God has less to do with man-made religion and is more about his own walk with the Lord.

Erwin took to Instagram this month to support Pratt after the Hollywood star received criticism for saying that he's "not a religious person."

Erwin shared a photo of the Men's Health magazine cover, which showed Pratt holding up what looks like a beer and a barbeque spatula. He called it a "great interview."

"Really admire how this guy represents truth in love," the filmmaker wrote. "Uses his platform to point people to a very real God, not religion. I think criticism on either side, a lot of times, is the sign you are doing something right, not wrong."

Erwin is one of the brothers from the successful Christian filmmaking duo The Erwins Brothers and is known for the Hollywood blockbuster films "American Underdog" and "I Can Only Imagine."

Pratt has faced criticism in the mainstream media over the years for an alleged association with the Los Angeles branch of the Australia-based global megachurch Hillsong, which has faced various scandals in recent years.

In his interview, the performer clarified that he "never went to Hillsong."

"I've never actually been to Hillsong. I don't know anyone from that church," the 43-year-old actor shared.

In 2019, actress Ellen Page criticized Pratt for attending the "infamously anti-LGBTQ" Hillsong Church in Los Angeles. Page is a biologically female trans-identified Hollywood star who now goes by the name Elliot.

Pratt attends Zoe Church, led by Pastor Chad Veach. At the time of the backlash, he clarified that his church "opens their doors to absolutely everyone."

In his post, Erwin said he has visited Zoe Church and knows Pastor Chad Veach.

"Both are super solid," Erwin wrote about Pratt and Veach.

"Keep standing for Jesus, Pratt. Behind you 100%," Erwin declared.

In the interview for the July/August cover story of Men's Health, Pratt maintained that although many know him for being a Christian, he is "not a religious person" and believes religion has been "oppressive."

Pratt told the outlet that he doesn't attend Zoe Church exclusively and said his daughter was baptized at a Catholic church in Santa Monica where his wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger, worshiped as a child.

The sometimes vulgar "Guardians of the Galaxy" actor said he found it amazing that he became the "face of religion" in the mainstream media.

"I didn't know that I would kind of become the face of religion when really I'm not a religious person," Pratt explained. "I think there's a distinction between being religious  adhering to the customs created by man, oftentimes appropriating the awe reserved for who I believe is a very real God  and using it to control people, to take money from people, to abuse children, to steal land, to justify hatred."

The father of three said his relationship with God is more personal.

"Whatever it is. The evil that's in the heart of every single man has glommed on to the back of religion and come along for the ride," he added.
DOJ launches Reproductive Rights Task Force to combat abortion restrictions after Roe reversal

The U.S. Department of Justice has announced the creation of the "Reproductive Rights Task Force" to protect access to abortion.

The task force was announced on Tuesday in response to the U.S. Supreme Court overturning the 1973 landmark decision Roe v. Wade, ruling that the U.S. Constitution doesn't contain a right to abortion. The June 24 ruling opened the door for several states to ban abortion in most circumstances.

Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta will chair the task force, which will include representatives from other government agencies. The task force will monitor state and local restrictions on abortion.

"As Attorney General [Merrick] Garland has said, the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision is a devastating blow to reproductive freedom in the United States," said Gupta in a statement.

"The Court abandoned 50 years of precedent and took away the constitutional right to abortion, preventing women all over the country from being able to make critical decisions about our bodies, our health, and our futures."

The task force is charged with monitoring state and local legislation and enforcement actions that might "[i]nfringe on federal legal protections relating to the provision or pursuit of reproductive care" or "[i]mpose criminal or civil liability on federal employees who provide reproductive health services in a manner authorized by federal law." The task force will also monitor states that ban abortion pills or impair "women's ability to seek reproductive care in states where it is legal."

The task force will coordinate meetings with pro-bono attorneys, work with Congress to craft legislation meant to codify abortion access and provide online legal resources.

The DOJ task force was announced days after President Joe Biden signed an executive order to "protect and expand access to abortion."

Biden's executive order called on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to report within 30 days outlining strategies to "protect and expand access to abortion care, including medication abortion."

This will include "launching a public awareness initiative," sharing information with providers on abortion access and meeting with "private pro bono attorneys, bar associations, and public interest organizations in order to encourage lawyers to represent and assist patients, providers, and third parties lawfully seeking these services throughout the country."

In a statement, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser denounced Biden's executive order.

"Long gone is the Democratic Party of 'safe, legal, and rare.' President Biden has once again caved to the extreme abortion lobby, determined to put the full weight of the federal government behind promoting abortion," stated Dannenfelser.

"Democrats will stop at nothing to promote their agenda of abortion on demand, up until the moment of birth, paid for by the taxpayers  including dangerous mail-order abortion drugs  even if it means gutting the long-standing filibuster, increasing the size of the Supreme Court, or putting abortionists in tents in national parks."

In the opinion of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the majority that the Constitution makes no reference to abortion.

"Roe was egregiously wrong from the start. Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences. And far from bringing about a national settlement of the abortion issue, Roe and Casey have enflamed debate and deepened division," the majority opinion states.

The decision triggered several state laws banning abortion in nearly all circumstances and calls by Democratic elected officials to pass federal legislation legalizing abortion nationwide.
Episcopal Church finalizes merger of 2 Texas dioceses

The Episcopal Church has voted to approve the merger of two dioceses in Texas, one of which lost its property, name and assets in court to a breakaway conservative group.

The Episcopal Church in North Texas (ECNTX), formerly known as the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, has been seeking to merge with the Episcopal Diocese of Texas.

At the mainline denominations 80th General Convention, the House of Deputies approved a resolution for the merger last Saturday, while the House of Bishops approved it on Monday.

Bishop Scott Mayer, bishop provisional of North Texas, spoke at the General Convention in Baltimore, Maryland, explaining that he was looking forward to a wonderful future.

I cant overstate the energy and excitement around whats next, and I cannot overstate our gratitude for the generosity and the compassion shown by [Diocese of Texas Bishop] Andy Doyle and the people of the Diocese of Texas, said Mayer, as quoted by Episcopal News Service.

I especially am grateful for the people of North Texas, who chose from the beginning to live rather than survive and chose love over fear.

In February 2021, the Anglican Church in North America secured control of The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth after many years of litigation against The Episcopal Church and the local Episcopalian presence, known as ECNTX.

As a result, ECNTX had lost much of its financial assets, and all but three of its historic buildings to the theologically conservative leadership that had voted to leave the denomination.

In April, ECNTX and the Diocese of Texas announced that they were considering a merger, which they called a reunion, since ECNTX was originally part of the diocese.

Currently, the Diocese of Texas has a little more than 160 congregations and around 72,000 active members, while the ECNTX has 13 congregations and about 5,000 active members.

In June, the Diocese of Texas's Diocesan Council voted 526-14 in favor of the reunion proposal, with ECNTX voting unanimously to approve the reunion several days later.

The people in Fort Worth are eager to meet and have conversation, said Bishop Andrew Doyle following the votes, as quoted by ENS. This is an exciting moment for the Diocese of Texas.
UNC excavation crew in Galilee region of Israel uncover first known depictions of biblical heroines

An excavation team in Israel has discovered the first known depiction of two biblical heroines from the Old Testament.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill professor Jodi Magness led a team of students and specialists to Israels Lower Galilee region, where a decadelong effort has been underway, unearthing nearly 1,600-year-old mosaics in an ancient Jewish synagogue at Huqoq.

Following a pause due the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, the Huqoq Excavation Project focused its 10th season on the southwest part of the synagogue, which researchers believe was built in the late fourth to early fifth century C.E.

The synagogues floor is decorated with a large mosaic panel that is divided into three horizontal strips, or registers, each telling a story from the book of Judges, according to Magness.

The dig  led by project director Magness and assistant director Dennis Mizzi of the University of Malta  unearthed a large mosaic panel depicting the events of Chapter four of Judges, where the prophetess and judge Deborah and military commander Barak lead the Israelites in victory over the Canaanites, led by the general Sisera.

According to the Bible, Sisera fled to the tent of Jael, a Kenite woman, who ended up slaying the general by driving a tent peg through his temple while he slept.

Part of the mosaic unearthed at Huqoq depicts Barak equipped with a shield and Deborah gazing at him from under a palm tree. The middle register is only fractionally preserved, while the lowest register shows Sisera bleeding and dead as he lay on the ground.

Deborah is one of only five women described as a prophet in the Old Testament and is the only female judge mentioned in the Bible.

Magness told The Christian Post that the depiction of Deborah and Jale is remarkable, particularly due to where it was discovered.

We will need some time to fully explore and understand the significance of this find, but the obvious importance is the depiction of two female heroines in a prominent place in an ancient synagogue, said Magness.

Another new find at Huqoq is a fragment inside a wreath containing a Hebrew inscription flanked by panels with two vases that hold sprouting vines, according to Magness. The vines form the shape of the medallion that frames four animals  a hare, a fox, a leopard and a wild boar  eating clusters of grapes.

Over the digs last 10 seasons, several more mosaics have been uncovered, including: panels depicting Samson and the foxes from Judges 15:4; Samson carrying the gate of Gaza on his shoulders (Judges 16:3); another panel depicting a man leading an animal on a rope accompanied by an inscription reading a small child shall lead them (Isaiah 11:6); and what researchers believe is the first non-biblical story ever found on an ancient synagogue, possibly in reference to a legendary meeting between Alexander the Great and the Jewish high priest.

Magness said the discovery of two additional scenes with Samson taken from Judges seems to be more than coincidence," but that more time is needed to study and consider the reasons behind the selection of these scenes by the synagogue congregation.

Other biblical mosaics recovered from the nave, or main hall, of the synagogue include panels depicting Noahs Ark, the parting of the Red Sea, and the building of the Tower of Babel.

The synagogue itself was rebuilt during the 14th century (known as the Mamluk period), possibly in conjunction with the rise in the number of pilgrims making their way to the Tomb of Habakkuk, which is located nearby, and appears to be the first Mamluk period synagogue ever discovered in Israel, making it no less important than the earlier building, said Magness.

Crews have since removed the mosaics from the site for conservation.

Excavations are scheduled to resume next summer, according to the group.
8-year-old boy paralyzed in Highland Park shooting in 'critical' condition, family asks for prayers

The family of an 8-year-old boy shot in a mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, is asking for prayers and support after the childs condition deteriorated Tuesday, requiring him to undergo a complex surgery.

Seven people were killed in the shooting during the Fourth of July parade, and as many as 24 other spectators were hospitalized after sustaining serious and critical injuries. A day after police apprehended 21-year-old Robert "Bobby" E. Crimo III as a "person of interest" in the shooting, he was charged with seven counts of first-degree murder.

Authorities said the suspect used a high-powered rifle to commit the mass shooting from the rooftop of a business.

As The Daily Beast reported, Cooper Roberts was attending the Fourth of July parade with his twin brother, mother and father when the shooting occurred. A bullet severed the child's spinal cord, leaving him paralyzed below the waist. His condition was upgraded to "serious" over the weekend, and he was taken off the ventilator.

The child briefly gained the ability to speak before he became critical again on Tuesday, with one of his lungs collapsing and an infection bringing on a fever. He was forced to undergo another surgery, his seventh operation since the shooting.

Coopers situation is now critical. He just went into a risky extensive, and lengthy surgery to try to again repair his esophagus, Anthony Liozzi, a spokesperson for the family, wrote in a Tuesday Facebook post.

His fever is spiking due to an infection, and one of his lungs has partially collapsed. Please, any and all prayers are very much needed today.

Liozzi posted a follow-up a few hours later, explaining that Cooper made it through a five-hour surgery and doctors had located a leak in his esophagus. The spokesperson assured people that the boy is with us and still fighting.

All your prayers are working. Please keep praying. Long road ahead and still very fluid situation, but the little guy made it! he wrote.

In another update, Liozzi wrote that Cooper still has fluid in his lungs which is being treated with medication. He added that the boy is stable and getting plenty of rest.

Coopers mother, Keely Roberts, was shot in the leg and foot but recovered. A Sunday statement posted by Zion Elementary School District, the boys school, said Cooper is in a great deal of pain  physically and emotionally.

The family wishes to acknowledge and thank the many, many people  emergency medics, police, fire department, nurses, and doctors at both hospitals  who did extraordinary things to save Coopers life, the statement reads.

It was a true miracle. And to thank from the bottom of their hearts the thousands who have prayed, sent gifts, supported the family in myriad ways, and donated to the Go Fund Me campaign for Coopers long-term care.

A GoFundMe for the family raised over $1.5 million as of Thursday.

We know their medical bills will be significant, as will the treatments, therapy, and all of the equipment, devices, and adaptations to their home, the GoFundMe description reads. Please continue to keep the Roberts family in your thoughts and prayers. Any help you can provide is deeply appreciated.

At a subsequent press conference after the shooting, Chris Covelli with the Lake County Sheriff's Office said more than 100 law enforcement officers were called to the parade scene to locate the shooter. He said it appears that the shooter targeted spectators at random.

According to Covelli, the parade was "three-quarters of the way through" when the suspect began shooting. "Very random, very intentional, and a very sad day."
Illinois church makes over 700 crosses to show support for Ukraine: 'God will help them'

A congregation in Illinois has made and handed out hundreds of wooden crosses for people to put in their yards as a reminder to think about and pray for Ukrainians suffering under the Russian invasion.

East Jordan United Methodist Church of Sterling began making white crosses 18 inches tall and 12 inches wide in late February when Russia launched its invasion of neighboring Ukraine.

Pastor Jim Miller of East Jordan UMC told The Christian Post that his church has handed out just over 700 crosses and is still making more.

"Everybody in the nation, if they got a heart, wants to do something," said Miller. "We don't have the wherewithal to go there and help out. Most people would be too afraid to go, but if we truly are Christian, then we believe that God will help them."

Miller said the church decided to make crosses that could be planted outdoors because he believes that, given the invasion, Ukrainians would not be safe doing so themselves.

"Ukraine is tremendous as far as being a Christian nation, but they're being persecuted," he continued. "So, we decided since they can't plant crosses, we will."

Once completed, the small crosses are placed by a two-sided marquee sign on the church property, where people can park their car, get out and take one for their home.

Miller considers the response to the church's cross ministry to be "amazing." He noted that many people have told him "why they're doing it, who they are doing it for."

"The biggest problem we see in our human condition in this nation and for the world is that every morning, you turn on the news and you get a new crisis and our interest and our attention on the previous crisis wanes and disappears," said Miller.

"I'm hoping that putting out the crosses will remind people of those poor people that are suffering. Just because we might turn it off in our minds, we can't turn their needs off. So this is like the biggest reason we are doing it."

East Jordan UMC also takes up a special offering every Sunday on behalf of the Ukrainians and holds a prayer meeting each Wednesday.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24, with Russian President Vladimir Putin claiming it to be on behalf of pro-Russian separatists living in Eastern Ukraine.

Although it was expected that Russia would secure an easy victory over their smaller Eastern European neighbor, the Ukrainian population continues to mount a fierce resistance.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has recorded 11,544 civilian casualties in Ukraine as of July 11  5,024 killed and 6,520 injured.

The death toll includes at least 141 girls, 161 boys and 41 children whose sex is yet unknown.

"Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with wide area effects, including shelling from heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes," the agency reports.

"OHCHR believes that the actual figures are considerably higher, as the receipt of information from some locations where intense hostilities have been going on has been delayed and many reports are still pending corroboration."

Some scholars have compared the current conflict to the 1850s Crimean War in which Tsarist Russia tried and failed to acquire territory along the Black Sea despite its large army.

"There are very distinct parallels," said Orlando Figes, a British historian and author, in an interview with National Public Radio. "And I think Putin has probably overstretched himself in the same way that Nicholas I did."
Tetsuya Yamagami, Shinzo Abes alleged assassin, blamed Unification Church for mothers bankruptcy

Tetsuya Yamagami, the 41-year-old man charged with the assassination of Japan's former and longest-serving Prime Minister Shinzo Abe last Friday, allegedly targeted the late politician because he thought he was connected to the Unification Church, which he blamed for his mother going bankrupt.

A relative of Yamagami, identified as a man in his 70s, told The Asahi Shimbun, one of Japans four largest newspapers, that the alleged assassin has gone through hard times ever since he was a child over a religious group that his mother joined.

The relative told The Asahi Shimbun that when Yamagami was young, he lived with his parents, an older brother and a younger sister. His father, who ran a construction company, died during his childhood and his mother took over the business.

As his mother tried to make her way as a widowed businesswoman, the relative said she became religious and donated large sums of money to a religious group that was not named.

She was a widow, and I suppose she felt insecure about the familys future, the relative told the publication. As time went by, the relative said he started receiving calls from Yamagami and his siblings who told him: We dont have anything to eat at home.

The relative recalled giving money to the children and sometimes delivering food. He said Yamagami eventually joined the Maritime Self-Defense Force in 2002, the same year his mother was declared bankrupt. The family construction company was dissolved in 2009.

Yamagami reportedly told investigators after his arrest that: I couldnt forgive (the group) because my mother continued to pay money to it even after she underwent bankruptcy.

In a statement released Monday, the Unification Church  which teaches unorthodox beliefs like regarding the book founder Sun Myung Moon wrote, The Divine Principle, as being more authoritative than the Bible and regarding Moon and his second wife as the messiah and "True Parents"  confirmed that Yamagamis mother is a member who participates occasionally in church activities.

Our own internal investigation can confirm that his mother is a member of FFWPU and Mr. Yamagami's reported allegation that his mother's donations to FFWPU caused family problems is a matter to be investigated by the police, the statement said. Whatever his grievances, we wholeheartedly condemn violence and murder.

The Unification Church is a religious movement founded in Pusan, South Korea, by Moon in 1954, according to Brittanica.com. Moon died in 2012. Its followers are derided as Moonies.

According to Yamagamis relative: I bet he has held a grudge the whole time. I think he feels that his life was changed by (the group).

After he was arrested, Yamagami reportedly said: I tried to target the head of the religious group, but it was difficult. I thought Abe had a connection to the group.

Data cited by The New York Times says groups connected to the church have attracted top Japanese lawmakers to their events. In its statement, the Unification Church painted the extent of Abes connection to the church as not especially deep.

Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent brief remarks to two different online 'Rally of Hope' events in the past year, which spoke on themes of peace in Asia. The events were hosted by the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) and other organizations, including FFWPU, the group said. While UPF and FFWPU share the same founders, UPF is an independent NGO in general consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

FFWPU also clarified that while Yamagami is not a member, he test-fired his homemade weapon the night before the assassination at a building that was formerly used as a FFWPU church. Fortunately, no one was hurt.

Unification Church officials further appealed to the media to maintain their professional commitment to accuracy, impartiality, and objectivity as the investigation into Abes assassination continues.

Other than preliminary questions about the association of Mr. Yamagami with FFWPU, the police have not yet contacted us about this criminal investigation. Local representatives of FFWPU will fully cooperate with any inquiries from authorities and make relevant information available to the press as appropriate, officials said. FFWPU will redouble its efforts to foster a world of lasting peace. Once again, we are deeply saddened by the loss of one of the world's great statesmen. May God's grace and blessings be with the late prime minister, his family, the Japanese people, and those grieving around the world.
'Floating' clinic to offer low-cost abortions in Gulf of Mexico to skirt state laws post Roe

A Northern California physician plans to launch a "floating" health clinic that will offer abortion services to residents in states where the procedure is now illegal.

Dr. Meg Autry, a San Francisco-based obstetrician/gynecologist, is hoping to raise $20 million for a PRROWESS (Protecting Reproductive Rights of Women Endangered by State Statutes) clinic, according to NBC Bay Area.

With a tagline on the website that reads "Respect Existence or Expect Resistance," PRROWESS is described as a "solution for individuals seeking reproductive health care and surgical abortion where it is illegal or impossible" in states such as Texas, Alabama and Mississippi.

The floating clinic is expected to operate about three weeks out of every month in federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico, skirting any state restrictions or bans on abortion.

Billed as a "comprehensive floating reproductive health clinic," PRROWESS will offer abortions up to 14 weeks and "emergency contraception"  often referred to as the "morning-after pill." The program will offer on-site testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections.

Social services, including legal aid, will also be available, according to the website.

Along with a team of licensed healthcare providers, the ship will be operated by an "experienced captain and crew" and will be Coast Guard inspected with helicopter access for transport.

Several options will be provided for patient transport to the vessel.

Calling first trimester abortions "incredibly safe," the website states that the clinic has plans in place for abortion-related emergency care and "transport to land facilities will occur via water shuttle or helicopter depending on the urgency" if needed.

While PRROWESS is expected to offer low or no-cost services "depending on need," the website states that "remaining funds will be distributed to other projects addressing access to abortion" if the project is abandoned for lack of funding or other reasons.

Autry, also a University of California San Francisco professor of obstetrics and gynecology, told KCBS Radio that the U.S. Supreme Court's reversal of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision inspired her to put the plan into action.

Since the Supreme Court's June 24 ruling upholding Mississippi's 15-week abortion ban that found that the U.S. Constitution doesn't confer a right to abortion, several states have enacted bans or restrictions on abortions.

While southern states have some of the heaviest restrictions on abortion, Gulf states like Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas have laws that almost entirely ban abortion or will ban abortion 30 days after the court's ruling. Florida law bans abortions after 15 weeks of gestation.

In Mississippi, the state's lone abortion clinic recently closed as a judge rejected a request to block the state's trigger law instituting a near-total ban on abortion following the court's ruling.

In Louisiana, a judge temporarily blocked the state from enforcing its near-total ban on abortion.

"I think that  the people that care deeply about access and bodily autonomy are willing to put themselves at risk, but also to be innovative and creative," Autry was quoted as saying.

"Because we're going to solve this. This is not OK."

No official launch date has been announced for the PRROWESS project.

The Christian Post's request for comment from Autry was not immediately returned. A UCSF spokesperson told CP the project is an "independent project  not sponsored by UCSF."
Illinois pastor loses 2 daughters and sister in tragic highway crash

An Illinois pastor and his family are grieving the loss of two of his three daughters and his sister after a tragic crash along Old U.S. Highway 50 on Friday.

Pastor Scott Broughton of First Baptist Church of Carlyle and his wife, Amanda, lost their daughters Savanna Grace Broughton, 17, and Brooke-Lynn Kay Broughton, 15, The Belleville News-Democrat reported. The pastors sister, Rhonda Evans, 43, from Ackerman, Mississippi, also died in the crash.

Clinton County Sheriff Dan Travous said in a statement that the trio was traveling in a 2005 Audi passenger vehicle at the time of the accident. The pastors 15-year-old daughter, who had a learners permit, was the one driving.

Travous said eyewitness reports and physical evidence from the scene suggest that the Audi crossed into the westbound lane on Highway 50 near Harper Street in Beckemeyer and caused a head-on collision with a Volvo tractor-trailer.

The tractor-trailer driver suffered minor injuries.

First Baptist Church of Carlyle did not immediately respond to calls made by The Christian Post on Tuesday. But an obituary published Saturday announced a funeral service that took place on Monday for the sisters.

The obituary also shared how loved and active the sisters were in their church and the wider community.

Savanna was bold, beautiful, and could easily bring a smile to your face. She was excited about her upcoming senior year at Carlyle High School. At CHS, Savanna was on the homecoming court, served as Student Council president, and reporter for Carlyle High School FFA. She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Carlyle, where she was active on the Praise and Worship Team, the obituary reads. Savanna loved lifting up others by writing positive messages, leaving notes of encouragement and praise, and writing cards thanking others for kind deeds. She had a passion for mission work and enjoyed serving at homeless and womens shelters. Savanna had a tight bond with her siblings and loved her family deeply.

The obituary described Brooke-Lynn as creative, talented and devoted.

She was a student at Carlyle High School, where she played tenor sax in the band and was a member of the color guard. Brooke-Lynn loved hard, was devoted to her family, and she was protective of her siblings. She had an artistic touch and loved art and painting, the obituary said. Brooke-Lynn listened to every genre of music, from Sinatra to Eminem. Her love of music led her to sing on the Praise and Worship Team at the First Baptist Church in Carlyle, where she was a devoted member. Brooke-Lynn loved her family and her friends, but she hated bugs.

Carlyle Dairy Queen Chill & Grill, where Brooke-Lynn previously worked and Savanna frequented as a customer, remembered the sisters in a statement on Facebook Sunday.

We had the pleasure of employing Brooke-Lynn. During her time with us, there wasnt a shift she worked that there wasnt a smile on her face along with everyone who worked with her. She would walk through the door with the best attitude and the cutest hair styles! She was such a joy to be around. Truly a genuine, caring, loving, beautiful soul, the shop explained.

Savanna was a regular customer. She left notes for all the employees and we hung them above our drive thru window so everyone can see them every time they work. We are going to get them framed so we can always have them there with us as a reminder of one of the sweetest customers we have ever had. She truly was a beautiful person inside and out, they added. Please keep the Broughton Family, friends, peers and our community in your prayers these upcoming days.

Along with their parents, the sisters leave behind their siblings  Mary Kathryn Broughton and Emerson Keeton Broughton  and other extended family members.
Pro-lifers jailed for trespassing at Virginia abortion clinic vow to continue 'radical acts of love'

Six pro-life activists, primarily representing the Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising, were jailed on trespassing charges Tuesday after pleading "no contest" at an Alexandria, Virginia, courthouse.

The Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising, a group of liberal pro-life activists, announced in a statement Tuesday that the advocates "were jailed after pleading 'no contest' to trespassing charges related to a Rescue at the Alexandria Women's Center, the largest abortion business in Northern Virginia, on November 16th, 2021."

The announcement followed a trial in Alexandria Circuit Court in the Washington, D.C. suburb earlier in the day.

"Joan Andrews Bell, Terrisa Bukovinac, Lauren Handy, Kristin Turner, Cassidy Shooltz, [and] Jonathan Darnel were engaged in a Pink Rose Rescue, a nonviolent direct action in which activists enter abortion businesses, hand out life-affirming literature, pink roses and offer hope and financial resources to the patients at risk of exploitation by the Abortion Industrial Complex," the statement reads.

Longtime pro-life activists Bell and Handy, who have been jailed for their activism in the past, were sentenced to 30 days behind bars, while the remaining pro-life activists will serve four days in jail.

Bukovinac, PAAU founder and executive director, released a statement defending her actions.

"The concept of a human non-person is one that has been used historically and exclusively to discriminate against whole groups of human beings, and in the case of abortion  that discrimination is lethal almost one hundred percent of the time," she said. "Rescuing these children from poisoning and dismemberment is an act of non-violence and a commitment to radical equality."

Activists affiliated PAAU will hold protests outside the Alexandria Detention Center at 5:00 p.m. on a nightly basis, demanding the release of the pro-life activists.

Caroline Smith, PAAU's media coordinator, told The Christian Post that the Pink Rose Rescue conducted by the pro-life activists at the Alexandria Women's Center resulted in five women deciding not to have abortions.

She said the "no contest" pleas mean that "the lawyer and the judge and everybody" has reached an agreement on what the sentencing "is going to look like."

Smith vowed that the legal consequences faced by the leadership of PAAU and other pro-life advocates would not deter the organization from engaging in Pink Rose Rescues in the future.

"We understand that with doing these types of nonviolent direct action, there's going to be these sorts of consequences the way our system works right now," she said. "However, we're still committed to doing these types of things and doing rescue and any of these children have a right to be rescued is what we firmly believe."

"Although it is going to come with consequences, those consequences are not going to be more. They're not going to be greater than the consequences that the children that we are attempting to save would have if they were to be killed," Smith added. "So that's kind of where our perspective is on that. We're going to take the consequences as they come, but it's worth it to us."

The activists have no intentions of appealing the ruling, Smith said. She reiterated PAAU's support for "nonviolent, direct action," noting that previous social movements have proven that "nonviolent, direct action" is "a really, really effective way of getting things to change."

"If there are radical acts of violence happening, they need to be answered with radical acts of love," she asserted.

The Pink Rose Rescue in Alexandria is not the first time activists affiliated with PAAU have been arrested for their activism at abortion facilities.

Less than a week before their arrest in Alexandria, the activists were arrested for handing out pro-life literature on the campus of Zuckerberg General Hospital in San Francisco, California.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Justice indicted Handy, Bell, Darnel and six others for orchestrating a "clinic blockade" in Washington, D.C. The activists face up to 11 years in prison if convicted. Smith insisted that because "federal cases are on a very, very long timeline" and "take a very, very long time to even just get started," not many developments have occurred in this particular case since the March indictment.

Handy was among four convicted last month of trespassing and resisting arrest during a protest at an abortion clinic in Michigan in 2019.

PAAU made headlines earlier this year when it announced the organization obtained medical waste containers that included the remains of five full-term aborted babies and urged the city to investigate if the abortions were legal.

Smith believes the fact that their arrests have occurred in overwhelmingly pro-abortion jurisdictions has played some role in the hostility PAAU activists have faced in the legal system.

"I would say it's definitely linked. A lot of the jurisdictions that we are facing these charges in are generally known to be very pro-abortion," she said.

"That is also linked to the fact that those are the places that we need to be rescuing because they're often the communities that are very committed to having ... access to abortion through all nine months, so those are often the places that we will be going to rescue."
Declaration of Independence from God

Since the original Declaration of Independence, which was written by Thomas Jefferson and made official in 1776, the United States has made an about-turn from the values inscribed in that document. Anyone examining the Declaration of Independence is immediately impacted by the new nation's utter dependence upon God, His providence, and its Judeo-Christian worldview.

The fact that the Founding Fathers' decision to disassociate the nation from Britain and its political position was based upon "the laws of nature and nature's God,"  a reference to scriptures like Psalm 19 and Romans 1:19-23  and underpinned by the phrase: "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."

Hence, Thomas Jefferson and the Founding Fathers believed all civil authority is derivative. As God's representatives, they can either lose or gain the right to lead the people based on conformity to His laws. In other words, civil leaders gain legitimacy to lead based on how adequately they represent God's laws in their principles and policies.

"We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States."



Furthermore, the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence are not competing documents. The Declaration of Independence is the foundation for the values and birth of the nation and serves as the cornerstone of the U.S. Constitution. Hence, there was no need for the Founding Fathers to mention God in this latter document because God and His laws are already assumed as its foundation. All that is to say that the United States built its view of life, liberty, and justice upon biblical values and declared unambiguously that the new nation depended upon God for its existence, sustenance, and prosperity.

Our new declaration of independence from God



In the past century, our nation began to gradually stray from our biblical roots and dependence upon God as its anchor and sustainer. It seems to me that the greatest value many have in this nation is the value of autonomy. In comparison, past generations (World War II and beyond) celebrated the biblical virtues of self-sacrifice and service to humanity. The present generation values the right to self-expression and self-will, independently of how it negatively impacts society and the stability of future generations. How far have we fallen as a nation from President Kennedy's immortal words in the 1960s, "Ask not what your country can do for you but ask what you can do for your country"?

One decade after President Kennedy, we began to change the laws to reflect the values of human independence from God. This change includes values such as the "right to choose" (the so-called right of the mother to terminate the life of her unborn in the womb), "no-fault divorce" (which made divorce easier and contributed to the rapid decline of two-parent households), alternate forms of family and marriage, gender identification (outside the bounds of one's natural birth), and soon to come, trans-humanism, in which a robot equipped with artificial intelligence will be considered a humanoid. This will give way to birth humans marrying robots, counting robots along with their children as part of their family, further confusing the next generation and eroding the biblical concept of biological families.

America is now at a crossroads. Some say it is on the precipice of another violent civil war. Its survival will not ultimately depend upon which political party triumphs, but upon which god wins. It will be either a continuing embrace of the god of self-expression and autonomy or a return to a dependence upon the biblical God who claims the earth for Himself and who laughs at all rulers, nations, and people who attempt to rebel against Him (Psalm 2 and 24).

May the United States of America have not just a declaration of independence, but a total dependence upon the Creator God.
How to know the truth about the Trinity

The only way to know the truth about Gods nature and Gods plan of salvation is to believe what our Creator has revealed in the Bible. Apart from Scripture, we could only speculate about the nature of God and the will of God.

Jesus said, But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth  All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you (John 16:13,15). All three Persons of the Trinity are mentioned in that passage. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one God, co-equal and co-eternal.

Another instance where all three persons of the Trinity are explicitly referenced is at Christs baptism. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and landing on Him. And a voice from heaven said, This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased (Matthew 3:16,17).

All three Persons of the Godhead were involved when God created human beings. Let us make man in our image, in our likeness (Genesis 1:26). God consists of three distinct Persons, and man consists of three distinct aspects: spirit, soul and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

Jesus identified all three persons of the Trinity when he told his disciples, Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).

The Apostle Paul wrote, For through Christ we both have access to the Father by one Spirit (Ephesians 2:18). There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when you were called - one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all (Ephesians 4:4-6).

And the Apostle Peter wrote to Gods elect, strangers in the world  who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood (1 Peter 1:1,2).

If you belong to a religious organization that rejects the biblical doctrine of the Trinity, you would be wise to run as fast as possible from that group. You will never come to know God by listening to false prophets who reject the true nature of God (1 John 4:1-3).

Jesus said, The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things (John 14:26). A closed mind leads some people to reject the doctrine of the Trinity.

On the other hand, if you are open-minded, you can humbly learn the truth about Gods nature as presented in Scripture: May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all (2 Corinthians 13:14). The three Persons of the Trinity are one in essence, nature, power, action, and will.

You will not understand the grace of God if you reject the truth about the Trinity. After all, the Holy Spirit is the One who brings people to faith in Christ (John 3:6). Rejecting the Trinity grieves the Holy Spirit and hardens mans heart, which in turn leads people to attempt to earn salvation by their works. This is the natural way man seeks to cover his sin. But this flawed approach does nothing to facilitate forgiveness or produce faith in the heart. And without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).

On the other hand, those who are open to accepting the biblical doctrine of the Trinity are often open to believing the truth of the Gospel (John 3:16). All three persons of the Trinity are referenced in the following passage: Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, Abba, Father (Galatians 4:6). The only way to become a son or a daughter of God is to accept by faith the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross.

Believing false doctrines about the nature of God leads to believing false doctrines about salvation, and vice versa. For example, the false prophets of the Mormon religion and the Jehovahs Witness religion reject the Trinity, while also teaching the false doctrine that salvation is attained through mans efforts and religious deeds. In reality, a believer is saved, redeemed, born again, forgiven, and justified through faith in Jesus Christ alone on the front end of his relationship with the triune God (Romans 3:21-26; 5:1).

There were of course false prophets who rejected the true nature of God in the early centuries of the Christian church. The Apostles Creed was composed to refute heresy, defend the Gospel, and present the truth about the three persons of the Trinity. Christians for centuries have confessed their faith with the words of the Apostles' creed: I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth; And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit 

The reason Christians readily accept the biblical doctrine of the Trinity is because God reveals the truth concerning his nature to everyone who receives Jesus as Savior. As the Apostle John explained to believers, You have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth (1 John 2:20).

You too can come to know the truth about Gods nature and His plan of salvation as you trust Jesus to forgive your sins, and as you embrace the love of the one true God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
World to reach 8 billion people in November, India to unseat China as most populous in 2023: UN

By Nov. 15, the worlds population is projected to reach 8 billion, and by 2023, India is projected to surpass China as the worlds most populous country, according to a new report from the United Nations.

The international agency listed these projections among several key highlights in its annual World Population Prospect report, released to mark World Population Day Monday.

This years World Population Day falls during a milestone year, when we anticipate the birth of the Earths eight billionth inhabitant, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, reacting to the reports findings.

This is an occasion to celebrate our diversity, recognize our common humanity, and marvel at advancements in health that have extended lifespans and dramatically reduced maternal and child mortality rates, he said. At the same time, it is a reminder of our shared responsibility to care for our planet and a moment to reflect on where we still fall short of our commitments to one another."

After reaching the 8 billion mark in November, experts note in the report that the worlds population will increase by another half a billion by 2030. By 2050, the global population is expected to hit 9.7 billion and 10.4 billion by 2100.

This growth, however, will not be evenly distributed.

More than half of the 2.4 billion increase in the global population expected over the next 28 years will be concentrated in just eight countries: The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and the United Republic of Tanzania.

Disparate growth rates among the worlds largest countries will re-order their ranking by size. India is projected to surpass China as the worlds most populous country during 2023. Countries of sub-Saharan Africa are expected to continue growing through 2100 and to contribute more than half of the global population increase anticipated through 2050, the report explained.

Population growth in Australia and New Zealand, Northern Africa and Western Asia and Oceania is expected to be slower through the end of this century, but will be positive, the report said.

Experts further project that populations of Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, Central and Southern Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and Northern America are projected to reach their peak population and begin to decline before 2100.

Declining levels of mortality have resulted in an increased level of life expectancy at birth, which reached 72.8 years in 2019. Women have a longer life expectancy than men.

Life expectancy at birth for women exceeded that for men by 5.4 years globally, with female and male life expectancies standing at 73.8 and 68.4, respectively. A female survival advantage is observed in all regions and countries, ranging from 7 years in Latin America and the Caribbean to 2.9 years in Australia and New Zealand, the report said.

Despite the population growth, the global fertility rate has fallen from five births per woman in 1950 to 2.3 births per woman in 2021. This fertility rate is expected to drop even further to 2.1 births per woman by 2050.

The report explained that in 2020, the worlds population growth rate fell under 1% per year for the first time since 1950. Some two-thirds of the global population is now reportedly living in a country where lifetime fertility is below the 2.1 births per woman required to sustain populations with low mortality over the long run.

The share of the global population aged 65 years or above is also projected to rise from 10% in 2022 to 16% in 2050.

By 2050, the number of persons aged 65 years or over worldwide is projected to be more than twice the number of children under age 5, the report said, and about the same as the number of children under age 12.
There are many questions a person might ask after watching the trailer of the new Netflix adaptation of Jane Austen's "Persuasion," which starts streaming Friday.

What's going on with the "Fleabag" asides? Did the term "exes" actually exist in early-1800s Britain? And is Dakota Johnson's bright-eyed, irreverent Anne Elliot a brilliantly modern depiction, or a blasphemous crime?

But for me, there's a different question I've been obsessed with for the past two years.

Why is "Persuasion" - Austen's long-overlooked and underappreciated final novel about a regretful almost-spinster - suddenly having a moment?

I started to notice the phenomenon in the summer of 2020. The constrictions of lockdown and constant mortal terror meant that all you could do was ask people what they were reading. And everyone, it seemed, was suddenly reading "Persuasion."

I'd felt the same pull. In the land of Austen novels, there are the Big Three: "Pride and Prejudice," "Sense & Sensibility" and "Emma." They're the reliable crowd-pleasers with the name recognition, the volumes of fan fiction, the gazillion movie remakes.

Against the buoyant energy of those novels, "Persuasion" can be a melancholy book: It centers on Anne Elliot, the sensible middle daughter of an aristocrat, who falls in love with a poor sailor but is persuaded by her snobby family to end their engagement. Eight years later, she's a regretful spinster with money problems; he's a successful, rich naval officer. Circumstances throw them back together.

Around the time that others started baking bread and growing green onions, I reread "Persuasion." And my longtime appreciation for this novel became a deep, abiding enchantment. I listened to the audiobook on long walks, texted quotes to friends, turned plot points over in my head in the shower. (I was so immersed in this novel, I even aspired to make a podcast about "Persuasion.")

Then, in September 2020, the mystery deepened. "Persuasion" was becoming a movie.

Except, not this movie. Another movie, produced by Searchlight Pictures and starring Sarah Snook, who plays Shiv Roy in HBO's "Succession." Netflix announced its own "Persuasion" adaptation in April 2021, just a few months before the Bedlam theater company staged the play in New York. An adaptation, mind you, that was different from the new theater adaptation put on in London and Oxford earlier this year.

(The Persuasion field has gotten so crowded, Searchlight Pictures has put their production on hold, Snook told Vogue Australia.)

See? This 205-year-old book is suddenly in the zeitgeist. And I wanted to hear some theories on why.

"It is a book about figuring out your priorities," said Alice Victoria Winslow.

Winslow co-wrote the new Netflix film. She's loved the book since college, when she took a Jane Austen class and bemoaned that there weren't more recent and more popular film adaptations. (Her writing partner, Ron Bass, is a screenwriting legend, known for churning out such box-office hits as "My Best Friend's Wedding" and "Stepmom.")

Anne is relatable for modern readers: She's older, more contemplative and has to choose between priorities: the man she loves, the friend and mentor she values, and the snobby family she feels obligated to care for.

"She's sort of not preoccupied with the need to get married," Winslow said. "There's just a lot going on for her that is external to the marriage-as-aspirational plot line."

Damianne Scott sees another corollary with our pandemic era: the fatigue of caregivers.

Scott, who teaches English composition at two Cincinnati colleges, is the creator of the Facebook community "Black Girl Loves Jane." She is also writing her own novel, a modern-day interpretation of - what else? - "Persuasion," set in a present-day Black megachurch.

Scott points out that Anne is a caregiver. She spends much of the book appeasing her sisters, nursing various family members after grievous injuries, and serving as her family's de facto house manager and financial planner. Being stuck in those roles sharpens her regret about the alternate life she could have lived as the wife of a naval officer.

"A lot of people, including myself, are in caregiver roles [that] they didn't choose," Scott said. "But life and circumstances made them have to be. And so people can relate to Anne in that notion as well."

Perhaps the part of "Persuasion" that feels most resonant now is the sheer amount of time that the protagonist is stuck thinking - it's been almost eight years since she saw Captain Wentworth, and she has spent every day contemplating her other life, wondering if she's wasting her current one.

"The novel is so obsessed with time," said Stefanie Markovits, who teaches English literature at Yale. "And to my mind, that's what is most reflective of the moment that we're in."

The pandemic has made us similarly cognizant of time: The feeling that the last two-plus years have gone by so fast, or so slow; the loss of precious moments with the people we love; the need to understand how we've grown (or not) since this period of hardship began.

When - spoiler alert - Anne finally reunites with Wentworth at the end of the novel, there's "the desire to at least imagine that those eight years weren't wasted," Markovits said.

"Are they happier now than they would have been, or not? We don't know. Anne doesn't know. She doesn't pretend to know," she said. "And yet she's going to try to rescue some kind of meaning from the way in which time did flow."

"That's what we're all looking for now, right?" Markovits added. "We're looking for silver linings to this experience."

That real, profound loss may be why the criticism of this new movie and its irreverent, snarkier tone has felt so impassioned.

The Independent called it "vaguely mortifying to watch." The Guardian declared it "a travesty."

"I don't get it," novelist and essayist Brandon Taylor wrote in a scathing essay about the movie. "It's like they looked at Persuasion and they were like, let's turn this into a real love story, but they took out all of the parts that make it a real love story."

The audience for this movie isn't averse to radical reinterpretations of Austen novels. This year's "Fire Island," a queer, sexed-up and yet delightfully earnest retelling of "Pride and Prejudice" won rave reviews, as did the tart and zippy "Emma" remake of 2020, in which whole bare regency buttocks were revealed to the audience.

When I asked Winslow about the backlash to the trailer, she was magnanimous.

"I love this book so deeply. And everyone involved in this project loves the book so deeply. We all have a deep and long emotional connection to the material. So nothing was done carelessly," Winslow said. "And I hope that everyone comes with an open mind . . . and an understanding that Austen has such a playful spirit."

After two years of the pandemic, perhaps "Persuasion" fans are not feeling playful. We're feeling sad and grief-stricken, and tired and taken for granted, clear-eyed about what we've lost and the stakes of the time we have left. And we want to see our own melancholy reflected back to us.

We know what Anne Elliot has been through. Because we've been through it, too.
I grew up in Paris, but I've never eaten better than living in Houston. My adopted city has almost every food I could possibly want, but if there's one thing I miss about France, it's most certainly the croissants.

Over the two and a half years I've lived in Houston, I've periodically tried various bakeries in search of a worthy version, taking recommendations and notes as I went. In honor of Bastille Day this yearthe "French July 4th" on the 14th, or le quatorze juilletI made a final push to revisit some spots, eating no less than six croissants in two days last weekend, and compile my thoughts.

When I moved here in February 2020, I remember being surprised at hearing French being spoken walking around Montrose. I learned there's actually a sizable population here due to a few French energy companies having offices in Houston. I wondered how satisfied these transplants were with the food, particularly the pastries, as the general French attitude has always been "anything that is not French or of France is inherently bad." (As a citoyenne francaise, I can say this about my compatriotes.)

My quest to find a goodor even passablecroissant was not easy. I ate probably one of the worst croissants at Flo Paris on Westheimer. I drove past Beltway 8 to try a bakery I heard was owned by an actual French woman, only to find out it had recently changed hands and the quality had deteriorated. But it wasn't all bad, and I'm finally prepared to lay out my research and crown my favorite.

Emma Balter

First, let me tell you what I believe makes a good croissant. There's the butter: It has to be obscenely plentiful to keep the croissant moist, as well as evenly distributed to all corners of the pastry, from the fleshy middle to the lightly crunchy ends. A croissant must have excellent flaking potentialif your lap is not full of flakes when you bite into one, it's a sign that it wasn't properly baked.

The dough lamination is the toughest part; a croissant has to have good, well-defined layers. Then there's something very important I am going to call "dislocation" (sorry), which is when you pull one of the croissant's arms from its core. Doing so must create a clear socket, and in the process the separated end must detach some of the pastry's fluffy insides.

Finally, and I don't say this often about many foods, but Americans, I am begging you: Your croissants do not need to be that big. Making them that way is just setting you up for croissant failure. (I can say this because I am also an American citizen.)

Emma Balter

So here goes. One of my most recent stops was at Cafe Louie, a new, much-buzzed-about restaurant in the East End that has quickly risen to breakfast fame in Houston. The first time I visited, at about 11:30 a.m. on a Saturday, I stood in line for 45 minutes to order at the counter. Internally groaning at how un-Houston this was, I saw that I was slowly inching closer and closer to a display of seemingly overbaked croissants. This visual assessment proved correct when I finally got my hands on one, but I could tell Cafe Louie's croissant had possessed potential before spending a couple minutes too long in the oven.

I returned on another day, this time around 9:30 a.m. as I have no patience for lines anymore, and was immediately served a croissant, a seat at a table and even a decent parking spot. The pastry was baked far better, had a really good flake and very defined layers. The butter distribution was a little uneven, though, making it just right in the middle but too dry at the ends.

Emma Balter

A newcomer to the Urban Harvest Farmers Market, I Love Croissants piqued my interest. On another Saturday where I failed to roll out of bed early enough, I arrived at the market to find the stand's plain croissants sold out. They have plenty of stuffed versions, but tasting only the classic is my control method. I finally returned last weekend, promptly at 8:30 a.m., and scored one. While it was way too big and didn't have quite enough flake, it boasted good dislocation and layers, and excellent butter ratio.

Emma Balter

Another spot I made a point to revisit was Koffeteria, a bakery in East Downtown. I absolutely love pastry chef Vanarin Kuch's whimsical creations and have long been a fan and supporter of his baked goods, but I must admit I was somewhat disappointed in the bakery's plain croissant. It certainly had good layers and some flake, and the salted egg wash is a great touch, but there was simply not enough butter to keep the croissant from being a little too dry, and the flesh tasted yeasty.

I also returned to Common Bond's original Montrose location recently. I have had many of the pastries at what is undoubtedly the most popular bakery in Houston, now with several On-the-Go locations across the city, but I had never tasted the butter croissant. The treats in the display case were odd shapes. The cashier jokingly commented to the women ahead of me, who had ordered the same thing, that their croissant looked like a turtle, as its center ring had come undone while baking. Mine had a misshapen claw. It was an appropriate size and had good dislocation, but it was too dry and didn't give off much flake.

Emma Balter

Not a lot of things will make me go to downtown Houston, but a few people had recommended Mademoiselle Louise to me, so I dutifully traveled there to check it out. I was thrilled to hear the two owners speak French to each other behind the counter. I peered in the display case and saw an extremely promising croissant, probably the prettiest I had ever seen, of perfect French size and defined, delicate layers finishing in a flourish at both ends. For a moment, I thought I had found my top croissant, but when I bit into it, while all other elements were perfect, the pastry was too tough.

Emma Balter

This journey made me feel like the Boucles d'Or of croissants (yep, that's the French translation of the classic Goldilocks children's books). I made more trips and ate more croissants than I'm going to discuss here, but I can't leave you without revealing the one that was just right.

Many Houstonians recommended Magnol French Baking, a bakery in a very odd corner of east Spring Branch right where I-610 meets U.S. 290. I visited when I first started my croissant pursuit and again when I ended it this past weekend. During both bookend trips, I overheard a French family eating there, which is always a good sign.

Emma Balter

Magnol is a venture by pastry chef Otto Sanchez, an El Salvador native who moved to Houston in 1992, and had stints at various fine-dining establishments here as well as in Las Vegas, California and Dubai. Magnol's croissant is ever so slightly too large, but I cannot fault its impeccable flake, its spot-on dislocation, its shimmering egg wash, its moist butteriness, and its delicate, lightly crisp exterior that gives in to tender flesh with one bite. After two and a half years of searching for a better croissant in Houston, I've learned that this one simply cannot be beat.

I wondered what the French would think, that Houston's best croissant can be found in a desolate industrial area next to freight train tracks and a Mattress Outlet, made by a Salvadoreno whose pastry training was not in France. But that's Houston, and they would never get it.
As a former New York City resident who has since returned to my roots in Houston, I sometimes find myself yearning for a really good bagel, or a gooey bacon, egg and cheese.

Thankfully, Houston's food scene is large, diverse and welcoming, which makes it easier to scratch that itch when I'm chasing a nostalgic moment or just on the hunt for a great bite. While this list is not the definitive primer to all New York-style foods and restaurants in Houston, these are the spots that work for me when I'm craving a taste of the Big Apple.

Courtesy

For a bagel and lox: New York Deli and Coffee Shop

If I had to guess, a good bagel is probably what ex-New Yorkers miss the most when they move away from the East Coast. The rubbery, packaged stuff at the grocery store just doesn't cut it, and there's nothing sadder than a small, rock-hard specimen, or an oversized but flavorless bagel that's too soft and only moderately improved with cream cheese.

So when I'm in the mood for a quality bagel, I make the drive to New York Deli and Coffee Shop in Meyerland. My order? The Rabbi Nova Lox sandwich on an everything bagel, complete with lox, cream cheese, onions, tomatoes and capers. It's the closest I'm getting to Russ and Daughters here in Houston.

Find it: 9724 Hillcroft St, Houston, TX 77096; (713) 692-2435

Hours: Daily, 7 a.m.-4 p.m.

Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle

For a New York slice: Frank's Pizza

Everyone has an opinion about what makes a good pizza, so I'll preface this by saying that my model for enjoying a New York slice involves standing outside Joe's Pizza on Carmine Street, picking up a slice from a paper plate, then folding it in half lengthwise before taking a bite.

When I want to feel that same thrill in Houston, my preference is to order a slice downtown at Frank's Pizza. The crust is thin but still pleasantly pliable and chewy, the tomato sauce is bright but not too sweet, and the melted cheese is dotted with those satisfying brown bubbles. And while a slice is good any time of day, ordering late at the counter after a night out is a bonus.

Find it: 417 Travis St, Houston, TX 77002; (713) 225-5656

Hours: Sunday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Monday-Wednesday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m.; Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 a.m.

Lauren McDowell

For a Jewish deli-style pastrami sandwich: Kenny & Ziggy's New York Delicatessen

For a taste of the Lower East Side, I find myself traveling just west of the 610 Loop to Houston mainstay Kenny & Ziggy's. Just like at a certain famous counterpartKatz's Deli in Manhattanordering a triple-smoked pastrami on rye results in a pile of succulent house-cured meat that borders on obscene. The half-sour pickle on the side is the crunch and hit of acid one needs before going in for the next bite of sandwich. And while the dining room stays busy, it's pretty nice not to have to stand in line with a horde of tourists hoping to reenact a scene from "When Harry Met Sally."

Find it: 1743 Post Oak Blvd, Houston, TX 77056; (713) 871-8883

Hours: Daily, 8 a.m.-9 p.m.

Lauren McDowell

For a bacon, egg and cheese: NoPo Cafe, Market & Bar

There is a certain bodega sandwich that just hits differently, particularly after a night of staying out too late and drinking a little too much. The humble bacon, egg and cheese sandwichor BEC, to the initiatedis decidedly, pointedly unfancy. The only real requirement is that it be hot and contain eggs, bacon and melted American cheese between a Kaiser roll. Thankfully, the good people at NoPo Cafe, a Berg Hospitality joint from New York native Benjamin Berg, understand the charm of this simple but hearty breakfast, offering it up on their menu as the I Love NY Egg Sandwich.

Find it: 1244 N Post Oak Rd Suite 150, Houston, TX 77055; (713) 804-1244

Hours: Sunday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-9 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m.-10 p.m.

Brett Coomer/Staff

For street cart-style chicken and rice: The Halal Guys

Hot dogs are often advertised as the quintessential New York City street food, but it's halal-style street carts that office workers and late night revelers seek out with regularity. Though The Halal Guys locations in Houston aren't serving their fare from carts, as franchisees of the New York originals, they are serving up the original recipes. The move is to order a chicken platter, complete with lettuce, tomatoes and fragrant yellow rice covered in spicy hot and white sauces.

Find multiple locations and hours on The Halal Guys website.

Kerrisa Treanor / Kerrisa Treanor

For cut-to-order specialty cheese: Houston Dairymaids

It might be surprising to see a cheese shop on the list, and as a former cheesemonger who worked at Murray's Cheese on Bleecker Street, I'm biased. But in my opinion, one of life's greatest pleasures is enjoying a piece of freshly cut cheese that hasn't been sitting in plastic for an undetermined period of time. Houston Dairymaids is the original cut-to-order shop in town, and also happens to have the largest selection of specialty cheeses from Texas to Europe.

Find it: 2201 Airline Dr, Houston, TX 77009; (713) 880-4800

Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Monday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
As if Houston couldn't get any hotter this summer, the return of iconic Montrose nightclub South Beach is sure to have temps surging when it reopens to the public on July 15.

Since opening in 2001, the club became a popular haunt among the LGBTQ+ community, and it had a lively run until 2018 when it closed for renovations. Upon nearing its completion in spring 2020, COVID-19 put a wrench in the reopening, and the club remained closed for another 2 and a half years.

"It was just brutal with COVID, and then the Delta variant hit," said South Beach owner Charles Armstrong. "I really felt morally conflicted about opening up a dance club with people breathing on each other during a raging global pandemic."

Armstrong, affectionately nicknamed the "Mayor of Montrose," is no stranger to the area's sceney nightlife. Before opening South Beach at the corner of Pacific and Grant, he operated Heaven in the same space, which was destroyed by a fire in 1997, and Meteor, which was demolished after being sold to a real estate developer. He also currently operates JR's Bar & Grill, Houston's oldest continuously open gay bar neighboring South Beach.

Michael Anthony

His earlier concepts may be gone, but they are not forgotten. Enlisting the help of renowned interior designer John Robinson of Houston-based Robinson & Associates, the design for South Beach 2.0 is heavily inspired by Meteor, for which Robinson previously won a design award for. "People who knew Meteor and loved Meteor will feel its essence around them," said Armstrong.

South Beach totals 11,500 square feet of indoor and outdoor lounging space, with the main attraction being a dance floor illuminated by whimsical LED lighting and a 450-pound, 8-foot-tall rotating quartz crystal chandelier. Drawing inspiration from Meteor, the club's chic finishes include black granite, oak wood flooring and Carrara marblethe very same stone used for the Statue of David. "We warmed up the space to make it more attractive to women," said Armstrong, who notes 80 percent of his customers are male.

Michael Anthony

Guests may notice a familiar artifact on the resort-style patio: the original Meteor monument sign. With the addition of various luxury mid- and high-rises in the area and the newly opened Montrose Collective, Armstrong's goal was to pay homage to the past, but also evolve with the neighborhood, calling his choice of style "Restoration Hardware meets Montrose." Large planters from the elite furnishing company grace the front walk, giving the club a warm and homey feel. "It was always a cold, concrete porch with glass doors," he said. "I want people to feel as if something has changed."

Michael Anthony

Much may have changed aesthetically, but loyal South Beach patrons of times past can still look forward to it being a destination for dancing the night away. Resident DJs Joe Ross and Mel Frausto will be spinning house, dance, EDM and pop until 3 a.m.

In reimagining South Beach, Armstrong considered his loyal fan base, along with a new flock of Montrose party-goers. He isn't blind to the fact that his target audience continues to change. "There is a whole new generation of Millennials who have yet to experience South Beach," he said. "And then there is Gen-ZI'll have to figure out what the hell they want!"

For now, Armstrong feels confident in reopening the doors to the public. He says Houstonians have been given countless opportunities to be vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19, and it's not unreasonable to assume people will make responsible decisions. "If someone is an idiot, or listens to FOX News instead of listening to the CDC, Dr. Fauci, and the brightest minds in America, or if they just don't care, that's on them."

Come Friday night at 9 p.m., Houstonians may travel to the glittery club once again. If or when it comes time to close, change, or reopen another concept, the Mayor of Montrose will surely take it in stride. "If I had a tattoo on my armI don't, but if I didit would read 'evolve or die.'"

South Beach

Find it: 810 Pacific St, Houston, TX 77006; (713) 521-0107

Hours: Wednesday-Sunday 9 p.m.- 3 a.m.
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A previous version of this article incorrectly said D.C. Council member Brianne K. Nadeau, D-Ward 1, is the chairwoman of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. She is the chairwoman of the organization's Region Forward Coalition. This version of the article has been corrected.

- - -

WASHINGTON - Aid groups helping migrants coming to Washington, D.C., on buses from Texas and Arizona were overwhelmed this week after coronavirus quarantines sidelined many volunteers and area shelters filled up, leaving some of the migrants to sleep at Union Station after they arrived.

The buses have been arriving from Texas and Arizona for months, after the Republican governors of those states started offering "voluntary" bus trips to the nation's capital for migrants caught crossing the border from Mexico.

"We were told we were going to be helped here, that somebody was waiting for us," Andres David Blanco, who left Venezuela a month and a half ago, said in Spanish after he arrived at Union Station on Tuesday night.

A network of mutual aid organizations armed with limited resources, and a nonprofit operating with a federal grant have been scrambling to help migrants, while the number of buses arriving in the city continues to rise.

That patchwork of aid fell short Tuesday night, after core organizers and volunteers with the Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid Network advocates were in quarantine after being exposed to the coronavirus while helping migrants over the weekend. SAMU First Response, an international aid organization that has a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant to help the migrants, only operates Wednesday through Saturday.

SAMU's managing director, Tatiana Laborde, said the organization tried to put together a team to find last-minute resources after it became clear Tuesday that there were not enough volunteers to help the incoming migrants.

Laborde said in an interview that SAMU does not have capacity to coordinate all the buses. "We are increasing our capacity, but all the agencies involved know that this is going to take time," she said. Out of the roughly 15 buses arriving every week, the organization can handle half.

SAMU's FEMA grant is enough to provide emergency aid for around 2,000 migrants a month, but the number has doubled in the last weeks.

SAMU has been operating at a shelter located in Montgomery County in Maryland, where Laborde said they prioritize migrant families from Arizona who often arrive with children. The shelter only has capacity for 50 people who are allowed to stay no more than three days. On Wednesday morning, Laborde said, the shelter was already full.

Laborde said the organization has initiated conversation with D.C. officials to secure a permanent place near Union Station, but the conversation "has not materialized" into concrete actions. The Migrant Solidarity Network has also asked for access to respite centers, coronavirus isolation hotels, and short-term housing for the migrants.

A spokeswoman for Mayor Muriel Bowser, D, did not immediately comment.

D.C. Council member Brianne Nadeau, D-Ward 1, said it appeared that SAMU was still working out kinks in its operations, underscoring the importance of a stronger response from local officials.

"SAMU has a learning curve, they have a deep bench of people who are good at emergency response and serving refugees but haven't done that work in D.C. before," Nadeau said. "If governments across the region are depending on SAMU to get this done, it's not feasible."

She added, "as stretched thin as our government is right now, we probably need more boots on the ground with SAMU until they have things up and running."

Nadeau, who is the chairwoman for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments' Region Forward Coalition, said local leaders who are part of the group will convene next week to determine exactly what officials and nonprofits, including SAMU, can do to increase support for those arriving in the city.

In a statement released Wednesday, the Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid Network said they took a two-day break following the coronavirus exposure, but that the group was "exhausted" and needed help.

"DMV area community organizations and volunteers have shown up every day for over three months to support migrants but we are exhausted, burned out, and do not have the resources that the government does," said Madhvi Bahl, from Sanctuary DMV and Free Them All VA.

Meanwhile, many of the migrants who arrived Tuesday night spent the night inside Union Station. Shelters for families were not available Tuesday night, and the ones that could take in migrants could only receive male individuals.

Venezuelans Angeles Pinto Leon, 22, and Pedro Jose Sanchez, 30, and their two children left Peru two months ago. They reached the border last Wednesday and were told at a shelter in Texas that they could be transported in a bus free to D.C.

They said the place they had secured in Richmond is no longer available. Now they are seeking shelter or a home to stay in D.C.

At 9 p.m., volunteer Matthew Burwick, a Venezuelan activist who said he was at the site helping SAMU, answering questions and handing out granola bars and water, coordinated transportation for four families and seven children to SAMU's shelter in Montgomery County. On Wednesday morning, Pinto Leon, who was taken to the shelter, said she was told she could stay there for a few days, but she hasn't found a permanent place to stay.

Several migrants are trying to reach other states like New York, Florida or Georgia, but many don't have anywhere to go and are hoping the city can offer them a fresh start.

"Do you know where 14th and U is?" Leonardo Javier Leon, 26, asked in Spanish. "I was told there are many restaurants there where I can apply for a job."

"I don't have anybody here, but I have the will to work," said Leon, who worked as a sous-chef in Venezuela.

Some, like asylum-seeker Eduardo Antonio Mendoza, are facing last-minute cancellations by friends or sponsors.

"I called my friend this evening, but he told me he can't receive me anymore," Mendoza, who traveled from Nicaragua and was planning to go to New York, said in Spanish.

Mendoza said he took the bus from Texas because it was on the way to New York, but now that he has nowhere to go, he's glad he ended up in D.C.

"I'd have been lost there," he said.

- - -

The Washington Post's Michael Brice-Saddler and Julie Zauzmer Weil contributed to this report.
Every week, Aaron Hutcherson and Becky Krystal answer questions and provide practical cooking advice in a chat with readers at live.washingtonpost.com. Aaron and Becky write and test recipes for Voraciously, The Post's team dedicated to helping you cook with confidence. Here are edited excerpts from a recent chat.

Q: I tried making a vegan version of peppermint marshmallows with agar agar instead of gelatin. They didn't set like the gelatin version of marshmallows. Is there something else that can be used to set the marshmallows?

A: Oh, I'm so sorry. Agar agar is not usually a 1-to-1 swap for gelatin, as they work slightly differently. I think your best bet is to find a recipe specifically designed to be vegan, then you can modify it with the crushed candy, peppermint oil and food coloring to be similar.

- Becky Krystal

Q: I do not own a food processor, partially because I have limited storage space. In the past I've sighed wistfully and moved on when a recipe requires one. However, I was looking at a Basque cheesecake recipe that called for a food processor, but a suggested workaround was to thoroughly mix the ingredients in a stand mixer, then use a hand blender to finish. Is this something that could be used for other recipes (obviously depending on the reason for a food processor)?

A: Your last point about the reason a food processor is called for is the most important. If you just need to chop or crush ingredients, then you can just do so by hand. For making sure things are smooth (which I assume is the in the cheesecake recipe), then a blender should be a good substitute. For blending things, such as meatballs or doughs, then a stand or hand mixer should be okay. Also, you might want to look into mini food processors that take up less space.

- Aaron Hutcherson

Q: My four sons love scrambled eggs and omelets. A few years ago, we tossed our old nonstick and switched to ceramic-coated frying pans from green pan, and the first year was magic nonstick bliss. Our pans are always gently hand-washed, but after the first year things started sticking to them, especially eggs. Can you please offer suggestions about egg pans that won't leave me scrubbing all the time?! Of course looking for something without Teflon/toxins/etc.

A: Yeah, this is a bit of a tough one. It seems that real-life experience with these ceramic pans don't always live up to the promise. I like All-Clad's HA1 nonstick line, but I don't know if that meets your requirements. Another option would be something like an enameled fry pan, which you might be able to get away with if you add enough fat to the pan. Or a very well-seasoned traditional cast iron. In my opinion, though, nonstick pans are the best for eggs.

- B.K.

Q: I am considering getting an air fryer, but I am wondering if it's good for making healthy foods. I have resisted it so far since I don't want another gadget or to make junk food. (I love junk food but am trying not to eat it routinely!) But I would like a quick way to do some chicken breasts or tofu to toss in salads and grain bowls, especially in small amounts. I have heard the air fryer is a pain to clean though. Do those of you who have one recommend it?

A: Yes, you can make french fries in an air fryer, but you can also use it to cook chicken, seafood or vegetables. The healthfulness is up to the cook, not the appliance.

In essence, an air fryer is simply a small convection oven, which may be a setting that you already have on your regular oven. If so, you can just cook recipes meant for air fryers in your convection oven instead. However, air fryers might be a better option if you want to cook small amounts of food. I don't have one, so I can't speak to the cleaning aspect.

- A.H.

Q: I've been saving fat from when I make stock (also brisket sous vide). I boil off the liquid, strain out the solids, and save in the refrigerator. It's great when I can use it but I have too much! Unless I want a river of gravy or a forest of Yorkshire puddings, I'm stuck with what to do. Any thoughts?

A: I've used various animal fats in baking before, such as replacing half of the butter in chocolate chip cookies with pork fat. You could also try using it in biscuits or pie crust. I've also used animal fat instead of oil for roasting and sauteing.

-A.H.
A Memphis, Tennessee man is sitting in the St. Louis County Jail following his arrest on four different charges.

Otis Johnson, 47, is charged with first-degree kidnapping, second and third-degree domestic assault and resisting arrest.

According to the probable cause statement, St. Louis County Police officers arrived at Koeneman Park in Jennings, Missouri and heard a woman screaming. When they approached the pavilion near the park's lake she ran toward them.

It was then that Johnson fled into a wooded area, the report states. With the help of a police dog, Johnson was allegedly found in the wooded area and resisted arrest, according to the report. Officers then used the dog to take him into custody.

The probable cause statement also says, according to the victim, that Johnson is her ex-boyfriend and the two began arguing while out getting food. The report states she told police she got out of Johnson's vehicle to get away from him, but he allegedly forced her back into the vehicle and drove to Koeneman Park.

The victim alleged, in the probable cause statement, that Johnson choked her until she lost consciousness and removed her from the vehicle dragging her by her hair. The report says the victim told police Johnson allegedly choked her again causing her to lose consciousness a second time and said he also allegedly struck her with his hands and feet.

Officers observed cuts on the victim's abdomen and upper lip, the report says.

Johnson is being held on a $100,000 cash-only bond.
Numerous people in southwest Virginia remained unaccounted for Wednesday evening after torrential rain inundated communities in rural Buchanan County, heavily damaging homes and sending residents fleeing to higher ground, authorities said.

After the rainfall late Tuesday into Wednesday morning, about 40 people were unaccounted for, the county's chief deputy sheriff, Eric Breeding, said at a news briefing. At 6 p.m., sheriff's dispatcher Anita Smith said, "We've been able to locate some people, but we're still trying to locate some."

Corinne Geller, a Virginia State Police spokeswoman, said many of those unaccounted for could be safe but unable to contact authorities or loved ones because of balky cellphone service and large-scale power outages.

"Just because people can't be reached doesn't mean they're missing," she said. "We're hoping a lot of them just left their homes and moved to higher ground."

Authorities said Wednesday night that no deaths had been confirmed. News footage showed widespread property damage, with small houses washed from their foundations and vehicles encased in mud. The area was also hit by devastating flooding last summer.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin, R, declared a state of emergency to assist with response and recovery efforts. "We are deeply saddened to learn that another flood has impacted a community still recovering from last year's flood," Youngkin said in a statement. "In the wake of this devastation, I want Virginians in Buchanan County to know that we are making every resource available to help those impacted by this storm."

Breeding said the first search-and-rescue teams arrived in Buchanan County, about 30 miles east of the Kentucky border, at 3 a.m. Wednesday. After an aerial survey of the area at daybreak showed a massive amount of damage, more teams were summoned and door-to-door searches for survivors began.

"We have approximately 18 search-and-rescue organizations assisting," Breeding said at the midday briefing. He added, "At this time, we have no confirmed fatalities."

Lauren Opett, a spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, emphasized that the conditions in the area made it difficult to tally the unaccounted. "At this time we do not have a specific number of individuals that remain unaccounted due to difficulties accessing areas cutoff by flooding," she said in an email. "There is no power, no landline service, and no cellphone service in the affected area which is also impacting the ability to reach residents."

The flooding occurred as multiple thunderstorms with torrential rainfall passed over the same area repeatedly. The National Weather Service issued a flash-flood warning at 10:06 p.m. Tuesday that remained in effect until 1:19 a.m. Wednesday for Tazewell County, which borders Buchanan County. It cautioned that rainfall totals up to 5 inches were possible and that small creeks, streams and low-lying areas could flood.

In Pilgrim's Knob, Va., a Buchanan County community about 80 miles west of Blacksburg, a gauge registered 4.55 inches of rain. Much of that fell in just two hours, between 8 and 10 p.m. Tuesday. The torrents were triggered by a strong cold front draped over the Mid-Atlantic that also triggered violent thunderstorms in the Washington-Baltimore region Tuesday evening.

The flood in Buchanan County was the second in less than 12 months. In early September, about 50 people required rescue and one person died as the remnants of Hurricane Ida swept through the region, the Associated Press reported. Studies have documented an increase in extreme precipitation events in the eastern United States, linked to human-caused climate change.

- - -

The Washington Post's Gregory S. Schneider contributed to this report.
Scott C. Stump took the stage near the corner of Constitution Avenue and 23rd Street NW on Thursday morning, ceremonially breaking ground at a site he hopes will soon host a memorial to those who served in Operation Desert Storm and Desert Shield.

The memorial has been in the making for years, with the past four spent raising money and finalizing the design. Stump, a Gulf War veteran and the CEO and president of the National Desert Storm Memorial Association, said the group has sufficient funding to complete the project. Officials hope to begin construction early next year and open it to the public in 2024.

"At every phase of this journey, we were told it would be impossible to find funding," Stump said. "Today's ceremony sends the message of Desert Storm that we can lay down our differences and do something bigger than ourselves."

In total, officials raised nearly $40 million for the memorial, said Cee Freeman, vice president and deputy associate director of the memorial's planning and design team.

A few hundred people gathered to watch the ceremony, which honored those involved in the U.S.-led campaign to repel Iraqi forces from Kuwait in the early 1990s during the Persian Gulf War.

Stump said $10 million came from the Kuwaiti government, as well as unspecified "additional funding," and thanked Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Kuwaiti ambassador to the United States, for helping secure the money.

"With this memorial, the relationship between America and Kuwait has come full circle," al-Sabah said. "It evokes the memory of those who made the sacrifice to give Kuwait its freedom from the tyranny of Saddam Hussein."

In an interview before the ceremony, Stump said he hopes the final design approval for the memorial will be done by the end of the year, and officials want to begin construction in the first quarter of 2023. The House of Representatives authorized construction of the memorial in 2014, and the Commission of Fine Arts approved the site in 2018. Stump described the memorial's future appearance as having two barchan dune forms that would create an oasis in the middle, and a wall color and texture that would evoke the desert where Desert Storm took place.

"No matter how great an idea is, if you don't have the funding, it stays a great idea and never comes to fruition," Stump said.

Stump said the idea of a Desert Storm memorial first came to him in November 2010, before Desert Storm's 20th anniversary. Stump said he felt Desert Storm had been forgotten to history because it fell between the Vietnam War and the more recent war in Iraq, when a U.S.-led coalition overthrew the government of Saddam Hussein. Stump said he then rallied with others he served with and shared his vision.

Retired Brig. Gen. Rhonda L. Cornum, whose Black Hawk helicopter was shot down during Desert Storm, spoke at the ceremony about her experience as a prisoner of war, and what she hoped the memorial would teach people about warfare.

"I never felt like I would be abandoned. Desert Storm is a demonstration of all good things that can happen on a positive, moral mission," Cornum said. "I hope this memorial teaches people to not judge the importance of a war by how long it takes or the number of deaths, but what's at stake and what's accomplished."

Stump said that the coronavirus pandemic hurt the association's ability to fundraise and engage donors, and some donors did not follow through on pledges. While Kuwait donated millions and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) donated $500,000, Stump said the bulk of donations came from individual donors or veterans and their family members.

"It's been very humbling to see the level of support down to the individual level," he said. "If we wouldn't have had those, we wouldn't be where we are now in the lead-up to getting this approval."

Freeman said the memorial's engineers and architects are working to meet the proposed launch date of Nov. 11, 2024. Freeman called the memorial the biggest project he has ever worked on.

"I take a lot of pride in knowing that there are thousands of Desert Storm and Desert Shield veterans and family members that will see this for history," Freeman said. "Just to know that families that will be there and knowing their sons and daughters will never be forgotten is a sense of a pride like I've never had ever on any project."

Stump said that site selection took 39 months, which is longer than normal, as officials sought to justify the memorial's placement to the Commission of Fine Arts.

Stump said the association wanted the memorial in a visible location that visitors could easily access; the site is near the Lincoln Memorial and the Korean War Veterans Memorial.

Stump said that Desert Storm helped change how citizens viewed those who served in the military, particularly after those who returned from Vietnam received a less-than-warm welcome home.

"That was a feeling of appreciation they never got," Stump said.

Russell Pryor, 52, a Desert Storm veteran who is involved in raising money in Indiana for the memorial, called the groundbreaking a "euphoric" experience and said he hopes more Americans learn about Desert Storm.

"We want to help people understand the importance of the war and provide a feeling of comfort that those who served will not be forgotten," he said.
More than 43,000 lives could be saved each year in the United States by ensuring people wear helmets and seat belts, respect speed limits and don't drive while drunk, according to a June 2022 study.

The majority of traffic deaths are preventable, Adnan Hyder, coordinator of the study series and professor of global health at George Washington Universitys Milken Institute School of Public Health, said in a statement, adding deaths continue to rise annually in low-income countries while "progress in high-income countries has slowed over the past decade."

Global and country-level estimates suggest that routinely wearing helmets and seatbelts, obeying speed limits and avoiding drunk driving could save between 347,000 and 540,000 lives worldwide each year, according to the series of studies published in the "Lancet" on June 29, 2022, focused on road safety.

Anywhere from 25% to 40% of road deaths could be prevented by targeting speeding, drunk driving and helmet and seat-belt wearing in 185 countries each year, researchers estimated using a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed studies.

Tackling speeding with changes such as infrastructure improvement or electronic speed controls would save the most deathsmore than 340,0000 annuallyresearchers estimated.

Researchers suggest many governments have not prioritized enhancing traffic safety in recent years.

Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death worldwide for those ages 5-29, while low- and middle-income countries see the greatest number of deaths and injuries from road traffic incidents, which are continuing to rise.

"There have been many successes on road safety at the global level including its inclusion in the [United Nations] Sustainable Development Goals, but the rhetoric has yet to deliver results on the ground," series co-author Margie Peden, head of the Global Injury Programme at the George Institute for Global Health in the United Kingdom, said in a statement. "A real, sustained decline in global road traffic injuries and deaths will only happen with a focus on the implementation of effective interventions and concerted country action."

Researchers argued governments should focus on minimum drinking age laws, seat belt and helmet laws, enforcement of speeding laws and lower blood-alcohol content level requirements for new drivers, all of which have been proven to prevent traffic deaths.

According to Michigan State Police data, 14 people died on Michigan roadways since last week, making a total of 513 this year. Additionally, 130 more were seriously injured for a statewide total of 2,537 to date.

Compared to this time last year, there are 49 fewer fatalities and 42 fewer serious injuries on Michigan roads, according to Michigan State Police in a Tweet on Tuesday.

Last year, Michigan traffic fatalities reached a 16-year high, according to data released in June 2022 by the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center.

The Michigan State Police explained the 1,131 fatalities in 2021 marked the most traffic fatalities in Michigan since 1,129 deaths in 2005. The deaths include pedestrians, cyclists and others who may have died during a crash.

In response to the rise in traffic crashes and injuries in 2021, the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning said it planned to run more campaigns in the summer of 2022. The campaigns are set to focus on impaired driving, speed and seat belt use to help "reverse the trends we're seeing," according to the agency's interim director, Alicia Sledge.

"The rising fatalities on our roadways are a national crisis; we cannot and must not accept these deaths as inevitable," U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a March 2022 statement. "People should leave the house and know theyre going to get to their destination safely, and with the resources from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, plus the policies in the National Roadway Safety Strategy we launched last month, we will do everything we can to save lives on Americas roads."
Senior CPC official urges BRICS to build anti-corruption governance system

Xinhua) 09:48, July 14, 2022

Yang Xiaodu, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, deputy secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, and chairman of the National Commission of Supervision, addresses a virtual BRICS anti-corruption ministerial meeting on July 13, 2022. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- A senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Wednesday called on the BRICS countries to jointly safeguard multilateralism and build a fair and reasonable international anti-corruption governance system.

Yang Xiaodu, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, deputy secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, and chairman of the National Commission of Supervision, made the remarks when addressing a virtual BRICS anti-corruption ministerial meeting.

Noting that combating corruption is a common task faced by all countries, Yang called on BRICS countries to build political consensus and jointly implement the BRICS Initiative on Denial of Safe Haven to Corruption.

Yang said BRICS countries should deepen mutual learning to jointly improve anti-corruption governance capabilities, and work together to create a clean business environment.

"We should uphold multilateralism, jointly build a fair and reasonable anti-corruption international governance system, and make further contributions to building a community with a shared future for mankind and a global development community," Yang added.

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun)
Frances Fowle, the senior curator at the National Galleries of Scotland, got what was likely to be the most exciting text message of her career while waiting in line at a fish shop on a Friday afternoon. It was an image from an X-ray. Not of broken bones - but of a previously unknown self-portrait by Vincent Van Gogh.

"Look what I've discovered," wrote her colleague Lesley Stevenson.

Stevenson, a conservator at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, found the painting when she X-rayed another piece by Van Gogh, "Head of a Peasant Woman," ahead of an exhibition - a routine step that normally does not reveal such a major find.

Hidden under layers of glue and cardboard was another painting on its reverse - a portrait of a man in a hat with a scarf tied around his throat.

"I saw it then and there: It was a self-portrait by Van Gogh, on the back of our painting," Fowle said.

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam has examined the X-ray of the newly uncovered painting, which is "almost certainly" a Van Gogh self-portrait, the National Galleries of Scotland said in a news release. Still, experts are searching for ways to uncover it without damaging the painting under whose canvas it sits so they can confirm its authenticity.

Van Gogh was known to reuse canvasses because of lack of money, and Scottish conservators believe that was the case here. Several other self-portraits from the Nuenen period - between 1883 and 1885, when Van Gogh lived in the southern Dutch town - have been discovered on the backs of his paintings and now hang in museums in the Netherlands and the United States.

Conservators suspect that, at some point, the self-portrait was covered up to make room for "Head of a Peasant Woman," an 1885 study for a larger painting, "The Potato Eaters," widely considered one of Van Gogh's masterpieces. It had been hiding in plain sight, inside a painting that had belonged to the National Galleries of Scotland for over 60 years.

Conservators who were preparing for the exhibition on impressionist art at the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh said they didn't expect anything much from the X-ray.

"This is a routine type of investigation that conservators have been using for quite some time," Stevenson said in an interview released by the National Galleries to promote the exhibition - and the possible new Van Gogh self-portrait. "It gives us information about how the composition evolved, whether or not there were any changes. And lo and behold, we were quite surprised to discover a completely different painting in the X-ray image."

Experts think the self-portrait was covered up with cardboard around 1905, "when the Peasant Woman was lent to an exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam," according to a news release. "At this date the Peasant Woman was evidently considered more 'finished' than the Van Gogh self-portrait," it added.

"Head of a Peasant Woman" changed hands several times in the years following, until it was acquired by private collectors in Scotland and given to the National Galleries in 1960.

"Knowing that [the newly uncovered self-portrait is] there - in a painting that's in the National Galleries of Scotland, in a collection that belongs to the people of Scotland - is incredibly important and significant," Stevenson said. "Hopefully, it will encourage people to come and have a look."

The National Galleries of Scotland already own three works by Van Gogh, painted between 1885 and 1889 - "and then suddenly, we have potentially another, which is probably the most exciting one of all," Fowle said in the series of interviews released Thursday by the public art body.

This kind of "major" discovery "happens once, twice in a conservator's lifetime," Stevenson said.

This particular find was "extra special," she said, because she believes it is a self-portrait, and "those images of the artist by the artist have a special quality - they're very enigmatic. They're giving us an insight into how [the artist is] thinking of themselves."

The announcement of the find early Thursday generated interest from social media users, who joked that they would check the backs of paintings in their homes, just in case they contained a stray masterpiece or two.

But they may be disappointed: According to the Guardian, in a typical year, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam "gets up to 300 inquiries from people believing they own a lost Van Gogh. Very few of those make it to the museum, and even fewer are found to be the real deal."
STAMORD  A city man was sentenced to six years in prison on Wednesday for sexually assaulting a 6-year-old girl.

Fredy A. Orellana, 35, pleaded guilty to a charge of illegal sexual contact with a minor in state Superior Court in Stamford in April as a part of a deal with state prosecutors.

In return for pleading guilty, Orellana was handed a 15-year sentence suspended after six years, five of which are mandatory, according to Supervisory States Attorney Michelle Manning.

Once released from prison, Orellana will receive 20 years of probation and will also be required to register as a sex offender for 10 years.

Manning said the state entered the plea agreement with Orellana, in part, because they didnt want the minor victim to have to testify during a trial.

The facts are what can only be called horrendous and are something that this child will have to deal with for the rest of her life, as well as the rest of the family, Manning said prior to Orellanas sentencing on Wednesday.

Orellana was arrested by law enforcement officials in Los Angeles in July 2021 after he fled Connecticut after learning about a warrant for his arrest, police said at the time.

Orellana was charged with first-degree sexual assault and two counts of risk of injury to a minor under the illegal sexual contact with a minor subsection of Connecticut statute.

According to Manning, Orellana had been sexually assaulting a 6-year-old girl over a two-year period between her time in kindergarten and first grade.

Manning said Stamford police started investigating Orellana after the victim went to the hospital with a suspected sexually transmitted disease.

Officers later conducted a forensic interview of the victim and corroborated many of the allegations made, according to his arrest warrant.

Investigators worked with the states attorneys office to secure an arrest warrant for Orellana in May 2021, but he fled Connecticut when he became aware of his pending arrest, police said.

The U.S. Marshals Service helped track down Orellana in California, police said.
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WASHINGTON - Kimberly Rubio keeps trying to picture the classroom through her 10-year-old daughter Lexi's eyes, haunted by the different ways that May day could have ended.

What side of the room did Lexi run toward with her classmates, huddling and fearing for their lives? What if Rubio had taken her daughter home earlier after an award ceremony that day? What if the outside door locked properly? What if police had immediately engaged the suspected gunman?

But the one question that lawmakers should ask themselves every morning and night, she posed, was: "What if the gunman never had access to an assault weapon?"

"We are no longer asking for change," Rubio, 33, said to a cheering crowd of about 200 people at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. "We are demanding it."

Rubio was one of several people who spoke at a rally about the ways gun violence had irreparably harmed their lives and demanded a federal ban on assault weapons.

Those gathered wore bright orange shirts and included community members from Highland Park, Ill., where a gunman killed seven adults and injured dozens more during a Fourth of July parade, and parents of children who were among the 21 people killed in May at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

Rubio's daughter Alexandria Aniyah Rubio, known as Lexi, was one of the children killed.

Many openly grieved at the rally, crying during Rubio's remarks. A mother at the Highland Park parade recounted how she fled, holding her 1-year-old daughter in her arms as she was grazed by a bullet. Parents shared the terrifying questions they're hearing from their young children who survived shootings. And speaker after speaker demanded more sweeping federal action to curb the scourge of gun violence.

Last month, President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan gun-control bill into law, the most significant of its kind in three decades. It expands criminal background checks for some gun buyers, bars a larger group of domestic-violence offenders from purchasing firearms, and funds programs that would allow authorities to seize guns from troubled individuals. However, gun control advocates, and Biden himself, have noted that the legislation does not include everything they hoped for.

During an event on the White House's South Lawn on Monday billed as "commemorating the historic achievement of the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act," the father of a 17-year-old boy killed in the 2018 massacre at a high school in Parkland, Fla., heckled the president, demanding more action to curb gun violence. Biden renewed calls for a federal ban on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines.

On Wednesday, mothers continued to step up to the lectern near the grassy area by 1st and C streets NE and speak about their children, friends and relatives who died of gun violence and the ways survivors grapple with anxiety attacks, fear and guilt. Democratic lawmakers from Illinois, including Sen. Tammy Duckworth; Rep. Brad Schneider, whose district includes Highland Park; and Rep. Jan Schakowsky, also spoke at the rally before the crowd marched toward the Capitol.

Nubia Hogan, 45, stood among the crowd and held a poster with a photo of her father, Eduardo Uvaldo.

Uvaldo was at the July Fourth parade with Hogan and their relatives when gunfire rained on the crowd. The parade was a family tradition and Uvaldo's favorite holiday, she said.

Hogan said she thought about how when gunfire erupted from a nearby rooftop, she froze. Her son, Brian Hogan, 13, yelled to run and the family tried to flee. A bullet hit Brian in the arm and fragments hit Nubia Hogan's mother, too. Uvaldo was also struck and was rushed to the hospital, where he died two days later.

"I get anxiety really bad. I get nightmares, waking up to hearing 'boom boom' like the shots," said Nubia Hogan, of Waukegan, Ill. "These types of guns should not be out there for civilians. These are for the military and for police."

She plans to continue with activism around this issue, joining the many other people who have channeled their grief into advocacy for change. Thousands of people gathered earlier this summer on the National Mall to join the rally staged by March for Our Lives, the organization founded by student survivors of the mass shooting in Parkland, where a gunman killed 17 people.

Still, more than 115,000 students have been exposed to gun violence on K-12 campuses during regular hours since the Parkland massacre, according to a Washington Post database.

Brett Cross, 39, stood toward the back of the crowd and said he thought about his nephew, 10-year-old Uziyah Garcia, and how the "system" didn't protect his family and so many others. The day of the shooting in Uvalde, his wife raced over to the school where Cross said police pushed and blocked parents from entering the building to save their children.

In the first classroom the gunman entered, Cross said, was his nephew, "Uzi," the young boy who was fast, always racing people, and who aspired to make music, be a YouTuber and one day become a police officer to help people.

"Those same cops that he looked up to failed him and his classmates," Cross said.

His 10-year-old son and Uzi shared a room together but now, his son doesn't want to be in there. Cross bought a cot and placed it next to his bed, where the two hold hands before falling asleep.

"He said he wanted to go to school that day so that he could have done something," Cross said. "He wants to know why an 18-year-old kid can go buy these weapons, why it took his brother from him."
Health officials are reminding parents that while back-to-school vaccinations are required, there is no obligation for the regimen to include a COVID-19 vaccination.

"It is important that children receive well-child visits as they are essential to ensuring children are meeting milestones and that they do not have any urgent health concerns," Molly Peters, public health administrator for the Greene County Health Department, said.

While the Illinois Department of Public Health recommends COVID-19 vaccinations for all who are eligible, including children, there currently is no requirement for students to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

"We urge everyone to protect themselves by making sure they are up-to-date with vaccines and booster shots," Amaal Tokars, acting director of the state health department, said.

Even as the COVID-19 shots are recommended, health officials confirm many parents are balking at vaccinating their children for COVID-19.

Angela Hoots, director of the Scott County Health Department, said she had not heard of anyone not getting the required back-to-school immunizations because of concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine. Hoots said that fewer than five people have raised concerns over the years about getting regular childhood vaccines.

"We have been getting the typical calls about regular immunizations, but COVID has not come up," Hoots said.

"It is very rare to hear objections," Hoots said. "However, with the COVID vaccine, the number of objections is much higher. Most parents around here do not want COVID vaccines for their children."

That notion is supported by a recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation that found only 27% of parents of 5- to 11-year-olds are eager to immunize their children against COVID-19, while 30% said they definitely wont vaccinate their children.

Peters recommended that parents and families communicate with their doctors to share any concerns they have regarding vaccinations of any type.

"We should trust our doctors to provide accurate information related to disease prevention because they have the experience and knowledge to share with families as health professionals," Peters said. "Misinformation and inconsistent information may cause increases in preventable diseases that we have lived decades without."

There are exemptions available for getting required vaccinations. Forty-five states, including Illinois, allow for religious objections to immunizations. Illinois is not one of the 15 states that allow objections based on personal, moral or other philosophical beliefs.

Hoots said Scott County does what it can to make vaccines easily accessible. "We just let people call in and schedule something over the phone," Hoots said. "If they just want to walk in, we can do that as well."

The number for the Scott County Health Department is 217-742-8203.

In Morgan County, immunization services are available Monday through Friday. Back to school immunizations can be scheduled by visiting www.morganhd.com or calling 217-245-5111.

Back-to-school physicals and immunizations are available by appointment only in Greene County by calling 217-942-6961, extensions 123 or 127. Physicals are $40, regardless of insurance status.

Illinois state law requires certain immunizations for children and adults enrolled in child care, school or college. State law also mandates immunizations for adults in specific fields of work, including health care.

All students entering, transferring, or advancing into kindergarten through 12th grades will be required to show proof of receipt of two doses of mumps and two doses of rubella vaccine. In addition, students entering, transferring, or advancing into kindergarten, sixth or ninth grades are required to show proof of receipt of two doses of varicella vaccine.

Most students likely have already received the vaccine and simply need to provide the school with verifying documentation from their health care provider, according to the state health department. Full guidelines for vaccinations can be found at bit.ly/3uJ7CMq.
The Texas House of representatives will reveal results of their investigation into the May 24 mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas to families of the 21 victims this weekend, Gov. Greg Abbott said during a Thursday press conference.

"It's important for the families to learn firsthand what that investigation has turned up so far," Abbott explained.

However, the governor cautioned that the results of the House's investigation should not be considered exhaustive. "We do know that it will take a while before all of the investigations are complete," he said.

According to Abbott, the House's investigation is one of at least six ongoing inquiries into the massacre at Robb Elementary and law enforcement's response to it, which was dubbed an "abject failure" by Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw.

"When you compare the notes from all of these different investigations, you will see all the facts come together," Abbott said.

Abbott's comments came during the Q-and-A portion of a brief press conference focused on Texas' response to a rise in Fentanyl overdoses and an increase in the drug's distribution across the state. Upon opening the floor for questions, however, Abbott was immediately pushed for new developments related to the Uvalde shooting.

Thursday's press conference followed publication of footage Tuesday by the Austin American-Statesman showing heavily armed officers waiting in the halls of Robb Elementary School as 18-year-old Salvador Ramos carried out his killing spree. About 84 minutes elapsed between when officers first arrived on the scene and when Border Patrol agents finally shot Ramos and ended the carnage.

Abbott reiterated Thursday that the new footage contradicts the account of the shooting he initially received from law enforcement.
News photos of Jupiter just dropped and they're out of this world. On Tuesday, NASA released mind-blowing full-color images of the universe as it has never been seen before taken by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), sending the internet into a frenzy.

However, as part of Webb's preparation for the galactic photoshoot, scientists first tested how the telescope tracks objects through our solar system. And the results turned out better than expected, with detailed images from JWST's near-infrared camera (NIRCam), which uses different filters to focus on different wavelengths of light, capturing Jupiter and its rings, as well as three of its moons: Europa, Thebe, and Metis.

One of the stand-out images shows the shadow of Europa just to the left of Jupiter's infamous Great Red Spot, a storm scientists say is "big enough to swallow the Earth."

"Combined with the deep field images released the other day, these images of Jupiter demonstrate the full grasp of what Webb can observe, from the faintest, most distant observable galaxies to planets in our own cosmic backyard that you can see with the naked eye from your backyard," said Bryan Holler, a scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore who helped plan the observations, on a NASA blog.

NASA, ESA, CSA, and B. Holler and J. Stansberry (STScI)

"I couldnt believe that we saw everything so clearly, and how bright they were," added Stefanie Milam, Webbs deputy project scientist for planetary science based at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "Its really exciting to think of the capability and opportunity that we have for observing these kinds of objects in our solar system."

The images were released this week in a JWST commissioning report, which detailed the tests Webb underwent. According to the report, the telescope photographed nine targets, and Jupiter was the largest and slowest moving, but also apparently the most stunning. The test demonstrated that JWST was able to track objects, even around a planet as bright as Jupiter bouncing.

NASA, ESA, CSA, and B. Holler and J. Stansberry (STScI)

The telescope can also photograph fast-moving objects, with one of the images showing an asteroid called 6481 Tenzing, located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter during commissioning. GIFs shared on Twitter by NASA show the asteroid moving against a background of stars.

"The key outcome of six months of commissioning is this: JWST is fully capable of achieving the discoveries for which it was built," the commissioning report said. "JWST was envisioned 'to enable fundamental breakthroughs in our understanding of the formation and evolution of galaxies, stars, and planetary systems. We know with certainty that it will."
A procession of 52 school buses carrying items belonging to young victims of gun violence was seen heading to Sen. Ted Cruz's house in River Oaks in Houston on Thursday. The project, dubbed "The NRA Children's Museum," is the latest by artist Manuel Oliver, the father of Parkland shooting victim 17-year-old Joaquin "Guac" Oliver, and is meant to honor the lives of children lost to shootings in the last two years.

The buses are filled with photos, videos, audio recordings, and personal memories of children killed in shooting since 2020, according to a press release. Some of the items include a pair of worn-out Van sneakers owned by 15-year-old Gracie Muelberger, who was killed at her Santa Clarita High School in 2019; a Kindergarten graduation card awarded to Chase Kowalski, a Sandy Hook victim killed in 2012; and a LeBron James Miami Heat jersey that belonged to Joaquin.

The 4,368 empty bus seats are also meant to symbolize the number of children lost to gun violence in the United States in the last two years.

"To commemorate this horrific historic moment, we are showing American voters the toll these politicians have taken on our children's lives with this all-too-real archive," Oliver said in the release. "And this is only the beginning. We will not stop with Sen. Ted Cruz. To every politician who has stood by, taken NRA money, and refused to listen to the people they represent: the museum is on the way to honor you next."

Since his son's death, Oliver has used creative means to raise awareness of gun violence and to call for reforms. Earlier this year, on the four-year anniversary of the Parkland shooting, Oliver scaled a crane near the White House to hang a banner with his son's image and a message to President Joe Biden that said "45K people died from gun violence on your watch." On the first anniversary of the massacre, he created a series of sculptures of children cowering under their desks.

On Monday, Oliver made headlines after he interrupted Biden's speech at the White House on gun safety in order to call for more to be done. In an op-ed for The Daily Beast, Oliver explained that he hadn't planned on interrupting Biden but was frustrated with the president failing to deliver on promises to prioritize gun violence and go after gun manufacturers. He also criticized Biden "celebrating" the passage of the Safer Communities Act  bipartisan gun safety bill.

"I wasnt feeling celebratory, not barely a month after 19 kids were slaughtered at a school in Uvalde, Texas," Oliver wrote. "I wanted the president to know he needed to do more, and that he had let us down. And then I was escorted off the premises."

On Thursday, Oliver also plans to hand-deliver a letter from Joaquin to Cruz's house. The letter, which Oliver maintains was written by a 12-year-old Joaquin, is addressed to gun owners about his thoughts on gun control.

"I am writing this letter to talk to you about how [we're] going to solve this gun law movement," Joaquin wrote. "Most of you have a problem with the idea of universal [background] check. Why are you mad that theres a [background] check its for your own good maybe you are fond of having crazy people with death machines. You shouldnt have anything against [background] checks if youre innocent."

In an interview with BuzzFeed News, Oliver said his wife, Patricia Oliver, found the letter a month after Joaquin's death. "He was a kid writing this letter," Oliver said. "I was really impressed when I read it. We've been keeping it, our little letter to remind us about what we're fighting for. My son knew, at 12 years old, what to do better than Ted Cruz. I want [Cruz] to read that with his own eyes."

The junior senator was selected for the museum's first stop of the procession due to his distinction as the leading recipient of funding from gun lobbyists in Texas, the release said. The Olivers shared a selfie on Twitter taken outside of Cruz's office building Thursday.

"We want to display, for the voters who keep these politicians in office, the consequences of those choices," Patricia Oliver said in the release. "We want voters to remember which politicians are in the pocket of the NRA when they visit the polls in November. We urge everyone to join us in our mission to fight for every innocent soul lost to gun violence and to demand universal background checks on gun sales."

A spokesperson for Cruz issued a statement in response to the protest, saying: "Senator Cruz is committed to enacting policies that would stop school shootings. To that end, he introduced legislation to double the number of school resource officers, hire 15,000 school-based mental health professionals to ensure there is early intervention to identify and help at-risk kids, to provide significant resources for enhanced school safety, and to improve the gun background system and prosecute persons who try to illegally buy guns."
Texas is suing the Biden administration over guidance released Monday telling the nations doctors theyre protected by federal law to terminate a pregnancy as part of emergency treatment  and threatening to defund hospitals that dont perform these procedures.

The Biden administrations guidance states that federal law requires doctors to perform abortions for pregnant people in emergency rooms when it is the stabilizing treatment necessary to resolve a medical emergency, including treatments for ectopic pregnancy, hypertension and preeclampsia.

On Wednesday, the Biden administration also warned retail pharmacies that they must fill prescriptions for pills that can induce abortion or risk violating federal civil rights law.

These two recent actions pit the federal executive branch against state governments after the U.S. Supreme Court undid a nearly half-century-old precedent that had affirmed access to abortion as a constitutional right.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtons office filed the suit challenging the guidance in federal court on Thursday, saying the Biden administrations guidance violates the states sovereign interest in the power to create and enforce a legal code.

Texas is one of several states with laws banning abortion already in effect or trigger laws that will soon ban the medical procedure. Texas will soon ban all abortions from the moment of fertilization with narrow exceptions only to save the life of a pregnant patient or prevent substantial impairment of major bodily function.

The Biden administration reassured the nations doctors that they dont need to wait until a patients health deteriorates before acting and that they can act in cases where nontreatment would result in serious impairment, guidance that comes as medical professionals in Texas and other states where abortion is banned are trying to figure out what kind of womens health care is allowed under new restrictions. The guidance isnt seeking to update existing law but is said to clarify a hospitals duties under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act.

In no uncertain terms, we are reinforcing that we expect providers to continue offering these services, and that federal law preempts state abortion bans when needed for emergency care, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement. Under the law, no matter where you live, women have the right to emergency care  including abortion care.

The Biden administration warned that if a hospital fails to provide emergency abortion treatment when necessary, it could be fined or have its Medicare status revoked.

These hospitals are now threatened with having to choose between violating state law under the threat of criminal penalty or jeopardizing their ability to participate in Medicaid, Paxtons office argued in the suit.

Any ruling will likely be appealed. Paxtons office argues that the federal guidance isnt merely clarifying existing law but includes a number of new requirements related to the provision of abortions that do not exist under federal law.

This administration has a hard time following the law, and now they are trying to have their appointed bureaucrats mandate that hospitals and emergency medicine physicians perform abortions, Paxton said in a statement. I will ensure that President Biden will be forced to comply with the Supreme Courts important decision concerning abortion and I will not allow him to undermine and distort existing laws to fit his administrations unlawful agenda.

Join us at The Texas Tribune Festival, happening Sept. 22-24 in downtown Austin, and hear from 300+ speakers shaping the future of Texas including Joe Straus, Jen Psaki, Joaquin Castro, Mayra Flores and many others. See all speakers announced to date and buy tickets.

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune.

The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.
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ANALYSIS: Ontario gaining more control over immigrant selection would have big implications across Canada.

Ontario wants more immigration powers: What does this mean for the rest of Canada?

Ontario wants more immigration powers: What does this mean for the rest of Canada? ANALYSIS: Ontario gaining more control over immigrant selection would have big implications across Canada.

Ontario wants more immigration powers: What does this mean for the rest of Canada? ANALYSIS: Ontario gaining more control over immigrant selection would have big implications across Canada.

Ontario wants more immigration powers: What does this mean for the rest of Canada? ANALYSIS: Ontario gaining more control over immigrant selection would have big implications across Canada. Edana Robitaille Kareem El-Assal Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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The Toronto Star reports that Ontario Premier Doug Ford plans to ask the federal government for more control over immigrant selection to help the province address its historic labour shortages.



Ontarios immigration minister, Monte McNaughton, said in an interview that hundreds of thousands of jobs are going unfilled in Ontario and it is costing the economy a lot of money. The province believes it should have more control over its provincial immigration program, much like the immigration system in Quebec, in order to bring more skilled, economic immigrants into Ontario.

Thats why were setting out to renegotiate the Ontario-Canada immigration agreement that expires this fall, says McNaughton, to give Ontario more of a say in the number of immigrants and the kind of immigrants that we want to build a stronger economy.

Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration

The province has already asked the federal government to double the number of immigrants under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program from 9,000, but McNaughton said he recently received notice that the allocation would only rise to 9,700.

Ontarios labour shortage

Like the rest of Canada, Ontario is currently struggling with a labour shortage. With the rate of unemployment down to a record setting 4.9% nationally, the need for more workers has rarely been more apparent.

The latest Statistics Canada data shows Ontarios unemployment rate is 5.1% and the province has 340,000 job vacancies.

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program

Each province and territory, except Quebec and Nunavut, has a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). Under these programs, provinces can select candidates that they feel are the best fit within the province. If a candidate is nominated by a province, they have a stronger chance of getting permanent resident status.

Every year provinces are allocated a number of immigrants they can nominate under the Immigration Levels Plan set out by Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

The plan is meant to equitably distribute the benefits of immigration throughout Canada. This includes economic immigrants, family class immigrants as well as refugees and humanitarian class immigrants.

Ontarios immigration in context

Ontario is Canadas most populous province and welcomes the most immigrants, by a large margin, each year.

In 2021 nearly 50% of all immigrants to Canada chose to settle in Ontario. However, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ontario was the only province that saw most of its immigrants arrive under the family and refugee classes. The influx of family class and refugee immigrants is due in large part to the well-established diaspora communities as well as some of the strongest settlement supports in Canada.

Under the Immigration Levels Plan for 2022, there are 83,500 spots for provincial nomination programs in Canada (this figure includes principal applicants and their spouses and dependents). Ontario has the highest PNP allocation at 9,700 principal applicant spots assigned by IRCC.

However, considering Ontario has a population of approximately 15 million people, this is proportionally quite a small number to work with. While 9,700 is a marginal increase over the 9,000 allocated for 2021, the province does not believe it is adequate to alleviate stress on the economy caused by a shortage of skilled workers.

To be blunt, this increase isnt going to move the meter, said McNaughton. We have single companies in Ontario who are short 700 workers.

What does this mean for the rest of Canada?

A significantly higher PNP allocation for Ontario would have significant implications for the rest of Canada.

IRCC has a national mandate which entails supporting the immigration needs of each province and territory.

On the one hand, giving Ontario more immigration authority falls under IRCCs national mandate. Ontario has major labour shortages and providing them with a greater say on immigration may help to fill job vacancies and support its post-pandemic economic recovery.

On the other hand, IRCC must weigh the possibility that increasing Ontarios powers could undermine efforts to promote a broader distribution of immigration across Canada.

One of the main goals of the PNP is to help smaller provinces and territories attract more immigrants. Prior to the PNPs launch in 1998, Canada only operated a few federal and Quebec economic class programs. These programs largely benefitted Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia.

As a solution, IRCC proposed the PNP, which has since proven to be very successful in supporting economic development in Canadas Prairie and Atlantic provinces.

Given that Ontario already welcomes nearly half of Canadas immigrants, providing the province with greater immigration autonomy could see its national immigration share increase even further, which would hurt other provinces and territories.

Hence, IRCC has a difficult choice to make when it comes to Ontarios request.

Ultimately, it may feel the best decision is to continue to increase Canadas immigration levels, and the PNP allocations of each province and territory seeking more newcomers, such as Ontario. While this would be an imperfect solution, it may prove to be one that helps to maintain IRCCs goals of supporting the needs of each jurisdiction, while also maintaining a broad distribution of immigration across Canada.

Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration

 CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options.
There are many pathways for graduates stay in Canada

Survey: International students choose Canada for its reputation as a safe and inclusive country There are many pathways for graduates stay in Canada

Survey: International students choose Canada for its reputation as a safe and inclusive country There are many pathways for graduates stay in Canada

Survey: International students choose Canada for its reputation as a safe and inclusive country There are many pathways for graduates stay in Canada Edana Robitaille Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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The Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) has recently released the results of their 2021 annual international student survey. The survey contains data from over 41,000 students from 67 Canadian educational institutions. International students provided input on their experiences with all aspects of studying in Canada. They answered questions about why they decided to study in Canada, their experiences while studying and their post-graduation plans.



CBIE is a non-profit organization that aims to advance Canadian international education and promote the benefits of studying in Canada worldwide.

Discover your options to study in Canada

Safety and stability are a deciding factor

Canada consistently ranks among the safest countries in the world. However, this is the first time safety has outranked educational reputation as the deciding factor for students choosing to study in Canada, with close to 80% saying it was the biggest draw.

The reputation of Canadas educational institutions ranked as the second consideration for 70% of students. Additionally, over half of respondents said Canadas tolerance, diversity and inclusivity made it attractive as place to study.

Nearly 40 % reported choosing Canada because they hope to become permanent residents once they have completed their studies.

How students fund their time in Canada

Most students reported being able to afford to study in Canada through the support of parents, grandparents, and other family members. Approximately one third of students reported relying on off campus work and personal savings in addition to family support.

Can international students work in Canada?

Students who are enrolled in a designated learning institution (DLI) can work without obtaining a work permit. To be eligible:

You must be a full-time student in a program that is at least six months long and leads to a certificate or diploma

You have already started studying

You have a Social Insurance Number

You may work up to 20 hours a week throughout the academic semester, and you may work more than one job to make up the hours. During academic breaks, you are allowed to work full-time.

On-campus jobs

Students may only work on-campus until the final day they are enrolled as full-time students unless they are part time students in their final semester and do not require a full course load.

Part-time students are only eligible to work if they are in the last semester of their full-time study program and do not require a full course load in that semester to graduate.

High rate of acceptance for international students

Students reported that their experiences living and studying in Canada have been positive overall.

They describe their initial arrival in coming to Canada as relatively easy, with finding accommodation listed as the biggest difficulty. Although 39% did cite some difficulty in obtaining a study visa, getting a letter of acceptance from an educational institution was ranked as the easiest part of coming to Canada.

Students reported feeling able to form connections and a sense of community with other international students or those who are from the same country. However, they do experience some difficulty forming connections outside of these areas.

Staying in Canada after graduation

When asked about post-graduation plans, most respondents indicated that they planned to pursue permanent resident status and remain in Canada. Others said they would gain work experience in Canada for a few years before returning to their home countries.

Graduates who wish to remain in Canada after they complete their studies have many options to pursue permanent residence.

Post Graduation Work Permit

More than 70% of students said they planned to apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) when they complete their studies. Getting a PGWP allows you to gain valuable Canadian work experience that can count toward an application for permanent residence.

A PGWP is an open work permit that allows recent grads to work for any employer, in any occupation in Canada. The length of the permit depends on how long your program was, up to a maximum of three years. Programs less than eight months long are not eligible for a PGWP and a program two years or more can be eligible for up to three years.

Schedule a Free Work Permit Consultation with the Cohen Immigration Law Firm

Canadian Experience Class

The most common Express Entry program for PGWP holders is the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). After graduation, if you complete one year of working in Canada and meet a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 5 for jobs that fall under National Occupation Classification skill code B, or CLB 7 for jobs with NOCs 0 or A, you can apply for Express Entry.

Work experience gained during your time as a full-time student does not count towards the work experience required for Express Entry.

Provincial Nominee Programs

Almost every province in Canada operates its own Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). PNPs are aimed at addressing the labour market needs of provinces and territories. Most provinces have programs designed specifically for recently graduated international students, each with unique eligibility criteria.

Quebec Experience Program

The Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) is for international students who completed their studies in Quebec. You may be eligible for this this program, if you have a high proficiency in French language, are 18 or older and you intend to live and work in Quebec.

Other options for students

Canada has over 100 economic class pathways that international students may be eligible to apply for.

Atlantic Immigration Program: Graduates that have studied in Nova Scotia, PEI, New Brunswick or Newfoundland and Labrador may be eligible for this program

Hong Kong: Hong Kong nationals that have studied in Canada may be able to obtain permanent residence through this program.

Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot: This program is for international students who wish to live and work in northern or rural areas of Canada.

Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration

 CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options.
Across the globe, cloud concentration risk is coming under greater scrutiny. The UK HM Treasury department recently issued a policy paper Critical Third Parties to the Finance Sector. The paper is a proposal to enable oversight of third parties providing critical services to the UK financial system. The proposal would grant authority to classify a third party as critical to the financial stability and welfare of the UK financial system, and then provide governance in order to minimize the potential systemic risk. The financial regulators (HM Treasury in coordination with the Bank of England, Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)) will be able to make rules, gather information, and take enforcement action, in respect of certain services that critical third parties provide to firms of particular relevance to the regulators objectives (which the regulators refer to as material services). The paper references the cloud concentration risk concerns raised by the Bank of England in previous research. At that time, over 65% of UK firms used the same four cloud providers for cloud infrastructure services.

The US regulators have been examining the third-party risk topic in various forms including request for comments last year. Recently they have increased hiring activity to bring on staff to examine the cloud software providers. Cloud concentration risk, system market riskit goes by various namesis not a new topic. Back in 2019, a letter to the US Financial Stability Oversight Council requested the major cloud service providers be designated as systemically important financial market utilities.

And then theres the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) in the EU. DORA received provisional agreement in mid-May with the same overarching goal of helping to provide financial stability in the financial sector throughout the EU.

 make rules, gather information, and take enforcement action, in respect of certain services that critical third parties provide to firms of particular relevance to the regulators objectives

Are you ready for cloud concentration regulation?

So with this latest scrutiny and round of papers issued by governments, we are about to see a material shift in the regulation of critical third-party providers and specifically the cloud service providers. Rather than wait for a compliance mandate, it is critical for insurers and financial services providers of all kinds to considerand prepare nowfor the implications.

Insurers and financial services firms are very practiced in the requirements related to redundancy and disaster recovery. The regulations surrounding an individual provider and the ability to recover from a failure is largely mandated. Complementary to this, firms are highly motivated to ensure resiliency in order to provide the best service possible, maintain smooth operations, and retain customers. Nobody wants to read about their firms outages in the news cycleits just never a good thing! And of course, when a firm relies on a third-party provider for services, software, or a hosted environment, a set of due diligence goes along with ensuring the resiliency of that solution. We all know the drill.

Systemic risk introduces a whole other layer of risk. It is not new eitherthe ripple effects of the markets are also well understood. Yet the regulation has still been focused on an individual firms approach. If the individual entities are strong, the markets will be more resilient. That is starting to change with the recognition that there is a critical dependency on third-party cloud service providers that are not regulated in the same manner. So what are we doing about it? What are we doing to get ready for new compliance measures when the regulators tell us we have too many eggs in one basket?

Market collaboration is required

The cloud service providers have become an integral part of the financial services landscape. It is now the responsibility of the entire ecosystem to manage the systemic risk that comes along with embracing cloud adoption. As a data platform company, we advise a hybrid data platform approach to balance the benefits of cloud adoption while addressing regulatory concerns related to cloud concentration risk (CCR).

Insight Enterprises

Insurers and financial institutions can manage their strict data privacy, governance, and resiliency, while gaining flexibility and portability of data and applications to run their business efficiently. Clouderas hybrid data platform facilitates the portability of data across any cloud to help ease regulatory concerns about concentration risk, and our Shared Data Experience (SDX) manages security and governance consistently across private and public clouds.

Cloud adoption is accelerating and providers are strengthening their infrastructures aligned with the increasingly important role they playpenetration testing, cyber security prevention, etc. Yet they are not fully under the scrutiny of the regulators at this time. This day appears to be getting closer across the globe. (And if they are in fact regulated in any specific jurisdiction, please leave me a comment.)

Hybrid cloud is a dominant deployment choice in the market85% of enterprises report taking a hybrid cloud approach, combining the use of both public and private clouds. (Flexera, State of the Cloud Report, 2021.) It offers flexibility, choice and control. A hybrid data platform enables this flexibility and is recommended in anticipation of regulatory oversight.

Download our ebook to read more about cloud concentration risk.
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London is among the best cities in the world for art exhibitions, and whenever I go there, which is rarely, I try to see as many as time and energy will permit. Recently, for example, I saw two in a single day, the contrast between which seemed to cast a light on the soul of modern humanity, or at least of that part of it that concerns itself with art and aesthetics.

The first, in the Wallace Collection, was called Sir Joshua Reynolds: Experiments in Paint; the second, across the city, was called Marlene Dumas: The Image as Burden. Reynolds, the most famous British artist of his day, was born in 1723 and died in 1792; Dumas was born in South Africa in 1953 and has worked in the Netherlands since 1976.

The Wallace Collection was once my favorite London gallery. My father had his office, where I worked during my school holidays, around the corner from it; I spent many a lunch hour in the collection, the run of which I often had almost to myself in those days. The courtyard had not yet been made into a restaurant, a transformation that altered the atmosphere of the collection profoundly. Nowadays, it seems almost like a restaurant with Titian, Rubens, Rembrandt, and Velazquez attached.

It was in the Wallace Collection that I first tried (without success, which eludes me to this day) to work out why some art was better than other art, why some pictures moved me while others did not. The picture to which I always returned, and that I never miss a chance to view even today, was Woman Peeling Apples, by the Dutch painter Pieter de Hooch. This small painting of a Dutch interior shows a seated woman peeling apples for her small daughter, who stands by her. The daughter is not beautifulindeed, one could describe her as almost plainyet the picture never failed to move me, however many times and for however long I looked at it.

Why was this the case? Was it the obvious technical mastery, the pleasing composition (the main figures to the right of center of the picture), the exquisite taste of the coloration, the evident love of the mother for her child, the sense of quietude and contentment conveyed, the celebration of the glory of existence in itself that the choice of so ordinary a subject implies? Was the intensity of my response affected by my personal biography, by the lack of tenderness in my own early life?

I came to the conclusion that while no definitive criteria could be given to distinguish good art from bad (and every gradation in between), neither was it impossible to say something about the basisor rather, the basesof artistic judgment.

The Reynolds exhibition was small, designed (among other things) to show the artist almost as a scientific experimenter with the materials with which he painted. His experiments were by no means always successful: his paintings were known sometimesbut fortunately, not alwaysto fade before they left his studio.

Reynolds worked principally in portraiture, a division of the art of painting that he regarded as inferior to others. Doctor Johnson said of Reynolds that so equable was his temper that he was the most invulnerable man he knew because it was impossible to find anything with which to reproach him. Yet Reynolds was suspected of being an opportunist toady, a flatterer of the rich, famous, and powerful, whom, by and large, he paintedin the process becoming rich, famous, and powerful himself. Though Reynolds was undoubtedly both keen on money and disagreeably penny-pinching toward relatives and assistants, no man who became a close friend of Doctor Johnson, Edmund Burke, Oliver Goldsmith, and Edward Gibbon could have been a nonentity with merely a talent for flattery. Boswell tells the story of how Johnson and Reynolds became friends:

When Johnson lived in Castle Street . . . he used frequently to visit two ladies who lived opposite him, Miss Cotterells, daughters of Admiral Cotterell. Reynolds used also to visit there, and thus they met. . . . Sir Joshua, indeed, was lucky enough at their very first meeting to make a remark which was so much above the commonplace style of conversation, that Johnson at once perceived that Reynolds had the habit of thinking for himself. The ladies were regretting the death of a friend to whom they owed great obligations; upon which Reynolds observed, You have, however, the comfort of being relieved from a burden of gratitude. They were shocked a little at this alleviating suggestion . . . but Johnson defended it in his clear and forcible manner and was much pleased with the mind, the clear view of human nature, which it exhibited.

Johnson and Reynolds were close friends ever after, and Boswell dedicated his great Life to the painter. Reynoldss clear view of human nature is evident in his best portraits, which penetrate the character of his sitters, while also remaining surface likenesses. The fact that he painted several people serially suggests that he was more than just a society portraitist (though he was that as well). The several portraits of Doctor Johnson, for example, do not make out that the great writer was a handsome or an elegant man and do not in the slightest seek to lessen his peculiaritiesbut the force of his character, the intensity of his thought, and the profundity of his religious and emotional struggles are conveyed with extraordinary clarity. Though Reynoldss veneration of Johnson could not have been greater (it was, unusually for a relationship of veneration, entirely mutual), Reynolds did not think of Johnson as a saint; far from it. In the character sketch that Reynolds provided for Boswell when he was writing Life, the painter said:

The drawback to his character is entertaining prejudices on very slight foundation, giving an opinion perhaps first at random, but from its being contradicted he thinks himself always obliged stubbornly to support. . . . He thought it necessary never to be worsted in argument, though this disposition he spoke of as very weak; as if, says he, the character depended on one evening. He thus seemed to be schooling himself, but he never learned the thing.

Reynolds continued: You will wonder to hear a person who loved him so sincerely speak thus freely of his friend, but you must recollect I am not writing his panegyric, but as if on oath not only to give the truth but the whole truth. Here, then, was a man who could revere without blindness, who understood that even the greatest were not without flaws, but that the flaws did not obviate the greatness. There was no moral obligation to dwell on the worst. Reynolds was no mere flatterer; when an aristocrat condescendingly asked him how long it took him to paint a portrait, he replied, All my life, my Lord.

The best paintings in the small exhibition were of women and children. We know that when Reynolds painted beauty, he knew that he was not painting perfection but that imperfection did not render beauty inexistent. He thus felt free to portray beauty without feeling that he was thereby betraying reality or avoiding the unpleasant in a cowardly fashion.

Three of the women in the exhibition, all of whom Reynolds personally befriended (rumors circulated that he might have been the lover of two), were either courtesans or of morally dubious pasts. The actress Mrs. Abington, for example, portrayed by Reynolds in her role as Prue, the sexually inquiring country girl in Congreves play Love for Love, grew up in a slum and was widely thought to have been a prostitute before becoming the greatest comic actress of her day. She sits astride a Chippendale chair in an elegant pink silk gown with lace frills, staring straight ahead with her left hand raised to her mouth, her thumb resting on her lower lip. In Reynoldss portrait, she is deeply alluring without vulgarity, a woman of outstanding beauty and also of intelligence and an inner core of goodness. We love her as Reynolds obviously loved her. He painted her at least three other times, suggesting a more than merely commercial commitment: each time differently but, on every occasion, to show her at her considerable best.

So it is with Kitty Fisher and Nelly OBrien, two famous courtesans. There were two portraits of OBrien in the exhibition: one formal, in which she is fully dressed; and the other showing her relatively dishabille. She is not only beautiful but also charming, refined, and intelligent; the fact that she is a courtesan and that, in the abstract, we do not approve of the metier fades into insignificance compared with her beautyboth outward and inward. The depiction of that beauty is unapologetic and, in a sense, unself-conscious: for the celebration and creation of beauty, including moral beauty, was self-evidently the task of art in Reynoldss worldview, which was clearly a tolerant one.

Crossing London to see the exhibition of Marlene Dumass work was like traveling to another continent. Her art is figurative and, if I had to put a label on it, expressionist. She unquestionably is an artist of great talent and, interestingly, of academic training. One of the few advantages of South African backwardness in the early 1970s was that its art schools (she attended Cape Town Universitys) had not yet abandoned formal instruction in technical artistic skills. This stood Dumas in good stead when she began to strike out on her own and convey her view of the world in her work.

It is an extraordinary view, its impact all the greater when you have just come from immersing yourself in Reynoldss. There can be no doubt about Dumass power to disturb, brilliantly displayed in the Tates large spaces. That her work should disturb can hardly have been far from the artists mind and intention. Each and every room in the exhibition induced a state, at least in me, of anxietyan anxiety not related to any particular aspect of existence but relating to existence as such.

Dumass subject is humans, hundreds of them, painted, as she herself says, from photographs, in the process transforming them into what she thinks they really areapparently, pre-corpses. In some of her pictures, it is not certain whether the figures are alive or dead, and certainly they are never straightforwardly beautiful, a la Reynoldss. Their blemishes, their defects, their deformities, and their expressions of despair or terror are constitutive, or what they are truly. The pictures show no laughter or unequivocal pleasure; the world is terrible, and ugliness is the new beauty.

It is instructive to compare Reynoldss and Dumass view of children and childhood. Reynolds loved painting children, and the Wallace Collection exhibition includes his Miss Jane Bowlesa picture of a pretty little girl, sitting on the ground in the country, clutching her black-and-white dog to her, both of them facing the viewer. Miss Bowles is wide-eyed, depicted with just a hint of a smile on her otherwise serious face; the love and trust between the child and dog are evident.

To get Miss Bowles to sit for him, Reynolds invited her and her father, who had commissioned the picture, to come to dinner the night before. Reynolds charmed and delighted Miss Bowles by performing little tricks, such as removing her plate from the table and returning it without letting her see how he had done it. She was so delighted that the next day, when she was to sit for her picture, she was eager to do so. It is difficult not to believe from this anecdote that Reynolds was as delighted with Miss Bowles as she was with him; his painting exudes a tenderness that is not cloying because it is real and unaffected. It avoids sentimentality because it represents not the whole of reality but of an undoubted aspect of realitywhich delights us unless we are wholly soured by life, for children really do have soft skin, bright eyes, a trusting manner, and pleasure in lifebut also because the sensitive viewer is only too aware that what is depicted is but fleeting, that Miss Bowles will grow up and face many sorrows, that the dog will age and cease to be so important to her, and that she will never again be so charmingly innocent: Ay, in the very temple of delight/Veild melancholy has her sovereign shrine. Our delight is thus tempered by an awareness that, like all delight, hers must decay.

By contrast, Marlene Dumass children are not sweet or innocent, but knowing and scheming. They look as if they are pre-murderers, at best; she sheds upon them a cold, unsparing light, that of the extreme Calvinist preacher who demands a never-to-be-forgotten awareness of original sin, precluding the most momentary innocence. As her other paintings make clear, all pleasure is illicit, either sadistic or masochistic in nature, and only leads to troubleto the mortuary table, in the end.

The picture that adorns the cover of the Dumas exhibition catalog is titled The Painter. It is of a naked girl, a little older than Miss Bowles, who stands up straight, facing the viewer. Her expression is of a defiant scowl, almost menacing. Her dark, deep-set, intense but indistinct eyes seem to express hatred, not of a particular object but of the world itself (inclusive of the viewer). Most of her torso is covered in light blue paint; far more disturbing, her hands, which hang by her side, are covered in paint: the right hand the color of dark, venous blood and the left hand the color of bright, arterial blood. One gets the impression that she has just come from the postmortem room or has perhaps murdered her mother. One is never too young to be a psychopath.

It is an extremely disturbing image, painted with talent. You are not likely to pass it by or to forget it. When I showed it to friends, not artistically inclined and unfamiliar with the notion of transgression as the highest good, they shuddered and said that it was sick and that it displayed a diseased imagination. Some will retort that outraged bourgeois have often reacted in this way to new art that subsequent generations took in stride and perhaps considered great. But it does not follow from the fact that a great work once caused outrage that a work that causes outrage is great. For myself, I have no difficulty in both admiring and disliking Dumass art.

What most interests me is the change in sensibility between Reynolds and Dumas: a change that I recognize even in myself, in that I think that any modern attempt to reproduce Reynolds-like tenderness toward childhood would end up as kitsch, to which the harshness of Dumas (manifest even in her pictures of her daughter) would be artistically preferable.

This profound change in sensibility cannot be a reflection only of a change in the world. It is true that the dress of the eighteenth century, at least of the upper classes, was vastly more elegant and gorgeous (but also more uncomfortable) than anything we wear now; the interiors of housesagain, of the upper classeswere of an elegance now vanished unless specifically preserved; and towns were infinitely more graceful than they are now. But up close, they would have appalled us: the smell, dirt, and destitution would have been greater than anything of which we had the remotest experience. In the London in which Reynolds spent most of his career, 50 percent of children died before the age of five.

So it is not that the world has become objectively worse in the interval between Reynolds and Dumas. In many respects, precisely the reverse is true, though many terrible things were done in that interval. Childhood is not less childhood than it was; children are not physically the uglier. Nor is it that we have become more intellectually sophisticated in the meantime, such that we have a better understanding of what human life is about and how it should be lived, or of the true wellsprings of human action. Reynolds painted for a society in which rising men aspired to join the ranks of the aristocracy, whose tastes they imitated wherever possible; but Dumas paints for a clientele just as restricted, economically and culturally.

As it happens, both Reynolds and Dumas are writers as well as painters, and the difference between their literary styles is as great as that between their respective painterly sensibilities. Reynoldss most famous work is his Discourses on Art, a series of lectures delivered to the students of the Royal Academy of Arts, of which he was the founding president. In these lectures, Reynolds attempts to lay down the rules of art, unsuccessfully and often with self-contradiction, in my view, because the task was impossible and also because he often shows errors of judgment. Nevertheless, he expresses himself with elegance and has many still-valuable things to say (which, perhaps, is why the Discourses lectures remain in print, two centuries after they first appeared). Indeed, some of his remarks have become more pertinent with the passage of time and the deterioration of our art schools. Reynolds says, in the Sixth Discourse: Those who have undertaken to write about our art, and have represented it as a kind of inspiration, as a gift bestowed upon peculiar favourites at their birth, seem to insure a much more favourable disposition from their readers, and have a much more captivating and liberal air, than he who attempts to examine, coldly, whether there are any means by which this art may be acquired.

Reynolds adds: Invention is one of the great marks of genius; but if we consult experience, we shall find, that it is by being conversant with the invention of others, that we learn to invent. Finally, he observes: The greatest natural genius cannot subsist on its own stock: he who resolves never to ransack any mind but his own, will soon be reduced, from mere barrenness, to the poorest of all imitations; he will be obliged to imitate himself, and to repeat what has often been repeated.

In modern art schools, it is as if they have taken the Sixth Discourse as a blueprint of what not to do or to teach, so that students come to believe that art, like sex, began in 1963 (at the earliest). Marlene Dumas was indeed fortunate that, having attended art school in Cape Town, she was saved from the kind of provincialism now rampant in London, Paris, and New York. Her writing, collected in a volume titled Sweet Nothings (a title intended, one suspects, to ward off serious criticism), has an apodictic, take-it-or-leave-it quality: Art is a low-risk, high-reward crime. Or: Now that we know that images can mean whatever, whoever wants them to mean, we dont trust anybody anymore, especially ourselves. This is a world without enchantment. The following words are revealing:

My generation cherishes loneliness

prizing it even above sex.

They are so sensitive,

they are allergic to each other.

One cannot help but suspect that there is bad faith in all this, that this is not so much how people feel as how they feel they ought to feel in order not to appear naive. Dumas quotes a man called Kellendonk (I assume the Dutch writer of that name, who died in 1990): Kellendonk makes a distinction between aesthetic emotion and ordinary every-day emotions. He said he could cope with seeing blood in every-day life but not on film or television. I find this obviously insincere and exhibitionistic: the kind of self-promoting flatulence that Reynolds, no stranger to personal ambition, would have disdained as dishonest.

While some would no doubt accuse Reynolds of having avoided the less refined aspects of his society (a charge that could be levied against hundreds or thousands of artists), Dumas is guilty of a much greater evasion, caused by a fear of beauty. In a perceptive note in the catalog of her exhibition, by the critic Wendy Simon, we learn of this fear. Simon draws attention to the extreme ambivalence we now feel towards beauty both within and outside art, and continues: We distrust it; we fear its power; we associate it with compulsion and uncontrollable desire of a sexual fetish. Embarrassed by our yearning for beauty, we demean it as something tawdry, self-indulgent, or sentimental.

All that is necessary for ugliness to prosper is for artists to reject beauty.

Lenin abjured music, to which he was sensitive, because it made him feel well-disposed to the people around him, and he thought it would be necessary to kill so many of them. Theodor Adorno said that there could be no more poetry after Auschwitz. Our view of the world has become so politicized that we think that the unembarrassed celebration of beauty is a sign of insensibility to suffering and that exclusively to focus on the worlds deformations, its horrors, is in itself a sign of compassion. Reynolds was not tortured by such considerations.
The Telangana state government will start administering free booster doses of Covid-19 vaccines from Friday, health minister T. Harish Rao said on Thursday. (Photo: AP)

HYDERABAD: The Telangana state government will start administering free booster doses of Covid-19 vaccines from Friday, health minister T. Harish Rao said on Thursday.

He said all arrangements have been made to administer the free booster doses to everyone over the age of 18 years in the state, provided those seeking this dose have completed six months after receiving their second dose of the vaccine.

Harish Rao said the free booster doses will be administered at all Primary Health Care centres, in junior, degree, engineering colleges and universities, at the Nampally, Secunderabad, Kazipet railway stations, along with Mahatma Gandhi and Jubilee Bus stations in the city. He also said vaccination drives will be held in housing societies, offices, industries and factories and other work places as per requests received.

Anyone seeking these doorstep vaccination services for groups of 100 or more people, can contact 040-24651119, the minister said.

Harish Rao recalled the efforts made by the Telangana state government, which under directions from Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, pursued with the Central government the issue of providing free booster doses. With Covid-19 cases showing an upward trend in many states, Harish Rao said Telangana state explained to the Centre the importance of providing booster doses for all, and the Centres decision comes as a great help not just for Telangana state but for the entire country.

Expressing happiness over the efforts paying off with the Centre announcing the free booster doses, Harish Rao said the Centre had previously allowed private vaccine providers to administer booster doses but not government facilities which excluded a large number of people from receiving this benefit.
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LISBON, Portugal (AP)  A spate of wildfires is scorching parts of Europe, with firefighters battling blazes in Portugal, Spain and southern France on Wednesday amid an unusual heat wave that authorities are linking to climate change.

In Portugal, Civil Protection commander Andre Fernandes said that multiple fires have caused the evacuation of more than 600 people. About 120 people needed medical treatment, with two people  one civilian and one firefighter  suffering serious injuries, Fernandes said.

Water-dumping planes helped 1,300 firefighters combat the worst of the blazes in the nations central area, while another 1,000 worked to bring other fires under control.

The European heat wave is also sparking flames in Spain and France  and in Turkey at the other end of the Mediterranean.

More than 800 firefighters battled two wildfires in the region outside Bordeaux in southwest France, according to the regional emergency service. The fires began Tuesday near the towns of Landiras and La Teste-de-Buch, and firefighters hadnt been able to contain them by Wednesday morning.

About 6,500 people have been evacuated from campgrounds and villages in the forested area. The number of injuries is unclear. The two fires have destroyed more than 1,800 hectares (4,400 acres) of terrain, the emergency service said.

Images from firefighters showed flames racing through thickets of trees and grassland, fanned by strong winds, and smoke blackening the horizon.

The regional administration banned activity in forested areas at risk. Several regions in southern France are on fire alert because of hot, dry weather and high winds. Wildfires swept through the Gard region in southeast France last week.

Portugal has long experienced fatal forest fires. In 2017, wildfires killed more than 100 people. No one has died from a wildfire since then as Portugal improved its forest management and firefighting strategies.

Last year, Portugal recorded its lowest number of wildfires since 2011. But a mass of hot and dry air blown in by African winds are driving temperatures in the Iberian Peninsula beyond their usual highs.

The Atlantic country, which has been on alert of wildfires since last week, is sweltering under a spike in temperatures that is forecast to send thermometers in the central Alentejo region to 46 C (115 F) on Wednesday and Thursday. Authorities said that 96% of the country was classified at the end of June as being in either extreme or severe drought.

More than 3,000 hectares (7,400 acres) had been consumed alone in the district of Leiria, just north of Lisbon, Mayor Goncalo Lopes told Portuguese state broadcaster RTP.

Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, who canceled a trip abroad to deal with the emergency, said that better care of woodlands and abandoned farmland was key to protecting them.

In 2017 the country realized that having enough firefighters is essential, but it is not enough, Costa said. We have to get to the root of the problem . The abandonment of property and its non-management is one of the biggest risk factors for forest fires.

Neighboring Spain hit highs of 43 C (109.4 F) in several southern cities on Tuesday.

Over 400 people were evacuated on Tuesday because of a wildfire that has consumed 3,500 hectares (8,600 acres) in western Spain.

European Union officials issued a warning last week that climate change is behind the extremely dry and hot summer so far on the continent, urging local authorities to brace for wildfires.

Cayetano Torres, spokesman for Spains national weather forecaster, said that the unusual heat wave and lack of rainfall in recent months has created ideal circumstances for fires.

These are perfect conditions for the propagation of fires, which when you add to that some wind, you have have guaranteed propagation, he said.

In southwestern Turkey, a blaze erupted in an area close to the village of Mesudiye, near the Aegean Sea resort of Datca, and was moving in the direction of some homes in the area, according to the provincial governors office. It said at least nine water-dropping helicopters and five planes were deployed to battle the fire.

Last summer, blazes that were fed by strong winds and scorching temperatures tore through forests in Turkeys Mediterranean and Aegean regions. The wildfires, which killed at least eight people and countless animals, were described as the worst in Turkeys history.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogans government came under criticism for its inadequate response and preparedness to fight large-scale wildfires, including a lack of modern firefighting planes.

Joseph Wilson reported from Barcelona, Spain. Angela Charlton in Paris, Renata Brito in Barcelona, and Suzan Frazer in Istanbul, contributed to this report.

About the photo: A local resident uses a bucket to try to stop a forest fire from reaching houses in the village of Figueiras, outside Leiria, central Portugal, Tuesday, July 12, 2022. Hundreds of firefighters in Portugal continue to battle fires in the center of the country that forced the evacuation of dozens of people from their homes mostly in villages around Santarem, Leiria and Pombal. (AP Photo/Joao Henriques)

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BEIRUT (AP)  Families of some of the victims of Beiruts deadly port blast have filed a $250 million lawsuit against an American-Norwegian firm suspected of involvement in bringing the explosive material to the port, a Swiss foundation announced Wednesday.

Accountability Now, which says its mission is to support Lebanese civil society efforts to put an end to the impunity of the countrys leaders, said the lawsuit was filed Monday. There are nine plaintiffs who are either Americans or relatives of an American, the group said.

The move comes as a domestic investigation in Lebanon has been stalled since December, following legal challenges brought by officials wanted for questioning against the investigative judge working on the case.

Hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate, a highly explosive material used in fertilizers that had been improperly stored in the port for years, exploded on Aug. 4, 2020 killing nearly 220 people, injuring over 6,000 others and causing damage worth billions of dollars.

The Lebanese probe shows that most government officials knew of the dangerous material stored at the port. The blast worsened the countrys economic meltdown rooted in decades of corruption and mismanagement that began a year earlier.

Accountability Now said the $250 million lawsuit filed in Texas names U.S.-Norwegian geophysical services group TGS, which owns the British firm Spectrum Geo, saying it had entered into a series of highly profitable but suspicious contracts with the Ministry of Energy in Lebanon.

It added that in 2012, Spectrum chartered the Moldavian flagged vessel Rhosus to come to Beirut while carrying 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate on board.

This claim will force TGS to disclose Spectrums communications with various third parties who are all relevant to the investigations in Lebanon, said Zena Wakim, a lawyer for Accountability Now who assisted the plaintiffs.

A message left with TGS on its website Wednesday seeking comment was not immediately returned.

Wakim said the domestic investigation is currently stalled by obstruction and the additional evidence we could get through this case will help the judiciary in Lebanon and outside of Lebanon to assign individual responsibilities and hence hold the perpetrators accountable.

Sarah Copland, whose son Isaac was the youngest victim of the blast that destroyed the port and damaged entire Beirut neighborhoods, tweeted that in a step forward in the pursuit of justice for the (hash)beirutblast a lawsuit has been filed in the US against the company that chartered the ship that brought the material to Beirut.

Copland, an Australian citizen, said her son, Isaac was a U.S. citizen, so we have joined this lawsuit on his behalf, but also on behalf of all victims.

Tarek Bitar, the Lebanese judge leading the investigation in Beirut into the blast, had charged four former senior government officials with intentional killing and negligence that led to the deaths of scores of people in the port explosion.

At least two former Cabinet ministers filed legal challenges against the judge forcing him to suspend his work since more than seven months.

Several officials have refused to be questioned amid calls by some groups, including the powerful Hezbollah, to have the judge removed, accusing him of bias.

Its partly because the victims are hopeless. They are not being heard. They have no recourses left in Lebanon. The judiciary is totally muzzled up, Wakim said adding that the lawsuit is for all the victims of the blast.

Associated Press writers Kareen Chehayeb and Lujain Jo contributed to this report.

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NEW YORK (AP)  Three people were charged Tuesday in an alleged conspiracy involving the handwritten lyrics to the classic rock juggernaut Hotel California and other hits by the Eagles.

Prosecutors said the defendants, despite knowing the material was stolen, lied to auction houses and buyers about the manuscripts origins.

An indictment filed in state court in Manhattan accuses Glenn Horowitz, Craig Inciardi and Edward Kosinski of plotting to possess Don Henleys notes and lyrics for songs that also included Life in the Fast Lane and New Kid In Town, altogether valued at more than $1 million.

The men pleaded not guilty through their lawyers at the arraignment. They were released without bail.

The DAs office alleges criminality where none exists and unfairly tarnishes the reputations of well-respected professionals, the attorneys said in a statement. We will fight these unjustified charges vigorously. These men are innocent.

In a statement, the Eagles thanked prosecutors for bringing a case that exposes the truth about music memorabilia sales of highly personal, stolen items hidden behind a facade of legitimacy.

It called the items an integral part of the legacy Don Henley has created over the course of his 50-plus-year career that need to be returned for him and his family to enjoy and preserve for posterity.

According to court documents, an author hired to write a biography of the band originally stole the manuscripts in the late 1970s. The papers detail email correspondence between the defendants and a person claiming he found the material discarded decades ago in a dressing room backstage at an Eagles concert.

It was about 35 years ago and my memory is foggy! the person wrote.

Prosecutors say that between 2012 and 2017 the defendants tried to get Henley to buy back the stolen manuscripts, while at the same time seeking to peddle them to other potential buyers through Christies and Sothebys auction houses.

At one point Horowitz tried to claim that the source of the property was another founding Eagles member, Glenn Frey, after Freys death in 2016, prosecutors said. In one email, he wrote that Frey alas, is dead and identifying him as the source would make this go away once and for all, they alleged.

Authorities armed with search warrants finally retrieved the materials from Sothebys and from Kosinskis New Jersey home.

The eponymous Hotel California album and its chart-topping title song both won Grammy Awards. The album has sold more than 26 million copies since its release in 1976, making it one of the bestselling albums in history.

About the photo: From left, Glenn Horowitz, Craig Inciardi, and Edward Kosinski appear in criminal court after being indicted for conspiracy involving handwritten notes from the famous Eagles album Hotel California, Tuesday, July 12, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP)  A helicopter crash last month that killed six people in West Virginia occurred when the aircraft hit a rock face 15 minutes after takeoff from a local airport, federal investigators said in a preliminary report Tuesday.

The Vietnam-era Bell UH-1B Huey helicopter struck the rock face in an area about 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) from Logan County Airport in Amherstdale, National Transportation Safety Board investigators said in the report. The cockpit and cabin then crashed into a roadway and a guardrail and were consumed by fire.

Investigators have not yet released any information about the cause of the accident. A final report could take a year or two to complete, they said.

The flight on June 22 was the last scheduled for the day during a multiday reunion for helicopter enthusiasts where visitors could sign up to ride or fly the historic Huey helicopter, described by organizers as one of the last of its kind still flying.

The helicopter was flown by the 114th Assault Helicopter Company, The Knights of the Sky, in Vinh Long, Vietnam, throughout much of the 1960s, according to the website for MARPAT Aviation, a Logan County flight school that operated the helicopter. After the Huey returned to the U.S. in 1971, the website says, it was featured in movies such as Die Hard, The Rock and Under Siege: Dark Territory.

During the reunion, people who made a donation could fly the helicopter with a safety pilot seated in the left front seat, according to the report. People could take a ride on the helicopter for a suggested donation.

A private pilot, two pilot rated passengers and three others were killed in the crash.

Investigators said wreckage from the crash was found 26 feet (8 meters) across a roadway, as well as in a ditch at the base of a rock face. Additional wreckage including pieces of Plexiglas, a section of a tail rotor blade were found about 40 feet (12 meters) above the wreckage on a ledge of the steep rock face.

There were no known witnesses to the accident, according to the report.

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  Commissioners in a northern New Mexico county urged U.S. forest managers on Tuesday to do a more comprehensive environmental review of plans to restore large swaths of forest that border the capital city, passing a resolution fueled by frustrations that have been mounting in the wake of a devastating wildfire sparked by the governments planned burns.

The Santa Fe County Commission unanimously approved the resolution, but not before some of the elected officials and members of the public blasted the U.S. Forest Service for not taking into consideration the exceptionally dry conditions that have plagued many parts of the West for the last two decades.

Numerous missteps by the agency resulted in prescribed fires erupting this spring into the largest wildfire in New Mexicos recorded history. The blaze has yet to be fully contained after more than three months, and firefighters most recently have been focused on reseeding some of the blackened areas and trying to mitigate post-fire flooding.

Santa Fe resident Valerie Gremillion told the county commissioners that she has been reviewing the report that outlines mistakes made by the agency, including its failure to use updated fuel models, to take into account the extreme drought conditions or to follow through with other protocols.

I would not let them run a carnival in my backyard, much less set a fire to the back of the Santa Fe National Forest, she said.

U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore in a statement released along with the report acknowledged the heartbreak among New Mexico families and communities. Several hundred homes were burned, thousands of people were forced to evacuate and farmers, ranchers and municipal officials are worried about the environmental and social consequences that will be felt over the coming decades.

Fires are outpacing our models and, as the final report notes, we need to better understand how megadrought and climate change are affecting our actions on the ground, Moore wrote, adding that the agency must learn from the fire.

The resolution aims to push the agency further in that direction, specifically calling for forest officials to respond to a full and fair discussion of significant environmental impacts, examine alternatives that include preserving forests in their natural condition and document unavoidable adverse effects prior to starting any project aimed at clearing out overgrown and dead vegetation.

I think its very timely that we bring this forward and encourage the Forest Service to rethink its practices in a big way, said Commissioner Hank Hughes.

Moore halted his agencys prescribed burn operations pending a formal review, but Commissioner Anna Hansen, who introduced the resolution, said prescribed burns should be ceased until federal officials address the concerns of both community members and independent scientists.

About the photo: A forest along NM518 in Mora County, N.M, is scorched by the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire, May 23, 2022. The supervisor who was in charge of the Santa Fe National Forest when the federal government sparked what became the largest wildfire in New Mexicos recorded history has been temporarily assigned to a post in Washington, D.C. Her replacement was named Friday, July 8, but some have questioned the timing given an ongoing suppression effort that now totals about $275 million. (Eddie Moore/The Albuquerque Journal via AP, File)

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KARIMNAGAR: The district administrations of four districts - Karimnagar, Jagtial, Peddapalli and Rajanna Sircilla - became alert and are taking all precautionary measures to prevent any untoward incident in view of red alert issued by the meteorological department to all four districts in erstwhile Karimnagar.

Several low-lying areas, colonies and villages on the outskirts of municipalities of four districts were inundated and roads in many areas were waterlogged, halting vehicular movement as heavy rains have been lashing for the past few days.

In Karimnagar city, as Kothirampur Road was inundated, the police placed barricades and are trying hard along with the municipal staff to divert water from Padmanagar Colony as it is entirely submerged in rainwater. Revenue officials warned the villages surrounding Erukulla Wagu that the bund of the lake might breach at any time with heavy inflow of flood water.

District collector R.V. Karnan chaired a review meeting with the officials concerned and directed the officials of the irrigation department to supervise the situation of lakes time-to-time and take preventive measures by keeping sandbags ready to block the bunds if any leakage occurred due to heavy rains.

As drinking water supplied through Mission Bhagiratha pipelines from Agraharam water filtering station is getting contaminated, executive engineer of irrigation department of Rajanna Sircilla district Vijay Kumar, appealed to the people of Sircilla, Vemulawada and Choppadandi constituencies to drink the water after boiling and cooling it, using water filters.

To prevent any untoward incident and save the people in Sircilla town, the municipal staff, under the supervision of commissioner Sammaiah, diverted the floodwater by cutting the first by-pass road and allowed the water to flow out of town.

Jagtial district collector G. Ravi said of the 1,100 lakes in the district, around 750 lakes were overflowing with the recent heavy rains. After identifying 10 flood-affected villages in the surroundings of the Godavari river, as many as 2,300 people were evacuated and shifted to rehabilitation centres safely.

District superintendent of police Sindhu Sharma said they stopped vehicular movement by closing around 37 roads since the floodwater was flowing at dangerous levels. Once the flow of water subsided, they would be re-opened. Until then, people should not take any risk by venturing out, she appealed.

Peddapalli district collector Dr. Sangita directed the officials of irrigation department to be alert 24 hours in view of heavy inflow of water into the barrages under Kaleshwaram project. If water must be released in large quantities from the barrages, then the officials must alert the people living in the surroundings of the barrages and evacuate people of flood-affected villages and shift them to the rehabilitation centres, she said.

She directed the officials to take immediate steps to shift villagers of Bestaplli which was totally inundated in the floodwater and to provide all basic facilities at the rehabilitation centres.
Hyderabad: Incessant rains over the past week have inundated residential localities located near lakes, prompting residents to seek shelter elsewhere. Osmansagar near Jalpally was among the worst-hit areas as residents took to social media to share their plight.

Residents took to social media to share their plight. Drain projects and other works, intended to stop the inundation this year, were left midway, leading to inundation for a third consecutive year, residents said.

Earlier, it (inundation) used to take place in September or October, but this time, the problem surfaced in early monsoon. Delayed works have once again prompted people to lock their houses and leave. Saif 2 colony is already submerged, Md. Abdul Bari, a local activist, said.

A similar problem hindered residents of the Ayyappa Colony in Nagole, which borders Sai Nagar Lake. Residents moved out en masse, as the sudden overflow of water caused panic.

Now the situation is under control. Till the outflows and inflows are the same, there wont be inundation. I personally visited the area and ensured that people do not face problems, said Aruna Yadav, Nagole corporator.

The developments come amid a temporary relief for the city on Wednesday, when only light to moderate rains, with thundershowers and gusty winds, were recorded in select pockets. On Wednesday, the highest rainfall in the city was recorded at Serilingampally (8.3 mm), followed by Quthbullapurat (7.3 mm) and Kukatpally (5.8 mm).

The Hussainsagar lake and twin reservoirs of Osmansagar and Himayatsagar continued to get water inflows, with sluice gates already opened.

Visitors were seen flocking to Tank Bund to check the water level, even as those headed towards the twin reservoirs were blocked by authorities.

My nephew was supposed to go to Gandhipet along with the family, but returned as the entrance was closed, said Raziya Begum, a resident of Mehdipatnam.

Meanwhile, the GHMC issued a monsoon caution alert, warning citizens against opening drain covers. Do not remove safety grill or mesh fixed at nalas or storm water drains. Do not enter into nalas for any reason...Penalties will be imposed by GHMC in case of violations..., read the public advisory.
An Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel helps pilgrims on their way to the holy cave shrine of Amarnath. (PTI Photo)

There is no full stop to the pilgrims progress. Undaunted by the tragedy, they have resumed their annual yatra towards the 3,880-metre-high Himalayan cave shrine of Amarnath from the Baltal route in central Kashmirs Ganderbal district, just four days after flash floods triggered by a cloudburst claimed at least 16 lives and left several others injured. Many are still missing.

In another part of the world, devout Muslims on the Haj pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, had been braving rising temperatures and extreme desert heat in recent days.

Which brings us to an intensely topical question  what do pilgrimages mean in the time of climate change and the consequent rise in extreme weather events?

Clearly, faith is intersecting with the fury of landslides, intense rainfall, soaring temperature and more. MIT researchers say increases in heat and humidity fuelled by climate change could make the Haj pilgrimage extremely dangerous in the coming years. They say it may be necessary to severely limit the number of participants allowed to take part in the pilgrimage.

In the case of last weeks tragedy near the Amarnath shrine, a huge volume of water suddenly gushed through and swept away tents set up for pilgrims below the cave shrine.

The faithful remain undeterred even as they grieve. Officials say the disaster has failed to dent the spirit of the devotees at the yatra base camp in Jammu. We have no fear in our hearts and minds. Whether there is a cloudburst or flash floods, we will go to Amarnath with the blessings of Bholenath pilgrim Surinder Singh from Kanpur told journalists. Meanwhile, climate change scientists tell us to factor in the unpredictable when it comes to weather.

It's high time we talked seriously about the carrying capacity of religious places, and the need for modifying the restrictions in the number of pilgrims allowed to visit holy sites, especially in difficult terrain.

What options do governments have? Are they going to focus on maximum safety or the maximum number when it comes to pilgrims?

Expanding on the theme, what about the necessary conversations on the carrying capacity of places which are not pilgrimage spots?

Coming specifically to the Amarnath Yatra, there is a report by the Nitish Sengupta Commission that is being referenced in the discussion around the tragedy.

Going through Lok Sabha debates, I came across this discussion in 2004 in Parliament. In 1996, snowfall and avalanches caused large-scale damage to life and property, following which, the government set up the Nitish Sengupta Commission to inquire into the incidents. The Nitish Sengupta Commission recommended restricting yatris to 3,500 per day, including 700 yatris via the Baltal route for the 30-day yatra, Shivraj Patil, then Union home minister, recalled. In 1996, 243 pilgrims died due to heavy rains while trekking to the holy cave shrine of Amarnath.

In subsequent years, during the Amarnath Yatra in 2000, 2001 and 2002, a number of violent incidents took place, Mr Patil noted. After the terrorist incidents, there was another recommendation to restrict the yatras duration in the fraught security environment to one month.

While security has been hugely beefed up for pilgrims, to what extent has the likelihood of unexpected extreme weather been factored in? In recent days, we have heard the countrys top meteorologists candidly admit the limitations of science in accurately predicting cloudbursts such as the one that led to last weeks tragedy.

Attempts are being made to improve safety. For the first time, each pilgrim on this years Amarnath Yatra was given a radio frequency identification device (RFID). The Army is using specialised mountain and avalanche rescue teams to look for missing pilgrims, and the RFID signals can be critical. However, according to media reports, officials say they ask the yatris to hang the RFID devices around their necks but most keep it in their bags or pockets, so data transmission is obstructed.

More measures are clearly needed.

In a 2019 commentary piece, environmentalist Chandra Bhushan pushed for restrictions and equality when it came to visits to religious sites. This can be done, he argued, by allocating a significant number of permits to the economically weaker sections of the population and charging hefty fees from the wealthy, in order to manage the sites well.

Some see religious tourism as Indias soft power. But like everything else, it has to adapt to the reality of climate change. There have been far too many casualties over the years on many holy trails even in normal weather. Climate change just makes things even more dangerous.

Climate Trends, a New Delhi-based non-profit, says the frequency of cloudburst events in the western Himalayan region has been on the continuous rise due to faster evaporation rates from glacial lakes at high altitudes, as a consequence of global warming.

Science is already telling us that extreme rainfall is going to get even more intense and frequent. Cloudburst could be more intense due to global warming, says Climate Trends.

On July 28, 2021, there was a cloudburst at the same place. But the Amarnath Yatra was not on last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and therefore no life was lost.

Why have no lessons been learnt from July 2021?

Consider what the Niti Aayog, the governments own think tank, had said some time ago. In its August 2018 Report of Working Group II Sustainable Tourism in the Indian Himalayan Region, the agency flags the need to build in the concept of destination carrying capacity for getting the balance right in the volume, timing and location of visits and for reducing congestion and ensuring socio-environment compliance.

Organisations overseeing religious places need to factor in the basics of crowd management. Disaster experts have been stressing measures like situating pilgrim tents in places which are safe, frequent weather risk assessments, especially in mountainous regions where there can be sudden changes of weather, contingency plans, far better marking of emergency exit/escape routes and ensuring pilgrims are aware of them.

All of this can be done if the numbers are strictly controlled. But can it be done  even in ecologically fragile terrain  if the key objective is to ensure the highest-ever pilgrim footfalls? The obsession with setting footfall records is costing lives. This year, the Uttarakhand government has capped the daily number of pilgrims visiting the famous Himalayan shrines in the state, especially Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath during the Char Dham Yatra, but ecologists say the cap is far too high.

It is time to talk numbers and be safe rather than sorry.
Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters is seeking to challenge the results of the June 28 primary for the Republican nod for Secretary of State.

Peters signed a notarized letter seeking a recount on July 12, according to information from the Mesa County District Attorney's office. That letter was received by the Secretary of State Jena Griswold's office Thursday morning.

That letter also served as a key piece of a Thursday morning decision by a Mesa County court judge to issue a warrant for Peters' arrest. The terms of her $25,000 bond include the requirement to request permission to travel. The recount letter is notarized by a Clark County, Nevada notary.

In her letter, Peters alleged there was "extensive malfeasance" in the June 28 primary. She pointed out that she took almost 61% of the delegate vote at the state GOP assembly and won every straw poll, which she claimed meant she should have won the race.

Peters also cited a June 3 notice from CISA, the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, which warned of vulnerabilities in Dominion's ImageCastX system, based on a report by a University of Michigan computer science professor that has not been publicly released. The CISA notice, however, says the vulnerabilities have not been exploited.

In addition, that system is used only for in-person voting and on paper ballots. Most Coloradans vote by mail.

Former Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder Pam Anderson won the June 28 primary with 43.06% of the vote.

Peters took second place in the contest, with 28.86% of the vote, winning just seven out of the state's 64 counties, including Delta and Montrose on the western slope and Baca on the Eastern Plains.

Mike O'Donnell, who finished with just 5,000 fewer votes than Peters and at 28.08% of the vote, won 17 counties, mostly on the Eastern Plains. Anderson took the rest, including the population centers along the Front Range.

The state would authorize a recount if the margin between the first and second place finishers was 0.5% or less of Anderson's winning vote total. However, Anderson won by more than 14 percentage points over Peters.

In a statement, Secretary of State Jena Griswold said her office "has received formal notices requesting a recount from Ron Hanks for the 2022 Republican Primary Election Race for U.S. Senate and Tina Peters for the 2022 Republican Primary Election Race for Secretary of State. The Secretary of States Office will follow all the steps required by Colorado Statute regarding any request for a recount.

Because the vote did not meet the requirements for an automatic recount, Peters will have to pay for the recount, and that could be pricey.

Peters raised only $215,000 for her primary campaign and had just over $32,000 cash on hand as of June 22, according to TRACER, the state campaign finance database.

Peters claims the indictment is part of a witch hunt against her and denies the charges.

Given that Peters decided to run for Secretary of State, her term of office as Mesa County clerk and recorder will end in January. Bobbie Jo Gross, whom Peters defeated in the 2018 Republican primary, won the June 28 primary to replace her and is likely to win the general election in November.
The Colorado Chamber of Commerce on Thursday released endorsements for the state House and Senate elections, choosing almost all Republican candidates.

The chamber is backing 43 candidates in the 82 legislative races in the November general election. Of the endorsed candidates, 35 are Republicans and 8 are Democrats. The chamber said it chose its candidates based on their support and commitment to local businesses, as well as their willingness to work across party lines.

We need legislators who are committed to supporting the states business community at the Capitol, said Chamber CEO Loren Furman. The candidates weve chosen to endorse have all demonstrated a dedication to working with the business community to support forward-thinking policies that will promote job creation and opportunity for all Coloradans.

The chamber backed 20 new Republican candidates. Notably, it chose Republican newcomers Jaylen Mosqueira, Ryan Gonzalez and Stephen Varela over their Democratic incumbent opponents, Rep. David Ortiz, Rep. Mary Young and Sen. Nick Hinrichsen, respectively. The chamber also selected Republican newbies Matt Soloman, Tim Walsh and Tom Kim over House Democrats seeking to enter the Senate: Rep. Dylan Roberts, Rep. Lisa Cutter and Rep. Tom Sullivan.

In the battle for Senate District 11, one of the only races featuring two sitting lawmakers competing against each other, the chamber endorsed Republican Sen. Dennis Hisey over Democratic Rep. Tony Exum.

The chamber also threw its support behind more than a dozen Republican lawmakers running for reelection or for a new office, including Sen. Rob Woodward for Senate District 15, Rep. Mark Baisley for Senate District 4, Rep. Janice Rich for Senate District 7, Rep. Mary Bradfield for House District 21, Rep. Perry Will for House District 57 and Rep. Stephanie Luck for House District 60.

Seven of the eight Democrat candidates selected are also already lawmakers: Sen. Robert Rodriguez for Senate District 32, Rep. Julie McCluskie for House District 13, Rep. Marc Snyder for House District 18, Rep. Lindsey Daugherty for House District 24, Rep. Shannon Bird for House District 29, Rep. Mandy Lindsay for House District 42 and Rep. Barbara McLachlan for House District 59.

The only new Democrat endorsed by the chamber is William Lindstedt, a Broomfield City Council member who is running for House District 33. A vacancy committee selected Lindstedt in May to replace Rep. Matt Gray on the primary ballot after Gray was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

The chamber's full list of endorsed candidates can be accesses on cochamber.com.
Colorado Politics is published both in print and online. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. Member subscribers also receive the weekly print edition of our award-winning newspaper, containing outstanding features and news stories, in their mailboxes every Saturday.
07/14/2022

Photo (c) undefined undefined - Getty Images COVID-19 tally as compiled by Johns Hopkins University. (Previous numbers in parentheses.)

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 89,225,558 (88,947,827)

Total U.S. deaths: 1,023,635 (1,021,853)

Total global cases: 559,652,282 (557,824,287)

Total global deaths: 6,363,656 (6,356,013)

BA.5 becomes the dominant strain

COVID-19 cases are rapidly rising in wide areas of the U.S., and health officials say BA.5, a subvariant of the Omicron variant, is mostly responsible. The subvariant is highly transmissible, and people in areas of high infection are being urged to wear masks when indoors.

COVID-19 cases that were reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) so far this month rose by nearly 30%, and scientists say BA.5 and its twin, BA.4, appear to be driving the numbers higher in both the U.S. and Europe.

Health officials say the spread of the subvariants has resulted in an increase in new cases, but they say most of the cases appear to produce mild to moderate symptoms. They say hospitalizations have risen, but not like in previous COVID-19 waves.

FDA authorizes Novavax vaccine

There are now four COVID-19 vaccines that can be used in the U.S. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted emergency use authorization (EUA) to the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine for use in adults aged 18 and older.

Authorizing an additional COVID-19 vaccine expands the available vaccine options for the prevention of COVID-19, including the most severe outcomes that can occur, such as hospitalization and death, said FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert M. Califf.

Seniors urged to get a second booster shot

White House officials who are managing the COVID-19 response are urging Americans who are 50 years old or older to get a second booster shot.

"If you have not gotten a vaccine shot in the year 2022, if you have not gotten one this year, please go get another vaccine shot," said response coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha. "It could save your life."

Around the nation
07/14/2022

Photo (c) Nils Versemann - Getty Images Coffee retailer Starbucks, which is countering a growing unionization movement among its baristas, is now grappling with another problem: crime.

This week, company officials announced that they are closing 16 U.S. stores out of concern for the safety of its employees  referred to in the company as partners. Starbucks is permanently shuttering six stores each in Seattle and Los Angeles; two in Portland, Ore.; and single locations in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

In a message to employees, U.S. operations leads Debbie Stroud and Denise Nelson said the company is acting in response to reports of rising crimes in the vicinity of the targeted stores, as well as drug use and disruptions in the cafes themselves.

We read every incident report you fileits a lot, the executives wrote in their message. We cannot serve as partners if we dont first feel safe at work.

The company may go even further. According to the New York Post, Starbucks will provide employees with active shooter training.

The Post reported that in April, a woman in Richardson, Texas, was arrested in the shooting death of her childs grandmother inside a Starbucks. In 2021, a man was shot to death while sitting in the drive-thru lane at a Starbucks in Los Angeles.

Other businesses under pressure

Starbucks is not the only retail business with employees who increasingly find themselves in harms way. TV news viewers have been shocked to see surveillance footage of shoplifters engaging in what appear to be organized smash and grab operations at high-end jewelry and apparel stores.

Last month, the San Francisco Police Department reported that 10 different smash and grab retail thefts occurred between March 18 and April 10 at locations that spanned six different police districts in the city. Multiple locations were targeted more than once.

In one of those crimes, the department said a customer was assaulted when he confronted one of the suspects. Employees have also been injured when trying to intervene.

Kim Cordova, a union grocery workers union president in Colorado, recently told the New York Times that worker safety is now as important as economic issues in contract negotiations.

People have changed, she told the Times. Sometimes I wonder if I am living in a Netflix movie. This cant be real.
Hong Kong: Positive case management enhanced

(To watch the full press briefing with sign language interpretation, click here.)

Starting today, outbound travellers to the Mainland or Macau via three ports whose special nucleic acid test results are positive, will be issued with isolation orders immediately and sent to a community isolation facility, the Government announced.

The move is part of the Governments enhancements on the management of COVID-19 positive cases.

The three ports involved are Shenzhen Bay Port, Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port and Hong Kong International Airport.

At the daily press briefing this afternoon, Centre for Health Protection Communicable Disease Branch Head Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan said: Most of the people departing from Hong Kong have a pre-departure test (result that is) negative (for COVID-19). They have to undergo another quick PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test to fulfil the requirement of departure to the Mainland.

To improve and to strengthen the management of these (positive) cases, we will require all departing passengers to be sent to the community isolation facilities for those who have a positive quick PCR (test result).

Meanwhile, an online booking system was launched today for the special nucleic acid test service at Shenzhen Bay Port.

Starting from tomorrow, infected people undergoing home isolation will be required to wear electronic wristbands.

Dr Chuang also said the centre is investigating 3,417 additional locally acquired COVID-19 cases, of which 1,365 were directly identified through nucleic acid tests and 2,052 via rapid antigen tests that were verified.

Separately, 257 imported cases were reported.

The centre added that two elderly care homes have identified one positive case each, while another two have reported two cases each, involving residents.

It also received notifications of 355 positive cases from 292 schools.

The Government made restriction-testing declarations to cover Heng Yue House of Fu Heng Estate in Tai Po and Wu Tsui House of Wu King Estate in Tuen Mun, 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 estates in Wong Tai Sin, Sai Kung and Sha Tin 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: 2022-07-14. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Interview: Most unilateral sanctions violate international law, says UN expert

Xinhua) 09:50, July 14, 2022

GENEVA, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Humanitarian concerns should always prevail over political ones, and unilateral measures may only be taken with due account of the rule of law, a United Nations (UN) human rights expert told Xinhua in a recent interview.

The majority of today's unilateral sanctions, imposed mainly by the U.S.-led western powers, do not fall within the scope of international law, according to Alena Douhan, special rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures (UCMs) on the enjoyment of human rights.

"I would say that around 98 percent of the unilateral sanctions taken today violate the international obligations of states," she said.

Douhan took up her functions at the UN on March 25, 2020. She is a professor of international law and director of the Peace Research Center at the Belarusian State University.

During her recent visit to Zimbabwe, she was told that unilateral sanctions had forced some students there to change from continuous to periodic learning -- as if they were tourists. When these students came back for exams, they had to sleep on the streets.

"We have clearly observed that the use of unilateral sanctions and unilateral coercive measures is affecting the right to development and impeding the achievement of every single sustainable development goal," she said.

Among all the negative impacts of UCMs, Douhan mentioned that the right to health is severely affected, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, as she has observed during her recent visits to Venezuela and other countries.

In Venezuela, due to the absence of gasoline, it is extremely difficult for women to get to hospital for basic medical assistance, as the transportation fee could be equal to their monthly salary.

She said the mortality rate among women and newborn babies has kept growing as many hospitals -- due to sanctions -- lacked the facilities to take care of new moms and their babies.

In a report on her official visit to Venezuela last year, the special rapporteur concluded that the targeted sanctions exacerbated the pre-existing economic and social crises and had a devastating effect on the entire population.

She stressed that these sanctions, imposed mostly in the name of human rights, democracy and the rule of law, undermine those very principles, values and norms.

She cited relevant survey findings as saying that due to the sharp increase in UCMs, the general mortality rate in Venezuela increased by 31 percent between 2017 and 2018.

Another special concern for the UN expert is extraterritorial secondary sanctions and threats of sanctions resulting in overcompliance with existing sanctions regimes, which prevent the sanctioned states and their people from purchasing essential goods.

According to one of her reports, the obstruction of the purchase of vaccines has exposed approximately 2.6 million children in Venezuela to the risks of meningitis, rotavirus infection, malaria, measles, yellow fever and influenza.

During a 12-day visit to Iran, she learned how unilateral sanctions had deprived patients who suffered rare diseases and disabilities of the medicine and assistive equipment they needed.

"I am gravely concerned about the life-threating consequences of the high costs and in certain cases complete absence of specialized medicines and medical equipment due to sanctions-induced trade and financial restrictions," she said.

She pointed out that even in situations when humanitarian exemptions are applicable, natural and legal entities like banks and ships are reluctant to be involved in transactions for fear of responsibilities, and this results in overcompliance with already massive sanctions regimes.

She cited the example of a Chinese businessman, who wanted to donate masks and other urgently needed medical protective materials in March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic started to wreak havoc across the globe. The shipment, however, could not reach its final destination as the carrier, a United States company, refused at the last minute to deliver the goods citing United States sanction regulations.

"We started to face a new tendency of secondary sanctions and overcompliance. ... The world starts to be ruled by fear," she said.

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun)
By Shankar Sharma*

The Power Minister has said that power tariff to rise 60-70 paise per unit for blending imported coal. This when energy consumption has jumped about 25 per cent, and peak demand has also risen by 15 per cent in the last one year.Is it difficult to imagine the overall impact on our economy, especially on the poor and vulnerable sections of our society, if this trend of enormous annual growth in electricity demand continues even for a few years?The vested business interests may be rubbing their hands with glee over the possible profits from coal imports; and the economists and bureaucrats may be happy to see the "good" growth in our economy, as measured only by the steep and unsustainable increase in energy demand growth. But what happens to the commodity prices linked to tariff increase of 60-70 paise per unit?If the omissions and commissions by the central and state governments allow/encourage the electricity demand growth of this size every year even for the next 4-5 years (let us not forget the growth target of $ 5-10 trillion in the next few years), the same people may not be as happy as they are now; because it will be almost impossible to meet such a high demand growth without seriously impacting all other sectors of our economy."We have asked power plants to blend 10 per cent imported coal to avoid blackout as domestic coal production is not enough.": the minister has said.It was only 2-3 years ago the ministers of the same goverment who were first saying that import of coal will be stopped, and next they talked about exporting coal to Bangladesh. Now the domestic coal production is not enough; but the authorities seem to be happy about the massive growth in the demand.Even if we ignore deleterious impacts on many sector so for our economy, what will be the fate of Atma Nirbhar Bharat, if we have to import a lot more coal and other fossil fuels?It is impossible to notice any rationality or cohesiveness in such ad-hoc policies. A diligently prepared national energy policy could have have helped to minimise such inconsistencies. But no one seems to be bothered about such coherent and strategic policies.---
When news broke on June 24th that the U.S. Supreme Court had officially reversed Roe v. Wade, declaring that the constitutional right to abortion no longer exists, privacy advocates almost immediately began to ring alarm bells.

The right to an abortion and a right to privacy may seem like disparate freedoms, but the right to abortion access, according to the original 1973 Roe ruling, is based on a right to privacy guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment's due process clause, privacy advocates argue. The concern is that the decision could now have wider-reaching impacts for other kinds of privacy that Americans consider to be a basic right.

"If this reasoning were adopted, it would not only reverse a half century of abortion rights, but it would undermine the Constitution's long-recognized right to privacy, which has played a role in protecting everything from the right to contraceptives to the right to same-sex marriage," said Albert Fox Cahn, the executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, in an interview with Mashable.

One of the first infosec and privacy professionals to weigh in on Twitter was Eva Galperin (@evacide), Director of Cybersecurity at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and well-known digital privacy expert.

Ive spent my career helping activists and journalists in authoritarian countries, where it is often wise to think several steps ahead about digital privacy. Now tech workers must apply this mindset to people providing and seeking abortions, she tweeted.

One topic that immediately pushed to the front in the weeks following the June news was questions surrounding menstrual tracking apps, and whether or not the data could be used to determine a persons pregnancy and therefore used as evidence if a state wants to prosecute a person who obtains a termination.

But as the conversation unfolded, many noted that while the concerns about period trackers were not unfounded, it surfaces a larger discussion about how all kind of apps are using data that can be weaponized.

Just because period-tracking apps could be a way to trawl for people who might have had abortions, it doesn't follow that getting rid of your period-tracking app will make you safe. Giving up automated period-tracking imposes a high costand it's a cost with very few benefits in terms of security from forced-birth law-enforcement attacks, argued Cory Doctorow (@doctorow), a privacy activist and journalist, in his blog, Pluralistic. Why? Well, the data-leakage from some period apps might be ghastly, but it isn't exceptional. Appssold as a tool for improving software quality and security by subjecting it to oversight from Google and Appleare privacy nightmares.

Whitney Merrill (@wbm312), a privacy and infosec lawyer, agreed with the sentiment.

Ha this is exactly the rant I went on yesterday on a podcast with the amazing

@privacypen, she tweeted. We should care more about the privacy issues of all the apps, not just period trackers.

Emily Gorcenski (@EmilyGorcenski), a technologist, activist, and writer, said the conversation points to a much larger concern around the need to establish better laws that protect citizens privacy in the United States.

Fears around period tracker data are largely overwrought, but their existence shows how badly we need an American data privacy law, she said.

Google takes a position on health privacy

Google found its way into the privacy conversation a little over a week later, noting it will immediately delete location history when users visit certain types of sensitive medical facilities, including abortion clinics.

"Today, were announcing that if our systems identify that someone has visited one of these places, we will delete these entries from Location History soon after they visit, Jen Fitzpatrick, senior vice president of core systems and experiences at Google, wrote in a July 1 blog post.

Google also added it considers visits to fertility centers, addiction treatment facilities, domestic violence shelters, and weight loss clinics also to be personal and private and will implement a new feature soon that automatically deletes visits to these kinds of locations.

Digital rights activist Evan Greer (@evan_greer), director of the non-profit Fight for the Future, noted that while the move was positive, Google needs to further consider its collection practices given the amount of data it keeps on users daily.

This is good in the sense it shows tech companies are feeling the heat to clean up the surveillance hellscape mess they've made. But Google is going to have to do a whole lot more than this if they want to prevent their data hoard from being weaponized against abortion access, Greer tweeted.

POTUS makes the next privacy move

The conversation about privacy evolved to another level last Friday as President Joe Biden announced plans to sign an executive order that seeks to protect reproductive rights in the wake of the Roe decision. In a fact sheet for the executive order, it addresses several points of concern, including worries about threats to individual digital privacy and the ability of law enforcement to use data as a way to restrict reproductive rights. The order also directs the Federal Trade Commission to examine other protections for those seeking information about and accessing an abortion.

This is a BIG deal for privacy, tweeted Tonya Riley (@TonyaJoRiley), a writer with CyberScoop. Biden goes deep on privacy on the fact sheet on his new Executive Order for protecting reproductive health care.

But some privacy experts, including Jules Polonetsky (@JulesPolonetsky), CEO of Future of Privacy Forum, thought the order did not go far enough.

I guess I would have wanted a strong call for federal privacy legislation...and a call for industry to do more to restrict/protect/delete data it holds, she tweeted.

This article originally appeard in CSO's Socialized Security newsletter. Subscribe today!
Researchers have discovered a new attack technique that exploits the speculative execution feature of modern CPUs to leak potentially sensitive information from the kernel's memory. The attack circumvents some of the software defenses some operating systems put in place to prevent previous exploits of this nature.

The attack, dubbed Retbleed by researchers from Swiss university ETH Zurich, works against both Intel and AMD CPUs. On Intel it's tracked as CVE-2022-29901 and impacts CPU generations 6, 7 and 8 although to different extents and depending on the mitigations used by the operating system. On AMD it's tracked as CVE-2022-29900 and impacts AMD Zen 1, Zen 1+ and Zen 2 CPUs.

What is Retbleed?

Retbleed falls in the same class of attacks as Spectre, an attack announced in January 2018 that kicked off several years of academic research into security issues related to speculative execution, a mechanism that modern CPUs use to increase performance. Speculative execution is a CPU feature that uses internal algorithms to attempt to guess in advance the path a program's execution will take when it will reach a conditional branch in the code. The goal is to execute instructions down the predicted path in advance and store the results, which can include sensitive information, in CPU caches temporarily to serve them when and if the program's execution flow needs them. If the prediction proves to be incorrect, the results are discarded.

With the Spectre class of attacks, researchers proved that malicious code can use various techniques to intentionally guide CPUs to execute code paths that would reveal sensitive information and then extract that information from caches using side-channel techniques. Since 2018 researchers have discovered many variations of Spectre, using different methods to force mispredictions.

Intel and AMD responded by adding hardware-based mitigations: indirect branch restricted speculation (IBRS) and later enhanced indirect branch restricted speculation (eIBRS) for Intel and CSV2 for AMD. Meanwhile Google researchers proposed a software-based mitigation technique called retpoline that was adopted by some operating system and hypervisor vendors.

"Unlike its siblings, who trigger harmful branch target speculation by exploiting indirect jumps or calls, Retbleed exploits return instructions," the ETH Zurich researchers said in their report. "This means a great deal, since it undermines some of our current Spectre-BTI defenses."

Namely, the retpoline mitigation consists of replacing indirect jumps and calls with returns because back in 2018 it was deemed impractical to exploit returns because under normal conditions returns are not predicted as indirect branches. However, the ETH Zurich researchers found conditions to allow such exploitation and they're more common than previously believed.

"On Intel, returns start behaving like indirect jumps when the return stack buffer, which holds return target predictions, is underflowed," they explain. "This happens upon executing deep call stacks. In our evaluation, we found over a thousand of such conditions that can be triggered by a system call."

"On AMD, returns will behave like an indirect branch regardless of the state of their return address stack," the researchers added. "In fact, by poisoning the return instruction using an indirect jump, the AMD branch predictor will assume that it will encounter an indirect jump instead of a return and consequentially predict an indirect branch target. This means that any return that we can reach through a system call can be exploited  and there are tons of them."

Impact and mitigations for Retbleed

The researchers developed their proof-of-concept attack on Linux and coordinated disclosure with the Linux kernel developers and Intel. Fixing the retpoline implementation on Linux required changes to 68 files, adding 1,783 new lines of code and removing 387 lines. The new mitigation also comes with a performance cost that the researchers estimate is between 14% and 39%.

Windows and Apple computers with impacted CPUs are also theoretically affected since this is a microarchitectural issue. However, in its own security advisory Intel said that the "Windows operating system uses IBRS by default, so no update is required."

Intel refers to the Retbleed attack as Return Stack Buffer Underflow (RSBU) and says in its updated developer guidance that "enabling IBRS (including enhanced IBRS) will mitigate the RSBU attack."

EIBRS is more performant than the standard IBRS, but some older Skylake-generation CPUs don't support the mitigation, which is why some operating system vendors or virtual machine managers didn't enable the less performant IBRS by default and used the software-based retpoline mitigation instead, and retpoline is vulnerable to this attack. Intel updated its table of CPUs affected by "transient attacks" including Retbleed/RSBU and plans to provide microcode updates for some of the CPUs.

Meanwhile, AMD has determined that Retbleed is one instance of a more general microarchitecture behavior that the company's engineers have dubbed Branch Type Confusion (CVE-2022-23825). The vendor released new developer guidance for mitigating this class of issues.

Hypervisor vendors such as Xen and Citrix released their own advisories and patches. Xen released patches only to address the issue on some AMD CPUs saying that "for ARM and Intel CPUs, Xen implemented the vendor-recommended defaults in XSA-254 and follow-on fixes" and that no further fixes are required at this time. However, administrators who deviated from the default mitigations should re-evaluate their threat models because they might be affected. Citrix's patches also only address AMD Zen 1 and AMD Zen 2 CPUs, as the company determined its hypervisor running on AMD Zen 3 and Intel CPUs is not impacted.
Since early 2021 researchers have observed multiple attack campaigns by state-sponsored advanced persistent threat (APT) groups aimed at journalists and the media organizations they work for. The attacks targeted their work emails and social media accounts and often followed journalists' coverage of stories that painted certain regimes in a bad light or were timed to sensitive political events in the U.S.

Journalists have always been an appealing target for spies due to the access they have to sensitive information and the trust that organizations and individuals generally place in them, which is why it's imperative for members of the media to undergo online security training and be aware of the techniques used by state-linked hackers.

"The media sector and those that work within it can open doors that others cannot," researchers from Proofpoint said in a new report that documents recent attack campaigns against journalists by APT groups linked to China, North Korea, Iran and Turkey. "A well-timed, successful attack on a journalists email account could provide insights into sensitive, budding stories and source identification. A compromised account could be used to spread disinformation or pro-state propaganda, provide disinformation during times of war or pandemic, or be used to influence a politically charged atmosphere."

From tracking pixels to malware

Due to their highly targeted nature, reconnaissance plays a big role in APT attacks, as hackers need to know as much information about a potential victim as possible to craft believable lures. Often this includes validating someone's email address and the likelihood of them opening a future malicious message.

Attackers often achieve this by embedding pixel-sized images hosted on web servers they control into benign email messages. These are known as tracking pixels or web beacons and are triggered when an email is read sending back to the attackers the target's external IP address, user-agent string, which helps them identify their operating system and email client and, more important, validation that the targeted email account is active and the owner reads their emails.

Chinese APT group tracks U.S. journalists

Between January and February 2021, Proofpoint researchers observed a Chinese APT group tracked as TA412 or Zirconium targeting U.S.-based journalists using such reconnaissance emails with web beacons. The emails used recent news headlines as subject and included text copied from legitimate articles. Following the attack on the U.S. Capitol building on January 6, the campaign intensified and focused on Washington DC and White House correspondents.

After several months of break, the same group launched another reconnaissance campaign in August 2021 focused on journalists who covered cybersecurity, surveillance and privacy stories that painted China and the Chinese government in an unfavorable light. Yet another wave of emails directed at journalists happened in February 2022 and based on the email topics, it was focused on those who reported about the EU and U.S. involvement in the War in Ukraine.

While the detected campaigns by TA412 were only focused on reconnaissance, it's likely that they were followed by attempts to compromise the selected targets with malware either by email or in other ways.

An example of that is an attack campaign targeting journalists launched in April by a different Chinese APT tracked as TA459. That attack came from a possibly compromised Pakistani government email address and had a malicious RTF attachment that deployed a backdoor program called Chinoxy. The target was a media organization reporting on the Russia-Ukraine war, the Proofpoint researchers said.

Another APT group, known as TA404 or Lazarus, that's affiliated with the North Korean government also launched a reconnaissance campaign in early 2022 against a media organization that wrote a critical story about North Korea and its leader. The benign emails masqueraded as job offerings and included URLs with unique tracking IDs for each recipient.

"While Proofpoint researchers did not observe follow-up emails, considering this threat actors proclivity for later sending malware-laden email attachments, it is likely that TA404 would have attempted to send malicious template document attachment or something similar in the future," the Proofpoint researchers said.

In March, Google TAG documented a similar email campaign launched by North Korean threat actors that led recipients to pages that exploited a vulnerability in Google Chrome. The targets included news media organizations.

Journalists social media accounts are also a target

The attacks against journalists are not limited to malware deployment attempts, but also credential phishing as rogue messages posted from the social media accounts of journalists can have a big reach and can be used in disinformation campaigns.

Since early 2022, Proofpoint has been tracking an email campaign by a Turkish APT group. The emails masquerade as alerts from Twitter security and direct recipients to a phishing page for Twitter credentials.

"Ongoing campaigns have narrowed in on Twitter credentials of any individuals that write for media publications," the researchers said. "This includes journalists from well-known news outlets to those writing for an academic institution and everything in-between."

It's not clear what these attackers plan to do with the Twitter credentials. They could be used to target the social media contacts of journalists, read their private messages, or deface their accounts.

Impersonating journalists to extract information from victims or direct them to phishing websites is a technique long used by several Iranian APT groups. Proofpoint has tracked campaigns by Iran-linked TA453, also known as Charming Kitten; TA456, also known as Tortoiseshell; and TA457 that have impersonated journalists or media organizations to target academics and policy experts, public relations personnel for companies located in the U.S., Israel and Saudi Arabia, and various other individuals.

"The varied approaches by APT actors -- using web beacons for reconnaissance, credential harvesting, and sending malware to gain a foothold in a recipients network -- means those operating in the media space need to stay vigilant," the Proofpoint researchers said. "Being aware of the broad attack surface -- all the varied online platforms used for sharing information and news -- an APT actor can leverage is also key to preventing oneself from becoming a victim. And ultimately practicing caution and verifying the identity or source of an email can halt an APT attack in its nascent stage."
FAIRFIELD  Fairfield University wants to build a 165-bed student dormitory on its campus, but some residents are pushing back.

The new sophomore residence hall is planned to be called Regis West and would be on the schools campus at 1073 North Benson Road near Round Hill Road.

The university is seeking site plan approval and a special exception permit for the dorm, John Fallon, Fairfield Universitys attorney for the application, said at the recent Town Plan and Zoning Commission meeting. He said the project is part of the schools master plan, which calls for $225 million in upgrades and renovations.

Whether its been the Egan School of Nursing, the Dolan School of Business and many other renovations, including the now under construction convocation center, we continue to attempt to raise the bar in terms of the overall quality of the student experience and enhance that experience, he said. Hopefully, youll agree the university is a very vital asset to the community.

Fallon said the university aims to increase undergraduate enrollment to about 5,000 students, and the proposed dorm would help give it the capacity to do that. He said the dorm would be built in a primary residential area of the university.

Fairfield University initials application to the Zoning Board of Appeals called for a five-story, 56-foot tall dorm, but Fallon said the university downsized it to four stories and 46 feet after discussions with the ZBA and nearby residents. The ZBA later approved the application, along with plans to make exterior lighting dimmer, to plant trees every 50 feet on Round Hill Road and to build a eight-foot berm with arborvitae trees on it.

Fallon asked the commission to make those agreements conditions of its approval as well.

The revised proposal... ensures that this will not have any adverse impact on the neighborhood, will harmonize in an attractive manner with the character of our campus as it currently exists and its going to provide us the additional housing consistent with our very carefully planned growth, he said.

Robert Rogers, a neighbor, said he opposes Regis West because of possible light pollution and the proposed height of the building. He also doubted the proposed berm would address those concerns.

There will surely be an increase in light pollution onto College Park Drive, he said, adding he was also worries about how the universitys growth plan will impact traffic and parking.

Jose Hernandez, an architect on the project, described the proposed dorm as a brick,unremarkable building. He said that is intentional so it can fit in with the rest of that residential quad.

Hernandez said the building would be nearly 46,200 square feet, and set up like most residence halls. He noted the dorm would be lower than the other dorms around it. He added sophomores are not allowed to have vehicles on campus.

We see this building as an improvement over whats there now, said David Frassinelli, Fairfield Universitys vice president for facilities. An improvement over what you see visually, but also an improvement of general light trespass and night sky illumination.

Many of the commissions questions for the applicant revolved around the plans impact on neighbors and the proposed measures to block their view of the dorm and light from it.

Commissioner Kathryn Braun questioned the plantings, noting the neighbors property trees are lush, natural and wild.

Honestly, arborvitaes are pretty Disney-esque, she said. It doesnt look the same at all.

Fallon said the planting plan was created after numerous meetings with neighbors.

When you look at existing conditions, and what were going to have afterwards, I think its a major improvement, he said. Not only in terms of mitigating any impact relative to Regis West, but in mitigating current views and vistas associated with Jogues and Regis.

Frassinelli said the berm would limit views of the building, discourage foot traffic, block headlights in the parking lot and improve the streetscape. He said the changes to lighting in the parking lot will be less disruptive to neighbors and the plan reduces the amount of light that will be seen from the building on other properties.

Jeff Cramer, a Round Hill Road resident, said he doesnt want existing trees removed and contested Fallons claim that the neighboring community was involved in the process. He said meetings took place between the university and the two neighbors that would be most severely impacted.

The rest of the community was not made available to those discussions until very later in the process, he said. At which time myself and several other neighbors did protest against the berm. I dont see the need or the purpose. Its not necessary.

Fallon said the existing trees were mostly dead, scrawny or invasive type species... that do not provide any visual buffer or any aesthetic attractiveness whatsoever.

joshua.labella@hearstmediact.com
HARTFORD  When renowned Connecticut chef Tyler Anderson was approached by a community group to help start a pay-what-you-can restaurant in the Parkville area, he admittedly thought it was crazy.

On Thursday, though, Anderson stood outside the grand opening for Gather55, Connecticuts first restaurant of its kind.

Ive always wanted to turn all of my restaurants into pay-what-you-can restaurants, he said. Unfortunately, I have business partners, and they didnt like the idea at all. So its nice to have business partners like this that let us do it and want to do it.

The project was spearheaded by Hands on Hartford, a local non-profit that works on projects for underserved communities in Hartford. Gather55 takes the place of a traditional soup kitchen, promising food from a rotating host of professional chefs with a space designed to bring together Hartford residents of varying socioeconomic backgrounds.

With no pay-what-you-can restaurants in the area, Hands on Hartford Executive Director Barbara Shaw and her team traveled around the country to look at similar restaurants and learn more about what made them successful. The key, Shaw said, is cultivating a consistently diverse set of diners throughout the restaurant. Organizers expect that about 25 percent of diners will not be able to pay for meals.

They also lean heavily on a large group of volunteers who help with serving, cooking and dishwashing.

The restaurant had a soft opening in May and held its official grand opening Thursday morning. Dinner service is expected to start in October and will include a rotating cast of guest chefs, starting with Anderson. The Simsbury native said hes already heard from friends across the country who are interested in getting involved.

Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said the restaurant will help contribute to the development of the Parkville area.

It is building a restaurant that belongs to everybody, he said. Thats accessible to everybody. That makes healthy, fresh, delicious food available to everybody and allows you to pay what you can.

The building, at 55 Bartholomew Ave., previously housed a cafe that closed at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Gather55 is open Monday through Thursday with breakfast and lunch service.

Donessia Harris, community day program specialist for Hands on Hartford, said she knows almost every diner by name at this point. But shes hoping with the grand opening and more attention for the restaurant, theyll continue to diversify their clientele and shell have a few new faces to interact with, in addition to the strong base already there.

It is incredibly exciting, Shaw said after the grand opening. Ive worked in the non-profit world for almost 40 years, and this is really one of the most amazing and energizing and inspirational programs I think Ive ever been part of.

jonah.dylan@hearstmediact.com, @TheJonahDylan
Contributed photo

Kaitlin Lyle has joined Hearst Connecticut on Monday as a weeklies reporter with the New Milford Spectrum and Ridgefield Press.

A graduate of Central Connecticut State University, she started her professional career in journalism as a staff reporter for The Millerton News just over the border in New York.
EAST HARTFORD  Two teenagers killed in a confrontation that police say followed a home invasion died of gunshot wounds and their deaths have been ruled homicides, the Chief State Medical Examiners office said Tuesday.

Isaiah Jose Lopez, 16, of Hartford, died of gunshot wounds to his torso, and Isaiah Miguel Nevarez, 15, of Meriden, died of gunshot wounds to his torso and upper left extremity, the medical examiner found.

The teens were former students of Hartford Public Schools, the district said in a statement Tuesday.

This is an unfortunate and tragic incident, and we are deeply saddened by the loss of members of our Hartford Public Schools community, the statement said. We are prepared to provide proper support and resources for students and staff affected by this tragedy. Our thoughts are with our former students families, friends and loved ones during this difficult time.

Police said the teens attacked the lone resident of the Graham Road duplex early on June 16. Armed with a handgun, the resident shot both intruders in what police have labeled a targeted home invasion.

East Hartford Fire Department paramedics rendered aid and rushed the teens to area hospitals, where they were pronounced dead. The resident suffered minor injuries in the attack and has been cooperating with investigators, police said.

Police have not filed any charges against the resident. Connecticut law on a civilians use of deadly force follows the castle doctrine.

In defense of themselves, the law says a person is justified in using deadly force if another person is using or about to use deadly physical force or is inflicting great bodily harm. In defense of premises, the law says a person may use deadly force when he reasonably believes such to be necessary to prevent an attempt by the trespasser to commit arson or any crime of violence and to prevent or terminate unlawful entry by force into his dwelling.

Unlike other states with broad stand your ground laws, Connecticut law distinguishes between use of deadly force in self defense inside and outside a dwelling or place of work. Deadly force is not justified if the person being attacked can retreat safely  except that the actor shall not be required to retreat inside a home or place of work.

A stand your ground bill before the state legislature this year that did not make it to a vote would have strengthened justification for civilians use of deadly force and extended the circumstances in which deadly force could be used to crimes involving motor vehicles.

Intended or not, as written, state prosecutors wrote in opposition, this portion of the bill will effectively permit one person, absent any perceived threat of personal or third party harm, to kill another person merely because the person employing deadly physical force reasonably believes that the other person is attempting, or has succeeded, with force, to enter their unoccupied motor vehicle.

Prosecutors also warned that gunfire used to prevent a motor vehicle theft would create more hazards.

Ask yourself: Is your neighbors motor vehicle worth an errant bullet through your childs bedroom window or wall at 3 a.m.? the prosecutors wrote. Moreover, human life, even one engaging in criminal activity, is more valuable than a motor vehicle.

Anyone with information about the East Hartford case can call Detective Dan Ortiz at 860-291-7669, or the departments anonymous tip line at 860-289-9134.

Jesse.leavenworth@hearstmediact.com
Theres really no other way to shorthand it  Gov. Ned Lamont is marketing Connecticut as a sanctuary state for abortion.

It brings to mind former Texas Gov. Rick Perry making his first visit to Connecticut to try to lure away gun manufacturers in the wake of the Sandy Hook tragedy nearly a decade ago.

In seizing landmark moments in history as business opportunities, governors reaffirm the essence of what their states represent. Connecticuts shade of blue deepened when Roe v. Wade was overturned last month. Of course, that also has the potential to chase off some residents and businesses.

Lamont sticks to his reliable sleeves-rolled-up, aw, shucks demeanor in a video pitch to businesses. He starts by reaffirming that his state wont yield on supporting the right to choice, not as long as Im governor.

So this may be a time for you to think about taking a look at Connecticut as a place to move your business.

Then the governor counts off reasons out-of-state businesses might embrace moving to Connecticut.

A place where maybe your employees feel more at home. Perhaps you feel more at home. Your customers can better identify with our values.

Its not a sophisticated ad. There is more dignity in the language of the open letter Lamont co-wrote with Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz.

If you are looking to relocate to a state that supports the rights of women and whose actions and laws are unwavering in support of tolerance and inclusivity, Connecticut is for you, they wrote.

The governors spokesman, Max Reiss, reasoned that If this elicits a conversation in places like Texas or Florida or Missouri, we think thats a good thing for Connecticut.

Lamonts Republican rival, Bob Stefanowski, dismissed the likelihood that the issue would budge the needle for businesses contemplating a move. He, and others, point to evergreen obstacles such as labor costs, taxes and energy expenses.

Others said it is already having an impact. Peter Denious, chief executive of Advance CT, said a woman who owns a company in Ohio inquired about Connecticut with the declaration were outta here.

Fran Pastore, chief executive of the Womens Business Development Council in Stamford, said female entrepreneurs are expressing interest in launching in Connecticut.

If there is a business opportunity here, it rests on the next generation of businesses and employees.

Millennials and Gen Zs have done an admirable job of defining themselves as champions of diversity, equity and inclusion issues. Stefanowski may be correct that being a pro-choice state may not be enough to attract established businesses.

But it will matter to members of a younger work force who factor in social justice in making minor  and major  life decisions. Many of them think about it as they choose where to eat, where to shop, where to live and where to work.

Being defined by the tenets of tolerance is not a strategy; its the correct course. Connecticut is right to invite others to champion what that represents.
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Peppa Pig and her younger brother George Pig will be performing a live show this July 16 and 17 at The SoNo Collection in Norwalk.

The show, Postcards from Peppa, is a 20-minute interactive experience that will feature both Peppa and George on their journey from the UK to the United States, where their characters are starring in their Hollywood debut. There will be 16 chances to catch the live show and meet & greet from July 16 to July 17.
Despite hints of a possible recession on the horizon, hiring in some Connecticut employment sectors remains strong.

Donald Klepper Smith. an economist with DataCore Partners, said the reason for companies hiring with the possibility of a recession looming is pretty basic.

You grow your business one of two ways: with people or technology, Klepper-Smith said. In this environment, good people are hard to find. In manufacturing especially, there are jobs that are just going begging. So long as it adds to a companys bottom line profitability, companies will continue to hire workers they need.

But the prospect of an economic belt-tightening has some companies shrinking their work forces. Among those employers around the country that are laying off are tech-driven companies that flourished during the height of the pandemic.

An example of that is Gopuff, a Philadelphia-based delivery service, which announced Tuesday it is shutting or combining 76 distribution centers around the country amid expectations of what could be a much more significant macroeconomic turndown. Those closures and consolidations will result in a 10 percent reduction of the companys global workforce

Gopuff employs around 15,000 people in the U.S., Canada, and a handful of European countries, although information about the number of people the company employs in Connecticut wasnt immediately available Gopuff provides food and alcohol deliveries to 28 Connecticut communities, according to its website.

Heres a snap shot of some of the companies that are hiring around the state:

General Dynamics Electric Boat

At the head of the list is the nations largest submarine builder, which has manufacturing facilities in Groton and neighboring Rhode Island.

Kevin Graney, the companys president said in January the company is looking to new employees as part of what he termed a once-in-a-generation expansion. Graney said the company added more than 2,500 workers in 2021.

Dan McFadden, a spokesman with Electric Boat, said the company is looking to hire over 2,600 workers this year and has added 1,400 thus far. The company is looking to hire pipe fitters, welders, carpenters and painters as well as engineers.

Our need for people in the manual trades runs the gamut, McFadden said. Its a great time to come to work for us. If you have an interest in switching careers, we will train you for some of the jobs were looking to fill.

A combination of factors has resulted in Electric Boat looking to hire so many people, he said.

The company is the primary contractor in building Columbia class submarines for the U.S. Navy. It is working as a partner with Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, in developing the Virginia class submarines.

Were booking business well into the 2030s, McFadden said.

In addition to the amount or work, Electric Boat is doing, the other factor driving the hiring is veteran workers retiring after decades of working at the company, he said. To help replace those retiring workers, Electric Boat is working closely with Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment Board.

Electric Boat is also indirectly responsible for increased demand for workers at the small manufacturers across Connecticut that supply the defense contractor with the parts it needs. McFadden said generally speaking, its a challenge for everybody in manufacturing.

Theres a lot of demand for manufacturing skills everywhere, he said.

ASML

As part of the $200 million expansion of the companys corporate campus in Wilton, ASML - which makes equipment that is used in the manufacturing of semiconductors - expects to hire as many as 1,000 new workers over the next two years.

Evolution AB

The Swedish company, which provides live casino games for online betting sites, has opened a new studio in Fairfield that has already hired 140 workers and expects to add 260 more.

Evolution AB began operating in the state on Monday, providing live dealer games on both the FanDuel and DraftKings online casino platforms offered in Connecticut.

The jobs the company is hiring for in Connecticut include technical, production, administrative and information technology positions, as well as security, according to state officials.

Eversource Energy

The utility company, which provides electricity, natural gas and water in Connecticut, has 258 job openings in the state, according Al Lara, an Eversource spokesman. Lara said the company has openings in many different areas, including engineers, lineworkers and natural gas technicians as well as positions in corporate relations, information technology and energy efficiency.

Its an exciting time in the energy industry as it is rapidly changing and evolving, Lara said. Were building the grid of the future to advance clean energy, support electric vehicles and fortify the electric system to better withstand severe weather and we need skilled employees to accomplish that.

Budderfly

Flush with a $500 million investment from a Swiss private equity firm, this Shelton-based energy management outsourcing company is preparing to go on a hiring spree.

Officials with the Swiss private equity company Partners Group announced on Monday that it had acquired the ownership stake in Budderfly. Al Subbloie, the Connecticut companys founder and chief executive officer, said Partner Group has the financial resources to allow Budderfly to hire a lot more people as the business grows, with many of those new workers being hired in Connecticut.

Over the next year, Id say we will be hiring dozens, Subbloie said. Over the next three or four years, well be hiring hundreds.

Alexion

Alexion is looking to fill 50 jobs in the New Haven area as it prepares to move into a new biotech tower in late 2023.

More than half of those positions that the company is looking to fill are in research and development. Alexion is a subsidiary of global pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca.

HCL Technologies

The global information technology company announced late last year that it is looking to create 500 new jobs in Connecticut over a two to three year period. The workers would be part of HCL Technologies Global Delivery Center in Hartford, which serves the companys flagship client, New Britain-based Stanley Black & Decker.

The jobs that HCL is looking to fill include augmented reality positions, aerospace engineering, infrastructure, digital workplace, IT applications and operations technologies.

ShopRite and Price Rite

The two grocery chains have several New Haven area locations that need to hire between 20 and 30 new employees at each location. In order to fill those positions, the chains are holding company-wide job fair next July 19 at their stores between 3 and 7 p.m.

A variety of full-time, part-time and management positions with the two chains are available in Connecticut, depending on store and location. Price Rite is owned by New Jersey-based Wakefern Food Corp., the cooperative behind ShopRite.

Rebel Interactive Group

The digital marketing company opened its new headquarters on Cheshires West Main Street this week in a former high end furniture retailing space. Rebel Interactive has remade the 24,700 square foot property that had been Furniture Barns showroom into a space to fit its needs, adding a podcasting studio and video production facility.

Allison Minutillo, president and owner of the company, said at any given time, Rebel Interactive is looking to hire 10 to 15 people. When the company announced it was relocating to Cheshire seven months ago, it employed 95 people and now has about 110 workers.

Bryn Tindall, the companys chief executive officer and co-owner, said some of the positions Rebel Interactive is looking to fill include account executives and web developers.

The companys client list includes Aetna, Bank of America, Cigna and Delta Airlines.

luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com
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BRIDGEPORT  Acting Police Chief Rebeca Garcia, the first woman to lead Bridgeports force, on Thursday confirmed she has applied to become the citys full-time top cop in a search scheduled to end a few days before the two-year anniversary of her taking over the department.

After much consideration, I have decided to compete in the chiefs search, Garcia said in a statement responding to Hearst Connecticut Media, citing what she said were several positive developments under her command and her desire to continue to be challenged.

Garcia had for months declined to make public her intentions, including as recently as a week ago.

Ive been dedicated to the residents of the city and this department for 30-plus years, Im a lifelong resident, a strong/dedicated Hispanic female, and not afraid of challenge, as we know that challenges make us strong, Garcia said, concluding with a quote from Booker T. Washington, a former slave-turned-influential American educator, author and political leader.

You measure the size of the accomplishment by the obstacles you had to overcome to reach your goals, wrote Garcia.

Thursday was the deadline for candidates to apply. The total number was not immediately available, but last week stood at 13. Applicants will be vetted by Bridgeports personnel department and consultant, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, with three finalists forwarded to Mayor Joe Ganim by Sept. 16.

Garcias participation is sure to draw even more attention to an already highly-scrutinized process Ganims administration and the International Association of Chiefs of Police have sought to reassure will not be a replay of 2018s corrupted competition.

Four years ago then-Acting Chief Armando Perez, a longtime Ganim friend who helped elect him mayor in 2015, wound up one of three finalists at the end of a national search and was given a five-year contract by the mayor and City Council.

A little less than two years later, in September 2020, Perez and then-Personnel Director David Dunn were arrested on federal charges of conspiring to rig the competition for the former, pleaded guilty and each served time in prison. Ganim was represented during the probe by an attorney hired by the city, but denied any knowledge of Perezs and Dunns actions and was never charged.

Garcia, whom in December 2019 was promoted from captain to assistant chief, was Ganims choice to succeed Perez.

I was appointed to this position approximately two years ago during a very difficult time not only for the department but for the community as well, Garcia said in her statement Thursday. Together, we have been working diligently on recovery and rebuilding trust and have overcome many hurdles and I am looking forward to continuing these efforts.

She continued, I have been able to move the department forward with the dedication and support of members of the police department and the community partnerships established. We have been able to expand technology, acquire resources for investigative purposes, provide additional resources and education for our community members, lower our crime stats, acquire (state) accreditation status, just to name a few accomplishments during my tenure as acting chief of police.

The accreditation process, which concluded for Bridgeport last fall, is a multi-year effort to ensure municipal departments follow Connecticuts highest policing standards. Not every force is accredited because of the work involved.

Garcias tenure in charge has also been noteworthy for the various efforts to challenge her authority, including a successful lawsuit filed by other officers passed over for assistant chief over Garcias appointment to that vacancy in 2019, though the Ganim administration has appealed the case.

Also, the police union in March 2021 held a no-confidence vote in her leadership; the Guardians minority officers organization in June 2021 called for her to step down; and earlier this year Ganim cast blame on the chief following a national media firestorm over the Bridgeports alleged mishandling of two unrelated, premature deaths of two Black women  Lauren Smith-Fields and Brenda Lee Rawls.

The mayor while Garcia was away  and, she has said, without consulting her  had the two detectives involved placed on paid administrative leave before the conclusion of the internal probes into their actions. The union filed a grievance and an independent arbitrator in May sided with one of the detectives in question  Angel Llanos  and ordered him returned to duty. The second detective, Kevin Cronin, was subsequently quietly allowed to resume work before the arbitrator ruled on his case.

Garcia in her statement Thursday appeared to acknowledge some of the headwinds she has faced.

I have been asked by members of the community and the police department who have noted the positive change to not give up and apply for the position, she said.

City leaders and others have also debated whether the force would benefit from an outsiders perspective or from having Garcia or another individual who has spent much of their career in Bridgeport.

Candidates levels of education have also become a factor. Perez benefited in part from the Ganim administration's decision in 2018 to not require applicants have a college degree. None is being required this time, either, though a higher education or a commitment to higher education is preferred.

The city has never responded to Hearst Connecticuts Freedom of Information Act request for Garcias resume. However a copy of Garcia's resume from July 2019, filed in state Superior Court as part of a challenge against her promotion in 2019 to assistant chief, shows she received associates degrees and attended various policing/law enforcement courses.

The Guardians and others have decried the decision not to make a college degree a necessity.

Another of those critics, Gemeem Davis, a leader of the Bridgeport Generation Now civic group, declined Thursday to state whether she would support Garcia for permanent chief. Generation Now was in the minority in 2018 when its members strongly urged Ganim and the council pass over Perez.

The Bridgeport community at the forums (held this summer to help create the job description) was very clear that we want a chief that is qualified to run a department, someone who has an advanced degree and is committed to reforming the department in a way that is anti-racist and will reduce police violence and abuse of Bridgeport residents, Davis said Thursday. I dont know if she (Garcia) has a degree or what her positions are. ... She needs to articulate those things.
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.
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BRIDGEPORT  When Glenn Pettway Jr. killed himself last month rather than surrender to the crowd of heavily-armed Tennessee police that had surrounded a house there, the Garcia-Dumeng family felt cheated.

Pettway was accused of fatally shooting his former girlfriend, 30-year-old Marisol Dumeng, while out on bond for another murder and the victims family had hoped to confront him in court.

Instead, a large group of family and friends  many wearing T-shirts with Dumengs photograph  gathered in the Golden Hill Street courthouse Thursday morning to see the woman, Melanie Castro, who allegedly helped Pettway escape this area, be arraigned.

Today was Marisols birthday, said her mother, Lorraine Garcia, as she stood with family outside the arraignment courtroom. I just want justice for my daughter.

Others in the crowd could barely maintain their composure.

He (Pettway) got the easy way out, said one woman. And she (Castro) has to face justice for what he did.

Police said Dumeng, who had a protective order against Pettway, was in her Knoll Place home when the 28-year-old Pettway forced his way into her home on the morning of May 28.

The doorbell camera recorded her final words, Im pregnant, as police said Pettway pulled out a gun and shot her in the head, neck, torso and extremities.

The 21-year-old Castro was smiling as she was brought handcuffed into the crowded courtroom Thursday afternoon.

She is charged with being an accessory to murder and second-degree hindering prosecution.

Senior Assistant States Attorney Pamela Esposito asked for a high bond.

Some in the crowd hissed as Castros lawyer, Assistant Public Defender Michael Paris, urged Superior Court Judge Tracy Lee Dayton to release his client to home confinement, arguing that Castro has no prior criminal record.

Im not going to do that, retorted Dayton. The crime is beyond abhorrent, a woman was shot dead in cold blood.

The judge ordered Castro held in lieu of $1.5 million bond and continued the case to Aug. 2.

Pettway was free on $1 million bond for a 2018 murder at a local motel when police said he killed Dumeng. Just days before police said he had made threats that he was going to kill her.

Police obtained a warrant charging him with Dumengs death but by then Pettway had fled the area.

On June 2, U.S. Marshals got a tip that Pettway was hiding out in a house in Jackson, Tenn.

Surrounded by dozens of officers from the Jackson SWAT team, bomb squad and investigations unit, Pettway held a gun to a 9-month-old infant as they tried to convince him to surrender Wednesday evening, said Jackson Police Chief Thom Corley.

After several hours of negotiations, he said Pettway agreed to hand over the child. Pettway then fled into the house where he fatally shot himself, Corley said.

According to Castros arrest warrant affidavit, Castro was Pettways girlfriend and had driven him to Dumengs home so that he could kill the victim and then drove him away. The affidavit states that there are indications Castro had previously planned out Pettways escape route, setting up an initial hiding place for him with her relatives in North Carolina.

Following the shooting, the affidavit states that Castro drove Pettway to North Carolina and then to Jackson, Tenn., before she returned to Bridgeport.
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BRIDGEPORT  No one has so far stepped forward to formally challenge Democratic incumbent Joe Ganim in next years mayoral race.

But a new Political Action Committee is aiming to give that individual a competitive edge when he or she does emerge.

Co-founder Raul Laffitte, whose home is in Trumbull but who has been deeply involved in Bridgeport politics and with the citys Cuban Lyceum, said in an interview Wednesday the PAC  Bridgeport Now  was launched earlier this year to help register 4,000 to 5,000 new voters.

Laffitte, the groups treasurer according to paperwork filed with the state, also acknowledged that defeating Ganims 2023 bid for a third consecutive four-year term is another goal.

Yes, we are going to support a candidate next year, Laffitte, a former Ganim backer, said. That candidate, I assure you, is not going to be Joe Ganim.

Ganim formally filed his reelection paperwork in late March and has so far raised $123,615, according to his campaigns first finance report released this week.

Bridgeport Now  not to be confused with the Bridgeport Generation Now civic group formed a few years ago  has, according to its own just-filed finance report, received $50,200 in contributions.

If you raise $50,000 and you dont even have a candidate yet, thats pretty good if you ask me, said Ralph Ford, a prominent Democratic leader from the East End and on-again/off-again supporter of Ganims who said he had been unaware of the new PAC.

Bridgeport Now must abide by strict state laws governing PAC expenditures which allow such organizations to spend money in support of candidates, but forbid any coordination with campaigns. According to the paperwork on file with the states elections enforcement office, some of Laffittes co-founders include Bridgeport Nows chairperson, Edward Vilorio, with Maria Pires named as deputy treasurer.

So who might benefit from their groups endorsement? Laffitte acknowledged he is close with someone whose name has been mentioned over the past few months as potential Ganim opponent  John Gomes.

Gomes helped elect the incumbent in 2015 and was subsequently hired by Ganim as acting chief administrative officer, one of the most powerful jobs in local government. Then in late 2016 the mayor demoted Gomes to assistant chief administrative officer, a position he still holds despite the City Councils failed effort this spring to eliminate that job  a move that was thwarted by Ganim.

Hes a good friend of mine, Laffitte said of Gomes. We have several names, including him.

Gomes has not responded to requests for comments about his political ambitions.

Laffitte also emphasized Wednesday that while many of the organizers and contributors of/to Bridgeport Now are Cape Verdean, Cuban, Dominican and Portuguese, the groups mayoral pick could be white, Black, it could be others willing to move this city forward.

Laffitte added, Because I believe what Joe Ganim is doing is moving the city backward.

Ganim in a statement to Hearst Connecticut Media suggested Bridgeport Now is a shadow campaign committee that could lead to problems for both the PAC and any backed candidate.

So I hope election officials will keep an eye on those activities, he said.

The mayor also said that Bridgeport is moving in the right direction under his leadership.

No one knows how to deal with and meet the challenges of successfully running this city as well as I do, said Ganim, who previously held that job in the 1990s.

He added, I encourage anyone who thinks they can make a positive contribution to the people of the city to share their energy, ideas and to run for public office.
BRIDGEPORT  Political newcomer Juliemar Ortiz lost her bid Wednesday to get on the primary ballot to represent the city in the state Senate.

In an 18-page decision, Superior Court Judge Thomas Welch ruled that City Democratic Registrar of Voters Patricia Howard properly disqualified two of the people Ortiz had used to collect signatures on her petitions leaving Ortiz short of the required number of signatures she needed to get on the ballot.

The plaintiff is requesting that the court exercise equitable authority in the election context. If this court were to erode the statutory requirements of election law through the use of equity, we would create ambiguity and inconsistency in what needs to be a uniform and stable area of law, the judge wrote.

As it stands Democratic voters in most of Bridgeport and a small section of adjoining Stratford will have two names on the primary ballot for the 23rd senatorial district  incumbent Dennis Bradley and party-endorsed candidate the Rev. Herron Gaston.

The courts decision was to be expected, said Deputy City Attorney John Bohannon. Democratic Registrar of Voters Pat Howard enforced our election laws by rejecting illegally circulated petitions.

Ortiz, in a statement, said she was proud of the work her team did to try to get on the Aug. 9 primary ballot.

In the toughest state and city to get onto a Democratic primary ballot, our campaign and volunteers did a tremendous job collecting the more than the 1,585 required signatures from registered voters in Bridgeport and Stratford, she said. Unfortunately, due to technical errors, the judge did not rule in our favor and I will not appear on the August 9 primary ballot.

However, I am still proud that our campaign was able to expose some of the clear flaws of Connecticuts signature collecting process, she added. The fact that there were any wrongfully rejected signatures, showed the public the discrepancies in the system and how non-party endorsed candidates can be cheated out of ballot access. Our fight for a more inclusive democracy is not over.

Ortiz, a former political reporter for the New Haven Register who later worked as a press secretary for Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz and more recently for Vineyard Wind energy company, sued in Superior Court to get on the primary ballot after Howard rejected many of the signatures collected by Ortizs campaign.

In order to get on the primary ballot Ortiz would have had to collect 1,585 signatures from Democrats registered to vote in the 23rd District. Her campaign states that it turned in 1,905 petition signatures but Howard rejected 351 of those signatures leaving them 31 signatures short.

During a two day hearing before the judge, Bohannon stipulated that the registrars office improperly disqualified 11 of the signatures but that still left the campaign 20 signatures short.

Bohannon challenged the petitions circulated by two people, arguing that they were not legally allowed to circulate petitions for a Democratic primary.

Under state election law only registered Democrats can circulate petitions for a Democratic candidate. The circulator can be from another town but each page of their petition must be signed by their towns Democratic registrar.

One of Ortizs circulators was Josue Saint-Fleur who was an unaffiliated voter. While Bloss had argued that Saint-Fleur did switch to the Democratic party, the judge agreed with Bohannon that the switch came after Saint-Fleur had already turned in the petitions for Ortiz and therefore the signatures on the petition were not valid.

Another circulator was a Democrat from New Britain and the judge agreed that a page of one of her petitions was not valid because it had not been signed by her registrar.
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MONROE  Police say four men wearing masks robbed a Rite Aid Pharmacy Wednesday afternoon, ordering employees to open a safe containing narcotics, police said.

Police said no weapons were displayed during the incident, and no injuries were reported.

The four men wearing ski masks and other face coverings entered the pharmacy on Monroe Turnpike around 3:40 p.m. Wednesday, Monroe police said.

The men ordered employees to open the safe where narcotics are stored, police said in a news release. Once the safe was opened, they emptied the contents and exited the store.

Police said the men then fled in a black Volkswagen Jetta with New York license plates.

Police said officers, including those who were notified in surrounding towns, were unable to locate the vehicle.

Thousands of pills of various narcotics were stolen during the incident, according to police.

Police in other Connecticut towns have been investigating similar crimes they believe are associated with the same crew of thieves. Last month, police in New Haven, Orange, Milford and West Haven said a group of thieves stole narcotics from four pharmacies in a span of about an hour.

It was not immediately known if the Monroe incident is connected with the others.

Anyone with information regarding the incident can contact the Monroe Police Detective Division at 203-261-3622.
Viktoria Sundqvist / Hearst Connecticut Media /

HARTFORD  A Stratford man was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison Tuesday for selling dozens of fentanyl pills disguised as oxycodone, according to federal prosecutors.

U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery said Luis Colon, 51, was involved in the scheme to sell the fake pills between November and December 2020. During the investigation, law enforcement seized about 300 fentanyl pills disguised as the opioid that Colon had sold to a co-conspirator.
President Harry Truman once famously remarked, If you cant stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

Bridgeport Board of Education Chairman John Weldon has rewritten that adage.

By removing fellow board member Joe Sokolovic from all committee assignments, based on what Weldon termed very unprofessional emails, Weldon seems to believe that if you turn up the heat, I will throw you out of the kitchen.

Connecticut Post reporter Richard Chumney, in a front page article, sets forth the latest tempest in a teapot surrounding meetings of the Bridgeport Board of Education. It appears that the Bridgeport Public Square has devolved into the reign of incivility, disrespect and abuse of power. This combination is not only lethal to those engaged in the struggle, but to those of us who witness these acts of disorder and chaos.

According to Chumneys report, Sokolovic sent a series of emails, in all caps, scolding and reprimanding the chairman. These emails were not a model of tact, decorum or civility. In fact, they sound snide, nasty, angry and contemptuously condescending. It is hard to escape the conclusion that Sokolovics tone and tenor were calculated to at least irritate Weldon, and announce to the rest of the board, Look how smart I am.

No one can fault Weldon for being annoyed and miffed at the thinly veiled personal attack hurled by Sokolovic, based on an admitted failure to comply with the letter of the Freedom of Information Act. Apparently, Weldon has had enough of Sokolovics arrogance and defiance. He does not take lightly to being reminded that meetings of public agencies need to comply with the FOI laws, especially from someone who is determined to let him, and everyone else, know that he is fully aware of the law.

Where Weldon can be faulted, however, is for compounding the acrimony in his response, thereby allowing Sokolovic, the original aggressor, to play the victim.

And all of this, because of emails? How trite.

Weldon seems to fear that which he cannot control or manipulate. Instead of issuing a measured response or attempting to open a dialogue among board members, Weldon chose to employ the cancel culture approach, and unilaterally removed Sokolovic from all committee assignments.

This is something that I have the discretion to do as chairman, and something I have done in the past when I felt circumstances warranted it, he announced.

Really?

Resorting to the authority inherent in the role of chairman provides a classic and clear example of a violation of the abuse of discretion standard. It signals the chairmans need to use the power of the position, instead of the powers of persuasion and reason to manage conflicts and disputes among board members.

The French philosopher Voltaire is credited with saying, I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend with my life, your right to say it.

Unfortunately, here in Bridgeport, the governing principle is if I dont like what you say, I will silence you.

Because this is Bridgeport, Weldon is not alone in his disdain for open and robust debate, or his unwillingness to tolerate ideas and obnoxious dissent.

The new cancel culture cult has also found willing disciples on the Bridgeport City Council, as well as in mayors office. Let us not forget that Mayor Ganim has a media policy that prohibits officials and employees from speaking to the press without first getting permission from his media consultants.

Weldons reaction to Sokolovics email barrage is consistent with an evolving cancel culture, complete with safe spaces, fragile sensibilities and a willingness to dismiss as hate speech any idea that offends woke orthodoxy. This cancel culture has trickled down from college campuses and unfortunately has found a receptive host in the Bridgeport Board of Education. Maybe cancel culture, as applied to board members, is someones idea of college prep.

I would remind those who believe that Sokolovic got what he deserved that cancel culture may be invoked in the future, in ways wholly consistent with this precedent, which may not be so appealing to Sokolovics critics.

Democracy can only thrive when citizens and elected officials are free to speak and act without fear of being gagged or canceled. Todays majority can become tomorrows minority.

The test for public officials must be whether all viewpoints can be tolerated in a civil fashion, without incurring personal retribution from those in charge. Furthermore, the public square must be infused with a sense of respect so that a healthy exchange of ideas can take place. Name-calling, bullying and personal attacks are inconsistent with that goal and serve to distract and deflect from the real issues of public policies that should occupy government.

Sadly, in the City of Bridgeport, those given the power to govern by the people have too often failed the test.

A more serious casualty of this type of behavior is that it discourages public spirited individuals from contributing to their community. Who wants to participate in a food fight dressed up as a public meeting?

Carmen L. Lopez is a retired Superior Court judge.
Former Mass Effect Writer 'Blindsided' By The Undying Thirst For Garrus

Mass Effect is so full of great romance options that basically made Bioware into an RPG powerhouse. But according to one of the series' original writers, even he was surprised that some folks would choose to romance a different species than Shepard.

According to Mass Effect writer Drew Karpyshyn, he was shocked that fans of the series basically fell head over heels for Garrus and Tali Zorah - two romanceable aliens in the original trilogy. As reported by Kotaku, Karpyshyn revisited his thoughts on people romancing these two characters in a Reddit Q&A promoting his newest novel, Time Kings Of Las Vegas.

One user asked the former Bioware writer about Garrus and Tali, with him revealing that romancing the two of them reportedly wasn't always the plan. He said that Garrus and Tali have always been viewed by the development team as returning companion members, but not as romance options.

Karpyshyn was sort of accepting that people would fall for Tali, though. He said that while players technically never see her face, it was still easy to imagine something human in her despite her obviously alien-looking legs.

But the reception to Garrus was the one that "blindsided" him, since he didn't look human at all. But as soon as he and the team saw fans swoon over the Turian badass, they eventually decided to give them what they want by the time Mass Effect 2 rolled around.

Either way, it's universally accepted by fans of the original trilogy that Garrus and Tali (Liara should arguably be in the picture) are two of the best romance options and companions in the franchise. Perhaps they'd even argue that they're two of the best romance options in any game ever, Bioware-made or otherwise.

As for those who ship Garrus and FemShep/Tali and BroShep so hard they'd want them to have kids, they really can't - at least according to current Bioware decisions, says Karpyshyn (via PC Gamer). So don't go expecting a Turian-Human hybrid baby anytime soon, though you'd definitely see an Asari have a baby with a human.

Read also: God Of War Guide: How To Beat All Valkyries

Moving Forward With Mass Effect

Look, we know you love your Garrus and Tali. But judging by how the series' story would continue in the next game, you're probably never going to see them again. Probably.

If (and only if) ME 4 is set many, many years after the original trilogy, there's a chance that Garrus, Tali, and all other squadmates that aren't Asari or Krogan will have already been dead by then. Only Liara, Wrex, and Grunt would be alive even just around a hundred years after Mass Effect 3 - though Wrex will be quite old and close to dying anyway.

But whatever happens to the story and your prior romance options, it looks like the narrative is in good hands. As we reported here earlier this month, award-winning Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy writer and Eidos Montreal veteran Mary DeMarle will lead the story development of Mass Effect 4.

Related: How To Save Mordin In Mass Effect 3
Sweden has accepted the use of nuclear weapons in defense as NATO convinces the nation's leaders to risk Russia's wrath.

Joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization has made the Nordic nation less safe than it ever was at any given time. Their commitment to non-alignment and firm commitment to the non-use of nuclear arms at Russia's doorstop kept it safe.

NATO Compromises Another Euro Nation

The Kremlin assured Stockholm it would not do anything drastic, but the chance of the western military bloc will see a change in its attitude towards the Nordic nation.

Before this development, the nation had preferred a neutral status, but rejecting its prior demeanor and wholly accepting the military bloc's increased militancy toward Moscow is turning for the worse, reported Sputnik News.

Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde publicly expressed her government's desire to obtain an invitation for Sweden to enter the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949 in a letter sent to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on July 5 that was only just made public by broadcaster SVT.

In addition, Sweden pledged to contribute its portion of the 1.9 percent budget for NATO, and the William Alberque of the Institute for Strategic Studies calculates it to be roughly SEK 700 million ($66 million).

However, the nuclear weapons provision has disturbed NATO opponents and those concerned about a possible conflict between NATO membership and Sweden as its historic role in nuclear disarmament.

According to The Local, all plans for a Swedish nuclear weapon were abandoned by 1968, when Sweden ratified the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty compromised by an aggressive.

Read Also: Vladimir Putin's 'Girlfriend': 5 Things To Know About Alina Kabaeva

The National Defense Research Institute (FOA) discontinued its plutonium experiments in 1972, essentially ending the last remnants of a nuclear weapons program.

Encircling Russia

To "diminish the significance of nuclear weapons in security strategies and doctrines," among other objectives, 16 non-nuclear nations formed the Stockholm Initiative for Nuclear Disarmament in 2019 under the leadership of Sweden.

Beatrice Fihn, Executive Director of the International Campaign for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017, commented if the country will use nuclear weapons.

It was a stark critique of the military bloc furthering the US goal against Russia.

Amineh Kakabaveh, a political outlaw and former member of the Left Party, whose backing was crucial in helping Magdalena Andersson, the current leader of Sweden, win the position of prime minister, recalled this on May 18.

As Andersson previously noted, Sweden turned from neutrality to militancy because, like Norway and Denmark, it refused to allow either nuclear weapons or permanent NATO bases on its territory.

Midway through May, three months after the start of the conflict in Ukraine, Finland and Sweden officially ended decades of non-alignment and submitted their NATO bids, claiming a change in the continent's security environment as justification.

Turkey initially opposed Helsinki's and Stockholm's bids because of their positions on the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and its affiliates, which Ankara views as terrorist groups threatening national security.

The Nordic countries have since been formally invited to the alliance, so it appears that the ambiguities have been cleared up. Sweden was dropping its attitude of not allowing nuclear weapons has been questioned by Nordic leaders, especially aggressive NATO moving against Russia.

Related Article: NATO Chief Cannot Assure Finland, Sweden Bid Unless Turkey Drops Its Opposition

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The defence of the realm is the first duty of any government. For me, the importance of defence was driven home early.

I was nine years old and standing on the Hot Walls in Portsmouth, watching the naval taskforce sail for the Falkland Islands. I might not have understood the geopolitics of the situation, but I was old enough to know that we were standing up to bullies. I understood resilience. And I also understood sacrifice, when some of my classmates fathers didnt come home from the conflict.

Penny Mordaunt surged to second place in the Conservative leadership race on Wednesday (July 13)

I am often asked what Global Britain means and what our new role in the world should be. Drawing on what I learned as a young girl, we dont need a new role in the world. We simply need to be ourselves. We need to hold fast to the values that we all share, values of strength, fairness and decency, of a willingness to stand up for what is right.

Of course, we face new threats. We are still recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic; we are dealing with global economic challenges; and we are reacting to Vladimir Putins unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine.

Our government will continue to honour the commitment we have made to our Nato allies of spending 2.5 per cent of our GDP on defence. We will stand with Nato in defence of our common values and we will not flinch from the hard graft and putting boots on the ground on the alliances borders.

Lets take pressure off our armed forces by ensuring they are doing jobs only they can do. I will stand up a civil defence force that will enable a volunteer team with emergency planning skills or military skills to be brought in to help at major events such as flooding.

We dont need a new role in the world. We simply need to be ourselves. We need to hold fast to the values that we all share, values of strength, fairness and decency, of a willingness to stand up for what is right

We also need to look after our armed forces welfare. I am proud to have support from MPs that worked tirelessly in this space and proud of our record on veterans. I am proud our party has so many veterans and serving members amongst us.

We must hold our position in Ukraine. There cannot be any territory ceded to Russia. They must lose the war. Although that will be difficult, we have to be honest with our people that we need to do that for our own safety and security.

Defence is just one part of our armoury. There are our intelligence agencies, there are our crime and cyber security centres. There are other aspects of this nations security and we must ensure that they are working together to develop our future integrated position.

We also need to look after our armed forces welfare. I am proud to have support from MPs that worked tirelessly in this space and proud of our record on veterans. I am proud our party has so many veterans and serving members amongst us

We also need better situational awareness and horizon scanning and need to be thinking longer term, 15-20 years at the very least. I will create a National Strategy Council to complement the National Security Council, and this will work across government departments to look at our long-term challenges and opportunities.

These commitments and changes will mean that our armed forces will be properly supported and will be able to plan and innovate with certainty.

We NEED consistency in our spending approach, and we also need to ensure that this is integrated with research and development, working especially with smaller companies so we can really make sure we are making the best use of innovation.

Finally, Im incredibly proud of our armed forces. Ive been a member of our armed forces and Im still pleased to be serving them as an Honorary Officer. I know perhaps better than any other candidate that it is our first duty to this country to defend them.

People can be confident that this job is safe in my hands.
Many commentators have observed how cheering it is to have so many candidates for the Tory leadership who either come from an ethnic background, or are women, or both.

After yesterday afternoons first round of voting, three of the six survivors are not white, and four of them are women.

But hardly anyone has pointed out a characteristic shared in varying degrees by the remaining candidates  namely, that they have a disturbing lack of experience, both of politics and of life. One or two are deficient in both.

They are all young  if being in your 40s can be so described, which when you are talking of would-be prime ministers I think it can. They either have limited political experience or know little about the world outside politics.

Tumultuous

Look at the MPs favourite, Rishi Sunak. That he is a very clever man can scarcely be doubted. But it is also the case that he has lived in a protected bubble throughout his life, from public school to Oxford University to a postgraduate degree at Stanford in the United States.

Penny Mordaunt gives a thumps up during an event to launch her campaign to be the next leader of the Conservative Party

British Foreign Secretary and Conservative Party leadership candidate Liz Truss (left) leaves her home with a Red Box yesterday and former Chancellor Tory candidate for PM Rishi Sunak (right) is seen in Westminster

Attorney General Suella Braverman QC arrives for a Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street on Monday

Then he found himself earning huge sums of money working for the ruthless investment bank Goldman Sachs, and married the daughter of an Indian billionaire. In 2015, at the age of 34, he became an MP.

Now, a mere seven years later, Rishi seeks to be Prime Minister. Admittedly, he must have learnt a great deal on the job as Chancellor during a tumultuous two-and-a-half years. But is he yet a rounded man and a deeply informed politician?

What does he know about Defence (for which he would not commit to providing more funding at his campaign launch on Tuesday)? Or Scotland? Or Northern Ireland? Or  most important of all  his fellow countrymen?

A video recently came to light in which a rather sweet, but also very privileged 21-year-old Rishi Sunak admitted: I have friends who are aristocrats, I have friends who are upper class, I have friends who are working class . . . well, not working class. Have things changed?

Other candidates have similar, though perhaps not so striking, limitations. His rival, Liz Truss, became an MP as long ago as 2010, and has served as a Cabinet Minister for eight years.

MP Kemi Badenoch, who has the backing of Michael Gove, is seen leaving her London home on Monday

But like many modern Tory politicians (eg David Cameron and George Osborne) she had only slight experience of the business world, and at a pretty low level, before entering the political rat-race.

Some candidates do have experience outside politics. For example, as he never tires of telling us, Tom Tugendhat served several years in the Army. Good for him. But he has been an MP for only seven years, and never a minister. And now he wants to be Prime Minister!

Dark horse Penny Mordaunt has also been in the services, in her case in the Royal Naval reserve. Her jobs before becoming an MP in 2010 were hardly high level, although, colourfully, she was briefly a magicians assistant. She has been an obscure junior and middle-ranking minister, and served for 85 days in the Cabinet.

Many have justly praised the spirited 42-year-old Kemi Badenoch. She worked in relatively junior roles in consultancy and financial services before becoming an MP in 2017, and subsequently a minister. A bright star for the future, certainly, but not yet a leader of our country.

Perhaps the candidate with the most effrontery is Suella Braverman, who just made the cut yesterday. Like Mr Sunak, she is evidently very bright. She became an MP as recently as 2015. Before that she was a junior lawyer on the lookout for a safe seat. How could she conceivably be Prime Minister?

Its true that Nadhim Zahawi and Jeremy Hunt, who are in their 50s, started successful businesses, though Zahawis track record in politics is limited, and he became a junior minister only four years ago. They were both jettisoned yesterday.

The general impression is of a group of candidates who, though in some instances are very clever, possess limited political experience and havent tarried long in the university of life.

Lets go back to the Tory leadership contest of 1975, which Margaret Thatcher won. In the second ballot, after party leader Ted Heath had been eliminated, there were four candidates in addition to Thatcher: Willie Whitelaw, Geoffrey Howe, Jim Prior, and John Peyton.

Peyton had been an MP for 24 years, Whitelaw for 20, Thatcher and Prior for 16, and Howe had first been elected 11 years previously. All five had served in the Cabinet. Peyton and Whitelaw fought in World War II, with Whitelaw winning the Military Cross. Prior and Howe, just too young to fight the Germans, joined the Army later.

Aspiring

Margaret Thatcher worked as an industrial chemist, and endured many knocks, before becoming an MP. The other four contestants had rich and varied lives before entering politics.

We must, of course, beware of idealising the past. Doubtless some Conservative MPs of 50 years ago were clodhoppers. Its even possible that the five who sought the leadership in 1975 were in aggregate less clever than the current bunch.

British Conservative MP and Conservative leadership candidate Tom Tugendhat pictured speaking to the media near the Houses of Parliament yesterday

But it can be said with near certainty that the aspiring Tory prime ministers of half a century ago had more political experience and more knowledge of life than this crop, and that, unlike Rishi and I suspect some others, they had rubbed shoulders with people from all walks of life.

In America, politicians in their 50s, 60s and 70s are ubiquitous. In the 2020 presidential election, one candidate was 77, the other 74. (Both were seriously flawed, but thats another matter.) In Britain, by contrast, our leaders are much younger than they used to be.

Might David Cameron, still only 55, make a better Prime Minister than when he was aged 43? He could hardly do worse. Ditto George Osborne, who became Chancellor at 38, having barely known anything other than Tory politics during his adult life.

Competence

I know: Pitt the Younger became PM at 24 in 1783, but he was an exception in another age. Boris Johnson, by the way, shouldnt be included in a gallery of callow leaders. He was in his mid-50s when he became Prime Minister, having served two terms as London Mayor, and previously knocked about as a journalist.

Its probably ultimately our own fault. We indulge these ambitious young men and women who shin up the greasy pole, desperate for power which they are not ready for, or capable of exercising properly.

My argument is not that older leaders with more experience of life are necessarily more effective. Obviously not. You only have to look at Donald Trump or Joe Biden to see that age is no guarantee of competence.

Nor do I suggest that the older and more experienced candidates who fell at the first fence yesterday afternoon Messrs Hunt and Zahawi were preferable to the younger pretenders. Neither would have got my vote, if I had one.

I just want the next Tory Prime Minister to be at ease with all of his or her fellow citizens. I yearn for someone who is wise and knowledgeable and grounded, and therefore less likely to make mistakes.

Looking at this lot, I am not at all sure I am going to be granted my wish.
The dress was deepest red but the speech was as blue as a billionaires swimming pool. Substance-wise, Liz Trusss leadership launch yesterday was a corker. A perfectly pitched flash-of-leg at her partys base, embellished with the sort of pledges designed to get the conference hall rocking.

Lower taxes! More defence spending! As for Priti Patels Rwanda refugee scheme, you betcha! Our Liz was right behind it.

You could practically hear blue-blooded activists around the Shires yahooing in delight.

Her presentation, however, remains something of a work in progress. At points, she got flubbery-lipped and stumbled over words. The Truss joints also could do with a good squirt of oil. Too stiff, too rigid.

No matter. She will improve.

Our setting for the morning was a drab office in Westminsters Smith Square, all glass doors and sterile white walls. Unlike most venues weve crammed into this week, however, it did at least boast air conditioning. Praise the Lord! Thats one way to get the lobby hacks on your side.

Vision: Conservative leadership candidate Liz Truss outlines plans at her leadership campaign launch on Thursday

In charge of the introductions was cannon-voiced Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, who presumably has his eyes set on being Trusss Chancellor. Thatd be lively, if nothing else. And might set the Bank of England crockery rattling.

Miss Truss walked in all smiles, her tread as cautious as if she were tottering on champagne flutes.

In front of her sat a throng of cheering supporters  The Trussites as we shall call them. Actually, The Trussettes probably sounds better  more of a funky Motown vibe. Among these hip groovesters were former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith and Treasury secretary Simon Clarke.

Oh, and Trusss de facto campaign manager Therese Coffey. Loyal Therese spent most of the time gazing at the stage like a starstruck fan at a Madonna concert. Truss spoke straight into a TV camera at the back of the room. Her delivery could possibly have done with being dialled up a couple of notches.

There was a lot of chat early on about the all the high-level jobs shed held. A little reminder of how inexperienced her leadership rivals were.

Lowering her lip and narrowing one eye slightly, she announced: Im ready to be Prime Minister from day one. Sunak? Mordaunt? Pah! Mere pipsqueaks!

We heard a bit about her childhood in Leeds and an engaging hinterland begins to emerge. While at comprehensive school, she saw children being consistently failed through poor standards and a lack of opportunities. They will never be let down again on my watch, she said.

Miss Truss, who finished as the leading candidate from the Tory Right in first round of leadership voting on Tuesday, formally launched her leadership campaign on Wednesday morning

As for her fiscal plans, she announced that business-as-usual-economics had failed. Rishinomics had failed in other words. Something bold, new and exciting was required. Trussanomics!

Beth from Sky News asked why she hadnt resigned from Boris Johnsons cabinet last week when all her colleagues were abandoning ship.

Im a loyal person, Truss intoned gravely. That earned her a chorus of Yer, yers from The Trussettes.

Several questions concerned the unexpected rise of Penny Mordaunt. Iain Duncan Smith turned his head and frowned incredulously. Penny Morrr-daunt? he spat. He said this with the mild disgust of someone whod just been urged by a Moroccan waiter to try sampling the sheeps head.

Someone raised former Brexit minister Lord Frost, whod given an interview that morning in which hed pretty much described Mordaunt as useless. Truss insisted wed be hearing no disparaging remarks about colleagues from her.

That was what The Trussettes were there for presumably. One had reportedly told a newspaper that Miss Mordaunt would require stabilisers should she become Prime Minister. Harsh!

A minor cock-up occurred at the end when Truss began slowly walking into the audience. For a moment I thought she was coming to give one of us journalists a handbagging. Turned out shed forgotten where the exit was.

Oopsy. Her team will hope thats the last wrong turn she makes in this contest. Its the first of the television debates tonight and, God knows, she needs to summon up a decent performance.
Lets not lose sight of whats happening here. A handful of people are picking our next Prime Minister, someone who potentially will lead the country for the next two years.

This isnt about whos up or whos down in the Conservative Party. Its much bigger than that. Or, at least, it should be.

Yet, depressingly, most of the coverage thus far has dwelled in near-pornographic detail on the narrow obsessions of the Westminster Bubble. Yesterday, it was the turn of Suella Braverman to be eliminated from the Tory leadership race. Sue who? you may well ask. Most people wouldnt know the difference between Suella and Sue Ellen, from Dallas.

But for a few days she was being touted as a possible PM, at least by the couple of dozen MPs who voted for her. As John McEnroe used to protest: You can not be serious! After Braverman was unceremoniously dumped from the race, speculation turned to which way her supporters would jump next.

You might wonder why she bothered standing in the first place, given that she never had a snowball-in-hells chance of winning. And why, after the first round made that glaringly obvious, she didnt withdraw gracefully? Then again, it is impossible to underestimate the inter-galactic levels of self-delusion which envelop most politicians.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is pictured following her speech launching her campaign to become the next Tory leader on Thursday

Most of the coverage thus far has dwelled in near-pornographic detail on the narrow obsessions of the Westminster Bubble

Penny Mordaunt makes a thumbs up gesture during the launch her leadership campaign on Wednesday

Prime Minister Boris Johnson cuddles his wife Carrie and their children following his statement announcing his resignation outside No. 10

Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak, Penny Mordaunt, Tom Tugendhat, and Kemi Badenoch are the remaining five candidates for Tory leadership

Same could be said for ex-military man Tom Tugendhat, who is soldiering on despite actually getting fewer votes than he did first time round.

If he had a genuine sense of duty, hed have fallen on his ceremonial sword at 3.05pm yesterday.

Neither Tugendhat nor Kemi Badenoch, the Countdown Conundrum candidates, have any hope of making the final cut. And they know it. What theyre doing is putting down a marker for the future and angling for a Cabinet job under the eventual victor.

Badenoch cuts an impressive figure, makes all the right anti-woke noises and is clearly one to watch. But she isnt ready for prime time yet. It cant help her cause that in some quarters she is portrayed as the plaything of Michael Gove, a mere glove puppet picked to be the stalking horse for Rishi Sunak.

Gove is said to be on manoeuvres for the former Chancellor, after deciding against standing himself. Presumably, he hopes to get his reward in the Treasury if Dishi Rishi triumphs.

But Goves machinations are a sideshow. What matters now is not the vicious infighting in the Tory ranks, fuelled by that malevolent Machiavelli manque Dominic Cummings and his wee gang of munchkins, who did their arrogant worst to destabilise Boris Johnson.

Call Me Daves characterisation of Cummings as a career sociopath was bang on the money. Even those of us who were grateful for his role in securing Brexit must acknowledge that post-referendum he has been a malignant influence on British politics.

If Sunak wins, Cummings and his poisonous box of tricks will be back inside the tent, at least metaphorically. And that is what should concern us all, not the internal machinations of the Conservative Party. The sooner they cut to the chase, the better.

The Government of Britain is in full headless chicken mode. Theres no one in charge of the clattering train, to quote the great John Junor, formerly of this parish. Boris is demob happy. Hes packed his bags and headed off to make a fortune writing books and starring on the public speaking circuit, especially in the U.S.

It is by now all but certain that the final two will come from Sunak, Penny Mordaunt and Liz Truss

In the second round Rishi Sunak received 101 votes and Penny Mordaunt 83 - adding 16 to her previous tally

Whatever his manifest failings in No 10, I dont begrudge him a penny. He ushered Brexit across the line and for that deserves the eternal thanks of a grateful nation, or at least the 17.4 million of us who voted Leave.

He rescued us from the Theresa May catastrophe and saw off the threat of a Corbynista socialist junta, which Keir Starmer would have served faithfully.

Whoever comes next must retain and build upon the best bits of Boris, while tackling the immediate problems facing the nation and addressing those pressing areas he so carelessly neglected, such as the debilitating WFH culture.

Frankly, it seems absurd that this leadership election is scheduled to drag on for another seven weeks and we wont have a new Prime Minister until September.

History reminds us that anything can happen in August, and frequently does, from Britain entering World War I in 1914 to last years hurried retreat from Afghanistan. On the international front, who would bet against Putin escalating the war in Ukraine and launching tactical nuclear weapons? What if the Russian president decided to attack British targets in retaliation for our material support of Zelensky?

At home, we are facing twin energy and cost-of-living crises, which demand urgent attention. Surely it is not beyond the wit of the Conservative Party to expedite this contest and install a new PM sooner than September.

It is by now all but certain that the final two will come from Sunak, Penny Mordaunt and Liz Truss. Ive never been convinced by TV debates, which are stage-managed, superficial and distort reality. Remember when I agree with Nick Clegg was briefly the most popular politician in Britain?

Its important that all the candidates are exposed to the most rigorous scrutiny. Sunak was the nations pin-up at the start of Covid when he unveiled his furlough package which helped secure millions of jobs.

But hes also brought us the biggest tax burden in 70 years, since Clement Attlees post-war Labour government. He seems to have no answers to the post-pandemic economic crisis other than tax, tax and tax again.

Sunaks too slick by far, for my liking, a Blairite technocrat, a paid-up member of the international elite  more at home in Davos than in Daventry.

And, dont forget, almost nothing was known about him when he became Chancellor. Subsequent digging uncovered the fact that he retained a u.s. Green Card while in the Treasury and his wife enjoyed non-dom status, potentially saving her paying millions of pounds in UK taxes.

Tellingly, Sunak cut his teeth working for the banking behemoth Goldman Sachs, once described as: A great vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity, relentlessly jamming its blood funnel into anything that smells like money.

Liz Truss is a known quantity, who grew up in Leeds, went to a comprehensive school and has a visceral understanding of those Red Wall voters the Conservatives must win over again at the next election.

Shes a poor public speaker, admittedly, but according to those who work with her has the courage of her convictions and the energy to see them through. The question mark is her decision to campaign for Remain in 2016. My hunch is that Truss did that out of loyalty to Cameron, who backed her when the so-called Turnip Taliban in her Norfolk constituency tried to derail her career over a long-forgotten affair with another Tory MP.

Certainly, of late shes been solid on the need to face down the EU over Northern Ireland trade barriers. Sometimes converts to a cause are more zealous than those who have been on the long march from day one.

If Iain Duncan Smith insists shes now a full-on Brexiteer, thatll do for me.

Which brings us to Penny Mordaunt, currently Darling of the Fleet and making a bigger splash than anyone could have predicted. Polls show that shed beat both Sunak and Truss in a head-to-head.

But would she? Id take those sample polls of the membership in the shires with a shovel-load of salt. Maybe Mordaunt, like Badenoch, would be worth a punt if the party was in Opposition and rebuilding from scratch.

But as an oven-ready Prime Minister? Sorry, cant see it.

With her curves and luscious mane she might look good nailed to the prow of Nelsons flagship HMS Victory, docked in her Portsmouth constituency. But as a national figurehead, right now she doesnt pass muster.

Since Penny-For-Your-Thoughts declared her candidacy, weve discovered shes swallowed the whole woke agenda. I cant imagine the Tory ladies in Much Binding In The Marsh backing someone who isnt sure whether a woman can have a penis and tried to push through a Bill referring to expectant mothers as pregnant people.

Who knows what else well find once the dogs of war continue to scratch away at the surface.

Wise counsel is warning against her. Former Brexit negotiator Lord (David) Frost  a substantial and influential figure in the party who has come out for Fizzy Lizzie  said yesterday that PM4PM would be an absolute disaster. Frost has grave reservations about his ex-deputy Mordaunt, especially when it comes to dealing with the EU.

In an interview with TalkTV, Frost delivered a damning indictment. Im sorry to say this, she did not master the necessary detail in the negotiations last year.

She wouldnt always deliver tough messages to the EU when that was necessary and Im afraid she wasnt fully accountable or always visible. Sometimes I didnt even know where she was.

Im afraid this became such a problem that after six months I had to ask the PM to move her on and find somebody else to support me.

Were the 83 MPs who voted for Mordaunt yesterday aware of any of this? Or were they just weighing up their own prospects of advancement if she gets the job?

Just like the unseemly haste with which Boris was removed, if the Tories rush to install Penny Mordaunt in No 10 they may quickly come to regret it.

This is an election about the immediate future direction of Britain, not a TV reality show.

The turbulent times we live in demand a serious Prime Minister, tried, tested and not found wanting. Its just a pity Lord Frost isnt standing.
The flights are booked and the bags are packed. But have you thought about the Covid-19 tests you might need to take before boarding the plane for your summer holiday?

Families across the UK are planning on jetting off for sun-soaked getaways in the coming weeks, but travel plans risk unravelling faster than you can say 'holiday nightmare' if you fail to check the travel restrictions at your destination.

While life feels largely back to normal in the UK, many countries continue to have border restrictions and entry requirements for international travellers to reduce the spread of Covid-19.

There is the possibility these could become even more stringent in the coming weeks if cases of Covid-19 continue to rise in the UK.

Government-recognised PCR testing company DAM Health are experts in administering Covid-19 PCR tests and offer a speedy, stress-free service by providing rapid results and essential travel documentation so you can take that well-earned break.

While life feels largely back to normal in the UK, many countries continue to have border restrictions and entry requirements for international travellers to reduce the spread of Covid-19 and you might need to book a Covid-19 test. Stock image

What is a PCR Test and how does it work? DAM Health's Head of Nursing and Clinical Services Manager, Christine Cottrell, explained: 'Our PCR test is designed to detect the presence of covid-19 in your sample. 'We analyse your genetic material to find out if you have COVID present in your body. 'We can even detect covid early on as the test is extremely sensitive. 'We pride ourselves on having a gold standard of testing and in turn assisting airlines and hospitals through controlling the spread of the virus through detection.' Book now by clicking HERE.

And what's more, travellers can choose whether to receive their results by midnight, or within 24 hours.

To make things even easier, the company has opened 62 clinics across the UK  including Manchester, Liverpool, Essex, Birmingham, Newcastle, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Belfast and London.

Worried about travelling with little ones? Don't be.

DAM Health offers tests designed specifically for children aged 17 and under.

The clinicians are experienced in making the test comfortable and stress-free for children, so you can rest easy knowing you're protecting your little ones too.

Professor Frank Joseph, medical director of DAM Health, said: 'It is vitally important that families continue to get the correct Covid-19 tests before travelling overseas this summer.

'Covid has not gone away and many countries will not allow you access without a negative test result certificate.

'A negative test remains a pre-requisite for unvaccinated people and children for many holiday destinations so my advice for anyone travelling is to check what they need to do before they fly.

'DAM Health is helping families get the right tests this summer and have a team specifically set up to get children tested for destinations that require it.

'Covid has not gone away': Medical Director of DAM Health, Professor Frank Joseph

'We're working hard to help people get ready to fly and have a stress free summer holiday.

'Our pricing is reasonable too with packages to help families. All of the information about our fit to fly testing is available on our website.'

If youre looking for tests to travel to your destination, then scroll down for all the information you need to know  and book now by clicking HERE.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE FLYING OUT OF THE UK?

Before you jet off on your summer holiday, it is important to check the restrictions for your destination to ensure you're not caught out. Stock image

Before you jet off on your summer holiday, it is important to check the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) page for your destination.

For example, many countries require proof of a negative PCR test if you are an unvaccinated traveller, which is where DAM Health comes in with its range of trusted tests accepted by many airlines.

Once the test has been carried out by one of the highly trained DAM Health clinicians and the result is confirmed, you will receive a certificate and QR code confirming your fitness to travel.

Some countries require a negative PCR test result regardless of your vaccination status, so be sure to read the advice carefully to avoid being caught out.

You don't want your magical family holiday ruined so make sure you know the rules before you travel - and book a PCR test if needed. Stock image

Many countries are moving towards opening their borders and scrapping quarantine restrictions but it does remain in place in some countries including Hong Kong, so make sure you're familiar with these rules before you fly.

Remember, any travel and quarantine rules can be introduced or removed at short notice.

Make sure you check the advice regularly to ensure you're fully up-to-date and have all the test results you need before you arrive at the airport.

DO YOU NEED TO TEST BEFORE RETURNING?

The Government has removed all current restrictions for travellers entering the UK.

It means you do not need to take any Covid-19 tests or fill in any forms ahead of landing, or once you arrive. This applies whether or not you are fully vaccinated.

Once you return to the UK you do not need to take any special tests or observe any quarantine restrictions.

Family-friendly tests at DAM Health PCR testing company DAM Health are experts in administering Covid-19 PCR tests and offer a speedy, stress-free service by providing rapid results and essential travel documentation so that you can take a well-earned break When booking your test, please check with your airline provider to ensure they accept a DAM Health test. Child PCR Test - 39 or 59 An RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID19) with a certificate you will need for travel. Only Children aged 17 or under are eligible for this test. An in-clinic PCR Test performed by a clinician experienced in testing children aged 17 and under who will aim to make the process a comfortable and stress-free for your child. Receive results within 24 hours (39) or by midnight (59). Adult RT-PCR Test - 49 or 69 An RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID19) with a certificate you will need for travel. The Fit-to-fly RT-PCR Test is an in-clinic test, that is carried out by an experienced clinician. DAM Health aims to provide as comfortable an experience as possible, and to get your results back to you in a timely manner. Your results will be sent to you via email in the form of a certificate and a QR code that will confirm your travel fitness status. Costs 49 for results within 24 hours and 69 to have results by midnight. Fit to Fly Adult and Child PCR Bundle - 69 or 89 Book a RT-PCR testing bundle for one adult and one child for just 69 (results within 24 hours) or 89 (for results by midnight) in just four simple steps: 1. Choose your desired location and service. 2. Complete the online DAM booking form with the necessary details for both yourself and child (a child is recognised aged 17 and under). 3. You will receive a unique email confirmation for a joint appointment at your chosen DAM Health clinic. 4. Arrive 5 minutes early and remember your passports! Emergency Same Day Appointment Testing Fit to Fly PCR Test: An RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID19) with a certificate you will need for travel. 149 per adult; 139 per child Book now by clicking HERE.

ALL ABOUT DAM HEALTH

DAM Health is on hand to provide evolving and effective solutions to keep pace with fluctuating global restrictions imposed on international travel.

The Liverpool-based company is headed by the award-winning Professor Frank Joseph and offers every testing solution to help ease the burden of stress for holidaymakers.

DAM Health's clinics are open nationwide now for mandatory PCR tests for travellers

The tests have an accuracy rate of 98%, with an impressive turnaround time for PCR test results of just 24 hours or less.

DAM Health, which has clinics across the UK, Europe and Mexico, also provides a range of other health services, including health screenings and treatments including cryotherapy.

So what are you waiting for?

Tests with DAM Health can be booked at local clinics at www.dam-health.com.
An etiquette expert has revealed the posh way to eat cake - and it all depends on the kind of bake you're eating.

Lucy Challenger, 38, who is based in London and Berkshire, is the founder and CEO of high-end Mayfair agency Polo and Tweed, which sources employees for uber-wealthy clients.

She is also a TikTok creator, and has garnered more than eight million likes for her videos which teach Gen Z social media users the essential manners and etiquette they need to fit in with the upper echelons of society.

In a recent video, Lucy demonstrated the proper formal way to eat cake, in a British setting, explaining: 'Depending on the type of cake you are served, will depend on how you eat it.'

She continued: 'If you are served a dry cake, such as a pound cake, you would tear it into small bitesize pieces with your fingers, and then neatly eat with your hands.

Lucy Challenger (pictured) is a businesswoman and TikTok content creator who often makes videos about etiquette. In this video she tackled the proper way to eat cake in a formal setting

In the video, Lucy explained that there are different ways to eat cake, depending on what you are eating

'A moist cake, for example, a cheesecake, you would use a fork and a spoon if required.

'With ice-cream cake, for example, you would use the fork and the spoon. The fork is used to hold cake, and the spoon is then used to cut and convey the food to your mouth.'

And the etiquette rules don't stop there. Things are further complicated if the dessert is accompanied by any sauces, for example, custard, for which you would use a spoon.

However, the fork could be used for eating berries, which are often served alongside custard.

When it comes to cake, pie, or crepes served a la mode (with ice-cream on the side) they can be eaten with either fork or spoon, or both.

For hard desserts, like poached pears, you would switch how the utensils are used.

Lucy explained: 'The spoon would be used for cutting, and the fork would be used to bring the food to your mouth.'

Birthday or layered cake, which is served standing upright, should be turned on its side using a fork and spoon, then either implement can be used to eat it.

Eating cake is not as straightforward as it may initially appear, if you are eating it a formal setting, where there are some specific rules to follow, as outlined in the video

Lucy explained that scooping food with a fork is not normally acceptable within a British formal dining situation, but that it is fine to scoop when using a dessert fork

The etiquette expert then went onto introduce another piece of cutlery to the cake eating arsenal: the dessert fork, specially shaped to assist with both cutting and spearing food.

'To eat my cheesecake, I take my dessert fork,' said Lucy. 'I cut into the cheesecake, separating a small bitesize portion.

'And now depending on the density of the cheesecake, I spear the cheesecake with my fork, and then place it into my mouth to eat.'

A cheesecake that's less dense can be scooped from the top.

'Remember typically in British formal dining, we don't scoop with a fork, however, it is perfectly acceptable to scoop using a dessert fork.

'In between bites, you can place the fork neatly down by the side of the plate, then you can continue to enjoy your cheesecake when you're ready.'

A number of TikTok users took to the comments section to express their opinions on the video, some praised the advice, while others revealed that they weren't the best at etiquette, but enjoy Lucy's content

The detailed instructions struck a chord with etiquette-loving viewers, who complimented Lucy on the video.

One wrote: 'Oh how lovely, some of my friends from law school are having a dinner party tomorrow, I will be hosting and desert will be cheesecake.'

Meanwhile another joked: 'I find the most challenging part about cheesecake is having time between bites to set the fork down.'

And a third added: 'Quintessentially British.'
Summer may be associated with floaty slip dresses and glam bikini sets, but this year, the fashion crowd have turned their back on the traditional warm-weather outfit for a decidedly more comfortable piece of clothing.

Boxer shorts have become the latest summer trend for fashionistas, with social media users from around the world posing proudly in their linen underwear in snaps online.

And while they might not be considered the most glamorous, models Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski have all stepped out in the unusual outfit choice in recent months, donning skimpy lightweight shorts in order to beat the heat.

Whether fashionistas are throwing the shorts on with a smart tailored jacket, matching them with a co-ordinated shirt or donning a pair as a cover up, it seems the humble boxer short is having quite the moment.

Summer may be associated with floaty slip dresses and glamorous ensembles - but this year, the fashion set have turned their back on the traditional warm-weather outfit for a decidedly more comfortable piece of clothing. Pictured, influencer Gigi shows how to dress up boxers with a waistcoat and blazer on the streets of Vienna, Austria

Boxer shorts have become the latest summer trend for fashionistas, with social media users from around the world posing in their linen underwear in snaps online. Pictured: British author Alice Oven styled hers with a blazer (left). Right: YouTuber Cassie Thorpe, who is British but lives in New York, paired her bright orange statement boxers with a loose white linen shirt

Some Brits treated the casual linen shorts, which are for sale across the high street, as a bikini cover up amid the baking weather. Pictured, two sun-seekers in pairs by London brand Speltham Boxers

Others paired the unusual garment with relaxed crop-tops to make a low-key, comfortable (yet trendy) outfit. Pictured, Milan-based fashion designer Amanda Rachel Maruzzi

With an elasticated waistband and loose, relaxed fit, it's not hard to see why Brits have been flocking to the trend in the recent heatwave.

And while some have opted for a traditional blue and white striped boxer shorts, others have added a pop of colour with bold orange and playful patterns.

Many have been sharing snaps online as they pose in the unusual items, with one commenting: 'Poor guys, we not only steal their shirts and jackets, but now we're after their boxers.'

Some paired the loose-fitting shorts with a smart tailored blazer, while others opted to throw the boxers on over a bikini as a beach cover-up.

And while some have opted for a traditional blue and white striped boxer shorts, others have added a pop of colour with bold orange shorts, as seen in this Italian summer outfit

With an elasticated waistband and loose, relaxed fit, it's not hard to see why Brits have been flocking to the trend in the recent heatwave. They can also be layered with blazers (as seen on this influencer from Corsica, left). Right: Dressed down with a jumper in Switzerland

New York-based influencer Loli Olivera shared a snap on Instagram outside an airport in her high waisted boxers, apparently excited to travel in her low-key shorts

Some paired the loose fitting shorts with a tailored shirt (left on London-based influencer Linn Alice Charlotta Odman) or oversized blazer (right, on Copenhagen-based fashionista Pernille) for a more balanced look

Social media user Sophie Jarrett used hers as a beach cover-up while on holiday in Barbados, while Influencer Isabella W, from London, wowed her 3,000 followers in a patterned pair.

Loli Olivera shared a snap on Instagram outside an airport in her high waisted boxers, apparently excited to travel in her low-key shorts.

Meanwhile some fashonistas opted to perfectly coordinated a matching shirt with the boxer-shorts to make a trendy co-ord.

Influencer Polly Sayer shared a snap online as she posed in a matching yellow set while holidaying in Greece.

Instagram user @NK.In.USA used her 'tomboy set' of boxer shorts and matching blue shirt as the perfect cover-up while holidaying in Capris

Social media user Sophie Jarrett used hers as a beach cover-up while on holiday in Barbados (left), while Influencer Isabella W wowed her 3,000 followers in a patterned pair (right)

And Instagram user @NK.In.USA used her 'tomboy set' of boxer shorts and matching blue shirt as the perfect cover-up while holidaying in Capris.

A number of trendy brands have gone on to release women's versions of the boxer shorts to be worn by fashionistas.

Diors designer version of the shorts comes with a 1,300 price tag, while Burberrys are 590. A pair from the British brand also come with their signature monogram.

And it's not just the luxury designers who have taken to selling the unusual garment.

Others appeared to dress their boxers up by pairing the shorts with a co-ordinating shirt and white tank top. Left: Stylish Melisa from London. Right: A fashionista in Italy

Influencer Polly Sayer shared a snap online as she posed in a matching yellow set while holidaying in Greece

High street brands like Arket and Mango have also been selling boxers for women to wear as outerwear.

Meanwhile British-based label With Nothing Underneath, a brand beloved by Meghan Markle, released a pair of organic cotton boxer shorts for 55 three different colourways.

Online, the shorts are described as 'mens-inspired-boxer-turned-womens-short', which 'has been elevated with WNUs staple tailoring to create a flattering silhouette for all body types that everyone wants to wear.'

And London-based brand Speltham sell boxers which are ethically handmade by a small family-run factory and sent to customers in eco-friendly packaging.
'You don't have to ask me twice to take my clothes off!' Heidi Klum, 49, reveals she's more than willing to strip off as its like 'putting on an old hat'
Identical triplets who have never spent more than two days apart in nearly three decades have opened up about their incredible bond, saying they are a 'package deal.'

Benjamin, Nicholas, and Zachary Osborne, 27, from Rocky Mount, North Carolina, have been living together since they were born. They have attended the same colleges, graduated with the same degrees, and interned for the same politician.

'We tend to use the pronoun "we" instead of "I" because were always together and we have the same interests and we always do the same thing,' Nicholas told Today. Even when Im by myself, I find that I still say "we."'

Identical triplets Benjamin, Nicholas, and Zachary Osborne, 27, from Rocky Mount, North Carolina, have been living together since they were born

The brothers share the same wardrobe and often where matching outfits

'We tend to use the pronoun "we" instead of "I" because were always together and we have the same interests and we always do the same thing,' Nicholas told Today

They had separate rooms when they were children, but they often ended up in the same bedroom. They all love movie theater popcorn, Harry Potter books, and photographing architecture.

They had their own rooms as kids, but they often ended up in the same bedroom

Benjamin said they don't like to think of the possibility of being separated because it causes them 'too much worry and stress.'

'We get very anxious when we think about it,' he explained, 'so we just focus on the present.'

The triplets graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2018, with multiple degrees, including a bachelor's in political science.

They then headed to Washington, D.C. together to earn masters degrees from Georgetown University.

Benjamin, Nicholas, and Zachary are now in their second year at Georgetown Law, and, naturally, they're in all of the same classes.

Benjamin said they don't like to think of the possibility of being separated because it causes them 'too much worry and stress'

The triplets, who each used to weigh roughly 350 pounds, have lost a combined total of 470 pounds over the past ten years

They graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2018, with multiple degrees, including a bachelor's in political science

Benjamin, Nicholas, and Zachary then earned masters degrees from Georgetown University

The aspiring lawyers even scored the same internships with North Carolina State Senator Jim Burgin.

On June 27, they flew across the pond to England to study administrative law at the University of Oxford. In their spare time, they go for long walks together and have logged 100 miles since their arrival.

The daily workouts help the brothers stay on track with their weight loss. They have shed a combined total of 470 over the past ten years. They each used to weigh around 350 pounds, but now they're roughly 160 pounds.

Benjamin, Nicholas, and Zachary like to have a protein bar or shake for breakfast and eat one large meal a day while avoiding added sugar.

Benjamin, Nicholas, and Zachary have never spent more than two days apart

The brothers are now in their second year at Georgetown Law, and, naturally, they're in all of the same classes

The aspiring lawyers even scored the same internships with North Carolina State Senator Jim Burgin

The triplets are currently in England studying administrative law at the University of Oxford

The weight loss has led them to trade their baggy cargo shorts for slim-fit pants and button-down shirts.

As identical triplets, they attract plenty of attention, but they don't mind being approached by strangers who like to take pictures and ask them questions.

They shared that identical triplets run in the family  their great-grandfather was one  and they do have triplet telepathy.

The brothers insisted that they rarely argue, and when they do, it's over 'silly things' and 'always resolved within minutes.'

'We're best friends,' Benjamin said. 'This is going to sound embarrassing, but when Im by myself, its like walking around on one foot and without one arm. Ive lost a part of myself.'
Health experts warn that the Omicron BA.5 subvariant leads to more severe COVID-19 conditions for many people, including reinfections with "more painful" symptoms that might impact even vaccinated individuals.

Doctors believe that BA.5 could be the worst subvariant of COVID-19. The following are the reasons:

High False Negatives on Rapid Antigen Tests

False negatives on rapid antigen tests may be more common with BA.5, according to preliminary findings from the Kirby Institute that have not yet undergone peer review, as ABC 7 News reported.

According to UCSF infectious disease expert Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, it is "very common" for people to get a positive result on the fourth or fifth day of symptoms "if only using a rapid antigen test." He suggests "combing the nose and the throat and repeating the tests multiple times."

BA.5 Is the Most Contagious COVID-19 Variant, Research Says

It is at least 20% more contagious than omicron, according to the CDC. Doctors claim that even in places we considered to be "safe," such as the outdoors, it will be easier to get infected.

UCSF Epidemiologist Dr. George Rutherford said: "The more transmissible the virus is the easier it is to get. It's always possible and if you're in crowded outdoor areas, it's very possible."

Eric Topol, a cardiologist and professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research, has described BA.5 as "the worst version of the virus we've seen."

He explained: "It takes immune escape, already extensive, to the next level, and, as a function of that, enhanced transmissibility," well beyond earlier versions of Omicron, according to a report from CNN

In other words, BA.5 can easily sidestep the protection provided by earlier infections and vaccinations, increasing the risk of reinfection.

Read Also: NASA Releases More Images From James Webb Space Telescope Showing Stars' Origin, Galaxies Interaction

Topol stated that although the variety does not appear to cause more severe symptoms, he expects to see a spike in hospitalizations given the degree of immune evasion that BA.5 had demonstrated in Europe and other regions where it has spread.

"One good thing is it doesn't appear to be accompanied by the ICU admissions and the deaths as previous variants, but this is definitely concerning," he noted.

The symptoms of BA.5 are identical to those of earlier strains, but preliminary research suggests they can be more painful.

Dr. Chin-Hong said BA.5 patients reported more symptoms of severe sore throat-- "like their throat is on fire with BA.5."

Its Possible Impact on Health Care System

Health experts warn if transmission rates continue to rise and hurt hospital systems, it may become serious trouble. Hospitalizations have surged to their highest level since February, although COVID-19 cases are not currently ravaging Bay Area hospitals.

Doctors warn patients to exercise extreme caution due to this and a blind zone of COVID instances. According to the White House, potentially tens of thousands of new COVID cases are being underreported daily across the United States.

No Public Restrictions as of Now

In an earlier HNGN report, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House's top pandemic advisor, urged Americans to get a second booster shot to curb the spread of the BA.5 variant.

Fauci dismissed the notion of implementing further restrictions if case numbers rise again, adding that vaccinations and boosters were the essential tools in the fight against virus transmission.

Related Article: Study Finds More Efficient Dosage of Vaccines Against Omicron Subvariant as Some Countries Recommend 4th Booster

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Camilla's Country Life has divided opinion - with some viewers claiming the Duchess of Cornwall appeared 'full of herself' and a 'hypocrite' for telling people to 'be considerate' after her affair with Prince Charles, while others said she'll be an 'amazing' Queen Consort.

The ITV documentary, which aired last night, followed the royal as she guest edited this month's issue of Country Life to mark her 75th birthday on Sunday and the 125th anniversary of the magazine.

Cameras filmed Camilla as she went to an exhibition in Manchester which showed photos of domestic abuse survivors, visited the Grand National, toured her grandparents' former Hampshire manor and attended the Royal Cornwall Show.

Asked during the one-hour special what guidance she would offer her younger self, the Duchess said: 'Well, I think I'd remember what my parents, the advice they gave me, which is try and be considerate of others.

'I think that's a very important thing to learn in life... and I think, you know, I'd give the same advice to my children and my grandchildren.'

However, some viewers branded the royal a 'hypocrite' over her comments and referred to her affair with the Prince of Wales, before they were married and he was instead wed to Princess Diana. Yet others insisted Camilla will be an 'amazing' Queen Consort.

Scroll down for video

Camilla's Country Life has divided opinion - with some viewers claiming the Duchess of Cornwall (pictured) appeared 'full of herself' and a 'hypocrite' for telling people to 'be considerate' after her affair with Prince Charles, while others said she'll be an 'amazing' Queen Consort

The ITV documentary, which aired last night, followed the royal (pictured with her husband, Prince Charles) as she guest edited this month's issue of Country Life to mark her 75th birthday on Sunday and the 125th anniversary of the magazine

Some viewers branded the royal a 'hypocrite' over her comments and referred to her affair with the Prince of Wales, before they were married and he was instead wed to Princess Diana

The Duchess and Prince Charles insist their romantic relationship only resumed in 1986  by which time the marriage between Diana and the Prince of Wales had, as the future King himself put it in a TV documentary, 'irretrievably broken down'.

Yet some viewers were still unimpressed with Camilla's remarks about being considerate, with one person writing on Twitter: 'If this is PR from [Buckingham Palace] to try and get people to like her, I don't think it's going well. So full of herself.'

Another said: 'Be considerate of others... jarring given Camilla's history with Charles and Diana.'

A third added: 'The hypocrisy of Camilla on Camilla's Country Life. "Do unto others" and "Try and be considerate of others". Yeah, just like you and [Prince Charles] when you conducted your affair while both married to other people.'

However, it wasn't all negative reviews, with some Twitter users praising the programme and applauding Camilla's work.

Cameras filmed Camilla (pictured) as she went to an exhibition in Manchester which showed photos of domestic abuse survivors, visited the Grand National, toured her grandparents' former Hampshire manor and attended the Royal Cornwall Show

'What a lovely programme. Showing us a caring, emphatic Duchess. She will be a great Queen Consort,' said one person.

Another wrote: 'What a wonderful lady, so down to earth. She will make an amazing Queen Consort. The countryside needs champions like her.'

A third person said online: 'Fabulous programme. Always liked her! And she makes Prince Charles so happy! A terrific Queen Consort in waiting!'

Royal biographer Angela Levin appeared on the programme and commented on Camilla's journey in the public eye.

'She was once described in a newspaper as the most wicked woman on earth, and the most disliked woman on earth, and now here she is, it's the most extraordinary journey,' she said.

While Sarah Troughton, one of the Queens cousins and a friend of Camilla's, said: 'I think there has been a wind of change in the Duchess' popularity.

Reaction: Yet others insisted Camilla will be an 'amazing' Queen Consort after watching the programme

'But I think that's because she's been entirely natural, entirely straight with everybody... and does her royal duties with real panache and style and the public are very happy to meet her.'

Elsewhere in the documentary, the Duchess hailed survivors of domestic violence as 'so brave' for speaking out about the abuse they suffered.

As she was filmed for the production, the royal visited an exhibition in Manchester which showed photographs of people who had survived domestic abuse.

Speaking to the film crew, Camilla said she wanted to draw attention to the problem of domestic violence in her issue of Country Life.

The Duchess, who is a patron of Safelives, a UK-wide charity dedicated to ending domestic abuse, met with Allie Crewe, who took the photo series of survivors.

Elsewhere, the Duchess of Cornwall, 74, met with Allie Crewe (left) who photographed survivors of domestic abuse as part of an exhibition during the programme

Speaking to the cameras Camilla said she thought survivors of domestic violence were 'very brave' to speak about their experiences

Camilla said: 'It's incredibly moving. It's so brave of these women... to get up and talk about it when some of them have sat on it for years and years and years.'

The Duchess added it was 'a very brave thing to do'.

Speaking with a male survivor of domestic violence who appeared in Allie's exhibition, Camilla said she was 'glad' to meet him.

The Duchess told him: 'You were the brave man in the exhibition. I sometimes think men get a bit overlooked. I think people think "it's all women and it doesn't happen to men" but it jolly well does.'

Speaking to a male survivor of domestic violence the Duchess of Cornwall said she felt men were 'overlooked' when it comes to the issue

Photographer Allie Crewe walked Camilla around the exhibition, which she described as 'incredibly moving'

The Duchess confirmed she wanted to make a mention of domestic violence in her edition of Country Life - particularly in rural areas.

'I wanted to point out that in the countryside, it's not all rosy. There are darker things happening, especially in rural areas where they don't get quite as much attention as they do in these big cities,' she said.

Viewers took to Twitter to praise Camilla for her work on domestic violence.

One person wrote: 'I firmly believe that HRH's work to support those who've experienced domestic abuse and the related organisations, whilst often passing by under the radar (at her choosing) will be one of the things that defines her work and role in years to come.'
An activist with cerebral palsy has said she feels there is a 'dehumanising perspective' on what she can 'offer society' after feeling 'contempt' while attending music festivals.

Appearing on Good Morning Britain today, Katouche Goll, 25, said she felt the experience at the popular festival Wireless in Crystal Palace this month was 'like something out of The Lion King' with a dangerous terrain and a steep hill to navigate to even enter the festival.

She said 'information is there' for festivals to learn how to treat people with disabilities, but added: 'What this is is a contempt and disregard for disabled patrons. It's a very dehumanising perspective on, what do we offer society, should we be in public view and should we able to participate.

'I am constantly met with barriers. What makes people disabled, is the barriers put in front of you that stop you from participating in public life. They're creating barriers in this instance.'

She previously spoke out about disabled ticketholders being given 'second-class treatment' at the 'abysmal' event after they were placed in a distant disabled area.

Katouche Goll, 25, has said she feels there is a 'dehumanising perspective' on what she can 'offer society' after feeling 'contempt' while at Wireless Festival

Katouche has previously branded her difficult experience of the popular festival in Crystal Palace this month as 'an absolute disaster from the onset' after being forced to negotiate 'dangerous' terrain and a steep hill - all for an abject view of the event

Appearing on the programme today, Katouche was asked what happened at the festival this month.

She responded: 'What didn't happen? The pathway up to the supposed disabled entrance was at the top of a hill. It wasn't sign posted, none of the staff knew where it was when we asked.

'But they thought it was appropriate for disabled attendees to scale a hill with a 10 per cent incline.'

She added: 'it looks like something from The Lion King. It's got massive potholes, one wrong turn and you're flying.

She had to watch the festival from a distant viewing platform and said she had no access to merchandise, food vendors or 'atmosphere' at the event

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'It took two or three people at a time to assist me up and down.'

She said the access to the entrance was 'just the beginning', continuing: 'We got in just about, but they got us waiting in the sun for an hour, with no seats.

'I was sat on cinder blocks. They hadn't prioritised preparing the accessibility area. If I hadn't come with a chair that day, I would have been stood for a considerable amount of time.'

The 25-year-old then had to watch the festival from a distant viewing platform, adding: 'You can see the view of the stage - we're essentially outside the festival.

'There's no step access down into the venue with anyone else. We're away from food vendors, the atmosphere, merchandise...'

Spokesperson for the Wireless Festival said they had been in touch with all access customers had been offered a refund and a full letter apology.

But Katouche still said she wasn't impressed, continuing: 'We had to reach out to them first, after all the commotion we made.

'They didn't reach out to us pre-emptively after seeing how the event had gone.

'They've ignored and not publicly acknowledged how they've treated us up to this point.'

She claimed: 'I have a number of friends who have spoken to Wireless in the past about issues with access and they do have an organisation that they consult with.

'But they haven't been in consistent consultation with them since 2017. And they weren't in consultation with them for this most recent festival.'

Meanwhile Katouche said even band members were surprised by the positioning of the access area.

She explained: 'On one of the days, I ran into Roddy Ricch band members who said they were expecting to see me at the side of the stage.

'And I thought to myself, "You've no idea where I am. You're never going to see me."

'For them it's common place. They've toured all over the world and even if you look at the comments made in the media by some talent members, you see there is a consistent issue with how many people think disabled people should interact with society and what we are deserving of.'

Katouche pointed at the distant stage (left), stating she felt 'Sooo far away' from the event. And right: Goll's sister puts her belongings on the only chair they were given on the plastic stage

Fazilet Hadi, head of policy at charity Disability Rights UK, previously said the way Katouche had been treated at the festival was 'unacceptable'.

She added: 'What should have been a joyous and fun occasion, turned into disappointment and frustration for Disabled festival goers.

'This is absolutely unacceptable. Disabled people are a fifth of the population and we need to be welcomed and included at public events.

'The Equality Act requires festivals to be run in ways which meet our needs and no festival should treat us as second class citizens.'
A schoolboy who went viral after wearing a bright red skirt and sequined tuxedo jacket to his prom was blown away after receiving messages of support from Drag Race UK stars on This Morning today.

Sixteen-year-old Korben's bold fashion choice went viral on Twitter earlier this month after his mother, Nina Green, tweeted photos of his stunning outfit to showcase her support.

The pupil stepped out in the billowing ballgown skirt and shimmering jacket to loud cheers from his classmates and staff members at Archbishop Sancroft High School in Harleston, Norfolk.

Appearing on This Morning today, Korben described how he had always been 'very feminine' and said he hoped his outfit choice could help others 'find confidence to be themselves.'

In one adorable moment during the interview, the teenager and his mother Nina were surprised with video messages from two drag queens, Kitty Scott-Claus and The Vivienne.

Korben's jaw dropped when he saw the clip, and the teenager could barely contain his excitement throwing his hands into the air with excitement.

Korben, 16, who went viral after wearing a bright red skirt and sequined tuxedo jacket to his prom was blown away after receiving messages of support from Drag Race UK stars on This Morning today

Sixteen-year-old Korben's bold fashion choice went viral on the social media platform earlier this month after his mother, Nina Green, tweeted photos of his stunning outfit to showcase her support

Appearing on the show, Korben said he was 'so glad' he was having the chance to wear the outfit for a second time.

He explained: 'Well I've always been very feminine, loved dresses, playing with Barbies. When I was 12, that's when I was like, "I want to go to prom in a dress, a suits just not for me."

'Thanks to Mum and our lovely friend Kirke, who made the dress, we made it happen.'

He continued: 'It was inspired by Billy Porter's Met Gala look a few years ago.'

Meanwhile his mother Nina said: 'We were so excited about it because he didn't tell anyone.

The pupil stepped out in the billowing ballgown skirt and shimmering jacket to loud cheers from his classmates and staff members at Archbishop Sancroft High School in Harleston, Norfolk

Nina captioned her images: 'At age 12, my son announced he wanted to go to his school prom in a gown. Four years later we made it happen'

'It was a bit of a secret but the teachers knew he wasn't going to be in a bog standard suit. I wanted to make it so special for him and I'm so proud of him for being true to himself.'

She continued: 'The most amazing bit for me was the reaction when he got out the car. Everyone cheered and clapped and to feel that level of acceptance just means so much.

'There are children out there who don't get that support. It's so important to me that we let our children be who they are.

'If you allow them to be who they are, you get the best out of them.'

Appearing on This Morning today, Korben described how he had always been 'very feminine' and said he hoped his outfit choice could help others 'find confidence to be themselves'

Korben added he had been 'taken aback' by the reaction, adding: 'I'm so blessed to have supported friends, school and family.

'To be accepted was just amazing. Everyone got a cheer when they got out the car.'

He said he hoped 'being an ordinary boy in a dress' would help show others 'you can express yourself.'

He added: 'There's nothing wrong with being a bit feminine or masculine.'

Korben added he had been 'taken aback' by the reaction to his outfit but also said he had been 'so blessed' to have 'supportive friends and family

After the event, Nina went on to share the photograph on Twitter, admitting she felt 'a bit nervous' about the reaction.

Nina captioned her images: 'At age 12, my son announced he wanted to go to his school prom in a gown. Four years later we made it happen.

'Im so incredibly proud of him for being true to himself and the reception he got from his whole school was incredible.'

She also tagged RuPaul's Drag Race judge Michelle Visage, asking for her thoughts, to which the American celebrity replied: 'Ohhhhhhhh yes! You are an amazing, beautiful mom and your child is a STAR.'

On the programme, the teenager was blown away after he was surprised with a video message from Drag Race UK star Kitty Scott-Claus

The post was retweeted more than 3,000 times - including by a host of famous faces - and liked by 119,400 social media users.

Nina said: 'I didn't expect it to get the reaction it did. Whilst I knew there would be some negative comments, the message I've got of acceptance is far more important.

'If I told him he couldn't wear a dress, I'd dial as a parent. It's so important, he lives an authentic life.

'It's so important, he's happy, I'm happy he's happy. He's doing nothing wrong, he looks amazing, and I'm so grateful for all the support.'

The teenager appeared close to tears as The Vivienne shared a message with him and called him 'inspiring'

'We have had some negative comments, but we ignore them. Why hide your child away from who they are? I want them to be who they are.'

She added: 'It's no one else's business, no one else is living your life. As long as you are a kind and nice person, do what you need to do.'

Korben added: 'I'm so blessed by all the love I have received. It shows all the love there is.'

The teen was then surprised by a message from two stars of Drag Race UK, with the 16-year-old and his mother gasping with shock.

Nina shared the story on Twitter earlier this month, posting snaps of her son which quickly went viral

She also tagged RuPaul's Drag Race judge Michelle Visage, asking for her thoughts, to which the American celebrity replied: 'Ohhhhhhhh yes! You are an amazing beautiful mom and your child is a STAR'

In the clip, Kitty said: 'I'm just here to wish you the biggest congratulaitons in the world. Korben, you looked incredible and I hope you had the best time, living your life as your true authentic self.'

In a second message, The Vivienne told him: 'I just want to send you all my love. I went to my school prom at 16 and also did drag.

'I want you to know to keep being your true self because you have amazing people around you who love you and you are so so inspiring. So Frou Frou, everyone is talking about Frou, Frou.'

Gasping, Korben said the messages 'meant the world' to him, saying: 'I really look up to the drag queens, especially on Drag Race UK! To see representation of who I want to be, it means a lot! Oh goodness.'

He went on to share a message to other young teenagers who might be inspired by his story, saying: 'Find a supportive system of friends, teachers and family who love and supportive you. Have confidence and love yourself. '
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As we spend around a third of our lives in bed, sleeping or trying to sleep, its important to make your environment as comfortable and relaxing as possible.

And today, you can sleep deeper without spending a lot of money as The White Company has deals on bedding with up to 60 per cent off.

This means you can pick up a sheet in the sale from just $15.60, making the single row cord Egyptian cotton sheet incredible value given that the twin is usually priced at $39

The White Company Single Row Cord Egyptian Cotton Sheet Finished with a thin row of cord, this bed linen adds a luxe, hotel-quality feel to your bed. Made in Portugal from cotton percale, this top quality sheet will gently caress skin with its cool-to-the-touch finish. Now it's more than half-price in the sale! Shop

This single row cord sheet from The White Company has the timeless appeal of a classic white sheet with chic black detail

Decorated with a clean thin row of cord, it adds a touch of class to your bed. Jump under the covers and youll feel caressed with a light-to-the touch finish.

The single row cord duvet cover is also reduced by 60 per cent with prices starting at $34 for a duvet cover.

Like monochrome vibes in your bedroom? The black piping around the single row cord sheets leads itself to pairings with other white or black accessories

Specializing in high thread count cotton sheets, The White Company make bedding thats breathable and soft, as well as crisp and elegant in the most perfect shade of white.

Another popular sheet also in the sale is the Camborne flat sheet, which is reduced by half price.

Theres not any obvious detail to this one but look closer and youll see Oxford borders that are available in navy, soft oyster or classic ivory. Its main appeal, however, is the 400 thread count Egyptian cotton sateen which means it feels exquisitely smooth.

Save on style: The White Company's Camborne fitted sheet and linen collection is half price in the brand's summer sale

As the White Company has so many different styles of luxe bed linen available, its a good idea to visit their website to find something you love, which will be at an all time low price in the sale.

Here are some examples of the bargains you could add to your basket along with some unbeatable bargains on home fragrance and clothing for the whole family.

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Tory leadership hopeful Kemi Badenoch has gone from race outsider to a serious contender with the backing of Michael Gove and a promise to be the 'fresh face' the party needs after chaos of Boris Johnson's premiership.

The MP for Saffron Walden, 42, who grew up in the UK, US and Nigeria, is known as a culture warrior with anti-'woke' views on issues including trans rights that make her a hit among right-leaning members of the party.

The former equalities minister threw her hat into the ring with a plan for a smaller state and a government 'focused on the essentials' and won the support of Mr Gove, who said the party needs a leader with 'Kemi's focus, intellect and no-bulls*** drive'.

It marks a massive boost in profile for Ms Badenoch, a mother-of-three former banker who has only been an MP for five years and remains unknown to most of the population.

She admits her pro-Brexit views put her at odds with her husband Hamish, a Deutsche Bank banker and former Tory Councillor. The couple have three children - two sons and a daughter, who they keep out of the public eye.

Tory leadership hopeful Kemi Badenoch, pictured, threw her hat into the ring with a plan for a smaller state and a government 'focused on the essentials', saying she is the 'fresh face' the party needs. She has won the backing of Michael Gove who praised her 'no bulls***' approach

The married mother-of-three, pictured in the kitchen with one of her two daughters in 2017, grew up between Nigeria, the US and the UK and is known for her 'anti-woke' views

Kemi pictured with her husband Hamish (right) and Theresa May. Hamish is a banker and a former Tory councillor

After first announcing her candidacy in The Times, Ms Badenoch officially launched her campaign in a speech at the Policy Exchange think tank on Tuesday, pictured

Ms Badenoch was born in Wimbledon, south-west London after her Nigerian parents came to the UK so her mother, a professor of physiology, could receive medical treatment.

She grew up in Lagos where her father worked as a GP, although they spent time in the US while her mother was lecturing.

'I come from a middle-class background but I grew up in a very poor place,' she once said in an interview. 'Being middle class in Nigeria still meant having no running water or electricity, sometimes taking your own chair to school.'

At 16, Ms Badenoch returned to London to realise her 'dream' of completing her studies in the UK and enrolled in a part-time A-Level course in Morden.

At the time Nigeria was in the midst of political chaos that impacted the economy. The family experienced poverty and Ms Badenoch's father 'scraped together' enough money for a plane ticket and 100 for his daughter to start her new life.

To support herself, Ms Badenoch, who lived with a family friend, secured a part-time job at McDonald's and picked up ad-hoc work elsewhere.

Ms Badenoch was born in south-west London after her Nigerian parents came to the UK so her mother, a professor of physiology, could receive medical treatment. Pictured, Kemi Badenoch (second from left) with (l-r) her brother, Fola, Kemi, her sister Lola and mother, Feyi

She grew up in Lagos where her father worked as a GP, although they spent time in the US while her mother was lecturing. Pictured, Kemi, aged seven, with her grandfather in Nigeria

'Most of the students were from ethnic minorities and the expectations for us were low,' she recalled in an interview with the Independent. 'The poverty of low expectations must change. Schools and teachers matter.'

The future politician enrolled at the University of Sussex where she studied Computer Systems Engineering, graduating in 2003.

This led to a job as a software engineer at Logica, followed by by a role as system analyst at Royal Bank of Scotland. She was later appointed as an associate director at private bank Coutts.

In 2009 she began a part-time law degree at Birbeck College and has also worked at the Spectator magazine.

At 16, Ms Badenoch, pictured in 2017, returned to London to realise her 'dream' of completing her studies in the UK and enrolled in a part-time A-Level course in Morden

Ms Badenoch and her husband Hamish pictured with one of their daughters. The couple have kept their three children - two daughters and a son - out of the public eye

Ms Badenoch joined the Conservative party in 2005, aged 25, and says there were two 'lightbulb moments' that persuaded her to stand as an MP.

The first was when she heard a speaker at the Hay Festival 'claiming that ethnic minorities all suffer from institutional racism'.

Ms Badenoch joined the Conservative party in 2005, aged 25, and says there were two 'lightbulb moments' that persuaded her to stand as an MP. Pictured, in 2017

She told the Independent: 'The left and the liberal elite think they have a monopoly on the caring issues, whether it is diversity or refugees.

'Of course we have a moral obligation to help refugees but what is important - and more difficult to do - is to look at what works when they come; can they find work? Do they integrate? Do they take on British values?'

The second came during the Make Poverty History movement in 2005 when she was struck by the arrogance of 'white men thinking they can save Africa'.

'This was the last straw for me. What has helped and is helping African countries is free trade and enterprise, not more aid and more virtue signalling,' she continued.

After unsuccessfully running for the seat of Dulwich and West Norwood in the 2010 election - a contest won by late Labour MP Tessa Jowell - Ms Badenoch was selected as the Conservative candidate for Saffron Walden, a safe seat for her party, in the 2017 election.

She won and delivered her maiden speech in Parliament just a few weeks later. In it, she described herself as the 'British dream,' the African 'immigrant who came to the UK aged 16 and who became a parliamentarian' in one generation.

She also described the vote for Brexit as 'the greatest ever vote of confidence in the project of the United Kingdom' and hailed

Ms Badenoch has had a rapid ascent through the ranks of the Conservative party, including a post as equalities minister. She resigned from government last week.

Ms Badenoch was selected as the Conservative candidate for Saffron Walden, a safe seat for her party, in the 2017 election. Pictured, with her baby in a carrier as she is sworn in as an Member of Parliament on the first day of Parliament in House of Commons, in London

Ms Badenoch has had a rapid ascent through the ranks of the Conservative party, including a post as equalities minister. She resigned from government last week. Pictured, Ms Badenoch (second from right) with former Chancellor Rishi Sunak and fellow Exchequer staff

After first announcing her candidacy in The Times, Ms Badenoch officially launched her campaign in a speech at the Policy Exchange think tank on Tuesday.

Ms Badenoch said her pro-Brexit views had at points put her at odds with her Remainer husband Hamish, pictured in 2015

In a wide-ranging speech, Ms Badenoch attempted to add economic heft to her anti-woke foundations, with a slapdown of her rivals over their un-costed tax cut offers.

But she also lashed out at British businesses that focus more on social change instead of making money, as she laid out her free market credentials.

She said: 'The ability to defend the free market as the fairest way of helping people prosper has been undermined. It has been undermined by a willingness to embrace protectionism because of special interests.

'It's been undermined by retreating in the face of the Ben and Jerry's tendency.

'They will say a business's main priority is social justice, not productivity and profit.

'And it's been undermined by the actions of crony capitalists colluding with big bureaucracy to rig the system in favour of incumbents against entrepreneurs.'

The MP for Saffron Walden has the declared support of 15 colleagues, including recent Cabinet minister Michael Gove, who was at her campaign launch.

The MP for Saffron Walden has the declared support of 15 colleagues, including recent Cabinet minister Michael Gove, who was at her campaign launch. Pictured, Ms Badenoch leaving her London home earlier this week

Standing in front of a union flag-patterned backdrop bearing the slogan 'Kemi for Prime Minister', she said: 'In the debate we've been having about the future of our party and our country, there have been lots of promises to cut taxes.

'I am committed to reducing corporate and personal taxes, but I will not enter into a tax bidding war over: ''My tax cuts are bigger than yours''.'

'For too long, politicians have been saying you can have it all - you can have your cake and eat it,' she added.

'But I'm here to tell you that that isn't true - it never has been.

'There are always tough choices in life and in politics: no free lunches, no tax cuts without limits on Government spending, no stronger defence without a slimmer state.

'Unlike others, I'm not going to promise you things without a plan to deliver them.'

Ms Badenoch said she would tackle the economic crisis by cutting spending on international aid, university student subsidies, and 'superfluous support staff' including well-being officers and diversity 'tick-box exercises'.

She said: 'While the priority of the 300 billion the Government spends on procurement should be value for money, in truth this is being undermined by tick-box exercises in sustainability, diversity and equality.

'These are good things but they need to be done properly.

'Why are we spending millions on people's jobs which literally didn't exist a decade ago, like staff well-being coordinators in the public sector?'

She added that she would 'get the police to focus on neighbourhood crime' rather than 'waste time and resources worrying about hurt feelings online'.

The Essex MP is competing with prominent Cabinet faces including Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, but she said her lack of experience is a 'huge advantage' because she does not come with 'the baggage of so many of the decisions that have been made' in recent years.

'People want a fresh face, and they can't have somebody who has been in Cabinet a very long time,' she added.

Ms Badenoch said she has 'a lot of respect' for Mr Sunak and Ms Truss, but she is 'not worried' about running against them.

She said her Government would be guided by the 'Conservative principles' of a 'limited government doing less, but better' and a 'strong nation state'.
A criminal psychiatrist who assesses 'mentally ill' offenders has revealed how he was knocked unconscious after being punched by a stranger on his first day on the job.

Dr Sohom Das, from London, assesses those in prison, court, or in locked secure forensic psychiatric units - which are reserved for the most violent and dangerous mentally ill patients.

He appeared on This Morning today, where he discussed his new book In Two Minds: Stories of Murder, Justice and Recovery from a Forensic Psychiatrist.

During the chat with Dermot O'Leary and Alison Hammond, Dr Das explained he was 'randomly attacked' on his first day, adding: 'I was on the ward assessing someone else and he had these delusional beliefs about me. He thought I was someone from his past, a bully in disguise, and he just ran up and punched me on the side of the head.'

He added: 'It wasn't that dramatic for me, because it was so out the blue. I lost consciousness and woke up on the floor. It was over before it started.'

Criminal psychiatrist Dr Sohom Das, from London, has revealed how he was knocked unconscious after being punched by a stranger on his first day on the job

Appearing on This Morning, Dr Das said: 'I stumbled into forensic psychiatrist. As a kid I listened to gangster rap, NWA, Snoop Dog. I didn't realise back then that you could do that as a career.

'I did medicine and struggled through my university, just about passed my exams, maybe took socialising a bit too seriously, didn't concentrate on my studying.

'I never really felt inspired and then I did a psychiatry placement. The stories were so fascinating, stepping into the world of people who had these strange beliefs or were at the lowest ebb, post-suicide attempt.

'Then forensics specifically is fascinating to me because there is always a back story.

During the chat with Dermot O'Leary and Alison Hammond, Dr Das explained he was 'randomly attacked' on his first day in a secure unit

'There is a reason people have lived a life of repeated criminality or mental illness. and it's often the same factors -poverty, drug abuse, witnessing domestic violence...'

He continued: 'If I was going to break it down, there's two areas of my job. I act as an expert witness, making comments on criminal responsibility, whether they're mentally ill or not or need to go to hospital or prison.

'The other side is once they've gone through that process, the small proportion that need long term rehabilitation. I help make them safe to be released into society.'

Meanwhile he said he was motivated to write his book because he had 'all these stories.'

He continued: 'I've seen patients that have done unmentionable things. Things I couldn't talk about on morning TV. I just thought there's a big thirst out there for it, so I want to demystify some of the myths.

Meanwhile the psychiatrist also said he often feels 'empathy' for offenders he is treating, despite their horrendous crimes

'Everyone is interested in the murders, but part of the process is to make people safer and rehabilitate them.

He said: 'I don't want to add to the stigma that people with mental illness are dangerous.

'But it just so happens the ones that I see as a forensic psychologist go through the criminal justice system.'

Meanwhile Dr Das went on to describe the characteristics that make up a killer, saying: 'The people I see tend to be the offenses are driven by symptoms of mental illness. In theory, they're easy to treat and medicate.

'On the other end of the spectrum, you get people who are much more anti-social in terms of their personality. It's in them. It's part of their nature.'

Meanwhile he argued that criminality is both 'nature and nurture', adding: 'There are traits that run in families, but to me it's more interesting seeing the nurture.

'Every defendant I assess, there's some reason why they have this inferiority complex. It grows like a cancer.'

And he said he does feel empathy for offenders he sees, saying: 'When I carry out my work, sometimes I see people who have carried about horrific offenses - crimes against strangers, offenses involving children.

'I'm very clear in my mind what my role is. My role is never to judge them. the criminal justice system does that.

'My role is only to find out if they have a mental illness. Do they have symptoms, and were they responsible for that?

'Almost every perpetrator is a victims. It's easy to judge the person in front of you but at some point, they were a vulnerable child or adolescent.'
A blind psychic who correctly predicted the 9/11 attacks claimed cities would face water shortages from droughts this year.

Known as the Nostradamus of the Balkans, Baba Vanga, who died 25 years ago in 1996 aged 84, reportedly warned that large cities would face draught due to rising temperatures.

The prediction appears to have some weight to it because this week it was reported that Kent residents were issued a water warning for 'essential use only'.

The locals where warned by South East Water to reduce their water use as heightened demand and sweltering temperatures had already moved the county to 'Red status'.

A blind psychic known as the Nostradamus of the Balkans, Baba Vanga, who died 25 years ago in 1996 aged 84, reportedly warned that large cities would face draught due to rising temperatures

The warning comes as Bewl Water near Tunbridge Wells is at 70 per capacity, with demand already 20 per cent higher and set to increase, according to KentLive.

However it's not just the UK seeing water shortages, because this week it was reported countries like Portugal and Italy were telling citizens to try and restrict their water usage.

However, some of her other predictions for this year haven't stood up, so far, after she she claimed the world would see terrifying events including deadly tsunamis and another pandemic.

Luckily, no major tsunamis have hit shorelines so far however the Covid-19 pandemic does seem to be gathering momentum again.

The warning comes as Bewl Water near Tunbridge Wells (pictured) is at 70 per capacity, with demand already 20 per cent higher and set to increase

We have also seen an outbreak with Monkeypox around the world however it has failed to cause any real public problems.

The psychic, who was born Vangelia Pandeva Dimitrova, claimed she had a rare gift from God that helped her see into the future after losing her sight at the age of 12.

She has previously correctly predicted the Russian invasion of Ukraine as well as the 9/11 attacks in New York City.

She even terrifyingly once claimed in a 1979 interview that Russia was to dominate the world and that president Vladimir Putin is to become 'Lord of the World'.

She also made a prediction about World War Three and the potential use of nuclear weapons.

During the interview with writer Valentin Sidorov, she said Putin's 'glory' will remain 'untouched'.

She said: 'All will thaw, as if ice, only one remain untouched - Vladimir's glory, glory of Russia.

A drone recently flew over the Bewl Water Reservoir and sand can be seen near the jetty as the water reseeds

'All will be removed by her from the way and not only will be kept, but also becomes the lord of the world.'

It is claimed that during her 50-year career, she also predicted the Coronavirus pandemic, Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine in 1986 and the death of Princess Diana in 1997.

The psychic reportedly predicted the Covid outbreak 'years ago' when she warned: 'The corona will be all over us.'

In 1989, she reportedly said of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre: 'Horror, horror! The American brethren will fall after being attacked by the steel birds.

'The wolves will be howling in a bush, and innocent blood will be gushing.'

She has previously correctly predicted the Russian invasion of Ukraine, she even terrifyingly once claimed in a 1979 interview that Russia was to dominate the world and that president Vladimir Putin is to become 'Lord of the World'

Baba also correctly predicted that the 44th US president [Barack Obama] would be the first to be black, although she did say he would be the very last.

She also said the 45th president of the United States was to be 'faced with a crisis' that would 'bring the country down' which could be linked to the challenges faced during Trump's time in office, including the storming of the State Capitol in Washington DC.

She incorrectly predicted that Europe would 'cease to exist' by 2017, the mystic said the continent would be turned into a 'wasteland almost entirely devoid of human life.'

Vanga grew up on a farm, in what is now Macedonia, and became blind after being dragged into a tornado when she was young, with believers saying this freak accident was what gave her second sight.
He's largely grown up away from the limelight - but James, Viscount Severn, has recently been taking on a more public role on a string of engagements with his family. The 14-year-old, thought to be one of the 'Queen's favourite' grandchildren, has joined his parents, Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex, and his sister Lady Louise Windsor, 18, at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham for the last three days. He also appeared alongside the rest of the royal family throughout the Queen's Jubilee celebrations earlier this year and the Easter service at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in April. Appearing smart in a check shirt and trouser combo yesterday, the teenager is said to be a keen and talented fly fisher - a pastime loved by several of his relatives, such as Prince Charles and the late Queen Mother. James is said to be a much-loved edition when attending the royal family's annual summer holiday in Balmoral, where he joins in enthusiastically with outdoor activities. But while he's clearly an important member of the Queen's family in private, he's rarely seen on any official engagements with his parents, and wasn't styled as a prince at birth in order 'to avoid some of the burdens of royal titles'.
Love Island 2021 winners Millie Court and Liam Reardon have announced their split - becoming the latest in a long line of couples from the show who have broken up after being crowned champions.

It was revealed yesterday that the couple have decided to go their separate ways following a year-long romance, after winning the ITV2 dating series last August.

Millie, 25, and Liam, 22, who have been living together in Essex but have since moved out of their shared home, called it quits after growing apart in recent months, while they both pursued individual work opportunities.

But they are far from the first couple who won the public vote, and the 50k prize money, before meeting their demise.

In fact, of the seven couples who have won the programme, just two have remained together following their appearance (and one of those couples also split up for a brief time before reuniting).

Among those who have broken up following the show are 2019's Amber and Greg, who split weeks after they won, and 2018 winners Jack and Dani, who was seen kissing her ex-boyfriend less than a month after the split.

But is there a winners curse? Here FEMAIL reveals all the couples who have gone on to break up after winning the nation's hearts on the programme.

SEASON 7 - 2021

MILLIE COURT AND LIAM REARDON

RELATIONSHIP LENGTH AFTER LOVE ISLAND: One year

2021: Millie, 25, and Liam, 22, who have been living together in Essex but have since moved out of their shared home, called it quits after growing apart in recent months, while they both pursued individual work opportunities

Millie Court and Leam Reardon scooped the 50K prize fund after viewers voted them favourites despite Liam playing away during the show's Casa Amor twist.

Welshman Liam managed to win Millie back after he kissed and grew close to Casa Amor bombshell Lillie Haynes.

Millie was left stunned after she was confronted by the revelation during the dramatic Casa Amor recoupling, where Lillie exposed Liam for his wrongdoings.

Liam and Millie won the show with a massive 42 per cent of the vote and he asked her to be his girlfriend during the live final.

The couple even admitted they were thinking about wedding plans, as Millie said: 'The proposal is going to have to be massive', with Liam adding: 'It's going to be huge. I'm sure I can pull it out of the bag. I'm sure I can do it.'

Shocking: Things took a dramatic turn for the couple after Casa Amor when Liam met bombshell Lillie Haynes - but the duo still managed to win the show

Lillie appeared during the recoupling to share the details of her brief romance with the Welsh native, admitting she was shocked he hadn't picked her to come back to the villa

And they seem to go from strength to strength, as Liam revealed at the end of October that they had found the 'perfect' first home together.

However at the start of 2022, the couple were largely absent from each other's social media pages.

The couple broke their silence after weeks of split rumours as they were seen together for the first time in a Instagram video.

But in March, Liam was nowhere to be seen as Millie attended her shoe launch with EGO alone.

He also left fans confused when he said he had 'nothing to wake up for' following winning the ITV2 reality show.

New home: Liam revealed at the end of October that they had found the 'perfect' first home together following their search (pictured at the Pride Of Britain Awards)

'I've been put into Essex, no family no friends. Obviously, I'm with Millie, which is good... I'd wake up, but have nothing to wake up for,' he told Heat podcast.

They shared joint announcements yesterday to reveal they have decided to separate and have moved out of their shared home.

They called it quits after growing apart in recent months, while they both pursued individual work opportunities.

A source close to the couple told MailOnline: 'It's been really hard for both Millie and Liam to come to this decision.

'There has been no drama or wrongdoing and they both still fully support each other and will remain close friends. They have moved out of the Essex home they shared together and are now looking forward to the future.'

SEASON 5 - 2019

AMBER GILL AND GREG O'SHEA

RELATIONSHIP LENGTH AFTER LOVE ISLAND: 39 days

2019: Amber Gill and Greg O'Shea were crowned winners having only known one another for two weeks

Amber Gill and Greg O'Shea met towards the end of the show after she was sidelined by her previous love interest, Michael Griffiths, who began dating Casa Amour newcomer, Joanna Chimonides. They have since split.

Greg appeared to be a true gentleman and a breath of fresh air for Amber which made him an instant fan favourite.

The couple - who got together just two weeks prior - beat Tommy Fury and Molly-Mae Hague, who had been seeing one another for 54 days.

Days after winning, Amber spoke about the struggles she and Greg faced making their long-distance relationship work.

After the show, Amber flew to Ireland to visit her beau - but within a month, they had decided to call it quits

Speaking on This Morning shortly after their win she admitted she was under no illusion that it'll be easy to maintain her relationship with Greg once she returned home to Newcastle and he resides in Ireland.

However by September, the couple had split. Amber was said to be 'devastated' as the Irish hunk reportedly dumped her by text and she had no idea it was coming.

She went on to claim Greg dumped her by text during an appearance on Loose Women in September 2019.

She told the panel: 'From my point of view I kind of still wanted to make it work and there was a call a few days prior, just chatting not specifically to do with that but definitely on that day it was like a text.'

However making an appearance on The Late, Late Show, Greg broke his silence on his split from Amber, denying he dumped her over a text message and said the distance between them, as well as their busy careers, caused the separation.

Five weeks after the finale, Love Island 2019 champions Amber and Greg announced they had broken up

He said: 'So we're mad about each other, what's not to be mad about? She's gorgeous, smart funny, she's the Queen of Love Island for a reason but you need to be realistic about the situation.'

Greg added that both he and Amber have their hands full with work and as such don't have time for a committed relationship.

He said: 'She lives in the UK, every brand wants to work with her, every event wants her there, of course she deserves all of it and I decided to come back to Ireland and do my thing here.

'I'm trying to get to the Olympics with the sevens team, I've got my law exams coming up so we're both so jam-packed busy and you need to take these opportunities by the scruff of the neck.

'So we're kind of just being realistic about the situation and protecting our careers and that's where we are at the moment.'

He later said he and Amber mutually agreed over FaceTime to end their relationship because he wanted to continue his career as a rugby player, while the Geordie aspired to move to London after she became inundated with clothing and endorsement deals.

They currently hold the record for the shortest ever relationship had from winning the show, as they split after just 39 days.

SEASON 4 - 2018

JACK FINCHAM AND DANI DYER

RELATIONSHIP LENGTH AFTER LOVE ISLAND: Five months

2018: Jack Fincham and Dani Dyer famously refrained from having sex in the Love Island villa and then went on to win the nation's hearts as Jack sweetly asked her to be his girlfriend

Jack Fincham and Dani Dyer famously refrained from having sex in the Love Island villa and then went on to win the nation's hearts as Jack sweetly asked her to be his girlfriend.

Days after leaving, Jack told The Sun: 'We're getting married next year, 100 per cent. Like my mum said to me so many times, 'When you know about someone, you just know.' And now I know what she's talking about. I just know that that's what we want to do.'

They went on to move into their own flat in Canary Wharf in August 2018.

But according to The Sun, the reality stars were drawn apart by their hectic schedules.

A source told the publication: 'When they left the villa they really thought they would stay together forever, but reality soon set in and things started to get strained.'

It was continued: 'They came out to a whirlwind of publicity and after a while, things started to get to them and the cracks appeared.

After winning the show, the couple went on to move into their own flat in Canary Wharf in August 2018

'They are both incredibly busy and they have decided to call time on their romance.'

Jack hinted at strife in his relationship with Dani in an interview given to MailOnline in December 2018, before the split was announced.

He indicated the pair's romance had entered choppy waters when he backtracked on his previous vow to wed the brunette beauty within a year.

He told MailOnline: 'Marriage is not something we've thought about yet. Before we can even speak about that, we'd like to buy a house together first.

'We haven't really thought about kids either, but I'd like a boy and a girl, and I'd give them another little Sandy (their new bulldog) too.'

And the next day, the couple had split. Dani announced the end of the couple's relationship in a emotional Instagram post, admitting their romance 'just wasn't meant to be long-term.'

Jack and Dani announced they had split in December 2018, before getting back together - and splitting for a second time in April 2019

Danny Dyer's daughter wrote on social media: 'Jack & I have sadly decided to part ways. It's been an incredible six months, and we will always have a place in our hearts for each other, but sadly we've come to the realisation that it's not meant to be long-term.'

Dani continued in her statement: 'We both plan to stay friends. I hope you'll all understand. Love Dani x.'

Days later, the couple insisted they were back together again as Dani put their split down to 'being in the public eye' as she told fans she was just 'a normal girl trying to grow into a woman'.

Following the reunion Dani and Jack were hit by claims that their split was for commercial reasons, something they both strongly denied, as it was ahead of the Love Island Christmas Reunion, their own spin-off series and their joint hosting duties at the National Television Awards.

By April, Jack revealed that they had split - and within weeks, Dani appeared to be over the breakup, as she was spotted kissing her stockbroker ex Sammy Kimmence in public

Two months later, the couple reportedly moved out of the luxury flat they had been sharing after Jack admitted to abusing cocaine.

In an interview, Dani acknowledged the challenges when they first left the villa.

She said: 'When we first came out of Love Island, we moved into a flat together and we started filming [our own] show.

'It was sort of way too much and our flat became a work home. It was really hard because we werent having those exciting times where you miss each other'

By April, Jack revealed that they had split - and within weeks, Dani appeared to be over the breakup, as she was spotted kissing her stockbroker ex Sammy Kimmence in public.

Jack later said he 'didn't know' if he'd ever been in love with Dani during an appearance on Celebs Go Dating.

He said: 'If we had lived in Love Island forever, wed have been fine. We rushed it straight away, we moved in together. I did want to [move in with her] but I wish we had waited.

'I let her rush me a little bit. We had a genuine connection in there and I think anyone can see that. Honestly, and I mean this, I wish her all the happiness in the world.'

SEASON 3 - 2017

AMBER DAVIES AND KEM CETINAY

RELATIONSHIP LENGTH AFTER LOVE ISLAND: Four months

Amber Davies and Kem Cetinay were crowned the winners of the third season and at the time spoke of their desire to marry one another

Amber Davies, who was previously a dancer, entered the house in the first instance and was paired with Kem Cetinay straight away, although their relationship was marred with ups and downs when new stars entered the show.

The couple were crowned the winners of the third season and at the time, Amber said: 'When you get to know someone it's so different. Type is nothing now. Paper means nothing.'

The Essex boy went on: 'We were rocky at that point and we weren't really together. I was pushing everything away', before Amber said: 'I was so happy to see him.'

However it wasn't to be, and as soon as they left the villa, their romance was rocked by reports of arguments prompted by their hectic work schedules

Meanwhile Kem insisted: 'I've found my future wife.'

SEASON 2 - 2016 CARA DE LA HOYDE AND NATHAN MASSEY RELATIONSHIP LENGTH AFTER LOVE ISLAND: 10 months (before getting back together) Cara De La Hoyde and Nathan Massey split 10 months after winning the reality show - but later got back together Having set eyes on one another in the very first episode of the second season, Cara De La Hoyde and Nathan Massey were instantly connected and remained the longest standing couple in the series - leading to their win of the show and a whopping 50,000. However it was less than a year later that rumours began to swirl that they were on the rocks. In January 2017, Cara was snapped throwing a glass of water into Nathan's face while on holiday in Gran Canaria. Sources at the time told The Sun: 'Nathan and Cara have always had a fiery relationship with plenty of ups and downs. But their latest bust-up is their biggest yet and itll be tough for them to come back from this.' Two months later, Cara was forced to quash reports stemming from 'a close friend' stating that the pair had parted away shortly after they spoke to this week's Ok! Magazine about their union, admitting while they are 'not perfect' they are very happy. She said: 'People scrutinise us and sometimes you feel the pressure to be a perfect couple. But we are just two people who have been thrust into the spotlight and, like any couple, we do argue; were not perfect. In April, the couple confirmed they had split. A source told The Sun, the former lovebirds were rowing over 'silly things', with a insider revealing: 'Theyve both mutually agreed to call it quits.' 'It hasnt been an easy decision but in the end they decided things would be better apart,' the source continued about the pair who reigned victorious on the dating show with their playful banter and fiery passion. However, it wasn't long before romance appeared to blossom between the two once more. Cara revealed they were expecting a baby together in the summer. And they announced they had got back together in November 2017. They welcomed a son, Freddie, and a daughter, Delilah and have since tied-the-knot. They are now one of the longest standing couples from the show. Advertisement

However it wasn't to be, and as soon as they left the villa, their romance was rocked by reports of arguments prompted by their hectic work schedules.

Insiders revealed Kem - who was busy training for the upcoming new series of Dancing on Ice, and Amber had had a string of furious rows, made worse by the fact they were living together in Essex.

They even blocked one another on social media following an argument.

A source told The Sun at The Time: 'They have been arguing a lot recently and things finally came to a head.

'Amber was out with some of the girls from 'Love Island'  Olivia Attwood and Georgia Harrison  so blocked Kem on social media to try and enjoy a stress free evening.

'It was just a silly argument  Kem even sent Amber some flowers to make things right again between them.

They continued: 'Theyve been at each others necks for the past month. Theyve been living on top of each other and clashed over the smallest things.

'Theyve been at each others necks for the past month. Theyve been living on top of each other and clashed over the smallest things.

'Its also been very hard for them to see each other with their hectic schedules. They tried to make it work but realised they want different things and being together was too tough.'

They ended up splitting four months after winning the show, in December 2017.

Confirming the split in a statement at the time, they said: 'With sadness, weve decided to separate. We fell in love in the villa and want to thank all the fans of the show for supporting us.

'Our schedules made it difficult. Well remain good friends.'

Kem later said: 'Amber was my first love. It was me that called it a day, but I think Amber felt the same. Things couldnt go on the way it was. She will always hold a soft spot for me in my heart.'

Meanwhile Amber confessed she had struggled with the break up at first, adding: 'It was a case of the right person at the wrong time.'

SEASON 1 - 2015

MAX MORLEY AND JESS HAYNES

RELATIONSHIP LENGTH AFTER LOVE ISLAND: Six weeks

The first season of Love Island aired in the summer of 2015, sparking an obsession across the nation which has continued for the past seven years.

Jess Hayes and Max Morley were announced as the winners of the show on July 16, 2015.

Speaking straight after the final, Jess confirmed to The Mirror that there was very little romance involved: We have a laugh together but we are not madly in love or anything like that.

And taking a pragmatic view of her relationship with the athlete, she added: We are not going to move in together or anything like that - it's a bit soon.

I've been in a long-distance relationship before and I think they can work out better sometimes. Anyway, I travel a lot with my job.

It wasn't long before cracks began to show in their blossoming romance, with the pair pictured entering into a very public explosive argument outside their London hotel, one week after returning to the UK.

Max was even romantically linked to single TOWIE star Jess Wright during the weeks that followed the reality show climax.

2015: Jess Hayes and Max Morley were announced as the winners of the show on July 16 (right)

Speaking straight after the final, Jess confirmed that there was very little romance involved in their relationship

Essex girl Jess and Max raised eyebrows when they caught a cab together after a night out in London and were even seen piling out of Nobu together later that week.

It was just under six weeks after walking away with the 50k prize money that the duo revealed that things didn't work out.

Including the hashtag that merges their names and a broken heart emoji, Jess wrote: 'Some things are just not meant to be... #LoveIsland #JAX'.
Mormon influencer Taylor Frankie Paul has divulged the details of her custody agreement with her soon-to-be ex-husband, Tate Paul, with a literal song and dance, weeks after revealing they had split over 'soft swinging' drama.

The 28-year-old blew up #MomTok  a group of TikTok content creators who are mostly Mormon  in May when she claimed Tate was divorcing her after she crossed the line while swapping partners with friends in their Utah community.

The mom, who shares two young children with her ex, answered a fan's question about their custody arrangement in a recent viral video while taking on the Time X Kashy dance challenge.

Mormon influencer Taylor Frankie Paul has divulged the details of her custody agreement with her soon-to-be ex-husband, Tate Paul, with a literal song and dance

In the viral video, Tayor is baring her stomach in a crop top as she sexily dances for the camera while the written details of their agreement pop up on the screen

Tayor is baring her stomach in a crop top and shorts as she sexily dances for the camera while the written details of their agreement pop up on the screen.

According to the mom, she and her ex have 50-50 custody, and they do three days on, three days off with their kids.

The video has been viewed more than 8.1 million times and has received thousands of comments from baffled TikTok users who didn't know what to make of the clip.

'This is giving the same energy as the girl who was dancing in the NICU with her son hooked up to tubes,' one person wrote.

'Why the dance with this topic,' another asked, while someone else added: 'Is it something to dance to?'

According to the mom, she and her ex have 50-50 custody, and they do three days on, three days off with their kids

Taylor and Tate have a four-year-old daughter, Indy, and a two-year-old son, Ocean

Others users wanted to know what Taylor and Tate do with their children on the seventh day, and some people couldn't resist cracking jokes.

'They spend day 7 with the winner of the dance battle,' one TikTok user commented.

'Day 7 the [kids] spend at therapy to cope with this video,' someone else wrote.

Taylor later shared a video of her two kids playing around, sarcastically writing in the caption: 'They fend for themselves on the 7th day duh.'

The influencer also recently took aim at fellow #MomTok members who have denied being involved in the soft swinging group she and Tate allegedly were in.

Tayor shared a follow-up video of her kids after fans asked what they do on the seventh day. 'They fend for themselves on the 7th day duh,' she sarcastically wrote in the caption

The influencer also recently took aim at fellow #MomTok members who have denied being involved in the soft swinging group she and Tate allegedly were in

'I wasn't involved, I would never,' she wrote in the on-screen text, seemingly mocking her former friends.

'Girl, shut up, because ain't nobody going for none of that,' she lip-synced in response. In the caption, she added: 'Guess I was in a pineapple group by myself.'

The drama started on May 20 when Taylor announced on TikTok that she and Tate were getting a divorce.

'In my twenties, getting divorced, started therapy, living on my own for the first time ever along with two kids,' she captioned the clip, which shows her standing alone in her empty house amid her move.

Three days later, she alluded to there being more to the story when she posted footage of herself lying in bed and packing moving boxes.

Taylor spent some quality time with her children over Fourth of July weekend

'Took my kids to Lake Powell for their first time, and of course them being little fish, it was like home,' she captioned the photos. 'Happy to be back to this family tradition with my family'

'My entire life is falling apart,' she wrote in the on-screen text. 'And I can't even speak on why... without bringing them down with me.'

Taylor and Tate have a four-year-old daughter, Indy, and a two-year-old son, Ocean, and she painted a rosier picture of their separation in a follow-up video.

The short clip started with throwback photos of Taylor with Tate in happier times and ended with footage of them packing up their house.

'Excited to co-parent with my best friend,' she wrote in the caption.

However, Tate didn't appear to feel the same way, and he deleted all photos and videos of Taylor from his social media pages.

Taylor's details about her custody agreement came weeks after she dropped the bomb on TikTok Live that she and her husband were allegedly soft swinging

According to the Mormon influencer, their friend group had an agreement that they would switch partners but not 'go all the way,' which is known as a 'soft swap'

Fans didn't know what to think as there has long been speculation that their family life is scripted. Some thought the divorce announcement was a publicity stunt, and the couple was really moving into a new home together.

Taylor is known for having a strange sense of humor, and she has joked about swinging and not believing in monogamy in previous TikToks.

She's also made video in which she claimed she was 50 and that two of the women in her #MomTok crew were her 25-year-old twin daughters.

As rumors swirled that Taylor had been unfaithful, other moms in their content-creation group allegedly unfollowed her and liked comments that suggested she had cheated on her husband, according to Rolling Stone.

Then, in a bombshell TikTok Live, Taylor opened up about her divorce, claiming that she and Tate were soft swinging with their friends.

Taylor admitted she 'did step out of that agreement' when she got drunk and went off with a friend's husband, but she noted that 'everyone has hooked up with everyone in this situation'

Taylor first sparked rumors of infidelity when she announced on TikTok on May 20 that she and Tate were getting a divorce. The clip shows her standing in her empty home ahead of her move

Three days later, she alluded to even more drama when she posted footage of herself lying in bed and packing moving boxes

Taylor claimed in another clip that she was 'excited to co-parent' with Tate following their divorce

According to Taylor's account, their friend group had an agreement that they would switch partners but not 'go all the way,' which is known as a 'soft swap.'

'We had an agreement, like all of us, and I did step out of that agreement,' she admitted. 'That's where I messed up, and I, obviously, am losing everything that I have, so that is true.'

Taylor alleged that she and the other wives in the group would make out with each other and each other's husbands when they were drinking

'No one was innocent. Everyone has hooked up with everyone in this situation,' she claimed. 'So, yes, I'm getting shunned for doing that, but it wasn't like I was going around hooking up with my friend's husband.

'We were at a party, I got belligerent, and we went and messed [around] by ourselves rather than with the whole group,' she explained, insisting it was a 'one-time thing.'

Taylor is known for having a strange sense of humor, and she has joked about swinging and not believing in monogamy in previous videos

She's also made video in which she claimed she was 50 and that two of the women in her #MomTok crew were her 25-year-old twin daughters

Taylor (pictured with her fellow #MomTokers) refused to name names, but she stressed that fans could easily figure out which couples were in her alleged swinging group

However, she said there were some feelings involved, which complicated the situation.

'I was friends with these people, and we spent a lot of time together. We were intimate on several occasions, she said. 'It sucks that I have to admit this because...no one really wants to admit they're involved in something like that.'

Taylor noted that she and Tate had other issues in their marriage before they separated, but 'this was like the tip of the iceberg.'

'Tate has made out with several girls and [done] other things, and I've made out with all of the husbands and [done] other things,' she added.

She refused to name names, but she stressed that fans could easily figure out which couples she was referring to in the TikTok Live.

Taylor noted that she and Tate had other issues in their marriage before they separated, but 'this was like the tip of the iceberg'

There is an entire subreddit dedicated to 'Taylor Paul Drama,' including a lengthy recap of everything that had gone down

The mother of two did, however, claim Camille Munday and her husband, Sam, were not a part of the swinging because they brought 'too much drama' and Camille didn't want to be involved.

Taylor made it clear she has nothing to lose at this point, saying she and Tate had told their families everything that had happened. She admitted her parents were 'disgusted' by the revelation.

She insisted that she has proof of her swinging claims in the form of videos and texts if she ever needs it.

Taylor also alleged that there are 'three divorces in the friend group,' but one of the breakups is not related to the swinging situation.

'They're going to deny it, and that's fine,' she said. 'I'm speaking my truth, and they can speak theirs.'

Victoria Zalic (pictured) denied she and her husband, Selver, were involved in the 'soft swinging' scandal that has rocked #MomTok

However, she seemed to confirm Taylor's story by claiming she knows the other influencer couple in the group, and 'they're getting divorced'

Victoria had previously denied their involvement on TikTok after Taylor allegedly confirmed that she didn't hook up Selver

Former Bachelor star Nick Viall dished about the drama on his podcast The Viall Files last month, saying he had called Taylor, who told him that two other couples were involved but only one of them are influencers.

During the episode, he and his co-hosts discussed online rumors that Taylor went 'all the way' with Victoria Zalic's husband, Selver, while Victoria had hooked up with Tate.

After listening to the podcast, Victoria denied the claims in a short TikTok video, saying that she is 'involved with #MomTok' but has nothing to do with the swinging.

However, she seemed to confirm Taylor's story by claiming she knows the other influencer couple in the group.

'Guys, I know who the other couple was,' she said. 'They're getting divorced, and it's not me. Ughh, it's humiliating. This is my life right now. I'm basically famous.'

Miranda Hope McWhorter claimed she and her husband, Chase, were not involved in the alleged swinging, according to TikTok user @gossipingviv

Whitney Leavitt hit back at the rumors on TikTok. 'It's so interesting to me that people are asking Taylor to basically "clear" their name,' she said. 'I'm like f**k that. I'll clear my own name'

Victoria previously denied their involvement after Taylor allegedly confirmed that she didn't hook up with Selver.

'Can we confirm we did not get together ever?' Taylor wrote in a comment.

'Is this good enough you little Reddit trolls?' Victoria asked in her TikTok video.

'Yes, we can confirm we did not get together,' Selver added.

Former Bachelor star Nick Viall explained on his podcast The Viall Files that he had reached out to Taylor, and she told him two other couples were involved

Brayden and Mckenna Rowley; Chase and Miranda Hope McWhorter; and Conner and Whitney Leavitt are also among the couples that have been mentioned in regards to the alleged swinging.

Nick said he also reached out to Miranda, but she wrote back saying she'd have to speak to her manager first. She later declined to speak with him.

Miranda had denied the allegations in her own TikTok Live, claiming that she and Taylor had a falling out because she started a rumor that her husband, Chase, had feelings for her.

Meanwhile, TikTok user @gossipingviv shared a screenshot of one of Miranda's comments saying she and Chase 'definitely were not involved.'

Whitney also hit back at the rumors in a clip she posted on her own TikTok page last week amid the drama.

'It's so interesting to me that people are asking Taylor to basically "clear" their name,' she said. 'I'm like f**k that. I'll clear my own name'

'I don't even know why MomTok was mentioned,' she added. 'I am not a swinger. I have never swang, and, hey, if you're a swinger and you want to swing, then you do you. But that's not me and Conner.'

Nick was admittedly skeptical of Taylor's story because of the speculation that she is making this up for clout, but he said she 'sounded sad' and 'frustrated with the situation.'

He also noted that she made it seem like her husband, Tate, was divorcing her out of principle because she broke their agreement and not because he wanted to.
As the former president ignored the most recent revelations from January 6 in order to intensify his dispute with the Tesla billionaire, Donald Trump claimed that he could make Elon Musk "down on his knees" and "beg" for help.

As Twitter sued the owner of an electric vehicle for canceling his $44 billion purchase of the social media site, Trump turned to Truth Social.

Donald Trump vs. Elon Musk

Shortly after the committee meeting on January 6 heard that he had attempted to contact a witness in the investigation and that the Department of Justice had been contacted, the one-term president attacked the richest man in the world on Tuesday.

And he made fun of Elon Musk for his recent legal spat with Twitter, which he had earlier this year agreed to purchase. The day before, Trump mocked SpaceX's CEO for suggesting that the Republican politician should "hang up his hat & sail into the sunset."

Musk tweeted to his 100 million followers that he would back Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over Trump in 2024 and that he had just recently started voting Republican.

According to The Independent, Trump's post is the most recent attack he has launched on the tech mogul since Elon Musk's failed attempt to take over Twitter. The former president sounded jubilant that the takeover was not going forward in a statement on July 8 on Truth Social, the social media platform he created after being barred from Twitter following the attack on January 6, 2021.

The next night, Trump made fun of the unsuccessful campaign while branding Musk a "bulls**t artist" during a rally in Anchorage, Alaska, as per Newsweek. Musk responded to Trump's accusations that he had stated that he had supported him in the last election in a series of tweets on Monday, writing "not true" next to a portion of the words that had been shared by the Bongino Report account.

Along with the "sail into the sunset" remark, Musk also suggested in a different tweet that Trump is too old to run for president again. Musk also rejected the idea that Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, should run as Trump's running mate in the upcoming election before he himself runs for office in 2028.

Musk has already attacked Trump, and this time is no exception. Trump wasn't the "right guy" to be president, Musk said on the night of the 2016 election. Despite this, Musk joined Trump's "Strategic and Policy" advisory council for his upcoming government a month later before departing in protest at Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord in June 2017.

Read Also: 2024 Election: NY Times Insists Joe Biden Is Too Old for Re-Election, Groups Regret Voting Him in 2020

Elon Musk Expresses Support For Ron DeSantis

Trump and Musk haven't always had a tense relationship. Trump compared Musk to Thomas Edison in a January 2020 interview with Squawk Box and called him "one of our great geniuses." A few months later, in May 2020, Musk thanked Trump on Twitter for supporting the CEO's intentions to revive Tesla's California auto factory despite COVID-19 limitations.

Per Daily Mail, Trump's claim that Musk lied about supporting him during his disastrous 2020 presidential campaign set off the attack. The statement was made in reference to Musk's Tweet from last month, in which the South African entrepreneur boasted that he had voted for a Republican for the first time, choosing new Texas Congresswoman Maya Flores.

At the Alaska event on Saturday, Trump appeared to take issue with the endorsement and charged Musk of lying about his political affiliation. Meanwhile, Musk surprised the world in May when he declared he would change his political party for the next election, citing leftist bias on Twitter as the reason.

Musk stated he would be switching his vote when speaking via video connection at a tech gathering in Miami, Florida, in May that was organized by the All-In podcast. DeSantis is a rising political star who has been likened to former President Trump because of his views but lacks the legal and political baggage that is typically associated with the outspoken New Yorker.

In the meanwhile, Musk has appeared to take a fancy to him. Musk tweeted last year that he had discussed building tunnels under Miami with DeSantis in order to reduce traffic congestion. DeSantis has endorsed Musk's bid for Twitter. DeSantis made a jest about Musk's South African origins when discussing the news of his prospective support at a conference in Madeira Beach last month.

Related Article: Donald Trump Rails Against January 6 Committee Witness Cassidy Hutchinson, Calls Testimony "All Lies"

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Chloe Green glowed as she turned out to celebrate the wedding of Frida Aasen and Tommy Chiabra in Portofino.

The Norwegian model, 27, and Italian businessman, 36, tied the knot in front of a star-studded guestlist today, 11 months after announcing their engagement in the same village.

Celebrity guests arrived in their droves to celebrate with the couple, who married at the Divo Martino church.

Frida Aasen, 27, stunned in a bridal gown which appears to be from Ellie Saab's Fall 2022 collection as she married Tommy Chiabra in Portofino

Topshop heiress Chloe Green, who is pregnant with her second child, glowed in hot pink

Chloe, 31, held her baby bump as she stunned in the pink asymmetric dress, while her mother Tina could be spotted in the foreground

Philip and Tina Green's daughter smiled as she prepared to watch her friends get married

Chloe Green, 31, was glowing in a hot pink asymmetric gown with her hair in a sleek bun.

She paired her dress with flat sandals and wore a string of pearls to complete her look.

The Topshop heiress, who is pregnant with her second child, held her bump as she joined other wedding guests.

On Wednesday Chloe was snapped catching some rays ahead of the wedding as she enjoyed the day on the boat with her boyfriend Manuele Thiella.

The expectant mother has made few public appearances in recent months, but has turned out to celebrate the wedding with her friends.

Frida announced her engagement to Tommy in August 2021 after the pair had been dating for two years

The blushing bride looked stunning as she beamed on her wedding day, as several famous faces joined her to celebrate

Frida waited patiently as her flawless make-up was retouched ahead of her entry into the church

Frida was pictured with her father walking into the church, with the entrance adorned with flowers

Chloe is already a mother-of-one after giving birth to a son, Jayden Meeks-Green, with her ex-boyfriend Jeremy Meeks in 2018.

Also among the wedding guests was Russian supermodel Natasha Poly, who is also heavily pregnant.

She showed off her bump in yellow cowl-neck dress.

Guests turned out in their finery for the lavish wedding, wearing stunning frocks and suave suits

Guests took photos of the beautiful location as they arrived to celebrate the wedding

Russian supermodel Natasha Poly, also heavily pregnant, showed off her baby bump in a lemon cowl-neck dress

Bride Frida looked stunning in a netted gown with a bardot neckline and a touch of sparkle which appeared to be from Ellie Saab's Fall 2022 collection.

Her blonde tresses were pulled into a low, relaxed bun and she wore neutral make-up to enhance her natural beauty.

The bride kept jewellery to a minimum, with small, simple earrings.

After meeting in 2019, the couple dated for two years before the Victoria's Secret model announced her engagement to Tommy on her Instagram stories last August.

The groom, wearing a navy suit and tails smiled for photos with his groomsmen who wore black tuxedos

Smiling guests greeted each other with hugs as they attended the happy occasion in Portofino

She posted a video of herself being led onto a boat at Portofino harbour with a pink scarf covering her eyes.

Wearing a white lace halter-neck dress, fans might wonder if the bride-to-be had foreseen what was about to unfold as Tommy got down on one knee.

Showing off her stunning ring in a black-and-white Instagram photo Frida wrote: 'Per sempre.'

Translated into English, the phrase means: 'Always.'

Tommy and Frida, pictured on arrival to Portofino ahead of their wedding, decided to marry in the same Italian town where they got engaged
Paulina Porizkova showed off her figure in a hot pink string bikini after enlisting her son to take her photo on her annual trip to Costa Rica, but she joked that he didn't capture her best angle.

The supermodel, 57, is staying at one of the luxury Hermosa-Hills villas run by Beauty Pie founder Marcia Kilgore's husband, Thierry Boue  her go-to spot when visiting her 'happy place.'

Porizkova took to Instagram on Thursday to share the playful bikini photo, writing: 'When you ask your son to do a bikini photo of you  and hes 6'5" and too lazy to get down to get a better angle'

Paulina Porizkova, 57, was all smiles while posing for a beachside photo in a hot pink string bikini during her annual trip to Costa Rica, but she joked her son didn't capture her best angle

Porizkova revealed that she was headed to her 'happy place' on Tuesday when she shared a photo of herself gazing out of an airplane window

The mom has two sons  Jonathan, 28, and Oliver, 24  with her late husband, Ric Ocasek, but it's unclear which of her children is vacationing with her.

Porizkova looks radiant in the beachside snapshot, which shows her standing in front of the waves at sunset. Her long blonde hair is in loose waves, and she is giving the camera a goofy smile, a possible reaction to her son's laissez-faire photography.

Thousands of likes rolled in without hours of the snapshot being posted, and she received plenty of comments from famous fans.

'You're still amazing,' wrote Emily in Paris actress Camille Razat, while Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Lisa Rina responded with four fire emojis.

Porizkova, who is staying at a Hermosa-Hills luxury villa, had some monkeys stop by on Wednesday, much to her delight

She shared a hilarious video of one bold monkey running into their villa for a snack

'George seemed to be the one in charge of foraging, and while we were busy admiring his friends on one side of the house, George broke in and stole a banana off the kitchen counter!' she explained in the caption

Porizkova revealed that she was headed to Costa Rica on Tuesday when she shared a photo of herself gazing out of an airplane window.

'In midst of what feels like the world falling apart  Im going to my happy place with people I love and treasure. One week of vacation with my son, my best friend, and goddaughter to celebrate their birthdays in Hermosa Hills,' she wrote.

'Meanwhile, sometimes the bad news in the world is just overwhelming. The seesaw of life continues. There is much to do, a lot of causes to get behind. Im still trying to figure out how to best balance and prioritize.'

Porizkova's vacation comes after weeks of traveling for work, including overseas trips to Germany and France. She was most recently in Los Angeles visiting her stepson Chris Otcasek's wife, Colleen, and daughter, Olivia.

Costa Rica has become a safe haven for Porizkova, who traveled there in early 2020 while mourning her late husband Ric Ocasek's death. She has returned every year since

The model has two sons, Jonathan, 28, and Oliver, 24, with her late husband (pictured in 2016), but it's unclear which of her children is vacationing with her

'I realize by my posting lately, it looks like Ive been living the charmed life. And I am,' she explained. 'Modeling opportunities and travel  Im infinitely grateful.

'But there is also real life behind all the smiles. And that one isnt as photogenic,' she added. 'Real people, real pain. And Im a little overwhelmed, so I will take this week to recharge in the best company and my happy place. And come back swinging.'

Porizkova returned to Instagram on Wednesday to post a snapshot of herself smiling at a monkey on her porch along with a hilarious video of a monkey running through her villa and stealing a banana.

'Well, hello thereGeorge. He and his 4 friends showed up this morning on our porch,' she explained. 'George seemed to be the one in charge of foraging, and while we were busy admiring his friends on one side of the house, George broke in and stole a banana off the kitchen counter! Cheeky monkey!'

Porizkova's vacation comes after weeks of traveling for work, including overseas trips to Germany and France

The supermodel was most recently in Los Angeles visiting her stepson Chris Otcasek's wife, Colleen, and daughter, Olivia

Costa Rica has become a safe haven for Porizkova, who traveled there in early 2020 when she was just months into mourning her late husband, who died in September 2019.

Porizkova came home right when most of the country went into lockdown at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. She tried to return in November with her two sons, but as soon as they landed, she learned her passport had expired, and they were put on the next plane home.

'I had a total nervous breakdown in the airport, and they actually had to put me in a wheelchair to take me back to the plane, I was crying so hard I dont even remember it,' she wrote on Instagram at the time. 'I think this will be a really funny story  soon.'

Porizkova reflected on how much her trips to Costa Rica mean to her in a heartfelt post when she visited last July.

'I dont know what it is about being here, but my anxiety drops to nearly undetectable, and I feel like I get to pause all the stress of life,' she said. 'The minute I leave, it all comes rushing in again, but aaah, I can live for those moments of peace.

'Im so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to come here,' she added. 'And for good friends who give me a hand when I need it.'
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Malia Obama was spotted keeping it casual for a low-key afternoon at a Los Angeles park on Thursday - just days after her 24th birthday.

The eldest daughter of former President Barack Obama - who is currently working as a screenwriter on Donald Glover's upcoming Amazon show - took some time to unwind and soak up the California sun amid her busy lifestyle.

The Harvard graduate was pictured sitting outside and enjoying the fresh air; she read from a book before making her way back to her car.

She dressed cozy for the outing, donning bright red, baggy, cargo pants and an oversized, blue hoodie, which she paired with a pair of Boston Vegan Birkenstocks.

Malia Obama was spotted keeping it casual for a low-key afternoon at a Los Angeles park on Thursday

The eldest daughter of former President Barack Obama, 24 - who is currently working as a screenwriter on Donald Glover's upcoming Amazon show - took some time to unwind amid her busy lifestyle

The Harvard graduate was pictured sitting outside, soaking up the California sun, and enjoying the fresh air; she read from a book before making her way back to her car

She dressed cozy for the outing, donning bright red, baggy cargo pants and an oversized, blue hoodie

She appeared somber as she exited the greenery; her long braided locks were left loose as they flowed around her face, and she kept her belongings in a white tote bag.

Malia moved to Los Angeles last year, after graduating from Harvard, to pursue a career as a screenwriter.

In March, Donald revealed that he had given the 24-year-old her first job as a writer on his new series, which is reportedly about 'a Beyonce-type character,' with the actor calling her 'amazingly talented' and 'really focused.'

'Shes just like, an amazingly talented person,' Donald, 38, who is also known by his stage name Childish Gambino, told Vanity Fair at the time. 'Shes really focused, and shes working really hard.'

Donald did not share how Malia - who previously interned on Lena Dunham's HBO series Girls in 2015 and at The Weinstein Company in 2017 - landed the job after she graduated from college but he added that he believed she has a promising future in the industry

Malia paired the look with a pair of Boston Vegan Birkenstocks

She appeared somber as she exited the greenery; her long braided locks were left loose as they flowed around her face, and she kept her belongings in a white tote bag

Malia moved to Los Angeles last year, after graduating from Harvard, to pursue a career as a screenwriter

'I feel like shes just somebody whos gonna have really good things coming soon. Her writing style is great,' he gushed.

In March, Donald revealed that he had given Malia her first job as a writer on his new series, which is reportedly about 'a Beyonce-type character,' with the actor calling her 'amazingly talented' and 'really focused'

Malia has certainly stayed busy since she moved to LA, and is often spotted out and about. In recent weeks, she's been seen grabbing coffee and fast food on various occasions, as well as visiting a beauty salon, and working out.

Most recently, she was photographed getting some food at Chick-fil-A, before dropping her younger sister, Sasha Obama's boyfriend, Clifton Powell Jr., off at the airport.

However, the outing sparked controversy due to the fast food chain's scandalous past.

Not only is the chicken restaurant chain run by a conservative and devout Christian who has publicly bashed same sex marriage, but the company has also been slammed in the past for donating millions of dollars to anti-gay groups.

Chick-fil-A was founded in 1946 by S. Truett Cathy, who was a member of the Southern Baptist Church and used many of his religious views to structure the company.

His son, Dan T. Cathy, then took over as president in 2013 - one year before Truett passed away from diabetic complications.

Over the years, Dan has made many negative comments about same-sex marriage, especially after it came to light that the restaurant chain had donated millions of dollars to various anti-LQTBQ groups through the WinShape Foundation.

Back in 2012, Dan slammed people who 'have the audacity to define what marriage is about,' calling them 'arrogant' during an explosive radio interview.

'I think we are inviting Gods judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at Him and say, "We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage,"' he stated.

'I pray Gods mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we have the audacity to define what marriage is about.'

GLAAD reported at the time that Chick-fil-A had given more than $5 million to 'hate groups' which pushed 'ex-gay therapy' in an attempt to turn gay people straight.

Then, months later, Dan told Baptist Press that Chick-fil-A was 'an organization operating on biblical principles' and that he only supports the 'traditional family.'

'We are very much supportive of the family - the biblical definition of the family unit,' he said. 'We know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles.'

'Shes just like, an amazingly talented person,' Donald, 38, who is also known by his stage name Childish Gambino, told Vanity Fair at the time. 'Shes really focused, and shes working really hard'

Donald did not share how Malia landed the job after she graduated from college but he added that he believed she has a promising future in the industry

'I feel like shes just somebody whos gonna have really good things coming soon. Her writing style is great,' he gushed

She previously interned on Lena Dunham's HBO series Girls in 2015 and at The Weinstein Company in 2017

Malia has certainly stayed busy since she moved to LA, and is often spotted out and about. In recent weeks, she's been seen grabbing coffee and fast food on various occasions, as well as visiting a beauty salon, and working out

Malia's relationship status is unclear following her move to Los Angeles

His statements and the donations led to a slew of customers boycotting the fast food joint - and in September 2012, the restaurant chain announced that it had 'ceased donating to organizations that promote discrimination, specifically against LGBT civil rights.'

In response to the backlash, it also said in a statement that Chick-fil-A believes in treating 'every person with honor, dignity and respect regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender.'

'We will continue this tradition in the over 1,600 Restaurants run by independent owner/operators,' it stated. 'Going forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena.'

And while her father has helped bring LGTBQ+ rights to the forefront, Malia didn't seem to mind that Chick-fil-A's right-wing owner has spoken out against the community numerous times in the past.

During his eight-year presidency, President Obama dedicated much of his time to promoting equal rights, and in February 2011, he announced that the Department of Justice would no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Acts provision, which defined marriage as only between a man and woman.

She started dating Rory Farquharson - the son of chief executive of Insight Investment Management Limited Charles - in 2017, while they were both students at Harvard University

However, whether she and Rory are still together is unknown, as she has never publicly addressed her relationship status

While Malia is working as a screenwriter, her younger sister, Sasha Obama, 21, is also building her own life in Los Angeles - reportedly studying at the University of Southern California after transferring from the University of Michigan

Last week, Malia was photographed getting some food at Chick-fil-A, before dropping her younger sister, Sasha's boyfriend, Clifton Powell Jr., off at the airport. However, the outing sparked controversy due to the fast food chain's scandalous past

Not only is the chicken restaurant chain run by a conservative and devout Christian who has publicly bashed same sex marriage, but the company has also been slammed in the past for donating millions of dollars to anti-gay groups

While her father has helped bring LGTBQ+ rights to the forefront, Malia didn't seem to mind that Chick-fil-A's right-wing owner has spoken out against the community numerous times, as she was pictured ordering from one of its drive-throughs

While Malia is working as a screenwriter, her younger sister, Sasha, 21, is also building her own life in Los Angeles - reportedly studying at the University of Southern California after transferring from the University of Michigan.

DailyMail.com exclusively revealed a few months ago that she was in a relationship with Clifton Jr., 24, who is the son of Ray actor Clifton Powell.

Clifton Jr. and Sasha are understood to have met after she relocated to the West Coast, and he is already close with the family, as the Chick-fil-A outing wasn't the first time that he was seen hanging out with Malia.

While Sasha has been linked to Clifton Jr. in recent months, Malia's relationship status is unclear following her move to Los Angeles.

She started dating Rory Farquharson - the son of chief executive of Insight Investment Management Limited Charles - in 2017, while they were both students at Harvard University.

However, whether she and Rory are still together is unknown, as she has never publicly addressed her relationship status.
A doctor has revealed the disgusting reason why you should never use a hand dryer and always opt for a paper towel or hand-shaking instead.

Epidemiologist Dr Eric Feigl-Ding, who is on the COVID-19 mortality expert committee for the World Health Organization, shared a TikTok video originally posted by US company Phone Soap that showed the effects of shaking your hands dry compared to using a hand dryer.

In the clip, a man tests various petri dishes to see how many germs grow once they are incubated for three days.

Epidemiologist Eric Feigl-Ding, who is on the COVID-19 mortality expert committee for the World Health Organization, shared a TikTok video originally posted by US company Phone Soap that showed the effects of shaking your hands dry compared to using a hand dryer. In the clip, a man tests various Petri dishes to see how many germs grow once they are incubated for three days.

Shaking his hands dry left caused nothing to grow in the petri dish, while placing a petri dish under the hand dryer saw a huge amount of bacteria appear grow in just three days.

A similar level of germs appeared from a gas station dryer, while a Dyson airblade at a movie theatre quite as bad, but still saw significantly more growth than the petri dish that was shook dry.

Sharing the video, Dr Feigl-Ding wrote: 'Nota BeneDO NOT USE BATHROOM HAND DRYERS. Research shows these dryers suck in and blow fecal aerosols. Shake your hands dry instead'.

It comes after a California woman warned people to beware enclosed hand dryers in public restrooms by sharing a sickening photo of what she says are the potentially-harmful bacteria and fungi that can be blown onto your skin every time you use one.

Shaking his hands dry left caused nothing to grow (pictured) while a hand dryer from the same location saw a huge amount of bacteria appear.

A similar level appeared from a gas station dryer, while a Dyson airblade at a movie theatre wasn't as bad - it still had significantly more than from shaking dry

Nichole Ward took to Facebook to share the troubling results of an experiment.

The photo she posted shows a Petri dish packed with fungi and bacteria after it had been put inside a hand dryer for just three minutes.

The image shows a Petri dish with several things growing quite large in it after just 48 hours.

Sharing the video, Dr Feigl-Ding wrote: 'Nota BeneDO NOT USE BATHROOM HAND DRYERS. Research shows these dryers suck in and blow fecal aerosols. Shake your hands dry instead'.

It comes after a California woman warned people to beware enclosed hand dryers in public restrooms by sharing a sickening photo of what she says are the potentially-harmful bacteria and fungi that can be blown onto your skin every time you use one.

She explained that the dish has 'several strains of possible pathogenic fungi and bacteria' which end up on the hands of people who use enclosed hand dryers.

What are pathogenic bacteria and fungi? Pathogenic bacteria and fungi are those that can cause disease. Many bacteria  like those naturally found in body, including acidophilus  are not harmful, but nearly 100 types can cause disease in humans. And while there are about 300 different fungus types that are pathogenic to humans, some  like many mushrooms  are harmless. Nichole Ward has made it clear in her post that while both fungi and bacteria grew int he Petri dish, they are only 'possibly' pathogenic, and may in fact be harmless. Advertisement

Pathogenic fungi and bacteria are those that cause disease.

'I stuck the open plate in an enclosed hand dryer of a public bathroom for a total of 3 minutes. Yes 3 only.

'DO NOT EVER dry your hands in those things again,' she added.

Bacteria are more easily spread when your hands are wet, so if you're a shaker and don't dry your hands properly, you may as well not have bothered washing your hands.

Instead it's best to shake them dry or your a paper towel.

Researchers at the University of Leeds in the UK previously called for air hand dryers should be banned from hospital toilets because they blow bacteria around the room.

They found high levels of dangerous bacteria that cause blood poisoning, pneumonia and gastroenteritis when dryers were used.

Writing in the Journal of Hospital Infection, they called for the dryers  which can leave up to five times as much bacteria on the floor as paper towels  to be taken out of hospitals.

Leeds scientists also found in 2020 that paper towel to dry your hands is 'substantially' more effective at removing viruses like COVID-19 than a hand dryer.

In the study they found ten out of 11 surfaces touched by someone who used a hand dryer had significantly more contamination than from people using a paper towel.

Scientists say hand drying is important to minimise the spread of dangerous microbes.

A Dyson spokesperson told FEMAIL: 'The methodology of this video is flawed and there is extensive research to show that our technology is hygienic.

'Hand washing and drying is one of the most significant measures in preventing disease transmission as damp hands can spread up to 1000 times more bacteria than dry hands, so any content which misleads the public with inaccurate experiments, is concerning.

'Dyson's microbiologists are focused on drying hands hygienically and sustainably and all Dyson Airblade machines contain a HEPA filter to capture particles as small as bacteria from the washroom air'.
Australian adventurers have discovered a little-known spot they say is one the best places to watch the sun go down in the country.

A stretching boardwalk from Jetty Beach in Coffs Harbour, two and a half hours south of Byron Bay, leads across the ocean to Muttonbird Island where visitors are flocking to witness colourful sunsets.

While the island is a popular destination for nature and bird lovers during the day, sightseers are heading to the hidden gem at dusk to experience the spectacular skies of orange, pink and purple.

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Travellers have dubbed Muttonbird Island, in Coffs Harbour, NSW, as one of the best spots to see the sun go down in Australia

A stretching boardwalk from Jetty Beach in Coffs Harbour, two and a half hours south of Byron Bay, leads across the ocean to Muttonbird Island

Travelling TikTokker, David, recently went viral after documenting his visit to Muttonbird Island in a jaw-dropping video that has amassed more than 44,200 views

Visitors can venture the 900m across the jetty to the island, hike up a steep but short path to the top of a hill and look back to see the breath-taking sunsets over the sea and hinterlands.

Travelling TikTokker, David, recently went viral after documenting his visit to Muttonbird Island in a jaw-dropping video that has amassed more than 44,200 views.

'The sky just erupted out of nowhere! You guys have to check this place out. It is incredible!' he said.

'The camera doesn't do it justice!' he added.

While the island is a popular spot for nature and bird lovers during the day, sightseers are heading to the hidden gem at dusk to experience the spectacular skies of orange and pink

Visitors can venture the 900metres across the jetty to the island, hike up a steep but short path to the top of a hill and look back to see the breath-taking sunsets over sea and hinterlands

The clip quickly drew in a string of comments with viewers keen to visit the spot for themselves and suggesting their own secret sunset spots.

'Coffs Harbour is top tier,' one user agreed.

'Amazing colours! If you get a chance, sunset in Mundi Mundi lookout is a must,' another recommended.

'West Gate Bridge is the best spot for sunsets,' a third wrote.

Muttonbird Island is a nature reserve and a breeding ground for more than 5,500 wedge-tail shearwaters, or muttonbirds as the locals call them.

The island has many lookout points with stunning costal views and many travellers may be able to spy the migrating whales that pass through the marine park between May and November

There are walking trails across the island can be steep and challenging in some areas but many say it is worth it for the views

The island has many lookout points with stunning costal views and lucky travellers may be able to spy the migrating whales that pass through the marine park between May and November.

There are walking trails across the island can be steep and challenging in some areas but many say it is worth it for the views.

'Well worth the hike up the hill to gain a spectacular perspective over the whole of Coffs Harbour and beaches. At this time of year you get the bonus of watching the migrating whales frolicking off shore as they make their way north,' one guest wrote online.
If you've been down in the dumps lately, it could be a sign you're at risk of a stroke.

Researchers have found people who suffer one are more likely to feel lonely, sad and fed up in the years before it happens.

Depression symptoms are common in patients after a stroke, but experts are calling for more research to see if they also provide an early warning sign.

The reasons for the link are unclear but the effects of stress-induced inflammation on blood vessels may be involved.

Lead author Maria Blochl, of the University of Munster in Germany, said: 'Depression is not only a post-stroke issue, but also a pre-stroke phenomenon.

'Even slight increases in depressive symptoms, especially mood and fatigue-related symptoms, may be a signal a stroke that is about to occur.'

The study looked at 10,000 older adults, who did not have a history of stroke, for more than 10 years.

Participants were surveyed every two years about their mood and assigned a score based on how many depression-like symptoms they had.

Researchers found stroke patients were more likely to have a higher score two years before the condition.

Researchers have found people who suffer a stroke are more likely to feel lonely, sad and fed up in the years before it happens (file image)

THE CAUSES OF STROKE There are two major kinds of stroke: 1. ISCHEMIC STROKE An ischemic stroke - which accounts for 80 per cent of strokes - occurs when there is a blockage in a blood vessel that prevents blood from reaching part of the brain. 2. HEMORRHAGIC STROKE The more rare, a hemorrhagic stroke, occurs when a blood vessel bursts, flooding part of the brain with too much blood while depriving other areas of adequate blood supply. It can be the result of an AVM, or arteriovenous malformation (an abnormal cluster of blood vessels), in the brain. Thirty percent of subarachnoid hemorrhage sufferers die before reaching the hospital. A further 25 per cent die within 24 hours. And 40 per cent of survivors die within a week. RISK FACTORS Age, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, family history, and history of a previous stroke or TIA (a mini stroke) are all risk factors for having a stroke. SYMPTOMS OF A STROKE Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body

Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding

Sudden trouble seeing or blurred vision in one or both eyes

Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination

Sudden severe headache with no known cause OUTCOMES Of the roughly three out of four people who survive a stroke, many will have life-long disabilities. This includes difficulty walking, communicating, eating, and completing everyday tasks or chores. TREATMENT Both are potentially fatal, and patients require surgery or a drug called tPA (tissue plasminogen activator) within three hours to save them. Advertisement

Dr Blochl added: 'Depression is among the most pressing problems in people who have had a stroke and it is so common it is referred to as post-stroke depression.

'But our study found depressive symptoms not only markedly increase after stroke, it found people already had developed some depressive symptoms before the stroke even occurred.'

Researchers looked at 10,797 adults with an average age of 65, who were followed for up to 12 years. During that time, 425 had a stroke.

They were matched with 4,249 people who did not have one but were similar in their age, gender, ethnicity, and other health conditions.

Participants took a survey every two years asking whether they experienced symptoms of depression in the past week.

These included feeling depressed, lonely, sad, or that everything was an effort, as well as if they had experienced restless sleep.

The more symptoms participants had, the higher their score.

Researchers found no difference in scores six years before a stroke, with both groups scoring around 1.6 points.

But those who did go on to suffer one scored, on average, 0.33 points higher than those who didn't two years in advance.

Dr Blochl added: 'Whether these pre-stroke changes can be used to predict who will have a stroke is unclear.

'Exactly why depressive symptoms occur pre-stroke needs to be investigated in future research.

'Also, the study underscores why doctors need to monitor for symptoms of depression long term in people who have had strokes.'

The researchers also looked at whether stroke sufferers were more likely to be diagnosed with depression before suffering the complication.

They found patients were 5 per cent more likely to have clinical depression than their peers in the years before a stroke.

'This suggests that increasing symptoms of depression before stroke are mostly subtle changes and may not always be clinically detectable,' said Dr Blochl.

Strokes are caused when the brain loses its blood supply, often because of a clot in a blood vessel, known as an ischemic stroke.

Less common hemorrhagic strokes occur when a blood vessel bursts, flooding the brain with too much blood while depriving other areas of adequate supply.

Around a third of stroke patients go on to develop depression at some point, which is often caused by biochemical changes in the brain.

But in some cases it is a psychological reaction to the physical trauma of a stroke.

A 2020 study by the University of Cambridge on half a million Britons found people who experience depression are more likely to go on to develop heart disease or suffer a stroke later in life.

The reasons are still not clear but depression could be a sign of poorer health more broadly.
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Face mask rules are creeping back into schools amid Britain's Covid resurgence, despite claims that the current flare-up causing havoc across the country may already be close to peaking.

Headteachers in facilities battling outbreaks have controversially decided to get children to once again wear face coverings in corridors as virus absences wreak havoc on classrooms.

In response to the climbing figures, several NHS trusts in England have also opted to bring back mask mandates inside hospitals. Left-leaning experts who are critical of the Government's strategy have also called for a return of virus-controlling curbs to calm spiraling infection rates.

Heckmondwike Grammar School in West Yorkshire, which teaches 11 to 18 year olds, is one place where staff are pleading with students to wear masks.

But Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School of School and College leaders, suggested there were others who have gone even further because of the 'extremely concerning' absence rates.

Up to one in five pupils were absent last week, close to levels seen during January's wave when the economy was brought to a standstill by infections. It was also the last time schoolchildren in England had to wear masks in class.

'We are hearing from school leaders who are having issues with staff absence because of Covid and some schools have brought back masks in corridors and one-way systems in response to this,' Mr Barton said.

'[School leaders] are concerned they will be lambasted by local or national media for doing so, but school leaders are doing what they can to try to ensure schools can continue to preserve the status quo to deliver education.'

The return of masks in schools comes as Britain grapples with a Covid surge driven by new Omicron variants that have sparked huge absences across the economy, forcing train operators to cancel services and putting the NHS under extra pressure.

However, MailOnline analysis suggests Covid infections may already be slowing. The Office of National Statistics estimated 2.1million people infected in England last week, a 17.7 per cent increase in seven days  half the rate of the previous week's jump.

Heckmondwike Grammar School in West Yorkshire has been named as one school where masks are being brought back in response to rising sickness absences

Latest data shows there were 1,848 Covid admissions across England each day by July 10, which was 23 per cent higher than the previous week. Week-on-week growth has slowed significantly in recent weeks, coming down from 43 per cent in late June, in a promising sign the most recent surge could be petering out

The weekly growth rate of hospitalisations for the virus  the speed at which rates are increasing  has halved in recent weeks. Average daily admissions had been climbing at a rate of around 40 per cent week-on-week at times last month but this has slowed to about 20 per cent

Masks have made a return in some British schools as headteachers grow concerned about rising levels of Covid absence among children. The last time schoolchildren were told to wear face coverings in schools was bag during the original Omicron surge in January (pictured Year 10/11 students at Hailsham Community College in East Sussex wearing masks in January 2021)

Netherlands detects 'Centaurus' Covid subvariant feared to be 'most contagious version yet' - which has also been found in UK, US and Germany The Netherlands announced on yesterday that it has become the latest country to detect a case of the Covid Omicron subvariant BA.2.75, as experts expressed concern about the strain's rapid spread. The subvariant, nicknamed 'Centaurus', first emerged in India in May and has since spread to around 10 countries, including the United States, Britain, Germany and Australia. It 'has also now been identified in the Netherlands,' the Dutch National Institute of Public Health said in a statement. Some scientists fear the variant may be the most contagious seen yet, and better equipped to evade any immunity from vaccines and previous infection. But there is no proof it causes any more serious disease than the original type of Omicron it evolved from, leading Covid experts told MailOnline. 'Little is known about BA.2.75,' the institute said, but it 'appears to more easily bypass the defences built up against SARS-CoV-2 through small, specific changes'. The World Health Organisation's chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said last week that the UN agency was closely tracking the strain, but there were 'limited sequences to analyse'. 'This sub-variant seems to have a few mutations on the receptor binding domain of the spike protein... so we have to watch that,' she said in a tweeted video. Advertisement

The ONS report, considered the best barometer of the outbreak since free-testing was axed, is based on tens of thousands of random swabs each week.

Other Covid surveillance studies have also pointed to the outbreak being close to peaking.

NHS data also suggests that pressure is easing. The weekly growth rate of hospitalisations has halved in recent weeks. Average daily admissions had been climbing at around 40 per cent week-on-week at times last month  but this has now slowed to about 20 per cent.

Recent analysis has also shown the majority of Covid admissions are incidental, meaning they were detected in patients who went to hospital for a different reason and happened to test positive while there.

Despite the Government choosing to usher in a post-pandemic era thanks to the overwhelming success of vaccines, there have been renewed calls for onerous restrictions to be reimposed.

Several scientists on Independent SAGE  a campaign group that used to advocate a Chinese-style zero-Covid strategy  have started publicly lobbying for the return of the extortionate free lateral flow scheme, outdoor mixing, and face coverings.

But other experts have said they expect the current surge to burn out naturally in the coming weeks and warned that by the time masks or lateral flows were rolled out, the latest wave would be over.

The Government has, so far, said it is keeping a close eye on the current situation, but No10 has said they are not overly concerned.

However, a health minister recently admitted some lockdown measures, such as masks and free testing, could be reintroduced if the NHS becomes too busy to clear its backlogs.

Recent Department for Education estimates revealed that 6.5 per cent of teachers and school leaders were absent for any reason from schools on June 23, up from 5.5 per cent on June 9.

Other data showed attendance in secondary schools was just 81.2 per cent, down from 86.9 per cent on 23 June, equating to nearly one in five pupils being off school.

Mr Barton described the figure as 'extremely concerning'.

Heckmondwike Grammar School's headteacher, Peter Roberts, said more than 10 per cent of teaching staff were off sick in a letter to parents urging them to have their children wear a mask, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Mask mandates in schools proved highly controversial in the pandemic. Commentators feared coverings would inhibit youngsters' learning abilities and development of communication skills.

Parts of the health system are already under extreme pressure, with all 10 ambulance trusts in England this week put on a level four alert  the highest possible measure.

It was blamed on a combination of rising Covid staff absences, the escalating heatwave and ongoing delays in handing over patients to A&E.

Meanwhile, GP practices in London, Cambridgeshire and Devon have warned of severe staff absences.

MailOnline analysis shows how the rate of severe illness from Covid has fallen over time. At the beginning of the pandemic, one per cent of all people infected with the virus (based on the Office for National Statistics infection rate) required mechanical ventilation within two weeks. But most recent NHS bed occupancy rates show just 0.015 per cent of those infected are admitted to an ICU bed - 100 times fewer than the start of the pandemic

But only a third of patients are primarily sick with Covid, which suggests rising admissions are a symptom of high infection rates rather than severe disease. The majority (64 per cent) are known as 'incidental' cases  patients who went to hospital for a different reason but happened to test positive. The above graph compares incidental cases throughout the pandemic

Around 2.1m  the equivalent of one in 25  had the virus in England alone (shown), which was up from one in 30 the previous week

Transport has also been impacted. TransPennine Express, which operates trains across the North of England and Scotland, urged passengers to think 'is my journey necessary' and to allow extra time this weekend because 'delays and short-notice cancellations are likely'.

The warnings over travel disruption will bring back memories of the mass cancellations on rail networks over the Christmas period as huge numbers of staff fell ill with Covid and operators brought in reduced timetables.

Britain's fifth Covid wave is being driven by the Omicron sub-strains BA.4 and BA.5, with the latter regarded as one of the most infectious variant of the virus yet.

But BA.4 and BA.5 are both as mild as their parent strain, which has meant ICU admissions and deaths, considered barometers for bringing in wider social pandemic restrictions, have remained steady, despite cases rising for weeks.

This has been attributed to the protection offered by the Covid vaccines, prior infection from previous waves and the milder strains.

There are currently just 274 patients with the virus on mechanical ventilators in England  about 130 more than a month ago.

For comparison, there were 3,600 patients on ventilators at the peak of the second wave in January 2021.

And a report by the ONS yesterday found there were 212 deaths in which Covid was the primary cause in England and Wales in the week ending July 1, the equivalent of around 30 per day.

It technically marks a rise of a quarter compared to the previous week but is still significantly lower than previous waves.

The current wave of cases is also still far behind levels seen earlier this year, when a record 4milllion people were infected in a single week in March.

Despite this Lord Syed Kamall, a junior health minister, admitted earlier this week that if Covid impedes on the NHS' ability to treat other conditions then 'clearly measures may well have to be introduced'.

He told the House of Lords: 'Should the number of cases spiral out of control then clearly we would look to reintroduce free testing at some stage if it needed that.'

In other Covid news, there have been fears of a new Covid variant emerging in India, dubbed 'Centaurus', experts say it should not cause too much concerns.

Technically called BA.2.75 'Centaurus', of sub-strain of Omicron, appears to be outcompeting all other variants in the south Asian country after being first spotted there in May.

Some scientists fear it may be even better at getting around immunity from vaccines and previous infection than BA.5, the dominant strain in the UK.

But experts told MailOnline there is no evidence Centaurus causes any more serious disease than the original Omicron variant it evolved from.
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The NHS is on track to have its busiest summer on record with deadly consequences for patients as it battles a fresh surge of Covid, hot weather and a wave of staff absences, latest official data shows.

Heart attack patients waited more than 50 minutes for an ambulance on average in England last month  nearly triple the NHS target  and more than 22,000 Britons queued for 12-plus hours in A&E before being seen.

Callouts to the most urgent cases have also risen by a third in recent months, with the average patient with a life-threatening emergency now waiting nine minutes for paramedics, compared to the seven-minute goal.

The health service's monthly performance stats lay bare the crisis in emergency departments as medics wrestle with increasing Covid hospital and staff sickness rates, excess admissions caused by the heatwave and pandemic backlogs.

Ambulance services across England were this week put on 'black' alert amid the escalating crisis, signalling they are under 'extreme pressure, and trust bosses have told sick Britons only to call 999 if their condition is truly life-threatening and to stop ringing asking where their ambulance is.

At the same time, the NHS backlog for routine ops grew from 6.4million to 6.6million in May, the latest month with data, meaning one in eight people in England are now waiting for elective care, often in pain.

The number waiting more than a year has also risen to 331,000 and more than 8,000 long-haulers have been in waiting more than two years  despite a Government pledge to wipe two-year waits by the end of this month.

And just a quarter of people referred for diagnostic tests and scans were seen within the NHS' six-week target in May  way below the 95 per cent standard set by the health service.

One in four nurses say they have witnessed patients being treated in corridors and waiting areas in recent months, leaving them vulnerable to substandard care.

Dr Sarah Scobie, from the Nuffield Trust think-tank, said the latest figures 'indicate just how severely emergency care within the NHS is struggling and how that is putting patients with urgent and life-threatening care needs at risk.'

Heart attack patients waited more than 50 minutes for an ambulance on average in England last month  nearly triple the NHS target. There were more than 300,000 category two callouts in June

Some 22,034 people had to wait more than 12 hours in A&E departments in England in June from a decision to admit to actually being admitted, NHS England said. The figure is up from 19,053 the previous month, but still below a record of 24,138 in April, which was the highest for any calendar month in records going back to August 2010. The number waiting at least four hours from the decision to admit to admission stood at 130,109 in June, up from 122,768 the previous month. A total of 72% of patients in England were seen within four hours at A&Es last month, down from 73% in May

At the same time, the NHS backlog for routine treatment grew from 6.4million to 6.6million in May, the latest month with data, meaning one in eight people in England are now waiting for elective care, often in pain

She added: 'No matter the reason for calling an ambulance, patients face increasingly long and agonising waits for it to arrive.

'People suffering from heart attacks or strokes are on waiting on average nearly three times longer than they should be.

NHS needs FORTY THOUSAND more hospital beds to return to pre-pandemic standards NHS England needs 40,000 more beds by the end of the decade just to return to pre-pandemic standards of hospital care, a report warns. The Health Foundation estimates it will cost the taxpayer up to 30billion to scale up capacity to meet growing demand for treatment. People's illnesses are expected to become more complex by 2030 as the population gets older and fatter. This will mean patients require more treatment and longer hospital stays, increasing pressure on the health service. The analysis found that over the past 30 years, hospital capacity in England has more than halved. This has left the country with fewer beds per person than most developed countries, including Lithuania, Poland and Hungary. For the health service to get back to pre-pandemic standards of care, the Health Foundation said the NHS needs a minimum of 23,000 to 39,000 extra beds by 2030. It has also called for the expansion of controversial 'virtual wards', which involve monitoring patients remotely using mobile apps and gadgets that can check oxygen and blood pressure. As well as having one of the lowest bed counts, England also has one of the highest levels of bed occupancy, with 89.6 per cent of beds filled in 2018. Only Ireland (90.7 per cent), Canada (91.7 per cent) and Israel (92.3 per cent) have more beds taken up. Advertisement

'Throughout June, it has become clear we are in another Covid wave.

'This increase in demand, coupled most recently with the extreme heat we are seeing and the adverse effects on people's health, will impact health professionals' ability to work through a growing waiting list, now at 6.6m.'

There were 900,000 total ambulance callouts last month, marking the busiest June ever for services.

Ambulances took an average of 51 minutes and 38 seconds last month to respond to category two calls such as burns, epilepsy, heart attacks and strokes last month.

This was up sharply from 39 minutes and 58 seconds in May, and is nearly triple the national target of 18 minutes, which hasn't been met since 2020.

Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation and Consultant Cardiologist, said: 'Heart attacks and strokes are life-threatening emergencies, where every single minute matters.

'That's why today's statistics are so shocking - people will needlessly die or live with disability as a result of dangerous delays in getting time-sensitive heart treatment.'

The average callout for the most urgent category one incidents  people with life-threatening illnesses or injuries  was nine minutes and six seconds, up from eight minutes and 36 seconds in May.

The target standard response time for urgent incidents is seven minutes. The record longest average response time for this category of incidents is nine minutes and 35 seconds, which was set in March this year.

Category three calls, such as late stages of labour, non-severe burns and diabetes, averaged two hours, 53 minutes and 54 seconds in June, up sharply from the two hours, nine minutes and 32 seconds it took in May.

The figures were described as 'staggering' by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine.

Dr Katherine Henderson, president of the college, said: 'Today's data is once again another reminder of the depth of the crisis and pressures facing Urgent and Emergency care.

'It is staggering that in this summer month, we are still seeing huge numbers of 12-hour waits (from decision to admit to admission) and nearly the worst four-hour performance on record.

'Among staff there is huge discomfort in the quality of care being provided, it is distressing and incredibly difficult for them to deliver optimal care in these conditions and under this pressure.

'For patients, there is fear and frustration at the length of time they may need to wait to receive emergency care. It is an appalling situation.'

On Wednesday, one of England's top ambulance boss told sick Brits not to call 999 back to ask where their ambulance is because phonelines are so busy.

Martin Flaherty, manager at the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, said: 'We are urging people not to call 999 back to ask about an estimated arrival time unless the patient's condition has changed.

'This keeps the line free for someone who may need urgent assistance.'

Some 22,034 people had to wait more than 12 hours in A&E departments in England in June from a decision to admit to actually being admitted, NHS England said.

The figure is up from 19,053 the previous month, but still below a record of 24,138 in April, which was the highest for any calendar month in records going back to August 2010.

But emergency medics say NHS England figures are a 'gross under-representation' of the actual crisis because of how they are recorded.

The Office for National Statistics ( ONS ) weekly infection survey found more than 2.7million Britons were infected with Covid in the last week of June

Latest data shows there were 1,848 Covid admissions across England each day by July 10, which was 23 per cent higher than the previous week. Week-on-week growth has slowed significantly in recent weeks, coming down from 43 per cent in late June, in a promising sign

MailOnline analysis shows how the rate of severe illness from Covid has fallen over time. At the beginning of the pandemic, one per cent of all people infected with the virus (based on the Office for National Statistics infection rate) required mechanical ventilation within two weeks. But most recent NHS bed occupancy rates show just 0.015 per cent of those infected are admitted to an ICU bed - 100 times fewer than the start of the pandemic

NHS nurses are being banned from drinking WATER on hospital wards amid heatwave Nurses are being banned from drinking water because senior managers wrongly believe it poses an infection risk. It comes as the UK grapples with a heatwave that threatens to send temperatures above 40C for the first time ever. A survey of nurses found almost four in 10 had been forbidden by senior managers from drinking while working in areas like wards. The main reason for nurses not being allowed water, or having their bottles thrown away in their station, is the age-old belief it is against 'infection control policies'. But no such guidance exists, NHS bosses confirmed today, despite the same issues cropping up every heatwave. There is no proof drinking water from bottles or cups poses an infection risk. Nurses have also been told off for drinking on wards because it looks unprofessional in the past. Amid the current heatwave, nurses say they've also been forbidden them from using fans to keep cool. The reason for this ban is unclear. Ambulance crews desperate to cool down have posted images of them plugging in aircon units while queuing outside hospitals waiting to handover patients. Temperatures are only set to soar over the coming days, with the mercury predicted to exceed 35C (95F) from Sunday to Tuesday in parts of England. Nurses have also said staffing shortages, caused by a spike in virus infections, means they were struggling to take a break and get enough water. NHS England has said trusts should allow nurses to drink at their workstations  not just their breaks  but did not comment on if they were allowed to use fans. Advertisement

The number waiting at least four hours from the decision to admit to admission stood at 130,109 in June, up from 122,768 the previous month.

A total of 72.1 per cent of patients in England were seen within four hours at A&Es last month, down from 73 per cent in May.

The operational standard is that at least 95 per cent of patients attending A&E should be admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours, but this has not been met nationally since 2015.

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, national medical director for NHS England, said: 'There is no doubt the NHS still faces significant pressures, from rising Covid admissions, thousands of staff absences due to the virus, the heatwave, and record demand for ambulances and emergency care.

'The latest figures also continue to show just how important community and social care are in helping to free up vital capacity and NHS bed space  supporting those in hospital to leave when they are fit to do so, which is also better for patient recovery.'

A poll of 20,000 nurses by the Royal College of Nurses found one in four (27 per cent) of its members had witnessed patients being treated in 'inappropriate' areas recently, including corridors and waiting rooms.

Some patients were being left with no buzzers, curtains or privacy as a result.

Meanwhile, the number of people in England waiting to start routine hospital treatment has also risen to a new record high. A total of 6.6million people were waiting to start treatment at the end of May.

This is up from 6.5million in April and is the highest number since records began in August 2007.

The number of people having to wait more than 52 weeks to start hospital treatment in England stood at 331,623 in May, up from 323,093 the previous month.

The Government and NHS England have set the ambition of eliminating all waits of more than a year by March 2025.

A total of 8,028 people in England were waiting more than two years to start routine hospital treatment, down from 12,735 at the end of April.

But it is still more than three times the 2,608 people who were waiting longer than two years in April 2021.

The Government and NHS England have set the ambition to eliminate all waits of more than two years, except when it is the patient's choice, by July this year.

Fiona Myint, vice president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said: 'Whether it's winter pressures in the middle of summer or heatwaves we're wrestling with, demands on hospitals keep growing.

'We've made progress on the longest waiters, but the total waiting list just gets larger month by month.'

It comes amid a fifth wave of Covid infections across Britain, with 2.7million (one in 24) people estimated to have been infected in the most recent week.

The rise of two mild but highly infectious Omicron sub-strains have caused daily Covid hospital admissions to rise to a near 18-month high, but only a fraction of these are primarily sick with the virus.

The majority are known as 'incidental' cases  patients who went to hospital for a different reason but happened to test positive.

Deaths and ICU admissions have remained broadly flat, despite the rise in cases and admissions.

Trusts have warned that the rising numbers are forcing swathes of their workforce off sick with the virus. Patients with Covid, even if not severe, need to be isolated and treated separately from other patients.
Two drugs not yet approved in the UK are the most effective medicines for treating insomnia, a major review has found.

Oxford University experts examined more than 150 studies that tested the effects of 30 different drugs on thousands of adults suffering from sleeping problems.

Eszopiclone, sold under the brand Lunesta, and lemborexant, marketed as Dayvigo, were best for easing insomnia symptoms.

They worked better than benzodiazepines and Z-drugs, two powerful sleeping pills NHS bosses are trying to phase out.

Both pills are already used across Europe and the US. They are hypnotics which work by calming the brain to get someone to sleep very quickly.

Study leader Professor Andrea Cipriani said he expects British regulators to consider approving both drugs in light of the findings.

However, he noted they can trigger side effects, such as headaches, dizziness and nausea  similar to addictive benzodiazepines.

Professor Cipriani said non-pharmaceutical treatments, such as therapy, should still be the first-line treatment.

Oxford University researchers examined more than 150 studies that tested the effects of 30 different drugs on 44,000 adults suffering from sleeping problems. They found that eszopiclone, sold under the brand-name Lunesta (left), and lemborexant, branded as Dayvigo (right), were best for easing insomnia symptoms

What is insomnia? People with insomnia have difficulty sleeping. The problem, which affects one in six Britons, can usually get better if sufferers change their sleeping habits. Symptoms include finding it hard to sleep, waking up several times in the night, waking up early and struggling to get back to sleep. It can be triggered by stress, anxiety or depression, noise, a room that is too hot or cold, an uncomfortable bed, shift work, alcohol, caffeine or nicotine, as well as recreational drugs. Adults need seven to nine hours of sleep per night. Insomnia a can be short term  lasting three months or less or long-term if it persists for more than 12 weeks. Treatments include cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) sessions with a therapist, which can help change thoughts and behaviours that stop people from sleeping. GPs rarely prescribe sleeping pills over concerns about their side effects and drug dependency. Advertisement

Insomnia  defined as regular sleeping difficulties  is thought to affect up to one in 10 people in Europe.

It can lead to reduced productivity, increased absence from work and a higher risk of accidents.

Insomnia is also heavily linked with mental health disorders like depression as well as alcohol dependence.

First-line treatment includes encouraging 'sleep hygiene', simple methods like going to bed at the same time every night, exercising and limiting caffeine before bed.

Some patients may be referred for cognitive behavioural therapy  talking therapy that aims to manage problems by changing the way a person thinks. Britons can also be prescribed an app that provides a six-week self-help programme.

GPs may also prescribe sleeping pills. But this is rarely done as the drugs can trigger serious side effects and addiction.

However, 300,000 people in England are thought to be long-term users of Z-drugs and benzodiazepines.

Some take the drugs for other reasons, such as anxiety.

Professor Cipriani told a briefing for health and science journalists today there is 'little evidence' about how effective sleeping pills are in comparison to each other.

This raised the question of whether doctors are 'prescribing the right medication' to those who need it, she said.

Their study, published in The Lancet, reviewed 154 published and unpublished trials  completed by November 2021.

Experiments assessed tested effectiveness of 30 different insomnia drugs, in 44,089 adults with sleeping difficulties.

They looked at patients who were given drugs for four weeks  as well as those who took medication for three months.

Three-quarters were given a sleeping pill, while a quarter were given a placebo drug.

Volunteers reported their quality of sleep, whether they stopped taking the pill and any adverse events  such as dizziness, nausea, fatigue, headache and drowsiness.

The findings showed that eszopiclone and lemborexant out-performed other drugs.

A quarter of short-term eszopiclone-users reported that their symptoms improved, while 38 per cent of those who took it for three months said they were able to sleep more easily.

The graph shows the effectiveness of eszopiclone (left) and lemborexant (right) for insomnia. A quarter of short-term eszopiclone-users reported that their symptoms improved, while 38 per cent of those who took it for three months said they were able to sleep more easily. Meanwhile, one in five volunteers who took lemborexant said their symptoms improved at four weeks, while 35 per cent said they had eased after three months. However, takers of both pills reported side effects

Meanwhile, one in five volunteers on lemborexant said their symptoms improved at four weeks, while 35 per cent said they had eased after three months.

However, researchers warned that up to half of patients on the two drugs were left feeling unwell.

For comparison, benzodiazepines, which is offered to patients in the UK, were found to be effective in the short-term  easing up to three in 10 users' symptoms.

But the researchers noted that information on their long-term effects is not available and patients do not tolerate them well, with up to six in 10 reporting side effects.

Z-drugs, such as zaleplon, benefited as few as 16 per cent of patients and also lacked long-term data.

And melatonin, another drug offered on the NHS, failed to show any material benefits, with only 18 per cent noticing an improvement and four in 10 reporting side effects, the team said.

The researchers stated the safety data on lemborexant was inconclusive but there appeared to be a risk of headaches, while eszopiclone-users reported dizziness and nausea.

Further studies are needed to determine how safe the two drugs are over time, the researchers said.

Professor Cipriani, a psychiatrist at the University of Oxford, said the findings are 'the most transparent and comprehensive picture of all the data available' on insomnia drugs.

He said the results can help doctors identify the most appropriate drug for their insomnia patients and said regulators should take the findings into account when deciding whether to approve eszopiclone and lemborexant.

'Clearly, the need to treat insomnia as effectively as possible is very important, as it can have knock-on effects for a patients health, their home lives and the wider health system,' Professor Cipriani said.

However, he warned that the study is 'not a recommendation that drugs should always be used as the first line of support to treat insomnia', warning that some can have 'serious side effects'.

But Professor Cipriani noted that the research shows some drugs 'can also be effective, and should be used in clinical practice, when appropriate'.

'For example, where treatments such as improved sleep hygiene and CBT have not worked, or where a patient wants to consider taking medication as part of their treatment,' he added.
Three people have died from a mysterious Ebola-like disease in Tanzania.

Authorities in the East African nation  just south of Kenya  have called the outbreak 'strange'.

Health chiefs have now been dispatched to investigate the illness, which has struck 13 people in total.

None of the 13 Tanzanian patients, who live in the southern Lindi region, have tested positive for Ebola or Marburg

Symptoms include a fever, headaches, fatigue and bleeding  especially from the nose.

Tanzania has never before recorded a case of Ebola or Marburg, two deadly viruses known to cause bleeding.

Yet neighbouring countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, have in the past.

None of the 13 Tanzanian patients, who live in the southern Lindi region, have tested positive for either of the haemorrhagic viruses.

Covid swabs also came back negative, according to the country's ministry of health.

Tanzania's chief medical officer Aifello Sichalwen said one of the patients had fully recovered while the others were being isolated.

He added: 'The government formed a team of professionals who are still investigating this unknown disease.'

Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan said the 'strange' disease may have been caused by 'growing interaction' between humans and wild animals.

Both Marburg and Ebola, known to spread between humans, can be carried by fruit bats.

Ghana  located on Africa's west coast  last week reported two suspected cases of the Marburg virus, which kills up to 90 per cent of infected patients.

The patients were not known to each other, suggesting the disease is spreading more widely.
China-funded Luban Workshop to modernize industrial workforce in Ethiopia

09:52, July 14, 2022 By Kwizela Aristide ( People's Daily Online

In 2021, China launched the Luban Workshop at the Technical and Vocational Training Institute in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with the aim of providing high-end technical skills training to help college students meet the requirements of the emerging global market.

Photo shows Mahlet Tsegaye in class teaching some of her students. (Photo courtesy of the Luban Workshop in Ethiopia)

The workshop was established by the Chinese Tianjin University of Technology and Education (TUTE), under the guidance of the Ministry of Education of China. It serves as a center of excellence across four major areasindustrial sensor technology, mechatronics technology, industrial control technology and industrial robotics technology.

"It will make our graduates familiar with 21st century skills and knowledge. It will also be used as a training and research hub for industry practitioners to cope with rapidly changing industrial requirements," said Teshale Berecha, president of the Ethiopian Technical University (ETU), in an interview with Xinhua at its inauguration ceremony.

Indeed, since its inception in 2021, the workshop has attracted many Ethiopian technicians and teachers to join, facilitating the transfer of much needed knowledge and technologies among Ethiopian youths.

Mahlet Tsegaye, a teacher at the ETU is one the beneficiaries of the Luban Workshop in Ethiopia. In a recent interview with Peoples Daily Online, Tsegaye said that she witnessed the commencement of the workshop from the initial stage of installing machines and equipment to the initiation of training and capacity building programs, all while increasing common understanding among the teachers.

Tsegaye said that the reason why she joined the workshop is because it has advanced technologies with modern equipment and she desires to impart knowledge among students in her institution and beyond, as well as training workers in different industrial fields. In the end, however, it was the womans curiosity and enthusiasm to get more familiar with new technologies and upgrade her skills using new and innovative industrial machines and facilities that eventually prompted her to join the workshop.

According to Tsegaye, prior to the Luban Workshop, Ethiopia had technological challenges such as a lack of modern equipment and inadequate technologies, as well as a lack of access to practical training, with an overemphasis on theoretical studies rather than the integration of both theoretical and practical learning. As the sole institute responsible for polytechnics within the country, the main task of the ETU has therefore been to first train teachers who can later transfer their knowledge to future generations, especially students and industrial workers.

Understanding the importance of and need for the Ethiopian government to transform the institute into a hub for teaching, training and producing a skilled labor force capable of using modern cutting-edge machinery, Tsegaye said that the Chinese government has extended a helping hand in the spirit of friendship.

This institute was a polytechnic college  with the help of the Chinese government  it was upgraded to an institute for TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training); rather than only giving basic-level training, it is now offering bachelor and masters degrees in the sciences. Moreover, Tsegaye said that the enormous support from the Chinese government, especially the Luban Workshop, has helped transform the institute into a training hub for new industrial machinery.

She said that the Chinese government has supported the construction of buildings, in addition to providing equipment specially prepared for the institutes electrical department. We have cooperation between our institute and the Chinese Confucius Institute, which offers opportunities for Ethiopians to learn the Chinese language and culture. Also, there is a memorandum of understanding between our institute and the TUTE, which offers scholarships for masters and PhD programs.

Photo shows Mahlet Tsegaye (first from the left) receiving her trainers certificate from the principal after the Luban Workshop completed training for teachers from all over Ethiopia, June 18, 2022. (Photo courtesy of the Luban Workshop in Ethiopia)

With three undergraduate majors in manufacturing technology, electronics and communication technology, electrical and control technology now available at the ETU, Tsegaye said that the workshop has improved the teaching-learning process in the areas of mechatronics, robotics and artificial intelligence offered to students.

The workshop harbors technologies required in the labor market, she said, adding that it has had a great impact in terms of imparting knowledge and skills related to upgraded industrial technologies. In addition, those who underwent training at the workshop have discovered that their skills are in high demand in the present labor market, especially in industries related to textiles, refineries, food processing and other industries enlisting the use of highly-advanced technologies.

Nowadays in Ethiopia there are so many industrial parks, they are new, they are also installed with advanced technologies and not just conventional technologies, so we dont have the manpower which is capable of operating those technologies used in those industries, and so I think the Luban Workshop has understood those problems, she said. It is good for the graduates.

Tsegaye also underscored that most of the technologies installed at the Luban Workshop are now widely available and applicable in almost all of the technical industries found today in Ethiopia, which has helped to bring the Ethiopian industrial sector to even greater heights.

The technologies for every industry are almost the same, its just that the systems are a little bit different; so wherever the industries are where they (the graduates) go, they will find these technologies, especially in those industries that have a programmable logic controller, which many industries use nowadays, Tsegaye explained.

She said that it is really a pleasure to have this Luban Workshop in her country, contributing tremendously in transforming the countrys labor market and industrial sector, adding that Luban Workshops have only been founded in just a few countries in Africa. Since local governments are unlikely to have the necessary funds to support such an effort, it is therefore a special opportunity for them and their communities.

According to Xinhua, since Africa's first Luban Workshop was launched in Djibouti back in March 2019, a number of African countries such as Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda have launched world-class Luban Workshops with the aim of providing quality vocational training to local people, and the country's youth in particular.

The program is named after Lu Ban, an ancient Chinese woodcraft master, and takes aims at cultivating technical experts worldwide to serve their countries' economy and society.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
A scorching wave is spreading throughout China, with inhabitants seeking relief in air raid shelters and public fountains as 84 cities across the country issued their highest-level red alert warnings on Wednesday.

According to the National Meteorological Administration, a red signal implies that temperatures are predicted to rise over 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in the next 24 hours.

China Warns COVID-19 Surge in Provinces

Warnings have also been issued for areas extending from central Shaanxi province to the eastern coastline of Jiangsu province. Temperatures in Zhejiang, Sichuan, and Yunnan provinces might potentially reach 40 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, according to the Central Meteorological Observatory.

Temperatures have been rising for many days, with Shanghai issuing a red warning for the first time this year on Sunday when the financial center reached 40 degrees Celsius, according to state-run tabloid The Global Times. The Shanghai Meteorological Service reported on Sunday that the city has only had 15 days with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees since records began in 1873.

City vendors reported increased sales of ice cream, melons, and crayfish chilled in vodka - a favorite summertime dish. Every day, eight metric tons of ice are used to keep lions, pandas, and other animals cool at a huge Shanghai wildlife park. This year has also seen record-high temperatures in other regions of the country, including the southern Sichuan Basin, according to CNN.

Read Also: Study Finds More Efficient Dosage of Vaccines Against Omicron Subvariant as Some Countries Recommend 4th Booster

Shanghai May Implement New COVID-19 Lockdown

Concerns that Shanghai may be subjected to a fresh lockdown grew on Wednesday, even as the official daily tally of COVID-19 infections fell across the majority of the country.

On Wednesday, China reported fewer than 300 new locally transmitted cases for the first time in 11 days, with infections declining drastically in Anhui and Jiangsu, which had been witnessing the most severe outbreaks in recent weeks.

According to the most recent National Health Commission statement, which covers illnesses from the previous day, Shanghai recorded 55 new cases. The virus's resistance to containment attempts is raising fears that more of Shanghai's 25 million citizens may be confined to their homes, only weeks after a two-month citywide lockdown in China's most economically significant metropolis closed companies and affected global supply networks.

Two neighborhood groups verified internet allegations that they had instructed residents to store goods to last 14 days. Such committees are low-level entities that monitor local affairs, but their authority over citizens' daily life came to light during the city's lockdown, which began in late March.

Shanghai officials said all of the new cases reported Wednesday were tracked to those who were previously quarantined, as they further limited travel in other regions of the city due to the increased danger of transmission from the communities where these people lived. The city has 15 high-risk zones and 196 medium-risk zones, up from seven high-risk zones and 74 medium-risk zones a week earlier, WSJ reported.

As reported by Japanese bank Nomura, about 250 million individuals in China are currently under virus control measures, which is more than double the amount last week.

Persistent breakouts and tough government reactions have dashed expectations that Beijing is ready to move away from the harsh limitations witnessed earlier this year when tens of millions were confined to their homes for weeks at a time

According to the National Health Commission, the country registered 347 new domestic cases on Tuesday, with more than 80% of them showing no symptoms. Fears have developed about stricter Covid restrictions in Shanghai, which was locked down for two months earlier this year, interrupted by supply shortages and occasional demonstrations.

The majority of the megacity's 25 million citizens have been required to undergo two COVID-19 tests between Tuesday and Thursday, as daily case numbers remain in the double digits. According to an official notification, inhabitants of one county in eastern Anhui province, where authorities placed 1.7 million people under lockdown last week, were scheduled to undergo the 15th round of mass testing on Tuesday, as per The Star.

Related Article: China: Angry Protestors Try To Storm Zhengzhou Bank Over Massive Scam, COVID-19 Tracking Issue

@YouTube

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Want to beat the heat?

Learn from the Indians and daub yourself with onion juice or steal the Spanish trick  cool off by eating gazpacho during the day.

That is, according to experts who think Britain should look overseas for inspiration amid the current heatwave.

Britons have sweltered in 30C-plus (86F) temperatures this week.

And the mercury is only set to soar further this weekend, with 39C (100F) expected from Monday.

Gazpacho is a cold soup made of blended raw vegetables including tomatoes and cucumbers is a summer staple in Spain and famed for its refreshing qualities

Rubbing onion juice on your skin is an alternative heat busting technique used in some areas of India but there's no scientific evidence that it works

Europe has been hit even harder by the brutal heatwave, with temperatures hitting 46C (115F) in some areas. Wildfires have ripped through the parched landscapes of Portugal, Spain, France, Turkey and Croatia.

One piece of advice Spanish health authorities are issuing to help people keep cool is to enjoy one of the county's national dishes, gazpacho.

Gazpacho is a cold soup made of blended raw vegetables. It is a common summer dish in Spain since it is refreshing and cool.

Jesus Aguirre, the health chief for Andalusia  Spain's most southern region, said it had 'everything' people needed to prevent heatstroke.

The soup's main ingredients are tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.

In addition to rehydrating diners with its high water content, gazpacho also contains high levels of vitamins and minerals.

An 'amber' extreme heat Met Office warning covers much of England and Wales on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Experts says there could be a danger to life or potential serious illness, from the heat

Low water levels photographed today at Threipmuir reservoir in the Pentland Hills Regional Park, south of Edinburgh

NHS nurses are being banned from drinking WATER on hospital wards amid heatwave Nurses are being banned from drinking water because senior managers wrongly believe it poses an infection risk. It comes as the UK grapples with a a week of high temperatures. A survey of nurses found almost four in 10 had been forbidden by senior managers from drinking while working in areas like wards. The main reason for nurses not being allowed water, or having their bottles thrown away in their station, is the age-old belief it is against 'infection control policies'. But no such guidance exists, NHS bosses confirmed today, despite the same issues cropping up every heatwave. There is no proof drinking water from bottles or cups poses an infection risk. Nurses have also been told off for drinking on wards because it looks unprofessional in the past. Advertisement

Consuming gazpacho is an annual piece of health advice issued by health bosses in Andalusia during the summer.

Meanwhile, another heat-beating vegetable hack that has emerged in the past day is to rub onion juice onto your skin.

The bizarre tip came from Professor Russell Foster, a sleep expert at the University of Oxford.

He told The Times: 'In rural India they will cut an onion in half and rub the juice on the skin. It is something you could try.'

Some followers of Ayurveda, an alternative type of Indian medicine, believe onion juice applied to the soles of the feet helps balance body temperatures and shield the body from the effects of hot summers.

There is no scientific evidence that this works, however.

Another general food tip to beat the heat is to eat spicy food.

Hot spices are a key component of cuisines from some of the hottest parts of in the world, including South Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean.

Despite seeming counterproductive, extra hot dishes actually cool you down.

Spicy food raises your internal body temperature, mirroring that of the weather.

This causes you to sweat, and once your body heat has been used to evaporate the moisture you start to cool off.

After almost a week of 30C plus temperatures Britons had a brief respite from today to Saturday with only highs of of 27C (81F) to 29C (84F) predicted.

However, an amber warning for heat will begin on Sunday with highs of 31C (88F) before the peak of the heat hits the country on Monday and Tuesday when temperatures are predicted to hit to 38C (100F) in London.
And their risk of stroke, diabetes and heart disease would be lower, results show

40 to 64-year-olds can drink two glasses of wine or bottles of beer per day

US researchers calculated how much people could drink before health at risk

Over-40s can safely drink a glass of wine or a bottle of beer every day, scientists now say  and it might even be good for you.

And they claim swigging two a night is unlikely to cause any long-term harm to their health.

The study, published in The Lancet, marks the latest piece of evidence to show drinking in moderation is safe  amid a never-ending debate.

For years, adults have been confused by a string of conflicting studies.

But Washington University researchers, who calculated how much people can drink before their health is at risk, insist drinking in moderation has health benefits for middle-aged adults.

They claim alcohol can help ward off heart disease and type 2 diabetes, potentially staving off an early death.

Scientists believe moderate amounts of alcohol can boost levels of good cholesterol and antioxidants in the blood, which can boost heart health.

It is also thought to improve blood glucose levels and boost levels of adiponectin - a hormone that improves insulin sensitivity, protecting against type 2 diabetes.

Although over-40s have been given the green light to drink, under-40s have been advised to stay tee-total.

It provides them with no health benefits and 'presents many health risks', raising the risk of injuries, car accidents and suicide, the researchers said.

Washington University researchers, calculated how much people could drink before their health was at risk. They found that 40 to 64-year-olds who drink nearly two small glasses of wine or bottles of beer per day would not see their health worsen

The maps show the proportion of the population consuming harmful amounts of alcohol by sex (male, left, and female, right) and the age group they are in

Younger men were told to stick to just 10ml of wine (two teaspoons) or 38ml of beer (a small shot glass), while women could have two tablespoons of wine or 100ml of beer.

Dr Emmanuela Gakidou, senior author of the study, said older people 'may benefit from drinking small amounts' while young people 'should not drink'.

'While it may not be realistic to think young adults will abstain from drinking, we do think it's important to communicate the latest evidence so that everyone can make informed decisions about their health,' she said.

How much alcohol is too much? To keep health risks from alcohol to a low level, the NHS advises men and women not to regularly drink more than 14 units a week. A unit of alcohol is 8g or 10ml of pure alcohol, which is about: half a pint of lower to normal-strength lager/beer/cider (ABV 3.6%) a single small shot measure (25ml) of spirits (25ml, ABV 40%) A small glass (125ml, ABV 12%) of wine contains about 1.5 units of alcohol. But the NHS warns the risk to your health is increased by drinking any amount of alcohol on a regular basis. Short-term risks include injury, violent behaviour and alcohol poisoning. Long-term risks include heart and liver disease, strokes, as well as liver, bowel, moth and breast cancer. People who drink as much as 14 units a week are advised to spread it evenly over three or more days, rather than binge drinking. Women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant are advised not to drink to reduce risks for the baby. Source: NHS Advertisement

Britons are currently told to drink no more than 14 units per week, which is around six pints of beer or 10 small glasses of wine.

Research has produced mixed results on the health risks and benefits from drinking alcohol.

Studies have shown tee-totallers are more at risk of an early death than people who enjoy alcohol in moderation.

But drinking too much can raise the risk of cancer, heart disease and liver disease.

And studies have even claimed light consumption is dangerous because it has previously been linked to cancer and poor brain health. It has prompted some to urge people to avoid alcohol completely.

Some 1.78million people worldwide are thought to have died in 2020 due to alcohol consumption, with men aged 15 to 49 most at risk.

Washington University researchers examined the Global Burden of Disease database, which contains health information and trends worldwide.

Using this, they created a model to calculate when the risks of drinking outweighed any benefits.

Adults aged 40-64 can drink between half and two standard drinks a day  classed as those containing 10g of pure ethanol  before their habit posed a risk.

Meanwhile, those aged over 65 could have up to 3.5 drinks per day without seeing their health deteriorate.

The researchers said one standard drink is equivalent to a small glass of red wine, a can or bottle of beer, or a shot of whisky or other spirits.

Among 15 to 39-year-olds, men could only drink 0.136 drinks per day  equivalent to 10ml of wine (two teaspoons) or 38ml of beer (one small shot glass).

Women in the cohort could drink slightly more, at 0.273 drinks, which is around two tablespoons of wine or 100ml of beer.

'Any level of drinking leads to a higher probability of injuries, while small amounts of alcohol decrease the risk of some conditions prevalent in older ages, such as ischaemic heart disease and diabetes,' the authors wrote.

Young people were found to be most at risk from alcohol harms.

Six in 10 of those drinking harmful amounts of alcohol were 15 to 39-years-old, with 1billion being men and 300million being women.

Harmful alcohol use was highest among young men in Australasia, western Europe and central Europe.

Overall, the recommended alcohol intake for adults remained low at between zero to 1.87 standard drinks per day, regardless of geography, age or sex.

Dr Gakidou said: 'Although the risks associated with alcohol consumption are similar for males and females, young males stood out as the group with the highest level of harmful alcohol consumption.

'This is because a larger proportion of males compared to females consume alcohol and their average level of consumption is also significantly higher.'

The researchers noted that their findings on alcohol risk was based on data that did not distinguish between those who drank over several days and those who engaged in binge drinking.

And alcohol consumption was self-reported, so may contain inaccuracies, they said.

Lead author Dana Bryazka, a researcher at the university's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, said even if the lowest level of safe consumption is used in alcohol guidelines, the findings implies that the recommended level of alcohol consumption is still too high for younger populations.'
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Daily Covid infections and deaths are beginning to surge in the U.S. after over a month of little movement - signaling that a summer surge fueled by the BA.5 variant could now be under way.

America is averaging 649 daily deaths from Covid, a 97 percent increase over the past week. It is the largest seven day increase in deaths since early December.

Recorded infections have made a leap as well, to 136,903 per day. It is a 24 percent increase over seven days and the largest daily case average since February - when America was coming down off of the largest Covid surge of the pandemic.

These sharp increases are being attributed to the BA.5 variant. The highly infectious strain of the virus that has quickly taken over as the dominant strain in the United States.

While more mandates related to the virus are not expected in the near future, Dr Anthony Fauci, America's top infectious disease expert, once again recommended Americans wear masks in indoor public gatherings during on Tuesday.

According to most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the BA.5 strain now makes up 65 percent of active cases in the U.S.

The BA.5 (dark green) variant now makes up 65% of active cases in the U.S., over taking the BA 2.12.1 (red) strain - which now makes up just 17% of cases. The BA.4 (light green) variant is responsible for 16% of U.S. Covid cases

'[BA.5 is] something we absolutely need to take seriously. It has a transmission advantage over the prior variant that were dominant,' Fauci told MSNBC.

The variant is believed to be the most infectious form of Omicron to arrive yet. Early data from South Africa - where it was first detected - also shows it may have the ability to evade natural Covid immunity provided by previous infection.

This is especially dangerous as it means many people who believe they are temporarily safe from Covid due to a previous infection are suddenly vulnerable once again.

It arrived alongside the BA.4 variant - also detected earlier this year in South Africa - which now makes up 16 percent of cases, per CDC data.

The BA 2.12.1 variant that was dominant before BA.5 now makes up just 17 percent of cases, being snuffed out by the two new strains.

The rampant spread of the two new strains, along with the rising cases that have come with it, have officials like Fauci recommending that Americans bring back some Covid measures they may be already-to-familiar with from the past two years.

'Everybody wants to put this pandemic behind us and feel and hope that it doesnt exist. It does, the good news is we have the capability and the tools to address it, and we need to utilize those tools,' Fauci, who serves as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease said.

'For example, getting vaccinated if you're not primarily vaccinated. If you're do for a booster, get a booster.

'And if youre in an area of high dynamic of infection  and were talking about mandating anything - but recommending people when they are in indoor congregate settings to wear a mask. Those are simple doable things that can help prevent us from even having more of a problem then we are having now.

Booster shots will likely soon include newly formulated jabs meant to target the Omicron variant, as vaccine manufacturers aim to roll out new shots in the coming months.

Currently available shots were formulated to fight the original Wuhan strain of the virus that erupted across the world at the start of 2020.

The virus has mutated greatly in the time since, and the Omicron variant-family has the ability to evade protection from infection provided by those shots.

Some experts disagree that shots tailored to Omicron are necessary, though, as the protection against severe infection, hospitalization and death by the original shots is still effective against the highly infectious strain.

The states suffering the most during this recent Covid wave are New Mexico and Nevada. Both desert states are averaging around 0.3 daily deaths per every 100,000 residents.

Daily Covid infections - a figure which often precedes increases in deaths by a few months - are increasing the most in North Carolina, where daily infections have doubled over the past week.

Fauci pointed to the New York area as being a particular hotspot for the virus and even the first area to experience the next wave of the virus - as it often has been throughout the pandemic.

Cases in the Empire state have increased 26 percent over the past two weeks, according to most recently available data.

In New York City, daily infections have jumped 28 percent, though hospitalization and death figures remain limited because of the city's large vaccine uptake.

Dr Jay Varma, former public health advisor to Mayor Bill de Blasio, warned last week that BA.5 could the reason case figures in the nation's largest city are starting to turn upwards - and that it could be a sign of another surge.

'The decline of reported [COVID-19] cases in NYC has stopped. Reported cases are at a high plateau, which means actual transmission is very high when you account for the >20x under-counting. This is likely the beginning of a BA.5 wave,' he said in a tweet.

The U.S. often trends behind the UK during the pandemic, experiencing the same trends just a few weeks behind.

The European nation already suffered a BA.5-fueled Covid surge, and a MailOnline analysis finds that its surge could already be peaking.

Hospital admission blamed on the virus are increasing by around 20 percent per week, having the previously weekly rate increase of 40 percent a week, according to data from the National Health Service.
BOOK OF THE WEEK

BEEN THERE DONE THAT

by Rachel Feltman (Bold Type Books 20, 336 pp)

When the naturalist Dr George Murray Levick observed penguins in Antarctica in 1910, he realised that some of the males were engaging in homosexual behaviour. So shocked was Levick that he wrote his notes in code.

There seems to be no crime too low for these penguins, he added.

It really shouldnt have been so surprising. Many species are known to form gay partnerships  indeed male penguins in zoos often build nests together and try to hatch stones. But Levicks reaction is typical of how ridiculously worked up people can get about sex.

Sexual healing: Catherine Deneuve in film Belle De Jour. A new book reveals many observations about sexual encounters in the wild

The U.S. author Rachel Feltmans wide-ranging and entertaining book is a healthy reminder that, when it comes to the oldest subject of all, there really is nothing new under the duvet.

Take the Epic Of Gilgamesh, for instance. The 4,000-year-old Mesopotamian text, cited as the oldest known work of great literature, features a sex scene that lasts for a fortnight.

In the Bible, Moses sentences thousands of enslaved women to death to stop the spread of a new venereal disease among his soldiers. And in 16th-century Timbuktu, men who wanted to get their partner aroused were told to wipe her eyebrows (and, in fairness, their own eyebrows, too) with the gall bladder of a fox.

Of course  as Levicks gay penguin outrage shows  attitudes can, and do, change. British men could still be imprisoned for homosexual acts back then, though that was better than the death sentence theyd faced in previous centuries.

Lesbian sex wasnt mentioned in the legislation. In 1921, MPs debated whether to include it, but decided not to on the grounds that even mentioning it might encourage some women to try it.

There have been some interesting cures for impotence down the ages. In 8th century BC India, the great surgeon Sushruta recommended poaching goat testicles in milk then eating them with sesame seeds and porpoise fat

Feltman has read far and wide for this book. Everything from evolutionary theories such as the grandmother hypothesis (we live beyond our own reproductive lifespan, so that we can help nurture our childrens children, thereby ensuring our genes longevity), to the history of venereal disease, so called because Venus was the Roman goddess of love. Such infections are older than humans, it seems  herpes was around when we were still fish.

There have been some interesting cures for impotence down the ages. In 8th century BC India, the great surgeon Sushruta recommended poaching goat testicles in milk then eating them with sesame seeds and porpoise fat.

The ancient Egyptians favoured writing the name of your worst enemy on a cake of meat and feeding it to a cat.

These days theres Viagra or, going back to 1983, the relaxant phentolamine. This was investigated by British physiologist Giles Brindley, who found that an injection of the stuff pretty well guaranteed an erection.

He delivered a lecture on the subject to the American Urodynamics Societys annual meeting in Las Vegas. As it was the last session of the day, many of the audience were already wearing black tie and ball gowns for a function they were due to attend.

Brindley, on the other hand, wore tracksuit bottoms. This, his spectators soon realised, was to show off the result of the injection hed given himself before the lecture. And just in case their imagination wasnt up to the job, Brindley took off the garment and approached the audience, so they could inspect said result in all its glory.

To increase sexual vitality in the 20th century, you tucked your testicles into a silk pouch full of radium salts, which was held in place by fabric tied around your waist and legs

The book doesnt only deal with humans. We meet clownfish, all of whom are born male: when two of them fight, the winner (not the loser, mind you) turns into a female so the pair can mate.

Theres the liger (the offspring of a male lion and a female tiger) and the tigon (vice versa). And then theres the bonobo, the ape whose leisure activities include penis fencing. This entails hanging from a tree and swinging your genitals into those of another bonobo. Perhaps someone should introduce them to Giles Brindley.

Needless to say, there has always been money in sex. Dont believe anyone who tries to sell you pheromone spray to help you score  we have never found human pheromones that make us attractive to others who smell them on us.

The early 20th century brought men the Testone Radium Appliance and Suspensory. To increase sexual vitality, you tucked your testicles into a silk pouch full of radium salts, which was held in place by fabric tied around your waist and legs. It was, of course, a load of... well, you know.

Feltman is sassy and opinionated. Her self-consciously irreverent style can get a bit much at times (I can talk so much about koala chlamydia, you have no idea). But on the whole I liked the fact that, despite much of her subject matter being deeply serious, she writes about it with humour.

She has a lovely turn of phrase (as gay as a maypole), and is alive to the comedy of names. The earliest known example of an animal that reproduced sexually is a fish called Microbrachius dicki, because its fossil was discovered by a man called Robert Dick. One of the leading experts on venereal disease during the U.S. Civil War was Freeman Bumstead.

And, if nothing else, this book delights us with the line uttered by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart in 1964, as he tried to define hard-core pornography: I know it when I see it.
THE TWILIGHT WORLD by Werner Herzog, translated by Michael Hofmann (The Bodley Head 14.99, 144pp)

THE TWILIGHT WORLD

by Werner Herzog, translated by Michael Hofmann (The Bodley Head 14.99, 144pp)

Hiroo Onoda, a lieutenant in the Imperial Japanese army, became a green ghost on the Philippine island of Lubang, seamlessly blending into the jungle, the butt of his rifle wrapped in tree bark, wet leaves plastered to his legs and his body carefully covered in green twigs, as he continued to fight a war that was long over.

He arrived at the end of 1944, stayed until 1974, survived on stolen rice and pineapples, and maintained a delirious dedication to following orders.

Fully attuned to the dangers of his treacherous location, it was Onodas mindset that proved parlous; a tenacity that slowly slipped into monomania.

Its familiar territory for Herzog, and here he brilliantly blends fact and fiction in this fever dream of a novel, which shimmers with the single-minded strangeness of Onodas thoughts and feelings.

THE HOUSE OF FORTUNE by Jessie Burton (Picador 16.99, 400pp)

THE HOUSE OF FORTUNE

by Jessie Burton (Picador 16.99, 400pp)

Jessie Burtons delightful debut, The Miniaturist, headed to late 17th-century Amsterdam to follow the fate of Nella, newly married and full of hope. The House Of Fortune continues the story, with Nellas 18-year-old niece taking centre stage in a delicious tale of secrets, scandal, heartbreak and fresh starts.

The once wealthy Brandts are down on their luck, and Nella is determined to salvage the familys fortune and already tarnished reputation by marrying spirited Thea to a pious, wealthy husband.

But Thea has her heart set on handsome, up-to-no-good Walter, the chief scene painter at the local theatre.

As the two women battle it out, the eerie miniaturist returns, leaving beautiful carvings that hint at what is to come for the family and its future. Brimful of historical detail, and alive with Burtons vivacious story-telling, this is a treat of a tale.

CHORUS by Rebecca Kauffman (Serpents Tail 14.99, 272pp)

CHORUS

by Rebecca Kauffman (Serpents Tail 14.99, 272pp)

Theres a quiet melancholy to Rebecca Kauffmans cleverly constructed family story.

The seven Shaw siblings are struggling with the aftereffects of their mothers untimely death.

Depressed and bed-ridden for years, her inability to care for them and her possible suicide opens fault-lines in their young hearts, tender ruptures that never quite heal as they head towards adulthood.

Its so delicately done; opening in the Great Depression, and taking a nonlinear approach, it moves backwards and forwards in time, ending in 1959, revealing the significant moments and memories of the four sisters, three brothers and their loving, staunch father, Jim.

They contend with bad marriages, alcoholism and war trauma, but theres also comradeship, happy relationships and burgeoning careers.

Kauffman elegantly describes the emotions of her complicated characters, and the story gleams with a gentle honesty for their flaws, foibles and fortitude.
DARK OBJECTS

DARK OBJECTS by Simon Toyne (HarperCollins 14.99, 416pp)

by Simon Toyne (HarperCollins 14.99, 416pp)

The author of the best-selling Sanctus trilogy opens this dark and haunting story with the discovery of the body of a brutally murdered woman posed in a stunning, glass-fronted house on the edge of Highgate Cemetery in London.

The corpse is surrounded by four carefully selected objects, one of which is a slim volume outlining the forensic process of examining a murder scene by an expert, Dr Laughton Rees.

Normally a scientist who never attends a crime scene, and never examines live cases, Rees is persuaded to help DCI Tannahill Khan unravel the killing. As a teenager she witnessed her own mothers murder. Now a mother herself, she scrambles to make sense of the killers clues  do they have something to do with her? Gripping from first page to last, this is superb storytelling and it certainly sends a shudder down the spine.

THE BINDING ROOM by Nadine Matheson (HQ 14.99, 512pp)

THE BINDING ROOM

by Nadine Matheson (HQ 14.99, 512pp)

This second novel from criminal solicitor Matheson, whose debut The Jigsaw Man introduced DI Anjelica Henley of the Serial Crimes Unit, is every bit as captivating as her first.

Pastor Caleb Annan of the Church of the Prophet is found stabbed to death in his church, but even more frightening is the discovery of an emaciated man chained to a bed in a hidden storage room upstairs. Even worse, he seems to have been tortured. Amazingly he is alive, but only just, and he certainly isnt able to speak. #

The Pastors sinister wife does not seem particularly moved by her husbands death or the chained man, and so begins a chilling search for what may have been the motive for the murder.

Gradually a horrifying truth begins to emerge when a second body is discovered, and with it the possibility that there may have been a ritual element to the murders.

Superbly told, this confirms Mathesons promise as a crime writer of the front rank.

THE THREE DAHLIAS by Katy Watson (Constable 14.99, 384pp)

THE THREE DAHLIAS

by Katy Watson (Constable 14.99, 384pp)

This charming venture into crime fiction from the prolific Watson is based on an intriguing idea  that the three actresses who have played fictional sleuth Dahlia Lively might actually be able to solve murders in real life.

They are invited to the country house of Lettice Davenport, the creator of Dahlia back in the 1930s, to celebrate a weekend for VIP fans. Also present are the fan club president, the team behind the latest adaptation and the Davenport family.

All three actresses have their own take on the character. Then the bodies begin to pile up and the plot thickens. It is an homage to the golden age of crime writing  and Dame Agatha would approve.
You can pay for most things on a subscription nowadays, from music and movie streaming to food recipe boxes and beer deliveries.

And now drivers are able to tap into pay-monthly packages for specific features in BMW cars, such as heated front seats for 15.

It is part of the German brand's connected drive package, which from this week has added a host of new features, including monthly subscriptions to have a heated steering wheel and a headlight system that prevents the user from dazzling oncoming traffic.

The controversial move means drivers pay annual or monthly fees for the automaker to temporarily delete software that blocks them from using features already installed in the vehicle that sit behind a paywall.

BMW's latest cars have features you might not know about: The German brand is producing models with a host of technology in the background - and you have to pay a one-off fee or monthly subscription to unlock them

This screengrab of BMW UK's Connected Drive section of its website shows the different purchase and subscription options available to have heated front seats

BMW first launched the service in 2020, which offers over-the-air software upgrades to activate new - or turned off - features in its latest models.

Only its cars running Operating System 7 are compatible with the updates system, which will allow customers to subscribe to specific features that are already built into their cars but are not activated.

The car firm gains access to the car's software via the built in wi-fi and deletes a line of code in the computer system that had been blocking the feature from being accessed.

It means drivers can upgrade their existing cars without having to step foot in a BMW dealership.

Most of the features are those that might not have been available with specific trim level when the car purchased by the original owner, or are optional extras that were not selected during the order process.

Until recently, it has mostly offered permanent upgrades.

This includes adaptive cruise control for a one-off fee of 750, adaptive suspension for 399, Apple CarPlay for 265 and something called 'IconicSound Sport', which is an artificial louder engine note that's played through the interior speakers, for 99.

However, customers from this week have been offered a range of other features on a non-permanent basis - either over a course of years, one year and even monthly subscriptions.

This is similar to microtransactions available in computer games that allows players to access new features and updates.

It means BMW drivers can now have heated front seats to order, which is available permanently for 350, for three years for 250, an annual subscription of 150 or monthly for 15.

Add-ons: Drivers must pay a monthly subscription and like adding extras to a car, the cost will soon rack up

Only its cars running Operating System 7 are compatible with the updates system. It adds the feature via wi-fi by deleting lines of code in the computer system that blocks features already installed in the vehicle from being accessed

Want a heated steering wheel in your BMW for the winter only? You can get it for 10 a month

For the heated steering wheel option, it is 200 to be fully installed, 150 for three years, 100 for one year or 10 a month.

It's the same pricing structure for BMW's 'high beam assistant', which is a system that automatically dips full beam headlights when there's another road user up ahead.

Owners can also add the 'driving assistance plus' package, which is a version of adaptive cruise control that automatically maintains a pre-set speed, keeps a certain distance from the vehicle ahead and can steer the car in its lane.

This is available for 750 on a permanent basis, 550 for three years, 350 for one year or 35 a month.

Drivers of the latest BMW cars now have heated front seats on a 3 year subscription for 250, an annual payment of 150 or monthly for 15. They can also pay 350 to have it permanently available

Car features behind a paywall: Smart of just greedy?

Launching the updates system in 2020, Oliver Zipse, chairman at BMW, said: 'Digital technologies belong to the core of BMW  because hardware and software are of equal importance for premium cars.

'Our mission is to integrate advanced digital technologies with highest product excellence to enhance our customers experience and driving pleasure even more.'

While in some instances a monthly subscription might make sense for seasonal features, such as only needing heated front seats in the winter months rather than during the current heatwave, it does raise questions about why a driver might want others on a non-permanent basis.

This is especially the case with high-beam assist, which is ultimately a system that improves road safety by not dazzling other motorists.

It also means that BMW has to install all the hardware to power these functions, even if the first owner doesn't want them activated.

For instance, it will need to assemble heat pads in the front seats of all models and always fit steering wheels with heat elements in them rather than a standard plastic rim - then install software that blocks its use if the buyer is unwilling to pay for it.

BMW first unveiled its plans to offer a subscription service for features in 2020, though it has only offered monthly fees for heated seats and a heated steering wheel from this week

While this means the automaker will need to fully-load all its new cars, it will likely reduce production time as the vehicles are no longer being built to customer order with specific features.

When we asked a BMW spokesperson why drivers might want to use a monthly subscription, This is Money was told: 'The connected drive store offers customers the opportunity to add selected features, which they did not order when the vehicle was built, at a later date.

'This can be helpful for new customers should their circumstances change after their purchase.

'For secondary owners, this functionality is particularly useful, as they now have the opportunity to add features the original owner did not choose.

'Customers can enable all hardware features for a one-time payment or if preferable, choose an annual or monthly subscription, depending on the feature.

'This enables drivers to experiment with a feature by purchasing a short-term trial before committing to a purchase.'

The system also allows BMW customers to trail the features for one month free of charge before committing to having it updated on a permanent basis in their car at a cost.

This also includes 'BMW safety camera information', which notifies the driver when they are approaching a fixed speed camera. This can be trailled for free for one month before being purchased only on an annual subscription of 25.

The drive assistance plus feature is available for free on a three-month trial.

The car maker has come under heavy scrutiny since the heated seat subscription package was first spotted on the South Korean BMW site earlier this week, with drivers branding the move as 'greedy'.

Responding to the news on Twitter, once user said: 'BMW are seriously asking for monthly subscriptions for heated seats, heated steering wheels.

'Components that already exist in your very expensive cars controlled by software #greedy Opportunistic.

'What next? "We are sorry but your car not be driven on Sundays."'

Another Twitter user added: 'Though I have no need for heated seats, I would consider looking at other brands.

'If a company is so greedy to charge for something like that it makes me wonder about the overall quality of their vehicles.'

However, not everyone is completely against the concept of paying for features on demand during specific months.

One user tweeted: 'Sounds mad but on thinking about it it could make sense.

'If there is no extra initial cost to spec heated seats in the car then only paying for the winter months could make more sense.

'You'd need to see the maths!'
Botched work: Laura Ashley became the first major victim of the pandemic when it went bust in March 2020

The accounting watchdog has slapped Laura Ashley's auditor with a fine and temporary ban over its botched work for the retailer.

The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) banned UHY Hacker Young from auditing public companies until at least May 2024.

It hit UHY with a 'severe reprimand' and a 217,500 fine over its auditing of fashion and furnishings retailer Laura Ashley before it failed. UHY partner Martin Jones was fined 32,625 and barred from auditing public companies for two years.

Laura Ashley became the first major victim of the pandemic when it went bust in March 2020.

At the time it had 155 stores in the UK and 2,700 staff. Before the collapse its annual losses jumped tenfold from 1.4m to 14m in the year to June 2019. But the annual report did not flag up concerns about its ability to remain in business.

The FRC said UHY and Jones admitted 'serious breaches' of their requirement to ensure the reports were accurate.

Deputy executive counsel Jamie Symington said the auditors failed to 'adequately challenge or investigate' Laura Ashley's assertions it would remain in business for the foreseeable future.

UHY said: 'Audit quality is a key focus and priority for UHY Hacker Young, but we recognise that the audits relating to Laura Ashley Holdings for the financial years 2018 and 2019 fell below the high standards that we set for ourselves.'

It said the collapse was caused by the pandemic.

Laura Ashley was founded in 1953 by the eponymous fashion designer and her husband Bernard, growing into a global brand. Celebrity fans included Princess Diana, who wore it through the 1980s.

It was plucked out of administration by restructuring and investment firm Gordon Brothers and has returned to the High Street via a deal with Next, which sells its homeware at more than 500 stores.

Laura Ashley also has 48 stores in the UK and is sold online.
Twitter stock soared after Wall Street judged the social network had a 'clear upper hand' in its lawsuit against Tesla boss Elon Musk who has axed a 37billion takeover.

The stock jumped 7.9 per cent to $36.75 as traders predicted Musk, the world's richest man, will have to pay Twitter a substantial settlement for breaking the takeover agreement, or even be forced to buy the platform for the agreed price of $54.20 per share.

Upper hand: Traders predicted Elon Musk, the world's richest man, will have to pay Twitter a substantial settlement for breaking the takeover agreement

US broker Wedbush said many investors concluded the 'Game of Thrones battle in court will result in some version of a Twitter win'.

'Legal experts across the board view Twitter as having a strong iron fist upper hand heading into the Delaware court battle after months of this fiasco,' it said.

Also confident was short seller Hindenburg Research, which acquired a 'significant long position' in the firm, adding the lawsuit posed a 'credible threat' to Musk's business empire.

Hindenburg clashed with Musk on Twitter after warning there was a 'significant risk' the price of the takeover would be reduced and the share price could fall by 50 per cent if the deal was scrapped.

Twitter has pointed out that the value of Musk's 15.7 per cent stake in Tesla, through which he derives most of his wealth, has dropped sharply from its peak in November and he now 'wants out'.

'Musk apparently believes that he, unlike every other party subject to Delaware contract law, is free to change his mind, trash the company, disrupt its operations, destroy stockholder value, and walk away,' its lawsuit said.
A Devon shipyard rescued from closure has been boosted by a 55m Ministry of Defence (MoD) deal to refurbish a minesweeper.

It is the biggest announced contract for the Appledore site, where vessels have been built for nearly two centuries, since it reopened in 2020 under the ownership of Titanic maker Harland & Wolff (H&W).

Appledore was previously operated by Babcock but closed in March 2019. The deal involves the refurbishment of a British ship, HMS Quorn, which was decommissioned by the Royal Navy In 2017.

New lease of life: HMS Quorn scours the seabed for mines and explosives

The ship was part of a fleet using high-definition sonar to scour sea-beds for mines and lost explosives. It will be given a new lease of life serving with Nato ally Lithuania. H&W said the value of the contract, awarded by the MoD and the Lithuanian Defence Materiel agency, had the potential to increase through additional equipment and further upgrades. It is its first contract in the sector.

Chief executive John Wood hailed it as a 'watershed', providing 'the breakthrough that we needed' to enter the market.

The shares rose 14.1 per cent, or 1.75p, to 14.13p on the deal. The company 'strongly believes that this will significantly enhance the company's reputation in the market and pave the way to securing future defence and government contracts'.

Appledore, founded in 1855, has built more than 350 vessels over its history including military and cargo ships, ferries, superyachts and oil industry support craft.

Its work has included building sections of the 3bn aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth.

After closing in 2019 it was acquired by Harland & Wolff's parent company Infrastrata, which subsequently renamed itself Harland & Wolff.

Appledore's first contract win under the new ownership was a deal worth more than 2m to build a steel pontoon for an RNLI lifeboat station under London's Waterloo Bridge, which was announced last November.

Harland & Wolff, which dates back to 1861, is best known for its giant site in Belfast where the Titanic was built  and where it today still operates one of the largest dry docks in Europe. It also now owns two shipyards in Scotland as well as the Islandmagee gas storage facility in Northern Ireland.

H&W is also part of a consortium which is one of four shortlisted by the MoD in the competition to design and build support ships for Royal Navy carrier groups. City broker Cenkos said in a note to clients, following the latest announcement: 'This is a significant breakthrough for the company, being its first contract in the defence sector, and gives H&W a strong platform to build upon as it pursues additional pipeline opportunities.

'Russia's invasion of Ukraine highlights the valuable role H&W can play in supporting the defence industry, as many Nato countries (including the UK) look to increase their defence spending.'

The note also highlighted that the deal had 'established a new UK competitor in the industry' widening the MoD's choice in the sector beyond BAE Systems and Babcock.

The MOD said the deal would support 100 jobs at Appledore and the ship is expected to be delivered to the Lithuanian navy in 2024.

Minister for Defence Procurement, Jeremy Quin, said: 'I'm pleased that this multi-million pound contract will see a former Royal Navy mine-hunting vessel restored and regenerated in a British shipyard, supporting UK jobs and strengthening shipbuilding in the south-west.

'Lithuania is a key Nato ally and Joint Expeditionary Force partner, and this mine-hunting vessel will bolster Nato maritime capability across Europe, ensuring the Alliance remains ready to respond to evolving global threats.'
A Virginia court refused seven post-trial petitions submitted by Amber Heard in an attempt to overturn the jury judgment in her defamation dispute with ex-husband Johnny Depp.

In their defamation claims, a jury awarded Johnny Depp $15 million in damages and Amber Heard just $2 million after a weeks-long trial in June.

Judge Insists Johnny Depp, Amber Heard Trial Commits No Mistake

Attorneys for Amber Heard requested a new trial, arguing that information on the jury panel list supplied to counsel before to trial did not appear to match the demographics of one of the jurors, jeopardizing Heard's due process rights.

In a court judgment issued on Wednesday, Judge Penney Azcarate stated that Heard's due process rights were not violated since there was no fraud or malfeasance in the jury selection process.

Azcarate said that if Amber Heard's legal team had a problem with the jury selection process, they should have addressed it during the weeks-long trial. Before the judge's verdict, Johnny Depp's attorneys issued a rebuttal document to Heard's post-trial petitions, calling the legal arguments ridiculous, as per CNN.

Amber Heard, 36, had contended in part that Juror 15 in her and Johnny Depp's case was not the person called for jury duty, so jeopardizing her right to a fair trial. According to Heard's attorneys, the jury mix-up may have occurred because there are two people with the same last name who reside in the same house but are of different ages - 77 and 52.

By the counsel, the elder one was summoned, but the younger one eventually responded to the call for jury service and sat for the trial. Depp's attorneys claimed that Heard's team could have rectified the issue before the trial began because both parties got a "pre-panel jury list" more than two months before.

His lawyers then argued that even if the exchange occurred, Heard would not be harmed since the juror was vetted by the court and the party's counsel. The judge agreed with Depp's claims, stating that the jury panel was questioned for a whole day.

It was unclear if Heard intends to appeal the decision. Last month, the 59-year-old 'Pirates of the Caribbean star was awarded $10.35 million in damages in his defamation lawsuit against Heard, his ex-wife, according to the New York Post.

Read Also: Real Reason Behind 'General Hospital' Star Steve Burton's Filing for Divorce from Wife Sheree Gustin After 23 Years of Marriage

Can Amber Heard Appeal the Decision Again?

Depp filed a $50 million lawsuit in Fairfax County after Heard wrote a 2018 op-ed piece in The Washington Post about domestic violence, referring to herself as a public figure representing domestic abuse. The piece never named Depp by name, but his attorneys argued that many paragraphs in the story impliedly defamed him by referencing widely publicized abuse charges she made as she filed for divorce in 2016.

Heard then filed a $100 million defamation counterclaim. By the time the matter went to trial, her counterclaim had been reduced to a few words made by one of Depp's attorneys, who labeled Heard's accusations of abuse a fake.

On her counterclaim, the jury awarded Depp $15 million and Heard $2 million. Because punitive damages in Virginia are limited to $350,000, the $15 million verdicts were lowered to $10.35 million. In Wednesday's judgment, the judge did not explain why she rejected Heard's other allegations.

Heard argued, among other things, that the $10 million verdicts are unsupported by the facts and appears to show that jurors failed to focus on the fallout from the 2018 op-ed piece - as they were supposed to do - and instead looked broadly at the damage Depp's reputation suffered as a result of the allege.

Heard's attorneys also contended that the judgments for Depp on the one hand and Heard on the other are illogical. Heard's attorneys contended that Virginia law is rigorous regarding jury identities and that a misidentification case is grounds for a mistrial. They produced no proof that the 52-year-old son, named only as Juror #15, attempted to replace his father intentionally or insidiously, but they think that possibility should not be dismissed.

Heard can still file an appeal with the Virginia Court of Appeals. The issues brought before the appeal court may differ from the issues rejected by Azacarate on Wednesday, CBS News reported.

Related Article: Johnny Depp Seemingly Rips Into Ex-Wife Amber Heard in New Song '18' with Jeff Beck After Winning Defamation Trial

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Plea: Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin

Tim Martin said the winner of the Tory leadership vote should have 'sensible economic policies and a plan we can all relate to'.

The Wetherspoons chairman, who campaigned for Brexit alongside Boris Johnson, said the Prime Minister's downfall was his lack of a 'proper economic plan'.

He called for the winner to equalise VAT for pubs and supermarkets.

Pubs pay 20 per cent VAT on food sales. Grocers pay none.

Martin said that left pubs 'fighting with one hand tied behind their back'.

He accused successive governments of robbing the poor  pubs  and giving to the rich, supermarkets.

Wetherspoons shares crashed after it warned its post-Covid recovery was 'slower and more laborious' than expected as demand for beer fell flat.

In a bleak update, the company expects losses of 30m this year, having previously predicted it would break even. The shares fell 8.3 per cent, or 52.5p, to 577.5p yesterday.

The 861-strong pub chain has been hit by soaring staff costs as well as heavy marketing and repair bills after its reopening. And, worryingly for the business, founder and chairman Tim Martin said sales of draught ales, lagers and ciders were weak.

While sales of cocktails are 18.6 per cent above pre-pandemic levels and spirits 4..4 percent higher, beer and cider sales are still down 8 per cent.

The pub boss blamed a mix of young people turning to cocktails and the prevalence of working from home, which means fewer people going for boozy lunches and drinks after a day in the office. Overall sales in the past 11 weeks were 0.4 per cent below pre-pandemic levels. In the previous quarter they were down 4 per cent.

Martin said the company and economy were still feeling the effects of Covid lockdowns.

He said: 'Large numbers of people have left the workforce, mainly through early retirement. Many people now work from home, rather than from offices, which has had a significant impact on transport and hospitality businesses.

'The fear factor used by governments to encourage compliance with lockdowns and restrictions has also had lingering after-effects, with many people remaining cautious about leaving their homes.'
One of Savile Row's oldest tailors is hunting for a buyer to save it from collapse after 251 years in business.

Gieves & Hawkes, which dates back to 1771 and has dressed Lord Nelson and Winston Churchill, has been put up for sale by administrators.

The tailor made the Queen's boat cloak in 1953 and has dressed the Prince of Wales, George VI, and Princes William and Harry.

Dapper: Gieves & Hawkes, which dates back to 1771, has dressed Lord Nelson and Winston Churchill

The brand, and sister company Kent & Curwen, are owned by Trinity Group, a subsidiary of Shandong Ruyi Technology Group, which styles itself as the Chinese LVMH, the luxury conglomerate behind Louis Vuitton.

Trinity went bust last year and FTI Consulting in Hong Kong has been selling its assets. FTI has started asking for bids for Gieves, which has 58 stores, this week.

Shore Capital retail analyst Clive Black said the rise of work from home and trends for more casual wear threaten the appeal of tailors.

A sale could be a 'consolidation opportunity' if a rival brand snapped it up but he added: 'If it didn't exist, would you invent it in this market?'
Kylie Minogue is doing the loco-motion through the UK's alcohol market  with sales of her wine rising more than four-fold in the past year.

The Australian pop star sold 18.9million of her wine in the year to May, a rise of 338.1 per cent on a year earlier, according to figures from data business Nielsen.

Minogue's wine, launched on her 52nd birthday in May 2020 and made by celebrity wine specialist Benchmark Wine, rocketed into the top 150 of Britain's alcohol brands.

Cheers: Australian pop star Kylie Minogue sold 18.9m of her wine in the year to May, a rise of 338.1 per cent on a year earlier, according to figures from data business Nielsen

It became the fastest-growing alcohol brand in the country and leapfrogged rivals including Jacob's Creek and Scrumpy Jack in sales.

Benchmark boss Paul Schaafsma told The Grocer magazine that Minogue's wine has succeeded because she is involved with everything 'from blending the wines to designing the packaging'.

Benchmark has developed wines for other celebrities including musician Gary Barlow and chef Gordon Ramsay
The boss of Shell has warned that energy may need to be rationed in the UK and Europe this winter as Russia chokes off gas supplies.

Ben van Beurden predicted a tough winter as Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine prompted a scramble by European nations to store up natural gas for the colder months ahead.

That has pushed up prices for consumers and businesses, exacerbating a cost of living crisis.

Warning: Shell boss Ben van Beurden predicted a 'tough winter' as Putin's invasion of Ukraine prompted a scramble by European nations to store up natural gas for the colder months ahead

The Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline from Russia to western Europe is closed for maintenance for ten days.

If, as some fear, it does not reopen, the EU may struggle to meet its target for having 80 per cent of its storage capacity filled by November 1. Stocks are at 62.6 per cent full.

Van Beurden told an industry conference in Oxford: It will be a really tough winter in Europe.

Some countries will fare better than others but we will all be facing a very significant escalation in energy prices.

He said that in the worst case, the UK and Europe will need to ration its energy consumption.

Mainland Europe has typically relied on Russia for 40 per cent of its gas needs and, though it is aiming to wean itself off those supplies over the coming years it is still heavily dependent on them.

The UK uses much less  Russian imports made up just 4 per cent of gas usage in 2021.

But it is not immune to the crisis as it is still exposed to the disruption in energy markets that have pushed gas and oil prices sharply higher since the start of the war.

Regulator Ofgem has already hiked its energy price cap this year and is on course to do so again in October.

Elsewhere, French president Emmanuel Macron has warned citizens to prepare for street lights to be switched off to save energy if Russia turns off its gas taps.

French president Emmanuel Macron (pictured Thursday during a Bastille Day parade in Paris) has warned citizens to prepare for street lights to be switched off to save energy if Russia turns off its gas taps

In a Bastille Day speech yesterday, Mr Macron said: The summer, early autumn will be very hard. Russia is using energy, like it is using food, as a weapon of war. We should prepare ourselves for the scenario where we have to go without all Russian gas.

He said the plan to conserve energy would start with turning off public lights at night.

Yesterday Germans were warned their monthly gas bills will triple next year due to the impact of the war.
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Rising levels of pollution in Britain's rivers has sparked health fears for wild swimmers as the 19th century pastime makes a comeback.

The growing resurgence of the trend of bathing in Britain's lakes and rivers has been highlighted during the current heatwave as Brits look to cool off in temperatures expected to nudge 36C in the coming days.

And as the pandemic has waned, thousands have taken up wild swimming in a bid to get outdoors and stay fit after inactivity due to lockdowns.

But the resurgence is not without its risks, and comes after looser regulations on dumping sewage were introduced by the Government in the Environment Bill.

It has raised fears over the health risks of swimming in the country's lakes and rivers, with a recent parliamentary report finding that none are free from contamination.

And today Environment Agency bosses even touted prosecution for water company bosses who have contributed to the sector's worse performance for years.

Their annual environmental performance report said serious pollution incidents in the UK increased to 62 in 2021, the highest total since 2013.

Chairwoman Emma Howard Boyd said: 'It's appalling that water companies' performance on pollution has hit a new low.

'Water quality won't improve until water companies get a grip on their operational performance.'

Wild swimming first became popular in Britain in the 1800s as Romantic writers such as Coleridge and Wordsworth began swimming in the picturesque Lake District as part of their search for the 'sublime' - meaning of great beauty.

The activity allowed the writers to experience nature away from the rapidly industrialising cities and water featured as a theme of several great paintings of the era as a result.

Britain's lakes and rivers became even more popular in the height of the Victorian period after cheap rail fare began an era of internal tourism in the UK with middle and working class families flocking to the bodies as well as traditional jaunts to the seaside.

As swimming became a more mainstream pursuit, public lidos were built in residential areas to bring the sensation to the suburbs - a move that coincided with the UK's water bodies suffering from pollution caused by post-war industrial development.

Some 2.1 million prefer to swim in open water than swimming pools in Britain according to a Swim England survey from 2018.

The blazing heat and the end of the pandemic has highlighted the growing resurgence of the trend of bathing in Britain's lakes and rivers. Pictured: Stock image

The resurgence is not without its risks - coming after looser regulations on dumping sewage were introduced by the Government in the Environment Bill. Pollution at a weir on the Jubilee River in Taplow

Despite the fears, Britain is still home to many idyllic bodies of water which make for picturesque wild swims. A map shows some of the best places in the UK for wild swimming

As the pandemic has waned, thousands have taken up wild swimming in a bid to get outdoors and stay fit. Two swimmers take a dip in the River Lea in Hertfordshire

2.1 million prefer to swim in open water than swimming pools in Britain according to a Swim England survey from 2018. Pictured: Woman take a dip in the Great Ouse, Great Barford

Pollution can cause algal blooms which starve creatures in the water of oxygen and prevent light reaching underwater plants. Pictured: The Wye at Bridge Sollers

Water pollution is still a concern for the government as it attempts to tout its green credentials.

The Conservative Government caught the flak of many when the Environment Bill passed last October included a provision which allowed water companies to dump sewage into bodies of water across the country.

A total of 265 MPs voted with the government to reject an amendment from House of Lords to outlaw the discharge of sewage as part of the bill.

A report by Parliament's Environmental Audit Committee concluded that not a single river in England is free from pollution  with waterways fouled by a 'chemical cocktail' of raw sewage, slurry, oils, car tyre microplastics and wet wipes.

The committee pointed to agriculture and then water companies as the largest contributors.

The committee  which spent months taking in expert advice  warned that the ubiquitous pollution poses a risk to both the environment and to human health.

UK waterways are used for fishing and swimming to other sports, but bacteria derived from sewage and slurry risks making river users gravely ill.

And the noxious influx of chemicals, microplastics and excessive amounts of nutrients are harming river-based wildlife and leading to harmful algal blooms.

In particular, the audit committee criticised government inaction and budget cuts that are tying the hands of the Environment Agency in the fight against pollution.

'Rivers are the arteries of nature and must be protected,' Environmental Audit Committee chair and MP Philip Dunne told BBC News in January.

The ongoing hot weather is likely to increase the popularity of the trend which was first undertaken in the 19th century as illustrated here with this picture of the Bathing-Place at Port Skillion

Britain's lakes and rivers became even more popular in the height of the Victorian period after cheap rail fare began an era of internal tourism in the UK. Pictured: Richmond Bridge in London

'Our inquiry has uncovered multiple failures in the monitoring, governance and enforcement on water quality.

'For too long, the government, regulators and the water industry have allowed a Victorian sewerage system to buckle under increasing pressure.'

Environment Minister Rebecca Pow, however, dismissed this criticism.

'We are going further and faster than any other government to protect and enhance the health of our rivers and seas,' she said.

'We welcome the Environmental Audit Committee's report which highlights many areas that this government is now tackling.'

As part of the report, the committee put forward a series of recommendations for how the Government might improve waterway management and combat pollution.

For example, they encourage more substantial penalties for water companies that discharge sewage into the environment  a course of action that is only supposed to be allowed in truly exceptional circumstances.

Such discharges can be identified by signs including the presence of tampons, toilet paper and human waste in the water or caught on plants along riverbanks.

According to the committee, local community groups often flag sewage overflow episodes that are not reported to the Environment Agency by the responsible water companies  suggesting these discharges are likely more common than thought.

'We support the committee's urgent call for action to improve the health of England's rivers,' a spokesperson for water and wastewater service provider membership organisation Water UK said.

'Many of the recommendations mirror proposals set out in our recent 21st Century Rivers report,' they added.

This, they explained, 'calls for government, regulators, water companies, agriculture, and other sectors to come together and create a comprehensive national plan to transform our rivers.'

The Conservative Government caught the flak of many when the Environment Bill passed last October included a provision which allowed water companies to dump sewage into bodies of water across the country. Pictured: An Environment Agency worker is seen treated the River Trent at Yoxall, Staffordshire, after it was contaminated with untreated sewage and cyanide, back in 2009

As part of the report, the committee put forward a series of recommendations for how the Government might improve waterway management and combat pollution. Pictured: Polluted water on the River Thames at Maidenhead in January 2022

The most common source of pollution in England's waterways, the Environment Audit Committee noted, comes from intensive farming  and, in particular, from chicken farms.

The leaking of excessive amounts of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus from these farms  via sources like the birds faeces and urine  can cause algae in waterways to flourish in response, forming a thick layer at the surface.

Unfortunately, algal blooms can also prevent oxygen from being taken into the water, suffocating the other creatures that live in the river.

In particular, the report singled out the high concentrations of phosphorus in the River Wye in the south-west Midlands and Wales, which is thought to have been derived from the water of some 20 million chickens in the river catchment.

The report has recommended that the Government prohibit the construction of new poultry farms in areas where rivers already have high nutrient levels.

Others recommendations put forward in the report included the creation of a designated safe bathing area along each river by the year 2025  as well as a ban on single-use leaning and hygiene products containing plastics.

The committee also warned against the disposal of fats, oils and wet wipes down sinks and toilets. These not only can make their way into rivers, but also clump together to form large 'fatbergs' that clog up sewers.

In fact, it is estimated that these blockages cost English sewage companies and customers some 100 million each year to clear.

The report also criticised both the Environment Agency National Highways for not doing enough to address the pollution generated when microplastics particles released from wear on car tyres are washed from roads into nearby rivers.

Following the report  which focussed on English waterways, as per the devolved treatment of environmental issues in the UK  the Environmental Audit Committee has recommended surveys of river quality also be conducted in Scotland and Wales.

The full findings of the report were published on the Environmental Audit Committee website.

Achmelvich Beach in the Scottish Highlands (seen here) is an idyllic place for a wild dip and could even involve a walk around the hills

Parts of the 30km wide loch in Argyll and Bute was designated a Special Area of Conservation by the European Union. Pictured: The sunset over Loch Etive

The Stanley Ghyll Force Waterfall (called also Clear Force) in an enchanting green and wild forest. Pictured: Lake District National Park, Cumbria, England, UK

Despite the fears, Britain is still home to many idyllic bodies of water which make for picturesque wild swims.

Achmelvich Beach in the Scottish Highlands features a water colour that would not be out of place in the Caribbean - with the light blue sea surrounded by hills which make getting to the beach as enjoyable as the swim itself.

The spot is also one for those who wish to be around wildlife as swimmers will be able to spot black-and-red throated divers from the beach.

There are also occasional sightings of porpoises, dolphins, and the occasional minke whale in the water.

For those seeking to swimming in calmer water, another Highlands destination could be Loch Etive.

Parts of the 30km wide loch in Argyll and Bute was designated a Special Area of Conservation by the European Union and includes stunning mountain surroundings.

For those seeking to imitate Coleridge and Wordsworth's search for the sublime, the Stanley Ghyll Force Waterfall (called also Clear Force) in an enchanting green and wild forest.
The boasting of a despicable female crime ring boss who transported prostitutes into the UK and told them to 'look pretty' to fund her luxury life has been revealed as she was jailed this week.

Catalina Cojocaru, 37, lived a luxury lifestyle with boyfriend Jamie Dunn, 42 as she raked in 250,000 a year running a huge prostitution ring which exploited vulnerable women for sex and transported them to the UK.

Meanwhile her brother, who was also involved in the ring, has been on at least 12 different luxury holidays since the ring was set up including to Thailand, North Africa and the Dominican Republic.

Cojocaru played a leading role in launching a crime ring with Dunn in Northampton before expanding across the country to Nottingham and Birmingham - soon earning 20,000 a month.

Police raided her Northampton home in January 17, where they found detailed evidence of the operation and the key role she played in organising it.

Catalina Cojocaru, 37, lived a luxury lifestyle with boyfriend Jamie Dunn, 42 as she raked in 250,000 a year running a huge prostitution ring

Cojocaru and Dunn boasted about a trip to London as recently as December 2021, during which they visited expensive restaurants

A court heard Cojocaru told women to wear make up when she requested their semi-nude photographs

Cojocaru was pictured outside a luxury hotel which charges up to 562 for a double room

Dunn has shared shameless photos of their happy lives just months before their trial and sentencing - including racy snaps of his partner in a bikini

Although partners when they began their trafficking ring, the couple have now married and have two children - but now face years behind bars

Catalina Cojucaru, right, pictured with boyfriend Jamie Dunn, centre and brother Andrei Cojucaru, left. All three were part of the sex trafficking ring

She ran the day-to-day operation by sourcing women, mainly from Romania, to travel to the UK as sex workers and organising their flight and transport to a property of her choosing.

The women then engaged in off-street prostitution at brothels across the Midlands.

A court heard Cojocaru told women to 'look their best' and, when requesting semi-nude photographs, would tell them to 'look sexy' and wear make-up.

Police recovered lists and text messages that showed that Cojocaru acted as the sex workers' 'boss' having daily contact with them and keeping records of daily takings.

Evidence showed the women would earn up to 1,640 per day of which the gang took 50 per cent from each woman between November 2015 and January 2017.

On one day, where 900 was made by seven women, she wrote at the bottom of the diary: 'f**k me, I'm brilliant.'

She would take half the women's earnings and used them to pay for her luxury lifestyle.

The gang exploited up to 13 women at the same time and rented four separate properties to house them.

Cojocaru told women to wear make up and 'look sexy' when requesting semi-nude photographs

Photos on Dunn's Facebook page show the couple spending time together in luxury locations as recently as December 2021.

A photograph shows they stayed at The Montcalm Hotel in Marble Arch, London just before Christmas which is a luxury hotel where prices go up to 562 per night for a double room at the time of publishing.

During the same trip the couple visited Mr Whites restaurant by Marco Pierre White in Leicester Square.

Marco Pierre White was the first UK chef to be granted three Michelin stars.

The couple splash out on other luxury restaurants too - including The Point restaurant in the Haven Hotel in Poole - where main meals range from 21 to 38.

The couple have married since being arrested and have two children.

Dunn's Facebook profile contains no reference to the crimes he and Catalina committed, but does contain plenty of holiday shots of the couple in the sun.

Dunn posted to wish Cojocaru happy birthday on December 4 last year, saying 'Happy Birthday my amazing wife, best friend and the most patient mum on the planet. Thank you for everything you do each day to keep our wheels turning.'

Ayanna Nelson, prosecuting, told the court Cojocaru did this 'with an expectation of substantially significant financial gain.'

On sentencing Cojocaru Judge Rebecca Crane said: 'You exploited the labour of others for substantial financial gain and the business would have continued if it were not for police intervention.'

Cojocaru was jailed for three years and nine months at Northampton Crown Court on Tuesday (June 14).

Dunn's role in the prostitution ring involved ensuring there was a 'constant supply' of women to work for him and his partner and creating online adverts - and around 11,000 was spent on advertising sexual services alone.

Dunn and Cojocaru, who lived in the posh village of Lower Harlestone, Northampton, where house prices average 900,000, were charged with trafficking women into the UK.

They both admitted two counts of conspiring to arrange or facilitate the travel of another person to the UK with a view to them being exploited for prostitution.

Dunn was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison.

Dunn's elderly dad Martin Dunn, 74, was also involved in the plot as well as Cojocaru's brother Andrei Cojocaru, 26.

Dunn Snr paid for airline tickets for women coming into the UK, would help collect them from airports and even financed hotels and serviced apartments.

On one day, where 900 was made by seven women, she wrote at the bottom of the diary: 'f**k me, I'm brilliant.'

Police found lists and text messages that showed Cojocaru acted as the sex workers' 'boss'

A photograph shows they stayed at The Montcalm Hotel in Marble Arch, London just before Christmas which is a luxury hotel where prices go up to 562 a night

Jamie Dunn's dad Martin, 74, was also involved in the plot and helped out with picking up the women from UK airports

Andrei Cojocaru's job was to man the brothel phones and arrange meetings between clients and the women, direct them to the property as well as collecting the trafficked women from airports.

Andrei Cojocaru's Facebook profile tells a story of jetting off all over the world, presumably using his earnings as a part of the trafficking ring.

Since the ring started in November 2015 he has posted about luxury holidays to the Dominican Republic, Greece, Romania, Prague, Morocco (including riding camels across the Sahara Desert), a second holiday to Greece, London, Spain, Tenerife, a second holiday to Romania, Thailand and Paris - as well as visiting Romania just months before the trafficking and exploitation ring began.

Andrei Cojocaru, 26, has shared dozens of photographs of himself on luxury holidays all over the world since the trafficking ring was set up in 2015

Cojucaru's brother even went to Thailand on one luxury trip - while at home he was helping his sister exploit women for sex

Andrei travelled across Morocco, posting boastful pictures of his adventures in cities and the Sahara Desert

Andrei Cojucaru also went to the Domican Republic (left) and Greece twice (right)

Martin Dunn, of Northampton, was given a 12-month community order and 100 hours unpaid work for acquiring criminal property after coming into a large sum of money following a house sale.

Andrei Cojocaru, also of Northampton, was handed one year in prison, suspended for 14 months plus 150 hours of unpaid work for conspiring to control prostitution for gain.

The convictions, which were part of Operation Eton, were the first modern slavery and human trafficking charges secured by Northamptonshire Police.
As the bill for recent flood damage in Australia rockets into the billions, the blame game over why homes are still being built in flood prone-areas and why people would buy them is heating up.

In early July, the Hawkesbury Nepean River in north-western Sydney reached a peak of 13.8 metres, enough to submerge thousands of homes and render 239 completely unliveable.

An estimated 50,000 people were evacuated.

Within one week, the Insurance Council of Australia estimated claims from the July floods at $97.8million. The total cost for all of the devastating flooding that has hit the eastern states in 2022 is far greater.

Despite this, plans for development around the Hawkesbury River continue.

Within 20 years, 12,000 new homes are expected to be constructed on flood-prone land in Sydney's northwest growth area - adjacent to the Hawkesbury-Nepean River, which has flooded four times in 18 months.

There are also fears that the figure for new homes is vastly underestimated, and that if the Warragamba Dam wall is raised, thousands more properties will be added, and flooding could actually get worse.

Locals are concerned that could happen because the dam would hold more water with a raised wall - potentially unleashing even more water into the surrounding valley in the event of continual rain.

While everything from climate change to buyers' greed, developer corruption and government incompetence has been blamed for thousands of homes being deemed unliveable in the Hawkesbury Nepean region, it's also clear almost everyone has ignored warnings since colonisation.

As the bill for Australian flood damage rockets into the billions the blame game over why homes are still being built in flood prone-areas and why people would buy them is heating up

While parallels between Sydney in 1817 and now are few - the city way back then had fewer than 20,000 residents and no need to develop housing beyond the inner city - the fact is people knew flooding drowned the area 200 years ago

An official government notice way back in 1817 warned settlers they faced calamities from building near the Hawkesbury river but shouldn't expect compensation

A damning two hundred year-old document resurfaced in which ex-Sydney governor Lachlan Macquarie expressed 'astonishment and surprise' at people failing to learn from flood 'calamities'.

A damning two hundred-year-old document has resurfaced in which Sydney governor at the time, Lachlan Macquarie, expressed 'astonishment and surprise' at people failing to learn from flood 'calamities'.

While parallels between Sydney then and now are few - the city back then had less than 20,000 residents and no need to develop housing beyond the inner city.

The move west was to find farming land, but ex-convicts still wanted to build homes on the floodplain - despite evidence of massive floods there even around 1800 - so they could grow food.

According to historian, Grace Karskens, in 1799, the Hawkesbury-Nepean River rose to 15.6m during flooding - and nearly 20m in 1806 - but neither deterred settlers.

She said many early settlers took risks with floods because they tended to live in temporary homes.

By contrast, homeowners in western Sydney now set up lifetime homes in places where they literally get washed away.

The first documented warning came in 1817, when Governor Macquarie issued a plea to settlers about building too close to the Hawkesbury-Nepean River.

Floods have ravaged south-east Queensland and NSW in 2021 and 2022 (Pictured, Jodie McCosker takes a break from cleaning her flood-damaged Millers Forest home)

Governor Macquarie wrote that 'experience' had shown losses were 'inevitable' and that people who ignored warnings were being deliberately 'blind' to their best interests and didn't deserve compensation.

'Those who, not withstanding, shall perversely neglect the present admonition and exhortation to their own benefit, must be considered wilfully and obstinately blind to their true interests, and undeserving any future indulgences,' he wrote.

The NSW State Archives interpreted this to imply 'that unless they follow his advice, there will be no compensation from the government in the future'.

The latest estimated bill for insurance claims from just the February floods in New South Wales and Queensland was quoted at $4.8billion in June, but will be many times higher given waves of catastrophic flooding since.

It's only going to get much, much worse too.

More than 140,000 people live on the Hawkesbury Nepean floodplain now - a number planned to double by 2050.

Anthony Albanese was angrily confronted by a furious local whose property has been repeatedly flooded in recurring disasters - but he says no-one is helping him

The expert and public response across multiple media platforms has pointed the finger at several players - developers, buyers and government approval processes.

The public response is often bemusement.

'So who's at fault here? The stupid developers for developing an area known to flood, or the stupid people who will inevitably buy there,' wrote one Reddit contributor.

'We need to take more responsibility for our own actions and simply let developers waste their money and go bankrupt. They'll stop developing floodplains when we stop buying it.'

'The 'stupid people who buy there' are not to blame at all,' said another.

'We have a housing crisis. If the only choice is to purchase a house that might flood or be homeless, a lot of people might risk the house on a flood plain.'

However others were not so sympathetic.

'Don't buy in a flood area, I really can't believe people are still doing it,' wrote one anonymous Australian on Reddit.

'They knew it was a flood zone that suffered bad floods recently, so they decided it sounded like a bargain despite the mountains of evidence pointing towards Australia only suffering worse floods, bushfires and extreme weather over the coming years.'

Experts are quick to point out the major causes are nature and geography, but also agree there is too much infrastructure and housing in the area that is exposed to flooding.

The local partly blamed the floods on the strategic release of the Warragamba Dam to prevent it overflowing, but which then sends flood water crashing downstream into the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley

Locals angrily told Premier Dominic Perrottet and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese when they recently visited flooded areas that the strategic release of the Warragamba Dam to prevent it overflowing sent floodwaters downstream into the surrounding valley.

'You [are] releasing the dam at 97.9 per cent when the catchment areas are full, and the cry comes from the government that it's not a flood mitigation dam,' one Akubra wearing local seethed at the leaders.

More than 140,000 people live on the Hawkesbury Nepean floodplain now - a number planned to double by 2050

The latest estimated bill for insurance claims from just the February floods in New South Wales and Queensland was quoted at $4.8billion in June, but will be many times higher given waves of catastrophic flooding since

Professor Jamie Pittock, from Australian National University, was scathing about plans to allow thousands of homes to be built below the probable maximum flood (PMF) level, which is regarded as a worst-case scenario during flooding.

'It is stark raving, barking mad to build below the PMF in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley,' he told The Guardian.

'The Hawkesbury-Nepean valley in the flood of 1867 was 20 metres deep. Nothing is going to save a house in a 20 metres flood and it's the height of stupidity to allow development in that sort of place.'

Dale Dominey-Howes, Honorary Professor of Hazards and Disaster Risk Sciences, University of Sydney acknowledged in The Conversation the pressure on western Sydney local governments to 'build homes and more homes despite the known flood risk'.

But he noted 'in an ideal world, nothing would be built on a floodplain'.

'Let's be honest: some land just should not be built on,' he said.
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Three years after Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell from an apparent suicide, a firestorm of speculation and conspiracy theories continue to surround the life and death of the world's most notorious pedophile. Specifically, his bizarre relationship with Victoria's Secret's billionaire founder Leslie Wexner.

Was Epstein a clandestine intelligence agent in the employ of the US government? Was he an out-of-control financial wizard? Or a blackmailing sociopath who gained fortune and power by threatening the rich and famous with exposure if they failed to pony up?

These questions, along with his perverse professional and personal partnership with the man known as 'the Merlin of the Mall' are investigated in Hulu's latest documentary, 'Victoria's Secret: Angels and Demons.'

Director Matt Tyrnauer details the rise and fall of the lingerie behemoth and Epstein's hypnotic hold over Wexner, whose company L Brands, at one point owned Victoria's Secret, Abercrombie & Fitch, Express, Lane Bryant and Bath & Body Works.

'It never really surprised me, as the Jeffrey Epstein onion unpeeled, what face was on the next layer of the onion. Les Wexner was right at the top,' said journalist Michael Gross in the three part docuseries that premieres today on the streaming network.

The doc sheds light on the cloud of mystery behind Epstein's estimated $550million wealth, and how he, as a college drop out and former high school math teacher, came to have full power of attorney over Wexner's $7.5billion empire.

It was a baffling move that experts featured in the series continue to question: Why would a man heralded as a brilliant marketer and scrupulous micromanager give carte blanche to a conman from Coney Island?

'Something was amiss,' said Cindy Fields, the former CEO of Victoria's Secret. Other experts featured in the, documentary allude to rumors of a sexual relationship, though both men have categorically denied it.

With free reign over Wexner's checkbook, Epstein's holdings grew tremendously. In fact, the lingerie mogul's financial backing helped the pervert purchase several properties and a Boeing 727 where he is known to have perpetrated his heinous sex crimes.

His estate included Manhattan's largest private home on East 71 Street (bought from Wexner for below market value), a private jet nicknamed the Lolita Express (formerly owned by L Brands), a 10,000 square foot house on Wexner's Columbus, Ohio property, a helicopter, a private island, a Paris apartment, a Palm Beach retreat and a 10,000-acre ranch in New Mexico - all known sex crime palaces.

Epstein perpetuated his own myth, absurdly boasting that he only took on clients with assets exceeding $1billion. though at the time, Wexner was, at least publicly, Epstein's only client.

'Wexner was a protector, and seemed to be a facilitator for [Epstein] because he was the money man behind him,' Conchita Sarnoff, an anti-trafficking advocate in the Hulu series. Wexner helped create Epstein.

A new Hulu docuseries charts the rise and fall of famed lingerie brand Victoria's Secret - and investigates L Brands' former CEO Les Wexner's ties to infamous pedophile Jeffrey Epstein

Victoria's Secret: Angels and Demons explores Epstein's complete control over Wexner and his brands, with one expert revealing: 'There wasn't a part that company that Epstein didn't have access to.' The doc sheds light on the cloud of mystery behind Epstein's estimated $550million wealth, and how he, as a college drop out and former high school math teacher, came to have full power of attorney over Wexner's $7.5billion empire

Wexner is the Ohio billionaire who made a fortune as the 'Merlin of the mall' for his company L Brands that owned The Limited, Lane Bryant, Express, Abercrombie & Fitch, Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works. 'It never really surprised me, as the Jeffrey Epstein onion unpeeled, what face was on the next layer of the onion. Les Wexner was right at the top,' said journalist Michael Gross in the series

A maverick in marketing, Wexner bought a struggling mail-order lingerie brand known as Victoria's Secret for $1million in 1982. By 1995, the company was valued at $1billion. He rebranded the company which he described as 'a Victorian velvet sofas and Tiffany lampshade kinda place' into what anther expert featured on the documentary called 't***s and glitz'

Sales of the iconic brand declined in the mid-2010s, and former Chief Marketing Officer Ed Razek stirred controversy in 2018 when he said that Victoria's Secret would not include transgender or plus-size models in its fashion show 'because the show is a fantasy.' Wexner resigned from his post in 2019 amid the Epstein-scandal, and later that year the brand announced that it would no longer put on its infamous Fashion Show, following fury over the lack of diversity on the catwalk

The documentary starts with Wexner's origin story and how he purchased a fledgling catalogue lingerie brand based in Palo Alto and turned it into a billion dollar retail empire that dominated malls across America.

Wexner was the son of Russian Jewish parents who began his career working in their women's apparel store called 'Leslie's,' in Columbus Ohio.

After dropping out of law school, Wexner urged his parents to focus on stocking their store with a limited selection of ladies casual wear. When his father disagreed, Wexner opened his own shop named 'The Limited,' using a $5,000 loan from his aunt in 1963.

His gamble paid off. Within six months Wexner's parents closed their shop to work full time for their son. 'By the time I was 30-years-old, I was several times a millionaire and it kept expanding,' he says in old footage featured in the Hulu doc.

Soon after, Wexner earned his reputation as the 'Merlin of the mall' for expanding his company into 14 brands including Lane Bryant, Abercrombie & Fitch, Lerners, The Limited Too, Henri Bendel, Bath & Body Works in locations across the country.

He is known as the father of fast fashion, 'he taught Americans how to shop, shop shop.'

'There was this great expression in the 80s fashion business, that, 'If you sell to the masses, then you travel with the classes. If you were a mall retailer, like Les Wexner you were gong to get incredibly rich if you had a knack for it, which clearly the guy did,' said Michael Gross in the series.

By 1982, The Limited (later changed to L Brands) was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. That same year, Wexner acquired Victoria's Secret for $1 million. The company was a mail order lingerie brand that was started by a married couple in California when the husband felt embarrassed to buy by lingerie for his wife at stores.

'Victoria's Secret, when Roy sold it to Les Wexner, was basically on its last legs, it was facing bankruptcy,' said Cindy Fields, the former CEO of the brand.

A maverick in marketing, Wexner rebranded the fuddy-duddy underwear brand, which he once described as 'a Victorian velvet sofas and Tiffany lampshade kinda place' into a $1 billion industry within a few years.

'He invented a story about the mythical founder of the brand, and her name of course was Victoria. She was refined, aspirational and English,' said Fields. 'Les wanted to make Victoria's Secret into the Ralph Lauren of lingerie.'

'Victoria was this smart savvy woman, lived in London, her husband was a barrister. It was a fantastic story and a very powerful tool. We were always running around and asking ourselves, 'Would Victoria do this?' That was the touchstone.'

A preposterous internal brand video featured on the doc shows black and white vintage photos of the made-up 'Victoria' on her estate in the English countryside. 'Mother was passionate, a fiery French woman with a quick temper and a healthy disrespect for the English and their stodgy ways, she used to tease father about everything,' says a posh-accented voiceover.

Eventually the stodgy English woman marketing campaign was replaced with the 'Victoria's Secret Angels' and an over-the-top annual fashion show, that 'every celebrity wanted to be part of,' noted one interview subject.

'It was t**s and glitz!' she added.

Wexner was the son of Russian Jewish parents who began his career working in their women's apparel store called 'Leslie's,' in Columbus Ohio. After dropping out of law school, Wexner urged his parents to focus on stocking their store with a limited selection of ladies casual wear. When his father disagreed, Wexner opened his own shop named 'The Limited,' using a $5,000 loan from his aunt in 1963. Within six months Wexner's parents closed their shop to work full time for their son. 'By the time I was 30-years-old, I was several times a millionaire and it kept expanding,' he says in old footage featured in the Hulu doc

Wexner earned his reputation as the 'Merlin of the mall' for expanding his company into 14 brands including Lane Bryant, Abercrombie & Fitch, Lerners, The Limited Too, Henri Bendel, Bath & Body Works in locations across the country

'There was this great expression in the 80s fashion business, that 'If you sell to the masses, then you travel with the classes. If you were a mall retailer, like Les Wexner you were gong to get incredibly rich if you had a knack for it, which clearly the guy did,' said Michael Gross in the series

The first Victoria's Secret fashion show happened at The Plaza Hotel in 1995; by 2018, it was considered archaic and cancelled permanently for being out of step with the times

By the debut 1995 fashion show, Epstein had already been deeply enmeshed in Wexner's life.

The shadowy conman who billed himself as a 'brilliant young financer' had been introduced to the billionaire through a close friend in 1989.

At the time, Wexner was eager to make inroads in New York City. Until the late 1980s, the Ohio-born businessman still remained relatively unknown to East Coast elites.

'Coming from the Midwest, he's intimidated by this society that he cant quite dominate the way he can in Columbus,' said Sarah Ellison, a journalist for The Washington Post. 'And you can see how he can benefit from a translator, or someone who can take his elbow and lead him into the right rooms and the right charities and the right parties.'

Enter Jeffrey Epstein a social connector who had a savant-like skill at impressing powerful, older men. He populated Wexner's introverted life with glittery people.

Within a few months of meeting, the billionaire mogul had fired his longtime loyal financial advisor, Harold Levin, and given Epstein power of attorney over all his finances.

Epstein committed suicide in his Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting his trial for charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy to traffic minors for sex - crimes that he is believed to have committed over a span of decades, including during the time when he was working with Wexner

'There wasn't a part of Wexner's empire that Epstein didn't have access to,' said Ellison. 'He had unmitigated control over all his assets.

'Twenty companies, 19 trusts and different charitable foundations. He was able to manage his real estate, he managed his investments, he managed his businesses.'

Barry Levine, author of The Spider told Hulu: '[He] was obviously a con man to anyone who was paying attention. I think the million dollar question is why a gentleman as brilliant as Leslie Wexner could allow this guy into his life?'

Raising more questions is why Epstein was so well compensated. According to Vanity Fair, Wexner paid his former money advisor, Harold Levin, a salary $250,000 per year. At Epstein's time of death, he was reportedly worth $559 million.

Levin recalled to the magazine how he went through a six-month-long grueling interview process with Wexner, only to be ousted from his job for a man that had known Wexner for a matter of months.

Until that point, Epstein's professional road to Wexner had been nothing but checkered and rocky.

He was a college dropout who managed to get a job teaching at the very prestigious prep school, Dalton in New York City. He was hired by headmaster Donald Barr, whose son, William, later went on to become Attorney General in President Trump's administration.

It was at Dalton that Epstein met Ace Greenberg, a parent who ran Bear Stearns investment bank and gave Epstein his next job.

'Bear Stearns wasn't one of those white shoe Wall Street firms,' explained Gross in the series. 'It was a rough and tumble streetwise place run by Jewish guys.

'And it was at Bear that Epstein manifested a trait that would be part of his career thereafter: worming his way into the lives of older successful influential Jewish men.'

Epstein was fired from Bear Stearns under a cloud of suspicion in 1981. From there, he would eventually take on as his key client, Wexner.

When Wexner met Epstein, he apparently was so excited that he remarked that 'Jeffrey Epstein was everything that he thought he was lacking in Ohio,' said Steven Hoffenberg, a former business partner of Epstein's.

He 'was extraordinarily mesmerizing and can convince anything of anybody,' added Hoffenberg. 'The master manipulator.'

Epstein had a way of turning Wexner against individuals that he thought were standing in the way. Just as he had done with Harold Levin, the hustler from Coney Island had also come between Wexner and his own mother, Bella.

During a brief illness, Bella Wexner resigned from the Wexner Foundation's board in the 1990s. Epstein was quick to take her seat and refused to give it up when she recovered, resulting in a protracted and difficult lawsuit, that 'Wexner could have absolved at any point, but he doesn't. And he's clearly at odds with his mother over it,' Levine explained to Hulu.

According to Gross, one senior executive said that he told Wexner in no uncertain terms that Epstein was a wolf, 'and Wexner just sat there and stared at him silently.'

The doc establishes how Epstein ingratiated himself among the wealthy and powerful by including photos and video clips of him at parties with former president Donald Trump and Prince Andrew, while his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for sex trafficking just days ago, is also featured

Experts interviewed in the Hulu documentary remain perplexed regarding the nature of their relationship. It's not typical for someone of such enormous wealth to suddenly relinquish all of it to a virtual 'nobody.' 'Each one must have fulfilled the need of the other,' explained Fields. 'Wexner had the money that Epstein was seeking and Wexner got from Epstein, the glamour and smoothness that he was seeking'

In a 2002 magazine article Donald Trump said: 'I've known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy. He's a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about itJeffrey enjoys his social life'

In 2013, Wexner gushed to Vanity Fair that Epstein 'is very smart with a combination of excellent judgement and unusually high standards. Also, he is always a most loyal friend.'

In Epstein's own words he said of Wexner: 'People have said it's like we have one brain between two of us: each has a side.'

Experts interviewed in the Hulu documentary remain perplexed regarding the nature of their relationship. It's not typical for someone of such enormous wealth to suddenly relinquish all of it to a virtual 'nobody.'

'Each one must have fulfilled the need of the other,' explained Fields. 'Wexner had the money that Epstein was seeking and Wexner got from Epstein, the glamour and smoothness that he was seeking.'

She adds: 'And I am not at all inferring that it was a sexual need... but there was something there.'

Fields isn't the only person to imply that there was indeed, 'something there.'

'I also believed they had a complicated relationship,' said Sarnoff. 'Financially, personally... and in many other ways.'

Though both Epstein and Wexner denied ever having a sexual relationship; others interviewed in the docuseries seem to think it could explain the spell Epstein had over the shadowy discreet billionaire.

'In the 80s and 90s, Fortune 500 company's CEOs were simply not gay,' explains Gross. 'The very notion was incomprehensible. Wexner needed any rumor like that to go away.'

Always out to protect his boss, Epstein planted a story in New York Magazine that touted him as 'the bachelor billionaire' on the cover. 'And it really caught your attention because there was this elfin little guy surrounded by beautiful models but you came away reading it thinking, 'This guy is a real question mark. He's kind-of a cipher.'

Eventually when Wexner married Abigail Koppel in 1993, Epstein handled the entire prenuptial agreement and was one of 50 attendees at their intimate nuptials. Later, he would be tasked with vetting nannies for the growing Wexner family.

'What it implied to me is that... clearly Epstein was deeply involved in the personal lives of Abigail and Les,' recalled Cindy Fields.

As Epstein's wealth grew, his predatory behavior became more brazen. He used his connections to Wexner as a calling card to girls.

Though Wexner eventually categorically denied knowledge of his consigliere's sexual proclivities, evidence shows that he was aware of Epstein's behavior as early as 1993.

One summer afternoon, an executive rushed into Field's office with disturbing news: A model told a hairdresser at a photo shoot that a man named Jeffrey Epstein was running around New York portraying himself as a Victoria's Secret scout.

'I said, oh boy, this is trouble,' Fields told the doc. 'So I asked this executive to call Les directly and tell him what was happening. She did and Les told her he would put a stop to it.'

Another allegation was made against Epstein in 1997, when Alicia Arden, an aspiring model and actress agreed to meet with a man whom she believed was a Victoria's Secret model recruiter at Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica.

She filed a police report claiming that Epstein sexually assaulted her. Featured on the doc is a harrowing voicemail she left on her friend's answering machine moments after. 'I didn't expect that I'd have to be in my bra and underwear in front of him,' she says through distressed tears. 'He did give me $100 cash as well. And by that time when he was touching my butt, I felt like such a prostitute and I put the $100 back on the table.'

According to another accuser, Epstein brought the abuse to Wexner's doorstep in Ohio when he invited artist Maria Farmer to spend the summer painting on his 300-acre farm. (Epstein had purchased the guest house on Wexner's property for $3.4 million).

By that time, Epstein had been spending time with his girlfriend and co-abuser, Ghislaine Maxwell. Farmer recalled feeling unsettled by the strange visitors coming and going at all hours - government officials, and countless underage girls.

Perhaps more distressing was that Farmer was made a virtual prisoner of the property. She couldn't go outside without permission, and the grounds were guarded by dogs and security cameras. One month into her stay, Farmer was invited into their bedroom and was sexually assaulted by Ghislaine and Epstein.

Ironically Wexner can be heard in an old interview saying: 'If someone has done something bad, or taken advantage of their leadership position, I will execute them publicly.'

That didn't happen.

Though Wexner categorically denies knowledge of Epstein's sexual misconduct, evidence shows that he was aware of Epstein's behavior as early as 1993. Cindy Fields, former CEO of Victoria's Secret recounts to Hulu how an executive in 1993 rushed into her office with disturbing news: A model told a hairdresser at a photo shoot that a man named Jeffrey Epstein was running around New York portraying himself as a Victoria's Secret scout. 'I said, oh boy, this is trouble'

Amid rampant rumors of his sexuality, Wexner married Abigail Koppel in 1993. Epstein handled the entire prenuptial agreement and was one of 50 attendees at their intimate nuptials. Later, he would be tasked with vetting nannies for the growing Wexner family. 'What it implied to me is that...clearly Epstein was deeply involved in the personal lives of Abigail and Les,' said Fields

Barry Levine, author of The Spider told Hulu that Epstein and Maxwell 'were in essence a predatory Bonnie and Clyde, these girls came to trust Ghislaine almost in a sisterly way, or as a mother figure and instead she turned these girls over to Jeffrey'

Epstein purchased the guest house on Wexner's property for $3.4 million in Columbus, Ohio. According to another accuser, Maria Farmer, she was invited to stay the summer in 1997 as an 'artist in residence' but instead was held captive and sexually abused by Epstein and Maxwell. When she went to report the incident to the police, she learned that the police were also working as security on the property

Maxwell gives Epstein a foot massage on his private Boeing 727 which he purchased from L Brands. The jet was later dubbed the 'Lolita Express' and one of the many locations which the pedophile perpetrated heinous sex crimes

Wexner posits that he had no idea of Epstein's criminal behavior. But by 2006 it became impossible to ignore.

Epstein was charged by Palm Beach Police Department for having unlawful sex with minors. He was let off easy with a slap on the wrists, thereby allowing the politically-connected pervert to escape more serious charges for well over a decade.

It wasn't until a whole year later that Wexner finally removed Epstein as power of attorney. 'You have to wonder why the delay in severing ties?' questions Ellison in the film.

One alarming scoop revealed in the Hulu documentary is a 2006 document suggesting that L Brands paid for Epstein's legal defense. Furthermore, one of Epstein's victims had worked for Victoria's Secret before she was fired for stealing merchandise. L brands shared her private employee records with Epstein's lawyers to help create a smear campaign.

Meanwhile, one of Wexner's charitable funds continued to accept a $46million donation from Epstein in 2008. He later claimed that it was money stolen from him by the rogue financier, and that it 'was put back quietly so that he wouldn't be embarrassed,' says Tim Feran who investigated the suspicious transaction for a local paper in Columbus, Ohio.

Why Wexner continued to turn a blind eye remains an enduring mystery. Ellison told the series: 'Wexner is known for being litigious, and yet, he wont pursue Epstein for stealing millions upon millions of dollars? To allow that level of betrayal and dishonesty to happen, unpunished, is entirely unexplained.'

Conchita Sarnoff suggests extortion. 'This was a rich man who did not need money so why was he bringing children from all over the world and introducing them to politicians and rich men?

Among the many powerful people that Epstein and Maxwell were alleged to have colluded with is Prince Andrew (left), whom accuser Virginia Giuffre said she was trafficked to when she was 17-years-old. Giuffre has also said that she was held hostage as one of Epstein's 'sex slaves' and later became the center of a high profile a civil case against the royal

Amid the breaking Epstein scandal in 2019, Wexner released a statement that said: 'I am embarrassed that, like so many others, I was deceived by Mr. Epstein. I know now that my trust in him was grossly misplaced, and I deeply regret having ever crossed his path'

'I believe he needed them for something uniquely different. One pleasure and two power. And that power came through blackmail, and that's what these girls were to him, they were a tool of blackmail.'

Epstein and Maxwell were a predatory Bonnie and Clyde. Maxwell lured vulnerable girls for her boyfriend to use for his own pleasure and 'for the pleasure of others who he intended to influence and manipulate.'

Virginia Giuffre, who was held hostage as one of Epstein's 'sex slaves' and later became the center of a high profile a civil case against Prince Andrew, said that Epstein 'videotaped everything' and kept the footage in a safe.

'Government officials, the royals, they were taping every body, every moment,' Giuffrie told the BBC. 'When you walked into the New York mansion, to Palm Beach, everything was being filmed.'

The question remains to this day, where is all that material?

One former Palm Beach County officer named John Mark Dougan claimed that a lead detective on the case in 2006 turned over 700 CDs containing video evidence of powerful men engaging in sexual relations with underage women. Shortly after this, Dougan escaped to Russian.

'You have to wonder, has this played into Putin's world?' asks Levine. 'There's a photo of him and the man who was in Putin's inner circle (a Russian politician named Pavel Borodin).'

When asked by MailOnline about what information he has, Dougan said: 'Do I have dirt on Prince Andrew? I have lots of things.

'But I'm not a Kremlin agent and I did not share any materials with the Russian Government. I don't intend to blackmail anyone with my information. It's against my principles.'

Sarah Ellison counters with a good point: 'No one has ever been able to establish that Epstein did in fact have recordings,' she says to Hulu. 'But all you need is the fear of exposure for that kind of power to accrue to him.




A Houston weatherman was warning residents about the possibility of blackouts amid 100-plus degree temperatures when the power went out in the studio.

Travis Herzog, a weatherman for Houston's KTRK-TV, was on the air Wednesday afternoon discussing the high temperatures when the lights went out.

'We have this kind of heat over major populations,' he said, pointing to a weather map of the area.

He then noted that the high could create 'a big draw on that electric demand' as more people turn on their air conditioning.

But at that moment the lights went out in the studio.

'It looks like we may have just switched over to generator power,' Herzog then told the audience. 'Our lights just went out.'

Still, he continued his report for the 3pm broadcast, noting that it was 104-degrees in Huntsville and 'excessive heat' in College Station.'

As he speaks, the lights come back on, to which Herzog says, 'Ok, we're back now.'

It seemed to be the end of the situation, but about two hours later, as he was giving an update on the 5pm broadcast, the power went off again.

Trevor Herzog, a weatherman for Houston's KTRK-TV, was on the air Wednesday afternoon discussing the high temperatures when the lights went out

As he was giving his 5pm update later that day, the lights in the studio went out again

In a clip he posted to Twitter, Herzog says: 'We're expecting high temperatures west of Houston to get back above 100,' as the studio suddenly goes dark.

'It did it again,' he laughs, before turning back to the camera and saying: 'Alright, so our lights just went out, but I learned last time I'm still on TV so there's the forecast.'

He then explains: 'Our lights always go first and then cycle back on once we got our generator kicking back in.'

'But triple digit weather here to the west,' Herzog says as he continues with his report, only for the lights to come back on. 'Thank you,' he said. 'Let there be light and there was light.'

That moment you're on live TV talking about the hot weather in Texas that could lead to rolling blackouts...and then the power goes out.  pic.twitter.com/R2lkgxyKHi  Travis Herzog (@TravisABC13) July 13, 2022

I kid you notit just happened AGAIN during my 5PM broadcast.



Maybe it's just my electrifying personality, maybe not. But this time I was fully expecting Ashton Kutcher to come around the corner and say, Youve been PUNKED!



A quick explanation (1/3) pic.twitter.com/GC0GzAqK0B  Travis Herzog (@TravisABC13) July 13, 2022

Herzog later tweeted about the situation as he pondered what could be causing the lights to go out twice in the studio.

'Maybe it's just my electrifying personality, maybe not,' he joked. 'But this time, I was fully expecting Ashton Kutcher to come around the corner and say, 'You've been PUNKED!'

Finally, at around 10pm, he tweeted that the mystery was solved.

'One of our engineers informed me we went off the grid a little after 3PM. The studio lights aren't on a dedicated backup power source, so they went off as we switched [to] generator power.

'Two hours later we went off the generator and onto the grid, and the process repeated.'

At around 10pm, Herzog tweeted that the studio went off the power grid during his 3pm broadcast and the lights weren't on backup power so they went off. Then when the studio was reconnected to the power grid a little after 5pm, the lights flickered off once again

High temperatures have been known to affect Texas' power grid in the past, when soaring electricity demands outpace available supplies.

But on Wednesday, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas - which operates the grid that serves more than 26 million customers - said it took emergency measures to avoid rolling blackouts.

It had urged residents to cut power use during the hottest hours of the day and began paying suppliers an average of $5,000 per megawatt hour to keep generators running. That price is the highest the grid operator pays.

The state had projected Wednesday's peak demand to hit 78,762 megawatts.

'They were pulling a lot of levers to avoid going into emergency operations and rolling blackouts,' said Doug Lewin, president of consultants Stoic Energy LLC.

ERCOT later blamed forced outages on coal- and natural gas-fed power plants, and low wind power generation. A spokesperson declined to provide details on the number or type of generating plants that were offline and prompted conservation measures.

Stoic's Lewin said there was less coal and natural gas generation capacity available on Wednesday than on Monday when ERCOT last called for conservation measures.

The outages came as temperatures in the Houston, Texas area topped 100-degrees

It was the third time this year that ERCOT has called on residents to cut power usage and the second time it has warned of the potential for rolling blackouts. As on Monday, it avoided forced cuts when big power consumers agreed to halt operations.

Lee Bratcher, president of Texas Blockchain Council, said all of the state's large-scale Bitcoin mining operations, which consume about 1,000 megawatts, are currently offline because of ERCOT's call for conservation and high power prices.

A spokesperson for LyondellBasell said the petrochemical maker's Texas operations worked on ways 'to reduce electricity demand without shutting down assets or compromising the safety and reliability of our operations.'
Darpa, the US army's scientific wing, recently announced successful tests of what it called a HAWC missile (Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept)

UNITED STATES

The US military has a number of hypersonic weapons programs across the Navy, Army and Air Force but most are still in development phase and highly top secret.

However the known programs are all more conventional hypersonic weapons that strike from high altitude, rather than orbital bombardment systems that strike from space which the Chinese were revealed to have developed tis week.

The only US hypersonic weapon know to have been successfully tested is the Air Force's GM-183 ARRW which is designed to be launched from a large bomber aircraft.

It then accelerates to hypersonic speeds using of up to 15,345mph using a supersonic combustion ramjet to strike targets within 1,000 miles. Donald Trump referred to a 'super duper missile' while in office and this is believed to be the AGM-183 ARRW.

The Navy's submarine launched Long Range Hypersonic Weapon is expected to be operational by 2023 and will have a range of 1,725 miles.

Darpa, the US army's scientific wing, recently announced successful tests of what it called a HAWC missile (Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept) but kept details such as range, speed and payload secret.

The missile uses oxygen in the atmosphere as part of its fuel - marking the first successful test of that class of weapon since 2013.

The missile, which is built by Raytheon, was released from an aircraft just 'seconds' before the scramjet engine from Northrop Grumman kicked on, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) said.

The engine works by compressing incoming air with hydrocarbon fuel to create a fast airflow mixture, one capable of reaching over 1,700 meters per second, or five times the speed of sound.

Earlier this year, a test of a hypersonic missile from the U.S. Air Force was abandoned after it was unable to complete its launch sequence.

On March 19 last year, the Pentagon flight-tested a hypersonic glide vehicle at its Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii. It deemed the test a success and 'a major milestone towards the department's goal of fielding hypersonic warfighting capabilities in the early- to mid-2020s.'

Unlike Russia, the United States says it is not developing hypersonic weapons for use with a nuclear warhead. As a result, a U.S. hypersonic weapon will need to be more accurate, posing additional technical challenges.

In 2004, NASA's experimental unmanned hypersonic aircraft X-43 reached 7,366mph (Mach 9.6) using a scramjet engine, setting the current record.

In 2019, DailyMail.com reported that the Raytheon and Northrop Grumman-developed missile would use an engine made by a 3D printer.

Last year, DARPA said it was working with Aerojet Rocketdyne on a nearly $20 million project to develop a hypersonic rocket that could intercept enemy missiles mid-air.

Russia recently launched a hypersonic missile, the Zircon, from a submarine and has the hypersonic nuclear-capable Avangard missiles

RUSSIA

Russia recently launched a hypersonic missile, the Zircon, from a submarine, and since late 2019 has had the hypersonic nuclear-capable Avangard missiles in service. The Avangard can travel at up to Mach 27, changing course and altitude.

The range of Russia's hypersonic missile, the Zircon, is 621 miles with a speed of 9,800mph.

But the missile flies below the atmosphere and uses fuel to power itself to hypersonic speeds rather than the Earth's orbit.

Earlier this month, Russia announced it has successfully test-fired the Zircon from a nuclear submarine for the first time.

The 6,670mph weapon hit a target in the Barents Sea according to the Moscow defense ministry, who claims the missile is capable of Mach-9 speeds and able to evade all Western defenses.

Russia said it had completed flight tests of the new-age missile from a frigate - the Admiral Gorshkov - and a coastal mount, but it had not previously been launched from a submarine.

The Zircon has been identified by Moscow's state-controlled TV as Vladimir Putin's weapon of choice to wipe out coastal American cities in the event of an atomic conflict.

He has declared the missile as 'truly unparalleled anywhere in the world', and the Russians have boasted it is 'unstoppable' by Western defenses.

Putin first announced the development of an array of new hypersonic weapons in 2018, insisting that they would be able to hit almost any point in the world and evade a US-built missile shield.

The Zircon is due to go into service next year, and will first be deployed via the Admiral Golovko frigate which carries significant stealth-technology.

A key use of the missile is taking out enemy ships and reports suggested its maximum range is between 188 and 620 miles.

But there have been unconfirmed reports its true range is some 1,200 miles.

The missile system's design and development have been conducted in deep secrecy, and Putin has warned that foreign spies have tried to steal its secrets.

It is one of a number of hypersonic missiles Russia is deploying including the 188-tonne Sarmat - known in the West as Satan-2 - which will be the biggest beast in Russia's nuclear arsenal, due for tests in the autumn with deployment slated for next year.

In May, Russia said it tested three 'invincible' hypersonic 'Satan 2' missiles that some have said could wipe out areas the size of England and Wales.

China launches its nuclear-capable, hypersonic nuclear missile DF-26 which 'could reach US territory and sink aircraft carriers' in a military drill

CHINA

The hypersonic orbital bombardment system that China tested in August reportedly reaches a top speed of 21,000 mph and strikes from space.

The core concept of China's 'new' weapon - deliver a warhead into orbit and have it circle the globe before hitting a target - was first developed by the Soviets in the 1960s.

Called a Fractional Orbital Bombardment System, or FOBS, it was developed to evade powerful US radar arrays and missile defense systems.

Those systems work by detecting launches of ICBMs - very long-range missiles that can be tipped with nukes - and tracking them into space, then firing at the warheads as they come down in the hope of blowing them up before they hit their targets.

This is possible because ICBMs and their warheads follow a predictable trajectory that rises high into space - making them relatively easy to spot and allowing defense crews to calculate where they are aimed so they can be shot out of the sky.

FOBS aim to negate these defenses by firing their warheads along a much-flatter trajectory - assisted by Earth's gravity.

This means they pass under the scope of many radar detection arrays and are harder to track. It also makes the warheads much harder to shoot down because their trajectory is harder to calculate.

The use of orbit makes a warhead's range potentially unlimited, meaning it can be fired at its target from any direction. This helps to avoid radar systems which generally point at a fixed spot in the sky - in America's case, over the North Pole.

Meanwhile, China has also unveiled a hypersonic medium-range missile, the DF-17, in 2019, which can travel around 2,000 kilometers and can carry nuclear warheads.

In October, China deployed the DF 17 missile to coastal areas in preparation for a possible invasion of Taiwan.

The weapon has a maximum range of 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles) and is capable of achieving speeds of up to 7,680 miles per hour (12,360 kph) - or 10 times the speed of sound - while carrying a nuclear warhead, according to previous reports.

It has been billed as 'a death sentence' to aircraft carriers within its range.

Hypersonic missiles travel at more than five times the speed of sound in the upper atmosphere - or about 6,200 km per hour (3,850 mph). This is slower than an intercontinental ballistic missile, but the shape of a hypersonic glide vehicle allows it to maneuver toward a target or away from defenses.

Combining a glide vehicle with a missile that can launch it partially into orbit - a so-called fractional orbital bombardment system (FOBS) - could strip adversaries of reaction time and traditional defenses mechanisms.

Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), by contrast, carry nuclear warheads on ballistic trajectories that travel into space but never reach orbit.

China on Monday insisted that the test in August was a routine one for a spacecraft rather than a missile.
In support of Russia's conflict against its neighbor, North Korea has become one of the few countries in the world to recognize the independence of two Russian-backed separatist territories in eastern Ukraine.

In reaction, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry severed diplomatic ties with North Korea, condemning Pyongyang's decision as violating Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Ukraine Cuts Ties With North Korea

North Korea has continuously blamed the United States for the Ukraine crisis, claiming that the West's hegemonic stance justified Russia's strike to protect itself.

North Korea's state media reported Thursday that the country's foreign minister, Choe Sun Hui, had sent letters the day before to leaders in the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk expressing the North's decision to recognize their independence and willingness to develop diplomatic relations with both.

Denis Pushilin, the head of the Donetsk separatists, accepted North Korea's decision on Wednesday. The Donbas area, which includes Luhansk and Donetsk, is a largely Russian-speaking region with steel plants, mining, and other industries in Ukraine's east. Separatists have held sections of both provinces since 2014, but Russian President Vladimir Putin only declared their independence in February, just before the assault began. Syria has since acknowledged their independence, Independent reported.

In a statement, the Ukrainian foreign ministry condemned North Korea's decision to recognize territory described as temporarily held by Russia. "Russia no longer has any supporters in the world, save for those that rely on it financially and politically," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a statement.

According to Kuleba, Russia has asked North Korea to recognize the area, a move that speaks more about Moscow's toxicity than Pyongyang's. Russia recognized the self-proclaimed republics just days before it invaded pro-European neighbor Ukraine on February 24, as per NDTV.

Read Also: Sri Lanka Crisis: Who Will Be the Country's Next President After Gotabaya Rajapaksa's Resignation?

Russian, Ukrainian Officials Talks About War Agenda

Olga Makeyeva, the separatists' Moscow envoy, posted a photo on Telegram early Wednesday of herself receiving a letter of recognition from North Korea's ambassador, Sin Hong-chol. Donetsk and its neighboring Lugansk are located in the Donbas coal area of eastern Ukraine. Pro-Russian soldiers have held partial control of the region since 2014, following Russia's annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea.

Russia has partially justified the 2022 attack by stressing the need to protect the two breakaway republics. Donetsk rebels launched an embassy in Moscow on Tuesday and announced that they were in talks with North Korea about possible recognition. Separatist officials have long expressed a desire for their areas to join Russia.

Ukrainian and Russian officials met face to face for the first time since March, albeit the question of ending the war was not on the agenda. Ukrainian authorities are confident that an agreement will be reached shortly to resume grain shipments across the Black Sea.

Ukraine has been able to ship part of its grain by road and rail, and a new naval route across the Danube estuary is being developed. However, just 2.5 million tonnes were shipped last month, well below the eight million-tonne average before the war, and millions more are awaiting shipment in the Ukrainian port of Odesa.

On Wednesday, Turkey held talks to establish a green corridor through the Black Sea. Any accord, though, will require the endorsement of President Vladimir Putin, who meets Turkey's president in Iran on July 19. After warnings from Moscow, an EU dispute with Russia over the movement of sanctioned products into the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad appears to have been addressed.

Because Kaliningrad is blocked off from the rest of Russia, products must pass via Lithuania to get there. When Lithuania began implementing EU restrictions on commodities traveling by train last month, Russia promised retaliation, according to BBC.

Related Article: Vladimir Putin Offers Fast-Track Citizenship Process for Ukrainians as Invasion Rages on Between Russia, Ukraine

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The outdoor dog kennels where Paul and Maggie Murdaugh were brutally gunned down in a shocking, unsolved double murder last summer can be seen for the first time, in exclusive pictures obtained by DailyMail.com.

Homemaker Maggie, 52, and her youngest son Paul, 22, were found dead in their Moselle, South Carolina family home last June in a mystifying crime that was the beginning of a long, scandalous saga for the prominent legal family led by patriarch Alex Murdaugh, 53.

Now, a little over a year later, the disgraced attorney and one-time scion of a legal dynasty is facing murder charges in relation to his wife and son's deaths.

Murdaugh is already behind bars for separate charges relating to embezzlement and fraud. It's unclear when he will be arraigned for the murders of Maggie and Paul, who were shot dead on the family's estate on June 7, 2021.

He was indicted Thursday by a Colleton County grand jury on two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, after allegedly shooting Maggie with a rifle, and Paul with a shotgun, according to the eight-page indictment.

The family dog kennels, where the bodies were found, now stand empty, with the dogs that mom-of-two Maggie loved so much, long gone.

Probate records seen by DailyMail.com also show that the property which was in Maggie's name at the time of her death - was recently sold for $3.9million, funds already earmarked by the family's numerous creditors.

Stripped clean and abandoned, it is hard to believe that just over a year ago, on June 7, the family's hunting lodge was a grisly crime scene; ground zero for what would turn out to be a labyrinthine tale of betrayal, fraud, addiction, and murder - with a failed suicide-for-hire plot and a couple of suspicious deaths thrown in for good measure.

Now the mystery at the heart of it all  the vicious murder of mother and son  seems to be on the cusp of being resolved after Murdaugh was charged with their murders - a capital offense in the state of South Carolina that could see him face the death penalty if found guilty.

The outdoor dog kennels where Maggie and Paul Murdaugh were shot dead last June can be seen for the first time in exclusive DailyMail.com photos

The mother and son duo were gunned down on their Moselle, South Carolina property on the night of June 7, 2021. Husband and father Alex Murdaugh, 53, told police at the time that he found their lifeless bodies when he returned to the family home around 10pm

Stripped clean and abandoned, it is now hard to believe that just over a year ago the sprawling hunting lodge was a grisly crime scene

Maggie, 52, and Paul, 22, were found shot dead on the grounds of the family home on June 7. Maggie was killed with an assault rifle, whereas Paul had been killed with a shotgun. Both were shot multiple times

The mom and son's deaths shocked the South Carolina community and remains unsolved. Paul, 22, was shot twice with a shotgun  once in the head and once in the chest, while Maggie, 52, had been shot multiple times with an assault rifle

Thirteen months ago, Murdaugh told police he 'found' the bodies of his youngest son and wife by these kennels when he returned to the family's 1,700-acre hunting estate of Moselle around 10pm.

In audio of the 911 call that he placed at 10:07pm that night, he can be heard telling the dispatcher in a high-pitched screech: 'I need the police and an ambulance immediately. My wife and child were just shot badly.'

Paul, 22, was shot twice with a shotgun  once in the head and once in the chest. Maggie had been shot multiple times with an assault rifle. Their gunshot wounds were believed to be consistent with 'execution-style' killings, reports said.

According to several sources, Paul's body was found partially inside one of the kennels, while his mother's was several feet away, leading investigators to believe that she ran from her killer before being gunned down.

At least two of her gunshot wounds were believed to have been inflicted while she was on the ground.

If the dogs barked that night, they did so in vain.

In the immediate aftermath of the horrific discoveries, Murdaugh's family and attorneys were robust in their defense of the man and his marriage.

According to lawyer Dick Harpootlian, Murdaugh had a 'ironclad alibi' and his marriage with Maggie was 'full of love.'

But in the intervening months, a very different picture has emerged casting doubt on both claims, with evidence and witness testimony likely to be heard by a grand jury Thursday.

In audio of the 911 call, Alex Murdaugh, pictured with Maggie, Paul and surviving son Buster (far left) can be heard telling the dispatcher in a high-pitched screech: 'I need the police and an ambulance immediately. My wife and child were just shot badly'

According to several sources, Paul's body was found partially inside one of the kennels, while his mother's was several feet away, leading investigators to believe that she ran from her killer before being gunned down

If the dogs barked that night, they did so in vain. Pictured above is one of the family's dogs in the kennel late last year, before the property was sold

Pictured: A gated entrance to the Murdaugh hunting lodge. The disgraced attorney had originally told investigators that he was visiting his dying father and his mother about 11 miles away at their home in Varnville at the time of the murders

In fact, DailyMail.com can reveal, Murdaugh's 'alibi' has changed significantly since his initial claims that he was nowhere near the property between 9 and 9:30pm - the time the coroner gave the approximate time of death.

In the immediate aftermath of the crime, Murdaugh told investigators that he was visiting his dying father and his mother about 11 miles away at their home in Varnville at the time of the murders.

Two weeks later, his brothers John Marvin and Randy Murdaugh told Good Morning America that he had in fact dropped his father at a hospital in Savannah before going to visit his mother, who has dementia.

Now, according to an account given by Murdaugh's lawyer Jim Griffin to The State newspaper, Murdaugh claims to have left the property around 9pm to make the 20-minute drive to his mother's house and returned to Moselle as originally claimed around or shortly after 10pm.

It is an account that places him squarely on the scene within the timeframe of the killings.

It has been speculated that audio and video data gleaned from Paul's cellphone found by his body, but only recently unlocked by law enforcement, is what prompted Murdaugh's dramatic change of tune.

Independent local news website FITSNews has reported that not only does this audio and video data show Murdaugh speaking with Maggie, but that 'high velocity impact spatter' of blood found on his clothing that night places him at the scene of the murders when at least one of the victims was killed.

The Murdaugh family's sprawling South Carolina property, where his wife and son were killed, was listed for sale in March. The massive Colleton County property is known as Cross Swamp Farm and houses two buildings, two waterfowl reservoirs, and has over 2.5 miles of river frontage that can be used for kayaking and fishing

The 1,700-acre hunting estate, which was in Maggie's name at the time of her death, was recently sold for $3.9million, probate records seen by DailyMail.com reveal

When DailyMail.com put these claims to South Carolina Law Enforcement Department (SLED) last week, officials would neither deny nor confirm them.

Meanwhile, the marriage described by Harpootlian as 'full of love' was, according to multiple sources, anything but.

One source familiar with the household told DailyMail.com that Maggie and Murdaugh's marriage was a union in crisis.

Rumors that Murdaugh was having an affair with a fellow attorney have been widely circulated both locally and online.

And according to the source who spoke with DailyMail.com, there was 'no love lost' between the once loving couple.

In fact, the source said, in the months before her violent death, Maggie and Murdaugh had argued heatedly over finances.

Maggie, a stalwart of the South Carolina charity scene, had been socially embarrassed when a check written by her at a charity luncheon bounced.

It was just one of many incidents that saw her not only asking questions about the family's finances but demanding answers.

The mysterious double murder, which sparked the beginning of the end for the prominent legal family, seems to be on the cusp of being resolved with Alex - who is already facing embezzlement charges relating to the money he stole from his law firm and a failed suicide-for-hire attempt as part of a $10million life insurance scam - expected to be charged in connection to the slayings this week

Murdaugh's only surviving son, Buster, was photographed being comforted at the funeral for his mother and brother on June 11 last year

In the months following, investigators looking into Maggie and Paul's deaths also uncovered a litany of crime and insurance fraud that have seen them reopen two suspicious deaths linked to the family

FITSNews also reported that Maggie was living separately from Murdaugh at the family's home in Edisto Beach and that she had only gone to Moselle on the night of her death 'reluctantly' and on Murdaugh's request.

Maggie was also reported to have had gone to see a divorce lawyer in the weeks before her murder, sparking speculation that she was threatening to call in a forensic accountant, according to People magazine.

At the same time, Murdaugh was under extreme pressure to cough up his financial records as part of a wrongful death suit being brought against him and his older son, Richard 'Buster' Murdaugh, Jr, by the family of Mallory Beach  the teenager killed in an horrific boat crash in 2019.

Paul was drunk and at the wheel of the boat when it slammed into pilings on Archers Creek with six teens  all underage, all drinking heavily  aboard.

Murdaugh's attorney had insisted his client had a 'ironclad alibi' and that his marriage with Maggie was 'full of love,' however, a very different picture has emerged casting doubt on both claims in recent months

Beach, 19, was thrown from the vessel and her body found by two fishermen one week later, five miles from the site. Her cause of death was blunt force trauma and drowning.

Legal documents seen by DailyMail.com show that lawyers for Beach's family had repeatedly pressed Murdaugh for financial disclosure and set a court deadline of June 9  just two days after Maggie and Paul's murders - for him to hand over all relevant paperwork.

Back then, only Murdaugh knew that he was neck-deep in debts and, what prosecutors allege, was a multi-million-dollar insurance fraud scheme and criminal enterprise.

In the months following, investigators looking into Maggie and Paul's deaths uncovered a litany of crime and insurance fraud that have seen them reopen two suspicious deaths linked to the family  former housekeeper Gloria Satterfield, 56, who fell after a 'trip and fall' at Moselle in 2018 and local teen, Stephen Smith, 19.

Satterfield's sons said they were defrauded out of a $4.3million wrongful death suit brought against Murdaugh on his own advice and with the promise that they would be taken care of.

Instead, Murdaugh syphoned off the funds for himself, allegedly with the help of Corey Fleming, a former USC roommate and fellow attorney whom he recommended the Satterfield brothers use.

Fleming has also been charged for his part in the scheme.

SLED recently announced that it has received permission from Satterfield's family to have her body exhumed.

Hampton County Coroner, Angie Topper, asked investigators to look at Satterfield's death again due to 'inconsistencies.'

These included the fact that her office was never informed, meaning no autopsy was conducted, and that the manner of death given on the death certificate  'natural'  was not consistent with a trip and fall.

The unsolved case, which would eventually evolve into a dramatic tale involving betrayal, fraud, addiction, and murder, took a twist last September when Murdaugh claimed he had been shot in the head in a drive by shooting on this rural South Carolina road

It would later emerge that Murdaugh had hired Curtis Smith (left) as a hit man to kill him as part of a staged murder plot that would allow his surviving son Buster to collect $10million in life insurance money

Similarly, the manner of Smith's death is once again the subject of investigation. The 19-year-old's body was found on a road in Hampton County in July 2015 with a head wound so devastating that investigators first thought he had been shot.

DailyMail.com revealed that the incident was in fact initially investigated as a homicide but recategorized as a hit and run in the face of strong opposition from the lead investigator who was one of the first officers on the scene and found no evidence of any vehicular involvement.

In addition to this, 15 state grand jury indictments containing 79 charges have come down against Murdaugh with prosecutors claiming he defrauded a staggering $8.4million from victims.

The truly dire state of his financial affairs may go some way to explaining one of the most bizarre twists in this entire saga  Murdaugh's failed 'suicide-for-hire' plot just three months after Maggie and Paul's deaths, and one day after he resigned from the family's Hampton-based law firm.

The firm, formerly known as Parker, Murdaugh, Parker, Elztroth & Detrick, or PMPED, stripped the Murdaugh name from their masthead in January and has since rebranded as the Parker Law Group.

The firm later claimed that Murdaugh misappropriated company funds and at least one of Murdaugh's former colleagues is among the many bringing suits against him.

Then on September 4 last year, Murdaugh made his second frantic 911 call, this time to report that he had been shot while attempting to change a tire by the side of the road not far from Moselle.

From the start the story seemed odd, his injuries unconvincing and his description of the man so vague and contradictory that SLED chose not to release the artist's impression that Murdaugh helped generate.

Once a prominent legal scion, Alex Murdaugh resigned from the family's Hampton-based law firm in September. The firm later claimed that Murdaugh misappropriated company funds and at least one of Murdaugh's former colleagues is among the many bringing suits against him

The South Carolina law firm (pictured) formerly known as Parker, Murdaugh, Parker, Elztroth & Detrick, or PMPED, stripped the Murdaugh name from their masthead in January and has since rebranded as the Parker Law Group

At the time of Paul's death, the Murdaughs were facing a wrongful death lawsuit by the family of Mallory Beach, 19, (right) who was killed in an horrific boat crash in 2019. Paul was drunk and at the wheel of the boat when it slammed into pilings on Archers Creek with six teens  all underage, all drinking heavily  aboard

Within two weeks, the whole affair had unraveled with Murdaugh claiming that he had hired a friend and distant relative Curtis 'Eddie' Smith, 61, to shoot him in the head so that his surviving son, Buster, could receive a $10million pay out form his life insurance.

He claimed that he had been in the throes of opioid addiction and had been for more than two decades and checked himself into rehab in Florida.

He was charged with insurance fraud and false reporting while Smith was charged on several counts including conspiracy.

He too has since been slapped with other charges relating to his relationship to Murdaugh, financial wrongdoing and drug trafficking.

Murdaugh is currently being held in Alvin S Glenn detention center in Richland County on a $7million bond.

He remains the only person ever named a person of interest in his wife and son's death though, with murder charges apparently imminent, it is unclear whether they will be considered by a state grand jury in Columbia, or one in Colleton County, where Moselle, the scene of the crimes, sits.
A 28-year-old man in Los Angeles died in his home and was not found until five days after his death when a friend checked his apartment.

Dominic Green was a contract worker for the Los Angeles Department of Public Health, helping the city government track COVID-19 cases.

Green worked for Healthcare Staffing Professionals, a company that has provided Los Angeles County with nearly 1,000 workers since the pandemic began, with 80% working from home.

'Good afternoon everyone, my shift has ended,' emailed Green one afternoon last winter as his shift ended at 4.30 p.m.

Green had never met any of his colleagues because his work was remote, and one supervisor told his father 'We really don't know people by anything except the work that they do.'

Five days later, his parents, Joseph and Jeannine, checked his cellphone plan and realized he had not used it.

They asked a family friend in the area to check on him, where he was found lying on his bed, motionless.

Dominic Green, 28, was working as an epidemiologist in Los Angeles when he died suddenly of a heart condition. His body was not discovered until five days after his death

Green is seen here with family before he passed away in January 2022. Because of how decomposed his body was, Green's family were unable to hold the open-casket funeral they wished for

Later, it would be revealed that Green died from cardiomyopathy, a heart condition that can sometimes result in sudden death, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Because of how decomposed his body was, a coroner's office investigator told his parents 'he's not viewable.'

After receiving a Master's Degree in Public Health, Green moved from his parents house in Michigan to Los Angeles for his new job in epidemiology, where he found an apartment in Koreatown.

Green told his parents that the job was a stepping stone, and he eventually wanted to get a doctorate in epidemiology that he would use to help underserved communities.

He helped stack his resume with a part-time job on the weekends doing academic research on sickle cell anemia.

On January 17, Joseph Green called a number that had texted his son and reached Lisa Smith, a supervisor who worked with Dominic.

Green pictured with his mother Jeannine and sister. Green's family are devout Seventh-day Adventists

Green's family wished to have an open-casket but due to decomposition, they opted to show a life-size cardboard cutout of Dominic next to his casket

Smith said she was concerned about Dominic after not hearing from him, but said 'technically, he doesn't work for us.'

After learning of his death, Green's parents traveled to Los Angeles to deal with his belongings.

They had to wait to enter the apartment as a team equipped with hazmat suits and respirators cleaned out the apartment.

While Dominic was known as introverted, his family noticed he had just assembled a wardrobe worth thousands of dollars, possibly in the hope that he would stop working remotely soon.

His parents prepared his funeral in Michigan, but were frustrated over not being contacted sooner about their son's absence from work.

Both his parents and his brother, Adriel, were listed as emergency contacts, and they felt a call would have allowed them to discover his body sooner.

His work did notice the absence, and sent Green emails and texts asking him about his whereabouts.

When his father called one of his supervisors, Nathan Lehman, he asked Lehman 'Dominic didn't show up. Why didn't you check on him?'

Lehman responded that he supervises over 100 people and isn't keen on getting those employees in trouble for absences.

A co-worker said of Green: 'Dominic was known by his strong work ethic and character. Character is what a person does when no one is looking'

'The job is your first point of contact,' said Jeannine, who feels there should be a law about employers calling emergency contacts quickly.

Lehman did give the family some kind words for the funeral, saying 'among the staff in my charge, Dominic stood out for being exceptionally punctual  he always logged in and out of his shifts precisely on time.'

The county health department feels they went 'above and beyond' in trying to track down Green after he didn't show up for work, making 'several efforts to contact Dominic through various methods starting on the initial no-show date, including on a non-working holiday.'

'Public Health takes the welfare of our workforce seriously and remains saddened by the passing of Dominic Green,' a department spokesperson said in a statement. 'In his time as a remote contract worker for DPH, Dominic's hard work and dedication to public health left an impression on those with whom he worked.'

Only 16% of companies hire remote-only workers, and 44% of companies don't allow remote work at all.

But since the beginning of the pandemic, almost 70% of full-time workers have begun doing at least part of their jobs from home.

On Friday February 4, the Greens flew Dominic's body to Florida, where the family has a crypt near Orlando. He was buried next to his maternal grandfather.

His family are devout Seventh-day Adventists, and in keeping with tradition, invited close friends and family to visit the coffin the night before the official funeral.

The family wished to have an open-casket funeral for Dominic, but were told by the funeral director 'even with the embalming, he's in pretty bad shape,' which kept them from doing so.

If they were to take Dominic out of refrigeration it would be risky, and his father told those speaking at the funeral to keep to their allotted time, as the funeral directors were scared 'that people are going to be able to start smelling him.'

Instead, the family opted to show a life-size cardboard cutout of Dominic next to his casket.

The funeral director was able to save a lock of Dominic's hair, which his mother kept.

During his speech, Joseph gave a stark reminder to those in attendance: 'Please know that no employer is going to care for you like your family.'

After the funeral, his co-workers sent the family an e-card expressing their sympathies.

'Dominic was known by his strong work ethic and character,' said Smith. 'Character is what a person does when no one is looking.'

One woman who worked with Dominic said 'though we only shared a few emails here and there, he was very kind and will be sorely missed.'
A former CIA software engineer accused of the largest leak of classified data in agency history was convicted on all charges.

Joshua Schulte, 33, was convicted Wednesday of leaking classified CIA information to WikiLeaks in 2017. He was found guilty in federal court on eight espionage charges and one obstruction charge over the so-called Vault 7 leak.

Schulte, who chose to defend himself at the New York City retrial, told jurors in his closing arguments that the CIA and FBI made him a scapegoat for the embarrassing public release the trove of secrets.

The leaked materials concerned software tools the Central Intelligence Agency used to surveil people outside the U.S., through such means as compromising smartphones and internet-connected TVs.

The U.S. Department of Justice said Schulte was motivated to leak the materials out of spite because he was unhappy with how management treated him.

Prior to his arrest, Schulte had helped create the hacking tools as a coder at the CIA's headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

Joshua Schulte, 33, (pictured) was convicted Wednesday of leaking classified CIA information to WikiLeaks in 2017. He was found guilty on eight espionage charges and one obstruction charge over the so-called Vault 7 leak

Schulte watched without visibly reacting as U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman announced the guilty verdict on nine counts, which was reached in mid-afternoon Wednesday by a jury that had deliberated since Friday.

'Today, Schulte has been convicted for one of the most brazen and damaging acts of espionage in American history,' in undermining U.S. efforts to battle 'terrorist organizations and other malign influences' around the world, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams in Manhattan said in a statement.

Attorney Sabrina Shroff, who advised Schulte during the trial, told his mother after the verdict that the outcome was a 'kick to the gut, the brain and heart.' It was unclear if Shroff was expressing her own sentiments or Schulte's.

A sentencing date was not immediately set because Schulte still awaits trial on charges of possessing and transporting child pornography. He has pleaded not guilty.

WikiLeaks began publishing the leaked materials in March 2017.

Prosecutors alleged Schulte, who resigned from the CIA in November 2016, was motivated to orchestrate the leak because he believed the agency had disrespected him by ignoring his complaints about the work environment.

So he tried 'to burn to the ground' the very work he had helped the agency to create, the Justice Department alleged.

Schulte countered that he was framed and scapegoated for the leak because of his issues with management.

Schulte, who chose to defend himself at the New York City retrial, told jurors in his closing arguments that the CIA and FBI made him a scapegoat for the embarrassing public release the trove of secrets. Schulte is pictured in a March 2020 courtroom sketch

In his closing statements, Schulte claimed he was singled out even though 'hundreds of people had access to (the information).'

'Hundreds of people could have stolen it,' he argued. 'The government's case is riddled with reasonable doubt.'

He added: 'There's simply no motive here.'

Assistant U.S. Attorney David Denton encouraged jurors to consider evidence of an attempted cover-up, including a list of chores Schulte drew up that had an entry reading, 'Delete suspicious emails.'

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement that Schulte was convicted of 'one of the most brazen and damaging acts of espionage in American history.'

Williams said Schulte leaked to the public and to U.S. adversaries some of the nation's 'most valuable intelligence-gathering cyber tools used to battle terrorist organizations and other malign influences around the globe.'

The prosecutor said Schulte knew the leak would render the CIA's tools 'essentially useless, having a devastating effect on our intelligence community by providing critical intelligence to those who wish to do us harm.'

Prosecutors also alleged that while he was behind bars awaiting trial, Schulte continued his crimes by trying to leak additional classified materials as he carried on an 'information war' against the government.

Prosecutors allege Schulte leaked to the public and to U.S. adversaries some of the nation's 'most valuable intelligence-gathering cyber tools used to battle terrorist organizations and other malign influences around the globe'

Once the jury left the courtroom for deliberations Friday, the judge complimented Schulte on his closing argument.

'Mr. Schulte, that was impressively done,' Furman said. 'Depending on what happens here, you may have a future as a defense lawyer.'

A mistrial was declared at Schulte's original 2020 trial after jurors deadlocked on the most serious counts, including illegal gathering and transmission of national defense information.

A sentencing date was not immediately set because Schulte still awaits trial on charges of possessing and transporting child pornography. He has pleaded not guilty

Schulte told the judge last year that he wanted to serve as his own attorney for the retrial.

He has not announced whether he wants to represent himself at his next trial, which involves allegations that after leaving the CIA, Schulte moved to New York from Virginia with a computer that contained images and videos of child pornography he had downloaded from the internet from 2009 to March 2017.

Schulte was originally arrested in August 2017 and has been held behind bars without bail since 2018.

Last year, he complained in court papers that he was a victim of cruel and unusual punishment, awaiting the two trials in solitary confinement inside a vermin-infested cell of a jail unit where inmates are treated like 'caged animals.'

The Justice Department announced the charges related to WikiLeaks in June 2018.

Last month, Britain's interior minister approved the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States. He faces federal criminal charges in Virginia over his alleged role in publishing secret military documents in 2010.
An icy weather system has hit Australia, bringing freezing winds, torrential rain, flooding and frosty temperatures.

Huge swathes of the country have been told to brace for even frostier temperatures next week as a cold air mass travels across the east coast.

Queenslanders are shivering through an unusually cold snap expected to linger over the weekend, with widespread frost forecast to blanket large parts of the state.

Flood-torn regions in NSW and Victoria are still recovering from unprecedented levels of rain, with above-average rainfall expected to continue until December.

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Jonathan How said Sydney has already recorded the wettest July on record, with 342mm of rain recorded so far this month.

The forecaster told Daily Mail Australia the previous record - 366mm in 1950 - is due to be smashed within weeks with the east coast forecast to cop more rain.

An icy weather system has hit Australia, bringing freezing winds, torrential rain and even more flooding (pictured, pedestrians brave the cold in Sydney's CBD)

Aussies across most of the country have been told to brace for frosty temperatures as a cold air mass moves over the east coast (pictured, a hail storm in Byron Bay on Wednesday

Sydney's metropolitan area recorded 20mm of rain to 9 am on Thursday, with showers forecast to ease in the afternoon ahead of a sunny weekend.

Mr How said the deluge is headed for the Hunter and Mid-North Coast but reassured residents the latest deluge is unlikely to trigger any further flooding.

The bureau issued a warning for minor flooding at the Cooks River in the city's southeast and the Hastings River on the mid-north coast, and a hazardous surf warning for Byron Bay, the Hunter, Sydney and the Illawarra.

Waves up to 4.4m were recorded in Byron Bay, with the town on Wednesday hit with a freak hail storm that left roads covered in a blanket of thick snow-like ice.

Locals from the popular beachside town in northern NSW were shocked by the weather, with some even making snow angels.

Up to 10cm of hail was recorded in the area, forcing many to tread carefully through the ice which was around ankle-deep.

Byron local Geoff Bensley said he'd lived in the area for nearly 60 years and had only seen hail that severe once before.

Queenslanders are shivering through a unusually cold snap expected to linger over the weekend (pictured, a weather map showing temperatures across Australia)

'It was amazing, the last time we got hail like that was at Splendour in the Grass in 2012,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

Gusty winds are also ripping across the state, with gusts up to 93km/h recorded at Wattamolla, in the Sutherland Shire, south of the city.

Mr How said residents in NSW, Queensland and Victoria can expect some cold nights this weekend, with Friday set to be the chilliest evening.

Sydney's metropolitan area will experience lows of seven degrees, with temperatures dropping below zero in the western suburbs and minimum temperatures in Canberra plunging to an icy -6C.

The meteorologist said Victoria's alpine resorts had received decent snowfall over the last few days and warned skiers to remain wary of blizzard conditions.

Mr How said clear and cold nights would be followed by sunny days, with the cold front due to move towards Melbourne and Adelaide on Saturday.

Sydneysiders can expect moderate temperatures over the weekend with some cloud cover and a top of 17 on Saturday.

Up to 10cm of hail was recorded in the area, forcing many to tread carefully through the ice which was around ankle-deep (pictured, Byron Bay on Wednesday)

Sunday is set to be a sunny and warm winter's day with a top of 20 before showers resume from Monday leading into next week.

Melbourne is in for a much cooler week with the maximums basking around the low teens. Conditions will remain cloudy until showers move in from Saturday and across the weekend.

In Brisbane, the next two days will be sunny before clouds sweep in from Saturday through through to next week.

But residents will enjoy warm conditions with temperatures hovering between around 10C to the low 20Cs.

Perth residents can expect similar temperatures - but umbrellas will be needed. Showers will begin developing on Thursday and will continue sporadically until mid next week, with the city set to receive 15mm on Friday.

Sydneysiders can expect moderate temperatures over the weekend with some cloud cover and a top of 17 on Saturday (pictured, the flooded Wollombi Tavern in NSW last week)

It's a completely different story in the Top End, where Darwin will enjoy a hot week with minimums to sit around the mid to high teens, with maximums around 28C

Adelaide is set for some crisp days ahead, with maximums sitting at 15C each day until mid next week.

The next few days will be partly cloudy before showers develop late on Saturday and continue through Sunday.

But the air chill will be worse in Hobart, where tops will be 2C cooler leading into next week. Cloudy conditions are expected leading into the weekend, with possible showers on Sunday and Monday.

Freezing mornings are in store for Canberrans, with lows plunging to below 0C before warming through the day to tops in the low teens. The week will remain cloudy, with the exception of a sunny Friday and possible showers on Monday.

It's a completely different story in the Top End, where Darwin will enjoy a hot week. Minimums will sit around the mid to high teens, with maximums around 28C.
Former National Security Advisor John Bolton mocked 'snowflakes' who were offended by his admission that he helped to plan coups d'etat during his diplomatic career.

Bolton, 73, made the astonishing admission in an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper as he denied claims that the Jan. 6 riot was an attempted coup.

The following day, Bolton made an appearance on the right-wing network Newsmax, where he said: 'I think there are a lot of snowflakes out there that dont understand what you need to do to protect the United States.'

He added: 'I'm not going to get into specifics. I did write about Venezuela in my memoir, and I think that any president that's not willing to do what it takes to protect the interests of the American people needs to have some counseling.'

One person who had a problem with the remarks was former CIA agent John Sipher, who said on Twitter that Bolton was 'full of s**t. He's never planned a coup.'

Sipher went on to say: 'My point is that Boltons comment is dangerous because it sends a false signal to the American people that senior officials sit in the White House and choreograph coups. Nonsense.'

John Bolton said in an appearance on Newsmax: 'I think there are a lot of snowflakes out there that dont understand what you need to do to protect the United States'

During the same interview, Bolton went into the threats facing the United States, including Russia, China and 'adversaries' coming across the southern border

During the same interview, Bolton criticized President Joe Biden's ongoing trip to the Middle East.

'The Biden administration has been alienated very badly by its unrelenting determination to get back in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal,' the former US ambassador to the United Nations said.

'That deal was a mistake when we made it. The Trump administration pulled out of in 2018, quite rightly, but Biden has spent a year and a half trying to get back into it. The Saudis, the other Gulf Arab states, like Israel, see Iran as a threat to their peace and security,' he added.

Bolton went on to say he felt the biggest threats to United States security right now are China and Russia. He also said that there is also danger in the form of the Middle East, North Korea, Iran and issues on the US-Mexico border.

Speaking about the southern border, Bolton said those coming across the border are not just migrants but 'adversaries of ours who can see that the border is open. It's a real danger, something that the Biden administration seems unwilling to acknowledge is even a problem.'

In an interview with CNN, former National Security Advisor John Bolton let slip on Tuesday that he has helped stage coups in other countries

The day after the interview, a Washington Post article speculated that Bolton may have been involved in coups in Panama, Afghanistan, in 1992 and 2001, Georgia and Haiti

On Tuesday night, Bolton told Tapper on CNN: 'It's not an attack on our democracy,' Bolton said of the Capitol riot. 'It's Donald Trump looking after Donald Trump. It's a once in a lifetime occurrence.'

But Tapper countered his claims, noting: 'One does not have to be brilliant to plan a coup.'

'I disagree with that as someone who helped plan coups d'etat, not here, but in other places, it takes a lot of work,' Bolton responded in the episode of The Lead. 'And that's not what he did.'

Instead, Bolton said the former president 'was just stumbling around from one idea to another, and ultimately he did unleash the rioters at the Capitol, as to that, there's no doubt, but not to overthrow the Constitution to buy more time to throw the matter back to the states and try to redo the issue.

'And if you don't believe that, you're going to overreact, and I think that's a real risk for [the House Committee investigating the January 6 riot], which has done a lot of great work - mostly when the witnesses testify, not when the members are opining.

'It is invariably the case that when you go too far to prove your case, you undermine it,' he added.

Bolton said of Jan. 6: 'It's Donald Trump looking after Donald Trump. It's a once in a lifetime occurrence'

Later on in the interview, Tapper presses Bolton about his claims, asking him to elaborate on his 'expertise having planned coups' and questioning whether they were 'successful.'

At that point, Bolton responded that in his 2020 memoir, he wrote about the United States' support for the failed attempt to overthrow Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in 2019.

'Not that we had all that much to do with it,' he said, 'but I saw what it took for an opposition to try and overthrow an illegally-elected president and they failed.'

The day after the interview, a Washington Post article speculated that Bolton may have been involved in coups in Panama, Afghanistan, in 1992 and 2001, Georgia and Haiti.

Bolton was serving as the national security advisor for then-President Donald Trump when Venezuelan political prisoner Leopoldo Lopez - who had the backing of the United States - declared the end of Maduro's regime on April 30, 2019.

The head of the supreme court then declared that Maduro was an illegitimate leader, and Vladimir Padrino, head of the armed forces, publicly backed the Supreme Court's decision.

The effort ultimately failed when members of Maduro's regime - who opposition leaders had promised would stay in power - lost trust in the opposition and stood by Maduro.

When pressed on the matter further, Bolton brought up the failed attempt to overthrow Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in 2019, when the US publicly backed the opposition. Anti-government protesters are seen here clashing with security forces at the time

The attempted coup ultimately failed when regime members who opposition leaders thought were on their side remained loyal to Maduro

At the time, the Washington Post reported Bolton saying: 'This is clearly not a coup.'

But in the interview on Tuesday, Bolton seemed to imply it was a coup, noting: 'The notion that Donald Trump was half as competent as the Venezuelan opposition is laughable.'

Bolton has been involved in international conflicts for decades, holding a major role in arms control during the George W Bush administration and serving as an ambassador to the United Nations in 2005 and 2006.

He has often embraced foreign intervention, having supported the 2003 invasion of Iraq and advocated for regime change in Iran prior to joining Trump's administration.

His comments about planning coups came as the House select committee investigating the January 6 attack continues to present evidence suggesting Trump spurred protesters to march to the Capitol in an attempt to prevent Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Bolton denied in his interview that the January 6 riot at the United States Capitol was an attempted coup

His comments came ahead of a hearing by the House Select Committee investigating the riot, when rioter Stephen Ayres (center) testified about his decision to enter the building

The House Committee displayed images of organizing maps at the hearing on Tuesday

On Tuesday, Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Democrat from Maryland, announced that the committee had spoken to six people in a meeting with the former president to discuss his claims of election fraud.

'What ensued was a heated and profane' argument, Raskin said, that included 'challenges to physically fight.'

In a clip of Trump's former personal attorney Rudy Giuliani's testimony, he says he told the White House lawyers they weren't 'tough enough' and that they were a 'bunch of p***ies' for claiming there was not enough evidence of election fraud.

Raskin said that after the unhinged meeting, Trump sent out a tweet calling on his supporters to come to the Capitol on Jan. 6: 'It will be wild,' Trump wrote.

Democratic Rep. Stephanie Murphy later displayed text messages obtained from former Trump spokesperson Katrina Pierson where she raised red flags to Meadows about how the January 6 'Save America' rally could get out of hand.

She said that Trump loved the 'crazies' which was why some of them were speaking at his rally.

'He loved people who viciously defended him in public,' Pierson said in recorded testimony about her texts, expressing particular concern about right-wing commentators Alex Jones and Ali Alexander.

And after a short break, Stephen Ayres, one of the committee's two witnesses who attended the riot on January 6, said that he did not plan on going to the US Capitol when he attended Donald Trump's 'Stop The Steal' rally on the White House ellipse.

Asked why he changed his mind, Ayres said: 'The president got everybody riled up we were just following what he said.'

He said it was Trump's urging on social media that made him want to come to Washington, DC that day.

Ayres said that he did not decide to leave until Trump tweeted asking rioters to go home in the late afternoon. Other witnesses have said they urged Trump to publicly call off the rioters much earlier.

'Basically, when President Trump put his tweet out, we literally left right after that come out,' Ayres said. 'You know, to me, if he would have done that earlier in a day 1:30 I, you know, we wouldn't be in this, maybe we wouldn't be in this bad situation or so.'

Ayres, who no longer believes the election was stolen from Trump, said it 'makes me mad' that Trump is still promoting since-debunked election fraud claims.

'I was hanging on every word. He was saying everything he was putting out I was following it. I mean, if I was doing it, hundreds of thousands or millions of other people were doing it or maybe even still doing it.'

Ayres said he felt like he had 'horse blinders on.' 'I was locked in the whole time, he said. Ayres pled guilty to charges for joining the riot that day but has not yet been sentenced.
A University of Washington computer science professor claims his First Amendment rights have been violated after he was punished for his dissenting view on historic claims Native Americans have to the campus land, according to a lawsuit filed in Seattle federal court.

Stuart Reges, 63, who teaches an introductory course to computer programing, broke ranks with the university administration's 'indigenous land acknowledgment statement,' which holds that the Coastal Salish people, a native tribe, have historic claims to campus land.

In Reges's syllabus for his course, he wrote, 'I acknowledge that by the labor theory of property the Coast Salish people can claim historical ownership of almost none of the land currently occupied by the University of Washington.'

Stuart Reges, 63, a computer science professor at the University of Washington, says he was retaliated against for disagreeing with the administration's indigenous land acknowledgment statement

Reges, an award-winning professor, said the university created a 'shadow' class and encouraged students to drop his course

He said he based his statement on John Locke's theory of property, which holds that ownership derives from bettering the land.

Reges said in his lawsuit that none of this students complained when he reviewed his syllabus on the first day of class.

He says other faculty have modified versions of the university's acknowledgement statement, but they're in lockstep with the administration's view and haven't gotten into trouble.

Nevertheless, the university told him the complaints rolled in.

The head of the computer science department, Magdelena Balazinska, called his statement 'offensive' and accused him of creating a 'toxic environment,' according to the suit.

She removed his statement without his permission, Reges countered.

In response to those complaints, the college created a 'shadow' computer- programming class that was taught by a different professor on tape and encouraged students to drop Reges's course for the duplicate course.

Balazinska accused him of 'causing a disruption to instruction in [his] class.'

Reges said that he taught 400 students in the Winter quarter without incident and even helped on win a computer programming contest.

Balazinska told news station KTTH that his syllabus statement 'dehumanizes and demeans indigenous people.'

The university also launched an disciplinary investigation into the professor, which has now entered its Day 133.

'The specter of termination has had a chilling effect on his speech as a public university faculty member,' Reges charged in the lawsuit, adding: 'Faculty must remain free to express these views to fulfill their duties to educate and challenge students, and to avoid a "pall of orthodoxy" on campus.'

Reges says he's been retaliated against for 'swimming against him through the creation of a 'shadow' class section and subjecting him to a disciplinary investigation under vague and overbroad university policies.'

Why Native American land is contested The dispute over whether Native American tribes hold a legitimate claim to native land goes back to the Dawes Act of 1887, according to the Indian Land Tenure Foundation. The debate pits tribal attitudes and traditions toward the land stewardship against Western views of private property. Under the Dawes Act, officially known as the General Allotment Act, native land was converted from the land tenure system, which holds that whoever is using the land holds the rights to the territory, to private property. Western private property theories developed by John Locke posit that the exertion of labor on property gives it value and the person who betters the land gains ownership over it. The Dawes Act intended to assimilate Native American tribes by forcing them to 'assume a capitalist and proprietary relationship with property,' according to the book, 'The Settlement of America.' Under the act, the head of the family has four years to select 160 acres, but the US government would hold it in trust for 25 years. Those who accepted the land were allowed to become citizens. This was also a way to open the rest of the land to settlers to purchase or settle for their ownership. It's estimated that the Dawes Act reduced tribal control over American land from 140 million acres to approximately 56 million acres. Anthropologists have argued that land acknowledgement statements misinterpret Native American culture by stating there are historic claims to the land, when indigenous culture did not recognize this type of private property. Advertisement

'If UW encourages professors to take a political stance on their syllabi, it cannot punish those professors who diverge from the schools pre-approved stance,' said Katlyn Patton, a lawyer with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, who is representing Reges. 'At UW, the message to faculty is clear: Toe the party line or say goodbye to your students.

Reges has been a college professor for 40 years, the last 20 of which he's taught at the University of Washington's Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, though he doesn't have tenure. He's received the university's Distinguished Teaching Award in 2011 and has received positive reviews from students.

He claims a long history of speaking out about 'identity and mental health as a gay man in the 1970s and 1980s,' according to the suit. He was fired from Stanford University for speaking out against the War on Drugs, he claims.

In addition to suing the university, he's named the school president Ana Mari Cauce, the head of the computer science department, Magdelena Balazinska, Dan Grossman, the vice director and Nancy Allbritton, the dean of the engineering school.

'The University of Washington is aware of the complaint,' spokeswoman Michelle Ma said in an email to MailOnline. 'The university continues to assert that it hasn't violated Stuart Reges' First Amendment rights and we look forward to presenting our position if called to do so.'

Acknowledgement statements are not unique to the University of Washington: A 2017 study by the University of British Columbia found nearly 100 college web sites across Canada alone with indigenous land acknowledgements in one form or another.

The study questioned the purpose and the value of such statements and if they were merely a 'tokenistic practice of checking the box.'

But according to the Native American Council, land acknowledgement statements are 'important to understand the long-standing history that has brought you to reside on the land, and to seek to understand your place within that history.'

Further, they say that 'land acknowledgements don't exist in a past tense, or historical context; colonialism is a current ongoing process, and we need to build our mindfulness of our present participation.'

Reges disagrees with that.

'Land acknowledgments are performative acts of conformity that should be resisted, even if it lands you in court, he said. 'University administrators turned me into a pariah on campus because I included a land acknowledgment that wasnt sufficiently progressive for them.'
Anthony Albanese has ruled out China building a military base on the Solomon Islands after meeting Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare as tensions rise in the region.

The pair embraced warmly on Wednesday as they met at the Pacific Islands Forum, despite the Solomons signing a security treaty with China's President Xi Jinping.

Experts fear a looming flashpoint between the Australian and Chinese military could spark a 'serious incident' after escalating confrontations over territorial claims.

But after talks, the Australian prime minister insisted that he was 'very confident' China would not develop a military presence in the Solomon Islands.

Anthony Albanese has ruled out China building a military base on the Solomon Islands after meeting Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare as tensions rise in the region

'No, Im very confident that wont happen,' Mr Albanese told the Today show on Thursday.

'I had a very constructive meeting with Prime Minister Sogavare yesterday. I sat with him at dinner last night.

'One of the things we need to do is build personal relations between Australia and our friends in the Pacific to make sure that our interests, but also their interests, are protected.'

He dismissed suggestions he asked Mr Sogavare to rip up the treaty, and added: 'They are a sovereign nation. We need to respect that.

'But what we need to do as well is make clear what Australias interests are.

'And obviously the interests of Australia would not be served by having a military base so close to where Australia is and so close to where Queensland is as well.'

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was 'very confident' China would not have a military base in the Solomon Islands after talks with Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare

The warnings about rising tensions comes after the Australian Navy frigate HMAS Parramatta was stalked by Chinese aircraft, nuclear submarines and warships.

And on Wednesday, a US warship deliberately sailed within 12 miles of Chinese-claimed territory in the South China Sea in a direct challenge to Beijing.

It follows earlier clashes where Australian military aircraft were threatened by Chinese fighter jets using potentially dangerous flares and chaff, and another targeted by high-power military-grade Chinese lasers.

Now defence expert Professor Don Rothwell has warned: 'The risk of miscalculation is one that is very live.'

Experts fear a looming flashpoint between Australian and Chinese military could spark a 'serious incident' after escalating confrontations over President Xi Jinping's territorial claims

The warning comes after Australian Navy frigate HMAS Parramatta was stalked by Chinese aircraft, nuclear submarines and warships

The movements of HMAS Parramatta were shadowed by the Chinese military as it sailed between Australia, Vietnam, South Korea and Japan last month.

In the East China Sea, tensions soared as the Australian ship was warned it was entering 'Chinese territorial waters' despite still being in international waters.

Now it's also been revealed a US warship sailed within 12 miles of Paracel Islands in the South China Sea on Wednesday to challenge China's claim over the region.

The freedom-of-navigation operation, 500km offshore from Vietnam, was a deliberate provocation to undermine Beijing's rights to the territory.

The incident passed off without incident - but defence experts fear it could be just a matter of time before the flashpoints escalate to a major confrontation.

Defence experts fear it could be just a matter of time before the flashpoints escalate to a major confrontation

They are concerned that Australia is challenging Beijing in a similar way to the US, but without the same back-up resources that the US military can call on.

'It's becoming increasingly difficult - Australia is to a degree isolated,' Prof Rothwell of Australian National University told the ABC.

'It is clear there is a pattern associated with Australia's activities now [that is] very much aligned with the way in which the United States conducts similar activities.

'It needs to be accepted that Australia is often sailing through those waters on their own without a lot of back-up, in the way that the US Navy would often have.'

The fears were echoed by former defence personnel minister Darren Chester.

'What concerns me is there's more likely to be some incident at a future point resulting from a level of misadventure or miscalculation or mistake being made than an actual act of aggression,' the Nationals MP said.

'We need to be very careful and need to make sure we are working closely with our allies. I think it is really important that we try and de-escalate these situations wherever possible.

'At the same time, we have every right to be there. The Australian navy is incredibly professional, incredibly well-trained and incredibly capable and they are just doing their job.'

In May, a Chinese jet fighter released aluminium foil chaff dangerously close to an RAAF Poseidon surveillance plane's jet engines, prompting a diplomatic incident

In May, a Chinese jet fighter released aluminium foil chaff dangerously close to an RAAF Poseidon surveillance plane's jet engines, prompting a diplomatic incident.

And another Australian Poseidon surveillance aircraft was targeted by high-powered military lasers from a Chinese ship off the north coast of Australia in February.

During the federal election campaign, the ADF was also tracking a Chinese naval ship off the west coast of Australia, apparently monitoring military signal traffic.

On Sunday, four USAF B-2A stealth bombers landed in Queensland in a high-profile show of strength and support for Australia.

On Sunday, four USAF B-2A stealth bombers landed in Queensland in a high-profile show of strength and support for Australia

The 'flying wing'-style aircraft flew 14,000km from their US base in Missouri on a 'training and strategic deterrence mission in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific'.

Squadron commander Lieutenant Colonel Kousgaard added: 'This deployment of the B-2 to Australia demonstrates and enhances the readiness and lethality of our long-range penetrating strike force.'
Travellers hoping to go on holiday should be ready for major delays at the airport as potential strikes from Qantas engineers and the scrapping of vaccine mandates trigger another wave of chaos.

More than 1,000 Qantas and Jetstar engineers, who are members of the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association, started voting from Wednesday on whether they feel industrial action is needed.

The vote closes on August 10, meaning the earliest possible time strikes could kick off would be mid-August.

The workers, which also include staff from Network Aviation, a Qantas-owned airline based in Perth, are demanding a 12 per cent pay rise.

Travellers looking to go on a holiday could face major delays at the airport with the combination of potential strikes from Qantas engineers and the scrapping of vaccine mandates

They are considering 12-hour strikes - the length of a shift - and bans on overtime as part of the industrial action, which would likely cause havoc for travellers.

ALAEA Federal secretary Steve Purvinas said there had been an increase in the number of Network Aviation flights during Covid without adding more staff.

'Engineers who are given more work per shift are more likely to make errors due to the time pressure they are under,' he said.

'Management do not understand or care about this  the decisions are being made by bean counters who focus on profit and nothing else. Our concerns about safety are real.'

One Qantas engineer in Perth claimed replacement staff were not up to scratch, and that staff shortages meant engineers would, at times, be unable to perform maintenance on aircraft at FIFO sites.

'I have found the stress levels have increased. Everyone is getting called for overtime,' he told The West Australian.

Major delays have been seen in airports around the country recently due to bad weather and Covid forcing some staff to isolate

Mr Purvinas said because some workers hadn't been given a raise in four years, the 12 per cent demand would equate to a 3 per bent bump each year.

'The airline has not taken negotiations seriously,' Mr Purvinas said last week.

'There have been years of meetings and no progress. The overpaid CEO (Alan Joyce) expects all workers to freeze their wages as the board tucks away bonus and share options for Qantas executives.

'We won't need to target holiday periods, Qantas seem to be doing a good enough job of ruining people's holiday's without our assistance.'

Qantas denied passengers were at any risk of safety or that staff were being overworked.

'We reject the union's suggestions that our engineers are overworked and their safety claims are baseless. The union has a history of using false safety claims to further its industrial agenda,' a spokesperson said.

Qantas (pictured) said severe weather on the east coast of Australia was the major driver for delays and cancellations which was further exacerbated by staff sick with the flu and Covid-19

'We're disappointed the ALAEA has taken this step given we've been negotiating in good faith on the agreements.

'This action from the union is completely unnecessary. With the industry still recovering from the impact of the pandemic, the last thing it needs is the threat of industrial action.'

Qantas said it was ready if engineers decided to strike.

'Should the union proceed with industrial action, we have contingency plans to minimise disruptions, the airline said.

'The latest claim by the ALAEA was for a one-year agreement with a 12 per cent pay rise for Qantas engineers. That's something we simply can't afford and is well above wage increases for other employees across the Group.

'Negotiations for Network Aviation's engineers agreements only recommenced in May, so it is completely unreasonable to take this step given we're still early in the process. We are recruiting more engineers in Perth as we continue to grow our services.'

Figures compiled by the airlines showed Qantas cancelled 6.7 per cent of flights and had an on-time performance of 44 per cent, while Virgin had a cancellation rate of 14.7 per cent with a 43 per cent on-time performance rate (pictured, domestic terminal Sydney Airport)

In June, Qantas vowed to pay 19,000 staff a one-off $5,000 bonus and give them 1000 shares, currently worth around $4,500.

It comes as the Chairman of the Centre for Aviation Peter Harbison predicted that delays and issues with flights would continue for another six months.

He said there would be more demand following Qantas' decision to allow unvaccinated international passengers to fly from July 19.

Qantas employees will still be required to be vaccinated and passengers will still need to wear masks on domestic flights.

'The system is not back to normal. It's not back to normal in Australia and it's probably a whole lot worse in Europe and America. Internationally it will mean delays all along the way,' Mr Harbison told The Today Show on Thursday morning.

'Everybody recognised it will be probably another maybe six months before things are right.

'At the moment we're in peak time. It's school holidays. Once things quieten down it can get back to normal.'

More than half of Qantas and Virgin passengers saw their flight either delayed or completely cancelled last week, in a horror seven days for the two airlines.

Mr Harbison said delays would likely resolve after the school holiday period.

'Once we get past the school holidays people can start to regroup,' he said.

'Because you do see a pretty substantial drop in people wanting to travel once we get to sort of later this month and beyond until the next school holidays in September.

'I think we'll see a bit of a quieting down in the next six weeks or so.'

Qantas and Virgin's on-time performance hits a near record low after more than half of all domestic flights in the first week of July were delayed or cancelled (pictured, passengers waiting at Sydney Airport in Sydney, Australia)

Qantas cancelled 6.7 per cent of domestic flights with an on-time performance of 44 per cent, while Virgin had double the cancellations of its rival airline at 14.7 per cent and only 43 per cent of flights departing on-time.

A Qantas spokesperson said severe weather on the east coast of Australia was the major driver for delays and cancellations which was further exacerbated by staff sick with the flu and Covid-19.

'It was a pretty challenging week all around,' a Qantas spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.

'We appreciate how frustrating flight cancellations and delays are for customers with severe weather in New South Wales and a spike in Covid cases for operating crew impacting airline schedules over the past week.'

Qantas said 85 per cent of domestic flights departed within an hour of their scheduled time as the airline used additional crew they had on standby and larger aircrafts for some flights.

Virgin also apologised to customers that had been impacted by delayed or cancelled flights, crediting similar reasons as to Qantas for the issues.
A worker has won an unfair dismissal case after she was sacked from her hospitality job because she did not include a smiley face in a text to her boss's ex-wife.

Kristen Gordon was working for Sens Catering group, a business that operates two Gold Coast cafes and one in Brisbane city - when she was fired on March 13 this year.

The Fair Work Commission heard Ms Gordon was employed as a casual supervisor at business's Southport cafe for about 14 months.

She was working full-time hours and was responsible for staff rostering - but got on the wrong side of the boss's ex-wife.

A colleague told the Commission that Phoebe Wang, who was running the Gold Coast businesses owned by her ex-husband Jerry Chen, became infuriated after receiving a message from Ms Gordon about a staffing issue.

Ms Wang allegedly smashed her phone on the counter, jumped up and down while screaming to a manager 'fire her right now!'

Kristen Gordon has won an unfair dismissal case after she was fired from Sens Catering group. Pictured: Sens Coffee

The FWC heard Ms Gordon was fired under orders of her boss's ex-wife Phoebe Wang after she became infuriated she did not include a smiley emoji in a text

The colleague said she asked to see the messages to understand why Ms Wang was so angry and found the texts to be normal.

The commission heard Ms Wang said Ms Gordon was arguing with her and because the messages had no emojis, it suggested her tone was rude.

Despite the colleague explaining that was just how Ms Gordon writes texts, Ms Wang allegedly seethed and kept repeating she must be sacked.

Ms Gordon told the FWC that she had been told Ms Wang repeatedly stated she 'didn't add any smiley faces! There are no emotions!'

The former supervisor said she was unaware that her 'completely reasonable text messages created so much upset'.

The colleague told the FWC Ms Wang's outburst was a 'very aggressive display and very uncomfortable'.

Later that afternoon, the colleague said Ms Wang offered her Ms Gordon's job, saying: 'Are you worried about hurting her feelings?

'Don't worry about that we have wanted to get rid of Kristen for a long time.'

The next afternoon, after she had worked a full shift, a manager told Ms Gordon they were forced to dismiss her.

She lodged her case with the FWC the next day.

Fair Work Commissioner Chris Simpson found Ms Gordon was dismissed on March 13, despite Ms Wang's attempts for it to appear as though she had given the employee an opportunity to respond to the reason for termination.

Sens Catering Group Pty Ltd were ordered to pay Ms Gordon $5357.80, plus 9.5 per cent superannuation

In material submitted before the hearing, Sens Catering Group Pty Ltd claimed Ms Gordon was offered two weeks paid leave 'in good faith' during a chat a week after she was dismissed, and that Ms Gordon agreed to return back to work afterwards.

An emoji like this was apparently sorely lacking from the text message, the commission heard

No one representing the business group attended the directions hearing and no further material was filed on their behalf.

'The Respondent would probably have been aware that the Applicant was disputing her dismissal as the unfair dismissal application was filed on 14 March,' Commissioner Simpson said.

'I am inclined to the view that Ms Wang's offer of additional payment to the Applicant as a casual employee and a period of ''paid leave'', and the potential offer of other future employment with another business at the end of that period of 'leave' were attempts to resolve the dispute about the earlier dismissal, rather than either an offer to rescind the termination, or to attempt to maintain a purported ongoing casual employment relationship.'

Sens Catering Group Pty Ltd were ordered to pay Ms Gordon $5357.80, plus 9.5 per cent superannuation on that amount paid into her nominated fund.
An outspoken American business consultant has revealed why Australia is a 'terrible place to live' and warns the country is 'going downhill fast'.

Rafael Cintron, the CEO of the immigration firm Wealthy Expat, explained why he would never live Down Under in an explosive TikTok video posted this week.

'Australia is a terrible place to live,' the Dubai-based consultant starts the video.

'High taxes, (Covid) regulations like we saw with the situation around the world. It's heading downhill fast, and a lot of people are leaving the country quick.'

Rafael Cintron, the CEO of immigration firm Wealthy Expat, (pictured) explained why he would never live Down Under in a short TikTok video posted on Wednesday

In a video posted in 2021, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, the consultant slammed Australia as 'a disaster of a country'.

'Recently they finally opened for Australians to leave the country, they were stuck for months and months,' he said. 'The country's future is looking darker than ever.'

Australian income rates for residents in 2022: $0  $18,200 = 0% $18,201  $45,000 = 19% $45,001  $120,000 = 32.5% $120,001  $180,000 = 37% $180,001 and over = 45% Dubai income tax rate: Zero

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Mr Cintron, a United States citizen from Puerto Rico who lives in Dubai, told Daily Mail Australia that while traditionally Australia is a great and prosperous country, many citizens are dissatisfied with the government.

'A lot of our Australian clients are extremely disappointed in the government's response to the Covid crisis for example, when Australian citizens were even banned from returning to their home country to control the spread of Covid-19,' he said.

'When citizens protested, they were met with severe punishments and physical violence.'

He said Australians are some of the most taxed people in the world.

The consultant said the tax rate for high income earners can be over 45 per cent of their earnings and range from 32.5 to 37 per cent for average income earners.

Mr Cintron has hit out at other countries on TikTok including New Zealand, which he said was 'turning into North Korea' due to its strict Covid restrictions.

The consultant also slammed Canada for the same reasons as Australia and said people were leaving because of government rules and regulations.

Mr Cintron (pictured) told Daily Mail Australia that while traditionally Australia is a great and prosperous country, many citizens had recently become dissatisfied with their government

He said Switzerland, Singapore, United Arab Emirates and Portugal are the best examples of safe, low tax countries with minimal restrictions compared to Australia.

However, patriotic Australians were quick to defend their country in the comments.

'I'm an Aussie. You forgot to mention high wages, universal healthcare, awesome gun control, stunning weather and happy citizens,' one said.

'Mate your dreaming. We are the best country on the planet,' another said.

'Australia is one of the best countries to live in. Especially Melbourne, lots of work opportunities and a good place to start a family,' a third commented.

Mr Cintron, pictured with a friend, lives in Dubai, where there is no personal income tax

Mr Cintron (pictured) has hit out at other countries on TikTok including New Zealand, which he said was 'turning into North Korea' due to its strict Covid restrictions

It comes after a British woman living in Australia shared a pros and cons list of each country, with 'boring' used to describe her time Down Under.

Deborah made the move from East Yorkshire to New York after finishing university in 2001.

After watching the terrifying events of September 11 from her office window, Deborah decided she needed to be closer to family and moved to Sydney where one of her sisters lived, and after six years moved to Melbourne.

The British expat wrote a list of pros and cons of living in both countries and shared it to Ping Pong Poms - a Facebook group for 'people thinking about moving back to the UK'.

Deborah posted a pros and cons list of living in Australia and the UK to a Facebook group for 'people thinking about moving back to the UK' on Tuesday (pictured)

'Just came back from the UK and am feeling, so jet lagged and homesick,' Deborah wrote.

'Was up at 1:30 this morning writing a pros and cons list as feel so flat after a lovely time in the UK summer.'

Deborah split the page down the middle and wrote the pros for both countries first.

Pros for the UK included family, beautiful countryside, supermarkets, country cottages, school friends, universities, history, close to Europe, more fun things for kids, chocolate, Christmas atmosphere, pretty market towns and pubs.

Meanwhile, more space, more opportunities for kids, low unemployment rate, higher pay, schools, second safest country to live in, restaurants, everything is on her doorstep, low population density, less public debt, strong economy, greater life expectancy, delicious tap water and outdoor pools topped Australia's pros list.

Unsurprisingly, Australia's pros list included sun all year round, beautiful beaches, low pollution and happy people.

Deborah wrote 11 cons for Australia - two more than the UK - including that it's boring, so far away, lack of history, rubbish supermarkets, bad chocolate, bushfires, expensive, slow internet, everything wants to kill you, shopping is not as fun/as good and crumpets are so bad.

The UK's con list was made up of tap water being horrid, motorways gridlocked, cold and miserable most of the year, driving standards, have to travel hours for a concert/airport, hospital wait times, outside London restaurants are no comparison to Oz and political unrest.

The homesick British expat (left) wrote the list after returning home from a trip to the UK where she visited her mum Joan (right)

She told Daily Mail Australia the items on the lists were thoughts and 'nothing is wrong or right.'

'I love Australia for the 'no worries' attitude,' Deborah said.

'Australia is an amazing country with amazing opportunities, beautiful rainforests, oceans and beaches and fantastic wine.'

'Unfortunately, what Australia does lack is prawn cocktail crisps, chocolate that tastes good and above all, proper crumpets!'

Deborah's parents regularly visit Australia and adores North Queensland for its 'fishing, hot weather and laid back lifestyle'.

She said the post had gone a 'bit bonkers' after receiving more than 300 comments in less than 12 hours.

'Love that chocolate and crumpets made the list lol,' one user commented.

'I have just gotten back from 9 months back home in the UK and could not explain to work mates how bad crumpets are here compared to home,' another user wrote.

'Chocolate was definitely rubbish in Oz,' another chimed.

Other users said Deborah would be benefit from reading over the list and 'actually think about what matters'.

'Like, I don't think that 'bad chocolate' or even 'rubbish supermarkets' is really going to make a large impact on your life,' one user wrote.

The Melbourne resident has lived in Australia for 20 years with her husband Joe

Other Brits were also quick to share what they didn't like about Australia.

'People in the UK have sense of humour and are funny. The flies in Australia are horrendous and high UV is annoying in Oz,' one wrote.

Another said: 'UK TV is better and grocery shopping is much cheaper/more choice (especially crisps and chocolate lol).'

'We moved back [to England] earlier this year and it was the best decision. Schools are brilliant, academia is better, more options for education and uni etc,' one Brit wrote.

Meanwhile other users told the mother-of-two to to lighten up and embrace Australian culture.

'Enjoy Australian architecture even the lovely homestead old Queenslanders. They are just beautiful. Plenty of great Victorian architecture around to. England is beautiful but congested. Think of all the positives in Oz,' one user commented.

Another user wrote Australia is rich in Aboriginal history: 'Aboriginal people are known to have occupied mainland Australia for at least 65,000 years. It is widely accepted that this predates the human settlement of Europe and the America.'

Another user wished Deborah 'good luck' in choosing between the two countries.

'I've decided to ping-pong back and forth a bit longer to enjoy the best of both hemispheres one day I must choose but not today,' the user wrote.
Former national security adviser John Bolton's statement about his involvement with regime change drew reactions from whom he called 'snowflakes' because they don't understand it.

Bolton used to work under former President Donald Trump for about 17 months before getting sacked and served as the director of the Project for a New American Century, which advocates for the US to have a strong foreign policy.

The US' Effort to Change What It Doesn't Like

Bolton responded to the backlash against him on Wednesday by labeling individuals who disapproved of his most recent remarks regarding US-staged coups as 'snowflakes,' reported Sputnik News.

In an on-air interview with CNN's Jake Tapper on Tuesday, Bolton casually acknowledged that he had participated in the plotting of a coup d'etat. His comments on Wednesday followed that exchange.

The two were discussing the most recent information from the Capitol riot public hearings at that moment, noted CNN.

But on Wednesday, in response to his detractors, Bolton said in an interview with the conservative news source Newsmax that people who disagree with him do not understand what is required to protect the 'Land of the Brave.'

During the CNN interview, Bolton did not specify whose nation he attempted to overthrow, but he did note that he wrote about Venezuela in his memoirs.

The former NSA adviser slightly retracted what he had said previously by claiming that the US had no significant involvement in regime change. He mentioned having first-hand experience watching the opposition removing a legally elected leader but utterly failed.

Read Also: Vladimir Putin Net Worth 2022: Does Anyone Know Russian President's Hidden Wealth?

One of the ways, according to him, is that a coup is what the US president does to keep the US safe, even though it is illegal, as said in the Newsmax interview. Backing Juan Guaido, an alleged US puppet to allow access to Venezuelan oil.

In the Trump era, the US supported the Venezuelan opposition candidate Juan Guaido. He is supposed to be the real winner of the election, attempting to wrest power illegally by eliminating Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and putting the opposition leader in the palace. Operation Gideon employed mercenaries of the private military firm Silvercorp USA, who would arrest Maduro.

Instead, it was a failure as the alleged 'US puppet' Guaido never got to sit in office; due to the stamping of the attempted coup. Several fighters from the opposition were killed, and Maduro forces caught former special ops forces.

Due to the fallout from the failed power grab of the US, the State Department denied it was caught in the conspiration to replace duly elected government. State Department continues to recognize Guaido as Venezuela's temporary president, even though Maduro still holds a majority of the country's levers of power.

US Seeks Other Oil Supply

The Biden administration maintains that the conflict between it and President Maduro is reducing, yet, little has changed despite efforts to appease the Venezuelan leader.

Dropping sanctions to permit a US oil company, Chevron, to conduct business with the government is part of the bait, even Venezuelans revile Guaido. The State Department failed to unseat former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in 2002. As the US crashes from an energy crisis, Venezuela holds oil resources that Washington wants to get.

Related Article: Biden Claims US Not Seeking Regime Change for Russia, Focus on Aid for Ukraine

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Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has revealed why she is pushing for Australia's leaders to come together sooner rather than later.

Ms Palaszczuk called for a national cabinet meeting on Wednesday to help deal with rising Covid-19 cases as Australia battles a third wave of the virus.

Appearing on the Today Show on Thursday morning, decked out in the Maroons scarf she wore while attending last night's State of Origin match in Brisbane with her NSW counterpart Dom Perrottet, the premier gave a more detailed reason for her plea.

'Look the NSW premier and I we spoke about that last night ... All we want is an update from the chief health officer because we're just getting a bit of mixed messages at the moment.'

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (pictured) revealed on the Today Show on Thursday why she is pushing for an urgent national cabinet meeting

The Premier was asked what she would like to see a national cabinet meeting discuss.

'I think the country just wants to know how this wave is going. How the hospitalisations are going. And get the information from the chief health medical officer which is what we used to get from national cabinet,' Ms Palaszczuk added.

'It doesn't have to be a long meeting. Gives an opportunity for the Prime Minister to brief the country on how it's going.'

Ms Palaszczuk's call may fall on deaf ears with the prime minister's office yesterday saying that Mr Albanese and state premiers would not meet again until October, before the next budget.

Ms Palaszczuk was also asked if she supported the Federal government's decision to halt payments for workers who need to isolate if they test positive.

'Look, I'm not going to get into that. That's a Federal Government responsibility,' she responded.

'I think the issue is, if it's seven days people can cop seven days. Is this virus going to keep reoccurring in people?'

'All we want is an update from the chief health officer....Because we're just getting a bit of mixed messages at the moment,' Ms Palaszczuk claimed (pictured, a Covid testing clinic)

Ms Palaszczuk said that her brother-in-law had contracted Covid for a second time, while her sister was very sick and off work for a couple of weeks.

'We need to look at how the illness is impacting on people. But you've got to put that to the Federal government.

'The other issue here too is at the moment ... businesses are staying open. We're not going into those lockdowns that we used to have so the impact is not as great on the companies and the individuals.

'I do think we need to get a briefing on this current wave, this current epidemic. Because the NSW premier and I discussed last night, that it's putting incredible pressure on our hospitals. That's the issue.'

In a press conference in Brisbane on Wednesday, Ms Palaszczuk urged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to convene a national cabinet meeting 'in the next couple of weeks' for a pandemic update from the nation's chief health officer.

Ms Palaszczuk (pictured) revealed she had discussed the need for an national cabinet meeting with her NSW counterpart Dom Perrottet as both attended State of Origin on Wednesday night

'I think it's going to get to the stage where in the next two or three weeks we may need a national cabinet meeting,' Ms Palaszczuk said.

'I have already put out there to the prime minister that it would be good, I think, for national cabinet to get an update from the chief health officer if these cases continue to do this upward trend that we're seeing.'

The rise in cases has caused community concern but Ms Palaszczuk said the 'onus is on the individual' and encouraged Queensland residents to wear a mask in crowded areas and get their Covid-19 vaccine booster shot.

'If you are sick, stay at home and do not go to work,' she said.

Queensland recorded 7,517 new Covid-19 cases with 859 individuals hospitalised including 14 patients in ICU and 12 deaths on Wednesday.

Ms Palaszczuk said Covid-19 and influenza infections created a 'double shock' at hospitals where more than 2,300 staff are not working due to illness.

Hospitals are battling a Covid-19 admission rate almost as high as the state's first peak in January.

Health Minister Yvette D'Ath on Tuesday confirmed changes to the state's isolation rules as Omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5 pose the threat of rapid reinfection.

'People can get reinfected, and reinfected quicker with the BA. 4 or 5 strain,' Ms D'Ath said.

Ms Palaszczuk said Queensland's health system was being tested by Covid-19 infection rates almost as high as the state's first peak in January (pictured, a nurse preparing a PCR test)

People previously infected should get tested and isolate if they have symptoms from four weeks after the initial infection.

The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee last week revised its official advice on reinfection periods from 12 weeks to 28 days.

Australia has recorded more than 40,000 new infections nationwide in 24 hours which has led to calls for the the reintroduction of indoor mask mandates.

However, authorities in NSW and Queensland said mask mandates were unlikely to be reinstated in a widespread manner.
The skull is largely intact, the jaw still attached, and the teeth beam bright in the orange loamy soil. But the limbs splay awkwardly.

For more than 200 years, the skeleton has lain alone and undisturbed in a ditch close to Mont-Saint-Jean farm, south of Brussels.

Ever since the soil was turned into a bloody mire by the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815, when the Duke of Wellington and his international army finally put a stop to Napoleon's European rampage.

It is too early to know the nationality, age, or cause of death as the remains have not yet been fully excavated by a team from veterans charity Waterloo Uncovered led by archaeologist Professor Tony Pollard.

But while the skeleton is smaller than that of a typical man today, experts assume it is male and one of more than 20,000 soldiers who lost their lives in the 12-hour hell that changed the shape of Europe and was described by Wellington as 'a damn close-run thing'.

Glimpse into history: Soldier's complete skeleton, with the skull in good condition and other bones from amputated limbs (top)

Uncovered: Archaeologists also found the skeleton of a horse used in the battle

'Scotland for Ever'; the charge of the Scots Greys at Waterloo, 18 June 1815 as depicted in 1881 by Lady Elizabeth Butler (1846-1933)

Amazingly, despite all the casualties, this is only the second complete skeleton to be discovered by archaeologists in the three-mile square battlefield.

'It has long been one of the mysteries of the battle as to where the bodies have gone,' says Waterloo Uncovered co-founder Lieutenant Colonel Charles Foinette. 'Very few human remains have ever been found.'

Perhaps, because, in the panic to clear the battlefield and avoid the spread of disease from rotting corpses, there was no room for sentimentality, or basic humanity.

Bone fragments such as these are arm and elbow bones - and could have been left behind as soldiers hurried to burn the deceased before leaving the battle site

As Professor Pollard, puts it: 'Formal burial was not an option, it was just a case of getting rid of the dead.'

So, many of the broken and bloodied bodies  both human and the corpses of horses  were burned on great pyres which never quite got hot enough to finish the job. (Which meant that a good year later, pilgrims to the battle field were shocked to see bones sticking out of the ground and general detritus everywhere.)

Others were dumped in mass graves which were later plundered by unscrupulous companies for bones, which they ground down to turn into phosphate fertiliser  a hugely valuable commodity at the time  and sold on to farmers.

Even the soldiers' teeth were taken and turned into dental plates  known as 'Waterloo teeth'  for wealthy clients whose own teeth had rotted due to the poor dental hygiene of the era.

Anything else that might have helped identify the dead later  uniforms, buckles, weapons  was stripped away to be sold, reused, or even flogged as souvenirs.

Digging up history: Anthropologist Gaille MacKinnon, left, works on the human remains - one of only two complete skeletons found at the site of the battle which took 20,000 lives

Analysis of the enamel of the skeleton's teeth can give an indication of nutrition and health and, crucially, identify the chemical content of the water drunk in childhood, and thereby the location and nationality

A series of musket balls discovered on the Waterloo Battlefield during these latest excavation works

Professor Pollard said of the site: 'I've been a battlefield archaeologist for 20 years and I have never seen anything like it.

The finding also shows that, while so many bodies were burned or dumped, a few were carefully buried. Like this pour soul, interred in a long ditch beside the hospital

Which makes this find  on the site of Wellington's field hospital where up to 6,000 casualties were treated and less than 500 metres behind the Allied front line  very important to both archaeologists and military historians.

As Professor Pollard puts it: 'I've been a battlefield archaeologist for 20 years and I have never seen anything like it.

'This skeleton gives us a significant snapshot of the reality of battle, away from the romantic ideals that surround Waterloo.

'The reality is that Waterloo was a bloody hell for the 12-plus hours it was fought.'

Once it has been analysed by the Belgian authorities following excavation, the remains will be able to tell us so much.

Everything from physical health, stature and nutrition to age and sex. Experts are assuming the body is a male soldier, but this is yet to be confirmed.

DNA from bones and teeth could give clues as to nationality.

The teeth  in good condition which suggests a young man  are particularly revealing. Rather like the rings on a tree, teeth hold secrets. Analysis of the enamel can give an indication of nutrition and health and, crucially, identify the chemical content of the water drunk in childhood, and thereby the location and nationality.

Thousands of fallen soldiers were burned or buried in mass graves after the battle, meaning fragments such as these teeth are all that are left

The finding also shows that, while so many bodies were burned or dumped, a few were carefully buried. Like this pour soul, interred in a long ditch beside the hospital.

On one side of him in a separate trench is a pile of amputated limbs. (Countless lives were saved by military doctors' quick work in lopping off shattered arms and legs.)

And on the other, the full skeleton of a battle horse and the remains of two others  all showing signs of severe injury to their legs.

The only other Waterloo skeleton found was unearthed back in 2012, by a mechanical digger clearing ground for a car park for the memorial museum.

Back then, archaeologists and scientists led by Dominique Bosquet were able to identify the remains as belonging to a Hanoverian hunchback, fighting to liberate his homeland from Napoleonic occupation.

One historian, Gareth Glover, even claimed to have identified him as Friedrich Brandt, 23  a private in the King's German Legion of George III, killed by the musket ball still lodged between his ribs when he was found.

Our unnamed soldier's journey back from oblivion began in 2015 when Waterloo Uncovered was founded by Lieutenant Colonel Foinette and Captain Mark Evans, who both served in the Coldstream Guards  one of the regiments decimated at Waterloo.

Experts say these recent discoveries are 'incredibly rare' on a Napoleonic battlefield and further excavation is under way to learn more about the remains

Archaeologist Dominique Bosquet during excavation - the horse's skeleton can be seen at the front of this picture from the site

The musket balls discovered across the sites in Belgium have survived in surprisingly good condition. Some have even been found still inside the bones of those they killed

A team of up to 20 veteran and serving soldiers have spent several weeks excavating the site, and searching for remains. They started with a metal detector survey, which discovered a heap of buried and corroded ammunition and equipment

Every year since  pandemic era aside  a team of up to 20 veteran and serving soldiers have spent several weeks excavating the site, and searching for remains.

They started with a metal detector survey, which discovered a heap of buried and corroded ammunition and equipment.

Next, they discovered bones. At first, in 2019, just three limbs. Then, on their return this summer, this full skeleton.

It hasn't been easy excavating him. The bones are fragile and the soil is tricky.

'Very fine and concrete-hard in the sun, but a sticky mess when it rains,' said Foinette.

So the team, including anthropologist Gaille MacKinnon, have worked diligently with teaspoons, paint brushes, dental instruments and sharp tools to shave layers of soil from around the bones.

They stopped every now and then to pay their respects as  more than two centuries after he was slain in battle  it is still sobering to discover a long-lost comrade.

'This is a real person  somebody who once meant something to a lot of people,' says Foinette.

'He represents the consequences of that appallingly violent encounter between Wellington and Napoleon  and all who died.'
Calls are growing for an immediate travel ban to Bali, or at least Covid-level restrictions on travellers, as fears an infectious disease rampant in Indonesia could have 'apocalyptic' consequences for Australian farmers.

The call for travel bans comes as farmers speak out about Australians' holiday exposure to foot and mouth disease, which could lead to the mass slaughter of animals, cost $80billion and steeply raise the cost of groceries.

Although the disease is in theory transmissible to humans - especially from drinking milk - that is rare. However, the major impact is a devastating threat to livestock, farmers, consumers and the wider economy.

The disease affects cattle, sheep, goats and pigs, and has severe consequences for animal health.

One grazier from southern NSW called for 'an immediate ban' to any travel to or from Bali.

Calls are growing for an immediate travel ban to Bali, or at least Covid-level restrictions on travellers, as fears an infectious disease rampant in Indonesia could have 'apocalyptic' consequences for Australian farmers

North Queensland senator Susan McDonald says people returning from a holiday Bali should undergo a week's quarantine to minimise the chances of the highly infectious disease entering Australia

'The cost to Australia if foot and mouth disease enters Australia is such that an immediate ban on travel to and from Bali and any other parts of Indonesia where the disease is present, is necessary and a very small price to pay to reduce the risk to Australia,' said farmer Charles Harvey on Twitter.

North Queensland senator Susan McDonald says people returning from a holiday in Bali should undergo a week's quarantine to minimise the chances of the highly infectious disease entering Australia.

She said the likely impacts on animals, consumers and farmers were of 'biblical proportions.'

The major impact of travellers bringing foot and mouth to Australia would be a huge threat to live stock, farmers, consumers and the wider economy

'They might think about I havent been on a farm, but what were saying is in Bali you have contact with animals and people who work with animals,' she said.

People could easily bring the disease in on their shoes or on the bottom of a suitcase if either touch animal faeces.

Sydney University professor Michael Ward said foot and mouth disease is 'remarkable' for how it survives and spreads.

'It can persist on many inanimate objects, such as equipment used with livestock, peoples clothing and shoes, on the tyres of vehicles and in livestock transport,' he said.

'It can even remain infectious on the hands and within noses of those in contact with infected livestock.'

The disease, which cost the British economy $19billion in 2001, led to apocalyptic scenes of over six million cattle carcasses being burned on 2000 farms.

One grazier from southern NSW called for 'an immediate ban' to any travel to or from Bali

What is foot and mouth disease? It is a highly infectious and contagious 'zoonotic' disease that infects cattle, sheep, pigs, goat and deer with blisters, they also drool and limp

The meat of infected animals is not safe to eat

Exports from any country with infection are banned

Milk production stops as humans can catch the disease from drinking milk

Healthy animals must be killed and burned inside a quarantine zone

The disease was detected in Indonesia in May 2022 and has spread to Bali

People can spread the disease from contact with animals including on shoes, thongs and luggage

The estimated threat to the Australian economy is $80billion

Over six million cattle had to be destroyed during an outbreak in the UK in 2001 Advertisement

It affects cloven-hoofed animals, such as cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and deer.

Signs of infection include blisters in an animal's mouth or between its hooves, limping and drooling.

It is understood to be at least as contagious as the Omicron variant of Covid-19.

The disease is present in southeast Asia and spread south to Indonesia in May. Now it has reached Bali.

Ms McDonald said an outbreak of the 'cruel' disease in Australia would have 'catastophic' impacts on farmers, animals and consumers.

Although the disease is in theory transmissible to humans - especially from drinking milk - that is rare

Another farmer, Catherine Marriott, the CEO of Riverine Plains, begged travellers to 'leave your clothes and your shoes over there'.

Heartbreakingly, farmers would be ordered to destroy even healthy animals inside declared quarantine zones and burn their carcasses.

That's because it is extremely contagious and difficult to control and requires a vaccination program with vaccines matched to specific strains of the disease.

This would lead to huge spikes in the cost of red meat, pork and milk.

'Whatever price we pay now will look cheap in the years and months ahead,' Ms McDonald said.

The impacts would quickly escalate, with exports stopped. Countries with foot and mouth outbreaks are isolated from the global livestock trade.

NSW Deputy Premier Paul Toole said the disease is now 'on our doorstep' and he called for returned Bali travellers to discard all footwear before re-entering Australia.

Another farmer, Catherine Marriott, the CEO of Riverine Plains, begged travellers to 'leave your clothes and your shoes over there'.

'Support their local economies, buy clothes [and shoes] over there and leave them over there.

'That's how we will keep your capacity to eat beautiful Australian meat safe.'

There has not been an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Australia for 130 years.
Ben Wallace could be a 'kingmaker' in the Tory leadership race, but is 'waiting until the final stages to announce who he is backing' to become Prime Minister.

The Defence Secretary, 52, ruled himself out of the running on Saturday despite having been the bookmakers' favourite to win and having put a campaign team together.

However, he remains popular with grassroots Tory members and his backing is understood to be seen as a prized asset among the remaining six candidates.

But Mr Wallace is understood to be waiting until the latter stages of the election and will listen to each of the hopefuls before lending his support to a particular campaign.

A friend of Mr Wallace told The Times that he is a 'kingmaker' in the race due to his grassroots popularity in the party.

They said he 'could back any of the serious contenders including Rishi', despite the former Chancellor being against an increase to defence spending.

But defence sources today denied suggestions that Mr Wallace could back Liz Truss as she launches her official campaign later today.

The support of Ben Wallace is seen among Tory leadership hopefuls as a coveted asset due to his grassroots popularity

Liz Truss, Tom Tugendhat, Kemi Badenoch, Suella Braverman, Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt made it through the first ballot on Wednesday

Mr Wallace may lend his support to Ms Truss, who launches her official campaign today, due to her favourable views on defence policy and spending

Mr Wallace and Mr Sunak (pictured) have repeatedly butted heads on defence spending, with belief that the Defence Secretary will support whoever Mr Sunak goes up against if he makes the final two

Tory leadership race: Round one vote result Rishi Sunak: 88 Penny Mordaunt: 67 Liz Truss: 50 Kemi Badenoch: 40 Tom Tugendhat: 37 Suella Braverman: 32 ELIMINATED Nadhim Zahawi: 25 Jeremy Hunt: 18 Advertisement

A source added that he is instead waiting to hear on candidates' 'broader ambitions' before making a decision.

Mr Sunak received the largest share of the votes from MPs yesterday, topping the ballot with 88 votes.

But he and Mr Wallace have repeatedly butted heads over the UK's defence budget.

The Defence Secretary described the Army's land fleet as 'woefully behind its peers' and said it 'needs definitely to modernise' in May, when Mr Sunak was still Chancellor.

At the same speech at the National Army Museum in Chelsea, he also hinted that UK defence spending should increase in future years due to the 'dangerous world' that now exists.

But at his campaign launch on Tuesday, Mr Sunak refused to back an increase to the defence budget to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030, instead saying that he does not believe in 'arbitrary targets' despite warnings that the UK risks not meeting spending commitments by 2025.

It means Mr Wallace is unlikely to lend his support to the leadership frontrunner if remains steadfast on funding for his department and reversing military cuts.

Mr Wallace is understood to be waiting until the latter stages of the election and will listen to each of the hopefuls before lending his support to a campaign

Minutes before MPs started voting in the first round of the leadership contest, YouGov research suggested Ms Mordaunt is the overwhelming favourite of activists

A YouGov poll today found that Ms Mordaunt is the 'clear favourite for next Conservative leader among party members'

He is, though, understood to have a good relationship with Ms Truss.

Ms Truss will today highlight her vast Cabinet experience as she promises Tory MPs she is the only candidate who will hit the ground running if she is made prime minister.

The Foreign Secretary, who has also held Cabinet posts in a number of other departments, will launch her campaign for No 10 by stressing her aim to unite the party.

'I am ready to be Prime Minister on day one. I can lead, make tough decisions and rise to the moment,' she is expected to say.

'The British people are crying out for a united and modern Conservative government ready with the courage of its convictions to deliver on its promises.'

Ms Truss will set out her pitch by saying she wants to make Britain 'an aspiration nation'.

She is also understood to have more favourable views upon defence policy and spending.

Ms Truss has previously insisted that the NATO target for spending 2 per cent of GDP on military should be a 'floor not a ceiling'.

Penny Mordaunt finished second in yesterday's ballot with 67 votes.

A YouGov poll found that Ms Mordaunt is the 'clear favourite for next Conservative leader among party members'.

When Tory members were asked to choose their preferred, Ms Mordaunt convincingly topped the list with at 27 per cent of votes.

The bombshell survey also found Ms Mordaunt - who initially appeared an outsider - would defeat any competitor in a run off.

Her margin against Mr Sunak was projected to be 67 per cent to 28 per cent, while the he could lose 59 per cent to 25 per cent against Ms Truss.

The dramatic findings quickly turned her into the bookies' favourite, and could have caused MPs to rethink their approach - with a 'Stop Sunak' campaign in full effect among some elements of the party.

Ms Mordaunt, herself a former Defence Secretary with a naval base in her constituency of Portsmouth North, has said she would create a civil defence force to ensure the UK's military is not overstretched domestically.

Mr Wallace could lend his support to Ms Mordaunt if she goes head-to-head with Mr Sunak in the final round.

Tom Tugendhat, who received 37 votes in the first ballot, chairs the Foreign Affairs Select Committee.

He issued a thinly-veiled swipe at Mr Sunak, pledging to increase defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP after the former Chancellor's refusal to do so.

He also mocked the 'bean-counters' who refuse to raise the defence budget, a remark seen as a criticism of Mr Sunak.

Former Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch and Attorney General Suella Braverman also made it through the first round, receiving 40 and 32 votes respectively, and will be in the next ballot tomorrow. Only one of the 358 MPs did not cast a vote.
Rishi Sunak was last night accused by his rivals of underperforming in his bid to become prime minister.

The Tory leadership hopeful came top in the first round of voting, but he was backed by 88 MPs  fewer than expected.

In contrast to Boris Johnson in 2019, he held only a narrow lead over the next best, Penny Mordaunt. She took 67 votes while Liz Truss was third with the backing of 50 MPs.

Rishi Sunak, 42, came top of the first round of voting in the Conservative leadership contest with 88 MPs voting for him

Rival campaigns were quick to point out that Mr Sunak was way behind Mr Johnson at the same point in the last leadership contest three years ago.

Then, the PM secured 114 votes in the first round while Theresa May reached 165 votes in 2016. A Cabinet source said: Rishi has underperformed. Way behind Boris at this point. MPs will realise he has almost no chance of winning with the membership... so whats the point of putting him through?

There are shades of Portillo 2001 and he might not make final two.

Another rival campaign source said: Rishi Sunak is losing momentum. Boris Johnson and even Theresa May did better in the first round in the last leadership contests.

If he faces the members hell lose, but now its looking like he might not even get to that point.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay became the latest big-name backer for Mr Sunak, saying he has all the right attributes to take our country forward. Mr Sunak has also received the support of a string of Tory big hitters, including Dominic Raab and Grant Shapps. But yesterday a head-to-head poll of Tory grassroots members suggested Mr Sunak would lose to every candidate except Jeremy Hunt, who has been eliminated.

Penny Mordaunt, 49, came a close second in the vote, securing the support of 67 MPs. A YouGov poll said she would decisively beat Rishi Sunak if both made it to the final two

According to the YouGov poll, Penny Mordaunt would secure 67 per cent of the vote if she was in the final two with Mr Sunak. Liz Truss, Tom Tugendhat and Kemi Badenoch would also beat him.

YouGov also asked Tory members which candidate they most wanted to replace Mr Johnson  and Mr Sunak secured just 13 per cent of the vote, behind Miss Mordaunt and Miss Badenoch.

However, another poll suggested Mr Sunak remained the favourite candidate among the public, with his rivals lacking name recognition.

According to Ipsos, 37 per cent of the public think the former chancellor would do a good job as prime minister, making him the only leadership candidate with a higher rating than Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer on 33 per cent.

Brexit opportunities minister Jacob Rees-Mogg yesterday continued his attack on Mr Sunak for having implemented economically damaging policies. He said yesterday that Miss Truss was fiscally on the right side of the argument, unlike her opponent Mr Sunak, who was responsible for endless tax rises.

He told Sky News: Shes been very good with the Prime Minister in leading on Ukraine and making sure we had a strong response to Russia.

In foreign policy and in domestic policy, and in European policy, shes got the right answers.

Mr Sunak came under fire this week for trying to leave the stage without taking a question from a journalist.

Six candidates won enough votes from Conservative MPs to make it through to the next round, while former Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi were eliminated

... as Zahawi and Hunt crash out of running



Two more of the senior Tories who turned against Boris Johnson were humiliated last night as they crashed out of the leadership contest.

Newly appointed Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi and former health secretary Jeremy Hunt both failed to get enough support from MPs to take them through to the second round of voting.

It came the day after Sajid Javid, whose resignation from the Cabinet a week earlier had triggered the Prime Ministers downfall, failed to make the ballot.

Yesterdays result was particularly embarrassing for Mr Hunt as he received only 18 votes from Tory MPs, well below the 30 threshold needed to reach the next round of voting and fewer even than the nominations he had received the day before.

In a statement afterwards, he hit out at the smears and attacks of the contest  even though last month he publicly voted against Mr Johnson in the confidence vote.

Yesterdays vote also saw Mr Zahawi dumped from the race with 25 votes.

His campaign had been dogged from the start by questions over his finances. MPs also said he showed poor judgment when he accepted a dramatic promotion to Chancellor last Tuesday evening only to then publish a letter telling the PM he had to quit less than 36 hours later.
Eco-zealots are slashing tires on SUVs across the globe in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The Tire Extinguishers movement, which started in the United Kingdom, has spread to the United States and leaders promised to 'expand massively' in the coming weeks.

New York City was hard hit by the group last month, when the tires of approximately 40 SUVs were deflated on the Upper East Side.

Residents in Chicago, San Francisco, and Scranton, Pennsylvania, were also targeted by the climate activists.

The group is most prominent across the UK and Europe, where activists have allegedly slashed more than 5,000 tires since the movement launched in March.

Tire Extinguishers eco-zealots are slashing tires on SUVs across the globe in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. An impacted car is pictured in NYC

New York City was hard hit by the group last month, when the tires of approximately 40 SUVs were deflated on the Upper East Side. Members also targeted 20 vehicles in Chicago, 20 in Scranton and at least 23 in San Francisco

The Tire Extinguishers claim SUVs and 4x4 vehicles are a 'disaster for our health, our public safety and our climate.'

The group alleges that government officials and policies have 'failed to protect us from this danger' so they have chosen to take action into their own hands.

'We want to make it impossible to own a huge polluting 4x4 in the world's urban areas,' the group's web site states.

'We do this by deflating the tres (sic) of these massive, unnecessary vehicles, causing inconvenience and expense for their owners.'

The group, which publishes its slashing efforts online, took credit for deflating 40 tires in Manhattan last month. Members also targeted 20 vehicles in Chicago, 20 in Scranton and at least 23 in San Francisco.

Tire Extinguishers claims the group is also active in Arizona and Colorado, but hasn't published slashing data for either state.

A Tire Extinguishers spokesperson told Fox News the group is working on it's expansion across America.

'It can happen anywhere, anytime,' the spokesperson warned. 'If you're reading this and you own an SUV, scrap it before we get to it.'

When the group targeted New Yorkers late last month, they left pamphlets on windshields of cars they vandalized

'We did this because driving around urban areas in your massive vehicle has huge consequences for others,' the brochure read, asking owners not to 'take it personally'

When the group targeted New Yorkers late last month, they left pamphlets on windshields of cars they vandalized.

'We did this because driving around urban areas in your massive vehicle has huge consequences for others,' the brochure read, asking owners not to 'take it personally.'

'The world is facing a climate emergency. We're taking actions into our own hands because our governments and politicians will not.'

The activists noted that electric and hybrid vehicles would be targeted as well because they also leave behind a carbon footprint.

'The Tire Extinguishers want to see bans on SUVs in urban areas, pollution levies to tax SUVs out of existence, and massive investment in free, comprehensive public transport,' the group told Fox News in June.

'But until politicians make this a reality, Tire Extinguishers action will continue.'

The group is most prominent across the UK and Europe where activists have allegedly slashed more than 5,000 tires since the movement launched in March. A climate activist is pictured deflating the tire of a car in Edinburgh, Scotland

The group placed similar flyers on the vehicles targeted in San Francisco, SF Gate reported. The Bay Area was hit last week.

Tire Extinguishers spokesperson Marion Walker told the newspaper the attack was the 'first action in the Bay Area' but that more demonstrations were looming.

Walker also noted the autonomous nature of the group 'prevents other members from knowing who is deflating tires and where.'

'We encourage people to target rich urban areas, but SUVs are a menace everywhere. This is an emergency,' Walker added.

'Deflating tires repeatedly and encouraging others to do the same will turn the minor inconvenience of a flat tire into a giant obstacle for driving massive killer vehicles around our streets.'

The group's web site provides tips for activists to quickly deflate tires. It also has a copy of the leaflet that can be printed and placed on windshields.
An investigation has been launched after an Anchorage police officer was pictured posing with a woman who was holding a novelty 'White Privilege card' instead of her ID after she was pulled over for weaving in the Alaskan city.

Mimi Israelah claimed in a Facebook post that she was pulled over for weaving at 3.45am while driving to a pizzeria in Anchorage after arriving on an early-morning flight from California for Donald Trump's rally on Saturday to support local Republican candidates he's backed.

She said that 'Officer Bo' asked for her driver's licence but she couldn't find it - so she showed him her 'White Privilege card' instead and he found it 'hilarious'.

Israelah claimed she had not received a ticket after she was found weaving and to be without a driver's licence. She was later pictured posing for a picture with a smiling police officer.

Anchorage Police department have since launched an internal investigation over concerns that Israelah was not booked because she had a white privilege card.

Under Alaskan law, if a person is found to be driving without a driver's licence, it is considered a violation and can result in a fine of up to $300.

An investigation has been launched after an Anchorage police officer was pictured posing with a woman who was holding a novelty 'White Privilege card' instead of her ID after she was pulled over for weaving in the Alaskan city

Mimi Israelah claimed in a Facebook post that she was pulled over for weaving at 3.45am while driving to a pizzeria in Anchorage after arriving on an early-morning flight from California for Donald Trump's rally on Saturday to support local Republican candidates he's backed

Israelah wrote on Facebook that she did not have her driver's licence when she was pulled over.

'When I saw my White Privilege card, I gave to him if it's ok,' she wrote. 'He laughed and called his partner. It's their first time to see a White Privileged (sic) card.'

The top of the novelty card reads: 'White Privilege Card Trumps Everything.'

Israelah in her Twitter biography describes herself as Pinay, or a woman of Filipino origin.

A video apparently taken by Israelah of the encounter has been reposted on Twitter. Two officers are seen standing outside her car window. She asks one, 'You like my White Privilege card?' The unidentified officer says, 'That's hilarious.'

In the Facebook comments shown at the end of the video, someone asks if she received a ticket. She replied, 'nope.'

Mimi Israelah, center, cheers for Donald Trump inside the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage, Alaska, during a rally Saturday July 9, 2022

The original Facebook post has been deleted but screenshots and the video appear on social media.

It was not immediately clear if disciplinary action would be taken against officers involved or if a citation was actually issued to Israelah.

'Per the municipal attorney's office we are unable to answer these questions as the incident is currently under investigation and it relates to personnel matters,' Anchorage police spokesperson Sunny Guerin said in an email to The Associated Press.

Attempts to reach Israelah through her Facebook page were not immediately successful.

Police Chief Michael Kerle on Tuesday posted a message on the department's website.

'As law enforcement professionals, we are held accountable for our actions, and I am aware that the action of one officer can impact the trust between the police force and our community,' Kerle wrote. 'I know we are all human. But we belong to a profession that does not tolerate, practice, condone, facilitate, or collaborate with any form of discrimination.'

Celeste Hodge Growden, president of the Alaska Black Caucus, an advocacy group for Black people and Indigenous people of color, said: 'When youre not able to recognize Black lives, you just dont get to all lives.'

Hodge Growden said she was disappointed by the picture. She also wants to know what the consequences were for Israelah if she didn't have her driver's license and was weaving while driving.

'I know that there are people of color that weave and they get ticketed,' she said. 'They don't have that white privilege, get-out-of-a-citation card.'

Anchorage Police Sgt. Jeremy Conkling, president of the Anchorage police union, said the officers involved have been served with a notice of investigation.

Conkling told the Anchorage Daily News he knew little about the situation and couldnt say how many officers were being investigated.

'There's always more to the story than a photograph tells,' said Conkling, who didnt immediately return a message from the AP.

When the investigation is complete, Hodge Growden said the results should be made public.
A father of a deceased ex-choirboy is suing Cardinal George Pell and the Catholic church.

Cardinal Pell was acquitted in 2020 after the High Court quashed his convictions for child sexual assault related to allegations he molested two choir boys in the late 1990s when he was Archbishop of Melbourne.

He served 13 months in prison before being released.

Cardinal George Pell's child sexual assault convictions were quashed. He now faces a civil action

The choirboy's father has now filed a civil case against the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne and Cardinal Pell, with a directions hearing listed in the Victorian Supreme Court on Thursday.

The man is not identified in the case and is listed under a pseudonym.

The law firm representing the man could not say what he was seeking in damages.

'Our client's been through a lot,' Shine Lawyers chief legal officer Lisa Flynn told reporters on Thursday morning.

'The High Court made some decisions in relation to the criminal prosecution against (Cardinal) Pell. Our case is a civil claim.

'There are different paths to justice and different avenues that survivors of abuse can take.'
A six-year-old boy who was bitten by a rattlesnake while on a bike ride with his father and sister has died after being removed from life support, despite being treated at hospital with anti-venom.

Simon Currat, of Colorado Springs, Colo., was with his father, Nic, and three-year-old sister, Renee, on a trail ride in Bluestem Prairie Open Space on July 5.

When they stopped for a water break, Simon ran ahead to look at a mile-marker sign. From up ahead, his father heard him yell 'rattlesnake!' and immediately raced toward Simon, who had collapsed and was turning purple.

The father, with his son in his arms, ran to the nearest neighborhood, where paramedics were called.

Simon went into cardiac arrest and was eventually airlifted to a nearby hospital. After several days without brain response, the little boy was removed from life support on July 10.

The same day Simon was bitten by the rattlesnake, his older sister, Anna, 8, who was left blind and non-verbal after birth complications, suffered a sustained seizure. She was treated at the same hospital where Simon spent his last days.

Security Fire Battalion Chief Derek Chambers, who responded to the emergency, told CBS' local news station he was emotionally shaken by the tragedy.

'Being a dad myself it really, really hits home,' Chambers said.' As soon as the kid was bitten, the dad grabbed him and started running toward the street ... screaming for help.'

Six-year-old boy Simon Currat died days after he was bitten by a rattlesnake while on a bike ride with his father and sister

The incident happened when Simon, his father Nic, and three-year-old sister, Renee, were on a bike ride in Bluestem Prairie Open Space in Colorado Springs, Colo., on July 5

Simon went into cardiac arrest and was eventually airlifted to a nearby hospital. After several days without brain response, he was removed from life support

The incident took place shortly after 8 a.m. on July 5.

How common are rattlesnakes bites? According to the US Forest Service, 8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes each year in America. Ten to 15 deaths are recorded every year. Select Safety reports that around 1,300 children are bitten by rattlesnakes, with many of them needing medical care. Stanford Children's Health advises to treat all snakebites as if they were venomous and seek care as soon as possible. In such cases, children must be moved to a safe area and the bite must be lower than at heart level. All rings and/or watches should be removed, in case of swelling, and witnesses should try to identify what kind of snake caused the bite in order to inform first responders. Advertisement

'During a water break stop, Simon ran ahead to look at a mile marker sign on the trail they were on. Shockingly, he yelled back to his dad 'Rattlesnake!' with fear in his eyes, he collapsed, turning purple,' a description of the tragedy read on a fundraiser web site to cover funeral costs.

Simon's father, Nic, had left his phone behind so he ran to the closest neighborhood with Simon in his arms and his three-year-old daughter running beside them.

Twenty minutes after he had gone into cardiac arrest, he received anti-venom treatment at a local hospital before being transferred to Children's Hospital in Colorado Springs.

As his condition continued to worsen, Simon's mother, Lindsey Currat, asked friends and family on social media to join in prayer for the little boy's recovery.

As the family grappled with uncertainty, Simon was yet again transferred to a hospital in Aurora, where his older sister, Anna would join him days later.

Anna, 8, suffered seizures stemming from health complications at birth.

The girl, who is non-verbal and blind, was taken to the same hospital that his brother was at, and was treated at the facility until Simon's death on July 10.

'Due to the complexity of her care, and at the request of the family, she remained hospitalized under the care of the hospital, through the journey of the last 2 days of Simon's life. This was a great blessing to the family,' the fundraiser description reads.

Simon's father, Nic, had left his phone behind so he ran to the closest neighborhood with Simon in his arms and his three-year-old daughter running beside them

As the family grappled with the uncertainty, Simon was yet again transferred to a hospital in Aurora, Colo., where his older sister, Anna (far left), would later join him

Simon's parents learned on July 7 that the swelling in his brain was severe and were told by doctors they didn't think he had much longer to live.

On July 9, it was determined there was no signs of life in Simon's brain and his parents made the difficult decision to remove life support.

He passed away on July 10.

The community has started a fundraiser to cover funeral costs and help the Currants cope with the tragedy.

As of Wednesday evening, more than $36,631 have been raised out of the $150,000 goal.

Although rare, rattlesnakes bites are life-threatening in most cases. Every year, an average of 1,300 children are bitten by snakes in the US, Newsweek reported.

Fire Chief Derek Chambers said Simon was the first kid to die due to a rattlesnake bite in over a decade.

'Responding to kids is the worst part of our job. If it's anything that has to do with a kid, that automatically pushes us into a different demeanor, really,' he told the Denver Channel.

Chambers advised those who find themselves in a situation in which somebody had been bitten by a snake to stay calm and avoid putting tourniquets or trying to suck the venom out.

On July 9, it was determined there was no life signs in Simon's brain and his parents made the difficult decision to remove life support. He passed away on July 10
Flagship plans to clean up the internet may be dropped by the Government, it emerged last night.

The Online Safety Bill had been due to go before MPs next week but has now been removed from the agenda.

There will not be time for it to return to the Commons before the autumn  and it could then be ditched entirely if the new prime minister chooses to prioritise other new laws.

A representative for the NSPCC said last night that any delay to the bill 'will mean families continue to pay the price for the failure and inaction of tech firms who have allowed harm to fester rather than get their house in order'

Whitehall sources blamed Labour attempts to hold a confidence vote in the Government for the lack of time available for the Bill, which aims to introduce powers for tech giants to be hit with huge fines if they fail to keep users safe.

Campaigners were last night dismayed, with Andy Burrows, of child protection charity the NSPCC, saying: 'The Online Safety Bill is a crucial piece of legislation that is fundamentally about protecting children from harm and abuse that is taking place on an industrial scale on social media.

'Any delay will mean families continue to pay the price for the failure and inaction of tech firms who have allowed harm to fester rather than get their house in order.'

But the possible end of the crackdown on social media abuse  first pledged by ministers in 2019  was welcomed by Tory leadership contender Kemi Badenoch, who opposes it on the grounds of free speech.
Hunter Biden, who publicly claimed that his father, Joe Biden, listens to his advice, recently stated that he is 100% convinced that all investigations into his financial wrongdoings, as well as his involvement in sex and drug trafficking gangs, will be cleared and he will face no legal punishment.

Several investigation organizations are looking into Hunter Biden's financial operations, including millions of dollars in transactions and money transfers involving nations such as Ukraine.

More of Hunter Biden's Scandals Discovered Through His iCloud Account

According to a recent media report, Hunter Biden is already seen as a severe threat to America's national security due to some of his risky acts. Meanwhile, the Secret Service stated it is monitoring the accusations after a claimed breach of Hunter Biden's iCloud account prompted some 4Chan members to claim they had access to enormous quantities of information regarding Joe Biden's son.

The Washington Examiner said late Saturday night that the screenshots purportedly acquired from Hunter Biden's phone and PC were shared. The assertions could not be confirmed. Threads containing material from the suspected hack were later removed.

Hunter Biden's iCloud account had been linked to his MacBook Pro and iPhone, according to a forensic investigation of the laptop undertaken by the news site by Konstantinos Dimitrelos, a retired Secret Service agent who specialized in digital forensics.

In accordance with National Review, one video supposedly shows Hunter Biden weighing a quantity of crack while conversing with a prostitute, in a video of his Senate floor speech posted on his website.

The inquiry against Hunter Biden is being led by David Weiss, the US Attorney for Delaware, according to Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The probe is said to be into Hunter Biden's tax compliance. Grassley and Senator Ron Johnson, the top Republican on the Senate Permanent Committee on Investigations, specifically asked Weiss if he's had adequate resources and support from the Justice Department to effectively handle the Hunter Biden investigation, Grassley. Grassley stated that Weiss's May letter was never responded to, except through Attorney General Merrick Garland, Blitz reported.

Read Also: Jan 6. Committee Rejects Steve Bannon's Request To Delay Trial After Longtime Donald Trump Adviser Offers Testimony

Elon Musk Targets Hunter Biden

Meanwhile, Elon Musk, one of the Internet's most prominent trolls, aimed Hunter Biden on Wednesday, only days after DailyMail.com published a new cache of photographs and videos of the first son posing with prostitutes and smoking in a recovery center.

He also appears to have paid some of the prostitutes and transported them over state borders under the name of the rehabilitation clinic his father was paying for. The first son, 52, might now face federal prostitution charges in connection with the images, videos, and other materials that the FBI has had in its possession since December 2019.

In conjunction with his overseas commercial operations, he is already the subject of a federal investigation into possible tax fraud, money laundering, and illegal foreign lobbying.

Last week, DailyMail.com revealed that the First Son recorded himself taking crack cocaine in a sensory deprivation tank at Blue Water Wellness in Newburyport, Massachusetts. He had contacted his father, Joe Biden, only one month before, alleging he didn't have enough money for the treatment program on top of debts and alimony.

Then, in another exchange weeks later, just before New Year's Eve, Hunter messaged his father again, convincing him to fund a $20,000 three-month program at a 'sober house' and detox facility in New York City.

A grateful Joe eagerly obliged, texting Hunter on January 2, 2019: "Just called Mel he will get 20 to your account this afternoon tomorrow morning at latest. He will contact me when the transfer goes through."

However, Hunter's mobile phone footage eventually revealed that he had visited a wellness clinic in Massachusetts later that month. The video and texts are the most recent incriminating materials recovered from stored iPhone data on Hunter's abandoned MacBook pro - the so-called "laptop from hell."

Hunter also mentioned his ketamine regimen in a communication to a female friend on December 5, 2018. The video and chats were recovered on Hunter's abandoned MacBook pro's stored up iPhone data, according to Daily Mail.

Related Article: Hunter Biden iCloud Hack: 4Chan Users Leak Screenshots, More Incriminating Evidence Against US President's Son

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Tory leadership hopeful Kemi Badenoch would harm the fight for racial equality, a Left-wing activist claimed yesterday.

In a bizarre social media video, Femi Oluwole accused the Nigerian-born MP of supporting racism by saying the phrase white privilege should not be taught in schools.

He posted a clip of ex-equalities minister Mrs Badenoch telling the Commons in 2020: We do not want teachers to teach their white pupils about white privilege and inherited racial guilt.

Let me be clear that any school that teaches those elements of critical race theory as fact without offering a balanced treatment of opposing views is breaking the law.

Tory leadership hopeful Kemi Badenoch (pictured) would harm the fight for racial equality, a Left-wing activist claimed yesterday

In a bizarre social media video, Femi Oluwole (his tweet) accused the Nigerian-born MP of supporting racism by saying the phrase white privilege should not be taught in schools

Mr Oluwole said: By declaring it is illegal to say that systemic racism exists in a country where systemic racism is fact, Kemi Badenoch is definitely supporting racism.

And the anti-Brexit activist wrote on Twitter: The damage Kemi Badenoch would do to the fight against racial inequality, as PM, should worry us all.

Mrs Badenochs team declined to respond to his comments.

After securing 40 votes in the first round of the leadership contest, the MP said: Our party must stand as the party for change. I have the conviction, the courage and the clarity of thought to deliver that change.

Yesterday, she announced she would strip responsibility for economic growth from the Treasury if she becomes prime minister. She said she would build a new office for economic growth that would be run from No 10. By taking this step, I will ensure that growth is a central mission of the government I lead, she added.

Mr Oluwoles comments come after several Left-wingers were accused of attacking candidates on the basis of their race.

One candidate, Suella Braverman, said: Its amazing that as the Conservative Party is likely to elect a non-white prime minister, the Left, who have not even had a woman prime minister, seem to think British politicians who are not white belong to them.
A Florida couple has been arrested and charged with child abuse after their 6-year old son was found unconscious with his head in the toilet, according to the Osceola Sheriff's Office.

Larry Rhodes Jr., 22, and Bianca Blaise, 25, were taken into custody on July 5, after deputies arrived at the motel room the couple was staying in and found their son, who had swollen eyes and no pulse.

The boy was rushed to Arnold Palmer Hospital with a 'life-threatening brain bleed,' cops said, and is now on life support.

Larry Rhodes Jr., 22, pictured, was charged with six counts of child abuse after his 6-year-old son was found unconscious by his partner with his head in the toilet

Bianca Blaise, 25, pictured, said Rhodes occasionally beats their kids with a woman's sandal. Police found marks on the child's skin consistent with the pattern on the bottom of a sandal

The couple claimed the boy had gotten in a fight with his 4-year-old brother the day before and that the two liked to imitate professional wrestling on the motel beds.

But when the sibling, who also had bruises and 'fresh cuts around the mouth,' was questioned alone by EMS workers with the Osceola County Fire Rescue, he said 'Dad hit me.'

Rhodes and Blaise were each charged with six counts of child negligence, batter and abuse, according to court records.

The couple had been living in the two-bed motel with eight other people, including other children.

Blaise said she works at Uber and Shipt while Rhodes, who she has been with for seven years, takes care of the children.

Police said Rhodes and Blaise were living in a two-bed motel at the Kissimee Knight Inn, pictured here, with eight other people

She said she had gone to a drug-testing facility on the morning of July 5, but it was closed so came back to the motel, to find Rhodes laying on the bed and her other son standing in the corner because he had wet the bed the night before.

She then found her 6-year-old with his 'head in the toilet,' according to the police report, 'like [he] was drinking water.'

At first she denied there was any abuse in the household, but admitted Rhodes 'whoops' the children with a woman's sandal from time to time to discipline them.

She said Rhodes had just run out of medication he takes for schizophrenia in the last two weeks.

Investigators found marks on the other children that was consistent with the pattern on the bottom of a sandal. Police located the sandal and found that it had a 'red, blood-like substance on it.'

They also found blood splatter on the wall, according to the police report, where the children were forced to stand with their noises touching it as a form of punishment.

The boy also had bruising under both eyes, cuts to his lip and chin, burns to the neck and leg, scars and scratches on his chest and marks on his back, according to investigators.

The mother said the black eyes were the result of roughhousing between the boys, but shrugged over the other injuries and blamed them on Rhodes, cops said.

'Bianca concluded her interview by expressing that she knew she needed to leave Rhodes to not only protect her [son], but herself,' according to an affidavit.

'Bianca stated that she was unable to successfully leave Mr. Rhodes because she did not want to argue with him and claimed she did not have the financial support to leave.'

Rhodes refused to cooperate with authorities and asked for a lawyer when questioned.

A doctor with the Florida Department of Children and Families Protection Team evaluated the unconscious child he reported signs of child abuse.

'Bruises are caused by blunt force trauma to the tissue causing breakage of blood vessels and leakage of blood products into the surrounding tissue,' Dr. F. Walter wrote in his report.

'While sibling fights may cause occasional bruises, they dont typically cause the amount of bruising seen in this case,'
The mother of Shinzo Abe's assassin sold her home to donate 600,000 to a church that the former prime minister was said to be close to and bankrupted her family in the process, according to reports.

Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, was allegedly motivated to kill Mr Abe by a grudge he held over his mother's finances, claiming he and his relatives had nothing left after she gave money to the South Korean Unification Church, more commonly known as the 'Moonies'.

He reportedly believed that the ex-PM's grandfather - another former leader - had helped the church expand and that Mr Abe himself had a 'close relationship' with it.

The church has confirmed the mother is a member, but has not shared any information on money she donated.

Yet reports in Japan last night suggested Yamagami's mother donated 100 million yen (612,000) to the church after selling the family home, as well as land she inherited from her grandfather.

Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, was allegedly motivated to kill Mr Abe by a grudge he held over his mother's finances, claiming he and his relatives had nothing left after she gave money to the South Korean Unification Church, more commonly known as the 'Moonies'

Mr Abe's was Japan's longest-serving, best-known, and perhaps most-consequential post-war leader before he was shot dead at the age of 67 while attending a political rally

This then led to bankruptcy in 2002, according to the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper.

It comes as Japanese police said they have found a number of suspected bullet marks on a building near the site of the fatal shooting.

They are apparently from the first shot fired from a suspect's powerful homemade gun that narrowly missed Mr Abe.

Mr Abe, the country's longest-serving prime minister who remained influential after stepping down two years ago for health reasons, was shot on Friday during a campaign speech near a crowded train station in Nara, west Japan.

A bullet from a second shot, fired seconds after the first from behind Mr Abe, hit him just as he turned around, apparently in reaction to the initial explosive sound.

Yamagami was arrested on Friday and can be detained for police investigation for up to three weeks before prosecutors decide whether to charge him.

On Wednesday, police found several suspected bullet marks in the wall of a building about 90 meters away from the shooting scene.

Police said they believe the bullets, or fragments of the bullets, from the first shot hit the wall after narrowly missing Mr Abe and piercing through an election vehicle parked nearby.

The marks on the wall and in the vehicle match, police said, suggesting they were caused by the same weapon.

Police confiscated the homemade gun the suspect allegedly used to kill Mr Abe.

The taped-up 40cm double-barrel gun, made with two iron pipes, was designed to release several bullets per shot, police said.

Police also allegedly confiscated several other similar weapons from the suspect's apartment.

Mr Abe's death has shed a light on his and his governing party's links to the Unification Church, which is known for its conservative and anti-communist stances and its mass weddings.

Tomihiro Tanaka, head of the Japanese branch of the South Korean-based church, confirmed on Monday that Yamagami's mother was a member.

Mr Tanaka said Mr Abe was not a member but may have spoken to groups affiliated with the church.

Police inspect a sidewalk near the site where former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was fatally shot in Nara, western Japan

Crowds throng the streets outside Tokyo's Zojoji temple as the hearse carrying Shinzo Abe's body emerges, following a private funeral ceremony attended by family and friends

Police this week inspected a building related to the church in Nara after the suspect told investigators he had test-fired a homemade gun the day before the shooting to figure out how powerful it would be.

They found several holes in the wall of an unrelated office next door, which the suspect might have believed was part of the church, police said.

Mr Abe's assassination has shaken Japan, one of the world's safest nations with some of the strictest gun laws.

Police have acknowledged possible lapses in guarding Mr Abe and announced plans to set up a task force to review safety procedures.

Hundreds of people, some in formal dark suits, filled pavements outside the Zojoji temple in downtown Tokyo to bid farewell to Mr Abe, whose nationalistic views drove the governing party's conservative policies, on Tuesday.
Women are now twice as likely as men to be extremely worried about their lives in the wake of the pandemic, a study found.

It revealed that a stark worry gap has opened up between the sexes since Covid struck. A total of 18 per cent of women told researchers they were extremely worried about most areas of life compared with 9 per cent of men.

When the same questions were asked pre-Covid, there was little difference between the sexes.

The biggest divide was among parents with nearly three times more mothers (23 per cent) than fathers (8 per cent) reporting high levels of anxiety.

More than half of women said they were worried about the health or wellbeing of parents or children compared with a third of men.

(Stock Image) The study found women were more likely to worry about their lives than men following the Covid-19 pandemic

Women were also more likely to worry about their work-life balance and education qualifications.

The findings came after more than 1,000 adults were questioned by the National Centre for Social Research.

The survey found evidence of the impact of Covid on all aspects of peoples lives. Children and young people endured worse mental health as well as suffering disruption to education.

Adults said they were exercising less and drinking more alcohol while older people were left feeling lonelier.

Working from home made the situation worse for some Britons, particularly those who live alone.

Josefien Breedvelt, of the centre, said the general picture showed that overall levels of worry appear to be the same in 2022 as they were pre-pandemic.

But she added this concealed a stark worry gap between women and men.

She stressed: The pandemic increased the burden on many women who often had to deal with additional caring pressures while many female-dominated sectors, from care work to the service industry, were particularly badly hit.

If ongoing challenges from the pandemic and the cost of living crisis fall disproportionately on women, we may see an even greater divergence in levels of worry.
Today host Allison Langdon hit Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with a devastating smackdown after he blamed Scott Morrison for axing Covid benefits on June 30.

But Langdon hit back: 'You're in power now, Prime Minister.'

Pandemic leave payments and free rapid antigen tests for pensioners were all dumped from July 1 despite the nation staring down another huge outbreak.

Today host Ally Langdon hit Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with a devastating smackdown after he blamed Scott Morrison for axing Covid benefits on June 30

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler predicted millions of Australians will catch Covid within the new few weeks as the virulent new Omicron strains BA.4 and BA.5 sweep the country.

But the new Labor government has refused to revive or extend the schemes, which paid up to $750 a week to those forced to isolate for seven days or more.

Now Mr Albanese is coming under increasing pressure to reverse the decision, with even NSW state Labor leader Chris Minns demanding a rethink 'for our health and economy.'

Today host Langdon tackled the PM while he was in Fiji for the Pacific Island Forum on Thursday and asked if the government had made a 'huge mistake' by implementing the decision.

Prime Minister Alnthony Albanese said he sympathised but said it was the previous government's decision to end the financial lifeline for those isolating from Covid

'We haven't, we haven't,' the PM said. 'What we inherited was a range of decisions from the former government on a timetable they worked out.

'We inherited those decisions and we inherited those decisions and we inherited a trillion dollars of debt. We'll continue to take advice and monitor what's going on.'

Co-host Karl Stefanovic said the Australian Medical Association had branded the decision 'catastrophic' but the PM insisted he was not to blame.

Health experts are predicting millions of Australians will catch Covid within the new few weeks as the virulent new Omicron strains BA.4 and BA.5 sweep the country

'It's just a fact that we've made no decision to cut payments,' he said.

'There were measures that were in place that have been made by the former government with end dates to them.'

Langdon grilled Albanese: 'Can I just go back to that? I'm a bit confused, sorry Prime Minister, I'm a bit confused about that. You're saying no decision has been made?

'Are you saying potentially these pandemic leave payments will continue?'

Anthony Albanese is coming under increasing pressure to reverse the decision, with even NSW state Labor leader Chris Minns (pictured) demanding a rethink

Albanese replied: 'No. These decisions were made by the former government...'

But Langdon snapped: 'You're in power now, Prime Minister.'

The PM said the government would work with the states and territories and take health advice before reaching any future decisions.

But Langdon then played the PM a clip of Kiralee, a 21 year old casual worker, who has been forced into Covid isolation while looking after her sister.

The Woolworths worker told the PM: 'I just think he should reconsider and see this is affecting so many people worse than me. I just think they need help.'

This video of Kiralee led Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to soften his tone

Anthony Albanese said the government would work with the states and territories and take health advice before reaching any future decisions

The PM said he sympathised but repeated that it was the previous government's decision to end the financial lifeline.

'Yes, people are going through a difficult period,' he added. 'This pandemic has thrown challenges at Australians.

'Australians have responded magnificently to those challenges. And my government will continue to take the health advice and continue to take action based upon that advice.

'I can't do more than that. We'll continue to monitor what's necessary and we'll take what action is necessary.'
Melbourne saw an exodus of as a result of its harsh Covid lockdowns, but recent data shows it is now the most desired capital city in the country.

Some 32,000 people left Victoria to live in another state in 2020 and 2021, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) as locals became fed up with harsh restrictions.

This included closing children's playgrounds, mandating masks outside and even a draconian curfew keeping people in their homes at night.

However, data from national online removalist booking site Muval shows Melbourne has overtaken Brisbane as the most popular Australian city to move to.

Melbourne accounted for around a quarter of all moving enquiries on the platform in the first half of 2022.

After many trading the Victorian capital for Queensland's warmer weather during Covid lockdowns, in 2022 all that has changed with Melbourne the most in demand city in Australia

At the height of Melbournes hard lockdowns, Muval data shows the city experienced negative net migration peaks of 61 per cent (August 2020) and 64 per cent (September 2021)

At the time of Melbourne's harshest lockdowns, data showed the city experienced massive negative net migration peaks of 61 per cent in August 2020 and 64 per cent September 2021.

This is when more people are leaving a place than the number of those entering.

In the same period, Brisbane saw a large influx of people, as many traded the Victorian capital for the warmer climates of Brisbane.

CEO of Muval, James Morrell, said recent trends show 'Aussie life is returning to normal' as major capital cities start to return to what they were pre-pandemic.

'Our data suggests that some of the dramatic movement we saw between east coast cities during the pandemic, when tens of thousands of people relocated from Victoria to Queensland, is easing as Melbourne and Brisbane's inbound migration starts to balance out,' Mr Morrell said.

Some 32,000 people left Victoria to live in another state in 2020 and 2021, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (pictured, a woman on the beach at Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast)

Brisbanes inbound enquiries are significantly dropping, with people starting to move back to Victoria

New Melbourne resident, Andrew Ikin, 62, recently moved from Adelaide to Yarraville, Victoria and said Melbourne's lockdown restrictions hadn't put him off moving there as it is 'all part and parcel of life at the moment'.

'I have moved all over Australia for work and can work anywhere with my skills but I have never lived in Melbourne and was attracted to the city for its culture as much as work and family. I like the theatre and AFL and I'm not much of a beachy person,' said Mr Ikin.

CEO of Muval James Morrell, said recent trends show 'Aussie life is returning to normal' as major capital cities start to return to what they were pre-pandemic

'I know Melbourne suffered the worst lockdowns because of Covid but that hasn't put me off  I'm up-to-date with my vaccinations and actually caught Covid after moving to Melbourne, but it's all part and parcel of life at the moment and life must go on.'

The Australian population as a whole has surged in the last decade, with its upward trajectory only temporarily stalling when Covid saw international borders close.

By the end of 2021, Australia was home to 25.738 million people, a massive 15.2 per cent increase from 2011, when the population was 22.34 million.

Australia surpassed the 25 million milestone in 2018, 24 years earlier than forecast by Treasury's inaugural Intergenerational Report in 2002.

Australian Bureau of Statistics data released in April showed Australia continues to become more racially diverse too, with migrants making up almost one-third of the population.

Between June and September 2020, during the pandemic, Australia's population fell by 4,200 people or 0.02 per cent, as more left than arrived in the land down under, with births failing to make up the shortfall.

International students and skilled migrants were allowed back into Australia in December, contributing to the population increasing once again.

The past 40 years has seen Australia's population grow at an average, annual pace of 1.4 per cent.
A Queensland police officer has accused colleagues of saying domestic violence survivors were 'too ugly to be raped' or 'deserved it' in shocking testimony.

The officer, who cannot be named to protect his identity, unveiled a toxic culture of police demeaning victims with remarks such as 'domestic violence is just foreplay', 'rape is just surprise sex' and 'I can see why he does it to her'.

'The misogyny is just so wild, and that underpins our attitudes towards female victim survivors,' the officer told the Independent Commission of Inquiry into Queensland Police Service Responses to Domestic and Family Violence on Wednesday.

An officer has given shocking testimony to an inquiry on Queensland police responses to domestic violence saying his colleagues made disgusting remarks about rape 'being deserved'

The officer said his colleagues would avoid domestic violence call-outs and even turn victims away from police counters.

'We've certainly received emails from the officer in charge saying that, 'someone alleges DV at the front counter, a report needs to be made',' the officer said.

'But I have definitely seen the case where people are turned away or there's been discussion about 'I'm not going to do anything with this, but should I put it on as a street check?'.

'No, don't do that because then if there's an audit you're going to be made to report the DV.'

The officer said half the officers at his station made extremely offensive remarks about women, which were almost universally approved by their workmates

Domestic violence victims were more likely to be helped if they were attractive, well-educated and well-dressed, the officer testified.

The officer said he was in a police car with another officer who drove away to avoid a domestic violence call-out.

His colleagues would sometimes voice the opinion that a domestic violence order was an attempt by a woman to 'screw him [the respondent] over in Family Court'.

By his estimate the officer said half his station colleagues made misogynistic comments, which were met with almost universal approval.

'But in terms of the people that will laugh along to that kind of behaviour it's like upwards of 90, 95 per cent. Like, most people,' the officer said.

The inquiry heard that officers avoided domestic violence call-outs and shunned victims, even turning them away from police stations

Derogatory terms were common for women, whether they were victims, colleagues or wives.

'We have a 'C***y McC*** face', 'c***',' the officer said.

'Like 'f***ing bitch', 'f***ing slut', 'mole'.

He also said male officers would routinely sexually harass female colleagues telling them they needed to show more cleavage or 'I would tap that'.

The officer testified that some of his colleagues presented 'red flags' that were indicative of coercive and controlling behaviour of their partners or ex-partners.

'One of the other members  who had had kind of cross order stuff going on with a partner, said really angrily, Ill kill her, in reference to his ex-partner,' the officer told the inquiry.

The inquiry into Queensland Police responses to domestic violence will run for four months

The officer said derogatory terms were part of the 'vocabulary' of policing and racism was endemic.

Indigenous people were called 'ATSIs' or 'savages' and a common racist sentiment expressed at the station was that 'ATSIs were out of control'.

People with criminal convictions were known as 'grubs', while those with mental health problems were 'spoons'.

Queensland Police have responded to the officer's evidence by saying the force was encouraging such testimony to mend its ways.

'The QPS will work with the Commission of Inquiry to examine those issues and to respond to ensure that organisational values, standards of practice and responsibilities are being maintained and, where the opportunity arises, enhanced,' a spokesperson said.

'The QPS also looks forward to continuing to work with the Commission of Inquiry and receiving its recommendations.

'We are committed to strengthening and improving our response to Domestic and Family Violence matters to ensure the Service is supporting all victims and holding perpetrators to account.'

The inquiry into police responses to domestic violence is being led by Queensland childrens court president Deborah Richards and will run for four months.
A man struggling with a cough and constant headache sparked fears a mysterious disease was circulating after testing negative to Covid and influenza, before eventually a test came back positive.

The Sydney-based Reddit user took to the online forum to ask for advice about what was wrong with him, after suffering several flu-like symptoms.

'A lot of people around me [including me] have been experiencing feeling very, very cold, dry cough and headache,' the Sydneysider wrote on Reddit.

'I've tested negative to influenza and Covid-19.

'Anyone else experiencing the same? Know what it is? Anything to share to help enlighten me and others?'

Before users could have a chance to worry about the next illness set to plague the country, the user updated the post - revealing it was a Covid diagnosis after all.

'Just did another RAT test and it has come back positive for Covid-19,' the update read.

'Please let this be a reminder not to ignore your mildest symptoms and just do a RAT test.'

A 'mystery illness' set tongues wagging on social media after a commenter complained of having Covid symptoms, yet got negative test results for the disease

The 'mystery' was solved after the Sydneysider finally got a positive RAT reading for Covid (pictured)

Social media users got a kick out of the 'mystery illness' gag on Reddit calling it the 'least twisty plot twist' they had ever seen.

Another piped up and said the symptoms sounded familiar.

'That sounds exactly like what I have, which is Covid,' the commenter joked.

The person's post comes as many families realise how much of an unreliable punt some rapid antigen tests are in diagnosing Covid-19.

Not only are they not as reliable as PCR tests, they are also unlikely to register a positive until after day three of someone's infection.

User error can also be to blame.

Western Sydney mum Allie discovered this after she tested positive to Covid earlier this year, prompting her family to do home tests to check their status.

Two of her kids returned positive tests but her husband and younger son continued to test negative.

Her symptomatic husband - who did have Covid but his virus was not picked up by the RATs - ended up going to work after his boss insisted he go in, despite his symptoms.

The boss was then infected with the disease.

One woman revealed how her husband developed symptoms and did actually have Covid despite the RAT not picking up his illness

Allie said her partner finally got a PCR positive result, which made her upset the boss insisted he come into the office with the symptoms.

'He tested positive because he'd made my husband go to the office, so I think that shows RATs are rubbish,' Allie told ABC.

Her son also continued to attend kindergarten before finally testing positive to Covid via a PCR.

Doctors have cautioned those with symptoms to not rely on negative rapid antigen tests and urged people to get a PCR test even if the RATs come up negative.

The quick RATs came to Australia as a much-needed alternative in 2021, saving people from having to stand in long queues to get tested and wait days in isolation to get a result back.

The long lines have been less common recently, with the government still providing free PCR tests throughout the country.

Australia reported 47,419 Covid cases and 78 deaths on Thursday, and there were 4,512 people in hospital, an increase of 35.

The nation passed the grim milestone of 10,000 deaths related to Covid earlier this month.
Hadley on Wednesday said he was 'embarrassed' to be on same network

The radio host is filling in for Ben Fordham and said Hadley was 'clueless'

Smith said 'the hysteria around the Coral Princess was utterly disgraceful'

Chris Smith took a dig back at 2GB host Ray Hadley on radio on Thursday

Radio host Chris Smith has fired back at 2GB colleague Ray Hadley, cheekily using his own remarks against him in an on-air spray about Covid.

Hadley slammed Smith on his 2GB show on Wednesday morning, saying he was 'embarrassed to be on the same network' as him over 'foolish' comments he made about a Covid-infected cruise ship.

Smith, who is filling in for usual host Ben Fordham, bit back on Thursday, calling for the situation to be put into perspective, all while taking a subtle dig at his fellow radio host.

'The hysteria around the Coral Princess was utterly disgraceful,' Smith said.

'In fact, I would use the word embarrassing, and it was peddled by people who are clueless about the pandemic. Some people don't want to admit that for their own alarmist agenda.'

The Coral Princess docked in Sydney on Wednesday after a massive Covid outbreak ripped through the ship - 118 people have tested positive to the virus, including 114 staff.

Coral Princess is the sister of the Ruby Princess, the ship that docked in Sydney in early 2020 and kicked off one of NSW's earliest Covid outbreaks.

2GB radio host Chris Smith (pictured) fired back at Hadley's remarks on Thursday morning saying, 'I would use the word embarrassing, and it was peddled by people who are clueless'

Fellow 2GB host Ray Hadley (pictured) on Wednesday slammed Smith's 'foolish' comments about the Coral Princess situation

On Wednesday morning, Smith said Australians don't need to get worked up about the Coral Princess, which docked in Sydney on Wednesday.

He said passengers 'knew what they were walking into' on the 'damn cruise ship' - with more than 100 staff and passengers forced to stay on the boat until they returned a negative test.

'We are in a different realm, this is very different. We have defences against the virus now and it's not like following the Ruby Princess,' Smith said on Wednesday.

'I would argue we shouldn't panic... We need to be real about this, put it in context. Let's not get excited.

'Put it in perspective: there are only 118 positive cases on the Coral Princess.'

At the same time, there were more than 130,000 active cases of Covid in New South Wales, Smith said.

The Coral Princess has 118 active Covid infections on board, 114 of which are staff. Passengers will have to test negative before disembarking, with staff to stay on board

Coral Princess passengers seen leaving the cruise ship after disembarking at Circular Quay early on Wednesday morning

'So you could be in the city today and walk past more than 100 people with the virus,' Smith told his audience.

'We don't need to get worked up about this Covid was always going to spread on cruise ships as it does on planes, as it does in workplaces, at the footy and elsewhere.

'These people knew what they were walking into as well.'

Hadley's program comes immediately after Smith's on 2GB, with the latter taking no time to attack his colleague's remarks, saying he was 'almost embarrassed' to be on the same broadcast network.

Without naming him - but almost certainly referring to Smith - Hadley said: 'One of my colleagues this morning was saying nothing to see here, it's all wonderful, well, he's a foolish person in my opinion in relation to the virus.

Hadley on Wednesday: 'I'm sorry but the sort of nonsense I heard on the network this morning was just foolish and I'm almost embarrassed I'm on the same broadcast network as that bloke'

'I'm sorry, but the sort of nonsense I heard on the network this morning was just foolish and I'm almost embarrassed I'm on the same broadcast network as that bloke, but anyway that's another story I'll deal with privately.'

Hadley has previously advocated for increased restrictions during Covid waves.

Following Hadley's comments on Wednesday, Smith did not back down saying he would take his advice from the medical experts.

'I stand by what I said,' the broadcaster told Daily Mail Australia.

'The cruise company has let those passengers down with sloppy biosecurity measures.

'But with 4.7 per cent of those on board becoming infected and 100 per cent of them fully vaccinated, this is nothing like the Ruby Princess case.

'As the Queensland Health Minister said, "Covid is all around us". I'll take advice from the epidemiologists thanks.'

The ship travelled around Queensland on Sunday before heading to NSW, where it is currently docked in Sydney

Princess Cruises said they were 'doing everything possible' to ensure the safety of guests and crew (pictured, the cruise ship docked at Sydney's Circular Quay)

The Coral Princess arrived at Circular Quay in Sydney, just before dawn on Wednesday.

Passengers were required to return a negative rapid antigen test before disembarking, with the crew remaining on board.

The cruise ship will return to its home port of Brisbane on Thursday.

The outbreak forced Princess Cruises to offer refunds to those booked on its next 12-day trip before it departed from Brisbane to Sydney on Monday.

A Princess Cruises spokesman on Tuesday said the crew who had tested positive in a recent full-screening were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms.

A woman takes a photo of the view from her balcony after the ship docked in Circular Quay

The contagion on the vessel - which is a sister ship to the Ruby Princess that was linked to 28 deaths after an outbreak onboard in 2020 - is the first for the local cruise industry since it resumed trips after the pandemic.

Queensland Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said protocols were in place on the ship before the outbreak.

'The virus is everywhere and there's no escaping that,' Ms D'Ath said earlier this week.

'They will be testing staff more frequently at the moment and also encouraging any passengers with any symptoms whatsoever to come forward and get tested and they will have to isolate as well.'

Princess Cruises said they were 'doing everything possible' to ensure the safety of guests and crew.

'We are adhering to comprehensive protocols that were agreed in conjunction with federal and state authorities and we are confident that they are working effectively,' a spokesman told Australian Associated Press.
A major Melbourne trauma hospital will defer elective surgeries in response to rising rates of hospitalisation due to the latest Covid wave.

The Alfred in the city's inner-south is expected to begin deferring elective surgeries in coming days as admissions of patients who have contracted Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants continue to rise.

Urgent category one and emergency surgery is expected to continue without disruption.

The decision was revealed in an internal memo to staff from The Alfred's chief executive Professor Andrew Way, reported in The Age.

'As expected, COVID transmissions continue to rise,' Professor Way wrote in the memo. '

'We are now looking directly in the face of a third Omicron wave.

'This means elective surgery will again be deferred. It means that we will again limit outpatient appointments.'

The Alfred (pictured) in the Melbourne's inner-south is expected to begin deferring elective surgeries in coming days as admissions of patients who have contracted Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants continue to rise

Professor Way then acknowledged that hospital staff are 'exhausted and over being asked for more'.

'I know this pandemic has asked too much,' he wrote.

He indicated the hospital planned to return to the 'principles' that had guided its Covid response in previous waves.

All visitors to to the hospital and its associated facilities will be required to wear N95 masks from today, including outpatients.

Victoria announced 11,283 new cases and 20 deaths from Covid-19 on Thursday, with 771 people in hospital for treatment (pictured, people wearing masks in Melbourne's CBD as a third wave of Omicron subvariants takes hold across Australia)

The Alfred's move followed the revelation by Victoria's acting premier Jacinta Allan that 1,900 of the states hospital workers are currently off sick because of Covid-19 infection.

Ms Allan said on Thursday that other hospitals will not be directed to follow The Alfred's move on elective surgeries but will be left to make their own decisions based on their respective situations.

'Hospitals at a local level are going to make decisions, as they always have in the past, based on the circumstances of the day,' she said.

Victoria announced 11,283 new cases and 20 deaths from Covid-19 on Thursday, with 771 people in hospital for treatment including 34 in ICU and nine on a ventilator.

It's believed Victoria's health department will take more drastic measures such as cancelling elective surgeries, leave for hospital staff and place private healthcare workers into the public system should hospitals come under more pressure from rising hospitalisations.
Several regulations come with being a Royal. From etiquette to old customs, the British Royals are held to extremely high standards.

When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle decided to stand down as Royals in 2020, they not only absolved themselves of these conventions but also released their children from a life of rules. Their two children, Archie and Lilibet, now face far fewer restrictions than their Royal cousins.

Royal Family Rules That Won't Affect Prince Harry, Meghan Markle's Children

You may have observed that the three children of Prince William and Kate Middleton, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, usually wear formal clothes gowns. There's a good explanation behind this. It is deemed "suburban" not to dress young boys in shorts and girls in dresses among the upper class, nobility, and royals.

Furthermore, since they are no longer members of the royal family, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle can send their children to public schools if they so want. For security concerns, royal couples usually send their children to private schools. According to People, Prince George and Princess Charlotte both attended Thomas's Battersea Day School, which costs $23,000 a year, and dropped their royal titles while there.

While Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may not send their children to public school, they now have the option because they are not subject to Royal restrictions. Prince George and Princess Charlotte sat through Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding ceremony without incident.

This is because Beaumont Politeness's Myka Meier taught the youngsters to correct etiquette. Lilibet will no longer need to go through this training because her parents are no longer senior royals. While for some, Monopoly is merely a fun board game to play with your pals, The Telegraph reports that the real estate board game can become crazy for the Queen.

When the Duke of York was given a Monopoly board game in 2008, it was disclosed. He said that it is not permitted in the royal family because it becomes too violent. The pair famously rejected the Queen's proposals to bestow a formal royal title to Archie, and they have yet to agree on one for Lilibet. Because Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are still formally the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, their children are not fully free of royal titles.

The Royal Family is quite stringent about adopting a political stance. Fortunately, Lilibet won't have to worry about the consequences in the future. Of course, this restriction never prevented her outspoken mother from criticizing former President Donald Trump in 2016.

Lilibet and Archie's parents have become considerably more politically active since they departed from Britain, so we may expect their children to do the same when they grow up.

Read Also: Who Is Huma Abedin: Bradley Cooper Reportedly Dates Former Hillary Clinton Aide

Why Archie, Lilibet Might Be in Danger While Living in US?

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex may have stepped away from royal responsibilities in search of privacy, but even their sheltered living at their Montecito home in Santa Barbara, California, cannot protect them from public scrutiny.

The pair may no longer be able to control being photographed in public without their knowledge, according to critic Daniela Elser. She used the example of Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and their 3-year-old son Archie witnessing a parade in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on July 4.

Another paradegoer took the photos and confirmed they were of royal family members. The netizen even came across the couple's bodyguard. But additional photographs - which have already been erased - appeared on Thursday showing the Sussexes, together with their three-year-old son Archie, which bring into question exactly how free their new lives might be, Elser wrote for News.com.au.

The royal critic questioned the privacy of Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Archie, and Lilibet in the United States, where websites like TMZ and Radar Online will happily pay the public for smartphone images of celebrities out and about doing such scintillating things as standing, walking, and stocking up on loo paper, Your Tango reported

Related Article: Meghan Markle, Prince Harry Might "Play Victims" in New Oprah Winfrey Interview, Expert Claims

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Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has vowed China will never have a military base in his country after PM Anthony Albanese's hug diplomacy in Fiji.

The Pacific Islands nation signed a security treaty with Beijing earlier this year sparking fears it would give China a foothold in Australia's backyard.

Now Mr Sogavare has ruled it out, saying he recognised it would turn his nation into an 'enemy' and could put his country in the crosshairs for military strikes.

But he warned the nation would still turn to China if Australia didn't give them the support they say they need.

The change of heart came after he was pictured embracing Mr Albanese warmly when the two leaders first met at the Pacific Islands Forum in Fiji on Wednesday.

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has vowed China will never have a military base there after PM Anthony Albanese's hug diplomacy in Fiji

Just two months earlier, Mr Sogavare had been photographed arm in arm with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi who wanted 'iron-clad ties' with China.

After the May 26 meeting, Mr Sogavare said he was willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China on international issues.

Now though, after overnight talks with Mr Albanese, the Pacific PM says the nation's future lies with Australia - so long as Australia helps them as required.

He said Australia remained his 'security partner of choice' and he would only turn to China for security personnel if Australia couldn't meet any 'gap'.

'Let me assure you all again, there is no military base, nor any other military facility, or institutions in the agreement,' he told The Guardian.

'And I think that's a very important point that we continue to reiterate to the family in the region.

'It is not in someone's interest, nor the interest of the region, for any military base to be established in any Pacific island country, let alone Solomon Islands.

'The moment we establish a foreign military base, we immediately become an enemy. And we also put our country and our people as targets for potential military strikes.'

Two months ago, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare had been photographed arm in arm with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi who wanted 'iron-clad ties' with China

He called on Australia to step up in China's place and give the nation the security support they need as required.

Mr Sogavare said when it comes to security issues , he will call on Australia first.

Experts fear a looming flashpoint between the Australian and Chinese military could spark a 'serious incident' after escalating confrontations over territorial claims.

A Chinese base in Australia's backyard would have dramatically raised the risk of an explosive stand-off blowing up with Beijing.

Earlier Mr Albanese had said he was 'very confident' the Solomons would not allow the Chinese to build a military base there.

'I had a very constructive meeting with Prime Minister Sogavare yesterday. I sat with him at dinner last night,' the old the Today show on Thursday

'One of the things we need to do is build personal relations between Australia and our friends in the Pacific to make sure that our interests, but also their interests, are protected.'

He dismissed suggestions he asked Mr Sogavare to rip up the treaty, and added: 'They are a sovereign nation. We need to respect that.

'But what we need to do as well is make clear what Australia's interests are.

'And obviously the interests of Australia would not be served by having a military base so close to where Australia is and so close to where Queensland is as well.'

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was 'very confident' China would not have a military base in the Solomon Islands after talks with Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare

The warnings about rising tensions comes after the Australian Navy frigate HMAS Parramatta was stalked by Chinese aircraft, nuclear submarines and warships.

And on Wednesday, a US warship deliberately sailed within 12 miles of Chinese-claimed territory in the South China Sea in a direct challenge to Beijing.

It follows earlier clashes where Australian military aircraft were threatened by Chinese fighter jets using potentially dangerous flares and chaff, and another targeted by high-power military-grade Chinese lasers.

Now defence expert Professor Don Rothwell has warned: 'The risk of miscalculation is one that is very live.'

Experts fear a looming flashpoint between Australian and Chinese military could spark a 'serious incident' after escalating confrontations over President Xi Jinping's territorial claims

The warning comes after Australian Navy frigate HMAS Parramatta was stalked by Chinese aircraft, nuclear submarines and warships

The movements of HMAS Parramatta were shadowed by the Chinese military as it sailed between Australia, Vietnam, South Korea and Japan last month.

In the East China Sea, tensions soared as the Australian ship was warned it was entering 'Chinese territorial waters' despite still being in international waters.

Now it's also been revealed a US warship sailed within 12 miles of Paracel Islands in the South China Sea on Wednesday to challenge China's claim over the region.

The freedom-of-navigation operation, 500km offshore from Vietnam, was a deliberate provocation to undermine Beijing's rights to the territory.

The incident passed off without incident - but defence experts fear it could be just a matter of time before the flashpoints escalate to a major confrontation.

Defence experts fear it could be just a matter of time before the flashpoints escalate to a major confrontation

They are concerned that Australia is challenging Beijing in a similar way to the US, but without the same back-up resources that the US military can call on.

'It's becoming increasingly difficult - Australia is to a degree isolated,' Prof Rothwell of Australian National University told the ABC.

'It is clear there is a pattern associated with Australia's activities now [that is] very much aligned with the way in which the United States conducts similar activities.

'It needs to be accepted that Australia is often sailing through those waters on their own without a lot of back-up, in the way that the US Navy would often have.'

The fears were echoed by former defence personnel minister Darren Chester.

'What concerns me is there's more likely to be some incident at a future point resulting from a level of misadventure or miscalculation or mistake being made than an actual act of aggression,' the Nationals MP said.

'We need to be very careful and need to make sure we are working closely with our allies. I think it is really important that we try and de-escalate these situations wherever possible.

'At the same time, we have every right to be there. The Australian navy is incredibly professional, incredibly well-trained and incredibly capable and they are just doing their job.'

In May, a Chinese jet fighter released aluminium foil chaff dangerously close to an RAAF Poseidon surveillance plane's jet engines, prompting a diplomatic incident

In May, a Chinese jet fighter released aluminium foil chaff dangerously close to an RAAF Poseidon surveillance plane's jet engines, prompting a diplomatic incident.

And another Australian Poseidon surveillance aircraft was targeted by high-powered military lasers from a Chinese ship off the north coast of Australia in February.

During the federal election campaign, the ADF was also tracking a Chinese naval ship off the west coast of Australia, apparently monitoring military signal traffic.

On Sunday, four USAF B-2A stealth bombers landed in Queensland in a high-profile show of strength and support for Australia.

On Sunday, four USAF B-2A stealth bombers landed in Queensland in a high-profile show of strength and support for Australia

The 'flying wing'-style aircraft flew 14,000km from their US base in Missouri on a 'training and strategic deterrence mission in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific'.

Squadron commander Lieutenant Colonel Kousgaard added: 'This deployment of the B-2 to Australia demonstrates and enhances the readiness and lethality of our long-range penetrating strike force.'
Twitter's legal complaint accusing Elon Musk of violating his $44 billion takeover agreement includes an unusual exhibit: a tweet from the billionaire containing the poop emoji.

The lawsuit filed on Tuesday in Delaware cites Musk's May 16 tweet, among others, as evidence that he publicly disparaged Twitter, in violation of the merger agreement, before he backed out of the deal entirely.

Musk's tweet with the smiling poop emoji came in response to Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal, who had sent several tweets explaining the company's procedures to combat spam and fake accounts, a battle Agrawal described as 'dynamic.'

Last week, Musk said he was terminating the buyout deal over concerns about bots and fake accounts, and he responded to the lawsuit with a tweet explaining that his use of the colorful emoji was shorthand for 'BS', a common abbreviation for 'bulls**t.'

Now Twitter is seeking a court judgement to force Musk to buy the company at $54.20 per share, as he agreed in the April 25 merger deal -- and many legal and financial experts believe the social media platform has a strong case.

Twitter's lawsuit includes a screenshot of the billionaire responding to its CEO with the poop emoji, saying it's evidence he disparaged the company in violation of the buyout deal

Musk responded to the lawsuit with a tweet explaining that his use of the colorful emoji was shorthand for 'BS'

Musk's colorful tweets sparring with Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal (right) are now among the evidence submitted in the social media company's lawsuit

Twitter's lawsuit cites numerous tweets from Musk as evidence that he violated the merger agreement by disparaging the company and revealing non-public information.

In one May 17 tweet, Musk appeared to encourage the SEC to investigate the accuracy of Twitters public disclosures.

The company argues that these tweets violate the merger agreement, which states in part that Musk is allowed to tweet about the buyout 'so long as such Tweets do not disparage the Company or any of its Representatives.'

While Musk's tweets are presented as evidence he has been pursuing the takeover in 'bad faith' -- but the crux of Twitter's argument is that the world's richest man is bound by the deal to buy the company he signed on April 25.

The suit notes the deal includes no contingency requiring Musk to secure financing, and that the billionaire waived the customary right to due diligence, which refers to the type of investigation into business fundamentals that he later pursued regarding fake accounts.

Twitter stock jumped nearly 8 percent on Wednesday, to $36.75, in a sign that investors view the company's lawsuit as likely to succeed in some capacity.

Twitter stock jumped nearly 8 percent on Wednesday, to $36.75, in a sign that investors view the company's lawsuit as likely to succeed in some capacity

Musk's fateful poop emoji was in response to Agrawal's thread explaining the company's policies in relation to spam accounts

The April 25 merger agreement contains a clause forbidding Musk from insulting Twitter representatives in tweets about the merger agreement

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives wrote in a note obtained by DailyMail.com that 'many investors spent last night reading the case and ultimately concluded that this Game of Thrones battle in court will result in some version of a Twitter win.'

'This will be a fierce battle in court with the fake account/bot issue front and center, but ultimately Twitter's Board is holding Musk's feet to the fire to finish the deal at the agreed upon price,' wrote Ives.

The lawsuit ultimately states that Musk 'refuses to honor his obligations to Twitter and its stockholders because the deal he signed no longer serves his personal interests'.

Twitter's lawyers said the company was given little time to comply with Musk's demands for information on fake accounts, and argued that they suspected he was trying to use the data to form a competitor.

'Steadfast in its commitment to consummate the merger, Twitter continued to try to get Musk's team what it demanded while safeguarding its customers' data and harboring very real concerns about how Musk might use the data if he succeeded in escaping the deal,' the lawsuit stated.

Twitter's lawyers argued that if the company continued to bow to Musk's demands, it would 'expose Twitter to competitive harm.'

Twitter lawyers said the company was complying with Musk's request but grew worried about oversharing info that would pose 'competitive risks' to the social media giant

They added that despite saying he would back away from the deal, Musk has allegedly continued to mine Twitter's confidential data.

'Twitter has bent over backwards to provide Musk the information he has requested, including, most notably, the full 'firehose' data set that he has been mining for weeks  and has been continuing to mine since purporting to terminate  with the assistance of undisclosed data reviewers,' the lawsuit stated.

Social media expert and industry commentator, Matt Navarra, said the legal action 'gives a brutally blunt blow-by-blow account of Elon Musk's corporate takeover theatrics'.

It contains a reference to a number of tweets about the deal from Musk, including the poo emoji he sent in reply to a tweet from the platform's chief executive about fake account numbers.

'Twitter describes Elon Musk as a hypocrite who has trashed the company and caused "irreparable damage,"' Navarra told the PA news agency.

'Yet Twitter wants a judge to force Elon Musk to pay up and complete the 44 billion dollar takeover deal he started. This could end up being the world's most expensive case of "If you break it, you pay for it."'

Meanwhile, court filings on Wednesday revealed that the first female chief judge on Delaware's nationally known business court will oversee Twitter's lawsuit.

Kathaleen McCormick took over the role of chancellor, or chief judge, last year after the retirement of Andre Bouchard on the Court of Chancery, a favored venue for large corporate disputes.

Among McCormick's first decisions will be a request by Twitter to hold a four-day trial in September, an incredibly tight time frame for such a complicated case.

McCormick's final ruling on the merger can be appealed to the Delaware Supreme Court.
A new Australian film based on the murder of Daniel Morcombe in 2003 has been slammed as 'morally corrupt' by his mother.

Daniel, 13, vanished after leaving his Sunshine Coast home on Sunday December 7, 2003, to buy his family Christmas presents at the local shopping centre.

It took a nine-year police investigation to convict Brett Peter Cowan with his murder.

Now, a movie starring Joel Edgerton is set to come out which follows the story of an undercover officer tasked with securing a confession from a man suspected of murder. It is said to be based on Daniel's killing.

However, Daniel's furious mother Denise has slammed makers of the movie.

'The movie 'The Stranger' is not supported by the Morcombe family. Individuals who make money on a heinous crime are parasites, 'she tweeted.

'They are callously disrespectful to Daniel, the DMF & the Morcombe family. We find the making of the movie morally corrupt and cruel. Shame on you.'

Daniel Morcombe, from the Sunshine Coast, disappeared in December 2003, aged 13, while going Christmas shopping

A movie starring Joel Edgerton is set to come out which follows the story of an undercover officer tasked with securing a confession from a man suspected of murder. It is said to be based on Daniel's killing

Bruce Morcombe, Daniel's father, said the 'connections of the movie have blood on their hands'.

'We are not amused! How can anyone give oxygen to a crime that is so, so evil,' he tweeted.

Writer Thomas M. Wright, who also directed the film, has not denied the story is based on the Morcombe investigation, but said he left out the family's experience.

'One reason I chose not to show the child or family was to make a film with a clear moral perspective,' he told Variety in May.

'I couldn't presume to know anything of the experience of that family. But I could see that there was a story about empathy and making meaning in the wake of violence, not violence itself.

'All of the actors went very deep on this film. I think it left a mark on everybody.'

Denise Morcombe, the mother of Daniel Morcombe, has slammed the upcoming movie

Murderer of Queensland schoolboy Daniel Morcombe, Brett Peter Cowan. It took nine years to convict him

The movie premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May and received positive reviews.

Mr and Mrs Morcombe spent years tirelessly working to keep the missing person investigation active until Daniel's killer was finally arrested in 2011.

Since their son's disappearance, Mr and Mrs Morcombe have dedicated their lives to providing safety education to children through a foundation they launched in their son's name.

Daniel was waiting at a bus stop when he was abducted by serial paedophile Brett Peter Cowan, then 34, and taken to an abandoned house where he was molested then strangled.

His disappearance sparked one of the biggest missing person investigations in Australian history, culminating in Cowan's arrest eight years later.

The child killer subsequently led police to where he had dumped Daniel's remains in bushland at the Glass House Mountains in August 2011.

He was sentenced to life behind bars in Brisbane's Wolston Correctional Centre in 2014, with a minimum non-parole period of 20 years.

Cowan remains an unpopular inmate due to his horrific crimes - which include an extensive rap sheet of child sex offences prior to Daniel's murder.'

He has been the target of several brutal attacks at the hands of fellow inmates, including being doused with boiling water in 2016 which left him with permanent scarring.

In May 2018, he was stabbed in the ear and neck with an 'improvised implement' and suffered superficial injuries.

Cowan will be eligible to apply for parole in 2034.
An Aussie building company has been saved less than 24 hours after collapsing owing $18million to 250 creditors, with 52 staff fired and 550 homes at risk of not being completed.

On Wednesday a court ordered construction firm Snowdon Developments to go into liquidation.

However, only a few hours later they were purchased by another Victorian construction company, Mimosa Homes, news.com.au reported.

Australian building company Snowdon Developments was ordered to go into liquidation on Wednesday morning, however, was purchased a few hours later by Victorian construction company, Mimosa Homes

It comes just weeks after the company went into administration over concerns it couldn't pay its debts.

'I am satisfied for orders to be made for the defendant to be wound up in insolvency,' said Judicial Registrar Kim Woronczak.

The move to wind it up came after contractors and suppliers had gone months without being paid and construction projects remained untouched.

Fifteen creditors took the firm to court in April over the $2.5million they were owed in a bid to wind the company up on the grounds of insolvency.

But the three-month delay in reaching a decision had left many of the creditors facing financial ruin, the court heard.

Australian building company Snowdon Developments had collapsed owing $18million to 250 creditors, with 52 staff fired and more than 550 homes at risk of not being completed

Fifteen creditors took Snowdon Developments to court in April over the $2.5million they were owed in a bid to wind the company up on the grounds of insolvency

Others said they had missed out on the previous government's $15,000- $25,000 Homebuilder grant because work had not started in time to qualify.

'We say that extreme delay has prejudiced supporting creditors,' Danny Didone of Wyndham Law Offices told the court on Wednesday.

'Snowdon should have been in a position many months ago to realise this company should have been wound up, not three months after this proceeding commenced.'

Three former Snowdon clients are owed more than $1million each, the court heard, while the Australian Tax Office is also demanding $4million in outstanding taxes.

The court was told 252 customers had paid a deposit but no work was ever carried out, while another 268 had construction underway at the time Snowdon crashed.

Mira Vose and her husband Anthony have been left with only the concrete slab and a wooden frame almost 18 months after work first began.

Contractors are also among the creditors, including Michael Hassan's MD Demolitions who is claiming $103,000 for work which has gone unpaid for six months.

'There was no money coming into the account to feed the family or pay off the workers,' he said.

'Its just sad, Ive been to the office, I said Im desperate, I need the money.

'If I didnt have financial support behind me, the bank would have taken my property by now.'

The move to wind it up came after contractors and suppliers had gone months without being paid and construction projects remained untouched

It had been the latest construction company to have folded during the pandemic with many struggling to find staff and facing problems sourcing and paying for materials due to a worldwide shortage.

Matthew Mackey, the Executive Director at engineering giant Arcadis, said the government need to get more involved or face a total collapse of the residential construction industry.

'There has to be more collaboration at all levels to make sure it moves forward. We're not going to be talking about builders going under but a complete lack of jobs,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

Spiralling material costs, choked supply chains, fuel and vehicle price hikes, difficulty finding staff, and high wages were all combining to destroy the viability of businesses.

Spiralling material costs, choked supply chains, fuel and vehicle price hikes, difficulty finding staff, and high wages were all combining to destroy the viability of businesses

Staffing costs also soared with some in-demand tradies and specialists being headhunted by rivals for twice their previous salary.

The industry was also hit with delays caused by Covid shutdowns and then the La Nina deluges stopping work on sites across the eastern half of the country for weeks on end.

Now companies up and down the country are committed to fixed cost contracts which are losing them money hand over fist.

The worst affected are the bigger companies with sales teams who booked in record amounts of business at prices they can't sustain, with profits smashed by the rising costs.

Smaller companies have also been bit but are better protected as they have committed to fewer jobs and are more likely to be able to cover their losses.

Others are renegotiating the cost of contracts before starting work to account for the change in the economy, and offering customers their deposit back if they choose not to proceed.

Some unscrupulous builders are starting work on projects at the fixed price, only to stop halfway through and hold families to ransom to complete the job.
The worker allegedly fired for failing to include an emoji in a text message to her boss has unleashed on her former employer, in rather ironic style.

Kristen Gordon told Daily Mail Australia the only comment she wanted to make about her ordeal, in which she was fired from the Gold Coast cafe where she works, was an eyeroll emoji.

Ms Gordon won a Fair Work Commission case against Sens Catering group, a business that operates two Gold Coast cafes and one in Brisbane city - after she was fired on March 13 this year.

The FWC heard the owner's partner, Phoebe Wang, ordered a manager to fire Ms Gordon, who was a casual supervisor at the Southport cafe, following a dispute about rostering.

A colleague told the hearing Ms Wang, partner of owner Jerry Chen, became outraged over text messages from Ms Gordon, believing they were 'unfriendly' because the worker did not use smiley emojis.

Ms Gordon (pictured) said her response to her ordeal with her former employer was an 'eye rolling emoji'

A Fair Work Commission hearing heard Phoebe Wang (pictured) ordered Ms Gordon be fired after she did not include a smiley emoji in a message

Although Ms Gordon was a casual, she was working full-time hours and was responsible for staff rostering, the FWC heard.

A colleague told the Commission Ms Wang, who started running Mr Chen's Gold Coast businesses in December while he was overseas, became infuriated after receiving a message from Ms Gordon about a staffing issue.

Ms Gordon told the hearing Ms Wang requested staff from the Sens Cafe be sent to their other store, Goya Cafe, which left the former short-staffed.

She explained that she disagreed with this business move, which happened frequently, and brought it up in a text exchange with Ms Wang.

After receiving the messages, Ms Wang allegedly smashed her phone on the counter, jumped up and down while screaming to a manager 'fire her right now!'

The colleague said she asked to see the messages to understand why Ms Wang was so angry, and thought they were normal.

Ms Gordon (pictured at the cafe) was employed as a casual but was working full-time hours, with her role involving helping with staff rostering

The commission heard Ms Wang said Ms Gordon was arguing with her and because the messages had no emojis, it suggested her tone was rude.

Despite the colleague explaining that was just how Ms Gordon writes texts, Ms Wang allegedly seethed and kept repeating that she must be sacked.

Ms Gordon told the FWC that she had been told Ms Wang repeatedly stated she 'didn't add any smiley faces! There are no emotions!'

The former supervisor said she was unaware that her 'completely reasonable text messages created so much upset'.

The colleague told the FWC Ms Wang's outburst was a 'very aggressive display and very uncomfortable'.

Later that afternoon, the colleague said Ms Wang offered her Ms Gordon's job, saying: 'Are you worried about hurting her feelings?

The FWC heard Ms Gordon was a casual supervisor at the business's Southport cafe (pictured) for 18 months

'Don't worry about that we have wanted to get rid of Kristen for a long time.'

The next afternoon, after she had worked a full shift, a manager told Ms Gordon they were forced to dismiss her.

She lodged her case with the FWC the next day.

But Mr Chen disputes the emoji allegations, telling Daily Mail Australia the dismissal was in response to the rostering argument.

'Common sense tells you it is a joke,' Mr Chen said, in response to the claims Ms Gordon was fired because she did not use emojis.

Mr Chen said he and Ms Wang are very upset over the saga, but 'accept the decision that FWC made'.

Fair Work Commissioner Chris Simpson noted the pair did not attend the hearing on July 1 after 'indicating that they did not wish to participate'.

In handing down his findings, Mr Simpson said: 'based on the evidence before me, I was satisfied that Ms Gordon was dismissed and that the dismissal was harsh, unjust or unreasonable and an order for compensation should be made.'

However, Mr Chen said the couple could not attend the FWC hearing because he was overseas and Ms Wang was in Perth fulfilling work commitments.

Kristen Gordon (pictured) won an unfair dismissal case after she was fired from Sens Catering group in March this year

'Phoebe and I didn't attend the hearing because we like to stay away from troubles,' he said. 'That's why we give space to Kristen to make her own story with Fair Work.

Mr Chen, who has been stuck in China for the past six months due to Covid-induced flight cancellations, said he is desperate to return to Australia to help Ms Wang, who has been looking after the businesses after his previous general manager was fired.

He said he can handle his business being affected but is worried about Ms Wang coming under attack when she sacrificed her weekends to help him out.

An emoji like this was apparently sorely lacking from the text message, the commission heard

'We just want peaceful life. I shouldn't leave her alone with all these troubles,' he said.

'I'm responsible for any consequence. I don't want to fight back, I only hope Phoebe can be peaceful.

'It is very unfair to small business owner, we working hard but employee can always call Fair Work for a peanut. And they always win.'

Mr Simpson found Ms Gordon was dismissed on March 13, despite Ms Wang's attempts for it to appear as though she had given the employee an opportunity to respond to the reason for termination.

In material submitted before the hearing, Sens Catering Group Pty Ltd claimed Ms Gordon was offered two weeks paid leave 'in good faith' during a chat a week after she was dismissed, and that Ms Gordon agreed to return back to work afterwards.

No one representing the business group attended the directions hearing and no further material was filed on their behalf.

'The Respondent would probably have been aware that the Applicant was disputing her dismissal as the unfair dismissal application was filed on 14 March,' Commissioner Simpson said.

'I am inclined to the view that Ms Wang's offer of additional payment to the Applicant as a casual employee and a period of ''paid leave'', and the potential offer of other future employment with another business at the end of that period of 'leave' were attempts to resolve the dispute about the earlier dismissal, rather than either an offer to rescind the termination, or to attempt to maintain a purported ongoing casual employment relationship.'

Sens Catering Group Pty Ltd was ordered to pay Ms Gordon $5,357.80, plus 9.5 per cent superannuation on that amount paid into her nominated fund.
A young woman has been killed in a freak accident at a horse show in Georgia.

Breanna Chadwick, 20, died on Friday following the incident during the 'Parade of Wagons' event at the Murray County Saddle Club event in Chatsworth, a small community in far northeast Georgia.

The Murray County Fire Department said that a horse 'struck' a gate and 'caused it to strike' Chadwick, according to the Dalton Daily Citizen.

It's unclear whether Chadwick, an aspiring teacher, was observing or participating in the event.

Breanna Chadwick, 20, died on Friday following a fatal incident during the 'Parade of Wagons' event at the Murray County Saddle Club event in Chatsworth, Georgia

Chadwick, who lived in Canton, Georgia, was airlifted over the Tennessee state line to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga, where she was pronounced dead

Participants in the 63rd Appalachian Wagon Train are seen from the weekend's events

Chadwick, who lived in Canton, Georgia, was airlifted over the Tennessee state line to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga, where she was pronounced dead.

Her friend Hali Cheyene told the Daily Citizen that Chadwick had 'a very bright personality.'

'If you were around her, you were smiling,' Cheyene said. 'This is really heartbreaking for everyone who knew her.'

According to an obituary, Chadwick was attending Reinhardt University and aspired to be an elementary school teacher.

A flier describes the Parade of Wagons event where Chadwick perished

Chadwick's family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to fund a scholarship in her name

'She always had a beautiful smile and was full of sass,' the obituary stated. 'You could always find her at Chick-fil-A getting a lemonade or at Brusters getting a single scoop of birthday cake ice cream.'

Chadwick was attending Reinhardt University and aspired to be an elementary teacher

Chadwick's family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to fund a scholarship in her name.

In a Facebook post on Friday, the Murray County Saddle Club wrote that after consultation with the Chadwick family, the weekend's events would continue.

'We will have a candlelight vigil in honor of Breanna Chadwick. We will also be offering ribbons for anyone who wants to wear one during the parade and remaining shows of the week,' the group said.

'If you would like to wear a turquoise/teal shirt in her honor please feel free to do so. Lets all bow or heads and remember this young lady and the family in the coming days ahead,' the post added.

Funeral services for Chadwick were held on Wednesday afternoon at Hopewell Baptist Church in Ball Ground.
Fox News host Jesse Watters took credit for 'putting pressure' on the investigation into the rape of a 10-year-old Ohio girl who had to travel out-of-state for an abortion, just two days after suggesting the story could be a hoax.

During a Wednesday segment, Watters hinted that the criminal investigation leading to the arrest of alleged child rapist Gerson Fuentes, 27, was largely the result of his commentary on Monday.

'Primetime covered this story heavily on Monday, put on the pressure, and now we're glad that justice is being served,' he said.

The network then played a compilation of short videos that showed Watters cracking on inconsistencies in the case, including why Dr. Caitlin Bernard, who provided the abortion services in Indiana, had not reported the rape.

Watters was critical of the media's focus on the abortion aspect of the highly covered story and decried the fact that a criminal inquiry had not been opened into the rape by the time it made national headlines.

'Why isn't anybody talking about bringing the child rapist to justice,' Watters said 'If there is a ... child abuser out there in the streets of Ohio, he needs to be brought to justice, and if so-called doctors are covering child rape, they need to be prosecuted.'

But on Monday, Watters cast doubt on the veracity of the story, venturing to suggest that it could be a hoax used by the left to seize on the potential to politicize the 10-year-old victim after the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

'But if this horrific story isn't accurate and the abortion doctor and the are misleading us?' Watters asked during Monday's segment.

'And the mainstream media and president of the United States seizing on another hoax? Then this is absolutely shameful. And fits a pretty dangerous pattern of politically timed disinformation.'

During a Wednesday segment, Watters hinted that the criminal investigation leading to the arrest of alleged child rapist Gerson Fuentes, 27, was largely the result of his commentary on Monday.

On Tuesday, Fuentes was arrested and charged with one count of rape after police say he confessed to raping the child two different times, the Columbus Dispatch reported.

The unidentified child made national headlines when she traveled from Ohio to Indiana to get an abortion after the state banned the procedure after six weeks  hours after the 6-3 Supreme Court vote.

Fuentes was arraigned Wednesday, days after some conservatives, including Ohio's Republican governor and attorney general, had raised questions about whether the case was real.

Abortion rights supporters had pointed to the story to highlight fallout from the Supreme Court ruling.

The arrest comes one day after Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said his office didn't hear a 'whisper' about the 10-year-old girl who allegedly had to leave the state in order to get an abortion, and said there's 'no biological evidence' of the case as a rape kit wasn't performed.

Yost, 65, told Fox News' Jesse Watters on July 11  five days after the girl identified Fuentes to authorities and weeks after a child services report was generated  that a police report was never filed involving a 10-year-old rape victim and that the office 'works closely' with law enforcement, indicating he would've known about it if one was filed.

'We have regular contact with prosecutors and local police and sheriffs, not a whisper anywhere,' he told Fox News.

Gerson Fuentes, 27, was arrested on July 12 and has been charged with one count of rape after police say he confessed to raping the child two different times

A detective testified Wednesday that Columbus police learned about the girl's pregnancy through a referral by Franklin County Children Services that was made by her mother on June 22. The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that recognized women's constitutional right to abortion, just two days later, on June 24.

The girl had an abortion in Indianapolis on June 30, The Columbus Dispatch reported, crossing state lines in order to get access the procedure.

An Indianapolis physician who provides abortion services, Dr. Caitlin Bernard, had told The Indianapolis Star that an abortion had been provided for such a child because the girl couldn't get the abortion in Ohio, which had a newly imposed state ban on abortions at the first detectable 'fetal heartbeat.'

The child was six weeks and three days pregnant  therefore, ineligible by just three days to receive the procedure in her home state.

According to court records, a report was generated on June 22 with the Columbus Division of Police for rape. And on July 6, the victim identified Fuentes to authorities as the person who raped her.

A week later, Fuentes was served a search warrant for a saliva sample and was taken into custody where he confessed to raping the victim multiple times.

Fuentes appeared in court Wednesday and was given a $2 million bond. He's currently in the Franklin County Jail.

Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Cynthia Ebner said the case didn't warrant Fuentes - who is believed to be undocumented - to be held without bond, the Columbus Dispatch reported.

But Ebner said a higher bond was necessary due to Fuentes being a possible flight risk and for the safety of children involved.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, 65, said his office didn't hear a 'whisper' about the 10-year-old girl who allegedly got an abortion in Indiana, and said there's 'no biological evidence' of the case as a rape kit was not performed

On Fox News Monday, AG Yost claimed there's no 'biological evidence' to the story an then on Wednesday following the arrest, he released a statement regarding the incident

On Fox News Monday, Yost claimed there is no 'biological evidence' to the story, and that he hasn't heard a 'whisper anywhere' about the little girl.

'Even more telling, Jesse, my office runs the state crime lab. Any case like this, you're going to have a rape kit, you're going to have biological evidence, and you'd be looking for DNA analysis,' he said. 'There is no case request for analysis that looks anything like this.'

Following the news of the arrest on Wednesday, the AG's office released a statement.

'My heart aches for the pain suffered by this young child. I am grateful for the diligent work of the Columbus Police Department in securing a confession and getting a rapist off the street.

Justice must be served and BCI stands ready to support law enforcement across Ohio putting these criminals behind bars.'

The case made national headlines soon after the Indianapolis Star, an Indiana-based publication, reported a little girl had to cross state lines to receive an abortion because she was denied one in Ohio. Bernard claimed an Ohio abuse doctor got in contact with her hours after the Supreme Court's controversially overturned Roe v. Wade.

The child was allegedly six weeks and three days pregnant - therefore, ineligible by just three days to receive the procedure in her home state.

Abortion advocates in the state attempted to halt Ohio's six-week abortion ban, but the effort was denied by a judge.

It was originally reported that the girl had to leave the state for an abortion due to trigger laws, but Yost told Fox News that that is incorrect.

'Ohio's heartbeat law has a medical exception, which is broader than just the life of the mother,' he said. 'This young girl, if she exists and if this horrible thing actually happened to her - it breaks my heart to think about it - she did not have to leave Ohio to find treatment.'

It's unclear, however, that the girl's condition met the law's definition of an emergency, which must be life-threatening or involve a 'serious risk of the substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function.'

Ohio is one of the many states set to impose laws, which would cap abortions at six weeks. Also in the state of Ohio, doctors are mandated to report abuse of minors

In a statement Wednesday, Yost said the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation stands ready to help prosecute the case. He didn't address his previous suggestions that the case was fabricated.

Gov. Mike DeWine, who, like Yost, faced criticism for questioning the case's veracity, had no new comments to offer Wednesday, spokesperson Dan Tierney said in an email.

'As we previously stated, Gov. DeWine views this crime as a horrific tragedy, and he has said that if the evidence supports, the rapist should spend the rest of his life in prison,' he said.

Last week, President Joe Biden raged about trigger laws and the girl's rape.

The president himself referenced the story, using it to help push an executive order that would protect abortions in the wake of the Supreme Court decision.

'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 mentioned the story in an passionate speech that argued for federal abortion protection and asked the audience to imagine being the that little girl

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 Supreme Court, in the case known as Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, which guaranteed a woman's right to an abortion.

Biden slammed the Supreme Court for its decision. He called the justices 'out of control' and working with 'extremist elements of the Republican Party.'
A Democrat witness and 'storyteller' with the pro-abortion group We Testify told the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday that her abortion was an 'act of self-love.'

Sarah Lopez, who regularly lectures women about abortion, told the committee: 'My abortion was the best decision I ever made.'

Lopez continued: 'I am here today to make sure that everybody who currently needs an abortion, who has had an abortion, or will need an abortion, is not alone no matter what the state tries to force up on us.'

On We Testify's website, Lopez describes her job saying: 'I share my story because I love everyone who has had abortions and I want them to know they're not alone no matter what led them to their decision.'

In that profile, Lopez writes: 'I honor my abortion by no longer giving a shit about what people will think if they know I've had an abortion (that goes for friends AND family).' She adds that it has been five years since her abortion.

She was testifying at a hearing on the impact of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v Wade.

On We Testify's website, Lopez describes her job saying: 'I share my story because I love everyone who has had abortions

Lopez said in her testimony: 'I am here today to make sure that everybody who currently needs an abortion, who has had an abortion, or will need an abortion, is not alone no matter what the state tries to force up on us'

Lopez says that she honors her abortion saying: 'I love my abortion and I will remain unapologetic because it was the best decision I've ever made.'

Lopez goes on to blame 'the patriarchal society' for teaching women that 'our bodies are not ours.'

Understandably, Lopez's remarks provoked outrage on Twitter.

According to her LinkedIn page, Lopez is also a client coordinator at Jane's Due Process, another pro-abortion group and she previously worked in the same role for Fund Texas Choice. Lopez is based in Austin, Texas.

Conservative journalist Benny Johnson referred to pro abortion activists as 'demonic'

The Daily Caller's senior congressional correspondent called the testimony 'demented'

Pro family activist Obianuju Ekeocha joked that Lopez was comparing an abortion to a 'day at the spa'

Defense attorney and Trump surrogate David Wohl called Lopez a 'vile human being'

Podcaster Liz Wheeler thought that only an exorcism could help the US House of Representatives

Fox News regular Allie Beth Stuckey said that Lopez was a 'godless' person

Author Adam Ellwanger Could not believe how Lopez was seemingly 'delighting in destruction rather than creation'

Following the passing of Texas' six week fetal heartbeat abortion ban in 2021, Lopez told The Nation that she regularly organized for women to travel to New Mexico, Colorado and Oklahoma in order to get abortions.

In some instances, Lopez has sent women as far away as Washington DC for the procedure.

Later in the hearing, Republican Congressman Ralph Norman of South Carolina asked Lopez if she agreed with taking the life of a 'perfectly healthy child.' She refused to answer

Later in the hearing, Republican Congressman Ralph Norman of South Carolina asked Lopez if she agreed with taking the life of a 'perfectly healthy child.'

Lopez responded by saying: 'I do not agree with the basis of that question, but I do believe abortion is health care.'

Norman pressed Lopez to answer but she remained silent.

Earlier in her testimony, Lopez detailed being forced to listen to her baby's heartbeat, being told that abortions can cause breast cancer and depression.

According to the American Cancer Society, 'Induced abortion is not linked to an increase in breast cancer risk.'

While the American Psychological Association says: 'Research shows people who are denied abortions are more likely to experience higher levels of anxiety, lower life satisfaction, and lower self-esteem compared with those who are able to obtain abortions.'

The hearing was named the The Impact of the Supreme Courts Dobbs Decision on Abortion Rights and Access Across the United States.

The description of the hearing on the Oversight Committee's website says: 'This hearing will examine the devastating consequences these abortion restrictions are already having on patients and providers in these states.'

It adds: 'The hearing will also examine the actions Democrats are taking to protect and expand the right to abortion and fight back against Republicans ultimate goal of a national abortion ban.'
An American tourist who had to be rescued from the mouth of Mount Vesuvius after he tumbled into the crater after trying to retrieve his cellphone has been pictured.

Philip Carroll, 23, of Maryland, had hiked up the side of the volcano from the town of Ottaviano with two members of his family along a closed-off trail when he stopped at the 4,000-foot summit to memorialize his achievement.

As he snapped the picture he lost his grip on his cellphone and it landed just inside the lip of the crater.

Philip Carroll, 23, of Maryland had to be rescued from the mouth of Mount Vesuvius after dropping his cellphone in the crater while taking a selfie

Carroll, seen here, was bandaged up after some local guides saw him tumble into the volcano and were able to lower rope down to him to pull him out

'He tried to recover it, but slipped and slid a few meters into the crater. He managed to stop his fall, but at that point he was stuck,' Paolo Cappelli, who runs a guide shack on the mountain, told NBC News. 'He was very lucky. If he kept going, he would have plunged 300 meters into the crater.'

Cappelli said that there are warning signs telling tourist not to use the trail.

'This family took another trail, closed to tourists, even if there was a small gate and 'no access' signs,' the tour guide director said.

Carroll was hiking up a forbidden path on Mount Vesuvius when he fell in after reaching the summit

The area of Mount Vesuvius where Maryland tourist Philip Carroll fell in while trying to retrieve his cellphone

Mount Vesuvius notoriously erupted in 79 AD, destroying the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum below it

Photos show the hulking Carroll from behind with his shirt hiked up and bloody scraps going down a foot in the middle of his back. His elbows are dirty, scratched and bloody as well.

Another photo from the side show a guide putting bandages on Carroll's bloody knees as he sits dumbfounded after the rescue.

His sunglasses still sit atop his head unmolested.

Guides from Cappelli's Presidio Permanente Vesuvio spotted Carroll's tumble into the volcano through binoculars from the other side of the crater and rushed to his aid, he told NBC.

They lowered ropes to the Maryland tourist and were able to pull him out.

'He was very lucky. If he kept going, he would have plunged 300 meters into the crater,' Cappelli told the news station.

Carroll was arrested by the Carabinieri police, the guide told NBC, but he did not know what the charges were.

Others have not been so lucky to escape the deadly volcano. Famously, in 79 AD the mountain erupted, spilling toxic ash on the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, killing the populations and encasing their citizen in ash.
President Joe Biden wants to sell advanced fighter jets to Turkey, but his effort faces opposition from Democrats in the US Congress.

Biden's authority to sell F-16 fighter fighters to Ankara will be restricted by a bipartisan resolution that will be voted in the House this week. A key Senate Democrat has already stated he will not support the deal.

The latest high-profile clash over foreign policy between House Democrats and the Biden administration makes it almost impossible for the government to carry out its declared intention to sell the jets to a NATO ally, as per a report from Politico.

In an interview, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) commented on Turkey's move: "How do you reward a nation that does all of those things? I don't see it. Now, if they want to start changing their ways, that's a different story."

Menendez is among the four lawmakers whose endorsement is needed for military hardware sales. Although Biden stated last month at the NATO summit that he wanted to sell the jets to Turkey, he has long opposed the idea and has reiterated his opposition this week.

Turkey abandoned its objections to Finland and Sweden joining NATO following Biden's announcement. The White House has insisted that there was no relationship between the Turkish decision and the president's remarks.

According to lawmakers, Turkey should have refrained from hindering the two NATO aspirants. In addition, Ankara's pilots have repeatedly violated Greece's airspace in recent weeks, and it is now subject to US sanctions because of its prior purchases of Russian-made missile defense systems. The emergence of authoritarianism under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was another point Menendez made.

The annual military policy legislation is up for a House vote this week, and one amendment would restrict Biden's options by prohibiting the transaction unless he can vouch for its importance to American national security and guarantee that the US fighter jets won't be used to violate Greek airspace.

Biden Willing To Work With Congress

A State Department official said on Thursday that President Joe Biden last week expressed his willingness to cooperate with Congress on the renewal and upgrade of Turkey's F-16 fighter jet fleet per Anadolu.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Doug Jones told journalists at the Foreign Press Center at last week's NATO summit in Madrid that the F-16 issue has been "up there for a while" and the Biden administration's stand is that it supports Turkey's modernizing."

Read Also: Ukraine Cuts Diplomatic Ties with North Korea After Pyongyang Recognizes Breakaway of Russia's Proxies in Kyiv

Jones added: "The President has also been clear that he needs to support Congress to do this as well. So the leaders have spoken about this, but the position of the administration remains what it was before, before the summit in support of this sale, and expressed the willingness to work with Congress."

In October 2021, the Turkish government requested F-16s and modernization equipment.

The $6 billion agreement will see the sale of 80 F-16 C/D variants currently in the Turkish Air Force's inventory along with 40 brand-new F-16 fighter jets.

Greece Warns US on Biden's Proposed Military Sale

Turkish President Erdogan is despised on Capitol Hill, but legislators are generally hesitant to harm a NATO partner that acts as a crucial line of defense against Russia in the Black Sea.

When asked if she backs the F-16 modernization, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), co-chairwoman of the Senate NATO Observer Group said that it is crucial for the US "to keep Turkey as a strong NATO ally," The Hill reported.

In an address to a joint session of Congress in May, the prime minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, cautioned lawmakers to carefully evaluate "defense procurement decisions affecting the eastern Mediterranean" that could contribute to "instability on NATO's southeastern flank."

Mitsotakis referred to Turkish overflights of Greek islands, which Ankara denies but which Athens claims are threatening.

Related Article: Italian Government on the Brink of Collapse After 5-Star Threatens To Boycott Confidence Vote

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The mother of a San Antonio woman who disappeared mysteriously on her way to work last week has said that cops waited up to three days to list her as missing.

Christina Lee Powell, 39, was last seen on a Ring doorbell camera leaving her house at 10:34 a.m. on July 5, after calling in to her job as a paralegal to let them know she was running late.

Powell, who was driving a black 2020 Nissan Rouge that is also missing, left her iPhone, medication and Apple Watch at home because she was rushing to get to work after the long holiday weekend, loved ones said.

Powell lives in the quiet Apple Creek neighborhood with her two young sons and her 70-year-old mother, Claudia Mobley, who told Fox News Digital that she didn't notice anything amiss the morning Powell disappeared.

'We didn't really have any kind of in-depth conversation. It was basically, 'Good morning.' She told me she was late,' she recalled. 'Then, she was leaving for work and I told her to be careful. And I probably told her, 'I love you.''

Mobley also said that she contacted police on July 6, and that an officer visited the home to take a report, but that it was two or three days later before her daughter was officially classified as missing.

Powell was driving this black 2020 Nissan Rouge that is also missing, plate number PYJ-8564

A missing person flyer issued by the SAPD for Powell is dated July 9, three days after Mobley first contacted police, and four days after Powell was last seen

A San Antonio Police Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to an inquiry from DailyMail.com.

A missing person flyer issued by the department for Powell is dated July 9, three days after Mobley first contacted police, and four days after Powell was last seen.

Mobley said that her daughter left her iPhone on the bathroom counter when she left, and that family members later discovered her Apple Watch had been left somewhere in the home.

Mobley also said she saw her daughter drive away from the home in her black Nissan that is now missing along with her.

She said that while Powell isn't usually in such a rush to leave for work, there was not much else unusual about the morning.

'I felt like she was going, I believed she was going to work  and I think she felt like she was going to work,' said Mobley.

Doorbell footage showed her rushing out of her home on July 5. She hasn't been seen since

Powell, who was driving a black 2020 Nissan Rouge that is also missing, left her iPhone and Apple Watch at home because she was rushing to get to work

Mobley also said she saw her daughter drive away from the home in her black Nissan Rogue (above). A BOLO has been issued for the vehicle, with Texas tags PYJ-8564

The San Antonio Police Department confirmed that its missing persons unit is investigating the case, saying that a 'Be On The Lookout' alert has been issued for Powell's missing vehicle.

Powell, who has blonde hair and brown eyes, stands five-foot-two and weighs 120 pounds, according to the missing persons flyer.

She was last seen wearing black pants, a black blouse, and carrying a white purse, and was driving the black Nissan SUV, plate number PYJ-8564.

Powell is the mother of two boys, ages three and 12.

Bexar County Records show that she was married at least once, in 2013, but her current marital status and custody arrangements for the two boys weren't immediately clear.

In 2018, Powell posted a photo of herself and her oldest son on Facebook with a banner promoting domestic violence awareness.

Her latest social media post, on June 10, was a 'puppy update' with photos of her two dogs, Oliver and Chevy.

Powell is originally from New Haven, Conn., and graduated with a degree in psychology from the University of Texas at San Antonio

Powell had recently taken in two dogs, named Oliver and Chevy, and her last social media post on June 10 was a 'puppy update'

Powell with her son in her Facebook profile photo in 2018

Powell is originally from New Haven, Conn., and graduated with a degree in psychology from the University of Texas at San Antonio, according to social media posts.

The mother's mysterious disappearance unfolded on the morning after Independence Day, when she was last seen leaving her home in a quiet suburban cul-de-sac in San Antonio's Apple Creek neighborhood.

Powell's friend Leal says that morning, July 5, the young mother called the law firm where she works as a paralegal to warn them she was running late.

Ring doorbell footage from Powell's home shows her walking briskly out of the door shortly after 10:30 a.m., a white purse under her shoulder.

But Powell appears to have left her phone and smartwatch in the house, her friends say, as she rushed to work.

She also left vital medication behind, they say. Police say that Powell suffers from a medical condition that requires a doctor's care, and have classified her as missing and endangered.

Nobody has seen or heard from the young mother since that morning.

Friends and family have all issued public appeals for any information about the missing woman's whereabouts

The route from her home to her workplace, near I-10 and Vance Jackson Road, covers roughly 7 miles and take about 15 minutes to drive.

In the week since she disappeared, Powell's friends and family have retraced her potential route to work, searching for signs of a car crash.

They've also checked in local hospitals, and even the county jail, but so far have turned up no clues to the young mother's whereabouts.

'The unknown is the scariest part,' family friend Lauren Leal told news station KENS 5. 'It is fear in my mind right now.

'It is hard to wrap our minds around where she might be, what could have happened.'

'We just want you home,' Leal told the local CBS affiliate.

'My fear is not ever knowing anything,' Leal said. 'I mean I think that would be the worst is spending the rest of my life looking for her. I will never give up.'

Anyone with information about Chrissy Powell is urged to contact SAPD's Missing Persons Unit at 210-207-7660.
A dental trend known as 'Turkey teeth' that involves travelling abroad to get drastic cut-price treatment is leaving thousands of Britons facing painful complications.

The latest cosmetic fad, made popular by stars like Katie Price and Love Island's Jack Fincham, involves filing down teeth to pegs then replacing them with crowns or veneers.

The procedure, which leaves patients with a Hollywood smile, is being fuelled on social media under the hashtag #Turkeyteeth which has been viewed more than 100million times.

But a new BBC documentary has looked at the fallout, asking whether the risks really outweigh the savings on having cheaper treatment, with UK dentists warning the complications can leave patients with huge medical bills to fix shoddy work.

A number of dentists surveyed on behalf of the BBC said some of the remedial work was provided by the NHS.

Meanwhile one private clinic has urged patients to be certain they know what they are getting after being contacted by clients who had been sold veneers but given the much more aggressive option of crowns.

The Harley Street Smile Clinic in London said they had been inundated by young people suffering from severe infections, intense long lasting pain, infected gums or rotting teeth due to the procedure.

A dental trend called 'Turkey teeth' which involves travelling abroad to get drastic cut-price treatment is leaving Brits facing painful complications. Pictured: Lisa Martyn from Ireland who has been left in pain after getting cut-price dental work done while on holiday in Turkey

In one case, Tiktok user Lisa Martyn revealed how her experience turned into a nightmare after she travelled to Turkey for the cosmetic treatment and paid 3,500 Euros (2,960) for what she thought was veneers but was actually a set of crowns.

She told the BBC: 'I was duped into the dream of having a full set of perfect teeth that I was never going to have any issues with but I was grossly misled about what I was having done - they were sold to me as veneers not a full set of crowns.

'No one sat down and told me the risks or if there were any other options. I thought that once they put the new teeth into my mouth that would be it - there would never be any more problems.

'But not only have I been in crippling pain every day since, but it has also cost me thousands. It's the biggest mistake of my life.'

Lisa flew to Turkey last year under the belief she would be fitted with 26 veneers in a bid to get the 'Hollywood smile' for her son's wedding but was actually fitted with crowns - a far more invasive procedure.

But months after her treatment, the 48-year-old was left in horrific pain after developing an abscess which nearly paralysed half her face and is suffering from nerve sensitivity.

This graphic shows how a tooth is shaved down slightly to make room for a thin veneer

Pictured: Lisa Martyn revealed her experience turned into a nightmare after she developed an abscess that nearly paralysed half her face (left) and developed a painful infection

Love Island's Jack Fincham was one of the first to share his Turkey Teeth story after getting the treatment before appearing on the ITV reality show in 2018. Pictured: Before and after

Describing the work on her social media channel, she said: 'I never in my life experienced anything like it.

'They were drilling then, banging and hammering. I was jumping out of that chair for two hours.

Crowns and veneers: What's the difference? Veneers and crowns are both dental treatments that can improve the look and function of your teeth. The most significant difference between the two is that a veneer only covers part of the tooth while a crown covers the entire tooth. A veneer is a very thin layer of porcelain, but can be made from other materials, and is usually chosen more for cosmetic purposes. They are bonded to the front of existing teeth with colouring to existing teeth matched by the dentist. A crown is roughly twice as thick and covers the whole tooth in a far more invasive procedure than veneers because most of the tooth is removed to make room. It can be made from porcelain, porcelain fused to a metal alloy or an all-metal alloy. While crowns are also chosen for cosmetic purposes, they also offer a solution for those with conditions including broken, decayed or crooked teeth. Advertisement

'No one asked how I was or even offered me a drink of water. My mouth was so swollen it was like a horror movie.

'I was numb from my neck up to the top of my nose but I could still feel the sensation. I still didn't know that all my natural teeth were filed down and these were crowns, not veneers. It was only after I returned home, that I was told by a UK dentist.

'Now I'm still in pain and I've resigned myself to the fact that I will have to have dentures and live with pain every day. I wanted to look nice for my son's wedding but now I would give anything to just know that day I won't be in agony.'

According to the BBC, she is unable to eat properly and has lost more than two stone since the treatment.

Lisa shared her story on Tiktok to raise awareness about the dangers of going abroad for cheap treatment and says the cost of fixing her teeth will financially cripple her.

Assistant video editor Alicia Watts also travelled to Turkey to get work done on her teeth five years ago and for a long time considered it the best decision she had made.

But this year, the 27-year-old has started to suffer from constant pain and multiple infections with her regular dentist in the UK who said the dentist in Turkey had done an 'awful job' and said she needed 650 of work done to fix the damage.

She told MailOnline: 'In 2017 I went to Antalya, Turkey and I was fitted with a full set of crowns, minus a few back teeth.

'I paid between 3,000-3,500 - it was a bit more because I got a stronger material called zirconia.

'I was actually very happy with them and I saw my UK dentist straight after who also said they looked fine.

'At the time I said to everyone that it was the best decision I had ever made because they looked so perfect.'

Although she was happy with the treatment, Alicia said it was extremely painful and described it as 'the worst pain I'd ever been in'.

Pictured: Alicia Watts travelled to Turkey to get work done five years ago and for a long time considered it the best decision she had made but is now suffering from constant pain

Alicia paid up to 3,500 for a full set of crowns at a dentist surgery in Turkey but a private specialist in the UK said the treatment was poor and quoted 650 to have remedial work done

She added: 'For 2 days I was crying in my hotel room because of the sensitivity of the teeth after they shaved them down and I couldn't stop bleeding but when I went back to the UK they were fine and for years they have been fine.

'However, 5 years later and I'm starting to be in constant pain due to tooth ache. I had an infection about 5 months ago which went away with antibiotics but now I'm in pain again.

'I went to a private dentist who said whoever fit the crowns did an awful job and I had another infection which has gone deeper into the tooth and gums, and that I needed an urgent root canal.'

Alicia declined the remedial work, which was not available through the NHS, because she couldn't afford the 650 it was going to cost.

She said: 'He said if I keep going this way my teeth will eventually fall out due to a build up of plague and infection underneath the teeth.

'My regular NHS dentist said they cannot do a root canal for me because of my crowns and the material of my teeth and told me I had to go to a private specialist.

Smile! The former glamour model, 42, disregarded her old gnashers while in the dentists chair at a surgery as she declared she no longer needed them and got new veneers in August 2020

'Mislead millennials are signing up for a lifetime of unnecessary and painful treatments' Experts at the Harley Street Smile Clinic in London say they have been inundated with young people who are seeking remedial work after taking part in dental tourism. In an alarming blog post, the clinic says mislead millennials are committing to 'a lifetime of unnecessary, expensive and painful treatments'. It adds: 'Our clinic has been inundated over the last couple of years with young people who have been misled by bargain cosmetic dental centres in Turkey. 'Having been left with the harsh reality of a lifetime of dental work, costing far beyond the cost of having veneers done in the UK, often our clients have no idea what work they've actually had done, or what's involved in rectifying the issue. Dr Maurice Johannes, Principle Dentist at Harley Street Smile Clinic, added: 'I can't stress enough that people need to be 100% clear about exactly what they are signing up for when they go abroad for cosmetic dental treatment. 'Although patients are under the impression they are having veneers, in reality they are having crowns placed, which means much more aggressive tooth reduction.' Source: The Harley Street Smile Clinic Advertisement

'I'm on antibiotics again for the pain but I'm worried it will never go away and I won't be able to fix my teeth because I can't afford it.'

The treatment has proven popular with social media influencers and TV stars including model Katie price.

In August 2020, she shared a video which showed that her natural teeth had been shaved down to points which she said made her look like a James Bond villain before she had new veneers fitted while in Turkey.

The treatment was carried out after her original veneers fell out. However, in October that year, she had to go back to Turkey again after some of her new veneers fell out.

A spokesman for the star told the Sun at the time she had to return to Turkey to get the work fixed.

Love Island star Jack Fincham also received treatment in Turkey before appearing on the ITV reality show.

After the Love Island winner discussed his Turkey Teeth in 2018, Google searches for the term sky-rocketed.

Mr Fincham travelled to the Turkish city of Antalya five years ago, saying in a Love Island promotion video 'I absolutely love my pearly whites.

'I went all the way to Turkey to get these. I come back with a winning smile and a nice little holiday.'

But in the new BBC Three documentary 'Turkey Teeth: Bargain Smiles or Big Mistake,' he admitted he would 'do it differently' and showed off how his teeth had been filed down for his veneers.

He said that he receives lots of messages from people asking about the work he had done, and told the BBC that he now tells them about his own experience.

Speaking to the documentary's host Dr Trishala Lakhani, a dentist as well as Miss Universe GB, he said: 'I flew out there in the winter time, not the holiday season, and pretty much everyone on the flight was going to get some sort of procedure done.'

He got the work done despite knowing about the risks that come with veneers - such as a higher risk of requiring root canal work done or his teeth being removed.

'They mentioned all this stuff and it didn't put me off. It was for cosmetic purposes, so I was probably being a bit vain,' he admitted.

On the procedure itself, he said it 'can be quite uncomfortable'. 'You have loads of injections to numb your mouth. It's not an easy procedure. You have to do your research.' He added: 'Honestly, I love my teeth, but going back, if someone said, 'Would you have the composites or just get crowns done?' I'd get that.'

A survey carried out for the BBC found that hundreds of dentists in the UK had treated patients suffering from complications after getting work done abroad.

Dr MJ Rowland-Warmann, director of a dental clinic in Liverpool, told the broadcaster: 'If I did 20 crowns on a 21-year-old for the purposes of improving the colour, I would have my licence revoked, I would be struck off.'

She said her clinic receives one to three calls a day from people with issues with their teeth after going abroad but that her clinic cannot treat them.

'Some can't floss because their crowns are stuck together or they're in pain because they have bleeding gums.

'But it's easier for us not to take that patient. At the point when you inherit that patient and do any work, that's when the problems really start and that's when the UK dentist becomes liable. A risk we cannot take.

Pearly whites: Model Katie Price flew to Turkey to have matching his and hers veneers with her boyfriend Carl Woods in the summer of 2020 (pictured just before her holiday)

'This leaves patients in very vulnerable positions trying to scrabble around for help and it becomes very costly trying to fix the damage.'

Dr Maurice Johanne, Principle Dentist at Harley Street Smile Clinic, urged people to be careful about what treatment they were getting.

He said: 'I can't stress enough that people need to be 100 per cent clear about exactly what they are signing up for when they go abroad for cosmetic dental treatment.

'Although patients are under the impression they are having veneers, in reality they are having crowns placed, which means much more aggressive tooth reduction.'

London-based dental clinic said that it has been 'inundated' with young people seeking to have their botched survey rectified.

Not everyone who receives treatment abroad suffers complications. The BBC spoke to Tilly Entwhistle from Manchester who said she was thrilled with her work after being compared to Bugs Bunny as a child.

However, she said since visiting a dentist back in the UK, she was told they would not touch her teeth as they did not want to take responsibility for any issues with the work done in Turkey.
A Perth woman who attempted to cross two lanes and enter a shopping centre only to smash into another car has sparked a furious debate online after her insurer requested the victim pay for the damage.

The driver attempted to make the right turn from the far left lane, turning straight into the path of a passing ute and sending debris from her bumper and headlights flying over the ute's bonnet.

The incident took place in the middle of Western Australia's Great Eastern Highway on Wednesday last week.

In a testament to the ute's structural integrity, most of the damage was done to the offending driver's car with the ute appearing to escape largely unscathed, especially in comparison to the destroyed front end of the turning SUV.

The woman in the SUV (pictured) tried to turn into the entrance of the carpark on the right hand side, despite there being two lanes between them

The driver of the SUV (pictured) turned right into the path of the dashboard camera owning ute

However when a letter from the SUV's insurance company arrived in the mail, the incensed ute driver posted footage of the collision on the Dash Cam Owners Australia social media page.

The ute driver claimed the SUV driver said she was trying to get to Midland Shopping Centre - from the furthest lane - and hadn't seen the ute approaching behind it at the time of the crash.

Poll Who was in the wrong? SUV driver Ute driver Unsure Who was in the wrong? SUV driver 1439 votes

Ute driver 33 votes

Unsure 8 votes Now share your opinion





'Her insurer SGIO sent me a letter claiming I am liable and asking how I intended on paying for damages to her car' the dashcam driver said.

Commenters took to Facebook to blast the SUV driver after the dashcam owner revealed he'd received the letter.

'Who the hell turns right from the far left hand lane? If I was SGIO I'd think twice about insuring her because it's obvious she has zero common sense,' wrote one critic.

'I was taught it's okay to turn right from the far left lane, cross two lanes, without indicating or checking for other vehicles because everyone has to give way to me...said no driver ever,' said another.

'(You've got to) love having dashcam evidence. Her insurance company don't have a chance of blaming it on you,' a third said.

Debris flew all over the bonnet of the white ute as bumper, headlight and fender pieces were broken off the turning SUV

Footage from the ute's rear camera shows the SUV's front end was reduced to a pile of scrap in the middle of the Great Eastern Highway

Others were more forgiving and suggested it was possible there was no malice in her insurance claim.

'She likely reported that she was turning right, but didn't report that she was turning right from the left lane... Need to provide the video and an explanation,' one person commented.

Some even went as far as saying the ute driver was still at fault.

'If someone is doing something weird, slowing down a little could prevent this sort of accident. The cam driver did nothing wrong, but could've eased of the accelerator to help prevent an accident when someone is doing something weird. You could see that from 100m away,' one said.
Dangerous criminals who have been deported after being released from prison are among the thousands of migrants who have travelled to the UK in small boats this year, a report has found.

Chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor slammed the Home Office's 'haphazard' arrangements for Channel migrants and raised 'worrying safeguarding' concerns as authorities struggle to cope with the increased influx.

More than 14,100 migrants have made the crossing so far this year after navigating busy shipping lanes from France in small boats such as dinghies, provisional Government figures show.

The heatwave has led to a flurry of migrants crossings this week with more than 100 arriving yesterday.

This comes after 259 migrants reached the UK in six boats on Tuesday - bringing this month's total to 1,310.

Border Force officers also intercepted 442 migrants from 15 incidents on Monday - the highest number for nearly a month despite a Europe-wide crackdown on people smugglers and warnings migrants could be re-homed in Rwanda in central Africa.

Other key findings in the report, which inspected prison and detention centres in England and Wales, included:

Migrants are arriving soaking wet and with petrol burns after crossing Channel

Dangerous criminals are being downgraded to the lowest level of monitoring from police and other probationary bodies too quickly after being freed from jail

Long lock-up times and a lack of purposeful activity in prisons have barely changed and in some cases deteriorated since the first Annual Report in 1982

Mentally unwell women being sent to prison due to lack of community provision

Criminals who have been deported after being released from prison are among the thousands of migrants who have travelled to the UK in small boats this year. Pictured: At least 100 people were escorted into Dover yesterday while hundreds also arrived on Monday and Tuesday

This graph shows the number of migrants arriving into the UK via small boats although this year's total has now passed 14,000 - a milestone that was reached in September last year

As the annual report into prisons and detention centres was published, Mr Taylor pointed to the case of one man who was known to the authorities because he had been previously deported from the UK.

The man had been removed after serving more than 12 months in prison and was deemed to pose a 'medium risk of harm'.

He said: 'The safeguarding processes weren't good enough to make sure they weren't filtering out and making sure that people like that won't be held in the same facility as women, children and families.'

Mr Taylor, who will be tasked with scrutinising conditions on Rwanda deportation flights if they go ahead, also said families were 'crammed into facilities where some basic safeguards were not in place'.

He likened the Kent Intake Unit to a 'hospital waiting room with bright neon lights on all night'.

He said inspectors came across a safeguarding case where a man who had a conviction for a relatively serious offence was spending the night in the facility with children and families.

Pictured: Yesterday, one soldier was seen carrying a young girl, wearing a blue dress and a red beanie, in his arms

Pictured: A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, onboard a Border Force vessel following a small boat incident in the Channel on Monday, July 11

Mr Taylor described the condition some people are in when they are brought ashore in Kent as he raised concerns about the Home Office's 'haphazard' arrangements for Channel migrants.

He told reporters: 'People are arriving wet, sometimes with petrol burns. People are still having to occasionally spend a night in a tent without proper bedding.'

In an overview of inspections carried out over the last year, Mr Taylor said: 'I remain very concerned about the haphazard arrangements in place for those who have crossed the Channel in small boats.

'Promised facilities in Dover had not materialised when we inspected in November 2021, and we found that some families were sleeping on the floor in flimsy tents with inadequate bedding or crammed into facilities where some basic safeguards were not in place.'

Given the growing number of arrivals there has been 'insufficient preparation to provide for vulnerable adults and children', he said, adding that he expected 'significant improvements' at new facilities being put in place at the disused Manston airfield.

In his annual report Mr Taylor also warned of a 'flood' of resignations by prison officers in some jails, adding that staff recruitment is 'perhaps the biggest challenge facing the prison service'.

Chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor has slammed the 'haphazard' arrangements at detention centres as he raised safeguarding concerns around some of the UK's facilities

The problem had been exacerbated by the 'employment of unsuitable candidates who left the service within the first year of taking up the job', he added.

The watchdog also found young men are being left to lead 'long lives of criminality' because of a lack of training and education while behind bars.

Some inmates are still spending 23 hours a day or more locked in their cells despite Covid-19 restrictions being lifted earlier this year, while others are left to watch daytime TV or sleep instead of taking part in classes and activities.

He added: 'In several local prisons a proportion of the population, including unconvicted prisoners, were locked up for twenty-two hours or more each day, for weeks on end.

'In many of the prisons we visited since we resumed full inspections in May 2021, prisoners were locked up for even longer than they were in 1982: some for 23 hours a day or more.'

Mr Taylor said there is 'no reason why' prisons cannot return to pre-pandemic regimes now restrictions have been lifted.

The report also highlighted concerns for the wellbeing of women some of whom are mentally unwell and who were being imprisoned because of a lack of mental health support in the community.

Mr Taylor said: 'We were very concerned to see acutely mentally unwell women being sent to prison due to a lack of community provision.

'We found profoundly distressed women in the health centre at Low Newton, where staff were doing their best to look after patients who should have been in hospital.'

The Government said it had made 'significant improvements' in the way it deals with migrant arrivals and is 'adhering to our statutory duties in all aspects'.

The temporary Tug Haven facility closed in January and now there is a 'fit for purpose' system for processing arrivals, going through initial checks at Western Jet Foil in Dover port, then on to Manston for 'further processing where appropriate'.

'The facilities allow arrivals to be held in a safe and secure environment where any safeguarding and vulnerability issues can be dealt with,' a spokesman said.

The Government also insisted it was 'making progress to rehabilitate prisoners; 50 per cent more offenders are finding work shortly after release than a year ago - reducing reoffending and making our streets safer'.

Some 4,000 more staff have been hired in the last four years and there are plans to increase the number of officers in prisons by 5,000 by the mid-2020s, a spokesman added.
A woman has died after falling from a hotel window in central London last night an hour after she had been reported missing.

Police are on scene and a cordon was still in place at the Park Plaza County Hall hotel in Waterloo this morning.

The woman was seen to fall from a window at the hotel and was pronounced dead at the scene, police have said.

Police on scene at the Park Plaza County Hall, Waterloo, today after a woman fell to her death

While the police have yet to confirm the nature of the incident it is understood a woman died after falling from height outside the Park Plaza County Hall Hotel in Waterloo, London

The Met's Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed, the force said, as the woman had been reported missing to police an hour before her death.

A spokesman for the Met Police said: 'Police were called at 23:31hrs on Wednesday, July 13 to concerns for the welfare of a woman at a hotel in Addington Street, SE1.

'Officers attended along with the London Ambulance Service and the woman, aged in her 40s, was seen to fall from a window. She died at the scene.

'Her next of kin have been informed and are being supported by officers.

'The death is not being treated as suspicious.

'The woman had previously been reported missing from the Barnet area at approximately 22:30hrs. The Met's Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed.'

At least four police cars were spotted at the scene of the incident in Waterloo this morning

Pictures from the scene this morning showed a forensic tent outside the hotel along with a number of police cars and what looked like medical or forensic equipment.

The Park Plaza County Hall Hotel has been contacted by MailOnline.
Just 17 days after a labourer was electrocuted and another seriously burned, four other roof workers fell four metres onto concrete ground at a nearby Sydney site.

In fining Perry's Roofing Pty Ltd $600,000, a judge said it almost 'defies belief' that the company did not immediately carry out a 'root and branch' review of safety at all of its sites after the first incident.

'There are troubling similarities between the two incidents,' Judge David Russell said in the NSW District Court on Thursday.

Perry's Roofing Pty Ltd was fined $600,000 following a workplace death and another worker being seriously burned while at a worksite in February, 2019

Joel White was dismantling edge protection while standing on the roof of a Moorebank site on February 11, 2019.

The 25-year-old labourer died after being electrocuted following contact between high voltage energised power lines and a steel handrail he was holding.

Another worker tried to help and suffered severe flash burns to his legs.

Perry's Roofing, a small family business, pleaded guilty to failing to comply with its work health and safety duty, thus exposing the men to a high risk of death or serious injury.

'In spite of the power lines at the site being clearly visible to anyone who looked .... absolutely no steps were taken to deal with such an obvious hazard,' the judge said.

In a separate SafeWork NSW prosecution, it also pleaded guilty to a similar offence at another Moorebank site on February 28, 2019, when asbestos roof sheeting was being removed.

Workers were stripping roof sheets and placing them in stacks of 10 to 25 sheets.

Some timber purlins broke due to excessive point loading from the stacks of roof sheets.

Part of the roof structure collapsed and the roof sheets fell, damaging the wire safety mesh underneath the roof.

Two workers were hospitalised after suffering significant injuries when they fell through the roof and the mesh onto concrete four metres below.

Two other workers also were injured.

At the NSW District Court (pictured) on Thursday, judge David Russell said it almost 'defies belief' that the company did not immediately carry out a 'root and branch' review of safety at all of its sites after the first incident

'It was a miracle that no workers were killed or more seriously injured,' the judge said.

While a Perry's Roofing supervisor had looked at the purlins, he failed to properly consider whether they posed a risk of failure.

The judge said it was not good enough for industrial companies to form a 'gut feel' view about matters which clearly should be the subject of actions including a proper risk assessment and expert advice.

He also accepted that while Perry's Roofing couldn't delegate its duty, there were other persons whose acts or omissions can be said to have contributed to the circumstances which gave rise to the risk.

'Perry's Roofing is the first of the entities to come before the court for sentence.'

He accepted Perry's had shown remorse and had good prospects of rehabilitation.

Referring to five victim impact statements read out by Mr White's relatives, the judge said he was obviously a much-loved young man.

'He was humble, loyal and caring.

'He was a friend to everyone he knew.

'He was the life of every party.'

Grant Perry was in court to see the devastating effect upon these family members of the breach of duty committed by Perry's Roofing.

'I only wish that every employer in New South Wales could be required to watch a video of the Victim Impact Statements in this case being read aloud in open court,' the judge said.

He fined the company $450,000 for the first incident and $150,000 for the second, as well as ordering it to pay the prosecutor's costs.
Anthony Albanese has called for an emergency national cabinet meeting of state and territory leaders as Australia battles a third wave of Covid-19.

It's understood the prime minister has contacted premiers in relation to a national cabinet to be held next Monday.

The backflip comes a day after Mr Albanese's office announced national cabinet would not meet again until October after a recent meeting on June 17.

There is also widespread outrage over the federal government's decision to scrap pandemic leave payments and free RAT tests for concessions card holders, despite a dire warning from health minister Mark Butler to expect millions of Covid cases in the coming months.

Earlier on Thursday, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk urged for Australia's leaders to come together sooner rather than later as highly infectious strains including Omicron BA4 and BA.5 sweep across the country.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured) has called for an emergency national cabinet meeting to be held next Monday

Covid cases in last 24 hours Victoria: 11,283 cases, 20 deaths, 771 in hospital with 34 in ICU NSW: 14,235 cases, 36 deaths, 2001 in hospital with 56 in ICU Tasmania: 1844 cases, one death, 125 in hospital with four in ICU Queensland: 6900 cases, 18 deaths, 863 in hospital with 16 in ICU South Australia: 4761 cases, one death, 231 in hospital with seven in ICU Western Australia: 6535 cases, two deaths, 329 in hospital with 14 in ICU Northern Territory: 494 cases, no deaths, 55 in hospital with three in ICU ACT: 1367 cases, no deaths, 137 in hospital with five in ICU. Australia recorded 47,419 new infections and 78 deaths with Covid on Thursday while 4,512 cases are in hospital. Source: AAP Advertisement

It follows a conversation she had the night before with NSW counterpart Dominic Perrottet about the increased strain on hospitals due to the renewed surge in infections.

'All we want is an update from the chief health officer,' Ms Palaszczuk told the Today Show.

'Because we're just getting a bit of mixed messages at the moment.

'I think the country just wants to know how this wave is going. How the hospitalisations are going.

'And get the information from the chief health medical officer which is what we used to get from national cabinet.'

'We don't want a long meeting, but we just want to get the advice and the information, like, is this just going to be a short, sharp wave, or are we going to get another wave in September?'

Australia recorded 47,419 new infections and 78 deaths with Covid on Thursday while 4,512 cases are in hospital.

Mr Albanese hinted on rival breakfast television program Sunrise he would hold talks on the issue when he returns from overseas.

'Look, there are real challenges there. And certainly, when I return to Australia, we'll continue to address those issues. But we inherited those cut-offs across a range of decisions from the former government,' he said on Thursday.

Current data shows up to 300,000 Australians are infected, with the health minister warning the true number is 'probably twice that'.

'Obviously we want to limit transmission through people thinking more about wearing masks in indoor areas especially where they cannot socially distance,' Mr Butler said.

He also admitted the decision to scrap the pandemic leave disaster payments wasn't based on the advice of health officials.

The national cabinet last met on June 17 and weren't expected to meet again until October

National, state and territory leaders will met on Monday to address the ongoing third wave of Covid spreading across Australia

'This is a decision put in place by the former government,' Mr Butler said.

'At some point we need to recognise that it is not the financial capacity to continue emergency payments forever.'

Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff has written to Mr Albanese to express his concerns abut the axing of the pandemic leave payments and free rapid antigen test scheme.

'The ending of those programs is not the right time,' Mr Rockliff told reporters.

'We're all in this together. Tasmania is well and truly pulling our weight when it comes to supports for the community. We expect the federal government to do the same.'

Australia recorded 47,419 new infections and 78 deaths on Thursday amid fears the country will see 'millions' of cases in the coming months

More infectious sub-variants of the virus are also driving case numbers nursing homes with Aged Care Minister Anika Wells saying she expects it to be several weeks before the peak of the latest wave arrives.

The government outlined its response on Thursday to how aged care facilities would manage the surge in cases during winter.

Following talks with chief medical officer Professor Paul Kelly earlier this week, Ms Wells said the peak could continue into early August.

'He is as worried about this wave as he was in December about what became the January Omicron wave,' she told reporters on Thursday.

'We are leaving no stone unturned ahead of our response to this current winter wave.'

There are growing calls for mask mandates as a renewed surge in Covid cases spreads across the country (pictured passengers disembarking from the Coral Princess in Sydney)

Ms Wells will meet with aged care providers from across the country next week in a bid to limit the spread of the virus in facilities.

The government's winter plan in aged care is based around around an increase in vaccination, antiviral access, visitor and worker safety, infection control training and proactive engagement.

As of Wednesday, 819 aged care facilities across the country have an outbreak.

The weekly average of deaths in aged care has also risen, from 69 to 91, with 2141 fatalities in facilities so far this year.
A father who slit the throats of his wife and children before stacking their bodies inside their family home in a crime described as the 'worst imaginable' has been freed from jail after serving a 'life' sentence.

Ljube Veleski brutally slaughtered his partner Snezana, six-year-old daughter Zaklina and newborn twins Daniel and Dijana in their Wollongong house in 1994.

He was given a maximum sentence of 25 years behind bars - which expired on Thursday, meaning the 57-year-old is now free.

NSW Attorney-General Mark Speakman said Velevski had undergone a high-risk offender assessment.

'The offender will have served 25 years in jail, being the full term of his sentence, and as a result, will be legally entitled to full liberty,' Mr Speakman said.

Ljube Veleski (right) brutally slaughtered his partner Snezana, six-year-old daughter Zaklina and their newborn twins Daniel and Dijana in their Wollongong house in 1994

Velevski claims his wife Snezana locked herself inside the bedroom and committed a murder-suicide

On June 20, 1994, police found the bodies of Velevski's family with their throats cut open stacked on top of each other inside their home in Berkeley in the city's south.

The father initially told police he had not seen his family since the previous night and that his wife had taken their children into a room and locked the door.

Officers broke into the bedroom and found the bodies piled between a bed and cot.

Velevski denied murdering them, claiming he had been asleep in his daughter's room for 17-straight hours prior to police finding their corpses.

He was found guilty after an eight-week trial in 1997 - with a court sentencing him to 25 years jail for four counts of murder.

Prosecutors believe he killed them after his wife threatened to leave him.

On June 20, 1994, police found the bodies of Velevski's family with their throats cut open stacked on top of each other inside their home in Wollongong's southern suburbs

One of the key elements of the trial was proving it was Velevski who killed his family rather than his wife.

Six forensic experts attended the crime scene, with three determining it was probable the father killed his family while two said it was his partner.

Mendo Josifovski, his wife's brother, said the judge's decision was 'a joke' and 'too lenient' after sentencing him to 19 years without parole.

Velevski attempted to overturn the conviction to the NSW Supreme Court in 1999 but it was dismissed.

'The conviction should be quashed the jury ought to have had a reasonable doubt as to the guilt of the accused,' dissenting Justice David Kirby said at the time.

'There is, in my belief, a significant possibility that an innocent person has been convicted.'

Wife Snezana (left) and six-year-old Zaklina (right) were brutally murdered by Velevski inside their Wollongong home in 1994

Newborn twins Daniel and Dijana also had their throats cut by their father - with prosecutors arguing he committed the murders after his wife threatened to leave them

The court heard evidence that Snezana was suffering from postnatal depression and that her family had a history of mental issues, but her obstetrician said she was 'exactly the opposite' of that description.

The case was then appealed to the High Court where it was also dismissed.

On Thursday, Mr Speakman said despite Velevski committing the 'worst imaginable' crime, he had served his time and there were no chances of an extended supervision order or a continued detention order.

NSW State Parole Authority declined his parole in May, 2016 because he had 'not engaged in any programs to address his violent offending'.

His wife's family were only informed by journalists that Velevski was set to walk free on Thursday.

They said they weren't happy and had no idea where he may be living.
McDonald's restaurants across Fiji have run out of beef patties just one day after Anthony Albanese and other world leaders touched down for the Pacific Islands Forum.

The iconic four fast food chain announced on Thursday that customers' favourites including the cheeseburger and Big Mac, would no longer be available.

Burger lovers on the island now face resorting to the Filet-O-Fish.

McDonald's lovers around Fiji were disappointed on Thursday following an announcement the iconic fast food shop is suffering from a beef patty shortage

The burger shortage comes just one day after Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (above) joined Pacific leaders in Fiji for the Pacific Islands Forum

'Please note the unavailability of beef patty products at our restaurants till further notice,' the post by McDonald's Fiji read.

'We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused.'

McDonald's Fiji operations manager Damon Gregg told local outlet FBC News he wasn't sure when more beef would arrive.

'The container ships have been late loading and late leaving so that's the key issue behind it,' he said.

The four McDonald's locations around Fiji (pictured, Lautoka location) will strike beef burgers from their menus due to beef shipping delays

'We understand it's very frustrating for the customers to come in, expect something and not get it, so we're just trying to lessen the frustration on our customers.'

Other local restaurants are importing frozen beef from New Zealand to keep customers happy following a chicken shortage that also stopped nugget supplies.

The burger deprivation is just another in a series of global food shortages this year triggered by supply chain issues still lingering on the heels of the Covid pandemic.

Japan only sell small fries due to a lack of potatoes, tomato portions cut-down in the UK and cabbage mixed into KFC and Subway meals in substitute of lettuce in Australia.
Animal cruelty investigators were confronted with a grotesque scene when they entered a suburban home filled with mountains of rubbish, rotting plastic bags, empty bottles and decomposing birds.

A man and woman were arrested after a search warrant was executed at their home in Liverpool, western Sydney, by two NSW RSPCA Inspectors on January 12.

The hoarders appeared at Liverpool Local Court last month facing animal cruelty offences for keeping more than 90 birds inside the apartment amid the squalid mess.

Photos of the interior of the apartment were uploaded by the animal welfare agency on Thursday, revealing the full scope of the poor living conditions.

NSW RSPCA inspectors have uncovered mountains of rubbish, bottles and plastic bags at a hoarder's apartment in Sydney's west

Inspectors discovered more than 90 birds both alive and deceased inside 'extremely overcrowded' bird cages at the Liverpool apartment

The pictures showed living areas and bedrooms piled with rubbish, bottles, plastic bags, boxes, debris and birds.

NSW RSPCA said in a statement that there were '19 bird cages' in total along with debris 'stacked to the ceiling' in some rooms.

The cages were 'extremely overcrowded', with 50 birds living inside the cages and another 42 deceased.

'The majority of the cages were surrounded by rubbish and were littered with a build-up of seed and waste material. None of the cages contained clean water, and most of them had no access to natural light,' the statement said.

'In one of the cages, the accumulation of old seed and faeces was so extreme that the birds inside had no perch, or ability to stretch out their wings.'

The surviving birds have since been taken to a RSPCA NSW facility in Yagoona for assessment and treatment.

Photos taken by inspectors were uploaded by NSW RSPCA on Thursday

NSW RSPCA said in a statement they found some rooms had debris 'stacked to the ceiling'

The 50 surviving birds were relocated to a RSPCA NSW facility for assessment and treatment

Veterinarians said the birds were suffering from chronic health problems caused by poor living conditions and malnutrition.

There were 12 birds that were severely underfed and five that had eye issues.

One of the NSW RSPCA inspectors described the extremity of the scene after executing the search warrant.

'It was an incredibly confronting experience witnessing the poor living conditions that these birds were subjected to.'

'It is so sad to think about how long these animals were suffering, and how this dreadful situation was completely preventable,' he said.

Veterinarians said the birds were suffering chronic health problems. There were 12 severely underfed and five with eye problems

There were 42 dead birds that were found decomposing inside cages in the residence

The hoarders have been convicted of animal cruelty offences in court. They were ordered to pay thousands in care and shelter costs for the surviving birds

The hoarders were convicted of offences related to not providing adequate housing for the 50 surviving birds in the apartment and not providing treatment for the birds with health conditions.

They were each fined $6000 each, given a two-year Community Corrections Order and two-year disqualification orders.

The man was also ordered to pay $12,027.85 and the woman $6,728.43 in vet bills including care and shelter costs for the surviving birds at the RSPCA facility.

The convicted woman told inspectors that she was the owner of the apartment and that her ex-partner stayed part-time and owned some of the birds found inside.

RSPCA NSW had executed a search warrant at her property after previously trying to visit the apartment on multiple occasions.
Ukraine seemed to have turned the tide of its war against Russian invaders after successfully wiping out Russian command posts, logistical hubs, and ammunition depots far beyond the front lines using new weapons systems from allies in the West.

The Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions have all experienced large explosions in the last week. According to a CNN report, the targeting has been very efficient based on data, which includes satellite imagery and analyses by Western analysts.

For months, the Ukrainian military has been pleading with Western allies for long-range, precise artillery and rocket systems. Now that they have them, they are using them effectively throughout the east and south of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian military is withholding many details, but Vadim Denysenko, a senior Interior Ministry official, on Wednesday attributed the ruin of Russia's "approximately two dozen warehouses with weapons and stocks of fuel and lubricants" to the weapons that "Ukraine received."

The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) multiple launch rocket system from the US is the best in its type, but the Ukrainians have also obtained M777 howitzers from the US and Canada and Caesar long-range howitzers from France.

Furthermore, the UK has pledged to provide Ukraine M270 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS), which are more potent than HIMARS.

HIMARS is a versatile weapon with mobility that makes it difficult to target.

The range of the rockets sent to Ukraine is between 70 and 80 kilometers (about 50 miles). Additionally, they are very accurate due to their GPS guidance systems.

HIMARS' accuracy also means that Ukrainians can worry less about civilian casualties. The guided rockets are accurate to within two to three meters, two defense officials told CNN, allowing the Ukrainians to use far fewer rounds to hit targets precisely at distance.

Russian Forces Suffered Massive Damage

On Monday night, a huge strike against a warehouse appeared to have used the HIMARS in the Kherson region's Nova Kakhovka village. The hit caused extensive damage and additional explosions.

Additionally, there were massive explosions in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions that sparked other detonations. The same thing occurred last week close to Melitopol in Zaporizhzhia, as well as in Shakhtarsk in Donetsk, the Kherson region, and Donetsk during the weekend.

On social media, unconfirmed video of numerous large explosions was posted.

Mother of god.

Reportedly, a large Russian ammo depot in Nova Kahovka. pic.twitter.com/YsPDkqBnHK  Illia Ponomarenko  (@IAPonomarenko) July 11, 2022

Ukraine's defense minister Oleksii Reznikov said the need for longer-range weapons continues to outpace the Ukrainians' demand for shorter-range systems, according to a report from Ukrinform. Such weapons are needed more, as the war shifts mainly to an artillery battle, to recapture territories lost since the start of the Russian invasion on Feb. 24.

Read Also: US Fighter Jets: Joe Biden Facing Major Hurdle in Sale of Advanced Weapons to Turkey

Russia Tries To Downplay Successful Ukraine Attacks

However, Russian-appointed officials claimed that the attack destroyed saltpeter warehouses and not armaments facilities. Ukrainian officials dismissed their claim as a lie, per BBC.

Russian media contradicted Ukrainian claims, saying relief or mineral fertilizer depots were the ones attacked.

The Kherson region's new administrator, Vladimir Leontyev, told the Russian Tass news agency that many residents had been rendered homeless and that the city had sustained severe damage. Seven persons were reported missing.

The liberated parts of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, the DPR and the LPR, as well as the territory of Russia, fall under the "possible fire of HIMARS," according to a Russian military reporter Yuri Kotenok, who said that HIMARS poses "a serious threat."

Kotenok noted that the targeting of HIMARS, whether deployed or in transit, needs to be strengthened, as do Russian air defenses.

The Russian journalist said: "If this continues, it is necessary to hit the decision-making centers. Our limitations in retaliatory strikes against the enemy are to some extent incomprehensible to me."

Related Article: Russian Delegation Hammers Out Conditions for Grains Deal To Transport in Ankara

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Sri Lanka's fugitive president has finally resigned after fleeing to Singapore to escape protests triggered by his country's worst-ever economic crisis caused by his financial mismanagement.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a war hero whose family has held power in the south Asian country for two decades, set himself a deadline of midnight Wednesday to step down - but by Thursday morning had failed to honour the pledge.

Late on Thursday, however, the parliamentary speaker's office announced Rajapaksa had resigned from the position via email.

Rajapaksa's resignation will be announced officially at 7:30 a.m. local time (0200 GMT) on Friday, the speaker's office said late on Thursday.

'The authenticity and the legality of the e-mail will have to be checked out' before being formally accepted, Yapa told AFP news agency.

If confirmed, Rajapaksa would be the first president to resign since Sri Lanka adopted a presidential system of government in 1978.

A small but jubilant crowd, some waving the national flag, danced and chanted in celebration outside the presidential secretariat as news of the resignation broke.

'This is a monumental victory,' said protester Harinda Fonseka. 'But it is only a first step.'

Mr Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives aboard a commandeered military jet early yesterday days after protesters overran his palace, before making his way to Singapore. It is believed he fled with his wife Ioma.

Meanwhile protest leaders said talks are underway to return occupied buildings to the state amid fears their art and artefacts could be damaged, as Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe called on police to do 'what is necessary' to restore order.

Protesters gather on the streets of Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, on Wednesday after the president fled the country with a pledge to stand down

Rajapaksa fled Sri Lanka on Wednesday, after protesters overran his palace on the weekend, heading first to the Maldives and then Singapore (file photo)

Tear gas is fired into crowds of protesters in Sri Lanka on Wednesday - with more demonstrations expected today after the president broke his pledge to resign

Anti-government protesters flood the lobby of Sri Lanka's presidential palace, which was overrun amid widespread anger at the country's leaders

A Buddhist monk in a gas mask hurls a tear gas canister back at police during demonstrations in the capital Colombo on Wednesday

Under Sri Lanka's constitution, Wickremesinghe - whose resignation is also being demanded by protesters - would automatically become acting president until parliament can appoint a successor.

Rajapaksa, his wife Ioma and their two bodyguards arrived in Singapore from Male on board a Saudia airline flight.

As president, Rajapaksa enjoyed immunity from arrest, and he is understood to have wanted to go abroad before stepping down to avoid the possibility of being detained.

The former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed is believed to have played a behind-the-scenes role in getting him out of the country, and said Rajapaksa feared he would be killed if he remained.

'I believe the President would not have resigned if he were still in Sri Lanka, and fearful of losing his life,' Nasheed tweeted.

Singapore's foreign ministry confirmed Rajapaksa had been allowed to enter the city-state for a 'private visit', adding: 'He has not asked for asylum and neither has he been granted any asylum.'

He is expected to look to stay in Singapore for some time, according to Sri Lankan security sources, before potentially moving to the United Arab Emirates.

Sri Lanka is suffering through its worst financial crisis in decades, brought on by mismanagement of the country's huge foreign debts and shortfalls in revenue as a result of the Covid pandemic.

Protests against the government began in April as Sri Lanka's dwindling foreign currency stockpiles left the country unable to purchase essentials, as ministers searched in vain for creditors willing to lend more money.

China - Sri Lanka's single-largest lender - has refused to dip into its pocket, as have India and Russia.

Talks are underway with the International Monetary Fund for a bailout, but Sri Lanka is resisting due to anti-corruption and austerity measures the bank would enforce as a condition of lending the billions it needs.

Last week, demonstrators began storming government buildings - starting with Mr Rajapaksa's palace where they were photographed swimming in his pool and using his shower.

They then torched Mr Wickremesinghe's residence, and have laid siege to a number of other government offices.

Early Wednesday, Mr Rajapaksa commandeered a military plane to fly himself to the Maldives to escape the crisis and sent word back to parliament that he would resign.

Protesters stormed the offices of the prime minister yesterday (pictured) as they also called on him to resign amid Sri Lanka's worst economic crisis in decades

Protesters cram the staircase of Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's office, demanding he resign

Protesters storm the building of Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's office

Mr Wickremesinghe has also promised to step down, once elections to form a new government have been held.

But, as-of Thursday morning, Rajapaksa had yet to make good on his pledge - perhaps hoping he can cling on to power long enough for money to arrive in the country and protests to die out.

Campaigners are already calling for demonstrators to leave the presidential palace -which has become something of a pilgrimage site for angry locals - to preserve its art and artefacts.

'This building is a national treasure and it should be protected,' Buddhist monk Omalpe Sobitha told reporters.

'There must be a proper audit and the property given back to the state.'

Hundreds of thousands have visited the compound since it was opened out to the public after Rajapaksa fled and his security guards backed down.

'There is a move to return the buildings back to the authorities,' an activist involved in the #GotaGoHome campaign told AFP.

In a televised address after thousands of people captured his office in Colombo, Wickremesinghe declared: 'Those who go to my office want to stop me from discharging my responsibilities as acting president.

People protest inside Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's office, amid the country's economic crisis

Demonstrators are calling for the resignation of Sri Lanka's president, his family and their allies from government amid fury at their handling of the economy

Demonstrators are reportedly in talks with the state to hand back seized buildings, in return for pledges of a change of government

'We can't allow fascists to take over. That is why I declared a nationwide emergency and a curfew,' he added.

The curfew was lifted at dawn on Thursday, but police said a soldier and a constable were injured in overnight clashes with protesters outside the national parliament.

The attempt on the legislature was beaten back, unlike at other locations where the protesters had spectacular success.

The main hospital in Colombo said about 85 people were admitted with injuries on Wednesday, with one man suffocating and dying after a tear gas attack at the premier's office.

Rajapaksa had promised to resign on Wednesday, but there was no announcement he had done so.

He remained in the Maldives, reportedly awaiting a private jet to take him, his wife Ioma and two bodyguards to Singapore.

Diplomatic sources said Rajapaksa's attempts to secure a visa to the United States had been turned down because he had renounced his US citizenship in 2019 before running for president.

A man plays guitar inside the grounds of Prime Minister Wickremesinghe's office after people stormed inside on Wednesday

Protesters swim in President Rajapaksa's pool as they continue to occupy his palace, while calling on him to leave power
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Tories are braced for more blood on the carpet today as another hopeful is knocked out of the leadership race - with Liz Truss allies begging rivals to recognise the 'reality' they cannot win.

The results are due to be revealed at 3pm after another frenzied day at Westminster that saw the Foreign Secretary officially launch her campaign insisting she can be 'trusted to deliver' after taking on the EU over Brexit and Vladimir Putin over Ukraine.

In a dig at frontrunner Rishi Sunak she said she had been 'loyal' to Boris Johnson, and it was not the time for 'business as usual economic management'.

She dodged questions on whether she was worried about the threat from Penny Mordaunt, who surged into a shock second place in the first round. But allies have taken the gloves off, branding the trade minister 'untested', 'underwhelming' and unable to 'master detail'.

A crucial moment in the battle for No10 is looming, with momentum seemingly with Ms Mordaunt after she picked up support from 67 MPs compared to Mr Sunak's 88, putting her well ahead of Ms Truss on 50 and in a strong position to make the final run-off ballot of Tory members. She has been installed as the bookies' favourite after bombshell polling suggested that she would win head-to-heads against any of her rivals.

Ms Truss's team have unveiled ministers Ed Argar, James Heappey and Tom Purseglove as new backers. They hope that Suella Braverman and Kemi Badenoch will be knocked out in rounds of voting today and early next week, and their backers will dramatically boost her numbers. One source said the rivals should 'recognise the reality of the situation'.

Mr Sunak will hope to boost his tally over 100 in the latest ballot today, after being endorsed by the eliminated Jeremy Hunt, and virtually guarantee his place in the final two.

In an interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Sunak insisted he was the best option to defeat Labour at the next election - but again insisted taxes cannot be cut until inflation is under control.

Meanwhile, another contender Tom Tugendhat joked that he feels like a 'Prom Queen' because he is being wooed so fervently by other hopefuls.

As Ms Truss tries to claw back ground, her allies fired salvos at Ms Mordaunt this morning, with Lord Frost saying he asked for her to be sacked as his deputy and has 'grave reservations', while Treasury minister Simon Clarke swiped that the country 'needs a leader who is tested and ready'.

One campaign source told MailOnline: 'Just because Penny voted for Brexit doesn't mean she can be trusted to deliver it. Her delivery record post-Brexit is incredibly underwhelming - can she be trusted to get things done?'

But Ms Truss said at her launch: 'I certainly won't be making any disparaging comments about my fellow candidates in the race.'

David Davis accused the Foreign Secretary of deploying the 'dark arts', while a source close to Ms Mordaunt told MailOnline: 'Penny has nothing but respect for Lord Frost. He did a huge amount to assist our negotiations until he resigned from Government.

'Penny will always fight for Brexit and always has.'

Ms Truss said at the event in Westminster that she is 'ready to be prime minister from day one'.

'We are at a critical moment for our country,' she said. 'Now is the time to be bold, we cannot have business-as-usual economic management, which has led to low growth for decades.'

To shouts of 'hear, hear', she said that it was time to deliver on Brexit and 'win the fight for freedom, at home and abroad'.

Officially launching her campaign, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss appealed for Tories to unite behind her, saying she can be 'trusted to deliver' and can 'hit the ground running' after taking on the EU over Brexit and Vladimir Putin over Ukraine

Penny Mordaunt (right) performed better than expected in the first round. Mr Sunak (pictured left) will hope to boost his tally over 100 in the latest ballot today, after being endorsed by the eliminated Jeremy Hunt, and virtually guarantee his place in the final two

Ms Mordaunt seemed jubilant about her progress this morning, taking to Twitter to hail her 'march'

What will happen next in the Tory leadership race? The contest to be crowned the new Tory leader - and Boris Johnson's replacement as Prime Minister - is in full swing. Sir Graham Brady, the chair of the Conservatives' 1922 Committee, has revealed that the winner will be known on 5th September. But how will the party choose, between now and then, from the long list of contenders? Here's how the election process will work... Today - A second ballot of Tory MPs is being held to whittle down the six remaining candidates. The first round's minimum threshold of 30 votes to survive no longer applies, with the hopeful with the lowest score being eliminated. If there is a tie for last place everyone at the bottom of the table will be ejected. Next week - Up to three further rounds of ballots among Tory MPs will be held, eliminating the lowest scorer each time. The final vote will decide which two of the final three contenders proceed to the next stage. 21st July - MPs will head away from Westminster for their summer break, meaning this is the deadline for a final pairing to be decided in the parliamentary stage of the leadership election. Late July and August - CCHQ will assume responsibility for leadership election and will send out ballot papers to around 200,000 Conservative Party members. The Tory grassroots will be asked to decide between the final two candidates, with hustings events to be held across the UK. 5th September - The result of the membership ballot is announced, with the candidate receiving more than 50 per cent of the vote being declared the new Tory leader and Boris Johnson's replacement as Prime Minister. 6th September - The new Tory leader will be formally appointed as PM during a visit to the Queen at Buckingham Palace. 7th September - The new premier is set to be quizzed in the House of Commons in their first ever Prime Minister's Questions. Advertisement

Mr Sunak stubbornly refused to bow to demands for immediate tax cuts - offered by some of his opponents - pointing to the country's debt mountain.

'I think our number one economic priority is to tackle inflation and not make it worse. Inflation is the enemy, it makes everybody poorer, and if we don't act to tackle inflation now it will cost families more in the long run, especially with mortgages,' he said.

'I will get taxes down in this Parliament, but I'm going to do so responsibly.

'Because I don't cut taxes to win elections, I win elections to cut taxes, and I'm convinced that I'm the best person to beat Keir Starmer and the Labour Party at the next election.'

Mr Sunak also denied that his massive personal wealth meant he cannot understand the struggles of ordinary people.

'I don't judge people by their bank accounts, I judge them by their character and I think people can judge me by my actions over the past couple of years,' he said.

'Whenever I have needed to step in to support people I have and furlough is a fantastic example of that.

'But what I would say as a Conservative is I believe in hard work and aspiration and that's my story and if I'm prime minister then I'll be making the case for that with vigour.'

He dismissed claims of 'dirty tricks' being orchestrated by former chief whip Gavin Williamson on his behalf, stressing that Mel Stride has been running the parliamentary aspect of his campaign.

Asked what Sir Gavin's role is, Mr Sunak said: 'Like all the Members of Parliament who are on my team, they are talking to colleagues and making the case for my candidacy because they believe that I am the best person to beat Keir Starmer and the Labour Party and I'm really grateful for all their support.'

Former Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch and Attorney General Suella Braverman also made it through the first round, receiving 40 and 32 votes respectively.

And former Army officer Mr Tugendhat also made the cut with 37 votes as the standard bearer of moderates.

Only one of the 358 MPs did not cast a vote.

Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi was ejected from the contest after failing to reach the minimum threshold of 30 votes, but has indicated he will not be endorsing any candidate.

A maximum of three more rounds will be needed to whittle the field down to the last pair.

At a press conference this morning, Mr Tugendhat said he 'feels like a prom queen' because of rival candidates were wooing him for support - but insisted he will not quit.

Asked why he was staying in the race, the MP said: 'Where will this go? I don't know, I can't tell you.

'But I can tell you that a lot of people - a lot of people - are looking at the options before them today and thinking differently about the votes they made yesterday and that's not surprising.'

At a press conference in Westminster he added: 'I offered to serve, and that's what I'll do, and it's up to others to decide whether or not they they wish to have me.

'That's, I'm afraid, how democracy works. But I don't quit.'

Ms Mordaunt's new status is bringing intense scrutiny and she is already facing questions, including on whether she had changed her 'woke' views on trans rights in order to win support.

An ally of Ms Truss accused Ms Mordaunt of 'telling lies' over her views. 'She is turning up at hustings claiming she never pushed trans rights when she was equalities minister when there are people in government who know that is not true,' said the ally.

'She is telling lies and if she gets in she will revert to type and split the party.'

Former Brexit minister Lord Frost told TalkTV he was 'surprised she is where she is in this leadership race.'

'I have worked with Penny She was my deputy, notionally more than really in the Brexit talks last year,' he said.

'I'm sorry to say this, that I felt she did not master the detail that was necessary in the negotiations last year.

'She wouldn't always deliver tough messages to the European Union when that was necessary. And I'm afraid she wasn't sort of fully accountable.

Lord Frost saying he asked for Penny Mordaunt to be sacked as his Brexit deputy and has 'grave reservations'

A YouGov poll found the run-off margin for Penny Mordaunt against Rishi Sunak could be 67 per cent to 28 per cent, while the former Chancellor could lose 59 per cent to 25 per cent against Liz Truss

Minutes before MPs started voting in the first round of the leadership contest, YouGov research suggested Ms Mordaunt is the overwhelming favourite of activists

'She wasn't always visible. Sometimes I didn't even know where she was. And I'm afraid this became such a problem that after six months, I had to ask the Prime Minister to move her on and find somebody else to support me.'

Lord Frost said a PM needed to be 'tough' and 'able to lead', adding: 'I'm talking only about my own experience with her, but on the basis of what I saw, I'm afraid I would have grave reservations about that.'

The result for Mr Sunak was considerably short of the thumping 114 votes Mr Johnson received in the first round of the 2019 contest - when there were fewer Tory MPs.

A YouGov poll found that Ms Mordaunt is the 'clear favourite for next Conservative leader among party members'.

When Tory members were asked to choose their preferred, Ms Mordaunt convincingly topped the list with at 27 per cent of votes.

Ms Badenoch came a distant second at 15 per cent, followed by Mr Sunak and Ms Truss on 13 per cent each.

The survey also found Ms Mordaunt - who initially appeared an outsider - would defeat any competitor in a run off.

Her margin against Mr Sunak was projected to be 67 per cent to 28 per cent, while the he could lose 59 per cent to 25 per cent against Ms Truss.

However, separate research by Savanta ComRes tonight underlined the challenges Ms Mordaunt would face with the wider electorate. Just 11 per cent of the public and 16 per cent of Conservative voters could correctly identify her when shown a photo.

Mr Sunak also faced questions after failing to land the knockout blow his team had been expecting. While the former chancellor still looked on course to make the final run-off it was no longer clear that he would do so with a big mandate from fellow MPs.

Senior Tories have warned Ms Truss that to be confident of making the final run-off she must see off her rivals on the Tory Right.

Eurosceptic MPs were last night trying to persuade Mrs Braverman to withdraw.

One source said she faced 'humiliation' if she tried to continue.

But her team insisted she would battle on, with campaign manager Steve Baker saying: 'We have not yet begun to fight. People underestimate Suella at their peril.'

Mrs Badenoch also showed no signs of backing down. One source on her campaign said: 'She is going to do it.'

Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, who is backing Ms Truss, last night urged fellow Brexiteers to unite behind her and warned that divisions could allow Miss Mordaunt to slip through.

Calling for a 'unite the Right' candidate, Sir Iain said: 'If common sense played any part in these things, it would be over in 24 hours. But of course it doesn't.'
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Soaring Covid infections in Europe are threatening to spark more misery on British holidaymakers this summer amid doomsday warnings about 'Centaurus'  dubbed the most contagious variant yet.

Although BA.2.75, as it is officially known, has yet to take off anywhere except India, virologists have warned it could have 'an advantage' over other strains of the virus and quickly become dominant around the world.

Its emergence has sparked renewed calls to bring back masks and other protective measures.

However, its ominous sounding name  inspired by a distant galaxy astronomers say resembles a mythical Greek beast which was half-human, half-horse  was not coined by any experts, despite being used in a string of media outlets.

Instead, Centaurus was crafted by an amateur Covid commentator called Xabier Ostale, a lockdown zealot who has forecast a 'Great Death Period' from BA.2.75.

His nickname has since taken off in scientific circles, to the fury of some who want to avoid alarmist names and stick to using the Greek alphabet for troublesome variants.

Europe is currently enduring a spike in infections caused by BA.5, another mild sub-strain of Omicron which is simultaneously causing havoc in Britain.

Officials in popular holiday destinations including Spain  which has seen its infections more than double in a month  have warned mask-wearing and other restrictions could be brought back unless the outbreak starts to fizzle out.

Experts told MailOnline BA.2.75 is unlikely to properly hit Europe until autumn, with case numbers still extremely low. However, if it is truly as transmissible as experts fear, it could theoretically strike sooner.

BA.2.75's more popular name Centaurus was created by Xabier Ostale, a lockdown zealot who has forecast a 'Great Death period', on Twitter at the start of July

What do we know about BA.2.75? Should we be concerned? What is BA.2.75? This is an off-shoot of the BA.2 Omicron substrain that caused the last wave of Covid in April. It was first detected in India in May and has been found in at least 10 other countries, including the UK and US. Is it more dangerous? Early analysis suggests BA.2.75 is more transmissible than both BA.2 and BA.5, which is behind the current uptick in cases in Britain. But there is no evidence to suggest it is more likely to cause serious disease. Should I be concerned? Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious disease expert at the University of East Anglia, told MailOnline a BA.2.75 wave could be the least deadly yet. It is not expected to strike Britain until later this year, with cases too low to start pushing out BA.5 circulation currently. Professor Hunter said people could have better protection when it does finally arrive because of a combination of the vaccine and recent infection this summer. Advertisement

While there is some suggestion the Centaurus off-shoot may be more transmissible than BA.5, there is no proof it will cause more serious disease. One expert has even speculated it could be less deadly.

The strain only gained significant attention in the West this week, after a slew of media reports warned of its potential threat.

Writing on Twitter on July 1, Mr Ostale said: 'I have just named BA.2.75 variant after a galaxy. Its new name is Centaurs strain. Get used to it. Today, I'm in command of anything pandemic.'

He later claimed the strain's 'high transmission rate, systemic damage and immunity depletion' would cause a new wave of deaths across the globe.

Mr Ostale, who claims 'Earthlings need a radical social revolution' in his Twitter bio, wrote: 'What I called many months ago, the Great Death Period.'

The name Centaurus comes from a constellation featuring Alpha Centauri  the closest star to Earth that is 349 light years away.

But experts were quick to dismiss his nickname for the strain, arguing people should stick to the official name BA.2.75 when referring to it.

Dr Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, Tweeted a Guardian article about the variant: 'Stop trying to make Centaurus happen.

'It's not going to happen. Seriously who came up with this nickname?

'I refuse to believe that [Dr Tom Peacock, a virologist at Imperial College London] or [Dr Stephen Griffin, a virologist at the University of Leeds, two experts who were quoted in the piece] are to blame, as they call it BA.2.75 like the rest of us content to use standardized nomenclature.'

SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus behind the pandemic, constantly evolves as it tries to spread. The majority of mutations are harmless.

However, some quirks the virus picks up over time can give it an advantage  like being able to infect people easier.

As SARS-CoV-2 mutates over time, it can splinter off into genetically distinct variants, or strains. The WHO set out rules to name variants of concerns in order of the Greek alphabet.

For example, the January 2021 wave was caused by Alpha, last summer's peak was down to Delta, and the original Omicron strain was to blame for last winter's peak.

And Britain's April pandemic chaos was sparked by the BA.2 substrain, a sub-type of Omicron considered to be nearly as infectious as measles.

The current resurgence, which has already prompted calls from left-leaning scientists for face masks and social distancing to return, is being driven by BA.5. It appears to be even more infectious than BA.2.

BA.2.75 is actually an off-shoot of the BA.2 variant from April, but is thought to be the most infectious of any of them yet, in theory.

But experts told MailOnline 'it doesn't look like it will be more deadly than BA.5 and it may even be less deadly because with every wave there is more protection'.

The Office for National Statistics ( ONS ) weekly infection survey found more than 2.7million Britons were infected with Covid in the last week of June

MailOnline analysis shows how the rate of severe illness from Covid has fallen over time. At the beginning of the pandemic, one per cent of all people infected with the virus (based on the Office for National Statistics infection rate) required mechanical ventilation within two weeks. But most recent NHS bed occupancy rates show just 0.015 per cent of those infected are admitted to an ICU bed - 100 times fewer than the start of the pandemic

Latest data shows there were 1,848 Covid admissions across England each day by July 10, which was 23 per cent higher than the previous week. Week-on-week growth has slowed significantly in recent weeks, coming down from 43 per cent in late June, in a promising sign

The weekly growth rate of hospitalisations for the virus  the speed at which rates are increasing  has halved in recent weeks. Average daily admissions had been climbing at a rate of around 40 per cent week-on-week at times last month but this has slowed to about 20 per cent

Nearly 3million adults in England have not had any jabs to protect against the virus so are at more severe risk of being hospitalised or dying if they get infected, a Government report on the vaccine rollout states. The graph shows vaccine uptake among all over-12s in England. Some 93.2 per cent have had their first dose, 87.3 per cent are double-jabbed and 68.7 per cent are boosted

The current BA.5 wave is, however, already causing chaos, with some officials from popular holiday destinations threatening the reintroduction of restrictions.

While no official line has yet been taken by the Spanish Government, Carolina Daria, the country's Minister of Health, called for people to wear facemasks indoors, according to Murcia Today.

Francisco de la Torre, the Mayor of Malaga, has publicly backed bringing back mandatory mask-wearing. 'Otherwise, we are going to have a summer with many health problems that will affect the wellbeing and lives of many,' he said.

And Amos Garcia Rojas, a public health official for the Canary Islands, did not rule out the reintroduction of masks indoors when Brits flock over to the popular destination over the rest of summer.

He said: 'The pandemic is not gone. It is necessary to continue maintaining certain restrictions and care, perhaps in the obligation wear a mask indoors, if the situation does not improve.

'To all this must be added the appearance of new variants of Covid, which have more transmissible characteristics, which may cause many more infections but fortunately are also less virulent. Most are mild or asymptomatic.'

Infections in the Iberian nation more than doubled in a month to 22,204 on July 11, the latest date data is available for. While data is skewed by a lack of testing, the rate has consistently gone up.

Cyprus has already brought back face masks for everyone over the age of 12, while the mayor of Nice  the biggest city on the French Riviera  has broken ranks with the French Government by announcing that coverings will become mandatory on public transport once again.

Despite warnings of another wave in Britain, figure suggest infections may already be slowing.

There were an estimated 2.1million people infected in England in the most recent week, which marked a 17.7 per cent increase in seven days.

That was compared to a 34 per cent jump the previous week. MailOnline's analysis of NHS data suggests the current wave of Covid admissions is peaking.

The weekly growth rate of hospitalisations has halved in recent weeks. Average daily virus admissions had been climbing at around 40 per cent week-on-week at times last month but this has now slowed to about 20 per cent.

The vaccine has drastically changed the course of the pandemic, with high sky immunity rates from jabs and infection during repeated waves blunting the threat of the virus.

Around 30 people are dying from Covid per day in England and Wales and ICU admission rates are just a fraction of what they were in the darkest days of the pandemic.

Hospital admissions, though still increasing, may overinflate the perception of how many people are ill. Two out of three people admitted to hospital for Covid are 'incidentals'  primarily there for another reason.

However, admissions and deaths operate on a time lag from cases because of the time it takes for the virus to take hold, so they may well increase in the coming weeks in line with current infections.
Bill Gates has pledged to donate $20billion to his charitable foundation so it can increase its annual spending and help solve the world's 'big problems' and 'reduce suffering'.

In the face of global setbacks including the pandemic, the war on Ukraine and the devastating impact of climate change, Gates said he was making the donation to 'help meet urgent global needs'.

Gates, who set up the Gates Foundation with his now ex-wife Melinda in 2000, said he plans to give 'virtually all of his wealth' to the foundation - a move that he said will make him drop off of the list of the worlds richest people.

'I have an obligation to return my resources to society in ways that have the greatest impact for reducing suffering and improving lives,' Gates said. 'And I hope others in positions of great wealth and privilege will step up in this moment too.'

The $20 billion donation, combined with longtime board member and Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett's $3.1 billion gift last month, brings The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's endowment to approximately $70 billion, making it one of the largest, if not the largest in the world, depending on daily stock valuations.

The Gates Foundation plans to raise its annual budget by 50 per cent over pre-pandemic levels to about $9 billion by 2026.

Bill Gates has pledged to donate $20billion to his charitable foundation so it can increase its annual spending and help solve the world's 'big problems' and 'reduce suffering'

In the face of global setbacks including the pandemic, the war on Ukraine and the devastating impact of climate change, Gates said he was making the donation to 'help meet urgent global needs'

The Gates Foundation plans to raise its annual budget by 50 per cent over pre-pandemic levels to about $9 billion by 2026

The foundation hopes the increased spending will improve education, reduce poverty and reinstate the global progress toward ending preventable disease and achieving gender equality that has been halted in recent years.

According to the United Nations Development Program, 71 million people have been pushed into poverty since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, mainly due to food and energy price surges.

Households in the Balkans, the Caspian Sea region and Sub-Saharan Africa have been hit particularly hard. The U.N. World Food Program reports that the number of acutely hungry people is now 345 million, up 25 per cent since the start of the war in Ukraine.

'Despite huge global setbacks in the past few years, I see incredible heroism and sacrifice all over the world and I believe progress is possible,' Bill Gates, the foundation's co-chair, said.

'But the great crises of our time require all of us to do more I hope by giving more, we can mitigate some of the suffering people are facing right now and help fulfill the foundation's vision to give every person the chance to live a healthy and productive life.'

Bill Gates praised Warren Buffet for his 'incredible generosity' as half of the foundation's resources have come from him. Pictured: Warren Buffett, Bill and Melinda Gates

The $20 billion donation, combined with longtime board member and Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett's $3.1 billion gift last month, brings The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's endowment to approximately $70 billion, making it one of the largest, if not the largest in the world, depending on daily stock valuations

Gates, who set up the Gates Foundation with his now ex-wife Melinda in 2000, said he plans to give 'virtually all of his wealth' to the foundation - a move that he said will make him drop off of the list of the worlds richest people

Co-chair Melinda French Gates said the additional spending will help provide a more 'fair and inclusive recovery.'

'Philanthropy has a unique role to play in helping people around the world recover from the pandemic and rebuild the underlying systems that left so many so vulnerable to begin with,' French Gates said in a statement.

At the 'Hunger Pains: The Growing Global Food Crisis' webinar Monday, Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman said two decades of advances have been halted by the current global crises spawned by the Russian invasion. However, the growth in agricultural productivity around the world remains mostly in place.

'We have the tools. We have the science. We have the knowledge,' Suzman said. 'What we need is the political will and the resources.'

Those resources include donations from philanthropic organizations. Gates Foundation invests heavily in connecting agricultural advancements with the right countries, offering drought-resistant maize seeds or flood-resistant rice to the areas that can use them most, Suzman said.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation headquarters in Seattle, Washington, U.S.

However, philanthropy has its limitations, he added. Suzman said the response from the world's wealthiest countries has not only fallen short of what is currently needed, but it has even fallen short of what the world provided a decade ago during a similar crisis.

'This is our most critical area of opportunity for human solidarity,' he said. 'That actually has knock-on effects to provide better political stability and broader economic growth, which is what I think everybody wants to see.'

In his essay, Bill Gates wrote that polarization in the United States makes battling global crises tougher.

'The political divide limits our political capacity for dialogue, compromise, and cooperation and thwarts the bold leadership required both domestically and internationally to tackle these threats,' he wrote. 'Polarization is forcing us to look backwards and fight again for basic human rights, social justice, and democratic norms.'

While achieving gender equality has long been one of the foundation's primary investment areas, in his essay, Bill Gates singled out the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade as 'a huge setback for gender equality, for women's health, and for overall human progress.'

'The potential for even further regression is scary,' he added. 'It will put lives at risk for women, people of color, and anyone living on the margins.'
Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey has today pleaded not guilty to multiple historic sexual assault charges allegedly committed in the UK.

The American, 62, who starred in Netflix series House of Cards and films American Beauty and The Usual Suspects, is accused of a string of sex attacks on three men in London and Gloucestershire between 2005 and 2013 while he was artistic director of the Old Vic theatre.

He faces four charges of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.

Spacey denied the alleged offences after appearing at the Old Bailey on Thursday. He is now expected to face a three to four week trial from June 6 next year.

The former Hollywood star had previously indicated he 'strenuously denies' the allegations of the three men, who are now in their 30s and 40s.

Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey (pictured outside court on Thursday) appeared before the Old Bailey to enter formal pleas against historic sexual assault charges allegedly committed in the UK

Spacey (pictured leaving the court on Thursday) denied the alleged offences after appearing at the Old Bailey . He is now expected to face a three to four week trial from June 6 next year

A court sketch shows Kevin Spacey denying any wrongdoing as he appeared before the Old Bailey for a plea hearing on Thursday

The former Hollywood star, 62, arrives at the Old Bailey on Thursday ahead of his plea hearing

Spacey flashes a taut smile as he is mobbed by camera crews before entering the Old Bailey, where he pleaded his innocence to multiple historic sex abuse charges

The bespectacled American Beauty actor today appeared in the dock of court one wearing a light blue suit, white shirt and polka dot tie.

He gave his full name as Kevin Spacey Fowler and confirmed his date of birth of 26 July, 1959.

Earlier, the two-time Oscar winner was mobbed by photographers and camera crews as he exited a dark Mercedes outside court.

Leaving court, Spacey made no comment as he was ushered into a chauffeur-driven car with darkened windows.

The Old Bailey heard the 62-year-old is said to have carried out four of the alleged assaults in London between 2005 and 2008.

The final allegation is said to have happened in 2013 in Gloucestershire.

At the time of the allegations, Spacey was artistic director of the Old Vic theatre in London, a position he held between 2004 and 2015.

Theatre bosses apologised after revealing it had received 20 complaints of 'inappropriate behaviour' against their artistic director, who was accused of having a 'cult of personality' which contributed to failings on behalf of the organisation.

Meanwhile, Spacey was stripped of an Emmy Award, while his character Frank Underwood in the critically-acclaimed Netflix show House of Cards was axed once the claims came to light.

Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of actor Kevin Spacey in the dock at Westminster Magistrates Court in London last month

Spacey pictured on a red carpet in LA. The actor is facing charges of sexual assault in London. He denies the allegations and has vowed to defend himself

Actor Kevin Spacey smiling as he leaves Westminster Magistrates' Court in London last month

Westminster Magistrates' Court last month heard Spacey went through four days of interviewing in New York and promised that if he was charged he would come to Britain to answer them.

Patrick Gibbs QC, defending, told the court Spacey 'strenuously denies' the allegations and had returned 'voluntarily' to the UK, where he has an address in Waterloo, south London.

Mr Gibbs said Spacey had returned to the UK 'to establish his innocence' and 'proceed with his life'.

The Crown Prosecution Service authorised the charges against him in May, but Spacey could only be formally charged once he had travelled to the UK last month.

Spacey, a two-time Oscar winner, previously said he would travel to the UK to face the charges, which he is expected to deny.

In a statement released to Good Morning America after the CPS announcement, he said: 'While I am disappointed with their decision to move forward, I will voluntarily appear in the UK as soon as can be arranged and defend myself against these charges, which I am confident will prove my innocence.'
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez nearly attacked a right-wing troll who was sexually harassing her on the steps of the Capitol after he crowed that she was his 'favorite big booty Latina.'

Notorious instigator Alex Stein, 35, was waiting at the steps of the Capitol building on Wednesday to film the Democrat Representative from New York, catcalling her and remarking that she 'wanted to kill babies but she's still beautiful.'

The congresswoman was approaching the steps with an aide as police stood by during the exchange.

'I love you, AOC, you're my favorite!' he called. 'You look very beautiful in that dress.'

He caught the 32-year-old's attention when he made a lewd comment about her body and she changed course to approach him.

The aide physically placed a hand on her chest to hold her back from doing something unwise.

Instead, Ocasio-Cortez posed for an ironic selfie and flashed the peace sign and walked on up the steps.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was sexually harassed by the notorious right-wing troll Alex Stein on her way into the Capitol yesterday

'I love you, AOC, you're my favorite!' Stein called as she approached. 'You look very beautiful in that dress'

He caught the 32-year-old's attention when he made a lewd comment about her body and she changed course to approach him

Far-right social media activist Alex Stein has form for ambushing politicians and harassing them while he films it, with Rep. Adam Kinzinger and Rep. Dan Crenshaw being two previous victims

'Look how sexy she looks in that dress,' Stein yells again as she reaches the top of the steps. 'Whooo. I love it AOC. Hot hot hot like a tamale.'

'I was actually walking over to deck him because if no one will protect us then I'll do it myself,' Ocasio-Cortez wrote of the incident on Twitter later, 'but I needed to catch a vote more than a case today.'

The congresswoman first tweeted about the incident 'deeply disgusting incident' when she posted a picture of his face and slammed him for spewing 'disgusting garbage in front of an officer who let him continue.'

But she then deleted the tweet, unwilling to provide a man who was 'seeking extremist fame' the attention.

'It's just a bummer to work in an institution that openly allowed this, but talking about it only invites more,' she added. 'Just really sad.'

The congresswoman first tweeted about the incident 'deeply disgusting incident' when she posted a picture of his face and slammed him for spewing 'disgusting garbage in front of an officer who let him continue'

Instead she re-posted Stein's video of the incident.

When reached for comment, Stein told Business Insider he would 'love to date' Ocasio-Cortez and thought she was 'absolutely beautiful.'

When asked about the lawmaker's remark on finding the incident 'deeply disgusting,' Stein responded that he is 'actually very hygienic.'

Alex Stein is a social media personality, Blaze TV contributor and far-right activist notorious for provoking outrageous situations for online content.

He achieved some level of fame for himself by rapping about 'putting a bullet in Putin's brain' during a Texas city council meeting in March.

Ocasio-Cortez was not the only politician Stein harassed on the Capitol steps on Wednesday. He posted a video of himself calling Rep. Adam Kinzinger a 'fake RINO Republican' and a 'scumbag' among other insults.

He was also involved in a confrontation with Rep. Dan Crenshaw at a GOP convention in Texas in June, calling him a 'globalist RINO' and 'eyepatch McCain'.

'This is what happens when angry little boys like [Alex Stein] don't grow up and can't get girlfriends,' the congressman tweeted in reply.
A cathedral wants to install steel railings to stop homeless people sleeping overnight in a historic porch after it was repeatedly left in an 'unhygienic mess'.

Lincoln Cathedral said the 13th Century Galilee porch had been vandalised by groups of rough sleepers taking drugs and lighting fires, resulting in damage to the iconic building.

Its work department has now lodged a planning application with Lincoln council to install a 4.5ft high fence across the porch. They acknowledged the railings could be climbed but argued it would be 'enough to deter people'.

Plans to build barriers to keep out homeless people are often highly controversial, and the cathedral itself was accused of 'unchristian' behaviour when it put up a temporary fence by the Galilee porch in 2020 after several incidents of antisocial behaviour.

Today, the Labour Homeless Campaign told MailOnline the plans were 'shameful' and 'deeply unhelpful to efforts to get people off the streets'.

The cathedral said it was 'mindful' of the city's homelessness problem, but did not 'believe that allowing people to sleep in this area of the cathedral was appropriate and it needs to be discouraged'.

An artist's impression of steel railings Lincoln Cathedral wants to build to stop homeless people sleeping in a historic porch

The cathedral acknowledged the railings could be climbed but argued it would be 'enough to deter people'

It wrote in a planning application: 'After the cathedral is closed people sometimes congregate in the Galilee Porch, taking drugs and causing damage to the delicate 13th C fabric. Fires have been started.

'Sometimes rough sleepers stay in this area often leaving an unhygienic mess to be cleared up by the vergers.

'The porch conceals an area to the side of the SW Transept and this is frequently used by rough sleepers who often leave the area in a very poor state and can be threatening in their behaviour.

'Again vandalism is sometimes caused to the fabric of the cathedral.'

The cathedral also said it had concerns about masonry falling from the south side of the nave, which is in need of repair.

It added: 'Because of other fabric priorities elsewhere it will be some considerable time before the masonry repairs can be attended to. It is therefore desirable to keep the public away from the wall for the nave.'

In recent years, landlords have been criticised for putting up 'homeless spikes' to stop people sleeping in the doorways of flats in London.

In 2014, the row attracted the attention of Boris Johnson, then London Mayor, who branded the approach - which involves installing short, blunt spikes in areas that could be used by rough sleepers - 'inhumane'.

The cathedral was accused of 'unchristian' behaviour when it put up a temporary fence by the Galilee porch in 2020 after several incidents of antisocial behaviour

The Very Revd Christine Wilson, Dean of Lincoln, said the cathedral 'has always, and continues to support rough sleepers and other vulnerable people in a wide variety of ways'.

She continued: 'The purpose of the proposed railings is to provide protection and keep people safe from harm; that includes those who have been sleeping in the Galilee Porch.

'Lincoln Cathedral is on Historic England's Buildings at Risk Register. Recent surveys have revealed the risk of falling masonry on that part of the Cathedral and there are currently temporary barriers to prevent people entering that space.

'We know that some of our rough sleepers were camping in that area last year and obviously, that puts them at a significant risk of harm.

'In addition to protecting people, as the current custodians of the Cathedral we have a responsibility to protect the historic fabric of the building for future generations. A fire was lit in the Galilee Porch, and are conscious of ensuring that we do not have another situation like that at Notre Dame.'

The local YMCA has praised the work Lincoln Cathedral has done for the city's homeless.

A view of Lincoln Cathedral - one of Britain's most stunning medieval buildings

The Dean of Lincoln added: 'Lincoln Cathedral is a place of welcome for those seeking support, worship or shelter, and pastoral care is at the heart of our daily ministry and mission.

'We offer food, drinks and clothing to those who need it, as well as toiletry packages and a private space to wash.

'We work closely with local authorities and charities to ensure people receive appropriate support and care, and the Cathedral is pleased to have been able to assist in helping arrange medical assistance, mental health assessments and ultimately helping to get people into accommodation.

'Our doors are very much open to everyone and we encourage anyone to come and seek the support they need, be that spiritual or practical.'

rory.tingle@mailonline.co.uk
The Met Police has launched enquiries into former BBC and Capital Radio DJ Tim Westwood after new allegations he had sex with a 14-year-old.

Yesterday a 40-year-old woman claimed the hip-hop star, 64, had been a relationship with her when she was just a schoolgirl.

The alleged victim - who is known under the pseudonym Esther - said she felt the DJ groomed her and she was 'prey' to 'predator' Mr Westwood.

She said they began their relationship after meeting at a club night in Arch in Vauxhall in 1990, which developed into a sexual one when Westwood allegedly started kissing her before initiating unwanted sex.

This morning the Met - who will not identify any person who may, or may not be, subject to an investigation - said it treated claims of abuse as very important.

A spokesman told MailOnline: 'The Met takes allegations of sexual offences extremely seriously and we are carrying out enquiries to establish further details.'

No-one has been interviewed under caution or similar so far.

Former Radio 1 star Westwood has vehemently denied any wrongdoing or illegality. The BBC are currently probing six misconduct allegations against him in a review.

Hip-hop DJ Tim Westwood facing fresh sex pest claims following new claims made yesterday

The Former Radio 1 star has previously vehemently denied any wrongdoing or illegality

A woman, 40 claimed the hip-hop star, 64, had been a relationship with her when she was 14

Esther said their alleged underage relationship later led to her attempting to take her own life.

She said at the time: 'I kind of thought it was normal but that's because I didn't understand the gravity of the situation, she said.

'It wasn't a relationship and it wasn't about love, it was just a thing, and a thing you couldn't discuss with anybody.'

She added to the BBC she felt: 'Disgusted. Angry. Upset. Dirty. Yeah, dirty. I wish I could pretend it never happened but it did.'

Westwood said in a statement in 2020 claims of inappropriate behaviour made against him on social media were fabricated, false and without foundation.

He said: 'I can categorically say that I have never had an inappropriate relationship with anyone under the age of 18.'

'Esther' is one of 10 women who have come forward to accuse the former Radio One DJ of sexual misconduct. None of the 10 initially reported the incidents to the police.

Another woman claims she was 16 when the renowned hip-hop DJ, who was in his 40s at the time of the alleged incident, kickstarted their 'controlling' relationship.

DJ Tim Westwood was today accused of being a 'predator' after a woman claimed he had sex with her multiple times starting when she was just 14-years-old

One woman, using the pseudonym Isabel, alleges she was 19 and the DJ was 53 when he exposed his genitals to her in a car

A third, who was 20 when she first met Westwood while he toured clubs and student unions across the country, claims he pushed his penis into her mouth despite her resisting.

Two more women claim they were sexually assaulted by Mr Westwood.

The new allegations have come forward as part of a BBC News documentary, entitled Tim Westwood: Hip-Hop's Open Secret, that details more than two decades worth of sexual misconduct allegations against the DJ stretching from 1990 to 2012.

Mr Westwood was contacted to provide comment.

'Lydia', another woman claiming to have been targeted by Westwood, says she was approached by him during a night at Caesars club in Streatham, south London.

Although she was only 16 at the time while he was in his 40s, 'Lydia' and Mr Westwood allegedly began an 18-month sexual relationship in which he is accused of isolating her from friends and family.

'It was quite controlling in lots of ways,' she told the BBC.

'I had a home phone, and he demanded to have the password to it so he would often listen to my messages.

A woman using the alias Pamela claims Westwood drove her to a flat in central London and initiated unwanted sex when she was 19 and he was 53

A woman, using the alias Tamara, alleges Westwood, then aged in his mid-thirties, also subjected her to unwanted sex when she was 17

'I wish more people had stepped in, I wish the adults who were around him, the bodyguards, the secretaries, the people who I would say were bystanders.'

Following social media allegations published in 2020, Westwood has previously 'categorically' denied claims he has had an 'inappropriate relationship with anyone under the age of 18'.

Seven women came forward to accuse the DJ of initiating unwanted sexual behaviour following a joint investigation by the BBC and the Guardian earlier this year.

Following the allegations, Mr Westwood resigned from his weekly Capital Xtra radio show 'until further notice'.

A statement from a representative of Westwood in April said: 'Tim Westwood strongly denies all allegations of inappropriate behaviour.

'In a career that has spanned 40 years, there have never been any complaints made against him officially or unofficially.

'Tim Westwood strongly rejects all allegations of wrongdoing.'

10 more women have since come forward to share their allegations against the DJ since the investigation broke in April. Several claim they engaged with Mr Westwood while they were under the age of 18.

Veteran DJ Tim Westwood is facing multiple allegations of sexual misconduct by women who claim he abused his position to take advantage of them. The DJ has strenuously denied all allegations

Westwood, pictured above in 2005, is at the centre of a sexual misconduct storm after allegations were levelled against him in recent years

The DJ, who is the son of Bill Westwood, the former Anglican bishop of Peterborough who died in 1999, began his career on local radio before joining Capital Radio in London.

He was later given his own show by BBC Radio 1.

The radio presenter left Radio 1 and Radio 1Xtra in 2013 after nearly 20 years and returned to Capital Xtra to host a regular show on Saturday nights, where he was referred to as 'The Big Dawg'.

A representative for Westwood was contacted for comment.

The news comes after the Guardian and BBC published testimonies in April from seven women who made allegations of predatory sexual behaviour against Westwood.

In 2020, Westwood was forced to deny involvement in similar allegations when the hashtag #survivingTimWestwood appeared on Twitter.

Westwood's name and the allegations began trending on Twitter after an unnamed woman posted messages describing a four year relationship.

Using the Twitter name @survivingtimwestwood she admitted she was in love with the DJ and had not gone to police with any of her allegations.

Others responding to the Twitter messages called on bosses at Global Radio, where Westwood works for Capital Xtra, to investigate his behaviour towards young black women.

The renowned DJ vehemently denied sensational allegations on social media that he behaved inappropriately with student fans.

In October 2013, Westwood was condemned by students for a 'vulgar and sexist' stage show he put on during a freshers' event at the University of Leicester.

While performing as guest DJ at the O2 Academy he was heard shouting over the microphone: 'Girl in the front row with the black dress on, I will be f****** you later.'

Earlier this year, Westwood was heard in unearthed clips urging a fan to stay in her bra as he ogled her on stage in the BBC3 film Tim Westwood: Abuse of Power.

The DJ was accused of groping black women at gigs in the scathing documentary.

Westwood was also filmed cat-calling a woman as she scrambled to cover up as he shouted from the decks: 'Yo baby you don't have to put your top back on'.

He was also caught clutching a woman while looking down her top and asking: 'I like your rack  is it real?'.

The documentary also showed him refusing to let go of a woman's arm after he allegedly whispered something sexual in her ear while backstage at a festival.

And another clip shows Westwood interviewing rapper Cardi B during a 2017 interview for Capital FM.

The American artist asks him: 'Do you have sex with a lot of like, you know, black girls?' Westwood replied after a pause: 'Not as much as I'd like to' in an interview where he was accused of being inappropriate towards the star.
A father-of-three who claims a severe bout of food poising left him permanently paralysed after a tropical island getaway is suing holiday giant TUI for 5million.

William Marsh claims he picked up a severe tummy bug while on a dream holiday in the Dominican Republic, which caused a freak reaction in his body and left him wheelchair-bound.

The 59-year-old from Mountain Ash, Wales, was celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary with his wife Kathryn, and their 17-year-old daughter with a week-long holiday at the Riu Naiboa resort in July 2018.

While on their all-inclusive stay at the luxury hotel, which was booked through TUI, William was taken ill with stomach cramps and diarrhoea.

But he says he struggled to get back to work as an engineer upon returning home and woke to find he had no feeling in his legs, before numbness spread across his body.

Soon after, he lapsed into a coma for 10 weeks and was treated on a ventilator, before undergoing intensive rehab after regaining consciousness.

Four years on, Mr Marsh is now suing holiday giant TUI for up to 5m in London's High Court over his life-changing condition, which he blames on poor hygiene or food preparation standards at the Rui Naiboa.

William Marsh, 59, is suing holidaymaker TUI for 5million after he became paralysed following a bout of food poisoning while on holiday in the Dominican Republic

The father-of-three spent 10 weeks in a coma and seven months in hospital after the stomach illness he picked up on holiday

Marsh claims the four-star Riu Naiboa hotel was the source of his food poisoning and subsequently caused him to be paralysed (pictured)

The father-of-three was on a holiday (pictured) to celebrate 25 years of marriage with his wife Kathryn

It is believed a bacterial infection from the hotel triggered a neurological disease known as Guillain-Barre Syndrome

What is Guillain-Barre Syndrome? Guillain-Barre Syndrome is very rare and sometimes develops after an infection. It is thought to be caused by a problem with the immune system. The immune system mistakenly attacks and damages the nerves rather than germs. It's not clear exactly why this happens. Some patients are only mildly affected, while others can suffer major nerve damage which shuts down their mobility. An estimated 1,300 people are affected by GBS annually in the UK. About 80 percent will recover, but between 5 per cent and 10 per cent die and 10 per cent to 15 per cent experience long term effects ranging from limited mobility to dependency on a wheelchair. Advertisement

Mr Marsh's lawyers say a bacterial infection picked up at the hotel triggered a devastating neurological disease known as Guillain-Barre Syndrome - in which the immune system attacks the nerves instead of fighting to block germs.

But TUI is denying all blame, hotly disputing that the hotel was the source of any toxic tummy bug.

The four-star Riu Naiboa hotel, which sits 400 metres from an acclaimed beach, states on its website that it prides itself on offering up a 'wide variety of flavours and aromas' from its buffet and 'themed' restaurant, and also on serving up traditional Dominican cuisine.

The case against TUI reached the High Court last week in a preliminary hearing between lawyers hammering out the complex issues that will shape the future trial.

Speaking previously, Mr Marsh said: 'I need so much help to do even the simplest of tasks now and we have carers visiting the house every day.

'We have also had to make a range of changes, as we needed a wet room, new central heating and an adapted car. I have to spend most of my time in the living room as I struggle to access other areas. It's been devastating.

'The process of recovery has been incredibly slow and it has been very frustrating at times. It is still hard to believe everything that has happened to me and it has been tough facing up to the fact that I may never walk properly again.'

Marsh has been left using a wheelchair to get around and has severe weakness down the left side of his body

TUI have denied the hotel, which serves traditional Dominican cuisine, is the source of the bacterial infection

Matthew Chapman - barrister for Mr Marsh - said he would be seeking evidence about food preparation and systems of hygiene at the hotel in the past, as well as 'any recorded incidents of complaints about gastric or gastric related illnesses'.

The issues of negligence and the cause of his illness are both contested by TUI, which is also challenging the amount of compensation claimed.

Mr Marsh says he has been left using a wheelchair to get around and stricken by severe weakness down the left side of his body, drastically affecting his ability to grip with his left hand.

Mr Chapman told the court the eventual trial will hear evidence from a battery of expert witnesses, including microbiologists and a specialist on local food and hygiene standards.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has toasted the end of a successful Pacific Islands Forum by enjoying drinks, laughs and selfies with fellow Oceania leaders.

The annual convention wrapped up in the Fijian capital of Suva on Thursday, where a climate emergency is expected to be declared following an all-day leaders retreat.

Mr Albanese left the retreat declaring it was a 'very successful meeting' and claimed Australia's 'new position on climate change was particularly well received', despite Fijian counterpart Frank Bainimarama casting doubt on those claims.

He leaves Fiji relieved following earlier assurances from Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare that a Chinese military base won't be built on Australia's doorstep.

The Australian Prime Minister was at his charismatic best as the summit wrapped up on Thursday afternoon

He was presented with a garland, a traditional Fijian gift given to visitors as a sign of one's appreciation.

The Pacific leaders also posed for an official family photo and a cake cutting ceremony.

Mr Albanese gathered them all together so he could take a selfie, where New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern can be heard cheekily calling out 'Queenslander' in reference to the Maroons' State of Origin series win against NSW the night before.

The leaders were later treated to a traditional Beating Retreat ceremony, where Mr Albanese was seen enjoying a beer and hamming it up with the Fijian PM.

What's so funny: Anthony Albanese joked with Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama as the Pacific Islands Forum wrapped up on Thursday night

'Our Pacific Family has come together in Fiji to find agreement on how we can tackle our shared challenges, and how we can play to our collective strengths. Australia's commitment to stronger action on climate change was warmly welcomed by leaders,' Mr Albanese tweeted.

'And I look forward to working with leaders on our bid for Australia to host a UN climate change conference in partnership with our Pacific neighbours. Because we are stronger together.'

Mr Albanese has claimed he had regional support for Australia's climate policies.

'It was also reflected in every single one of the person-to-person dialogues I had with prime ministers and other leaders from our Pacific Island neighbours,' he said.

He also said he has endorsement from the Pacific of Australia's bid to host a forthcoming UN climate change meeting.

'They all expressed support for the bid and you'll see that reflected in the communique,' he added.

But Mr Bainimarama has since cast doubt on that claim after Thursday's summit.

'Throughout every meeting and discussion I've held this week, I have been clear and consistent in our asks for more ambitious climate commitments,' he said.

'Most urgently, it requires that we end our fossil fuel addiction, including coal. That is our ask of Australia.'

Say cheese: Anthony Albanese gathers his fellow Pacific leaders together to snap a selfie

The Pacific leaders posed for a official 'family photo' at a summit retreat. Mr Albanese is pictured third left in the back row

Earlier, Mr Bainimarama called out Australia on Twitter.

'Australia's new climate pledge is a step-up that Fiji has long sought - but out of the duty I owe every young person in the Pacific, I have urged (Mr Albanese) to go further for our family's shared future by aligning Australia's commitment to the 1.5-degree target,' he wrote.

Mr Albanese has steadfastly refused to budge on his headline pledge to cut emissions by 43 per cent by 2030, a target which many experts say is inconsistent with 1.5 degrees of global warming - the benchmark level expected at the summit.

Nevertheless, Australia's standing has improved from the last Pacific leaders' meeting, which then prime minister Scott Morrison attended in Tuvalu in 2019.

Australia's reception in 2022 contrasts with the last in-person PIF leaders summit.

The Tuvalu 2019 summit was marked by former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison's intransigence in the face of Pacific requests to boost climate pledges.

'The prime minister was very insulting, very condescending, not good for the relationship,' Mr Bainimarama told The Guardian in 2019.

Tuvalu Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga, the last host, accused Australia of only being 'concerned about saving your economy'.

'I'm concerned about saving my people in Tuvalu and likewise the leaders of other South Pacific small island countries,' he said.

Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama (second left) laughs along with Anthony Albanese

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was presented with a garland on the final day of the summit, a traditional Fijian gift given to visitors as a sign of one's appreciation.

Mr Albanese also claimed a breakthrough on an issue that has clouded the week: the withdrawal of Kiribati.

The Micronesian nation walked from PIF on the weekend before the Suva summit, with Prime Minister Taneti Maamau not engaging with diplomatic outreach.

That changed on Thursday afternoon, when Mr Bainimarama contacted Mr Maamau to convey PIF's 'keenness to unite'.

'Prime Minister Bainimarama conveyed to the other PIF leaders that it was a very constructive dialogue ... the door is open to Kiribati rejoining,' Mr Albanese said.

A line also appears to have been drawn under the Solomon Islands' flirtation with closer security ties with China.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare assured journalists an agreement signed earlier this year would not lead to a Chinese military facility within 2000km of the Queensland coast.

'The moment we establish a foreign military base, we immediately become an enemy. And we also put our country and our people as targets for potential military strikes,' he said.

'There is no military base, nor any other military facility or institutions, in the agreement. 'And that's a very important point that we continue to reiterate to the family in the region.'

Anthony Albanese and Ms Ardern held bilateral meetings with Mr Sogavare on Wednesday in Suva during the leaders summit.

Mr Albanese described his meeting with Mr Sogavare as 'very constructive', stressing 'the interests of Australia would not be served by having a military base so close to where Australia is'.

Anthony Albanese (left) has been assured by Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare (right) that a Chinese military facility won't be built on Australia's doorstep

The body language between the two leaders certainly suggested warming relations, with Mr Sogavare greeting his Australian counterpart with a warm embrace, saying 'ahhh, I need a hug'.

'I welcome his comments in ruling out there being a Chinese base,' Mr Albanese said.

'We are now very much re-engaged with the Pacific.'

'I note that previously this meeting would have still been going for many hours. I'm told that one of the reasons for that is the changed position of Australia (on climate change).

The trip to Fiji was Mr Albanese's fourth overseas visit to meet world leaders since becoming prime minister two months ago.

Cook Island will host the Pacific Islands Forum in 2023. The forum was founded in 1971 and comprises 18 member nations.
United States President Joe Biden on Thursday defended his visit to Saudi Arabia to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, despite condemning the kingdom for the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Before his trip to Saudi Arabia later this week, Biden emphasized his views on the death of Jamal Khashoggi, and his broader record on human rights has long been clear, per Politico.

During a news conference in Israel, Biden said: "I always bring up human rights, but my position on Khashoggi has been so clear if anyone doesn't understand it in Saudi Arabia or otherwise they haven't been around me for a while."

President Biden also reiterated that the main agenda of visiting the Arab state is a more comprehensive meeting with Persian Gulf leaders to address energy and security matters and to promote US interests in an "opportunity to reassert" US influence in the Middle East.

I had the pleasure to join the first leaders meeting of the United States, India, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates.



Together, the I2U2 will harness the vibrancy and entrepreneurial spirit of our nations to tackle some of the greatest challenges confronting our world. pic.twitter.com/wiZCToPlTU  President Biden (@POTUS) July 14, 2022

The president's visit to the oil-rich country comes when gas prices in the US have risen sharply, reaching a peak earlier this summer at a nationwide average of more than $5 per gallon.

According to National Security Council spokesman John Kirby's statement last month, increased oil production will "absolutely" be discussed when Biden meets with Saudi leadership, along with Iran's "destabilizing" behavior in the region and the kingdom's participation in the ongoing war in Yemen.

Biden Breaks Promise

According to a U.S. intelligence assessment from last year, Bin Salman approved and likely ordered the murder of Khashoggi, a former insider whose Washington Post column had slammed the crown prince's policies.

On October 2, 2018, Khashoggi was murdered and dismembered inside a Saudi consulate in Istanbul. USA Today reported Khashoggi visited the consulate to obtain the documents he needed for his upcoming nuptials.

The crown prince has denied any involvement in Khashoggi's killing.

Biden publicly vowed to condemn Saudi Arabia during his presidential campaign. He has expressed strong reluctance to meet with Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) to his advisors and claimed that the nation's leadership "has very little social redeeming value."

In June, President Biden stated that he is "not going to meet with MBS."

However, the White House has since confirmed the meeting, stating that Biden would interact with MBS as part of a bilateral meeting with Saudi King Salman and the country's larger leadership group.

Read Also: US Fighter Jets: Joe Biden Facing Major Hurdle in Sale of Advanced Weapons to Turkey

The White House stated that the objective of Biden's Middle East visit is to "recalibrate but not rupture" the relationship with Saudi Arabia. He said there are too many crucial issues at stake to avoid dialogue with the country.

A summit of regional leaders will be held in Saudi Arabia coinciding with Biden's visit. He will also hold meetings with the leaders of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan.

POTUS Wants To Make Sure That Iran Won't Get Nuclear Arms

On Thursday, Biden discussed with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid the importance of strengthening regional stability through partnership and ensuring that Iran will never acquire a nuclear weapon, according to a Washington Post report.

Biden said: "This is a vital security interest to both Israel and the United States and I would add for the rest of the world as well."

The president declared that this would be the main point of his meeting with the Saudis.

Related Article: Joe Biden Fires Back at Reporter Over 2024 Presidential Run Question: "They Want Me To Run"

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This is the moment a bull gores and stamps on a woman trying out a bubble ball bull racing competition at a Utah rodeo.

In the competition, contestants have to race around the arena and return to the starting line to win $500.

The event starts when several people enter the bullring wearing inflatable bubbles, racing across the Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo arena in Vernal.

But the event soon gets dangerous when the organizers release a ferocious bull into the ring.

The audience gasps in horror as it immediately charges two of the racers and launches them across the arena.

In the video, the beast floors three victims before turning its attention to a woman still struggling to stand after its last attack

The bull continues stamping and deflating the bubble before trampling her

In the first attack, the bull's sharp horns tear through the racer's bubble, bursting it before the bull veers around looking for its next victim.

'He popped the bubble! He popped the bubble!' the person filming the video is heard shouting.

Rodeo organizers soon escort him away from the menacing bull.

The beast then runs down a racer from behind, catapulting him across the sand and coming close to the camera.

At first the event seems harmless enough, but in the horrifying moments that follow, the bull gores the woman again and again with its horns

The woman appeared to have sustained a puncture wound on the front right of her stomach

Event organizers escorted her out of the bullring and she was reportedly taken to hospital

But the bull's rampage isn't done yet. It thrashes around at the racers who have already reached the finish line, knocking down two of the bubble-wearing volunteers.

It turns its attention to a woman still struggling to stand after its last attack.

At first the event seems harmless enough, but in the horrifying moments that follow, the bull gores the woman again and again with its horns.

The beast continues stamping and deflating the bubble before trampling her.

The woman appeared to have sustained a puncture wound on the front right of her stomach afterwards, said one spectator named Emma.

'When we initially saw them come out we were all laughing saying we wished wed signed up, since it just looked like theyd be racing in bubble balls,' said Emma, a spectator, who said she hadn't realized a bull would be involved.

'The goal was to run across the field and back in the ball, but about halfway through they let the bull out. All of our jaws dropped at this point. Almost immediately the bull started charging the different people running.'

'It was funny  until it wasnt,' said Jared Hays, another spectator, adding: 'The lady at the end got the worst of it and I sure hope shes okay. She could hardly get back up but finally did with the help of two men who came to her.'

In the competition, contestants have to race around the arena and return to the starting line to win $500. The race costs $50 to enter

'It was funny  until it wasnt,' said Jared Hays, a spectator, who added: 'The lady at the end got the worst of it and I sure hope shes okay'

The racers were untrained volunteers picked out randomly from the audience, said a spectator, who said they 'were literally getting ripped up and thrown in the air. No padding, no helmet, nothing.'

Emma said the race on Saturday, which costs $50 to enter, had changed her perspective on rodeos.

'I just think this is incredibly stupid,' she said. 'Its a danger to the people involved as well as the bull.'

Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo was contacted for comment but did not respond.

The nearby hospital, Ashley Regional Medical Center, was also contacted but said it could not provide any details on patients.

The audience gasped in horror as the bull immediately charged two of the racers and launched them across the arena
A British boat skipper has died in a freak accident while tying up his vessel near a beach on a Greek island.

The 30-year-old, described by local media as a tourist, was attempting to anchor his vessel - the Captain Denise - to a rock on the island of Nimos around midday Tuesday when he slipped and fell.

He was knocked unconscious and fell into the water before being pulled out by his three passengers, who also called the coastguard.

A 30-year-old Briton has died after he slipped and knocked himself unconscious while trying to tie his boat to rocks on the Greek island of Nimos

A rescue boat was dispatched and took the man to the nearby island of Symi, just off the southern coast of Turkey, where he was treated in the medical centre.

Medics provided first aid and were preparing to transfer him to a larger hospital when he died, local media reports.

Coast guards then returned to the Captain Denise to help tow the vessel and its remaining passengers to port in Symi, where the boat is now anchored.

The remaining three passengers were not injured during the incident, which appears to be a tragic accident.

Symi port authorities have launched a routine investigation into the death.

Meanwhile the Briton's body has been transferred to the island of Rhodes so that an autopsy can be carried out.
The ABC has come under fire for uploading a highly sexualised video to Instagram and asking their audience when they last masturbated.

It was posted to the public broadcaster's ABCQueer Instagram page for their LBTQIA youth audience on Wednesday and their ABCHealth Instagram page last week.

In the video, ABC Health's Dr Naomi Koh Belic discusses the health benefits of masturbation, holds up a handful of vibrators and sex toys and refers to men who masturbate as 'sausage strokers' and women as 'taco touchers'.

The post was criticised by Liberal Senator Hollie Hughes who called the clip a waste of tax payer money, saying the content was too extreme for a young audience.

The ABC has come under fire for uploading a highly sexualised video to Instagram and asking their audience when they last masturbated (pictured, ABC Health's Dr Naomi Koh Belic)

The video begins with Dr Belic holding up a series of different vibrators and telling her viewers that 'masturbating is good for you'.

She goes into detail about the health benefits including stress relief, relaxation and the potential prevention of cervical and urinary tract infections.

At one stage she instructs her viewers to 'nut one out' if they're having a 'hectic day' as it improves sleep.

'Masturbating is a fantastic way to work out what brings you pleasure. So you can articulate what you enjoy,' she continued.

De Belic then analyses the 'masturbation gap' between men and women.

She reveals that roughly 50 per cent of men masturbate and 'less than a quarter' of women do before imploring her audience to 'close that gap'.

The caption for the video asks viewers: 'When's the last time you nutted one out?'

At one stage Dr Belic talks about the 'masturbation gap' by comparing the number of men and women who masturbate

'The ABC can play a critical role in rural and regional Australia,' Senator Hughes told Sky News Australia.

'It is absolutely insulting to all Australian taxpayers who fund the ABC that this is how they choose to spend money allocated to regional services.'

The video was also criticised by other social media users.

'This is our government funded ABC aiming very low. What a load of bs. My hard earned money is going to fund these dimwits,' said one.

'Aunty aims very low nowadays,' commented another.

A third wrote: 'You tax payer money funds this.'

Others praised Dr Belic for tackling the taboo topic in a fun manner and promoting the health benefits of masturbation.

'This is great. 'Self care'-Should be on billboard's everywhere. The world would be a much better place,' responded one user.

Another said: 'Fabulous information! Something a lot of younger people and a few oldies need to know.'

'Love this so much,' added a viewer.
One of the world's most prestigious gentlemen's clubs in London was sued by a waiter claiming he was made redundant for accusing a male colleague of making 'sexual passes' at him.

Jean-Ange Chiappini worked at Brooks's, one of the oldest gentlemen's clubs in the world, which is frequented by politicians, peers and aristocrats.

He was made redundant as the business tried to recover post-lockdown last year but claimed managers had been unfairly biased against him, after he complained about a fellow waiter making 'sexual passes' at him.

However, his claim of unfair dismissal failed as an employment tribunal ruled there was no bias in the redundancy process.

The judge called Assistant Club Secretary Alastair Curbbun 'very harsh' after handing the waiter a final written warning after travelling to his native France to see his elderly mother who was very sick with Covid and could have died, despite telling him 'off you go'.

Waiter Jean-Ange Chiappini worked at Brooks's, one of the oldest gentlemen's clubs in the world (pictured), which is frequented by politicians, peers and aristocrats. It is based on St James's Street in London

Brooks's is one of the oldest gentlemen's clubs in the world. Pictured: The Great Subscription Room at Brooks's Club, St. James's Street. A print from 'The Microcosm of London', by William Henry Pyne (1770-1843). Illustrated by Thomas Rowlandson (1756-1827) and Auguste Charles Pugin (1762-1832)

Former members of the elite establishment, formed in 1762, include Prime Minister William Pitt and William Wilberforce, one of the leaders of the movement to abolish the slave trade.

The tribunal, held in central London, heard Mr Chiappini started work at the 260 year old club as an agency worker in 2008 and was employed on a permanent basis from May 2017 as a waiter in the Spencer Room.

In February 2019, Mr Chiappini was given a first written warning by Mr Curbbun for eating in an area where he should not have been eating and for making club members wait before they could pay.

He claimed this was an example of him being treated differently because of previous allegations of unwanted sexual attention from one of his colleagues.

The tribunal heard he claimed he had repeatedly 'turned down Salvador's sexual passes at me' and 'working had become so difficult' he even recorded one alleged encounter and filed a grievance.

However, the tribunal heard the recording was listened to and not ruled to have been harassment by bosses.

Mr Curbbun told Mr Chiappini he viewed the recording as 'entrapment' and added: 'Your allegations of racist remarks and sexual advances cannot be proven and we are unable to see who is at fault.

'This has now resulted in poor staff morale and it is affecting the business with poor customer service.'

He was told to stop making 'constant' and 'unsubstantiated' allegations because 'all your colleagues and supervisors have to deal with your daily trivialities'.

In March 2019, Mr Curbbun issued Mr Chiappini with a second written warning for 'wasting management time with false allegations'.

Mr Chiappini was given an appraisal in October 2019 and was told he 'needs improvement' in several categories. He claimed this was unfair.

Mr Chiappini claimed that a colleague 'Salvator' made unwanted 'sexual passes' at him. Assistant Secretary of the club issued him a warning saying he was 'wasting management time with false allegations'. The waiter at the exclusive London club was given a final written warning after he visited his mother in France while she was sick with Covid, despite Mr Curbbun saying, 'Off you go'

The same day, he received a call from his father to say his mother had caught coronavirus and was going to hospital.

The tribunal heard his parents lived in France, his mother was in her late 80s and his father was 92.

He left to go to France on dependents leave after explaining the situation to Mr Curbbun who said: 'Off you go.'

Over a week later, Mr Curbbun emailed him to invite him to a disciplinary meeting, as he had not been in contact regularly and Mr Curbbun said the leave was never officially authorised.

When he returned to work at the Palladian-style building in St James's St in December, Mr Chiappini was handed a final written warning for unauthorised leave, but this was overturned on appeal.

As a result of reduced business and closures because of the pandemic, club secretary Ian Faul decided it was necessary to reduce staffing levels through redundancy.

Regency gentlemen gambling on the card game Hazard at Brooks's club. Pictured: Hand coloured copperplate drawn and engraved by Robert Cruikshank from The English Spy in 1825

Brooks's Gentlemen's Club: The history of one of the world's oldest private clubs In January 1762 Messrs. Boothby and James established a private society at 50 Pall Mall after being 'blackballed' from a membership of White's

This then split and the club that became Brooks's (Almack's) was founded in March 1764 by 27 Whig (an old political party) nobles

These included the Duke of Portland, the Duke of Roxburghe, Lord Crewe and Lord Strathmore

In September 1777 wine merchant and money lender William Brooks, who was the master of Almack's, commissioned a clubhouse on St James's Street which was finished in October 1778

Allmack's members were invited to join and they all moved

However, Brooks himself died in poverty in 1782 Source: Brooks's Advertisement

At a meeting in February 2021, Mr Chiappini was notified of his redundancy.

Employment Judge Tamara Lewis said: '[Mr Chiappini] says Mr Curbbun was biased against him, which is clear from the 'inhumane' way he was treated in 2018/9 when he complained about his colleague's harassment, and again over his visit to France.

'It seems harsh to have issued him with a warning for false allegations... However, that was a long time ago and it all appears to have been resolved.

'I do think that Mr Curbbun's attitude towards [Mr Chiappini's] absence to look after his parents in France was very harsh indeed. I am extremely surprised he issued a final written warning over the matter.

'Although I think the club could have been more sensitive on both those issues, there is no evidence of any connection with the redundancy marking.

'I am conscious that this incident happened only a few months before the redundancy exercise. However, it does not necessarily mean that Mr Curbbun was generally biased against the claimant.

'It might just mean he is a harsh manager, or harsh about that kind of issue, or maybe he was feeling the pressures of the pandemic himself.

'I also note that the appraisal, which is consistent with the redundancy marking, was undertaken before the France incident, so it can't be said that the France incident unfairly infected the managers' views against [him].'

Mr Chiappini's claim of unfair dismissal failed.
A petrol head filmed his beloved 200,000 Lamborghini supercar burst into flames while he was on a trip out with his daughter.

Ciro Ciampi, 45, and his daughter Tia were enjoying a drive in the Lamborghini Aventator LP 700-4 roadster when smoke began pouring out of the rear engine bay.

He was safely able to evacuate the youngster before alerting authorities to his predicament.

After stopping the car, Mr Ciampi opened the hatch to inspect the engine when he found the engine smoldering away, just behind where his daughter had been sitting just minutes earlier.

Initially, Mr Ciampi had attempted to quench the blaze with a fire stick, but his attempts proved ineffective the blaze.

In 2017, Lamborghini issued a recall for Aventador models after several reports of the cars catching fire due to a fault in the fuel systems.

Investigators found that if the car's petrol tank is overfilled, there is a risk of petrol fumes igniting after coming into contact with the hot exhaust.

The risk of fire was increased further if the cars were over-revved while at a standstill.

Ciro Ciampi, pictured with his daughter Tia, three minutes before his Aventator LP 700-4 roadster caught fire

Mr Ciampi filmed the V-12 supercar as the fire spread through the engine bay releasing

Mr Ciampi stopped off to buy a soft drink during their 20 minute journey on Sunday afternoon.

Delivering a piece to camera with his burning car in the background, Mr Ciampi explained how he was on a short trip when the car caught fire.

As the fire engine approached, Mr Ciampi showed how the fire rapidly spread through the engine bay as a inflammable fluid fed the blaze, threatening the vehicle's private number place

The 200,000 V-12 supercar had been sat in the sun all day at an automotive show.

Mr Ciampi said: 'My immediate concern was myself and my daughter. Once we were safe, I just wanted to minimise the damage.

The 200,000 super car was destroyed within a matter of minutes in Bedfordshire on Sunday

Mr Ciampi praised Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue service who made it to the scene within eight minutes

'I just felt totally helpless and wanted to raise awareness so I chose to film it to share how quickly a car fire can spread and destroy any car.

'I filmed the video for our Petrolheadonism social media channels as a lot of my ambassadors and supporters have grown to love the car. Her name is Viola Ophelia, one of only two UK factory original painted Viola Ophelia cars.

'The outpouring of support and love from private messages and publicly across our channels has been overwhelmingly positive and supportive.

'I'd like to thank the team of Bedfordshire Fire Service for their speedy response and awesome firefighting skills, they were on the scene within eight minutes.'
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A four-year-old girl with Down's Syndrome has become the latest innocent victim of Putin's war in Ukraine after she was killed in her pram by a Russian cruise missile which also left her mother fighting for life.

Liza Dmitrieva was accompanying mother Irina on a day out in the city of Vinnystya - in western Ukraine, hundreds of miles from the nearest frontline - when a Russian Kalibre missile launched from a submarine in the Black Sea crashed down on top of them around 10.50am local time.

The pink pram that Liza had been filmed pushing an hour earlier was left lying on its side in the middle of the road, spattered in blood from wounds that the little girl tragically did not survive. Meanwhile Irina was rushed to hospital in critical condition, where she is now battling for her life.

Another 19 people - including two other children - also died in the attack which left 90 wounded, 50 of them in serious condition. President Zelensky condemned the strike as 'an open act of terrorism' perpetrated by Putin's 'inhuman' army, saying there are no military targets in the city. Russia claimed it was shooting 'Nazis'.

Liza Dmitrieva, four (left), who had Down's Syndrome, was on a girls' day out in the Ukrainian city of Vinnystya with mother Irina (right) today and was filmed pushing her own pram - just an hour before a Russian cruise missile killed her

Liza's pram was later found in the middle of the street - spattered with blood from wounds the girl did not survive. Irina was wounded and taken to hospital in critical condition where she is now fighting for life

A Russia Kalibre cruise missile slammed into this office block in Vinnystya, which is hundreds of miles from the closest front line, as Liza and Irina walked past - peppering them both with shrapnel

Irina often posted about her daughter online, saying she was 'scared to make wishes' about the future but was looking forward to Liza's fifth birthday - that she will now never get to celebrate

In total the attack on Vinnytsya killed 20 people - three of them, including Liza, were children - and left 90 wounded, 50 of them in serious condition including mother Irina

Mother Irina Dmitrieva, whose 4-year-old daughter was killed by Russian missile strike in Vinnytsia

Three Russian missiles hit an office block in the centre of Vinnytsya today, a Ukrainian city hundreds of miles from the current frontlines, leaving multiple civilians dead

An empty pram lies in the street after the Russian missile strike, with the child though to have been killed and their mother thought to have been badly injured

Fire crews attempt to put out blazes in Vinnytsya caused by three Russian missiles which hit the city on Thursday morning

Dozens of people were wounded in the attack, many of them in serious condition, in just the latest Russian missile strike to hit a purely civilian area of Ukraine

Cars smoulder in front of an office block in the city of Vinnytsya, western Ukraine, after it was struck by three Russian missiles that landed around 10.50am on Thursday

Civilians - including a child - are among those killed in the Russian strike, which is the latest to hit residential areas

A fireman walks among the ruins of an office block in Vinnytsya, western Ukraine, which has become the latest target of Russia's 'terrorist' strikes on civilians

Vinnytsya,450 miles went of the Donbas front line, is just the latest city to be hit in a series of Russian air strikes targeting civilians

Irina had previously posted on social media about her fears for daughter Liza, saying she was 'scared to make wishes' about the future for them and for their country.

Writing about the fifth birthday that little Liza will now never get to experience, she said: 'It was Covid-19 first, then the war. I have not been able to arrange a proper birthday party for Liza for two years.

'I am hoping her fifth birthday will give us a chance! I am scared to make wishes. I just dream about peace, and about things going the way we want.'

Just six hours before Liza was killed, she had posted about the progress her daughter had made despite the pandemic and war.

Posting on social media after the attack, President Zelensky wrote: 'Vinnytsya. Rocket strikes in the city centre. There are wounded and dead, among them a small child,' he wrote on Instagram.

'Every day, Russia destroys the civilian population, kills Ukrainian children, directs rockets at civilian objects where there is nothing military.

'What is this, if not an open act of terrorism? Inhumans. A killer country. A terrorist country.'

In a comment on Twitter, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba accused Russia of committing 'another war crime'.

'We will put Russian war criminals on trial for every drop of Ukrainian blood and tears,' he wrote.

Russia has stepped up its attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine as its offensive in the east has stalled following the seizure of two key cities in late June and early July.

Ukraine says Putin's men are taking an 'operation pause' before pushing on with their offensive, but that has not stopped them raining down death from a distance.

The first such strike obliterated the Kremenchuk mall on June 27, killing at least 20 people but leaving another 36 missing presumed dead.

Russia attempted to deny it had hit the mall - suggesting it had fired at nearby military targets including a factory and railway - and that 'collateral' damage had been caused by a fire that spread to the shopping centre.

But CCTV footage clearly showed a Russian anti-ship missile, originally designed to take out US aircraft carriers, slamming into the building.

That was followed by a hit on an apartment block in Mykolaiv on June 29 that left at least eight people dead, and another in Odesa on July 1 that killed 18.

On July 9, Russia bombed an apartment block in the town of Chasiv Yar - killing at least 47 civilian in one of the single deadliest attacks on the innocent of the war.

Fire crews work among the ruins of upturned vehicles, flipped over by the force of explosions which rocked an office block in the Ukrainian city of Vinnytsya on Thursday morning

Firemen hep to extinguish vehicles blown up when Russian missiles struck the city of Vinnytsya, in the west of Ukraine

The Vinnytsya strike is just the latest in a series of Russian bombings of civilian areas of Ukraine, that have left scores of people dead

Destroyed vehicles are seen near a monument at the site of a Russian military strike in Vinnytsya

Firefighters walk among the ruins of burned-out cars after Russia missile hit a Ukrainian office block in the city of Vinnytsya

Burned-out vehicles and debris from a nearby office building litter the streets in the centre of Vinnytsya after it was hit by Russian missiles

The badly-damaged remains of an office building in the centre of Vinnytsya are pictured after it was hit by Russian missiles early Thursday

Ukrainian President Zelensky said Vinnytsya contains no military targets as he condemned Russian troops as 'inhumane' and 'terrorists'

The bombings hit two residential buildings in the Donbas town overnight, causing one of them to partially collapse and badly damaging the other.

Rescue work is still ongoing, though hopes of finding survivors has all-but faded. The death toll is still being updated daily.

Kharkiv was the next target, with a series of missile strikes in the early hours of July 11 obliterating a school and several other residential buildings.

At least six people - including a 17-year-old boy and his father - died in those blasts, with another 31 injured.

Today's hit on the office block marks at least the sixth such attack in a little over two weeks, and came despite Ukraine's top war crimes prosecutor and European officials met to gather evidence for future war crimes trials.

With more than 20,000 war crimes investigations open and different countries heading teams, evidence needs to be credible and organised, officials said.

'Just like a climate strategy and a COVID strategy, we need an accountability strategy,' Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra told a meeting in The Hague.

Raw emotion emanating from stories of rape and murder were not enough to prosecute suspects, he added.

Russian forces have bombed Ukrainian cities to ruins and left behind bodies in the streets of towns and villages they occupied since invading in February.

Ukraine says tens of thousands of civilians have died. Moscow denies deliberately targeting them.

There have also been some reports of Ukrainians mistreating Russian prisoners, though the vast majority of accusations documented by bodies such as the United Nations are of alleged atrocities committed by Russian invaders and their proxies.

'As this meeting takes place, Russian forces continue to commit atrocities in Ukraine with harrowing intensity,' said U.S. envoy Uzra Zeya, who attended the meeting.

'With each day the war crimes mount: rape, torture, extrajudicial executions, disappearances, forced deportations, attacks on schools, hospitals, playgrounds, apartment buildings, grain silos, water and gas facilities.'

Missile strikes hit the office block, damaged nearby residential buildings, and caused a medical centre to collapse with emergency services warning there is little chance anyone is alive under the rubble

A destroyed vehicle is seen at the site of a Russian missile strike in the city of Vinnytsya, western Ukraine

A line of burned-out vehicles is seen after they caught fire during a Russian missile strike on the city of Vinnytsya

A car damaged by the force of three explosions that rocked the Ukrainian city of Vinnytsya on Thursday morning

The European Union's justice commissioner, Didier Reynders, noted that war crimes and genocide suspects were still at large from conflicts in places such as Rwanda, Darfur, Syria, Congo and the Balkans.

Countries trying to document crimes faced a 'gigantic task, not least because it requires the collection and storage of evidence in the midst of a war', he said.

International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan said there were reasons for hope because more than 40 states were seeking action on Ukraine through the court. The ICC has sent the largest field team in its 20 year history to investigate.

'At a time like this, the law cannot be a spectator. The law cannot recline in comfort in The Hague ... when it's meant to protect and uphold certain principles that are essential for humanity.'

Russia withdrew its backing from the ICC in 2016 after the court referred to Moscow's 2014 seizure and annexation of the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine as an armed conflict.

Host country the Netherlands hopes that Thursday's meeting - the Ukraine Accountability Conference - agrees on evidence sharing, a prosecution strategy and providing international war crimes expertise to investigators on the ground.

Since the Feb. 24 invasion, Ukrainian authorities have so far convicted two Russian soldiers of war crimes.

Russia's separatist proxies have held their own trials, including passing death sentences on two British fighters and a Moroccan in what Western countries consider sham proceedings.
The Harbour City is lonelier than ever with Sydney named the third-worst city in the world to make new friends.

A survey by Time Out ranked Sydney 50th out of 53 cities worldwide when it comes to meeting other people.

Almost three-quarters of the Sydneysiders surveyed said they found it difficult or impossible to make new friends.

Only Stockholm and Copenhagen were above Australia's largest metropolis on the list - coming in at 1st and 2nd respectively.

Sydney ranked the third-worst city in the world to make new friends with almost three-quarters of respondents saying it was difficult or impossible to build friendships. Pictured: Bondi Beach Sydney

Sydneysiders said they were also hard-up finding lovers with 71 per cent of respondents claiming there aren't enough fish in the harbour.

Luckily Sydney's romance scene is ranking slightly higher than friendship-making at fourth-worst, topping Singapore, Stockholm and Porto.



Sydney's formerly famous nightlife also took a hit with survey respondents ranking it the second-worst city in the world for a good night on the town.

However, the second-worst rating actually marks an improvement for Sydney after it came dead last in 2020 amid Covid lockdowns.

Sydney's friendship scene only narrowly beat Copenhagen which came in second-last and Stockholm which took the crown for the loneliest city. Pictured: Sydneysiders

Sydney did well in cleanliness reviews with just 11 per cent of survey respondents calling its busy streets dirty.

Overall Sydney ranked 46 out of 53 in the scoring for the world's best cities with Edinburgh stealing first place and Doha placing last.

The harsh ranking comes as more CBD businesses speak out against work-from-home recommendations that are killing inner-city life.

Most offices in Sydney's commercial district are operating at a lower capacity than before Covid as more employees choose to work-from-home.

Sydney placed 46th out of 53 for the 'world's best city' with more local businesses facing closure under work-from-home recommendations

Small businesses reliant on office workers stepping out for a coffee break are struggling to keep up as customers dwindle and the cost of living soars.

To add to the stress, Health Minister Mark Butler recommended more workers steer clear of offices as winter Covid cases rise.

'Case numbers have risen already and it is likely over coming weeks that millions of Australians will catch Covid,' he said.

However, Covid is quickly becoming old news to businesses facing closure almost three years after the pandemic started.

Locals and tourists said Sydney's 'nanny-state' CBD laws that force businesses to close at 10pm have killed nightlife in the city

'We thought it would pick up after Christmas but that never happened,' said Sonya Gee of Martini Dry Cleaning in Barangaroo.

'Then we thought it would be after the summer holidays, but nope - then Easter, but no. Now we just accept this is how it is.'

Ms Gee said she's been forced to let go five staff members since the Sydney-slump, leaving just herself and her husband to run the show.

'Our turnover has gone - it's dropped 60 to 70 per cent,' she said. 'People are only coming into the office sporadically.

Sydney was ranked as the third-worst city in the world to make new friends and fourth-worst city to find romance in a new survey

'And because people aren't meeting face-to-face anymore, many of them aren't even wearing suits and shirts now - so don't need them cleaned.

'I'm not sure how much longer we can go on. We'd move to a new location if we could, but we've got a long lease.'

Meanwhile outspoken Sydney residents claim controversial lockout laws, lifted in 2021, left the city's nightlife scene in such a shocking state it will take years to recover.

Lockout laws were introduced to Sydney in 2014 following the death of Thomas Kelly, 18, who was coward punched during a night out.

Sydneysiders said Sydney's boring nightlife is worsened by rules that force city businesses to close at 10pm

They aimed to lower alcohol-fuelled violence in the inner-city, specifically in party suburb Kings Cross.

Instead critics say the laws only killed Sydney's once-thriving nightlife and replaced it with 'nanny-state' rules that force CBD hotspots to close at 10pm on Sunday and weekdays.

Tourists Lara, 19 from Germany, and Kirstin, 19 from the UK, both told Daily Mail Australia recently that Sydney's night scene is lacking.

'The nightlife is good but it closes very early - even on weekends. I think with so many backpackers it's really quite sad,' Lara said.

'The nightclubs here are definitely not as good as Europe,' Kirstin said.

'George Street is very chill and quiet. It's a bit of a dead zone but it's quite peaceful.'
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Masks appear to be making a return to Britain's towns and cities amid a rise in Covid cases - while a raft of GP surgeries, care homes and hospitals have introduced new guidance requiring them to be worn.

Pictures taken today in Manchester, Birmingham and London showed plenty of commuters and shoppers donning face coverings in supermarkets, on trains, and out in the open air - although most people went maskless.

Individual hospitals have already started to reimposed face masks and social distancing in corridors and waiting rooms, in the first sign of curbs creeping back into normal life.

Many GP surgeries, care homes and some schools have also followed suit.

This week several scientists on Independent SAGE  a campaign group that used to advocate a Chinese-style zero-Covid strategy  started publicly lobbying for the return of masks alongside a free lateral flow scheme.

But other health experts insisted the current wave would soon fizzle out, with business leaders also adamant new restrictions were not necessary due to Covid's relatively mild nature and the success of the vaccine rollout.

Luke Johnson - a serial entrepreneur and chairman of Gail's bakery - argued against reintroducing Covid controls - warning that the UK was in danger of becoming a 'nation of hypochondriacs'.

MANCHESTER: Members of the public wearing face masks in Manchester city centre today. They appear to be making a steady return to Britain's towns and cities amid a rise in Covid cases

LONDON: A shopper wears a face mask at a Tesco store in south London today. Cases in England have doubled in the past month, with 1.8 million infected as of June 24, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS)

BIRMINGHAM: A man and a woman wearing medical face masks today in Kings Heath, Birmingham. Many people are choosing to continue wearing face coverings to reduce their risk of spreading or catching Covid

A woman on the Jubilee Line in London today wearing a medical face mask. Face coverings were previously mandatory but are now optional

Commuters on the Tube in London today. Most people appeared to be going maskless but others are choosing to still wear face coverings, particularly in cramped spaces

Hospitals and care homes have begun to reintroduce mask mandates, although wearing them in public still remains optional (pictured: people in Manchester today)

Infections are also surging in Europe, leading some governments to reconsider the rules around masks. The UK government continues to say face masks are optional (pictured: a group in Manchester today)

He told MailOnline: Recent research shows Covid is now no more lethal than influenza, thanks in part to vaccines and natural immunity.

'Society has never tested widely or shut down for flu - we have learned to live with it. We must do the same with Covid.

We need to stop the irrational fear and get the disease in proportion. For the vast majority of those testing positive for Covid, they are asymptomatic or have cold-like symptoms.

Unless we want to become a nation of hypochondriacs and suffer a much lower standard of living, society needs to stop testing, put Covid in the past, and regain its ambition.

Cases in England have doubled in the past month, with 1.8 million infected as of June 24, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Hospitalisations are also rising. According to NHS England, there were 10,658 patients in hospital last week up from 3,835 on June 4.

But deaths and ICU rates  which used to be the barometer for social restrictions  have remained flat despite the uptick in cases, which has been attributed to milder variants, vaccines and growing natural immunity.

Millions of us ditched masks in January when the Government axed their requirement by law. But against a rising tide of cases, hospital trusts in Cambridgeshire, Hampshire, Nottinghamshire, Devon and Wales have reinstated guidance urging people to mask-up.

Members of the public wearing face masks near Piccadilly Station in Manchester City Centre this morning

Hospitalisations are also rising. According to NHS England, there were 10,658 patients in hospital last week up from 3,835 on June 4 (pictured: people wearing face masks in Birmingham)

Latest data shows there were 1,848 Covid admissions across England each day by July 10, which was 23 per cent higher than the previous week. Week-on-week growth has slowed significantly in recent weeks, coming down from 43 per cent in late June, in a promising sign the most recent surge could be petering out

The weekly growth rate of hospitalisations for the virus  the speed at which rates are increasing  has halved in recent weeks. Average daily admissions had been climbing at a rate of around 40 per cent week-on-week at times last month but this has slowed to about 20 per cent

MailOnline analysis shows how the rate of severe illness from Covid has fallen over time. At the beginning of the pandemic, one per cent of all people infected with the virus (based on the Office for National Statistics infection rate) required mechanical ventilation within two weeks. But most recent NHS bed occupancy rates show just 0.015 per cent of those infected are admitted to an ICU bed - 100 times fewer than the start of the pandemic

But only a third of patients are primarily sick with Covid, which suggests rising admissions are a symptom of high infection rates rather than severe disease. The majority (64 per cent) are known as 'incidental' cases  patients who went to hospital for a different reason but happened to test positive. The above graph compares incidental cases throughout the pandemic

Around 2.1m  the equivalent of one in 25  had the virus in England alone (shown), which was up from one in 30 the previous week

Last week, for example, the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in Exeter started handing out disposable face masks and antiviral hand gel to all visitors.

'We moved back to mandatory face masks for all, and I think it's a sensible move,' Dr David Strain, an honorary consultant in medicine for older adults at the Trust, told Good Health.

'The point is to protect vulnerable patients at a time when one in 20 people in the population has Covid.'

Sadiq Khan has previously been a strong advocate of mask wearing.

The official Mayor of London website still advises Londoners to continue using a face covering 'in crowded or enclosed spaces where the virus can spread more easily, including on TfL services where face coverings are strongly recommended'.

Infection rates aren't just rising in the UK  they are on the march across Europe, fuelled by Omicron sub-variants thought to be even more infectious than the BA.2 strain that caused UK cases to soar to a record 4.1 million in April.

Governments are revisiting face mask guidance as a result.

Deaths and ICU rates  which used to be the barometer for social restrictions  have remained flat despite the uptick in cases, which has been attributed to milder variants, vaccines and growing natural immunity (pic: Birmingham mask wearers)

Despite billions of people wearing masks to reduce Covid transmission, goldstandard scientific evidence  in other words, randomised controlled trials  remains thin on the ground (pictured: Birmingham today)

The official Mayor of London website still advises Londoners to continue using a face covering 'in crowded or enclosed spaces where the virus can spread more easily'. Pictured: Commuters on the Tube today

France's former health minister Brigitte Bourguignon recently said people have a 'civic duty' to wear masks in crowded places, such as on public transport, at work and in shops; German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has warned that face masks 'will play a bigger role' in Germany in the coming months; and in Australia, Dr Kerry Chant, New South Wales chief health officer, last week urged residents to don a mask when they can't socially distance.

Meanwhile, the government of Cyprus announced it is to make it mandatory for people to wear face masks when indoors.

Despite billions of people wearing masks to reduce Covid transmission, goldstandard scientific evidence  in other words, randomised controlled trials  remains thin on the ground.

Instead, the evidence comes mainly from observational studies, which look at samples of people without interfering or controlling them in any way.

According to these studies, there is a benefit to wearing a mask.

For example, a review of public health measures published by the BMJ in October 2021, looking at 72 observational studies of nearly 400,000 participants, found a 53 per cent reduction in Covid-19 incidence from wearing masks.

One review of public health measures published by the BMJ in October 2021, looking at 72 observational studies of nearly 400,000 participants, found a 53 per cent reduction in Covid-19 incidence from wearing masks (pic: the Tube today)

Commuters wearing mask going down an escalator on the Jubilee Line on the London Underground this morning
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.
A thug received instant karma after bullying an elderly man who accidentally closed the lift doors on him when a group of men brutally beat him up in Taiwan.

The aggressive young man, named Hu, was entering a lift at a KTV karaoke club in Taichung when the frail man closed the doors.

Despite the honest mistake, Hu proceeded to accost the hapless man who tried to appease him by repeatedly bowing his head and apologising.

Hu, wearing a blue shirt, started to accost an elderly man in the orange after the lift doors were accidentally closed on him

The aggressive young man, named Hu, was entering a lift at a KTV karaoke club in Taichung when the frail man closed the doors

The bullying continued for several minutes, with the thug threatening to punch him while his friends simply watched as he harassed the pensioner.

Hu later left the lift with his companions but continued to throw his weight around and pester the old man in the lobby.

A man in a black suit stepped in after seeing the commotion and confronted Hu as tempers flared even further.

The argument went on until several men came rushing out of the lift and pounced on Hu and his friends.

The bully cowered as he was beaten by the vigilantes who stomped on his head and bashed him with what appeared to be a motorcycle helmet as he lay on the floor.

Hu proceeded to accost the hapless man who tried to appease him by repeatedly bowing his head and apologising

A man in a black suit stepped in after seeing the commotion and confronted Hu as tempers flared even further

The argument went on until several men came rushing out of the lift and pounced on Hu and his friends

One man was captured on camera giving a final blow to the ruffian's head before leaving him knocked out cold.

Taichung police arrived at the scene after the brawl and took in Hu, the old man, and the group of vigilantes for questioning at the station.

Officers said the stout man in the black suit called his 'friends working upstairs' for back-up during his confrontation with Hu.

They have also debunked claims the old man was a former gangster who had called upon his 'mob' pals.

The bully cowered as he was beaten by the vigilantes who stomped on his head and bashed him with what appeared to be a motorcycle helmet

One man was captured on camera giving a final blow to the ruffian's head before leaving him knocked out cold

Taichung police arrived at the scene after the brawl and took in Hu, the old man, and the group of vigilantes for questioning at the station

Meanwhile, Hu reportedly had mild injuries and scratches. Both parties have declined to press charges against each other.

But a police spokesman said that Hu 'may be prosecuted for violating the Social Order Maintenance Act'.

They added: 'The parties involved in the altercation did not want to proceed with making charges. They settled the disagreement among themselves but officers are still involved with the case.

'The suspects have been interviewed at the Taichung City police station and police will check CCTV to check if any other offences have been committed.'
The birthplace of the oldest known Martian meteorite that landed on Earth has been identified.

A new study conducted by lead author Anthony Lagain revealed that the meteorite might reveal clues about the origins of the solar system's terrestrial planets like Earth and Mars, along with our solar system itself, per Space.com.

Lagain is a planetary scientist at Curtin University in Perth, Australia.

'Black Beauty' Martian Meteorite Details

The Martian meteorite, named "Black Beauty," was once part of Mars' crust, specifically in the Karratha crater, named after the Australian city of Karratha - the home of Earth's oldest rocks, according to Lagain and his team's study.

Their study suggests that the oldest fragments of the Black Beauty were likely dug out from Mars 1.5 billion years ago by a cosmic impact that formed the 24-mile-wide Khujirt crater in Mars' southern hemisphere, specifically from Mars' Terra Cimmeria-Sirenum province. Over time, an impact that followed the one that formed the Khujirt crater five to 10 million years ago blasted Black Beauty's fragments off Mars.

This impact that followed the formation of the Khujirt crater eventually formed the Karratha crater from which Black Beauty came.

Thanks to the impact's force, Black Beauty escaped Mars' atmosphere and gravitational pull, traveled the vastness of space, and landed on Earth 4.5billion years ago, specifically in Morocco.

Black Beauty wouldn't be discovered by NASA until 2011, but it didn't know where on Mars it came from until now.

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Lagain said that the origin of Martian meteorites was an old enigma and that discovering the birthplace of Black Beauty is "pretty much [the] equivalent to a free sample-return mission."

The Meaning Of The Discovery of Black Beauty's Birthplace

Black Beauty is classified by NASA as an ungrouped achondrite, or a single stone with a shiny, black surface that has porphyritic breccia with numerous dark and light-colored phenocrysts and clasts of variable size and texture, set in a clastic interior.

The discovery of Black Beauty's birthplace could play an important role in understanding Mars' orgins as it contains the planet's oldest rocks, according to Interesting Engineering.

Mars is widely believed by experts to be 4.53 billion years old, while Black Beauty is only 4.48 billion years old. If it could talk, it would easily describe Mars' earliest years, environment, geography, and landscape back in its time.

The meteorite could be the peephole scientists and experts could use to study the early solar system in the meantime. The Martian rock samples from NASA's Mars Perseverance rover are expected to return to Earth from Mars by 2033, thanks to a revision to NASA and the European Space Agency's original plan.

Mars' Terra Cimmeria-Sirenum province, Lagain said, hosts the clues to "understand[ing] the first stage of evolution and differentiation of the planet. If one wants to udnerstnad how Mars formed and evolved, then we need to analyze this province much more than we do right now."

Lagain also added that it is important to send a rover or drone to the region to help experts understand what happened on Mars and Earth 4.5 billion years ago.

Related Article: A 30lb Moon Rock is Being Solf for $2.5 Million! The Fifth-Largest Meteorite is Bigger than What Apollo Brought on Earth!
A British woman 'married' to a US killer nicknamed Animal has finally met him for the first time as he serves his 24-year sentence.

Naomi Oquendo had never met Victor Oquendo, despite being in contact for two years.

Previously called Naomi Wise, the jail mentor fell for Oquendo, 31 - nicknamed Animal - after a series of online chats.

He shot dead two rivals in a gangland hit and has served 12 years of his sentence, which also accounts for three armed robberies.

Loved-up Naomi, 27, who is not yet officially married to Oquendo, is very open about the details of her unconventional life as a jail wife and regularly updates her social media followers.

She flew from her home in Manchester to Michigan, US over the weekend to see the double killer in the flesh for the first time on Monday.

Naomi said that her husband grabbed her face and gave her an 'intense kiss' as soon as they saw each other.

She joked: 'You know that man has been waiting twelve years.

When Naomi and Victor met in person for the first time they had to be told to stop kissing

Naomi, from Chelmsford, Essex, first met her killer lover through a prison pen pal scheme

Victor Oquendo (pictured) was jailed in 2010 after he fatally shot two men during gangland hit

'That kiss was a 12-year build up of no contact for this man.

'The correction officers were like, 'you can stop now'.'

The pair are not officially married yet but refer to themselves as husband and wife.

Despite being banged up, Oquendo has gifted her with an engagement ring, wedding ring and eternity ring.

Talking about her fairytale day, Naomi said: 'I got through security, I walked into the visiting room and I could just see the back of his head.

'And I was like, oh my God, he's f***ing real.

'I'm so nervous at this point, my whole body is shaking.

'And then he turns around and looks at me and as soon as I look at him, all my nerves disappear.

Loved-up Naomi, 27, is very open about the details of her unconventional life as a jail wife

Naomi flew from Manchester to Michigan, US over the weekend to see the double killer

Naomi said Victor grabbed her face and gave her an intense kiss when they saw each other

'We spent the whole time laughing and feeding each other food.'

Despite having never met, Naomi revealed she was comfortable enough to pick food out of Oquendo's teeth.

She even plans to move across the pond to be closer with him.

While in Michigan, she has gone back to Carson City Correctional Facility to see him for a second time.

Oquendo will be eligible for parole in 2034 but could be inside until 2052.

Naomi has started a petition to get her husband granted clemency, which has so far garnered over 26,000 signatures.

She said: 'Victor's mother was victim to countless amounts of abuse from his father.

'The situation they faced led to Victor and his siblings being taken into care.

Naomi Wise, from Essex, (pictured) met double killer Victor Oquendo at a US prison in Michigan after meeting him through a prison pen pal scheme during the Covid pandemic

Naomi was training as a counsellor when the pandemic began so she joined the prison pen pal scheme as a way to hone her skills during lockdown but it wasn't long before Victor proposed

'Victor was in foster care from a very young age and failed by the system.

'The gangs of Detroit offered him the first taste of what a 'family' was and also gave him a chance to survive on the streets.

'But along with it came a criminal lifestyle.

'I am in no way condoning his crimes, and neither is he.

'Victor knows he is not a victim nor innocent.

'He is extremely sorry for the crimes he committed, empathetic to the family it would have affected and spends the majority of his time tortured by what he did.'
The elder brother of the Manchester Arena bomber was today convicted in his absence of failing to give evidence at the public inquiry into the attack after fleeing the UK.

Ismail Abedi, whose whereabouts are currently unknown, had refused to cooperate with the inquiry into the attack, which killed 22 people at an Ariana Grande concert in 2017.

The 28-year-old was stopped by police at Manchester Airport on August 28 last year and told them he was planning to return to the country the following month. He managed to depart on an aeroplane the following day.

Ismail was ordered by the chairman, Sir John Saunders, to attend to give evidence and his case was listed for trial at Manchester Magistrates' Court today under another name he has used, Ishmale Ben Romdhan.

But he did not attend and was subsequently found guilty by District Judge Jack McGarva of failing without reasonable excuse to do something required by a Section 21 notice.

The judge adjourned the case to August 2 and said if Abedi does not attend that hearing a warrant will be issued for his arrest. As a statutory inquiry, witnesses can be compelled to appear to give evidence on pain of punishment.

Ismail Abedi, 28, whose whereabouts are currently unknown, had refused to cooperate with the public inquiry but was ordered by the chairman, Sir John Saunders, to attend to give evidence

The Abedis, from left to right: Salman, the bomber; Hashem, who was convicted of 22 murders and jailed for at least 55 years for helping to plan the atrocity; and Ismail, who is missing

'The court is bound to consider passing a custodial sentence,' the judge said.

'There is a very high level of public interest in ensuring people cooperate with public inquiries.'

He said Abedi could have given evidence on 'some really key points that the families of the deceased would have really appreciated having answers to'.

Nicholas de la Poer QC, prosecuting, said: 'The prosecution submits that you can be sure from the chronology that the defendant from the first was determined not to cooperate with the inquiry.

'He has prevaricated, he has obfuscated, he has thrown up every obstacle he could think of.

'When those failed, he fled the jurisdiction.

'In the end it comes down to this: he was lawfully required to attend, he did not attend and there is no good reason for him not attending.'

The court heard that Abedi had previously said he did not want to answer the inquiry's questions because he was concerned about risk of self-incrimination, had already been questioned by police, and was concerned for the safety of himself and his family.

But District Judge McGarva found he had no reasonable excuse not to attend.

The IT worker was described as a key witness for the inquiry, able to answer questions about the radicalisation of his younger brothers, Salman, who carried out the suicide attack which killed 22 people on May 22 2017, and Hashem, who has been jailed for his part in the bomb plot.

He also had potential evidence to give, the inquiry heard, on the preparation of the bomb, given his DNA was found on a hammer in a car used to store the explosives.

He had already been stopped in 2015 at Heathrow Airport and his phone was found to have a 'significant' amount of 'very disturbing' material described as of an 'Islamic State-mindset' on it.

Bereaved families labelled Ismail Abedi a 'coward' for refusing to answer questions.

Salman at Victoria Station in Manchester making his way to the Manchester Arena, on May 22, 2017, where he detonated his bomb and killed 22 people

His father, Ramadan Abedi, was associated with the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, a militia that had links with terror organisation al Qaida, the public inquiry heard.

He lives in Libya, has also not cooperated with the inquiry, and police want to question him as a suspect.

Hashem Abedi, 24, was jailed for life for the 22 murders at the Arena by assisting with the bomb plot.

Kim Harrison, of Slater and Gordon, represented 11 of the victims' families of the Manchester Arena bombing.

He said: 'Whilst we welcome the conviction of Ismail Abedi today we remain sorely disappointed that the conviction had to take place in his absence.

We remain gravely concerned as to how Abedi was able to leave the country before giving evidence to the Inquiry in the first place.

'His leaving the country should never have happened and despite the conviction he is unlikely to face any real justice until he is apprehended, if at all.

'The families deserve to know the truth about what happened that night and the contempt Ismail Abedi has shown them is truly despicable'
Police in a Colombian drug capital were forced to reassure the public after 1.5 tonnes of incinerated marijuana formed a cloud over the city.

Residents in Medellin suburb Bello described a 'tremendous smell of marijuana' after cops burned stockpiles of the confiscated drug early on Tuesday.

But as the day became windier, the cannabis smoke began to drift across the city, engulfing Bello locals in the distinctive smell.

Local reports suggested several tower blocks were evacuated.

The local mayor's office was forced to clarify that the huge cannabis cloud was 'not a fire'

One social media user wrote: 'Several apartment towers had to be evacuated because of this little joke.

'Congratulations to the Army and the National Police.'

The Mayor's Office swiftly clarified that the rising vapour was 'not a fire'.

Officers from the National Police, the Army and the Fire Department, plus personnel from the Attorney Generals Office were all involved in the controlled incineration.

Resident Edilberto Castano told Caracol TV: 'We felt a very horrible smoke coming out of the battalion, a tremendous smell of marijuana that stopped everyone.'

The drug confiscation took place across two address on Tuesday night, police said.

Surveillance footage showed the dramatic drug heist in the Medellin suburb earlier this week

Police released footage of officers unwrapping the tonnes of confiscated marijuana parcels

Officers were allegedly shot at by owners of the massive shipments found at two locations

They added that the shipments' owners fired shots at officers in a last-ditch attempt to protect their product.

It was said the marijuana would be 'dosed, distributed and sold in the vice squares' of the city's El Mirador neighbourhood.

The incineration followed the seizure two weeks ago of more than a ton of marijuana in capital city Bogota.
Ukraine has unleashed its renewed firepower on Russian forces, obliterating an ammo dump with US-supplied HIMARS missiles and shelling occupying troops with mortar fire.

In Nova Kakhovka, the site of a previous Ukrainian attack this week, multiple explosions rocked the warehouse overnight in the latest blow to Putin's barbaric war campaign.

Footage shared by Ukrainian forces shows the storehouse exploding into a huge fireball, sending sparks shooting up into the sky.

The attack in the Kherson region killed 13 'occupiers', Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesperson for the Odesa regional administration, quoted the Operational Command South as saying.

Earlier this week, the same city was targeted by Ukraine using HIMARS missiles, killing 52 people according to the Ukrainian military.

In Nova Kakhova, the site of a previous Ukrainian attack this week, multiple explosions rocked a warehouse overnight

Footage shared by Ukrainian forces shows the storehouse exploding into a huge fireball, sending sparks shooting up into the sky

America began sending the advanced long-range rocket artillery systems to Ukraine last month after repeated requests from Kyiv, which said it needed the weapons to level the playing field with Russian batteries in the Donbas.

The systems are in demand for their ability to carry out precision strikes over long distances - more than double the range of the howitzers the West has already sent.

Ukraine's commanders previously said they intended to use the artillery systems to strike deep behind the Russian frontline, destroying command posts and ammo dumps.

In another setback for the Kremlin, aerial footage shows Ukrainian special forces picking off Russian troops who had settled in civilian buildings.

The Office of Strategic Communications (StratCom) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine shared the footage yesterday which shows the mortar strikes on the occupying forces.

Aerial footage shows Ukrainian special forces picking off Russian troops who had settled in civilian buildings

The Office of Strategic Communications (StratCom) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine shared the footage yesterday

The Russian soldiers were taken out by the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (SSO), which is a branch of the military that is made up exclusively of Spetsnaz - special forces - troops.

The SSO is typically tasked with carrying out operations that involve gathering intelligence, undertaking special reconnaissance missions, performing acts of sabotage and conducting psychological warfare.

To add to the Ukrainian successes, another Russian colonel has been killed in the latest high-profile casualty of the invasion.

Colonel Maxim Kudrin, in his late 30s, was a senior paratrooper.

He was deputy commander of the 106th Tula Airborne Division for Armaments.

The Russian soldiers were taken out by the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (SSO)

The SSO is typically tasked with carrying out operations that involve gathering intelligence

The mortar fire shows the continued success of the Ukrainian military against the invading forces

Russia routinely fails to announce its losses but his sister Irina Zheltukhia, 40, confirmed his funeral will be on Saturday in Siberian city Omsk.

He is believed to have died in a strike by HIMARS missiles which have wreaked havoc in recent Ukrainian attacks on Russian positions.

Col. Kudrin is the 77th known Russian colonel to have perished in the war.

The Ukrainian military, which reported Russian shelling and air strikes on Siversk and Kramatorsk, said it was holding the line on all fronts and that it was repelling all attempted assaults.

The town of Soledar, seen as a gateway to the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut and Kramatorsk, had been bombed too, the Ukrainian military said.

Colonel Maxim Kudrin, in his late 30s, a senior paratrooper, is the latest high profile casualty of Russia's invasion

Britain's ministry of defence said it looked like Russian forces were struggling to make headway in eastern Ukraine as the war grinds towards the five-month mark because they were unable to marshal the necessary critical mass they needed to advance.

'The ageing vehicles, weapons and Soviet-era tactics used by Russian forces do not lend themselves to quickly regaining or building momentum unless used in overwhelming mass - which Russia is currently unable to bring to bear,' the MoD said.

Both the Russian forces and Ukrainian militaries are seeking to replenish their depleted stocks of unmanned aerial vehicles to pinpoint enemy positions and guide artillery strikes.

Both sides are looking to procure jamming-resistant, advanced drones that could offer a decisive edge in battle.

Ukrainian officials say the demand for such technology is 'immense' with crowdfunding efforts under way to raise the necessary cash for purchases.
A Coldstream Guard accused of selling hundreds of rounds of Army ammunition to a member of the criminal underworld was found with latex gloves and a pistol in his shed but claimed 'coincidence upon coincidence' in his evidence, a court has heard.

Kirtland Gill, 42, the first Black Regimental Sergeant Major in the Queen's elite bodyguard unit, allegedly planned to sell bullets with Lance Sergeant Rajon Graham, 33.

Gill, who had a 'particular responsibility for the protection of the Queen', was serving as Technical Quartermaster Sergeant at the Victoria Barracks in Windsor, Berkshire at the time.

Hundreds of rounds of ammunition were allegedly sold to 'D' - an undercover detective posing as a criminal.

Duncan Atkinson, QC, questioned whether 'coincidence on top of coincidence' could really have happened, including the discovery of a pair of latex gloves in Gill's house and the police finding a pistol in Gill's shed when they searched his home in Windsor.

Serving soldier Kirtland Gill arrives at Southwark Crown Court, south London, where he is charged with firearms offences, including selling or transferring ammunition, conspiracy to sell or transfer ammunition and possession of a prohibited weapon

Rajon Graham pictured at Westminster Magistrates' Court on July 1

Gill (pictured centre) had a 'particular responsibility for the protection of the Queen'. The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regiment in the Army

Gill is accused of supplying the hundreds of rounds of ammunition that Graham sold for 5,800 to 'D', an undercover detective posing as a criminal, handing over bundles of bullets at meetings at a Tesco car park in Windsor.

Southwark Crown Court has already heard that Gill was responsible for managing the ammunition used in firing practice.

The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regiment in the Army. Recognised by their red jackets and black bearskin hats, the unit has a ceremonial role as protectors of royal palaces, including Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace.

In his closing speech, Mr Atkinson told the jury they may be used to watching crime dramas and thrillers, but they should not treat this case in the same way.

He said: 'In such a drama, at the end, everything will make sense. To state the obvious, this is reality. Reality is rather more complicated and more untidy. There will be loose ends.

'Rajon Graham had a source, or sources, of such ammunition. He told 'D' he had to get ammunition from someone.

'No such ammunition was found at Rajon Graham's address, and he did not have the equipment to make it.

'Rajon Graham was not acting alone.'

In messages to 'D', Graham expresses an interest in drugs as well as ammunition.

In December 2020, Gill said he found a firearm in a Ford Galaxy car that Graham had access to.

'What steps did he take following that remarkable discovery?' Mr Atkinson asked.

'He did not report it to the police or to the Royal Military Police. He did not speak to the man who provided him with the car. He now says that he spoke to Rajon Graham about it.'

Gill, of Windsor, who joined the Army in 2001, denies conspiracy to sell or transfer ammunition and possession of a prohibited weapon - an imitation firearm capable of discharging noxious liquid.

Gill claimed he called Graham and asked him to come over to his house so he could confront him about it.

This firearm was found by police in Gill's house when he was arrested on January 28 2021. Gill claimed Graham put it there.

'Why, having been reprimanded by Mr Gill in December, would Mr Graham have left the firearm in Mr Gill's shed, where Mr Gill could have found it at any time?' Mr Atkinson asked.

When Gill was interviewed by the police, he gave no comment.

Mr Atkinson accepted that this was his right, and that he was acting on the advice of his solicitor. But he questioned why Gill would have made no comment if he knew he had a plausible account.

'If you have done nothing wrong, if you have been dumped in it by someone else, if you have a clear account, then you would speak to the police even if your solicitor had told you not to do so. You would have wanted the police to know that you had done nothing wrong.'

Mr Atkinson also pointed to the fact that Graham had been wearing a pair of latex gloves when he met 'D', and that Gill also had a pair of latex gloves in his house.

'Mr Gill had a large number of such gloves.'

Mr Atkinson said this demonstrated that Gill had 'the same care about not leaving DNA or fingerprints'.

He said analysis of cell site areas on 7 December 2020, one of the days Graham met 'D', showed that Graham was very close to Gill's address.

Gill is accused of supplying the ammunition that Graham sold to the undercover officer for 5,800, handing over bundles of bullets at meetings at a Tesco car park in Windsor. Southwark Crown Court has already heard that Gill was responsible for managing the ammunition used in firing practice

'He was going to Kirtland Gill's address before he could go and see 'D'. He had to collect something before he could go and see 'D'.'

Mr Atkinson questioned whether any of this could be a coincidence.

'Coincidence on top of coincidence on top of coincidence,' he added.

Gill, of Windsor, who joined the Army in 2001, denies conspiracy to sell or transfer ammunition and possession of a prohibited weapon - an imitation firearm capable of discharging noxious liquid.

Graham, also based in Windsor, has already admitted four counts of selling or transferring ammunition. Mr Atkinson said Graham admitted selling 300 rounds of live 9mm ammunition worth 5,800 to a man he believed to be 'involved in criminal activity and drug dealing'.

The trial continues.
Nicola Sturgeon tore into the Tory leadership hopefuls today as she attempted to put forward a new case for a new Scottish independence referendum.

The First Minister claimed that whoever won the protracted race to replace Boris Johnson would be 'another prime minister Scotland hasn't voted for'.

It came as she launched the second in a series of papers designed to put forward a 'refreshed' case for independence.

The SNP leader is demanding a new vote next year, just nine years after Scotland voted to remain in the UK in a once-in-a-generation plebiscite, but Boris Johnson has refused to grant it.

Speaking in Edinburgh this morning, Ms Sturgeon said: 'We may be just a few days into this Tory leadership contest but it is already crystal clear the issues Scotland is focused on - tackling child poverty, supporting NHS recovery, building a fairer economy and making a just transition to net zero -will be hindered not helped by who ever becomes prime minister in the weeks ahead.'

The First Minister claimed that whoever won the protracted race to replace Boris Johnson would be 'another prime minister Scotland hasn't voted for'.

Speaking in Edinburgh this morning, Ms Sturgeon said: 'We may be just a few days into this Tory leadership contest but it is already crystal clear the issues Scotland is focused on ... will be hindered not helped by who ever becomes prime minister in the weeks ahead.'

Voters in Scotland have 'repeatedly' returned a majority of MSPs who support independence, Ms Sturgeon added, saying this was 'treated as immaterial' by Westminster.

Voters in Scotland have 'repeatedly' returned a majority of MSPs who support independence, Ms Sturgeon added, saying this was 'treated as immaterial' by Westminster.

'You don't have to be a supporter of independence to know that that is not democracy,' she added.

The new paper published by the Scottish Government, as part of the Building a Better Scotland series, focuses on democracy, Ms Sturgeon said.

Speaking to journalists at Bute House, her official residence in the Scottish capital, she said it 'exposes the the significant and increasing democratic deficit Scotland suffers as part of the union'.

The First Minister insisted: 'Only independence can strengthen and embed democracy in Scotland, and so provide a secure foundation from which to overcome challenges and fulfil our potential.'

However, she added: 'The change of Tory leader seems virtually certain to be accompanied by a shift even further to the right.

'That means a shift even further away from the mainstream of Scottish opinion and values.'

She raised the prospect the contest to replace Mr Johnson as PM could result in a 'race to the bottom on tax, cuts to public services and support for families, more posturing over Brexit hurting businesses and trade' as well as the 'abandonment of the fight against climate change'.

But Scottish Labour Deputy Leader Jackie Baillie said: 'So far the SNP's case for independence amounts to a cocktail of wishful thinking and fearmongering.

'Bills are soaring, NHS waiting lists are spiralling and trains are barely running  but Scotland has two governments ignoring these issues to stoke division, play political games, and make impossible promises.'

Last week Ms Sturgeon revealed Boris Johnson had rejected her demand for a new vote.

She released a letter from the PM in which he refused to agree that 'now is the time'.

Scotland's First Minister took to Twitter to share her correspondence with the embattled Prime Minister, who wrote to her to say now was not the time to consider another poll on Scottish independence.

In his letter to Nicola Sturgeon, shared by the Scottish First Minister on Twitter, Mr Johnson said it was not the time to consider another independence referendum.

The PM faced further calls to quit and a barrage of criticism as he desperately tries to cling on despite a swathe of ministers resigning and even loyalists turning on him.

Urging a foothold of unity, Mr Johnson highlighted the 'shared priorities' of both Governments in tackling the cost-of-living crisis, the Ukraine war and Covid-19.

He wrote: 'I have carefully considered the arguments you set out for a transfer of power from the UK Parliament to the Scottish Parliament to hold another referendum on independence.

'As our country faces unprecedented challenges at home and abroad, I cannot agree that now is the time to return to a question, which was clearly answered by the people of Scotland in 2014.

'Our shared priorities must be to respond effectively to the global cost of living challenge, to support our NHS and public services as they recover from the huge disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic, and to play our leading part in the international response to Russian aggression in Ukraine.

'These are common challenges across the United Kingdom, which deserve our full attention.'
Driver is accused of filming himself doing burnouts outside police station

A serial hoon accused of doing a burnout in front of a police station and leading officers on a wild chase had his car crushed to make sure he'll never drive recklessly again.

The 26-year-old from the Gold Coast has a long history of dangerous driving with charges that include evading police, driving unlicensed and driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle.

Queensland Police confiscated his black 2002 Holden Commodore under tough state laws and used an excavator to smash the car into pieces before it was sold for scrap metal.

Footage of the humiliating moment was published online by police to warn other hoons that their cars might also be flattened if they break the road rules.

A serial hoon accused of doing a burnout in front of a police station and leading officers on a wild chase had his car crushed to make sure he'll never drive recklessly again

The 26-year-old from the Gold Coast has a long history of dangerous driving with charges that include evading police, driving unlicensed and driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle

'He needs to realise, if he gets another car and continues, we'll do the same thing,' Gold Coast District Chief Superintendent Craig Hanlon said.

'The next car will be crushed, and the next one he gets will be crushed.'

The driver in November last year was reported for hooning on a road in Molendinar on the Gold Coast with no number plates.

After being stopped he allegedly sped off triggering a police pursuit.

He was eventually charged but just two months later in January he allegedly did burnouts in front of the Southport Police Station .

Police accuse him of posting a video to TikTok showing him smoking up his Commodore in front of the station.

A police officer can be seen emerging from the building after hearing the screech of the tyres before he disappears in thick smoke.

The man is due to face court later this year and has been banned from driving.
President Joe Biden on Thursday wouldn't commit to bringing up the murder of Jamal Khashoggi when he meets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman but said his position on human rights has been 'positively clear.'

Biden, speaking at a press conference in Israel, dodged a question on whether he would speak about the assassination of the Washington Post journalist when he meets with MBS, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, on Friday.

'My views have made it positively clear. I have never been quiet about talking about human rights,' he said when asked about the meeting.

The president, when pressed again, said his position is 'clear.'

'I always bring up human rights but my position on Khashoggi had been clear. If anyone doesn't understand it in Saudi Arabia or anywhere else, then they haven't been around for a while,' he said.

President Joe Biden wouldn't commit to bringing up the murder of Jamal Khashoggi when he meets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

Biden, 79, called Saudi Arabia a 'pariah' state during the 2020 campaign after U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that MBS ordered Khashoggi's muder in Turkey in 2018. The journalist had written criticially of the crown prince's reforms in Saudi.

The White House has said Biden stands by that statement but it also has taken great pains to emphasize the president is meeting with the aging King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and his government, which would include MBS, who, at the age of 36, is Salman's heir to the throne and serves as defense minister.

Biden heads to Saudi Arabia on Friday. He will meet the royals that night after he lands in Jeddah. On Saturday he'll attend the GCC+3 summit to talk oil prices and energy issues.

'When I see the Saudi leadership tomorrow, I'll be carrying a direct message,' Biden said. 'A message of peace and of the extraordinary opportunities a more stable integrated region could bring to the region and, quite frankly, to the rest of the world.'

The president argued, however, that he is also going to reassert the United States' influence in the region to counter the growing power of Russia and China on the energy market.

'The reason I'm going to Saudi Arabia, though, is much broader than as to promote U.S. interests,' he said at his press conference with Israeli Prime MIinister Yair Lapid.

'I think we have an opportunity to reassert what I think we made a mistake of walking away from - our influence in the Middle East. I'm going to meet with nine other heads of state. There are so many issues at stake. I want to make clear that we can continue to lead in a region and not create a vacuum,' he said.

He was also clear he wants to counter growing Russian and Chinese influence. Russia is the second largest energy producer in the world after Saudi and China is a huge energy consumer and purchaser.

'The vacuum is filled by China or Russia - against the interest of Israel and the United States. The purpose of the visit is to coordinate with the nine heads of state,' he said.

President Biden said his position on Jamal Khashoggi's (above) murder has been 'clear': 'I always bring up human rights but my position on Khashoggi had been clear. If anyone doesn't understand it in Saudi Arabia or anywhere else, then they haven't been around for a while,' he said

Biden will meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of the country, in Jeddah on Friday

Human rights advocates have encouraged Biden not to make the trip without bringing up Khashoggi's killing.

Khashoggi's widow, Hanan Elatr Khashoggi, said that a national security official told her that Biden will mention her late husband's name when he meets with MBS,

'They assured me they will bring this concern up special, about the case of my husband, Jamal Khashoggi,' she told Spectrum News.

Biden will be watched closely for his words, his actions and his body language when he is the same room as the crown prince.

The White House hasn't said if Biden will shake hands with MBS - a photo opportunity the prince would love but would cause headaches for the president among Democrats furious with Saudi Arabia's poor record on human rights.

Officials then said Biden wouldn't shake any hands on his four-day Middle East trip, saying it was an uptick in COVID cases - and not forthcoming interactions with the controversial Saudi crown prince - that triggered the decision.

Biden, however, got in a few handshakes when he landed in Israel on Wednesday.
Prince Andrew's BBC Newsnight interview - widely considered one of the most disastrous in royal history - is set to be at the heart of a new movie with Hugh Grant tipped to play the Duke of York.

It will be based on the new book by Sam McAlister, the woman who clinched the sit down with Andrew about his friendship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

In a now-infamous interview with presenter Emily Maitlis, the duke denied claims he had sex with Virginia Giuffre, who said she was trafficked by Epstein on three separate occasions, including when she was 17 - still a minor under US law.

Your Honor screenwriter Peter Moffat is writing the film adaptation, which is to be titled 'Scoop' and will tell the story of how the interview came to be.

According to Deadline, Love Actually star Grant is 'one of the unconfirmed names in the frame' to portray Prince Andrew.

However the actor, 61, told the Independent: 'I've heard nowt'.

United Agents today confirmed the movie, describing the forthcoming film as 'exciting news'.

Prince Andrew's BBC Newsnight interview (pictured) - widely considered one of the most disastrous in royal history - is set to be at the heart of a new movie with Hugh Grant tipped to play the Duke of York

According to Deadline, Love Actually star Hugh Grant (pictured) is 'one of the unconfirmed names in the frame' to portray Prince Andrew. However the actor, 61, today told the Independent : 'I've heard nowt'

In a now infamous interview with presenter Emily Maitlis, the duke denied claims he had sex with Virginia Giuffre, who said she was trafficked by Epstein (pictured) on three separate occasions, including when she was 17 - still a minor under US law

Meanwhile, McAlister, whose book Scoops: Behind The Scenes Of The BBC's Most Shocking Interviews, was released on Thursday, tweeted about the project: '...can't actually breathe with the excitement!!!!'.

She added: 'So.... Who should play me?'

After his Newsnight interview in November 2019, Andrew pledged to 'help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations', but has not yet done so.

On November 16, the prince gave a 'disastrous' BBC interview in which he spoke about his friendship with Epstein and addressed allegations of his own sexual conduct.

The film will be based on the new book by Sam McAlister (pictured), the woman who who clinched the sit-down with Andrew

The duke denied he slept with Ms Roberts, one of Epstein's victims, on three separate occasions, twice while she was underage.

He said one encounter in 2001 did not happen as he spent the day with his daughter Princess Beatrice, taking her to Pizza Express in Woking for a party.

The duke also said that the same alleged sexual liaison, which the American said began with the royal sweating heavily as they danced at London nightclub Tramp, was factually wrong as he had a medical condition at the time which meant he did not sweat.

He cast doubt on the authenticity of a picture that appears to show Andrew with his arm around the waist of Miss Roberts, when a teenager.

Andrew came under fresh pressure last month to talk to the FBI about his paedophile friend Jeffrey Epstein following Ghislaine Maxwell's jailing.

Her victims say the duke and other 'cowardly' Epstein associates who 'hide behind power and prestige' should be targeted by the authorities.

Maxwell, 60, is likely to serve at least 15 of the 20 years she was given in a New York court on Tuesday for doing 'incalculable damage to young girls' with Epstein.

Yesterday, victims' lawyer Spencer Kuvin said: 'Our hope is that the government... prosecutes all the co-conspirators in this sexual conspiracy pyramid scheme.

'This includes not only the people procuring victims, but also the alleged perpetrators of abuse like Prince Andrew. He should definitely be concerned. But if he did nothing wrong, then come forward and tell the full story to the FBI.'

Andrew has largely withdrawn from public life since reaching a 12million out-of-court settlement this year with Epstein victim Virginia Roberts (now Giuffre), who accused the duke of raping her. He has always denied the allegations.

He cast doubt on the authenticity of a picture that appears to show Andrew with his arm around the waist of Miss Roberts, when a teenager (pictured here with Prince Andrew in 2001)

The duke denied he slept with Ms Roberts (pictured), one of Epstein's victims, on three separate occasions, twice while she was underage

He said one encounter in 2001 did not happen as he spent the day with his daughter Princess Beatrice, taking her to Pizza Express in Woking (pictured) for a party

In the 2000s, he spent weeks at Epstein's villa in Florida  the so-called 'House of Sin' where 'lady of the house' Maxwell forced children to dress as schoolgirls for under-age sex with her boyfriend.

For more than two years, US prosecutors have wanted the British Government to set up a formal interview with the duke under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty.

The Home Office has yet to act, and a stand-off continues between the duke's legal team and US prosecutors over the terms of any interview by the FBI in London.

Legal sources told the Daily Mail the request had been 'long-grassed'. One said: 'It appears to be in the too-hot-to-handle tray.'

Maxwell, the daughter of media tycoon Robert Maxwell, met Andrew while studying history at Oxford in the early Eighties, and the prince later invited her and her boyfriend Epstein to Windsor Castle and Sandringham.

In New York yesterday, Brad Edwards, another victims' lawyer, said: 'There's a lot of people who have a lot of information. We have said for a long time... they should be speaking and the time is now.

'Yet they are continuing to not speak, they are hurting victims, they are hurting survivors, they are not helping. There are a lot of people who have a lot of power and prestige and hide behind that and don't come forward like normal good human beings. They are people that are cowards and I wish they would come forward.'

He urged the FBI to keep investigating. Asked about others possibly linked to Maxwell and Epstein, he vowed: 'Let's hope they're the next target. If we have anything to do with it, they will be.'

Maxwell victim Sarah Ransome, who gave an emotional speech to the court about how her life was ruined, said: 'The men that were involved in our sexual trafficking, the employees, the wealthy friends  you are as bad as Ghislaine.'

Andrew came under fresh pressure last month to talk to the FBI about his paedophile friend Jeffrey Epstein following Ghislaine Maxwell's (pictured here with Jeffrey Epstein) jailing

Maxwell (pictured here in a court sketch for her trial), the daughter of media tycoon Robert Maxwell, met Andrew while studying history at Oxford in the early Eighties, and the prince later invited her and her boyfriend Epstein to Windsor Castle and Sandringham

Lisa Bloom, a lawyer for victims of Epstein, who killed himself in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial for child sex charges, added: 'We call upon the FBI to fully investigate Prince Andrew. Virginia Giuffre's civil case should be just the beginning.

'Everyone associated with Epstein and Maxwell should be carefully investigated.

'It's time for Prince Andrew to do the right thing, the thing he said he would do, and co-operate with the FBI so everyone who enabled Epstein and Maxwell can be brought to justice. Until he does, it is too soon for him to return to public life.'

Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani, who is now a lawyer in Los Angeles, said: 'I know Prince Andrew's attorney. I know how they defend cases.

'There's absolutely no way they're going to make him available. They will make sure he never steps foot in the US.'

The FBI has said Andrew is a 'person of interest'. Nick Goldstone, the UK-based head of dispute resolution at international law firm Ince, said: 'For the FBI to escalate Andrew's status they would have to consider bringing criminal charges against him  and in order to do that, they would need quite cogent evidence.

'Unless or until charges are brought I do not think anything can be done to force Andrew to assist, so long as he doesn't set foot in the USA or on US territorial soil any time soon.'

A spokesman for the Duke of York and prosecutors for the Southern District of New York declined to comment.
The widespread flooding also reached Gatlinburg, Tennessee where 400 people were evacuated on Wednesday

Water levels reportedly reached 11-and-a-half feet during the catastrophic event, spurring Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin to call a state of emergency Wednesday

The Dismal River area, set in the western part of the state, was particularly devastated, with homes now washed hundreds of yards off their foundations

Miraculously, all 44 people who were unaccounted for Wednesday night were found alive

It left multiple families without a home and over 1,000 people without power on a day where temperatures reached 93 degrees

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Devastating aerial photos and video shows the extent of the damage in one Virginia community where authorities estimate at least 100 homes were destroyed.

The Dismal River area, set in the western part of the state, was particularly destroyed by the sudden storms, with homes washed hundreds of yards off their foundations into stretches of road.

Aerial footage shows entire homes were washed away in Buchanan County, Virginia, where six inches of rain fell in just a few hours Tuesday night. The Weather Channel's Stephanie Abrams said on Thursday that's 'a month's worth of rain in a short amount of time.'

Other images from the ground show houses flattened, with roofs on top of some trucks as debris lined the streets.

On Wednesday night, the Buchanan County Sheriff's Office announced that at least 44 people were unaccounted for in the Whitewood area, where Appalachian Mountain ridges acted like a funnel for the rain water.

But on Thursday morning, officials updated the number to report than more than half of those individuals were located overnight through search and rescue efforts and in a press conference at noon Buchanan County Chief Deputy Eric Breeding said all of those who were unaccounted for have been found alive - including two children who were not home with their parents.

Aerial photos show the region devastated by the widespread flooding as mudslides continued on Thursday

Many families have now found themselves without a home as the area remains without power after their homes were washed away in the devastating flooding

Virginia has declared a state of emergency after more than 100 homes were damaged and dozens are unaccounted for after severe flash flooding ravaged several parts of the state overnight. Pictured is an aerial view of the flooding in the town of Pilgrim's Knob

'This was a monumental search effort,' said Billy Chrimes, a search and rescue specialist from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, announced Thursday afternoon.

He said local and state search crews worked overnight to scour through more than 30 miles and 400 structures for those who were unaccounted for.

The only injury that was reported, he said, was a snake bite.

A search for vehicles in the river is also expected to wrap up on Thursday afternoon, as just three roads remain closed. They will begin assessing the extent of the damage on Friday.

Officials are now asking for monetary donations, as well as the donation of cleaning supplies, for the area as recovery efforts continue.

Donations can be made to the United Way of Southwest Virginia.

A house in Whitewood, Virginia was swept off its foundation following the flash flooding on Tuesday night

One car was pictured sinking into the ground on Thursday after being swept away in the massive flooding on Tuesday

Officials say search and rescue efforts are marred by broken down bridges and roads. Debris is seen here building up against a bridge in Whitewood, Virginia on Thursday

One of the many houses that was moved from its foundation now rests on top of a blue van in Whitewood, Virginia

Another truck seemed to have crashed into a wooden deck, after the house it was connected to was apparently flattened

Houses throughout the county were flattened, and debris was strewn throughout streets in the area

Homes in the area were washed hundreds of yards off their foundations into stretches of road

One truck could be seen sitting precariously on top of a creek with its windshield broken and its doors destroyed

Mudslides continued throughout the area on Thursday, washing Coca-Cola bottles and other garbage downstream in the aftermath of the devastating storm, which knocked down water and sewer lines.

But McClanahan announced on Thursday that flood waters have started to recede, and the county is working with the Virginia Department of Transportation crews to assess damage and remove debris and mud from the roads.

Phone lines remained down in the area, CNN reports, and many residents in the small community of Whitewood have found themselves homeless and without power.

As of Thursday morning, over 1,000 customers in Buchanan County remained without power, according to PowerOutage.us, a website that tracks outages throughout the country, as temperatures are expected to reach 80 degrees.

The widespread flooding even reached inside the Baptist Bible Church in Whitewood, overturning chairs and pews

A Virginia woman is pictured walking down a now muddy road of Buchanan County carrying a camping chair as residents find themselves without a livable home following widespread flooding on Tuesday night

Another car appeared to have crashed into one of the homes as mudslides continued throughout the area Thursday morning

Officials estimate that more than 100 homes in Buchanan County, Virginia were destroyed in the widespread flooding

A water line marks the facade of Baptist Bible Church, after the water level reportedly reached 11-and-a-half feet

Footage shows just how badly Buchanan County was destroyed by devastating flooding from a storm on Tuesday

On Wednesday, the Buchanan County Sheriff's Office said the 44 people who were unaccounted for may not actually be missing.

In a Facebook post Wednesday night, it clarified: 'This number reflects the number of people that has been reported to law enforcement by loved ones and family members as being unable to make contact with them.

'This does not mean the person is missing, it means we are attempting to reach and locate the person and check on their wellbeing.'

'At this time, we have no confirmed fatalities.'

The floods serve as some of the worst seen in the area in decades, and rescue officials are still struggling to assess the full extent of the damage as photos show bridges washed away and cars stacked up on each other.

'A lot of roadways are blocked by landslides,' Chrimes said at a news conference Wednesday, adding that 'bridges are washed out.

'It's going to take time for that access to be restored, make contact with everyone and make sure they have their basic needs taken care of.'

Meanwhile, Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency to assist with response and recovery efforts.

The flooding, which transpired late Tuesday, has left several families without a home and many without power - on a day where temperatures hit 93 degrees

The Dismal River area, set in the western part of the state, was particularly devastated by the storms, with homes washed hundreds of yards off their foundations into stretches of road

The Buchanan County Sheriff's Office announced on Wednesday night that 44 people were still unaccounted for

'I want Virginians in Buchanan County to know that we are making every resource available to help those impacted by this storm,' the governor said in a statement.

'As we continue to assess the situation, I want to thank our first responders and the personnel on the ground for providing assistance with our ongoing operations.'

The governor - who assumed office in January - took to Twitter to urge citizens that the state was doing all it could to help residents in hard-hit areas, particularly in Buchanan County, which borders West Virginia and Kentucky.

'I am deeply saddened at the devastating news of flooding in Buchanan County. We are making every resource available to help those impacted,' Youngkin, 55, wrote.

'While rescue and recovery operations continue, please join me in prayer as we lift up our fellow Virginians impacted by this tragedy.'

The floods serve as some of the worst seen in the area in decades, and rescue officials are still struggling to assess the full extent of the damages

The foundation of a home in Buchanan County is pictured after the house was pulled from the substructure by the raging floods

More than 40 people have been declared missing as of Wednesday afternoon. Officials have yet to report any casualties

The National Weather Service first issued a flash flood warning around 8.20pm Tuesday, and just about two hours later, local officials started reporting widespread flooding and road closures.

Those who could escaped the neighborhood at around midnight on Wednesday, and soon an emergency shelter was set up at Twin Valley Elementary/Middle School as water levels reached 11-and-a-half feet.

Resident Seth Owens telling WCBY said he was 'sitting at the post office over here, and the next thing you know, the house is floating on down through there.

'We thought it was going to wash off,' he said. 'Two of the houses washed off.'

Dominick Fragoso also said the water reached his kneecaps.

'One of our neighbors' driveways completely collapsed and fell down the mountain and fell down the creek,' he said. 'The roads, if you walk up there, they're completely destroyed.

'Some of them snapped, some slid across other roads,' Fragoso said, adding: 'There's some trees collapsed into cars.'

JR Miller, 39, also told the New York Times he was talking to his aunt and grandfather in Pilgrim's Knob, Virginia when the Dismal Creek overflowed and flooded the street.

'Never in my almost 40 years have I seen anything like it,' he said.

In total, officials estimate more than 100 homes in Buchanan County were destroyed in the flooding.

State officials from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) have since been deployed to assist local crews in clean-up and rescue operations

Officials are working to clean up and assess the damages. State officials said they will continue to aid in those efforts as well. More rain is forecast in the area over the weekend

State officials from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) have since been deployed to assist local crews in clean-up and rescue operations.

Officials from the agency said Wednesday they estimate that more than 100 homes were damaged in the devastating storm.

Rescue officials have also reported that several of the homes were ripped from their foundations, in some cases up to 300 yards from their original position.

Pavement was also stripped in some areas, and several roads and bridges remained unpassable - with the Associated Press reporting that at least one bridge completely collapsed in the flooding.

Cars and trucks were also strewn all over by the raging waters, leaving towns like Pilgrim's Knob, set in Buchanan County, looking like a warzone.

Still, state officials say the damage is not as bad as it was last year when Hurricane Ida swept through the area.

Officials are now working to clean up and assess the damages. State officials said they will continue to aid in those efforts as well, but more rain is forecast in the area over the weekend.

'As we continue to assess the situation, I want to thank our first responders and the personnel on the ground for providing assistance with our ongoing operations,' Gov. Glenn Youngkin said

Officials are working to clean up and assess the damages as more rain is forecast in the already-ravaged area over the weekend

The storm also hit nearby Greenbrier Campground in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, where more than 400 people were evacuated on Wednesday after more than eight inches of rain fell.

Perrin Anderson, assistant mayor for governmental affairs in Sevier County told CNN: 'Debris and vehicles washed downstream in the Middle Prong of the Little Pigeon River from the campground.'

No injuries were reported in the area.
Ukraine, Russia make some progress at talks on grain exports: Zelensky

Xinhua) 09:57, July 14, 2022

KIEV, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine and Russia have made some progress at the talks on grain exports in Istanbul that also involved representatives of Turkey and the United Nations, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday.

"The Ukrainian delegation informed me that there is some progress. We will agree on the details with the UN secretary-general in the coming days," Zelensky was quoted as saying by his press service.

Ukraine is making significant efforts to restore the supplies of food to the global market, he said.

Earlier in the day, delegations from Ukraine, Russia and Turkey met with a UN delegation in Istanbul to find ways to export Ukrainian grain from Ukraine's Black Sea ports to the global market.

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun)
Amazon Prime Day 2022 has arrived with a bang to say the least!

If you happen to be waiting for great deals from Samsung products, you are very much in luck as many have been made available for this year's Prime Day. You can find huge discounts for many of Samsung's monitors, unlocked Galaxy phones, and more!

(Tip: Keep scrolling to find the links of our compilations of the best deals for Samsung monitors and Galaxy phones!)

In fact, if you are looking for brand new Galaxy Buds to buy at low prices, you have come to the right place! We put together the available deals for Galaxy Buds 2, Galaxy Buds Live, and Galaxy Buds Pro so you can have an easier time browsing through all the amazing discounts!

Go and check out these value-for-money deals yourself!

Amazon Prime Day 2022 Deals: Samsung Galaxy Buds 2

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These wireless earbuds feature Active Noise Cancellation, which means it unblocks sounds you do not want to hear. For sounds that you want to hear, the Galaxy Buds 2 is able to pick up too thanks to Low Latency Ambient Sound mode.

The Galaxy Buds 2 lets you control your playlist or answer calls with just one tap of a finger. It also has an Auto Switch feature, which lets "the earphones detect what connection you need and instantly shifts audio to that Galaxy device; Shift effortlessly between your Galaxy phone, tablet, watch, or PC."

Related Article: Amazon Prime Day 2022: Unlocked Samsung Phones You Can Get on a Great Deal - Galaxy S22, Z Flip 3, and More

Amazon Prime Day 2022 Deals: Samsung Galaxy Buds Live

List Price: $129.95

With Deal: $79.99

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Like the Galaxy Buds 2, the Galaxy Buds Live feature Active Noise Cancellation. It also has a AKG-tuned 12mm speaker as well as "an open design creates a live listening environment, suiting those who prefer a natural, spacious sound."

The Galaxy Buds Live's always-on voice assistant also lets you order your coffee or sends messages without ever using your hands.

Amazon Prime Day 2022 Deals: Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro

List Price: $199.99

With Deal: $119.99

You Save: $80

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The Galaxy Buds Pro are IPX7 water-resistant, which means they will be just fine even with a little rain or while you are working out. In fact, Amazon says that "They're even protected for immersion up to 3 feet deep for a half-hour."

Each bud also has a built-in 1-mm woofer and 6.5-mm tweeter.

As with the other Galaxy Buds in this list, it fatures Active Noise Cancellation and the ability to control your playlist with just one tap on your buds.

Read Also: Amazon Prime Day 2022: Check Out These Great Samsung Monitor Deals
Extraordinary footage has resurfaced of the incredible moment a brave fisherman came to the rescue of a dangerous shark swimming in shallow waters in Sydney Harbour

The 1.9 metre bull shark was caught near the water's edge at Birchgrove earlier this year.

Shocked onlookers can be heard gasping in the background as the angler gets in to help guide the predator move to deeper water.

Footage shows him casually grabbing the creature by the back fin and trying to turn it around.

'Come on, wrong way,' he coaxes the shark.

Footage has resurfaced of a fisherman guiding a 1.9m bull shark to deeper waters in Sydney Harbour at Birchgrove

After a brief struggle, the shark swims away as the fisherman is congratulated.

'Well done mate,' an onlooker tells the fisherman as others cheer.

The video was originally shared by sydney.fishing.report on Instagram in March and reposted it on TikTok on Thursday night, where it attracted thousands of views within hours.

'The most beautiful waterway in the world,' one viewer commented.

Bull sharks are one of the most aggressive species in Sydney Harbour and grow up to 3.5metres.

They often dwell in very shallow waters and are one of the three shark species most likely to bite humans.

The fisherman was cheered on by onlookers after coaxed the bull shark to swim away

Schoolboy fisherman Addison Hodge, 15, reeled in a 2.8metre bull shark on Sydney's north shore in February.

Addison's catch came three days after former RAF engineer Simon Nellist was mauled to death in front of horrified beachgoers at Sydney's Little Bay beach when he was taken by a 4.5metre great white shark.

It was the first fatal shark attack in 60 years.

Weeks earlier, two fishermen caught a 2.5m bull shark near the Birchgrove ferry wharf.
Justice Secretary Dominic Raab's attempt to stop a murderous pensioner who organised the honour killing of her daughter-in-law from being freed has been refused by The Parole Board.

Bachan Kaur Athwal, 85, arranged for her son's wife Surjit, 27, to be lured to India and murdered in 1998.

Athwal was one of the oldest people in the country to be jailed for murder when she was convicted in 2007 at age 70.

Now in frail health and suffering from dementia, Athwal was told last month she could be released on licence by The Parole Board - a decision which was robustly challenged by Justice Secretary Mr Raab.

Mr Raab argued the panel's decision placed inappropriate weight on 'health factors' and 'failed to consider appropriately risk-related evidence'.

Bachan Kaur Athwal, 85, has been granted her freedom by The Parole Board after it was heard was suffering dementia and in poor health. She was sentenced to life in 2007 for arranging the honour killing of her daughter-in-law Surjit, 27, in 1998

Bachan (pictured centre), now 85 and son Sukhdave Athwal were sentenced to life after being found guilty of the honour killing of Surjit Athwal (right), 27

Raab contested that the panel 'gave disproportionate weight' to protective factors around Athwal's age and health.

He also argued it failed 'to consider the non-disclosure of information about victims'.

Athwal and son Sukhdave Athwal, then aged 43, were sentenced to life after being found guilty of the honour killing of Surjit Athwal, 27.

Surjit disappeared after travelling with her mother-in-law from the UK to India for a family wedding in December 1998.

The young bride - who was forcibly wed to Sukhdave at 16 - was subsequently murdered but her body has never been found.

Athwal and family treated Surjit like a slave and plotted to kill her over fears she was too rebellious and tarnishing the family name.

Mum-of-two Surjit lived with the family in Hayes, West London and is said to have suffered abuse in the home.

Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said the Parole Board's decision placed inappropriate weight on Athwal's 'health factors' and 'failed to consider appropriately risk-related evidence'.

Raab argued that Athwal still poses a risk to society.

In May this year, she slapped her daughter during a prison visit and assaulted a member of prison staff and another inmate on two separate occasions.

In Athwal's appeal, the Prison Offender Manager gave evidence that before the onset of dementia she had shown no instances of aggression.

The assaults were described as 'low level' because nobody was injured.

Medical tests suggested elderly Athwal 'would be difficult to manage in exactly the same way as any other person suffering from dementia and no more'.

The Parole Board refused the justice secretary's demand for a reconsideration and Athwal is still set to be released.
A New York City man who allegedly hurled racist comments at two Asian American women and doused them in liquid in a subway station has been indicted for hate crimes.

Derrick Johnson, 40, reportedly approached two women inside the Rockefeller Center subway station in Manhattan on May 8, where he doused them in an unknown liquid and pushed one to the ground and spat on her.

On Wednesday, he was charged with assault as a hate crime and aggravated harassment and was ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. He will remain at Bellevue Hospital Prison Ward in Manhattan on a $15,000 bail or a $30,000 bond, according to NYC inmate public records.

After pushing the woman, he allegedly yelled at her: 'You f**king Chinese. I don't know why you're here in America,' law enforcement sources said, according to the New York Post.

The woman, 26, experienced 'significant bruising' and had 'substantial pain and swelling' in her head and jaw, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, 48, said in a statement on Wednesday. It is unclear if the other woman suffered any physical injuries.

Johnson was arrested on May 27 after attacking two officers who were attending to a lewd man in Chelsea, a police source told the New York Post.

Derrick Johnson, 40, reportedly approached two women inside the Rockefeller Center subway station in Manhattan on May 8, where he doused them in an unknown liquid and pushed one to the ground and spat on her

He has now been charged on Wednesday with assault as a hate crime and aggravated harassment and has been ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. He will remain at Bellevue Hospital Prison Ward in Manhattan on a $15,000 bail or a $30,000 bond, according to NYC inmate public records

After pushing the woman, he allegedly yelled at her: 'You f**king Chinese. I don't know why you're here in America,' He was arrested on May 27 after attacking a female police officer who was responding to a call about a lewd man

He reportedly got on top of one of the officers and violently hit her in the face repeatedly, sources told the Post.

Johnson is expected to appear in court again on August 16, according to NYC inmate public records.

Hate crimes - especially against Asian Americans - have skyrocketed in the City That Never Sleeps since the pandemic began. Some experts are blaming the spike on the coronavirus, which originated in China.

New Yorkers have experienced a 96 percent increase in bias crimes throughout 2021, as more and more New Yorkers are being attacked in the streets, pushed onto subway tracks, and harassed for their gender, race and religion. The trend is continuing in 2022.

Asian hate crimes skyrocketed 343 percent from 2020 to 2021, with 133 Asian Americans experiencing terrifying and dangerous experiences of discrimination.

Hispanic hate crimes were also up a staggering 700 percent last year, with a total of eight people being harassed or harmed in 2021, up from one in 2020.

A total of 538 hate crimes occurred throughout 2021, compared to 275 in 2020.

So far, in 2022, hate crimes have surged 13.6 percent to 343 hate crimes as of July 10, compared to the same time last year, according to the NYPD.

Transit crimes are also up 54 percent this year, with overall crime up 37 percent.

'The subway is central to our city, and riders of all backgrounds deserve safety when they travel,' Bragg said in a statement on Wednesday.

'The rise of bias-driven crimes is unacceptable. We are expanding our offices Hate Crimes Unit to enhance these prosecutions while increasing community engagement and other preventative measures.'

Hate crimes continue to rise in NYC, as a total of 343 have already taken place so far this year. Hate crimes significant rose between 2020 and 2021, going from 275 to 538

Bragg, alongside NYC Mayor Eric Adams, 61, has received considerable pushback for their lax bail laws, which has left many unwanted criminals back out on the streets of New York.

At a press conference for an unrelated incident yesterday, Adams said violent criminals do not represent New York City.

'I don't think this dangerous person is a reflection on New York. Sometimes we look at the worst among us and define it as our city. The average New Yorker gives the homeless a helping hand, they do not use their hands to assault them,' Adams said at the press conference.
A woke Las Vegas judge is facing calls from a police union to resign after brazenly telling a criminal in her courtroom she didn't know if she would 'walk away alive' from cops.

Judge Erika Ballou told a defendant that he should have walked away from officers, after being arrested for committing battery against an officer in Nevada while on probation.

Footage of the exchange shared by the Nevada Globe shows Judge Ballou, who is black, saying: 'You're the one making the decisions not to walk away from cops. You're a black man in America.

'You know you don't want to be nowhere where cops are. Listen to me.

'You know you don't want to be nowhere where cops are cause I know I don't, and I'm a middle-aged, middle-class black woman.

'I don't want to be around where the cops are because I don't know if I'm going to walk away alive or not. You know that.'

The Clark County District attorney's office was seeking the revocation of the probation of the unnamed man, who Judge Ballou was addressing on July 11.

The Las Vegas Police Protective Association is now calling for her to quit her post over the controversial comments.

The LVPPA has branded the judge as 'biased' against law enforcement and are calling for her to resign her post. They believe that her comments to the defendant were 'unethical and irresponsible'

She ruled that the defendant, whose identity is not known, was in violation of his probation which she then revoked.

Judge Ballou reduced his sentence from original 24 to 60-months to 19 to 48 months.

She added: 'Even if the cop like came after and was harassing your group, you should have walked away instead of staying.

'You needed to walk away because you knew you were on probation, you knew.'

The LLVP, which represents Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers, has now called for her to quit over the comments after being sent the footage.

A spokesman said: 'On behalf of the men and women of law enforcement, the Las Vegas Police Protective Association takes exception to Judge Erika Ballou's disparaging comments about police officers.

'We call upon Judge Ballou to resign from the bench. We also ask the Judicial Ethics Commission to sanction her for violating the Nevada Code of Judicial Conduct.

'Among other obligations, the rules require the judiciary to, '[A]spire at all times to conduct that ensures the greatest possible public confidence in their independence, impartiality, integrity, and competence.'

'Judge Ballou has demonstrated that she is biased against law enforcement and cannot live up to the standards required of a jurist.

'Judge Ballou's comments, from the bench, that she, 'does not want to be around where cops are because I don't know whether I am going to walk away alive or not...' are both unethical and irresponsible.

'Police officers and the law abiding citizens of our community deserve better from the judiciary.'

Judge Ballou, pictured at the hearing on July 11, was also caught on camera becoming emotional while sentencing a repeat teenage offender in January last year. Judge Ballou told the teen she would 'think about this every single day' for the rest of her life

In 2016 Ballou refused to remove her 'BLM' badge from her blouse when asked to by Clark County District Court Judge Douglas Herndon. She said at the time 'In a free country, I shouldn't be afraid of the police, but I am'

Judge Erika Ballou told a defendant that she would not be sure she would 'walk away alive' if she became involved in an incident with police. The Judge in the Eighth Judicial District Court in Nevada has previously hit headlines for being outspoken around the Black Lives Matter movement

Judge has history of controversial statements Judge Erika Ballou has hit the headlines multiple times in recent years, over controversial statements or sentences made in her court. In June of this year, Katie Moriarty claimed a COVID infection had scrambled Ballou's mind after she was sentenced to 364 days behind bars on top of 364 days time served for a reckless driving crash. Moriarty told the Nevada Current: 'Judge Ballou was suffering from COVID and not able to appear in person the day of my sentencing (and) made it clear she was not fit to be making such important decisions.' Meanwhile, in January 2021 Ballou raised eyebrows after weeping while sentencing a teenage serial criminal. Jailing armed robber Javier Torres-Murillo, 17, for up to five years, Ballou sobbed: 'I hope you see how hard it is for me to do somebody as young as you, and I hope you think about that every single day because I will probably think about this every single day for the rest of my life.' Advertisement

DailyMail.com have approached the District Court for a comment on Judge Ballou's behalf.

Judge Ballou was elected to bench in November 2020, taking her position in January 2021, and previously served as a Deputy Public Defender for Clark County Public Defenders office for 15 years.

She was also caught on camera becoming emotional while sentencing a repeat teenage offender in January last year.

The offender had eight previous counts for armed robbery, with Judge Ballou telling him she would 'think about this every single day' for the rest of her life.

Before stepping up as a Judge, she found herself in hot water after she refused to remove a 'Black Lives Matter' pin in court in September 2016, while still working as a deputy public defender.

Clark County District Court Judge Douglas Herndon requested she remove the badge from her blouse while representing a white domestic battery defendant at a sentencing hearing.

However she later accepted that she would not be allowed to wear the pin, as courtrooms should be 'viewpoint-neutral'.

At the time Ballou said she knew wearing her pin would be controversial after the Las Vegas police union sent a letter to judges complaining about what the union executive termed 'Black Lives Matter propaganda' in courtrooms.

In a statement she said: 'In a free country, I shouldn't be afraid of the police, but I am.'
A wheelchair-bound man accused of faking his own death and fleeing to Scotland to avoid rape charges in the United States has agreed to have his fingerprints taken in a bid to prove who he is.

U.S. prosecutors have said that the 34-year-old is Nicholas Rossi - who allegedly raped a 21-year-old in Utah in 2008 and is wanted by the FBI for a slew of other sexual assaults on women in Rhode Island, Ohio and Massachusetts.

But he claims he is actually Arthur Knight, a victim of mistaken identity who has never actually been to the United States.

The man was apprehended in Glasgow earlier this year after being admitted to the hospital with COVID and has remained in custody ever since, with a former friend confirming he was Rossi based on a scar above his right eye and tattoos of a barcode and a bird's wing on his arms.

He was also arrested last week for allegedly threatening two hospital medics, and authorities say his fingerprints taken at that time prove he is Rossi.

But those fingerprints cannot be used again to prove he is Rossi as he fights extradition back to the United States, a court ruled on Thursday.

Instead, Sheriff Norman McFayden ruled on Thursday that his prints would be taken again by Police Scotland 'in the interests of justice' and as a 'belt and braces' measure.

The move comes as Rossi faces another rape count in Utah, with prosecutors claiming he uses Arthur Knight as an alias.

An alleged fugitive who is said to have faked his own death to dodge US sex charges will have his fingerprints taken in an effort to prove who he is. He claims he is Arthur Knight, who has never been to the United States, but American prosecutors say he is an American fugitive

Nicholas Rossi (pictured) is accused of faking his death from cancer in the US to avoid a sexual assault charge, before fleeing to Scotland

Throughout the 74-minute hearing on Thursday, the suspect, who denied that he was Nicholas Rossi when asked at the start of proceedings, repeatedly asked for oxygen.

Representing himself, the man said: 'I can't think properly or address my argument because I don't have any oxygen and I have not for nearly 36 hours and I'm hypoxic.'

But Sheriff McFadyen said: 'I have been told your saturation levels have been tested and they are normal.'

The suspect then told the court that they were using 'a Poundland' oximeter, a medical device which measures the amount of oxygen in blood.

The suspect, who was in a wheelchair, was last week charged with threatening two hospital medics at Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

Procurator Fiscal Julie Clark told the court that he has had his fingerprints taken in relation to that case.

Scottish prosecutors said at the time that the fingerprints 'were confirmed to be Nicholas Rossi,' using that to argue against giving him bail.

But it was the opinion of the Lord Advocate that those prints should not be used for the extradition matter, so another sample must be provided.

Rossi said on Thursday he would agree to providing his prints, but said he did not want Police Scotland to be the ones doing so.

Sheriff McFadyen, though, said the warrant was granted 'for fingerprints to be taken by officers from Police Scotland at Her Majesty's Prison Edinburgh. I will make arrangements for officers to attend for that purpose.'

He also said the next hearing of the extradition case would be adjourned until August 11, after the hearing at Glasgow Sheriff Court into the allegations he threatened two medics.

The man believed to be Rossi was remanded in custody.

The man accused of being Nicholas Rossi has previously attempted to restrict media access to his court proceedings in Edinburgh saying they should be held in contempt of court for 'continually referring to me as Nicholas Rossi'

As he was led back into an ambulance after a hearing earlier this month, he quoted Sherlock Holmes saying: 'The game's started. The game's afoot'

The hearing comes as U.S. authorities charged fugitive Rossi with another count of rape.

According to the Salt Lake Tribune, Rossi is accused of raping a 26-year-old woman in South Salt Lake City in 2008.

Court documents say he and the then-26-year-old woman met online and dated from November to December 2008.

She reportedly told police that Rossi was emotionally and verbally abusive, manipulative and would convince her to loan him money that he would not repay.

The last straw apparently came in December 2008 when the two got into an argument at a mall, which ended with the woman getting into her car and locking the door.

She alleged that Rossi 'stood outside the car screaming at her and hitting the car.'

Eventually, the victim said she let Rossi inside the car and drove him back to his house - but once they got there, he allegedly shut them both inside his bedroom and would not allow her to leave.

The victim told police they were arguing about breaking up before Rossi assaulted her.

The Salt Lake County district attorney's office now says a no-bail warrant has been issued for the arrest of Rossi, noting that he had several aliases including Arthur Knight.

District attorney Sim Gill said: 'We are working with the Utah County attorney's office and the US attorney on the extradition of Nicholas Rossi from Scotland.

'The presumption of innocence applies, Nicholas Rossi remains innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.'

Miranda Knight, the wife of the defendant, is seen leaving Edinburgh Sheriff Court after a hearing earlier this month. The suspect has now been accused of raping another woman in December 2008

Rossi has previously told American media that he had late-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma and had just weeks to live.

An obituary dedicated to him appeared online shortly thereafter, with several outlets reporting that he died in February 2020.

He has apparently since moved to Scotland, where he married Miranda Knight, 41, who has continued to stand by her husband.

'I'm here with Arthur,' she told the Daily Record in February. 'I know my husband, I love my husband, and he's always been the perfect gentleman to me and he's always wanted the best for me.

'I know what I've read about this other person,' she continued. 'The claims and what he's done is black and white to who I'm married to.

'When you live with someone and are married to them you know everything about them.

'You can't change a person, and someone who has done sexual assaults or rapes, which I've read about this person - that person would just continue.

'There's absolutely nothing I've ever seen which shows Arthur isn't the loving husband he's always been,' Miranda said. 'I honestly believe you can't hide that type of personality if you have those tendencies.'

The suspect, meanwhile, has previously requested that press be restricted from attending his court hearings after prosecutors said he was using 'every means possible to delay extradition proceedings.'

He claimed that the media committed contempt of court by 'continually referring to me as Nicholas Rossi,' but Sheriff Noble said there was no risk of prejudice as the case would be decided by a judge and not a jury.

As the man was wheeled back into an ambulance following that proceeding earlier this month, he quoted Sherlock Holmes saying: 'The game's started. The game's afoot.'
But Ms Truss uses campaign launch to reveal actual 'LizforLeader.co.uk' website

Allies of the trade minister had also targeted fallen rival Nadhim Zahawi

Those landing on 'Truss4PM.com' are sent to Ms Mordaunt's website instead

Supporters of Penny Mordaunt engage in more online trickery to target rivals

Supporters of Penny Mordaunt's bid to be Tory leader have engaged in more online trickery to target the campaign of her rival Liz Truss.

With the race to replace Boris Johnson heating up, the battle for No10 has been revealed to not only be taking place in Westminster but across the internet too.

The result has seen those searching for rival candidates redirected to Ms Mordaunt's website instead.

In the latest example of online dark arts, anyone hoping to land on Ms Truss's website through the domain truss4pm.com is sent to Ms Mordaunt's website.

It comes after Ms Mordaunt's supporters were yesterday revealed to have seized on fellow contender Nadhim Zahawi's 'NZ 4 PM' slogan.

The domain name 'nz4pm.com' also redirects to Ms Mordaunt's own 'PM 4 PM' website.

The truss4pm.com domain was registered on Monday, the same day that Ms Truss declared she would enter the Tory leadership contest.

But the efforts of Ms Mordaunt's supporters appeared to have been in vain, as the Foreign Secretary used a campaign launch event today to promote her actual lizforleader.co.uk website.

It has been revealed how Ms Truss's actual website address was registered on 8th June - two days after Mr Johnson survived a confidence vote among Tory MPs.

Anyone hoping to land on Liz Truss's website through the domain truss4pm.com is sent to Penny Mordaunt's website instead

Ms Mordaunt has surged to a surprise second-place in the ongoing Conservative leadership contest

The Foreign Secretary used a campaign launch event today to promote her actual lizforleader.co.uk website

Ms Mordaunt has surged to a surprise second-place in the ongoing Conservative leadership contest, with the international trade minister securing the votes of 67 votes in yesterday's first round of voting by Tory MPs.

This put her behind only frontrunner Rishi Sunak, with the ex-chancellor getting the support of 88 MPs.

Ms Truss was placed third with 50 votes, ahead of Kemi Badenoch (40), Tom Tugendhat (37), and Suella Braverman (32).

Both Mr Zahawi (25 votes) and Jeremy Hunt (14) were knocked out of the contest yesterday after they failed to secure the 30 votes needed to make it through to today's second round.

Ms Mordaunt's backers were yesterday said to have been 'cyber-squatting' in direct action against Mr Zahawi's campaign.

Mr Zahawi, who replaced Mr Sunak as Chancellor last week, had yet to launch an official campaign website but was promoting his 'NZ 4 PM' slogan.

When internet searchers attempted to find Mr Zahawi's would-be website 'nz4pm.com' - they were redirected straight to his competitor's homepage 'pm4pm.com'.

After clicking on nz4pm.com, voters are met with a white screen with the words: 'Vote Penny Mordaunt in this 2022 Conservative election.'

The Chancellor saw the website 'nz4pm.com' snapped up by those backing his rival Ms Mordaunt

Whoever was behind the domain name trickery insisted it was not to do with Ms Mordaunt herself

Mr Zahawi has been promoting his 'NZ 4 PM' slogan, but now apparently won't be able to use 'nz4pm.com'

But whoever was behind the domain name trickery insisted it was not to do with Ms Mordaunt herself.

A message on the redirect page reads: 'Disclaimer: This website does not belong to Penny Mordaunt or the Penny Mordaunt campaign. Penny is not to blame for this and it has nothing to do with her. Remember to buy you domains, Nadhim.'

Ms Mordaunt's supporters were praised for the 'pre-emptive cyber-squatting' in a bid to nab supporters trying to get to the Chancellor's website.

Journalist Rob Minto spotted the technical trick, writing: 'OK, domain wars are ON. Zahawi is using the hashtag NZ4PM, but nz4pm.com redirects to pm4pm.com, Penny Mordaunt's campaign website!

'Digital skills: Zahawi 0 - 1 Mordaunt.'

Others called the trick 'comedy gold' ahead of the Stratford-upon-Avon MP's website launching tomorrow.

One user said: 'Lesson one of PR in the digital age Register all your domain names BEFORE you publish the logos.'

A second keen onlooker added: 'This is brilliant. Cyber warfare has broken out in the Conservative leadership contest.'

Another person wrote on Twitter: 'If you can't manage to register a domain name how the hell can you aspire to be PM?'

But others, including Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, found the digital trick less amusing.

She wrote: 'What japes. Meanwhile, in the real world, people are struggling to feed their kidsand the UK government with the power and resources to act is utterly paralysed.'
A British filmmaker who has formed close bonds with jihadi brides including Shamima Begum has called for Britain to 'bring home' the families of ISIS fighters who are being held in Syrian camps because they are 'our problem'.

Andrew Drury, 56, who regularly visits the Al-Roj camp in northeast Syria, said he 'feels sorry' for 22-year-old Begum, who left the UK aged 15 to join ISIS.

Drury said he has formed such a close relationship with other foreign jihadi brides at the camp, including American Hoda Muthana and German national Hafida Haddouch, that they hug him, pose for selfies with him and ask for gifts for their children.

Drury said the UK has a responsibility to bring British jihadi brides like Begum and their children 'back home' because it was not fair to leave them 'to be a danger to the Syrians and the Kurds' who have 'enough danger to deal with already'.

'They are our problem and we should be dealing with our own mess,' Drury said.

Andrew Drury, 56, who regularly visits the Al-Roj camp in northeast Syria, said he 'feels sorry' for 22-year-old Shamima Begum (pictured together in the camp in May), who left the UK aged 15 to join ISIS

From left to right: Unnamed French ISIS bride, American Hoda Muthana, Shamima Begum, Andrew Dury and Trinidadian Gaylan Su

Drury is pictured hugging Begum after an interview in June 2021

He admitted that he feels 'guilty' every time he shares a hug with a jihadist bride or when he flies back to the UK after visiting the camp because 'he will never know for sure what these women did under ISIS'.

Drury also admitted that he and Begum have become 'friends' and the pair speak every time Drury visits the camp.

Begum is among a 50-strong British contingent of women and children at the encampment, which houses around 800 families in total.

Drury, a father-of-four, has become close to two other British ISIS brides - including one who is a mother from Yorkshire.

He has also been welcomed by other inmates including German national Hafida Haddouch and American Hoda Muthana, who who grew up in Alabama, US, before travelling to Syria to join ISIS in 2014 aged 20.

Drury, who has visited the camp six times in the past year, said he poses for selfies with the jihadi brides to help them feel 'included' and 'forget where they are'.

Drury, who has visited the camp six times in the past year, said he poses for selfies with the jihadi brides to help them feel 'included' and 'forget where they are'. Pictured: Drury poses for a selfie with a British ISIS bride

Drury also admitted that he and Begum (pictured together) have become 'friends' and the pair speak every time Drury visits the camp

He also said that his working class background has meant he can 'relate' to the ISIS brides, who married jihadists who have plotted terrorist attacks against the West.

Drury said: 'Posing for a selfie with an ISIS bride for me is to make them feel more comfortable.

'It makes them for a moment feel included and perhaps forget where they are, for me it's purely because I am telling their story and not an expression of friendship as such.

'I've formed these relationships to enable me to tell the stories of the women in the camp and posing for photos with them helps break down barriers.'

He added that he feels 'guilty' about the close bonds he has formed with the ISIS brides.

Drury said: 'I feel guilty, I feel guilty every time they hug me and I feel guilty each time I get back from the camp because I will never know for sure what these women did under ISIS. Only they know the truth of that.

'There is that sense of guilt because I love my country and they joined ISIS but in Shamima's case I feel sorry for her, but then in feeling sorry for her I feel guilty feeling sorry for someone who joined ISIS.'

Shamima Begum (centre) and her friend Hafida Haddouch (left) with Andrew Drury (right) at the Al-Roj prison camp in northern Syria last year

Drury said he feels 'sorry' for the children at the Syrian camp because 'it's not their fault'. He added that there are elements of discontent emerging amongst the youngest prisoners.

'During our last visit to Al-Roj in May we were in the side of the camp that is supposed to be de-radicalised and some of the children threw rocks at us.

'There has to be an undercurrent of ideology still going on or why would we have things thrown at us?

'I think there should be a safeguarding programme, if we in the West believe these women are dangerous why haven't we removed the kids to stop them being radicalised?'

Drury said that it was important for the UK to bring back Begum and other British jihadi brides to the country.

He said: 'I think we have to bring all those who are, or were, British citizens and their kids back home.

'Why should we leave them to be a danger to the Syrians and the Kurds? They've got enough danger to deal with already.

'They are our problem and we should be dealing with our own mess.'

Some of the women in the camp are now 'stateless' and in most cases their children have no citizenship either, especially in Syria which is a country still gripped by civil war.

The camp is divided between those prisoners who still believe in the ideology of ISIS and those who claim to have renounced it, like Begum.

From left to right: Journalist Richard Ashmore, American ISIS bride Hoda Muthana, Shamima Begum, Gaylan Su a Trinidadian national (red top), an unnamed French woman, and Andrew Drury

Begum was stripped of her citizenship in 2019 by Sajid Javid and in February last year the Supreme Court ruled on national security grounds that she cannot return to Britain to pursue an appeal against the decision.

The east London schoolgirl who dumped her veil more than a year ago and now straightens her dyed hair, paints her nails and wears make-up, fled her home in 2015 to join the so-called Islamic State terror group in Syria with two friends both now believed to be dead.

She denies her image change is a publicity stunt.

She has since claimed she was groomed by ISIS and her jihadi husband Yago Riedijk from the Netherlands, who she shared three children with who all died at a young age.

Yet after being captured near the Syrian town of Baghuz as ISIS fighters fled, she lamented the group for being 'weak'.

She also said that the sight of a 'severed head in a bin didn't faze me at all' because it was that of 'a captured fighter an enemy of Islam', defiantly adding: 'I don't regret coming here.'

Begum has argued she was an angel who had been brainwashed as a teenager and then sex-trafficked by ISIS

Drury said that he has received death threats and online abuse from people for his work in the camps.

He said: 'People believe that the closer you get to these girls the more you must be supporting them.

'I don't support these women in any way at all, I have the same thoughts about them joining ISIS as any sane person would.

'I believe anything they might have done with the Caliphate is disgusting, despicable and against our country and they deserve to be punished.

'My trips to the camp are as a journalist and filmmaker, I don't go there to make friends.

'But each connection I make with the girls is genuine and I do think they deserve to have their stories heard.

'The access I have now is unbelievable. Normally when you enter the camp you are taken to a room and the inmate comes to see you and more often than not turns down an interview.

'Now when I go they take me straight out into the tents to see the girls as though I am an accepted representative for them.'

Drury and Begum talk to a British ISIS bride who cannot be identified as yet for legal reasons

Drury said he believes his working class background have helped him 'relate' to the jihadist brides.

He said: 'I am not an Oxbridge educated journalist, I talk to people in a down-to-earth way they can relate to.

'My background is council estate and I am happy to say that and I relate to the prisoners because I've not come from a privileged background.

'Perhaps those who have visited the camp before come from a background these women either cannot relate to or feel intimidated by.

'They all seem to gather round me now and want to tell me their stories, I don't have to ask for it anymore.

'Sometimes it's like being a talk show host, except instead of me being David Letterman in a studio in New York I am Andrew Drury coming live from a prison camp in Syria. Our next guest will be Shamima Begum.

'I think for the other girls the reason they want to talk to me is that they see that in year that I have known Shamima the turnaround in her public perception has been enormous.'

Drury said he is grateful to the Kurdish Syrian Defence Force (SDF) who control the region and who guard the camps supported by funding from abroad.

He said: 'Without the SDF providing the security they do in north eastern Syria it would be impossible for me to visit the camps.

'I think everybody wants the women out of these camps but I don't think the wider international community knows what to do with them.

'I really like the woman in charge of the camp and the guards and staff are doing a great job, they and the Kurdish people have been very hospitable to me every time I have visited.'
More than 500 women filed a joint lawsuit on July 13 against Uber alleging they were sexually assaulted, kidnapped, or otherwise attacked by drivers.

'Women passengers in multiple states were kidnapped, sexually assaulted, sexually battered, raped, falsely imprisoned, stalked, harassed, or otherwise attacked by Uber drivers with whom they had been paired,' according to a press release by the legal team, Slater Slater Shulman LLP.

The law firm claims reports of assault date back to 2014 and alleges 'Uber became aware that its drivers were sexually assaulting and raping female passengers; nevertheless in eight years since, sexual predators driving for Uber have continued to attack passengers.'

Last month, Uber released its second U.S. Safety Report, claiming the company received 3,824 reports of the five most severe categories of sexual assault between 2019 and 2020  a 38 percent drop from the initial report from 2017 to 2018 when 5,981 cases were reported.

Uber told DailyMail.com that the law firm representing the women has only filed 12 cases against the company to date. And the law firm has 'not been able to provide any critical incident details for us to identify a conenction to the Uber platform'.

The attorney representing the woman, Adam Slater said that the ride-share company's entire model is 'predicated on giving people a safe ride home, but rider safety was never their concern  growth was, at the expense of their passengers' safety.

'While the company has acknowledged this crisis of sexual assault in recent years, its actual response has been slow and inadequate, with horrific consequences.'

More than 500 women are suing Uber claiming they were sexually assaulted by drivers. The earliest report of assault was in 2014

Adam Slater, a partner at Slater Slater Schulman LLP, claims Uber has ignored claims the company prioritizes growth rather than rider safety

The law firm further claims the ride share company held 'prioritization of growth over customer safety.'

'Uber was fixated on getting new drivers onboarded as quickly as possible to fuel growth, so it eschewed traditional background check standards,' according to the complaint.

Former CEO Travis Kalanick was accused of dismissing safety after he 'intentionally opted' out of performing thorough background and fingerprinting checks before onboarding new hires.

That policy has been maintained by Uber's current CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, who took over the company in 2017.

Despite widespread media attention regarding sexual assault by drivers in 2018, Uber refused to install video cameras in cars, and has maintained a 'three strikes' policy' for its drivers that kept predators at the wheel even after serious passenger complaints.

Uber said it couldn't comment on the pending litigation, but said the company has recently updated its safety features.

'Sexual assault is a horrific crime and we take every single report seriously. There is nothing more important than safety, which is why Uber has built new safety features, established survivor-centric policies, and been more transparent about serious incidents,' an Uber spokesperson said.

A few safety features the ride share company has implemented include the emergency button. Riders can now call or text 911 through the app and authorities will receive the coordinates to the exact location.

A ride check feature is also available and allows the company to use sensors and GPS data to detect if a driver is going off-course from the final destination. In this instance, riders and drivers will receive a check-in notification.

The company further says that all drivers are subject to background checks that flag criminal offenses, and each driver is re-screened annually.

CEO Dara Khosrowshahi took over the ride share company in 2017 from Travis Kalanick. The lawsuit alleges the company has continued to lack thorough background checks

In the press release, the law office referenced five stories from some of their clients. The victims ranged in locations from California to Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.

In an undisclosed location, a driver forcefully kissed and assaulted a woman sitting in the front seat in August 2021.

In Boston, MA, a driver attempted to rape a woman in October 2021. In the same month outside of Pittsburgh, PA, another driver attempted to rape another victim.

In the rural area of Perris, CA, a passenger was raped by a driver in November 2021. Closeby in Chino Hills, CA, a driver sexually assaulted and attempted to rape a passenger in February 2022.

The Chino Hill passenger, claimed the driver 'groped her under her skirt' as she rode in the front seat. The driver then pulled over and forced her into the back seat.

Liz, a pseudonym, was able to fight off the driver and run back to her hotel nearby.

Documents viewed by the New York Post say the driver was going in circles before pulling off to the side.

What was supposed to be a five-minute ride instantly turned into a '23-minute nightmare.'

The 37-year-old said, 'I had had a couple of drinks and wanted to go across the street to the gas station and my friend had suggested getting an Uber. So I thought Id try it, and it turned into a nightmare.

I was kind of reluctant to get in the front seat but again this like was maybe my second or third time taking an Uber in my life, so I was like, okay, this is normal.

He had tried to start reaching up my skirt  I kept pushing him away and he was getting more forceful, so I tried to open the door and he locked the door and I tried to open it.

Liz was forced into the back seat after 20 minutes and was able to forcefully kick the door open and flee to the hotel.

She attempted to call the police from the front desk because she left her phone in the car, but her alleged attacker showed up at her location to return the device.

Liz attempted to file a complaint through Uber but was blocked without a refund for her $7 ride.

She waited to immediately take action due to her experience of being raped in her 20s and the police investigation going nowhere.

She decided to take legal action after her friends and therapist pushed her to because of the 'hundreds of other women' that this happened to.

They said theres not just you but hundreds of other women this is happening to, and how many times are you going to let this just get shoved into the dark? It needs to be brought out into the light.'

Last year, Uber almost faced a $59 million fine for failing to report sexual assault data with California regulators. The company came to an agreement with the California Public Utilities Commission and paid $9 million to support safety initiatives. Another $150,000 fine was delegated to the states General Fund.
A Georgia mother has been indicted 23 years after the grisly murder of her six-year-old son, whose decomposed boy was found in the woods near a church cemetery.

The little boy, whose identity was not known for decades, was revealed on Wednesday by the Dekalb County District Attorney's office as William DaShawn Hamilton, according to a statement released.

The boy's mother, Teresa Ann Bailey Black, 45, was charged with two counts of felony murder, two counts of cruelty to children, aggravated assault, and concealing the death of another.

Police received a break in the 23-year-old case after a woman, who knew Black and her son, contacted the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), after she saw recognized a rendering of the child that was posted by NCMEC.

Investigators used DNA from Black and linked it to the missing boy who had been left for dead in the woods linking her to the heinous crime.

On June 29, Black was taken into custody in Phoenix, Arizona, and is currently awaiting extradition to Georgia.

DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston said, 'for far too long, this precious little boy had no name and no story,' she said, in part.

'William has been identified, and justice will be served in his memory,' she said.

A photo of William DeShawn Hamilton and what he looked like when he first went missing

A rendering of Hamilton that investigators created by a forensic artist at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

The boy's mother, Teresa Ann Bailey Black, 45, was charged with two counts of felony murder, two counts of cruelty to children, aggravated assault, and concealing the death of another

During the late 1990s', Black, who had gone under the name Bailey had been living with her son and a family member in Charlotte, North Carolina.

In December 1998, the boy's mother reportedly withdrew her son from school and moved them to the Atlanta area.

That was the last time the first grader would be seen alive.

Nearly a year after the boy's murder, Black returned to Charlotte, North Carolina.

When people began to ask Black where her son was, she reportedly gave each person varying accounts of his whereabouts.

On February 26, 1999, a child's badly decomposed body was found in a wooded area at the corner of Clifton Springs Road and Clifton Spring Church Road. It appeared the boy had been dead for three to six months prior to being found.

Investigators at the time did not have an ID for the child. The only information they had was that the boy was African American, was between the ages of 5 and had been wearing a blue and white plaid shirt, denim jeans, and brown Timberland boots.

At the time, the authorities did not have a cause or manner in which the little boy died.

The case drew widespread media attention, but baffled investigators since the boy had no name. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children also became involved.

In 2019, a forensic artist produced a new facial reconstruction rendering, and featured the story on their website and social media channels. This garnered renewed interest in the cold case.

In May of 2020, a woman named Ava recognized the drawing of William and reached out to NCMEC.

She told them that she knew both Black and her little son when they had lived in Charlotte, North Carolina, during the late 1990s.

She said she often took care of the little boy and described him as a spirited youngster, who was 'fun, witty, adventurous and intelligent,' who also loved to dance.

The DeKalb County Police Department and the DA's Office picked the case back up and followed the lead.

During the investigation, detectives learned that Black (under the name Bailey) briefly worked at an establishment known as 'Pleasers' and may have been obtaining assistance from the Atlanta Day Shelter for Women and Children for a short time.

Earlier this year, DNA was collected from Black and linked her to the child found in the woods in February 1999.

Yvette F. Jones, Director of Communications for the DeKalb County District Attorney told DailyMail.com on Thursday that they were unable to provide specific details on how the authorities retrieved Black's DNA.

'That aspect of the case as it is an open and pending case,' Jones said, in part.

Jones said Black has not yet been extradited to Georgia and they do not have a timetable at this juncture for her extradition.

She said once she is back in Georgia, she will be arraigned, and the case will be scheduled for trial. That date has yet to be determined.

Black was taken into custody in Phoenix, Arizona on June 29, 2022, and is currently awaiting extradition to Georgia."For far too long, this precious little boy had no name and no story," said DeKalb District Attorney Sherry Boston. "Through the tireless efforts of several individuals and organizations who were determined not to let this boy be forgotten, William has been identified, and justice will be served in his memory."

The wooded area and site of where the young boy's remains were discovered near a church cemetery in Decatur, Georgia

The scene where the badly decomposed remains of William DeShawn Hamilton, 6, was found

'A woman in Charlotte followed her gut feeling that something wasn't right,' Angeline Hartmann, Director of Communications at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children said in a statement issued by the DeKalb County District Attorney's office.

'She made phone calls, scoured the internet and talked to anybody who would listen. We're grateful she never stopped until she found that rendering of William online and gave investigators the missing piece to help solve this 23-year-old mystery,' the statement read.
The Jan. 6 investigation witness former President Trump tried to call after a committee hearing was a member of the White House support staff, according to inside sources.

Trump called the unnamed staffer, whom he did not have regular communication with, and the staffer did not answer but alerted their attorney who alerted the Jan. 6 committee, which then referred the matter to the Justice Department for potential witness tampering.

The call came in after Cassidy Hutchinson, an aide to former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, testified before the committee earlier this month. The staffer was in a position to corroborate parts of Hutchinson's testimony under oath, sources told CNN.

California Democratic Rep. Pete Aguilar, a member of the committee, told CNN the former staffer Trump tried to call has been speaking to the committee.

Hutchinson in her testimony provided embarrassing anecdotes about Trump's behavior during her testimony -including that he tried to grab the wheel of the presidential limo, the 'Beast,' after he was told he couldn't go to the Capitol Building on January 6 and threw food at the wall after Attorney General Bill Barr said there was no widespread fraud in the 2020 election.

Rep. Liz Cheney said that former White House Pat Cipollone's testimony 'met expectations' while she claimed it was 'nonsense' to argue that former President Trump was misled into believing the election had been stolen from him

He's a close ally of former President Donald Trump and reportedly helped push his 2020 election fraud lies

Trump has been trying to hurt the reputation of Hutchinson since Tuesday's surprise hearing of the House select committee on January 6.

'I hardly know who this person, Cassidy Hutchinson, is, other than I heard very negative things about her (a total phony and "leaker"), and when she requested to go with certain others of the team to Florida after my having served a full term in office, I personally turned her request down,' Trump wrote as the 25-year-old testimony was ongoing.

'Her Fake story that I tried to grab the steering wheel of the White House Limousine in order to steer it to the Capitol Building is "sick" and fraudulent, very much like the Unselect Committee itself - Wouldnt even have been possible to do such a ridiculous thing,' Trump wrote.

Later Tuesday, the January 6 committee tweeted out footage of Trump departing the Ellipse rally in a black SUV that purportedly shows his hands moving toward the driver.

'Her story of me throwing food is also falseand why would SHE have to clean it up, I hardly knew who she was?' the former president added.

After Hutchinson's testimony concluded, Trump continued to go after her on Truth social.

Cassidy Hutchinson, who was an aide to former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows during the administration of former President Donald Trump, returns after a short recess during Tuesday's surprise January 6 hearing

'Her body language is that of a total bull. artist. Fantasy Land!' he wrote.

Top Democrats on the Jan. 6 committee said Wednesday they have no idea what witness Rep Liz Cheney was talking about after the Wyoming Republican accused former President Trump of witness tampering on Tuesday.

Even the chairman of the committee - Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., told reporters after Cheney made the bold accusation that he was unaware of who she was referring to.

Committee member Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said that the committee had known Trump had tried to contact a witness for 'a couple of days' but said that he also was unaware of the witness' identity.

Trump has not yet publicly commented on the accusation.

'After our last hearing, President Trump tried to call a witness in our investigation. A witness you have not yet seen in these hearings,' Cheney said during Tuesday's Jan. 6 committee hearing, without revealing a name. 'That person declined to answer or respond to President Trump's call, and instead alerted their lawyer to the call. Their lawyer alerted us. And this committee has supplied that information to the Department of Justice. '

'Let me say one more time we will take any efforts to influence witness testimony very seriously,' the Wyoming Republican and ranking member on the Jan. 6 committee said.

Meanwhile, committee member Rep. Jamie Raskin told NBC News earlier that former White House counsel Pat Cipollone corroborated 'almost everything' that came up in the panel's last six hearings, including Hutchinson's explosive account.

'He had the opportunity to say whatever he wanted to say, so I didn't see any contradiction there,' the Maryland Democrat said.

Cipollone's testimony was included in this week's public hearing, but it focused on the lead-up to Jan. 6 and specifically an 'unhinged' Dec. 18 meeting between Trump and his allies discussing ways to fight back against what they believed the be election fraud.

In the hearing that included Hutchinson's testimony earlier this month, Cheney pulled up two examples of potential witness intimidation without naming who had been contact or who had made contact.

Without identifying any of the individuals involved, let me show you a couple of samples of answers we received to this question, Representative Liz Cheney said of investigators asking witnesses if they were contacted by former colleagues.

Neither Jan. 6 committee chairman Bennie Thompson nor committee member Jamie Raskin know the identity of the witness Rep. Liz Cheney claims Trump called

The screen of the hearing room showed pictures of two examples of response messages.

One said that Trump was thinking about you ahead of a deposition before the panel.

He knows you're loyal, and youre going to do the right thing when you go in for your deposition, the same message read.

A second noted that as long as I continue to be a team player, Im doing the right thing.

Multiple sources told CNN that the exchange was Meadows reaching out to Hutchinson. Meadows' spokesperson Ben Williamson denied that Meadows tried to intimidate Hutchinson.

A second example included a witness statement read out by Cheney.

"What they said to me is, as long as I continue to be a team player, they know that I'm on the team. I'm doing the right thing. I'm protecting who I need to protect, you know, I'll continue to stay in good graces in Trump World," Cheney said, relaying the witness statement that sources said is Hutchinson. "And they have reminded me a couple of times that Trump does read transcripts and just to keep that in mind as I proceed through my depositions and interviews with the committee."

Cheney said this was obvious witness intimidation and tampering.

'I think most Americans know that attempting to influence witnesses to testify untruthfully presents very serious concerns,' the Republican panel member said Tuesday. We will be discussing these issues as a committee, carefully considering our next steps.
An increasing number of companies are putting the brakes on hiring after a lengthy COVID-fueled tech boom, including Google, which on Tuesday informed its workforce that it will be slowing down some hiring for the rest of 2022.

What Does the Memo Say

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai issued employees notice in the form of an internal memo about "slowing down the pace of hiring" this year. However, the company is not completely ceasing hiring. Instead, it would concentrate on "engineering, technical and other key roles" for the balance of 2022 and 2023, according to the reports by The Register and The Verge.

"Because of the hiring progress achieved so far this year," Pichai wrote, "we'll be slowing the pace of hiring for the rest of the year, while still supporting our most important opportunities."

Google recruited 10,000 individuals to its workforce in Q2 and had a "strong number" of people committed to starting in Q3, according to Pichai's memo, in part because of seasonal college recruiting.

Google parent Alphabet's Shares Are Down

As investors exit the stocks that fueled the bull market of the past decade, Alphabet shares have fallen by 21% so far this year, plummeting with the rest of the tech sector, as per CNBC.

When the economy was recovering from the pandemic in the first three months of 2021, growth was 34%. In the first quarter of 2022, however, growth slowed to 23% from a year earlier.

Read More: Tesla to Lay Off Hundreds of Autopilot Employees as it Shuts Down San Mateo Office

Other Tech Companies Also Freezes Hiring

The Verge said that Meta, which recently implemented recruiting freezes for some teams, issued a note to workers warning of "serious times". Uber, on the other hand, stated that it must be "hardcore" about expenses. Furthermore, plans to slow hiring have also been made public by Snap and Spotify.

Some Companies Even Decided To Lay Off Workers

As reported last month, Elon Musk, the CEO and founder of Tesla, said in a tweet exchange that he had a negative feeling about the economy and that he may be considering reducing 10% of Tesla workers. With that, Tesla has started the process of downsizing its workforce.

The pandemic also impacted software company Lacework, which let go of 20% of its workers in May. The cloud security provider stated that it has made every attempt to offer those affected severance that includes money, healthcare coverage, and access to outplacement support.

The micromobility startup Bird, which intends to reduce its workforce by 23 %, is one of the latest companies to retrench workers. The company claims that it employs about 600 individuals, which suggests that 138 workers will be let go.

Even the "buy now, pay later" (BNPL) sector has been affected by the crisis. Swedish Tech Company Klarna announced in May that it is cutting off 10% of its employees. This retrenchment will result in roughly 700 individuals losing their jobs.

Related Article: Rivian is Allegedly Planning to Lay Off Hundreds of Workers
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Stunning new aerial images have shown London's new 4.2billion 'super sewer' project that stretches across 15 miles from Acton in West London along the banks of the Thames to Abbey Mills Pumping Station.

The giant tunnel has created three extra acres of 'architecturally beautiful spaces' along the embankment due to the lack of room above ground.

Work for the new sewage system began in 2016 and is the biggest infrastructure project ever undertaken by the UK water industry.

Tunnelling is now complete on the 15-and-a-half mile sewer designed to clean up the Thames that still uses the Victorian sewage system.

As a result, construction is now due to start on the above-ground public spaces that will be left once it is finished.

Tideway - the firm building the super sewer - have been forced to build out into the Thames to house the new infrastructure due to the lack of space in the capital.

Brand new helicopter images of the giant tunnel has created three extra acres of 'beautiful' public space along the capital's embankment due to the lack of space above ground

As space is short in London, Tideway - the firm building the super sewer - have been forced to build out into the Thames to house the new infrastructure

The new system will intercept the sewage before it enters the river and carefully treat it before pumping it back into the water in East London

Built from three main construction sites in Fulham, Battersea and Southwark, the Thames Tideway Tunnel is expected to help treat some of the 55million tonnes of 'overflow' raw sewage which the current system cannot cope with and is expected to be finished in 2024

Work for the new sewage system began in 2016 and is the biggest infrastructure project ever undertaken by the UK water industry. Pictured a CGI image of the finished 4bn project

These new spaces are now being turned into a combined three acres of public space - giving Londoners and visitors all-new areas for the first time in over a century.

The project will stretch all the way from Acton in West London, along the general path of the River Thames, towards Limehouse where it will veer north-east to Abbey Mills Pumping Station near Stratford.

Clare Donnelly, lead architect on the Tideway project, said: 'Creating new public spaces in the heart of London is an incredible opportunity and it's so exciting after all these years to see these spaces coming to life.

'New public spaces in Wapping, Blackfriars, Victoria, Vauxhall, Nine Elms, Chelsea and Putney will benefit Londoners and visitors to the city for generations to come, and we can't wait for them to open.'

Thames Water previously insisted the multi-billion pound project was crucial to stop London returning to the days of the 'Great Stink' when the river acted as an open sewer.

At the time, in the mid-1880s, residents complained of the smell from the river which was full of raw sewage.

The project will stretch all the way from Acton in West London, along the general path of the River Thames, towards Limehouse where it will veer north-east to Abbey Mills Pumping Station near Stratford. Pictured: A CGI image of the 'super sewer' that stretches 15 miles along the banks of the Thames

Pictured: An aerial view of the work site at Chelsea Embankment Foreshore on the River Thames

The Tideway project began construction in 2016 and is due to be completed by 2025. Pictured: Aerial view of the work site at Putney Embankment Foreshore on the River Thames

These new spaces are now being turned into a combined three acres of public space - giving Londoners and visitors all-new areas for the first time in over a century

The problem was eventually solved by engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette, who built a 1,300 mile network of Victorian sewers to stop untreated sewage being pumped into the Thames. He had to build out into the river to house his brick-lined tunnels, above-ground spaces that are known as Victoria, Albert and Chelsea Embankments.

Tideway said it is continuing that tradition and - much like Bazalgette's - these public spaces will create new destinations for Londoners and tourists.

Built from three main construction sites in Fulham, Battersea and Southwark, the Thames Tideway Tunnel is expected to help treat some of the 55million tonnes of 'overflow' raw sewage which the current system cannot cope with and is expected to be finished in 2024.

The new system will intercept the sewage before it enters the river and carefully treat it before pumping it back into the water in East London.

The Tideway project began construction in 2016 and is due to be completed by 2025.
Hospitals in New South Wales are already implementing their own Covid mandates despite no official orders from government.

Clinics around the state have re-introduced density limits, mask rules and surveillance testing in response to skyrocketing cases in the community.

Staff have been told to wear N95 masks and goggles at all times in some hospitals, with facility leaders refusing to wait around for lawmakers to act.

It comes as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to meet with state leaders and health officials on Monday discuss what to do about soaring case numbers across Australia.

Hospitals in New South Wales are already implementing their own Covid mandates despite no official orders from government. Pictured: St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney, 2021

'Experienced clinicians are coming back to the coalface where these decisions are concerned,' Dr Bruce Ashford from Wollongong Hospital told the Telegraph.

'We don't care about guidelines if we feel they don't meet the situation. We are the ones who understand the problem. Guidelines are just guidelines.'

Healthcare centres in the Illawarra Shoalhaven have taken matters into their own hands, increasing testing, limiting visitors and re-introducing safetywear for patients and staff.

Dr Ashford said frontline workers were committed to making the 'hard decisions' the government wouldn't by bringing back the rules.

'We've increased our use of N95 in all our wards We are decreasing our visitors, increasing testing on patients,' he said.

'People are coming in for appendicitis or to have a baby. We can't just wait until they become infectious. We have to make sure we are doing everything we can.'

Staff have been told to wear N95s and goggles at all times in some hospitals, with facility leaders refusing to wait around for lawmakers to act. Pictured: St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney, 2020

The surgeon believes Covid is 'more serious now than ever' and the subdued response to the current situation is concerning workers.

He said the health system on the whole will suffer substantially if the virus is able to get back on top.

Meanwhile, fears of a third wave of Covid have prompted the Prime Minister to call an emergency national cabinet meeting.

The backflip comes a day after Mr Albanese's office announced national cabinet would not meet again until October after a recent meeting on June 17.

Dr Ashford said the current situation is 'more serious now than ever' and urged the government to move quickly on implementing new measures

There is also widespread outrage over the federal government's decision to scrap pandemic leave payments and free RAT tests for concessions card holders, despite a dire warning from health minister Mark Butler to expect millions of Covid cases in the coming months.

Earlier on Thursday, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk urged for Australia's leaders to come together sooner rather than later as highly infectious strains including Omicron BA4 and BA.5 sweep across the country.

It follows a conversation she had the night before with NSW counterpart Dominic Perrottet about the increased strain on hospitals due to the renewed surge in infections.

'All we want is an update from the chief health officer,' Ms Palaszczuk told the Today Show.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured) has called for an emergency national cabinet meeting to be held next Monday

Covid cases in last 24 hours Victoria: 11,283 cases, 20 deaths, 771 in hospital with 34 in ICU NSW: 14,235 cases, 36 deaths, 2001 in hospital with 56 in ICU Tasmania: 1844 cases, one death, 125 in hospital with four in ICU Queensland: 6900 cases, 18 deaths, 863 in hospital with 16 in ICU South Australia: 4761 cases, one death, 231 in hospital with seven in ICU Western Australia: 6535 cases, two deaths, 329 in hospital with 14 in ICU Northern Territory: 494 cases, no deaths, 55 in hospital with three in ICU ACT: 1367 cases, no deaths, 137 in hospital with five in ICU. Australia recorded 47,419 new infections and 78 deaths with Covid on Thursday while 4,512 cases are in hospital. Source: AAP Advertisement

'Because we're just getting a bit of mixed messages at the moment.

'I think the country just wants to know how this wave is going. How the hospitalisations are going.

'And get the information from the chief health medical officer which is what we used to get from national cabinet.'

'We don't want a long meeting, but we just want to get the advice and the information, like, is this just going to be a short, sharp wave, or are we going to get another wave in September?'

Australia recorded 47,419 new infections and 78 deaths with Covid on Thursday while 4,512 cases are in hospital.

Mr Albanese hinted on rival breakfast television program Sunrise he would hold talks on the issue when he returns from overseas.

'Look, there are real challenges there. And certainly, when I return to Australia, we'll continue to address those issues. But we inherited those cut-offs across a range of decisions from the former government,' he said on Thursday.

Current data shows up to 300,000 Australians are infected, with the health minister warning the true number is 'probably twice that'.

'Obviously we want to limit transmission through people thinking more about wearing masks in indoor areas especially where they cannot socially distance,' Mr Butler said.

He also admitted the decision to scrap the pandemic leave disaster payments wasn't based on the advice of health officials.

The national cabinet last met on June 17 and weren't expected to meet again until October

National, state and territory leaders will met on Monday to address the ongoing third wave of Covid spreading across Australia

'This is a decision put in place by the former government,' Mr Butler said.

'At some point we need to recognise that it is not the financial capacity to continue emergency payments forever.'

Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff has written to Mr Albanese to express his concerns abut the axing of the pandemic leave payments and free rapid antigen test scheme.

'The ending of those programs is not the right time,' Mr Rockliff told reporters.

'We're all in this together. Tasmania is well and truly pulling our weight when it comes to supports for the community. We expect the federal government to do the same.'

Australia recorded 47,419 new infections and 78 deaths on Thursday amid fears the country will see 'millions' of cases in the coming months

More infectious sub-variants of the virus are also driving case numbers nursing homes with Aged Care Minister Anika Wells saying she expects it to be several weeks before the peak of the latest wave arrives.

The government outlined its response on Thursday to how aged care facilities would manage the surge in cases during winter.

Following talks with chief medical officer Professor Paul Kelly earlier this week, Ms Wells said the peak could continue into early August.

'He is as worried about this wave as he was in December about what became the January Omicron wave,' she told reporters on Thursday.

'We are leaving no stone unturned ahead of our response to this current winter wave.'

There are growing calls for mask mandates as a renewed surge in Covid cases spreads across the country (pictured passengers disembarking from the Coral Princess in Sydney)

Ms Wells will meet with aged care providers from across the country next week in a bid to limit the spread of the virus in facilities.

The government's winter plan in aged care is based around around an increase in vaccination, antiviral access, visitor and worker safety, infection control training and proactive engagement.

As of Wednesday, 819 aged care facilities across the country have an outbreak.

The weekly average of deaths in aged care has also risen, from 69 to 91, with 2141 fatalities in facilities so far this year.
A British dad who left his partner to run off with a Ukrainian refugee ten days after she moved into the family home has now released a RAP criticising 'an ex'.

A video of this hip hop effort was posted less than 24 hours after Tony Garnett was hit with a court order preventing him from contacting Lorna Garnett, the mother of their two daughters after she alleged he had sent her abusive texts.

Security guard Tony left his partner and children for Sofiia Karkadym, 22, two months ago after sponsoring her as a refugee from the country torn apart by Putin's invasion. The couple plan to marry and have children together  providing doctors can reverse his vasectomy.

But hours after the court hearing on Wednesday Tony, 29, put out a YouTube song called 'Ukraine to UK Rain' in which he accuses an 'ex' of being 'two-faced' and playing with his emotions 'like a video console'.

And he raps: 'I'm now with a blonde - but yes, my ex was a brunette.'

The song describes Ukraine as 'a country torn apart with war crimes and bad pain'.

It also includes the lines: 'Should I have stayed there just to be with my kids? No thank you, not today. You see my mental state forbids.'

Tony told MailOnline he loves wordplay and had rattled off the track in less than an hour. 'I can do much better,' he said.

Tony Garnett, 29, who left his partner of ten years for Ukrainian refugee Sofiia Karkadym, 22, after 10 days of her living with them, released a rap dissing his ex called 'Ukraine to UK Rain'

The security guard posted the video less than 24 hours after he was hit with a court order preventing him from contacting the mother of his two children, 28-year-old Lorna Garnett (pictured)

The 29-year-old has said he made the song in less than an hour and insists he can do better

Tony Garnett said that he and Sofiia Karkadym (pictured together) hope to have children together - if doctors can reverse the vasectomy he had after having two children with his previous partner

'It's important for me to explain my side of things. I didn't name her, I just said 'my ex' in the lyrics. I know that won't get me into trouble because a solicitor told me. It could be any ex I'm referring to. I told the judge that I'd be writing music about what had happened to me.'

The chorus of the three-minute track repeats the line 'I don't care what you have to say'.

Tony's former partner Lorna, 28, today told MailOnline that she had seen the video and understood the lyrics to refer to her.

Calling the accusations in the lyrics 'complete lies', she said: 'Under the terms of the court order I'm not allowed to discuss him on social media, but the things in that song which are obviously about me are complete lies.

'He's broken the court order already by releasing this and I've contacted my solicitor and the police as a result. The solicitor confirmed that it's a breach of the order'.

Tony said he found a female vocalist in the US on a freelancer website called Fiverr, where a woman sang the line for $5. At the court on Wednesday, Tony was also warned not to go within 100 metres of the home the couple shared in Bradford before he fell for IT manager Sofia from Lviv. Tony agreed to the non-molestation restraining order without admissions.

It bars him phoning, texting or emailing Lorna and contacting her by social media. The order is not thought to mention posting on YouTube.

The new couple (pictured) have now known each other for just two months but are already making plans to visit Sofiia's family back in Ukraine so that Tony can formally ask her father for his daughter's hand in marriage

Sofiia Karkadym (pictured) arrived in the UK at the start of May after fleeing the war in Ukraine

Later, he said: 'If it helps her sleep at night then so be it 'I know the truth. I've done nothing wrong. I didn't turn up with a solicitor because I don't have anything to defend. Sadly, this is turning into an episode of Jeremy Kyle.'

The couple are not married but Lorna adopted Tony's surname by deed poll.

She has now agreed not to make 'derogatory' messages about him on social media and to remove previous posts.

She fumed: 'I want nothing to do with him. I just want him to leave me alone.'

The lyrics to the song include the following lines: 'For those who think they know me, I'm a wolf in sheep's clothing I'm a product on the shelf made famous by the media  it's a shame about the truth. But you can't see any clearer I don't recognise that man when I'm looking in the mirror I know right from wrong. I've been brought up with additions, subtract all the bulls***, that equals my decisions and I stand by what I've done because my IQ's 150+.'

He continues: 'I don't care for opinions or messages of disgust I live life to the fullest I live with no regrets. I'm now with a blonde - but yes, my ex was a brunette. The ex is two-faced it's the only way I can describe what she said to the papers. Yeah? It was all lies. People slide in my DMs. They want to know why? Why I left my ex and kids was I really so high?

'No I was never married. She changed it by deed poll. She played with my emotions like a video console I tried, really I'm not I'm really not heartless But it was held living there. So I needed to leave regardless. Speaking to the courts filling the papers with deception I don't care what you have to say.

'My kids know different and they know the truth anyway. I don't care what silly games you want to try play. They will always be my babies no matter what you say.

'You made your opinions from the articles that went live But it was me out every day working, grafting nine to five Then I came home from work suggested that we sponsored But the ex has no heart 'cause she wasn't really bothered. So I made the decision myself to save someone from Ukraine.

'A country torn apart with war crimes and bad pain I'd want my kids protected if that was the UK But the only thing Sofia is seen is the UK rain. That's my only conclude Should I have stayed there just to be with my kids? No thank you, not today. You see my mental state forbids. So if there's anything I've learned by speaking to the papers, You'll only awake the trolls weirdos and the f****g haters.'
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Nadhim Zahawi shared commiserations with his campaign chief Brandon Lewis over dinner at an exclusive London private members club last night after crashing out of the Tory leadership race.

The Chancellor, who was kicked out after the first round alongside Jeremy Hunt, was joined by his wife Lana, who sparkled in a 1,300 Gucci velvet shirt with matching trousers.

Mrs Zahawi, 56, is director of Zahawi & Zahawi Ltd, a family property empire said to be worth 100million. She also wore a 2,767 NeverNoT yellow gold ring and a 395 crystal ring from Bea Bongiasca.

The couple were joined by Mr Lewis and his wife Justine Rappolt. Both men wore suits and shirts unbuttoned at the collar, while Ms Rappolt opted for a 245 pale blue Reiss jumpsuit.

The intimate dinner took place at Oswald's, a private members club established by Robin Birley in 2017. It has since become popular with leading Tories including Liz Truss, Michael Gove and Boris and Carrie Johnson.

Meanwhile, Priti Patel was also out in Mayfair at the five-star Connaught Hotel, which she was seen leaving around midnight after enjoying drinks.

The Home Secretary - who announced she would not be running for PM on Tuesday - beamed as she headed in a government car wearing a 210 Boden Midi Dress.

Nadim Zahawi, who was kicked out after the first round alongside Jeremy Hunt, was joined by his wife Lana, who sparkled in a 1,300 Gucci velvet shirt with matching trousers

Mrs Zahawi, 56, is director of Zahawi & Zahawi Ltd, a family property empire said to be worth 100million. She also wore a 2,767 NeverNoT yellow gold ring and a 395 crystal ring from Bea Bongiasca

The couple were joined by Mr Lewis and his wife, Justine Rappolt, (pictured). Both men wore suits and shirts unbuttoned at the collar, while Ms Rappolt opted for a 245 pale blue Reiss jumpsuit

Mr Zahawi was ejected from the leadership contest yesterday afternoon after failing to reach the minimum threshold of 30 votes.

The YouGov founder, who has since said he will not publicly back any candidate, endured a difficult campaign that was dogged by claims he is being probed by HMRC over his tax affairs.

Mr Zahawi described the allegations as 'smears' and vowed to publish his tax returns annually if he ever became Prime Minister.

His frustration was reflected by his campaign manager Mr Lewis, who expressed hopes that the 'remaining stages of the leadership contest' would be 'carried out in a constructive spirit'.

Ms Patel had been considering a run for the leadership but in the end decided not to put her name forward.

In a statement released on Tuesday, she said: 'I am grateful for the encouragement and support colleagues and Party members have offered me in recent days in suggesting that I enter the contest for the leadership of the Conservative Party. I will not be putting my name forward for the ballot of MPs.

'As Home Secretary I have always put the security and safety of our country and the national interest first and my focus is to continue working to get more police on our streets, support our amazing security services to keep our country safe and control our borders.'

There was more Tory blood on the carpet today as Suella Braverman became the latest hopeful knocked out of the leadership race - with Rishi Sunak topping the ballot but Penny Mordaunt riding high.

Priti Patel was seen enjoying drinks last night at the five-star Connaught Hotel in Mayfair, which she was seen leaving around midnight

The Home Secretary - who announced she would not be running for PM on Tuesday - beamed as she headed in a government car wearing a 210 Boden Midi Dress

Ms Patel had been considering a run for the leadership but in the end decided not to put her name forward

Mr Sunak received 101 votes in the second round of the contest and Ms Mordaunt 83 - adding 16 to her previous tally - after another frenzied day at Westminster that saw Foreign Secretary Liz Truss appeal for the party's right wing to unite behind her.

Ms Truss was well behind on 64, up 14, while Kemi Badenoch received 49. Tom Tugendhat, who has portrayed himself as the moderates' champion, lost support with 32 votes. Although he insists he has no intention of pulling out he will be favourite to exit in the next round on Monday.

Ms Mordaunt now looks in a strong position to reach the last two, who will go to a run-off ballot of Conservative members. And she has been installed as the bookies' favourite after bombshell polling suggested that she would win a head-to-head against any of her rivals.

The focus will now shift to a series of TV debates scheduled over the weekend, where the candidates will cross swords directly for the first time.

Mr Zahawi was ejected from the leadership contest yesterday afternoon after failing to reach the minimum threshold of 30 votes
The grandmother of a boy set to be moved to an adult prison in Western Australia fears he will take his life in the maximum-security facility.

About 20 boys, some aged as young as 14 and mostly Indigenous, will be relocated from Perth's Banksia Hill juvenile detention centre to a standalone facility at nearby Casuarina Prison.

Officials say the detainees have been destroying property, escaping from their cells, assaulting staff and harming themselves. They have promised the boys will be kept away from adult prisoners in safe and secure units.

But advocates have called for urgent reform after an independent inspector found detainees were having their human rights violated.

Around 20 boys as young as 14 and most of whom are Indigenous are set to be transferred from a juvenile detention centre to a WA maximum security prison (pictured, protesters marching for the boys in Perth on Thursday)

One of the boys set to be transferred to Casuarina drew headlines in February when a judge described his time at Banksia as one of 'prolonged, systematic dehumanisation and deprivation'.

Perth Children's Court heard the 15-year-old had spent 33 days confined to his cell alone with no fresh air or exercise.

His grandmother, who on Thursday in Perth attended a protest against the transfer, said the boy was 'no angel' but had been left traumatised from being at Banksia.

'He's tried to commit suicide three times in Banksia and (again) when he came home,' she told AAP.

'I'm really fearing that I'll be burying my grandson before he buries me.'

The boy was sentenced in February by Children's Court president Hylton Quail for burglary and a string of assaults on officers at Banksia Hill.

Judge Quail said the boy, who suffered from fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder after experiencing severe childhood neglect, was 'one of the most damaged children to have appeared before me'.

He was freed on a community release order but has since reoffended and returned to Banksia Hill.

'When you treat a damaged child like an animal, they will behave like one, and if you want to make a monster, this is how you do it,' Judge Quail said at the time.

The boys will be transferred from Perth's Banksia Hill juvenile detention centre to a standalone facility at nearby Casuarina Prison (pictured)

The grandmother of one of the boys fears he will take his own life if he is moved to the maximum-security facility. She attended Thursday's protest in Perth (pictured)

WA's custodial services inspector in April revealed there had been multiple occasions at Banksia where several boys spent less than an hour outside their cells.

About 600 past and present detainees have signed up for a planned class action led by Levitt Robinson Solicitors, alleging they suffered inhumane treatment, were excessively restrained and denied access to education.

The case is before the Australian Human Rights Commission, the first procedural step involved in filing a class action in the Federal Court.

Solicitor Dana Levitt says the transfer of detainees to an adult prison shows WA's youth detention strategy has failed.

'This flies in the face of every single international convention to which Australia is a party,' she told AAP.

'Children are only supposed to be detained as a last resort and it's supposed to be rehabilitative in its focus. They're never, ever supposed to be put in an adult prison.'

There is controversy around Banksia Hill juvenile detention centre, with WA's custodial services inspector revealing in April there had been multiple occasions boys spent less than an hour outside their cells (pictured, protesters at the rally in Perth on Thursday)

WA's Department of Justice said the temporary facility at Casuarina would be available for up to 12 months while urgent works were completed at Banksia Hill.

'Each individual will be able to return to Banksia Hill when assessed as suitable to do so,' a spokesman said.

Advocates believe the boys could be transferred as soon as Friday, although the department would not confirm this.

About 100 of Banksia Hill's 260 cells have been seriously damaged and more than 30 are unfit for use.

WA children's commissioner Jacqueline McGowan-Jone said total separation of the young detainees from adult prisoners at Casuarina was 'not logistically possible'.

Save the Children said WA's youth justice system was destroying lives and condemning children to a cycle of disadvantage.

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A passenger flying with Ryanair attacked a police officer after he was due to be thrown off his flight for being drunk.

Ashley Crutchley, 26, had downed a bottle of vodka on the Portugal-bound plane after becoming too 'excited' about going on his first holiday in more than a decade.

But Manchester Magistrates' Court heard how the captain of the plane became so concerned about Crutchley's 'disruptive' behaviour he asked for police assistance before the flight took off.

Paul Sumner, prosecuting, said the defendant had refused to leave the aircraft 'because he was drunk' and had argued with the crew.

Officers boarded the flight to remove him from the plane, before Crutchley protested and 'shunted' a constable during the ensuing melee.

'The officers could tell immediately that he was drunk,' Mr Sumner added.

Crutchley, from Manchester, pleaded guilty to a charge of being drunk on an aircraft and assaulting an emergency worker.

He was today fined more than 300 after admitting to both offences.

Ashley Crutchley, 26 and of Manchester, had downed a bottle of vodka on the Portugal-bound plane after becoming too 'excited' about going on his first holiday in more than a decade

Crutchley is pictured outside Manchester Magistrates' Court on Thursday where he was fined more than 300 after admitting being drunk on an aircraft and assaulting an emergency worker

The incident happened around 8pm on July 10, this year, on board a Ryanair flight from Manchester to Portugal.

Before departing the flight Crutchley told one constable to 'take his baggage', the court heard.

They were handed a vodka bottle, which was a third empty, and realised Crutchley had bought it from duty free.

He then 'shunted' one officer with his shoulder or his forearm as he was being led away. He also shouted: 'Come on mate, come on mate.'

Manchester Magistrates' Court heard how the captain of the Ryanair plane became so concerned about Crutchley's 'disruptive' behaviour he asked for police assistance before the flight took off. [File image]

The officers managed to grab him and escort him off the plane and into a waiting police van.

They returned to remove Crutchley's friend who 'hadn't been disruptive', Mr Sumner said, as passengers broke out in a round of applause.

Rodrigues Landu, defending, said Crutchley was 'truly apologetic' about what happened and admits the alcohol 'got the better of him'.

'He was excited about being on holiday because he hadn't been on holiday for 11 years,' he said.

Mr Landu added that the assault was 'an act of recklessness' but 'minor', and the officer had not been injured.

Crutchley was handed a 320 fine, 85 costs and a 128 victim surcharge.
A majority of Swiss people now favour 'drawing closer' to NATO in one of the clearest signs yet of the seismic impact that Russia's invasion of Ukraine has had on Europe.

Switzerland has effectively been neutral for more than 500 years, but a new poll shows citizens increasingly believe that is not the best way to protect their country.

Record-high numbers of Swiss now say the government should increase defence spending, maintain a fully-equipped army, and build tighter relations with NATO.

It comes after Sweden and Finland broke with decades-long neutrality agreements of their own to join NATO, saying Putin's war in the east had prompted them to do so.

A majority of Swiss people now favour forging closer ties with NATO as support for the country's 500-year-old neutrality falls for the first time in two decades

Overall, support for neutrality in Switzerland remains high - with 89 per cent saying they favour it - but for the first time in two decades that figure has fallen.

Back in January, before Russia invaded Ukraine, 96 per cent of Swiss were in favour of neutrality - meaning support has dropped eight per cent in just six months.

An unprecedented 52 per cent now favour their country 'moving closer' to NATO, though only 27 per cent want to actually join.

The new study was carried out by the Swiss military academy and the Centre for Security Studies, which polled 1,000 people between May and June.

The results were compared to a similar survey that was published in January.

Pollsters also found that 80 per cent of Swiss now favour their country having an army, while a record 74 per cent say it should be 'fully-equipped'

Switzerland has one of Europe's largest reserve forces and still has national service, but maintains only a tiny standing army supported by ageing tanks, armoured vehicles and planes.

Nineteen per cent of Swiss now want their government to spend more money on improving that force, up from just seven per cent early this year.

Finland and Sweden have already agreed to abandon decades-old neutrality policies and join NATO, bringing their state-of-the-art armies with them

The country has already agreed to buy 36 new Lockheed Martin F-35A fighter jets, though that could be challenged by a ballot.

Some 58 per cent of Swiss also believe armed conflicts in Europe will become more frequent in the wake of Russia's invasion, with one in three saying they are more anxious due to the war in Ukraine.

Switzerland has been officially neutral since the singing of the Treaty of Paris 1815, following the final defeat and abdication of Napoleon Bonaparte.

However, the Swiss Confederacy had been effectively neutral since 1525 when it pledged never to wage a war of aggression again following defeat to the French at the Battle of Marignano ten years earlier.

It means the Swiss can lay claim to having one of the longest-standing neutrality pacts in the world which it maintained throughout both world wars - though it sometimes shot down planes of both sides that crossed into its airspace.

Sweden and Finland are currently in the process of joining NATO, having officially submitted membership application back in May.

Their accession to the alliance is all-but guaranteed, after lone hold-out Turkey withdrew its opposition after a series of concessions.

Russia is suffering heavy losses in Ukraine, with another arms depot taken out by US-supplied HIMARS missiles in Nova Kakhova last night

However, all 30 current allies must ratify the move before they can be accepted - a process that can take a long time as the motion clears parliamentary hurdles.

Latvia today became the latest country to ratify, meaning 13 members have ratified or are in the process of ratifying membership.

That leaves 17 nations - including the US, Italy, Spain and Belgium - needing to officially put pen to paper.

Once the two countries join, they will massively strengthen NATO's northern flank, bringing with them huge numbers of troops and artillery, advanced submarines, and near-legendary spying capabilities.

Finland has a relatively small army of 20,000 men but maintains a reserve of almost 1million who can be called up to fight.

It also has Europe's largest collection of artillery - including dozens of the same rocket systems currently wreaking havoc on Russia in Ukraine - and has 64 latest-generation F-35 stealth fighters on order.

Sweden, meanwhile, boasts formidable coastal defences in the form of 150 fast attack ships, and five world-class submarines.

In fact, Stockholm's subs are so quiet they managed to 'sink' one of America's Nimitz-class aircraft carriers during a training exercise in the late 2000s, causing both concern and admiration in the Pentagon.
Images of two terrified North Korean defectors being forcibly dragged back over the border where they were allegedly executed have sparked outrage in South Korea.

The two fishermen tried to cross into their democratic southern neighbours after they were accused of killing 16 shipmates in a fight over an abusive captain.

Photos have now emerged of the moment the pair were pulled back towards the dictatorship they were trying to flee where North Korean officials waited in vehicles on the other side of the Demilitarized Zone, in 2019.

The men were reportedly executed for treason in North Korea this week although this has not been independently confirmed.

South Korea's presidential office denounced the repatriation yesterday, accusing the previous government led by Moon Jae-in of a potential 'crime against humanity' for the deportation.

Two terrified North Korean defectors were forcibly dragged back over the border and executed after they were seized by South Korean officials

According to the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, it was the first such deportation since the 1953 Korean War Armistice.

Human rights groups and South Korean politicians say the men would never have received a fair trial and even suggested the talks were politically motivated for Moon to conduct peace talks with Kim Jong-un.

'If they were forcibly repatriated to the North even when they expressed their will to defect, it's a crime against humanity that violated both international law and the constitution,' Kang In-sun, spokeswoman for President Yoon Suk-yeol, said.

She vowed that Yoon's administration would uncover the truth behind the decision, as South Korean prosecutors have re-opened an investigation into the case.

At the time, the government of then president Moon Jae-in called the fishermen 'dangerous criminals who would threaten South Koreans' safety'.

The men were reportedly executed for treason in North Korea this week also this has not been independently confirmed

Moon has not commented on the renewed allegations, and Reuters could not immediately trace contact details.

But opposition lawmaker Yoon Kun-young, who served as Moon's situation room chief, defended the move as being legal and in the national interest.

'President Yoon, are you saying we should have let the grotesque murderers get away with their crime and protect them with our own people's tax money?' he wrote on Facebook.

He was one of eight lawmakers who issued a statement accusing the Yoon government of re-opening the case to undermine political foes.

Human rights activists have condemned the repatriation, and a U.N. investigator said South Korea had probably violated the men's rights, by sidestepping an obligation for its justice system to deal with them rather than deporting the men.

While their fate has not been confirmed, there was an expectation their rights would be violated when they were turned over to North Korean authorities, Tomas Ojea Quintana, the U.N. investigator, said in Seoul last month. read more

According to the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, it was the first such deportation since the 1953 Korean War Armistice

'The two men's desperate resistance to being forced back that is so apparent in those photos shows that they understood they were fighting for their lives,' Phil Robertson of New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a statement.

'Moon Jae-in and his officials knew that too, and yet still they sent them back.'

Robertson accused Moon of being 'so desperate to please North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un' that he 'shamefully disregarded basic principles of human rights and humanity'.

Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, told The Telegraph: 'The two men's desperate resistance to being forced back that is so apparent in those photos show that they understood they were fighting for their lives.

'What's clear is the Moon Jae-in government was so desperate to please North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong-un that they shamefully disregarded basic principles of human rights and humanity, and that is precisely what they did by pushing these two men back to the North.'

South Korean prosecutors have opened an investigation into the case and there will also be a parliamentary probe into the government's actions.

One group of South Korean lawyers has even pledged to file a complaint against the former president for attempted murder.
A 14-year-old girl was killed and two other children were injured when a rollercoaster car fell off its tracks in Denmark today.

Tragedy struck when the rear carriage of thrill ride 'Cobra', at Tivoli Friheden in Aarhus, eastern Denmark, became decoupled from the coaster at 12.50pm.

Three youngsters were immediately rushed to hospital, with a 14-year-old girl confirmed dead around 90 minutes later, according to broadcaster TV2.

One of the country's best known rollercoasters, Cobra has crashed once before, in 2008

Tivoli Friheden in eastern Denmark was closed and evacuated after the crash this afternoon

Eyewitnesses described a loud bang followed by the sight of a rollercoaster carriage rolling off the track.

Emergency services remain on the scene.

None of those seriously hurt have been identified.

The seriousness of the other children's injuries are not known.

Tivoli Friheden, one of Denmark's most popular theme parks, was evacuated and closed immediately after the crash.

Police inspector Brian Voss Olesen told a press conference this afternoon that the exact cause of the 'very very tragic accident' remains unclear.

But he added that investigators will spend 'a great deal of energy' looking into how rollercoasters are approved for use by the public.

Mr Olesen also confirmed that the park will remain closed tomorrow for further investigation.

Park manager Henrik Ragborg Olsen confirmed that the incident took place on coaster Cobra

Facebook users remarked on the swift and safe evacuation of the park after the tragic crash

The amusement park had stated via Facebook that it will 'remain closed until further notice'.

Tivoli Friheden added: 'We have gathered the guests who are related to the injured - and those who sat on the train - and are offering psychological help to those who need it.

'The cause of the accident has not yet been determined, but technical assistance from experts has been requested.

'Out of respect for the injured, we encourage our guests not to share any pictures that may have been taken in connection with the accident.'

The park's statement confirmed news of the crash, but did not mention the girl, 14, killed

Commenter Jennifer Ann Been wrote: 'I was on that particular ride a few weeks ago. I sat on that part of it and pointed out that I thought it was unsafe.

'My thoughts are with the relatives, the staff and the poor girl who has passed away.'

Lisbeth Rasmussen added: 'Just got home from out there.

'Big praise to the staff who so quickly and efficiently guided the guests to the exit without much panic. Hoping the best for the injured.'

Cobra is one of Denmark's most well-known rollercoasters, with a maximum speed of 44mph and three up-side downs during its 1m40s ride time.

It also has 4.5Gs, the same force as Oblivion at Alton Towers.

In 2008, four people were injured when two rows of chairs on Cobra fell off.
Hillary and Chelsea Clinton are coming out with their own docuseries on Apple TV+ based on their book The Book of Gutsy Women that will feature talks with 'trailblazing women' like Kim Kardashian and Megan Thee Stallion.

The eight-part docuseries series will debut September 9 on Apple's streaming platform.

Hillary posted an image in a red convertible with her daughter in the driver's seat as they two looked back for an image previewing the upcoming series.

'We've got a premiere date! 'Gutsy,' our new eight-episode documentary series, will premiere on @appletvplus on September 9,' Clinton posted on Instagram Thursday morning.

'Set your calendars to join Chelsea and me for intimate conversations about life, careers, and courage with some of our personal heroines, favorite pioneering women, and fellow mother-daughter duos,' she added.

The Clinton sphere is getting a good bit of Hollywood treatment recently, with Hillary's longtime aide Huma Abedin getting a television adaptation of her memoir.

Hillary Clinton posted on Thursday a preview image of her upcoming docuseries with daughter Chelesea Clinton premiering on Apple TV+ on September 9

The duo will have 'intimate conversations' with big name stars in the eight-part series based on their work The Book of Gutsy Women

Episodes will include talks with reality TV star Kim Kardashian (pictured left on July 13 in New York City) and rapper Megan Thee Stallion (pictured right performing in London on July 8)

The Clinton's 'Intimate conversations' include episodes featuring talks with reality show icon Kim Kardashian as well as female rapper Megan Thee Stallion.

The rest of the episodes will show the duo speaking with comedians Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes, actresses Goldie Hawn and Kate Hudson, Dr. Jane Goodall and journalist and feminist political activist Gloria Steinem.

The Apple TV+ statement on the upcoming series claims the duo 'embark on a thought-provoking journey to speak with pioneering women,' who, the statement claims, are some of the Clinton women's 'personal heroes'.

'The series shows Hillary and Chelsea as you've never seen them before, revealing their special mother-daughter bond and the unique, multi-generational way they approach the important and timely issues highlighted in each episode,' it adds.

The Clinton women wrote The Book of Gutsy Women

It does not appear that Bill Clinton will be making any appearance in the series.

Announcement of the upcoming docuseries comes after news emerged that Freida Pinto signed on to portray longtime Hilary Clinton senior advisor Huma Abedin in a new television series.

Pinto, 37, will play Abedin, 46, in a TV adaptation of her November 2021 memoir Both/And: A Life in Many Worlds.

'Telling my story in Both/And has been an empowering and liberating experience,' Abedin said in a statement. She added the book examines, 'the power of family, of friendship, of commitment' as well as 'the feelings of love, loss, betrayal, trauma, re-birth.'

The memoir tells Abedin's story, born in Kalamazoo, Michigan and raised in Saudi Arabia. She first entered the political fray as an intern in Clinton's First Lady office in 1996.
TikTok will soon be safer for minors to use.

The popular social media platform recently announced it is currently working on a new system to organize content based on thematic maturity and protect minors from consuming content they should see in the first place.

TikTok's efforts to make its platform safe for minors follow many lawsuits against the company for promoting dangerous content that led to the deaths of various minors and the calls of children's rights and digital rights advocacy organizations for better protection for minors.

TikTok 'Content Levels' System Details

TikTok mentioned in its announcement that it is currently working on a new system to organize the content on its platform based on TikTok's unique approach to thematic maturity.

Thematic maturity is a system that would be familiar to people in the film industry, television, and gaming. Think of it as the rating films and games get to advise parents or users of the content expected on such media.

As part of its efforts to make its platform safer for minors to use TikTok will slowly begin to introduce an early version of its "Content Levels" system to help prevent content with "overtly mature themes" from reaching audiences between ages 13-17.

Keep in mind that TikTok could only be used by minors aged 13 years old, according to TikTok's Safety Resources for Parents, Guardians, and Caregivers.

This new Content Level system works like the rating system used in the film and video game industry. When TikTok's algorithm detects a video containing mature or complex themes, a maturity score will be assigned to the video to help prevent those TikTok users under the age of 18 from viewing it.

Read More: Amazon Prime Day 2022: These Ninja Air Fryers and More Come with Great Deals

These mature or complex themes include fictional scenes too frightening or intense for younger audiences, events that may reflect personal experiences, or real-world events that are intended for older audiences, per Tech Crunch.

Meanwhile, the maturity score for TikTok's videos will be assigned by Trust and Safety moderators to videos that are increasing in popularity or those that had been reported on the app, per TikTok's correspondence with Tech Crunch.

Unfortunately, TikTok has not disclosed how it would determine these maturity scores, or what criteria it would use to classify its videos, er Engadget.

The Content Level system is expected to be expanded over time to offer filtering options for the entire TikTok community, not just teens.

Meanwhile, TikTok acknowledges that what it's trying to achieve with its new Content Level system is complex and that it may make some mistakes in its execution.

However, it assures people that its focus remains to be the creation of "the safest and most enjoyable experience for [its] community."

TikTok's Inspiration For Its Content Level System

TikTok was recently singled out in a recent Fairplay study that found its platform to have "design discrimination" against children not from Europe. 39 Children's Rights and Digital Rights Advocacy Organizations have signed a letter to TikTok's CEO, Shou Zi Chew, urging him to address the discrepancies and inconsistencies highlighted in Fairplay's report.

Another probable reason for TikTok's move was the increasing number of lawsuits involving parents who sued the company for recommending a video featuring deadly challenges to their children, who died after participating in them.

Furthermore, a former TikTok content moderator is also suing the social media platform for emotional distress due to inappropriate content featured on its platforms, such as child pornography, rapes, beheadings, and animal cruelty.

Related Article: TikTok Has Been Found To Have Critical Design Discrimination Against Children, Research Says
Former mayor of Stonecrest Jason Lary  who pleaded guilty in January to wire fraud, stealing federal money and conspiracy  was sentenced to prison on Wednesday for stealing Covid-19 relief funds meant for struggling businesses.

The Northern District of Georgia sentenced him to four years and nine months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for hatching a scheme to steal nearly $925,000 of the $6.2million his city was tasked with handing out.

He syphoned off funds intended to help struggling small businesses in the city, prosecutors said, and has been ordered to repay $120,000 stolen by Lary and an associate.

Stonecrest, located 20 miles east of Atlanta, and is home to only about 53,000 residents.

In March 2020, then-President Donald Trump signed the CARES Act into law, which included a financial package of $125million for DeKalb County, intended to go to small businesses struggling to stay open during the global pandemic.

DeKalb County authorized a grant of $6.2million to Stonecrest.

Jason Lary,ex-mayor for Stonecrest, was sentenced to nearly five years in prison on Wednesday, July 13, 2022 for masterminding a scheme to steal Covid funds

The businesses there had been forced to close during Covid, and desperately needed the funds.

Instead, a chunk of that money went into a private company, Municipal Resource Partners Corporation.

A far cry from a struggling small business, it was in fact owned by Lary himself, the city's mayor.

Working behind the scenes, he pulled strings to hire his co-conspirator, Lania Boone, to be its bookkeeper.

He then forced the city to enter a contract with his own company, hidden from the public, diverting the funding there instead of sending it to small business owners.

Lary, who had been mayor since 2016, used the money to pay off the mortgage on his lakeside home and his outstanding taxes.

Boone used her access to the company's bank accounts to wire transfer approximately $108,000 of relief funds to a mortgage servicing company  which was in fact a ploy, allowing Lary to pay off his mortgage.

He also used some of the money to pay for an associates political advertising, according to the ruling.

Paying off his accomplice, Lary sent approximately $7,600 in stolen relief funds to Boone, which she used to pay for her sons college tuition and rent.

In or about November 2020, the city published an application on its website for businesses to apply for relief funds under the Small Business Program.

Hundreds of small businesses applied, but most were rejected.

'Lary betrayed the trust placed in him by the citizens of Stonecrest by stealing the very funds meant to help his constituents weather the Covid-19 pandemic,' said US Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan.

'The people of Stonecrest deserved better, and corrupt officials can expect severe consequences for using their offices to commit crimes.'

In October 2021, the United States seized approximately $480,000 of fraud proceeds held in the bank accounts of companies ultimately owned by Lary.

.@CityStonecrest mayor Jason Lary says he's quitting, resignation effective 10 AM tomorrow. Doesn't mentioned that's shortly before he's due in federal court to answer COVID relief fraud allegations. @FOX5Atlanta pic.twitter.com/bXMWrtpxZ2  Randy Travis (@RandyTravisFox5) January 4, 2022

Soon after, authorities caught up with the Mayor, who resigned on January 4. They put him on trial in Georgia, where he pled guilty on July 13.

'Mr. Lary has accepted full responsibility for his conduct and looks forward to putting this chapter of his life behind in order to redeem himself to those he has disappointed,' his Dwight Thomas wrote in an email seen by the New York Times.

Criminals have stolen close to $100billion in pandemic relief funds, the US Secret Service has said.

The government spent approximately $3.5trillion on Covid relief funding, with more fraud expected to be uncovered.

Some fraud cases border on the ridiculous, with cases piling on high as further investigations get under way.

In Florida, the authorities said, a woman paid a hitman using part of a $15,000 loan intended to aid struggling small businesses.

Another man in Georgia spent $57,000 in coronavirus relief money to buy a rare Pokemon trading card

Others have fraudulently spent the money on Lamborghinis, Ferraris, jewelry and other luxury goods.
Germans were today warned their gas prices will triple next year due to Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine.

The head of Germany's regulatory agency told the public they should start saving now so that they can afford to pay their gas bills.

Federal Network Agency President Klaus Muller said the monthly cost of heating homes will triple at the very least from 2023.

The warning comes after Russia reduced gas flows to Germany, Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia earlier this month, as European Union countries scramble to refill storage facilities with the fuel used to generate electricity, power industry and heat homes in the winter.

Reduced Russian gas supplies has meant gas energy prices have soared and there are fears of crippling shortages this winter.

Germans were today warned their gas prices will triple next year due to Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine. Pictured: The receiving station for the Nord Stream 1 natural gas pipeline stands on July 11, 2022 near Lubmin, Germany.

'For those who are now receiving their heating bills, the installments are already doubling - and that's not even taking into account the consequences of the Ukraine war,' Muller told RND on Thursday.

'From 2023, gas customers will have to prepare for a tripling of the monthly costs, at least.'

Last week, German energy giant Uniper asked the government for a bailout as it revealed it was forced to buy gas at very high spot prices that it cannot for now pass on to its customers because of long-term contractual agreements.

Muller explained that gas prices have increased as much as sevenfold following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

'Not all of this will reach consumers immediately or in full, but at some point it has to be paid for. And that is why it makes so much sense to save now,' Muller said.

Asked about whether customers should pay for these higher procurement costs for gas via a levy, Muller said it was a 'political decision that has to be weighed up very carefully'.

The head of Germany's regulatory agency Klaus Muller (pictured) told the public they should start saving now so that they can afford to pay their gas bills

'The other option is to pass on the prices (to consumers) and then help those who can no longer bear them,' he added.

Germany's energy regulator earlier announced that Germany been forced to tap its gas storages, lessening its chances of having enough gas in storage during the peak demand winter months.

Soaring energy prices and dwindling Russian supplies have sparked recession warnings in Germany and could force Europe's largest economy to ration supplies.

Muller said a situation in which there was no gas reaching people's home was 'highly unlikely'.

Meanwhile, President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that France aims to manage without Russian gas as soon as possible with no early end to the war in Ukraine in sight.

Accusing Moscow of using energy deliveries to the West as 'a weapon of war', Macron said in a TV interview that France was already diversifying the sources of its energy supplies, and building stocks ahead of next winter.

'Russia has already started to cut off gas supplies' by closing the Nordstream 1 pipeline, he told the TF1 channel, referring to Russia's interruption of supplies which it said was for maintenance reasons.

'That's a very clear message: It will use gas as a weapon of war,' he said.

'We will need do without Russian gas completely.'

France is estimated to receive less than 20 per cent of its total gas imports from Russia.

Transitioning away from Russian energy meant that 'the summer and the start of the autumn will probably be very tough', Macron warned.

Even in the event of prolonged conflict in Ukraine, Macron said that France would continue to help Kyiv defend itself against Moscow while also sticking with sanctions against Russia.

'We want to stop this war without going to war ourselves,' he said.

France was boosting gas supplies from Norway, Qatar, Algeria and the United States, Macron said, and building up gas reserves which will be 'be near 100 percent by the autumn'.

Noting that France's energy use had already 'diminished a little' compared to a year earlier, Macron called on authorities, consumers and industry to save energy and eliminate sources of energy waste.

'We need to enter a collective logic of restraint,' Macron said.

The government would serve as an example for private-sector actors 'by making sure that we consume less energy'.

He said 'this restraint will require solidarity from our fellow citizens'.

Using less energy was a good thing both 'for the climate and also for our energy independence'.

Macron also confirmed that France would invest more in the nuclear energy sector, which currently provides around 70 percent of the country's electricity needs.

'Nuclear energy is a sustainable solution,' he said, 'both for France and for other countries'.

The West is anxiously waiting to see whether flows will resume after annual maintenance of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany is scheduled to end on July 21.

Ukraine and its allies have accused Russia of limiting the flow of energy to Europe through spurious pretexts in revenge for sanctions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24.
An American judge vacationing in Rio de Janeiro hired two prostitutes before he was kidnapped and held for ransom by two men who were posing as police officers.

The magistrate, whose name has not been released by Brazilian authorities, arrived in the tourist hot spot July 3, according to police reports.

The judge said he had known the two women, identified as Shayna Monteiro and Beatriz Freitas, from his previous trips to Rio de Janeiro. He reached out to the women and invited them Monday to an apartment he rented out in the Copacabana sector.

Monteiro and Freitas left the apartment around 11:30 am but returned an hour later, accompanied by Erivaldo da Silva and Alef dos Santos, who followed them into the judge's pad and identified themselves as members of the Civil Police force.

Once inside the apartment, da Silva and dos Santos claimed that the women were underage and that he was being placed under arrest.

Two prostitutes hired by an American judge were recorded inside an elevator with one of the two men who posed as a police officer before the magistrate was kidnapped Monday at the Rio de Janeiro apartment he was renting

Two men who posed as police officers walk into an elevator before they kidnapped an American judge Monday in Rio de Janeiro. The suspects sought a $36,000 ransom payment for the judge's release before one of them met with the magistrate's friend to pick up the money and was immediately arrested

Two prostitutes who were hired by an American judge and played a role in his kidnapping are escorted by a cop at a Rio de Janeiro police station

The men then contacted a female friend of the judge who lives in Rio de Janeiro and told her that they would be taking him to a police station in the North Zone of Rio, but requested a ransom for his release.

Several hours of negotiations went by without any ransom payments being agreed to before they settled on a $36,000 payment.

The woman reached out to a member of the military police department and with the assistance of a kidnapping police unit, where able to agree to a meeting point.

Rio de Janeiro authorities are still searching for two men linked to the kidnapping of an American judge Monday, including one individual who was spotted in the lobby of the building where the magistrate was staying at after arriving in the city for his vacation July 3

Da Silva went back to Copacabana to pick up the ransom when authorities placed him under arrest.

He then led the cops to the judge's holding spot. He was rescued without incident.

Da Silva, who has also been identified as the leader of a gang that operates in the West Zone of Rio and was on parole for serving 24 percent of a 15-year sentence for illegal possession of a firearm and criminal association, was charged with extortion and kidnapping.

Charges for Monteiro, Freitas and dos Santos are still pending.

Authorities are still searching for two men, including one of them who was captured on camera standing in the judge's building lobby.

'The welfare and safety of U.S. citizens abroad is one of the highest priorities of the Department of State,' a State Department spokesperson told DailyMail.com. 'We are aware of these reports. Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment.'
An actor who repeatedly struck two young children and forced one of them to carry on eating food after he was sick on his plate has been spared jail.

Renar Bain, 44, who appeared in the blockbuster movies Indiana Jones 5 and Steve Coogan's The Lost King, hit the children over the head while looking after them.

Bain, of Edinburgh, demanded one of the children eat food that had been dropped on the floor and also dictated that he carry on eating after he had been sick on his plate.

Bain carried out the abuse on one child over an eight-year period, while the second child was abused over a four-year period.

The actor and model, originally from Thailand, denied the allegations but was found guilty of three counts of abusive behaviour following a two-day trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month.

Sentencing her today, Sheriff Wendy Sheehan said she had 'reservations' about a social work report that highlighted problems with Bain's 'insight and responsibility' into the offences.

Renar Bain, 44, who appeared in the blockbuster movies Indiana Jones 5 and Steve Coogan's The Lost King - hit the children over the head and forced one of them to eat after he had been sick on his plate

Sheriff Sheehan said the report stated Bain had blamed 'cultural differences' for her behaviour and claimed that a relative of the children had 'encouraged' them to report the abusive incidents.

The sheriff sentenced Bain to be placed under the supervision of the social work department for the next 18 months.

The trial heard evidence from both children through recorded police interviews where they both stated Bain had regularly struck them over the head during visits to her home.

During one visit, a child described how he had accidentally dropped noodles onto the floor and was made to eat the food after Bain had spooned it back onto his plate.

The boy also said on two occasions he had been sick into his plate at the dinner table and Bain had separated the food from the vomit and made him eat it.

Bain gave evidence to the court through an interpreter claiming the child had been 'confused' and denied threatening him as that would have been 'disgusting'.

Bain added: 'It would have been cruel and I would not have done anything like that.'

Bain was found guilty of three counts of abuse at Edinburgh Sherrif Court (pictured) and a was sentenced to a 18-month supervision order under the social work department

During cross examination by prosecutor Jack Caster, the actor denied having a short temper, slapping the children, making one of them eat food that had been on the floor or forcing him to eat the sick.

But following the evidence Sheriff Sheehan found Bain guilty of three amended charges of assault and ill-treatment between January 1, 2012 and May 6, 2020.

Allegations of Bain assaulting both children by hitting them with a metal tube and repeatedly forcing one of the children into a cold shower were deleted from the charges.

Sheriff Sheehan said Bain had carried out the assaults over 'a significant period of time' and the children had given 'clear and compelling evidence' regarding the abuse.

Bain's profile on the Star Now audition website states she is a commercial model, actor, TV presenter, DJ and hair stylist.
This is the shocking moment that a cyclist 'furiously' ploughed into an elderly church minister while riding his bike on a pavement before leaving her to die.

Reckless Stewart McGinn, 29, who smashed into Jane Stone, 79, head-on as he careered round a corner has now been jailed for 12 months.

At his trial footage was shown to the court of McGinn riding at high speed while Mrs Stone walks with a friend as she returns from the cinema on a warm summer's evening.

The cyclist then hits the retired teacher who falls to the ground and is propelled back violently on to the pavement.

McGinn then jumps back on his bike and stands up to peddle faster away as Mrs Stone lay dying. She later died of her serious head injuries in hospital.

Instead of stopping and providing assistance to his victim, Stewart McGinn pedaled off at speed on the wrong side of the road

Stewart McGinn, pictured, was today jailed for a year and banned from driving for two years

Ms Stone, pictured, was walking home from the cinema when she encountered Stewart McGinn who was riding quickly along the pavement

McGinn, pictured on his bicycle before crashing into Ms Stone and riding off without stopping

Mrs Stone had no way of avoiding the crash and died in hospital four days after being injured after walking home from the cinema on a warm summer's evening

Mrs Stone had no way of avoiding the crash and died in hospital four days after being injured after walking home from the cinema on a warm summer's evening.

Prosecutor James Wilson said McGinn - who only had one working brake on his bike - came round the corner 'at speed' and collided with her.

He said: 'She fell to the ground landing on her head and suffered a severe fractured skull.

'The defendant did not stop or offer any assistance but cycled away.'

Mrs Stone's friend Janet Bromley said Jane was 'poleaxed' to the ground by the force of the blow.

Mr Wilson said Mrs Bromley told police: 'He collided with Jane's body, the front of the bike collided with the front of Jane's body.

'It knocked her hands raised past her body which was pushed back violently.'

She went on to say that her friend's feet were lifted 'off the ground' before Mrs Stone's 'head struck the pavement'.

Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke told McGinn, pictured, he showed 'flagrant disregard for the safety of others'

Mr Wilson told Cardiff Crown Court that after the collision last June father-of-one McGinn stayed on the mountain bike and rode off to his mother-in-law's house.

He said: 'Mrs Bromley shouted to him I'm on my own, please help me but he ignored her and continued to ride away.'

McGinn only handed himself into police 10 days after the crash in Monmouth, South Wales, and falsely told officers he stopped to help Mrs Stone to her feet and check she was ok.

He later admitted causing bodily harm to Jane Stone by 'wanton or furious driving while being in charge of a bicycle' under the 1861 offences against a person act.

A victim impact statement from Mrs Stone's brother David Bruton said his sister was not 'a frail old lady' and was 'healthy and active' who would go on long distance walks and took part in swimming and yoga.

Ben Waters, defending, said: 'He will have to live with the consequences of his actions and causing the death of another person.'

Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke told McGinn he showed 'flagrant disregard for the safety of others.'

She jailed McGinn for one year - saying the maximum sentence was two years - and banned him from driving for two years and six months.

She told him: 'You were on the pavement riding far too fast and collided with Jane Stone with considerable force.

'You gave no warning as to your approach and they saw no lights on your bicycle.

'You rode on the pavement and rode very fast around the corner when you knew you could not see if anyone was there - they stood no chance of avoiding you.'

She said 'this was not a momentary inattention' and McGinn made 'a deliberate decision to ignore or disregard the rules of the road which apply just as well to cyclists as other road users.'

McGinn, of Monmouth, was charged under the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act.

Judge Lloyd-Clarke said no sentence she could pass would ease the pain felt by Mrs Stone's family.

She said: 'She gave her time to help others and her loss will be felt by many people for a very long time.'

Speaking after the sentence, Ryan Randall of the CPS said: 'The way in which McGinn rode his bike around the corner was completely irresponsible.

CCTV footage showed McGinn, pictured right, approaching Ms Stone at speed

When he pops around the corner, there is nowhere for Ms Stone to go as she is unable to get out of McGinn's way

'His disregard for the safety of others using the pavement proved to be disastrous and is a stark reminder that pedal cycles can be dangerous to other road users when ridden so recklessly.

'Our thoughts are with those who have suffered the tragic loss of Mrs Stone.'

Mrs Stone's family paid tribute to her following the tragedy in her hometown of Monmouth, South Wales, and described her as 'very caring and active.'

A statement said: 'She was healthy and physically active, only a few years ago abseiling down the church tower to raise funds.

'Having been born and brought up in Monmouth she trained in London as a teacher, in which profession she was well respected and appreciated.

'In retirement and being a widow, she returned to her roots, involving herself with great enthusiasm in many aspects of Monmouth life.

'She was a past Churchwarden of St. Thomas's Church, was a Lay Eucharistic Minister, Sacristan and heavily involved in all church activities, helping and supporting members of the community as needed.

McGinn falsely told officers he stopped at the scene to check on Ms Stone's condition

'She enjoyed long distance walking, setting herself the challenge of completing 1,000 miles per year and was currently tackling, with her walking friend, Offa's Dyke from South to North Wales.

'Jane was a well-loved member of the family and closely followed the lives of her great nieces and nephews.'

Her church paid tribute to 'full of life' Jane who they described as a 'supportive and tireless' churchwarden.

A spokesman for Monmouth Parishes said: 'Jane was always so full of life and willing to share not only her time but also her faith in her care for others.

'She was a supportive and tireless churchwarden for many years and a hardworking sacristan who gave her considerable talents in ensuring that the highest standards were maintained behind the scenes of worship.

'She was a lively contributor to house groups and study groups, a welcoming hostess and she also made a significant contribution to St Thomas PCC.

'A fearless and loyal friend for all those who knew her well.'
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A fleet of 52 school buses have set out to form a mile-long procession to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz's Texas home, carrying 4,368 empty seats for each of the children killed by gun violence since 2020.

The procession, dubbed the 'NRA Children's Museum,' was set up by artist Manuel Oliver, the father of Joaquin, 17, who died in the Parkland school shooting in 2018.

Oliver said said the name and destination of the mobile exhibit were chosen to highlight how pro-gun groups provide donations to high ranking officials, including Cruz, who has received $749,000 from such groups, BuzzFeed reported.

'We're going after the money,' Oliver said. 'These leaders are not loyal to the Second Amendment. They're loyal to the gun industry and manufacturers, who protect them.'

'It's corrupt, and I wanted to find a graphic way of showing them what the impact really is.'

A fleet of 52 school buses, pictured, are heading to Sen. Ted Cruz's home and office in Houston, Texas

The procession, dubbed the 'NRA Children's Museum,' was set up by artist Manuel Oliver (center), whose son, Joaquin, was shot and killed in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre in Parkland, Florida in 2018

The top of every truck also lists the city and date of the site of mass shootings that took place in America since 2020

Leading the procession is a bus carrying the belongings of students from previous shootings, including 2019 Santa Clarita High School shooting, 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting and 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting

Among those whose belongings were included in the bust was Chase Kowalski, 7, who was killed in the Sandy Hook shooting. On display were his toys, drawings, mittens, sandals and a kindergarten graduation letter

Inside one of the buses were the belongings of Gracie Muehlberger, 15, (left) and Dominic Blackwell, 14, (right) both killed in the 2019 Santa Clarita High School shooting

Oliver (right) said the busses carry 4,368 empty seats to match the number of children killed from gun violence since 2020. The artist is pictured with his wife, Patricia, and late son Joaquin, who died when he was only 17

The heartbroken parents told reporters outside Cruz office that we all have a responsibility to protect children

Oliver said the name and destination of the mobile exhibit were chosen to highlight how pro-gun groups provide donations to high ranking officials, including Cruz, who has received $749,000 from such groups

JOAQUIN OLIVER'S LETTER CALLING FOR GUN REFORM FIVE YEARS BEFORE HE WAS SHOT AND KILLED IN PARKLAND I am writing this letter to talk to you about how were going to solve this gun law movement. Most of you have a problem with the idea of universal back round check. Why are you mad that there's a back round check it's for your own good maybe you are fond of having crazy people with death machines. You shouldn't have anything against back round checks if you're innocent. Thank you, Joaquin, Coral Springs Advertisement

The first bus in the procession headed to Cruz's Houston home and office has been loaded with the belongings of the young victims from America's past school shootings.

Included are a pair of checkered Vans from Gracie Muehlberger, 15, killed in the 2019 Santa Clarita High School shooting, a kindergarten graduation card and mittens from Chase Kowalski, 7, killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, and a LeBron James Miami Heat jersey from Joaquin.

Along with the procession, Oliver and his wife Patricia plan to deliver a letter their slain son wrote, asking for gun reform when he was only 12, to Cruz.

The letter asked American gun owners to support universal background checks on gun purchases.

The letter was penned five years before Oliver was killed inside the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida.

'He was a kid writing this letter,' Oliver said. 'We've been keeping it, our little letter to remind us about what we're fighting for.

'My son knew, at 12 years old, what to do better than Ted Cruz. I want [Cruz] to read that with his own eyes.'

Oliver also noted in a statement that he hopes the protest will help oust anti-gun reform lawmakers from office, and that his mobile exhibit will target others who have received donations from pro-gun groups.

'This is only the beginning,' he said. 'We will not stop with Sen. Ted Cruz.

'To every politician who has stood by, taken NRA money, and refused to listen to the people they represent: the museum is on the way to honor you next.'

Cruz was not in Houston on Thursday, but was instead attending the tribute ceremony for U.S. Marine Chief Warrant Officer 4 Hershel Woodrow Woody Williams in Washington D.C.

Cruz's office said in a statement that the senator 'is committed to enacting policies that would stop school shootings.

'To that end, he introduced legislation to double the number of school resource officers, hire 15,000 school-based mental health professionals to ensure there is early intervention to identify and help at-risk kids, to provide significant resources for enhanced school safety, and to improve the gun background system and prosecute persons who try to illegally buy guns.'

The buses carried school desks featuring the items of the students who have lost their lives to gun violence

Pictured: Oliver and his wife reaching Cruz's Houston office before noon on their way to his house with the fleet of buses

The buses were circling around Cruz's office in the early afternoon before heading out to his home

'Gun Violence in America' is written on the side of the yellow school buses as they travel across Houston

The vehicles were also outfeated with wreaths and black and purple ribbons on the side

Pictured: The leading bus in a mile-long procession of school buses heading to Cruz's office and house

Along with the procession, Oliver and his wife plan to deliver a letter their slain son wrote, asking for gun reform when he was only 12, to Cruz. The letter was penned five years before Joaquin was shot and killed in parkland

Oliver said the NRA Children's Museum will be making stops at the homes of other politicians who received donations form the NRA and other pro-gun groups

Pictured: Patricia Oliver inside one of the school buses as she and her husband prepare to set out to Cruz's home and office

The event comes as calls for gun reform gain traction throughout the nation in the wake of deadly Uvalde shooting in May, which left 19 elementary school children and two teachers dead.

Cruz has been previously criticized over his inaction to support gun reform laws, with one activist hounding him at a Houston sushi restaurant following the senators speech at the National Rifle Association conference in late May.

'You can make it harder for people to get guns in this country,' Benjamin Hernandez tells Cruz in video captured of the moment. 'You know that.'

You know that. But you stand here, you stand at the NRA convention  it is harder, it is harder when there are more guns to stop gun violence.'

Cruz had told Hernandez that background checks wouldn't have stopped 18-year-old Salvador Ramos from purchasing the weapons he used to kill 21 people, with the lawmaker claiming that the absence of 'community and faith and love' was the fundamental reason shootings were happening in the U.S.

Along with the tragedy in Uvalde, there have been more than 300 mass shootings in America in 2022, on track to match the 692 shootings recorded last year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which records shooting incidents in the U.S.

The bus demonstration comes three days after Oliver yelled at President Joe Biden during his speech advocating for red flag laws and celebrating the passage of a bipartisan gun law on Monday.

The gun safety legislation, which was passed after recent gun rampages in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, incrementally toughens requirements for young people buying guns, denies firearms to more domestic abusers and helps local authorities temporarily take weapons from people judged to be dangerous.

As Biden on Monday delivered his remarks, saying that 'we can make meaningful progress on dealing with gun violence', Oliver interrupted him, saying: 'We have to do more than that! I've been trying to tell you this for years.'

Manuel Oliver was escorted out of President Joe Biden's event to celebrate the new bipartisan gun law on Monday

The grieving father called on the president to do more to curb gun violence in the U.S., which has seen more than 300 mass shootings in America in 2022, on track to match the 692 shootings recorded last year

In February 2022, Manuel Oliver climbed a crane outside the White House to call for gun legislation to be passed

The artist said his protest are done in the name is his slain son, pictured, a victim of mass shootings in American schools

Biden then told him: 'Sit down - you'll hear what I have to say. Let me finish my comments.'

But as White House staff stepped in to talk to Oliver, Biden then said 'Let him talk; let him talk.' However, staff still escorted Oliver out of the event.

Afterward, Oliver said there was nothing to celebrate.

'There's nothing to celebrate,' he told the Miami Herald. 'It's a big lie. We lie between ourselves thinking we have a solution to this when we actually don't. There was no need for this event. At all.'

Oliver said he stood up at the event because it was his chance to talk to Biden. Oliver has staged several protests pushing for stronger gun legislation, and in February he climbed a 150-foot construction tower next to the White House.

'It was my chance to say something to the president, and that's a chance we don't have every single day,' Oliver said. 'That's pretty much what this is about.'

The White House said the president met with Oliver before the event and agrees with him that more work needs to be done.

'The president met with him earlier today before the event,' White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Monday at her daily briefing. 'He agrees that we need to do more.'

The president was also criticized for getting the date of the massacre that took the live of Oliver's son wrong, accidentally saying that it took place in 1918.

Infamously, the shooting occurred on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2018.
The long-awaited indictment was handed down by a grand jury in South Carolina on Thursday morning

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Disgraced South Carolina legal heir Alex Murdaugh has officially been charged with murdering his wife and son at their home last year, the latest chapter in the sad unraveling of what was once a proud dynasty family.

Murdaugh, 53, is already behind bars on separate charges relating to embezzlement and fraud. It's unclear when he will be arraigned for the murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul, who were shot dead on the family's estate on June 7, 2021.

The one-time legal scion was indicted Thursday on two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, by a grand jury in Colleton County, near where the family lived.

The indictment alleges Murdaugh shot Maggie, 52, with a rifle, and Paul, 22, with a shotgun at their Moselle property.

In the months following the brutal slayings, officials investigating the deaths also uncovered a litany of crime and insurance fraud that have seen them reopen two suspicious deaths linked to the family  former housekeeper Gloria Satterfield, 56, who fell after a 'trip and fall' at Moselle in 2018 and local teen, Stephen Smith, 19.

Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com just moments after the news of Murdaugh's double indictment broke, Eric Bland, attorney for Gloria Satterfield's sons, described Murdaugh as 'evil beyond anything you could ever possibly want to imagine.'

'He will go down in history like Madoff or Bundy, a one-word name, Murdaugh,' he said.

Disgraced South Carolina legal heir Alex Murdaugh has officially been charged with murdering his wife and son at their home last year, the latest chapter in the sad unraveling of what was once a proud dynasty family. Murdaugh, 53, remains in county jail on other charges. It's unclear when he will be arraigned for the murders of his wife Maggie and Son Paul

The outdoor dog kennels where Maggie and Paul Murdaugh were shot dead last June can be seen for the first time in exclusive DailyMail.com photos

This is the indictment that charges Alex Murdaugh with killing his wife and son

According to Bland: 'Everyone knew this was coming,' but the moment of the announcement was still a shock.

He explained: 'It's like when you know somebody is dying. You prepare for the death but it's still a shock when it happens.

'It's just so caustic to read and to see the charges on paper. But when you think about it Alex never once appealed for help or information to help find his wife and son's killer.

Gloria Satterfield, is said to have died after falling at the Murdaugh home in 2018. She was the family's housekeeper and nanny for 25 years. Her body will shortly be exhumed

'He never expressed any anxiety about it or asked if they should hire a private investigator. Nothing.'

Now, Bland noted: 'It will be interesting to see how the family members react  who's in Alex's camp and who isn't.

'I feel really bad for the surviving son [Buster] having to deal with the prospect that a father took his mother and brother's life.'

For his clients, Tony Satterfield and Brian Harriott's part, Bland said, they had 'made their peace' with what Murdaugh had done to them.

The disgraced lawyer defrauded them out of a $4.3million wrongful death suit following the death of their mother, Murdaugh family housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, 56, after a trip and fall accident at the Murdaugh's hunting lodge of Moselle.

The brothers have since recouped the funds and received an apology from Murdaugh and fellow lawyer Corey Fleming, also charged in connection with the scheme.

Bland, along with his partner and the family, has since set up a foundation in Satterfield's name, Gloria's Gift. He said that the hope is that she 'will not have died in vain.'

But, Bland admitted, for her sons the pain and the trauma 'never ends' and it is only set to intensify over the next couple of months as their mother's body is to be exhumed following the discovery of 'inconsistencies' regarding her manner of death and the fact that no autopsy was ever performed.

The mysterious double murder, which sparked the beginning of the end for the prominent legal family, seems to be on the cusp of being resolved with Alex - who is already facing embezzlement charges relating to the money he stole from his law firm and a failed suicide-for-hire attempt as part of a $10million life insurance scam - being charged in connection to the slayings this week

Maggie, 52, and Paul, 22, were found shot dead on the grounds of the family home on June 7. Maggie was killed with an assault rifle, whereas Paul had been killed with a shotgun. Both were shot multiple times

Once a prominent legal scion, Alex Murdaugh resigned from the family's Hampton-based law firm in September. The firm later claimed that Murdaugh embezzled company funds and at least one of Murdaugh's former colleagues is among the many bringing suits against him

'My clients relive it every day. They're going to exhume Gloria over the next couple of months,' he said.

'She had a crushed skull and 12 broken vertebrae, so they just want to make sure it wasn't cause by human hands as opposed to a fall.

Eric Bland, attorney for Gloria Satterfield's sons, described Murdaugh as 'evil beyond anything you could ever possibly want to imagine'

'I've been to the property the stairs are very steep, they're pointed brick, she would definitely have tumbled twice if she fell from the top, but from my clients' standpoint it's highly emotionalyou don't know the condition the coffin is going to be in and her husband was interred with her, so it never ends.'

According to Bland there is no way that Murdaugh can right his many wrongs, but he could go some way towards making amends by talking.

'The only thing Alex currently has is information. Even if these charges didn't come, he's facing 79 charges of money laundering and fraud and facing 900 years [in prison] and so his only currency that he has is information,' he said.

In Bland's view the story and its implications are very far from over with these indictments but it all comes down to Murdaugh now.

He said: 'Is he willing to do something right with his last acts and start talking about judges and lawyers and politicians and everybody that he had to grift with to get where he got to? Personally, I think it's going to happen.'

Thirteen months ago, Murdaugh told police he 'found' the bodies of his youngest son and wife by these kennels when he returned to the family's 1,700-acre hunting estate of Moselle around 10pm.

DailyMail.com exclusively viewed those kennels this week while charges against Murdaugh loomed.

In audio of the 911 call that he placed at 10:07pm that night, he can be heard telling the dispatcher in a high-pitched screech: 'I need the police and an ambulance immediately. My wife and child were just shot badly.'

Paul, 22, was shot twice with a shotgun  once in the head and once in the chest. Maggie had been shot multiple times with an assault rifle. Their gunshot wounds were believed to be consistent with 'execution-style' killings, reports said.

Murdaugh told Satterfield's sons, Brian (left) and Tony (right) at her February 2018 funeral that he would get insurance settlements for her death and take care of them, according to the lawsuit filed by the sons

In the months following, investigators looking into Maggie and Paul's deaths also uncovered a litany of crime and insurance fraud that have seen them reopen two suspicious deaths linked to the family

According to several sources, Paul's body was found partially inside one of the kennels, while his mother's was several feet away, leading investigators to believe that she ran from her killer before being gunned down.

At least two of her gunshot wounds were believed to have been inflicted while she was on the ground.

In the immediate aftermath of the horrific discoveries, Murdaugh's family and attorneys were robust in their defense of the man and his marriage.

According to lawyer Dick Harpootlian, Murdaugh had a 'ironclad alibi' and his marriage with Maggie was 'full of love.'

But in the intervening months, a very different picture has emerged casting doubt on both claims.

It remains unconfirmed what his possible motive for killing his wife and son was but at the time of their deaths, Murdaugh - a lawyer - was drowning in debt thanks to a crippling addiction to opioids.

His furious wife had been consulting divorce lawyers after being left red-faced at charity luncheons where her donation checks bounced.

Paul, 22, had also landed the family in legal trouble. In 2019, he was driving a boat when it crashed, throwing 19-year-old Mallory Beach overboard. She died in the accident and it was later found that Paul was drunk.

In the months after Maggie and Paul's murders, Alex was pushed out from his legal firm amid claims he had embezzled millions of dollars over multiple years.

He then tried to fake his own murder, hiring a distant cousin to shoot him in what prosecutors say was a failed attempt to carry out a life insurance scam for the benefit of Murdaugh's surviving son, Buster.

Stripped clean and abandoned, it is now hard to believe that just over a year ago the family's sprawling hunting lodge was a grisly crime scene

The mother and son duo were gunned down on their Moselle, South Carolina property on the night of June 7, 2021. Husband and father Alex Murdaugh, 53, told police at the time that he found their lifeless bodies when he returned to the family home around 10pm

Since then, police have reopened investigations into two other mysterious deaths that the family is connected to.

Gloria Satterfield, the Murdaughs' housekeeper of 20 years, died in 2018 after a fall at the house. Her adult children are suing Murdaugh separately for allegedly stealing millions that they say they were owed by an insurance company after her death.

TIMELINE OF MURDAUGH FAMILY MURDERS, SCANDALS AND CRIMES JUNE 7, 2021: Maggie and Paul Murdaugh are found shot dead at the family home. Alex claims he found them dead outside dog kennel and calls 911 JUNE 17: Alex Murdaugh's brothers go on Good Morning America to protest his innocence. Family later offers $100k reward for information SEPTEMBER 3: Alex Murdaugh quietly resigns from his law firm SEPTEMBER 4: Murdaugh calls 911 claiming he has been shot in the head SEPTEMBER 6: Murdaugh publicly announces resignation and checks into rehab. The law firm then announces that he has stolen millions over the years he spent working there SEPTEMBER 14: Curtis Smith is charged with helping Murdaugh in a staged murder plot. He tells cops Murdaugh hired him to shoot him on September 4 as part of a plan for him to be killed and give his son Buster a $10million life insurance payout SEPTEMBER 15: Cops open investigation in 2018 death of housekeeper Gloria Satterfield SEPTEMBER 16: Murdaugh surrenders to police OCTOBER 14: Murdaugh is charged with stealing life insurance money from housekeeper Gloria Satterfield's kids JULY 14, 2022 Murdaugh charged with the murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul Advertisement

Police are also re-examining the 2015 death of Stephen Smith, a gay 19-year-old classmate of Murdaugh's oldest son Buster.

Smith was found dead on the side of the road, miles from his car, with gashes to his head.

His mother thinks he was murdered in a homophobic hate crime.

The disgraced former attorney also faces two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.

He has long denied involvement in the killings of his wife and son and on Thursday, his attorney issued another denial.

'Alex wants his family, friends and everyone to know that he did not have anything to do with the murders of Maggie and Paul.

'He loved them more than anything in the world,' he said.

The charges came a day after Murdaugh was finally been disbarred by South Carolina's Supreme Court as he awaits murder charges for allegedly killing his wife and son, and while police revisit two other mysterious deaths that he is connected to.

Murdaugh had been technically allowed to practice law in South Carolina until yesterday, when the court - upon learning he was facing charges - finally disbarred him.

To date, no one has been charged with his death.

It's unclear how exactly the Murdaugh family is linked to Smith's death.

Smith was classmates with Murdaugh's oldest son Buster and after his death, long before Maggie and Paul died, Alex Murdaugh's brother contacted the family out of the blue to offer them free legal representation, according to Sandy.

The link to Satterfield is more clear.

She had worked in the family home for years when she fell mysteriously in the house in 2018.

Satterfield died as a result of the injuries she suffered weeks later.

Her sons say they have never been able to understand the circumstances surrounding her death.

After she died, Alex Murdaugh - then a respected attorney - told them to file an insurance claim against him.

They followed his instructions and were awarded payouts from his insurance companies, but they say they never saw the money.

Instead, it went into an account that Murdaugh controlled.
Police in Texas are refusing to explain why it took three days to classify a San Antonio mother as missing after she left home with no phone or meds - but say the father of one of her sons is not a suspect.

Christina Lee Powell, 39, was last seen leaving her house on the morning of July 5 after she reportedly argued with her ex-boyfriend the night before, her family reported. She was only listed as missing on July 8, despite disappearing without her only means of contact, and vital medication.

A San Antonio Police Department spokesperson told DailyMail.com: 'This case is assigned to our Missing Persons Unit who continue to follow up on any information related to Christina Powells disappearance.

'At this time, there is no evidence to support any claims of foul play. Detectives have contacted several individuals who know Ms. Powell and all have been cooperative.' But they did not comment on why the three day time lag between her disappearance and the decision to report her missing had occurred.

Meanwhile, a police spokesman told Fox News Digital on Thursday that Powell's ex who has not been identified - is 'absolutely cooperating' and 'is clearly not a person of interest.'

The couple share a three year-old son together.

Powell, who lived with her mother and two sons, was last seen on a Ring doorbell camera leaving her house at 10:34 a.m. on July 5, after calling in to her job as a paralegal to let them know she was running late.

She left in a black 2020 Nissan Rouge that is also missing, and her iPhone, medication and Apple Watch were left behind at home.

Powell's mother Claudia Mobley told Fox News Digital that she contacted police on July 6, and that an officer visited the home to take a report, but that it was three days before her daughter was officially classified as missing.

Christina Lee Powell, 39, was last seen leaving her house on the morning of July 5 after she reportedly argued with her ex-boyfriend the night before, her family reported. Police say the ex - who is also the father of her children - is not a person of interest in her disappearance

San Antonio Police Chief William McManus is pictured in June. His department have refused to say why it took three days to decide Christina Lee Powell was a missing person

Powell was driving this black 2020 Nissan Rouge that is also missing, plate number PYJ-8564

A missing person flyer issued by the SAPD for Powell is dated July 9, three days after Mobley first contacted police, and four days after Powell was last seen

'Detectives have contacted several individuals who know Ms. Powell and all have been cooperative, the spokesperson added.

'Anyone who may have information on her whereabouts is asked to call our Missing Persons Unit at 210-207-7660.'

Powell lives in the quiet Apple Creek neighborhood with her two young sons and her mother, who told Fox News Digital that she didn't notice anything amiss the morning Powell disappeared.

'We didn't really have any kind of in-depth conversation. It was basically, 'Good morning.' She told me she was late,' she recalled. 'Then, she was leaving for work and I told her to be careful. And I probably told her, 'I love you.''

Mobley also said she did not think Powell's ex was involved in her disappearance. She said her daughter said they had a good visit Sunday, but then they argued.

'He wanted to be a family unit again and, you know, he was blaming her for them not being together anymore,' she said. 'I don't think he was involved.'

A missing person flyer issued by the department for Powell is dated July 9, three days after Mobley first contacted police, and four days after Powell was last seen.

Mobley said that her daughter left her iPhone on the bathroom counter when she left, and that family members later discovered her Apple Watch had been left somewhere in the home.

Mobley also said she saw her daughter drive away from the home in her black Nissan that is now missing along with her.

She said that while Powell isn't usually in such a rush to leave for work, there was not much else unusual about the morning.

'I felt like she was going, I believed she was going to work  and I think she felt like she was going to work,' said Mobley.

Doorbell footage showed her rushing out of her home on July 5. She hasn't been seen since

Powell, who was driving a black 2020 Nissan Rouge that is also missing, left her iPhone and Apple Watch at home because she was rushing to get to work

Mobley also said she saw her daughter drive away from the home in her black Nissan Rogue (above). A BOLO has been issued for the vehicle, with Texas tags PYJ-8564

The San Antonio Police Department confirmed that its missing persons unit is investigating the case, saying that a 'Be On The Lookout' alert has been issued for Powell's missing vehicle.

Powell, who has blonde hair and brown eyes, stands five-foot-two and weighs 120 pounds, according to the missing persons flyer.

She was last seen wearing black pants, a black blouse, and carrying a white purse, and was driving the black Nissan SUV, plate number PYJ-8564.

Powell is the mother of two boys, ages three and 12.

Bexar County Records show that she was married at least once, in 2013, but her current marital status and custody arrangements for the two boys weren't immediately clear.

In 2018, Powell posted a photo of herself and her oldest son on Facebook with a banner promoting domestic violence awareness.

Her latest social media post, on June 10, was a 'puppy update' with photos of her two dogs, Oliver and Chevy.

Powell posted a photo of her new puppies on social media on June 10

Powell with her son in her Facebook profile photo in 2018

Powell is originally from New Haven, Conn., and graduated with a degree in psychology from the University of Texas at San Antonio, according to social media posts.

The mother's mysterious disappearance unfolded on the morning after Independence Day, when she was last seen leaving her home in a quiet suburban cul-de-sac in San Antonio's Apple Creek neighborhood.

Powell's friend Leal says that morning, July 5, the young mother called the law firm where she works as a paralegal to warn them she was running late.

Ring doorbell footage from Powell's home shows her walking briskly out of the door shortly after 10:30 a.m., a white purse under her shoulder.

But Powell appears to have left her phone and smartwatch in the house, her friends say, as she rushed to work.

She also left vital medication behind, they say. Police say that Powell suffers from a medical condition that requires a doctor's care, and have classified her as missing and endangered.

Nobody has seen or heard from the young mother since that morning.

Friends and family have all issued public appeals for any information about the missing woman's whereabouts

The route from her home to her workplace, near I-10 and Vance Jackson Road, covers roughly 7 miles and take about 15 minutes to drive.

In the week since she disappeared, Powell's friends and family have retraced her potential route to work, searching for signs of a car crash.

They've also checked in local hospitals, and even the county jail, but so far have turned up no clues to the young mother's whereabouts.

'The unknown is the scariest part,' family friend Lauren Leal told news station KENS 5. 'It is fear in my mind right now.

'It is hard to wrap our minds around where she might be, what could have happened.'

'We just want you home,' Leal told the local CBS affiliate.

'My fear is not ever knowing anything,' Leal said. 'I mean I think that would be the worst is spending the rest of my life looking for her. I will never give up.'

Anyone with information about Chrissy Powell is urged to contact SAPD's Missing Persons Unit at 210-207-7660.
Police are looking for a trio of thieves that were seen conducting a bold daylight jewelry heist in Elmhurst, Queens, at a Zales Jewelry store at Queens Center mall.

Two men and one woman, believed to be in their mid-20's, were seen walking into the store just before 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 6.

The woman acted as a lookout as the two men went to a glass display case and removed the paneling, before reaching in and grabbing the loot.

The men managed to snag around $111,175 worth of jewelry, police said.

After taking the jewels, the trio fled from the mall in an unknown direction.

The NYPD released surveillance footage of the thieves in an effort to gain information that will bring about their arrest. They have no further updates on the case as of Thursday, July 14.

A spate of other robberies and heists has made it necessary for NYC residents to be extra cautious.

The three suspects in the Zales Jewelry store heist are seen entering the mall, both men wearing white caps and the woman in a white shirt and jeans

The men took off with over $111,000 in jewelry as the woman acted as a lookout

Queens Center mall, where the three thieves entered the Zales Jewelry and lifted over $111,000 worth of jewelry

On July 4, a 46-year-old woman in the Bronx was violently assaulted and robbed of her jewelry in her apartment building.

Police said the suspect, described as a man in his 30's known by 'Tetere,' approached the woman from behind before striking her in the chest and forcibly removing her jewelry.

On July 11, a 72-year-old man was attacked and robbed while descending a staircase at 7th Avenue and West 42nd Street subway station's 1 line in Times Square.

The man was struck several times in the face by the suspect, who then took off with the man's personal items, including a wallet that contained approximately $350.

In June, two different white Jeeps were seen driving up to senior residents and drawing them close to the cars by saying they were tourists from Dubai.

Once the seniors were within arms reach, the thieves would reach out and grab the jewelry from the victims before driving away.

Police are also searching for a man who is connected to 10 robberies across four boroughs between June 21 and July 4.

The suspect is wanted for two burglaries on the Upper West Side where he and another man threatened store owners with knives before attempting to steal cash register money, and managed to take $3,000 from one of the stores.

In the last week, the NYPD reported 1,020 grand larceny cases, an increase of 56.9% from the same time last year. They also reported 286 burglaries, an increase of 15.3% from last year.

According to the NYPD, the city's current crime rate is approximately 13.3 major crimes per 1,000 residents per year. The combined rate of violent crimes  rapes, murders and felony assaults adds up to 2.8 per 1,000 residents per year.

Grand larcenies are up nearly 50% so far this year compared to the same time in 2021, according to NYPD statistics.

Citywide, major crimes in New York are up 38 percent so far this year compared to last year

The Zales Jewelry heist also came just after a violent Fourth of July weekend in New York City, further amplifying the calls to make the city safer.

Police said shootings over the holiday weekend spiked 60 per cent compared to last year.

The massive increase comes after Mayor Eric Adams promised to keep New Yorkers safe over the holiday weekend.

'We are going to use every tool in our toolbox to provide New Yorkers a safe and enjoyable July 4th holiday weekend,' Adams said.

Adams has made a considerable push to get illegal guns off of the streets of New York City, resulting in murders being down 13 percent from last year, and shooting victims have dropped 9 percent.

But major crimes in New York are up 38 percent this year compared to last year, with robbery up 39 percent, burglary rising 34 percent, and felony assault jumping 19 percent.

In late June, President Joe Biden signed into law legislation that marks some of the biggest changes to federal gun law in decades.

'Lives will be saved,' Biden said during the signing ceremony in the Roosevelt Room of the White House.

'From Columbine to Sandy Hook to Charleston, Orlando, Las Vegas, Parkland, El Paso, Atlanta, Buffalo, Uvalde, and for the shootings that happen every day in the streets that are mass shootings, we don't even hear about the number of people killed every day in the streets. Their message to us was to just do something,' the President said.
The Hudson River boat named 'Stimulus Money' that capsized and killed two people was over capacity with at least 13 people on boat.

Lindelia Vasquez, 50, who died, alongside her seven-year-old relative Julian, had chartered the boat to take her family on a tour of the harbor when it capsized on Tuesday.

The Yamaha AR240, a 24-foot long boat, had at least 13 people on board, one over the boat's capacity of 12 or 2,698 pounds, the New York Post reported.

Although police sources told the New York Post that there are 'no immediate signs of criminality,' it doesn't let the charter company or the boat's owner off the hook just yet, Jeffrey Goodman, an attorney, said.

The boat's owner, who was traveling behind the family on a jet ski at the time of the crash, was reportedly at the press conference after the incident and was seen sobbing on his knees, according to the Post.

'There are responsibilities that exist for the charter company, for the vessel owner and the operator. Who did what wrong here, I cant say,' Goodman told the New York Post.

Goodman, a partner at Saltz Mongeluzzi & Bendesky, has represented various boating incident clients, including the Oyster Bay boat sinking in 2012 that killed three children.

'A lot of times you'll get boat operators wholl take the viewpoint: "Its a bunch of little kids, so it doesnt matter," which is completely inconsistent with regulations. Children versus adults does not change the safety threshold when it comes to overloading,' he told the New York Post.

The boat named 'Stimulus Money' (circled) capsized on Tuesday after having too many people onboard. The exact reasoning behind its capsizing remains under investigation

Lindelia Vasquez, 50, (left) who died, alongside her seven-year-old relative Julian, (right) had chartered the boat to take her family on a tour of the harbor when it capsized on Tuesday.

Lindelia Vasquez, 47, (right) and Julian got trapped under the boat when it flipped over

Julian Vasquez died after becoming trapped beneath the boat that capsized in the Hudson River on Tuesday

It is unclear how many kids were on Stimulus Money at the time of the tragedy.

The US Coast Guard said the boat could have capsized for a number of reasons, including excessive speeds or negligent operation. However, Goodman said most boats capsize due to weight or wave issues or a combination of the two.

'If a boat is capsizing onto its side, it's indicative of either how the weight was distributed on that boat or how waves struck that boat,' Goodman told the Post. 'It would be some combination of either the weight on the vessel and how it was distributed or the waves striking the vessel, whether it be the waves of others or the weather.'

Authorities initially thought the boat capsized due to a wave from a nearby ferry, but a NY Waterways spokesperson denied the accusation. The closest ferry was four minutes away and could not have produced a 'discernible wake' from that 'very large distance.'

In addition, the National Weather Service did have an advisory for small boats in effect as a 15mph wind and two-foot waves were being produced off the coast of Staten Island near the Verrazano Bridge.

However, the Coast Guard said buoys registered a more palatable wave pattern near the crash sight.

The boat flipped over near the USS Intrepid on the Hudson. It has been revealed that the boat was over capacity with at least 13 people on the boat - one over the limit

Footage taken from across the river at the time of the accident appears to show the boat capsizing as its exposed water-jet engines launch an arc of water into the air

During the tragedy, Lindelia and Julian were trapped beneath the boat when it flipped over in the river near Pier 86 around 2.45pm, just in front of the USS Intrepid on Tuesday.

The pair's exact familial relationship was not made clear, but the NYPD noted that they were not mother and son.

Authorities said they were among a group of family members and friends pulled from the water by rescue crews and a pair of nearby ferries after the boat owner flagged them down. The group had chartered the boat out of New Jersey earlier that day.

The two ferries pulled nine people out of the water, NY Waterways confirmed. One of the crewmen who helped was also part of a ferry crew that rescued up to 50 people during the 'Miracle on the Hudson,' when a jetliner crash-landed on the river in 2009.

Three victims had to be extracted by dive crews and were rushed to nearby hospitals, two were pronounced dead. Three others, including two women, 32 and 51, and a 24-year-old who was piloting the boat, were injured and transported to hospitals. Their conditions are not known, but their injuries were said to be non-life threatening.

The pilot of the boat was administered a field sobriety test at the scene and passed.

Footage shows large sprays of white water could be seen bursting off the bow of the boat as it hammered the water, an indicator of how rough the river was at the time of the accident.

As the sprays continued to grow, both vessels suddenly stopped and disappeared within a huge splash.

Nearby ferries helped rescue the family from the water (pictured)

Nine of the family members were taken in by NY Waterways ferries

Two family members hold onto each other as they land on flat ground again

Three were rushed to the hospital with injuries. Their injuries are said to be non-life-threatening

A large arc of water could be seen soaring over the wreck, which may have been launched from the boat's water-jet engines as they became exposed during the capsize.

The froth from the wreck settled into the river, and then the footage was cut off.

Commanding officer of the NYPD Harbor Unit, inspector Anthony Russo, noted how difficult the Hudson can be to navigate, which NYC Mayor Eric Adams, 61, also noted at a press conference.

'Our hearts go out to a group of people who were just using the water in our city,' Adams said, 'This is a devastating moment for them and those who were part of the families that were there... The water is an enjoyable part of New York, but it can be a dangerous place.'
MCI proposes setting default options that enable parents to monitor their children's on social media and filter what they see. Social media companies should report the frequency of harmful content on their platforms.

Singapore Enhances Online Restriction Among Users Below Legality

The Singaporean Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) suggested in a consultation document released on Wednesday (July 13) that the tools that enable parents and guardians to restrict who may contact and communicate with their children on social media and filters that limit what is seen be turned on by default.

According to The Star Times, this tool is for sites that let users below the age of 18 sign up. It is among the numerous suggested actions by the local authorities to combat online abuse better.

In consultation materials, MCI said that the services "may send warnings to young users and parents/guardians of young users of the ramifications when they choose to weaken the settings."

According to the proposed Code of Practice for Online Safety and the Material Code for Social Media Services, social media companies should also direct users who look for high-risk content, such as articles on self-harm and suicide, to counseling centers and helplines.

This also requires social media sites must establish community standards for six categories of content: sexual, violent, self-harm, cyberbullying, threatening to one's health, supporting vice, and organized crime.

Additionally, platform operators will be mandated to publish reports on the effectiveness of their policies frequently. The reports should also include details on the frequency of harmful content on their platforms, user complaints they have received and responded to, and the systems and procedures they have in place to deal with such content.

The government also seeks to give the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) the authority to order any social media site to block certain harmful information from Singaporean users or to stop specific online profiles from connecting with Singaporeans.

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MCI Agreed to Media Company's Business Restructure Motion

On May 6, the Ministry of Communications and Information said that subject to shareholder approval supports, Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) plans to reorganize and transfer its media division, SPH Media, to a company limited by guarantee (CLG).

According to the ministry, the government is willing to finance the CLG's digital transformation and the development of future capacities.

The ministry also said that it is in Singapore's and its citizens' best interests for local media to flourish and provide high-caliber news. In line with this, S. Iswaran, Minister of Communications and Information, noted that a professional, competent, and recognized local news media is essential for our national interest.

He added that it must maintain Singaporeans' confidence as a trustworthy and impartial news source, covering both local and international events and the variety of viewpoints Singaporeans hold.

The need for dependable and reputable local media has been made more explicit in Singapore's battle against COVID-19 amid the rising fragmentation of the information environment. Seven of ten Singaporeans believed the local media's coverage of COVID-19.

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The United States agreed to increase the number of work visas for Mexicans and Central Americans during high-level talks in Washington this week, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Thursday.

'The number of (temporary) work visas to enter the United States will be considerably expanded,' he told a regular news conference on his return from Washington where he met his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden on Tuesday.

Lopez Obrador did not give details.

While in Washington, Lopez Obrador called on the United States to allow for more legal work visas, but Biden only went as far as highlighting existing programs used by Mexicans and Central Americans.

President Joe Biden has struggled with immigration issues throughout his presidency

Washington did not confirm an increase in visas on Thursday, saying only that access to visas for Mexicans and Central Americans had already been ramped up, and that the Biden administration would keep working to expand access.

In a joint statement after the meeting, the governments said they would form a working group on labor migration pathways.

During his visit, Lopez Obrador also touted $40 billion worth of planned investments in Mexico by U.S. companies between now and 2024. On Thursday, he added that the spending would mostly go to the energy sector.

Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador speaks during a press conference at the National Palace in Mexico City, Mexico, 14 July 2022, where he said the U.S. would provide more work visas

Asylum seeking migrants from Venezuela cross the Rio Grande river into the U.S. from Mexico at Piedras Negras, Mexico, July 13, 2022

President Joe Biden hosts Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in the Oval Office at the White House on July 12, 2022 in Washington, DC. Lopez Obrador spoke at length during their meeting

Billions of dollars in foreign investment in Mexico have been held up by disputes between companies and the government as Lopez Obrador tightens state control of the energy market.

During the meeting, Lopez Obrador spoke for more than 30 minutes in Spanish.

Obama said the U.S. saw Mexico as an 'equal partner,' and tweaked the press about 'overhyped headlines.' The meeting followed the 'snub' of Lopez Obrador skipping the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles.

Lopez Obrador brought up historic conflicts and the ability to work together despite 'their differences, and also their grievances that are not really easy to forget with time or with good wishes.'

He also touted FDR's 'Good Neighbor' policy toward Mexico.

'This will not be the first or last occasion where we close ranks to help each other,' Lopez Obrador said.

Lopez Obrador declined Bidens invitation to the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles last month after unsuccessfully urging the U.S. to include the leaders of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela - all countries with anti-democratic regimes. The Mexican leader also has called U.S. support for Ukraine in its war with Russia 'a crass error' and criticized the U.S. for moving more swiftly to provide military funding to Ukraine than financial aid to Central America.

The leaders announced a working group to promote more avenues for legal migration by workers, discussions that the officials said they hope could eventually be expanded to include labor from other countries.

In a preview call with reporters, administration officials declined to specify which visa programs might be expanded to bolster legal migration or by how much. They said the agreements set to come out of the meeting were more about demonstrating cooperation than announcing specific numbers.
A police officer punched a man and leg-sweeped a woman who were suspected of a burglary after they were put in handcuffs.

PC Henry Green used 'excessive and unjustifiable force' arresting the two people at a Tesco Express store and has been found guilty of gross misconduct.

He was called to reports of a burglary involving three people at the store in Newland Avenue in west Hull just before 11.30am on June 6, 2019 where he put a male then a female in handcuffs.

The 28-year-old claims the two suspects then became 'aggressive and he had concerns for his own safety' so had to take action.

But the woman claimed during the misconduct hearing that she was 'screaming in agony' due to the pain of hitting the floor.

He then punched the male suspect in the face while holding metal handcuffs.

The three-person Misconduct Panel, at the Old Magistrates' Building in Goole, has now adjourned to decide whether Green stays employed.

PC Henry Green, 28, used 'excessive force' arresting the two people in Tesco and has been found guilty of gross misconduct and is now facing the sack

After the incident, he was investigated by Humberside Police's Professional Standards Department (PSD), who paused it during a criminal investigation.

Green was charged with two counts of common assault and appeared at York's Magistrates' Court in December 2021 where he was found not guilty of the offences.

Head of PSD, Detective Superintendent Matt Baldwin, speaking after the hearing, said: 'We expect all of our officers and staff to always act with the utmost integrity and professionalism, only using force if absolutely necessary in their line of duty.

'Henry Green displayed an excessive use of force during this incident. The force used was unnecessary, disproportionate and unjustifiable. His actions and conduct that day were completely unacceptable and utterly discreditable, falling way below the standards we expect of our officers.

'He was removed from his role and duties where there would be contact with the public immediately after the incident and placed in a non-operational role, pending the criminal and internal investigation. His position in the force will now be reconsidered until the panel make a decision on the 25th July.

'We will not accept any officer or member of staff behaving in a way that fails to uphold or maintain their responsibility to serve and protect the public in the Humberside area. It is of paramount importance that we maintain the public's trust and confidence by dealing with officers who behave in a way that undermines this.'

PC Henry Green and a colleague were called to reports of two men and a woman, suspected of burglary, at the Tesco Express store in Newland Avenue, Hull, (pictured) just before 11.30am on June 6, 2019

The female suspect, who gave evidence during the police misconduct hearing, on Monday, said: 'I protested and the officer then put me to the floor which was hard and I damaged my back.

'He made no effort to lower me or break my fall. He then came down on my stomach. I was screaming in agony due to my back.

'I was shouting I had done nothing wrong but I was just getting my point across and didn't resist arrest.'

However, in a statement, PC Green insisted his actions were justified. He claims the suspects became aggressive and he had concerns for his own safety.

In his statement PC Green said: 'Her behaviour had escalated quickly, I was alone with two suspects. I had previously been assaulted that morning by another person I had arrested, who was also handcuffed when he managed to assault me.

'I had literally seconds to decide how to deal with the situation and take action, in what was a fluid situation. I therefore decided to take her to the floor, using a leg sweep.

'I went to take hold of him and as I did, he tensed his arm up and moved his arm upwards. I honestly believed that he was going to assault me in a bid to escape, despite being handcuffed, due to his arm movements.

'I therefore delivered a single punch to the face with my right hand. Again, this decision was made in a split second and in a bid to detain him on the floor as quickly as possible.'

The Misconduct Panel, at the Old Magistrates' Building in Goole, has now adjourned until Monday, 25 July when it will be decide whether Green stays employed

Ian Mullarkey, representing Humberside Police at a previous hearing, said: 'He fails to adequately support or control [the female suspect's] fall to minimise the risk of serious injury.

'It is apparent that as [the female suspect] strikes the hard floor of the supermarket she is not supported by the officer in any way,' Mr Mullarkey added. 'The officer then says 'you can stay there, sweetheart', which gives an insight into the officer's motivation. The officer was not afraid for his safety, but was agitated, excited and confrontational.

'The officer then turns towards [the male suspect] and takes hold of him with both hands and [the male suspect] says, 'I aren't doing anything'. The officer raises the handcuffs he has in his right hand and uses them as a weapon to strike [the male suspect] to the head.'

Neither suspect had offered any resistance, Mr Mullarkey told the hearing. He said this was backed up by staff in the Tesco store.

Mr Mullarkey added: 'A customer assistant at Tesco observed the officer punch out at [the male suspect] (though she did not see whether the blow landed) and stated: 'I had not seen male one attempting to attack the officer or being aggressive prior to the punch being thrown.'

'[The male suspect] was then also forced to the floor and the officer says, 'Show me any more resistance and I'll punch you in the face again you little p****.'

Derek Christmas, a police personal safety trainer, provided a witness statement in which he said PC Green showed 'little or no concern for the safety and welfare of the [female] suspect when he pushes or leg sweeps her to the floor'.

The hearing has been adjourned until Monday, 25 July when it will be determined whether PC Green is fired.
The House on Thursday passed a bill 260-169 that would allow law enforcement to deploy an Amber alert-like phone notification system in active shooter situations.

Forty-three Republicans joined Democrats in voting for the bill, and one Democrat, Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wis., who is not running for reelection, voted against it.

The bill, led by Reps. David Cicilline, D-R.I., and Fred Upton, R-Mich., now heads to the Senate.

Supporters of the bill said that it would allow police to alert the public of unsafe situations more quickly. They said police typically rely on social media and news reports to get the word out. Critics said that the bill was unnecessary and likely to stoke fear among the public.

'This bill is a common sense piece of public safety legislation that police have asked for over, and over, and over again, and we are past due in delivering it to them,' Cicilline said on the House floor.

The bill would carve out a new role in the Department of Justice known as the national coordinator of the Active Shooter Alert Communications network, and that coordinator would work with the FEMA administrator, Transportation secretary FCC chair to help state and local law enforcement set up such alert systems.

Upton, the Republican leader on the bill, pointed to the July 4 mass shooting at a parade in Highland Park, Ill., where the suspected gunman was at large for eight hours and drove across state lines to Wisconsin.

'Wouldn't it have been nice to have had a system that would have alerted the entire parade route to take cover, and maybe some of those folks that were killed or wounded wouldn't have happened?' he asked.

Police deploy after gunfire erupted at a Fourth of July parade route in the wealthy Chicago suburb of Highland Park, Illinois on July 4

A Fourth of July parade-goer runs for cover after gunfire was heard at the parade Monday morning, July 4

People's belongings lie abandoned along the parade route after a mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade

Upton said he heard from 'law enforcement and police chiefs that active shooter alerts can be a vital tool to provide accurate, real-time information to our communities, and one they believe will help in these dangerous situations.'

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi claimed Thursday Republicans cared more about their 'political survival' than children's survival after 168 voted against the bill.

If your child were in a school where there was an assault, wouldnt you want to know? How can these Republicans vote 'no? she said.

'These people think their political survival is more important than the survival of their children.'

The Active Shooter Alert bill would allow for Amber alert-style notifications to pop up on nearby residents' phones in the case of a mass shooting

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., warned that such a bill could cause chaos, giving a hypothetical where a stadium full of concertgoers all get an alert if someone fired a gun several blocks away, maybe even by accident.

'Would that make the circumstance safer? Of course not. It would lead to stampede, tragedy, hysteria, mistake, perhaps even more death,' he said.

Gaetz said that the bill was vague about how far from an incident people would still get alerts and what types of events would warrant an alert.

'This bill is like yelling 'fire' in a movie theater, except the fire is in another movie theater across the street,' he said.

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, described the bill as 'Democrat fear-mongering that guns are an ever-present threat.'

Democrats, meanwhile, mocked Republicans for being 'pro-life' but voting against the bill.

'The vast majority of the House Republican Conference voted against a bill to alert people of nearby active shooters,' Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J., wrote on Twitter. 'The bill doesn't limit gun ownership. All it does is keep communities safe. In case you were wondering what the 'pro-life' party really stands for.'

'Last night, 168 Republicans voted against the Active Shooter Alert Act, which would set up a system to send alerts directly to people's phones, warning them in the case of a nearby active shooter. This could save lives. Yet most of the "pro-life" party voted to try and block it,' Rep. Pramila Jayapal, chair of the House Progressive Caucus, wrote on Twitter.
A wealthy Pennsylvania dentist allegedly confessed to killing his wife with a shotgun to his lover, saying 'I killed my f---ing wife for you,' after collecting almost $5 million in life insurance, a U.S. prosecutor said on Wednesday during the murder trial.

Lawrence 'Larry' Rudolph, 67, admitted to killing his wife, Bianca Rudolph in Zambia, to his girlfriend during a heated conversation at an Arizona restaurant, Assistant U.S. Attorney Bishop Grewell told jurors on the third day of the trial in Denver, Colorado.

The wide-ranging case - involving the 2016 death of a U.S. citizen in Africa, the purchase of a residence in Arizona, and Rudolph's surprise arrest in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico - is being tried in Colorado because several insurers tied to the payout were based there.

Rudolph, 67, was having dinner with Lori Milliron, a former hygienist and manager of his office, when he confessed to killing his wife, after being informed in 2020 that the FBI was investigating his wife's death.

Bianca died in a cabin in 2016 while on a trip with her husband in Zambia. Lawrence previously told prosecutors that he heard a gunshot and his wife screaming before finding her on the floor of the cabin, shot in the heart.

'He killed his wife for her!' Grewell said in reference to Milliron.

David Markus, Larry's attorney, told the jury the statement made by his client in the Arizona restaurant was misheard - arguing Larry actually said, 'They're saying I killed my f---ing wide for you.'

Milliron is now being charged with lying to a grand jury and being an accessory after the fact. Her attorney, John Dill, claims she knows nothing about the alleged killing.

Bianca Rudolph died after being pierced in the heart with a bullet while packing to go home from her trip in Zambia. Her husband, Lawrence Rudolph, is a suspect in her death despite insisting it was accidental

The shooting occurred about 5 a.m. and no one witnessed it, Dill said.

Rudolph' attorney argues that on the morning of the incident, guides for the couple were in and out of the cabin helping them prepare for their flight home. Adding that the blinds and doors were open, making it impossible for Larry to kill his wife.

He displayed a photo of the bloody scene to the jury with Bianca's body covered in a blanket with a shotgun lying nearby in its case. Markus claimed Bianca dropped the weapon as she hurried to pack for their trip home - trigging a gunshot to her heart.

'They've chosen speculation over science,' Markus said.

The couple - who were married for 34 years and raised two kids - were happy together, according to the attorney. He also revealed the couple both had other partners outside the marriage - adding that Bianca knew about Larry's affair with Milliron.

Zambian officers declared Bianca's death accidental two days after the incident, according to Markus. Investigators looking into the $4.8 million life insurance claim also found the shooting accidental.

Prosecutors, however, say that evidence shows the wounds were from a bullet fired from 2 to 3.5 feet away.

Attorney Grewell maintains that evidence will prove that Larry killed Bianca after Milliron urged him to divorce his wife.

Prosecutors also claimed Larry was in a rush to have Bianca cremated before returning from Zambia. A friend of Bianca told the FBI she became skeptical because Bianca opposed cremation out of respect for her Catholic beliefs.

Markus combated this claim by showing jurors a statement from Bianca claiming she wanted to be cremated at the time of her death.

Larry's attorney claims he had a net worth of $15 million at the time and had no financial reason to kill his wife

Larry's dentistry practice at the time granted him a net worth of more than $15 million. Markus claimed Larry had no financial gain for killing his wife and further said the life insurance funds went into a trust for their children.

Larry faces a maximum term of life in prison or the death penalty if he is convicted of murder. Prosecutors say the crime was premeditated.

Despite the evidence against him, Larry has continuously pleaded his innocence. He maintains that his wife's death was accidental after she shot herself while trying to pack a shotgun - and is expected to testify so during the three-week trial.

Dr. Lawrence Rudolph, 67, was charged in December with murdering his wife Bianca in Zambia in 2016, then fraudulently claiming $4.8million in life insurance payouts

Dr. Rudolph, 67, was charged in Colorado with allegedly shooting dead his wife Bianca during a trip to Zambia. They are shown during a 2011 hunting trip with a guide. Bianca died in Africa in 2016

Upon returning to the U.S. he cashed in nine life insurance policies with seven different companies after his wife's death.

Rudolph told Zambian police Bianca died while he was in the bathroom, suggesting she shot herself while trying to pack a shotgun the couple took on the trip with them.

Prosecutors counter that evidence shows that was impossible because her wounds came from a shot fired from 2-3.5 feet away and she would not have been able to reach the trigger while zipping up the gun case, court documents allege.

As part of its investigation, the FBI carried out a 'reach test' to determine whether or not it would have been physically possible for Bianca to accidentally shoot herself with the gun - a Browning Shotgun.

They found it was impossible, as did a Colorado Medical Examiner who was shown photos of Bianca's body.

Lawrence is shown during another hunting trip. He told game keepers in Africa that his wife accidentally shot herself with a 12 gauge shotgun and the Zambian police believed him

Dr. Lawrence Rudolph is shown with one of the couple's children, his daughter Ana. She worked with him in his dental practice in Pittsburgh

Prosecutors also accuse Rudolph's alleged mistress and a former manager of his Pittsburgh-area business, Lori Milliron, of lying to a federal grand jury about the case and the true nature of her relationship with Rudolph.

Milliron has been charged with perjury and being an accessory after the fact.

Three years after Bianca's death, a former employee of the dental practice run by Larry told the FBI that a manager at the practice confided in them that she was his girlfriend of 15-20 years, and that she had given him an ultimatum to leave Bianca in the months before her death.

According to an FBI agent in a criminal complaint, Bianca - a keen hunter - had wanted to kill a leopard on the Zambia trip. Her friends also told the FBI that Lawrence was always unfaithful but that she wouldn't divorce him because she was a strict Catholic

In 2017, Rudolph received life and accidental death insurance payments totaling nearly $4.9 million from several insurers.

Documents suggest the insurers conducted their own investigations before issuing the payment.

Rudolph's attorneys insist their client had no ulterior motive for collecting, given the millions his dental franchise was worth.

Rudolph and Milliron's attorneys have countered that the U.S. case is little more than a fragile web of circumstantial evidence compiled by overzealous FBI agents long after Zambian authorities determined that Bianca's death was accidental.

In the year after her death, Lawrence cashed out $4.8million in life insurance payouts

'No physical evidence supports the government's murder theory,' Rudolphs lawyers declared in a court document.

Rudolph had built a small fortune as a dentist and founder of a dentistry franchise in the Pittsburgh area, and he was a familiar fixture on local TV, advertising his services.

He met Bianca at the University of Pittsburgh, where he studied dentistry, and they married in 1982.

The couple took frequent trips abroad; both were big-game hunting enthusiasts, and in 2016 Bianca wanted to hunt a leopard.

They traveled to southern Zambia's Kafue National Park in pursuit of that dream.

According to court documents, Biancas wishes went unfulfilled, and the Rudolphs were up early in their cabin at about 5am on October 16, 2016, packing for the trip home when Larry told Zambian he heard the blast of a rifle and his wife screaming.

He said he found her bleeding on the floor, a fatal wound to her heart, with a 12-gauge shotgun lying nearby. It was one of two guns the couple took on the trip, according to court documents.

Lawrence claimed his wife shot herself with a 12 gauge Browning shotgun - which medical examiners say would have been impossible

Local authorities determined her death was accidental and that the gun may have fired as Bianca was packing it into a bag.

Her distraught husband arranged for her cremation in Zambia before returning to the U.S.

According to an arrest affidavit, a friend of Bianca's called an FBI legal attache in South Africa several weeks later, suspicious about the death and informing them of the affair Larry had been having.

They were unhappy but would not get a divorce, the friend said, telling the agent: 'Larry is never going to divorce her because he doesnt want to lose his money, and shes never going to divorce him because of her Catholicism.'

The couple had two children together, including a daughter who worked at the dental firm Larry founded.

The friend also shared doubts about the cremation, insisting Bianca was a Catholic and would have opposed to the practice.

That call ultimately triggered a lengthy FBI investigation.

According to one document, a U.S. consular officer in Zambia raised eyebrows at what he perceived to be Larry's insistence that his wife be quickly cremated before he returned home.

As part of their five-year investigation, FBI agents interviewed the wife of one of the hunting guides on the Zambia trip who said Larry bribed officials to rush cremating Bianca, even though she was a devout Catholic.

The wife also thought it was strange, she said, that he refused to answer calls from the pair's children.

The defense contends the couple had an agreement calling for cremation in the event of either of their deaths.

Rudolph's attorneys state that he was aware of and cooperated with the FBI investigation long before he was arrested in Cabo San Lucas, where he owned a home, and was extradited to the U.S.

The federal murder charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison or death. Mail fraud carries a maximum 20 years. Fines and other conditions could be imposed as well.
Joe Biden on Thursday wouldn't commit to bringing up the murder of Jamal Khashoggi when he meets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman but the slain journalist's widow says she has assurances the president will mention it.

Hanan Elatr Khashogi told Fox News she met with three administration officials who assured her that 'the human rights issue, and on top of it, my husband's tragedy, it will come up' when Biden meets MBS - the crown prince is known by his initials - on Friday in Jeddah.

Biden, however, dodged the question when asked about it during a press conference in Israel said his position on human rights has been 'positively clear.'

'My views have made it positively clear. I have never been quiet about talking about human rights,' he said when asked about the meeting.

The president, when pressed again, said his position is 'clear.'

'I always bring up human rights but my position on Khashoggi had been clear. If anyone doesn't understand it in Saudi Arabia or anywhere else, then they haven't been around for a while,' he said.

And Khashoggi's fiance Hatice Cengiz said the president must ask what has happened to the journalist's body, which has never been recovered.

'He has to ask what happened to his body? Where is his body? Still we do not have any answer,' she told the Associated Press. 'And people need to get the truth in this case. And we cannot forget.'

'We cannot forget what happened to Jamal.'

President Joe Biden wouldn't commit to bringing up the murder of Jamal Khashoggi when he meets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

Jamall Khashoggi's widow Hanan Elatr Khashogi told Fox News she met with three administration officials who assured her that the slain journalist's murder 'will come up'

Biden, 79, called Saudi Arabia a 'pariah' state during the 2020 campaign after U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that MBS ordered Khashoggi's muder in Turkey in 2018. The journalist had written criticially of the crown prince's reforms in Saudi.

The White House has said Biden stands by that statement but it also has taken great pains to emphasize the president is meeting with the aging King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and his government, which would include MBS, who, at the age of 36, is Salman's heir to the throne and serves as defense minister.

Biden heads to Saudi Arabia on Friday. He will meet the royals that night after he lands in Jeddah. On Saturday he'll attend the GCC+3 summit to talk oil prices and energy issues.

'When I see the Saudi leadership tomorrow, I'll be carrying a direct message,' Biden said. 'A message of peace and of the extraordinary opportunities a more stable integrated region could bring to the region and, quite frankly, to the rest of the world.'

The president argued, however, that he is also going to reassert the United States' influence in the region to counter the growing power of Russia and China on the energy market.

'The reason I'm going to Saudi Arabia, though, is much broader than as to promote U.S. interests,' he said at his press conference with Israeli Prime MIinister Yair Lapid.

'I think we have an opportunity to reassert what I think we made a mistake of walking away from - our influence in the Middle East. I'm going to meet with nine other heads of state. There are so many issues at stake. I want to make clear that we can continue to lead in a region and not create a vacuum,' he said.

He was also clear he wants to counter growing Russian and Chinese influence. Russia is the second largest energy producer in the world after Saudi and China is a huge energy consumer and purchaser.

'The vacuum is filled by China or Russia - against the interest of Israel and the United States. The purpose of the visit is to coordinate with the nine heads of state,' he said.

President Biden said his position on Jamal Khashoggi's (above) murder has been 'clear': 'I always bring up human rights but my position on Khashoggi had been clear. If anyone doesn't understand it in Saudi Arabia or anywhere else, then they haven't been around for a while,' he said

Biden will meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of the country, in Jeddah on Friday

Human rights advocates have encouraged Biden not to make the trip without bringing up Khashoggi's killing.

Khashoggi's widow, Hanan Elatr Khashoggi, said that a national security official told her that Biden will mention her late husband's name when he meets with MBS,

'They assured me they will bring this concern up special, about the case of my husband, Jamal Khashoggi,' she told Spectrum News.

Biden will be watched closely for his words, his actions and his body language when he is the same room as the crown prince.

The White House hasn't said if Biden will shake hands with MBS - a photo opportunity the prince would love but would cause headaches for the president among Democrats furious with Saudi Arabia's poor record on human rights.

Officials then said Biden wouldn't shake any hands on his four-day Middle East trip, saying it was an uptick in COVID cases - and not forthcoming interactions with the controversial Saudi crown prince - that triggered the decision.

Biden, however, got in a few handshakes when he landed in Israel on Wednesday.
Republicans are launching a new effort to help legal permanent residents  and potential future voters  with their naturalization test as the Biden administration continues to grapple with the southern border illegal migration crisis.

The new 10-hour Republican Civics Initiative training course, the first of which is being held on Thursday in Doral, Florida, is 'designed to help future voters prepare for the civics portion of the naturalization test,' according to the Republican National Committee (RNC).

The class helping prepare test-takers for the civics portion of the naturalization test is spread across four sessions.

'The RNC is growing our Party through purposeful education and engagement,' RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said of the new initiative.

'Our commitment to provide opportunities for all to live out the American dream is broadening our base because our ideas transcend all backgrounds,' she added. 'Unlike Democrats, Republicans do not take minority communities for granted and we will continue to work to earn each vote ahead of November.'

The new program announcement comes as a Thursday Axios report notes that the demographics of the two major U.S. parties are shifting  as Republicans become more working class and multiracial and Democrats shift more elite and white.

Republicans are also making strides among Hispanic voters, which could swing some Democratic-held House seats to the GOP and help them flip Congress in the 2022 midterm elections.

The Republican National Committee (RNC) is launching the new 10-hour four-course Republican Civics Initiative training course in Doral, Florida on Thursday to help permanent residents  and future potential voters  with the civics part of the naturalization test

The course launch comes just after new footage emerged showing a massive mob of hundreds of migrants lined up crossing the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass, Texas on Wednesday  as the Biden administration continues to grapple with the illegal immigration crisis at the southern border

A Monday report shots nearly 26,000 migrants were apprehended by Texas-area Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents in under a week and in May CBP encountered 239,416 migrants  the highest since Biden took office

New data from a New York Times-Siena College poll shows that Republicans are tied with Democrats with the Hispanic vote on a generic congressional ballot  compared to the 2018 midterms where the left held a 47-point edge over Republicans with Hispanic voters.

New footage emerged Wednesday showing a massive mob of hundreds of migrants lined up crossing the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass, Texas in what a Fox News reporter described as 'one of the most massive single groups we have ever seen.'

Border agents have apprehended a record number of migrants in recent months. As resources are stretched thin, migration figures continue to swell.

'One of the most massive single groups we have ever witnessed cross illegally at the border is crossing into Eagle Pass, TX right now. The line of people went so far into the trees it's hard to get a count. Hundreds upon hundreds. Coyotes guiding them in water,' Fox's Bill Melugin wrote on Twitter with aerial footage of the string of migrants stretching all the way across the Rio Grande.

Nearly 26,000 migrants were apprehended by Texas-area Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents in under a week, a Monday report states.

The figure is the total number of arrests across five regions of the US-Mexico border within the six-day period ending on July 9, according to documents reviewed by Breitbart.

Aerial footage of the string of migrants stretching all the way across the Rio Grande

BREAKING: One of the most massive single groups we have ever witnessed cross illegally at the border is crossing into Eagle Pass, TX right now. The line of people went so far into the trees its hard to get a count. Hundreds upon hundreds. Coyotes guiding them in water. @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/ZjZIygarAv  Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) July 13, 2022

Of the 26,000 migrants apprehended, according to Monday's report, 10,000 were in the Texas border town of Eagle Pass.

The Rio Grande Valley reportedly falls in second, with the remaining three being the El Paso, Laredo, and Big Bend sectors.

Meanwhile, Customs and Border Patrol saw 239,416 migrant encounters in May, the highest ever recorded in history. Border agents told DailyMail.com that that figure is likely a steep undercount, and the actual figure could be almost double when including those who successfully evade authorities.

It comes amid a statewide crackdown on undocumented immigrants being led by Texas Governor Greg Abbott.

Last week the Republican official signed an executive order directing the Texas National Guard and Texas Department of Public Safety to arrest migrants and return them to the border.

He and other GOP politicians have piled blame onto the Biden administration for failing to secure the southwestern border, as a record surge in asylum-seekers - as recently as in May - threatens to buckle the government's immigration infrastructure.

Last week the Republican official signed an executive order directing the Texas National Guard and Texas Department of Public Safety to arrest migrants and return them to the border

Abbott and other GOP politicians have piled blame onto the Biden administration for failing to secure the southwestern border, as a record surge in asylum-seekers - as recently as in May - threatens to buckle the government's immigration infrastructure

State and local governments on the border, as well as humanitarian groups there, have been calling on the White House to mount a stronger federal response and warning their own resources are being stretched to the breaking point

And despite a judge stopping President Biden from lifting the COVID-19 pandemic-era expulsion policy Title 42, his administration has dragged its feet on enforcing the measure

State and local governments on the border, as well as humanitarian groups there, have been calling on the White House to mount a stronger federal response and warning their own resources are being stretched to the breaking point.

The six-day total arrested in the five sectors is more than half the total 40,000 estimated to have been apprehended across the entire southwestern border.

About 70 percent of those apprehended were reportedly single adults.

And despite a judge stopping President Biden from lifting the COVID-19 pandemic-era expulsion policy Title 42, his administration has dragged its feet on enforcing the measure - 65 percent of the 26,000 migrants managed to avoid being deported under the health rule.

Meanwhile, Biden's 'border czar,' Vice President Kamala Harris, attacked Abbott in a Sunday television interview over his executive order tapping state officers for migrant arrests.

She also hit back at Abbott's accusations that the White House is responsible for the migrant crisis, suggesting he 'focus on solutions' rather than criticize the administration.

Asylum-seeking migrants mostly from Venezuela and Cuba wait to be transported by CBP after crossing Rio Grande river into the U.S. from Mexico at Eagle Pass, Texas, U.S., July 13

Customs and Border Patrol saw 239,416 migrant encounters in May, the highest ever recorded in history

Record numbers come amid a statewide crackdown on undocumented immigrants being led by Texas Governor Greg Abbott

'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 said on CBS News' Face The Nation.

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 solving illegal immigration.

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.

'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 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.
Drivers who break down on some smart motorway stretches are not being reached by traffic officers within a target response time of 10 minutes, a regulator has warned today.

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) said National Highways missed its goal of attending to vehicles stopped in live lanes on motorways without a hard shoulder within an average of 10 minutes from July 2021.

National Highways, the Government-owned company responsible for England's motorways and major A roads, set the 10-minute target in March 2021 to be reached four months later for smart motorways with emergency areas more than one mile apart.

The average response time fell from around 12-and-a-half minutes to 10 minutes and 45 seconds by May 2022, the ORR's annual assessment shows.

It comes after a report from 2019 published last week showed stranded vehicle detection systems on smart motorways were only picking up six out of ten stopped vehicles in live lanes at the time.

Smart motorways have no hard shoulder either all or most of the time, with speed limits automatically changing depending on traffic flow

Operation Brock, a potential obstacle to lowering smart motorway response times, on the M20 in Kent is an attempt to avoid scenes such as this, in April 2022, when a backlog of lorries waited hours to cross the English Channel

The rollout of smart motorways has previously been paused amid safety concerns (Pictured: The M3 smart motorway near Longcross in Surrey)

Traffic Officers from Highways England can been seen patrolling on the M20 on April 9 of this year

The new annual report stated the ORR's 'main concern' for England's highways for 2021-2022 was to reduce the time it took for traffic officers to respond to live lane incidents.

Around 50 incidents occur in live lanes on smart motorways on National Highway's 'strategic road network' every day.

The strategic road network is the area that National Highways staff patrol to help respond to incidents across key routes in England.

But National Highways missed its July 2021 10 minute-average response time, causing regulator ORR to 'escalate' its concerns.

A new target date of September 2022 has been set, and the ORR said it will 'continue to hold National Highways to account' to ensure this target is met.

There have been long-standing fears about the safety of smart motorways following fatal incidents where vehicles have stopped in live lanes and were hit from behind.

Following concerns from industry bodies about the safety of smart motorways, in January 2022 National Highways paused the upgrade of multiple dynamic hard shoulder motorways - where a hard shoulder disappears in busy traffic - to full lane capacity smart motorways.

Smart motorways either have no hard shoulder at all, or sometimes have a hard shoulder which converts into an extra traffic lane during busy periods.

There are currently stretches of smart motorway on the M1, M3, M5, M6, M20, M23, M25, and M62 in England, as well as multiple other stretches either under construction or paused.

An RAC poll of 2,652 UK drivers suggested that 62% believe hard shoulders should be reintroduced across the motorway network.

Yet more deadly miles Another deadly stretch of smart motorway opened last week to create the biggest road of its type in the country. The 15-mile stretch from Hayes, west London, to Maidenhead adds to an adjoining 17-mile section opened earlier this year. It means the hard shoulder has been removed and turned into an extra live lane on 32 miles of the M4 between junctions 3 and 12, running from west London into Berkshire. It is 64 miles of road when both sides of the carriageway are included. Most smart motorways are ten or so miles, or 20 including both sides. While 100 miles of such projects have been paused, another 100 miles are going ahead, including the M4 stretch. Advertisement

It told the ORR that the two most significant risks to meeting the target are delays in the delivery and fitting out of new traffic officer vehicles due to supply chain issues, and Operation Brock, an exercise to help ease congestion on the M20 in Kent.

The congestion on the M20 has been widely blamed as a result of Brexit and has seen miles-long queues of lorries waiting to cross the sea to Europe.

The operation takes place on a 10-mile stretch of road between junctions eight and nine.

The ORR is clear the operation will continue to negatively affect National Highways as more officers are drafted to the area.

In its annual assessment of National Highways, the ORR also called on the organisation to provide better evidence of how it is considering the long-term needs of its infrastructure, and a 'robust plan' for meeting 2025 biodiversity targets.

The ORR concluded that National Highways delivered its enhancement commitments in the year to the end of March, but there is more to do to maximise the full benefits of investment.

ORR director of planning and performance Feras Alshaker said: 'While the company continues to work towards delivering its safety targets, we've had some concerns over the company's ability to achieve its target of a 10-minute response for traffic officers on certain sections of smart motorways.

'It must continue to focus on reducing its response times on these sections of motorway.'

National Highways chief executive Nick Harris said: 'As the report rightly points out, we have made good progress on the majority of our main priorities over the last 12 months.

'This includes further improving the safety of our network, reducing our carbon footprint, providing fast and reliable journeys and delivering on the Government's hugely ambitious second Road Investment Strategy.

'As an ambitious organisation that is striving to develop at pace, we know that we must continuously improve our systems and processes to ensure that we can deliver.

'This is why, over the next 12 months, we will continue to work closely with ORR to build on the strong performance of recent years while providing the additional reassurance it needs in relation to the small number of issues raised in today's report.'
The son of former Honduras President Porfirio Lobo and three other young men were executed allegedly by gunmen with the MS-13 early Thursday after they left a nightclub in the country's capital.

Surveillance camera footage showed at least five armed men driving up to the front of a parking lot exit ramp and running inside the building where they forced Said Lobo Bonilla, 23, and the other men out of two SUVs.

Lobo Bonilla, 23-year-old Luis Zelaya, the nephew of Honduras' former defense minister, Salomon Vasquez, and Bonilla's driver and security guard, Norlan Rodriguez, were then instructed to stand facing a wall before they were executed.

Each of the four individuals were shot in the head, Honduran newspaper La Prensa reported.

"The murder of four youths, including a son of former president Porfirio Lobo Sosa, is attributed to members of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13). The intention is to cause chaos, instability and terror," National Police director Gustavo Sanchez said.

Said Lobo Bonilla, whose father Porfirio Lobo was president of Honduras, was shot dead execution style with three friends after they left a nightclub in Tegucigalpa on Thursday

Luis Zelaya, the nephew of Honduras' former defense minister; Salomon Vasquez, was among the four men, including the son of the former Honduras President Porfirio Lobo, who were killed inside a parking lot in Honduras

Norlan Rodriguez, was the security guard and driver for Said Lobo Bonilla, the son of former Honduras President Porfirio Lobo

Salomon Vasquez was killed along with Said Lobo Bonilla, the son of former Honduras President Porfirio Lobo, and two other young men after they had left a nightclub Thursday in Tegucigalpa, the capital

Additional video footage showed the assailants, wearing what appeared to be vests from a police anti-gang squad, running out of the parking lot towards their pickup truck before one of them appeared to be shot.

A subsequently armed individual retreated to help his injured accomplice and carries him away.

Authorities were checking area hospitals for the wounded gunman.

Lorena Calix, spokeswoman for the Attorney General's Office, confirmed the death of Lobo Bonilla and former Defense Minister Romeo Vasquez Velasquez told local news media that Zelaya was also slain.

'I couldn't see my son, but these are things that hurt,' former President Lobo said at the murder scene. 'My son is hanging out with some friends. We don't know if it was ordered or what.'

The former President of Honduras Porfirio Lobo Sosa (pictured at summit in Panama City on October 19) told reporters that the gunmen who murdered his son and three other young men 'are quite trained people, they are not rookies'

A surveillance camera captures the moment five armed men rushed inside a parking lot Thursday morning before they executed the son of former Honduras President Porfirio Lobo and three other young men

Still image from a surveillance camera shows the moment an assailant forces one of the four victims to lean forward against a wall before he and three other men where executed with shots to the head

Another video showed former President Lobo accompanied by two people before he was stopped from reaching the parking lot.

'I don't know what is going on, but what I do know is that the people who committed this murder are quite trained people; they are not rookies,' Lobo said.

He revealed that his youngest son, Luis, 19, avoided being massacred because he was driving another vehicle.

Luis Lobo, the son of former Honduran President Porfirio Lobo, was not in the parking lot when a group of gunmen intercepted his brother and three other men and shot them execution style

Denis Castros, the former director of the Institute of Forensic Science department, said the attack may have been coordinated in advance.

Another of Porfirio Lobo's sons, Fabio, was sentenced in the United States in 2017 to 24 years in prison on drug trafficking charges.

Last year, the United States announced that the former president would no longer be allowed to enter the country because he had allegedly accepted bribes from drug traffickers in exchange for political favors.
A memorial for British music entrepreneur Jamal Edwards has been destroyed by a fire after London residents found the artwork, flowers and cards laid in tribute for the 31-year-old burnt on Wednesday morning.

The decorated wall on Acton High Street showed a portrait of London-born Mr Edwards was found to be ruined, with residents accusing a 'hateful person' of maliciously torching the artwork.

Mr Edwards gained fame from setting up new music platform SB.TV  helping to launch a string of UK music careers including Dave, Ed Sheeran and Jessie J, and was awarded an MBE in 2014 at the age of 24 for his services to music.

The music mogul died on 20 February, aged just 31, following a 'sudden heart attack' after taking drugs at the Acton home he shared with his mother Brenda Edwards, a Loose Women panelist, after DJing the night before.

The cause of fire of the memorial near his home in Acton is not yet known. London Fire Brigade and the Metropolitan Police have been contacted by MailOnline regarding the incident.

A memorial for British music entrepreneur Jamal Edwards has been destroyed by a fire after London residents found the artwork, flowers and cards laid in tribute for the 31-year-old burnt on Wednesday morning

One woman called Flo told MyLondon: 'This is wrong! But try all they may, they can't burn away the positive impact he had/has on people.'

Another woman said: 'This is despicable, I hope they find who did this.'

People have expressed their fury at the memorial being ruined on local community groups, with one user writing on social media: 'I really hope this wasn't done maliciously.

'Acton is extremely multicultural and I'd be very surprised (and disappointed) if it was arson.'

The music mogul died on 20 February, aged just 31, following a 'sudden heart attack' after taking drugs at the Acton home he shared with his mother Brenda Edwards, a Loose Women panelist, after DJing the night before

Someone also suggested that the hot weather could be the cause of the fire, with candles and cards sat below the artwork: 'Its been really hot, so maybe it was the heat hoping it wasnt a deliberate act, that would be vile.'

One wrote: 'These last few days as the heat intensifies, its quite possible old candles, glass, dried flowers... That's easy stuff to catch alight.'

Another added: 'Someone definitely done this, its been up for a long time now and also the time it was done was at night it wasnt during the day.

'But justice will be served for you Jamal you didnt deserve this, I cant believe people would be so vile.'
A California man who was mauled by a shark tells how the predator 'spit me out' after he punched and kicked it.

Steve Bruemmer, 62, of Monterey, has finally left the hospital after being attacked by a shark on June 22.

As he laid in his hospital bed wearing a blue 'shark attack survivor' t-shirt while he waited to be released, Bruemmer recalled the terrifying moment the beast bit him.

'I was about 150 yards from being done, near the beach, when, just wham...I was bit ferociously by a shark right across my thighs and abdomen.'

Bruemmer recalled being pushed out of the water by the shark before it 'dove' back under with him in it before releasing the 62-year-old.

'It spit me out, I'm not a seal, it was looking for a seal. We're not their food, it spit me out,' he told the Natividad Medical Center. 'And it was looking at me, right next to me, I thought it could bite me again, so I pushed it with my hand and kicked at it with my foot, and it left.

'It was really unlucky that this shark bite me. They don't want people.'

Steve Bruemmer, 62, of Monterey, (pictured) has finally left the hospital after being attacked by a shark on June 22, which he had to kicked and push away from him

The shark attack survivor recalled being 'spit out' by the shark after it had dragged him under the water. 'It spit me out, I'm not a seal, it was looking for a seal. We're not their food, it spit me out'

He rolled himself out of the Natividad Medical Center on Thursday with two leg braces and a shirt that read 'shark attack survivor'

After getting himself back up to the surface, the retired IT specialist and teacher began screaming for help.

Nurse Aimee Johns and her police officer husband, Paul Bandy, were paddle boarding at the time and began heading his way. Surfer Heath Braddock, who was teaching children on the beach, also rushed out into the water with two boards to help collect the injured Bruemmer.

Bandy, who had a cell phone on him at the time, called 911 as the group of three worked to get Brummer back safely on the beach.

'The three of them, in the bloody water, got me up onto the surfboard and pulled me into the beach,' he told the medical center.

'Heroes. How do you get in bloody water with maybe a shark circling beneath you to save a stranger. They're amazing,' he praised.

Braddock had previously said the bloody water surrounding Bruemmer was around a car length wide.

Footage from the incident shows Bruemmer laid out on a surfboard while the two of them paddle furiously to get him to the shore.

Braddock told KSBW earlier this month: 'We got my biggest board and the gentleman, Paul, helped me roll the victim on the board belly down and got him kind of centered and stable. We had him hold my food and we paddled him in.'

Bandy also told the station: 'He was screaming for help, you could tell the sound and the emotion in his voice that there was something definitely wrong and he was slapping the water.'

'I wasn't sure if that was some sort of thing he was trying to get something away from him or just trying to draw attention to himself.'

Bruemmer was swimming around 150 yards away from the shore when the shark attacked him

A nurse and police officer couple were paddle boarding nearby and immediately became headed toward him after he resurfaces, alongside a surfing instructor who was teaching students on the beach. They managed to the 62-year-old on the board and get him to shore safely

Once he was back on the beach, two ICU nurses and doctor, who were already relaxing on the beach, used their shirts to die tourniquets around his arms and legs to stop the 'severe' bleeding

Bandy also said that the group noticed he was 'severely' bleeding after taking off his wetsuit on the beach. The doctor who operated on him would later say the shark's teeth nearly severed a major artery.

'He could have bled out in the water. It could have been much, much worse,' the doctor told KSBW.

Despite the unlucky shark bite, the Notre Dame alumni found himself surrounded by people trained for a situation like this. Back on the beach, two ICU nurses and a doctor were relaxing on the beach.

The nurses and doctors took their t-shirts and tied them into makeshift tourniquets to help stop the excessive bleeding.

'I had tourniquets on my legs and arms within five minutes to stop the bleeding,' he said. Bruemmer claims these actions stopped him from 'bleeding to death.'

Shortly after, the ambulance arrived - much faster than it normally would have due to Bandy calling 911 from the water. Just 40 minutes after the emergency call was placed, the Californian found himself already at the hospital, which is located almost 30 miles away.

'I remember lying in the ambulance and the ambulance guy said: "Two minutes, we're two minutes out. In two minutes, everything's going to change. You're going to be met by 15 people, who are going to prod you and poke you and ask you questions. This is the best place you can possibly be,' he recalled.

The father-of-two was rushed into a two-hour surgery, where he was given '28 units of blood.' He was underwent another surgery two days later to 'repair my thighs, so one day I'll be able to walk again.'

The former teacher grew emotional as he held back tears while thanking the hospital staff - from janitors to surgeons - for being so caring toward him.

'I was in a tough spot,' he said as his voice grew thick with emotion. 'They were so caring. I'm going home now, but I want to thank Natividad, and the Good Samaritans, and the people on the beach, and that lead-footed ambulance driver... without all of you, I don't make it.' He also thanked the blood donors.

Bruemmer (pictured leaving the hospital) underwent two surgeries and received 28 units of blood and still cannot walk

The older man didn't seem too bothered by his braced legs as he poked his head out the window to playfully wave goodbye to the hospital staff after nearly being hospitalized for a month

'I'm going home, I'm going to recover, and I'm going to be okay, thanks to y'all.'

Brummer left the hospital in his blue shirt, bright neon socks, and two leg braces as a team of medical workers and hospital staff clapped the shark attack survivor.

He also left hospital staff with one last laugh as he hung his head out the car window, as he sat sideways so his braced legs would fit, waving and laughing.

During his recovery, the kind man and his wife, Dr. Brita Bruemmer, treated the hospital staff to homemade lemon sugar and vanilla almond sugar cookies, baked by his sister-in-law, Kirsten Matsumoto. The cookies featured decorated hearts, little gift tag-inspired cookies that said: 'Gratefully, the Bruemmers, and rectangles that said: 'We heart [Navitidad Medical Center symbol].'

Prior to the June 22 attack, there had been 12 shark attacks in the US in 2022, according to Tracking Sharks. Zero have been fatal.

On Christmas Eve 2021, Sacramento man Tomas Butterfield was killed when he was attacked by a shark while swimming in Morro Bay, 150 miles south of Pacific Grove. He was 42 years old.

There has been no confirmation of what breed of shark was responsible for the attack.

The most dangerous types of shark to humans in the Pacific Ocean are the Great White and Tiger sharks. Great white shark attacks in the area are more common south of Pacific Grove, reports KSBW.
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Read Also: MCI Presents Filters, Tools to Restrict Minors' Online Connections to Combat Abuse

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Related Article: Best Buy's Black Friday Sale Offers Huge Discounts on MacBooks, TVs, Beats
A 57-year-old white woman was attacked on a Queens MTA bus during a dispute with three black women, who bashed her in the head with an 'unknown object causing a laceration and bleed' after declaring they 'hate white people,' police say

The incident occurred on a Q53 bus in Woodhaven, Queens on Saturday at approximately 7 p.m.

Police confirmed the attack was motivated by race, and the NYPDs Hate Crime Task Force is currently investigating.

The victim told police she recalled one of the assailants saying 'I hate white people...the way they talk.'

The three women rushed off the bus at Woodhaven Blvd. and Jamaica Ave after the attack, and have not been apprehended.

A Google street view of Woodhaven Boulevard and Jamaica Avenue, where the three assailants fled the bus after assaulting the 57-year-old woman

The incident occurred on a Q53 MTA bus in Queens on Saturday

Hate crimes in New York City are on the rise in 2022

Derrick Johnson, 40, reportedly approached two women inside the Rockefeller Center subway station in Manhattan on May 8, where he doused them in an unknown liquid and pushed one to the ground and spat on her

The victim was treated at Jamaica Hospital and needed two stitches for the gash on her head.

As of Thursday July 14, there are currently no updates or suspects identified.

The case follows several other hate crimes in the city that have shaken residents.

On Wednesday, 40-year-old Derrick Johnson was indicted on hate crime charges after he attacked two Asian women, hurled racist slurs at them and doused them with an unidentified liquid.

Johnson allegedly yelled 'you f***ing Chinese. I dont know why youre here in America,' before charging at one of the women and making her fall.

The fall resulted in the 26-year-old woman sustaining 'substantial pain and swelling to her head and jaw,' according to a press release from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

Johnson has been charged with assault as a hate crime and aggravated harassment, and was ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

So far, in 2022, hate crimes have surged 13.6 percent to 343 hate crimes as of July 10, compared to the same time last year, according to the NYPD.

Bragg, alongside NYC Mayor Eric Adams, 61, has received considerable pushback for their lax bail laws, which has left many unwanted criminals back out on the streets of New York.

'The rise of bias-driven crimes is unacceptable. We are expanding our offices Hate Crimes Unit to enhance these prosecutions while increasing community engagement and other preventative measures.'
Indiana's Republican Attorney General has vowed to probe a doctor who performed an abortion on a 10 year-old rape victim who couldn't have a termination in her home state of Ohio.

Todd Rokita questioned whether the medic, Dr Caitlin Bernard, had complied the Hoosier State's law requiring that all abortions be reported to authorities.

Appearing on Fox News Wednesday Rokita called obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Caitlin Bernard, an 'abortion activist acting as a doctor' who he claims has a history of failing to report abortions.

'We're gathering the evidence as we speak, and we're going to fight this to the end, including looking at her licensure if she failed to report. And in Indiana it's a crime  to intentionally not report,' AG Rokita said on Fox News on Wednesday.

'This is a child, and there's a strong public interest in understanding if someone under the age of 16 or under the age of 18 or really any woman is having abortion in our state. And then if a child is being sexually abused, of course parents need to know. Authorities need to know. Public policy experts need to know.'

Bernard performed an abortion on the unidentified 10-year-old, who police say was raped by an illegal immigrant named Gerson Fuentes, 27. Her story made headlines when she was forced to travel from her home state to Indiana due to Ohio's six-week ban enacted after the end of Roe v. Wade last month. There are no exceptions for rape or incest.

Dr. Bernard has not yet responded to the AG's remarks, but tweeted earlier Wednesday:

'My heart breaks for all survivors of sexual assault and abuse. I am so sad that our country is failing them when they need us most. Doctors must be able to give people the medical care they need, when and where they need it.'

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita says an investigation into the doctor who performed an abortion on a 10-year-old girl from Ohio is underway

Dr. Caitlin Bernard performed an abortion on the unidentified 10-year-old rape victim whose story made headlines when she was forced to travel from her home state to Indiana

The child from Ohio was six weeks and three days into her pregnancy when traveled out-of-state for her abortion. Abortion in Indiana is banned after 22 weeks of pregnancy, with some exceptions for medical emergencies.

However, there are strict reporting requirements in both Ohio and Indiana for abortions and rape allegations.

Ohio's Republican attorney general, Dave Yost, appeared on Fox News on Monday and stated there was no evidence of a report being filed for the 10-year-old's case.

Now, Indiana AG Rokita says an investigation into the doctor and her license is underway.

The case has been under scrutiny but some who doubted whether or not the story was even true.

But this week, a 27-year-old Columbus, Ohio man was arrested after confessing to raping the child on two different occasions.

Gerson Fuentes arraigned on Wednesday in Columbus, where he faces a charge of felony first degree rape of a child under 13. Bail was set at $2 million.

On Wednesday, Fox News host Jesse Watters took credit for 'putting pressure' on the investigation into the rape of a 10-year-old Ohio girl, just two days after suggesting the story could be a hoax.

Watters hinted that the criminal investigation leading to the arrest of Fuentes was largely the result of his commentary on Monday.

'Primetime covered this story heavily on Monday, put on the pressure, and now we're glad that justice is being served,' he said.

The network then played a compilation of short videos that showed Watters cracking on inconsistencies in the case, including why Dr. Bernard, who provided the abortion services in Indiana, had not reported the rape.

Gerson Fuentes, 27, was arrested on July 12 and has been charged with one count of rape after police say he confessed to raping the child two different times

Watters was critical of the media's focus on the abortion aspect of the highly covered story and decried the fact that a criminal inquiry had not been opened into the rape by the time it made national headlines.

'Why isn't anybody talking about bringing the child rapist to justice,' Watters said: 'If there is a ... child abuser out there in the streets of Ohio, he needs to be brought to justice, and if so-called doctors are covering child rape, they need to be prosecuted.'

Watters has cast doubt on the veracity of the story, venturing to suggest that it could be a hoax used by the left to seize on the potential to politicize the 10-year-old victim after the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

'But if this horrific story isn't accurate and the abortion doctor and the are misleading us?' Watters asked during Monday's segment.

'And the mainstream media and president of the United States seizing on another hoax? Then this is absolutely shameful. And fits a pretty dangerous pattern of politically timed disinformation.'

During a Wednesday segment, Watters hinted that the criminal investigation leading to the arrest of alleged child rapist Gerson Fuentes, 27, was largely the result of his commentary

Fuentes, whom federal sources said is present in the country illegally, confessed to raping the girl at least twice, a police investigator testified at the arraignment.

The detective also testified that the victim in the case was forced to travel to Indiana to get an abortion following the Dobbs ruling, a claim that Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, along with other conservatives, had cast doubt upon just days ago.

A detective testified Wednesday that Columbus police learned about the girl's pregnancy through a referral by Franklin County Children Services that was made by her mother on June 22.

The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that recognized women's constitutional right to abortion, just two days later, on June 24.

Rape suspect Gerson Fuentes, 27, is seen at Wednesday's arraignment appearing via videolink. He is accused of raping a 10-year-old girl who had to cross state lines for an abortion

In court, a detective (not pictured) testified that the victim in the case was forced to travel to Indiana to get an abortion following the Dobbs ruling

The girl had an abortion in Indianapolis on June 30, The Columbus Dispatch reported, crossing state lines in order to get access the procedure.

An Indianapolis physician who provides abortion services, Dr. Caitlin Bernard, had told The Indianapolis Star that an abortion had been provided for such a child because the girl couldn't get the abortion in Ohio, which had a newly imposed state ban on abortions at the first detectable 'fetal heartbeat.'

The child was six weeks and three days pregnant  therefore, ineligible by just three days to receive the procedure in her home state.

According to court records, a report was generated on June 22 with the Columbus Division of Police for rape. And on July 6, the victim identified Fuentes to authorities as the person who raped her.

A week later, Fuentes was served a search warrant for a saliva sample and was taken into custody where he confessed to raping the victim multiple times.

Fuentes appeared in court Wednesday and was given a $2 million bond. He's currently in the Franklin County Jail.

Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Cynthia Ebner said the case didn't warrant Fuentes - who is believed to be undocumented - to be held without bond, the Columbus Dispatch reported.

But Ebner said a higher bond was necessary due to Fuentes being a possible flight risk and for the safety of children involved.

Ohio AG Dave Yost Yost had claimed in an interview Monday there's no 'biological evidence' to the story, and that he hasn't heard a 'whisper anywhere' about the little girl

In a statement on Wednesday, Yost quickly took a different tack on the case

On Fox News Monday, Yost claimed there is no 'biological evidence' to the story, and that he hasn't heard a 'whisper anywhere' about the little girl.

'Even more telling, Jesse, my office runs the state crime lab. Any case like this, you're going to have a rape kit, you're going to have biological evidence, and you'd be looking for DNA analysis,' he said. 'There is no case request for analysis that looks anything like this.'

Following the news of the arrest on Wednesday, the AG's office released a statement.

'My heart aches for the pain suffered by this young child. I am grateful for the diligent work of the Columbus Police Department in securing a confession and getting a rapist off the street.

Justice must be served and BCI stands ready to support law enforcement across Ohio putting these criminals behind bars.'

The case made national headlines soon after the Indianapolis Star, an Indiana-based publication, reported a little girl had to cross state lines to receive an abortion because she was denied one in Ohio.

Bernard claimed an Ohio abuse doctor got in contact with her hours after the Supreme Court's controversially overturned Roe v. Wade.

Ohio is one of the many states set to impose laws, which would cap abortions at six weeks. Also in the state of Ohio, doctors are mandated to report abuse of minors

The child was allegedly six weeks and three days pregnant - therefore, ineligible by just three days to receive the procedure in her home state.

Abortion advocates in the state attempted to halt Ohio's six-week abortion ban, but the effort was denied by a judge.

It was originally reported that the girl had to leave the state for an abortion due to trigger laws, but Yost told Fox News that that is incorrect.

'Ohio's heartbeat law has a medical exception, which is broader than just the life of the mother,' he said. 'This young girl, if she exists and if this horrible thing actually happened to her - it breaks my heart to think about it - she did not have to leave Ohio to find treatment.'

It's unclear, however, that the girl's condition met the law's definition of an emergency, which must be life-threatening or involve a 'serious risk of the substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function.'

Biden mentioned the story in an passionate speech that argued for federal abortion protection and asked the audience to imagine being the that little girl

In a statement Wednesday, Yost said the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation stands ready to help prosecute the case. He didn't address his previous suggestions that the case was fabricated.

Gov. Mike DeWine, who, like Yost, faced criticism for questioning the case's veracity, had no new comments to offer Wednesday, spokesperson Dan Tierney said in an email.

'As we previously stated, Gov. DeWine views this crime as a horrific tragedy, and he has said that if the evidence supports, the rapist should spend the rest of his life in prison,' he said.

Last week, President Joe Biden raged about trigger laws and the girl's rape.

The president himself referenced the story, using it to help push an executive order that would protect abortions in the wake of the Supreme Court decision.

'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!'
A 9/11 widow has slammed President Biden ahead of his meeting with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia  blasting him as the least empathetic president since the tragedy.

Terry Strada wants the White House to confront Mohammed bin Salman al Saud about the countrys role in the terrorist attack during his upcoming visit to Jeddah.

Stradas husband Tom died in the World Trade Centers North Tower during the attacks on September 11, 2001.

The National Chair of the 9/11 Families United is calling for President Biden to hold the Kingdom accountable for the murder of their loved ones.

She attacked the President for his failure to mention the atrocity during an op-ed Biden wrote for the Washington Post earlier this week.

Speaking to CNN, Strada said: Ive been really disappointed in the president lately, when he put out his op ed in the Washington Post he completely omitted 9/11.

He didnt talk about what were going through and what weve been requesting from him.

President Biden claims to be Mr Empathy. He is the least empathetic president have had since September 11.

Terry Strada, National Chair of the 9/11 Families United, is calling for President Biden to hold the Kingdom accountable for the murder of their loved ones. She said that they are 'not gong away' and will question his motives if he sweeps the problems 'under the carpet'

9/11 widow @TerrySStrada speaks out ahead of president Biden trip to Saudi Arabia pic.twitter.com/BjRyb7n21v  The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) July 13, 2022

Terry Strada's husband Tom, pictured, died during the attacks on September 11, 2001. She is now calling for President Biden to confront the Saudi Prince over their involvement in the terrorist attack

Biden today defended his decision to visit the country, saying that the purpose of the trip was to promote US interests. He claims he has an opportunity to fix the mistake of walking away from our influence in the Middle East

He offered us no words of comfort at the 20th anniversary. He has ignored our letters. He has ignored our requests. We are all over the news, but we get nothing from this president.

We are going to watch him very closely. We are not going away. When he comes back from his trip he is going to have to answer to us.

What did he do in those meetings? Was 9/11 brought up? Is he going to hold the kingdom accountable for the murder of our loved ones?

If not, if he chooses to sweep this under the rug, then we will ask what did you trade for the murder of 3,000 innocent people.

Earlier today President Biden stopped short of confirming that he would raise the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi with the leaders this week.

He insisted that he always brings up human rights and that his view on the murder have been made absolutely, positively clear.

US officials are hoping that during his trip, which starts tomorrow, the president will have some one-on-one time as part of the meeting.

Biden today defended his decision to visit the country, saying that the purpose of the trip was to promote US interests.

The US has accused the crown prince in a declassified CIA report of having approve the killing of Khashoggi  something that they have always denied.

When asked by CNN what she wanted from the president, Strada added: It is the presidents obligation to tell the crown prince that he needs to hold his countrymen accountable.

The billionaire Saudi elites, all that were part of the funding for Al Qaeda there has to be accountability for all of that, because that is the pipeline of money that supports terrorism.

If we dont deal with it with him now at his first meeting then we have no guarantee that the money will not continue to flow to terrorist organizations and that this country will still be at threat from the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Strada claims that Bided travelling to Jeddah is different to previous presidents, as he has 'overwhelming evidence' that the country was involved in feeding money to Al Qaeda. She said that he did not even acknowledge the survivors and family members of the dead on the 20th anniversary last year

US officials are hoping that during his trip, which starts tomorrow, the president will have some one-on-one time as part of the meeting. Biden today defended his decision to visit the country, saying that the purpose of the trip was to promote US interests

Strada feels it is the presidents 'obligation' to 'hold his countrymen accountable'. She claims that the Saudi elites were part of the funding for terrorist organizations and they need reassurance that this would stop

I understand that theres a lot of reasons to sit down and have a conversation with the crown prince but what my organization all the families, and survivors, have been trying to get across to this president is that you have to deal with September 11 first.

Because that was such a tragic tragedy in this country we were brutally attacked there was no accountability, no justice to the families theres been no remorse and we are very concerned about how you protect yourselves going forwards.

Now the evidence is there and that is the difference with this presidents than other presidents that sat across from him. The evidence is overwhelming that the kingdom was involved.'

Biden said that he plans to deliver a direct message to Saudi leadership tomorrow  message of peace and extraordinary opportunities that a more stable and integrated region could bring to the region and quite frankly the whole world.

Biden added that he will be meeting with many leaders of the Middle East and attending a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council plus three  Egypt, Iraq and Jordan.

He claims he has an opportunity to fix the mistake of walking away from our influence in the Middle East in a thinly shrouded reference to the Trump administration.

President Biden must look the Saudi Crown Prince in the eyes and demand accountability for the Kingdom's role in murdering our loved ones, but early signs are troubling

BY TERRY STRADA

The United States suffered its worst terrorist attack over 20 years ago when 19 terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners and murdered 2,977 people on September 11, 2001, causing injuries to thousands more.

Over 3,000 children lost a parent, some lost both.

Like most victims' families, I was left to navigate in a post 9/11 world filled with overwhelming sadness, fear, and uncertainty.

Nothing about my life, including raising my three children who were seven, four and four days old has been easy since that heartbreaking day when their father was killed in the North Tower of the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan.

The challenges of single parenthood came with a constant barrage of additional questions that I needed answers to; Who would attack us so violently? Why would they want to murder thousands on American soil? How did such a horrific attack happen?

I have committed the last 20 years to working with various members of the 9/11 community and our nation's lawmakers in uncovering evidence that would put an end to my burning questions.

Tom (right) would frequently tell our two oldest to 'do the right thing' (children pictured above) That sentiment is the foundation for all three of my children's upbringing

(Above) Kaitlyn Strada, 17, conducts a news conference in the Capitol Visitor Center on legislation that calls for disclosure of 28 blacked out pages of the 9/11 report to Congress on the terrorist attacks on June 2, 2015. From left are her mother Terry, brother Tom, 20, firefighter Ray Hayden, Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., former Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla., Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.

We all deserve the truth, and if the United States is going to do its best to prevent another catastrophic attack motivated by the Islamist hate-filled ideology that inspired September 11, we need a full accounting from the Kingdom.

President Joe Biden is traveling to Jeddah this week to meet with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman al Saud.

Will he be the first president to look a Saudi leader in the eye and demand accountability for Saudi Arabia's complicity in the 9/11 attacks?

The early signs are troubling.

In an op-ed published in the Washington Post this past weekend, the President outlined his reasons for traveling to the Kingdom without a single mention of Saudi Arabia's role in the 9/11 attacks.

He applauded himself for releasing the intelligence community's report on the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

He boasted that he, 'will be the first president to visit the Middle East since 9/11 without U.S. troops engaged in a combat mission there'.

Yet failed to even mention that his administration has also declassified thousands of documents concerning Saudi support for al Qaeda and the 9/11 terrorists.

Those documents were kept secret by the U.S. government for years. And most of these revelations were not available to the 9/11 Commission, which was ostensibly created to prepare a full accounting of the circumstances of the attack.

In fact, throughout the past two decades past presidents have gone to extraordinary lengths to protect the U.S relationship with the Kingdom.

This included excising information regarding the Saudis' role in September 11 from a 2002 U.S. congressional inquiry, attempting to deny the 9/11 families from their day in court by vetoing counter-terrorism legislation allowing us to sue the Saudi government, and most recently President Trump's reneging on a promise to declassify FBI documents to the greatest extent possible.

To his credit, President Biden proved different than his predecessors when he signed an executive order last September commanding U.S. Intelligence Agencies to conduct a declassification review process of all 9/11 related documents.

But this was only just a first step.

Nothing about my life, including raising my three children who were seven, four and four days old has been easy since that heartbreaking day when their father was killed in the North Tower of the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan

There is overwhelming proof that Saudi agents in the U.S. ran an illegal anti-American, pro-Jihadist program in the U.S. to establish the support network needed to carry out the attacks

The newly declassified documents are damning and cannot now be ignored.

In one instance, documents reveal a Saudi intelligence operative -- on the payroll of former Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United States Prince Bandar bin Sultan, living freely in the Kingdom and receiving a monthly stipend -- was a key part of the U.S.-based support network.

The evidence shows this Saudi agent, Omar al-Bayoumi, provided substantial assistance to the hijackers and possessed a drawing of a plane and formula used to calculate the rate of descent required of an aircraft to reach a target on the horizon at a given speed.

The FBI assessed that al-Bayoumi was likely to have advance knowledge of the hijacker's intentions.

After the announcement that President Biden would be making a visit to the Kingdom, my organization, 9/11 Families United, penned a letter to him pointing out the thousands of pages of newly declassified U.S. Intelligence documents supporting Saudi complicity in 9/11, including recent ones from Great Britain.

Moreover, there is overwhelming proof that Saudi agents in the U.S. ran an illegal anti-American, pro-Jihadist program in the U.S. to establish the support network needed to carry out the attacks.

President Biden must protect America's interests by demanding transparency from the Kingdom and accountability for the role they played in murdering our loved ones. Nothing less is acceptable from the 9/11 community, and the American people deserve nothing less.

But the moral, legal, and diplomatic case for taking 9/11 accountability up with Saudis does not rely on that alone.

President Biden needs to address the undisputed fact that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was the epicenter of terrorism financing leading up to 9/11, and declassified intelligence reports show that state-funded charities, billionaire Saudi elites and Saudi banks provided massive support to al Qaeda.

It is the obligation of the President to insist the Saudi state hold its own citizens and institutions accountable for their wrongdoing. And it is the obligation of the Saudi state to do so.

The Crown Prince has stripped some individuals of their resources for their extremist activities, but if he wants to show a capacity to be a responsible actor on the global stage, now is his opportunity to step up and do so.

My late husband was a kind, fun-loving man with a strong moral compass. He would frequently tell our two oldest to 'do the right thing.' That sentiment is the foundation for all three of my children's upbringing.

I would like to believe President Biden and the Crown Prince will see the wisdom in those words when they are sitting across from one another and realize the importance of doing what is right for both countries.

In this meeting, both leaders can begin a new chapter in our long history based on accountability for September 11 and the truth.

Both nations can commit to an agreement that their bad actors gave substantial support for the September 11 attacks.

It is long overdue for the Kingdom to account for harm caused to American civilians by the wrongdoing of its wealthy citizens, banks and charities and we expect nothing less than ensuring that accountability for our pain and suffering is achieved from our president.
VIce President Kamala Harris delivered a fiery speech in front of an Alpha Kappa Alpha convention in Orlando. Harris joined the sorority as a student at Howard University

Vice President Kamala Harris took aim at 'so-called leaders' in Florida and neighboring Republican-led states over their stances on gun control, election security laws and abortion rights in a fiery speech on Thursday.

Without naming the Sunshine State's Republican governor, Harris implicitly criticized DeSantis in a speech on his own home turf in Orlando.

The vice president had been addressing the national convention of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the first intercollegiate historically African American sorority - which Harris had been a part of as a student at Howard University.

There, she told her sorority sisters that the black community needed to 'lead' on the issue of gun violence, citing data that show the disproportionate effect it has on African Americans. Though Harris added that solving such issues had 'never been easy' and blamed 'extremist' opposition opposed to reform.

'There are, as there have always been, forces that stand in our way. Forces that oppose...even the most common sense gun safety proposals,' Harris said.

'Forces that include extremist, so-called leaders, who instead of expanding rights work to restrict rights.'

She continued, 'These so-called leaders who, after we fought and marched, members of our sorority being the greatest leaders, fought for the right to vote, these so called leaders right in this state and other places make it more difficult for people to vote.'

Harris also took a jab at nearby Georgia, where Republican Governor Brian Kemp signed a law earlier this year preventing people from distributing food and water to voters waiting in line on Election Day.

'So-called leaders in neighboring states, making it even illegal to give folks food and water as they're standing in line to vote.'

Without calling him out by name, Harris ripped Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over the voting security law he signed last year

Earlier this year a federal appellate court upheld Florida's new voting law as constitutional. It reversed a lower court ruling that struck down the measure and blasted the state's 'grotesque history of racial discrimination.'

DeSantis came under fire by voting rights groups and Democrats last year when he signed the new election security bill into law, which critics said would limit ballot box access for minorities and senior citizens.

Under the new provisions, ballot drop box hours are reduced and mobile drop boxes are prohibited altogether. Election officials are now required to staff all drop boxes as well, and the people who can drop off a voter's ballot are now limited to either family members or someone dropping off no more than two ballots.

Election drop boxes were of critical importance during the COVID-19 pandemic, when a historic number of Americans voted in droves via early voting and mail-in ballots for the 2020 presidential race. A vast majority of the early and mail-in votes went to President Joe Biden.

During her Thursday remarks Harris also renewed calls for women to keep fighting for abortion access after the Supreme Court threw away five decades of precedent in overturning Roe v. Wade last month.

'We know what we need to do,' Harris said.

'We need to continue to fight for a womans right to make the most intimate, personal decisions for herself with her doctor, with her pastor, with her priests with her loved ones but not her government telling her what she is supposed to do.'

She also urged women to keep fighting for abortion access after a flurry of red states limited or banned the medical procedure in the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health, which overturned the federal right to an abortion

DeSantis signed a bill limiting abortion to up to 15 weeks in April, amid a flurry of GOP-led legislatures acting to ban or curb access to the procedure.

The law was set to take effect this month before a Florida judge pumped the breaks on that just two weeks ago on June 30.

DeSantis promised to appeal the ruling during a press conference in central Florida later that day.

'These are unborn babies that have heartbeats, they can feel pain, they can suck their thumb,' the governor said.

'And to say the state constitution mandates things like dismemberment abortions, I just dont think thats the proper interpretation.'

The governor rose to national prominence as an ally of Donald Trump's and later a vocal critic of the Biden administration on COVID-19 and other policies.

He's also been touted as a potential 2024 presidential contender, which could put him head-to-head against the former president in a heated primary race.

So far neither has formally indicated they are running for the White House in 2024.
The family of a teenager who died after falling 50ft from a cliff in Caithness, Scotland, say they are 'absolutely devastated' over her death.

Alesha Wright, 18, tragically died after the horror incident in Thurso on Monday evening (July 11).

Alesha's family, which includes three younger siblings, told of their 'inconceivable' loss in a statement today.

They said: 'We are absolutely devastated to have lost our darling Alesha, who was a much loved daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, cousin and friend to many.

'As parents, the thought of outliving Alesha was inconceivable and we ask for our privacy to be respected at this extremely distressing time.'

Alesha Wright, 18, fell to her death off a cliff in Caithness, Scotland, shortly before 5.50pm on Monday night

Both Alesha (right) and her boyfriend Dominic Long, 26, (left) fell from the cliff - Alesha was pronounced dead at the scene but Dominic remains in critical care in hospital

Detectives said it is 'vital we piece together exactly what happened in the lead up to their fall' and are appealing for witnesses to come forward

Alesha had been posting on her social media accounts just 12 hours before the tragic incident on Monday night.

Among tributes paid to her on social media, Alesha's devastated mother, Deb, said she spoke to her daughter just hours prior to the incident and she does not believe Alesha 'jumped' from the cliff.

Another family member appealed for friends and family who 'think they know or have ideas [about what happened]' to not express them on social media.

Mary Dasent, who is believed to be Mary's nan, wrote: 'Alesha I never got to see you grow up to be the beautiful girl you turned out to be.

'Heaven has gained a beautiful angel you have always been in my thoughts sleep tight sweet angle. Nan Mary xx.'

A 26-year-old man - named locally as Dominic Long - who is believed to have been in a relationship with Alesha was airlifted to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness for treatment with serious injuries.

He is understood to be in critical care.

Alesha's death is currently being treated as 'unexplained'. Police were called at 5.50pm on Monday to reports that a man and a woman had fallen off a cliff.

Three Coastguard rescue teams responded to the scene, along with a coastguard search and rescue helicopter from Inverness.

The Thurso lifeboat was also launched to aid in the rescue.

Dominic's brother Liam said Alesha was like a sister, adding: 'She was such a lovely girl with so much potential, I will miss you forever I'll meet you up there.'

Alesha's friend Bridie Nicholson (left), said she loved Alesha with 'all her heart' as tributes from friends rushed in

Alesha's family have appealed for privacy and described her loss as 'inconceivable' in a statement released by police today

In a separate post he added: 'I thought her and my brother would be together forever, It breaks me to think how he must be feeling. Alesha I will see you in heaven.'

Friends have paid tribute on social media to the 'beautiful' teen, with one writing: 'Forever 18 A, I love you with all my heart baby girl. Thank you for everything'.

A second said: 'Fly high my beautiful love u forever and ever pet x. Will miss you forever. You touch all of our lives. Love you loads xxx.'

Others described her as a 'princess' who had 'a beautiful soul inside and out', or as the 'kindest and sweetest girl' they had known.

Even those who did not know Alesha well paid glowing tributes to her 'gorgeous' and 'kind' personality.

One such poster wrote on Facebook: 'Only last week I was with a friend of mine in the town centre.

'We were conducting a week of mission in Thurso, and we spoke to Alesha and her two friends.

'Like all of us Alesha was glad to receive encouragement, and she was also glad for us to pray with her.

'She is at peace and in Gods care today.

'Praying for you all at this very difficult time, that you would know Gods presence and comfort. May He bless and help you all.'

Earlier that day Alesha had asked her friends for spare paint on Facebook, and seemed to be planning some decorating work.

Detective Inspector for Police Scotland Richard Baird said: 'It is vital we piece together exactly what happened in the lead up to their fall and we are carrying out a number of enquiries to establish this information.

'Victoria Walk is a popular area and I would appeal to anyone who may have seen them walking there or any drivers who were in the area who have dash-cam footage, to speak to officers.

'I would ask anyone with information or personal footage that may assist our ongoing enquiry to contact officers through 101 quoting reference number 2876 of 11 July.'
A Florida sheriff says a homeowner will 'absolutely not' face charges after he shot at least two home invaders during a harrowing burglary.

Escambia County Sheriff's Office released footage from a Ring camera that shows the suspected home invaders pushing their way into the Pensacola home July 7, after the homeowner answers the door.

The homeowner, who cannot be seen on camera, and who was not named, was armed with a pistol.

But he dropped it during the scuffle, deputies said. He then ran to the back of his house where he grabbed another firearm and began shooting.

An explosion of gunfire is heard on the video and the three suspects are seen fleeing away from the house and over to a vehicle where a fourth suspect, who appeared to be armed, was waiting and they drove off.

Da'Torrance Hackworth, 20, and Antonio Dewayne Dean Jr., 18, were arrested and face home invasion and illegal gun possession charges.

A third suspect, Joseph Roman Sanders, 18, is still on the run, and deputies are still looking to identify the fourth suspect. His image was caught on crystal-clear security footage.

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Video shows the suspects in front of the Florida residence on July 7

The homeowner was armed with a gun when he opened the door but dropped it in the scuffle. He grabbed another from his house and video shows the moment he unleash a round of bullets

DaTorrance Hackworth was one of the suspected home invaders

Antonio Dewayne Dean Jr. has also been arrested in the wake of the terrifying burglary

A third suspect, Joseph Roman Sanders, 18, is still on the run, and deputies are still trying to identify the fourth suspect

Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons said the homeowner will not face any charges for shooting at the suspects because he has a right to protect himself and his home.

'So those you who might ask a question, is the homeowner going to be charged for shooting at these people? Absolutely not,' Sheriff Simmons told Fox News.

'The homeowner is protecting himself and in Florida and Escambia County, you can protect yourself.'

Simmons backed the rights of homeowners to defend themselves.

'If someone breaks into my front door, barges in and attacks me or my family, they are going to get shot,' Simmons added. 'I afford that same consideration to the residents of my county.'

When the homeowner unlocks the door, two of the suspects push their way inside

Another suspect could be seen waiting near the car which they used to flee the scene

The home invasion happened on the night of July 7 on the 700 block of Pinestead Road in Pensacola.

Footage released from the sheriff's office shows the suspects gathered outside talking among themselves as they wait for the homeowner to answer the door.

The sheriff's office said three of the suspects approached the door and two of the men barged their way in when the homeowner unlocked and opened the door.

The homeowner was armed with a pistol, but dropped it during the invasion. He ran to the back of the house for another gun and began shooting at the invaders who frantically fled the scene.

The shooting scared off the suspects who fled the scene in a vehicle nearby

Hackworth and Dean Jr. were arrested on use/display of a firearm during a felony, possession of a firearm by a felon, larceny, grand theft of a firearm, and robbery/home invasion with a firearm charges.

Sanders - who has not yet been arrested - faces a home invasion with a firearm.

Authorities are still trying to identify a fourth suspect.
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Ivana Trump has died at the age of 73 after being found 'unconscious and unresponsive' in her New York City townhouse, hours before she had a hair salon appointment.

The socialite was found at the bottom of a set of stairs in her Manhattan home shortly before 1pm on Thursday by a staff member arriving at the residence, and investigators she may have fallen, possibly after suffering a medical episode. An official cause of death has yet to be confirmed.

'It's been a very sad day, a very sad day,' Eric Trump said as he left his mother's Upper East Side home near Central Park.

Ivana spent her final days preparing for a long-awaited getaway to St. Tropez on Friday, and had planned a visit to her usual hair stylist on the day she was found dead, an employee at the salon told DailyMail.com.

News of Ivana's death was first shared by her ex-husband, former President Donald Trump, via a post on his Truth Social account on Thursday afternoon.

'I am very saddened to inform all of those that loved her, of which there are many, that Ivana Trump has passed away at her home in New York City,' he wrote.

Trump shared three children with his ex-wife, whom he married in 1977 and divorced in 1992, and went on to pay tribute to Ivana, describing her as a 'beautiful, amazing' woman, while honoring her close bond with their children together: Donald Jr, Eric, and Ivanka.

Ivana Trump has passed away at the age of 73 of a suspected cardiac arrest after being found 'unconscious and unresponsive at the bottom of a set of stairs in her apartment'. She was last pictured (above) on June 22 in New York City

Ivana's youngest child Eric, 38, was seen outside his mother's New York home on Thursday afternoon shortly after the news of her death broke. He issued a statement to DailyMail.com in the wake of Ivana's passing, praising her as an 'incredible woman'

Eric was joined by his wife Lara Trump, 39, who kept her face shielded with large sunglasses as she made her way out of her late mother-in-law's home

The youngest child of Donald and Ivana Trump was seen climbing into a waiting vehicle outside of the townhouse where his mother was found dead

Ivan's Yorkshire Terrier, named Tiger, is seen being brought out of her townhouse following her death

Ivana is seen in 2016 with her regular hair dresser Salih Cakirca. Her salon said that she missed an appointment on Thursday, the same day she was found dead in her townhouse

Ivana's son Eric confirmed the news of Ivana's death to DailyMail.com, saying in a statement issued on behalf of the family: 'Our mother was an incredible woman - a force in business, a world-class athlete, a radiant beauty, and caring mother and friend.

'Ivana Trump was a survivor. She fled from communism and embraced this country. She taught her children about grit and toughness, compassion and determination.

It was reported by ABC News that Ivana was found 'unconscious and unresponsive' at the bottom of a set of stairs in her New York City townhouse (pictured)

'She will be dearly missed by her mother, her three children and ten grandchildren.'

Detectives believe Trump was fatally injured falling down the stairs, perhaps after suffering a medical episode, a police official told the Daily News. Foul play is not suspected.

She was last seen alive on Wednesday at 4.30pm when her housekeeper and assistant left the home, the person said.

Two people familiar with the matter told AP that police believe her death was accidental. The medical examiner's office will determine an official cause of death.

Police said that Ivana was discovered unresponsive at 12.40pm by cops who had been called to her Upper East Side townhouse on a wellness check, according to the New York Post.

Authorities are investigating whether a cardiac arrest may have played a role in her death, the outlet reported.

Ivana was last pictured out and about in New York City on June 22, when she was seen leaving her Upper East Side townhouse and being escorted to hair salon.

Images showed the socialite being assisted by an aide, who gave her arm to Ivana as they strolled down the sidewalk to her hair appointment.

Ivana had also planned to visit her regular salon on Thursday, in preparation for a St. Tropez getaway.

Fatih Cakirca, the brother of salon owner Salih Cakirca, told DailyMail.com that his brother had done Ivana's hair for 20 years, and that she came in once a week to get the 'Ivana Classic'.

'I've also known her for 20 years. She was a very nice lady, we're shocked and sad. She had an appointment today at 2pm and the housekeeper just cancelled,' he said.

'I know she was going to St Tropez until September. I just saw her last Friday, she came to the salon, I did her hair. She was great, nothing wrong with her. She looked very healthy and happy. She was a very lovely lady . Very friendly,' added Fatih Cakirca, who works alongside his brother at Salih Salon, not far from Ivana's home.

The 73-year-old grandmother had remained highly cloistered during the COVID-19 pandemic, but planned to depart for her St. Tropez trip on Friday, her best friend Nikki Haskell told Page Six.

'She was leaving for St. Tropez tomorrow. This was going to be her first trip away since the pandemic,' said Haskell. 'She was afraid of getting the virus,'

Haskell added that Ivana was 'totally locked down' during the pandemic and 'wouldn't go anywhere' because she was so afraid of catching COVID-19.

Ivana Trump is seen walking her dog Tiger on a stroll with an aide in New York City in 2020. Friends say she had remained highly cloistered during the COVID-19 pandemic, and feared falling ill

On Thursday, an unidentified individual, center, leaves the residence of Ivana Trump with Trump's yorkie dog called Tiger, following Trump organization executive Matthew Calamari, left, after Ivana's death

Lara Trump and Eric Trump are seen leaving Ivan's Manhattan home after she was found dead on Thursday

Media gather outside the residence of Ivana Trump on Thursday after her death at age 73

Ivana Trump is survived by her mother, her three children and 10 grandchildren.

Ivana's mother, Marie Zelnickova, is 95 and due to turn 96 in September; she was last seen with her daughter in 2019, when the family gathered to mark the matriarch's 93rd birthday.

Ivana's daughter Ivanka Trump posted a tribute to her mother on Instagram, sharing several family photos from throughout the years.

'Heartbroken by the passing of my mother. Mom was brilliant, charming, passionate and wickedly funny. She modeled strength, tenacity and determination in her every action,' wrote Ivanka.

'She lived life to the fullest  never forgoing an opportunity to laugh and dance,' she added. 'I will miss her forever and will keep her memory alive in our hearts always.'

Eric also took to Instagram to post a tribute to his late mother, sharing several images of the socialite and her children over the years, including photos of Ivana with her children when they were younger.

A grieving Eric was pictured leaving his late mother's home on Thursday afternoon, at around 4.30PM ET, making his way out of the townhouse alongside his wife, Lara.

Lara posted her own touching tribute to her mother-in-law on Instagram, writing: 'An incredible spiritan unmatched iconan amazing woman. We love you, Ivana.'

According to TMZ, Ivana - who was reportedly worth $100 million when she died - was discovered in her home not breathing by a female employee arriving for the day, who called 911.

Donald and Ivana Trump married in 1977 and shared three children together before divorcing in 1992

Former President Donald Trump shared the news of his ex-wife's passing on his Truth Social account on Thursday afternoon, revealing she died in her home on New York's Upper East Side

Ivana is seen with her children, her mother Marie Zelnickova, and other family members on Mother's Day 2021

In his statement, Trump, 76, paid tribute to Ivana as a 'wonderful, beautiful, and amazing woman, who led a great and inspirational life'

Ivana's daughter Ivanka Trump posted a tribute to her mother on Instagram, sharing several family photos

Eric and Ivanka Trump pay tribute to 'brilliant' mom Ivana with snaps from their childhood Ivana Trump, model and first husband of former President Donald Trump, is being remembered fondly by her children with the ex-Commander in Chief. Her only daughter, Ivanka Trump, posted to Instagram shortly after the news of her death broke with a series of photos of them together throughout the Trumps' lives. 'Heartbroken by the passing of my mother,' she wrote. 'Mom was brilliant, charming, passionate and wickedly funny. She modeled strength, tenacity and determination in her every action. She lived life to the fullest  never forgoing an opportunity to laugh and dance. I will miss her forever and will keep her memory alive in our hearts always.' Her youngest son, Eric Trump and his wife Lara, did the same Thursday evening. Trump's eldest son, Donald Jr., has yet to comment. Ivana Trump, model and first husband of former President Donald Trump, is being remembered fondly by her children with the ex-Commander in Chief Her youngest son, Eric Trump, posted this photo of the two of them Thursday evening to Instagram Lara Trump also shared touching pictures of her mother in law from her wedding and with her son Advertisement

Ivana was born in Czechoslovakia in 1949 to an electrical engineer father, Milos Zelnicek and telephone operator mother, Marie, however she relocated to Canada in the mid-1970s, before moving to the US, where she took up residence in New York City.

Ivana is survived by her three children, as well as her 95-year-old mother, Marie Zelnickova (seen together in 1990)

The then-teen used her impressive talents as a skier in order to plan her escape from behind the Iron Curtain; before her marriage to Trump, Ivana was wed to an Austrian ski instructor, Alfred Winklmayr, a friend with whom she tied the knot in order to gain an Austrian passport, which enabled her to leave her communist home country and move to Canada.

She divorced Winklmayr shortly after she was granted an Austrian passport - and she then went on to enjoy a romance with a ski boutique owner in Montreal while also working as a ski instructor. However after just a couple of years of living in Canada, Ivana relocated to Manhattan to pursue her work as a model.

It was here that she met Trump, whom she wed in 1977, having first met him at an event that she attended with a group of fellow models.

Ivana wed Trump in a private ceremony held at Marble Collegiate Church in New York City - and they went on to have three children together: Donald Jr., born in 1977, Ivanka, born in 1981, and Eric, born in 1984.

The couple were married for 13 years before splitting in 1990 after Trump had an affair with Marla Maples, who went on to become his second wife. Ivana was awarded a hefty $14 million as part of her divorce settlement with her former husband, which was made official in 1992 - just months before Trump wed Maples.

Ivana was said to have been left furious over her then-husband's illicit relationship with Maples, whom she repeatedly bashed in the years following her split from Trump.

The bitter divorce became tabloid fodder, and four years after the split Ivana appeared in the 1996 hit film 'The First Wives Club' with the now-famous line, 'Ladies, you have to be strong and independent, and remember, dont get mad, get everything.'

The cameo appearance helped cement Ivana's status as an icon for defiant divorcees and spurned brides.

Ivana and Trump shared three children: Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric (seen in 2011), who issued a joint statement about their mother's passing, describing her as 'an incredible woman'

In a statement issued to DailyMail.com by Eric Trump, the siblings (seen with Ivana and Trump as children) said: 'Ivana Trump was a survivor. She fled from communism and embraced this country. She taught her children about grit and toughness, compassion and determination'

Ivana Trump is seen with Donald Trump and their daughter Ivanka

Boss of Ivana Trump's favorite restaurant fights back tears as he recalls 'wonderful lady' Ivana Trump seemed 'happy and healthy' in the weeks before she died, her friends have revealed, as they expressed shock at her passing aged 73. The ex-wife of the former president appeared 'terrific' and 'in good spirits' three weeks ago, the owner of her favorite restaurant told DailyMail.com. Atilla Cetin, general manager at the Italian restaurant Nello, a block from the Upper East Side townhouse, fought back tears as he said he regretted not visiting her before she died. Staff at her local salon, which she regularly visited, also expressed disbelief at the news, saying she looked very healthy as she prepared for a vacation in St Tropez. Ivana died at the age of 73 after being found 'unconscious and unresponsive' in her New York City townhouse, hours before she had a hair salon appointment. Advertisement

In 2017, Ivana detailed her feelings about Trump's affair with Maples in her book, Raising Trump - revealing in an interview with CBS at the time that she refused to 'talk about her' because she was a 'showgirl' who would 'never achieve anything in her life'.

She then implied that Maples was to blame for her marriage ending.

'Well, she was flirting... and I think she was flirting and and she got away with it,' Ivana said.

When asked if she blamed Trump now for their marriage ending, Ivana replied: 'I'm not sure, because Donald would get 1,000 business cards in the pocket every night. He could choose any girl he wanted to have.

'So I'm not sure if she was. There could be another one, could be another one. I really don't know.'

Following her death on Thursday, Ivana's divorce lawyer Ira Garr said: 'I was really sad to hear this. Back when I was working with her, it was a really big part of my life. I represented her after her divorce.

'There was a post-nuptial agreement in which Donald Trump would pay her an amount of money after she vacated Trump Tower and we were able to settle the matter amicably.

'I also did her prenups for two subsequent marriages. I feel beholden to her. She referred me to a lot of her friends and brought my practice to another level.

'All of the sudden, my clients had a lot more zeros. It came with a certain cachet to represent her, just like when I represented Rupert Murdoch in 2013.

'I will always be grateful to these people. She always struck me as a devoted mother. She wanted her kids to have good manners, to do well in school and to work hard and be productive.

'She was just a regular person. Down to earth. If we went to a restaurant she would always be chatting with the waiters.

'She wasn't a snob, she never held herself above other people. One day a young woman came into my office and I asked her how she got my name and she said, 'From Ivana Trump.'

'I asked, 'How do you know Ivana?' and she said she didn't. She said she saw Ivana in a restaurant and followed her to the bathroom and asked 'Who was your divorce attorney?' and Ivana said 'Ira Garr. Call my assistant tomorrow and she'll give you his number.' She was gregarious with people.

'She invited me to her small wedding with Ricardo. When she had a retirement party for the children's nanny she invited me and I sat at the table with her and the kids. I don't know why, but she was always very kind to me.'

Ivana spent years working as a model - which is how she first met Trump, who, she was introduced to at an event in New York City

Trump and Ivana (pictured in 1987) tied the knot in 1977, but split in 1990 after it was revealed he'd had an affair with Marla Maples, who would later become his second wife

Following her split from Trump, Ivana began a romance with Italian businessman Riccardo Mazzucchelli, whom she wed in 1995, however the marriage was short-lived and the pair divorced just two years later.

She then went on to date and marry Italian actor Rossano Rubicondi, who passed away in October 2021 following a battle with cancer.

Rubicondi had liver cancer and suffered a lung aneurysm in the bathtub, his parents said in an interview with an Italian talk show.

Ivana and Rubicondi dated for six years before they tied the knot in 2008 during a lavish $3 million ceremony at Mar-A-Lago, the Palm Beach estate owned by none other than her second ex-husband.

She was 59 at the time, while he was 36.

The wedding was set to the theme of Shakespeare's Midsummer Nights Dream and 400 guests attended, including the ex-President.

Ivana's relationship with Rubicondi went through several ups and downs over the years, with the former couple splitting just a few months after their marriage in 2008 and then again in 2009.

They split for a third time in 2011, before reuniting in 2019, when they appeared on Italy's version of Dancing With the Stars, before breaking up again just a few months later.

But Ivana and Rubicondi remained close and were often pictured together in New York up until just a few months before he passed away.

Ivana maintained a good relationship with Trump over the years, even speaking out to wish him a Happy Birthday in 2021, when she revealed that she had spoken with her ex-husband and joked to him that he shouldn't 'worry about his age'.

However the socialite and former downhill skier was never one to hold back when speaking about her ex-spouse.

In November 2020, following the presidential election - which Trump lost to Joe Biden - she discussed his refusal to accept the result, saying that he was 'not a good loser' and that he was likely going to 'fight and fight and fight' against conceding the race.

Rossano Rubicondi, Ivana Trump and Ivanka Trump during the 2008 wedding of Ivana Trump and Rossano Rubicondi at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida

Ivana is seen with her three children and Rubicondi during her 2008 wedding to the Italian actor

Ivana split from Trump in 1990 after he had an affair with Marla Maples, who went on to become his second wife. The socialite then had a lengthy on-off relationship with Italian actor Rossano Rubicondi, who she married in 2008. He passed away last year after battling cancer

Ivana's relationship with Rubicondi (seen together in 2018) went through several ups and downs over the years, with the former couple splitting just a few months after their marriage in 2008 and then again in 2009

'He's not a good loser,' she told People of Trump. 'He doesn't like to lose, so he's going to fight and fight and fight.'

Ivana went on to urge the former President to accept defeat, saying: 'He has to go and declare that he lost. I just want this whole thing to be over with, one way or the other. I really don't care.'

She was also incredibly outspoken about her feelings towards Trump's currently wife Melania, sensationally stating in 2017 that she was the true 'first lady' because she was the then-President's first wife.

Ivana added that she had a 'direct line' to Trump at the White House, and spoke to him once every two weeks, but that she was always reluctant to call him because 'Melania was there'.

'I [don't] really want to call him there, because Melania is there,' she told ABC News. 'And I don't want to cause any kind of jealousy or something like that, because I'm basically [the] first Trump wife. OK? I'm first lady.'

However, Ivana insisted that she would never have wanted to take on the role of first lady because she would have 'hated Washington', despite believing that she would be the perfect person for the job.

'Would I straighten up the White House in 14 days? Absolutely,' she said. 'Can I give the speech for 45 minutes without [a] teleprompter? Absolutely. Can I read a contract? Can I negotiate? Can I entertain? Absolutely. But I would not really like to be there. I like my freedom.'

In the last years of her life, Ivana - who was once a regular on the New York social scene - had shied away from glitzy public events, instead maintaining a much more low-key lifestyle.

She was spotted on occasions stepping out in the Upper East Side neighborhood where her townhouse was located, either on shopping trips, or for meals that she often enjoyed with Rubicondi, before he passed away.

In recent months, she has been accompanied by an unnamed female aide, who was frequently seen by her side whenever the socialite was pictured out in public.

EXCLUSIVE: The extraordinary private life of Ivana Trump: Trove of photos show her loved up with Donald, lounging in a sequin swimsuit, posing with homemade birthday cakes, and soaking up the sun on vacation with her children

By Natasha Anderson For Dailymail.Com

The world remembers her for the legacy she left as a model, world-class athlete and powerful businesswoman.

But to her children, Ivana Trump was a caring mother and friend who was devoted to her family.

Troves of photos discovered by a South Florida collector back in 2014 show the beauty loved up with her ex-husband, Donald Trump, vacationing with her children and posing with homemade birthday cakes.

Ivana, 73, passed away Thursday in her home in New York City's Upper East Side after suffering cardiac arrest.

She is survived by her three children - Donald Jr, Eric and Ivanka - and ten grandchildren.

Troves of photos discovered by a South Florida collector back in 2014 detail the private life of Ivana Trump. Ivana (right) is pictured with her then-husband Donald (left) and their infant daughter, Ivanka (center)

Ivana, Donald, Eric and Ivanka, at Mar-a-Lago in 1998, a year before their divorce

The intimate family pictures mainly span the decades of the 1970s through the 1990s - before Ivana and Donald split.

The pile features candid shots, polaroids and agency pictures from the likes of society shooter Mary Hilliard to Ron Galella, dubbed the 'Paparazzo Extraordinaire' and the bane of favorite subject Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' existence.

But more so, the photos show detail moments shared by the high-profile family behind closed doors.

Photographs captured at Ivana and Donald's 1977 wedding show the model as a beautiful and radiant bride donning a rather simple white gown.

She is pictured alongside her dashing groom as the pair exchanged vows at the altar of the Marble Collegiate Church in New York City.

Dancing at the reception that followed are shots of the groom's folks Fred Sr., and Mary and the bride's parents, Milos Zeinicek and Marie Francova.

Their love seemed to radiate throughout the early stages of their relationship. The couple was seen cozied up together at dinners, posing for photos on rooftops with champagne in hand and embracing each other in their luxurious home.

Ivana and Donald with his father Fred Trump. Trump was strongly influenced by his father in deciding to forge a career in real estate development

Ivana and Donald are pictured embracing each other while she holds a glass of wine in her hand

Ivana and Donald Trump are pictured together at a black-tie social gathering

Ivana is pictured serving cake to her daughter, Ivanka Trump

Donald and Ivana Trump are pictured embracing each other at their Connecticut mansion

Ivana is pictured on an apparent vacation with her family

Photographs also detail the couple's most intimate moments, when they became parents of three.

Ivana and Donald are pictured holding their infant children, seemingly smitten.

Birthday parties were snapped and notable in the fact that they did not seem like over the top affairs, but simply happy celebrations with no imported circuses or other extravagant entertainment.

In several photos Ivana is pictured alongside homemade cakes as the family celebrated together.

Pictures taken on vacations show the family soaked up the sun as Ivana wore a stunning blue, sequined bathing suit. On one trip - presumably to Disney World - Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric met cartoon character Donald Duck. They are pictured on the trip with their mother.

The trove of photos also documented the children's lives growing up, including childhood bath time and how they dressed up to celebrate Halloween.

Ivana and Donald Trump are toasting with champagne from a NYC rooftop

Ivana Trump relished her role as a loving mother to her three kids and proudly described how she raised them without their father's help

Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric Trump are pictured in their Halloween costumes

Ivanka showing some love for her little brother Eric, who is three years younger

Ivana and Ivanka Trump are pictured together at a luncheon

One of the Trump boys is pictured smiling in a small baby bathtub

Ivana was born in Czechoslovakia in 1949 to an electrical engineer father, Milos Zelnicek and telephone operator mother, Marie, however she relocated to Canada in the mid-1970s, before moving to the US, where she took up residence in New York City.

The then-teen used her impressive talents as a skier in order to plan her escape from behind the Iron Curtain.

Before her marriage to Donald, Ivana was wed to an Austrian ski instructor, Alfred Winklmayr - a friend with whom she tied the knot in order to gain an Austrian passport, which enabled her to leave her communist home country and move to Canada.

She divorced Winklmayr shortly after she was granted an Austrian passport - and she then went on to enjoy a romance with a ski boutique owner in Montreal while also working as a ski instructor.

However after just a couple of years of living in Canada, Ivana relocated to Manhattan to pursue her work as a model.

It was here that she met Trump, whom she wed in 1977, having first met him at an event that she attended with a group of fellow models.

Ivana and her children are pictured alongside Donald Duck

Ivana and Ivanka are pictured poolside with a group of ladies

Ivana lounging in what looks like Mar-a-Lago, just a breeze from Florida's beach on the Atlantic

Donald had it made in the shade, and relaxing in the sunshine of his Palm Beach property Mar-a-Lago, now worth $250 million

Ivana is pictured on a beach in a silver and black outfit

Ivana wed Trump in a private ceremony held at Marble Collegiate Church in New York City - and they went on to have three children together: Donald Jr., born in 1977, Ivanka, born in 1981, and Eric, born in 1984.

The couple were married for 13 years before splitting in 1990 after Trump had an affair with Marla Maples, who went on to become his second wife. Ivana was awarded a hefty $14 million as part of her divorce settlement with her former husband, which was made official in 1992 - just months before Trump wed Maples.

She fought ferociously for her kids during her divorce from Donald, and wrote in her memoir that it was she who raised them - not their dad who 'provided' for them but had no interest until they 'could talk business with him'.

She also took credit for the kids' success and their mild manners.

Ivana was said to have been left furious over her then-husband's illicit relationship with Maples, whom she repeatedly bashed in the years following her split from Trump.

A goggled Donald cuddles up with his little cuddle bunny Ivanka in the snow

Ivana helps her daughter Ivanka put in her earrings before an outting

Ivana and Ivanka are pictured together at an apparent masquerade event

Ivana smiles as her son prepares to blow out his birthday candles

A photograph of Ivana found inside the trunk

Another photograph of Ivana and Donald found inside the discarded trunk

Ivana is pictured in a black lace and sequin dress sporting tassel earrings

Following her split from Trump, Ivana began a romance with Italian businessman Riccardo Mazzucchelli, whom she wed in 1995, however the marriage was short-lived and the pair divorced just two years later.

She then went on to date and marry Italian actor Rossano Rubicondi, who passed away in October 2021 following a battle with cancer.

Rubicondi had liver cancer and suffered a lung aneurysm in the bathtub, his parents said in an interview with an Italian talk show.

Ivana and Rubicondi dated for six years before they tied the knot in 2008 during a lavish $3 million ceremony at Mar-A-Lago, the Palm Beach estate owned by none other than her second ex-husband.

The troves of Trump family photos was discovered by a Florida collector in 2014

She was 59 at the time, while he was 36.

The wedding was set to the theme of Shakespeare's Midsummer Nights Dream and 400 guests attended, including the ex-President.

Ivana's relationship with Rubicondi went through several ups and downs over the years, with the former couple splitting just a few months after their marriage in 2008 and then again in 2009.

They split for a third time in 2011, before reuniting in 2019, when they appeared on Italy's version of Dancing With the Stars, before breaking up again just a few months later.

But Ivana and Rubicondi remained close and were often pictured together in New York up until just a few months before he passed away.

Ivana maintained a good relationship with Trump over the years, even speaking out to wish him a Happy Birthday in 2021, when she revealed that she had spoken with her ex-husband and joked to him that he shouldn't 'worry about his age'.

However the socialite and former downhill skier was never one to hold back when speaking about her ex-spouse.

In November 2020, following the presidential election - which Trump lost to Joe Biden - she discussed his refusal to accept the result, saying that he was 'not a good loser' and that he was likely going to 'fight and fight and fight' against conceding the race.

'He's not a good loser,' she told People of Trump. 'He doesn't like to lose, so he's going to fight and fight and fight.'

Ivana went on to urge the former President to accept defeat, saying: 'He has to go and declare that he lost. I just want this whole thing to be over with, one way or the other. I really don't care.'

She was also incredibly outspoken about her feelings towards Trump's currently wife Melania, sensationally stating in 2017 that she was the true 'first lady' because she was the then-President's first wife.

Ivana added that she had a 'direct line' to Trump at the White House, and spoke to him once every two weeks, but that she was always reluctant to call him because 'Melania was there'.

Ivana is pictured at a New Year's Eve party

Ivana is seen helping her daughter, Ivanka, with her hair

Ivana is engaged in conversation at a black-tie event

Her youngest son, Eric Trump, posted this photo of the two of them Thursday evening to Instagram

Eric, Ivanka, Donald Jr. and Ivana are pictured together

Donald is pictured with his first born child, Donald Jr.

Ivana stands over Ivanka as she blows out the candles on her birthday cake

Ivana is pictured with her children Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric

Ivana Trump is pictured at an event with a group of women

Ivana and her three children enjoy an ice cream treat at an outdoor eatery

In the last years of her life, Ivana - who was once a regular on the New York social scene - had shied away from glitzy public events, instead maintaining a much more low-key lifestyle.

She was spotted on occasions stepping out in the Upper East Side neighborhood where her townhouse was located, either on shopping trips, or for meals that she often enjoyed with Rubicondi, before he passed away.

In recent months, she has been accompanied by an unnamed female aide, who was frequently seen by her side whenever the socialite was pictured out in public.

She died Thursday of a suspected cardiac arrest at the age of 73 after being found 'unconscious and unresponsive' in her New York City townhouse.

It was reported that the socialite was found at the bottom of a set of stairs in her Manhattan home, however an official cause of death has yet to be confirmed.

News of Ivana's death was shared by ex-husband via a post on his Truth Social account on Thursday afternoon.

'I am very saddened to inform all of those that loved her, of which there are many, that Ivana Trump has passed away at her home in New York City,' Donald wrote.

'She was a wonderful, beautiful, and amazing woman, who led a great and inspirational life,' he continued. 'Her pride and joy were her three children, Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric.

'She was so proud of them, as we were all so proud of her. Rest in Peace, Ivana!'

Ivana's son Eric confirmed the news of Ivana's death to DailyMail.com, saying in a statement issued on behalf of the family: 'Our mother was an incredible woman - a force in business, a world-class athlete, a radiant beauty, and caring mother and friend.

'Ivana Trump was a survivor. She fled from communism and embraced this country. She taught her children about grit and toughness, compassion and determination.

'She will be dearly missed by her mother, her three children and ten grandchildren.'

Eric also took to Instagram to post a tribute to his late mother, sharing several images of the socialite and her children over the years, including photos of Ivana with her children when they were younger.

Ivana and Donald embrace their daughter, Ivanka Trump

Donald and Ivana are pictured with their daughter, Ivanka, in 1991

International businessman Riccardo Mazzucchelli was able to woo the newly-single Ivana Trump with his expensive belongings, as he drove a Rolls Royce and owned a pricey townhouse in London while also keeping an apartment in Manhattan

Ivana became manager of the Plaza Hotel while her husband owned the famous property, and is pictured outside the building in 1990

Despite divorcing in 1992, Donald and Ivana reunited in 1995 for a Pizza Hut commercial, which saw them poke fun of their tempestuous marriage

Ivana is pictured holding Ivanka at a party

A loving mother until the end: How Ivana Trump doted on Don Jr, Ivanka and Eric and fought for them in her divorce, telling everyone she met proudly that SHE raised them (without their famous father!)

BY JENNIFER SMITH, CHIEF REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

Ivana Trump may not have made it to the White House - but she relished her role as a loving mother to her three kids and proudly described how she raised them without their father's help.

After Donald took office and even for years privately beforehand, it was Ivana who took credit for the kids, their success and their mild manners.

She fought ferociously for them during her divorce from their father, and wrote in her memoir that it was she who raised them - not their dad who 'provided' for them but had no interest until they 'could talk business with him'.

On Thursday, Eric Trump paid tribute to his mother after her death at the age of 73, writing in an Instagram post: ''It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved mother, Ivana Trump.

'Our mother was an incredible woman  a force in business, a world-class athlete, a radiant beauty, and caring mother and friend.

Ivana Trump may not have made it to the White House - but she relished her role as a loving mother to her three kids and proudly described how she raised them without their father's help

Ivana, Donald, Eric and Ivanka, at Mar-a-Lago in 1998, a year before their divorce

'Ivana Trump was a survivor. She fled from communism and embraced this country. She taught her children about grit and toughness, compassion and determination.

'She will be dearly missed by her mother, her three children and ten grandchildren.'

Ivana and Trump tied the knot in 1977. He was her second husband, and the only man she had children with. The pair welcomed their son, Donald Trump Jr., that year.

Next came golden girl Ivanka in 1980, then Eric in 1984. She and Donald finalized their divorce in 1999, but she wrote in her memoir that she knew it was over a decade earlier, when she noticed another woman.

'This young blonde woman approached me out of the blue and said 'I'm Marla and I love your husband. Do you?'

'I said 'Get lost. I love my husband.' It was unladylike but I was in shock.'

She was referring, of course, to Marla Maples, Trump's second wife and the mother to his fourth child, Tiffany. As her marriage to Donald, then a flashy millionaire celebrity, disintegrated, she fought for custody of the three kids.

''I got them up at 7 and to school by 8. After school, Ivanka had piano lessons and ballet lessons and ice-skating lessons. Donald Jr. and Eric had karate or golf or whatever it was. Then they did their homework. By 7:30 they would be in a coma and in bed asleep. If you keep them busy, they have no time to get into trouble,' Ivana said previously of her parenting

Ivana Trump poses with her children, Donald Trump Jr. (L), Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump (R) after lunch at Frederick's Madison November 16, 2006 in New York City

'I got total custody of the kids when I divorced Donald. That was non-negotiable. But even if Donald and I had stayed together, I would have raised the kids.

'Donald was the kind of father who was at the office at 6 in the morning.

'I would take the kids to his office after the breakfast and they would play on the floor with the Legos while Donald was on the telephone.

'He provided for them and he loved them. But he does not know how to make small talk and he certainly was not going to say, 'Oh, choo, choo, choo, choo. How cute we are today. Let's go to the park in the stroller.' No.

'That was not his kind of thing. He only started talking to them when they were in university and they could talk business,' she told The New York Post in 2018.

She was 'devastated' by Trump's lawyers' claims during divorce negotiations that she was a bad mother.

She also recalled one near stalemate where Trump announced: 'I'm keeping Don Jr.'

She shot back: 'Keep him. I have two others to raise,' and told fondly how Don Jr., then a boy, was back in her arms within hours. I knew Donald would not know what to do with him. It was hurtful, but I could not be intimidated.'

She maintained that the key to keeping the kids grounded was 'discipline'.

'I got them up at 7 and to school by 8. After school, Ivanka had piano lessons and ballet lessons and ice-skating lessons.

Ivana with Eric Trump in September 2015. He paid tribute to her on Thursday after her death at the age of 73

Ivana Trump leaves her New York home and drops off a Birthday present for Mother Ivana Trump in February last year

Donald Jr. and Eric had karate or golf or whatever it was. Then they did their homework. By 7:30 they would be in a coma and in bed asleep. If you keep them busy, they have no time to get into trouble.'

'Then they did their homework. By 7:30 they would be in a coma and in bed asleep. If you keep them busy, they have no time to get into trouble. '

It was a formula that seemed to work - or at least that kept them close.

Throughout their adolescence, Ivanka was her mother's plus-one

The children were regularly spotted visiting their mother at her Upper East Side home, that she shared with her own mother.

Now 96, she outlived her larger-than-life daughter. Ivana died at home on Thursday at the age of 73.

Her death was announced by her ex-husband, who said on behalf of the family: 'I am very saddened to inform all of those that loved her, of which there are many, that Ivana Trump has passed away at her home in New York City.

'She was a wonderful, beautiful, and amazing woman, who led a great and inspirational life,' he continued. 'Her pride and joy were her three children, Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric.

'She was so proud of them, as we were all so proud of her. Rest in Peace, Ivana!'
Anthony Albanese will meet with state leaders to respond to increasing Covid cases as the prime minister comes under fire to scrapping several pandemic measures.

The snap national cabinet meeting is expected to be held on Monday following pressure from state and territory leaders for a briefing on the latest medical advice.

Leaders could also challenge the prime minister on a decision to end pandemic leave payments and the concessional free rapid test program.

Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has called for an extension of Covid welfare policies, while Victoria premier Daniel Andrews said it was as 'important as ever' support continued for residents.

NSW Labor leader Chris Minns and backbencher Mike Freelander have demanded the Covid support packages be extended.

Meanwhile, United Workers Union national secretary Tim Kennedy said the phasing out of paid pandemic leave was shortsighted and would have been slammed as 'crazy' if Labor were still in oppostion.

Health Services Union national secretary Lloyd Williams accused Mr Albanese of being 'too stubborn' and said the scrapped policies should be reinstated for the next six weeks.

Anthony Albanese will meet with state leaders in response to increasing Covid cases as the prime minister comes under fire for scrapping several pandemic measures

Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has called for an extension of Covid welfare policies

'The timing couldn't be worse,' he told The Australian.

'The public health system is being overwhelmed, and the projections we're hearing from health experts (are) quite dire.'

Ms Palaszczuk on Thursday said she was keen to discuss the pressure on the health care system from rising cases and hospitalisations with her counterparts.

NSW premier Dominic Perrottet agreed with her, she said.

The $750 emergency isolation payment ended on July 1, while the free tests for concessional card holders will be provided until the end of the month.

The government insists it can not afford to continue with the schemes due to budget pressures.

Ms Palaszczuk said leaders need to discuss how people are taking time off work while sick with new virus sub-variants could be supported.

Existing financial supports from state governments may not be enough for some people, she said.

'We are seeing some people being hit harder, so that means that they are off work for longer than the seven days (of isolation),' Ms Palaszczuk told the Seven Network on Thursday.

'I do think we need to look at those particular examples.'

Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockcliff and NSW Opposition Leader Chris Minns have called for an extension to pandemic leave payments.

Federal Labor MP Mike Freelander broke ranks on Thursday, urging the prime minister to extend the support measures.

Victoria premier Daniel Andrews said it was as 'important as ever' support continued for residents

'Anything we can do to slow the spread of the virus is very important,' Dr Freelander told the Australian newspaper.

'I'd like Anthony Albanese, when he gets back from the Pacific Island conference, to reconsider.'

But Health Minister Mark Butler said while he respected Dr Freelander's expertise, the government had to make tough choices.

'It's a tough decision which will impact the community but, frankly, whenever you make a decision like this, there will be an impact on the community,' he told ABC's 7.30.

'But equally, there has to be an end to these very large emergency payments that are putting pressure on the sustainability of our budget.'

Aged Care Minister Anika Wells said the medical advice to the government was to spend money where it is best targeted, such as antiviral treatments and vaccinations.

Australia recorded 47,419 new infections and 78 deaths on Thursday amid fears the country will see 'millions' of cases in the coming months

But opposition spokesman Stuart Robert said the government needed to adapt to the evolving situation of the pandemic.

'Frankly, the Labor government has decided supporting low-paid people ... is not something the government should be doing,' he told ABC News on Thursday.

'I think that's appalling ... The rules now set by the government say you need to isolate, but if you're a casual (worker) with no money, they're sending them isolation-wise into poverty.'

More than 47,000 cases and 78 deaths were recorded in Australia on Thursday with 4512 people in hospital.

The national cabinet meeting will be the second of its kind since the Albanese government was elected in May.
Penny Mordaunt came under fire las night as senior Tories questioned whether she has what it takes to be Prime Minister.

The trade minister cemented her position as a front-runner in the party's leadership race after a second round of MPs' votes yesterday.

But on a day of extraordinary blue-on-blue attacks, Miss Mordaunt was under intense scrutiny over her record in government and her alleged 'woke' views.

Lord Frost, the former Brexit minister, declared he would refuse to work under her if she wins as he has 'grave reservations' as to whether she is up to the job.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Simon Clarke argued it was 'telling' that Cabinet ministers were 'not backing' Miss Mordaunt.

Trade minister Penny Mordaunt cemented her position as a front-runner in the party's leadership race after a second round of MPs' votes yesterday

Penny Mordaunt pictured beside Lord Frost at the first meeting of the Partnership Council which oversees UK and EU implementation, application and interpretation of the trade agreement with the EU

Penny Mordaunt is a reservist in the navy and has previously spoken out in favour of more rights for the transgender community

And former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith warned that she had 'risen without trace and there are a lot of questions to be asked'.

It comes as:

Attorney General Suella Braverman was knocked out in the second round of voting, with sources saying she would now back Foreign Secretary Liz Truss;

Lord Frost prepared to endorse Miss Truss and urged Tory MPs on the Right of the party to get behind her or risk being squeezed out of the contest;

Miss Mordaunt was urged to 'come clean' about her views on transgender issues following accusations that she has changed her stance;

Government travel logs revealed the trade minister took no foreign trips in the first three months of 2022, adding weight to the 'Part-time Penny' jibes from rivals;

Conservative MPs said they believed Miss Mordaunt will appoint Andrea Leadsom as chancellor if she gets into Downing Street;

A millionaire supporter of Miss Mordaunt who co-wrote a book with her 'liked' a tweet about some Conservative members being 'sick, perverted and bigoted';

The trade minister's claims about her experience as a Royal Naval reservist were questioned by senior officers;

Former Cabinet minister David Davis said Miss Mordaunt was the victim of 'black ops' by political rivals;

The five remaining candidates will take part in the first live TV debate tonight.

Miss Mordaunt came second in the voting yesterday, securing the support of 83 MPs, leaving her behind Rishi Sunak on 101, but ahead of the more experienced Miss Truss on 64.

In a sign of the momentum behind her campaign, Miss Mordaunt gained the most votes, putting on 16 from the day before, while Miss Truss was up 14 and Mr Sunak got an extra 13.

Mordaunt in free Press row Penny Mordaunt's support for a free Press was questioned last night after it emerged she had voted to restrict the industry. Documents from 2012 from the Joint Committee on Privacy and Injunction, of which she was a member, show she supported Ofcom ruling on privacy breaches. She also supported a new 'statute of privacy', and the belief that Parliament should 'set out the balance between privacy and freedom of expression'. Even hard-line Labour MPs voted against this. Newspapers are deeply concerned about political interference, which could jeopardise a free Press. Miss Mordaunt, among favourites to win the Tory leadership race, supported the Leveson Inquiry in 2011, which recommended a new Press regulator backed by legislation. Miss Mordaunt's representative did not respond. Advertisement

Equalities minister Kemi Badenoch secured 49 votes, while former Army officer Tom Tugendhat got 32.

Mrs Braverman was eliminated after getting 27 votes and coming last.

The finely balanced contest sets the scene for an extraordinary weekend of horse trading and hostile briefings ahead of the next vote by MPs on Monday.

Votes will continue, with one candidate eliminated each time until only two remain.

Mrs Braverman last night made clear she would not support Miss Mordaunt, who she criticised on trans rights issues and warned was not an 'authentic Brexiteer'.

She accused the leadership hopeful of failing to 'stand up for women' when she resisted using the words 'woman' or 'mother' in legislation allowing her to take maternity leave from her role as Attorney General.

Lord Frost launched a scathing attack on Miss Mordaunt, who was his deputy in Brexit talks with the EU.

In a television interview, Lord Frost said she lacked a grasp of the detail, was unwilling to deliver tough messages to Brussels, and that he had to ask Boris Johnson to replace her.

Asked about Miss Mordaunt's chances, Lord Frost told Talk TV he was 'surprised' she was in the leadership race at all.

The Tory peer, formerly a close ally of Mr Johnson, said that during her time as his deputy she 'wasn't fully accountable, she wasn't always visible. Sometimes I didn't even know where she was'.

He added: 'If you are a prime minister you have got to be able to take responsibility, you have got to be able to run the machine, you have got to be able to take tough decisions, deliver tough messages.

'From the basis of what I saw, I'm afraid I would have grave reservations about that.'

Asked whether Brexit would be safe in Miss Mordaunt's hands, Lord Frost said: 'I would worry, on the basis of what I have seen, we wouldn't necessarily get that from Penny.'

A source on Miss Mordaunt's campaign last night insisted she had 'nothing but respect for Lord Frost'.

But the source added: 'Penny will always fight for Brexit and always has.'

Miss Truss did not endorse Lord Frost's comments yesterday  but did not dispute them either, saying only that she would not be making any 'disparaging remarks'.

Former Cabinet minister Mr Davis, a supporter of Miss Mordaunt, said: 'I've actually seen Penny in operation.

'On the day that we had the huge showdown at Chequers [in July 2018], the one that led to my resignation (and) effectively changed the history of the kingdom, she was the best performer.

When 20-odd Cabinet ministers were supporting Theresa May, she stepped in, bravely defended the Brexit cause and did, in my view, make the best arguments of the day.'
A shocked children's rugby coach stumbled on a dead woman on a popular walking track in Sydney's ritzy upper north shore.

The remains were uncovered on a fire trail near Cliff Oval, a sporting ground in North Wahroonga, at 12.40pm on Thursday.

'Officers from Kuring Gai Police Area Command were called to Cliff Oval on Daly Ave, North Wahroonga, after reports a body had been found,' a NSW Police spokeswoman said.

The woman is yet to be formally identified, but is believed to be 47 and from outside the area.

Daily Mail Australia understands her death is being treated as suspicious.

Police at the scene are understood to be treating the death as 'suspicious'

Police were still at the scene on Friday morning after a woman's body was found (pictured)

Pictured: A map showing where the woman's body was found near Cliff Oval in North Wahroonga

A local resident said the rugby coach did an 'exceptional job' of protecting the children from seeing the body.

'I am so incredibly grateful to them for absorbing the burden of this horrific event and keeping children safe at all costs,' she wrote in a local Facebook group.

'Such a dreadful scene to uncover.'

John, who lives on Daly Street, told Daily Mail Australia that he feels saddened by the tragic event.

'My first thought was that she had a heart attack or something, but a detective told me last night that it's being treated as suspicious, so I suspect there's someone out there who's trying not to get caught,' he said.

'But I don't think there's a murderer out there waiting to catch us as well.'

A kids' rugby coach made the grisly discovery and made sure children didn't see the remains (scene pictured)

The remains were uncovered by a children's rugby coach on a fire trail (pictured) near Cliff Oval

He said there were people walking along the trails on Friday morning, which are still muddy from torrential rain earlier in the week.

Another neighbour, Sophie, said: 'There are lots of police around so we're all a bit rattled'.

'The street is full of families and kids and it's a really quiet neighbourhood, usually, but there are lots of people back on the bush track today.'

'We have confidence in the police, and it's good to know people feel safe.'

The police investigation was still underway on Friday morning.
Google is countersuing Match, the tech company that owns a number of online dating platforms such as Tinder, OkCupid, and Hinge.

The filing said that Match is attempting to "gain unfair advantage over other app developers" and pay nothing to use the Google Play Store, according to Business Insider.

The search engine giant is "seeking monetary damages and a judgement that would let it kick Tinder and the group's other dating apps out of the Play Store," according to Engadget.

Match Disagrees with Google Play Store's Policies, Claims it Violates Laws

Earlier this year, Match filed a lawsuit against Google due to antitrust violations over a decision that required all Android developers to process digital goods and services payments through the Play Store billing system.

Following the initial lawsuit in May, a temporary agreement was settled between Google and Match. The agreement allows Match to remain on the Play Store. It also allows the company to use its own payment system.

Moreover, Google also gave the green light to make a good faith effort to address Match's billing concerns. In turn, Match was to make an effort to offer Google's billing system as an alternative, according to Engadget.

However, according to Alphabet, Google's parent company, Match Group now wants to avoid paying "nothing at all." According to the court filing, it includes Match's 15 to 30 percent Play Store fees.

The documents stated that Match Group never intended to comply with the contractual terms to which it agreed. Furthermore, it said that relative to other app developers, Match Group will be in an advantaged position .

Read Also: Tinder ID Verification: Will You Be Forced to Use Your Government ID?

The Lawsuit Saga Between Google and the Developers Continues

According to Business Insider, a Google spokesperson said that Match Group entered into a contract with the company and this suit seeks to hold Match to its end of the agreement.

Google is looking forward to making their case, and thus, they will continue to defend themselves against Match's baseless claims.

Several mobile applications, including Match Group, Spotify, and Fortnite parent Epic Games, claimed that Google's Play Store and Apple's app store are monopolies.

When users make in-app purchases from an Android or iPhone, Google and Apple take between a 15% and 30% cut from developers.

Match said in a statement to Business Insider that the countersuit is a prime example of a monopoly where the company use its power to frighten other developers into submission. The counterclaims are used by Google as a warning shot as it doesn't want anyone else to sue them..

Match claimed that Google's Play Store policies violate federal and state law. The tech company is confident that early next year, the suit will be resolved favoring them.

This is Match's reference to an antitrust action launched last year by States and the federal government examining Google's Play Store fees.

Engadget reported that Google dropped its fee on app developer revenue shortly before that. It dropped to 15 percent on the first $1 million and 30 percent after that.

Google also announced that all developers should process their payments through the Play Store's billing system.

Related Article: Android Users Beware: These Google Play Store Apps Spread Malware
After two rounds of the Tory leadership contest it is already clear that whoever eventually wins faces a huge challenge in putting Humpty Dumpty together again.

The Tory party is badly split and the divisions are becoming more acrimonious by the day.

Yesterdays result did not really shift the dial in terms of the overall contest, but the debate became even more fractious.

Rishi Sunak remains on course to make the final two but cannot yet be certain of it. Insurgent candidate Penny Mordaunt continued to make ground but could not shake off Liz Trusss terrier-like campaign.

And things are being said by senior Tories about their colleagues that cannot be unsaid. Tom Tugendhat, whose centrist campaign appeared to be faltering yesterday, has described it as a knife fight in a phone box. Even those who survive will emerge bloodied.

Insults were flying freely. Lord Frost, who was poised to back Miss Truss last night, began the day by putting the boot into Miss Mordaunt, who served as his junior minister.

Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak, Penny Mordaunt, Tom Tugendhat, and Kemi Badenoch are the remaining five candidates for Tory leadership

In the second round Rishi Sunak received 101 votes and Penny Mordaunt 83 - adding 16 to her previous tally - after another frenzied day at Westminster that saw Foreign Secretary Liz Truss appeal for the party's right wing to unite behind her

Officially launching her campaign this morning, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss appealed for Tories to unite behind her, saying she can be 'trusted to deliver' and can 'hit the ground running' after taking on the EU over Brexit and Vladimir Putin over Ukraine

She was, he said, not tough enough to be PM and prone to going awol. In the end he had to ask Boris Johnson to move her on.

Mr Sunaks team have suggested that those like Miss Truss, who are proposing big tax cuts, are economically illiterate.

Jacob Rees-Mogg has said he would not serve Mr Sunak because of his disloyalty. Off the record, allies of Mr Johnson have dubbed the former chancellor a treacherous b*****d.

Suella Braverman said Miss Mordaunt was too woke to ever win her support, and took a swipe at Miss Truss by saying the fact she voted Remain six years ago still cast a shadow over her suitability for the top job.

She later made up for this when sources said she would give her backing to the Foreign Seretary.

For their part, Miss Trusss allies earlier branded Mrs Braverman and her supporters as idiots after the Attorney General refused to drop out of the contest yesterday morning, despite clearly being destined for the chop.

The scrutiny of Miss Mordaunt is understandable  even necessary  given her meteoric rise from unknown minister to a favourite to be Britains next PM.

But the wider infighting is in danger of becoming endemic. In his final days in office Mr Johnson warned disgruntled ministers that the Conservative Party was becoming ungovernable.

Even with his massive electoral mandate and giant personality he could not ultimately hold things together. There is now a real danger that the party will fall apart under a new leader.

And Labour will be there to help every step of the way. A senior member of Keir Starmers team gleefully revealed yesterday that the party has already begun a dossier recording every blue-on-blue attack.

Every insult hurled now will be thrown back at the new leader in September. And every wound will be self-inflicted.
Penny Mordaunt was last night accused of failing to stand up for women by eliminated leadership rival Suella Braverman.

Attorney General Mrs Braverman said Miss Mordaunt was the minister in charge of a Bill which aimed to replace the word woman with pregnant person.

She also insisted she disagreed with Miss Mordaunts previously stated stance that a trans woman is a woman. She told Sky News: Penny is a very good politician, I disagree with Penny on some key issues in relation to one specific matter  ie. the Maternity Bill that was passed... last year.

I do have to say that Hansard [official report of Parliamentary debates] and the record shows that Penny Mordaunt as the Bill minister  the minister responsible for passing that legislation  did oppose and did resist the inclusion of the word woman and the word mother and did only concede after unsustainable pressure from the House of Lords.

I was quite disappointed by the way in which it was handled and the responsible minister Im afraid didnt stand up for women and didnt actually reflect the views of a lot of our party on wanting women to be authentically represented on the face of the Bill and in legislation.

Conservative leadership candidate Penny Mordaunt addresses the media and supporters during a press conference to launch her bid to become the next Prime Minister on Wednesday

Penny Mordaunt (2-L) is seen outside Parliament as Suella Braverman was dropped from the contest to be the next Conservative Party leader

Miss Mordaunt previously stated that trans women are women  but has avoided repeating the controversial assertion during the contest to replace Boris Johnson.

Was Mordaunt just a part-time minister? Trade minister Penny Mordaunt failed to take a single foreign trip in the first three months of 2022, the latest available transparency data revealed last night. This is despite Miss Mordaunt  who has faced accusations of being a part-timer for an allegedly lax attitude to her ministerial role  being responsible for international trade deals. Her colleagues in the Department for International Trade, Secretary of State Anne-Marie Trevelyan jetted out five times, while exports minister Mike Freer recorded four trips. Miss Mordaunt also appeared to hold fewer meetings than the majority of ministers in the Department in the same period. Records show she held 20 trade-related meetings between January and the end of March, while investment minister Lord Grimstone, Mr Freer and Mrs Trevelyan had 110, 63 and 42 respectively. The records come just days after a source at her Department told the Mail she has often been missing at crucial moments when it comes to her remit. Miss Mordaunts campaign was contacted for comment last night. Advertisement

Yesterday, Nikki da Costa, a former No 10 director of legislative affairs under ex-PM Theresa May and Mr Johnson, accused her of pandering to Tory party members over the issue.

She said: Weve seen an almost complete 180 [degree turn] from Penny. She needs to come clean and say how her views have changed. Otherwise this looks like its just for the purpose of the leadership campaign and women will find their concerns rapidly ignored if she becomes PM.

International trade minister Miss Mordaunt also came under fire at a Tory leadership hustings over the same issue. It comes after rival campaigns accused her of backtracking on her previous stance on transgender issues after she was branded a woke warrior.

Earlier this week, Miss Mordaunt claimed that she did not support self-identification of sex under the Gender Recognition Act.

Miss da Costa said people were surprised by the apparent change in Miss Mordaunts stance.

She added: I was in [Theresa] Mays Government when self-ID legislation  reform of the Gender Recognition Act  was under consideration and Penny was the minister taking forward consultation. Never got a sense of this. Meanwhile, Miss Mordaunt clashed with Right-wing MPs on Wednesday.

She was challenged at a hustings staged by the 1922 Committee of backbench Tories over her handling of the Maternity Bill. While the Bill was going through the Commons, Tory MPs led by Sir John Hayes tabled amendments to reinstate mother and woman, but they were rejected by the Government.

Later the same amendments were reinstated in the House of Lords. At the hustings, Sir John, a supporter of Mrs Braverman, challenged Miss Mor daunt on the issue. He was said by colleagues to be incandescent at her reply, according to Sky News.

One MP told the broadcaster: She said she had only had a day to read the Bill. Anyone whos been a Bill minister will tell you that you have plenty of time to prepare.
Liz Truss was last night poised to win the backing of Attorney General Suella Braverman when she was forced to pull out of the Tory leadership race after coming last in the second round of voting.

It came as the Foreign Secretary won the support of Lord Frost as her campaign started to gather momentum.

Miss Truss tightened her grip on third place in the contest, picking up an extra 14 votes in the second ballot.

And she will win the support of Mrs Braverman, sources said last night. Until now, she been robbed of further momentum as the Attorney General refused to abandon her doomed campaign.

Liz Truss at yesterday's launch of her campaign to be Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister, at King's Buildings, Smith Square, London

Miss Truss tightened her grip on third place in the contest yesterday, picking up an extra 14 votes in the second ballot

Writing in the Telegraph, Lord Frost said: 'Liz's depth of experience, her energy and ideas  as well as the simple fact she has the most votes of the three  put her in the lead'

Last night she attracted further heavyweight backing in her battle to reach the final two.

Lord Frost urged Kemi Badenoch to withdraw from the Tory leadership race and back Miss Truss.

Writing for the Daily Telegraph, Lord Frost said: 'We need unity among free marketeers. Kemi and Suella Braverman set out convincing programmes, with differing emphases, for change.

'But Liz's depth of experience, her energy and ideas  as well as the simple fact she has the most votes of the three  put her in the lead.

He added: 'It is now time for pragmatism. I urge Kemi to stand down in return for a serious job in a Truss administration.'

Earlier, a friend of Lord Frost said he would formally endorse Miss Truss and urge fellow candidates on the Right of the party to unite behind her.

'While Suella, Kemi and Penny are all extremely good candidates, he thinks Liz's evident determination to put Britain on to a new, reforming free-market economic path gives her the edge,' they said.

'He thinks it's time for all three to unite behind her.'

A string of up-and-coming Tory MPs are also expected to endorse Miss Truss, including former health minister Ed Argar, Home Office minister Tom Pursglove and defence minister James Heappey, who is close to Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.

Brexiteer Steve Baker, who had been backing Mrs Braverman, will also now support Miss Truss.

The Foreign Secretary used her campaign launch yesterday to promise continuity on Mr Johnson's key pledges such as levelling up, while breaking with the economic policy pursued by former chancellor Rishi Sunak.

Although Ms Truss is poised to receive her backing, Ms Braverman hinted she might not back Miss Truss at all, saying that the Foreign Secretary's decision to campaign for Remain six years ago would be a 'factor' in her decision

A friend of Lord Frost said he would formally endorse Miss Truss and urge fellow candidates on the Right of the party to unite behind her

There had been fury at the refusal of Mrs Braverman to step aside and lend her supporters to Miss Truss.

One ally said: 'If she had dropped out in the morning we could have expected a significant number of her people to come across, giving Liz momentum into the weekend. It was a golden opportunity missed.'

But Mrs Braverman hinted she might not back Miss Truss at all, saying that the Foreign Secretary's decision to campaign for Remain six years ago would be a 'factor' in her decision.

In her speech in central London yesterday, Miss Truss highlighted her experience as a former chief secretary to the Treasury, and said she was the only candidate with the experience to offer a credible economic alternative to Mr Sunak.

'We are at a critical moment for our country,' she said. 'Now is the time to be bold, we cannot have business-as-usual economic management, which has led to low growth for decades.'

She pledged to introduce 'bold supply-side reforms' including 'cutting taxes'.

Miss Truss also said she had opposed Mr Sunak's hike in national insurance and would scrap it if elected.

And she defended her decision to stand by Boris Johnson when others were deserting him.

'I am a loyal person. I am loyal to Boris Johnson,' she said.

'I supported our Prime Minister's aspirations and I want to deliver the promise of the 2019 manifesto.

'What we need to do now is deliver, deliver, deliver, and I am the person in this race who has the record of delivery.'
Scientists have revealed the areas across England that are set to be hit by extreme heat in the coming years  as they warn that heatwaves will become more intense because of climate change.

The top five local authorities with the most 'at risk' neighbourhoods are Birmingham, Nottingham, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Hackney, according to the new research.

Leicester, Coventry, Bristol and Southampton, as well as Peterborough, Reading and Luton, also make the top 30.

The analysis, which was carried out by researchers at the University of Manchester, looked at which neighbourhoods (areas with an average population of 1,700) are most at risk of heat now and in future warming scenarios.

Concern: Scientists have revealed the areas across England that are set to be hit by extreme heat in the coming years  as they warn that heatwaves are set to become more intense because of climate change. Among the top five local authorities with the most 'at risk' neighbourhoods are Birmingham and Nottingham, while the 30 listed are shown on this map

The analysis, which was carried out by researchers at the University of Manchester, looked at which neighbourhoods are most at risk of heat now and in future warming scenarios (stock)

THE AREAS IN ENGLAND MOST AT RISK TO HEATWAVES Local authority Number of neighbourhoods at risk from heatwaves in area Birmingham 210 Newham 154 Tower Hamlets 117 Hackney 111 Nottingham 101 Southwark 91 Leicester 85 Enfield 81 Ealing 79 Haringey 79 Waltham Forest 75 Lambeth 72 Brent 71 Coventry 69 Bristol 68 Peterborough 61 Croydon 60 Barking and Dagenham 59 Lewisham 57 Islington 47 Southampton 46 Luton 45 Greenwich 44 West Northamptonshire 44 Hounslow 41 Wandsworth 38 Westminster 34 Slough 32 Reading 29 Camden 28

In all scenarios, the communities set to be most affected by global heating are those with below average carbon footprints  those less responsible for the climate crisis.

The research also found that people of colour are four times more likely to live in areas at high risk of dangerous levels of heat.

Communities most vulnerable to the dangerous health impacts of soaring temperatures are those with a high number of older people and children, those without green space to shelter from the heat, and those where the type of housing, such as high rise buildings and mobile homes, is most susceptible to overheating.

According to the Met Office, hot weather can place particular strain on the heart and lungs, meaning that the majority of serious illness and deaths caused by heat are respiratory and cardiovascular.

Older people, those with pre-existing health conditions and young children are especially at risk.

The research also suggests that even if the world stays on track to meet the global goal to limit warming to 2.7F (1.5C), more than 3,000 of the most vulnerable neighbourhoods  over six million people  will regularly be exposed to 'very hot weather' of 81.5F (27.5C) for five or more days during the summer months.

If temperatures rise to 5.4F (3C), then the same areas will be regularly exposed to dangerously hot temperatures of over 86F (30C).

The analysis was carried out for the environmental campaign group Friends of the Earth, which is calling for the 3,000 most vulnerable neighbourhoods to be prioritised for publicly-funded adaptation projects and greater efforts to reduce planet-heating greenhouse gases.

Mike Childs, head of research at Friends of the Earth, said: 'Extreme heatwaves and health alerts like we're seeing this week, will become much more frequent and severe due to climate change.

'To prevent the most dangerous scenarios becoming a reality, all countries, including the UK, must make greater efforts to prevent runaway climate breakdown.'

He added: 'Suggestions by some politicians that the UK should dial back on climate goals are short-sighted and reckless.

This graphic shows the number of high-risk neighbourhoods for extreme heat based on three different warming scenarios of 2.7F (1.5C), 3.6F (2C) and 5.4F (3C)

This graphic shows the percentage of neighbourhoods that could face either hot weather, very hot weather or dangerously hot weather every year under three different warming scenarios

In all scenarios, the communities set to be most affected by global heating are those with below average carbon footprints (stock)

'People on the frontlines of the climate crisis in the UK and overseas are already being hit by its impacts, despite being the least responsible.

'We need governments to double-down on cutting emissions and providing funding for climate adaptation programmes, such as planting street trees.'

The research also found that nearly half (48 per cent) of neighbourhoods  or 28 million people  in England will be exposed to 'very hot weather' at 2.7F (1.5C) of warming.

This increases significantly if global temperatures rise by 3.6F (2C) and 5.4F (3C) to affect 60 per cent (34 million people) and 81 per cent (46 million people) of neighbourhoods, respectively.

A global temperature rise of 5.4F (3C) would put 50 per cent of neighbourhoods  or 30 million people  at risk of 'dangerously hot weather' where temperatures hit 86F (30C) or more for five or more days during summer.

Global temperatures are already 1.98F (1.1C) above pre-industrial levels.

Under the Paris Agreement, governments have agreed to limit warming to 2.7F (1.5C) to avoid catastrophic climate change.

According to estimates based on current climate pledges, the world is heading towards 4.32F (2.4C) of warming, but these commitments are not being met.

The UK government's advisory body, the Committee on Climate Change, estimates that only 39 per cent of the policies in its Net Zero Strategy are credible.
Tesla's battery woes will soon be over, as Panasonic announced plans Wednesday to build a giant $4 billion EV battery plant in Kansas.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has repeatedly expressed challenges with ramping up production of in-house batteries, which has limited the company's auto output.

The plant's location, which will be in DeSoto, was chosen because it offered an enticing package of taxpayer-funded incentives  the largest Kansas has offered a private business.

State officials expect the new plant to have about 4,000 workers, which would make Panasonic a 'top 20, easily' private employer for the state in terms of its size, Kansas Commerce Secretary David Toland said.

The Panasonic plant will primarily supply batteries to Tesla, but is not limited to the company and it will have a research department focused on next generation batteries, Rahm Emanuel, US Ambassador to Japan, told reporters on Thursday.

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Tesla's battery woes will soon be over, as Panasonic announced plans Wednesday to build a giant $4 billion EV battery plant in Kansas. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has repeatedly expressed challenges with ramping up production of in-house batteries, which has limited the company's auto output

The deal came together after President Joe Biden talked with Panasonic executives in May when he visited Japan, Emanuel continued.

The Biden administration has aimed to cut US reliance on Asia for EV batteries and materials as it aims to boost the domestic EV industry.

Panasonic Energy President Kazuo Tadanobu said: 'With the increased electrification of the automotive market, expanding battery production in the United States is critical to help meet demand.'

In a statement, the Kansas Department of Commerce said the state would reimburse Panasonic with estimated subsidies of $829 million after the company has completed investment and hiring.

The plant's location, which will be in DeSoto, was chosen because it offered an enticing package of taxpayer-funded incentives  the largest Kansas has offered a private business

Panasonic currently has one large battery production site at the Tesla Gigafactory 1 in Sparks, Nevada (pictured)

Kansas estimated $2.5 billion in annual economic activity from the plant that would offset the state's largest development subsidy package.

'Kansas is no longer an aw shucks, humble sort of flyover state,' Toland said during a Wednesday press conference that announced the deal.

'We can compete with anyone, and we can say loudly and proudly that Kansas is the best state in the nation for investment.'

By 2029, Panasonic plans to expand battery production capacity by three to four times, with most of the increase in North America.

Panasonic currently has one large battery production site at the Tesla Gigafactory 1 in Sparks, Nevada.

Tesla has additional gigafactories in Austin, Texas and Berlin, Germany and Musk has referred to these factories as gigantic money furnaces' because they are losing billions of dollars.

Tesla has additional gigafactories in Austin, Texas and Berlin, Germany (pictured) and Musk has referred to these factories as gigantic money furnaces' because they are losing billions of dollars

'This factory is losing insane money right now,' he told members of a club of Silicon Valley Tesla owners in Austin in an interview published on YouTube.

'We should be operating a lot more cars from this factory versus a very puny amount of cars.'

'Both Berlin and Austin factories are gigantic money furnaces right now. Okay? It's really like a giant roaring sound, which is the sound of money on fire.'

Panasonic hopes its Kansas plant will help Tesla over this hurdle.

But until the plant is complete, the electronics company plans to start mass-producing 4680 batteries in Japan during the financial year starting April 2023.

Panasonic has developed a way to slow a batterys degradation at a higher voltage that includes the use of new, more potent additives to the batterys electrolyte, said Watanabe who is also Panasonic Energys executive vice president.

Higher voltages allow for increased ability to store energy but even small increases have also tended to drive outsized declines in battery performance.
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A stunning supermoon lit up skies around the world last night, as our lunar satellite appeared 30 per cent bigger and brighter.

The spectacular event could be seen rising over famous landmarks, including the skyline of New York, Milan's Peace Arch and Glastonbury Tor in Somerset.

A supermoon occurs when the full moon nearly coincides with perigee  the point in the orbit of the moon at which it is nearest to the Earth.

Its proximity bolsters its brightness and size in the night sky from our planet, while on the moon it would appear the same as normal.

July's full moon is known as the Buck Moon in a traditional naming system developed by early Native Americans, because male deer shed and regrow their antlers around this time of year.

The last supermoon was on June 14 and was called the 'Strawberry moon' because it's the full moon at strawberry harvest time.

Last night the moon appeared up to 30 per cent brighter than normal, in what is known as a 'supermoon'. Pictured is the moon rising over lower Manhattan and One World Trade Center in New York, as seen from Jersey City, New Jersey, USA

July's full moon is known as the Buck Moon in a traditional naming system developed by early Native Americans, because male deer shed and regrow their antlers around this time of year. Pictured: the full moon rises over the 'Mr Arbitrium' sculpture by Italian artist Emanuele Giannelli leaning to the Peace Arch, in Milan, Italy

The full Buck supermoon sets behind St Michael's Tower on Glastonbury Tor at Glastonbury in Somerset

A full super moon known as the 'Buck Moon' is seen as a deer grazes outside the village of Taarbaek, about 15 km north of Copenhagen, Denmark. It gets its name from it being the time of year when male deer shed and regrow their antlers

What is a supermoon? The Moon orbits Earth in an ellipse, an oval that brings it closer to and farther from Earth as it goes around. The farthest point in this ellipse is called the apogee and is about 253,000 miles (405,500 kilometers) from Earth on average. Its closest point is the perigee, which is an average distance of about 226,000 miles (363,300 kilometers) from Earth. When a full moon appears at perigee it is slightly brighter and larger than a regular full moon  and that's where we get a 'supermoon. Source: NASA Advertisement

Supermoons occur because the moon orbits the Earth on an elliptical path, rather than a circular one.

This means there is a point in its 29.5-day orbit where it is closest to the Earth, known as the perigee, and it passes this point during a full moon at certain times of the year.

A full moon at perigee appears 14 per cent larger due to being closer to us, and only 30 per cent brighter than an apogee full Moon - the point when it is furthest away.

A supermoon is also only about 7 per cent larger and 15 per cent brighter than an average full Moon.

Some parts of the scientific community, including NASA, use the supermoon definition set by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979, who classed it as a full moon that comes within 90 per cent of its perigee  the closest point to Earth in its orbit.

However, retired NASA astrophysicist Fred Espenak calculates supermoons to account for changes in the lunar orbit each lunar cycle.

The average distance of the moon from the Earth is 238,855 miles (384,400 km), but in its perigee it is only 222,089 miles (357,264 km) away.

July's full moon reached its peak illumination at 19:38 BST (14:37 ET), however as it was daylight could not be viewed.

Skywatchers told to look in a easterly direction after sunset to see it creep up over the horizon from 21:48 BST in London , Edinburgh at 22:35 BST and Plymouth at 21:24 BST.

Its maximum apparent diameter was 33 feet and 57 inches.

A full moon at perigee appears 14 per cent larger due to being closer to us, and only 30 per cent brighter than an apogee full Moon - the point when it is furthest away. Pictured: The supermoon rising above Tianjin in China

A plane passes in front of Wednesday's full moon in Milwaukee in Wisconsin, USA. The average distance of the moon from the Earth is 238,855 miles (384,400 km), but in its perigee it is only 222,089 miles (357,264 km) away

The full moon rises over a private house in the village of Putilovo, 70 kilometeres (43 miles) east of St. Petersburg, Russia last night. Its maximum apparent diameter was 33 feet and 57 inches

While there is no single definition, the term supermoon generally refers to a full moon that appears brighter and larger than other moons because it is at its closet orbit to Earth. Pictured: Camels walk along the desert while the supermoon rises in the background outside the Gulf emirate of Dubai, United Arab Emirates

FULL MOON CALENDAR 2022 12 August: Sturgeon Moon - 2.36am BST 10 September: Corn/Harvest Moon - 10.59am BST 9 October: Hunter's Moon - 9.55pm BST 8 November: Beaver Moon - 11.02am GMT 8 December: Cold Moon - 4.08am GMT Advertisement

July's full moon gets its name from it being the time of year when male deer shed and regrow their antlers.

Other Native American tribes call it Salmon Moon, Raspberry Moon, and Thunder Moon.

In Celtic, this Moon was known as the Claiming Moon, Wyrt Moon, Herb Moon, and Mead Moon, while the Anglo-Saxons called it the Hay Moon.

The phrase 'honeymoon' may be tied to June's full moon, possibly due to the tradition of marrying in June or because the 'honey moon' is the 'sweetest' moon of the year.

A full moon occurs when the moon appears as a complete circle in the sky, because the whole of the side of the moon facing the Earth is lit up by the sun's rays.

If you missed last night's full moon, the next one is on August 11, and is also likely to be classed as a supermoon.

August's full moon is known as the 'Sturgeon Moon' because the giant, prehistoric-looking sturgeon fish of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain were most readily caught during this part of summer.

A full moon occurs when the moon appears as a complete circle in the sky, because the whole of the side of the moon facing the Earth is lit up by the sun's rays. Pictured: The supermoon rises over Tunis, Tunisia

The Buck Supermoon rises behind lights near the town of Aegio, in the northern Peloponnese, Greece. If you missed last night's full moon, the next one is on August 11, and is also likely to be classed as a supermoon

Some parts of the scientific community, including NASA, use the supermoon definition set by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979, who classed it as a full moon that comes within 90 per cent of its perigee  the closest point to Earth in its orbit. Pictured: The supermoon rises behind the fire that is lit in the Pantheon of the Fatherland and Liberty, in Brasilia, Brazil

The full moon rises over the Statue of King Faisal I, in central Baghdad, Iraq

Numerous people stand on the Olympiaberg and look at the sunset or the moonrise in Munich, Germany
Sir Patrick Vallance has warned that the world is about to face '50 years of really big problems relating to climate' in a briefing to MPs.

The chief scientific adviser suggested that the turmoil will be worse than what was faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, which lasted two-and-a-half years.

Monday's briefing was intended to inform 70 MPs about the current state of the climate to aid policy making.

He said: 'To give three observational facts the world is warmer than it was, the CO2 levels in the atmosphere are higher than they have ever been, and extreme weather events are more common than before all this happened.

'That's what we face, and the aim of this briefing... is to speak about the science.'

Sir Vallance (pictured) gave a bleak introduction before presentations from experts Professor Stephen Belcher and Professor Gideon Henderson

In the 55-minute-long Zoom briefing, each expert presented slides on emissions, climate science and the tangible impacts of climate change we will see in the UK after an introduction from chief scientific officer Sir Patrick Vallance (bottom left)

The latest climate science, including the rise in CO2 concentration and global mean temperatures in recent decades, was presented during the briefing

WHAT WAS THE CLIMATE BRIEFING FOR? The climate briefing, held via Zoom on Monday afternoon, was intended to inform MPs about the climate crisis and spur on more urgent action. It included an updated version of the slides that the chief scientific adviser Sit Patrick Vallance showed Boris Johnson before the Cop26 climate summit in November. The latest climate science, including the rise in CO2 concentration and global mean temperatures in recent decades, was presented. Experts also outlined the health, environmental and other impacts of the climate emergency. The briefing was hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Climate Change Group and Peers for the Planet. However not a single MP running to be the next leader of the Conservative party attended. Advertisement

His bleak introduction came before presentations from Professor Stephen Belcher from the Met Office and Professor Emily Shuckburgh from Cambridge Zero.

A talk was also given by Professor Gideon Henderson, the chief scientific adviser at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

In the 55-minute-long Zoom briefing, each expert presented slides on emissions, climate science and the tangible impacts of climate change we will see in the UK.

No political recommendations were made by the expert panel, but Vallance did stress policies 'need to be determined by governments and need to be implemented'.

He said: 'We've had two and a half years of a global crisis in the form of a pandemic.

'We face 50 years of really big problems relating to climate, and the nature of that threat to countries around the world means that this has to be one of the things that is absolutely on every governments' agenda.

'There is no way we can pretend it isn't happening.

'It is going to be the thing that governments around the world need to focus on.'

The adviser added: 'Science has been instrumental in detecting the problem, in describing and monitoring the problem, and is important for the solutions.

'Whether that's towards mitigation or...towards adaptation, because whatever we do the changes that have taken place are baked into the system.

'They're not going to go away, they're going to increase over time and therefore we need to be able to adapt to what is a changing environment.'

Belcher's data from the Met Office showed that significant changes in the world's oceans, ice and biosphere have been occurring since the evolution of humans.

He said that Arctic sea ice has declined by an average of 12 per cent over the last four decades, and we may lose an area greater than the size of India, Bangladesh and Bhutan combined in the next four.

Professor Stephen Belcher's data from the Met Office showed that extent of global temperature rise in his presentation at the climate briefin

The Met Office's Chief of Science and Technology cited recent extreme weather events as evidence, like flooding in Europe and Bangladesh, and the North American heatwave.

Climate scientist Emily Shuckburgh was more optimistic, as she showed it is possible to cut back on emissions while increasing the county's gross domestic product.

She did stress that the rate at which emissions are being reduced is still too slow to reach our net zero goals, and reductions must be seen in more sectors like surface transport and buildings.

Defra's Professor Gideon Henderson said that extreme heatwaves, like the one the UK is experiencing today, could hinder food production.

As they become more frequent, we may see more instances of potato blight and thermal heat stress in livestock which will reduce farmers' yields.

Climate scientist Emily Shuckburgh was more optimistic in her slides, as she showed it is possible to cut back on emissions while increasing the county's gross domestic product

Shuckburgh stressed that the rate at which emissions are being reduced still must increase, and in more sectors like surface transport and buildings, if we are to reach net zero

He also drew attention to challenges the UK's coastal defences will face with rising sea levels.

In his introduction, Vallance stressed to parliamentarians that new technologies will not reduce emissions enough to halt the effects of climate change, and we must consider significant lifestyle changes too.

He said: 'Technology is going to be an important part of dealing with this, but it is not a magic solution and isn't going to deal with it on its own.

'If you take 2050, any technology that you can't see already working is not going to save our bacon.

Defra's Professor Gideon Henderson said that extreme heatwaves, like the one the UK is experiencing today, could hinder food production. As they become more frequent, we may see more instances of potato blight and thermal heat stress in livestock

Henderson drew attention to challenges our coastal defences will face with rising sea levels

'It's absolutely not going to get us out of this because of the scale of which these things need to be introduced.

'We need to continue to innovate, continue to discover and continue to implement but we also need to really push hard now on the implementation of the things that we have.

'We need to accept that technology alone won't get us out of this. This is a systems-wide problem it affects virtually every part of every department.

'You need to think of this as a systems approach it can't be one where you cherry pick the odd thing and hope you're going to reach the solution.'
Twitter appears to be back up and running after a brief outage today.

People were left unable to login to their accounts, meaning they also could not post or view tweets, for about an hour.

According to Down Detector, a website which monitors such outages, reports of problems first began to surface at about 12:45 BST (07:45 ET).

The issue was later resolved at about 13:45 BST (08:45 ET).

Crash: Twitter appears to be back up and running after a brief outage today

According to Down Detector, a website which monitors such outages, reports of problems first began to surface at about 12:45 BST (07:45 ET)

More than 28,000 reports of problems had logged on Down Detector, with users struggling to access Twitter via both the app and website.

Some 57 per cent of users experienced problems with the app, while 38 per cent had trouble with the site.

A further 6 per cent reported an inability to post tweets.

Most of the issues were reported in major cities, including London and Birmingham in the UK, as well as New York and Los Angeles in the US.

It is unclear what has caused Twitter to crash but MailOnline has contacted the social media company for a comment.

Twitter users have experienced 65 outages over the past 12 months, according to Down Detector.

Most of the issues were reported in major cities, including London and Birmingham in the UK
Tesla's head of artificial intelligence and autopilot Andrej Karpathy, pictured above at a conference, is leaving the company at a critical time

Tesla Director of Artificial Intelligence and Autopilot Andrej Karpathy is leaving the company at a critical time - as it faces renewed probes over crashes and growing scrutiny.

'It's been a great pleasure to help Tesla towards its goals over the last 5 years and a difficult decision to part ways. In that time, Autopilot graduated from lane keeping to city streets and I look forward to seeing the exceptionally strong Autopilot team continue that momentum,' he wrote on Twitter, noting that he has no plans for what's next.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk replied to thank him for his work at the company.

The leadership change comes at a challenging time, as Tesla faces renewed scrutiny from US regulators over crashes involving drivers who used Autopilot and works to expand the latest version of Full Self Driving (FSD) to a larger number of customers.

Investigators in California - where the company was founded - are probing the death of a woman who was struck by a Tesla driver who was high on drugs and driving on Autopilot when the car went airborne and hit her.

Frank Shoaf, 39, was charged with vehicular manslaughter, according to reporting from NBC 7 San Diego.

The leadership change comes at a challenging time, as Tesla faces renewed scrutiny from US regulators over crashes involving drivers who used Autopilot and works to expand the latest version of Full Self Driving (FSD) to a larger number of customers

Shoaf was high from huffing  inhaling household items  while driving and he admitted to police that he had run the red light and hit a dip, which caused him to go airborne two feet, before he hit Cassandra May, 40.

After Shoaf struck her, her body reportedly was launched seven to eight feet in the air before landing 25 feet away. She later died at the hospital.

Despite the timing and the challenges facing Tesla, Karpathy responded on Twitter to a user who called his decision to step down a 'major blow' for the company.

'Important to keep in mind that the Autopilot team is hundreds of strong engineers who very much know what they're doing, just don't have my public visibility,' he said. 'I was only one part of that effort and I think get an outsized spotlight cast on me because I do.'

Tesla began offering a beta FSD in October 2020 and expanded it in December of the following year  ever since, Musk has promised a wider rollout as the challenging technology is beset by delays and reports of Autopilot-involved crashes.

Since 2016, the NHTSA has opened 35 special crash investigations involving Tesla vehicles in which advanced driver assistance systems like Autopilot were suspected of being used.

US regulators are investigating the death of a woman who was struck by a Tesla driver, 39, who was high on drugs and driving on Autopilot when the car went airborne and hit her (pictured: A California Tesla crash, where the vehicle went airborne)

The NHTSA typically opens more than 100 special crash investigations annually into emerging technologies and other potential auto safety issues that have, for instance, previously helped to develop safety rules on air bags.

A total of 15 crash deaths have been reported in those Tesla investigations, including the most recent incident.

Although the NHTSA did not name the specific crash, it is believed to have involved Frank Shoaf, (pictured) who struck and killed Cassandra May, 40, in June after he was high from huffing - inhaling household items

Separately, the NHTSA told Reuters it was aware of 'and in discussions with Tesla' regarding a Florida crash on Wednesday that killed a 66-year-old Tesla driver and a 67-year-old passenger.

A 2015 Tesla rear-ended a tractor-trailer in the Gainesville area at a rest area off Interstate 75, the Florida Highway Patrol said in a police report. Both people in the Tesla were pronounced dead at the scene.

In June, the NHTSA upgraded its defect probe into 830,000 Tesla (TSLA.O) vehicles with Autopilot, a required step before it could seek a recall.

The NHTSA opened a preliminary evaluation to assess the performance of the system in 765,000 vehicles after about a dozen crashes in which Tesla vehicles struck stopped emergency vehicles - and said last month it had identified six additional crashes.

The NHTSA Administrator Steven Cliff told Reuters last week he wanted to complete the Tesla Autopilot investigation 'as quickly as we possibly can, but I also want to get it right. There's a lot of information that we need to comb through.

All of Tesla's autonomous features are deemed assistance systems in which the driver is still ultimately liable rather than the manufacturer.

Meanwhile, Tesla owners have accused the Biden Administration of stacking the NHTSA with people who are biased against the company, such as choosing Mary Louise Cummings  a Duke University professor of engineering  as its new senior safety advisor.

Cummings is highly skeptical of what she considers Tesla's 'reckless' approach to Full Self Driving technology, reports Fortune.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) announced it successfully raided a python nursery, capturing two massive females, 23 eggs and dozens of hatchlings.

Matthew Rubenstein, an officer for the commission, and python contractor Alex McDuffie found two nesting areas in Big Cypress National Preserve, located in South Florida.

The pair first snagged a 10-foot female Burmese python while it sat on 23 unhatched eggs and 18 new hatchlings slithering nearby.

McDuffie reported to Rubenstein that upon returning to the same site the following evening, he removed a second breeding female that measured 17 feet, six inches long.

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Matthew Rubenstein (pictured), an officer for the commission, and python contractor Alex McDuffie found two nesting areas in Big Cypress National Preserve

The pythons and unhatched eggs were removed from the sensitive habitat, helping to prevent future negative impacts to our native wildlife, FWC shared in a Facebook post about the events, which occurred Monday and Tuesday - the announcement was made Thursday.

The team was led to the python nursery on July 11 when McDuffie was in the process of catching and bagging a Burmese python hatchling from the area, FWC shared in a statement.

The python appeared to be freshly hatched, so they began searching the immediate area for more hatchlings.

Pythons are native to Southeast Asia, but have been wreaking havoc in the Florida since the 1970s.

The pair first snagged a 10-foot female Burmese Python while it sat on 23 unhatched eggs and 18 new hatchlings slithering in the area. Left is Rubenstein and right is python contractor Alex McDuffie

McDuffie reported to Rubenstein that upon returning to the same site the following evening, he removed a second breeding female that measured 17 feet, six inches long (pictured)

The snakes came to Florida as pets, but owners discarded them into the wild where they began to multiply and grow to massive lengths.

The python population has seen a boom in recent years, sparking Governor Ron DeSantis to announce that registration for the 2022 Florida Python Challenge is now open.

FWC Executive Director Eric Sutton said in a statement: The Florida Python Challenge provides an opportunity for people to actively participate in Everglades conservation by removing the Burmese python, an invasive species that is actively damaging our native wildlife populations.

Although Burmese pythons are all over the Everglades, they are hard to capture due to them living deep within the swamps.

However, snake hunters have become creative to find these snakes  they are using males to hunt down females.

Douglas Main, senior writer and editor at National Geographic, spoke with DailyMail.com last month about how this technique was used to capture the largest python ever recorded in Floridaor anywhere outside its native range.

Researchers at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida captured this massive female python that turned out to weigh 215 pounds and measure 17.7 feet long.

The snakes came to Florida as pets, but owners discarded them into the wild where they began to multiply and grow to massive lengths. Pictured are some of the unhatched eggs found in the python nursery

The python population has seen a boom in recent years, sparking Governor Ron DeSantis to announce that registration for the 2022 Florida Python Challenge is now open. Pictured are more eggs confiscated this week

'It is incredible because of the scale involved. It is almost heavier than most people, Main told DailyMail.com.

'It is also cool because it shows the success of this technique using scout snakes, which are male pythons with GPS transmitters.

The males are released and the snakes lead them to large reproductive females.'

The giant snake was caught in December, euthanized and put on ice in a freezer until April. National Geographic's Rebecca Dzombak traveled to a lab in Naples to watch the researchers perform a necropsy.

It took about 48 hours for the carcass to thaw and Dzombak said in her feature that 'the smell does not improve with time.'

The researchers began by slicing along the center of the python's belly and then they pealed open its ribs to access the underneath fat layer, which allowed them to uncover a few other interesting things.

Hidden in the body were 122 proto-eggs  the most ever found inside a python.

However, the eggs had not been fertilized yet.

Researchers at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida captured this massive female python that turned out to weigh 215 pounds and measure 17.7 feet long. The snake was nabbed in December

Hidden in the body were 122 proto-eggs  the most ever found inside a python. However, the eggs had not been fertilized yet

The python had hoof cores and bits of fur in her digestive tract, which researchers say indicates her last meal was an adult white-tailed deer.

'White tailed-deer is the main prey for endangered Florida panthers,' Main said.

'So this is concerning.'

Main told DailyMail.com that he is working on a story about the endangered panthers, noting that there are just about 200 in all of Florida.

Researchers also took several measurements of the snake, noting its head measured nearly six inches from the tip of her snout to the back of her skull. The widest part of her body measured 25 inches.

However, the eggs had not been fertilized yet.

The python had hoof cores and bits of fur in her digestive tract, which researchers say indicates her last meal was an adult white-tailed deer.

'White tailed-deer is the main prey for endangered Florida panthers,' Main said.

'So this is concerning.'

Main told DailyMail.com that he is working on a story about the endangered panthers, noting that there are just about 200 in all of Florida.

Researchers also took several measurements of the snake, noting its head measured nearly six inches from the tip of her snout to the back of her skull. The widest part of her body measured 25 inches.
Tesla's supplier, Panasonic, plans to build a new electric vehicle (EV) battery plant, specifically the largest in the world, in Kansas.

The new Panasonic EV battery factory reportedly seeks to produce the new high-capacity 4680 cells of the Elon Musk-led automaker, Tesla.

Tesla Supplier Panasonic to Build EV Battery Plant in Kansas

As per a news story by Engadget, the major supplier of EV batteries for Tesla announced that it is planning to build its next plant at a former ammunition factory near the city of De Soto.

The Governor of Kansas, Democrat Laura Kelly, says it is "the largest private investment in Kansas history and one of the largest EV battery manufacturing plants of its kind in the country."

Panasonic also disclosed that it has already inked a whopping $4 billion investment deal with the state of Kansas to work on the most extensive battery facility.

Panasonic EV Battery Plant and Jobs

The Kansas Governor expects the upcoming Panasonic EV battery plant to provide roughly "8,000 high-quality jobs."

Kelly adds in her press conference that the world's largest EV battery factory should give its residents "better lives for themselves and their children."

The figures that the Governor of Kansas gave are twice the previous prediction of the local media in the said state.

As per the latest report by CNBC, the local news outlet Kansas City Star says in its story that the new Panasonic battery factory is expected to draw roughly 4,000 jobs. However, the Governor herself gives a much larger number.

Meanwhile, according to a recent report by Nikkei Asia, the battery supplier Panasonic plans to build its massive facility in Kansas as it takes on the challenge of producing high-capacity cells for the giant EV maker.

It is worth noting that Panasonic is already producing batteries at the Gigafactory Texas in Reno, Nevada, thanks to its joint venture with Tesla.

Read Also: Tesla Model S, X Now Only Sells with Key Cards - How to Get Key Fob

Tesla EV Battery

CNBC notes in the same report that the renowned EV maker, Tesla, is increasingly demanding more battery cells these days, as it plans to ramp up its production even more.

The Musk-led automaker debuted newly-open factories, such as the Gigafactory in Texas and Berlin to make its ambitions a reality.

The giant all-electric car maker achieved a total shipment of more than 900,000 last year or in 2021. It is a significant increase from its performance way back in 2020.

The close rivals of Tesla, namely Ford and General Motors (GM) are also shelling out hefty investments to build their EV battery facilities. Their aggressive investments come as both long-time automakers ramp up their all-electric offerings.

Related Article: Tesla to Lay Off Hundreds of Autopilot Employees as it Shuts Down San Mateo Office
A pair of mass graves containing 19 tons of ashes of at least 8,000 individuals have been discovered outside the former Nazi concentration camp of Soldau in Poland.

The estimate is based on the weight of the remains, with four pounds roughly corresponding to one body.

Researchers said the victims were assassinated and buried at one point, but then dug up and burned by members of the Nazi party in an attempt to cover up the murders.

A stone monument now stands in the area where the graves were dug, with the inscription 'Nieznani meczennicy Polegli za polskosc. 1939-1944' in Polish and reads 'Unknown martyrs they fell for Polishness. 1939-1944' in English.

Officials unveiled the monument on Wednesday, noting that the war crimes committed on the land will not be forgotten.

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A stone monument now covers the grave, with the inscription 'Nieznani meczennicy Polegli za polskosc. 1939-1944' in Polish that reads 'Unknown martyrs they fell for Polishness. 1939-1944'

Karol Nawrocki, president of the Institute of National Remembrance in Poland (IPN), said in a statement: 'The Germans decided to avoid the responsibility for the crimes they had committed.'

He continued to explain that the some 8,000 victims were likely taken outside of the camp and executed by a shot to the head in 1939.

The mass grave was discovered last month, but Wednesday marked the official remembrance ceremony outside of the Soldau concentration camp, which stands in ruins.

One of the graves discovered measures 91 feet long and the other 39 feet.

A pair of mass graves containing 19 tons of ashes of at least 8,000 individuals have been discovered outside the former Nazi concentration camp of Soldau in Poland. Pictured is what is left of the camp

Officials unveiled the monument on Wednesday, noting that the war crimes committed on the land will not be forgotten

Tomasz Jankowski from the IPN said during the conference: 'The people whose ashes are buried here were murdered and robbed.'

The bodies were then tossed into a large grave, but when Soviets moved into Poland Nazi soldiers frantically dug up the victims, burned them and dumped the ashes into a single grave  this is believed to have happened in 1944.

'The cover-up has failed because the IPN is determined to search for the victims and heroes of WW2 and will never allow even one of them to be forgotten,' said Nawrocki.

The Soldau camp was setup in the fall of 1939 and initially served as a prison camp for the elites of Poland. Pictured is the camp when it was operational

IPN is an institute that investigates crimes committed during the Nazi occupation of Poland and the communist era.

The Soldau camp was setup in the fall of 1939 and initially served as a prison camp for the elites of Poland, along with clergymen.

It was located in Dziadowo, a town in north-eastern Poland.

This program entailed gassing experiments on people with mental disabilities.

In May 1940, the SS camp was transformed into a labor education camp which was used by all state police posts in East Prussia up until January 1945 when it was taken over by Soviet soldiers.

Pictured is the area where the mass graves were discovered

Construction works go on at the former German Nazi Soldau concentration camp in Dzialdowo, Poland on July 13, 2022, close to the site where the mass graves were found

In the spring of 1944, Nazi soldiers were ordered to carry out a disinterment operation, called Aktion 1005, near Soldau in order to erase the traces of the 1940 and 1941 mass murders.

'In the spring of 1944, the remains of people were excavated at this site and burned, so that this crime does not see the light of day and no one is held responsible,' IPN shared on Twitter.

There are several monuments throughout the wooded area surrounding the former camp, which were setup to honor the concentration camp's 13,000 to 20,000 victims.

Andrzej Ossowski, a genetics researcher at the Pomeranian Medical University, told AFP samples from the ashes in the mass grave had been taken and would be studied in a laboratory.

'We can carry out DNA analysis, which will allow us to find out more about the identity of the victims,' he added, following similar studies at former Nazi camps at Sobibor and Treblinka.
DNA from ancient fossils in southern China has revealed that Native Americans may have roots in East Asia.

Scientists compared the genetic information of the Late Pleistocene era fossils to those from humans worldwide.

They found that the bones belonged to an individual that was linked deeply to the East Asian ancestry of Native Americans.

Archaeologists had been able to successfully sequence the genome of the fossils.

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Researchers for the first time successfully sequenced the genome of fossils from the Late Pleistocene. Pictured above is a lateral view of the skull unearthed from Red Deer Cave

'Ancient DNA technique is a really powerful tool,' Bing Su, a study co-author who works at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, says.

'It tells us quite definitively that the Red Deer Cave people were modern humans instead of an archaic species, such as Neanderthals or Denisovans, despite their unusual morphological features.'

They proposed that some of the southern East Asian people traveled north along the coast of present-day China through Japan and eventually reached Siberia.

'It tells us quite definitively that the Red Deer Cave people were modern humans instead of an archaic species, such as Neanderthals or Denisovans, despite their unusual morphological features,' Bing Su, a study co-author, says. Pictured is the reproduced portrait of the Red Deer Cave People or Mengziren

It's believed that they then crossed the Bering Strait between Asia and North America to become the first people to arrive in the New World.

The work that led to these insights began more than thirty years ago.

At that time, a group of archaeologists in China discovered a large set of bones in the Maludong, or Red Deer Cave, in southern Chinas Yunnan Province.

Archaeologists used carbon dating - which uses the relative proportions of the carbon isotopes carbon-12 and carbon-14 to determine the age of organic matter - to show that the fossils were from the Late Pleistocene about 14,000 years ago.

The discovery dates back to work that began several decades ago when archaeologists found a large set of bones in the Maludong, or Red Deer Cave, pictured above

This was a period of time when modern humans had migrated to many parts of the world.

Researchers recovered a hominin skull cap from the cave that had characteristics of both modern humans and archaic humans.

For instance, the shape of the skull resembled that of Neanderthals, and its brain appeared to be smaller than that of modern humans.

As a result, some anthropologists had thought the skull probably belonged to an unknown archaic human species that lived until fairly recently or to a hybrid population of archaic and modern humans.

The finding contributes to our understanding of the rich genetic diversity of hominins living at that time in southern East Asia.

Su says that it suggests that early humans who first arrived in eastern Asia had initially settled in the south before some of them moved to the north.

'Its an important piece of evidence for understanding early human migration,' he explains.

'Such data will not only help us paint a more complete picture of how our ancestors migrate but also contain important information about how humans change their physical appearance by adapting to local environments over time, such as the variations in skin color in response to changes in sunlight exposure,' Su says.

The team's findings were published July 14 in the journal Current Biology.
Sharks typically travel up north during the summer months, but this year's migration is larger and came much earlier than previous seasons  and an expert says climate change is to blame.

Dr Tracy Fanara, an environmental engineer and research scientist, told DailyMail.com that not only is climate change a factor, but so is La Nina

Dr Tracy Fanara, an environmental engineer, told DailyMail.com that not only is climate change a factor, but so is La Nina.

La Nina can supercharge the effects of climate change in some locations, in the short term, resulting in warmer temperatures, she said in an interview.

La Nina is also predicted to continue through 2022 with the odds of it decreasing into the Northern Hemisphere late summer, according to NOAA.

The migration has always happened, [but] now productive ocean areas are changing due to climate as well as temperatures which can change where sharks congregate,' Fanara said.

Seals and sea lions distribution is spreading because of population increases and competition for food, sharks will follow their preferred food source, which is those pinnipeds in addition to fish.

This season is also seeing the apex-predators lurking closer to the shoreline  two attacks have been reported at the same beach in Long Island, New York.

Along with climate change and La Nina, Fanara has other theories to why the northeast is flooded with sharks.

It could be overfishing that is causing sharks to come closer to shore or it could be more people in the water, she said.

Sharks typically travel up north during the summer months, but this year's migration is larger and came much earlier than previous seasons  and experts say climate change is to blame. Pictured is a shark tracking map from OCEARCH that shows all the sharks it has tagged

La Nina can supercharge the effects of climate change in some locations, in the short term, resulting in warmer temperatures, Fanara said. La Nina is also predicted to continue through 2022 with the odds of it decreasing into the Northern Hemisphere late summer, according to NOAA. Pictured is a map showing La Nina's path

Overfishing removes the sharks primary source of food, forcing them to look elsewhere for something to eat  and that could be closer to the shoreline.

'There are more interactions between humans and these animals as they are going where they can find food,' said Fanara.

'Depredation is something fishermen are complaining about.'

The warmer ocean waters, however, are playing a huge role in sending the large migration up north.

Sharks that like warm waters (Bull, tiger, dusky, spinner, silky, and black-tipped sharks) now can move further north, said Fanara.

Sharks that like cold water are also moving north to areas they werent previously, for example they are seeing more white sharks in Maine.

A great white was spotted swimming near the beach in the Gulf of Maine on July 12, which conservators have named Luke.

A little further south in Cape Cod, another one was spotted on July 11.

Sharks that like cold water are also moving north to areas they werent previously, for example they are seeing more white sharks in Maine,' said Fanara. Pictured is a great white spotted swimming near the beach in the Gulf of Maine on July 12, which conservators have named Luke

And there was two sightings off Nauset Beach: a shark named Granese and another named Kendal (pictured)

However, this one was a whopping 11 feet long.

And there was two sightings off Nauset Beach: a shark named Granese and another named Kendal.

The large migration, according to Fanara, is also due to a boom in the seal and sea lion population.

Seals and sea lions have been protected since 1972 Marine Mammal act, so populations have been on the rise which would bring sharks closer to shore, Fanara explained.

'So pinniped distribution is due to increasing numbers and competition in food sources which again that competition is another reason for more interactions with sharks.'

Last week, shark tracking maps showed dozens lurking around the northeast coast.

Shark taggers reported a massive 528-pound female white shark off the coast of Cape Cod, while more than 14 sharks were observed lurking in waters around Long Island.

In late June, a lifeguard was bit at Smith Point Beach and was taken to the hospital to be treated for his injuries.

And on Wednesday, a paddleboarder was bitten on the leg at approximately 7:30 am ET at the same beach.
Perfectly perched on the northwestern stretch of Turkey's Turquoise Coast and in the heart of the TurkAegean Region, is a beachside destination of lush peaks that's steeped in history and sprinkled with lavish hotels.

This is Izmir, lesser known than its headline-grabbing neighbours, Bodrum and Dalaman, but just as rich in sun-soaked golden beaches, bustling bazaars and traditional restaurants.

Izmir is the latest Turkish hot spot chosen by Jet2holidays to be added to its collection. There's an impressive range of hotels and resorts and Jet2holidays will create the perfect package for you.

Add in ancient ruins, tranquil hot springs and action-packed waterparks and you have the perfect family destination just a short hop from the UK.

Izmir is Turkey's undiscovered gem

You can reserve with just a 60 per person deposit*, and your package will include flights from your preferred airport, transfers and 22kg of baggage included.

You have complete flexibility to choose the length of your holiday. No more sticking to rigid seven, 10 or 14-day trips, and everything is taken care of, so all you have to do is enjoy exploring Izmir. Once there, make sure to check in with your In-Resort Customer Helper; they can give you tips and inside information on the best things to see and do.

The ancient ruins of Ephesus await, or perhaps you'd rather explore the finest stretches of pristine sands, discover picture-perfect hot springs, charming beach towns and even great surfing spots.

You also have a selection of fantastic hotels tempting you to simply sit back and relax in the Turkish sunshine. With infinity pools, rejuvenating spa facilities and even splash parks and kids clubs for the little ones, there's something for every member of the family.

Still looking for some inspiration? Here are six dazzling reasons why Izmir is the undiscovered Turkish gem to explore this summer.

Its where coast meets culture

Dilek Peninsula National Park in Kusadasi

Kusadasi is the perfect base from which to explore the wonders of Turkey's Izmir region, offering a whole host of stunning all-inclusive hotels and family-friendly resorts dotted across the gorgeous beaches of the Ionian Sea.

At Long Beach you can spend time relaxing while you soak up the sun before cooling off in the crystal clear waters. And why not give surfing a go and catch a few waves too?

Enfolded within city walls, this tangle of cobbled streets has a unique blend of historic houses, as well as bustling markets, street food options and bars perfect for evening strolls.

And anyone looking for hidden coves and breath taking scenery should take a walk in the beautiful Dilek Peninsula National Park.

Explore one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

The ancient city of Ephesus dates back to the 10th Century BC and is incredibly well preserved - a fascinating day out for all the family

The ancient city of Ephesus dates back to the 10th Century BC, and was considered the most important city in ancient times, before being conquered by the Roman Empire in 129 BC.

These atmospheric ruins make for a fascinating day out and are incredibly well preserved.

Visit the remains of the Temple of Artemis, which was once considered the most decadent and ornate of all the Ancient Seven Wonders of the World, as well as the remarkably preserved Library of Celsus, a colossal amphitheatre with a capacity of 25,000.

The nearby House of the Virgin Mary and the Basilica and Tomb of St. John are local pilgrimage sites, while the Selcuk Museum houses wonderful artifacts from Ephesus and its surroundings so will provide a truly intriguing step back in time.

Enjoy making memories with the whole family

Adrenaline junkies and lovers of the lazy river will be in heaven in the Izmir area thanks to the three waterparks located nearby.

Kids big and small will find endless hours of fun zooming down epic slides, swimming in wave pools, getting up speed on winding flumes or just taking it easy in Jacuzzis and whirl pools.

Grab a bite to eat on-site and you can make a whole day of it. Plus, with dedicated zones for little ones, there's something for every member of the family.

For a slower pace and a peaceful day trip why not visit the local art galleries and the nearby wildlife park?

Step away from the tourist trail

Take a trip to Cesme set around a glamorous marina

Get off the beaten track and spend a few hours in Sirince village

Izmir is brimming with laid-back coastal towns and quaint seaside villages.

Take a trip to Cesme, the much-loved Izmirian getaway boasting a spectacular Genoese castle, cobbled streets of colourful houses and delicious local food, set around a glamorous marina.

There are plenty of other pretty spots nestled amongst the stunning pine-clad hills and coast of Izmir, so hire a car and explore them all.

Explore Sigacik and stop for a bite to eat at a traditional restaurant

Alacati, Sigacik and Sirince, three sleepy Turkish villages where you can get lost in narrow streets and slip into artisanal boutiques and local arts and crafts shops are all worth a visit.

As is Urla, which is famous for farm-to-table dining experiences and its flourishing vineyards, where you can stop for a tasting of locally produced wines or even book a wine tour.

And don't forget to stop off at a sun-soaked restaurant to enjoy the traditional local cuisine. Try Kumru, Aydin figs, and fresh seafood soaked in olive oil.

Discover the Cotton Castle of Turkey

Pamukkale (Cotton Castle), is a dazzling natural wonder of snow-white hot springs

Another of Turkey's UNESCO World Heritage sites, Pamukkale (Cotton Castle), is a dazzling natural wonder of snow-white hot springs located in nearby Denizli. Gaze out at endless white hills formed from centuries-old calcium pools, admired by travellers for hundreds of years.

Then, as you drink in the breathtaking scenery, take a dip in the hot natural waters for instant calm and relaxation, enjoying their famed healing properties.

Why not book a hot air balloon ride over this incredible natural phenomenon?

For a bird's-eye view, intrepid holiday-makers can take a hot air balloon ride over the geological phenomenon or even paraglide over the scene for an adrenaline-filled experience you won't forget.

Soak up the Aegean sun

Beautiful beaches abound in Izmir - you'll be spoilt for choice

Once only accessible to women, Izmirs famous Ladies Beach is now open to all. So, grab a towel, some sun cream and your favourite book and spend a day drinking in the stunning coastal views and soaking up the warm Aegean sun.

Ladies Beach is the perfect place to unwind with plenty of water sports, modern beach bars and local restaurants to discover, fringed by a palm-lined promenade.

But this isn't the only beach Izmir has to offer.

Kusadasi is simply bursting with stunning stretches of sand across clear, turquoise waters.

To escape the summer crowds and enjoy a quieter, more tranquil beach experience, head off the beaten track and visit the oases of calm that are Green Beach or Yilanci Burnu.

Book your idyllic Izmir holiday Picture yourself here this summer... The Aegean coast of Izmir offers accommodation of every type. Book with Jet2holidays and you can indulge in turquoise infinity pools, private beach areas and sumptuous on-site spas. Or opt for a family-friendly resort with wild water slides, kids clubs, and fantastic seafront dining serving up international dishes every family member will love. From budget-friendly three-star through to five-star deluxe, Jet2holidays has sought out the best places to stay to enjoy the very best Izmir has to offer. Its the perfect reason to discover Turkeys hidden gem this summer. Jet2.com and Jet2holidays fly to Izmir from nine UK airports, making getting there even more convenient for you. Fly from Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, East Midlands, Glasgow, Leeds Bradford, London Stansted, Manchester and Newcastle. To find out more and book your holiday, visit jet2holidays.com

*Terms and conditions apply.
Camila Morrone is set star in director Keir O'Donnell's upcoming heist romantic drama movie Marmalade.

The 25-year-old model-turned-actress, who is currently dating Leonardo DiCaprio, will be starring alongside Stranger Things' Joe Keery and Aldis Hodge.

According to Deadline, production on the forthcoming movie has recently concluded.

Leading role: Camila Morrone will star in Keir O'Donnell's upcoming heist romantic drama movie Marmalade; she is seen in 2021

The movie will serve as O'Donnell's directorial debut, and the actor also penned its script.

According to the outlet, the movie is centered 'on a naive small-town man who ends up in jail and narrates the colorful tale of a romantic bank heist to his cunning cellmate to escape and reunite with the alluring love of his life.'

The upcoming feature was primarily shot in Minnesota.

So far, Marmalade's release date has not been revealed.

Talented cast: The 25-year-old model-turned-actress, who is dating Leonardo DiCaprio, will be starring alongside Stranger Things' Joe Keery and Aldis Hodge; the former is seen in 2020

Morrone previously started her acting career in James Franco's unfinished feature Bukowski, which was shot in 2013.

She later made her big-screen debut in the 2018 stoner comedy feature Never Goin' Back.

The performer went on to make appearances in films such as Death Wish, the critically acclaimed Mickey And The Bear and Valley Girl over the next few years.

She is currently preparing for the premiere of the upcoming miniseries Daisy Jones & The Six, in which she is set to appear with Riley Keough.

New role: The actress is currently preparing for the premiere of the upcoming miniseries Daisy Jones & The Six, in which she is set to appear; she is seen in 2021

The show is based on Taylor Jenkins Reid's novel of the same name, which was released in 2019.

The series will be focused on the rise of a fictional 1970s rock band and the split that occurred at the height of its fame.

Also set to be featured in the show are performers including as Suki Waterhouse and Sam Claflin, among others.

Reese Witherspoon will serve as one of the program's executive producers.

Storyline: The program will be focused on the rise of a fictional 1970s rock band and the split that occurred at the height of its fame

Development on the program initially began the same year that the book was released.

Morrone and Keough both signed on to appear in the show that year, with much of the cast being brought together in 2020 and 2021.

Production on the series began last year and eventually concluded this past May.

Daisy Jones & The Six is currently set to premiere on the Amazon Prime Video platform at an unspecified date in the future.
She has an edgy fashion sense.

And Kourtney Kardashian put it on display as she grabbed a sushi lunch with stepdaughter Atiana de la Hoya, 23, in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

The beauty, 43, wore a futuristic pair of silver shades and a navy blue Enfants Riches Deprimes jacket.

Working it! Kourtney Kardashian was looking stylish as she grabbed a sushi lunch with stepdaughter Atiana de la Hoya, 23, in Los Angeles on Wednesday

While the outfit wasn't overtly flashy, Kourtney was still putting on a head-turning display as she strutted down the path with Atiana by her side.

She paired the stylish jacket with a glossy pair of matching midnight blue trousers and chunky combat boots.

Her hair was slicked back into a no-fuss bun with a few loose wisps hanging free on other side of her face.

She also carried her belongings about in a dainty black purse.

Style icon: While the outfit wasn't overtly flashy, Kourtney was still putting on a head-turning display as she strutted down the path with Atiana by her side

Kourtney shared a glimpse of her lunch in a photo she posted to her Instagram Stories.

The post comes as Kourtney's husband Travis Barker continues recovering from a bout of life-threatening pancreatitis. Barker was hospitalized for a week as a result of the scare, but was recently discharged.

The condition, characterized by an inflammation of the pancreas, was brought on by an endoscopic procedure.

Throwing shade! Atiana rocked a pair of edgy white sunglasses

'I went in for an endoscopy Monday feeling great. But After dinner, I developed excruciating pain and have been hospitalized ever since,' he wrote in an Instagram post the following Saturday.

He continued, 'During the endoscopy, I had a very small polyp removed right in a very sensitive area, usually handled by specialists, which unfortunately damaged a critical pancreatic drainage tube.

'This resulted in severe life threatening pancreatitis.'

Throughout the ordeal Barker's daughter Alabama, 16, repeatedly took to social media to ask for prayers for her dad.

In addition to Alabama, Travis shares a son, Landon, 18, with his ex-wife Shanna Moakler.

Once her dad's health improved, Alabama appeared online again to thank fans for their support.

Sharing an image of her pink-manicured hand next to her father's tattooed hand, she wrote: 'Thank you for all of the prayers and love, I appreciate you & love all of you.'
You'd be forgiven for thinking Laura Csortan was a lot younger than 45.

The super-fit former Miss Australia looked scorching as she spent the day at a wellness centre in Drummoyne, Sydney, on Wednesday.

Laura sizzled in a blue bikini in an infrared sauna, which helps cleanse the skin to ensure a youthful appearance.

Model and TV presenter Laura Csortan looked scorching as she relaxed in an infrared sauna during her visit to a wellness centre in Drummoyne, Sydney, on Wednesday

Laura showed off her ripped abs and toned thighs during her visit to U Wellness Club in a gallery of videos shared to Instagram.

She followed her hot sauna with three gruelling minutes in sub-zero temperatures in the centre's cryotherapy chamber

The mother of one exited the chamber looking very refreshed.

Laura showed off her ripped abs and toned thighs during her visit to U Wellness Club in a gallery of videos shared to Instagram

'The energy I feel after is insane,' she wrote.

Laura made headlines in 2017 when she quickly snapped back into shape after giving birth to her daughter Layla Rose in November 2016.

Despite her impressive weight loss, Laura downplayed the achievement at the time.

She followed her hot sauna with three gruelling minutes in sub-zero temperatures in the centre's cryotherapy chamber

The former Wheel of Fortune host told Daily Mail Australia: 'It's taken me almost two years to start getting back somewhat of a routine.

'And even still, I don't have much of one to be honest since I'm really busy!

'I mean I literally have a two-year-old stuck to my hip 24/7, so I just do not stop.'
Sophie Monk has spoken candidly of her baby plans with husband Joshua Gross.

The Beauty and the Geek host, 42, told Who magazine she would love to start a family but has also accepted the possibility she may not be able to have a child at her age.

'We are working towards that and if it happens it would be incredible, but if it doesn't then that's just not meant to be,' she said.

Sophie Monk, 42, has said it would be 'incredible' to have a baby with husband Joshua Gross, 41, but accepts it may not happen at her age

'That's the only way you can look at it. I'm a big believer that everything happens for a reason,' she added.

Sophie said she and robotics consultant Joshua, 41, were 'definitely trying'.

The Love Island presenter has previously said the pair both want children one day.

'We are working towards that and if it happens it would be incredible, but if it doesn't then that's just not meant to be,' Sophie told Who magazine

The couple eloped at their home on the NSW Central Coast in March, which came as a surprise to fans as they had not announced a wedding date.

It was an intimate affair with no guests in attendance.

'We figured, if you don't invite one person, then no one could get upset,' Sophie told Stellar magazine.

The couple eloped at their home on the NSW Central Coast in March, which came as a surprise to fans as they had not announced a wedding date

The pair pulled the whole wedding together in 'two or three weeks' and admitted they didn't have a honeymoon planned.

Sophie announced she was newly married on Instagram on April 2, sharing a series of photos from the pair's private wedding day.

'I HAVE A HUBBY! We eloped-ish at home. I can't believe I met him on a plane! It's crazy. Best flight of my life!' she wrote.

'I really do believe everything happens for a reason. I love you @joshuargross thanks for putting up with how messy, disorganised and lazy I am.

Sophie chose to have a wedding at home to keep things 'stress-free'. (Pictured at the Logies)

'You're my best friend in the world AND you are welcome for how hilarious my jokes are and how I absolutely smash you in Xbox F1! We're both lucky.'

Sophie rose to game in girl group Bardot in the late '90s.

She later moved to Hollywood, where she landed several film roles, and now hosts various reality shows for Channel Nine, including Beauty and the Geek.
Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern were pictured with each other in a trio of shots that were shared to the former's account on Wednesday.

The actresses, aged 46 and 55, both appeared to be in high spirits as they smiled for the camera during their outing.

The former of the pair also added a message in her post's caption that read: 'If you mess with her, you mess with me. It's a package deal.'

Best friends: Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern were pictured with each other in a trio of shots that were shared to the former's account on Wednesday

Witherspoon wore a dark blue button-up blouse during her reunion with Dern.

The Legally Blonde star added an element of shine to her look for the day with a single necklace.

The Jurassic Park actress opted for a sleeveless white blouse, and she accessorized with an orange-tinted pair of sunglasses.

Both of the actresses kept their gorgeous blonde locks free-flowing as they enjoyed each other's company.

Enjoying it: The actresses, aged 46 and 55, both appeared to be in high spirits as they smiled for the camera during their outing

Letting everyone know: The former of the pair also added a message in her post's caption that read: 'If you mess with her, you mess with me. It's a package deal'

Witherspoon and Dern have made their affection for one another known to the public on numerous occasions in the past.

The latter of the two actresses shared a collection of photos that featured her good friend to her Instagram account this past March.

In the shots, the performers were seen posing next to each other in several different settings.

She also wrote a message that partially read: 'It's International I Love Reese Witherspoon Day!'

Staying close: Witherspoon and Dern have made their affection for one another known to the public on numerous occasions in the past

Fond memories: The latter of the two actresses shared a collection of photos that featured her good friend to her Instagram account this past March

Witherspoon and Dern were previously featured in the much-acclaimed drama series Big Little Lies.

The show was based on Liane Moriarty's novel of the same name, which previously made its debut in 2014.

The program was centered on a group of women living in Monterey, California, who became involved in a murder investigation.

Other cast members in the show included Shailene Woodley, Nicole Kidman and Zoe Kravitz.

On screen: Witherspoon and Dern were previously featured in the much-acclaimed drama series Big Little Lies

Big Little Lies' first season initially premiered in February of 2017 and concluded that April.

Although the show was planned as a miniseries, a second season later debuted in 2019.

The series' runs were both well-received by audiences, and the program as a whole was the subject of widespread critical acclaim.

Witherspoon and Dern were both put up for numerous awards for their work on the show, with the latter taking both a Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy Award home for her performances in the first season.
Netflix has teamed up with Microsoft as it works on launching its cheaper ad-supported subscription plan.

It comes after the video streaming service hinted last April that it is considering debuting an ad-supported tier - despite its previous stand to ignore such a subscription option.

Netflix Teams Up with Microsoft for its Ad-Supported Tier

As per a news story by CNBC, Netflix revealed that it is working side by side with Microsoft to make its ad-supported tier a reality.

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Netflix, Greg Peters, says "Microsoft has the proven ability to support all our needs as we together build a new ad-supported offering."

The Netflix COO further highlighted that Microsoft precisely offered "strong privacy protections" for the subscribers of the giant streaming service."

But besides privacy concerns, the renowned Redmond-based tech giant also brings "flexibility to innovate over time on both the technology and sales side" of its upcoming ad-supported option.

Netflix Ad-Supported Subscription

CNBC notes in its report that Netflix persistently resisted the idea of debuting an ad-supported subscription in the past.

While its close rivals in the world of streaming services have started luring subscribers through their cheaper ad-supported tier, Netflix decided to forge its path.

However, according to a recent report by MacRumors, the co-Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Netflix, Ted Sarandos, announced last June that they are working to introduce a new affordable ad-supported option.

And before its formal announcement, the other co-CEO, Reed Hastings, who vocally resisted including ads, finally conceded to the idea, admitting that the cheaper option "makes a lot of sense."

The cheaper plan should attract a new set of customers who are wary of shelling out $9.99 per month, which is the starting price of the service in the United States.

But when the Netflix co-chief exec confirmed it, Sarandos said they are still on the lookout for their ad partner.

This time, the search is over, and Microsoft has won the partnership.

Read Also: Netflix Says 'Stranger Things 4' Crosses Over 1 Billion Watch Hours - Did It Surpass Squid Game's Views?

Netflix Subscription Plans

It is worth noting that the current cheapest plan of Netflix costs $9.99, but it only supports up to 480p video quality, which looks trashy on most massive TVs these days. Instead, it could be best for those who stream their favorite shows and movies on their smartphones.

On the other hand, the Standard plan brings 1080p resolution for a price tag of $15.49 a month.

But that's not the most expensive yet. The Premium plan is available at $19.99 per month, which supports up to 4K HDR video quality.

Netflix has yet to confirm the explicit quality details of its ad-supported plan, but one thing is for sure - the experience would be interrupted by commercials.

Related Article: 5 Best Streaming Services in 2022 to Cater to Your Entertainment Needs in 2022
Amber Gill has received criticism from Love Island viewers over her 'damaging' comments about Jacques O'Neill who left the show on Tuesday's episode.

Jacques, 23, quit the villa after not feeling like himself over the last few weeks and came to the conclusion that going home was his best option.

Amber, 24, who won the 2019 series, didn't appear to have much sympathy for the rugby player - who cried numerous times during the episode - and cited his past behaviour in Casa Amor where he kissed another girl despite being coupled with Paige Thorne.

Criticism: Amber Gill has received criticism from Love Island viewers over her comments about Jacques O'Neill who left the show on Tuesday's episode

Amber tweeted: 'Jacques is getting this mad as if he wasn't chatting to two women just days ago smiling over his boner. Unbelievable.'

Some users were unimpressed with Amber's comment, with one writing: 'The bullying that kid has received online is unacceptable and its all from the #BeKind crowd as well. Dont these people learn?'

Another said: 'If youre going to completely disregard his mental health then please atleast be respectful enough to spell his name right.

'Yes, what he did was disgusting BUT he left that villa for his MH, not something to be taken lightly given love islands history.'

Emotional: Jacques quit the villa after not feeling like himself over the last few weeks and came to the conclusion that going home was his best option

Another viewer wrote: 'Its really weird you were tweeting every minute about Jacques behaviour, then it is all explained when he literally falls apart on our screens and you go silent.

'He clearly wasnt coping with the whole situation and did the mature thing and removed himself from it.'

One user wrote: 'Have you ever thought it could be mental health aswell? I think you need to start to think before posting cause it can be very damaging even the small things xx'.

Other users shared a screenshot of Amber speaking about mental health on Good Morning Britain, seemingly suggesting she wasn't living up to her word.

Amber tweeted: 'Jacques is getting this mad as if he wasn't chatting to two women just days ago smiling over his boner. Unbelievable'

Reaction: Some users were unimpressed with Amber's comment, with one writing: 'The bullying that kid has received online is unacceptable and its all from the #BeKind crowd as well. Dont these people learn?'

Response: Other users shared a screenshot of Amber speaking about mental health on Good Morning Britain, seemingly suggesting she wasn't living up to her word

Firing back: Amber remained steadfast in the face of the criticism however and wrote another tweet hours later saying she doesn't worry too much about what people say about her online

Amber remained steadfast in the face of the criticism however and wrote another tweet hours later saying she doesn't worry too much about what people say about her online.

She said: 'It's hilarious how people think I have ontrol over what other people say and think on here. If I worried too much about that I wouldn't be able to speak again.'

Jacques broke down in tears as he told Paige he wanted to leave the villa during an emotional chat on the balcony.

He said: 'You mean so much to me, you know that. The past two weeks, I'm finding it hard. I'm trying to put a brave face on but things are getting to me. I just wish I could finish my journey with you in here but, I'm going to home today.'

Paige began to shed tears as the pair hugged, with Jacques telling her: 'Still enjoy your time in here. Do what you need to do. Don't even think about me when I leave.'

Emotional: Jacques broke down in tears as he told Paige he wanted to leave the villa

Tears: 'You mean so much to me, you know that. I just wish I could finish my journey with you in here,' he told a tearful Paige

'I don't want you to go. It hurts me seeing you this way,' Paige said. 'I just feel so guilty.'

'For us to work, I need to get back to myself and the only way to get back to myself is by going home. I can't carry on like this. You can have the best time without me. I'm picking you up at the airport.'

Speaking in the Beach Hut, Jacques said: 'I'd say the last week, the only thing keeping me was Paige. I've never felt this way for anyone. I just want to get home, be myself again and carry things on. '
Married At First Sight star-turned-OnlyFans model Jessika Power is enjoying a girls' trip to Malaga, Spain this week.

And on Wednesday, Jessika stripped down to a tiny string bikini as she spent time at a beach club in Marbella.

The 30-year-old looked nothing short of incredible as she flaunted her best assets in her colourful two-piece.

Wish you were here! MAFS star and OnlyFans model Jessika Power stripped down to a colourful string bikini on Wednesday while holidaying in Spain

The blonde bombshell looked in good spirits as she sat on a swing in front of a flower wall.

Earlier this week, Jessika shared a picture of herself in a knitted dress as she went sightseeing around the city.

She is in Spain with her gal pals, including Celebs Go Dating star Nikita Jasmine.

It comes after the Aussie stunner addressed engagement rumours with her hunky British podcaster boyfriend, Connor Thompson.

The 30-year-old looked nothing short of incredible as she flaunted her best assets in her colourful two-piece

Earlier this week, she shared a picture of herself in a knitted dress as she went sightseeing

During a Q&A last month, Jessika said that the pair are madly in love but didn't want to rush into marriage.

'When you meet someone you don't rush into things like that,' Jess said.

'We're happy living our lives getting to know each other more, travelling, making memories, and just living life together.'

Jess explained by getting engaged it means you're committed to spending the rest of your life with that person.

It comes after the Aussie stunner addressed engagement rumours with her hunky British podcaster boyfriend, Connor Thompson. During a Q&A last month, Jessika said that the pair are madly in love but didn't want to rush into marriage

She said while she and Connor are crazy for each other, those types of decisions take time for a couple.

'When you're in a loving relationship like mine. You'd want to but it takes time,' she finished in the clip.

Jessika is currently living in Manchester with Connor and their new miniature Dachshund puppy.

The blonde bombshell hinted in April the pair may eventually settle down in Brisbane together.

'Connor is coming over in September and we're so happy. It's like "who is this girl from MAFS who was stealing husbands and is all domesticated now?"' she told the Herald Sun.
On Wednesday, eight-time Grammy nominee Rob Zombie unveiled the first official trailer for his big-screen reboot of The Munsters less than a week after wrapping principal photography in Budapest, Hungary.

The 57-year-old rocker-turned-filmmaker cast his own wife Sheri Moon Zombie as Lily Munster in the PG-rated prequel to the campy CBS sitcom, which originally aired for two seasons between 1964-1966.

The Munsters serves as an origin tale for 'the greatest love story ever told' as Lily meets cute with Herman Munster (Jeff Daniel Phillips), and they take a 'hauntingly hilarious trip from Transylvania to Hollywood.'

'Thats a wrap!' On Wednesday, eight-time Grammy nominee Rob Zombie (R) unveiled the first official trailer for his big-screen reboot of The Munsters less than a week after wrapping principal photography in Budapest, Hungary

The Man in the High Castle alum Daniel Roebuck portrays The Count aka Grandpa, Lost alum Jorge Garcia seemingly plays Herman's roommate Floop, and Elvira herself Cassandra Peterson plays Barbara Carr.

The Munsters - which will be released this September - received an absolutely savage reaction on YouTube where viewers compared it to a 'McDonald's Halloween commercial' and 'TV theatre.'

Things were far more hostile in the Twitter-verse where users compared the trailer to a 'college short film' or 'Funny or Die skit' where the production office was located at 'Party City.'

'I suspect when @UniversalPics execs saw the #MUNSTERS trailer, they wept for the lost majesty of the Dark Universe,' Twitter user @gcat1717 tweeted.

Remake alert! The 57-year-old rocker-turned-filmmaker cast his own wife Sheri Moon Zombie (L) as Lily Munster in the PG-rated prequel to the campy CBS sitcom, which originally aired for two seasons between 1964-1966

Dating: The Munsters serves as an origin tale for 'the greatest love story ever told' as Lily meets cute with Herman Munster (L, Jeff Daniel Phillips), and they take a 'hauntingly hilarious trip from Transylvania to Hollywood'

Cast: The Man in the High Castle alum Daniel Roebuck (pictured) portrays The Count aka Grandpa, Lost alum Jorge Garcia seemingly plays Herman's roommate Floop, and Elvira herself Cassandra Peterson plays Barbara Carr

'Is this a joke?' The Munsters - which will be released this September - received an absolutely savage reaction on YouTube where viewers compared it to a 'McDonald's Halloween commercial' and 'TV theatre'

'There's bad, there's disastrous, and there's this? At least it couldn't have cost more than a single stunt in Mission Impossible. Could it?!'

Twitter user @samu3lk mused: 'A feature length film starring The Munsters with the same production quality as one of those live Broadway musical specials they [broadcast] in the summer on network TV.'

'The Addams Family got this splashy big budget movie full of great actors and visual effects,' Twitter user @Zakiyyah6 wrote.

'It looks like it was filmed in Rob Zombie's backyard': Things were far more hostile in the Twitter-verse where users compared the trailer to a 'college short film' or 'Funny or Die skit' where the production office was located at 'Party City'

'And The Munsters get a movie that looks like it was filmed in Rob Zombie's backyard. That's freaking hilarious.'

Meanwhile, Twitter user @thatbloodyMikey made an intriguing point: 'John Waters should have directed the Munsters movie & I'm not even f***ing joking.'

Some people were more forgiving of the cartoonish vibe, tweeting that it seemed like a 'nice slice of harmless fun' and 'the tone of the trailer is classic Munsters so I don't really understand some [people] not digging it.'

'Stoked for this!' Some people were more forgiving of the cartoonish vibe, tweeting that it seemed like a 'nice slice of harmless fun' and 'the tone of the trailer is classic Munsters so I don't really understand some [people] not digging it'

Zombie (born Robert Cummings) explained to EW last month: 'Yeah, it's 100 percent in the spirit of the show. I didn't want it to be different. I wanted to totally retain the vibe that it had in the sixties'

Rob added: 'It really seemed at all times like a live action cartoon, which was really exciting'

'Yeah, it's 100 percent in the spirit of the show. I didn't want it to be different. I wanted to totally retain the vibe that it had in the sixties,' Zombie (born Robert Cummings) explained to EW last month.

'I knew that if I went in and demanded, "This movie's going to be in black and white or forget it" we would not be talking about the Munsters right now, because it would have never happened. I guaran-f***ing-tee it. But what I did do is I made the colors sort of hyper-real.

'I noticed when the actors were in their makeup and they were just walking around, getting lunch or whatever, they looked like cartoon characters come to life. They were just so insanely colorful. I was like, I have to light the movie in the same fashion. It really seemed at all times like a live action cartoon, which was really exciting.'
Notorious Instagram 'snark' account Celeb Spellcheck has warned influencers over the age of 30 to stay off TikTok.

Celeb Spellcheck's anonymous admin, a PR worker in her late twenties, was asked to name the 'cringiest Aussie influencers' during an Instagram Q&A on Wednesday.

'I would say it's all the thirtysomething old-school influencers who got lucky with an Instagram following years ago but bring absolutely nothing to the table trying to make it on TikTok,' she responded.

Influencers over the age of 30 have been warned to 'stay off TikTok' because they are too old and the users are 'absolutely brutal'. (Pictured: Nadia Bartel, a 37-year-old influencer)

'TikTok is a whole new ball game. You need something to offer and a pretty face doesn't cut it. Plus it's absolutely brutal,' Celeb Spellcheck added.

The hugely popular account was created several years ago with the intention of mocking celebrities for making typos in sponsored Instagram posts.

However, the page had since transformed into a platform for holding influencers to account for their lies and irresponsible behaviour.

'Snark' account Celeb Spellcheck said 'old-school' influencers in their thirties should avoid TikTok because the app is really for teenagers and twentysomethings. (Pictured: Constance Hall, a 38-year-old 'mummy blogger' known for her presence on Instagram and Facebook)

Celeb Spellcheck is also a hub for user-submitted gossip.

The account has attracted criticism in the past, with the likes of Skye Wheatley and Tayla Damir accusing the page of 'bullying' them by correcting their spelling.

Laura Byrne once said Celeb Spellcheck's exponential growth had resulted in the account's anonymous administrator losing her moral compass.

'TikTok is a whole new ball game. You need something to offer and a pretty face doesn't cut it. Plus it's absolutely brutal,' Celeb Spellcheck said

Who is Celeb Spellcheck? The Celeb Spellcheck admin has never revealed her name, but has offered bits of biographical information in her weekly Q&As, including that she is a woman in her late twenties (she turned 28 in December 2020)

works in public relations

hails from the Mornington Peninsula but now lives in Melbourne's south-east

is in a long-term relationship

her boyfriend and 'three or four friends' know she's Celeb Spellcheck

isn't friends with influencers and gets her gossip from followers Advertisement

She claimed the account was 'push[ing] the boundaries' and even venturing into 'criminal' territory.

The admin has denied bullying the influencers she features, saying: 'This page is meant to be lighthearted and fun. I have definitely posted things in the past that I'm not proud of, but I do try to never cross the line.'

The page's administrator previously revealed she is a Melbourne woman in her late twenties.
Ewan McGregor made the press night of Anything Goes a family affair as he attended the event alongside his uncle Denis Lawson in London on Wednesday.

The pair looked in good spirits as they reunited at the showing of the madcap musical, which Denis is appearing in.

Both Ewan, 51, and Denis, 74, are known for their roles in the Star Wars franchise, with Ewan playing Obi-Wan Kenobi in the prequel trilogy from 1999-2005.

Family: Ewan McGregor made the press night of Anything Goes a family affair as he attended the event alongside his uncle Denis Lawson in London on Wednesday

Denis appeared in the original trilogy as Wedge Antilles and reprised the role in a cameo appearance in 2019's Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker.

Ewan and Denis were joned by Denis' co-stars Bonnie Langford, Kerry Ellis and Simon Callow with the group all posing for a snap before the performance began.

Also in attendance at the event was former EastEnders actor Adam Woodyatt who cut a causal figure in a white polo shirt and dark shorts.

Anneka Rice arrived to the event in a light blue denim shirt and navy jeans.

Character: Ewan portrayed Obi-Wan Kenobi in the prequel trilogy from 1999-2005 (pictured in Revenge Of The Sith, 2005)

Role: Denis appeared in the original trilogy as Wedge Antilles and reprised the role in a cameo appearance in 2019's Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker

StarsL Ewan and Denis were joned by Denis' co-stars Bonnie Langford, Simon Callow and Kerry Ellis, with the group all posing for a snap before the performance began

Smiling for the cameras, the Challenge Anneka star also wore a dark green hat and a pair of black trainers.

Harry Potter star Zoe Wanamaker opted for a black floral jumpsuit as she attended the show alongside her husbad, fellow actor Gawn Grainger.

Former Dynasty star Stephanie Beacham opted for a white blouse and matching skirt, completing her look with matching sandals and a navy handbag.

Also in attendance was actress Fay Ripley who looked radiant in a burgundy midi dress and tan heels.

Laid back: Anneka Rice opted for a casual look in a light denim shirt and navy jeans

Looking good: Also in attendance at the show was actress Fay Ripley who looked radiant in a burgundy midi dress and tan heels

All smiles: Fay attended the show with her daghter Parker, 19 (left)

Couple: Harry Potter star Zoe Wanamaker opted for a black floral jumpsuit as she attended the show alongside her husbad, fellow actor Gawn Grainger

It comes after Ewan discussed his uncle's role in the Star Wars franchise during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live in May.

Ewan said when he was around six or seven that he was blown away when he went to see his uncle Denis in the iconic movies.

Guest host Mike Birbiglia, 43, said he was shocked when he learned that Ewan's uncle was in the originals.

'It wasn't the first movie I went to see in the cinema because that was Bedknobs And Broomsticks,' Ewan said.

Outfit: Former Dynasty star Stephanie Beacham opted for a white blouse and matching skirt

Dapper: Stephanie attended the event alongside her partner Bernie Greenwood

Couple: Nigel Havers loooked dapper in a black blazer and trousers as he attended the show with his wife Georgiana Bronfman

Laid back: Also in attendance at the event was former EastEnders actor Adam Woodyatt who cut a causal figure in a white polo shirt and dark shorts

Pose: Dancer Wayne Sleep put on an animated display as he posed for the cameras

'But I remember standing outside the school, I was five or six, with my brother and my mom and dad picked me up and they were taking us to the big city to watch the movie that my uncle Denis was in.'

Ewan said he remembered being excited to see his uncle in a movie.

'Then we sat down and it was Star Wars and it just sort of blew our minds away,' Ewan said. 'He played a character called Wedge and he survives all three of the original Star Wars movies.'

Mike held up a picture of Ewan's uncle as a rebel fighter attacking the Death Star.

'He's a real song and dance man, my uncle Denis,' Ewan said. 'He will always be my acting hero. If I ever got stuck at work, he's the only person I would ever phone and ask acting advice from.'
Heather Rae Young looked angelic in new footage she unveiled on her TikTok account on Wednesday from a new photoshoot revealing her pregnancy.

The 35-year-old Selling Sunset star was joined at the beach by her Flip Or Flop star husband Tarek El Moussa, 40.

The loved-up couple shared the results of their photoshoot with People as they announced that Heather was expecting her first child, which will be Tarek's third.

The clip opened with heather in a gorgeous cream-colored satin dress as Tarek, who wore a white button-up shirt and black pants, lovingly placed his hand on her burgeoning tummy.

He leaned in for a romantic kiss on the lips, and then he moved to kiss her neck as Heather turned toward the camera and showed off her infectious smile.

'After months and months of trying, and after being a step mommy to Tarek's beautiful kids for the past 3 years, I get to be a mommy, myself,' Heather wrote in her captions, adding extra exclamation marks in the clip, which was soundtracked by a romantic yet somber tune.

The real estate agent was joined on the beach by Tarek's daughter Taylor, 11, and son Brayden, six, whom he shares with his ex-wife Christina Hall.

They waved while wearing matching T-shirt commemorating the pregnancy announcement.

Blended family: The real estate agent was joined on the beach by Tarek's daughter Taylor, 11, and son Brayden, six, whom he shares with his ex-wife Christina Hall

Sweet: Heather posed with one leg popped out as she cradled her hands on her baby bump while framed against the gorgeous sunset

Heather posed with one leg popped out as she cradled her hands on her baby bump while framed against the gorgeous sunset.

'I'm pregnant with the love of my life's baby  Baby El Moussa,' she continued in her caption as she and Tarek had to run to escape an incoming wave. '...i can't wait to meet you, hold you, and love you.'

She added that her baby would be born sometime in early 2023, though she didn't offer a more specific date.

On the move: 'I'm pregnant with the love of my life's baby  Baby El Moussa,' she continued in her caption as she and Tarek had to run to escape an incoming wave

Coming soon: She added that her baby would be born sometime in early 2023, though she didn't offer a more specific date

With child: Heather Rae Young is pregnant with her first child with husband Tarek El Moussa. The 35-year-old Selling Sunset star shared the news with People on Wednesday as she showed off her baby bump in a silk slip dress; seen June 20

'It was a huge shock,' the blonde beauty shared with People as she announced her pregnancy. 'We just weren't expecting this. We had just gone through IVF. We had embryos on ice. We had a plan.'

In the images, Tarek is seen kissing her baby bump while they are on a sandy beach.

Also present were Tarek's children Taylor and Brayden.

Heather, who is due next year, said she is thrilled with the great news.

'I think when you least expect it and there's no stress in your life, the world just brought us what was meant to be. I'm so excited that it happened like this,' explained the real estate agent.

She started dating Tarek in 2019 and they wed in 2021.

Surprise: 'It was a huge shock,' the blonde beauty shared with the site. 'We just weren't expecting this. We had just gone through IVF. We had embryos on ice. We had a plan'; seen June 24

She was happy to be the 'bonus mom' to her stepkids and did not think they would try to have babies.

But she told People: 'As your love grows more and more and you fall deeper in love with someone and you build this life together, I started picturing myself having a child with Tarek. I started thinking I just wanted to create something with the man that I'm in love with.'

They also shared how they found out they were expecting.

Such joy: Heather, who is due next year, said she is thrilled with the great news. 'I think when you least expect it and there's no stress in your life, the world just brought us what was meant to be. I'm so excited that it happened like this,' explained the real estate agent. Seen on June 5

Tarek explained he felt Heather was pregnant so he asked her to take a test. She took two. 'Both came out 'undetected,' she said. 'I said, "Oh, I must have done it wrong."'

She took one more test. 'I was organizing my clothes. I was just doing other things, and probably like 20 minutes later I was like, "Oh, the pregnancy test." I went and looked and it said full-on pregnant.'

Heather screamed with joy.

'I took two more tests. Right away, [they said] pregnant,' she told the site.

They will share the gender of the baby at a reveal party in a few weeks.

Marital bliss! Heather and Tarek said 'I do' in October at the Rosewood Miramar Beach Resort, and then traveled to the Maldives and Dubai for a lavish honeymoon

'Tarek thinks it's a girl. I don't know yet. I just want a happy, healthy baby,' said Heather. 'We already have Tay and Bray, so I'd be happy with either. But I secretly want a little mini Heather.'

Now they want to find a new home. 'We are looking for a new house and if we don't find that house when the baby comes, we do have room for the baby at our current home,' said Tarek. 'But we definitely need to find a bigger house with a yard and some more space.'

They are now filming the HGTV docu-series The Flipping El Moussas.

Their journey to have a baby together has been long.

In January, she said she retrieved seven eggs from her egg retrieval procedure.

'All went smooth': In January, she said she retrieved seven eggs from her egg retrieval procedure

'All went smooth, was told 2 eggs got 7!!!!' Heather posted to her Instagram Stories. 'Doesn't mean they will all be healthy but hoping (prayer hand emojis).'

She tagged her El Moussa in the post, which included a screenshot from the FaceTime call she had with him immediately after waking up from the procedure.

Heather looked tired but happy as she gazed wearily towards her husband.

The couple's day started off bright and early in preparation for the procedure.

'Was told 2 eggs we got 7!' The newlywed was elated to announced they had retrieved more eggs than anticipated

In video taken at 6:44AM that day, Heather and her husband were already on their way to the doctor's office.

'Morning, the El Moussas are tired!' Heather said as she sat in a car with her husband.

'Big day today!' Tarek said.

'We're doing egg retrieval, so we're on our way to the doctor right now and we're gonna get two good strong eggs! Ready babe?' Heather said.

Fertility journey: Rae looked tired but happy as she chatted with her husband via FaceTime

Heather has been documenting her fertility journey on social media as she prepares to freeze her eggs.

Earlier, Heather had 'not ideal news' to share with fans after learning it appeared as though one of her five eggs was not going to 'mature enough to extract or freeze'.

'I have two that are strong, one that's still growing, and another one that's still growing so I have four that are looking decent,' she said.

The Netflix star said the low count of eggs is 'not the best number' and noted that she planned to ask her doctor if they're worth extracting to create embryos.

Heather wanted to avoid 'doing another round' and said she was hoping for some good news when she speaks with her medical professional.

Despite the news, she wrote she was 'trying to stay positive.'

Heather and Tarek said 'I do' in October at the Rosewood Miramar Beach Resort, and then traveled to the Maldives and Dubai for a lavish honeymoon.

In November, the couple revealed their plans to start a family together.

His ex: Christina Hall, 39, is wed to Joshua Hall. Seen here with the two kids she has with El Moussa as well as the son Hudson she shares with ex-husband Ant Anstead

'We're going to freeze embryos first, go from there and then see what happens,' Heather said during an appearance on E! News Daily Pop.

While talking about their honeymoon, host Justin Sylvester said, 'There's nothing to do in the Maldives except drink'

'Make a baby?' Heather interjected.

Tarek then went on to say that newlyweds were 'having talks about having babies' and were 'practicing having babies.'

Heather said, 'I'm more open to it because our life is already crazy.

'We're raising two kids. I'm already a mommy. So I'm like, well, why not have just one more?'

'Whatever she wants,' Tarek said. 'Happy wife, happy life!'
Actress Diane Lane has been cast as the female lead opposite of Jeff Daniels in A Man In Full.

The new Netflix series, which is based on the Tom Wolfe novel of the same name, is being directed and executive produced by Regina King, while David E. Kelley will be running the show as showrunner, according to Variety.

Lane, 57, comes into the production with a plethora of experience dating back to her film debut in the romantic comedy, A Little Romance, alongside Laurence Olivier when she was just 13-years-old.

Her many accolades for her work includes an Academy Award nomination for Be Actress for the erotic thriller film, Unfaithful (2002).

New gig: Diane Lane, 57, has joined the cast of the new Netflix limited series A Man In Full, which was written by David E. Kelley and co-directed and executive produced by Regina King

The storyline focuses on Atlanta real estate mogul Charlie Croker (Daniels), who faces a sudden bankruptcy, and then finds himself defending his empire from people looking to cash in on his financial woes.

Lane, 57, plays Martha Crocker, a woman who emerges from the shadow of her ex-husband, as his real estate businesses begin to crumble.

It turns out Martha's rebuild poses a threat both personally and financially as the former couple's three decades of marriage comes with its baggage.

In all, the limited series will consist of six episodes, which were all written by Kelley, who's best known for creating and writing a slew of popular series.

Lead roles: Lane will be starring opposite Jeff Daniels, 67, as the leading actors

Among Kelley's many series creations: Doogie Howser, M.D., Picket Fences, Chicago Hope, The Practice, Boston Legal, Ally McBeal, Boston Public, Mr. Mercedes, Big Sky, Big Little Lies, and most recently Nine Perfect Strangers.

Along with his duties as showrunner, the 66-year-old will also serve as a writer and executive producer.

King, 51, will be directing three of the the six episodes, and executive produce under her Royal Ties Productions banner.

Most fans know the actress and director for her role in If Beale Street Could Talk, which scored her a Best Supporting Actress Oscar, and for helming the film One Night In Miami...

Acclaimed actress: Lane earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for her role in Unfaithful alongside Richard Gere (pictured) and Antonia Banderas

Lane comes into the production with more than four decades of experience.

The New York City native's Hollywood resume includes such memorable films as The Outsiders (1982), Rumble Fish (1982), Chaplin (1992), A Walk on the Moon (1999), The Perfect Storm (2000), Unfaithful (2002), which earned her that Best Actress Oscar nomination, Under the Tuscan Sun (2003), Nights in Rodanthe (2008), Secretariat (2010), Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017).

The actress also starred in the final season of the hit Netflix series House of Cards (2018).

Most recently, Lane has been shooting the Apple TV+ anthology series, Extrapolations, which depicts the effects of climate change on the planet through various different points of view through interconnected stories.
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The Simpsons voice actor Yeardley Smith has gotten married for a third time, after falling for the security detail who was assigned to protect her in a real-life Bodyguard-style love story.

The 58-year-old actress, who has famously played Lisa Simpson in the animated series since it premiered in 1989, tied the knot with her longtime boyfriend, police detective Dan Grice, last month - eight years after he was hired to protect her as her bodyguard.

The star, who has been divorced twice in the past, first met her husband back in 2014, during a Simpsons mural unveiling in Springfield, Oregon, in honor of the show's 25th anniversary.

Grice, a Springfield police officer, agreed to provide security for Smith when she was in town for the event, which was the unexpected start to their romance, as revealed by The Hollywood Reporter.

The Simpsons voice actor Yeardley Smith has gotten married for a third time, after falling for the security detail who was assigned to protect her in a real-life Bodyguard-style love story

I do! The actress, who plays Lisa Simpson in the series, tied the knot with police detective Dan Grice last month - eight years after he was hired to protect her as her bodyguard

The star, who has been divorced twice in the past, first met her husband back in 2014, during a Simpsons mural unveiling in Springfield, Oregon, in honor of the show's 25th anniversary

According to the outlet, the Simpsons showrunner Al Jean was originally supposed to make the trip to Oregon for the event, though he ultimately couldn't be there due to a previous obligation.

Grice, a Springfield police officer, agreed to provide security for Smith when she was in town for the event, which was the unexpected start to their romance

When the showrunners asked Smith to take Jean's place, she originally said no, which was quite the opposite of her usual approach.

'The joke is that I really will do anything for my show but I didnt really want to do it,' she told THR.

When they pressed her, Smith eventually agreed to attend, and little did she know, the event would bring her future-husband into her life, changing it forever.

The actress - who had dealt with stalkers in the past - explained that she was nervous about the close proximity of fans at the mural unveiling, and voiced her concerns to the network.

'Out of curiosity, I asked about security because my vision of it would be me on an apple box with the first person in the front row literally an arms length away,' Smith explained. 'Thats exactly what it was.

'I eventually said I would go and they came back a few days later and said they would assign a plain-clothed detective from the Springfield Police Department. That was Dan.'

Grice revealed that there were nine detectives in the Springfield Police Department at the time, and that his captain had asked for a volunteer for an assignment - but no one wanted to step up.

Right away, the two hit it off. Smith gushed: 'There was just something about Dans quiet confidence. He was so in charge without being overbearing in any way, shape or form'

After the event was over, he dropped her off at the airport, but she decided to give him her number. She then invited him to come out to California to visit, and the rest is history

They soon started dating, spending the first few years of their romance over long-distance, until Grice eventually moved to Los Angeles full time. They then got engaged in 2018

'Anytime someone said they needed a volunteer, you just knew it probably wouldnt be any fun and quickly, nobody raised their hand,' he recalled.

'I looked around the room at the other detectives, including my brother. It was summertime and I thought, let these guys have time with the families since they all have children. Im single and I dont have any children, I thought, I can do this.'

When the captain mentioned Smith's name, Grice said he didn't immediately know who she was, but when he saw a photo, he recognized her from her other roles, like The Legend of Billie Jean and Maximum Overdrive.

When the day finally came, he picked her up at the airport and watched her sign autographs graciously for fans.

She then surprised Grice by getting in the front seat of his unmarked police car rather than the back. And right away, the two hit it off.

'I wanted to chat with him so I sat in the front seat. I dont know  There was just something about Dans quiet confidence,' she gushed.

'He was so in charge without being overbearing in any way, shape or form. He was respectful without being fawning. He was not overly impressed by me and I really admired his sense of self-assurance.'

Here comes the bride: The couple officially became husband and wife on June 11, 2022, during an intimate wedding in their Los Angeles home

Smith and Grice's story is much like the 1992 Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner movie, The Bodyguard (pictured), which sees Houston's character fall for her bodyguard

True love: 'Weve seen it in movies and you always wonder, wouldnt it be great if life was like that? Sometimes it is,' gushed Smith

While he suggested places for her to grab a bite, they both admitted to the outlet that they secretly thought about asking each other to dinner - although, neither did, each wished that they had.

Now, they both co-host the true-crime podcast Small Town Dicks together, alongside Grice's twin brother, Dave. Dan and Dave are seen together in a throwback photo

The next day he picked her up for the event, which she described as 'the best day,' adding, 'The fans were incredible and it was a beautiful, sunny day.'

After it was over, he dropped her off at the airport, but she decided to give him her number before she left.

They both admitted over text they thought each other were very 'interesting,' though Smith assumed that would be the end of it - since they live 850 miles away from each other.

However, she decided to invite him to The Simpsons' Hollywood Bowl shows days later. He said yes, hopped on a flight to California, and the rest is history.

They soon started dating, spending the first few years of their romance over long-distance, until Grice eventually moved to Los Angeles full time.

They got engaged in 2018, and were supposed to tie the knot in 2021 - but it got pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

They officially became husband and wife on June 11, 2022, during an intimate wedding in their Los Angeles home.

Smith and Grice's story is much like the 1992 Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner movie, The Bodyguard, which sees Houston's character fall for her bodyguard, played by Costner.

'Dan didnt want to go to and I didnt want to go but something bigger than us was like, "No, no, listen, you two are going to meet and its going to work out,"' Smith said of the day they met

Smith was previously married to actor Christopher Grove, from 1990 to 1992. She then tied the knot with a man named Daniel Erickson in 2002, but their marriage ended six years later

The Simpsons even commemorated the nuptials with a tweet featuring Lisa Simpson and a photo from their wedding in the background

'I get a giggly feeling when I think about it because Dan didnt want to go to this event and I didnt want to go to this event but something bigger than us was like, "No, no, listen, you two are going to meet and its going to work out. You just have to have faith,' said Smith.

'Weve seen it in movies and you always wonder, wouldnt it be great if life was like that? Sometimes it is.'

Now, they both co-host the true-crime podcast Small Town Dicks together, alongside Grice's twin brother, Dave.

The Simpsons even commemorated the nuptials with a tweet featuring Lisa Simpson and a photo from their wedding in the background.

'Here's to love that lasts even longer than The Simpsons,' the show wrote.

Smith was previously married to actor Christopher Grove, whom she wed in 1990. They divorced after two years of marriage.

She then tied the knot with a man named Daniel Erickson in 2002, but their marriage ended six years later.
Domenica Calarco enjoyed a night out with her MAFS co-stars just hours before saying she 'couldn't get out of bed' due to the stress of being trolled online.

Social media photos show the in-demand influencer, 29, looking in good spirits while out to dinner with her ex-boyfriend Jack Millar and their pals Ella Ding, Al Perkins and Brent Vitiello on Wednesday.

The morning after their fun-filled outing, Domenica released a bonus episode of her podcast Sit With Us in which she addressed the vicious trolling she faced for trying to flirt with 18-year-old Robert Irwin on TikTok.

Domenica Calarco (left, with Al Perkins) enjoyed a night out with her MAFS co-stars just hours before saying she 'couldn't get out of bed' due to the stress of being trolled online

Addressing the backlash she faced for her harmless compliment on one of Robert's videos, Domenica began: 'I have not been coping.

'Calling someone handsome has got me so many news articles [and] so many people having an opinion on things.'

'I'm letting people know I'm on medication, and I can't get out of bed. I'm on medication and I can't even get change out of my pajamas,' she added.

'I'm on medication and I can't eat, so where's the line? Where do I go? Can I do this long term?'

Social media photos show the in-demand influencer, 29, looking in good spirits while out to dinner with her pals Jack Millar, Ella Ding, Al Perkins and Brent Vitiello on Wednesday

The next day, Domenica released a bonus episode of her podcast in which she addressed the vicious trolling she faced for trying to flirt with 18-year-old Robert Irwin on TikTok

Domenica said she had decided to take time off social media to focus on her mental health.

'I have not been in the right mental space. I just felt so attacked,' she said.

'It's easy for people to say that they can feel attacked, whatever, but I legitimately have felt the last few days, like bricks falling on me and it's just felt really heavy.'

Addressing the backlash she faced for posting a harmless compliment on one of Robert's (pictured) videos, Domenica said: 'I have not been coping. Calling someone handsome has got me so many news articles [and] so many people having an opinion on things'

Domenica said she had decided to take time off social media to focus on her mental health, adding: 'I have not been in the right mental space. I just felt so attacked'

Domenica was so upset she called her mother and told her she was considering deactivating her social media accounts and running away.

'I got to a point last night where I called my mum. I'm like, "Mum, I wanna cancel my social media. I'm gonna run away. I can't do it anymore, mum. I can't do it."

'My mum got really worried about me... I FaceTimed her and I was really upset.'

Domenica was so upset she called her mother and told her she was considering deactivating her social media accounts and running away

The makeup artist insisted she was joking when she posted a comment on Robert's TikTok last month calling him 'handsome'.

She also clarified she preferred older men.

'I didn't sexualise him. I didn't say that I wanted to root him... I just called him handsome,' she explained.

Domenica encouraged people to be more mindful and kind on social media.

Domenica defended her comments and insisted she was joking when she posted a comment on Robert's TikTok last month calling him 'handsome'

Domenica had jokingly asked Robert if he wanted to go to the Logies with her after calling him handsome.

While her remarks were clearly innocent, some critics pounced on her comments and suggested she was being 'creepy'.

'You're literally 28? This is f***ing creepy? I was a fan of yours,' wrote one troll, while another agreed: 'That's f***ing creepy'.

Domenica had jokingly asked Robert if he wanted to go to the Logies with her. While this was clearly innocent, some critics pounced on her comments and said she was being 'creepy'

'That's gross, predatory behaviour. Be a better human and do better,' another added.

'He's barely 18!' You're basically an old lady to him,' commented one use.

'Chill out he's of legal age, wow,' Domenica responded, but this only fed the self-righteous trolls, with one hitting back: 'Only just. Doesn't make it okay.'

'Chill out he's of legal age, wow,' Domenica responded, but this only fed the self-righteous trolls, with one hitting back: 'Only just. Doesn't make it okay.' (Pictured: Robert Irwin)

Domenica went on to defend herself on the MAFS Uncensored Facebook group after being called 'gross' by one user.

'In Australia, legal age [of consent] is 16. He is 18. He can drink alcohol,' she said.

'I can ask him to come to the Logies with me, and say that he is handsome. Take a chill pill everyone,' she added.
Robert Irwin is a proud Maroons supporter.

And on Thursday, the 18-year-old showed his support for Queensland following the State of Origin game.

Robert sent his followers into a tale spin as displayed his biceps in a tight Maroons jersey wild holding the family's pet pug Stella.

Robert Irwin displayed his biceps in a tight Maroons jersey as he showed his support for Queensland during State of Origin

The adorable dog also had a Maroons scarf wrapped around her neck as she looked towards the camera.

'Go Queensland!! - Stella,' the image was captioned.

It comes after an American tourist made a bold pick-up attempt by asking Robert for his phone number during a visit to Australia Zoo, last month.

It comes after an American tourist made a bold pick-up attempt by asking Robert for his phone number during a visit to Australia Zoo, last month

A viral video on TikTok shows the 18-year-old crocodile wrangler walking towards a crowd before a woman from Utah asks him for his digits.

'I think you are so cool and I was wondering if I can have your number?' she says.

'Well, I'm very flattered,' he responds before asking the woman where she is from.

A viral video on TikTok shows the 18-year-old crocodile wrangler walking towards a crowd before a woman from Utah asks him for his digit

Robert adds: 'The easiest way [to contact me] is on Instagram because then my people can monitor it and see when it comes through because my number is getting mixed.'

The woman tells Robert she already sent him a DM on Instagram but he didn't reply.

'Well, I actually DM'd you last night to tell you I was coming here today,' she says.

'What's your name? I'll look it up!' Robert responds.
The video game publishing house, Bandai Namco, confirms the recent hacking incident in their system.

Bandai Namco hack was reported to be an attack planned by a group of malicious actors named ALPHV, also popularly known to be the BlackCat ransomware gang.

The hack was carried out earlier this week and the hackers breach a substantial amount of confidential files from the company.

The publishing house is known for developing games such as Jump Force, Tales of Berseria, Tekken, Pac-Man, Eden Rings, Dark Souls, Dragon Ball FighterZ, and many more.

Bandai Namco Hack

Bandai Namco released a statement confirming the cyberattack from the ransomware gang. However, Bandai Namco has not disclosed any technical information regarding the hacking incident.

Although numerous enthusiasts and researchers suspect that the cyberattack to the video game company is not just a regular hacking incident, instead, a ransomware attack.

According to BleepingComputer, an entry was made to BlackCat's data leak site; however, BlackCat has not released any of Bandai Namco's allegedly stolen data as of this moment.

The company stated, "On July 3, 2022, Bandai Namco Holdings Inc. confirmed that it experienced an unauthorized access by third party to the internal systems of several Group companies in Asian regions (excluding Japan)."

Bandai Namco added, "there is a possibility that customer information related to the Toys and Hobby Business in Asian regions (excluding Japan) was included in the servers and PCs, and we are currently identifying the status about existence of leakage, scope of the damage, and investigating the cause."

Following the discovery of the unauthorized access, the publishing house instituted preventative measures, such as restricting user access to the servers, to halt the spread of the damage.

The company also assured the public that they will continue the investigation into what caused this incident, and when the time is right, the investigative findings will be shared to the public.

In addition, Bandai is now collaborating with external organizations to enhance the company's overall security and implement measures to prevent a similar incident from occurring again in the future.

Read Also: High-Profile, Michelin-Starred Restaurants are Blackmailed by Scammers Leaving One-Star Google Reviews

BlackCat Ransomware

The BlackCat ransomware gang is also known to be the same group behind the threat groups that are also named as ALPHV and Noberus.

iTechPost previously reported that BlackCat is a ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) group that has already breached 60 entities worldwide between November 2021 and March 2022.

The group was notorious for using and carrying out distinct and complex cyberattacks using Rust. Rust is a programming language that can be used on embedded devices, and it can also be combined with other languages to produce software that has a higher level of complexity.

The use of the Rust programming language is what differentiates BlackCat from other types of cyber ransomware.

Due to the sheer widespread exploitative activities carried out by the bad actors, the FBI has recently increased the amount of attention it pays to BlackCat.

The ransomware group just recently developed a specialized website with the intention of exerting pressure on its victims in order to coerce them into paying the ransom demanded by the group.

BlackCat has demanded ransom payments totaling multiple millions of dollars from a number of high-profile individuals that it has targeted.

In February, the organization issued a statement claiming responsibility for an attack that was carried out against Swissport, which is in the business of providing aviation services. In addition, it also breached other international companies like Oiltanking and Mabanaft.

Related Article: BlackCat Ransomware Gang Creates Websites Where Victims Can Check if Their Data was Stolen
James Packer's ex-fiancee Tziporah Malkah raised eyebrows with her courtroom attire as she arrived at Sydney's Sutherland Local court on Thursday.

The former 'It girl', 48, was attending a sentencing hearing, after being found guilty of breaching an Apprehended Violence Order earlier this month.

Malkah, formerly known as Kate Fischer, eschewed judicial dress code for the hearing - wearing a fetish-inspired outfit complete with fishnet gloves and a plunging white top that revealed her lacy, bondage style bra.

James Packer's ex-fiancee Tziporah Malkah, 48, (pictured) arrived at Sutherland Local Court wearing fetish-inspired fishnet gloves and a bondage style bra on Thursday

Her hair was swept up into a fluffy beehive style, while her makeup included black smokey eyes, blush and red lipstick.

The former model completed her look with black harem pants, strappy heels and a black fringed shawl.

According to the NSW Local Court website, 'people attending court are expected to dress appropriately.'

Malkah, formerly known as Kate Fischer, was attending a sentencing hearing after being found guilty of breaching an Apprehended Violence Order earlier this month

'You do not have to wear a suit or tie, just aim to be neat and tidy,' the website explains.

The findings of Thursday's sentencing hearing have not been made public.

Malkah was found guilty of breaching an AVO on July 5, after she posted an expletive-filled post about a man online.

Her hair was swept up into a fluffy beehive style, while her makeup included black smokey eyes, blush and red lipstick

She had been prohibited from uploading any posts online about the unnamed man as part of the court order.

According to News Corp, the court heard that Malkah's post referred to the man as an 'a**hat', 'd*** for brains', and a 'f***head'.

Malkah reportedly claimed that her 'friends and houseguests' could have uploaded the posts.

The former model completed her look with black harem pants, strappy heels and a black fringed shawl

However, Magistrate Jennifer Atkinson found that Malkah did have access to the social media accounts in question, and found her guilty of breaching the AVO.

Thursday's sentencing hearing came weeks after Tziporah announced she had joined subscription-based adult website OnlyFans.

She spoke about her new career in a rather bizarre Instagram post in which she also paid tribute to her father on his 79th birthday.

Malkah was found guilty of breaching an AVO on July 5, after she posted an expletive-filled post about a man online

'Happy birthday to my wonderful father! Seventy-nine years young today,' she wrote.

'Because of your atheism, I won't bang on about God and all the ways I wish that he'd bless you, not in public anyway. I'm just saying it secretly now to myself in my head Love you so much. Your daughter Tziporah,' she added.

OnlyFans is a subscription-based adult website where content can range from something as innocent as a suggestive selfie, all the way to hardcore pornography.

For $22 (US$16.30), fans can access exclusive content too risque for Instagram.

Thursday's sentencing hearing came weeks after Tziporah announced she had joined subscription-based adult website OnlyFans
The Queen's Gambit star Anya Taylor-Joy is doing little to dispel rumours she is secretly engaged to her musician boyfriend Malcolm McRae.

The British-American actress, 26, wore two rings on her wedding finger while leaving a beauty appointment in Woollahra, Sydney, last month.

Anya, who is in Australia with Malcolm, 27, while she films the Mad Max prequel Furiosa, flashed the pair of sparklers as she made a quick exit from the clinic.

Anya Taylor-Joy fueled engagement rumours with boyfriend Malcolm McRae by flashing two rings on her wedding finger while leaving a beauty clinic in Sydney last month

Taylor-Joy, also known for her role as Gina Gray in crime drama Peaky Blinders, has been dating McRae for more than a year.

She hasn't addressed the engagement speciation, but was spotted on a romantic walk with McRae last month.

Taylor-Joy looked stylish for her appointment at the Rationale clinic on June 25 in a white crew-neck T-shirt and matching pants.

Anya, who is in Australia with Malcolm while she films the Mad Max prequel Furiosa, flashed the pair of sparklers as she made a quick exit from the clinic

She completed her laid-back look with an olive beanie and a fitted denim jacket with white patches of paint.

Her skin looked perfectly dewy and she wore her long blonde hair loosely.

Taylor-Joy and McRae have been the subject of engagement whispers ever since a celebrity gossip blog reported last month he'd popped the question.

Taylor-Joy looked stylish for her appointment on June 25 in a white crew-neck T-shirt and matching pants, which she teamed with an olive beanie and a fitted denim jacket

Taylor-Joy, who won awards for her portrayal of chess prodigy Beth Harmon in Netflix hit The Queen's Gambit, has spent the past month with her boyfriend Down Under.

She is in the country filming George Miller's new movie Furiosa, a prequel to his 2015 blockbuster Mad Max: Fury Road, in Sydney and various locations in the outback.

Furiosa, which also stars Chris Hemsworth, is slated for a May 2024 release.

Taylor-Joy hasn't addressed the engagement speciation, but was spotted on a romantic walk with McRae last month. (Pictured outside the Rationale clinic in Woollahra on June 25)

Her skin looked perfectly dewy and she wore her long blonde hair loosely

Taylor-Joy and McRae made their red carpet debut at the Vanity Fair Oscars after-party in February, but they mostly stay out of the spotlight

Taylor-Joy and McRae made their red carpet debut at the Vanity Fair Oscars after-party in February, but they mostly stay out of the spotlight.

'I've finally found someone who will happily sit in silence with me reading,' the Last Night in Soho star told a magazine of their relationship earlier this year.

'We're basically 80 years old and seven at the same time and it works really well.'
Andy Lee has copped the wrath of his followers for still not getting down on one knee and proposing to his girlfriend of seven years, Rebecca Harding, during their romantic Greece getaway.

The comedian, 41, shared a series of holiday snaps to Instagram of the couple exploring the stunning islands.

His fans flooded the comments section, asking why the radio star is taking so long to make the brunette beauty his wife.

Andy Lee is heavily trolled for STILL not proposing to his model girlfriend Rebecca Harding after seven years during lavish Greece getaway

'You need to put a ring on her,' one person wrote. 'Bend the knee,' another said.

'Andy is soo going to propose to Bec on this trip,' another one commented. 'Where's the ring?,' one asked.

'Time to put a ring on it Andy,' another said.

The comedian, 41, shared a series of photos to Instagram of the couple exploring the islands during their holiday

It comes after Andy recently denied secretly marrying Rebecca after internet sleuths spotted what appeared to be their 'wedding photo' in his home last October.

The comedian was bombarded with questions about his marital status after fans spotted the framed picture in the background of one of her Instagram posts.

But he confirmed on The Kyle and Jackie O Show it was simply a case of mistaken identity - because he and Bec weren't the couple in the photo.

His fans flooded the comments section, asking why the radio star is taking so long to make the brunette beauty his wife

'I'm the most offended because it is actually my sister and brother-in-law in that photo, and [he] is 5'10" and wears glasses,' Andy said.

He joked that it was 'bloody annoying' that people would confuse him with a shorter, bespectacled man.

'I am deeply in love with Bec. I'm sure it will happen at some stage,' he added.

Andy and Rebecca have been dating on and off for seven years and are often the subject of engagement rumours.
She has become well known for showing off her impressive figure on the runway and in photoshoots.

And Candice Swanepoel turned heads while recently attending Lais Ribeiro and Joakim Noah's lavish wedding in Trancoso, Brazil.

The 33-year-old beauty struck poses by the water in vibrant orange halter dress made entirely of fringe.

Head turner: Candice Swanepoel turned heads while recently attending Lais Ribeiro and Joakim Noah's lavish wedding in Trancoso, Brazil

She shared a duo of glammed-up photos to her Instagram account on Wednesday.

The Victoria's Secret Angel's dress showcased her chiseled legs and thighs through dual thigh-high slits.

She added various elements of shine to her look for the evening with gold earrings and an arm cuff.

Her voluminous blonde hair cascaded onto her back in soft, wavy strands.

Strike a pose: The 33-year-old beauty struck poses by the water in vibrant orange halter dress made entirely of fringe

Golden girl: She added various elements of shine to her look for the evening with gold earrings and an arm cuff

Swanepoel also showed off her gorgeous form with a pair of promotional photos for her swimwear brand, Tropic of C, that was shared to her Instagram Story on Wednesday.

The South African native stood out while wearing an orange-red bikini top that prominently displayed her toned midsection.

She also wore a patterned green wrap that paired well with the shade of her swimwear.

The supermodel accessorized with a set of necklaces and her blonde locks cascaded onto her back.

Promo mode: Swanepoel also showed off her gorgeous form with a pair of promotional photos for her swimwear brand, Tropic of C, that was shared to her Instagram Story on Wednesday

Swanepoel initially made Tropic of C's products available to the public in 2018.

She has since taken on a hands-on approach to promoting her brand, as she has appeared in several of its promotional materials.

The supermodel spoke about her brand during an interview with Fashion Week Daily, and she expressed that she was enjoying the expansion of her company.

'It has been growing at a rate I never could have expected. We've had some growing pains along the way, as all businesses do...but it's all part of the process,' she said.

Passion project: Swanepoel initially made Tropic of C's products available to the public in 2018. She has since taken on a hands-on approach to promoting her brand, as she has appeared in several of its promotional materials

Swanepoel then described her brand's ideal customer to the media outlet.

'I imagine the Tropic of C girl to be an adventurous woman who likes to look chic and feel good on whatever adventure she's on,' she said.

The fashion industry personality also spoke about what she wanted the brand's fans to take away from her clothing.

'I want the customer to feel a part of my tropical fantasies, to feel something more than just shopping. I want to transport the consumer into the Tropic of C world,' she said.
Jesinta Franklin (nee Campbell) rarely puts a foot wrong when it comes to fashion.

And on Thursday, the 30-year-old made a style statement as she left Channel Seven studios in Sydney after an interview on The Morning Show.

The wife of AFL star Buddy Franklin looked stylish in a knitted pink shirt, red printed flare pants and a maroon coloured designer coat.

Meet AFL's glamorous new agent: Buddy Franklin's wife Jesinta left Channel Seven studios in a designer coat and $4,510 Bulgari bag after she passed course to become a player agent

She accessorised her look with a $4510 white Bulgari bag and strappy nude shoes.

Jesinta left her blonde locks out and wore a neutral palette of makeup consisting of a nude lip and blush.

She held an umbrella as she walked to an awaiting car after leaving the studio.

The outing comes after it was revealed Jesinta recently completed a three-day course and exam, administered by AFL Players' Association, required to be a player's agent.

The mother-of-two looked stylish in a knitted pink shirt, red printed flare pants and a maroon coloured designer coat

The course educates aspiring agents on a range of topics include their roles, rules and regulations and talent identification.

According to The Herald Sun, Participants first apply to the AFLPA and complete the three-day agent course, which is priced at $3300.

They then sit a three-hour entrance exam to test their knowledge.

Jesinta also returned to work with her ambassador role for Crown in January.

She accessorised her look with a $4510 white Bulgari bag and strappy nude shoes

The model, who shares daughter Tullulah and son Rocky with Buddy, revealed to The Daily Telegraph's Stellar how important her career is for her mental health.

'It's so nice to get back to work and the different elements of my career because as a mum you sacrifice so much for your children,' she said.

'You put your needs at the very bottom of the list of things to do, so it's nice to step back into it. It's also really important for my mental health to have something to strive for outside motherhood,' the former Miss Universe Australia went on to say.
Australian pop-rock band 5 Seconds of Summer performed their recent hit Me Myself & I on Good Morning America on Tuesday morning.

The band's show coincides with the release of their latest single Blender, an intense song about going round 'in an emotional blender'.

Both tracks will appear on their upcoming album 5SOS5, which will be released in September.

The LP will highlight 5SOS' 'dynamic sound, accompanied by reflective and intimate lyrics.'

'5SOS5 will showcase the bands multi-faceted artistry and growth over their 10-year career,' the band said in a media release.

Australian pop-rock band 5 Seconds of Summer performed their recent hit Me Myself & I on Good Morning America on Tuesday morning. Pictured Luke Hemmings



The boys are currently on the North American leg of their Take My Hand World Tour, and are performing in New York City and Chicago this week.

The four-piece group first formed in 2011 at Norwest Christian College in Riverstone, western Sydney and played their first gig at the famous Annandale Hotel.

They joined One Direction on their Take Me Home world tour in 2013 which helped raise their profile.

The band (including Hemmings with guitarist Michael Clifford, left) are currently on the North American leg of their Take My Hand world tour, and are performing in New York City and Chicago this week

But it was their 2014 single She Looks So Perfect that really sent their career soaring.

Their self-titled debut album went platinum in American in 2014.

They have since released another three albums, and over the years have received a slew of American Music Awards, MTV accolades and ARIA gongs.
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Keanu Reeves, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, and Kevin Hart rubbed elbows at a special 'Kids and Capes' screening of their new animated movie DC League of Super-Pets at AMC The Grove 14 in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Keanu wore his signature color - black - in the form of a pinstripe suit over a dark teal sweater, and $239.95 Alpinestars 'Monty V2' shoes selected by stylist Jeanne Yang.

It's hard to believe the Beirut-born Canadian is 57 years old with only a few crow's feet lining his evergreen, silver-bearded face.

Marry, kiss, kill? Keanu Reeves, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, and Kevin Hart rubbed elbows at a special 'Kids and Capes' screening of their new animated movie DC League of Super-Pets at AMC The Grove 14 in Los Angeles on Wednesday

Reeves voiced Gotham City's vigilante superhero Bruce Wayne/Batman, who eventually adopts a shelter dog called Ace, in Jared Stern's action comedy hitting US/UK theaters July 29.

Speaking of Ace, Kevin proudly posed with his costumed character on the red carpet.

In the family flick, the 43-year-old comedian voiced the Boxer, who transforms into Bat-Hound after magically becoming super strong and indestructible.

Hart looked dapper in a green suit over a white shirt and matching sneakers selected by stylist Ashley North.

Suited and booted: Keanu wore his signature color - black - in the form of a pinstripe suit over a dark teal sweater, and $239.95 Alpinestars 'Monty V2' shoes selected by stylist Jeanne Yang

Fountain of youth: It's hard to believe the Beirut-born Canadian is 57 years old with only a few crow's feet lining his evergreen, silver-bearded face

Caped crusader! Reeves voiced Gotham City's vigilante superhero Bruce Wayne/Batman, who eventually adopts a shelter dog called Ace, in Jared Stern's action comedy hitting US/UK theaters July 29

The two-time Emmy and Grammy nominee - rocking an emerald necklace and fancy gold watch - discussed the great relationship he has 'on-screen and off-screen' with Dwayne, whom he's co-starred with five times.

'Typically, you don't have the relationships on-screen and off at this magnitude,' Kevin explained to ET at the premiere.

'So I like the fact that we get along, I love that we respond to the material that's been presented to us, and I like still finding ways to be creative.'

Hart also weighed in on Will Smith slapping Chris Rock - whom he both 'loves' - at the 94th Academy Awards back on March 27.

In the flesh! Speaking of Ace, Kevin proudly posed with his costumed character on the red carpet

'I should be all kinds of dead!' In the family flick, the 43-year-old comedian voiced the Boxer, who transforms into Bat-Hound after magically becoming super strong and indestructible

Swag swag! Hart looked dapper in a green suit over a white shirt and matching sneakers selected by stylist Ashley North

'Magnitude': The two-time Emmy and Grammy nominee - rocking an emerald necklace and fancy gold watch - discussed the great relationship he has 'on-screen and off-screen' with Dwayne (L), whom he's co-starred with five times

Kevin explained to ET at the premiere: 'So I like the fact that we get along, I love that we respond to the material that's been presented to us, and I like still finding ways to be creative'

'I love them both': Hart also weighed in on Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards back on March 27

The 5ft4in Philly funnyman - who had his own Oscar scandal in 2019 - said: 'Will is apologetic, you know, he's in a better space, of course, than what he was after. People are human and as humans sometimes we make mistakes. So it's not about talking about the past, it's about acknowledging the present and doing your best to move forward. I can get only hope that the two of them find a way to find some solace in that and move past it'

'You know, you can't judge a person by one thing. Ultimately, life goes on and people grow, so give [Will] the opportunity to do so,' the 5ft4in Philly funnyman - who had his own Oscar scandal in 2019 - said.

'Will is apologetic, you know, he's in a better space, of course, than what he was after. People are human and as humans sometimes we make mistakes. So it's not about talking about the past, it's about acknowledging the present and doing your best to move forward. I can get only hope that the two of them find a way to find some solace in that and move past it. I just like good energy. I love to see people be the best.'

Meanwhile, Johnson forgoed the top of his white suit in order to better showcase his bulging tattooed biceps in a clingy black short-sleeved button-up top.

The third-generation wrestler easily defied his 50 years in the white pleated pants and black loafers sans socks selected by stylist Ilaria Urbinati.

Gun show: Meanwhile, Johnson forgoed the top of his white suit in order to better showcase his bulging tattooed biceps in a clingy black short-sleeved button-up top

Shades on or off? The third-generation wrestler easily defied his 50 years in the white pleated pants and black loafers sans socks selected by stylist Ilaria Urbinati

Double take! Dwayne proudly posed with his costumed character, a Kryptonian Labrador Retriever called Krypto/Bark Kent/Superdog

Canine companion: Super-Pets is centered on Krypto's adventure rescuing his owner Kal-El/Clark Kent/Superman (John Krasinski) from a hairless guinea pig called Lulu (Kate McKinnon) and Lex Luthor (Marc Maron)

Johnson gushed on the red carpet: 'It's a premiere that benefits a lot of foundations. We're doing it for the kids. We're doing it for the families here. Enjoy the movie on the 29th and also get your tickets to Super-Pets. You will enjoy the movie. You'll love it!'

Dwayne proudly posed with his costumed character, a Kryptonian Labrador Retriever called Krypto/Bark Kent/Superdog.

Super-Pets is centered on Krypto's adventure rescuing his owner Kal-El/Clark Kent/Superman (John Krasinski) from a hairless guinea pig called Lulu (Kate McKinnon) and Lex Luthor (Marc Maron).

'It's a premiere that benefits a lot of foundations. We're doing it for the kids. We're doing it for the families here,' Johnson gushed on the red carpet.

'Enjoy the movie on the 29th and also get your tickets to Super-Pets. You will enjoy the movie. You'll love it!'

Awww! The crowd went wild as Kevin entered the cinema with three of his four children - son Hendrix, 14; daughter Heaven, 17; and son Kenzo, 4 - from his marriages to Torrei Hart and Eniko Parrish

Calfornia lifted indoor mask rule: Hart and his blended brood posed for a snap with some of the cast and crew as well as a hoard of starstruck, masked children behind them

'Here's John Wick himself!' The Matrix Resurrections action star (2-R) even cracked a rare smile as he goofed around with his castmates during the pre-screening Q&A

The crowd went wild as Kevin entered the cinema with three of his four children - son Hendrix, 14; daughter Heaven, 17; and son Kenzo, 4 - from his marriages to Torrei Hart and Eniko Parrish.

Hart and his blended brood posed for a snap with some of the cast and crew as well as a hoard of starstruck, masked children behind them.

The Matrix Resurrections action star even cracked a rare smile as he goofed around with his castmates during the pre-screening Q&A.

Jameela Jamil - who voiced Diana Prince/Wonder Woman - flaunted cleavage in an animal-print Roberto Cavalli pantsuit and Louboutin heels selected by 'image architect' Law Roach.

Here kitty, kitty! Jameela Jamil - who voiced Diana Prince/Wonder Woman - flaunted cleavage in an animal-print Roberto Cavalli pantsuit and Louboutin heels selected by 'image architect' Law Roach

'Smells like dignity and goodness': The British 30-year-old was so starstruck by Keanu she 'sniffed him for all of you,' which she admitted was 'a new low'

SNL alum! Emmy nominee Vanessa Bayer - who voiced potbellied pig PB - beamed in a hot pink bell-sleeved pencil dress and matching stilettos selected by stylist Rebecca Grice

Masterminds: Also holding court at The Grove were DC League of Super-Pets director-writer Jared Stern (L) and his co-writer John Whittington (R)

The British 30-year-old was so starstruck by Keanu she 'sniffed him for all of you,' which she admitted was 'a new low.'

Emmy nominee Vanessa Bayer - who voiced potbellied pig PB - beamed in a hot pink bell-sleeved pencil dress and matching stilettos selected by stylist Rebecca Grice.

Also holding court at The Grove were DC League of Super-Pets director-writer Jared Stern and his co-writer John Whittington.
The Bachelor's Locky Gilbert and Irena Srbinovska made an unexpected return to television on Thursday as guest hosts on the 4WD Adventure Show.

They couple travelled over 300kms in their newly purchased caravan, from Perth to Pemberton in rural WA.

They appeared happy to take viewers through some of the highlights of their journey, which included WA's scenic Beedelup Falls.

The Bachelor's Locky Gilbert and Irena Srbinovska made a surprise return to television on Thursday. Both pictured

Other highlights of their expedition included setting up camp at the Pemberton Caravan Park and four-wheel driving through Warren National Park.

The couple, who met on season eight of the Channel 10 dating series, confirmed their engagement in a joint Instagram post in June.

'Mrs Gilbert has a nice ring to it,' Irena, 32, captioned the post.

The couple got engaged in June in front of Mackenzie Falls at Grampians National Park, and shared a kiss in front of the falls after Locky popped the question.

Other highlights of their expedition included setting up camp at the Pemberton Caravan Park and four-wheel driving through Warren National Park

The pair shared a kiss in front of the falls after Locky popped the question.

The pair were both rugged up in activewear and puffer jackets, indicating that they'd been out hiking in the area.

Irena also showed off her stunning diamond engagement ring, which was from Larsen Jewellery.

The couple, who met on season eight of the Channel 10 dating series, confirmed their engagement in a joint Instagram post in June

A number of reality stars posted well-wishes in the comments, including Love Island's Dom Thomas, The Bachelor's Anna Heinrich, Former Bachelorette Georgia Love and her husband Lee Elliott, and Survivor star David Genat.

Anna wrote: 'OMG CONGRATULATIONS. So happy for you both xx.'

Lee posted: 'Such incredible news!! Massive congratulations to you both!!'

Georgia added: 'AAAHHHHH!!!! Congratulations guys!!!'

Former Bachelor star Alisha Aitken-Radburn also commented: 'OMG YESSSS!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS YOU TWO BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE.'
Rege-Jean Page was stylish as ever while hitting the red carpet at The Gray Man world premiere in Los Angeles.

The 34-year-old London native, who had his breakthrough role as Simon Basset in the Netflix hit Bridgerton, was all smiles at the premiere, held at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

He was also seen posing with directors Anthony and Joe Russo and co-stars Julia Butters, Billy Bob Thornton, Jessica Henwick, Ryan Gosling, Ana De Armas, Chris Evans and Alfre Woodard.

Red carpet Rege-Jean: Rege-Jean Page was stylish as ever while hitting the red carpet at The Gray Man world premiere in Los Angeles

Cast: He was also seen posing with directors Anthony and Joe Russo and co-stars Julia Butters, Billy Bob Thornton, Jessica Henwick, Ryan Gosling, Ana De Armas, Chris Evans and Alfre Woodard

Page hit the red carpet with a white and grey button-down shirt under a dark blue suit coat with a diamond chain from Brilliant Earth dangling from his neck.

He rocked a perfectly-trimmed beard with a watch seen peeking out from his suit coat for the event.

The actor completed his look with matching blue pants and grey suede sneakers with white soles.

Page's look: Page hit the red carpet with a white and grey button-down shirt under a dark blue suit coat with a diamond chain from Brilliant Earth dangling from his neck

Page plays Denny Carmichael in The Gray Man, which will go down in history as the biggest movie ever produced by Netflix with a $200 million budget.

The Grey Man follows Court Gentry (Gosling), a former CIA mercenary forced to go on the run after uncovering deadly secrets about the agency.

He's hunted down by Lloyd Hansen (Evans), a psychopathic former colleague who leads the manhunt to bring Court in.

Story: The Grey Man follows Court Gentry (Gosling), a former CIA mercenary forced to go on the run after uncovering deadly secrets about the agency

The action-packed thriller also stars Ana de Armas, Billy Bob Thornton, Jessica Henwick, Alfre Woodard.

Page also made headlines this week when he defended Florence Pugh, who was criticized for a nipple-baring pink gown at the Valentino Haute Couture show in Rome on Friday.

The Bridgerton star, 34, shared an image of the actress, 26, to his Instagram Story on Sunday, along with the caption: 'What. Is. So. Terrifying?'

Cast: The action-packed thriller also stars Ana de Armas, Billy Bob Thornton, Jessica Henwick, Alfre Woodard

He added: 'Take a look at yourself fellas. Then take a look at your mates and step up when it's time to step up. When the boys are out of line, have a word.'

Page also made headlines last month when reports surfaced that he was in talks to return to Bridgerton for Season 3.

He did not appear on the second season, though, 'recently there has been a dialogue between him and the shows bosses,' according to The Sun.

Have a word: He added: 'Take a look at yourself fellas. Then take a look at your mates and step up when it's time to step up. When the boys are out of line, have a word'
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She revealed this week that her 'out of office' is well and truly on as her summer break begins.

And Eva Longoria enjoyed another blissful day off the coast of Capri on Tuesday, on board a luxury yacht with family and friends.

The Desperate Housewives star, 47, flaunted her jaw-dropping physique in a tiny red bikini as she splashed around in the water before cooling off with a refreshing shower on deck.

Wish you were here: Eva Longoria enjoyed another blissful day off the coast of Capri on Tuesday, on board a luxury yacht with family and friends

Eva showed off her tanned and toned figure in her tiny red two-piece, highlighting her incredible curves in the sporty design.

She left her long dark locks loose around her shoulders and accessorised with a pair of designer sunglasses and a chic wide-brimmed hat.

The star was in her element, displaying her impressive diving skills as she jumped off the boat and into the blue water below.

This is the life: The Desperate Housewives star, 47, flaunted her jaw-dropping physique in a tiny red bikini as she splashed around in the water before cooling off with a refreshing shower on deck

Ready, set, go: The star was in her element, displaying her impressive diving skills as she jumped off the boat and into the blue water below

Looking stunning: Eva showed off tanned and toned figure in her tiny red two piece, highlighting her incredible curves in the sporty design

After her quick dip she was back on deck to shower off and reapply her suncream before strolling around to find the best sunbathing spot with her pals.

Eva has been joined on the holiday by a group of friends, husband Jose Baston and their beloved son Santiago, four, who she has shared sweet social media snaps of enjoying some time on the yacht this week.

During her time in Italy, Eva made an appearance at the Taormina Film Festival, which took place from June 26 to July 2.

Skills: The beauty performed an impressive swan dive off the deck and into the cool Med sea

Always chic: Eva added to her holiday wardrobe with a white wide-brimmed hat to keep cool in the European heatwave

Safety first: Eva made sure to reapply her sun lotion after her dip in the sea, ready for another few hours of sunbathing

Eva has several film projects currently in the works, most recently appearing in the comedy Unplugging opposite Matt Walsh and Lea Thompson.

She is next slated to appear in All-Star Weekend alongside Jamie Foxx and Jeremy Piven which was originally slated for release in 2018 before facing delays.

The star also has a role in upcoming coming-of-age film Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.

Holiday mode: Eva revealed this week that her 'out of office' is well and truly on after a busy few weeks hitting the European film festivals

Work hard, play hard: Eva has several film projects currently in the works, most recently appearing in the comedy Unplugging opposite Matt Walsh and Lea Thompson

Festival circuit: During her time in Italy, Eva made an appearance at the Taormina Film Festival, which took place from June 26 to July 2

Summer break: Eva has been joined on the holiday by a group of friends, husband Jose Baston and their beloved son Santiago, four, who she has shared sweet social media snaps of enjoying some time on the yacht this week

Time away: Eva and her husband Jose are used to the jet-set lifestyle, spending much of their summer in Europe

Eva wed her third husband, Televisa executive Jose in May 2016, in a ceremony attended by her close pals Victoria and David Beckham.

The couple initially met on a December 2015 blind date arranged by a mutual friend in Mexico City, with Eva revealing her future husband had no idea who she was.

In December 2017, the couple confirmed they were expecting their first child and in June 2018 they welcomed their first child who they named Santiago Enrique Baston.

Jump! The stunning star took a big leap from the deck to cool off in the sea

Diving in: Eva showed off her physique as she performed a very impressive dive

Making a splash! The beauty dived head first into the stunning blue water

Back on board: The star smiled as she was handed a towel after her brief dip

Married life: Eva wed her third husband, Televisa executive Jose in May 2016, in a ceremony attended by her close pals Victoria and David Beckham

La dolce vita: The couple initially met on a December 2015 blind date arranged by a mutual friend in Mexico City, with Eva revealing her future husband had no idea who she was

Mum: In December 2017, the couple confirmed they were expecting their first child and in June 2018 they welcomed their first child who they named Santiago Enrique Baston

Santiago is the first child for Eva, but the fifth for Jose, who was previously married to Mexican actress Natalia Esperon.

When asked in a 2019 interview what the secret is to her happy marriage, Eva explained that she and her husband have respect for each other, and support each other's goals and dreams.

The Latina star said: 'When I was younger it was so much about what I needed to accomplish, and I've accomplished so much already that I can really sit back now and enjoy the success and continue to dream bigger with a partner.'

The secret to happiness: When asked in a 2019 interview what the secret is to her happy marriage, Eva explained that she and her husband have respect for each other, and support each other's goals and dreams

Enjoying life: The Latina star said: 'When I was younger it was so much about what I needed to accomplish, and I've accomplished so much already that I can really sit back now and enjoy the success'

Having fun too: Eva's husband Jose was also spotted taking a huge jump off the yacht during the fun day at sea
Andrej Karpathy, Tesla Director of AI is stepping down from the electric vehicle company.

Karpathy is one of the many people behind the excellence of what has Tesla achieved in its AI and autopilot capabilities today.

Andrej Karpathy has announced his intention to leave the company. He was a senior executive at the electric vehicle manufacturer who specializes in artificial intelligence and was an architect of the company's Autopilot self-driving system.

Tesla Director of AI

In a series of tweets published on Wednesday, July 14, the executive made the announcement of leaving Tesla, where he had worked since 2017.

During his time in the company, Karpathy was in charge of the teams that worked on computer vision, supervising the technology that is incharge of Autopilot.

In addition, he oversaw the teams that were responsible for data labeling and the deployment of the feature.

On Twitter, Karpathy stated:

"It's been a great pleasure to help Tesla towards its goals over the last 5 years and a difficult decision to part ways. In that time, Autopilot graduated from lane keeping to city streets and I look forward to seeing the exceptionally strong Autopilot team continue that momentum."

In this particular tweet, CEO and founder Elon Musk also replied to him saying, "Thanks for everything you have done for Tesla! It has been an honor working with you."

Thanks for everything you have done for Tesla! It has been an honor working with you.  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 13, 2022

Karpathy continued to state that he does not have any specific plans for the future. He stated that he intends to devote more time to rediscovering my long-term hobbies in the areas of technical work in artificial intelligence (AI), open source, and teaching.

According to Engadget, Karpathy worked as a research scientist for the deep learning program at OpenAI before accepting his current position as Senior Director of AI at Tesla.

He worked on primary areas of expertise were computer vision and generative modeling. Before that, he pursued his PhD education in Stanford University where he became a member of the research team led by Fei-Fei Li at Stanford.

Read Also: Apple Beta Guide: How to Download and Install the iOS 16 Beta on Your iPhone

Tesla's Massive Layoff

Tesla reports made it clear to the public the company is also going to layoff employees during this bear market condition.

The Tesla CEO has been quite open about his dissatisfaction with the present condition of the market, which has led him to consider eliminating % of the company's workers.

In preparation for the forthcoming economic downturn, Musk has requested that his employees refrain from recruiting new talent anywhere in the world.

The announcement comes shortly after Tesla's CEO personally ordered all employees to return to the office immediately.

In line with this mandate from Musk, Tesla cancelled its month-long job hunting event in China that was intended for June 16, 23, and 30.

As reported by Bloomberg, this resignation adds to the instability that has been occurring in Tesla's management levels and comes on the heels of a decision to reduce the size of the Autopilot division.

The business lay off more than 200 workers from the Autopilot division and permanently closed its offices in San Mateo, California, earlier this month.

Today saw the departure of more than one executive from Tesla, including Karpathy. Furthermore, it would appear that a senior director focused on DEI has also departed the company.

In addition, Chris Rollins, a senior software manager working in Tesla's energy division. Also, Kristen Kavanaugh, the senior director whose primary focus was on diversity and inclusion, tendered her resignation a month ago.

Related Article: Tesla Is Taking a Break From Hiring-Elon Musk Might Cut Off 10% of Jobs
A tired looking Johnny Depp waved at a swarm of fans from his tour bus as he left a concert venue after a gig with Jeff Beck in Munich on Wednesday.

The actor, 59, sported a boho look in a khaki button-up worn over a faded blue shirt.

He donned a series of stacked bracelets and elastic bands along both hands, alongside a handful of chunky decorative rings.

Post-gig: A worn out Johnny Depp waved at a swarm of fans from his tour bus as he left a concert venue after a gig with Jeff Beck in Munich on Wednesday.

Signature look: The actor, 59, sported a boho look in a khaki button-up worn over a faded blue shirt

The performer also wore layered necklaces, teamed with a brown wide-brim hat for his signature chic aesthetic.

One snap showed Johnny, post-performance, with what appeared to be a cigarette in his mouth as he said bye to fans from his bus.

The gig, as outlined on the website for the German Tollwood festival, said it 'will feature two stars from a class of their own'.

Waving at fans: He donned a series of stacked bracelets and elastic bands along both hands, alongside a handful of chunky decorative rings

Last month, following his victory in his defamation trial against the his ex-wife Amber Heard, 36, Johnny confirmed he has teamed up with the legendary guitarist to record a 13-track collection.

The project, titled 18, includes two new Depp originals and an eclectic mix of cover songs ranging from such iconic artists as the Beach Boys, Marvin Gaye and John Lennon to alternative rockers such as Killing Joke and The Velvet Underground.

'When Johnny and I started playing together, it really ignited our youthful spirit and creativity.

'We would joke about how we felt 18 again so that just became the album title too,' Beck, 77, said in a statement about the album, as reported by Billboard.

In keeping with their fond teenage memories that were sparked by the music, the two artists decided to use an illustration of themselves as 18-year-olds, drawn by Beck's wife Sandra, for the album cover.

For Depp, who grew up listening to Beck's music, the collaboration is something of a dream come true.

'It's an extraordinary honor to play and write music with Jeff, one of the true greats and someone I am now privileged enough to call my brother,' Depp added in their statement.

Collab: Last month, following his massive victory in his defamation trial against the his ex-wife Amber Heard, 36, Johnny confirmed he has teamed up with the legendary guitarist to record a 13-track collection (pictured together in June)

The duo first met in 2016, and quickly bonded over conversations about guitars and cars, all while trying to make each other laugh.

Over the years Beck began to appreciate Depp's songwriting abilities, which led to the former Yardbirds guitarist to play on a song, Welcome To Bushwacker, that appeared on the Hollywood Vampires' album Rise (2019).

Depp co-founded the supergroup in 2012 along with Alice Cooper and Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry.

Seeing Depp's musical talent up-close and sensing their chemistry was undeniable, it was Beck who suggested they record songs that would eventually make up '18'.

Sensational: Johnny Depp pictured testifying during his defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard in April

Trial: Last month, following his massive victory in his defamation trial against the his ex-wife Amber Heard, 36, Johnny confirmed he has teamed up with the legendary guitarist to record a 13-track collection

While in the recording studio, Beck says they challenged each other, in part, by picking certain songs to cover for the album.

'I haven't had another creative partner like him for ages,' Beck confessed, adding, 'He was a major force on this record.

I just hope people will take him seriously as a musician because it's a hard thing for some people to accept that Johnny Depp can sing rock and roll.'

Beck also offered high praise for one of the Depp originals - This Is A Song For Miss Hedy Lamarr - that made the cut to be on the album.

'I was blown away by it,' the Jeff Beck Group star revealed. 'That song is one of the reasons I asked him to make an album with me.'

Depp's abilities as a musician can be heard on such covers as Caroline, No by the Beach Boys, Marvin Gaye's Ooo Baby Baby, Venus In Furs from The Velvet Underground and Killing Joke's Death And Resurrection Show.

The Beck-Depp album '18' will be released digitally and on CD on July 15, and then be followed up by a vinyl edition on September 30.
It was revealed that she's expecting her second child just weeks ago.

And Chloe Green cradled her blossoming baby bump in a maxi dress as she joined her boyfriend Manuele Thiella and mum Tina, 72, in Portofino, Italy on Thursday.

The Topshop heiress, 31, looked radiant in the blush pink floral number as she enjoyed some time aboard a yacht during their luxury family holiday.

Radiant: Pregnant Chloe Green, 31, cradled her blossoming baby bump in a floral maxi dress as she joined her boyfriend Manuele Thiella and mum Tina on a yacht in Portofino on Thursday

Chloe swept her brunette tresses into a simple bun for the outing while highlighting her natural beauty by going make-up free.

The daughter of retail magnate Sir Philip Green, accessorised with diamond stud earrings and a matching bedazzled necklace.

Chloe, who shares Jeremy, four, with ex-boyfriend Jeremy Meeks, completed her look with a pale pink Fendi handbag.

Sun-soaked: Manuele, who is CEO of company Royal Yacht Broker, put on a casual display in a navy T-shirt with a pair of white linen shorts and yellow suede loafers

Manuele, who is CEO of company Royal Yacht Broker, put on a casual display in a navy T-shirt with a pair of white linen shorts and yellow suede loafers.

Meanwhile, Tina opted for a red maxi dress with a colourful print as she pulled her locks back into a neat plait.

The heiress has remained mainly out of the public eye as of late, with a brief appearance at Cannes Film Festival the only recent public sighting of her.

Family getaway: Meanwhile, Tina, 72, opted for a red maxi dress with a colourful print as she pulled her locks back into a neat plait

Last month, Chloe revealed her pregnancy as she unveiled a baby bump for the first time while on holiday in St Tropez.

Chloe unveiled her previous pregnancy in a similar way back in 2018, showing off her first bump as she enjoyed a day on her father's superyacht in Monaco.

Back in 2020 when she initially began dating Manuele, a source told MailOnline: 'Chloe has known Manuele for months and they have always been very close friends.

'They have a lot in common; they're both parents and are from similar worlds, Chloe is very happy with him. He's very much been accepted into her family.'
Yazmin Oukhellou has been seen for the first time since the car crash in Turkey which left her boyfriend Jake McLean dead.

The TOWIE star, 28, was seen leaving her Essex home on Thursday with her mother Lisa, with her broken arm in a sling.

Yazmin suffered serious injuries to her arm in the crash which took place in the early hours Sunday July 3.

Back home: Yazmin Oukhellou has been seen for the first time since the car crash in Turkey which left her boyfriend Jake McLean dead

Wearing dark glasses, and a black t-shirt and leggings, Yazmin's right arm was in a cast above her elbow.

She was seen getting into the passenger seat of the car while her mother drove.

The television personality had been on holiday with Jake in the resort of Bodrum where the terrifying incident took place.

Jake and Yazmin were driving in a blue Mercedes E class saloon along a windy, mountainous road between the coastal city of Bodrum and the seaside town of Yalikavak as they returned from a night out.

Loss: Yazmin suffered serious injuries to her arm in the July 3 crash while Jake, who was driving, died at the scene (pictured together in 2021)

The crash took place at around 4.30am and investigators have established that the car hurtled around 70 feet over a left turn bend and landed in a ravine almost 30 feet below.

Jake was pronounced dead at the scene while Yazmin was rushed to hospital, where she underwent treatment for her injured arm.

After the crash, she clambered through thick, thorny bushes to stop a passing motorist for help.

A source told MailOnline last week that Yazmin has been left heartbroken:

'Yaz is unable to feel any sense of relief because her heart has been ripped in two over Jake's death.

'She still can't come to terms with what has happened.'

Jake, 33, - who has previously dated former TOWIE star Lauren Goodger - was driving at the time of the crash.

Back in the UK: The TOWIE star, 28, was seen leaving her Essex home on Thursday with her mother, with her broken arm in a sling

Tough time: Wearing dark glasses, and a black t-shirt and leggings, Yazmin's right arm was in a cast above her elbow

Support: . She was seen getting into the passenger seat of the car while her mother drove

Yazmin suffered serious injuries but pulled herself from the wreckage to get help.

Her mother flew out to support her daughter during her recovery at Bodrums Acibadem Hospital in the days after the crash before bringing her home.

Meanwhile MailOnline understands that Yazmin could face a police quiz in upcoming days amid reports about the moments leading up to the crash.

According to reports yesterday she was arguing with Jake as their car crashed.

The claims were made by his mum, Anita Walsh, who raised her concerns with prosecutors investigating the crash that killed her son in Bodrum, Turkey.

Heartbreaking: A source told MailOnline last week that Yazmin has been left heartbroken by the accident and loss of her on/off boyfriend

Family: Yazmin's mum flew out to Turkey to support her daughter in the days after the crash, and helped to bring her back home

Anita told prosecutors that Jake would not have lost control of the car as it flew off a bend on a mountainous road because of his driving expertise.

An Assistant Prosecutor who cannot be named under Turkish Law told MailOnline on July 6: We have spoken with Jakes mother and she has told us that something was going on in the car that distracted him.

She does not believe that this accident was caused by his poor driving. She said that he is a very skilled and experienced driver and would not have lost control of the car like this.

Prosecutors are investigating whether Jake was drink-driving. The on-off couple argued outside a club at 3am, shortly before Sunday's crash.

Crash: Photographs have revealed the extent of the damage to the blue Mercedes E class saloon that Jack McClean was driving during the crash

Jake McLean died after crashing his car off a road near the party resort of Bodrum, in Turkey

Devastated: A source told MailOnline: 'Yaz is unable to feel any sense of relief because her heart has been ripped in two over Jake's death'

Jake and Yazmin are thought to have got together in May last year before she revealed their relationship on Instagram in December in a clip that showed the pair kissing.

But she split from him just a month later after he was reportedly caught 'acting single' while on a holiday in Dubai and leaving a club alone with Love Island ex Ellie Jones.

The pair were still thought to be split up when the crash happened on Sunday. Friends say they are unsure what the pair were doing together in Turkey, but may have been there to sign some kind of business deal.

A source told MailOnline: 'It's a complete tragedy and a total loss of life. Everyone is in shock and hoping Yazmin makes a full recovery.
Russell Crowe and his lady love Britney Theriot are in Rome while the Oscar winner prepares to film his latest movie The Pope's Exorcist.

And the couple visited the Pope's chapel Sancta Sanctorum ahead of cameras rolling on the supernatural horror movie.

Crowe, 58, looked supremely casual in a black polo shirt and black shorts for the outing.

Russell Crowe and his lady love Britney Theriot are in Rome while the Oscar winner films his latest movie The Pope's Exorcist

The Gladiator star sported a grey beard and shielded his gaze behind a pair of aviator shades as he and his girlfriend strolled the Italian streets.

Britney meanwhile looked glamorous in a pair of billowing white pants worn with a black blouse.

Her blonde tresses were pulled back in a loose, low bun.

Crowe, 58, looked supremely casual in a black polo shirt and black shorts for the outing

The Gladiator star sported a grey beard and shielded his gaze behind a pair of aviator shades as he and his girlfriend strolled the Italian streets

Britney meanwhile looked glamorous in a pair of billowing white pants worn with a black blouse as she walked alongside her star boyfriend

Crowe will play a priest battling demons in the upcoming supernatural thriller.

Based on Gabrielle Amorth's published memoirs, the film will be directed by Julius Avery, who is best known for the 2018 horror film Overlord.

Russell portrays Father Gabrielle Amorth, a real-life figure who was based at the Vatican and is said to have performed 60,000 exorcisms.

Britney's blonde tresses were pulled back in a loose, low bun

The couple visited the Pope's chapel Sancta Sanctorum (pictured) in preparation for filming the supernatural horror movie

Based on Gabrielle Amorth's published memoirs, the film will be directed by Julius Avery, who is best known for the 2018 horror film Overlord

Russell portrays Father Gabrielle Amorth, a real-life figure who was based at the Vatican and is said to have performed 60,000 exorcisms

'It's been a goal of mine to work with Russell,' young Australian filmmmaker Avery told The Hollywood Reporter.

'To collaborate with him on the Pope's Exorcist is a dream come true.'

According to the publication, the film will deal with Fr Amorth's life and work, with filming expected to begin in Ireland in September.

'It's been a goal of mine to work with Russell,' young Australian filmmmaker Avery told The Hollywood Reporter

Britney and Russell confirmed their relationship in November 2020

Fr Amorth, who died in 2016 at the age of 91, wrote two books detailing horrifying tales of demonic possession - An Exorcist Tells His Story and An Exorcist: More Stories.

The official exorcist for the diocese of Rome Fr Amorth was dubbed the Dean of Exorcists and is said to have conducted a staggering 60,000 exorcisms over a 30-year period.

His death prompted national mourning in Italy, where an estimated 500,000 people visit an exorcist each year.

Fr Amorth, who died in 2016 at the age of 91, wrote two books detailing horrifying tales of demonic possession - An Exorcist Tells His Story and An Exorcist: More Stories

The official exorcist for the diocese of Rome Fr Amorth was dubbed the Dean of Exorcists and is said to have conducted a staggering 60,000 exorcisms over a 30-year period

Although the Catholic Church officially recognises exorcism, its modernisers see it as a medieval hangover that plays on superstition to strengthen religious devotion.

A favourite Amorth quip was to say: 'You know why the devil flees when he sees me? Because I'm uglier than he is.'

Meanwhile, the new film adds to a long list of up coming releases for Crowe including The Greatest Beer Run Ever and Poker Face, which he directed as well as stars in.
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Sofia Richie turned up the heat on Wednesday as she slipped into a black and white patterned bikini while enjoying a sunny yacht trip with fiance Elliot Grainge and his family in the French Riviera.

The 23-year-old model daughter of Lionel Richie looked in great spirits as she chatted with friends before hopping on a jet ski for a thrilling ride with her husband-to-be.

The happy couple could barely contain their joy as they zipped along the water in resort town Antibes, after having spend time in St. Tropez.

Stunner: Sofia Richie turned up the heat on Wednesday as she slipped into a black and white patterned bikini while enjoying a sunny yacht trip with fiance Elliot Grainge and his family in the French Riviera

Sofia looked incredible during the outing, showing off her toned, bronzed physique in the barely-there two-piece.

Sofia added a pair of stylish clear sunglasses and white shorts to her look, with the star soon slipping off her shorts as she worked on her tan.

The sister of Nicole Richie swept her blonde locks into a high ponytail, while highlighting her natural beauty by going make-up free for the day.

Off they go! The 23-year-old model daughter of Lionel Richie looked in great spirits as she chatted with friends before hopping on a jet ski for a thrilling ride with her husband-to-be

As she earlier arrived onto the yacht via a small speedboat, Sofia looked stunning in a black and white shift dress as she was greeted by Elliot's Chief Executive Officer father Lucian and step-mother Caroline along with other members of the party.

Sofia announced her engagement to Elliot, the son of Universal Music Group chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge, in late April on Instagram.

She posted a picture of Elliot proposing to her at sunset surrounded by candles.

Fun times: The happy couple could barely contain their joy as they zipped along the water in resort town Antibes, after having spend time in St. Tropez

Holiday style: Sofia added a pair of stylish clear sunglasses and white shorts to her look, with the star soon slipping off her shorts as she worked on her tan

Good times: Sofia looked in a good mood as she happily chatted to a friend while getting changed

Family: As she earlier arrived onto the yacht via a small speedboat, Sofia looked stunning in a black and white shift dress as she was greeted by Elliot's Chief Executive Officer father Lucian and step-mother Caroline (third and fourth right) along with other members of the party

'Forever isnt long enough,' she wrote with her Instagram caption, which included a romantic picture of her and Elliot kissing.

Elliot has joined the family business and gone into the music industry himself, founding an indie record label called 10K Projects.

He presented Sofia with an emerald-cut diamond ring that various experts quoted by Page Six have estimated to be anywhere between four and eight carats.

I've got you: Sofia clung on tightly to her fiance Elliot as they zipped along the water on a jet ski

Easy does it: Sofia was seen carefully climbing from the jet ski to the yacht as her ride with her beau

Can't miss her! The actress ensured she stood out as she donned a hot pink and black life jacket

Made it: The star carefully managed to club on board after her jaunt

This is the life: Everyone on the boat appeared relaxed as they kicked back and enjoyed the sun

Hey guys: Their party looked on as the couple pulled up beside the yacht

'I love Elliot,' Sofia's father told Access after the engagement. 'Ive known him since he was 12, how about that? So its one of those things where I dont have to go back and check out the kid - I know who he is.'

Lionel, who shares Sofia with his ex-wife Diana Alexander, added: 'So, theyre so happy, and as a Papa and as a dad and as, you know, thats my little girl, so shes in good hands.'

He dished that when Elliot asked him for permission to propose to Sofia: 'He was a nervous wreck, poor guy, I thought he was gonna pass out but he survived it.'

All together now: Sofia and Elliot were part of a large party enjoying time on the yacht

Looking fab: The beauty showcased her long, toned legs as she sat on the back of a jet ski

Betrothed: Sofia announced her engagement to Elliot, the son of Universal Music Group chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge, in late April on Instagram

Sunshine: Sofia looked happy and relaxed as she milled about on the luxury vessel

Groom-to-be: Elliot has joined the family business and gone into the music industry himself, founding an indie record label called 10K Projects

Lucky girl: He presented Sofia with an emerald-cut diamond ring that various experts quoted by Page Six have estimated to be anywhere between four and eight carats

Said Lionel: 'I was gonna rib him a little bit but I didnt wanna play, he was gonna faint, so it was wonderful. I mean, theyre deeply in love, so all I can say is thats what you really want as a dad.'

Sofia and her husband-to-be have apparently been an item for over a year, having first set off dating rumors at the start of 2021.

The model was in a previous relationship with Keeping Up With The Kardashian's star, Scott Disick, 39, which ended in 2020.

Besotted: Sofia also took to her Instagram to share sweet snaps with her soon-t--be husband
She recently returned home to the UK after a work stint in Australia.

And Nigella Lawson enjoyed a catch-up with her long-term publicist on Wednesday, sitting down for an al fresco business lunch at London hotspot The River Cafe.

The foodie looked chic for her leisurely meal at the Michelin star restaurant, dressed in a navy shirt dress.

Summer chic: Nigella Lawson enjoyed a catch-up with her long-term publicist on Wednesday, sitting down for an al fresco business lunch at London hotspot The River Cafe

Nigella, 62, teamed the flowing maxi dress with platform white sneakers, with a tan bag slung over her shoulder.

She enjoyed an animated conversation with her companion over drinks and food at the celeb-favourite eatery.

The chef and writer seemed to be a regular as she and her publicist were escorted to her car by a member of The River Cafe team who kissed her goodbye.

Business lunch: She enjoyed an animated conversation with her companion over drinks and food at the celeb-favourite eatery

Looking good: The foodie looked chic for her leisurely meal at the Michelin star restaurant, dressed in a navy shirt dress

Catching up: The chef and writer had plenty to catch her publicist up on after filming in Australia in recent weeks

It's been a busy few weeks for Nigella who recently jetted Down Under to film for the new season of popular Australian cooking show My Kitchen Rules.

It was announced in May that Nigella would feature on the new series, replacing former judge Pete Evans.

'Going to restaurants can be a treat, but for me, the true story of food is told through the cooking we do at home,' she said in a statement when her role was announced.

Gorgeous: Nigella, 62, teamed the flowing maxi dress with platform white sneakers, with a tan bag slung over her shoulder

Popular: The chef and writer seemed to be a regular as she and her publicist were escorted to her car by a member of The River Cafe team

New TV role: It's been a busy few weeks for Nigella who recently jetted Down Under to film for the new season of popular Australian cooking show My Kitchen Rules

'So, to have the chance to champion home cooks and be given the intimate privilege of being invited into people's homes to eat their food fills me with gratitude and excitement in equal measure!

'I'm so looking forward to working with Manu, too. Although he's a chef and I'm a home cook, the fact is we both just want to eat good food.'

She added: 'I feel I've got a lot to learn from him, but just know we'll have a lot of fun in the process. I can't wait!'

The Brit was spotted filming scenes for the upcoming season at the Sydney Opera House last month.

Good to see you! The foodie got a kiss goodbye from her companions
Naomi Campbell nailed a chic summer look on Thursday as she attended the Bastille Day military parade in Paris.

Th 52-year-old supermodel sported a knitted mini dress for the Champs-Elysees appearance as she was snapped chatting to other guests.

She also took a moment to grab beaming pictures alongside Brigitte Macron, who is the wife of France's president, Emmanuel Macron.

Gorgeous: Naomi Campbell, 52, looked typically chic on Thursday while spending the day at the Bastille Day military parade in Paris

Fun-filled: Naomi nailed summer chic as she was snapped chatting to other guests

Her short-sleeved dress featured a pastel coloured knit design with a white panel and collar detail.

While Naomi paired the look with white heeled boots from Louis Vuitton, showcasing her famous supermodel frame.

Pulling her ensemble together, she clutched a white handbag, also from the fashion house, and added a stack of silver bracelets.

Friendly: The supermodel greeted Brigitte Macron with a hug - who is the wife of France 's president, Emmanuel Macron

Gorgeous: Naomi sported a knitted mini dress for the Champs-Elysees appearance as she was snapped chatting to other guests

Couture: She clutched onto a white and gold Louis Vuitton handbag while sporting the pastel dress

In signature style, her dark tresses were sleekly straightened as they fell freely down to her chest.

The beauty donned a radiant palette of makeup with a pink lip, shielding her eyes with tortoise shell sunglasses.

She was snapped chatting to Brigitte, who looked chic in a chain print maxi shirt dress, with a tie waist design.

Coordinated: Naomi paired the look with white heeled boots, also from from Louis Vuitton, showcasing her famous supermodel frame

Typical: In signature style, her dark tresses were sleekly straightened as they fell freely down to her chest

Naomi then took her seat to watch the celebrations unfold, clad with a programme as she joined the crowd.

She appeared in high spirits while waiting for the parade to begin, peering down at her mobile.

The parade was in celebration of France's national day, and marks the fall of the Bastille, a military fortress and political prison.

Smiles: The beauty donned a radiant palette of makeup with a pink lip as she posed alongside Brigitte

Chic: Bridgette looked elegant in a chain printed silk dress with a pussy bow neck tie

Extra details: She added a mix of gold and silver bangles and rings to her put-together ensemble

With the parade held annually since 1880, the celebrations include a public holiday, dancing and fireworks.

And this year, the parade paid a special tribute to Ukraine as they showed their support - marching alongside allies from Eastern Europe.

The traditional parade also featured warplanes and military vehicles to show off Frances its military efforts to support the war-stricken country.

Soaking it all in: Naomi's initials could be seen printed on her phone case as she snapped some photos of the parade

Here it comes: She appeared in high spirits while waiting for the parade to begin, peering down at her mobile
They first met back in 1991 in London when the Australian native worked in a restaurant while his pal was a fruit and vegetable distributor.

And MasterChef star John Torode has said that he and his co-host Gregg Wallace 'have their moments' and that 'it's the 6am phone calls' he gets from him which prove to be a bone of contention.

In a candid new interview with The Times, John, 56, said: 'We know each other so well. But thats not to say we dont have our moments. With Gregg my issue is the 6am phone calls.

'My issue is the 6am phone calls': Masterchef's John Torode has discussed his sometimes difficult friendship with co-host Gregg Wallace as he admitted 'we have our moments'

'Last time it happened I wasnt very happy and I said, "Gregg, mate, its 6am." And he said, "But youre on my list!" Thats the thing with Gregg, he gets up very early and his whole life is diarised and run on lists.'

The pair have fronted MasterChef together for 18 years and John went on to recall sensing a 'disturbance in the force' the next time he saw his co-star, noting that he knew 'there was something wrong'.

But after pressing his pal on his issue, Gregg admitted that he was disgruntled that John wasn't 'very nice to me' during their previous phone call.'

Pals: MasterChef stars John and Gregg have remained close friends, with the duo knowing each other 'so well' that they're even able to sense if something is wrong with the other

However, the pair were able to swiftly move on from their minor tiff, with John crediting the truce to the pair's ability to be completely 'honest ' with each other and knowing when to accept any flaws with each other.

He explained: 'We talked it out. We are honest with each other. In the end, you have to learn to accept each others foibles. Gregg is incredibly organised. You have to allow the relationship to grow.'

With their successful friendship stemming from being able to be very frank with each other, John went on to say that they adopt that same mentality when it comes to their hugely popular BBC show.

Uh oh: 'While things are all good between the pair, John couldn't help but point out that Gregg's early morning phone calls have become a bone of contention between the pair'

30 year friendship: 'We know each other so well. But thats not to say we dont have our moments. With Gregg my issue is the 6am phone calls'

The star noted there's 'absolute honesty' between them when it comes to how they approach the programme.

He added that everything viewers see is 'not gimmicky' or 'camp', adding that everything is 'real' and there is no 'backroom discussion' on who they think should win the show.

Meanwhile, John also enjoys another successful friendship in the form of his relationship with Lisa Faulkner.

Pals: However, the pair were able to swiftly move on from their minor tiff, with John crediting the truce to the pair's ability to be completely 'honest ' with each other and knowing when to accept any flaws with each other

The celebrity chefs wed in 2019 - the second time for them both after their first marriages collapsed.

And in a new interview with The Sunday Times, the culinary duo got candid about their first encounter, cooking and family, with John admitting there has been a 'black mark' about when the pair met.

The Australian explained how in his version of events, they'd met when Lisa was a contestant on Celebrity MasterChef back in 2010.

Yet unearthed footage from This Morning back in 1996 showed John being introduced as the new chef, while his now-wife was being interviewed on the sofa.

For London-born Lisa, their initial meet on the ITV daytime show had not escaped her memory, as she recalled complimenting one of his dishes and his brusque reply.

'Wonderful husband and best friend': The holiday comes as John and Lisa opened up about their romance and navigating their blended family

She regaled that she thought he was arrogant, but that soon changed when their soon-found friendship after MasterChef developed into something more.

Of how he'd been encouraged to ask the Brookside actress on a date, John divulged: 'I'd separated from my wife [Jessica] which was awful, and I was reluctant to approach Lisa face to face as I didn't fancy the prospect of her saying no, so I wrote her a letter.

'If I'd got no response, it wouldn't matter. Cowardly? S***, yeah. I'm as cowardly as they get.'

John explained that she'd agreed to a date and from there, everything fell into place, gushing that 'we just really, really like each other.'
Love Island 2022 may be getting it's first official relationship, as Tasha Ghouri plans to ask Andrew Le Page to be her boyfriend in Thursday's episodes.

The upcoming episode will see the dancer, 23, plan a special surprise for Andrew and gather her fellow Islanders to let them know she's going to need their help.

Tasha reveals: 'Ive been planning on making Andrew my boyfriend!'

Loved-up: Love Island 2022 may be getting it's first official relationship, as Tasha Ghouri plans to ask Andrew Le Page to be her boyfriend in Thursday's episodes

She adds: 'Ive made up a whole speech.'

Leaving notes around the Villa in special places for the couple for Andrew to find, Tasha waits nervously for the other Islanders to kick the plan into action.

But how will Andrew respond? Will Tasha get the answer she hopes for?

Smitten: The upcoming episode will see the dancer, 23, plan a special surprise for Andrew and gather her fellow Islanders to let them know she's going to need their help

Special: She leaves notes around the Villa in special places for the couple for Andrew to find

Hiding: Tasha waits nervously for the other Islanders to kick the plan into action

The surprising move comes after Love Island fans slammed Tasha for rekindling her relationship with Andrew on Tuesday, only to then sob on Billy Brown over her decision.

After sharing a passionate kiss with Andrew, Tasha then cried in bed to Billy admitting that she had a 'fear of missing out' on him - minutes after getting back with the estate agent.

Viewers of the ITV2 show did not hesitate to air their thoughts on the dancer for her conflicting emotions, claiming that the saga had the 'entire nation confused.'

Back on? Love Island fans slammed Tasha for rekindling her relationship with Andrew on Tuesday - only to then sob on Billy Brown over her decision

Previous episodes saw the model, who is currently coupled with Billy, left devastated after Andrew kissed and had sexual contact with Coco during Casa Amor.

After a heart-to-heart on the terrace, Tasha revealed that she would give Andrew 'another chance' - only for her to appear to backtrack on her decision once more.

Taking to Twitter, one viewer penned: 'It's Tasha crying to Billy about not wanting to miss out on him after she said she is choosing Andrew ah ah villain behaviour.'

Confusing: Viewers of the ITV2 show did not hesitate to air their thoughts on the dancer for her conflicting emotions, claiming that the saga had the 'entire nation confused'

Drama: After sharing a passionate kiss with Andrew, Tasha then cried in bed to Billy admitting that she had a 'fear of missing out' on him - minutes after getting back with the estate agent

Another added: 'Tasha is the worst. Did she really say to that Billy in bed after kissing Andrew?'

A third wrote: 'Tasha is the worst. Did she really say that to Billy in bed after kissing Andrew?'

Another added: 'Tasha is really a menace, one minute she's 100% for Andrew the next she's crying in bed to Billy.'

'She's a menace': Taking to Twitter, one viewer penned: 'It's Tasha crying to Billy about not wanting to miss out on him after she said she is choosing Andrew ah ah villain behaviour'

Earlier in the episode , Andrew pulled Tasha for a chat and confessed: 'I think for me and we do go forward and we just focus on other then you know it's going to work and you know that I will make it up to you.

'That is literally all I want, so what do you want to do?'

Tasha told Andrew that she would give him another chance, as he admitted that he had been waiting for that answer for 'a long time.'

Speaking in bed, Billy said that he hoped Tasha would get 'treated like a princess' after reconciling with Andrew.

However she then broke down in tears, admitting that: 'With Andrew a part of me feels like I can easily get hurt again... but then at the same time I have a bit of a fear of missing out on you.'

The back and forth came after Tasha put the brakes on her coupling with Billy during Monday's episode of the show as her head turned back to former flame Andrew.

Dancer Tasha was left devastated after Andrew kissed and had sexual contact with newcomer Coco during Casa Amor, prompting a number of furious rows between the pair.

Confession: Tasha said to Billy: 'With Andrew a part of me feels like I can easily get hurt again... but then at the same time I have a bit of a fear of missing out on you'

End of the road: The back and forth came after Tasha put the brakes on her coupling with Billy during Monday's episode of the show as her head turned back to former flame Andrew

But, despite Andrew leaving her in tears last week, Tasha told Billy she wanted to cool things off with him after he demanded to know where he stands.

Pulling Tasha for a chat, Billy admitted: 'I cant just be a ping pong back and forwards, its doing my head in. Because when Im with a girl, Im with a girl.'

After confessing she'd been struggling to decide which path to take, Tasha says: 'Its hard for me because youve both got different qualities and different personalities and Im attracted to both of you, do you know what I mean?

'We hit it off straight away, Im not denying that at all.'

The drama comes after Tasha broke down in tears when she heard that Andrew wanted to sleep with Coco on Friday's episode of Love Island.

Furious: It comes after Tasha broke down in tears when she heard that Andrew wanted to sleep with Coco on Friday's episode

While she had initially been paired up with Andrew the couple was forced to separate and test their love during Casa Amor.

Andrew recoupled with Coco and Tasha recoupled with Billy, but she suggested she still wanted to see how things would turn out with Andrew until Coco revealed that she and Andrew had got physical.

Coco told Tasha: 'There was a lot of touching, sucking, a lot of things were said. He said he wanted to f**k me... after sucking my t**s and saying he wanted to ruin me... sexual talk.'

Tasha said she'd been made out to be a 'villain' but that Andrew had in fact messed things up with his actions, prompting her to claim she was 'done'.

Love Island airs at 9pm weekdays and Sundays on ITV2 and ITV Hub. Episodes are available the following morning on BritBox.

In lust: Andrew fell victim to the dreaded Casa Amor curse last week as he kissed new bombshell Coco
Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air alum Alfonso Ribeiro is joining Dancing With The Stars as co-host as it moves from ABC to Disney+.

The 50-year-old will host with Tyra Banks, who was controversially hired in 2020 to replace fan favorites Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews.

Alfonso's new role was announced on Good Morning America this Thursday - eight years after he competed on Dancing With The Stars and won.

Dashing: Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air alum Alfonso Ribeiro (pictured) is joining Dancing With The Stars as co-host as it moves from ABC to Disney+

'Dancing with the Stars has been such an important part of my life for so many years, and I am ecstatic to officially re-join this tight-knit family as co-host,' Alfonso gushed in a statement quoted by Deadline.

'Tyra and I have a longstanding friendship that I hope will resonate with all of the fans at home as we kick off this new season on Disney+.'

Meanwhile Tyra said: 'Ive known Alfonso since I was 19 years old and he always puts a smile on my face whenever I see him.'

She added: 'Having such a fun-loving, longtime friend as co-host warms my heart. Plus, hes won the competition before, so he knows exactly what the stars are going through. Bantering back and forth with him live is going to be so much fun!'

Not alone: The 50-year-old will co-host with Tyra Banks (pictured), who was controversially hired in 2020 to replace fan favorites Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews

Triumph: Alfonso's new role was announced on Good Morning America this Thursday - eight years after he competed on Dancing With The Stars alongside Witney Carson and won

When Alfonso appeared on season 19 of the series, he was teamed up with pro dancer Witney Carson, who was still on the show as of its latest season last year.

The judging panel is remaining the same as it was during the latest ABC season - Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, Derek Hough and Len Goodman.

Dancing With The Stars spent 30 seasons on ABC from 2005 through last year, and this April it was announced the program will shift to Disney+.

All together: The judging panel is remaining the same as it was during the latest ABC season - (from left) Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli

When it does so, it will be the first live program to be hosted on the streaming platform, which was launched in late 2019.

Alfonso is no stranger to TV hosting, nor to ABC, where he currently serves as the compere for America's Funniest Home Videos.

He shot to fame on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air during the early 1990s as Will Smith's preening, wealthy cousin Carson.

Seen onscreen: Alfonso is no stranger to TV hosting, nor to ABC, where he currently serves as the compere for America's Funniest Home Videos
Security Council renews mandate of UN Hodeidah mission

Xinhua) 10:01, July 14, 2022

Members of the UN Security Council vote to adopt a resolution at the UN headquarters in New York, on July 13, 2022. The UN Security Council on Wednesday adopted a resolution to renew the mandate of the UN Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement for a year, till July 14, 2023. (Loey Felipe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

UNITED NATIONS, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Wednesday adopted a resolution to renew the mandate of the UN Mission to Support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA) for a year, till July 14, 2023.

Resolution 2643, which won the unanimous support of the 15-member council, decides that UNMHA shall continue to support the implementation of the Hodeidah agreement as set out in the December 2018 Stockholm Agreement between the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels.

Under the Stockholm Agreement, the two sides agreed on a cessation of hostilities in Hodeidah governorate and the mutual redeployment of forces from Hodeidah city and the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa.

Resolution 2643 decides that UNMHA shall oversee the governorate-wide cease-fire, the redeployment of forces, and mine action operations, and monitor the compliance of the parties to the cease-fire and the mutual redeployment of forces.

The resolution calls on the parties to observe their commitments, not to bring any military reinforcements and military objects to and through the city, the ports of Hodeidah, Salif, and Ras Issa, and the governorate, and to remove any military manifestations from the city.

It requests UN member states, particularly neighboring countries, to support the implementation of UNMHA's mandate.

The resolution requests the UN secretary-general to report to the Security Council on a monthly basis on progress regarding the implementation of the resolution and to present to the council a further review of UNMHA.

UNMHA was established by the Security Council in January 2019, right after the Stockholm Agreement was reached.

Members of the UN Security Council vote to adopt a resolution at the UN headquarters in New York, on July 13, 2022. The UN Security Council on Wednesday adopted a resolution to renew the mandate of the UN Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement for a year, till July 14, 2023. (Evan Schneider/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun)
Amazon has been developing cancer vaccines in collaboration with the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle.

These vaccines are being developed to shield people from such cancers as breast cancer and certain types of skin cancer, such as melanoma.

Amazon Confirms Development of Cancer Vaccines

Amazon has confirmed the development, saying in an email to Business Insider that the company is "contributing scientific and machine learning expertise to a partnership with Fred Hutch to explore the development of a personalized treatment for certain forms of cancer." In the email, the spokesperson further said that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center the green light for the first phase of clinical trials, but noted it remained unclear if this will be successful.

The study was first posted October last year, and with the initiative starting on June 9. Target completion is scheduled on November 1, 2023.

The initiative, Amazon added, "will be a long, multi-year process-should it progress," and stated that it is open to partnering with other health care organizations in health care and life sciences.

The first trial of the cancer vaccine analyzes the safety of the "personalized neo-antigen peptide vaccine in treating patients with stage IIIC-IV melanoma or hormone receptor positive Her2 negative breast cancer that has spread to other places in the body (metastatic) or does not respond to treatment (refractory)." This vaccine is a product that brings together multiple patient specific neo-antigens.

The tial's summary also emphasized: "Given personalized neo-antigen peptide vaccine together with Th1 polarizing adjuvant poly ICLC may induce a polyclonal, poly-epitope, cytolytic T cell immunity against the patient's tumor."

Read Also: Amazon to Close Down Most of Its Physical Stores: Here are All Those Affected

Trial Participants Sought for First Trials of Cancer Vaccine

Amazon and Fred Hutchinson are currently seeking to sign up 20 participants over the age of 18 for the first phase of the, trial, as stated in a filing on clinicaltrials.gov, which is a clinical trial database overseen by the National Library of Medicine. The trial attempts to develop "personalized vaccines" that can treat breast cancer and melanoma, a form of skin cancer.

The leading ecommerce destination has previously ventured in healthcare. In June last year, Amazon began its Amazon Care that provides its Seattle-based employees medical assistance to their homes, such as virtual video chats with doctors, having medicine delivered to homes or preferred pharmacies, and a care chat via messenger.

This vaccine being developed is said to be a product of Amazon's internal research lab, called Grand Challenge. Te company's cancer team has since progressed so much that it has been repositioned from the Grand Challenge unit to work under the supervision of VP of devices Robert Williams, the Business Insider report also claimed.

This initiative is seen to expand the ecommerce giant into brand-new territory, cancer treatment. If it succeeds in this venture, Amazon is set to gain massive financial returns and exceptional impact on the healthcare sector.

Related Article: Amazon To Unveil High-Tech Cashier-less Grocery Store
She's been soaking up the sun on a luxury family holiday in Capri.

And Eva Longoria flaunted her incredible physique as she danced in a skimpy black bikini as she shared a fun TikTok video, upon her arrival in Nerano, Italy on Thursday.

The actress, 47, looked sensational as she was joined by her husband, Jose Baston and their son Santiago, four, for the fun-filled family getaway.

Impressive: Eva Longoria, 47, flaunted her incredible physique as she danced in a skimpy black bikini after arriving in Nerano, Italy on Thursday

Eva went make-up free as she showed off her sun-kissed glow and piled her brunette locks on top of her head.

The Desperate Housewives star then took to Instagram as she let her hair loose walked along the boat, shielding her eyes with a pair of aviator sunglasses.

Lounging on the deck she was joined by Santiago, who looked adorable in shorts and a vest.

Beach babe: Eva went make-up free as she showed off her sun-kissed glow and gave fans an insight into her luxury getaway

Grooving: She piled her brunette locks on top of her head as she showcased her moves and and she shared the funny video to TikTok with a wavy filter

Earlier in the day, Eva was seen in a bright green maxi dress with waist-baring cut-out sections as she walked along the jetty with the youngster.

She shielded her face from the sun with a stylish straw hat and slipped into a pair of tan flip flops.

Eva has been joined on the holiday by a group of friends, husband Jose and their beloved son Santiago, who she has shared sweet social media snaps of enjoying some time on the yacht this week.

Relaxing: The Desperate Housewives star then took to Instagram as she walked along the boat, shielding her eyes with a pair of aviator sunglasses

Family time: Lounging on the deck she was joined by Santiago, four, who looked adorable in shorts and a vest

Sensational: She displayed her washboard abs as she relaxed in the sun

During her time in Italy, Eva made an appearance at the Taormina Film Festival, which took place from June 26 to July 2.

Eva has several film projects currently in the works, most recently appearing in the comedy Unplugging opposite Matt Walsh and Lea Thompson.

She is next slated to appear in All-Star Weekend alongside Jamie Foxx and Jeremy Piven which was originally slated for release in 2018 before facing delays.

Fashionista: Earlier in the day, Eva was seen in a bright green maxi dress with waist-baring cut-out sections as she walked along the jetty with the youngster

Fun-filled: Santiago was beaming as he stepped on to the boat

Sunny day: She shielded her face from the sun with a stylish straw hat

The star also has a role in upcoming coming-of-age film Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.

Eva wed her third husband, Televisa executive Jose in May 2016, in a ceremony attended by her close pals Victoria and David Beckham.

The couple initially met on a December 2015 blind date arranged by a mutual friend in Mexico City, with Eva revealing her future husband had no idea who she was.

All aboard: Eva has been joined on the holiday by a group of friends, as well as her family

Scenic: The actress filmed her pal as she took a dip in the bright blue sea

In December 2017, the couple confirmed they were expecting their first child and in June 2018 they welcomed their first child who they named Santiago Enrique Baston.

Santiago is the first child for Eva, but the fifth for Jose, who was previously married to Mexican actress Natalia Esperon.

When asked in a 2019 interview what the secret is to her happy marriage, Eva explained that she and her husband have respect for each other, and support each other's goals and dreams.

The Latina star said: 'When I was younger it was so much about what I needed to accomplish, and I've accomplished so much already that I can really sit back now and enjoy the success and continue to dream bigger with a partner.'
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Megan Fox looked to be in a summer mood on Wednesday as she was seen in a lime green outfit that looked both chic and comfortable for the hot months.

The Transformers actress had on a stylish bra top that showed off her toned tummy as she added wide legged trousers with beige platforms heels and a clutch purse at her side.

The cover girl wore her dark hair down over her bare shoulders as she modeled dewy makeup while in the Southern California suburb of Pasadena.

We are green with envy: Megan Fox looked to be in a summer mood on Wednesday as she was seen in a lime green outfit that looked both chic and comfortable for the hot months

The outfit was by fashion brand Jacquemus.

Megan wore a nose ring in one of her nostrils as she wore little jewelry. And she flashed long deep purple nails that went well with her green outfit.

The sighting comes just before she hit her fiance Machine Gun Kelly's concert at the Kia Forum in the Inglewood neighborhood of Los Angeles.

The event was attended by MGK's pal Travis Scott and his new wife Kourtney Kardashian of Keeping Up With The Kardashians fame.

Also there were Avril Lavigne with her fiance Mod Sun and He's All That actress Addison Rae with her beau.

Fox has been in the news lately for her ex Brian Austin Green.

Details on this look: The Transformers actress had on a stylish bra top that showed off her toned tummy as she added wide legged trousers with beige platforms heels and a clutch purse at her side

Earlier this month she sent her congratulations to Green and Sharna Burgess following the birth of their baby boy.

The 37-year-old dancer gave birth to a son called Zane on June 28, and Megan - Brian's ex-wife - has sent the loved-up couple a floral arrangement to celebrate the occasion.

Megan has Journey, five, Bodhi, eight, and Noah, nine, with the actor.

Perfect in Pasadena: The cover girl wore her dark hair down over her bare shoulders as she modeled dewy makeup while in the Southern California suburb of Pasadena

But she's been supportive of his romance with Sharna and has been keen to offer her congratulations, according to TMZ.

The Hollywood star sent Brian and Sharna a few dozen flowers in a white, floral arrangement, and a card that red, 'Congratulations Brian and Sharna.'

Meanwhile, Brian recently revealed that Sharna felt 'worried' before the arrival of her baby boy.

The 48-year-old actor admitted that Sharna felt anxious before becoming a mom for the first time.

A fun addition to this face: Megan wore a nose ring in one of her nostrils as she wore little jewelry

Nailed it: And she flashed long deep purple nails that went well with her green outfit

Bye babe! Here Fox is seen from the back as she walks into her future husband's concert at the Kia Forum

Brian - who also has Kassius, 20, with Vanessa Marcil - shared: 'She's been an amazing stepmom to the three younger ones that I have, but she was worried. She was like, 'I don't know if when I have my own baby, if I'll be able to do all the things that you're supposed to do.' And she just snapped right into it.'

The celebrity couple both relished the first few days together with their baby boy.

He said: 'Zane's amazing, Sharna's amazing. It's been an amazing experience, it really has.'

Rock on: Here Machine Gun Kelly (L) and Sophie Lloyd perform at The Forum in Inglewood on Wednesday

Similarly, Sharna recently revealed that she feels she's found 'heaven' with Brian.

The dancer took to her Instagram Story to gush about their romance.

She said: 'Having @brianaustingreen by my side throughout all of this and being everything and more that we could possibly need, is something

I am grateful for beyond words. I love you baby. And I appreciate you and all you do. Heaven is a place on earth, and I found it.'

New life: Fox has been in the news lately for her ex Brian Austin Green, who was on Beverly Hills, 90210; seen in June
Billy Bob Thornton made the rare move on Wednesday evening of bringing his wife to his movie premiere.

The 66-year-old ex-husband of Angelina Jolie was seen smiling as he put his arm around his spouse of eight years, 57-year-old brunette beauty Connie Angland.

The actor clearly looked smitten as he smiled for the camera when at The Gray Man premiere at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

Happy as ever: Billy Bob Thornton made the rare move on Wednesday evening of bringing his wife to his movie premiere

A good match: The ex-husband of Angelina Jolie was seen smiling as he put his arm around his spouse of 10 years, brunette beauty Connie Angland

Billy looked part pirate with his black tank top that showed off his tattoo collection as well as his black jeans with a brown belt.

He also had on a blue bandanna over his forehead with a black hat.

He also had on several chains around his neck and bracelets. And his goatee looked newly trimmed as he added sunglasses.

And his wedding band was firmly in place.

Connie had on a pretty sheer black lace dress with a scalloped bottom that showed off her toned and tanned legs. She added black strappy heels.

Chic: Billy looked part pirate with his black tank top that showed off his tattoo collection as well as his black jeans with a brown belt. He also had on several chains around his neck and bracelets. And his wedding band was firmly in place

Like a mini Angie: Connie had on a pretty sheer black lace dress with a scalloped bottom that showed off her toned and tanned legs

The siren: Jolie attends the The Eternals UK Premiere at BFI IMAX Waterloo in 2021

They appeared to be in great spirits as they were joined by the film's main star Ryan Gosling.

Jolie finalized her divorce from Thornton in 2003.

But she still has a warm relationship with her stepson Harry James Thornton all these years after ending her marriage.

Harry revealed in an interview with ET that the Academy Award winner still chats with him on the phone occasionally and even sends him Christmas presents every year.

'To this day, she still sends me Christmas gifts every year and stuff like that,' Harry said. 'I dont talk to her on the phone every day but every now and then we talk.'

Billy Bob shares Harry with former Playboy model Pietra Dawn Cherniak, whom he was married to from 1993 until their divorce in 1997 amid her claims that he had abused her in front of their children.

Thornton and Jolie first starred together in 1999's Pushing Tin before their whirlwind courtship. After only two months together, the couple wed in 2000.

Harry gushed that 'she was so cool' to him and his siblings.

'She took us camping every week and she rented, like, an RV one time, and we went on a full camping trip,' he recounted.

'She was just so fun for us back when we were, like, younger. Like, she was a lot of fun.'

Staying in touch: Jolie still gives her ex-husband Thornton's son Harry James Thornton presents ever Christmas and catches up with him on the phone, he revealed to ET; Angelina and Billy Bob seen in 2002 in Beverly Hills

Still close: 'To this day, she still sends me Christmas gifts every year and stuff like that,' Harry said. 'I dont talk to her on the phone every day but every now and then we talk'

Words of wisdom: Harry (L) seen with stepmom Connie and father Billy Bob in 2016 in NYC

In addition to Harry, 27, Thornton also shares William Thornton, 28, with Cherniak. The Sling Blade star, who has been married six times, shares his daughter Amanda Brumfield with his first wife, Melissa Lee Gatlin, and he shares daughter Bella Thornton, 17, with his current wife Connie Angland.

Prior to starting his relationship with Jolie, Thornton had been engaged to Laura Dern, whom he dated for two years.

Late in their relationship, Jolie adopted her son Maddox from Cambodia on her own, and she separated from Thornton three months later in 2002.

In a 2004 profile for Vogue, the Changeling star described how her marriage fizzled out, seemingly 'overnight.'

'It took me by surprise, too, because overnight, we totally changed. I think one day we had just nothing in common,' she explained. 'And it's scary but ... I think it can happen when you get involved and you don't know yourself yet.'

Fun stepmom: Harry also revealed that Angelina would take the kids camping 'ever week.' She and Billy Bob only dated for two months before marrying in 2000. They separated in 2002 and divorced the following year; seen together in 2000

Harry was looking back on his time with his stepmother while promoting his new nepotism-themed reality series Relatively Famous: Ranch Rules, which premiered on E! on Wednesday.

The series follows eight celebrity children as they give up the conveniences afforded them by their parents' wealth to temporarily live and work on a ranch.

The series is inspired by Filthy Rich: Cattle Drive, which featured a pre-Keeping Up With The Kardashian's Kourtney Kardashian as part of the cast.

In addition to Harry, the children of David Hasselhoff, Martin Lawrence, Eazy-E, Ray Parker Jr. Billy Gunn, Shaquille O'Neal and Pat Benatar are featured.

Harry revealed that his famous father gave him some simple advice before joining the series: 'He said, "Dont do anything embarrassing."'

In the spotlight: Harry was looking back on his time with his stepmother while promoting his new nepotism-themed reality series Relatively Famous: Ranch Rules, which premiered on E! on Wednesday; still from Relatively Famous

Packed cast: The series follows eight celebrity children as they give up the conveniences afforded them by their parents' wealth to temporarily live and work on a ranch
Conor McGregor showed off his gym-honed physique as he soaked up the sun while on a yacht trip in Ibiza for his 34th birthday on Thursday.

The UFC fighter has been living it up on a family holiday to the Spanish island in recent days with his partner Dee Devlin and their children.

The MMA star was seen chatting on the phone on deck where he went shirtless and sported a pair of pink shorts.

Holiday: Conor McGregor showed off his gym-honed physique as he soaked up the sun while on a yacht trip in Ibiza for his 34th birthday on Thursday

Displaying his array of inkings, Conor sipped on a drink as he made the most of the Mediterranean weather.

Conor and Dee share three children together - Conor Jr, five, Croia, three, and Rian, 14 months.

The athlete celebrated his birthday early on Wednesday evening with a boat party.

Staff were on hand, dressed in black, holding trays laden with tasty looking drinks and hot towels.

Trip: The UFC fighter has been living it up on a family holiday to the Spanish island in recent days with his partner Dee Devlin and their children

Laid back: The MMA star was seen chatting on the phone on deck where he went shirtless and sported a pair of pink shorts

The birthday celebration comes after last month the loved-up couple were in France with their children.

The Irish athlete cuddled up to his partner as they relaxed on a lavish boat in snaps shared to Dee's Instagram.

Conor showed off his muscular frame as he posed shirtless with his arms wrapped around Dee as they took selfies while soaking up the sun.

Other snaps also showed Conor lying across his fiancee as he wore a blue patterned shirt during their luxurious trip.

Party: Displaying his array of inkings, Conor sipped on a drink as he made the most of the Mediterranean weather

Celebrations: The athlete celebrated his birthday early on Wednesday evening with a boat party

Family: Conor and Dee share three children together - Conor Jr, five, Croia, three, and Rian, 14 months

Meanwhile, Dee flaunted her incredible physique in a vibrant red two-piece, which she teamed with a pink patterned sarong fastened around her waist.

She simply captioned the sweet snaps with a love heart emoji as she gushed over Conor.

Commenting on the post, Conor cheekily wrote: 'Get cosy baby.'

The couple appeared to be as smitten as ever after cementing their love for one another by getting engaged in 2020 after 12 years of dating.

Conor has been eyeing a return to UFC after snapping his left tibia in the first round of his last fight - the third of his trilogy with Dustin Poirier - in July last year.

Smitten: The Irish professional mixed martial artist cuddled up to his partner Dee, 34, as they relaxed on a lavish boat in snaps shared to Dee's Instagram last month
Eva Longoria looked sensational as she arrived in Nerano, Italy, with her husband Jose Baston and their son Santiago for lunch on Thursday.

The American actress, 47, looked effortlessly chic while stepping off a luxury yacht with her family as they visited the village during their holiday in Capri.

She captured attention in a vibrant green midi dress featuring halter-neck straps and a cut-out back design, which she teamed with a pair of beige flip-flops.

Holiday: Eva Longoria looked sensational as she arrived in Nerano, Italy, with her husband Jose Baston and their son Santiago for lunch on Thursday

Eva flaunted her fresh-faced beauty for the outing as she went make-up free, while she styled her chocolate tresses loosely in a windswept straight fashion.

She shielded her face from the sun with a stylish straw hat and showed off her sun-kissed glow as she has been soaking up the sun in Italy.

The producer was seen kissing her four-year-old son Santiago and picking him up to hug him after they stepped off the boat in Nerano.

The family then enjoyed a meal out with a group of their pals and explored the Italian village amid the balmy temperatures.

Stylish: The American actress, 47, looked effortlessly chic as she stepped off a luxury yacht with her family as they stopped off in the village during their holiday in Capri

Looking good: She shielded her face from the sun with a stylish straw hat and showed off her sun-kissed glow as she has been soaking up the sun in Italy

Earlier in the day, Eva took to social media to share an insight into her sun-soaked getaway as she danced on a lavish yacht while they travelled to Nerano.

Eva flaunted her incredible physique as she danced in a skimpy black bikini in a fun TikTok video.

Eva went make-up free as she showed off her sun-kissed glow and piled her brunette locks on top of her head.

The Desperate Housewives star then took to Instagram as she let her hair loose walked along the boat, shielding her eyes with a pair of aviator sunglasses.

Elegant: She captured attention in a vibrant green midi dress featuring halter-neck straps and a cut-out back design, which she teamed with a pair of beige flip-flops

Cuddles: The producer was seen kissing her four-year-old son Santiago and picking him up to hug him after they stepped off the boat in Nerano

Beauty: Eva flaunted her fresh-faced beauty for the outing as she went make-up free, while she styled her chocolate tresses loosely in a windswept straight fashion

Lounging on the deck she was joined by Santiago, who looked adorable in shorts and a vest.

Eva has been joined on the holiday by a group of friends, husband Jose, 54, and their son Santiago, and she has shared sweet social media snaps of enjoying some time on the yacht this week.

During her time in Italy, Eva made an appearance at the Taormina Film Festival, which took place from June 26 to July 2.

Eva has several film projects currently in the works, most recently appearing in the comedy Unplugging opposite Matt Walsh and Lea Thompson.

Hand-in-hand: Eva walked holding hands with her son Santiago as they arrived in the Italian village with her husband Jose and their pals

She is next slated to appear in All-Star Weekend alongside Jamie Foxx and Jeremy Piven which was originally slated for release in 2018 before facing delays.

The star also has a role in upcoming coming-of-age film Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.

Eva wed her third husband, Televisa executive Jose in May 2016, in a ceremony attended by her close pals Victoria and David Beckham.

The couple initially met on a December 2015 blind date arranged by a mutual friend in Mexico City, with Eva revealing her future husband had no idea who she was.

Fun times: The family then enjoyed a meal out with a group of their pals and explored the Italian village amid the balmy temperatures

Looking good: Earlier in the day, Eva took to social media to share an insight into her sun-soaked getaway as she danced on a lavish yacht while they travelled to Nerano

Beach babe: Eva went make-up free as she showed off her sun-kissed glow and gave fans an insight into her luxury getaway

In December 2017, the couple confirmed they were expecting their first child and in June 2018 they welcomed their first child who they named Santiago Enrique Baston.

Santiago is the first child for Eva, but the fifth for Jose, who was previously married to Mexican actress Natalia Esperon.

When asked in a 2019 interview what the secret is to her happy marriage, Eva explained that she and her husband have respect for each other, and support each other's goals and dreams.

The Latina star said: 'When I was younger it was so much about what I needed to accomplish, and I've accomplished so much already that I can really sit back now and enjoy the success and continue to dream bigger with a partner.'
Charli D'Amelio, 18, was seen swinging by a Machine Gun Kelly concert in Inglewood, California with her boyfriend Landon Barker, 18, on Wednesday.

The teen starlet, who became a TikTok sensation with her dance videos, was bundled up in a boyfriend fit black leather jacket that matched her beau's.

They were seen arriving at The Forum to watch Kelly, who brought Landon's famous father Travis Barker onstage during the show.

On the town: Charli D'Amelio, 18, was seen swinging by a Machine Gun Kelly concert in Inglewood with her boyfriend Landon Barker, 18

Travis, who rose to prominence as the drummer for Blink-182, performed during the concert as his new wife Kourtney Kardashian supportively looked on.

He appeared to be in good health after a pancreatitis scare that landed him in the hospital for a week earlier this month.

While in the hospital, Travis wrote on Instagram that his 'life threatening' illness was triggered by a polyp removal 'in a very sensitive area' during an endoscopy.

Kourtney re-posted Travis' statement and thanked God 'for healing my husband' after the 'scary and emotional week' they had.

The look: The teen starlet, who became a TikTok sensation with her dance videos, was bundled up in a boyfriend fit black leather jacket that matched her beau's

Grist for the rumor mill: Charli got together with her sister Dixie and their parents Heidi and Marc to send Landon's father a bouquet of flowers during his recent bout of pancreatitis

Shortly after Travis was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital amid his health crisis, Landon was seen taking comfort in some quality time with Charli.

The couple were spotted strolling arm in arm during an evening out in New York City, a couple of days into Travis' hospital stay on the opposite side of the country.

Charli got together with her sister Dixie and their parents Heidi and Marc to send Travis a bouquet of flowers as he recovered.

Bright spirits: They were seen arriving at The Forum to watch Kelly - who brought Landon's famous father Travis Barker onstage during the show

Her dating rumors with Landon took off last month when they were seen emerging from one of Travis' concerts together.

The day before Travis was hospitalized, a People source confirmed Landon and Charli were 'seeing each other, and it's early stages.'

Charli previously had a teen romance with her fellow TikTok star Lil Huddy, aka Chase Hudson, from late 2019 until early 2020.
Ewan McGregor has defended the Star Wars prequels and said he thinks it was 'ballsy' for George Lucas to veer away from the beloved originals in the movies.

The Scottish actor, 51, starred in the trio of prequels - The Phantom Menace (1999), Attack Of The Clones (2002) and Revenge Of The Sith (2005) - alongside the likes of Liam Neeson, Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman.

Although they were seemingly destined for success like the original trilogy, they are the most criticised film in the franchise and have been at the butt of jokes in the Star Wars fanbase for years.

Support: Ewan McGregor (pictured speaking at GQ summit) has defended the Star Wars prequels and said he thinks it was 'ballsy' for George Lucas to veer away from the originals

But Ewan, who starred as Obi Wan Kenobi and has returned to the franchise this year for a Disney+ series, has defended the controversial prequels and said he has grown to love them over the years.

Speaking at the GQ Heroes annual summit in association with BMW at Soho Farmhouse on Thursday, Ewan said he thought it was 'ballsy' for director George, who helmed the original trilogy, to do something 'different with the prequels'.

He also admitted that his own relationship with the movies has changed over the years and said he has grown to love them after hearing positive reviews from fans.

Speaking to Adam Baidawi, British GQ's Head of Editorial Content and Deputy Global Editorial Director of GQ, Ewan explained: 'I think [my relationship to the prequels] has changed for me as I've met more people in that generation.

Defence: But Ewan, who starred as Obi Wan Kenobi in the movies, has defended the prequels and said he has grown to love them over the years after hearing from fans of the films

Cast: The Scottish actor, 51, starred in the trio of prequels alongside the likes of Liam Neeson, Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman

'I admire George [Lucas] for having tried to do something different with them, he didn't just set out to make another three Star Wars films that felt like the original ones, I respected him for that, I think that's ballsy and interesting.'

Addressing the poor critical reception of the films at the time, Ewan said critics wanted to be transported back to their childhoods with the prequels.

He added: 'I think the critics just wanted to feel like they were seven or eight again, and they didn't get that, so I was left with that [reaction] for years and years.'

Ewan is not the first actor to defend the divisive prequels as franchise veteran Mark Hamill, who portrayed the original Luke Skywalker, spoke out in support of the films last year.

Controversial: Addressing the poor critical reception of the films at the time, Ewan said critics wanted to be transported back to their childhoods and the original trilogy with the prequels

'I was impressed the prequels had their own identity,' Mark, 70, said in an interview for film historian J. W. Rinzler's posthumously published book, Howard Kazanjian: A Producer's Life.

He claimed the three prequel films have been criticised over the years, not because they're not good, but instead because they weren't as easily digestible as the others.

'They were criticised because they were exposition-heavy and more cerebral and probably, like he said back in 1976, they weren't as commercial,' he said as reported by IndieWire.

The actor continued: 'It's a darker story. But in the age of social media, people's voices are amplified, and I'm shocked at how brutal they can be, not just in the case of Star Wars films, but across the board.'

He's back! This year, Ewan McGregor has reprised his role as the Jedi master and returned to the epic franchise for new Disney+ series Obi Wan Kenobi

George Lucas' ex-wife Marcia Lucas is among those who have not been shy in sharing their displeasure of the prequels that began with Liam Neeson as Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn, and had Hayden Christianson star in the final two instalments as Anakin Skywalker.

'I cried,' Marcia Lucas, who was married to George Lucas from 1969 and 1983, said after seeing a screening of Phantom Menace for the first time.

'I cried because I didn't think it was very good.'

The Star Wars franchise more recently returned for a sequel trilogy, made up of Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019).

Fan: Ewan is not the first actor to defend the prequels as Mark Hamill (pictured in November 2019), who portrayed the original Luke Skywalker, spoke out in support of the films last year

The recent trilogy, from the minds of J.J. Abrams, Rian Johnson and Kathleen Kennedy, brought back original cast members Mark, the late Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford, and also starred new faces Daisy Ridley and John Boyega.

And this year, Ewan McGregor has reprised his role as the Jedi master and returned to the epic franchise for new Disney+ series Obi Wan Kenobi.

Speaking about returning to the role in May, Ewan admitted he had to relearn Obi-Wan Kenobi's accent after adapting the timbre of the late Sir Alec Guinness who originated the role in the 1977 Star Wars film.

Ewan said he had to read with other actors for two roles and they borrowed the set of The Mandalorian on a Sunday when they had a day off.

'I went to this dressing room, and there was this sort of Obi-Wan-esque costume, you know. Sort of cobbled it together and I put it on and that was sort of breathtaking after 17 years, looking in the mirror,' he said on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Originals: Mark (pictured in A New Hope) said the prequels have been criticised, not because they're not good, but instead because they weren't as easily digestible as the others

'But then I went on and I started reading with these other actors, and I totally didn't have his voice at all. It was really bad. I was just sort of doing this vague English accent and it didn't sound at all like Obi-Wan Kenobi,' he said.

Chat show host Jimmy joked that the crew was probably wondering, 'Who the heck is this guy?'

'They were quite excited when I walked on, I could feel that they were quite excited. But then they were majorly disappointed,' he joked.

The actor, who reunited with Hayden Christensen for the series as he returned to play Darth Vader - said he had to do some homework to get the well-recognised accent back.

'I just had to go back and like watch lots of Alec Guinness movies and watch all the original films. I got back into it. It was good, it was really good fun,' he said.

Franchise: The franchise has returned for a sequel trilogy, made up of Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

He also confirmed that he does Jedi-type hand moves and pretends to use The Force for his own amusement.

'Yeah, I know, like an automatic door I can't help myself,' McGregor said laughing.

'In the airport, or something. You know, there's always like, in the airport, there's always automatic doors. I always do it for myself, but I also hope somebody sees me do it, you know,' he said cracking up.

Speaking of the new episodes, which are available to stream on Disney+, Ewan said: 'I've seen them all and I think they're really good, so I think people will not be disappointed.'

Ewan McGregor spoke at GQ Heroes in association with BMW at Soho Farmhouse.
EastEnders' Shona McGarty commanded attention as she attended the annual Paul Strank Charitable Trust summer party in Kensington on Thursday night.

The actress, 30, caught the eye in a leggy pink silk dress which revealed her ample assets with a plunging neckline.

It comes amid reports that she is dating her soap co-star Max Bowden after his split from his pregnant girlfriend Roisin Buckle.

Leggy: EastEnders ' Shona McGarty commanded attention as she attended the annual Paul Strank Charitable Trust summer party in Kensington on Thursday night

Shona flashed her toned pins in the thigh-skimming number which was cinched in at the waist to show off her figure.

The brunette beauty completed her look with a pair of nude and silver embellished stilettos while clutching a matching bag.

She wore her dark tresses in a perfectly blow-dried style and opted for a glamorous makeup look complete with a slick of pink lip.

Work it: The actress, 30, caught the eye in a leggy pink silk dress which revealed her ample assets with a plunging neckline

Also at the event was dumped Love Island star Antigoni Buxton who flashed her abs in a white co-ord.

Meanwhile Lizzie Cundy looked pretty in a floaty summer dress which she teamed with fluffy heels.

It comes after earlier this month Max and Shona reportedly put on a loved up display at a bowling alley after his split from his pregnant girlfriend Roisin Buckle.

Drama: It comes amid reports that she is dating her soap co-star Max Bowden after his split from his pregnant girlfriend Roisin Buckle

The EastEnders stars, who play Ben Mitchell and Whitney Dean respectively, were said to have spent the evening at Hollywood Bowl in Stevenage before reportedly sharing a kiss.

It is claimed that Max, 27, and Shona did not hide their love despite previously insisting they were 'just good friends'.

A source, who claimed to have witnessed the pair locking lips, told The Sun: 'They were kissing and touchy-feely  not trying to cover up they're a couple.'

Pose: Also at the event was dumped Love Island star Antigoni Buxton who flashed her abs in a white co-ord

Looking good: She had her toned and tanned frame on display in the crop top and matching skirt

The pair first became close in May after Shona split with fiance Ryan Harris, 38, in January and Max split from his pregnant girlfriend Roisin, it was previously reported.

Max was later spotted leaving Shona's house in the early hours of the morning, causing a close friend to insist they were 'absolutely not in a relationship'.

A week later, Max and Shona were spotted holding hands at a kebab shop together.

The look: She boosted her height with a pair of matching white strappy heels and beamed away

At this year's British Soap Awards, which took place in June, Max and Shona sat next to one another but did not walk the red carpet together.

Due to the pair being in the limelight for so many years, a source claimed Max and Shona are trying to handle their relationship 'sensitively' and keep it on the down low.

Max and Shona are allegedly 'mad for each other' and 'inseparable' on the EastEnders set after he split from Roisin.

Fashion: Meanwhile Lizzie Cundy looked pretty in a floaty summer dress which she teamed with fluffy heels

Chic: TV presenter Tonia Buxton looked great in a black midi dress which she wore with gold heels

Glowing: She opted for a radiant makeup look and wore her brunette tresses in loose waves over her shoulders

Summery look: Courtney Green wowed in a green and white co-ord

Pals: She was joined by best mate Chloe Meadows who also looked stylish

Abs: The TOWIE star showed off her physique in a white crop top

Despite not being together, the former couple vowed to raise the child together despite their breakup.

But a friend of Roisin's revealed that she felt 'humiliated and disrespected' by her ex's closeness to his fellow cast member.

A friend told The Sun: 'They broke up earlier this year. There was no one else involved, it just simply didn't work out.

Here he is: Former boxer Frank Bruno, 60, kept it casual in a blue Hugo Boss T-shirt and dark jeans

'Max and Roisin remained good friends and were thrilled when she found out she was pregnant.

'They are determined to co-parent the tot and are supporting each other. It has been a tough year for Max so he was delighted when he found out he is going to be a dad. He's really excited about the future.'

Shona and Max's representatives have been contacted by MailOnline for comment.
Vogue Williams and Spencer Matthews enjoyed a family day out with their children as they went to the beach in Sotogrande, Spain on Thursday.

TV presenter Vogue, 36, showcased her jaw-dropping figure as she went for a stroll along the sand in a black bikini.

Styling her locks into an updo, the mother-of-three also sported a beige cap and sunglasses as she chatted with a female friend.

Fun in the sun: Vogue Williams and Spencer Matthews enjoyed a family day out with their children as they went to the beach in Sotogrande, Spain on Thursday

Spencer, 33, displayed his gym-honed physique as he went shirtless in a pair of patterned swimming trunks.

He and Vogue looked in good spirits as they went for a dip along with their children Theodore, three, Gigi, 23 months and Otto, 2 months.

Vogue completed her look for the day with a gold necklace.

Spencer cut a casual figure earlier in the day as he was seen in a light blue striped shirt with a pair of beige shorts.

Dip: Spencer, 33, displayed his gym-honed physique as he went shirtless in a pair of patterned swimming trunks

Looking good: TV presenter Vogue, 36, showcased her jaw-dropping figure as she went for a stroll along the sand in a black bikini

It comes as in April her and Spencer Matthews announced that they had welcomed their third child, a baby son.

The happy couple took to Instagram to share the wonderful news, sharing a photo of their older children meeting their new sibling.

Captioning her heartwarming snap, which sees Gigi and Theo cradling the tot, Vogue gushed: 'We are so happy to announce that our beautiful boy arrived safely on Monday evening.

'Bursting with love he is the perfect addition to our family .'

Radiant: Styling her locks into an updo, the mother-of-three also sported a beige cap and sunglasses as she chatted with a female friend

Laid back: Spencer cut a casual figure earlier in the day as he was seen in a light blue striped shirt with a pair of beige shorts

Announcement: The happy couple took to Instagram to share the wonderful news, sharing a photo of their older children meeting their new sibling

Heartwarming: Captioning her snap, which sees Gigi and Theo cradling the tot, Vogue gushed: 'We are so happy to announce that our beautiful boy arrived safely on Monday evening'

Spencer and Vogue announced they were expecting their third child in October, and then later confirmed the sex in December.

Speaking to HELLO! magazine, Vogue said: 'Baby number three on the way!!! This has been a lot harder to hide third time around, I feel like I've had a bump since the first month.'

Spencer shared a sweet snap of the couple and wrote: 'WE'RE HAVING A THIRD BABY!!!

Overjoyed: Spencer and Vogue announced they were expecting their third child in October, and then later confirmed the sex in December

'If you'd have told me a few years ago that by the age of 33 I'd have three beautiful children with the woman of my dreams I WOULD have believed you because that was always the plan.

'Having said that I feel fortunate every day for what we have. Family is EVERYTHING.'

Vogue added of their new baby: 'It'll be the more the merrier.'
Samara Weaving and Tony Revolori have joined the cast of the upcoming sixth movie in the Scream franchise.

The news about the 30-year-old actress and the 26-year-old actor was initially reported by Bloody Disgusting, who noted that the next entry in the film series would also take place in New York.

It was also pointed out that production on the forthcoming feature is currently underway.

Signing on: Samara Weaving and Tony Revolori have joined the cast of the upcoming sixth movie in the Scream franchise; she is seen in 2021

Weaving was previously considered for a role in the most recent Scream movie, which was released this past January, and she told Collider that she was sad to have missed out on the opportunity.

She recalled: 'We were talking about it, but our schedules aren't gonna work, which is a bummer.'

The Picnic at Hanging Rock actress added: 'I'll still be [in Australia], working on Nine Perfect Strangers, so we couldn't make it work. Traveling is very difficult these days.'

Weaving did make a point of praising the efforts of the feature's directors, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett.

Changing lanes: The news about the 30-year-old actress and the 26-year-old actor was initially reported by Bloody Disgusting, who noted that the next entry in the film series would also take place in New York; the latter is seen in 2019

'Matt and Tyler are just incredible. They're so collaborative and they're really open-minded, both with producers and also with their actors and writers,' she said.

The currently-untitled sixth entry in the Scream franchise was initially greenlit this past February.

It was later revealed that the movie would move away from its longtime setting of Woodsboro, California in favor of New York City.

Good to go: The currently-untitled sixth entry in the Scream franchise was initially greenlit this past February

Longtime series star Courteney Cox will return to lead the cast of the feature.

Other cast members include Melissa Barrera, Hayden Panettiere and Dermot Mulroney.

Although Neve Campbell was expected to reprise her role as Sidney Prescott, she announced that she would not appear in the movie last month.

Gone: Although Neve Campbell was expected to reprise her role as Sidney Prescott, she announced that she would not appear in the movie last month

The performer later cited difficulties with negotiating her salary as her reason for leaving the franchise.

Physical production commenced last month, with Montreal serving as a primary filming location.

The untitled Scream movie is currently scheduled to be released on March 31 of last year.
On Wednesday, former executives of a nuclear power plant in Japan were ordered by a Tokyo district court to pay 13.32 trillion yen (US$ 97 billion) in damages to the shareholders for their inability to prevent the tragedy 11 years ago.

What Happened in the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster?

According to the BBC, the Great East Japan Earthquake, also referred to as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, occurred on March 11, 2011 at 05:46 GMT.

It is so strong that the Earth's axis was shifted by the 9.0-magnitude earthquake's extreme intensity. More than 18,000 people were killed and entire towns were wiped off the map as a result of the tsunami that was sparked and surged over the island of Honshu.

The news outlet noted that there was only a 10-minute notice to the residents before the tsunami struck the coast.

Meanwhile, the enormous tsunami at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant broke through barriers and swamped the reactors, causing a massive catastrophe. More than 150,000 people were evacuated from the vicinity as authorities established an exclusion zone that became larger and larger as radiation leaked from the facility.

More than a decade later, many residents have not moved back, and the zone is still in existence. Authorities estimate that the construction, which has already cost Japan trillions of yen, may take up to 40 years to complete.

It is worth noting that as a result of the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster, about 500,000 people were subsequently forced to abandon their homes.

Read More: Sunspot AR3055 May Cause Earth-Directed Solar Flares That Can Lead to Blackouts, Scientists Worry

Lawsuit Against the Plant Executives

In 2012, 48 shareholders of Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the plant operator, sued five former executives in civil court for 22 trillion yen (US$ 160 billion) in damages, as per the report of Interesting Engineering (via The Asahi Shimbun).

The plaintiffs had asserted that if the former executives had acted proactively, such as putting the emergency power source on higher ground, they could have avoided the tragedy. However, the defendants claimed that the risk factors were unpredictable and the research studies were not reliable.

The five senior executives are: former chairman Tsunehisa Katsumata, former president Masataka Shimizu, two former vice presidents Ichiro Takekuro and Sakae Muto, and ex-managing executive officer Akio Komori.

On Wednesday, a Tokyo district court has ordered the former executives of the nuclear facility to pay 13.32 trillion yen (US$ 97 billion) in compensation. However, Komori has been cleared of responsibility for paying compensation. This means that four executives should pay the damages to the plant operator.

What Will Happen to the Compensation?

Interesting Engineering pointed out that the lawsuit is drafted such that TEPCO will receive all compensation, which is the highest in Japan's judicial history. The funds are intended to assist in decommissioning the reactors, cleaning up contamination, and compensating those who have been negatively impacted by the incident.

According to the court's decision, the executives of the nuclear plant were in breach of their duty as operators to prevent serious accidents using the most recent scientific and engineering information.

Related Article: NASA Has Chosen the Companies That Will Help Bring Nuclear Power to the Moon
Jon Bernthal shows off his sculpted shirtless torso in a sizzling new trailer for a miniseries adapted from the 1980 classic American Gigolo.

The show seems to be a sequel of sorts to the original movie, which starred a young Richard Gere as an escort called Julian Kaye framed for murdering a woman.

In the new trailer, the dashing Julian - now played by Jon, 45 - emerges from jail after being exonerated for the killing and goes right back to work.

Heartthrob: Jon Bernthal shows off his sculpted shirtless torso in a sizzling new trailer for a miniseries adapted from the 1980 classic American Gigolo

Then and now: The show (right) seems a sequel of sorts to the original movie, which starred a young Richard Gere (left) as an escort called Julian Kaye framed for murdering a woman

At the start of the sneak peek, Julian is seen making love to client after client, flaunting his musclebound physique in the process.

The also provides a treat for fans of the original movie early on by being set to the Blondie song Call Me, the theme for the 1980 feature.

'Since I was a kid, I could always just be this other guy, and he does what he's gotta do,' Julian says in voiceover during a montage of him turning tricks.

He is half-naked, apparently at work, when the police come for him to arrest him for murder and he attempts unsuccessfully to escape.

Murder mystery: In the new trailer, the dashing Julian - now played by Jon, 45 - emerges from jail after being exonerated for the killing and goes right back to work

Feel the heat: At the start of the sneak peek, Julian is seen making love to client after client, flaunting his musclebound physique in the process

Sparks flying: Julian reignites his romance with an old flame called Michelle (Gretchen Mol), whom he was involved with before the murder

Working man: 'Since I was a kid, I could always just be this other guy, and he does what he's gotta do,' Julian says in voiceover during a montage of him turning tricks

By the way: The also provides a treat for fans of the original movie early on by being set to the Blondie song Call Me, the theme for the 1980 feature

Close but no cigar: He is half-naked, apparently at work, when the police come for him to arrest him for murder and he attempts unsuccessfully to escape

Liberated: As a result he goes to prison for 15 years - until a detective played by Rosie O'Donnell informs him: 'You're a free man'

Leading man: Jon stars amid an expansive cast including Wayne Brady, Laura Liguori, Heather McComb and the French actress Lizzie Brochere

In the movie, Julian is freed because one of his clients Michelle (Lauren Hutton) gives him an alibi by saying she was using his services the night of the murder.

However in the miniseries Michelle, now played by Gretchen Mol, appears to have been unwilling to throw away her marriage to a rich politician to exonerate Julian.

As a result he goes to prison for 15 years - until a detective played by Rosie O'Donnell informs him: 'You're a free man.'

He emerges from his jail sentence and has to figure out how to be an escort again in a changed Los Angeles after years out of practice.

Who's who: Julian's life takes another turn when Rosie's character Detective Sunday informs him that a 'killer for hire' was actually behind the murder that sent him to jail

Adjustment: He emerges from his jail sentence and has to figure out how to be an escort again in a changed Los Angeles after years out of practice

'You can't let him see you!': Now out of jail, he also has an emotional reunion with a nervous, platinum blonde woman who appears to be his mother

Magnetism: Of course, all the wile, Julian is reentering the world of prostitution, deciding he wants to 'go back to work' and getting quickly to the task at hand

Now out of jail, he also has an emotional reunion with a nervous, platinum blonde woman who appears to be his mother.

Their encounter ends mysteriously when the woman tells him in a panic: 'You can't let him see you! He'll just do it again!' and backs away.

Julian's life takes another turn when Rosie's character Detective Sunday informs him that a 'killer for hire' was actually behind the murder that sent him to jail.

In the meantime, he also reignites his relationship with Michelle - whose powerful husband Richard is played by Leland Orser.

Workaday: Julian finds himself confronted with one client who stands amid a phalanx of mirrors to make it seem as though there are several of her surrounding him

'Now show me what you can do': 'You wanted to work,' she says, giving a shirtless Julian a kinky slap before letting her own robe slide off

As the mystery of the killing unravels, Julian declares the matter is 'not over Detective Sunday warns him not to 'mess around with people that powerful.'

The detective is briefly glimpsed at home, picking up a handgun and wearing a stern expression before heading out to work.

Of course, all the wile, Julian is reentering the world of prostitution, deciding he wants to 'go back to work' and getting quickly to the task at hand.

When a client coos at him after sex: 'I don't want you to leave,' he gives her a mischievous smile and says: 'You pay me to leave.'

Quippy: When a client coos at him after sex: 'I don't want you to leave,' he gives her a mischievous smile and says: 'You pay me to leave'

Not having it: Paul Schrader, who wrote and directed the original movie, has said he is dead set against the idea of the remake

Julian finds himself confronted with one client who stands amid a phalanx of mirrors to make it seem as though there are several of her surrounding him.

'You wanted to work,' she says, giving a shirtless Julian a kinky slap before letting her own robe slide off. 'Now show me what you can do.'

Paul Schrader, who wrote and directed the original movie, has said he is dead set against the idea of the remake.

New scene: Paul dismissed the very concept of an American Gigolo remake as 'a terrible idea - times had changed, internet porn had redefined male sex work, viruses, etc.'

'Some years ago I received a call from Paramount asking about remaking American Gigolo as a series,' he wrote on Facebook last month.

'I replied that I thought it was a terrible idea - times had changed, internet porn had redefined male sex work, viruses, etc.'

For rights reasons the project was able to proceed without his involvement, but he wrote that he does not 'plan to watch' it as 'I dont think I could be objective about it and, even if I could, its too much agita.'

Uninvolved: For rights reasons the project was able to proceed without Paul's involvement, but he wrote that he does not 'plan to watch' it

Keeping away: Paul said he plans to avoid the series as 'I dont think I could be objective about it and, even if I could, its too much agita.'

However he expressed admiration for Jon and sent warm regards to Gretchen, whom he worked with on a 1999 movie called Forever Mine.

Paul wrote that he wished 'I could have done a better job with the film I wrote and directed for her - sorry for that, Gretch.'

The new show features an expansive cast including Wayne Brady, Laura Liguori, Heather McComb and the French actress Lizzie Brochere.

With or without Paul's say-so, the miniseries is slated to premiere on Showtime and set tongues wagging this September 9.
Rupert Murdoch's decision to divorce  aged 91  stunned Jerry Hall, who is said to have received the news by email.

But he's not the only nonagenarian doing the figurative splits. I can reveal acclaimed novelist Fay Weldon  born, like Murdoch, in 1931  has secured a decree nisi, two years after leaving her third husband, Nick Fox, whom she accused of 'coercive control and financial mismanagement'.

'Fay's divorce has been granted in the past couple of weeks,' a family friend of The Life And Loves Of A She-Devil author tells me. 'Fay's now in a nursing home and can't talk.'

I can reveal acclaimed novelist Fay Weldon  born, like Murdoch, in 1931  has secured a decree nisi, two years after leaving her third husband, Nick Fox, whom she accused of 'coercive control and financial mismanagement'.

Fox, a former bookseller 15 years Weldon's junior, who became her manager after their marriage in 1994, remains bewildered and saddened. 'People can get very strange when they get old  they can turn on the person closest to them,' he tells me.

'She's no longer the person I knew for 40 years.'

In response to claims he 'did well' out of the divorce, he says: 'They insisted on going to arbitration and we had to spend a fortune on lawyers.

'I was forced to sell the house I inherited from my mother, because I added Fay's name to it. The judge gave me just about enough to buy another house.' He adds: 'A lot of people I thought were my friends were, in fact, just her fans.'

After leaving Fox, Weldon moved in with her eldest son, also called Nick, a musician, whose father was Colyn Davies, a love of Fay's before her first marriage.

In an interview with the Daily Mail in 2020 she made the shocking disclosure that she had attempted suicide  a day after writing an article about her 'happy' 26-year marriage.

Fox, a former bookseller 15 years Weldon's junior, who became her manager after their marriage in 1994, remains bewildered and saddened. 'People can get very strange when they get old  they can turn on the person closest to them,' he tells me. 'She's no longer the person I knew for 40 years'

'In effect, Nick [her husband] wrote the article in my name,' Weldon recalled of Fox.

'It's shocking, but I didn't have the strength to argue with him. The next day, I took an overdose. I was in such pain, emotional and physical. It seemed like a rational thing to do at the time.'

Her previous marriages ended in divorce  the first, to Ronald Bateman, a teacher 20 years her senior  after two years. Her second, to antiques dealer Ron Weldon, by whom she had three more sons, lasted for 30, only for Ron to leave her for his 'astrological therapist'. Eight hours before their divorce was finalised, he died of a heart attack.

Sir Keir Starmer blagged four free tickets, worth 500, for the most sought-after pop concert of the summer: Adele in Hyde Park, London, courtesy of The Royal Parks. His shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, had two posher tickets, worth 700, thanks to UK Music. But Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, topped them both  Sony Music gave him three VIP tickets, worth 1,300!

Osman's love makes us green with envy

Richard Osman's fiancee, Ingrid Oliver, is apparently so proud she's due to marry the Pointless host she now wears outfits to match her engagement ring.

The actress, 45, who played scientist Petronella Osgood in Doctor Who, wore a green skirt that highlighted her emerald and diamond sparkler on a visit to a West London park with the 6 ft 7 in star, who is 51.

Richard Osman's fiancee, Ingrid Oliver, is apparently so proud she's due to marry the Pointless host she now wears outfits to match her engagement ring

Karen treads gingerly in LA

She's gone from playing Doctor Who's sidekick to being one of Hollywood's highest-paid stars, but Karen Gillan is struggling to adjust to life in La-La Land.

'Los Angeles isn't my favourite city,' says the Inverness-born actress, 34

'Los Angeles isn't my favourite city,' says the Inverness-born actress, 34.

'Some people absolutely love the lifestyle there, but I'm ginger, stay out of the sun, and I'm not a huge outdoorsy person.'

Steph's game for a dame

Joan Collins collected her damehood in 2015; now her old Dynasty rival Stephanie Beacham feels ready for a title, too.

When a fellow audience member at the first night of musical Anything Goes at London's Barbican Theatre said it was time she was made a dame, Beacham, 75, exclaimed: 'Yes.'

She jokes with me: 'Start a campaign . . .'

I'm sure Joanie will put in a word for her with the Palace.

Mark Hix made his name as chef-director of trendy London dining rooms including Le Caprice and Scott's, then built his own restaurant empire. However, it collapsed at the start of the pandemic and Hix, 59, moved back home to Dorset, eventually buying the Fox Inn, Corscombe, from the mother of rock star PJ Harvey. But high costs and staff issues mean it will shut for good on Sunday.
Chloe Green cradled her growing baby bump as she attended the wedding of Frida Aasen and Tommy Chiabra in Portofino, Italy on Thursday.

The Topshop heiress, 31, who was joined at the event by her father Philip Green, looked sensational in a flowing fuchsia gown with a layered detail.

Chloe's garment featured a flowing train and off the shoulder detail while she also wore a silver diamong necklace.

Stunning: Chloe Green cradled her growing baby bump as she attended the wedding of Frida Aasen and Tommy Chiabra in Portofino, Italy on Thursday

Adding to her outfit with a matching handbag, the star swept her brunette tresses into a sleek updo.

Also sporting a pair of diamond earrings, Chloe completed her look for the ceremony with a light palette of makeup.

Her father Philip kept it traditional in a classic black tuxedo as father and daughter mingled with other guests outside the venue.

Chloe is expecting her baby with her boyfriend Manuele Thiella, who she has been dating for two years.

Style: The Topshop heiress, 31, looked sensational in a flowing fuchsia gown with a layered detail

Family: Chloe attended the wedding alongside her father, businessman Philip Green

Sensational: Chloe's garment featured a flowing train and off the shoulder detail

The heiress has remained mainly out of the public eye as of late, with a brief appearance at Cannes Film Festival the only recent public sighting of her.

Last month, Chloe revealed her pregnancy as she unveiled a baby bump for the first time while on holiday in St Tropez.

Chloe unveiled her previous pregnancy in a similar way back in 2018, showing off her first bump as she enjoyed a day on her father's superyacht in Monaco.

Perfect: The socialite added to her outfit with an eye-catching diamong necklace

Smart: Her father Philip kept it traditional in a classic black tuxedo as father and daughter mingled with other guests outside the venue

Glamorous: Chloe swept her brunette locks into a sleek updo for the day

Back in 2020 when she initially began dating Manuele, a source told MailOnline: 'Chloe has known Manuele for months and they have always been very close friends.

'They have a lot in common; they're both parents and are from similar worlds, Chloe is very happy with him.'

They added: 'He's very much been accepted into her family.'

Relationship: Chloe is expecting her baby with her boyfriend Manuele Thiella, who she has been dating for two years

Bride: Frida Aasen, 27, stunned in a bridal gown which appears to be from Ellie Saab's Fall 2022 collection as she married Tommy Chiabra
Robert Downey Jr. has been supporting Armie Hammer through his career crisis and has allowed the actor to stay at his home, after previously paying for his rehab.

On Thursday Variety reported that the Rebecca star, 35, left the Cayman Islands, where's he's been working as a timeshare salesman, and flown back to Los Angeles to escape public scrutiny.

A source told the publication that Hammer has been staying at a home owned by the Iron Man actor, 57, and 'attended an A.A. meeting' in the area. The source added that Downey has been providing Hammer with 'financial assistance until he gets back on his feet.'

Helping hand: Robert Downey Jr. is letting Armie Hammer stay at his LA home and has reportedly been providing Hammer with 'financial assistance' amid his career crisis; (L) Downey pictured in 2019; (R) Hammer pictured in 2020

Hammer is staying there with estranged wife Elizabeth Chambers, 39, and their two children Harper, seven, and Ford, five.

The source revealed that it was also Downey who helped encourage the star to enter rehab last year, after his career imploded in January 2021 following sexual assault allegations made against him.

The insider confirmed that Downey paid for Hammer to spend close to six months in the Florida rehabilitation facility the Guest House.

Back in LA: Variety reported that Hammer, 35, left the Cayman Islands, where's he's been working as a timeshare salesman, and flown back to Los Angeles with estranged wife Elizabeth Chambers, 39, and their two children Harper, seven, and Ford, five, to escape public scrutiny; Pictured 2019

Hammer left the Cayman Islands after news broke that he had taken on a job as a timeshare salesman because he's 'totally broke.'

An attorney for Hammer also told the publication on Wednesday: 'I cant confirm or deny the report because Armie hasnt addressed it.' He added that he felt it was unfair that had been subjected to a public 'shaming' for having a 'normal job'.

The source also added that the actor has no plans of permanently returning to Los Angeles at the moment, though a career comeback might not be out of the question.

Downey himself has a famed Hollywood redemption story, after he returned to the big screen following multiple arrests on drug related charges, and a stint in prison.

Kind heart: The insider confirmed that Downey paid for Hammer to spend close to six months in a Florida rehab last year, after his career imploded following sexual assault allegations; Pictured 2020

Rooting for Armie's comeback? Downey himself has a famed Hollywood redemption story, after he returned to the big screen following multiple arrests on drug related charges, and a stint in prison; Pictured in 1999 mugshot

Yesterday a source revealed to Variety that Hammer 'is working at a cubicle' and added, 'The reality is hes totally broke, and is trying to fill the days and earn money to support his family.'

The insider also shared that Hammer previously managed an apartment complex in the Cayman Islands, where he was living at the time in order to stay close to his kids.

According to the source, Hammer, who is the great-grandson of oil tycoon Armand Hammer (worth an estimated $800 million at the time of his death), 'is not on the family payroll' and has been forced to work a regular job after his Hollywood downfall.

Fallen on hard times: Hammer had reportedly taken on his job as a timeshare salesman in the Cayman Islands because he's 'totally broke'

It emerged that he was into sadistic sex and shared rape and cannibalism fantasies with female partners.

That included telling two women he wanted to remove their ribs, barbecue them and eat them, with Hammer also accused of slicing the letter 'A' into one young lover's thigh, before sucking the blood out of her fresh wound.

After the accusations were made public, the actor was dropped by his agency, WME, and was subsequently let go from various film projects, including Paramount Plus series The Offer (with Miles Teller taking over his role), Jennifer Lopezs Shotgun Wedding, as well as the thriller Billion Dollar Spy.

He and his wife announced they were separating a few months before, after Hammer was allegedly caught cheating on her a second time.

Supporting his family: A source revealed that the actor was 'working at a cubicle' and added that he 'is trying to fill the days and earn money to support his family'

That woman also alleges Armie emotionally abused her, although he's batted-off all suggestions of criminality.

In classic Hollywood style, Armie checked into rehab for treatment of 'drugs, alcohol and sex' issues in May 2021, and emerged from treatment in December last year.

Last week, photos of the Call Me By Your Name star going into Morritts Resort office in what appeared to be a staffer uniform emerged, despite his lawyer previously denying claims that he'd taken up a new career.

They were followed by photos of him taken inside of the office on another day, once again wearing a similar blue polo shirt while reportedly going over pricing for a unit with a couple of potential buyers.

Alleged prank: The speculation about his work started after a picture of a pamphlet from Morritts Resort showed the actor as the hotel's concierge

TMZ reported at the time that during the pitch Hammer offered the potential buyers a timeshare for $2,020 per week or, 'only about $21,000 for ten years of vacations.'

Last Wednesday, his attorney denied that the disgraced star was working at the establishment, following a viral Tweet that showed his face on a pamphlet as concierge for the hotel.

The since-deleted tweet's caption read: 'My friends parents went on vacation in the Cayman Islands and Armie Hammer was their concierge.'

The pamphlet included discount vouchers and advertised that Hammer would take guests to swim 'with wild turtles' and point them to the 'best snorkeling and diving spots.'
The 2019 debut of the new Star Wars series The Mandalorian revealed one of the most beloved new characters in the franchise, dubbed by fans as Baby Yoda, but Gremlins director Joe Dante believes the character was ripped off.

Dante, 75, directed the 1984 film Gremlins, one of the biggest hits of the 1980s, which featured a lovable Gremlin character named Gizmo.

The filmmaker believes that the Baby Yoda was 'completely stolen' and copied from his Gizmo character, he revealed in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle.

Rip-off: The 2019 debut of the new Star Wars series The Mandalorian revealed one of the most beloved new characters in the franchise, dubbed by fans as Baby Yoda, but Gremlins director Joe Dante believes the character was ripped off

Gizmo: Dante, 75, directed the 1984 film Gremlins, one of the biggest hits of the 1980s, which featured a lovable Gremlin character named Gizmo

Dante made it clear that he isn't seeking any sort of legal action against the Disney-owned LucasFilm, though he's certainly not too happy.

Gremlins follows a father (Lloyd Bridges) who picks up a mogwai, as a gift for his son (Zach Galligan), who he affectionately calls Gizmo.

Dante revealed in the interview that he thinks Gizmo is 'really key' to the 'longevity' of the 1984 blockbuster, which was the third-highest grossing movie of that year, behind just Ghostbusters and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

Director Joe: Dante made it clear that he isn't seeking any sort of legal action against the Disney-owned LucasFilm, though he's certainly not too happy

'Which brings me, of course, to the subject of Baby Yoda, who is completely stolen and is just out-and-out copied. Shamelessly, I would think,' Dante said.

Gremlins earned $148.1 million domestically from just an $11 million budget in 1984, spawning the 1990 sequel Gremlins 2: The New Batch.

WarnerMedia's streaming service HBO Max will release a new animated series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, set in 1920s China, debuting later this year.

Baby Yoda: 'Which brings me, of course, to the subject of Baby Yoda, who is completely stolen and is just out-and-out copied. Shamelessly, I would think,' Dante said

Dante served as a consultant on the animated series and attended the Annency animation festival in France, where the first episode premiered.

The director will also present both Gremlins films at the Castro Theater in San Francisco on Saturday, with both films screening in 35mm with Q&A's after.

'Whenever I host a screening of either of these pictures, I always ask when I introduce it, "Raise your hand  how many people havent seen these movies?"' Dante said.

Consultant: Dante served as a consultant on the animated series and attended the Annency animation festival in France, where the first episode premiered

'Theres always about a third of the audience, usually young, who havent seen the movies. Theyre somewhat different than the run-of-the-mill movie,' he added.

'Theyre offbeat in a way that I think is one of the reasons that theyre still popular,' the director continued.

'The people in my generation who loved movies love them because they saw them with an audience. Ive seen these pictures over the years many times all over the world, and they always play well in a crowded theater,' he continued.
On Thursday, Bella Hadid flaunted her taut tummy in a topless mirror selfie, which she haphazardly censored using Instagram's paint tool.

Ever the globetrotter, the 25-year-old IMG Model - who boasts 60.1M social media followers - Instastoried several snaps of her trip to Amsterdam.

Bella indulged in French fries with mayonnaise as well as a dessert consisting of powder-sugared nibbles, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and strawberries.

Skinny Minnie! On Thursday, Bella Hadid flaunted her taut tummy in a topless mirror selfie, which she haphazardly censored using Instagram's paint tool

'If you know you know,' Hadid wrote.

The half-Palestinian, half-Dutch beauty visited the brewery Brouwerij 't IJ, which is located next to a windmill, where she sampled the 'Flink' beer.

Bella also hung out with fashion photographer Renell Medrano in the Netherlands capital where they stopped by Renzo's Delicatessen.

Globetrotter: The 25-year-old IMG Model - who boasts 60.1M social media followers - Instastoried several snaps of her trip to Amsterdam

'If you know you know!' Bella indulged in French fries with mayonnaise as well as a dessert consisting of powder-sugared nibbles, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and strawberries

Cute corset! Hadid visited the brewery Brouwerij 't IJ, which is located next to a windmill, where she sampled the 'Flink' beer

Plotting a shoot? Bella also hung out with fashion photographer Renell Medrano in the Netherlands capital where they stopped by Renzo's Delicatessen

Still going strong! On Tuesday, the half-Palestinian, half-Dutch beauty was in the seaside French town of Biarritz with her boyfriend since July 2020, art director Marc Kalman

On Tuesday, Hadid was in the seaside French town of Biarritz with her boyfriend since July 2020, art director Marc Kalman.

The Balenciaga catwalker previously dated four-time Grammy winner The Weeknd, but they ended their on/off four-year romance in August 2019.

Bella will soon make her acting debut with a recurring role in the third season of Hulu's critically-acclaimed series Ramy.

'Honored & excited!' Bella will soon make her acting debut with a recurring role in the third season of Hulu's critically-acclaimed series Ramy

Creator: Two-time Emmy nominee Ramy Youssef (3-R) writes, directs, produces, and stars as American Muslim Ramy Hassan in the semi-autobiographical dramedy

'Aka the local backgammon tournament,' Hadid gushed on April 1.

'Best cast, best crew, best show! Honored & excited. Yallaaaa @ramy! If you haven't watched the first two seasons, go run now.'

Two-time Emmy nominee Ramy Youssef writes, directs, produces, and stars as American Muslim Ramy Hassan in the semi-autobiographical dramedy.
The cryptocurrency business, CoinPayments, ascribed its untimely end to AML laws and market developments. As a result, it instructed users to withdraw their crypto in five days.

CoinPayments Advises US Users to Withdraw Assets Before its Shutdown

The closure of CoinPayments.net, a global payment gateway that accepts more than 120 different kinds of cryptocurrency currencies, was announced by email to consumers last week. According to the business, users are advised to transfer their virtual assets to an external wallet by July 19th at the latest.

Many people were worried, and others wondered whether this was a crypto grab or an exit scam due to the covert manner in which the closure information was sent to consumers through email and the short warning period provided for the withdrawal of their digital assets.

An exit scam is when a legal or criminal firm pretends to have lost access to finances or items due to hacking, government seizure, new rules, or other obstacles. They convince customers they can't reimburse them or provide paid services, then steal the money or items.

In the past, BleepingComputer has covered escape scams carried out by dark web marketplace Empire, crypto platform ARBIX, and the creators of the unexpected Jokeroo malware.

Contrarily, CoinPayments has encouraged clients to withdraw their funds and given them at least some early warning, making it seem improbable that this is an exit scam.

The cryptocurrency operation has attributed the unexpected termination of its commercial activities throughout the United States to current Anti-Money Laundering (AML) rules and market shifts.

Additionally, the platform does not only exclude the United States. Instead, the United States has joined the business's current list of around 34 countries, which includes those that are OFAC-sanctioned and with which CoinPayments and its parent company UAB Star Ventures do not deal.

Read Also: Nintendo Acquired Dynamo Pictures, Plans to Rename It to Nintendo Pictures

Bitcoin Mining Firms Shuts Down in Texas Due to Heatwave

In preparation for a heatwave in Central Texas, large-scale Bitcoin mining firms reportedly shut down their equipment. As demand for air conditioning increases along with the temperature, such occurrences often increase the cost of energy and may significantly strain the state's power supply.

According to Lee Bratcher, president of the Texas Blockchain Association, "almost 1,000 megawatts worth of Bitcoin mining load" has been shut down in response to requests for grid energy conservation from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).

ERCOT asked Texans and big energy consumers to reduce their power consumption on Monday from 19:00 until 01:00 UTC. It predicted that the overall electricity demand would exceed 79,000 megawatts, breaking the previous record of 78,206 megawatts that was established last Friday. In Austin, the temperature had risen to 107 degrees Fahrenheit as of the time of writing.

Following China's 2021 crypto mining ban, the US became the leading mining center. Texas' cheap energy prices and crypto-friendly regulations are attracting massive mining businesses. Argo Blockchain intends to invest $2 billion in a Texan mining plant.

Related Article: Grayscale vs. SEC: Bitcoin Trust to File Lawsuit Over Rejection of Bitcoin ETF Proposal
Five of the SouthEast Asian top economies, including the Philippines, will link their networks so visitors may scan QR codes for payments.

Travelers may Sooner Pay for SouthEast Asian Travels by Scanning QR Codes

According to a report from Bloomberg, the goal of the central banks in Southeast Asia is to integrate their payment systems this year so that consumers may scan QR codes to make purchases throughout the area.

Bank Indonesia Governor Perry Warjiyo stated that by November, five of the region's largest economies, including the Philippines, are scheduled to sign a deal to integrate their networks. Warjiyo announced it in a panel discussion that was held on the sidelines of the Group of 20 finance ministers and central bank governors meeting in Bali.

The system would employ local currencies to settle payments across the nations; thus, payments made in Thailand using an Indonesian app will be converted straight into rupiah and baht without needing US dollars as a middleman.

In order to ultimately introduce the same structure to real-time bank transfers and central bank digital currencies, the central banks will next attempt to connect this network with other regional clusters throughout the globe.

The managing director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, Ravi Menon, said at the same panel in Bali, "This may be a vital action that we can expand to the rest of the globe." He added that it is a piece of infrastructure that benefits all residents by increasing financial inclusion, boosting efficiency, and opening up new economic prospects.

There are still gaps in the relationships. While Singapore is connected to Thailand and is looking to add other nations, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand are all connected.

Read Also: Nintendo Acquired Dynamo Pictures, Plans to Rename It to Nintendo Pictures

QR Code Scanning and Scams | Here's What You Should Know

Contactless payments have gained popularity after the 2020 COVID-19 epidemic and societal alienation. Customers may pay with a credit card by scanning QR codes with their cellphones.

There's no reliable, consistent method to know what a QR code connects to before scanning it and clicking its link, which allows fraudsters to fool consumers.

Scammers use QR codes like email or text messages to deceive you into entering your personal information on a phishing website or installing malware on your phone.

According to the AARP, malicious QR codes may "download malware or drive you to a phony website" to steal money, personal data, or log-in credentials. Online accounts, P2P payment applications, contacts, social networking profiles, and images might be hijacked.

Trend Micro, an antivirus business, claims some fraudsters put their own QR code over a retailer's, so visitors are scanning it to transfer money to the scammer instead of the store. Scammers install QR codes in places where people expect to pay, like a parking garage, to fool victims into paying the scammer instead of the intended recipient.

How to Avoid Getting Scammed by QR Codes

To avoid getting scammed, remember the following things from AARP:

1. Remember Cybersecurity 101 while seeing a QR code. Just like you shouldn't click on suspect URLs or download fishy documents - particularly from strangers - you should avoid suspicious QR codes, which might lead to bizarre websites or fake, unsafe sites.

2. Don't believe a QR code sent by a friend (whose account may have been hijacked) or in a text, online post, or mail piece. Instead, use a browser and a known domain name.

3. Don't pay using a QR code. Many payment mechanisms are fraud-resistant.

4. QR codes may look innocuous since the human eye can't see what they do. Don't use a napkin dispenser's code if it appears suspicious.

5. Add malware or inappropriate material protection, adds Grant, who recommends Sophos Mobile Security and Kaspersky.

Related Article: BEWARE: QR Code & Barcode Scanner App Contains Trojan Stealing Users' Passwords and More - Delete Immediately!
Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Wednesday extended holidays to educational institutions in the state by three days, until July 16, in the wake of continued heavy rains and floods. The CM had earlier announced holidays for educational institutions from July 11 to 13.

The CM took the call after reviewing the situation at Pragathi Bhavan, along with the ministers, and directed the education department officials to release orders to the effect immediately. He directed officials to continue rescue operations on war footing as overflow from waterbodies endangered lives in low-lying areas.

After being apprised of warning levels being exceeded in Krishna and Godavari rivers, the CM took stock of the SRSP and other reservoirs. He directed officials to contact their counterparts in Maharashtra, from where water flows downstream to the Godavari, and make preparations.

The CM also took stock of transportation and power supply situations, directing officials to ensure that issues do not arise.

On Wednesday, residents of 12 flood-prone villages near the Kadem project were evacuated. Rao spoke to endowments minister A. Indrakaran Reddy over the phone to take stock of the situation at the Kadem project.

Rao directed MA&UD department special secretary Arvind Kumar to undertake precautionary measures in Nirmal district and other flood-prone municipalities. The CM directed roads and buildings minister V. Prashant Reddy to undertake repairs of damaged state and national highways. Further, he directed chief secretary Somesh Kumar, officials of the irrigation department, district collectors and SPs to take measures to avoid loss of lives.

Besides, the CM instructed transport minister P. Ajay Kumar to monitor the evacuation process in Bhadrachalam, as an overflow from the Godavari river is expected to flood nearby villages.

He also reviewed the situation of crop damage and breach of water bodies with agriculture minister S.Niranjan Reddy and Rythu Bandhu Samithi president Palla Rajeshwar Reddy. He instructed them to make available adequate seeds and fertilisers as soon as the floodwaters recede.

Meanwhile, the CM instructed TS Transco CMD D. Prabhakhar Rao, TSSPDCL chief G. Raghuma Reddy and Singareni CMD N. Sridhar to ensure uninterrupted power supply and ensure coal availability for the next month.

The power officials said that around 2,300 electric poles were destroyed so far, with 1,600 already restored and efforts being taken to restore power supply to affected areas.

The CM also directed the power officials to start hydel power generation at plants witnessing heavy water inflow, while asking ENC (irrigation) M. Muralidhar to release floodwaters from the Devadula project.

For undertaking several relief measures, the CM instructed special chief secretary (finance) K. Ramakrishna Rao to release funds instantly.

The CM also spoke to ministers, collectors and department heads on the phone to take stock of the situation and issue directions. He reiterated that ministers and MLAs should not leave their local Assembly constituencies until normalcy is restored.
, a team led by state coordinator of CMs tour Raghuram inspected the stage and arrangements at the engineering college. Some schools like Visakha Valley have declared a holiday on Friday for all.  By Arrangement

VIJAYAWADA / VISAKHAPATNAM: For the fourth consecutive year, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy will on Friday credit at the touch of a button financial assistance of total 261.52 crore into bank accounts of as many as 2,61,516 beneficiaries of the YSR Vahana Mitra scheme.

Officials say Vahana Mitra is giving a boost to the transport sector while promoting self-employment.

Visakhapatnam collector A. Mallikarjuna confirmed on Thursday that the CM will reach Visakhapatnam for taking part in the Vahana Mitra function at AU Engineering College grounds around 11:30 a.m. on Friday. Till Thursday afternoon, holding of the programme was doubtful due to bad weather conditions, including showers in the morning.

In the evening, however, a team led by state coordinator of CMs tour Raghuram inspected the stage and arrangements at the engineering college. Some schools like Visakha Valley have declared a holiday on Friday for all classes in view of the Chief Minister's visit.

Officials said since the formation of Y.S. Jagan government, assistance given to each driver under YSR Vahana Mitra is 40,000 so far. They explained that 2,36,343 beneficiaries received 236.34 crore in 201920; 2,73,476 beneficiaries got 273.47 crore in 202021; 2,54,646 beneficiaries received 254.64 crore in 202122 and 2,61,520 beneficiaries are getting 261.52 crore for year 202223. In all, total 1,025.97 crore are going to the beneficiaries under YSR Vahana Mitra.

Among the beneficiaries in 202223 are SCs 63,594; STs 10,472; BCs 1,44,166; Kapus 21,481; Minorities (Muslim, Christians) 5,267; and others 16,536; totalling to 2,61,516.
Sri Lankas political impasse must end for the nation to address the economic collapse. The Rajapaksas may soon be political history since Gotabaya has begun hopping nations in order to find a haven. It matters little to the island now as to where he ends up and his departure is the clearest sign that the peoples uprising has achieved a substantial portion of its objectives.

A sordid chapter of authoritarian rule by a single family whose members may have looted Sri Lanka systematically may have ended but a political vacuum created in the wake of the Rajapaksas bending finally to the peoples will is likely to hold up the move towards the formation of a legitimate government. Without a credible face at the head of government, negotiations with the IMF for a financial package as bailout will remain stalled.

The constitutionally dubious move to appoint Ranil Wickremasinghe as Acting President is seen as perpetuation of the protection of the Rajapaksa family interests, and the people have been demanding the removal of another constant figure in the political tapestry of the island in the last three decades. His presence as an intriguing survivor in this political vacuum is mysterious as his party did not win a single Parliamentary seat in the last elections and he became a nominated member in recognition of his experience in government.

Mr Wickremasinghes diktat to the military to do whatever was required to restore public order may not have gone down well with the protesters who have stood united in their aim of displacing him. But the fact remains that someone must head a government in the interim while the search goes on for a national government with a President and a Prime Minister he can appoint as per the constitution to look after executive tasks.

A peoples determined revolt against misrule and dubious economic policies, which included a cut in taxes at a time of declining tourism and other sources of inward remittances, is to be lauded, especially as it was peaceful save for sporadic outbursts of anger in which the homes of some legislators were set fire to and the PMs personal residence was vandalised too. It is, however, remarkable, that public property has been largely left undamaged.

In a first sign of a let-up in a remarkable Colombo Spring, the protesters have promised to give up their Occupy movement of official buildings, engendering the hope that the process of finding how to formally get rid of Gotabaya who is yet to hand in his resignation may proceed. There would, however, be no escaping further pain as IMF conditions could drive prices up more as subsidies would have to be given up and the currency could hit new lows.

A way must be found out of the impasse that is only hurting as the nation is in a chaotic situation already. Even generous supporters of the Sri Lankan people like India, which extended aid to the tune of $4 bn till now, would rather wait and watch before committing more to the cause. However, food and medicines, which are as essential as fuel, must be kept ready to be sent across the moment peace reigns on the streets of Colombo. The beleaguered Sri Lankan people deserve that.
Colombo: Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who has fled to the Maldives, could not board a scheduled Singapore Airlines flight from Male to Singapore due to security concerns and is now waiting to travel on a private aircraft, according to a media report on Thursday.

Rajapaksa, the 73-year-old leader who had promised to resign on Wednesday, appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the acting President hours after he fled the country, escalating the political crisis and triggering a fresh wave of protests.

Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said that Rajapaksa had appointed Ranil Wickremesinghe to act to perform his functions while he is abroad.

Rajapaksa, his wife Loma and their two security officers were expected to leave for Singapore on board SQ437 from Male on Wednesday night but did not board the aircraft due to security concerns, the Daily Mirror newspaper reported.

He instead will now await to travel on a private aircraft, the newspaper said quoting sources.

Talks are now ongoing to secure a private aircraft for the embattled Sri Lankan President to depart from the Maldives to Singapore, it said.

Meanwhile, Abeywardena said that he is yet to receive the resignation letter from President Rajapaksa.

Sri Lanka, a country of 22 million people, is under the grip of an unprecedented economic turmoil, the worst in seven decades, leaving millions struggling to buy food, medicine, fuel and other essentials. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe last week said Sri Lanka is now a bankrupt country.

Last week, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka is now a bankrupt country.
Vietnamese carrier Vietjet on Thursday announced it will connect Bengaluru with Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

The new routes are expected to be operational within the last quarter of this year, Vietjet said, adding that there are also plans to open new direct services to other major Indian cities by the year-end.

The announcement comes close on the heels of the South-east Asian carrier launching direct routes connecting New Delhi, Mumbai to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Besides, the airline has already announced its plans to start flight services connecting Mumbai and New Delhi with Southeast Asia's favoured beach destination Phu Quoc islands from early September.

Following its new international routes connecting key Indian cities to Vietnam, Vietjet has bigger network growth and implementation plans for the India market, the airline said.

Vietnam has been a rising destination in recent years, drawing more and more world travellers, Vietjet said, adding, the new direct flights from Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru will make it easier and more affordable for Indian visitors to travel not only to Vietnam but also connect to other Southeast Asia's destinations.

These destinations include Bali, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore or further to Northeast Asian cities of Seoul, Busan, Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Nagoya, and Taipei, among others, the airline said.
Britain's parliamentary intelligence committee said on Wednesday that the threat from extreme right-wing terrorism was on the rise, with individuals often seeking to join the military and groups looking to recruit from within the military.

"Individuals often seek to join the military, groups seek to recruit within the military, and military experience is a source of legitimacy among ERWT (Extreme Right-Wing Terrorism) groups," parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee said in a statement.
Sri Lanka's Acting President and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday asked Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena to nominate a Prime Minister who is acceptable to both the government and the Opposition.

In a statement, the Prime Minister's Office said that Prime Minister Wickremesinghe held a meeting with the Members of the Cabinet at his office on Monday.

All the ministers who participated in this meeting were of the opinion that as soon as there is an agreement to form an all-party government, they will hand over the responsibilities to that government, it said.

Also Read: Sri Lanka declares State of Emergency as President flees country

Accordingly, the ruling party and the opposition must form an all-party government.

Wickremesinghe is under pressure to quit before the expected resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who is said to be flying from the Maldives to Singapore.

The protesters who stormed Wickremesinghes office on Wednesday are attempting to enter the parliament compound at the time of reporting. The police fired tear gas to disperse the protesters near the official residence of the speaker, police said.

A 26-year-old protester had died of breathing difficulties after being admitted to hospital. He was part of the group that stormed the prime ministers office this morning where 35 others had also been injured.

The Prime Ministers Media Division said the ruling party and the opposition must form an all-party Government.

President Rajapaksa on Wednesday fled to the Maldives from where he appointed Prime Minister Wickremesinghe as the acting President, escalating the political crisis and triggering a fresh wave of protests in the country reeling under the worst financial crisis in decades.

Speaker Abeywardena has said that President Rajapaksa has informed him over telephone that he will resign today as promised. He said the vote for the new president will take place on July 20.

Also Read: With China ditching Sri Lanka, India's moment to step up

President Rajapaksa issued a Gazette Extraordinary, appointing Wickremesinghe as the acting president to exercise, perform and discharge the powers, duties and functions of the Office of President with effect from July 13, 2022.

Wickremesinghe, who is now Acting President, has declared a state of emergency in the country and a curfew in the Western province has been imposed as protesters gathered near his office at Flower Road in Colombo.

Sri Lanka, a country of 22 million people, is under the grip of an unprecedented economic turmoil, the worst in seven decades, leaving millions struggling to buy food, medicine, fuel and other essentials. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe last week said Sri Lanka is now a bankrupt country.
Utah's Great Salt Lake dropped to its lowest recorded level this month amid a two-decade drought, a grim milestone as researchers and politicians point to grave threats to wildlife and people along its receding shores.

The nearby metropolis of Salt Lake City is already subject to dust storms that experts fears could get worse.

"To save the Great Salt Lake, so that we don't become Dust Lake City, is to make a conscious choice that the lake is valuable and that the lake needs to have water put into it," said atmospheric scientist Kevin Perry, who has biked across dried-out lakebed since 2016 to study its composition.

For years, water that would otherwise end up in the lake has been diverted for human consumption, industry and agriculture. Combined with the ongoing drought, which has been exacerbated by climate change, that has exposed ever more lakebed.

On July 3, the surface of the lake fell to the lowest level since records began in 1847, to an average of 4,190 feet (1,277 meters) above sea level, according to the US Geological Survey. It is expected to decrease further until fall or early winter, when incoming water equals or exceeds evaporation.

The lake contains little more than one-fourth the volume of water now as it did at its high point in 1987, USGS said.

The lake has lost nearly half its surface area from the historic average, exposing some 800 square miles (2,000 square km) of lakebed - an area larger than the Hawaiian island of Maui.

Layers of earth that were formerly underwater have swirled into dust clouds laced with calcium, sulphur and arsenic, a naturally occurring element linked to cancer and birth defects. Exposed lakebed is also contaminated with residue from copper and silver mining.

"If you breathe that dust over an extended period of time, like decades or longer, then it can lead to increases in different types of cancer, like lung cancer, bladder cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and such," Perry, from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, told Reuters on a recent morning on Farmington Bay.

More than just humans are endangered. Underwater reef-like structures host a micro-organism that is food for brine shrimp, in turn an important food for birds, but the structures dry out and turn gray when exposed.

Alvin Sihapanya, a researcher at the Great Salt Lake Institute at Westminster College, cupped his hands in the water and showed off two palms full of water teeming with tiny shrimp.

"It's super sad and devastating that these guys are exposed," Sihapanya said, referring to the structures. "It wasn't like this last year."

An estimated 10 million birds from more than 330 species migrate through or live at the lake each year, said Max Malmquist of the National Audubon Society's Saline Lakes Program.

Half of the North American continent's ruddy ducks stage here while half of its redheads nest here, according to the Great Salt Lake Audubon. Some 90% of the world's eared grebe population stage here, feasting on the brine shrimp.

The shrimp are also harvested in a multimillion-dollar brine industry, forming part of a lake-generated economy that officials estimate to be worth up to $2 billion annually.

With public awareness and pressure to act growing, Utah Governor Spencer Cox signed into law 11 bills related to water conservation and policy in the last legislative session. Longer-term solutions will require the major consumers - agriculture, industry, municipalities - to consume less water and give more to the lake.

"As we hit these new record lows, we start to run the risk that those all of those values that we derive from the Great Salt Lake could be at risk," said Utah State Representative Tim Hawkes. "And that's what's driving this political pressure to do something."
The government of the United Arab Emirates and the private sector of the United States will invest in a $2 billion project to set up agricultural parks in India with technical support from Israel.

The project is likely to be announced at the first I2U2 summit which will be held later on Thursday. The summit will see the leaders of India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the United States exploring joint initiatives to contribute to food security around the world amid disruptions in the global supply chain for agricultural products due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, will virtually join President Joe Biden of the US and Prime Minister Yair Lapid of Israel for a summit, which will launch a new four-nation bloc called I2U2. The leaders of the four nations will discuss cooperation in agricultural technology as well as for ensuring global food security.

Also read: US President Joe Biden has met every Israeli Prime Minister since 1973

There will be a significant announcement around food security and agricultural technology, which is an area where all four countries can come together to help deal with an immediate crisis facing the entire world, Bidens National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, told journalists aboard the Air Force One, the special aircraft of the US president, en route to Tel Aviv.

The food prices around the world skyrocketed over the past few months as Russia deployed warships to block grain exports from Ukraines port on the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea.

Turkey, however, on Wednesday hosted talks among representatives of Russia, Ukraine and the United Nations. The Turkish government later claimed to have made some progress towards resuming supply of grains from the ports of the East European nation.

Biden is on his maiden tour to Israel after taking over as the US president in January 2021. He and his host Lapid will later in the day virtually join Modi and Mohamed bin Zayed for the first I2U2 (Israel, India, US, UAE) summit.

And well have a $2 billion project, which the UAE is helping to fund, for agricultural parks in India, which is focused on the food security challenge, among some other things that will be announced, a senior US official said, adding: Well have some more details about it tomorrow (July 15). Israel is lending some of its technological expertise apart from some support from the US private sector.

The I2U2 was conceived when External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Tel Aviv and Jerusalem in October 2021 and joined his then counterpart in the Government of Israel, Yair Lapid, to hold a virtual meeting with Anthony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Foreign Minister of the UAE.

Lapid later took over as the Prime Minister on July 1 last, succeeding Naftali Bennett.

Sullivan cited Indias long-standing ties and engagement in the Middle East when he was asked by a journalist why the US wanted the South Asian nation to be a part of the new bloc being informally called the West Asian Quad. He also referred to Indias relationships not just with the Gulf countries, but also with Israel. And, so just as the United States can play a critical and central role in helping deepen Israels integration into the region, India has a role to play in that as well.

So bringing together Israel, India, and the United Arab Emirates, especially around an issue where the four countries have unique capacities on agricultural technology, leading to greater food production and an alleviation of the food security challenge  this is the kind of thing that really fulfils the Presidents (Joe Bidens) vision of a more integrated, more globally engaged Middle East across the board, said the US National Security Advisor.

He also added that the US was keen to take its engagement with Israel and the rest of Middle East beyond the one focussed only on terrorism and wars. This is a different kind of approach, and its about expanding partnerships, expanding the geography rather than contracting or narrowing it, said the US NSA.

He said that the I2U2 could become a feature of the broader region, just as the Quad had become a central pillar of the Indo-Pacific strategy of the US.

The Quad is a coalition forged by India, Australia, Japan and the US to counter Chinas expansionist aspirations in the Indo-Pacific region.

The I2U2 is aimed to encourage joint investments in six mutually identified areas such as water, energy, transportation, space, health, and food security, Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said in New Delhi on Tuesday, adding: It intends to mobilise private sector capital and expertise to help modernise the infrastructure, low carbon development pathways for our industries, improve public health and promote the development of critical emerging and green technologies.

India's move to join the US, the UAE and Israel in the new bloc reflected its keenness to take advantage of the Abraham Accords to deepen engagement with Israel without risking its relations with the Arab nations of the Persian Gulf.
Seen above is artist Yu Buck's installation, "Fish," which had been on display at the exhibition, "Mourning: In the Wake of Loss," at the Jeonnam Museum of Art in Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province since June 30. It was partially taken down, Tuesday, after being accused of animal abuse, as the goldfish in the IV bags were dying. Courtesy of the Jeonnam Museum of Art



By Park Han-sol



An art installation featuring goldfish that are slowly dying due to being locked in IV fluid bags inside a gallery has been partially taken down on Tuesday after being accused of animal abuse.



Yu Buck's "Fish" had been on view at the Jeonnam Museum of Art in Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province, since the opening of its new exhibition, "Mourning: In the Wake of Loss," on June 30.



The show itself has been curated with the aim of exploring how individuals have mourned and further sublimated their traumatic experiences of loss  due to physically and psychologically scarring events like the COVID-19 pandemic, war and climate change-related wildfires  into works of art.



Yu was one of 13 creators from both within the country and abroad invited to showcase a total of 54 photographs, installations and media works befitting the theme.



The work in question consists of 15 IV solution bags filled with water, each with a single goldfish swimming inside.



According to Yu, the strong image of such creatures facing a slow but certain death as they are locked up until the end of the exhibition on Sept. 12 is meant to expose the intrinsic violence and duality of human nature.



Humans praise nature for its beauty but aren't afraid to manipulate and harm it in accordance with their aesthetic tastes, he argued. The artist has previously highlighted the same theme regarding nature in other controversial works involving a swarm of dead insects that he killed using flypapers and glowing light.



However, upon coming across "Fish" installed inside the gallery, a number of visitors questioned whether the goldfish were being fed properly  they were not  and raised issues with the work's "cruel and inappropriate" presentation for viewers of all ages.



After receiving similar complaints from local animal rights groups, the museum removed all the fish on display on Tuesday. Five out of the original 15 had already died.



"Art museums are designed to serve as open plazas as well as platforms for discussion," its official stated. "As we value the visitors' feedback and the animal rights groups' stance, we removed the goldfish after consulting with the artist."



The museum added that aside from the fish, the installation itself will remain in its place.



Yu expressed disappointment at the decision: "The slow deaths of the goldfish were meant to be a part of my piece. Now that the fish are gone, it lost its meaning as a work of art. While this may cause discomfort to general audiences, the artist thinks and expresses differently from members of the public," Yu said in a statement.


A new booklet on unparliamentary words by Lok Sabha Secretariat triggered a controversy on Thursday with the Opposition alleging that words used to describe the reality of Narendra Modi government have been put in the list even as Speaker Om Birla said no word has been banned and expressions will be expunged depending on the context only.

Words like Jumla-jeevi', 'Covid Spreader' and 'Snoopgate' as well as common words like 'ashamed', 'abused, 'betrayed', 'corrupt', 'drama', 'hypocrisy' and 'incompetent' were part of the the booklet 'Unparliamentary Expressions' brought out by Lok Sabha Secretariat.

Following the circulation of the latest booklet, an exercise that started in 1954 and which has been an annual affair since 2010, leaders from various Opposition parties like Congress, Trinamool Congress, AAP and Shiv Sena had found fault with the choice of words and accused the Modi government of throttling democracy.

Also read: Words like 'ashamed', 'abused, 'betrayed', 'corrupt' to be unparliamentary in LS, RS

Birla said the government had no role in the booklet, as Parliament and state Assemblies are independent organs of Indian democracy and it has been a regular exercise. He made it clear that no word has been banned from use in Parliament and MPs are free to express their views while maintaining the decorum of Parliament. He clarified that words will be expunged depending on the context.

"No word has been banned. Members are free to express their views. No one can snatch that right, but it should be as per decorum of Parliament," Birla told reporters, adding that people unaware of parliamentary practices were making all kinds of comments.

He said the booklet was a compilation of words expunged by Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Assemblies and Commonwealth countries. It includes words used by MPs from both the ruling side as well as the Opposition, rejecting allegations that the expressions used by Modi governments opponents were added in the list.

Birlas defence came as the Opposition mounted a spirited criticism with former Congress president Rahul Gandhi calling the booklet the "New Dictionary for New India". He said "words used in discussion and debates which correctly describe the PM's handling of the government, now banned from being spoken. Example of an unparliamentary sentence: 'Jumlajeevi Tanashah shed Crocodile Tears when his lies and incompetence were exposed'."

Congress tweeted, "Who will be afraid of 'Jumlajeevi' - who has given jumlas. Who will be afraid of the word 'Jaichand' - who has betrayed the country. These words are not being banned in Parliament, the fear of PM Modi is coming out."

Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien said, "Session begins in a few days. GAG ORDER ISSUED ON MPs. Now, we will not be allowed to use these basic words while delivering a speech in Parliament : Ashamed. Abused. Betrayed. Corrupt. Hypocrisy. Incompetent. I will use all these words. Suspend me. Fighting for democracy."

Shiv Sena Deputy Leader in Rajya Sabha Priyanka Chaturvedi said, "What to do, what to speak, only Wah Modi ji, Wah', this popular meme now seems to be turning true."

Lok Sabha Secretariat sources said the list was merely a compilation of words already expunged in the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha or state legislatures as well as in Parliaments of Commonwealth countries. They said such lists are brought out every year and these are compilations and not suggestions or orders.

Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh said all words used by the Opposition to describe the reality of Modi Sarkar now to be considered 'unparliamentary'. What next Vishguru".

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge tweeted, "the government may have banned the use of following in Parliament: Jumlajeevi, Corrupt, Drama, Hypocrisy. But they are answerable to the people of India on: LPG and Price Rise, Unemployment, Agneepath."

The Govt may have banned the use of following in Parliament: -Jumlajeevi

-Corrupt

-Drama

-Hypocrisy But they are answerable to the people of India on: -LPG & Price Rise

-Unemployment

-Agneepath ..and we are going to strongly take it up in the upcoming session of Parliament.  Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) July 14, 2022

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted, "What is the intention of the government? If one does corruption, then do not say corrupt; call corruption a 'masterstroke'. After throwing 'jumlas' (rhetoric) like '2 crore jobs', 'doubling farmers' income', they should be termed as 'thank you'. PS: Who used the word 'Andolanjeevi' for the country's 'annadatas' in Parliament."
La Defensa

Ministerio de Defensa

Las Fuerzas Armadas

La Defensa y yo
Leading construction company, Henry Brothers, has teamed up with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB NI) to participate in its Adopt a School programme.

The scheme gives young people from across Northern Ireland the chance to gain a deeper understanding of a career in construction while also educating them on benefits and opportunities that arise from such a career path.

Most recently, Henry Brothers hosted Magherafelt High School for a job sampling day, which involved the young people trying plastering, bricklaying, joinery, tiling, and more.

CSR Director, Ian Henry, believes that engaging with the local community and showcasing the different career paths that are available is vital to ensure young people prosper. He said:

At Henry Brothers, we believe in helping young people realise their full potential and are keen to give them the skills and experience needed to do so.

This student has a go at one of the trades during the job sampling day.

Choosing a career path without fully understanding the industry can be daunting, but days such as this give a great insight into life after school and can often inspire children to consider a career in construction.

This is especially important on our journey to create a more diverse industry, and as more people are exposed to the wealth of opportunities available to them we hope to create a shift in the perceptions of what a construction worker should look like.

In attendance at the Adopt a School event at Henry Brothers was Barry Neilson, Chief Executive CITB NI. He said:

We are delighted to continue with our Adopt a School scheme and delighted to attend the careers talk at Magherafelt High School and Henry Brothers.

This is a fantastic opportunity for construction employers to engage with and encourage the next generation of young people to consider a career in construction. It is also a fantastic opportunity for schools to benefit from a whole range of career activities as well as having a direct contact with those working within the industry.

We hope the initiative will create more partnerships which will help to recruit, retain and develop the talent required to sustain the industry in the years ahead.

Students at Magherafelt High School take part in Henry Brothers' Activity Day.

Mrs McGinnis, Head of Careers and Head of Technology Magherafelt High School commented: The Adopt A School Job Sampling Event at Henry Brothers is a fantastic opportunity for our pupils to try hands on tasks for various career pathways while also gaining a practical insight into the opportunities that could be available to them in the future.

For more information about Henry Brothers work with local communities and young people, visit henrybrothers.co.uk
Bank of Ireland is warning customers around a new wave of fraudulent text messages in circulation, where fraudsters are using customers card details to set up Apple/Google Pay.

The Bank has experienced a spike in smishing, where fraudsters send fake text messages appearing to be from delivery services including An Post or Government agencies including the HSE and Revenue.

Customers who click the links in the text messages are then directed to fake websites where they are asked for their card or online banking login details.

The fraudster uses these details to set up Apple/Google Pay on the customers card or to set up the customers online banking on a new device.

If the customer gives away the genuine One Time Passcode sent by Bank of Ireland to confirm the set-up, the fraudster can then access the customers account.

During the last month, the number of smishing cases detected by Bank of Irelands Fraud Prevention team has increased by 50% since the introduction of this tactic.

How the current scam operates:

- Customer receives a fraudulent text purportedly from An Post or alternatively HSE or Revenue  for example: Your parcel is ready for delivery. Please pay the outstanding charge on this link ----" or Youve been a close contact of someone with Covid. Please follow the instructions here to order a test -----"

- The customer clicks the link, is brought to a fake website and gives some personal information and their credit / debit card number.

The fraudster will then:

- Use the customers card details to set up Apple Pay or Google Pay.

- The customer then gets a genuine One-Time Passcode from Bank of Ireland to confirm Apple Pay or Google Pay set-up, but then gives away the code to the fraudster on the phishing website.

Or

- Based on the card number the customer has given, the fraudster directs the customer to a spoofed online banking login page. The customer gives their online banking login details and then gets a genuine One-Time Passcode to set up online banking on a new device.

- The customer gives that code away on the phishing website, which allows the fraudster to set up online banking and make payments from the customers account.

- Where customers have stopped part of the way through the scam process, they may then get a phone call claiming to be from Bank of Ireland in an attempt to get banking details and the One-Time Passcode. Those calls will often look like theyre coming from genuine Bank of Ireland numbers as the fraudster can spoof the number that appears in your display.

Edel McDermott, Head of Fraud, Bank of Ireland said:

Fraudsters tend to use a range of tactics that have been the subject of regular warnings for some time. When a new variation on a familiar theme crops up, this is a cause for real concern, and we are warning customers to be extra vigilant.

Text messages appearing to be from third parties like delivery companies or Government agencies should be treated with caution and verified accordingly.

Following fraudulent links in these texts is leading to customers disclosing card details, and then having Apple or Google Pay set up on their card, generating a genuine One-Time Passcode from their bank.

When this Passcode is then disclosed, this allows fraudsters full access to the customers account.

Customers should never share this Passcode with anyone, even if they say they are from Bank of Ireland.

Bank of Irelands advice to customers in response to the current activity:

Do not click on links or respond to any SMS text messages which are designed to appear as if sent by the bank or other businesses and service providers.

Remember that Bank of Ireland will never send you a text with a link to a website that asks you for your online banking login details or any One-Time Passcodes that weve sent to you.

Do not share your One-Time Passcode to set up Apple/Google Pay on your card WITH ANYONE even if you the person advises they are from Bank of Ireland

If you get a suspicious text, please email a screenshot of the text to 365Security@boi.com and then delete the text.

If you think you may have given away any of your banking details, please call our 24/7 Freephone line 1800 946 764 immediately.

Remember, Bank of Ireland will never:

Send you a text or email with a link directly to the login page of our online banking channels to confirm banking details or ask you to update their banking details.

Ask you to click a link in an email with an urgent warning about suspicious activity on your account.

Ask you to transfer money out of your account to protect you from fraud.

Ask you to tell us any One-Time Password or code that you have received from us by text.

Where customers receive a text appearing to be from Bank of Ireland, the Check Your Text service (Security Zone - Bank of Ireland Group Website) is available and is outlined in the Report Fraud section.

For more advice and information on fraud, visit www.boi.com/security or www.fraudsmart.ie
Minister Byrne Welcomes Adoption of Procedures for proposed Seanad Select Committee

Press release

Minister Byrne Welcomes Adoption of Procedures for proposed Seanad Select Committee for Scrutiny of EU Statutory Instruments

The Government this week adopted new procedures for Government Departments in relation to the intended establishment of a new Seanad Eireann Select Committee by the Houses of the Oireachtas, which will have an oversight role in respect of Statutory Instruments to transpose EU Directives.

Commenting on the Government decision and the proposed establishment of a new Seanad Eireann Select Committee, the Minister for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne T.D., said:

"I welcome the proposed establishment of a new Seanad Eireann Select Committee intended to provide enhanced oversight over Statutory Instruments which transpose EU Directives.

"I particularly welcome the Governments decision on Tuesday to adopt new procedures for Government Departments to follow in supporting the work of this new Committee.

"As Minister for European Affairs, I look forward to the prospect of appearing before the new Seanad Select Committee to outline the principles of intended EU Statutory Instruments. This process will add greater transparency to the transposition of EU secondary legislation which has the power to benefit areas such as the environment, consumer rights and employee rights.

"I commend the members of Seanad Eireann, led by their Cathaoirleach, Senator Mark Daly, for their continued efforts to enhance the Seanads engagement with EU matters, which will ultimately benefit our citizens.

"As Ireland celebrates 50 years since its historic decision to join the European Union and 100 years since the establishment of Seanad Eireann, I look forward to greater engagement with Seanad Eireann on EU matters.

ENDS

Press Office

14 July 2022

Notes for editors It is intended that a new Seanad Select Committee be established by the Houses of the Oireachtas with the power to refer draft Statutory Instruments (SIs) to transpose EU Directives to Oireachtas Sectoral Joint Committees. Neither the Seanad Committee nor the Sectoral Joint Committee would have the power to delay or to obstruct the making of secondary legislation. The existing post hoc annulment powers of the Oireachtas would remain unchanged. The oversight function would be limited to Statutory Instruments being made under S3 of the 1972 European Communities Act to transpose EU Directives.

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What is Open Doors By Truecaller?

Open Doors is a free social media app that involves the participants interacting with others using just audio. In that sense, it could be considered as a Clubhouse alternative.

It is made by True Software Scandinavia AB, the parent company of Truecaller, Caller ID, and spam blocking service.

Currently, the app UI is available in English, Hindi, Spanish, Latin, and French. More languages will be added in the future.

Where To Download Open Doors By Telegram?

It can be downloaded globally from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

You can also find the download link to Open Doors down below:

https://open-doors.app

How To Use Open Doors By Telegram?

As the company notes in the press release, If you are already a Truecaller user, you can sign in with just one tap. Else, you will have to enter your phone number and it will be verified through a missed call or OTP.

Further, youll have to grant two permissions: contacts (for the network effect) and phone permission (to conduct audio conversations). Now, in case youre concerned, the company assures you your phone numbers wont appear to the other person in the conversation.

To reiterate, you can begin and end a conversation as and when you wish. Your friends (contacts) will get notifications to join the conversation and similarly, their friends shall too. Anybody part of the conversation can also share a link to others asking to join.

Is Open Doors By Telegram Safe?

The Open Doors community will moderate the group conversations but the latter is not stored anywhere and no one can pry on private chats.

Thanks to Truecaller being 13 years in the business, weve spent a great deal of time learning about how people communicate. said Nami Zarringhalam, Co-founder of True Software Scandinavia AB. Our new app Open Doors was born out of a simple question - how can we help people make new connections without being intrusive? And this is what we want to do: to bridge the world using the most natural form of communication, our voices.

As for other news, reviews, feature stories, buying guides, and everything else tech-related, keep reading Digit.in.
Unpriced sale in Bellingham

Institutional Property Advisors brokered both sides of a recent apartment sale up in Whatcom County, which recorded the transaction but not the price. The 112-unit Old Mill Village, on the west shore of Lake Whatcom, sold to an LLC associated with Investors Equity Group of Michigan. The sellers were Seattle investors who acquired the property in 2016 for almost $9.4 million. IPA's team consisted of Ryan Harmon, Nick Ruggiero, Philip Assouad and Giovanni Napoli. Harmon said of the Bellingham market, Over the past few years, the city's diverse job base, strong in-migration and rising single-family home values let to strong apartment demand growth. The complex was developed in 1976 and 1984 over 30 acres.








By Yi Whan-woo







Hana Financial Group has begun its second Hana Waves in-house program aimed at fostering women's leadership following the success of the first program in June 2021, the banking group said Thursday.







The 2022 program, which runs until the end of the year, will include group mentoring, development of work skills at higher positions, online MBA classes and presentations on business strategies.







A total of 36 mid-level managers from the banking group's entire affiliates were selected for the program after being recommended by their respective CEOs.







The 2021 program had 34 participants, with four of them being promoted as executives after completing the courses.







"Women's competitiveness in the workplace can be characterized as a motherly heart that is strong but at the same time soft and caring," Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Young-joo said during a ceremony to mark the program's launch at the group's headquarters in central Seoul.







He said such competitiveness is especially crucial in the midst of a rapidly-changing environment in the finance industry and that the "participants this year are expected to play a critical role, embracing different generations of employees."







The banking group joined this year's Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, which assesses listed companies' efforts for gender equality and covers anti-sexual harassment measures, female-friendly branding, female leadership promotion, wage gap reduction and female-friendly corporate culture among others.







Hana Group said it will continue to come up with various programs to foster leadership for its employees regardless of gender and age.


Illegal replica guns are on a display after being confiscated by the police in this photo taken in 2010. Korea Times file



By Yi Whan-woo



The number of weapons purchased directly from overseas online malls are on a sharp rise, the Korea Customs Service (KCS) said Thursday, warning that the shipment of such goods into the country without authorization is illegal.



The customs agency said the number of attempts to bring in illegal weapons through international shipping started to rise from late 2019 at around the same time as the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak.



"Direct purchases of goods from overseas became a more popular shopping trend since then, and this trend includes buying weapons from online stores outside the country," the KCS said in a press release.



Among the illegal shipments were firearms and components, weapon scopes and sights, crossbows, stun guns and replica guns.



A total of 2,578 cases of smuggling attempts were reported in 2019, 1672 in 2020, 2,076 in 2021 and 951 in the first half of 2022.



All these items require authorization from the commissioner general of the National Police Agency in advance for customs clearance. Any violators are subject to a prison sentence of up to 15 years or a fine of a maximum of 100 million won ($76,000).



"All these goods are categorized as items that can threaten lives and public safety," the KCS said, adding, "Caution is needed as shoppers can face punishment for the shipment of unauthorized weapons even if their intention was harmless."



The KCS said it is especially paying attention to replica guns and other non-firearms that are not made specifically to injure or kill someone but can do so if they are used incorrectly.



For instance, a gunpowder-propelled nail gun used at construction site can be fatal if used against a person.



In case of stun guns, they are considered self-defense tools but can still seriously injure people, so their sale is restricted.



Accordingly, the customs agency plans to tighten x-ray scanning at airports and seaports and also enhance its campaign against individuals possessing weapons.


Russia switching off the supply of natural gas to Europe presents a severe risk to Ireland, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe said.

Speaking to the budgetary oversight committee, Mr Donohoe said the global economic shock caused by Russias invasion of Ukraine has rapidly changed Irelands economic context.

He said the era of low-cost borrowing is clearly coming to an end.

Discussing the summer economic statement, Mr Donohoe said the war could cause further economic woes for Ireland.

A chief further risk is the potential for a withdrawal of natural gas supplies from Russia to mainland Europe, he said.

While we do not presently view this as the most likely development, it clearly constitutes a very real risk nonetheless.

He said such an event would result in major economic disruption in export markets and have a severe effect on Ireland.

So, in these highly uncertain times, with heightened vulnerabilities, managing the public finances in a careful and responsible way is a matter of urgency, he said.

While recognising the surge in corporation tax receipts in the last year, Mr Donohoe said this presented an overly benign picture.

He said: Much of the recovery in our public finances is due to the continuing surge in corporate tax receipts, up 53% in the year.

Although the increase in receipts is to welcomed, he said they remain extremely volatile.

To be clear, we welcome these receipts, he said.

They reflect well on Ireland as an attractive location for highly profitable multinational firms.

But, as I warned many times, these receipts are potentially extremely volatile and cant be guaranteed at current levels in the future.

Mr Donohoe said more than half of Irelands corporate tax yield is paid by 10 companies.

This means that a very significant portion of our tax take is subject to business decisions and a small number of taxpayers, he said.

He said the Government cant repeat the mistake of using temporary revenue to finance permanent expenditure because we know what happens when those revenues disappear.

Ive therefore asked my officials to examine how much of the current corporate tax yield may be in excess above what should be expected from our economic fundamentals which we will report in advance of the budget.

Identifying this excess will enable us to avoid basing expenditure on unreliable revenues while ensuring that Ireland remains a top tier destination for foreign direct investment.




North Korea's foreign trade dipped 17.3 percent on-year to $713 million in 2021 due to international sanctions over its nuclear weapons program and border closures to stem the spread of COVID-19, a report showed Thursday.







The reclusive country's exports fell 8.2 percent to some $82 million last year, and imports plunged 18.4 percent to around $631 million, resulting in a trade deficit of $549.4 million, according to the report from the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA).







Last year's trade deficit narrowed from the $684.4 million red ink recorded a year earlier.







The tumble in trade was blamed on international sanctions over Pyongyang's nuclear program coupled with the closure of its border with China, a key ally.







Beijing was North Korea's largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching $681.7 million in 2021, which was down 10.4 percent from the previous year. The amount accounted for 95.6 percent of North Korea's total foreign trade last year, up from 88.2 percent a year earlier.







Other major trading partners included Vietnam, India, Thailand and Hong Kong.







Steel was North Korea's top export item last year with its overseas shipments more than doubling to 28.93 million. Crude and other oil products were the No. 1 import good with some $379 million, which was also nearly double the amount posted a year earlier.







A KOTRA official expected North Korea's trade volume to edge up this year on an uptrend in international raw materials prices, saying a deciding factor will likely be whether Pyongyang may close its border with China due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Yonhap)






A Dublin woman in her late 30s with no previous convictions, who attacked a member of a separate hen party in a Carlingford pub while dressed-up as pop star Madonna, was discharged from the indictment at Dundalk Circuit Court last week after paying 5,000 to the victim.

The original sentencing hearing was told in January that the three women, who were part of two separate hen parties on a night out in Taaffes Bar on Newry Street, Carlingford on 1st April 2017, were in the ladies toilet when the incident began.

Deborah Donovan of Iveagh Trust, New Bride Street, Dublin 8 and her friends were dressed as Madonna, and the victim told gardai the defendant gave her a really strange look when she said she liked the popstar.

She left and was kicked in the legs by the defendant.

The woman said as she was talking to her friend about what happened, Ms. Donovan came up the bar towards her and hit her with an object and kicked her friend.

The victim who was taken to hospital in Newry and received nine stitches for a cut above her left eye, was left with a scar which may require cosmetic surgery.

The accused told gardai she had been punched in the face and kicked by the two women in the toilet "out of nowhere" and had picked up a glass jar or pot pourri dish from the sink and threw it at them although the court heard CCTV confirmed the assault did not happen in the toilets.

In her victim impact statement the woman said shes been left with nerve damage and now avoids going out to pubs and nightclubs and is not as confident now talking to people she doesnt know.

The Defence barrister said the offending was completely out of character for his client, who had mixed alcohol with medication that night.

The case was adjourned to allow time to raise 5,000 which the court heard the victim was willing to accept.

Last Thursday, after being told the compensation as directed by Judge Patrick Quinn was in court, Judge Dara Hayes imposed a 200 fine and made an order under Section 100 (11) of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 discharging her from the indictment.
Silver Stream Healthcare Group has announced the creation of 140 new full time jobs at their new nursing home in Dundalk.

The announcement was unveiled by An Taoiseach Michael Martin at a special event held over the weekend at the new Riverstick home in Cork.

Located close to the Dundalk Institute of Technology campus, Dundalk Care Home at Greenpark has 130 single ensuite bedrooms spanning 6,000 m2 across two floors.

Silver Stream Healthcare Group, one of the largest providers of residential care for older people in Ireland, and made the announcement alongside the launch of two other new nursing homes in Riverstick, Co. Cork and Duleek in Meath that will see its current bed count double to 750 and the number of homes within the group grow to 11 and will support the creation of over 500 full-time permanent roles.

The group is currently recruiting for roles in Nursing, Physiotherapy, Housekeeping, kitchen, Facilities, and for Care Assistants and Activity Coordinators.

Commenting on the opening, Taoiseach, Michael Martin, said:

Im delighted to officially open these three new care homes in Cork, Louth and Meath on behalf of Silver Stream Healthcare Group.

"We know that for the most part, older people indicate their preference to live in their own homes and communities, for as long as possible.

"The Programme for Government commits to creating an Age Friendly Ireland, while Slaintecare aims to provide the right care, in the right place, at the right time.

"I would like to congratulate all involved in the development of this new nursing home facility in Cork, as well as the homes in Louth and Meath, which will no doubt be a great asset for their communities.

Speaking on the new launch, CEO at Silver Stream Healthcare, Tom Finn said:

Were delighted to launch three new excellently located and well-positioned care homes to our growing group. This is a pivotal time for the aging population of Ireland, and their families, for whom our industry provides critical solutions and services.

Our model is all about creating a home-away-from-home for residents and these three new homes perfectly align with our ambitions to deliver a more intimate care home experience, in a comfortable and familiar environment, while at all times responding to the rapidly changing care needs of older people.

The Duleek home has 120 single ensuite bedrooms spanning nearly 5,500 m2; and Riverstick Care Home in Cork comprises 92 single and 2 double ensuite bedrooms spanning nearly 4,500 m2 .

The company say all homes are modern and include advanced systems and applications, each will have the Home from Home look and feel and that each home delivers a wide range of care options, from long stay to respite care, transitional care dementia care, convalescence care and end of life care.
Above: Cathaoirleach Cllr Keelan receiving MSPI Full Accreditation from Dr. Martina Moloney; Chair of the Heritage Council, Yvonne OBrien, A/Director of Services and Brian Walsh Museum Curator  (Photo: Louth County Council)

The County Museum in Dundalk was celebrated at a ceremony in Kilkenny Castle yesterday for maintaining full official accreditation under the Heritage Councils Museum Standards Programme for Ireland (MSPI).

Established to promote professional standards in museums, selection under the MSPI is a major accolade with accredited museums considered to have attained excellence across a range of areas. 13 museums were celebrated at the ceremony in Kilkenny Castle having achieved official accreditation.

With regards to the County Museum in Dundalk, the museum assessors noted that despite staffing shortages and the impact of Covid, the museum has continued to look after its collections and develop high quality projects and exhibitions. This has included marking the centenaries of the Easter Rising, the sinking of the SS Dundalk, and WW1 as well as celebrating the achievements of engineer Peter Rice and the success of Dundalk FC.

They have also held conferences, produced an animation film, developed a series of Horrible History style songs and produced a variety of online programmes for schools and families. The museum has been successful in bringing a whole new digital programme to allow access to the collections while visitors were not permitted in the building.

Since its inception in 2006, the Irish museum sector has continued to embrace the programme with participation growing from 12 museum sites to 67 in 2022. Because no two museums are the same, the path to accreditation is different for all participants. Whereas museums with large collections may encounter challenges relating to storage and upkeep of large volumes of material, the volunteers in smaller museums may struggle to find the time or motivation to reach the MSPI standards.

Commenting on the ceremony, Chairperson of the Heritage Council, Martina Moloney, said, "The growing number of museums participating in the MSPI is testament to the regard in which it is held by the sector. It is wonderful to see representatives from so many different museums here today, all of whom have worked so hard to ensure the best possible standards are met; a commitment that has hugely positive benefits for cultural life in Ireland, for visitors to the museums and tourism in the country generally.

Virginia Teehan, Chief Executive of the Heritage Council, said, Its such a pleasure for me to welcome the award winners to this ceremony today to mark and celebrate the presentation of accreditation certificates under MSPI. This is the first live awards ceremony since 2019 after the online ceremonies held for 2020 and 2021s award winners and so it is also only right that the certificate recipients from these years also be acknowledged today. These museums have worked very hard for their accreditation and richly deserve this recognition for their efforts.
Leopardstown Racecourse stages a competitive card on Thursday evening which also features Group race action.

The meeting gets underway at 5.15pm and concludes at 8.20pm. With warm temperatures across the country, the going is Good, Good to Firm in places and the forecast is for a cloudy day. Watering is also taking place at the track. We have previewed the pick of the action and you can find the best odds on the SBK Sportsbook App

The highlight on the card is the Group Three Meld Stakes over one mile and a furlong at 7.20pm. Six runners go to post for the 52,500 event, including Trevaunance who returned to action with a smooth win at Limerick last month. The three-year-old powered clear in good style on that occasion and looks open to any amount of improvement. She also benefits from the fillies allowance in this event.

Howth is another interesting runner for Aidan OBrien despite filling six in all three runs this term. However, he is clearly better than he has showed so far this term and he remains interesting along with Patrick Sarsfield. He was third in a Group event at Leopardstown in May and has to enter calculations in this event.

Georgeville posted his best effort of the year when second in a Listed event at Leopardstown and he is open to more improvement along with Boundless Ocean who filled second at Leopardstown last month. Bear Story, second in a Group Two at the Curragh in May has subsequently finished down the field in a Group One and Group Three at the Curragh, but is clearly another of interest.

The 16,000 Fillies Maiden is another interesting event in which Aidan OBrien saddles newcomer Library. A son of the late, great Galileo she is related to a number of winners and clearly makes appeal on pedigree.

Zouperior cost 45,000gns and is another fascinating newcomer being by Australian champion Zoustar. Caroline Street also makes her debut here and the daughter of No Nay Never was purchased for $200,000 as a yearling, whilst 540,000gns buy Amusement comes into the race with previous form when disappointing on debut at Leopardstown in June when filling last of five. However, she is bred in the purple being related to Oaks heroine Dancing Rain and she should certainly take a big step forward in this event.

Elsewhere on the card, Point Gellibrand should be tough to beat for Joseph OBrien in the 10-furlong maiden at 7.50pm. A 95,000 purchase, he has been gelded since finishing second to Martinstown at Cork in May and is clearly open to more improvement going forward.

Leopardstown Selections

5.15pm Wave Machine

5.45pm Corporal Villette

6.15pm Atlas

6.50pm Library

7.20pm Patrick Sarsfield

7.50pm Point Gellibrand

8.20pm Rock Of Candy
A Louth man who was arrested on a European arrest warrant and extradited to Ireland has been sentenced to two years in prison for theft and deception.

James Carpenter (31) of Irish Street, Ardee, Co Louth, pleaded guilty to inducing an individual out of 500 under the promise of Electric Picnic tickets and inducing many individuals out of money for rent and deposits for accommodation.

Garda Keith Delaney said that in June 2016, a young woman had seen an advert on Gumtree for Electric Picnic tickets for sale for 500. The woman contacted the seller and transferred the money via bank transfer. She then sent a screenshot of the transfer, and Carpenter told her he would send the tickets that day.

When the festival tickets failed to arrive, and after Carpenter did not reply to her emails, she attended Swords Garda Station and made a complaint to gardai. She gave gardai the bank account details she transferred the money to, and a search warrant was issued. Carpenter was identified and arrested.

During his interview, Carpenter said he had tickets for sale but sold them to someone else. He said he had not planned on defrauding the woman, but the opportunity occurred, and he did it.

Detective Garda Niall Cadden told the court that gardai received many complaints regarding money being paid to a man who had advertised rooms or apartments for rent online. The court heard on many occasions that the day before the new tenants were due to move in, Carpenter would tell them there was an issue and defer the move-in date.

Deposits and the first months rent was paid over to Carpenter on multiple occasions. None of this money has been recovered by any of the individuals involved.

On one occasion, Carpenter told a tenant who was due to move in the following day that his mother had died and he would not be in Dublin for several days. He told a couple who were due to move in that he had inherited the property when his father had passed away. Neither of which was true.

Gardai interviewed Carpenter on several occasions, and he did confirm that he had carried out these offences. He was granted bail but failed to turn up for a court date in December 2016.

The court heard he was at large until April 2021, when he was arrested on a European arrest warrant. He was extradited to Ireland in October 2021 after he had served a six-month prison sentence for similar crimes in Scotland. Carpenter has 21 previous convictions, 10 of which were committed in Scotland.

Aoife O'Leary, BL, defending, said her client had gambling issues but was ashamed and remorseful for his actions. She said that Carpenter is trying to put his time in prison to good use, is an enhanced prisoner, and works within the officer's mess.

Judge Martin Nolan said the accused took advantage of desperate parties who were seeking accommodation.

He said Carpenter has a record of doing the same, and when matters became critical, he removed himself and went to Scotland, only to make his way back to Ireland via a European arrest warrant.

Judge Nolan noted the accused guilty plea, his remorse and that he is getting on well in prison. He sentenced him to six months in prison for deception arising from selling Electric Picnic tickets and two years in prison for taking money from people under the promise of accommodation.

Both sentences will run concurrently and backdated for the time already served.
Ruling People Power Party floor leader and acting Chairman Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, left, speaks during the party's Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly on Yeouido, Seoul, Thursday. Joint Press Corps



Opposition lawmakers accuse Yoon gov't and ruling party of politicizing the incident to demonize their predecessors



By Nam Hyun-woo



The previous Moon Jae-in administration's 2019 repatriation of two North Korean fishermen back to the North has become a major political fray between the ruling and opposition blocs.



While the presidential office and the ruling People Power Party (PPP) are ratcheting up their efforts to attack the previous Moon government for its "inhumane" treatment of the defectors, members of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) repeated the claims that the fishermen were criminals and accused the ruling block of trying to politicize the incident.



Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, floor leader and acting chairman of the People Power Party (PPP), said Thursday the party will push for an investigation or introduce an independent counsel to look into the case.



"A day earlier, the presidential office defined that the Moon administration's repatriation was a crime against humanity which violated the Constitution and international laws," Rep. Kweon said during the party's Supreme Council meeting.



"The DPK is still describing the fishermen as brutal murderers, claiming the repatriation was appropriate, but this is based on North Korea's explanation," Kweon said. "They should have verified the explanation."





A North Korean fisherman is held by South Korean officials before being handed over to North Korea at the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom, in this Nov. 7, 2019, file photo. Courtesy of Ministry of Unification



A day earlier, presidential spokesperson Kang In-sun said the repatriation was a human rights violation and the Yoon government will spare no efforts to find "the truth behind this case in order to restore the universal values of freedom and human rights."



The ruling bloc's condemnations came after the Ministry of Unification on Tuesday released 10 photos of the North Koreans fiercely resisting their deportation across the inter-Korean border in November 2019. At the time, the Moon government decided not to accept the fishermen's request for asylum, claiming they had conspired with a third man to kill 16 fellow fishermen before their escape to South Korea across the Northern Limit Line  the de facto maritime border between the two Koreas.



The photos created political repercussions both domestically and internationally, with U.S. Congressman Chris Smith saying the photos of the fishermen being physically forced to return to the North against their will and without due process of law were "painful to view."



The deportation became a subject of heated debate, as the ruling conservative bloc raised suspicions that the Moon administration decided to send the fishermen back to the North as a "present" to invite North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to the 2019 South Korea-ASEAN summit in Busan.



"It was an outcome of the Moon administration's efforts to curry favor with the North Korean regime, and was a major manipulation of national security," PPP Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo wrote on Facebook, Thursday.



"Despite the fishermen's intention to defect to the South, they were deported to North Korea just three days after their capture, and Cheong Wa Dae (the previous presidential office) sent North Korea's Kim an invitation to the ASEAN summit."



Ahn continued that the Constitution states North Koreans have the right to South Korean citizenship and all related legal rights, as soon as they enter South Korean territory. The Constitution recognizes the entire Korean Peninsula and outlying islands as the country's territory, thus does not recognize North Korea as a legitimate nation.





Main opposition Democratic Party of Korea interim chief Woo Sang-ho speaks during a party meeting at the National Assembly on Yeouido, Seoul, Thursday. Joint Press Corps
Foreign Minister Park Jin, second from right, poses for a photo with World Food Programme Executive Director David Beasley, second from left, before their talks, Thursday, at the foreign ministry in Seoul. Courtesy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs



The head of the World Food Programme (WFP) had discussions with South Korea's foreign and unification ministers Thursday on the North Korean food shortage issue.



Talking here with WFP Executive Director David Beasley, Foreign Minister Park Jin and Unification Minister Kwon Young-se shared concerns about the problem especially amid the impoverished North's fight against COVID-19 and lingering uncertainties attributable to the drawn-out Ukraine-Russia war, according to the ministers' offices.



Park was quoted as stressing that his government will continue to pursue humanitarian aid to the North regardless of the political circumstances.



Beasley also met and voiced concerns over the impact of global climate change and the Ukrainian situation on the food situation in North Korea.



"With conflict, droughts, flooding, climate shocks, COVID-19 economic deterioration, and now the Ukrainian crisis, it truly is impacting everyone. And the fertilizer issue is definitely impacting the world, and DPRK will be no exception to that," he said. DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.



He also expressed hopes that the coronavirus restrictions in the North will be eased to allow "operations to scale back up and reach the children and families in need."



Kwon, Seoul's top point man on Pyongyang, emphasized that his ministry will continue to cooperate closely with the WFP to address humanitarian issues irrespective of the political situation.



"I would like to clarify once again that the government will continue to actively seek humanitarian cooperation related to North Korea's food issue regardless of the political and military situation," he said.



Kwon expressed appreciation for WFP's efforts in improving North Korea's food security and called for continued interest in Pyongyang amid a global food crisis worsening due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukrainian crisis.



North Korea is known for chronic food shortages that have been apparently aggravated in recent years due to typhoons, flooding and the coronavirus pandemic.





Later in the day, Beasley met with South Korea's Agriculture Minister Chung Hwang-keun in Seoul and discussed how to boost cooperation on global food assistance, Chung's office said.



The WFP chief expressed appreciation for Seoul's 50,000 tons of rice aid to his agency last year, saying it was distributed to six nations, including Yemen, Ethiopia and Kenya.



South Korea also donated 50,000 tons of rice to the WFP this year, which is expected to be delivered to five nations in need, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. (Yonhap)
A post-mortem report is awaited in the preparation of a garda file in a murder investigation in Carrigaline.

42-year-old John Murphy Jnr of Seaview Avenue, Carrigaline, County Cork, was charged earlier this year by Detective Garda Ian Breen with the murder of his 27-year-old brother, Shane Murphy.

The charge sheet states that the murder occurred at the house at Seaview Avenue, Carrigaline, on Saturday March 26 2022, contrary to Common Law.

John Murphy Jnr is also charged with the attempted murder of his father, John Weeshie Murphy Snr, who is 75, also on Saturday at Seaview Avenue.

Now at Cork District Court, Sergeant John Kelleher said, We are awaiting a post-mortem report. It is not yet to hand. Defence solicitor, Frank Buttimer, asked, Are we down to one report?

Sgt Kelleher said he could not say if that was the only item outstanding the preparation of the garda file in the case.

Judge Olann Kelleher remanded the accused in custody until July 27 and said he would require an update in the matter at that stage.

John Murphy Jnr, who appeared in court by video link from prison said, Thanks judge. Appreciate it.

Detective Garda Breen testified previously that when he arrested, charged and cautioned the accused he made no reply to the murder and attempted murder charges or to either of the two other related charges brought against him.

The other two charges alleged that while committing the murder of Shane Murphy, he produced a knife capable of inflicting serious injury at the same date and place, and finally it was alleged in the fourth charge that while committing the attempted murder of John Murphy Snr, he also produced a knife capable of inflicting serious injury.

Both of these additional charges are contrary to Section 11 of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990. The murder and attempted murder charges were brought contrary to common law.

Mr Buttimer said at the first court appearance for the accused that while Mr Murphy was in custody he required medical treatment and he asked that the governor of Cork Prison to ensure he received any necessary medical treatment while in custody.
E-Invoicing Exchange Summit Europe: Europe on the Path towards a Common Model for Decentralised Exchange of E-Invoices and Tax Related Data?

E-Invoicing is no longer the future - it is happening now and at lightning speed. All around the world businesses and governments are benefitting from E-Invoicing and E-Reporting. Implemented in an efficient and consistent way, the opportunities start with real time early warning systems for fraud and lead to lean and cost saving invoicing and reporting processes.

In several European countries E-Invoicing is already mandatory or will become mandatory in the coming years. As good as this sounds, still there are challenges and hurdles to overcome: How can processes be standardised and optimised across Europe - and even globally - aiming to achieve a true interoperability which leads to benefits for all stakeholders?

The E-Invoicing Exchange Summit will be held in Lisbon from September 26 to 28, 2022. At this well established and global networking platform participants will get in-depth information about recent developments and future trends in the field of E-Invoicing.

Key topic to be covered

+ Europe heading towards a common model for decentralised exchange of E-Invoices and tax related data

+ What should be the next steps for truly global interoperability?

+ Continuous Transaction Controls: What (multinational) companies expect from tax authorities and solution providers

+ Key findings and recommendations following the European Commissions study on "VAT in the Digital Age"

+ Hyper automation trends enhancing performance in AP processes

+ Latest country updates from France, Belgium, Spain, Germany, Denmark, Poland, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, Serbia, the U.S., Middle East, and Africa

An exhibition of the leading industry partners in the field of E-Invoicing, payment and process automation will be featured.

More information on this E-Invoicing Exchange Summit: www.exchange-summit.com/europe
Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

Tourists watch smoke on the shoreline of Arcachon from the peer in Andernos-les-Bains, due to a forest wildfire near La Teste, southwestern France, on July 14, 2022. OLIVIER MORIN / AFP via Getty Images

Europe is in the midst of a climate-fueled heat wave that has ignited dangerous wildfires from Portugal in the west to Turkey in the East.

The fires come as EU Commissioner EU Commissioner Maros Sefcovic warned last Thursday that 2022 could be one of the continents worst years for extreme weather events like drought and wildfire because of the climate crisis, as AP News reported. The latest round of high temperatures comes less than a month after the continent experienced an early, fire-triggering heat wave in June.

Statistics show that since 2017, we have the most intense, intense forest fires ever seen in Europe. And that we unfortunately expect the 2022 forest fire season could follow this trend, Sefcovic said.

His words proved immediately prophetic. A week later, dozens of fires are raging in Portugal, fueled by record-breaking heat, as BBC News reported. Six hundred people were forced to evacuate their homes in Leiria.

A person stands near a wildfire in Leiria. Several wildfires swept across Portugal's central region, forcing the evacuation of hundreds, as firefighters struggled to put out flames at a time the country battles a sweltering heatwave https://t.co/TOHiq9TEcR  Rodrigo Antunes pic.twitter.com/75rdg1rHpU  Reuters Pictures (@reuterspictures) July 14, 2022

[E]verything burned, 77-year-old farmer Adelino Rodrigues from the municipality in central Portugal told BBC News. It looked like the end of the world.

As of Wednesday, the fire had burned through more than 7,400 acres, AP News reported. Wildfires are a regular occurrence in Portugal, where they killed more than 100 people in 2017. Since then, the country has worked to improve firefighting and forest management to avoid fatalities. However, this summer, hot air from Africa is causing temperatures to soar on the Iberian Peninsula. The thermometer was expected to hit 46 degrees Celsius in the Alentejo region Wednesday and Thursday, and 96 percent of the country has been experiencing severe or extreme drought since late June. While changed policy had successfully prevented fire deaths since 2017, one body was found in a charred part of the northern Aveiro region, BBC News reported.

I dont remember anything like what is happening today, 75-year-old Leiria retiree Joaquim Gomes said, as Metro reported.

Wildfires are also raging in neighboring Spain, where a fire began in the western Extremadura region Tuesday and spread into the province of Salamanca in the Castile and Leon region, Reuters reported Thursday. It has burned 9,900 acres and forced the evacuation of 49 children at a summer camp Thursday. More than 400 people were forced to flee the flames on Tuesday, AP News reported.

Most of Spain was under a high heat alert Wednesday, and its hottest day of the year is expected today, BBC News reported. But even before the most recent heat wave and fires, the country had seen an unusual number of blazes  nearly double the last decades average number of hectares have burned between January 1 and July 3.

The current heat dome first closed over Spain and Portugal, but is expected to spread, according to Metro.

It is affecting large parts of Europe and it will intensify, World Meteorological Organization spokesperson Clare Nullis said, as Metro reported.

European #heatwave

WMO's Members are providing forecasts and warnings.

Portugal had temperature of 44.6C yesterday, per @ipma_pt

Much of Spain expected to be above 40C today, says @AEMET_Esp

Heat accompanied by drought, wildfire risk, impacts on health and environment pic.twitter.com/rQfULU0Mqw  World Meteorological Organization (@WMO) July 13, 2022

In southwestern France, two blazes have burned nearly 4,000 hectares, BBC News reported, and around 1,000 firefighters are working to contain them.

The fires are still not under control, the local authority for the Gironde department said, as Reuters reported Thursday.

The blazes ignited Tuesday. The first, south of Bordeaux, forced 500 from their homes. The second, along the Atlantic coast, drove around 10,000 people from campsites Wednesday and Thursday.

Other campers woke us up at around 4:30 in the morning. We had to leave immediately and quickly choose what to take with us, fleeing vacationer Christelle told BFM TV, as Reuters reported Wednesday.

Deux importants feux de foret se sont declares au sud de Bordeaux 

Plus de 1,000 pompiers luttent contre les flammes

Image #Copernicus #Sentinel3 du 13 Juillet



2 #Wildfires broke out south of Bordeaux 

1,000+ firefighters are fighting the blazes

Sentinel-3 image of 13 July pic.twitter.com/i2WRIjvUyX  Copernicus EU (@CopernicusEU) July 14, 2022

There are also three major wildfires raging on Croatias Adriatic Coast, Reuters reported Thursday. At one point, flames swallowed a church tower briefly and residents fled in rubber boats, according to AP News.

A fire that broke out Wednesday on Turkeys southwestern Datca peninsula also forced 450 houses and 3,530 people to evacuate, Reuters reported. However, authorities say it is now under control.

Emergency crews continues to battle several wildfires in southwestern Turkey #Datca https://t.co/GBBXngu2ow pic.twitter.com/WRryah1KaV  ILKHA (@IlkhaAgency) July 14, 2022

A recent review of extreme weather events found that the uptick in heat waves was clearly attributable to the climate crisis. Another study published in Nature last week found that heat waves in Europe are increasing three to four times more quickly than at other places at similar latitudes. This is partly because the jet stream is dividing in half for longer.

Europe is very much affected by changes in atmospheric circulation, Columbia University climate scientist and study co-author Kai Kornhuber told Reuters. Its a heatwave hotspot.

And heat waves breed wildfires. The UN has warned that especially severe wildfires will increase by 30 percent by 2050 and 50 percent by 2100, largely because of warming temperatures due to the burning of fossil fuels.
South African media report commends growing win-win China-Africa relationship

Xinhua) 10:02, July 14, 2022

CAPE TOWN, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC)'s news section in a report has praised the win-win relationship that's growing between China and Africa, citing all-time high trade, poverty alleviation cooperation, and economic stimulation in Africa.

Despite all the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, China-Africa trade managed to reach an all-time high in 2021, and China has maintained its position as the largest investor in Africa over the past 10 years, read an opinion article published in July on the website of SABC News.

This comes when the continent is in dire need of direct foreign investment and job creation, it said.

According to data released by the General Administration of Customs of China, the total trade between China and Africa in 2021 reached 254.3 billion U.S. dollars, up 35.3 percent year on year, among which, Africa exported 105.9 billion dollars of goods to China, up 43.7 percent year on year.

The article further said China-Africa cooperation contributes to job creation in the continent, creating 18,562 jobs a year in Africa. This led to the reduction of unemployment, improvement in poverty alleviation efforts and drastic promotion in investment, said the article, adding that it also created "tangible evidence" in Africa's industrialization as well as gross economic development across various sectors.

China has lent support to Africa in terms of railways, roads, ports, dams, industries and digital connectivity, which has scaled down the global digital divide, and the country has close cooperation with Africa in science, education, culture, health, and other fields, it said.

According to the article, the win-win relationship is beneficial to each African country at the bilateral level. While Western countries continue their sanctions against Zimbabwe, the government of China aided Harare to develop its infrastructure in the sectors of telecommunications, energy and agriculture, it said.

"China's foreign policy stance to forge a win-win political and economic relationship with the continent has uprooted many African communities out of abject poverty," it said.

"Without a shadow of a doubt, China-Africa relations are blossoming," the article said.

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun)
A Japanese right-wing activist stages a rally in front of Korean Embassy in Tokyo in Jan. 31, 2021. Korea Times file



Fanatical Abe supporters are key members of anti-Korean hate group but have so far stayed silent after assassination



By Kang Hyun-kyung



The Consulate General of South Korea in Japan's Fukuoka prefecture created an uproar on July 8, the day when Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated by an unemployed 41-year-old Japanese man named Tetsuya Yamagami.



After the shocking news, South Korea's Consulate General uploaded a social media post warning Koreans in Japan about their safety, mentioning the possibility of anti-Korean hate crimes. It encouraged Koreans to stay safe and call the police or the consulate if they feel their safety is in danger.



The social media post raised eyebrows of both South Koreans and Japanese. Japanese, who were aware of the social media post, complained that the South Korean consulate general was treating Japanese people as potential criminals, while some called it hate speech. South Koreans were also left scratching their heads. They found it difficult to understand the necessity of such a warning, considering that the suspect who was caught at the scene is Japanese, not Korean. After furious reactions, the consulate removed the post.



Developments were made earlier this week as some of the investigation results concerning Yamagami's motives behind the shooting were made public. The suspect reportedly told investigators that he held a grudge toward a certain organization  which was later identified as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, better known as the Unification Church  because his mother has joined it and her "huge donations" to the organization had caused his family to go bankrupt.



Created in 1954 by Moon Sun-myung, a self-declared messiah, the Unification Church is a religious sect that began in Korea. Some call it a cult, but its members claim that it is a legitimate religious movement. The Unification Church began spreading to Japan in 1958 and Abe's maternal grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi, is known to have played a key role in its expansion.



The religious sect's link with Korea, ironically, served as a clue explaining the South Korean Consulate General's "early warning" about anti-Korean hate crimes as not being entirely baseless, albeit it was obvious that it issued the warning without knowing the Yamagami family's ties with the church. The fact that many of Abe's stalwart supporters are also core members of far-right hate groups has also fueled speculation that hate crimes against Koreans could be on the rise after the assassination.





People line up to offer flowers for late former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was shot while campaigning for a parliamentary election at Headquarters of the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party in Tokyo, on July 11. Reuters
What is fracking?

Fracking is a process of blasting water, chemicals and frac sand deep into the earth to break up sedimentary rock and access natural gas and crude oil deposits. The fracking industry, which has sought to promote the practice as safe and controlled, has preferred the term hydraulic fracturing.

Fracking emerged as an unconventional, relatively new and extremely popular technique only about 20 years ago in the U.S., after advances in technology gave it an unprecedented ability to identify and extract massive amounts of resources efficiently.

Fracking is one of the most important environmental issues today, and its a prime example of how a new technology that offers immediate economic and political benefits can outpace (often less obvious) environmental and health concerns.

Why is fracking so controversial?

Modern fracking emerged so quickly, faster than its impacts were understood. Just as importantly, once scientists, health experts and the public started to object with evidence of harm it was causing, business and government succeeded in perpetuating a message of uncertainty, that more research was necessary, further enabling the full speed ahead fracking juggernaut.

How does fracking impact the environment?

Frackings supporters have pushed an environmental angle, insisting that natural gas can be a bridge fuel, a cheaper, cleaner option than coal before we have a large-scale transition to renewable energy. This claim has some merit, as natural gas does emit much less carbon dioxide than coal or oil. However, it is still a fossil fuel, adding harmful emissions while the climate crisis worsens. Moreover, fracking wells leak methane, a greenhouse gas more than 25 times more potent than CO2.

Water



In order to break up rock formations one to two miles deep, a fracking operation requires millions of gallons amount of water. After its used, the resulting wastewater, which contains chemicals is pumped back into injection wells, sent to treatment plants, or can be dangerously dumped or spilled.

In 2016 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a report skewed friendly to industry in its language: Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas: Impacts from the Hydraulic Fracturing Water Cycle on Drinking Water Resources in the United States. The EPA acknowledged that drinking water contamination was possible, but ultimately came to this conclusion: Data gaps and uncertainties limited EPAs ability to fully assess the potential impacts on drinking water resources locally and nationally.

Earthquakes



According to the U.S. Geologic Survey, disposal of wastewater has caused an increase in earthquakes in the central U.S. Seismologists have reported that frackings initial blasting process can trigger earthquakes.

Air Pollution

In addition to methane, fracking releases many toxic contaminants into the air. EPA has acknowledged the public health threat, but a lack of urgent political pressure has sidelined the agency into advising on ways to control and reduce, rather than eliminate, the danger.

Toxic Chemicals



Fracking fluids contain unknown chemicals and known carcinogens such as benzene. Fracking companies havent been required to disclose their proprietary formulas, however. This is yet another example of how uncertainty serves as an enabling force. The EPA has identified more than 1,000 different chemicals used in fracking fluid.

Wildlife



Fracking can destroy wildlife habitats, pollute rivers and fisheries, poison birds, and use up water supplies that animals need to survive.

How does fracking affect the economy?



The fracking boom made the U.S. the worlds largest producer of oil and gas, reducing its energy imports from 26% to less than 4%. It has lowered oil and gas prices and created thousands of industry jobs. While fracking companies profited greatly at first, as prices dropped their margins collapsed. Many are now going bankrupt.

How is fracking regulated?



Congress has enabled the oil and gas industry to be exempt from such regulations as the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Fracking surged during the Obama administration, which moved to protect water from fracking on federal lands in 2015. Subsequently, the Trump administration sought to roll back protections and expand fracking on federal lands.

Key Examples of Fracking in the United States

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvanias Marcellus Shale is the source for about 40% of shale gas production in the U.S.

New York

While the Marcellus Shale also runs through New York, the state has banned fracking.

Texas

Texas produces more crude oil than any other state.

North Dakota

The Bakken Shale in North Dakota has been one of the main sites for the fracking boom and subsequent bust, leaving behind extensive environmental damage.

A recent report found that all 50 states could provide 100% (or even greater) in-state renewable energy.

Other Countries



Outside the U.S., only Canada, China and Argentina have commercial fracking operations. A UN report in 2018 said that other countries were highly unlikely to produce at such a large scale as the U.S., due to political and cultural factors, and existing infrastructure.

The Future of Fracking

While renewables were considered a solution for peak oil only a decade ago, fracking changed the terms of the debate, with a new focus from environmentalists to keep it in the ground starting in 2015.

The Biden administration now stands at a pivotal moment in the climate crisis. Bidens stance on fracking is not yet entirely clear, but he has rejoined the Paris agreement and appears to take climate seriously. At the same time, he is sympathetic to workers in fossil fuel industries, was vice president during the fracking boom years under Obama, and may be more inclined to seek a gradual transition than one fast enough to help solve the crisis.
Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

Ropes used for catching lobster in vertical buoy lines, in Vinalhaven, Maine in 2021. Jessica Rinaldi / The Boston Globe via Getty Images

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston has ruled to reinstate bans on lobster fishing gear in an area about 1,000 square miles off of the coast of Maine. The ban is a conservation measure meant to protect endangered right whales.

In 2021, the National Marine Fisheries Service, also known as NOAA Fisheries, put restrictions on lobster fishing gear, particularly vertical buoy lines. North Atlantic right whales can get entangled in these fishing lines, and there are fewer than 340 of the species left. The ban was meant to provide more protection for this endangered species.

In response, the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine put out a preliminary injunction that would halt the ban, but the federal court has just reinstated the ban on Tuesday, July 12.

Although this does not mean the balance will always come out on the side of an endangered marine mammal, it does leave plaintiffs beating against the tide, with no more success than they had before, the court stated, as reported by the Associated Press.

This is the second recent ruling in favor of right whales. Last week, a U.S. District judge ruled that the federal government must implement more rules to better protect the endangered North Atlantic right whale.

Lobster gear is a deadly threat to right whales, and the courts are telling the federal government to quit stalling and start taking real action, Kristen Monsell, an attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, said of last weeks ruling. The Biden administration has to work much harder to help the industry prevent these agonizing, deadly entanglements.

North Atlantic right whales feed in the waters around Canada and New England, then migrate south toward Florida to give birth. But their numbers are dwindling due to fishing entanglements and vessel strikes.

Because of these pressures and climate change, the species is growing smaller, too. Today, these whales are also about 1 meter shorter than they were just a few decades ago. The smaller size means lower numbers of offspring, further threatening population numbers.

The U.S. lobster fishing industry, worth about $500 million, is fighting the restrictions, saying they are concerned the rules could ruin the lobster industry and that the latest ruling is a distressing setback for the several hundred lobstermen who fish in that area, according to Patrice McCarron, executive director of the Maine Lobstermens Association.

Yet conservationists are requesting even stricter laws to protect the whales and praising the reinstated ban. Monsell noted that the ruling from Tuesday is a lifesaving decision for these beautiful, vulnerable whales.




China's soybean imports in June 23% down year-on-year due to weak demand



China's General Administration of Customs data showed soybean imports in June dropped 23% down year-on-year to 8.25 million tonnes due to weak demand and soaring global prices, Reuters reported.

In May, China imported 9.67 million tonnes of soybean, which was higher than June.

Brazil, China's top supplier of soybeans, saw production and exports suffer this year as a result of bad weather, and the world's largest consumer also saw significantly less demand than in the previous year.

In June 2021, soybean arrivals reached their third-highest level ever.

Most of the first half of the year saw significant losses for swine farmers, who have since reduced herd sizes.

Darin Friedrichs, co-founder of Shanghai-based agriculture consultancy Sitonia Consulting, said shipments from Brazil started to slow down in April and May as buyers watched the decline in crush margins.

When forward margins are negative, importers just buy what they need and don't want to accumulate large stocks, he said, adding that crushing margins are relatively low.

Since mid-April, China's crush margins have been declining, with crushers in Rizhao, a crucial hub for the northern soybean processing of Shandong, currently losing CNY 692 (~$103; CNY 1 = US$0.15) for every tonne of processed oilseed.

Buyers of soybeans crush the beans to produce soymeal and oil for cooking.

A China-based soybean trader who did not want to be identified, said despite a recent rise in hog prices that is increasing farming profits, demand for soymeal won't improve until swine inventories start to rise once more.

Recent price drops in edible oil have further reduced profits.

The trader said local crushers have stopped buying for the time being because it's very difficult to turn a profit.

The data showed that China imported 46.28 million tonnes of the oilseed in the first half of 2022, a decrease of 5.4% from the same period in 2021.

- Reuters




Swine and cattle numbers in Belgium decrease slightly



Data published by Belgium's federal statistical service, Statbel, showed cattle numbers in the country decreased by 25,000 last year or 1.1% lower to 2.3 million animals, while swine numbers dropped 2.5% lower to 6 million, The Brussels Times reported.

Breeding heifers, which are young cows used for breeding and either have not yet calved or have just calved for the first time, accounted for the majority of the decrease. These declined 16,811 fewer, or 67%.

The next biggest drops were seen in male cattle (8% down) and suckler cows (16% down).

All categories of swine saw population declines, with the exception of those weighing 20 to 50 kilogrammes, whose numbers rose by 11.8%. The percentage of sows covered fell by 3.4%, while the percentage of sows not covered rose by 3.1%. All of this seems to suggest that the swine herd will continue to decline.

Compared to 2020, poultry decreased by 0.4%. Even though the amount of poultry in Wallonia is growing every year, more than 80% of the stock is in Flanders.

According to Statbel data, the number of agricultural businesses in Belgium remained at more than 36,000 in 2021 as in 2020. More than half of the total agricultural area used is in Wallonia, while two thirds of these businesses are located in Flanders.

- The Brussels Times




Ukraine grain exports deal to be signed by Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the UN



Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations (UN) will sign an agreement that aims to resume shipments of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, but Antonio Guterres, UN chief, said there was still a long way to go before peace talks to end the war, Reuters reported.

Hulusi Akar, the Turkish Defense Minister, said the agreement, which is set to be signed next week, will reportedly include joint controls for inspecting shipments in ports and Turkey ensuring the security of Black Sea export routes. Along with Ukraine, Russia, and the UN, Turkey would establish a coordination centre for grain exports.

Prices for grains, cooking oils, fuel, and fertiliser have skyrocketed as a result of the conflict in Ukraine. 20 million tonnes of grain are stuck in silos at Odesa as a result of Russia's invasion and sea blockade, which has halted exports and left dozens of ships stranded.

Russia and Ukraine both contribute significantly to the world's supply of wheat, and Russia also exports a lot of fertiliser, while Ukraine also produces a lot of corn and sunflower oil.

A senior UN official described the talks in Istanbul as a "breakthrough," saying that most of the obstacles had been removed in the negotiations to resume Ukraine's Black Sea exports.

Before the talks on Wednesday, diplomats said specifics of the plan included Ukrainian ships directing grain ships into and out of mined port waters; Russia agreeing to a ceasefire while shipments move; and Turkey  supported by the UN  inspecting ships to alleviate Russian fears of weapons smuggling.

Ukraine raised hopes for an increase in grain exports despite Russia's closure of Black Sea ports by noting that ships had begun to pass through a crucial Danube river mouth.

The UN is also trying to make it easier for Russia to export grain and fertiliser.

Since the start of the war, Russia has kept up its grain exports, but there aren't many big ships because their owners are reluctant to send them there. The cost of insurance and freight has also significantly increased.

The US has offered to provide shipping companies and importing nations with written assurances that Russian grain and fertiliser are not subject to sanctions.

The wheat crop for 2022 is currently being harvested by farmers in both nations. The busiest months for traders to ship the new crop are typically July to November.

The upcoming harvest is also in danger because Ukraine is running out of storage space as a result of the suspension of exports.

- Reuters




Secured access to FMD vaccines in case diseases hits New Zealand, say officials

New Zealand has guaranteed access to vaccines for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) if it is detected here, according to biosecurity officials.

Concerns have been growing in Australia and New Zealand's primary industries since it was discovered in Indonesia in May. The disease, which can cause severe lameness and death in cloven-hooved animals including cattle, sheep, pigs and goats, was also recently confirmed in the holiday hotspot of Bali, Indonesia.

Officials fear contaminated soil could be brought back on people's shoes as they entered the country, leading to an outbreak.

Biosecurity New Zealand has launched an awareness campaign about the virus, requiring travellers to declare goods, equipment and food that could carry unwanted pests or diseases and state when they have been in contact with livestock.

There is also a one-week stand down period from the time that a person arrives from a country with the disease, to the time they go on to a farm in New Zealand.

Foot-and-mouth vaccines can protect cattle once the virus is detected on a farm, but are tricky to roll out - the virus has a number of strains and the vaccine needs to match the strain that is circulating to be effective.

Biosecurity NZ deputy director-general Stuart Anderson said if the disease was detected here, vaccines could be ready to roll out within days.

"We have 500,000-odd doses of vaccine covering the nine main strains of foot-and-mouth disease in the UK in a vaccine bank, which is available for our exclusive use, and they can rapidly ramp up manufacturing more if we were to need them," he said.

Anderson said the vaccines could be shipped to New Zealand "within a matter of days" if needed... (and) also within a matter of days, they would be manufacturing further doses for us."

"We also have arrangements with other countries to share vaccines, so that's Australia, Canada, the UK, the US and Ireland," he added. "We are all countries that actively work to keep foot-and-mouth disease out, and so we have an arrangement in place that if any of those countries needed vaccines, we would also support each other by allocating some of our doses to each other."

Anderson said the overall risk to New Zealand from the Indonesian outbreak remained low, but officials were keeping a close eye on it and were working closely with their Australian counterparts.

An outbreak could have a severe impact on New Zealand's economy. Treasury data from 2018 showed an outbreak lasting six months in the North Island alone could result in lost export earnings of $15 billion.

Westpac senior agricultural economist Nathan Penny warned the rural sector would be hard-hit if an outbreak was detected.

"When we think about the provinces that are heavily exposed to agriculture, their economies are less diverse than somewhere like Auckland, Wellington, or Christchurch, which have a lot more diverse economies, they've got manufacturing, they've got service centres, and the likes of those economies would rebound faster than provincial centres," Penny said.

"But that said, we do have some experience in dealing with these sorts of things, we've got recent experience in dealing with Mycoplasma bovis, we have got some of the best biosecurity systems in the world, and that could mean that there would be the possibility that rural regions could bounce back from this very quickly."

- Otago Daily Times
Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska made an emphatic appeal for unflagging global solidarity behind her country's struggle against Russia's aggression during her written interview with Yonhap News Agency, Thursday. Courtesy of Presidential Office of Ukraine



Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska made an emphatic appeal Thursday for unflagging global solidarity behind her country's struggle against Russia's aggression, stressing the "democratic values of the entire world" are at stake in the prolonged conflict.



In an exclusive written interview with Yonhap News Agency, the first of its kind with the Korean press, Zelenska cautioned against any apathy toward the war touched off by Russia's Feb. 24 invasion and delivered an impassioned message: "Do not get used to the war."



"I would like to emphasize that there is no place for a neutral position in this war," the wife of President Volodymyr Zelensky said. "You cannot dismiss it as something distant and irrelevant, because this war threatens not only Ukraine but also the democratic values of the whole world."



She then stressed Ukraine is in need of "everything," ranging from humanitarian aid and weapons to assistance for its post-war reconstruction.



The interview came as global attention appears to have relatively diminished compared with the initial stage of the war when the entire world was acutely aghast at the biggest conflict on European soil since the end of World War II in 1945.



Zelenska accentuated the importance of media attention, saying, "Indifference kills (people) indirectly."



"This is my message to the media  give Ukraine maximum coverage and do not stop," she said.



As part of her plea for Seoul's support, Zelenska drew a comparison between South Korea's experience of the 1950-53 war and the ongoing tragedy in Ukraine, saying the two countries have "a lot in common."



"You, like us, know what it's like to live next door to a neighbor who constantly threatens not only you, but the entire world with nuclear weapons," she said. "In the 1950s, the Western world came together to help South Korea win its war for freedom. Now the Western world has also united around Ukraine."



Since the outbreak of the war, Zelenska has been at the vanguard of efforts to spread information about the devastating repercussions of Russia's invasion and drum up global backing for Ukraine's grueling fight against an invading Russia and for its post-war rehabilitation.



Her current role marked a shift from the traditional first-lady activities centering on humanitarian and cultural realms, she said.



"Before the war, we worked to improve food at schools to make it healthier and more balanced, but now we have to think about how to protect our children from famine," she said. "Who would have thought that in the 21st century a first lady in a country in the center of Europe would face such tasks?"



"Humanitarian crises" are serious in Ukrainian cities occupied by Russia, she pointed out.



"I am simply scared to even imagine what is happening now in the occupied Ukrainian cities," she said. "The Russians create humanitarian crises ... so that people are forced to collect rainwater so that they don't die of thirst, so that people simply stop feeling like people."



Those crises have obviously taken a significant toll on children. Zelenska cited instances of a girl with gunshot wounds getting behind the wheel to drive four adults to safety and a women's youngest son taking care of his mother and older sister in the hospital.



"This is what we see every day in our news. All Ukrainian children instantly became adults on Feb. 24," she said.



Watching such ordeals, the first lady, a mother of two children herself, vowed to "fight for every child" and help the young generations overcome their "enormous trauma" inflicted by the ongoing tragedy.



"I would tell the children that we fight this war for the right to live in our own home, to speak our own language, to invite whoever we want as a guest," she said. "This is a fight for the right to be a free person."



Zelenska plans to host the virtual "First Ladies and Gentlemen Summit" on July 23 to discuss a wide range of issues related to the conflict, such as displaced people, education, children and women.



The transcript of her interview was written in Ukrainian and translated unofficially into English. (Yonhap)


Eight F-35A stealth fighters from the South Korean and U.S. air forces fly in formation during their combined air drills in this photo released, Thursday, by the South Korean Air Force. Courtesy of ROK Air Force



By Kang Seung-woo



The South Korean and U.S. air forces have conducted joint air drills featuring F-35A stealth fighters for the first time in an apparent show of force against North Korea's escalating nuclear and missile challenges.



According to the South Korean Air Force, Thursday, the allies staged four-day joint exercises from Monday with more than 30 fighter jets from the two sides in order to boost combined operational capability, while increasing interoperability of the F-35A  a fifth generation aircraft that is in service in both countries.



South Korea decided to purchase the 40 stealth fighter jets in 2013 under the F-X III program and completed their deployment in January.



Along with the respective F-35As, the F-15K, KF-16 and FA-50 from the South Korean Air Force and the F-16 from the U.S. side participated in the drills. Six U.S. F-35As arrived here last week to join the drills in the first public deployment of the U.S. stealth warplanes here since late 2017.



The exercises involved various maneuvers, including strike package and defensive counter air operations as well as airborne alert interdiction (XINT), according to the South Korean Air Force.



"The training is an important exercise that symbolizes the strong South Korea-U.S. alliance and combined defense posture," said Air Force Maj. Kwon Hae-bin from the 152nd fighter squadron of the 17th Fighter Wing.



"The pilots of the two countries were able to share the tactical and operational know-how of the fifth-generation fighters through the exercises," Kwon said.



Lt. Col. Ryan Worrell, a U.S. F-35A pilot from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, also said, "Our primary objective with training is to safely execute tactics between us and ROKAF F-35s to show our ironclad alliance."



Defense Ministry deputy spokesperson Col. Moon Hong-sik said, "It is expected that cooperation will be made through various methods in order to enhance the capability to carry out joint operations between South Korea and the U.S. and to strengthen these aspects of the combined defense posture."



The air drills came as Pyongyang has been inflaming tensions on the Korean Peninsula amid expectations that its seventh nuclear test is imminent. In addition, the North Korean military conducted artillery drills for the second straight day, Sunday and Monday, a move regarded as signaling its displeasure with the arrival of the U.S. F-35s.






As of July 1st of this year, Amazon has provided Ring footage to US law enforcement 11 times without user consent or a court order, according to a disclosure shared by Senator Edward Markey on Wednesday. The Massachusetts Democrat sent Amazon a letter last month with questions about the companys policies related to Ring and its relationships with police. Amazon responded to the letter at the start of July.

The disclosure marks the first time Amazon has shared this kind of information with the public. In its law enforcement guidelines , Ring says it reserves the right to immediately respond to police requests in cases where someone could die or suffer serious injury.

In each instance, Ring made a good-faith determination that there was an imminent danger of death or serious physical injury to a person requiring disclosure of information without delay, wrote Brian Huseman, Amazons vice-president of public policy, of the 11 videos. Huseman didnt say the specific footage Ring shared with police.

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Amazon's Ring products have made it more difficult to exist in public without being recorded. Ring revealed it provided law enforcement with user footage through a process not requiring user consent 11 times already this year. We cannot accept this surveillance as inevitable. https://t.co/zmP9hBU1kI  Ed Markey (@SenMarkey) July 13, 2022

In his letter, Markey asked Amazon to agree not to accept financial contributions from police or participate in sting operations. The company did not agree to those restrictions. In the past, Ring has actively courted partnerships with law enforcement and even gone so far as to author statements shared by police.

Its simply untrue that Ring gives anyone unfettered access to customer data or video, as we have repeatedly made clear to our customers and others, a Ring spokesperson told Engadget. The law authorizes companies like Ring to provide information to government entities if the company believes that an emergency involving danger of death or serious physical injury to any person, such as a kidnapping or an attempted murder, requires disclosure without delay. Ring faithfully applies that legal standard.

The news that Amazon shared footage with police without user consent at least 11 times this year is likely to add to the concerns many privacy experts have about the company. In 2021, the Electronic Frontier Foundation reported that the Los Angeles Police Department requested footage from Ring of Black Lives Matter protests captured by residential cameras.

Markey used the disclosure to call on lawmakers to pass the Facial Recognition and Biometric Technology Moratorium Act, a bill he introduced alongside Senator Jeff Merkley and Representatives Pramila Jayapal and Ayanna Pressley. As my ongoing investigation into Amazon illustrates, it has become increasingly difficult for the public to move, assemble, and converse in public without being tracked and recorded, said Markey. We cannot accept this as inevitable in our country.
Celsius has filed for bankruptcy protection a month after it paused all customer withdrawals and transfers, according to The Wall Street Journal. The crypto lending giant left almost two million users unable to access their funds back in June due to what it described as "extreme market conditions." Back then, the company said that freezing withdrawals would help stabilize the liquidity of its assets to, in turn, help it meet withdrawal obligations.

Celsius was one of the companies caught in the crypto crash, and it saw its token's value fall from $7 a year ago to $3 by early April this year. Based on the most current information from Coinbase, its token is now worth around 56 cents. As The Journal notes, Celsius offered much better yields than traditional banks to its customers  over 18.6 percent for deposits  and granted large loans backed by little collateral. That left the company with very little wiggle room to move when it felt the effects of the crypto downturn.

The crypto lender's board of directors explained that pausing withdrawals was difficult but necessary. They said when they filed for bankruptcy:

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"Without a pause, the acceleration of withdrawals would have allowed certain customers  those who were first to act  to be paid in full while leaving others behind to wait for Celsius to harvest value from illiquid or longer-term assets before they receive a recovery."

Since Celsius isn't seeking court approval for withdrawals, they will likely remain inaccessible as the company restructures under the chapter 11 process. While filing for bankruptcy protects Celsius from some enforcement actions by regulators, though, it will not prevent authorities from investigating the company. Texas State Securities Board's director of enforcement, Joseph Rotunda, said the agency will continue its probe into the crypto lender. The states of Alabama, Kentucky, New Jersey and Washington are also looking into Celsius after it cut off people's access to their money.
Joshua Schulte, the former CIA engineer arrested for what's being called the biggest theft of classified information in the agency's history, has been convicted by a federal jury. Schulte was arrested in relation to the large cache of documents that Wikileaks had published throughout 2017. That string of CIA leaks known as "Vault 7" contained information on the tools and techniques the agency used to hack into iPhones and Android phones for overseas spying. It also had details on how the CIA broke into computers and how it turned smart TVs into listening devices. A federal jury has found Schulte guilty on nine counts, including illegally gathering national defense information and then transmitting it.

According to The New York Times, Schulte was arrested after investigators traced the leaks to him. The former CIA engineer worked with a team in a secret building protected by armed guards to create tools, like malware, that were used to target the devices of suspected terrorists. In 2018, he was formally charged with 13 counts that included theft of classified information, obstruction of justice, as well as possessing and sending images and videos with child pornography. He's still awaiting trial on charges of possessing child pornography, which he allegedly downloaded from 2009 until March 2017.

Schulte's original trial back in 2020 was declared a mistrial after jurors couldn't come to an agreement regarding some of hist most serious charges, illegally gathering and transmitting national defense information included. After that event, the former CIA engineer had decided to represent himself. As part of his closing arguments, he told the jurors that the CIA and the FBI made him a scapegoat for their embarrassing failure, repeating what his side had been saying from the time he was arrested.

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While the judge, AP said, was impressed with his closing arguments, they weren't enough to get the jury on his side. In court, he argued that the government's case is full of holes and that he didn't even have motive to leak the CIA's hacking tools. Prosecutors, however, accused him of being a disgruntled employee who felt that he was disrespected when the agency ignored his complaints about his work environment. As retaliation, he allegedly tried "to burn [the CIA] to the ground." US Attorney Damian Williams said his actions rendered the "most valuable intelligence-gathering cyber tools used to battle terrorist organizations and other malign influences around the globe" essentially useless. Williams also accused Schulte of trying to leak more classified materials against the government while he was behind bars.

Schulte will have to face the court again to face charges related to possession of child pornography before a sentencing date can be set. The nine counts he was convicted of, however, are enough to keep him in prison for up to 80 years.
Nintendo has acquired the Japanese CG production company Dynamo Pictures and plans to rebrand it as "Nintendo Pictures," the company announced. Its aim with the new subsidiary is to develop visual content using Nintendo IP and focus on "the planning and production of visual content including CG animation." Dynamo worked with Nintendo before on the Metroid: Other M game also has credits on anime TV series like Evangelion: 2.0.

Nintendo is gearing up for its Super Mario Bros. movie starring Chris Pratt, which was recently delayed to April 2023. The live adaptation of Detective Pikachu based on the Pokemon franchise was successful enough that a sequel is in the works, but the last major cinema release was way back in 1993 with Super Mario Bros. starring Bob Hoskins.

Movies and TV series based on gaming IP are a popular trend at the moment, with movies like Sonic based on Sega's popular character seeing impressive success. Sony recently released an Uncharted film and HBO is producing a TV series based on The Last of Us starring Pedro Pascal. With its latest acquisition, Nintendo could be ready to bring more of its content to the small and big screens, which is (hopefully) good news for fans of its games.
Earlier this summer, physicians at NYU Langone were able to successfully transplant pig hearts into two recently-deceased humans. The medical team performed the procedures on June 16 and July 6, using special pig hearts that were genetically modified to be more acceptable for transplantation into a human body. Both the bodies were donated by recently deceased individuals and were placed on ventilator support so the efficacy of the pig hearts could be measured more accurately.

The study arrives as the field of xenotransplantation  or the act of transferring organs from one species to another  is under increased scrutiny. The first person to undergo a pig heart transplant died earlier this year, of what scientists believe was an adverse reaction to a drug to prevent rejection. The heart also contained DNA associated with a pig virus. Since the incident, the medical community has called for more meaningful research on the subject, as well as better safety protocols. Meanwhile, the FDA is considering approval of clinical trials for pig heart transplantation in humans, the Wall Street Journal reported last month.

Both human subjects  a 72-year-old Navy veteran and a 64-year-old retired New York City teacher  were monitored for three days before being taken off life support. Neither heart needed any outside support and functioned normally, which researchers are seeing as a promising sign for future research. Despite the NYU experiments positive outcome, surgeons cautioned that much more research is needed before pig heart transplants can be a viable alternative for people with heart disease.

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Justices stand at the Constitutional Court room in Seoul, July 12. Yonhap



The Constitutional Court was to hold an open hearing Thursday on whether to keep or abolish the death penalty, the first such debate in 12 years after the punishment was ruled constitutional twice in 1996 and 2010.



The case began as a man convicted of killing his parents filed a constitutional petition challenging capital punishment in 2019, together with the Committee for Justice and Peace of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, after prosecutors demanded the death penalty for him.



He was later sentenced to life in prison.



Korea is globally categorized as an "abolitionist in practice," having not carried out any death penalty since its last execution on Dec. 30, 1997. But capital punishment is still permissible under the law, and 60 people were serving time in prison at the end of 2020 after getting the death penalty.






Alex Edelman and Stephen Colbert are heading to the 92Y.

Alex Edelman is the comedian, writer, and actor that is currently in the middle of his second extension of his comedy show Just For Us. The show has captivated audiences everywhere, masterfully utilizing the perfect amount of comedy and heart to tell a powerful story. It is directed by Adam Brace, and it is produced by Mike Birbiglia, one of Edelman's self described favorite comedians.

Birbiglia's comedy is known for being incredibly personal and honest, so it makes sense that he is producing this incredibly open and telling piece of mastery. As is described on the show's website, through Just For Us, Edelman takes the audience through stories of:

"His Olympian brother AJ, an unconventional holiday season, and a gorilla that can do sign language - but at its center is an astonishing and frighteningly relevant story. After a string of anti-Semitic abuse is directed at Edelman online, he decides to covertly attend a gathering of White Nationalists in New York City, and comes face to face with the people behind the keyboards. The result is a hair-raising encounter that gives Just For Us its title, and final, jaw-dropping twist."

The show is a New York Times Critic's Pick. Edelman performed a piece of the show on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Now, he and Colbert are set to venture to the 92Y to talk about the show. The event will take place on July 17th at 6PM.

Tickets to Just For Us can be purchased here. It is currently running at the Greenwich House Theatre until August 26th.
When one talks about failed sequels, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull usually end up on the 'worst of lists.' And for good reason.

Screenwriter of the film David Koepp sat down with the Script Apart podcast and gave his two cents as to what he would have done differently, get rid of the alien plot. Koepp said,

"When I came on, I tried to convince [Spielberg and Lucas] to change it - I had this other idea. They didn't want to change it. I'm not saying mine would've been better. But I think that a lot of the pushback that movie got, in a larger sense aside from little things people might not have liked - that were too silly or whatever - the larger one was that [fans said], 'We don't feel like aliens should've been in an Indiana Jones movie.'"

If you remember anything about Indiana Jones, he was a globe-trotting archeologist who specialized in mostly Christian and Jewish artifacts. Not to say he couldn't get out of his comfort zone and study ancient alien remains, but it was kind of a stretch. And fans knew it.

Between the ridiculous 'nuke the fridge' scene, which also took over for the term 'jump the shark' with how silly it all was, the story was just sort of lame. Now that Harrison Ford is 80 - as of the day this article is published - people are curious what Logan director James Mangold has in store for the octogenarian adventurer. (Hope he has his Ensure and is, in fact, insured.)

Well, anyways, Happy Birthday to Harrison Ford! Be careful out there.
The sleeper horror film Orphan from 2009 has gotten a prequel titled Orphan: First Kill and the new trailer looks as intense as the original.

If you haven't seen the original film, which starred Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard as a mourning couple looking to adopt a 9-year-old girl after the loss of one of their children. But Ester, played by Isabelle Fuhrman, a seemingly sweet, well-mannered child, had a dark past which ends up as a major plot twist you might not see coming.

The film co-stars Julia Stiles, Rossif Sutherland, and Hiro Kanagawa and is directed by William Brent Bell.

According to the plot description:

"Unhinged woman Leena Klammer orchestrates a brilliant escape from an Estonian insane asylum and travels to America by stealing the identity of the missing daughter of a wealthy family. However, Leena's new life as "Esther" comes with an unexpected wrinkle and pits her against a mother who will do anything to protect her family at any cost."

What makes this PREQUEL so strange is that first played the role when she was just 10-years-old. Now, over a decade later she is reprising the role of a young girl and still looks exactly the same! She is 25 and it's jarringly impressive to see how they made her appear even younger.

You can check out the trailer and, if you feel like doing so, watch the first one if only for that insane twist ending.

Orphan: First Kill will be hitting theaters, Paramount+, and Digital Streaming on August 19.
The European Union will prevent Russia using a G20 meeting in Indonesia as a propaganda forum for its disinformation on the impacts of its war in Ukraine, a spokeswoman to the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrel said on Thursday (7 July). The G20 meeting is looking to tackle the wars impact on food and energy security, as well as the global economys recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and the ravages of climate change.

As the top US and Russian envoys gathered on Friday (8 July) for a Group of 20 foreign ministers meeting on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, the host launched the meeting telling them the Ukraine war must end and differences be resolved through negotiations. It is our responsibility to end the war sooner than later and settle our differences at the negotiating table, not the battlefield, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi directly addressed the war, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the room. Energy and food crises exacerbated by Russias invasion feature prominently on the agenda of the G20 meeting of foreign ministers, that were also attended by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. His spokeswoman stressed that Russian President Vladimir Putins appalling war of aggression against Ukraine excludes any business as usual, and will be clearly addressed.

Borrell has no meeting scheduled with Lavrov during the two-day gathering in Bali and there will also be no family photo of the G20 ministers as is customary. While the EU, the US and Western partners have snubbed Russian delegations in other international meetings since the invasion of Ukraine, the G20 was seen as an outreach opportunity to other countries that might be swayed by Moscows narrative. But Borrells spokeswoman stressed that we will not allow Moscow to abuse G20 as its own propaganda platform that would effectively put in doubts the groupings credibility, efficiency and relevance. As to the host countrys decision to invite Putin to a follow-up summit in Bali in November despite Western efforts to freeze him out, there was no question of the EU boycotting the G20, which was too important also for the developing countries and for the emerging economies, she added.

In a related but separate development, the Russian president has challenged (7 July) the West to try and defeat Russia on the battlefield and said Moscows intervention in Ukraine marked a shift to a multi-polar world. In a hawkish speech to parliamentary leaders, Putin also said that Russia had barely gotten started in terms of its war in Ukraine and dared the West to try to defeat it in warfare, while also insisting that Moscow was still open to the idea of peace talks. Responding to the Russian leaders aggressive remarks, Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the recent raising of the Ukrainian flag on Snake Island in the Black Sea was a sign his country would not be broken.
Resilient in a more challenging market

STOCKHOLM, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "The war in Ukraine has accelerated the slow down in the global economy and introduced new challenges and risks. Public markets have seen a sell off, the financing markets are more restrictive, and as a result, activity levels in private markets have slowed down. EQT is continuing to prepare portfolio companies for a downturn, while actively evaluating new investment opportunities. Our undivided attention is on generating continued resilient returns for our clients across cycles through our thematic investment strategy."

Christian Sinding,CEO and Managing Partner

Highlights for the period Jan-Jun 2022 (Jan-Jun 2021)

Financial

Adjusted total revenue amounted to EUR 733m ( EUR 711m ). Total revenue (according to IFRS) was EUR 733m ( EUR 709m ). In H1 2022, Exeter contributed six months of revenues vs. three months in H1 2021, which was partly offset by lower carried interest in H1 2022, while H1 2021 included retroactive management fees related to 2020

( ). Total revenue (according to IFRS) was ( ). In H1 2022, contributed six months of revenues vs. three months in H1 2021, which was partly offset by lower carried interest in H1 2022, while H1 2021 included retroactive management fees related to 2020 Adjusted EBITDA amounted to EUR 413m ( EUR 492m ), corresponding to a margin of 56% (69%). EBITDA was EUR 332m ( EUR 437m ), corresponding to a margin of 45% (62%)

( ), corresponding to a margin of 56% (69%). EBITDA was ( ), corresponding to a margin of 45% (62%) Adjusted net income amounted to EUR 363m ( EUR 433m ). Net income (according to IFRS) was EUR 234m ( EUR 361m )

( ). Net income (according to IFRS) was ( ) Reported basic earnings per share amounted to EUR 0.236 (EUR 0.372) . Diluted earnings per share amounted to EUR 0.236 (EUR 0.372)

. Diluted earnings per share amounted to Net debt amounted to EUR 57m ( EUR 113m )

Strategic

EQT announced the combination with Baring Private Equity Asia (BPEA), creating a scaled platform in Asia . As of 30 June 2022 , BPEA had EUR 20bn in AUM and 248 FTE+. The transaction is expected to close in Q4 2022

. As of , BPEA had in AUM and 248 FTE+. The transaction is expected to close in Q4 2022 EQT launched EQT Active Core Infrastructure - a longer-hold fund targeting core infrastructure companies providing essential services to society

EQT completed the acquisitions of Life Sciences Partners (LSP), a leading European life sciences venture capital firm, Bear Logi, a value-add logistics team focused on the Japanese and Korean market, and Redwood Capital Group (RCG), a US-based residential value-add and core plus investment manager

EQT priced a total of EUR 1.5bn of sustainability-linked bonds to fund, together with the issue of ordinary shares, the BPEA consideration

Fundraising

Assets under management (AUM) increased to EUR 77bn ( EUR 71bn ), of which EUR 2bn relates to LSP's AUM per 30 June 2022

( ), of which relates to LSP's AUM per Fundraising was initiated for EQT X, EQT Ventures III, EQT Active Core Infrastructure and EQT Exeter US Industrial Value VI

Fundraising continued for EQT Growth, EQT Future and various funds within the business line EQT Exeter, including EQT Exeter US Industrial Core-Plus IV

EQT set the target fund size and the hard cap for EQT X at EUR 20.0bn and EUR 21.5bn , respectively. As of 30 June 2022 , EQT X had closed out commitments of EUR 10bn which are not included in AUM

Investment and exit activity1

Total announced investments by the EQT funds amounted to EUR 5bn ( EUR 7bn ), including the acquisitions of Envirotainer (EQT X), SPT Labtech (EQT IX), InstaVolt and Stockland Retirement Living (EQT Infrastructure V)

( ), including the acquisitions of Envirotainer (EQT X), SPT Labtech (EQT IX), InstaVolt and Stockland Retirement Living (EQT Infrastructure V) EQT X is expected to be activated and start charging management fees in Q3, upon closing of its first investment

Total gross fund exits announced in the period amounted to EUR 4bn ( EUR 10bn ), and includes the exits of IFS and WorkWave, and Facile.it (EQT VIII)

1) Inkluderar transaktioner som stangt samt dar avtal ingatts, om inte annat anges

Investment performance

All key funds continued to perform On plan or Above plan

During the first half of the year, fund valuations were generally supported by strong operational performance among portfolio companies, and certain exits at valuations above fund valuations, offset by lower public market valuation references

In Private Capital, EQT VII was marked 0.1x lower at 2.7x Gross MOIC, and EQT VIII was marked 0.2x lower at 2.4x Gross MOIC during H1 2022 whereas EQT IX was flat at 1.4x Gross MOIC

In Real Assets, EQT Infrastructure II was marked 0.1x lower at 2.1x Gross MOIC, EQT Infrastructure IV was marked 0.1x higher at 1.5x Gross MOIC, and EQT Infrastructure V was marked 0.1x higher at 1.1x Gross MOIC during H1 2022 whereas EQT Infrastructure III was flat at 2.7x Gross MOIC

People and future-proofing

The number of full-time equivalent employees and on-site consultants (FTE+) increased and amounted to 1, 14 Jul. (1,004) - at the end of the period, of which 1,356 (938) were FTEs. LSP, Bear Logi and RCG accounted for approximately 100 FTE+ as of 30 June 2022

Brooks Entwistle was elected as a new Board member of EQT AB, subject to regulatory approvals, while Edith Cooper left the Board

was elected as a new Board member of EQT AB, subject to regulatory approvals, while left the Board EQT AB established a Sustainability Committee, marking the first Board-level commitment to sustainability in the private markets industry

Christina Drews joined EQT and the Executive Committee as Chief Operating Officer (COO), bringing with her nearly 30 years of experience in the financial industry

joined EQT and the Executive Committee as Chief Operating Officer (COO), bringing with her nearly 30 years of experience in the financial industry EQT promoted Masoud Homayoun to Head of Value-Add Infrastructure Advisory Team, effective upon the end of the commitment period of EQT Infrastructure V. Lennart Blecher will continue to be Head of Real Assets Advisory Team and a member of EQT's Executive Committee

will continue to be Head of Real Assets Advisory Team and a member of EQT's Executive Committee Alexandra Lutz assumed responsibility for Motherbrain, EQT's own AI-driven investment platform

assumed responsibility for Motherbrain, EQT's own AI-driven investment platform Two of the EQT funds' portfolio companies, Melita and AFRY, set validated science-based targets (SBTs)

Events after the reporting period

Investment level in key funds as of 14 July 2022 were 0-5% in EQT X based on target fund size, 85-90% in EQT IX, and 70-75% in EQT Infrastructure V

were 0-5% in EQT X based on target fund size, 85-90% in EQT IX, and 70-75% in EQT Infrastructure V EQT X closed out commitments representing about two thirds of the fund size and active fundraising is expected to be materially concluded in 2022, with final close expected in 2023

Presentation of EQT AB's Half-year Report 2022

Financial analysts and media are invited to participate in a conference call, including a presentation at 08:30 CEST.

The presentation and a link to follow the webcast and conference call live can be found here and a recording will be available afterwards.

To participate by phone, please use the following dial-in details below, at least 10 minutes in advance.

Sweden: +46 850 510 030UK: +44 1212818004

Information on EQT AB's financial reporting

The EQT AB Group has a long-term business model founded on a promise to its fund investors to invest capital, drive value creation and create consistent attractive returns over a 5 to 10-year horizon. The Group's financial model is primarily affected by the size of its fee-generating assets under management, the performance of the EQT funds and its ability to recruit and retain top talent.

The Group operates in a market driven by long-term trends and thus believes quarterly financial statements are less relevant for investors. However, in order to provide the market with relevant and suitable information about the Group's development, EQT publishes quarterly announcements with key operating numbers that are relevant for the business performance (taking Nasdaq's guidance note for preparing interim management statements into consideration). In addition, a half-year report and a year-end report including financial statements and further information relevant for investors is published. Finally, EQT also publishes an annual report including sustainability reporting.

Contact:Kim Henriksson, CFO, +46 8 506 55 300Olof Svensson, Head of Shareholder Relations, +46 72 989 09 15EQT Shareholder Relations, shareholderrelations@eqtpartners.com Rickard Buch, Managing Director, Communications, +46 72 989 09 11EQT Press Office, press@eqtpartners.com, +46 8 506 55 334

This is information that EQT AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact persons set out above, at 07:00 CEST on 14 July 2022.

About EQT

EQT is a purpose-driven global investment organization focused on active ownership strategies. With a Nordic heritage and a global mindset, EQT has a track record of almost three decades of delivering consistent and attractive returns across multiple geographies, sectors and strategies. EQT has investment strategies covering all phases of a business' development, from start-up to maturity. EQT today has EUR 77 billion in assets under management across 36 active funds within two business segments  Private Capital and Real Assets.

With its roots in the Wallenberg family's entrepreneurial mindset and philosophy of long-term ownership, EQT is guided by a set of strong values and a distinct corporate culture. EQT manages and advises funds and vehicles that invest across the world with the mission to future-proof companies, generate attractive returns and make a positive impact with everything EQT does.

The EQT AB Group comprises EQT AB (publ) and its direct and indirect subsidiaries, which include general partners and fund managers of EQT funds as well as entities advising EQT funds. EQT has offices in 23 countries across Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Americas and 1,471 employees. More info: www.eqtgroup.comFollow EQT on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/eqt/r/eqt-ab--publ--half-year-report-2022,c3601071

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Foreign exchange analysts at Credit Suisse do not expect a new Prime Minister will be able to trigger a re-rating of the UK economy or Sterling with economic concerns continuing. It does, however, see scope for a more aggressive Bank of England (BoE) monetary policy with a larger August rate hike which would limit scope for Sterling selling, especially against the Euro.

It expects the Pound to Dollar (GBP/USD) exchange rate to post fresh 2-year lows amid dollar strength, but with less chance that the Pound to Euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate will lose ground.

It notes; While we still look for GBPUSD to slide towards 1.1700 as per our Q3 Outlook, we now suspect EURGBP is unlikely to push beyond 0.8700 as we had initially expected, and instead see it now centred close to 0.8450.(1.1835 for GBP/EUR).

Political Fog Continues, GBP Re-Rating Unlikely

Credit Suisse notes the high degree of political uncertainty as the Conservative Party holds an election over the summer to choose a new Prime Minister.

The bank is sceptical whether a new leader can resolve the major fundamental concerns including a very weak trade position and Brexit concerns, especially given different factions within the Party.

It adds; The bottom line is that the market does not have clear visibility yet as to whether any of the possible replacements for Johnson has the political will or skill to move to the UK to a new place where its fragilities can be countered.

In this context, it is doubtful whether there will be a major Sterling impact.

It adds; We find it hard to imagine a new leader emerging with both the desire and the authority to make radical policy shifts that could meaningfully impact GBP.

BoE Hints of More Aggressive Policy

With expectations that fiscal policy will have only a limited impact, Credit Suisse expects that monetary policy will dominate the Sterling outlook.

It notes that the Bank of England (BoE) has decided to stick with 25 basis-point rate hikes this year and deciding to draw back from the possibility of more aggressive 50 basis-point hikes. According to the bank, this lack of decisive action has tended to undermine Sterling support.

The bank does note that BoE Governor Bailey was more hawkish in comments on Tuesday with stronger hints that there could be a decision to increase rates by more than 25 basis points at the August meeting. A more aggressive stance would be important in underpinning the Pound.

According to Credit Suisse; for Bailey to acknowledge this in this direct fashion is a new thing that might finally give GBP a reason to hold some ground.
Child porn website operator Son Jong-woo / Yonhap





A 26-year-old man responsible for running one of the world's largest child sexual abuse websites has appealed a two-year prison term sentenced for concealing criminal proceeds, court officials said Thursday.







Son Jong-woo filed the appeal with the Seoul Central District Court on Wednesday from a detention center he was put into last week after the court convicted him for hiding the money he had raised from selling child exploitation materials while operating "Welcome to Video."







Prosecutors had already appealed the sentence.







Son was released in July 2020 after completing an 18-month sentence for running the dark web website inaccessible by regular web browsers, where more than 250,000 videos of minors being sexually abused were uploaded and sold to over 1.28 million users.







Two months before Son's release, his father filed a criminal complaint, accusing the son of hiding criminal proceeds. The move was apparently aimed at preventing him from being extradited to the United States, where he was largely expected to serve a longer prison term.







Korea's justice ministry has since rejected a U.S. request for Son's extradition.







On July 5, the court found Son guilty of hiding about 400 million won ($305,000) that he had raised from selling child exploitation materials online by turning them into cryptocurrencies.







He was also convicted of using about 5.6 million won from the criminal proceeds for online gambling.







Son was originally arrested back in March 2018, when the U.S. Department of Justice traced the exchange of cryptocurrency. Law enforcement from across the globe worked together to rescue at least 23 underage victims, and hundreds of people in a dozen countries were arrested for using the website. (Yonhap)






Thursday, July 14, 2022

Book Printing Has Changed  and Author Planning Must, Too!

Any printer can put ink on paper. The question should be asked: is the printer committed to the craft of building amazing books? On the AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing podcast, Tim Hewittsales representative for the Rocky Mountain region of Friesens is featured. Friesens serves the needs of publishers across North America using the latest equipment operated by a highly skilled team of prepress, press, and bindery experts and delivers exceptional quality short-run projects throughout the USA and Canada.

Your takeaways include:

 Why EVERY author must plan their printing needs much farther ahead than originally thought was needed.

 Heres the good. Book demand across many categories and media has been phenomenal. Books are not dead, they are thriving.

 Decades ago publishers searched out cheaper printing overseas. Discover what has changed.

 How one cargo ship stuck in a canal for 100 days wrecked the fine balance and create ripples everywhere.

 Why there are delays in printing books today.

 How to work with a printer to collaborate on projects and trust their advice.

If you dont want you and your book to be ignored, then the AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing podcast is for you. Judith Briles has lots to share in this episode of the AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing podcast.

see all) Latest posts by Judith Briles
New York, NYWorld renowned inventor and technological genius Michael J. Freeman says it is time to bring American elections into the 21st century with online voting for all.

"Sadly, tens of millions of Americans have little to no confidence in how American elections are run and most Americans think the election process is flawed and rigged against everyday people," says Freeman. "For the sake of our democracy we must restore faith into the election process, and it starts with an iron-clad online voting system."

Dr. Freeman believes the online system would eliminate any doubt and be as secure as your bank account. Before a person considers themselves to be a Democrat, Republican, or Independent, they are an American first. The solution is a bi-partisan approach, which, based on current politics, is a breath of fresh air.

Dr. Freeman's inventions have touched nearly everyone living today in some way. He created touch-tone telephony (i.e. voicemail), the core technology that made computers speak, and invented the first smart-toy, the 2-XL Robot, considered by the toy industry as one of the top 10 most significant toys ever. Freeman sees technological trends ahead of his peers and has been called "one of the few living inventors having affected the most people." Freeman is also a noted expert in artificial intelligence and robotics.

HOW IT WOULD WORK: Citizens could vote at their leisure up to 30-days before Election Day from anywhere in the world. Military personnel, American travelers, shut-ins, those lacking an official government issued ID (but eligible to vote) or those displaced would all be able to vote from anywhere using any smart device, a hotel computer, a library computer, or even a touch-tone phone.

Anyone who has filed an IRS tax return, applied for Obamacare (Affordable Care Act), had a COVID shot, received a stimulus check, been arrested, gotten an unemployment check, filled out a census report, paid social security tax, attended a public school, and more, are already in an accessible database. Those few not in any such database, who wish to vote, would have to identify themselves and register. The system will take it from there.

Once on the voting site (such as AmericaVotes.gov) users will have to generate a username (perhaps their email address or social security number) and create a password. After inputting their name and current address, the system will determine their congressional district, voter eligibility, and display the applicable slate of candidates. Electoral College and referenda are inclusive. Referenda could be on any topic and provide a good poll of what the nation thinks. Voters then simply check off the boxes of the candidates of their choice (or answers to referenda), can vote down party lines, or even write-in (type in) candidates would be accepted. According to Freeman the system would be easy, secure, and enjoyable.

Freeman says "The overall software that tallies votes would be open architecture and verifiable at every level and at any time."

"America is the democratic stalwart of the world, so if its elections are not fully trusted here, democracy will fail globally," says Dr. Freeman. Democracy is under pressure worldwide and some elections are more suspect than others. An online system such as Freeman is proposing would bring much needed integrity and trustworthiness back to voting. Freeman says "It makes no difference if past US elections involved cheating or not (as some have claimed); either way the system must be secure and above reproach and my proposed system will work."

Dr. Freeman says he has no desire to make such a system proprietary or for profit. He would license the cornerstone of the system to the U.S. government on a royalty free basis and do the same for other democratic governments worldwide.

About Michael J. Freeman, PhD. Dr. Freeman received his bachelor's degree in Economics and Management from the City College of New York, an MBA in Economics and technology from Bernard Baruch College and received his doctorate from the City University of New York in 1977. He has taught at Baruch College, Hofstra University, and Cornell University NY Extension Division and holds 42 commercialized patents. He is married with five children and three grandchildren.

He has been featured by many media outlets including Time Magazine, Business Week and Kiplinger's Magazine. He's been interviewed by the late Larry King and was a guest on the Phil Donahue Show talking about his numerous inventions. Larry King said, "Dr Michael Freeman is a National Genius" and Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock) said Dr Freeman had "Uncanny Insight." Learn more about Dr. Freeman at: FreemanBook.org or on Wikipedia at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_J._Freeman or Baruch Magazine: https://blogs.baruch.cuny.edu/bcam/2015/11/03/making-learning-fun/ or go to www.KingTranscript.com. Watch for Dr. Freeman's new book this Fall.

Media Contact: To arrange an interview with Dr. Michael J. Freeman please contact Scott Lorenz of Westwind Communications Book Marketing at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or by phone at 248-705-2214. Reach Lorenz on twitter @abookpublicist

Editors please note: The information within this press-release and the FreemanBook.org website is non-copyrighted and may be quoted and used, but credit must be given to Michael J. Freeman Ph.D.
A bankruptcy judge has ordered San Antonio accountant Carl N. Merkles release from jail after more than 7 months.

Merkle, 65, had been jailed since Dec. 6 for refusing to purge himself of a civil contempt-of-court charge by paying a $7,500 fine stemming from a dustup with the judge in his 2016 bankruptcy case.

Merkle had refused to pay, but his wife this week sent a $7,500 cashiers check to the Chapter 7 trustee overseeing the case. Trustee Johnny Thomas advised the court he received the check, prompting Chief U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Craig Gargotta to issue an order for Merkles release.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio CPA  who calls himself Gods Fraud Auditor  jailed more than 100 days for refusing to pay $7,500 court fine

Merkle has called himself a prophet who takes orders directly from God. He has said he was anointed Gods Fraud Auditor.

I obey God, not man, Merkle told the judge at a March 22 hearing when asked if he was prepared to pay the sanction. Gargotta sent him back to jail.

The contempt of court occurred at a chaotic Oct. 5 hearing. A transcript of the proceeding, held by telephone, shows Gargotta and Merkle talked over each other until the judge commanded him to Shut up.

When Merkle accused the judge of being hostile, Gargotta levied a $2,500 sanction.

The judge doubled the amount after Merkle said he didnt care, then raised it to $7,500 when Merkle repeated himself.

Gargotta gave Merkle 45 days to pay. When he didnt, the judge held him in contempt and sent him to jail.

Olena Ilchenko, Merkles wife, said in an interview after the March 22 hearing that he didnt have the money to pay the fine.

She started a GoFundMe page to raise $10,000 for him. She raised more than $4,200.

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S.A. VOTES Voter Guide: What to know for the Texas runoff election A breakdown of key state and local races and candidates in the May 24 primary runoff.

Reached by phone Thursday, Ilchenko said she could not talk because she was driving to the Karnes County Detention Facility to pick up her husband.

Merkle has been licensed as a certified public accountant by the state of California for more than 38 years. Hes been an Internal Revenue Service auditor, an enforcement accountant with the Securities and Exchange Commission and was a senior manager with Ernst & Young in the 1990s when it ranked as a Big Six accounting firm, his LinkedIn page shows.

In his 65-page bankruptcy petition in 2016, Merkle listed assets of almost $1.6 million and debts of nearly $1.5 million, giving him a net worth of less than $100,000.

He filed for bankruptcy protection to stop the foreclosure of a San Antonio apartment complex, the 28-unit Northeast Village Apartments at 4535 Schertz Road.

In his advisory to the court, Thomas, the trustee, noted that written on the cashiers check was extraneous and inaccurate information which caused concern. Thomas didnt elaborate in his filing or when reached for comment.

pdanner@express-news.net
After consolidating recently acquired companies offering a mix of data backup and recovery services, San Antonio cybersecurity firm Jungle Disk is rebranding as CyberFortress.

The new company is born from the acquisition of software companies KeepItSafe, LiveVault and OffsiteDataSync assets from Los Angeles tech holdings company J2 Global Inc.

Bret Piatt, president, CEO and chairman, said in an interview CyberFortress is the largest privately held software technology company in San Antonio.

Wednesdays news follow the March announcement of plans to move the company into a 4,000-square-foot former Mexican restaurant on South Presa Street in Southtown. Piatt said Wednesday the move is on track for next year.

On ExpressNews.com: FORCECON at Port San Antonio brings military, tech companies, academia together to speed innovation

CyberFortress currently has about 30 employees based in its tech district headquarters on Houston Street. Its global workforce includes about 130 people across Europe, Australia and New Zealand. He said the company expects to hire more employees soon.

We love operating in the city and we believe theres great potential here to build and grow, said Piatt, an ex-Rackspace Technology employee who has a team of co-workers who are also former Rackers.

The consolidation and name change represents a shift in the companys long-term business plans.

Were now a software company focused on backup and disaster recovery and thats one piece of an overall cybersecurity strategy, he said.

An increase in cyber threats and increasing digitalization amid the coronavirus pandemic has made the segment larger and more competitive. Key players include Oracle Corp., Dell, IBM and Microsoft. The global market is forecast to reach $22.22 billion by 2030, according to Reports and Data, a market research firm in New York.

Today, businesses of all sizes store data on software-as-a-service, or SaaS apps, laptops, servers, smartphones and the cloud as workforces continue the shift to remote work. That can mean a heightened threat of cyberattacks.

Most companies also are using a variety of software-based services. Small businesses use accounting software like Quickbooks, for example, while medium and larger ones might use cloud-based SalesForce for customer relationship management, or CRM, which involves tracking client data. The majority of companies use Microsofts cloud services  and those require data backup.

Piatt said companies have been struggling to manage their growing troves of data and recover it when disaster strikes. The market lacked a comprehensive solution.

S.A. VOTES Voter Guide: What to know for the Texas runoff election A breakdown of key state and local races and candidates in the May 24 primary runoff.

All of those types of applications require different types of data backup solutions, he said. But before today, businesses had to figure out how to buy, four, eight, 12 products. Now, they can come to CyberFortress.

In a news release announcing the changes, CyberFortress said it provides coverage for all of a company's data protection needs, no matter its size ... and recovery can take as little as 15 minutes.

New York-based Rochester Gynecologic and Obstetric Associates is a client that was highlighted in the announcement.

As a health care provider with more than 40,000 patient records, it is our responsibility to ensure that our patient business records are protected in the event of an IT failure, said Deborah Beyer, practice administrator. Should a catastrophic event occur, data preservation, business continuity and patient privacy is our first concern.

eric.killelea@express-news.net
Christopher Chris Pettit, the ex-San Antonio attorney facing allegations that he stole tens of millions of dollars from his clients, finally made an appearance in his huge bankruptcy case  albeit by telephone.

He attended a Wednesday court hearing to address the Chapter 11 trustees emergency motion asking him to show why he shouldnt be held in contempt for withdrawing $125,000 from a retirement account after filing for bankruptcy protection.

Other than confirming his presence and stating his name, Pettit let his bankruptcy lawyer, Michael Colvard, do the talking during the nearly two-hour proceeding.

Robbie Ward, one of Pettits criminal defense lawyers, also attended but did not participate.

Pettits alleged misdeeds have triggered an FBI investigation. Since being sued about a dozen times for fraud or breach of fiduciary duty by clients this spring, Pettit filed bankruptcy for himself and his law firm, surrendered his law license and closed his offices.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio lawyer faces multiple lawsuits for allegedly stealing millions from clients

He reported $27.8 million in assets and $115.2 million in his personal bankruptcy in the June 1 petition, making it one of the largest ever in San Antonio. His law firm listed $13.8 million in assets and $111.6 million in liabilities. The cases are being jointly administered.

Pettit had been practicing law for about 31 years before it all imploded. He specialized in estate-planning and personal-injury cases.

He has has been living in Florida  where he reported owning a Disney World mansion that until recently had been listed for sale for $8.9 million.

Hell be returning to San Antonio soon, however. He has to appear in person for a creditors meeting Wednesday, after which hes expected to be in Chief U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Craig Gargottas courtroom when the hearing resumes.

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No ruling

Gargotta didnt rule on the Chapter 11 trustees contempt motion Wednesday. He is expected to hear evidence on the request next week. Pettit could be called to testify.

He reported in his individual bankruptcy that he had about $95,000 in an individual retirement account and nearly $635,000 in a 401(k) plan, both with Fidelity Investments.

He took $125,000 of that money, Chapter 11 trustee Eric Terry reported. Terry and Pettits lawyer disagreed over whether Pettit had the right to take the money.

Pettit has claimed the retirement money as exempt from his bankruptcy estate  meaning its his to keep. Assets deemed nonexempt can be used to pay creditors.

Generally, most retirement accounts are protected from creditors. Nevertheless, Terry needs to investigate whether anything other than Pettits salary  such as money belonging to his clients  went to fund the accounts.

On ExpressNews.com: Ex-San Antonio lawyer was one-stop fraud shop, trustees representative says

Patrick Huffstickler, an attorney for Terry, argued that all of the assets Pettit brought into the bankruptcy estate should be under control of the trustee  regardless of whether theyre exempt. The deadline for the trustee and creditors to object to Pettits claims to exempt property has not passed, Huffstickler added.

We were shocked

Frankly, we were shocked to see these transactions, he told the judge. We simply want to stop the outflow of any assets from the estate, and we want to basically get the information on where the money that has been withdrawn has gone. Weve got a lot of information on that, but some of it is still opaque.

Colvard, Pettits bankruptcy lawyer, said his client transferred some of the retirement money to Marthas Vineyard Bank in Massachusetts then used it to pay mortgages and insurance premiums. Some of the money also went to pay Pettits former employees who went unpaid when his law offices abruptly closed, Colvard said.

While agreeing the deadline to file objections on exempt property hasnt passed, Colvard said there have been not been objections to any exemptions Pettit has claimed so far.

Theyre funds belonging to Mr. Pettit, Colvard told the judge. They are not property of the bankruptcy estate, and they are rightfully excluded.

Pettit has $400 in his pocket, Colvard added. He has other needs. He has a son. And they need to basically have some cost of living and a budget. He simply cant be put on the street (and) not allowed to use his property, which is claimed as exempt and which, unless otherwise shown, is exempt or excluded from the bankruptcy estate.

Huffstickler disputed Colvards take.

All of these transfers were unauthorized, inappropriate, (and) violated the bankruptcy code, he said.

On ExpressNews.com: Clients considered San Antonio lawyer Chris Pettit a friend, family confidante. Then it changed.

S.A. VOTES Voter Guide: What to know for the Texas runoff election A breakdown of key state and local races and candidates in the May 24 primary runoff.

Wanted $40,000 monthly

Pettit sought $40,000 a month for his living expenses, Huffstickler said, a figure he considered  a nonstarter.

Colvard agreed that amount was excessive and suggested a $12,000 budget. Pettit also wanted $7,500 to cover the funeral expenses of his brother, Charles Joseph Pettit, who recently died. He was 49. Chris Pettits two other brothers are deceased.

The remaining $4,500 would allow Pettit to return to San Antonio and pay his bills for a week or so, Colvard said.

Huffstickler countered that Pettit should only receive funds to travel to San Antonio and for basic living expenses. Huffstickler disagreed that any money should be spent on the funeral.

San Antonio attorney Dean Greer, who represents some creditors in the case, noted Pettit owes his creditors more than $100 million.

We are not real sympathetic to him saying he needs money because he doesnt have it, Greer said. We have no clue what happened to $100 million.

Saying it was a difficult call given Pettits clients alleged losses, Gargotta ruled that he could have $5,000 to cover the funeral expenses and another $3,500 to pay bills through next Wednesday.

The judge also included a claw-back provision in his interim order that would allow the trustee or any other parties to recover money later deemed exempt or not excluded from the bankruptcy. In addition, Gargotta enjoined Pettit from dissipating or transferring any personal property without a court order.

Separately, Colvard accused the trustee of changing the locks on Pettits primary home in a gated community in Stone Oak.

Mr. Pettits child  had to be transported to Florida with their caretakers because he  didnt have access to the house, Colvard said. Ive never heard of a trustee simply coming in, kicking in the doors, locking up the house and kicking out the debtor. Thats totally inappropriate.

Terry called the accusations blatantly false.

pdanner@express-news.net
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The owner of a stately King William house has cited ex-San Antonio lawyer Christopher Chris Pettits legal troubles in pulling the plug on the sale of the property.

The prospective buyer  a trust that had Pettit as its trustee  argues its just an excuse for the owner to sell the property for a higher price in a sizzling market.

Paul Black, as trustee for the Paul Patrick Black Heritage Trust, which had an option to purchase the house at 431 King William St., sued owner Caroline A. Forgason in late May for breach of contract. Black, a San Antonio businessman and the trusts beneficiary, and his wife Wendy live in the house.

Forgasons counsel and title company Chicago Title of Texas Inc. said they could not close on a sale with the trust based solely on the allegations against Pettit, according to the original complaint.

Eight days before the suit was filed, the Express-News reported on a flurry of lawsuits filed by Pettits clients alleging he had stolen millions of dollars from them. Hes admitted he misappropriated and dissipated a trust in one case, and a judge found he knowingly and intentionally committed theft in another. One lawyer estimated $50 million or more has gone missing from clients accounts.

Pettit has sought bankruptcy protection for himself and his law firm, surrendered his law license and shuttered his offices.

On ExpressNews.com: Embattled San Antonio lawyer files, accused of defrauding clients of millions, files huge bankruptcy case

The allegations have also sparked an FBI investigation.

Houston attorney Michael C. Sanders, who represents Paul Black in his capacity as trustee, said Black is among Pettits dozens of fraud victims now having to deal (with) the fallout of the bad acts.

My client is tremendously shocked and disappointed by what Mr. Pettit has done, Sanders said in an email. My client considered him a trusted fiduciary and is devastated with what has been disclosed in the bankruptcy filings.

Pettit was asked to resign as the Black Heritage Trusts trustee the day the allegations against him became public, Sanders said.

Close ties

Pettit and Paul Black, both 55, have had close ties.

State corporate records show each holds the title of president in at least a couple of different entities, including SGW Interests LLC and BNP Operating LLC. Both companies list their principal place of business as Pettits main law office at 11902 Rustic Lane.

Pettit didnt mention those companies in his bankruptcy paperwork despite being required to disclose connections to any businesses hes had in the past four years.

Until he was replaced June 3, Pettit also was the registered agent for Blacks PPBHT Royalty LLC.

Black has managed oil and gas companies  including some that have gone bankrupt  and is president of Paleo Garage Works, which does business as Paleo Car Care at 716 S. Frio St. It introduced an app last year for fuel delivery to San Antonio residents vehicles.

Paleo Car Care operates in the same building as the executive offices for EF EnergyFunders Ventures Inc., an oil and gas investment company that had been been known as Paleo Resources Inc. until March. Paleo Car Care and Paleo Resources shared similar corporate logos featuring a dinosaur skeleton.

EnergyFunders is a penny-stock firm that that trades on the TSX Venture Exchange in Canada. Pettit had been a company director for about five years until he resigned May 19, the day the Express-News reported the allegations against him.

A June 2021 management information circular shows Pettit controlled 3.3 million Paleo Resources shares as trustee of his family trust. He also controlled 118.2 million shares as trustee for another trust. The trust wasnt named in the circular, but a previous filing suggests its the Paul Patrick Black Heritage Trust.

The combined shares represented about 27 percent of the company. Pettit received many of them in exchange for Paleo Resources settling a debt to his law firm, Chris Pettit & Associates.

Martin Seidler, a San Antonio attorney representing creditors in the bankruptcy, said the Chapter 11 trustee overseeing Pettits bankruptcy case has a duty to investigate Pettit and his law firms assets and transfers.

These transactions may well be transactions involving property of the debtors estates and possibly may involve distribution of client funds, Seidler said. Given Pettits financial history, anything hes done in the last few years may bear scrutiny by the trustee.

Pettits banrkuptcy lawyer didnt respond to a request for comment.

The Black Heritage Trust identifies itself as a creditor in Pettits bankruptcy, though it has not submitted a claim.

In bankruptcy papers filed June 30, Pettit reported he or his firm have potential claims for recovery of advances/liens against the trust and Paul and Wendy Black. The claim amounts are unknown.

Purchase option

The original lease for the King William home was signed in 2016. Rent on the 5,388-square-foot house with three bedrooms and 2 baths is $10,000 a month.

A subsequent lease, executed in 2019, had as the tenant Chris Pettit & Associates PC, as Trustee of the Paul Patrick Black Heritage Trust.

The lease was amended in 2020 to include an option for the tenant to purchase the property for $2.7 million. Such a sale had to close by May 31.

In its lawsuit, the trust says it executed a contract to buy the property April 14.

Paul Black became the sole trustee May 19, the day Pettit resigned as trustee.

On ExpressNews.com: Clients considered San Antonio lawyer Chris Pettit a friend, family confidante. Then it changed.

Douglas W. Becker, a Chicago Title vice president and attorney, in a May 24 email cited the allegations and abstracts of judgment against Pettit for his company not going forward with the sale.

I do not currently have confidence in our ability to insure clear title on or before May 31, 2022, for this proposed purchase by Chris Pettit & Associates PC as Trustee of the Paul Patrick Black Heritage Trust, Becker wrote in the email, an exhibit in the lawsuit. He declined to comment. Chicago Title has not been sued.

Forgasons real estate attorney had required a new trust certification, a document that gives the trustee the legal authority to act on the trusts behalf, the lawsuit said.

Steve A. Chiscano, a San Antonio lawyer representing homeowner Forgason in the litigation, declined to comment.

According to the suit, the Blacks were worried that their lease, which had gone month-to-month, would terminate, resulting in them having to quickly find another place to live.

Paul Black, acting as trustee, attempted to resolve the sellers concerns. He lined up Alamo Title to conduct the closing.

Sin Reposo

To avoid funds going from the trust to Forgason, Black asked a company called  Sin Reposo LLC to accept an assignment of the contract, the suit said. Sin Reposo is involved in real estate investing, development and financing.

Sin Reposo is willing to accept the assignment and fund the transaction, the suit added.

In an emailed statement, Sin Reposo manager Garrett Glass said it was unable to provide financing on 431 King William due to the sellers breach of contract.

S.A. VOTES Voter Guide: What to know for the Texas runoff election A breakdown of key state and local races and candidates in the May 24 primary runoff.

Pettit has connections with Sin Reposo, too.

Less than two months before he filed for bankruptcy, Pettit sold at least seven properties in the San Antonio area to the company. Among them was his main law office building at 11902 Rustic Lane.

On ExpressNews.com: Ex-San Antonio lawyer Chris Pettit sold multiple properties to same buyer before massive bankruptcy

Sin Reposo also entered into an option to purchase from Pettit the mansion at 555 Argyle Ave. in Alamo Heights overlooking Olmos Dam, according to a bankruptcy court filing this week. It acquired the house at 200 Alameda Circle in Olmos Park from Pettit in January.

The nine properties are collectively valued at more than $10 million, the Express-News reported June 23.

Sin Reposos Glass is also chief financial officer of EnergyFunders  the oil and gas investment company whose board included Pettit until May 19.

At a June 27 hearing, a lawyer for the bankruptcy trustee revealed Pettits transactions with Sin Reposo were being investigated.

There are a lot of issues there, attorney Patrick Huffstickler told Chief U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Craig Gargotta.

Sin Reposos attorney has contacted the Chapter 11 trustee and his counsel regarding its transactions with Pettit.

However, as you can imagine, those conversations are confidential in nature, Glass said in the email. He added the King William property has nothing to do with Pettits bankruptcy.

As the June 27 bankruptcy court hearing was taking place, Black filed an amended petition in state District Court in San Antonio. The new filing removed references to Sin Reposo. The suit now says the Black Heritage Trust arranged to have the transaction financed by assigning the contract to another entity and having such fund the transaction.

The suit adds, Assigning the contract to an entity designated by the Trust resolves any purported issue of tainted Trust money being paid defendant.

Forgason, through her counsel, said the contract wasnt assignable even though there were no such restrictions in the document, the complaint says.

Better price

On May 31, the day of the scheduled closing of the home sale, the suit says Forgason refused to provide a deed in exchange for a $2.7 million cashiers check advanced by an affiliate of the trust, the suit says.

With residential home prices skyrocketing, it says, Forgason sees an opportunity to sell the house for $3.8 million or more.

Her attorneys are now cleverly trying to use Chris Pettits and his firms wrongdoings, which have nothing to do with the acts of the Trust itself that he was managing as a fiduciary, as an excuse to get out of the real estate contract with the Trust so she can line her pockets with a better price for the house on the open market, said Sanders, Blacks lawyer.

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In the amended suit, which includes a fraud claim, Black says hes entitled to specific performance or an award of damages in the amount equal to the difference between the value of the house on May 31 and the $2.7 million contracted purchase price. The suit later specifically seeks actual damages of at least $1.1 million and at least $2.2 million in punitive damages.

The feuding parties have reached an agreement to essentially maintain the status quo until trial.

Under the agreement, Forgason cant sell the house  unless its to the trust  or terminate the lease with the trust. Black must continue to pay rent of $10,000 a month. Forgason has retained a $10,000 security deposit in payment of outstanding fees and costs she alleges were incurred in connection with alleged prior defaults.

The trial is set for Oct. 10.

pdanner@express-news.net
As Steven Alan Bennett sees it, theres a sure sign that someone has become a true art collector.

You dont become a collector until youve got more art than youve got walls, said Bennett, 69, who retired in 2015 from his post as chief legal officer for USAA. And if that doesnt stop you, then youre really a collector.

Bennett speaks from experience. He and his wife, Elaine Melotti Schmidt, have collected about 200 paintings, all by women artists. Their collection focuses on figurative work and features works by artists who are painting now as well as by historic figures such as 19th century portraitist Sarah Miriam Peale and noted abstract expressionist Agnes Martin, who died in 2004.

We started with just contemporary, and we felt it added to the gravitas of the collection to add historical women, and it has, said Schmidt, 68, a retired principal and expert on early childhood development. People pay more attention, and it helps the people who are painting now.

Bennett and Schmidt have made sure the collection will stay together after theyve gone. It will go to the Muskegon Museum of Art in Muskegon, Michigan. They also have given the museum $1.5 million toward a new wing that will include a gallery devoted to women artists.

On ExpressNews.com: Tony Parker shares his superhero collection

The couples advocacy for women artists goes beyond their personal collection. They also created the Bennett Prize for Women Figurative Realist Painters, which was awarded for the first time in 2019. They partner with the Pittsburgh Foundation and the Muskegon Museum for the project.

We started meeting women artists and realized they were having such a difficult time making a living that we established a prize, Bennett said.

The Muskegon Museum of Art will receive a portion of the works owned by the couple when the new wing is completed. It also can borrow anything in the collection for exhibitions. The remainder will go the museum after both collectors have died, though there is a provision that would allow that to happen sooner.

Its very hard to give away a collection as an aggregation, Bennett said. The museums, they want to pick one or two, but they dont care about the rest. We were interested in keeping intact the best of the paintings, and they were willing to do that.

Signing the agreement doesnt mean they are done buying art.

We will continue to collect paintings and enlarge the collection because we like doing it, Bennett said. We have fun.

On ExpressNews.com: S.A. couple turns home into a Victorian puzzle box

The couple decide what they want to buy on their own  they dont have buyers or consultants, though theyve collected long enough that people in the art world will often let them know about works they might be interested in purchasing.

Their collection is divided between their homes in San Antonio and Chicago. There also are some paintings tucked away in a storage unit. They rotate pieces from time to time, Schmidt said, and make decisions together about what they hang and where they hang it. The only exception is their offices  each of them curates those spaces on their own.

Right now, the works on display in their elegant San Antonio home include pieces by Peale and Martin, as well as Elpis, an image by New York artist Alyssa Monks of a woman peering out through an otherworldly veil, which hangs over their bed; and Dirty Laundry, a realistic self portrait of Scottish artist Katie OHagan in which she stands nude in the middle of a lonely street, crumpled clothing in her arms and a bewildered look on her face. It hangs in the dining room beside portraits of the artists daughters.

Dirty Laundry also is in the background of a portrait that OHagan painted of Bennett and Schmidt that hangs in the main hallway, so its a self-portrait of a self-portrait, Bennett joked.

There is a painful story behind Dirty Laundry.

She was at our home and she told us that the dirty laundry, thats her wedding dress, and her first husbands tux, and he was cheating on her with her best friend, Schmidt said. And everybody in this little town knew it, except her, and when she figured it out, she felt like she was standing naked in the middle of this little town, with her dirty laundry. So then all of the sudden, the painting had a lot more meaning.

Thats the fun part about collecting, especially with a contemporary artist, you can ask, what were you thinking?

Bennett studied art history as an undergraduate, and that knowledge helps them make decisions. Theyve also cultivated their own sense of what might work in the collection over time. Their tastes dont align perfectly, so they collect in the middle, where the venn diagram of what they like meets. They both respond to works that have a strong narrative, and they also look for high-quality execution.

I like paintings with oomph, which is a painting that you walk into the room and it demands that you look at it, he said.

A painting by Seattle artist Aleah Chapin on display in their home definitely meets that standard. Its a large realistic painting of a group of nude women, most of them with silver hair, standing to the side in a line, arms wrapped around each other. One woman is crawling below them.

Children always have lots of questions about the painting, Schmidt said.

Bennett and Schmidt got involved with the Muskegon museum when they were trying to get their art prize off the ground.

Their deal with the museum ensures that women artists will continue to benefit from their support well into the future. It calls for the museum to hold on to a portion of the collection forever. Another portion they can sell after 50 years, and there is a third group that they can do with as they wish. Money raised from any sale will have to go toward the purchase of art made by women, Schmidt said.

The Bennett Prize is awarded every other year.

It gives the winner a $50,000 cash prize so that she can paint for two years and then in the next succeeding iteration, her work is shown in a solo show that runs alongside the exhibition of the finalists, Bennett said.

About 700 women submitted works for the 2023 show, which will open in May at the Muskegon Museum and then will tour.

Neither of the Bennett Prize exhibits traveled to San Antonio. The show doesnt fit neatly into the programming at the San Antonio Museum of Art or the McNay Art Museum, Bennett said.

Wed love for the Bennett Prize show to come here, but I dont think were holding our breath, waiting for somebody from the local community to take it on, he said.

Bennett and Schmidt, who met 15 years ago on eharmony and have been married for eight years, devote most of their energy to the collection and to philanthropy, including supporting an orphanage for girls in Kenya.

Neither one of us deem ourselves to be retired, because with the philanthropy and the art prize and the art collection, were full-time, Bennett said.

Some collectors, he said, focus on works they think will rise in value over time with an eye toward eventually selling them. Thats not a factor for them.

Some of the things weve purchased have increased in value, but thats not why we bought it, he said. And weve never sold a painting. This is the Hotel California - if youre a painting, you can check in, but you can never leave.

dlmartin@express-news.net | Twitter: @DeborahMartinEN
The relentless summer heat has Dr. Peter Hotez feeling a little down. But it hasnt affected his mood nearly as much as a recent FDA advisory meeting about COVID-19 that left him frustrated and  despite being an expert in infectious diseases  confused. Hotez dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Childrens Hospital  is concerned the new COVID-19 BA.5 variant is only beginning to create havoc. And as is his nature, hes already looking way down the road at some of the long-term repercussions this pandemic may have.

Hotez answered a few questions about our pandemic present and future.

If you could, walk me through BA.5. Theres a lot being written about it now, and much of it ominous.

The BA.5 looks like it is the most highly transmissible virus agent weve seen of the COVID-19 family so far. Maybe more so than omicron. How much of that is due to transmissibility versus immune escape is up for scientific debate. But theres no question right now, even if youre fully vaccinated, youre at risk of infection. Were seeing a steep increase in the number of cases.

JUST IN: COVID hospitalizations double in Houston, TMC data shows, as new variant spreads

But theres still the problem that most people are getting diagnosed by home testing. So its hard to get our arms around the true nature of this. But roughly speaking: 100,000 new cases a day in the U.S.; 10,000 in Texas; 2,000 in Harris County, multiplied by a factor of 10. Those numbers plus information from wastewater points to us being in a full-on BA.5 wave.

Were not seeing as many hospitalizations, but those are going up. And were still seeing 300-400 deaths a day. Its not like the 2,000 a day during previous waves. But its still a leading cause of death in the United States. People have developed a sense of complacency and theyre not taking full advantage of things that could keep them out of the ICU. For me, thats the big message.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put out data for May, and it clearly shows if youre over the age of 50, theres a big difference whether youre unvaccinated, partially vaccinated  meaning one to two doses  and vaccinated and boosted one time or two times. People are not dying if theyre vaccinated and boosted times two. If youre not boosted, risk for hospitalization goes up.

What Im telling people: The most impactful thing you can do to protect yourself and your family is to be mindful of your vaccine status. Take advantage of whats available. The next most important thing to do with the transmission going on indoors is to wear a mask. Boy, thats been a tough sell, though.

This week Ive read two stories quoting people in your field who both suggested this is not a problem that is going away anytime at all in the near future. That generations could be living with this.

Well, I think we can still vaccinate our way out of this. I have to think about the long road and the near term. As for the long road, there are several groups working to develop a universal COVID vaccine. One that can handle new variants of concern or brand new SARS viruses like COVID.

COVID is the third one: We had SARS in 2002 and MERS in 2012. Thats why we started working on coronavirus. We thought, Sure enough, therell be others coming down the line. So we are working on a universal vaccine that in a year or two could possibly be ready.

The other question is how do we navigate the path over the next year or so living with what we have? And I hear a lot of muddled thinking. Thats what I heard at an FDA advisory meeting. It wasnt the clearest thinking, and I was disappointed. There was talk of making a omicron-specific booster or a BA.5 booster. That to me didnt make any sense. By the time theyre ready in the fall, those will be behind us. So whats the point?

MORE COVID NEW: Texas Children's has administered 6K COVID shots for kids under 5, but rollout remains slow

Right now the reality is that the American people just are not accepting of mRNA boosters. I take them because Im intellectually curious about this subject and I have a comfort level most Americans do not.

You still think mixing technologies could be useful?

I recommended to the White House that they come up with an interim strategy, looking at heterologous boosts with different technologies. Maybe that could give more durable protection. Think about pediatric vaccines we give our kids. Theres a series of primary immunizations, you wait six months, then you boost. And that boost gives you five to 10 years of protection. That should be something we could expect.

Why thats not happening, I dont quite understand it, whether its something quirky with the omicron subvariants or something with the technology itself. But were not getting this kind of intellectual curiosity out of Washington right now. Its almost like theyre doing this backwards. Rather than the U.S. government convening experts and charting a road map and making recommendations to the pharma companies, its like theyre sitting back and waiting for what pharma comes up with for suggestions.

Of course, pharmaceutical companies have a mixed agenda. Their major agenda is to make vaccines they can sell. So it was a muddled and confusing meeting. If I was confused at this meeting, just imagine

Ive read a story or two that suggest 90 percent of people in the country have either been vaccinated or infected. Some of those stories suggest that no further action is required.

Yeah, that doesnt hold water. Heres why. Well, the first statement is true. Probably 90 percent of the country is previously infected with one of the subvariants or has been vaccinated or both. And on a large scale, that has had a mitigating effect on reduced hospitalizations. But the statement has no meaning at all when it comes to individual health advice. When youre talking about individual health advice, you have to look at each individual and make a recommendation.

What do we know? If youve been infected and recovered but arent vaccinated, youre in trouble with BA.5, which could make you very sick. If youre under-vaccinated, you could also be in trouble. Those with a single boost four or five months ago could be at risk until they get the second boost. People throw out a lot of 30,000 foot-high aerial views on things and it gets confused with being health advice, which its not.

From the beginning, there have been those pushing the concept of herd immunity. Is this an attainable concept?

Herd immunity works with a virus thats not switching things up a lot. And thats not the case here. With measles theres herd immunity. The level is more than 90 percent for sure. But that doesnt apply here. But those numbers keep coming up. Early on it was 20 percent and then 40 percent. Mostly people were freaked out and wanting it to go away so some people came up with these numbers.

Not to make this about me, but what would you recommend to somebody like me as a case study. Im not quite 50. Ive received three doses, and I got what was probably omicron in early May. What would you do regarding a booster?

Well, two months ago wouldnt be the original omicron. More likely that was BA.2, which is more like BA.5 than omicron. So youve gotten three immunizations and had a break through. Youre probably in good shape right now. But Id still say get the second booster when youre eligible. With that you should be really good in terms of virus-controlling antibodies.

I know a few new parents. What would you tell them now? And I can also sense some reticence among new parents to have small children vaccinated.

Yeah, were having a tough time persuading parents to vaccinate younger kids. Even 5- to 11-year-olds, which has been around for a while, is only at 30 percent. Down in the Southern states like Louisiana and Mississippi its more like 11 percent; Texas is at about 20 percent. So when it comes to under 5, the number isnt going to be higher.

Sure enough the CDC and White House recently came out with sobering news: from the 18 million under-5s that are eligible, only about 300,000 have gotten it. So thats disappointing, but not surprising. The country is just failing to convince parents to vaccinate their young kids.

MORE HEALTH NEWS: Houston crisis pregnancy centers, labeled deceptive by experts, find new spotlight after Roe ruling

There has to be more advocacy and awareness. The messaging needs to be two-pronged. You have to convince parents that COVID-19 is a big health threat to young kids. Roughly 1,200 pediatric deaths have been from COVID-19, which is far more than from any other vaccine-preventable disease. We have to make that case. Then theres the long COVID issue. But the anti-vaccine lobby and activists are doubling down on pediatric COVID vaccines as a target.

I was wondering if you could walk me through long COVID. Its a simple phrase, but the concept feels opaque to me.

I think part of that is because the definition has been moving; long COVID means different things to different people. For some its exercise intolerance and shortness of breath. For some its fatigue. Some have what they call brain fog. But theres increasing evidence that long COVID is the real deal...

There are clinically identifiable things we can see with long COVID including magnetic resonance imaging, MRI brain imaging, that was shown to us initially by the Brits by their Alzheimers and neurology group at Oxford. A function of their system there, is they have thousands of brain scans. For anyone who had COVID, they could come back and do a before and after brain scan. And they clearly shows this gray matter brain degeneration.

There are MRI pictures of younger people that resemble somebody else much older with cognitive decline. So thats real. Not to mention the exercise intolerance. People have these different degrees of long COVID. And there are certain risk factors associated with it. Women seem to get it more than men. Diabetes is more predictive for someone getting long COVID. Its going to haunt our health care systems and country for years. How will we adapt to that? We have to think about someone with an otherwise robust and vigorous lifestyle now in cognitive decline earlier. Its depressing as hell. I see a lot of mental health issues as a consequence. Because what our nation needs is one more reason to have mental health issues.

Ours is not a culture that values thinking several steps ahead.

Yes. And its no secret that COVID-19 has exposed every weakness in our health care delivery system. This will be another example of how we manage mental health issues that could follow long COVID. How will we deal with it for individuals who have to take disability from work, or reduced hours. How will they manage that with their employers? I dont think weve begun to chip away at that yet. Its the newest 800-pound gorilla.

Im seeing numbers based on wastewater circulate more frequently. How do you view it as a source of data?

I think its just another tool in the toolbox. When people ask me what parameters I look at to assess whether were entering a new wave or not . . . Is it new cases? Hospitalizations? Deaths? Wastewater? Positivity rates? The answer is yes. I look at all of those things. Theres not any one single number that causes me to open the window and start shouting outside. But looking in aggregate, the wastewater has been surprisingly accurate and reflects the large amount of virus replication of thee new omicron subvariants.

Do you get to do something fun for summer? Or is it spent in the lab avoiding gatherings?

Well, Ive been working really hard. And I was having something of a break from doing media. Of course my requirements go up with the cycles and waves. But I dont mind it. I find it meaningful. And I wasnt planning a quiet summer anyway. Ive been writing my new book. Im always writing papers. Of course, this unbearable weather in Houston makes it so I dont go on any long walks. These are the times that test Texans. But one of the reasons we built a school here for tropical medicine. The Gulf Coast, south Texas, you have this unique constellation of climate change, poverty, urbanization and migration. We thought it was all here. And we turned out to be right.

andrew.dansby@chron.com
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Juan Alvarado watched his three grandchildren chase one another, squealing with joy as they ran through the colorful splash pad at Elmendorf Lake Park.

Sitting in the shade of a blue-green fabric canopy, Alvarado reminisced about growing up about a mile away. He recalled where the pool used to be and his time spent at a baseball field where the gated, public pool now sits next to the water attraction.

Alvarado, 72, said he would walk to the public pool on summer mornings and swim with his friends.

We would spend all day there, he said as he looked at his grandchildren. They ran past a shaded, blue playground to observe the ducks clustered at the edge of Lake Elmendorf.

Across the splash pad, Maurcet Ruiz and his girlfriend, Ediny Salazar, both 22, sat at a metal picnic table. Looking to get out of the house but also beat the heat, they had ventured out Thursday with their children to take a turn at the pool themselves.

It was hot at home, and the kids were frustrated, Ruiz said. But here, its pretty fresh.

Any relief is welcome. A bit is on the way.

Itll be a couple of degrees cooler from where its been the first half of this week, when its been oppressively hot and dangerously hot, said Andrew Quigley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in New Braunfels.

Quigley said temperatures Friday and Saturday are expected to reach the upper 90s, possibly 100 degrees, with some rain in store for Friday afternoon.

On ExpressNews.com: I hope people dont die: San Antonio copes with record heat

Theres at least a 20 percent chance of isolated showers for Friday forecast for portions of the Hill Country along the Interstate 10 corridor.

Josie Norris, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer

The weather service have been issuing daily advisories for Bexar and most of the surrounding counties. Thursday, meteorologists instead issued a bulletin saying, Not Quite as Hot Friday. They were not expecting to issue another advisory in the next couple of days, though temperatures will remain above the normal high of 94 degrees for July so far.

Monday set a record high for July 11, at 107 degrees. The previous high for that date was 104 degrees, set in 1917.

By Sunday, triple-digit temperatures are expected to return, and theyll continue into the week, meteorologists said.

People should drink plenty of water, take frequent breaks in shade or air conditioning, check on elderly neighbors and family, and never leave kids or pets unattended in vehicles, meteorologists said.

According to the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District, from July 3 through Sunday, 44 people were treated for heat exhaustion, the most recorded in a single week this summer.

As rain was expected to visit the northern Hill Country on Thursday, nary a cloud was in sight at Elmendorf Lake Park as children ran and played in the water.

Despite the heat, Linda Almaraz, 61, felt it was time to get outside and brought her nieces and grandson for a swim at the pool, the makeover of which they discovered only recently.

Well be out here for a while, she said. Whatever the day brings us.

jbeltran@express-news.net




The Supreme Court finalized a 40-year prison sentence Thursday for the CEO of private equity investment firm Optimus Asset Management in one of the country's largest investment scams.







Kim Jae-hyun, 52, allegedly raised more than 1.3 trillion won ($992 million) from thousands of private and institutional investors between April 2018 and June 2020, promising the money will be invested in low-risk assets involving public institutions.







However, the money was invested in risky assets or used to refund investors, eventually failing to redeem much of the invested money to clients.







A district court first sentenced him to 25 years behind bars last year, but the Seoul High Court hiked up the sentence to 40 years in February.







The Seoul High Court said at that time the investment scam caused "enormous social ills" by inflicting massive property and psychological blows to many innocent people, and seriously damaging the public trust and transparency of the financial market.







The Supreme Court upheld the appellate court's verdict, confirming the 40-year term together with the orders of a forfeiture of 75.2 billion won and a fine of 500 million won.







The court also finalized a 20-year prison sentence for Lee Dong-yeol, Optimus' second-largest shareholder, and a 15-year prison term for Yoon Seok-ho, an executive at the company, on charges of fraud and embezzlement. (Yonhap)






Robin Jerstad /Contributor

For the first time, the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo will host a rodeo qualifier event in Uvalde in 2023.

Organizers said they are hosting the event in Uvalde in hopes that it will help the economy and businesses in the city, which is still dealing with the tragic shooting at an elementary school where a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers in May.
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Texas has seen more days with unhealthy levels of smog pollution this year than it has in a decade, state data shows, as vehicle and industrial emissions react with record high temperatures, spiking ozone concentrations.

Since the beginning of the year, Texas air monitors have recorded 43 days as of Tuesday when ozone concentrations were high enough somewhere in the state to be considered unhealthy by the Environmental Protection Agency. Thats double the number of unhealthy ozone days recorded by this time last year, and its the most in the period of January to mid-July since 2012, air monitoring data maintained by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality shows.

Ground-level ozone, a component of whats known as smog, irritates and inflames the lungs, leaving them more susceptible to infections such as the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, and making it harder for people to breathe. Ozone can make lung diseases worse, prompt asthma attacks and cause or aggravate chronic bronchitis. The pollutant is especially concerning when combined with extreme heat, experts said.

Extreme heat is often thought of in this country as an inconvenience rather than a life-threatening danger, but we know that when organ systems in the body are under stress from extreme heat, theyre extremely vulnerable to other assaults from air pollution, said Vijay Limaye, an epidemiologist and senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy nonprofit.

State regulators have issued dozens of warnings this summer across the state advising people with asthma, older adults and others at risk of lung complications to stay indoors on days when smog levels are projected to be high. Those who do not have a preexisting condition should take caution as well, Limaye said, since ozone can contribute to the development of asthma and other lung conditions.

Heat makes the smog worse: On sunny, hot and stagnant days, sunlight and high temperatures accelerate reactions between volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides to form ozone. Climate change  which has increased average temperatures in Texas  has made those conditions even more common.

Were beginning to detect this climate change signature on ozone pollution in which we have higher summertime ozone levels because its hotter outside, Limaye said.

More than 79 million Americans live in areas that do not meet national air quality health standards for smog, according to the EPA. In Texas, at least 12 million people live in a county that doesnt meet the 2008 federal ozone standards, EPA data shows.

High levels of pollution can disproportionately harm Black and Latino children, researchers have found. One 2017 Rice University study showed that 13 percent of Black children in Houston have an asthma diagnosis compared with 7 percent of Hispanic children and 4 percent of white children and Asian children.

But while smog levels spike this summer, Texas politicians and regulatory agencies are fighting the federal government, hoping to block stricter regulations on the pollutant.

In March, the EPA proposed a rule that would require about two dozen states, including Texas, to cut ozone pollution from power plants and industrial sources such as natural gas pipelines and chemical manufacturers that contribute to ozone pollution in neighboring states  strengthening a regulation known as the good neighbor rule.

This good neighbor plan will better protect the health of Americans across the country, EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement when the rule was proposed. Air pollution doesnt stop at the state line.

Texas politicians and state agencies have urged the EPA to withdraw its proposal. At the end of June, Attorney General Ken Paxton argued in a comment on the EPAs plan that the federal agency had overstepped its authority and that the EPA ignored how the regulations would affect electric grid reliability in Texas.

The EPA takes on  however poorly  critical reliability issues and ignores the independent nature of the Texas electric grid, Paxton wrote, stating that it was inappropriate for the EPAs plan to require states to consider shifting electric generation to renewable or lower-emission sources of electricity as a strategy to reduce ozone.

The TCEQ, the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas have all opposed the federal governments plan. The agencies argue that the requirements could force power plants to switch sources from natural gas or coal to renewable energy and that such changes are outside of the EPAs authority and expertise.

The state wants the EPA to instead approve its plan for ozone, which concluded that Texas emissions were not significantly contributing to ozone pollution in neighboring states. The federal agency said earlier this year that it intends to reject Texas plan and analysis, finding that Texas emissions did significantly affect other states.

Environmental groups argue that the EPAs good neighbor plan is necessary because Texas emissions are spilling over into neighboring states.

Texas is a major contributor to not just air pollution in Texas but really all around the country, said Neil Gormley, a senior attorney at the environmental nonprofit Earthjustice.

He added that he thought the EPAs proposal appropriately balanced cutting pollution and maintaining electrical reliability because it allows states to choose from a variety of methods to reduce pollution.

The EPA also recently cracked down on the Houston and Dallas regions for violating national ozone standards, seeking to list the metro regions as severe violators of 2008 federal ozone pollution standards. A final determination is expected in October. The two major metro regions have struggled to meet federal thresholds in recent years after decades of progress.

The Houston region has had the most days with ozone levels considered unsafe so far this year, according to TCEQ data, followed by the Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin areas.

At the same time, the EPA also has announced that it is considering redesignating parts of the Permian Basin  the West Texas and New Mexico oil field that produces more than 5 million barrels of oil per day  as not meeting federal standards on ozone pollution. Doing so would require Texas to take steps to attain lower levels of ozone in the region.

The EPA began to consider the redesignation after the environmental nonprofit group WildEarth Guardians in 2021 petitioned the EPA to take action. At the end of June, Gov. Greg Abbott sent a letter to President Joe Biden, asking him to stop the EPA from proceeding with the plan.

This action could result in draconian regulations imposed by the EPA that would directly attack Americas most prolific oil field, Abbott wrote, arguing that regulations could further increase gasoline prices. He also warned that if Biden didnt respond by late July, Texas will take the action needed to protect the production of oil.

Renae Eze, a spokesperson for Abbott, said in a statement that Biden has not yet responded to the letter from the governor and criticized the president for feigning concern about gasoline prices. Eze reiterated that Texas will take any action necessary to protect (Texas) oil production, but did not specify further what the governor would do.

In a statement, EPA spokesperson Shayla Powell said that if the agency moves forward, it will send a notification letter to the governor soliciting his input on the redesignation and potential boundaries for the area to be regulated.

Victor Flatt, an environmental law professor at the University of Houston Law Center, said hes not surprised the EPA is considering designating the Permian Basin as a nonattainment area for ozone given the recorded measurements of other pollutants like methane.

If theyve got enough evidence to have to respond (to the WildEarth Guardians petition), my instinct would be that theyre going to do it, he said.

He said Texas may choose to sue over the Permian Basin designation or the good neighbor ozone plan, which ultimately will slow reductions in smog.

The EPA never gets to do its work because its always going to be challenged politically, Flatt said. Some states, like Texas, will sue the EPA no matter what. And it delays things.

Disclosure: Rice University and University of Houston have been financial supporters of the Texas Tribune. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism.

The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
Speaking during the UnidosUS annual conference Monday in downtown San Antonio, first lady Jill Biden was the picture of class and offered a message of hope so many of us missed during the previous administration. Until her message was drowned out by a silly, culturally insensitive analogy that her speechwriter should have dropped.

By now, youve seen the video or read her words.

Raul helped build this organization with the understanding that the diversity of this community  as distinct as the bodegas of the Bronx, as beautiful as the blossoms of Miami and as unique as the breakfast tacos here in San Antonio  is your strength, Biden said as she praised Raul Yzaguirre, a civil rights advocate, and former president and CEO of the group for 30 years.

Instantly, Bidens distasteful taco analogy was all over Twitter and news websites. Some noted she mispronounced bodegas.

On ExpressNews.com: Texas Republicans tee off on Jill Bidens breakfast taco remark during San Antonio visit

The National Association of Hispanic Journalists, whose president is Express-News Executive Editor Nora Lopez, also tweeted disapproval: We are not tacos. Our heritage as Latinos is shaped by a variety of diasporas, cultures and food traditions and should not be reduced to a stereotype.

Theyre not wrong. When Biden, an educator with a doctorate, compared Latinos to tacos, she shifted away from the 1,500 gathered in downtown San Antonio to learn and collaborate on essential issues: housing, health, racial equity, education, diversity, inclusion and more.

The loudest complainers were members of the GOP, who immediately jumped on Twitter to criticize the first ladys gaffe  and distract from the message. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott couldnt help himself: Breakfast tacos? This is why Texas Hispanics are turning away from the Democratic party, he tweeted Tuesday.

How soon they forget the words  and actions  of former President Donald Trump, who in 2016 posted a photo of himself eating a taco bowl, saying: Happy #CincoDeMayo! The best taco bowls are made in Trump Tower Grill. I love Hispanics!

Surely they remember when Trump called Mexicans rapists, repeatedly insulted Mexico and called women horse face, lowlife, fat, ugly and more. And then theres the whole leading-an-insurrection-at-the-Capitol deal that really leaves a bad taste  a threat-to-democracy bad.

On ExpressNews.com: Editorial: Insurrection hearing again shows how America undermined itself

At least Bidens press secretary tweeted an apology: The First Lady apologizes that her words conveyed anything but pure admiration and love for the Latino community.

On ExpressNews.com: Jill Biden apologizes for San Antonio breakfast taco remarks

UnidosUS, formerly the National Council of La Raza, the largest Latino civil rights organization in the United States, is comprised of a fierce group of trailblazers and progressive leaders. At the UnidosUS conference, experts shared their knowledge and inspiration over three days on topics that affect the more than 60 million American Latinos.

Biden spoke about how the Biden administration has given Latinos hope we didnt experience in the previous administration, and she spoke of critical efforts in infrastructure, gun legislation, jobs, schools and child poverty. Importantly, she acknowledged that more is needed: A ban on guns that only belong on a battlefield. The right to make our own decisions about our own bodies. Universal child care, and community college, and ending child poverty.

On ExpressNews.com: In San Antonio, first lady Jill Biden faults Democrats for not sticking together like the GOP does

Biden ended her speech on an inspiring note: Your fight is our fight, and we will stand with you  in unity, equity and love.

UnidosUS graciously thanked Jill Biden on Facebook: Thank you to FLOTUS for delivering a speech that empowers us to keep fighting.

In a country where the contributions and needs of brown people are often ignored, the work of UnidosUS is critical. And, yes, part of the fight is owning the narrative and ensuring that all Americans of all backgrounds  even those who arent fortunate enough to know about Bronx bodegas, beautiful Miami blossoms and incomparable breakfast tacos here in San Antonio  understand why these analogies distract from conveying the rich diversity of Latinos.

Nancy.Preyor-Johnson@express-news.net
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The horrific murders in the Robb Elementary School shooting shock the conscience of virtually everyone, but for me, an Uvalde native steeped in the inequities of this towns history, it was a gut punch. I was born in Uvalde and lived there until I was 11.

Over the past 60 years, how have Mexican Americans and Chicanos in Uvalde experienced justice? If past is prologue, it doesnt augur well.

Some context.

During the Eisenhower administrations Operation Wetback, Mexican nationals, some of whom lived in Uvalde, were deported.

My father was born Enrique Terrazas in Mexico, but when World War II broke out, a man named Lorenzo B. Figueroa was drafted and chose not to go. My dad assumed his name and honorably served in the U.S. Army, as did many Mexican Americans from Uvalde.

In the mid-50s, he was charged with being in our country fraudulently. After much family anguish and litigation, my dad, by this time a farmworker, was granted a green card and then became a naturalized citizen.

Was my dad and my family granted justice? Some would say yes; after all, he wasnt deported. But he had to defend his right to be here even though he had put his life on the line for his country.

There is a photo of my VFW Little League team taken in 1962, which is when I first interacted with white kids in Uvalde.

The Lasso movie house was for whites, while the Texas was for Mexicans.

El Parque de Abajo (lower park) was for Mexicans, while the whites park was up north.

The camposanto (cemetery) was for Mexicans, while the one up north was for whites.

I attended Sacred Heart Catholic School, and it was all Mexican Americans, while the public schools catered to whites.

The Kincaid Hotel and restaurant were the best in town, but service was refused to my family.

In 1970, Mexican American students walked out of Uvalde High School to protest discriminatory treatment by an all-white school board. The walkout lasted nearly six weeks, and the seniors who participated in the walkout did not receive their high school diplomas.

Armed Texas Rangers were called into Uvalde. Texas Department of Public Safety helicopters flew over the city. The Uvalde draft board obtained a list of students who walked out, and they were reclassified as 1-A and, in turn, were drafted.

The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund eventually filed suit against the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, and after decades of litigation, the district was ordered to comply with many of the issues raised in the walkout and MALDEFs lawsuit.

Was justice served for the Mexican American community that suffered the consequences of discrimination? Eventually, grudgingly and yet not fully, with inequities still existing.

Most people in Uvalde refer to themselves as Mexican Americans or Mexicans. The news media covering the massacre keep referring to them/us as Latinos  why? In a previous mass shooting, a shooter in El Paso specifically said he was out to kill Mexicans, yet the media referred to Latinos. The media should honor and respect how people identify themselves.

There has been an accumulation of injustice toward Mexican Americans in Uvalde, followed by a determination by Mexican Americans that enough is enough  Ya basta.

Will there be justice for the Uvalde parents and family members of the massacred? History dictates that if it comes, it will be deferred and grudgingly parceled out. It will not resemble full justice.

Enrique E. Figueroa is an emeritus associate professor at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. He served in the second Clinton administration.
On immigration and border issues, Gov. Greg Abbott and other Texas GOP politicians are quick to assign blame and stoke fear. Their rhetoric speaks to their base, but all Texans need honesty and solutions from state leaders about the southern border and Operation Lone Star.

Instead, we get more of the same inhumane policy. Consider recent border talking points from some politicians that frame the humanitarian crisis through a political lens.

On July 5, a week after dozens of migrants  the toll would reach 53  died horrifically in a tractor-trailer on San Antonios Southwest Side, a handful of Texas counties declared an invasion by migrants and demanded more state resources.

Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar blasted the misleading and dangerous terminology as political rhetoric that is dead wrong and creates a monetary incentive for smugglers.

The next day, Abbott bragged about committing another $30 million to the controversial border security mission thats mobilized 10,000 national and state guardsmen and troopers, producing a $4 billion price tag, negligible results and a long list of problems.

Unsurprisingly, Abbott did not acknowledge a Department of Justice investigation into Operation Lone Star for alleged civil rights violations that nonprofit newsrooms ProPublica and the Texas Tribune reported the same day.

Then on July 7, Abbott announced his executive order authorizing Texas Military Department and Department of Public Safety personnel to apprehend migrants who cross the border and return them to ports of entry in a departure from previous policy.

Before this, soldiers stationed along the border were on an observe and report mission in which they called Border Patrol to pick up migrants. However, if migrants were trespassing, DPS troopers could arrest and detain them.

Border and immigration law enforcement is a federal responsibility, and Abbotts latest proclamation pushes the boundaries of state jurisdiction. It also forces more engagement between state authorities and migrants, increasing the risk for civil rights violations.

Abbotts order is yet another example of the governor grabbing headlines but failing to elaborate or provide details on the legalities of a new policy, let alone how it will be enacted, enforced or paid for. Or how  or if  it will make a difference in our broken immigration system that Abbott exploits.

Abbotts latest salvos of border showmanship ring hollow in the aftermath of the nations deadliest human smuggling event and against the backdrop of a Department of Justice investigation into civil rights abuses.

On ExpressNews.com: Brodesky: No room for humanity in Abbotts immigration policy

News outlets discovered the lawsuit in documents obtained using the Texas Open Records Act. The emails among state officials acknowledged the investigation into whether Operation Lone Star violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in any program or activity that receives Federal funds or other Federal financial assistance.

The probe is targeting the Operation Lone Star practice of arresting migrants who are trespassing on private property and holding them in jail without charges for weeks, often without representation.

According to the report, the Justice Department wants to know whether those arrested as part of the border operation have faced differential and unlawful conditions of confinement based on their perceived or actual race or national origin.

In December, more than 100 civil rights and immigration advocacy groups submitted a 50-page letter to the Justice Department calling for an investigation into Operation Lone Star. The letter outlines how state and local officials have created a separate state system intended to punish migrants and effectuate a state immigration policy, under the guise of state criminal trespass law.

They argue that the separate system that targets people due to race and perceived immigration status is rife with civil rights abuses, including failures to provide basic access to process that lead to people languishing in pretrial detention for weeks on misdemeanor trespass charges.

Operation Lone Stars alleged civil rights abuses are another example of how Abbott and other Texas GOP leaders prioritize polarizing politics over human rights and policy solutions. We hope the Justice Departments investigation leads to more transparency and helps inform a more humane and effective way forward.
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The San Antonio Chamber of Commerce is overhauling its governance as it seeks to modernize while vying for influence and members.

The organization is downsizing its sprawling board of more than 100 to a 15-member group focused on policy that will work with a larger board of investors providing feedback.

Leading the initiative is Phil Green, who before becoming the boards leader for 2021-22 had never attended a meeting, nor he was familiar with its structure. After Green took the reins as chair, however, he leaned into his experience as chairman and CEO of Cullen/Frost Bankers Inc., the publicly traded parent company of Frost Bank.

It made sense to me to take some of my experience and ask questions, he said. Is this an opportunity for us to improve ourselves, make ourselves more flexible, agile and more effective?

On ExpressNews.com: A cultural change  S.A. Chamber not the powerhouse it once was

A smaller board will make the organization nimbler and able to make decisions more quickly, said Green and chamber President and CEO Richard Perez, who will sit on the executive board.

Local chambers of commerce San Antonio Chamber of Commerce Year founded: 1894 Members in 2021: 1,750 Annual budget: $4.2 million San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Year founded: 1929 Members in 2021: 900-plus Annual budget: $1.2 million North San Antonio Chamber Year founded: 1974 Members in 2021: 1,000 Annual budget: $771,465 South Texas Business Partnership Year founded: 1982 Members in 2021: 653 Annual budget: $500,000 (Formerly known as the South San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and recently merged with the West San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.) See More Collapse

An example: When the chamber was preparing to fight a 2017 bill in the Texas Legislature that would have barred transgender people from using bathrooms corresponding to their gender identity in certain buildings, Perez had to call more than 50 board members to ensure the majority agreed on a course of action.

Now, weve got 14 folks to call, Perez said. Finding the majority of folks to explain what the issue is and understand what they think the direction should be is a heck of a lot easier.

Cost of leadership

Besides the chamber CEO, the newly structured board will include six people from companies investing $25,000 or more and four people from companies investing $10,000 or more.

The remaining four board seats will be filled from the general membership through a nomination process with no dollar amount tied to them, Green said.

The bigger investor board will consist of people from companies paying $10,000 or more, along with 27 people chosen through a nomination process. The only requirement for those 27 people is that their companies be chamber members.

Under the previous structure, members paid $10,000 for a seat on the board now known as the board of investors.

As for general membership dues, the chamber said it has various levels based on members needs.

Besides shrinking the executive board, Green is trying to recruit more CEOs and upper-level executives, who did not have a big presence on the chambers previous board, to join it. And he hopes the new structure will appeal to them.

His pitch: Business is a force for good and deserves to be represented in the community. Without the chamber, he said, there would be no organization that understands businesses needs and advocates for them.

Many members who participated in a survey last year said they thought the refashioned board structure would improve the chamber, which has an annual budget of about $4.2 million.

Bret Piatt  CEO of CyberFortress, a San Antonio-based cybersecurity company formerly called Jungle Disk, and a member of the investor board  said the old setup was cumbersome and time-consuming.

There are reasons, he said, that government legislatures have committees and dont develop and evaluate policies as whole bodies.

The new structure will enable the chamber to work through policy decisions more quickly and make the chamber more effective, Piatt said. As the world evolves more quickly, the updates just make good sense.

Some criticize the price of a seat on the executive board, which could be too high for many small and midsize businesses.

Green defended the rate structure, noting that 10 of the 15 board members will pay $10,000 or less. Meanwhile, Greens successor, KGBTexas CEO Katie Harvey, has not invested at that level.

We feel like we will be really successful in bringing a diverse board, Green said.

Quest for relevance

The San Antonio Chamber had 1,750 members last year, down considerably from 2,100 in 2019 before the coronavirus pandemic. And even before that, membership fluctuated, from 2,052 in 2006, down to 1,730 in 2011, and up again to 1,960 in 2016.

A big part of the challenge in growing membership is that some view the chamber and institutions like it as archaic in todays business world  far from the powerhouses they once were, a result of changing cities and economies, cultural shifts and competition.

In San Antonio, a plethora of local chambers with differing focuses are competing for members  at least a dozen, including the North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Some were formed because people were barred from leadership in the main chamber or did not see their communities represented by it. Whatever the reason, many say the landscape has become unwieldy.

We have too many large-scale chambers, developer David Adelman said. The problem is, the voice of the business community is not unified.

Perez, the first Latino to hold his position, said his chamber focuses on retaining businesses and 30,000-foot level issues affecting owners, such as workforce development, education, housing and regulations.

While consolidation  such as when the South San Antonio Chamber of Commerce merged with the West San Antonio Chamber of Commerce more than a year ago  could reduce the number of chambers, its not likely to happen among the largest chambers.

Perez said there have been conversations in the past about merging with other chambers, but our specific focus and mission is a little bit different.

One thing thats not part of the San Antonio chambers job description  economic development  may also be inhibiting its appeal to corporate leaders who view that function as most worthy of their civic involvement.

In other large cities, economic development entities are often part of or affiliated with the main chamber of commerce, but here, Greater:SATX, formerly known as the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation, spearheads much of the local business recruiting and retention efforts.

One simpler thing the chamber might be able to do is modernize its external communications. While working on a strategic plan to define its mission and priorities, which is expected to be finalized in August, one of the themes thats emerged is a need to upgrade its technology.

Texting and social media have not been our forte. However, that is the way of the world now, Perez said. Thats one of things we are focusing on as a critical path to continue to build membership and connect with existing members.

Important to S.A. history

While some question the chambers viability in the future, others point to its past as an indicator of its value.

It has the longevity and reputation for taking (policy) positions, said Patrick Garcia, who leads Division Laundry & Cleaners and is chair-elect of the San Antonio Manufacturers Association. Its been around forever. All the big boys in the business community are members.

Building relationships and networking with peers and potential clients historically has been seen as another key benefit.

Harvey, the incoming chamber chair, said joining the chamber was one of the first things she did after starting the public relations and advertising company KGBTexas 28 years ago.

On ExpressNews.com: What higher mortgage rates, inflation and recession concerns mean for San Antonio homebuyers

It was one of the catalysts for the growth of my company, she said.

For Garcia, theres also a legacy component.

He has a copy of a 1965 front-page newspaper article about a program to encourage Spanish-speaking businessmen to become more involved in the chamber. His father, Peter Garcia, pledged more support on behalf of that group and helped raise money to build the chambers office downtown.

In the early days, the political environment was probably such that the leadership of the business community was small and it was centered in the chamber, Patrick Garcia said. Every prominent business belonged to it.

Still, he acknowledges, that was before there was a Hispanic chamber, as well as south, west and north ones.

Now you have different political philosophies in this community, he said. Now were a bigger city.

The chamber  founded in 1894 as the Business Mens Club of San Antonio  has been involved in several initiatives.

They include locating and assembling land for Air Force bases, founding the organization now known as the Fiesta San Antonio Commission, organizing groups that developed the Freeman Coliseum and South Texas Medical Center, and working on an agreement for Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Texas Inc.s South Side plant, according to a timeline on the organizations website.

Chamber committees studied the feasibility of hosting the 1968 Worlds Fair and a program that led to the creation of the River Walk. The organization has also created workforce training programs and supported bond packages and projects such as the Vista Ridge Pipeline, and it organizes a trip for members to Washington, D.C., every year to meet with lawmakers.

S.A. VOTES Voter Guide: What to know for the Texas runoff election A breakdown of key state and local races and candidates in the May 24 primary runoff.

The chamber has been extraordinarily important to San Antonios history and development, said Henry Cisneros, the former San Antonio mayor who is a past chamber chairman. Now, some things have changed in the environment. But I would say the chamber is still the most important business voice in the community.

Becoming a voice

San Antonio is also a bigger, more developed city with more companies and players than there were decades ago. The makeup of the business community has morphed.

The citys economy used to be monolithic and dominated by a handful of local businesses run by prominent leaders, but thats not the case in San Antonio or in any other major U.S. city today, Cisneros said.

National companies have expanded operations here, local businesses have been broken into separate divisions and some chief executives have chosen to play lesser roles than their predecessors, he said.

There are also more voices weighing in now than in the past. In addition to the many chambers, there are numerous trade associations, neighborhood associations, and nonprofits focused on immigration, environmental issues, housing and wages.

Im not one who buys the view that the chamber is either less important or less effective than it has been, Cisneros said. Its profile has changed. Its methods may have changed. But they have to change with the times and the changes in the larger environment.

Its in an evolutionary period, Heard said, in which the chamber is not going away, but having to figure out how to go from being the voice of business to a voice of business.

Pace, leaders criticized

Several businesspeople, who spoke on condition of anonymity, criticized the chamber for what they see as slowness or lack of action on certain issues.

Last month, the chamber launched an 11th-hour challenge to keep all of the central business district in City Council District 1. A council-appointed redistricting committee had been working on new district boundaries since early this year.

A draft map released in April split downtown between District 1 and District 5 on the West Side. The committee was preparing to finalize its changes when the Chamber of Commerce and other business executives complained that dividing the businesses in that area among two districts would dilute their ability to speak in unison on issues that affected them similarly.

Perez and other business leaders said they had only just learned of the proposed adjustments and that the maps shared by the committee were difficult to interpret.

While the chamber was ultimately successful in that effort, some executives said it seemed asleep at the switch until the last minute.

The maps just werent clear enough, Perez said. When we found out, we mobilized, and we were successful.

Chamber critics were also dismayed by what they saw as the chambers failure to find and rally behind a pro-business candidate to replace former USAA Real Estate executive Ed Kelley on CPS Energys board of trustees.

Perez said it was difficult to find a candidate willing to commit to the time and learning required to sit on the CPS board. When they did find someone, they fell short of gathering the necessary support.

Theres no excuse. It is what it is, Perez said. We worked hard, and thats what happened.

Some local executives also grumble about Perezs leadership style.

A former City Council member, Perez is diplomatic and amiable, preferring to work behind the scenes. But the executives said hes hesitant to take a strong stand on controversial issues and ruffle feathers rather than accepting that its impossible to please everybody.

Perez became president and CEO of the chamber in 2007.

With him at the helm, the chambers successes include pushing to soften the citys Climate Action and Adaptation Plan and stop the labor peace agreement at San Antonio International Airport.

On the other hand, in 2019, the City Council adopted an ordinance requiring private sector employers to provide paid sick leave over objections from Perez and other business leaders.

Although a state judge blocked the ordinance after business organizations sued, Perezs critics question why he couldnt throttle the initiative before it went that far and why he didnt make a more convincing argument to the public. Perez said at the time that he focused on defeating the measure at the state level because he knew the councils left-leaning members had the votes to push it through.

Perez likens his approach to using a scalpel instead of a hammer, which he said has served him well in leading his familys business and at the chamber.

I dont yell. I dont bang the table. I pick up the phone or I go visit and try to reason, he said. Im not apologizing. I mean, thats the way I am, and Im proud of what weve been able to accomplish.

madison.iszler@express-news.net
Above right, from a brochure for the federal Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. It solicits the sorts of unverified reports that officials and major media censure as dangerous elsewhere.

By Clayton Fox, RealClearInvestigations

July 14, 2022

Since the Food and Drug Administration authorized the first vaccines for COVID-19 in late 2020, the government and much of the media have insisted that the medicines developed in record time are safe and effective. Those who raised questions about them have been routinely dismissed as conspiracy theorists.

And yet an online database co-administered by the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control has compiled more than 1.3 million reports of vaccine-implicated adverse events running the gamut from mild to severe, including 29,000 deaths.

Representative entries include:

A 44-year-old male from California with a blood clot in the brain (CVST) five days after receiving Pfizer vaccine, dose unknown.

A 31-year-old female from Pennsylvania with heart inflammation (myocarditis) two days after receiving Modernas booster.

A 58-year-old female from California with blood clots in legs (DVT) after receiving Johnson & Johnson booster. She reported:

Day after booster on 11/16/21 my right leg was aching. 7 days later on 11/23/21 my sole of my right foot was very painful upon walking. This resolved 2 days later by 11/25/21. On day 11 (11/26/21) my ankle was slightly swollen and painful to touch. These symptoms continued to migrate up my leg to my inner thigh. On 12/13/21 I was seen by my primary care Doctor and was sent for a d-dimer blood test which was 1.77. I was seen in vascular dept and ultrasound indicated multiple DVT from my groin to my ankle.

These reports are not anecdotes from anti-vaxxers on the dark web. They come from the federal governments open-source log, the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. It allows anyone to go online and report a bad reaction that could be linked to any vaccine, including those for COVID-19. (RealClearInvestigations has linked above to VAERS reports posted at Openvaers.com, an independently run and easier to navigate database that copies reports verbatim from the CDCs less user-friendly WONDER system.)

While the reports are unfiltered and unexamined, the idea is that such public input will allow researchers to identify potential problems. But the sheer number of reports, and their specificity, have the attention of concerned scientists and even some politicians like Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, who has invited people harmed by vaccines to testify before Congress and advocates compensation for them.

Johnson's office said he has been admonishing the health authorities over the VAERS reports for a year. "The senator believes the CDC and FDA need to take their own adverse event early warning system seriously and be transparent with the American people," it said in a statement. "To date, they have not been."

VAERS was created in the late 1980s as an outgrowth of a congressional mandate to create a system for compensating vaccine victims and their families. In 2015, the CDC said the average number of annual reports was roughly 30,000. In 2021, there were nearly 1 million. Given the large increase during a politically charged pandemic, the usefulness of VAERS is the subject of great debate even among scientists

Some health experts believe that the number of reports is primarily a function of increased publicity around the COVID vaccines, a high number indicating only that many more people are aware of the system and concerned about potential side effects from the shots. Others say the number and strong indications in certain symptom categories  such as the cardiovascular examples cited above  paint a bleaker picture of the vaccines safety.

Dr. Peter McCullough, a renowned cardiologist and academic physician with over 600 papers published in medical literature, was one of the first professionals to publicly question the safety of the COVID-19 injections. On April 21, 2021, on his podcast The McCullough Report, he read out some of the early, alarming statistics from VAERS including reports of 502 heart attacks, 84 miscarriages, 321 cases of low blood platelet counts (thrombocytopenia) and 2,342 deaths. For Dr. McCullough, these numbers were a huge red flag. For comparison, he cites the last mass vaccination program undertaken in the United States, the 1976 swine flu vaccine. Dr. McCullough noted that there were approximately 55 million people vaccinated, with an accompanying 500 cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome, and around 25 deaths. And the government officials at that time said, were going to pull it.

Dr. McCullough said that by April 2021, VAERS reports were already so numerous that he felt the COVID vaccines should be pulled off the market. That same month, Fox News host Tucker Carlson voiced doubts about the vaccines' effectiveness, and Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden's top medical adviser, blasted him for pushing "a typical crazy conspiracy theory."

As of today, the system has more than 29,000 reports of deaths.

VAERS reports, however, are not hard evidence. Its website explains: A report to VAERS generally does not prove that the identified vaccine(s) caused the adverse event described. It only confirms that the reported event occurred sometime after vaccine was given. No proof that the event was caused by the vaccine is required in order for VAERS to accept the report. VAERS accepts all reports without judging whether the event was caused by the vaccine. Some of the FDA and CDCs most senior veterans advise caution in interpreting the data.

Susan Ellenberg, PhD, the former Director of the Office of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the FDAs Center for Biologics, told RCI that anything that gets reported goes directly into the [VAERS] system  so mostly what you get is noise. She said that its nearly impossible to prove causation with this dataset alone. Dr. Walter Orenstein, formerly the CDCs director of immunization, concurs. He said, Thats why its called adverse events as opposed to reaction because reaction implies causation. Event is basically something that follows. Elderly people, for example, die regularly; if they are dying days or weeks after being vaccinated, that does not necessarily mean the vaccine is killing them.

There are many reasons why the VAERS data is usually insufficient to prove causality between vaccination and adverse events, including:

There is no reliable denominator to establish event rates  and no control group against which to measure adverse events.

Reports are often messy or incomplete.

Underreporting has been a consistent and documented issue. (One CDC study shows that the system may capture as few as 12% of adverse events, meaning the total for COVID-19 vaccines could be as high as 10.8 million.)

On the other hand, overreporting is also an issue, as noted in this 2003 CDC review: Other potential reporting biases include increased reporting in the first few years after licensure, increased reporting of events occurring soon after vaccination, and increased reporting after publicity about a particular known or alleged type of adverse event.

In the case of childhood vaccinations, vaccine sets are co-administered, making it nearly impossible to know which specific vaccine caused the adverse event.

So why continue using an unreliable system  apart from the fact it was required by Congress? Experts agree that VAERS can be extremely useful in picking up signals of causation, which can be confirmed with further study, usually employing the governments other major monitoring system: the CDCs Vaccine Safety Datalink. The VSD uses the combined databases of nine major healthcare systems nationwide, providing detailed patient data, and the ability to look at control groups of unvaccinated patients. The downside to the VSD is that unless an issue comes through the healthcare system, its not going to be reported. So if someone dies at home after being vaccinated, it wont make it into VSD, though it might make it into VAERS.

One prime example of VAERS picking up a signal leading to an important safety discovery occurred in the late 1990s with the RotaShield vaccine for rotavirus  an ailment that causes diarrhea and vomiting in the very young. While clinical trials revealed a small number of cases of intussusception  the sometimes-deadly folding of the intestine in small children  the finding was not seen as prohibitive. Nonetheless, public health researchers flagged it as something to look for in VAERS as the vaccine was distributed widely. When reports started piling up in VAERS, it led to a review process, which ultimately led to the manufacturer pulling the vaccine off the market and the FDA pulling its license. A clear success for the system.

In the case of the COVID-19 vaccine products, Dr. Orenstein said VAERS has been a success, and that the large number of reports has been helpful in identifying certain issues. The increased volume may be a good thing. Because of the increased reporting weve been able to detect causally related problems, with mRNA problems with myocarditis and pericarditis, and with J&J coagulation problems and Guillain-Barre, so in essence, VAERS is important.

Jessica Rose, an independent researcher in Israel, agrees, and has devoted the past year and a half to putting VAERS under a microscope. Dr. Rose has a PhD in computational biology from Bar-Ilan University, a post-doc in molecular biology from Hebrew University, and another in biochemistry from the Technion, widely considered Israels MIT. She has become a fierce critic of the COVID-19 vaccines and spent countless hours poring over VAERS reports to craft her articles on the emergent issues.

For Rose, who has been collaborating with Dr. McCullough, the information available in the VAERS system on its own is sufficient to prove causality when it comes to vaccine-induced myocarditis from all three vaccines, especially the mRNA-based shots from Pfizer and Moderna. They specifically raise concerns around the high rate of myocarditis reported among boys ages 12-15. Their paper stating this was received, peer-reviewed, and accepted by Elsevier, the publisher of Current Problems in Cardiology, where the piece was to be released. It was then withdrawn from the site at the discretion of the editor. No basis was given for the removal. Dr. McCullough described the situation in detail to Bret Weinstein on his Dark Horse podcast in December. When asked for comment, Dr. McCullough told RealClearInvestigations:

Elsevier, the world's largest medical publisher, has for the first time in its history started violating publication contracts with unilateral retractions in the pandemic era. These papers were fully peer-reviewed, contracted, and published without any threats to scientific validity. The one thing in common for these retractions  they provided data on COVID-19 vaccine injuries, disabilities, and deaths. Thus Elsevier has broken the trust of the consuming public, doctors, and patients. In addition to legal exposure, Elsevier is losing ground to MDPI and other publishers that do not engage in corrupt censorship.

Asked to respond to the cardiologist's comment, Elsevier issued this statement to RCI: We do not agree with these assertions; this article in press was withdrawn following our standard policies which are all publicly available on our website.

The Lyme Disease Precedent

Dr. Orenstein and the federal health apparatus now acknowledge that adverse outcomes like myocarditis, coagulopathies/thrombosis, and Guillain-Barre have been established as causally related to the COVID-19 shots in certain cohorts  and that VAERS played a role in making those connections  but see them as rare.

Former FDA epidemiologist Ellenberg says the sheer number of events in VAERS may reflect the revival of an old phenomenon: high adverse publicity around vaccines, similar to what happened with the Lyme disease vaccine and arthritis.

Lyme disease can cause arthritis. So can aging. When many reports of arthritis started appearing in VAERS after that vaccine was rolled out in 1998, bad publicity followed. Ellenberg started receiving phone calls from lawyers asking her when FDA was going to pull the vaccine. Ultimately, FDA convened a panel to look into the correlation, and no causal connection was found. But because of the publicity, use of the vaccine waned and eventually the producer took it off the market.

Regarding the COVID-19 vaccines, Jessica Rose said VAERS shows a grim picture that has nothing to do with publicity. The reporting system is functioning as a pharmacovigilance tool right now, she said. There are an enormous number and range of safety signals being thrown out.

In March 2022, after the COVID-19 vaccine had been available for 15 months (462 days), she compared the number of VAERS reports related to these shots versus those for flu vaccines. Given the greater number of COVID shots administered during that period, she predicted that the rate of reporting in VAERSshould be about twice for COVID than for flu. What she found instead was 117.6 times as many reports of adverse events in the context of the COVID shots.

Rose is adamant. This is not about the number of doses, this is about these products doing more damage [than the flu vaccines], she said, systemic, comprehensive damage that weve never seen before. Theres no doubting that these products are different. When RCI queried Rose as to which three adverse events might be most readily proven as being caused by the vaccine with data posted in VAERS, she replied, Myocarditis, Bells palsy, and anything related to clotting.

Quietly, large numbers of peer-reviewed studies have been accumulating in legitimate journals, lending credence to those who believe many adverse events are occurring, and that they are causally related to vaccination. Just recently, a study of vaccines in three Nordic countries revealed a strong correlation between getting the Astra-Zeneca shot and a higher incidence of cardiovascular injury, and a lesser but still significant correlation for recipients of the Pfizer and Moderna products.

Finally, a preprint study (not yet peer reviewed) uploaded June 23 and co-authored by Peter Doshi, a senior editor at the British Medical Journal, as well as physicians from UCLA and Stanford, concludes that a careful analysis of all available data now suggests that the benefits of vaccination do not outweigh the potential harms. To make their calculations, the researchers used data from VAERS as well as its European equivalent, EudraVigilance, and the WHOs VigiBase.

But the story remains complicated. For instance, Rose agreed drawing conclusions is complicated by the lack of data in VAERS about whether reporting patients have also recovered from COVID. Studies have now shown that having had COVID also increases the risk of cardiovascular events in the year after recovery. On the other hand, an Israeli analysis shows a correlation to vaccine rollout, but not to COVID-19 infection rates.

With such variables, the task of monitoring vaccine safety can seem almost futile. But Dr. Robert Chen, the creator of VAERS, disagrees. He believes the system, in concert with the Vaccine Safety Datalink and other resources, has worked well in alerting the public health community to issues due to vaccination. He told RCI that in terms of its main function of telling you that something is going on, its amazingly effective.

Dr. Orenstein said the VSD should be expanded if possible as a complement to VAERS but said that without a single national database, the current system of monitoring vaccine safety is as good as it gets. For Ellenberg, a statistician by training, these are horrible, messy databases. Youre looking for a needle in a haystack. When talking to other epidemiologists and encouraging them to create better systems for analyzing VAERS, Ellenberg said she uses this analogy: If you can reduce the whole haystack to a handful of hay, then that makes your job just a little bit easier.

Rose acknowledges the messiness of VAERS, but believes it provides enough information to tell a story of danger. She said that in her analysis, 60% of VAERS reports describe events within 48 hours of vaccine administration  one more criteria for causality. Rose said: It isnt on me to prove that these products arent safe, this is on them [CDC, FDA], legally, to prove that these products are safe. And theyre not doing their jobs. On that point, a recent public records request by Josh Guetzkow, Ph.D., and the legal team at Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s Childrens Health Defense found that CDC has not been analyzing the VAERS data on COVID-19 shots using its own stated methods.

In an email to RCI, the CDC stated, COVID-19 vaccines are undergoing the most intense safety monitoring in U.S. history.
Trailer theft has increased by 69% during 2022 and is expected to rise further due to high demand and reports of trailers selling at inflated prices.

The figure includes trailers of all varieties, but there has been a recent increase in the theft of agricultural trailers, including horse boxes and other livestock trailers.

Changes to towing rules are also thought to be behind the increase in trailer thefts, where, as part of government plans to tackle the HGV driver shortage crisis, the car and trailer towing test was scrapped last year.

Since December 2021, most drivers have been legally able to tow a trailer up to 3500kg, without taking an extra test.

Theft of trailers is a serious issue for members of the farming and rural community, seriously impacting livelihoods.

Last month, Opal ACE, the dedicated Agricultural and Construction Equipment (ACE) specialist police unit, hosted a policing forum surrounding trailer theft.

Forces reported several instances of precursor events which included suspicious activities seen on or near farms prior to thefts.

Drones have been reported to be flying across sites prior to crimes occurring to identify the location of trailers to steal.

Farmers were advised that if they witness similar incidents, they should report it to the police and view such events as a possible indicator that an offence may soon take place.

Kevin Howells, managing director Datatag, a trailer security firm, commented on the thefts: This is a vicious circle - with the unprecedented demand on vehicle components and trailer parts, delivery times on new trailers can run into months if not years pushing up prices of used trailers.

"Criminals and fraudsters are taking full advantage of this which is why its important to securely permanently mark and register your trailer and to conduct careful identity inspections of second-hand trailers."

He added: "Walk away if the ID and chassis numbers are tampered with or missing and report your suspicions to the police.

The NFU Mutual in collaboration with NaVCIS (National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Services) recently produced a series of videos helping to combat rural crime.

In the videos, Bob Henderson, from the NFU, talks to NaVCIS's DC Chris Pigott about various measures rural businesses can take to prevent rural crime.

Methods include keeping security updated, CCTV and floodlights in addition to marking machinery, trailers and tools with CESAR marking.
Defra has reviewed the African swine fever (ASF) situation in Europe and has raised the risk from human-mediated routes into the UK to 'high'.

The latest outbreak, which was close to the French border, is the fifth such event in Europe in the last two months.

In its assessment, Defra noted the considerable uncertainty as the movement of people into the UK at present is affected by travel disruption, fuel prices and reducing seasonal worker numbers.

The greatest threat has always been entry of ASF virus into the UK via humans due to the checks in place for live animals and legal imports.

Whilst the overall risk of entry of ASF virus from all combined pathways remains at 'medium', the new status will be of concern to the pig sector as it demonstrates how vulnerable the UK is.

The National Pig Association (NPA) has been calling for greater controls at UK borders for some time, and was hugely disappointed and worried when the checks which were due to come into force in July 2022 were postponed.

The body, which has written to the prime minister raising concerns, warned that had been little action to better protect the national pig herd.

"Producers must continue to practice high levels of biosecurity to mitigate any risk and NPA is planning wider communications to producers, wider industry and seasonal workers," the NPA said.

"The political lobby will also continue and the team hope to make the most of the summer recess when MPs often visit producers to get the message across again."




The number of Korean and foreign migrants fell at the fastest-ever pace last year as the COVID-19 pandemic restricted cross-border movements by people, data showed Thursday.







The number of international migrants, referring to those who stay for more than 90 days here, declined 347,000, or 28.1 percent, on-year to 887,000, according to the data from Statistics Korea.







The data is calculated based on cross-border movements of both Korean nationals and foreigners, excluding short-term visitors.







It marked the sharpest on-year fall since the statistics agency began compiling related data in 2000. The 2021 numbers were also the lowest since 2004.







The number of entrants fell 39 percent on-year to 410,000, while a total of 476,000 people left the country, down 15 percent from the previous year.







This resulted in a net outflow of international migrants last year, marking the first net outflow since 2006.







The fall in people's cross-border movements came as the pandemic has prompted more countries to impose entry restrictions, disrupting air travel.







Last year, the number of incoming Korean passport holders sharply declined in a shift from a 41.5 percent on-year rise in the previous year.







The number of Korean nationals who came from overseas countries fell 56.9 percent on-year to 190,000. The number of Koreans who left the country rose 7.2 percent to 14,000.







In 2020, incoming Koreans sharply rose as more students and businesspeople returned home due to spikes in virus cases in foreign countries.







The number of foreign migrants who visited Korea fell for the third straight year in 2021 due to the pandemic.







The number of such incoming foreigners fell 5.4 percent on-year to 221,000, and that of foreigners who left the country sank 27.2 percent to 263,000. (Yonhap)


gettyimagesbank



By Lee Hyo-jin



Korea still has a long way to go to achieving gender equality, especially in terms of guaranteeing equal access for women in economic participation and employment opportunities, according to a recent report released by the World Economic Forum (WEF).



The country ranked 99th out of 146 countries covered in the gender gap rankings this year in the annual Global Gender Gap Report, according to international organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, Wednesday.



Since 2006, the WEF has been releasing the annual study, which measures the extent of the gender gap across the world based on four key indicators: economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment.



Korea, which has remained near the bottom of the list, has shown little improvement in recent years. It ranked 102nd out of 156 countries in 2021, 108th out of 149 countries in 2020 and 115th among 149 countries in 2019.



This year, the country's score in terms of overall performance stood at 0.689 out of 1  ranking 99th. The benchmark varies between 0 and 1, with 1 being full gender parity.



Of the four key areas, Korea performed worst in economic participation and opportunity. The labor participation rate of women stood at 53.39 percent, ranking 90th. The rate of women in parliamentary and high-ranking managerial positions stood at 16.27 percent, ranking 125th.



In terms of the political empowerment of women, the report found that only 18.6 percent of members of parliament were women and 27 percent of ministerial positions were held by females. It also noted the country has had only one female state leader.



The country performed fairly well in educational attainment. There was almost no gender gap in the literacy rate, but the enrollment rate in tertiary or post-secondary education among women was 19 percentage points lower than that of men.



Although Korea attained high scores in terms of access to health, the study pointed out that women were not guaranteed equal rights regarding reproductive autonomy.



Looking at other nations, Iceland remained the most gender-equal country, topping the list for 13 consecutive years, with a general score of 0.908. It was followed by Finland at 0.860, Norway at 0.845, New Zealand at 0.841 and Sweden at 0.822.



In Asia, the Philippines was the best-performing country on the index in 19th place, while Japan ranked 116th and China 102nd.



Globally overall, the WEF said that the world has reached only 68.1 percent gender parity this year, rising from 67.9 percent in 2021. At the current rate of progress, it is estimated that it will take another 132 years to reach full gender equality.


rose to a record $97.9 billion in June as export growth accelerated after the easing of COVID-19 control measures that temporarily shut down Shanghai and hit trade. Exports rose by 17.9 per cent to $331.2 billion, up from May's 16.9 per cent, according to customs data. Imports rose by 1 per cent to $233.3 billion, implying weak domestic demand.

With close to nil growth in imports, China's global trade surplus swelled by 90 per cent compared with a year ago.

Exports to the United States rose by 19.3 per cent over a year ago to $56 billion despite tariff hikes. Import of American goods too increased by 1.7 per cent to $14.6 billion. China's trade surplus with the United States widened by 26 per cent from a year earlier to $41.4 billion, according to official Chinese media.

China's monthly trade surplus rose to a record $97.9 billion in June as export growth accelerated after the easing of COVID-19 control measures that temporarily shut down Shanghai and hit trade. Exports rose by 17.9 per cent to $331.2 billion, up from May's 16.9 per cent, according to customs data. Imports rose by 1 per cent to $233.3 billion.#

Estimates for China's economic growth has been forecast as low as 2 per cent this year, well below the ruling Communist Party's target of 5.5 per cent. It is expected in some quarters that activity will shrink in the quarter ending in June before a gradual recovery begins.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Chinas foreign trade of goods has marked a 9.4 per cent year-on-year rise amounting to 19.8 trillion yuan (about $2.94 trillion) in the first half of this year. While exports increased by 13.2 per cent year-on-year to 11.14 trillion yuan, imports grew by 4.8 per cent from last year to 8.66 trillion yuan, as per the General Administration of Customs (GAC).

Chinas foreign trade growth jumped to 14.3 per cent in June, compared with 9.5 per cent in May and 0.1 per cent in April.

The growth of foreign trade picked up significantly in May and June, said Li Kuiwen, spokesperson for the GAC. In particular, the rapid recovery of imports and exports in the Yangtze River Delta led to a marked rebound in the overall growth of Chinas foreign trade.

China's foreign trade of goods has marked a 9.4 per cent year-on-year rise amounting to 19.8 trillion yuan (about $2.94 trillion) in the first half of this year. While exports increased by 13.2 per cent year-on-year to 11.14 trillion yuan, imports grew by 4.8 per cent from last year to 8.66 trillion yuan, as per the General Administration of Customs (GAC).#

The improvement in COVID-19 situation, along with pro-growth policies put in place by the government, has enabled Chinese enterprises to restart production since May, leading to a jump in foreign trade.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (NB)
Congressman Alan Lowenthal, who represents the Port of Long Beachone of the nation's busiest cargo portshas introduced thelegislation aimed at zeroing out pollution from all ocean shipping companies that do business with the US. The bill is cosponsored by Congresswoman Nanette Barragan, who represents the Port of Los Angeles, which with the neighbouring Long Beach port comprise the busiest container port complex in the Western Hemisphere.

Congressman Lowenthals bill aims to clean up the shipping industry, which on its own produces more emissions than all but five individual countries in the world. The legislation will also protect the health of port communities, address environmental injustice, and provide solutions to the climate crisis.

Since my earliest days of public service on the Long Beach City Council three decades ago, I have worked to clean up the maritime industry. This legislation continues this effort, Congressman Lowenthal said in a press release.

Congressman Alan Lowenthal, who represents the Port of Long Beachone of the nation's busiest cargo portshas introduced the Clean Shipping Act, legislation aimed at zeroing out pollution from all ocean shipping companies that do business with the US. The bill is cosponsored by Congresswoman Nanette Barragan, who represents the Port of Los Angeles.#

The bill directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set progressively tighter carbon intensity standards for fuels used by ships consistent with a 1.5 Celsius decarbonisation pathway. These standards would require lifecycle carbon dioxide-equivalent reductions of 20 per cent from January 1, 2027, 45 per cent from January 1, 2030, 80 per cent from January 1, 2035, and 100 per cent from January 1, 2040, relative to the 2024 emissions baseline. The EPA will retain regulatory discretion to ensure the continued success of the ocean freight system through this transition, while achieving maximum carbon reductions. It also directs the EPA to set requirements to eliminate in-port ship emissions by 2030. By January 1, 2030, all ships at-berth or at-anchor in US ports would emit zero GHG emissions and zero air pollutant emissions.

The Clean Shipping Act of 2022 is bold legislation that will make the United States a global climate leader in addressing pollution from the shipping industry and protect the health of port communities in Los Angeles and around the country, Congresswoman Barragan said. This is a big step forward for climate-smart ports and a clean energy future for every community. Proud to support this legislation as an original co-sponsor.

Emitting almost 1 billion tons of climate pollution per year, the shipping industrys annual emissions are roughly the same as all the coal plants in the US combined. The sector could account for 17-18 per cent of all global emissions by 2050 if corrective policies are not put in place, the release added.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations agency that regulates shipping, has set a goal of cutting shipping emissions by at least 50 per cent below 2008 levels by 2050; however, the IMOs strategy is not aligned with achieving the goal of the Paris Agreement to limit global average temperature increase to 1.5-degrees Celsius to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Coming legislation will work to close that gap.

We no longer have the luxury of waiting to act, Congressman Lowenthal said. We must face the fact that we are at a tipping point in the climate crisis; we must move beyond fossil fuels, and that includes air, land and sea transportation sources. No emissions sources can go overlooked. This legislation will set clear standards and drive the investment and innovation we need to transition to a zero-carbon future. It will clean up our ports once and for all, with a straightforward nationwide policy. This bill is the right policy for the future of our planet, for the health of our communities, and ultimately for the resiliency of goods movement.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KD)
TOKYO (dpa-AFX) - Panasonic Energy Co., Ltd. plans to build electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility in Kansas, the United States. The company has identified a site in De Soto, Kansas for the potential project, pending approval by Panasonic Holdings Corporation Board of Directors. The facility will create and supply lithium-ion batteries and accelerate the future of electric vehicle innovation on a global scale. The planned project is expected to create up to 4,000 new jobs and result in an investment of up to $4 billion. Kansas Governor Laura Kelly said that the development will have ripple effects throughout the regional and state economy, supporting an estimated 4,000 additional jobs created by suppliers and community businesses and 16,500 construction jobs as cited in an independent Wichita State University economic impact study. 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.
BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - German luxury fashion brand Hugo Boss AG (HUGSF.PK) reported that its preliminary group revenues for the second quarter rose 40% to 878 million euros from last year's 629 million euros. It raised its outlook for the current fiscal year. Currency-adjusted group sales for the second quarter increased 34% compared to the prior-year period. Quarterly operating profit (EBIT) was 100 million euros, significantly above the prior-year level's 42 million euros. The development mainly reflected the strong Group sales development as well as noticeable improvements in gross margin driven by an overall higher share of full-price sales. The company now forecasts group sales in fiscal year 2022 to increase between 20% and 25% to a new level of between 3.3 billion euros and 3.5 billion euros. Previously, it expected annual group sales to increase between 10% and 15% to a level of between 3.1 billion euros and 3.2 billion euros. EBIT in 2022 is now expected to increase between 25% and 35% to a level of between 285 million euros and 310 million euros. Previously, the company projected annual EBIT to increase of between 10% to 25% to an amount of between 250 million euros and 285 million euros. The company will publish its full second quarter 2022 results on August 3. For more earnings news, earnings calendar, and earnings for stocks, visit rttnews.com 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.
LONDON, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Krispy Kreme UK ("Krispy Kreme" or the "Company"), today announced that it has appointed Jamie Dunning as its new President and Managing Director for the UK and Ireland.

A former Managing Director and President at Mars Retail Group and Sales Director at Cadbury Schweppes, Dunning will take over from Richard Cheshire, who recently took the decision to step down from his role as Krispy Kreme's UK & Ireland CEO after nearly twenty years of working in leadership roles at the Company.

During his time leading Mars Retail Group, Dunning oversaw a transformation in the fortunes of the business and its associated brands, coming in at turnaround phase, and taking it to a phase of transformative accelerated growth.

The appointment comes at an exciting stage of Krispy Kreme's journey in the UK and Ireland as the Company looks to maintain the strong growth it has seen in the past five years. Dunning will be responsible for building on the successful legacy that Cheshire leaves behind.

Josh Charlesworth, Global President & Chief Operating Officer, Krispy Kreme, commented: "We are delighted to have been able to appoint Jamie to head up Krispy Kreme in the UK & Ireland. The work that his predecessor, Richard Cheshire, did to build the brand's presence and reputation in the region was nothing short of extraordinary, and we wish to thank him for his two decades of service. In Jamie we have a worthy new UK head, and I am excited to see the fresh perspective and wealth of knowledge that he will provide us with as we enter this thrilling new phase of our presence in one of our most valued markets."

Jamie Dunning, President & Managing Director, UK & Ireland, said: "I could not be more pleased to be joining the team at Krispy Kreme. I love everything about the company, from its strongly held values and its ambitious plans for the UK, to its delicious products! I will focus on continuing Krispy Kreme's signature Hub and Spoke model through expansions into online delivery, drive-throughs and bricks and mortar stores, but also cementing the relationship the company has with consumers as one of the countries' most-loved sweet treat brands that sparks joy and enhances shared moments".

Having entered the UK market in 2003, Krispy Kreme now operates 133 shops in the UK and Ireland and has a presence in over 1,500 other points of access thanks to partnerships with the likes of Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons.

This year is the 85th anniversary of Krispy Kreme's establishment globally, and the Company has plans to mark this milestone by continuing to provide people throughout the world with moments of joy and by targeting rapid growth in the UK and Ireland. Its UK arm recently re-introduced the Hotlight Hour initiative, the hour when customers are allowed to claim a freshly baked doughnut in-store, which had been paused due to Coronavirus. Meanwhile in Ireland, the doughnut maker opened its latest store at Liffey Valley Shopping Centre earlier this month - an addition to the existing Blanchardstown, Swords Pavilion, Dundrum Town Centre.

Richard Cheshire, former CEO, Krispy Kreme UK & Ireland, said: "Leading Krispy Kreme UK & Ireland over the last 20 years has been an absolute privilege that has provided so many magical memories for everyone involved. This year was, for many reasons, for me the right time to handover. I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who has played their incredible part over the last 20 years. I hope that you are as proud of your contributions as I am of you. I welcome Jamie as the new President & Managing Director, he is clearly a special talent and wish him and his leadership team all the very best for the future. It is exciting now to be a fan, and I look forward to the next chapter under Jamie's leadership."

Dunning will begin work in his new role on 25th July, and, after taking some time off, Cheshire is expected to set up his own business.

For more information on Krispy Kreme in the UK, visit www.krispykreme.co.uk, and in Ireland, go to www.krispykreme.ie.

About Krispy Kreme UK & Ireland

Krispy Kreme UK currently operates over 125 shops and has a presence in over 1,332 points of access. (Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons shops, Moto, Centre Parcs, RoadChef, Welcome Break, Eurogarages)

It entered the UK market in October 2003 in London and has since opened Hotlight shops in Edinburgh Hermiston Gait and St. James Quarter, Bluewater (temporarily closed for refurbishment), Braehead, Enfield , London Stratford, Leeds , Manchester , Peterborough , and Shannon Corner . To find your nearest shop or cabinet go to www.krispykreme.co.uk

in and has since opened Hotlight shops in Edinburgh Hermiston Gait and St. James Quarter, Bluewater (temporarily closed for refurbishment), Braehead, , London Stratford, , , , and . To find your nearest shop or cabinet go to www.krispykreme.co.uk Krispy Kreme UK can be found at: www.krispykreme.co.uk / www.facebook.com/krispykremeUK / @krispykremeUK

Krispy Kreme Ireland can be found at: www.krispykreme.ie / @krispykremeIRL

Purchase your doughnuts online through nationwide delivery: https://www.krispykreme.co.uk/krispy-kreme-delivered

About Krispy Kreme Inc:

Krispy Kreme is one of the most beloved and well-known sweet treat brands in the world. Our iconic Original Glazed doughnut is universally recognized for its hot-off-the-line, melt-in-your-mouth experience. Krispy Kreme operates in over 30 countries through its unique network of fresh doughnut shops, partnerships with leading retailers, and a rapidly growing ecommerce and delivery business. Our purpose of touching and enhancing lives through the joy that is Krispy Kreme guides how we operate every day and is reflected in the love we have for our people, our communities, and the planet. For more information, visit www.krispykreme.com.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1858584/Krispy_Kreme_Jamie_Dunning.jpg
SINGAPORE, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Oncoshot today announced a pre-series A funding round led by MassMutual Ventures (MMV). Other investors for this stage come from a suite of healthtech veterans that include Milltrust International and health industry angel investors.

This funding will support Oncoshot's further expansion into Australia and India where, including its home country Singapore, it is already in partnership with over 30 hospitals and industry partners. Presently, four hospital networks over three cities in India and networks of more than 20 hospitals in Oceania are due to set up nationwide public-private clinical trial ecosystems like Singapore's Project EISE.

On top of identified gaps in clinical research, data sharing continues to be encumbered amongst healthcare systems and industry collaborators. The EU Commission's launch of the 16 billion European Health Data Space to foster platforms for digital health services and products is proof that data sharing is the next big step in healthcare.

Oncoshot models itself as a ready-made platform for countries seeking to establish similar data-driven public-private ecosystems. Its federated data system houses critical and sensitive patient data within hospital premises, protecting the data as it is never transferred out of original storage. The analyses and insights generation happens within the hospital system, conferring control, access, and protection fully to hospital administrators.

MMV's wealth of experience in growing Singapore-based health technology start-ups globally will be pivotal in providing strategic guidance to Oncoshot, having backed growth stage start-ups such as Biofourmis and Qure.ai. Mr Anvesh Ramineni, managing director at the global venture capital firm, will be joining the board in guiding Oncoshot as it grows as an equitable first-in-class health insights exchange platform for cancer clinical trials.

"There is great value in creating a health insights exchange platform that can bring different clinical trial stakeholders together," said Mr Ramineni. "The Oncoshot solution addresses the frustrations faced by both industry and clinical players in terms of patient recruitment. The fact that this company has gained such traction with multiple hospitals highlights this need."

Globally, cancer clinical trials lose an average of USD35 billion per annum due to inefficient processes that arise from the unique nature of oncology research. The swiftness of cancer progression through patients sometimes far outpaces the time taken for recruitment because of strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. When patients progress through the disease or pass on, studies lose out on potential trial participants.

Oncoshot aims to eliminate this problem by working closely with clinical partners to enhance their health records using artificial intelligence and machine learning which will provide real-time insights to researchers and industry.

About Oncoshot

Oncoshot was founded in 2018 by Dr Huren Sivaraj, a medical oncologist, and Ruslan Enikeev, a data science engineer. Oncoshot's mission is to help oncologists identify cancer clinical trials more efficiently and effectively for patients and their caregivers by supporting hospitals and research partners. Its current focus is to leverage artificial intelligence technology to address the inefficiencies of cancer clinical trials. Oncoshot has expanded to Australia and India since its inception in Singapore, an act that highlights its applicability and success. For more information, visit https://www.oncoshot.com/.

About MassMutual Ventures




The senior presidential secretary for political affairs met with the ruling People Power Party's (PPP) acting chief Thursday and asked for the party's help with the long-delayed establishment of a foundation charged with promoting human rights in North Korea.







The North Korean Human Rights Foundation is supposed to be established under the North Korean Human Rights Act that passed through the National Assembly in 2016, but its establishment has been delayed as the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea has not recommended its share of board members.







The ruling and main opposition parties should recommend five board members each.







On Thursday, Lee Jin-bok, senior political affairs secretary to President Yoon Suk-yeol, met with the PPP's acting leader, Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, and called for help in launching the foundation, officials said.







"Five board members, whose recommendations should be submitted by the opposition party, have yet to be decided ... they haven't been for five years," Lee told reporters after a meeting with Kweon at the National Assembly.







Lee is also said to have asked Kweon to recommend a special envoy to sent to the inauguration ceremony of Colombia's President-elect Gustavo Petro. (Yonhap)






Two-thirds (63%) of Saudi youth say their country's relations with the US will improve under President Biden; the rest believe it will remain the same

70% of young Saudis have a 'very' or 'somewhat' favourable view of the president

Saudi youth are more likely to say the US is an ally now than at any point in the last five years

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- An overwhelming majority (92%) of young Saudis, who form about two-thirds of Saudi Arabia's population, see the United States as an ally of their nation, with 59 per cent stating the US is a 'strong ally' and 33 per cent citing it as 'somewhat of an ally.'

This finding from the 13th edition of the annual ASDA'A BCW Arab Youth Survey was announced today ahead of the historic visit of US President Joe Biden to the Kingdom on July 15 and 16, 2022. President Biden's visit, upon the invitation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, is expected to enhance the historic and strategic partnership between the two nations.

As President Biden observed in an opinion piece in the Washington Post, "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."

According to the survey, the perception that the US is an ally of Saudi Arabia is at its highest level in five years. In 2020, 87 per cent of Saudi youth viewed the US as a 'strong ally' or 'somewhat of an ally', an increase in favourability over 2019 when 70 per cent of Saudi youth viewed the US as an ally. In 2018, 50 per cent of Saudi youth viewed the US as an ally.

The symbolism of Biden's arrival in the Kingdom, following his first official visit to Israel, will not be lost on young Saudis, three-quarters (75%) of whom believe addressing the 'Palestinian-Israeli conflict' should be a top priority for the Arab world.

Despite the broadly positive perception of President Biden, young Saudi men and women believe he has work to do on the Palestine-Israel question, with 93 per cent insisting his administration "should have a played a more active and unbiased role in resolving the conflict." A majority of young Saudis (73%) are confident that the conflict is 'very likely' to 'somewhat likely' to be resolved in the next five years.

Sunil John, President, MENA, BCW and Founder of ASDA'A BCW, said: "The findings from our survey reflect the optimism surrounding Biden's first visit to the Kingdom as the US president. The generally warm feelings young people have towards US, and their eagerness for peace across the region, especially in resolving the Palestinian conflict, show the value to be had from a reset of US-Saudi relations to achieve a more stable and stronger Middle East geopolitical order."

Underlining the strategic role of the US in the region, over one-third (36%) of young Saudis believe the US has the most influence in the Arab world among non-Arab nations, compared with 43 per cent of Saudi youth who say their own country is the most influential among Arab nations in the region.

Over two-thirds of young Saudis (63%) are also confident that their country's relations with the US will improve under President Biden, while the rest (37%) believe relations between the two countries will remain the same.

Almost all young Saudis (97%) are confident that their country is going in the right direction; 82 per cent agreed with the statement that 'our best days are ahead of us.'

For the largest-of-its-kind survey of the Arab world's largest demographic, which was unveiled in October last year, PSB Insights, the global strategic research and analytics specialist, conducted 3,400 face-to-face interviews with Arab youth aged between 18 and 24 in 50 cities and territories in 17 states in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region from June 6-30, 2021.

To know more about the findings and to download the white paper of the ASDA'A BCW Arab Youth Survey, log on to arabyouthsurvey.com.

Infographic - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1858798/ASDAA_Survey_Infographic.jpg
Two-thirds (63%) of Saudi youth say their country's relations with the US will improve under President Biden; the rest believe it will remain the same

70% of young Saudis have a 'very' or 'somewhat' favourable view of the president

Saudi youth are more likely to say the US is an ally now than at any point in the last five years

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- An overwhelming majority (92%) of young Saudis, who form about two-thirds of Saudi Arabia's population, see the United States as an ally of their nation, with 59 per cent stating the US is a 'strong ally' and 33 per cent citing it as 'somewhat of an ally.'

This finding from the 13th edition of the annual ASDA'A BCW Arab Youth Survey was announced today ahead of the historic visit of US President Joe Biden to the Kingdom on July 15 and 16, 2022. President Biden's visit, upon the invitation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, is expected to enhance the historic and strategic partnership between the two nations.

As President Biden observed in an opinion piece in the Washington Post, "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."

According to the survey, the perception that the US is an ally of Saudi Arabia is at its highest level in five years. In 2020, 87 per cent of Saudi youth viewed the US as a 'strong ally' or 'somewhat of an ally', an increase in favourability over 2019 when 70 per cent of Saudi youth viewed the US as an ally. In 2018, 50 per cent of Saudi youth viewed the US as an ally.

The symbolism of Biden's arrival in the Kingdom, following his first official visit to Israel, will not be lost on young Saudis, three-quarters (75%) of whom believe addressing the 'Palestinian-Israeli conflict' should be a top priority for the Arab world.

Despite the broadly positive perception of President Biden, young Saudi men and women believe he has work to do on the Palestine-Israel question, with 93 per cent insisting his administration "should have a played a more active and unbiased role in resolving the conflict." A majority of young Saudis (73%) are confident that the conflict is 'very likely' to 'somewhat likely' to be resolved in the next five years.

Sunil John, President, MENA, BCW and Founder of ASDA'A BCW, said: "The findings from our survey reflect the optimism surrounding Biden's first visit to the Kingdom as the US president. The generally warm feelings young people have towards US, and their eagerness for peace across the region, especially in resolving the Palestinian conflict, show the value to be had from a reset of US-Saudi relations to achieve a more stable and stronger Middle East geopolitical order."

Underlining the strategic role of the US in the region, over one-third (36%) of young Saudis believe the US has the most influence in the Arab world among non-Arab nations, compared with 43 per cent of Saudi youth who say their own country is the most influential among Arab nations in the region.

Over two-thirds of young Saudis (63%) are also confident that their country's relations with the US will improve under President Biden, while the rest (37%) believe relations between the two countries will remain the same.

Almost all young Saudis (97%) are confident that their country is going in the right direction; 82 per cent agreed with the statement that 'our best days are ahead of us.'

For the largest-of-its-kind survey of the Arab world's largest demographic, which was unveiled in October last year, PSB Insights, the global strategic research and analytics specialist, conducted 3,400 face-to-face interviews with Arab youth aged between 18 and 24 in 50 cities and territories in 17 states in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region from June 6-30, 2021.

To know more about the findings and to download the white paper of the ASDA'A BCW Arab Youth Survey, log on to arabyouthsurvey.com

Notes to Editors:

About the ASDA'A BCW Arab Youth Survey

The Annual ASDA'A BCW Arab Youth Survey, launched in 2008, is the largest survey of its kind of the Arab world's largest demographic - its over 200 million youth. The survey fills an important gap in the data and insights on this influential community. It informs governments, the private sector, multilateral institutions, and academia on policymaking and future strategy.

The 13th Annual ASDA'A BCW Arab Youth Survey 2021, conducted by the international research firm PSB Insights, explores the hopes, fears and aspirations of Arabs aged 18 to 24 across 50 cities and territories in 17 states in the Middle East and North Africa.

A total of 3,400 face-to-face interviews were carried out between June 6 and June 30, 2021, in both Arabic and English, with male and female citizens of each country. The cohort was split equally between men and women. The survey covers five Gulf Cooperation Council states (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE), North Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan and Tunisia), the Levant region (Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, Syria) and Yemen.

www.arabyouthsurvey.com

Follow, like, share on Facebook; Twitter; Instagram; YouTube and LinkedIn.

About ASDA'A BCW

ASDA'A was founded in 2000 as an independent communications firm by Sunil John, who leads the agency in its 22nd year. In 2008, WPP (NYSE: WPP) acquired a majority stake in ASDA'A and merged it with BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe), one of the world's top three communications firms. The agency has a team of over 160 professionals across its seven wholly owned offices. With an additional 11 affiliates, ASDA'A BCW covers 16 countries across the Middle East and North Africa. The agency serves over 100 retained clients and is the leading PR consultancy in the MENA market.

www.asdaa-bcw.com

Follow, like, share on Facebook, Twitter; Instagram; YouTube and LinkedIn.

About BCW

BCW is the global communications agency that moves people on behalf of clients. BCW partners with clients in the B2B, consumer, corporate, crisis management, healthcare, public affairs, purpose and technology sectors to set strategic direction for all communications and create powerful and unexpected ideas that earn attention. Through an 'earned-plus' offer - earned media plus paid media, creative technology, data, AI and an expanding suite of innovative capabilities - BCW moves people with power and precision to move its clients forward. BCW is a part of WPP (NYSE: WPP), a creative transformation company.

www.bcw-global.com

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1858798/ASDAA_Survey_Infographic.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1858844/ASDAA_Survey_AR_Infographic.jpg
UL Solutions Advances Power Tool Safety with Addition of New Laboratory in Germany

The laboratory provides European power tool manufacturers comprehensive safety, performance, quality, reliability and certification testing services that address regulatory compliance and destination market access.

NEU-ISENBURG, Germany, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- UL Solutions, a global leader in applied safety science, has officially opened a new power tool laboratory. Complementing UL Solutions offices and laboratories in Germany, the power tool laboratory provides testing, inspection and certification services for a diverse range of power tool products for customers across Europe.

"Today marks an exciting new day in our relationship with European power tool manufacturers as we commemorate the opening of a new, state-of-the-art UL Solutions laboratory in Neu-Isenberg," said Giorgio Decataldo, business development manager in the Appliances, HVAC and Lighting group at UL Solutions. "Given our mission of working for a safer world, UL Solutions is dedicated to using its testing and certification expertise to help power tool manufacturers in Europe open new markets, forge partnerships and succeed in an increasingly competitive marketplace."

The new UL Solutions power tool laboratory provides a local comprehensive service provider to power tool manufacturers across Europe and helps empower manufacturers shorten development cycles and increase speed to market while navigating regulatory complexities. Capabilities at the Neu-Isenberg power tools facility include:

Safety testing and certification for North American access and for conformance to standards to earn the UL Mark

Power tool battery and charger testing

Testing in accordance to IEC/EN 62841 and IEC/EN 60745 standards

Energy efficiency requirements and testing

Performance testing

Smart tools privacy and cybersecurity services

Certification needs assessment

"The trends driving growth in the power tool market include demands for tools that are connected, easily operated, portable, battery-powered and energy-efficient," said Davide Atzeni, senior business manager in the Appliances, HVAC and Lighting group at UL Solutions. "With these innovations come the need for safety science expertise to transform big, complex challenges into business opportunities. UL Solutions is dedicated to harnessing its scientific approach, testing capabilities and certification expertise to help power tool manufacturers in Europe open new markets and succeed in an increasingly competitive marketplace."

According to Market Data Forecast, the growth of the power tool market can be attributed to the rising demand for cordless tools with the rapid adoption of flexible battery systems, the growing popularity of the do-it-yourself (DIY) culture and infrastructure developments to meet the needs of increasing populations. The North American power tools market is also expected to grow significantly in the construction, manufacturing and automotive industries.

In addition, according to M&M Report, North America accounted for 38% of the overall power tools market in 2019 and is expected to have strong momentum inthe global power tools market over the next decade. In Europe, the power tools market is forecast to grow with a compound annual growth rate of 5.4% between 2022 and 2029 and reach an annual sales level of $1,797,946,000 (USD) by 2029. Asia Pacific also offers significant growth opportunities to power tool manufacturers due to rising income levels, an upsurge in construction activities and growth in manufacturing industries.

"Adding testing capabilities in Germany will strengthen our ability to help customers export products to destination markets, such as North America, while meeting safety and performance testing and certification needs in Europe," Atzeni said. "Small and medium-sized European power tool manufacturers want to be more competitive with established brands in the North American market. However, current European-based certifiers lack the North American market awareness and acceptance that the UL Mark offers. The presence of UL Solutions in Germany means that local manufacturers have a global partner to help them navigate regulatory landscape complexities worldwide."

About UL Solutions

A global leader in applied safety science, UL Solutions transforms safety, security and sustainability challenges into opportunities for customers in more than 100 countries. UL Solutions delivers testing, inspection and certification services, together with software products and advisory offerings, that support our customers' product innovation and business growth. The UL Certification Marks serve as a recognized symbol of trust in our customers' products and reflect an unwavering commitment to advancing our safety mission. We help our customers innovate, launch new products and services, navigate global markets and complex supply chains and grow sustainably and responsibly into the future. Our science is your advantage.

Press contact:

Steven Brewster

UL Solutions

ULNews@UL.com

+1.847.664.8425

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HVDC Light transmission systems will connect the Hornsea 3 wind farm, providing renewable power for more than three million homes

Zurich, Switzerland, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hitachi Energy, the global technology and market leader in power grids, today announced it has won a major order from rsted, the world-leading renewable energy company, to provide two high-voltage direct current (HVDC) systems to transmit green electricity from the Hornsea 3 wind farm, located more than 120 km off the UK east coast.

The wind farm will have the capacity to generate up to 2.85 gigawatts of renewable electricity, enough to power more than three million UK homes. With more than 200 wind turbines installed across almost 700 square kilometers*1, this will be the single largest offshore wind farm in the world. This project is a significant step towards the British Energy Security Strategy ambition of sourcing up to 50 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2030.*2

Hitachi Energy has supported rsted with the grid connection of Hornsea 1*3 and Hornsea 2*4, but Hornsea 3 will be the first phase to use HVDC application in the Hornsea cluster.

The overall HVDC system, including the offshore platform, is delivered in partnership with Aibel*5. Hitachi Energy will supply two HVDC Light converter systems, while Aibel will deliver two HVDC offshore converter platforms. The platform is based on Hitachi Energy's modular HVDC system including its advanced control and protection system, MACH. As the HVDC offshore market grows and becomes more complex, Hitachi Energy will continue to develop solutions with its customers and partners to enable a more flexible offshore grid of the future.

"Offshore wind is a critical part of the clean energy transition and our HVDC technology is vital for effective transmission to the mainland power grid," said Niklas Persson, Managing Director of Hitachi Energy's Grid Integration business. "To address the rapidly growing offshore market, partnerships and collaboration are key to deliver at the speed and scale required to reach our decarbonization and energy security goals."

"The rsted vision is a world that runs entirely on green energy and the Hornsea projects are a significant step towards this goal in the UK," said Patrick Harnett, Vice President Programme UK at rsted. "Together with Hitachi Energy, we are demonstrating that renewables like offshore wind are a huge part of the world's sustainability journey. Hornsea 3 will not just provide low cost, clean energy for millions of homes in the UK, it will also deliver thousands of high quality jobs and billions of pounds of investment in the offshore wind supply chain in the UK and beyond."

Hitachi Energy is supplying four HVDC converter stations, which convert AC power to DC for transmission in the subsea cables, then reconvert it to AC for integration into the onshore grid. Two of the converter stations will be installed on offshore platforms and two at mainland grid connections.

Note to editors:

Hitachi Energy's HVDCsolution combines world-leading expertise in HVDC converter valves, the MACH digital control platform*6 converter power transformers and high-voltage switchgear, as well as in-system studies, design and engineering, supply, installation supervision and commissioning.

HVDC Light is a voltage source converter technology developed by Hitachi Energy. It is the preferred technology for many grid applications, including interconnecting countries, integrating renewables and "power-from-shore" connections to offshore production facilities. HVDC Light's defining features include uniquely compact converter stations and exceptionally low electrical losses.

Hitachi Energy pioneered commercial HVDC technology almost 70 years ago and has delivered more than half of the world's HVDC projects.

*1 About Hornsea 3

*2 British Energy Security Strategy

*3 Hornsea One Press Release

*4 Hornsea Two Press Release

*5 Aibel partnership Press Release

*6 Modular Advanced Control for HVDC(MACH)

About Hitachi Energy

Hitachi Energy is a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all. We serve customers in the utility, industry and infrastructure sectors with innovative solutions and services across the value chain. Together with customers and partners, we pioneer technologies and enable the digital transformation required to accelerate the energy transition towards a carbon-neutral future. We are advancing the world's energy system to become more sustainable, flexible and secure whilst balancing social, environmental and economic value. Hitachi Energy has a proven track record and unparalleled installed base in more than 140 countries. Headquartered in Switzerland, we employ around 38,000 people in 90 countries and generate business volumes of approximately $10 billion USD.

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi drives Social Innovation Business, creating a sustainable society with data and technology. We will solve customers' and society's challenges with Lumada solutions leveraging IT, OT.

About rsted

The rsted vision is a world that runs entirely on green energy. rsted develops, constructs, and operates offshore and onshore wind farms, solar farms, energy storage facilities, renewable hydrogen and green fuels facilities, and bioenergy plants. Moreover, rsted provides energy products to its customers. rsted is the only energy company in the world with a science-based net-zero emissions target as validated by the Science Based Targets initiativeor follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.

Media Contact:

Paul Haines

Head of UK Media Relations

+44 7880 149088

pauha@orsted.com

Attachments
LONDON (dpa-AFX) - British housebuilders Redrow plc (RDW.L) said Thursday it will begin a share buyback programme to purchase ordinary shares of 10.5 pence each in the Company for up to a maximum consideration of 100 million pounds. This follows the Board's conclusion that the Company has sufficient funds to enter into a capital return programme. Given the current share price, the Company said it decided to execute this cash return in the form of a share buyback programme. The primary purpose of the Buyback, which is structured in two tranches, is to reduce the share capital of the Company. The company noted that most of the Ordinary Shares purchased under the Buyback will be cancelled and a part of the Ordinary Shares will be held in Treasury. The company added that any purchase of Ordinary Shares under the Buyback will be carried out on the London Stock Exchange and/or other trading venues and will be effected within certain pre-set parameters. 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.
DUBLIN (dpa-AFX) - Mining company Kenmare Resources plc (KMR.L) Thursday said its production in the second quarter was weaker than expected due to higher slimes recirculation. As a result of the reduced production in the first half, Kenmare expects production of all finished products to be at the bottom end of its previously provided guidance range. Kenmare, however said its net debt had reduced by $17.3 million to $65.5 million as on 30 June 2022, from $82.8 million as on 31 December 2021. For 2022, the company expects a dividend payout ratio of 25% of profit after tax, same as 2021. Kenmare is scheduled to announce its half-yearly results on August 17. 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.
LONDON, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Deep tech start-up, Hadean, have been awarded a contract to help build and scale a cloud distributed simulation demonstrator for the British Army.

This Pathfinder agreement marks Hadean's first direct commitment with military end-users and sets the scene for the wider introduction and application of cloud-based computing in the MOD's Defence Synthetic Environment Platform (DSEP), and Collective Training Transformation Programme (CTTP).

Harnessing Hadean's Web 3.0 technology, the project will blend different 2D, 3D and Live, Virtual and Constructive (LVC) elements of training environments for land warfare into one immersive simulation, capable of running larger scenarios for remotely located physical and virtual users, without compromising on fidelity or complexity.

The demonstrator's learning and development outcomes will support the objectives set for Multi-Domain Integration by the UK Ministry of Defence, enabling the British Army to explore new areas of collective training where combat teams in geographically disparate live environments can operate remotely alongside troops exercising in the virtual world.

Additionally, the project will highlight the significance of partnerships in government innovation and digital transformation. The digital world's assets and entities will be built using Bohemia Interactive's VBS4, whilst live simulation system data will be drawn from a suite of leading defence training organisations.

Hadean CEO, Craig Beddis said: "This is a significant milestone for Hadean and an opportunity for us to contribute to the British Army's vision of large-scale, collective training. It is a great honour to be part of this programme, which will equip British warfighters with the necessary computing power to conduct live and synthetic training with their peers and help drive performance improvements. The technology demonstrated here will also help enable greater degrees of multi-national Live, Virtual and Constructive collective training."

Senior Responsible Owner (SRO), CTTP, UK MoD, Mike Cooper, said: "The Collective Training Transformation Programme (CTTP) is working with Army Innovation and Hadean to exploit new technology in the Future Collective Training System. This demonstration will deliver outputs that showcase how the technology from the commercial games industry could support transformation of training with the introduction of a Synthetic Environment Platform."

The programme will kick-off this summer and is expected to be completed by spring 2023.The Pathfinder will also be supplemented by an Independent Technical Evaluation which will validate the findings of the demonstration and suggest areas of future investigation.

About Hadean

Founded in 2015, Hadean are a venture backed startup, reimagining distributed, spatial and scalable computing for web 3.0 and the metaverse. The distributed cloud platform provides the foundations of web 3.0 applications for the metaverse, enterprise organisations and the defence sector. To date, Hadean have worked with organisations such as CAE, BAE Systems, the UK MOD, Microsoft, Minecraft, Epic Games and Cervus. Visit: hadean.com

For more information please get in touch with Hadean at: hadean@yourstorypr.com, +447867488769

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Positioned based on comprehensiveness of solutions, commitment to R&D, and reputation for "white glove" services

Talkdesk, Inc., a global cloud contact center leader for customer-obsessed companies, has been positioned as a Leader in the 2021 Frost Radar: European Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) Market analysis.

The European CCaaS market comprises more than 150 vendors offering solutions to companies across a broad range of verticals. From that field of 150 vendors, Frost Sullivan independently plotted the top 20 companies based on consistent growth and a strong focus on innovation for the Frost Radar analysis. The growth and innovation leaders met key criteria including longevity of their offering in Europe, consistent growth, and investments in transformative technologies like artificial intelligence.

According to the analysis, "Talkdesk is distinguished by the comprehensiveness and high standards of its solutions," having "one of the highest market averages of spending in R&D." The analysis also highlights that "Talkdesk has a culture and reputation for 'white glove' service throughout the entire customer lifecycle," providing "various services that enable companies to unlock the value of contact center transformation."

"The Talkdesk vision to offer breakthrough solutions to enhance CX is evidenced through a commitment to innovations," said Ankita Singh, senior industry analyst, Frost Sullivan. "The recent patents, product release frequencies, and innovations specific to omnichannel engagement, workforce engagement, and analytics offer a solid testimony of this. The continued focus on the geographical and operational expansion has helped Talkdesk gain a competitive edge and well-positioned it for future growth."

"Talkdesk continues to strengthen its Leader position worldwide, strategically expanding our global reach, bringing new innovations and AI-based capabilities to market, and helping many of Europe's largest organizations solve often complex and industry-specific challenges," said Tiago Paiva, chief executive officer, Talkdesk. "We're committed to giving businesses a better way to elevate customer experiences and drive business value and growth through the contact center."

Download a complimentary copy of the full 2021 Frost Radar: European Contact Center as a Service Market analysis

Additional Resources

See other recent Talkdesk awards and recognition

Save the date for the Talkdesk 2022 Opentalk CX Summit, with events in London and Madrid

Read the latest Talkdesk Research report Future of AI 2022: Progressing AI maturity in the contact center

Social Networks

Talkdesk Community: https://www.talkdesk.com/customer-community

Blog: https://www.talkdesk.com/blog/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Talkdesk

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/talkdesk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Talkdesk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Talkdesk/

About Talkdesk

Talkdesk is a global cloud contact center leader for customer-obsessed companies. Our automation-first customer experience solutionsoptimize our customers' most critical customer service processes. Our speed of innovation, vertical expertise, and global footprint reflect our commitment to ensuring that businesses can deliver better experiences across any industry and through any channel, resulting in higher customer satisfaction and accelerated business outcomes.

Talkdesk is a registered trademark of Talkdesk, Inc. All product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220714005402/en/

Contacts:

EMEA

Samantha Cupples

samantha.cupples@talkdesk.com
The company gears to further expand its global footprint to fulfil the accelerating demand for industrial automation

CHENNAI, India, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Detect Technologies, a leading AI-based SaaS enterprise, announced today that it raised $28 Mn in primary and secondary funding. Detect Technologies provides cloud-based applications to industries to automate and enhance visibility of industrial risks and improve productivity. Prosus Ventures led this round with significant participation from existing investors Accel and Elevation Capital, and continued support from other existing investors-Shell Ventures, Bharat Innovation Fund and Bluehill Capital.

Detect Technologies has grown rapidly to become a leading industrial AI and SaaS enterprise. The company will utilize this capital to further expand and strengthen its sales and operations across international markets in North America and Europe. Operating in the fast-evolving space of AI, the company has also allocated funds for enriching its product suite.

"Our vision is to provide actionable intelligence to help industries mitigate their risks while achieving their business objectives sustainably. I am happy that our customers are reporting fewer HSE incidents and reduced unplanned downtimes with increased productivity levels. We are grateful for the confidence bestowed upon us by our investors, and look forward to accelerating our market expansion," said Daniel Raj David, CEO and Co-founder of Detect Technologies.

Ashutosh Sharma, Head of Investments, India, at Prosus Ventures, shared, "Frontline worker safety and asset productivity are massive unsolved global problems, with significant financial and ESG-related implications. Detect team has done a phenomenal job in building a machine learning based, plug & play cloud solution to automate detection of safety violations on a near real-time basis, which is reflected in their market leadership, quality of logos and the recent as well as expected scale up in the business. At Prosus Ventures, we are committed to back SaaS companies building truly unique solutions to solve real world problems at scale. We are excited to participate in Detect's next phase of growth and work closely with the founders to support their ambition to become global leaders in industrial automation solutions."

Industries are actively exploring comprehensive solutions to automate their risk identification and reporting functions. Detect's client portfolio is growing globally across various industrial sectors. Increased visibility and actionable insights are helping organizations reduce their non-compliance to boost productivity and throughput.

"The industrial sectors have historically been challenged with lack of real-time data and insights to mitigate safety issues and loss of revenue from unplanned shutdowns. Detect has been at the forefront of solving these issues in very large installations for very large customers, globally. At Accel, we continue to remain excited with the strides that the company has made in the year since we partnered with them and continue to deepen this relationship," added Barath Shankar Subramanian, Partner, Accel.

Detect will be expanding their customer base in North America. The company has established a presence in Houston, TX as their North American headquarters and have signed multi-year global contracts with Fortune 500 industries.

Mridul Arora, Partner, Elevation Capital, shared, "We're delighted to further cement our relationship with Detect in the next phase of their journey. Not only do they have a world-class tech platform, they have also supplemented it with a strong execution muscle. Their enterprise wide partnerships with Shell and multiple other global conglomerates are testimony to the quality of their solution and the high regard the industry holds them in. We are sure that the best is yet to come for Daniel, Tarun and team Detect."

About Detect Technologies??

Detect Technologies is an enterprise tech SaaS company that provides intelligence to Industries for mitigating high-consequence risks through a suite of cloud-based AI powered applications. Detect has created a vast library of AI applications that mine out actionable insights from structured and un-structured data. These insights have helped industries improve workplace safety, monitor work processes effectively, increase visibility of external risks on their infrastructure, and improve productivity.

Website link: www.detecttechnologies.com ??

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DGAP-News: Linde plc / Key word(s): Sustainability

Linde Included in FTSE4Good Index for Seventh Consecutive Year



14.07.2022 / 11:59

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





Linde Included in FTSE4Good Index for Seventh Consecutive Year

Woking, UK, July 14, 2022 - Linde (NYSE:LIN; FWB:LIN) today announced it has been included in the FTSE4Good Index for the seventh consecutive year.

The FTSE4Good Index Series is a tool for investors seeking to invest in companies that demonstrate strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices measured against international standards. Inclusion is based on an independent analysis of ESG data from over 7,200 securities. Each company is assessed against strict criteria which have also been aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

"Linde's products and applications are critical for society, from medical oxygen that helps save lives, to gases that help customers reduce their greenhouse gas emissions," said Tamara Brown, Vice President Sustainability, Linde. "In addition, we have a clear roadmap to reduce our own greenhouse gas emissions and our inclusion in FTSE4Good confirms the work towards Linde's mission of making our world more productive."

Linde helps companies improve their environmental performance and reduce their carbon footprint through high-quality solutions, technologies and services. In 2021, the company announced new greenhouse gas emission goals, including a target of 35% absolute emissions reduction by 2035 and climate neutrality by 2050.



About Linde

Linde is a leading global industrial gases and engineering company with 2021 sales of $31 billion (26 billion). We live our mission of making our world more productive every day by providing high-quality solutions, technologies and services which are making our customers more successful and helping to sustain and protect our planet.

The company serves a variety of end markets including chemicals & energy, food & beverage, electronics, healthcare, manufacturing, metals and mining. Linde's industrial gases are used in countless applications, from life-saving oxygen for hospitals to high-purity & specialty gases for electronics manufacturing, hydrogen for clean fuels and much more. Linde also delivers state-of-the-art gas processing solutions to support customer expansion, efficiency improvements and emissions reductions.

For more information about the company and its products and services, please visit www.linde.com.



Contacts:



Investor Relations

Juan Pelaez

Phone: +1 203 837 2213

Email: juan.pelaez@linde.com

Media Relations

Anna Davies

Phone: +44 1483 244705

Email: anna.davies@linde.com



14.07.2022 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.

Archive at www.dgap.de


A North Korean fisherman, left, is on standby for deportation back to North Korea in Panmunjeom, located in the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea on November 2019. Yonhap



By Lee Yeon-woo



The previous Moon Jae-in government's repatriation of the North Korean fishermen in 2019 despite their revealed intention to defect to the South has drawn condemnations from international human rights groups following the disclosure of several photos of them.



In those photos that were revealed by the Ministry of Unification, the North Koreans appear to have resisted while being taken to the inter-Korean border to hand them over to the North Korean authorities.



The Korean-language website of Voice of America (VOA), the U.S. state-owned international broadcaster, has reported that several human rights groups and other U.S.-based organizations have criticized the Moon government's decision to send them back to the North against their will, calling it a violation of human rights.



In particular, Amnesty International said, "The decision to send them back to North Korea violated the principle of non-refoulement." The principle of non-refoulement in international law states that no one should be returned to a country where they would face persecution based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion.



"A guarantee of non-reoccurrence should be ensured by the South Korean government," it added.



George W. Bush Presidential Center was also critical of the decision. "The forcible repatriation was immoral, inhumane and unlawful. At the same time, we want to acknowledge that killing (if it occurred as reported) is also unacceptable, and one should face the consequences within a fair and due process," the institute was quoted as saying by the VOA.



U.S. Congressman Chris Smith, a member of the Republican Party in New Jersey, joined the criticism, saying the repatriation underscores the "brutality of North Korea's communist regime and the callous complicity of the previous Moon administration," in another VOA report.



On Tuesday, the Ministry of Unification released several photos that captured the two North Korean fishermen's repatriation process near the inter-Korean border. Those photos show the North Koreans appearing to resist being handed over to Northern officials.



Unification Minister Kwon Young-se told reporters that those photos were released to the press while the ministry submitted them to the National Assembly upon its request.



He said that sending the two North Koreans back to the North against their will is unlawful. "It is clearly inappropriate for the South Korean authorities to conclude that they are criminals after conducting a brief investigationthey were supposed to stand trial in accordance with the South Korean legal system and must be presumed innocent until proven guilty," the minister said.


Q2 2022 Gold production of 11,640 Gold Equivalent Ounces

Gold Grades expected to improve going forward

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 14, 2022) - Cerrado Gold Inc. (TSXV: CERT) (OTCQX: CRDOF) ("Cerrado" or the "Company") announces its production results for the second quarter of 2022 ("Q2 2022") from the Minera Don Nicolas Mine in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina ("MDN"). Full financial results are to be released by the end of August.

Q2 Operating Highlights

Gold Equivalent ounces ("GEO") of 11,640 ounces produced in Q2 2022, in line with targeted 45,000 - 55,000 ounces of production for 2022

3 rd consecutive quarter of "normalized" operations despite continuing operating challenges

consecutive quarter of "normalized" operations despite continuing operating challenges Issues with explosives and spare parts resolved, availability of mining fleet now normalized

Calandrias heap leach on track to commence construction in Q3 2022

The continued strong operational performance seen in Q2 2022 follows MDN's record quarterly production in Q4 2021 and strong production performance in Q1 2022. The mining team experienced some setbacks due to a drop in head grade during the quarter as operations transitioned to three new mining areas, namely: Chulengo, Baritina, and Esperanza which impacted the near-term grade profile as these pits are in the initial stages of development. It is expected that gold grades will increase with depth and that production levels will normalize in Q4, returning to previous production levels achieved in Q1. Supply chain issues from the first quarter regarding the availability of explosives and spare parts for vehicle maintenance were resolved early in the quarter. Despite these issues the operation continued to meet its production targets in terms of tonnes moved and recovery rates.

The numerous operational improvements implemented at the processing plant ensured consistent mill throughput rates above 1,100tpd during Q2 2022. The development of new mining areas is expected to result in a slight drop in head grade, resulting in an estimated gold grade between 3.0 - 3.5g/t for Q3 2022. That said, mine development and planning activities indicate that head grades should return to targeted levels in Q4 2022, exceeding 4g/t.

Construction activities for the new heap leach processing facility at Calandrias will commence during Q3 2022. Detailed design of the process plant and heap leach pad are now complete.

Mark Brennan, CEO and Co-Chairman, commented, "Despite some challenges seen in the quarter, we are pleased that the numerous operational improvements implemented by the team continue to demonstrate a more sustainable and predictable production profile for MDN. The core focus at MDN for 2022 remains the development of the heap leach operations at Calandria and ongoing exploration programs to increase our resource base. Stable and growing production at MDN and progress with the Feasibility Study at MDC in Brazil puts us on track for rapid production growth in the coming years".

Please see Table 1. below for a summary of key highlights from Q2 2022 and previous reporting periods.

Table 1. Key Operating Information

MDN Operating Data Units Q2

2022 Q1

2022 FY

2021 Q4

2021 Q3

2021 Q2

2021 Q1

2021 Ore Mined ktonnes 92 89 412 121 114 102 75 Waste Mined ktonnes 1,130 879 5,114 1,061 1,462 1,323 1,268 Strip Ratio waste/ore 12.32 9.85 12.42 8.81 12.88 12.94 16.81 Mining Rate tpd 14,381 10,760 15,983 13,312 18,173 16,119 16,387 Ore Milled ktonnes 103 99 414 110 102 107 95 Head Grade Au g/t 3.44 4.68 3.51 4.77 3.57 2.97 2.59 Head Grade Ag g/t 9.95 14.85 12.63 17.94 13.01 10.91 8.00 Recovery Au % 91% 89% 89% 89% 88% 87% 91% Recovery Ag % 67% 58% 59% 57% 63% 57% 61% Mill Throughput tpd 1,131 1,096 1,152 1,194 1,126 1,171 1,051 Gold Ounces Produced oz 11,296 13,007 42,268 15,008 10,168 9,607 7,485 Silver Equivalent Ounces (Au Equiv.) oz 344 381 1,291 360 381 327 223 GEO Production oz 11,640 13,499 43,559 15,368 10,549 9,934 7,708

Full financial results are to be released by August 29, 2022.

During the quarter, the Company continued to pursue its exploration activities at the Paloma underground target, and has completed a drill program at Michelle, with results expected to be released during Q3 2022. Work is progressing well on the Calandrias heap leach project and construction activities are expected to commence shortly.

At the Company's Monte do Carmo project in Brazil, the infill drill campaign is progressing well and the Company is advancing numerous work streams to deliver the Feasibility Study in Q1 2023.

Review of Technical Information

The scientific and technical information in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Sergio Gelcich, P.Geo., Vice President, Exploration for Cerrado Gold Inc., who is a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101.

Mark Brennan

CEO and Co Chairman

Tel: +1-647-796-0023

mbrennan@cerradogold.com



Nicholas Campbell, CFA

Director, Corporate Development

Tel.: +1-905-630-0148

ncampbell@cerradogold.com

About Cerrado Gold

Cerrado is a Toronto based gold production, development and exploration company focused on gold projects in the Americas. The Company is the 100% owner of both the producing Minera Don Nicolas mine in Santa Cruz province, Argentina and the highly prospective Monte Do Carmo development project, located in Tocantins State, Brazil.

At Minera Don Nicolas, Cerrado is maximising asset value through further operations optimization and continued production growth. An extensive campaign of exploration is ongoing to further unlock potential resources in our highly prospective 334,000ha land package.

At Monte Do Carmo, Cerrado is rapidly advancing the Serra Alta deposit through Feasibility and production. The Serra Alta deposit hosts Indicated Resources of 541 kozs of contained gold and Inferred Resources of 780 kozs of contained gold. The Preliminary Economic Assessment demonstrates extremely robust economics as well as the potential to be one of the industry's lowest cost producers. Cerrado also holds an extensive and highly prospective 82,542 ha land package at Monte Do Carmo.

For more information about Cerrado please visit our website at: www.cerradogold.com.

Disclaimer

NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking information" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation, all statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that discusses predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation, statements regarding the business and operations of Cerrado. In making the forward- looking statements contained in this press release, Cerrado has made certain assumptions, including, but not limited to improving gold grades and the resolution of supply chain issues at MDN and continuing progress of the Feasibility Study and infill drilling at MDC. Although Cerrado believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations of any forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this press release. Except as required by law, Cerrado disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking statements or otherwise.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/130861
Reports Third Quarter Results

TORONTO, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TRX Gold Corporation (TSX:TNX) (NYSE American:TRX) (the "Company" or "TRX Gold") today announced results for the third quarter of 2022 ("Q3 2022"). Financial results for Q3 2022 will be available on the Company's website and will be filed on SEDAR and provided on EDGAR on or around July 14, 2022.



Q3 2022 was another milestone for the Company as it reflected the first full quarter operating the 360 tpd processing plant at full design capacity and using the cash flow generated from mining operations to fund successful exploration. During Q3 2022 the Company recorded its highest quarterly: (i) production, (ii) sales, (iii) gross profit margins, (iv) net income, and (v) operating cash flow, at a low cash cost1 of $508 per gold ounce. Also, during the quarter the Company announced a 250 meter strike length extension of the Buckreef Gold Main Zone from 1.55 kilometers to 1.80 kilometers, and positive assay results from the northeast step-out drilling program on the Buckreef Gold Main Zone. These positive results continue to demonstrate the immense opportunity at Buckreef Gold and reflect a significant step towards successful execution of utilizing cash flow from operations to fund value creating activities, including exploration.

Q3 Accomplishment and Highlights

Achieved Low Cash Costs and High Gross Margins: The Company achieved a low cash cost 1 of $508 per ounce of gold, and a significant gross margin of 73% resulting in record quarterly net income of $2.0 million. TRX Gold was operating cash flow positive ($2.0 million) in the quarter, the second consecutive (operating cash flow positive) quarter in the Company's history.

The Company achieved a low cash cost of $508 per ounce of gold, and a significant gross margin of 73% resulting in record quarterly net income of $2.0 million. TRX Gold was operating cash flow positive ($2.0 million) in the quarter, the second consecutive (operating cash flow positive) quarter in the Company's history. Successful Operation of 360 tpd Process Plant: Buckreef Gold successfully completed the first full quarter operating the 360 tpd mill at Buckreef Gold to nameplate capacity. This is the first phase of 360 tonnes per day (tpd) for the 1,000+ tpd processing plant. The Company achieved production of 2,733 ounces of gold, exceeding guidance, and sold 3,033 ounces of gold - both quarterly records for the Company.

Buckreef Gold successfully completed the first full quarter operating the 360 tpd mill at Buckreef Gold to nameplate capacity. This is the first phase of 360 tonnes per day (tpd) for the 1,000+ tpd processing plant. The Company achieved production of 2,733 ounces of gold, exceeding guidance, and sold 3,033 ounces of gold - both quarterly records for the Company. Advanced 1,000+ tpd Processing Plant Expansion: Buckreef Gold continued to advance construction on the 1,000+ tpd processing plant. During the quarter, the Company made significant progress on the plant build, including successful completion of geotechnical earthworks, carbon-in-leaching ("CIL") tank farm foundation construction, ball mill foundation and plinth curing, plant steel fabrication, tank construction, and procurement of all key long lead items, thus reducing considerable timeline risk for plant commissioning. The Company has sufficient liquidity to fund the remaining capital expenditures for the larger 1,000+ tpd oxide processing plant, which is expected to be completed in calendar Q3 2022 and is forecast to produce 15,000 - 20,000 oz of gold per year.

Buckreef Gold continued to advance construction on the 1,000+ tpd processing plant. During the quarter, the Company made significant progress on the plant build, including successful completion of geotechnical earthworks, carbon-in-leaching ("CIL") tank farm foundation construction, ball mill foundation and plinth curing, plant steel fabrication, tank construction, and procurement of all key long lead items, thus reducing considerable timeline risk for plant commissioning. The Company has sufficient liquidity to fund the remaining capital expenditures for the larger 1,000+ tpd oxide processing plant, which is expected to be completed in calendar Q3 2022 and is forecast to produce 15,000 - 20,000 oz of gold per year. Expanded Exploration: Buckreef Gold confirmed a strike extension of the Buckreef Main Zone by 250 meters (16% increase in the strike length of the Buckreef Main Zone to 1.8 kilometers) and reported positive assay results from the northeast step-out drilling program on the Buckreef Gold Main Zone. Buckreef Gold added an additional drill rig to expand the exploration program and, to date, has drilled 21 holes representing over 7,415 meters in the northeast extension of Buckreef Main Zone. The Company has finalized the planning for a 10,000 meter (approximate) infill and extension drill program to: (i) upgrade Mineral Resources currently in the inferred category in Buckreef Gold Main Zone, and (ii) commence infill drilling at Buckreef West.

"In Q3, we achieved low cash costs, significant gross profit margins and record net income, proving we have a viable business at Buckreef Gold. The goal now is to make this operation much larger, with a focus on resource expansion, and build a significant gold business that unlocks shareholder value. We were able to use cash flow from operations to fund value accretive activities, including exploration. We were pleased to report a 250 meter extension to the Main Zone and are excited to test for extension of gold mineralization to the southwest with our expanded drill program. The processing plant expansion is well advanced and will triple in size to 1,000+ tpd in the next few months. We are enthusiastic about the growth potential for the Buckreef Gold project which will be funded from operating cash flow from the expanded operation. Congratulations to all of my colleagues on another milestone quarter," noted Stephen Mullowney, Chief Executive Officer of TRX Gold.

Pictured Below: Dore Bars from Buckreef Gold, Buckreef Gold 360 tpd Processing Plant at Night, Buckreef Gold Drill Rig in Northeast Extension, CIL Tank Construction at 1,000+ tpd Plant at Buckreef Gold

About TRX Gold Corporation

TRX Gold is rapidly advancing the Buckreef Gold Project. Anchored by a Mineral Resource published in May 2020, the project currently hosts an NI 43-101 Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource of 35.88 MT at 1.77 g/t gold containing 2,036,280 oz of gold and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 17.8 MT at 1.11g/t gold for 635,540 oz of gold. The leadership team is focused on creating both near-term and long-term shareholder value by increasing gold production to generate positive cash flow. The positive cash flow will be utilized for exploratory drilling with the goal of increasing the current gold Resource base and advancing the Sulphide Ore Project which represents 90% of current gold Resources. TRX Gold's actions are led by the highest ESG standards, evidenced by the relationships and programs that the Company has developed during its nearly two decades of presence in Geita Region, Tanzania.

Qualified Person

Mr. Andrew Mark Cheatle, P.Geo., MBA, ARSM, is the Company's Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 "Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects" ("NI 43-101") and has reviewed and assumes responsibility for the scientific and technical content in this press release.

Investors

Christina Lalli

Vice President, Investor Relations

TRX Gold Corporation

+1-438-399-8665

c.lalli@TRXgold.com

www.TRXgold.com

Endnotes and Forward-Looking Statements

Endnotes

The Company has included certain non-IFRS measures in this news release. Refer to the Company's MD&A for the three and nine month periods ended May 31, 2022 ("Q3 2022 MD&A") for an explanation, discussion and reconciliation of non-IFRS measures. The Company believes that these measures, in addition to measures prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"), provide readers with an improved ability to evaluate the underlying performance of the Company and to compare it to information reported by other companies. The non-IFRS measures are intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. These measures do not have any standardized meaning prescribed under IFRS, and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Cash cost per ounce of gold sold was determined by dividing the cost of gold sold of $1.542 million for the three months ended May 31, 2022 calculated in accordance with the IFRS per the Company's financial statements divided by the number of ounces of gold sold (3,033) during such three months.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements as defined in the applicable securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "hopes", "intends", "estimated", "potential", "possible" and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions or results "will", "may", "could" or "should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect TRX Gold management's expectations or beliefs regarding future events and include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to continued operating cash flow, expansion of its process plant, estimation of mineral resources, ability to develop value creating activities, recoveries, subsequent project testing, success, scope and viability of mining operations, the timing and amount of estimated future production, and capital expenditure.

Although TRX Gold believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance. The actual achievements of TRX Gold or other future events or conditions may differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements due to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors. These risks, uncertainties and factors include general business, legal, economic, competitive, political, regulatory and social uncertainties; actual results of exploration activities and economic evaluations; fluctuations in currency exchange rates; changes in costs; future prices of gold and other minerals; mining method, production profile and mine plan; delays in exploration, development and construction activities; changes in government legislation and regulation; the ability to obtain financing on acceptable terms and in a timely manner or at all; contests over title to properties; employee relations and shortages of skilled personnel and contractors; the speculative nature of, and the risks involved in, the exploration, development and mining business. These risks are set forth in reports that TRX Gold files with the SEC. You can review and obtain copies of these filings from the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml.

The information contained in this press release is as of the date of the press release and TRX Gold assumes no duty to update such information.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d4dd9a5d-d65a-47fe-b386-d79e40c9508c
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 14, 2022) - Blackrock Silver Corp. (TSXV: BRC) (the "Company" or "Blackrock") is pleased to announce drill results from the Company's ongoing step-out and in-fill drilling programs on its 100% controlled Tonopah West project located in West Central Nevada along the Walker Lane trend. Initial results successfully expand the Denver vein one kilometre beyond the boundary of the April 2022 maiden resource estimate, effectively doubling the footprint of mineralization.

Highlights:

Core hole TXC22-052 intersected 4.6 metres of the Denver vein grading 0.63 grams per tonne ("g/t") gold ("Au") and 148 g/t silver ("Ag") or 211 g/t silver equivalent ("AgEq") including a 0.7metre zone grading 1.89 g/t gold and 513 g/t silver or 702 g/t AgEq one kilometre northwest of the DPB resource area (AgEq_= Ag_g/t + Au_g/t*100);

TXC22-052 has doubled the strike potential of the mineralized Tonopah West vein system;

TXC22-054 was a 200 metre step out to the west of the DPB resource area and returned 0.3 metres grading 1.81 g/t gold and 127 g/t silver or 308 g/t AgEq;

TXC22-051 and -053 intersected elevated gold and silver along with high values of copper, lead and zinc within the projected Denver vein zone;

In-fill drilling has encountered quartz-vein stockwork and breccia zones that are within 200 metres of the surface on the southern edge of the DPB resource. Handheld XRF evaluation shows the zones are mineralized; however, assays are pending; and

A granodiorite intrusive was drilled in TXC22-051 which may have spatial and genetic links to understanding the Tonopah district mineralization, elaborating on the structural architecture and ultimate upside potential of the system.

Andrew Pollard, Blackrock's President and CEO, stated, "As the highest-grade undeveloped silver project in the sector[1], initial results from our 2022 step-out drill program have more than doubled the mineralized footprint of the vein system on our Tonopah West project, alluding to substantial resource expansion potential. Drillhole TXC22-052 intercepted a thick, highly mineralized section of the Denver vein roughly one kilometre beyond our maiden resource envelope, indicating we're still in the very early stages of defining Tonopah West's full potential. With our resource expansion program roughly 50% complete, in-fill drilling has encountered a shallow new zone of stockwork quartz-veins and breccias that could point to near surface potential for the southern portion of the property, of which assays are pending at this time."

Step Out Program

Blackrock kicked off the 2022 exploration program with highly aggressive step-out drilling that was guided based on the Company's learnings from drilling out the Tonopah West resource (2.9Mtonnes at a block-diluted grade of 446 g/t AgEq or 42.6 Mozs of AgEq; "Technical Report and Estimate of Mineral Resources for the Tonopah West Silver-Gold Project, Nye and Esmeralda Counties, Nevada, USA" effective April 28, 2022, and dated June 16, 2022). Core hole TXC22-052 intersected 4.6 metres of the Denver vein grading 0.63 g/t gold and 148 g/t Ag or 211 g/t AgEq including a 0.7metre zone grading 1.89 g/t gold and 513 g/t silver or 702 g/t AgEq. TXC22-052 is located one kilometre northwest of the northwest corner of the DPB resource area.

TXC22-052 is significant as it effectively doubles the strike potential of the Tonopah West vein system. The Denver vein, or its equivalent, has now been encountered at high grades over 2,500 metres of strike. The Company's April 2022 maiden resource estimate incorporated drilling that covered1,300 metres of strike. Core hole TXC22-052 demonstrates that substantial upside potential exists along 1,200 metres of additional strike.

TXC22-051 was drilled 650 metres north-northwest of TXC22-052. The drillhole encountered the Denver vein geology and intersected elevated gold and silver along with high values of copper (up to 541 ppm), lead (up to 532 ppm) and zinc (up to 10,000 ppm) within the projected Denver vein zone starting at 1,112 metres down the hole. Immediately beneath the Denver vein, the drillhole interested a granodiorite intrusive. The granodiorite could be important and may have a genetic and spatial link to the source of the Tonopah district gold and silver mineralization as well as provide understanding on the structural architecture observed in the district.

TXC22-053 was drilled 330 metres north of TXC22-052. The core hole targeted the down dip projection of the Denver vein. The core encountered elevated gold and silver along with anomalous copper (808 ppm), lead (up to 395 ppm) and zinc (up to 688 ppm) over 5.52 metres interval at the projected depth (764 metres) of the Denver vein.

TXC22-054 was a 200 metre step out to the west of the DPB resource area and was drilled to understand the structural orientations where the Denver vein rotates from east-west to northwest. TXC22-054 returned 0.3 metres grading 1.81 g/t gold and 127 g/t silver or 308 g/t AgEq.

Table 1: Tonopah West Gold and Silver Assays Above 200 gpt AgEq Cut-off Grade

HOLEID Area From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au_g/t Ag_g/t AgEq_g/t TXC22-051 NW Step Out NSV TXC22-052 NW Step Out 583.9 588.5 4.60 0.630 148.1 210.9 Including 584.6 585.3 0.70 1.890 513.0 702.0 TXC22-053 NW Step Out NSV TXC22-054 W Step Out 440.1 440.4 0.30 1.810 127.0 308.0 AgEq_g/t = Ag_g/t + Au_g/t*100; AuEq_g/t = Au_g/t + Ag_g/t/100. True thickness unknown. NSV = No significant values

In-Fill Program

In-fill drilling started within the New Discovery area with core hole TXC22-056 through TXC22-060 having been completed and samples sent to the assay lab (assays pending). The drillholes are exploring for gold and silver mineralization that is within 200 metres of the surface. To date, drilling has encountered mineralization in the form of stockwork quartz veins and breccia zones associated with the Oddie Rhyolite intrusive. XRF investigation of the core shows elevated values for gold and silver indicating near surface potential for the mineralized system. Assays are pending at this time.

Core TXC22-061 was completed in DPB. In-fill drilling is currently in process within the Victor area.

On May 12, 2022, the Company announced commencement of a fully funded drilling program. A total of 3,625 metres of core, 3,298 metres in pre-collar holes and 396 metres of RC drilling have been completed. The announced program has been expanded and is approximately 50% complete.





Figure 1: Tonopah West Project Drillhole Location Map (July 12, 2022)



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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Table 2: Tonopah West Drillhole Location Data

Drillhole ID Target Type NAD27 East NAD27 North Elevation metres Azimuth Dip Total Depth metres TXC22-051 NW Step Out Core 476933 4215497 1746 180 90 1212.5 TXC22-052 NW Step Out Core 476770 4214860 1780 180 80 695.9 TXC22-053 NW Step Out Core 476766 4215195 1741 180 80 852.8 TXC22-054 W Step Out Core 477350 4214050 1754 180 55 599.8 TXC22-055 NW Step Out Core 477192 4214638 1747 180 75 788.8 TXC22-056 New Discovery Core 477900 4213250 1773 180 70 351.4 TXC22-057 New Discovery Core 478050 4213250 1779 180 70 296.0 TXC22-058 New Discovery Core 478150 4213050 1788 180 70 338.9 TXC22-059 New Discovery Core 478050 4213420 1778 180 80 319.1 TXC22-060 New Discovery Core 478050 4213420 1780 180 65 299.6

Quality Assurance/ Quality Control

All sampling is conducted under the supervision of the Company's project geologists, and a strict chain of custody from the project to the sample preparation facility is implemented and monitored. The reverse circulation samples are hauled from the project site to a secure and fenced facility in Tonopah, Nevada, where they are loaded on to American Assay Laboratory's (AAL) flat-bed truck and delivered to AAL's facility in Sparks, Nevada. A sample submittal sheet is delivered to AAL personnel who organize and process the sample intervals pursuant to the Company's instructions.

The reverse circulation and QA/QC samples are crushed and pulverized, then the pulverized material is digested and analyzed for Au using fire assay fusion and an Induced Coupled Plasma (ICP) finish on a 30-gram assay split. Silver is determined using five-acid digestion and ICP analysis. Over limits for gold and silver are determined using a gravimetric finish. Data verification of the assay and analytical results are completed to ensure accurate and verifiable results. Blackrock personnel insert a blind prep blank, lab blank or a certified standard approximately every 15th to 20th sample.

Blackrock's exploration activities at the Tonopah North and Tonopah West projects are conducted and supervised by Mr. William Howald, Executive Chairman of Blackrock. Mr. William Howald, AIPG Certified Professional Geologist #11041, is a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101. He has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release.

About Blackrock Silver Corp.

Blackrock is a junior precious metals focused exploration company that is on a quest to make an economic discovery. Anchored by a seasoned Board, the Company is focused on its Nevada portfolio of properties consisting of low-sulphidation epithermal gold & silver projects located along the established Northern Nevada Rift in north-central Nevada and the Walker Lane trend in western Nevada.

For further information, please contact:

Andrew Pollard, President & CEO

Blackrock Silver Corp.

Phone: 604 817-6044

Email: andrew@blackrocksilver.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements concern the Company's strategic plans, the maiden resource estimate on the Tonopah West project, timing and expectations for the Company's exploration and drilling programs, estimates of mineralization from drilling, geological information projected from sampling results and the potential quantities and grades of the target zones. Such forward-looking statements or information are based on a number of assumptions, which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things: conditions in general economic and financial markets; accuracy of assay results; geological interpretations from drilling results, timing and amount of capital expenditures; performance of available laboratory and other related services; future operating costs; and the historical basis for current estimates of potential quantities and grades of target zones. The actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of risk factors, including the ability of the Company to make payments related to the lease option to purchase the Tonopah West project; the timing and content of work programs; results of exploration activities and development of mineral properties; the interpretation and uncertainties of drilling results and other geological data; receipt, maintenance and security of permits and mineral property titles; environmental and other regulatory risks; project costs overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses; availability of funds; failure to delineate potential quantities and grades of the target zones based on historical data, and general market and industry conditions. Forward-looking statements are based on the expectations and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. The assumptions used in the preparation of such statements, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statements were made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements included in this news release if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as otherwise required by applicable law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

[1] Source: S&P Global; Company reports as of July 12, 2022. AgEq resources and grade reflect only silver and gold (M&I and I) resources (excludes base metals) for deposits larger than 40 million ounces AgEq.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/130813
NEW YORK, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Data Bridge Market research has recently released expansive research titled "Global Robotic Palletizers Market" guarantees you will remain better informed than your competition. An outstanding Robotic Palletizers Market research report intensely analyses the potential of the market with respect to current scenario and the future prospects by considering several industry aspects of Robotic Palletizers industry. The report also recognizes and analyses the rising trends along with major drivers, challenges and opportunities in the market. The report provides major statistics on the market status of global and regional manufacturers and is a helpful source of assistance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the Robotic Palletizers Market industry. The company profiles of all the chief and dominating market players and brands who are taking steps such as product launches, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions are mentioned in the superior Robotic Palletizers Market report.

Data Bridge Market Research analyses that the robotic palletizers market was valued at USD 2.27 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach USD 3.44 billion by 2029, registering a CAGR of 5.34 % during the forecast period of 2022 to 2029. In addition to the market insights such as market value, growth rate, market segments, geographical coverage, market players, and market scenario, the market report curated by the Data Bridge Market Research team includes in-depth expert analysis, import/export analysis, pricing analysis, production consumption analysis, patent analysis and technological advancements.

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Market Overview:-

Palletizing refers to the process of loading an object like a corrugated carton on a pallet or a related device in a clear pattern. DE palletizing refers to the process in which unloading the loaded object in the reverse pattern. Several manufacturing companies and plants now days have automated their application with a palletizing robot solution of some kind. Robotic palletizing technology upsurges the profitability and productivity while allowing for more flexibility to run products for longer time period.

A robotic palletizer is a category of palletizers which employs a robotic arm to orient, pick and place the individual products from one place to another and arrange them into a single stack of load. Robotic palletizers are the next generation of palletizers, and they will replace the conventional palletizers. These palletizers have lots of advantages, such versatility, as lower capital cost and multi-tasking abilities which make them the more preferable.

Some of the major players operating in the robotic palletizers market are:

A-B-C Packaging Machine Corporation (U.S.)

Okura Yusoki Co., Ltd. ( Japan )

) Fuji Robotics Americas (U.S.)

ABB ( Sweden )

) Concetti S.P.A ( Italy )

) Schneider Packaging Equipment Co. Inc. (U.S.)

Wildeck (U.S.)

Krones AG ( Germany )

) Kuka AG ( Germany )

( ) Kion Group AG ( Germany )

) FANUC Corporation ( Japan )

) Columbia Machine, Inc. ( Columbia )

) Premier Tech Ltd., ( Canada )

) Arpac LLC (U.S.)

Aetnagroup Spa ( Italy )

) Fromm Packaging Systems Inc (U.S.)

Fhope Packaging Machinery Co, Ltd. ( China )

) Signode Denmark Aps (U.S.)

Webster Griffin Ltd. (U.K.)

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Robotic Palletizers Market Dynamics

Growing demand from food and beverages Sector

The food and beverage industry has led the global robotic palletizers market for several years. The rising demand of food and beverage products has driven the use of packaging of products which has shipped across the globe. The Dynamic shipping of food products with no damage or spillage increases the demand of robotic palletizers in the market because these palletisers can easily stabilize the loads, which are expected to push the demand for robotic palletizers in the market.

Improved workspace safety

Robotic palletizers are properly designed palletizers which eliminates the workplace hazards and threats associated with manual labour. Manual palletizing poses crushing, falling, slipping and tripping hazards and they are also cause muscle strains due to the repetitive stacking and reaching of products. So due to safety purpose increase the demand of robotic palletisers because it protects employees from risk and it is not put them in danger. Robotic palletizers remove people from the risks by replacing them with robots.

Rise in demand due to zero damages

Robotic palletizers are very demanding in many industries because Robots can be equipped with end of arm tools (EOATs) which are capable of handling bags, heavy totes, pails, cardboard boxes or just about anything else. These robotic palletizers can be programmed to apply enough pressure to lift a product without tearing its bag, breaking its case, or bending its box. There is no any chance for damages and the product will not dropped. It isn't stacked on the wrong pallet, in the wrong orientation, or under something too heavy. Robotic palletizers are both more precise and accurate than people due to this increase the demand of robotic palletizers which are expected to drive the market growth rate.

Opportunities

Associate beneficial factors

The constant need to upsurge effectiveness in the handling of delicate products, efficiency of production, cost effectiveness of these equipment are some major factors which are expected to boost the demand of the robotic palletizers in the market and will create beneficial opportunities in upcoming period.

Technological advancement

The development of hybrid palletizers that offer functionalities of both robotic and traditional palletizers will further create numerous opportunities which will led to the growth of the robotic palletizers market in forthcoming period. Moreover, upsurge in strategic collaborations and rise in emerging new markets will also act as market drivers and further boost valuable opportunities for the market's growth rate.

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The investment made in the study would provide you access to information such as:

Robotic Palletizers Market [Global - Broken-down into regions]

Regional level split [ North America , Europe , Asia Pacific , South America , Middle East & Africa ]

, , , , & ] Country wise Market Size Split [of important countries with major market share]

Robotic Palletizers Market Share and Revenue/Sales by leading players

Market Trends - Emerging Technologies/products/start-ups, PESTEL Analysis, SWOT Analysis, Porter's Five Forces, etc.

Robotic Palletizers Market Size

Robotic Palletizers Market Size by application/industry verticals

Robotic Palletizers Market Projections/Forecast

Market Segmentation

The robotic palletizers market is segmented on the basis of offerings, robot type, payload, speed, application and end-user. The growth amongst these segments will help you analyze meagre growth segments in the industries and provide the users with a valuable market overview and market insights to help them make strategic decisions for identifying core market applications.

Offerings

Hardware

Software

Service

Robot Type

Articulated Robots

Collaborative Robots

Full Layer Palletizing Systems

Cartesian Robots

SCARA Robots

Parallel Robots

Others

Payload

< 10 kg

>10 kg

Speed

>30 Cycles Per Minute

20-30 Cycles Per Minute

10-20 Cycles Per Minute

< 10 Cycles Per Minute

Application

Case Palletizers

Bag Palletizers

Pail Palletizers

Depalletizers

Other Applications

End User

Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG)

Healthcare

Electronics

Chemicals

Construction Industry

Consumer Products

Others

The countries covered in the Robotic Palletizers market report are the U.S., Canada, and Mexico in North America, Brazil, Argentina, and the rest of South America as part of South America, Germany, Italy, U.K., France, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Turkey, Russia, Rest of Europe in Europe, Japan, China, India, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Rest of Asia-Pacific (APAC) in the Asia-Pacific (APAC), Saudi Arabia, U.A.E, South Africa, Egypt, Israel, Rest of Middle East and Africa (MEA) as a part of the Middle East and Africa (MEA).

Table of Content:

Part 01: Executive Summary

Part 02: Scope of the Report

Part 03: Global Robotic Palletizers Market Landscape

Part 04: Global Robotic Palletizers Market Sizing

Part 05: Global Robotic Palletizers Market Segmentation By Product

Part 06: Five Forces Analysis

Part 07: Customer Landscape

Part 08: Geographic Landscape

Part 09: Decision Framework

Part 10: Drivers and Challenges

Part 11: Robotic Palletizers Market Trends

Part 12: Vendor Landscape

Part 13: Vendor Analysis

View Detailed Table of Content @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/toc/?dbmr=global-robotic-palletizers-market

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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 14, 2022 / Goodbody Health Inc. (CSE:GDBY)(OTCQB:GDBYF) ("Goodbody" or the "Company"), announces that further to its news release dated June 10, 2022, the Company has mailed its proxy materials, with instructions on how to attend and vote, to its shareholders of record as of July 5, 2022 for its annual general and special meeting to be held on August 9, 2022 at 9 am (Pacific time) at The Blue Building, Stubbs Lane, Beckington, Frome, BA11 6TE, United Kingdom (the "Meeting"). The information circular dated July 8, 2022, forming part of the proxy materials, sets out full details of the Company's intention to de-list from the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "De-Listing") and to re-domicile the Company from the Province of British Columbia to Guernsey (the "Continuation"), subject to shareholder approval. The information circular and proxy materials will shortly be available at the Company's website at www.goodbodyhealth.com.

Goodbody intends to retain its quote on the AQSE Growth Market in London and the OTCQB quote in the United States. Further announcements regarding the post-Continuation trading arrangements on the AQSE Growth Market will be made in due course.

Prior to the Continuation and the De-Listing, the Company intends to consolidate all of its issued and outstanding common shares on the basis of ten (10) pre-consolidation shares for one (1) post-consolidated share (the "Consolidation"). The Company currently has 364,962,152 common shares issued and outstanding. Following completion of the Consolidation, the Company would have approximately 36,496,215 common shares issued and outstanding. The Company will also consolidate all warrants and Options to the same ratio. The Company currently has 36,603,461 options issued and outstanding. Following completion of the Consolidation, the Company would have approximately 3,660,346 options issued and outstanding. The Company currently has 49,317,379 warrants issued and outstanding. Following completion of the Consolidation, the Company would have approximately 4,931,737 warrants issued and outstanding. Any fractional common shares resulting from the Consolidation would be rounded to the nearest whole common share, with any fraction of 0.5 or above rounded up and any fraction of less than 0.5 rounded down. Pursuant to the Company's current articles, the Company's board of directors can authorize the Consolidation by directors' resolutions. The Consolidation is subject to Canadian Securities Exchange approval.

The voting results from the Meeting regarding the Continuation will not affect the De-Listing or the Consolidation.

The Company's proxy materials are also available on the Company's SEDAR profile on www.sedar.com.

About Goodbody (CSE: GDBY)

Goodbody is a UK based aggregator of Health and Wellness products and services operating through a network of over 200 clinics in the UK undertaking diagnostic testing, mainly pharmacy based. It also has a GMP and ISO22000accredited CBD extraction and manufacturing facility in Poland and an ISO27001 accredited laboratory in the UK. It grew the business income 9-fold from 2020 to 2021.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. These statements are identified by the use of the words "project," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "contemplate," "foresee," "would," "could," "plan," and similar expressions that are intended to identify forward-looking statements, which are generally not historical in nature. These forward- looking statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effect on Goodbody. While management believes that these forward-looking statements are reasonable as and when made, there can be no assurance that future developments affecting Goodbody will be those that are anticipated. All comments concerning the Company's expectations for future revenues and operating results are based on the Company's estimates for its existing operations and do not include the potential impact of any future acquisitions. Goodbody's forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties (some of which are beyond Goodbody's control) and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from Goodbody's historical experience and present expectations or projections. Known material factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include: the re-domicile may not be approved by shareholders; the Board of Directors may choose to postpone or abandon the re-domicile at any time, including after shareholder approval; changes in Canadian or U.K. laws, including tax laws, that could effectively preclude Goodbody from completing the re-domicile or reduce or eliminate the benefits expected to be achieved from the re-domicile; an inability to realize expected benefits from the re-domicile or the occurrence of difficulties in connection with the re- domicile; and costs related to the re-domicile, which could be greater than expected. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements contained in this press release, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Forward-looking statements also are affected by the risk factors described in Goodbody's filings with the British Columbia Securities Commission. Goodbody undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements after the date they are made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Contact Information:

Marc Howells

Chief Executive Officer

+44 (0)20 7971 1255

enquiries@goodbodyhealth.com www.goodbodyhealth.com

Anne Tew

Chief Financial Officer

832-308-4975

enquiries@goodbodyhealth.comwww.goodbodyhealth.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: Goodbody Health Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/708300/Goodbody-Health-Announces-Annual-General-and-Special-Meeting-of-Shareholders
Wallbox (NYSE: WBX), a leading provider of electric vehicle (EV) charging and energy management solutions worldwide, today announced that it will release its financial results for the second quarter of 2022 before market open on Wednesday, August 10, 2022. The company will host a conference call at 8:00 AM ET (2:00 PM CET), to discuss these results and provide a business update. The prepared remarks by Enric Asuncion, co-founder and chief executive officer, and Jordi Lainz, chief financial officer, will be followed by a question and answer session.

Please visit this link, which is also accessible on the 'Events Presentations' section of the company's investor relations website, investors.wallbox.com, to register for and join the webcast. A replay of the webcast following the event and the accompanying presentation materials will be accessible through the same link and available for future download.

About Wallbox

Wallbox is a global technology company, dedicated to changing the way the world uses energy. Wallbox creates advanced electric vehicle charging and energy management systems that redefine users' relationship to the grid. Wallbox goes beyond electric vehicle charging to give users the power to control their consumption, save money, and live more sustainably. Wallbox offers a complete portfolio of charging and energy management solutions for residential, semi-public and public use in more than 100 countries. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Barcelona, the company now employs over 1,000 people in its offices in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. For additional information, please visit www.wallbox.com.

Wallbox Forward Looking Statements

This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding the timing of the release of the financial results and conference call. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "anticipate," "believe," "may," "can," "should," "could," "might," "plan," "possible," "project," "strive," "budget," "forecast," "expect," "intend," "will," "estimate," "predict," "potential," "continue" or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology, but the absence of these words does not mean that statement is not forward-looking. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements, including those discussed under the caption "Risk Factors" in Wallbox's final prospectus on Form 424(b)(3) filed with the SEC on November 12, 2021, as such factors may be updated from time to time in its other filings with the SEC, accessible on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov and the Investors Relations section of Wallbox's website at investors.wallbox.com. These and other important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any forward-looking statement that Wallbox makes in this press release speaks only as of the date of such statement. Except as required by law, Wallbox disclaims any obligation to update or revise, or to publicly announce any update or revision to, any of the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220714005441/en/

Contacts:

Wallbox Public Relations Contact:

Elyce Behrsin

Public Relations

Press@wallbox.com

+34 622 513 358

Wallbox Investor Contact:

Matt Tractenberg

VP, Investor Relations

Matt.Tractenberg@wallbox.com

+1 404-574-1504


MOSCOW (dpa-AFX) - In UN-brokered talks in Turkiye between Russia and Ukraine, an agreement has been reached to form a joint coordination center to ensure the security of Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea.



The breakthrough agreement on allowing the resumption of grain exports amidst the ongoing Russian attacks on Ukraine came during a meeting Wednesday in Istanbul between military delegations from Turkiye, Russia, and Ukraine, along with UN officials.



The task of the coordination center, to be located in Istanbul, will be to carry out 'general monitoring and coordination of safe navigation in the Black Sea,' said Andriy Yermak, an adviser to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky.



Separately, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that a 'critical step forward' had been taken to allow the 'safe and secure export' of millions of tons of grain via the Black Sea, but emphasized that no formal agreement has yet been signed between Russia and Ukraine.



The Government of Turkiye has been working with the UN to broker a deal for weeks, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, saw a major rise in prices of grains, cooking oils, fuel and fertilizer, together with major supply chain issues across the world.



Ukraine is the world's major supplier of corn and wheat, and much of the grain imported by developing countries comes from there.



But the country's Black Sea ports, through which majority of the grains are exported, are blockaded by Russia. It includes the crucial hub of Odesa.



'In a world darkened by global crises, today, at last, we have a ray of hope to ease human suffering and alleviate hunger around the world', the UN chief told reportersat UN Headquarters in New York.



The Secretary-General said that he hoped the first meeting in Istanbul would lead to another, 'very soon', potentially next week.



Asked about the wider possibility of a peace deal being reached between Russia and Ukraine to end the fighting, Guterres said there was still a long way to go, although Wednesday's developments were an extremely encouraging sign.



Meanwhile, Russian fighter jets bombed Snake Island, which provides access to the Danube River and its small inland ports to ships carrying grain from Ukraine.



With widespread fighting continuing in the country, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office said Thursday that nearly 350 Ukrainian children have been reported killed and more than 1,000 others injured in Russian attacks since February.







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Join us at Booth 1245 on the SAPinsider 2022 exhibition floor for demos and presentations about creating additional value in SAP environments with decision intelligence.

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Presenters: Cristina Martin Greysman, WW Head of SAP on AWS Partner Alliance Strategy and Dave Henry, Senior Vice President of Strategic Alliances, Pyramid

Abstract: The adoption of data lakes is well underway. This includes how customers get more from their SAP investments using data lakes. However, deploying data lakes while integrating SAP systems can be daunting as customers get used to how it all comes together. Yet the use cases which combine data from SAP and data lakes are compelling. Through the lens of a customer case study, this session examines the business drivers for using data lakes with SAP. We introduce an agile approach to accessing, analyzing, and blending diverse data sets that insulates end-users from the underlying data architecture while ensuring security and strengthening IT governance.

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Take Your SAP Investment to the Next Level with Pyramid Analytics with Kevin Kratzer, Solutions Engineer, Pyramid Analytics. Tuesday, July 19. 3:30 p.m. 3:50 p.m.

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The Pyramid Decision Intelligence Platform delivers data-driven insights for anyone to make faster, more intelligent decisions. The Pyramid Platform provides instant access to any data, enables automated governed self-service for any person, and serves any analytics need, from the simple to the sophisticated. By uniquely combining Data Prep, Business Analytics, and Data Science with AI guidance in a single environment, the Pyramid Platform reduces cost and complexity while accelerating growth and innovation. This enables a strategic, organization-wide approach to Business Intelligence and Analytics.

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Pyramid Analytics is incorporated in Amsterdam and has regional headquarters in global innovation and business centers, including London, New York City, and Tel-Aviv. Our team lives worldwide because geography should not be a barrier to talent and opportunity. Investors include H.I.G. Growth Partners, Jerusalem Venture Partners (JVP), Sequoia Capital, and Viola Growth. Learn more at Pyramid Analytics.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220714005012/en/

Contacts:

UK

Susie Evershed

Resonance

+44 7966 145092

pyramidanalytics@resonancecrowd.com

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Heather Racicot

Resonance

+1 360-632-5616

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Chas Kielt

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617.687.3371

chas.kielt@pyramidanalytics.com
SAN FRANCISCO, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The global medical tubing market is expected to reach USD 19.53 billion by 2028 constituting a CAGR of 7.0% from 2022 to 2028, as per the report by Grand View Research, Inc. The demand for medical tubing is expected to get boosted due to the increase in the cases of respiratory diseases like lung cancer, pulmonary fibrosis, and asthma as well as being an essential part of respiratory devices like ventilators designed for breathing purposes. Additionally, the COVID-19 situation resulted a rise in hospitalization cases triggering the demand for medical tubing to provide enhanced patient care. For instance, the utilization of disposable medical equipment has been important for providing patient care. This has ultimately resulted in the high demand for medical tubing as the most essential component of medical devices, thus boosting the market growth during the forecast period.

Key Industry Insights & Findings from the report:

The market value of medical tubing was USD 11.85 billion as of the year 2021 which was expected to expand at a CAGR of 7.0% during the forecast period.

as of the year 2021 which was expected to expand at a CAGR of 7.0% during the forecast period. The polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sector acquired 29.5% of the revenue of the medical tubing market in the year 2020 which has resulted in the increased demand for PVC medical devices due to transparency, resistance to chemicals, and biocompatibility.

The use of silicone medical tubing in catheters, medical implants, and tubes for feeding has resulted in a market expansion of 7.7% CAGR during the forecast period.

The application of the bulk tubing category acquired 35% of the global revenue share and provided successful opportunities for the market to grow.

In terms of regional insights, North America successfully acquainted 37% of the global revenue in 2020 and maintained its position by keeping the R&D tax credit low. This resulted in the provision of treatments and medical devices for constituting a healthy lifestyle.

Read 100-page market research report for more Insights, "Medical Tubing Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Fluoropolymers, PVC), By Application (Bulk Disposable Tubing, Drug Delivery Systems), By Region (APAC, North America), And Segment Forecasts, 2020 - 2028, published by Grand View Research.

Medical Tubing Market Growth & Trends

The demand for using medical tubing, especially for respiratory devices is paving the way for significant growth in the U.S. market due to the increasing COVID-19 diseases affecting the lungs and consequently resulting in respiratory issues. The spread of the COVID-19 virus in the year 2020 resulted in the requirement of hospitalization as a large population was severely affected. Hence, the major drive for the product is solely based on the awareness of diseases that require hospitalization and the spread of harmful infections. There have been collaborations between medical companies to make expansion in terms of making disposable medical devices available globally, thus uplifting the market growth during the forecast period.

The tubing of medical devices is said to differ from the remaining tubes because of its utilization in various medical applications. Medical tubes are smaller and thinner when used in medical processes like endoscopy, drug delivery, and angioplasty. Therefore, medical tubing is a kind of tool that is used by medical professionals for patient care and manufacturing drug while taking into consideration safety and reliability. These act as standards or certifications that constitute important requirements while using the tube material. Additionally, plastic is an essential material for producing medical tubes for the purpose of acquiring stent holders, vascular catheters, and samples of biopsy. Owing to the inertness, resistance, increased properties, and provision of volume applications at an affordable cost, medical tubing designed out of plastic is highly implemented in medical devices.

Medical Tubing Market Segmentation

Grand View Research has segmented the global medical tubing market based on product, application, and region:

Medical Tubing Market - Product Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017-2028)

Silicone

Polyolefins

Polyvinyl Chloride

Polycarbonates

Fluoropolymers

Others

Medical Tubing Market - Application Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017-2028)

Bulk Disposable Tubing

Drug Delivery Systems

Catheters

Biopharmaceutical Laboratory Equipment

Others

Medical Tubing Market - Region Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017-2028)

North America

U.S.



Canada



Mexico

Europe

Germany



U.K.



France



Russia



Spain



Italy



Netherlands

Asia Pacific

China



India



Japan



Australia



Singapore



South Korea

Central & South America

Brazil

Middle East & Africa

& South Africa

List of Key Players of the Medical Tubing Market

Asahi Tech Corp.

MDC Industries

Nordson Corp.

ZARYS International Group

Hitachi Cable America Inc.

NewAge Industries, Inc.

TE Connectivity

Freudenberg & Co. KG

Spectrum Plastics Group

ATAG SpA

Saint-Gobain

Bentec Medical

Trelleborg AB

MicroLumen, Inc.

Optinova

Vanguard Products Corp.

Check out more studies published by Grand View Research:

Medical Device Packaging Market - The global medical device packaging market size is expected to reach USD 48.97 billion by 2028, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 6.4% from 2020 to 2028. The market growth is attributed to the growing demand for medical devices, such as surgical implants and instruments, medical supplies, electro-medical equipment, and in-vitro diagnostic equipment. The increasing aging population that requires advanced medical treatments, coupled with the unhealthy lifestyles of people, has been resulting in the high prevalence of chronic diseases.

The global medical device packaging market size is expected to reach by 2028, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 6.4% from 2020 to 2028. The market growth is attributed to the growing demand for medical devices, such as surgical implants and instruments, medical supplies, electro-medical equipment, and in-vitro diagnostic equipment. The increasing aging population that requires advanced medical treatments, coupled with the unhealthy lifestyles of people, has been resulting in the high prevalence of chronic diseases. Medical Flexible Packaging Market - The global medical flexible packaging market size is expected to reach USD 26.3 billion by 2028, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc., expanding at a CAGR of 6.5% from 2021 to 2028. Increasing demand for pharmaceutical products in emerging economies as well as growing demand for drug delivery systems in developed countries are driving the growth of the market. The use of flexible packaging is increasing in the healthcare industry as the companies operating in the industry are opting for sustainable functions and materials, such as paper. Paper-based packaging is included in green packaging as it is highly recyclable and economical.

- The global medical flexible packaging market size is expected to reach by 2028, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc., expanding at a CAGR of 6.5% from 2021 to 2028. Increasing demand for pharmaceutical products in emerging economies as well as growing demand for drug delivery systems in developed countries are driving the growth of the market. The use of flexible packaging is increasing in the healthcare industry as the companies operating in the industry are opting for sustainable functions and materials, such as paper. Paper-based packaging is included in green packaging as it is highly recyclable and economical. Medical Grade Silicone Rubber Market - The global medical grade silicone rubber market size is expected to reach USD 914.0 million by 2027, expanding at a CAGR of 6.3% over the forecast period, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The growing medical industry coupled with increasing healthcare expenditure across the world is projected to fuel the global market during the forecast period. The market is projected to register substantial growth due to the rising adoption of silicone rubber for prosthetics and implants, disposables, catheter, surgical instruments, and drug delivery systems.

Browse through Grand View Research's Plastics, Polymers & Resins Industry Research Reports.

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research Helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead.

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Grand View Research, Inc.

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Mississauga, Ontario and Sacramento, California--(Newsfile Corp. - July 14, 2022) - Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc. (CSE: BEE) (OTCQB: BEVVF) (CVE: BEE) (the "Company" or "BVT") is pleased to announce the Company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") with Bioglobal A.S. ("Bioglobal") in Turkey to accelerate BVT's entry into the region, with an option to further expand into adjacent countries.

Established in 2000, Bioglobal is a leading distributor of plant protection and plant nutrition products in Turkey, the Middle East and the Caucasus. Bioglobal has a long history of providing quality products and have well-established relationships with the region's growing community.

"BVT aligns perfectly to Bioglobal's core goal of providing sustainable and environmentally-friendly biological products to the agricultural marketplace," said A. Ozgur Ates, General Manager of Bioglobal. "Pesticide residue poses a barrier to Turkish produce exports. Fortunately, BVT's biological fungicide, which reduces traditional chemical use, provides disease control and improves crop yield, is a scalable long-term solution - enhancing the overall export value."

Bioglobal will move forward on registration trials of BVT's proprietary Clonostachys rosea CR-7 (CR-7) biological fungicide with Turkish authorities - these are official research trials that are a required part of regulatory submission. If successful, the two companies will work towards a commercial agreement to market and distribute BVT's natural precision agriculture system to growers across the region.

"Turkey is an important producer of agricultural products, and bee pollination plays a vital role in Turkish agriculture with an estimated 300,000 bumble bee hives(1) sold in the country annually," said Christoph Lehnen, BVT Business Manager for Europe, Africa and Middle East. "Eastern European countries are major importers of Turkish produce. Therefore, our immediate market focus in Turkey will be to target strawberry and tomato growers, with plans to expand into oilseed such as rapeseed (canola), and other berries and vegetables. BVT products registered in the USA have been awarded a zero-residue rating, which will greatly assist in selling and marketing BVT in Turkey."

Turkish growers produced 440,968 metric tonnes of strawberries in 2018, while utilizing 16,102 hectares of farmland.(2) The country is ranked fourth globally in strawberry production, behind China, the US and Mexico.(3) The strawberry growing season in Turkey is long, with harvest starting in November and continuing into July.

Turkey is also fourth largest in the world in tomato production and is a leading exporter of the crop, with 12.2 million metric tonnes in 2018 using 176,430 hectares(4) of farmland. The companies will initially focus on greenhouse tomato production, where there is a serious need to address disease control, as the closed environment hinders the use of traditional spray chemicals.

"Greenhouse production represents a major market in Turkey, with a total of 77,000 hectares(5)," said Mr. Lehnen. "48% of the greenhouses are used to grow tomatoes, with a high utilization of bumble bees. This means what we've submitted for research approval represents a significant revenue opportunity for BVT."

"This milestone represents another step in what we have reiterated about BVT's overall strategic plan: with the expertise we have gained through increasing adoption of our technology in the US, we are now pursuing geographic expansions to open new, diversified revenue streams," said Ashish Malik, CEO of BVT. "Turkey is an important market for the crops we are focused on, and being a big exporter of these crops, growers there are looking for more consumer-friendly and environmentally sustainable solutions. We are pleased with the partnership we are building with Bioglobal - they are experts in the Turkish market and their focus is with sustainable biological solutions."

Through Bioglobal, the work required to commercialize and sell BVT's natural precision agriculture system in Turkey has already begun. BVT's product was submitted to the Turkish authorities for official trial research approval earlier this year, and once approved, trials will commence shortly. BVT's strategy is to continue to develop relationships with established partners in key markets to accelerate growth and broaden customer reach.

For more information on Bioglobal, visit their website at https://www.bioglobal.com.tr.

(1) Source: BVT estimate

(2) Source: FAOSTAT, 2018

(3) Source: NationMaster.com

(4) Source: FAOSTAT, 2018

(5) Source: A Haber, 2019

About Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc .

BVT, an agriculture technology company, is a market disruptor with a significant global market opportunity in the $240 billion crop protection and fertilizer market. BVT has pioneered a natural precision agriculture system that replaces chemical pesticides and wasteful plant protection product spray applications by delivering biological pesticide alternatives to crops using commercially grown bees. BVT's award-winning technology, precision vectoring, is completely harmless to bees and allows minute amounts of naturally-derived pesticides (called biologicals) to be delivered directly to blooms, providing improved crop protection and yield results than traditional chemical pesticides - and improving the health of the soil, the microbiome and the environment. Currently, BVT has over 65 granted patents, over 35 patents pending in all major agricultural countries worldwide and has US EPA registration of its Vectorite with CR-7 (EPA Registration No. 90641-2) for sale as a registered biological fungicide for use on the labeled crops.

Additional information can be viewed at the Company's website www.beevt.com. To receive regular news updates from the Company, subscribe at www.beevt.com/newsletter.

Company Contact:

Ashish Malik, President & CEO

info@beevt.com

Investor Contact:

Babak Pedram, Investor Relations

Virtus Advisory Group

Tel: 416-995-8651

bpedram@virtusadvisory.com

The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain statements contained in this press release constitute "forward-looking information" as such term is defined in applicable Canadian securities legislation. The words "may", "would", "could", "should", "potential", "will", "seek", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions as they relate to the Company, "annual revenue potential", are intended to identify forward-looking information. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking information. Such statements reflect the Company's current views and intentions with respect to future events, and current information available to the Company, and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including: planted acres, selling price of competitive chemical pesticides and the US to Canadian dollar exchange rate. Material factors or assumptions were applied in providing forward-looking information. Many factors could cause the actual results, performance or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking information to vary from those described herein should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize. These factors include changes in law, competition, litigation, the ability to implement business strategies and pursue business opportunities, state of the capital markets, the availability of funds and resources to pursue operations, new technologies, the ability to protect intellectual property rights, the ability to obtain patent protection for products, third-party intellectual property infringement claims, regulatory changes affecting products, failing research and development activities, the ability to reach and sustain profitability, dependence on business and technical experts, the ability to effectively manage business operations and growth, issuance of debt, dilution of existing securities, volatility of publicly traded securities, potential conflicts of interest, unlikelihood of dividend payments, the potential costs stemming from defending third-party intellectual property infringement claims, the ability to secure relationships with manufacturers and purchasers, as well as general economic, market and business conditions, as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in the Company's Filing Statement dated August 14,2020, filed with the CSE and securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada and available at www.sedar.com. Should any factor affect the Company in an unexpected manner, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, the actual results or events may differ materially from the results or events predicted. Any such forward-looking information is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. Moreover, the Company does not assume responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such forward-looking information. The forward-looking information included in this press release is made as of the date of this press release and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, other than as required by applicable law. All figures are in Canadian dollars.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/130670
Project relief work to boost incomes

(China Daily) 10:15, July 14, 2022

Workers at a construction site of the high-speed railway linking Hefei in Anhui province to Xinyi in Jiangsu province. [Photo/Xinhua]

Green light for the NDRC plan shows government resolve to stabilize growth

The State Council, China's Cabinet, has approved a plan to implement relief work programs on major projects to help people find jobs close to home and boost incomes.

Experts said the new plan showcases the government's firm determination to stabilize growth amid downward pressure.

Policy stimulus, notably infrastructure investment, will play a crucial role in boosting domestic demand and driving economic recovery in the second half of the year, they said.

The plan, proposed by the National Development and Reform Commission, said the implementation of relief work programs for major projects will mark a key move to boost effective investment, stabilize employment, ensure basic living needs, spur consumption in counties and stabilize the overall economy.

The plan urges all regions and departments to implement key government-invested projects through employment-for-grant programs as much as possible, with a key focus on fields like transportation, water conservation, energy, agriculture, rural affairs, urban construction, ecology, environment and recovery and rebuilding from disasters.

Zhou Maohua, an analyst at China Everbright Bank, said the plan will help boost effective investment, stabilize employment, increase people's incomes, support a recovery in domestic demand and add momentum to future economic development.

As China's economy is on track to recovery, the government needs to continue to step up fiscal, monetary and industrial policy support, especially for hard-hit sectors and enterprises, micro and small business, manufacturing and the green economy, Zhou said.

Luo Zhiheng, chief economist at Yuekai Securities, said downward pressure still exists in the economy despite the gradual recovery from recent COVID-19 shocks.

He said China still faces pressures from shrinking demand, supply shocks and weakening expectations, which calls for more efforts to step up cross-cyclical and countercyclical policy adjustments.

Referring to the new plan, Luo said launching relief work programs for government-invested key projects will give full play to the crucial role of infrastructure investment in expanding effective investment and stabilizing growth.

"That will provide jobs, especially for migrant workers and those recently lifted out of poverty, and thus help boost consumption, stabilize employment and ensure basic living needs," he said.

Data from the Ministry of Transport showed that as of the end of May, China's highways and ordinary national and provincial highways that will span 87,000 kilometers were under construction by way of more than 2,000 projects.

Considering recently released incremental policies, investment in infrastructure will likely maintain a relatively high growth rate in the second half of the year, and the full-year infrastructure investment may expand by 10 percent year-on-year, Luo said.

Looking ahead, with the better containment of the COVID-19 pandemic and the gradual resumption of work and production, China's economy is set to be back on track with a gradual pickup in demand, smooth supplies and stable expectations, Luo said.

To further prop up the growth, it would be advisable to issue special treasury bonds and allocate the 2023 quota for local government special bonds in advance, Luo said.

Chen Chuanglian, deputy director of the Southern China Institute of Finance at Jinan University in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, spoke highly of the government's recent moves to speed up infrastructure construction, saying such moves will help stabilize growth this year.

On Tuesday, the NDRC released a new plan to expand its national road network to around 461,000 kilometers.

Experts said construction of the national road network will also play a key role in stabilizing investment and economic growth as well as boosting connectivity between China and other markets along the Belt and Road.

Yang Jinghao, chief economist at Concat Data Technology (Hangzhou) Co Ltd, said China will build new expressways stretching at least 30,000 km before 2035, which will help support stimulus-driven economic growth in the future.

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun)




The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) said Thursday that it suspended talks with the ruling People Power Party (PPP) over parliamentary committee formations that have left the National Assembly in limbo.





Earlier this month, the rival parties voted to elect Rep. Kim Jin-pyo of the DP as new National Assembly speaker, but they have failed to narrow differences on how to form parliamentary committees.





Rep. Lee Soo-jin of the DP said it suspended talks with the PPP over parliamentary committee formations, criticizing the ruling party for a "lack of sincerity."





Kim's election came after the DP accepted a proposal from the PPP that it would cooperate for the election of the parliamentary speaker and vice speakers on condition the DP promises to select parliamentary committee chiefs based on agreement between the two sides.





Earlier, the DP offered to hand over the chairmanship of the judiciary committee, a key Assembly panel that has the power to approve bills before they are put to a plenary vote, to the PPP in exchange for the PPP's cooperation for the launch of a special committee on judiciary reform.





Hours before the DP's Lee announced the suspension of talks with the PPP, the ruling party's floor leader, Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, said the rival parties agreed on details of the special committee on judiciary reform.





The impasse in committee formation negotiations has left the Assembly idling for more than a month, forcing a halt in legislation and Cabinet member confirmation hearings. (Yonhap)


Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 14, 2022) - ScreenPro Security Inc. (CSE: SCRN) (OTCQB: SCRSF) ("ScreenPro" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has administered approximately 21,500 Covid-19 tests for the month of June and provided testing services to twenty-three (23) film and production companies in June from some of the most prominent companies in the North American film industry.

As new details emerge about the severity of the Covid subvariants in Canada, latest information states that Ontario's Covid-19 test positivity rate grew to 13.5%. Canadian's have now entered a seventh wave and volume of testing on film sets and the community are expected to increase due to the spike of Covid cases. (Source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/covid-19-ontario-july-7-2022-1.6513337).

"We are pleased to continue our partnerships within the film and production industry for administering their Covid testing needs. As Canadians face a seventh wave of Covid, ScreenPro is there to provide a solution for testing and contact tracing needs with our nursing and lab staff. As the Company continues to expand, our core business in testing continues to hold great momentum," Lena Kozovski, CEO of the Company.

About ScreenPro

ScreenPro is a medical technology company that provides turnkey screening solutions with its proprietary medical alerting software. ScreenPro's unique access to multiple manufacturers of high-quality test kits and its strategic partnership with labs in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec allows ScreenPro to be a full-service nationwide provider of COVID testing and breast cancer screening solutions across Canada. In addition, ScreenPro's subsidiary, Concierge Medical, is a group of board-certified physicians who provide private, discreet, and personalized healthcare to Canadians. ScreenPro prides itself in having its own medical doctors and nursing professionals with on the ground support staff and transportation, with access to high quality PPEs to ensure that clients are protected in all aspects of their testing needs. For additional information on ScreenPro and other corporate information, please visit the Company's website at www.screenprosecurity.com.

For more information about the Company, please refer to the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") nor it's Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For further information please contact:

Lena Kozovski, CEO

(647) 878-6674

lena@screenprosecurity.com

Priya Monique Atwal, Director of Communications

(416) 901-5611 x 204

priya@screenprosecurity.com

Forward-Looking Statements:

Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking information, including statements relating to expectations regarding the acquisition and business of Concierge Medical Consultants Inc. and the future development of ScreenPro's business. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "intend", "should", and similar expressions. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. The actual results of ScreenPro could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information as a result of regulatory decisions, competitive factors in the industries in which ScreenPro operates, prevailing economic conditions, changes to ScreenPro's strategic growth plans, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of ScreenPro. Management of ScreenPro believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information herein are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking information should not be unduly relied upon. Any forward-looking information contained in this news release represents ScreenPro's expectations as of the date hereof and is subject to change after such date. ScreenPro disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities legislation.

###

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/130771
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 14, 2022) - Sun Summit Minerals Corp. (TSXV: SMN) (OTCQB: SMREF) is pleased to announce the completion of a high-resolution VTEM (Versatile Time Domain Electromagnetic) geophysical survey across the Buck Property, central British Columbia.

Highlights

Property-wide geophysical survey complete: Over 1,800 line kilometres of high-resolution geophysical data was acquired from across the 33,000 hectare property.

High-resolution data to assist with target generation: Preliminary VTEM results are being interpreted together with compiled geological and geochemical data to define areas considered prospective for Buck-style epithermal-related gold-silver-zinc mineralization as well as porphyry-related copper mineralization.

Reinterpretation of historic datasets: Reassessment of existing geophysical and geochemical data will aid in generating a prospectivity assessment to enhance targeting.

Property-wide surface exploration to follow: Field crews will be mobilised following geophysical data interpretation to conduct focused geological and structural mapping and soil geochemical surveys across priority target areas.

Drill planning in progress: Targets within and peripheral to the Buck Main system are currently being prioritised and drill hole planning is ongoing.

Strong financial position: The Company is well capitalized with over $5.0 million in the treasury.

Sharyn Alexander, Sun Summit's President, stated: "The primary goal of the VTEM geophysical survey was to obtain important new data from across the large property to identify and prioritise zones of high prospectivity outside of the Buck Main zone. This new data, together with compiled and reinterpreted historic and recently acquired exploration data, will provide our technical team with a robust dataset to build on this summer with the primary goal of discovery. We are excited to use this information to potentially expand existing targets and identify new targets across our property, and look forward to starting our field programs shortly."

Geophysical Survey

The company engaged Geotech Ltd. to carry out the helicopter-borne VTEM geophysical survey across the Buck property (see news release from June 14th, 2022). The over 1,800 line kilometre survey was conducted on east-west oriented lines spaced 200 metres apart. Preliminary maps of the data have been supplied by Geotech and final processed data and reporting is expected in the coming weeks.

The focus is to investigate the electromagnetic signature of the Buck Main epithermal-related system and to look for comparable signatures across the entire property. These potential anomalies, together with other signatures interpreted to be related to additional mineralization styles, including porphyry-related, will be ranked and prioritised. Follow-up geological and geochemical surveys will commence shortly after all data has been fully interrogated and target areas are prioritized.

Data Compilation and Interpretation

A recent focus has been the compilation and reassessment of all historic and recently acquired geophysical and geochemical data from across the property. This updated compilation and rigorous data analysis (e.g., prospectivity assessment) was considered critical to systematically assess the relevance of 1980's and 1990's vintage data compared to more recent exploration data. Data from over 9,000 soil, 1,900 rock, and 100 silt geochemical samples and multiple IP (induced polarization), airborne and ground magnetic surveys are now being used with improved levels of confidence and weighting to help interpret the high-resolution VTEM data and develop new target areas.

National Instrument 43-101 Disclosure

This news release has been approved by Sun Summit's Senior Advisor, Robert D. Willis, P. Eng. a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects of the Canadian Securities Administrators. He has also verified the data disclosed, including sampling, analytical and test data, underlying the technical information in this news release.

Community Engagement

Sun Summit is engaging with First Nations on whose territory the Buck Property is located and is discussing their interests and identifying contract and work opportunities, as well as opportunities to support community initiatives. The Company looks forward to continuing to work with local and regional First Nations as the project continues.

About Sun Summit

Sun Summit Minerals is an exploration company focused on expanding its epithermal gold, silver, and zinc discovery at its flagship 100% controlled Buck Project located in north-central British Columbia near the town of Houston in central B.C.

The Company is exploring multiple high priority targets through systematic exploration campaigns with excellent developed infrastructure and year-round drilling access. The Buck Project has high-grade and bulk-tonnage gold, silver, and zinc potential and is located in an established mining region that includes many former operating mines and current exploration projects.

Sun Summit is committed to environmental and social responsibility with a focus on responsible development to generate positive outcomes for all stakeholders.

Further details are available at www.sunsummitminerals.com.

For further information, contact:

Sharyn Alexander

President

info@sunsummitminerals.com

Tel. 778-588-9606

Forward-Looking Information

Statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts may be forward-looking statements, which involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause such differences, without limiting the generality of the following, include: risks inherent in exploration activities; volatility and sensitivity to market prices; volatility and sensitivity to capital market fluctuations; the impact of exploration competition; the ability to raise funds through private or public equity financings; environmental and safety risks including increased regulatory burdens; unexpected geological or hydrological conditions; changes in government regulations and policies, including trade laws and policies; failure to obtain necessary permits and approvals from government authorities; weather and other natural phenomena; and other exploration, development, operating, financial market and regulatory risks. Except as required by applicable securities laws and regulation, Sun Summit disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/130801
Live video webcast with moderated roundtable between members of the AIM ImmunoTech Management Team and Key Opinion Leader Professor C.H.J. van Eijck, MD PhD, of Erasmus Medical Center on Monday, July 25th at 8:30 AM ET

OCALA, Fla., July 14, 2022on Monday, July 25, 2022 at 8:30 AM ET.



As part of the virtual event, Thomas K. Equels, MS JD, Chief Executive Officer and Chris McAleer, PhD, Deputy Chief Science Officer of AIM ImmunoTech, will be joined by Key Opinion Leader Professor C.H.J. van Eijck, MD PhD, of Erasmus Medical Center. During the event, the Company will discuss its lead asset in development, Ampligen (rintatolimod), and its clinical development for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

In addition to the moderated portion of the event, investors and interested parties will have the opportunity to submit questions live during the event. The Company will answer as many questions as possible during the event.

A live video webcastof the Virtual Investor Innovations in Oncology Spotlight Series will be available on the Eventspage of the Investors section of the Company's website). A webcast replay will be available two hours following the live presentation and archived for 90 days.

About AIM ImmunoTech Inc.

AIM ImmunoTech Inc. is an immune-pharma company focused on the research and development of therapeutics to treat multiple types of cancers, immune disorders, and viral diseases, including COVID-19. The Company's lead product, Ampligen (rintatolimod) is an immuno-modulator with broad spectrum activity being developed for globally important cancers, viral diseases and disorders of the immune system.

Ampligen is currently being used as a monotherapy to treat pancreatic cancer patients in an Early Access Program (EAP) approved by the Inspectorate of Healthcare in the Netherlands at Erasmus Medical Center and AIM plans to initiate a Phase 2 clinical study in 2022. The Company also has multiple ongoing clinical trials to evaluate Ampligen as a combinational therapy for the treatment of a variety of solid tumor types both underway and planned at major cancer research centers. Additionally, Ampligen is approved in Argentina for the treatment of severe chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and is currently being evaluated in many aspects of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 treatments and COVID-19 Long Hauler treatment.



For more information, please visit aimimmuno.comand connect with the Company on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

Investor Relations Contact

JTC Team, LLC

Jenene Thomas

833-475-8247

AIM@jtcir.com
Increase in investments for sporting the green field airport operations and increase in adoption of advanced technologies including self-services fuel the growth of the global airport operations market.

PORTLAND, Ore., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Airport Operations Market by Airport Class (Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D), by Operation (Airside Operations, Landside Operations, Financial Operation, Information Management), by Platform (Hardware, Software, Service), by Airport Category (Commercial Service Airports, Cargo Service Airports, Reliever Airports, General Aviation Airports): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031." According to the report, the global airport operations industry generated $7.7 billion in 2021, and is expected to reach $13.8 billion by 2031, witnessing a CAGR of 6.3% from 2022 to 2031.

Drivers and Opportunities

Rise in investments to support brown filed and green field airport operations, increase in passenger traffic, and surge in adoption of new technologies that support automation & self-services drive the growth of the global airport operations market. However, the threats of cyber-attacks and data breach restrain the market growth. On the other hand, the adoption of total airport management (TAM) systems to handle the air traffic creates new opportunities in the coming years.

Download Report (360 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, Figures) at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/9415

Covid-19 Scenario

Owing to ban on domestic and international travel during the initial stages of the pandemic, many airport operations were halted and the overall revenue of the global market was impacted.

The lockdown implementation and ban on air travel led to nearly 22.9% decline in the global air traffic during the initial period.

The airport operations began slowly with beginning of vaccinations across the world. The operations at airport are expected to get back on track post-pandemic.

Request for Customization at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/9415

The hardware segment to maintain its leadership status during the forecast period

Based on platform, the hardware segment contributed to the highest market share in 2021, contributing to more than two-fifths of the global airport operations market, and is expected to maintain its leadership status during the forecast period. This is due to rapid technological advancements and adoption of touchless and self-operating systems. However, the software segment is projected to witness the largest CAGR of 6.8% from 2022 to 2031, owing to the integration of technologies such as AI, ML, and cloud operations along with regular updates of the software.

The landside operations segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period

Based on operation, the landside operations segment held the highest market share in 2021, accounting for more than one-third of the global airport operations market, and is expected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period. Moreover, this segment is projected to manifest the fastest CAGR of 7.0% from 2022 to 2031. This is due to rise in demand to improve passenger experience and support automated operations. The research also analyzes the segments including airside operations, financial operation, and information management.

Interested to Procure the Data with Actionable Strategy & Insights? Inquire here at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/9415

Asia-Pacific to maintain its dominance in terms of revenue by 2031

Based on region, Asia-Pacific contributed to the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2021, accounting for around two-fifths of the global airport operations market, and is expected to maintain its dominance in terms of revenue by 2031. Moreover, this segment is projected to manifest the fastest CAGR of 6.8% during the forecast period. This is attributed to surge in spending, living standards, and domestic travel in this area. The research also analyzes regions including North America, Europe, and LAMEA.

Leading Market Players

Cisco Systems, Inc.

Honeywell International Inc.

IBM

Indra

QinetiQ

Raytheon Technologies Corporation

Siemens

SITA

Teledyne Technologies Incorporated

Thales

Daifuku Co., Ltd.

Damarel Systems International Ltd.

Amadeus IT Group

Inform GmbH

Aena

Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.

ES Mobility

Buy Complete Report Now!https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/checkout-final/b65d0abf226e89e1c2b0fb49de2e2ee6

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About Us

Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

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SAN FERNANDO, Calif., July 14, 2022grew 3,000% in 2021 to become Amazon's top-selling tortilla brand. Under normal brick-and-mortar retail conditions, this spectacular business growth wouldn't be possible, but Mr. Tortilla proves that the Amazon and e-commerce model can help businesses perform a miracle.

"We knew we had something special," said Anthony Alcazar, founder and president of Mr. Tortilla. "It was basic but compelling: people want to enjoy delicious, healthy tacos. We spent a decade fighting with competitors for shelf space in big brand stores before we pivoted. We decided to serve customers directly through Amazon. And I'm proud to say our customers responded by making us the best-selling tortilla brand on Amazon."

Now, Mr. Tortilla is being courted by stores to shelve their products while customers ask to find their tortillas in stores. "We're excited to look for growth partners who believe in what we're accomplishing at Mr. Tortilla and who can help us take the business to the next level," adds Alcazar.

Recently, Alcazar was invited to speak at the fourth annual CEO Summit of the Americasabout how to leverage digital tools for growth, explaining how it wasn't a smooth journey. Brothers Anthony and Ronald Alcazar first tried to compete in the retail tortilla industry, not knowing that giants dominated the shelf space in the supermarkets. Instead of throwing in the towel, the Alcazar brothers learned digital marketing and grew a social media presence that catapulted them to become the top tortilla brand on Amazon. Today, Mr. Tortilla is verified on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, with an audience of 250,000 followers combined across the platforms.

"It goes to show that anything is possible through God," says Ronald Alcazar, COO of Mr. Tortilla. "In the end, we didn't need to raise a formal round or a supermarket presence - just a simple idea and the passion to see it in the hands of people who want guilt-free tortillas. We built this thanks to the loyalty and enthusiasm of our customers for our innovative tortillas. Now, after 10 years of doing this on our own, we're ready for growth partners who can help us expand Mr. Tortilla even further."

As the keto/low-carb movement grows in popularity, Mr. Tortilla has expanded into low-carb cookie mix, brownie mix, flavored tortillas, tortilla chips, and organic salsas to meet customer demand. Mr. Tortilla is #1 in Amazon U.S. and Canada and has just launched in the EU on Amazon. Next, the company plans to create regular tortillas, grain-free tortillas, gluten-free tortillas and more, fulfilling its mission ideal that everyone, no matter their needs, deserves a delicious and healthy tortilla.

Contact Information:

Carolina Calkins

PR Manager

Email: mrtortilla@intelligent-relations.com

Related Images











Image 1: Mr. Tortilla









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

Attachment
Two Dozen Premier Artists Contribute Unique Art Celebrating the Role of Typography in Culture, Including Paula Scher, Lance Wyman, Margaret Calvert and More

WOBURN, Mass., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Monotype, in collaboration with KnownUnknown, an emerging web3 creative community, today released "Helvetica The NFT," a collection of NFTs created by two dozen artists from around the world. Each design tells a unique story yet is tied together by the world's most well-known typeface.

"Typography drives culture and commerce, and in today's world, artists' ability to create new forms of expression and share them with their communities has never been more accessible," stated Alice Palmer, SVP of Marketing at Monotype. "This collaboration has produced a never-before-seen collection of art that celebrates the role of Helvetica in a new marketplace. Holders of the tokens will have access to both the creators they admire and a growing community of design enthusiasts who are part of the KnownUnknown ecosystem."

The collaboration demonstrates the role of typography in a digital-first world while creating new forms of expression, commerce and accessibility. Artists working in mediums such as graphic design, branding, footwear design and photography created original art using Helvetica Now Variable, the most digitally-optimized version of the typeface ever made. Monotype and KnownUnknown partnered with the Avalanche blockchain to enable the collection, based in part on its low environmental impact.

With Helvetica as the common thread, creators of all ages, and with varying backgrounds and experiences, came together for this project. For example, Margaret Calvert, best known for her work in designing many road signs spread throughout the United Kingdom and the eponymous Calvert font, is participating with her very first NFT. Paula Scher, one of the most acclaimed designers in the world and a partner in the New York office of the distinguished consultancy Pentagram, also contributed with three distinct designs. Electron microscopist turned sneaker artist, Vicky Vuong, layered warped Helvetica font onto a physical sneaker, creating a dynamic pattern that translates into three unique designs of varying rarity. Kunel Gaur, Jasmina Zornic, Julian Montague, Wayne Lawrence, and many others make up the designers for this first collection.

NFT, type and art enthusiasts can purchase from the creators starting today at three levels of rarity, priced at the equivalent of $100, $250, and $500 USD respectively.

"KnownUnknown strives to inspire and elevate a diverse creative community through collaboration, human connections and innovation," commented James Sommerville, founder of KnownUnknown. "The ability to work with Monotype and its Helvetica font created a tremendous opportunity for our design community to experiment and connect the traditional models that we know and align them with new, creative ways of working in Web3."

NFTs, considered to be the equivalent of a one-of-a-kind trading card, have exploded in popularity, and interest in the technology through which digital art can be created, sold and collected, continues to grow. Harnessed by household name brands and celebrities alike as a digital medium to engage with their audiences, the exploration of NFTs' potential in typography is in its infancy. Digital type posters, abstract artwork incorporating type, behind-the-scenes drawings, early access to gallery shows or typeface downloads, and more can be shared with fans via NFTs.

"As creators explore type design for virtual reality environments and the Metaverse, they're honing how to add the third dimension, going from flat space to evoking depth. They're weighing accessible type design and letter shapes when viewed at different angles and levels of automation-all without compromising authentic brand experiences," added Palmer. "This collaboration represents the enthusiasm and imagination of those who are creating at the intersection of art, culture and technology."

"Helvetica The NFT" was pre-released at an exhibit on June 23rd at iR Gallery Soho featuring several of the creators. Timed with NFT NYC, June 20-23, visitors to New York City's Times Square also caught glimpses of the collaboration and artwork on the multitude of digital screens in the area, in partnership with Avalanche and KnownUnknown.

For more information on how to purchase the artwork, please visit http://helvetica.knownunknown.com/.

About Monotype

Monotype creates brands that matter with type, technology, and expertise. The company partners with leading foundries to deliver the broadest inventory of high-quality typefaces in the world. Further information is available at www.monotype.com.

Follow Monotype on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Monotype is a trademark of Monotype Imaging Inc. registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be registered in certain other jurisdictions. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

2022 Monotype Imaging Holdings Inc. All rights reserved.

Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1859241/Helvetica_The_NFT.mp4

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1741762/Monotype__Logo.jpg
BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - Sudzucker AG (SUEZF.PK) said it expects group EBITDA and group operating result in the second quarter to be significantly higher than the previous year's level, largely driven by the CropEnergies segment. Sudzucker AG confirmed its forecast for fiscal 2022/23. The company estimates revenues of 8.9 billion euros to 9.3 billion euros; EBITDA in a range between 760 million euros and 860 million euros; and group operating result in a range between 400 million euros and 500 million euros. The company noted that its forecast continues to be based on the assumptions that the Ukraine war will remain temporary and regionally limited. For more earnings news, earnings calendar, and earnings for stocks, visit rttnews.com. 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.


LONDON (dpa-AFX) - British lenders are set to tighten their credit conditions for secured lending in three months ended August despite an expected fall in demand, the Credit Conditions Survey from the Bank of England showed on Thursday.



The availability of secured credit to households decreased in the three months to end-May and it is forecast to fall slightly in the third quarter.



While lenders reported an increase in the availability of unsecured credit to households, they expect a fall in availability over the coming quarter.



At the same time, overall availability of credit to the corporate sector was unchanged in the second quarter and it is expected to remain the same in the third quarter as well.



Further, lenders reported an increase in demand for secured lending for house purchase in the second quarter, but expect a fall in the coming period.



There was an increase in demand for unsecured lending in the second quarter but it is forecast to remain unchanged in the third quarter.



Demand for corporate lending from businesses of all sizes was unchanged in the second quarter. Banks expect demand for corporate lending to decrease slightly for small and large businesses. The survey was conducted between May 30 and June 17.







Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
Founded by a team with proven track records in healthcare, medical devices, investing, and startup operations, the firm's innovative investment approach leverages industry access and provides a flexible, investor-friendly structure.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN / ACCESSWIRE / July 14, 2022 / Engage Venture Partners, a new venture capital (VC) firm focused on medical technology companies, announces its launch and inaugural company investment. Backed by deep technical expertise, extensive due diligence capabilities, and specialized industry knowledge, Engage was established to address the need for a more accessible, lower-friction funding community for seed- and early-growth stage medtech companies and their investors.

Engage also announced its first investment with Minnesota-based medical device manufacturer Melodi Health. Melodi offers surgical solutions to women undergoing breast surgery by developing a novel absorbable scaffold intended to support soft tissue and improve patient outcomes.

"The Engage team pulled together a group of mature angel investors that aligned with our timeline and investment stage and who were uniquely qualified to invest in our platform, including surgeons and seasoned medtech investors," says Sarah Worrell, CEO of Melodi Health.

Engage organizes Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), each of which is a legal entity created for the specific purpose of investing in a single startup. This next-generation investment model offers investors lower management fees, individual flexibility and control, and lower investment minimums that allow for broader participation and access.

"The Engage SPV was an efficient, well-organized way for Melodi to raise a meaningful amount of capital that significantly funds our pre-commercial development activities aimed at impacting outcomes for women with breast cancer undergoing post-mastectomy reconstruction on their journey to recovery," notes Worrell.

Located in Minnesota's Medical Alley, one of the top health tech clusters in the world with more than 1,000 healthcare technology companies, Engage offers investors access to extensively vetted medtech startups and an advisory network with deep domain expertise in selected subsectors, including medical device, biotech, pharma, and digital health.

"Minnesota is a global center of medtech innovation," says Steve Sigmond, founder and managing director at Engage. "Our team's deal flow, combined with our proprietary research and due diligence capabilities, allow us to offer value to investors on day one."

The Engage Venture Partners team consists of four founders, two of whom serve as managing directors. With more than 25 years of experience in investing, advising, and running early stage companies, Sigmond was most recently founder, CFO, and vice president of marketing for Carrot Health, a Minneapolis-based healthcare analytics SaaS company that was acquired in 2021. Kelly Prchal, founder and managing director, is an active angel investor with nearly 20 years of experience across the healthcare continuum and co-founder of AlliedVirtualCare, a technology health and wellbeing company focused on age-related hearing loss and related conditions.

Joining Sigmond and Prchal as Engage founders are Morgan Evans and Ryan Spanheimer. Evans is a medtech founder and executive who is also co-founder and CEO of Agitated Solutions, Inc., a medical device company; co-founder of Moonshot Medical, a medical device incubator; and founder and executive director of Highland Circle Innovations, a medtech services firm.

Evans notes: "We have institutional-quality deal flow and the highest rigor in due diligence, but at the end of the day we are most passionate about directing resources to people who are doing amazing work."

A practicing patent attorney with a specialization in medical technology, Spanheimer has worked extensively with medical device companies in a variety of fields. He offers a detailed understanding of technology development and market commercialization and works regularly with both early stage and mature medtech businesses to spot technical disruption and growth opportunities in relevant target markets.

To learn more about Engage and investment opportunities, email investors@engagevp.com.

About Engage Venture Partners

Minneapolis-based and woman-owned, Engage Venture Partners is a research-driven venture capital firm focused on early-stage medtech investments. With extensive healthcare and medical device industry knowledge, and decades of experience in investing and startup operations, Engage delivers a flexible and investor-friendly structure utilizing Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs). Accredited investors are invited to join the Engage Investor Network, which requires neither a fee to join nor minimum commitment. Email investors@engagevp.com to learn more.

ENGAGE'S SERVICES, ENGAGE ADMINISTERED INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES, AND ENGAGE MATERIALS ARE PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DO NOT CONSTITUTE INVESTMENT, LEGAL, OR TAX ADVICE. NOTHING PROVIDED BY ENGAGE CONSTITUTES A SOLICITATION, RECOMMENDATION, ENDORSEMENT, OR OFFER BY ANY ENGAGE PARTY, THE TARGET, OR ANY THIRD-PARTY SERVICE PROVIDER TO BUY OR SELL ANY SECURITIES OR OTHER FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS IN MINNESOTA OR IN IN ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH SOLICITATION OR OFFER WOULD BE UNLAWFUL UNDER THE SECURITIES LAWS OF SUCH JURISDICTION. THERE ARE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH INVESTING IN SECURITIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE RISK OF COMPLETELY LOSING ANY AND ALL INVESTED AMOUNTS.

# # #

Media Contact:

Liz Goar

NPC Creative Services

liz@npccs.com

SOURCE: Engage Venture Partners

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/708411/Engage-Venture-Partners-Launches-as-New-Medtech-Venture-Capital-Firm-Announces-Initial-Investment
CRANBROOK, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 14, 2022 / Eagle Plains Resources (TSX-V:EPL), ("EPL") and Annacotty Resources Corp. (a private B.C. company) ("Annacotty"), announce that the companies have entered into a formal option agreement whereby Annacotty may earn an undivided 60% interest in the Donna Property (the "Property"). EPL currently holds a 100% interest (less an underlying NSR) in the 11,494 ha Property located approximately 70 km east of Vernon, BC. Under terms of the agreement, Annacotty can earn it's 60% interest by completing exploration expenditures of $4,000,000, making cash payments of $520,000 and issuing 1,200,000 common shares to EPL over a five-year period.

See Donna Regional Projects Map here

The Donna Property is road-accessible and located within rocks of the prolific Quesnellia Terrane, host to many major B.C. porphyry deposits such as Highland Valley, Gibraltar, Mount Polley, Mount Milligan, Copper Mountain and others. Despite the rich endowment of mineralization in these rocks, the Donna area has seen relatively little exploration activity by industry or government. Placer gold claims overlie many of the creeks draining the Donna Property. Management cautions that past results or discoveries on proximate land are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be achieved on the Donna property.

See Donna Project Summary Map here

The core claims of the Donna property were acquired in 2016 by Eagle Plains with additional tenures subsequently added through staking. Certain claims comprising the property are subject to an underlying 2% royalty held by an arms-length third party. The project area is located in the Monashee Mountains within the source headwaters of the historic Kettle River and Yeoward Creek placer gold camps. The claims lie within one of the largest clusters of anomalous values in gold and typical associated pathfinder elements identified in the British Columbia Regional Geochemical Surveys stream-sediment program carried out in the joint Federal - Provincial programs from 1985-1990.

The Donna property is underlain by a sequence of marine sediments comprising carbonaceous black argillite, limestone, and volcanic rocks of Permian to Lower Triassic age. Locally these rocks were intruded by stocks and plugs of mafic-intermediate composition. The project area is considered to hold good potential to host intrusive-related gold mineralization.

Since acquiring the property, Eagle Plains has carried out annual systematic exploration including airborne radiometric and magnetic surveys, prospecting, geological mapping, soil and silt geochemical sampling and 1152m (3779") of diamond drilling in 12 holes. The property boasts a robust GIS database consisting of rock, soil, silt, till, trench and drill-hole results within and adjacent the property area. In July, 2020, EPL completed the purchase of historical crown grants covering workings documented at the St. Paul and Morgan mines (BCMINFILE 082LSE010), which include shafts, tunnels, winzes and an unknown number of open cuts and trenches, as well as a tramline and stamp mill that operated in the early 1900's.

Charles C. Downie, P.Geo., a "qualified person" for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and a Director of Eagle Plains Resources Ltd., has prepared, reviewed, and approved the scientific and technical disclosure in this news release.

About Eagle Plains Resources

Based in Cranbrook, B.C., Eagle Plains is a well-funded, prolific project generator that continues to conduct research, acquire and explore mineral projects throughout western Canada. The Company was formed in 1992 and is the ninth-oldest listed issuer on the TSX-V (and one of only three that has not seen a roll-back or restructuring of its shares). Eagle Plains has continued to deliver shareholder value over the years and through numerous spin-outs has transferred over $100,000,000 in value directly to its shareholders, with Copper Canyon Resources and recently Taiga Gold being notable examples.

The Company is committed to steadily enhancing shareholder value by advancing our diverse portfolio of projects toward discovery through collaborative partnerships and development of a highly experienced technical team. Eagle Plains also holds significant royalty interests in western Canadian projects, covering a broad spectrum of commodities on projects controlled by Cameco Corp., Iso Energy Corp., Denison Mines Corp., Skeena Resources Ltd. and Alexco Resource Corp./Banyan Gold Corp., among others. Management's focus is to advance its most promising exploration projects. Throughout the exploration process, our mission is to help maintain prosperous communities by exploring for and discovering resource opportunities while building lasting relationships through honest and respectful business practices.

Expenditures from 2011-2021 on Eagle Plains-related projects exceed $27M, the majority of which was funded by third-party partners. This exploration work resulted in approximately 42,000m of diamond-drilling and extensive ground-based exploration work facilitating the advancement of numerous projects at various stages of development.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

"Tim J. Termuende"

President and CEO

For further information on EPL, please contact Mike Labach at

1 866 HUNT ORE (486 8673)

Email: mgl@eagleplains.com or visit our website at http://www.eagleplains.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of Property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore, involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements.

SOURCE: Eagle Plains Resources Ltd.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/708476/Eagle-PlainsAnnacotty-Resources-Execute-Option-Agreement-on-Donna-Gold-Property-South-central-BC






By Peter Funt




LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / July 14, 2022 / Fernhill Corp (OTCMarkets:FERN) announces that its digital asset trading division, MainBloq, a groundbreaking digital asset trading platform serving banks and hedge funds, has completed the build of their innovative , white-label ready, premier trading dashboard. It is designed for existing and new exchanges to offer an upgraded level of service to their customers that demand more robust trading capabilities, including new trading tools, increased configurability and more algorithmic trading strategies.

"As we were building out a white-label platform for one of our recent clients we decided that we should be offering this level of service to every venue, not just the company that approached us" stated Ryan Kuiken, CEO of MainBloq. "Having been the CEO of MainBloq for 3+ years now, we know exactly what companies in the industry want and need, and so a white-label Digital Asset Trading Platform could not come at a better time."

MainBloq's VP of Business Development Patrick Egan added that "This is the same style of dashboard that professional traders at major hedge funds are utilizing for their traditional trading, and it's about time that they have the ability to utilize TWAP and VWAP orders or even execute an arbitrage strategy if they so desire within Crypto. This should also help exchanges attract and retain institutional clients with a robust suite of services not commonly found in the market. This now allows exchanges to offer these advanced order types to all of their clients within 30 days of signing up and create new revenue streams and enhanced trading for their professional trading clients.

MainBloq's Whitel Label Solution, "TradeBloq PRO", is now available for all new and existing exchanges and trading venues on a global basis. By providing advanced algorithmic trading capabilities, risk analytics, sub account access and a wide range of additional benefits - it solves many of the pain points in the industry and bridges the gap between Web2 and Web3 digital asset trading.

For more information please reach out to Patrick Egan at patrick@mainbloq.io

About MainBloq:

MainBloq, a division of Fernhill Corporation ($FERN), is a digital asset connectivity platform that is integrated with leading exchanges to serve the needs of institutional clients around the world. MainBloq offers a modular platform including a smart order router, suite of execution algorithms, FIX / SOCKETS / REST gateway, and consulting services to help banks and hedge funds execute on their trading strategies. For more information please visit www.mainbloq.io

MainBloq Website: mainbloq.io

MainBloq Twitter

MainBloq Facebook

MainBloq Linkedin

About Fernhill:

Fernhill Corp ($FERN) is a Web3 holding company focused on developing and acquiring software companies in crypto currency mining, digital asset trading, NFTs, DeFi and the Metaverse that form the foundation of the tokenized economy. Fernhill is a Signatory Member of the Crypto Climate Accord (CCA).

For all official Fernhill corporate information, please refer to our filings, news and updates on the following resources:

OTC Markets

Nevada SOS

Fernhill Twitter

Fernhill Facebook

Fernhill Linkedin

Fernhill Website: FernhillCorp.com

Company Contact Information:

info@fernhillcorp.com

PHONE: 775-400-1180

Any other links are not official & should be taken as such nor have anything to do with Fernhill Corp or its subsidiaries.

#$FERN FernhillCorp MakeCryptoGreen CryptoCurrencies GreenMiningPools FinTech SaaS CryptoClimateAccord PerfectMine CryptoMining LFG MainBloq DigitalAssetTrading CryptoWire IC15 CryptoTV CryptoUniversity

Forward-Looking Statements: This release includes 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Certain statements set forth in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate, or imply future results, performance or achievements, and may contain the words "estimate," "project," "intend," "forecast," "anticipate," "plan, "planning," "expect," "believe," "will likely," "should," "could," "would," "may" or words or expressions of similar meaning. Such statements are not guaranteeing of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the company's actual results and financial position to differ materially from those included within the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including those relating to the Company's ability to grow its business. Actual results may differ materially from the results predicted and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. The potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, the Company's limited operating history, the limited financial resources, domestic or global economic conditions, competition, changes in technology and methods of marketing, delays in completing various engineering and manufacturing programs, changes in customer order patterns, changes in product mix, continued success in technological advances and delivering technological innovations, shortages in components, production delays due to performance quality issues with outsourced vendors, services or components, and various other factors beyond the Company's control.

SOURCE: Fernhill Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/708562/MainBloq-MB-a-Division-of-Fernhill-Corp-is-Pleased-to-Announce-the-Completion-and-Launch-of-its-Turn-key-White-Label-Platform
Canada's only "micro-park" craft cannabis cultivation facility, licensed for individual growers to cultivate in their own 4,250 - 6,000 sq. ft. units

Sitka Legends is home base to some of the most experienced, highly regarded master growers and experienced legacy cultivators in the world

Small growing units enable Sitka and its brands to pivot growing spaces regularly, offering new genetics to market in line with evolving trends

Sitka provides end-to-end production capabilities where cannabis can be grown, processed, and packaged on-site before shipping to distributors

The facility is capable of producing 20,000 handmade pre-rolls per day

Sitka is highly respected, with some products reflecting more than 20-years' experience with craft cultivators and legacy brands for sale in the adult-use Canadian cannabis market under the Sitka Legends umbrella, like Quadessence and Kraft Kings

Sitka produces cultivars with high-THC and unique terpene profiles with their strategic knowledge of the market and consumer demand

Sitka is exceeding expectations with the success, adoption and sell-through of pre-rolls and dried flower, in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories and Yukon

SOOKE, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 14, 2022 / Introducing Sitka Legend's craft micro-grow park located in Sooke, BC, the coastal epicentre of legacy Canadian craft cannabis. The Sitka micro-grow park is home to fully licensed micro-cultivation units, ranging from 4,250-6,000 sq. ft., producing up to 800 kg of craft cannabis per unit, per year. The facility also processes 100% of the premium micro-flower grown on-site, delivering a unique opportunity to brand and consistently distribute small batch, curated, quality craft cannabis to select markets across Canada.

Operating since 2019, Sitka has served and supported the pre-Federal legalization, known as "legacy" or "legend", growers who have historically had difficulty accessing adequate locations to transition their micro-cultivation businesses from the legacy market to the regulated adult-use market. With the support of the local government, Sitka was zoned for 53 "homes" for micro-growers, representing Canada's first and only micro-grow park. Phase 1 (10 units) is fully leased and operational, with Phase 2 (25 units) move-in ready for summer 2023, with the first crop expected in early 2024.

"We believe it is vital to stay true to our roots and support the growers who helped pave the way for this industry," said Michael Forbes, CEO, Sitka Legends. "It is that core belief that has led us to build a micro-cultivation park on Vancouver Island, providing the spaces and environment for pre-legalization growers to enter the legal market with ease and success. The prolific movie quote from our time, "'If you build it they will come,' is exactly what Sitka has accomplished."

Sitka's facility also enables on-site extraction and processing of craft cannabis concentrates products, edibles, pre-rolls and infused pre-rolls, extending Sitka Legends breadth of micro-grow, small batch craft product offerings. Sitka's Park is also home to some of Canada's most experienced growers and sought-after legacy brands including Quadessence and Kraft Kings.

"Our legendary partners grow cultivars with the highest THC, coupled with unique terpene profiles - thoughtfully grown for effect and flavour," said Michael Forbes. "Because of our extremely high standards and the experience of the Legends who grow at Sitka, we are honoured to cultivate and bring to market some of the best brands in the industry. The reputation of 'BC Bud' precedes itself and we're proud to uphold the standard and reputation."

To join our family of micros, email: jason@sitkaweedworks.com

Sitka Legends

Sitka Legend's craft micro-grow park is located in Sooke, BC, coined as "where the rainforest meets the sea", along the coast of beautiful Vancouver Island, and arguably the coastal epicentre of legacy Canadian craft cannabis. Sitka is Canada's only combination craft cannabis micro-cultivation and small-batch processing facility. Home to the Legends. Visit sitkalegends.com.

Contacts:

Michael Forbes

Co-founder and CEO

michael@forbesgroup.ca

Alyssa Barry

Media and Public Relations

alyssa@irlabs.ca

604.997.0965

SOURCE: Sitka Legends

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/708494/Sitka-Where-Legends-Grow
Offer from Steel Partners Substantially Undervalues the Company and Its $2 Billion in Tax Assets (NOLs)

Hillandale Plans to Vote All Shares Against Proposed Merger

Proposes Alternative Structure to Unlock the Value of NOLs for Minority Shareholders

CHARLOTTE, NC / ACCESSWIRE / July 14, 2022 / Hillandale Advisors invests in undervalued companies and seeks to execute on opportunities to unlock value for the benefit of all shareholders. Hillandale delivered an open letter to the Board of Directors of Steel Connect, Inc. (STCN) raising concerns about the company's proposal to merge with Steel Partners Holdings L.P. (SPLP). SPLP's offer significantly undervalues the company and its $2 billion in tax assets (NOLs). The full text of Hillandale's open letter follows and can also be viewed at the following link:

https://www.hillandaleadvisors.com/news

July 14, 2022

Board of Directors

Steel Connect, Inc.

2000 Midway Lane

Smyrna, TN 37167

Dear Members of the Board:

We are writing as long-term shareholders of Steel Connect (STCN), holding roughly 2.0% of minority shares outstanding. We are disappointed by the Special Committee's decision after 18 months of private negotiations, with only one party, to accept this opportunistic offer, which represents a significant 61%+ discount to the over $3.50 per share that Steel Partners (SPLP) acquired their existing stake in STCN, a 45% discount to the 52 week trading high of $2.45, and a 29% discount from the $1.90 volume weighted average share price since the original lowball offer was made in November 2020.

Most importantly, the latest offer delivers little to no value for STCN's $2 billion of tax assets, which could save SPLP and its limited partners several hundreds of millions in cash taxes over the next fifteen years (2038+). A vote for this transaction would represent a significant value transfer from STCN minority shareholders to SPLP and its limited partners. We intend to vote all of our shares against the proposed merger , in its current form.

We are open to an alternative structure where SPLP appropriately shares in the significant tax savings expected from STCN's $2 billion in tax assets. We have proposed a structure where minority shareholders could be granted "Tax CVRs" (contingent value rights) for 50% of cash tax savings at SPLP, which could deliver an additional $2.00+ per share to STCN's minority shareholders, who hold roughly 38 million shares. SPLP and STCN's Board's unwillingness to engage with 1.) minority shareholders and 2.) the Special Committee regarding a Tax CVR and 3.) a global investment firm on April 20th, 2022 regarding their proposal to unlock value in STCN's tax assets is quite concerning. Even the $0.15 per share Tax CVR proposed by SPLP on May 10, 2022 (for a total of $1.50 cash plus ModusLink CVR) would only result in SPLP sharing 1-4% in the potential cash tax savings from STCN's tax assets (or $5.7mm of the $141mm - $436mm savings).

* Tax shelter could range from 21-50%. ** 2023 utilization range of $300 - 500mm for SPLP.

Ultimately, it appears that SPLP, with its control and influence over the STCN Board, is proposing a deal that works best for SPLP, and not STCN minority shareholders. We are open to other structures, but will not support the current proposal, in its current form. We encourage shareholders to review our past letters to the STCN Board and decide for themselves.

Respectfully,

Matthew Hultquist

Hillandale Advisors

Matt@HillandaleAdvisors.com

www.HillandaleAdvisors.com

Board of Directors:

Mr. Warren G. Lichtenstein, Executive Chairman

Mr. Glen M. Kassan

Mr. Jack L. Howard

Mr. Jeffrey J. Fenton

Mr. Jeffrey S. Wald

Ms. Maria Molland

Ms. Renata Simril

CC: Houlihan Lokey, Financial Advisor to Special Committee

Dentons US, Legal Advisor to Special Committee

About Hillandale Advisors

Hillandale Advisors is a private investment and advisory firm founded in 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina. We are long-term oriented value investors with a focus on special situations, spin-offs and tax assets (NOLs).

Investor Contact:

Matthew Hultquist, (704) 574-5659,

Matt@HillandaleAdvisors.com

https://www.hillandaleadvisors.com

SOURCE: Hillandale Advisors

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/708439/Hillandale-Advisors-Delivers-Open-Letter-To-Steel-Connects-Board-of-Directors
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 14, 2022) - NervGen Pharma Corp. (TSXV: NGEN) (OTCQX: NGENF) ("NervGen" the "Company"), a clinical stage biotech company dedicated to developing a first-in-class neuroreparative drug to treat nervous system damage, announced that it has closed its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement") of 10,150,000 units of the Company at a price of US$1.50 per unit (the "Unit Price"), for aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of US$15,225,000. In connection with the Private Placement, Adam Rogers, MD, Manager of PFP Biosciences Holdings ("PFP Biosciences"), has been appointed to NervGen's Board of Directors.

"I want to take this opportunity to thank these investors, in particular our new investor PFP Biosciences which invested $15,000,000 of the total proceeds, for providing NervGen with funds for the continued development of our lead drug candidate, NVG-291, including the ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial and preparations for upcoming Phase 2 trials for Alzheimer's disease, spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis," said Bill Radvak, Executive Chairman. "We also welcome Dr. Rogers to our Board of Directors and are confident he will be a strong addition with his broad experience and proven track record of successful drug development and biotech fundraising, licensing, mergers and acquisitions."

"Our group at PFP Biosciences sees the world of possibility that NervGen's technology will create for people suffering devastating spinal cord injuries," said Dr. Rogers. "The peer reviewed preclinical data based on Dr. Jerry Silver's research showing rodents with severe spinal cord injury regaining the ability to walk following NVG-291 treatment was absolutely compelling to us. Our mission as investors is to ensure that NVG-291 lives up to its enormous potential to help those patients with spinal cord injuries regain lost function as well as unlock treatment options for those suffering from Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis and other diseases requiring the repair of nervous system damage. I look forward to joining the NervGen board and helping guide the Company through the upcoming clinical trials to benefit as many patients as possible."

Adam Rogers, MD is a Principal of Boston based PFP Biosciences Holdings and a board-certified ophthalmologist specializing in diseases and surgery of the retina and vitreous. Dr. Rogers co-founded Hemera Biosciences in 2010, a clinical stage gene therapy biotech company targeting dry age-related macular degeneration. He assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer in 2017 and oversaw all aspects of the company until the Hemera assets were acquired in December 2020 by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. Dr. Rogers graduated from Emory University College and Emory School of Medicine. From 2001 to 2020 he served as an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the New England Eye Center of Tufts Medical Center (Boston, MA). Dr. Rogers has published 25 articles in peer reviewed journals and co-authored two textbooks and numerous chapters in major ophthalmic textbooks. Since 2007 he has served on the board of One Family Inc., an organization whose mission is to end homelessness in Massachusetts. He is a member of the Emory University Board of Trustees.

Each unit (the "Unit") issued in the Private Placement consisted of one common share of the Company (a "Common Share") and one-half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant", and together with the Common Shares, the "Securities"). Each Warrant is exercisable into one Common Share at a price of US$1.75 per Common Share until July 13, 2027. All of the Securities issued pursuant to the Private Placement are subject to a four month and one day hold period in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws. In addition, PFP Biosciences was granted the right to nominate a candidate for the Board of Directors as long as they own at least 5% of the outstanding shares of the Company. The appointment of Dr. Rogers fulfills this obligation.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Private Placement for continued development of their lead drug candidate, NVG-291, and general corporate purposes.

In connection with the Private Placement and in accordance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV"), the Company paid certain finders a fee of 500,000 Common Shares at a price per share valued at the Unit Price.

Pursuant to National Instrument 62-103, The Early Warning System and Related Take-Over Bid and Insider Reporting Issues, PFP Biosciences reports that it acquired 10,000,000 Units in the Private Placement. This acquisition exceeds 10% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares of NervGen and triggered the requirement to file an early warning report.

Prior to the Private Placement, PFP Biosciences owned and controlled no Common Shares of NervGen. Subsequent to the Private Placement, PFP Biosciences owns and controls 10,000,000 Common Shares representing 17.1% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares of the Issuer based on a total of 58,544,558 Common Shares outstanding as of July 13, 2022 and 5,000,000 warrants. Each warrant contains a restriction that the holder may not exercise the warrant if the holder owns more than 19.99% of the Company at the time of exercise.

PFP Biosciences has acquired the Units for investment purposes and in accordance with applicable securities laws. PFP Biosciences may, from time to time, acquire additional common shares and/or other equity, debt or other securities or instruments of NervGen in the open market or otherwise, and reserves the right, subject to applicable securities law, to dispose of any or all of its Securities in the open market or otherwise at any time and from time to time, and to engage in similar transactions with respect to the Securities.

A copy of the early warning report to be filed by the PFP Biosciences in connection with the acquisition of the Units will be available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com under NervGen's profile. Copies of such reports will also be available upon written request to PFP Biosciences Holdings LLC, 800 South St., Suite 600, Waltham, MA 02453 or by contacting Suzanne Adams at (617) 236-5111 or to NervGen's head office at 2955 Virtual Way, Suite 480, Vancouver, BC V5M 4X6.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities in any jurisdiction.

The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for account or benefit of, U.S. Persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) or persons in the United States unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such registration requirements is available.

About NVG-291

NervGen holds the exclusive worldwide rights to NVG-291 and is developing a unique new class of reparative drugs. NVG-291 is a therapeutic peptide that mimics the intracellular domain of the receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase sigma (protein tyrosine phosphatase sigma), a cell surface receptor known to interact with chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs). When damage to the nervous system occurs, CSPGs initially help to contain damage. However, the interaction between CSPGs and protein tyrosine phosphatase sigma in the long term interferes with repair of the nervous system, inhibiting functions such as neural plasticity, axonal regeneration and remyelination. NVG-291-R has shown efficacy in a range of animal models, including models of spinal cord injury, peripheral nerve injury, multiple sclerosis and stroke, and NVG-291-R has been shown to promote nervous system repair and enhanced recovery of functions such as walking, bladder control, vision, and memory.

About NervGen

NervGen (TSXV: NGEN) (OTCQX: NGENF) is a clinical stage biotech company dedicated to developing innovative treatments that enable the nervous system to repair itself following damage, whether due to injury or disease. The company's initial focus is on Alzheimer's disease, spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis. For more information, go to www.nervgen.com.

About PFP Biosciences

PFP Biosciences is a privately held life sciences venture capital firm focusing on preclinical or early clinical stage assets. The mission of PFP Biosciences is to bring to market innovative pharmaceutical treatments addressing diseases or conditions with significant unmet clinical needs with the potential to improve the lives of people.

For further information, please contact:

Bill Adams, Chief Financial Officer

badams@nervgen.com

Huitt Tracey, Corporate Communications

htracey@nervgen.com

604.537.2094

Follow NervGen on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook for the latest news on the Company.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements and information herein include, but are not limited to, the Company's current and future plans, expectations and intentions, results, levels of activity, performance, goals or achievements, or any other future events or developments constitute forward-looking statements, and the words "may", "will", "would", "should", "could", "expect", "plan", "intend", "trend", "indication", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "predict", "likely" or "potential", or the negative or other variations of these words or other comparable words or phrases, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements relating to: our development programs, including the development of NVG-291; our research for the treatment of spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative applications; the timing and the use of proceeds of the Private Placement; the future right to nominate a candidate to the Board of Directors; and PFP Biosciences plans to acquire or dispose of additional Securities of the Company.

Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by the Company in light of management's experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that we believe are appropriate and reasonable in the circumstances. In making forward-looking statements, the Company has relied on various assumptions, including, but not limited to: the Company's ability to manage the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; the accuracy of the Company's financial projections; the Company obtaining positive results in its clinical and other trials; the Company obtaining necessary regulatory approvals; and general business, market and economic conditions.

Many factors could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements or future events or developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including without limitation, a lack of revenue, insufficient funding, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, reliance upon key personnel, the uncertainty of the clinical development process, competition, and other factors set forth in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's Annual Information Form, financial statements and Management Discussion and Analysis which can be found on SEDAR.com. All clinical development plans are subject to additional funding.

Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements made in this news release. Furthermore, unless otherwise stated, the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release, and we have no intention and undertake no 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. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/130844
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.
ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Government of Mongolia and UNESCO to coincide with the 60th anniversary of Mongolia becoming a member of the organisation.

The MoU, which runs to 2029 and underlines the Government of Mongolia's and UNESCO's shared ambition on education, science, culture and digital transformation, was signed during a visit to Mongolia by UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay, who is currently in the country for the Naadam festival.

Key commitments in the MoU will help to support the delivery of Mongolia's New Recovery Policy and Vision 2050, which focus on turning the country into a leading regional power by the middle of the century:

Enhancing Mongolia's education system : through improving the quality of and access to technical and vocational qualification, supporting the development of a national qualification framework for higher education, joint development and delivery of lifelong learning pathways and promoting the digital transformation of the education sector

: through improving the quality of and access to technical and vocational qualification, supporting the development of a national qualification framework for higher education, joint development and delivery of lifelong learning pathways and promoting the digital transformation of the education sector Unlocking the opportunities provided by science : through increasing investment in science and technology, supporting the development of research universities, facilitating greater knowledge transfer in the science sector and enabling the establishment and development of innovation infrastructure regions such as science and technology parks and free economic zones and related technology-based businesses

: through increasing investment in science and technology, supporting the development of research universities, facilitating greater knowledge transfer in the science sector and enabling the establishment and development of innovation infrastructure regions such as science and technology parks and free economic zones and related technology-based businesses Showcasing Mongolia's unique culture and heritage: through strengthening capacity to combat the illicit trafficking of cultural artefacts, promoting Mongolia's museums, removing unnecessary regulatory barriers to the development of Mongolia's cultural and creative industries and increasing the level of youth engagement with Mongolia's rich cultural heritage

This year's Naadam Festival was officially opened by Mongolia's President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh on Monday. Naadam was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010.

Commenting, Mongolia's Minister of Culture, Nomin Chinbat, said: "This landmark partnership between the Government of Mongolia and UNESCO will help to better safeguard our country's cultural heritage whilst allowing Mongolians to take advantage of the opportunities of the future.

"Whether it's in relation to education, science or promoting greater use of digital technology, the commitments in this agreement will play a key role in delivering on the aims of Vision 2050 and the New Recovery Policy."
WASHINGTON, DC / ACCESSWIRE / July 14, 2022 / In a follow-up to the Middle East Media Research Institute's (MEMRI's) groundbreaking 2019 report on jihadi use of cryptocurrency, by MEMRI Executive Director Steven Stalinsky, that was published as part of the MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM) and Cyber & Jihad Lab (CJL) projects, MEMRI today is releasing a landmark study on cryptocurrency use by domestic terrorist groups. Titled "The Eye Of The Storm: [Domestic] Terrorists Using Cryptocurrency - Part II - Following In Jihadis' Footsteps, Neo-Nazis Turn To Cryptocurrency," this study is authored by Mr. Stalinsky, R. Sosnow, and the MEMRI Domestic Terrorism Threat Monitor (DTTM) team, including A. Agron, R. Dressler, Simon Purdue, PhD, N. Szerman, J. Parker, Aaron Wolfson, and A. Strandberg.

In the preface to this new study, Gen. (Ret.) Michael V. Hayden, four-star Air Force General, former Director of the National Security Agency (NSA) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and member of the MEMRI Board of Advisors, writes: "This second major study by MEMRI about the use of cryptocurrency by terrorist organizations, which is over two years in the making, focuses on the use of cryptocurrency by the sector that is now a paramount concern of counterterror and intelligence organizations both in the U.S. and worldwide. The report focuses on its use by racially motivated violent extremists, primarily neo-Nazis and white supremacists."

Emphasizing its significance, Gen. Hayden adds: "This report is an important contribution to the understanding of the ways in which neo-Nazis and white supremacists operate in the face of enhanced scrutiny of their financial activities. It is mandatory reading for national security officials. MEMRI's Domestic Terrorism Threat Monitor (DTTM) project and Cyber Jihad Lab are vitally important. I know of no other organization that is producing reports with this level of detail about domestic extremist individuals and entities that use, promote, and share information about this important subject for American security."

Fully credentialed members of media and government agencies may request a full copy of the report from DTTMSUBS@MEMRI.ORG.

The 350-page study comprises two years of extensive research, both published and not previously released, from the MEMRI Domestic Terrorism Threat Monitor (DTTM) and Cyber & Jihad Lab (CJL) projects. It includes findings from the comprehensive, ongoing daily monitoring by the MEMRI DTTM team, covering the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Eastern and Western Europe including Russia and Ukraine, Australia, and New Zealand.

The DTTM monitors daily online activity on a range of platforms - both open and password-protected - noting trends, identifying threats, and alerting authorities where warranted, in over a dozen languages - English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Russian, Ukrainian, Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Danish, Polish, Hungarian, Romanian, Flemish, and more.

Follow the DTTM on Twitter here; sign up for free DTTM emails here; apply for a DTTM subscription here.

Since its publication, MEMRI's August 2019 report on jihadi use of cryptocurrency has been shared with dozens of U.S. and foreign government agencies, as well as with academics and others involved in policymaking who focus on this subject. This authoritative research on terrorist use of cryptocurrency was released over a year before the publication of the first government report on the subject - the October 2020 Attorney General's Cyber Digital Task Force on Cryptocurrency - Enforcement Framework - which included similar content.

About the new study, main author Mr. Stalinsky explains: "While neo-Nazis and white supremacists have been using cryptocurrencies as early as 2012, two key events years precipitated a sharp rise in this use. The first was the August 2017 "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, VA, after which many of these extremists found themselves de-platformed by mainstream crowdsourcing platforms, their credit cards blocked, and their accounts with online payment providers such as PayPal, Stripe, Apple Pay and Google Pay shut down. Secondly, following the January 6 events at the Capitol, groups and individuals known to be among the rioters were blocked from mainstream banking and money transfer platforms, including credit cards. Payment platforms such as PayPal and Venmo cut ties with organizations that played a role in these events. These extremists have been benefiting greatly from the growing mainstreaming of cryptocurrencies, which allow them to raise, transfer and spend money very quickly. Their need for alternative means of conducting transactions is the same as criminals' need for such means."

This new study, Mr. Stalinsky adds, will assist Western government agencies in their fight against extremist groups. Their efforts in tackling these groups' use of cryptocurrency are currently years behind what they need to be - just as was the case a few years ago with jihadis and their use of cryptocurrency. However, he added, this use of cryptocurrency in the Russia-Ukraine war may very well prompt authorities to regulate it; while to date extremists have had no trouble promoting and sharing their Ukraine-connected cryptocurrency fundraising campaigns, and there has been no mention of intervention on the part of authorities or on the part of the crypto industry itself, perhaps because until now neither side was fully aware of the extent of this activity - but that this is changing.

Three years after the release of that MEMRI study, well-known neo-Nazis and white supremacists are now, like jihadis before them, widely discussing and promoting cryptocurrency on social media, and accepting donations and other payments in it. Although they began using it when it first appeared on the scene, government authorities could never have imagined how broadly they would adopt it to promote their agendas and facilitate their fundraising, recruitment, and activity on the ground, and devoted very little attention to this issue until recently when it began facing the threat of domestic terrorism, including in Washington, D.C. Since then, it has been a topic of increasing focus and discussion - but little action, either by authorities or by cryptocurrency companies, platforms, and exchanges. This study, along with ongoing MEMRI DTTM cutting-edge research, is a part of that focus and in the vanguard of the issue, consistently ahead of government efforts; this research clearly shows the rapidly growing use of cryptocurrency by these extremists - in the U.S., abroad, and transnationally.

About The Domestic Terrorism Threat Monitor (DTTM)

The MEMRI Domestic Terrorism Threat Monitor (DTTM) scrutinizes the online activity of neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups and individuals who are circulating hateful and antisemitic content, with a focus on incitement, calls to action, and violent threats against Jewish organizations and institutions, Black people, people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, political and other prominent figures, government officials and agencies, and the public at large, in the U.S. and around the world. It publishes reports about these groups' and individuals' online activities, including reviews of accounts of individuals involved in producing or consuming this content.

About The MEMRI Cyber & Jihad Lab (CJL)

The MEMRI Cyber & Jihad Lab monitors, tracks, translates, and researches jihadi, secular, and other types of hacktivist groups and activity emanating from the Middle East, Iran, and South Asia, and studies jihadis on social media and online, with a focus on their use of encryption and other technologies. It works with tech companies to help come up with solutions for dealing with jihadis and terrorists online, and with legislatures to help develop laws for tackling this phenomenon. It also assists the business community in matters of cyberattacks and cyber threats from these sources.

MEMRI research and translation efforts on identifying jihadi and hacktivist activity have provided crucial resources to educate policymakers, media organizations, the public, and others. MEMRI asks for your help to continue this important work through tax-deductible donations.

About MEMRI:

Exploring the Middle East and South Asia through their media, MEMRI bridges the language gap between the West and the Middle East and South Asia, providing timely translations of Arabic, Farsi, Urdu-Pashtu, Dari, Turkish, Russian, and Chinese media, as well as original analysis of political, ideological, intellectual, social, cultural, and religious trends.

Founded in February 1998 to inform the debate over U.S. policy in the Middle East, MEMRI is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization. MEMRI's main office is located in Washington, DC, with branch offices in various world capitals. MEMRI research is translated into English, French, Polish, Japanese, Spanish and Hebrew.

MEMRI - Middle East Media Research Institute: www.memri.org

MEMRI TV - www.memri.org/tv

Jihad & Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM) - www.memri.org/jttm

Cyber & Jihad Lab (CJL) - www.memri.org/cjlab

MEMRI Twitter: https://twitter.com/memrireports/

MEMRI YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC59Cpk70K2TwdmApJOTuW9g/videos

MEMRI Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/memrireports/

Contact Information:

MEMRI

media@memri.org

202-955-9070

www.memri.org

SOURCE: Middle East Media Research Institute

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/708574/MEMRI-Releases-The-Eye-Of-The-Storm-Domestic-Terrorists-Neo-Nazis-And-White-Supremacists-Using-Cryptocurrency--Part-II--A-Landmark-Follow-Up-Study-On-Neo-Nazis-Using-Cryptocurrency-As-Jihadis-Did-Before-Them
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 14, 2022 / Zimtu Capital Corp. (TSXV:ZC)(FSE:ZCT1) (the "Company" or "Zimtu") announces it has signed an agreement with Aeonian Resources Inc. to provide its ZimtuADVANTAGE program (https://www.zimtu.com/zimtu-advantage/). Zimtu has received $150,000 for the duration of the one-year contract.

ZimtuADVANTAGE is a program designed to provide opportunities, guidance, cost savings and assistance to clients covering multiple aspects of being a public company. The services of this program include the following: Zoom with Zimtu; Zimtu Connect - all major news/events/important updates sent to email distribution list, Lead Generation campaigns; Blog Posts; Digital Awareness campaigns; Influencer Marketing; Social Media Distribution of company news/important updates through Zimtu accounts including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube & Instagram; Rockstone Reports & Distribution; Video News Releases - major news releases will be translated to video format, which will be distributed on all social media platforms and to Zimtu Connect subscribers; and Zimtu Question Period.

About Aeonian Resources

Aeonian Resources is an aspirational exploration company whose goal is to make discoveries whilst leading through change. As society demands more accountability in mineral sourcing, Aeonian is creating a new model of transparent, science-driven, environmentally conscious early-stage mineral exploration and hope to inspire change within the resource development industry and the public eye. Their methods will create a project pipeline that has solid footings in ethical resource management for future development and resource supply. For more information visit: https://aeonianresources.com.

About Zimtu Capital

Zimtu Capital Corp. is a public investment issuer that aspires to achieve long-term capital appreciation for its shareholders. Zimtu Capital companies may operate in the fields of mineral exploration, mining, technology, life sciences or investment. The Company trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "ZC" and Frankfurt under symbol "ZCT1". For more information visit: www.zimtu.com/.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

ZIMTU CAPITAL CORP.

"David Hodge"

David Hodge

President & Director

Tel: 604.681.1568

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: Zimtu Capital Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/708517/Zimtu-Capital-Announces-Agreement-with-Aeonian-Resources
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 14, 2022) - Fremont Gold Ltd. (TSXV: FRE) (OTCQB: FRERF) (FSE: FR2) ("Fremont" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has closed the previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement") through the issuance of 10,007,666 shares at a price of $0.12 per share for gross proceeds of $1,200,919.92.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Private Placement for a proposed 1,500m drill program at Cobb Creek in order to follow up recently defined gold-in-soil geochemical anomalies, the evaluation and application for gold-copper prospects in the Tethyan Mineral Belt in Armenia, and general working capital.

Dennis Moore, President and CEO of Fremont, noted, "We are pleased that nearly all of the subscribers are existing shareholders that have supported the Company over the past few years. I also would like to thank them for supporting the company's vision in this current tough market. The funds raised will be used for exploration at Cobb Creek as well as the acquisition of exciting new gold-copper properties identified by Fremont management."

No finders' fees were paid in connection with the Private Placement.

Certain officers and directors of the Company subscribed for a total of 2,791,667 shares of the Private Placement for proceeds of $335,000. The participation of officers and directors of Fremont in the Private Placement constitutes a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The transaction is exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 pursuant to section 5.5(a) and section 5.7(1)(a) as the fair market value of the officers' and directors' participation is not more than 25% of the Company's market capitalization.

All securities issued in connection with the Private Placement are subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus a day from the date of issuance in accordance with applicable securities legislation and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, pursuant to which they may not be sold or transferred until November 14, 2022.

The securities offered have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from the registration requirements.

Early Warning Report

Dennis Moore of Lisbon, Portugal, acquired 2,666,667 common shares pursuant to the Private Placement. Mr. Moore acquired the 2,666,667 common shares at a price of $0.12 per share for the total purchase price of $320,000.04 pursuant to the Private Placement. Immediately prior to the Private Placement Mr. Moore owned and/or had control over an aggregate of 846,102 common shares, representing approximately 5.79% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company on an undiluted basis. Following completion of the Private Placement Mr. Moore now owns and/or has control over an aggregate of 3,512,769 common shares, representing approximately 14.27% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company on an undiluted basis.

In addition, Mr. Moore also owns and/or has control over 151,833 share purchase warrants and 65,000 stock options. If Mr. Moore exercises all of his warrants and stock options, he would then own and/or have control over, 3,729,602 common shares, representing approximately 15.02% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company on a partially diluted basis, assuming that no further common shares of the Company have been issued.

Mr. Moore acquired the securities for investment purposes. Mr. Moore may, depending on market and other conditions, increase or decrease his beneficial ownership of the Company's securities, whether in the open market, by privately negotiated agreements or otherwise, subject to a number of factors, including general market conditions and other available investment and business opportunities.

The disclosure respecting Mr. Moore's shareholdings of the Company contained in this press release is made pursuant to Multilateral Instrument 62-104 - Take-Over Bids and Issuer Bids and a report respecting the above acquisition will be filed with the applicable securities commissions using the Canadian System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) and will be available for viewing at www.sedar.com.

About Fremont Gold

Founded by geologists that have a track record of making multi-million-ounce gold discoveries, Fremont has assembled a portfolio of quality gold projects located in Nevada's most prolific gold trends. The Company's property portfolio includes Cobb Creek, which hosts a historic resource, Griffon, a past producing gold mine, North Carlin, a new discovery opportunity, and Hurricane, which has returned significant gold intercepts from surface in past drilling.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

"Dennis Moore"

Dennis Moore

President and CEO

Fremont Gold Ltd.

For further information, contact:

Corporate Information

Fremont Gold Ltd.

Dennis Moore, President and CEO

Telephone: +351 9250 62196

www.fremontgold.net

https://twitter.com/GoldFremont

https://www.linkedin.com/company/fremont-gold/

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-looking statements

Certain statements and information contained in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to the proposed use of proceeds of the Private Placement. Such forward-looking statements are based on several material factors and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual use of proceeds to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Fremont undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements included in this press release if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as otherwise required by applicable law.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES

OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/130847
NEWARK, N.J., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As per the report published by The Brainy Insights, the global fintech market is expected to grow from USD 115.34 billion in 2021 to USD 936.51 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 26.2% during the forecast period 2022-2030.

The demand for fintech has grown fast in recent years and is expected to grow much more throughout the forecast period. This expansion can be attributed to the rising demand for digital financial services such as online payments, digital wallets, mobile banking & online fund transfers for a faster, safe, and seamless customer experience.

Get more insights from the 230-page market research report @ https://www.thebrainyinsights.com/enquiry/sample-request/12704

Integrating technology such as API, AI, data analytics & blockchain with traditional financial services is called fintech or financial technology. However, due to conflicting government regulations and increasing instances of cyber-attacks on financial services, the adoption of fintech by consumers is restricted. Furthermore, the rising applications of API and AI to build a customer-centric approach for service deliveries will provide lucrative opportunities to the market players. Using fintech increases financial service providers' efficiency and compliance rate, which is expected to boost market growth throughout the forecast period considerably.

Competitive Strategy

To enhance their market position in the global fintech market, the key players are now focusing on adopting the strategies such as product innovations, mergers & acquisitions, recent developments, joint ventures, collaborations, and partnerships.

Ezeepay is a fintech startup that focuses on improving the accessibility of financial sectors in rural areas. Financial services are restricted to urban populations and are rarely available or accessible to rural households that primarily depend on private moneylenders. Startups like Ezeepay are utilizing technology to reach these households in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Jharkhand in India .

. Several startups like Digital Money & Paylater are diversifying their services in Indonesia . They are developing a fintech platform that will cater to the influencer market, which is rising in Indonesia . This influencer group included content creators, talent agencies, brand managers & freelancers. The fintech platform will help these people manage their finances in one place with security.

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Market Growth & Trends

The growth of the fintech market is driven by the growing adoption of smart devices and increasing internet penetration in developing economies. The increasing government initiatives to boost the economy through digitization and automation are expected to contribute to the fintech market significantly. Rapid urbanization coupled with rising data literacy globally will provide market growth. Increasing collaborations between regulatory authorities and financial institutions to safeguard the rights & interests of consumers will also drive the development of the fintech market. Artificial intelligence can provide stronger security, reduce human error via automation, and help build a customer-centric approach. The checks and balances would increase the compliance rate and reduce the risk of misappropriation of money. The ability of fintech to simplify procedures for customers and ensure transparent business transactions will retain its customer base in the long run. Fintech can improve the accessibility of financial services in backward areas, increasing the market for the fintech industry.

Key Findings

In 2021, the on-premises segment dominated the market with the largest market share of 52% and market revenue of 59.97 billion.

The deployment type segment is divided into on-premises & cloud. In 2021, the on-premises segment dominated the market with the largest market share of 52% and market revenue of 59.97 billion.

The artificial intelligence segment is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR of 28.9% over the forecast period.

The technology segment is divided into artificial programming interface (API), artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, distributed computing & others. Over the forecast period, the artificial intelligence segment is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR of 28.9%.

In 2021, the payments & fund transfer segment accounted for the largest share of the market, with 34% and market revenue of 39.21 billion.

The services segment is divided into payments & fund transfers, personal finance, loans, insurance, & others. In 2021, the payments & fund transfer segment accounted for the largest share of the market, with 34% and market revenue of 39.21 billion.

In 2021, the banking segment dominated the market with the largest market share of 36% and market revenue of 41.52 billion.

The end-user segment is divided into banking, insurance, securities, and others. In 2021, the banking segment dominated the market with the largest market share of 36% and market revenue of 41.52 billion.

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Regional Segment Analysis of the Fintech Market

North America (U.S., Canada , Mexico )

(U.S., , ) Europe ( Germany , France , U.K., Italy , Spain , Rest of Europe )

( , , U.K., , , Rest of ) Asia-Pacific ( China , Japan , India , Rest of APAC)

( , , , Rest of APAC) South America ( Brazil and Rest of South America )

( and Rest of ) The Middle East and Africa (UAE, South Africa , Rest of MEA)

The North American region emerged as the largest market for the global fintech market, with a market share of around 35% and 40.36 billion of the market revenue in 2021. Due to several significant players in this region, North America is the greatest contributor in terms of market revenue. The Asia Pacific is expected to rise the fastest during the forecast period. The increasing government initiatives to boost the economy through digitization and automation are expected to contribute to the Asia Pacific fintech market significantly. The rapid urbanization coupled with rising data literacy in the region will provide an impetus to market growth.

Key players operating in the global fintech market are:

Affirm

Bankable

Chime

Braintree

Acorns

Flywire

PayPal

Dwolla

MANTL

Stripe

This study forecasts revenue at global, regional, and country levels from 2019 to 2030. Brainy Insights have segmented the global fintech market based on below-mentioned segments:

Global Fintech Market By Deployment Type:

On-Premises

Cloud

Global Fintech Market By Technology:

Artificial Programming Interface (API)

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Blockchain

Distributed Computing

Others

Global Fintech Market By Services:

Payments & Fund Transfers

Personal Finance

Loans

Insurance

Others

Global Fintech Market By End User:

Banking

Insurance

Securities

Others

About the report:

The global fintech market is analyzed based on value (USD Billion). All the segments have been analyzed on a worldwide, regional, and country basis. The study includes the analysis of more than 30 countries for each part. The report offers an in-depth analysis of driving factors, opportunities, restraints, and challenges for gaining critical insight into the market. The study includes porter's five forces model, attractiveness analysis, raw material analysis, supply, demand analysis, competitor position grid analysis, distribution, and marketing channels analysis.

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By Ramu Damodaran





Until a few years ago, July was one of the quieter months at United Nations headquarters, very few meetings peopling the calendar of conferences. That changed in 2013 with the first annual meeting of the "High Level Political Forum," or HLPF, whose 2022 session concludes this week. Perhaps not the most lyrical of names, but its very idea was something relatively unthinkable at the time its predecessor, the Commission on Sustainable Development, was established. HLPF was imagined as, and successfully proved to be, a forum where governments voluntarily presented a review of their national progress toward the sustainable development goals.



The idea of voluntary "soft" international accountability for national actions had earlier found reflection in human rights and disarmament treaties, committing to their provisions those nations who chose to join them and, by the power of their example and success, drawing others into their fold. At the turn of the century it extended to the Millennium Development Goals accepted by the entire U.N. membership as a compact between governments and their citizens as much as between governments themselves.



Revolutionary though the "MDGs" were, and they were revolutionary indeed, there remained areas which were firmly outside its ken and it was precisely the energy the goals animated that inspired new processes of thought and change that were to culminate in the definition of a new set of ambitions "for people, planet and prosperity" through sustainable development.



The HLPF became the convening body for nations to share their successes and concerns with each other. What made it a remarkable innovation was precisely the political nature of its being; as the co-chair of the negotiations that led to its in inception as part of the sustainable development agenda.



Ambassador Kim Sook of the Republic of Korea, stated unequivocally to governments in 2011, "We must be mindful of the task that was asked from us: to deliver a focused political document." That said, he was quick also to note that the sustainable development goals would need to be a "people's agenda."



Just two weeks before Kim spoke, the fourth high level forum on aid effectiveness concluded in Busan with a partnership agreement which, among other provisions, affirmed that "development depends on the participation of all actors, and recognizes the diversity and complementarity of their functions and that development co-operation must be transparent and accountable to all citizens."



The agreement proved an effective pacesetter for the HLPF, moving politics out of the exclusive realm of elected officials to extend to those who elected them in the first place and , in that process , restoring the word "political" to its original Greek meaning relating to the concerns of citizens. At the global level, it manifested what President Suh Seoung-hwan of Yonsei University described, at the "Remember our Common Future" conference that his institution cosponsored earlier this year, as "inclusive international cooperation."



It is that spirit of inclusion that has prompted many governments to broaden the scope of their voluntary national reviews to sub-national and local reviews as well and, in their conduct, involve an informed citizenry including civil society, academics and the private sector. Their collective wisdom has spurred imaginative initiatives; soon after the 2021 HLPF, Benin, which presented its national review for the third time, launched an SDG bond issue program designed to mobilize international investors to finance public spending in the country which had a high SDG impact, the first country in Africa (and, with Mexico, the only one globally) to do so.



Forty four countries presented national reviews at this year's HLPF, two of them  Togo and Uruguay  for the fourth time. Both countries are emblematic of development partnerships; Togo was home to the Lome Convention on cooperation between the then European Economic Community and African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries while Uruguay hosted the multilateral trade negotiations, known by its name, which concluded agreements on nontariff barriers.



At the end of last year, the Korea Foundation (KF) Gallery in central Seoul hosted "Gauchos," an exhibition titled for the legendary horsemen of Uruguay with prints by the country's leading photographer, Luis Fabini, in cooperation with the Uruguayan Embassy to Korea. Speaking to The Korea Times, Stefany Romero Veiga, charge d'affaires in the Embassy said: "Of course, one must not think that everyone in Uruguay's countryside is a gaucho or has a gaucho lifestyle, as it can't be further from the truth, in fact, gauchos are a minority. However, what I am trying to express here is that their lifestyle has permeated to society as a whole, and with its shades, many of its idiosyncrasies remain in force to this day. For instance, how we cook beef, how we enjoy lighting a fire and share a meal in the open air and the communion with horses."



In that vivid imagery lay also the truth and the strength of the HLPF, accommodating and nurturing styles of life without imposing them, allowing creative shades and idiosyncrasies to enrich the staid prose of customary political discourse, lighting fires to illuminate unintended darkness, savoring the breath of clean open air, respecting, and communing with, life and nature in all its forms.





Ramu Damodaran is a senior fellow at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress, New Delhi, India. He served as the first director of the United Nations Academic Impact, an initiative linking universities around the world with the United Nations.




ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- This year's Naadam festival is taking place under the banner of 'Mongolian Pride,' with a series of events being held in the nation's capital of Ulaanbaatar.

Celebrations of the Mongolian national holiday - which run throughout this week - are focusing on Mongolian citizens, Mongolian nationality and the future of Mongolia, with displays showcasing nomadic culture, the Mongolian language and Mongolians whose success has become renowned the world over.

Highlights during this year's Naadam festival include:

A State Grand Honoring Concert at the Central Cultural Palace and in Sukhbaatar Square, which took place on Sunday

A fine art exhibition entitled 'Beautiful Mongolia', taking place at the Art Gallery of the Union of Mongolian Artists from 28 June to 17 July

Photography exhibitions showcasing 'Mongolian Pride', which took place from Saturday to Tuesday

The Cultural Naadam Festival, which also took place on Monday and Tuesday

A military parade by state soldiers, which took place on Sunday

Opening and closing ceremonies (on Monday and Tuesday respectively)

This is the largest celebration of Naadam since 2019, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Strict quarantine guidelines and a vaccination drive that has ensured that 70% of the Mongolian population is now fully vaccinated have enabled a return to normal this year. These measures have also delivered a significant boost to the Mongolian tourism sector since the start of 2022.

Coinciding with Naadam 2022, Mongolia is celebrating the 2230-2231st anniversary of the New Regime, the 815-816th anniversary of Great Mongolia, the 110-111th anniversary of Mongolia's Independence Declaration and the 100-101st anniversary of the Public Revolution.

At Monday's Opening Ceremony, President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh said: "The National Naadam Holiday, inherited from our ancestors, is a symbol of the existence and independence of the Mongolian state, the unity and freedom of the Mongols, their history, values, cultural heritage, spiritual heritage, and the invaluable cultural asset of humanity."

Also commenting, Mongolia's Minister of Culture, Nomin Chinbat, said: "With Naadam celebrations disrupted for the past two years by the COVID-19 pandemic, the programme for this year's festival marks another major milestone in Mongolia's return to normal.

"Whilst Naadam once again provides an opportunity to celebrate Mongolia's unique culture, language and heritage, this year's celebrations also allow us to look to the future and how Mongolia and Mongolians are increasingly making a mark on the world stage."
Dubai, United Arab Emirates--(Newsfile Corp. - July 14, 2022) - Dubai-based SCMDOJO announces its comprehensive supply chain training and consultancy services. Its mission is to assist in the growth and development of the industry and its stakeholders by providing actionable advice and guidance based on its successful best practices. SCMDOJO provides supply chain professionals worldwide with valuable and high-quality knowledge and information through consulting, training, on-demand courses, tools and software, guides, best practices, and mentoring from industry experts, among others. Its specific services include bespoke corporate training solutions, supply chain consulting, and supply chain planning as a service.

Its signature 'bespoke corporate training solutions' aims to equip companies and professionals in the supply chain industry to overcome the challenges of supply chain management through practical knowledge and experience shared by experts from the industry, especially at a time when recent reports highlight the supply chain crises and their adverse effects on domestic manufacturing strategies. SCMDOJO academy shares this expert training both on-demand, online, and in person. Clients have the freedom to choose the language, venue, and time of the training sessions, making them unique and easily accessible. The academy ensures that experts provide the training from across the industry with competitive skill sets and experience.

The supply chain consulting provided by SCMDOJO focuses on assisting clients to overcome internal and external challenges, transforming their business by building a unique growth strategy based on their requirements. It believes that each challenge requires a unique solution based on the current state of the business. This is based on three major steps. The first one is conducting a supply chain assessment. It is to understand the current status of the company in order to formulate future strategies. The second step is consulting and implementing the process, which is aimed at end-to-end optimization. The final step is competency development for sustainable results, in which the experts assist the companies in formulating solution-oriented approaches to develop their unique strategy in order to transform their business on the lines of their vision and mission.

"As revealed by a recent report, 67% of procurement leaders are not confident in existing technology in the industry, 97% of procurement leaders see significant disruption in direct materials supply chain, and 84% consider modernization a strategic priority to enhance the efficiency and capacity of the industry, we at SCMDOJO strives to provide solutions through their efforts on specific areas like Supply chain digitization, management science, performance management, procurement, supplier development, supply chain management, systems, and software, among others. A lot of places offer advice and guidance on aspects of the supply chain, but no one else offers comprehensive advisory services from start to finish," says Dr. Mudassir Ahmed, Ph.D., Founder, and CEO of SCMDOJO.

SCMDOJO also provides insights on the supply chain planning process as a service to its clients (SCPaaS). This helps companies to deal with their non-core business process, which can be outsourced to third-party experts. SCMDOJO believes that it will help the companies save valuable time and resources and allocate the same to their core business process. It helps the companies with their demand planning and inventory optimization.

SCMDOJO is headquartered in Dubai and was founded by Dr. Muddassir Ahmed, Ph.D. His contributions toward assisting the stakeholders in the supply chain industry include masterclasses and workshops on topics such as how to create supply chain strategy, sales and operations planning workshops, the art and science of inventory management, and how to drive continuous improvement in the supply chain, and supply chain digital transformation.

Media Contact:

Name: Muddassir Ahmed

Email: support@scmdojo.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/130893
CHICAGO, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MarketsandMarkets?announced a new partnership with TD SYNNEX USA, a global IT distributor and solutions aggregator. This strategic partnership will enable clients to get exclusive insights to identify and operationalize revenue opportunities arising from disruptions happening within all industries with the help of its Market Intelligence Cloud - Knowledge Store.

The AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud - Knowledge Store showcases new revenue opportunities worth $25 trillion, with 30,000+ new technologies and use cases personalized for every client through its powerful machine learning algorithms. The subscription-based service offers analysis on key megatrends - such as AI, big data, internet of things, connectivity, robotics, smart manufacturing, and wearables, among others. Growth-oriented business models will be needed to develop new kinds of strategic and operational capabilities in shifting markets. This covers target addressable market analysis, segment prioritization, product benchmarking, acquisition management, customer opportunity identification, and many more aspects of ongoing market intelligence.

Elaborating on the partnership, Krishnan Chatterjee, COO, MarketsandMarkets said, "As part of its vision of helping every global B2B company demystify the new emerging $25 trillion economy, MarketsandMarkets has adopted various go-to-market (GTM) channels, including collaborating with suitable partners in different parts of the world. In this decade alone, we expect to see each B2B company transforming at least 50 percent of their revenues. With this partnership, we are confident of helping businesses navigate these shifts through actionable intelligence - by including the Market Intelligence Cloud in their technology architecture."

"TD SYNNEX is committed to uniting IT solutions that deliver business outcomes today and unlock growth for the future," says Cheryl Neal, Vice President, New Vendor Acquisition, Global Solutions, TD SYNNEX. "With MarketsandMarkets to our vast portfolio of vendor partners, we're able to enrich the breadth and depth of our offerings so customers can do great things with technology."?

About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets is a revenue impact and advisory firm, providing quantified B2B research to over 10,000 clients worldwide. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem - by providing actionable insights on disruptive trends and identifying blind spots, assessing competitive landscape in real-time, and analyzing how these trends are impacting not only customers but also their customers as well. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research.

To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

About TD SYNNEX

TD SYNNEX (NYSE: SNX) is a leading global distributor and solutions aggregator for the IT ecosystem. We are an innovative partner helping more than 150,000 customers in 100+ countries to maximize the value of technology investments, demonstrate business outcomes and unlock growth opportunities. Headquartered in Clearwater, Florida, and Fremont, California, TD SYNNEX' 22,000 co-workers are dedicated to uniting compelling IT products, services, and solutions from 1,500+ best-in-class technology vendors. Our edge-to-cloud portfolio is anchored in some of the highest-growth technology segments including cloud, cybersecurity, big data/analytics, IoT, mobility and everything as a service.

For more information, visit www.TDSYNNEX.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

For further information contact:



Charu Raizada

MarketsandMarkets 630 Dundee Road

Suite 430

Northbrook, IL 60062

USA: +1-888-600-6441

Email: charu.raizada@marketsandmarkets.com

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Allied OMS's expansion in California grows the company's network to 34 surgeons practicing out of 28 locations in California, Colorado, Oregon, and Texas

SOUTHLAKE, TX / ACCESSWIRE / July 14, 2022 / Allied OMS - a doctor-owned-and-led management services organization in the oral and maxillofacial surgery space - is pleased to announce its expansion in California with three new partnerships:

Alameda Oral Surgery Group, in Burbank Newhall Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Group, in Santa Clarita Valley Antelope Valley Oral Surgery, in Lancaster

"We look for visionary and entrepreneurial oral and maxillofacial surgeons who are invested in the future of OMS and patient care," said Ryan Graham, COO of Allied OMS. "These California-based doctors exemplify that spirit. We look forward to helping them maximize the value of their practices."

Unlike the traditional private equity or private equity-backed group model, the doctor-members of Allied OMS collectively own the organization - creating a doctor-owned private equity vehicle in which doctors are in charge of their economic future. Doctors merge their practice with Allied and in exchange receive centralized services, accounting and finance, marketing support, and business development. More importantly, they join a platform of like-minded OMS practices unified for collective power and are prepared for an eventual sale via Allied's proprietary private equity preparedness model.

Dr. Gennady Landa, DDS, MD, and Dr. Alexei Mizin, DMD, both practice at Alameda Oral Surgery Group in Burbank, Newhall Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Group in Santa Clarita Valley, and Antelope Valley Oral Surgery in Lancaster; they are joined by the well-established names of Dr. Keith Radack, DDS in Burbank and Dr. John Scaramella, DDS in Santa Clarita. All three practices treat a wide variety of problems related to the mouth, teeth, and facial regions. The doctors practice the full scope of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery with expertise ranging from dental implant surgery and wisdom tooth removal to maxillofacial pathology and trauma, including techniques designed to rebuild bone structure with minimal surgical intervention.

Dr. Gennady Landa, DDS, MD, of Alameda Oral Surgery Group, Newhall Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Group, and Antelope Valley Oral Surgery

Dr. Alexei Mizin, DMD, of Alameda Oral Surgery Group, Newhall Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Group, and Antelope Valley Oral Surgery

"Allied OMS shares our vision for the growth of our practices and the OMS industry," said Dr. Landa. "Their unique model and deep knowledge of private equity position us for operational and economic benefit over the next few years."

"There's no doubt that consolidation is here, and OMS practices are attractive to traditional private equity groups and private equity-backed organizations, but I was looking for a different option," said Dr. Mizin. "Allied OMS puts doctors at the helm of the private equity entity - the entity that would otherwise buy our practices. With the Allied model, we get to benefit directly from that unique structure in the short term and even more in the long run."

The addition of the three California practices to Allied OMS's network marks 17 surgeons and 14 locations in California. Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, Allied OMS has a network of 34 surgeons serving patients out of 28 locations across California, Colorado, Oregon, and Texas.

About Allied OMS

Allied OMS is a doctor-owned, doctor-led management services organization in the oral and maxillofacial surgery space that combines the best of private practice with the best of private equity. Collectively owned and governed by the doctors in its network and veterans from private equity and management consulting, Allied OMS leverages decades of experience building and exiting platform businesses in the healthcare industry to employ the tools that maximize practice value. Composed of best-in-class OMS practices that are in the top tier of clinical outcomes, Allied OMS is proud to turn Private Equity into Doctor Equity. Unlock the potential in your practice and gain Power Through Partnership; email partner@alliedoms.com or visit http://www.alliedoms.com.

About Alameda Oral Surgery Group

Alameda Oral Surgery Group is dedicated to providing the full scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery that encompasses surgical procedures of the mouth and jaws, ranging from wisdom teeth extraction, dental implants, bone grafting, orthognathic or jaw corrective surgery, TMJ surgery, facial trauma, oral pathology and more. Located in Burbank, Calif., the team in Alameda's state-of-the-art surgical and anesthesia facilities use cutting-edge surgical techniques and offers various anesthesia options for optimal patient comfort. Learn more at https://alamedaoralsurgerygroup.com/.

About Newhall Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Newhall Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery specializes in surgical procedures of the mouth and jaws, including dental implants, bone grafts, wisdom teeth, impacted teeth surgery, oral pathology, facial trauma, sleep apnea, cleft palate, and more. Serving patients out of their Santa Clarita, Calif. office, the team at Newhall is dedicated to treating patients on a personal level and make gentle and compassionate care a top priority. Learn more at https://newhalloralsurgery.com/.

About Antelope Valley Oral Surgery

Antelope Valley Oral Surgery treats patients in need of wisdom teeth removal, dental implants, jaw surgery, and treatment relating to facial trauma, among the full scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery procedures. Located in Lancaster, Calif., the team combines science, healthcare, and technology to improve oral health outcomes and provide the highest standard of care for every patient. Learn more at https://www.avoralsurgery.com/.

# # #

Media Contact

Jennifer L. Horspool

949-933-4300

Jennifer@engagementpr.com

SOURCE: Allied OMS

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/708545/Allied-OMS-Expands-Footprint-in-California-to-Nine-Oral-and-Maxillofacial-Surgery-Practices
DGAP Post-admission Duties announcement: Haier Smart Home Co.,Ltd. / Third country release according to Article 50 Para. 1, No. 2 of the WpHG [the German Securities Trading Act]

Haier Smart Home Co.,Ltd.: Announcement on Completion of Registration of Grant of the 2022 A-Share Option Incentive Scheme



14.07.2022 / 16:22

Dissemination of a Post-admission Duties announcement according to Article 50 Para. 1, No. 2 WpHG transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





Third country release according to Article 50 Para. 1, No. 2 of the WpHG



Announcement on Completion of Registration of Grant of the 2022 A-Share Option Incentive Scheme

Qingdao / Shanghai / Frankfurt / Hongkong, 14 July 2022 - Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. (the "Company" or "Haier Smart Home", D-share 690D.DE, A-share 600690.SH, H-share 06690.HK) today published a mandatory announcement in accordance with applicable trading rules of the Shanghai Stock Exchange and applicable PRC laws in relation to the Completion of Registration of Grant of the 2022 A-Share Option Incentive Scheme.



The announcement is fully available at:

https://smart-home.haier.com/en/dggg/P020220714689213264580.pdf?appdesc=Announcement%20on%20Completion%20of%20Registration%20of%20Grant%20of%20the%202022%20A%20Share%20Option%20Incentive%20Scheme



IR Contact:

Haier Smart Home Hong Kong

T: +852 2169 0000

Email: ir@haier.hk



Press Contact:

CROSS ALLIANCE communication GmbH

Sara Pinto

pi@crossalliance.de

T: +49 (0) 89 1250903 35



About Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd.:

Haier is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household appliances with a focus on smart home solutions and customized production. Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. develops, produces and distributes a wide range of household appliances. These include refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, air conditioners, water heaters, kitchen appliances as well as small household appliances and an extensive range of intelligent household appliances. The Company distributes its products through leading household brands such as Haier, Casarte, Leader, Candy, GE Appliances, AQUA and Fisher & Paykel. Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. has launched Smart Home Experiential Cloud, which connects homes, users, enterprises and ecosystem partners, and facilitates the integration of Haier's online, offline and micro-store businesses and supports user interaction to further optimize the user experience.

14.07.2022 The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.

Archive at www.dgap.de


By integrating with SAP S/4HANA Cloud, Trintech's mid-market and large enterprise solutions drive finance transformation and value

DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / July 14, 2022 / Trintech Inc., a leading global provider of cloud-based financial close solutions for the Office of Finance, today announced that its Adra Connector for S/4HANA Cloud, its mid-market suite, and Cadency Connector for S/4HANA Cloud, its large enterprise platform, are certified by SAP for integration with cloud solutions from SAP to deliver finance transformation and value to customers.

"Trintech continues to deliver new integration capabilities to provide customers with even more value in their financial transformation journeys," said Michael Ross, Chief Product Officer at Trintech. "These integrations bring enhanced control, automation, and data integrity to finance and accounting departments around the world, while also helping to ensure that data flowing to and from their SAP solutions is as seamless as possible."

Data integration is fundamental in enabling the Office of Finance to modernize its operations. Bi-directional in nature, Cadency and Adra reduce the cost, time, and risk of data integration by automatically retrieving the data required for reconciliation and close processes.

Solutions that are SAP-certified can be efficiently integrated into SAP solution environments and can reduce overall IT investment costs and risks. In addition, Trintech Smart Automation (also SAP-certified) combines process automation with risk-based capabilities to enable finance teams to focus on high-risk transactions or processes, add value to the finance deliverables, and provide insight to help drive continuous improvement. Most recently, Trintech is extending its Smart Automation capabilities with the release of an automation dashboard that provides real-time visibility and statuses of Smart operational processes.

Trintech currently has hundreds of customers running SAP solutions alongside its solutions such as Siemens, HP, GSK, and Serco Group PLC. Cadency and Adra are ERP-agnostic, offering the ability to support all instances of ERPs and GL systems for complete visibility across all business units, geographies, and sources.

SAP Integration and Certification Center (SAP ICC) has certified that Trintech's Adra Connector for S/4HANA Cloud and Cadency Connector for S/4HANA Cloud solutions integrate with SAP S/4HANA Cloud using standard integration technologies, or that run as an add-on to a cloud solution from SAP.

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About Trintech

Trintech Inc., a pioneer of financial corporate performance management software, combines technical and financial expertise to create innovative, cloud-based software solutions that deliver world-class financial operations and insights. From high volume transaction matching and streamlining daily operational reconciliations, to automating and managing balance sheet reconciliations, intercompany accounting, journal entries, disclosure reporting and bank fee analysis, to governance, risk and compliance - Trintech's portfolio of financial solutions, including Cadency Platform, Adra Suite, and targeted tools, ReconNET, T-Recs, and UPCS, help manage all aspects of the financial close process. Over 3,500 clients worldwide - including the majority of the Fortune 100 - rely on the company's cloud-based software to continuously improve the efficiency, reliability, and strategic insights of their financial operations.

Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Trintech has offices located across the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the Nordic countries, as well as strategic partners in South Africa, Latin America, and the Asia Pacific. To learn more about Trintech, visit www.trintech.com or connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

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SAP and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE in Germany and other countries. See http://www.sap.com/corporate-en/legal/copyright/index.epx for additional trademark information and notices. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.

Media Contact:

Kelli Shoevlin

214-957-5009

kelli.shoevlin@trintech.com

SOURCE: Trintech, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/708101/AdraR-and-CadencyR-by-Trintech-are-Certified-by-SAPR-for-Integration-with-Cloud-Solutions-from-SAP
Harris Williams, a global investment bank specializing in M&A advisory services, announces it is advising Voff Premium Pet Food (Voff), a portfolio company of Systematic Growth, on its pending sale to Axcel. Voff is a leading European platform in the premium natural pet food segment, comprising nine strong brands across eight business units. The transaction is being led by Will Bain, Ryan Budlong, Konstantin Molinari and Ruben Pinheiro of the Harris Williams Consumer Group.

"The Voff management team has built an extraordinary platform for growth in one of the most attractive and fastest growing sub-segments in pet food," said Will Bain, a managing director at Harris Williams. "We are honored to be working with the Voff team and to have the opportunity to build on our strong momentum in the pet sector. In Axcel, they have a fantastic partner to continue to advance their leading position across Europe, and we look forward to following their continued success."

Marten Bernow, CEO of Voff, added, "The experience and deep understanding Harris Williams has of the pet sector was a clear differentiator when we selected them to work with us. Their hands-on and detailed approach was invaluable; they delivered on all of the promises they made. On behalf of the full team at Voff, we are incredibly grateful for their support."

Fredrik Svedberg, partner at Systematic Growth, added, "The quality of advice and insight provided by Harris Williams was exceptional, and their work ethic was phenomenal right from the very start to the final negotiations. It has been a pleasure working with them in helping deliver this strong outcome."

Voff is a leading European producer of natural premium pet food. Since its founding in 2014, Voff has continued to strengthen its foothold across Europe, and today consists of nine strong main brands that are produced and sold across the continent. Voff believes in natural, premium pet food and sells a wide range of products from raw pet food (BARF) to natural air-dried treats, natural pet supplements, chews and high-quality bird food across various channels, online and offline. Voff is headquartered in Stockholm and has revenues of approximately 1 billion SEK.

Systematic Growth was founded by serial entrepreneur Ashkan Pouya and partners, with the vision to build globally leading companies in a systematic manner within selected sectors. It is based in Stockholm.

Axcel is a Nordic private equity fund working to create value that lasts long after the exit, which requires more than just capital. With its strong focus on leading Nordic companies in the industrials and business services, technology, consumer, and healthcare sectors, Axcel creates success through a combination of their team's network and experience paired with a systematic, growth-oriented value creation approach. Over the last 25 years, Axcel has raised six funds with cumulative capital commitments of 2.8 billion. These funds have made 68 platform investments, with more than 150 add-on investments and 49 exits.

Harris Williams, an investment bank specializing in M&A advisory services, advocates for sellers and buyers of companies worldwide through critical milestones and provides thoughtful advice during the lives of their businesses. By collaborating as one firm across Industry Groups and geographies, the firm helps its clients achieve outcomes that support their objectives and strategically create value. Harris Williams is committed to execution excellence and to building enduring, valued relationships that are based on mutual trust. Harris Williams is a subsidiary of the PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC).

The Harris Williams Consumer Group has completed transactions across a variety of verticals, including food, beverage and agribusiness; branded consumer products; consumer services; and restaurant and retail. For more information on the Harris Williams Consumer Group and recent transactions, visit the Consumer Group's section of the Harris Williams website.

Harris Williams LLC is a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC. Harris Williams Co. Ltd is a private limited company incorporated under English law with its registered office at 8th Floor, 20 Farringdon Street, London EC4A 4AB, UK, registered with the Registrar of Companies for England and Wales (registration number 07078852). Harris Williams Co. Ltd is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Harris Williams Co. Corporate Finance Advisors GmbH is registered in the commercial register of the local court of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, under HRB 107540. The registered address is Bockenheimer Landstrasse 33-35, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany (email address: hwgermany@harriswilliams.com). Geschaftsfuhrer/Directors: Jeffery H. Perkins, Paul Poggi. (VAT No. DE321666994). Harris Williams is a trade name under which Harris Williams LLC, Harris Williams Co. Ltd and Harris Williams Co. Corporate Finance Advisors GmbH conduct business.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220714005681/en/

Contacts:

For media inquiries, please contact Julia Moore at media@harriswilliams.com.
Investment will accelerate digital banking platform enhancements and help company scale to meet growing demand

WILMINGTON, NC / ACCESSWIRE / July 14, 2022 / Apiture , a leading provider of digital banking solutions, announced the closing of a $29 million fundraising round led by Live Oak Bank, with participation from other existing investors. The investment brings the total funding raised by Apiture to $69 million since its inception in 2017.

Apiture will use the additional capital to expand its sales and marketing efforts, accelerate product development initiatives, and meet increased market demand for the Apiture Digital Banking Platform , which serves more than 300 banks and credit unions throughout the United States.

"Our platform is built by bankers, for bankers, which uniquely positions Apiture to deliver best-in-class solutions that help financial institutions of all sizes level the playing field with national brands," said Chris Babcock, CEO, Apiture. "We appreciate the confidence our existing investors have demonstrated in our business through this fundraising round. It is worth noting that two-thirds of the capital we have raised in this round has come from investors that are also Apiture clients, including Live Oak Bank, Pinnacle Bank, and BHG Financial. Their investment both underscores and reinforces the strength of Apiture's solutions in a competitive market."

"Financial institutions are keenly aware of the importance of digital channels and the need to elevate the online and mobile banking experience for their consumer and business customers," said Stephanie Mann, Live Oak Bank Chief Strategy Officer. "We are thrilled to support Apiture as it accelerates enhancements to its cloud-based, API-first technology platform while scaling to serve a growing number of banks and credit unions."

Apiture has gained significant industry recognition following the introduction of the Apiture Digital Banking Platform in February 2022. Recent awards include selection as Best Business Digital Banking Solutions Provider by FinTech Futures in its 2022 Banking Tech Awards USA and Overall Leader by Javelin Strategy & Research in its 2021 Digital Banking Platform Vendor Scorecard. The company was also named to the 2022 American Banker Best Places to Work in Fintech list for the fourth consecutive year.

About Apiture:

Apiture delivers award-winning digital banking solutions to banks and credit unions throughout the United States. Our flexible, highly configurable solutions meet a wide range of financial institutions' needs, from leveling the playing field with larger banks to enabling unique, digital-only brands. Through our API-first strategy, our clients can maximize the capabilities of their platform while preserving a seamless user experience. Our exclusive focus on digital banking means we're dedicated to delivering innovative solutions that meet the unique needs of our clients while providing a level of support that's unmatched in the industry. Apiture is headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina, with offices in Austin, Texas. To learn more, visit www.apiture.com .

Media Contact:

Heather Valle

Caliber Corporate Advisers

heather@calibercorporate.com

SOURCE: Apiture

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/708485/Digital-Banking-Solutions-Provider-Apiture-Announces-29-Million-Funding-Round
The chartered accountancy plans to specialize and become world leaders in the popular niche.

London, United Kingdom--(Newsfile Corp. - July 14, 2022) - Simon Kallu, the CEO of UK-based accountancy GrowFactor, has announced that the business is preparing to focus on one market: health and fitness.

GrowFactor has been in operation for over 11 years, working with a diverse array of clients to further their financial goals. However, it will now buck this trend to center itself around a market that is growing in its own right.

Simon Kallu

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8520/130780_5791eb5a8485f8f8_001full.jpg

"When we niche ourselves down, we will become the only chartered accountancy I know to focus entirely on the health and fitness market," Kallu proclaimed. "We hope that, by helping those that help others, we can make a difference in fitness and the wider world."

While a surprising departure from the orthodoxy, the accountancy is ideally equipped for success in the sector. Kallu and the GrowFactor team have collected data throughout the company's history to help struggling new clients understand what winning clients are doing differently.

The GrowFactor community is the ace in the hole for this significant business pivot. As in its earlier work, the accountancy won't solely lead by example and expertise. Clients will continue to actively help one another to implement the likes of tax-saving strategies.

"We're in this for the tired health and fitness business owners who are frustrated with their accountants' lack of understanding," Kallu continued. "We know that tailoring ourselves to this sector could alienate some clients, but our goal is to help more people and have a greater impact."

The announcement includes the possibility that future clients not suitable for GrowFactor may be turned down, but clients from different industries can still benefit from its services if they are a good fit. Kallu and Robbins have gained experience throughout their careers, and niching down will ultimately only mean good things for entrepreneurs interested in widening their margins.

About GrowFactor

GrowFactor is an accountancy firm based in the UK that has been working with clients for over 11 years. Its CEO Simon Kallu is a chartered accountant who helps business owners fulfill their potential by mastering their finances, minimizing their taxes, and having a clear strategy for growth.

The company's foremost role is establishing a client's financial goals and collaborating on a growth plan to meet them. Bookkeeping is a central offering-it provides a portal to performance plans, tax savings, and strategic adjustments. GrowFactor clients are supported by on-demand email, telephone, Zoom, and WhatsApp advice.

GrowFactor recently announced a new focus on the health and fitness market in a move set to send shockwaves through the accountancy industry.

Contact Information:

GrowFactor

Simon Kallu

+44 7944 089333

simon@growfactor.com

https://www.growfactor.com/

SOURCE: GrowFactor

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/130780
MONACO, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Yacht Club de Monaco's flagship Tuiga (1909) has just finished her Adriatic campaign of three match race meetings against Mariska, another 15M IR out of the four in the world still sailing. The crew of YCM members, all passionate about sailing and classic yachts, certainly made their mark on this regatta circuit.



A first to get the ball rolling

The gaff cutter's summer agenda started in Venice at the IXe Trofeo Principato di Monaco (24-26 June), an historic event as Tuiga had never dropped anchor in Venetian waters before. "Elegant yet competitive, Tuiga embodies all the values we hold dear and to see her sailing in Venice is exceptional," said Yacht Club de Monaco General Secretary Bernard d'Alessandri. This classic yacht meeting is down to Anna Licia Balzan, Monaco's Honorary Consul in Venice, the Monegasque Tourism and Convention Authority in Italy, and the Venice Yacht Club and its president Mirko Sguario. The sight of the Sovereign yacht in La Serenissima will remain engraved in everyone's memories.

With her trip to the gates of San Marco Square, the longest in the Mediterranean for this gaff cutter, another chapter has been written in the 113-year history of Tuiga. It was after two days of racing, from which Tuiga emerged the overall winner, that a match race event took place against Mariska. Between these two beautiful classic yachts, designed by Scottish naval architect William Fife III, the friendly duel unfolded in the Bacino di San Marco, with the vast Venetian Arsenal providing a stunning backdrop worthy of its protagonists.

Return match in Portoroz?

A few days later, Tuiga set sail for Slovenia's Portoroz? bay (1-3 July), a journey that took just under seven hours. After a first day training, Tuiga and Mariska had to wait patiently for several hours until the weather improved and the two gaff cutters could line up on the start of an inshore course.

The Monaco-flagged yacht demonstrated with aplomb the crew's expertise during numerous starting procedures, knowing just how to keep their position and retain the advantage till the starting gun fired. Faster downwind with the spinnaker, Mariska eventually won this contest with a professional crew experienced in high-level regattas.

Unprecedented tour ends in Italy

It was in Trieste, Italy, (9-10 July) that the Adriatic tour ended for the two 15M IRs, with a dozen sailors from the Yacht Club Adriaco on board to lend a hand to the Monegasques on this occasion. Two races were launched in 6-12 knots on a flat sea, with the Monegasque gaff cutter in control of her opponent to the first windward mark, before crossing the finish line first to claim victory. It was all change for the second race which was finally won by Mariska.

With all things being equal between the two yachts, they will need to get together soon for a decider. Meanwhile, Tuiga is back out at sea on the way to her home port and Yacht Club de Monaco via Brindisi and Palermo.

For more information:

LaPresse SpA Communication and Press Office Director

Barbara Sanicola - barbara.sanicola@lapresse.it

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/40d42ff5-c397-46ee-b6b0-25dfa06bbbe3

The photo is also available at Newscom, www.newscom.com, and via AP PhotoExpress.
Korea needs to keep technological lead, diversify markets



Korea's trade deficit with China topped $800 million in the first 10 days of this month, according to provisional data of the Korea Customs Service. Following the trade shortfalls of $1.1 billion and $1.2 billion in May and June, chances are high that Korea might sustain a trade shortfall with China for the third consecutive month. The nation had been recording a trade surplus with its largest partner for 29 years since 1993. However, that could change this year.



For over three decades, China served as the "world's factory," importing parts to assemble finished products for export. As a result, Korea enjoyed a special boom by supplying materials and components to its giant neighbor. However, in recent years, China has become a cutting-edge manufacturer in its own right capable of procuring parts and producing finished goods independently. As a result, the shares of Korea's major exports, including memory chips and cellphone parts, have dwindled sharply in China. In contrast, the country's imports of petrochemical and textile products from China have increased steeply.



So far, Korea has offset its trade deficits with other countries with the surplus of trade with China, but this is becoming more difficult. Moreover, many Korean manufacturing companies rely on China for a considerable proportion of core parts, and consumers increasingly use Chinese daily necessities. All these factors contributed to this country's record-high trade deficit of $15.9 billion in the first half of this year. Korea's trade deficit with Japan has long been chronic, and if this export-dependent country allows China to overtake it in trade, its economic prospects appear doomed.



To outplay China, Korea has no choice but to upgrade its industries to add value. Moreover, the global economic landscape is changing as the world is split into the West and the rest under what political economists call the "New Cold War," in which supply bottlenecks become commonplace. Therefore, Korean industries should do all they can to maintain their technological lead over their Chinese competitors while diversifying export destinations. In addition, Korea Inc. needs to shift from goods to service exports, including cultural products, making the most of the K-pop and K-dramas that are highly popular in the world's most populous country.


Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares

For immediate release

14 July 2022

FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC

(the "Company")

MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES

The Company announces that it has today purchased 68,573 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 789.61 pence per Ordinary Share. Such shares will be held in treasury by the Company.

The transaction was made pursuant to the authority granted at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 9 February 2022.

Following this transaction, the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury is 4,931,723; the total number of Ordinary Shares that the Company has in issue, less the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury following such purchase, and therefore, the total number of voting rights in the Company is 220,059,580.

The figure of 220,059,580 may be used by shareholders as the denominator for calculations of interests in the Company's voting rights in accordance with the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.

For and on behalf of

Frostrow Capital LLP

Company Secretary

For further information, please contact:

Victoria Hale

Frostrow Capital LLP

Tel: 020 3 170 8732
SAP PowerConnect for Devo enables proactive monitoring and securing of SAP application log data to security teams

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. and PORTLAND, Ore., July 14, 2022, the cloud-native logging and security analytics company, and RHONDOS, the leader in security and observability for SAP, today announced an integrated solution-SAP PowerConnect for Devo-to simplify how organizations manage and monitor security and performance of SAP systems.



The SAP PowerConnect for Devo solution enables organizations to unlock the value of SAP transaction data by leveraging the power of the Devo platform, taking advantage of Devo's rich data visualizations, alerting capabilities, and analytics. Access to crucial SAP performance and security data allows organizations to reduce costly downtime of business-critical SAP systems and readily identify impacted systems during potential security incidents.?

"Security teams are faced not just with more threats than ever before, but have to sift through more data than ever," said Upesh Patel, SVP of corporate development at Devo. "The partnership between Devo and RHONDOS gives our customers one centralized source of information that combines all of their application log data - including allowing for the ingest of on-premise SAP data - and provides full visibility into their security environment. Security teams are now able to take massive amounts of complex data and access it in an easily digestible way that enables analysts to detect and respond to threats faster."

By enabling the correlation of SAP and non-SAP data, the new solution unlocks contextual insights to help organizations to shift from a reactive to proactive SAP monitoring approach. With SAP PowerConnect for Devo, users will gain a holistic understanding of business health and supporting processes, allowing them to:

Leverage visualization, monitoring and analysis of real-time and historic SAP telemetry data? using the Devo Platform

Decrease the mean time to resolution (MTTR) and accelerate root cause analysis (RCA)

Streamline and cut costs spent on SAP monitoring and reporting?



"By bringing SAP PowerConnect to market-leading solutions like Devo, RHONDOS is enabling the SOC to get more out of their data and in a more streamlined and efficient way," said Brant Hubbard, CEO of RHONDOS. "Organizations have long been plagued by inadequate solutions for monitoring their SAP data as a part of their security posture and this partnership will now enable them to more quickly and simply analyze their most critical systems."

Read more from Brant Hubbard on the Devo blog .

To learn more about SAP PowerConnect for Devo, view the solution brief and join Devo's Director of Technology Alliances, Ash Patel and RHONDOS' Solution Architect, Brian Bates on August 2nd at 1:00 PM ET for a webinar on how you can harness the power of your SAP data with SAP PowerConnect for Devo.

About Devo

Devo is the only cloud-native logging and security analytics platform that releases the full potential of your data to empower bold, confident action. With unrivaled scale to collect all of your data without compromise, speed to give you immediate access and answers, and clarity to focus on the signals that matter most, Devo is your ally in protecting your organization today and tomorrow. Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with operations in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, Devo is backed by Insight Partners, Georgian, TCV, General Atlantic, Bessemer Venture Partners, Kibo Ventures and Eurazeo. Learn more at www.devo.com.

About RHONDOS

The RHONDOS team is committed to partnering with you to make you the SAP hero in your organization. We are the experts of PowerConnect for the North American market and provide first-line Support and Implementation Services that facilitate maximum return on investment when ingesting SAP security logs, performance metrics, and business data into your observability platform of choice. See what is now possible with SAP at www.rhondos.com.

Devo PR Contact:

Shannon Todesca

shannon.todesca@devo.com

+1 (781) 797-0898

Rhondos PR Contact:

Andrew Yetter

ayetter@rhondos.com

+1 (360) 904-9834

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/311c85b0-7074-478d-9d83-6c6d482382d9

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/716ea604-b753-4dc4-8593-7abd782ff758
WESTBOROUGH, MA / ACCESSWIRE / July 14, 2022 / Cannapreneur Partners flagship dispensary, Joint Operations out of Rowley, MA, is working hard to raise awareness on the natural benefits and wellness that cannabis can bring to our nation's veterans. Nationally-renowned TV-Host, Actor, Speaker, and Veteran Montel Williams, will be visiting the new Rowley Joint Operations dispensary on July 14 to help our team with this goal.

Montel will be Live streaming from the Joint Operations Rowley Location right before the doors open officially, from 6:15 PM to 6:45 PM EST. He will be talking about:

The Rowley grand opening, which he will be attending on August 20th for a live meet and greet from 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM. The event goes from 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM EST. Why he chose to get involved in the cannabis industry. His Inspire cannabis line. How cannabis has helped with his personal wellness.

This will be live-streamed on Joint Operations Facebook and Instagram , as well as Montel's "Let's Be Blunt" platforms.

In an effort to raise more awareness on cannabis wellness and education, The Joint Operations team is having Mr. Williams over for a celebrity pop up visit. He shares the same direction and synergy, making him the perfect guest to help propel the East Coast cannabis revolution. It is through partnerships such as this that the company hopes to usher in a new era of accessible, quality cannabis products.

Williams began his professional career in the United States Marine Corp and was the first black Marine selected to the Naval Academy Prep School to then go on to graduate from the United States Naval Academy and be commissioned a Naval Officer. Williams earned a degree in general engineering and a minor in international security affairs. He also earned a degree from the Defense Language Institute in Russian and Mandarin Chinese. While serving in the military Williams was the recipient of two Meritorious Service Medals, two Navy Commendation Medals, two Navy Achievement Medals and various other military awards and citations.

In 1999, Williams was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). This would eventually lead to the founding of "Inspire by Montel", which offers cannabis vape products that he has used to manage his symptoms. For nearly 23 years, Williams has been a popular advocate for cannabis law reform. He has partnered with Freshly Baked, a recreational cannabis company based in Taunton, who will be visiting the Joint Operations location as well.

When asked about his thoughts on having Montel Williams visit the Rowley dispensary, Founding Partner Bill Duggan stated: "It's great to have a former veteran, just like myself, come and help us raise awareness on cannabis wellness and education. This event is going to be a huge stepping stone for us, and I think having Mr. Williams is really going to bring a new level of direction and inspiration to our organization."

On August 20th, Joint Operations will be celebrating the official grand opening of its new Rowley dispensary location. This 21+ event will be featuring an array of celebrity guests to help raise awareness, and Montel Williams may be attending as well.

If you would like to learn more about the upcoming Rowley, MA Grand Opening as well as other Joint Operations events, please visit our events page here: www.jointoperations.com/events-one

Live Stream Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/1083636212267497/

___

ABOUT CANNAPRENEUR PARTNERS

Cannapreneur Partners is the place for cannabis business owners. We are building a vertically integrated cannabis company on the east coast and are looking for entrepreneurs who'd like to be a part of the Cannapreneur family of businesses.

ABOUT JOINT OPERATIONS

Joint Operations, a subsidiary of Cannapreneur Partners is a series of adult-use dispensaries, owned and operated by U.S. military veterans that bring the benefits of the cannabis plant to the public. We are focused on wellness and education while creating a fun and comfortable environment for all.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT

E: invest@CannapreneurPartners.com

W: www.cannapreneurpartners.com

E: info@jointoperations.com

W: www.jointoperations.com

SOURCE: Cannapreneur Partners

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/708521/Montel-Williams-to-Visit-New-Cannapreneur-Partners-Dispensary-Joint-Operations-in-Rowley-MA
Acquisition of the portfolio is another step in Athora's continued growth as a leading savings and retirement services group in key European markets

Athora Holding Ltd. (Athora or the Group), a leading European savings and retirement services group, has announced that its subsidiary, Athora Deutschland GmbH (Athora Germany), has agreed to acquire a closed book portfolio of deferred annuities and endowments of the former DBV-Winterthur Life (DWL) from AXA Germany, representing 19 billion1 in assets under administration (AuA), for a purchase price of 610 million which is a significant discount to own funds. Including an estimated 50 million of statutory earnings for 2022, AXA Germany is expected to receive 660 million. Subject to closing, Athora Germany will have 24 billion of AuA and 1.1 million customers, helping it to achieve economies of scale in Europe's second largest life insurance market.

Prior to closing of the transaction, AXA Germany will transfer the portfolio and its associated balance sheet to a well-capitalised company which will be acquired by Athora Germany and integrated under the Athora brand. Athora Germany and AXA Germany will also sign extensive service agreements for the five-year transition period during which the portfolio will gradually migrate to Athora. As part of the transaction, AXA IM will continue to provide certain asset management services to Athora Germany, notably investment grade debt, until 2028.

The transaction, consistent with Athora's growth strategy focused on traditional guaranteed savings and pension products in Europe, is expected to close by the end of 2023 subject to receipt of requisite regulatory and other approvals.After adjusting for the transaction, Athora will have over 100 billion of consolidated AuA (including the proposed acquisition of Amissima Vita and portfolio transfer with NN Belgium). The Group will also welcome 900,000 DWL policyholders to join Athora's existing 2.3 million customers across Europe.

The transaction is transformational for Athora in Germany which entered the market in 2015 and has built a strong track record in delivering market leading results for customers. Athora Germany will ensure the continuity of policies for and the quality of services to policyholders, fulfilling all of their contractual obligations. Athora has a sustainable and proven business model which combines market-leading access to investments, through our strategic relationship with Apollo Global Management Inc. and its subsidiaries, together with efficient operations.

Athora has secured further equity commitments from existing shareholders and will finance the transaction consistently with its rating and leverage targets.

Michele Bareggi, Group CEO at Athora, said: "We have been strategically building Athora's presence across Europe and are excited about the opportunity this deal provides for our growth in Germany. This highlights our position as a preferred solutions provider because of our robust capital position, deep expertise in the retirement services industry and proven track record of executing transactions to deliver value to counter-parties. We have a strong reputation for managing guaranteed savings portfolios in Germany - with significant emphasis placed on prudent investment, risk and capital management and we intend to play a long-term role in meeting customer demand for these products in this important European market."

Michele further commented: "We look forward to welcoming the DWL customers into the Athora family and to continue to deliver great value and services to all our German customers on their long-term guaranteed savings products."

Bank of America and Morgan Stanley acted as financial advisers to Athora on the transaction.

ENDS

About Athora

Athora is a leading retirement services group fully focused on the European market. We concentrate on the large and attractive traditional life and pensions market, with an ambition to become a leading provider of guaranteed life and pensions products in Europe. We serve the needs of individual and corporate customers who continue to demand products offering safety of returns, and also provide innovative M&A and reinsurance solutions to other insurers seeking to enhance their capital position or enact strategic change. Athora's principal subsidiaries are Athora Netherlands N.V. (Amstelveen, Netherlands), Athora Belgium N.V./S.A. (Brussels), Athora Lebensversicherung AG (Wiesbaden, Germany), Athora Ireland plc (Dublin) and Athora Life Re Ltd. (Bermuda). The Athora Group employs some 1,900 staff and has 2.3 million customers with assets under administration of 79 billion (as at 31 December 2021). On 23 September 2021, Athora announced the acquisition of Italian insurer Amissima Vita S.p.A. The acquisition is expected to complete in 2022, subject to applicable regulatory clearances.

1 19bn of AuA as of FY 2021, corresponding to 14bn technical reserves ("Deckungsruckstellungen") as well as 5bn of deferred policyholder participation reserves and equity under the IFRS accounting framework.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220714005783/en/

Contacts:

Media Relations

In Germany:

Volker Heck/Christoph Schluter

Deekeling Arndt/amo

Athora@deekeling-arndt.com

T +49 69 97098-550

Other markets:

Sam Turvey/ Vikki Kosmalska

Maitland/amo

Athora@maitland.co.uk

+44 (0) 207 379 5151
Coquitlam, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 14, 2022) - Captiva Verde Wellness Corp. (CSE: PWR) (OTC Pink: CPIVF) (the "Company or Captiva") is pleased to announce that it has appointed James Martin as Chairman of the Captiva Verde - New Brunswick Asset Advisory Board.

Mr. Martin has impeccable credentials directly related to the Company's undisputed 100% ownership of infrastructure assets in New Brunswick that include a 200-acre organic qualified farming property, 36,000 square feet of refurbished buildings and facilities, six (6) Million-gallon water reservoir, Health Canada approved security systems and security fencing, all together valued at a replacement cost of over CAD $11.8 Million. Captiva Verde owns these assets 100% debt-free.

Mr. Martin is a highly respected leader in the New Brunswick construction industry with over 40 years of top-level, large project experience. He holds Gold Seal Certification from the Construction Association of Canada and is Red Seal qualified in electrical contracting. Some significant projects completed by Mr. Martin in New Brunswick and Alberta include:

Construction of the original Organigram Cannabis facility in Moncton, NB

Construction of the Enbridge Gas System in NB (over 80KM of underground main pipeline)

Complete rebuild of the Moncton, NB Airport runway

Completion of the Suncor aviation runway in Alberta

Construction of the McAllister Park Subdivision in Riverview NB

Construction of the White Birch Subdivision in Lower Coverdale NB

Completion of the Captiva Verde Cannabis Facility

Jeff Ciachurski, CEO of Captiva Verde states: "We are deeply honoured to have a business leader of the calibre and experience as Mr. Martin. James knows the infrastructure industry in Canada very well and is especially aware of the nuances within the New Brunswick real estate industry. Mr. Martin is the very first experienced business leader Captiva has had in New Brunswick. James is an essential team player and a respected leader throughout New Brunswick."

The Company granted Mr. Martin two (2) million share purchase options exercisable at a price of $0.04 per share for a period of 3 years.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

"Jeff Ciachurski"

Jeffrey Ciachurski

Chief Executive Officer and Director

Cell: (949) 903-5906

E-mail: westernwind@shaw.ca

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include regulatory actions, market prices, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/130939
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / July 14, 2022 / Jaguar Mining Inc. ("Jaguar" or the "Company") (TSX:JAG)(OTCQX:JAGGF) is pleased to announce that it will host a Town Hall Meeting on July 19, 2022 at 11:30 am EST.

Vern Baker, CEO & President of Jaguar Mining will provide an update to interested stakeholders on the Company's second quarter including Jaguar's developments on its exploration portfolio. The presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer session where participants will be able to ask any questions they may have of management.

To register for the Town Hall Meeting, please click the link below:

https://www.bigmarker.com/vid-conferences/Jaguar-Mining-VID-Forum?utm_bmcr_source=JAG

The Iron Quadrangle

The Iron Quadrangle has been an area of mineral exploration dating back to the 16th century. The discovery in 1699-1701 of gold contaminated with iron and platinum-group metals in the southeastern corner of the Iron Quadrangle gave rise to the name of the town Ouro Preto (Black Gold). The Iron Quadrangle contains world-class multi-million-ounce gold deposits such as Morro Velho, Cuiaba, and Sao Bento. Jaguar holds the Third largest gold land position in the Iron Quadrangle with just over 25,000 hectares.

About Jaguar Mining Inc.

Jaguar Mining Inc. is a Canadian-listed junior gold mining, development, and exploration company operating in Brazil with three gold mining complexes and a large land package with significant upside exploration potential from mineral claims. The Company's principal operating assets are located in the Iron Quadrangle, a prolific greenstone belt in the state of Minas Gerais and include the Turmalina Gold Mine Complex and Caete Mining Complex (Pilar and Roca Grande Mines, and Caete Plant). The Company also owns the Paciencia Gold Mine Complex, which has been on care and maintenance since 2012. The Roca Grande Mine has been on temporary care and maintenance since April 2019. Additional information is available on the Company's website at www.jaguarmining.com.

For further information please contact:

Vernon Baker Chief Executive Officer Jaguar Mining Inc. vernon.baker@jaguarmining.com 416-847-1854 Hashim Ahmed Chief Financial Officer Jaguar Mining Inc. hashim.ahmed@jaguarmining.com 416-847-1854

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this news release constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements and information are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's expectations and plans relating to the future. All of the forward-looking information made in this news release is qualified by the cautionary statements below and those made in our other filings with the securities regulators in Canada. Forward-looking information contained in forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "are expected," "is forecast," "is targeted," "approximately," "plans," "anticipates," "projects," "anticipates," "continue," "estimate," "believe" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may," "could," "would," "might," or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, may be considered to be or include forward-looking information. This news release contains forward-looking information regarding, among other things, expected sales, production statistics, ore grades, tonnes milled, recovery rates, cash operating costs, definition/delineation drilling, the timing and amount of estimated future production, costs of production, capital expenditures, costs and timing of the development of projects and new deposits, success of exploration, development and mining activities, currency fluctuations, capital requirements, project studies, mine life extensions, restarting suspended or disrupted operations, continuous improvement initiatives, and resolution of pending litigation. The Company has made numerous assumptions with respect to forward-looking information contained herein, including, among other things, assumptions about the estimated timeline for the development of its mineral properties; the supply and demand for, and the level and volatility of the price of, gold; the accuracy of reserve and resource estimates and the assumptions on which the reserve and resource estimates are based; the receipt of necessary permits; market competition; ongoing relations with employees and impacted communities; political and legal developments in any jurisdiction in which the Company operates being consistent with its current expectations including, without limitation, the impact of any potential power rationing, tailings facility regulation, exploration and mine operating licenses and permits being obtained and renewed and/or there being adverse amendments to mining or other laws in Brazil and any changes to general business and economic conditions. Forward-looking information involves a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including among others: the risk of Jaguar not meeting the forecast plans regarding its operations and financial performance; uncertainties with respect to the price of gold, labour disruptions, mechanical failures, increase in costs, environmental compliance and change in environmental legislation and regulation, weather delays and increased costs or production delays due to natural disasters, power disruptions, procurement and delivery of parts and supplies to the operations; uncertainties inherent to capital markets in general (including the sometimes volatile valuation of securities and an uncertain ability to raise new capital) and other risks inherent to the gold exploration, development and production industry, which, if incorrect, may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the Company and described herein. In addition, there are risks and hazards associated with the business of gold exploration, development, mining and production, including environmental hazards, tailings dam failures, industrial accidents and workplace safety problems, unusual or unexpected geological formations, pressures, cave-ins, flooding, chemical spills, procurement fraud and gold bullion thefts and losses (and the risk of inadequate insurance, or the inability to obtain insurance, to cover these risks). Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

For additional information with respect to these and other factors and assumptions underlying the forward-looking information made in this news release, see the Company's most recent Annual Information Form and Management's Discussion and Analysis, as well as other public disclosure documents that can be accessed under the issuer profile of "Jaguar Mining Inc." on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking information set forth herein reflects the Company's reasonable expectations as at the date of this news release and is subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

SOURCE: Jaguar Mining Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/708648/Jaguar-Mining-Announces-Town-Hall-Meeting-July-19-2022
BEIJING (dpa-AFX) - China is scheduled to release a raft of data on Friday, headlining a busy day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. On tap are Q2 numbers for gross domestic product and June figures for industrial production, retail sales, fixed asset investment, house prices and unemployment. GDP is expected to sink 1.5 percent on quarter and rise 1.0 percent on year after gaining 1.3 percent on quarter and 4.8 percent on year in the previous three months. Industrial production is tipped to add 4.1 percent on year, up from 0.7 percent in May. Retail sales are called flat on year after sinking 6.7 percent in the previous month. FAI is expected to improve an annual 6.0 percent, easing from 6.2 percent a month earlier. House prices were down 0.1 percent on year in May, while the jobless rate was at 5.9 percent. New Zealand will see June results for the manufacturing PMI from BusinessNZ; in May, the index score was 52.9. Indonesia will provide June figures for imports, exports and trade balance. Imports are predicted to jump 20.1 percent on year, down from 30.74 percent in May. Exports are called higher by an annual 30.26 percent, up from 27.0 percent in the previous month. The trade surplus is pegged at $3.52 billion, up from $2.9 billion a month earlier. Japan will release May numbers for its tertiary industry index; in Aril, the index was up 0.7 percent. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
HOUSTON, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EXCEL ("EXCEL") Petroleos Internacionales del Caribe ("PIC") and its operating division in Mexico, Petroleos Internacionales del Caribe Inc., Sucursal Mexico ("PICMEX") jointly announced today the signing of a Strategic Engineering, Procurement and Construction Partnership, "Exclusive Agreement" with PIC for the engineering, procurement and construction of PIC's key Export Facilities in Houston, TX together with GLM compressed storage systems for various fuels and key gas pipelines forward positions for the required fueling elements for its Maritime and Terrestrial Operations. The operations will be vital to the US, the Americas and the United Mexican States with PIC one of kind solutions with its other key partnerships.



The Strategic EPC Partnership between PIC and EXCEL represents a significant investment milestone in the commercialization of the export facilities and receiving terminals, as it signals the commencement of project specific pre-FEED (Front End Engineering Design) studies by PIC for the delivery of its maritime and terrestrial operations that will ensure uninterrupted shipments by PIC and its other global partnerships for decades to come.

These studies will cover the design of the production and export terminals, receiving terminals and plants, along with the Fleet that will be built to transport and deliver fuel to PIC's markets in Mexico and throughout the Americas. Following completion of the pre-FEED studies and Final Investment Decision (FID) by PIC and EXCEL, PIC and its consortium partners will undertake the FEED for final design and construction for the projects in Mexico that PIC has positioned thus far with its consortium partners.

"EXCEL is very proud to be partners with such a great organization like PIC and being the chosen EPC for PIC's state of the art facilities and pipelines," said Jason Hardwick, President of EXCEL Midstream Solutions.

"EXCEL is pleased to enter this partnership and will provide the very best Engineering, Procurement and Construction services," said Dave Roberts, Chairman and CEO of EXCEL USA.

"These projects will provide Mexico, and other countries in Central and South America, and the Americas with affordable fuels and power, as well as significant carbon emissions reductions, a key component in achieving sustainability and balanced for PIC and its Partner. We are excited to take this significant step with EXCEL," said Michael Hood, CEO of PIC. "Through this exclusive operational partnership, PIC and EXCEL will accelerate commercialization of the Export Facilities to help meet the fuel supply and electricity needs of PIC's customers in Mexico and throughout the Americas and abroad, while substituting higher-emission fuels to continue driving down emissions towards a greener brighter future. In addition to the thousands of new employment opportunities, this export operation will bring forth to the Great State of Texas over the next decade."

About Petroleos Internacionales del Caribe and Petroleos Internacionales del Caribe Inc., Sucursal Mexico

Petroleos Internacionales del Caribe.
AssemblyAI, a San Francisco, CA-based audio intelligence API provider, raised $30M in Series B funding.

The round was led by Insight Partners, with participation from existing investors at Accel and Y Combinator.

The company intends to use the funds to build out its AI infrastructure to accelerate AI research, and grow its AI research team, which today include researchers from DeepMind, Google Brain, Meta AI, BMW, and Cisco.

Led by Dylan Fox, founder & CEO, AssemblyAI leverages the same AI technology used to create popular AI models like DALL-E 2, GPT-3, and Googles LaMDA model, to create State-of-the-Art AI models for transcribing, understanding, and analyzing audio and video data  including Transformers, Large Language Models, massive GPU clusters, and large datasets.

The company is now processing millions of audio/video files with its APIs every single day for over 1,000 paying customers  including startups like CallRail, Algolia, Veed, and Fathom, and enterprises like the WSJ, NBC Universal, and Spotify.

Over the past 6 months, they launched support for 15 new languages  including Spanish, German, French, Italian, Hindi, and Japanese, added major improvements to our Auto Chapters and Summarization models, Real-Time Transcription models, Content Moderation models, and countless other product updates.

4 months ago, AssemblyAI announced $28M Series A led by Accel, with participation from Y Combinator, the Stripe founders  John and Patrick Collison, Nat Friedman, and Daniel Gross.

FinSMEs

14/07/2022




South Korea and the United States are using various channels to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation on semiconductors, a presidential official said Thursday.





Earlier, a source in Washington told Yonhap News Agency the U.S. has asked South Korea to inform Washington by the end of August whether it plans to participate in a U.S.-led chip alliance known as the "Chip 4" or "Fab 4."





The alliance would also involve Japan and Taiwan, two other semiconductor powerhouses.





"The U.S. released a supply chain review report in June last year that stressed the importance of partnerships in the semiconductor sector several times," the official told reporters on condition of anonymity.





"We're also using various channels with the U.S. to discuss ways to strengthen semiconductor cooperation, but I don't have anything to share at the moment regarding the detailed schedule."





The U.S. has been in talks with potential partners over the new initiative since March and is reportedly planning to begin working-level discussions for the alliance's launch in late August.





U.S. President Joe Biden visited a Samsung chip plant together with President Yoon Suk-yeol on his first stop of a three-day visit to South Korea in May, underscoring the two countries' commitment to strengthening cooperation on semiconductors and supply chains. (Yonhap)


Kyros, a Minneapolis, MN-based provider of a digital marketplace bringing providers, clients and recovery organizations together, raised $4.4M in Seed funding.

The round was led by Rally Ventures.

The company intends to use the funds to accelerate growth and expand operations.

Founded in 2021 by Daniel Larson, Kyros provides a digital platform for recovery services, connecting and empowering clients, providers and organizations. The digital interface provides tailored experiences for clients by fostering connections in person and online with providers, and streamlines access to business services like liability insurance, billing, payments, technology, and clinical supervision. The company also offers support for organizations and specialists dedicating their time to helping people manage their recovery. Some of these services include streamlining the process of billing and assisting with insurance claims. Kyros recently launched the company in Minneapolis with the plan to expand to 10 more states across the US by June of 2023. The companys team of 40 is growing with Kyros most recent hire, Mara Glantz joining as Vice President of Clinical Operations. Prior to joining Kyros, Glantz was Clinical Director of Cerebral. She has been a healthcare practitioner for her entire 20-year career.

FinSMEs

14/07/2022
Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Chairman Chey Tae-won speaks during a press briefing at Haevichi Hotels & Resorts on Jeju Island, Wednesday. Courtesy of KCCI



Chey 'optimistic' about Busan's bid to host World Expo 2030



By Lee Hyo-sik



JEJU  Korea will beat Saudi Arabia in the ongoing competition to host the World Expo 2030, as Samsung, SK, Hyundai Motor and other large business groups here have rolled up their sleeves to attract the international event to the southeastern port city of Busan, according to the head of the country's largest business association, Wednesday.



Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Chairman Chey Tae-won, who is also chairman of SK Group, said he and his fellow business tycoons will make every effort to help Busan defeat the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh when the 170 Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) member nations vote on an Expo venue in November 2023.



"We are optimistic about Busan's bid," Chey said during a press briefing at Haevichi Hotels & Resorts on Jeju Island. "I am very much aware of Saudi Arabia's efforts to host the event in 2030. Some say that Riyadh is ahead of Busan. But nobody knows how it will turn out when countries vote in November next year."



Chey, who serves as the co-chairman of the Bid Committee for World Expo 2030 Busan, said some countries that have publically declared support for the Saudi Arabian city, are also indeed supportive of Busan's bid, stressing that he will double campaign activities in the coming months.



"It isn't over until it is over. Business circles will make more efforts to bring the event to Korea because hosting the Expo is also good for the overall economy. It will raise the nation's profile on the global stage as well," the KCCI chairman said.



Chey and other business leaders, including Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin, have been traveling abroad to meet foreign government officials and business counterparts, to ask for their support for Busan's bid.



However, Riyadh appears to be the frontrunner at the moment, as it has reportedly garnered the official support of more than 70 BIE member countries. The Saudi capital is considered to have won their support via "oil money," common religious beliefs and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's visits.



Korean firms face bleak economic outlook



Chey presented a bleak business outlook for the remainder of the year, saying that companies will continue to grapple with soaring raw material costs, higher borrowing costs, global supply chain problems and other unfavorable conditions for the time being.



"I think things will get worse before they get better. Businesses will continue to struggle with a host of downside risks throughout 2023. But fortunately, local firms are in better positions than their global rivals because they are better trained to deal with economic downturns."



The KCCI chairman then stressed the importance of forging strong economic ties with allies, saying Korea cannot solve these problems alone. "It is important to work together with our allies. Korea should take the initiative and build constructive partnerships with as many countries as possible. In this regard, it is critical for us to normalize our relations with Japan."


HMM CEO Kim Kyung-bae, fourth from left, poses with employees during a ceremony to declare the company's new vision at its headquarters in Yeouido District in Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of HMM



By Park Jae-hyuk



HMM, formerly known as Hyundai Merchant Marine, announced on Thursday that it will increase its cargo capacity to 1.2 million TEU by 2026 from the current 820,000 TEU, investing over 15 trillion won ($11 billion) in ships, terminals and logistics facilities to become a top-tier global shipping firm.



The cash-strapped company currently under the control of the state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB), emphasized that 15 trillion won is the minimum amount of investment needed for its survival, claiming that it has become solvent enough over the past few years to make such a large-scale investment.



The shipping firm also said its long-term investment plan will be completed, no matter when the government privatizes the company.



"We have yet to discuss with our major shareholders about when and how they will privatize our company, but we will make the investment, regardless of this issue," HMM CEO Kim Kyung-bae said in a press conference held at the company's new headquarters on Yeouido, Seoul, on the occasion of 100 days since his appointment.



"I will do my best for HMM not to damage our country anymore," he added.



The CEO ruled out the possibility of SM Group becoming his company's largest shareholder, even though the conglomerate has increased its stake in HMM throughout this year to 6.17 percent, becoming the third-largest shareholder.



"SM said its investment is not intended to become involved in management," he said. "We believe its claim, so we plan to make efforts for the company to profit as one of our investors."



Although its minority shareholders have complained recently about its falling stock price, Kim confidently believes its shareholder value will be enhanced in the long run, once the company succeeds in improving its financial soundness.



In response to concerns that the global shipping industry has peaked, HMM said it will be able to avoid potential risks by increasing long-term contracts.



As the former CEO of Hyundai Glovis (which offers both maritime and land logistics services), Kim also unveiled HMM's plan to grow into a comprehensive logistics firm in line with the global trend. However, his company doesn't have any plan in place currently to offer air transport services, unlike its Danish rival Maersk.


Chang Jae-hoon, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor, introduces the company's new Ioniq 6 electric car during Busan International Motor Show at Bexco, Thursday. Courtesy of Hyundai Motor



Nation's top brand to invest $1.5 bil. to build EV-only plant in Ulsan



By Baek Byung-yeul



BUSAN  Hyundai Motor debuted its new Ioniq 6 electric vehicle (EV) that can travel more than 500 kilometers on a single charge at the Busan International Motor Show, Thursday, in a bid to compete with EV veteran Tesla's popular Model 3 sedan.



Sporting a streamlined exterior design and advanced aerodynamic efficiency with a low drag coefficient of just 0.21, Hyundai Motor displayed its confidence that the Ioniq 6 will create a new sensation in the global EV market.



"The Ioniq 6 is the next ambitious step forward in Hyundai Motor's strategy to accelerate its transition to electrification and into a position as a global leader in EVs," said Chang Jae-hoon, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor.



Hyundai Motor will start taking pre-orders for the Ioniq 6 on July 28 and begin selling the new vehicle to Korean customers in September. It is set to make its global debut in 2023.



The Ioniq 6 will come in a long-range model with a 77.4 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery pack, or a standard model with a 53 kWh battery pack. The long-range model was confirmed by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy as having a maximum range of 524 kilometers on a single charge.



Chang said the company expects to sell 12,000 Ioniq 6 EVs in the Korean market this year alone and more than 50,000 in the global market next year.



When asked where the new vehicle will be assembled, Chang said, "We will be able to cover the Ioniq 6 production at domestic factories."



Chang also revealed the company plans to invest around 2 trillion won ($1.5 billion) in building a new factory in Korea that will only produce EVs. "It is right that domestic factories are centered on the Ulsan plant. The new plant will be built at our Ulsan facility," he said.



The CEO added the company plans to reveal its strategy for new EV models later.





Kia's EV9 concept SUV is displayed during Busan International Motor Show at Bexco, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Baek Byung-yeul



Kia to launch EV9 large electric SUV in 2023



Hyundai Motor's sister brands Kia and Genesis are also taking part in the biannual motor show, which skipped its last scheduled event in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.



Kia displayed various cars at the event including a face-lifted version of the Seltos compact SUV, EV6 EV and EV9 concept SUV.



The EV9, a full-size battery-powered SUV, is a concept model, which will be made based on Hyundai Motor Group's EV-only platform E-GMP.



Kia elaborated that the company prioritized making the upcoming vehicle practical for drivers to use as a family car with three rows of seats.



Kwon Hyuk-ho, vice president of Kia, said the company plans to launch the electric SUV next April. Also, the new vehicle will use SK On's battery cells.



Revealing the company's EV strategy, Kwon said, "Kia will have an EV lineup of 14 models by 2027 and take the lead in making our planet more sustainable by considering all the processes from vehicle production to sales."





Seen is Genesis's X Speedium Coupe concept car at Busan International Motor Show in Bexco, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Baek Byung-yeul
People throng President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's official residence for the second day after it was stormed in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, July 11, 2022. AP



COLOMBO, Sri Lanka _ Sri Lankan protesters began to retreat from government buildings they seized and military troops reinforced security at the Parliament on Thursday, establishing a tenuous calm in a country in both economic meltdown and political limbo.
Dallas, TX, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pei Wei Asian Diner, LLC (Pei Wei) has signed a long-term, 10,693 square foot lease at 1707 Marketplace Drive in Irving, TX. The Asian-inspired restaurant will occupy its new space on the third floor of the property. Westway One is a class-B office building owned and operated by Hartman Income REIT Management, Inc., a Texas-based commercial real estate owner and operator with $809m in assets under management.

Pei Weis new 10,693 square foot office space will feature standard offices and a flex/open space for hotdesking, hoteling, or cubicles. Included in the new space will be a private kitchen and breakroom with access to the property's amenities.

Hartman's Westway One office building is conveniently located just five minutes from the DFW international airport. The property is also highly desired as it features convenient access to MacArthur Marketplace retail shopping center, garage parking, 24-hour video surveillance, on-site security, on-site professional management, after-hours controlled access, and UPS and FedEx drop boxes.

Welcoming Pei Wei to the building, Hartman's President and CEO, Al Hartman, shared, "We are delighted to welcome Pei Wei as our newest tenant at Westway One. With over 100 restaurants here and internationally, it is our honor to have their U.S. Corporate headquarters located in a Hartman building. We wish them continued success!"

Harrison Burt with JLL Dallas represented Pei Wei in lease negotiations with Hartman, and Allison Fannin represented Hartman, the landlord.

To learn more about leasing commercial real estate in San Antonio, Houston, or DFW (Dallas Fort Worth), please contact a Hartman leasing agent at 800.880.2212 or visit www.hi-reit.com.

Attachment
NEW YORK, July 13, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces an investigation of potential securities claims on behalf of shareholders of The Toronto-Dominion Bank (NYSE: TD) resulting from allegations that TD may have issued materially misleading business information to the investing public.



SO WHAT: If you purchased TD securities you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. The Rosen Law Firm is preparing a class action seeking recovery of investor losses.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the prospective class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=7414 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.

WHAT IS THIS ABOUT: On June 15, 2022, during trading hours and later updated after trading hours, CNBC published an article entitled Sen. Warren asks bank regulator to reject TDs $13.4 billion acquisition after customer-abuse report which stated that [i]n a letter sent Tuesday to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency obtained exclusively by CNBC, Warren cited a May 4 report by Capitol Forum  that alleged that TD used tactics similar to those in the Wells Fargo fake accounts scandal. The article further stated that [w]orkers were instructed to create four new accounts for each customer  checking, savings, online and a debit card  and opened accounts even if a consumer declined one of the options, according to the Capitol Forum report. That was one of several strategies cited by the news organization, including fabricating reasons such as fraud alerts to call consumers in the hope of convincing them to open more accounts, opening new accounts rather than simply replacing missing debit cards, and misstating key aspects of overdraft programs to encourage their adoption.

On this news, TDs stock price fell $2.37 per share, or 3.4%, over the next full trading day from its close on June 14, 2022, to close at $66.61 per share on June 16, 2022, damaging investors.

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 litigate securities class actions. 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.

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
Seoul, South Korea, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A market research and competitive intelligence provider  Fact.MR, says that the global solar ventilation systems market would reach US$ 1.31 Billion in 2022 have a CAGR of 4.6% between 2022 and 2032. Fact.MR has focused on the fact that investments in housing development are witnessing a substantiation. Along these lines, the global solar ventilation systems market is projected to reach US$ 2.05 Billion by the year 2032.



With development of smart cities on the anvil, the demand for solar ventilation systems market is expected to rise at a stupendous rate in the forecast period. Both  commercial and residential complexes ask for solar ventilation systems. Plus, there are government subsidies provided all across, so as to benefit manufacturers as well as the end-consumers of these systems.

For Critical Insights on Solar Ventilation Systems Market, Request a Sample Report

https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=598

Europe accounts for 21.7% share of the global solar ventilation systems market. In Europe, government subsidies for solar ventilation systems have benefitted the manufacturers of solar ventilation systems as well as customers for panel pricing. Moreover, the emergence of smart cities is also expected to exert a positive influence with the use of solar ventilation systems on every rooftop and commercial building.

Which Mounting Type of Solar Ventilation Systems Holds High Market Share?

Increasing Need to Improve Air Quality in Residential Buildings Driving Demand for Roof-mounted Solar Ventilation Systems

Based on mounting type, the global solar ventilation systems market can be classified into gable-mounted and roof-mounted. Sales of roof-mounted solar ventilation systems are anticipated to rise at the highest CAGR over the forecast period.

The most popular roof-mounted solar ventilation systems need little maintenance. During the projection period, there is anticipated to be an increase in demand for roof-mounted solar ventilation systems due to the need to improve the air quality in residential buildings.

In comparison to typical roof vents, roof-mounted solar ventilation systems include vents with solar panels as energy conversion platforms. Over the forecast period, roof-mounted solar ventilation systems are expected to be increasingly used as essential ventilation equipment.

To learn more about Solar Ventilation Systems Market, you can get in touch with our Analyst at https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=AE&rep_id=598

Key Segments Covered in Solar Ventilation Systems Industry Survey

Solar Ventilation Systems Market by Mounting Type :



Gable-mounted Solar Ventilation Systems

Roof-mounted Solar Ventilation Systems



Solar Ventilation Systems Market by Output Power :



Less than 10 Watts Solar Ventilation Systems

10 Watts - 20 Watts Solar Ventilation Systems More than 20 Watts Solar Ventilation Systems





Solar Ventilation Systems Market by Application :



Industrial Solar Ventilation Systems

Residential Solar Ventilation Systems Commercial Solar Ventilation Systems





Solar Ventilation Systems Market by Region :



North America

Europe Asia Pacific Latin America Middle East & Africa





Competitive Landscape

Technological innovations are the cornerstone of the solar ventilation systems market.

Researchers at the KTU (Kaunas University of Technology) Start-up Space are into development of an energy-efficient, but no noisy solar ventilation system known as Oxygen, which is capable of retaining heat by up to 89%.

Solar Royal did introduce SR1800 series solar ventilation systems, which do provide aesthetics as well as functionality. They come with low-profile design, thereby imparting an appropriate look to the rooftops  let location be any.

Get Customization on Solar Ventilation Systems Market Report for Specific Research Solutions

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Key players in the Solar Ventilation Systems Market

Solatube International Inc.

Solar Royal LLC

Titus HVAC

Air Vent, Inc.

Attic Breeze LLC

Broan, Inc.

Active Ventilation Products, Inc.

Ventamatic Ltd.

Key Takeaways from Solar Ventilation Systems Market Study

North America contributes for 26.4% of the overall revenue.

Europe accounts for 21.7% of the market share.

Call for more usage of renewable sources of energy to keep up the momentum for solar ventilation systems

More number of start-ups to come up looking at the long-term advantages

Roof-mounted solar ventilation systems to be in greater demand in the forecast period in the wake of need to enhance quality of air in residential buildings





Fact.MRs Domain Knowledge in Industrial Goods

Expert analysis, actionable insights, and strategic recommendations of the highly seasoned industrial goods team at Fact.MR helps clients from across the globe with their unique business intelligence needs.

With a repertoire of over thousand reports and 1 Billion-plus data points, the team has analysed the industrial goods across 50+ countries for over a decade. The team provides unmatched end-to-end research and consulting services.

Explore Fact.MR's Coverage on the Industrial Goods Domain-

Construction Equipment Market- The global construction equipment market was valued at US$ 113 Bn in 2021, and is expected to increase at a steady CAGR of 4% during the forecast period. As per this growth rate, this industry can be projected to reach a market size of worth US$ 174 Bn by 2032.

Machine Tools Market- The global market for machine tools is estimated to witness slow growth over the next couple of years attributed to COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a swift and severe impact on the global machine tools market with significant disruption in imports from China.

Resilient Flooring Market- The global resilient flooring market is poised to grow at nearly 5.6% CAGR, in terms of value until 2026, surpassing US$ 10 Bn by the end of the short-term forecast period. As of 2020, the market was valued at US$ 7.2 Bn, up from US$ 6.1 Bn in 2017.

Fire Suppression Systems Market- The market for fire suppression systems was valued at nearly US$ 17 Bn as of 2021, and is expected to surge Y-o-Y at a rate of 5.8% in 2022, reaching US$ 18 Bn. By the end of the forecast period 2022-2032, the market is likely to have grown 1.6x in value terms to reach US$ 30 Bn.

Ammunition Market- The global ammunition market was valued at US$ 19.2 Billion in 2021, and is projected to register a Y-o-Y increase of 4.16% in 2022 to be valued at US$ 20 Billion.

Waterjet Cutting Machine Market- A new forecast by Fact.MR estimates that waterjet cutting machine revenues will expand nearly 1.6x between 2021 and 2031, surpassing US$ 1.5 Bn in 2031 with a 10 year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 5%.

Personal Protective Equipment Market- As of 2021, sales of personal protective equipment were valued at US$ 51.5 Billion, and are expected to surge at a Y-o-Y growth rate of 2.9% in 2022, reaching US$ 53 Billion. Across the forecast period ranging from 2022-2032, the personal protective equipment market value is poised to expand at a CAGR of 6.6% to reach US$ 100.3 Billion.

Aerial Work Platforms Market- The global aerial work platforms market, the market is gaining traction steadily, expected to ascend at around 6% CAGR through 2031. As per the report, the market is likely to be valued at US$ 9.3 Bn by 2021. Preference for boom lifts will remain dominant, with a predicted absolute opportunity worth US$ 2.5 Bn during the forecast period.

Brushless DC Motors Market- The worldwide brushless DC motor market was estimated at US$ 18 Billion in 2021 and is predicted to increase at a CAGR of 6.3% during the forecast period from 2022 to 2032. As of 2022, the industry is forecast to be valued at US$ 19 Billion, representing a Y-o-Y increase of 5.5%.

Pre-Painted Steel Coil Market- The pre-painted steel coil market has garnered a market value of US$ 10.64 Bn in 2022, anticipated to register a positive CAGR of 6.4% in the forecast period 2022-2032 and reach a value of US$ 19.79 Bn.

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HANOI, VIETNAM, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Decentralized all-in-one financial platform project, Supreme Finance (HYPE), announced its plans to launch Decentralized Exchange (DEX) and bridge service. Supreme Finance will now support the listing on its DEX for all the applicable cryptocurrencies.





Supreme Finance is a blockchain project where Defi, NFT Marketplace, P2E, and Metaverse services can be used within one integrated platform. It is an all-in-one blockchain integrated ecosystem project where users can use various services on the blockchain.

To avoid confusion in using the exchange, the Supreme Finance DEX will open as a global DEX, embodied in UI/UX similar to a centralized exchange. It supports a wide range of transactions through the bridge service for various mainnets. It also supports services such as liquidity supply or staking services to obtain profits by depositing virtual assets, yield farming, and swap services. At the same time, it will perform a major function in the Supreme Finance ecosystem.

By using the bridge with various mainnets, users can swap with virtual assets, and through this feature, they can also make a profit out of additional assets within the Supreme Finance ecosystem. In addition, various NFTs can be traded on DEX in blockchain-based games and NFT Marketplace.

HYPE, Supreme Finance, will soon be starting a marketing campaign for the DEX and the first primary target market will be the US where Silicon Valley is located. For the Asia market, the DEX will be promoted by Wanghong, the Chinese term for an internet celebrity.

Supreme Finance is currently listed on global exchanges: MEXC, LBANK, Pancake Swap, and APE Swap. The project working on additional listing on other exchanges to increase user access to the project tokens.

Website: https://www.supremefinance.io/

NFT Marketplace: https://supremefinance.art/#/NftGallery/all

Supreme Finance Staking: https://www.supreme.farm/

Media Contact

Company: Supreme Finance

Email: mark@supremefinance.io

Website: https://supremefinance.io/

SOURCE: Supreme Finance
English Swedish

Press release

Notice of Bergman & Bevings Annual General Meeting on 24 August 2022

Shareholders in Bergman & Beving AB (publ), Corporate Registration Number 556034-8590 (the Company or Bergman & Beving), are hereby given notice to attend the Annual General Meeting on 24 August 2022 at 4:00 p.m. CEST at IVA Conference Centre, Grev Turegatan 16, Stockholm, Sweden. Registration for the Meeting will begin at 3:15 p.m. CEST.

NOTICE OF PARTICIPATION

Shareholders who wish to participate in the proceedings of the Annual General Meeting must:

a) be recorded in the shareholders register maintained by Euroclear Sweden AB on the record date, which is Tuesday, 16 August 2022, and

b) by Thursday, 18 August 2022 the latest, file notice of their intention to participate via the link on the Companys website, by post to Bergman & Beving Aktiebolag, Annual General Meeting, c/o Euroclear Sweden, P.O. Box 191, SE-101 23 Stockholm or by telephone at +46 8 402 90 66 (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. CEST). In the notice, the shareholder must include information about the shareholders name, personal identity number (corporate registration number), address, telephone number (daytime), registered shareholding and the names of any assisting counsel (maximum of two).



Personal data collected from the shareholders register kept by Euroclear Sweden AB, notification, and attendance at the Meeting as well as information on deputies, representatives and assistants will be used for registration, preparation of the electoral register for the Meeting and, if applicable, minutes of the Meeting. Personal data is handled in accordance with the Data Protection Regulation (European Parliament and Council Regulation (EU) 2016/679). For complete information on how personal data is handled, see the Companys privacy policy: https://www.bergmanbeving.com/site-services/integritetspolicy.

To exercise their voting rights at the Meeting, shareholders whose shares are registered in the name of a trustee must temporarily re-register their shares in their own names. Such re-registration must be completed not later than Thursday, 18 August 2022. This means that shareholders must inform the trustee/bank well in advance of this date.

In the case of participation by proxy authorised by a power of attorney, an original copy of a written power of attorney signed and dated by the shareholder and other relevant authorisation documents are to be presented prior to the start of the Meeting. When notifying the Company of their participation, representatives of legal entities must also submit a certified copy of the entitys certificate of incorporation or corresponding authorisation documents showing that they are authorised to represent the legal entity.

The Company will provide shareholders with a power of attorney form with voting instructions, which will be available from the Companys head office or online at www.bergmanbeving.com not later than Wednesday, 3 August 2022.

INFORMATION ABOUT MEASURES TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF THE COVID-19

As a precautionary measure to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 and based on recommendations from the authorities, Bergman & Beving offers shareholders the opportunity to use postal voting rather than attending in person. Bergman & Beving is following the recommendations of The Public Health Agency of Sweden and will provide updated information as needed.

POSTAL VOTING

The Board of Bergman & Beving has resolved that shareholders may exercise their voting rights at the Annual General Meeting by voting early through postal voting, in accordance with Act (2022:121) on temporary exceptions to facilitate the execution of general meetings in companies and other associations.

In addition to being entered in the Companys shareholders register and having registered as a participant as specified above, shareholders who wish to exercise the postal voting option must use a specific form. This form is available at www.bergmanbeving.com.

The completed postal voting form needs to arrive at Bergman & Beving not later than Thursday, 18 August 2022 at 5:00 p.m. CEST. The form is to be sent by post to Bergman & Beving Aktiebolag, Annual General Meeting, c/o Euroclear Sweden AB, P.O. Box 191, SE-101 23 Stockholm or via e-mail to GeneralMeetingService@euroclear.com. Preferably, this form should be submitted with the shareholders registration for the Meeting. If the shareholder is a legal entity, a certificate of incorporation or other authorisation document must be submitted with the form. The same applies if the shareholder is voting early via a proxy. The shareholder may not include any specific instructions or terms on the early voting ballot. In this case, the vote is invalid. Further instructions and terms are given on the postal voting form. Shareholders who are natural persons can also submit their postal vote electronically using BankID for verification via https://anmalan.vpc.se/EuroclearProxy/.

Postal vote can be revoked until and including 23 August 2022 at 12:00 p.m. CEST by contacting GeneralMeetingService@euroclear.com. Thereafter, a postal vote can only be revoked by the shareholder attending the Meeting, himself or through a proxy.

PROPOSED AGENDA

1. Opening of the Meeting.





2. Election of the Chairman to preside over the Meeting.





3. Compilation and approval of electoral register.





4. Approval of the agenda proposed by the Board of Directors for the Meeting.





5. Election of one or two persons to approve the minutes taken at the Meeting.





6. Determination of whether the Meeting has been duly convened.





7. Address by the President & CEO.





8. Presentation of the Annual Report and the auditors report as well as the consolidated financial statements and the consolidated auditors report, and an account by the Companys auditor.





9. Resolutions





a) concerning the adoption of the income statement and balance sheet, and of the consolidated income statement and consolidated balance sheet,





b) concerning the appropriation of the Companys profit or loss as shown in the balance sheet adopted by the Meeting,





c) concerning the discharge of the directors and the President & CEO from personal liability for their administration.





10. Report on the work of the Election Committee.





11. Determining the number of directors.





12. Adoption of fees to the Board and auditors.





13. Election of directors and Chairman of the Board.





14. Election of auditor.





15. Resolution on approval of remuneration report.





16. Resolution regarding the authorisation of the Board to decide on the acquisition and conveyance of treasury shares.





17. Resolution on the issuance of call options on repurchased shares and the transfer of repurchased shares to executives (2022 Share-based incentive programme).





18. Closing of the Meeting.





PROPOSAL BY THE ELECTION COMMITTEE FOR RESOLUTION ON ITEMS 2 AND 1114 IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ABOVE

On 9 February 2022, in accordance with the resolution passed by Bergman & Bevings Annual General Meeting 2021, an Election Committee was announced comprising the Chairman of the Board and representatives of the four largest shareholders/shareholder groups by vote. The Election Committee comprises Chairman of the Board Jorgen Wigh, Anders Borjesson (Chairman of the Election Committee), Henrik Hedelius, Johan Lannebo (representing Lannebo Fonder) and Caroline Sjosten (representing Swedbank Robur Fonder).

The Election Committee, whose members represent approximately 50 percent of the total number of votes, has announced that it will propose that the Annual General Meeting on 24 August 2022, in accordance with the items above, resolve on:

Item 2 Election of the Chairman to preside over the Meeting

The Election Committee proposes Chairman of the Board Jorgen Wigh to be elected Chairman of the 2022 Annual General Meeting.

Item 11 Determining the number of directors

The Election Committee proposes that the Board shall consist of six regular directors.

Item 12 Adoption of fees to the Board and auditors

The Election Committee proposes that the total directors fees of SEK 2,725,000 (preceding year: SEK 2,550,000) are to be allocated as follows:

Chairman of the Board: SEK 850,000 (preceding year: SEK 800,000).

Other members of the Board: SEK 375,000 per director (preceding year: SEK 350,000).

The following additional fees will be paid for committee work:

Compensation Committee: SEK 80,000 (preceding year: SEK 75,000) to each committee member (two members).

Audit Committee: SEK 80,000 (preceding year: SEK 75,000) to the Chairman.

Provided that the necessary tax prerequisites for invoicing exist and that doing so would not entail a cost for Bergman & Beving, directors shall be offered the opportunity to invoice their directors fees through a Swedish wholly owned company or private business. If a director invoices his/her directors fee through a wholly owned company or private business, the fee is to be increased by an amount corresponding to the social security contributions and value added tax stipulated by law.

Auditors fees are, as in previous years, to be paid in return for approved invoices.

Item 13 Election of directors and Chairman of the Board

The Election Committee proposes re-election of directors Fredrik Borjesson, Charlotte Hansson, Henrik Hedelius, Malin Nordesjo, Niklas Stenberg and Jorgen Wigh.

The Election Committee proposes re-election of Jorgen Wigh as Chairman of the Board.

A presentation of the current members of the Board is available from the Companys website www.bergmanbeving.com.

Item 14 Election of auditor

The Election Committee proposes re-election of the registered accounting firm KPMG AB as the Companys auditor until the end of the next Annual General Meeting. The Election Committees proposal follows the Audit Committees recommendation.

PROPOSAL BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR RESOLUTION ON ITEMS 9b AND 1517 IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ABOVE

Item 9b Resolution concerning the appropriation of the Companys profit or loss as shown in the balance sheet adopted by the Meeting

The Board proposes that the Companys profits be disposed of so that MSEK 90 (80) is distributed to the shareholders and the remaining MSEK 945 (992) of the Companys profits be brought forward. This means that the Board proposes to shareholders the distribution of SEK 3.40 (3.00) per share and 26 August 2022 as the record date for receiving dividends. If the Annual General Meeting adopts the proposal, dividends are expected to be disbursed through Euroclear Sweden AB on 31 August 2022 to the shareholders recorded in the shareholders register as of the record date.

Item 15 Resolution on approval of remuneration report

The Board proposes that the Annual General Meeting resolves to approve the Boards report on remuneration pursuant to Chapter 8, Section 53 a of the Swedish Companies Act.

Item 16 Resolution regarding the authorisation of the Board to decide on the acquisition and conveyance of treasury shares

The Board proposes that the Annual General Meeting resolve to authorise the Board, prior to the next Annual General Meeting, to acquire a maximum number of Class B shares so that the Companys holding of treasury shares at no time exceeds 10 percent of the total number of shares in the Company. Acquisitions are to be carried out on Nasdaq Stockholm in accordance with the stock exchange rules at a price that is within the registered price range at any given time, meaning the range between the highest purchase price and the lowest selling price. Acquisitions are to be paid for in cash and may be carried out on one or more occasions.

The Board also proposes that the Annual General Meeting authorise the Board, prior to the next Annual General Meeting, to divest Class B shares held in treasury by the Company in a manner other than on Nasdaq Stockholm. This authorisation may be utilised on one or more occasions and encompasses all shares held in treasury by the Company at the time of the Boards decision. The authorisation also entitles the Board to decide to deviate from the shareholders preferential rights and stipulates that payment may be made by other means than money.

The purpose of this authorisation is to be able to adapt the Groups capital structure and to pay for future acquisitions of businesses and operations using treasury shares. Holdings of treasury shares may also be used to secure the Companys obligations under the proposed share-based incentive programme and previous incentive programmes.

In accordance with the above, a resolution on the Boards proposal requires the support of shareholders representing at least two-thirds (2/3) of the votes cast and the shares represented at the Meeting.

Item 17 Resolution on the issuance of call options on repurchased shares and the conveyance of repurchased shares to executives (2022 Share-based incentive programme).

The Board proposes that the Annual General Meeting resolve to adopt a long-term incentive programme, 2022 Share-based incentive programme (the Programme). The Programme, which is proposed to include a total of 25 executives in the Bergman & Beving Group, means participants are offered an opportunity to acquire call options at market price for Bergman & Bevings repurchased Class B shares in the Company and that participants will, after a two-year period, receive a certain subsidy on the paid premium for the options.

The Boards proposal also entails the Annual General Meeting approving that the Company, in deviation from the shareholders preferential rights, transfers up to 210,000 of the Companys repurchased Class B shares to option holders at the established redemption price in connection with any exercise of call options (subject to any recalculations). Finally, the Boards proposal means the Annual General Meeting approves that Class B shares acquired by the Company in line with earlier authorisation can also be conveyed to guarantee the supply of shares in accordance with the proposed Programme.

The Company currently holds a total of 868,677 Class B shares in the Company.

The proposal was prepared by the Companys Compensation Committee in consultation with the Companys Board.

The decision to propose the Programme to the Annual General Meeting was taken by the Board. The Companys directors are not covered by the Programme.

The Programme has the following key conditions:

a) The number of call options issued should not exceed 210,000, corresponding to approximately 0.8 percent of the total number of shares and approximately 0.6 percent of the total number of votes in the Company (including Class B shares owned by the Company). Each call option entitles its holder to acquire one (1) repurchased Class B share in the Company during the period starting 9 September 2025 until 5 June 2026. Repurchases of call options cannot, however, take place during such periods when trading in shares in the Company is prohibited by Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 (Market Abuse Regulation) or any other applicable legislation in force.





b) The acquisition price of shares when exercising call options is to correspond to 120 percent of the volume-weighted average price for the Companys Class B shares on the Nasdaq Stockholm exchange during the period from 25 August 2022 through 7 September 2022. This redemption price may be recalculated during the maturity of the call option programme under certain conditions.





c) The right to acquire call options shall apply to Group management and another 17 executives of the Bergman & Beving Group with the direct possibility to influence the Groups earnings. The President & CEO will be offered a maximum of 30,000 call options, four individuals will be offered a maximum of 20,000 call options and the others a maximum of 5,000 call options.





d) If an individual entitled to receive an allotment refrains, in whole or in part, from acquiring the offered call options then such unacquired call options will be distributed pro rata between the individuals entitled to receive call options who have presented a written application stating that they are interested in acquiring additional call options.





e) The Board is to decide on the final distribution in accordance with the principles presented in Items c) and d) above.





f) A notification to acquire call options must be made not later than 8 September 2022.





g) The premium for call options shall correspond to the market value of the call options using an external independent assessment in accordance with the Black & Scholes model. The measurement period for the assessment of the option premium is to be based on the volume-weighted average price for the Companys Class B shares on the Nasdaq Stockholm exchange during the period from 25 August 2022 through 7 September 2022.





h) Based on a price for the Companys share of SEK 107.00 and on other market conditions existing on 30 June 2022 and the Boards proposal for a dividend for the 2021/2022 operating year, the value per option, according to an external independent assessment, has been calculated to SEK 11.70. The total value for all options is approximately MSEK 2.5.





i) Issuing call options to employees outside of Sweden is dependent on tax effects, that there are no legal obstacles and that the Board deems that such an issue can take place with reasonable administrative and economic resources. The Board shall have the right to make minor adjustments to the Programme brought about by applicable foreign laws and rules.





j) Call options are freely transferable taking into account pre-emption agreements with the Company. Pre-emption of call options shall be at market value. The Company is entitled to repurchase issued call options.





k) The number of shares that the call options entitle holders to acquire, and the redemption price, may be recalculated due to stock dividends, the consolidation or split of shares, new share issues or a reduction in share capital or similar measures. The time for the conveyance of shares may be brought forward due to a merger or similar measures.





l) To encourage participation in the Programme, a subsidy in the form of a cash gross salary will be made to the holder of the option corresponding to the paid premium for each call option. The subsidy will be paid in September 2024 provided the holder of the option has not been terminated from the Group or that the call options acquired from the Company were not divested before this date.





m) The Company has a right to repurchase the call options from the holder if the option holder does not wish to use all acquired call options and reports this to the Company during the redemption period. Acquisitions of options shall be at a price that at any given time corresponds to the highest market value. Repurchases of call options cannot, however, take place during such periods when trading in shares in the Company is prohibited by Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 (Market Abuse Regulation) (or any other applicable legislation in force).





n) Within the framework of the conditions and guidelines stated above, the Board is responsible for preparing and managing the details of the Programme.





o) The complete terms and conditions for the options are presented in an appendix on the Companys website at www.bergmanbeving.com





The costs of the Programme mainly comprise the subsidy to be paid in September 2024 as above, and the social security fees that will accrue on this subsidy as well as administrative costs for recruiting external consultants and providers of administrative services in connection with the design of the call option programme. The total cost of the subsidy, including social security fees, is estimated at approximately MSEK 2.5 after corporate tax (based on the market conditions on 30 June 2022). The option premium totalling approximately MSEK 2.5, which the Company will receive upon the conveyance of the call options, corresponds to the subsidy, which is why the Programme does not entail any net cost to the Companys equity.

The grounds for deviating from the shareholders preferential rights and the Boards motives for implementing the Programme are that executives of the Bergman & Beving Group through their own investment can participate and strive for a positive value performance for the Companys shares and thereby more closely align the interests of these executives with those of the Companys shareholders. The purpose of the Programme is also to contribute to a long-term increase in share ownership by executives in Bergman & Beving. In addition, the Programme is expected to create the conditions to retain and recruit qualified personnel to the Bergman & Beving Group, provide competitive remuneration and unite the interests of shareholders and executives. The executives included in the Programme are a group that, in an otherwise decentralised organisation, have the opportunity to create a positive impact on earnings through cooperation and efficiency enhancements. Against this background, the Board deems that the implementation of the Programme will have a positive impact on the continued development of the Bergman & Beving Group and that the Programme benefits both shareholders and the Company.

The Company already has three share-based incentive programmes: 2019 Share-based incentive programme, 2020 Share-based incentive programme and 2021 Share-based incentive programme.

As part of the 2019 programme, 20 executives acquired a total of 270,000 call options, which entitle the holders to acquire an equal number of Class B shares in the Company. The redemption price for these call options is set at SEK 107.50 per share and the redemption period is from 12 September 2022 until 9 June 2023. When these 270,000 call options are fully exercised, the number of outstanding Class B shares will increase by 270,000 shares. These 270,000 shares correspond in full to previously repurchased Class B shares in the Company.

As part of the 2020 programme, 20 executives acquired a total of 244,000 call options, which entitle the holders to acquire an equal number of Class B shares in the Company. The redemption price for these call options is set at SEK 99.50 per share and the redemption period is from 11 September 2023 until 7 June 2024. When these 244,000 call options are fully exercised, the number of outstanding Class B shares will increase by 244,000 shares. These 244,000 shares correspond in full to previously repurchased Class B shares in the Company.

As part of the 2021 programme, 20 executives acquired a total of 178,000 call options, which entitle the holders to acquire an equal number of Class B shares in the Company. The redemption price for these call options is set at SEK 197.30 per share and the redemption period is from 16 September 2024 until 12 June 2025. When these 178,000 call options are fully exercised, the number of outstanding Class B shares will increase by 178,000 shares. These 178,000 shares correspond in full to previously repurchased Class B shares in the Company.

The resolution at the General Meeting of Shareholders as proposed by the Board above is only valid if it is supported by shareholders representing at least nine-tenths (9/10) of the votes cast and the shares represented at the Meeting.

SHARES AND VOTES

The Company has issued a total of 27,436,416 shares, of which 1,062,436 are Class A shares and 26,373,980 are Class B shares, of which 868,677 are held in treasury by the Company. After deducting the shares held by the Company, the total number of votes amounts to 36,129,663. The above information pertains to the conditions at the time this notice was issued.

SHAREHOLDERS RIGHT TO REQUEST INFORMATION

According to Chapter 7, Sections 32 and 57 of the Swedish Companies Act, upon request from a shareholder and provided the Board determines that it is possible to do so without causing material damage to the Company, the Board and the CEO are required to provide information about any circumstances that could impact the manner in which an item on the agenda is addressed as well as any circumstances that could impact the assessment of the Companys financial situation. This disclosure obligation also encompasses the Companys relationships with other Group companies, the consolidated financial statements and any interactions with subsidiaries as described above.

DOCUMENTS

Accounting documents and the auditors report and complete proposals of the Board for resolution under Items 9b, 15 (including the auditors statement in accordance with Chapter 8, Section 54 of the Swedish Companies Act and the Boards report on remuneration 2021/2022 pursuant to Chapter 8, Section 53 a of the Swedish Companies Act), 16 (including the statement of the Board in accordance with Chapter 19, Section 22 of the Swedish Companies Act) and 17 (2022 Share-based incentive programme) on the agenda will be made available by the Company on the Companys website, www.bergmanbeving.com, from 3 August 2022 and will be sent to shareholders who so request and who provide their postal address. The Election Committees proposals and reasoned statements are available on the Companys website, www.bergmanbeving.com, from the date of issue of the notice.

Stockholm, July 2022

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

For further information, please contact:

Peter Schon, CFO, Tel: +46 70 339 89 99

This information is information that Bergman & Beving AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to Nasdaq Stockholms Rule book for Issuers. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 7:45 a.m. CEST on 14 July 2022.

Bergman & Beving attracts, acquires and, over the long term, develops leading companies in expansive niches that deliver productive, safe, and sustainable solutions to the industrial and construction sectors. Through our companies, we are represented in over 4,000 sales outlets in more than 25 countries. Bergman & Beving is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and has about 1,200 employees and generates revenue of approximately SEK 4.5 billion. Read more on the companys website: www.bergmanbeving.com.

Attachment
Pune, India, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global rendered products market size was USD 21.45 billion in 2021. The market is projected to grow from USD 21.87 billion in 2022 to USD 26.09 billion by 2029 at a CAGR of 2.55% during the 2022-2029 period. Fortune Business Insights publishes this information in a report titled, "Rendered Products Market, 2022-2029". As per the report, the market is anticipated to grow during the projected period due to increasing product utilization in the feed industry.

COVID-19 Impact:

Disrupted Supply Chain Amid Pandemic Hampered the Global Market Growth

The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has harshly affected the food and beverage sector due to lack of supplies and disrupted supply chains. Also, governments imposed stringent restrictions on travel, which hampered the import/export activities among several countries. The market witnessed declined demand for products from various industries due to the closure of national borders. Furthermore, halted manufacturing operations affected the productivity and profitability of the companies.

Get a Sample PDF Brochure:

https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/rendered-products-market-100806

List of Key Players Profiled in the Report :

Darling Ingredients Inc. (U.S.)

West Coast Reduction Inc. (Canada)

Nordfeed (Turkey)

JBS S.A. (Brazil)

Tyson Foods Inc. (U.S.)

Valley Proteins Inc. (U.S.)

Sanimax (Canada)

Allanasons Pvt. Ltd. (India)

Leo Group Ltd. (U.K.)

SRC Companies Inc. (U.S.)

Segments:

Rising Chicken Consumption to Bolster Poultry Segment Growth

By source, the market is divided into sheep, poultry, cattle, hogs, and others. The poultry segment is expected to lead the global market due to increasing chicken consumption. Also, the rising availability of poultry byproducts is anticipated to fuel the segment growth.

Rendered Products Market Report Scope & Segmentation:

Report Attribute Details Market size value in 2022 USD 21.87 Billion Revenue forecast in 2029 USD 26.09 Billion Growth Rate CAGR of almost 2.25% 2022-2029 Base Year 2021 Historic Years 2018 - 2020 Forecast Years 2022 - 2029 Segments Covered By Source, By Type, By Grade, and By Geography Forecast Units Value (USD Billion), and Volume (Units) Quantitative Units Revenue in USD million/billion and CAGR from 2021 to 2028 Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, and Middle East & Africa, and Rest of World Countries Covered Unites States, Canada, Mexico, Unites Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Argentina, GCC Countries, and South Africa, among others Number of Companies Covered Darling Ingredients Inc. (U.S.), West Coast Reduction Inc. (Canada), Nordfeed (Turkey), JBS S.A. (Brazil), Tyson Foods Inc. (U.S.), Valley Proteins Inc. (U.S.), Sanimax (Canada), Allanasons Pvt. Ltd. (India), Leo Group Ltd. (U.K.), SRC Companies Inc. (U.S.) and more Report Coverage Market growth drivers, restraints, opportunities, Porter's five forces analysis, PEST analysis, value chain analysis, regulatory landscape, market attractiveness analysis by segments and region, company market share analysis, and COVID-19 impact analysis. Customization Scope Avail customized purchase options to meet your exact research needs.

Increasing Demand for Tallow from Several Industries to Drive Segmental Growth

Based on type, the market is categorized into tallow, poultry fat, grease, protein meal, and others. The tallow segment is anticipated to dominate the global market during the forecast period due to its increasing demand from several industries.

Rising Utilization of Rendered Products in Animal Feed Sector to Support Market Growth

On the basis of grade, the market is trifurcated into food grade, feed grade, and industrial grade. The feed grade segment is leading due to the increasing popularity of the products in animal feed applications.

Geographically, the market share is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.

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Report Coverage:

The report sheds light on key market developments and recent industry trends. The drivers and restraints affecting the global market during the forecast period are highlighted further in this report along with key business development strategies adopted by the leading market players. Furthermore, regional insights on segmented market areas and a list of key market players are mentioned further in this report.

Market Segmentation:

By Source

Sheep

Poultry

Cattle

Hogs

Others

By Type

Tallow

Poultry Fat

Grease

Protein Meal

Others

By Grade

Food Grade

Feed Grade

Industrial Grade

By Geography

Drivers & Restraints:

Rising Utilization of Rendered Products in Feed Industry to Propel Growth

The market is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period due to increasing demand for the product in the feed industry. Also, rising concerns over environmental sustainability are expected to bolster the rendered products market growth in the coming years. The increasing manufacturing of novel products is expected to fuel the market growth due to the rising utilization of animal byproducts.

However, stringent regulations on rendering animals may hamper market growth.

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Regional Insights:

North America Dominates Global Market Due to Rising Demand for Animal Feed

North America holds the highest global rendered products market share due to increasing demand for high-quality animal feed. Also, the rising popularity of specialty pet food is anticipated to drive the regional market.

Asia Pacific stands at the second-highest position globally due to rising population and evolving economies in developed and developing countries. Furthermore, the increasing demand for high-value aquaculture feed is anticipated to fuel the market growth.

Competitive Landscape:

New Product Launch Allows Key Market Players to Enhance their Product Portfolio

The key market players focus on introducing new products to the global market to improve their business performance by enhancing their product portfolio. Also, the leading companies in the market focus on forming strategic alliances, partnerships, mergers, collaborations, and brand acquisitions to strengthen their market positions.

Key Industry Development:

July 2020: Darling Ingredients Inc. started the production of collagen peptides at its facility in Ghent, Belgium. The companys Ghent facility will entirely produce collagen peptide products obtained from bovine and porcine.

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Have a Look at Related Research Insights:

Pet Food Market Size, Share & Analysis Forecast 2029

Fats & Oils Market Size, Share and Global Forecast 2029

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Pune, India, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global airborne SATCOM market size is expected to gain momentum owing to the growing demand for lightweight SITCOM components during the forecast period. This information is published by Fortune Business Insights in an upcoming report, titled, Airborne SATCOM Market, 2022-2029 It offers high-speed data and performance for transmission and is lightweight for airborne applications. The increasing focus on military communication solutions by the government is the major contributing factor. For instance, in May 2020, according to the European Defense Agency, awarded four years, USD 12.6 million contract to Airbus Defense and Space for the development of a new satellite framework for communication for civil and military missions.



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List of Key Players Profiled in the Global Market for Airborne SATCOM:

Aselsan A.S. (Turkey)

L3 Harris Technologies Inc. (the U.S.)

Cobham Plc. (The U.K.)

Inmarsat Global Ltd. (The U.K.)

General Dynamics Corporation (the U.S.)

Honeywell International (the U.S.)

United Technologies Corporation (the U.S.)

COVID-19 Impact-

Supply Chain Disruption to Hamper Growth

Companies are experiencing short-term operating challenges as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak's movement limitations. The financial resources of organizations are being diminished due to project delays caused by supply chain limitations and lack of site access caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. The suspension of an ongoing installation or upgrade will have an impact on airborne SATCOM price and demand.

Segments-

By component, the market is segmented into transceivers, airborne radios, modem & routers, SATCOM Terminals, SATCOM Radomes, and others. On the basis of frequency, the market is segregated into Ka-band, Ku-band, X-band, C-band, S-band, L-band, and UHF-band. On the basis of platform, the market is fragmented into commercial aircraft, military aircraft, business jets, helicopters, and UAVs. On the basis of application, the market is categorized into commercial and government & defense. Finally, by geography, the market is divided into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.

Airborne SATCOM Market Report Scope & Segmentation:

Base Year 2021 Historic Years 2018 - 2020 Forecast Years 2022 - 2029 Segments Covered By Component (Transceivers, Airborne Radio, Modems & Routers)



By Frequency (Ka-Band, Ku-band, X- band) Forecast Units Value (USD Billion), and Volume (Units) Quantitative Units Revenue in USD million/billion and CAGR from 2022 to 2029 Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa, and Rest of World Countries Covered U.S., Canada, Mexico, U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Argentina, GCC Countries, and South Africa, among others Number of Companies Covered Aselsan A.S. (Turkey), L3 Harris Technologies, Inc. (the U.S.), Cobham Plc (the U.K.), Inmarsat Global Ltd. (The U.K.) General Dynamics Corporation (the U.S.), Honeywell International, Inc. (the U.S.), United Technologies Corporation (the U.S.), Northrop Grumman Corporation (the U.S.), Raytheon Company (the U.S.), Viasat, Inc. (the U.S.), Thales Group (France), and among others. Report Coverage Market growth drivers, restraints, opportunities, Porter's five forces analysis, PEST analysis, value chain analysis, regulatory landscape, market attractiveness analysis by segments and region, company market share analysis, and COVID-19 impact analysis. Customization Scope Avail customized purchase options to meet your exact research needs.

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What does the Report Offer?

This report provides an analytical portrayal of the global market, current trends, and future projections to identify potential investment opportunities. The report includes a complete analysis of the global market share and information on key drivers, restraints, and opportunities.

Drivers & Restraints-

Increasing Demand for Customized Solutions to Stimulate Growth

The global airborne SATCOM market is expected to grow due to growing technology during the projected period. The introduction of modern airborne SATCOM systems in commercial and military applications is driving demand for new aircraft. The demand for personalized SATCOM solutions is expanding due to the growing commercial and military aircraft inventory and growth in longer journeys and passenger traffic. Moreover, increasing high-altitude and medium-altitude adoption, with long endurance for military applications, is expected to drive the market forward.

REGIONAL INSIGHTS

Growing Manufacturing Units to Promote Growth in North America

North America is expected to hold the largest global airborne SATCOM market share during the forecast period. The presence of manufacturing units, satellite communication systems, and aircraft manufacturers in the region. Moreover, increasing demand for UAVs in commercial and military applications is the major contributing factor.

Asia Pacific is expected to have a sizable share of the market. This is due to the increasing demand for aircraft by countries such as India and China, and the adoption of high-frequency SATCOM solutions is expected to drive the market in the region.

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Competitive Landscape-

Increasing Number of Mergers to Create Lucrative Opportunities

The competitive landscape section also contains a study of the market players' major development methods, share price, and position in the market. To expand their footprint in the airborne SATCOM industry, these companies have used a variety of techniques such as agreements, acquisitions, expansions, new product launches, and collaborations and agreements.

Industry Development-

January 2020: Raytheon Company announced the agreement with the U.S. Airforce worth USD 442.3 million to design SATCOM terminal for B-52 bomber and RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft.

Have a Look at Related Research Insights?

Anti-Drone Market Size, Share, Industry Forecast 2029

Airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) System Market Size, Industry Share | Forecast, 2029

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Fortune Business Insights delivers accurate data and innovative corporate analysis, helping organizations of all sizes make appropriate decisions. We tailor novel solutions for our clients, assisting them to address various challenges distinct to their businesses. Our aim is to empower them with holistic market intelligence, providing a granular overview of the market they are operating in.

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Dublin, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Melanoma Treatment Market - Forecasts from 2022 to 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



In recent years, there has been a rise in the number of new cases reported due to climatic changes. These changes are increasing the incidence of melanoma patients worldwide, raising the demand for proper methods of treatment. If detected and treated early, the disease is almost always curable. The rising per capita income, better health facilities, growing health awareness, the availability of health insurance services, and advancement in medical science and bio-medicines are additionally factoring in the expansion of the market.



Geographically, North America dominates the market share. The high prevalence of skin-related cancer in the United States is a major factor contributing to the market's growth. By type, cutaneous melanoma is widely spread globally caused by too much exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun and indoor tanning. Based on therapy, targeted therapy is gaining the market share due to lesser side effects and high efficiency rates.



Growth Factors

Growing regulatory approvals

The high emphasis and consequently the elevated investment in the development of efficient treatment options are likely to have a positive impact on the growth of the market. Treatment recommendations depend on many factors, and the increasing number of regulatory approvals has made the highest impact on market growth.

In 2021, Aldesleukin, Binimetinib, Braftovi (Encorafenib), Cobimetinib Fumarate, Cotellic (Cobimetinib Fumarate), Dabrafenib Mesylate, etc. were some of the approved drugs for the treatment by FDA. The emphasis of significant companies on introducing innovative treatment options and drugs will aid the market's growth in the coming years.



Impact of COVID-19 on the Melanoma Treatment Market

The pandemic has had a lagging effect on various diagnostic methods due to several restrictions and risk exposure of the comorbidity patients. A drastic reduction in skin biopsies was seen early in the COVID-19 pandemic, which disproportionately affected the elderly, females, and certain geographic regions. Efforts have been made by the government to contain the situation without further delay.



Competitive Insights.

The market leaders for the melanoma treatment market are Merck & Co. Inc., Amgen Inc., Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc, Bristol-Myers Squibb, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Eisai Co., Ltd., Novartis AG, Pfizer Inc., Sanofi, and AstraZeneca.

In 2021, Oncosec Medical Inc. and Merck and Co. collaborated to study phase III metastatic melanoma.

In 2021, Amgen completed the acquisition of Five Prime Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing immuno-oncology and targeted cancer therapies, for $38.00 per share and is set to acquire Teneobio, a privately held, clinical-stage biotechnology company.

In 2020, Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc sold $500 million of its common stock, subject to market and other conditions, in an underwritten public offering. In 2021, there has been certain turmoil, and the company is looking for buy-out options.

In 2019, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Celgene Corporation entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Bristol-Myers Squibb will acquire Celgene for approximately $74 billion to create an innovative biopharma company.

In 2020, Novartis AG acquired The Medicines Company, and in 2018 GlaxoSmithKline plc reached an agreement with Novartis for the buyout of Novartis' 36.5% stake in their Consumer Healthcare Joint Venture for $13 billion.

In 2020, FDA approved AstraZeneca and Merck & Co.'s drug selumetinib to treat neurofibromatosis type 1, or NF1, a rare and typically inherited disease that causes tumors to grow inside nerve sheaths. Merck joined AstraZeneca in developing and commercializing Koselugo as part of a deal that included the ovarian cancer drug Lynparza.

Key Topics Covered:



1. INTRODUCTION



2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY



3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY



4. MARKET DYNAMICS

4.1. Market Drivers

4.2. Market Restraints

4.3. Porters Five Forces Analysis

4.3.1. Bargaining Power of Suppliers

4.3.2. Bargaining Powers of Buyers

4.3.3. Threat of Substitutes

4.3.4. The Threat of New Entrants

4.3.5. Competitive Rivalry in Industry

4.4. Industry Value Chain Analysis



5. MELANOMA TREATMENT MARKET BY TYPE

5.1. Cutaneous Melanoma

5.2. Ocular Melanoma

5.3. Mucosal Melanoma



6. MELANOMA TREATMENT MARKET BY THERAPY

6.1. Surgery

6.2. Immunotherapy

6.3. Targeted Therapy

6.4. Chemotherapy

6.5. Radiation Therapy



7. MELANOMA TREATMENT MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

7.1. Introduction

7.2. North America

7.2.1. United States

7.2.2. Canada

7.2.3. Mexico

7.3. South America

7.3.1. Brazil

7.3.2. Argentina

7.3.3. Others

7.4. Europe

7.4.1. Germany

7.4.2. France

7.4.3. United Kingdom

7.4.4. Spain

7.4.5. Others

7.5. Middle East and Africa

7.5.1. Saudi Arabia

7.5.2. UAE

7.5.3. Israel

7.5.4. Others

7.6. Asia Pacific

7.6.1. China

7.6.2. India

7.6.3. South Korea

7.6.4. Taiwan

7.6.5. Thailand

7.6.6. Indonesia

7.6.7. Japan

7.6.8. Others



8. COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT AND ANALYSIS

8.1. Major Players and Strategy Analysis

8.2. Emerging Players and Market Lucrative

8.3. Mergers, Acquisition, Agreements, and Collaborations

8.4. Vendor Competitiveness Matrix



9. COMPANY PROFILES

9.1. Merck & Co. Inc.

9.2. Amgen Inc.

9.3. Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc,

9.4. Bristol-Myers Squibb

9.5. F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd

9.6. Eisai Co., Ltd.

9.7. Novartis AG

9.8. Pfizer Inc.

9.9. Sanofi

9.10. AstraZeneca



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/jsn58f

Attachment
Dublin, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Death Care Services Global Market Report 2022 by Type, Arrangement, Mode" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



Death Care Services Global Market Report 2022 provides the strategists, marketers and senior management with the critical information they need to assess the global death care services market as it emerges from the COVID-19 shut down.

The global death care services market is expected to grow from $102.58 billion in 2021 to $114.52 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.6%. The market is expected to reach $170.39 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of 10.4%.

Death care service companies are increasingly using the alkaline hydrolysis method for disposing of corpses. Alkaline hydrolysis is a chemical process for the disposal of human remains using sodium hydroxide and heat. The method uses a solution of 95% water and 5% potassium hydroxide or sodium oxide to reduce a body to components of liquid and bone.

Bone fragments are retained and dried into a substance which is similar to cremated ashes. The liquid by-product of alkaline hydrolysis is a non-toxic solution that is disposed through the sewage system. As of August 2019, 19 states in the United States of America have legalized practice of alkaline hydrolysis.

Scope

Markets Covered:

1) By Type: Funeral Homes And Funeral Services; Cemeteries And Crematories

2) By Arrangement: At-Need Arrangement; Pre-Need Arrangement

3) By Mode: Online; Offline



Key Topics Covered:



1. Executive Summary



2. Report Structure



3. Death Care Services Market Characteristics



4. Death Care Services Market Product Analysis



5. Death Care Services Market Supply Chain



6. Death Care Services Market Customer Information



7. Death Care Services Market Trends And Strategies



8. Impact Of COVID-19 On Death Care Services



9. Death Care Services Market Size And Growth

9.1. Market Size

9.2. Historic Market Growth, Value ($ Billion)

9.2.1. Drivers Of The Market

9.2.2. Restraints On The Market

9.3. Forecast Market Growth, Value ($ Billion)

9.3.1. Drivers Of The Market

9.3.2. Restraints On The Market



10. Death Care Services Market Regional Analysis



11. Death Care Services Market Segmentation

11.1. Global Death Care Services Market, Segmentation By Type

Funeral Homes And Funeral Services

Cemeteries And Crematories

11.2. Global Death Care Services Market, Segmentation By Arrangement

At-Need Arrangement

Pre-Need Arrangement

11.3. Global Death Care Services Market, Segmentation By Model

12. Death Care Services Market Metrics



13. Asia-Pacific Death Care Services Market

14. Western Europe Death Care Services Market



15. Eastern Europe Death Care Services Market



16. North America Death Care Services Market



17. South America Death Care Services Market



18. Middle East Death Care Services Market



19. Africa Death Care Services Market



20. Death Care Services Market Competitive Landscape



21. Key Mergers And Acquisitions In The Death Care Services Market



22. Market Background: Personal Services Market



23. Recommendations



Companies Mentioned

Service Corporation International

Dignity plc.

Carriage Services Inc.

StoneMor Partners L.P.

Fu Shou Yuan International Group

Northstar Memorial Group

LLC

Security National Financial Corporation

CVS Group Plc.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/zfh8tk

Attachment
Pune India, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The market has been studied for the below mentioned-segmentation and regional analysis for North America, Europe, Asia, South America, and Middle East and Africa. These are the key regions where the low dielectric materials market is operating currently and is predicted to expand in the near future. The manufacturers and suppliers involved in the low dielectric materials market is present across various countries in the above-mentioned regions.

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The report provides detailed understanding of the market segments which have been formed by combining different prospects such as the type, material type, application, and others. Apart from this, the key driving factors, restraints, potential growth opportunities and market challenges are also discussed in the below paragraphs.

The significant players operating in the global low dielectric materials market are Huntsman Corporation, Arxada, SABIC, Asahi Kasei, Topas Advanced Polymers, Zeon Corp., Chemours Company LLC, DIC Corporation, Arkema, Mitsubishi Corporation among others. To achieve a substantial market share in the worldwide low dielectric materials market and strengthen their position, manufacturers are pursuing expansion methods such as current developments, mergers and acquisitions, product innovations, collaborations, and partnerships, joint ventures. Among these, Huntsman Corporation is one of the most significant manufacturers and distributors present in the global low dielectric materials market.

Low dielectric material is a material with a smaller dielectric constant as compared to silicon dioxide. These materials are usually referred as a class of insulating materials with a poor electricity conduction. It helps to enable scaling of microelectronics devices. Low dielectric constant of a material indicates that it is a good insulator and is a significantly poor conductor of electricity, sound, or heat.

On the other hand, an advent of 5G communication technologies has posed a number of challenges in front of OEMs of electronic components for the transmission of high frequency signals with high-performance materials. There is an emerging need for materials with low dielectric constants or excellent dielectric properties to ensure 5G communication. Such materials also helps in mitigation of signal loss in a range of electric components and applications. This has created huge demand for low dielectric materials to be used in printed circuit boards (PCB), flexible printed circuits (FPC), smart devices, wire & cables, and base station antennas.

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Scope of Low dielectric materials Market Report

Report Metric Information Study Period 2021-2029 Base Year 2021 Forecast Period 2022-2029 Market Share Unit USD Billion Segments Covered Type, Material Type, and Application Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America and Middle-East and Africa Major Players Huntsman Corporation, Arxada, SABIC, Asahi Kasei, Topas Advanced Polymers, Zeon Corp., Chemours Company LLC, DIC Corporation, Arkema, and Mitsubishi Corporation among others

Segmentation Analysis

Thermoset segment is expected to be the fastest growing segment in 2021.

The type segment includes thermoplastic, thermoset, and ceramics. Thermoset segment is expected to witness highest growth rate during the forecast period. This type of dielectric material has an ability to easily form a stable shape with an enhanced resistance to distortion during heat application. In addition, thermoset has become a prominent low dielectric material in manufacture of printed wiring board (PWB) due to its considerable strength, electrical resistance, and toughness.

Modified polyphenylene ether segment is expected to be the fastest growing segment in 2021.

The material type segment includes fluoropolymer, modified polyphenylene ether, polyimide, cyclic olefin copolymer, cyanate ester, liquid crystal polymer, and others. Modified polyphenylene ether (M-PPE) segment is expected to witness highest CAGR during the forecast period. It is a hybrid resin made with the combination of polystyrene and polyphenylene ether. This materials are tough, has better temperature resistance along with the moderate mechanical properties. Aforementioned features are contributing to the increased usage of M-PPE dielectric materials in television cabinets, electrical motor end caps, PC parts, pump housings, bus bar insulators, and lighting devices.

Radome segment is expected to be the fastest growing segment in 2021.

The application segment includes PCBs, antenna, microelectronics, wire & cable, radome, and others. Radome segment is expected to anticipate to witness highest growth rate during the forecast period. Radome is a cover designed for protection of an antenna system from the environment. Such systems uses low dielectric materials to ensure reduced reflection and harmful effects on the electromagnetic signals.Hence, need for enhanced transmission efficiency of a radome antenna system has mainly fueled demand for low dielectric materials.

Regional Analysis

The regional analysis provides a detailed perception about the key regions and the countries. Some of the key countries analyzed for the low dielectric materials include US, Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, U.K., Italy, Spain, Russia, China, Japan India, Brazil, Peru, UAE, South Africa and Saudi Arabia.

Asia-Pacific region witnessed a major share. Growth of this region is mainly driven by the lower prices of electronics components and rising consumer demand for personal computing devices. However, Europe is expected to witness considerable growth rate during the forecast period. Rising demand for PCBs in the European automotive industry and rapid development of consumer electronics devices in the region boosts growth of

Country Analysis

Germany

Germany low dielectric materials market size was valued at USD 0.18 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach USD 0.30 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 7.0% from 2022 to 2029.

In the Europe region, Germany is the largest market shareholder in the low dielectric materials market. In addition, this country is one of the leading countries in terms of semiconductor production. This factor has been the primary contributor to the Germany low dielectric materials market.

Further, in July 2020, Polytronics Technology Corp., the global manufacturer of thermal management products and thermally conductive boards signed an agreement with Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, a German multinational chemical and consumer goods company to acquire Henkels thermal clad dielectric material (TCLAD) business division. Such strategies adopted by global market players to expand their presence in the country has further boosted growth of the market.

China

China low dielectric materials market size was valued at USD 0.35 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach USD 0.59 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 6.9% from 2022 to 2029. In past few years, China has become more self-sufficient in semiconductor development owing to government funding and policies aimed at the development of this sector. For instance, in August 2020, Chinas State Council announced policies to promote the high-quality development of the integrated circuit industry. Under these policies, the China Integrated Circuit Investment Industry Fund (CICIIF) was projected to introduce an estimated $150 billion in state funding to support the domestic semiconductors industry. Such investments have created lucrative growth opportunities for China low dielectric materials market.

India

India low dielectric materials market size was valued at USD 0.11 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach USD 0.19 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 7.3% from 2022 to 2029. India is one of the strongest growing economies in Asia. This country is seeing increased investment in digitization along with the flourishing demand for consumer electronics products, fueling growth of the low dielectric materials market.

Moreover, India has become prominent investment hub for global PCB manufacturers. This factor has further created growth opportunities for the low dielectric materials market. For instance, recently, Wistron, a Taiwanese contract manufacturers announced to relocate its PCB manufacturing plant from China to Bengaluru, India with an investment of about $1 billion.

Covid-19 Impact

Covid-19 had a major impact on almost all of the industries such as electronics, semiconductors, manufacturing, and, automobile, etc. The demand for low dielectric materials has decreased during the period owing to the regulations on social distancing and supply chain disruptions. In most of the regions, the manufacturing facilities of low dielectric materials were closed in the second and third quarters of fiscal year 2020. The major end-users were also temporarily closed during this period and thus the demand for low dielectric materials significantly decreased.

Furthermore, global semiconductor industry has been facing a significant shortage of raw materials due to supply chain disruptions caused by COVID-19 pandemic.

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Global Flat Glass Market Size by Product Type (Basic Float Glass, Toughened Glass, Coated Glass, Laminated Glass, Extra Clear Glass, and Others), Technology (Float, Rolled, and Sheet), End-Use Industry (Construction & Infrastructure, Automotive & Transportation, Solar Energy, and Others), Regions, Segmentation, and forecast till 2029.

https://greyviews.com/reports/flat-glass-market/58



Global Prepreg Market Size by Type of Fiber Reinforcement (Carbon Fiber Prepreg, Glass Fiber Prepreg, and Others), Resin Type (Thermoset Prepreg and Thermoplastic Prepreg), Form (Tow Prepreg and Fabric Prepreg), Manufacturing Process (Hot-Melt Process and Solvent Dip Process), Application (Aerospace & Defense, Wind Energy, Automotive, Sporting Goods, Electronics (PCB), and Others), Regions, Segmentation, and forecast till 2029.

https://greyviews.com/reports/prepreg-market/56



Global Acrylic Polymer Market Size by Type (Water-borne and Solvent-borne), Application (Laundry & Detergent, Dish Washing, Industrial & Institutional, Hard Surface Cleaning, and Others), Regions, Segmentation, and forecast till 2029.

https://greyviews.com/reports/acrylic-polymer-market/52



Global Liquid Crystal Polymers Market Size by Type (Lyotropic and Thermotropic), Application (Composites, Coatings, Electrical Motor Components, High-Intensity LEDs, Electronic Components, Additives, and Others), End-use Industry (Electronics and Electrical, Automotive and Transportation, Industrial Machinery, Aerospace and Defense, Healthcare, Consumer Goods, and Others), Distribution Channel (Online and Offline) Regions, Segmentation, and Projection till 2028.

https://greyviews.com/reports/global-liquid-crystal-polymers-market/41



Global Hand Protection Equipment Market Size by Product Type (Reusable and Disposable), Raw Material (Neoprene, Nitrile, Natural Rubber/Latex, Vinyl and Others), End-user (Manufacturing, Construction, Chemicals, Food, Oil and Gas, Mining, Transportation, Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals and Others), Distribution Channel (Online and Offline) Regions, Segmentation, and Projection till 2028

https://greyviews.com/reports/global-hand-protection-equipment-market/40



Global Epoxy Composites Market Size by Manufacturing Technology (Compression Moulding, Lay-up, Filament Winding, Resin Injection, Resin Transfer Moulding, Pultrusion, and Others), Fiber Type (Carbon, Glass, and Others), Application (Electronics and Electrical, Marine, Automotive and Transportation, Wind Energy, Aerospace and Defense, Sporting and Consumer Goods, Construction, and Others), Distribution Channel (Online and Offline) Regions, Segmentation, and Projection till 2028

https://greyviews.com/reports/global-epoxy-composites-market/37



Global Ceramic And Natural Stone Tiles Market Size by Product Type (Porcelain, Granite, Travertine, Glazed Ceramic Tiles, Scratch-free Ceramic Tiles, Limestone, and Others), Tile Type (Wall Tiles and Floor Tiles), Application (Commercial, Residential and Recreational), Distribution Channel (Online and Offline) Regions, Segmentation, and Projection till 2028

https://greyviews.com/reports/global-ceramic-and-natural-stone-tiles-market/35



Global Aramid Fiber Market Size by Type (Meta Aramid, Para Aramid and Copolyamide), Application (Friction Materials, Industrial Filtration, Security and Protection, Rubber Reinforcement, Optical Fibers, Tire Reinforcement, Electrical Insulation and Others), End-user (Aerospace, Automotive, Electronics and Telecommunication, Industrial and Others), Distribution Channel (Online and Offline) Regions, Segmentation, and Projection till 2028.

https://greyviews.com/reports/global-aramid-fiber-market/32



Global Vinyl Flooring Market Size by Product (Luxury Vinyl Tile and Vinyl Sheets & Vinyl Composite Tile), End User (Residential, Healthcare, Hospitality, Retail, Education, Sport, Office, Industrial, and Automotive), Regions, Segmentation, and Projection till 2028.
Niagara Falls, ON, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The cannabis sector in North America continues to be dynamic as Licensed Producers seek efficiencies in productivity while maintaining a dedication to high quality to address tight margins. Grow Up Conference, Expo and Awards brings the cultivation industry together in Niagara Falls, ON from September 12-14th .

ND Supplies Packaging Solutions is proud to be presenting this preeminent B2B cannabis conference at the Niagara Falls Convention Centre in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada for its 5th year. Join old friends and make new connections while learning, networking and enjoying this world-class event.

Named the best cannabis conference by High! Canada Magazine and Toronto Suns Readers Choice for best cannabis event, Grow Up promises to live up to its long-established international reputation as the best cultivation show for cannabis growers. Hundreds of delegates will be in attendance for more than 40 sessions featuring over 80 speakers across 30,000 square feet of expo floor - to ensure there is something for everyone. Invitations to head growers and purchasing agents of Canadian Licensed Producers ensure our exhibitors and participating delegates have the opportunity to interact with the largest group of cannabis growers in one spot.

We are excited to be back in the Niagara region, which has been the hub for cannabis growers for decades, says Randy Rowe, president of Grow Up Conference. With the state of New York on the verge of legalizing cannabis, Grow Up provides a great resource for entrepreneurs in Upstate New York to come and explore the opportunities in cannabis. We have several consultants and suppliers at the show that are currently working with New York companies in preparation for legalization, Rowe adds.

Grow Up kicks off this 3-day event on September 12th by bringing the best minds that are shaping the future of how this plant will be cultivated. The VIP Industry Day will further explore the resistance by governments, health care practitioners and society in general to accepting cannabis as medicine.

3rd Annual Grow Up Award Gala

The 3rd annual Grow Up Awards Gala will be held on Monday September 12th, 2022. The funniest man in Canada, Derek Edwards, will be hosting this years gala in celebration of the very best growers in the industry, including Micro/Craft Grower of the Year and Master Grower of the Year. King of Cannabis and 40+ time cannabis cup winner, Arjan Roskam, will be inducted in to Grow Ups Hall of Fame, and world-renowned Canadian grower extraordinaire, Remo Urban Remo Colasanti, will be recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award at this years Grow Up Awards. Nominations are now open. Visit growupawards.com to make a nomination.

Hash Tuesday

On the trade show floor, the Hash Zone will bring in some of the worlds best hashmakers to discuss the art & science of all things hash from temple balls to dry-sieve to bubble hash. For the advanced growers, deep dives into current hot topics in cultivation will be discussed in the Master Classes.

The Grow Up onsite Consumption Lounge offers a great opportunity to connect with other delegates and will also provide professional education and sensory experiences through sampling.

Seed Exchange Wednesday

On Wednesday September 14th, growers looking to diversify their genetics will be invited to participate in Grow Ups exclusive Seed Exchange Program. This unique offering will allow breeders to exchange seeds live on the show floor.

Canadian Premiere

Grow Up is proud to be hosting the Canadian premiere of Frenchy Dreams of Hashish which screens on Hash Tuesday, September 13th. The film is a documentary about master Hashishin and Grow Up Hall of Fame inductee Frenchy Cannoli and a small group of Emerald Triangle cannabis farmers in Northern California as they try to reintroduce traditional hashish to the public and amplify their ethos of sustainable farming and their dedication to quality sun-grown cannabis. The films screening will be followed by a producer's Q&A with Kimberly Hooks (widow of Frenchy Cannoli). Tickets will be on sale for $20 and can be purchased here: https://growupconference.com/niagara-falls/frenchy-dreams-of-hashish/

Grow at Home: Hands-on Workshop

Grow Up will continue to feature the Grow at Home hands-on workshop, led by expert cultivators during the one-day event. New and seasoned growers will learn all there is to know about the magic of growing the best buds at home safely and legally.

Information, ticket inquiries, and registration for the Grow Up Conference, Expo & Awards are available here: https://growupconference.com/niagara-falls/register/

Exhibitor booths are available and can be registered online: https://growupconference.com/niagara-falls/reserve-your-booth/ or email sales@growupconference.com

About Grow Up Cannabis Conference and Expo:

Grow Up Conference and Expo, an award winning cannabis event, is a privately-owned Canadian company since 2017 and has been hailed a top cannabis industry event in Canada, hosting events in Niagara Falls, ON, and Victoria, BC. With decades of experience creating nationally renowned high-profile events, trade summits and shows around the world, Grow Up is committed to bringing forward-thinkers, trailblazers and experts together. For more information, visit growupconference.com

About ND Supplies:

ND Supplies is a market-leading packaging supplier and manufacturing company that is at the top of the innovation curve within the Canadian cannabis industry. They focus on creating sustainable, child-safe packaging solutions designed to meet the Canadian regulatory framework and supply a proven, cost-effective, high-quality packaging system to licensed, reputable businesses that demand the highest form of compliance.

Attachments
Dublin, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Indoor Air Quality Monitor Market (2022-2027) by Product, Pollutant Type, End-Use Application, Geography, Competitive Analysis and the Impact of Covid-19 with Ansoff Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The Global Indoor Air Quality Monitor Market is estimated to be USD 4.38 Bn in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 6.23 Bn by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 7.3%.



Market dynamics are forces that impact the prices and behaviors of the Global Indoor Air Quality Monitor Market stakeholders. These forces create pricing signals which result from the changes in the supply and demand curves for a given product or service. Forces of Market Dynamics may be related to macro-economic and micro-economic factors. There are dynamic market forces other than price, demand, and supply. Human emotions can also drive decisions, influence the market, and create price signals.



As the market dynamics impact the supply and demand curves, decision-makers aim to determine the best way to use various financial tools to stem various strategies for speeding the growth and reducing the risks.

Company Profiles

The report provides a detailed analysis of the competitors in the market. It covers the financial performance analysis for the publicly listed companies in the market. The report also offers detailed information on the companies' recent development and competitive scenario. Some of the companies covered in this report are 3M Company, Aeraqual Ltd, Camfil AB, Daikin North America LLC, Emerson Electric Co., Envea SA General Electric Company, Honeywell International Inc, etc.



Countries Studied

America (Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, United States, Rest of Americas)

Europe (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Rest of Europe)

Middle-East and Africa (Egypt, Israel, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Rest of MEA)

Asia-Pacific (Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Taiwan, Rest of Asia-Pacific)

Competitive Quadrant

The report includes Competitive Quadrant, a proprietary tool to analyze and evaluate the position of companies based on their Industry Position score and Market Performance score. The tool uses various factors for categorizing the players into four categories. Some of these factors considered for analysis are financial performance over the last 3 years, growth strategies, innovation score, new product launches, investments, growth in market share, etc.



Ansoff Analysis

The report presents a detailed Ansoff matrix analysis for the Global Indoor Air Quality Monitor Market. Ansoff Matrix, also known as Product/Market Expansion Grid, is a strategic tool used to design strategies for the growth of the company. The matrix can be used to evaluate approaches in four strategies viz. Market Development, Market Penetration, Product Development and Diversification. The matrix is also used for risk analysis to understand the risk involved with each approach.



The analyst analyses the Global Indoor Air Quality Monitor Market using the Ansoff Matrix to provide the best approaches a company can take to improve its market position.



Based on the SWOT analysis conducted on the industry and industry players, The analyst has devised suitable strategies for market growth.



Why buy this report?

The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the Global Indoor Air Quality Monitor Market. The report includes in-depth qualitative analysis, verifiable data from authentic sources, and projections about market size. The projections are calculated using proven research methodologies.

The report has been compiled through extensive primary and secondary research. The primary research is done through interviews, surveys, and observation of renowned personnel in the industry.

The report includes an in-depth market analysis using Porter's 5 forces model and the Ansoff Matrix. In addition, the impact of Covid-19 on the market is also featured in the report.

The report also includes the regulatory scenario in the industry, which will help you make a well-informed decision. The report discusses major regulatory bodies and major rules and regulations imposed on this sector across various geographies.

The report also contains the competitive analysis using Positioning Quadrants, the analyst's Proprietary competitive positioning tool.

Key Topics Covered:



1 Report Description



2 Research Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Market Dynamics

4.1 Drivers

4.1.1 Growing Popularity of Smart Homes/Ambient Assisted Living

4.1.2 Supportive Government Regulations for Effective Air Pollution Monitoring and Control

4.1.3 Increasing Public-Private Funding for Effective Air Pollution Monitoring Pertaining to Healthcare and Environmental Implications of Air Pollution

4.2 Restraints

4.2.1 High Costs Associated With Air Quality Monitoring Solutions

4.2.2 Technical Limitations Pertaining to Air Quality Monitoring Products

4.3 Opportunities

4.3.1 Technological Advancements in the Field of Air Pollution Monitoring and Tapping Emerging Markets Growing Industrial Sector Fuel Need for Indoor Air Quality Monitoring

4.4 Challenges

4.4.1 Complex Nature of Indoor Pollutants



5 Market Analysis

5.1 Regulatory Scenario

5.2 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Ansoff Matrix Analysis



6 Global Indoor Air Quality Monitor Market, By Product

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Fixed Indoor Monitors

6.3 Portable Indoor Monitor



7 Global Indoor Air Quality Monitor Market, By Pollutant Type

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Chemical Pollutants

7.3 Physical Pollutants

7.4 Biological Pollutants



8 Global Indoor Air Quality Monitor Market, By End-Use Application

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Government Buildings

8.3 Industrial

8.4 Commercial

8.5 Residential

8.6 Others



9 Americas' Global Indoor Air Quality Monitor Market

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Argentina

9.3 Brazil

9.4 Canada

9.5 Chile

9.6 Colombia

9.7 Mexico

9.8 Peru

9.9 United States

9.10 Rest of Americas



10 Europe's Global Indoor Air Quality Monitor Market

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Austria

10.3 Belgium

10.4 Denmark

10.5 Finland

10.6 France

10.7 Germany

10.8 Italy

10.9 Netherlands

10.10 Norway

10.11 Poland

10.12 Russia

10.13 Spain

10.14 Sweden

10.15 Switzerland

10.16 United Kingdom

10.17 Rest of Europe



11 Middle East and Africa's Global Indoor Air Quality Monitor Market

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Egypt

11.3 Israel

11.4 Qatar

11.5 Saudi Arabia

11.6 South Africa

11.7 United Arab Emirates

11.8 Rest of MEA



12 APAC's Global Indoor Air Quality Monitor Market

12.1 Introduction

12.2 Australia

12.3 Bangladesh

12.4 China

12.5 India

12.6 Indonesia

12.7 Japan

12.8 Malaysia

12.9 Philippines

12.10 Singapore

12.11 South Korea

12.12 Sri Lanka

12.13 Thailand

12.14 Taiwan

12.15 Rest of Asia-Pacific



13 Competitive Landscape

13.1 Competitive Quadrant

13.2 Market Share Analysis

13.3 Strategic Initiatives

13.3.1 M&A and Investments

13.3.2 Partnerships and Collaborations

13.3.3 Product Developments and Improvements



14 Company Profiles

14.1 3M Company

14.2 Aeraqual Ltd

14.3 Camfil AB

14.4 Daikin North America LLC

14.5 Emerson Electric Co.

14.6 Envea SA General Electric Company

14.7 Honeywell International Inc

14.8 Horiba Ltd

14.9 Ingersoll Rand plc

14.10 Lennox International Inc

14.11 Merck KGaA .

14.12 Nest Labs Inc

14.13 Panasonic Corp

14.14 Siemens AG

14.15 Teledyne Technologies Inc .

14.16 Test SE & Co KGaA .

14.17 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc .

14.18 Trane Technologies plc

14.19 Trion Inc

14.20 TSI Inc



15 Appendix



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/xd5bm4

Attachment
Dublin, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Smart Building Management Systems Market (2022-2027) by Components, Building Type, Geography, Competitive Analysis and the Impact of Covid-19 with Ansoff Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The Global Smart Building Management Systems Market is estimated to be USD 2.38 Bn in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 5.89 Bn by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 19.88%.



Market dynamics are forces that impact the prices and behaviors of the Global Smart Building Management Systems Market stakeholders. These forces create pricing signals which result from the changes in the supply and demand curves for a given product or service. Forces of Market Dynamics may be related to macro-economic and micro-economic factors. There are dynamic market forces other than price, demand, and supply. Human emotions can also drive decisions, influence the market, and create price signals.



As the market dynamics impact the supply and demand curves, decision-makers aim to determine the best way to use various financial tools to stem various strategies for speeding the growth and reducing the risks.

Company Profiles

The report provides a detailed analysis of the competitors in the market. It covers the financial performance analysis for the publicly listed companies in the market. The report also offers detailed information on the companies' recent development and competitive scenario. Some of the companies covered in this report are 75F, ABB, Aquicore, Bosch, BuildingIQ, Cisco, Corpperatee, Efacility, Entouch, GAIA, Hitachi, Honeywell, etc.



Countries Studied

America (Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, United States, Rest of Americas)

Europe (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Rest of Europe)

Middle-East and Africa (Egypt, Israel, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Rest of MEA)

Asia-Pacific (Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Taiwan, Rest of Asia-Pacific

Competitive Quadrant

The report includes Competitive Quadrant, a proprietary tool to analyze and evaluate the position of companies based on their Industry Position score and Market Performance score. The tool uses various factors for categorizing the players into four categories. Some of these factors considered for analysis are financial performance over the last 3 years, growth strategies, innovation score, new product launches, investments, growth in market share, etc.



Ansoff Analysis

The report presents a detailed Ansoff matrix analysis for the Global Smart Building Management Systems Market. Ansoff Matrix, also known as Product/Market Expansion Grid, is a strategic tool used to design strategies for the growth of the company. The matrix can be used to evaluate approaches in four strategies viz. Market Development, Market Penetration, Product Development and Diversification. The matrix is also used for risk analysis to understand the risk involved with each approach.



The analyst analyses the Global Smart Building Management Systems Market using the Ansoff Matrix to provide the best approaches a company can take to improve its market position.



Based on the SWOT analysis conducted on the industry and industry players, The analyst has devised suitable strategies for market growth.



Why buy this report?

The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the Global Smart Building Management Systems Market. The report includes in-depth qualitative analysis, verifiable data from authentic sources, and projections about market size. The projections are calculated using proven research methodologies.

The report has been compiled through extensive primary and secondary research. The primary research is done through interviews, surveys, and observation of renowned personnel in the industry.

The report includes an in-depth market analysis using Porter's 5 forces model and the Ansoff Matrix. In addition, the impact of Covid-19 on the market is also featured in the report.

The report also includes the regulatory scenario in the industry, which will help you make a well-informed decision. The report discusses major regulatory bodies and major rules and regulations imposed on this sector across various geographies.

The report also contains the competitive analysis using Positioning Quadrants, the analyst's Proprietary competitive positioning tool.

Report Highlights:

A complete analysis of the market, including parent industry

Important market dynamics and trends

Market segmentation

Historical, current, and projected size of the market based on value and volume

Market shares and strategies of key players

Recommendations to companies for strengthening their foothold in the market

Key Topics Covered:



1 Report Description



2 Research Methodology

3 Executive Summary



4 Market Dynamics

4.1 Drivers

4.1.1 Rising Adoption of Iot-Enabled BMS and Energy-Efficient Systems Increase in Awareness of Space Utilization

4.1.2 Increase in Industry Standards and Regulations

4.2 Restraints

4.2.1 Lack of Cooperation among Standard Bodies

4.2.2 High Cost of Implementation

4.3 Opportunities

4.3.1 Emergence of the 5G Technology

4.3.2 Escalating in the Smart City Trend

4.3.3 Government Initiatives and Incentives for Building Management System

4.4 Challenges

4.4.1 Lack of Technology Alignment and Skilled Professionals

4.4.2 Privacy and Security Concerns Due to IoT-Enabled Devices



5 Market Analysis

5.1 Regulatory Scenario

5.2 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Ansoff Matrix Analysis



6 Global Smart Building Management Systems Market, By Components

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Solutions

6.2.1 Building Infrastructure Management

6.2.1.1 Parking Management System

6.2.1.2 Smart Water Management System

6.2.1.3 Elevators And Escalators Management System

6.2.2 Safety And Security Management

6.2.2.1 Access Control System

6.2.2.2 Video Surveillance System

6.2.2.3 Fire And Life Safety System

6.2.3 Energy Management

6.2.3.1 Hvac Control System

6.2.3.2 Lighting Management System

6.2.4 Network Management

6.2.4.1 a Wired Technology

6.2.4.2 Wireless Technology

6.2.5 Integrated Workplace Management System

6.2.5.1 Operations And Services Management

6.2.5.2 Real Estate Management

6.2.5.3 Environmental And Energy Management

6.2.5.4 Facility Management

6.2.5.5 Capital Project Management

6.3 Services

6.3.1 Consulting

6.3.2 Implementation

6.3.3 Support And Maintenance



7 Global Smart Building Management Systems Market, By Building Type

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Residential

7.3 Commercial

7.4 Industrial



8 Americas' Global Smart Building Management Systems Market

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Argentina

8.3 Brazil

8.4 Canada

8.5 Chile

8.6 Colombia

8.7 Mexico

8.8 Peru

8.9 United States

8.10 Rest of Americas



9 Europe's Global Smart Building Management Systems Market

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Austria

9.3 Belgium

9.4 Denmark

9.5 Finland

9.6 France

9.7 Germany

9.8 Italy

9.9 Netherlands

9.10 Norway

9.11 Poland

9.12 Russia

9.13 Spain

9.14 Sweden

9.15 Switzerland

9.16 United Kingdom

9.17 Rest of Europe



10 Middle East and Africa's Global Smart Building Management Systems Market

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Egypt

10.3 Israel

10.4 Qatar

10.5 Saudi Arabia

10.6 South Africa

10.7 United Arab Emirates

10.8 Rest of MEA



11 APAC's Global Smart Building Management Systems Market

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Australia

11.3 Bangladesh

11.4 China

11.5 India

11.6 Indonesia

11.7 Japan

11.8 Malaysia

11.9 Philippines

11.10 Singapore

11.11 South Korea

11.12 Sri Lanka

11.13 Thailand

11.14 Taiwan

11.15 Rest of Asia-Pacific



12 Competitive Landscape

12.1 Competitive Quadrant

12.2 Market Share Analysis

12.3 Strategic Initiatives

12.3.1 M&A and Investments

12.3.2 Partnerships and Collaborations

12.3.3 Product Developments and Improvements



13 Company Profiles

13.1 75F

13.2 ABB

13.3 Aquicore

13.4 Bosch

13.5 BuildingIQ

13.6 Cisco

13.7 Corpperatee

13.8 Efacility

13.9 Entouch

13.10 GAIA

13.11 Hitachi

13.12 Honeywell

13.13 Huawei

13.14 IBM

13.15 IGOR

13.16 Intel

13.17 Johnson Controls

13.18 KMC Controls

13.19 Legrand

13.20 Mode:Green

13.21 PTC

13.22 Schneider Electric

13.23 Seimans

13.24 SoftDel

13.25 Spaceti

13.26 Spacewell

13.27 TELIT

13.28 Verdigris Technologies



14 Appendix



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/k5ep5b

Attachment
Dublin, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Consumer IoT Market (2022-2027) by Component, Network Infrastructure, Solution, Service, End-Use Application, Geography, Competitive Analysis and the Impact of Covid-19 with Ansoff Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The Global Consumer IoT Market is estimated to be USD 95.06 Bn in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 212.45 Bn by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 17.45%.



Market dynamics are forces that impact the prices and behaviors of the Global Consumer IoT Market stakeholders. These forces create pricing signals which result from the changes in the supply and demand curves for a given product or service. Forces of Market Dynamics may be related to macro-economic and micro-economic factors. There are dynamic market forces other than price, demand, and supply. Human emotions can also drive decisions, influence the market, and create price signals.



As the market dynamics impact the supply and demand curves, decision-makers aim to determine the best way to use various financial tools to stem various strategies for speeding the growth and reducing the risks.

Company Profiles

The report provides a detailed analysis of the competitors in the market. It covers the financial performance analysis for the publicly listed companies in the market. The report also offers detailed information on the companies' recent development and competitive scenario. Some of the companies covered in this report are Alphabet Inc, Amazon, Apple Inc, AT&T Inc, Cisco Systems Inc, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), Honeywell International Inc, IBM, Infineon Technologies, etc.



Countries Studied

America (Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, United States, Rest of Americas)

Europe (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Rest of Europe)

Middle-East and Africa (Egypt, Israel, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Rest of MEA)

Asia-Pacific (Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Taiwan, Rest of Asia-Pacific)

Competitive Quadrant

The report includes Competitive Quadrant, a proprietary tool to analyze and evaluate the position of companies based on their Industry Position score and Market Performance score. The tool uses various factors for categorizing the players into four categories. Some of these factors considered for analysis are financial performance over the last 3 years, growth strategies, innovation score, new product launches, investments, growth in market share, etc.



Ansoff Analysis

The report presents a detailed Ansoff matrix analysis for the Global Consumer IoT Market. Ansoff Matrix, also known as Product/Market Expansion Grid, is a strategic tool used to design strategies for the growth of the company. The matrix can be used to evaluate approaches in four strategies viz. Market Development, Market Penetration, Product Development and Diversification. The matrix is also used for risk analysis to understand the risk involved with each approach.



The analyst analyses the Global Consumer IoT Market using the Ansoff Matrix to provide the best approaches a company can take to improve its market position.



Based on the SWOT analysis conducted on the industry and industry players, The analyst has devised suitable strategies for market growth.



Why buy this report?

The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the Global Consumer IoT Market. The report includes in-depth qualitative analysis, verifiable data from authentic sources, and projections about market size. The projections are calculated using proven research methodologies.

The report has been compiled through extensive primary and secondary research. The primary research is done through interviews, surveys, and observation of renowned personnel in the industry.

The report includes an in-depth market analysis using Porter's 5 forces model and the Ansoff Matrix. In addition, the impact of Covid-19 on the market is also featured in the report.

The report also includes the regulatory scenario in the industry, which will help you make a well-informed decision. The report discusses major regulatory bodies and major rules and regulations imposed on this sector across various geographies.

The report also contains the competitive analysis using Positioning Quadrants, the analyst's Proprietary competitive positioning tool.

Key Topics Covered:



1 Report Description



2 Research Methodology



3 Executive Summary

4 Market Dynamics

4.1 Drivers

4.1.1 Increasing Internet Users and Adoption of Smart Devices

4.1.2 Increasing Significance of Home Monitoring From Remote Locations

4.1.3 Government Regulations for Security of IoT Devices

4.2 Restraints

4.2.1 Risk of Data Breaches

4.3 Opportunities

4.3.1 Favorable Government Regulations to Promote Green Buildings

4.4 Challenges

4.4.1 Risk of Device Malfunctioning

4.4.2 Lack of Common Protocols and Communication Standards

4.4.3 High Power Consumption by Connected Devices



5 Market Analysis

5.1 Regulatory Scenario

5.2 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Ansoff Matrix Analysis



6 Global Consumer IoT Market, By Component

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Processor

6.2.1 Microcontroller (MUC)

6.2.2 Microprocessor (MPU)

6.2.3 Digital Signal Processor (DSP)

6.2.4 Application Processor (AP)

6.3 Sensor

6.3.1 Accelerometers

6.3.2 Inertial Measurement Units (IMUS)

6.3.3 Heart Rate Sensors

6.3.4 Pressure Sensors

6.3.5 Temperature Sensors

6.3.6 Blood Glucose Sensors

6.3.7 Blood Oxygen Sensors

6.3.8 Electrocardiogram (ECG) Sensors

6.3.9 Humidity Sensors

6.3.10 Image Sensors

6.3.11 Ambient Light Sensors

6.3.12 Carbon Monoxide Sensors

6.3.13 Motion and Position Sensors

6.3.14 Camera Modules

6.4 Connectivity IC

6.4.1 Wired

6.4.2 Wireless

6.5 Memory Device

6.5.1 Flash

6.5.2 Dram

6.6 Logic Device



7 Global Consumer IoT Market, By Network Infrastructure

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Server

7.2.1 Tower Server

7.2.2 Rack Server

7.2.3 Blade Server

7.2.4 Density-Optimized Server

7.3 Storage

7.4 Ethernet Switch and Routing

7.5 Gateway



8 Global Consumer IoT Market, By Solution

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Software

8.2.1 Real-Time Streaming Analytics

8.2.2 Security Solution

8.2.3 Data Management

8.2.4 Remote Monitoring

8.2.5 Network Bandwidth Management

8.3 Platform

8.3.1 Device Management

8.3.2 Application Management

8.3.3 Network Management



9 Global Consumer IoT Market, By Service

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Professional Services

9.2.1 Deployment and Integration Service

9.2.2 Support and Maintenance

9.2.3 Consulting Services

9.3 Managed Services



10 Global Consumer IoT Market, By End-Use Application

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Wearable Devices

10.3 Consumer Electronics

10.4 Healthcare

10.5 Home Automation

10.6 Automotive



11 Americas' Global Consumer IoT Market

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Argentina

11.3 Brazil

11.4 Canada

11.5 Chile

11.6 Colombia

11.7 Mexico

11.8 Peru

11.9 United States

11.10 Rest of Americas



12 Europe's Global Consumer IoT Market

12.1 Introduction

12.2 Austria

12.3 Belgium

12.4 Denmark

12.5 Finland

12.6 France

12.7 Germany

12.8 Italy

12.9 Netherlands

12.10 Norway

12.11 Poland

12.12 Russia

12.13 Spain

12.14 Sweden

12.15 Switzerland

12.16 United Kingdom

12.17 Rest of Europe



13 Middle East and Africa's Global Consumer IoT Market

13.1 Introduction

13.2 Egypt

13.3 Israel

13.4 Qatar

13.5 Saudi Arabia

13.6 South Africa

13.7 United Arab Emirates

13.8 Rest of MEA



14 APAC's Global Consumer IoT Market

14.1 Introduction

14.2 Australia

14.3 Bangladesh

14.4 China

14.5 India

14.6 Indonesia

14.7 Japan

14.8 Malaysia

14.9 Philippines

14.10 Singapore

14.11 South Korea

14.12 Sri Lanka

14.13 Thailand

14.14 Taiwan

14.15 Rest of Asia-Pacific



15 Competitive Landscape

15.1 Competitive Quadrant

15.2 Market Share Analysis

15.3 Strategic Initiatives

15.3.1 M&A and Investments

15.3.2 Partnerships and Collaborations

15.3.3 Product Developments and Improvements



16 Company Profiles

16.1 Alphabet Inc

16.2 Amazon

16.3 Apple Inc

16.4 AT&T Inc

16.5 Cisco Systems Inc

16.6 Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)

16.7 Honeywell International Inc

16.8 IBM

16.9 Infineon Technologies

16.10 Intel Corp

16.11 LG Electronics

16.12 Microsoft

16.13 NXP Semiconductors

16.14 Qualcomm

16.15 Samsung Electronics

16.16 Schneider Electric

16.17 Siemens Inc

16.18 Sony Group Corp

16.19 STMicroelectronics

16.20 Symantec Corp

16.21 TE Connectivity

16.22 Texas Instruments



17 Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/b5it2m

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Dublin, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) Market (2022-2027) by Solution, Deployment Type, End User, Vertical, Geography, Competitive Analysis, and the Impact of Covid-19 with Ansoff Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The Global Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) Market is estimated to be USD 80.42 Bn in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 246.8 Bn by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 25.14%.



Market Dynamics

Market dynamics are forces that impact the prices and behaviors of the Global Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) Market stakeholders. These forces create pricing signals which result from the changes in the supply and demand curves for a given product or service. Forces of Market Dynamics may be related to macro-economic and micro-economic factors. There are dynamic market forces other than price, demand, and supply. Human emotions can also drive decisions, influence the market, and create price signals.



As the market dynamics impact the supply and demand curves, decision-makers aim to determine the best way to use various financial tools to stem various strategies for speeding the growth and reducing the risks.

Company Profiles

The report provides a detailed analysis of the competitors in the market. It covers the financial performance analysis for the publicly listed companies in the market. The report also offers detailed information on the companies' recent development and competitive scenario. Some of the companies covered in this report are Alibaba Group, Amazon Web Services, CSC, DELL, Fujitsu, Google, Hewlett Packard (HP), IBM, Microsoft, Mindtree, Oracle, ProfitBrick, Rackspace, Redcentric, Savvis, VMware, etc.



Countries Studied

America (Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, United States, Rest of Americas)

Europe (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Rest of Europe)

Middle-East and Africa (Egypt, Israel, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Rest of MEA)

Asia-Pacific (Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Taiwan, Rest of Asia-Pacific)

Competitive Quadrant

The report includes Competitive Quadrant, a proprietary tool to analyze and evaluate the position of companies based on their Industry Position score and Market Performance score. The tool uses various factors for categorizing the players into four categories. Some of these factors considered for analysis are financial performance over the last 3 years, growth strategies, innovation score, new product launches, investments, growth in market share, etc.



Ansoff Analysis

The report presents a detailed Ansoff matrix analysis for the Global Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) Market. Ansoff Matrix, also known as Product/Market Expansion Grid, is a strategic tool used to design strategies for the growth of the company. The matrix can be used to evaluate approaches in four strategies viz. Market Development, Market Penetration, Product Development and Diversification. The matrix is also used for risk analysis to understand the risk involved with each approach.

The report analyses the Global Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) Market using the Ansoff Matrix to provide the best approaches a company can take to improve its market position.

Based on the SWOT analysis conducted on the industry and industry players, the analyst has devised suitable strategies for market growth.

Why buy this report?

The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the Global Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) Market. The report includes in-depth qualitative analysis, verifiable data from authentic sources, and projections about market size. The projections are calculated using proven research methodologies.

The report has been compiled through extensive primary and secondary research. The primary research is done through interviews, surveys, and observation of renowned personnel in the industry.

The report includes an in-depth market analysis using Porter's 5 forces model and the Ansoff Matrix. In addition, the impact of Covid-19 on the market is also featured in the report.

The report also includes the regulatory scenario in the industry, which will help you make a well-informed decision. The report discusses major regulatory bodies and major rules and regulations imposed on this sector across various geographies.

The report also contains the competitive analysis using Positioning Quadrants, the analyst's Proprietary competitive positioning tool.

Key Topics Covered:



1 Report Description



2 Research Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Market Dynamics

4.1 Drivers

4.1.1 High Penetration of Hybrid Cloud

4.1.2 Faster Implementation, Scalability, And Accessibility of the It System

4.1.3 Higher Importance to Disaster Recovery for Critical It Systems

4.2 Restraints

4.2.1 High Cost of Initial Investment

4.2.2 Less Privacy and Data Protection Concern

4.3 Opportunities

4.3.1 High Adoption Rate in SMBS

4.3.2 Mobility And BYOD Creating New It Opportunities

4.4 Challenges

4.4.1 Redesigning the Network for Cloud

4.4.2 Strict Rules and Regulations



5 Market Analysis

5.1 Regulatory Scenario

5.2 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Ansoff Matrix Analysis



6 Global Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) Market, By Solution

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Managed hosting

6.3 Disaster Recovery as a Service

6.4 Storage as a Service

6.5 Colocation

6.6 Network management

6.7 Content delivery

6.8 High Performance Computing as a Service



7 Global Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) Market, By Deployment Type

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Public Cloud

7.3 Private Cloud

7.4 Hybrid Cloud



8 Global Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) Market, By End User

8.1 Introduction

8.2 SMBs

8.3 Enterprises



9 Global Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) Market, By Vertical

9.1 Introduction

9.2 IT & Telecom

9.3 Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI)

9.4 Healthcare

9.5 Retail and E Commerce

9.6 Government & Defense

9.7 Energy & Utilities

9.8 Manufacturing

9.9 Others



10 Americas' Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) Market

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Argentina

10.3 Brazil

10.4 Canada

10.5 Chile

10.6 Colombia

10.7 Mexico

10.8 Peru

10.9 United States

10.10 Rest of Americas



11 Europe's Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) Market

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Austria

11.3 Belgium

11.4 Denmark

11.5 Finland

11.6 France

11.7 Germany

11.8 Italy

11.9 Netherlands

11.10 Norway

11.11 Poland

11.12 Russia

11.13 Spain

11.14 Sweden

11.15 Switzerland

11.16 United Kingdom

11.17 Rest of Europe



12 Middle East and Africa's Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) Market

12.1 Introduction

12.2 Egypt

12.3 Israel

12.4 Qatar

12.5 Saudi Arabia

12.6 South Africa

12.7 United Arab Emirates

12.8 Rest of MEA



13 APAC's Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) Market

13.1 Introduction

13.2 Australia

13.3 Bangladesh

13.4 China

13.5 India

13.6 Indonesia

13.7 Japan

13.8 Malaysia

13.9 Philippines

13.10 Singapore

13.11 South Korea

13.12 Sri Lanka

13.13 Thailand

13.14 Taiwan

13.15 Rest of Asia-Pacific



14 Competitive Landscape

14.1 Competitive Quadrant

14.2 Market Share Analysis

14.3 Strategic Initiatives

14.3.1 M&A and Investments

14.3.2 Partnerships and Collaborations

14.3.3 Product Developments and Improvements



15 Company Profiles

15.1 Alibaba Group

15.2 Amazon Web Services

15.3 CSC

15.4 DELL

15.5 Fujitsu

15.6 Google

15.7 Hewlett Packard (HP)

15.8 IBM

15.9 Microsoft

15.10 Mindtree

15.11 Oracle

15.12 ProfitBrick

15.13 Rackspace

15.14 Redcentric

15.15 Savvis

15.16 VMware



16 Appendix



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/kaj3q

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Dublin, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Hyperloop Technology Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global hyperloop technology market is expected to reach a value of US$ 1.30 Billion in 2022. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach levels worth US$ 7.19 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 40.79% during 2022-2027. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, we are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor.



Hyperloop technology is an ultra-high-speed ground transportation system with a capsule-like vehicle operating inside a sealed vacuum tube with low pressure. It comprises sealed and partially evacuated tubes that assist in connecting mobility hubs in large metropolitan areas and pressurized vehicles. It relies on magnetic levitation to reduce the friction of tubes and tunnels and carry passengers and cargo.

It is faster than alternative modes of transportation, such as air, water, road, and rail. Besides this, as hyperloop technology is energy-efficient, immune to bad weather conditions, and resistant to against earthquakes and other natural calamities, its demand is escalating around the world.



Hyperloop Technology Market Trends:

The growing need for a faster mode of transportation across the globe represents one of the key factors driving the market. Moreover, rising concerns about environmental degradation, depletion of natural resources and air pollution caused by conventional transportation vehicles are propelling the growth of the market.

In addition, the hyperloop technology decongests traffic and minimizes noise and its network requires lesser land area as compared to other transportation systems. Additionally, it is tolerant to earthquakes and other natural calamities as it is built on pylons wherein the tube carrying passenger pods are designed above the ground level.

These benefits, along with the rising utilization of solar energy to enhance fundamental transportation ways and making it more efficient and profitable, are expected to positively influence the market. Furthermore, key market players are extensively investing in research and development (R&D) activities to minimize the costs of hyperloop technology and test and display the developed technologies for commercialization. These strategies are expected to bolster the growth of the market in the upcoming years.

Competitive Landscape:

The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being Aecom, Dinclix GroundWorks Private Limited, Hardt B.V., Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Tesla Inc., TransPod Inc., Virgin Hyperloop and Zeleros Hyperloop.



Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How the global hyperloop technology market will perform in the coming years?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global hyperloop technology market?

What are the key regional markets?

What is the breakup of the market based on the component type?

What is the breakup of the market based on the speed?

What is the breakup of the market based on the carriage type?

What are the various stages in the value chain of the industry?

What are the key driving factors and challenges in the industry?

What is the structure of the global hyperloop technology market and who are the key players?

What is the degree of competition in the industry?

Key Topics Covered:



1 Preface



2 Scope and Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Introduction

4.1 Overview

4.2 Key Industry Trends



5 Global Hyperloop Technology Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Component Type

6.1 Tube

6.1.1 Market Trends and Forecast

6.2 Propulsion System

6.2.1 Market Trends and Forecast

6.3 Capsule

6.3.1 Market Trends and Forecast

6.4 Others

6.4.1 Market Trends and Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Speed

7.1 More than 700 kmph

7.1.1 Market Trends and Forecast

7.2 Less than 700 kmph

7.2.1 Market Trends and Forecast



8 Market Breakup by Carriage Type

8.1 Passenger

8.1.1 Market Trends and Forecast

8.2 Cargo/Freight

8.2.1 Market Trends and Forecast



9 Market Breakup by Region



10 SWOT Analysis



11 Value Chain Analysis



12 Porters Five Forces Analysis



13 Price Analysis



14 Competitive Landscape

14.1 Market Structure

14.2 Key Players

14.3 Profiles of Key Players

14.3.1 Aecom

14.3.1.1 Company Overview

14.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.1.3 Financials

14.3.1.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.2 Dinclix GroundWorks Private Limited

14.3.2.1 Company Overview

14.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.3 Hardt B.V.

14.3.3.1 Company Overview

14.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.4 Hyperloop Transportation Technologies

14.3.4.1 Company Overview

14.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.5 Tesla Inc.

14.3.5.1 Company Overview

14.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.5.3 Financials

14.3.5.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.6 TransPod Inc.

14.3.6.1 Company Overview

14.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.7 Virgin Hyperloop

14.3.7.1 Company Overview

14.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.8 Zeleros Hyperloop

14.3.8.1 Company Overview

14.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/33lzmf

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OXFORD, United Kingdom, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sophos, a global leader in next-generation cybersecurity, today revealed in the article, BlackCat Ransomware Attacks Not Merely a Byproduct of Bad Luck, that the ransomware gang has added Brute Ratel, a pentesting tool, to its arsenal of attack tools. The article details a string of ransomware attacks in which BlackCat used unpatched or outdated firewalls and VPN services to infiltrate vulnerable networks and systems worldwide across various industries.



BlackCat ransomware first emerged in November 2021 as the self-declared newest leader in the ransomware-as-a-service business, and quickly drew attention for its unusual coding language, Rust.

As soon as December 2021, targeted organizations called in Sophos Rapid Response to investigate at least five attacks involving BlackCat. In four of these incidents, the initial infection occurred by exploiting vulnerabilities in different firewall vendors products. One of these vulnerabilities was from 2018 and another emerged last year. Once inside the network, the attackers were able to obtain VPN credentials stored on these firewalls to log in as authorized users and then move laterally throughout the systems using remote desktop protocol (RDP).

As seen in prior BlackCat incidents, the attackers also leveraged open source and commercially available tools to create additional backdoors and alternative pathways for remote access to targeted systems. These included TeamViewer, nGrok, Cobalt Strike, and Brute Ratel.

What were seeing with BlackCat and other attacks recently is that threat actors are very efficient and effective in their work. They use tried and true methods, like attacking vulnerable firewalls and VPNs, because they know these still work. But they show innovation to avoid security defenses, like switching to the newer post-exploitation C2 framework Brute Ratel in their attacks, said Christopher Budd, senior manager, threat research, Sophos.

There was no clear pattern to the attacks; they occurred across the U.S., Europe, and Asia at large corporations operating in different industry segments. However, the targeted companies did share certain environmental vulnerabilities that simplified the attackers work, including outdated systems that could no longer be updated with the latest security patches, a lack of multifactor authentication for VPNs, and flat networks (where every machine can see every other machine in the network).

The common denominator with all these attacks is that they were easy to carry out. In one instance, the same BlackCat attackers installed cryptominers a month before launching the ransomware. This latest research highlights how important it is to follow established best security practices; they still have a lot of power to prevent and thwart attacks, including multiple attacks against a single network.

To learn more about the string of BlackCat attacks, read BlackCat Ransomware Attacks Not Merely a Byproduct of Bad Luck on Sophos.com.

Sophos experts have also put together an nGrok Incident Response Guide to help security teams prevent attackers from abusing the nGrok tool on their network.
Dublin, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Animal Wound Care Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global animal wound care market reached a value of US$ 1.06 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach a value of US$ 1.57 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 6.77% during 2021-2027. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, we are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic on different end use sectors. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor.



Animal wound care is a medical assistance given to animals by creating tissues with a similar structure at the site of injury to maintain their stability. It comprises stopping the bleeding, removing any foreign objects with tweezers, and cleaning, disinfecting and covering the wound with a bandage.

It relies on sterile bandages, cleansing solutions, antibacterial ointments, bandage scissors, elastic wrapping, tweezers, spray bottles, and clean towels to treat wounds. It assists in washing away both visible and microscopic debris, which reduces the risk of infection among animals. As a result, it finds extensive applications in hospitals, clinics, and home care across the globe.



Animal Wound Care Market Trends:

Due to the increasing adoption of pets among individuals to relieve anxiety and reduce the effects of social isolation, there is a rise in the demand for animal wound care. This, along with the growing demand for veterinary surgeries, represents one of the key factors driving the market.

In addition, there is a rise in the number of vet visits to cure and diagnose infection for better health of animals and prevent diseases that are transferable from animals to humans. This, coupled with increasing enhancements in animal wound care products, is propelling the growth of the market.

Moreover, favorable regulations implemented by governments of several countries to support better care and treatment of animals are catalyzing the demand for animal wound care. In line with this, the growing demand for animal protein is positively influencing the market. Besides this, key market players are investing in research and development (R&D) activities to launch new animal care products.

Apart from this, the rising awareness among the masses about animal health and welfare is offering lucrative growth opportunities to industry investors.

Competitive Landscape:

The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being Advancis Veterinary Ltd., B. Braun Melsungen AG, Elanco Animal Health Incorporated, Innovacyn Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Jorgen Kruuse A/S (Covetrus Inc.), Medtronic plc, Milliken & Company, NEOGEN Corporation, PrimaVet Inc., Vernacare and Virbac.



Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How has the global animal wound care market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global animal wound care market?

What are the key regional markets?

What is the breakup of the market based on the product?

What is the breakup of the market based on the animal type?

What is the breakup of the market based on the end user?

What are the various stages in the value chain of the industry?

What are the key driving factors and challenges in the industry?

What is the structure of the global animal wound care market and who are the key players?

What is the degree of competition in the industry?

Key Topics Covered:



1 Preface



2 Scope and Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Introduction

4.1 Overview

4.2 Key Industry Trends



5 Global Animal Wound Care Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Product

6.1 Surgical

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Key Segments

6.1.2.1 Sutures and Stapler

6.1.2.2 Tissue Adhesives, Sealants and Glue

6.1.3 Market Forecast

6.2 Advanced

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Key Segments

6.2.2.1 Advanced Wound Dressings

6.2.2.2 Foam Dressings

6.2.2.3 Hydrocolloid Dressings

6.2.2.4 Film Dressings

6.2.2.5 Hydrogel Dressings

6.2.2.6 Others

6.2.3 Market Forecast

6.3 Traditional

6.3.1 Market Trends

6.3.2 Key Segments

6.3.2.1 Tapes

6.3.2.2 Dressings

6.3.2.3 Bandages

6.3.2.4 Absorbents

6.3.2.5 Others

6.3.3 Market Forecast

6.4 Others

6.4.1 Market Trends

6.4.2 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Animal Type

7.1 Companion

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 Livestock

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by End User

8.1 Veterinary Hospitals & Clinics

8.1.1 Market Trends

8.1.2 Market Forecast

8.2 Home Care

8.2.1 Market Trends

8.2.2 Market Forecast



9 Market Breakup by Region



10 SWOT Analysis



11 Value Chain Analysis



12 Porters Five Forces Analysis

13 Price Analysis



14 Competitive Landscape

14.1 Market Structure

14.2 Key Players

14.3 Profiles of Key Players

14.3.1 Advancis Veterinary Ltd.

14.3.1.1 Company Overview

14.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.2 B. Braun Melsungen AG

14.3.2.1 Company Overview

14.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.2.3 SWOT Analysis

14.3.3 Elanco Animal Health Incorporated

14.3.3.1 Company Overview

14.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.3.3 Financials

14.3.4 Innovacyn Inc.

14.3.4.1 Company Overview

14.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.5 Johnson & Johnson

14.3.5.1 Company Overview

14.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.5.3 Financials

14.3.5.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.6 Jorgen Kruuse A/S (Covetrus Inc.)

14.3.6.1 Company Overview

14.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.7 Medtronic plc

14.3.7.1 Company Overview

14.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.7.3 Financials

14.3.7.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.8 Milliken & Company

14.3.8.1 Company Overview

14.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.8.3 SWOT Analysis

14.3.9 NEOGEN Corporation

14.3.9.1 Company Overview

14.3.9.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.9.3 Financials

14.3.9.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.10 PrimaVet Inc.

14.3.10.1 Company Overview

14.3.10.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.11 Vernacare

14.3.11.1 Company Overview

14.3.11.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.12 Virbac

14.3.12.1 Company Overview

14.3.12.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.12.3 Financials

14.3.12.4 SWOT Analysis

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/w8sh16

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Dublin, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Power Management IC Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global power management IC market reached a value of US$ 28.5 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 45.6 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 8.15% during 2021-2027. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, we are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic on different end use sectors. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor.



A power management integrated circuit (PMIC) refers to an array of combined microchips that are used to manage the flow of energy between transistors and capacitors in electronic devices. It is commonly utilized in battery-operated electronics, including smartphones, portable media players, wearable devices and healthcare equipment. It performs various operating functions, such as power and battery management, system control, voltage regulation, audio and interface functions and other application-specific tasks. Owing to this, PMIC finds extensive applications across electronics, automotive, computing devices, communication and healthcare industries.



The growing demand for battery-powered consumer devices across the globe is one of the key factors driving the growth of the market. Furthermore, the growth of the telecommunication sector and various technological advancements in wireless technology and peripheral devices are other major growth-inducing factors.

The market is also being driven by the growing environmental-consciousness leading to the construction of cities with smart grid systems as their integral part. This is leading to an increasing demand for PMIC systems to manage wired and non-wired connections.

Additionally, rising automation in the automotive industry is contributing significantly to the market growth. Automobile manufacturers utilize PMIC systems to efficiently manage extreme battery voltage fluctuations, extend the battery life and operate security systems. Other factors, including the widespread adoption of energy harvesting systems and the integration of Big Data and Internet of Things (IoT) across various industry verticals, are projected to drive the market in the upcoming years.

Competitive Landscape:

The report has also analysed the competitive landscape of the market with some of the key players being Analog Devices, Inc., Dialog Semiconductor PLC, Linear Technology Corporation, Maxim Integrated Products, Inc., NXP Semiconductors N.V., On Semiconductor Corporation, Renesas Electronics Corporation, ST Microelectronics International N.V. and Texas Instruments Incorporated.



Key Questions Answered in This Report

1. What is the impact of COVID-19 on the global power management IC market?

2. What was the global power management IC market size in 2021?

3. What are the major global power management IC market drivers?

4. What are the major global power management IC market trends?

5. What will be the global power management IC market outlook during the next five years?

6. What is the global power management IC market breakup by product?

7. What is the global power management IC market breakup by application?

8. What are the major regional markets in the global power management IC industry?

9. Who are the leading players in the global power management IC industry?



Key Topics Covered:



1 Preface



2 Scope and Methodology

3 Executive Summary



4 Introduction

4.1 Overview

4.2 Key Industry Trends



5 Global Power Management IC Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Product

6.1 Linear Regulator ICs

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Market Forecast

6.2 Switching Regulator ICs

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast

6.3 Voltage Reference ICs

6.3.1 Market Trends

6.3.2 Market Forecast

6.4 Power Management ASICs/ASSPs

6.4.1 Market Trends

6.4.2 Market Forecast

6.5 Others

6.5.1 Market Trends

6.5.2 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Application

7.1 Communication

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 Computing Devices

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast

7.3 Consumer Electronics

7.3.1 Market Trends

7.3.2 Market Forecast

7.4 Automotive

7.4.1 Market Trends

7.4.2 Market Forecast

7.5 Healthcare

7.5.1 Market Trends

7.5.2 Market Forecast

7.6 Others

7.6.1 Market Trends

7.6.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by Region

9 SWOT Analysis



10 Value Chain Analysis



11 Porters Five Forces Analysis



12 Price Indicators



13 Competitive Landscape

13.1 Market Structure

13.2 Key Players

13.3 Profiles of Key Players

13.3.1 Analog Devices Inc.

13.3.1.1 Company Overview

13.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.1.3 Financials

13.3.1.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.2 Dialog Semiconductor Plc

13.3.2.1 Company Overview

13.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.2.3 Financials

13.3.3 Linear Technology Corporation

13.3.3.1 Company Overview

13.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.4 Maxim Integrated Products Inc.

13.3.4.1 Company Overview

13.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.4.3 Financials

13.3.4.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.5 NXP Semiconductors N.V.

13.3.5.1 Company Overview

13.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.5.3 Financials

13.3.5.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.6 On Semiconductor Corporation

13.3.6.1 Company Overview

13.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.6.3 Financials

13.3.6.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.7 Renesas Electronics Corporation

13.3.7.1 Company Overview

13.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.7.3 Financials

13.3.7.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.8 ST Microelectronics International N.V.

13.3.8.1 Company Overview

13.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.8.3 Financials

13.3.8.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.9 Texas Instruments Incorporated

13.3.9.1 Company Overview

13.3.9.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.9.3 Financials

13.3.9.4 SWOT Analysis

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/nt308y

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PLA releases photos of warning away trespassing US warship, shows confidence in tackling navigational hegemony

By Liu Xuanzun, Guo Yuandan (Global Times) 10:26, July 14, 2022

The Type 054A guided missile frigate Xianningaffiliated with the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command Navy tracks, monitors and warns away the USS Benfoldguided missile destroyer which illegally entered the Chinese territorial waters of the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea on July 13, 2022. Photo: Courtesy of PLA Southern Theater Command

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command warned away a US destroyer which trespassed in Chinese territorial waters off the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea on Wednesday, and published photos of the operation for the first time, in a move that analysts said reflected the PLA's growing confidence and readiness against US provocations.

The US military activity came after recent China-US senior-level talks which were expected to be constructive. This exposed the US' double-faced behavior of saying one thing and doing another, observers said.

By organizing naval and air forces, the PLA Southern Theater Command tracked, monitored and warned away the USS Benfold guided missile destroyer whch illegally entered Chinese territorial waters of the Xisha Islands on Wednesday without authorization from the Chinese government, said Senior Colonel Tian Lijun, spokesperson at the PLA Southern Theater Command, in a statement on the day.

According to a photo and caption released with the statement, the Chinese forces featured in the operation included the Type 054A guided missile frigate Xianning. The photo shows that the Chinese and US vessels are in visual range, with a PLA sailor on board the Xianning gathering data on the US destroyer.

Another photo is a close-up shot of the USS Benfold, which placed its weapons and fire-control radar system in default positions. The US vessel probably attempted to justify its "innocent passage" under the monitoring of the PLA, analysts said.

It was the first time the PLA Southern Theater Command had released photos in a statement on its operation of warning away foreign warships in the South China Sea. The US has been repeatedly sending warships to waters off Xisha and Nansha in the South China Sea in a provocative manner, and every time the ships were warned away by the PLA Southern Theater Command.

Photos are proof of the US' provocative trespassing in Chinese territorial waters as well as the PLA's effective measures in countering them. They show how close the US warship was to the PLA vessel, and how the PLA dealt with the threat properly, a Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Wednesday.

It shows the PLA's growing confidence in dealing with US provocations like this, the expert said.

The US military's move severely violated China's sovereignty and security, badly harmed peace and stability in the South China Sea, and seriously violated international law and the principles of international relations, marking yet another solid proof of the US' navigational hegemony and militarization of the South China Sea, Tian said.

Facts show again that the US is the true maker of security risks and destroyer of peace and stability in the South China Sea, Tian said.

A Chinese military insider told the Global Times on Wednesday that the US military said it wants to enhance dialogue with China to manage and control risks, but at the same it is intentionally violating China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity, creating risks.

The US warship's trespassing came right after recent talks between Chinese and US officials. This reflected that the gap between the US' words and actions in terms of containing China are becoming wider amid deepening US domestic political, economic and social crises, Zhuo Hua, an international affairs expert at the School of International Relations and Diplomacy of Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

The US can no longer hide its double-faced nature in international affairs. This will let not only China but also US allies lose respect and trust in the US, Zhuo said. As China is no longer confused by the US' double-faced behavior, the US' previous actions will add up and push China-US relations into a dead end, and risks for a military conflict will continue to rise, he said.

Also on Wednesday, the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group of the US Navy entered the South China Sea, operating to the south of the Nansha Islands, the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative, a Beijing-based think tank, said on the day.

Troops of the PLA Southern Theater Command are on high alert at all times to firmly safeguard national sovereignty and security as well as peace and stability in the South China Sea, Tian said.

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun)
Dublin, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Parenteral Nutrition Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global parenteral nutrition market reached a value of US$ 6.3 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 9.3 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 6.71% during 2021-2027. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, we are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic on different end use sectors. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor.



Parenteral nutrition (PN), or intravenous feeding, offers liquid nutrients like fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and electrolytes. It is a part of specialized nutritional therapy that providing nutritional support to patients who are unable to utilize their gastrointestinal tract. It aids in preventing malnutrition and maintaining energy, hydration, and strength levels. As a result, it is widely used among patients who are suffering from cancer, Crohn's disease, short bowel syndrome, ischemic bowel disease, and abnormal bowel function.



Parenteral Nutrition Market Trends:

The rising prevalence of malnutrition, growing natality rate, and increasing premature births are among the primary factors catalyzing the demand for PN around the world. Moreover, there is a considerable rise in the number of individuals experiencing pediatric disorders, such as asthma, leukemia, tuberculosis, bronchitis, chickenpox, and anemia.

This, along with the rising geriatric population, which is relatively more prone to chronic diseases, is also influencing the demand for PN products positively. Furthermore, the growing consumption of fast food has resulted in the growing instances of non-communicable diseases like hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and other metabolic disorders.

This, in confluence with the rising incidences of hepatic insufficiency, renal insufficiency and protein-energy malnutrition, is increasing the consumption of amnio acid-rich and parenteral products. The market is further driven by significant improvements in the PN, such as lipid emulsions optimizations and utilization of indirect calorimetry. Some of the other factors, such as increasing expenditure on the overall development of the healthcare sector by the governing agencies and private entities of several countries and rising adoption of PN products by the healthcare sector, are anticipated to strengthen the market growth across the globe.

Competitive Landscape:

The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being Aculife Healthcare Private Limited, B. Braun Melsungen AG, Baxter International Inc., Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA, Grifols S.A., Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory Inc., Pfizer Inc. and Servona GmbH.



Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How has the global parenteral nutrition market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global parenteral nutrition market?

What are the key regional markets?

What is the breakup of the market based on the nutrient type?

What is the breakup of the market based on the end user?

What are the various stages in the value chain of the industry?

What are the key driving factors and challenges in the industry?

What is the structure of the global parenteral nutrition market and who are the key players?

What is the degree of competition in the industry?

Key Topics Covered:



1 Preface



2 Scope and Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Introduction

4.1 Overview

4.2 Key Industry Trends



5 Global Parenteral Nutrition Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Nutrient Type

6.1 Carbohydrates

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Market Forecast

6.2 Lipid Emulsion

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast

6.3 Single Dose Amino Acid Solution

6.3.1 Market Trends

6.3.2 Market Forecast

6.4 Trace Elements

6.4.1 Market Trends

6.4.2 Market Forecast

6.5 Vitamins and Minerals

6.5.1 Market Trends

6.5.2 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by End User

7.1 Hospitals

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 Clinics

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast

7.3 Others

7.3.1 Market Trends

7.3.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by Region

9 SWOT Analysis



10 Value Chain Analysis



11 Porters Five Forces Analysis



12 Price Analysis



13 Competitive Landscape

13.1 Market Structure

13.2 Key Players

13.3 Profiles of Key Players

13.3.1 Aculife Healthcare Private Limited

13.3.1.1 Company Overview

13.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.2 B. Braun Melsungen AG

13.3.2.1 Company Overview

13.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.2.3 SWOT Analysis

13.3.3 Baxter International Inc.

13.3.3.1 Company Overview

13.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.3.3 Financials

13.3.3.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.4 Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA

13.3.4.1 Company Overview

13.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.4.3 Financials

13.3.4.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.5 Grifols S.A.

13.3.5.1 Company Overview

13.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.5.3 Financials

13.3.6 Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory Inc.

13.3.6.1 Company Overview

13.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.6.3 Financials

13.3.6.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.7 Pfizer Inc.

13.3.7.1 Company Overview

13.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.7.3 Financials

13.3.7.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.8 Servona GmbH

13.3.8.1 Company Overview

13.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/hfpgo6

Attachment
Houston, Texas, U.S., July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The EnerGeo Alliance, the sole global trade alliance for the energy geoscience industry, providing solutions to revolutionize the energy evolution welcomes Faisal Diab as the new Director of Global Policy & Government Affairs and Shawn Rice as its new Director of Business Development & Strategy to its global team.

Both staff additions come to EnerGeo Alliance with extensive backgrounds in the energy sector. Faisal Diab was previously a petroleum and natural gas management consultant with extensive experience in U.S. and international regulatory affairs. Shawn Rice was the Director of Operations for ION Geophysical and brings more than a decade of energy geoscience operations experience to the Alliance.

We are excited to add these two professionals to our dynamic EnerGeo global team. Faisals extensive regulatory affairs experience will enable the Alliance to be even more engaged with governments and treaty organizations around the world to ensure that decision and policy makers understand that the energy geoscience industry is critical to their respective energy and sustainability goals, said Nikki Martin, EnerGeo Alliance President. Shawns knowledge of industry operations and the importance of the energy geoscience industry to energy sectors like offshore wind, geothermal energy, and low-carbon solutions will be invaluable in helping us to welcome those sectors to the Alliance. Were not only an essential partner for governments but for numerous sectors within the energy industry as well."

Faisal Diab, the Alliances Director of Global Policy & Government Affairs, said, I intend to apply my energy consulting experience and skills to continue to provide members with the best most reliable science- and data-based regulatory advocacy and expertise to ensure their freedom to operate. I am fortunate to be joining such a respected organization that prides itself on excellence in service to members and industry benefit.

Shawn Rice said, I am thrilled to be a part of this trade organization. The EnerGeo Alliance has been at the helm of steering the energy geoscience industry for more than 50 years, and I can now contribute to its stellar global reputation. As EnerGeo Alliances first ever Director of Business Development & Strategy, I look forward to leading the charge to diversify our membership base.

The two new staff members and positions were added to the EnerGeo Alliance to increase and expand our work in elevating the inclusion of geoscience data acquisition as a priority within governments energy policies and advancing frameworks to attract and maintain investment for access to sustainable energy and data acquisition to support and accelerate the energy evolution.

###

About the EnerGeo Alliance

Founded in 1971, the EnerGeo Alliance is a global trade association for the energy geoscience industry, the intersection where earth science and energy meet. The EnerGeo Alliance and its member companies span more than 50 countries, and together, unify to open the gateway to the safe discovery, development, and delivery of mainstay sources of energy, alternative energy and low-carbon energy solutions that meet our growing worlds needs.

Attachment
WASHINGTON, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Western Magnesium Corporation (WMC) (TSXV: WMG.V; Frankfurt-3WM; OTCQB: MLYF) (Western Magnesium or the Company) has received metal purity results from the second calibration process run of unrefined magnesium metal direct from the commercialized pilot plant.



The third-party metal purity analysis was conducted using Laser Ablation ICP Mass Spectrometry at FiLTER  Fipke Laboratory for Trace Element Research, located at the University of British Columbia Okanagan in Kelowna, BC, Canada.

The metal purity analysis resulted in a magnesium concentration of 99.62%.

Edward Lee, Executive Chairman, said, The received purity results continue to exceed our expectations and validate without a doubt more than 11 years of research and development. When our proprietary process is fully upscaled it will eventually supply and give American industry the comfort knowing there is a domestic producer of magnesium metal that they can finally rely on for years to come.

Paul Sauve, Chief Technology Officer, said, Achieving unrefined magnesium purity of this concentration directly from our proprietary continuous reactor on the second run will allow us to continue toward full plant optimization.

This news release was reviewed by Sarpreet Pahal, P. Eng., a Non-Independent Qualified Person.

About Western Magnesium

Western Magnesium's goal is to be a low-cost producer of green, primary magnesium metal, a strategic commodity prized for its strength and light weight. Unlike outdated and costly production processes, Western Magnesium looks to use a continuous silicothermic process to produce magnesium, which significantly reduces labor and energy costs relative to current methods and processes, while being environmentally friendly.

About FiLTER

FiLTER is a fee for service facility specializing in trace element analysis and electron microscope imaging. The intended users are primarily academic researchers, but the facility is also available for government and industry research at corresponding fee schedules. The lab exists due to an investment from the Government of Canada, through Western Economic Diversification Canada, and the generous donations of Charles Fipke, who provided the funding to purchase the ICP-AES, ICP-MS, Laser Ablation, and SEM instruments.

Media Relations & Corporate Communications: Ashleigh Barry | abarry@westmagcorp.com | (202) 258-4453

Investor Relations: John Ulmer | julmer@westmagcorp.com | (604) 423-2709

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this news release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated due to several factors, including the Company's dolomite reserves may not be mined because of technical, regulatory, financing, or other obstacles, the market price for magnesium may make our resources uneconomic and we may not be able to hire and retain skilled employees. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described in this news release. Such securities have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act), or any state securities laws, and, accordingly, may not be offered or sold within the United States, or to or for the account or benefit of persons in the United States or U.S. Persons, as such term is defined in Regulation S promulgated under the U.S. Securities Act, unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to an exemption from such registration requirements.

View our profile on SEDAR

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6e91a8a2-3f5f-4387-97de-adda8c06e62a
SAN FERNANDO, Calif., July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mr. Tortilla is now one of the fastest-growing companies in Southern California. After developing an e-commerce business from scratch, Mr. Tortilla grew 3,000% in 2021 to become Amazon's top-selling tortilla brand. Under normal brick-and-mortar retail conditions, this spectacular business growth wouldn't be possible, but Mr. Tortilla proves that the Amazon and e-commerce model can help businesses perform a miracle.

"We knew we had something special," said Anthony Alcazar, founder and president of Mr. Tortilla. "It was basic but compelling: people want to enjoy delicious, healthy tacos. We spent a decade fighting with competitors for shelf space in big brand stores before we pivoted. We decided to serve customers directly through Amazon. And I'm proud to say our customers responded by making us the best-selling tortilla brand on Amazon."

Now, Mr. Tortilla is being courted by stores to shelve their products while customers ask to find their tortillas in stores. "We're excited to look for growth partners who believe in what we're accomplishing at Mr. Tortilla and who can help us take the business to the next level," adds Alcazar.

Recently, Alcazar was invited to speak at the fourth annual CEO Summit of the Americas about how to leverage digital tools for growth, explaining how it wasn't a smooth journey. Brothers Anthony and Ronald Alcazar first tried to compete in the retail tortilla industry, not knowing that giants dominated the shelf space in the supermarkets. Instead of throwing in the towel, the Alcazar brothers learned digital marketing and grew a social media presence that catapulted them to become the top tortilla brand on Amazon. Today, Mr. Tortilla is verified on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, with an audience of 250,000 followers combined across the platforms.

"It goes to show that anything is possible through God," says Ronald Alcazar, COO of Mr. Tortilla. "In the end, we didn't need to raise a formal round or a supermarket presence  just a simple idea and the passion to see it in the hands of people who want guilt-free tortillas. We built this thanks to the loyalty and enthusiasm of our customers for our innovative tortillas. Now, after 10 years of doing this on our own, we're ready for growth partners who can help us expand Mr. Tortilla even further."

As the keto/low-carb movement grows in popularity, Mr. Tortilla has expanded into low-carb cookie mix, brownie mix, flavored tortillas, tortilla chips, and organic salsas to meet customer demand. Mr. Tortilla is #1 in Amazon U.S. and Canada and has just launched in the EU on Amazon. Next, the company plans to create regular tortillas, grain-free tortillas, gluten-free tortillas and more, fulfilling its mission ideal that everyone, no matter their needs, deserves a delicious and healthy tortilla.

Contact Information:

Carolina Calkins

PR Manager

Email: mrtortilla@intelligent-relations.com

Related Images











Image 1: Mr. Tortilla









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CHICAGO, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Basis Technologies (https://basis.net), a leading provider of cloud-based workflow automation and business intelligence software for marketing and advertising, today announced it is ranked No. 1 by Great Place to Work and Fortune magazine among this years Best Workplaces in Chicago. Basis Technologies is in the Small and Medium Companies category. The companys platform is a suite of integrated applications that automate manual operations, standardize business processes, and improve marketing and advertising performance.

This years Best Workplaces in Chicago award is based on employee feedback collected through Americas largest ongoing annual workforce study of over 1 million employee survey responses and data from companies representing more than 6.1 million U.S. employees. In that survey, 97% of Basis Technologies employees said it is a great place to work. This number is 70% higher than the average U.S. company. Learn more at: https://www.greatplacetowork.com/best-workplaces/chicago/2022?category=small-and-medium.

Basis Technologies believes that our success is predicated on the quality of people joining our mission. We are able to attract and retain cohesive team members because our company prioritizes their well-being, said Emily Barron, EVP of talent and development. Basis Technologies honor from Great Place to Work and Fortune magazine further strengthens our theory that happiness is good business.

The Best Workplaces in Chicago list is highly competitive. Great Place to Work, a global authority on workplace culture, selected the list using rigorous analytics and confidential employee feedback. Companies were only considered if they are a Great Place to Work-Certified organization and headquartered in the Chicago metropolitan statistical area.

Great Place to Work is a company culture award in America that selects winners based on how fairly employees are treated. Companies are assessed on how well they are creating a great employee experience that cuts across race, gender, age, disability status, or any aspect of who employees are or what their role is.

As employee demands and expectations have dramatically changed over the past year, these companies have risen to the occasionand its not been easy, says Kim Peters, executive vice president of global recognition, research & strategic partnerships at Great Place to Work. Their hard work and dedication to listen to and care for the well-being of every employee, and support them in a way thats meaningful to all, is the standard all organizations will be held to.

Among Great Place to Work and Fortune magazine honors, Basis Technologies also ranked No. 6 in Best Workplaces in Chicago in 2021 (Small and Medium). In 2020, it was ranked No. 52 in Fortune Best Medium Workplaces, No. 15 in Fortune Best Workplaces for Women (Small and Medium) and No. 4 in Best Workplaces in Chicago.

About Basis Technologies

Basis Technologies (https://basis.net), formerly operating as Centro, is a leading provider of cloud-based workflow automation and business intelligence software for marketing and advertising functions within enterprises. Its SaaS platform is composed of a suite of integrated applications that automate manual operations, standardize business processes, and improve marketing and advertising performance. The technology provides a comprehensive selection of buying methods across all channels and devices, utilizing all major creative types and formats. Basis platform creates a single system of record, seamless team collaboration, and actionable data-driven insights yielding material gains in productivity and increased profitability for users. Headquartered in Chicago with offices servicing North America, South America, and Europe, Basis Technologies has received numerous accolades for its commitment to employees and workplace culture. Learn more at https://basis.net.

About the Best Workplaces in Chicago

Great Place to Work selected the Best Workplaces in Chicago by gathering and analyzing confidential survey responses from its study of thousands of companies representing more than 6.1 million U.S. employees at Great Place to Work-Certified organizations. Companies must be headquartered in the Chicago metropolitan statistical area to be eligible. Company rankings are derived from 60 employee experience questions within the Great Place to Work Trust Index survey. Read the full methodology.

To get on this list next year, start here.

About Great Place to Work

Great Place to Work is the global authority on workplace culture. Since 1992, it has surveyed more than 100 million employees worldwide and used those deep insights to define what makes a great workplace: trust. Its employee survey platform empowers leaders with the feedback, real-time reporting and insights they need to make data-driven people decisions. Everything it does is driven by the mission to build a better world by helping every organization become a great place to work For All.

Learn more at greatplacetowork.com and on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.



Contact:

Anthony Loredo

anthony.loredo@basis.net

917-573-4157

A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8cb3e19b-4960-4dd6-b9d0-d580ea2d77f5

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/62b7cd50-4234-4bd7-8d42-a00bc829ba76
BENSALEM, Penn., July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Airline Hydraulics Corporation (Airline), a leading distributor of industrial machinery and safeguarding products, is recognized by Omron Automation Americas (Omron) as a recipient of the 2021 Distributor of the Year Award, throughout North and South America. This award recognizes Airline's substantial investments in Omron's inventory, exceeding sales achievements, continued expansion with a new location in South Carolina, and Airline's mobile technology showcase of Omron products, the Tech Traveler. Omron recognizing Airline with this award proves Airline is a strategic partner and industrial customers have increased accessibility to local Omron inventory and technical support.

Peter Brouwer, Vice President of Sales for Omron, comments, "On behalf of Omron Automation Americas, I am very pleased to recognize Airline Hydraulics as our 2021 Distributor of the Year. Airline's innovation, investment, and commitment to our technology secured this award. They are a highly respected partner in the Americas market, supporting the growth of our brand and delivering superior support to customers. We look forward to many years, continuing to make our partnership stronger."

Mark Steffens, Airline CEO, adds, "Quality relationships take time, and after 30-plus years of being a partner to Omron, we are honored to accept 'Distributor of the Year' honors for 2021. We are thankful to have a partner closely aligned to our core values and must thank the Omron team members who have worked diligently to lay the groundwork for this mutual success."

For more information about Airline's inventory, expansion South and mobile technology showcase of Omron products, the Tech Traveler, visit Airline's Omron Automation webpage.

About Airline

Airline Hydraulics Corporation, a 100% employee-owned company, serves all industries utilizing fluid power and machine automation. In business since 1949, Airline specifies, stocks, and supports high-end components from Omron, Bosch Rexroth, Eaton, HYDAC, SKF/Lincoln, SMC, Phoenix Contact, and hundreds of other leading manufacturers. Customers also rely on Airline, an ISO 9001 certified company, for custom engineering, manufacturing & assembly, service and repair, machine safeguarding, and other value-add services. With offices located throughout the Eastern regions of the U.S., Airline experts are ready to help industry leaders become more educated, competitive, and cost-effective in today's rapidly changing marketplace.

Media Contact

Olivia Lynch

Airline Hydraulics Corporation

olynch@airlinehyd.com

267-746-1379

Related Images











Image 1: Omron Automation Americas Recognizes Airline Hydraulics Corporation as 2021 Distributor of the Year





Pictured on the left is Kenny Heidel (Omron) and Peter Brouwer (Omron) awarding Michael Schapoehler (Airline Hydraulics) and Mark Steffens (Airline Hydraulics) as 2021 Distributor of the Year.









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

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A new Ground TDEM Geophysical Survey confirms ten (10) new exploration targets within a La Mott ultramafic complex that hosts the former Marbridge Nickel Mine.





Four (4) anomalies indicate unknown targets identified within a 2-kilometre vicinity, including a shallow and un-drilled anomaly spanning over 800 metres immediately south of Marbridge.





Three (3) anomalies correlate with nickel mineralization at the former Marbridge Nickel Mine. The geophysical compilation also indicates that conductive trends continue down plunge and along strike of known nickel mineralization. Two (2) anomalies indicate a very poorly tested trend in the immediate footwall to Marbridge Mine #2 and a potential hanging wall zone respectively.





A laterally extensive TDEM trend occurs on the Ataman zone that where localized shallow historical drilling confirms high-grade nickel sulphides.





Compiled magnetic surveys correlate directly with ultramafic rocks and map their extent.





Interpretation and planning of a diamond drilling campaign now underway.



TORONTO, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Class 1 Nickel and Technologies Limited (Class 1 Nickel or the Company) (CSE: NICO), is pleased to announce positive initial results and recommendations stemming from the 32.85 line-km ground TDEM survey that has been completed over the Somanike Nickel Sulphide Project (the Project or Property) in La Motte, Quebec.

The company is pleased to announce that 10 new EM anomalies have been successfully identified including a grouping in the vicinity of the historical Marbridge Mine.

The Somanike Nickel Project is located 25 km north of the town of Malartic and is comprised of 172 contiguous mining claims with a combined area of 45.3km. The Somanike Project includes the famous Marbridge Nickel Mine and its associated deposits which were partially mined by Falconbridge Nickel, delivering 702,366 tons grading 2.28% Ni and 0.1% Cu over a five-year period ending in 1968 (see attached Figures 1-3).

President Mr. David Fitch commented, The presence of these new EM anomalies in the vicinity of the Marbridge Mine is both exciting and significant for the Company and further supports the various expert opinions that have unanimously concluded that Marbridge could extend deeper and along strike. Furthermore, anomalies detected elsewhere in association with ultramafic rocks, bodes well for exploration success.

Exploration Manager P. Geo Mr. Alex Beloborodov observed, The new geophysical signatures along with a now-advanced geological database will assist our team in building a targeted diamond drill program. Our aim is to explore these signatures for new nickel-rich sulphide bodies and to investigate the potential continuity and extension of the known mineralized horizons in the vicinity of the historical Marbridge Nickel Mine.

Figure 1: Somanike Project Location Map is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a466e6d9-a26e-477b-8e80-9610737d47fa

Figure 2: TDEM anomalies on first derivative magnetic map is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bda9c06c-3be9-4ab1-9c65-2a2f6d3844a0

Figure 3: EM anomalies conductivity base map is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/88b02aed-9086-4e58-8f9e-fe0f8f865107

The four Marbridge Nickel Mine deposits are equally spaced (300350 meters apart) over a one-kilometre strike length within a northwest trending ultramafic body interpreted to represent komatiitic flows. The nickel-sulphide mineralization exhibits relatively strong plunge continuity. The deposits plunge either east or southeast and are steep except for the #1 Mine which has a shallow easterly plunge. The ore mined previously was sourced largely from Mine 1 and was milled at the Canadian Malartic located 25 kilometres to the south of the project. Ore mined had an estimated average recovery of 88% producing a concentrate grade reported at 11.9% Ni (source: Falconbridge Limited reports and public domain). The concentrate was shipped to Falconbridges Sudbury smelter. The deposits are ultramaficassociated, subcropping, plunging shoots of high-grade nickel sulphides. These are conductive and comprised of disseminated and massive sulphides with a small surface expression and relatively good continuity down plunge.

Modelling by the Company shows the main lenses are open at depth and has also confirmed the existence of a largely unexplored footwall horizon that correlates well the Marbridge EM-6 trend.

Consulting geophysics group TMC Geophysics reported that the new EM anomalies identified included within the confines of 3 main E/W to ESE/WNW oriented conductive horizons or anomalous trends. The most prospective conductive horizons s being the Marbridge and Ataman trends for which relative interest is already confirmed from past exploration works and drilling.

TMC Geophysics have advised the company to infill the original grid with STDEM reconnaissance profiles at 100 m apart. This would represent a major add-on for the survey data analysis, as one can already observe its relevance by the examination of the historical airborne EM data. Planned drill holes will be surveyed with down-hole geophysical systems. These surveys have proved successful in identifying off-hole mineralization in major nickel camps throughout the world. Downhole EM systems have very likely not been used in the Marbridge area.

The Companys technical team are now reviewing the results with a view to planning a consequential drilling program.

Qualified Person

All the technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Alexandr Beloborodov, P.Geo., geological consultant to the Company, who is a Qualified Person under the definitions established by National Instrument 43101.

For more information, please contact:

David Fitch, President

T: +61 400.631.608

E: dfitch@class1nickel.com

About Class 1 Nickel and Technologies Limited:

Class 1 Nickel and Technologies Limited (CSE: NICO) is a Mineral Resource Company focused on the development of its 100% owned Alexo-Dundonald Project, a portfolio of Kambalda-Type komatiite-hosted magmatic nickel-copper-cobalt sulphide Mineral Resources located near Timmins, Ontario, as well as exploring the Somanike komatiite hosted nickel copper project in Quebec, which includes the well-known Marbridge Nickel Mine.

For additional information please visit our new website at www.class1nickel.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its regulation services provider has reviewed or accepted responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Information

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the impact and implications of the EM anomalies at the Project, the growth potential and possible economics of the Project and the Companys understanding of the Project, the development potential and timetable of the Project; the timing and amount of estimated future exploration; costs of future activities; capital and operating expenditures; success of exploration activities; the anticipated ability of investors to continue benefitting from the Companys low discovery costs; technical expertise and support from local communities; and the anticipated timing and receipt of applicable regulatory approvals for the Private Placement. Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, budget, schedule, estimates, forecasts, intends, continue, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, will, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements are made based upon certain assumptions and other important facts that, if untrue, could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Class 1 Nickel to be materially different from future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which Class 1 Nickel will operate in the future. Certain important factors that could cause actual results, performances or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, amongst others, currency fluctuations, the global economic climate, dilution, share price volatility and competition. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Class 1 Nickel to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: the impact the COVID 19 pandemic may have on the Companys activities and the economy in general; the impact of the recovery post COVID 19 pandemic and its impact on nickel and other metals; there being no assurance that the exploration program will result in positive results; risks and uncertainties inherent to mineral exploration activities and resulting estimates; receipt of necessary approvals; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; future gold and other metal prices; accidents, labour disputes and shortages; environmental and other risks of the mining industry, including without limitation, risks and uncertainties discussed in the latest annual information form of the Company, and in other continuous disclosure documents of the Company available under the Companys profile at www.sedar.com. Although Class 1 Nickel has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Class 1 Nickel does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
Ottawa, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global healthcare biometrics market size was estimated at 29.44 billion in 2022. The North American market records the highest growth due to the increasing number of fraud cases and crimes in the health care system. With the increase in the occurrence of fraud the need for high security surveillance systems arises and hence the adoption of healthcare biometrics comes into play. With the introduction of modern health care facilities such as hospitals and clinics, modernization of the system is also essential. Further, the European nations from the second largest market for the healthcare biometrics as a result of the active government support to the system in order to provide excellent facilities to the patients.



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The Asia Pacific region is forecasted to grow at the fastest rate as a result of the new government policies which have been introduced in order to modernize the health care system. Latin America and the Middle Eastern region are the other growing markets for the healthcare biometrics system that are emerging as big market players.

Key Takeaways:

North America has contributed highest market share of over 41% in 2021

Europe region has contributed market share of over 34% in 2021

By end users, the hospitals segment is anticipated to reach at a CAGR of 6.5% from 2022 to 2030

Multi factor authentication segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.1% from 2022 to 2030

The healthcare institution segment is anticipated to reach at a CAGR of 17.4% from 2022 to 2030





Scope of the Report

Report Attributes Details Market Size in 2021 USD 26.02 Billion Revenue Forecast by 2030 USD 79 Billion CAGR 18.1% from 2022 to 2030 Largest Market North America Base Year 2021 Forecast Year 2022 to 2030 Key Players Bio-Key International, DigitalPersona, 3M Cogent, NEC Corporation, Suprema, Siemens AG., M2SYS LLC, Cross Match Technologies

Report Highlights

On the basis of technology , the fingerprint identification system has dominated the segment as a result of its rapid use in the health care as well as the other systems. It is the most commonly seen security scanner in the leading multinational companies and big hospitals which have adopted advanced technologies to provide a better service to the consumers.

, the fingerprint identification system has dominated the segment as a result of its rapid use in the health care as well as the other systems. It is the most commonly seen security scanner in the leading multinational companies and big hospitals which have adopted advanced technologies to provide a better service to the consumers. On the basis of end user , the hospitals from the largest market for the healthcare biometrics as the requirement of a better security system is important in order to protect the patient data and hospital information which is highly confidential.

, the hospitals from the largest market for the healthcare biometrics as the requirement of a better security system is important in order to protect the patient data and hospital information which is highly confidential. On the basis of region, the North American market has shown the largest revenue return as a result of its Rapid adoption of advanced technologies in order to provide the best service to the people. The huge number of healthcare facilities that are offered to the people attracts a huge crowd to the health care centers. Hence the requirement off an advanced security system rises, which is readily fulfilled by the healthcare biometric system.





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Market dynamics

Drivers

The active support which is provided by the government to the health care system has encouraged the use of modern technologies in order to provide an excellent service to the population and in turn obtain a better revenue return from the market. After the occurrence of the pandemic the number of fraud cases seen in the healthcare system has increased immensely which needs to be controlled with the help of modern technology. The problem of fraud patient identity was on a rise due to the huge number of patients that turned to the hospital as a result of mass infection, hence the need for sorting out the required individual out of the crowd became extremely important. The use of healthcare biometrics helps to perform the needful by restricting the patient that a leak and other fraud cases. Theft of medical identity has also increased to a great extent which proves to be a driving factor for the growth of the market during the forecast period. These multiple reasons prove to be the driving forces for the growth of the market during the forecast period.

Restraints

The cost of the healthcare biometric system is considerably high which imposes an additional investment on the management of the hospitals and clinics. As a result of this, a higher cost of treatment is imposed on the patients which makes the entire healthcare system very costly. This proves to be a restraining factor for the growth of the market. Multiple issues are faced while using a biometric scanner which are difficult to rectify by the human operator. Errors while presenting the individual information to the system leads to an error in the final result, and creating a discomfort for the user. A physical disability of the user proves to be of barrier for the artificial intelligence of the health care biometric system which creates difficulties for the consumer. Since these systems make use of electrical energy, constant power outages in the developing nations prove to be a restraining factor for the market. These multiple reasons prove to be the restraining factors for the growth of the market.

Opportunities

The adoption of a contactless biometric system proves to be a great opportunity for the growth of the market. Technologies such as face recognition and retina scan are adopted by the big companies and hospitals in order to modernize their system and provide the best possible security to patient data and hospital information. The developing countries are readily accepting the use of the biometric system in order to match with the advanced facilities provided by the developed nations. This proves to be an opportunity for the healthcare biometric system for expanding its limits globally. These multiple reasons proved to be great opportunities for the market growth.

Challenges

The biometric data and information that has been recorded into the system needs to be protected too in order to have a secured security system. Frauds in the field of information technology lead to the hacking of digital information from the system which proves to be a threat to the biometric medical identification data. Loss of such important information will prove to be a great threat to the society. Supply of constant electric power to the biometric system becomes a challenging factor for the developing economies as the problems of constant power outages are still faced by them. These factors prove to be the challenges posed in front of the market.

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Recent Developments

In April 2016, a Biostation L2 was launched by Suprema limited in order to develop access control system and attendance solution which will record the time as well with the help of a fingerprint scanner. It provides higher security facilities to the health care system at affordable prices and helps to protect patient information and hospital data.

In February 2016, Herta security entered into a collaboration with ZKTeco to update ZKBioAccess with face detection security system developed by Herta. This collaboration was done in order to benefit both the companies and boost their performance.

Market Segmentation

By Technology

Single-factor Authentication, by Technology Face Recognition Fingerprint Recognition Iris Recognition Vein Recognition Palm Geometry Recognition Behavioral Recognition

Signature Recognition

Voice Recognition

Other Behavioral Recognition Other authentication technologies [DNA analysis, retina analysis, ECG/EEG analysis])

Single-factor Authentication, by Type Contact Biometrics Non-contact Biometrics

Multi-factor Authentication, by Type

Multimodal Authentication, by Type Two-factor Biometrics Three-factor Biometrics



By Application

Logical Access Control

Physical Access Control

Transaction Authentication





By End User

Hospitals & Clinics

Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Healthcare Institutions

Research & Clinical Laboratories

By Geography

North America

Europe

Asia-Pacific

Latin America

Middle East & Africa (MEA)





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FREE Any-Size Coffee & Fountain Beverages Available All Day on July 18;

Florida Fund to Support 1,000 Local Nonprofits in the Sunshine State

ORLANDO, Fla., July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wawa Inc. today announced that in celebration of its 10th anniversary in the state of Florida, the company will offer FREE any-size hot coffee and fountain beverages throughout all of its Florida stores on July 18th  the day the first store opened in Orlando in 2012. The offer is meant to toast the community and give thanks to Wawas customers and 10,000 Associates spread across Wawas almost 250 Florida stores!

Additionally, as part of Wawas commitment to Florida and in honor of its 10th anniversary, The Wawa Foundation, the 501(c)(3) non-profit founded to support Wawas charitable giving and philanthropic activities, is thrilled to announce the launch of the Florida 10th Anniversary Fund. The Fund will feature a total of $100,000 in donations to be spread across 1,000 local nonprofits in areas surrounding health, hunger, and everyday heroes. Grant amounts will vary between $1,000-$2,500. Eligible nonprofits are invited to apply at thewawafoundation.org by August 31st.

Since 2012, Wawa and the Wawa Foundation have provided more than $10 million in community support across the state of Florida, and the Florida 10th Anniversary Fund is set to increase that even further as Wawa continues its expansion into the Sunshine State!

Though its been 10 years since Wawa first opened its doors in the Sunshine State, it feels like weve been here for even longer as weve been fortunate to develop so many lasting relationships and meaningful connections over the past decade, said Chris Gheysens, Wawas President and CEO. Were thrilled to offer all Florida customers free coffee on July 18 and celebrate that with the launch of the Florida 10th Anniversary Fund to support all the nonprofit organizations that give back to our communities in countless ways, every day. Cheers to 10 years in the Sunshine State and to many more decades of growth and fulfilling lives in Florida!

About Wawa in Florida

In 2012, Wawa opened its first Florida store with the goal of providing a whole new world of quality and convenience for Floridians. Since then, the company has been fulfilling lives, every day, all throughout the Sunshine State. Wawa will continue to expand in Florida for years to come and will open its 250th store in the Sunshine State this fall and will employ more than 10,000 associates by year end. Wawa will continue to invest in Florida, opening more than 100 new stores over the next five years, including reaching new markets in the Panhandle region of Florida.

About Wawa, Inc.

Wawa, Inc., a privately held company, began in 1803 as an iron foundry in New Jersey. Toward the end of the 19th Century, owner George Wood took an interest in dairy farming and the family began a small processing plant in Wawa, PA in 1902. The milk business was a huge success, due to its quality, cleanliness and certified process. As home delivery of milk declined in the early 1960s, Grahame Wood, Georges grandson, opened the first Wawa Food Market in 1964 as an outlet for dairy products. Today, Wawa is your all day, every day stop for freshly prepared foods, beverages, coffee, fuel services and surcharge-free ATMs. Wawa stores are located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C. The stores offer a large fresh foodservice selection, including Wawa brands such as custom prepared hoagies, freshly-brewed coffee, hot breakfast sandwiches, specialty beverages and an assortment of soups, sides and snacks. Forbes.com Ranks Wawa as #29 of Americas Largest Private Companies in 2021 and #12 on Forbes 100 Halo List in 2022. For more information, visit us on www.wawa.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat at @wawa.

CONTACT: public.relations@wawa.com
Toronto, Ontario, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LifeLabs has been named one of Canadas Best Employers for Diversity in 2022 by Forbes.

This prestigious award was presented by Forbes in partnership with Statista, the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider. The Best Employers for Diversity list recognizes Canadian companies that have demonstrated a significant commitment to a defined strategy to foster and promote diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in their workplace culture, recruitment practices and employee education and training. LifeLabs was listed as #46 out of 150 Canadian companies.

Recipients were selected based on the assessments of approximately 10,000 professionals working for companies employing at least 500 people in their Canadian operations were surveyed to identify Canada's Best Employers for Diversity. The following four criteria were taken into consideration:

Direct recommendations: Employees were asked to give their opinions on a series of statements regarding Age, Gender, Ethnicity, Disability, LGBTQA+ & General Diversity in their current workplace. The recommendations of women, elders, and racially & ethnically diverse individuals were weighted higher than the dominant group.

Indirect Recommendations: Participants were also given the chance to evaluate other employers in their respective industries that stand out either positively or negatively with regard to diversity.

Diversity Among Top Executives/Board and Diversity Engagement Indicators were also part of the evaluation.

To be recognized by Canadians, our employees and peers as an organization that promotes a culture of awareness, respect, and integrity, and that is actively working toward achieving equity, both in our workplaces and the larger communities we serve, is a great honour, shared LifeLabs President and CEO, Charles Brown.

While we have made considerable progress on our journey to be a DEI-informed organization, we know that, through our Stronger Together program, we can and will do more to further our commitment to building an inclusive workplace and healthcare environment for Canadians.

LifeLabs continued investment in a comprehensive DE&I strategy has brought forth valuable programs, initiatives, and leadership that continue to make meaningful impacts and facilitate future development and innovation in this area:

The Stronger Together program has taken significant steps to ensure that equity-deserving individuals can thrive at LifeLabs, and bring their true selves to work, through building systems of support and feedback for team members (such as our Diversity Meter Survey ), educational resources and learning opportunities for our leaders and employees, as well as countless events, policies and practices to promote greater inclusivity, awareness and respect, and embrace the diversity of our teams and communities.

program has taken significant steps to ensure that equity-deserving individuals can thrive at LifeLabs, and bring their true selves to work, through building systems of support and feedback for team members (such as our ), educational resources and learning opportunities for our leaders and employees, as well as countless events, policies and practices to promote greater inclusivity, awareness and respect, and embrace the diversity of our teams and communities. LifeLabs Diversity Equity & Inclusion ( DE&I) Steering Council continues to develop and advance our DE&I strategy and provide guidance and support to leaders across the organization to strengthen our diversity, equity and inclusion practices.

( continues to develop and advance our DE&I strategy and provide guidance and support to leaders across the organization to strengthen our diversity, equity and inclusion practices. Employee Resource Groups, which actively represent a number of equity-deserving demographic groups within LifeLabs, and lend their skills, expertise and lived experiences to creating spaces that enable community building, education and development, and identify career advancement opportunities for those who are under-represented in the workforce. In 2021, our Employee Resource Groups worked to support social activities and virtual events that recognized and celebrated significant dates and holidays, including: National Indigenous History Month, Pride, Jewish High Holy Days, Orange Shirt Day, Womens History Month, Diwali, International Pronouns Day, Transgender Day of Remembrance, and International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

In partnership with leading DE&I organizations, such as the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion, as well as Pride at Work, LifeLabs has invested in educational resources and events on DE&I topics for our employees. These resources, such as our Gender Diversity Education modules, will provide our employees with the knowledge, language, and skills to truly embody our values and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

In keeping with our mission to invest in equity-building initiatives both inside our organization and within our larger communities, LifeLabs has also partnered with Indspire to establish a bursary program to promote educational opportunities in the healthcare sector for Indigenous youth. As Canadas largest community laboratory, we want to lead the way in creating an environment that is accessible and equitable for all employees and customers alike. We recognize and appreciate the diverse experiences of our teams, and the value that brings to building an inclusive environment for our customers. More information about LifeLabs DE&I initiatives can be found at: https://www.lifelabs.com/about-us/diversity-equity-inclusion/. To learn more about this award and to see the complete list of recipients, please visit the Forbes website.

About LifeLabs

LifeLabs is Canadas leading provider of laboratory diagnostic information and digital health connectivity systems, enabling patients and health care practitioners to diagnose, treat, monitor, and prevent disease. We support 20 million patient visits annually and conduct over 100 million laboratory tests through leading edge technologies and our 6,500 talented and dedicated employees. We are a committed innovator in supporting Canadians to live healthier lives, operating Canadas first commercial genetics lab, and the countrys largest online patient portal, with more than 5 million Canadians receiving their results online. LifeLabs has been named one of Canadas Best Employers (2021 and 2022) and Best Employers for Diversity (2022) by Forbes, and recognized for having an award-winning Mental Health Program from Benefits Canada. LifeLabs is 100% Canadian owned by OMERS Infrastructure, the infrastructure investment manager of one of Canadas largest defined benefit pension plans. Learn more at lifelabs.com.
NEW YORK, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLP (Scott+Scott), an international securities and consumer rights litigation firm, is investigating whether certain directors of Zendesk, Inc. (Zendesk) (NYSE: ZEN) breached their fiduciary duties to Zendesks shareholders. If you are a Zendesk shareholder, you may contact attorney Joe Pettigrew for additional information toll-free at 844-818-6982 or jpettigrew@scott-scott.com.



Scott+Scott is investigating whether Zendesks board of directors or executive officers breached their fiduciary duties of loyalty and whether Zendesks shareholders are receiving a fair price for their stock in connection with the proposed sale of Zendesk to a private investor group led by Hellman & Friedman and Permira.

What You Can Do

If you are a Zendesk shareholder, you may have legal claims against Zendesks directors and officers. If you wish to discuss this investigation, or have questions about this notice or your legal rights, please contact attorney Joe Pettigrew toll-free at 844-818-6982 or jpettigrew@scott-scott.com.

About Scott+Scott

Scott+Scott has significant experience in prosecuting major securities, antitrust, and consumer rights actions throughout the United States. The firm represents pension funds, foundations, individuals, and other entities worldwide with offices in New York, London, Amsterdam, Connecticut, California, and Ohio.

Attorney Advertising

CONTACT:

Joe Pettigrew

Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLP

600 W. Broadway, Suite 3300, San Diego, CA 92101

844-818-6982

jpettigrew@scott-scott.com
NEW YORK, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLP (Scott+Scott), a national securities and consumer rights litigation firm, continues to investigate whether certain directors and officers of Abbott Laboratories (Abbott) (NYSE: ABT) breached their fiduciary duties to Abbott and its shareholders. If you are an Abbott shareholder, you are encouraged to contact attorney Joe Pettigrew with Scott+Scott for additional information at (844) 818-6982 or jpettigrew@scott-scott.com.



Scott+Scott is investigating whether members of Abbotts board of directors or senior management failed to manage Abbott in an acceptable manner, in breach of their fiduciary duties to Abbott, and whether Abbott and its shareholders have suffered damages as a result.

On May 16, 2022, the U.S. filed a lawsuit and proposed consent decree against Abbott claiming that Abbott manufactured powdered infant formula under conditions and using practices that failed to comply with regulations designed to ensure the quality and safety of infant formula.

What You Can Do

If you are an Abbott shareholder, you may have legal claims against Abbotts directors and officers. If you wish to discuss this investigation, or have questions about this notice or your legal rights, please contact attorney Joe Pettigrew toll-free at (844) 818-6982 or jpettigrew@scott-scott.com.

About Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLP

Scott+Scott has significant experience in prosecuting major securities, antitrust, and consumer rights actions throughout the United States. The firm represents pension funds, foundations, individuals, and other entities worldwide with offices in New York, London, Amsterdam, Connecticut, California, and Ohio.

Attorney Advertising

CONTACT:

Joe Pettigrew

Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLP

600 W. Broadway, Suite 3300, San Diego, CA 92101

(844) 818-6982

jpettigrew@scott-scott.com
Merida, Mexico, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- During the annual meeting of Parties to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), Oceana claims that two years after the countries signed the treaty, Mexico and the United States have failed to comply with their environmental commitments to protect the oceans, putting marine wildlife, fisheries, and fishers at risk. Under the USMCA, public stakeholders can hold any of the three countries accountable for not effectively enforcing their environmental laws.

According to Oceana, Mexico and the United States have failed to uphold their environmental commitments to protect the oceans, including the fight against illegal fishing, the recovery of overexploited species, and the protection of habitats and marine species, including the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale.

Mariana Aziz, director of Oceana's transparency campaign in Mexico, explained that Mexicos lack of action to combat illegal fishing has already had consequences for the country and its fishers. Mexico has been the subject of several commercial embargoes over the past few years, she said. Mexico is losing access to important international markets because we cannot demonstrate the legal origin of our seafood; this not only affects the national economy but also fishers who depend on these markets.

Mexicos National Commission for Aquaculture and Fisheries (CONAPESCA in Spanish) estimates that more than 40% of seafood could come from illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. In addition, overfishing in Mexico affects 4 out of 10 fish species.

Currently, the United States has a commercial embargo on fish from the Upper Gulf of California. Since February, the United States has prohibited Mexican vessels from the Gulf of Mexico from entering its ports. Last year, from April to October, Mexico lost its certification to export shrimp for failing to meet standards to prevent sea turtle bycatch. Bycatch is the incidental catch of non-target fish and marine wildlife that are caught and often thrown overboard, dead or dying, to avoid counting toward a catch limit.

Oceana is calling on the Mexican government to comply with its obligations regarding fisheries and ocean protection established in the treaty, including that it must 1) approve a traceability standard for fish and shellfish to ensure that the country is not selling products derived from illegal fishing; 2) sign the Port State Measures Agreement; and 3) improve the General Law of Sustainable Fishing and Aquaculture (LGPAS in Spanish) that requires authorities to rebuild overexploited, deteriorated, or collapsing fisheries, especially species that have social importance and that a greater number of people depend on.

North Atlantic right whales

Oceana also says the United States is failing to uphold its environmental laws to protect North Atlantic right whales, which are critically endangered with only around 330 whales remaining. These whales are found along the East Coast of the United States and Canada, and continue to decline in population each year  most recently 8% between 2019 and 2020. The federal government is not fully complying with, implementing, or enforcing several environmental laws to protect North Atlantic right whales from their primary threats of deadly fishing gear entanglements and vessel strikes.

In the fall of 2021, Oceana filed the first-ever complaint, or  Submission on Enforcement Matters , against the U.S. government under the USMCA. Now the Council members for the USMCAs Commission on Environmental Cooperation (CEC) must vote to pursue the formal investigation into U.S. failures to enforce its environmental laws to protect North Atlantic right whales. Should these failures be successfully challenged by Mexico or Canada, the United States could face trade restrictions.

The United States is clearly violating the terms of the USMCA, said Gib Brogan, campaign director at Oceana. The U.S. government cannot require Mexico and Canada to uphold their environmental laws under the USMCA, while failing to enforce its own laws to protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales. Its time to hold the United States accountable  the U.S. must do more to protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales before they disappear forever. Oceana encourages the CEC Council members to vote yes at this meeting to start the investigation into the United States failure to uphold its laws to save North Atlantic right whales from extinction. With only around 330 North Atlantic right whales remaining, the time to act is now.

To learn more about Oceanas campaign to save North Atlantic right whales from extinction, visit https://oceana.org/RightWhaleToSave .

To learn more about Oceanas campaign to fight illegal fishing in Mexico, visit https://mx.oceana.org/reports/mexico-incumple-tmec/ .

Oceana is the largest international advocacy organization dedicated solely to ocean conservation. Oceana is rebuilding abundant and biodiverse oceans by winning science-based policies in countries that control one-third of the worlds wild fish catch. With more than 225 victories that stop overfishing, habitat destruction, pollution, and the killing of threatened species like turtles and sharks, Oceanas campaigns are delivering results. A restored ocean means that 1 billion people can enjoy a healthy seafood meal, every day, forever. Together, we can save the oceans and help feed the world. Visit www.USA.Oceana.org to learn more.

Attachment
Reno, Nevada, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Paul J. Hauptman, M.D., has been named Dean of the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine and Chief Academic Officer for Renown Health.

Dr. Hauptman is a nationally recognized investigator in outcomes assessment in advanced heart failure, the evaluation of cardiac care delivery and clinical trials. Dr. Hauptman currently serves as Dean at the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine-Knoxville and Chief Academic Officer at the University of Tennessee Medical Center. He begins his appointment on Oct. 17, 2022. The selection of Dr. Hauptman came following a nationwide search.

Dr. Hauptman has an impeccable background in all of the areas that we felt were essential in finding our new Dean, University President Brian Sandoval said. He has a passion for and a deep understanding of how we should be training Nevadas next generation of physicians. He has vast experience in administering and delivering clinical programs that can have a profound impact on our local communities. He has incredible credentials in the research arena. He clearly articulated a compelling vision on how he hopes to magnify and grow the educational and research endeavors of our School of Medicine. Equally important, it was very clear that he felt that as we expand upon current educational and research initiatives to enhance our School of Medicines impact, he is committed to working collaboratively across the community in order to meet its greatest needs. On behalf of the entire University, we are excited to have Dr. Hauptman as our new dean. We want to offer Dr. Hauptman and his family a warm welcome to the Wolf Pack Family.

"The appointment of Dr. Paul Hauptman as dean is a great step forward for the Medical School and for Renown Health. His record of leadership, scholarship, scientific expertise and enthusiasm in building academic and clinical excellence, creates an even higher standard for medical education and quality health care in the next decade. In addition to his talent as a physician and professor, Paul brings a deep humanity and commitment to the study and practice of medicine. We are pleased to welcome Dr. Hauptman to Nevada and know he will do much to advance health and health care through world-class medical education, clinical research and patient care for our community and our state, said Thomas R. Graf, M.D., FAAFP, Chief Executive Officer of Renown Health. Dr Graf also serves as Chief Clinical and Quality Officer at Renown, and Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs for University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine.

As Dean and Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Hauptman will support and advance the academic and clinical integration established under the affiliation between UNR Med and Renown Health. This affiliation benefits the community by recruiting top-tier physicians and health care professionals, improving access to and developing new models of innovative care, and investing in clinical research. As pillars of health care in northern Nevada, both organizations provide key services for underserved populations, and collaborate to educate, train and employ the next generation of doctors and health care professionals. Together, they support the health of local and rural communities, the state and the nation.

I am delighted to have this opportunity and honored to lead the School of Medicine and the academic mission of Renown Health for the betterment of our students, trainees, physicians, patients and community-at-large. This is a pivotal time for medical education and the delivery of quality healthcare, and I will be steadfast in ensuring student success and the growth of research that can meaningfully impact patients. I will do my best to build upon the legacy of Dr. Schwenk and look forward to collaborating with President Sandoval, Provost Thompson, and Dr. Graf and the Renown team. I am all in for the silver and blue  and purple!

A first-generation American and college graduate, Dr. Hauptman received his M.D. degree from Cornell University Medical College (now Weill Medical College) and completed his internal medicine training at Brigham and Womens Hospital/Harvard Medical School in Boston and cardiology fellowships at both Mount Sinai Hospital (New York) and Brigham and Womens. Dr. Hauptman was on faculty at Harvard Medical School and an attending physician in the Division of Cardiology at the Brigham (1993-1998) and subsequently served as Director of Heart Failure & Transplant and Assistant Dean of Clinical and Translational Research at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, where he held an adjunct position at the College for Public Health.

He has received research grants from the American Heart Association and National Institutes of Health and has served as a reviewer for the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and as a consultant to the Circulatory System Devices Panel and Medical Device Advisory Committee of the FDA. He also has extensive clinical trial experience as site Principal Investigator and an active member of steering, clinical events and data & safety monitoring committees. He previously worked as the part-time Medical Director of a medical device company (Biocontrol Medical, 2007-2011). After serving as Associate Editor at the European Journal of Heart Failure and Circulation: Heart Failure, he was Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Cardiac Failure for six years (2015-2020). At the University of Tennessee, Dr. Hauptman has been deeply invested in the expansion of research capabilities, faculty development and health equity issues through initiatives such as the Academic Leadership Academy, a Women in Science fund, Disparities Awareness Month and the Advancing Access to Careers in Science Scholars Program.

In recognition of his work as a mentor and patient advocate, Dr. Hauptman was named Teacher of the Year and received the Caring Physician Award from Saint Louis University. His major research interests have involved the assessment of outcomes in advanced heart failure, patient-physician communication and trends in cardiovascular care. He is the author of numerous abstracts, articles, book chapters, consensus guidelines and reviews.

About UNR Med & Renown Health

The University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med), Nevadas first public medical school, is a community-based, research-intensive medical school with a statewide vision for a healthy Nevada. Since 1969, UNR Med has trained more than 3,900 students, residents and fellows. UNR Med continues to improve the health and well-being of all Nevadans and their communities through excellence in student education, postgraduate training and clinical care, research with local, national and global impact and a culture of diversity and inclusion. For more information, visit med.unr.edu.

Renown Health is the regions largest, locally governed, not-for-profit integrated healthcare network serving Nevada, Lake Tahoe and northeast California. With a diverse workforce of more than 7,000 employees, Renown has fostered a longstanding culture of excellence, determination and innovation. The organization comprises a trauma center, two acute care hospitals, a childrens hospital, a rehabilitation hospital, a medical group and urgent care network, and the locally owned not-for-profit insurance company, Hometown Health. Renown is currently enrolling participants in the worlds largest community-based genetic population health study, the Healthy Nevada Project. For more information, visit renown.org .

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Spokane, Washington, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Theodore W. Minah Distinguished Service Award is the highest honor given by the National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) in recognition of an individual's exemplary and enduring contributions to the association and the collegiate foodservice industry.

On Wednesday, July 13, during the NACUFS 2022 National Conference, Orlynn Rosaasen, NACUFS immediate past president, presented the 2022 Theodore W. Minah Distinguished Service Award to Dawn Aubrey, Compass Group, working on the campus of the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.

When I received a phone call from Orlynn Rosaasen, NACUFS immediate past president, I asked him to repeat what he said because I was stunned, overwhelmed, and amazed, stated Dawn during her acceptance speech. I am still overwhelmed. I am still amazed, and I am very honored.

Dawn has over 30 years of experience overseeing multi-million dollar higher education programs and departments in contract-managed and self-operated institutions. For the past 25 years, she has been an active NACUFS member serving in various leadership positions, including the regional membership chair (2020, 2021), co-chair of the NACUFS Collegiate Dining Body of Knowledge Task Force (2018, 2019), co-facilitated the Foodservice Directors Symposium (2020, 2022), and serving as the President of the Association (2016). After her presidency, Dawn served on the nominating committee (2017), executive committee (2017), and the Board of Trustees (2017). She was previously honored by NACUFS with the Richard Lichtenfelt Award (2017).

Dawns work to push NACUFS forward during her presidency, her amenable can-do spirit, and her willingness to share her expertise with members of food service teams throughout the nation were highlighted within her nomination.

In our current climate of supply chain and staffing challenges, it sometimes seems like a miracle when we successfully navigate daily operations, manage expectations, and make strides in pursuit of programmatic excellence. Before me today are the boldest and best miracle workers of our industry, and I am awed and humbled by each of your successes and contributions.

Albert Einstein once said, there are two ways to live  you can live as if nothing is a miracle, or you can live as if everything is a miracle. For me, I choose the latter, Dawn said in closing. It is my sincere hope you join Einstein and myself in the latter and remember, sometimes even a miracle needs a hand.

Previous winners can be found at https://www.nacufs.org/MinahPastWinners.

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Dawn Aubrey

About NACUFS

The National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) was founded in 1958 by a group of college and university foodservice professionals from across the United States. Since its inception, NACUFS has focused on its mission to support and promote excellence in collegiate dining by providing members with the programs and resources they need to excel, from benchmarking and best practices to educational programming and professional networking.

NACUFS institutional members include private colleges to large public universities, and two-year colleges to four-year universities and span the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and beyond. Industry members include food and equipment manufacturers, distributors, brokers, foodservice support companies, councils, boards, trade associations, advisory commissions, and other professional groups. For more information, visit NACUFS.org.

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Deerfield Beach, Fla., July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- JM Family Enterprises, Inc., a privately held company with over $18 billion in revenue and more than 4,700 associates, recently made another significant investment in its growth strategy with the acquisition of Futura Title & Escrow LLC, a family of leading independent title and escrow companies providing superior customer service in the Pacific Northwest.

JM Family is in the business of helping other companies succeed, and our goal is to strategically leverage our strong culture and core competencies to ensure continued success for Futura and its family of companies, said Ron Coombs, president of JM Family Holdings & Services, which supports the execution of the JM Familys growth strategy and acquisition efforts. We welcome Futura and its 700 associates to JM Family and are excited about our future growth together.

Futura was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Boise, Idaho. The company currently has four unique brands serving high-growth real estate markets: Alliance Title & Escrow, AmeriTitle, Pacific Alliance Title, and Kittitas Title and Escrow. Together, they offer single source solutions for title and escrow services on real estate transactions for clients in Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Montana and Wyoming.

Being a part of JM Family Enterprises will allow us to continue our tradition of operating as a privately-owned, independent title agency, said Larry Matney, CEO of Futura Title & Escrow, LLC, who has been with the company since 2000. Our shared values, associate and customer-centric focus, and commitment to our communities makes this an ideal home for the Futura Title companies. JM Family is one of the finest and largest private family-owned businesses in the country, and we are excited to partner with them to continue growing the company within our current footprint and beyond."

Futura, the largest independent title and escrow group in the Pacific Northwest operating 72 branches, is also actively seeking to grow its footprint. Futuras family of companies opened more than 100,000 title orders last year and currently serves 63 counties in the region.

There are many parallels between JM Family and Futura that make this acquisition an excellent fit. Among them are a strong culture and core values, a commitment to results driven by quality and integrity, an entrepreneurial spirit, and a focus on providing an excellent customer experience.

JM Family Holdings is strategically positioned with considerable capital to make long-term investments and acquisitions that will position companies for continued success. Its current focus areas for growth include Franchise Services, Financial Services and Business Services, as well as continued investment in its core auto business. JM Family Holdings will continue to seek additional acquisitions to grow existing platforms and to add more platforms as the company enters new industries, Coombs said.

As a long-term partner, JM Family is invested in its companies, associates, and its communities. Its other companies include Southeast Toyota Distributors, the worlds largest independent distributor of Toyota vehicles; JM&A Group, a company committed to improving automotive dealers performance by offering Finance & Insurance products and services, dealership training and consulting; World Omni Financial Corp. (dba Southeast Toyota Finance), a captive financial services company driven to delivering an exceptional dealership and customer experience for Toyota customers in the Southeast; JM Lexus, one of South Floridas leading Lexus dealers; and Home Franchise Concepts, a multi-brand franchise network consisting of Budget Blinds, Tailored Living featuring PremierGarage, Concrete Craft, AdvantaClean, Kitchen Tune-Up, Bath Tune-Up, Two Maids and Aussie Pet Mobile.

Locke Lord LLP served as the legal advisor and Alvarez & Marsal Transaction Advisory Group served as financial advisor to JM Family. Parr Brown Gee & Loveless served as the legal advisor and Houlihan Lokey served as the exclusive financial advisor to Futura.

About Futura Title & Escrow

Futura Title & Escrow, LLC is the largest independent title and escrow group in the Pacific Northwest. Headquartered in Boise Idaho, Futura is the parent company of Alliance Title & Escrow, LLC; AmeriTitle, LLC; Kittitas Title and Escrow; and Pacific Alliance Title and Escrow. With 72 branch operations serving 63 counties in Idaho, Oregon, and parts of Montana, Washington, and Wyoming, the Futura Title family of companies specializes in a complete range of commercial and residential title and escrow services.

The Futura Title vision is to provide both local and national customers with an outstanding customer experience.

Futura Title, through its 72 branches, focuses on local customers. Futura facilitates this by taking pride in our local communities and staffing our network of convenient locations with trustworthy and knowledgeable professionals. Our staff expertly handles the details in every transaction with fast and friendly service, making our customers needs our top priority. From first-time homebuyers to builder/developer projects, our customers enjoy a level of experience and service that is unsurpassed.

Futura Title, through its centralized platform, focuses on regional and national customers. Futura provides centralized services and a single point of contact for national and regional customers title and escrow transactions. We enhance our customers success by partnering to understand their ever-evolving workflows; providing viable solutions; keeping abreast of housing industry trends; and harnessing top-of-the-line technology.

About JM Family Enterprises, Inc.

JM Family Enterprises, Inc. was founded by automotive legend, Jim Moran in 1968. It is a privately held company with $18 billion in revenue and more than 4,700 associates. Rooted in automotive and united in its strong culture and core values, JM Family is in the business of helping other businesses succeed. As a long-term partner, it is invested in its companies, associates and its communities. Driven by exceptional performance, current subsidiaries are in the automotive, financial services and franchising industries. Its family of companies includes: Southeast Toyota Distributors, the worlds largest independent distributor of Toyota vehicles; JM&A Group, a company committed to improving automotive dealers performance by offering Finance & Insurance products and services, dealership training and consulting; World Omni Financial Corp. (dba Southeast Toyota Finance), a captive financial services company driven to delivering an exceptional dealership and customer experience for Toyota customers in the Southeast; JM Lexus, one of South Floridas leading Lexus dealers; and Home Franchise Concepts, a multi-brand franchise network consisting of Budget Blinds, Tailored Living featuring PremierGarage, Concrete Craft, AdvantaClean, Kitchen Tune-Up, Bath Tune-Up, Two Maids and Aussie Pet Mobile; and Futura Title & Escrow, a family of leading independent title and escrow companies which includes Alliance Title & Escrow, AmeriTitle, Pacific Alliance Title, and Kittitas Title and Escrow.

JM Family has earned various awards for its culture, products and services, including 24 consecutive years on Fortunes 100 Best Companies to Work For list. Interact with JM Family on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

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UNION TOWNSHIP, N.J., July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Elizabethtown Gas will host a Mark Cuban Foundation Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bootcamp for high school students in the Fall of 2022. The No Cost AI Bootcamp in Union Township will be targeted at high school students and will introduce underserved students in grades 9 through 12 to basic AI concepts and skills.



Elizabethtown Gas is one of 20+ host companies selected to host 30 camps across the US in Fall 2022.

The Elizabethtown Gas Bootcamp will be held over four consecutive Saturdays starting on October 22nd and ending on November 12th.

The student and parent application are now open at markcubanai.org/application. Students do not need any prior experience with computer science, programming, or robotics to apply and attend.

Throughout the AI Bootcamp, students will learn what artificial intelligence is and is not, where they already interact with AI in their own lives, and the ethical implications of AI systems including but not limited to TikTok recommendations, smart home assistants, facial recognition, and self-driving cars to name a few.

Students will benefit from volunteer mentor instructors who are knowledgeable about data science and able to help students quickly understand material normally taught at a collegiate level. As part of the 5-hour curriculum, students also get to work in Microsoft Azure, Microsoft's cloud computing platform, each day to build their own AI applications related to Chatbots, Computer Vision, Machine Learning, and Natural Language Processing.

The Mark Cuban Foundation provides the bootcamps curriculum materials, trains volunteer mentors, and recruits and selects local students to attend camp. In addition, the Mark Cuban Foundation and Elizabethtown Gas work together to provide food, transportation, and access to laptops for students at no cost throughout the duration of Bootcamp.

This bootcamp gave me the opportunity to discover the potential that AI has to revolutionize our world, but more importantly, it helped me see that I have a place to make an impact and contribute to that progress. "- Sarah S.

Founded by Mark Cuban in 2019, the AI Bootcamp initiative has hosted free AI bootcamps for students across several US cities, including Dallas, Pasadena, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Atlantic City to name a few. The Mark Cuban Foundation has impacted 450+ students to date and has a goal to have 1,000 students graduate from AI Bootcamps Program in 2023.

Students interested in applying to the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp should do so before Thursday, September 1st, 2022 at markcubanai.org/application. To see our 2022 camp locations and to learn more about the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamps, please visit markcubanai.org/faq.

Contact: Carli Lidiak, Mark Cuban Foundation

Phone: 309-840-0348

Email: carli.lidiak@markcubanai.org
CHICAGO, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- McDonalds USA will host a Mark Cuban Foundation Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bootcamp for high school students in the Fall of 2022. The No Cost AI Bootcamp in Chicago will be offered for high school students and will introduce underserved students in grades 9 through 12 to basic AI concepts and skills.



McDonalds USA is one of 20+ companies selected to host 30 camps across the US in Fall 2022.

The Bootcamp at McDonalds headquarters will be held over four consecutive Saturdays starting on October 22nd and ending on November 12th.

The student and parent applications are now open at markcubanai.org/application. Students do not need any prior experience with computer science, programming, or robotics to apply and attend.

Throughout the AI Bootcamp, students will learn what artificial intelligence is and is not, where they already interact with AI in their own lives, and the ethical implications of AI systems including but not limited to TikTok recommendations, smart home assistants, facial recognition, and self-driving cars to name a few.

Students will benefit from volunteer mentor instructors from McDonalds, who are knowledgeable about data science and able to help students quickly understand material normally taught at a collegiate level. As part of the 5-hour curriculum, students also get to work in Microsoft Azure, Microsoft's cloud computing platform, each day to build their own AI applications related to Chatbots, Computer Vision, Machine Learning, and Natural Language Processing.

The Mark Cuban Foundation provides the bootcamps curriculum materials, trains volunteer mentors, and recruits and selects local students to attend camp. In addition, the Mark Cuban Foundation and McDonalds USA work together to provide food, transportation, and access to laptops for students at no cost throughout the duration of Bootcamp.

The initiative builds on McDonalds long-standing commitment to supporting the advancement of diverse communities by providing professional opportunities for growth and development. In addition to collaborating with organizations like The Mark Cuban Foundation, McDonalds USA offers a variety of scholarships to help alleviate financial barriers to education, fosters community connection through local donations and event partnerships, and provides mental health, wellness and mentoring resources for students across the diverse communities it serves every day.

"This Bootcamp was one of my favorite experiences, and I learned a lot of new things about AI. Thank you to the Mark Cuban AI foundation and the awesome virtual McDonalds camp for the opportunity!" - Harita S., AI Bootcamp Participant, McDonalds 2021

Founded by Mark Cuban in 2019, the AI Bootcamp initiative has hosted free AI bootcamps for students across several US cities, including Dallas, Pasadena, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Atlantic City to name a few. The Mark Cuban Foundation has impacted 450+ students to date and has a goal to have 1,000 students graduate from AI Bootcamps Program in 2023.

Students interested in applying to the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp should do so before Thursday, September 1st, 2022 at markcubanai.org/application. To see our 2022 camp locations and to learn more about the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamps, please visit markcubanai.org/faq.





Contact: Carli Lidiak, Mark Cuban Foundation

Phone: 309-840-0348

Email: carli.lidiak@markcubanai.org
HONOLULU, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Odom Corporation will host a Mark Cuban Foundation Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bootcamp for high school students in the Fall of 2022. The No Cost AI Bootcamp in Honolulu will be targeted at high school students and will introduce underserved students in grades 9 through 12 to basic AI concepts and skills.



The Odom Corporation is one of 20+ host companies selected to host 30 camps across the US in Fall 2022.

The Odom Corporation Bootcamp will be held over four consecutive Saturdays starting on October 22nd and ending on November 12th.

The student and parent application are now open at markcubanai.org/application . Students do not need any prior experience with computer science, programming, or robotics to apply and attend.

Throughout the AI Bootcamp, students will learn what artificial intelligence is and is not, where they already interact with AI in their own lives, and the ethical implications of AI systems including but not limited to TikTok recommendations, smart home assistants, facial recognition, and self-driving cars to name a few.

Students will benefit from volunteer mentor instructors who are knowledgeable about data science and able to help students quickly understand material normally taught at a collegiate level. As part of the 5-hour curriculum, students also get to work in Microsoft Azure, Microsoft's cloud computing platform, each day to build their own AI applications related to Chatbots, Computer Vision, Machine Learning, and Natural Language Processing.

The Mark Cuban Foundation provides the bootcamps curriculum materials, trains volunteer mentors, and recruits and selects local students to attend camp. In addition, the Mark Cuban Foundation and The Odom Corporation work together to provide food, transportation, and access to laptops for students at no cost throughout the duration of Bootcamp.

"This bootcamp gave me the opportunity to discover the potential that AI has to revolutionize our world, but more importantly, it helped me see that I have a place to make an impact and contribute to that progress. "- Sarah S.

Founded by Mark Cuban in 2019, the AI Bootcamp initiative has hosted free AI bootcamps for students across several US cities, including Dallas, Pasadena, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Atlantic City to name a few. The Mark Cuban Foundation has impacted 450+ students to date and has a goal to have 1,000 students graduate from AI Bootcamps Program in 2023.

Students interested in applying to the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp should do so before Thursday, September 1st, 2022 at markcubanai.org/application . To see our 2022 camp locations and to learn more about the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamps, please visit markcubanai.org/faq .

Contact: Carli Lidiak, Mark Cuban Foundation

Phone: 309-840-0348
HELSINKI, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The long-awaited summer festival season is here. After years of lockdowns and social distancing, many are looking to let loose. Yet hot, crowded festivals can be ripe spaces for excessive alcohol use. Karhu  a Finnish beer brand, part of the Carlsberg Group  is this summer providing festival goers with an easy and effortless way to monitor their alcohol consumption on the go. With a built-in lickable alcohol meter in the festival wristband, anyone can monitor their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level at any time.

"Rather than having to bring in and carry around one of those clunky breathalyzers, this wristband normalizes the monitoring of alcohol use and encourages everyone to take part," says Alexander Sneen, Vice President of Marketing at Sinebrychoff, the Finnish beverage company behind Karhu. "The lickalyzer is already there on people's wrists, so they might as well make use of it  for instance while waiting for that next artist to take the stage. It's a good indicator of when to have a glass of water in between or maybe opt for an alcohol-free beer."

The prototype was successfully piloted at Solstice festival in Finland this June and there is now interest in extending its use to other festivals.

"Self-testing has become commonplace in the age of COVID. These festival wristbands make that same self-monitoring convenient and quick. We now track our sleeping and fitness, so why not our alcohol consumption, too?" says Tommi Vaskivuo, Chairman at Promilless, the company behind the new technology.

Promilless' new technology is backed by VTT, the Technical Research Center of Finland, and accurately detects from saliva samples various levels of BAC ranging from zero to 0.02% and 0.05%.

"More careful self-monitoring of alcohol consumption could potentially help festival goers have an even more enjoyable time out and about," says Sneen. "We want to help our consumers pace their drinking, especially when it's hot outside."

The campaign is part of a broader shift from alcohol companies to target a new generation of drinkers who prefer alcohol-free and low-alcohol beers to heavy drinking. "Low-calorie, low-alcohol content drinks are our fastest-growing market and speak to the ways in which consumers today want to experience drinking," says Sneen. "These lickalyzer festival wristbands help everyone have fun."

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Press contact information

Kalle Mattila

kalle@pyry.co

Related Images











Image 1: Karhu Lickalyzer





With a built-in lickable alcohol meter in the festival wristband, anyone can monitor their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level at any time. People now track sleeping and fitness, so why not alcohol consumption, too?









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English French

MONTREAL, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WSP Global Inc. (TSX: WSP) ("WSP" or the "Corporation") will release its 2022 second quarter results on August 8, 2022, after market close. A conference call and webcast will be held on August 9, 2022, at 8:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) to discuss the results.



To participate in the conference call, please dial 1-412-542-4135 or 1-888-243-4451 (toll free). A live webcast of the conference call will also be available at www.wsp.com/investors.

A presentation of the 2022 second quarter results will be accessible on August 8, 2022, after market close on WSPs website at www.wsp.com in the Investors section.

For those unable to attend, a replay will be available within 24 hours following the call.

ABOUT WSP

As one of the worlds leading professional services firms, WSP exists to future-proof our cities and environment. We provide strategic advisory, engineering, and design services to clients in the transportation, infrastructure, environment, building, power, energy, water, mining, and resources sectors. Our 55,000 trusted professionals are united by the common purpose of creating positive, long-lasting impacts on the communities we serve through a culture of innovation, integrity, and inclusion. Sustainability and science permeate our work. WSP derived about half of its $10.3B (CAD) 2021 revenues from clean sources. The Corporation's shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: WSP). To find out more, visit wsp.com

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Alain Michaud

Chief Financial Officer

WSP Global Inc.

Phone: 438-843-7317

alain.michaud@wsp.com
BANFF, Alberta, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Saturday, July 16, Banff Sunshine Village will host its first Barre in the Mountains fitness class in nearly three years. Led by Barre Belle fitness, Barre in the Mountains participants will enjoy an elevated 50-minute workout on Banff Sunshine's Standish Viewing Deck.

"What guests can expect from our Barre in the Mountains class is a heart-pumping workout in nature's most exquisite studio - the Canadian Rockies," says Kristi Stuart, co-founder of Barre Belle Fitness.

Sunshine's Barre in the Mountain classes are a unique way to soak in the beauty of summer in the Canadian Rockies. Held at 8,000 ft above sea level (2400 meters), each class will get your heart pumping as the Canadian Rockies' beautiful scenery will leave you breathless.

Sunshine's Barre in the Mountain is the perfect Saturday morning summer activity. The event is priced at $100 and includes a barre class led by Barre Belle fitness, a summer sightseeing lift tickets, and brunch.

"My girlfriends and I are looking forward to plie-ing in the Rockies at one of the upcoming Barre in the Mountains classes this summer. Barre in the mountains is an inspiring experience that will get you out of your head and into the present moment. For 50 invigorating minutes, you'll enjoy the fresh mountain air and the panoramic mountain views as you engage in a full-body workout," shares Kendra Scurfield, director of Brand and communication at Banff Sunshine Village.

Barre in the Mountains is being held Saturdays this Summer, starting Saturday, July 16. Sign-up is available online at shop.skibanff.com

About Banff Sunshine Village: Banff Sunshine Village is the premier alpine family resort in the Canadian Rockies. The resort is known for its all-natural snow in winter, and its pristine alpine meadows that bloom with wildflowers in summer. The full-service resort is open for summer sightseeing now until September 11th (2022).

For more information about Barre in the Mountains and summer at Banff Sunshine Village, contact Kendra Scurfield at kscurfield@skibanff.com, or call 403-830-7946.

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Image 1: Barre in the Mountains at Banff Sunshine





Participants in an outdoor Barre Class at Sunshine Meadows.









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HOUSTON, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Targa Resources Corp. (NYSE: TRGP) ("Targa" or the "Company") announced its quarterly dividend on common shares with respect to the second quarter of 2022.



Targa announced today that its board of directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.35 per common share, or $1.40 per common share on an annualized basis, for the second quarter of 2022. This cash dividend will be paid August 15, 2022 on all outstanding common shares to holders of record as of the close of business on July 29, 2022.

The Company will report its second quarter 2022 financial results before the market opens for trading on Thursday, August 4, 2022 and will host a live webcast over the internet at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time (10:00 a.m. Central Time) to discuss its 2022 second quarter financial results.

Event Information

Event: Targa Resources Corp. Second Quarter 2022 Earnings Webcast and Presentation

Date: Thursday, August 4, 2022

Time: 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time

Webcast: www.targaresources.com under "Events and Presentations" or directly at https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/f6xgoadz

Replay Information

A webcast replay will be available at the link above approximately two hours after the conclusion of the event. A quarterly earnings supplement presentation and updated investor presentation will also be available under Events and Presentations in the Investors section of the Companys website prior to the start of the conference call, or directly at https://www.targaresources.com/investors/events.

About Targa Resources Corp.

Targa Resources Corp. is a leading provider of midstream services and is one of the largest independent midstream infrastructure companies in North America. The Company owns, operates, acquires and develops a diversified portfolio of complementary domestic midstream infrastructure assets and its operations are critical to the efficient, safe and reliable delivery of energy across the United States and increasingly to the world. The Companys assets connect natural gas and NGLs to domestic and international markets with growing demand for cleaner fuels and feedstocks. The Company is primarily engaged in the business of: gathering, compressing, treating, processing, transporting, and purchasing and selling natural gas; transporting, storing, fractionating, treating, and purchasing and selling NGLs and NGL products, including services to LPG exporters; and gathering, storing, terminaling, and purchasing and selling crude oil.

Targa is a FORTUNE 500 company and is included in the S&P 400.

For more information, please visit the Companys website at www.targaresources.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this release that address activities, events or developments that the Company expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements rely on a number of assumptions concerning future events and are subject to a number of uncertainties, factors and risks, many of which are outside the Companys control, which could cause results to differ materially from those expected by management of the Company. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, weather, political, economic and market conditions, including a decline in the price and market demand for natural gas, natural gas liquids and crude oil, the impact of pandemics such as COVID-19, commodity price volatility due to ongoing conflict in Ukraine, actions by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC oil producing countries, the timing and success of business development efforts, expected benefits relating to the acquisition of Lucid and their impact on the Companys results of operations, and other uncertainties. These and other applicable uncertainties, factors and risks are described more fully in the Companys filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, and any subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. The Company does not undertake an obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Contact the Company's investor relations department by email at InvestorRelations@targaresources.com or by phone at (713) 584-1133.

Sanjay Lad

Vice President, Finance & Investor Relations

Jennifer Kneale

Chief Financial Officer
MINNEAPOLIS, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Energy & Environmental Building Alliance (EEBA) and ecomedes announce the launch of the EEBA ecomedes sustainable building products database. This free online tool is designed to streamline sourcing green materials, allowing users to select products by sustainability attributes, labels, and certifications in real time.

"EEBA is strengthening its commitment to residential sustainability by making this comprehensive online tool available," said Aaron Smith, EEBA CEO and President. Smith explains that this free resource makes it easy to specify environmentally preferable products by supplying product-level data and automating product performance calculations that help customers achieve their sustainability goals.

The EEBA & ecomedes Sustainable Products Database allows builders, architects, engineers, and designers to search and compare products by category, brand, certifications, ecolabels, and performance criteria. Once selected, users can calculate the materials' environmental impacts to evaluate how they help achieve their projects' specific green rating systems, including the US Green Building Councils' LEED programs, the International Living Future Institute's Living Building Challenge, the Department of Energy's Zero Energy Ready Homes program, and more.

Examples of ecolabels listed in the tool include Declare, GreenCircle, Life Cycle Assessment, WaterSense Certified, and Environmental Product Disclosures(EPDs). Users generate a full project evaluation based on products' contributions to environmental goals and third-party standards in a single click.

"Partnering with ecomedes is a key step in helping builders achieve healthy, electric, resilient, and decarbonized homes," said Smith.

Press Contact: Mary Macleod Jones mary@eeba.org

About EEBA

For over 35 years, EEBA has provided the most trusted resources for building science information and education in the construction industry. EEBA delivers turn-key educational resources and events designed to transform residential construction practices through high-performance design, marketing, materials, and technologies. Through our educational events, annual Summit, and various publications and resources, EEBA reaches thousands of key decision makers and other important industry players each year.

About ecomedes, Inc.

ecomedes, Inc. connects buyers and sellers within the built environment through cloud-based software that reduces costs and improves sustainability. Ecomedes, Inc.'s platforms, ecomedes and Mortarr, help institutional and commercial building teams discover, evaluate, and procure optimal building professionals and materials while vetting critical impact factors including energy, water, human health, circularity, and social factors. For manufacturers, these platforms represent a new digital channel for sales and marketing to engage customers in the digital purchase journey. Headquartered in San Francisco, Calif., you can learn more about these platforms at ecomedes.com and mortarr.com.

Related Images











Image 1: The EEBA ecomedes Sustainable Products Database





This free online tool helps builders, architects find and compare green building materials









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CALGARY, Alberta, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Maxim Power Corp. ("MAXIM" or the "Corporation") (TSX: MXG), through a wholly-owned subsidiary, to receive $20 million grant funding (the Grant) for waste heat recovery on the Milner 2 (M2) Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) expansion project, and provides updates on its normal course issuer bid (NCIB) program and senior credit facility.



$20 MILLION GRANT FUNDING

On July 14, 2022, the Corporation, through a wholly-owned subsidiary, has entered into an agreement to receive grant funding in the amount of $20 million. The Corporations CCGT expansion of M2 (the Project) captures waste heat that would otherwise exhaust into the atmosphere and will turn it into useful low carbon electricity for the Alberta power grid. All of the proceeds from the Grant will be used as funding for the Project, which is anticipated to be operational by December 2022.

M2 CCGT PROJECT UPDATE

MAXIM continues to progress on the engineering and construction of the CCGT expansion of M2 and is pleased to report that the Project remains on schedule to achieve commercial operation in December 2022.

At this time, MAXIM forecasts it has sufficient liquidity to complete the CCGT expansion of M2 and will fund the Project using funds from the Grant, cash on hand, cash flow from operating revenues and available funds through the existing senior and subordinated credit facilities, as required.

The CCGT expansion of M2 will reduce the intensity of carbon emissions by more than 60% compared to the legacy coal-fired H.R. Milner facility.

NORMAL COURSE ISSUER BID AND SENIOR CREDIT FACILITY UPDATES

In June 2022, MAXIM amended the terms of its senior credit facility to allow for an increase to its NCIB limitations from $1.0 million to $2.5 million for the 2022 calendar year. Additionally, MAXIM will recommence payments to its $28.5 million Bank Term Facility #1, under the senior credit facility, in the amount of $0.7 million quarterly. The first quarterly payment will occur in August 2022 followed by regular quarterly payments commencing at the end of the third quarter 2022.

About MAXIM

Based in Calgary, Alberta, MAXIM is one of Canadas largest truly independent power producers. MAXIM is now focused entirely on power projects in Alberta. Its core asset  the 204 MW H.R. Milner Plant, M2, in Grande Cache, AB  is a state-of-the-art natural gas-fired power plant that commissioned in Q2, 2020. MAXIM is currently increasing the capacity of M2 to approximately 300 MW and concurrently will realize an improvement in the efficiency of the plant by investing in heat recovery combined cycle technology. In addition, MAXIM continues to explore additional development options in Alberta including its currently permitted gas-fired generation projects and the permitting of its wind power generation project. MAXIM trades on the TSX under the symbol MXG. For more information about MAXIM, visit our website at www.maximpowercorp.com. For further information please contact:

Bob Emmott, President and COO, (403) 263-3021

Kyle Mitton, CFO and Vice President, Corporate Development, (403) 263-3021

This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively "forward looking information") within the meaning of applicable securities laws relating to MAXIM's plans and other aspects of MAXIM's anticipated future operations, management focus, objectives, strategies, financial, operating and production results. Forward-looking information typically uses words such as "anticipate", "believe", "project", "expect", "goal", "plan", "intend", "may", "would", "could" or "will" or similar words suggesting future outcomes, events or performance. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date thereof and are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Specifically, this press release contains forward-looking information concerning, among other things, the expected completion date of the CCGT expansion of M2, emissions intensity, grant funding, senior credit facility payments, and MAXIMs financing plans with respect to the CCGT expansion.

Management has included the forward-looking statements above and a summary of assumptions and risks related to forward-looking statements provided in this press release in order to provide readers with a more complete perspective on MAXIM's future plans and operations and such information may not be appropriate for other purposes.

MAXIM's actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements and, accordingly, no assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits that MAXIM will derive there from. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing lists of factors are not exhaustive. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and MAXIM disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws.
WASHINGTON, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) today announced the release of a new white paper titled, "Improving Osteoporosis Care," with recommendations for improving osteoporosis screening and management. The white paper summarizes findings from a roundtable meeting convened by NCQA and funded by Amgen in January 2022 in which clinicians, osteoporosis researchers, and health plan leaders discussed how to improve osteoporosis care.

By 2040, there will be approximately 80.8 million people ages 65 and older in the U.S. - more than twice as many as in 2000.1 Osteoporosis is characterized by weakening of bone tissue and bone structure. It is the most common metabolic bone disease, affecting about 27% of women 65 years of age and older and about 6% of men 65 and older in the U.S.,2 and its prevalence is expected to increase as the population ages. Screening and treatments for osteoporosis are often underused because of barriers such as: lack of access to screening, confusion about reimbursement policies, fragmented care, and lack of data on racial and ethnic differences in osteoporosis risk and treatment responses.

"Even though osteoporosis is the most common metabolic bone disease, many Americans don't know they have it until they break a bone. That is simply too late. With a rapidly aging population, U.S. health care must do better to support older Americans," said NCQA President Margaret E. O'Kane. "With this white paper, NCQA is proud to share actionable recommendations for improving systems and policies, as well as screening and interventions, which can help reduce care gaps and improve the quality of osteoporosis care."

To improve osteoporosis prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, NCQA sought input from osteoporosis researchers, clinicians who care for patients with osteoporosis, and health plan leaders who direct osteoporosis performance measurement and quality improvement. Their perspectives during the roundtable meeting served as the foundation for a white paper about barriers and ideal care of people with osteoporosis. The solutions the white paper outlines include:

Access to Screening and Treatment : Increasing access to DXA scans through grants and leveraging telemedicine for practices in rural communities.

: Increasing access to DXA scans through grants and leveraging telemedicine for practices in rural communities. Provider Support : Educating providers about osteoporosis-related topics such as: racial and ethnic differences in osteoporosis risk and treatment response, overcoming ageism biases in osteoporosis treatment guidelines, and how to obtain preauthorization for osteoporosis treatments.

: Educating providers about osteoporosis-related topics such as: racial and ethnic differences in osteoporosis risk and treatment response, overcoming ageism biases in osteoporosis treatment guidelines, and how to obtain preauthorization for osteoporosis treatments. Shared Decision-Making: Providing regular patient visits to establish relationships, assess treatment tolerance and adherence, and change medications when needed.

Providing regular patient visits to establish relationships, assess treatment tolerance and adherence, and change medications when needed. Multidisciplinary Team-Based Care: Implementing systems for osteoporosis management after a fracture, which include multidisciplinary teams of pharmacists, geriatricians, geriatric pharmacotherapists, and others.

Implementing systems for osteoporosis management after a fracture, which include multidisciplinary teams of pharmacists, geriatricians, geriatric pharmacotherapists, and others. Incentives: Using performance and quality measures linked to reimbursement to ensure accountability in quality care.

"There is an urgent need to increase screening, diagnosis, and treatment to prevent fragility fractures. This NCQA white paper outlines needed solutions to overcome barriers to quality and equity in osteoporosis care for patients and their caregivers," said Amgen Medical Director, Michele McDermott, M.D.

NCQA acknowledges support from Amgen, which underwrote the Osteoporosis Roundtable and the cost of producing and distributing this report. Although Amgen did not participate in the Roundtable discussion or have a role in writing this report, it shares with NCQA the belief that the future of health care delivery requires greater collaboration among the many diverse health care stakeholders that advocate for improved population health. NCQA thanks Amgen and its staff for sponsoring this project.

About NCQA

NCQA is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA Accredits and Certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA's Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQA's website (ncqa.org) contains information to help consumers, employers and others make informed health care choices. NCQA can also be found at Twitter @ncqa, on Facebook at facebook.com/NCQA.org/ and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/ncqa.

# # #

Media Contact

Theresa Masnik

SHIFT Communications

NCQA@shiftcomm.com

References:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living. 2020 Profile of Older Americans. 2021. Accessed May 2022 at https://acl.gov/sites/default/files/Aging%20and%20Disability%20in%20America/2020ProfileOlderAmericans.Final_.pdf Sarafrazi N, Wambogo EA, Shepherd JA. Osteoporosis or low bone mass in older adults: United States, 2017-2018. NCHS Data Brief. 2021;(405):1-8. PMID: 34029181.

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Christian Horner fears for the French Grand Prix in combination with the enforcement of track limits. Where it already caused record numbers in Austria, it might be even worse at Paul Ricard.

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Violations in Austria

Around 43 laps were cancelled at the Austrian Grand Prix for exceeding track limits and no fewer than four drivers were given a five-second penalty. They had exceeded the track limits no less than four times. However, four drivers remained within the lines throughout the race.

The amount of infringements and penalties handed out came in for criticism from the stewards and race directors. Max Verstappen, for example, called it a joke that so many laps were taken and Lewis Hamilton expressed his dissatisfaction over the board radio in Spielberg.

Read more McLaren sees Vettel as possible Ricciardo replacement'

Concerns for Paul Ricard

Horner is also concerned about the track limits. The Briton also saw the infringements at the Red Bull Ring and argues that the character of the circuit makes it easier for drivers to drive. Motorsport.com that the character of the circuit also invites the drivers to push the limits. However, the Red Bull Racing team boss is even more worried for the French Grand Prix.

''I expect Paul Ricard to be a bigger problem because you can really gain time there. And of course you have hectares of asphalt there, so that also invites you to drive off-track,'' Horner said.

Read more This is how many engine parts the F1 teams have already used in 2022
Masashi Yamamoto said earlier that he does not think Ferrari has turned the tide yet, but he sees an opportunity for the Italian team in one of the upcoming races. That opportunity will not be in France, where the former Honda chief believes Red Bull Racing will have the advantage.

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The former Honda F1 boss, now in an advisory role to Red Bull Racing's engine division, believes Verstappen and Perez have an advantage in France. Part of the reason lies in the altitude at which the circuit is located, some four hundred metres above sea level. Moreover, it is a high-speed track, an area in which Red Bull has proven to be strong this season.

Red Bull at an advantage in France?

"I think France is more in Red Bull's favour, so we can't drop it," he told the Japanese AutosportWeb. "In Hungary, on the other hand, I feel Ferrari will have an advantage because they have better traction at low and medium speeds."

Yamamoto believes Red Bull will have an answer to this as they are keen to finish the two races before the summer break strongly. Whether the French Grand Prix will indeed be Red Bull Racing's weekend remains to be seen, as Ferrari have made strides in keeping up with top speed and Mercedes have also indicated they want to get into the fray.
Prior to the Austrian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen lashed out at the fans involved in the booing in Formula 1. Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff also expressed their disapproval of the fans' behaviour and Daniel Ricciardo has now also had his say on the matter. Autosport.

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Ricciardo says he is not a fan of the boos. He understands that spectators can become overwhelmed by emotions when their favourite driver is harmed by another driver during a Grand Prix, but the Australian says he disapproves of this kind of behaviour.

Ricciardo gives his opinion

Where Ricciardo has more difficulty is in cheering after a crash. In Austria, loud cheers rang out after Hamilton drove his Mercedes car into the wall in Q3 of qualifying. The McLaren driver says: "I think an accident, that falls into a bit of a different kind of territory when... for sure rivalries are great (...). I think in an accident, you wish not to see it."

At the same time, however, the 33-year-old driver from Perth believes that it's difficult to prevent for 100 per cent He says we are dealing with people and supporters often copy each other's behaviour after a few beers. Ricciardo shows understanding for this, but he also thinks that, as an adult, you have to operate more wisely than that, think for yourself and not go along with what, for example, children present do or shout.
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This Policy contains important information about your personal rights to privacy. Please read it carefully to understand how we use your personal data. We may update this Policy from time to time without notice to you, so please check it regularly.

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On Friday 8 July, a few minutes after 5pm local time, Shinzo Abe was pronounced dead. The former PM of Japan, and one of the most influential bourgeois politicians of the last decade, not only in his country but in East Asia generally, was assassinated while making an electoral speech in favour of one of his fellow Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) members.

An outpouring of eulogies and tears erupted from representatives of the ruling classes the world over. Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Boris Johnson, Keir Starmer, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, and many others all put aside their differences and united to express their shock, to condemn the killing, and to laud Abes legacy.

But the real legacy of Mr. Abe is a massive collapse of living standards for the Japanese working class, all the while ensuring that the ruling class continues to enrich itself. He took great care in nurturing the LDP rule he had inherited, making it seemingly one of the most stable bourgeois regimes in the world. All the while he maintained close connections with ultra-nationalists, ultra-traditionalists, the far-right, and even self-avowed fascists.

We shed no tears for this bourgeois gangster. But why was he killed? And what will be the impact of his dramatic event on the political situation in Japan?

A certain religious group

The assassin, Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, had been a former member of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF, equivalent to the navy). While details were and remain sketchy, a line has been circulating in the media that the assassin claimed to not have any issues with Mr Abes politics but with a certain religious group hes been connected to.

Amidst the chaos of the day, damage control in the media was proving particularly difficult. By the evening, most media outlets in the country were heavily promoting the fact of the assassins former JMSDF membership, while only mentioning his comments about his motives in passing. Early on Saturday, some reports were outright omitting reference to a religious group. Another very curious fact that sheds some light on the freedom and independence of the press in Japan was that the Friday special editions of the five largest newspapers: Asahi Shinbun, Mainichi Shinbun, Yomiuri Shinbun, Sankei Shinbun and Nikkei Shinbun, all carried exactly the same headline.

Along with these revelations, a significant number of right-wingers on social media started asking further questions regarding the assassin's identity. A suggestion that the assassin couldnt possibly be a true Japanese led immediately to baseless claims that he must have been a Zainichi Korean. This obvious nationalist smear led the South Korean consulate in Fukuoka to issue a warning regarding possible hate crimes.

But the news was already out. A certain religious group was amongst the most trending searches on Japanese Twitter. Already on Friday, many people expected this was a reference to the Unification Church, commonly referred to as the Moonies (after its founder, Sun Myung Moon), or as they are formally known nowadays, The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. On Saturday evening, Gendai Business confirmed this suspicion.

It all stays in the family

The links between the LDP and the Unification Church begin as early as the 1960s. With the church set up as a rabidly anti-communist entity from day one, and the LDPs very raison d'etre being the destruction of the left and maintaining Japan as a bulwark of US imperialism, this was a very natural relationship.

The Unification Church was set up as a rabidly anti-communist entity from day one / Image: Public Domain

While Sun Myung Moon was establishing the church in South Korea in the 1950s, in Japan the CIA enacted the so-called 1955 system of essentially one-party rule by the LDP. Key to the success of this operation was the participation of former war criminals and yakuza gangsters, released from Sugamo prison in 1948 by the US occupation force.

One of these men was a major war criminal, the architect of brutal exploitation of Manchuria, and a signatory of the declaration of war upon the US and the British Empire: Nobusuke Kishi. Kishi turned out to be one of the most reliable pawns of US imperialism, along with his colleagues Yoshio Kodama and Ryoichi Sasakawa. Upon establishing the LDP he pulled the strings as the partys secretary, until he himself became the PM in 1957. After being forced out of office in 1960 by Anpo protests, he kept calling the shots as an influential grandee of the LDP.

He founded Seiwa Seisaku Kenkyukai, a faction within the party which is today the largest. It continues in the ultra-nationalist and reactionary traditions of its founder. In the 1960s, Kishi also established the partys first strong connections with the Unification Church, giving them a plot of land in Tokyo to establish their Japanese headquarters there. Ever since then, the party and the church functioned in symbiosis, the church supporting the LDP in elections, while obtaining their protection and support in exchange.

Nobusuke Kishi was also grandfather to Shinzo Abe. When the mantle of party leader and PM was passed down to him, he continued the reactionary policies of Seiwa Seisaku Kenkyukai, in particular pushing for the amendment of the 1947 constitution and its Article 9, which forbids Japan from having a proper standing army. He had also made visits to the Yasukuni Shrine where war criminals that werent as lucky as his grandfather are commemorated, and in line with historical revisionism of another arch-reactionary group he belonged to, Nippon Kaigi, he consistently denied Japanese war crimes in China and Korea.

Needless to say, the link with the Unification Church was also maintained under his tenure. It transpired that Yamagamis mother was a member of the church, and had bankrupted herself with donations, leading her son to develop a murderous grudge. Initially he had planned to kill a high-ranking member of the church, but after seeing an opportunity to kill Abe, he took it.

The real legacy of Shinzo Abe

Following his death, the scion of this dynasty of thugs and gangsters is celebrated as a knight of democracy in shining armour. The assassination is being painted as an act of terror against democracy. Among people eulogising Mr Abe are such fellow democrats as Jair Bolsonaro, Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and Nahendra Modi. The latter two were particularly close to Mr Abe.

Overwork and homelessness are part of Shinzo Abe's legacy / Image:  

In line with his predecessor, Abes rule ensured freedom for the bosses and tyranny for the working class. He gained global fame through his Abenomics: a programme of throwing money at the zaibatsu (big business conglomerates) and filling the pockets of the board directors and shareholders. In theory, this was then supposed to trickle-down into the hands of the commoners.

Just like in the US under Ronald Reagan, exactly the opposite happened. Rather than the whole of society getting richer, ordinary working-class people in Japan were subjected to a terrible squeeze on their living situation and notoriously brutal working conditions. 209,901 people committed suicide under Abes rule from 2012 to 2020, 19,035 for work-related reasons. These are, of course, only the official statistics.

The government annually compensates around 200 cases of karoshi  deaths due to overwork: cardiac failures or brain haemorrhages. But this, like many other statistics held by the Japanese government, is a doctored number. It doesnt include non-regular workers, the most downtrodden layer of the Japanese working class: the part-timers, agency workers, self-employed contractors, etc. These amount to 20.77 million people, out of the total labour force of approximately 68.6 million. This means that 30 percent of the real workforce is not included in these national statistics. Campaigners fighting against overwork estimate work-related deaths to be closer to 10,000 a year.

Another example of doctoring is the number of homelessness in Japan. Officially, the government claims there are fewer than 4,000 homeless people in the entire country. But the methodology for obtaining such data collection is truly remarkable. This number is collected in the form of a survey, where clerks are given a clipboard and a pencil and sent out to parks and passageways where homeless people congregate, and count how many they can spot.

In a country where begging is a crime and social stigmatisation is ever present, a considerable amount of homelessness is hidden. There are thousands of people in Japan without a permanent address, many of them so-called cyber-homeless who, unable to pay the monthly rent of a regular flat, resort to renting out cubicles in cyber-cafes. The scale of this phenomenon far exceeds the official numbers on homelessness. There are an estimated 4,000 cyber-homeless in Tokyo alone.

This is the real legacy of Shinzo Abe. Hundreds of thousands of precarious workers, not knowing if they will be called to work tomorrow or not, stashed away from the sight of society in two square metre cubicles. Sat in front of a computer screen every night, they sedate themselves with alcohol in order to sleep, until one day they cant take it any longer. This nightmare extends even to the more affluent layers, who are not free from the stress of overwork, which they must commit to if they dont want to end up without a home and regular employment.

All the while, the wealthy shacho laugh in their mansions, sipping iced champagne from crystal glasses, splurging millions of yen on a whim on Patek Philippe watches or Baccarat, driving their Alfa Romeos, Ferraris, Jaguars and Maseratis.

Average wealth across all households fell by 3.5 percent in 2014-2019, a mere 1,267,000 households own 299 trillion in net financial assets. That's 2.36 percent of total Japanese households owning 19.42 percent of total household wealth. Within this, 84,000 households hold 84 trillion, making that a proportion of 5.45 percent of the total being owned by a tiny 0.15 percent. Thats while both the average household net wealth and net adjusted disposable income are lower than the OECD average. This is especially criminal for such a wealthy and advanced society.

Unsympathetic vote

While the assassin claimed his individual motives werent political, the fact that people like him are driven to such desperate acts is indirectly a result of Abes social policies. This historical accident is an expression of immense contradictions, upon which the Iron Triangle of the LDP, keiretsu (the network of the biggest Japanese companies), and the state bureaucracy has based itself on.

Mayor of Nagasaki Itcho Ito was shot in 2007, showing political violence is not as uncommon as some Western media claim / Image: Marine Blue

Political assassinations and political violence in general arent as uncommon as some Western media outlets suggest. For instance, the Mayor of Nagasaki, Itcho Ito, was shot in 2007, and Finance Ministry official Toshio Akagi was driven to suicide in one of Abes corruption scandals. But it goes without saying that the assasination of such a prominent public figure will signify a tectonic shift in Japanese politics.

The most immediate result, which everyone was expecting, was a surge in support for the LDP in last Sundays Upper House elections, similar to that when Masayoshi Ohira died of a heart attack during the election campaign in 1980. Looking at the numbers, while there is some evidence of that happening, it is nowhere as large a sympathy vote as the one that the LDP received in 1980.

The voter turnout was just 52.05 percent, and while an improvement on 2019s 48.8 percent, it still shows an enormous disconnect between bourgeois politics and the masses. According to Kyodo exit polls, 21.9 percent of the unaffiliated voters voted for the LDP, which while reasonably large is less than you might expect given the dramatic death of the most important LDP figure in living memory, just two days before.

In another survey published by Kyodo on Tuesday, 62.5 percent of voters said their votes were not swayed by Abes assassination, while only 15.1 percent said they were. While 58.4 percent said they dont think revising the constitution should be a priority, 37.5 percent said it ought to be, pointing to a potential growth of polarisation between these two groups. Unsurprisingly the main issue the voters were concerned with was dealing with the economic situation and the rising cost of living, at 42.6 percent.

What next for the LDP?

The LDP nevertheless gained a modest amount of seats in the House of Councillors, and together with their long-standing coalition partners Komeito obtained a healthy simple majority. Moreover, together with two other pro-constitutional change parties (the Democratic Party for the People, and Nippon Ishin no Kai), they are in place to begin the constitutional amendment of Article 9, having a two-thirds majority altogether. This creates a path for the remilitarisation of the country.

Abes death is a gift for current PM Fumio Kishida, who openly opposed him / Image:  Wikimedia Commons

The opposition parties are almost not worth mentioning. The main opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, yet again lost seats. The CDPJ is not offering anything different from the LDP, the only difference being the question of the constitution change. The Japanese Communist Party also lost seats, with their stale, bureaucratic banner yet again failing to attract any attention from the masses.

Despite the LDP remaining firmly in power, this does not mean a period of peace and tranquillity will follow. Even before Abes assassination, significant tensions were emerging between the current PM Fumio Kishida and Abe. While Abe still wielded an enormous amount of influence within the party, Kishida came from the rival Kochikai faction.

Kochikai, traditionally representing the little bureaucrat and petty-bourgeois, is probably the most moderate faction of the LDP. One of the main sticking points between Kishida and Abe was that of the constitutional change. Kochikai traditionally favours the pacifist clause in the constitution, while trying to rely more on US imperialism. When the Ukraine invasion began this year and Abe was throwing around the idea of having US nuclear weapons stationed in Japan, effectively breaking with the country's strict non-nuclear policy, Kishida went openly against him in the parliament and called the idea outright unacceptable.

Abes death is a gift for Kishida. With Seiwa Seisaku Kenkyukai now running around headless, with seemingly no one to replace the experienced figurehead, Kishida now has an opportunity he couldnt have imagined only weeks ago. That being said, it does not mean he is free to act as he pleases. Abes faction is still the largest force in the party, and Kishida is still affiliated to the ultra-reactionary Nippon Kaigi, which extended its sickening influence under Abes rule. Nobusuke Kishis arch-rightwing dynasty didnt die with Abe either. Nobuo Kishi, Abes younger brother, is in charge of the Ministry of Defence.

Kishida will need to play his cards slowly, and publicly support the constitutional revision and some other policies of the ultra-right even if he doesnt fully support them. He may attempt to stall or slow down the process of introducing these changes, but if he makes any more sudden moves, he may be risking his life, both politically and literally, as the right wing wont stop at anything to fulfil their aims.

He will also be under pressure from US imperialism. On paper, Kochikais policies may seem extremely favourable for Washington, as preservation of the pacifist constitution comes paired with increased reliance on the US for security. However, US imperialism is in a state of relative decline and contending with rising powers, particularly China. Despite remaining the most powerful force on the planet, with the increase of tensions globally and in East Asia, Washington wants Japan to field its own army to make sure US forces can be used elsewhere if needed.

Down with capitalism: old and new. Fight for socialism!

One of Kishidas flagship policies is that of New Capitalism. An outright rejection of Abenomics, it is supposedly aimed at redistributing wealth more equally throughout society. How Kisihda expects to achieve this is a mystery, as his plans, when revealed in May, met with severe backlash from financial capital, which is allergic to any increases in taxes. The plans were also criticised by the right wing of the party, leading to the final plan released in early June being nothing more than a bunch of empty rhetoric about creating a virtuous cycle of growth and distribution, with no concrete proposals.

Nevertheless Kishida will try to use this slogan to try and gain some popular support for his government. Japanese workers may initially express some limited support for the idea, considering how dire their position is at the moment under old capitalism. But it is a completely empty slogan with not even the weakest reforms proposed, utterly impotent to deal with the historic crisis wracking world capitalism. Kishidas rule will only lead to the further growth of disillusionment and discontent.

At the end of the day, the only way out for the Japanese working class is the same as for the working class in all countries of the world: break with capitalism, smash the structures of the state, and establish a truly democratic socialist society under the control of the working class. This is a solution that no one in Japan is currently proposing.

The events of the past week show however the increasing instability of the situation in the country. Having been exposed to the pernicious role of the capitalist-owned mass media, the dynastic sham of so-called democracy, and the disgusting connections of this regime with the fascists and rabid anti-communists, many Japanese people will undergo a change in consciousness.

The Japanese working class needs an organisation that will pick up the banner of communist revolution and take it to its final conclusion. The JCP has long ago forsaken this role in favour of reformism and bureaucratism. In the event of a revolutionary situation, they would at best paralyse the movement, stifle it, and help to make sure it dissipates. Thus, there is a pressing need for the most advanced workers to push these old careerists aside, and show the way forwards. This requires an organisation, which cannot be built overnight, but the task of building it must start now.

If you agree with our ideas, analysis, and programme, we invite you to join the ranks of the International Marxist Tendency.
In a global online reveal, Hyundai Motor Company launched its IONIQ 6 Electrified Streamlinerthe latest model in the brands IONIQ all-electric lineup. IONIQ 6 delivers an estimated all-electric range of more than 610 km (379 miles), according to Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) standard, as well as ultra-fast, 400V/800V multi-charging capability made possible by Hyundai Motor Groups Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP).





The IONIQ 6 battery pack is essentially the same as that in the IONIQ 5, but features some packaging improvements and energy efficiency enhancements that contribute to the IONIQ 6 having approximately up to 100 km more range than the IONIQ 5.

IONIQ 6 is available with a range of drive motors and battery packs. The long-range 77.4kWh battery can be mated with two electric motor layouts, either rear-wheel-drive (RWD) or all-wheel-drive (AWD). The top-of-the-line dual motor setup is an AWD option producing a combined power output of 239 kW and 605 Nm of torque. This configuration can go from 0 km/h to 100 km/h in 5.1 seconds.





The energy consumption of the 53kWh standard battery with 18-inch tire and RWD motor option is estimated to be less than 14 kWh/100 km, according to WLTP. This makes IONIQ 6 one of the most energy-efficient vehicles in the market.

IONIQ 6s E-GMP architecture can support both 400V and 800V charging infrastructures, with 800-V charging as standard; it can accommodate 400V charging without the need for additional components or adapters. With a 350kW charger, IONIQ 6 can charge from 10 percent to 80 percent in 18 minutes.





The IONIQ 6 takes advantage of E-GMP to provide an extremely long, 2,950-mm wheelbase, supported by a choice of 20-inch or 18-inch wheels. With an overall length of 4,855 mm, IONIQ 6s 1,880-mm width and 1,495-mm height give it a distinctively sleek and stylish appearance.

IONIQ 6s personalized driving experience is further enhanced by the EV Performance Tune-up system, which allows the driver to adjust steering effort, motor power, accelerator pedal sensitivity and driveline mode freely. Drivers can create a variety of different combinations with just a few button clicks to meet their individual needs.

IONIQ 6, like IONIQ 5 before it, provides a vehicle-to-load (V2L) function that allows customers to charge any electric devicesideal for powering necessities during a power outage, camping or outdoor projects. V2L is enabled using an available accessory adaptor and goes into the outside charging port. In addition to the outside power outlet, there is a second outlet underneath the back row seat for charging laptops, phones and other devices.

IONIQ 6s modular touchscreen dashboard integrates a 12-inch full-touch infotainment display and 12-inch digital cluster that houses advanced technologies for an enhanced digital user experience that can be customized to meet their needs.

IONIQ 6s infotainment system provides real-time travel radius mapping based on the current state of charge. The systems connected car services also help search and plan the best route to include a charging station along the way.

IONIQ 6 is equipped with the next level of Hyundai SmartSense, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems.

Highway Driving Assist 2 (HDA 2) helps to maintain a set distance and speed from the vehicle ahead when driving on a highway and helps to center the vehicle in the lane while driving, even though a curve. In case the vehicle on the side is driving very close, it assists to adjust the vehicle's path, not to be in danger. If driving above a certain speed, holding the steering wheel, and operating the turn signal switch automatically changes the lane in the indicated direction.

Smart Cruise Control (SCC) helps to maintain distance from the vehicle ahead and drive at a speed set by the driver by reflecting the learned driving style of the driver. When SCC is inactive, the function learns the driver's driving style. When SCC is activated, the function stops learning and drives automatically by mimicking the learned driving style.

Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) helps to avoid collisions with objects in front of the vehicle while driving. If a preceding vehicle suddenly slows, or if a forward-collision risk is detected, such as a stopped vehicle or a pedestrian, it provides a warning. After the warning, if the risk of collision remains, it can assist with emergency braking. While driving, if there is a risk of collision with a cyclist ahead, or with an oncoming vehicle while turning at an intersection, it can help assist with emergency braking.

The SEL and Limited trims includes enhanced functions of Junction Crossing , Lane-Changing Oncoming and Lane-Changing Side along with Evasive Steering Assist . While driving through an intersection if there is a risk of collision with oncoming vehicles from the left or right, it automatically assists with emergency braking. When changing lanes while driving, if there is a risk of collision with an oncoming vehicle in the next lane or a preceding vehicle in the next lane, it automatically assists with avoidance steering. And while driving, if there is a risk of collision with a pedestrian, partially in the vehicle's intended path, it automatically assists with avoidance steering.

Other semi-autonomous driving features include Intelligent Speed Limit Assist (ISLA), which adjusts vehicle speed to match the speed limit, and High Beam Assist (HBA), which can help switch high beam lights on and off at night for approaching vehicles in the opposite oncoming lane.

IONIQ 6 has several driver attention-related functions. Driver Attention Warning (DAW) analyzes the drivers attention while driving and warns when necessary. It provides a warning when signs of driver inattentiveness are detected, and recommends a rest if needed. During a stop, the driver is alerted if the leading vehicle departs.

Several functions work in tandem to help avoid collisions in a variety of driving situations. Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA) helps avoid collisions at the rear side of the vehicle when changing lanes. When operating the turn signal to change lanes, if there is a risk of collision detected with a rear-side vehicle, it can provide a warning. If exiting a parallel parking spot and there is a risk of collision detected with a rear-side vehicle, it can assist with emergency braking.

Another function, Blind-Spot View Monitor (BVM), displays video of the blind-spot view for a safe lane change. When operating the turn signal switch, it displays video of the blind-spot view for the direction indicated.

IONIQ 6 also assures the safety of backseat passengers with Safe Exit Warning (SEW), which provides a warning when a vehicle is approaching from the rear-side while getting out of the vehicle. When the occupant opens the door to exit the vehicle after a stop, if an approaching vehicle from the rear side is detected, it provides a warning.

A variety of Parking Convenience features make parking in a variety of circumstances easier than before. Remote Smart Parking Assist 2 (RSPA 2) helps remotely park or it helps remotely exit a parking spot from outside the vehicle by Remote Operation. This feature works for parallel, perpendicular, and even diagonal parking.

Surround View Monitor (SVM) displays video of the situation around the vehicle for safe parking. Forward/Side/Reverse Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist (PCA) helps avoid collisions with pedestrians and objects around the vehicle while parking or exiting. If there is a risk of collision with pedestrians or objects while parking and exiting, it provides a warning. After the warning, if the risk of collision increases, it automatically assists with emergency braking.

Similarly, Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (RCCA) helps avoid collisions with oncoming vehicles on the left or right side of the vehicle while reversing. If there is a risk of collision with an oncoming vehicle on the left or right side while reversing, it provides a warning. After the warning, if the risk of collision increases, it automatically assists with emergency braking.

IONIQ 6 is Hyundai brands first model to offer the Over-the-Air (OTA) Software Update feature for various controllers. This technology allows drivers to upgrade the vehicles controllers for electric devices, autonomous driving, battery, and more, to provide a safer and more convenient driving experience. Drivers can also update maps and media software with the OTA function.

IONIQ 6 is slated to begin production in the third quarter of 2022. The market launch schedule will be announced later.
Panasonic Energy Co., Ltd., a Panasonic Group company, and Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly jointly announced that the state of Kansas has approved an Attracting Powerful Economic Expansion (APEX) state incentive application submitted by Panasonic Energy Co., Ltd. The agreement would make the state the location for a proposed US-based lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility, pending approval by Panasonic Holdings Corporation Board of Directors.

APEX is an incentive program established by the State of Kansas to attract investment in the state, available to qualified companies within specific industry sectors that agree to invest at least $1.0 billion.

Panasonic Energy plans to develop the project at a property in Kansas, which is expected to drive significant economic activity and opportunities for the local economy and could create up to 4,000 new jobs and result in an investment of approximately $4 billion. The company has identified a site in De Soto, Kansas for this potential project.

De Soto is a city in Johnson and Leavenworth counties and part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 6,118.

With the increased electrification of the automotive market, expanding battery production in the US is critical to help meet demand. Given our leading technology and depth of experience, we aim to continue driving growth of the lithium-ion battery industry and accelerating towards a net-zero emissions future. Kazuo Tadanobu, President, CEO of Panasonic Energy Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Energy plans to expand its production of EV batteries, as the automotive industry shifts to more sustainable electric technologies. The company has contributed to achieving greater efficiency and economies of scale necessary to drive this transformation.

The announcement comes five years after Panasonic Group began production of lithium-ion batteries at Panasonic Energy of North America (PENA) in Sparks, Nevada for Tesla. PENA is now one of the worlds largest lithium-ion battery factories, surpassing six billion EV battery cells shipped. While PENAs operations in Sparks, Nevada will continue, the new facility in Kansas is intended to further support Panasonics long-term commitment to advancing the EV industry in the US.
Rio Tinto is investing US$188 million to increase the production capacity for low-carbon, high value aluminum billets at its Alma smelter in Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec by 202,000 metric tonnes.

The Saguenay  Lac-Saint-Jean region in Canada is an important hub for Rio Tintos aluminum business, responsible for close to half of its global aluminum production. The operations in the area include an alumina refinery, four wholly owned smelters, six hydropower plants, the Arvida Research and Development Centre (ARDC), the Aluminum Operational Center, a rail network and one port.

The refinery and smelters are powered entirely by hydropower.

The existing casting center at Rio Tintos Alma plant will be expanded to accommodate new equipment, including a casting pit and furnaces, allowing a larger portion of the aluminum produced to be converted to higher value billets. Construction will begin in May 2023, after completing detailed engineering and preliminary work, and commissioning is expected in the first quarter of 2025.

Global demand for aluminum extrusion products is expected to grow at an average of about 3% per year over the next ten years, driven by the energy transition and decarbonization.

The investment will strengthen the supply chain in North America and allow Rio Tinto to be more agile and flexible to support the critical growth of North American manufacturers for a variety of high value-added products, primarily in the automotive and construction industries.

Aluminium billets are extruded through a die and the resulting profiles are used to make various products such as bumpers and roof rails for cars as well as doors and window frames.

The investment is expected to generate nearly US$160 million in economic benefits for Quebec. The project will create around 40 new permanent jobs and help to support the 770 existing jobs at the Alma plant.
The Metals Company (TMC) announced that its Australian subsidiary, The Metals Company Australia Pty Ltd., has entered into a research funding agreement with a consortium of institutions led by Australias Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) to create a framework for the development of an ecosystem-based management and monitoring plan (EMMP) for its proposed deep-sea polymetallic nodule collection operations in the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) of the Pacific Ocean.

The CSIRO-led consortium, which includes global leaders in the development and application of effective EMMPs in a diversity of marine areas, will leverage TMCs extensive environmental baseline dataacquired in the companys NORI project area in the CCZto help develop appropriate indicators and tolerance limits to create safe parameters for collecting seafloor nodules.

The work will form the scientific foundation of TMCs future Adaptive Management System (AMS), a predictive system that will use environmental and operational data to enable the company to mitigate operational impacts in the deep-sea environment as much as possible. A core component of this system will be the Digital Twin, which is expected to provide robust scenario testing of seafloor mine plans, monitoring of nodule collection operations and a dynamic dashboard for review by stakeholders.

Last year our subsidiary, NORI, completed environmental baseline studies in partnership with leading marine research institutions. Weve now got one of the worlds most extensive deep-sea datasets to hand over to the CSIRO-led consortium, experts with the practical experience we need to develop a scientifically robust framework for a marine ecosystem-based management program for NORI-D. Im thrilled that these trusted and independent institutions have agreed to undertake this research, setting a high bar for future work in this industry. Gerard Barron, Chairman and CEO of The Metals Company





Ongoing testing of Pilot Collection System before planned upgrade to Project Zero System. Source: TMC.

The Metals Company has invested significant resources in its deep-sea environmental baseline program, and in November 2021 the company entered into an agreement with Kongsberg Digital to develop a Digital Twin. As TMC prepares for pilot nodule collector system trials in the CCZ later this year, the CSIRO-led research project will propel the development of a management plan focused on the cumulative impacts of collecting nodules at a regional scale within the CCZ to enable TMC to operate within safe ecological limits.





Source: TMC

The company expects to employ the science-based framework developed by the CSIRO-led consortium in the Adaptive Management Systemwhich will also draw on expert opinion and machine lear#ning to improve operational efficiencies and reduce the uncertainty of environmental impacts over timeahead of planned commercial operations expected to commence in 2024.

The Metals Company is an explorer of lower-impact battery metals from seafloor polymetallic nodules, on a dual mission: (1) supply metals for the clean energy transition with the least possible negative environmental and social impact and (2) accelerate the transition to a circular metal economy. The company through its subsidiaries holds exploration and commercial rights to three polymetallic nodule contract areas in the Clarion Clipperton Zone of the Pacific Ocean regulated by the International Seabed Authority and sponsored by the governments of Nauru, Kiribati and the Kingdom of Tonga.

Deep sea mining remains controversial. In 2021, the BMW Group, Volvo Group and other companies launched an initiative as a precautionary measure not to use deep-ocean minerals or finance deep-sea mining until comprehensive scientific research into the impact of deep-sea mining can be conducted and the consequences for the environment are clearly assessed. (Earlier post.)

The California Seabed Mining Prevention Act is wending its way through the legislature (earlier post), and the Federated States of Micronesia is joining Samoa, Fiji and Palau in calling for a moratorium on deep-sea mining. However, Nauru, Tonga, Kiribati and Cook Islands have already sponsored mining projects.

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is expected to release regulations for deep-sea mining in June 2023. (Earlier post.)
Abilities Without Boundaries / Contributed photo

PROSPECT  The Abilities Without Boundaries Travlin Band is making its first public appearance in two years on July 17.

Members include adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, led by their teacher, Cheshire musician John Ingrassia. The bands last public performance was March 7, 2020, at the Cheshire Library.
Tyler Sizemore / Hearst Connecticut Media

GREENWICH  One of the most anticipated events of the year, the outdoor Sidewalk Sales, began on Thursday, with shoppers on the hunt for bargains filling the streets of downtown Greenwich.

Presented by the Greenwich Chamber of Commerce, dozens of businesses took part, displaying goods outside on the sidewalks at heavily marked-down prices.
July is the time when young bats in Connecticut try out their wings, sometimes flapping into homes and freaking people out.

Theyre just not very good at being bats yet and they get easily confused, state wildlife biologist and bat specialist Devaughn Fraser said.

No need to panic, Fraser said. Open a window, dim the lights and the bewildered baby bat eventually will fly out. More importantly, Fraser and other state biologists say they want to hear about bat sightings to gauge effects of a disease and other threats that have slashed bat numbers in Connecticut.

The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protections wildlife division asks people who see bats roosting in their houses, barns and other outbuildings to complete a form and send it in, along with any photographs.

The reports help biologists understand how bats are faring, particularly amid the ravages of white-nose syndrome, a fungus that has killed millions of the flying mammals in Connecticut and other states since 2006. The disease has affected six of Connecticuts nine bat species  little brown, big brown, tri-colored, northern long-eared, eastern small-footed and Indiana.

The irritating fungus grows on the hibernating animals muzzles and wings, waking them from their winter sleep and forcing the animals to burn fat stores, which ultimately kills them. Northern long-eared bats have proved especially susceptible, and their population in the state has sunk by almost 100 percent. Little brown and tri-colored bats also have been hard hit.

Fraser said this summer and likely next year as well she will be doing intensive audio monitoring to try and detect northern long-eared bats. White-nose syndrome is not going away anytime soon, she said, but bats are developing resistance to the disease.

Still, since most female bats bear only one pup each year, a rebound in the population will take a long time, Fraser said. And the disease is not the only threat Connecticuts bats face. Climate change and the related loss of the animals insect prey also are cause for concern, Fraser said.

Bats benefit people by eating night flying insects. A single colony of big brown bats can devour about 1.3 million insects in a year  about 9,000 insects per bat. The value to U.S. agriculture averages $22.9 billion annually.

Bats shelter in quarries, mines, aqueducts, barns and other buildings, and caves. Since 2017, DEEP has worked to secure cave and mine entrances with barriers that allow bats passage while preventing human access.

Jesse.Leavenworth@hearstmediact.com
Rain showers mixed with thunderstorms could impact Connecticut late Thursday morning and early afternoon, the National Weather Service said.

The weather services Albany office said in a bulletin early Thursday for Litchfield County that a few of the storms may produce strong gusty winds.

So far no watches or warnings have been issued for Connecticut.

Theres a 20 percent chance of rain with isolated thunderstorms starting around 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the weather service said.

The morning will see temperatures in the 60s to mid-70s, rising into the 80s to low-90s later in the day. Skies should remain partly cloudy.

Thursdays showers are needed in much of the state. Central and eastern regions of Connecticut are in moderate drought or abnormally dry conditions, according to the U.S. drought monitor, potentially impacting crops, landscaping and other vegetation.
Today Google has released the fourth and final beta of Android 13. The official release is next, and the company says we are now "just a few weeks away" from when that hits supported Pixel devices.

The fourth beta of Android 13 is meant for app developers to be able to perform final testing and development with the new release in mind. This build is actually a release candidate of Android 13 for Pixel devices and the Android Emulator.

Since Platform Stability was reached with the previous beta, all app surfaces have been final since then, including SDK and NDK APIs, app-facing system behaviors, and restrictions on non-SDK interfaces. Beta 4 / the Release Candidate going out today comes with fixes for previously reported issues, and should be the most stable pre-release version of the software.

Android 13 comes with new privacy features like a notification permission and a revamped photo picker, themed app icons, per-app language support, HDR video, Bluetooth LE Audio, and support for MIDI 2.0 over USB. There are also better tools for app developers to take advantage of tablets and large screen devices, extending upon what was built into Android 12L.

If your Pixel is already enrolled in Google's public beta program, you should receive this new build as an over-the-air update in the following hours or the next few days. If you want to try out this build, you can do so by enrolling into the program here - once that's done, the new release will be delivered to you in the same way as any other update.

Source
Yesterday Samsung officially announced the upcoming One UI Watch 4.5 release, which will be available in the third quarter of this year (before the end of September) for the Galaxy Watch4 and Watch4 Classic as well as ship on the new Galaxy Watch5 family when that launches.

An announcement like that is not out of the ordinary in itself, but it is kind of odd that it came right in the middle of Samsung's public beta testing program for that software. This has been going on for a few weeks now, and today those who are part of the beta have received a new build on their smartwatches.

One UI Watch 4.5 Beta 4 arrived as firmware version ZVG3, with a lot of bug fixes - including force close issues, connection mismatches between the Galaxy Wearable app and the watch, Sysui crashes, and more. The Watch face function, the sleeping mode function, and the Message app have been "stabilized", while the Watch Battery app has been "improved" in unknown ways. Samsung's changelog also assures us that "other improvements are applied" without going into any more details.

The new build is live in both South Korea and the US, where the beta testing program has been operational. With this round of bug fixes, hopefully Samsung is getting closer to a stable release.

Source
Marianas Visitors Authority Board Chairwoman Viola Alepuyo led the Marianas delegation in a meeting in Tokyo on July 6, 2022, with President Tadashi Shimura of the Japan Association of Travel Agents. The MVA was in Japan to meet with key travel partners in anticipation of direct flight services between Tokyo and Saipan beginning Sept. 1, 2022. From left: Priscilla M. Iakopo, MVA managing director; Masaru Sunaga, Japan Tourism Resumption Investment Plan chairman; Ivan Quichocho, TRIP Chairman; Gloria Cavanagh, MVA Board vice chairwoman; Alepuyo; Shimura; Masahiko Inada, JATA director of outbound travel promotion division; Shoji Komoda, JATA deputy general manager of outbound travel promotion division; Kyoko Okabe, MVA Japan sales manager; and Takashi Ichikura, MVA Japan in-country manager.
A friendship fostered while working at a Japanese restaurant in college led Steve Kasperbauer to an unlikely relationship with former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated over the weekend.

The local businessman told the Rotary Club of Guam on Thursday that he first met Abe over 30 years ago, decades before he became the longest-serving leader of Japan.

The connection formed when Kasperbauer was working at a donburi restaurant while attending Arizona State University and studying Japanese on the side. His co-worker, graduate student Hiroshi Iizuka, was the most low-key guy youd ever meet, he said.

I asked my friend Hiroshi, what do you want to do when you get out of here? And he says, I want to be the right hand of the prime minister  so we traded off. He helped me with my Japanese homework, and I wrote his masters degree paper in public administration.

The two remained friends after graduation, and Hiroshi would check in on Kasperbauers sister, Teresa, who was a model in Japan.

I forgot about it, and then I got a call one day about maybe 1987, Kasperbauer said.

Iizuka had gone on to work for Abes father, Shintaro Abe, who was the Japanese foreign minister at the time. A Japanese vending machine magnate had his mutlimillion-dollar yacht seized by the U.S. Coast Guard off the coast of Saipan, Kasperbauer said. Attempts to lobby the U.S. Congress for the return of the vessel were unsuccessful.

So he calls me up and says can you help me out? I said, OK, Kasperbauer said. He hung up the phone and called his mother, former Sen. Carmen Kasperbauer, who would cook Iizuki red rice and other CHamoru food while visiting her son in Arizona.

She worked with (Congressman) Ben Blaz furiously. I think it was less than three weeks and, somehow, they released the boat, he said.

The favor led to a visit to Shintaro Abes office in Japan, where his son, Shinzo, was working as an executive secretary at the time. Iizuka was in a similar position at the office, Kasperbauer said, and both of them are greeting and doing all the protocol for all the visitors.

He said he would drop in to visit Iizuka at his office whenever he was in Japan from then on, before Shintaro Abe died at 67  the same age Shinzo Abe was when he was shot and killed by a gunman with a makeshift firearm.

His own reaction to learning of the former prime ministers death was shock and tremendous sorrow, he said.

Kasperbauer would come to know Shinzo Abe  he was always so cordial and courteous, and just a great guy  and even looked after him and his mother when they came on a trip to Guam prior to his election as prime minister.

Hiroshi calls me and says, they want to go to the beach, he said, and so he arranged a trip for Shinzo Abe and his mother to Ritidian.

They got out, they walked around in regular street clothes for about 20 minutes, took some pictures and said Thank you, we will go back now.

2002The connection even led to an opportunity for former Gov. Felix Camacho to meet Shinzo Abe around 2002, while he was still a senator and the Japanese leader was a few years away from his first term as prime minister.





Kasperbauer helped arrange the meeting through Iizuka, while Camacho was on a tourism mission to Japan. Camacho, who was present at the Rotary meeting Thursday, called the connection astounding.

Reflecting on the assassination of Abe, Kasperbauer said, From a political side he was our greatest advocate in the East. Youve got North Korea and China, youve got Russia way up there you got all these people, and he has been super super staunch for what we both believe in: the U.S. and that relationship.

Kasperbauer is hoping to make a trip to Japan for an upcoming tribute to Shinzo Abes life.Reach reporter Joe Taitano II at JTaitano@guampdn.com.
Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam on Thursday held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the newly built Fast Response Cutter facility on Thursday afternoon at U.S. Naval Base Guam.

This building is the recognition by the Coast Guard that shore infrastructure is a crucial component of the operations that we perform every day. Every ship, every small boat, every aircraft leaves the shore facility and returns to a shore facility, said Capt. Nicholas Simmons. The Skinner building represents a major investment in the long term sustainment of our newest capital assets.

The facility is named the Skinner Building after Guams first appointed civilian governor, Carlton Skinner.

By naming the building after Commander Skinner, Simmons noted that it reinforces the connection between the U.S. Coast Guard and the island community they serve.

We have here today, a significant number of the folks who serve here on Guam, are from Guam, from the CNMI, from Palau, and the FSM, not just our active duty folks, but also a reserve contingent in auxiliary, said Simmons.

The Fast Response Cutter facility boasts advanced command, control, communications, computer, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems and provides a larger, more stable, and safe platform for operations.

The Skinner Building will house personnel and equipment to manage maintenance and maximize operational readiness.

Im passionately committed to being part of the culture here on Guam and the community  I encourage everybody whos part of the Coast Guard here to get out and to volunteer and to participate in local events and beach cleanups and not hide behind the walls of the military installations, but be out  be available, Simmons said.




Haiti - FLASH : 25,000 ammunition seized, a trafficker arrested





On the night of July 12 to 13, 2022, the police arrested on a bus in Port-de-Paix traveling to Port-au-Prince, an individual identified as Churchill Petit-Frere.



During the search of the vehicle, in the presence of Me Bertin Vital the new Government Commissioner (CG) a.i. accompanied by Me Paul Blanc, Judge of the Court of Peace responsible for establishing the report, the police discovered 25,000 cartridges of weapons of wardistributed in 25 boxes.



The bus driver fled and the vehicle and ammunition were seized.



This is the second major seizure of ammunition after the 120,000 munitions discovered on July 1st 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 . Let's recall that the former CG, Me Michelet Virgile, was arrested in this case https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37145-haiti-news-zapping.html for having released 2 of the traffickers arrested https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37108-haiti-flash-seizure-of-120-000-ammunition-me-michelet-virgile-releases-the-alleged-traffickers.html , he is accused of corruption and was transferred in Port-au-Prince for legal action.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37145-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37114-haiti-flash-arms-trafficking-the-minister-of-justice-dismisses-the-commissioner-of-the-government-of-port-de-paix.html

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



SL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





New seizure of weapons and ammunition

On Wednesday, July 13, customs officers in Port-au-Prince seized four duty-free container in which weapons and ammunition were concealed. Information confirmed (without further details) by Me Jacques Lafontant Government Commissioner. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37146-haiti-flash-25-000-ammunition-seized-a-trafficker-arrested.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



Gangs : Running out of ammunition ?

According to Joel Joaneus, executive agent a.i. of Cite Soleil, the intensity of the fire between the coalitions of Gang G9 and G-Pep fell sharply on Wednesday, estimating that the belligerents could begin to run out of ammunition.



Carnage in Cite Soleil

On Wednesday July 13, the National Network for the Defense of Human Rights (RNDDH) revealed in a partial report that the clashes between gangs in Cite Soleil left 89 people dead (including 21 bodies who were burned), 16 people are missing and 74 others were shot or stabbed. 127 homes in the Brooklyn neighborhood were burned down.



UN message to Haiti

"Violence in Haiti must end to guarantee the free movement of people and access to basic services. Humanitarians can help collateral victims. The principles of neutrality, impartiality, humanity must be respected," wrote the United Nations in Haiti yesterday on its Twitter account.



Alleged Murderer Arrested

Suspected of being the main perpetrator of the murder of Merinor Sanon, 45, perpetrated last weekend, St Vinia Wadenel aka "Ti Wad" was arrested by the police in the town of Mirebalais and taken into custody for the legal consequences.



NOTICE : Export Fair postponed

the Investment Facilitation Center (CFI) informs that the first edition of the Export Fair scheduled for July 18 to 21, 2022 has been postponed. The partners of the event have taken the decision to postpone this show to a later date which will be communicated shortly.



Canada : exhibition invitation by Embassy of Haiti

Haitian art and culture will be featured as part of CARICOM Day celebration activities. The Embassy of Haiti in Ottawa invites you to visit the art exhibition organized by CARICOM member countries to be held on July 16 and 17 in Ottawa, art and music, free for the public, at the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, 50 Sussex Drive Ottawa. For more information caricomottawa@gmail.com



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Burgeoning homestay industry drives local economic development after becoming mainstay in Chinas rural tourism sector

People's Daily Online) 13:54, July 14, 2022

In recent years, Chinas homestay industry has embraced vigorous development. The sector has played a crucial role in promoting employment, driving local economic development, and implementing the rural vitalization strategy.

Photo shows Chinese tourists at a homestay hotel in Sansha town, Xiapu county, southeast Chinas Fujian Province. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

Homestay bookings in multiple localities in China have increased rapidly during the busy summer vacation season. Data from tujia.com, a leading Chinese homestay booking platform, indicated that the number of bookings for homestay hotels in the first week of July already accounted for 60 percent of the total number realized in the previous month, and 70 percent of the bookings were for family trips. The 10 most popular destination cities for homestay bookings during the summer vacation season are Chongqing, Chengdu, Changsha, Xiamen, Dali, Guangzhou, Beijing, Hangzhou, Shanghai, and Beihai.

The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism began to give away consumption coupons worth no more than 30 million yuan (about $4.46 million) for tourism-related accommodation reservations in suburban Beijing districts on July 10.

The coupons can be used for bookings at nearly 10,000 hotels and homestay hotels in Beijings suburban districts. The maximum discount for a single order can reach as much as 50 percent, with the subsidy set at a maximum of 1,000 yuan per order.

During the first hour that the coupons were made available, booking volumes for lodgings located in the citys Miyun, Changping and Tongzhou districts on Chinese online travel agency Qunars app rose by eight, seven and nine times, respectively, compared with previous days.

Liuba county in Hanzhong city, northwest Chinas Shaanxi Province, has continued to build up its homestay industry in recent years.

To ensure that its homestay industry can keep up with the new development trends in the tourism sector, the county has allocated 10 million yuan in rewards and subsidies each year. It has also attracted private capital to further develop homestay and agritainment businesses. So far, it has granted 9.6 million yuan in loans for the development of rural tourism, in addition to issuing over 3 million yuan in loans for new business startups.

Meanwhile, the rapid development of the homestay industry has created jobs for many local residents. After receiving training, many farmers and migrant workers who returned home to the county have since become homestay staff.

Li Caiyun, a resident in Tianxingliang village, Huoshaodian township of Liuba county, turned her old house into an agritainment facility, and has been running an agritainment business for several years.

After taking part in a training session for homestay keepers, Li poured hundreds of thousands of yuan into turning her agritainment facility into a homestay hotel. Now, the homestay hotel brings Li more than 20,000 yuan per month.

Lis success has inspired many other villagers to transform their own agritainment facilities into homestay hotels.

Since homestay hotels are mostly located in suburbs or rural areas, they have become an important option for those seeking leisurely excursions to suburban areas, which has become the main choice for Chinese tourists due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

People engaging in the tourism industry remain upbeat about the prospects of the homestay sector, as it enables visitors to enjoy natural scenery and local culture while meeting their travel demands.

A homestay hotel owner in Jingliyuan village, Miyun district of Beijing explained that many people in the village turned their agritainment facilities into homestay hotels in 2020. These homestay hotels can provide relatively better facilities and services that meet the travel needs of Chinese tourists. Most importantly, owners began to see the operation of homestay hotels as a viable career choice, which reflects their optimism about the prospects of rural industries, including the homestay sector, as well as their confidence in the consumption demand of Chinese tourists.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
LADY McALPINE says she was abused by a large group of teenagers while she was setting up for this weekends Thames Traditional Boat Festival in Henley, which starts today (Friday).

She said more than 100 of mainly 15- and 16-year-olds invaded Fawley Meadows, where the three-day event is being held, and refused to move despite being asked to do so.

The group began throwing furniture that was set to be used in the food court area and tried to vandalise the on-site toilets on Tuesday evening.

Lady McAlpine, who is co-chairman of the event, said: We had an invasion of more than 100 teenagers who were seriously rude.

I was trying to mark up the pitches on the site and they wouldnt move on, which meant I couldnt do anything and I couldnt leave until it was done. They were mucking about and throwing my furniture about, which I provide for the food court and was stacked up ready for the tents to go up and they just helped themselves.

They were also filling up the loos with toilet paper  it was typical unruly teenage behaviour.

I asked them very politely to go as it is not public land and they argued that it was.

There is a public footpath that runs through it and you must keep going along it  thats the law  although nobody is going to complain if you dip your toes in the water to cool off.

They didnt like being told that and they got rude.

I was saying, Please, I am trying to do a job, how would you feel if your grandmother was put in this position? and said, Look, I am 80, I dont need abuse from a lot of kids and then they started being more polite.

As the younger ones started to leave, some of the older ones began to pick up some of the litter they had left there so it all ended up being quite friendly, although they left a load of clothes behind.

When she returned to the site on Wednesday she found that a mannequin belonging to Paul Clerehugh, chef proprietor of the Crooked Billet, had a mannequin stolen from his pop-up bar for the event.

Lady McAlpine is pointing the finger at the teenagers she saw the previous night as they had found the 6ft 1in figure very amusing.

She said: They had all been taking pictures of the nude mannequin, which was all very funny to them, but they must have come back after they eventually left and taken it, although I dont know that fur sure. To have this happen is just horrible.

Mr Clerehugh has offer a free lunch or dinner at the Crooked Billet as a reward for the safe return of Manni.

He said: Of course, I am gutted, I was very fond of him. It is a fairly new relationship and we have only been together four months.

He had a bit too much to drink on Tuesday night so I had sat him comfortably on the bar and I left him there at about 8.30pm.

Manni is very polite and handsome and I am very disappointed to have lost him.

He had been residing at the Crooked Billet and the Trad was to be his first public outing.

It is disappointing that a tiny element want to spoil some lovely, quirky and fun bits and pieces that Henley and its lovely festivals have to offer the public.

Its also a shame because he was looking forward to enjoying the performance of Clearwater Creedence Revival on Sunday. .

This years Trad has moved back to its usual July slot, having been postponed to August last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

It iis the largest gathering of traditional river craft in Europe, featuring the Dunkirk Little Ships, patrol boats from the First World War, amphibious vehicles, historic military vehicles, classic cars, heavy horses, and an antique street.

Lady McAlpine said: We have a lot of Dunkirk boats and then we have got every type of classic river boat and they will look beautiful as they are competing for awards. They are really very competitive. We will also have amazing torpedo boat from the First World War, which was designed to be radio-controlled from the air. When you say that to people they ask how big is it? Then you tell them that it is a full-size boat and, yes, it was controlled from the air back in 1914 and people are shocked.

We will also be having First World War planes flying with it as it goes up the river.

There is also a dog show which has turned into something that people have looked forward to. Its all very silly and everyone ends up getting a prize.

We have got local restaurants in the food court all with local produce  we are really insistent on that  and we have live music with local bands on each night.

It is a Henley event for Henley people and it is for families.

For more information and a full programme of events, visit www.tradboatfestival.com
INFORMATION and Publicity minister Monica Mutsvangwa yesterday alleged that currency woes afflicting Zimbabweans were the work of dark forces.

Addressing Harare Polytechnic journalism students, Mutsvangwa said government had made strides in turning around the economy only to be sabotaged by the countrys enemies.

As it is, the economic fundamentals are all right. Why then are there currency woes that batter the living standards of the poorest to survival in abject poverty? Clearly, there are dark forces at play, she said.

Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZDERA) sanctions are flailing and failing, syndicates of currency manipulators are angling to interfere.

ZDERA, passed in 2001, restricts United States multilateral financing to Zimbabwe until the investment-hungry southern African nation makes specified political and economic reforms.

Analysts, however, said Mutsvangwas utterances reflected governments unwillingness to address the fundamental economic challenges facing Zimbabweans.

Who are the dark forces? Who shall bring in light to end the darkness? Authorities cannot claim ignorance when resource leakage channels are so apparent. Where is the intelligence machinery? Put in other words, its a confession of failure, Zimbabwe Coalition of Debt and Development programmes manager John Maketo said.

Political analyst Kudakwashe Munemo said: Such utterances simply reflect that the government is not willing and clueless on providing pragmatic solutions to the economic realities bedevilling the country.

Economist Victor Boroma told NewsDay that economic fundamentals have to be followed to ensure economic stability.

To build confidence, the government has to reform the central bank, live within taxable revenues and give the apex bank autonomy on monetary policy. Political interference has destroyed confidence in the banks and other local institutions, which are key to good economic governance, Boroma said. Newsday


Gallery Delta, located at number 110 Livingstone Avenue in Harare, has bowed to sustained economic pressure and closed its doors.

The closure of the gallery after about 29 years of hosting exhibitions is a serious blow to the artists and Zimbabwes arts industry at large.

Established in 1975, Gallery Delta had become an important institution in the countrys arts history as a number of prominent Zimbabwean artists launched their careers at the centre.

The gallery used to provide a unique historical, architectural and artistic environment for the presentation and sale of contemporary art.

Most current local visual artists have in one way or the other benefited from the gallery that used to host exhibitions of Zimbabwean paintings, graphics, mixed media sculptures and ceramics.

It has not been business as usual since the death of the gallery founders, Helen Lieros and Derek Huggins, who succumbed to COVID-19 within a week of each other in July last year.

The last exhibition at the gallery was Freedom, which paid tribute in part to Lieros, Huggins and Foundation for Arts and the Humanities.

Before its closure, about three months ago, the gallerys board of trustees chairman Gregory Shaw said it had become increasingly difficult to sustain the effort and to remain true to the vision of the esteemed gallery founders.

Gallery Deltas doors have been shut at a time the creative industry is now breathing a sigh of relief and trying to rise from the ashes of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement, Shaw confirmed the closure of the gallery.

We are indebted to our founders, Derek Huggins and Helen Lieros, and to Paul Paul and Colette Wyles for their support during the past three decades, Shaw said.

We also acknowledge the support of the patrons, friends of the Gallery Delta and the artists who have been a part of a history that spans almost 50 years and has played out within a rich period of the visual arts of Zimbabwe.

Shaw said they look forward to seeing what may emerge within the arena of the arts as the future unfolds.

While the Gallery Delta has closed, the Foundation for the Arts and Humanities under the Gallery Delta name remains, though it is inactive at present and for the foreseeable future.

I have been honoured to be a part of this institution and am grateful to the Board of Trustees who have served the Gallery Delta Foundation since its creation and thank them for their dedication over the past years, Shaw indicated.

The closure of the gallery has left a considerable hole within the local artistic community and the Zimbabwean arts industry in general.

Shaw added: We acknowledge Huggins and Lieros for their extraordinary effort in the creation and development of Gallery Delta. We recognise the role played by Paul Paul and Colette Wiles through the gallery where art and history have intertwined.

We pay tribute to the great number of artists who have emerged and thrived through the gallery, to those whose careers have flourished beyond our borders, and to those who have remained and participated from within, contributing to the rich Zimbabwean cultural discourse.

We thank the multitude of patrons, donors and sponsors for their role in supporting and nurturing the arts in Zimbabwe during these years and are synthesis between these parts allowed not only the gallery to breathe, but the arts with all their complexity to exist as a living phenomenon at this space. Newsday
HARARE lawyer Tapiwanashe Mukandi has filed a High Court application challenging laws that criminalise possession, consumption and cultivation of cannabis (mbanje or dagga) in Zimbabwe.

In his application, filed on July 13, Mukandi cited ministers Constantino Chiwenga (Health and Child Care), Ziyambi Ziyambi (Justice) Kazembe Kazembe (Home Affairs) as respondents.

He is represented by Tapiwa Chivanga of Scanlen & Holderness.

In his founding affidavit, Mukandi said the existing laws were inconsistent with the rights to privacy; equal protection and benefit of the law as well as to bodily and psychological integrity in sections 57, 56 (1) and 52 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe respectively, to the extent that they criminalise the cultivation, possession and or use of cannabis in private by an adult for his or her personal consumption.

In essence, I am seeking a declaratory order to the effect that the challenged provisions are unconstitutional as they infringe on my aforementioned constitutional rights and the infringement is unfair, unreasonable, unnecessary and unjustifiable in a democratic society based on openness, justice, human dignity, equality and freedom.

He cited sections of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) as read with Section 6 of Dangerous Drugs Act, as well as section 4 of the Dangerous Drugs Regulations, among others in his application.

Zimbabwe legalised the production of cannabis for medicinal or scientific purposes in April 2018 through a statutory instrument.

The country became the second African nation to legalise cannabis production after Lesotho.

South Africas Constitutional Court then followed suit by legalising the cultivation and smoking of marijuana inside homes. Newsday
Benchmark, Pyramid Luxury & Lifestyle, the independent luxury and lifestyle hotel services of Pyramid Global Hospitality, has named Rick Kinert general manager of Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa in Lake Arrowhead, California. One of Southern California's premier luxury resorts, Lake Arrowhead offers 173 rooms including 11 suites, wellness center, restaurant bar and private lake beach.

Rick brings 35 years of senior leadership experience to his new post. Previously he was regional vice president of resort operations for Diamond Resorts of Las Vegas, Nevada where he oversaw the west region's 11 resorts. He earlier served as general manager of Cibola Vista Resort and Spa in Peoria, Arizona and as resident club manager for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Rick is a strong believer in affording his team ample creativity and empowerment to satisfy every guest's expectation. He prides himself on building strong teams based on a culture of accountability, empathy and ownership while creating memorable vacation experiences for resort guests and their families.
Orlando, FL - Flip.to, the marketing platform that helps reach, inspire, and win over travelers in reimagined ways, today announced the appointment of 30-year travel industry veteran Jessica Bush Aslanian as vice president of commercial.

Aslanian is a results-driven, senior leader with expertise delivering large-scale product solutions. As VP, commercial, Aslanian will lead the charge to inspire growth for destinations, brands, groups, hotels and vacation rentals, letting them tap their best audiences with an approach centered on authenticity and trust.

For brands and groups, Aslanian will help execute on strategy to win over new travelers at a massive scale, and drive growth thats as-profitable-as-possible. In the destination space, shell put the platform to work to inspire the trajectory of travelersa win for the hospitality industry and the communities it supports.

Jessica brings more to the table than her experience heading up enterprise relationships, although shes got that, too, shared Ed St. Onge, president of Flip.to. She has a proven track record of measured success in operations and partnerships to drive impact in the most meaningful ways possible. Shell play an instrumental role in fueling the growth of both our customers, and our company.

The announcement comes as Flip.to ramps up, gaining momentum in the last year with enterprise launches that include Visit North Carolina, Margaritaville Hotels and Resorts, Graduate Hotels, and more. Aslanian will help shape Flip.tos products and solutions to meet the needs of these commercial organizations.

Im thrilled to be joining the team at Flip.to at this exciting time, supporting growth across all of hospitality in a way thats both measurable and immediately impactful, added Aslanian. Flip.to has always been at the leading edge of travel and Im looking forward to being a part of their success.

For more on how travel brands grow with Flip.to, visit http://flip.to. To get in touch with Jessica Bush Aslanian about your commercial needs, reach out directly at [email protected].

About Flip.to

Flip.to is a marketing platform that helps reach, inspire, and win over travelers with a reimagined approach that's centered on authenticity and trust.

From inspiring a massive, new, right-fit audience with the help of past travelers, to sparking conversations with planners deciding where to go nextFlip.to's out-of-the-box platform inspires growth, increases conversion, and tracks impact directly to revenue, all in real-timeand that's just the start.

To learn more and start a conversation, visit https://flip.to/.

Diane Van Leunen

Director of Digital Marketing

+1 321 234 2086
A Phoenix manufactured home developer is launching a 170-acre master-planned community north of Houston in project that could bring 700 new manufactured homes to a community not far from Lake Conroe.

Inspire Communities, which describes itself as one of the largest owner-operators of manufactured new home communities nationally, is planning a new so-called affordable luxury community called Rockrose Ranch. The community is planned in Willis, a small city about 50 miles north of downtown Houston and 9 miles north of Conroe in Montgomery County.

Groundwork has already started on the new home sites located off I-45 at 11848 Calvary Road about two miles east of Stow-a-Way Marina on Lake Conroe, according to Inspire. Rockrose Ranch will feature some of the same amenities residents may find in a traditional master-planned community such as swimming pools, courts, childrens playground, fire pits, miles of walking trails, lakes and a fenced dog park.

We like to think of Rockrose as offering affordable luxury with affordable home prices combined with popular amenities found in traditional master-planned communities, said Heidi Loftin, senior vice president, sales & marketing at Inspire Communities, in an email.

RELATED: Developer bringing 3,000+ luxury manufactured homes to Texas

At Rockrose Ranch, residents would own the manufactured house but rent the dirt underneath, similar to other land-lease style manufactured home communities. The community is expected to include two sections: an active adult community for residents aged 55 and up who would buy the manufactured houses directly from Inspire; and an all-ages community where residents would buy the houses from a local dealer, Loftin said. Home sales are expected to launch in a matter of weeks, she added.

Although Inspire has not yet set price points for its manufactured houses in Rockrose Ranch, the price for houses in a separate one of its Houston-area communities (Oceanway in Baytown) starts at about $140,000 for a 1,200 to 2,000 square-foot house with a view of the water. The average price for a manufactured home was $123,500 at the end of last year within the south region, which includes Texas, according to Census data. (This excludes the cost of land, which is either leased or purchased separately.)

Inspire Communities recently wrapped up a multi-million redevelopment of its Oceanway community located at 7030 Tri City Beach Road in Baytown southeast of Houston. The 17-acre community features 150 homesites with 32 waterfront properties on Trinity Bay. The re-development included the addition of a boulevard lined with Victorian-style street amps and palm trees leading out to a 650-foot fishing pier with a boardwalk and covered seating.

Inspires new development projects are part of a growing field of manufactured community developers in Houston promising to bring a more upscale approach to sector. Recently a new Houston company called Live Lone Star broke ground on a 420-home manufacturing home community in Pearland south of Houston as part of its effort to develop more than 3,000 manufactured home sites across Texas.

Like the rest of the housing industry, the manufactured housing sector boomed in the pandemic as demand soared. This year manufactured home builders are expected to deliver more than 100,000 new homes, the most since 2006, according to Inspire, citing U.S. Census data. The interest in manufactured homes comes as fewer Houstonians can afford to purchase a home here in a market where the median home price last month hit a record $355,000.

"Theres a tremendous demand for affordable housing in the area. (Rockrose Ranch) and others like it, provides buyers with the opportunity for affordable home home ownership in a highly-amenitized setting," Loftin said.
Beyonce's former longtime stylist Ty Hunter has a story to tell and is sharing it in his new memoir, "Makeover from Within" (Chronicle Books, $27.95) this fall.

The Austin native, with more than 500,000 followers on Instagram, will take fans on his journey from a meager life being raised by his mother and grandmother to becoming a young father who also was closeted with his sexuality. It was in 1999 when he met Tina Knowles-Lawson while working at a clothing store in the Houston Galleria. She was shopping for looks for Destiny's Child. When the group went on tour, Knowles-Lawson asked Hunter to join them.
If Houston had an official soundtrack, it would be dominated by rap music.

It's an integral part of the city's culture, a sound that typifies everything that's unique about Houston. In the early '90s, DJ Screw pioneered the chopped and screwed sound, slowing down tracks and slicing them up to create an entirely new genre. It's still used today by artists in multiple genres.

A decade ago, the Houston rap explosion made stars out of Slim Thug, Chamillionaire, Paul Wall and Mike Jones. Port Arthur native Bun B is known as the unofficial mayor of Houston. Travis Scott and Megan Thee Stallion are among the biggest stars in the world. Trae Tha Truth is revered as both a rapper and a humanitarian.

Don Toliver, Fat Tony and Toby Nwigwe continue to carry the torch for Htown. And local rappers Bigg Fatts, KenTheMan and Monaleo are on the verge of breakout moments.

Naturally, then, Houston is a popular topic in rap lyrics. We dug into Genius lyrics database for the most popular rap songs that mention the city, as well as any Houston-related references like the Astroworld and Johnny Dang.

Want to listen to the top tracks mentioning our city? Scroll to the bottom for a curated Spotify playlist (with content warning)!

Most popular songs with Houston shoutouts

The most popular Houston-related song in our analysis was Bryson Tillers Dont from the 2015 album TRAPSOUL. Other popular songs included Night by Frank Ocean, and multiple tracks by artists Drake and Travis Scott.

Rappers who mention Houston the most

We also wanted to know which artists mention Houston the most in their songs. UGK, the hip hop duo from Port Arthur, Texas composed of Bun B and the late Pimp C. who died in 2007, had the most references to the city with 43 songs. Bun Bs solo work follows close behind with 36 songs referencing the city and its culture. Carlos Coy, professionally known as South Park Mexican, referenced the city in 36 of his songs. Coy is currently serving a 45 year sentence for molesting a 9-year-old girl in 2001.

Anastasia Goodwin

It may not have topped any charts, but here at the Chronicle were still partial to one song in particular  Paul Walls Break Em' Off from 2007.

I'm a show 'em how to make the slab look phenomenal. Chasin' paper in the mornin'; call me Houston Chronicle

More of our favorite Houston rap lyrics:

"Houston, Texas, you can check my tags/Pull me over, try to check my slab" -- "Ridin'," Chamillionaire

"I'm a south side living legend/A Third Ward, bone hard street veteran" -- "Barre Baby," Big Moe

"Welcome to the, uh, Southside/No, uh-uh, I said the southside of Htown" -- "Southside," Lil Keke

"Switched the name, it's still the same, Swishahouse or Swishablast" -- "Still Tippin'," Mike Jones, Slim Thug and Paul Wall

"I've been the same since I've been driving slow on Bissonnet/Call up anybody I know and they will tell you that" -- "Special," Lizzo

"H-O to the U-S, T-O to the N/God blessed me with the million dollar pen" -- "Welcome 2 Houston," Slim Thug

"I'm out that H-town, comin' comin' down/I'm coming down dripping candy on the ground" -- "***Flawless," Beyonce

"I'm Htown to Cali, just like Robert Horry" -- "Mo City Don," Z-Ro

"H-Town what's the deal/I'm gone drip like a seal" -- "Stop Playin," That Girl Lay Lay

"This is Htown baby, the Rockets, the Texans, the 'Stros" -- "City of the Swang," Bun B

"After 'Trina hit I had to transfer campus/Your apartment out in Houston's where I waited" -- "Nights," Frank Ocean

"I should've moved you away from Houston before I copped you all this ice" -- "Desires," Drake and Future

"I'm rollin' round H-Town/Where Texas man dem hold me down" -- "H-town," Dizzee Rascal, Bun B and Trae Tha Truth

"H-Town in my cup, OG in my blunt/Crenshaw on my shirt, German on my stunt" -- "H-Town," Nipsey Hussle

"His man called said, 'Your time might be now/They played your freestlye over 'Wipe Me Down'/They played it two times/Said it might be crowned/As the best thing out the H-Town in a while" -- "Hip-Hop Saved My Life," Lupe Fiasco

"Grew up on Bun B, Pimp C was my tutor/Pimp Squad for life, had to do this for Houston" -- "HollyWeezy," Lil Wayne

"Houstatlantavegas/And she dance to the song" -- "Houstatlantavegas," Drake

"I might need me some ventilation/A little vacation, Houstonfornication/Mind redefine new renovations" -- "Houstonfornication," Travis Scott

"You know we riding slab, with that candy paint/Dripping off the frame, down 288" -- "H-Town Kinda Day, Z-Ro

"Francia, Colombia, Houston (Freeze)/J Balvin, Willy William, Beyonce (Freeze)" -- "Mi Gente (Beyonce Remix)," J Balvin

"On my block, it's just another day in the heart/Of the Southside of Houston Texas, making your mark" -- "On My Block," Scarface

"Time to start the revolution, catch a body, head for Houston" -- "N.Y. State of Mind," Nas

"Poolside in Houston/Tryna see if Beyonce will take me for adoption/Broke-ass rich suburbs/A civilian shot in Third Ward, we just by the fountain" -- "Sweet," Brockhampton

"The good life, it feel like Houston" -- "Good Life," Kanye West and T-Pain

Check out our curated Houston playlist on Spotify (WARNING: Explicit content):
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Logan McClain, Taryn Hodzic and McKenna Franco aren't old enough to vote, but they want their voices to be heard.

In the wake of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the trio, all age 17 and incoming seniors at Katy ISD, have become leaders of a local abortion rights movement.

On Wednesday, they helped lead Katy Fights Back, a rally in Heritage Park to decry the Supreme Court's decision. McClain is a student at Cinco Ranch High School, while Hodzic and Franco attend Jordan High School.

The event was student-organized, but protesters of all ages braved the heat to attend. The crowd chanted "my body, my choice," waved handmade protest signs and wore t-shirts emblazoned with slogans for reproductive rights. But the tone of the event wasn't focused on anger.

"What we really want to promote is an environment of education," Franco said. "We're all angry, but anger doesn't change anything. Only action and access to resources can make a change."

PHOTO ESSAY: Protesters rally in Katy against controversial abortion ruling by Supreme Court

Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer People flooded Harvest Plaza on Wednesday to protest the overturning of Roe v. Wade. (Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer)

Several organizations were also present for the rally, including multiple voter registration groups.

Shortly after the June ruling, the trio connected on social media and decided to try bringing the abortion rights movement directly to Katy, Hodzic said.

"We wanted to mobilize a movement in Katy, because we've seen tons in Houston, and I know a lot of people, including myself, aren't able to drive out there,'' Hodzic said. "We also wanted to get our own community involved in the movement, because this impacts us all."

McClain worries the Supreme Court's decision could be the first of many challenges to reproductive rights. "This is our first right in 50 years to ever just be taken away," she said. "Now that that's gone, anything and everything is on the table."

Justice Clarence Thomas made headlines during the ruling when he suggested the Court should also reconsider past rulings establishing the constitutional right to contraception, same-sex relationships and same-sex marriage.

Despite the throngs of supporters at Heritage Park, Franco noted that the response to Katy Fights Back wasn't entirely positive.

"We had a lot of people who messaged me that were angry," she said. "Not just other students  we had adults coming after us."

OTHER ABORTION PROTESTS: See the statewide response to the state's near-total ban on abortions

Franco said she responded to the ire dispassionately.

"I knew that responding to their anger with more anger wouldn't help our cause," he said. "So I just stayed calm and said, 'I respect your opinion, and I ask that you respect mine. We're being mature, and we'd appreciate it if you were mature.'"

The teens expressed frustration that adults with voting rights didn't turn out to the polls, McClain said.

If they had, Hodzic believes the Supreme Court wouldn't have overturned Roe v. Wade. "This is why voting is so critical, and now we have to fight something that most Americans didn't even want."

A majority of Americans (57%) disapprove of Roe v. Wade being overturned, according to a poll by the Pew Research Center.

Until the three are old enough to vote, McClain said they'll continue to use their right to protest as their voice.

"It's really unfortunate that this younger generation can't have a say in the things that are going to impact us the most right now," McClain said. "We want our voices to be heard, even if we can't take legislative political action yet. This way, in some way, they'll hear us."
Zolnierek/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Ian N. Merideth, 38, of Centralia, Illinois, was sentenced today in federal court to 240 months in prison for possession of a stolen firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Merideth also received a $500 fine and was ordered to pay $200 in special assessment fees. Upon his release, he will spend three years on supervised release.
On this day in 1980, Chronicle readers learned of a horrendous, execution-style killing at the Fairlanes Windfern Bowling Center in northwest Houston.

Three people were killed in the robbery: Arden Felsher, 17, her boyfriend, Tommy Temple, also 17, and the bowling alley's assistant manager, Stephen Sims, 25. A third man, 18-year-old Gregory Garner, was also shot, but he survived.

Max Soffar would eventually be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death the following year. But though Soffar confessed to the killing, he would later contend that he had lied to police. A federal appeals court overturned his conviction in 2004 on grounds that he had inadequate trial counsel. He was retried two years later, convicted and sentenced to die again in Felsher's death.

Serious questions would be raised about his conviction. The ACLU, anti-death penalty nun Sister Helen Prejean and others would take up his cause.

Soffar died in 2016, not in the Huntsville death chamber but in a prison infirmary. He had been diagnosed with liver cancer in 2013.

In other news, July 1980 was hot. Record-setting hot.

There were twelve days that month when a new high temperature was set. Around this time back then, the city had seen more than seven consecutive days of triple-digit heat.

On this day 42 years ago, a new record high of 103 was reached. It got so bad that Mayor Jim McConn said he was going to ask City Council for a standby ordinance that would allow him to tighten restrictions on watering lawns. One northwest Houston resident had already been ticketed for watering their lawn at the wrong time.
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Prosecutors will attempt to have a former Missouri City police officer convicted of hiring a hit man to kill his wife executed in January, according to court documents.

Death row defendant Robert Fratta  sentenced in 1996  declined to be present in person or by remote video for when Judge Chris Morton in the 230th District Court is expected to sign the death warrant, his lawyer said. If signed before October, the judges signature will set into motion Frattas execution Jan. 10 by lethal injection, records show.

Joshua Reiss, chief of the Post-Conviction Writs Division in the Harris County District Attorney's Office, on Thursday asked for a future setting for when Morton can formally sign the death warrant.

Before setting that date, Frattas defense attorney James Rytting is expected to file a waiver forgoing his clients appearance and his stance on the looming execution. Fratta, 65, is being held at the Polunsky Unit.

Fratta was convicted of a murder-to-hire plot that led to the death of his wife, Farah Fratta, amid their divorce and a custody battle. At the time of the killing, Fratta was at church. Two men involved in the plot, including middle man Joseph Prystash and Howard Guidry  the man who carried out the killing  were also convicted and sentenced to death.

The wife was shot in the head while stepping out of her car.

Fratta would be the first of the three to face execution.

Fratta has repeatedly professed his innocence in his wifes death and tried, but failed, to appeal his case.

Earlier this year, Harris County prosecutors sought an execution date for a man who in 1992 killed three members of a southwest Houston family, including a pregnant woman, and their neighbor during a drug rip.

In that case, 351st District Court Judge Natalia Cornelio delayed signing a death warrant to allow Arthur Brown to find evidence that he is intellectually disabled, which could preclude him from execution.

The decision has led to a legal back-and-forth in the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals among the defendant's lawyers, the jurist herself and prosecutors, who contend that a judge's duty is to sign the order without discretion.

Although a trial court is not required to set an execution date immediately upon the completion of those events, a question remains as to how broad a trial courts discretion is in deciding when to set an execution date, the appeals court recently wrote in documents. Related to this is the question of whether the setting of an execution date may be delayed on the basis of a defendants investigation of claims not pending in any court.

Briefs from each party are to be filed with the appeals court prior to a decision on whether the signing of the death warrant is a ministerial duty that Cornelio is required to carry out.

nicole.hensley@chron.com
A bail agent whose Houston business was searched by federal and local law enforcement can return to bonding out defendants under one of her insurers as that company waits on results of a criminal investigation.

The agent in question, Sheba Muharib, was unable to write bonds under United States Fire Insurance Company for nearly a month after the company requested a cease and desist within days of authorities swarming 1620 Austin  where Muharib operates bail licenses Aable Bail Bonds and Aable Bail Bonds Texas  and leaving with computers and boxes of records.

Insurance officials notified the Harris County Sheriffs Office on June 29 of the reinstated bail license, noting that their internal review found nothing amiss and that Muharib has not been charged with a crime.

We feel that it is only fair for this company to conduct business as usual, Michael Padilla, vice president of United States Fire Insurance, said in the letter.

The search warrant  executed June 1  dominated a portion of the Harris County Bail Bond Board meeting Wednesday. The cover sheet for the warrant, which the Chronicle obtained through a records request, revealed few details except that U.S. Magistrate Judge Sam S. Sheldon authorized it the day prior for the Southern District of Texas.

Muharibs other license, with Financial Casualty & Surety, continues to be reviewed.

Ken Good, a lawyer for the firm, said their own audit into Muharibs second license continues but that so far, all the records appear to be in compliance. It remains uncertain whether the warrant was aimed at Muharib, he said.

Her attorneys were told of search warrant and that she was not a target, Good said, noting that was said in June and that the federal investigation is ongoing.

Muharib's license under Financial Casualty & Surety faced scrutiny in April during a renewal application over allegations of "deceptive trade practices" that a fellow bail bondsman aired against her and relatives. During an April meeting, the agent said she uses payment plans and that she had posted bail in the past  for people she knows  without a premium.

Debate over bail fees stemmed from a Houston Chronicle investigation in 2021 that found that bail bondsmen  who act as intermediaries between the defendant and the court  have for years offered defendants discounted rates. A review of court records found that bail agents have been increasingly accepting fees lower than the customary 10 percent fee on more violent crimes amid diminishing profits.

The bail bond board now requires bail bondsmen to access 10 percent premiums or higher from defendants charged with violent offenses.

nicole.hensley@chron.com
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Houstons next mayoral election is not for another 18 months, but the early contenders already are raising heaps of cash and sprinting past the citys historical benchmarks for fundraising.

Former Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins has taken in more than $1.1 million in the first five months of his bid, according to data his campaign released Thursday. Lee Kaplan, an attorney and political novice, has raised $800,000 and pitched in another $100,000 of his own money, his campaign said. And former City Councilmember Amanda Edwards has raised about $789,000 since launching her candidacy on March 23, her campaign announced.

Each of those numbers far exceed what City Hall contenders historically have reported this far out from the election, as the November 2023 campaigns continue their early start.

Really stunning to see these numbers so large, so early, said Brandon Rottinghaus, a professor of political science at the University of Houston. Weve not seen fundraising like this in Houston mayoral history.

Five candidates already have announced their campaigns to succeed Mayor Sylvester Turner when his second term ends in January 2024: Hollins; Edwards; Kaplan; state Sen. John Whitmire; and police officer Robin Williams.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Former Harris County clerk Chris Hollins announces run for Houston mayor

Despite the strong fundraising starts, Whitmire will be the financial heavyweight in the race. The state senator, who has served in the Texas Legislature since 1973, has a war chest of more than $9.7 million in his state account, according to his latest filing.

When Turner made the jump from the Legislature to a mayoral campaign, he was allowed to transfer $900,000 of his state funds, even though an opponent argued it violated the city code. City attorneys said at the time that Turner could transfer the first $5,000 from each donation to comply with the citys more stringent cap on contributions. It is not yet clear exactly how much Whitmire will be able to transfer when he launches his mayoral campaign officially, likely this fall.

Rottinghaus called the specter of that transfer the 800-pound gorilla in the race, which likely is contributing to the sums that other candidates have announced.

On HoustonChronicle.com: State Sen. John Whitmire announces he will run for mayor of Houston in 2023

His war chest is big enough that if you cant raise significant money to match him, then you cant play in the major leagues, Rottinghaus said.

Another factor: The candidates may be trying to take advantage of the active political climate ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.

I think donors are primed to give right now, Rottinghaus said. Candidates are trying to strike while the skillet is hot.

Finance reports for declared candidates are due Friday and cover the first six months of this year. They will be posted on the citys website later. Williams has not publicly disclosed fundraising numbers yet.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Former Houston Council member Amanda Edwards announces run for mayor in 2023

The historical starting point for Houstons mayoral races used to be Feb. 1 of the election year. The city had a black-out ordinance that restricted campaign fundraising before that point, but it was struck down in January 2015, allowing candidates to gear up earlier.

The candidates each boasted their numbers as proof they are organizing broad coalitions.

This enthusiastic and immediate response to our campaign will help ensure that Houston elects a mayor that has the experience and vision needed to ensure that we can live in a city where every Houstonian has the opportunity to thrive, said Edwards, who has $715,000 on hand as the campaign gets underway. Her campaign said she raised $7,800 a day since announcing.

Hollins, who has $941,000 in the bank, pointed out that more than 60 percent of his 2,408 donations were for less than $100. His donors include the rapper Bun B, former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Austin Mayor Steve Adler.

Weve shown we can put together the resources to win - but weve done so much more, Hollins said. Weve ignited a movement that is bringing the best ideas and solutions together to keep Houston the best city in America to live, work, and raise a family.

Kaplans campaign said he had more than 1,000 individual donors and has $700,000 on hand.

I am proud of the fact that my supporters are friends from high school, college and law school; as well as colleagues and opposing lawyers who know me and my work ethic to serve the people of Houston, Kaplan said.

Hollins provided data supporting his numbers to the Chronicle. Edwards and Kaplan said they still were finalizing their reports Thursday.

On HoustonChronicle.com: In campaign finance case, city to argue against its own rules

Rottinghaus said each candidates report was impressive. It is the first run for office for Hollins and Kaplan, which means they were able to assemble political networks in short order. And Edwards report will help ease concerns about her viability after her fifth-place finish in the 2020 U.S. Senate race, he said.

The numbers set a new bar for fundraising this early. At this stage in the 2015 race, then-state Rep. Sylvester Turner reported raising $166,600 in donations and had $366,351 in the bank, although he had yet to formally declare his mayoral candidacy. Hollins has raised more money so far this year than Turner reported in all of 2014: $824,000, according to the mayors state filings at the time. Turner later would begin his mayoral candidacy in 2015 with $900,000 that he transferred from his state account.

Among other candidates that year, former Kemah Mayor Bill King and then-Sheriff Adrian Garcia did not report any contributions in July 2014, and had not announced candidacies at that point. The black-out ordinance still was in place at that point, and Garcia was barred from transferring his county account. Then-City Councilmember Stephen Costello reported $215,600 in contributions, with about $308,325 on hand. Each of those candidates would break the million-dollar threshold in the actual election year.

Eighteen months before his re-election, Turner reported $585,000 in contributions, though he had a campaign account of $2.2 million at that point. He broke the million-dollar threshold in both January and July 2019, and raised $1.7 million in the month between the 2019 general and runoff elections.

Tony Buzbee, the high-profile attorney who advanced to a runoff with Turner, self-funded his campaign. He started with $2 million of his own money in January 2019 and swore off outside donations. King began his second bid in January 2019 with $100,000 of his own money, as well.

dylan.mcguinness@chron.com
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What was supposed to be a chance for Gov. Greg Abbott to highlight increased drug seizures across the state and to peddle his controversial border initiative Thursday abruptly turned into the governor decrying the police response to the Uvalde shooting tragedy.

Abbott began the news conference at a Department of Public Safety crime lab in Jersey Village discussing Operation Lone Star and the dangers of fentanyl, but the topic quickly turned to the recently released surveillance footage that showed dozens of officers waiting more than an hour to approach the shooter, whod entered Robb Elementary unimpeded wielding an assault-style rifle before killing 19 students and two teachers May 24.

Obviously its disgusting to see what happened, Abbott said. Its been clear from the time of Columbine that whenever there is a shooting  you run toward that danger and encounter that danger. You have to eliminate that shooter as quickly as possible. From what I have seen  it looks like that policy was not followed.

The video, posted by the Austin American-Statesman and KVUE earlier this week, contradicted early information the governor had received about the massacre, he said. Abbott has been heavily criticized for initially saying the shooting could have been worse if not for law enforcement response.

Its clear that what was shown on the video was the exact opposite of the information I was given on the day I went out and explained what happened during the event, he said. None of the information that was in that video was shared with me on that day.

It was shocking.

Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

The governor has made similar statements before, declaring he was misled about police actions and livid over the situation. He has so far declined to say who provided him the incorrect details.

Abbott instead pointed to multiple ongoing investigations  including those by the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Legislature and U.S. Department of Justice  that will eventually provide a clear timeline of what occurred in Uvalde.

When you compare the notes from all these different investigations, you will see all the facts come together, and the families will continue to learn more about that, he said. They need to be able to know all of this information,.

Although Abbott said it would take time for some of the investigations to conclude, he said the Texas House will present findings to the families of Uvalde victims on Sunday.

The ongoing probes, Abbott said, will provide better solutions than the roundtable discussions he held with lawmakers after a 2018 shooting at Santa Fe High School that left 10 dead.

I thought about doing that again, but candidly, that just slows down the process, he said.

Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

Those discussions, held less than a month after the shooting in Santa Fe, resulted in a 44-page school safety plan released by Abbott that included mental health screenings and expanded protections for school.

Changes must be made before children return to schools in the fall, Abbott said, adding that many campuses in the state must be inspected for safety.

He previously directed the Texas School Safety Center to begin a statewide review of safety procedures, saying the evaluations would ensure all Texas public schools are following the appropriate procedures to maximize school safety.

Cayla Harris contributed to this report.

jhair.romero@chron.com
Former President Donald Trump is returning to Texas next month to headline a political conference.

Trump is scheduled to speak in Dallas at the Conservative Political Action Conference (known as CPAC) sometime between Aug. 4 and Aug. 7. Exact dates and times have not been made public yet. Trump spoke to the same group in 2021 in Dallas.

It will mark Trumps first visit back to Texas since May when Trump made three different stops in Texas, including addressing the National Rifle Associations annual conference in Houston. Trump in January held a rally in Montgomery County in which he publicly reiterated his endorsements of Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick before their primary elections in March.

JANUARY: Trump diehards turn out in force for first Texas MAGA rally since he lost White House

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and Fox News host Sean Hannity are among others expected to speak at the event.

During his four years in the White House, Trump made Texas one of his top travel locations, visiting the state 18 times.

jeremy.wallace@chron.com
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Facts about Russia-Ukraine conflict: UN chief hails progress in talks over Ukraine grain exports

Xinhua) 14:06, July 14, 2022

BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments in the Ukraine crisis:

The Donetsk Regional State Administration on Wednesday urged civilians to timely evacuate from combat areas in Donetsk.

The Ukrainian authorities are ready to evacuate up to 395,000 people from Donetsk, it said in a statement.

More than 150,000 people could be evacuated from Donetsk by train to Dnipropetrovsk, Cherkasy and Kirovograd as well as to Lviv, Ternopil, Vinnytsia and Khmelnytsky, the statement said.

In recent months, Donetskhas been one of the epicenters of fighting in the Ukraine crisis.

- - - -

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday hailed what he called "substantive progress" in ensuring the export of Ukrainian food products through the Black Sea.

"Today in Istanbul, we have seen a critical step forward to ensuring the safe and secure export of Ukrainian food products through the Black Sea," he told reporters at the UN Headquarters in New York.

"In a world darkened by global crises, today, at last, we have a ray of hope -- a ray of hope to ease human suffering and alleviate hunger around the world, a ray of hope to support developing countries and the most vulnerable people, a ray of hope to bring a measure of much-needed stability to the global food system," Guterres said.

More technical work will be needed to materialize today's progress. But the momentum is clear. In the end, the aim of all parties is not just an agreement between Russia and Ukraine, but an agreement for the world, he said.

- - - -

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Wednesday officially recognized the independence of Donetsk and Lugansk in eastern Ukraine, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Thursday.

In a statement, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry denounced the DPRK's decision as an attempt by Pyongyang to undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and severed ties with the DPRK in response.

- - - -

Ukraine has begun construction of a dry port for the exports of agricultural products in the northwestern Volyn region, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported Wednesday, citing Volyn Governor Yuriy Pohulyaiko.

"This year there will be a lot of challenges with the export of grain and other agricultural products. That is why we are building a very large dry port," Pohulyaiko said.

The facility will store grain and other food products and ship them to Europe, the official said.

Now, Volyn is preparing to receive grain from a new crop harvested in the southern Zaporizhzhia and Mykolayiv regions, Pohulyaiko added.

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Hongyu)
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Hudson, NY (12534)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun early followed by cloudy skies this afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High around 85F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 61F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.
About This Property Southeast ranch style home you have been waiting for. One level easy living. Brick lined facade and front entrance invites you into a grand floor to ceiling fireplaced living room. Mid century modern style kitchen with original aqua colored appliances. Everyday dining overlooks expansive rear yard over 300' deep. Primary bedroom suite with full bath. Plus two guest bedrooms and full bath. Rear covered patio to enjoy back yard pleasures. One car attached garage. Ready for your personal touch. Preferred location close to parks, schools, and the new donut shop. With October mountain hiking nearby experience the lifestyle. Minutes to shopping, central to upstreet cultural Pittsfield as well as Tanglewood south and The Clark north. Escape to the Berkshires in this brick beauty.



Land Details Community Details Acres Apx: 0.47

Parking Spaces: 3

Parking Type: Garaged & Off-Street

Region: Berkshire - Central

Elem School: Williams

Middle School: Theodore Herberg

High School: Pittsfield

Exterior Details Interior Details Color: White

Style: Ranch

Construction: Wood Frame

Exterior: Wood

Water: Public

Sewer: Public

Underground Oil Tank: Unk

Garage: Attached,Auto Opener

Total Rooms: 6

Total Full Baths: 2

Fuel: Oil

Hot Water: Tankless

Electric: 100 Amp,Circuit Breaker

Floor: Carpet,Linoleum

Lead Paint: Unk

Heat/Cool: Furnace,Hot Water,Multizone

Insulation: Unknown

Appliances Incl: Cooktop,Range Hood,Refrigerator,Wall Oven



Search More Properties With these Features Exterior Lighting Landscaped Public Transportation within 1/2 Mile Trash Public Cable Avail Fireplace (s) High Speed Wiring
City Council President Peter Marchetti presents a city proclamation to Head Start Executive Director Brett Westbrook. State Sen. Adam Hinds also presented the Commonwealth Heroine with a state proclamation.

Pittsfield Child-Care Leader Deemed a 'Commonwealth Heroine'

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  A local child-care leader was recognized for her contributions to the community at Tuesday's City Council meeting.

Berkshire County Head Start Executive Director Brett Westbrook was selected to be one of the 2022 Commonwealth Heroines by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women.



To mark the achievement, state Sen. Adam Hinds presented Westbrook with a proclamation from the House of Representatives and Senate. Council President Peter Marchetti also presented her with a proclamation from the city.



"I just feel really blessed to give back to the city," she said. "The city gave a lot to me and my family when I came here, which is kind of why I'm in the service work."



Westbrook serves more than 350 children at the Berkshire County Head Start program, which provides education, health, and special education services to children and their families. She is said to approach the position as a mother and a friend of the families she serves and is credited for guiding the program through the COVID-19 pandemic.



She has been the executive director since 2018 and was a program manager at the Family Resource Center prior to that.



"I think we first met and worked with each other when you were at Berkshire Children and Families, now 18 Degrees. as a program director and I was here in with Pittsfield Community Connection and I got to see firsthand how, I guess it's the definition of a heroine and unsung hero, just all the work that you're doing day in and day out in the community with kids who need it most, with families that needed the attention the most," Hinds said.



"And you were doing it so skillfully so it was no surprise to me that you were tapped to then lead HeadStart with more than 300 kids and more than 100 employees. It's a big undertaking and a critical one. Communities need pillars in their midst who are really focused on making sure that kids are getting what they need and you've done that in every step of your career."
State Senate Passes Bill Protecting Reproductive and Gender-Affirming Health Care

BOSTON, Mass.  The Massachusetts State Senate on Wednesday unanimously passed a bipartisan bill protecting providers, residents, and visitors to the Commonwealth who engage in legally-protected reproductive and gender-affirming health care.

An Act expanding protections for reproductive and gender-affirming care includes provisions preventing the Commonwealths cooperation with bounty-style anti-abortion and anti-gender-affirming care laws in other states, mandates health insurance coverage for abortion and abortion-related care with no cost-sharing, ensures access to emergency contraception, and provides confidentiality to providers of reproductive and gender-affirming care.



"At a moment with so much uncertainty at the national level, we must be clear about protections here in Massachusetts," said state Sen. Adam Hinds.



Under the legislation, physicians, nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists, psychologists, genetic counselors and social workers are insulated from legal action in Massachusetts courts as a result of providing health care services which are legal in Massachusetts. This language specifically protects reproductive and gender-affirming health care, which has been the target of bounty-style laws passed in states like Texas and Oklahoma that seek to limit this critical care beyond their states borders. This bill also allows anyone who faces abusive litigation in another state for providing legally protected reproductive and gender-affirming care services to sue in Massachusetts court to obtain a judgment, including actual damages, expenses, costs, and reasonable attorney's fees.

The Governor would be prevented under the legislation from extraditing someone to another state to face charges for an abortion, gender dysphoria treatment, or another protected service, except when required by federal law or unless the acts forming the basis of the investigation would also constitute an offense if occurring entirely in Massachusetts. Massachusetts law enforcement agencies would also be prohibited from assisting any investigation by federal authorities, another state, or private citizens related to legally protected reproductive and gender-affirming health care provided in the Commonwealth. Courts would similarly be barred from ordering anyone in Massachusetts to testify or produce documents for lawsuits involving those practices, and judges could not issue any summons in a case concerning those health care services unless the offense in question would also violate Massachusetts law.



An amendment was adopted during debate which requires public higher education institutions to work with the Department of Public Health (DPH) to create a medication abortion readiness plan which must provide medication abortion at a health center on campus or provide a referral to a nearby healthcare facility offering abortion health care. It also creates a trust fund for public higher education institutions to support the implementation of their medication abortion readiness plans.



In response to stories about women not receiving access to abortion care in Massachusetts currently allowed under the existing state law, an amendment was adopted to clarify the circumstances that treating physicians must consider when determining whether to provide later-in-pregnancy abortion care. The amendment requires such determinations to be made by the treating physician and patient. To ensure hospitals are complying with the law, the amendment also requires health care facilities providing these services to file their procedures and processes for providing services consistent with the law with DPH. Additional amendments would identify areas of the state with limited abortion access to increase care to

those areas and allow pharmacists to prescribe and dispense hormonal contraceptive patches and

self-administered oral hormonal contraceptives.



Senate Bill 2996 implements a statewide standing order to ensure that emergency contraception can be dispensed at any pharmacy in the Commonwealth. In addition, the legislation requires the Group Insurance Commission (GIC) and commercial health insurance carriers to cover abortions and abortion-related care and ensure Massachusetts patients are not charged a cost-sharing amount, such as deductibles, copayments, or similar charges, for such coverage. It also requires MassHealth to cover abortion and abortion-related care and ensures enrollees are not charged a cost-sharing amount for prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, abortion or abortion-related care.



The bill also allows individuals engaged in the provision, facilitation, or promotion of reproductive and gender-affirming health care to enroll in the Secretary of the Commonwealths Address Confidentiality Program (ACP). This action will increase the safety of those who may face threats or violence outside of the workplace in their personal lives or at their residences.



With a version of An Act expanding protections for reproductive and gender-affirming care having passed both branches of the legislature, a conference committee will be appointed to resolve differences between the bills two versions.
Afghanistan: 'I could not leave my colleagues behind'

Hundreds of Afghan journalists fled the Taliban takeover last year, but many more chose to stay in spite of the regime's hostility. Faced with the loss of press freedom advocates, Hujatullah Mujadidi, of IFJ affiliate the Afghan Independent Journalists Association (AIJA), opted to stay in Kabul, writes Masood Farivar for Voice of America.

Hujatullah Mujadidi discusses the challenges facing Afghanistan's media during an interview with TOLOnews in January. Credit: TOLOnews

After the fall of Kabul, press freedom advocates in Afghanistan went quiet. They stopped answering their phones or messages from journalists.

I decided to fill the void. To answer journalists questions and give them hope, and to reassure them that well stand shoulder to shoulder. Whatever happens, were in it together.

Unfortunately, I received a lot of tragic messages. I was very troubled and disturbed.

On day two or three, I was able to visit with some journalists.

Several came from the provinces and were staying in safe houses. They were in a bad way. Some didnt even have enough to eat. I tried to comfort them and give them hope.

In time, I was able to meet with (Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah) Mujahid and convey the medias concerns. He was sympathetic and agreed to create a three-person committee to address those concerns.

When reporters realized I was the only media advocate left behind, they started calling. At night, I could hardly get more than two hours of sleep.

I heard from provincial media managers who came to Kabul. They would say, I know you cant solve our problems, but if we face a security threat, we want to make sure we have someone to contact.

They were breaking down. Totally despondent.

Around this time, I received an email from one of the European embassies, telling my family and me to be ready for evacuation.

I had just three hours to decide.

On the one hand, I was thinking about my children and their future. On the other, I was thinking about the journalists calling, telling me I am their only contact.

It was a tough decision.

In the end, I decided that I could not leave my colleagues behind.

In the early days, journalists faced many problems. Access to information was restricted. The Taliban had only a couple of spokesmen responding to all media queries in Afghanistan.

Gradually, government departments appointed spokesmen. Although we continue to receive complaints that they dont always respond to journalists questions, things have improved.

Journalism is a difficult and dangerous profession. You dont embrace it easily. But my commitment to myself was that Id never back off. Ill continue regardless of the difficulties.

I say to myself, If I back off, why did I pick this profession?

Although I was opposed to journalists leaving Afghanistan, I sympathize with those who left.

Journalists have lost their jobs. Some are cutting wood in the mountains and selling corn on the streets. Theyre not doing well psychologically. They face financial difficulties. Their children need food and education. They want a normal life.

Unfortunately, none of those things is available to them.

A number of journalists continue to look for a way out (of the country), saying they dont feel safe. A larger number cite lack of job opportunities. They want to get to a country where they and their children can have a secure future.

This is a major blow to freedom of expression. We could lose all our achievements.

The only way we can stop the journalist exodus is through job creation. And only journalists protection and media advocacy organizations can address this.

Unfortunately, international donors did not invest in a way that would enable local media to survive. Weve lost a lot of our media, and this led to unemployment, forcing journalists overseas.

Interviews with Mujadidi have been translated and edited for length and clarity.

This piece by Masood Farivar, former chief of Voice of America's Afghan Service, has been republished with permission from Voice of America. Read the original article here.
Belarusian journalist Katsiaryna Andreeva, a correspondent with the Poland-based independent broadcaster Belsat TV, has been sentenced on July 13 to eight years in prison for alleged treason charges. The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) denounce this parody of justice and call on Belarusian authorities to stop harassing and prosecuting media workers and release all journalists in jail.

On July 4, Andreevas trial on alleged treason charges started behind closed doors in the southeastern city of Homel. On July 13, the Homel Regional Court sentenced the journalist to eight years in prison on charges of treason against the state (Article 356 of the Belarusian Criminal Code).

Andreeva was detained in November 2020 while livestreaming a peaceful protest against President Aleksandr Lukashenkos continued rule in Minsk. She was serving a two-year prison sentence for organizing an illegal protest and was due to be released on September 5, 2022. However, in February 2022, a new criminal case was launched against her for alleged treason charges.

Dominique Pradalie, IFJ president, said: "Katsiaryna Andreeva's additional sentence is utterly shocking and shows once more the regime's attempts to intimidate and silence journalists. We demand Katsiaryna's immediate release."

The Belarusian dictator and his henchmen do not shy away from any low point, said the EFJ President Maja Sever. They have gone so far as to prosecute an already unjustly imprisoned journalist on new trumped-up charges. This judicial harassment and increased repression of journalists demonstrates the true nature of the dictatorial regime in Belarus.

This is one of the cruelest sentences against a journalist in Belarus, added Andrei Bastunets, President of IFJ/EFJ affiliate the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ). The Belarusian leadership wants to punish Katya for her courage. They are giving her an additional eight-year prison sentence just two months before her scheduled release from her previous sentence. We demand the annulment of the court decision and a review of the trial.

The IFJ and EFJ call on the European Union, the Council of Europe and the OSCE to increase diplomatic pressure against the Belarusian leadership and to intensify sanctions against all agents of repression in Belarus.

According to BAJ, 31 journalists and media workers are currently behind bars in Belarus just for doing their job.
StackLeague X BreederDAO launches Genesis Blocks: BreederDAO Hackathon. The Hackathon will be held on July 29-31, 2022 a competition wherein participants will battle it out in making useful apps for businesses. The aim of this Hackathon is to showcase the unique talents of Filipino programmers. Through this Hackathon, Filipino programmers are able to present themselves as one of the best in terms of programming.

The StackLeague X BreederDAO Hackathon will challenge its participants on their drive for innovation by building applications based on Solidity. Participants may enter as an individual or up to a team of four members for this event. Qualified participants must be of legal age and must be knowledgeable of Solidity, React, Python, and Java. A prize pool of Php200,000 awaits those who will enter the said competition.

The top 3 winners will receive the following cash prizes:

1st Place - Php100,000

2nd Place - Php50,000

3rd Place - Php30,000

Aside from the top 3 winners, there will be special category winners who will get P10,000 for the following criteria; Most Optimal Code and Best Presenter. Also, winners will get a pre-qualification status for employment with BreederDAO.

Truly, this will be a fun and eventful series for coders and programmers. This Hackathon will bring out the best in Filipino talent. Through this partnership, BreederDAO and StackLeague is able to showcase the creativity and knowledge of Filipino programmers.
Trigger warning for readers sensitive to mentions of sexual trauma or violence: This article contains references to sexual assault and recovery from traumatic events.

Many teenagers move through the world with a feeling of invincibility. With a few exceptions, teens who are still living in the care of their parents and within the family unit at home are sheltered from life's harshest realities. While they might be preparing for college and the life they'll live once they leave the nest, it usually takes a major life event to shake a teen out of their childhood bubble and welcome them to the realities of the real world.

For some, this might mean little-t traumas like getting fired from a job or going through a breakup, but for Carter Barnhart, it was something far more difficult.

When she was just 14, Barnhart was out at a concert with friends when she was sexually assaulted. Just like that, her life changed forever. Her innocence and childlike wonder shifted to a place of darkness, loneliness, and pain.

Barnhart comes from a strong family, and she is close with her parents and her brother, yet none of them could reach her. She didn't tell them what happened to her, so she was facing depression, anxiety, and passive suicidal ideation all on her own.

"My parents spent countless years trying to find me the right treatment," she says "And they eventually did when I was 17 years old, and it saved my life. After that, I became obsessed with helping other people and to make sure that everyone knew that treatment existed."

Barnhart ended up in treatment at Newport Academy in California, which at the time was brand new. She tells me that she was the second patient there and the program changed her life. It was there, after meeting other young women who were also survivors, that she felt seen and began her recovery.

"The program was created for girls like me," she says. "Who had intact, loving, supportive families...[who] had things that happened to them or had genetic factors, [who]had been bullied. I met so many different people from so many different walks of life in this residential treatment center, and for me, that was ultimately really what healed me."

Barnhart doesn't shy away from telling this story because it was the catalyst for the life she is currently living as the founder of Charlie Health. Recognizing an untapped category in the health care space, her company is about personalized mental health treatment for teens, young adults, and families. Charlie Health wants to be a viable solution for the youth mental health crisis as it aims to deliver better outcomes to patients using proven medical techniques and technology at affordable prices for families.

"Senior year, I started at a brand-new high school and everyone I met, I told [my] story to," she says. "It did not make me the most popular. People really thought I was kind of weird, but I wanted everyone to know that if they should struggle, there was help."

After graduating, Barnhart reached out to the man who ran Newport Academy and over the next 11 years she helped him turn it into one of the leading residential treatment centers for adolescents and young adults recovering from trauma and abuse in the country.

Barnhart tells me that from the moment she left her recovery program, she felt that she wanted to be an advocate and beacon of hope for young people who have been through terrible things. For her own experience, Barnhart says the hardest part of the aftermath of her sexual assault was feeling alone.

"I think back to being that 14-year-old girl just in so much pain and so much fear, but my biggest feeling was that feeling of being alone," she says. "Feeling like no one else understood me; feeling like I was never going to feel whole or OK again."

Barnhart wants to make sure that anyone who has ever experienced trauma knows that treatment exists, and it can make all the difference.

It's clear now that Barnhart is very comfortable talking about her trauma and advocating for others, which made me wonder why she didn't feel like she could tell the people in her support system what had happened to her. She tells me that feelings of shame and fear took hold, and she wasn't able to talk about it. She blamed herself, which she says is common with victims of sexual trauma. So even though she had always been expressive as a child, she didn't feel like she could talk about this traumatic event with anyone.

"My parents knew that I was really just struggling. I think they were really confused," she says. "They did not know [what I was going through], and we have a really close relationship, so it wasn't that they didn't try. I was really closed off with them and really closed off with everyone."

Part of Barnhart's work now is normalizing (for lack of a better word) the experience of having trauma. Making sure that people know that there is no shame in having been through a traumatic event and that help is there for them. She wants to fight for people even in times when they can't fight for themselves.

"I've always been a fighter. I've never been a wallflower," she says. "I remember my mom saying to me, Where's my daughter? Where's the fighter? Where's that girl that I know wants to advocate for herself and for everyone? And that was actually the hardest piece that I lost in the beginning. Through my healing journey, I'm so grateful that I have that fight back in me."

After years working at Newport, Barnhart realized that while the treatment they were offering was life-altering and in many cases life-saving, there was one flaw. They couldn't reach enough people. There simply weren't enough beds, and their services were cost-prohibitive for most families.

"Residential treatment, while it's an amazing thing, is only available to one percent of the population," she says. "And what we know is that somewhere between 10 million to 15 million kids struggle every single year with some sort of acute behavioral health issue and 90 percent of them don't have access to even once-a-week-therapy, or any sort of evidence-based care that would help them recover. And so no matter how many residential treatment centers we built, we're never going to have enough beds for the number of kids who really need access to care. My mission was to create something that was accessible and affordable and produce the same type of treatment outcomes."

Barnhart wanted to find this way to offer specialized treatment to the masses, but it couldn't just be offering online therapy at an affordable cost. Companies like BetterHelp and Talk Space already do that. Barnhart stands firm in believing that the key component for her recovery was meeting other girls just like her that made her feel like she wasn't alone, she wasn't broken, she wasn't to blame. Cutting-edge therapy techniques like EMDR can really help reverse the damage of trauma, but the key component is having a community.

"I was with five other girls living in a house, for 45 days straight and we all started to talk about our life stories," she says. "I remember my roommate too had her own experience with sexual trauma. She was telling me about it, and it was this moment of me [feeling] like, OK, I'm not alone. There's someone else who's been through something similar. On the outside [she] looked like me, I thought she was really pretty, I thought she was really cool. Superficially, it made me feel like, OK, if she's been through this, I'm OK. It's OK that I went through this too. And on a deeper emotional level, I had such tremendous respect for her that it helped me to respect myself."

Rooming with this girl that she so admired made all the difference. Barnhart's own life-saving experience showed her that, while therapy and therapeutic techniques make a huge difference, the key component was sharing the experience with others.

"I wanted to create a program that paired people together based on their shared experiences, and that's what we've built at Charlie Health. It's the first program that pairs people together based on their age, their primary diagnosis, their secondary diagnosis, but then also their maladaptive coping mechanisms, as well as their preferences."

By creating this kind of program that functions remotely, Charlie Health can pair kids and teens together with others who have been through their same experiences and who are like them out in the world. They're giving them a safe space and community with others who "get it."

In addition to doing some pretty intense fundraising, and starting Charlie Health with a seed round of funding under a million dollars, Barnhart and her partners also used the pandemic to their benefit. They made the most out of Covid insurance waivers, where they'd get paid right away for virtual treatment. During that time, they were able to advocate for in-network contracts by showing the efficacy of their program.

Barnhart tells me that it's taken a lot of work and she's also had to duke it out with insurance companies over the last couple of years, but finally Charlie Health is available in-network for all major insurance providers.

As for their reputation, they're still staking their place in the world of behavior health. Barnhart says the company has made a conscious decision not to publish how much money they've raised or how much money they're worth because they want the company to be about what they do, not what they're worth.

"It was a strategic decision that we made to not share our funding in a world where people are constantly sharing how much they raise...where people are constantly talking about their valuations. How many unicorn founders have we all read about? A lot! And I made the decision from the beginning that I did not want that to be what we are known as. And my two other co-founders and I have spent a lot of time talking about that.

"From a hiring standpoint, it would probably make it easier if people were able to Google Charlie Health and see how much money we've raised, but that is not what we want Charlie Health to be known as. It was a strategic decision for us to, instead, really spend the time investing in our clinical program. That's what we want to be known for."
Officials announced on July 14 that starting on July 15, all adults would be eligible to get free booster doses of the coronavirus vaccination at government facilities as part of a special campaign.

The government's "Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav" celebrations to honor the 75th anniversary of India's Independence will include an effort to increase third-dose coverage.

Less than 1% of the 77 crore-strong target population in the age bracket of 18 to 59 years have received the precautionary dosage yet.

However, according to a government source quoted by the news agency PTI, about 26% of the estimated 16 crore eligible people in the 60+ age group, as well as healthcare and frontline personnel, have already got the booster shot.

The time between the second and precautionary injection of the COVID-19 vaccination for all recipients was shortened last week by the Union Health Ministry from nine to six months. The National Technical Advisory Group (NTAGI) on Immunization had recommended this.

On June 1, the government began the second phase of the "Har Ghar Dastak campaign 2.0" throughout all states in an effort to speed up immunization rates and promote booster doses. Currently, the two-month program is in progress. Government statistics show that 96% of India's population has received the first dose of the Covid vaccination, and 87% of individuals have received both doses.
According to a legal document made by the telecom giant on July 14, Bharti Airtel has authorized the preferential issuance of 7.11 crore shares to Google at an issue price of Rs734 per share. Bharti Airtel told the stock markets that the "Special Committee of Directors for Preferential Allotment," which convened earlier in the day, approved the move.

At an issue price of Rs734 per equity share (including a premium of Rs729 per equity share), the committee authorized the "allotment of 71,176,839 equity shares of the face value of Rs5 each fully paid up, on preferential basis to Google International LLC (Google)."

According to the aforementioned allocation, Google will control 1.2% of the company's total post-issue equity shares, according to Bharti Airtel.

It went on to say that the company's paid-up equity share capital would rise to Rs28,306,517,827.50, which would be divided into 5,563,231,650 fully paid-up equity shares and 392,287,662 partially paid-up equity shares, each worth Rs5.
According to official trade data issued today, the India-China trade is on track to surpass USD 100 billion for the second straight year after rising to USD 67.08 billion in the first half of this year despite a significant increase in Chinese exports.

As per trade data issued by China's General Administration of Customs, exports from China to India increased to USD 57.51 billion, up 34.5 percent from the previous year, while exports from India to China decreased to USD 9.57 billion, down 35.3 percent from last year (GAC).

At the halfway point of the year, the trade imbalance was USD 47.94 billion. In a year when relations between the two countries reached a new low owing to the military stalemate in Eastern Ladakh, bilateral commerce between the two countries last year reached a record high of over USD 125 billion, surpassing the USD 100 billion thresholds.

India's exports to China increased by 34.2% to USD 28.14 billion last year, while China's exports to India increased by 46.2% to USD 97.52 billion. In 2021, India's trade deficit increased by USD 69.38 billion.

China asserted in May that it will continue to be India's largest trading partner in 20212022, despite rumours that the US had displaced it to take the top spot. Beijing ascribed the discrepancy to the various ways that Beijing and New Delhi calculate the volume of trade.

When asked about rumors that the US would surpass China to overtake it as India's top trading partner in 20212022, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian responded, "According to the statistics of Chinese competent authorities, bilateral trade volume between China and India stood at USD 125.66 billion in 2021."

According to Zhao, "China continues to be India's top trading partner, and in 2021, the two countries combined commerce crossed $100 billion for the first time."

He said that the discrepancy in trade data released by China and India was due to the use of various statistical measuring scales. According to GAC statistics, the total value of China's exports increased 9.4% year over year to 19.8 trillion yuan (about USD 2.94 trillion) in the first half of the year.
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www.indiainfoline.com is part of the IIFL Group, a leading financial services player and a diversified NBFC. The site provides comprehensive and real time information on Indian corporates, sectors, financial markets and economy. On the site we feature industry and political leaders, entrepreneurs, and trend setters. The research, personal finance and market tutorial sections are widely followed by students, academia, corporates and investors among others.
Sewa Grih Rin Ltd, a housing finance provider in Indonesia, has raised $20 million in funding led by Norway's Nordic Microfinance Initiative (NMI) and Women's World Bank Asset Management.



Existing investors HDFC Holdings, Oikocredit, and Omidyar Network Fund joined the round as well.



The funds will be used to expand the company's loan book, digitize its offerings, and expand operations in Odisha, Jharkhand, and other states.



The startup currently has 36 branches across eight states, including Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Haryana.



Sewa Grih Rin, founded in 2015 by Shruti Gonsalves, provides loans ranging from Rs1 lakh to Rs30 lakh for house construction, extension, purchase, and renovation exclusively for low-income households, particularly women in urban and rural areas.



"We intend to assist approximately 7,000 families in the current fiscal year by disbursing approximately $63 million and, as a result, achieve a book size of $97 million in FY23," Gonsalves commented.



The equity funding will be used to help the startup hire more supervisory and senior management talent.



Sewa Grih Rin has $46 million in assets under management (AUM) and approximately 15,000 customers.



The startup's business model combines lending and social impact, catering to informal housing tenure or incomplete property documentation, and assisting potential customers in making the property title legally executable.



Since its inception, the company has raised $34 million.



Oikocredit, Omidyar Network India, HDFC Life Insurance, HDFC Holdings, and Women's World Banking contributed around $10 million to Sitara in 2019.
Survivor testifies: I will never forgive this school for what they did to me

By Mary Annette Pember.

ANADARKO, Oklahoma  A journey like no other began at last Saturday for survivors of U.S. Indian boarding schools.

Young and old, descendants and survivors, crowded into the gymnasium of Riverside Indian School in Anadarko, Oklahoma, to share their experiences as the kickoff to U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haalands Road to Healing tour.

Until now, former boarding school students were largely ignored, forced to survive brutality and separation from family, culture and language, and deal with childhood traumas as best they could.

Finally, the world is listening.

I still feel that pain, said Donald Neconie, 84, Kiowa, who attended Riverside school in the 1940s.

Neconie, a former U.S. Marine, described physical and sexual abuse at the hands of school employees. School leaders knew of the abuse but did nothing to stop it, he said.

You couldnt cry or tell anyone, because if you did, you knew it would be worse, he said. I will never forgive this school for what they did to me.

Neconie was one of about a half-dozen people who spoke publicly Saturday at the hearing, with Haaland and Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland presiding over a crowd of more than 100 people. Additional testimony continued behind closed doors to offer privacy to the survivors.

Haaland, Laguna Pueblo, and Newland, a citizen of the Bay Mills Indian Community (Ojibwe), sat at a table in front of the crowd, taking notes and quietly bearing witness to the testimonies. Haaland is the first Indigenous person to serve in a presidential cabinet position, and she had family members who attended boarding schools.

The crowd sat in rapt attention, some in tears.

Survivors, many of whom are now elders, spoke without interruption. Their voices often broke with emotion, but they were heard, their words were taken down and for the first time entered into federal historical record.

Oklahoma was the first stop on a yearlong, nationwide tour that is part of the Interior Departments Federal Indian Boarding School initiative launched by Haaland in June 2021. Last month, the agency released volume one of an investigative report, led by Newland, that calls for connecting communities with trauma-informed support as well as creation of a permanent oral history from survivors.

The tour is also intended to connect communities with trauma-informed support and facilitate collection of a permanent oral history. Haaland will travel to Hawaii, Michigan, Arizona, and South Dakota this year, with additional states to be announced for 2023.

I want you all to know that I am with you on this journey, Haaland told the crowd. I am here to listen, to listen with you, to grieve with you  Federal Indian boarding school policies have touched every Indigenous person. I know some are survivors, some are descendants, but we all carry the trauma in our hearts.

A dark history

Riverside School is believed to be the oldest Indian boarding school in Oklahoma, first opening its doors in 1871.

The school still operates today as a boarding school, serving about 800 students from grades 4-12. Run by the Bureau of Indian Education, Riverside offers Native students from throughout the U.S. specialized academic programs as well as courses focused on cultural topics.

According to the bureaus website, Riverside is one of 183 elementary and secondary schools across the U.S. that seek to provide education aligned with tribal needs for cultural and economic well-being.

Rachel Mowatt, of the Comanche and Delaware tribes, a former student, did not testify but she spoke to ICT a day before the hearing began. She said her tenure at Riverside School provided an opportunity to connect with her culture and language. She graduated in 1997.

I wasnt brought up in the culture, she said. Riverside opened the doors to my identity.

But the school also has a dark history of mistreating thousands of Native students who were forced from their homes to attend a school designed to eliminate their culture and language.

More than 100 people attended the Road to Healing tour at Riverside Indian School in Anadarko, Oklahoma, on July 9, 2022, to hear testimony from survivors and descendants of Indian boarding schools. The hearing kicked off a yearlong tour by U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, Laguna Pueblo, to gather testimony. (Photo by Mary Annette Pember/ICT)

Oklahoma was home to the greatest number of Indian boarding schools in the U.S., with at least 76, followed by Arizona with 47 and New Mexico with 43. According to the Interior Departments recently released investigative report, at least 408 boarding schools operated nationwide, though the number is expected to grow as research continues.

Some schools, such as the Concho Indian School in El Reno, Oklahoma, which operated from 1871 until around 1968, are nearly lost to obscurity.

Concho School buildings are long gone. Only a few campus sidewalks and a small pedestrian bridge  now overgrown with weeds - still stand. An area within a stand of trees is rumored to be the site of the schools cemetery, though grave markers have long since given way to the elements.

Efforts are already underway across the U.S. and Canada to identify graves, many of them unmarked, of students who died while attending the schools and were never returned to their families.

It will be done

Haaland promised those at the Riverside event Saturday that the Interior Departments next steps will include identifying unmarked burial sites and cemeteries as well as determining the total amount of funding spent by the federal government on the boarding school system.

Why is it that only Indian boarding schools had cemeteries? asked Ben Barnes, chief of the Shawnee tribe.

Barnes was at the hearing to share the testimony of a Shawnee citizen who attended Chilocco Indian School near Newkirk, Oklahoma, and was unable to travel to Riverside.

The woman, now an elder residing in Salina, Kansas, described how she was threatened with an end in the schools cemetery if she reported her rape at the hands of school employees.

The legacy of boarding schools and removal from families is real, present and existential, he said. The time for truth-telling, reconciliation and healing is now.

Barnes noted that a national system for survivors to bear testimony is needed.

Coming to Riverside and other schools is not going to be enough for some of our citizens, he said. A lot of our people dont want to be anywhere close to the site of their rape.

After hearing an hour of testimony, members of the press were asked to leave in order to allow participants to speak privately to the committee. Haaland ended the public hearing by acknowledging the work ahead.

Please know that we still have so much to do to gain the healing that can help our communities, she said. It will not be done overnight, but it will be done.

Dacoda McDowell-Wahpekeche contributed to this report, as did The Associated Press. Reprinted with permission from Indian Country Today.
Tamil Nadus Chennai is now swiftly turning into the major hub of trade for exotic animals in the country which is leading to zoonotic disease and posing a serious threat to the animals.

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Chennai Wildlife Warden E Prasanth told The New Indian Express that close to 1,300 exotic animals were declared by individuals in Chennai after the Union Environment Ministry introduced the voluntary declaration scheme in 2020.

The ministry had said the database of import and possession of exotic live animals would help control and manage zoonotic diseases.

Risk of zoonotic disease

However, experts believe that trade carries a risk of zoonotic disease.

Exotic animal trade always carries the potential risk of zoonotic disease spill over and invasive species entering wildlife. For instance, the red-eared slider turtle, a popular pet turtle endemic to the Americas, has quickly become invasive, said Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Board member secretary Shekhar Kumar Niraj, who had served as regional deputy director (Western & Southern regions) for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

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I have raised the issue of increasing exotic animal trade in the country with the Union environment ministry two years ago," he said

8,000 applications rejected

According to sources, over 8,000 applications had been filed by people from Tamil Nadu on Parivesh website seeking permission to import exotic animals. However, the State Forest department has approved none owing to the risks involved.

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Post coronavirus outbreak, there has been a lot of focus on zoonotic diseases. The trade of exotic species, which is done mostly through illegal imports, makes the threat more complex.

Chennais trade volume increased

Chennai is one of the major hubs of this trade, the volume of which has increased exponentially over the years.

Social Media

This was seconded by the Smuggling in India Report 2019-2020 published by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), which said: There is an unfortunate and increasing trend in smuggling of endangered and exotic fauna from different parts of the world in India. Since there is a complete ban on trade in Indian species, the interest of the smugglers has shifted to exotic species, which has led to disastrous global environmental consequences."

The report went on to say that major Indian cities like Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Kochi receive exotic animals from Thailand, Malaysia, and European countries, among others.

For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News.


In India, public parks typically forbid visitors from engaging in specified activities. This could involve taking pets for a walk, picking flowers, or littering mindlessly. But this 'long list' of 'what not to do in a park' became a matter of discussion after authorities in Bengaluru set out some 'different' rules for their park.

A picture of a pretty bizarre placard in a Bengaluru park leaked online, shocking netizens.

Unsplash

The image posted on Reddit shows how a public park posted a sign prohibiting people from jogging, running, and walking anti-clockwise.

The BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike), the administrative organization in charge of the city of Bengaluru's infrastructure and public services, is believed to have placed the sign. The post's caption read,

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"Sign I saw in a park today".

The post garnered attention after a user shared the picture on Reddit.

The post soon turned into a 'conversation' hub for Bengaluru residents. They joined in and added a humorous twist to this card.

Screengrab

This is not the first time an unusual Bengaluru signboard has gone viral.

Koramangala house owners got no chill for vehicle owners  pic.twitter.com/5BOUK1qdxh  Aditya Morarka (@AdityaMorarka) July 3, 2022

A Twitter user shared a no-parking sign board outside a house in Koramangala. The user shared two photographs a while back. Two signs said, "Don't even think of parking here," and "No parking, not 5 minutes, not 30 seconds, not at all."

The post sparked a debate on social media, with some internet users supporting the decision and others condemning it.



For the latest trending, click here.


A front-running scandal involving Axis Asset Management Co., which is Indias seventh-largest mutual fund manager, is poised to shake up the nations $465 billion mutual fund industry.



The company, partly owned by British multinational asset management company Schroders, had in May 2022 sacked two employees, including its chief dealer, amid an ongoing internal probe for the alleged scandal, as per a Bloomberg report.

The mutual fund company in early July submitted its findings to regulators and said it had evidence to believe that the terminated executives had violated securities law. Meanwhile, the Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has been carrying out its own investigation into potential front-running by the two men, a person familiar with the agencys probe said.

For the uninitiated, front-running is the trading of stocks by someone privy to information about a large client order or transaction that is upcoming and will move prices, thus providing significant gains to the people with such sensitive information. This practise is illegal in India.

The massive search and seizure operations were conducted by the market regulator at the offices and residences of Axis Mutual Fund executives, and other stock brokers and traders, the person said, as per Bloomberg.

In all, the regulators probe covered 30 locations in different cities after it received surveillance alerts and input from the stock exchange about suspected front running in trades of Axis Mutual Fund by certain parties, the person said.

British investment giant Schroders holds a 25% stake in Axis Asset Management, with Axis Bank Ltd holding the rest.

Following the allegations, some corporations have reportedly withdrawn money from Axis. Axis Mutual Fund said in a public statement that the firm has followed regulatory guidelines at all times and believes that the conduct of the concerned individuals doesnt have any impact on its liquidity or operations.

The Sacked Employees

linkedin/Viresh Joshi

Viresh Joshi, the former chief dealer, has filed a lawsuit alleging wrongful termination and has sought Rs 542.6 million, his legal firm Mansukhlal Hiralal & Co. said in an email, as per Bloomberg. The other employee named by the firm is fund manager Deepak Agrawal who was fired over irregularities, including front-running the AMCs transactions, similar to the case of chief dealer Joshi.



Viresh Joshi was amongst the early members of Axis Mutual Fund, which had joined the industry with its first investment plan in 2009, and had Rs 2.5 trillion of assets under management at the end of June this year. He worked with Axis Mutual Fund from July 2009 to May 2022.

The report stated that Axis Mutual Fund, in an emailed response, said the fund house will address the assertions made by Joshi in his lawsuit before the court.

We have more than adequate findings concerning breaches of our policies, including non-cooperation with our internal investigation (during his suspension period). We also have strong reasons to believe that there have been serious and persistent breaches of securities laws by him, the company said in its response.

As per a Mint report, Joshi was sacked on multiple grounds, including an unwillingness to cooperate during the companys investigation and explain the source of his income and assets, making allegedly incorrect claims of coercion, and not explaining a whistleblowers email accusing him of front-running.

Also Read: 24YO Woman Loses $300,000 Inheritance Money After Falling For A Crypto Romance Scam On A Dating App

More Scrutiny In $465 Billion MF Sector?

Amid the front-running scandal, legal experts are meanwhile predicting more scrutiny for the entire Indian mutual fund industry, as per Bloomberg. There have been reports of the market regulator SEBI dealing with more of such front-running cases besides this Axis one.

Mutual funds, which fall somewhere between high-risk stock trading and low-return bank deposits, have offered an attractive proposition to both young and risk-averse older investors in India. The industry has grown nearly five-fold in the last decade, with over 37 trillion rupees ($465 billion) in assets at the end of June, according to the Association of Mutual Funds In India (AMFI).

For the latest and interesting financial news, keep reading Indiatimes Worth. Click here.
Microsoft .NET 7, a planned upgrade to Microsofts flagship software development platform, is set to feature built-in rate limiting, a mechanism designed to protect an application from being overwhelmed with traffic.

Microsoft provided details in a July 13 blog post. Rate limiting provides control over how much a resource can be accessed. For example, a developer might know that a database an application accesses can safely handle 1,000 requests per minute. A rate limiter could be put in the application that allows 1,000 requests but rejects requests beyond that number before they can access the database.

Microsoft .NET 7 will feature multiple rate limiting algorithms to control the flow of requests. Among these are a concurrency limiter to limit the number of concurrent requests; a token bucket limit, a way to regulate application requests using tokens; a fixed window limit, which resets the limit back to a starting point after a certain period of time; and a sliding window limit, which is similar to the fixed window algorithm but divides the time window into segments.

Microsoft has released a Nuget package, System.Threading.RateLimiting, that provides primitives for writing rate limiters using common algorithms. Rate limiting middleware is provided in the Microsoft.Asp.NetCoreRateLimiting Nuget package.

Microsoft seeks developers feedback on .NET 7s rate limiting APIs. For the rate limiting APIs in the System.Threading.RateLimiting namespace, use the System.Threading.RateLimiting Nuget package and provide feedback in the Runtime GitHub repo. For rate limiting middleware, use the Microsoft.AspNetCore.RateLimiting Nuget package and provide feedback in the AspNetCore GitHub repo.
On Tuesday, the telecom announced on Twitter that it would be automatically crediting customers the equivalent of five days service  Rogers called this its first step in earning back the trust of its clients.

But York University governance, law and ethics professor Richard Leblanc has called the offer wholly inadequate, especially when one considers the sheer economic loss suffered during the network blackout.

Five days is predicated on the possible belief that damage to individuals and small- and medium-sized businesses can be quantified solely on the basis of a portion of a monthly fee, Leblanc told The Canadian Press, adding that while the telecom did show goodwill as a first step, its a minimum.

Leblanc also commented that Rogers should adjust its compensation strategy to better fit individual, household and business customers because the damages are not equal across the board.

The legal experts sentiments were shared by Jasmin Guenette, vice-president of National Affairs at the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). Guenette explained that the five-day reimbursement is likely to be insufficient to cover the revenue lost, prefacing that Rogers should be compensating businesses with a full month of free service instead.

Complicating things further is that insurers hands are tied on this matter. The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) stated that the Rogers outage is unlikely to trigger most business interruption or loss of income policies, since the outage did not amount to any physical damage.

Read more: Rogers outage  what will the insurance impact be?

As reported by The Canadian Press, Rogers is facing a class-action lawsuit filed earlier this week by LPC Avocat, on behalf of customers of Rogers and its affiliated companies Chatr and Fido Mobile.

The outage did more than just disrupt lives and businesses; it also called into question Rogers planned $20 billion acquisition of its rival Shaw Communications. The blackout occurred two days after Rogers was in talks with the federal antitrust authority, highlighting how vulnerable the virtual telecom monopoly would be. Reuters also reported that the federal government had ordered a probe into the Rogers outage.
As of July 13, 2022, Yukon saw 138,639 hectares burn due to wildfires. By comparison, the average area burned of the territory within a 25-year period was at 101,621, according to a report by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC).

It was also noted that the amount of area burned to date is more than five times the area burned last year during the same period. The total area burned in Yukon in 2021 from year start to July was only 22,648 hectares.

The latest report from the Yukon government also noted that the number of fires recorded for 2022 to date was at 244  nearly six times more than the 42 wildfires in 2021.

When the fires began encroaching on neighborhoods and essential infrastructure, the Yukon government had ordered the evacuation of communities such as Stewart Crossing and the Silver Trail. But this week, the government rescinded the alert it had issued for communities in the Silver Trail area, including Moose Creek Lodge, Mayo, Elsa, Keno, and the Victoria Gold Mine site.

Cooler weather and increased rain had reduced fire activity and limited the formation of newer blazes, the government noted.

Crews across the territory are working on getting fires out and under control during the downturn in weather, said Yukon Wildland Fire Management.

However, CBC News reported that an evacuation alert for Stewart Crossing remains in place.
The following year, however, Dun & Bradstreets High Risk and Fraud Insight (HRFI) team reported a 100% spike in business identity theft and estimated that incidents would jump a whopping 258% during the height of the pandemic in 2020.

And small businesses run the most risk for such incidents, according to Mary Ellen Seale, founder and chief executive officer of NCSS.

Read more: How can small businesses protect themselves from cyber threats?

Small business identity theft  stealing a businesss identity to commit fraud  is big business for identity thieves, Seale told global information services provider Wolters Kluwer in an interview. Unlike larger corporations, small businesses dont always have the required security controls in place to detect and deter fraudulent activity, which can make them easier targets.

She added, however, that large and small businesses alike suffer from a general unawareness of the magnitude of the threat and the devastating effects that business identity theft can have on their operations.

What is business identity theft?

In its report, the NCSS defines business identity theft, also called corporate identity theft as identity theft committed with the intent to defraud or hurt a business by creating, using, or attempting to use a businesss identifying information without authority.

The non-profit classified such incidents into four main types:

Financial fraud: This involves obtaining new lines of credit, loans, or credit cards in the businesss name and filing fraudulent uniform commercial code (UCC) financing statements.

Tax fraud: This includes filing fraudulent returns using tax subsidies and obtaining refunds through the federal or state governments.

Website defacement: This involves manipulating a businesss website to redirect traffic to another website and steal customer data.

Trademark ransom: This is the act of registering a businesss name or logo as an official trademark and demanding a ransom to release them from the trademark.

Personal finance resource website Money Crashers noted, however, that much of the data used by identity thieves is readily available  via a businesss website, social media accounts, or in public records  making it crucial for companies to understand the risks posed by business identity theft and take the necessary precautions to prevent financial losses and other damages.

Read more: Biggest cybersecurity challenges to watch out for in 2022

Why are businesses targeted by identity thieves?

Because businesses are required by the law to publish certain sensitive company details such as financial statements and stakeholder information, which may include key identifiers  employment identification numbers (EIN) and sales tax numbers, for example  cybercriminals can often capitalize on the abundance of information available to steal data, according to Wolters Kluwer.

Money Crashers added that identity thieves are shifting their targets from consumers to businesses as the latter maintain larger bank account balances and may have higher credit limits

Criminals commit business identity theft for the same reason they commit consumer identity fraud  financial gain, the firm explained. But even small businesses typically operate on a larger scale than individual consumers do, making companies a bigger target.

How can businesses protect themselves against identity theft?

Despite increasingly becoming prime targets for identity theft, businesses can still adopt a range of measures to avoid falling victim to one. Here are some practical strategies companies can implement, according to experts.

1. Regularly check and monitor your businesss credit report

Doing so enables companies to spot errors and fraudulent accounts, so they can contact the credit agency immediately and file a dispute.

Suspicious activity, including inquiries or new accounts you dont recognize, maybe a sign of fraud, wrote Gerri Detweiler, education director for Nav and who herself was a victim of business identity theft, in an article for Forbes. Since credit bureaus dont share information with each other except in very limited situations, youll want to check and monitor your credit with each of the major commercial credit agencies such as Dun & Bradstreet, Equifax, and Experian.

2. Make sure business records and documents are secure

Money Crashers advised businesses to keep only records that are essential for the companys operations and shred any physical document thats no longer necessary. It added that all business records must be kept in a secure location  preferably stored digitally on the cloud rather than in a physical storage such as a hard drive or flash drive. Paper records, meanwhile, must be secured in a locked fire-resistant cabinet that can be accessed only by a limited number of people.

Although many identity thieves work online, identity theft also occurs offline, the firm noted. Try to limit the amount of mail and paper with financial information printed on [the documents], since intercepting mail or rummaging through garbage is a common tactic of thieves looking to steal sensitive information. Sign up for electronic bank and credit card statements whenever possible.

Read more: IBM: The hidden costs of data breaches severely hurt businesses

3. Educate employees about best cybersecurity practices

Understanding fraud protection and cybersecurity practices should start from the top down, according to Oregon-based Q5id. The identity and access management services provider added that once a company has internal controls in place, the next step should be to train employees on the best practices for preventing and dealing with cybersecurity threats and fraudulent activities.

Some of the most essential identity theft-prevention practices to teach should involve business protocol implementation, fraud identification, password management, secure internet browsing, email phishing, and how to report cyberattacks, Q5id noted.

4. Do not post sensitive information online

Money Crashers advised businesses to be conscious about what information they share online as even seemingly innocuous information about projects youre working on or initiatives in your business can put your company at risk.

Hackers scan social media for information they can exploit to fool employees into handing over valuable company data or initiating a wire transfer, the firm warned. Employees are much more likely to be tricked by a phishing email that sounds authentic because the criminals who wrote it included all sorts of information they found on social media.

Read more: The benefits of a strong cyber threat intelligence program

5. Stay on top of computer network security updates

According to Q5id, one of the best ways businesses can protect themselves against cyberattacks, including identity theft, is by staying on top of network upgrades. They should also encrypt and conduct regular back-ups of all data and install a robust firewall with anti-malware. Companies can likewise explore automated fraud screening systems to spot any unusual purchases, purchasing locations, and spending made under the businesss name.

6. Stay vigilant

According to Fundera, a financial resource website for small businesses operated by NerdWallet, one of the keys to preventing business identity theft is to always be prepared.

This means regularly reviewing and reconciling all account statements, credit reports, and business registration information for both active and closed accounts, Fundera added.

Detweiler also advised companies to act quickly once they notice suspicious activity.

Place a fraud alert, she recommended. File a police report. And keep good records  you may find that you need them later on.

7. Invest in cybersecurity insurance

A cyber insurance policy helps cover for the financial losses resulting from a cyberattack and, in an increasingly digital business environment, it pays for companies to have one. Coverage can also include claims made by individuals or groups that may have been harmed because of a businesss action or inaction.

Read more: Top 10 cyber insurance providers in the US in 2022

According to Fundera, annual premiums can range between $1,000 and $7,500 and help pay for the steep costs that come with data and identity theft.

Most businesses close permanently after a data breach because they cant afford to pay high recovery and rebuilding costs, the firm said. Cyber liability insurance can help prevent this.

What should businesses do if they fall victim to identity theft?

In a business identity theft resource guide posted on its website, the Colorado Secretary of State laid down the steps companies should follow if ever they fall victim to identity theft or fraud, adding that the information provided can apply to business owners in every state. Heres what businesses should do, according to the guide.

Go to the Secretary of States website and correct any fraudulent information by filing a statement of correction. You have the option to attach additional information, including a written explanation of events. Be sure not to include any personal identifying information when attaching documents. Immediately contact your bank and credit card provider and report the theft. Contact credit reporting agencies and speak with their fraud departments to report the crime and view your business credit report. Compare your EIN with the EIN of the business and report any differences to the credit reporting agencies. Contact your business creditors, billing companies, and creditors where fraudulent accounts were opened and notify them of the criminal activity. Request copies of all documentation used to access the account. Document contacts, including names, titles, phone numbers, and extensions. Include the names and numbers of all law enforcement officers you contact. If you are transferred several times, ask the person you eventually speak with for a direct phone number. Follow up all calls with a letter (with a return receipt). Follow up and make sure that agencies or institutions have received all documents that they need to assist you. Maintain information. Do not throw away files related to identity theft. Keep all notes, correspondences, printouts of emails, copies of reports, and other documents in a secure and accessible file. Check your credit report.

With the threat of business identity theft growing, it is crucial for all businesses, regardless of size, to understand the real risk that identity theft poses and take the necessary precautions to prevent serious financial loss and other potential damages.
Mosaic Insurances transactional liability division is celebrating an eventful first year in business. It has seen the divisions Stavan Desai promoted to head of Americas, while Katherine Spenner became its global chief legal officer.

Desai and Spenner (both pictured above) have provided outstanding leadership and positioned Mosaic well for long-term success in the development of thoughtful underwriting and sound protocols in the M&A sector. They are both deserving of this recognition, said William Monat, global head of transactional liability.
New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles!

A Delaware Superior Court judge on Monday dismissed a lawsuit filed by the states Democratic attorney general against agricultural giant Monsanto Co. over environmental damage from now-banned toxic chemicals known as PCBs.

In recent years, PCBs have been at the center of multimillion-dollar settlements reached between Monsanto and multiple states whose waterways had been contaminated, but Delaware Judge Mary Johnston rejected public nuisance, trespass and unjust enrichment claims asserted by Attorney General Kathy Jennings.

Citing her own 2019 ruling in a lawsuit filed by Jennings against opioid manufacturer Purdue Pharma, and an earlier lawsuit by the city of Wilmington against gun manufacturers, Judge Mary Johnston noted that Delaware courts do not recognize product-based public nuisance claims.

Johnston also said the state has no standing to bring trespass claims regarding PCB contamination of lands and waterways. The judge noted that while the state may have regulatory control of land and water, there is no basis to support the notion that it has exclusive possession of water. She also pointed out that the state had not alleged that Monsanto had control of the PCBs at the time of the alleged trespass.

The state also argued that its use of taxpayer money to address PCB contamination reduced the environmental costs that Monsanto would have incurred or will incur. But Johnston ruled that the unjust enrichment claim is outside the courts jurisdiction and also fails as a matter of law.

Monsanto, an agricultural chemical and biotechnology company, was acquired by German chemical and pharmaceutical conglomerate Bayer AG in 2018. The company began manufacturing PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, in the 1930s and continued to do until the 1970s.

The compounds, with their chemical stability, high boiling point and electrical insulating properties, were used in hundreds of industrial and commercial applications, ranging from electrical and hydraulic equipment to plastics, rubber products and pigments.

They are insoluble in water and accumulate in the fatty tissue of animals, working their way up the food chain and causing a variety of adverse health effects. The EPA has said they are probable human carcinogens.

The lawsuit alleged that Monsanto was aware for decades that PCBs were toxic to humans and other animals, and that they were polluting the environment.

Congress banned the manufacture of PCBs in 1979, but PCB contamination persists in the Delaware River, Delaware Bay and several inland waterways in Delaware.

Officials have identified Amtrak rail facilities in northern Delaware as the states largest chronic source of PCB contamination in the Delaware River.

In February, Monsanto agreed to pay $25 million over PCB contamination in the state of New Hampshire. That came two years after a $95 million settlement between the company and the state of Washington. Also, Monsanto in 2020 announced a $650 million settlement in a lawsuit filed by several California cities along with communities in Washington, Maryland and Oregon. The lawsuit resulted in a nationwide class-action settlement involving more than 2,500 local government entities.

Topics Lawsuits Legislation
Aon Adds 3 to M&A and Transaction Practice in the UK

Global broker Aon has strengthened its Mergers & Acquisitions and Transaction Solutions team in the UK with the appointments of Sam Bridges, Tanya Hickson, and Guy Ruddy.

Bridges joins Aons corporate M&A coverage team as director, bringing more than 20 years of experience as an investment banking professional at J. P. Morgan.

Hickson moves from Aons corporate team to Aons Manchester M&A transaction advisory risk and insurance team, working with Antoinette Swift on diligence and private equity backed portfolio business.

Ruddy joins the transaction team, based outside of London, as director, from Squire Patton Boggs in Leeds, having spent more than four years as a corporate M&A lawyer with a private equity focus.

AXA XL Appoints Shing to Head of International Casualty

AXA XLs insurance business has promoted Olivia Shing to head of international casualty for UK and Lloyds.

In her new role, Shing will be responsible for leading the international casualty team in the UK, while developing the regional underwriting strategy. She will also work with internal stakeholders and key brokers to support the units underwriting and marketing strategies.

Shing has 20 years experience as a senior leader across client servicing, distribution and operational roles in the UK and Asia. Most recently, she was head of underwriting management, UK and Lloyds, at AXA XL, following successive promotions since joining in 2014.

UIB Boosts Marine Division With Waller

Insurance broker UIB announced the appointment of David Waller as divisional director within its marine division.

Waller brings 15 years of experience as a marine insurance broker working with complex and difficult risks in cargo and stock throughput from a global portfolio. Prior to joining UIB, he spent four years with Roanoke International Brokers Limited (RIBL) as executive director, where he led its cargo and stock throughput business. Before RIBL, Waller was the divisional director of Arthur J. Gallagher (UK) Limited, focusing on cargo and stock throughput risks.

Based in UIBs offices in London, Waller reports to Andrew Little, managing director and head of marine.

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Aon AXA XL Casualty
Long-haul travel is back among Danes and even more popular than before the COVID-19 pandemic, as pent-up wanderlust increasingly drives them to venture outside Europes borders, Scandinavias largest insurer Tryg said on Tuesday.

Whereas last year we traveled a little less, and when we traveled, it was mostly in Europe, there have been many more trips to Thailand or the United States, to far-away destinations, Trygs Chief Executive Morten Huebbe told Reuters.

In the last quarter Nordic households opted for fewer but longer and more expensive trips, as opposed to more frequent but less expensive travel activity in previous years, the firm said in its earnings report published on Tuesday.

Tryg posted a second-quarter technical result  a measure of profits in the core business, excluding investments  of 1.9 billion Danish crowns ($256.15 million), 3% above estimates, and kept its guidance unchanged. Shares were up 2.3% at 0909 GMT. Read full story

Travel insurance claims tripled year-on-year in the quarter, Huebbe said, adding that data from claims showed long-haul travel seems to be even more popular now than prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020.

That is also evident in higher prices on the travel insurance claims, which on average are above 2018 and 2019 levels, Tryg said, primarily driven by an increase in coverage of travel injuries and patient transport.

Many customers tell us that they have splurged on a luxury vacation because they havent spent money on travel during the pandemic, Trygs director of travel claims Janus Egelund Larsen said.

It is now the time to embark on the long-distance journeys and the larger family journeys that have been postponed due to COVID, Larsen added.

(Reporting by Nikolaj Skydsgaard; Editing by Jan Harvey)

Topics Carriers COVID-19
Three workers were hospitalized in critical condition and two others in serious condition Tuesday after an aluminum gutter came into contact with a power line while working on a northern Illinois home, fire officials said.

The five workers were erecting an aluminum gutter when it came into contact with a power line in Grand Ridge, about 75 miles (120.7 kilometers) southwest of Chicago, officials said.

The workers, from a company based in Roanoke, Illinois, were all on aluminum ladders and touching portions of the house when the gutter became electrified, sending them tumbling 25 feet (7.6 meters) from the ladders to the ground, officials told WLS-TV.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Illinois
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Justice Department, and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) announced a settlement with PCS Nitrogen Fertilizer, L.P. (PCS Nitrogen), to remedy hazardous waste issues at its former fertilizer manufacturing facility in Geismar, Louisiana.

This settlement resolves alleged violations of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) at the facility, including that PCS Nitrogen failed to properly identify and manage certain waste streams as hazardous wastes. These corrosive (acidic) hazardous wastes were illegally mixed with process wastewater and phosphogypsum from phosphoric acid production. The resulting mixture of wastes was disposed of in surface impoundments.

The settlement requires PCS Nitrogen to treat over 1 billion pounds of acidic hazardous process wastewater over the next several years. The acidic hazardous process wastewaters will be contained in the phosphogypsum stack system and then treated in the newly constructed water treatment plant. The settlement also regulates the long-term closure of PCS Nitrogens phosphogypsum stacks and surface impoundments for over 50 years and requires PCS Nitrogen to ensure that financial resources will be available for environmentally sound closure of the facility.

PCS Nitrogen will provide over $84 million of financial assurance to secure the full cost of closure and pay a civil penalty of $1,510,023.

Source: EPA

Topics Louisiana Pollution
One million gallons of oil have been collected since April 2019 from the site of the nations longest oil spill, in the Gulf of Mexico off Louisiana, the Coast Guard and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Tuesday.

The spill began when when Hurricane Ivan caused an underwater mudslide in September 2004, collapsing an oil production platform 11 miles (27 kilometers) from shore. Owner Taylor Energy Co. LLC capped nine wells but said it couldnt cap the other 16 at Mississippi Canyon Block 20, or MC-20 for short. They have now been leaking for nearly 18 years.

As of July 12, 2022, 1,016,929 gallons of oil have been collected from the MC-20 site over more than three years, the Coast Guard said in a news release. That amount _ more than 3.8 million liters _ would fill about 1.5 Olympic swimming pools.

The Coast Guard said that the containment system it ordered is collecting an average of about 900 gallons (3,400 liters) of oil a day.

Neither agency estimated the 18-year total.

Some earlier estimates put the daily maximum at 33 times the current daily amount, but that figure is also far above early government estimates of 7.5 gallons (28 liters) a day in 2012 and 12 gallons (45 liters) a day in 2015.

Estimates were even lower from Taylor, which unsuccessfully took the Coast Guard and its contractor to court over the containment system.

The New Orleans-based company agreed in December 2021 to drop three lawsuits, turn over a $432 million cleanup trust fund and pay an additional $43 million to settle a federal lawsuit.

U.S. District Judge Greg Gerard Guidry signed the settlement in March, according to online court records.

The trust fund money went to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to pay for continuing efforts to plug the well and stop the spill, NOAA said in its press release.

Experts continue to work on a permanent solution, the agency said.

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Topics Louisiana Energy Oil Gas Numbers
The family of a man who was fatally shot near an Arkansas hospital while trying to drive away in a stolen truck filed a federal lawsuit last week against the officer who shot him and several others.

Relatives of Tyrone Washington filed the lawsuit over the 39-year-olds fatal shooting by a University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences officer near the university hospitals emergency department on Dec. 3, 2020. The lawsuit accuses former UAMS officer Krystal Watson of wrongful death and using excessive force in the shooting.

Watson shot Washington when he began driving off after another officer had reached inside the vehicle, dragging the officer. According to the lawsuit, Watson did not warn Washington of her intent to use deadly force.

The lawsuit said that Washington had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and had gone to UAMS to seek mental health treatment after being discharged from another hospital.

A reasonably well-trained medical professional who encountered Tyrone around this time would know or should know that Tyrone was in the midst of a mental health crisis and in need of professional help, the lawsuit said.

Arkansas State Police investigated the shooting and the local prosecutor found no evidence of wrongdoing by Watson or UAMS, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Our hearts go out to the family of Tyrone Washington, UAMS Spokeswoman Leslie Taylor said in a statement. Officer Watson believed the life of her fellow officer, who was being dragged by a stolen vehicle driven by Mr. Washington, was in danger. She acted to save her fellow officers life.

Watson has resigned from UAMS since the shooting, Taylor said. The lawsuit also names several other officers, UAMS Chancellor Dr. Cam Patterson and St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center, where Washington had been treated and discharged before he walked to UAMS.

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Topics Lawsuits Arkansas
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By this time next year, Citizens Property Insurance policyholders and assignees of benefits could see their claims disputes decided, not in county or circuit courts, but by administrative judges who work for a Florida state agency.

The Citizens Board of Governors on Wednesday voted to move ahead with a policy endorsement that would allow the insurer or the insured to send claims disputes to the state Division of Administrative Hearings, known as DOAH. Both parties would not need to agree to the DOAH venue.

The 30 judges at DOAH now handle a range of issues, including child support cases, mental health hearings, and disputes brought by businesses over state agency rules or over penalties assessed for violating regulations.

The Citizens plan would allow for faster resolution of claims disputes, which would benefit Citizens as well as policyholders, Citizens general counsel, Tim Cerio, told board members. Crucially, the endorsement also would cap plaintiffs attorney fees at about $200 an hour, with no fee multipliers, which ultimately could save the insurer thousands of dollars each year in legal costs.

Citizens will file for the endorsement soon, officials said. The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation will decide if it should be approved.

Its all part of Citizens effort to reduce litigation expenses, which are spiraling as the carriers policies continue to soar  topping 1.2 million policies in force by years end, officials said. Citizens has about 19,000 claims lawsuits pending and is planning on spending as much as $100 million on legal defense costs this year.

Some Florida plaintiffs lawyers quickly questioned the wisdom of utilizing administrative judges to handle insurance claims disputes.

I dont see the upside on this for policyholders, unless theyre offered some type of exchange, such as higher coverage limits or reduced premiums, said attorney Michael Redondo, of Miami, who said he has about 100 cases pending against Citizens.

Limiting attorney fees will reduce the number of lawyers who are willing to take on Citizens cases, which could hurt policyholders ability to obtain a fair judgment or settlement, he said.

He argued that Citizens could save much more by avoiding unnecessary litigation and accepting reasonable settlement offers more often. He noted that in one South Florida claim, he has repeatedly offered to settle for about $5,000. His fee would have been about $1,500. But Citizens would not settle and is going to trial next week on a relatively minor issue..

The litigation could ultimately cost Citizens more than $40,000 in defense fees and perhaps more in plaintiffs fees, he said.

Citizens spokesman Michael Peltier said that claimants lawyers often argue that the insurer should settle sooner or pay claims faster. But many claims in Florida have been proven to be fraudulent or exaggerated and have to be litigated.

We have an obligation to policyholders to pay the ones that need to be paid but to investigate those that dont, he said.

Moving cases to the administrative arena would reduce the resolution time frame, from an average of about 430 days in the court system to 100 or so days at DOAH, partly because DOAH does not face a backlog of lawsuits, Cerio said.

The agency may have plenty of bandwidth: A state government website notes that in fiscal year 2019-20, the division saw some 6,300 requests, an 11% decrease from the previous year. And many DOAH requests are referred to mediation. Floridas court system, on the other hand, has seen more than 4,500 lawsuits filed per month against the largest 16 insurance carriers, according to CaseGlide, a litigation management software firm.

But the perceived efficiency of the Division of Administrative Hearings could change quickly, Redondo countered.

Trust me, if they dump 60,000 claims disputes into DOAH, DOAHs resolution time will go up  way up, the attorney said.

And DOAH decisions, in most cases, could still be appealed to an appeals court.

DOAH officials appear to be on board with the idea.

The Division of Administrative Hearings will fairly and quickly resolve legal disputes for Citizens Property Insurance and its insuredswhatever form that dispute may takeas it does for countless other governmental entities in Florida, reads an email from the acting head of DOAH, Judge Brian Newman.

Cerio told the Citizens board that DOAH officials said the agency could set aside some judges to hear only insurance claims and it has the statutory flexibility to hire more if the need arises. The Legislature at some point could also be asked to provide funding for more administrative judges and staff, Citizens Board Chairman Carlos Beruff said.

Because Citizens is a quasi-government entity that was created by the Florida Legislature, it likely has the legal standing to move claims cases to DOAH, said Stephen Rosen, a retired administrative law judge for DOAH who handled workers compensation disputes. Adjustments to state law and funding could easily be made by lawmakers, if needed, he said.

Other Florida insurers, as private companies not chartered by the state, would not have the DOAH-litigation option. Some carriers have taken other steps to avoid the court system. At least have begun offering binding arbitration in claims disputes in exchange for lower premiums.

DOAH is in something of a state of flux at the moment. Peter Antonacci was chief judge and administrator of the division for less than 18 months before Gov. Ron DeSantis last week named him to head the new Office of Election Crimes and Security. Newman was named acting chief of DOAH, but its not certain he will remain in the position.

The administrative law judges are all lawyers but some may have little experience in insurance matters. Rosen suggested that an expanded roster should include judges with expertise in claims disputes.

Legal costs have become one of the biggest issues, not just for Citizens but for most carriers in Floridas distressed property insurance market, helping to drive several insurers into insolvency.

At the board meeting Wednesday, Citizens President Barry Gilway reviewed the dire state of the market, due in part to litigation expenses. He noted that in the first quarter of 2022, Floridas 52 property insurance companies posted $154 million in losses. That followed a combined $1.2 billion negative net income for 2021 and negative $1.8 billion for 2020.

Gilway said those numbers should be looked at against the Florida private insurance markets total surplus of about $4 billion, based on reports from Standard & Poors, a financial rating firm.

The market is really losing 25% to 35% of its surplus every single year, he told the board.

The losses have caused not only insolvencies, but have prompted a number of insurers to stop writing in Florida, to drastically reduce coverage areas, and to limit the age of roofs theyll cover. Its all led to incomprehensible growth rates for the insurer of last resort, Gilway noted. The company is three times the size it was 28 months ago.

Topics Legislation Florida Claims
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A lawyer for disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh said Tuesday that investigators have indicated they intend to pursue murder charges against him for the deaths of his wife and son, who were fatally shot outside their home more than a year ago.

Lawyer Jim Griffin said in a statement that the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division told Murdaugh family members they plan to seek indictments from a grand jury later this week.

We wont have any comment until charges are actually brought against Alex, Griffin said.

Officials with both state police and the attorney generals office would not comment on whether authorities were pursuing the indictments, which were first reported by news and opinion website FITSNews.

Murdaugh already faces dozens of criminal charges that have piled up in the months since his wife Maggie, 52, and their 22-year-old son, Paul, were killed. But until now he has not been charged in connection with their deaths; hes repeatedly denied any role in those killings.

The deaths led to at least a half-dozen investigations into Murdaugh and his finances resulting in charges that he stole $8.5 million from people who hired him and that he lied to police in saying he was shot by a stranger on a roadside when _ officials say _ he really asked a friend to kill him so his surviving son could collect a $10 million life insurance policy.

Maggie and Paul Murdaugh were shot several times between 9 and 9:30 p.m. the night of June 7, 2021, outside their home on the familys land near Islandton, authorities said. Their bodies were found near dog kennels, according to Colleton County Coroner Richard Harvey.

At the time, authorities reported that Alex Murdaugh discovered the bodies and called 911. His family told Good Morning America that Murdaugh had been visiting his father in the hospital and checking on his mother when the killings happened.

The South Carolina Supreme Court also disbarred Murdaugh on Tuesday, confirming the inevitable after Murdaughs attorneys declined to contest arguments at a June disbarment hearing. In the order, the state Supreme Court noted its decision in no way affects ongoing investigations.

From October: Murdaugh Charged with Taking Dead Housekeepers Life Insurance Settlement

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Alabama on Tuesday closed a $509 million bond deal to help build two supersize prisons amid lawsuits by inmates bidding to block the project.

The Alabama Finance Department confirmed that the bond sale, which had been approved last month, was finalized. The deal closure comes after criminal justice reform activists had strived for more than a year to disrupt the sale. But legal wrangling over the project is continuing through ongoing litigation.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and lawmakers approved the construction as a solution to the states ongoing prison woes. Critics of the plan argue that the state is ignoring the bigger issues like prison staffing levels and leadership to focus on building projects.

The construction of new and modern correctional facilities is absolutely and undeniably necessary to support the safety of both inmates and staff, to improve mental health care, to provide space for vocational and rehabilitative programs, and ultimately to protect public safety, Alabama officials said in a statement.

No eleventh-hour lawsuits by inmates or activists will halt these efforts, and the state intends to move to dismiss the lawsuits and to vigorously defend against the claims as being without merit, it continued.

The state provided a formal disclosure to underwriters and bond holders regarding the lawsuit, a spokeswoman for the department wrote in an email.

Activists had tried to discourage the deal, calling it a cruel investment in mass incarceration. A group of activists and impact investors had urged buyers to stay away from the bond offering.

Its incredibly disappointing that Alabama just seems hellbent on building prisons, said Eric Glass, an adviser to Justice Capital, an investment fund that joined the call for a boycott.

The bond sale fell $200 million short of expectations, but Glass said it is disappointing that the state had more than $500 million in orders.

While financing for the construction was secured, legal wrangling is ongoing over the project.

Inmates filed a lawsuit claiming state officials violated the National Environmental Policy Act by failing to analyze the environmental impacts of the new prisons. Another lawsuit challenges Alabamas use of $400 million in pandemic relief funds from the American Rescue Plan to help pay for the construction.

Building more prisons violates the guiding purpose of ARP: to foster a strong and equitable recovery that will uplift the communities most impacted by the pandemic_ namely, low-income communities and communities of color, the lawsuit states.

A separate action filed by an inmate argues the construction cost will drain financial resources and interfere with the prison systems compliance with a court order to dramatically boost the number of correctional officers working inside state lockups.

Alabama prisons remain deadly and dangerous years after federal officials warned the state of unconstitutional conditions, the U.S. Department of Justice said last year, noting that inmate-on-inmate homicides have increased from already high levels.

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Topics Alabama
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United Insurance Holdings Corp., parent company of one of Floridas largest property insurers  and one that has seen heavy losses in the last two years  announced that its board of directors is now exploring a range of options to raise capital, including the sale of the company or merger with another.

Other options include subsidiary divestiture, formation of a new Florida-domiciled reciprocal exchange, as well as the sale of equity, surplus notes or other financing or strategic transactions, UPC Insurance said in a news release posted Wednesday.

The company also said it has retained Insurance Advisory Partners, an investment banking and consulting firm as its financial advisor, and Debevoise & Plimpton, an international law firm, as its legal counsel to assist in the review process.

The announcements fueled speculation that the insurer, which until recently held more than 180,000 policies in Florida, is in worse financial shape than expected, despite significant steps that company leaders have taken in the last year. A sale or merger could bring millions of dollars in fresh capital, similar to the restructuring measures followed by Florida-based FedNat Insurance Co. in May.

FedNat, after large storm losses in Louisiana, agreed to a restructuring consent order with Florida regulators, moving thousands of policies to a subsidiary, Monarch National Insurance. Hale Partnership Capital Management then took a majority stake in Monarch and invested $15 million into it.

The publicly traded UPC reported a $33 million loss for the first quarter of 2022, on the heels of $60 million in negative net income for 2021 and $95 million in losses for the year before, thanks in part to big weather damage in Louisiana. UPCs combined ratio topped 120 last year, down slightly from the previous year, but considerably higher than in 2017.

In the last nine months, the St. Petersburg-based insurer has undertaken some major efforts to stem the losses. In December, UPC agreed to sell its personal lines in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina to HCI Group Inc. In January, UPC stopped writing new homeowner business in Florida while asking for a rate increase for some types of policies.

In April, the company said it was merging two subsidiaries, Journey Insurance Co. and American Coastal, and would distribute much of Journeys capital to other subsidiaries.

In June, Wright National Flood Insurance said it will take over UPCs flood insurance book of business.

UPC company officials could not be reached for comment Wednesday evening and Thursday morning. The companys news release notes that it was founded in 1999 and continues to write some policies in Florida, Louisiana, New York and Texas. It also wrote in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, but renewal rights there have been sold and all premiums and losses are ceded, the company said.

The Thursday news release suggested that further details about a potential sale may not be available anytime soon.

There can be no assurance that this process will result in the company pursuing a particular transaction and the company does not intend to disclose further developments unless and until it determines that further disclosure is appropriate or necessary, UPC said.

United Insurance Holdings stock was selling for $1.37 a share Thursday morning, up slightly from the day before, but considerably lower than a year ago.

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Property Casualty Property Casualty
Opioid makers Allergan and Teva have agreed to pay $54 million in cash and overdose reversal drugs to settle a federal lawsuit brought by San Francisco alleging the drug industry fueled an overdose and addiction surge that created a public nuisance.

City Attorney David Chiu made the announcement Tuesday before closing arguments against the sole remaining defendant, Walgreens, started later in the morning. The lawsuit alleges that the pharmacy chain over-dispensed opioids without proper oversight and failed to identify and report suspicious orders as required by law.

Drug overdose deaths have surged in the country, including in San Francisco. Mayor London Breed declared a state of emergency last year in the Tenderloin neighborhood, saying something had to be done about the high concentration of drug dealers and people consuming drugs out in public.

The city attorneys office says San Francisco saw a nearly 500% increase in opioid-related overdose deaths between 2015 and 2020 and that on a typical day, roughly a quarter of visits at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital Emergency Department are opioid-related.

The agreement announced Tuesday calls for the two opioid manufacturers to pay San Francisco $34 million in cash and provide $20 million worth of the overdose reversal drug, Narcan.

Teva Pharmaceuticals, a U.S. affiliate of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., said in a statement that the settlement is a step forward in getting life-saving treatments to people suffering from opioid addiction but was not an admission of liability or wrongdoing.

Walgreens spokesperson Fraser Engerman declined to comment, while Allergan did not respond to a request for comment.

The San Francisco case is one of only a handful of government claims against companies over the opioid epidemic so far that have gone to trial.

More cases have settled before trials. Earlier this year, the distribution companies AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson plus drug maker Johnson & Johnson finalized nationwide settlements totaling $26 billion.

And the drug maker Purdue Pharma is in court trying to win approval for a deal that could be worth $10 billion that it crafted after declaring bankruptcy amid the weight of lawsuits facing the OxyContin maker.

In all, proposed and completed settlements over the epidemic in the U.S. have totaled more than $40 billion, according to an Associated Press tally.

Much of the legal action so far has involved companies that make or distribute opioids, but litigation against pharmacies has emerged, too.

So far, there has been a verdict in just one pharmacy case. Last year, an Ohio jury found that CVS, Walgreens and Walmart recklessly distributed opioids in two counties. Its up to a judge to determine their penalty.

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Topics Lawsuits
A seafood processing company west of Aberdeen, Washington, will pay more than $92,000 in a settlement agreement over water quality violations, Washington state ecology officials said.

Pacific Seafood  Westport, LLCs payment will settle an appeal of a larger penalty for 49 water quality violations from April 2020 through November 2021, the Department of Ecology said Tuesday in a statement.

The company released wastewater containing fecal coliform, grease, oils, and other solids above the amounts allowed in its permit, officials said. The company also didnt monitor several wastewater discharges as required by the permit.

The processing facility discharges wastewater into Half Moon Bay, within Grays Harbor.

The area is popular for recreation, and is home to numerous species of fish, crab, and shorebirds. Excess effluent from seafood processing can harm aquatic life and reduce water quality.

The company agreed to the reduced penalty, according to the statement. The remaining $31,000 of the original $123,000 penalty will be waived if the facility remains in compliance with its water quality permit for one year.

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Topics Washington
Credit unions have begun providing a streamlined loan service for people to have medical operations abroad in a new approach to bypass long waiting lists in Ireland.

A HSE representative has attended the official opening of Hospital Clinica Benidorm, a 60m private hospital in Denia, Spain, offering foreign patient care to people in Ireland.

Up to 1,500 operations have been earmarked in the Spanish hospital for Irish patients annually. The hospital offers Irish food and other familiar comforts.

Almost every treatment that is currently available on the Irish public system will be provided at the new Spanish hospital.

New figures have revealed the HSE has spent over 2m this year at private hospitals in Europe under the EU Cross Border Directive, where patients treated privately abroad are then refunded the costs by the state.

However, many people can't afford the upfront fees, with operations such as hip replacements in Spain running to 10,000.

To get around this, an agency that connects patients to EU hospitals for a commission, Healthcare Abroad, is now partnering with Irish credit unions to streamline applications for loans.

First South Credit Union chief executive George Cantwell explained that people can take out loans and then pay them off when they're refunded the cost of the operation by the HSE.

People dont come directly to us. They deal with Healthcare Abroad, they determine eligibility, and they assist the individual with the paperwork.

They would then give us a heads-up to say 'Mary Murphy is looking for this facility'.

Eligible patients can apply for a credit union loan with as little as 5 in their account.

Paul Byrne, Chief Operations Officer of Healthcare Abroad, said the arrangement with the credit unions marked a new milestone.

The HSE has acknowledged waiting lists are creating opportunities for private hospitals abroad and said the involvement of credit unions could see patients get treated sooner.

General manager of the HSE commercial unit, Catherine Donohue, said: In an ideal world we wouldnt have patients waiting, but there are patients waiting. It is a lucrative and very valid market for private providers, and public patients benefit enormously from it.

She described these new opportunities for accessing funding as exciting for patients.

Michael Carroll from Ballyphehane, Cork, was one of the first patients treated at the Spanish hospital last week for cataract surgery, availing of the credit union support.

Michael Carroll Ballyphehane Cork had cataract surgery in Spain under the EU Cross Border Directive. Picture: Sergi Albir

It was like I had a plastic bag over my eyes. I was very unsteady and it was affecting my balance as well. The clarity when they removed the bandages was unbelievable. I dont think my eyesight has ever been this good.

He did not want to wait for treatment in Cork, as doctors said his eyesight was deteriorating quickly.

Because of the name, I thought the Cross-Border Directive was only about the border with Northern Ireland, he said.

Spain is now the second most popular destination after the UK with 517 patients treated there last year.

Among those involved with Healthcare Abroad is Chris Goodey, the former chief executive of the National Association of General Practitioners, the collapse of which is being investigated by the Corporate Enforcement Authority.
Gardai have arrested a man in Dublin as part of an ongoing investigation into the fraudulent claiming of Pandemic Unemployment Payment.

The laundering of the proceeds of online frauds is also being investigated.

Approximately 49,500 is believed to have been stolen as a result of Pandemic Unemployment Payment fraud.

This money was paid into a number of different bank accounts which were set up using false identities.

Separately, an estimated 120,000 was stolen in an online fraud and was paid into the same bank accounts.

The Garda National Economic Crime Bureau carried out a search in Swords, Co Dublin today.

During the course of the search, laptops, phones, documentation, a quantity of cash, and a car were seized.

A man, aged in his late 20s, was arrested and is currently being detained at Swords garda station.

The investigation, undertaken as part of Operation Skein, was assisted by gardai on secondment at the Department of Social Protection.

Investigations are ongoing.
Oscar winner Kevin Spacey, 62, has arrived at the Old Bailey to face charges of sexual assault dating back 17 years.

The former Hollywood star has already indicated he strenuously denies the allegations of three men who are now in their 30s and 40s.

He is listed to appear in Court One of the Old Bailey under his full name of Kevin Spacey Fowler for a plea and case management hearing before Mr Justice Wall.

The American actor is on unconditional bail and is expected to attend the central London court in person rather than by videolink.

He faces four charges of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.

The alleged offences are said to have taken place in London and Gloucestershire between 2005 and 2013.

Kevin Spacey at Westminster Magistrates Court last month (Jonathan Brady/PA)

At the time, Spacey was artistic director of the Old Vic theatre in London.

The House Of Cards star has an address in Waterloo, south London, but his home is in the US, where he has family and a nine-year-old dog.

Last month, at an initial court hearing at magistrates court, Spaceys lawyer Patrick Gibbs QC said his client strenuously denies any and all criminality in this case.

Mr Gibbs said Spacey had returned to the UK to establish his innocence and proceed with his life.

The charges are: two counts of sexual assault on a man, who is now in his 40s, in March 2005 in London; sexual assault on a man, who is now in his 30s, and causing him to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent, in August 2008 in London; and sexual assault on a man, who is now in his 30s, in April 2013 in Gloucestershire.

The Crown Prosecution Service authorised the charges against him in May, but Spacey could only be formally charged once he had travelled to the UK last month.

Spacey is known for starring roles in American Beauty and The Usual Suspects.

He was artistic director at the Old Vic between 2004 and 2015.
Burma India Unearths Network Trafficking Rohingya Girls From Camps in Bangladesh

Rohingya refugees wait in a queue to collect relief supplies at the Kutupalong refugee camp in Ukhia on Oct. 15, 2020. / AFP

A premier Indian investigating agency has busted a sprawling network for trafficking Rohingya girls from the refugee camps of Bangladesh to India.

The chargesheet submitted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to a court in Guwahati has given lurid details about the network spanning several cities across India from the border states in the northeastern region to Jammu in the north.

So far six persons have been arrested in connection with the episode and remanded to judicial custody after they were produced before the court in Guwahati last month.

The First Information Report (FIR) registered by the agency last year mentions that not only Rohingya refugees but also Bangladeshi nationals had entered India illegally through multiple porous stretches along the international border in Indias frontier zone of the northeast and West Bengal.

Kumkum Ahmed Choudhury, who was among the arrested, was the kingpin of the trafficking racket perceived by the agency to have been a well-designed larger conspiracy to exploit the illegal migrants and also to destabilize the population ratio and demographic scenario of the country [India].

Ahmed operated from Bangalore in association with Sahalam Laskar in Jammu and Raju Ali who was based in Bangladesh, according to the chargesheet. The process also involved providing fake identity and travel documents to the victims before they were handed over to employers.

Over a million Rohingya refugees are sheltered at refugee camps in Bangladeshs coastal district of Coxs Bazar. They were compelled to leave their homes in Rakhine State in Myanmar over many decades beginning from the late 1970s.

An Indian government official claimed that among the trafficked victims who were apprehended by NIA and lodged at rehabilitation centers were some Rohingya girls who were evicted from Myanmars Rakhine State along with their families in 2017.

In India, around 40,000 refugees are scattered at different locations with a maximum of 5,000 settled in Jammu. Many among them have also been repatriated to Myanmar after they were arrested for illegally entering the country. And recently, many groups were apprehended in some border states of India for making efforts to return to the refugee camps in Bangladesh.

The NIAs investigation began after a batch of nine Rohingya refugees was arrested at Guwahati railway station in Assam last year. The probe that lasted for over a year unraveled a five-layered trafficking network that begins with identifying the victims at the refugee camps in Coxs Bazar. The victims are lured by a group of Bangladesh nationals with the offer of better prospects and good opportunities in India.

In the second layer is a group along the international border whose mandate is to receive the trafficked victims from the agent in Bangladesh and hand them over to the agents of the next layer for further disposal of the victims.

All the arrested traffickers belong to the third layer active in India who strike deals with customers. They also arrange fake identity documents, railway tickets, cell phones and locate shelters for the victims at different locations till they reach the destination.

The members of the fourth layer are mainly the guides whose tasks are assigned by the traffickers of the third layer. They arrange pick and drop procedures for the victims and some among them also travel with the victims on trains until they reach their destinations. The names of more than a dozen guides surfaced during the investigation by the NIA, most of whom operated between Delhi and Jammu.

In the final layer are the end users who pay huge amounts of money to the traffickers, which was evident from the transactions between them in a few accounts with the Punjab National Bank, Bandhan Bank and State Bank of India.

Besides the intricate network of traffickers, the investigation by the NIA uncovered atrocities committed against the trafficked victims after they cross the border from Bangladesh. They are subjected to various types of exploitation by customers in India, as evidenced by recorded telephone conversations of the accused. In one instance, Bapan Ahmed Choudhury sent minor girls to a destination; the customer had objected and Bapan Ahmed Choudhury was willing to replace them with other women.

NIAs chargesheet provides yet more stinging evidence of the continuing infiltration from Bangladesh to India. It is also a damning indictment of the Indian governments efforts to stem the illicit cross-border movement of people and criminal activities along the border, that runs a long distance of 4,056 km.

Indias Minister of State for Defense Ajay Bhatt earlier informed Parliament that there were 441 infiltration attempts along the India-Bangladesh border in the first six months of 2021. He said that 740 infiltrators from Bangladesh were apprehended and one was killed by security forces.

Rajeev Bhattacharyya is a senior journalist in Assam, India.

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Burma Myanmar Junta Arrests Nine Striking Teachers Working for NUG Online School

Teachers take part in a sit-in protest on February 9, 2021, a few days after the coup. / The Irrawaddy

At least nine striking teachers working for Kaung for You Education, an online school for students boycotting junta schools, have reportedly been arrested since Wednesday, forcing the school to temporarily close.

The arrests came after rumors spread that the schools principal, Kaung Thaik Soe, was arrested early Wednesday morning.

A post on Kaung for Yous Facebook page said that Sayar Kaung [principal Kaung Thaik Soe] was arrested. However, the post was deleted around an hour later as his detention couldnt be confirmed. The Irrawaddy was also unable to confirm his arrest.

An officer known as Captain Zero who defected from the military to join the civil disobedience movement (CDM) said that five Kaung for You teachers personally known to him were arrested on Wednesday.

He said the laptops of the five were confiscated during the arrests. Captain Zero added that a teacher from Myittha Township in Mandalay Region was also arrested at around 8am while teaching.

Captain Zero warned anyone else associated with the school to move, as well as not to post on the schools Facebook page as he suspected that it was no longer under the control of the schools authorities.

The Basic Education Student Affairs Federation also confirmed the arrest of a Kaung for You teacher in Kalaw, Shan State on Wednesday afternoon while she was teaching from her home.

A Central Executive Committee member of the Federation told The Irrawaddy that they have also received reports on Thursday of more arrests of teachers affiliated with Kaung for You.

He said that the Federation can confirm two arrests on Thursday including a CDM teacher in

Moe Kaung, Kachin State who was arrested at her home by junta soldiers and police on Thursday afternoon, and one teacher arrested in Tanintharyi Region.

Some unconfirmed reports also stated that over a dozen teachers had been arrested as of Thursday afternoon.

Kaung for You Education, which is officially endorsed by the parallel National Unity Government (NUG), teaches primary, middle and high school students. It has previously attracted controversy for leaking the private information of students registered with the school.

Several parents complained that they had subsequently received threatening phone calls attempting to blackmail them for money.

The school responded by saying that it will upgrade its online security and will take action against those who leaked the information.

On Thursday, NUG deputy minister of education Ja Htoi Pan wrote on her official Facebook page that the education ministry is investigating the leak of students personal information and that the Kaung for You administration team has already admitted to shortcomings in management.

The deputy minister continued, With the news of Sayar Kaung Thaik Soe being arrested, some teachers were arrested. Arresting people for teaching is a violation of the right to education and is inhumane, said Ja Htoi Pan on her Facebook.

Everyone has to be cautious now, she added.

Kaung for You principal Kaung Thaik Soe was an assistant township education officer until he joined the CDM following last years coup. He is also the leader of the Myittha Township Education Strike.

Pro-junta Facebook accounts have threatened CDM teachers, parents and students with arrest for defying military rule by refusing to attend or work in junta-run schools.

Kaung for You and other online schools providing free education are one of the few options for students who boycott regime-run schools.

Students at Kaung for You were notified that the school is now temporarily closed.

One parent whose son is registered with the school said she is worried for her familys security since she heard of the teachers being arrested.

I am really worried. I didnt sleep well last night when I heard the news of the teachers being arrested. My younger daughter studies in another school under the NUG as well and I worry we will be in danger, she added.

Ja Htoi Pan said that the education ministry will issue a notice shortly to the public about Kaung for You and will continue to work to ensure the security of online schools.
Burma Myanmar Junta Chief and His Two Favorite Monks Consecrate Pagoda Replica in Moscow

Min Aung Hlaing and Daw Kyu Kyu Hla hand over a diamond orb for the Shwezigon Pagoda replica to Sitagu Sayadaw on July 12 in Moscow. / Venerable Ashin Nyanissara Facebook

Two high-profile Buddhist monks who reportedly urged military chief Min Aung Hlaing to seize power well before he did so last year consecrated a replica of Shwezigon Pagoda together with the junta boss in the Russian capital Moscow on Tuesday, which marked the Full Moon Day of Kason.

The two monks in question were Sitagu Sayadaw Ashin Nyanissara and Dhammaduta Ashin Chekinda, whose ties with Min Aung Hlaing have deepened since the coup. Both monks reportedly called ahead of the general election of November 2020 for the military to seize power from the National League for Democracy (NLD) government. One of them even wrote a letter to Min Aung Hlaing urging him to stage a coup, according to a highly respected monk who has followers in the military and the ousted NLD government.

Their incitement appears to have been worthwhile; both are now the religious masters of a despotic ruler.

Min Aung Hlaing, his wife Daw Kyu Kyu Hla, their son Aung Pyae Sone, Sitagu Sayadaw and Ashin Chekinda secretly left Naypyitaw on a Myanmar Airways International flight on Sunday. Their visit was only officially reported two days later. It is Min Aung Hlaings second visit to Russia since the coup. During his first visit in June last year, he consecrated a replica of Shwedagon Pagoda in Moscow.

Construction and consecration of the Shwezigon Pagoda replica were arranged by Sitagu Sayadaw, who has hailed Min Aung Hlaing as a king of great generosity and wisdom. Sitagu Sayadaw visited Russia 10 times to oversee construction of the pagoda. The last time he flew there was in September last year with the juntas No. 2 man, Soe Win.

According to the Facebook page of Sitagu Sayadaw, the pagoda was funded by business tycoon U Aung Ko Win and his wife, who own Kanbawza Group of Companies, which has interests in many sectors including banking, insurance and aviation. The family owns Kanbawza Bank (KBZ)one of Myanmars biggestand is known to have close ties to Min Aung Hlaing.

The pagoda consecration was attended by Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council of Russia Konstantin Kosachev and Deputy Defense Minister Colonel General Alexander Fomin. Min Aung Hlaing called the Shwezigon replica in Moscow a milestone in cultural cooperation between the two countries.

Russia is the only country that has opened its doors to Min Aung Hlaing, and the only one he has visited over the 16 months since the takeover, as the junta chief has been shunned internationally for his violence against Myanmars people.

Moscow engages with Min Aung Hlaing not because it views Myanmar as a friend, but because Min Aung Hlaings regime is a cash cow for it. Russia is a major arms supplier to Myanmar, and the regime could be seen as partially funding Russias invasion of Ukraine. The junta chief has not been received by Russian President Vladimir Putin during either of his visits.

Offering words of thanks after the consecration, the regime chief said Shwezigon Pagoda, located in Myanmars UNESCO World Heritage Site, Bagan, was built by King Anawrahta on Shin Arahans adviceimplicitly comparing himself to the founder of the first Burmese Empire and comparing Sitagu Sayadaw to the Buddhist monk who was credited with promoting Buddhism in Bagan Kingdom, todays central Myanmar.

In just 16 months since the coup, Min Aung Hlaing has consecrated five pagodas. He is also having a Buddha statuetouted as the worlds biggest sitting Buddha imagebuilt in Naypyitaw. Just a few days before his visit to Russia, Min Aung Hlaing showed off a big ruby, a gem traditionally associated with royalty and wealth in Myanmar. He called the ruby priceless and named it after his regimes governing body, the State Administration Council, or the Na Sa Ka Ruby. Given that previous military dictators including Than Shwe and Khin Nyunt used white elephants, which are historically associated with kings and viewed as a source of royal power, to bolster support for their regime, Min Aung Hlaing may already have his men searching for an albino elephant.

By smearing the NLD as an enemy of Buddhism in Myanmar, Sitagu Sayadaw and Ashin Chekinda aided and abetted Min Aung Hlaing even before he seized power from a democratically elected government and tormented millions of people. And the duo have actively helped Min Aung Hlaing exploit religion for political gain. Both have been rewarded for their allegiance to the junta leader. Sitagu Sayadaw has become the head of the Shwe Kyin sect, and Ashin Chekinda has been promoted to become the rector of the International Theravada Buddhist Missionary University in a short time.

Construction of a pagoda in Russia does nothing to help the Myanmar people, many of whom have lost their families and friends, as well as their homes and belongings, and are suffering in one way or another in the post-coup turmoil. What Min Aung Hlaing will bring backmilitary deals with Russiawill only worsen the woes of Myanmars people.
Burma Myanmar Junta Troops Stationed at Offices and School Attacked in Chin State

Chinland Defense Force fighters in Kanpetlet. / CDF

Resistance forces in Kanpetlet Township, Chin State, attacked Myanmar junta troops at a general administration department (GAD), education office and school on Monday and Tuesday, inflicting casualties.

The Chinland Defense Force (CDF) in Kanpetlet carried out a surprise attack on junta troops at the township GAD on Monday. We dont know the casualties in Mondays attack. But we attacked junta troops at the education office and a school on Tuesday and killed two, said a CDF spokesman.

The fighting on Monday and Tuesday lasted about three hours. CDF leaders said they only used light weapons to avoid civilian casualties.

The CDF said the attacks were in response to junta checks on town residents and the looting of vacated houses.

Markets were closed in Kanpetlet on Wednesday and residents stayed in their homes.

A resident told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday: Everyone is concerned as there were clashes in the town for two consecutive days. There were no reports of civilian casualties. Residents dare not go out. I have not seen junta troops patrolling today. Perhaps they are concerned that they might be attacked.

Last week resistance forces attacked junta troops in Kanpetlet. CDF guerillas attacked Division 55 troops in the town on June 11 and 12 to deter junta reinforcements. The regime reportedly suffered casualties.

The regimes administrative mechanism has collapsed in Kanpetlet with resistance force taking control of more than 90 percent of the township and the regime only controlling the town. The CDF has also detained non-striking civil servants and sent them back to their homes.

Resistance forces have established parallel administrations in the villages, said CDF leaders.
Burma Myanmar Militarys Proxy Political Party hit by Fresh Financial Scandal

USDP members and supporters on the party campaign trail in Naypyitaw before the 2020 election. / The Irrawaddy

After a senior member of the Myanmar militarys proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) recently revealed the details of a loan to the partys spokesperson, the controversy over how the USDP acquired its assets has come back into the spotlight.

The financial scandal has emerged just as the USDP is struggling with a rift over the partys future leadership, with the USDP divided into two camps  one which wants to bring down current chairperson U Than Htay and the other loyal to him. The group seeking to oust U Than Htay is stronger and is believed to be backed by junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who is planning for an election next year and may want to pick someone he trusts as the next USDP chair, with the party set to play a crucial role if the coup leader is to achieve his presidency dream.

Senior USDP member U Maung Myint from Sagaing Regions Mingin Township said that USDP spokesperson Dr. Nanda Hla Myint has taken out a two billion kyats (US$1.07 million) loan from the party. U Maung Myint called the reckless lending a robbery. Even if the money was lent through an official party decision, it was a decision to rob, said U Maung Myint.

At first glance, two billion kyats seems to be an enormous amount. To make a comparison, the biggest prize in the state lottery was just 1.5 billion kyats before last years coup. But the amount is less than two months expenditure for the USDP.

USDP central executive committee (CEC) member U Soe Naing told the press in 2015 that the partys monthly expenditure is 1.4 billion kyats.

If Ko Nanda Hla Myint can get that amount, how much will other [senior members] get? a member of the USDP CEC told The Irrawaddy.

While Dr. Nanda Hla Myint is a CEC member, there are some 300 people in the party leadership who rank the same or higher than him.

When asked by The Irrawaddy how much he earns, the USDP CEC member replied that the monthly allowance given by the party is enough for him.

I dont need to take out loans because I dont do business. But Ko Nanda [Nanda Hla Myint] does business and therefore he needs loans, he said.

Dr. Nanda Hla Myint owns the Min Kyansit Construction Co, which was awarded a contract to construct Aye Tharyar staff quarters in the Shan State capital Taunggyi under the former USDP government. The then USDP government also provided his company with four billion kyats in loans from the Shan State governments regional development fund for the project.

USDP leaders have never revealed the partys assets. The only way to assess them is by looking at the partys expenditures. The USDPs assets are in state-owned property and political privileges, entitlements that the party has enjoyed for many years since it was founded by former dictator Senior General Than Shwe.

Earlier financial scandals

After Than Shwe became the de facto military ruler in 1992, he established the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) as a mass organization the following year.

The association was allowed to do business to fund regional development works aimed at generating public support for his regime. The USDA formed the Myan Gon Myint Co, which had interests in various businesses across the country.

The company engaged in gems and mineral mining, construction, agriculture, livestock, and trading.

The leaders of USDA regional chapters competed with each other to try and impress Than Shwe with their regional development undertakings, said a long-time USDP member who was formerly involved with the USDA.

The USDA formed an economic steering committee. It was chaired by the prime minister and its secretary was U Aung Thaung, who later became infamous as the most corrupt official of Than Shwes regime. The position was the key for U Aung Thaung and his family to open the door to a treasure trove, said the party member.

The current navy chief Admiral Moe Aung is a son of U Aung Thaung, and U Aung Thaungs family has interests in various businesses including the United Amara Bank and construction.

Another key man in the USDA was U Htay Oo. Both he and U Aung Thaung were confidants of Than Shwe. When the regimes Communications Ministry sold SIM cards for one million kyats each in the 1990s, half of the revenues went to the USDA, said a former USDA member.

The association acquired numerous land plots in cities including Yangon and Mandalay as its members are army commanders, ministers and mayors.

When the USDA was transformed into the USDP to take part in the 2010 general election, the party acquired state-owned property for free from its predecessor, which enabled the party to open offices across the country including in rural villages.

The USDP headquarters in Naypyitaw is a magnificent building sitting on vast land. The party earned billions of kyats when it sold its old headquarters on University Avenue Road in Yangons Bahan Township. Even the party leaders do not know where the money from the sale of that property went.

U Aung Thaung said in a 2014 interview with the Myanmar Herald Journal that he didnt know about the sale. The building reportedly sold for 30 billion kyats, which U Aung Thaung said was lower than the market price.

Another USDP CEC member said that U Htay Oo led the sale and that the cash from it was spent on the USDP campaign for the 2015 general elections.

USDP benefits from state assets

After the USDP suffered an embarrassing defeat to the National League for Democracy (NLD) Party in the 2015 general election, Myan Gon Myint Co was dissolved. But the party continues to benefit from its assets.

The USDP earned 16 billion kyats alone within 12 years from the Myan Gon Myint Co-owned X-ray system installed at the Asia World Port Terminal in Yangon for cargo screening, according to a report from the Yangon Regions Auditor-General Office under the NLD government.

The report said that the Customs Department had to pay for it from 2006 to 2018.

Some region and state USDP Chief Ministers did not hand over regional development funds worth billion of kyats to the NLD government after their party lost in the 2015 general election.

The NLD government instructed U Phone Maw Shwe to return over three billion kyats which was collected as taxation from small-scale oil producers in Magwe Region by the previous region government.

Similar cases were reported in other regions and states and, according to a report from the Union Auditor-Generals Office, four USDP regional governments had yet to return three billion kyats by 2020.

Justice for Myanmar, a group of activists formed to monitor the Myanmar militarys rights violations, called ahead of the 2020 general election for an investigation into the USDPs exploitation of state-owned property.

It is a great loss for Myanmar people that the USDP has acquired state-owned property and is receiving benefits from it. It must be investigated and the party must be dissolved if it is found that they broke the law, said Ma Yadana Maung, the spokeswoman for Justice for Myanmar.

At the time, USDP spokesman Dr. Nanda Hla Myint responded that it was a deliberate attempt to smear the partys image ahead of the 2020 poll.

The NLD won the 2020 general election, but the Myanmar military subsequently staged its coup. The junta-appointed Union Election Commission has since audited the assets of political parties, in August 2021, but has not officially released its findings.

But what is certain is that no other party will be as rich as the USDP. The wealth of USDP is impossible to estimate, said a USDP CEC member.
Burma Over 30 Regime Troops Reportedly Killed in Upper Myanmar

Resistance fighters from Vakok-CNDF who were involved in the July 13 attacks on regime forces in Kale Township, Sagaing Region. / Vakok-CNDF

Over 30 Myanmar junta soldiers were reportedly killed in Kale Township, Sagaing Region this week when a combined force of Peoples Defense Forces (PDF), including ethnic Chin resistance groups, attacked a military detachment for three days.

Clashes started on Monday when the resistance groups ambushed some 200 military regime troops travelling the Kale-Falam road in the south of the township, according to Kale-PDF, who coordinated the attacks.

The detachment was travelling to the town of Kale from a military base in Yangyi Aung Village in the south of Kale Township.

An intense firefight between the junta troops and the PDFs broke out at Hakhalay Village for several hours. Three regime soldiers were killed in the battle.

One ethnic Chin resistance fighter, Salai Lal Biak San, 37, from the Chin National Defense Force (CNDF) was killed, while another resistance member suffered minor injuries, said the CNDF.

On Tuesday, the resistance groups continued to attack the regime detachment near Sitha Village while they were heading to Kale along the Kale-Gangaw road. Five more junta soldiers were reportedly killed in the ambush.

A child from a farm near the village was injured by regime heavy weapons, said Kale-PDF.

The next day, Wednesday, the junta detachment was attacked again near Tharyargone Village. The PDFs said that they used landmines in the ambush and that more than 20 regime troops were killed in three hours of fighting. One Kale-PDF fighter was killed in the clash.

On Wednesday afternoon, the junta detachment finally reached its base camp at Kales Technological University.

Citing sources, Kale-PDF said that two trucks made eight trips to a cemetery in the township to transport the bodies of the soldiers killed in the fighting.

On July 9 and 10, the same military detachment torched 35 houses and looted five houses in three villages in Chin States Falam Township while they were travelling to Kale Township, said the Chin National Organization, the political wing of the CNDF.

Regime forces are facing daily attacks from PDFs and ethnic armed organizations nationwide.
After sustaining heavy casualties in ambushes and mine attacks by the resistance forces, the regimes forces frequently use civilian detainees and vehicles as shields in their operations in Magwe, Sagaing regions and Chin, Shan and Kayah states.

Four soldiers were killed and 12 injured, according to the TRF.

Hours later resistance groups ambushed the checkpoint again using mines that were not discovered by the regime forces.

The group said it abandoned the bomb to avoid harming the civilians.

The civilian detainees were made to kneel near the bomb while regime troops defused it, TRF said.

After finding the bomb, regime troops and allied Pyu Saw Htee militia members seized 40 civilians and used them as human shields to deter any detonation.

Shwebo District resistance groups attempted to attack a junta checkpoint near Ngayant Dine village in Kantbalu Township on Tuesday morning, said Taze Revolution Force (TRF), which coordinated the ambush.

Around 40 civilians were used as human shields by Myanmars regime forces while troops defused a remote-controlled bomb laid by the Peoples Defense Force (PDF) in Kantbalu Township, Sagaing Region, on Tuesday.

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UKs Top Diplomat in Myanmar Says Ordered to Leave by Junta

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Burma UKs Top Diplomat in Myanmar Says Ordered to Leave by Junta

Pete Vowles, head of the British Embassy in Myanmar

The Myanmar regime has increased its diplomatic isolation from the West by expelling a British envoy to the country, with the charge daffaires ad interim at the British Embassy in Yangon, Pete Vowles, being forced to leave the country.

Vowles tweeted on Wednesday that his time in the country had come to an abrupt end.

Sad & sorry to have been forced by the junta to leave but glad we didnt cave to pressure to legitimize their brutal coup, he writes in the tweet.

After being named Britains ambassador, Vowles took up his appointment in Myanmar in August 2021 but did not present his credentials to the regime despite repeated requests from the junta. He was locked out of the country from late February, when he left his Yangon residence for regional consultations and was refused permission to re-enter. After being stranded in Thailand for a few months, it is believed he was allowed to return to Myanmar last month.

After London decided to downgrade Vowles title from ambassador to charge daffaires ad interim, the State Administration Council (SAC), the regimes governing body, formally notified Britain in late April that it would not accept its designated envoy as charge daffaires, but would consider alternative candidates. His title on social media was amended earlier this year to Head of British Embassy in Myanmar.

Vowles also tweeted on Wednesday that he knew the British Embassy in Myanmar would continue to stand up and do everything it can for the people of Myanmar who want nothing more than peace, freedom and justice.
Guest Column Myanmar Military's Culture of Atrocities

Regime soldiers in Yangon during a crackdown on anti-regime protesters in March 2021. / The Irrawaddy

Myanmars military, known locally as the Sit-Tat or military, has embarked upon a massive campaign of violence since last years coup and, over the past 17 months, has intensified and expanded its use of terror. The Sit-Tat has a notorious history of committing atrocities, so much so that its opponents often label it as fascist. Since its founding under the patronage of Imperial Japan in late 1941, the casual and systematic employment of atrocities in warfare has become deeply internalized within the institutional culture of the Sit-Tat.

The militarys most recent atrocities are thus not an aberration but rather a historical pattern emanating from its institutional culture. This culture of atrocities is the product of a complex interplay of its guardianship ideology, internal brutalization, longstanding legal impunity, and situational logic. The militarys atrocities do not appear all at once, but emerge over time as a result of an escalatory process. Thus, it is highly likely that the current war will see further escalation in the Sit-Tats employment of mass violence as it continues.

Despite the recurrent nature of this violence across many decades, the international community largely chooses not to act. The global community has seemingly not realized the true nature of the Sit-Tats deep-seated culture of atrocities, as well as its inability to change or reform. Some international actors are thus unrealistically hopeful regarding the Sit-Tats vague promises of reinstalling civilian rule, while others believe the Sit-Tats narrative about its supposed role as a stabilizing force in Myanmar.

Yet history exposes the flaw in these two views, a history that Myanmars people know all too well. With the ongoing revolution, the majority of Myanmars people are endeavoring to end the Sit-Tats culture of atrocities and bring the country back to a democratic and stable future. The responsible international community should therefore find all possible ways to aid and abet the Myanmar people in their struggle against the monstrous Sit-Tat and bring an end to its use of mass violence.

An Endless Cycle of Atrocities

Radio Free Asia (RFA) recently published images and video depicting junta soldiers bragging about how they murdered civilians in cold blood. The photos and video, retrieved from a cache of files in a soldiers cell phone obtained by a villager in Sagaing Regions Ayadaw Township, are evidence of a series of atrocities committed by the Sit-Tat since it launched its massive offensive against the Peoples Defense Forces. The report revealed images recording the mass arrest and execution of civilians, as well as the cruel torture of a detained villager, and a selfie video that shows soldiers chatting in crude terms about how many people they have killed and by what means, what they did with the bodies, what their commander ordered them to do, and admitting that they looted villagers properties.

In the video a soldier asked another, You said you killed 26 people. How did you kill them? Just shooting them with a gun? He then boasted that he killed five by slitting their throats. The third claimed that he had killed eight people. One soldier said his superior ordered him to cut a body in three pieces before burial, while another added exuberantly, I had to cut off the head. I had to chop it five and six timesPieces of flesh came out, like pork. But human flesh is yellowish. The soldiers show no sign of remorse and appear to speak proudly about committing unspeakable crimes and atrocities. The images and video in the report are the clearest evidence that the Sit-Tat regularly commits abhorrent war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The RFA report exposes just one incident from one of the many operations launched by the Sit-Tat nationwide. Data for Myanmar, an independent group monitoring the juntas atrocities, has estimated that 18,886 houses in 435 locations, of which the village in the report is just one of them, have been burned down in the Sit-Tats operations from February 1st, 2021 to the end of May this year. In fact, the actual extent of damage is wider, as data from some conflict areas is unavailable. As the Sit-Tat has done for decades, wherever it operates, it has committed arson attacks, mass arrests, torture, looting, wanton destruction and summary executions  including burning villagers alive and killing children.

The Sit-Tats Institutional Culture of Atrocities

The Sit-Tats brutality is a core element of its institutional culture as practiced throughout the modern history of Myanmar. In the countrys long-running and bloody civil war, the Sit-Tat has persistently and extensively executed its signature indiscriminate violence against not only its opponents but also non-combatant civilians, particularly in ethnic minority areas.

This is best reflected in its Four Cuts strategy, meaning the cutting off of food, money, intelligence, and potential recruits. This doctrine was developed by the Sit-Tat in the 1960s and used extensively and repeatedly over decades in its many counter-insurgency campaigns. The original aim of the Four Cuts was to cut off insurgent groups from essential support within the local population, and it predominantly targeted civilians instead of armed combatants.

Over seven decades of internal conflict, campaign after campaign has transformed Myanmars military into a battle-hardened institution shaped by its institutional culture of systematic atrocity infliction. The brutal clearance operations against the Rohingya, which the United States ruled a genocide, are the most internationally notorious example of how deeply entrenched the atrocity culture is within the institution.

As some analysts argue, ideology plays a crucial role in shaping the patterns of violence perpetrated by armed groups in civil war. In this case, the Sit-Tats atrocity culture is intertwined with its long-established guardianship ideology that justifies its violence, including the Four Cuts strategy. Successive military leaders have long claimed that the military is the guardian of the State and defender of the religious faith. This guardianship ideology is entrenched within the institution via constant indoctrination and propaganda campaigns amongst both the officers and enlisted men. Military personnel are indoctrinated to believe that they are indispensable to Myanmar because the country will disintegrate and Buddhism will be destroyed without their active protection. Any action by the guardians  even extreme atrocities  is justified as being for the sake of the country.

Soldiers are taught that they stand above all civilians, who are incapable of preserving the country and religion by themselves. As an institution guided by this ideology, the Sit-Tat rejects the notion of civilian control, which it regards as incompetent civilians unnecessarily attempting to restrict Its actions, and it is thus feels justified in undermining any constraints on its prerogatives.

Another key driver of this culture is the Sit-Tats legal impunity. The Sit-Tat has historically enjoyed decades-long legal impunity, as reflected in the 2008 constitution that reserved substantial powers, including 25 per cent of parliamentary seats and key ministerial positions, for the military even under civilian rule. Such a privilege of impunity impeled the coup-leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing to boldly claim that there is nothing I dare not do before the coup and military personnel to believe that they can get away with any sort of fiendish crimes. As the United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights said, the current crisis was born of impunity.

Furthermore, the Sit-Tats atrocity culture is sustained by a system of harsh discipline. Historian Bret Devereaux observes in his Foreign Policy article that brutal discipline, such as harsh treatment between superiors and subordinates and brutal training, are enabling factors for the militarys atrocities. In the militarys repressive hierarchy subordinates, who have found themselves on the receiving end of harsh treatment by their own superiors, replicate the pattern to atrocious effect while in a position of power over unarmed civilians. Likewise, soldiers mistreated by brutalizing military training stand ready to apply what they have learned in basic training to others, particularly defenseless civilians.

The interplay of harsh discipline and war crimes is not unique to Myanmar. Studies on the brutality of the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) concur with this statement. Japanese historian Saburo Ienaga wrote that the IJA practiced a cruelty towards subordinatessnowballed as it rolled down the ranks, till all the tensions and abuse landed on the recruitsthe lowest of the low. Professor Yang Daqing related this practice inside the army with atrocities towards outsiders in his study of the Nanjing massacre in 1937. Moreover, Ienaga also observed that the brutal military training in the IJA installed a penchant for brutality among its soldiers against enemy prisoners and civilian noncombatants.

Within the Sit-Tats climate of fear, individuals at the lower end of the military hierarchy are as ill-treated as slaves. Major Hein Thaw Oo, a military officer who broke ranks after the coup, told Myanmar Now that in the military, for whatever reason, youre always scared of anyone who has a higher rank than you. Moreover, as one analyst observed, training for military infantry troops is invariably rigorous and often brutal and a level of brutalization is par for the course in the training process. It therefore comes as no surprise that soldiers brutalized by internal military hierarchies are predisposed to unleashing their frustrations and grievances on civilians.

Finally, the institutional culture of atrocity, long-established, inculcated, and embedded within the Sit-Tat, often erupts as a direct result of the situational logic of the battlefield. Commanders, frustrated due to severe backlash, massive losses and abject failures in achieving their operational objectives, often push their troops to increase their level of violence, which therefore readily spirals into wartime atrocities. The Sit-Tat, which has suffered its heaviest losses in recent memory during the current fighting, has scaled up its brutality with the aim of creating a reign of terror by indiscriminately shelling and bombing civilian areas, extensively launching arson attacks and scorched earth campaigns, and committing mass murder in the name of reprisals. In the foreseeable future, it is safe to say that the increasingly overstretched and overburdened Sit-Tat will only escalate and intensify its atrocities, particularly under the pressures of a metastasizing rebellion.

In the Sit-Tat, a culture of atrocities has become so deeply entrenched that there is little hope of resurrecting the institution. During the democratic transition period, international actors attempted to engage the military in an attempt to reform it and ensure civilian rule. Yet, as demonstrated in its continued violence against ethnic minorities, the genocide of the Rohingya, and the February 2021 coup, the Sit-Tats institutional culture is fundamentally rotten to the core due to its potent mix of ideology, impunity, internal brutalization, and eagerness to resort to mass violence. The militarys atrocities did not appear all at once, but are only the latest incidences in a long string of tragedies.

The World Should Not Stand By

While the crisis in Myanmar, and the Sit-Tats future, will likely be decided on the battlefield, inaction by the international community to stop it will only contribute to the unfolding humanitarian cataclysm. Yet many in the international community look the other way as Myanmars military commits atrocious crimes against its fellow countrymen. This wilful ignorance stands in stark contrast to the international communitys response to the Russian militarys atrocities in Ukraine.

The global community has yet to fully realize that the Sit-Tat as an institution is unsalvageable and must be replaced, a fact that Myanmars people know all too well. Many in the international community still argue that the Sit-Tat will reinstall civilian rule through negotiated settlement and restore stability. But this is not realistic, as successive generals of the military have always presumed that negotiation comes from a position of weakness, and that compromise is about losing. Even if they enter into negotiations, it is not for genuine reasons but rather to buy time.

As history shows, the military with its profoundly internalized culture of atrocities is, as one analyst observed, an army of darkness. It will not concern itself with democracy, stability and the countrys future, but only with maintaining its grip on power by whatever means it deems necessary. And, considering its guardianship ideology and culture of atrocities, this includes escalating the mass violence.

Expecting the military with a deep-seated institutional culture of atrocities to bring the country back to a democratic and stable future is pure fantasy. Without radically reforming the institution, the Sit-Tat will always be a poison pill for the future of the country. The Myanmar people are experientially well aware of this fact, so they sacrificially set themselves towards the Herculean task of taking on the Sit-Tat to bring the country back to a stable democratic state. As Myanmars people embark on this struggle, the international community must do more to support and stand together with the people against the monstrous Sit-Tat.

Ye Myo Hein is the executive director of the Tagaung Institute of Political Studies and a fellow with the Asia Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

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Guest Column Thailand Could Revisit its Myanmar Policy

Karen refugees wait to cross the Moei River after the regime's air raids in March 2021. / The Irrawaddy

Thailand has unique national security concerns in relation to Myanmar. The State Administrative Council is not a credible or reliable security partner. Following the February 2021 coup, Myanmars junta has been unable to consolidate effective power while anti-regime forces have proved resilient and are growing in strength.

Border relations

For centuries, Thailand had informal relations with communities along its borders. These have included armed groups and their political wings. Thailand has received refugees for decades from regional wars and civilian victims from Myanmar.

During the Cold War, the Thai security authorities turned a blind eye towards, and sometimes quietly supported, insurgent groups in Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar. Since the late 1990s though, Thailand has pursued a regional policy of turning battlefields into marketplaces.

Former Thai prime minister and architect of the victory against communism, the late General Chatchai Choohaven, built a mercantilist foreign policy which saw Bangkok establish constructive relationships with internationally recognized governments in neighboring countries. Regional elites have sometimes combined business interests with astute geopolitical balancing.

This policy has been relatively successful for Thai relations with Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos  and it seemed to be paying off in Myanmar. But no longer.

Thailand has security interests with Myanmar which are not necessarily shared by international partners.

It needs pragmatic policies for Myanmar, which work in the interests of national, economic and social security.

Before the coup, it was reasonable for Thailand to pursue regular bilateral relations with Myanmar. With both countries in ASEAN, the relationship was arguably less problematic than at any time since the Second World War and there was less armed conflict along the border.

All of this changed after the 2021 coup. Key victims were the minority communities internally displaced along the borders and those seeking to enter Thailand as migrant workers. There are around 3 million migrant workers from Myanmar in Thailand and well over 100,000 mostly ethnic minority refugees.

Myanmars junta is widely regarded as illegitimate and illegal.

More than 2,000 citizens have been killed by the regime plus untold numbers in ethnic minority areas, caught up in the renewed civil wars.

In almost all 320 townships, peoples defense forces (PDFs) have emerged. These are diverse with some aligned to the civilian National Unity Government, some working with long-established ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) and others operating independently.

Around 12 EAOs control significant amounts of territory and provide administration and other services to large populations.

Major groups include the Karen National Union, New Mon State Party, Karenni Nationalities Progressive Party (KNPP) and Restoration Council of Shan State. They have extensive governance systems and deliver health, education and other services, which are often the only assistance available to vulnerable and displaced communities. This is extremely important for Thailand.

Options amid uncertainty

Covid has shown how vulnerable the world is to diseases. Such threats are likely to increase in the context of climate change. Thailand has legitimate concerns that regional conflicts could have negative impacts on the kingdom.

From 2010 until the 2021 coup, it made sense for Thailand to support stabilization in Myanmar through bilateral ties with its governments and military.

But the junta has failed to suppress dissent and consolidate power. It controls key towns and cities and large rural stretches. But the regime has lost its grip on large areas and is using battlefield weapons and airstrikes against civilians.

Some EAOs and their poorly armed PDF allies have pushed the junta back.

Large areas of Kayah State are controlled by the Karenni Nationalities Defence Force and KNPP.

In Sagaing and Magwe regions, PDFs hold territory despite junta onslaughts. Although the numbers are disputed, resistance groups claim to have killed thousands of soldiers.

At least 3,000 troops and many hundreds of police officers have defected.

Myanmars air force attacks civilians and its jets encroached upon Phop Phra district in the Thai province of Tak earlier this month. Thailand continues to suffer from the juntas appalling mistreatment of citizens, which drives further refugees across the border.

Scenario building

It seems likely that the conflicts in Myanmar will drag on for some time.

There is much passion among the opposition, especially younger people, and it is impossible to see the PDFs and EAOs surrendering or being defeated.

Neither side is willing or able to negotiate. Even if junta leader Min Aung Hlaing was replaced, it is unlikely the regime would be willing to lose face by relinquishing power.

Min Aung Hlaing may force elections in August 2023. However, voting will be impossible across huge swathes of the country and the polls will lack all legitimacy and credibility.

Myanmar has returned to the pariah status of the 1990s with a collapsing economy and widespread insurgency. This will expose Thailand to continued threats and instability.

Thailand can no longer engage exclusively with the regime in Naypyidaw. It might be better to resume its buffer-zone policy. Under this system of patronage, Thailand would informally support para-state entities, under the authority of the EAOs, as border partners.

The EAOs could cooperate in mitigating cross-border health threats and cooperate in maintaining security.

With the right support, border entities could also support the Thai economy. By regulating the arrival of migrant workers, Thailand could benefit greatly.

Joint commercial activities are feasible and could be mutually beneficial.

Such a rethink would not require Thailand to formally change existing policies. Engagement with the junta would no doubt continue, perhaps at a more cautious diplomatic level, reflecting the regimes shameful abuse of ASEAN. Relations with the EAOs and other groups could remain informal.

For centuries it has been in the interests of Thailand to cultivate constructive relations with the communities which have guarded its western border.

Many of these people are now suffering terribly. The United Nations calculates that at least 750,000 people have been displaced since the coup.

Many face acute physical and food insecurity, and a crisis in health and education provision with a large proportion of these people near the Thai border.

These humanitarian needs can be met by aid organizations if they have access to the international donor community. Thailand has merely to open the door.

Thailand has a long-standing Buddhist humanitarian tradition, which has included protecting vulnerable people from Myanmar. Thailand has an opportunity to rebuild its image among the young people who are Myanmars future leaders.

In supporting them now, Thailand will be investing in relationships that could last for decades.

Such a strategy need not be costly. By allowing organizations to help people in the border areas, Thailand can help ensure their good health and security. This will significantly mitigate the impact on Thailand of armed conflict in Myanmar.
COMPANY NEWS: Manhattan Associates has announced that Sonepar Group, the world leader in electrical products, systems and services distribution, is expanding its current Manhattan Active Warehouse Management (WM) remit to support its ongoing global omnichannel supply chain transformation.

In response to significant e-commerce growth and customer demand for a seamless digital and physical experience, Sonepar Group is investing in Manhattans industry-leading solutions to deliver the highest standard of service in a fast, reliable and more sustainable way.

Sonepar, alongside its Australian subsidiary business Lawrence & Hanson, has an ambitious supply chain and digital transformation agenda: its goal is to become the first global B2B electrical distributor to provide a fully digitised omnichannel experience to all its customers. Sonepar leverages its multichannel distribution and logistics network to optimise its supply chain, offer competitive prices and improve its customer relationships. Its products are available anywhere, anytime at the companys branches, showrooms, online and on mobile devices.

With this rollout, Sonepar is building on its previous successes with Manhattans Warehouse Management solutions. Manhattan Active Warehouse Management (WM) will initially be rolled out at Sonepars Cebeo division in Belgium with other locations to follow.

Manhattans cloud native supply chain solutions are innovative and run on a unique platform enabling us to drive the rapid rollout of state-of-the-art distribution facilities globally; underpinning the buying journey and offering our customers a seamless omnichannel experience, stated Sonepar chief supply chain officer Jo Verbeek.

We believe expanding the global partnership with Manhattan will help Sonepar Group become the first global B2B electrical distributor capable of delivering a truly complete omnichannel experience to each and every one of our customers, in a more sustainable, cost-effective way. We look forward to working together with Manhattans team of experts in the coming years to realise this long-term, strategic goal, finished Verbeek.

Manhattan Active WM is the most technologically and operationally advanced supply chain execution system created. The cloud-native application has no version so it never needs upgrading, letting businesses focus on delivering exceptional customer experiences, not on systems.

Order Streaming technology makes Manhattan Active WM the only solution to continuously plan, learn and replan every task and resource simultaneously across retail, wholesale and direct fulfilment workflows. As soon as orders arrive, they are streamed individually or sorted into wave-like collections depending on the urgency, type of fulfilment and customer needs. Rather than flood distribution facilities with work all at once, Order Streaming technology ensures the right resource with sufficient capacity is quickly identified, so orders get to the dock ahead of the carrier cut-off times and promised service commitments.

Manhattan Associates senior vice president Henri Seroux commented: At the core of Sonepars offering today is the need to respond to the unique and evolving requirements of every customer. By providing digitised and orchestrated omnichannel capabilities through Manhattan Active Warehouse Management and our other cloud native Manhattan Active Supply Chain solutions, Manhattan is demonstrably and actively contributing to Sonepars international business goals and long-term success as well.

Manhattan Active WM is powered by artificial intelligence to optimise customer distribution processes. This supports organisations like Sonepar to enhance execution across inventory, labour, advanced automation, robotics and physical space; and simultaneously balance competing task requirements across retail, wholesale and direct channels to achieve optimal fulfilment.

With a built-in warehouse execution system (WES), Manhattan Active WM is the only distribution system capable of the seamless orchestration of all work across man and machine. Organizations like Sonepar and their Australian subsidiary business Lawrence & Hanson will have more visibility than ever before with Manhattan Active WMs highly actionable, real-time operational data visualisations across every facility in the enterprise and integrated direct communication with the workforce, concluded Manhattan Associates managing director for Australia & New Zealand Raghav Sibal.

About Sonepar

Sonepar is an independent family-owned company with global market leadership in B-to-B distribution of electrical products, solutions and related services. Through a dense network 100 brands spanning 40 countries, the Group has an ambitious transformation agenda to become the rst global B-to-B electrical distributor to provide a fully digitalized and synchronized omnichannel experience to all customers. Drawing on the skill and passion of its 45,000 associates, Sonepar had sales of 26.4 billion ($39 billion) in 2021. Sonepar makes its customers lives easier, over the counter, visiting customers, by phone or online,  however were needed.

About Manhattan Associates

Manhattan Associates is a technology leader in supply chain and omnichannel commerce. We unite information across the enterprise, converging front-end sales with back-end supply chain execution. Our software, platform technology and unmatched experience help drive both top-line growth and bottom-line profitability for our customers. Manhattan Associates designs, builds and delivers leading edge cloud and on-premises solutions so that across the store, through your network or from your fulfilment centre, you are ready to reap the rewards of the omnichannel marketplace.
The opening comes as 23 employees were hired in New Zealand across four of Mantel Groups eight brands including Eliiza, DigIO, CMD Solutions, and Kasnaall working in data, digital, and cloud.

In addition to Auckland, Mantel Group has also a second hub in Queenstown, which opened last year as a destination hub for employees in Australia and New Zealand.

A secondary destination hub is also active on Magnetic Island, off the coast of Townsville in far North Queensland, Australia.

The Mantel Group is currently voting on a third location.

Mantel Groups Auckland office provides further scope to service the local market.

Our desire is to offer real understanding to our New Zealand clients, and help provide solutions that better their business, said Eliiza Auckland-based general manager and New Zealand native Natalie Rouse.

We have worked with Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform to further understand the problems being faced by businesses in New Zealand. We can then work closely with them to ensure we deliver a tailored market-based solution, utilising our specialised brands knowledge and expertise, said Rouse.

Kasna, the cloud partner brand of Google Cloud within Mantel Group, recently started work with Easy Crypto.

The New Zealand-based crypto currency platform will work with Kasna Cloud Engineers to build their foundations on the Google Cloud Platform.

"Having worked with Mantel Group and Kasna in Australia for close to four years, I knew that the deep knowledge and Google Cloud expertise they could bring would be critical for our success, said Easy Crypto head of platforms Ira Bailey.

Mantel Group will continue to invest in New Zealand, with it being a key part of its 2025 strategy, looking to grow the team through the best local talent.
Australian-founded PDF and esigning specialist Nitro Software has opened an office in Toronto.

Nitro entered the Canadian market more than a decade ago, and has attracted major customers including Canadian Tire and World Vision Canada.

The new office, located in Toronto's Financial District, will be accommodate around 20% of Nitro's Canada-based employees plus planned hires.

"The opening of our Toronto office is a clear demonstration of our growing commitment to the Canadian market  both to serving our existing customers and to attracting new business," said Nitro CEO Sam Chandler

"We are excited to be a part of the Toronto region's vibrant entrepreneurial culture, with its deep bench of tech talent and commitment to technology research and innovation."

Ontario Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Vic Fedeli said "Our government is thrilled that Nitro has chosen to expand into Ontario for its Canadian headquarters, and we want to congratulate them on this milestone.

"Ontario's deep talent pool, strong postsecondary institutions, vibrant innovation and tech ecosystem and competitive business costs make our province an ideal place for investment. Nitro is a welcome addition to our rich tech sector, creating high-quality jobs for our talented residents, and contributing significant economic benefits to the Toronto Region."

Toronto Mayor John Tory said "I'm pleased to welcome Nitro to Toronto, joining our world-class technology sector, demonstrating a commitment to growth in the region, and making a large investment in our diverse and skilled talent pipeline.

"Nitro's mission to digitally transform businesses is a welcome addition to our innovative business community, and I look forward to watching the company grow and thrive in Toronto."
Andrew Penn: We have been working closely with Pacific governments on this acquisition and wed like to thank them for their co-operation and support."

Telstra has completed the acquisition of Digicel Pacific, after necessary approvals from the government and regulatory bodies being completed, the company said in an announcement to the ASX on Thursday.

The telco said the issue of tax to be paid to the PNG Government would be resolved by the vendor.

"The vendor has made arrangements to resolve the matter with the PNG tax authorities. Telstra is not part of this process, and the outcomes of this process are a matter for the vendor," the statement said.

The Additional Company Tax was approved by the PNG parliament on 29 March and imposes a one-time 350 million kina (about A$132 million) tax on Digicel, according to a statement released by Digicel Pacific on 4 April.

An additional 50 million kina (A$18.9 million) would have to be paid if the tax was not paid on time.

The news that the Federal Government was pushing Telstra to fork out $2 billion to buy the telco's operations in six Pacific nations in order to avoid a Chinese vendor doing so, was first reported by the Australian Financial Review in July last year.

Telstra acquired the company jointly with the Federal Government back in October last year, with the latter contributing US$1.33 billion of the US$1.6 billion price tag.

Digicel Pacific has operations in PNG, Fiji, Nauru, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu. It has 2.8 million subscribers, 1700 staff and generated US$466 million (A$691.9 million) in service revenue in the year to 31 March.

Telstra chief executive Andrew Penn said Digicel Pacific would be operated by Telstra International, headed by Oliver Camplin-Warner, as a stand-alone business.

We are very pleased the deal has completed and we welcome Digicel Pacific to the Telstra family, he said.

We have been working closely with Pacific governments on this acquisition and wed like to thank them for their co-operation and support. We look forward to continuing to work with them as we operate Digicel Pacific and strengthen our relationships in the region.

Digicel Pacific will be overseen by a Telstra-controlled board chaired by Telstra Enterprise Group executive David Burns.
Today

Sunny along with a few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 108F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 85F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.

Tomorrow

Generally sunny despite a few afternoon clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 108F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.
Chinese premier stresses equal rights of employment for recovered COVID-19 patients

By Leng Shumei, Du Qiongfang (Global Times) 14:19, July 14, 2022

People take their luggage and arrive at the entrance of Hongqiao Railway Station in Shanghai on Sunday. Photo: Wu Shiliu/GT

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang stressed equal rights of employment and called for the punishment of those who discriminate against recovered COVID-19 patients, during a meeting of the State Council on Wednesday.

Any discrimination against those who recovered will be dealt with whenever it is discovered, he noted during the meeting.

Recently, a number of local governments have also issued regulations to ban discrimination of COVID-19 patients and corrected some local anti-epidemic measures deemed deviant or unnecessary.

The meeting also vowed enhanced measures to create more employment positions to ensure the stability of the job market.

The meeting was held amid a recent heated discussion over discrimination against recovered COVID-19 patients on the job market, as media reported that some migrant workers in Shanghai, who recovered from the virus, were left jobless and homeless in the city for more than a month. They expressed difficulties to find a job as some employers refused to hire people with a previous COVID-19 infection.

The discussion arose on Monday as the story of Fen (pseudonym), a migrant worker in Shanghai, went viral after failing to find a job because she was a recovered COVID-19 patient.

In response, Yin Xin, spokesperson of the Shanghai government, said at a press conference on Monday that all departments and institutes in the city should treat recovered patients fairly and must not discriminate against them.

Yin called for society to avoid labeling the citizens or setting barriers for them in daily life or work. They should not be put under unnecessary shadows, Yin said.

Amid public concerns, the Global Times visited the Hongqiao railway station where Fen lived for a month and found about 10 people who were left stranded at the station. Some of them were recovered patients while others lost their ID cards and could not find a job or return to their hometowns.

A man surnamed Ren told the Global Times that he came to Shanghai to help build a makeshift hospital in April and got infected with the virus. However, his boss did not pay him the promised 2,000 yuan ($297) travel fare after the city reopened and the makeshift hospital was closed.

Ren said he tried to find a job but was always refused as he was once infected.

He also hesitated about going back home as his hometown required returnees from Shanghai to stay under centralized quarantine at their own expense, which was between 300 and 600 yuan ($45-89) per day. Ren said he is not telling his family about his past infection and the fact that he is stranded at the station.

As the Chinese central government has been continuously reiterating equal treatment to the recovered patients and requiring local governments to avoid one-size-fits-all measures, more people like Ren and Fen have received help, found jobs or returned to hometown recently.

Fen told the media on Tuesday she has found a job as a delivery courier for SF Express in Shanghai, after the citys authorities called on employers not to discriminate against recovered patients.

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Bianji)
Today

Cloudy skies with a few showers this afternoon. High near 70F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.

Tonight

Cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 61F. Winds light and variable.

Tomorrow

Mainly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 78F. Winds light and variable.
A Gambian court on Wednesday sentenced five former members of the intelligence service to death for the murder of a political activist during the rule of ex-dictator Yahya Jammeh.

High Court Justice Kumba Sillah-Camara pronounced the sentence against the former head of the National Intelligence Agency, Yankuba Badjie, after finding him guilty of murdering Ebrima Solo Sandeng, an important figure in the opposition United Democratic Party, in 2016.

Badjie was also convicted of bodily harm.

The agency's former operations chief, Sheikh Omar Jeng, as well as NIA officials Babucarr Sallah, Lamin Darboe and Tamba Mansary, were convicted on the same charges and sentenced to death by the Banjul court.

Sandeng was arrested during an April 2016 demonstration against Jammeh. He died in custody two days later after having been beaten and tortured.

His death galvanised a political movement that eventually ousted Jammeh, who had ruled the tiny West African nation for 22 years.

Haruna Susso, another NIA official, and Lamin Sanyang, a nurse, were found not guilty of murder or bodily harm.

The former deputy director of the spy agency, Louie Richard Leese Gomez, had also been accused but has since died.

Another official, Yusupha Jammeh, had been accused but was later acquitted.

- 'Justice is catching up' -

"Justice is catching up to Yahya Jammeh's henchmen in Gambia and around the world and hopefully it will soon catch up to Yahya Jammeh himself," said Reed Brody, a lawyer with the International Commission of Jurists who works with Jammeh's victims.

The trial, which began in 2017, was the only ongoing domestic trial tied to crimes committed under Jammeh's brutal regime.

Previously, Yankuba Touray was tried in The Gambia for the 1995 murder of finance minister Koro Ceesay. He was convicted in July 2021 and sentenced to death, but has since appealed.

Another former Jammeh accomplice, Bai Lowe, went on trial in April in Germany, accused of crimes against humanity, murder and attempted murder.

The former interior minister, Ousman Sonko, has been under investigation in Switzerland since 2017, while Michael Sang Correa, alleged to have been a hitman, was indicted in June 2020 in the United States.

Jammeh has been accused of a range of crimes, including rape, the use of death squads, and of having ordered the disappearances of political enemies. In May, The Gambia's authorities promised to prosecute him.

The government also accepted a truth commission's recommendations to prosecute more than 200 others for crimes committed under the former president's regime.

Jammeh himself remains in exile in Equatorial Guinea, where he fled in early 2017 following his December 2016 electoral loss to President Adama Barrow.

Barrow in 2017 renamed the NIA the State Intelligence Services (SIS).
A Swedish court will on Thursday render its verdict in the trial of Hamid Noury, a former Iranian prison official accused of war crimes during a 1988 purge of dissidents.

The proceedings marked the first time an Iranian official has gone on trial for the mass executions.

The proceedings, which have been running since August 2021, have strained relations between Sweden and Iran, raising concerns about reprisals against Western prisoners held by the Islamic regime. Two Swedish-Iranian citizens are on death row.

Noury, 61, faced charges including crimes against humanity and war crimes for his role in the killing of at least 5,000 prisoners across Iran, allegedly ordered by supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini.

The killings were revenge for attacks carried out by exiled opposition group the People's Mujahedin of Iran (MEK) at the end of the Iran-Iraq war of 1980-88.

The prosecution has called for a life sentence for the accused, claiming he was assistant to the deputy prosecutor of Gohardasht prison near Tehran at the time.

They say he handed down death sentences, brought prisoners to the execution chamber and helped prosecutors gather prisoners' names.

The court is expected to announce its verdict at 01:30 pm (1130 GMT).

- 'Death committees' -

Throughout the nine months of hearings, Noury, often theatrical and smiling, rejected the testimony of former detainees.

He has argued that he was on leave during the period in question, and said he worked in another prison. Noury denounced the accusations as a plot by the MEK to discredit the regime in Tehran.

"I hope these hands will be cleared... with the help of God," Noury told the court on the last day of hearings on May 4, his palms raised to the sky and holding a Koran.

Among the dozens called to the stand, several witnesses said they had recognised him instantly.

"When I was in the death corridor... I had the chance to see him and I witnessed that whenever they read some people's names he followed them towards the death chamber," one of the plaintiffs, Reza Falahi, told AFP.

"He would come back 45 minutes later, and the scene would repeat itself several times a day," he added.

Noury was arrested at a Stockholm airport in November 2019 after Iranian dissidents in Sweden filed police complaints against him.

Former Gohardasht prisoner Iraj Mesdaghi has said Noury had been lured to Sweden -- where he has family members -- with the promise of a luxury cruise, although Noury himself denied this account.

During the trial, which briefly relocated to Albania to hear some testimony at the end of 2021, MEK supporters protested loudly outside the Stockholm courthouse. Another gathering is planned for Thursday.

Given the sensitive nature of the case, the trial has rendered Stockholm's already chilly relations with Tehran even frostier.

This is partly because rights activists accuse senior Iranian officials now in power -- including current President Ebrahim Raisi -- of having been members of the committees that handed down the death sentences.

The so-called "death committees" are thought to have sent at least 5,000 to be executed. The MEK puts the figure as high as 30,000 victims.

Raisi himself has denied ever having been part of these committees.

Tehran has repeatedly called on the Swedish government for Hamid Noury's release.

Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde reaffirmed to her Iranian counterpart in early July that the government was unable to do anything as Nordic country's courts were "completely independent".

- 'Hostage' -

Concerned about a recent spate of arrests of Europeans in the country "for no apparent reason", Sweden has been advising its citizens against travel to Iran since late June.

The main concern is the Iranian-Swedish academic Ahmadreza Djalali. Sentenced to death in Iran in 2017 on espionage charges, and currently awaiting the sentence to be carried out.

Amnesty International has accused the Iranian authorities of holding him "hostage" in an attempt to force an exchange with Hamid Noury and a former Iranian diplomat sentenced to 20 years in prison in Belgium, Assadollah Assadi.

A controversial treaty is being considered by the Belgian parliament that would allow the exchange of prisoners with Iran.

Asked about the possibility of such an exchange for the Swedish side, the foreign ministry did not want to comment.
On March 9, in Bohdanivka village in Brovary District of Kyiv region, Russian serviceman Mikhail Romanov broke into a private residence, according to Ukraines Office of the Prosecutors indictment. After opening the entrance gate Romanov faced a civilian who was not partaking in combat actions, didnt have a weapon, and didnt pose a threat to the Russian soldiers who had invaded Ukraine on February 24.

According to the surviving victim, Romanov was not alone. He was with another younger soldier in his 20s, who is yet to be identified. "The younger man put a weapon to his head and said: 'Ill shot your husband because he's a Nazi,'" the woman who survived the alleged attack told Londons newspaper The Times in an article published late March. She said Romanov killed her husband with his side arm. Then the two Russian soldiers allegedly proceeded to rape her. Information about this is provided in a submission by Ukraines Office of the Prosecutor. They allegedly forced the woman to undress and raped her one by one. About an hour later, the soldiers returned and raped the woman again. And after 40 minutes, they returned for the third time in a state of alcohol intoxication and once again they mocked the woman.

The victim contacted the Ukrainian police and reported about the crimes. She would have recognized Romanov from a picture.

Is the accused dead or alive?

On 30 May 2022, the trial of Romanov was referred to the Solomianskyi District Court, in Kyiv. Romanov has been described as a serviceman of the 239th Regiment of the 90th Guards Tank Vitebsk-Novgorod Twice Red Banner Division of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. This is the first trial for rape as a war crime in relation to Russias invasion of Ukraine. But the accused is not in custody. Since Romanov has the right to know about the criminal proceedings against him, a request has been made to publish summonses to court sessions on the court's website, as well as in some Ukrainian state media such as Uriadovyi Kurier (Government Courier) to give him the opportunity to appear in court. Only after the court makes sure that Romanov has been properly informed about the trial and that his non-appearance is willful, it will be possible to start a special court proceeding, a hearing in absentia.

Romanov's unidentified accomplice is subject to a separate proceeding. According to Ukraines Criminal Code, such crimes provides for 10 years to life imprisonment.

Investigators believe that the accused Romanov is currently residing in the Russian Federation. But some information on social media allege that he has been killed. As early as March 17, the editor of the "Rusjev" portal Vitaly Rozhdaev wrote that the rapist and war criminal Romanov, who tortured people in Bohdanivka had been killed by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Blogger Dzhedzula reported the same information on Facebook.

Ukrainian law enforcement officers say they do not have information about Romanov's death. Off the record they advise addressing such rumors to those who spread them. But if it turns out that the accused is dead, then they are ready to take the decision provided for by law, i.e. closing the case.

The disclosure of the victims identity

Attorney Andrii Domanskyi from the Center for Free Legal Aid is representing Romanov in court. He didnt comment on the merits of the case yet. The Prosecutor also filed a motion for a closed trial. The Criminal Procedural Law allows this because it is a sexual crime, in order to prevent any disclosure of information about the identity of the victim, the circumstances of her personal and family life, and any dissemination of information that may humiliate the person.

The information that can help identify the rape victim should have been withheld when the allegation was published, but it wasnt. Her identity was disclosed in the prosecutor's initial submission which was signed by the Deputy of the Investigative Department of the Brovary District Police Department Volodymyr Bilko on 12 March. The Prosecutor of the Brovary District Prosecutor's Office Volodymyr Ponomarenko approved the submission. According to the Prosecutor, measures are now being taken to enforce the rights of the victim as much as possible. At the moment the court proceedings are held behind closed doors, as you can see, said the Prosecutor of Kyiv Region Oksana Kalius, who is in charge of the case in court. We do everything we possibly can. Everyone is responsible for their piece of work, she said, refusing to comment on the unfortunate disclosure by her colleagues.

The prosecutor of the Kiev region, Oksana Kalyus, is in charge of the case in court.

Whats the threshold for evidence on rape?

Before the court the police conducted the interrogation of the victim, identification of Romanov in the photo by the victim and witnesses, inspection of the crime scene, crime scene reconstruction, and psychological examinations of the victim. But since the trial is on hold, the Prosecutor has refused to reveal more details about the evidence collected against Romanov.

The prosecutor says that evidence for wartime rape are collected in the same way as for rape in peacetime. Not everyone agrees. I have a firm belief that the evidence to prove guilt should be different, said human rights advocate and co-founder of the Ukrainian Women Lawyers Association JurFem Larysa Denysenko. And I insist on it. The International Criminal Court does not require medical reports as mandatory. The testimony of the victim should be enough. But, as far as I understand, even though the Prosecutors Office has changed their approach to the interrogation, which I consider to be a progress, they still use the same typical evidenciary approach for sexual crimes: medical reports, witness statements, inspection of the scene of events, and material evidence of the crime. In Denysenkos view, the words of the victim are enough. Everyone is doing their best to search for other evidence. But when this is simply the only thing that the court of justice has, they proceed from the principle of unconditional trust. Why is it important to rely on the words of a survivor? Bruises on the body disappear, the body is healed, witnesses pass away or disappear, but mental wounds remain. These crimes have no statute of limitations. The person has the right to be heard and has the right for justice, she explains.

Officially there are currently nine cases of rape allegedly committed by Russian troops that are investigated in Kyiv region. Only two notices of suspicion were issued so far, included the one against Romanov.

This report is part of a series on war crimes, produced in partnership with Ukrainian journalists. A first version of this article was published on the Sudovyi Reporter website.
President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday called for a "special tribunal" to investigate Russia's invasion of Ukraine, addressing a conference at The Hague focused on war crimes in Ukraine.

"Existing judicial institutions cannot bring all the guilty parties to justice. Therefore, a special tribunal is needed to address the crime of Russian aggression against Ukraine," Zelensky told the gathering via video link.

"A tribunal that will ensure the fair and lawful punishment of those who started this series of disasters," he added.

"There must be a mandatory and principled punishment for all Russian criminals," he said.

Zelensky's speech at the Hague comes hours after a Russian strike killed at least 20 civilians, including children, in the city of Vinnytsia in central Ukraine.

Organised by the International Criminal Court (ICC), the European Commission and the Netherlands, the event at The Hague was aiming to ensure that crimes committed since the Russian invasion do not go unpunished.

"As we speak, children, women and men are living in terror," said ICC prosecutor Karim Khan.

"We need to work together."

The ICC opened an investigation into war crimes in March, not long after Moscow's February 24 invasion of Ukraine.

The Hague-based ICC remains the court of last resort for grave charges such as genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression when member states are unable or unwilling to prosecute.

Ukraine's foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba earlier Thursday called for the establishment of a special court to try "the crime of aggression" -- an attack by one state against another by a political or military leader.

But the ICC cannot prosecute the crime of aggression if a country has not ratified the Rome Statute, and neither Russia nor Ukraine have done so.

European Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, told the conference Thursday that 20,000 investigations have been opened for war crimes in Ukraine.

Russia has denied all accusations against its troops, including shelling of civilians, summary executions and rapes.
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Its just over four months since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and with some individuals already being tried in the Ukrainian system for war crimes, we want to get an overview of where we are at with accountability mechanisms for Ukrainian victims. We do so with the help of Ukrainian law experts, professor Mykola Gnatovskyy and Kateryna Busol, Academy Associate at Chatham House interviewed in March. And with Howard Morrison, Independent Adviser to the Ukrainian Prosecutor General, Iryna Venediktova interviewed in May. The issues of how to make justice work for survivors are still unresolved.

On the eve of the International Accountability Conference for Ukraine co-hosted by the Netherlands on July 14, we discuss the four potential paths to justice for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine. First, Ukraines domestic prosecution, described by Morrison as impressive in the face of an overwhelming number of crimes. Second, the option of universal jurisdiction, and how a coordinating mechanism like Eurojust may play a role. Thirdly, a possible hybrid international court could be set up as part of the Ukrainian system. And last, prosecution by the International Criminal Court. On the new prosecutors approach, you can also check back an episode we recorded with Karim Khan as he came to the end of his work with UNITAD and spoke about picking select representative cases  maybe an indication of the future for Ukraine at The Hague?

We also dig deeper into what are the benefits and challenges of the ICC investigations into Ukraine, as observers, Amnesty International among others, send an alarm about the potential double standard in the Office of the Prosecutors activities and additional state funding of investigations. And with Mykola and Kateryna, we look specifically at the routes to justice sought by Ukraine since the start of the war in 2014, the crime of aggression, and the legacy of Nuremberg in post-Soviet countries. For more background on the Soviet (and female) role at Nuremberg, listen back to our episode with Diane Marie Amann and Francine Hirsch.

Recommended reading Ukraine responds to warfare with lawfare
Since her debut in 2019, Go Yoon Jung has been climbing up the ladder and returning to the small screen with more outstanding works. With her brief appearance on tvN's "Alchemy of Souls," she took the Hallyu world by storm. Her gorgeous visuals and impressive acting skills as the shadow assassin Naksu draw the attention of fans worldwide.

Did you know that she is a rookie star? To learn more about Go Yoon Jung, then keep on reading!

Go Yoon Jung's Rise To Stardom

In her three years in the industry, South Korean beauty has already appeared in seven notable works.

Go Yoon Jung debuted in 2019 with the romance comedy series "He Is Psychometric" with Jinyoung, Shin Ye Eun, Kim Kwon, and Kim Da Som.

She worked her way up the ladder and received another supporting role in "Law School," "The School Nurse Files," "Rookie Cops," "Sweet Home," and most recently "Hunt," which marks her Cannes debut with Lee Jung Jae.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Who Is Naksu? Things You Need To Know About 'Alchemy of Souls' Star Go Yoon Jung

Go Yoon Jung stars in "Alchemy of Souls" with the controversial and intriguing character, the shadow assassin Naksu.

Go Yoon Jung Net Worth 2022: How Rich Is 'Alchemy of Souls' Star?

Besides her acting career, Go Yoon Jung also relies on her modeling career as a source of income.

Before acting, the actress ventured into modeling and has worked with many famous brands such as Nike, Giorgio Armani, Tom Ford, and more.

She also endorsed international brands such as Hoegaarden and L'OReal Paris. At the moment, the actress has a net worth that amounts to 3 million USD.

YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN THIS: Jung So Min To Not Reprise Role in 'Alchemy of Souls' Part 2? Here's Why

Her career and net worth are expected to grow in the following years as she receives more breakthrough roles. Furthermore, the actress is abundant with support and love from her almost 2 million Instagram followers.

Go Yoon Jung To Make Silver Screen Comeback This 2022

This 2022, Go Yoon Jung promises to return with greater work with the upcoming action-packed film "Seoul Vibe."

Set in 1988 during the Olympic Games, it follows the story of a car chase to take down the corrupt politicians and authorities behind the controversial slush funds.

Yoo Ah In, Go Kyung Pyo, and more big stars will also lead the film, and it is expected to be released in the second half of 2022.

Have you seen Go Yoon Jung in "Alchemy of Souls"? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

KDramaStars owns this article.

Written by Elijah Mully.
After eight long years, "Veteran," which stars Hwang Jung Min, is getting a part two with new cast members. According to a news portal, industry representatives dish out that the upcoming sequel gets the green light and is currently working on the script. As the action-packed movie gears up for its much-awaited comeback, casting is also being carried out and will feature new characters.

'Veteran 2': Cast, Release Date, and What We Know So Far

In the same report, "Veteran 2" will have a different format than the original movie. In addition, part 2 of the action film might include Jung Hae In as one of the lead stars.

The South Korean heartthrob is offered to play the villain role that follows Yoo Ah In's character. As of this writing, the "Snowdrop" star is yet to confirm his appearance for "Veteran 2."

Interestingly, the upcoming sequel will be helmed by "The Battleship Island" and "Escape from Mogadishu" director Ryu Seung Wan, who also worked with the 2015 "Veteran."

While viewers are looking forward to getting a glimpse of the highly anticipated sequel, get to know the current and upcoming projects of the "Veteran" cast, from Hwang Jung Min, Yoo Ah In, and more.

Hwang Jung Min

He took the role of Detective Seo Do Cheol and will be reprising his character in "Veteran 2."

He is the only cast confirmed to appear in the upcoming sequel.

Besides Part 2, Hwang Jung Min will also join Hyun Bin in the new movie "The Point Men" and will be transformed into a South Korean diplomat.

In addition, the renowned actor will also headline the action thriller film "Kill Bok Soon" with Jeon Do Yeon and Sol Kyung Gu and also courted to join the historical film "Spring in Seoul" with Jung Woo Sung.

Yoo Ah In

As mentioned, he played the villain role of tyrannical heir Jo Tae Jo in "Veteran" sadly, Jung Hae In will be the new antagonist for the sequel.

However, fans would get to see Yoo Ah In in the action fantasy movie "High Five" and his comeback to the big screen through the action drama "Seoul Vibe" with Go Kyung Pyo, Lee Kyu Hyung, Park Ju Hyun, and more.

Adding to the list of his activities is the upcoming film "Jeon, Ran" he is offered to headline the cast, starring in an action historical drama set in the Imjin War.

Yoo Hae Jin

He took the supporting role in "Veteran" but his character played a significant part.

The versatile actor will reprise his role in "Confidential Assignment 2: International" with Hyun Bin, Girls' Generation YoonA, and Daniel Henney.

Moreover, he will also headline the "Sweet and Warm" cast opposite Kim Hee Sun.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Korean Actors Who Ace Buzz Cut Hairstyle: Jang Ki Yong, Ji Chang Wook, More

KDramastars owns this article.

Written by Geca Wills
Kim Yo Han (Kang Ha Neul) starts his revenge against the villain brothers and successfully obtains the Goldman slush funds in "Insider" episode 11. Read on to know what happened in the latest broadcast!

'Insider' Episode 11: Kim Yo Han Secures the Slush Funds

The long-awaited revenge of Kim Yo Han finally took place in "Insider" episode 11.

After his intense match with Yang Joon (Heo Dong Won), the ex-convict executed the plan he and Oh Soo Yeon (Lee Yoo Young) prepared.

Kim Yo Han planned to steal Goldman's slush funds by accessing an account that only recognizes Yang Hwa's (Jung Man Sik) iris. Kim Yo Han attacked Yang Hwa first and used drugs to make him unconscious. He then stole 300 billion KRW from Yang Hwa's slush account.

The moment he got the money, Kim Yo Han remembered Woo Min Ho, the person Yang Hwa killed.

Kim Yo Han planned to transfer the amount to Woo Min Ho as his revenge on the villain brothers.

Kim Yo Han Saves Jang Sun Oh

Jang Sun Oh (Kang Young Seok) was captured by Yang Joon and Yang Hwa. Kim Yo Han then asked Yang Hwa to release Sun Oh, and told him he'd return the slush funds if he released the captive. Yang Hwa agreed.

Kang Yo Han left the casino with Jang Sun Oh, detained in a trunk, and hopped on the car. Roh Seung Hwan (Choi Choi Hoon), meanwhile, was patiently waiting nearby.

While on their way out, Oh Soo Yeon asked Kim Yo Han if he would report the Goldman slush fund to Chairman Do. According to him, "We have secured the slush fund, and Jin Soo Min led the money laundering at the casino, but it was Woo Sang Ki, an underground financial translation expert in Southeast Asia, who opened an account illegally under a borrowed name in an overseas tax shelter."

Kim Yo Han then explained he would transfer the money to Woo Min Ho's name. Oh Soo Yeon, on the other hand, got inspired by Yo Han's kindness.

Oh Soo Yeon was also stunned by Kim Yo Han's confession, but the night didn't end there.

In continuation of the story, Kim Yo Han would have a confession from Jang Sun Oh since he rescued him from the enemies.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 'Insider' Episode 10: Kang Ha Neul Reunites With Kang Young Seok

What are your thoughts about "Insider" episode 11? Share them with us in the comments!

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity updates, follow and subscribe to KDramastars.

KDramastars owns this article.

Shai Collins wrote this.
Kim Tae Ri exudes enchanting charisma on the latest cover of Elle Korea. The actress teamed up with the publication's August 2022 issue ahead of her new movie "Alien." During her interview with Elle Korea, the 32-year-old beauty dishes out her thoughts about her big screen comeback and characteristics of being a great actor.

Kim Tae Ri is Elle Korea's New Cover Girl!

The "Twenty-Five Twenty-One" star dons in a head-to-toe Prada as she graces the latest cover of Elle Korea magazine.

As seen in the photo, Kim Tae Ri exudes a mysterious vibe sporting an edgy look for the magazine's August issue as she teams up with the Italian luxury fashion house.

To recall, the actress has been selected by Prada as their global ambassador, joining NCT's Jaehyun, Lee Jong Suk, Go Youn Jung, Hwang In Youp, Song Kang, and Girls' Generation members Seohyun and Tiffany.

Over Elle Korea's Instagram, fans expressed how impressed they are with Kim Tae Ri's Elle Korea cover.

The comment section is filled with flame and heart emojis, signaling how they loved the actress' photoshoot.

Kim Tae Ri Talks About Being an Actress

There's no denying that the 32-year-old beauty is one of her generation's most beloved and talented actresses.

After debuting as a commercial model in 2012, she paved her way to the big screen with her first ever acting project for the film "Moon Young."

However, it was the movie "The Handmaiden" where she gained the spotlight. Following the film's release, Kim Tae Hi bagged the Best New Actress trophy at the Blue Dragon Film Awards 2016 and Buil Film Awards in the same year.

When asked about her thoughts about being an actress for almost seven years, she pointed out that being flexible is one thing that actors need to succeed.

"Once you accept anything, I have the temperament to understand it as mine. I believe that one of the things an actress needs is flexibility," she said, as obtained by a local outlet,

Moreover, Kim Tae Ri also mentioned how she flourished as an actress, noting the "pain and love" that made her grow.

Besides her long list of achievements, Kim Tae Ri is also well loved by her fellow stars, and that includes "Alien" star Ryu Jun Yeol.

Ryu Jun Yeol Praises Alien Co-Star Kim Tae Ri

In a separate report, Ryu Jun Yeol mentioned how he and the actress have a close bond, especially on the set of their upcoming movie "Alien."

During the interview, the actor expressed how happy and comfortable he is working with Kim Tae Ri for the second time.

He shared that their "collaboration was better" and revealed how he "relied on her a lot."

The same goes for Kim Tae Ri, who said she felt nervous on the film set, but thankfully Ryu Jun Yeol was there and made her feel much more comfortable.

In the upcoming movie "Alien," she took the role of a mysterious woman named Lee Ahn, who searches for the divine sword. Ryu Jun Yeol plays a swordsman named Mureuk.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Kim Tae Ri's Baeksang Arts Awards 2022 Dress Fake? Designer's Distributor Speaks Up

KDramastars owns this article.

Written by Geca Wills
Kim Hee Sun stunned the crowd with her radiant aura as she stepped onto the stage for the "Remarriage and Desires" press conference. The actress joined co-stars Lee Hyun Wook, Jung Eugene, Park Hoon, Cha Ji Yeon, and director Kim Jung Min as they talked about the upcoming Netflix drama series.

From her iconic pink hair seen in her K-drama "Tomorrow," Kim Hee Sun exudes a different kind of beauty with her dark short hair and stunning physique as she donned a fitted denim dress that accentuated her slender body.

What to Look Forward to in 'Remarriage and Desires'

Netflix's "Remarriage and Desires" illustrates the unconventional and conflicting desires of people in the upper class as they see marriage as business.

In her new series, Kim Hee Sun transforms into someone who is hungry for revenge. She takes on the role of Seo Hye Seung, a widow and a single mother whose husband died in a tragic fate.

Following the death of her husband, her life turns upside down but she tries to rebuild a new life with her daughter.

"Remarriage and Desires" also illustrates her encounter with influential people at REX, an exclusive matchmaking agency where women strive to marry hotshot bachelors to enter the highest echelon of society.

Seo Hye Seung joins the agency in hopes of getting her revenge.

In the upcoming Netflix series, Cha Ji Yeon transforms into the REX CEO Choi Yoo Seon while Jung Eugene portrays Jin Yoo Hee, a lawyer who will do everything to get what she wants.

Meanwhile, Lee Hyun Wook plays a chairman of a self-made venture company Lee Hyeong Joo and Park Hoon takes on the role of professor Cha Seok Jin, who is experiencing a legal battle for the huge inheritance left by his father.

Why Does Kim Hee Sun Dislike the Term 'Rediscovery'?

While the cast members gave their thoughts about the upcoming Netflix series, Kim Hee Sun gets honest about connecting her to the word "rediscovery."

The actress expressed how she got offended when she first saw an article with the phrase "rediscovery of Kim Hee Sun."

As obtained by the outlet, she admitted that she "felt bad" about her association with the word "rediscover" and questioned, "Did I not have this much presence?"

Kim Hee Sun also expressed her disappointment, "I'm frustrated because I've been rediscovered more than 20 times, and now I'm disappointed if I don't use the word rediscovery," adding, "I want to be the most rediscovered actor in Korea."

The actress has been in the industry for years since she made a debut as a host in the popular music variety show "Inkigayo."

She also gained massive fame in China after joining the renowned actor Jackie Chan for the 2005 movie "The Myth" and "The Warring States" in 2011.

Interestingly, Kim Hee Sun once again gained the attention of viewers with her bold comeback to the small screen for the action fantasy K-drama "Tomorrow" where she played a fearless grim reaper, Goo Ryun.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Kim Hee Sun to Possibly Return to Big Screen After 19 Years



KDramastars owns this article

Written by Geca Wills
RCMP and Surrey police officers work at the scene of a shooting near a red Tesla vehicle, back, in Surrey, B.C., on Thursday, July 14, 2022. Ripudaman Singh Malik, one of two men acquitted in the 1985 Air India terrorist bombing, has been killed in a shooting in Surrey, B.C. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
A new, three-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number, which anyone in the country can call or text during a mental health crisis, starts Saturday.

Local mental health officials said people will be able to connect to mental health services by calling 988, far easier to remember than the old 11-digit number, although the old number will still work.

Kari Foss, behavioral health manager at the Kenosha County Division of Aging & disability Service, said that while the number is different, the services remain unchanged.

As far as Wisconsin and Kenosha are concerned, you shouldnt notice any difference in service, Foss said. We want our community to rest assured, weve had these relationships for a long time,

Foss said that, nationally, advertising of the change has been relatively quiet, since some states are less prepared for the change. Wisconsin, however, was well ahead of other states.

Its a massive endeavor, its nice to see weve been able to make forward momentum through a pandemic, Foss said. I feel relieved that our community has another way to ask for help.

Additional needs

Jack Rose, president of the Kenosha County branch of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, said that the new number was a better way to ring the bell, but that it was not a solution to the communitys mental health treatment shortcomings.

We have good mental health treatment here, but were still lacking, Rose said.

That includes a shortage of therapists and psychologists, and a lack of a psychiatric ward in the area. Chapter 51 cases, when people are put in emergency detention because of a mental health crisis or other criteria, have to be sent to facilities two hours away in Winnebago, Rose said.

We just need to improve the network we have her in Kenosha, Rose said. With COVID and the number of people living with mental illness, the anxiety and worry, its creating the perfect storm. So we need to be able to care for the people living with depression and anxiety.

City under strain

Foss also felt the state of mental health in Kenosha had been put under additional strain over the past few years, and not just because of the pandemic.

Theres been a lot of violence in our community as well, Foss said. People are living with more anxiety for certain.

For those in crisis, Foss provided a few other numbers residents could call.

The Kenosha Human Development Services has a 24-hour crisis intervention line, at 262-657-7188. The Mental Health and Substance Abuse Resource Center, which provides services free of charge, can be reached at 262-764-8555.
High pressure isnt confined to the weather maps this week as bookmakers are feeling the heat of Irish punters backing a temperature record being smashed this weekend as Irish sun worshippers see odds halved to 5/1 From 10/1. Kilkenny may lose its crown as the place in Ireland with the hottest ever recorded temperature as the entire nations faces scorching temperatures in coming days.

The highest currently recognised air temperature (33.3 C) ever recorded in the Republic of Ireland, was logged at Kilkenny Castle in 1887. But with Met Eireann predicting extremely high temperatures, this record may soon be toppled.

Met Eireann has issued a high temperature advisory warning for the coming days amid predictions that Ireland will see its hottest days of the year so far at the weekend or early next week.

Kilkenny's long-standing record is under threat according to the latest betting, which had rated the chances of a new high being clocked this weekend at a remote 10/1 just 24 hours ago.

A new temperature record across the Irish sea is also hot with punters, who have backed the UK record of 38.7C clocked in Cambridge in 2019 to be broken before the weekend is out.

Lawrence Lyons, spokesperson for Boyle Sports said: With a mini heatwave arriving on Irish shores its no surprise to see a few hopeful punters trying to cash in, especially given the record-breaking highs that are being tipped in the UK. A growing number will be sweating it out in Ireland this weekend after investing in a new record and even after cutting it into 5/1 from 10/1, the interest is showing no signs of drying up yet.
The fresh red paint is barely dry on the newly refurbished Smithwick's Experience door on Parliament Street, Kilkenny as the exhibition gets set to re-open to the public on Friday July 15. There is a palpable sense of excitement and anticipation as the beloved exhibition returns as one of the Marble City's favourite tourist attractions.

Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny Co Council, Councillor Pat FitzPatrick welcomes the return:



We are delighted to see the reopening of the Smithwicks Experience Kilkenny. This attraction will add another unique element to the tourism offering in Kilkenny City along Irelands Medieval Mile. It is essential to have stand out attractions to entice the domestic and international visitor and the Smithwicks Experience achieves this. Smithwicks is a brand with huge heritage in Kilkenny City and it is fantastic to see its continuing legacy. With the development of the former Smithwick Brewery Site at the Abbey Quarter nearby this renewed experience will be a wonderful addition to this area of Kilkenny.



Smithwick's ale has been brewed in Ireland since 1710 and the Smithwick's brewery was an integral part of Kilkenny life and commerce for centuries before the brewery closed as a commercial enterprise in 2013.

With the reopening, guided tours will now resume at regular intervals, five days a week throughout July and August and visitors will be able to experience first hand the rich history of brewing in Kilkenny and the legacy of the Smithwick brand as one of Ireland's favourite beverages.

Monks were the first master brewers at St Francis Abbey in the 1300s but were forced to cease with the advent of Henry VII's Reformation in 1537. Then in the early 1700s, a Catholic, John Smithwick who had moved to the city, opened a brewery in partnership with a Richard Cole.

When the era's Penal Laws were eventually revoked the Smithwick family were able to assume a prominent role in Kilkenny commercial and civic life so that in 1827 the Smithwick name was placed over the door of the enterprise by Edmond Smithwick. A brewing dynasty was established and continued to thrive in Kilkenny for generations. Nine generations of Kilkenny people worked in the brewery until it ceased brewing in 2013.

The Smithwick family weren't just good businessmen, they were also philanthropic: they opened a soup kitchen during the Irish famine and were also ardent supporters of Catholic Emancipation. Smithwick's has been woven into the fabric of Kilkenny life for so long that to see the Smithwick's Experience open its gleaming red doors on Parliament St again, is like welcoming the return of a long-lost friend.
The Irish Government has warned of a severe shortage of state accommodation for arriving Ukrainian refugees.

Amid worsening overcrowding at the transit centre at the Citywest hotel complex in Dublin, new arrivals who do not have alternative accommodation already arranged are being asked to remain at Dublin Airport overnight and into Thursday.

Ireland has taken in around 40,000 refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine  the majority of them women and children.

Asylum seekers from other countries also continue to seek sanctuary in Ireland through the International Protection Service.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin is to hold talks with other ministers on Thursday to discuss the situation as the Government attempts to put alternative accommodation arrangements in place.

Ensuring the security, health and safety of people who are fleeing Ukraine has been, and remains, a top priority for the Government since the Russian attack began in February, a Government statement said.

Most of the people arriving in Ireland are women and children.

This effort has involved, inter alia, all relevant Government departments and offices, local authorities, the Defence Forces and state agencies such as Tusla (Child and Family Agency) and the HSE (Health Service Executive).

Over the past number of weeks there has been a very significant increase in the number of people seeking access to the International Protection Service (IPS) and this is causing a severe shortage of available accommodation for both people arriving from Ukraine and international protection applicants.

This is also causing overcrowding in the Citywest Transit Hub.

Incoming arrivals overnight will remain in Dublin Airport if they do not have an alternative source of accommodation.

Government is working intensively to put alternative arrangements in place with immediate effect.

The Taoiseach is meeting with relevant ministers tomorrow to discuss the situation and review the current policies and processes.
South Africa: SA-UK mission facilitates SAs move towards hydrogen economy

Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, says the South African delegation's recent visit to the United Kingdom will propel South Africas hydrogen economy to greater heights.

According to the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), the team representing South Africa explored potential trade relationships to support high technology manufacturing centred on the hydrogen economy.

The delegation included the DSI, which developed the Hydrogen Society Roadmap recently launched by the Minister.

Other members represented Airports Company South Africa, the Limpopo Economic Development Agency, Trade and Investment KwaZulu-Natal, the Gauteng Department of Economic Development, and academia.

The delegation went to Teesside, which is at the forefront of the UK's transition to a green economy and is an international gateway to the UK.

The city has vital assets and capabilities that have both national importance and global reach in the sectors of advanced manufacturing, energy, digital and health innovation, which are at the core of the city's economy.

DSI said its ambition is to lead the UK's transition to a green economy and expand its international trading role.

"The mission was aimed at establishing strategic partnerships that will promote the manufacturing of locally developed intellectually property across South Africa's hydrogen corridor, and the export of green hydrogen and green ammonia to the UK market," said Nzimande.

South Africa's Hydrogen Society Roadmap, launched earlier this year, aims to contribute to an inclusive, sustainable and competitive hydrogen economy by 2050, as part of a just transition to a net zero economy.

"One of the key outcomes of the roadmap will be the creation of an export market for green hydrogen and green ammonia, and the creation of a manufacturing sector for hydrogen products and components," said the Minister.

The DSI Director-General, Dr Phil Mjwara, made a presentation to UK stakeholders detailing South Africa's hydrogen journey, which started in 2007 with the Cabinet's approval of the National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Research, Development and Innovation Strategy.

This led to the Hydrogen South Africa initiative, through which the DSI is promoting the use of local platinum group metal resources to create knowledge and skills, and enable the development of high-value commercial activities in hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.

South Africa signed a bilateral agreement with the UK on cooperation in science and technology in 1995, with climate change, biotechnology, astronomy and global change identified as areas for collaboration.

One of the key outcomes of the mission to Teesside was to expand the existing agreement through a memorandum of understanding setting out identified potential collaboration opportunities on the hydrogen economy.

The DSI is interested in collaborating with the UK2070 Commission to share ideas on how to use hydrogen economy opportunities to deal with poverty, unemployment and inequality.

The UK2070 Commission is an independent inquiry into the city and regional inequalities in the UK, which will include a review of the policy and spatial issues related to the UK's long-term city and regional development.

The delegation, which returned on Thursday, 14 July 2022, agreed to collaborate in numerous areas, deepen existing collaboration instruments such as the Newton Fund, finalise agreements, establish working groups and collectively sign the memorandum of understanding.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-07-14. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Number of naked carp inhabiting Qinghai Lake rebound as conservation efforts pay off for endangered species

People's Daily Online) 14:56, July 14, 2022

Photo shows a school of naked carp swimming upstream along a freshwater river flowing into Qinghai Lake in central Chinas Qinghai Province. (Photo/Zhou Yuanfeng)

Huangyu, or the naked carp, is a species of fish endemic to Qinghai Lake, Chinas largest inland saltwater lake situated on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The naked carp is also a core species within the water-fish-bird-grass ecosystem of Qinghai Lake. In 2004, the fish was listed on the China Species Red List as an endangered species.

From late May to August every year, the carp swim upstream along freshwater rivers in order to spawn. The journey is an arduous and dangerous one for the fish because there are predators on the way, not to mention unpredictable weather conditions and the fact that the river might stop flowing at some sections.

Thanks to many years of conservation efforts, the naked carp inhabiting Qinghai Lake now add up to an estimated 108,500 tonnes, which is nearly 42 times the total weight determined at the beginning of efforts to protect the species.

Photo shows a school of naked carp swimming upstream along a freshwater river flowing into Qinghai Lake in central Chinas Qinghai Province. (Photo/Zhou Yuanfeng)

Photo shows migratory birds on the hunt for naked carp along a waterway connected to Qinghai Lake in central Chinas Qinghai Province. (Photo/Zhou Yuanfeng)

Photo shows a migratory bird after capturing a naked carp along a waterway connected to Qinghai Lake in central Chinas Qinghai Province. (Photo/Zhou Yuanfeng)

Photo shows migratory birds on the hunt for naked carp along a waterway connected to Qinghai Lake in central Chinas Qinghai Province. (Photo/Zhou Yuanfeng)

Photo shows a migratory bird swallowing a naked carp along a waterway connected to Qinghai Lake in central Chinas Qinghai Province. (Photo/Zhou Yuanfeng)

Photo shows migratory birds on the hunt for naked carp along a waterway connected to Qinghai Lake in central Chinas Qinghai Province. (Photo/Zhou Yuanfeng)

Photo shows a migratory bird swallowing a naked carp along a waterway connected to Qinghai Lake in central Chinas Qinghai Province. (Photo/Zhou Yuanfeng)

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
Man arrested in connection with an infant found in backpack five years ago
Italy's government, led by Prime Minister Mario Draghi, has won a confidence vote despite a boycott from one of its coalition partners that could lead to an imminent collapse.
Blood spatter found on the clothing of disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh could place him at the scene of the murder of his wife and son last year at their South Carolina home, a source with knowledge of the investigation tells CNN.


Japan wants to engage N. Korea's denuclearization process



By Kim Yoo-chul



A key question on the minds of political analysts following Russia's invasion of Ukraine is how North Korea views the incursion.



Russian President Vladimir Putin's war raised a lot of concerns and debates from a security standpoint not only for Europe but also in Asia. The Biden administration is further strengthening its commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, and China's dissatisfaction over NATO's recent description of Beijing as a "challenge" to its security and values is also raising the probability of conflict escalation in Northeast Asia.



Under this kind of new geopolitical situation, North Korea is in the process of recalibrating its core foreign policy priorities in a way to position itself mostly between Washington, Beijing, Seoul and Tokyo, according to political analysts.



According to them, the ongoing Ukraine crisis is being emphasized by the North Korean regime to reawaken the necessity of having more nuclear weapons to possibly break U.S. military actions, providing justification for Pyongyang to hold on to its nuclear capabilities at any cost.



South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin believes North Korea has "completed its preparations to conduct a nuclear test," a view that is also shared by the United States. "North Korea has yet to make any political decisions," the minister said during a recent regular briefing with reporters.



North Korea hasn't carried out a nuclear test in five years during the former Moon Jae-in administration, although Pyongyang has launched 18 missiles this year alone. The latest updates by 38 North, a North Korea information provider, show that a reactor inside North Korea's nuclear research center in Yongbyon was continuing to produce plutonium for the country's nuclear weapons program despite heavy rain over the past several weeks.



Korea Society, a leading New York-based think tank, claimed it is unjustifiable for the North to develop nuclear weapons to defend against military attacks by the United States.



"Because the U.S.-ROK alliance since 1953 has been defensive, to deter another invasion by North Korea, the North's justification for developing nuclear weapons to 'possibly break U.S. military attacks' is not justified," Thomas J. Byrne, CEO and president of Korea Society, said in a recent written interview with The Korea Times.



As seen in NATO's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and by previously neutral Finland and Sweden seeking NATO membership, Byrne said any "grave actions" that could threaten the global order "will meet great military unity among Western countries and democracies." Byrne didn't elaborate, but stressed that North Korea may take a lesson from the 1954 Budapest Memorandum that it is better to have one's own nuclear weapons than security assurances from world powers.







Korea Society CEO and President Thomas J. Byrne smiles at the start of a recent forum held at its New York headquarters. Courtesy of Korea Society

Jonathan Corrado, policy director at the Society, added, "Pyongyang often complains about America's attempts to build an 'Asian NATO,' a reference to security cooperation among the United States, South Korea, Japan and other allies such as Quad members. From this episode, however, North Korea should also learn the lesson that provocations, nuclear tests and invasions will only inspire further integration and unity among this group of partners."



Russia reacted very angrily to NATO's offer of membership to Finland and Sweden, calling it as a "destabilizing" effort that will increase the level of tensions in the Baltic region.



However, the offer followed after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, which immediately prompted countries neighboring Russia to appeal to NATO for extra security guarantees. The accession of the two Scandinavian countries into NATO means the closure of a decades-long status quo that had put Finland into a neutral position during the Cold War to avoid any direct threats with the Soviet Union.



Corrado put some emphasis on this development. "Just as Russia's invasion inspired Finland and Sweden to join NATO, so too would further North Korean destabilizing actions lead to enhanced cooperation between the United States, South Korea and their regional allies and partners," he said.



He claimed North Korea's decision to develop nuclear weapons stretches back to the 1950s, while the program started to make real strides in the 1970s. "It is also true that Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a country which briefly possessed and then surrendered nuclear weapons, is further vindication of the logic that first convinced and now sustains North Korea's commitment to maintaining and developing nuclear weapons," Corrado said.



Maintaining deterrence until NK engages in diplomacy



Former President Moon Jae-in, who described himself as a mediator, tried harder to keep up the communications between the United States and North Korea. The core reason behind Moon's "mediating role" is the basis of his firm belief that the leaders of Washington and Pyongyang hold the keys in actually advancing the inter-Korean peace process.





People watch a TV screen showing a file image of North Korea's firing of projectiles, at Seoul Station, March 2, 2020. AP-Yonhap



Earlier summits between Moon and his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong-un and between then U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim produced several declarations to lower inter-Korean tensions. But the limits of his mediating role and shuttle diplomacy regarding North Korea's denuclearization became clear after the collapse of the summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, in February 2019, when Trump refused to accept the North's Kim's requests for partial sanctions relief as a precondition to the start of its denuclearization steps.



Regarding questions over the key lessons from the "limits of former President Moon's shuttle diplomacy" as Moon had no say in terms of the direction for the peace process, Byrne said, "Unfortunately, what is most limited is North Korea's interest in opening up and engaging constructively the international community. (Former) President Moon Jae-in ran into the same obstinacy as did all other administrations, ultimately."



The Korea Society chief advised President Yoon Suk-yeol and his team handling inter-Korean affairs to seek ways to further strengthen the Washington-Seoul alliance and focus on deterrence until North Korea is ready to engage in diplomacy.





US President Donald Trump, center, meets South Korea's President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ahead of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, July 6, 2017. Reuters-Yonhap




By Kang Seung-woo







The Korea Defense Veterans Association (KDVA)-Korea Chapter held an education conference, Wednesday, to encourage U.S. soldiers along with KATUSA soldiers to explore the direction, development and importance of the Korea-U.S. alliance.







According to the organization, the KDVA Alliance Education Conference took place at U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, with some 100 participants, including KDVA-Korea Chapter President Lee Seo-young and Eighth Army Deputy Commanding General for Sustainment Brig. Gen. Joseph D'costa.







"The Korea-U.S. alliance and the combined defense system are the foundation of the defense of the Republic of Korea," Lee said in his welcoming speech.







"In a situation where North Korea's nuclear and missile capabilities continue to advance, I hope that U.S. forces will maintain a high level of combat readiness to deter North Korean provocations and work hard to strengthen the Korea-U.S. alliance."







D'costa said he was proud of carrying out combined operations with Korea, adding that the Eighth U.S. Army had been trained thoroughly to be ready to fight tonight and win.







Ihn Yo-han, or Dr. John Linton, the first special naturalized Korean citizen in 2012, gave a lecture speaking about how the Korea-U.S. alliance had greatly contributed to the development and defense of Korea, which suffered terribly because of the 1950-53 Korean War.







The KDVA-Korea Chapter has held the conference annually at USAG Humphreys or Osan Air Base to stress the importance of the bilateral alliance, which was forged from the three-year conflict.







The KDVA, founded in 2017, is a nonprofit organization based in Virginia that advocates the Korea-U.S. alliance by supporting former and current military service members.


A battery manufacturing complex U.S automaker Ford Motor and its Korean battery partner SK Innovation plan to build in Kentucky, opening in 2025, is seen in an artist's rendition released, Sept. 27, 2021. Reuters-Yonhap



SK On's electric vehicle (EV) battery joint venture with Ford Motor in the United States has formally set sail, the Korean battery maker said Thursday, paving the way for SK's new battery unit to accelerate its overseas push amid burgeoning EV demand.



The official launch of BlueOval SK on Wednesday (U.S. time) came about 10 months after SK and Ford announced the 50:50 joint venture agreement to build three EV battery production plants in the U.S. by 2025.



SK and Ford have agreed to invest a combined 10.2 trillion won ($7.77 billion) to build one plant in Tennessee and two others in Kentucky. Once the construction is completed, the three factories will tout an annual production capacity of a combined 127 gigawatt hours (GWh), enough to produce about 1.61 million EVs with 80 kilowatt hour batteries, SK On said.



The announcement came around the same time when SK Innovation, SK's refinery unit, said it decided to hive off its battery division under the name of SK On.



BlueOval SK will temporarily be headquartered in Georgia, where SK On currently operates its U.S. production facility, before being relocated to the BlueOval City complex being built by Ford in Stanton, Tennessee, SK On said.



Hahm Chang-woo, a vice president at SK Innovation, will serve as BlueOval SK's chief executive officer, and Jiem Cranney, chief operating officer of Ford Business Solutions, will take over as chief financial officer. The two companies will switch the positions after three years.



The two companies are also pushing to build a 30-45 GWh EV battery plant in Turkey with Turkish conglomerate Koc Holding A.S. in joint efforts to make further inroads into the European market, where EV demand is high.



Ford is expected to need 240 GWh batteries globally by 2030, including 140 GWh in North America, and the bulk of them will be supplied by SK On from its standalone U.S. factory and BlueOval SK.



SK On, the world's No. 5 battery maker, is also bolstering its foreign expansion, with an aim to increase its global production capacity to 77 GWh by the end of this year and over 500 GWh by 2030. SK On runs operations in the U.S., Hungary and China. (Yonhap)


By Donald Kirk





The United States has a new ambassador to South Korea at a pivotal moment in U.S.-Korean relations and the confrontation between North and South Korea. Philip Goldberg has arrived in Seoul just as the U.S. and the ROK are beginning to see eye to eye and South Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol promises to repair the damage done during the presidency of his predecessor, Moon Jae-in.Luckily, Goldberg will not have to persuade Yoon of the dangers of scaling down joint military exercises or appeasing Kim Jong-un in hopes of another meeting filled with promises that will never be fulfilled. As Goldberg gets over jetlag from his flight from Washington and looks at his schedule, he has the luxury of knowing that the Yoon administration has changed course from the previous five years of liberal if not leftist governance.Goldberg won't have to edge his way around contentious issues as did the previous ambassador, Harry Harris, a retired admiral who once commanded all U.S. forces in the Pacific. Perhaps unavoidably, Harris, with no previous experience as a diplomat, had a way of upsetting Koreans by showing his annoyance with the left-leaning tendencies of the Moon administration.Now Goldberg has the delicate task of not appearing overly eager to see Yoon get along smoothly with the U.S. against North Korean threats and China's obvious interest in undermining the U.S. role in the region. A career ambassador who once was responsible for tracking compliance with sanctions imposed against North Korea for its nuclear and missile tests, Goldberg comes to Korea with the label of "hardliner."No need for him to act really hardline, though, while the Yoon administration refuses to buckle under North Korean intimidation. At this stage, he just has to watch approvingly, offering American support where needed. Presumably, with his years as ambassador elsewhere, he'll know what to do and how to react.An early sign of the degree of cooperation between the U.S. and South Korea will be South Korea's willingness to renew full-scale joint military exercises, which Trump stupidly canceled after getting along so well with Kim Jong-un in their first summit in Singapore in June 2018. President Yoon has indicated he's all for exercises involving U.S. and ROK forces on the ground, in the air and at sea as conducted for the last time in 2017.The resumption of exercises is sure to outrage North Korea, which will come out with blasts of rhetoric, missile shots and possibly another nuclear test. The U.S. and South Korea should be on alert for some surprise that Kim may stage for maximum effect, the purpose of which will be to drive American and South Korean diplomats into a frenzy in which they plead for negotiations and offer a halt to everything. Goldberg should see through all such nonsense, sticking to a tough U.S. policy and calling Kim's bluff.Goldberg's job, though, will involve considerably more than standing fast with the South Koreans on policy toward North Korea. He will also face serious problems in trade between the U.S. and South Korea as he attempts to make sure the South Koreans abide by the terms of the agreement on the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement. And he will face the usual problems surrounding American bases and the conduct of America's 28,500 troops mixing and mingling in a society where a significant number of people resent their presence.Those are everyday problems that often don't make headlines while everyone worries about what Kim Jong-un is going to do next. As Goldberg manipulates among voices and forces with quite different views, we will get an idea of his skill as an ambassador.The U.S. over the years has had a wide range of ambassadors to Korea, some better than others. All of them had to get along with presidents who were sensitive to hints that the Americans were trying to push them around. In the interests of preserving the historic American alliance with South Korea, they have had to appear on the side of the South Korean government whether they wanted to or not.If the former ambassador, Harry Harris, was not especially suited to the role, Goldberg appears to have all the right qualifications and has arrived at a time when U.S.-Korean relations are on the upswing. With his years of diplomatic experience, he should be able to build on the relationship as the South enters another phase of its difficult relationship with the North. For Goldberg, the challenge is to encourage Yoon to stick to his guns while not appearing too eager or pushy about it.Donald kirk ( www.donaldkirk.com ) writes from Seoul as well as Washington.
By Andrew Hammond





World Population Day, which fell on July 11, has long been a moment to celebrate human progress, but came this year at a grim milestone with a massive 100 million people now internally displaced for the first time ever, post Russia's invasion of Ukraine.



Driven by violence, persecution and human rights abuses, the massive 100 million figure of people forced to flee their homes is around 1 person in every 78 across the world. That's larger than the population of many countries.



The data comes from a new report from the U.N.'s refugee agency, the UNHCR Global Trends Report. While the data has worsened each year for a decade, 2022 has set new records, not least with the Ukraine war which is one of the latest forced displacements in Europe since World War II.



More than 7 million Ukrainians have been displaced within the country, and more than 6 million refugees have fled Ukraine. This builds from existing tensions that escalated, driving further displacement in nations from Burkina Faso to Myanmar.



Taken overall, UNHCR says the latest forced displacement figure includes 26.6 million refugees, 50.9 million internally displaced people, 4.4 million asylum seekers, and 4.1 million Venezuelans displaced abroad



Ukraine aside, the report says more than two-thirds of the number of refugees displaced abroad came from just five countries: Syria (6.8 million), Venezuela (4.6 million), Afghanistan (2.7 million), South Sudan (2.4 million) and Myanmar (1.2 million). Turkey hosts the largest refugee population in 2021 with nearly 3.8 million people residing in the nation.



Going forward, it is possible that environmental-related crises will make this displacement calamity ever worse. This, in the context of the anticipated continued growth of the world's population  today around 7.7 billion  to potentially 10 billion in three decades, with more than half of this growth expected to be concentrated in only nine countries, mainly in the developing world.



Growing populations are driving the mega trend of urbanization through migration. In 1800, less than 3 percent of the population lived in cities, yet by the end of 2008, this had risen to more than 50 percent, and there were 26 mega-cities (cities of 10 million or more inhabitants).



That proportion is expected to increase from around 55 percent as of 2018 to 68 percent by 2050 which, combined with the overall growth of the world's population, could add another 2.5 billion people to urban areas by mid-century.



Today, Tokyo is the world's largest city, followed by giant settlements in emerging markets, including New Delhi, Shanghai, Mexico City and Sao Paulo. Cairo, Mumbai, Beijing and Dhaka. By 2030, the world is projected to have 43 of these mega cities.



Governments are increasingly preparing for the risks these massive urban areas pose. Key questions being addressed include whether it will be possible to continually meet the everyday needs of food, water and health, and also deal with the growing vulnerability of large urban areas to environmental stresses exacerbated by the effects of climate change.



There is already cause for significant concern, as shown by the intense heatwaves in much of the world in recent years. One reason such heat waves can be so devastating is that the public and authorities are often unprepared for dealing with such extreme weather conditions.



As mega-cities continue to proliferate and grow, demands will thus increase as supplies of food, water and resources for industries and infrastructure require energy for transportation. The associated increased carbon emissions are contributing to global warming.



The larger the urban area, the greater the damage that natural hazards can inflict; and increasingly it may be impossible to protect life and property even if there is a good warning system. As major hurricanes have shown, despite the known dangers from combined hazards such as winds and floods, there is now sometimes insufficient time to evacuate some cities safely.



So there is a pressing need for cities to develop emergency refuge areas, which in some cases may already exist. Emergency energy supplies for communities, which are essential for medical emergencies, need to improve in future too.



Because of the failures to deal with some recent hazards impacting mega-cities, governments are planning for multiple challenges and developing strategies for managing the range of environmental factors which could emerge.



This will better enable data showing how people experience both rapidly occurring hazards such as tornadoes, and slower, but still deadly, phenomena such as loss of crops from rising sea levels and salt penetration.



The good news here is that mega-cities have a global organization for information exchange and collaboration called C40 Cities.



The future agenda here includes enhanced inter-city cooperation on policies for dealing with environmental hazards and putting more pressure on national governments to assist, especially with finance and data, and strategic priorities.





Andrew Hammond (andrewkorea@outlook.com) is an associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics.








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New Delhi [India], July 14 (ANI/ATK): Pune-based boutique Software consulting firm Alphalogic Techsys on Tuesday reported a 64.5 per cent quarter-on-quarter rise in consolidated net profit at Rs 9.84 million in the June quarter compared with Rs 5.98 million in the March quarter.

Revenue for the quarter rose 19.93 per cent QoQ to Rs 41.70 million compared with Rs 34.77 in the previous quarter.

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Ebit margin for the quarter came in at 35.73 per cent compared with 35 per cent in the March quarter.

Ebidta margin stood at 36.38 per cent against 35.51 per cent in the previous quarter.

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"Our new ventures are showing results. Our Racking and Storage Solutions business has picked up pace and is expected to do well in the coming months. We have been actively taking measures to grow and improve the profitability of our businesses." said Anshu Goel, Managing Director of Alphalogic Techsys Limited.

Alphalogic Techsys had earlier announced setting up a grain-based ethanol manufacturing plant in Maharashtra for which the company has received Environment Clearance from the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC).

This story is provided by ATK. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/ATK)

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New Delhi, July 14: The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) for e-commerce exports of jewellery through courier mode, the Ministry of Finance said on Thursday.

The Board issued a simplified regulatory framework for e-commerce exports of jewellery on June 30.

The SOP details the handling, movement and procedural aspects for such exports, based on electronic declarations, through international courier terminals, the ministry said in a statement. Narendra Modi Government Makes Necessary Info on QR Code Compulsory on Packaging of Electronic Goods From July 15

The framework keeps in view the need for uniformity of action by Customs that brings certainty for the trade. It also addresses a unique requirement of the e-commerce Eco-system for re-import of rejects in certain cases to the prescribed extent.

In the Union Budget presented this year, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had proposed to come up with a simplified framework for e-commerce exports of jewellery.

Following this, the CBIC held wide-ranging consultations with stakeholders, such as industry associations, members of the trade, e-commerce operators, authorised couriers and the customs field formations, before finalizing the SOP.

A period of one month has been provided for transition. The first phase begins with exports through Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai locations, the ministry said. (ANI)

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British actor Tanya Reynolds, who played the alien-loving Lily for three seasons on the Netflix dramedy Sex Education, will not be part of the show's upcoming fourth season. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the decision, which sources say was made months ago, comes as part of a creative reset for the series following the closing of the show's Moordale High School at the end of season three. Love Is Blind Star Jeremy Hartwell Files Lawsuit Against Netflix and Producers, Says They Deprived Cast of Food, Water and Sleep.

"It's just the natural progression of these shows -- when you have such big ensemble casts and so many characters, I think you have to let a few older characters go to make way for newer ones, which is absolutely the right thing, the way it should happen," Reynolds told RadioTimes of her Sex Education departure. She now joins her on-screen love interest Patricia Allison, who played fellow fan-favorite Ola, as series regulars who will not return for the fourth series season from creator Laurie Nunn. Did You Recognize These Fantastic Voices in THE SEA BEAST?!  Latest Tweet by NetflixFilm.

Sources suggest season three will feature a mix of old and new faces as 'Sex Education' moves on from the shuttered Moordale High in favour of a new school. Filming for season four will begin this summer. As per The Hollywood Reporter, several primary cast members are expected to return, though Netflix declined to comment on those specific details.

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Chandigarh, Jul 14 (PTI) Two people were killed and 17 others injured after two sheds in a market in Haryana's Sonipat collapsed due to a storm and heavy rains on Thursday, police said.

The incident took place at the new vegetable market in Sonipat's Gohana. Heavy earthmoving machinery was pressed into service and several of those trapped under the sheds were rescued, they said.

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"Two vegetable sellers died and 17 people were injured after two sheds collapsed due to a storm and heavy rains," Station House Officer, Gohana City, Inspector Badan Singh said over the phone.

The condition of one of the injured was serious and he was referred to PGIMS in Rohtak. Four other injured were taken to a government hospital in Gohana and the rest were discharged after treatment at a local hospital, he said.

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Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of those who died in the accident.

In a tweet in Hindi, Khattar said the loss of lives and property in the "unfortunate incident" in Gohana is "very sad".

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Jamshedpur, Jul 14 (PTI) Eight people were arrested on Thursday in Jamshedpur in Jharkhand in connection with the violent protests over the Aginpath scheme, an officer said.

A team of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) arrested them from the Telco police station area, he said.

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They were involved in blocking the railway track in Jugsalai on June 17, the RPF officer said.

The arrests were made after the accused were identified from the CCTV footage. Over 200 youths have been booked in connection with the blockade, he said.

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The eight accused were later released on personal recognizance (PR) bonds.

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Patna, Jul 14 (PTI) The Patna High Court has struck down the conviction of all 13 accused in the first major hooch tragedy that struck Bihar after the state went dry six years ago.

A division bench comprising Justice Ashwani Kumar Singh and Justice Harish Kumar on Wednesday also quashed the sentences awarded by the trial court at Gopalganj which included death penalty to nine of the accused and life imprisonment for the remaining four.

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In the hooch tragedy that occurred in August, 2016, four months after the Nitish Kumar government banned sale and consumption of liquor in the state, 19 people had died in Khajrubani village of Gopalganj district.

Altogether 14 people had been named as accused out of whom one had died pending trial. An additional district and sessions court at Gopalganj had, vide orders dated February 26, 2021 and March 5, 2021, convicted all the remaining accused and awarded sentences.

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The court allowed the appeals filed by the accused against the lower court order, ordering their acquittal with the observation on a responsible scrutiny of evidence it can safely be concluded that the prosecution miserably failed to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt.

In the judgement that runs into 89 pages, the court also pointed out shortcomings like inordinate and unexplained delay in lodging of an FIR and failure of the prosecution to bring on record the post mortem of the persons who allegedly died due to consumption of liquor. The court also noted with dismay that others who had fallen critically ill after the same hooch incident were not presented before the lower court nor the doctors who treated them or the medical reports were examined during trial. It also expressed displeasure that no independent witness was examined on behalf of the prosecution and that though all witnesses examined on behalf of the prosecution are police personnel, they have contradicted each other. As a parting note, the court also referred to a considerable number of judgements of trial court subjecting the accused persons to maximum sentences including death sentences which have ended in clean acquittal on reference and appeal. What surprises this court is the weird process of casual reasoning implied by the trial judges in appreciating the evidence. It appears that the judgements of the trial court are more because of personal feelings rather than being.. based on facts, the court said.

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New Delhi [India], July 14 (ANI): Taking a dig at the Centre, Aam Admi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on Thursday said it is good to know that the Government of India knows "adjectives that accurately describe its performance".

He said that the Government of India is fearful of the truth and that words like 'jumlajeevi' became unparliamentary while 'andolanjeevi' remains there.

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While talking to ANI, he said, "It's heartening that Govt of India knows adjectives that accurately describe their performance while it's extremely disappointing that a gag order has been issued on parliamentarians & all those words that Opposition used to criticize the government."

"This revised list of unparliamentary words is itself unparliamentary. This shows GoI is fearful of the truth. Words like 'jumlajeevi' became unparliamentary while 'andolanjeevi' remains there," he added.

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Earlier on Thursday, amid the row over the questioning of the Lok Sabha secretariat by the Opposition over words listed as "unparliamentary", top sources in the Lower House said that such removal of words has been taking place since 1954 under various political dispensations.

Earlier, several senior members of Parliament had criticized the report of the Lok Sabha Secretariat which had released a list of words that have been designated as "unparliamentary"."Any word spoken which is against the ethos of Parliament or disrespectful in nature and can compromise the dignity of the house. The discretion lies with the chair to expunge them," sources had said.

"Such compilation has been made since 1954 under various political dispensations. From time to time this has been brought out under various political dispensations," sources had added.

The Lok Sabha Secretariat gave some examples of certain words that had been expunged earlier.

"The word 'dishonest' was first expunged in a Rajya Sabha debate on August 17, 2011. Similarly, the word 'dishonesty' was first expunged in the Lok Sabha debate on March 3, 2011," sources had said.

As part of a Parliament record, the word 'Shame' was expunged on March 21, 2012.The word 'cheating' was taken off the Parliament records as unparliamentary in the Rajya Sabha debate on March 20, 2012.

"The chair had expunged the words 'Chori' and 'loot' first time in the Lok Sabha debate on March 13, 2012 and 'jhooth' on April 27, 2012," sources had said.

The words 'corrupt' and 'corrupt man' were expunged from the Parliament records on November 17, 1966, in a Lok Sabha debate.

"Ayogya - incompetent- first expunged on November 17, 1966, from Parliament records of a Lok Sabha debate," sources had said.

Similarly, plenty of such removals have taken place over the years.

Referring to the reaction of the Opposition, the government sources had said this is a result of their "bankrupt politics" as the list is not a new suggestion, but merely a compilation of words already expunged in Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, or state legislatures. It also contains a list of words considered unparliamentary in parliaments of Commonwealth countries.

"It is abused was considered unparliamentary in Australia's House of Representatives. Childishness was considered unparliamentary in Quebec's National Assembly. Lollipops in the budget were expunged from Punjab Assembly. You have reached where telling a lie was expunged from Punjab Assembly," said the sources.

The list comes just ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament that begins on July 18.Usage of many words - such as 'corruption', 'corrupt', 'Jumlajeevi', 'tanashah', 'Dictator', 'black', and 'Khalistani' are among those that have been banned.

Senior members of Parliament including Jairam Ramesh Derek O'Brien and Randeep Surjewala Priyanka Chaturvedi had questioned the intent behind such a notification.

Derek O'Brien in a tweet had said: "Session begins in a few days. Gag order issued on MPs. Now, we will not be allowed to use these basic words while delivering a speech in Parliament: Ashamed. Abused. Betrayed. Corrupt. Hypocrisy. Incompetent. I will use all these words. Suspend me. Fighting for democracy." (ANI)

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New Delhi [India], July 14 (ANI): As many as fourteen Chinese nationals were detained from Sector 49 police station area in Delhi on Wednesday for allegedly staying in the country illegally since 2020.

The police said, the detained Chinese nationals' business visas had expired in 2020 and they had applied for a visa extension which was recently rejected.

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According to the police, among the arrested Chinese nationals, there were 13 males and one female. They have been taken to the detention centre.

The detained Chinese citizens were reportedly working for a private mobile company in the Phase 2 area of Noida.

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According to Police Commissionerate Gautam Budh Nagar, taking prompt action on the available information, as per the orders of higher officials, LIU Gautam Budh Nagar took all Chinese citizens into custody with the help of local police and sent them to Detention Centre in Delhi.

They have been sent to Detention Center for the deportation process and related investigation.

Last year, Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested two Chinese nationals from Gautam Buddh Nagar in connection with a money laundering case, said an official statement on Sunday. Both foreign nationals identified as Xu Xunfu aka July and Li Teng Li aka Alice were arrested on a red corner notice which was issued by the UP Police earlier. (ANI)

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New Delhi, Jul 14 (PTI) The Delhi University on Thursday suspended an associate professor of College of Vocational Studies for allegedly "sexually harassing" several female teachers, sources said.

The decision came after the governing body of the college recommended his suspension in a meeting on Wednesday.

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The suspension of Manmohan Bhasin was approved by DU Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh, sources privy to the matter said.

However, Bhasin said he has not received any such suspension letter. "I have not received any suspension letter as of now, so I have nothing to comment about it," Bhasin said when PTI contacted him.

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An associate professor at College of Vocational Studies (CVS) said that there have been multiple cases of sexual harassment against Bhasin.

The governing body constituted an internal complaints committee after three female teachers -- one from Ramjas College and two of CVS -- had filed sexual harassment cases against him, said the professor who did not wish to be named.

"He started interfering with the investigation of the cases and was also abusing and misbehaving with the teaching and non-teaching staff. That is why the governing body decided to suspend him," the professor said.

On June 25, the governing body of the CVS censured Bhasin and debarred him from holding any administrative position in the college till further order.

"His (Bhasin's) explanation has been found dissatisfactory, the misconduct committed by him stands established. As resolved by the Governing Body of the college, the minor penalty of censure is hereby imposed on Manmohan Singh Bhasin. You are also debarred from holding any administrative position in the college till further order," a notice by the college read.

"Manmohan Singh Bhasin is further advised to desist himself from such activities in future and observe Code of Professional Ethics of Teachers in his conduct," it added.

In March, the National Commission for Women (NCW) wrote to Vice-Chancellor Singh regarding a complaint lodged by a teacher of CVS, accusing two of her colleagues of intimidation, harassment and abuse. The NCW had asked the V-C to send an action taken report at the earliest.

(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 14 (PTI) The SC/ST Welfare Committee of the Delhi Legislative Assembly has asked the education department to get FIRs registered against private schools refusing to admit EWS students.

Chairman of the committee, Vishesh Ravi said on the direction of the panel, the education department had issued show cause notices to private schools refusing to admit economically weaker section (EWS) students.

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Even after the notices, some private schools have not admitted EWS students and not given stationery to them. Therefore, the committee has asked the education department to register FIRs on receipt of complaints against such private schools (sic), a statement quoted Ravi as saying.

The show cause notices were issued to GD Salwan School, Salwan School, SD Public School, Ramjas Public School, JD Tytler School and other private schools on the instructions of the committee.

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These schools refused to admit students under the EWS quota and have also not provided free stationery, books and uniforms to theses students according to the rules, the statement added.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Varanasi (UP), Jul 14 (PTI) The Hindu side on Thursday argued in a district court here that the Gyanvapi mosque complex is not the property of the Waqf Board and the case over it should be heard in its entirety.

District Government Advocate Rana Sanjeev Singh said the Hindu side asserted that as per the religious belief, once an idol is established at some place, then that place is worshipped too.

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The Hindu plaintiff had earlier claimed that a Shivling was found in the "wazookhana" (tank for ablution) of the Gyanvapi mosque during a court-mandated survey in May, a claim rejected by the Muslim side.

Singh said advocates for the Hindu plaintiff said the Muslim side has not presented any evidence stating that the Gyanvapi complex is the property of the Waqf Board. Since the Gyanvapi complex is not the property of the board, the case deserves to be heard in its entirety, they argued.

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The Hindu side will continue with its arguments on Friday.

The Hindu side on Wednesday had asserted that the Places of Worship Act, 1991 does not apply in the case and community members should be allowed to offer prayers there.

Earlier, five women had filed a petition seeking permission for daily worship of Hindu deities whose idols are located on an outer wall of the mosque but the Muslim side had urged the court to dismiss the case.

A lower court later ordered a videography survey of the complex. The survey work was completed on May 16 and the report was presented in the court on May 19.

The Hindu side had claimed in the court that a Shivling was found during the videography survey of the Gyanvapi mosque-Shringar Gauri complex.

On the Supreme Court's order, the matter is now being heard by the district court from May 23.

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Agra, Jul 14 (PTI) A head constable was booked here after a gangster escaped from his custody from a court premises, police said on Thursday.

According to them, the gangster escaped because of the "carelessness" of Head Constable Anuj Pratap Singh on Wednesday. It is suspected that the head constable framed a fake story of an attack on him after the incident.

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Gangster Vinay Shrotiya is still absconding and they have arrested one of his associates, Sonu Kushwaha, police said.

Talking to reporters, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Prabhakar Chaudhary said, "We have formed teams to nab the absconding gangster. One of his associates has been arrested by the Agra police and further investigation is on in this regard."

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He said the gangster escaped because of the "carelessness" of the head constable.

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Chandrapur, Jul 14 (PTI) Over 900 people were evacuated safely from houses that were inundated with water from Irai dam in Maharashtra's Chandrapur district on Thursday, an official said.

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Disaster management personnel conducted rescue operations at Ballarpur, Arwat, Korpana among other places in the district, he said.

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The water level has increased in all reservoirs, including Irai dam, due to incessant rainfall in the district since last week. Officials have opened seven gates of the dam by a metre, the official said.

The discharge of water from Irai dam caused flooding in Rehmat Nagar, Datala, Haveli Complex, Sister Colony, Bangarwada, and low-lying areas of the city under the Chandrapur Municipal Corporation, he said.

At least 994 people were moved to safety from inundated houses in these areas, he said.

The civic authorities have shifted people to schools in the city and food, water and mobile toilets have been made available, the official said.

The district disaster management team rescued 22 truck drivers who got stuck near Bohegaon in Korpana tehsil in the district.

Bohegaon bridge on Wardha river got flooded and the road was cut off for motorists. However, some truck drivers got stuck near the bridge, an official said.

The team reached the spot in boats on Wednesday night and rescued the stranded drivers, he said.

Meanwhile, a man walked 3 km in flood waters with his ailing son on his shoulders in Gondpipri tehsil of the district, tehsildar K D Meshram said.

Shyamrao Ginghare, a resident of Podse village located on the banks of Wardha river, walked in the flood water with his four-year-old son Karthik on his shoulders.

"Due to incessant rainfall and back flow from Wardha river, the road was blocked to the villages. Fortunately, the water level was below risk when Shyamrao took his son to Wedgaon village to consult a doctor," he said.

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New Delhi [India], July 14 (ANI): Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said that the leaders of Opposition parties will meet on July 17 to discuss the candidate for the upcoming Vice Presidential election.

"Meeting on 17th July and all Opposition leaders will attend it. Parliamentary Affairs Minister has also called an all-party meet. So, we'll hold a discussion with everyone on the 17th that what kind of a candidate we should have," said Mallikarjun Kharge on the candidate for the Vice Presidential polls.

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The Central Government has called for an all-party meeting on Sunday morning ahead of the start of the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

According to him, the Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi has given a go-ahead for a joint Opposition candidate.

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"There is no candidate from Congress. Our party president has clearly said that whoever is chosen as the candidate by all parties (of Opposition), we will stand with it," added Kharge.

Yashwant Sinha is the candidate of the Opposition parties for the presidential election. Congress has given the task to Malikarjun Kharge who is the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha to reach out to opposition parties to select a candidate for the election for the Vice President post.

Nominations for the vice-presidential polls slated to be held on August 6, began on Tuesday.

The Election Commission made an announcement of the elections for the 16th vice president of India to take place on August 6, 2022.

The ECI has also issued directions for Lok Sabha Secretary General Utpal Kumar Singh to be the Returning Officer for the polls.

The nomination papers for the above election can be submitted starting today up to July 19, 2022. The scrutiny for the nominations will take place on July 20 and the final list will be published on July 22.

As in the case of the election to the President of India, the eligible candidates will need to submit a few documents including a certified copy of the electoral roll with the name mentioned on it and an amount of Rs 15,000 at the time of submitting the nomination papers which shall be returned after the election process is over in case they reachable candidate does not make it to the final list.

In case of the election of the Vice President of India, voting will happen in the Parliament and members of the Rajya Sabha will participate in this election as the vice president is also the de facto chairman of the upper house.

The poll for the upcoming vice president's election is slated to take place between 10 AM and 5 PM on August 6, 2022, and the results are expected to be out on the same day.

In 2017 the NDA had nominated Venkaiah Naidu as its candidate for the vice-presidential election and he went on to become India's 15th vice president. His term ends on August 10, 2022.

Meanwhile, National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) presidential candidate Droupadi and joint opposition nominee Yashwant Sinha are the only two contesting candidates for election to the Office of the President after the last date for the withdrawal of candidature ended on Saturday.

The Returning Officer for the presidential polls Rajya Sabha Secretary General PC Mody said the polling for the Presidential election will take place on July 18 from 10 am to 5 pm in Room Number 63 of the Parliament House.

The Members of Parliament normally exercise their vote in Parliament House, New Delhi, and Members of State Legislative Assemblies including the Members of the Legislative Assemblies of the NCT of Delhi and the Union Territory of Puducherry in their respective Capitals at the places notified by the Election Commission in this behalf.

However, a Member of Parliament may vote in any State Capital and Union Territory Capital if he/she has obtained the prior permission of the Election Commission. Similarly, a Member of any State Legislative Assembly who has obtained the prior permission of the Election Commission, may, vote in Parliament House, New Delhi or at any State capital other than his/her own State. (ANI)

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New Delhi, Jul 14 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will join US President Joe Biden, Israeli PM Yair Lapid and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the first virtual summit of the four-nation grouping 'I2U2' on Thursday.

The leaders are expected to discuss joint economic projects to bolster economic cooperation under the framework of the coalition.

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The grouping is known as 'I2U2' with "I" standing for India and Israel and "U" for the US and the UAE.

The global food and energy crisis arising out of the Ukraine conflict is likely to figure prominently in the talks.

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The virtual summit is likely to begin around 4 pm.

"The leaders will discuss the possible joint projects within the framework of 'I2U2' as well as the other common areas of mutual interest to strengthen the economic partnership in trade and investment in our respective regions and beyond," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday.

The I2U2 grouping was conceptualised during the meeting of the foreign ministers of the four countries held on October 18 last year.

India's bilateral strategic ties with each of the three countries are on an upswing in the last few years.

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Mumbai, Jul 14 (PTI) Shiv Sena MLAs and MPs loyal to former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray will not attend a meeting to be held in Mumbai on Thursday for the presidential poll campaign of National Democratic Alliance nominee Droupadi Murmu.

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"We are not going for the meeting. There is no message yet whether Murmu will visit Uddhavji at 'Matoshree'," Sena's Sindhudurg MP Vinayak Raut told PTI.

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'Matoshree' is the private residence of Thackeray in Bandra area of Mumbai.

Thackeray on Tuesday announced his party's support for Murmu in the July 18 presidential election.

He had said the Sena was announcing support for Murmu without any pressure, while acknowledging that this is the first occasion wherein a tribal woman is getting the opportunity to become the country's president.

The Shiv Sena has 19 members in the Lok Sabha and three in the Rajya Sabha.

It has 55 MLAs in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly, whose current strength is 287 due to the death of a legislator. Out of the 55 Sena MLAs, 15 are with Thackeray, while the others have joined the faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Last month, a rebellion led by Shinde against the party leadership led to the collapse of the Thackeray-led tripartite government comprising the Sena, NCP and Congress.

Murmu had earlier served as the governor of Jharkhand.

The Opposition has fielded former Union minister Yashwant Sinha against Murmu in the presidential election.

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Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], July 14 (ANI): Emphasising on preventive measures to address the huge burden of genetic diseases, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday said providing quality and affordable healthcare is a shared responsibility of the public and private sector.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Blood Transfusion Unit and Advanced Diagnostic Laboratory at the Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Society in Hyderabad, the Vice President urged the private sector and NGOs to complement the government's efforts in combating genetic diseases.

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Naidu highlighted the importance of preventive measures to address the huge burden of genetic diseases like thalassemia and sickle cell anaemia in the country. He wanted the states to undertake mass screening of the children for early identification and management of genetic disorders.

Recognising that the available treatment options for these genetic conditions -- bone marrow transplantation or regular blood transfusion - are cost-intensive and distressing to the child, Naidu called for a comprehensive approach to address the health challenge of Thalassemia and sickle cell anaemia.

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Mentioning that around 10-15,000 babies are born every year with Thalassemia in India, the Vice President said that lack of awareness of these genetic diseases is a major impediment in their prevention and early diagnosis. Therefore, he urged all stakeholders - doctors, teachers, public figures, community leaders and media - to spread awareness on Thalassemia and sickle cell disease.

Naidu asked the private sector to set up more diagnosis and treatment facilities, especially in tier two and three cities and rural areas to make healthcare accessible to all.

Describing gene disorders as a major health concern in the country, the Vice President said that they impose a heavy economic and emotional burden on the affected families. Statistics show that the prevalence of beta- Thalassemia is in the range of 2.9 to 4.6 per cent in India whereas sickle cell anaemia is more prevalent among lower socio-economic sections of society, ranging from 5 to 40 per cent among the tribal populations.

He said that early detection of genetic disorders will help in counselling the patients, thus avoiding the marriage of two individuals who are silent carriers of defective genes which may lead to serious genetic abnormalities in their children.

Noting that children affected with Thalassemia need regular blood transfusions throughout their life, Naidu exhorted the youth to come forward and donate blood for the needy. He also appreciated the Union Health Ministry for coming up with detailed guidelines for prevention and management of Thalassemia, Sickle cell anaemia and other variant anaemia.

Observing that the country has seen considerable improvement in various health indices since independence, the Vice President said that still there are challenges in ensuring quality and affordable healthcare for all.

Stressing the need to address the shortage of trained human resources in healthcare on war footing, he suggested making rural service mandatory for young doctors before getting admission to PG courses. "Scaling up e-Health initiatives in rural areas using digital tools is another cost-effective method for making healthcare accessible to all," he added.

Referring to the problem of high out-of-pocket expenditure on health, Naidu said that it adversely affects the low-income households that face the risk of being pushed into poverty.

Highlighting that quality and affordable healthcare is an important aspect of governance, Naidu said that it should be accorded top priority by the Center, states and local bodies. He praised the Government's flagship scheme 'Ayushman Bharat' for helping many poor families and stressed that providing quality and affordable healthcare is a shared responsibility of the public and private sector.

Stating that 'share and care' is the core of Indian philosophy, he wanted everyone to inculcate the values of service-mindedness and concern for others, particularly for weaker sections. "Serving the poor is serving God," he stressed. (ANI)

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New Delhi [India], July 14 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Uttar Pradesh government to file a reply on a plea filed by Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan relating to the land of Mohammad Ali Jauhar University.

Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the respondent, sought one week's time to file a response.

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A bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar and JB Pardiwala listed the matter for July 22 for further hearing.

Kapil Sibal, senior counsel appearing for the petitioner Azam Khan submitted that liberty is given to initiate contempt action.

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The petitioner is free to do so, the court said.

Azam Khan's counsel told the court that concerned authorities have put barbed wire and cordoned off the university.

The Supreme Court earlier stayed the condition imposed by the Allahabad High Court directions to the District Magistrate to hold a measurement of Mohammad Ali Jauhar University as part of the condition of bail granted to Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan.

Azam Khan has moved a plea against the impending threat of demolition of Mohammad Ali Jauhar University as part of the condition of his bail. The court stayed the conditions till further orders.

Azam Khan has apprehended that conditions imposed by the Allahabad High Court may lead to demolishing of buildings of Jauhar University.

The top court had said that Allahabad High Court while imposing conditions for grant of bail has exceeded the settled parameters laid down in certain sections of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

The top court had also said that prima facie conditions imposed for the grant of bail are disproportionate and have no reasonable link to the means to secure the presence of the accused.

On May 10, the Allahabad High Court granted bail to Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan in a case related to wrongful possession of the land. The case is about wrongful possession of Waqf Board property.

The Allahabad High Court had imposed various conditions including directions to the District Magistrate, Rampur being a representative of Custodian/Administrator of Evacuee/Enemy Property, to hold a measurement of the landed property in dispute which is the centre dispute of this issue admeasuring area of 13.842 hectares village Singhan Khera, Pargana and Tehsil-Sadar, District Rampur and thereafter, raise a boundary wall and barbed wire around it to take the actual physical possession of the property in dispute on behalf of the administrator of evacuee property Mumbai latest by June 30, 2022.

Khan, who walked out of jail a few days ago, had been lodged in Sitapur jail since February 2020 as many cases are registered against him. (ANI)

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Patna (Bihar) [India], July 14 (ANI): Special teams have been constituted to probe the potential terror module busted by Bihar Police, Bihar Additional Director General (Headquarters) JS Gangwar said on Thursday.

"A case was registered in Patna. Two people have been arrested and their interrogation is underway. Various teams of police is interrogating with them. Various items were recovered from their possession like poster banners, PFI documents, mobile phones etc. which are being looked into. Since the case has been registered, the arrest has been made, things will come to the fore during the interrogation. The arrest of other people may also be possible," Gangwar told ANI.

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"We will take action based on the evidences. We'll work on all the dimensions as per our probe. We are coordinating with the Patna Police," he added.

Gangwar said that items including Popular Front of India documents were recovered from the arrested persons.

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When asked about the possible targets of the arrested persons, the official said that anything about their future plans could be said only after the investigation into the matter is done.

"I do not have any information about any targets. It would be early to say anything about their future plans. Investigation is underway. A special team has been constituted," he said.

The official, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the state and Patna on July 12, said that the intentions of the arrested persons on the PM's visit could be cleared after the interrogation.

"I do not have any such information as of now. It will only be possible to say anything once the interrogation is done about their connections, intentions and future plans," he said.

"The two people who have been arrested will be investigated thoroughly. Case has been registered under the sections of being involved in anti-India activities, trying to spread hatred among communities and conspiracy," the police official added.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP)(Bihar), Manish Kumar told ANI that an FIR has been lodged against a total of 26 people of which 3 people have been arrested.

"We keep an eye on such institutions on routine work. Because the Prime Minister was coming, we were alert and in the meantime we came to know about these people's office and we started investigating it closely. FIR has been lodged against a total of 26 people of which 3 people have been arrested,"ASP Manish Kumar said.

Police on Wednesday busted a potential terror module with some links to extremist outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) and arrested two accused. The two include a retired police officer of Jharkhand, Mohammad Jallauddin and a former member of Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) who is also a current member of PFI and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), Athar Parvez.

Earlier, Kumar had said an excerpt from an eight-page-long document recovered from the accused titled 'India vision 2047' talks about "subjugating coward majority community and bringing back the glory".

Kumar had added that Parvez's younger brother went to jail in 2001-02 bomb blasts in the state after SIMI was banned. The police official said that Parvez also raised funds in lakhs. He said locals were taught to use swords and knives in name of martial arts and the accused instigated others toward religious violence.

"On July 6-7, in name of martial arts, locals were taught to use swords and knives. They instigated others toward religious violence. We have CCTV footage as well as witness accounts. Parvez also raised funds in lakhs, ED is being involved for the same," said Kumar. (ANI)

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Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 14 (PTI) A person who returned from abroad has been admitted to a hospital in Kerala after he showed symptoms of monkeypox, state Health Minister Veena George said here on Thursday.

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The minister said his samples have been collected and sent to the National Institute of Virology for testing.

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She said the disease could be confirmed only after getting the test results.

Without revealing more details, George said the person showed symptoms of monkeypox and he was in close contact with a monkeypox patient abroad.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals) with symptoms similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients, although it is clinically less severe.

With the eradication of smallpox in 1980 and subsequent cessation of smallpox vaccination, monkeypox has emerged as the most important orthopoxvirus for public health.

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Thane, Jul 14 (PTI) A total of 190 new cases of coronavirus have been detected in Maharashtra's Thane district, taking its tally of infections to 7,31,937, a health official said on Thursday.

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With the addition of the latest cases on Wednesday, the district currently has 1,680 active COVID-19 cases, he said.

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One death due to COVID-19 was also reported on Wednesday, raising the toll in the district to 11,917, he said.

The recovery count in Thane has reached 7,18,150, the official added.

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New Delhi, Jul 14: Traffic signals in Delhi will soon have electronic signages indicating speed limits along with timer displays for smooth and effective traffic management as Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Thursday directed officials to install these devices at all traffic intersections across the city.

He also asked Delhi Police officials to ensure least manual interventions for enforcement and challans in the national capital.Tamil Nadu: MK Stalin Government Orders Closure of Four Hospitals After Minor Girl Forced To Sell Oocytes.

According to an official statement, Saxena issued these directions during a meeting to review traffic management in the city wherein he also directed officials for strict enforcement of lane discipline by heavy motor vehicles (HMVs).

The meeting was attended by Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana along with other senior police officers.Telangana Floods: Bhadrachalam Cut-Off As Bridge on Flooded Godavari Closed; 6000 People Evacuated.

"The L-G asked for all traffic signals in the city to have timer displays and instructed that the number of electronic signages indicating speed limits be increased and installed across the city. He also stressed on strict enforcement of lane discipline especially by HMVs which should, in all circumstances, stick to the outermost left lane," a statement from the Raj Niwas -- L-G's secretariat -- said on Thursday.

It said lane enforcement exercise was all the more relevant and important on the highways where trucks were allowed during late nights and early mornings.

"In relation to this, the police was also asked to address the issue of crowding by auto and e-rickshaws at bus stops," the statement said.

Taking stock of the Intelligent Traffic Management Systems (ITMS) being rolled out by the Delhi Police, Saxena asked for the same to be completed in time with the G-20 summit scheduled next year in the city.

With regards to the issues of road engineering proposals pending with various road owning agencies in the city, including PWD, MCD and NDMC, among others, the L-G assured of intervention to get the issues resolved at the earliest.

In the meeting, he also underlined the importance of seamless traffic flow in the city with least manual interventions for enforcement and challans.

He stressed that minimal manual interventions for enforcement will not only ensure less hassles to commuters and prevent corruption, but also mitigate the problem of traffic pile-up at sites where commuters are "stopped indiscriminately" for inspection and issuing challans.

The statement said the L-G also directed that the deployment of personnel at traffic points should be made available in public domain for commuters and citizens to know as to which particular traffic personnel is deployed at a particular point on a day.

"It was suggested that the information in this regard, listing the names and contact numbers of traffic personnel deployed, could be posted on the traffic portal of Delhi Police.

The L-G also underlined the importance of similarly posting such details of the beat staff on duty for easy access of the people of the city," the statement added.

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New Delhi, Jul 14 (PTI) PNB MetLife India Insurance Company Limited (PNB MetLife) on Thursday announced a bonus of Rs 594 crore for all eligible policyholders of participating products for fiscal year ended March 2022.

A policyholder bonus is the share of profits generated by the company's participating fund, which is paid to customers at specific benefit events.

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The insurer said it has been consistently declaring bonuses on participating products every year, and the bonus amount for FY22 is 12 per cent higher than that of FY21.

This bonus sum will benefit 4.95 lakh customers whose policies were in force as of 31st March 2022, PNB MetLife said in a release.

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"This is the highest bonus that we have ever given out since our inception. Though the pandemic outbreak led to market volatility, we at PNB MetLife have been able to deliver consistent returns to our policyholders as a result of our prudent management practices," Ashish Kumar Srivastava, MD & CEO, PNB MetLife, said.

PNB MetLife said its strong fund management capabilities coupled with robust risk management practices have enabled the company to reward policyholders with consistent bonus pay-outs.

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Kabul [Afghanistan], July 14 (ANI): As many as 39 people have died in incidents of flash flooding in the past week with new districts in the east, south, south-east, and central regions of Afghanistan impacted by heavy rains.

"Since 5 July, flash floods have reportedly killed 39 people across five provinces - Uruzgan (20), Ghazni (6), Nuristan (7), Paktya (3) and Zabul (3). Nine of those killed were children, including six in Ghazni and three in Paktya provinces," the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a flood update.

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The heavy rains have damaged or destroyed around 2,900 houses, a tenfold increase since the last reporting period, and also disrupted livelihoods. Critical civilian infrastructure such as roads and bridges have also been impacted.

With the rains, land has slipped resulting in unexploded ordnance being transported into several villages of Paktya. This risk will increase as heavy rains continue.

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Families assessed to date report needing emergency shelter, non-food items, food and water, sanitation, and hygiene support.

In the eastern region, heavy rain caused new flash flooding in four districts and affected close to 500 families - 213 families in Nangarhar, 200 families in Laghman, 26 families in Kunar, and 14 families in Nuristan. This is the third time that the eastern region has experienced flash flooding in less than a month.

Three new provinces in the Southern Region - Kandahar, Uruzgan and Zabul - have been affected by heavy rains. Initial reports from partners and the ANDMA office indicate that some 600 households are affected in Uruzgan and Zabul, including damaged agricultural lands and livestock.

There are unconfirmed reports of 23 deaths - three people reportedly killed in Zabul from a house that collapsed and 20 people reportedly killed in Uruzgan in a bus that was overturned.

Multiple localized assessments and relief operations are ongoing. OCHA said that it continues to coordinate the emergency response on behalf of humanitarian partners in all four regions affected - central, eastern, southern, and south-eastern regions. (ANI)

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Islamabad/Karachi, Jul 14 (PTI) The body of a Pakistan Army officer, who was abducted earlier this week by militants, was found on Thursday on a highway in the restive province of Balochistan, officials said.

The outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army, which was designated a terrorist group by the United States in 2019, has claimed responsibility for the killing of Col. Laeeq Baig Mirza.

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Mirza was travelling with his family from the town of Ziarat, 100 kilometres northeast of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, when assailants seized them on Tuesday.

The assailants did not harm Mirza's family members.

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The family had travelled to Ziarat from Karachi on the eve of the Eid al-Adha holidays, officials said.

Balochistan Chief Minister Quddus Bizenjo asserted the perpetrators would be put behind bars and Mirza's family would get justice.

The Chief Minister said security forces have launched an operation to find those behind the killing.

We can debate issues within the assembly not through the barrel of the gun, he added.

According to a statement by the Pakistan Army, a group of 10-12 terrorists were involved in kidnapping of Lieutenant Colonel Mirza who was serving in Defence Housing Authority in Quetta.

The Army's Quick Reaction Forces were immediately dispatched to chase the militants who traced them moving to their hideouts in the Mangi Dam area, prompting the forces to launch an operation with the help of army commandoes backed helicopters.

The forces spotted 6-8 terrorists on Wednesday night in the nearby mountains, who while sensing their possible encirclement, shot Lieutenant Colonel Laiq Baig Mirza Shaheed and attempted to flee.

In the ensuing exchange of fire, two militants were killed while a cache explosives and ammunition was recovered.

However, in the process, the remaining terrorists along with the cousin of the late army officer were able to flee, said the army.

Over the past decade, Balochistan has witnessed an uptick in insurgency, especially through the Balochistan Liberation Army and other separatist groups demanding independence from the country.

On June 2013, the historical Quaid-e-Azam Residency, which housed the founder of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, in his last two months, was attacked and burnt down by the Balochistan Liberation Army militants.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Los Angeles (US), Jul 14 (AP) A California appeals court on Wednesday ordered the unsealing of some documents in the criminal case against renowned director Roman Polanski, who has been a fugitive since pleading guilty to having sex with a 13-year-old girl decades ago, a California prosecutor announced.

The court ordered the unsealing of the conditional deposition transcript of Roger Gunson, who was the original prosecutor in the Los Angeles County case, the county district attorney's office said.

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There was no immediate word, however, on when the documents would be made public.

A call seeking comment from Polanski's agent in Los Angeles, Jeff Berg, wasn't picked up on Wednesday night.

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But Harland Braun, Polanski's attorney, told the Los Angeles Times that his client was ecstatic" over the order by the 2nd District Court of Appeal.

Polanski, 88, who won a best director Oscar for The Pianist in 2003, remains a fugitive after pleading guilty in 1977 to unlawful sex with a minor and fleeing the US for France on the eve of sentencing the following year.

France, Switzerland and Poland rejected bids to extradite him back to the US and he continues to be feted in Europe, winning praise and working with major actors.

However, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences expelled him from its membership in 2018.

At Polanski's trial, the victim testified that during a photo shoot at Jack Nicholson's house in March 1977 when the actor wasn't home, Polanski gave her champagne and part of a sedative, then forced her to have sex despite her objections.

The girl said she didn't fight him because she was afraid of him but her mother later called police.

But in a 2010 interview with CNN, the victim, Samantha Geimer said she thought the judge in Polanski's case had been dishonest with him.

In 2017, Geimer appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom to ask a judge to end the case, calling it a 40-year-sentence imposed on both her and the director. The request was denied.

Polanski has long argued that there was judicial misconduct in his case. In 2010, a Los Angeles court took sealed testimony from Gunson about his recollections of promises made to the director by the judge in 1977.

Polanski has argued that the Gunson transcript would show that the LA County Superior Court judge, Laurence Rittenband, had intended that after he pleaded guilty, Polanski would serve only a 90-day evaluation in state prison.

The director was released after just 42 days but the judge later tacked on another 48 days and Polanski fled.

Polanski's lawyers had long sought the unsealing of that testimony, believing the transcript might help their case.

Braun told the Times that after he gets the transcript, he'll ask to have Polanski sentenced to time served, which might permit him to return to the US without fear of arrest.

Geimer, who has pressed for investigation of alleged judicial misconduct, also had asked that the transcript be unsealed and in a letter last month, she urged the DA's office to take a fresh look at the case.

The office had objected to releasing the material for years but rescinded its objection earlier this week, saying it was heeding Geimer's wishes.

Finally, after decades of waiting, the victim had her request granted and her voice heard," the DA's office said in its statement on Wednesday.

We are pleased the appellate court agreed with both the victim and our office about the need for transparency, District Attorney George Gascon said in the statement.

We hope it gives her a small measure of assurance that eventually, she can have some measure of closure in this decades-long litigation.

According to the DA's office statement, Geimer was notified of the decision and was grateful, stating, It's never too late to do the right thing. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], July 14 (ANI): Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama on Thursday embarked on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, marking his first official tour outside his base in Dharamshala since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This visit is also taking place just three days before the 16th round of Corps Commander-level meetings between India and China, which according to sources is expected to start on July 17.

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During his tour, the Dalai Lama is expected to visit the famous Thiksay monastery in Leh.

The Tibetan spiritual leader's trip is likley to irk China as Beijing had recently criticized Prime Minister Modi, for extending wishes to the Dalai Lama who recently celebrated his 87th birthday, stating that India should stop using Tibet-related issues to interfere in China's internal affairs.

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The External Affairs Ministry had slammed China's criticism and said that it has been a consistent policy of the government to treat the Dalai Lama as a guest in India.

"His Holiness is accorded all due courtesies and freedom to conduct his religious and spiritual activities in India. His Holiness' birthday is celebrated by many of his followers in India and abroad. The birthday greetings by the Prime Minister to his Holiness on his 87th birthday should be seen in this overall context," Bagchi said.

Beijing has always had an issue with Dalai Lama since he took shelter in India. In the 1950s, when China illegally occupied Tibet, the Tibetan Spiritual leader had to take shelter in India. The Dalai Lama tried to advocate for a mid-way negotiation with China to peacefully resolve the issue of Tibet.

Meanwhile, India and China have been engaged in a standoff since April-May 2020 over the transgressions by the Chinese Army in multiple areas including the Finger area, Galwan Valley, Hot springs, and Kongrung Nala. The situation worsened after violent clashes with Chinese troops in Galwan Valley in June 2020. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Zagreb [Croatia], July 14 (ANI/Xinhua): Fire broke out in three Croatian areas, one in Zadar County and two in Sibenik-Knin County, on Wednesday and about 20 houses were burned down in Sibenik-Knin County where the fire was the worst but with no casualties.

"Approximately 20 houses have been burned down," Darko Dukic, commander of the Fire Brigade of Sibenik-Knin County, told the national television RTL.

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Many locals have evacuated and 150 firefighters are putting out the fire on the scene and three Canadairs are providing aerial support, Dukic said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense announced Wednesday that it is sending 52 soldiers to Sibenik-Knin County to help put out the fire.

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Although the fire in Zadar County is not as serious, the strong winds have made it very difficult to put out the fire, local media said. (ANI/Xinhua)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Kyiv, Jul 14 (AP) Russian missiles that struck a city in central Ukraine killed at least 21 people and wounded about more than 100 Thursday, Ukrainian authorities said. Ukraine's president alleged the attack deliberately targeted civilians in locations without military value.

Ukraine's national police said three missiles hit an office building and damaged nearby residential buildings in Vinnytsia, which is located 268 kilometers (167 miles) southwest of the capital, Kyiv. The Ukrainian Emergency Service said 42 were missing after the airstrike.

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A Russian submarine in the Black Sea fired Kalibr cruise missiles at the city, and three children were among the dead, the deputy head of Ukraine's presidential office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

Russia hasn't officially confirmed the strike. But Margarita Simonyan, head of the state-controlled Russian television network RT, said on her messaging app channel that military officials told her a building in Vinnytsia was targeted because it housed Ukrainian Nazis.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of intentionally aiming missiles at civilians. The strike happened as government officials from about 40 countries met in The Hague to discuss coordinating investigations and prosecutions of potential war crimes committed in Ukraine.

Every day Russia is destroying the civilian population, killing Ukrainian children, directing missiles at civilian objects. Where there is no military (targets). What is it if not an open act of terrorism? Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram.

Vinnytsia is one of Ukraine's largest cities, with a prewar population of 370,000. Thousands of people from eastern Ukraine, where Russia has concentrated its offensive, have fled there since the start of the war 20 weeks ago.

Along with hitting buildings, the missiles ignited a fire that spread to 50 cars in a parking lot, officials said. The governor of the Vinnytsia region, Serhiy Borzov, said Ukrainian air defense systems shot down another four missiles over the the city.

Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov said he thinks the attack mirrors previous ones on residential areas that Moscow launched to try to pressure Kyiv to make some concessions.

"Russia has used the same tactics when it hit the Odesa region, Kremenchuk, Chasiv Yar and other areas," Zhdanov said. The Kremlin wants to show that it will keep using unconventional methods of war and kill civilians in defiance to Kyiv and the entire international community.

Before the missiles hit Vinnytsia, the president's office reported the deaths of five civilians and the wounding of another eight in Russian attacks over the past day.

One person was wounded when a missile damaged several buildings in the southern city of Mykolaiv early Thursday, Ukrainian authorities said. A missile attack on Wednesday killed at least five people in the city.

Russian forces also continued artillery and missile attacks in eastern Ukraine, primarily in Donetsk province after overtaking adjacent Luhansk. The city of Lysychansk, the last major stronghold of Ukrainian resistance in Luhansk, fell to Russian forces at the beginning of the month.

Luhansk and Donetsk together make up the Donbas, a mostly Russian-speaking region of steel factories, mines and other industries.

Donetsk Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko urged residents to evacuate as quickly as possible.

We are urging civilians to leave the region, where electricity, water and gas are in short supply after the Russian shelling, Kyrylenko said in televised remarks. The fighting is intensifying, and people should stop risking their lives and leave the region.

The British Defense Ministry said Thursday that despite continued shelling in the Donbas region, Russian forces did not make major territorial gains in recent days.

The aging vehicles, weapons and Soviet-era tactics used by Russian forces do not lend themselves to quickly regaining or building momentum unless used in overwhelming mass - which Russia is currently unable to bring to bear," the British ministry said.

Both the Russian forces and Ukrainian militaries are seeking to replenish their depleted stocks of unmanned aerial vehicles to pinpoint enemy positions and guide artillery strikes.

Both sides are looking to procure jamming-resistant, advanced drones that could offer a decisive edge in battle. Ukrainian officials say the demand for such technology is immense with crowdfunding efforts underway to raise the necessary cash for purchases.

In other developments:

- Russian-installed officials in southeastern Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region announced that they planned to hold an early September referendum on incorporating the region into Russia. Large parts of Zaporizhzhia are under Russian control, as is most of neighboring Kherson. Kremlin-backed administrations in both areas have declared their intentions to become part of Russia. Separatist leaders in the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk republics have also announced similar plans. (AP)

(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 14 (PTI) Sri Lankan authorities on Thursday lifted the curfew, which was imposed in the Western province after the eruption of violence in the capital here, even as President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who has fled to the Maldives, was yet to submit his resignation letter.

Rajapaksa, the 73-year-old leader who had promised to resign on Wednesday, appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the acting President hours after he fled the country, escalating the political crisis and triggering a fresh wave of protests.

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At least 84 people were hospitalised when protesters clashed with the security forces at the prime minister's office and at the main access junction to Parliament since mid-afternoon on Wednesday after Rajapaksa fled the country.

The police fired tear gas and water cannons at the mob who were trying to break barriers and enter the restricted zone.

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The police spokesman Nihal Thalduwa said protesters had grabbed a T56 firearm and 60 bullets from a Sri Lanka Army soldier. A police complaint had been lodged, the police said.

Authorities had to impose a curfew in the Western province following the eruption of violence.

Wednesday's protests were more directed at Wickremesinghe. Calls for his resignation intensified after he was appointed the acting president.

Political party leaders are asking him to step down so that Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena can take control as acting president.

Wickremesinghe in a statement asked the Speaker to find a suitable nominee to become the prime minister in an all-party interim government.

However, the protesters have demanded that the interim government must only consist of politicians acceptable to them.

Meanwhile, President Rajapaksa failed to send in his resignation on Wednesday as pledged earlier.

He was likely to send his resignation letter only after reaching his final destination on Wednesday evening, Sri Lanka's The Morning news portal reported.

The media here cited sources in the Maldives as saying that Rajapaksa had failed to board the Singapore-bound flight from Male due to security concerns on Wednesday night.

Rajapaksa reportedly had raised security concerns about taking a civilian flight and was urging the Maldives authorities for a private jet to land in Singapore.

Meanwhile, the protesters continued to occupy the key administrative buildings they had seized since Saturday. There is an endless stream of sight-seers at the buildings. Videos show the properties have suffered serious damages since they were occupied.

The protesters stressed that they would only hand over the properties to authorities after an interim government would be in place.

The influential Buddhist clergy chiefs in a statement called for an end to violence. They said the country's security was in grave danger and Parliament must be summoned immediately to work out a political solution.

Rajapaksa, who enjoys immunity from prosecution while he is president, fled the country before resigning to avoid the possibility of arrest by the new government.

On Saturday after thousands of protesters stormed his official residence, blaming him for the unprecedented economic crisis that has brought the country to its knees, Rajapaksa announced that he will step down on Wednesday.

Rajapaksa's escape to the Maldives was negotiated by the Maldivian Majlis (Parliament) Speaker and former president Mohamed Nasheed, sources in the Maldives capital Male said.

Sri Lanka, a country of 22 million people, is under the grip of an unprecedented economic turmoil, the worst in seven decades, leaving millions struggling to buy food, medicine, fuel and other essentials.

Last week, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka is now a bankrupt country.

(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 14 (ANI): All Sri Lankan government buildings have been vacated except for President's Secretariat, Danish Ali, a Sri Lankan protester said, adding that they held the protests peacefully and the ones who damaged the properties belonged to former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

The Sri Lankan protester at a press conference said, "Everything (buildings stormed by protesters) is being cleared but President's Secretariat will still be for the people. We want to show we're capable. If we leave here, we can come back the next minute if we want."

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Clarifying over the violence that was perpetuated in Sri Lanka in the past days, the protestor added, "Protestors did not damage any properties. All goons who damaged the properties belong to Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's house was set on fire but it was not by us but by PM's guy.. what we believe."

Meanwhile, Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that ex-Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has been allowed entry into Singapore on a private visit and has not asked for asylum and neither has he been granted any asylum.

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Gotabaya Rajapaksa, 73, had gone into hiding after crowds of protesters stormed his residence on July 9 and he had announced that he will hand over his resignation letter on Wednesday.

Rajapaksa along with his wife escaped to the Maldives. Subsequently, the speaker appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the interim President of Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, in Sri Lanka, the curfew has been imposed from 12 pm July 14 till 5 am July 15, within the Colombo District, the government information department announced.

Earlier in the day, "GotaGoGama" protesters announced that they will peacefully hand over government-occupied buildings including President's house, Presidential Secretariat, and Prime Minister's office, aiming to restore peace in the country.

Sri Lanka Army deployed tanks near Parliament on Thursday to prevent protesters from entering the Parliament.

Sri Lankan political parties after holding a discussion will reach a consensus and propose a name for the position of Prime Minister to the Speaker of the Parliament, local media reported.

Sri Lankan MP from Colombo Harsha de Silva said that after holding a discussion a name for the position of Prime Minister will be proposed to the Parliament Speaker tomorrow at 10 am.

Taking to Twitter, the MP wrote, "Responding to request by PM Ranil Wickremesinghe to the Sri Lankan Parliament Speaker to propose a name by consensus for PM, opposition parties will today discuss with various parties and groups in government to get such consensus. We will propose this name to Speaker at 10 am tomorrow."

Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan Army soldiers are said to have been authorised to use the necessary force to prevent the destruction of property and life amid the ongoing protests in the Island nation in view of the severe economic and political crisis, Daily Mirror reported citing Army media.

On 9 July, demonstrators forcibly entered the office of the President and the Prime Minister and its resident, and a fierce face-off between protesters and security forces was reported in Colombo. (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 14 (PTI) Sri Lanka's Parliament will not convene on Friday as Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena is yet to receive President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's resignation letter, the Speaker's Office said on Thursday.

The next date for the meeting will be announced within the next three days if President Rajapaksa's resignation letter is received by the Speaker today, the Speaker's Office said.

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On Monday, Abeywardena had announced that Parliament will elect the new Sri Lankan President on July 20 following Rajapaksa's resignation on July 13. But Rajapaksa, 73, appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the acting President hours after he fled the country without resigning as previously announced.

Abeywardena, who on Thursday, informed Rajapaksa that he should submit his letter of resignation as soon as possible or else he will consider other options to remove him from the office.

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Singapore on Thursday said it has allowed Rajapaksa to enter the city-state on a "private visit" from the Maldives and there was no request for asylum from him, after he fled the country in the face of public revolt against his government's mishandling of the economy.

Acting President Wickremesinghe on Wednesday urged the Speaker to appoint a consensus Prime Minister that had the backing of all the parties.

The principal opposition party and the group of parliamentarians who broke away from the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party said Sajith Premadasa is their Presidential nominee.

Political parties have asked the Speaker to explore ways to remove Rajapaksa from office if he continues to delay submitting his resignation.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Ministry of Women and Child Development has issued detailed guidelines for Mission Shakti' scheme. The Government of India has launched 'Mission Shakti' - an integrated women empowerment programme as umbrella scheme for the safety, security and empowerment of women for implementation during the 15th Finance Commission period 202l-22 to 2025-26. The norms of Mission Shakti will be applicable with effect from 01.04.2022.

Mission Shakti is a scheme in mission mode aimed at strengthening interventions for women safety, security and empowerment. It seeks to realise the Governments commitment for women-led development by addressing issues affecting women on a life-cycle continuum basis and by making them equal partners in nation-building through convergence and citizen-ownership.

The scheme seeks to make women economically empowered, exercising free choice over their minds and bodies in an atmosphere free from violence and threat. It also seeks to reduce the care burden on women and increase female labour force participation by promoting skill development, capacity building, financial literacy, access to micro-credit etc.

Mission Shakti has two sub-schemes - 'Sambal' and 'Samarthya'. While the "Sambal" sub-scheme is for safety and security of women, the "Samarthya" sub-scheme is for empowerment of women. The components of 'Sambal' sub-scheme consist of erstwhile schemes of One Stop Centre (OSC), Women Helpline (WHL), Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) with a new component of Nari Adalats - women's collectives to promote and facilitate alternative dispute resolution and gender justice in society and within families.

The components of 'Samarthya' sub-scheme consist of erstwhile schemes of Ujjwala, Swadhar Greh and Working Women Hostel have been included with modifications. In addition, the existing schemes of National Creche Scheme for children of working mothers and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) under umbrella ICDS have now been included in Samarthya. A new component of Gap Funding for Economic Empowerment has also been added in the Samarthya Scheme.

Detailed Guidelines of Mission Shakti scheme are available at:

https://wcd.nic.in/acts/mission-shakti-guidelines-implementation-during-15th-finance-commission-period-2021-22-2025-26

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 14, 2022 08:12 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Chinese-built modern railway leads to brighter future for Kenya

15:00, July 14, 2022 By Wu Chaolan ( People's Daily Online

Chinese-built Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway, connecting Mombasa, the largest port in East Africa, and Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, with a total length of around 480 kilometers, marks five years of safe operation since its launch on May 31, 2017.Photo provided to People's Daily Online

As dawn broke, Concilia Owire, a 28-year-old locomotive driver, had already changed into her work uniform as she stopped by the work area for alcohol testing and pre-job registration. When all was ready, Owire and her colleague set off for the locomotive depot, embarking on a new journey.

Growing up in a rural hamlet in western Kenya, Owire never thought about becoming her country's first female train driver one day as the women from her time still suffered from the limitations of patriarchy and poverty, leading most to shy away from pursuing careers that were dominated by men. However, the Chinese-built modern railway  the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR)  has transformed her life.

The SGR is the first railway to be built in Kenya since its independence in 1963. The railway, which links up East Africa's largest port city of Mombasa to the country's capital Nairobi, was built to ease the pressure on the domestic road network and is an important infrastructure project to boost the local economy. After two and half years of construction, the long-awaited railway began commercial operations on May 31, 2017, making cross-city trips safer and shorter. Transporting passengers and cargo, the SGR has injected a renewed vitality into the local economy and has changed the life trajectory of ordinary Kenyans like Owire.

Owire was selected to join the railway's first batch of female drivers, having later been sent to China to learn about railway operations and maintenance. After a 50-day training session in China, Owire, with six other female colleagues, returned to their country and began practicing driving the actual locomotives repeatedly to master the terrain and get a feel for the railway line, along with undertaking other preparatory tasks. Training rigorously in Kenya and China prepared her for the arduous task of being in the drivers seat of a modern train service, while paving the way for her formal recruitment as one of SGR's first female drivers.

Her career path has progressed thanks to her focus, dedication, and passion. She was selected to be the main driver of the inaugural train ferrying high-profile government officials, including President Uhuru Kenyatta Now, her duties have expanded to training upcoming Kenyan locomotive drivers and handling management tasks.

"My biggest achievement came with this career. I am so passionate about my job because I know its importance to Kenya's economy," said Owire. "If I do it positively, I know it will boost our country's economy."

"We need our country to grow, just like the SGR project, is bringing infrastructure. It is all about economic development, and that's what economic growth is about," she added.

Passengers are seen onboard the train to Mombasa at the Nairobi station of the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, July 05, 2022. (People's Daily/Yan Yunming)

Owire's rapid transformation from a village girl to a successful working woman epitomizes the development and transformation that SGR has unlocked in her country. With the average occupancy rate of the passenger trains being over 90 percent, the SGR is a hit among travelers from all walks of life who can now enjoy the convenience offered by the trains.

The SGR has shortened the journey between the two cities from 10 hours to just five, meanwhile cutting logistical costs by 40 percent. It is a boon for not just commuters but all people in Kenya, remarked Owire.

As of May 31, 2022, nearly eight million passengers and 1.77 million TEUs of bulk cargo have been ferried between Nairobi and Mombasa since the SGR commenced operations. Five years on, the SGR, the largest infrastructure project in Kenya to date, has emerged as a significant engine that is keeping Kenya's economic growth on track and bringing substantial socioeconomic benefits to its people.

As the Chinese saying goes, "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime." The SGR project has created more than 46,000 direct and indirect jobs for the country, with 90 percent of employees being locals. The project also trained more than 1700 local personnel in railway operations and maintenance to ensure the line's smooth operation over the long run.

Efficient transport and employment opportunities are just two of the numerous benefits unleashed by the project, such as expanding access to markets, reducing business costs, opening up isolated areas, and enhancing the competitiveness of locally manufactured goods.

"The SGR has been at the heart of Kenya's quest for economic revival, five years after its launch on May 31, 2017," said James Siele, Kenya Railways' Business, Commercial & Operations Expert Team leader, in an interview with Xinhua.

Chinese-built Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway, connecting Mombasa, the largest port in East Africa, and Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, with a total length of around 480 kilometers, marks five years of safe operation since its launch on May 31, 2017.Photo provided to People's Daily Online

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Hongyu)
Mumbai, July 14: Maharashtra government has decided to reduce the value added tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel by Rs 5 and Rs 3 per litre respectively, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said here on Thursday.

The decision, to be implemented from Thursday midnight, would entail a burden of Rs 6,000 crore on the state exchequer. It will benefit the common man affected by the fuel price hike, Shinde told reporters after a cabinet meeting at the secretariat 'Mantralaya'.

Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said the decision was part of the Shiv Sena-BJP government's commitment to people's welfare. The government will ensure the burden of Rs 6,000 crore on the state exchequer does not impact development works, Shinde said. Petrol Price Cut by Rs 5, Diesel by Rs 3 Per Litre in Maharashtra.

The Maharashtra government also reversed the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) regime's decision to stop direct election of village sarpanchs and municipal council/nagar panchayat presidents.

Earlier, the Fadnavis-led state government (which was in power from 2014 to 2019) had allowed direct election of sarpanchs and municipal council presidents, which the MVA dispensation headed by Uddhav Thackeray scrapped in 2020.

The Shinde government will also restore the pension of the "Loktantra Sangram Senani", who were jailed for protesting against the Emergency from 1975 to 1977, Fadnavis said.

In 2018, the then Fadnavis government announced a pension of Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 for such people, but it was stopped in 2020 by the MVA. On Thursday, Deputy CM Fadnavis said 3,600 people will now get the pension and 800 more applications will be approved on merit.

''Not just the Jana Sangh and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, all political activists participated in the agitation against the Emergency. My father was in jail for two years. Democracy was reinstated due to efforts of the activists,'' Fadnavis said. Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis Says, 'All Clearances Given for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train in the State'.

He said the incentive was stopped by the previous MVA government due to pressure, may be because the Congress was part of it. Fadnavis further said Shinde has given all clearances for the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project.

Shinde said Prime Minister Narendra Modi called him on Thursday morning and asked to expedite the free of cost COVID-19 booster dose programme for people in the age group of 18 to 59 years. The programme should be taken up in the next 75 days, he said. Shinde also said the phase-2 of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) will be implemented in Maharashtra.

The cabinet also decided to implement the 'Swachh Maharashtra Abhiyan' in which 400 more local bodies are included, and Rs 10,500 crore will be spent on water supply, sanitation and revival of water bodies, the CM said. Shinde further said the incentive of Rs 50,000 given to farmers who repay their loans regularly will also cover Kolhapur cultivators who have been provided flood relief assistance.
Chennai, July 14: Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian told mediapersons on Thursday that the state government has ordered the closure of four fertility hospitals after a minor girl from Erode was forced to donate her oocytes.

An oocyte is an immature egg (an immature ovum). Oocytes develop to maturity from within a follicle. During each reproductive cycle, several follicles begin to develop. Stress in Intestine Influences Chromosome Inheritance, Says Study

The minister said that six hospitals were involved in the crime of which four are located in Tamil Nadu, and one each in Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. He said the hospitals in Tamil Nadu will be shut, while the state Health Secretary has been directed to write to his counterparts in the other states to initiate appropriate action.

The hospitals which have directed to close down are located in Salem, Krishnagiri and Erode on charges of violating the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act and Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, based on an inquiry report which said the minor girl was forced to donate her oocytes.

Four persons, including the mother of the 16-year-old girl and her paramour, have been arrested on charges of forcing the girl to donate her Oocytes. The state health department had formed an inquiry committee headed by Viswanathan, Joint Director of Medical and Rural Health Services, and a final report was submitted on July 7.

Inquiries were conducted at the hospitals in Salem, Erode, Krishnagiri and Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala where the girl was taken forcibly.

The minister said that these hospitals have violated the provisions of law.

Subramanian said, "Commercial donation was going on at these hospitals where there were no qualified counselors. Also, the pros and cons of oocyte donation were also not explained to the minor girl."

He said the girl was forced to donate oocytes several times and even her Aadhaar card was not verified. Also, the approval needed to be obtained from the spouse in such cases was taken from some other person.

The minister said that according to the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, a donor aged between 21 and 35 years can donate oocytes once in her lifetime.

He said the hospitals have been given 15 days' time to discharge all the patients who are admitted there.

As per the Act, the hospitals can be fined up to Rs 50 lakh and the concerned doctors and other management staff may be handed 10 years' imprisonment, Subramanian said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 14, 2022 07:23 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Kevin Spacey has pled not guilty to UK sexual assault charges at a court in London on July 14. Today, the Oscar-winning actor was expected to enter a plea to accusations of sex offences dating back almost 20 years ago. FYI, Spacey is accused of five offences in Britain. Kevin Spacey Accused With Four Counts of Sexual Assault Against Three Men in the UK.

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#BREAKING Actor Kevin Spacey pleads not guilty to sexual assault charges in UK pic.twitter.com/7dhCL1OuFK  AFP News Agency (@AFP) July 14, 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.)
The Delhi High Court on Thursday dismissed a plea to postpone the NEET UG 2022 examination. While announcing its decision, the Delhi HC said that natural disasters are there. "Something or other keeps happening in the country. That can't be the basis to cancel the exams," it stated. The exams will now be held as per schedule on July 17.

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#BREAKING Delhi High Court dismisses plea to postpone #NEETUG2022  Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) July 14, 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.)
Amid the ongoing economic crisis in Sri Lanka, protestors in the Island country were seen celebrating at Galle Face Park following the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The Speaker's Press Secy said that the speaker received the resignation letter of President Rajapaksa through Singapore Embassy in Sri Lanka. "Speaker is informed that after re-checking data & completing all legal proceedings, official announcement in this regard will be announced tomorrow," it said.

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#WATCH Colombo | People celebrate at Galle Face Park following the resignation of Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa pic.twitter.com/cfWNYrpIdJ  ANI (@ANI) July 14, 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.)
London, Jul 14: Rishi Sunak tightened his grip on the race to replace Boris Johnson as Conservative Party leader and British prime minister as he bagged 101 votes to again emerge as the winner of the latest voting round on Thursday.

There are now five candidates left in the Tory leadership contest after Suella Braverman, the Indian-origin Attorney General in the fray, was knocked off the shortlist with the least votes at 27. Rishi Sunak Wins First Round of Voting in UK Conservative Party Leadership Contest

Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt (83 votes), Foreign Secretary Liz Truss (64 votes), former minister Kemi Badenoch (49 votes) and Tory backbencher Tom Tugendhat (32 votes) remain on the ballot in the narrowing race after the second round of votes were cast by lawmakers.

The next few rounds of voting among Conservative Party members of Parliament to whittle this list down to just two by next Thursday is scheduled for early next week. Afghanistan:180 Infected With Cholera Admitted in Hospital in Kandahar.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
The young marine lighted a cigarette and let it dangle. White smoke wafted around his helmet. His face was smeared with war paint. Blood trickled from his right ear and the bridge of his nose.

Momentarily deafened by cannon blasts, he didnt know the shooting had stopped. He stared at the sunrise.

His expression caught my eye. To me, it said: terrified, exhausted and glad just to be alive. I recognized that look because thats how I felt too.

I raised my camera and snapped a few shots.

With the click of a shutter, Marine Lance Cpl. James Blake Miller, a country boy from Kentucky, became an emblem of the war in Iraq. The resulting image would change two lives -- his and mine.

I was embedded with Charlie Company of the 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, as it entered Fallouja, an insurgent stronghold in Iraqs Sunni Triangle, on Nov. 8, 2004. We encountered heavy fire almost immediately. We were pinned down all night at a traffic circle, where a 6-inch curb offered the only protection.

I hunkered down in the gutter that endless night, praying for daylight, trying hard to make myself small. A cold rain came down. I cursed the Marines illumination flares that wafted slowly earthward, making us wait an eternity for darkness to return.

At dawn, the gunfire and explosions subsided. A white phosphorus artillery round burst overhead, showering blazing-hot tendrils. We came across three insurgents lying in the street, two of them dead, their blood mixing with rainwater.

The third, a wiry Arab youth, tried to mouth a few words. All I could think was: Buddy, youre already dead.

We rounded a corner and again came under heavy fire, forcing us to scramble for cover. I ran behind a Marine as we crossed the street, the bullets ricocheting at our feet.

Gunfire poured down, and it seemed incredible that no one was hit. A pair of tanks rumbled down the road to shield us. The Marines kicked open the door of a house, and we all piled in.

Miller and other Marines took positions on the rooftop; I set up my satellite phone to transmit photos. But as I worked downstairs in the kitchen, a deep rumble almost blew the room apart.

Two cannon rounds had slammed into a nearby house. Miller, the platoons radioman, had called in the tanks, pinpointed the targets and shouted Fire!

I ran to the roof and saw smoldering ruins across a large vacant lot. Beneath a heap of bricks, men lay dead or dying. I sat down and collected my wits. Miller propped himself against a wall and lighted his cigarette. I transmitted the picture that night. Power in Fallouja had been cut in advance of the assault, forcing me to be judicious with my batteries. I considered not even sending Millers picture, thinking my editors would prefer images of fierce combat.

The photo of Miller was the last of 11 that I sent that day.

On the second day of the battle, I called my wife by satellite phone to tell her I was OK. She told me my photo had ended up on the front page of more than 150 newspapers. Dan Rather had gushed over it on the evening news. Friends and family had called her to say they had seen the photo -- my photo.

Soon, my editors called and asked me to find the Marlboro Marine for a follow-up story. Who was this brave young hero? Women wanted to marry him. Mothers wanted to know whether he was their son.

I didnt even know his name. Shell-shocked and exhausted, I had simply identified Miller as A Marine and clicked send.

I found Miller four days later in an auditorium after a dangerous dash across an open parade ground in the citys civic center. Millers unit was taking a break, eating military rations.

Clean-shaven and without war paint, Miller, 20, looked much younger than the battle-stressed warrior in the picture -- young enough to be my son.

He was cooperative, but he was embarrassed about the photos impact back home.

Once our story identified him, the national fascination grew stronger. People shipped care packages, making sure Miller had more than enough smokes. President Bush sent cigars, candy and memorabilia from the White House.

Then Maj. Gen. Richard F. Natonski, head of the 1st Marine Division, made a special trip to see the Marlboro Marine.

I was in the forward command center, which by then featured a large blowup of the photo. You might want to see this, an officer said, nudging me to follow.

To talk to Miller, Natonski had to weave between earthen berms, run through bombed-out buildings and make a mad sprint across a wide street to avoid sniper fire before diving into a shattered storefront.

Miller, get your ass up here, a first sergeant barked on the radio.

Miller had no idea what was going on as he ran through the rubble. He snapped to attention when he saw the general.

Natonski shook Millers hand. Americans had connected with his photo, the general said, and nobody wanted to see him wounded or dead.

We can have you home tomorrow, he said.

Miller hesitated, then shook his head. He did not want to leave his buddies behind. It just wasnt right, he told me later.

The tall, lanky general towered over the grunt. Your father raised one hell of a young man, he said, looking Miller in the eye. They said goodbye, and Natonski scrambled back to the command post.

For his loyalty, Miller was rewarded with horror. The assault on Fallouja raged on, leaving nearly 100 Americans dead and 450 wounded. The bodies of some 1,200 insurgents littered the streets.

As the fighting dragged on for a month, the story fell off the front page. I joined the exodus of journalists heading home or moving to the next story.

More than a year and a half would pass before I saw Miller again.

Back home, I immersed myself in other assignments, trying to put Fallouja behind me. Yet not a day went by that I didnt think about Miller and what we experienced in Iraq.

National Public Radio interviewed me. Much to my embarrassment, the Los Angeles City Council adopted a resolution in my honor. I became a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Bloggers riffed on the photos meaning. Requests for prints kept coming.

In January 2006, I was on assignment along the U.S.-Mexico border when my wife called. Your boy is on TV. He has PTSD, she said. They kicked him out of the Marines.

Id spoken with Miller by phone twice, but the conversations were short and superficial. I knew post-traumatic stress disorder was a complicated diagnosis. So once again, I dug up his number. Again, I offered simple words: Life is sweet. We survived. Everything else is gravy.

As the third anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion approached, my editors wanted another follow-up story.

So in spring 2006, I traveled to Millers hometown of Jonancy, Ky., in the hollows of Appalachia. I drove east from Lexington along Interstate 64, part of the nationwide Purple Heart Trail honoring dead and wounded veterans, before turning south.

Mobile homes and battered cars dot the rugged ranges. Marijuana is a major cash crop. Addiction to methamphetamine and prescription drugs is rampant.

Kids marry young, and boys go to work mining the black seams of coal. Heavy trucks rumble day and night.

Miller showed me around. At an abandoned mine, he walked carefully around a large, shallow pool of standing water that mirrored the green wilderness and springtime sky. He picked up a chunk of coal.

Around here, this is what its all about, he said. Nothing else.

It was this or the Marines.

Often brooding and sullen, Miller joked about being 21 going on 70, the result, he said, of humping heavy armor and gear on a 6-foot, 160-pound frame.

Before he was allowed to leave Iraq, he attended a mandatory warrior transitioning session about PTSD and adjusting to home life.

Each Marine received a questionnaire. Were they having trouble sleeping? Did they have thoughts of suicide? Did they feel guilt about their actions?

Everybody knew the drill. Answer yes and be evaluated further. Say no and go home.

Miller said he didnt want to miss his flight. He answered no to every question.

He returned to Camp Lejeune, N.C. His high school sweetheart, Jessica Holbrooks, joined him there, and they were married in a civil ceremony.

Then came the nightmares and hallucinations. He imagined shadowy figures outside the windows. Faces of the dead haunted his sleep.

Once, while cleaning a shotgun, he blacked out. He regained consciousness when Jessica screamed out his name. Snapping back to reality, he realized he was pointing the gun at her.

He reported the problems to superiors, who promised to get him help.

Then came a single violent episode, which put an end to his days as a Marine.

It happened in the storm-tossed Gulf of Mexico in September 2005. His unit had been sent to New Orleans to assist with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. Now a second giant storm, Hurricane Rita, was moving in, and the Marines were ordered to seek safety out at sea.

In the claustrophobic innards of a rolling Navy ship, someone whistled. The sound reminded Miller of a rocket- propelled grenade. He attacked the sailor who had whistled. He came to in the boats brig. He was medically discharged with a personality disorder on Nov. 10, 2005 -- exactly one year after his picture made worldwide news.

Back home in Kentucky, the Millers settled into a sparsely furnished second-story apartment. Four small windows afforded little light. The TV was always on.

Miller bought a motorcycle and went for long rides. He and Jessica drank all night and slept all day. He started collecting a monthly disability benefit of about $2,500. The couple spent hours watching movies on DVD, Coronas and bourbon cocktails in hand. Friends and family gave them space.

Miller had hoped to pursue a career in law enforcement. But the PTSD and abrupt discharge killed that dream. No one would trust him with a weapon.

But at least he didnt have to go back to Iraq. He started to realize he wasnt the only one traumatized by war.

Theres a word for it around here, Jessica said. Its called vets.  She talked of Millers grandfather, forever changed by the Korean War and dead by age 35. Her Uncle Hargis, a Vietnam veteran, had it too. He experienced mood swings for years.

Sometimes, Millers stories about Iraq unnerved his young bride. He sensed it and talked less. Nobody really understands, he said, unless theyve been there.

On June 3, 2006, the Millers renewed their vows at a hilltop clubhouse overlooking the forests and strip mines. It was a lavish ceremony paid for by donors from across the country who had read about Millers travails or seen him on television. Local businesses pitched in as well.

His father and two younger brothers were supposed to be groomsmen but didnt show up. His estranged mother wasnt invited.

Miller looked sharp in his Marine Corps dress uniform of dark-blue cloth and red piping. Jessica was lovely in white, her long hair gathered high.

Instead of a honeymoon, the young couple traveled to Washington, D.C., at the invitation of the National Mental Health Assn. The group wanted to honor Miller for his courage in going public about his PTSD. Its leaders also wanted him to visit key lawmakers to share his experience.

As a boy, Miller confided, he had embraced religion, even going so far as to become an ordained minister by mail order. He knew the Bible verses, felt the passion for preaching.

Thats how he found his new mission: to tell people what it was like to come home from war with a broken mind.

Three days after their wedding, I tagged along as the young couple flew to the nations capital. Easily distracted by the offer of free drinks for an all-American hero, Miller stayed out until 3 a.m. He was hung over when he met with House members a few hours later.

Miller chatted up GOP Rep. Harold Rogers, the congressman from his district. He smoked and frequently cursed while recounting his combat experiences. I cringed but stayed on the sidelines, snapping photos.

Miller shuffled from one congressional office to the next, passing displays filled with photos of Marines killed in Iraq. As he told his story over and again, the politicians listened politely and thanked Miller for his service. One congressman sent an aide to tell Miller he was too busy to meet. No one promised to take up his cause.

After Miller picked up his award, he took a whirlwind tour past the White House and Lincoln Memorial, but his mind was elsewhere. At a bar the night before, free booze had flowed in honor of the Marlboro Marine. Miller wanted more.

Lets get drunk, he said.

I returned to Los Angeles the next morning, thinking I would catch up with Miller in a couple of months.

A week later, Jessica called. After they got home, Millers mood had become volatile. He was OK one minute and in a deep funk the next, she told me. Then hed disappeared. She hadnt seen him for days.

Could I come to Kentucky and help?

Why me? I thought. I am not Millers brother. Or his father. I could feel the line between journalist and subject blurring. Was I covering the story or becoming part of it?

I traveled all night to get to Pikeville, Ky., and soon found myself with Jessica, making the rounds of all the places Miller might have gone. I wanted to be somewhere else -- anywhere else.

Finally, the next morning, Jessica saw her husband driving in the opposite direction. She did a U-turn, hit the gas and caught up with him down the road.

He got out of his truck. A woman sat in the passenger seat.

Who is that, Blake? Jessica demanded. Who is she?

He said her name was Sherry. They had just met, and he was helping her move. Jessica didnt believe him.

I thought: Didnt I attend this young couples fairy tale wedding just 10 days ago? Now, here they were, in a gas station parking lot, creating a spectacle.

Jessica grilled Miller. He bobbed and weaved. He appeared sober and sullen. Then he dropped a bomb. He didnt want her anymore and had filed for divorce.

You guys might want to go home and talk, I suggested.

There, the tortured dialogue escalated.

Jessica pleaded with Blake to stop and think. They could quit drinking, she said. Theyd get help for him and as a couple. Maybe they could move away -- anything to work it out.

Miller slumped on the couch. I sensed his unease and feared he would become violent, so I stayed for a while even though I felt intrusive. But he remained strangely calm, albeit brooding and distant.

I returned the next morning. He called his attorney and put the phone on speaker. If uncontested, the lawyer said, the divorce would become final in 60 days. Jessica went to the fire escape to gather herself.

Miller remained unmoved, chain-smoking. The local newspaper had been calling him about rumors that he was getting divorced. It was a major local story. Finally, he wrote a statement. He asked for compassion and respect for their privacy.

The next day, I found Miller in a back bedroom at his uncles house. He told me that he had come close to committing suicide the night before. He had thought about driving his motorcycle off the edge of a mountain road.

He showed me the morning newspaper. His divorce was the lead story.

I felt torn. I didnt want to get involved. I desperately wanted to close the book on Iraq. But if I hadnt taken Millers picture, this very personal drama wouldnt be front-page news. I felt responsible.

Sometimes, when things get hard to witness, I use my camera as a shield. It creates a space for me to work -- and distance to keep my eyes open and my feelings in check. But Miller had no use for a photojournalist. He needed a helping hand.

I flashed back to the chaos of combat in Fallouja. In the rattle and thunder, brick walls separated me from the world coming to an end. In the tight spaces, we were scared mindless. Everybody dragged deeply on cigarettes.

Above the din, I heard what everybody was thinking: This is the end.

Ive never felt so completely alone.

I snapped back to the present, and before I knew it, the words spilled out.

I have to ask you something, Blake, I said. If Id gone down in Fallouja, would you have carried me out?

Damn straight, he said, without hesitation.

OK then, I said. I think youre wounded pretty badly. I want to help you.

He looked at me for a moment. All right, he said.

luis.sinco@latimes.com
The COVID-19 pandemic may be far from over, as what may be its most infectious and transmissible variant so far has now been identified. It is called BA.5, an Omicron variant, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has said that this new variant, along with BA.4, has caused a surge in new cases of COVID-19.

The WHO warned that the virus is still going strong with these two new Omicron variants. According to CNN, there was a 30% surge in new cases over the past fortnight. This fuels fears of new lockdown measures and travel restrictions in many countries.

Should We Fear the New BA.5 Subvariant?

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that the two new Omicron subvariants make up the majority of cases in the United States. About 54% of COVID cases in the country are BA.4, while nearly 17% were infected with BA.5 as of July 2. However, the number of infections for BA.5 now comprises up to 65% of the total cases.

NBC News reported that these two new subvariants are three times less sensitive to neutralizing antibodies that come from the COVID-19 vaccines than the original Omicron variant. However, additional research has shown that these two may be four times more resistant than the previously-widespread BA.2. It is spreading so fast that the European Medicines Agency said that it is likely to replace all other variants "by the end of July." In addition, the agency also reported that there is an increase in the older age groups, which are the most at risk.

Like most COVID-19 variants and subvariants, the symptoms for both BA.4 and BA.5 include fever, sore throat, headaches, runny nose, persistent coughing, and fatigue.

However, while infections are certainly up, people who have had vaccinations and boosters are still less likely to end up in the ICU. And while highly contagious and can still be deadly, the BA.5 subvariant is not really that severe in terms of hospitalization.

READ NEXT: COVID-19: Sesame Street's Elmo Now Vaccinated Against COVID-19, Urges Kids to Get Vaccinated

Anthony Fauci Warns That Vaccines May Not Be Enough

In a White House press briefing, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned the public to be wary about the BA.5 subvariant. He said that each of Omicron's new subvariants is becoming more transmissible and more resistant to the antibodies provided by vaccines.

Fauci, who had been laying low since testing positive last month, has returned as this new subvariant has made cases surge again. Yahoo! News reported that he acknowledged that the Omicron subvariants will continue to appear as long as the virus spreads unchecked.

He explained that those who have been infected with previous omicron subvariants will not have much protection either. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky agreed with Fauci, saying, "People with prior infection, even with BA.1 or BA.2, are likely still at risk for BA.4 or BA.5."

Experts agreed that this new variant, while it does not have greater disease severity, is still a serious matter as it is more contagious than all previous Omicron variants. Doctors still recommend wearing masks to help stem the spread, as well as getting vaccines and boosters to prevent serious illness.

READ NEXT: Florida Refuses to Distribute COVID-19 Vaccines for Kids Under 5, but State Doctors Can

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Omicron subvariant BA.5 highly transmissible in US l GMA
Microsoft founder Bill Gates will be having changes in his wealth allotment, with the billionaire moving $20 billion of his wealth into financing the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

CNN Business reported that the foundation intends to increase its spending with the current changes experienced globally, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine war.

Gates' foundation will be increasing its payouts by 50% over pre-pandemic levels. It would amount to $9 billion each year by 2026 as compared to its previous payouts of around $6 billion.

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is one of the world's largest philanthropies and is mainly focused on improving global health, gender equality, and education, among others.

Gates wrote in a blog post that he will have to eventually move down off the list of the world's richest people, adding that he has "an obligation to return my resources to society" that will have a way to improve lives. He then called on other people in "positions of great wealth and privilege" to step up.

READ NEXT: Bill and Melinda Gates' Relationship: A Timeline of Their Marriage, Life Post-Divorce

Gates Foundation Spending

Gates said in a blog GatesNotes that people on the front lines inspire him to do whatever he can while calling on the government, private sector, and non-profit sector to engage on issues such as the pandemic and the Ukraine-Russia war.

The Microsoft billionaire also cited the innovations of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Breakthrough Energy. One of those innovations includes preventing pandemics, proposing that it should be globally funded and that will be connected to the World Health Organization so that outbreaks can be stopped before they become pandemics. Other innovations in the pipeline are improving food security and climate adaptation, as well as improving women's access to health care and contraceptives.

Gates said that he is very proud of the foundation's role in the said areas, particularly climate mitigation, which he founded through Breakthrough Energy.

He also mentioned that half of the resources of the foundation to date have come from Warren Buffet's gift. In June, Buffet donated $3.1 billion.

Gates added that he will continue to invest money to address climate change.

Bill Gates Net Worth 2022

Forbes noted that Bill Gates has a real-time net worth of $122.4 billion as of July 13. The Microsoft founder turned his wealth into diversified holdings such as investments in zero-carbon energy.

He co-founded Microsoft with Paul Allen in 1975 and has moved at least $5.7 billion worth of shares in public companies to Melinda. He then decided to step down from the company's board in March 2020, owning about one percent of the company's shares.

Gates has donated around $57 billion to the Gates Foundation, including the recently announced $20 billion gift.

Aside from a zero-carbon energy investment, he also dipped his funding in other companies, such as Canadian National Railway and AutoNation, which is one of the largest owners of farmland in the United States.

READ MORE: Bill Gates Turned a Blind Eye to Jeffrey Epstein's Reputation for a Nobel Peace Prize

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Bill Gates gives $20 billion to stem 'significant suffering' - from WTAJ News
Amber Heard sustained another legal blow on Wednesday after a Virginia judge denied her motion for mistrial in connection to the bombshell defamation trial she had with her ex-husband, Johnny Depp.

According to Fox News, Virginia Judge Penney Azcarte shut down Heard's claim of mistrial through a new order claiming that "there is no evidence of mistrial" in their six-week court hearing in Fairfax County Circuit Court. Azcarte is the judge who presided over the six-week trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard.

Heard filed the motion for mistrial on Friday last week, arguing that one of the jurors, Juror 15, who was seated during the court hearing, was the 52-year-old son of the 77-year-old individual who was supposed to be the original juror.

However, Azcarte on Wednesday argued that the accused juror completed the Jury Questionnaire and filled in his proper birth date. The Virginia judge also highlighted that the information on the questionnaire matched with the information the juror provided to the court.

Azcarte also underscored that the juror in question met the "statutory requirements for service," per E! News.

Amber Heard's motion last week also stressed that it was the court's responsibility to verify the accuracy of the juror's information. However, the judge noted that the law states that t was responsibility involved in the case.

"The only evidence before this Court is that this juror and all jurors followed their oaths, the Court's instructions, and orders. This Court is bound by the competent decision of the jury," Judge Azcarte said in her recent order.

Amber Heard has not yet issued an official statement regarding the judge's recent decision.

READ NEXT: Johnny Depp Settles Assault Case With 'City of Lies' Staff, but Not With Ex-Wife Amber Heard Who Files Motion for 'Mistrial'

Johnny Depp's Camp on Amber Heard's Motion for Mistrial

Days before Azcarte denied Amber Heard's motion for mistrial, Johnny Depp's camp reacted to the actress's move in connection to their defamation trial.

In a motion filed on Monday, Ben Chew, Depp's attorney, called the actress' various grounds for a mistrial "frivolous." Chew stressed that the jury's concerning the damages was "perfectly reasonable and supported by the evidence and testimony in the case."

Amber Heard's Motion for Mistrial

On July 1, Amber Heard and her camp filed a post-trial motion to ask Azcarte to set aside the decision of their defamation trial and order a new trial. In the motion, Heard's camp called the amount of money they were ordered to pay Johnny Depp "excessive" and "indefensible."

They also argued that Amber's due process was compromised because of the discrepancy of a juror in the trial, an issue that was disputed by Azcarte in her order on Wednesday.

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard engaged in a six-week defamation trial, battling over a 2018 op-ed the actress wrote for Washington Post, where she called herself a domestic violence survivor.

The article did not mention Depp blatantly, but he argued that he lost some of his projects in Hollywood, including the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise, because of it.

A panel composed of seven jurors awarded Depp $10 million in compensatory damages and another $5 million in punitive damages. In Heard would pay Depp only $10.35 million due to the state cap in Virginia.

Meanwhile, Depp would have to pay Heard $2 million in damages after his attorney defamed Heard by calling her allegations a "hoax."

READ NEXT: Kim Kardashian's Boyfriend Pete Davidson and Her Ex Kanye West May Come Face-to-Face at 2022 Emmy Awards

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Judge Denies Amber Heard's Request for a Mistrial Against Johnny Depp - From E! News
With presidential elections looming in Brazil, tensions are high in the country right now. However, when a leader of the Workers' Party was killed by a gunman who shouted his support for current president Jair Bolsonaro, there is a legitimate fear that the situation might turn more violent.

With the threat of violence permeating across Brazil, the country's former president and current frontrunner, Luiz Inacio da Silva, better known in Brazil and the world as simply Lula, held a political rally in the capital Brasilia. The political gathering did not take anything into chance, and supporters had to pass through security checks and metal detectors to attend. Lula himself wore a bulletproof vest just in case.

In his speech, Lula asked his supporters for calm. Amid the murder of an ally by a supporter of his political opponent, the leftist former president told his supporters to remain peaceful and to avoid confrontations.

Lula Taking Security Measures Seriously After Attack on Ally

Workers' Party official Marcelo Arruda was celebrating at a birthday party when he was shot by Jorge Jose da Rocha, who supports Bolsonaro. After the incident, Brazil's federal police stated that they were assigning 300 officers to each of the candidates for their protection.

The Workers' Party, to which Arruda belonged, also beefed-up security for Lula following the incident. They imposed extra precautions during the rally in Brasilia, including having supporters move in groups, as well as having them wear neutral colors to avoid conflicts with other political groups. However, the Washington Post reported that they are not sharing any details about their measures for Lula's security with the media.

The party also echoes Lula's calls for peace. They told supporters not to argue or attack any provocateur, and also warned against any "heroic" actions as they may cause unnecessary risks for themselves and others.

READ MORE: Brazil: Jair Bolsonaro Supporter Kills Opposition Party Official

Brazil Electoral Court Chairman Tells U.S. That 'Insurrection Greater Than January 6' May Happen in the Country

The Associated Press reported that with the political tensions in the country at an all-time high, Supreme Court Justice Edson Fachin, who serves as the chairman of Brazil's electoral court, went to Washington D.C. and held a presentation. There, Justice Fachin stated that the country might face incidents worse than the January 6 insurrection.

The United States has been a staunch critic of many of Bolsonaro's policies. According to another Associated Press report, CIA Director William Burns went to Brasilia and met with two of Bolsonaro's ministers in July of last year. Burns told them that Bolsonaro should stop attacking the electoral system, which was something Donald Trump also did during the 2020 U.S. Presidential Elections.

Trump blamed the electoral system for his loss against Joe Biden and spread debunked claims that the elections were stolen. He is now being investigated by the January 6 committee, as well as the state of Georgia for his efforts to overturn the election results.

With Bolsonaro lagging in the polls and Lula in the lead, there are fears that the president might try to do the same thing Trump did. He previously rallied his supporters against the Supreme Court, causing a constitutional crisis in the country after he told his supporters that he will no longer heed the decisions of one of its Justices. He backtracked after much criticism but returned to his attacks just months after.

READ NEXT: Pope Francis Appoints Leonardo Steiner as First Cardinal From Brazil's Amazon Rainforest

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Lula launches presidential campaign to 'rebuild Brazil' and Unseat Bolsonaro  FRANCE 24 English
For the first time since 2019, American Airlines will be flying to five destinations in Cuba. This comes after U.S. officials approved the carrier's request to resume its flights to the Caribbean country.

Former President Donald Trump previously curtailed air travel to Cuba back in October 2019. He banned flights to all Cuban cities, with the exception of the capital, Havana.

American Airlines To Resume Flights to 5 Cuban Cities in November

According to the Associated Press, the U.S. Department of Transportation approved American Airlines to resume its flight operations from Miami to five Cuban cities: Clara, Varadero, Holguin, Camaguey, and Santiago de Cuba.

Flights to these Cuban cities will begin in early November. From Miami, the airline will fly twice daily to Santa Clara. It will fly once daily from Miami to the other four destinations.

Currently, American Airlines only flies between Miami and Havana six times a day. However, they are not the only airlines that travel to Havana, as Southwest and JetBlue also fly to Havana.

On their official website, American Airlines pointed out that while Americans can travel to Cuba, the country is still not open to American tourists. The Cuban government will only allow Americans entry into the country for 13 permitted travel reasons. These include family visits, official government business, journalistic activities, educational or academic purposes, religious activities, and humanitarian reasons, among others. However, tourism is not one of them.

READ NEXT: Cuba: Latin Grammy Winner and Dissident Artist Sentenced to Prison

Trump Administration Suspended Flights to Other Cuban Cities to Starve Cuban Government of Cash

While former U.S. President Barack Obama tried cooling down relations between the U.S. and Cuba, his successor, Trump, reversed all his efforts to re-establish relations.

The Associated Press reported that the Trump administration issued the ban on airlines traveling to Cuban cities other than Havana to "starve" the Cuban government of cash. This would make it harder for the government to repress its citizens even more and support Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, with whom Cuba is allied.

At the time the ban was announced, then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that this action will prevent the Castro regime from profiting of air travel from the United States and using the money as funds to repress the Cuban people.

Because of the new policy by Trump, carriers such as JetBlue and American Airlines were forced to comply and stop their operations in the five cities.

The Trump ban did have a lot of opponents, though, as it would make it harder for Cuban-Americans visiting relatives who live outside of Havana.

The Biden administration loosened restrictions for air travel to Cuba back in May 2022. The U.S. government under Biden is also looking to reinstate the Cuban Family Reunification Parole Program, which currently has a backlog of more than 20,000 applications. They are also looking to increase consular services and visa processing as well.

READ MORE: Puerto Rico Independence or Statehood? Major Party to Soon Reconsider or Reaffirm Stance

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Can Americans travel to Cuba? - Chronicle 5 WCVB
Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is being called out by U.S. lawmakers to address the ongoing violence against journalists in his country.

Among the U.S. lawmakers who clamor for better safeguards for Mexican journalists are Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez and chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere Tim Kaine.

Eight other Democratic Senate colleagues also supported the resolution filed for better safeguards for media in Mexico. It was introduced as Lopez Obrador met with President Joe Biden in Washington on Tuesday, according to Voice of America News.

In a statement, Kaine said Lopez Obrador's visit to Washington was important, discussing trade, migration, security, and other issues. But he noted that it was equally important to act in "strengthening protections" for journalists in Mexico.

READ NEXT: 2 Mexican Women Journalists Murdered by Armed Men in Mexico's State of Veracruz

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador Urged to Protect Journalists in Mexico

In the text of the resolution, the U.S. senators said the president of Mexico "has sometimes demonstrated hostility towards the free press," Court House News reported.

They also said that Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador enabled an "unsafe working environment for independent journalists" by intimidating and disparaging those who were critical of his administration.

Mexican journalists who investigated corruption related to the associates of Lopez Obrador's cabinet were also condemned.

The resolution introduced by the lawmakers also cited Lopez Obrador withdrawing funding for Mexico's Federal Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists.

They claimed that the decision to withdraw the budget undermines the agency's ability to conduct its targeted function. Journalists in Mexico agreed with the reasoning of the resolution.

However, they do not expect it to bring a significant change in the Mexican president's behavior or policies. Luis Eduardo Velazquez, editor-in-chief of the news website Capital CDMX, said the wave of violence against Mexican journalists represents the country's instability.

The European Parliament released the same resolution in March.

Journalists Killed in Mexico

Last month, another Mexican reporter was shot dead, making him the 12th journalist to be killed in Mexico. Mexico is now one of the world's most dangerous places for media workers.

The Guardian reported that the slain journalist was 47-year-old Antonio de la Cruz, who was leaving his house in Ciudad Victoria with his 23-year-old daughter when he was killed. His daughter was seriously injured.

The Mexican journalists cover all kinds of news in the city, which includes security issues and rural and social topics such as water shortages.

Miguel Dominguez, director of the newspaper Expreso, said De la Cruz was "very aware of the reality of Tamaulipas," adding that he was "very brave."

Violence against the Mexican press has increased by 85% in the three years since Lopez Obrador became the country's leader in December 2018. In 2021, seven journalists were killed compared with this year's 12.

The killed media workers worked for small and independent outlets, leaving them without any institutional support or physical protection.

READ MORE: Mexico: 9th Mexican Journalist Killed This Year Found Wrapped in Black Bag on Sinaloa Road

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Sharp Rise in Murders of Journalists in Mexico Prompts Calls for Change - From PBS NewsHour
From turquoise and pristine waters to exciting trails and magnificent views, Ecuador will surely not disappoint you if you choose it as your next travel destination.

Although bordered by Colombia and Peru, Ecuador still has its unique culture and scenic landscapes that fascinate and captivate every foreigner's heart.

READ NEXT: Top 5 Paraguay Festivals That Need to Be on Everyone's Bucket List

Top 5 Famous Tourist Spots in Ecuador

Ecuador has many tourist spots that offer different experiences. However, it can be hard to pick the destinations you need to check out when it is your first time in the country.

To help you with that dilemma, here is a list of the famous tourist destinations in Ecuador that will make you fall in love with the South American country.

Quito

It is a good idea to check out the cities first before entering the wilderness of Ecuador. Although cities will not offer you the rawness of the wild, Quito is worth the visit because it was hailed as one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Check out the colonial architecture and museums in the city to get in touch with Ecuador's rich history. Quito is also home to famous cathedrals, including the La Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus.

Galapagos Islands

After your curiosity about how Ecuador's cities reflect its rich history is fulfilled, you will surely love to see its beautiful wilderness.

Galapagos Islands will give you a taste of what Ecuadorian biodiversity looks like through its 13 main islands and over 100 smaller islands, islets, and rocks.

You may not be able to travel the whole Galapagos, but witnessing endemic species, such as Galapagos Tortoises, Galapagos Sea Lions, and Marine Iguanas, will surely give you a glimpse of a different nature trip.

Hot Springs of Banos

If you want to take a relaxing dip in hot waters, a trip to the town of Banos at the western edge of the Amazon Basin will surely be worth your time.

Mineral-rich hot springs in Banos and many waterfalls are the main attraction in this town. Furthermore, the town also offers amazing white water rafting and kayaking opportunities.

Cotopaxi Volcano

If you like to see a magnificent view, the Cotapaxi volcano will surely not let you down. As one of the world's tallest volcanoes and Ecuador's second-highest peak, the Cotapaxi volcano offers a conical and snow-capped view.

If you want to see it up close, you must go to Cotapaxi National Park and join an extensive tour to enjoy the view of the volcano and its surrounding.

Otavalo

A tour in a foreign land is not complete if you cannot have something that you can bring home. The mountain town of Otavalo is the answer to your problems about getting the best souvenir.

Otavalo, located in the province of Imbabura, is a two-hour drive from Quito. This town features a market, locally known as Plaza de Los Ponchos, designed by Dutch architect Tonny Zwolle in the 1970s.

This largest market in South America offers several products, including woolen blankets, handcrafted jewelry, and even street foods that will satisfy your hunger while shopping.

READ MORE: Texas Truck Tragedy: 8 Bodies of Mexicans Found Dead Transported to Their Home Country; More Bodies of Migrants To Be Returned

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Joshua Summers

WATCH: This Is Why Ecuador - From Ecuador Travel
A new initiative for the Agri Food sector in the Midlands is being launched to provide information, services and finance to encourage those in the sector to adopt and embrace digital technologies.

The joint collaboration between two Co. Laois based groups, Bloom HQ in Mountrath and The Cube  Low Carbon Centre of Excellence, in Portlaoise, will see a major  Agri Think Tank on the 27th July to gather feedback from the Agri food sector across the Midlands counties of Laois, Offaly and Westmeath.

The Smart Agri Hubs innovations workshop series will focus on sustainable land management for reducing carbon footprint in the Agri industry and use of open source aerial technology to improve farming processes, and in turn increase yields and productivity.

These workshops will be available through a hybrid model to ensure full accessibility and Zoom links will be available on www.bloomhq.ie or www.cubecentre.ie Dates and times of workshops and drop in clinics will all be published on the above websites, and respective social media platforms.

Regina Dunne (Digital Innovations Officer at Bloom HQ), is one of two Project Managers along with Niall Kenny, Director of The Cube.

The development of the Agri Innovation Development Midlands (AIDM) is the first of its type in the Midlands. It will act as a catalyst for Agri Food organisations. The AIDM will be a one stop shop, serving Agri food related companies within the Midlands, helping them to become more competitive through the adoption and development of digital innovations. We will hold regular workshops and training events and serve as the conduit between all stakeholders. We will be introducing Technology providers and innovators to the people engaged in the Agri food and farming sectors, providing them with real, tangible sources of information and investment.

This consortium will create a unique service in the Midlands, source data and provide educational and training relevant to the Agri food and farming industry in the Midlands. From our extensive network we are hoping to create and in depth understanding of the issues facing the Agri industry in the future, both from a risk mitigation and opportunity perspective. We will share this information with our consortium of partners including Agri Consultants and investors to educate and help deliver digital adoption to drive growth and ensure the future of the sector across the midlands.

We know that those in Agri food production and the greater farming community want to get involved in the digital transformation, but sometimes they are unsure of where to access help, support and information.

We have a thriving Agri Food community in the Midlands. In Laois alone, we have some 180 producers, all of whom are working to developing their businesses to the most exacting standards and so, are actually acting as standard bearers for others who may wish to break into the industry. We will be linking in with Agri Tech Clusters, our reach is very wide, and we aim to provide a wealth of knowledge to farmers in the Midlands. We are receiving great support from the IFA for example as well as many more Agri facing groups.

The Midlands is a fertile area for agriculture, 10% of national farmers are based in the region. We will be providing farmers, Agri business owners, including Agri tech businesses with all the help they need to access relevant services for them. Given our current Global Climate crisis, it is essential that stakeholders in the Agri food industry have access to emerging technologies and funding streams.

As the Agri food industry moves to digital farming, it is essential that services are provided on a local level. We are the link, opening doors to all involved in the Agri food industry to allow them access services.

These workshops will be delivered in a hybrid model to ensure participation from those at risk groups of the Agri industry who may not necessarily engage with workshops on a community level. The easier we make it for people to participate, the more engagement we will achieve.

It is imperative that they have the necessary information and tools to enable them become more competitive through the adoption of digital systems.

This is a bold and exciting step forward for the Midlands and we are looking forward to listening to and receiving feedback at the upcoming Agri Think Tank. It will be a huge opportunity to link in and strengthen bonds across the sector.

Bloom HQ is a community owned Social Enterprise, and The Cube is an EI funded innovation hub.
A reasonable common sense solution has been found on the turf controversary, according to Laois Offaly TD Charlie Flanagan has said.

The Fine Gael TD was responding to the Government agreeing the draft regulations on solid fuels in Ireland which restrict supply.

The Government has found a common sense solution on the issue of turf. I am pleased the revised regulations will protect traditional turf cutting practices and allow those who have traditionally cut, shared, and sold turf to continue to do so. This is so important to many communities in counties Laois and Offaly.

Im glad we could come to this agreement with our Government partners. Were confident this solution will protect and extend the current smoky coal ban, while allowing for traditional practices to continue.

We must make sure we are not stopping customs that date back centuries, when people do not have other alternatives.

The revised regulations allow those with turbary rights & all customary rights to cut, burn, share and sell turf, as long as its not sold in a retail setting, public place, through media or online. There is no ban on burning turf by anyone in the country. The previously mooted restriction on use only in towns or villages of population of 500 has also been removed," he said.

Dep Flanagan said the Government has also put a range of policies and measures in place to support households that are at risk of energy poverty.

He said these measures would supplement lower income households through the Fuel Allowance, the Household Benefits Package and other payments, as well as providing free energy efficiency upgrades through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland schemes and the Social Housing retrofitting programme.

He added that 58% (203 million) of the total Government retrofit budget of 352 million will be spent on dedicated energy poverty retrofit supports and local authority retrofits.
Fianna Fail Senator Fiona OLoughlin has called for increased service provision for medical card patients in South Kildare.

Senator OLoughlin said, I am regularly contacted by people who are entitled to dental services under the terms of their medical card, but simply cannot avail of them due to a lack of provision in our area.

We all know the pain and the difficulty that a dental issue, be it an ache, a broken tooth or a indeed braces can bring, and there is no doubt that they are time sensitive. When something needs to be done, it needs to be done quickly to alleviate discomfort.

Read more Kildare news

Sen O'Loughlin said figures sourced from the HSE show the number of dentists holding Dental Treatment Services Scheme contracts was 1,082 as of last month. However, figures from the start of this year show just 660 dentists across the country were actively treating medical card patients.

This number down significantly from 1,660 dentists holding DTSS contract in 2017. We have seen the same demand for dental services, if not an increase in the demand for dental services and at the same time a reduction in provision.
A man whose vehicle was swaying in an uncontrolled manner as he drove on the M7 near Monasterevin was prosecuted at Naas District Court.

Abdula Abdai, 45, whose address was given as Flat 2, 37 Upper Gardiner Street, Dublin 1, was prosecuted for dangerous driving, having no insurance, and drug driving at the M7, Ballyfarsoon, Monasterevin, on September 9, 2020.

Sgt Dave Hanrahan told the court on July 6 that a report of dangerous driving was received and the defendant failed a roadside breath test.

The court also heard that the defendant had previous convictions for drug offences, theft and for violent disorder. His last prior conviction was in 2018.

Read more Kildare news

Barrister Aisling Murphy said the defendant came to Ireland in 1997 to work and find a better life after he lost his entire family in a particularly violent incident.

Ms Murphy told the court the defendant fell into drug use and is entirely apologetic.

Ms Murphy also said that the defendant had been clean but fell back into the depths of it.

The court was also told the defendant is not in great health, he has a brain tumour and is due to have surgery.

Ms Murphy said the defendant is in custody and has served four weeks.

The defendant is now drug free and alcohol free.

Judge Cephas Power noted that the defendant was a victim of war in Somalia and he took into account these circumstances and the fact that he is in custody.

The defendant was disqualified for a total of four years and received a four months custody term.
The Taoiseach has been called on to intervene in the accommodation crisis for Ukrainian refugees with no beds available and many expected to have to sleep in airports.

The Ukraine Civil Society Forum (UCSF) that includes 65 civil society organisations involved in the emergency response and settlement of Ukrainian refugees to Ireland, has reiterated its call for a fresh approach and a national lead to be put in place immediately to manage and oversee the accommodation, settlement, and integration of refugees.

This follows the announcement that the Citywest hotel, now accommodating 1,050 refugees, has no place for new arrivals to sleep on Thursday night.

Amid worsening overcrowding at the transit centre at the Citywest hotel complex in Dublin, new arrivals on Wednesday who did not have alternative accommodation already arranged were asked to remain at Dublin Airport overnight and into Thursday.

Ireland has taken in around 40,000 refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine  the majority of them women and children.

Asylum seekers from other countries also continue to seek sanctuary in Ireland through the International Protection Service.

The forum said that, while the national response to the initial refugee emergency was very positive, it was clear for some time that the reliance on hotels is unsustainable.

More medium term solutions need to be activated with urgency, the forum said. They say there is an onus now on the Taoiseach to galvanise other arms of the State to step in and bring a fresh approach, they add.

The National Co-ordinator for the Ukraine Civil Society Forum, Emma Lane-Spollen, said: The crisis in Citywest will happen again if we dont do something new. We need the big decisions to be made now. A new agency, a national lead and a thought through plan. We have to move from crisis mode to get on top of the situation.

We must remember that we are talking about women, children and the elderly, all already traumatised, we need to make them safe. The war in Ukraine is not ending, and Ireland will continue to have to meet its international obligations to all refugees, Ms Lane-Spollen said.

The Forum will continue to work with Government, across civil society and with local community groups to identify the best possible solution and maximise all possible accommodation options.
DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has said he would be happy to travel to Carrickfergus to speak to community representatives after images of female politicians were hung from a bonfire.

Hanging effigies of Sinn Fein president and vice president Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle ONeill as well as Alliance Party leader Naomi Long were pictured on the Eleventh Night bonfire in the Co Antrim town on Monday.

The PSNI has launched an investigation into the incident.

Sir Jeffrey called on the people responsible to desist, saying that political protest should not be mixed with cultural expression.

He told the BBC: Displaying effigies of serving political leaders with the inference that they should be hung for their political views is wrong, it is unjustifiable, it is indefensible and it has no part in my culture as someone who is proud of my Ulster-British identity.

He said: I will be very clear with anyone I speak to that it harms our culture, it harms our identity, it harms our political position when you engage in activities that draw attention away from the positive aspects of our culture.

At the same time is offensive to others and I think even threatening to others.

Meanwhile, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar condemned the burning of the effigies as hatred not culture.

Addressing the Dail, Sinn Fein Finance Spokesperson Pearse Doherty called the burning a hate crime.

Over the past few days, we have seen effigies of my party colleagues Mary Lou McDonald, Michelle ONeill, along with Alliances Naomi Long  in addition to our national flag  being burned on unionist bonfires, he said.

This isnt culture, it is a hate crime. And it is unacceptable.

He said that Taoiseach Micheal Martin had failed to condemn the incident.

Shockingly, we have heard nothing from the Taoiseach, he said.

An effigy of the leader of the opposition burned in a bonfire 90 miles up the road and no official reaction from government.

This isnt good enough Tanaiste, its not good enough also from unionist political leaders, and also not good enough from the PSNI. And its not good enough for political leaders in this state.

He asked Mr Varadkar to join with him in unequivocally condemning the effigy-burning.

I did actually speak on this, on Newstalk yesterday, but happy to repeat what I said yesterday, he said.

Its not often that you and I agree 100%, but on this occasion I do agree with you 100%.

What we saw happen in Northern Ireland, effigies, posters of politicians, Michelle ONeill, Naomi Long, others, mainly female politicians  but not always  being burned is unacceptable.

The tricolour, the Palestinian flag, you name it, being burned on bonfires in Northern Ireland.

He said he respected orange culture, and that he had attended an orange order parade in Enniskillen years ago.

But he added: But burning images of other people, burning other countrys flags, that isnt culture  that is hatred.

It is absolutely wrong, and on behalf of the Government I absolute condemn it.
A bench warrant has been issued by the Court of Appeal for a young man convicted of using a knife to threaten his social worker, who said he feared for his life during the ordeal.

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is appealing what they believe to an unduly lenient sentence imposed upon Jason Byrne who was sentenced to six months in jail in June of last year for the offence.

Byrne (21) of Roseville Court, Newbridge, Co Kildare, was convicted at Naas Circuit Criminal Court on October 20, 2020, for producing an article capable of inflicting serious injury at a Tusla facility at Roseville on September 23, 2018, when he was 17 years-old.

He had pleaded guilty (GUILTY) to the offence, which is contrary to Section 11 of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990.

At the time of the offence, Byrne had no previous convictions but by the time of his sentencing he had amassed 12 convictions.

Judge Mary O'Malley Costello sentenced Byrne to 12 months' imprisonment with the final six months suspended for nine months during which time he was to engage with probation services.

The DPP is appealing the sentence on grounds that it did not "adequately reflect the nature of the charge and the consequences or effect on the victim".

In his submission to the court, Seoirse O Dunlaing BL, for the DPP, says that the sentencing judge also erred in principle by giving "undue weight to mitigating factors", not giving sufficient weight to "a subsequent history of offending" and that Byrne was assessed by probation services to be someone with a "high risk of reoffending".

Read more Kildare news

At his sentencing hearing, Garda Niamh Redican gave evidence that Byrne had been living alone in an upstairs apartment at the Tusla facility when he came downstairs to the staff kitchen at around 8pm.

The hearing heard that Byrne became aggressive and demanded money from petty cash and food. Byrne then made threats towards a social worker in the kitchen, saying that he would stab and kill him.

The social worker left to see if there was any petty cash and when he returned Byrne had a chair over his head and ran at the victim, stopping short of hitting him.

Later that night, Byrne told the social worker that he had been taking pills and using cocaine that day before again becoming aggressive and threatening the man with a knife.

Byrne eventually put down the knife and told the male to sleep with one eye open. In his statement to gardai, the male said he was in fear for his life and "thought it was the end".

Today (Thursday) at the Court of Appeal, Kevin Roche BL, told the non-jury court that he had been given no instruction as to why Byrne did not appear.

Presiding judge George Birmingham said the court would issue a bench warrant for Byrne and noted that his original trial had been delayed because Byrne went to Derby in the UK and had not been interviewed by gardai until he was 18 years-old.

Mr Justice Birmingham said that the ball was in Byrne's court, as he had been given the opportunity to work with probation services and had previously received positive reports on his progress from probation workers and gardai.
Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Robert Troy, TD, is encouraging businesses in Donegal, Leitrim and Sligo to embrace digital technologies to stay competitive, resilient and productive as part of the national Grow Digital campaign.

The 85 million Digital Transition Fund is now in place to help companies use digital technologies like AI, cloud computing and big data to improve their products, processes, supply chains and services.

To support Irish businesses to start or further their digital transformation, the Grow Digital workshop series is taking place across the regions over July and into the autumn and will feature Digital Transition Clinics to assist businesses as they navigate the process of digitalisation. The North-West workshop is run in conjunction with the Western Development Commission and the North-West Regional Enterprise Plan.

Speaking ahead of the North West Grow Digital Workshop in Sligo, Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Robert Troy TD said: The goal of Grow Digital is to help drive a step-change in the level of digital uptake by enterprises right across the country. Growing our businesses use of digital technologies will help us to build the resilience of our enterprise base and as we work to future-proof our economy in the years ahead. We are at a point now where every business should be looking at how they could benefit from the implementation of digital technologies.

These workshops will give enterprises across the regions an important opportunity to hear from other regional businesses that have already progressed their own digitalisation and how it has benefitted them. It is my hope that this will help to drive home the message of the potential offered by these technologies. Weve launched these workshops alongside the new Digital Transition Fund, which is in place to help businesses at all stages of their digital journey. I strongly encourage all businesses whether they have yet to embrace digitalisation or are further along their digital journey to find out more of the supports available to them and avail of the financial and advisory supports if applicable.

A key focus for the workshop is to support businesses in identifying the next steps which they can take as they look towards adopting new digital technologies. These clinics will be run by representatives from the network of Local Enterprise Offices, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland.

The workshops include case studies from regional businesses that have advanced their own digital transition including Cora Systems (Leitrim), Tantek4D (Sligo) and Secora (Donegal), and an outline of the funding available under the new Digital Transition Fund.
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Aontu Leader Peadar Toibin TD has questioned the logic of the HSE providing hospital services in Spain while closing an A&E in Ireland. He stated News that a hospital has opened up on the Costa Blanca, Spain which is dedicated to the treatment of Irish patients on waiting lists sounds like an April Fools joke 2 months late. The Hospital will provide almost every treatment there that is performed in Ireland to initially 1,500 Irish patients in the first year. At a time of Climate Change the HSE thinks it better that patients take flights to Spain to get health treatment than travel to their local hospital. Right in the middle of a Cost of Living Crisis the HSE expects sick patients to get flights and hotel accommodation in Spain to undergo routine operations.

Covid has made international travel extremely unpredictable. Another serious wave of Covid could see the Spanish government restrict travel from Ireland. Where would that leave Irish treatment in the Costa Blanca Hospital. The HSE is outsourcing public healthcare to a private Spanish Hospital Group. The Minister for Health must detail openly what is the cost of this contract and will the HSE pay for the use of this hospital even if Irish patients cant travel because of Covid. The whole plan is stranger than fiction especially when you consider that the HSE is closing down Hospital capacity here in Navan because the they wont provide acute surgery services.

The mind boggles to think what the next HSE plan will be. Mental Health in Morocco, Maternity Services in Milan, Coronary Care in Copenhagen. The Minister needs to reign in the HSE and refocus them on providing Irish patients with public health care in Ireland
Legionnaires from the Second Foreign Infantry Regiment inspect armored vehicles in Niger, June 29, 2022. COLIN DELFOSSE FOR "LE MONDE"

Many months ago, well before the war in Ukraine, France launched a vast project: redefining its strategic position in Africa. Diplomats and the military are now forced to accelerate the process, with the last soldiers deployed as part of "Operation Barkhane" supposed to leave Mali by September.

France's new "offer" in Africa is due to be outlined by Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu, and Foreign Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna in a joint visit to Niger on July 14 and 15. Then Mr. Lecornu will visit Ivory Coast, before a trip to Africa by President Emmanuel Macron at the end of the month. Mr. Lecornu and Ms. Colonna will visit the base in Niamey where France will leave about a thousand men at the end of the summer. They should also visit a village where a project to fight child malnutrition has been implemented for the last three years by the United Nations. A 50 million euro loan from the French Development Agency (AFD) will also be signed.

Read more Subscribers only France's Barkhane forces fine-tune their Mali exit

In the words of a diplomatic source, this trip will focus on the "civil-military nexus." Not for the first time. But some consider that the focus on development should be strengthened, because of the geostrategic upheavals in Africa and the urgency for France to position itself in the competition between powers, particularly vis-a-vis Russia.

"In many respects, development can and must contribute more strongly to the solution, by focusing on youth, job creation and sustainable development," said Remy Rioux, the director of AFD. He sees "a clear and positive signal in this direction" in the appointment of Chrysoula Zacharopoulou as junior minister for development, the French-speaking world, and international ^partnerships.

A 'new strategy' in early September

The trip by Mr. Lecornu and Ms. Colonna is not expected to set the entire French plan in stone. France's top general Thierry Burkhard and the Foreign Affairs Ministry are will present a "new strategy" in early September, according to information released to the press on Tuesday, July 12.

"We will take the time to reflect on this future offer with our partners in the Sahel," a military source added during the same exchange, aligning with the very cautious position taken at all levels of the Defense Ministry for months. The offer is expected to be mainly bilateral in the short term, while European mechanisms for Africa, such as training missions or the European Peace Facility (allowing funds to be released for the purchase of arms), still appear to be lacking maturity.

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Read more Subscribers only Mali: Exclusive investigation into former president IBK's scandal-ridden son

The former special envoy for the Sahel, diplomat Frederic Bontemps, who was in charge of a task force on the matter until June, wrote a classified report with recommendations. But several opposing stances have emerged in recent months. There are supporters, including at the Elysee Palace, of a clean break with the past and even closing certain bases, particularly in West Africa. That position is "in phase with Emmanuel Macron's dream for Africa during his first term, which was not only focused on French-speaking Africa," said Elie Tenenbaum of the French Institute for International Relations (IFRI). But, he said, the Defense Ministry would be reluctant to such big changes.

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Naja Lyberth, who had an IUD inserted at the age of 14 without her parents' knowledge LEIFF JOSEFSEN

In 1976, Naja Lyberth was 14 years old. She lived on Maniitsoq, a small island in western Greenland. The day after a medical visit at school, the teenager and her classmates were sent to the hospital to each have an IUD (intrauterine device, a long-acting contraceptive) inserted. Her parents were not informed and, for the girl, refusal was not an option.

Today, Ms. Lyberth is 60 and works as a psychologist in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory. She still remembers the excruciating pain she felt when the IUD entered her uterus  a pain that would return every month with her period.

At the time of the operation, she had never had sexual relations. "The state stole my virginity," she told Greenlandic women's magazine Arnanut in June 2021. The article also featured the testimony of another woman. How many have suffered the same ordeal? The magazine gave a staggering figure: between 1966 and 1970, 4,500 IUDs were inserted in Greenlandic women and teenagers. At that time, there were 9,000 women of childbearing age in Greenland.

Upon discovering the article, Copenhagen-based journalists Anne Pilegaard Petersen and Celine Klint decided to dig deeper into the subject, surprised by the lack of information around it. Like Ms. Lyberth, they wondered why so many Greenlandic women, some of them very young, had had an IUD inserted without their parents' consent. Who decided this? And what agenda did they have in mind?

In a podcast uploaded at the beginning of May on the website of the public broadcasting group DR, Ms. Pilegaard Petersen and Ms. Klint lifted the veil on one of the forgotten chapters of Denmark's colonial history: the "IUD campaign."

Modernization campaign

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Since Ms. Lyberth testified, many other victims have come forward. Some have never been able to have children, due to various infections caused  they are sure  by the IUD. Others, unaware that they had been implanted with an IUD, discovered it years later. Did they repress the memory of the hospital visit and the insertion of the contraceptive device into their womb? The fact remains that, for a long time, doctors continued to find the devices in the uteruses of patients who had consulted them because they could not get pregnant.

"There were not many women in this situation, but enough nonetheless that all the gynecologists who have practiced here have seen it," Aviaja Siegstad, a practitioner at the Queen Ingrid Hospital in Nuuk, recently told Greenland's public broadcaster KNR. Like her colleagues, she assumed that it must have been individual gynecologists who were responsible.

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SUNDAY'S ALL-IRELAND final pairs two of hurling's heavyweights - but the last time Limerick beat Kilkenny in the decider was back in 1973.

Up until the Treaty's win over Galway at the 2018 final, those heady days seemedc fabled and a long time ago in the memory.

However, Limerick people have been fortunate to enjoy four trophy-laden years, with the hurlers not only scooping the holy grail of the All-Ireland title, but also scoring multiple Munster and Allianz League honours.

Now, reader Paul Clifford has written in with his memories of Limerick's 1973 victory which took place in the traditional month of September at a sodden-wet Croke Park.

Notably for the Cats, he recalls a 19-year-old youngster by the name of Brian Cody lining out at left-half back.

Now Kilkenny boss, Cody will be hoping to lead his charges to a 37th title.

In his way stands John Kiely who is bidding to bring Limerick a third-straight title, or indeed a 'Threepeat' as the Americans like to say.

Paul spared a thought for Mickey Graham of the Claughaun club, who despite playing lovely hurling all year, broke his leg in the league final against Wexford earlier in 1973 and thus missed out on one of Limerick's greatest days of all.

"The match referee was Mick Slattery from Co Clare. Out through injury for Kilkenny was their talisman, Eddie Keher and heading into the final Limerick switched Eamonn Cregan from his customary corner forward position to centre half back. Cregan was given the task of nullifying ace marksman Pat Delaney. It was exhibitionist stuff from Cregan. Time after time he delivered lengthy clearances of his left and right side. He was man of the match on the day but was ably assisted by the Patrickswell duo of Sean Foley and Richie Bennis," Paul, who lives in Wolfe Tone Street added.

Due to the sodden weather, he noted the pitch was slippery, leaving the sliothar tough to control.

But matter not did it for Limerick, as they secured a 1-21 to 1-14 win at GAA headquarters.

How nice it would be to see a repeat of that score on Sunday!
Amid the growing demand for more buses for public transport in the city, the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has decided to withdraw the 350 buses it had provided to various private schools in the national capital.

It has also decided not to provide more buses to private schools in the city from the new academic session.

This decision has been taken in view of the insufficient number of buses in the DTC fleet.

The DTC officials have been ordered by the Delhi Government to include the 350 DTC buses running in various private schools back in the DTC fleet.

Presently, out of the buses engaged in the work of transporting children of private schools, about 10 buses will still continue to serve.

Private schools with special circumstances, such as private buses engaged in schools for children with disabilities, will not be called back, said sources.

In September 2021 itself, the Delhi government had informed private schools that DTC buses would be removed from the service of schools and therefore schools should make alternative arrangements for buses, said a DTC official.

In January 2022, DTC also sent a reminder regarding this. After that, the matter went to court.

In April 2022, the association of some private schools and parents went to the Delhi High Court regarding this matter, the matter is still in the court, but in the meantime, the Delhi Government has ordered the withdrawal of the DTC buses installed in private schools.

Meanwhile, the DTC recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) for the development of land parcels and bus terminals in the national capital.

In the first phase of the project, land parcels and bus terminals at Nehru Place, Najafgarh, Azadpur, Mehrauli and Narela have been identified jointly by DTC and DMRC for development.

The agreement provides flexibility to take up work under one of the suitable models among Public Private Partnership (PPP), Property Business (PB) and Deposit Work basis according to existing urban development bylaws, instructions, regulations, and Master Plan of Delhi (MPD-2021), the Delhi government said in a statement.

As per the MoU, DMRC would be implementing these projects from conceptualisation till commissioning and would be rendering all the services including pre-constructional activities such as the development of preliminary plans, preparation of preliminary estimates, construction activities such as approval of design of drawing of the layout plan, tendering and execution of work.

The scope of work would also include post-constructional activities such as obtaining completion certificates from local bodies and facilitation of handing over of the project on completion.

Empowered Committee headed by Chairman (DTC) and comprising two members each from DTC and DMRC would monitor the implementation of the Project and accord necessary approval for design, change in designs, estimates, deviations, escalation, imposition of penalties on the contractor, if any, etc.

The Empowered Committee will also review the financial status of the project on a quarterly basis or as desired by the Chairman of the Empowered Committee.

The Empowered Committee will be formulated within 15 days from the date of signing of this MoU, the statement said.
As Twitter filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk , Chief Executive Officer Parag Agrawal warned employees against a lot of distractions around the company ahead including speculations and encouraged them to stay focused.

In an email, Agrawal wrote, The coming weeks will be filled with news and noise about this case including speculation from the media and analysts, Agrawal wrote in an email. Some of the coverage will be helpful to explain this complicated process, but a lot of the speculation will be distracting."

The work all of us do, as individuals and as #OneTeam, impacts peoples lives and comes with deep responsibility and meaning," he wrote. Our resilience, collectively, will carry us forward," said the Twitter CEO, ending the email, which was filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday, on an encouraging note.

Twitter Inc on Tuesday sued Elon Musk for violating his $44 billion deal to buy the social media platform and asked a Delaware court to order him to complete the merger at the agreed $54.20 per Twitter share.

The complaint stated that Musk apparently believes that he - unlike every other party subject to Delaware contract law - is free to change his mind, trash the company, disrupt its operations, destroy stockholder value, and walk away.

The lawsuit sets in motion one of the biggest legal showdowns in Wall Street history, involving one of the business world's most colorful entrepreneurs in a case that will turn on staid contract language.

Stating that Twitter violated the agreement by failing to respond to requests for information regarding fake or spam accounts on the platform, which is fundamental to its business performance, Musk announced that he was terminating the deal.

The lawsuit accused the chief executive officer of electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc of a long list of violations of the merger agreement that have cast a pall over Twitter and its business.

It said for the first time that employee attrition has been on the upswing since the deal was announced.

The microblogging site also accused Musk of secretly accumulating shares in the company between January and March without properly disclosing his substantial purchases to regulators, adding that he instead kept amassing Twitter stock with the market none the wiser."

While Musk stated that executive departures amounted to a failure to conduct business in the ordinary course, Twitter said it removed that language from the merger contract during negotiations.

The social media platform also said it did not share more information with Musk regarding spam accounts because it feared he would build a competing platform after abandoning the acquisition.








COLOMBO (SRI LANKA) : As Sri Lankas foreign-exchange reserves began to dwindle under a mountain of debt early in the Covid-19 pandemic, some officials argued it was time to ask for a bailout from the International Monetary Fund, a politically fraught move that traditionally comes with painful austerity measures.
The Assyrians are a people who have lived in the Middle East since ancient times and today can be found all over the world. They are well known for their vast ancient empire; ancient cities, such as Nimrud and Nineveh; and their fierce invasions, including into the Kingdom of Judah and Egypt.

In ancient times, the Assyrian civilization was often centered at the city of Assur (also called Ashur), named after the supreme god of Assyria and the ruins of the city are located in what is now northern Iraq. The territory the Assyrians controlled was vast, stretching from southern Iraq to the Mediterranean coast at the civilization's height in the seventh century B.C.

Before the city of Assur gained its independence about 4,000 years ago, it was controlled by a people known as the Sumerians, whose civilization declined because of a mix of political, military and environmental problems.

Modern-day scholars often divide Assyrian history into three periods: the Old Assyrian, the Middle Assyrian and the Neo-Assyrian. However, scholars disagree about the time span each period covers.

A map showing the extent of the Assyrian Empire. (Image credit: iSidhe via Getty Images)

Old Assyrian period

The Old Assyrian period generally refers to the time after Assyria first gained independence, around 2000 B.C.

In the first two centuries after independence Assur was a city focussed on trade, wrote Klaas Veenhof, an emeritus professor of Assyriology at Leiden University in a paper published in the book " A Companion to Assyria (opens in new tab)" (Wiley Blackwell, 2017). The city was no more than 40 hectares in size and held a population of between 5000-8000 people, something that likely limited its military power, Veenhof noted.

Its early rulers didn't refer to themselves as a "king" in their inscriptions; instead, they called themselves a "vicegerent" (a word that can mean "governor") of the god Ashur, Amelie Kuhrt, professor emeritus of ancient Near Eastern history at University College London, wrote in her book " The Ancient Near East, c. 3000-330 BC (opens in new tab)" (Routledge, 1995).

Part of an inscription found on an Assyrian temple's stairway reads, "Erishum, the vicegerent of the god Ashur, son of Ilushuma, vicegerent of the god Ashur, built the entire temple area of the temple of the god Ashur" (translation by Albert Kirk Grayson). Why Assyria's early rulers used such modest titles (governor as opposed to king) is a mystery that scholars are still trying to understand.

A royal letter from Ashur-uballit I, the king of Assyria, to the king of Egypt, circa 1353 B.C. to 1336 B.C. In this letter, one of the Amarna letters, the king of Assyria, Ashur-uballit I, sends a personal messenger and offers gifts to the king of Egypt, most likely Akhenaten, in order to open communications with the major superpower of the region. (Image credit: Rogers Fund, 1924; CC0 1.0

The people of the city spoke Assyrian, which is a "distinct language, albeit closely related to Babylonian, which was used in the regions south of Assur," Karen Radner, the Alexander von Humboldt chair for the ancient history of the Near and Middle East at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, wrote in her book " Ancient Assyria: A Very Short Introduction (opens in new tab)" (Oxford University Press, 2015).

In about 1800 B.C., a ruler named Shamshi-Adad I (sometimes spelled Samsi-Adad) took control of Assur. He incorporated the city into a sizable amount of territory that he already controlled in what is now Iraq and Syria. Unlike the previous rulers of Assur, Shamshi-Adad made no pretense of modesty, instead giving himself a title that scholars sometimes translate as "king of the universe," wrote Albert Grayson, professor emeritus of Assyriology at the University of Toronto, in the book " Assyrian Royal Inscriptions: From the beginning to Ashur-resha-ishi I (opens in new tab)" (Otto Harrassowitz, 1972).

Shamshi-Adad's empire did not last long. After his death, it collapsed and the kingdoms of Ekallatum, Eshnunna and Babylon all controlled Assur at some point during the period of about 1775 B.C. to 1720 B.C.," Shigeo Yamada, a history professor at the University of Tsukuba, wrote in a paper published in the book " A Companion to Assyria (opens in new tab)". By around 1500 B.C., Assur was under strong influence, if not control, of a kingdom called Mitanni, Yamada wrote.

Middle Assyrian period

During the 14th century B.C., the kingdom of Mitanni began to fade, and those in charge of Assur began to assert the city's independence. Modern-day scholars often call this period of newfound Assyrian independence the Middle Assyrian period. At the start of this period, Assur-uballit I (who reigned from around 1363 B.C. to 1328 B.C.) came to power at Assur and claimed independence from Mitanni, Stefan Jacob, a researcher at Heidelberg University in Germany, wrote in a paper that was also published in "A Companion to Assyria." In a letter to the pharaoh of Egypt, Assur-uballit I (also called Ashur-uballit I) referred to himself as a "brother" of the pharaoh claiming "equal status with him," Jacob wrote. Assur-uballit I also attempted to use military conquest to expand the territory he controlled.

His successors further enlarged Assyrian territory. Adad-nirari I (who reigned from around 1305 B.C. to 1274 B.C.) conquered Mitanni, taking over a kingdom that had ruled Assyria a century earlier. In ancient texts, Adad-nirari I claimed that he "sowed salt over" the Mittani capital of Taidu and imposed labor obligations on the city's survivors. He constructed a palace over Taidu saying that he built it "from top to bottom" and deposited a stele (an inscription carved on stone) to mark his control of the city (translation by Albert Kirk Grayson). Adad-nirari I also called himself "king of the universe," a title that future Assyrian kings would also use.

Assyrian art on the wall of King Ashurnasirpal II. Ashur-nasir-pal II was king of Assyria from 883 B.C. to 859 B.C. Ashurnasirpal II succeeded his father, Tukulti-Ninurta II, in 883 B.C. (Image credit: Lefteris_ via Getty Images)

Ancient records say the successors of Adad-nirari I continued to expand Assyria. The Assyrians conquered Babylon during the reign of Tukulti-Ninurta I (1243 B.C. to 1207 B.C.) and reached the Mediterranean coast during the reign of Tiglath-Pileser I (1114 B.C. to 1076 B.C.). Tiglath-Pileser marked the achievement by bringing back cedar wood for building projects, ancient texts say.

The martial prowess and skill of the Assyrian kings continued to be emphasized in ancient inscriptions. Tiglath-Pileser I boasted in one inscription that "altogether I conquered 42 lands and their rulers" from across the Middle East, adding that he was a "valiant man" with an "unrivaled bow" who was such a good hunter that "I killed on foot 120 lions with my wildly vigorous assault" (translation by Albert Kirk Grayson).

However, inscriptions from Tiglath-Pileser's time, and that of his successors, point to problems Assyria was experiencing. Cities and civilizations across the Middle East were collapsing as as a group of people from the Aegean that are sometimes called the "sea people," arrived in the region, displacing local populations and collapsing trade networks. Assyrian records indicate that Tiglath-Pileser and his successors frequently fought against the Arameans, a group of people who were displaced or otherwise caught up in the chaos. In the two centuries following Tiglath-Pileser's conquests, Assyria's territory contracted, but the kingdom retained control of Assur and nearby areas. Assyria didn't expand again until the 10th century B.C.

Neo-Assyrian period

The time period from the late 10th century B.C. when the Assyrians started expanding again, to the destruction of the Assyrian Empire around 600 B.C. is often called the Neo-Assyrian period. During this time, the territory Assyria controlled reached its greatest geographic size.

At the start of this time period, Assyria had lost a considerable amount of territory. "Step by step, however, a number of assertive and ruthless Assyrian kings of the late tenth and ninth centuries manage to reconquer the lost lands and reestablish Assyrian power  ," Eckart Frahm, an Assyriology professor at Yale University, wrote in a paper that was also published in "A Companion to Assyria."

Under Ashurnasirpal II (reign 883 B.C. to 859 B.C.), the Assyrians reconquered much of the territory they had once controlled, again reaching the Mediterranean coast. Ashurnasirpal II also constructed a new palace at the city of Nimrud (also known as Kalhu) and used this city as Assyria's capital, Frahm wrote. This policy of the king keeping himself some distance from Assur would be continued by future Assyrian kings. Sargon II (reign ca. 721 B.C. to 705 B.C.) founded a new city called Khorsabad, making it his capital, while Sennacherib (reign 704 B.C. to 681 B.C.) constructed a new palace at Nineveh, moving the Assyrian capital there.

Why Ashurnasirpal II and his successors chose to distance themselves from Assur, the traditional capital city of Assyria, is a source of debate among scholars.

Throughout Assyria's history, the king wasn't the only one jockeying for power over the kingdom, Radner wrote in a paper published in the book " Revolt and Resistance in the Ancient Classical World and the Near East (opens in new tab)" (Brill, 2016). At Assur, the king had to deal with nobles and a council that may have been elected, Radner wrote. Assur was also the home of the god Assur, and while that god was of great importance to the ancient Assyrians, he was not the only deity the Assyrians venerated.

Here we see a human-headed winged lion known as Lamassu. Lamassu protected and supported important doorways in Assyrian palaces. The horned cap attests to its divinity, and the belt signifies its power. The sculptor gave these guardian figures five legs so that they appear to be standing firmly when viewed from the front but striding forward when seen from the side. (Image credit: Gift of John D. Rockefeller Jr., 1932; CC0 1.0

"The relocation of the seat of royal power must be primarily seen as a strategy to, firstly, emancipate the king from god Assur and, secondly, weaken the influence of the aristocratic and democratic powers whose influence were strongest and most visible in the city of Assur," Radner wrote.

In addition to establishing a new capital, Ashurnasirpal II and his successors abolished hereditary governors, replacing them with individuals who owed their position to the king, Radner noted. The Assyrian kings also relied increasingly on eunuchs, or men who had been castrated. As these men couldn't have offspring, any power a eunuch gained couldn't be passed on through a family line, thus minimizing the danger they posed to the king and his successors.

During the Neo-Assyrian period, the kings of Assyria increased their kingdom's size to its largest yet. In addition to retaking Babylon and part of modern-day Lebanon, the Assyrians launched a series of campaigns into modern-day Israel and Palestine, resulting in numerous mentions in the Hebrew Bible.

They did not always rule the newly conquered territories directly but sometimes allowed "client" rulers to reign over the territories on condition that they give Assyria whatever support requested, Peter Bedford, a religious studies professor at Union College in Schenectady, New York, wrote in a paper published in the book " The Dynamics of Ancient Empires: State Power from Assyria to Byzantium (opens in new tab)" (Oxford University Press, 2009).

Client rulers had to swear "oaths of obedience," Bedford wrote, noting that "part of the act of obedience was the annual sending of tribute to the Assyrian king." If client rulers broke their oaths, the Assyrians would march in and take over their territory directly, turning it into a province  a frequent occurrence, Bedford noted.

Biblical battle

While the Assyrians pushed far to the West, trouble was brewing in the East. During the seventh century B.C., Assyrian rulers put down a series of rebellions in Babylonia. Meanwhile, a group called the Medes, based in what is now Iran, also launched attacks on Assyrian forces.

Under attack from two groups, while trying to maintain their holdings in the West, the Assyrian military came under pressure. The Babylonians became fully independent during the reign of the Babylonian king Nabopolassar (reign ca. 625 B.C. to 605 B.C).

In 612 B.C., the Median king Cyaxares (reign ca. 625 B.C. to 585 B.C.) launched a major attack on Nineveh, which the Assyrian king Sinsharishkun (reign ca. 622 B.C. 612 B.C.) tried to stop. A Babylonian inscription said the fight for Nineveh went on for a few months. "Three battles were fought" in that time, following which the Medians stormed the city itself. The city fell and was destroyed by the Median army who turned the city "into ruin hills and heaps of debris," according to ancient inscriptions (translation by CJ Gadd).

This relief fragment dates to the time of the Assyrian king Sennacherib (reigned 704 B.C. to 681 B.C.), and comes from the great Southwest Palace, called by Sennacherib the "Palace Without Rival," at Nineveh in northern Iraq. It shows an Assyrian soldier leading a horse beside a large river, and comes originally from a much larger scene depicting an Assyrian campaign that filled a room of the palace. (Image credit: Gift of John D. Rockefeller Jr., 1932; CC0 1.0

The Assyrians fought further battles, but their military was gradually drained, and their territory was destroyed or taken over. It's not clear if Sinsharishkun died at Nineveh or sometime later in a future battle. By 600 B.C., the Assyrian kingdom had been completely destroyed.

Although many Assyrian cities were destroyed or badly damaged, some Assyrians survived the downfall. The survivors, and those descended from them, lived through a long line of rulers. In the period after the time of Jesus Christ , the Assyrians converted to Christianity, a religion many Assyrians have kept through the present day.

Today, the Assyrian homeland is still in northern Iraq; however, the destruction brought about by the Islamic State (also known as ISIS, ISIL or Daesh) has resulted in many Assyrians being killed or forced to flee. The terrorist group has also destroyed , looted or heavily damaged many Assyrian sites , including Nimrud. The Assyrian people live on today and can be found all over the world.

Additional resources

Learn more about the Assyrians from the Assyrian American Cultural Organization (opens in new tab) .

. Excavations of Assyrian archaeological remains have been going on for over 200 years, and you can learn more about the 19th-century excavations from the Metropolitan Museum of Art (opens in new tab) .

. The British Museum (opens in new tab) has an impressive collection of Assyrian artifacts as well as a virtual tour of their galleries.

Timeline

Circa 2000 B.C. Assyria becomes an independent state.

Assyria becomes an independent state. Circa 1800 B.C. Assyrian king Shamshi-Adad conquers Assur in Iraq. He calls himself "king of the universe," a title that future Assyrian kings continue to use.

Assyrian king Shamshi-Adad conquers Assur in Iraq. He calls himself "king of the universe," a title that future Assyrian kings continue to use. Circa 1500 B.C. The kingdom of Mitanni has heavy influence, if not direct control over Assyria.

The kingdom of Mitanni has heavy influence, if not direct control over Assyria. Circa 1363 B.C to 1328 B.C. Reign of Assur-Uballit I, who asserts Assyria's independence.

Reign of Assur-Uballit I, who asserts Assyria's independence. Circa 1305 B.C. to 1274 B.C. Reign of Adad-nirari, I who conquers Mitanni.

Reign of Adad-nirari, I who conquers Mitanni. Circa 1243 B.C. to 1207 B.C. Reign of Tukulti-Ninurta I, the king who conquers Babylon.

Reign of Tukulti-Ninurta I, the king who conquers Babylon. Circa 1114 B.C. to 1076 B.C. Reign of Tiglath-Pileser I who pushes the Assyrian Empire's borders to the Mediterranean coast. After his reign, the Assyria Empire's borders receded.

Reign of Tiglath-Pileser I who pushes the Assyrian Empire's borders to the Mediterranean coast. After his reign, the Assyria Empire's borders receded. Circa 883 B.C. to 859 B.C. Reign of Ashurnasirpal II, who constructs a new palace at the city of Nimrud and reconquers lost territory.

Reign of Ashurnasirpal II, who constructs a new palace at the city of Nimrud and reconquers lost territory. Circa 721 B.C. to 705 B.C. Reign of Sargon II, who founded a new city at Khorsabad, making it his capital. He also destroys the northern kingdom of Israel.

Reign of Sargon II, who founded a new city at Khorsabad, making it his capital. He also destroys the northern kingdom of Israel. 701 B.C. Siege of Jerusalem, Assyria fails to capture the city and the kingdom of Judah lives on for more than a century.

Siege of Jerusalem, Assyria fails to capture the city and the kingdom of Judah lives on for more than a century. Circa 680 B.C. to 669 B.C. Reign of Esarhaddon, Assyria invades Egypt.

Reign of Esarhaddon, Assyria invades Egypt. Circa 612 B.C. Median king Cyaxares launches an invasion of Assyria. The campaign eventually results in the destruction of Assyria as an independent state.

Originally published on Live Science on Oct. 26, 2016 and republished on July 14, 2022.
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A three-judge appellate panel ordered the release of a transcript in the Roman Polanski case on Wednesday, one day after the Los Angeles County District Attorneys office withdrew its objection to disclosing the document.

Two authors, Sam Wasson and William Rempel, had asked the court to unseal the transcript of a 2010 examination of Roger Gunson, the retired prosecutor who handled the case against Polanski in 1977. Polanski has been a fugitive ever since fleeing to France in 1978, shortly before he was to be sentenced for raping a 13-year-old girl.

Polanski and his supporters have often argued that Judge Laurence Rittenband engaged in serious misconduct and reneged on a promise to sentence him to no more than a 90-day psychiatric evaluation. Gunson was interviewed for the 2008 documentary Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, which brought greater scrutiny to the handling of the case. He also testified behind closed doors for three days in 2010, as Polanskis defense lawyers were seeking to have the case dismissed. Gunson has accused Rittenband of acting inappropriately and claimed that his own supervisors prevented him from trying to remove the judge from the case.

The D.A.s office has previously opposed release of the Gunson transcript and has also objected to Polanskis efforts to dismiss the case or to be sentenced in absentia. But George Gascon, who was elected D.A. in 2020, reversed the offices position on releasing the transcript on Monday. Tiffiny Blacknell, a special advisor to Gascon, also told Variety that the office is interested in reviewing the case with fresh eyes, and will decide its next steps after seeing what the transcript says.

In its order on Wednesday, the appeals court took note of the D.A.s reversal, stating we agree with the People that there is no factual or legal basis for the conditional deposition transcript to remain sealed.

The court also quoted its own ruling from 2009, in which the appeals court urged the lower court to investigate the allegations of misconduct in the Polanski case. At the time, the court wrote, Fundamental fairness and justice in our criminal justice system are far more important than the conviction and sentence of any one individual Polanskis allegations urgently require full exploration and then, if indicated, curative action for the abuses alleged here.

Polanskis lawyer, Harland Braun, said Tuesday that he may renew his efforts to resolve the case once the transcript is released.

Gascon issued a statement on Wednesday afternoon, noting that the victim in the case, Samantha Geimer, had asked that the transcript be unsealed. Gascon also suggested an interest in obtaining closure in the case.

The courts decision helped us move toward upholding our responsibility to tell the public the truth, and to listen to survivors, he said. We hope it gives her a small measure of assurance that eventually, she can have some measure of closure in this decades-long litigation.

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BBC Studios is migrating its flagship Showcase event in 2023 from Liverpool in the north of England down to London. The event, which returns in person for the first time since February 2020, leaves Liverpools iconic waterfront after nine years.

Showcase will take place from Feb. 27-28  a reduced event from years past, when the confab ran for about four days.

BBC Studios, the powerhouse U.K. producer and distributor, has said the London Showcase event will have a fresh focus on upstream creative projects from across its range of production houses, labels and partners.

The move from Liverpool is not surprising, and has been widely speculated in recent years as the week-long U.K. Screenings event by international distributors in London has grown.

In pre-pandemic years, broadcasters and streamers would fly to the U.K. from all over the world to attend the BBC Studios Showcase, a glamorous multi-day event in Liverpool at the tail end of winter. There, the Beeb offered exclusive previews of its latest shows and formats, served alongside a dinner show featuring such musical guests as Nile Rodgers and Fatboy Slim.

After being wined and dined, these buyers would then travel by train down to London, where theyd have meetings with other international TV distributors, such as Fremantle, ITV Studios and Warner Bros., which over the years began setting up snazzy presentations of their own  a week of activities that became known as U.K. Screenings.

The Screenings have become so big, however, that its felt slightly odd to have international buyers head up to Liverpool  a two-hour train journey from London  for just one distributor, only to then return to the capital for the rest of their meetings.

Next year will be the first year that Showcase has been staged in London.

The BBC event began life in the Old Ship in Brighton in 1976 when 25 European buyers convened at the old seafront hotel to watch classic BBC shows like Fawlty Towers, The Good Life and Doctor Who. During the 1980s, the event moved around Sussex, Bournemouth, Edinburgh, Bristol, Stratford-Upon-Avon and Harrogate before returning to Brighton and then, in 2012, finding a new home at Liverpools ACC.

Of Showcases association with Liverpool, Louise McNab, director of content sales at BBC Studios, said the company owes all at the ACC and the city of Liverpool a huge debt of gratitude for hosting us for many memorable years. The welcome we received was unparalleled and we had some wonderful times that will live long in the memory. Id like to thank everyone involved for the part they played.

The 2023 event in London will also feature BBC Studios international production and formats teams.

Further details about Showcase will be announced in the forthcoming months.

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Is it illegal to work out naked? Chris Meloni, of Law and Order fame, would say no. At least, thats according to his recent Peloton ad, which features the 61-year-old actor baring it all in a series of fitness positions.

Apparently, some people think the way I work out is strange, Meloni says at the beginning of the commercial, released Thursday. The first shot shows Meloni doing bicep curls, shirtless and ripped as ever, before the camera zooms out and reveals a cluster of pixels below the belt, and nothing else on his body except sneakers and socks. Honestly, I dont get it.

Produced by Ryan Reynolds Maximum Effort marketing agency, the video then shows Meloni demonstrating all the ways the Peloton app inspires him to work out, from doing naked cardio in his bedroom to naked yoga by his pool, next to a naked statue of Michelangelos David. While running naked in a park, Meloni passes a dog that barks at him, with the subtitled line Wow! He really does have a great app!

In the Peloton community, users are represented by two separate, yet equally motivated groups, narrator Steve Zirnkilton says at the end of the commercial, referencing Law and Order. Those who wear pants  and Christopher Meloni.

The ad follows a controversial spot last December that featured Sex and the City actor Chris Noth, whose character Mr. Big died after a Peloton workout on the And Just Like That spin-off series. The commercial was pulled after Noth was accused of sexual assault by two separate women. Also produced by Reynolds Maximum Effort, the ad was made quickly in response to his characters death on the show, which the company was quick to assure viewers had nothing to do with his use of their equipment. That Noth ad was deleted from YouTube and Reynolds social platforms.

Watch Melonis ad below.

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Italian actor and director Valeria Golino (The Morning Show, Miele) is set to make her debut as a TV series director with The Art of Joy, an erotically charged female empowerment drama set in early 20th-century Sicily and produced by Sky Studios.

Golinos high-end period skein about a Sicilian young woman named Modesta, born into an impoverished family in early 1900 and driven by a strong belief that shes destined for a better life, was announced during a Sky Italy presentation in Rome where the pay-TV operator unveiled its upcoming lineup of 60 Italian originals  series and films  for 2022, most of which have been already announced.

The presentations standout, revealed for the first time, is The Art of Joy, which is based on an epic, and highly erotic, feminist novel by the late Italian author and actor Goliarda Sapienza.

Art of Joy has been a longtime passion project for Golino, who was very young when she went to Hollywood and starred in films such as Rain Man and then returned to Italy as an A-list actor. She debuted as a director with Miele, which in 2013 won praise in Cannes. She returned to the Croisette as a helmer in 2018 with Euphoria. This year, Golino presided over the Cannes Un Certain Regard jury.

At the presentation, Golino recounted that she met the Art of Joy author when she was 18, a time when Sapienza was writing the book, which was published posthumously.

Golino noted that its become a cult novel in Italy, but also in France and has been translated in many other languages [including English] and praised Sky for boarding what she called a very racy story.

Shooting is set to start this year in Sicily on Art of Joy, which is written by Golino with a team comprising Francesca Marciano (Miele), Valia Santella (The Traitor), Luca Infascelli (The Catholic School) and Stefano Sardo (1994). Casting is still being decided.

Other highlights of the Sky presentation by Nils Hartmann, executive VP of Sky Studios Germany and Italy, and Antonella dErrico, executive VP of programming for Sky Italia, included impressive first look footage of upcoming spaghetti western series Django, starring Noomi Rapace, Nicholas Pinnock and Matthias Schoenaerts, which director Francesca Comencini called a universal story with a narrative that celebrates diversity and minorities; immigration-themed skein Unwanted, directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel (Downfall) about a tourist-packed cruise ship that rescues a group of refugees from the sea; and the film The Hanging Sun, a Jo Nesbo adaptation directed by Francesco Carrozzini starring Peter Mullan, Charles Dance, Jessica Brown Findlay and Alessandro Borghi.

The standout among Skys docs out of Italy is Sergio Leone, a portrait of the iconic director known for the so-called Dollars Trilogy of spaghetti westerns and also for his final masterpiece Once Upon a Time in America. The Leone doc is directed by Francesco Zippel (Friedkin Uncut) and will feature interviews with Clint Eastwood, Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino.

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Welcome to this weeks Just for Variety.

Taylor Kitsch thinks a reboot or revival of Friday Night Lights could happen. You may see it, but I will not be a part of it, the actor, who played Tim Riggins on the beloved NBC series, tells me. Im done. Im good. I want to keep growing as an actor. Going back to Rigs  let him live in everyone elses memories. Whatever that is, whatever he means to them, let him lay there. However, let me be clear  Kitsch has no bad feelings about FNL: It was such a huge springboard for me, but Im such a different actor now. It allowed me to explore the process, be fucking green and embrace it.

Kitsch can currently be seen on Amazon Primes The Terminal List opposite Chris Pratt.



Big Freedia is coming to Los Angeles. The music superstar will receive the inaugural Platinum Alchemy Award at this years Outfest as well as headline the Alchemy Party this weekend.

One of the last times she was in L.A., she visited Beyonces recording studio to have a first listen to Break My Soul. Freedias vocals from Explode are featured on the single, which dropped on June 20. As I was leaving the studio, they were like, Do you want to see her? Shes here, Freedia told me Tuesday during a phone call from Cleveland, Ohio, where she was getting ready to perform at the National Independent Venue Associations inaugural conference. I was like, Holy shit! Im just smiling as Im approaching her and she opened her arms and I opened mine and we hugged each other. She thanked me for allowing her to use my song, but I was like, No, thank you!

The song marks Freedias second time collaborating with Queen Bey. She was also heard on Formation.

Big Freedia would also love to work with Janet Jackson: She just performed one of my songs at the Essence Festival so Im already speaking it into existence.

Outfest kicks off tonight, July 14, at the Orpheum Theatre with the premiere of Billy Porters directorial debut Anythings Possible. The Alchemy Party takes place at Catch One on July 17, 8pm-2am.



Paramount Pictures chief Brian Robbins told Variety in June that the studio and J.J. Abrams were getting close to the starting line for a new Star Trek movie. However, John Cho, who plays Sulu, says one of the big obstacles is scheduling the star-studded cast. There have been some starts and stops over the years, so well see, but whenever I hear buzz about it, I get very excited, Cho told me at the premiere of Dont Make Me Go, adding, But its hard to get all those people in the same room at the same time. Chris Pine is doing stuff. Zoe Saldana is busy.

In Dont Make Me Go, Cho plays a man with a fatal brain tumor who goes on a road trip with his daughter (Mia Harris) to reunite her with her mother. Hes just a really full character, Cho said. Its the kind of movie that I really like. I dont see this kind of movie that much. Its something that I really wanted to put my energy into and [director] Hannah Marks was someone I thought could do it with. I loved her work. And when I find a person to follow, I follow. I start walking.

Dont Make Me Go premieres on Amazon Prime Video July 15.



Reese Witherspoon is not only a producer of Where the Crawdads Sing  she was also the films unofficial regional consultant. She came on the prowl when she came to set, Taylor John Smith, who stars alongside Daisy Edgar-Jones in the film, tells me. She was quizzing us on all of her Southern slang. I remember [actor Harris Dickinson] learning that the plural of yall is all yall and his mind being opened.

Funnily enough, Edgar-Jones admits she didnt know what a crawdad was until she signed on to the project: I did think they might actually sing.



Make sure to check out The Gray Man, Netflixs new very fun action thriller starring Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas and Rege-Jean Page from Anthony and Joe Russo. You can also watch all my interviews with the cast and creatives at Wednesdays world premiere in Hollywood here and here and also over on Varietys Twitter. Yes, I talked to Mr. Gosling about Barbie.



Joshua Jackson is looking all sorts of handsome these days with a shaggy, two-month-old beard and longer locks than he usually has. As my darling wife [Jodie Turner-Smith] said to me today, Its giving off Castaway,' the actor, who was recently named interim CEO of Liquid Media Group, the Vancouver-based company he co-founded, told me. Shes ready for it to be gone.

His hirsute appearance is for his work in the upcoming series adaptation of Fatal Attraction. At first it was This is great. I dont have to shave. Then the phase after that was, Oh, Im going to scratch my skin off, Jackson says.

Facial hair isnt the only thing thats made him a bit uncomfortable going into shooting, which is set to begin July 18. While discussing his underwear choices for his bedroom scenes, he also talked to the intimacy coordinator about what hell use to cover his nether regions for nude scenes. I found myself trying to find a way to describe a cock sock without saying cock sock, and I was fumbling and stumbling over it, Jackson recalls. Finally she was just like, Its OK, I know you call it a cock sock. But yeah, I was like, I would like to avoid those if at all possible because theyre not comfortable.

As for Liquid Media, the company recently launched Projecktor Platform to connect independent content creators to help them secure financing, monetization and distribution opportunities. I want our company to be able to jump in and meet the creators and say, Were going to be able to provide you with the services that you need in order to not just make money off of this project, but survive long enough to be able to make the next one,' Jackson says. In a perfect world, we jump in right at the very beginning and we help with the late stages of development, then with packaging, financing and then into distribution. Projecktor gives content creators a beautiful place that they can be proud to have their work displayed on.

In addition to naming Jackson interim CEO, Liquid also recently named former American Apparel president and EVP and CFO of Blockbuster Tom Casey to its board.



Before I sign off, I just wanted to send love to Variety Editor-in-Chief Claudia Eller, whos on medical leave at the moment. Heres to your speedy recovery. Hope we all get to see you real soon.

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A home caught fire near downtown Laredo, according to first responders.

Laredo Fire Department crews responded to the structure fire at about 6:46 p.m. Wednesday in the 1700 block of Washington Street. Firefighters said they encountered a residence on fire.
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took to Twitter Wednesday to call out a heckler who filmed himself verbally harassing the Democrat on the U.S. Capitol steps in a video that went viral this week. In the selfie-angled clip, Dallas-based right-wing social media personality Alex Stein makes lewd remarks about Ocasio-Cortez from afar, calling her his "favorite big booty Latina" and accusing her of wanting to "kill babies."

At one point in the video, Ocasio-Cortez walks over to Stein and is heard sarcastically saying, "Why don't we do a little selfie?" She flashes a peace sign before she continues up the Capitol steps.

"I posted about a deeply disgusting incident that happened today on the Capitol steps, but took it down [because] it's clearly someone seeking extremist fame," Ocasio-Cortez wrote on Twitter. "It's just a bummer to work in an institution that openly allowed this, but talking about it only invites more. Just really sad."

Ocasio-Cortez also posted the video of the incident in a subsequent tweet, which has been seen more than 3.2 million times as of Thursday afternoon. "I was actually walking over to deck him because if no one will protect us then I'll do it myself but I needed to catch a vote more than a case today," she wrote.

In a clip shared on Instagram, Ocasio-Cortez claimed the incident happened in front of a Capitol police officer who did nothing. "This institution is not designed to protect people," she said. "It's really hard and it's really sad that my only recourse is just to let you know about it but that's the institution for you."

Stein responded to Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter, writing "If you really love me you would of at least tagged me." He was also reportedly blocked by the Democrat but still shared memes about the encounter and thanked Ocasio-Cortez for "making [him] trend on Twitter."

On Wednesday, Stein posted other videos from the Capitol steps, including one where he approached Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) and called him a "fake RINO Republican" and "scumbag," among other insults. He also approached Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) and asked if "Hunter Biden has good taste in prostitutes."

Stein is not new to such Internet antics. Earlier this year, he went viral for urging people to get vaccinated in a rap he performed while dressed in scrubs in front of members of the Dallas City Council. Last month, he filmed himself heckling Rep. Dan Crenshaw and Sen. Ted Cruz at the Texas Republican Convention.
A defendant has given an undertaking to provide receipts confirming she underwent medical treatment while abroad.

The Longford woman, accused of carrying out a feud-related assault, recently spent ten days in Turkey receiving cosmetic dental treatment while on free legal aid after getting her bail terms relaxed.

Thirty-five-year-old Teresa Dinnegan, 18 Grian Ard, Longford, who together with a female co-accused, is charged with assault inside Penneys, Longford Shopping Centre on March 16 last.

The court had previously heard the alleged incident involved a third female who was also charged.

Details surrounding Ms Dinnegan's bail while depending on the taxpayer-funded criminal legal aid system led to stinging criticism for a major overhaul of the system by prominent local politicians.

At the District Court hearing Sergeant Mark Mahon spoke of concerns the Gardai had about the defendant's status. Sgt Mahon said the defendant had attended on a vouched medical certificate to receive medical attention in Turkey.

The prosecutor said Gardai would like to see the receipts and the vouched medical expenses to corroborate the medical treatment the defendant underwent. Sgt Mahon outlined concerns with regard to the matter.

Solicitor for Ms Dinnegan, John Quinn, told the court his client could furnish the necessary documents, and asked for a short remand to allow his client to have the receipts in court.

Judge Bernadette Owens directed that the defendant bring the receipts to court and also file a statement of means.

Noting that the DPP had yet to give directions in the matter, Judge Owens remanded the defendant on bail to appear before the court on July 12.
Use the Arrows < > above to go through the gallery

The Longford ICA Federation Summer meeting was full of emotion and went from being sad for people we said goodbye to for the last 2 years to being happy and celebratory of work achieved during Covid Restrictions.

The President or representative of each of our 12 Guilds lit a candle for our members, relatives, neighbours and friends who passed on during Covid-19 and since. May they all rest in peace. Guilds then took their candle at the end of the meeting and can continue to light it at Guild meetings. READ MORE BELOW PHOTO

When Covid-19 struck our National President Josephine Helly put out a call for members to make Scrubs for front line workers.

In Longford we had 12 members and 1 non member who stepped up to the challenge, Elsie Moxham, Ursula Burke, Mary Gerety, Mary Nertney, Ann Mulligan, Kelly Callan, Maura Quaine, Barbara Creech, Margaret Cummins, Mary Fenelon, Mary Maguire and May Campbell. Local front line workers were delighted to receive the Scrubs.

Longford ICA Federation were running National Competitions from 2018 to 2021. There are 20 Competitions in total of which 10 are physical and 10 are postal.

So while many thought that ICA had shut down during Covid the National Competitions team in Longford, Ursula Burke, Angela McKeon, Margo Ward, Ann Noone, Helen O'Shea and May Campbell continued to beaver away in the background , meeting on Zoom and meeting while social distancing wearing masks. The Competitions continued successfully and some members throughout Ireland were delighted to have something to challenge them during isolation periods.

Paul McNamee, son of one of our Longford members, Anna May, offered his help and expertise to National ICA throughout Ireland to train them on how to use Zoom successfully to enable Federations and Guilds to meet and hold their meetings and AGM' s during Covid.

Many Federations benefitted from this training. Longford Federation President May Campbell presented Paul with a thank you gift received from National ICA President Hilda Roche. Longford ICA presented him with a lovely Lupin as word has it that Paul likes plants.

Down Memory Lane | A lovely gallery of pictures from 2006 Longford Show and Country Fair

A project called "The Tree of Unity" had commenced nationally in 2019. It was a tapestry of an Oak Tree with over 440 leaves. Each leaf represents every Guild in the country. At AGM 2019 each Federation President pinned on one leaf representing their own Federation. However all 440 leaves had to be hand sewn onto the tapestry and we applaud our Longford member Elsie Moxham who worked tirelessly to help sewing on the leaves to complete the project. The tapestry now hangs in An Grianan, our ICA Adult Education College.

During Covid our Federation officers continued to work in the background keeping us updated on all things ICA and publishing our ICA calendar etc. A presentation of a plant was made to Anne Marie Edgely and Angela McKeon and as Olive Quinn was not in attendance at the meeting her plant has been delivered to her since. Those officers have also received from the Federation an acknowledgement of their work in the form of a voucher for 150 for An Grianan.

Many thanks to Anna Delaney who attended and gave us a lovely insight to the story behind the fabulous Tain Tapestry recently completed by Willow Quilters for the Longford part of it. We applaud our ICA ladies Elsie Moxham and Ursula Burke who were part of that team. The tapestry currently hangs in Roscommon Co Council and hopefully members will get a chance to see it whenever it comes to Longford.

Down Memory Lane | A gallery of beautiful pictures from Longford Leader archive of 2006 Granard Show

Down Memory Lane | A lovely gallery of Longford graduation pictures from 2006

Senior members from several different Guilds were presented with long term certificates for their service to the organisation. We really value our senior members and their expertise and we are saddened when those members are no longer in a position to attend meetings etc. However many did turn up at the meeting to receive their presentation and we were delighted to see them. For those who couldn't make it their certificates will be delivered to them.

Many many thanks to all the ICA members who worked tirelessly at Longford Show all day on Sunday last. Some in the cafe, some in the hospitality tent and others on the ICA Information table. Thank you also to everyone who contributed all the baking and set up.



You are a wonderful bunch of women. It's not getting any easier and we're not getting any younger so if there are any younger women out there that would like to contribute to community projects please feel free to make contact with Anne Marie on 087 679 1332.
Its probably fair to say Gerry Tully has more reason than most to look forward to the return of Granards Agricultural Show this weekend.

The chairperson of the north Longford based spectacle has been waiting three years to once again lead his native town into the agricultural spotlight following on from its last staging in 2019.

That hiatus, albeit Covid enforced, hasnt in any way dented the appetite of a man who is very much single minded in terms of what this weekends two day affair has to offer.

Its always well supported locally, all the businesses in town support it which is great to see, he said.

2019 was a huge show in Granard. For everybody it (onset of Covid-19) was a disaster but now people are keen to go again and they want to get out and see things.

A horseman by trade, Gerry is understandably drawn to Sundays line up and the promise of a star studded line up of top class showjumping.

Equally, and perhaps unsurprisingly, that eagerness could also be levelled at what lies in store some 24 hours earlier as Granard prepares to welcome cattle dealers and farmers from not just Co Longford but nationwide.

Our big competition on (Saturday) July 16 is our Axa Cow and Calf class, he said.

Its an All Ireland cow and calf competition and there is a prize fund of 2,000 which will keep all the cattle men interested and we have various horse classes as well.

We try and accommodate everybody from horses to sheep and cattle and that before you mention our many trade stands and crafts.

Our show has showjumping on the Sunday which is a two day show.

Most shows now are just one day but we went back to the two days and we have 1,400 prize money for the showjumping and the highlight of the day is a six bar competition sponsored by Safeway Scaffolding with a 500 prize winner takes all.

In reserving a special mention to the many sponsors who helped ensure this years show could rival the very finest the midlands has to offer, Gerry said the lure of umpteen childrens amusements and festivities ensured the occasion was one for all the family to enjoy.

There is things there for all agegroups, he added.

But we need the weather, all we want is good weather.

If we get that people will come, the countdown is on and we are looking forward to it.
Local News, Health & Wellness

By Long Island Published: July 14 2022

Residents advised to reduce environmental health risks

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has issued an air quality health advisory for Thursday, July 14, 2022, for Long Island and the New York metropolitan area. The pollutant of concern is ozone.

Suffolk County Health Commissioner Dr. Gregson Pigott advises that all residents, especially young children, seniors, those who exercise or are involved in strenuous outdoor work, and those with pre-existing respiratory or heart problems, limit strenuous outdoor activity. Ozone levels are often elevated after noon through early evening on hot, sunny days. If you experience eye, nose and throat irritation, shortness of breath, chest pain contact your medical provider.

Suffolk County health officials are concerned that air pollution has become the worlds single largest environmental health risk. Air pollution alone is responsible for 4.2 million global deaths each year. Burning fossil fuels, such as petroleum, coal and natural gas, are major contributors to air pollution, and there are steps that each of us can take that will not only protect our individual health but improve the health of our community, help to stabilize the climate, and lead toward better global health.

To reduce your use of fossil fuels

Carpool or take public transport when possible.

Trains: http://www.mta.info/

Buses: http://www.sct-bus.org/

Try to walk or bike ride when traveling shorter distances

Install solar panels on your home or look into joining a community solar program.

https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/ All-Programs/Programs/NY-Sun/ Solar-for-Your-Home/Community- Solar/Community-Solar-Map

Eat less meat. You may find it easier by taking small steps at first, such as starting with one day a week without meat. (Livestock production is a major emitter of air pollution and climate change gases .)

Get a free Home Energy Audit: http://www. longislandgreenhomes.org/

Buy an electric or hybrid car 6.

Recycle.

Set your thermostat higher in summer and lower in winter.

Reduce your shower time.

Support alternative energy programs, such as wind, water, and sunlight powered energy.

For more information about the health impacts of fossil fuels, visit: https://suffolkcountyny.gov/ Departments/Health-Services/ Cancer-Prevention-and-Health- Promotion-Coalition/Smart- Tips/#fossil

Air Quality Forecasts are available on the Department of Environmental Conservation website at :

http://www.dec.ny.gov/cfmx/ extapps/aqi/aqi_forecast.cfm

Information about ozone and health is available on the New York State Department of Health Website at:

http://www.health.ny.gov/ environmental/outdoors/air/ ozone.htm
Food, Wine, & Dining, Local News, Crime, Press Releases

By Long Island Published: July 14 2022

Shooting at Nassau County Hotel Pool Party Leads to License Suspension

The New York State Liquor Authority (SLA) summarily suspended the license of Glen Cove Mansion Hospitality LLC, doing business as Glen Cove Mansion at 200 Dosoris Lane in Glen Cove today. The suspension was ordered by Chairman Vincent Bradley, Commissioner Lily Fan, and Commissioner Greeley Ford at a regularly scheduled meeting of the Full Board on July 13, 2022. Effective immediately, no alcohol may be sold or consumed on the premises.

Three people were shot at an event on Sunday, July 10, 2022 that was held in violation of express directions from the town of Glen Cove, which advised the Glen Cove Mansion on July 7, 2022 that its event permit had been disapproved. Ignoring that direction and the absence of a permit, the hotel allowed a promoter to host a pool party at the mansion with approximately 150-200 patrons. Shortly after 5 p.m. a fight erupted inside the premises involving 10-12 patrons. There was gunfire and three persons were shot, including a security guard attempting to intervene.

Police responding to the premises encountered a chaotic and dangerous scene, with patrons pushing and running to exit the establishment while employees attempted to mop up blood from the crime scene. Police also detailed patrons, employees, and promoters were throwing boxes of alcohol in their cars and running off with bottles of liquor. The hotels manager told police that the Glen Cove Mansion merely provided the venue and that all service and security were the responsibility of the promoters, an admission that the licensee had relinquished control over the establishment to the unlicensed promoter. Glen Cove had advised the hotel on July 7th that no additional permits would be issued due to safety concerns and residential complaints arising from prior events held at the hotel.

The SLA charged Glen Cove Mansion with 10 violations of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law, including availing their license to an unapproved promoter, disorderly premise, failure to conform to the application by operating as a nightclub, hiring security guards, and failure to obtain local permits for an outdoor event with amplified music. During the suspension, the SLA will prosecute these violations, the maximum penalty for which is revocation of the license.

SLA license holders have an obligation to maintain orderly operations, said SLA Chairman Vincent Bradley. This business has failed to uphold their obligation as a licensee, and the Board is taking action to ensure public safety and support local law enforcement.

The State Administrative Procedure Act authorizes a State agency to summarily suspend a license when the agency finds that public health, safety, or welfare requires emergency action. When the SLA summarily suspends a license, it also serves a Notice of Pleading alleging one or more disciplinary violations. In invoking a summary suspension, the SLA has deemed the violation to be sufficiently serious upon initial review to warrant an immediate suspension. The SLAs decision to summarily suspend a license is not a final determination on the merits of the case. The licensee is entitled to a prompt hearing before an Administrative Law Judge.
The Thursday session of the Council of Mallorca rejected a proposal that there should be a requirement of having lived in Mallorca for at least two years before being able to purchase a home.

The Podemos motion was for the Council to ask the Spanish government to approve this restriction. The opposition parties were all against this, and so were PSOE, the senior members of the Council's coalition administration along with Podemos and Mes. Neither the Council nor the Balearic government is in a position to introduce such a measure, as the state has jurisdiction on this.

Aurora Ribot of Podemos, one of the two vice-presidents of the Council, said: "We want to encourage the purchase of homes among people who have roots on the island, regardless of their origin." She faced criticism from the spokesperson for the Partido Popular, Llorenc Galmes, who described the restriction as "xenophobic" and "racist".
Jordan Peterson was banned from Twitter for deadnaming actor Elliot Page, who recently came out as a transgender man. This was more than enough for the platform to suspend the influencer and threaten him with a ban ifhe didn't delete his tweet. As a response, Peterson posted a video on Youtube where he explains the reason he is refusing to delete his tweet.

In his mind, he is defending freedom of speech during a time when using the wrong terminology can get you cancelled. His daughter is also a political commentator and influencer who has Jordan regularly on her podcast. It's safe to say that the apple didn't fall far from the tree with Mikhaila Peterson, she shares the same principles with her father.

During a recent Twitter exchange, Mikhaila bragged about the major career boost that was her father's falling out with Twitter. Before this whole drama took place, his podcast was #45 on Apple and it jumped all the way to #24 after it all happened. Jordan Peterson keeps gaining more popularity as he is slowly becoming a truly influential figure in the Western world.

Considered a free-thinker of the era by many and a provocateur conservative by the other side. Jordan Peterson's ideas can be controversial depending on the optics you analyze them. The way he handled the whole Elliot Page controversy was explosive, to say the least but it has done wonders for his career.

Will Twitter ever unban Jordan Peterson?

Unless Elon Musk ends up buying Twitter for a lower price than what he offered, Jordan Peterson will probably remain banned unless he deletes that tweet. But this would go directly against all his ideals and morals. Peterson fancies himself a man of his word and he intends to keep it.

Either way, he still does very well in all the other platforms and has no need of Twitter. Since Mikhaila bragged about her dad's popularity, the Jordan B. Peterson podcast dropped back to #35 on Apple. But that doesn't take anything away from the fact that more people are starting to listen to what Jordan has to say about life.
Johnny Depp has met with his lawyer Camille Vasquez in Europe a couple of months after they won the defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard.

Vasquez had revealed after the trial that the famous actor had invited her to see him play in one of his concerts on European soil this summer.

Hence, she decided to travel to Europe with her boyfriend Edward Owen for her 38th birthday.

The couple were spotted at Wimbledon, but it was in Prague where they met with Depp, as well as other members of the team that helped the famous actor win the trial.

In a video captured by a fan, Depp can be seen along with Camille, Edward, Jessica Meyers and another member of the legal team.

The lawyers were spotted in other images enjoying the concert from close as they had exclusive backstage access.

Heard's appeal rejected

Meanwhile, Judge Penny Azcarate rejected Heard's appeal for another trial, after the famous actress requested a new trial because of an alleged improper juror service.

"Juror Fifteen was vetted by the court on the record and met the statutory requirements for service," the judge's order said.

"The parties also questioned the jury panel for a full day and informed the Court that the jury panel was acceptable.

"Therefore, Due Process was guaranteed and provided to all parties in this litigation. There is no evidence of fraud or wrongdoing."
Don McLoughlin, Mayor of Uvalde, labeled "chickens" the media outlets that revealed the full video of the massacre inside Robb Elementary School.

"There's no reason for the families to have to see that," the mayor said. "They were going to see the video, but they didn't need to see the gunman coming in and hear the gunshots," said the Mayor.

"They don't need to relive that - they've been through enough. That was the most chicken way to put the video out," he added.

What can we see in the video?

The Austin American Statesman website published the video taken by the security cameras of Robb Elementary School.

Unlike the response offered by Mayor McLoughlin, the video shows a failed police response.

The footage depicts police officers running for their lives as the shooter, Salvador Ramos, takes aim at them.

In the video it is seen that the police do not intend to attack the shooter, despite being a larger force.

While the media broadcast the video to clear up any doubts, another close associate of the mayor criticized the actions taken by the Austin American Statesman newspaper.

"They did it for ratings and for money," said Ernest W. King III, a member of the city council.

However, the answers began to arrive. One person mentioned, "They said they did a good job. Do you still think they did a good job?"

Another also commented: "What about the police? Are they also cowardly chickens?

The family of the victims want answers

After the first public report, there were several doubts regarding the response of the authorities.

Little by little, irregularities in the testimony were uncovered and the local authorities lost the trust of those affected.

Texas lawmakers will also show the security camera video to the families of the victims.

According to Dustin Borrows, several legislators will visit the families of the victims in Uvalde, Texas to provide "the video of the hallway and discuss preliminary reports."
* China's foreign trade saw a double-digit growth pace in June, a positive indicator that the world's second-largest economy is recovering from the headwinds of COVID-19 outbreaks. * The country's foreign trade growth accelerated to 14.3 percent in June, compared with 9.5 percent in May and 0.1 percent in April, showed data from the General Administration of Customs (GAC) on Wednesday. * "Overall, China's imports and exports showed strong resilience in the first half of the year," said Li Kuiwen, spokesperson for the GAC. BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- China's foreign trade saw a double-digit growth pace in June, a positive indicator that the world's second-largest economy is recovering from the headwinds of COVID-19 outbreaks. China's foreign trade growth accelerated to 14.3 percent in June, compared with 9.5 percent in May and 0.1 percent in April, showed data from the General Administration of Customs (GAC) on Wednesday. From January to June, China's foreign trade of goods jumped 9.4 percent year on year to 19.8 trillion yuan (about 2.94 trillion U.S. dollars). Exports rose 13.2 percent year on year to 11.14 trillion yuan, while imports increased 4.8 percent from a year ago to 8.66 trillion yuan. "Overall, China's imports and exports showed strong resilience in the first half of the year," said Li Kuiwen, spokesperson for the GAC. Aerial photo taken on March 2, 2022 shows a view of the container terminal of Qinzhou Port in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua) SWIFT RECOVERY "The growth of foreign trade picked up significantly in May and June," Li said. As the epidemic prevention and control situation improves and pro-growth policies are taking effects, foreign trade enterprises have resumed work and production in an orderly manner since May. "In particular, the rapid recovery of imports and exports in the Yangtze River Delta led to a marked rebound in the overall growth of China's foreign trade," Li said. For instance, Shanghai, the country's financial hub hit hard by the Omicron outbreak, saw its foreign trade swing back to growth in June, up 9.6 percent year on year. Workers make clothes for export at a company in Taihe County, east China's Anhui Province, May 26, 2022. (Photo by Liang Xiaopeng/Xinhua) CLOSER TRADE TIES In the first half, China's trade with its top three trading partners -- the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the European Union and the United States -- expanded by 10.6 percent, 7.5 percent and 11.7 percent from a year ago, respectively. From January to June, China's trade with Belt and Road countries and members of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership soared by 17.8 percent and 5.6 percent year on year. In terms of types of goods, imports and exports of mechanical and electrical products expanded by 4.2 percent to account for 49.1 percent of the total. Private enterprises posted strong performance as their imports and exports grew 13.6 percent year on year in the first half, outpacing the country's overall growth. China's exports of labor-intensive products increased 13.5 percent to 1.99 trillion yuan, while imports of energy products including crude oil, natural gas and coal surged 53.1 percent, customs data showed. Photo taken on June 30, 2022 shows a China-Europe freight train ready for departure at the Tuanjiecun station in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. (Xinhua/Tang Yi) POLICIES PAYING OFF The rebound came as the country stepped up efforts to help foreign trade firms overcome difficulties amid domestic COVID-19 resurgences and external uncertainties. The GAC has adopted a slew of measures to reduce costs for foreign trade companies, while customs authorities across the country have put forward 854 detailed measures to stabilize foreign trade. These measures mainly aim to smoothen foreign trade logistics, strengthen financial support for foreign trade firms, stabilize industrial and supply chains of foreign trade, and improve the business environment at ports. "In the next step, the GAC will pay close attention to the implementation of these measures and make every effort to promote the stability and quality of foreign trade," Li said. Aerial photo taken on March 7, 2022 shows vehicles to be loaded onto a freight ship at Yantai Port, east China's Shandong Province. (Photo by Tang Ke/Xinhua) RESILIENT OUTLOOK Despite some unstable and uncertain factors, China's foreign trade is expected to maintain steady growth in the second half of the year, Li said. Echoing Li's views, Zhou Junzhi, chief macro analyst at Minsheng Securities Co., Ltd., said that China's exports may continue to show better-than-expected resilience in the second half, with an expected increase of 7.5 percent year on year. Boasting the world's most comprehensive industrial system, China is capable of meeting various outbound demands, be it anti-pandemic materials, durable goods, or industrial products, according to Zhou. "In the second half, we are particularly upbeat about the exports of industrial supplies such as mechanical equipment and vehicles and auto parts," Zhou said. (Video reporter: Fu Min, Xiao Yichen, Feng Yuanyuan, Wu Feizuo; Video editors: Zhu Cong, Cao Ying, Liu Ruoshi, Zhang Yuhong)
The abstract suggests that BBT-176 has shown its capability of inducing clinical tumor responses in EGFR triple mutation-containing patients

Further exploration of the drug efficacy and safety profiles at RP2D is planned

The abstract is now available on the IASLC 2022 WCLC website

SEONGNAM, South Korea

July 12, 2022

Aug. 6-9

Vienna

Sun Min Lim

Yonsei University

August 8, 2022

12:52 pm CET

Sun Min Lim

/PRNewswire/ -- Bridge Biotherapeutics (KQ288330), a South Korean clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing novel drugs for cancer, fibrosis and inflammation, announced that interim clinical data from an ongoing Phase I study of BBT-176 has been selected for a mini oral presentation at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer 2022 World Conference on Lung Cancer (IASLC WCLC 2022),inThe oral presentation, to be delivered by, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor atCollege of Medicine, will discuss interim clinical data from the Phase I study of BBT-176 in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients harboring an EGFR mutation who were previously treated with at least one epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR TKI). According to the published abstract, the presentation will cover potent anti-tumor efficacy of BBT-176 explored with radiological improvements in both target and non-target lesions from two patients harboring EGFR triple mutations of exon 19 del/T790M/C797S.One patient from the 320mg dosing cohort exhibited 30.3 percent shrinkage of the target lesion, according to the abstract. Another patient from the 480mg dosing cohort exhibited 26.3 percent shrinkage of the target lesion. Investigators will explore the recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) based on the overall safety, efficacy and tolerability information collected in the Phase 1 clinical study.The abstract for the presentation (MA07.09) is now available at https://bit.ly/3uv2StQ.BBT-176, a 4th-generation EGFR TKI, for Progressed NSCLC after EGFR TKI Therapy: PK, Safety and Efficacy from Phase 1 StudyOvercoming Resistance to EGFR InhibitorsMA07.09, M.D., Ph.D., Yonsei University College of MedicinePasi A. Janne, M.D., Ph.D., Dana-Farber Cancer InstituteBridge Biotherapeutics Inc., based in the Republic of Korea, US, and China, is a publicly-traded, clinical-stage biotech company founded in 2015. Bridge Biotherapeutics is engaged in the discovery and development of novel therapeutics, focusing on therapeutic areas with high unmet needs including ulcerative colitis, fibrotic diseases, and cancers. The company is developing BBT-401, a first-in-class Pellino-1 inhibitor for the treatment of ulcerative colitis, BBT-877, a novel autotaxin inhibitor for the treatment of fibrotic diseases including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and BBT-176, a potent targeted cancer therapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with C797S triple EGFR mutations.BBT-176 is under development as a novel, fourth-generation epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) that inhibits the signaling pathway of EGFR with C797S containing triple mutations. In April 2021, the company initiated the dose escalation part of its Phase I/II trial, which is being conducted in three sites in the Republic of Korea. The study aims to assess the safety, tolerability, and anti-tumor efficacy of the drug candidate in a group of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. After determining the maximum tolerable dose (MTD) and recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D), the dose expansion study will be initiated in both the U.S. and the Republic of Korea. It is estimated about 10,000 to 20,000 new NSCLC patients will be diagnosed each year with EGFR triple mutations by the mid-2030s. BBT-176 is currently the first-in-class, fourth-generation EGFR TKI candidate targeting C797S triple mutation variants. Bridge Biotherapeutics acquired the exclusive global license for BBT-176 from the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), a Korean government research institute, in 2018. The Phase I clinical study of BBT-176 was partially supported by the Korea Drug Development Fund (HN21C0859), which is funded by Ministry of Science and ICT, Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy, and Ministry of Health and Welfare, of Republic of Korea.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bridge-biotherapeutics-to-present-interim-clinical-data-from-ongoing-phase-1-study-of-bbt-176-at-the-world-conference-of-lung-cancer-301585247.html



SOURCE Bridge Biotherapeutics, Inc.




TAIPEI

July 13, 2022

Asia's

Taiwan

Ed Deng

Taiwan

US$1.8 billion

Claudio Longo

Asia

China

/PRNewswire/ -- Health2Sync,leading digital chronic disease management platform, announced today that it is signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with AstraZeneca Taiwan to provide its first digital solution for chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients in. The partnership targets to reach an early diagnosis and optimize the quality of everyday chronic kidney disease care through the smart detection feature on the Health2Sync patient management platform, which is currently used by over 400 medical institutions worldwide."With over nine years of experience in diabetes management, we are excited to see that our continuous efforts have helped patients with diabetes improve their HbA1c after usage of the Health2Sync app," said, Co-founder and CEO of Health2Sync. "These achievements have proven that data integration and digital intervention can be further applied to other chronic diseases since Health2Sync has one of the industry's largest datasets of self-monitored and examination data"Aligned with AstraZeneca's ambition to increase earlier CKD diagnosis and help slow disease progression, the latest version of the Health2Sync Patient Management Platform will automatically filter and categorize patients into various groups according to their lab results, and notify the healthcare professionals as well as patients for early intervention, which may prevent disease progression and reduce the risk of complications.Once the Platform identifies patients' CKD risk levels, physicians can review the analysis and the long-term trends of the examination data, and align it with medical interventions. Patients can also utilize the easy-to-use mobile app to consult their care providers for timely adjustments of medication regimens, enabling better chronic disease care.In, Acute and Chronic Kidney Disease is reported to cost almostevery year, making it the costliest disease to the National Health Insurance system."By working with Health2Sync, we hope to assist primary care physicians in the early identification and better management of chronic kidney disease, ultimately alleviating the healthcare expenditure by slowing down disease progression and preventing debilitating complications," said, President of AstraZeneca Taiwan.Through the new partnership with AstraZeneca, Health2Sync is demonstrating its plans to provide digital touchpoints for the management of other disease areas such as CKD and cardiovascular. The company is developing a portfolio of digital therapeutics (DTx) that includes but is not limited to insulin management and behavior change.Established in 2013, Health2Sync aims to provide personalized and scalable digital solutions for chronic disease patients. The product offerings, which include a mobile application for diabetics, cloud-based analytics, and a cloud platform for healthcare providers, are proven to help users improve their blood glucose outcomes with continuous usage.With a comprehensive portfolio of partners ranging from pharmaceuticals to private and public payers, the Health2Sync mobile application serves over 900,000 users worldwide in 2022, thus becoming the largest digital chronic disease management platform in(excl.). The Health2Sync mobile application was elected by Healthline as one of the "10 Best Diabetes Apps" for three consecutive years since 2017.For more information, please visit https://www.health2sync.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/health2sync-and-astrazeneca-taiwan-to-kick-off-digital-patient-management-programs-for-chronic-kidney-diseases-301585478.html



SOURCE Health2Sync




Conakry, Guinea (PANA) - The National Front for the Defence of the Constitution (FNDC), a leading Guinean pressure group in protests against the change of the constitution by former president Alpha Conde to run for a third term, has announced the filing of a complaint against police officers who it has accused of violence against its members
After working in the Midland County clerks office for about 30 years, Clerk Ann Manary is aiming to take office in Lansing.

Manary announced her candidacy for the new 95th State Representative District in February of 2021. She would represent Midland County and parts of Gladwin County.

Manary was born and raised in Midland County and graduated from Dow High School.

It was during her time at Dow High that she began her public service career as a co-op, helping with the clerk offices mail, she said.

Following some time at Delta College, Manary began work as an entry-level clerk at the county clerks office in 1990. She worked as the clerks secretary in the 1990s before becoming the chief deputy clerk  right under the county clerk  in 1997. That was her first experience overseeing elections.

In 2008, Manary was elected as county clerk, a position she still holds to this day.

To date, she has been responsible for the successful tabulation of about Midland County 740,000 ballots.

I enjoy problem-solving for the residents of Midland County, Manary said. I love when people call me and ask me questions. I love when people show up and want to know about elections or about anything that we do, because I think it is great to educate the residents of Midland County on what we do every day.

Her passion about elections was one thing that led her to run for the state house. She always assumed she would retire from the clerks office, but after the 2020 flood, 2020 presidential election misinformation perpetuated by former President Donald Trump and others, and current 98th District State Representative Annette Glenn choosing to run for state senate, Manary decided to move up the political ladder.

County clerks around Michigan took a hit to their reputations in 2020 over the election, Manary said. Voters in Michigan, and across the country, questioned the clerks' professionalism and honesty.

This did not sit well with Manary.

At the end of the day, that makes me angry, because every single one of us in this state  all 83 of us (county clerks)  took an oath to uphold the office of the county, Manary said.

She added that Michigan elections are rock solid. Manary wants to educate people more on the voting and Michigan's election process. As representative, she would support allowing local clerk offices to count absentee ballots a few days before the election so that offices are not working day-long shifts to count ballots received in advance.

Manary also wants to address the 2020 flood and dam failures as state representative. She said that State Sen. Jim Stamas and Glenn have done a great job getting monetary resources to help communities rebuild after the devastation.

She adds that she has sat through many updates from the Four Lakes Task Force while sitting at county commission meetings and recently attended a FLTF meeting to see what people in the special assessment district thought about the situation.

Manary expressed concerns over how much lake residents will be assessed for the work needed to restore and maintain the dams and lakes.

Her other top issues include reevaluating the state gas tax, finding ways to support small businesses and helping employers find ways to create high-paying jobs to keep people in Midland County.

Manary said she has had good fundraisers and has been putting out signs for her campaign, but has found it difficult to go door-to-door and attend public events due to working at a county clerks office with a staff that is stretched thin.

However, she still feels good about her campaign and the flood of support she has received from the community.

People should be looking at my experience, my leadership, the things I have done in the community, things I have done through the Clerk's Association, (and) the different committees I have sat on, Manary said. Those are the things that should define my candidacy.
Do you shop online more when COVID cases spike? An analysis of Google Trends data by Giving Assistant suggests youre far from alone.
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
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Darien will hold its Independence Day fireworks celebration on Friday evening at Darien High School at 80 High School Lane after dusk.

The rain date is Saturday.

Resident parking passes are sold out. Individuals may still park nearby and walk into the event.

For more information on the event, visit www.darienct.gov.

Thrift shop gears up for three-day sidewalk sale

The Darien Community Association is preparing its Darien Thrift Shop for the towns sidewalk sales, which will be held Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

The Thrift Shop will be taking part in the event, with many of its items for sale on the front lawn from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on each of the days.

Shoppers will find bargains at the Thrift Shop, with some items offered for sale that still have the original tags attached.

STAR gets grant to help pediatric therapies

STAR Inc., Lighting the Way has received a grant from the New Canaan Community Foundation to provide pediatric therapies to local children who have developmental disabilities.

The grant from will support STARs Early Intervention Childrens Services Program, which provides pediatric therapies to children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The goal of the program is to assist families throughout the preschool years and beyond by strengthening the continuity of therapy.

Katie Banzhaf, executive director of STAR Inc., expressed her gratitude for receiving the grant.

STARs services include speech, physical and occupational therapy; special education services; parental support; social services; translation services; assistive technology; behavioral support; and referrals.

The STAR Rubino Family Center at 120 East Ave. in Norwalk is a private clinic that provides early intervention pediatric therapies for young children from birth through age 8. STAR, a nonprofit celebrating its 70th anniversary, also operates locations at 51 Tokeneke Road in Darien, 111 Elm St. in New Canaan, and at its main office at 182 Wolfpit Ave. in Norwalk.

STAR was established in 1952 by parents who believed that children with intellectual and developmental disabilities are entitled to the same basic opportunities as other children. It has grown to include a full array of services for over 600 individuals with disabilities, from birth to their senior years, and their families today.

Its mission is to create opportunities for individuals to live full lives with independence, freedom of choice and personal growth by providing support, services and advocacy.

For more information about STAR, or to volunteer or donate, visit starct.org.

The New Canaan Community Foundation was founded in 1977. It envisions a New Canaan that comes together to address individual and local challenges, enriching the lives of all community members.

The foundation has invested over $21 million in nonprofit organizations. For more information, visit www.newcanaancf.org.

RAC to sell late Darien artists pottery

The Rowayton Arts Center will hold a special sale of pottery items created by the late Darien artist Pat Atkin.

The proceeds of all sales will benefit the arts center, per Atkins wish.

A special preview night will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Rowayton Arts Center at 145 Rowayton Ave.

The sale will continue through July 24. The center is open noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Friday and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and Saturday.

Atkin was an art teacher at the Tokeneke School in Darien for 30 years, and also worked as an artist and potter. She served on the Board of Directors of the Silvermine Arts Center in New Canaan and was an active member of the boards of the Darien Arts Center and the Rowayton Arts Center.

She died in the spring of 2022 at her home in Noroton.

For more information, call 203-866-2744, email info@rowaytonarts.org or visit https://rowaytonarts.org.

Darien residents take part in Pan-Mass Challenge

Robert Ronan, Terry Bock and Trevor Hawley, all of Darien, are among the 6,000 bicycle riders who will take part in the the 2022 Pan-Mass Challenge fundraising event Aug. 6 and Aug. 7.

The event raises funds for cancer research and treatment at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

The bikeathon offers one- and two-day routes ranging from 25 to 210 miles that are designed to cater to all levels of ability and fundraising amounts.

A total of 158 Connecticut residents will join in the fundraiser.

Many participate in honor of a family member or a friend who is fighting cancer, and more than 800 riders and volunteers are cancer survivors or current patients.

This years goal is to top 2021s record-breaking gift and raising $66 million for cancer research and patient care. And 100 percent of the money raised by the riders goes to the cancer institute.

The event has raised more than $114 million since the start of the COVID pandemic, bringing its 42-year donation to the cancer institute to $831 million.

To make a donation, visit www.pmc.org or call 800 WE-CYCLE.

Community Fund celebrates awards

The Community Fund of Darien celebrated its Community Investment Awards with an event July 13 at its headquarters at 274 Middlesex Road.

The event recognizes local nonprofit organizations in Darien, Norwalk and Stamford that focus on basic needs, community health, youth success and workforce development, according Jessica Anderson, the new director of advancement and marketing at the nonprofit.

The Community Fund also honored its volunteers at the event.

Since its founding in 1951, the Community Fund has distributed more than $20 million to local nonprofit organizations and community initiatives. For more information, visit www.communityfunddarien.org.
NEW YORK  A former CIA software engineer was convicted on Wednesday of federal charges accusing him of causing the biggest theft of classified information in CIA history.

Joshua Schulte, who chose to defend himself at a New York City retrial, had told jurors in closing arguments that the CIA and FBI made him a scapegoat for an embarrassing public release of a trove of CIA secrets by WikiLeaks in 2017.

Schulte watched without visibly reacting as U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman announced the guilty verdict on nine counts, which was reached in mid-afternoon by a jury that has deliberated since Friday.

A sentencing date was not immediately set because Schulte still awaits trial on child pornography possession and transport charges. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges.

The so-called Vault 7 leak revealed how the CIA hacked Apple and Android smartphones in overseas spying operations and efforts to turn internet-connected televisions into listening devices. Prior to his arrest, Schulte had helped create the hacking tools as a coder at the agencys headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

Prosecutors alleged the 33-year-old Schulte was motivated to orchestrate the leak because he believed the CIA had disrespected him by ignoring his complaints about the work environment. So he tried to burn to the ground the very work he had helped the agency to create, they said.

While behind bars awaiting trial, he continued his crimes by trying to leak additional classified materials from prison as he carried on an information war against the government, prosecutors said.

In his closing, Schulte claimed he was singled out even though hundreds of people had access to (the information).  Hundreds of people could have stolen it.

The governments case is riddled with reasonable doubt, he added. "Theres simply no motive here.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David Denton countered that there was plenty of proof that Schulte pilfered a sensitive backup computer file.

Hes the one who broke into that system, Denton said. Hes the one who took that backup, the backup he sent to WikiLeaks.

The prosecutor also encouraged jurors to consider evidence of an attempted cover-up, including a list of chores Schulte drew up that had an entry reading, Delete suspicious emails.

This is someone whos hiding the things that hes done wrong, Denton said.

Once the jury got the case, Furman complimented Schulte on his closing argument.

Mr. Schulte, that was impressively done, the judge said with jurors out of the courtroom. Depending on what happens here, you may have a future as a defense lawyer.

A mistrial was declared at Schultes original 2020 trial after jurors deadlocked on the most serious counts, including illegal gathering and transmission of national defense information. Schulte told the judge last year that he wanted to serve as his own attorney for the retrial.

Schulte has been held behind bars without bail since 2018. Last year, he complained in court papers that he was a victim of cruel and unusual punishment, awaiting the two trials in solitary confinement inside a vermin-infested cell of a jail unit where inmates are treated like caged animals.
The Navy has expanded its rules around the reporting of sexual assaults and transfers for victims in the latest of a series of changes that appear aimed at making it easier for victims to come forward.

Sailors now can make a "restricted," or confidential, report even if they've told officers in their chain of command, including their commanding officer, about a sexual assault, according to an administrative message that was released and went into effect Wednesday.

In turn, commanders who get a request for a sailor to transfer out of a unit or base over safety concerns after an assault now have five days instead of three to make that decision.

Read Next: 155,000 Military Health System Patients to Be Pushed to Civilian Care Starting This Year

Restricted reports are intended to give victims more flexibility and control over dealing with their assault by granting them access to medical treatment and advocacy options without taking away the choice to have their case investigated at a later time. However, restricted reports also rule out options such as military protective orders or transfers of either the victim or assailant until the victim decides to remove the restrictions.

By changing the rules around restricted reporting, the Navy has created more flexibility in a system that previously gave victims only the unrestricted option if they had already notified anyone in their chain of command about an assault. That option mandated a full criminal investigation, as well as the release of details of the assault to anyone with "an official 'need to know,'" according to the Department of Defense's website.

The website admits that a full investigation "can be stressful for victims of sexual assault" and that "much patience will be required" on the part of the victim.

The Navy also announced at the end of June that those who show up at any victim care and support office "must either receive services from that office or, with the victim's permission, get a 'warm hand-off' to the appropriate service provider." Dubbed the "No Wrong Door Policy," the Navy hopes the change will improve the sea service's response to victims of sexual assualt.

In some cases, commands have been doing a poor job of tracking referrals made on behalf of victims for services in instances where the sailor chose not to file a report.

"Regardless of which supporting professional they contact, the answer should be, 'I will help you,'" Ashish S. Vazirani, the interim director of the Navy's Sexual Assault, Sexual Harassment, and Suicide Prevention and Response Office, said in a press release announcing the policy.

Sailors and Marines who do choose to make an unrestricted report should no longer have to worry about charges stemming from any minor infractions they may have committed leading up to an assault, based on another policy change announced June 30.

Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, the service's civilian leader, said that "removing this barrier empowers victims and survivors -- they should not have to choose whether to implicate themselves by reporting a crime committed against them," in a press release announcing the change.

The Navy's examples of what it would consider to be "minor eligible misconduct" include underage drinking near the time of an assault, having an unprofessional relationship at the time, and curfew or off-limits violations such as barracks policies.

Before the change, the Navy noted that there was no protection for victims against facing charges stemming from their own misconduct, forcing them to "choose whether to implicate themselves for misconduct by reporting an assault."

These changes come amid other legal reforms that are forcing the military to change the way it deals with sexual assault. Driven by the death of Army Spc. Vanessa Guillen, who was sexually harassed by a supervisor and later murdered, allegedly by a different soldier, at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2020, lawmakers enacted reforms to take sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking and child pornography prosecutions outside of victims' chains of command and give them to independent special trial counsel.

Another change tha would impact all service branches and is working its way through Congress now would add sexual harassment to the list of crimes handled by the special trial counsel.

-- Konstantin Toropin can be reached at konstantin.toropin@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @ktoropin.

Related: Congress Pushes to Remove Sexual Harassment Prosecutions from Chain of Command
Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire'' played through the speakers on the vehicle that dropped Alex Drueke off at the bus transfer station. It wasn't the all-too-familiar version, but a Ukrainian rendition.

It was around Easter Sunday, and Drueke, then 39, was switching modes of transportation for the last leg of a journey in western Ukraine as a war was raging. He was far from his home in Alabama.

The bus was hot and stuffy, and the rumble of the old diesel engine threatened to drown out any conversation. The springs groaned under the weight of the 12-year Army veteran, several dozen other men clad in armor and gear, and a load of equipment.

Read Next: Sailors Filing Sexual Assault Reports to Get More Options Under New Changes

Within hours of stepping off that bus in western Ukraine, Drueke would meet Andy Huynh, a Marine Corps veteran who had also journeyed from Alabama. The two Americans were among the foreign fighters drawn to the country to stand side by side with Ukrainians in their underdog war against Russia and its brutal invasion that began in February.

Huynh, 27, had never deployed during his military service. He left his fiancee's home in the U.S. on April 8 after being connected with a pastor in Ukraine, according to family members.

The fates of the two veterans would be tied together as they sought out a war that the world has condemned and the U.S. has refused to enter. It is a saga that eventually led Drueke and Huynh to a tiny village near Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine, a stone's throw from the border with Russia. There, just short of two months after meeting, they would become the first Americans to be captured during the war.

"A week ago, our team ended up isolated in the middle of a Russian offensive," the men's unit -- a sort of militia sanctioned by the Ukrainian government -- later posted in a June 15 tweet that notified the world of their capture.

Drueke and Huynh are now being held by the Russian-backed Donetsk People's Republic, a separatist group fighting the Ukrainian government in the west, with their ultimate fate unknown. The group handed down death sentences earlier this year for two British men captured while fighting for Ukraine, and Russian state media has hinted at the death penalty for the two Americans.

In an effort to trace the journey Drueke and Huynh took from their homes to Ukraine, Kharkiv and, ultimately, into the hands of the separatists, Military.com spoke with more than a dozen people, including volunteers in Ukraine, foreign legion officials, friends and family members.

What emerges is an often murky tale filled with colorful characters, conflict, secrecy and unclear motivations, all set in a war zone where facts are scarce.

While in Ukraine, the two men moved between at least three different units, including a company with the Ukrainian Foreign Legion, a regular Ukrainian army unit, and finally Task Force Baguette, which is a group of American and French fighters that appeared to be sanctioned by Ukraine's ministry of defense. This is their story.

'I Should Do This'

Alex Drueke's last message to his mom before his capture didn't strike her as odd or out of the ordinary. The text on June 8 said he'd be "going dark" for a day or two.

Before leaving for Ukraine, Alex warned that he might at times be offline for a few days but would be back in touch. It was the kind of assurance meant to calm the anxiety and spinning imagination of a parent whose child was heading into a country under siege.

"I wasn't unduly alarmed," Bunny Drueke told Military.com. "I said a quick prayer for his safety and went on about my business."

Bunny was used to -- as much as a mother can be -- seeing her son in harm's way. He had been fueled by a restless yearning to serve and belong that had played out over the previous two decades.

Twenty years ago, Drueke tried to direct his methodical and rational nature, along with a fiery will his mother lovingly labels stubbornness, into a career with the Army. He joined a year after the terrorist attacks in 2001. Bunny said he had wanted to enlist since he was a child, but 9/11 pushed him into uniform.

By 2004, the 22-year-old Drueke found himself deploying for the first time, headed to Kuwait.

Josh Meeker, an enlisted soldier at the time and friend of Drueke, told Military.com he remembered the young service member as a good guy who handled his business professionally. He characterized the deployment as relatively uneventful.

"But his second deployment," Meeker said, "may be another story."

Something changed after that next deployment to Iraq in 2008.

"Alex did not reenlist after his second tour," his mother told Military.com in June. "He came home with severe [post-traumatic stress disorder], and he has been searching for a purpose in life."

It is unclear whether the PTSD was the result of combat. His mother said Drueke received the medical diagnosis a couple years ago as he was getting treatment from Department of Veterans Affairs mental health facilities. He does not appear to have earned a Combat Action Badge, a commendation awarded to non-infantry soldiers who engage or are engaged by the enemy in direct combat, based on the collection of honors that appear on his uniform in his service photo.

Bunny described his job on that second tour as "the lead gunner there in Baghdad, so he was up in the turret on high alert, watching for potential danger and having to decide in a split second who was dangerous and who was safe."

"That just took a toll on him," she continued. "He has not been able to come off of that high alert."

It was clear to Alex's family that he was done with the Army after Iraq, but not necessarily a uniform or the purpose that came with it.

He floated through a string of jobs after the military -- a brief stint in law enforcement, some sales gigs. His Army friends and family noticed he went on nearly constant outdoor trips accompanied by his dog, Diesel.

That is, until January, when rumblings of a Russian invasion hung over Ukraine, permeated western media, and caught Drueke's attention. By the end of February, the rumblings had turned to artillery blasts in the capital Kyiv.

Within days of the invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a call to foreign nationals -- "friends of peace and democracy," as he put it -- to join the fight against the Russian invasion. The country would set up a foreign legion to structure the new force of thousands volunteering to help counter Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion.

Drueke left for Ukraine in mid-April, according to his family, quickly making his way into the country. His mother attributes the decision to a lifelong desire to do good. His comrades-in-arms see it as a bookend to Drueke's American military service -- train others, fight, belong.

"Sometimes, when you come home, there's a feeling you can never find in the civilian world that you found in the camaraderie you had when you're deployed or when you're in the military in general," said Dylan Hardwick, who served with Drueke in Kuwait. "And that's something I think a lot of people that were former service members struggled to always find in the civilian world."

Soon after arriving in the country, Drueke and a new comrade, Thomas Alva, were sitting on racks across from each other in a basement somewhere in western Ukraine, waiting for their next instructions.

"We both said, 'Yeah, you know, we had the skills, we had the mindset, we didn't have any attachments'  and he said, 'I was just kind of sitting there with the dog and said, I can do this,'" Alva recalled.

And eventually that became 'I should do this.'

"It kind of felt like we quit the services. ... We could have done more, we shouldn't have left. ... It was like a page unturned," Alva said.

Inside Ukraine, Inside the Legion

Alva was in the vehicle with Drueke as the Johnny Cash tune played over the stereo.

He was known to the men by the call sign "Vader." He was one of the first people Drueke met in Ukraine. Many fighters there choose to go by a nom de guerre, often meant to project an image of badassery and help with operational security.

In an interview with Military.com, Alva said that he first saw Drueke on the afternoon of April 19 at an International Legion processing location in Ukraine, just on the other side of the Polish border. According to him, the two men came in from different parts of Poland but ended up at the same place and quickly became friends.

"We were the only two Americans there at the time. ... We discovered that we had a lot in common," Alva recalled. "We were both older, single, no kids, no family. We both had dogs  and both of our mothers were taking care of dogs."

Alva served almost 15 years in the military, mostly as an active-duty Marine, but he left as a petty officer first class in the Navy Reserve, according to documents provided to Military.com.

As they rode together in the vehicle, they were bound for yet another Legion location in western Ukraine.

A photo of Drueke (middle-left) and Huynh (middle-right) in between, purportedly, Angel (left) and Pip (right) as they continued their path deeper into Ukraine, circa late April, early May, 2022. (Courtesy Thomas Alva)

The pair would meet two more foreign fighters there: "Angel" and "Pip." Military.com will refer to them only by their call signs as both men are still in the country and fear being targeted by Russian forces.

Angel, a Canadian from Saskatchewan who is a Marine Corps veteran, said that "within a few minutes we were laughing and telling jokes." Pip was more of a mystery.

"We were all soldiers in our hearts and wanted to continue to serve and fight for the survival of the free world," Angel explained.

Drueke shared stories of home, his mother and his niece, while Angel talked about the wife and two kids he left at home. Meanwhile, according to Angel, Pip and Alva explained that they were both single, which made their decisions to join the war a little simpler.

Once the bus got to yet another International Legion location, the four men met Huynh, completing the group. The Marine veteran who now shares Drueke's fate as a captive had taken his own path into the country before ending up in 1st Battalion, Charlie Company -- the unit of the Legion all five would join for a brief period of time.

After his stint in the Marines, Huynh had moved to Alabama to be closer to a girl he'd met online while serving, Joy Black, who was finishing high school. Huynh slept on Black's brother's couch while she lived next door.

Huynh had taken an hourly job as a local delivery driver, according to Black's mother Darla. But when the war in Ukraine began, it instantly grabbed the Marine veteran's attention.

"Andy just felt such a great compassion for these people suffering, and he said he couldn't eat, he couldn't sleep, he was just overwhelmed by the feeling that he was being called to help," Darla said.

Huynh, who was known in Ukraine by the call sign "Hate," was a fireteam leader in Charlie Company, while Drueke was with a different squad but just a tent over, Angel recalled.

Angel said he used to tease Huynh during those days with the Legion "because he was a Hollywood Marine."

"I'm a Parris Island Marine," Angel said, alluding to the enduring rivalry between Marines who attend boot camp at the recruit depot in San Diego versus Parris Island in South Carolina.

The group "all hung out, ate together, and talked together, and trained together," Angel said. However, it would not last. By the end of the first week of May, the five men would start going their separate ways, mirroring a pattern of many foreign fighters who often changed missions or even left the country within days of arrival.

Searching for a Way to the Front

Drueke, Huynh, Angel and Pip volunteered to help replenish a unit that had suffered losses at the front in a bid to get into the thick of the fighting, according to Alva. The move was canceled at the last minute, but the four were committed to leaving the Legion anyway.

Alva said that they ultimately left due to a lack of confidence in the command. By May 5, "we signed our discharge papers, then they escorted us off this property," according to Angel. Volunteers often bounce between units seeking a chance to fight in specific areas or serve with fellow countrymen.

Military.com tried to verify the men's discharges with a spokesperson for the International Legion, a woman who goes by the call sign Mockingjay, but she would neither confirm nor deny their membership.

The men took a bus to the nearest town and got to a hotel, said Angel, recounting their break with the Legion. Alva had stayed behind, though he too would ask for a discharge days later.

"We get to eat pizza, have a few beers -- except for Hate," he said, referring to Huynh by his call sign. "I believe he said he was recently baptized."

Eventually, the four found a Ukrainian army unit that would take them, but the move was short-lived. Angel said that Pip left before the unit completed a background check. "I don't know if he was worried or what."

Drueke, Huynh and Pip all left the new unit on May 9 or 10, about a week after leaving the Ukrainian Legion, according to Angel.

After the three men departed -- and with two now held as captives -- much of what happened next relies on information solely from Pip. Other sources were reluctant to provide personal details and specific information for fear of being targeted by Russian forces.

Much of Pip's background remains a question mark. Those who knew him alluded to his prior military service, but they gave different descriptions of the branch, where he served and the nature of the service. Some also said they had a distrust of Pip.

One former member of a unit the men would join, who goes by "Doc Praning," said Pip worked as a cybersecurity expert in the military. Others such as Angel and Alva mentioned a stint in the Air Force, maybe in the '90s, some odd behavior, and conflicting stories.

Military.com could not independently confirm Pip's military service, but did see documentation purporting to show his real name and date of birth. The publication was also able to establish his connection to the two missing veterans, and much of the information their families received in the weeks after their capture was relayed by Pip.

Pip "kept on trying to join non-sanctioned groups," according to Angel, and it was Pip who may have played a role in bringing Drueke and Huynh to the unit, a move that ultimately resulted in the two veterans' capture.

The unit where they ended up was filled with fighters using code names. It seemingly existed in a gray area of the conflict with independent funding and leadership. There, the men would allegedly find themselves facing off against the Russian army.

A Ukrainian serviceman holds the helmet used by Russian troops inside a school damaged during a battle between Russian and Ukrainian forces in the village of Vilkhivka, on the outskirts of Kharkiv, in eastern Ukraine, May 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Task Force Baguette

Task Force Baguette formed at the beginning of April, about two weeks before either of the now-captured veterans arrived in Ukraine, according to Doc Praning, who declined to provide Military.com with further identifying information for himself, citing security reasons.

Baguette is composed of both American and French nationals, hence the reference to traditional French bread. The size of the unit is unknown, but its Twitter page has posted pictures depicting about a dozen members.

Mockingjay, the Legion spokesperson, told Military.com that the unit operates under the control of the Ukrainian government. However, she also said that "I've seen them on Twitter. ... I can again tell you that these people are not talking for the Legion."

Western leaders, such as Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., an Air National Guard officer, have attested to the unit's legitimacy under the Ukrainian military and, in Drueke and Huynh's cases, protection under the Geneva Conventions.

At some point in April, Baguette began receiving the financial and logistical support of Hunter Ripley "Rip" Rawlings, a former Marine officer, author and, in his latest venture, founder of "Ripley's Heroes" -- a group that, according to its website, provides transportation, nonlethal aid and equipment to its beneficiaries, including Task Force Baguette.

The support from Ripley's Heroes appears to provide the group nonlethal supplies, but it is less clear where Baguette got lethal munitions.

A June 11 video, set to the theme song from the series "Band of Brothers," claims to show a member of Baguette loading a battery into a Javelin's command launch unit -- a U.S.-supplied tank-destroying missile.

By the end of May, Baguette was in need of more men. Doc Praning said that at least four members of the original team were leaving or had already left due to personal or family matters.

"That was about the time [Alex, Andy and Pip] were talking about joining the team," Praning told Military.com via Twitter direct messages. "I think by the time they arrived, two more of the [original] team just left."

Praning said Pip had been an original member of the team when it formed back at the beginning of April in Lviv, in western Ukraine. But at the time, Pip had been dropped by the commanding officer, partly out of concerns that he wouldn't be able to physically keep up with the team and partly because he was needed elsewhere.

Almost a month later, it appears that Pip was instrumental in getting the men a spot in his old unit. It was the task force's Twitter account that introduced Drueke and Huynh to the world for the first time, though only by their war names "Bama" and "Hate."

They tagged Rawlings, among other Twitter users, to help get the word out.

'Mission Gone Bad' and Fog

Drueke, Huynh and Pip joined Task Force Baguette sometime at the end of May or beginning of June -- the precise date is unclear. It was mere weeks before the June 15 announcement from the group publicly acknowledging their capture.

The three had traveled east to Kharkiv, though how is unclear.

Two days prior to that public announcement, Pip told the families that Drueke and Huynh had gone missing.

In his telling, they were captured by regular Russian forces during a "mission gone bad." The accounts of that mission vary. The Telegraph, a British newspaper that originally broke the story, interviewed an anonymous fighter who claimed the Russian force had 100 troops with mixed armor, including tanks.

"It's out there in the public that they were captured when they were actively fighting against Russian forces," Mockingjay told Military.com. "They didn't just walk across the road and give themselves up to the Russians -- that we know for sure."

In one account from a pro-Russian separatist blogger who claimed to have spoken to Drueke directly, the two were not captured by Russian regular forces at all, but Donetsk separatists.

Other major news outlets have published Pip's account of a battle, including details of a full-scale armored assault through a small village. However, given that these accounts come from one unverified source -- Pip -- there is no way for Military.com to verify their accuracy.

Military.com requested comment from Pip regarding the accuracy of the timeline of events that led to the three joining Baguette and the conflicting accounts of his military service. He said "you've gotten a lot of information wrong," but when pressed several times, declined to point to anything specifically incorrect. He also cited concerns for his safety.

"If you choose to listen to faulty information from others who may or may not have briefly known me then that's on your lack of journalistic integrity," Pip wrote in a response to Military.com, going on to accuse another source of being a drunkard.

What happens next to the two men currently in custody is as uncertain as the circumstances surrounding their capture.

They appear to be in the custody of the separatist Donetsk Republic and, if so, they are likely being held nearly 200 miles south of where they were initially captured. The state is one of two breakaway areas in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine that have been fighting a war with the country's government since 2014 in an effort to join the Russian Federation. Troops there have not only received political and military backing from Russia, but Moscow also officially recognized the breakaway region just days before its invasion in February.

Since March, Russian officials have rejected the idea of Geneva Conventions protections for international volunteers in Ukraine. Russian state media has suggested the men be treated as stateless terrorists, citing recycled legal rationalizations used by the George W. Bush administration to justify moving prisoners to the facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The Drueke family said the Army veteran's captors have prompted him to tell his mother "several times" that they were anxious to begin negotiations for his release, a sign Russian leaders may be looking to leverage the Americans for potential gain.

Mockingjay underscored the Ukrainian government's official position that the two men are entitled to the protections for prisoners of war under the Geneva Conventions.

"They would be covered and protected because they were in uniform, they were openly carrying weapons, they were lawful combatants," she said.

The State Department, outside of confirming that it has seen images of the two veterans "reportedly" captured, has been largely silent. The families say it is working diligently behind the scenes, though.

The threat of a trial or worse still looms over the men.

His captors have allowed Drueke to call Bunny, and the Drueke family has been sharing details of those phone conversations with members of the media.

The family believes the calls to his mother were scripted or, at the very least, heavily moderated. During the calls, Bunny appeared to be doing her best to comfort Drueke, who said he was isolated.

Bunny's days now typically revolve around contact with her son -- leaving her telephone line open, waking up in the morning to check her phone for updates.

Joy Black, Huynh's fiancee, has taken an indefinite leave of absence from work. She and her mom try not to leave the house together just in case a call from Huynh comes through, though they haven't heard anything so far.

"We just work all day taking phone calls, making phone calls, doing interviews, looking up resources," Darla said. "Everything else in life is just on hold."

-- Konstantin Toropin can be reached at konstantin.toropin@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @ktoropin.

-- Drew F. Lawrence can be reached at drew.lawrence@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @df_lawrence.

Related: Videos Show Missing US Veterans Who May Have Been Captured by Russian-Backed Forces in Ukraine
The long-running effort to establish a National Desert Storm and Desert Shield Memorial in Washington, D.C., just off the National Mall passed a major milestone Thursday with a groundbreaking ceremony. But it was possible only because of a funding boost from Kuwait when private donations fell short.

"It's been a lot of heartache, a lot of disappointment," Scott Stump, CEO of the National Desert Storm War Memorial Association, told Military.com before the ceremony. The group has faced headwinds in raising funds and working through the complicated approval process.

At the groundbreaking ceremony at the memorial's new official address -- 2300 Constitution Avenue -- Stump acknowledged to hundreds of supporters in attendance that "the road getting here has been fraught with obstacles and impediments."

Scott C. Stump, far left, President of the National Desert Storm Memorial Association, Salem Abdullah, Kuwait ambassador to the United States, third from left, Gulf War veterans, and invitees participate in a groundbreaking ceremony for the new National Desert Storm and Desert Storm Memorial Thursday, July 14, 2022, on the National Mall in Washington. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

Read Next: How 2 American Veterans Ended Up in Ukraine, Prisoners of Russian-Armed Militants

He thanked Kuwait's ambassador to the U.S., Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, for his country's pledge of funding that helped save the memorial project. In his own remarks, the ambassador said the memorial "will forever evoke and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice to give Kuwaitis their homeland back."

The tentative design for the memorial would be semicircular to recall the "left hook" by U.S. ground forces through the Saudi desert to cut off Iraqi troops in Desert Storm.

The U.S.-led mission to expel Iraqi invaders from Kuwait began on Jan. 17, 1991, with a massive aerial and naval bombardment that lasted five weeks, followed by a ground assault that lasted 100 hours until Iraq capitulated.

During the air and ground combat, a total of 96 U.S. troops were killed in action, two died of wounds and another 105 were listed as nonhostile deaths, according to the U.S. Army Center of Military History.

The biggest applause at the ceremony went to retired Army Brig. Gen. Rhonda Cornum, who was a major during Desert Storm serving as a flight surgeon with the 229th Aviation Regiment.

On Feb. 27, 1991, Cornum was in a Black Hawk helicopter on a mission to rescue a downed F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot when her aircraft came under fire and crashed, killing five members of the crew and leaving her with two broken arms, a broken finger and a bullet wound in her back.

She suffered mock executions and a sexual assault while a prisoner, but "the most important thing -- I never, not for a single minute, thought I was going to be abandoned up there. I was sure I was  not going to languish in prison like the guys in Vietnam," Cornum said in her remarks. She ultimately was released on March 5, 1991, after the war ended.

In seeking to put the Gulf War in perspective, Cornum said, "One thing stands out: It was a demonstration of all the good things that can happen when there's an unambiguous and moral mission like liberating Kuwait."

"I hope this memorial will teach people and remind them that we shouldn't judge a war by how many people die in it and how long it takes," said Cornum, a recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. "We should judge the importance of a war by what's at stake and what's accomplished."

The National Desert Storm War Memorial Association, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit, began lobbying for the memorial in 2011 and won initial approval when then-President Barack Obama signed legislation in 2014.

Then in 2017, President Donald Trump signed off on a site for the memorial that is not technically on the National Mall but is still in a prime location off Constitution Avenue, about 300 yards from the Lincoln Memorial and across a driveway from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

The plan was to have a dedication ceremony for the completed memorial in 2021, the 30th anniversary of the swift U.S.-led coalition victory over the forces of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to liberate Kuwait. But in June 2019, Stump said during an event at the National Press Club that the association was about $32 million short of its $40 million fundraising goal.

Unless funding picked up, the risk would be that Desert Storm would become not a "forgotten war" but a "forgotten victory," Stump said.

Then in March of this year, Kuwait pledged whatever funding was necessary to complete the memorial. "Kuwait is very proud to be the major donor to the construction of this memorial," the Kuwaiti ambassador said in a statement at the time.

Stump, who served as a Marine lance corporal with 3rd Battalion, 24th Marines, in the 1991 campaign that drove the Iraqi army from Kuwait, declined to reveal how much money Kuwait pledged but said it was "sufficient for us to move forward."

The plan now is to have a dedication ceremony for the memorial on Veterans Day 2024, he said.

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.

Related: The National Desert Storm and Desert Shield Memorial Needs Your Help
Henry Johnson had reservations when he and another inexperienced American soldier were called on to serve on sentry duty in northeastern France's Forest of Argonne during World War I. Asked to guard an outpost of troops, Johnson was concerned it was too much responsibility at that stage in his military service.

Still, Johnson told his corporal he'd "tackle the job." He did much more than that. During Johnson and fellow Pvt. Needham Roberts' shift, roughly 20 German troops attacked their position.The odds were overwhelming, but Johnson -- all 5 feet, 4 inches, and 130 pounds of him -- sprang into action. He fought valiantly, kept Roberts from being taken prisoner and successfully fended off the Germans. Johnson killed four enemy soldiers and wounded as many as 20 others, all while sustaining 21 wounds from bullets and shrapnel himself. "There wasn't anything so fine about it," Johnson later recalled. "Just fought for my life. A rabbit would have done that." Johnson was working odd jobs when he joined the National Guard and was assigned to Company C, 15th New York (Colored) Infantry Regiment, in 1917. The all-Black unit was rebranded the 369th Infantry Regiment -- forever immortalized as the Harlem Hellfighters -- after it departed for France during WWI.

The regiment's time on active duty did not get off to a very fulfilling start. Soldiers unloaded ships, dug latrines and performed other lowly tasks, and they probably would have continued doing so had they not been tasked with helping the French Fourth Army.

On May 15, 1918, Johnson and Roberts were midway through their four-hour night shift as sentries when Johnson detected the "snippin' and clippin'" of wire cutters on a fence. After instructing Roberts to run and inform the French troops, Johnson lobbed a grenade in the direction of the encroachment -- resulting in a swift response of gunfire and grenades from the Germans. Sensing the danger that Johnson faced, Roberts aborted his assignment. But as he attempted to return to help, he was struck by a grenade that injured his arm and hip. Although his injuries rendered Roberts unable to provide much assistance, he was able to hand Johnson grenades. When those ran out, Johnson picked up his French rifle.

The rifle contained a three-cartridge clip.

"Johnson fired his three shots -- the last one almost muzzle to breast of the Boche [German] bearing down upon him," an account from the New York National Guard said. "As the German fell, a comrade jumped over his body, pistol in hand, to avenge his death. There was no time for reloading. Johnson swung his rifle round his head, and brought it down with a thrown blow upon the head of the German."

After Johnson's rifle jammed when he attempted to insert an American cartridge clip into it, he began out of necessity using it as a club. That caused the rifle to splinter, about the time that Johnson noticed the Germans attempting to capture Roberts.

Johnson grabbed his bolo knife and charged, lunging with his blade and stabbing those who came across his path, including impaling one German in the head. Johnson's fearlessness and aggressiveness shocked the Germans, who retreated as French and American troops approached.

"The raiding party abandoned a considerable quantity of equipment [from which the estimate of the party's strength is made], a number of fire arms, including automatic pistols, and carried away their wounded and dead," a National Guard report found. Johnson killed one German with a grenade, another by rifle fire and two with his knife. He sustained wounds all over his body, including to his head, hand and side. His left foot was shattered. Severely wounded and unconscious, he was transported to a field hospital.

Command Sgt. Maj. Louis Wilson of the New York Army National Guard accepts the Medal of Honor on behalf of World War I Pvt. Henry Johnson, who served with the 369th Infantry Regiment, known as the Harlem Hellfighters, at the White House, Washington, D.C., June 2, 2015. (Lisa Ferdinando/Defense Media Activity)

France awarded Johnson, nicknamed "Black Death" after the skirmish, the Croix de Guerre with Gold Palm for exceptional valor. But his discharge papers contained no mention of his heroic actions or injuries, depriving him of any awards or disability compensation. "Uneducated and in his early twenties, Henry Johnson had no expectations that he could correct the errors in his military record," according to Smithsonian Magazine.

The recognition that Johnson earned eventually came. He was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart in 1996, a Distinguished Service Cross in 2002, and the Medal of Honor in 2015.

Unable to hold steady work after he returned to the United States, Johnson died penniless in 1929 at age 36.

It was believed for years that he had been given a pauper's funeral, only for his family to learn his final resting place had been befitting a war hero the whole time.

Johnson is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. "Learning my father was buried in this place of national honor can be described in just one word -- joyful," Johnson's son, Herman, said at his father's grave in 2002. "I am simply joyful."

-- Stephen Ruiz can be reached at stephen.ruiz@military.com.

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The Cubs have been without Kyle Hendricks for a week, as the right-hander landed on the injured list with a shoulder strain last Wednesday. While the team didnt provide any timetable for his recovery at the time, it seems hell be out for an extended stretch.

Manager David Ross told reporters this evening that Hendricks will be shut down from throwing for at least two-to-three weeks (link via Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune). He wont require surgery, but the shutdown portends a lengthy recovery stint. Given the timeline Ross provided, Hendricks seems unlikely to pick up a ball until around the start of next month.

Hell surely need multiple weeks thereafter to build up throwing before getting back on the Wrigley Field mound. Hendricks will presumably have to start his progression from flat ground before beginning bullpen sessions and eventually moving towards a minor league rehab stint. It seems likely hell be out until mid-late August even in a best-case scenarios.

The shutdown virtually closes the books on whatever small chance there may have been that Hendricks could change hands this summer. Players on the injured list are eligible to be dealt, but its hard to envision any team taking a shot on the 32-year-old before the August 2 trade deadline. At that point, hell be at the very early stages of a throwing program if hes begun one at all. He wouldnt be of immediate assistance to any rotation-needy contenders.

Hendricks was a longshot trade candidate even prior to the injury, as hed not been having a great season. Hes taken the ball 16 times and given the Cubs 84 1/3 innings, but he owns a career-worst 4.80 ERA. Hendricks had plenty of success in prior years, compensating for subpar velocity and swinging strike numbers with stellar control and high ground-ball rates. Hes seen his grounder numbers decline over the past couple seasons, and that currently sits at a career-low 36.2%. Unsurprisingly, Hendricks has been increasingly prone to home runs as hes surrendered more airborne contact.

He remains an excellent strike-thrower and has posted serviceable back-of-the-rotation numbers, but it wasnt likely hed have a ton of trade value given his contract. Hendricks is playing this season on a $14MM salary, and hell make the same amount next year. Thatll be the final guaranteed season of his deal, though hes due a $1.5MM buyout on a 2024 option.
The Phillies announced tonight theyve returned relievers Nick Duron and Bubby Rossman to the minor leagues. Duron heads to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, while Rossman goes back to Double-A Reading. Both players had their contracts selected as designated COVID-19 substitutes for the Phils set in Toronto, so neither will occupy a spot on the 40-man roster.

Philadelphia also returned catcher Rafael Marchan and optioned infielder Will Toffey to Triple-A. Those players will remain on the 40-man  Marchan because hed been added to the roster well before his latest callup, Toffey because he wasnt designated as a substitute player upon being selected to the big leagues today.

Duron and Rossman each soaked up a mop-up inning during tonights 8-2 loss to the Jays. The former worked around a pair of hits to record a scoreless frame. Rossman served up a two-run homer to Teoscar Hernandez. It was a purposefully brief promotion for both as the Phils navigated the loss of four players for the series because of travel restrictions. Both righties got the opportunity to make their major league debuts, and theyll head back to the minors hoping to earn a more lasting look at some point down the line.

The moves clear roster space for the reinstatement of the four players on the restricted list. Each of Kyle Gibson, Aaron Nola, Alec Bohm and J.T. Realmuto will be permitted to rejoin the club for their weekend series in Miami.
Marriages are always respected and enjoyable, especially when they're blessed with children. Unfortunately, in our African society, women always suffer name callings when partners fail to produce children after some time.

A similar case happened to a celebrated Ghanaian actress and media personality, Nana Ama McBrown, who was wedded for almost a decade without a child before God finally blessed her womb with one.

Recounting her excitement toward the news of her pregnancy in an interview with Ghanaian media personality Naa Ashokor on the "We Got This Africa" show, she disclosed that she refrained totally from sex for fear of losing the child in the process.

She said the decision was a mutual one between herself and her husband.

After I broke the news to my husband, he didnt believe me until I sent a picture of the results to him. Then he called back and opted to pick me up from the hospital to the house.

When he came, he was smiling and I could see it. We were excited and he said if so, then we werent going to have sex. But this was something we werent already doing during the IVF process, she said.

Aside from her joy at finally having a child after a long search, she shockingly revealed that one of her fallopian tubes had been removed and the remaining one was rendered inoperable.

She sees no reason to be sad because all of her efforts and struggles were for herself and a baby.

I am saying for the first time, my tubes one of them was damaged and they had to take it off. I shouldnt have said this but Naa a lot of women are going through this. Mine, I have gotten a result, I have gotten Maxine and what I wanted, she disclosed in a very sad tone.

Watch her recounting her plight below:
Holland-based Ghanaian Afrobeats artiste, Ras Nan has accused popular Ghanaian Tiktok star Asantewaa of refusing to meet him after contacting her to feature in his upcoming music video.

According to Ras Nan, his manager Kamal Mohameed contacted Asantewaa to feature in the upcoming music video which was supposed to be shot in Ghana.

The 'Revelation' crooner indicated that after flying all the way to Ghana over three weeks ago, the Tiktok Star has refused to pick up his calls.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with ace broadcaster Fiifi Pratt on Accra-based Kingdom FM, Ras Nan said, "I told my manager to contact Asantewaa so she can feature in my upcoming music video to be shot in Ghana...initially her manager charged GHC5,000.00 but I sent my manager 5,000.00 euros....but it's been three weeks now I got to Ghana and she is nowhere to be found."

The popular Holland-based Ghanaian Afrobeats star stressed that" She is just a Tiktoker whom I wanted to help... I flew with a First Class ticket to Ghana because of her...I just wanted to help her - only for her to portray such shambolic behaviour towards me... the way she has acted unprofessionally, I don't think I can work with her again...I have to fly back to Holland."

Ras Nan's manager, Karmal Mohameed expressing his disappointment over Asantewaa's appalling behaviour advised that" Asantewaa has to show respect to the pacesetters in the industry..She must learn that some people have been here before her so she must show respect".

He cleared the air that even though the 'Revelation' hitmaker sent him the Five Thousand euros, he is yet to give the money to the Tiktok goddess.

Asantewaa, shot to fame during the Covid-19 lockdown when the use of Tiktok became a fashion and most Ghanaian ladies got hooked on it.

Ras Nan, who started his music career five years ago has ten singles to his credit. Some of the songs include: 'Fall, Summer Time, Revelation, Boomboom and Mama.

Watch excerpts of the interview below:

Source: hotfmghana.com
Although every human being is susceptible to mental illness of all kinds, it is regrettable to note that not much attention has been given to mental health issues in most African countries. Mental patients remain one of the most vulnerable people in our society. A close observation of their daily activities shows that, the street has become the homes of majority of mentally-ill persons due to lack of care and support from the general public. This situation poses a threat not only to human life, but also to environment and foreign direct investment to the country.

1st ever song for persons with Mental health conditions neglected:

This is why (MEMHREP), an NGO headquartered in Aboagye Estate, Kumasi is currently providing care and support for these unfortunate fellow human beings. Memhrep, for the first time in the history of Ghana, just released a new song for these dear ones, Nyame Adehe3, as we choose to call them. This new song is entitled, Boa Nyame Adehye3 , (help the Vulnerable and/or mentally-ill).

Beloved, say no to stigmatization against persons with mental health conditions because they are also Gods creation. Treat people the same way you would want to be treated. Only God knows the future. Helpers are rare. Sickness is inevitable. Everyone can fall sick, the elderly, young, male and female. Dont stigmatize against anyone who is sick today because it can be you tomorrow.

Individuals, Organizations and Companies of influence, let us all support MEMHREP in this fight against stigmatization. There is hope. There is hope for the mentally ill. Memhrep is taking them through gradual and continuous treatment till they fully recover. Treat them like you would want to be treated. If someone is mentally ill, it doesnt mean he/she is spoilt or cursed. Lets not call them mad or leave them abandoned. Give them food to eat and water to drink. Lets not whip them like animals as some people do. They are humans just like us. Have pity on them and help them anyway you can. Oy3 Nyame Dehye3

Mensah Mental Health Rehabilitation Project is a non-Governmental and non-profit making Organization which seeks to gradually alleviate the plight of persons living with mental illness on the streets and in the various communities as well as vulnerable persons on the streets of Kumasi and beyond.

In light of this, the organization has various departments and programs carefully designed to aid in the swift achievement of its mission and vision.

The Community Mental Health Outreach Programme assists persons with mental illness in various communities by sending them to hospitals for regular check-ups and medication. These persons are also given food items and money for upkeep, once a while.

The Educational Programme focuses on youth in schools at all levels, not forgetting churches, mosques and other associations. This programme educates them on the need to remain mentally healthy as well as avoid activities and practices that could end up in mental illness.

Its Outreach Programme is designed to cater for the dear ones abandoned and neglected on the streets to fend for themselves. They are occasionally fed, bathed, and clothed to remind them that there is hope for a better future.

Memhreps Agricultural Programme is a supportive strategy meant to facilitate the outreach and rehabilitation programmes. Thus, proceeds from this programme are used to feed these victims to improve their standards and conditions of living.

Theres also the FEE Programme as a supplementary measure to curb the increase of mental illness on the Railway suburbs, hence the name Railway Project. The target group includes persons addicted to drugs and need a helping hand to stop, thus MEMHREPs intervention. They are Fed, Educated and Employed (FEE).

Finally, its Rehabilitation Project is a long term vision intended to completely end the distress of persons living with mental illness in Kumasi and other neighboring regions. It is a systematic process to accommodate, care and support their recovery process. A resettlement and reintegration programme sets in after a successful recovery process.

Memhrep on its own is trying every means possible to reduce the rate at which mental illness increases in the country, making it safe and conducive for business operation by foreign and local investors. However, Memhrep is faced with huge financial constraint since it is solely funded by the CEO and few individual donors. This is why we call on other Organizations, Companies and individual persons to all come and support MEMHREP in cash and/or kind to help make this great vision a greater achievement. The fight against mental illness is not a sole responsibility but a joint and corporate effort between organizations like MEMHREP and other concerned people in the economys growth.

MEMHREP is ready to be used as ambassadors and advocates in the rally and fight against mental illness and the stigma such persons live with.

You can as well reach out to MEMHREP for any help or support by contacting the following numbers bellow:

Tel: +233248762692
US Vice President Kamala Harris assured Pacific island leaders of more U.S. engagement after acknowledging Wednesday the United States may not have previously provided the diplomatic attention the region deserved.

Harris' virtual address to the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) meeting in the Fijian capital Suva, comes as China vies for more influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

She proposed new embassies in Tonga and in Kiribati, a Micronesian state that split this week from the 18-nation forum in a major blow to regional harmony.

Harris also proposed requesting that the U.S. Congress triple funding for fisheries assistance to $60 million a year and appoint the first U.S. envoy to the forum.

A Fact Sheet on the Harris visit, published by the White House on 12 July, added that the US will send representatives of its traditional soft power influence building tools, the Peace Corps and USAid to become active in PIF member states.

We recognize that in recent years the Pacific islands may not have received the diplomatic attention and support that you deserve. So today I am here to tell you directly, we are going to change that, Harris said.

Harris' commitment was welcomed by Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, the forum chair who invited her to speak.

Her invitation was remarkable given that the forum's dialogue partners, including the United States, China, Britain and France, have not been invited to this year's summit.

I think it is clear to see that the U.S. is certainly looking a lot more like the Pacific partner we have traditionally held it to be, Bainimarama said.

The United States and the forum's wealthiest nations, Australia and New Zealand, are concerned about a security pact signed this year between China and Solomon Islands.

They fear the pact could lead to a Chinese navy base being established in the South Pacific less than 2,000 kilometers from the Australian northeast coast.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrived in Suva on Wednesday and held a bilateral meeting with Solomons Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.

Albanese's government was elected in May with promises of more action on climate change and an additional 525 million Australian dollars (300 million) spent on regional aid. Climate change is the forum's greatest security concern.

Worst policy failure

Australia also has a security pact with Solomon Islands and Australian police have been maintaining peace in the capital Honiara since violence late last year.

The new Australian government has described the China-Solomons pact as Australia's worst policy failure in the Pacific since World War II.

Albanese acknowledged in Suva that Australia in recent years has not paid enough attention to the Pacific island region. And I know that the Biden Administration has said that, he added.

I very much welcome the increased engagement of the United States in the region," Albanese said, describing the support package Harris proposed as significant.

Both the Solomon Islands and Kiribati recently shifted their diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to Beijing. Kiribati's withdrawal from the forum is being interpreted as a deepening of China's influence in the region.

(With AP)
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13.07.2022 LISTEN

A deputy national communications officer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), says the barrage of criticisms directed at John Boadu, General Secretary of the party is unfair.

Ahead of the party's delegates conference on Saturday to elect national officers, JB' as he is affectionately called, is facing loads of criticisms from some members of the party.

The general secretary hopeful is being criticised for not picking up his calls and also failing to lend a helping hand to party members in need.

Jennifer Queen expressed utter displeasure at the criticisms, saying with the busy schedules of Mr John Boadu as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of our party, he cannot be picking every call at a go.

As a general secretary of our party, he attends cabinet meetings which sometimes travel deep into the night, therefore, he cannot practically be responding to all his calls as they come."

She continued in an interview with Sompa radio in Kumasi on Wednesday that, As the chief scribe of our party, JB handles all issues emanating from the constituencies across the country, so always picking his calls practically impossible.

According to Queen, Mr Boadu as committed as he is to the affairs of the party, always try his best to return most of his missed calls at his free time.

On the issue of Mr Boadu not helping party members out, the deputy communications officer, pointed out that the former national organiser has helped a number of party members in diverse ways.

I know for a fact that Mr Boadu, has given a lot of job opportunities and financial assistance to several party faithful, she intimated.

The NPP communicator therefore, called on party people who have benefitted from the benevolence of Mr Boadu to come out and defend him.

Queen insisted that Mr Boadu as general secretary is the best bet for the party to break the 8.

According to her, Mr Boadu, over the years has acquired the needed experience to map up workable strategies to secure a third term victory for the party in 2024.

Even as acting general secretary, he was able to snatch victory from an incumbent party in 2016, maintained power in 2020 and therefore, can do same in 2024, Queen stressed, whilst, imploring the delegates to choose wisely on Saturday, especially on the general secretary position.

Mr Boadu is being challenged by four other persons but the contest is expected to be a straight fight between him and lawyer Justin Frimpong Kodua, CEO of the National Youth Employment Authority (NYEA).
13.07.2022 LISTEN

Two weeks before I went for my Visa appointment last August in Ghana, I was in a fit of anxiety. Partly because that situation always comes with some anxiety and because I had resigned from my job (schoolwork had already started) and was thinking how life could be in the unlikely case of rejection at the embassy. My soul got placated by the visit of two brothers, Basit and Bashiru who had gotten their visas that week and wanted some books to read as they prepare to fly to the United States of America to pursue a masters degree at the Ohio University. I already knew Basit because in 2019, we both had to prepare to write the GRE examination as a requirement for school application. I gave it a cavalier attitude, he passed his, got an admission but could not travel out because of the unfortunate. The Covid-19 pandemic set in, and the embassy had to close. The unexpected they say, beats even the man of valor.

But I am not talking about him. I want to talk about the other person. His name is Abubakar Bashiru. I want to talk about the success he chalked here in an American school. But before that, I want to discuss his struggles back home in Ghana, his journey to Ohio, the never-give up attitude he put up, the sheer tenacity and bold determination for a higher life. I want to do that because Nkrumah says that we should judge people by the depths they came from and not only by the heights they reached.

Abubakar Bashiru is a student at Ohio university. Before joining Ohio University for his master's in international studies, he studied at the University of Cape Coast, where he graduated with a second-class upper in 2018. According to him, his desire to pursue higher education abroad did not come on a silver platter. It came on the back multiple rejections, unexpected situations and a spirit filled with hope, faith, mixed with an indescribable level of perseverance. He started the process of school application in 2018 to some schools and they did not give him admission. He tried again in 2019 and Ohio University accepted him for an MA in International Studies.

Getting admission in a USA university is one leg of the process. The next process which is the harder for a lot of people is securing the visa. No sooner had Bashiru start the visa application process than the world came to a standstill due the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. He had no other option than to defer the program to spring 2021. His visa appointment on November 25, 2020, was not successful. He got denied. He did not relent but re-applied and got another date, January 6,2021. He went to the embassy that day with all optimism he could gather. Interestingly, his optimism fizzled through the thin air. He got denied again. This is what he said at this point, I thought all hope was lost, and my dream of schooling in the USA was over. However, I remembered this verse from the Holy Quran: "after every difficulty, there is ease" (Quran 94:5).

Bashiru had to defer his programme again (American schools grant that opportunity) to Fall 2021. He re-applied for a visa appointment at a time when it was overwhelmingly difficult to schedule an appointment because the embassy was closed for regular processes and only granted those with emergency situations an appointment opportunity. But that also came with a slow and difficult chance of securing a date as there was a whole backlog of students who had to defer their courses the previous year plus those who got admission that year. He got August 8th, 2022, as an appointment date and after ten minutes plus interview, he was told to wait for some days as his visa went through what they call administrative process. Two weeks later, he received an email from the American Embassy (Ghana) that his visa had been approved.

The reason I had to tell us all these is to appreciate Bashiru as he chalked a remarkable feat in his first year of study at Ohio University. Before the summer holidays begun, he received an academic achievement certificate award at the Center for International Studies Graduate ceremony at Ohio University. This award was presented to students who could obtain a cumulative CGPA of 3.8 or higher. We salute and congratulate Abubakar Bashiru elephantly for this wonderful feat. We urge him to keep the spirit burning aloft and continue making a case on why he had to strive towards higher education.

More grease to your elbows, Bashiru.

[email protected]

NB: The Writer is a Community Organizer, Literacy Advocate, and a Youth-Activist.
Let's Discover Keta: "Land on the Head of Sand"! Akwaaba! Woezor!

Keta doesnt only mean top of the sand or better put literally, the head of the sand. Keta means something else, something big, something wow!

To us, K.E.TA. means Keeping Environmental Treasures Alive! Keta, offers so much for an experience of a lifetime worth repeating. This gives you a remarkable, unforgettable and unimaginable exposure to nature in its pristine and exquisite form and shape. Yeah, Keta is the only town that has refused to succumb to the fierce attacks of the sea and the floods of the lagoon. It is a town located in-between the lagoon and the sea. Welcome to Keta!

In fact, there are few places in Ghana with a history as colourful and captivating as that of Keta. Keta has a history spanning for over five centuries and has early contact with Europeans dating back to the 17th century with relics of their monuments doted over the town. How can you know all that? This is what we invite you to come and experience for yourself.

Is it history that you are looking for? You will get plenty of it. Stories and songs about how the first people migrated and settled here? We will surely take you to the beginning of Keta. Archival and historical, geographical, archeological artefacts and records abound to justify the history. For the black Americans or Afro-Americans, they can trace their root to Keta. The late writer, author and poet Maya Angelou captured it in her book, All Gods Children Need Travelling Shoes.

Welcome to Keta, our beautiful land known for its spectacular scenery and sites (landscape, beachscape, seascapes and lagoonscape).

Welcome to Keta, the land of highly spirited people with diverse, yet unique culture shaped by the sea and the lagoon over the centuries.

Welcome to Keta, the home of beautiful and colourful festivals, one-of-a-kind historical, cultural, ecological, recreational, archaeological sites you will never see anywhere in Ghana or in the whole world.

Welcome to Keta, where you can discover century-old gastronomy: fresh local sea foods, lagoon foods and other local delicacies for yourself. A rare culinary experience that will linger for long in your mind.

Come and discover Keta, that we know very well and love very much. A place shaped and fashioned by the sea and the lagoon for over five centuries. A place where the way of life of the people is shaped, fashioned, intertwined and interwoven by the founding cultures whose love and wisdom `of a good time is legendary, mythological and unmatched. The music, folklore, dance, beliefs, the arts, the foods, the festivals, the warm and friendly hospitality are unforgettable and unimaginable.

The scenery, i.e., the seascapes, the landscapes and the lagoons paces are incomparable, the food and other delicacies are mouth-whetting and fantastic. The people here are hospitable and welcoming. They receive you as one of theirs. Here in Keta, you are home away from home. Come to Keta and you will cover, uncover, recover and discover everything youve lost and those you are seeking for.

Thats our Keta and we cant wait until you get here and discover for yourself what Keta stands for.

Welcome to Keta: the land, the people, the potentials, the opportunities, the options, etc.

Welcome to Keta: Where Nature, Culture, Adventure, Architecture, Pleasure, Leisure and the Future meet and interact and leave you with remarkable and unforgettable experiences.

Welcome to Keta: The Best Tourism Destination in Ghana and West Africa. Woezor!

BY Joel Degue (0242501638/ [email protected] )

Author, Writer and Blogger.
The compilation of the Voters Register used for the 2020 general elections was in line with the institutional practice of the Commission over the years. The Commission has the institutional habit of compiling new Voters Rolls every eight (8) years; apart from the 1992 and 1996 electoral rolls, the Commission compiled new registers in 2004, 2012 and 2020. The Election Management body has not deviated from its practice of compiling Voters Rolls largely prior to a general election in Ghana.

There is a hint in the media space that the Commission plans to compile a new Voters Register using the Ghana Card as the only acceptable document for registration. The Commission is on the verge of abusing its exclusive constitutional powers by taking a decision to have a new roll of voters.

In an article titled Refine the Independence of the Commission, I outlined a number of factors as compelling factors that could inform a decision by the Election Management body to compile a new Voters Register; obsolete technology, change in features of identification of voters and the introduction of a novel electoral management system. Therefore, the independence of the Commission should not be the critical issue to consider in taking a decision to compile a new Voters Roll. The criteria for the compilation of a new Voters Register must be based on the obsolescence of the system and equipment for managing the data of voters and the entire electoral system, the need to introduce a new feature for identifying voters and the requirement to employ a novel technology for managing an electoral system. In each of these cases, the Commission must show the necessity and not the convenience for a new roll.

In fact, if the decision to compile a new register presently is not anchored on the factors outlined, such a decision must vehemently be rejected by Civil Society Organisations and others who matter in governance and politics. The decision is replete with bad faith as there is no justification for such an exercise.

The Commission must not execute this agenda by relying on Article 46 of the Constitution alone. The independence of the Election Management body exclusively is not sufficient to taking a decision to compile a new register. The resolution to compile a new register must be underpinned by critical factors that indicate the overall necessity for such an option.

The Commission must not resolve to compile a new Voters Register even if it is widely accepted to use the Ghana Card as the only document for electoral purposes. Other alternatives such as importing data from the National Identification Authority (NIA) for the purposes of creating a Voters Register or merging the Ghana Card and the Voters Identification Card are conceivable.

While it is financially burdensome, the decision to compile a new roll is untenable and perversely defective. The Commission must not arbitrarily use its discretion as the principal factor in reaching such a decision. The Commission must not act in a manner that suggests it is exposed to political manipulations. The decision to compile a new roll of voters currently is not fitting in maintaining the institutional norms of the Commission.

The current attempt to compile a new Voters Roll is uncharacteristic of the administrative standards at the Commission. There have been adequate reasons for new registers to be compiled since the beginning of the current republic. The Commission must indicate how its decision to create a new roll of voters meet the criteria set at the Commission. The announcement of the proposal to replace the current register alone impairs the integrity of the Commission. The Voters Register compiled for the 2020 general elections could be used for conducting more than one election.

A new voters register at this time is needless and indicates abuse of power.

BY Emmanuel Kwabena Wucharey

Economics Tutor, Advocate and Religion Enthusiast
A Gambian court on Wednesday sentenced five former members of the intelligence service to death for the murder of a political activist during the rule of ex-dictator Yahya Jammeh.

High Court Justice Kumba Sillah-Camara pronounced the sentence against the former head of the National Intelligence Agency, Yankuba Badjie, after finding him guilty of murdering Ebrima Solo Sandeng, an important figure in the opposition United Democratic Party, in 2016.

Badjie was also convicted of bodily harm.

The agency's former operations chief, Sheikh Omar Jeng, as well as NIA officials Babucarr Sallah, Lamin Darboe and Tamba Mansary, were convicted on the same charges and sentenced to death by the Banjul court.

Sandeng was arrested during an April 2016 demonstration against Jammeh. He died in custody two days later after having been beaten and tortured.

His death galvanised a political movement that eventually ousted Jammeh, who had ruled the tiny West African nation for 22 years.

Haruna Susso, another NIA official, and Lamin Sanyang, a nurse, were found not guilty of murder or bodily harm.

The former deputy director of the spy agency, Louie Richard Leese Gomez, had also been accused but has since died.

Another official, Yusupha Jammeh, had been accused but was later acquitted.

'Justice is catching up'

"Justice is catching up to Yahya Jammeh's henchmen in Gambia and around the world and hopefully it will soon catch up to Yahya Jammeh himself," said Reed Brody, a lawyer with the International Commission of Jurists who works with Jammeh's victims.

Map of Gambia. By afp (AFP)

The trial, which began in 2017, was the only ongoing domestic trial tied to crimes committed under Jammeh's brutal regime.

Previously, Yankuba Touray was tried in The Gambia for the 1995 murder of finance minister Koro Ceesay. He was convicted in July 2021 and sentenced to death, but has since appealed.

Another former Jammeh accomplice, Bai Lowe, went on trial in April in Germany, accused of crimes against humanity, murder and attempted murder.

The former interior minister, Ousman Sonko, has been under investigation in Switzerland since 2017, while Michael Sang Correa, alleged to have been a hitman, was indicted in June 2020 in the United States.

Jammeh has been accused of a range of crimes, including rape, the use of death squads, and of having ordered the disappearances of political enemies. In May, The Gambia's authorities promised to prosecute him.

The government accepted a truth commission's recommendations to prosecute more than 200 others for crimes committed under Jammeh's regime. By MUHAMADOU BITTAYE (AFP)

The government also accepted a truth commission's recommendations to prosecute more than 200 others for crimes committed under the former president's regime.

Jammeh himself remains in exile in Equatorial Guinea, where he fled in early 2017 following his December 2016 electoral loss to President Adama Barrow.

Barrow in 2017 renamed the NIA the State Intelligence Services (SIS).
14.07.2022 LISTEN

A gentleman, by all definitions. A man of character, by all characterizations. An autochthonous Ijesa son, by all interpretations. An illustrious Ijesa son, by all illustrations. A distinguished professional, by all explications. A family man, by all exemplifications. And at the risk of stating the obvious, a Root, by all appurtenances. Always calm in his mien, he is exemplar in his exudation of control.

His vivacity is balmy. Effervescent but quiescent. His verve is halcyonic. His guarded excitement is contagious. His coming has been in the making for some time. Today is the D-Day. To the Roots Club, he has been an asset as he has been to Ijesa land. Committed. Dedicated. Devoted. His love for the Roots Club and Ijesa land is on the pedestal of level-headed zealotry. He pursued those interests with a controlled and enlightened blitz. He is generous. He gives of himself with ease. His leadership traits have been incandescent. He likes to lead by example to inspire and encourage others. He puts his money where his mouth is. He talks the talk and walks the walk. Members are very proud to have him in the saddle. The atmosphere is permeated with confidence and trust. The trajectory of competence and selflessness buoys the confidence in his leadership. The celebration itself is seen as the genesis of a new era. A new era to build on what his predecessors have valiantly contributed. The Roots Club of Ijesa land has become a bequeathment. It is graduating into an invaluable heritage. A heritage for all times and all seasons. A propeller of progress and prosperity for Ijesa land. A brawny bulwark for its members in times of unexpected challenges. A stubborn rock at the banks of a sweltering waves of the sea. Root Oguntominiyi knows this very well. He understands that he has an obligation to hold the fort. He knows he has a responsibility to extend the coast of our Club. He has the know-how to strengthen the walls to withstand the vicissitudes of inclement time. He knows there is the need to build and inspire the Club to be able to vitiate the viciousness of the vagaries vaunted by fluctuating times. His becoming the President today is an act of putting the round peg in the round hole. The excitement of his investiture is activated by the confidence imbued by his trajectory. A trajectory of service. A trajectory of love. A trajectory of dedication, and commitment to the pre-eminent Club in Ijesa land. Yes, his is a trajectory of reliability, dependability, and authenticity. His reputation goes before him. Oguntominiyi Oluyemi Oladimeji was born to the family of late CHIEF JOHNSON AKINSEHINDE and late MRS. JANET ADUNOLA OGUNTOMINIYI in Ikeji Arakeji Ijesa in the present Oriade Local Government area of State of Osun.

He started his primary school education at United Anglican Primary School, Esa-Oke from Jan 1966 -Dec 1971. After his elementary education, he proceeded to St. Lawrence's Grammar School, Imo, Ilesa, from Jan 1972 to June 1976. On completion of his secondary education, he proceeded into the prestigious University of Ilorin, where he bagged B.Eng. in Civil Engineering with a Second-Class Upper division. He started his engineering career with the Federal Civil Service Commission under the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing as a Pupil Engineer. By dint of hard work, dedication to service and demonstration of excellence in service, he rose through the ranks first as Executive Engineer Grade 1 to the enviable and exalted position of Director, Federal Highways Construction and Rehabilitation. He retired as Acting Permanent Secretary in the same Federal Ministry of Works and Housing on the 23rd September, 2020, after a meritorious service spanning through 33yrs, 9months and 15days.

He served as Special Assistant [Technical] to seven different Permanent Secretaries while in the service of the Federal government of Nigeria. An experience that has buoyed his administrative ingenuity and leadership skills. A Registered Engineer with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) as well as multiple Fellow of both the Nigerian Society of Engineers [FNSE] and Nigerian Institute of Safety Engineers [FNISafetyE], Root Oguntominiyi served in various capacities as Caretaker Committee member in Oriade Local Government of State of Osun. Well-traveled in Europe, United States and Asia, Root Oguntomiyis excellence in service and significant contributions to his immediate society and Nigeria has earned him various recognitions and awards including Productivity Order of the State of Osun Merit Award by His Excellency, Adegboyega Oyetola, the Executive Governor of the State of Osun; African Leadership Award for Engineering Excellence from Institute for African Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka and Arewa Students and Youths Council of Nigeria (Sarduana Legacy). Root Oguntominiyi has also received Kwame Nkrumah Servant Leadership Award of Guidance; The Face of Nollywood Awards for Outstanding Personality of the Year; National House of Dream Parliament (NHODP) Award of Excellence Recognition; and Mens Fellowship Merit Award from St. Pauls Anglican Church, Diocese of Kubwa, Abuja. For an outstanding performance when serving as a technical sub-committee member on permanent solution to the bar beach shoreline erosion problem, he was given a COMMENDATION by Sen. Adeseye Ogunlewe, the then Honourable Minister of Works.

In more ways than one, Root Oguntominiyis investiture as the President of the Roots Club of Ijesaland is a beautiful development. The mere fact that this has sparked a lot of excitement is an attestation to what he brings to the table. Nothing satiates like being recognized for ones efforts by ones contemporaries, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances. As Root Oluyemi Oladimeji Oguntominiyi steps in as the President of our great Club, welcome to a new era of hope and fulfilment of greater achievements. Congratulations!  Remi Oyeyemi Omo Ekun
Ghana has lost billions under the NPP administration that could have been used to improve access to healthcare, employment opportunities, and education. The president and all of his ministers would have been ousted from office in any developing country. The entire NPP is still wasting Ghana's wealth and in all honesty, neither Nana Akufo Addo nor the NPP ministers have done anything for common Ghanaians to warrant a wage.

It is only necessary that Ghana needs ministers to represent the nation, the reason the country has the Minister of Agriculture, Health, Transport, and Information. However, they are all ineffective and fruitless. Since the leader, Nana Akufo Addo, is dishonest, incapable, and unproductive, it's as though all of his ministers have caught the disease. This is one of the causes behind Akufo Addo's administration's failure.



Leaders have an impact on a range of outcomes, such as employee retention, client happiness, sales, revenue, productivity, and more. Due to Nana Akufo Addo's incompetence, laziness, and corruption, all of his ministers have been affected by his irresponsible lifestyle, which has put the average Ghanaian in needless problems.

Why are the NPP ministers receiving salaries each month when they dont give back to the state and the people what they deserve? If the NPP politicians, including the president, Nana Akufo Addo, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, and the Vice-President, Mahamudu Bawumia, are effective and competent, the economy will not collapse and the rate of unemployment will not be so high to brew crime throughout Ghana.

It will be recalled that on January 30, 2022, in an article titled "Reject the E-Levy, Let the NPP Politicians Give a Percentage Pay Cut to the State," I recommended that Akufo Addo meet with his cabinet and decide to give back a certain percentage of their salaries to the State in order to revive the economy. This was my recommendation for any serious country that would not like to return to the International Monetary Fund. Why hasn't Ghana already done that like many other countries? I queried.

When I came across Nana Akufo Addo, the president of Ghana, saying, "I've decreased my salary by 30% because of economic difficulty," I wasn't shocked. In reference to Modern Ghana on July 9, 2022, the President made the cut announcement while serving as the special guest at this year's Eid Al Adha prayers in Accra in order to convey to the populace the necessity of making sacrifices as the nation requests assistance from the International Monetary Fund.

I am not a politician or economist, to be quite honest, but what I have studied about politics and encountered in other nations has allowed me the common sense to assess Ghanaian politics and immediately determine what the long-term results would be. One of the reasons I started to inform the president of the threats he would face, but nothing worked.

We believe that John Mahama was implicated in certain financial issues, but Akufo Addo has shown to be more consistently corrupt than Mahama. More significantly, the person his detractors accuse of being crooked started numerous projects around Ghana and even abandoned some of them unfinished. Let the ostensibly "capable" Akufo Addo explain what he has accomplished for Ghana and why the country, along with its economy and currency, failed due to massive debt.

The fact that Akufo Addo rejected all of my warnings, including my attempts to encourage Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the minister of information, to request the president to take up the unfinished projects left by the NDC administration, saddens me so much. These properties are not for the NDC; rather, they are for Ghanaians. It has now been shown that the NPP government has racked up such a large debt without contributing even a tenth of what Mahama did.

In the past, I had a great deal of respect for Kojo Oppong Nkrumah because I believed he was young and brilliant given his background in media. Later, I understood he was just another incompetent NPP politician wasting Ghana's meager resources without doing anything for the people. The Ghanaian people deserve an explanation of Oppong Nkrumah's achievements in this area from the minister of information. He is as enthusiastic about the president's wrongdoings and corruption as Ken Agyapong is.

If Akufo Addo had taken over the unfinished projects, the president's situation might not have been as terrible. Without any hostility or resentment for John Mahama, his political rival, he might have been regarded as a brilliant leader. Instead, the president exposed himself as the hateful, jealous tribal bigot he truly is. These are common diseases that continue to affect the brain of tribal bigots not to identify Akufo Addo's failure.

The president states that he has reduced his pay by 30% as a result of the economic downturn, yet despite this, he is a man I don't trust and will never trust since he says things he never does. How will Ghanaians even know that he has cut his pay when everything his finance minister does is not transparent?

If you are a writer or journalist in Ghana today and you can't understand the harm Akufo Addo has done to our nation but you still choose to criticize or insult Mahama, a president who is no longer in office, then you are a fool. Ghanaians with intelligence no longer find such publications interesting to read. I know what I am talking about.

According to the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta, Ghana doesn't want to go to the IMF; therefore, Ghanaians must accept the E-Levy proposal, however, I suggested that rather than using the E-Levy, NPP politicians must reduce their salaries in order to save the economy.

I demanded in that article, "When did Eugene Arhin, the president's director of communications, enter politics to amass so much fortune so quickly?" Ghana has been severely damaged by widespread, ongoing corruption. If the president is sincere about combating this fatal illness, he would have saved enough cash to boost the economy and generate jobs. Since he despises difficulties, he has chosen to forego the fight to protect the public's finances in favor of a dubious, lazy scheme to exploit the underprivileged.

Since it's an outright disgrace for the NPP administration to collect money from those for whom it hasn't created jobs, I was one of those who vehemently opposed the introduction of the E-Levy's They need to put themselves in the shoes. I'm delighted it failed.

I proposed that it will be crucial to give back some of the high wages that NPP government officials earn to the state because, in addition to their high pay, they also benefit from various advantages and allowances that are not available to the ordinary public. However, in light of their egregious incompetence, the president must fire all of his ministers or stop paying them so that the money can be used to help the poor Ghanaians.
The raid bore all the hallmarks of the Islamic State group.

After dividing themselves into three squads, more than a hundred gunmen stormed a Nigerian prison, using explosives to blast though a wall and free dozens of jailed jihadists.

But the assault did not take place in some remote town in the country's violence-torn northeast.

Instead, the raid unfolded just 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the residence of President Muhammadu Buhari and 20 kilometres from the capital's international airport.

As brazen as it was sophisticated, the attack is a humiliation for Nigeria's security forces, analysts say.

They see it as a sign of the jihadists' growing ability to threaten regions beyond the northeast, the heartland of a 13-year insurgency.

The July 5 assault, claimed by IS affiliate ISWAP, targeted Kuje prison, a medium-security jail on the outskirts of Abuja.

Kidnappings, conflicts and insurgency in Nigeria. By Gal ROMA (AFP)

"The attack... represents a monumental failure in intelligence-gathering," Nigeria risk group SBM Intelligence said.

"Kuje, in particular, sends a clear message from ISWAP: they are capable of hitting Abuja at will."

The raid happened hours after bandit gunmen ambushed a presidential convoy of staff preparing for Buhari's visit to his home state of Katsina, in another illustration of Nigeria's security crisis.

The country's multiple conflicts, from jihadists and bandit militias to separatists, will be a major part of the February 2023 election to replace Buhari -- a former army commander whose rise to power was partly based on his image as a strongman.

'Came in numbers'

In the Kuje attack, residents reported blasts and gunfire shortly after 10 pm.

Burnt vehicles outside Kuje prison. By Kola Sulaimon (AFP)

Gunmen engaged prison guards in a firefight, another group went to free comrades while a third secured the perimeter and burned security vehicles outside, prison and security officials said.

"They came in their numbers, they divided themselves into three," correction services spokesman Abubakar Umar said.

The attack freed hundreds of inmates from the general population -- many of whom were recaptured -- as well as dozens of jailed jihadists, prison authorities said.

Corrections services on Friday released wanted pictures of 69 individuals jailed on terrorism charges, prompting Ghana to warn its immigration officials of attempts by Nigerian escapees to enter the country.

Members of the al-Qaeda-allied Ansaru militant group were also in the prison.

Visiting the prison briefly last week, Buhari himself asked how such an attack could happen.

The Nigerian leader has been under growing pressure over the overstretched military's response to the insecurity.

An emergency presidential meeting with top officials called for a probe into Kuje, but critics pointed out there was no shake-up of the security management.

"The attack on this correctional facility is symptomatic of the failure of security," Senate President Ahmad Lawan said during a visit to Kuje.

"It may not be far away from an insider job."

Evolving threat

The last major attack on Abuja was the bombing of a shopping mall in June 2014 in which 21 people died. Two months earlier, more than 80 were killed in a bus station blast.

When Buhari first came to office in 2015, Boko Haram controlled swathes of territory in Borno State. With Chadian troops, Nigerian forces pushed them back into forest hideouts.

Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) broke from Boko Haram and the two factions engaged in infighting that led to the death of Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau last year.

Since then, the jihadist threat has evolved, analysts and security sources say.

ISWAP has consolidating its position after Shekau's death and this year claimed attacks far from the northeast.

The Nigerian leader has been under growing pressure over the overstretched military's response to the country's insecurity. By Dan Kitwood (POOL/AFP)

Its claimed operations include several attacks in north-central Kogi State, which borders the federal capital region, and other regions.

"For the first time since its formation in 2016, ISWAP has carried out attacks in Taraba, Kogi and Niger states and Abuja. These were all in 2022," Malick Samuel, a regional researcher for the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), said in a note.

Complicating the threat, heavily-armed criminal gangs known as bandits are constantly raiding villages and carrying out mass abductions for ransom in northwestern and central regions with little state presence.

Those gunmen kidnapped 22 farmers last month from villages outside the Abuja capital area near Niger State.

"Abuja is encircled by states like Niger and Kogi where there have been previous jail breaks and terror attacks," said Don Okereke, a Lagos-based security analyst and retired military officer.

Al-Qaeda affiliate Ansaru has also been re-establishing its presence in Kaduna State and in Kogi, security sources have said.

One high-ranking Nigerian security source working in counter-terrorism said the Kuje prison attack was a "national embarrassment" with major security implications.

Some escapees were bombmakers and senior militant members, the source said.

"The attack will naturally embolden them," the source said. "It is a huge morale boost for them."
At dawn in a working-class district of Kinshasa, a driver slows to a halt and hands a fistful of small bills to a traffic cop.

The sight is common in the Democratic Republic of Congo's bustling capital, where ill-paid officers are notorious for shaking down commuters.

But unlike some of her less scrupulous colleagues, police officer Celine Bakindo had solicited no money. The driver had simply stopped to give her a tip for doing her job.

"People like me a lot," said Bakindo, wearing a beret, white gloves and a fluorescent orange vest over her navy-blue uniform.

"They give me lots of presents."

Traffic cops in the megacity of 15 million have an entrenched image for corruption.

It's not uncommon for them to leap inside a car to accuse the driver of an imaginary infraction and snatch the key in the hope of extracting payment. Police are even known to rip off license plates during traffic stops.

Public disillusionment with the force is deep enough that a practice has developed that, elsewhere in the world, may seem paradoxical: people give money to police who are straight.

Kinshasa's battered taxis are called 'spirits of death' -- when the government acquired good-quality buses and vans for use as cabs, they became dubbed 'spirits of life'. By Guerchom Ndebo (AFP)

In Kinshasa, honest traffic cops are city institutions -- word of their integrity swiftly spreads through conversations or on social media, and many reap rewards in tips as a result.

After Bakindo mounts a platform in the middle of her busy intersection, she smiles as she directs swarms of motorbikes and decrepit collective taxis to their destinations.

Another motorist slows down to offer her money in the space of a few minutes.

Locals, long accustomed to police harassment, said they appreciate her commitment to work and her honesty.

"She is really super," said Patient Kanuf, a 32-year-old motorbike-taxi driver refuelling near Bakindo's intersection.

"She has a heart of love."

Impunity

At another intersection in the city centre, a tall and soft-spoken police captain with heavy black spectacles has also become a local celebrity for incorruptibility.

Jean-Pierre Beya, 64, has stood under the sun at the same junction for about 15 years, smiling genially at commuters as they crawl past in late-afternoon traffic.

Capt. Jean-Pierre Beya has gained a huge following for his reputation for integrity. By Guerchom Ndebo (AFP)

Drivers who surge dangerously across the intersection earn a finger-wag and a stern talking-to.

Isaac Woto, a nearby taxi driver, said that both Beya and Bakindo are known across Kinshasa.

"They're serious" about their jobs, said the 45-year-old. "The others, they're just looking for money."

Corruption is an engrained problem in the DRC.

A vast country the size of continental western Europe, it ranks a lowly 169th out of 180 nations in the 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index by the NGO Transparency International.

Researchers from the University of Chicago, Antwerp University, the Universite Catholique du Congo and Congolese organisation Marakuja Kivu Research delved into the issue of Kinshasa's traffic cops.

Around 80 percent of their income came from bribes, the team say in a study due to be published next week by the US-based National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER).

Looking at more than 15,000 interactions between drivers and police, the researchers concluded that the bribery was codified into a system -- cops had to achieve a quota of kickbacks.

In 2015, according to their calculation, bribes raised an average of $12,120 per month per police station.

A traffic officer, who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity, denied that soliciting bribes was routine, but admitted that there was impunity for senior police officers and politicians who drove dangerously.

A spokesman for the Congolese national police did not respond to requests for comment.

'For the republic'

The unsolicited tips that AFP saw changing hands appeared to range from the equivalent of 50 US cents to a few dollars.

Shift over: Cecile Bakindo eats in a restaurant next to her checkpoint after directing traffic all morning. By Guerchom Ndebo (AFP)

Such sums can be significant in a country where nearly three-quarters of the population of 90 million lives on under $1.9 a day, according to World Bank figures.

Official police salaries are very low, with the lowest-ranked traffic cop earning about $100 a month, said Beya.

But he dismissed the notion that poverty was what prompted some of his colleagues to shake drivers down.

"We're all on the same salary," the captain said, as he took a break in the shade.

"The problem is mentality," he said. "I work for the republic."

Locals seemed to cherish Beya, offering him tips and saluting or bowing as they passed by.

Beya, like Bakindo, said accepting tips was within the rules.

"It's not corruption," Beya said, explaining that gifts do not affect his impartiality.

"If you do things with respect and courtesy, you'll get something in return."
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Franklin Cudjoe, the founding President of the IMANI Africa has chastised President Akufo-Addo for his inability to shake-up his ministers.

The ministers, he claims, are befuddled and need to be reshuffled.

Mr. Cudjoe likened President Akufo-Addos posture to Sri Lanka's President stubborness in a tweet on Wednesday, July 13, sighted by Modernghana News.

He indicated that President Akufo-Addo is seemingly emulating Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's tenacity.

Sri Lanka's President is very stubborn. He says he won't resign. His counterpart here won't reshuffle his confused team, he noted.

Mr. Cudjoe quizzes, Or there are no more MEN left? What is going on?

Even with the current economic woes, President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo has not embarked on any ministerial reshuffle in his second term.

The people of Sri Lanka, a South Asian country, launched a serious protest against their President over his economic mismanagement.

Following the besiegement of the Presidential palace by protesters, the President fled to the Maldives for his safety, along with some members of his failed government who happened to be his relatives.
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Sam Nartey George, Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram Constituency has called on President Akufo-Addo to be sensitive to events in the country and find the remedy.

According to him, the President and his officials must rise and assume responsibility following the chaos in recent times.

In a tweet on Wednesday, July 13, sighted by this portal, Sam George stated that citizens have lost faith in the government and that it is time they wake up from slumber.

President Nana Akufo-Addo and his appointees need to smell the coffee and rise to the task we have entrusted them. There is too much despondency everywhere. Wake up from your slumber Sir! he wrote.

In reaction to a statement, supporter of the ruling government questions why he (Sam George) always criticizes the government even when government lacks the needed revenue to cushion Ghanaians.

The vocal lawmaker dismissed the argument, claiming that the current administration has received three times the revenue of the previous administration (Mahama).

Weak argument. This govt has received more than 3x what Mahama received in revenue. What have they done with what they have received? No govt in our 65-year history has had the kind of revenue they've gotten. You should bow your head in shame if you still defend this mess, he reacted.
The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has suggested to government to abort certain key projects.

He describes them as vanity projects.

In a tweet on July 13, he noted that projects like the proposed 116 million new Accra International Conference Centre should be suspended.

He added that the five STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) universities government is planning to construct must be suspended.

The MP has recommended that government drop the new embassies it plans to put up in Trinidad, Tobago and Mexico.

Boankra Green Technology City, Marine drive project and the stadia in Abuakwa and Sunyani were also included by the MP to be cancelled.

Cancel vanity projects such as the proposed new 116 million new Accra International Conference Centre project, 5 STEM universities, Boankra Green Technology City, Marine Drive Project, Stadia for Abuakwa and Suyani, Agenda 111, new embassies in Trinidad and Tobago and Mexico, he recommended.

However, some Ghanaians have disagreed with the MPs choice of projects to be cancelled.

According to them, majority of those projects are necessary and any cancellation will be a disservice to the Ghanaian people.
Students of Adventist Senior High School at Bantama in the Ashanti Region have disclosed they go to the dining hall with their own sugar, bread and milk for breakfast.

According to the students, they are no longer served complete meals during dining sessions.

Speaking to Class FMs Ashanti Regional Correspondent Elisha Adarkwah, Wednesday, 13 July 2022, some students of the school bemoaned the inability of the authorities to serve them complete meals.

A female student said: For instance, the breakfast doesnt contain sugar, they only add salt, so we have been asked to bring our own sugar and bread or any other thing you would want to take with it because they cant provide us with any other thing.

For lunch, weve been told that they dont have anything to add if, it is kenkey, you have to take your own shito, even if its Gabeans[Gari and Beans], they only provide the beans without oil, so we have to take our own gari.

She appealed to government to come to the aid of the students.

I plead with government to come to our aid, were suffering. I have stomach ache because theres no money for feeding, the student stated.

A male student noted that: There was no sugar in the tom brown we had in the morning. You have to provide your own sugar. As for bread, we havent been served bread since Form 1 second semester.

Some parents are not providing their wards with provisions with the knowledge that theyre being fed in the dining hall but that is not the case. They [School authorities] are saying once they run out of food stuff theyll have to go to other schools for more.

Another female student also said: I only have GHS10 left because of the poor quality of the meals were served, I have been buying food.

Yesterday, the kenkey we ate gave me the runs.

The students have therefore called on government to supply food to the schools to alleviate the effect on them.

Source: classfmonline.com
Morocco's King Mohammed VI has authorised a reorganisation of the country's Jewish community, a "component" of national culture in the North African country, according to the royal palace.

The measures were presented to a council of ministers meeting attended on Wednesday by the country's monarch and crown prince, at Rabat's royal palace.

Acting on "royal instruction", Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit proposed the establishment of new representative bodies, acknowledging the Jewish tradition as "a component of the rich Moroccan culture", according to the official news agency MAP.

The measures came the same day US President Joe Biden touched down in Israel on his first presidential visit to the Middle East.

In a speech at Ben Gurion Airport, near Tel Aviv, he promised to "advance Israel's integration into the region."

Morocco established diplomatic ties with the Jewish state in 2020.

The kingdom's Jewish community is estimated to number 3,000 people, the largest in North Africa.

Following consultations with Jewish leaders King Mohammed's initiative will establish a National Council of the Moroccan Jewish Community, a Foundation of Moroccan Judaism tasked with protecting the community's heritage, and a Commission of Moroccan Jews Abroad.

The kingdom's Jewish community dates to antiquity and grew in the 15th century with the expulsion of Spain's Jews.

Morocco's King Mohammed VI (R) chairs the council of ministers meeting, accompanied by his son Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, during which the monarch authorised a reorganisation of the kingdom's Jewish community. By - (Moroccan Royal Palace/AFP)

By the 1940s its number had grown to 250,000, representing 10 percent of the country's population, but mass emigration followed Israel's founding in 1948.

Approximately 700,000 Israelis claim Moroccan descent and maintain strong ties with their country of origin.

This new organisation of Moroccan Judaism comes alongside growth across a range of spheres in the ties between Morocco and Israel.

Israel and Morocco established diplomatic relations in December 2020 as part of the US-backed Abraham Accords, which saw several Arab countries normalise ties with the Jewish state.

King Mohammed's presence at the meeting was his second public appearance in three days, accompanied by Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, amid public interest in the monarch's health following two heart operations since 2018 and a June Covid-19 diagnosis.

On Sunday, the king led prayers at a royal residence in Sale, near Rabat, during the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha.
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Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has recommended some 10 sectors government can make expenditure cuts pending an IMF bailout programme.

He noted that in the face of the IMF bailout and crippling labour agitations these cuts were necessary.

In a tweet on July 13, he suggested that government announce a review of end of service benefits and scrap the ex-gratia payment.

Again, he noted that plan to construct new constituency offices for Members of Parliament should be shelved.

Announce an immediate review of Ghanas end of service benefits regime and scrap all ex-gratia payments for political and non-political beneficiaries; Parliament should shelve plans to construct new constituency offices for MPs, he indicated.

To further relax the economy and cool temperatures, Mr. Ablakwa specified that, the GHS993 million contingency votes which is up by 431.5% from 186 million in 2021 should be diverted to critical sectors like the demands from the striking teacher unions and other labour forces.

He stressed that the money can help meet the Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) demands of the striking teachers.

Reallocate funds from governments lavish GHS993 million contingency vote (up by 431.5% from 186 million in 2021) to other critical sectors such as meeting COLA demands of suffering Ghanaian workers, he noted.

Some teacher unions such as NAGRAT, GNAT, TEWU and CCT are on strike since July 4 demanding 20% COLA.

Subsequently, other unions like the Ghana Medical Association is threatening strike action on July 31 over poor conditions of service should the employer fail to heed to their demands.
Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ketu South Constituency has cut sod for the construction of a Ketu South Coastal Community Center at Agavedzi on Monday, July 11, 2022.

The project when completed would serve as a temporal shelter for residents of Blekusu, Agavedzi, Amutsinu-Salakope and Adina as well as a vocational training centre for the coastal communities.

The project forms part of efforts by the MP to find a lasting solution for the victims of the tidal wave devastation along the coast in her constituency.

The facility, according to sources would have an office, a kitchen, a store room, three washrooms, three bathrooms and a big hall to accommodate a substantial number of people in the event of any tidal waves.

Madam Gomashie mentioned that the source of funding for project is the seed money of one hundred thousand Cedis (Ghc100,000) donated by African World Airlines through the Chairman, Togbe Afede XlV, the Agbogbomefia of the Asorgli state and five thousand Ghana Cedis (Ghc 5,000) from the Catholic Women Council.

She added that one hundred bags of cement was donated by the Senators including earlier donations of cement she lobbied for from the Inter-denomination Church at the University of Ghana.

The lawmaker used the opportunity to appeal to Ghanaian citizens, corporate organizations and individuals to support the project, which she said will promote the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN.

Mr Kingsley Oduro, the Ketu South Municipal Engineer disclosed after the groundbreaking ceremony that, the project is expected to be completed in six months.

Togbe Akponogui IV, Chief of Agavedzi in his address expressed gratitude to the MP for her effort.

"I declared my readiness to release the land as the community's contribution to the project," he stated.

Mr Eben Asah, the Assembly member of the area in an interview with ModernGhana news applauded the MP for her kind gesture.

Present at the occasion were the Assembly Members of Blekusu, Agavedzi and Adina, Unit Committee members of Agavedzi, some traditional leaders and NDC Constituency executives.
Charles Bissue, Withdrawn General Secretary Contender, NPP

14.07.2022 LISTEN

Run-away General Secretary contender of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Charles Bissue has disclosed that his withdrawal was a well-calculated step.

According to him, there are other ways he can serve his party without necessarily being the partys General Secretary.

In an interview with the Accra-based TV3s New Day Show today, July 14, monitored by Modernghana News, Mr. Bissue revealed that he consulted his family members, supporters and other experienced individuals before finally breaking the news.

I went through the process of nomination, vetting. I made the decision with my supporters, family and promoters based on the exigencies of the time. I realized that it was six of us going for the position and in politics sometimes you have to be strategic.

Going through the vetting process means that we are all qualified and there is going to be just one General Secretary. So I thought through it and I felt, if you want to work for the party it doesnt have to be a General Secretary position that you need to do that. Hitherto, I have been working for the party through communications and all that, he noted.

On Wednesday, July 14, the NPP's former Western Regional Secretary wrote to the party's election committee announcing his withdrawal from the General Secretary race.

He believes all the candidates are deserving of the position.
A suit challenging the legality of SIM card registration in Ghana has been dismissed by the Accra High Court.

The court held that the SIM registration directive by the National Communications Authority (NCA) was lawful and in the public's interest and none of the actions of the NCA violated any law.

This followed the dismissal of the injunction application filed by lawyers for the applicant in 2021.

Source: Classfmonline.com
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The United Nations (UN) Eminent Peace Ambassador to Ghana, Dr Samuel Ben Owusu has urged government to invest more in farming after it secures funds from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

This, he said, will fetch Ghana more money aside the other avenues the country generates revenues from.

He recalled that during ex-President Dr Kwame Nkrumah's reign, he initiated national farming where he engaged more farmers at the community level to plant more food.

Although he observed the 'Planting for Food and Jobs' as a good initiative, Amb. Samuel Owusu was of the belief that if government supports a lot of farmers to grow grains in all communities, there will be enough food for the people, jobs and boost the economy.

In an interview, Dr Samuel Owusu said,"The Government should invest some of the money from the IMF into commercial production or systems, especially farming."

He continued,"Dr Kwame Nkrumah introduced state farming, I am appealing to the president to send us back to state farming. Let us do community farming and give ourselves two years. Let us grow maize everywhere, in all the communities, towns, regions in the country. Russia and Ukraine grow wheat such that they supply the whole world with wheat."

Dr Samuel Owusu stated,"Planting for food and jobs is a very powerful initiative, let us increase it, the President must focus on that, let us just use maize, grow it everywhere and within a short time, we can supply maize to the whole Africa or even the whole world and we can make a lot of money out of it. We can grow tomatoes and cassava and we will make money from it. The money some countries make from cassava alone is overwhelming, we do not have gold and we are farming too in smaller quantities. Let us do commercial farming. I am asking the President to take us back to state farming, community farming."

He added that,"With this IMF money, we are just going to get some money which might not be enough, the government should invest one million dollars from what it is going for from the IMF in farming. For the youth that are unemployed, they should be employed to work three to four hours every morning to plant the food and be given allowance and after working in the morning, they can go and do other things. I am not influenced by any political party, but we are all seeking for the wellbeing of the country."
BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- A State Council executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday detailed measures to stabilize and expand employment. Calling for multi-pronged efforts to boost consumption, the meeting specified measures to shore up the consumption of green and intelligent home appliances.


Human Rights Watch, July 7, 2022

(New York)  Taliban security forces have summarily executed and forcibly disappeared alleged members and supporters of an Islamic State offshoot in eastern Afghanistan, Human Rights Watch said today. Since the Taliban took power in August 2021, residents of Nangahar and Kunar provinces east of Kabul have discovered the bodies of more than 100 men dumped in canals and other locations.

Taliban forces have carried out abusive search operations, including night raids, against residents they accuse of sheltering or supporting members of the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP) armed group, the Afghan affiliate of the Islamic State (ISIS). During these raids, Taliban forces have beaten residents and have detained men they accuse of being ISKP members without legal process or revealing their whereabouts to their families. An unknown number have been summarily executed  shot, hanged, or beheaded  or forcibly disappeared.

We investigated an emptied canal in Nangarhar in which over 100 bodies have been dumped between August 2021 and April 2022, said Patricia Gossman, associate Asia director at Human Rights Watch. Taliban authorities appear to have given their forces free rein to detain, disappear, and kill alleged militants.

Between October 2021 and June 2022, Human Rights Watch, working with a local organization that cannot be identified for security reasons, interviewed 63 people, including 42 in person in Nangarhar and Kunar provinces, and 21 by phone.

In November, a team from both groups counted 54 bodies of men, many in an advanced state of decomposition, along a 15 to 20 kilometer stretch of the emptied canal. The bodies showed evidence of torture and brutal executions: some had missing limbs, ropes around their necks, or had been beheaded or had slit throats. Healthcare workers in Nangarhar said that they had registered 118 bodies that had been found across the province between August and December.

A media report cited one Taliban fighter who said, We conduct night raids and whenever we find a Daesh [ISIS] member, we just kill them. The United Nations has reported that Taliban operations against ISKP rely heavily on extra-judicial detentions and killings.

Over a number of years ISKP has carried out bombings particularly targeting Hazara, Shia, and other religious minority communities, as well as against Taliban and former government forces. The armed group springs from a minority violent stream of Salafism, a movement that looks back to the earliest years of Islam for moral guidance.

Human Rights Watch has previously documented Taliban forces summarily executing or forcibly disappearing former Afghan government officials and security forces. The cases from eastern Afghanistan demonstrate that Taliban forces have extended such atrocities to those they accuse of links to ISKP, Human Rights Watch said.

International humanitarian law, or the laws of war, which applies to the armed conflict between the Taliban and ISKP, obligates all parties to treat everyone in custody humanely. Arbitrary detentions, summary executions, and other forms of mistreatment are prohibited, and those responsible are subject to prosecution for war crimes. Also prohibited are enforced disappearances, which international law defines as the detention of anyone by state forces or their agents followed by a refusal to acknowledge the detention or whereabouts of the person.

Suspected ISKP members taken into custody for criminal offenses should be promptly brought before a judge, appropriately charged, provided access to relatives and legal counsel, and prosecuted in accordance with international fair trial standards.

The ISKPs numerous atrocities do not justify the Talibans horrific response, Gossman said. Taliban forces have repeatedly carried out summary executions and other war crimes against people in their custody and have yet to hold those responsible to account.

For detailed findings, please see below.

Human Rights Watch and the local organization found substantial evidence of summary executions and enforced disappearances by the Taliban of people accused of supporting the ISKP. There was extensive evidence from the Darunta Canal, near Jalalabad, which the groups visited and where they documented scores of killings by inspecting corpses discovered there in late 2021. The interviews revealed that many of those killed were people whom the Taliban had earlier taken into custody.

Taliban-ISKP Conflict in Nangarhar and Kunar

Taliban forces took control of Nangarhars capital, Jalalabad, on August 15, 2021, the same day they took power in Kabul. In the ensuing months, Taliban security forces carried out search operations to apprehend and detain former members of the Afghan National Security Forces and ISKP members.

When ISKP attacks on Taliban forces continued after August, particularly in Nangarhars eastern districts of Dehbala, Shinwar Mohmand Dara, Achin, and Kama, the Taliban intensified their campaign against ISKP. In November the Taliban deployed hundreds of fighters against ISKP forces. Taliban officials in statements to the media have claimed that their forces have eliminated ISKP 98 percent, and that the group is no longer considered a serious threat in Afghanistan. However, the alleged brutality with which the Taliban has conducted operations may spark increased recruitment to ISKP in the province.

On several occasions, Taliban officials claimed to have seriously degraded or destroyed ISKP. However, ISKP forces have continued to attack Taliban units, typically by means of magnetic improvised explosive devices (IEDs), roadside bombs, and hit-and-run assaults on Taliban checkpoints. They have also continued their unlawful bombings of Hazara and Shia communities, killing and maiming numerous civilians.

Taliban Night Raids and Collective Punishment

Since taking power, Taliban forces have conducted night raids in residential areas, a tactic that has long been a feature of counterinsurgency operations by all parties in the Afghanistan conflict. These raids have frequently included abuses.

The Taliban have targeted many neighborhoods known for being home to Salafists, a community that follows a form of Islam modeled on the beliefs and practices of the earliest Muslims of the 7th century. These raids appear aimed not only against ISKP fighters, but also to punish residents who may have no involvement with ISKP because of their adherence to Salafism.

From September through November, Nangarhar and Kunar residents reported a wave of Taliban operations and the enforced disappearance and killing of Salafis. In some cases, relatives alleged that the Taliban took away their family members, and afterward denied that the men were in their custody. In other cases, residents said they found the bodies of relatives who had been taken away. Some were reportedly found beheaded.

Residents from Kunar province, a province that has long seen conflict between the Taliban and the former government, ISKP, or other armed groups, said they were being targeted. They said Taliban fighters stopped and questioned men on the streets, sometimes beating or humiliating them in public if the Taliban discovered or suspected the men were Salafists.

One man said: Kunaris cannot say anything [about this treatment]. If you do, they say you are Daesh [ISIS]." A man from Marawara district, Kunar province, who had been stopped by the Taliban in Jalalabad said: When they found out that I am Salafi, they shaved my beard and head in front hundreds of people and made me sit there for hours."

Salafi elders said that because of the continued raids, Salafi community elders in a number of districts felt pressure to pledge their support to the Taliban authorities. The Taliban have also registered members of Salafi communities, which, among other things, facilitates Taliban monitoring of community members.

While there are no verified numbers of those killed and forcibly disappeared since August 2021, bodies of some victims have been displayed in various parts of Jalalabad and the surrounding area. Between August and December in the Farm Adda park, south of Jalalabad, local residents and relatives said that while looking for missing family members they found bodies of people whom the Taliban had taken hanging from trees. Taliban officials have acknowledged that they have displayed bodies along main roads and intersections as a warning to others that this is what happens if you join the ISKP. Family members have found the bodies of their relatives in the neighborhood known as Khalis Baba in Khogyani. Others have discovered bodies in canals and rivers.

Disentangling the killings of former Afghan government security force members from those accused of being linked to ISKP is difficult, although they follow somewhat different patterns. When the Taliban have targeted former security force members, they appear to single people out based on the position they previously held, or because they were known to Taliban fighters and commanders in the area.

Community elders, family members of victims, and analysts who have studied ISKP said that the Taliban frequently carried out mass arrests based on guilt by association rather than any determination of ISKP links. Many of the Salafists detained appear to have been picked up because they lived in certain neighborhoods or Salafist villages. Community elders and family members said that bodies found often had distinctive clothing, long beards, and other typically Salafist characteristics.

A health worker at a local hospital said that by late December, hospital staff had registered 118 dead bodies that had been found across Nangarhar, and that most people who came to inquire about the bodies were from Kunar, Jalalabad city, and districts surrounding Jalalabad. It is likely that not all bodies found would be registered or taken to a hospital.

Darunta Canal

The Darunta Canal flows from a hydroelectric power plant seven kilometers west of Jalalabad in Nangarhar province. In the early morning of November 7, local officials stopped the flow of water through the dam in response to a request from residents living along the canal who wanted to retrieve the body of a boy who had drowned a day earlier. Once the flow through the dam stopped, the entire canal dried up.

A team from Human Rights Watch and the Afghan organization carried out an investigation along the canal on the morning of November 7, covering about 15 to 20 kilometers of the canal by car over 2 hours and 30 minutes. The team counted 54 bodies  all male  in the emptied canal. While it was difficult to determine ages, none appeared to be older than about 50. Fifteen bodies were considered to be in a very advanced state of decomposition.

Seven had been beheaded and others had their throats slit but had not been decapitated. Two had ropes around their necks, suggesting that they had been hanged before being thrown into the canal. Some bodies had limbs missing. Only a few had visible bullet wounds, although this could not be determined with accuracy since some were badly decomposed.

The team interviewed residents living along the canal, one of whom directed them to a location called Muqam Khan, close to the Sarhadi Lewa, a Taliban military installation. In this area, bodies were visible in the dried canal bed. Some were scattered and others grouped together. Some appeared to have been in the water for some time, based on their advanced state of decomposition.

The residents said that since August 2021, the canal had become well-known as a place to dispose of bodies. Five families living along the canal confirmed that they had seen bodies when the water was drained. Most were thrown into the canal between August and November, when the Taliban were detaining and disappearing men accused of being ISKP, one resident said.

Another resident said that there had been at least five IED attacks against the Taliban in the Muqam Khan area after August, and the Taliban might have dumped the bodies there to send a message.

Habib, a pseudonym, who is a resident of Surkhrod district, said:

When the canal dried up, 10 bodies were found near Kabul Adda [the station for Kabul-bound buses]. This area of the canal, called barong, has a net that prevents trash or other material from entering and blocking the canal; the bodies were stuck in the net. Word got out and the Taliban came and would not allow people to come near. An hour later, an ambulance came and took the bodies away. Some of the bodies were headless; some were rotten, and discolored. Most of the bodies were unidentifiable. I think these people were thrown into the canal at this place.

While many bodies were recovered on November 7, people continued to find bodies afterward. Later in November, Habib was bathing in the canal after working as a day laborer. He said, Something soft touched me. It was wrapped up like a parcel, a body was inside. My colleague and I took it to the hospital.Zekirya, a resident of Nazrabad Kalay, Surkhorud district, also recovered bodies from the canal. He saw four bodies stuck in the net in the canal on November 7, 2021.

Sadullah, a day laborer from Tatang Kala, Surkhorud district, found bodies in the canal in late November. He said:

We were cleaning the canal when my friends found two wrapped objects. The bodies were inside. They were attached with stones before being thrown in the water. The bodies smelled and appeared to have been in the water for days. Some people had gathered around who took the bodies to the hospital [morgue].

The body of a man named Wahabudden, from Fatehabad village, Surkhorod district, was among those found in the canal. Taliban forces had taken him and his brother Gulapudden into custody in mid-October. A Fatehabad resident said:

On November 20, 2021, we found Wahabudden's dead body in the [Darunta] canal, and Gulapudden is still missing. Wahabudden was shot twice in the shoulder, and also his throat was cut. There was also a stone attached to Wahabudden's chest, so his body didn't rise to the surface.

Wahabuddens body was found 13 days after the discovery of most of the other bodies in the canal bed.Ahmad, searched in vain for the body of his brother Nazeerullah, who had been detained by the Taliban on October 7. When he learned from a relative that the water into the Darunta canal would be stopped on November 7, family members came to search. Ahmad said that his relatives had warned him that the bodies would be hard to recognize, but said our heart could not stop [hoping] so we went. He described the scene at the canal:

[One] could not recognize most of the bodies.  They were not all at the same place but spread across the bed of the canal. It is possible they [the Taliban] threw one body here, another somewhere else. The distance between the bodies varied: between some bodies 10 meters, some 100 meters, some even more distant.  We looked at [almost] the entire canal by car.  our guy [Nazeerullah] had a scar on one hand, and we were checking the dead bodies for the scar  I do not remember an exact number, but I am sure close to 100 people were there [in the canal]. I heard some were already taken away by their relatives and other people. Because Nazeerullah had a scar on his arm, we thought we might recognize him. We were there from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.  Seeing all those dead bodies, it had a huge impact on me, mentally.

He did not find Nazeerullah.

Additional Summary Executions and Enforced Disappearances

Doctor MubarizAccording to his patients and others in the community, Mubariz, between 40 and 45 years old, was respected for his knowledge of health care although he did not have a medical degree. He operated private clinics across the east and southeast Afghanistan, including many small clinics in Nangarhar, for which he hired medical staff. The last clinic he opened with one of his colleagues was in the Smarkhail area of Jalalabad city. After August 2021, he continued to run the clinic, as he did the others. Taliban forces took Mubariz and his partner into custody from this clinic in early September. About 10 days later, his body was discovered in Jalalabad with a gunshot wound.

A witness to Mubarizs arrest told the family that [t]he [Taliban] came in a vehicle that had the markings of the previous governments intelligence agency, the National Directorate of Security (NDS), wearing NDS uniforms. They were members of the Talibans intelligence forces, the General Directorate of Intelligence. The family said that they received a call the evening of the arrest informing them that Mubariz had been taken to Amniat-e Milli, the national security district headquarters. The family went to the headquarters and were told Mubariz was there: We were not allowed to see him, though the Taliban said, He is here with us.

Family members said that the next day they returned to the headquarters accompanied by community elders: We sat next to the door of Amniat-e Milli until our turn came to talk to the officials. But we could not see Dr. Mubariz. An official at the gate told the family You go back home. His case is still [under investigation] but there is nothing in the file [on him]."

About nine days after the arrest, Mubariz called his oldest son at around 10 p.m. He told him: Son, my heart is suffocated here. No one has beaten me, no one said a bad thing to me. They have been telling me I will be released tomorrow but you should try to release me sooner. Come for me, bring elders to secure my release. They [the Taliban] should punish me if I am guilty of having ties with ISKP." The family did not know how Mubariz got access to a phone. A Taliban official told us that "Dr. Mubariz did not call from his number but from a new number, which could have been provided by Taliban inside the facility."

The next day at 9 a.m. the family received a call from neighbors that Mubarizs body had been found along with two other bodies in the Farm Ada area of Jalalabad. A man who found the bodies said they appeared to have been killed during the night. Mubarizs body had a letter attached to it that said: "Dr. Mubariz, Daesh surgical doctor," suggesting he was working for or providing health care to ISKP. A tribal elder said: "This is a lie that he was a Daesh doctor."

Mubarizs partner was released but said they had been separated in detention and he did not know what had happened.

International humanitarian law protects all personnel from mistreatment, including those who provide medical care for opposing armed forces or armed groups.

Muhammad BazMuhammad Baz was from Badel Valley, Narang district, in Kunar province. His family and community members said he was a Salafist, yet had also fought with the Taliban.

One relative said that on September 20, Baz left his home in Narang district to go on a business-related trip to Spin Boldak, in Kandahar province. The Taliban stopped him at a checkpoint in the Darunta area of Jalalabad city.

He was allowed to call his family and told them that when the Taliban had checked his phone, they found some Salafist material on it. He also told his family that he had contacted Saleh, the district head of intelligence for Narang district and that Saleh had told the Taliban that Baz was a mujahid, a member of the Taliban, and not ISKP. But the Taliban who detained Baz said he could not leave.

Bazs family and friends said that when they tried to call the phone later it was turned off. A cousin went to the Darunta area where Baz was detained. He asked local residents what they had seen. One witness, a merchant, said, The Taliban detained someone [who matched Bazs description], put him in a Ranger [truck], and went toward the city [Jalalabad].

The next day, Bazs family received a call from a clinic to come to collect the body, which had been found by a driver in the hilly desert areas of Memla in Khogyani district. Bazs throat had been slit; his name was on a piece of paper attached to the body. His family and others believe that the Taliban killed Baz because he was a Salafist, wore a long beard, and had Salafist material on his phone.

NazeerullahTaliban security forces in Kama district, Nangarhar, detained Nazeerullah, on October 7. His brother Jawad said:

At around 10:30 a.m., Taliban forces raided our house. They were in two vehicles: a Ranger and a silver Toyota Fielder. Four of them entered the house forcibly and arrested my brother, who is around 43 years old and is a laborer and finds food for his family through hard work. He was taken to the car in front of several witnesses.  [T]en minutes later the Taliban took two of my sons [Ibrahim and Subhanullah] who were working in the fields near the mosque.

A villager who saw the arrest said that he had asked the Taliban, Where are you taking these boys? and they said, We are taking them to the district [center]."

Jawad said he went immediately to the district center but was not allowed to see any Taliban officials. The next day he tried again, without success. The third day, more family members from Kunar went to the district center and with a guarantee provided by Bakhtiur Rahman, a local influential figure, the Taliban released Ibrahim and Subhanullah.

Jawad said that Qari Yasir, the Talibans Kama district police chief, and the head of the General Directorate of Intelligence, Shaheen, told him that the district governor, Hekmat Adil, had ordered the arrest. Jawad said that he went to see Adil, who told him that a battalion from Kabul had come and taken Nazeerullah with them.

Jawad said he then filed petitions first with the Nangarhar provincial governor, Mohammad Daud Muzamil, and then with the deputy governor asking them to order Kama district officials to produce Nazeerullah. He received no response. He then petitioned Interior Ministry officials to produce Nazeerullah, but also received no response. Finally, he wrote to the appellate court of Nangarhar, which referred the case to the primary military court of the eastern zone. The family has learned nothing about Nazeerullahs whereabouts.

Other cases of enforced disappearance were similar. A woman whose son was taken by the Taliban in September said that no one would tell her where he was detained: They do not allow me to go to the district [district governor or police]  I spent hours and hours in front of the governors house, no one allowed me in or even asked me. I do not know what to do."

Taliban officials have also threatened family members who have sought information about their detained relatives. One resident of Chapahar district, Nangahar, who accompanied Jaffar to the Talibans General Directorate of Intelligence Facility No. 90 in Kabul to inquire about the whereabouts of Jaffars brother, whom the Taliban had detained in September, said that the guard at the gate told him: They will arrest you too, do not inquire about these people. Jaffar said I was afraid but what can I do? I want to know, [hes] my brother.

In another case, a man said that his brother and nephew went to the Nangarhar chief of police to ask the whereabouts of a relative. The Taliban commander who met them threatened them, saying: Shut up, you have come here to release Daesh people. Another man said, You want to ask [about your relative], but you do not dare ask.

Even if they are not threatened, family members seeking information about detained relatives have said that Taliban authorities refuse to acknowledge the detention or provide any information. A neighbor of a man who was the victim of an enforced disappearance by the Taliban for alleged connections to ISKP said: "When you go to see the Nangarhar [provincial] governor [looking for a relative], they wont let you in. At the gates they tell you go ask elsewhere [referring to other government departments]. Just to deter you."

NasirNasir, an alleged ISKP member, had been arrested by the former Afghan government some time before the Taliban takeover. He was serving time in Bagram jail, and when the Taliban took over, he broke out. He started a fruit cart business in Charahi Butkhak in Kabul in late August. Local workers said that on September 20 "vehicles full of Taliban [came] and took Nasir with them." His brother went first to the District 12 police station, and then he and other family members went to the Bagrami district governors office in Parwan province, but they were repeatedly told that the Taliban had not detained anyone by his name. A family member said that we just want to know he is alive  if he had done anything [wrong], put him on trial.

Not all cases reported in Nangarhar and Kunar provinces involved people accused of affiliation with ISKP.

AhmadullahAhmadullah, 25, served in the military in the previous government. His relatives said that in September, Taliban forces surrounded the Surkhab Pul area of Jalalabad city and went directly to Ahmadullahs house. The Taliban authorities used loudspeakers to pressure the family to hand him over and threatened to enter the house if they did not. In front of a gathering of villagers, the family handed Ahmadullah over to the Taliban forces.

Three days later, Ahmadullahs father received a call telling him that his son's body was lying in the Khalis Baba area. The father said that when he saw his son's body, Ahmadullah's name and village were written on a paper attached to it. The bodies of about seven or eight others were also found in the area.
The Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC) has called on the government to take steps to address the challenges facing the school feeding programme in the various senior high schools.

In a press release, GNECC charged the government to ensure that arrears of National Food Buffer Stock Company Limited are paid.

GNECC believes that the non-payment of arrears to the National Food Buffer Stock Company Limited to send food to Senior High Schools, is to be blamed for the current situation.

To overcome these difficulties, GNECC urges the government to pay the National Food Buffer Stock Company Limited to enable remedy the dire food shortages in the schools, part of the GNECC press release issued on Thursday, July 14 reads.

Senior High Schools across the country for weeks have been facing food shortage challenges.

In some schools, students are fed once a day while others are reportedly forced to look for food themselves due to the unavailability of food in their schools.

With some caterers of schools advising parents to come for their wards if food is not supplied by Friday, July 15, GNECC says the government must act immediately.

The Education Coalition also urges the Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service, and the National Food Buffer Stock Company Limited to take measures to prevent the current situation, which appears to be re-occurring from occurring in the future.

Below is a copy of the GNECC press release:
A Gambian court has sentenced five former members of the intelligence service to death for the murder of a political activist during the rule of ex-dictator Yahya Jammeh.

High Court Justice Kumba Sillah-Camara pronounced the sentence against the former head of the National Intelligence Agency, Yankuba Badjie, after finding him guilty of murdering Ebrima Solo Sandeng, an important figure in the opposition United Democratic Party, in 2016.

Badjie was also convicted of bodily harm.

The agency's former operations chief, Sheikh Omar Jeng, as well as NIA officials Babucarr Sallah, Lamin Darboe and Tamba Mansary, were convicted on the same charges and sentenced to death by the Banjul court.

Death in custody

Sandeng was arrested during an April 2016 demonstration against Jammeh. He died in custody two days later after having been beaten and tortured.

His death galvanised a political movement that eventually ousted Jammeh, who had ruled the tiny West African nation for 22 years.

Haruna Susso, another NIA official, and Lamin Sanyang, a nurse, were found not guilty of murder or bodily harm.

The former deputy director of the spy agency, Louie Richard Leese Gomez, had also been accused but has since died.

Another official, Yusupha Jammeh, had been accused but was later acquitted.

"Justice is catching up to Yahya Jammeh's henchmen in Gambia and around the world and hopefully it will soon catch up to Yahya Jammeh himself," said Reed Brody, a lawyer with the International Commission of Jurists who works with Jammeh's victims.

The trial, which began in 2017, was the only ongoing domestic trial tied to crimes committed under Jammeh's brutal regime.

Previously, Yankuba Touray was tried in The Gambia for the 1995 murder of finance minister Koro Ceesay. He was convicted in July 2021 and sentenced to death, but has since appealed.

Another former Jammeh accomplice, Bai Lowe, went on trial in April in Germany, accused of crimes against humanity, murder and attempted murder.

The former interior minister, Ousman Sonko, has been under investigation in Switzerland since 2017, while Michael Sang Correa, alleged to have been a hitman, was indicted in June 2020 in the United States.

Jammeh has been accused of a range of crimes, including rape, the use of death squads, and of having ordered the disappearances of political enemies. In May, Gambian authorities promised to prosecute him.

The government also accepted a truth commission's recommendations to prosecute more than 200 others for crimes committed under the former president's regime.

Jammeh himself remains in exile in Equatorial Guinea, where he fled in early 2017 following his December 2016 electoral loss to President Adama Barrow.

Barrow in 2017 renamed the NIA the State Intelligence Services.

(with AFP)
Haruna Iddrisu

14.07.2022 LISTEN

All things being equal, there shall be in place a system which would make the enrolment of qualified persons onto the electoral roll a continuous process. A hassle-less affair for those who attain the voting age will be a novelty for which we should commend the leadership of the Electoral Commission (EC) and the originator of the digitisation agenda of the country.

We would then say adieu to the usual dog's dinner queues and the associated security challenges of stopping hordes of Togolese and others smuggled into the country by the NDC, to compromise the register.

And what better way to ensure the integrity of the voters' register than the use of the Ghana Card as the sole prerequisite.

An election is a process not a one-day event at the polling station. They are about a clean voters' register, bereft of details of foreigners and others unqualified to partake in the choice of our political leadership.

Ghana has since the return to democratic rule, after the hiatus occasioned by a long spell of military rule, undergone assortment of great changes in the electoral process.

These processes have made the elections especially, in the past few years, the cynosure of the democratic world.

It is instructive to note that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and notable Civil Society Organisations have played strident roles in the replacement of anachronistic practices in the electoral process in the country, an outstanding one being the replacement of the transparent ballot box, and the use of photographs for voter IDs.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has never been supportive of efforts at improving the integrity of the electoral process in the country.

When in 2020 it became apparent that the integrity of the electoral roll needed a facelift and the issue put out to Ghanaians, the NDC were at their noisiest, screaming at the top of their voices and even threatening brimstone, should the register be changed.

They even asked their supporters not to register for the new voter cards. Their project did not yield dividend as their supporters and the leadership registered in their numbers, albeit with their tails behind their hind legs.

A few days ago they were at it again twisting the facts of a story regarding novelties to the registration process.

The language of the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, was most disappointing as he sought to cast the EC in bad light in his remarks. Such references to the EC as in pursuit of their political agenda, as he uttered when he addressed the media, is a sad reflection on the integrity of the main opposition party in the country.

The beef of the NDC is that there is a project, as he put it, to make the Ghana Card the only prerequisite for the acquisition of the voter's ID card.

With the NDC's plan of smuggling in non-Ghanaians from neighbouring countries, to partake in our elections hinging on the use of multiple of prerequisites beyond the Ghana Card, the party's elections strategists have had their project deflated once more.

Daily Guide
Some residents of Drobonso in the Sekyere Afram Plains District of the Ashanti Region have lamented the slow pace of development in the area.

Aside the lack of basic amenities like water in most parts of the district, residents pointed to poor sanitation as one of the major challenges facing the people.

They have, therefore, blamed their Member of Parliament (MP), Mr. Alexander Adomako Mensah, for the poor sanitation in the town.

Open defecation

Open defecation has become rampant in Drobonso, where residents expect to have decent toilet facilities some ten years after they attained a district status.

Speaking to XYZ reporter Piesie Okrah residents blame their MP and District Chief Executive (DCE), Suleman Hamidu for the underdevelopment in the area.

At the Drobonso market, some market women noted that the only public toilet facility in the area was dilapidated and needed to be collapsed to save children from falling into the manhole.

The broken down toilet facility

Brother, we need a new toilet facility here because the existing one is collapsing and we cant continue to use it. Because it is full and has serious cracks that are life threatening, we ease ourselves in the bush. I, for instance, ease myself in the bush; Imagine what will happen to me if I am bitten by a snake, one woman said.

Another middle aged woman who was selling vegetables at a small market located about 50 metres from the dilapidated toilet facility complained about the stench emanating from the facility that has been abandoned for years.

We are suffering here because as we sell here, weve had to endure that smell every day and it seems we dont have a leader to help us, she said.

Asked if they have drawn the attention of their Assembly member, District Chief Executive and MP to the life-threatening situation, another woman retorted they know this problem because anytime they come here they see it.

The toilet facility that has several cracks on its wall and full is located 50 metres away from the palace of the chief of Drobonso closed to a four-bedroom house where a man who gave his name as Mantse reside with his family.

The family has to deal with houseflies from the toilet facility and the open manhole.

We are told that communicable diseases are common but when we are about to eat or drink, houseflies would just be around us, he lamented.

A tenant of the house who declined to disclose her name said we are really suffering here. The stench is just too much meanwhile, thats just the Chiefs Palace over there yet we are forced to deal with this bad situation.

Mantse said the MP for the area has neglected them and they are not surprised that they are dealing with sanitation challenges.

We dont see him when he comes to this place. We have complained for years but this is our situation, he added.

Relief

The residents also pointed to a toilet facility near the broken down facility which was constructed by MIRO Forestry Ghana Limited , a multinational wood processing company in the area, which has also been abandoned.

When the borehole is fixed, we can use the new toilet facility which was gifted us by MIRO and residents will not have to defecate in the bush, a young man suggested.

Nana Agyen, an opinion leader and a member of the Drobonso royal family believes the DCE, Hamidu Sulemana and the MP, Adomako Mensah has neglected them.

They have seen how bad the toilet has become yet when the MP comes to the palace and sees it, he looks on as if nothing is wrong. I believe the is not paying attention to our issues because he is not from this town, he lamented.

Meanwhile, the Sekyere Afram Plains District Office of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has stated in its recent report that the toilet facility ought to be demolished.

When this portal reached out to the DCE, Mr Sulemana on phone, he admitted the toilet facility had become a death trap and need to be demolished.

I am engaging MIRO to get us a water source at the new toilet facility for the people to use it very soon, he assured.

Source:m Myxyzonline.com|Ghana
A suspect named Cyndy Trinic stabbed her husband to death in a drinking bar over the husbands refusal to show her see a text message he received.

The incident occurred in the Kenyan city of Homa Bay on Wednesday, July 13.

According to reports by eyewitnesses, the deceased (husband), 31-year-old Charles Okoth Oyanko, was the first to enter the drinking spot and was followed shortly by his wife, the suspect (Cyndy Trinic).

Arguments from the couple heightened after an alleged request by the woman to see the kind of messages her husband had been receiving, which was declined by the deceased.

The woman, who was reported by Homa Bay town location Chief Joshua Ochogo to be under the influence of alcohol, shockingly removed a knife from her bag and stabbed her husband.

"They were drunk and their actions were controlled by alcohol," said Chief Joshua Ochogo who confirmed the incident to the media.

The question has been why was she carrying the knife in her bag?"

Onyango, who was an employee of the county government of Homa Bay, died at the scene and was conveyed to Homa Bay County teaching and referral hospital morgue.

Homa Bay Sub-county Police Commander Sammy Koskeyi assured the public that investigations into the matter have been commenced and they will soon arraign the suspect before the court of law.

The suspect is in custody as investigators look into what led to their disagreement," he said.
The Ministry in charge of Information is set to organise a blood donation exercise this month.

The exercise scheduled to be held on July 27, at the Ministrys Car Park is to shore up the supply at the National Blood Bank.

This has been disclosed in a statement on the official Facebook page of the Ministry of Information.

The Ministry of Information in collaboration with its press pool will be organising a Blood Donation and Health Screening exercise as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility to shore up supply at the National Blood Bank.

The blood donation exercise comes off on 27th July 2022 at the Ministrys Car Park at 9:30am, parts of the statement on the Facebook page of the Ministry of Information read.

All interested persons who wish to take part in the noble course to donate blood should call 0595740596.

Ghanaians are urged to take part in the exercise to donate blood to save lives.
The Member of Parliament for Anyaa Sowutuom constituency, Dr. Dickson Adomako Kissi has indicated that government does not have the means to meet the demands of labour unions.

He said government's IMF move was proof.

Speaking on Accra-based GHone TV on July 14; he indicated that the decision to seek a bailout from the IMF buttresses the point that government cannot take more in terms of the cost of labour.

IMF coming into the country for me even buttresses the point to me that government is not in the position to take on more in terms of cost of labour. The there is not there. In literal terms, the there is not there and the IMF coming; if the there was there; let me state this carefully parliamentarians as we sit here, we dont even know our conditions of service except for the fact that we are living on past glory.

When I say past glory I mean we are living on what our predecessors enjoyed and this is a storm ahead. We may also be fighting when we see our conditions of service. Im not a labour expert, but I really think that its like asking your dad for money for your birthday and even what he has to put a meal on the table on a regular day is not there, he intimated.

Labour unions such as NAGRAT, GNAT, TEWU and CCT have embarked on strike actions to demand 20% COLA since July 4.

Meanwhile, North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has recommended that government reallocate funds from its lavish GHS993 million contingency vote (up by 431.5% from 186 million in 2021) to meet the demands of the striking teacher unions.
Hon. Ken Ohene Agyapong, MP for Assin Central Constituency in the Central Region has wished all National Executive aspirants of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) well and urged them to ensure a smooth and transparent process during the election.

The NPP will tomorrow begin the national delegates congress to elect national officers to steer the affairs of the party in the various position.

In a statement copied to this portal by Ken '4' President 2024 said, I will take the opportunity to wish all candidates running for various positions well. The ultimate aim is to consolidate our party's base at all levels. I am confident that the love for our party would guide all candidates to focus on the ultimate interest".

The release stressed, "the task ahead of the NPP is huge and challenging. Therefore delegates must sit up and elect principled and selfless officers to put the Party and Ghana first, for a better tomorrow.

"Ghana is our homeland, and the onus lies on all of us to patriotically push one agenda for the up-ward movement of our dear nation".

Read the full statement below:

TO ALL MEDIA HOUSES

13th July, 2022

HON. KENNEDY OHENE AGYAPONG WISHES ALL ASPIRANTS THE BEST OF LUCK.

Everything politically, point to the fact that, the new Patriotic Party has a pool of profound talents to choose from, when the time comes for electing national officers to man the affairs of the party.

The task ahead of the NPP is huge and a challenging one, and therefore delegates must sit up and elect principled and selfless officers to put the Party and Ghana FIRST, for a better tomorrow.

Ghana is our homeland, and the onus lies on all of us to patriotically push one agenda for the up-ward Movement of our dear nation.

The next president of this country, Hon. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong has stretched his hands out, wishing all aspirants contesting for various positions at the national level; a special good luck, praying for the best to win in this national elections coming up, on the 17th of July 2022.

I hereby urge our astute delegates to put out personal interest and focus in putting the party and Ghana FIRST, to restore confidence in the minds of the people to make the breaking of the '8' easily fulfilled.

Finally, may divine peace reign during and after this elections to ignite the confidence in the NPP for a smooth take-off, to breaking the '8' at ease.

God bless us all and make us great and strong.

Kwadwo Owusu

Secretary

Ken '4' President 2024

0244160707
Founder and Leader of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), Percival Kofi Akpaloo has appealed to the government and all other relevant stakeholders to swiftly settle issues with teachers to allow students resume their class activities.

According to him, the ongoing strike by the four teacher unions demanding 20% Cost-of-Living Allowance (COLA), was already affecting academic activities and called for the early resolution of their concerns.

He noted that the strike action would have enormous effects on students.

The strike of teachers was declared on Monday, July 4, after the Government failed to meet their deadline.

In an interview with Neat FM, Kofi Akpaloo indicated that his greatest worry was final year students who would be writing their West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in few weeks.

He opined that the strike if prolonged will affect the innocent students because when two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.

He was quick to add that some children had taken advantage of the strike to engage in social vices.
Two suspected kidnappers are thankful for being arrested to avoid the risk of being lynched to death by angry residents of Akwadum in the Eastern.

On Wednesday, July 13, several residents gathered in front of the Police station in Akwadum demanding the release of the two suspects who are accused of abducting two children.

The suspects including one male and a female reportedly prior to their arrest had kidnapped a ten-year-old and a four-year-old into an unregistered Toyota Corolla vehicle at Akorabo, a farming community near Suhum.

Unfortunately for the suspects, one of the residents noticed the incident and sounded the alarm for other people to come and help.

Although the suspects succeeded in speeding off, some Okada riders immediately chased after them with information immediately being sent to other community members and the Police.

Due to the urgency of the matter, Police personnel at the Akwadum checkpoint were also put on alert.

Despite an attempt to use the rough road from Akwadum through to Subriso to Nyamekrom to reach Koforidua ostensibly to escape arrest, some Okada riders blocked the suspects when they reached Subriso.

With the help of the community police personnel, the suspects were arrested and sent to Akwadum Police station.

It was upon hearing of the arrest of the alleged kidnappers that hundreds of residents mobilised to storm the police station.

They demanded the release of the suspect to personally deal with them.

Thanks to reinforcement from the Effiduase District Police Command, the security service managed to control the situation.
Some residents of Atewa in the Eastern Region have threatened to block any mining prospecting in the Atewa forest reserve to preserve the biodiversity hub and the critical watershed.

This follows the publication on the website of the Minerals Commission as of yesterday, July 13th, confirming the granting of a license to Vimetco Ghana Bauxite Ltd, to do prospecting in the forest reserve.

The Atewa forest reserve has been a subject of litigation following the decision by the government of Ghana to mine bauxite in the biodiversity hub and the critical watershed, located in the Eastern Region of the country.

But, even before the case could fully go on trial between some environmental groups and the government at the Accra High Court, the Minerals Commission has granted a license to Vimetco Ghana Bauxite Ltd, to do prospecting in the forest reserve.

The license status, which was published yesterday on the website of the Minerals Commission is set to expire in February 2025 but the status has been strangely reviewed to 'expired' today.

The residents are surprised at the overnight review of the expiration date of the prospecting license and have promised to fight any individual or company that dares mine in the forest.

Many people in the locality are however wondering why some government officials are bent on pushing for mining in the forest reserve, especially when the case is in court.

Broken promise

At the beginning of this year, the government of Ghana announced a temporal ban on all forms of prospecting activities within forest reserves across the country as it tackles illegal mining.

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, issued the order.

A statement released by the minister said The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources hereby directs persons and/or companies engaged in reconnaissance and/or prospecting in Forest Reserves, with or without legal authorization, to suspend such activities until further notice

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, accordingly, hereby gives persons and/or companies engaged in reconnaissance and/or prospecting in Forest Reserves, seven (7) days from the date of the publication of this notice, to cease their operations and evacuate their equipment accordingly.

Furthermore, the Minerals Commission has been directed not to accept, process and/or recommend the grant, including renewal and/or extension of reconnaissance and prospecting licences in Forest Reserves.

The directive by the Minister followed a National Consultative Dialogue on Small Scale Mining which was dominated by illegal mining and its harmful impact on the environment.

Among the resolutions adopted at the dialogue was a charge to the government to take steps to strictly apply laws and sanctions to all persons who infringe the law, irrespective of political colour or socio-economic status or class.

Speaking to journalists over the issue, Kofi Yeboah, a resident of Sagyimase in the East Akim District described as a broken promise the issuance of license to Vimetco Ghana Bauxite Ltd by the government to do prospecting in the forest reserve.

Here is a government that is saying that, there should be no prospecting in any of the forest reserves in the country, so what happens to the license given Vimetco Ghana Bauxite Ltd to do prospecting in this valuable Atewa forest reserve. This is a broken promise and we shall resist any form of mining in this forest.

He quizzes, Does it also means that, the Ministry lied by going ahead to approve a prospecting for mineral in protected forest even when the Ministry said it was suspending all exploration and prospecting activities.

According to Yeboah, even if the government could not honour its promise of suspending prospecting in the Atewa forest, it should be able to respect the court and wait for the outcome of the case before taking any final decision, especially when the government prides itself as believing in the rule of law.

A treasure of biodiversity

Located in Ghanas Eastern Region, Atewa Forest forms part of the threatened Upper Guinea Forest, one of the worlds global biodiversity hotpots and a critical watershed.

Atewa Forest is a Protected Forest Reserve, a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA), and meets the conditions for Alliance for Zero Extinction status. The forest is home to many endangered, endemic and rare plants and animals, over 100 of which are threatened or near threatened with extinction.

Four species are listed as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Redlist of Threatened Species, and many more as vulnerable. The forest is also home to five species believed to be endemic to the forest, meaning they are found nowhere else on Earth.

The forest is also the source for the Birim, Densu and Ayensu rivers, which provide water for some 5 million people, including residents of the capital, Accra.

The unwanted record

A resident of Asiakwa, Samuel Ntow observed that the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Jinapor is tainting his image over some of the decisions that he has taken so far.

He explained that For the unwanted records, the first was the Achimota forest reserve which the Minister supervised its declassification as a reserve, the recently encroached CSIR lands which he said should be regularized for the encroachers, the proposed mining at a Ramsar site in the Central Region and this current one of providing prospecting license to a company to destroy the biodiversity-rich Atewa forest reserve.

According to him, such records for the Minister are unwanted and it is imperative that he redeemed his image by working to protect all natural resources rather than supervising their exploitation.

Prospecting fatigue

This is not the first time a prospecting is going to be carried out in the forest as in June 2018, the state-owned Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC) started clearing access roads to the summit of the Atewa forest to allow test drilling for bauxite deposits.

Ntow added, So this becomes the second mining prospecting license granted to a company since 2018. The question also is, how many prospecting is the government planning to do at Atewa.

Atewa for national park

The Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin has been pushing for the shift towards developing the Atewa forest reserve into a national park.

Last year, he called on government through the Ministry of Tourism to shift attention towards developing the Atewa forest rather than mining its gold.

The revered king said this at the Ofori Panin Fie at Kyebi when Tourism Minister Dr. Awal Mohammed, his Deputy, Mark Okraku-Mantey, and officials from the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) paid a courtesy call on him last year.

Develop a national park at Atewa forest, the species that God has given us there is phenomenal but if we begin to look at gold and its recklessness of galamsey and other things in the forest, we would never get there, the Okyenhene said.

Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin continued, Gold would go away. It is not a renewable resource. The reckless felling of timber is a disregard for our nature. Build a museum in addition to the park that would tell our history and show artefacts.
The Member of Parliament for Busila North constituency, Dr. Clement Abas Apaak has indicated students are at the receiving end of their teachers strike action.

He bemoans governments inability to give an ounce of hope to students that their teachers will be returning anytime soon.

In a tweet on July 14, he indicated that as of today, government has still not made any move to rekindle the hope that teachers will return to the classroom soon.

Teachers have been on strike since July 4. Today is 14th July yet, government has not made any offer that gives hope that they will return to the classrooms to teach the about 7.2 million students affected, he lamented.

Subsequently, he questioned the essence of students still in school when their teachers are on strike.

According to him, the food crisis among Senior High Schools (SHS) coupled with the teachers strike since July 4 should not see the students still in school.

He emphasized that it made no sense.

FSHS food crisis-No food for our students in secondary schools across the nation, their students have been on strike since July 4, whats the point of keeping the students in school? It does not make sense, he emphasized.
The Director of the Centre for European Studies, Dr. Asah-Asante has backed Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu's call for ministers be reduced to 19.

Dr. Asah-Asante said although late, the call for a drastic reduction of ministers was very necessary.

Speaking on Accra-based Joy News on July 14; he indicated that, it will be of great benefit to the state if the country keeps efficient and competent ministers to save the public purse.

Dr. Asah-Asante noted that portfolios like Deputy CEOs and Special Aides should also be looked at.

I think I support the call, its a good one. It should have come a long time, but better late than never. You dont need a bigger size of government in order to deliver, no. All you need are very efficient, competent people who will have ideas and would want to implement them to assist the president deliver on his promise thats all.

I am happy that all this while, people have advised the government, but government has turned a deaf ear. I am happy that it is coming from the Majority Leader. It means that they have reflected on all the suggestions people have made so its a good one.

I am happy that we are looking at this and its going to help and its not only for ministerial appointments, we should look at Deputy CEOs, we have so many in this country and we pay them.

Why do we want to waste resources on that? Not only that we have Special Aides attached to ministers and all that. All these things we must look at them and consider the public person and deal with them effectively, he stated.

He added that, civil societies must come together to push this agenda.

He said even in the absence of that, government must be pragmatic enough and cut down expenditure in these harsh economic times.

On July 12, Majority Leader in parliament, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu suggested that the 86 Ministers be drastically cut down to 19.

Similarly, on July 13, North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa suggested that government should drastically reduce the number of Ministers, abolish Deputy CEO positions, dismiss the CEO for the ridiculous non-existent Keta Port and slash the outrageous 337 political appointees at the Office of the President by more than half.
14.07.2022 LISTEN

The Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, HE. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has given an update on the international recognition of the Ghana Card issued by the National Identification Authority.

Speaking at the official launch of the Accra Business IT programme in Accra on Thursday, July 14, the Vice President disclosed that Ghana now has certification from International Civil Aviation Organization (IACO) for citizens to use the Ghana Card as a travel document.

He said thanks to the certification, Ghanaians abroad can now travel back to the country without a visa.

Ghanaians in the diaspora were bearing the problem and cost of the acquisition of visa by diaspora Ghanaians, many have lost passports in the process of applying for visas from Ghanaian embassies aboard. But we have obtained ICAO certification for the Ghana Card to be used as a travel document for travel to Ghana from abroad without the need for a visa, H.E Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia said today.

Expressing his delight in the success the Ghana Card is achieving in the digitisation agenda of the government, the Vice President said he would choose it any day over 1000 interchanges.

He said in the era of technology, it is important for the country to take advantage in order not to be left behind.

He proposed that Ghanaians and all institutions make use of technology.

Dr. Bawumia charged all to let technology be a servant rather than being the master of their lives.
Dr Mahamadu Bawumia, Vice President of the Republic of Ghana has said 90% of adult Ghanaians now practically have a bank account.

In outlining the reasons for the government's digitalization agenda, the Vice President noted that the motivation for digitalization is not for personal gain, but to help the economy get back on track.

Dr. Bawumia stated today, July 14, at the official launch of the Collaboration Between Accra Business School & South East Technological University Ireland, at Accra Business School, that the initiative is also aimed at making life easier for Ghanaians.

We pursue digitalisation, not for its own sake, but as a vehicle to solve problems faced by ordinary Ghanaians and transform the economy, said Dr. Bawumia

He also stated that the COVID-19 pandemic served as a wake-up call for digitalisation.

The pandemic gave fresh impetus to digital projects across the public sector, with so many services stalled across government in response to COVID-19, he stated.

He listed some of the benefits the country has reaped in the digitalisation agenda.

90% of adult Ghanaians now practically have a bank account. To open a bank account today all you need is a Ghanacard and a mobile phone. No filling of forms is needed.

ECG customers can now buy pre-paid electricity units conveniently from wherever you are from your mobile phone.

Following digitization at the Scholarship Secretariat, everyone is able to apply for scholarships and receive same in the comfort of his or her home via online applications, he stated.

The Vice President added, We have obtained ICAO certification for the Ghana card to be used as a travel document for travel to Ghana from abroad without the need for a visa.
The Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, H.E Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has expressed his delight in the key role the Ghana Card is playing in the digitalisation agenda of the government.

Delivering a speech at the Accra Business School as a Special Guest, the Vice President stressed that if given the choice between the Ghana Card and having 1000 interchanges, he will always choose the Ghana Card.

In his view, technology has come to stay and Ghana must take full advantage of the fourth industrial revolution.

At the event, H.E. Dr. Bawumia revealed that the government has successfully received certification from the International Civil Aviation Organization (IACO) for citizens to use the Ghana Card as a travel document.

He said thanks to the certification, Ghanaians abroad can now travel back to the country without needing a visa.

Ghanaians in the diaspora were bearing the problem and cost of the acquisition of visa by diaspora Ghanaians, many have lost passports in the process of applying for visas from Ghanaian embassies aboard. But we have obtained ICAO certification for the Ghana Card to be used as a travel document for travel to Ghana from abroad without the need for a visa, H.E Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia said today.

The Vice President commented on the move by the government to seek help from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

He admitted that indeed the Coronavirus pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict cannot be the only cause of the current hardships in the country.

He said besides the external shocks, the cost of running the governments flagship programmes, the cost of the Financial Sector cleanup, and the Energy Sector Excess Capacity Payments, have also contributed to the worsened debt sustainability situation of the country.

Dr. Bawumia while concluding, emphasised that it is important Ghana takes lessons from past IMF bailout programmes to make this latest one successful for all to benefit.
The Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, H.E Dr. Mahamud Bawumia has given justification for the decision by the government to seek help from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Speaking at the Accra Business School on Thursday (14 July), under the theme: The Role of Information Technology Education in the Governments Digitalisation Agenda, Dr. Bawumia said the move to seek a bailout is because the country has suffered a quadruple whammy.

Explaining further, the Vice President said, the Covid-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, the financial sector cleanup, and the energy sector excess capacity payments have dearly affected the financial power of the Ghanaian economy.

He said it is due to the millions eaten up by these four factors that have landed Ghana at the doorstep of the IMF for a bailout.

With the challenges on accessing the capital market, balance of payment support was needed to bridge this financing gap, stabilize the economy and create the space to implement structural reforms and restore debt sustainability and this is really the reason why Ghana had to go to the IMF.

I should again note that Ghana has been hit with a quadruple whammy. The energy sector excess capacity payments. Banking sector cleanup, Covid-19, and the Russia-Ukraine war. If you take out this quadruple whammy Ghana will not be going to the IMF, H.E Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia said.

Whiles talks continued with the IMF, Dr. Bawumia proposes that the country must ensure it comes out stronger with a lot of benefits that will inspire growth and development.

..unfortunately, judging from where we are today, there is no end in sight for the Russia-Ukraine war. While we hope for a quick end to the war, we must understand that things could get worse before they get better.

We should emerge stronger than we have in the previous 17 IMF programmes. It will take hard work and difficult decisions, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia remarked.

Reacting to the speech delivered by the Vice President with emphasis on his comments on the move to the IMF, General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia says it is shameful.

In his view, the Vice President has lost credibility and must resign to save face.

The vice president has lost credibility. He must have resigned by now. By now he should have resigned as chairman of the Economic Management Team. He shouldnt be there, the NDC scribe told Joy News in an interview.
Vice President, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia has brilliantly brushed off the blame for the current economic crisis.

He said the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is partly to blame for the country's IMF move.

Speaking at the official launch of the collaboration between Accra Business School and South East Technological University Ireland, today at the Accra Business School, he noted that some policies of the previous government (internal causes) and the COVID-19/Russia-Ukraine war (external causes) accounted for the economic crisis.

Of the four factors, two (COVID-19) and the Russia-Ukraine war) was external and the other two (the banking sector clean-up and the excess capacity payments) were the result of policies of the previous government, he noted.

The Vice President further argued that without these factors, which he described as a "quadruple whammy," the economy would have been better by now and would not have opted for a balance of payment support from the IMF.

If you take out the fiscal impact of this quadruple whammy, Ghana will not be going to the IMF for support because our fiscal, debt and balance of payments outlook would be sustainable.

I should note again that Ghana has been hit by a quadruple whammy in the last few years, said the Vice President.

According to him, the COVID-19 expenditures alone cannot be the reason for the country's debt stock.

Some commentators and analysts have argued that COVID-19 expenditures alone could not be the reason for the large increase in the fiscal deficit and the debt stock. In fact, they are right, he submitted.
A knife allegedly used by Daniel Asiedu in stabbing J. B Danquah Adu, late Member of Parliament for Abuakwa North, to death, has been tendered in court.

Detective Chief Inspector Augustus Nkrumah, the case investigator who tendered it in evidence, said the said knife was retrieved from Daniel Asiedu's room, one of the accused persons, during a search by the investigation team.

Continuing with his evidence in chief, Detective Inspector Nkrumah said the girlfriend of Asiedu aka Sexy Dondon, by name Janet Kyera, told the Police that Aseidu gave her the blood-stained knife to wash for him when he returned to Agbogloshie on the dawn of February 9, 2016.

According to the case investigator, a search was conducted in Aseidu's room at Agbogboloshie by the investigation team and the alleged knife was found and identified by Janet as the one whom Asiedu gave the knife to clean on that day.

The investigator said Asiedu also identified the knife as belonging to him, adding Asiedu and Janet gave statements to that effect.

Detective Inspector Nkrumah who was led by Mrs Sefakor Batsa, Principal State Attorney, said the investigation team also received three mobile phones, belonging to the deceased and same were tendered in evidence.

He explained the three mobile phones were two iPhones and a Samsung.

The Investigator said the three mobile phones were handed to him by the investigation team, saying that the investigation team from the Greater Accra Region indicated that the phones were given them by one Kenneth Korankye, a witness.

Chief Inspector Nkrumah said Korankye also indicated that the three phones were given to him by Asiedu.

"During investigations the first accused person (Asiedu) mentioned that he collected them from the late MP's room," he added.

The Investigator further told the Court that during a postmortem at the Police Hospital in Accra on the deceased, photographs were taken.

He therefore tendered the pictures as evidence.

Chief Inspector Nkrumah also identified and tendered into evidence a catapult and a cutter allegedly retrieved from the deceased room.

He said Aseidu later identified the catapult as his.

The Investigator told the High Court that a pair of black slippers allegedly wrapped in a duster was also found and retrieved behind a flowerpot at the house of the deceased.

He said during investigations Asiedu identified the slippers as his.

Asiedu is standing trial with Vincent Bossu aka Junior Agogo, for their various roles in the murder of the former MP.

Asiedu is being held on charges of murder and robbery.

Asiedu and Bossu have been jointly charged with conspiracy to rob.

They have denied the charges before a seven-member jury.

The Court presided over by Mrs Justice Lydia Osei Marfo has remanded them into lawful custody to reappear on July 18.

GNA
14.07.2022 LISTEN

Lawyers for embattled Assin North Member of Parliament, James Gyakye Quayson, on Wednesday, July 13 filed a supplement to their statement of case in the Supreme Court following the order of the court on Tuesday.

Mr. Quayson had been given 14 days to file a supplement to his statement of case by the Supreme Court but filed the document a day after the directive, and had written to the Registrar to have the case listed before the legal vacation.

His lawyers insist that the Supreme Court lacks jurisdiction to entertain the originating writ seeking to invalidate the Assin North 2020 Parliamentary elections.

The broad ground of the application to strike out the writ is that, this court lacks jurisdiction as determined by previous decisions of this court, the Supplement Statement of Case filed for Mr Quayson indicated.

The first aspect of these grounds, which is referred to in paragraphs 5 and 6 of the affidavit in support of the application is that this court has previously decided that by virtue of article 99 of the Constitution and section 16 of the Representation of People Act (PNDCL 284), it has no jurisdiction to entertain a suit that involves invalidating the results of a parliamentary election. Even if dressed up as an invocation of the original jurisdiction of this court under article 130 or a suit for enforcement of the Constitution under article 2, this court does not have jurisdiction.

Relying on the case of Yeboah v JH Mensah, Bimpong-Buta vs General Legal Council among others, Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata, Mr. Quaysons lead lawyer, prayed the court to strike out the originating writ before it.

The defendant has also prayed the court to list the case before the legal vacation.

In view of the obvious urgency of this case, particularly its significance for the representation in Parliament of Ghanaians in the Assin North Constituency, we respectfully ask the case be listed before the vacation.

James Gyakye Quayson, who stood on the tick of the NDC as its parliamentary candidate in the Assin North constituency for the 2020 polls got 17,498 votes representing (55.21%) while Abena Durowaa Mensah, the NPPs candidate had 14,193 representing (44.79%).

However, the sworn-in MP, had his election annulled by the Cape Coast High Court on grounds that he holds dual citizenship, of which he has denied.

He subsequently appealed the High Court ruling. One Michael Ninfa, a teacher and resident of Yamoransa in the Central Region, had filed an interlocutory motion and urged the Supreme Court to bar the lawmaker from holding himself out as MP.

His application originated from the decision of the Cape Coast High Court dated July 21, 2021.

By Citi Newsroom
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
14.07.2022 LISTEN

Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has rejected claims that the governments numerous flagship programmes are to blame for Ghanas worsening debt situation and the subsequent International Monetary Fund (IMF) support request.

He said government expended GH15.6 billion on the flagship programmes within five years; as such they cannot be responsible for the countrys ailing economy.

Dr. Bawumia said factors such as the Covid-19 pandemic, banking sector clean-up, and the energy sector capacity payment pushed Ghanas total debt to some $54.5 billion.

He explained that in the midst of the worsening economic challenges, the government's options for generating enough revenue were limited, forcing the country to run to the IMF for support.

Some commentators and analysts have argued that Covid-19 expenditures by government alone cannot be the cause of the large increase in the fiscal deficit and debt stock. In fact, they are right. Covid-19 expenditures alone are not the reason for the large increase in Ghanas debt stock. In addition to covid-19, there are two others that are critical in understanding the evolution of fiscal deficit and debt stock. They are the banking sector clean-up and the energy sector excess capacity payment.

The excess capacity payment of GH17 billion relates to a legacy of take or pay contracts that saddled our economy with annual excess capacity charges of close to $1 billion a year. These were basically contracted to supply energy to Ghana.

The Vice President noted that the expenditure on these three exceptional items is over 3 times more than what has been spent on governments flagship programmes.

To put these three expenditures in context, we have to juxtapose them with some of the governments flagship projects. The Free SHS, the 1D1F, Planting for Food and Jobs, the Ghana card, Zongo Development Fund, NABCO, Teacher Training Allowance, and Nursing Training allowance. The data shows that the expenditure on these programmes over a 5-year period amounted to GH15.6 billion. And this is compared to the GH54 billion expenditure on the three exceptional items.

The Vice President said the National Democratic Congress is partly responsible for the internal factors driving Ghana's debt situation.

Of the four factors, Covid-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war were external. The other two, the banking sector clean up and the energy sector capacity payment were results of the previous government.

He was speaking at the launch of the two new high-level information technology programmes at the Accra Business School at Baatson in Accra.

Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reaffirmed its commitment to support Ghana following the conclusion of its visit to the country.

---citinewsroom
Hundreds of Moroccan firefighters and soldiers battled Thursday to put out at least four infernos ripping through forests in the north of the kingdom, officials said.

Several villages had to be evacuated ahead of the flames as military water-bomber planes dropped loads in a bid to extinguish the blaze, an AFP journalist said.

In soaring temperatures, and shocked by how fast the leaping flames were spreading, villagers fled their homes.

Some, where they could, herded their crucial cattle and horses upon which their livelihoods depend ahead of them.

A village in the Ksar El Kebir region of the North African nation was destroyed by the flames.

Fires fanned by strong winds broke out in the northern regions of Larache, Ouezzane, Tetouan and Taza, said the head of the National Center for Forest Climate Risk Management.

"Efforts are continuing in the hope of bringing these fires under control in the next few hours," said Assali, quoted by the official MAP news agency.

At least 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres) of forest have been burned since Wednesday night in Larache and Ouezzane, according to initial reports.

Hundreds of civil defence workers as well as soldiers and police officers are taking part in trying to stop the fires from causing more destruction.

Firefighters battle a blaze raging in Morocco's northern region of Ksar Sghir on July 14. By FADEL SENNA (AFP)

Morocco, which is struggling under intense droughts has in recent days been hit by soaring temperatures approaching 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit).

Across the Strait of Gibraltar, wild fires are also raging in southern Europe, from Portugal and Spain through to France and Greece.

Scientists say extreme weather events such as heatwaves and droughts, which make wildfires more likely, are linked to climate change.

They are expected to become even more frequent, more prolonged and more intense in the future.
14.07.2022 LISTEN

Members of Organised Labour in the country are set to be cushioned by the government in the midst of the high cost of living in the country.

Several unions and associations belonging to Organised Labour in the past weeks have been demanding a 20% Cost of Living Allowance (COLA).

Following the failure of the government to yield to the demands, some unions declared an industrial strike last week with others threatening to withdraw their service at the end of the month if nothing is agreed upon.

At an Emergency Meeting called by the Wages and Salaries Commission at the Ministry of Health Conference Room in Accra today, there have been successful talks between a team of government officials and representatives of the leadership of Organised Labour.

The terms of agreement reached today is that the Cost of Living Allowance will be paid at a rate of 15% of base pay.

The date for the payment of the 15% COLA 1st July, 2022 to cushion workers in the midst of the growing hardships in the country.

As a result of the agreement today, teaching and learning are expected to immediately resume in pre-tertiary public schools across the country as striking teachers have called off their industrial action.

Schools had to come to a standstill for the past two weeks as a result of the declaration of indefinite strike action by the various teacher unions including the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT) and Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU).

Find below the terms of agreement:
14.07.2022 LISTEN

The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) is mourning the death of the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai Municipal Assembly in the Western North Region, Hon. Alfred Amoah, and his personal driver Samuel Gyasi.

In a press release issued by the NRSA today, Ag. Director-General David Osafo Adonteng says news of the accident that claimed the lives of the MCE and his driver has shocked the board, management, and staff of his outfit.

The Ag. Director-General on behalf of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) Board, Management and staff conveys its deepest heartfelt condolence to the immediate and extended family members of the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai Municipal Assembly in the Westen North Region, Hon. Alfred Amoah, and his personal driver Samuel Gyasi.

It was a great shock and disbelief to hear the sad news of the unfortunate death of the MCE and his driver in a gruesome road accident involving the assembly's Nissan Patrol with registration number GC 2060-18 and a trailer with registration number, AS 4229-X on 12h July 2022 at Apedwa near Tafo in the Eastern Region.

The NRSA mourns the MCE and his driver who perished in this accident and wish the injured speedy recovery, parts of a release from the NRSA reads.

The Authority notes that it shares with the bereaved families and Ghanaians, especially the people of the Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai Municipality in the Western-North Region, the feelings of great loss at this time of deep sorrow.

The NRSA insists that the accident is yet another call to all road safety stakeholders to continue to work together to improve road safety and the transport infrastructure in the country.

We will also use this opportunity to advise road users to exercise a lot of care and proper judgment when driving especially at night. Drivers should adapt to driving within the speed limit and obey road signs to minimize road traffic crashes.

The Authority would continue to work with stakeholders and the Media to ensure road safety while protecting lives, the NRSA press release concludes.
The Ghana Nurse-Midwife Trainee Association (GNMTA) is threatening to embark on a protest against the government over its inability to pay the 11 months outstanding allowance it owes its members.

The group says it will also embark on an industrial action when it comes to clinical internships it attends as part of its training requirement if the government does not pay its outstanding arrears.

For too long, our needs have been left unattended. For too long, our pleas have been swept under the carpet, the president of the association, Adumbisa Paschal, said to the press.

According to the group, the current economic hardship the country is facing is affecting them heavily due to the unpaid allowance and as such wants the government to pay them before the end of July.

They also maintained that they deserve the allowance and have thus given the government up to the end of July to clear all arrears, or they will lay down their tools and also embark on a demonstration.

The group also added that it will resist every attempt by the government to cancel the allowance paid it in Ghanas attempt to seek a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Any attempt to cancel the allowance in the quest for the bailout for the IMF will face the fiercest resistance from the trainee nurses and midwives.

---citinewsroom
July 14, 2022 Ukraine SitRep - Additional Defense Lines, A Failed Counterattack, Weapon Deliveries On July 2 Lysichansk came under Russian control: This comes only a week after the cauldron around Lysichansk began to close. Until a few hours ago there was still a chance to flee from Lysichansk but the only passable road was under Russian fire. It is not know yet how many made it out or how many gave up and were taken prisoners. Some of those who retreated went to Siversk some 20 kilometer west of Lysichansk. That city will be the next bigger target in that campaign sector. The speed of this operation was much faster than the one in Mariupol. That points to diminished capabilities and soldier motivation of the Ukrainian forces. The now much shortened frontline frees up several battalion tactical groups on the Russian side which can now be refitted and rested to then move elsewhere. The front has since consolidated: In a week or two those BTCs which now rest and resupply will be back. They will create a new cauldron around Siversk and maybe Bakhmut, decimate the Ukrainian forces within it to then capture the whole area. The artillery preparations for the next push had began immediately after the fall of Lysichansk. The 'week or two' have passed and the attack on the next defensive line (yellow line in the east) from Siversk to Kurdiumivka has begun. Yesterday ground fighting was reported within Siversk and Soledar.

Source: LiveUAmap (not fully updated) - bigger In a week or two the line down from Siversk to Krasna Hora will probably be under Russian control. Bakhmut, which is very fortified, may take a few more days to fall. The battle will then move to the next defensive line further west (also marked in yellow). That line is anchored in the north on Sloviansk which has a railway line (black) coming in from the west. That railway line allows the Ukrainians to supply their current frontline with heavy artillery ammunition and fuel. Sloviansk will be attacked from the northwest, the northeast and southeast. The force disposition map below shows that the Ukrainian defenses in that area are rather weak.

Source: MilitaryLand.net - bigger (The map above uses NATO symbology. The marking within the blue (friendly) rectangles shows the type of the unit. 'Crossed bandoliers' are infantry, 'tank tracks' stand for armored units, a black dot designates artillery, a combination of tank tracks and crossed bandoliers means mechanized infantry. The marking above the rectangle shows the size of the unit. An X means brigade (3,000-4,000 men), three vertical lines a regiment (1,000-1,500 men), two vertical lines a battalion (300-600 men) and so on. Each unit is 'organic' in that its has its own artillery or mortar group and other attached support like transport and medics.) The Ukrainian lines in the northeast of the Donetzk oblast are held by pure infantry troops of dubious quality (i.e territorial defense brigades). Most of these have already been mauled by Russian artillery attacks and are down to 70% or less of their original strength. They have little capability to withstand the motorized (and armored) Russian forces that are moving against them. The Ukrainians have very few armored reserves behind the front that could intervene and oppose those Russian attacks. Now let's look at the bigger picture in east Ukraine. I have marked 5 defense lines (yellow) which all run north to south along major highways or railroads.

bigger The two in the east (right side) will fall within the next two or three weeks. The only really major one of the other lines is in the west (left side) running from Kharkiv through Dnipro down to to Zaporizhzhia in the south. It will be nibbled up piecemeal. Kharkiv, the anchor in the north is already under attack. Zaporizhzhia in the south is under long range artillery fire. The center around Dnipro will be attacked from the east as well as from the west side of the Dnieper river (see below). I believe that the Russian side intends to completely take that western line before the winter sets in. Now let's look at the southern front where the Ukrainian forces attempted a counterattack on Kherson. For orientation: This map has Dnipro in the upper right.

bigger Kherson in a major city on the western side of the Dnieper river. If the Russian side holds onto it it can move up to the economically important industrial mining area of Kryvyi Rih and from there launch an attack on Dnipro from a southwestern direction. This is a major strategic danger for the Ukrainian side. That is why it collected lots of forces around Mykolaiv (Nikolaev in Russian transliteration) and attempted a counterattack on Kherson. On the force disposition map we can see motorized infantry, marine infantry, artillery, helicopter, and missile brigades all positioned in or around Mykolaiv.

bigger Over the last days those forces used heavy artillery in an attempt to destroy the reservoir dam and river crossing near Nova Kakhorvka on the right side of the above map. This would have flooded the area south of Kherson and would have made its defense way more difficult. But so far all major Ukrainian attacks on the dam and along the southern frontline have failed. The next map shows the main reasons for that failure.

bigger All the Ukrainian units in and around Mykolaiv have come under very heavy artillery fire by the Russian forces. Major targets were unit headquarters, ammunition dumps and any larger groupings of soldiers. The planned Ukrainian counterattack on Kherson was thereby destroyed even before it took up its starting position. I am not aware of any Ukrainian reserve forces that could be moved there to revive it. All together the Ukrainian forces are in a dire state. They have little to withstand further moves by the Russian side. Now let's look at the U.S. support for the Ukrainian forces. Next to man portable small arms, Javelin anti-tank missiles and stinger anti-air missiles, a major U.S. delivery has been the 100 light howitzers M-777 and their standard 155mm ammunition. These are rather flimsy guns and slow to redeploy. Some 70% of these have by now been disabled or destroyed. Those 100 howitzers did not have the digital systems that allows for precision ammunition to be used with them. The U.S. has since send another 18 M-777 howitzer with digital aiming systems and 1,000 rounds of precision ammunition to be used with them. The delivery included three artillery detection radars. Those three batteries, with six guns each, will thereby be used in a counter artillery mission against Russian artillery. The U.S. has also delivered 18 12 HIMARS long range missile systems to the Ukraine. An additional 3(?) systems have come out of German and British depots. They are the new Wunderwaffe Du Jour. The main use of the HIMARS system has so far been the destruction of several Russian ammunition depots (vid) some 50 kilometers (30 miles) behind the front lines. The Russian side will use the obvious countermeasures against such attacks. Larger depots will move further back, smaller ones more near to the front will be dispersed and camouflaged. Missile and air defenses will be brought up to defend the depots. Special forces will move behind the Ukrainian front-lines to hunt down the HIMARS missile systems. I have seen two videos of such units attacking Ukrainian S-300 air defense systems far behind the front lines with anti-tank weapons and sharpshooter rifles. Over the last weeks some HIMARS and other systems have been hitting Donetsk city and have caused a high number of civilian casualties. The Russians have launched special counter battery missions which have been successful in hunting some of those units down. Some Russian Tochka-U missiles systems, no longer in service with the Russian forces, have been given to the forces of the Donetzk Peoples Republic to defend their main city. The Tochka has a similar 100+ kilometer reach as the HIMARS but is less precise. There is no oversight over where the 'western' weapon deliveries to the Ukraine go to. Here is a civil car with Albanian number plates loaded with British and U.S. anti-tanks missile. The Ukrainian military has admitted that such transfers are happening. We can only guess where those weapons will end up. Of the 18 HIMARS the U.S. has delivered two were reportedly destroyed and one, including its ammunition, was allegedly sold to the Russian side. There were also reports that two French Caesar artillery systems have been sold to the Russians. Those will become nice show pieces right next to all those Nazi Tiger tanks that ended up in Russian military museums. Tomorrow the parliament of the Russian Federation will hold a special session likely about the war in Ukraine. I have seen no hint of what it might decide to do but it will probably enable Russia's president to use more forces in Ukraine than he currently does. The Ukrainian side is losing hundreds of soldiers per day which leads to lots of funerals with questionable symbolics (old video). It is high time for the Ukrainian and 'western' side to stop the war and to re-enter into negotiations with the Russian side. Posted by b on July 14, 2022 at 10:28 UTC | Permalink Comments next page  next page 
Neutrinos are the most elusive particles in the Universe, capable of traveling nearly unimpeded across it. Despite the vast amount of data collected, a long-standing and unsolved issue is still the association of high-energy neutrinos with the sources that originate them. Among the candidate sources of neutrinos, there are blazars, a class of extragalactic sources powered by supermassive black holes that feed highly relativistic jets, pointed toward Earth. In a new study, researchers from Clemson University, the Universitat Wurzburg, and the University of Geneva show that blazars are unambiguously associated with high-energy astrophysical neutrinos at an unprecedented level of confidence, i.e., a chance probability of 6*107.

Cosmic rays are charged particles of energies up to 1020 electronvolts, far higher than the most powerful human-attained particle accelerator, i.e., CERNs Large Hadron Collider.

The nature and origin of these particles arriving from deep outer space remain elusive and represent a foremost challenge for the astroparticle and astrophysics fields.

Cosmic rays birthplaces generate other particles, neutrinos and gamma-rays among them. Unlike gamma-rays, astrophysical neutrinos are solely created in processes involving cosmic-ray acceleration, making them unique smoking-gun signatures of a cosmic-ray source.

Among the candidate sources of high-energy neutrinos, there are blazars, a class of extragalactic sources powered by supermassive black holes harbored at the center of their host galaxies.

Blazars efficiently convert the gravitational energy of accreting gas into kinetic energy of highly relativistic jets, pointed toward Earth.

In 2017, the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, buried deep in the ice at the South Pole, detected a neutrino; astrophysicists traced it back to blazar TXS 0506+056.

We had a hint back then, and now we have evidence, said Dr. Marco Ajello, a researcher in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Clemson University.

The results provide, for the first time, incontrovertible observational evidence that the sub-sample of PeVatron blazars are extragalactic neutrino sources and thus cosmic ray accelerators, said Dr. Sara Buson, a researcher at the Universitat Wurzburg.

Using neutrino data obtained by the IceCube Neutrino Observatory between 2008 and 2015 and a catalog of blazars, the scientists found powerful evidence that blazars originated the observed high-energy neutrinos.

They found that 10 out of the 19 IceCube hotspots located in the southern sky likely originated from blazars.

The discovery of these high-energy neutrino factories represents a major milestone for astrophysics, said Dr. Andrea Tramacere, a researcher in the Department of Astronomy at the University of Geneva.

It places us a step forward in solving the century-old mystery of the origin of cosmic rays.

The authors now plan to study the detected blazars to understand what makes them good accelerators.

The statistical analysis has focused only on the most promising sets of IceCube neutrino data, Dr. Buson said.

Further sophisticated analytical techniques may bring more discoveries.

The teams work was published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.

_____

Sara Buson et al. 2022. Beginning a Journey Across the Universe: The Discovery of Extragalactic Neutrino Factories. ApJL 933, L43; doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ac7d5b
A recent Travel+Leisure report listed what is described as the best small towns for "art lovers" in the U.S. and one Texas town made the roundup.

The West Texas desert town of Marfa was highlighted as one of the nine cities in the roundup. The desert town of Marfa is known for its scenic views "strange lights" and more landed a spot in the rankings in part due to the work of minimalist artist Donald Judd, the report stated. The Judd Foundation and Chinati Foundation showcases Judd's work and other contemporary artists.

Building 98, home of the International Woman's Foundation and a number of murals, helped secure Marfa on the top nine list and the authors of the report recommended making an appointment for art lovers with a preference for female modernist artists.

AFP/AFP via Getty Images

So, what other U.S. small towns made the roundup of the best of the best for art lovers?

The roundup of best small towns for art lovers spans the entire U.S. from Fort Bragg, California, which was highlighted for its International Sea Glass Museum and the downtown's murals and art galleries, to Madrid, New Mexico, a former mining town along the New Mexico Turquoise trail which the report authors described as an artsy town with a "hippie vibe."

Jeff Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty

In the South, Eureka Springs, Arkansas, was highlighted for its "funky flair," with noted attractions including the Art Colony in Eureka Springs, the School of the Arts and the annual ArtRageous Parade. Paying homage to the music festival of 1969, Woodstock, New York, made the list with the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild and Woodstock Artists Association & Museum.

ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

The small town of Montpelier, Vermont, has art everywhere, according to the report, from rotating exhibitions at the State House and Supreme Court building to co-ops, galleries, cultural institutions and the volunteer-operated Montpelier Alive Art Walk which brings artists out for evening celebrations six nights each year.

On the East Coast, North Adams, Massachusetts made the list and was described as a smaller town with a prominent art scene with noted attractions including the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.

Boston Globe/Boston Globe via Getty Images

Centered around a 40,000-square-foot "shoppable" community art center named the Icehouse with more than 30 artists, Berkeley Springs, West Virginia made the roundup. Cody, Wyoming also made the cut with noted arts styles and attractions including an array of art representing local Native American culture and natural history as well as classic and modern western artworks.
On May 24, a gunman fatally shot 19 children and two teachers in two adjoining classrooms at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Over an hour passed from the time officers followed the 18-year-old gunman into the school and when they finally entered the fourth-grade classroom where he was holed up and killed him.

Meanwhile, students trapped inside repeatedly called 911 and parents outside the school begged officers to go in.

Questions continue to swirl about why police armed with rifles and bulletproof shields waited so long. Authorities have given shifting and sometimes contradictory information about what happened and how they responded. The fallout has driven recriminations and rifts between local and state authorities, and angered many who live in the small South Texas city.

On July 17, a damning report was released by an investigative committee from the Texas House of Representatives and the city released hours of officers' body camera footage, further laying bare the chaotic response, which included 376 officers. The findings were the first to criticize both state and federal law enforcement, and not just local authorities, for the bewildering inaction by the heavily armed officers.

During a May 27 news conference, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Col. Steve McCraw put the blame on the commander at the scene  school district police Chief Pete Arredondo  saying he made the wrong decision not to send officers in sooner.

McCraw also gave a detailed timeline during a state Senate hearing on June 21, calling law enforcements response an "abject failure. He said that three minutes after the gunman, Salvador Ramos, entered the school, enough officers and firepower had been deployed to stop him. McCraw also noted that while officers spent time searching for a key to the classroom, they would have found it unlocked if they had checked.

So far, only two responding officers are known to have been put on administrative leave pending investigation of their actions: Arredondo and Lt. Mariano Pargas, a Uvalde Police Department officer who was the citys acting police chief during the massacre.

The state House report said that according to the school district's active shooter policy, Arredondo should have assumed command at the scene, but Arredondo told the committee he didn't consider himself in charge.

The report said that despite the obvious deficiencies in command and control at the scene, no law enforcement responders offered Arredondo command assistance.

Below is a minute-by-minute look at the tragic events that day.



Sometime after 11 a.m.  Ramos shoots his grandmother in the face. Gilbert Gallegos, 82, who was in his backyard across the street from Ramos' and his grandmother's home, heard the shot. He sees Ramos speed away in a pickup truck as Ramos grandmother pleads for help. Covered in blood, She says: Berto, this is what he did. He shot me, says Gallegos, whose wife calls the police.

11:21 a.m.  Ramos says in a text message to a teen in Germany that he just shot his grandmother and is going to go shoot up an elementary school, McCraw tells the state Senate hearing on June 21.

11:27 a.m.  Video shows a teacher, who authorities havent publicly identified, propping open an exterior door of the school, McCraw says on May 27.

11:28 a.m.  Ramos crashes the pickup into a drainage ditch near the school, state police say in a timeline released June 21, citing footage from a funeral home opposite the school.

11:29 a.m.  Two men at the funeral home run out to see what happened, the footage shows. They see Ramos jump out of the passenger side carrying an AR-15-style rifle and a bag full of ammunition. Ramos shoots at the men three times but misses, McCraw says on June 21. One of the men falls but both make it back to the funeral home, McCraw says on May 27. The teacher calls 911 and reports a man with a gun, state police say in their June 21 timeline, citing phone recordings. DPS spokesman Travis Considine says on May 31 that after propping open the door, the teacher had run back inside to grab her phone to call 911 but when she came back out she realized Ramos had a gun. She removed the rock propping open the door and it closed behind her, but the door did not lock, Considine says.

At some point just after the crash, Robb Elementary coach Yvette Silva, who was outdoors with a group of third graders, saw Ramos toss his backpack over a school fence and climb over, then raise a gun and begin to shoot, the state House report says. Running from the field toward her classroom, she reports what she'd seen to the school office via a school radio. Principal Mandy Gutierrez tries to initiate lockdown using the school's alert software but has trouble with the school's Wi-Fi signal, the report says. She didn't announce a lockdown over the intercom but told the head custodian to ensure all doors were locked. The report says the custodian started locking doors from the outside but heard gunshots and went to the cafeteria, where he remained.

About 11:30 a.m.  Teachers start to lock down based mostly on word-of-mouth reports about the gunman, the state House committee says. Teachers told the committee of hearing Silva yelling and the sounds of gunshots. One teacher in room 105 says she did receive the school's lockdown alert, at 11:32 a.m.

11:31 a.m.  Ramos shoots at the school and a patrol car accelerates into the parking lot, driving by Ramos, the funeral home video shows. The Uvalde school district police officer on duty wasnt on campus, contrary to previous reports, McCraw says on May 27. The officer drives to the school after getting a report about the shooting and approaches someone at the back of the school who he thought was the gunman. As the officer sped toward the man, who turned out to be a teacher, McCraw says the officer drove right by the suspect who was hunkered down behind a vehicle.

11:32 a.m.  Ramos fires multiple shots outside the school, according to state police on June 21, citing school surveillance. In audio of the 911 call from the teacher obtained by the Austin American-Statesman, she can be heard shouting: Get down! Get in your rooms! Get in your rooms!

Around this time, the state House report, says, Uvalde police Staff Sgt. Eduardo Canales, commander of the SWAT team, arrived at the school and saw a man firing a gun. He grabbed his rifle, put in a magazine, grabbed an extra magazine and heard someone say the attacker was in or near the building. He entered an open gate and met up with city police Lt. Javier Martinez. Another city officer, Sgt. Daniel Coronado, soon arrived and heard gunfire while getting out of his patrol car.

Another officer, who was not identified, told the state House committee that he believed the shooter was firing in their direction. When he saw a person dressed in black that he thought was the gunman, he raised his rifle and asked Coronado for permission to shoot. Coronado said he heard the request but hesitated because there were children present. The officer who made the request said there was no opportunity for Coronado to respond before they heard on the radio that the attacker was running toward the school. The officers told the committee that it turned out the person in black wasnt the attacker, but elementary school coach Abraham Gonzales, who was headed to the parking lot for his lunch break.

The committee said this contradicts a report released July 6 by a training center at Texas State University for active shooter situations, which said that a city officer had watched Ramos walk toward campus but didnt fire while waiting for permission from a supervisor to shoot. On July 8, Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin disputed the training center report, saying no city police officer saw the gunman outside the school and none had an opportunity to shoot him. He said that while an officer did see someone outside, the officer could not tell who it was.

11:33 a.m.  Ramos enters the school through the unlocked door on the schools west side and begins shooting into adjoining fourth-grade classrooms 111 and 112, school surveillance footage shows. Ramos then enters, exits and re-enters classrooms 111 and 112. The state House report says Ramos spent about two and a half minutes rapidly firing over 100 rounds between the two rooms. The report says it is most likely Ramos entered through the door to room 111, finding it unlocked or unsecured. The report says there's evidence that one of the two teachers in room 112, Irma Garcia, who died in the attack, did lock her door. The report says there's substantial evidence that the door to room 111 didn't secure properly. The report says the teacher in room 111, Arnulfo Reyes, who was shot but survived, told the House committee he had no recollection of getting a lockdown alert or any memory that he took the special effort needed to get his door to lock before the attacker arrived. The state House report says problems with the room 111 door lock had been reported to the school administration, but no one placed a work order for a repair.

11:35 a.m.  Three city police officers enter the school through the west door, the same door Ramos entered, according to school surveillance footage. The state House report says that these officers were Martinez, Canales and city officer Louis Landry. The report says that Martinez said he heard gunfire from inside the building before entering and then heard a few muffled shots.

11:36 a.m.  Arredondo, another school district officer and two more city police officers enter through the buildings south door, according to school surveillance footage. The state House report says that city officer Donald Page and school district officer Adrian Gonzalez were the first to enter, followed by Arredondo and Coronado. The report says Page and Gonzales heard rounds, as did Coronado, who yelled, shots fired. Surveillance footage shows three more city police officers and another officer from the school district then entered through the west door.

11:36 a.m.  Uvalde police dispatch gets a report that a woman, who turned out to be Ramos' grandmother, had been shot in the head, the state House report says. Uvalde County Sheriff Ruben Nolasco told the committee that while on his way to the school, he learned about the woman from a man who flagged him down. The committee said other information suggests he learned of the shooting by other means, possibly earlier, and are requesting additional records.

11:37 a.m.  The officers converge from both sides of the hallway on rooms 111 and 112, the state House report says. Ramos fires as officers approach the classroom doors, according to school surveillance footage. McCraw says on June 21 that Ramos fired 11 rounds at this time and two officers were grazed. The state House report says Martinez was grazed on the top of his head by fragments of building material, while fragments also hit Canales on his ear. Both retreated, along with Landry. The report, without giving an exact time, says that after the initial shock of taking gunfire, Martinez returned down the hallway toward rooms 111 and 112 but no other officers followed him. He later helped evacuate children and was ultimately among the officers when the classroom was finally breached.

11:38 a.m.  An unidentified officer says, Hes contained in this office, according to state police, citing body camera footage on June 21. McCraw testified the same day that the school floor plan showed no office in the classroom. Canales can be heard saying on his body camera after retreating down the hall, and as he walked in and out of the building: Dude, weve got to get in there. Weve got to get in there, he just keeps shooting. Weve got to get in there. Another officer can be heard saying: DPS is sending their people. The state House report says Coronado's body camera shows him making a request by radio for ballistic shields and helicopter support.

11:40 a.m.  Arredondo calls a Uvalde police landline, state police say, citing phone records. Thirty-five seconds later, Ramos fires one round, according to school surveillance footage. According to a transcript of Arredondos call released by state police, he says hes in the building and a man has an AR-15, he shot a whole bunch of times. He says theyre inside the building and the shooter is in a room, adding: I need a lot of firepower, so I need this building surrounded. Surrounded with as many AR-15s as possible. He tells the dispatcher that he doesnt have a radio with him. Arredondo says hes in the hallway and that the shooter is in rooms 111 and 112. We need this place surrounded and if you have SWAT I need them set up, Arredondo says. We dont have enough firepower right now, its all pistol and he has an AR-15. He says he needs a radio and a rifle.

The state House report says Arredondo arrived at the school with his radios but he dropped them by the school fence because they bothered him, and he knew Coronado had his.

11:41 a.m.  A city police officer says, We believe that he is barricaded in one of the offices, theres still shooting, according to body camera footage. When dispatch asks if the door is locked, a city police officer replies by referring to a specialized crow bar, saying, I am not sure but we have a hooligan to break it. School surveillance footage shows two constables, a fire marshal and a Uvalde city police officer. After arriving on the north end of the hallway, Constable Johnny Field began communicating by phone with Arredondo, who was on the south end, the state House report says. Arredondo told the committee that the only direction he gave, through Field, was to evacuate kids and to test keys. The report says the city's acting police chief that day, Pargas, dominated the north end of the building. Pargas told the committee he figured Arredondo was in command but he was never in communication with him and did not coordinate with any other responding agencies.

11:42 a.m.  A state trooper and two city police officers enter from the east hallway, according to school surveillance footage.

11:43 a.m.  After radio traffic indicates the attacker is in room 112 and the question is asked whether students are in there, Coronado asks for a mirror to look around corners. A voice on the radio says, the class should be in session," the state House report says, citing Coronado's body camera footage. The report says that after the initial responders took fire, Coronado remained outside for about 30 minutes, advising officers about potential crossfire in the hall and helping evacuate students through windows on the west side of the building.

11:44 a.m.  Ramos fires one round, according to school surveillance footage. A city police officer says,: Have some officers that are available get everybody back, according to body camera footage.

11:48 a.m.  Body camera footage shows school district officer Ruben Ruiz, the husband of one of the teachers in the classrooms, enter the building through the west door and tell other officers, She says she is shot. His wife, Eva Mireles, who was in room 112, later dies. McCraw says on June 21: What happened to (Ruiz) is he tried to move forward into the hallway, he was detained and they took his gun away from him and they escorted him from the scene. He did not say exactly when that was.

11:50 a.m.  Body camera footage shows an unknown officer saying, They need to get out of the hallway. The state House report says Coronado replies: Chief is in there. Chief is in charge right now. The report says that suggests Arredondo was in control and in communication with the other side of the building.

11:51 a.m.  Seven Border Patrol agents enter through the west door, according to school surveillance footage.

11:52 a.m.  The first ballistic shield is bought into the building through the west door, according to school surveillance footage. Body camera footage captures a city police officer saying, Units just showing up, can you help with crowd control? McCraw says on June 21, So, officers after 11:52 were being diverted to crowd control activities.

11:53 a.m.  Body camera footage shows an unknown officer telling a DPS special agent that all they currently need is perimeter. Someone asks whether there are still kids inside, and the DPS special agent responds: If there is then they just need to go in.

11:54 a.m.  According to body camera footage, a DPS agent asks an unknown officer, Are kids still in there? The officer responds, Its unknown at this time. A city police officer says: Hes in classroom 111 or 112. But chief is making contact with him. No one has made contact with him.

11:56 a.m.  According to body camera footage, an unidentified officer says, Yall dont know if theres kids in there? The state House report says that DPS Special Agent Luke Williams replied, If theres kids in there, we need to go in there. The unknown officer says: Whats that? The DPS special agent says, If theres kids in there, we need to go in there. The unknown officer says, Whoever is in charge will determine that. The state House report says Williams then resumes clearing classrooms, which he'd started upon his arrival after disregarding a request to assist on the perimeter. The state House report notes that at this time, according to a timeline released by DPS, radio communication of unknown origin says it's critical for everybody to let PD take point on this. The state House report says none of the witnesses interviewed indicated any knowledge of that communication, nor did they know what it meant. The report says the consensus of those interviewed was that officers on the scene either assumed Arredondo was in charge or couldn't tell that anyone was in charge.

11:58 a.m. - According to a phone recording, when an unidentified officer asks where the shooter is, another unidentified officer replies: "The school chief of police is in there with him. According to body camera footage, a DPS special agent says: It sounds like a hostage rescue situation. Sounds like a rescue, they should probably go in.

12:01 a.m.  According to body camera, when a DPS special agent says he wants to clear more rooms, an unidentified officer says, Dont you think we should have a supervisor approve that? The DPS special agent replies, Hes not my supervisor.

12:03 p.m.  A 911 call from a student inside the classroom comes in, and that is relayed on police radio, the state House report says. The girl was in room 112, and was the only uninjured child in that room, according to McCraw. Eight children and two teachers were killed in the classroom and nine children were injured, he says on June 21. Surveillance shows a second ballistic shield being carried into the building through the west door, where as many as 19 officers were in the hallway outside the classrooms where Ramos was holed up.

12:04 p.m.  School surveillance shows a third ballistic shield being carried into the building.

12:06 p.m.  Anne Marie Espinoza, a school district spokeswoman, posts on the districts Facebook page: All campuses are under a Lockdown Status. Uvalde CISD Parents: Please know at this time all campuses are under a Lockdown Status due to gunshots in the area. The students and staff are safe in the buildings. The buildings are secure in a Lockdown Status. Your cooperation is needed at this time by not visiting the campus. As soon as the Lockdown Status is lifted you will be notified. Thank you for your cooperation!

12:09 p.m.  According to body camera footage, a city police officer says, Go around and get the master key to the rooms.

12:10 p.m.  Members of a U.S. Border Patrol tactical team arrive, according to body camera footage. The first group of deputy U.S. marshals from Del Rio arrive from nearly 70 miles (115 kilometers) away to assist officers on the scene, according to the Marshals Service. The female student who called 911 at 12:03 p.m. calls 911 again and says there are multiple dead, McCraw says on May 27.

12:11 p.m.  Arredondo requests the master key, according to body camera footage.

12:13 p.m.  The female student calls 911 again, McCraw says on May 27.

12:14 p.m.  Arredondo tells officers to have a sniper on the east roof, according to body camera footage.

12:15 p.m.  A Border Patrol tactical team member enters the building, according to school surveillance footage.

12:16 p.m.  According to body camera footage, Arredondo says, I just need a key. The female student who called 911 earlier calls again and says there are eight to nine students alive, McCraw says on May 27.

12:17 p.m.  According to body camera footage, Arredondo says: Tell them to (obscenity) wait. No one comes in.

12:19 p.m.  A girl in room 111 calls 911 and ends the call when a fellow student tells her to hang up, McCraw says May 27.

12:20 p.m.  A fourth ballistic shield is brought into the building through the west door, according to school surveillance footage. It is the only shield that was rifle-rated, the state House report says.

12:21 p.m.  Ramos fires four rounds, according to school surveillance footage. According to body camera footage, Arredondo says: Can you go get a breaching tool? Like for a trailer house? McCraw says during his June 21 testimony, So if this is a barricaded subject, why is he still firing?

12:23 p.m.  According to body camera footage, Arredondo says: Weve lost two kids. These walls are thin. If he starts shooting were going to lose more kids. I hate to say we have to put those to the side right now.

12:24 p.m.  According to body camera footage, Arredondo tries to communicate with Ramos in English and Spanish. The entire communications was always one way. The suspect never communicated. So it wasnt communication, were talking at, McCraw said on June 21.

12:26 p.m.  According to body camera footage, an unknown officer says: Theres a teacher shot in there. A city police officer replies, I know.

12:27 p.m.  According to body camera footage, Arredondo says: People are going to ask why were taking so long. Were trying to preserve the rest of the life. He then said: Do we have a team ready to go? Do we have a team ready to go? Have at it.

12:28 p.m.  According to body camera footage, Arredondo says: There is a window over there obviously. The door is probably going to be locked. That is the nature of this place. I am going to get some more keys to test. He then says: These master keys arent working here, bro. We have master keys and theyre not working.

Just before 12:30 p.m.  The state House report reports a burst of activity on the north side, including officers apparently preparing to breach the classrooms, indicating the Border Patrol tactical team had assumed command.

12:30 p.m.  According to body camera footage, Arredondo says: OK. Weve cleared out everything except for that room. We still have people down there just past the flag to the right. But, uh, were ready to breach but that door is locked.

12:33 p.m.  According to body camera footage, Arredondo says: I say we breach through those windows and shoot his (obscenity) head off through the windows.

12:35 p.m.  A breaching tool is brought into the building through the west door, according to school surveillance footage. The state House committee says it received no evidence that the arrival of the breaching tool was ever communicated to Arredondo.

12:36 p.m.  A 911 call that lasts for about 21 seconds comes in. Around this time a student calls 911 and is told to stay on the line and stay very quiet, McCraw says on May 27. He shot the door, the girl says.

12:38 p.m.  According to body camera footage, Arredondo tries again to communicate with Ramos in English and Spanish.

12:41 p.m.  According to body camera footage, Arredondo says: Just so you understand, we think there are some injuries in there. And so you know what we did, we cleared off the rest of the building so we wouldnt have anymore besides whats already in there, obviously.

12:42 p.m.  According to body camera footage, Arredondo says: Were having a (obscenity) problem getting into the room because it is locked. Hes got an AR-15 and hes shooting everywhere like crazy. So, hes stopped.

12:43 p.m.  The girl who called 911 and was told to stay on the line urges the dispatcher to please send the police now, McCraw says on May 27. According to body camera footage, Arredondo says: They gotta get that (obscenity) door open, bro. They cant get that door open. We need more keys or something.

12:46 p.m.  According to body camera footage, Arredondo says, If yall are ready to do it, you do it but you should distract him out that window. McCraw says on May 27 that at this time, the girl who called 911 and was told to stay on the line says she can hear the police next door.

12:47 p.m.  A sledgehammer is brought into the building through the east hallway, according to school surveillance footage. McCraw says on May 27 that the girl still on the line with the 911 dispatcher says, Please send the police now.

12:50 p.m.  Officers breach the classroom and fatally shoot Ramos, according to surveillance footage. McCraw asserts on May 27 that they breached the door using keys they got from the janitor because the door was locked. But on June 21, he says the classroom door could not be locked from the inside and there was no indication officers tried to open it during the standoff. He also says a teacher reported before the shooting that the lock was broken.

Arredondo tells the state House committee that he didn't send in the Border Patrol tactical team that eventually breached the classroom. Paul Guerrero, the acting commander of the Border Patrol team, tells the committee that after obtaining a master key, he had another agent use the rifle-rated shield to cover him as he placed a key in the door to room 111 and opened it. The committee notes theres reason to question if the door was actually locked. Guerrero says Ramos was standing in front of a closet in the corner of the room 111 when the officers rushed in. He said Ramos fired at the officers, who returned fire and killed him.

State police say an hour and 14 minutes went by from the time police entered the school to when Ramos was killed.

___

Associated Press writer Sean Murphy contributed to this report.

___

For more AP coverage of the Uvalde school shooting: https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting
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The FBIs regional office is wanting to partner with businesses across the Permian Basin impacted by cyber-related crimes.

Cyber-related crime is a risk to business and national security, according to Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey R. Downey, including in the Permian Basin, home of the largest oil patch. Trade secrets, energy operations and more companies coming in from other countries have FBI officials very concerned about the potential impact of cyber crimes with those doing business in oil, gas and even solar industries.

From a national perspective, foreign governments are targeting computer systems, Downey told the Reporter-Telegram. We are doing as much outreach as we can to get ahead of this.

According to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reporting information, the FBI El Paso area of responsibility reported 1,856 incidents of cyber-related crime between June 24, 2021, and June 24, 2022. Total victim loss of $20.582 million also was reported.

The top three cyber threat-related crimes (in terms of loss) were:

Data Breach, with $5,008,236 in reported losses across four victims;

Business Email Compromise (BEC) with $3,734,815 in reported loses across 60 victims;

Cryptocurrency Wallet crime, with $1,207,123 in reported losses across 24 victims.

The crime reported by the most victims in the El Paso area of responsibility was a personal data breach, with 165 victims reported in the past year and reported victim loss of $711,540.

According to IC3 data, Texas is the third largest victim of ransomware in the US.

Downey said that businesses arent always aware of the partnership opportunities with the FBI and that the regional office can have officials go to companies and explain the FBIs approach to combating cyber adversaries.

He said he understands there is a reluctance for those running businesses to contact the government entity. They are concerned about their own reputation in their own industry, Downey said. But the FBI is there to help a potential victim protect their data and potential losses, he said.

We have to build trust early on in the relationship, Downey said. In El Paso we have a team of cyber experts. (Cyber security) is all they do.

Downey said the hope is that a business will partner before becoming a victim but if something happens, that the FBI regional office can help investigate and litigate issues if a cyber event takes place.

He said in the event that a company suffers an intrusion, that company can report the compromise early to the FBI El Paso Field Office at 915-832-5000, the FBIs 24/7 CyWatch at 855-292-3937 or cywatch@fbi.gov or finally to ic3.gov.

In pursuing our mission, we recognize that we will encounter unique and novel issues related to privacy and handling of sensitive data, the FBI reports. We will always treat victims with dignity and respect, protecting their privacy and data, and rigorously adhering to the U.S. Constitution, applicable laws, regulations, and policies, and the FBIs core values.
The Boogieman Blessing Awodibu: My First Contest

Written by Blessing Awodibu

14 July 2022

The Boogieman Blessing Awodibu: My First Contest

MD is proud to introduce The Boogieman by Blessing Awodibu, one of the best up-and-coming Open bodybuilders in the IFBB Pro League. Sponsored by Redcon1, Blessing is known not only for his impressive physique but also for his entertaining and often hilarious posts on social media, which have gained him millions of followers worldwide.

My First Contest

Q: How did you start competing? What was your first contest experience like?

A: It was 2012 back in Ireland, when my buddy told me about a contest coming up in our area. I was 19 years old. I told him I didnt know anything about it, but he convinced me I would do very well so I decided to try it. I signed up to enter the First Timers class, which is like the True Novice division you have now in a lot of NPC shows. Since I had no idea where to get posing trunks, I showed up in Speedo swim trunks. Surprisingly, the other guys in my class were all bigger than me. I was shredded, though!

To be honest, I almost pulled out of the contest backstage before we went on for judging. I stole a glance in a mirror as we were all lined up and saw a bunch of nearly naked men about to go parade in front of a crowd. I thought, man  this is just too weird! My brother was with me backstage and saw me about to walk away and he basically pushed me back before I chickened out.

I got through the judging by watching the other guys pose and just doing my best to copy them. When it came time for my posing routine at the night show, there was a problem with my music and it wouldnt start. I posed to silence, which I guess was OK because I didnt really have a routine anyway. It was more like an imitation of what I had seen Arnold do in Pumping Iron. The crowd was laughing because they thought I was trying to be funny. I ended up placing fourth and in that moment, I wasnt interested in ever competing again. I did notice that the Junior class was not as tough, and I would have won that had I entered it like I should have.

What changed the direction of my life was just afterward, when two of the judges came up to me. They told me I had great potential and should keep competing. They even told me what I had been thinking, that I should have entered the Junior class, which would have been young guys my age, and I would have won.

The other significant thing that happened at that first show was meeting Toney The X-Man Freeman, who happened to be there to guest pose. I had never seen a pro bodybuilder in real life before, and Toney was a specimen: 6-foot-2 with wide shoulders, small waist, and huge arms and quads. He was big but still so aesthetic. I introduced myself and he took the time to answer all my questions before encouraging me to stay focused and keep at it. So in the space of about 20 minutes, I went from never wanting to compete again to being totally motivated to do it again and winning the next time.

Making Little Calves Bigger

Q: Blessing, Im satisfied with how my physique is coming along after two years of training, except for my calves. They barely look any different and its so frustrating! Any ideas or tips would be greatly appreciated because Im at the point where I feel like not even wasting my time training them anymore.

A: For anyone out there suffering from little calf syndrome like myself, trust me when I say you can get them to grow. You just have to put the proper work in. Those people with great genetics for calves wont need to do much for them, but the rest of us sure do. Forget about working them once a week. I dont even think its possible to overtrain the calves because theyre used to us walking on them all day long. In order for them to grow, they require a lot of work. Theyre stubborn! Train them every other day, which works out to three or four times every week. Keep the workouts short and intense. You dont need to spend 30 minutes training your calves. Try to get it done in 15 minutes by keeping your rest periods between sets to a minimum. Use a full range of motion, getting a full contraction and a deep stretch on every rep, though you can finish sets with partial burns too. Those calves should be pumped and burning every time. Work them this way and I promise you they will grow!

Traps Training Tip

Q: Do you train traps with back or shoulders?

A: I like to do traps on back day. In fact, I usually start my back workouts with traps because I feel it helps warm everything up.

Most Meaningful Win

Q: Which one of your contest wins meant the most to you?

A: It was the 2014 Arnold Classic Europe, where I won the Overall Junior title. I had been competing for two years and it was not getting me any closer to my real goal, which was to help get my family back in Nigeria out of poverty. If I didnt win, I was walking away from competition for good. That victory gave me a sense of a better belief in myself. I felt like maybe there was a chance I could make it, and make a living doing this, and that I shouldnt give up. There was a big expo there, and I was walking around with my medals with people congratulating me every few steps. I came up to Kai Greenes booth, where dozens of people were waiting to meet him. Kai motioned me over and talked to me for way too long since those fans were all waiting, but he also gave me so much encouragement. From there I knew I was going to succeed.

Blessings Redcon1 Stack

Isotope

GI Juice

Grunt

Total War

Big Noise

Cluster Bomb

Double Tap

MRE

Fade Out

Immune Gummies

Sleep Gummies

For more information, visit redcon1.com

Instagram @blessing_awobidu

YouTube: Blessing Awodibu

Shop at http://www.redcon1.com with discount code boogieman

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Cannasouths (NZX: CBD ) wholly-owned subsidiary Cannasouth Bioscience Ltd has today signed a supplier agreement with WEECO Pharma GMBH based in Germany for the supply of cannabis flower from New Zealand into Europe.

Highlights

 WEECO is one of the leading importers of medicinal cannabis in Germany. Under individual cultivar supply agreements to be negotiated, cannabis flower will be supplied to WEECO from Cannasouths world-class cannabis cultivation and processing facility based in Waikato, New Zealand.

 Cannasouths agreement with WEECO is for a three-year term. Under the agreement WEECO has the right of first refusal for each new cultivar developed by Cannasouth.

 The agreement provides for minimum volumes of cannabis flower to be purchased by WEECO in order for WEECO to retain its first right of refusal for the duration of the agreement. The actual minimum volume of cannabis flower to be purchased is commercially sensitive, and cannot be disclosed at this time.

 Cannasouth and WEECO have also agreed to work together to develop cannabis cultivars to best suit the needs of the European market.

 Cannasouth considers that should the minimum volume of cannabis flower be purchased by WEECO, and all other pre-requisites for the sale and purchase of cannabis flower under the agreement are satisfied, the total value during years two and three of the agreement based on current market pricing could be between NZ$12 million and NZ$15 million dollars, depending on cultivar, pack size and type.

 Cannasouth will retain sufficient flower to supply the local New Zealand market which will enable its medicinal cannabis products to be verified. This flower is expected to be a popular form of medicinal cannabis with New Zealand patients.

Material Terms

 Subject to WEECO continuing to satisfy its minimum volume commitment under the agreement, the term of the agreement is for three years.

 WEECO has the right of first refusal for each new cultivar developed by Cannasouth to be exclusively supplied that cultivar for the European market.

 Each new cultivar supplied by Cannasouth will be covered by its own supply agreement which will cover exclusive supply, region, term, volume, product specifications and (current market) pricing.

 If the parties cannot agree terms on any individual cultivar supply agreement, for any reason, Cannasouth will be free to sell to other parties without restriction.

 Cannasouth is the exclusive New Zealand supplier of flower to WEECO except where Cannasouth is unable to supply flower to meet particular specifications or requirements requested by WEECO.

 The parties agree to establish a genetics development agreement which will ensure future genetics will be best suited to the European market.

Please find attached a profile of WEECO Pharma GmbH and statements from WEECO, and comments from Mark Lucas, Cannasouth's CEO.

- ENDS -

NZX MAP CBD WEECO

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500 Sails staff and volunteers will provide free canoe rides on Wednesday, July 20 for the dozens of campers taking part in Camp Magalahi on Tinian.
A woman wearing protective a face mask is seen at an open-air restaurant in Tokyo, Japan on Jan. 9, 2021.
Chinas Premier Li Keqiang, right, met with President Taneti Maamau of Kiribati, who was in China for a state visit, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Jan. 6, 2020.
A B-52H Stratofortress takes off from Edwards Air Force Base, California, carrying an AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon, or ARRW, May 14, 2022.
CARROLLTON  Stitches can heal broken skin. A group of Greene County friends is hoping they also can help mend broken hearts.

The friends  five quilters who get together once a month to sew and socialize  made and mailed four quilts as part of an effort to blanket residents of Uvalde, Texas, in love ahead of the coming school year.

The town of 15,000 people still is reeling from the deaths of 19 children and three adults after a gunman entered Robb Elementary School on May 24 and began shooting. Another 18 people were injured.

"We're a small community," group member Pam VanMeter of White Hall said. "We understand that Uvalde is a small community. It's not really going to cost me much  a bit of my time  to make a quilt. I'm a nurse, have been for a long time, and I know a gift made with our own hands can be something special to them."

VanMeter brought the idea to her friends  Sue Vineyard and Pat Fisher, also of White Hall; Linda Cox of Roodhouse and Sheryl Cook of Carrollton  after seeing a post to a Facebook quilting group. In the post, Carol Fleming of North Carolina requested donations toward a collection of 800 small quilts to be donated ahead of the school year to students and staff in the Uvalde school district.

With the request that the quilts be 4-feet by 5-feet and use cheery fabric and designs, each of the group got busy.

"We all kind of did our own thing, found our own pattern," VanMeter said. "I think mine was called a friendship star. ... We tried to pick fabrics we thought they would like."

One of the five quilts started for the project wasn't quite ready by the time the quilts needed to be mailed to meet Fleming's deadline, but piecing on the other four quilt tops was finished pretty quickly and they were handed over to VanMeter, who did the actual quilting.

"We're older ladies who don't have children to worry about, we have good husbands," she said. "We can get quilts together pretty quickly."

Some Jerseyville quilters also heard about the Greene County quilters' efforts and joined in. By the time the first four quilts were ready to be mailed, Sandy Bechtold, Bonnie Watkins, Margene Rushing and Sandy Dial had contributed another four, VanMeter said.

She hasn't yet heard if Fleming has met her goal of 800 quilts, but VanMeter suspects she has.

"We're a small little group and we sent eight," she said. "So ..."
Sheriff

THEFTS, BURGLARIES

 A license plate was stolen from a vehicle in the first block of Harlan Drive in Meredosia, according to a report filed at 2:08 p.m. July 7.

Jacksonville Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Sharon A. Washington, 60, of Jacksonville and Erica J. Thornton, 18, of Jacksonville were cited on charges of disorderly conduct after police said they were fighting in the 800 block of South Diamond Street about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday.

 Laurence J. White, 54, of 352 Marion St. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 1:42 a.m. Sunday on charges of driving under the influence, driving while license is revoked and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.

THEFTS, BURGLARIES

 A zero-turn mower was stolen during the past week from a business display area at the Morgan County Fairgrounds, 110 N. Westgate Ave., according to a report filed at 8:03 a.m. Tuesday.

 A license plate was stolen about 9:54 a.m. Wednesday from a vehicle parked at Walmart, 1941 W. Morton Ave.

 A vehicle in the 400 block of South East Street was damaged between 6 p.m. Tuesday and 2:16 p.m. Wednesday during an apparent break-in attempt.

 A purse was stolen from a vehicle parked in the 900 block of Cox Street, according to a report filed at 8:27 a.m. Tuesday.

Murrayville Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Jorge Rojas-Hernandez, 25, of 218 Parp St., Collinsville, was booked into the Morgan County jail at 8:34 p.m. Saturday on charges of speeding and driving while license is revoked or suspended.

South Jacksonville Police

THEFTS, BURGLARIES

 A bottle of alcohol was stolen from Circle K, 1727 S. Main St., according to a report filed at 5:36 a.m. Wednesday.
Slope repair project in Mariposa County on HWY 140 View Photo

Mariposa County, CA  Caltrans is taking a proactive approach to preventing erosion on a highway taken by millions of visitors to Yosemite each year.

Crews will conduct a slope repair project on Highway 140 near the community of Briceburg in Mariposa County. The state is footing the bill for the $4.5 million project funded by Senate Bill (SB) 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017.

This important SB 1 project will allow crews to perform proactive maintenance work that will prevent deterioration of the roadway, said Caltrans District 10 Director Dennis T. Agar. Rehabilitating this slope will significantly improve water drainage beneath a state highway that serves residents and businesses throughout the region and millions who visit Yosemite National Park each year.

Construction will take place along eastbound Highway 140 about two miles west of Bull Creek Road and two miles south of Briceburg, as shown on the map. Park officials detailed, The project will restore the integrity of the slope beneath an existing 84-inch concrete water passage to prevent further erosion. Crews will install rock slope protection with concrete grout and a rock-filled wall with stone-base support. Other work includes upgrading guardrails to current standards.

The project is slated to run from July to November of this year, during the daylight hours on weekdays. Motorists can expect some delays when crews are working.
Green finance expert lauds China's efforts to address climate change Pub Date:22-07-14 09:29 Source:Xinhua A green finance expert has lauded China's efforts to address climate change, noting that China will meet the goal of peaking carbon dioxide emissions before 2030. Produced by Xinhua Global Service Editor:Fanxi Feng

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HARTFORD (AP)  Southern New England is experiencing worsening drought conditions, government officials said Thursday, urging residents to voluntarily take steps to reduce their water consumption.

Gov. Ned Lamont declared a Stage 2 drought, based on a recommendation by the states Interagency Drought Workgroup, which determined that every county in the state is experiencing Stage 2 drought conditions due to below-normal precipitation.

Stage 2 is the second of five drought stages defined by the Connecticut Drought Preparedness and Response Plan. On June 2, the workgroup classified New London and Windham counties as being at Stage 1, essentially a heads up about the early signs of abnormally dry conditions.

Residents should be mindful of their water consumption and take sensible steps to reduce impacts on other water uses and on the environment, Lamont said in a statement.

Residents and businesses are being urged to take steps such as reducing automatic outdoor irrigation, postponing planting new lawns or vegetation and fixing leaky plumbing.

Much of Massachusetts and Rhode Island have been in a drought since May.

Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Beth Card declared on Wednesday a significant drought for a large portion of that state, and Rhode Island officials declared on Thursday that all but southern coastal areas are now in a moderate drought.

The city of Warwick, Rhode Island, instituted every-other-day watering restrictions effective immediately.
A new Steakhouse is searing its seventh restaurant in the Hill Country. 5D Steakhouse's newest location is coming to Kerrville and is expected to open in September.

"Our concept really fits and we feel that Kerrville is right there in the heart of the Hill Country," said 5D Steakhouse owner Brianne Dlugosch. "Our family has always loved vacationing there, so we kind of just fell in love with that area. I always told myself if I found the right real estate out there that we would build and we found the right real estate."

Photo by John Hudgeons

She added that 5D Steakhouse has a playground area that can have over 50 kids having fun while parents and friends enjoy signature cocktails and listen to live bands.

5D Steakhouse is located at 2132 Sidney Baker Street in Kerrville. The construction of the building was pushed back because of unseen issues out of their control, Dlugosch says the shortage on supplies and the economy were to blame for the delay. According to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing, the $2.8 million, 9,366 square-foot building was expected to be completed by April 1.

The restaurant offers appetizers like fried pickles, Boudin Balls, and Texas cheese fries, but they also have "specialty appetizers," like jalapeno Quail poppers, crawfish tails and fried oysters. 5D Steakhouse serves up ribeye steak, filet mignon, and the "king of all steaks," 5D's Famous 22 ounce Porterhouse.

Photo by John Hudgeons

"We target tourist and destination areas. We feel our concept does really well in tourist areas." Dlugosch says. "You can bring the whole family you can come for a family night out or a dinner date with just your significant other."

5D Steakhouse has daily bar specials, beer, wine, margaritas, and their signature drink, Fishbowl punch, which is Captain Morgan, Malibu rum, blue curacao, peach schnapps, pineapple juice, sweet and sour, and Sprite, all served in a 60 ounce fishbowl.

On Fridays, at all locations, the restaurant employees wear red to honor the men and women overseas in the military. 5D Steakhouse was founded in Yorktown in 2015, about 80 miles southeast of San Antonio, by Peter and Patricia Dlugosch, Brianne's parents. In 2018, Brianne Dlugosch took over the operations.

She said the company is in "growth mode" and are looking for properties in the Hill Country to set up future restaurants.
Favor Delivery

The biggest taco authority in these parts is Chron "Tacos y Mas" columnist Marco Torres, but Favor Delivery is also jumping on the taco journalism bandwagon by appointing a chief taco officer who will travel Texas in search of the best tortilla-wrapped bites.

Chris Flores got the CTO job, the company owned by HEB announced on July 12. Flores is from San Antonio and has made a name for himself as an influencer under the moniker Eat Migoshis Instagram handle and also the name of his photography and videography company.
Nearly 800,000 more doses of monkeypox vaccine could be ready for distribution in the United States by the end of July following a Food and Drug Administration inspection of a Danish vaccine plant and the expected authorization of the facility, part of an effort to control a record U.S. outbreak of the disease, according to the federal government.

About 780,000 doses are at the supplier in Denmark, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the national stockpile where the vaccines are maintained. The shots have been stored in Denmark awaiting the completion of the FDA on-the-ground inspection and authorization.

"We are working diligently and as fast as we can, and we are aspiring to have that process completed by the end of July," Peter Marks, who oversees vaccines at the Food and Drug Administration, said in an interview Wednesday.

The inspection is finished, but even with authorization pending, the FDA is allowing the Jynneos vaccine, the only one specifically approved by the agency to prevent monkeypox, to be flown to the United States on special planes from Bavarian Nordic, the vaccine's manufacturer in Denmark, Marks said.

"We have to fly those doses from Europe," he said. "They have to come on special planes [to maintain needed cold temperatures]. . . . They can only load 150,000 to 160,000 doses at a time."

The update on the vaccine supply comes amid heated criticism leveled at the FDA and other federal health agencies over the response to the monkeypox outbreak. In New York City, where demand for vaccines far outstrips supply, the city's monkeypox vaccine appointment website crashed Tuesday "due to overwhelming traffic," the city said.

City and state officials in New York have complained for days to the White House that they have not received enough vaccines, arguing that they are dealing with the nation's largest monkeypox outbreak and should be apportioned more doses. New York had 158 cases, as of Tuesday, according to federal health data. New York Mayor Eric Adams, D, held a call with Biden administration officials Tuesday in which he again raised concerns that the administration needed to send more doses to the city.

Monkeypox cases have climbed steadily since they were first reported in May, with 929 cases in 41 states, the District and Puerto Rico, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Because of difficulties accessing testing, experts say the actual case count is much higher.

White House coronavirus coordinator Ashish Jha tried to allay concerns Wednesday on CNN, saying a shipment of vaccines is expected from Denmark this week and that there will be more doses arriving "in the days and weeks ahead."

Jha, noting that gay and bisexual men have been disproportionately affected by the virus, urged anyone who develops a fever and rash to get tested and treated. "This is not some novel virus," Jha said. "We have tests, therapies, we have vaccines. . . . We are going to get our arms around this thing."

The United States maintains doses of two vaccines effective against monkeypox. Of the two, Jynneos, a two-shot vaccine, is in high global demand. The other, ACAM2000, is older and was approved to prevent smallpox. While that vaccine is effective against monkeypox, it can cause serious side effects and cannot be used for people with severely weakened immune systems or eczema, according to the CDC.

More than 10,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported in more than 60 countries. The World Health Organization is expected to hold an emergency meeting - its second - next week to decide whether to declare monkeypox a global health emergency.

Because of the limited supply of the Jynneos vaccine, the U.S. government is allocating doses based on the number of individuals at risk for monkeypox who also have preexisting conditions, such as HIV.

As monkeypox has spread, health advocates, especially those representing the gay, bisexual and trans communities, have pressed the federal government to sharply step up its response. In a letter last month to top health officials, two nonprofits - Prep4All and Partners in Health - complained that "members of at risk communities are being turned away from monkeypox vaccination because these vaccines are not available in sufficient quantity in the U.S., but instead sitting in freezers in Denmark." They said one of the holdups was a delay in the FDA inspection of the facility.

But Marks defended the agency, saying that when the monkeypox outbreak occurred, the FDA moved to accelerate the plant inspection, which had been planned for this fall. He said the FDA's policy is to inspect new manufacturing operations to ensure that vaccines are being made "in a way that is consistent with the quality we expect . . . which is directly related to safety and effectiveness. This was not the place to skimp on that."

The agency inspected the facilities that make the vaccine in 2019, when it approved the vaccine. But Bavarian Nordic recently started using its own "fill-finish facility," where the vaccine is put in a vial and tested to ensure the material is stable to store. That facility required an agency inspection, Marks said.

Since the first U.S. cases of monkeypox were reported in May, U.S. officials have distributed more than 135,000 doses of Jynneos from the Strategic National Stockpile, according to HHS.

New York City has received 21,821 doses, according to HHS.

In early July, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, the HHS office responsible for protecting Americans from biological threats, ordered an additional 2.5 million doses of the Jynneos vaccine in response to the current outbreak and future episodes. Deliveries from that order will begin arriving at the stockpile later this year and continue through early next year.

- - -

The Washington Post's Dan Diamond contributed to this report
Courtesy of Kerrville Police Department

Video from a doorbell camera shows missing San Antonio woman Christina Powell leaving her home in a rush on the morning of July 5, and she hasn't been seen since. Powell's mother, Claudia Mobley, told Fox News that her daughter said she was running late for work, but she still though it was strange that Powell left in such a hurry.

The video shows Powell quickly walking out her front door wearing black pants and a black long sleeve t-shirt toward the driveway. She left behind her phone and her Apple Watch, her family said.
A mile-long procession of school buses are headed to Sen. Ted Cruz's home in Houston on Thursday, July 14.

Thursday's roll-out is the official start of The Yellow Bus Project and Cruz's house is the first stop for the NRA Children's Museum, which is coordinated by Change the Ref, according to a Facebook post. Change the Ref is a non-profit aimed at spotlighting mass shooting awareness and reducing the NRA's public influence, started by artist Manuel Oliver and his wife Patricia. The Oliver's son Joaquin died in the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

To commemorate this horrific historic moment, we are showing American voters the toll these politicians have taken on our children's lives with this all-too-real archive, Manuel said in a press release. And this is only the beginning. We will not stop with Sen. Ted Cruz. To every politician who has stood by, taken NRA money, and refused to listen to the people they represent: the museum is on the way to honor you next.

The 52 yellow school buses will be empty and the 4,368 empty seats are meant to honor the number of children killed by gun violence in the last two years. The bus at the front of the procession will include a display from the NRA Children's Museum, filled with photos, videos, audio recordings, and personal memories of the children who have died from gun violence since 2020.

Change the Ref/NRA Children's Museum

Change the Ref said that Cruz will also receive "a gift" when the procession arrives: a letter written in 2013 by Joaquin when he was 12 years old.

"Dear U.S. gun owner, I am writing this letter to talk to you about how were [sic] going to solve this gun law movement. Most of you have a problem with the idea of a universal back round [sic] check. Why are you mad that there's a back round [sic] check it's for your own good maybe you are fond of having crazy people with death machines. You shouldn't have anything against back round checks [sic] if you're innocent. Thank you, Joaquin Coral Springs."

Change the Ref/NRA Children's Museum

The NRA Children's Museum said they chose Cruz's home as the inaugural location for the procession because he is the top recipient of funding from gun lobbyists in Texas. An earlier press release said the museum would go to Cruz's office. MySA has requested clarification about the number of stops on Thursday.

We want to display, for the voters who keep these politicians in office, the consequences of those choices. We want voters to remember which politicians are in the pocket of the NRA when they visit the polls in November, Patricia said in a press release. We urge everyone to join us in our mission to fight for every innocent soul lost to gun violence and to demand universal background checks on gun sales.

Manuel was in the national spotlight earlier this week after he interrupted President Joe Biden at a news conference on Monday, July 11.
Update at 1:19 p.m. on Thursday, July 14.

UTSA cleared the bomb threat alert for the downtown campus at 1:15 p.m., according to Joe Izbrand, the university's chief communications officer.

The downtown building was evacuated as a precaution when the alert was sent out around 12:30 p.m.

Original story:

The University of Texas at San Antonio has alerted students about a bomb threat at the UTSA downtown campus on Thursday, July 14. The university sent out the alert around 12:30 p.m.

"Bomb threat at UTSA downtown campus," the alert read.

The San Antonio Police Department told MySA officers were dispatched for an alleged threat at UTSA's downtown campus at 501 W. Cesar Chavez Blvd. SAPD said there's no confirmed threat at this time, however, the build has been evacuated.

Officers remain on the scene to evaluate and investigate the incident, SAPD said.

UTSA is asking students to avoid the area.
Texas continues to see people abandon their home states in hopes of making a better life for their family in the Lone State State. With that growth comes places for families to begin their new starts in the Texas Hill Country.

There have been multiple housing developments announced since the beginning of the year and some have even begun construction. Here are five developments that you should look out for if you're considering moving to Texas:

Courtesy of SouthStar Communities and RVi Planning + Landscape Architecture

Mayfair in New Braunfels

This 1,900-acre development broke ground on April 12 in New Braunfels, according to a MySA report. The project will have 6,000-residental units in the community and will take 15 years to complete with the full build-out set for around 2037. There will be 70 acres of commercial development, 120 acres of mixed-use space, and over 300 acres of park space.

Mayfair will also feature two new elementary schools, a fire department, one middle school, and one high school, which will be part of Comal ISD. An underpass beneath the reconstructed area of I-35 between Watson Lane and Kohlenberg will connect the west and east sides of I-35. The first phase will include 1,532 homes, a school, a recreation center, and almost 100 acres of parks.

Courtesy of KB Home

Shoreline Park in Boerne

New single-family houses by KB Homes went on sale in February on Boerne Lake, according to a MySA report. The prices of the homes that vary from one-story and two-story house plans start in the mid-300s. Depending on the home plans, houses have up to six bedrooms and three and-a-half bathrooms, which range from 1,200 to 2,900 square-feet.

Courtesy of Embrey

Collection at Gruene

Embrey's Collection at Gruene is expected to have club and first-units completed and ready by the first quarter of 2023. The complex will have 126 duplex-style homes with 252 total units, according to a MySA report. The complex will be completed by the beginning of 2024.

The community is near Schlitterbahn Water Park & Resort and both Guadalupe and Comal rivers. The duplexes range from one- and two-story homes that will have stainless steel kitchen appliances, washers, dryers, private driveways, granite countertops, fenced yards, and garages with EV car charging outlets.

Dan Reynolds Photography/Getty Images

1800 Apartments in San Marcos

A $44 million apartment complex by NRP Group will have 10 buildings with 330 units, according to a MySA report. The 1800 Apartment complex is located at 1800 Center Point Road in San Marcos. Construction on the apartment complex will start in December and will be fully built by December 2024. Units range from one-, two-, three-, and four-bedrooms.

There will be an after-school program for children, financial literacy training and assistance to pursue home-ownership in the San Marcos area. The apartments are for families that make 60% of the area median income, according to the report.

Alan Crosthwaite / 500px/Getty Images/500px

RREAF Communities in Caldwell County

A 3,173-acre mixed-use community development in Caldwell County between San Antonio and Austin will house thousands of homes, according to a MySA report. The 3000-acre RREAF community will have thousands of residential homes, restaurants, retail, hotels, offices, healthcare facilities, light industrial sites, and a future school.

The community is located at SH 130 and SH 80, which is 40 minutes away from San Antonio. Amenities will included hiking and biking trails, outdoor event pavilions, athletic fields, and fitness centers. RREAF did not have the start date of construction for the development.
As President Abraham Lincoln is reported to have said: You can fool some of the people all the time; all the people some of the time; but you cannot fool all the people all the time.

by Dr. Ruwantissa Abeyratne in Montreal

We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.  Albert Einstein

One could be justified in thinking that its all very well for me to sit in the relative comfort of a developed country that is replete with all the luxuries one could wish for, and pontificate to the brave, the courageous and intelligent younger generation which brought down an insidious and invidious regime that contumaciously clung to the last vestiges of power. Indeed, the least I could do as an outsider is to express my admiration for their tenacity and relentless struggle which has now ended in a resounding success and well deserved achievement of their consensual goal.

What struck me when following the peaceful protests throughout the country were the sage voices of the intelligentsia (in Sri Lanka) offering a way forward. Yet another was the overall outcry of the protesters for a clean sweep  a purge  of the corrupt old guard without exception of a single sitting parliamentarian and for a brand-new set of honest and honourable people who have the competence (the ability to apply their skills, capabilities, and knowledge with integrity) to be elected to a new legislature through a democratic election.

One media report had a commentator making a rather intriguing remark reflecting a paradox in thinking in the international community, where, on the one hand, they were questioning why the people of Sri Lanka had been so gullible as to re-elect a proven corrupt regime, and on the other hand they had sheer admiration for the same people who provided an example in democracy to the world by ousting (without the use of force or violence) a bankrupt and corrupt regime. The overall feeling was that the courage, integrity, and determination of the people of Sri Lanka should be emulated throughout the world as an enduring mark of true democracy and strength of the people.

I am not a politician. Nor am I an economist or investment expert. But as one from the older generation who has learnt a thing or two in my long and sustained professional life - working with 193 countries preceded by educating myself and thereafter working in Sri Lanka during turbulent times, I have some suggestions (which by no means comprise an exhaustive list) which I enumerate for ease of reading:

Fix the economy of the country first (this is of course par for the course): a robust economy is an integral and essential precursor to a stable democracy; Establish a stable democracy under an honest legislature, an independent and unfettered judiciary and a corrupt free executive and ensure and enforce the Rule of Law; Simultaneously draw up a Master Plan (short term; long term) under the following principles:

The aragalaya was largely carried out by Millennials and Gen Z, defined as those born between 1981-1996 and 1997-2012, respectively and will reach its peak in the coming decade. Millennials comprise the largest generation currently in the workforce; Millennials and Gen Z will represent 1/2 of the workforce by 2025; Millennials are the most college-educated generation ever; Gen Z is almost 50% of multiracial background and Gen Z has experienced remote work for their entire careers. They are now facing a bleak future. Therefore, as a priority, include these generations actively in the planning process;

Have a practical programme for those not blessed with higher education in terms of their employment: enable them to have a sense of meaning, purpose, direction and dignity in their work and career; ensure their quality of life and fulfillment in their work, without sacrificing their personal life values; arrange for employment with organizations that support them professionally; enable them to provide adequately for their families;

Ensure inclusive governance at all levels: there should be; fairness and inequality in all aspects of policy and decision-making; people should have a greater voice even beyond a representative democracy in shaping the direction the country is taking so that they will expect more opportunities to participate in and influence the strategic vision and daily affairs of the country;

Demonstrate regularly to all classes of people that the government has embraced responsibility towards the greater good of the people;

Intensify the use of technology as skilled trades workers are in short supply; build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation;

Establish a ministry of personal and public grievances that will actually work. According to the Government of India its Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions is the coordinating agency of the Central Government in personnel matters specially issues concerning recruitment, training, career development, staff welfare as well as the post retirement dispensation. The Ministry is also concerned with the process of responsive people-oriented modern administration. Allocation of Business Rules defines the work allotted for the Ministry.

Open regular discussions that would result in solutions for grievances; in pursuance of f) above, provide for livable pensions for the elderly;

Ensure equal education and health services for the entirety of the country;

Along the lines of the United Arab Emirates, create a Ministry of State for Happiness and Wellbeing which oversees the countrys plans, programs and policies to achieve a happier society. The responsibility of this office should be to "align and drive government policy to create social good and satisfaction;

Seriously align Government policy with the Sustainable Goals of the United Nations, particularly: eradication of hunger and poverty; achievement of universal primary education; ensuring environmental sustainability; provision of clean water and sanitation as well as affordable energy; encouraging responsible consumption and production; making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable;

look into reducing the level of pollution in cities, employing efficient methods of waste management in cities and in making the city spaces inclusive and safe for all of its inhabitants;

Engage with relevant countries to form a global partnership of development.

As President Abraham Lincoln is reported to have said: You can fool some of the people all the time; all the people some of the time; but you cannot fool all the people all the time. With this in mind, those taking over this beautiful but unhappy land (to quote the illustrious D. N. Pritt) must also heed the words of Albert Einstein who said: There is nothing called right or wrong: only what works, and what doesnt.

Dr. Abeyratne worked as a senior official at the United Nations for 25 years. He currently teaches at McGill University.
Jerri-Lynn here. The Biden policy offshore oil exploration discussed in the post below in this post reminds me of the Vietnam War, when we had to kill those villages in order to save them.

To be sure, the Supreme Court has dealt the administration a major blow to any attempt it might make to address climate change in its West Virginia v. EPA decision. But I agree with Neuburger, the Biden administration isnt even trying to do anything. Except for flooding my in-box with pleas to send them money so that Democrats can fight for something or other.

Contrast that to the Republican m.o. They tell us what theyre going to do  which is usually odious  and then they do it. One must respect their honesty, and their follow-through. I mean I loathe their agenda, and I especially loathe their results, but I acknowledge their competence.

Whereas Democrats are forever fighting for something or other  and achieving nothing. Name for me please the last time Democrats managed to deliver on any element of their professed agenda. Doesnt really matter whether theyre hapless or deeply corrupted, the result is the same.

Bidens climate change agenda? As with all his other campaign promises, hes achieved bupkis. Squat. Bugger all.

By Thomas Neuburger. Originally published at Gods Spies

BREAKING: Biden opens the door to more offshore oil and gas drilling over the next five years, reports @dino_grandoni @tylerpager and @maxinejoselow  in part to help woo Manchins support for his #climate legislative agenda https://t.co/WPma5CRTAm  Juliet Eilperin (@eilperin) July 1, 2022

Before we begin, take a minute to read the text in the tweet above. It doesnt matter whether you start from the bottom, with the Washington Postheadline, and read up, or from the top, with the comment, and read down. The absurdity is almost too on-the-nose to have come from the real world.

The Post article says what you think it says: new drilling ahead. The proposed program for offshore drilling between 2023 and 2028 would ban exploration off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. But by leaving the possibility for new drilling in parts of the Gulf of Mexico and off the coast of Alaska, the announcement falls short of Bidens campaign promise to end federal fossil fuel leasing for good. (emphasis added)

There are several things to note in this article.

First, John Podesta, head of the 2016 Clinton campaign, wants us to appreciate the powerlessness of the (Democratic) president:

The Supreme Court just put a lead ball around his ankle with regard to his executive authority, said John Podesta, a former chief of staff to President Bill Clinton and a former senior adviser to President Barack Obama. If you dont get reconciliation, together with the constraints that the Supreme Court has put on, I think theres no way you can get the [U.N.-pledged] 50 percent reduction by the end of the decade.

You certainly dont get a reduction in emissions if you dont try. Biden is not trying, even though he still has choices.

Second, the Post writers, while acknowledging that the consequences of continued global warming are enormous for humanity, define those consequences this way: If left unchecked, global warming may stall headway on combating hunger, poverty and disease worldwide.

Stall headway on combating hunger? For starters, there is no headway. Global hunger is increasing, not decreasing:

The number of people affected by hunger globally rose to as many as 828 million in 2021, an increase of about 46 million since 2020 and 150 million since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic (1), according to a United Nations report that provides fresh evidence that the world is moving further away from its goal of ending hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition in all its forms by 2030. (emphasis added)

One can guess at the reason: The worlds super-wealthy are too busy adding to their own happiness to worry about the misery of others, or in many cases, worry about causing it:

This report repeatedly highlights the intensification of these major drivers of food insecurity and malnutrition: conflict, climate extremes and economic shocks, combined with growing inequalities, the heads of the five UN agencies (2) wrote in this years Foreword. (emphasis added)

But more importantly, the consequences of global warming are enormous because it will collapse humanitys 5,000-year-old greatest accomplishment (or its original sin)  civilization, stable cities supported by agriculture. Is the Post afraid to acknowledge this fact? Perhaps it is, considering that its owner is Jeff Bezos, Americas predator-in-chief.
Happy Bastille Day, citoyens!

***

Lambert and I, and many readers, agree that Ukraine has prompted the worst informational environment ever. We hope readers will collaborate in mitigating the fog of war  both real fog and stage fog  in comments. None of us need more cheerleading and link-free repetition of memes; there are platforms for that. Low-value, link-free pom pom-wavers will be summarily whacked.

And for those who are new here, this is not a mere polite request. We have written site Policies and those who comment have accepted those terms. To prevent having to resort to the nuclear option of shutting comments down entirely until more sanity prevails, as we did during the 2015 Greek bailout negotiations and shortly after the 2020 election, we are going to be ruthless about moderating and blacklisting offenders.

Yves

P.S. Also, before further stressing our already stressed moderators, read our site policies:

Please do not write us to ask why a comment has not appeared. We do not have the bandwidth to investigate and reply. Using the comments section to complain about moderation decisions/tripwires earns that commenter troll points. Please dont do it. Those comments will also be removed if we encounter them.

Edits to a cholesterol gene could stop the biggest killer on earth MIT Technology Review

Why Write? The Paris Review

The World as a Game Liberties

How to Read English in India Los Angeles Review of Books

The Rise of Bad Art and the Decline of Political Candor The Nation

How Do Mathematicians Know Their Proofs Are Correct? Quanta Magazine (David L)

WHEN KURT VONNEGUT MET NORMAN MAILER IN CAPE CODS LEGENDARY HELLTOWN Crime Reads

Webbs First Images GALLERY (guurst) I know weve featured Webb images more than once over the last few days, not to mention Lamberts cool post of yesterday, but I cannot get enough of them  and I suspect at least some readers feel the same way I do. With the world in such a parlous state, I take my pleasures where I find them.They make my jaw drop in awe and amazement. At the wonder of the universe. As well as the tremendous technical achievement getting the images represents. Imagine if we financed more similar projects, instead of shoveling money into the maw of the MIC.

ADVENTURES IN WRITING TIME TRAVEL Crime Reads. Forgive the doubling up of links from Crime Reads. I just finished reading an excellent time travel mystery: Jasper Ffordes The Eyre Affair, the first novel in his Tuesday Next series. Find yourself a copy, particularly if youre an aficionado of classic English literature. A fun and unique read.

Princess Mononoke: The masterpiece that flummoxed the US BBC

#COVID-19

Monkeypox

Monkeypox vaccine appointment website crashes in New York City The Hill

Ready to watch gov health agencies and the nobility of child wellbeing to declare 3-4 weeks of isolation are not really necessary because unsafe subsidized childcare (a.k.a. schools) are still the economys salvation, and see this blow-up in 3, 2, 1. https://t.co/zvtemd8TXM  Diego Bassani, PhD (@DGBassani) July 13, 2022

New Not-So-Cold-War

Whether one agrees or not with this position, it is clearly well within the realm of reasoned discourse and analysis. Yet after every last Dem  from AOC to Bernie  voted for Bidens $40b war package, you have to go to the GOP caucus to hear this in Congress. Why? Read it: pic.twitter.com/eETluzIaLk  Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) July 13, 2022

Most of those US billions for Ukraine are pocketed by North Virginia mansion-dwellers.https://t.co/JfKxOYsnVY  Mark Ames (@MarkAmesExiled) July 13, 2022

Here is an English translation of Rybars report vis-a-vis the purchased HIMARS system + ammo. Price: $800k for the system; $330k for an unspecified number of rockets.https://t.co/9LveMusKqN  Will Schryver (@imetatronink) July 12, 2022

The words of George Kennan, William Cohen, William Burns and Jack Matlock are suppressed, but @McFaul  to whom the English language is a major challenge and the Cyrillic alphabet is the moon  is quoted everywhere as an authority. https://t.co/BkejN0lD9z  Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) July 12, 2022

Big Brother IS Watching You Watch

Police State Watch

Old Blighty

Very proud of my friends Kenny Macaskill MP and Neale Hanvey MP for disrupting PMQs and getting thrown out of the House of Commons. Scottish MPs should be sabotaging the union, not helping to run it. https://t.co/5DiPzR9OE3  Craig Murray  (@CraigMurrayOrg) July 13, 2022

All boxed in, with no where to go. Kenneth Clarke famously told us at Tribune that he couldnt believe it when Gordon Brown made a similar commitment & actually stuck to it. https://t.co/AIXjqPCpQ2  Mark Seddon (@MarkSeddon1962) July 13, 2022

Climate Change

Imperial Collapse Watch

Supply Chain/Shortages

The Bezzle

Pentagon diverted small business fund to defense industry giants Responsible Statecraft

Incredible quote on why the court may not order Elon to go through with the deal: its unclear whether the order of the court will be obeyed, and courts in Delaware are very concerned about issuing a decision that that then is ignored, flouted. It reflects poorly on the court https://t.co/PNSU2pZpL9  Tom Gara (@tomgara) July 13, 2022

Class Warfare

Gunz

Abortion

The Supremes

How Justice Amy Coney Barrett is wielding enormous influence on the Supreme Court USA Today

Trump Transition

Biden Administration

The road to Irans Resistance Economy passes through a revived JCPOA Responsible Statecraft

Syraqistan

Israeli court rules in favor of sweeping impunity The Electronic Intifada (guurst)

1/6 Shocking: UN chief @antonioguterres has sent a message to Israeli forces that as long as they kill and injure fewer than 1,000 children a year, they can escape his rebuke. A thread to explain: pic.twitter.com/NINvUZdD4R  Jo Becker (@jobeckerhrw) July 12, 2022

Sri Lanka

Sports Desk

VINGEGAARD TURNS THE RACE UPSIDE DOWN Tour de France official site. Watch the video, distilling the stage down to a video of under 9 minutes. An amazing performance, and they havent even reached the Alps dHuez stage yet  which is next. My husband is a serious cyclist and keenly watches hours of TV coverage of each days stage. (I usually show up for the last couple of minutes and the races highlights.) Stephens not alone in thinking the stage they just finished is the more difficult. Dan Martins Tour de France analysis: So was this the knockout blow? Velo News

Woke Watch

Study Shows U.S. 4th Graders Now Gay At A 12th-Grade Level The Babylon Bee

India

China?

Chinas Henan bank scandal not just a financial crisis, it may be a lasting political calamity: analysts South China Morning Post

Antidote du Jour (via):

And a bonus video:

See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.
The race for state Senate District 19 in Davidson County began with a vocabulary lesson.

Skulduggery (noun): underhanded or unscrupulous behavior, a devious device or trick.

State Sen. Brenda Gilmore, who has represented the district for one four-year term, announced she was retiring, but only as the qualifying deadline for the August primary was passing. She used her retirement announcement to announce she had picked Keeda Haynes as her successor. And Haynes, conveniently, had just qualified to run.

Unfortunately for the duo of Democratic women, the state has a law banning such dastardly, anti-democratic moves. Gilmores surprise decision to withdraw so late in the cycle triggered an extension of the qualifying deadline, Haynes dropped out, and a handful of other Democrats took the opportunity to run for the now-open seat.

Voters in the district, which following 2022 redistricting includes a jigsawed selection of central and southeastern Davidson County, face a choice that has turned into something of a proxy war in Nashville politics. One Republican, Pime Hernandez, is running, plus Democrats Barry Barlow, Jerry Maynard, Charlane Oliver, Rossi Turner and Ludye (On Duty) Wallace.

Wallace and Maynard are both well-known former Metro councilmembers. Maynard has remained heavily involved in city politics as a lobbyist for the Tennessee Titans, the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp and Nashville General Hospital. Wallace, a past president of the Nashville NAACP, briefly ran for mayor in the 2018 special election, with his candidacy used as an instrument to fast-track the election that Metro officials sought to put off for months. Oliver has been a regular presence in Nashvilles progressive circles for years, especially since co-founding The Equity Alliance in the wake of Donald Trumps 2016 election.

While Wallace is a known quantity and has been active on the campaign trail, its Maynard and Oliver who have attracted the most attention and split some of the citys most prominent public figures. One candidates polling found that more than half of district voters were still undecided in the primary.

Maynard is backed by former Mayor Karl Dean, a handful of Nashville state lawmakers, Metro Councilmember Sharon Hurt and Gilmore herself, while former Mayor Megan Barry (whose resignation led to Wallaces last significant foray into politics), Metro Public Defender Martesha Johnson and Metro Nashville Public Schools board chair Christiane Buggs are backing Oliver.

For Oliver, it was in part the skulduggery that drew her to the race.

That went directly against my values, Oliver says. I have been a staunch voting rights advocate. Everyone gets to have a voice. When that was literally taken away from us, I said No, thats not acceptable, and we should have options. When I looked around at who was looking to run, I didnt like my options, and I felt like I was a better candidate.

In the years since it was founded, The Equity Alliance has focused on engaging and registering Black voters around Tennessee, work that led to a high-profile fight with Secretary of State Tre Hargett. Oliver is not shy about criticizing Maynard for his establishment connections and past work both in and near government.

I would challenge anyone to look at this race and say, Who has been the one speaking up?  says Oliver.  Who has been the one showing up when people are being displaced in Nashville? Who has been the person that has been registering voters to get people to turn out? Who has been the person who has protested companies that are coming here asking for corporate incentives and not making it fair and equitable for people to live in Nashville? That person has been me. People want to tout that they [were] on the council, but youre also responsible for the terrible situation that were in in Nashville where people cant afford to live here.  Its one thing to run for office and wave your hands and talk about what youre doing, but where have you beat the pavement and talked to voters? Where have you registered a voter? Where have you got out here and put your body on the line and protested? Those are real things Ive sacrificed.

In a release announcing his candidacy, Maynard touted work on voter registration efforts during his time as a Tennessee Democratic Party official in the 2000s.

For Gilmore, Maynards experience and connections are what make him the choice in the Democratic primary. (The Democratic nominee, whoever it is, is heavily favored to win the largely progressive districts general election in November.)

Though she thinks all of the Democratic candidates are good people, Gilmore is supporting Maynard because she thinks he would be most effective in the Republican-dominated legislature, and thinks he will work to support abortion rights, gun control measures and equity in business.

Jerry is a negotiator, Gilmore says. With a supermajority in both the House and the Senate, I think hell be able to reach across the aisle without selling his soul and get things done.  He has a reputation for getting things done, and thats what we need in the Tennessee General Assembly.

Gilmore has held elected office since the late 1990s, first on the Metro Council, then in the state House and now in the Senate. As she did when she first backed Haynes, she says she is stepping down because she wanted to give the next generation of leaders an opportunity to serve. Though Maynard is older than Haynes, himself having worked in Nashville since the 1990s, Gilmore says she sees Maynard, too, as part of the next generation."
(Natural News) InfoWars founder Alex Jones slammed the globalists New World Order (NWO) agenda, calling for a global red alert amid various events happening worldwide.

This is the NWO takeover. This is world depopulation. This is World War 1,000, extinction, rebellion and depopulation, he said. Theyre burning and blowing up the farms and processing plants. Theyre poisoning the cows and crops on purpose.

The carrying capacity of the civilization of Earth is being pulled out from under us. The rug is being pulled out from under us right now, Jones remarked. He added that the NWO is aimed at wiping out humanity by deliberately starving people. (Related: The Dr. Hotze Report: The Great Reset involves a depopulation holocaust, warns Mike Adams  Brighteon.TV.)

To bolster his argument that the collapse is clearly imminent, Jones revealed that he talked with a major national supplier to grocery stores. This supplier divulged that there will be no more supply of coffee and other grocery items by November.

All coffee supplies will be exhausted. Bill Gates and others have cornered the market and have been hoarding it. Not to mention apples and the list go on and on. It is just unbelievable what theyre about to do to us. If we dont have a nuclear war in the next six months, we can count our lucky stars, he said.

Jones also pointed to the ongoing war in Ukraine as a catalyst for the NWO agenda, zeroing in on a warning by Russia directed to the U.S. and its Western allies.

During an April 2022 interview, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated that if the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) continues arming Ukraine, the possibility of the war escalating into a nuclear conflict should not be underestimated. He also mentioned that NATO member nations continuing to provide weapons to Kyiv were pouring oil on the fire and risking World War III.

Jones exposes mass deaths at the Texas-Mexico border

The InfoWars founder also exposed the mass deaths that occurred at the southern border, even as the current administration and mainstream media were downplaying the globalists depopulation agenda.

Our Border Patrol and our sheriffs cried: SOS, red alert, emergency as thousands of homicides happen a month on the border alone. Decapitated bodies are hanging everywhere, children and babies murdered and 18-wheelers full of dead people, he said.

He referenced a study put out by the United Nations that attested to these findings. The paper, written by the International Organization for Migrations Missing Migrants Project (MMP), revealed that the land border between the U.S. and Mexico is twice as dangerous as U.S.-Caribbean sea routes.

The study said at least 728 migrants have died attempting to cross the border into the U.S. from Mexico, an increase of 52 percent from the figures recorded in 2020. This figure, it added, are likely underreported as an unknown number of dead migrants are never found or reported as missing.

Our data shows the growing crisis of deaths during migration in the region, and the need to strengthen the forensic capacity of the authorities to identify deaths on these routes, explained Edwin Viales, the lead author of the study.

We cannot forget that every single number is a human being with a family who may never know what happened to them.

Visit Depopulation.news for more news about depopulation efforts by globalists.

Watch the full segment of The Alex Jones Show discussing the globalist depopulation plan below.

This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

European farmers protest spread to Poland and Italy in huge backlash against the globalists depopulation and starvation schemes.

Taiwan witnesses catastrophic 23% drop in birth rate in May of 2022, as global depopulation schemes take effect.

Depopulation twofer: Youth suicide rates are HIGHER now that children are being pushed to go trans.

BOMBSHELL: Pfizers own documents admit that mRNA covid vaccines will result in mass depopulation.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

CBSNews.com

TasnimNews.com
(Natural News) Salmon is one of the most popular seafood in the United States. Its also a beloved superfood that is full of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.

But according to a study published in the journal Alternative Medicine Review, farmed salmon is inferior to wild salmon because the former is full of chemicals and is generally less nutritious.

The issue of toxic chemical contamination in fish isnt a new problem because it dates back decades, with investigations confirming high levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) flame retardants restricted or banned in the U.S. and U.K., polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs), dioxin (a by-product of pesticide manufacturing) and ethoxyquin (a pesticide preservative in fish feed).

Studies have linked POPs to several diseases, including obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Data also suggest that obesity might be even more of a risk factor for diabetes when POPs are present in your body.

Additionally, specific types of POPs increase the risk of stroke in women. This means its best to avoid farmed salmon because levels of PCB, one type of POP, are 16 times higher in farmed fish than in wild fish.

The aquaculture industry, which involves farmed seafood, repeatedly faces sustainability issues because many businesses often fail to adhere to environmental regulations and threaten marine health. Additionally, the extensive use of pesticides in local marine ecosystems has resulted in coastal habitat loss and increased genetic and health risks to wild marine populations.

The insecticides used to kill salmon parasites like fish lice have also caused widespread disease persistence and pest resistance.

Study shows farmed salmon contains toxins

Food analysis results show that the consumption of farmed salmon fillets is linked to higher rates of metabolic disorders like diabetes and obesity. They contain levels of toxins, like PCBs and dioxin, that are five times higher than levels in other tested foods.

The report suggests that the primary causes of farmed salmon toxicity can be traced to toxicants in fish feed and environmental concentrations of the chemicals from either terrestrial sources or farmed fish itself.

Farmed fish like salmon use one of the most high-risk aquaculture practices: open-net pens in coastal and offshore regions. These pens allow easy exchange of waste like fish feces; chemicals like pesticides and pharmaceuticals; and parasites or diseases such as sea lice between the farm and the surrounding ocean environment.

The discharge of waste, chemicals and parasites or pathogens may harm marine organisms and plants and disrupt ecosystem services. These pens are usually kept in relatively remote areas that are somewhat hidden from public view.

Farmed salmon live in very crowded conditions, unlike wild-caught fish. (Related: Eating polluted seafood can weaken your immune system, study concludes.)

Farmed fish consume food that may contain various pharmaceuticals like antibiotics or insecticides to control diseases and pest infestations that frequently occur in these crowded conditions. Additionally, farm pens can attract predators like marine mammals that can tangle and drown in fish farm nets.

The U.S. permits the use of the pesticide ethoxyquin on fruit, vegetables and meat meant for animal feed, with no intended uses on fish. But fish feed manufacturing companies have yet to address the use of ethoxyquin as a preservative to prevent oxidization or the spoilage of fatty tissue.

Findings from farmed salmon testing reveal their levels of ethoxyquin are up to 20 times higher than levels allowed in fruits, vegetables and meats. And while there are no intended uses of ethoxyquin on food for human consumption, the chemical can still pass to humans from contaminated food sources.

Current pesticide use and pollution contaminate both farmed and wild salmon populations. At the same time, banned legacy pesticides like chlordane, DDT, dieldrin and toxaphene still contaminate many major waterways, including shorelines where fishing is common.

These legacy pesticides remain in the environment for decades because they are relatively stable, with long half-lives. This slower breakdown rate and affinity to lipids or fats allow these chemicals to accumulate in the fatty tissue of many marine species, including fish like salmon.

Compared to wild salmon, farmed salmon has a much higher fat content. This means the latter can potentially accumulate more lipophilic or fat-loving toxic chemicals. This is why the report advises consumers to choose wild-caught Alaskan salmon, which has a lower fat content but a shorter life cycle.

Fish with shorter lifecycles, like small fish such as anchovies and sardines, usually have a lower fat content and are a better choice if you are trying to limit your exposure to harmful chemicals.

The researchers also recommend smaller fish, which have low contamination risk and higher nutritional value like herring and fish roe or caviar, which is full of important phospholipids that nourish the mitochondrial membranes.

Visit CleanFoodWatch.com to read more articles about other toxic foods that you should avoid.

Watch the video below to know why farmed salmon is one of the worlds most toxic foods.

This video is from the ScottishWatchman channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Raising farmed salmon means KILLING tons of wild fish to make fish food.

Heres why wild-caught is better than farm-raised salmon: It has a more diverse nutritional profile.

U.S. retailers begin taking farmed fish off their shelves as antibiotic overuse destroys fish farming industry.

Sources include:

ChildrensHealthDefense.org

Health.ClevelandClinic.org

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Firefighting crews fought an intense battle Monday, July 11, as the massive Washburn fire burned at the edges of Yosemite National Parks largest grove of ancient sequoia trees.

The fire, which was first reported on July 7, more than doubled in size over the weekend. It was near the parks Mariposa Grove, home to 500 mature sequoias, including the Grizzly Giant  a 209-foot behemoth estimated to be about 3,000 years old.

We really dont want to leave this one to chance, because this really is such an iconic tree, forest ecologist Garrett Dickman said in a video update, where firefighters were seen spraying water around the base of the Grizzly Giant.

Jay C. Nichols, a spokesperson for the interagency fire response team told NBC News that the crews are removing fuel and putting in sprinklers to change the humidity around the base of the trees.

Fortunately, there have been no reports of severe damage to any named trees, including the ancient tree. However, the rest of the sprawling California park remain closed, as heavy smoke covered scenic vistas and created unhealthy air quality.

Yosemite National Park Superintendent Cicely Muldoon said there was close to 700 personnel assigned to the blaze as of Monday night.

Were attacking it in every possible way: a lot of aircraft, a lot of hand lines, a lot of back burning, she added.

The fire reached 3,221 acres on Tuesday morning, July 12.

Washburn fire caused by humans

Muldoon declared at a community meeting Monday night that Washburn Fire was caused by humans.

As you all know there was no lightning on that day so it is a human start, Muldoon said. It is still under investigation. Thats all I can say about that right now. Were looking at that really hard.

Deputy Operations Chief for Team 13 Matt Ahearn said the fire threat to the Fish Camp community is now low.

Were feeling comfortable right now, but we still have a lot of work to do. We still have days worth of going in and cleaning out these downed trees, removing the heat from the edge. There are still pockets of unburned fuel in the interior, he said.

Ahearn also stated that a lot of steps have been taken to protect the community of Wawona and structures within the area. People at the community, which is surrounded by parkland, were ordered to leave late Friday, July 8. Also, 600 to 700 people staying at the Wawona campground in tents, cabins and a historic hotel were ordered to evacuate.

Meanwhile, a federal judge halted earlier this month the tree thinning and removal projects in Yosemite after the environmental non-profit Earth Institute filed a lawsuit against the park. The paused plan would have culled trees less than 20 inches in diameter that were dead and downed.

Kelly Martin, former chief of fire and aviation management at Yosemite, argued that if the fire was able to achieve that desired mosaic on this landscape  leaving some patches unburned while opening parts of the thick forest canopy to biodiversity  it will have a positive impact.

Nature has a way of understanding and doing this work thats been going on for centuries. When you see it on the landscape it is a sight to behold when it comes back the following year, Martin said. (Related: Climate changes dont have to be looked at as negative: Lets not discount Mother Nature and her ability to heal the Earth.)

Visit Environ.news for more news related to the environment.

Watch the below video that talks about the Yosemite wildfire that threatens the worlds largest sequoias.

This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

This child caught the plague while camping at Yosemite National Park.

New research finds that the air in national parks is just as toxic as the air in cities.

Forest bathing: Spend time in nature to reduce your stress.

National park turtles loaded with now-banned toxins, demonstrating how the long life of chemical exposure can poison the environment.

Visitors flock to Yellowstone as some national parks reopen amid coronavirus pandemic  many visitors refuse to wear face masks and observe social distancing.

Sources include:

StrangeSounds.org

LATimes.com

NBCLosAngeles.com

SFGate.com

The Guardian.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) A Houston father shot two teenagers who attempted to steal his vehicle while his wife and two infant children were still inside.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez confirmed the incident on Twitter, which occurred in the 6800 block of Feather Creek Drive in Houston. On July 11 just after midnight, the father, his wife and their two babies arrived home. Two teenagers, both 16 years old, then approached their SUV and opened a rear door where the couples one-year-old child was sitting.

Gonzalez said the father, fearing for the lives of his wife and children, fired shots at the two teens. The mother, who was in the drivers seat, drove away afterward to escape the suspects. Footage from a video doorbell captured four gunshots ringing out, with one suspect managing to walk away as his companion fell to the ground.

Soon after, a car driven by an unknown male pulled over and picked up the two would-be perpetrators. The two teenagers were taken to private hospitals for medical treatment. According to reports, both were in stable condition.

The family did not sustain any injuries.

A deputy from the Harris County Sheriffs Office who responded to the scene said an investigation into the incident is ongoing. Gonzalez did not announce any charges against the teenagers.

The incident highlighted the fathers bravery in defending his family from would-be criminals. It also emphasized self-defense and the importance of the Second Amendment. The fathers quick thinking made seconds count when the police are minutes away.

Mother who saved children from Uvalde mass shooter now being harassed

The Harris County fathers story shares similarities with that of Angeli Rose Gomez from Uvalde County. The mother of two said she rushed to Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where her sons went. Salvador Ramos, the perpetrator of the mass shooting, was already on the school premises.

Gunshots and the sound of childrens screams filled the air, but law enforcement who responded to the scene were doing nothing. Gomez urged police officers to respond, but instead received threats that she would be handcuffed  she eventually was.

Gomez then told police officers she would cooperate and calm down just so she could be released. Just like the Harris County father, she sprang into action once the handcuffs were removed.

The mother of two jumped over a fence and banged on a door window, allowing her to evacuate her eldest son and some of his classmates. But Gomezs younger son was still in the school, which led her to frantically run around the school and attempt to open a closed door. Police officers were at her tail urging her to calm down, but she adamantly stood her ground and told them to evacuate the students and teachers.

Amid the commotion, her youngest son ran to her  reuniting the family.

But Gomezs bravery had made her a target of police harassment since the day of the school shooting. (Related: Mom who rescued sons during Uvalde shooting now being harassed by same coward cops who refused to act.)

The other night, we were exercising and we had a cop parked at the corner, flickering us with headlights, she recounted to FOX 29. The harassment has led to Gomez separating from her children just so my two sons dont feel like they have to watch cops passing by, stopping [and] parking.

Head over to GreaterTexan.com for more stories like this.

Watch Angeli Rose Gomez recounting her actions during the Uvalde school shooting below.

This video is from the Samlaunch channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Mass shooting stopped by law-abiding woman carrying concealed handgun.

Pregnant woman used AR-15 to drop armed robber attacking her 11-year-old daughter.

Law enforcement allowed Texas shooter to commit mass murder by BLOCKING parents from saving their children.

Breaking: School resource officer shoots and kills suspicious man attempting to enter elementary school in Alabama.

Criminal charges could be filed against POLICE in Uvalde who stood by and did nothing while children were massacred right in front of them.

Sources include:

Star-Telegram.com

Twitter.com

KSAT.com

FoxSanAntonio.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Coffee shop chain Starbucks announced the closure of its 16 locations across the country, citing safety concerns as the main reason for the move.

The Seattle-based coffee company said on July 11 that it is closing 16 stores following reports of disruptions in these locations. Six locations in its hometown, six locations in Los Angeles, two in Portland, one in Philadelphia and one in Washington, D.C. will shutter permanently by the end of the month, according to Starbucks. It added that employees in the affected locations would be transferred to other sites. (Related: Businesses fleeing Washington, California and New York because of crime, violence and anti-business policies.)

Debbie Stroud and Denise Nelson, Starbucks U.S. operations leads, told employees in a message: We read every incident report you file  its a lot. We cannot serve as partners if we dont first feel safe at work.

A company spokeswoman also confirmed other updates for Starbucks locations unaffected by the July 11 closure announcement.

Store managers would be given leeway to close restrooms, limit seating or reduce operations in response to safety concerns. They would also be allowed to continue changing store layouts, including limiting seating to customers, if needed. Baristas would also receive additional guidance on what to do in active shooter scenarios and how to de-escalate conflict at work.

According to the spokeswoman, the moves are part of policies aimed at addressing workers concerns, including workplace safety.

Workers reported safety concerns during outreach sessions following the return of its CEO Howard Schultz in early 2022, albeit in an interim position. Schultz first served as CEO from 1986 to 2000, and served a second stint from 2008 to 2017.

Like so much of the world right now, the Starbucks business as it is built today is not set up to fully satisfy the evolving behaviors, needs and expectations of our partners or customers, he said in a July 11 letter to employees.

Meanwhile, a leader from the Starbucks Workers United labor union said employees were surprised by the decision to permanently close the six Seattle locations. They added that the company should have involved workers more in the decision. Two of the stores set to close in Seattle are unionized, while one store in Portland has petitioned to unionize.

Why Starbucks employees dont feel safe

Back in April 2018, the coffee shop chain gained national attention after two Black men sitting in a Starbucks branch in Philadelphia were arrested. The men, purportedly real estate brokers, were waiting for a third companion before ordering their coffee. The two were sitting at a table for less than 15 minutes before employees called law enforcement. The third companion showed up around the same time as the police.

Richard Ross Jr., the citys police commissioner at that time, insisted that his officers were doing nothing wrong. He added that the Starbucks employees who called the cops claimed the two were trespassing, with both asking to use the bathroom even though they had not purchased a drink.

Former Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson apologized for the incident, promising to make any necessary changes to our practices that would help prevent such an occurrence from ever happening again. Schulz, who was serving as the executive chairman that time, took it a step further by announcing that Starbucks restrooms would be open for everyone  including non-paying customers.

According to Schultz, the company is changing its policy because it wants everyone to feel welcome. He clarified, however, that Starbucks does not want to become a public restroom.

Schultzs clarification was nevertheless in vain, as it gave rise to homeless individuals and drug users camping at Starbucks bathrooms. This subsequently led to employee complaints, culminating in the closure of the 16 stores.

Watch this video about the arrest of the two Black men at Starbucks.

This video is from the Duerst channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Starbucks the new homeless camps across America as meth heads and addicts thank CEO for new open restroom policy.

Leftist Starbucks employees call the cops on two black men sitting peacefully in their own store just cuz theyre BLACK.

Starbucks to install needle disposal units all across America after drug users camp in their restrooms thanks to tolerance policies.

Starbucks closing 150 stores nationwide, precisely because of the rising minimum wages that its own Left-leaning employees demand.

Sources include:

WSJ.com

DailyWire.com

Philadelphia.CBSLocal.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Are we under attack? Previously, I have written about a series of very strange fires that have occurred at key food production facilities in the United States this year. Authorities insist that each one of those fires was an accident, and maybe they are correct. But now the same thing is starting to happen to the energy industry. In particular, we have seen a number of mysterious explosions at natural gas facilities in the United States during the past two months. Of course natural gas prices were already spiking dramatically all over the world, and so this string of disasters comes at a really bad time.

(Article by Michael Snyder republished from TheEconomicCollapseBlog.com)

On Saturday, an absolutely massive explosion at a very important natural gas facility in Medford, Oklahoma made headlines all over the nation. The following comes from CBS News

A large fire Saturday afternoon engulfed a natural gas plant in the small northern Oklahoma town of Medford. Video posted to social media showed heavy flames and smoke billowing hundreds of feet into the air. The fire occurred at a natural gas liquids fractionation facility operated by ONEOK, a company spokesperson confirmed in a statement to CBS News.

The explosion that caused this fire was so large that it actually caused

Massive explosion at a natural gas plant in Oklahoma. Caused a 1.74 magnitude earthquake. Expect more accidents like this.pic.twitter.com/6qbNhzS8gD  The Plymothian (@plymouthian) July 10, 2022

The black smoke that came billowing from the plant could be seen for many miles all around, and the damage that was done is likely to disrupt operations at the facility for a long time to come.

Just two days earlier, there was another mysterious explosion near Houston, Texas

Authorities say a fire is now out after an explosion along a natural gas line sent up a column of flames from a field in Fort Bend County on Thursday. According to the Fort Bend County Pct. 1 Constables Office, the explosion occurred before 11 a.m. in the 15400 block of JoAnn near FM 1952, west of Orchard.

Nearby residents report hearing  data-origwidth=800 data-origheight=450>a loud pop when the explosion occurred

Is it normal to have two major natural gas explosions like this in just a matter of three days?

No, it is not.

And it is important to note that there have been other suspicious explosions recently.

Last month, a massive explosion at a liquefied natural gas terminal in Quintana Island, Texas ended up taking a substantial amount of the fuel off the market

An explosion at a liquefied natural gas terminal in Texas has left nearby residents rattled and is taking a substantial amount of the fuel off the market at a time when global demand is soaring. Freeport LNG will be offline for at least three weeks, the company said Thursday, following a fire in its export facility.

So who would benefit from all of this?

I think that is a very important question to ask.

Some are suggesting that the Russians could be behind these accidents. According to Washington Examiner editor Tom Rogan, the Russians actually have a cyber unit that is fully capable of pulling off such attacks

That brings us to the Russian cyber unit involved in the targeting reconnaissance against Freeport LNG. Named XENOTIME by researchers, the unit has utilized boutique TRITON/TRISIS malware developed by the Russian Ministry of Defenses Central Scientific Research Institute of Chemistry and Mechanics. That malware is designed for the seizure of industrial control systems and the defeat of associated safety systems. In 2017, GCHQ (Britains NSA-equivalent signals intelligence service) outlined the need for network compartmentalization to protect safety systems against this malware better. In March 2022, the FBI warned that TRISIS malware remained a threat. XENOTIME is assessed by the U.S. and British governments as a critical infrastructure-focused, advanced persistent threat actor. The units modus operandi involves targeting industrial control systems and supervisory control systems in order to effect unilateral control of a network. XENOTIME has caused specific concern in Western security circles for its targeting of safety systems that would otherwise mitigate threats to life during a cyberattack. XENOTIMEs activity has escalated in 2022.

Of course there are similar cyber units in the western world and in Asia that could be conducting such operations for their own reasons.

The truth is that even if it could be proven that cyberattacks are causing these explosions we will probably never know who was ultimately behind them.

This is just another reason why it is a major national security risk to have so much of our critical infrastructure connected to a global Internet.

Cyberattacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and we are exceedingly vulnerable.

Many on the Internet are pointing out that there was another very unusual fire at a facility in Valdez, Alaska on June 27th

A tanker truck that caught fire at a Valdez refinery Monday afternoon halted fuel-loading activities at the facility on Tuesday, state officials say. The truck was loading diesel when the explosion occurred, according to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.

In the old days, a random fire like that never would have even made a blip in the news.

But with all of the other fires that are now happening, people are on alert.

Over and over again, really bizarre accidents have been happening, and people want answers.

I wish that I had all of the answers, but I dont. Like many of you, I am just trying to ask the right questions.

What I do know is that we live in very chaotic times, and I have a feeling that they are about to get a whole lot more chaotic.

I fully expect that the second half of this year will be even crazier than the first half, and that is really saying something.

Read more at: TheEconomicCollapseBlog.com
(Natural News) A leaked video of Meta Platforms, Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg showed him cautioning his inner circle of the unproven effects of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines he called experimental gene technology.

Aware of the unsubstantiated curing effects and potential dangers of the vaccines, the tech giant chief felt compelled to alert his people regarding the shots on July 16, 2020  five months before the initial rollout of COVID-19 vaccines.

I just want to make sure that I share some caution on this [vaccine] because we just dont know the long-term side-effects of basically modifying peoples DNA and RNA to directly encode in a persons DNA and RNA basically the ability to produce those antibodies and whether that causes other mutations or other risks downstream, Zuckerberg said in the leaked video, which was taken during an internal meeting at Facebook (FB).

Project Veritas founder James OKeefe noted during the release of the video last year that Zuckerberg would have been censored on the platform if what he said to his staff in July was posted on Facebook. He would be basically violating his own code of conduct, OKeefe said.

It is yet another case of one rule for thee, and another for me that the elite use to control the masses, news website News Punch said.

Back in 2019, the media magnate spoke in front of students at Georgetown University about the importance of protecting free expression. He highlighted his belief that giving everyone a voice gives power to the powerless and pushes society to be better over time  a belief that is at the core of Facebook, he said.

However, the freedom to express has been throttled on Facebook and the other major social media platforms in recent years.

Meta had censored 20 million posts since start of pandemic

Last year, FB and Instagram (IG), which is also under the Meta Platforms umbrella, banned major groups, accounts and IG pages for speaking out and raising concerns and doubts about the vaccines adverse effects.

According to a Coordinated Inauthentic Behavior Report last year, FB removed 65 of its own and 243 IG accounts for spreading misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines. They have removed more than 20 million individual posts since the start of the pandemic.

In an interview with CBS in August last year, TV anchor Gayle King asked Zuckerberg to release information on how many people have viewed and shared FB posts containing misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine.

He admitted that FB has removed millions of posts containing misinformation from their website, but failed to answer when pressed by the host on how many people viewed or shared these posts.

I think, to some degree, there are also different definitions that people have over what misinformation is. A lot of the stuff thats actually the hardest for us to really address is not what I would call misinformation but instead another category that I would call hesitancy,' he said at the time. (Related: House Republicans demand Zuckerberg surrender all communications with Fauci over covid-19 and vaccine hesitancy censorship.)

One of the well-known personalities that have been banned from social media is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an environmental lawyer who emerged as one of the most influential voices during the early days of the pandemic.

Kennedy Jr., who describes himself as a vaccine safety advocate, was not impressed with Bill Gates track record of pushing vaccines on vulnerable populations, causing serious health problems in some cases. Subsequently, Meta fact-checkers banned Kennedy Jr. from Instagram for speaking out about vaccine safety.

Visit TechGiants.news for more articles related to social media censorships.

Watch the leaked video where Mark Zuckerberg warned his inner circle about the potential harms of the COVID-19 vaccines.

This video is from the Bit channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Chan Zuckerberg Institute funneled cash to Wuhan lab where covid likely originated.

FB stands FOR BIDEN: Mark Zuckerbergs $400M grant pushed for Democrat win.

Tyrant Mark Zuckerberg to SHAME unvaccinated people on Facebook by publicly labeling them

Mark Zuckerberg being sued for meddling in the 2020 election.

Sources include:

NewsPunch.com

LifeSiteNews.com

ProjectVeritas.com

About.FB.com 1

About.FB.com 2

TheGuardian.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) The financial house of cards is teetering in communist China, where a large crowd of angry depositors faced off with police over the weekend about not being able to withdraw their funds.

Some rural-based banks, we are told, froze depositors money back in April, claiming that there was a system upgrade in process. Since that time, there has been no further communication from the banks in question.

The Chinese media said up to $1.5 billion in funds are now tied up in the scheme, which authorities are now investigating. (Related: Remember late last year when China-based Evergrande defaulted?)

Some 1,000 people gathered in front of a Zhengzhou branch of the Bank of China, Chinas central bank  similar to the Federal Reserve  to protest the bank freezes. They were seen holding up banners and chanting slogans on the steps of the building.

These protesters are among the thousands of customers who opened accounts at six rural banks in Henan and neighboring Anhui province that are now refusing to let go of deposited funds.

It turns out that the head of the banks parent company is on the run and wanted for financial crimes. The only thing left as a remedy, it seems, is for the Bank of China to intervene.

What would happen if Americans were no longer able to withdraw their money from the bank?

The video below shows depositors in front of the Bank of China growing restless and throwing plastic bottles at approaching security guards. Some of the protesters were arrested and dragged away:

Citizens storm the Bank of China in Zhengzhou over bank account freezes. Banks froze millions of dollars in deposits last April, simply explaining to savers that they need to upgrade their internal systems. Since then, customers have not received any kind of communication. pic.twitter.com/XS9zuXRuEK  RadioGenova (@RadioGenova) July 10, 2022

Teams of plain-shirted men were also seen, as well as a banking regulator and a local government official, neither of whom were successful in their attempts to speak to the crowd.

We came today and wanted to get our savings back, because I have elderly people and children at home, and the inability to withdraw savings has seriously affected my life, said one woman from Shandong province whose money is tied up in the scheme.

At one point, a vehicle bearing a megaphone came along and announced that the assembly was illegal and that everyone still there would be detained and fined if they did not leave the premises immediately.

Not long after, the plain-shirted men rushed into the crowd and started dragging and beating people. One woman who was struck asked why they hit her, to which one of them responded, Whats wrong with beating you?

The same woman, going only by the last name of Zhang to protect her identity, expressed deep grief about having her money stolen from her. She told the media that nobody was told that beatings would occur if the protesters refused to disperse.

They did not say they would beat us if we refused to leave, Zhang is further quoted as saying. They just used the loudspeaker to say that we were breaking the law by petitioning. Thats ridiculous. Its the banks that are breaking the law.

Soon this type of thing will be seen everywhere. The central banking Ponzi scheme is coming to an end, and there will be many people everywhere who are left holding the bag. This protest at the Bank of China is only the beginning.

The latest news about the implosion of the current global economic order can be found at Collapse.news.

Sources include:

BlackListedNews.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Its becoming clearer by the month that the Canadian people have moved so far to the left that they no longer prefer to live in a democracy but rather love it when their leaders act in tyrannical ways.

That would explain why Prime Minister Justin Trudeau remains above 40 percent despite the fact that he continues to implement tyrannical policies that suppress, rather than protect, his citizens.

After he implemented draconian measures earlier this year to suppress a popular trucker revolt against COVID-19 vaccine mandates, he is now putting in place the same policy that led Dutch farmers to rebel against their own government in recent months.

Over the past few weeks, farmers across the Netherlands have vehemently turned up in droves to protest the governments plan to reduce nitrous oxide emissions, arguing it would have disastrous consequences for their business, and eventually, consumers, The Post Millennial reported over the weekend.

The source of their anger is a policy that is not unlike one which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is seeking to implement in Canada, the report added.

In 2020, Trudeaus Liberal Party announced an objective to reduce emissions from the use of fertilizer, which is a major producer of nitrous oxide, by as much as 50 percent over the next eight years. At the time, the group Fertilizer Canada blasted the short-sighted approach and argued that by reducing nitrogen fertilizer use, it will have considerable impact on Canadian farmers incomes and reduce overall Canadian exports and GDP.

Agriculture is the cornerstone of Canadas food and nutrition security. Reductions in emissions cannot come at the cost of reduced output of food, the group said in a policy document. Reconciling the dual objectives of increased food production and reduced emissions requires increasing the efficiency of agricultural practices so farmers can get more out of all the inputs and resources they use  thereby minimizing greenhouse gas emissions while maximizing soil carbon sequestration potential of agriculture soils.

Total Emission Reduction puts a cap on the total emissions allowable from fertilizer at 30% below 2020 levels. As the yield of Canadian crops is directly linked to proper fertilizer application this creates a ceiling on Canadian agricultural productivity well below 2020 levels, the document continued.

Policies that discourage fertilizer use can actually increase GHG emissions. A reduction in grain production in Canada through less fertilizer use, would not only have a significant negative impact on soil organic carbon, but would lead to carbon leakage to other jurisdictions, the group warned.

A report by Meyers Norris Penny (MNP) suggests that regulated fertilizer reduction could cost Canadian farmers $48 billion by 2030 and reduce crop sizes. By this time, yield gaps for three major crops are estimated at 23.6 bushels per acre per year for canola, 67.9 bushels per acre per year for corn, and 36.1 bushels per acre per year for spring wheat, the report noted. Meanwhile, as the Toronto Sun reported , fertilizer is usually the most expensive cost for farmers; as such, they tend to only use just as much as they need and no more. But under the Trudeau Liberals plan, farmers will be forced to use much more costly green fertilizer, which of course leads to higher prices for consumers but also could lead to the planting of fewer acres and thus threaten the countrys food supply as well as the food security of other nations that depend on Canadian agricultural exports.

The revolt exhibited by Dutch farmers serves as a warning sign to those across the pond in Canada for what might come if Trudeau gets his way, The Post Millennial reported. Farmers have attempted to get their message across by shutting down major city centers, as well as airports and product distribution centers across the country.

The report went on to note that in mostly peaceful Netherlands, police there have fired shots in the direction of farmers and their tractors as they moved towards them.
(Natural News) Ashish Jha, the Biden regimes Indian-American covid czar, held a video conference with Tony Fauci and Rochelle Walensky this week to announce that Americans should now line up for a fourth Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) booster shot.

Because of the all-new Moronic Ninja variant of the Chinese virus, Jha, Fauci and Walensky want everyone in the United States to have at least four injections up their sleeve in order to keep them safe.

Many Americans are under-vaccinated, meaning they are not up to date on their Covid-19 vaccines, Walensky bellowed, stumbling over her scripted portion of the presentation.

Not all people over the age of 50 have received their first booster dose. Of those who received their first booster dose, only 28 percent of those over 50 have received a second booster dose. And of those over the age of 65, only 34 percent have received their second booster dose.

So, my message right now is very simple: Its essential that these Americans, as Dr. Jha said, get their second booster shot right away.

Fauci then chimed in about how Americans need to avoid thinking that the plandemic is over, even though it is clearly over  at least for the unvaccinated. Those who got jabbed, well, good luck with all those vaccine-induced AIDS (VAIDS) symptoms.

Everybody wants to put this pandemic behind us, and feel and hope that it doesnt exist. It does! Fauci yelled at the camera during his segment.

Why do they want people to suddenly get a fourth jab at warp speed?

One wonders, why the sudden push for an immediate fourth injection? What are Jha, Fauci and Walensky up to  or rather, what do they know that they are not disclosing?

Are the triple-jabbed about to lose all immune function and thus require an extra boost to stay alive for a few more weeks? Or is the fourth booster the kill shot that they need to get into arms quickly for maximum impact?

The shots dont prevent infection, and they dont prevent transmission, noted a commenter.

And, there is ZERO proof that the shots lessen the effects of symptoms. Oh  and there sure are a lot of unexplained deaths these days.

Another wrote that anyone who willingly takes this fourth shot is guaranteeing themselves an early death.

We are only one virulent strain away from massive deaths of the vaccinated with their compromised immune systems, this person added. Of course, the narrative will be that everyone must get vaxxed. There will still be those foolish enough to comply. They will get what they deserve.

Life insurance companies, meanwhile, are reporting massive increases in death claims among the 16-to-64 age demographic, which is also the most jabbed demographic.

And casket makers are selling over 5 times the annual number of child sized caskets as they normally do in the last 7 months, added another commenter.

One would think that there would be widespread protests in the streets over the medical genocide that is taking place. Instead, hordes of angry women and their effeminate male allies are screaming about the loss of Roe v. Wade and the right to murder unborn children.

There isnt a single vocal group of ticked-off, resistant Americans on the streets today protesting what is likely the worst medical atrocity in modern or any history, a commenter wrote.

The worse the crime, the more it passes as normal in America today.

Another pointed out that there are still many people out there, sadly, who will listen to Jha, Fauci and Walensky, no matter the evidence they are shown to the contrary.

The latest news about Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccines can be found at ChemicalViolence.com.

Sources for this article include:

Twitter.com

NaturalNews.com

CitizenFreePress.com
(Natural News) The influence of drug giants like Pfizer over the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been so significant that the world is now at the point where thorough testing for life-altering drugs such as experimental mRNA injections is no longer required.

The FDA adopted a future framework scheme that will allow Big Pharma companies to reformulate and release updated Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines without conducting any additional clinical trials. The framework permits the rollout of reformulated and completely untested vaccines in the United States.

The framework is not only limited to COVID-19 vaccines. The elimination of clinical trial requirements may also be expanded to other drugs and vaccines over time.

While many examples of rigged vaccine trials had been recorded over the years, the future framework served as an extreme expansion and formalization of the scheme.

Such rigging involves improperly recording vaccine injuries, if not failing to record them altogether. The exclusion of parameters that turn out to be problematic, which could include injured trial participants, serves as another method.

This rigging has already occurred in Pfizers pediatric clinical trials for its COVID-19 vaccine. During the trial, the vaccine maker excluded 3,000 of 4,526 children aged between six months and four years old who were enrolled as participants  a clear red flag. (Related: JAB EM YOUNG: FDA approves Pfizers booster vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 without consulting vaccine advisory panel.)

Furthermore, the FDAs future framework also includes the component of a COVID-19 booster dose specific to the B11529 omicron variant, which 19 of the 21 members of the FDAs Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) voted in favor of. The VRBPAC defended its decision, arguing that the modified vaccine would offer broader protection to match the circulating BA4 and BA5 omicron subvariants.

More conversations about boosters necessary moving forward

Dr. Peter Marks, the director of the FDAs Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said there will be a conversation going forward to determine who will need another booster, or what the booster will look like. He did note, however, that a bivalent vaccine targeting the BA4 and BA5 subvariants seem to be the preference for the committee.

During the VRBPACs meeting in April, the committee members agreed on the necessity of developing a framework for how the country can keep up with the evolving virus with an appropriate vaccine strategy. The FDA also said in May that the new normal may include an annual COVID-19 and flu shot for people, as cases are expected to rise in the fall and winter.

Current COVID-19 vaccines are based on the original SARS-CoV-2 strain that emerged in late 2019, but Pfizer and its competitor Moderna have been working on updated versions as the current ones are not as effective against the omicron subvariants.

Following the VRBPAC vote, the FDA will decide on the updated vaccine with a panel of independent experts that advise the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to take a closer look at the available data and make recommendations. These recommendations would then head to CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, who will decide and sign off on them.

Visit Vaccines.news for more updates about new vaccines for COVID-19 and more.

Watch the video below for more information about the FDAs future framework.



This video is from the What is happening channel on Brighteon.com.

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Leaked top-secret Pfizer document shows COVID-19 vaccine is FAR MORE DANGEROUS than the world knows.

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Sources include:

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Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Since it remains an uncertainty whether or not a critical turbine engine for the Nord Stream 1 (NS1) gas pipeline running from Russia to Europe will ever be returned from Canada due to sanctions, Russian state energy giant Gazprom has announced that the pipeline might never be turned back on.

NS1 has been out of commission since July 11 as part of scheduled maintenance and is supposed to come back online on July 22  but only if that important part, which is still being held in Canada, gets shipped back to Germany and installed according to Russias standards.

Canada, upset about Russias invasion of Ukraine, is apparently not cooperating with the process, which leaves much of Western Europe in a quagmire that, quite frankly, seems to be mostly self-induced.

While claiming that Russia is trying to weaponize the pipeline, Western powers are refusing to play ball with Russia, which is demanding that payments for gas be made in rubles due to NATO sanctions. Western Europe does not want to comply, so now it is running out of gas, threatening the lives of millions of Europeans this winter.

A crucial component to ensuring the pipelines safe operation, Gazprom says, has been held up in Canada at the Siemens Energy facility in Montreal which is the only place in the world capable of servicing and repairing it, reports Zero Hedge.

But in being in Canada, the gas-turbine engines which had been used for over a decade to pressurize the Nord Stream pipeline, have fallen under Canadian sanctions crosshairs.

Natural gas in Europe is now THREE TIMES the cost compared to U.S. natural gas

The flow of gas through NS1 was already reduced last month by 60 percent. The claim was that technical problems with the pipeline required urgent repairs, which means not as much gas can safely move through the system.

Now, however, the flow of gas has dropped pretty much to zero. And there is a strong possibility that the pipeline will never see gas flow through it ever again, unless something dramatic happens to get the turbine back to Europe and installed properly.

There will still be the problem of Europes refusal to pay for that gas in rubles, not to mention escalating talks about a nuclear attack on the United States. With the way things are going, the situation is likely to get much worse before it ever stands a chance of getting better.

The Canadian government issued a statement that Global Affairs Canada has granted German industrial giant Siemens Energy an exemption from Canadas Russia sanctions for two years. This is not a guarantee, however, that things will go smoothly in reopening the pipeline.

According to Gazprom, the company currently does not possess any documents that would enable Siemens to get the gas turbine engine  out of Canada.

In these circumstances, Gazprom added, it appears impossible to reach an objective conclusion on further developments regarding the safe operation of a compressor station at the Russian end of the pipeline.

As expected based on this news, European Union (EU) gas prices have soared to triple the cost of U.S. natural gas, which is also facing issues from a series of explosions and other mysterious damage that has been occurring as of late.

Thats what you get for crafting energy policy based on the emotional outbursts of a Swedish teenage girl, wrote a commenter at Zero Hedge about the downfall of Germany at the hands of green ignoramuses like Greta Thunberg.

Anyone else see that the facts on the ground are not that Russia is weaponizing this turbine replacement, but that Canada is? wrote another.

The latest news about the Russian fuel situation in Europe can be found at FuelSupply.news.

Sources for this article include:

ZeroHedge.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Pastor Artur Pawlowski exhorted the American people not to give up their rights on the July 8 episode of HIS Glory on Brighteon.TV.

Dont give them up, ever. Never ever give up one of your rights. I dont care how small is that right, he told Pastors David Scarlett and Todd Coconato, who host the program. You dont give up your rights because those villains dont own you. They dont own your family. They dont own your rights. Those rights are God- and state-given rights. Its up to you to rise up and defend it. Its not up to your neighbor. Its not up to your children or your grandchildren. God has given you a mandate to rise up, to stand up and start a roaring.

The Poland-born Canadian pastor also said Americas Founding Fathers put their life on the line when they signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776. In turn, the Declaration gave birth to the U.S., one of the best nations on Earth. Pawlowski added that America is a dream worth dying for.

The founder of Street Church Ministries also mentioned that the Canadian governments totalitarian regime has continued to hammer him without mercy, and that he is on trial for feeding the homeless and the poor in the middle of the greatest crisis Canada has ever seen. (Related: Trudeaus government throws pastor Artur Pawlowski in solitary confinement for violating covid safety protocols.)

Nevertheless, the pastor explained that his fight or roaring is his way of trying to awaken Americans, Canadians and others living in Western democracies about what is coming to the world.

Pawlowski: People need to look at what happened in the past

Pawlowski, who immigrated to Canada in the mid-1990s, said he has been arrested 16 times since 2005. Aside from his arrests, he has also faced more than 100 court cases and received 340 citations ever since that year.

Back in May 2021, he lamented that the tyranny he escaped from Poland is now in the country he immigrated to.

I escaped communism. I escaped Poland because I wanted to come to a country that is free. [But] here we are again, repeating the same mistakes [and] the same history, he told Christianity Daily at the time.

During his appearance on HIS Glory, Pawlowski urged people to look at what happened in the past because there is a possibility it might happen tomorrow.

According to the Canadian pastor, the villains of this world have the tendency to repeat history and people need to change that script if they want everything to end well. He also pointed out that these evil tyrants will never stop, and they are like a cancer that has to be cut out in free and democratic societies.

The old beast government  a combination of fascism, communism and socialism  is using disinformation, manipulation, terror and fear to bring hell on Earth, said Pawlowski. The globalist elites behind this old beast government, he added, are trying to create a setup with them ruling at the top while the rest of humanity are their slaves. Pawlowski compared the elites to modern-day pharaohs trying to take more power and deprive individuals of their rights.

The besieged pastor said people had two options: they can either submit themselves to the tyranny and join the slaves, or use people power to depose the tyrants. He cited the Solidarity Movement of the 1980s that sprang in his birth country as an example of this. Millions of Poles took to the streets to protest Warsaws tyranny, paralyzing the entire economy and the Communist Party of Poland.

Pawlowski added that this later led to Polands democratic election in 1989, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dismantling of the Iron Curtain.

Follow Liberty.news for more stories about why Americans must value freedom.

Watch the full July 8 episode of HIS Glory below. Catch new episodes of HIS Glory with Pastor David Scarlett every Friday at 5-6 p.m. and every Sunday at 2-3 p.m. on Brighteon.TV.

More related stories:

The Ben Armstrong Show: Humanity has only a few months of freedom left.

Individual freedom or government slavery; What should be an easy choice is a challenge to so many.

Matrixxx Grooove with Jeff and Shady: America is the greatest nation because it gives people freedom  Brighteon.TV.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

ChristianityDaily.com
(Natural News) The Biden Crime family is slowly being uncovered as more and more evidence comes to the surface.

(Article republished from EN-Volve.com)

Sen. Ron Johnson now warns that Hunter Bidens Laptop from Hell has evidence that shows he works directly for Communist China.

I think the American people deserve the truth on this, because Joe Biden is certainly compromised. I heard your last segment there talking about Joe Bidens soft-on-China policies. Theres probably a reason why Joe Biden canceled the China Initiative, which was (in) the Department of Justice a program to investigate Chinese theft of our intellectual property in our university systems, Sen. Johnson said in an interview with Sunday Morning Futures.

Why in the world would he cancel that? Is it because he knows that China knows all the transactions and exactly what Hunter Biden was involved in?

Cnsnews.com reports: So, no, this is a huge scandal. The American public deserves the truth, because it is putting at risk our national security, because we have a compromised president who has lied repeatedly to the American public, saying that he never talked to Hunter about his overseas business transactions.

Now we actually have voicemails from off of these computers. And, of course, the  my concern about all of this, in terms of our Department of Justice, is that, to the extent that they might indict Hunter, Im afraid they will enter a plea agreement. And part of that plea agreement might be to seal the records, so the American public never knows the truth. That would be a travesty of justice, Johnson said.

President Bidens Justice Department announced on February 23, 2022 that the Trump administrations China Initiative, implemented in 2018, had raised concerns among civil rights activists that the Justice Department was treating people from China or of Chinese descent differently.

The rise in anti-Asian hate crime and hate incidents only heightens these concerns. The Department is keenly aware of this threat, Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen said in February.

In light of these concerns, we began a review soon after I took officeWhile I remain focused on the evolving, significant threat that the government of China poses, I have concluded that this initiative is not the right approach. Instead, the current threat landscape demands a broader approachto tackle the most severe threats from a range of hostile nation-states.

Fox News recently asked FBI Director Chris Wray if it was a mistake for the Biden administration to scrap the China Initiative: We are not going to engage in profiling by ethnicity or national origin. And we havent, Wray said.

And were going to work jointly with universities. In many cases, thats one of the most effective ways to prevent stealing of research.

Sen. Johnson on Sunday noted that the FBI has had Hunter Bidens laptop since December 2019.

What have they been doing with it? he asked.

OK, to me, there seems to be all kinds of potential criminal activity on that computer. Our FBI, our Justice Department hasnt really done squat. They wont answer our questions about potential conflict of interests with people like Nicholas McQuaid, who  and who heads up the Criminal Division. We  they dont even let the U.S. attorney in Delaware answer our oversight requests in terms of, have people been  recused themselves? So theres an enormous cover-up going on here. The FBI, the Department of Justice have not been forthright. I dont think theyre rigorously investigating this. And, again, Im concerned they will be involved in a cover-up as well. Even if they do indict, I fear they will seal the records. The American public will never get the full truth.

According to a bank records produced by Sens. Johnson and Chuck Grassley, Hunter Biden and James Biden, Joes brother, worked with companies connected to Chinas communist regime to assist them in finding projects for global and domestic infrastructure and energy.

Meanwhile, President Biden is now debating whether to lift tariffs imposed on China by the Trump administration.

Oh, were having further discussions on that, he told reporters on Sunday.

And just this past Friday, Sens. Grassley and Johnson sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, FBI Director Chris Wray, and David Weiss, the United States Attorney/District of Delaware, urging them to thoroughly investigate potential criminal behavior by Hunter Biden.

Read more at: EN-Volve.com
(Natural News) Ukrainian authorities have taken credit for what they said was a bombing of a Russian arms depot Monday night, July 11. Multiple videos of a massive explosion in the Kherson region began to spread online, with the Advisor to the Head of Kherson administration Serhii Khlan confirming that the Ukrainian Army hit the Russian ammunition warehouse in Nova Kakhovka.

The Russians said the attack only hit a fertilizer facility in a civilian area, but what angered them more is the fact that the weapon used by the Ukrainians is the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) supplied by the United States.

An official from the U.S. Department of Defense recently confirmed that a security package was approved last week that included four additional HIMARS  bringing the total to 12.

The HIMARS, manufactured by defense giant Lockheed Martin, is designed to shoot a variety of missiles from a mobile five-ton truck. U.S. troops is training Ukrainian forces on how to use the weapon somewhere just outside the country. The official said it takes about a week to complete the training. (Related: Russias nuclear forces hold drill as Biden approves more military aid for Ukraine.)

Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhaylo Podolyak also confirmed the attack using the HIMARS multiple rocket launcher.

Meanwhile, Russian occupation officials said homes and warehouses were hit by the bombing, leaving seven dead and up to 80 injured. Footage of the aftermath showed locals cleaning up what looks like a civilian area.

Ekaterina Gubareva, who serves as deputy head of the newly occupied Kherson region for separatist forces, said the Ukrainians bombed peaceful cities with American weapons.

In a recording that showed the damage done by the bombing, Gubareva said there was a large amount of destruction to urban infrastructure. We see it was the shops, the market, the bus station, the church and a large number of buildings destroyed.

The huge explosion seen in the videos was said to be warehouses containing the mineral fertilizer, saltpeter.

Russia blames U.S. for Kherson attack

Russian Senator Olga Kovitidi told a local news agency that the blood of the those killed and wounded in the blasts are on the hands of the United States.

After conveying words of sympathy and condolences to the affected families, Kovitidi said the entire responsibility for the missile strike in the Kherson region rests on the U.S. authorities and their criminal accomplices.

The U.S. and U.K. military terror in Ukraine is geared towards intimidating both Ukraines population and the allied forces of Russia and the Donbas republics, who are supporting the local population and Ukrainian soldiers who are refusing to fight, Kovitidi said. (Related: America is funding, arming and training Ukraines neo-Nazi Azov Battalion.)

Kovitidi also went off on U.S. President Joe Biden, whom she accused of partially initiating the war in Ukraine to avoid domestic issues he created because of his incompetence. Instead of taking urgent measures to save his countrys economy, Kovitidi said Biden allocated billions of dollars for the war with Russia on Ukrainian territory.

Visit WWIII.news for more updates about the Russia-Ukraine war.

Watch the video below to know more about Americas involvement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com.

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Sources include:

InfoWars.com

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Brighteon.com
(Natural News) The globalist World Economic Forum (WEF) has deleted an article on its website published in 2018 claiming that ESG will make Sri Lanka wealthy by 2025.

ESG, or Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance, is a set of metrics by which governments are measured. It has been likened to a globalized social credit scoring system, and it gives potential stakeholders more information about which governments to invest in without actually providing them with more financial data to better inform them about whether an investment is risky or profitable.

Some of the main factors investors look for in ESG scores include environmental factors like adherence to globalist climate change policies like carbon and greenhouse gas emission reduction; social factors like prioritizing social justice issues and gender and cultural diversity; and governance factors like adherence to the United Nations human rights, labor and anti-corruption principles.

The article in question is by Sri Lankan Prime Minister and Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe. At the time of the articles publication, Wickremesinghe was serving his fourth term as the countrys prime minister.

Wickremesinghe reclaimed the position this year following mass anti-government protests that forced the resignation of former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. He then took on the role of acting president following the ouster of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the brother of the former prime minister.

In the article, Wickremesinghe claimed that Sri Lanka is progressing and will be considered a rich country by 2025 by focusing on the WEFs ESG criteria, including tackling climate change and dealing with other environmental issues and improving ties with Southeast Asian economic powerhouses.

Sri Lanka far from becoming a rich country by 2025

The reality of the situation is that the government caused todays massive crisis by not focusing on economic and financial aspects. Sri Lanka had a lot of sovereign debt, which crippled its economy and drained the countrys foreign reserves to near zero, leading to months of political turmoil and public unrest.

Months of protests took a turn on July 9, when tens of thousands of protesters stormed and occupied the official residences of the president and prime minister. Wickremesinghes private residence was even burned down.

Since then, Gotabaya has fled to the Maldives and Wickremesinghe has taken over as acting president while promising to resign to make way for an all-party coalition government.

The Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena has stated that once both Gotabaya and Wickremesinghe formally step down, he will take the role of acting president and prime minister before the Parliament votes for a new president and forms a new all-party government on July 20.

The new government will only have one task during the rest of its term: addressing the most pertinent demands of the protesters. These include restoring order to the economy, negotiating a debt restructuring with its creditors and providing the people with economic and financial relief. (Related: First FOOD goes, then the ECONOMY: Radical changes in the agriculture sector compounded by pandemic tyranny responsible for Sri Lankas demise.)

This new government will have a lot of problems to deal with. Sri Lanka has an external debt of over $35 billion, the largest slice of which is owed to holders of its international sovereign bonds. The countrys largest bilateral lenders, China, Japan and India, have yet to come to the negotiating table to agree with debt restructuring.

Learn more about the collapse of Sri Lanka at Collapse.news.

Watch this clip from WION talking about the state of emergency imposed in Sri Lanka following the departure of recently deposed President Gotabaya.

This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com.

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Sources include:

StrangeSounds.org

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Brighteon.com
RIVERSIDE, CA - MARCH 14: Morning rush-hour traffic moves along the 60 freeway, after Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Stephen L. Johnson this week announced a modest lowering of legal limits on ozone pollution standards, on March 14, 2008 in Riverside, California. The change angered not only industry groups who lobbied against the change but also medical, scientific and environmental groups who say that tougher limits are needed. EPA science advisors and a children's health panel had unanimously recommended tougher standards to protect the public, especially children and the elderly, from serious respiratory problems caused by breathing ground-level ozone that aggravates asthma and can lead to premature death, as shown by mounting evidence. A second proposal for more stringent seasonal limits on ozone based on its harm to forests, crops and other plants was reportedly quashed at the 11th hour by President Bush. Governments in areas where the air is declared dirty as the pollution limit of about 84 parts per billion changes to about 75 ppb over an average eight-hour period will have two decades to reduce their emissions. (Photo : Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

A researcher declared to have uncovered a massive gap in the ozone wall, which initially developed across the equator in the 1980s which was unnoticed up to the present.

Nevertheless, once his findings were publicized, the researcher was met with harsh backlash from specialists who labeled his work as profoundly inadequate.

Claims Over Huge Ozone Hole Contradicted by Many Experts





According to Martyn Chipperfield, a senior lecturer of tropospheric science at the University of Leeds in England in an exclusive interview with the Science Media Centre, a self-governing publicity agency premised in the United Kingdom that collaborates with investigators, reporters, as well as legislators to help spread precise statistical knowledge, he was astonished that this research was released yet in its present incarnation.

The allegation as remarked by Chipperfield in the study of these huge stratospheric reductions in the equator has not been shown in previous publications, which leads me to be quite skeptical.

While other experts claims that hardly an ozone gap spanning the tropics can be seen under the usual notion of an ozone leak, since overall concentration of pollutants over the tropics exceed the 220 Dobson Unit criterion.

An ozone gap is often described as a location where the ozone density falls under 220 "Dobson Units" - a measurement of the quantity of ozone particles in a certain column of atmosphere extending from the Martian surface to cosmos.

The revelation of ozone holes urged the 1987 Montreal Protocol, an intergovernmental company directed at reducing the total amount of ozone-depleting toxins including such CFCs, and now, as per the World Meteorological Organization, the earth's atmosphere is on the mend.

Moreover, Paul Young, an astrophysicist at Lancaster University in England and co-lead editor of the WMO and UN study 2022 Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion assert that there is no tropical ozone gap.

The writer's diagnosis of a 'tropical ozone gap' as per Young is due to his focus on proportion variations in greenhouse gases instead of actions impact, with the latter potentially far more significant for harmful UV impacting the ground.

This gap as shown in the study published under AIP Advances is comparable in profundity to the yearly ozone leak that frees up across Antarctica in mid cold weather and early springtime, although it encompasses a region seven times greater, he stated.

Also read: Three-legged Tortoise Seized from Hong Kong Smugglers Gets Set of New Wheels

The Impact of the Tropical Ozone Hole





As discovered by experts a huge and all-season ozone depletion in the earth's stratosphere beyond the tropics, 6.2 to 15.5 miles (10-25 km) above the Ground atmosphere.

These volatile components rip O3 molecules away, thinned out areas of the ozone layer, and thus created fissures, mainly over Antarctica, where the freezing air circumstances permit ozone-shredding interactions to occur quickly.

Ozone holes witnessed over the North Pole were characterized by an approximately 25% decline in ozone, therefore this modern term is substantiated.

Instead of using the customary concept, Qing-Bin Lu, a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, outlined an ozone hole as "an region of O3 loss greater than 25% likened to the unhindered ambience."

Consequently, in his latest analysis, Lu warns that a newly discovered ozone hole may endanger the health of individuals and communities residing in the tropical regions, as per Live Science.

As per NASA's Earth Observatory, researchers showed in the 1980s that long-lived release chemicals termed chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) tear off the into chlorinated compounds when subjected to UV rays further than the stratospheric ozone.

This flow has whizzed in previous times caused by global warming, and this velocity explicates the long-term trends of ozone depletion witnessed in the tropical regions.

Related article: Chinese Space Sail to Remove Debris from the Earth's Orbit
A picture shows the Roman theatre in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra on May 9, 2022. (Photo : Photo by LOUAI BESHARA/AFP via Getty Images)

Researchers have always been perplexed by the character of an unidentified deity recorded in writings from the old civilization of Palmyra in modern-day Syria. However recently, a new study postulates to have solved the matter.

The Unknown Deity From Ancient Palmyra





Palmyra as per the analyzation from different expert and researchers alike has been present for millennia and prospered roughly 2,000 years back as a hub of commerce connecting the Roman State with shipping lanes in Asia, like the Silk Road.

As per the recent update under the website of Science in Poland, a media outlet operated by the Polish authorities and citizen media, the nameless god is referenced in several Aramaic writings at Palmyra and is alluded to as "he whose title is praised eternally," "master of the world," and "compassionate." Many of these texts are almost 2,000 years old.

To unravel this puzzle, Aleksandra Kubiak-Schneider, a postdoctoral scientist at the University of Wrocaw in Poland, matched the writings from Palmyra to tablets from the very early millennium B.C. discovered across Mesopotamia, the media website HeadTopics covered.

During her study, Aleksandra Kubiak-Schneider have noticed that the deities revered in Mesopotamia had stylistic similarities to the unnamed deity from Palmyra. For instance, "Bel-Marduk," Babylon's ultimate deity, had also been known as merciful.

Furthermore, According to Science in Poland, the expression master of the globe which is a designation comparable to living God of the cosmos - was sometimes used to allude to Baalshamin, a heavenly deity.

Additionally, Kubiak-Schneider have claimed in recent interviews that the nameless deity referenced in the Palmyra clay tablets is a collection of gods that includes Bel-Marduk as well as Baalshamin.

She further claims that as a gesture of reverence, religious folks did not mention the names of the gods. Moreover, as shown in the update made by Flipboard even before individuals made historical documents requesting heavenly involvement, they were not really addressing a single deity, but instead just every deity who could really respond to their petitions.

"There was no unnamed deity; ever other deity who did listen as well as granted queries surely deserves everlasting plaudits," Kubiak-Schneider explained.

Also read: Scientists Warn of 15 Environmental Issues That Could Destroy the World's Ocean Biodiversity in the Next Decade

Study Over the Unrecognized Deities





Live Science reached out to researchers and practitioners who were not related to the research study to get their thoughts. The academics that responded were skeptical about the concept.

Leonardo Gregoratti, a research associate who has pretty thoroughly explored the historical record as well as archaeology of Palmyra and the outlying areas inform Live Science in an electronic mail that Kubiak-Schneider demonstrated a scientific theory to the research world, and that each theologian would then consider whether to recognize it or repudiate it, expressing [their] counter points in the latter particular instance.

Yet another research scientist, who requested anonymity, did agree that the unidentified god most presumably makes reference to numerous divinities, however was particularly worried that a few of the Babylonian scriptures analyzed by Kubiak-Schneider antiquated centuries prior than the Palmyra manuscripts.

At the time of publishing, Kubiak-Schneider had not responded to inquiries for commentary. Her findings were subsequently released in the e-book "Dedications sans theonym of Palmyra Blessed (be) his name for forever" (Brill, 2021).

Related article: 'Dogor' The 18,000-Year-Old Mummified Pup Frozen in Siberia Is Actually a Wolf




HURLEY, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 17: A decapitated male mallard duck lies on the ground in a static caravan park on February 17, 2014 in Hurley, England. (Photo : Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

U.K. Police appeals to the public for information about the recent event in a public park, where a number of animals were found mutilated.

Decapitated rabbits and speared fish were discovered in Donisthorpe Woodland Park, floating in a river and pinned to stakes, all left for the public to see at the popular beauty spot in Leicestershire, central England, NewsWeek reported.

Local police have launched an appeal for witnesses and are currently investigating the mutilations, according to BBC News channel.

A post on the North West Leicestershire Police Facebook page said: "It has been reported that over a period of weeks, several decapitated rabbits have been located floating in the water at Donisthorpe Woodland Park and further to this, deceased fish on spears have also been found in open public view. Have you seen or heard anything? If you do have any information, please call 101 and ask to speak with PC 237 Holmes."

"Vile Humans"

A spokeswoman for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) has expressed the charity's distress about the dreadful discoveries which the local North West Leicestershire police are looking into. ""While these specific incidents have not been reported to us, the RSPCA sadly does experience a considerable spike in the number of reports of cruelty during the summer months," she added.

While it was not made clear if any laws were violated with the recent incident, the British law protects its wild mammals from deliberate acts of cruelty.

One commenter on social media wrote: "Vile humans" after seeing the Facebook post. Meanwhile, a Leicestershire Police spokesperson told NewsWeek that the officer who issued the post said a member of the public reported the incident, but didn't do so immediately.

"They couldn't say over what timeframe it'd been happening other than within recent weeks. They also couldn't say how many animals had been killed," he said, adding that there has been previous reports of fish being poached in the area.

Also read: Newborn Baby with Four Arms and Legs in India Hailed as "Miracle of Nature"

An Unfortunate Occurrence

The occurrence of animal cruelty where killers intentionally harm or kill animals in the form of mutilation and left in public places is unfortunately a "fairly frequent occurrence", not just in the U.K. but other parts of the world.

Last month, bags of farm animal carcasses were found near an apartment complex in Georgia by a neighborhood resident walking their dog nearby, Ledger-Enquirer reported. In 2019, bulls were discovered dead and completely drained of blood with their organs out on an Oregon ranch.

In 2015, decapitated chickens, goats, rabbits, and more were left at sites across Sacramento, California, found inside boxes or bags which suggests that it had been put there on purpose.

"The behavior that is being displayed now is concerning because it's often behavior you see displayed in serial killers, serial rapists," said clinical psychologist Andrew Mendonsa in reference to the 2015 events, saying the killings are about power, control, and having ultimate control over a victim.

Serial killers like Jeffrey Dahmer, British child murderer Mary Bell, the Columbine shooters, and several others were found to have intentionally harmed and killed animals during their adolescent years. A 2002 study of criminal defendants even shows that animal cruelty during childhood was significantly associated with having antisocial personality disorder, antisocial personality traits, and substance abuse.

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As a quota of 500 dolphins is set for slaughter, the Faroe Islands have been dubbed an "abattoir." Following outrage over the slaughter of 1,480 white-sided dolphins last year, environmentalists believe new government hunt quotas are 'farcical.'

Setting a Quota

Months after the widely condemned death of over 1,400 white-sided dolphins in the Faroe Islands, the Faroese government has established an initial yearly hunt quota of 500 in what protesters describe as a "farcical" move.

arni Skaale, the Faroese fisheries minister, stated that the quota was set to ensure sustainability. "We have a right to hunt," he told the Guardian, but he also stressed the need to protect the country's resources: "We have to use everything sustainably."

The quota is set to affect at the end of July, and the government claims it represents a small portion of the estimated 80,000 whales and dolphins in the North Atlantic. It will remain in place until 2024.

Unprecedented Scale

The scale of last year's cull was unprecedented. Since 1996, the Faroe Islands have killed an average of 270 white-sided dolphins yearly, including the 1,428 killed last year. Only three previous years during that time span had more than 500 dolphins killed: 2001, 2002, and 2006.

"The Faroese government's declaration is ridiculous," said Sally Hamilton, director of the marine conservation nonprofit Orca.

"The Faroes had formalized what was previously unformalized, approving the murder when it was never certain how many dolphins would be slaughtered yearly - if any at all."

Also Read: Culture or Cruelty? People Are Outraged After 1500 Dolphins Were Massacred in Faroe Island

Criticisms and Outcry

"The Faroes have become a slaughterhouse for marine animals," she said, "and the country appears indifferent about the international indignation and criticism this is bringing."

Skaale claimed that the 500-person restriction was appropriate. "It will avoid another hunt like last year," he added.

Orca's head of partnerships, Steve Jones, called the statement, establishing a quota for killing Atlantic white-sided dolphins rather than the customary "Grindadrap," as the yearly massacre of pilot whales is known, a "smoke-and-mirror operation."

"To establish a quota is to formalize a hunt that did not previously exist as a traditional hunt and which polls have revealed that Faroe Islanders do not desire," he added. It is a concerning trend toward an unsustainable hunt. White-sided dolphin meat has no market."

Dolphin Massacre

The massive massacre last year sparked international outrage and exposed local opposition. According to a poll conducted following the murder, although 83 percent of islanders supported the killing of pilot whales, 53 percent opposed the killing of white-sided dolphins.

Companies also spoke out against the deaths. Bakkafrost, the island's largest salmon farming company, released a statement calling the slaughter "very reprehensible." The Faroese Aquaculture Association, representing fish producers, asked for a blanket ban on the slaughter of white-sided dolphins in February.

Reviewing the Quota

The Faroese government has said that the quota will be reviewed in 2024, using new information on dolphin populations from the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission, representing the region's four whale-hunting countries: Norway, Iceland, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands.

Related Article: As Demand Decreases, Iceland will Finally End Commercial Whaling in 2024

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A shortfin mako shark was spotted by a "confused" photographer off the coast of the seaside village of Garraf in the province of Barcelona, Spain.

Reports that emerged on Wednesday, July 13, indicated that an underwater photographer and his companion initially saw the shark as a "large black shadow" moving in the depths of the Balearic Sea.

World's Fastest Shark

The photographer named David Jara, along with Carlos Molina, reported the sighting, with the former saying he was confused after seeing the dark figure first hand, according to GB News, a UK-based news channel.

The duo was on their boat and temporarily thought of jumping into the water but did not continue to do so due to the possible risks.

Marine biologist Claudio Barria said that there is no record of a video made of a shortfin mako in the Spanish Mediterranean, as cited by the UK media outlet.

Also Read: Mako Shark Tracking Off West Coast Reveals 'Impressive' Memory and Navigation

Shortfin Mako Shark

The NOAA Fisheries describes shortfin mako sharks to have very pointed snouts and long gill slits.

In addition, their color appears as dark blue or gray backs, light metallic blue sides, and white undersides.

Often mistaken with longfin mako sharks, the small mako sharks have shorter pectoral fins and eyes, as well as lighter snout color than their counterparts.

The following nicknames or designations are being used to call a shortfin mako shark:

Mako shark

Blue pointer

Bonito shark

Atlantic mako shark

Atlantic shortfin mako shark

The average length of the shark species can reach up to 13 feet long and a lifespan of over 30 years.

According to the non-profit organization Oceana, the predatory shark can weigh at least 1,200 pounds (545 kilograms), highlighting the fact that it is still the world's fastest living shark and fastest fish on the planet.

In the United States, mako sharks can be found in the coastal waters of New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast.

New York Shark Patrol

In late May, a fisherman saw a 10-foot-long blue pointer on the waters of Point Lookout site, located on Long Beach Barrier Island in New York.

The shark sighting, along with others, prompted local authorities to launch a shark patrol operation called the "Hempstead Town Shark Patrol."

The operation allowed lifeguards to both be at their post and ride jet skis to help the concerned authorities.

Egypt Mako Shark Attack

In addition to the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, where the presence of shortfin mako sharks is seen in the coast of East Coast US and Western Europe, the fastest sharks are also seen as far as waters in North Africa.

The latest incident involved the killings of two European tourists by suspected mako sharks.

In early July, Egyptian authorities closed a stretch of the Red Sea coastline from the public after a mako shark attacked and killed an Austrian woman near the Hurghada resort.

An Egyptian health official confirmed the 68-year-old woman lost one of her legs and arms during the shark attack.

She succumbed to her wounds after being brought to the Nile Hospital in Hurghada.

In a separate incident, another shark attack led to the death of a Romanian tourist in the same area.

Both the female tourists were killed three days apart and while swimming in the Sahel Hachich area, according to Egypt's environment ministry, as cited by Euronews.

Related Article: Shark Patrol Operation Mobilized in Long Island Following Shark Sightings
One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021
In cancer research, it all comes down to a single cell.

Over the last decade, cancer researchers have homed in on the fact that an individual cell from a tumor can be used to perform molecular analyses that reveal important clues about how the cancer developed, how it spreads and how it may be targeted.

With this in mind, a team of researchers at Brown University has developed an advanced way to isolate single cells from complex tissues. In a study published in Scientific Reports, they show how the approach not only results in high-quality, intact single cells, but is also superior to standard isolation methods in terms of labor, cost and efficiency.

The challenge was to develop a technology to enable researchers to more quickly and easily isolate cells from biopsied cancer tissue to ready it for analysis, said Anubhav Tripathi, study author and director of biomedical engineering at Brown.

From a technology standpoint, there's nothing like this available on the market right now. This technology will be useful for those looking for answers using genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics -; it will not only make those diagnostic and therapeutic investigations easier, but will also save researchers time and effort." Anubhav Tripathi, study author and director of biomedical engineering at Brown University

Tripathi added that beyond clinical applications, the technology will be useful in biomedical applications like tissue engineering and cell culture.

In single-cell analysis, advanced sequencing techniques are used to obtain genetic profiles of individual cells. This is particularly applicable to cancer tissues, where rare mutations can drive metastasis and treatment response outcomes. A major limitation of the clinical translation of single-cell analysis is the difficulty of isolating single cells from complex tissues, said co-author Nikos Tapinos, an associate professor of neurosurgery and neuroscience at Brown.

Tapinos described a typical workflow using the example of a brain tumor: A piece of the tumor would be removed in an operating room and brought to a lab. There, researchers would use a process involving enzymes to extract nucleic acids from bulk tissue samples and would then perform genetic sequencing en masse.

This process results in low-resolution, potentially inaccurate genetic readouts and poor detection of rare cell types, Tapinos said. The consequences of the loss of this information can be profound, he noted, including the possibility of patient misdiagnosis, creating a substantial lag between the time when the tumor is removed from the patient and the cells are ready for RNA sequencing.

"There is a tremendous need for a technology that allows for the removal of tissue from the patient and, within minutes, results in viable, healthy single cells from which RNA can be isolated," Tapinos said. "That is exactly what this new process does."

The advantages of electricity over enzymes

In the new process, a tissue biopsy is placed in a liquid-filled receptacle between two parallel plate electrodes. Instead of enzymes, electric field fluctuations are applied to create opposing forces within the liquid. These forces cause the tissue cells to move in one direction and then in the opposite direction, which leads them to cleanly separate, or disassociate from one another.

This approach was invented by study author Cel Welch, a fourth-year Brown Ph.D. candidate in biomedical engineering in Tripathi's lab.

"Dr. Tripathi has done a lot of work in his lab using electric fields and microfluidics," Welch said. "After seeing how electric fields could be used in other diagnostic applications, we had the idea to do something unique with the electric field that's never been done before. Based on the existing body of research about the manipulation of biological particles, we formulated a hypothesis about how this would work."

The new process resulted in dissociation of biopsy tissue in as little as 5 minutes -; three times faster than leading enzymatic and mechanical techniques described by Tripathi and Welch in a previous study.

The approach also resulted in "good dissociation of tissues into single cells while preserving cell viability, morphology and cell cycle progression, suggesting utility for sample preparation of tissue specimens for direct single-cell analysis," the study concluded.

According to the researchers, the new approach is, at minimum, 300% more effective than even the most optimized techniques using simultaneous chemical and mechanical dissociation.

Another advantage to the process, Welch said, is the compactness of the device they created: "In the traditional workflow, you need to use several different lab instruments, such as a centrifugation instrument, that cost several thousands of dollars each. This approach to single-cell sample preparation requires only a single device."

The research team has applied for both a U.S. and global patent for the device and associated methodology, with the assistance of Brown Technology Innovations, the University's technology transfer office.

The samples used in the study were bovine liver tissues, triple negative breast cancer cells and human clinical glioblastoma tissues. The research team is now refining the technology and developing a device that will be able to quickly and effectively process multiple different kinds of small-scale tissue biopsy samples at once, at a very low cost.

The new study explained the scientific basis for the process, Welch said. "Now we're working on a novel device that's specifically oriented at creating this highly optimized system for using this physical phenomenon."

"A researcher will be able to simply press a button and, within minutes, have the single cells they need for analysis," Tapinos said. "It's really amazing."

Harry Yu, a Brown University graduate, and Gilda Barabino, president of the Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering, also contributed to this research. The work was supported by funding from PerkinElmer, where Tripathi serves as a paid scientific advisor/consultant and lecturer.
In addition to keeping city residents safer where they live, work, and play, , a new analysis of data from Chicago shows that as violent crime decreases, so does the area's death rate from heart disease. This study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, demonstrated the deep impact that violence can have not just on the individuals involved, but also in the community at large.

It's important to acknowledge the impact of the built environment on health. Exposure to violent crime appears to be an important social determinant of cardiovascular health within the broader context of the ways in which structural racism harms health." Lauren Eberly, MD, study's lead author, clinical fellow in Cardiovascular Medicine and associate fellow of the Leonard Davis Institute

Data from the most recent 15 years of data available out of Chicago, 2000-2014, covered an overall, significant decline in violent crime. City-wide, the decline was 16 percent total, and coincided with a 13 percent decrease in cardiovascular disease mortality.

But when the researchers examined neighborhood-level numbers, they saw that deeper declines in violent crime appeared to correlate with sharper declines in heart disease-related mortality, too. For instance, the group of neighborhoods with the greatest decrease in violent crime averaged a 59 percent drop, which correlated with a nearly 15 percent total drop in heart disease mortality. Even in the areas with the lowest change in violent crime (a 10 percent decrease), cardiovascular mortality still declined by more than 11 percent.

That the mortality rates declined less when violence crime declined less was notable.

"Because community areas that experienced the smallest decline in crime also experienced the smallest improvements in cardiovascular mortality, pre-existing disparities in mortality between neighborhoods in the city are likely to worsen over time, especially with the recent rise in crime rates in the United States," Eberly said. "While these results represent one large, urban U.S. city that could potentially not be generalizable to other cities, we suspect that these results are likely reflective of many other large urban cities across the country."

Research has shown that violent crime tends to disproportionately affect the areas where people of color live. While the research of Eberly and her colleagues didn't explicitly examine the racial makeups of the neighborhoods examined, that foreknowledge shows that the study's findings likely have strong significance.

"We hope that, given these results, people will consider the root causes of violence," Eberly said. "We must acknowledge the legacy of racist policies and practices that have led to concentrated disadvantage and crime in Black and other racially and ethnically minoritized neighborhoods. Policies must be implemented to address the health consequences of structural racism and racial segregation."

One of the study's co-authors, Eugenia South, MD, an assistant professor of Emergency Medicine and director of the Penn Urban Health Lab, has performed clinical trials around neighborhood interventions aimed at improving public health  and decreasing violence. These have included increasing green space and structural repairs to the homes of low-income owners.

"In light of our latest analysis, such interventions' impact on cardiovascular health warrants further attention," Eberly said.

Data from 2000 until 2014 was the most recent set available to fully examine. Since then, violent crime has increased, both in Chicago and in many areas across the country. While Eberly could not say for sure due to data not being available for more recent years, Eberly said that it is possible that these increases also are translating to increases in cardiovascular death rates.

The study also didn't divide the violent crime out into different types. In cities like Philadelphia, gun crime has spiked since the pandemic.

"It is possible that different types of crime rates in a neighborhood may have different relationships with community health, which needs to be investigated further," said the study's senior author, Sameed Khatana, MD, an assistant professor of Cardiovascular Medicine. "Even if violent crime rates in a neighborhood are a marker of cardiovascular health, rather than the specific cause of cardiovascular deaths, the rise in any type of violent crime is concerning as it may identify neighborhoods where residents are especially vulnerable to worsening cardiovascular health in the years to come."
The COVID-19 pandemic pushed back years of progress made in combating antimicrobial resistance (AR) in the United States. The report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), COVID-19: U.S. Impact on Antimicrobial Resistance, Special Report 2022, concludes that the threat of antimicrobial-resistant infections is not only still present but has gotten worse with resistant hospital-onset infections and deaths both increasing at least 15% during the first year of the pandemic.

This setback can and must be temporary. The COVID-19 pandemic has unmistakably shown us that antimicrobial resistance will not stop if we let down our guard; there is no time to waste. The best way to avert a pandemic caused by an antimicrobial-resistant pathogen is to identify gaps and invest in prevention to keep our nation safe." Michael Craig, MPP, Director of CDC's Antibiotic Resistance Coordination & Strategy Unit

In the report, CDC analyzed the state of antimicrobial resistance in the United States immediately following the 2020 peaks of the COVID-19 pandemic. The data show an alarming increase in resistant infections starting during hospitalization, growing an overall 15% from 2019 to 2020 among seven pathogens. Increases in specific pathogens included:

carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter  78% increase in infections,

multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa  32% increase in infections,

vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE)  14% increase in infections, and

methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)  13% increase in infections.

Antifungal-resistant threats rose in 2020, too, including Candida auris-;which increased 60% overall-;and Candida species (excluding Candida auris), with a 26% increase in infections in hospitals. By comparison, in a 2019 report, significant national reductions in hospitals were celebrated, where antimicrobial-resistant infections fell by 27% 2012 to 2017; data show these reductions continued in hospitals until the pandemic began. Clostridioides difficile is the only healthcare-associated pathogen to improve in 2020, likely driven in part by changes in healthcare-seeking behavior.

In U.S. hospitals, CDC data show significant surges in antibiotic use and difficulty in following infection prevention and control guidance, which are key to preventing antimicrobial-resistant infections and their spread. During the pandemic, hospitals experienced personal protective equipment supply challenges, staffing shortages, and longer patient stays. Hospitals also treated sicker patients who required more frequent and longer use of medical devices like catheters and ventilators. The impact of the pandemic likely resulted in an increase of healthcare-associated, antimicrobial-resistant infections.

During the first year of the pandemic, more than 29,400 people died from antimicrobial-resistant infections commonly associated with healthcare. Of these, nearly 40% got the infection while they were in the hospital. The total national burden of deaths from AR may be much higher, but data gaps caused by the pandemic hinder that analysis. CDC has limited data for the spread of antimicrobial-resistant infections in the community; many clinics and healthcare facilities had limited services, served fewer patients, or closed their doors entirely in the face of challenges from COVID-19. Data are unavailable or delayed for nine of the 18 pathogens listed in CDC's 2019 Antibiotic Resistance Threats Reports.

In the 2019 report, the last year comprehensive healthcare and community data were available to calculate, CDC estimated that more than 2.8 million antimicrobial-resistant infections occur in the U.S. each year, with more than 35,000 people dying as a result.

Historic progress made in antibiotic prescribing was reversed as well during the pandemic. Antibiotics were often the first option given to treat those who presented with pneumonia-like symptoms of fever and shortness of breath, even though this often represented the viral illness of COVID-19, for which antibiotics are not effective. From March 2020 to October 2020, almost 80% of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 received an antibiotic. While some of this prescribing can be appropriate when risks for related bacterial or fungal infections are unknown, this high level of prescribing can also put patients at risk for side effects and create a pathway for resistance to develop and spread.

Despite the pandemic, in 2020, more than 90% of U.S. hospitals had an antibiotic stewardship program aligned with CDC's Core Elements of Hospital Antibiotic Stewardship-; which may have contributed to the reduction in Clostridioides difficile infections.

During the pandemic, many antimicrobial resistance programs contributed to stopping the spread of COVID-19. For example, CDC's AR Solutions Initiative provided infection control expertise to healthcare facilities, many of them nursing homes, to perform more than 14,000 outbreak consultations; CDC's AR Lab Network sequenced more than 4,700 SAR-CoV-2 genomes; and CDC's NHSN, which drives patient safety programs by tracking antimicrobial-resistant infections and antibiotic use in healthcare, provided added capabilities to support COVID-19 data collection in hospitals and nursing homes.

"We need to emphasize and expand the implementation of the effective prevention strategies that are already in CDC's toolbox to all healthcare facilities," said Denise Cardo, MD, Director of CDC's Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion. "The 2021 launch of the Global AR Lab and Response Network and the Global Action in Healthcare Network is an example of how aggressively CDC is moving to combat antimicrobial resistance not only in the U.S. but in nearly 50 countries across the world. We made significant progress before the pandemic, and I'm confident that we will make significant progress going forward."

With prevention and preparedness as its top goal, CDC remains committed to the U.S. National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (CARB) and will move forward by addressing gaps in the public health system and exploring investments in U.S. healthcare infrastructure in the following key areas:

Enhance Data Systems and Sharing: Expanding automation of electronic data under NHSN to allow healthcare facilities and systems to have information they need on antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance. Additionally, this includes sharing established networks like CDC's AR Lab Network during emergencies, using telehealth for contact tracing, and working to support uninterrupted laboratory supplies and equipment for patient care and infection control.

Expanding automation of electronic data under NHSN to allow healthcare facilities and systems to have information they need on antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance. Additionally, this includes sharing established networks like CDC's AR Lab Network during emergencies, using telehealth for contact tracing, and working to support uninterrupted laboratory supplies and equipment for patient care and infection control. Infection Control: Continuing to offer high-quality infection prevention and control training like Project Firstline to every healthcare professional and to healthcare facilities beyond hospitals, such as nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. This also means educating the public on how they can stop the spread of germs and practice infection prevention in the communities where they live and work.

Continuing to offer high-quality infection prevention and control training like Project Firstline to every healthcare professional and to healthcare facilities beyond hospitals, such as nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. This also means educating the public on how they can stop the spread of germs and practice infection prevention in the communities where they live and work. Antibiotic/Antifungal Use and Access : Optimizing antibiotic use across all healthcare settings and implementing CDC's Core Elements across healthcare settings. In addition, working to promote optimal antibiotic and antifungal use and tracking for companion animals and agriculture.

: Optimizing antibiotic use across all healthcare settings and implementing CDC's Core Elements across healthcare settings. In addition, working to promote optimal antibiotic and antifungal use and tracking for companion animals and agriculture. Environment and Sanitation: Expanding the capacity of the National Wastewater Surveillance System to collect antimicrobial resistance data from wastewater treatment plants and healthcare facilities, studying resistance in community and healthcare wastewater domestically and globally. This also includes expanding global capacities to fight antimicrobial resistance in the environment and monitor antimicrobial resistance across One Health.

Expanding the capacity of the National Wastewater Surveillance System to collect antimicrobial resistance data from wastewater treatment plants and healthcare facilities, studying resistance in community and healthcare wastewater domestically and globally. This also includes expanding global capacities to fight antimicrobial resistance in the environment and monitor antimicrobial resistance across One Health. Vaccines, Therapeutics, and Diagnostics: Enhancing interagency collaboration to accelerate research for developing new antibiotics, antifungals, and therapeutics. For example, working with the Food and Drug Administration to identify ways to support the availability of decolonization products. This also includes supporting the use of vaccines to prevent infections, slow the spread of resistance, and reduce antibiotic use, and building a vaccine data platform to inform the development of new vaccines.

CDC is and will remain at the forefront of combating antimicrobial resistance. Though the pandemic reversed much of the progress in the past decade on infection prevention and control, the fight will now take on a renewed fervor in prevention-focused public health actions to keep the nation safe.
While depression is a common problem for people who have had a stroke, some people may have symptoms of depression years before their stroke, according to a study published in the July 13, 2022, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Researchers found that, in people who developed a stroke, symptoms of depression preceded the onset of stroke and further worsened after the stroke.

Depression is among the most pressing problems in people who have had a stroke and it is so common it is referred to as post-stroke depression. But our study found depressive symptoms not only markedly increase after stroke, it found people already had developed some depressive symptoms before the stroke even occurred." Maria Blochl, PhD, Study Lead Author, University of Munster

For the study, researchers looked at 10,797 adults with an average age of 65 and without a history of stroke at the start of the study. Participants were followed for up to 12 years. During that time, 425 people had a stroke. They were matched with 4,249 people who did not have a stroke but were similar in their age, gender, racial or ethnic identity, and other health conditions.

Participants took a survey every two years asking whether they experienced symptoms of depression in the past week, including: feeling depressed; feeling lonely; feeling sad; everything was an effort; and restless sleep. The more symptoms participants had, the higher their score.

Researchers found that six years before the time of the stroke, people who later had a stroke and those who did not had scores roughly the same, about 1.6 points. But at about two years before the stroke, scores of people who had a stroke started increasing, on average by 0.33 points. Following stroke, depressive symptoms increased an additional 0.23 points for this group, reaching a total of about 2.1 points and they stayed that high for 10 years after the stroke. In contrast, the scores of people who did not have a stroke remained roughly the same throughout the study.

When evaluating whether people could be considered clinically depressed, scoring three points or higher on the scale, researchers found a slightly different pattern of results emerged. At the assessment before the stroke, 29% of people who were about to have a stroke met the criteria for having probable depression, compared to 24% of those who did not have a stroke. But at the time of the stroke, 34% of the people who had a stroke met the criteria for having probable depression, compared to 24% of those who did not have a stroke. Those numbers were about the same six years after the stroke.

"This suggests that increasing symptoms of depression before stroke are mostly subtle changes and may not always be clinically detectable. But even slight increases in depressive symptoms, especially mood and fatigue-related symptoms, may be a signal a stroke that is about to occur," noted Blochl.

"Depression is not only a post-stroke issue, but also a pre-stroke phenomenon," said Blochl. "Whether these pre-stroke changes can be used to predict who will have a stroke is unclear. Exactly why depressive symptoms occur pre-stroke needs to be investigated in future research. Also, the study underscores why doctors need to monitor for symptoms of depression long term in people who have had strokes."

A limitation of the study was that researchers did not have enough data on treatments for depression. So, it is possible that some people received antidepressants that could have improved their symptoms of depression following stroke.
Thought Leaders Linxiang Lan Staff Scientist The Institute of Cancer Research

In this interview, News-Medical speaks to Linxiang Lan, a staff scientist at The Institute of Cancer Research and the lead author of a paper that presents a fundamental discovery that could pave way for new pancreatic cancer treatments.

Please can you introduce yourself, tell us about your scientific background, and what inspired your latest research?

I'm a staff scientist in the cancer stem cell laboratory at The Institute of Cancer Research, London. I did my Ph.D. at the Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin, Germany, from 2009 to 2013. During my Ph.D., I worked on breast cancer, specifically focusing on signaling pathways that control breast cancer development and progression. I then joined Professor Axel Behrens lab at The Francis Crick Institute as a post-doc in 2016 and started to work on pancreatic cancer.

In 2020, our lab moved to The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in London, and I became a staff scientist. My main scientific interest is in cancer biology. Specifically, I'm very curious about certain questions: when and how do cancer cells acquire aggressive properties, and how do they spread around the body? We know the spread of cancer cells is one of the main reasons causing deaths for cancer patients, including those with pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer has the lowest survival rates of common cancers. Can you tell us a bit about the epidemiology of pancreatic cancer and the treatment options that are currently available?

Pancreatic cancer is known for its high mortality rate. In the UK, the survival rate is around 7%, which means only 7% of pancreatic patients will survive for five years or more. Every year around 10,000 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the UK, and more than 9,000 patients die from it. Currently, pancreatic cancer is the fifth major cause of cancer-related deaths in the country.

Image Credit: Kateryna Kon/Shutterstock.com

Currently, the available treatments include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immune therapy. But the latter two therapies are only used in a very small group of patients. We know that pancreatic cancer is often diagnosed at late stages. That means a lot of patients cannot undergo surgery when they are diagnosed.

The main issues of these therapies, including chemotherapy and radiation therapy, are resistance and relapse, which means cancer often returns after therapy. Also, these therapies have quite considerable toxicity and side effects. So, developing novel therapies, including targeted therapies, is urgently needed for pancreatic cancer.

Prior to your study, what was known about the spread of pancreatic cancer cells, and crucially, what wasn't known?

We know that the spread of cancer cells is one of the main causes of cancer death in many cancer types, including pancreatic cancer. A lot of efforts have been made to study the reason why and how cancer cells spread. But still, the mechanism behind this was largely unknown. For example, many scientists were trying to identify genes controlling metastatic spread. But so far, very few unique genes have been found. Previously, a lot of work has shown that pancreatic cancer is not uniform, but instead, it often contains different cancer cell populations.

For example, many pancreatic cancers contain different epithelial and mesenchymal cancer cell types. Epithelial cell types are often found in cancer in the early stages whereas mesenchymal cancer cell types often become more numerous as the tumor progresses. It's also known that mesenchymal cancer cell types are normally more aggressive and have certain properties that enable them to more easily spread around the body.

Some studies have shown that the epithelial cell types and mesenchymal cell types can be converted between each other within one pancreatic tumor, but how this conversion happens and whether epithelial cancer cell types and mesenchymal cancer cell types communicate with each other were poorly understood. That's why we were focusing on this question, and we aimed to understand the functions of these different cancer cell populations in the spread of pancreatic cancer.

Please tell us how you carried out your research and what were your main findings?

We employed two models; genetic mouse models for pancreatic cancer and mini tumors, which are also called organoids. After switching off a gene encoding a protein called GREM1, we found that most epithelial cancer cell types converted into mesenchymal cancer types, which are much more aggressive and invasive. We also found this rapid switch from epithelial cancer cells into mesenchymal cancer cells caused a dramatic increase in the spread of cancer cells into other parts of the body.

Image Credit: Lightspring/Shutterstock.com

For example, in 90% of mice with GREM1 elimination, cancer spread into the liver. By contrast, in mice with GREM1 working normally, only 15% of cancers spread to the liver. In organoids, we also observed that switching off GREM1 caused cancer cells to switch from epithelial types to mesenchymal types. What's more interesting is that when we boosted GREM1 to a high level, we found that high-level GREM1 can revert mesenchymal cells to epithelial cells. So this means a high level of GREM1 can reverse very aggressive cancer cell types back into a less aggressive form. This is striking because this suggests GREM1 may have a therapeutic value in returning malignant cells to less aggressive cells.

In your study, you utilized 'mini-tumors' or organoids. What advantages do these provide in cancer research?

Organoids have recently been increasingly popular in biomedical research, and tumor organoids are now widely used in cancer research. There are quite a few advantages for organoid models in cancer research. For example, compared with mouse models, like tumors in mice transplanted from human patient samples, the generation of tumor organoids is much quicker. Normally we can generate patient-derived organoids within one or two months. Transplantation tumors in mice usually will take much longer.

Secondly, tumor organoids have been shown to have the ability to preserve or maintain the diversity of cancer cells, as seen in primary human cancers. For example, in our organoid models, we found that both epithelial and mesenchymal cancer cells can be captured. By contrast, traditional 2D cell culture conditions are quite selective. That means they select only certain types of populations, and the diversity is therefore lost.

Organoids are also more stable compared with traditional 2D dish cultures. Many studies have shown that organoids maintain their properties without major changes after long-term culture. So this makes research much more convenient.

The study found that the pattern of cells in pancreatic tumors follows a mathematical law. What is this law, and what does it mean for the understanding pancreatic cancer?

This law is the Turing model for the biological patterning of tissues. This model was proposed by Alan Turing more than 70 years ago. He proposed that two single chemicals interacting with each other can control tissue or organ patterning. The Turing model is found throughout nature  it governs the pattern of a leopards spots and the patterns on the skin of a puffer fish. In our study, we found that mesenchymal cancer cells can produce a protein called BMP2, and BMP2 is important to maintain this cancer cell type in the mesenchymal state.

Surprisingly, we found that in mesenchymal cancer cells, BMP2 induces the production of GREM1, and GREM1 is known as an inhibitor of BMP-2. So this means in these cells, BMP2 is produced, which then triggers GREM1 production, and GREM1, in turn, decreases BMP2 activity. It's a kind of negative feedback loop. This negative feedback loop particularly affects the epithelial cancer cell fate.

We think this interaction between BMP2 and GREM1 follows Turing's model. We propose that pancreatic cancer also follows this model to establish distinct epithelial and mesenchymal populations. But we need to do more work to validate whether other cancer types also follow this model to establish the diversity of cell populations and the pattern.

How do you hope your findings will influence the future of pancreatic cancer treatment?

It's amazing that we found that the high GREM1 level can reverse mesenchymal cancer cells - which are very aggressive and more easily spread  back into epithelial cells, which are less aggressive and more indolent. We think this knowledge can help us find a way to reverse aggressive cancer cells back to less aggressive ones and therefore make the tumors much more treatable with standard therapy. We think the signaling pathways involved in this process could present important therapeutic targets.

Image Credit: mentalmind/Shutterstock.com

What is next for yourself and your research?

I'm continuously fascinated with the research in our cancer stem cell lab led by Professor Axel Behrens. I want to do more work to further understand how cancer cells spread. For example, Id like to do some follow-up studies on GREM1 in different cancer types to see whether GREM1 controls the spread of other cancers. , My main ambition for the future is to help translate our knowledge of GREM1 and BMP2 in controlling the spread of pancreatic cancer into the drug discovery so that we can find new treatments for patients.

Where can readers find more information?

About Linxiang Lan

I am currently a staff scientist in The Cancer Stem Cell Lab at the Institute of Cancer Research. I did my Ph.D. in Prof. Water Birchmeier's Lab at The Max-Delbruck-Center for Molecular Medicine from 2009 to 2013, and joined Prof. Axel Behrens Lab at the Francis Crick Institute for postdoc training in 2016, with support by two fellowships from DFG and German Cancer Aid. I became a staff scientist after the lab moved to the Institute of Cancer Research in 2020. My research interests include tumor heterogeneity & metastasis in pancreatic cancer.
The Supreme Court's decision overturning the federal constitutional right to abortion has left confusion in its wake. State abortion laws are in constant flux, patients and providers are unsure what services are legal where, and employers struggling to accommodate workers face privacy and, potentially, legal obstacles.

Meanwhile, Congress is back from its July Fourth recess, with time running out if lawmakers are to pass legislation that will continue expanded subsidies for insurance purchased under the Affordable Care Act. Without the subsidies, premiums will jump and voters will start getting those notices right before the midterm elections. Congressional Democrats have also resumed talks on some of President Joe Biden's agenda items, including efforts to lower Medicare drug costs.

This week's panelists are Julie Rovner of KHN, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call.

Among the takeaways from this week's episode:

The Supreme Court's decision has created turmoil in many states as abortion rights supporters and opponents fight over the issue in state courts. It's creating whiplash for patients and health care providers in states like Louisiana as courts wobble back and forth about whether strict abortion restrictions can take effect.

Although the decision is less than a month old, abortion providers in states that protect the right to abortion say they are already seeing high numbers of patients traveling for care.

The administration is seeking to buttress abortion access, but abortion rights advocates continue to complain that the federal response to the court's action has been slow and weak. Officials say, however, that they have little power in this new battle over abortion because it will be fought on the state level and they are wary of setting up new cases that could allow the Supreme Court to strip more federal powers.

President Joe Biden last Friday ordered federal agencies to assess options to help people seeking abortion services. This week, the Department of Health and Human Services issued guidance to doctors, hospitals, and other providers reaffirming that federal law protects them if they offer lifesaving services to pregnant women in emergency situations. HHS also notified pharmacies that if they failed to fill prescriptions for drugs that are used for medical abortions but also for other conditions, they could be violating federal civil rights law.

In other reproductive health news, a French drugmaker has applied to the FDA for permission to market an over-the-counter birth control pill. A decision is not likely until next year, but a brewing controversy may hinge on whether the pill would be available to minors.

States are beginning to set the rates for 2023 insurance plans sold on the ACA marketplaces, and the rates are going up. That could be a shock to consumers purchasing those plans if Congress doesn't renew the enhanced premium subsidies that Democrats pushed through two years ago. Those increased subsidies appear to be in jeopardy on Capitol Hill.

Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too:

Alice Miranda Ollstein: NiemanLab's "Unimaginable Abortion Stories Will Become More Common. Is American Journalism Ready?" by Laura Hazard Owen

Sandhya Raman: The Atlantic's "The Great Veterinary Shortage," by Sarah Zhang

Tami Luhby: The Wall Street Journal's "Medical Debt Is Being Wiped Off Credit Reports. What That Means for You," by Ayse Kelce

Also mentioned on this week's podcast:

KHN's "Three Things to Know About Insurance Coverage for Abortion," by Julie Appleby

KHN's "How Much Health Insurers Pay for Almost Everything Is About to Go Public," by Julie Appleby

CNN's "HHS Unlawfully Varied Hospital Reimbursement Rates, Supreme Court Says," by Tierney Sneed, Ariane de Vogue, and Tami Luhby

The Los Angeles Times' "Post-Roe, Many Autoimmune Patients Lose Access to 'Gold Standard' Drug," by Sonja Sharp

Politico's "FDA Weighs First-Ever Application for Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pills in the Wake of Roe's Fall," by Alice Miranda Ollstein
For her birthday every October, Grace Gibson-Snyder and her family explore the Lamar Valley just inside the northern border of Yellowstone National Park.

Carved long ago by meandering glaciers, the valley is home to bison and bald eagles, grizzly bears and gray wolves. Gibson-Snyder has seen them all. She calls it "my favorite place."

"I know how special it is to have this in my life," said Gibson-Snyder, an 18-year-old from Missoula, Montana, "and I don't want it to go away."

That concern, hypothetical not so long ago, turned tangible in June when unprecedented flooding washed out bridges, ravaged roads, forced the evacuation of thousands of tourists, and temporarily closed the park.

Although park officials described the flooding as a rare event, scientists say this type of extreme weather should be expected as the climate continues to warm.

It also illustrates why Gibson-Snyder and 15 other Montana young adults and children are suing their state.

Their lawsuit asserts that Montana  by fostering fossil fuel as its primary energy resource  is contributing to a deteriorating climate and violating the children's right to a clean and healthful environment guaranteed in the state's constitution. By doing so, the lawsuit alleges, Montana is interfering with the children's health, safety, and happiness.

"The state's reliance on fossil fuels, its energy policy, its continued development of fossil fuel extraction has all led to exasperated effects of climate change," Gibson-Snyder said. "It's a betrayal by the government."

In 2021, coal-fired power plants produced 43% of Montana's electricity, compared with hydropower at 41% and wind power at 12%, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

With favorable rulings from a state judge and recently the Montana Supreme Court, the children's lawsuit is on track to become the first such climate case to go to trial in the United States. Attorneys for Gibson-Snyder and her fellow plaintiffs  ages 2-18 when the lawsuit was filed in 2020  believe the case heralds a shift in climate-related litigation that could reverberate globally.

Already this year, children in Virginia, Utah, and Hawaii have filed similar constitutional challenges, and Our Children's Trust, the nonprofit law firm that represents them in those actions, said other lawsuits by children in other states are likely by the end of the year.

"A win in Montana could very well have implications throughout the country and potentially even the world," said Nate Bellinger, an attorney for Our Children's Trust.

That children are bringing these actions, Bellinger said, should not be surprising. Our Children's Trust, he added, routinely hears from young people interested in filing lawsuits against the states where they live.

"They have the most at stake and the most to lose and they are the least politically powerful group," Bellinger said. "The courts offer them an opportunity to have some of that power to do something to protect their own futures."

Claire Vlases, a plaintiff in the Montana case, noted that she was too young to vote when the lawsuit was filed.

"There are three branches of government for a reason," said Vlases, now 19, of Bozeman, Montana. "If I'm not able to use the other two, this is my way, and it's a way for kids, to have our voices heard."

The cases brought by children against their states will unfold in the aftermath of a June 30 ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court to limit how the Clean Air Act  the nation's main anti-pollution law  can be used to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. Although environmental advocates called the decision an egregious setback in the fight against climate change, attorneys for Our Children's Trust said the ruling will not affect the youth-led constitutional lawsuits brought against state governments.

The Supreme Court decision does, however, further demonstrate "how important these children's constitutional climate lawsuits are to address the harmful effects of our government-sanctioned fossil fuel program," said Mat dos Santos, managing attorney at Our Children's Trust.

Previous attempts by youngsters  or on behalf of youngsters  to force government action against climate change have been largely unsuccessful. Courts in Washington, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Florida, and, earlier this year, Alaska have dismissed those constitutional challenges.

Another case brought by Our Children's Trust, Juliana v. the United States  the subject of a Netflix documentary  was thrown out by a federal court in 2020, although the plaintiffs are awaiting a decision on their motion to refile that lawsuit. Seventeen states, led by Alabama and including Montana, have asked to join the case and oppose its going forward.

In dismissing those cases, judges have often concluded that the remedies sought should be pursued not through the courts but through the executive and legislative branches of government.

A judge in Montana, citing the Juliana case, agreed with that reasoning when dismissing parts of the lawsuit last summer but allowed other claims to advance toward a trial. Those claims don't assert that Montana isn't doing enough to stop climate change. Rather, they allege, the state's actions are causing climate change.

"These aren't cases where governments are failing to act," Bellinger said. "Governments are acting. They are promoting fossil fuels and permitting pipelines and power plants and extraction."

The young plaintiffs in Montana maintain they are harmed by a state energy policy that favors fossil fuels and a law that prohibits environmental reviews by the state from considering the effects of policies outside Montana, which they contend doesn't allow a proper examination of the effects of climate change.

Those actions affect the environment and their health, the lawsuit claims. The children report experiencing, among other medical issues, aggravated asthma, headaches, and throat and eye irritation, mostly brought on by pollution from intense fire seasons in Montana.

The threat of a worsening climate, too, has emotional effects, the lawsuit maintains. Gibson-Snyder, for instance, said she worries about the welfare of any future children of her own.

"At best, they will grow up in an environment different than mine and with the same guilt and fear that I have about this issue," she said. "At worst, they will suffer directly from the fires and the floods and the famines. I think a lot of my peers are going through very similar things."

Aiding the children's case in Montana is the specific constitutional right to "a clean and healthful environment," considered among the nation's strongest environmental protections.

"Our constitution does not require that dead fish float on the surface of our state's rivers and streams before its farsighted environmental protections can be invoked," the Montana Supreme Court concluded in a 1999 case that fortified a clean and healthful environment as a "fundamental right."

On June 10, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen filed an emergency motion asking the state Supreme Court to overrule the lower court and dismiss the children's case, which he described as "a climate crusade" and "a scheme" seeking the "radical overhaul of Montana's environmental policy."

"This lawsuit features a special interest group seeking to circumvent Montana's political processes and impose  by judicial fiat  its preferred climate change policies on the people of the state," the motion said.

Four days later, the Montana Supreme Court denied the request. At the request of the attorney general who wanted more time to prepare, the state judge did postpone the trial originally set for next February. A new date hasn't been scheduled, although Bellinger expects the case will go to trial in summer 2023.

Gibson-Snyder said she is frustrated by her government's continued opposition to helping end the climate crisis.

"It's weird to be relied upon to solve an international emergency while also being dismissed by some of the same people who have that responsibility," she said. "I keep holding out hope that the state is going to come around and help its citizens."

Vlases agreed, saying she doesn't understand the resistance to change when there is consensus that Montana's landscape is worth protecting. The inaction of today's leaders, she said, is an existential threat to her and her peers.

"It feels like we are wearing the hand-me-downs of the past generation," she said.
A drug used in the clinical treatment of angina symptoms also has an anti-inflammatory effect and reduces atherosclerotic plaques in blood vessels - thereby reducing the risk of heart attack or stroke. The study, led by MedUni Vienna and including access to data from Harvard Medical School, has now been published in the highly regarded journal "PNAS".

The complications of atherosclerosis - heart attack and stroke - are the leading causes of death in Europe and the United States. In recent years, it has been shown that chronic inflammation in the arteries leads to the formation and progression of atherosclerotic plaques (deposits in the blood vessels). The MedUni Vienna research group led by Walter Speidl (Department of Medicine II, Division of Cardiology) and Philipp Hohensinner (Center for Biomedical Research) has now demonstrated for the first time that a reduction in intracellular sodium concentration inhibits the important inflammatory modulator NF-kappa-B. The drug ranolazine is a long-established drug used to relieve the symptoms of angina pectoris. However, it also inhibits the uptake of sodium into cells.

In this publication, we used research involving cell culture, animal models and a large-scale human study to identify a new mechanism for inhibiting inflammation in atherosclerosis. We now have evidence that an established drug not only combats the symptoms of angina but can also reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke." Johann Wojta, Head of the Cardiology Research Laboratory, Medical University of Vienna, and co-author of the study

Using data provided by Harvard Medical School, this anti-inflammatory effect was demonstrated in 6,500 patients who had suffered myocardial infarction. It was found that treatment with ranolazine results in lower levels of the inflammatory and cardiovascular risk marker "high-sensitivity C-reactive protein" compared to placebo. Max Lenz, lead author of the study says: "We have now been able to show that ranolazine is not only effective against symptoms. It has an anti-inflammatory effect and reduces atherosclerotic plaques in our mouse models. These plaques also become more stable, potentially significantly reducing the risk of heart attack." Ranolazine is thus a safe drug that has already been approved for patients with coronary heart disease and leads to a reduction in chronic vascular inflammation.
Researchers at the John T. Macdonald Department of Human Genetics and the John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine have found that inherited mutations in the MINAR2 gene caused deafness in four families. The gene variation mostly affects the inner ear hair cells, which are critical to hearing.

Mustafa Tekin, M.D., professor in the Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics and senior author on the paper. Image Credit: University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

The authors believe the progressive nature of this hearing loss, in some affected individuals and in mice, could offer opportunities for treatment. The study, titled "Mutations in MINAR2 encoding membrane integral NOTCH2-associated receptor 2 cause deafness in humans and mice," was published online June 21 in the journal PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences).

MINAR2 plays a major role in hearing, and these inherited mutations lead to sensorineural deafness, said Mustafa Tekin, M.D., a professor in the Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics and senior author on the paper. The findings suggest these cases may be suitable for intervention with genetic therapies.

Dr. Tekin has been studying the genetic underpinnings behind hearing loss for more than 20 years, and has amassed a biorepository with genomic sequencing database of deafness-associated gene mutations in families all over the world.

We first look at known gene mutations, said Dr. Tekin, who is also chief of the Division of Clinical and Translational Genetics, director of the Biochemical and Molecular Genetics Diagnostic Laboratory, and a professor of otolaryngology. If we dont find any, we conduct whole genome sequencing to potentially identify new genes or something we may have missed in the initial test.

DNA variants found

In this study, the team sequenced a Turkish familys genome, targeting known deafness genes, but found nothing. Following up with whole genome sequencing, they found DNA variants in MINAR2, which had only recently been described in the research literature. Scientists are still filling in the blanks on the genes function.

Having identified the variations in MINAR2 in one family, Dr. Tekins team searched their database and found a second family with a different mutation in the same gene. Further investigation confirmed their findings in animal studies and identified three different MINAR2 mutations, which caused deafness in 13 people from four families.

We found this gene serves an important function. The protein localizes in hair cells and other areas that are critical to hearing. Future research will focus on clarifying the genes role. Mustafa Tekin, M.D., Professor, Department of Human Genetics, Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation

Potential for intervention

Hair cells convert sound into electrical signals, which are then sent to the brain. Normally, when children are born deaf, they have few, if any, living hair cells. As a result, gene therapies and other regenerative efforts would likely fail. However, in the mouse knockout model of MINAR2, hair cells remain alive until a later age. This gradual loss of hearing could allow for treatment.

What is surprising and promising for potential intervention is that, when we looked at the hair cells in our mouse model, they are alive until a certain age, said Tekin. That gives us a window of opportunity to provide treatment. We could insert the normal gene and potentially restore hearing.
Researchers have created a liquid biopsy test, which uses two circulating proteins, to test for major liver diseases. The test was found to be highly accurate, sensitive, and specific for both NASH and liver fibrosis. For the first time, a non-invasive test will allow for the determination of staging of both diseases without recurring to invasive liver biopsy.

Non-alcoholic steato-hepatitis (NASH) is the most severe form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and is diagnosed in approximately 60% of NAFLD patients. NASH puts people at risk of progressing to advanced liver diseases such as liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer.

NAFLD affects approximately 52 million people in Europe and 64 million people in the US, costing $138 billion annually to the European and US healthcare systems combined.

Currently, NASH can only be diagnosed with invasive liver biopsy, which is the standard of diagnosis, but is expensive and has co-morbidities and complications. There are also no reliable blood (i.e. liquid biopsy) tests for the diseases because of low sensitivity and specificity. Current blood tests are also unable to reliably predict NASH and fibrosis staging.

Professor Geltrude Mingrone, from King's College London and Catholic University of Rome, Italy, looked to find a more accurate liquid biopsy test.

The paper, published in leading journal Gut, identified two protein biomarkers, PLIN2 and RAB14, that were used as part of an algorithm to identify people with NASH and/or liver fibrosis. The ability for these proteins to detect NASH was tested in cohorts of people with either biopsy-confirmed NASH or liver fibrosis.

The algorithms, which used A.I., gave impressive results, including a sensitivity of 88-95%, a specificity of 90%-100%, and an overall accuracy of 92-93% for NASH. For fibrosis, they were even better, with a sensitivity of 99%-100%, specificity of 90%-96%, and accuracy of 98%-99%. As well as being much more accurate than all other currently available biomarkers, it is now possible to predict the stages of the diseases without invasive liver biopsy.

Professor Geltrude Mingrone, from King's College London, said: "This blood test will allow to define the real prevalence of NASH in large and small populations, including children and adolescents, avoiding the need for invasive liver biopsy. Importantly, it will also allow to monitor the efficacy of NASH treatments over time, reducing screen failures and helping generate better drugs."

These results show that the PLIN2/RAB14-based liquid biopsy can provide rapid and cost-effective testing to combat the growing epidemic of NASH and liver fibrosis. This will be an invaluable tool in diagnosing and monitoring cases of liver diseases, enabling people to receive earlier treatment.

The authors also believe that the testing will allow for the improved capacity for researchers to study NASH and liver fibrosis in the general population, including disease progression, and record the effects of treatment, from lifestyle to surgical and pharmacological interventions.

No NASH drug has been approved by the FDA or EMA due to the lack of an accurate, reliable, and non-invasive test. Between 65-73% of patients that currently enrol in clinical trials for NASH-related therapies are found to be ineligible for the trial due to screen failure. The test  developed in collaboration with Metadeq Corp.  is expected to significantly reduce screen failures in clinical trials and improve the chances of new life-saving drugs reaching the market.
Effective and safe treatments are needed for medulloblastoma-;the most common type of cancerous brain tumor in children-;especially for patients whose cancer has spread to the spinal cord. A recent phase I clinical trial led by researchers at Atrium Health Levine Children's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) has generated promising results for a new blocking antibody therapy that targets a protein critical to medulloblastoma cells' ability to multiply and spread. The findings are published in Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

The antibody, called TB-403, recognizes placental growth factor (PlGF), over-expressed in some types of malignant tumors. The MGH research team previously showed that PlGF and its receptor neuropilin 1 (NRP1) are often overexpressed in human medulloblastomas and are required for its growth and progression in experimental models in mice (Cell 2013). That work also demonstrated that blocking the PlGF/NRP1 pathway in medulloblastoma models caused tumor regression, decreased spread to the spinal cord, and prolonged survival.

Beyond the new biological insights, the experimental results were particularly exciting because blocking PlGF, unlike other cancer-related pathways, was safe in humans and thus was a particularly promising strategy in the pediatric population. We are thrilled to see the initial translation of these concepts into a clinical trial." Rakesh K. Jain, PhD, senior author, director of the E.L. Steele Laboratories for Tumor Biology at MGH and the Andrew Werk Cook Professor of Radiation Oncology at Harvard Medical School

The investigators' phase I, open-label, multicenter dose-escalation study enrolled 15 children with relapsed or refractory medulloblastoma that did not respond to standard treatments. Patients received increasing doses of the anti-human PlGF antibody TB-403 (20 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg, and 175 mg/kg), and all patients received two doses of TB-403 in the first cycle of treatment. The maximum tolerated dose-;defined in clinical trials as the highest dose of a drug that does not cause unacceptable toxicity-;was not reached. Moreover, although there were no partial tumor responses (significant reductions in tumor size) in this treatment refractory population, seven of 11 patients experienced disease stabilization-;stoppage of progression-;and which persisted for more than 100 days in four of those patients.

The investigators concluded that TB403 treatment was well tolerated and induced stable disease in some medulloblastomas in a setting with no effective treatments available.

"These findings indicate that treatment with TB-403 should be tested in larger studies of children with advanced medulloblastoma and perhaps at earlier stages, in combination with standard therapies," says lead and corresponding author Giselle L. Saulnier Sholler, MD, director of the Isabella Santos Foundation Solid and Rare Tumor Program and chair of the Beat Childhood Cancer Research Consortium at Levine Children's Hospital.

Additional study authors include Dan G. Duda, Genevieve Bergendahl, David Ebb, Matija Snuderl, Theodore W. Laetsch, Jennifer Michlitsch, Derek Hanson, Michael S. Isakoff, Kevin Bielamowicz, Jacqueline M. Kraveka, William Ferguson, Peter Carmeliet, A. De Deene, and Lore Gijsen.

The clinical study was supported by Oncurious NV and the Beat Childhood Cancer Foundation. MGH investigators' work is supported through grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, National Foundation for Cancer Research, Harvard Ludwig Cancer Center, Nile Albright Research Foundation, and Jane's Trust Foundation.
In West Texas, the tiny hospital in Crosbyton has only two beds, and they're not always occupied.

"We rarely admit patients," said Steve Beck, chief executive of the hospital, which is 40 miles east of Lubbock and serves a town of about 1,500 residents.

The hospital has trouble keeping staff, and "we're lacking in technology and expertise," he said. And money.

The town has hosted bake sales and garage sales to keep its emergency room and primary care services open. On paper, Crosbyton Clinic Hospital shouldn't exist, Beck said, but it does  by "sheer determination and commitment and work ethic."

In states with many rural hospitals  like Texas, Kansas, and Iowa  hundreds of those facilities have fewer than three patients staying overnight on any given day. The financial strain of staffing and maintaining those beds takes a toll, and federal lawmakers last year responded to pleas for help from hospital officials in places like Crosbyton.

The Rural Emergency Hospital program, slated to launch in January, will offer to pay small, struggling hospitals to drop their inpatient beds and focus solely on emergency and outpatient care. It will be the first new federal payment program for rural hospitals in 25 years, and lawmakers hope it stems the flow of rural hospital closures that accelerated over the past decade.

The law is "an unprecedented approach to maintain access to emergency health care in these communities," Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, which would oversee any changes to the law in the Senate, said in a statement to KHN.

Yet state hospital leaders predict the program may find few immediate takers.

The plan would boost payments for a hospital's Medicare patients and provide an additional flat "facility payment." But the exact size of those payments and whether they will be enough to shore up struggling hospitals is unclear even after the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released an initial proposed rule just before the July Fourth holiday weekend. A final rule is expected this fall.

In Kansas, where an estimated 40 hospitals reported an average inpatient count of one or two before the covid-19 pandemic, no hospitals are ready to raise their hands to join the program, said Jennifer Findley, vice president of education and special projects for the Kansas Hospital Association. The hospitals are "waiting and very anxious" for officials at CMS to release more details on the funding, Findley said.

CMS' chief medical officer, Dr. Lee Fleisher, responded to KHN's questions about the new program with an emailed statement in June that confirms the agency is "on target" to launch the program by January 2023. Agency officials declined to answer any further questions.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) confirmed this month that CMS will roll out the new law in a "series of proposed regulations." Grassley, who co-sponsored legislation that led to the creation of the program, urged the agency to do so in a "timely manner."

The rural emergency hospital model builds on Medicare's "critical access hospital" designation, which hospitals signed up for only after a series of amendments. The existing program allows Medicare to give additional funds to small, rural hospitals that have no more than 25 inpatient beds and whose average patient length of stay is 96 hours or less.

Grassley said in an interview with KHN that requiring rural hospitals to maintain inpatient units that are nearly empty is impractical. He wanted to offer "an alternative to shutting down and not having any delivery of health care."

Grassley emphasized that the new program will be voluntary. The law was a compromise, he said. Wyden objected to the costs of the original proposal, estimated at about $30 billion over 10 years. In the bill's final version, the boost to Medicare was lowered, and the cost estimate dropped by more than two-thirds.

In his statement to KHN, Wyden said the law was designed to "fill in specific gaps in the existing federal safeguards." Although the Medicare reimbursement is smaller than originally proposed, the law also includes a facility fee, which is paid regardless of how many patients a hospital serves.

CMS officials haven't yet disclosed the size of those payments, but Brock Slabach, chief operations officer for the National Rural Health Association, said hospitals need them to be $2 million to $3 million a year. The amount of the facility payment is "the linchpin for the whole program," he said.

But politicians in Washington are nervous about spending, and there's a "general suspicion about this program being valuable," Slabach said.

Comments from rural health advocates and hospital system administrators indicate they're also wary of the still-amorphous framework of the rural hospital rescue.

In regulatory comment letters filed last year, health systems and rural hospital organizations emphasized the importance of the facility payment. They also asked about participation in a federal discount drug program and the potential for overnight swing beds, which are beds that could be used for patients needing acute care after surgery or for an illness, such as pneumonia, and for those who need skilled nursing while recovering. They also asked how funding for outpatient services such as behavioral health and for telehealth could be included or paired with the new payment program.

CommonSpirit Health, an Illinois-based Catholic health system that operates in 21 states, said in its comment letter that although a rural hospital "isn't delivering many babies," using telehealth in an emergency could save the life of a baby or a mother, "like one of our critical access hospitals has done twice this year."

According to the proposed rule released June 30, flexible swing beds will not be allowed. Julia Harris, a senior policy analyst with the Bipartisan Policy Center, said CMS should consider allowing a "minimal number" of beds or enhancing hospitals' ability to keep patients longer for observation.

"Ironing out details" on the beds and making sure the reimbursement is adequate are key for the success of the program, Harris said.

James Roetman, the longtime CEO of Pocahontas Community Hospital in north-central Iowa, said that to overcome any skepticism among residents about eliminating inpatient beds, administrators will need to assure them that the new arrangement will pay enough to support and preserve their hospitals' emergency room and primary care services.

So far, Roetman said, it's not clear the program would do so.

"Unless something changes, there's very little discussion of it" among Iowa hospital administrators, he said.

Chris Mitchell, CEO of the Iowa Hospital Association, said the covid pandemic may have made the public less receptive to eliminating inpatient beds in small hospitals.

During covid surges, many urban medical centers were overwhelmed with patients, and they often asked outlying hospitals to treat as many noncritical cases as possible, Mitchell said. The small hospitals' inpatient units regained their importance, if only for a few weeks.

Rural communities would need assurances that under the Rural Emergency Hospital program, the system would retain enough capacity to handle waves of severely ill patients, Mitchell said.

With CMS' final rules not coming until at least fall, hospitals may have trouble preparing for conversion in January, said George Pink, senior research fellow at the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Once federal regulators finalize the rules, many states will need to pass laws to certify or license the redefined facilities.

Still, when some hospital administrators and rural health advocates talk about the law, they emphasize the situation is urgent. More than 130 rural hospitals have shut their doors since 2010, and closures hit a 10-year high in 2020, with 19.

Although coronavirus relief funds propped up struggling hospitals over the past two years, closures are expected to "start back up with a vengeance" as the emergency aid wanes, said Slabach.

The pandemic money has "wound down and basically disappeared," said Beck, the Texas hospital administrator. He hopes the new Medicare payment program will be next to help Crosbyton stay open.

"We'll survive until that happens," Beck said. "We're doing everything we can."
Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, a global leader in laboratory automation and innovation, announces that Suzanne Foster has been appointed as President of the company.

Suzanne Foster. Image Credit: Beckman Coulter Life Sciences

Foster joins Beckman Coulter Life Sciences from Cardinal Health, where she spent the past two years serving as President of the Health-at-Home business. A seasoned executive, Foster brings more than 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry.

She has previously served as President of Healthcare at Stanley Black & Decker, where her leadership style and commitment to innovation substantially grew the business. Her robust career also includes ten years at Medtronic as General Manager of their Advanced Energy business.

The legacy and mission of Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, along with the commitment to customers and innovation resonated with me long ago. As I meet with customers, I hear firsthand how important it is for us to continue developing automation solutions to help labs increase speed, reduce errors, and deliver advanced analytics. We will continue our relentless pursuit to be the trusted and preferred partner to help labs answer important scientific questions and overcome healthcare challenges. Suzanne Foster, President, Beckman Coulter Life Sciences

Foster holds an MPH in Law and Health Policy from Harvard University, a J.D. from Suffolk University, an M.Ed. in Psychology from Notre Dame College, and a B.A. in Communication from the University of New Hampshire.

Her passion for helping others took root when she started her career as a clinical social worker for an in-patient psychiatric unit. With a mission to drive meaningful change, Foster went on to law school and practiced health law before she moved into chief operating roles.

At every level, Ive seen the need for efficient and timely testing and research solutions. We will continue to lead the way with pioneering new technologies that can help laboratories of all sizes achieve these goals and bring down costs. It excites me to know that our instruments are helping labs around the world with their next big breakthrough and improving the lives of patients, while easing the manual workload on staff. Suzanne Foster, President, Beckman Coulter Life Sciences

Foster succeeds Greg Milosevich, who has taken a new position in the life sciences companies of Danaher Corporation, of which Beckman Coulter Life Sciences is also a member.

Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, Beckman Coulter Life Sciences has a substantial global footprint which includes 11 large operational facilities, more than 3,300 associates, and more than 300,000 Beckman Coulter Life Sciences systems installed globally.
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(Newser)  Update: UN officials said Thursday they expect Russia and Ukraine to officially resolve their standoff over grain shipments on Friday, while adding a diplomatic caution. And Turkey announced that a signing ceremony would be held Friday, though Ukraine and Russia didn't immediately confirm those plans, the New York Times reports. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Istanbul on Thursday night; the UN would be a signatory. A UN official said the two sides reached an agreement, though a last-minute snag is always a possibility, per the Wall Street Journal. Our story from July 13 follows:

With an estimated 22 million tons of grain stuck in Ukraine because of the war, the country is trying to find a way to get it out through the Black Sea without letting Russian invaders in. Russian and Ukrainian negotiators met in Istanbul Wednesday to discuss a United Nations plan supported by Turkey. Some officials feared that breaking the impasse could be "Mission Impossible," the New York Times reports, but UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said there was a "critical step forward" in talks. A Russian naval blockade has halted shipments of grain and other agricultural products and both sides have deployed sea mines, with Ukraine seeking to deter invasion, reports the BBC. If the issue isn't resolved soon, Ukrainian farmers will have nowhere to store their summer crop.

Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's foreign minister, told the AP before the negotiations Wednesdaythe first face-to-face talks between the two sides in monthsthat if corridors to allow exports are opened, Ukraine will seek assurances that Russia "will respect these corridors, they will not sneak into the harbor and attack ports or that they will not attack ports from the air with their missiles." Vladimir Putin has pledged that Odesa and other Ukrainian sea ports will not be attacked through Black Sea corridors, though the Ukrainian side notes that Putin also denied that he was planning to invade Ukraine in the first place. Ukraine has accused Russia of stealing and selling grain from occupied areas.

Ukraine is seeking a mechanism to ensure Russia doesn't use the Black Sea to ship stolen grain to global markets, while Russia says it should have the right to check vessels to make sure they're not shipping weapons. The European Union has been helping Ukraine move some of its grain by rail and river barge, but exports are still more than 5 million tons a month below usual levels, which has been adding to the world food crisis, especially in developing countries that have long relied on Ukrainian exports, the Times reports. Guterres said Wednesday that "more technical work will now be needed" before any agreement can be signed, but he's now "optimistic." (Read more Russia-Ukraine conflict stories.)
(Newser)  Bill Gates sees a multitude of problems in the world that need to be addressed, so he's setting out a plan for his foundation to tackle many of themand kicking in $20 billion this month to fund the effort. The co-founder of Microsoft issued a statement Wednesday saying the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will spend $9 billion per year on the initiatives, up from $6 billion. The goals of the efforts include preventing pandemics, eradicating disease, addressing climate change, reducing the number of childhood deaths, and reaching gender equality, NBC News reports.

"The pandemic is one of the biggest setbacks in history," Gates tweeted. "The war on Ukraine is a gigantic tragedy for the entire world. The damage from climate change is already worse than most models predicted. The US has taken a huge step backwards for gender equality and women's health." He added, per Axios, "The great crises of our time require all of us to do more." When he and Melinda Gates divorced last year, they promised to donate $15 billion each to the foundation. Warren Buffett has donated a total of $35.7 billion. The foundation says it has spent $79.2 billion since its founding in 2000.

Gates, who remains in the top five of the world's wealthiest people, said he intends to spend himself off that list before long. He expressed the hope that others in "positions of great wealth and privilege" will meet the moment. "My giving this money is not a sacrifice at all," Gates said. "I feel privileged to be involved in tackling these great challenges." (Read more Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation stories.)
(Newser)  It had been more than 20 years since she'd seen the little boy. But when the woman saw a facial rendering of a child that had turned up dead outside Atlanta, Ga., in 1999, created by a forensic artist with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children two decades later, she says she "screamed." "I knew that was him," the woman named Ava told the center. "It was no doubt." That tip has now led to the arrest of Teresa Ann Bailey Black for the murder of her 6-year-old son, William DaShawn Hamilton. Ava had known the pair when they lived in Charlotte, NC, in 1998. Following her May 2020 tip, DeKalb County police learned Black had removed her son from school in Charlotte in December 1998 and moved with him to Atlanta, acording to a release.

The body of a long-dead African American boy was found in a wooded area near a church cemetery in Decatur, east of Atlanta, on Feb. 26, 1999. Months later, Black returned to Charlotte without her son and reportedly gave different reasons for his absence, per CBS News. "For more than two decades, a woman in Charlotte who knew William and his mother followed her gut feeling that something wasn't right and kept looking for him," says NCMEC spokesperson Angeline Hartmann. "She made phone calls, scoured the internet, and talked to anybody who would listen." Ava told the center that finding Williama boy she loved and cared for, who liked to dance, draw, read, and crack jokes, per WCCBbecame "my job," one she was dedicated to "every day."

"Maybe that was my purpose of coming into his lifeto make sure that once his life was taken, that I would get him justice," added Ava. "And I have." According to police, DNA collected from 45-year-old Black earlier this year linked her to the boy's remains. A DeKalb County grand jury returned an indictment against Black on June 28. She was arrested in Phoenix a day later and is now awaiting extradition to Georgia. She faces charges of felony murder, cruelty to children, aggravated assault, and concealing the death of another. Investigators continue to piece together the details of the case and are asking anyone who knew Black and/or William around 1998-99 to call the DeKalb County District Attorney Office's Cold Case Tip Line at 404-371-2444. (Read more cold cases stories.)
(Newser)  Police in Philadelphia say a 14-year-old girl has surrendered to authorities in connection with a disturbing attack that killed a 73-year-old man last month. A 14-year-old boy turned himself in on Monday and both suspects have been charged with third-degree murder and conspiracy, 6ABC reports. Police say James Lambert was beaten with a traffic cone in a June 24 attack that involved four males and three females, all juveniles. Lambert, who was knocked to the ground and suffered head injuries after he was chased by the group, died in the hospital the day after the attack.

Lambert was attacked as he walked down a north Philadelphia street around 3am. It's not clear what led to the attack, but surveillance footage showed the group of young people roaming the area for around 20 minutes afterward, reports the Washington Post. "I just dont understand whats going on in our city," Tania Stephens, Lambert's niece, told Fox 29. "Hes walked that path for 60, 70 years of his life, and for his life to be snuffed out like that, is just unbelievable."

Police released footage of the attack Friday and offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to a conviction. Police say four juveniles have now turned themselves in, incuding a 10-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl who were released without charge. Donte Mills, the 13-year-old's attorney, tells Fox 29 that the girl tried to stop the attack and called 911 afterward. "We shouldn't lump everybody together and say these were all bad kids or these were all children who took it too far," Mills says. (Read more Philadelphia stories.)
(Newser)  Kevin Spacey, who said in May that he would go to Britain to defend himself against sexual assault charges, will be going on trial next year. The actor arrived at London's famed Old Bailey court Thursday morning to formally enter a plea, Sky News reports. He pleaded not guilty to all five charges against himfour counts of sexual assault and one of "causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent" and June 6, 2023 was set as a trial date, reports Deadline.

The trial is expected to last three to four weeks, Judge Mark Wall said. Spacey was granted a continuation of his unconditional bail, which allows him to travel freely, though Wall warned him that failure to appear for the trial would be considered a criminal act. Spacey was formally charged last month in connection with alleged assaults on three men, who are now in their 30s or 40s, between 2005 and 2013, when he was running London's Old Vic theater, the AP reports. During a hearing last month, Spacey's lawyer said the actor "strenuously denies any and all criminality in this case." (Read more Kevin Spacey stories.)
(Newser)  An "unsavory saga" has come to a conclusion in Georgia, where an ex-mayor is now headed to prison for nearly five years over a COVID relief funds scheme. On Wednesday, US District Court Judge Thomas W. Thrash Jr. sentenced Jason Lary to 57 months behind bars for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the city of Stonecrest, calling the 60-year-old's actions "absolutely deplorable," reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Per a release from the US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia, the city of Stonecrest received a $6.2 million grant in July 2020 under the federal CARES Act to help local small businesses, nonprofits, and churches get through the pandemic.

However, according to prosecutors, Lary set up shell companies, hired bookkeeper Lania Boone to shield what he was doing, and funneled nearly $1 million to himself. That money was used to pay off the mortgage on his lakefront home in Macon, take care of car and roof repairs, and settle up past-due tax bills, per the AJC. Lary also directed nearly $8,000 to Boone to help pay for her son's college tuition and room and board, reports the New York Times. Last fall, DOJ authorities seized about $480,000 from two of Lary's fraudulent firms. On Jan. 4, Lary resigned from the mayorship of the city he'd helped incorporate in 2016, "the first majority Black city created by its own residents since Reconstruction," per the Times.

"Lary betrayed the trust placed in him by the citizens of Stonecrest by stealing the very funds meant to help his constituents weather the COVID-19 pandemic," says US Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan in the release. "The people of Stonecrest deserved better." Lary, who pleaded guilty in January to wire fraud, federal program theft, and conspiracy, himself apologized to Stonecrest's residents in court, noting, "I let us down," per the AJC. Lary was also ordered to pay restitution of almost $120,000. He has been allowed to defer his prison stay until Dec. 15 so that he can keep receiving treatment for his lymphedema and prostate cancer. Boone pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy and will be sentenced next month. (Read more Georgia stories.)
(Newser)  A mass grave containing human ashes representing an estimated 8,000 people has been discovered near the former Nazi concentration camp of Soldau in northern Poland. The country's Institute of National Remembrance, which investigates crimes committed during the Nazi occupation of World War II and the subsequent period of communist rule, announced the discovery on Wednesday. It said the gravealso found to contain traces of clothing and other itemscontained 17.5 tons of human ashes. The weight of one burned body is about 4.4 pounds, per the BBC.

An estimated 30,000 people died at Soldau, "a place of transit, internment and extermination," in what is now Dzialdowo, north of Warsaw, per AFP. The first arrivals around September 1939 "were Polish POWs, but they were soon replaced by Jews, clergy, intelligentsia, and representatives of all other classes of the society," INR says. The victims buried in the mass grave "were probably assassinated around 1939 and mostly belonged to the Polish elites," says investigator Tomasz Jankowski. About five years later, as the end of the war neared, Nazi authorities ordered Jewish prisoners to dig up and burn the bodies.

"It's the evidence of how thoroughly the Germans tried to obliterate the traces of genocide they committed," INR says. But "the cover-up has failed," adds President Karol Nawrocki. Andrzej Ossowski, a genetics researcher at the Pomeranian Medical University, tells AFP that samples have been taken for DNA analysis in the hope of identifying the victims after similar work on remains found at Sobibor and Treblinka. The discovery follows completion of a three-volume report on Nazi war crimes in Poland, compiled by the Parliamentary Team on Reparations, per The First News. In 2019, a Polish lawmaker estimated Germany owed Poland more than $850 billion in reparations, per Reuters.

The report, four years in the making, will "show the scope not only of war crimes that Germany committed but also the damage," Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said at a Wednesday press conference, adding the document is being translated into several languages. "We show the whole pictorial documentation, but also historical sources as well as very precise calculations based on scientific ... reasoning, financial calculations converting losses at the time into today's money." Germany says the issue was settled in a 1954 agreement between Poland and Eastern Germany, though some Poles argue it wasn't negotiated fairly. (Read more Nazi war crimes stories.)
(Newser)  Ukraine has suffered major setbacks in recent weeks, with invading Russian forces using artillery to break down defenses before seizing territorybut analysts say long-awaited Western rocket systems could help turn things around. The US-supplied HIMARS system is believed to have been used for multiple recent strikes deep behind Russian lines in Ukraine's south and east, including one that destroyed a suspected Russian ammunition dump in Nova Kakhovka, in southern Ukraine, CNN reports.

In the last two weeks, "above all things thanks to the weapons that Ukraine received, we were able to destroy approximately two dozen warehouses with weapons and stocks of fuel," Interior Ministry official Vadim Denysenko said Wednesday. Ukraine now has eight of the truck-mounted HIMARS systems and the US has promised to send at least four more, reports the AP. Analysts say the rockets Ukraine is now being supplied with can hit targets up to 50 miles away with a high degree of accuracy, putting command posts and logistics facilities at risk. Phillips O'Brien at St. Andrews University tells CNN that Russian supply depots are "ludicrously easy" to locate.

"The occupiers have already felt what modern artillery is like, and their rear will not be safe anywhere on our land that they have occupied," President Volodymyr Zelensky said after the Nova Kakhovka strike, per the AP. But Russian rockets are continuing to hit Ukrainian targets, including civilian sites with no military significance, the New York Times reports. In one such strike Thursday morning, at least 20 people, including three children, were killed when Russian rockets hit the central Ukraine city of Vinnytsia. Zelensky denounced the attack as an "open act of terrorism." (Read more Russia-Ukraine conflict stories.)
(Newser)  "There's a strong public interest in understanding ... [if] any woman is having an abortion in our state." So Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita told Fox News on Wednesday, explaining why his office will investigate the Indianapolis OB-GYN who admitted to treating a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio. Abortion is banned in Indiana after 22 weeks of pregnancy, compared with after six weeks under Ohio's law, which includes an exception for a medical emergency. The girl was reportedly six weeks and three days into the pregnancy. But Rokita, a Republican, signaled his office would investigate whether Dr. Caitlin Bernard had violated any law, including strict rules on reporting abortions and rape allegations, per Politico.

"We have this abortion activist acting as a doctor with a history of failing to report," he told Jesse Watters, per the Washington Times. "We're gathering the evidence as we speak, and we're going to fight this to the end, including looking at her licensure if she failed to report. And in Indiana it's a crime ... to intentionally not report." On Monday, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost claimed there was no evidence of a report being filed in the case, which he cited as indication of a likely "fabrication," per the Columbus Dispatch. Following the arrest of a 27-year-old man in Ohio on Tuesday, however, Columbus police confirmed they were made aware of the pregnancy on June 22, more than a week before the abortion was performed June 30.

"The timeline laid out in the police testimony matches the account provided by Dr. Caitlin Bernard," the New York Times reported Wednesday. "The fact that anyone would question such a story is a testament to how out of touch lawmakers and politicians are with reality," Bernard told the outlet. In his Fox interview, Rokita faulted the Biden administration for permitting the rape suspect, alleged to be an undocumented immigrant, into the country and faulted Bernard for leaking the storywhich the Washington Times reports has been reported as a possible violation of privacy rules under Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. "This girl was politicizedpoliticized for the gain of killing more babies," Rokita said. (Read more abortion stories.)
(Newser)  Update: Italian Premier Mario Draghi resigned Thursday after key coalition allies boycotted a confidence vote, signaling the likelihood of an early election, possibly as soon as September, and a renewed period of uncertainty for Italy and Europe at a critical time, the AP reports. Draghi tendered his resignation to President Sergio Mattarella, who had rejected a similar resignation offer last week. Mattarella "took note" this time around and asked Draghis government to remain on in a caretaker fashion, the president's office said. Draghi's government of national unity imploded Wednesday after members of his uneasy coalition of right, left, and populists rebuffed his appeal to band back together to finish the legislatures natural term. Our story from July 14 follows:

Italian Premier Mario Draghi has told his Cabinet he will offer his resignation to the nation's president, following the refusal of a populist coalition ally to support a key government bill. The majority of national unity that has sustained this government from its creation doesnt exist any more," Draghi said in a statement, per the AP. It will be up to Italian President Sergio Mattarella to accept or reject the resignation. The president could also ask Draghi to go before Parliament in the coming days to seek a formal vote on the government itself, to see if the squabbling allies would rally around him.

But if the government crisis cant be resolved quickly, Mattarella could pull the plug on Parliament, setting the stage for an early election as soon as September. As of now, Parliaments term expires in spring 2023. Hours earlier, Draghi and his pandemic unity government won a confidence vote, 172-39, in the Senate despite the refusal by the populist 5-Star Movement to back the bill, which earmarks $26 billion to help consumers and industries struggling with soaring energy prices. But the snub, orchestrated by 5-Star leader Giuseppe Conte, Draghi's predecessor, had already done its damage.

Draghi's broad coalition was designed to help Italy recover from the coronavirus pandemic, and included parties from both the left and the right. He noted he had made clear when he took office in February 2021 that his government would only have gone forward if there was the clear prospective to be able to realize the government program that was the basis of the governing coalition. "That compactness has been fundamental to face the challenges of these months. This conditions don't exist any more,'' the premier said. Prior to all this, Draghi had been a "rare unifying force in Italy's politics," per the Washington Post.

(Read more Mario Draghi stories.)
(Newser)  Because Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had fled his own country and could not resign in person, he chose a modern alternativeemail. Rajapaksa emailed his resignation letter from abroad to the nation's parliamentary speaker on Thursday, reports the New York Times. However, the Wall Street Journal notes that there's a hitch: Rajapaksa apparently addressed the letter to the people of Sri Lanka rather than to the speaker, as required. We need to check on a few legal matters, said a representative from the speaker's office. As of now, Rajapaksa is apparently still president, but an official announcement of his resignation is expected on Friday.

Rajapaksa initially fled to the Maldives this week amid massive protests against his rule, but he has since arrived in Singapore, reports CNN. Protesters blame him and his policies for the nation's current financial meltdown. Dramatic images emerged this week from the capital of Colombo of protesters storming the president's residence and other government buildings. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe assumed control when Rajapaksa left the country, but protesters want him out, too. Wickremesinghe also has promised to resign, though he has not specified when. (Read more Sri Lanka stories.)
Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Partly cloudy skies in the morning will give way to cloudy skies during the afternoon. High 71F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Overcast. Low 53F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The High Sharia Court cancelled a deed given by an elderly Bahraini man to his daughter in a case that accused her of mistreating and harassing him. However, the mans wife, who is also accused in the case, the Court said, could continue to keep her share in a house gifted to her and in which the daughter also had a right.

The defendant had requested the Court to cancel his wifes right in the house for demanding divorce and refusing to stay with him. Court files say the man had gifted his wife and daughter a house in Busaiteen and the daughter a plot of land in Riffa in 2013.

However, after obtaining the property, the man told the judges that his wife and daughter stopped looking after him. He also claimed to face ill-treatment and harassment from his wife, who had also filed for a divorce.

The man said that he is physically unable to provide for himself due to difficulties related to old age. The wife and his daughter, he claimed, denied him all circumstances to lead a decent life befitting his age. The Court, in its ruling, viewed that the elderly parents can take back a share in their property given to their children as a gift if they fail to look after them or harasses them.

The Court, however, said its not permissible to revoke the deed given to the wife, according to Sharia law. The Court also ordered the defendants to pay the case expenses and attorneys fees.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

A man convicted of attacking his girlfriend has had his three-year jail term shortened by a year on appeal. Case files say the woman also suffered fall injuries while attempting to break out of a room where her boyfriend, whom she met a day before in a nightclub, locked her up.

The suspect, a foreign national, was initially charged with a murder attempt, but the High Criminal Court amended it to physical assault, citing a lack of conclusive evidence. The Court also viewed that his real intention was saving her and not killing her.

As per the latest verdict, he will serve two years in a Bahraini prison. Court files say Al Nabih Saleh police had arrested the suspect after investigating a complaint filed by a woman who, doctors said, suffered fall injuries and came there in a critical condition.

Based on this, Police took the man who brought the woman to the hospital for questioning. Reports said the woman allegedly spent a night with the foreign national she got acquainted with in a nightclub. The following day, when the woman tried to make her way out, the man allegedly attacked and locked her up in a room.

Terrified by the mans behaviour, the woman tried to squeeze her way out to freedom through a narrow window she found in a bathroom attached to the room. However, the plan failed, with her getting stuck halfway through, landing in a more awkward situation.

Hearing the commotion, the boyfriend unlocked the room, only to get further hysterical. Failing to understand the consequence of his action, the man pushed the woman out with force from the window on the third floor of the building.

The woman suffered life-threatening injuries from the fall. The man then called an ambulance and got her admitted to a hospital. Based on the police investigation, the Public Prosecution had initially charged the man with murder.

The High Criminal Court, however, rejected this saying there was no conclusive evidence proving this. The Court also pressed lighter charges against the man explaining that it was not the mans real intention to kill her.

It was the defendant who called the ambulance and got her to the hospital immediately, the Court said, adding that the evidence failed to prove a murder motive. Thus, he didnt have any intention to murder her. Based on this, the Court pressed physical assault charges on the man.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

In a tragic incident that sent shockwaves across Bahrain yesterday (July 13) evening, an expatriate drowned following an unusual sequence of events. According to sources, the deceased, identified as Sreejith Gopalakrishnan Nair, was driving over Sitra Causeway when he lost control of the car and fell into the sea.

"Sreejith managed to successfully get out of the submerging car and swam to safety," the source said. However, he swam back, apparently to retrieve some valuables. But this time luck was not on his side as he surrendered to the waves."

Although rescue teams from the Civil Defence instantly stepped into action, the victim could not be saved from drowning. The 42-year-old businessman hails from Pathanamthitta district in the south Indian state of Kerala. Sreejiths immediate survivors include wife and three children, who are also residents here.

Police have begun a thorough probe into the incident. The body is being kept at Salmaniya Medical Complex morgue. Indian community leaders are in their best efforts to fly the body of the deceased home at the earliest.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Under the Golden Jubilee theme dedicated to celebrating 50 years of Bahraini cultural achievements, the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA) has scheduled holding festive events to also celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Bahrain National Theatre.

In order to make this special date event and mark the occasion, BACA is working in close consultation and cooperation with the Italian International Adviser for Theatre Affairs, Francesca Campagna. BACA will officially announce the details of this 10th Anniversary celebration.

The Bahrain National Theatre was opened on 12 November 2012, when Manama was celebrated as the capital of Arab Culture, as one of Invest in Culture projects, and under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa.

Over the last decade, the Bahrain National Theatre has hosted a number of global performances from some of the worlds foremost artists, international opera ballets, contributing, thus to enhancing the cultural scene and promoting Bahrain as a citadel of civilisational and cultural production centre.

The Bahrain National Theatre is considered the crowning achievement in the Kingdoms longstanding efforts to enrich and develop local culture for many decades as evidenced by a history full of achievements.

The globally renowned artistic manager and consultant to cultural institutions, Francesca Campagna, known for both her deep knowledge of opera and her ability to extend the reach of preeminent artists and institutions to new audiences, has, over the years, established extensive experience and knowledge in the field of opera arts. Campagna began in the Italian Opera with roles at Fondazione Teatro Massimo in her native Palermo.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain has 50,098 officially registered domestic workers, of which 25,467 have new work permits and 24,631 possess renewed contracts. This comes as the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) reveals the latest statistics on the number of domestic workers being employed in Bahrain. It is learnt that there are nine agencies functioning in Bahrain supplying domestic workers.

The LMRA has been in its best efforts to find solutions to the issues in hiring and employing domestic workers. On the one hand, rules and regulations have been intensified to prevent the rights of domestic workers being violated by the employers while, on the other hand, the Ministry of Interior received over 4,500 cases of runaway domestic workers.

The Daily Tribune earlier reported that many citizens were upset over the increase in housemaid recruitment costs, which according to them has now gone up to BD3,000 including the charges to agents. They say they are not against the tripartite agreement or any legal mechanisms that ensure the safety and financial security of housemaids, but want the authorities to arrest the increasing costs in the recruitment process.

A citizen said the pandemic has altogether worsened the housemaid recruitment scenario. We are not against the legal mechanisms that ensure the safety of housemaids, but such mechanisms should not be exploited, making the lives of citizens miserable.

 With regard to the recruitment of housemaids and domestic workers, the LMRA adopted the Tripartite Domestic Contract, which regulates the relationship between the Employment Office, the employer (the household) and the domestic worker, and all recruitment offices are obliged to apply it.

The cost involved in hiring a maid from an agency will include the agents fee, the cost of bringing the maid to Bahrain and the cost of a work permit. The citizens allege many agents are exploiting the situation, where availability of domestic workers and housemaids in the recruitment market remain on the decline.

Although the legal charges to recruit a housemaid come close to BD300, the real expenses incurred are ten times. As per the statistics released by the Labour and Social Development Ministry, there are close to 90,000 registered domestic workers in Bahrain.

The domestic workers come to Bahrain from many countries including Philippines, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Eritrea, Ghana and The Seychelles. The newspaper also published a report quoting human rights activists, who urged the employers of domestic workers to be compassionate to give End of Service Benefits and leave pay in accordance with LMRA Law on Tripartite Domestic Workers.

Last year, the LMRA, in cooperation with the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) and the Bahrain Insurance Association (BIA), announced the Optional Insurance System for Domestic Workers to protect employers and domestic expatriate workers following any incident that covers for insurance.

The Optional Insurance System for Domestic Workers protects employers and domestic expatriate employees in the event of leaving work in violation of the conditions of the work permit, unfair dismissal, as well as compensation in cases of injury, disability, or death.

In the event of death, insured employees legal heirs will receive compensation, and repatriation costs would be covered. LMRA CEO Jamal Abdulaziz Al Alawi indicated that the LMRA has coordinated with the CBB, the BIA, and insurance companies to develop an integrated plan that guarantees the rights of all parties.

He noted that the employer has the option to insure expatriate employees upon their recruitment. Three insurance packages have been made available for employers to choose from. Prices range between BD40 and BD120 for 12 months and between BD60 and BD180 for 24 months.
In a 1-UP for LGBTQ+ rights, Nintendo is giving queer employees in same-sex partnerships in Japan the same benefits as married couples.

Same-sex marriage is illegal in Japan, with same-sex couples only able to obtain partnership certificates in certain areas of the country giving them limited rights  not including inheritance or shared parental rights.

Despite this, Nintendo has said will give couples in same-sex partnerships exactly the same benefits it affords married employees.

Although same-sex marriages are not currently recognised under Japanese law, this system ensures employees who are in a domestic partnership with a same-sex partner have the same benefits as employees in an opposite-sex marriage, a new policy document explains.

The company said its partnership system aims to create a work environment that supports and empowers each and every one of our unique employees.

Nintendo also plans to revise its internal regulations regarding harassment to clearly prohibit discriminatory comments based on sexual orientation or gender identity, as well as disclosing someones privately held sexual orientation against their will.
Nearly a week after an assassin took the life of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the ruling party faction he led has yet to zero in on a possible successor.

The largest faction in the Liberal Democratic Party, known as Seiwa-kai, is scrambling to maintain unity. But Abe's murder left the group with little time to select and groom a suitable successor, putting it in a precarious position.

The group boasts 93 conservative-leaning upper and lower house LDP lawmakers, with many calling for bigger military spending and revising the nation's pacifist charter. After producing the longest-serving prime minister, the group yields enormous clout in the party.

Senior members met Monday at a Tokyo hotel to discuss the next step but could only muster a vague pledge to maintain solidarity.

In 2017, Abe floated the idea of having four core leaders in the faction, modeled after a similar setup his father, Shintaro Abe, had when he led the faction decades ago. Given the lack of a clear leader, the faction could opt for this option.

Right now, Hakubun Shimomura and Ryu Shionoya, both former education ministers, are serving as acting chairs of the faction. They have supported Abe's family through the ordeal by meeting with mourners at his private residence. ...continue reading
Influencer marketing is one of the best ways for international brands to enter the Japan market.

Marketing and advertising in Japan can be a challenge due to cultural differences, language barriers, and consumers local brand loyalty. An international brand wanting to expand in this country would need to create an image of trustworthiness and credibility among this audience. This is possible through the help of local Japanese influencers. Influencers in Japan have risen in number and popularity due to the increase of social media users in Japan over time. In less than 10 years, Japans social media users went from 22 million to 102 million. This made content creation a viable option for income generation, producing more and more influencers in the country. Japanese influencers use various social media platforms, including TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. Now that you know the benefits of influencer marketing, theres still one more hurdle to overcome. With thousands of influencers in this country, your brand might end up choosing the wrong content creator for your campaign. This is where the help of social media and influencer marketing agencies come in. These agencies know the influencers audience, reach, personality, and whether or not they are the right fit for certain brands. On this list, we already curated the best of the best agencies which can help you on your influencer marketing campaign. Lets take a look. Top 20 Influencer Marketing Agencies in Japan AJ Marketing

Ykone

Pulse Advertising

Nahato

MCI Global Marketing

THECOO

Leo, Inc.

Artisan Crew

We Are Social

Zorka Agency

TOP Agency

Cycle Media

Cross Ring

Promo Japan

Kaikoku

Rooster

3 Minute

Klear

Influencer Japan

Possibility AJ MarketingYkonePulse AdvertisingNahatoMCI Global MarketingTHECOOLeo, Inc.Artisan CrewWe Are SocialZorka AgencyTOP AgencyCycle MediaCross RingPromo JapanKaikokuRooster3 MinuteKlearInfluencer JapanPossibility 1. AJ Marketing AJ Marketing is the most experienced and trusted influencer marketing agency in Japan. It has a network of over 7,000 influencers all over Asia-Pacific, which includes hundreds of Japans most premium content creators. Its Japan influencers specialize in various niches, from gaming, beauty, fashion, to tech, making sure you have the right partner whichever industry you belong in. AJ Marketing can provide brands with top-notch English support, making communication easier. It can also offer exclusive insider information because it has a local office inside Japan. Bringing your global brand into the local market will prove to be no sweat. This agency also offers other digital marketing services such as marketing strategy, online advertising, social media marketing, digital billboards, SEO, press release, and celebrity licensing. AJ Marketing has worked with big names like BMW (MINI), Bytedance (TikTok), AMD, FIBA, and Adobe. To find more information about the Japanese market, you can visit the AJ Marketing Blog. Contact: info@ajmarketing.io

2. Ykone Ykone is an international influencer marketing agency which works exclusively with global brands in the travel, beauty, fashion, and luxury sectors. Ykone has a unique data driven approach and a proprietary real-time tracking solution for brands seeking its help. Ykone has an astounding 9 million influencers database, with more than 100 campaigns created each month. It has been trusted by global brands such as Dior, Burberry, Gucci, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and many others. Ykone has headquarters in Paris, Milan, Berlin, Dubai, Hong Kong, and many others. Even though this agency does not have a local office in Japan, its work still extends to the Japanese market through Japanese influencers. In the example below, Ykone made possible a collaboration between Boss and Japanese virtual influencer Imma. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Y K O N E (@ykoneagency)

3. Pulse Advertising Pulse Advertising claims to have everything a brand needs for an influencer marketing campaign. It enables brands to win and retain customers on social media through fostering a meaningful relationship between the brand and its target audience. Pulse Advertising does not only offer influencer marketing, but also Paid Social Advertising, and Social Media Management. It operates in several locations, including New York, Berlin, Hamburg, London, Milan, and the APAC region. Pulse Advertising has worked with several big brands including MAC, BMW (MINI), and Beats by Dr. Dre. Its recent case studies utilize social media platform TikTok more than ever.

4. Nahato Nahato is a digital marketing agency headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Its vision is to provide its clients with profitable advertising, permanent support, and to capture the latest trends in marketing today. Nahato has a 12,000+ influencer network in Japan, and it uses several platforms like Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok. Nahato has been trusted by several international brands including P&G, Panasonic, Chanel, and Loreal. In its campaign with Panasonic, Nahato chose the YouTube channel "Ehara Family Channel," whose niche delves into parenting and household. This channel is well-loved by Japanese housewives who are the target audience of the campaign. The video garnered over 190K views, and over 3K high ratings from the audience.

5. MCI Global Marketing MCI is a global engagement and marketing agency that creates human-centric touchpoints that unleash the power of people to deliver innovation and growth. Its core expertise are live and virtual events, strategic and digital communications, and consulting and community solutions. MCI also offers digital and influencer marketing. This agency has 30+ years of experience, and 60 offices across the globe, including Japan. This agency has been trusted by several international companies, including BVLGARI and DoTerra.

6. THECOO THECOO is an advertising agency that specializes in operational advertising and influencer marketing. It provides comprehensive support for advertising operations and influencer casting, direction, and reporting. THECOO is a one-stop shop for your influencer marketing needs, from marketing planning to results reporting. It annually creates more than 2,000 influencer marketing measures, and has a network of over 1,500 influencers so far. Some of THECOOs clients are L'oreal, Mercedes-Benz, The Goal, Glam, Mark Styler, and Discoat.

7. Leo, Inc. Leo, Inc. provides advertising and consulting services that help brands attract customers to their websites, all while reducing costs. It is an agency local to Japan and is located in Tokyo. For its influencer marketing services, Leo, Inc. specializes in connecting brands with micro-influencers. Micro-influencers have been proven to have higher engagement rates than mega and macro influencers. This agency performs casting, media planning, and product planning and production. Aside from influencer marketing, Leo, Inc. also offers Ad Listing, WEB Consulting, LP Production, and Website Design.

8. Artisan Crew Artisan Crew is an internet marketing agency and web design company that specializes in social network marketing and website development. Since 2001, it has partnered with companies from the U.S. and Japan to bring new brands, custom software solutions, and websites to life. One of its marketing services is Viral Marketing. This strategy essentially aims for a brands content or message to be shared by people who actually find it worth sharing without paying additional costs. Artisan Crew also offers Social Media Marketing and Digital Influencing services. In its project with Cushzilla Brand, Artisan Crew worked with Rupauls DragCon vendors, media darlings, and influencers to use their creativity and advocate for CatConLA.

9. We Are Social We Are Social is a global, socially-led creative agency. It has deep and new expertise in social media, and 15 offices around the world, including Japan. This agency develops influencer marketing strategies that are in line with its clients' values and beliefs. We Are Social manages influencer marketing campaigns end-to-end, from mapping to tracking, co-creation, partnerships, media, and measurement. It also has networks of nano, micro, and macro-influencers, and celebrities. This agency has been trusted by international brands like Samsung, Uber, Adidas, and Lego. For its Samsung campaign, We Are Social utilized TikTok and created the #VideoSnapChallenge. The campaign generated over 3 billion engagements, and 7.5 million user-generated content.

10. Zorka Agency Zorka.Agency is an international digital marketing agency focused on creating ROI-forecasted strategies with a risk assessment that help businesses scale up. Zorka offers various services, including influencer marketing. It has a network of 500K+ influencers around the world, and is equipped with an in-house analytics platform. It claims to have access to any influencer on any platform. Zorka has worked with Gameloft, AliExpress, Hennessy, and many others. Most of its clients are brands in the gaming industry.

11. TOP Agency TOP is a global agency network which stands for Test, Optimize, Perform. It is a collection of 12 different marketing agencies with different specialties. TOPs Japan branch makes sure companies with incredible products can stand out in a competitive market. This agency aims to help international brands understand the Japanese culture and language for better localization. For its influencer marketing services, TOP has a proprietary network of nano, micro, macro, mega and celebrity influencers. It uses data and emotion to create scalable influencer campaigns. It also believes in maximizing returns and minimizing costly mistakes. TOP had well-known international clients such as Budweiser, Coca-Cola, Del Monte, Ooma, and Postmates.

12. Cycle Media Cycle Media is an international marketing agency which offers influencer partnerships and premium branded contents. It has a data-driven strategy, in-house production, targeted amplification, and measurement and reporting service. Cycle Media has worked with many big names from different industries, including Bumble, Adobe, Wells Fargo, AT&T, American Eagle, and Microsoft Teams. In its campaign for Nike x Nordstrom, Cycle Media wanted to drive awareness of the new Infinity React running shoe amongst fitness-focused women. It collaborated with women influencers, and it drove a 13.01% engagement rate, plus over 3.3K clicks to purchase pages.

13. Cross Ring Cross Ring is a leading influencer marketing agency based in Japan. It has a track record of casting more than 15,000 influencers in 15 years, with over 300 million reach. Cross Ring values brand safety, taking effort in ensuring that the influencers casted for marketing campaigns have a good reputation to share with the brand. It has a track record of over 20,000 campaigns, and it has worked with companies such as Calvin Klein, Canon, Armani, Dior, Givenchy, Panasonic, and many others.

14. Promo Japan Promo Japan aims to deliver the world to Japan, and deliver Japan to the world. Its goal is to expand Japanese brands to the international market, while also introducing foreign brands to the Japanese market. Promo Japan takes value in a brands target audience and goals for the campaign. After knowing these, Promo Japan will help its clients find the right Japanese YouTuber that can help reach its target market and achieve its campaign objectives. Some of its previous works are for international brands like Canva, and local brands like SoftBank HAWKS, OBU Company, and OHGA Pharmacy. For its A+3 Shampoo campaign in Taiwan, Promo Japan collaborated with YouTuber Dr. Achi who has a Ph.D. in Chemistry. She created convincing content breaking down the scientific evidence of why the shampoo is a great hair product. It gained more than 42K views and 1.1K engagements.

15. Kaikoku Kaikoku is a digital marketing agency which helps companies based overseas to engage with the Japanese market. It aims to be a bridge for Japanese companies bringing their brands internationally, and for international companies bringing their brands to Japan. Kaikoku offers influencer marketing services, where it will use its network of influencers and talents to help clients create eye-catching campaigns and maximize their reach in Japan. Kaikoku has a vast pool of influencers and talents across a wide variety of industries. Whether it be for an advertisement campaign, a product review, or any event a brand hopes to capitalize on, Kaikoku can pair its clients with the perfect influencer to make sure that the content takes off.

16. Rooster Rooster Co., Ltd. is a marketing company specializing in influencer casting that promotes customers' products and services by utilizing the information diffusion power of influencers. In addition, it operates ROOSTER, one of the largest Instagrammer casting platforms in Japan, with more than 2,000 registered Instagrammers. For its influencer casting services, Rooster promises to cast the most suitable influencers from a wide range of genres based on the PR content and requests of its clients. Rooster also offers posting instructions and general directions. After posting, Rooster will create and submit a completion report that summarizes the posted content.

17. 3 Minute 3 Minute provides comprehensive support for social media marketing needs. It offers strategy planning, content planning, live distribution support, analysis improvement, and influencer casting. 3 Minute has experience working with brands such as Cado, Primavista, and Coen. For these three clients, 3 Minute focused on enhancing the brands Instagram presence by utilizing the Instagram Stories features.

18. Klear Klear is an influencer marketing platform where brands can find influencers and power users who are more familiar to customers from the categories and locations that suit a company and its products. Since it supports networks and languages all over the world, it can also be used for influencer marketing for overseas markets. Through Klear, brands will also be able to see management and results of influencer posts. Klear has been introduced to many companies both overseas and in Japan. It has been introduced to brands like Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Huawei, Adidas, Ogilvy, Nike, and many more.

19. Influencer Japan Influencer Japan is an influencer marketing agency which aims to help brands grap and utilize the strength of Japan influencers to market their services and products. Influencer Japan has a detailed understanding of which content creators have become famous with what strengths. Influencer Japan promises its clients that it can spread awareness and interest, and improve customer attraction, credibility, and name recognition.

20. Possibility Possibility Co., Ltd. has a corporate philosophy of " maximizing all possibilities" and aims to be a company that can maximize and realize all possibilities. Its services include influencer marketing, influencer casting, content production, and P2C business. Possibility aims to maximize the potential of both the influencer and the business, and promises to provide brands the best matching possible for their campaign. Possibility will also provide its clients with effective measurement/feedback metrics, and the latest information about the influencer that brand is working with.

Conclusion

Japan has one of the most technologically-advanced populations in the world, which can be seen by the markets social media usage. As the social media users in Japan increased starting 2014, the number of influencers also followed. Japan now has thousands of influencers, making it easy for brands to make the mistake of choosing the wrong influencer for their campaign. This is why seeking the help of influencer marketing experts in Japan is a must.

We hope this list was able to lead you to your next influencer marketing partner. These marketing agencies in Japan have been trusted by big names, and have delivered great results. We wish you luck on your next marketing campaign.
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RIDGEFIELD  A Danbury educator has been named the interim principal at Ridgefields Veterans Park Elementary School.

Sheri Prendergast will start her new position on Aug. 2.

Prendergast has spent the past eight years in the Danbury Public Schools, where she has worked for five years as an assistant principal at Broadview Middle School in Danbury, including filling in as principal during an unexpected leave.

She was the science, technology, engineering and math  or STEM  leader in Danbury and taught math in public and magnet schools in New York.

I am thrilled to be selected as the Veterans Park Elementary Schools interim principal, Prendergast wrote from her home in Easton. I strongly believe that building relationships with students, staff, and families is the essential foundation that fosters individual growth and student learning in a nurturing environment.

A graduate of Penn State with a masters degree from Pace University and an administrator certificate through Manhattan College, Prendergast has just earned a doctorate of education from Western Connecticut State University. She was a Teach for America corps member, selected from over 13,000 applicants to teach in underserved urban schools.

As a lifelong educator, my focus has been on supporting the whole learner by maintaining high expectations for students and celebrating academic and personal achievements along the way, Prendergast said. I value collaboration with families and the community to support the academic, social, and emotional development of all students. I have been fortunate to work with exceptional students, dedicated teachers and administrators, and supportive family and community members. I have no doubt that my experience at Veterans Park will be the same. I look forward to being part of a team of collaborative educators and families in Ridgefield as we work together to support our children as they grow and achieve.

Ridgefield Public Schools Superintendent Susie Da Silva called Prendergast a proven educational leader.

Her stellar recommendations, on-the-job experience, and care for students made her a standout in the selection process, the superintendent said. Her understanding of math instruction and technology will be integral as we implement the new elementary math program.

Prendergasts recommendations speak to her passion for instruction, ability to cooperate to see the best for students, and decisive, compassionate leadership style, a release said.

Dr. Prendergast is a natural leader, wrote Edie Thomas, principal of Broadview. She takes pride in her work and sets high standards for herself. She displays great respect for people, having a mature and emphatic view of any situation. Only excellence will follow her.

Shelley Rinaldi, assistant principal at Broadview, praised Prendergasts leadership style.

She brings exceptional instructional background and a true sense of joy and laughter to all work environments, Rinaldi said. She is the type of leader that makes other individuals want to grow professionally and personally. She proved herself to be an effective leader when she assumed the role of principal when our principal unexpectedly went out on leave. During this time, she handled all parent, facility, and safety concerns. She provided clear communication and a sense of stability for our staff, students, and families during an already difficult year.
QUEBEC CITY, July 14, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - iA Financial Group (iA Financial Corporation Inc. (TSX: IAG) and Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services Inc. (TSX: IAF)), will disclose its 2022 second quarter earnings results on Thursday, July 28, 2022. Management will discuss the results during a conference call to be held at 2:00 pm (ET). Everyone is invited to attend the conference call by dialing 416-620-9188 or 1800-954-0683 (toll-free within North America) 10 minutes before the start of the conference. The question and answer period following the conference will be reserved for financial analysts.

A webcast of the conference call (in listen-only mode) will be available on the iA Financial Group website at ia.ca.

All documents related to iA Financial Group's second quarter earnings results will be published on the Company's website at ia.ca, under About iA, in the Investor Relations/Financial Reports section, at around 9:00 am (ET) on Thursday, July 28, 2022.

Conference Call Replay

A replay of the conference call will be available for a one-week period starting at 4:30 pm on July 28, 2022, until midnight on August 4, 2022. To listen to the replay, call 1-800-5585253 (toll-free) and enter access code 22019081.

Conference Call Transcript

A transcript of the conference call will be posted in August on the Company's website at ia.ca, under About iA, in the Investor Relations/Financial Reports section.

iA Financial Group is a business name and trademark of iA Financial Corporation Inc. and Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services Inc.

SOURCE iA Financial Group

For further information: Investor Relations, Marie-Annick Bonneau, Office phone: 418-684-5000, ext. 104287, Email: [email protected]; Public Relations, Pierre Picard, Office phone: 418-6845000, ext. 101660, Email: [email protected], ia.ca
MATSAPHA  A teenager (17) is one of two suspects arrested for being in possession of 48 rounds of ammunition.

The pair was apprehended after allegedly breaking into a house of a bank employee at Mbikwakhe where they stole the ammunition in broad daylight. They were seen by a community member who waited for them to exit the compound. As they left the residence, the community member was said to have followed them and effected a citizens arrest and waited for police officers from Matsapha Police Station to arrive.

Eyewitnesses claimed that the duo was found in possession of the 48 rounds of ammunition, a pistol and Rambo knife. It was gathered that there were then taken to the Matsapha Police Station where they were formally charged by the police. The arrest of the pair came just days after Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati had pleaded with those who had illegal firearms to hand them over to the police.

Vilakati confirmed the arrest of the pair aged 17 and 20 who descend from Gebeni. It is worth noting that the plea of illegal firearms being surrendered to the police came after unknown assailants shot dead two police officers in the Manzini Region. Vilakati made a request to the public for any information that would assist with an investigation into the circumstances that led to the fatal shooting and injury of the police officers.

She said members of the public who might have any information that could lead to the arrest of those involved in the shooting (of police officers) could contact Manzini Regional Crime Branch Officer (RCBO) Thabo Hlophe on his mobile phone number 7606 8570 or the Desk Officer, Mphatsi Shabangu, at cellphone number 7604 3738. This was after a female officer, Zinhle Mavuso from northern Hhohho, was shot dead while her colleague was shot in the chest. Within 48 hours after the demise of Mavuso, another police officer, Sibusiso Matsebula  was shot dead about 500 metres from his duty station  Matsaph Police Station. These incidents happened at a time when annual leave had been suspended at His Majestys Correctional Services (HMCS) and the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS).
OTTAWA, ON, July 14, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - Public Health Agency of Canada

Keeping Canadians safe has been our number one priority since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Government of Canada set up entry restrictions, testing, and quarantine requirements to manage risks at the border. Testing was and remains an important part of our surveillance program to track the importation of COVID-19 virus into Canada and identify new variants of concern.

The Government of Canada had paused mandatory random testing for those entering Canada by air on June 11, 2022, as part of a broader strategy to transition testing for air travellers outside of the airports.

Mandatory random testing will resume as of July 19, 2022, for travellers who qualify as fully vaccinated, arriving in Canada by air to the four major Canadian airportsVancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Toronto. To qualify as a fully vaccinated traveller to Canada, travellers must have been vaccinated with a primary series of a COVID-19 vaccine accepted by the Government of Canada for the purpose of travel at least 14 calendar days before entering Canada.

All testing for air travellers, for both those who qualify as fully vaccinated and partially or unvaccinated people, will be completed outside of airports, either via an in-person appointment at select testing provider locations and pharmacies, or a virtual appointment for a self-swab test. Travellers who do not qualify as fully vaccinated, unless exempt, must continue to test on Day 1 and Day 8 of their mandatory 14-day quarantine.

Moving testing outside of airports will support testing for travellers arriving by air while still being able to monitor and quickly respond to new variants of concern, or changes to the epidemiological situation. Mandatory random testing continues at land border points of entry, with no changes.

Border testing is an important tool in Canada's detection and surveillance of COVID-19 and has been essential in helping us slow the spread of the virus. Data from the testing program are used to understand the current level and trends of importation of COVID-19 into Canada. In addition, these data have and continue to inform the Government of Canada's safe easing of border measures.

Air travellers who qualify as fully vaccinated and who are selected for mandatory random testing, as well as air travellers who do not qualify as fully vaccinated, will receive an email notification within 15 minutes of completing their customs declaration. The email will contain information to help them arrange for their test with a testing provider in their region. Unvaccinated travellers can complete their tests by a virtual appointment or an in-person appointment with the test provider at their store or at select pharmacies and still respect their quarantine requirements.

All travellers must continue to use ArriveCAN (free mobile app or website) to provide mandatory travel information within 72 hours before their arrival in Canada, and/or before boarding a cruise ship destined for Canada, with few exceptions. It is the fastest, easiest and most secure way for travellers to show they meet public health requirements. Additional efforts are being undertaken to enhance compliance with ArriveCAN, which is already over 95% for travellers arriving by land and air combined.

All vaccinated travellers who are randomly selected for the border testing surveillance program must complete arrival mandatory testing requirements.

If your arrival test result is positive, you must go into isolation and follow the federal requirement to isolate for 10 days from the date of the test result. Your 10-day isolation is required, even if the isolation requirement is shorter in your province or territory.

Mandatory random testing and information in the ArriveCAN app are necessary tools that help inform public health advice to protect the health and safety of Canadians.

Quotes

"As we have said all along, Canada's border measures will remain flexible and adaptable, guided by science and prudence. We need to keep border testing measures in place because that is how we track importation of the COVID-19 virus, and of new variants of concern. We will keep adapting our border measures to balance the need to protect Canadians while supporting our economic recovery."

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos

Minister of Health

"As demand for travel increases across the world, today's announcement marks an important step in our progress to streamline testing processes outside our airports while preventing the further spread of COVID-19. The Government of Canada will continue to protect travellers and employees and ensure our transportation system is safe, reliable, and resilient for the long term."

The Honourable Omar Alghabra

Minister of Transport

"The safety and security of Canadians remains our top priority. As more people continue to travel again, we're working hard and adding resources to keep things moving. The CBSA is hiring new people - including retired officers and student border services officers - making additional kiosks available and improving ArriveCAN so it is faster and easier to use. As the situation evolves, we'll continue to make adjustments and enhancements at the border because that's what Canadians expect."

The Honourable Marco Mendicino

Minister of Public Safety

Quick Facts:

Pausing mandatory random (MRT) testing for air travellers was a temporary measure and part of a broader strategy to transition traveller testing for air travellers into the community. MRT continued during this period at land points of entry.

Mandatory random testing for travellers who qualify as full vaccinated remains a critical part of the Government of Canada's ability to monitor the level of COVID-19 importation associated with international travel. It is also a cornerstone of Canada's ability to monitor for new COVID-19 variants of concern that could pose a risk to the health and safety of people in Canada and to Canada's ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

ability to monitor the level of COVID-19 importation associated with international travel. It is also a cornerstone of ability to monitor for new COVID-19 variants of concern that could pose a risk to the health and safety of people in and to ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Arrival, Day 8 and mandatory random COVID-19 molecular tests must be completed with a Public Health Agency of Canada approved test provider. Test providers vary based on where travellers enter the country.

approved test provider. Test providers vary based on where travellers enter the country. Travellers selected for mandatory random testing or who are required to take a test on arrival should complete their test by the end of the next calendar day.

Travellers arriving at Toronto Pearson International Airport or Vancouver International Airport can save time by using the Canada Border Services Agency Advance Declaration optional feature in ArriveCAN to submit their customs declaration. Early usage data shows that it is 30 percent faster at the kiosk when travellers use ArriveCAN to declare in advance, instead of paper  saving approximately 40 seconds off a 2-minute transaction.

International Airport can save time by using the Canada Border Services Agency Advance Declaration optional feature in ArriveCAN to submit their customs declaration. Early usage data shows that it is 30 percent faster at the kiosk when travellers use ArriveCAN to declare in advance, instead of paper  saving approximately 40 seconds off a 2-minute transaction. Frequent travellers can take advantage of the "saved traveller" feature in ArriveCAN which allows a user to save travel documents and proof of vaccination information so that they can reuse it on future trips. The information is pre-populated in ArriveCAN the next time the traveller completes a submission, which makes it faster and more convenient.

Associated Links

SOURCE Health Canada

For further information: Marie-France Proulx, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos Minister of Health, 613-957-0200; Media Relations, Public Health Agency of Canada, 613-957-2983, [email protected]; Laurel Lennox, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Omar Alghabra, Minister of Transport, Ottawa, [email protected]; Media Relations, Transport Canada, Ottawa, [email protected], 613-993-0055; Public Inquiries: 613-957-2991, 1-866-225-0709
Staff shortages and luggage backups mean travelers need to be patient

TORONTO, July 13, 2022 /CNW/ - CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) has compiled a list of ten things that Ontarians should be aware of if they are considering travelling this summer  both inside and outside the country.

"Those who are considering booking a trip should make sure they understand the scope of what travel looks like at the moment," said Nadia Matos, manager external communications, CAA SCO. "The checklist for planning a trip has changed and we want to help people navigate this new environment.

CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) has compiled a list of ten things that Ontarians should be aware of if they are considering travelling this summer  both inside and outside the country. (CNW Group/CAA South Central Ontario)

"Airports are experiencing delays with varying degrees of impact, and Ontarians should be prepared."

Through consultation with its top travel agents, CAA SCO has identified ten key considerations that potential travelers may not be aware of. Anyone who is considering travel in the current environment should remember that travel requirements and regulations are continually changing.

Expect itinerary changes. CAA SCO travel agents say our members are experiencing schedule changes for flights. Subscribe to the airline's text message service to be immediately notified of any changes, and book connecting flights with more time in between than you normally would if available. A travel agent is also a valuable resource if this happens.

Consider packing a carryon instead of checking luggage. Potential baggage delays mean that your luggage may not arrive with you or take extra time to be unloaded off the plane. If you bring a carryon, make sure it fits the size requirements for all the airlines you are flying on, and with any tour operators. When using a carryon to travel, you still need to follow the 3-1-1 rule: three ounces of liquid, gel, aerosol, cream or paste that fit in one quart-sized resealable bag. If you are checking luggage, make sure your carryon has your hygiene essentials, any medications, and a change of clothing.

Expect longer wait times at the airport. The old standby of being at the airport one hour before takeoff for domestic flights and two hours before international flights no longer apply. CAA currently recommends arriving at the airport a minimum of two hours before domestic flight departures and at least three hours for international flights.

Make sure all your documentation is in order before you book. Your passport should still be valid six months after your travel date, as this is required in several countries. Passports themselves are taking longer than usual to renew, so it should be done several months before you travel. Each destination has varying documentation requirements, so make sure you fully understand what information you need to have ready and in what format.

Buy travel insurance and understand what is covered. Make sure you have $5 million in coverage for emergency medical situations and that illness related to COVID-19 is included. Understand your entitlements for situations like denied boarding in the event of a positive test, trip cancellation or delays, what luggage is covered and what isn't.

Car rentals need to be booked months in advance. High demand as well as a shortage of vehicles means a shortage of rental cars. Some rental agencies, particularly on the east and west coasts, are not allowing vehicles to be rented in one city and left in another. A travel agent can help you navigate this.

COVID-19 is still a major consideration. Confirm the COVID-19 situation at destination prior to booking. Understand the risk level associated with travel to a particular destination by checking the Government of Canada Travel Advice and Advisories website. Individual travel advisories remain on a country-by-country basis. It is important that Ontarians understand the ongoing uncertainty associated with international travel, whether that be related to the continued community transmission of COVID-19, or state of health care systems in destinations hit hard by the pandemic. Canadians returning home must have all required documentation loaded onto the ArriveCAN App or website.

Stay connected. It is important to have access to trusted, up-to-date information while travelling so you can monitor changing conditions and requirements and adapt accordingly. Bookmark the Global Affairs Canada website prior to departure and check it regularly while abroad. It is also a good idea to sign up for Registration of Canadians Abroad and stay in touch with a family or friend that has knowledge of your travel plans. Find these and more information at http://www.caasco.com/travel.

Confirm change and cancellation flexibility with your travel service provider. Many airlines and hotels have been providing more flexibility when it comes to refunds and changes to bookings. Make sure you understand any key dates related to cancellation and changes and whether you are entitled to a refund or a future travel voucher or credit at the time of booking.

Be patient, be kind. Around the globe, airlines are dealing with staff shortages and luggage handling back-ups. Keep in mind that the staff at the airports are there to help you, and that things may take longer than usual.

About CAA South Central Ontario

For over a hundred years, CAA has been helping Canadians stay mobile, safe and protected. CAA South Central Ontario is part of the CAA Club Group of Companies and is one of eight auto clubs across Canada, providing roadside assistance, travel, insurance services and Member savings for over 2.2 million Members.

SOURCE CAA South Central Ontario

For further information: Nadia Matos, Manager, External Communications, C: (416) 523-0663, E: [email protected]; Victoria Marchisello, Communications Specialist, C: (416) 550-1979, E: [email protected]
The BJP has requested an explanation from the party after Pakistani writer Nusrat Mirza, who has alleged ties to the ISI, recently stated that former Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari invited him to India while the UPA government was in office.

Hamid Ansari, the former vice president of India, has been at the centre of a political controversy ever since the BJP accused him of socialising with a Pakistani journalist who supports the ISI.

The BJP charged Ansari on Wednesday with bringing Nusrat, a Pakistani journalist who has claimed to have spied for the ISI, to India. The claims, according to Ansari, are a litany of untruth, and he denies ever meeting or inviting the man.

Who is Nusrat Mirza, the journalist from Pakistan?



A Pakistani writer named Nusrat Mirza recently asserted that the UPA administrations former vice president Hamid Ansari had extended an invitation for him to visit India. Mirza asserted that during the trip, he learned vital information on the Indian government, which he then shared with the ISI.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Varanasi district court resumed hearing on the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committees (AIMC) plea challenging the maintainability of a suit filed by Hindu women seeking permission for daily worship at the Shringar Gauri Sthal in the Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi complex.

The advocates for the four Hindu women petitioners resumed their arguments in the court of district judge AK Vishvesh a day after AIMC attorneys concluded their arguments that the suit seeking permission for daily worship at the Maa Shringar Gauri Sthal is unsustainable.

Rakhi Singh and four other Hindu women petitioned for permission to worship Maa Shringar Gauri on a daily basis in August 2021. Rakhi Singh and others vs. Uttar Pradesh State and Anzuman Intezamia Masajid Committee is the name of the case.

We presented several arguments to support our stand that the case is non-maintainable, said Akhlaque Ahmad, an advocate appearing on behalf of AIMC, which manages the Gyanvapi mosque. For the time being, our debate is over.

The Muslim side also argued that the plea is not maintainable because the Places of Worship Act, 1991, prohibits conversion of any place of worship and requires that any place of worship retain its religious character as it existed on August 15, 1947. Later in the day, Hindu advocates presented their arguments.

The Places of Worship Act,1991, Section 4(2) is not applicable in this case, said Vishnu Shankar Jain, an advocate for the four plaintiffs. The Waqf Act is also inapplicable. The Kashi Act of 1983 applies to our case.

We believe the case is maintainable and will make our case again in court on Wednesday, he added.

Jitendra Singh Vishen, the president of the Vishwa Vedic Sanatan Sangh, claimed that because advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain is the standing counsel for the Uttar Pradesh government in the Supreme Court, he cannot represent petitioners in any case in which the state government is a party.

Jain, however, rebutted Vishen. Jain stated, Yes, I am the standing attorney for the state of Uttar Pradesh before the Supreme Court, but the government has given its approval for me to argue this case.

A lower court ordered a video survey of the Gyanvapi complex after the lawsuit was filed, and the Hindu side claimed a Shivling was discovered during the exercise.

Considering the complexities and sensitivity of the subject, it is better if a senior judicial officer with expertise of over 25-30 years handles this case, the SC on May 20 shifted the Shringar Gauri-Gyanvapi case from a civil judge to the district judge.

On May 26, the Varanasi district court began hearing testimony regarding the cases maintainability.
At the inaugural virtual summit of the four-nation grouping I2U2, PM Modi will participate alongside US President Joe Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The inaugural virtual summit of the four-nation grouping I2U2 will take place on Thursday, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend along with US President Joe Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The coalitions leaders are anticipated to talk about collaborative economic initiatives to strengthen economic cooperation.

The global food and energy crisis brought on by the conflict in Ukraine is set to take centre stage in the negotiations.

Around 4 pm, the virtual summit is anticipated to start.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reported on Tuesday that the leaders would discuss potential cooperative initiatives within the I2U2 framework as well as other areas of shared interest to expand the economic partnership in trade and investment in our respective regions and beyond.

The I2U2 coalition was conceived during the meeting of the four nations foreign ministers on October 18, 2016.

In the recent few years, Indias bilateral strategic ties with each of the three nations have improved.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) searched nine locations in Rajasthans Udaipur district on Tuesday in connection with the death of tailor Kanhaiya Lal last month, according to officials. Digital devices (mobile phones, laptops, and SIM cards) and other incriminating materials were seized during searches conducted today at the homes of the accused and suspects in the case. Further investigations into the case are being conducted According to an NIA spokesperson.

On June 28, Kanhaiya Lal (48) was murdered with a cleaver inside his tailoring shop.

The heinous attack on the tailor by Riaz Akhtari, also known as Riyaz Attari, was videotaped by his accomplice Ghouse Mohammad and posted online.

In a later video, they claimed that they hacked Lal to death to avenge an alleged insult to Islam.

They were apprehended within hours of the murder.

Security agencies apprehended two more people, identified as Mohsin and Asif, who are alleged to be part of a conspiracy to spread terror among the general public, in addition to the two against whom the evidence is their self-shot video.

Two more people, Mohammed Mohsin and Wasim, were arrested later for allegedly being part of the criminal conspiracy and assisting the two main accused in conducting a reconnaissance of the tailors shop.

Farhad Mohammad Sheikh, the seventh accused, was the last man arrested in the case.

The investigation agencies claimed that they discovered several Pakistani numbers on the accuseds WhatsApp accounts and that one of the accused was a member of some secret groups ostensibly for objectionable activities.

After taking over the case from the Rajasthan Police, the NIA re-registered it on June 29 under the anti-terror Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The case was initially filed at Udaipurs Dhanmandi police station.
Iranian women have launched a nationwide anti-hijab campaign in which they posted pictures of themselves removing their hijabs in defiance of the Islamic Republics strict hijab laws to voice their disagreement with the laws that forbid women from displaying their hair in public.

Several media outlets claim that Iranian women took part in a nationwide anti-hijab campaign on Tuesday, the nations National Day of Hijab and Chastity, which government institutions and agencies are mandated to promote for a week.

The new administration has reportedly adopted a harsher approach to the hijab laws, according to a report by Reuters. The administration once again held a chastity ceremony in a stadium in Tehran during this years nationwide rallies.

A video of 13 ladies participating in a Hijab and Chastity ceremony was also shown. The women could be seen dancing to the recitation of Quranic passages while donning green hijabs and long white robes.

Masih Alinejad, an activist living in the US who has been behind various internet initiatives over the past ten years, is in charge of the anti-hijab social media campaign. According to her, this is a womens revolution.

Tomorrow Iranian women will shake the clerical regime by removing their hijab and taking to the streets across Iran to say #No2Hijab. This is called Women Revolution.

In iran #WalkingUnveiled is a crime.

Iranian men will also join us.#__ pic.twitter.com/pu3uUA1teM  Masih Alinejad  (@AlinejadMasih) July 12, 2022

Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Iran has maintained a strict hijab law. Law states that girls and women must cover their heads in public if they are over the age of nine.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the president of Sri Lanka, and his wife will remain in Singapore rather than continue on to the Middle East.

According to media sources, the Sri Lankan President and his wife were supposed to fly to Jeddah on Saudia Airlines aircraft SV788, which they instead travelled to Singapore. By 7 oclock this evening, Rajapaksa is anticipated to land in Singapore.

Rajapaksa, his wife Ioma Rajapaksa, and two security personnel were supposed to board a Singapore Airlines aircraft last night from Male to Singapore but did not do so as planned because of security concerns.

After large throngs of demonstrators surrounded his home on July 9, 73-year-old Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled and declared he would send in his resignation letter on Wednesday.

Later, Rajapaksa and his wife managed to get away to the Maldives. He then named Ranil Wickremesinghe, the prime minister of Sri Lanka, as the countrys acting president.

The government communications department in Sri Lanka declared that a curfew will be in effect in the Colombo District from 12 p.m. today until 5 a.m. tomorrow.

In an effort to bring about peace in the nation, GotaGoGama demonstrators earlier in the day said that they would peacefully turn over any government-occupied structures, including the Presidents residence, the Presidential Secretariat, and the Prime Ministers office.
The United Kingdom, Singapore, and Bahrain have advised their citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Sri Lanka, where an economic collapse has resulted in massive protests. The island nation is in the grip of a severe economic crisis, which has resulted in a shortage of basic necessities such as medicines, cooking gas, fuel, and food.

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is expected to fly to Singapore today after fleeing to the Maldives on Wednesday.

Protesters in Sri Lanka defied tear gas, water cannons, and a state of emergency on Wednesday to storm the Prime Ministers office, demanding both men step down in the face of an economic crisis. Meanwhile, the curfew that had been imposed to restore order was lifted this morning.

Sri Lankans awaited President Gotabaya Rajapaksas resignation today, a day after he fled to the Maldives to avoid a popular uprising against an economic crisis blamed on his governments mismanagement.

Rajapaksa was expected to travel to Singapore next, though his final destination was unknown. His decision to appoint his ally Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as acting president sparked more protests on Wednesday, with demonstrators storming the premiers office demanding that he resign as well.
LOBAMBA  Members of Parliament (MPs) have directed the Minister of Home Affairs, Princess Lindiwe, to deal with the issue of promoting employees who are unqualified.

The members of the august House were of the assertion that the ministry had caused a blunder by promoting officers who had grades as lower as Grade VII, and this even affected the operations in some offices of the ministry. This was during the ministrys portfolio committee debate for the first quarter performance report of 2022/23. Shiselweni MP Nokuthula Dlamini asked what the ministry was doing to push the Ministry of Public Service to approve the skills of service.

She said to minimise ill-treatment among employees, these would provide terms of reference, which would detail the job description, as well as when and how promotions should be granted. The MP highlighted that in other ministries, it was clear when promotions were given and under which criteria. She mentioned that employees were not found fighting for positions without fitting specific requirements. The MP emphasised that an instrument should be provided and effected to deal with the matter.

Kumethula MP Derrick Masuku added that he learnt of the saddening news which was published on May 22, that there was infighting at the ministry, which resulted in operations being halted during the registration process. When people are promoted, there are certain laws put in place to allow for promotions. However, it has been reported that there are officers who were promoted with Standard Five (Grade VII), he quipped. Masuku further mentioned that the work was not properly done because of what happened in the ministry. He also alleged that it was said there were two employees who were promoted yet were not included in the system and they had Accounting qualifications.
Former Hamden Mayor Curt Balzano Leng has a new gig: heading up the Winchester Housing Authority.

Leng began working as the agencys executive director last week, he said.

In the post, he oversees 120 housing units and seeks to (make) sure that the experiences that people are having that live there are the best that they can be, he said.

Based in Winsted, the Winchester Housing Authority operates two housing communities, according to the agencys website, which says the units serve people over age 62 as well as individuals with disabilities.

Lengs responsibilities include grant work, project management and executing the agencys capital plan, he said. The post reminds him of community development jobs he held previously.

Its similar to the work that I did when I was in community development ... except its on the housing side as opposed to the community/neighborhood development side, he said.

Of all the jobs Leng has held, serving as community development program manager for Hamden has probably been his favorite, Leng said.

A former member of Hamdens Legislative Council, Leng also was a longtime Town Hall staffer, serving as chief administrative officer to then-Mayor Scott Jackson.

When Jackson left the town in 2015 to take a job with the state, Leng won a special election for mayor. He held the position for six years - three terms and change - until losing a re-election bid last year to Mayor Lauren Garrett.

In March, Crossroads Community Planning announced it had hired Leng as a development and grants manager, according to a company Facebook post.

The Ohio-based firm provides consulting services to governments and community groups, per the post, which said Leng was tasked partly with securing additional business in the Northeast Region, starting with Connecticut and Massachusetts.

They were trying to break into Connecticut and I was working about 25 hours a week with them, Leng said. This opportunity (with the Winchester Housing Authority) came along and it just seemed like the right fit.

Leng loves working with seniors, he said, and the age group takes up a majority of the units he oversees.

He enjoys being able to directly assist people, he said.

The job provides an immediate sense of  having empathy and being able to execute on it, Leng said.

meghan.friedmann@hearstmediact.com
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NEWTOWN  Alex Jones has lost enough confidence in high-profile New Haven attorney Norm Pattis that Pattis says he wont be able to provide the best defense for Jones at a September Sandy Hook defamation awards trial without the help of a Texas lawyer Jones trusts.

There has been some turbulence in my relationship with (Jones) and there has been a rearrangement of counsel where  (Texas attorney Andino) Reynal is playing the role that I hitherto played, Pattis told a Connecticut judge Thursday during a pretrial conference. Given the intricacies of this case, we need (Reynal).

State Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis declined to say on Thursday whether she would allow the Texas attorney to represent Jones at the Connecticut trial in September to determine how much Jones will have to pay an FBI agent and eight families Jones defamed by calling the 2012 massacre of 26 first-graders and educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School staged, synthetic, manufactured, a giant hoax, and completely fake with actors.

The reason: the same Texas attorney is representing Jones in a jury trial starting July 25 in Austin to determine how much Jones will have to pay the parents of a boy slain in the Sandy Hook massacre who also won a defamation lawsuit against Jones last year.

Thats a problem, Bellis said, because shes never allowed an out-of-state attorney permission to practice in Connecticut when the attorney couldnt commit to being here for the entire trial.

This is a sea change for me  but I am not averse to considering it, said Bellis, noting that she would weigh the response from lawyers for the Sandy Hook families before she ruled next week.

Bellis and her Texas counterpart got into the showdown after Jones sought bankruptcy protection in April from four defamation cases he lost  two to Sandy Hook parents in Texas, one to Sandy Hook families in Connecticut, and the fourth to a Norwalk native Jones Infowars site defamed as a mass shooter. When Jones bid for bankruptcy protection failed, the Texas judge rescheduled the three trials in Austin, two of which are now in conflict with Connecticut.

Thursdays pretrial conference did not resolve the showdown with Texas, where the first defamation awards trial for two Sandy Hook parents is scheduled to be in its second week at the same time that jury selection begins in the Connecticut trial.

At stake is that Jones preferred Texas attorney wont be able to be in two places at the same time.

Pattis, who asked Bellis in a motion earlier this week to reconsider her refusal to reschedule the Connecticut trial, said on Thursday he had no plans to argue that Jones would be deprived of his lawyer of choice should Bellis keep the Connecticut trial date as is.

Instead Pattis stressed that the best defense for Jones in Connecticut depended on the lawyer Jones trusts most being allowed in the Waterbury courtroom.

(Reynal) is in a unique position of confidence with Mr. Jones, and given the strain in my relationship with (Jones)(Reynal) has more contacts and has access with stakeholders at a time when mine is strained, Pattis said.

Pattis went on to explain that due to a second Texas defamation awards trial scheduled to begin in September, Reynal is likely to miss portions of the Connecticut trial once a jury is picked.

That bothered Bellis.

Its one thing if (Reynal) isnt present for jury selection but another thing entirely to have him not present for a part of the trial, Bellis said. Are there motions for (trial rescheduling) in Texas?

No, responded Pattis.

That bothered Bellis enough to interrupt Pattis.

Let me finish, please, Pattis said.

I will let you finish in a second, Bellis said. Why do I have a motion to (reschedule) here but there are no motions (to reschedule) in the other cases?

Pattis said he wasnt representing Jones in Texas, but would advise Jones legal team to ask the Texas judge to reschedule the second trial in September.

Thursdays pretrial conference is the latest development in one of the highest-profile defamation cases of its kind in the country.

Earlier this week, Pattis asked Bellis to bar evidence to the jury in Connecticut about white supremacy and right-wing extremism, saying such associations would violate Jones right to a fair trial. In a separate motion Pattis asked Bellis for permission to introduce at the trial her decision that defaulted Jones last year and made Jones liable for defamation damages.

Lawyers for Sandy Hook families in Connecticut filed their own requests for trial parameters with Belllis on Thursday, asking her to bar Jones lawyers from introducing evidence at the trial about the $73 million Remington settlement with nine Sandy Hook families, and to bar Jones lawyers from challenging the legitimacy and correctness of the default ruling Bellis made against Jones.

Alex Jones made it clear in his deposition that he views the default as fraudulent and ridiculous and the product of judicial bias, reads a motion filed Thursday by Sandy Hook families attorneys. (Jones is) not permitted to ignore or defy the courts default rulings by suggesting to the jury that it should reject the default rulings.

rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342
For the first time in two years, Connecticut again has more than 10,000 people incarcerated in its jails and prisons, state numbers show.

The states incarcerated population reached 30-year lows during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, a trend state officials celebrated as a sign of progress in creating a more fair legal system. But the numbers have since begun to increase again, inching closer to their pre-pandemic levels.

As of Thursday, Connecticut has 10,004 people in its jails and prisons, up about 6 percent since the start of the year and about 12 percent since last April, when incarceration in Connecticut reached its lowest mark since 1990.

State officials say the increase has owed largely to the resumption of legal system operations that were paused early in the pandemic, while some advocates fear a return to more punitive impulses that faded briefly in the wake of the George Floyd protests of 2020. The 10,004 total includes 3,991 people who are awaiting sentencing and 6,013 who have already sentenced  the highest that number has been since Dec. 4, 2020.

The trend does not seem to owe to changes in Connecticuts crime rates, which have not shown obvious signs of increase in the past year.

Max Reiss, a spokesperson for Gov. Ned Lamont, said he thinks the recent increase represents a normalization of what the [incarcerated] population looks like after the pandemic. He said the administration believes in prioritizing serious crimes, as opposed to locking people up for minor offenses.

Marc Pelka, Lamonts undersecretary for criminal justice, said the incarceration numbers may be simply regressing toward the mean but that he would continue to monitor them moving forward to see if the recent trend endures.

It is very hard to predict, and the onset of the pandemic has introduced uncertainties and questions and required near-constant adaptation from across the criminal justice system, he said.

Early in the pandemic, as the ACLU and other groups lobbied Lamont to release more people from jails and prisons, the governor and his administration hailed Connecticuts declining incarcerated population. When the states jail and prison census dipped below 9,000 in March 2021, Angel Quiros, commissioner of the states Department of Correction, called the trend incredible and said it speaks to the remarkable work of the staff of this agency.

The hope is that the number of incarcerated individuals continues to decline, without an adverse effect on the publics safety, Quiros said at the time.

That trend didnt last, however, as incarceration began increasing again in April 2021 and has risen gradually ever since. As a result, Connecticut has lost its status as one of the only states to reduce its prison and jail population below 50 percent of its all-time high.

A Department of Correction spokesperson declined comment when asked for comment on Connecticut against surpassing 10,000 people in jail or prison, referring back to a previous statement in which the agency pointed out that incarceration remains below pre-pandemic levels.

Mike Lawlor, a University of New Haven professor who served as undersecretary for criminal justice under former Gov. Dannel Malloy, downplayed the recent rise in incarceration, noting that jail and prison populations tend to rise during the summer and dip again in the fall.

The real question is, next year at this time is, is it above or below 10,000 and by how much? Lawlor said. By that time youll probably get a sense, is it just going to keep going up back to where it used to be, or is it going to stay at a stable, generally predictable trend.

Though Connecticut has seen an increase in both its pretrial population and its sentenced population, the trend has been particular noticeable among the former group, likely due in part to COVID-related backlogs. Whereas people awaiting trial accounted for less than a quarter of the incarcerated population before the pandemic, they now represent nearly 40 percent.

Even still, Lawlor notes, Connecticut has notably fewer people in its jails and prisons that was typical this time of year pre-COVID.

Theres 400 more pretrial prisoners today than three years ago, and even with that, [the total incarcerated population] is down 3,000 from a similar date before COVID, which is a significant change, Lawlor said. Itll go up a little as the summer progresses, but were still way down from where we had been before.

alex.putterman@hearstmediact.com
Members of the state board overseeing West Haven and its finances say theyve heard it all before.

Patrick Egan, a member of the Municipal Accountability Review Board since late 2017, said he has observed West Haven officials for years make excuses for failing to comply with state requests.

Theres not one meeting I can reflect on where theres a little bit of self-evaluation. Its constant deflection, he said Thursday at a MARB meeting with West Haven officials in Hartford.

The MARB previously had requested a list of all city employees who either had refused or neglected to hand in ethics disclosure forms after learning that roughly 10 percent of employees fell into those categories. By Thursday, no list had been provided.

With the city now having been placed under Tier IV, the highest level of oversight allowable under state statute, MARB and Office of Policy and Management officials said they want to create some consequences for noncompliance.

West Haven is the first municipality to ever be placed under Tier IV since the MARB was created, so officials believe the statute governing Tier IV municipalities is less articulated than it could be.

Before the state agrees to send contractors to offer support, guidance and instruction, officials said they want to make clear the expectations around transparency and compliance.

When we started this adventure we said there is an issue of culture that needed to be changed in the city, said board member Bob White.

He said he was taken aback by the City Councils vote to approve a police contract after MARB members raised concerns about its financial implications  with several council members challenging MARB members level of care for city police officers before taking the vote.

MARB member Christine Shaw said her gravest concern is the resistance from city officials to MARBs directives.

There ought to be an alignment of interest, she said.

White said he wants the MARB to have a public meeting with members of the City Council to discuss expectations.

OPM Secretary Jeff Beckham said he supports having light and cameras on the City Council at some point by holding a public hearing. He said that West Haven cannot exit the MARBs control until the MARB agrees to it, so it is in the citys best interest to cooperate. If they dont, he said OPM may request that the state legislature give the MARB more consequences that can be enforced.

They are before this board until we let them go, he said. If they dont make progress, we may talk to the General Assembly.

MARB member Mark Waxenberg said he believes the state oversight board should look into establishing the ability to enforce city cooperation, as the board has not been provided all of the information is has requested in the past.

If we keep kvetching over that at our monthly meetings, then whats it all about? he said. Its not just the culture, but the negligence of not responding to a body that has given you over $16 million.

Egan said that the city already has policies, but there does not seem to be any enforcement or consequences. He said he believes the MARB needs to ensure that there are consequences for violating policies.

The problem is there is no penalty. Theres no consequence for anyone in the city for not following the rules, he said.

Mayor Nancy Rossi, who called into the meeting as she is out of state, said after the meeting that she believes the citys missed deadlines are amplified by the MARB unfairly.

I have kept my word when we first went into Tier IV I would cooperate and do everything to facilitate. They made it sound we havent done anything right, which isnt true, she said.

Rossi said the citys personnel director also had called in to the meeting, but no one in the Legislative Office Building asked who was on the call. Rossi said she understands the personnel director received almost all of the ethics disclosure forms.

Rossi said she did not know why the information was not provided ahead of time to the board.

It shouldve been done. Why they didnt request it, either? Im not trying to blame them, but if I was on the City Council and someone was promised something and people were calling in virtually, I wouldve asked if someone had this information, she said.

Rossi said she believes the MARBs tone changed after a scandal last year, when former Democratic state Rep. Michael DiMassa was alleged to have stolen more than $1 million in federal money from the city. DiMassa has pleaded not guilty, but two of three codefendants since have changed their pleas to guilty.

Everything went wrong when the theft happened, she said. They were saying before that we were in a better place.

During the meeting, Egan said he felt the city had used the alleged theft as a distraction from larger systemic and cultural issues.

brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com
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SHELTON  A German Shepherd whose front leg was amputated after police said his owners shot him in Derby has been adopted, according to the city of Sheltons animal shelter.

The dog, previously known as Thunda, was renamed Sheriff by staff at the VCA Shoreline veterinary medical facility after the shooting.

Sheriff has adjusted very well with only having three legs and runs, plays and swims, the animal shelter said in a Facebook post Thursday. He can be clumsy at times, but is such a good boy.

The dog was adopted by the family of Dan and Victoria Loris, both police officers. Dan Loris, a former K-9 officer in Shelton who now works for the Fairfield Police Department, had lost his former K-9 partner, Stryker, earlier this year. Victoria Loris is an officer with the Shelton Police Department.

Victoria felt from the moment she heard about Sheriff he would be theirs, the post from the Shelton animal shelter said.

In April, Derby police arrested the dogs previous owners after the animal was found shot at the Derby Picnic Grove on Nutmeg Avenue. Police said the dog had been shot twice, shattering his leg and resulting in another bullet embedding in his shoulder.

Stranja Perrin and Anthony Singletary were both charged in the case.

Both denied owning a dog, but investigators determined they had a male German Shepherd that matched the animals description.

Police said video surveillance placed Perrins car at the park, where officers found 10 9 mm casings that matched ammunition in two 9 mm handguns Perrin was licensed to carry.

A GoFundMe to raise money for the dogs medical care raised more than $14,000 at the time.
NEW HAVEN  A city man faces up to seven years in prison after threatening and harassing a Massachusetts woman over the internet, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for Massachusetts.

Marshall Nicholas Fain, 31, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of cyberstalking and one count of transmitting threats through interstate commerce, officials said. A date for a plea hearing has not yet been set.

According to court records, Fain was in a relationship with the woman for about two years before it ended in August 2021. In the following months, he sent the victim multiple private messages through email and social media threatening to kill the victim and members of her family, officials said.

According to the charging documents, Fain created multiple social media and email accounts, which he used to harass and threaten the victim anonymously. Specifically, Fain used anonymous Instagram and Facebook accounts to send the victim messages that said, among other things, Ill kill you and You gonna get yours if its the last thing I do, officials said. Fain also used anonymous email addresses to send the victim threatening messages that said, among other things, Im gonna find you and kill you if its the last thing I do.

Fain faces up to five years in prison for the cyberstalking charge and up to two years for the online threats, officials said.

The language used by this individual made his intent clear. Threats of violence, whether spoken, written, or transmitted over the internet, will not be tolerated, United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins said in a statement. Domestic violence takes many forms. Verbal abuse and threats are one of them and can be precursors to escalated behaviors  like the stalking involved in this case  and, in some cases, physical abuse. Mr. Fains violent words landed him in this situation, and we will continue to prosecute threats of violence of any form.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
MBABANE  The Ministry of Health has confirmed the arrival of some medication in the country which will be distributed to various public health facilities soon.

A series of articles had been published by this publication regarding the shortage of some medication in the different hospitals around the country. According to Minister of Health Lizzie Nkosi, the ministry has been, during the course of the week, receiving a number of medications which government had purchased from different countries. She said due to the slight delay on paying suppliers, the medication took time to be delivered. Nkosi mentioned that although she would not be able to reveal the list of the medication which had arrived, she could confirm that it included childrens vaccinations, intensive care and theatre medication and commodities, antiretroviral treatment (ART),TB medication, a wide range of pain management medication, X-ray digital films, IV fluids and other essential measures.

Received

They have just sent me a whole long list of medicines received this week. All I can say is that more medication will be delivered soon and we are trying to distribute them as quickly as we can. We have a whole load of childrens vaccines but not all of them. Some for intensive care and theatre, and commodities that go with them which include syringes, bandages and much more, she said. Director of Health Services in the Ministry of Health Dr Vusi Magagula stated that the cause of the delay in receiving the medication was due to the late payments of the suppliers by government. He said as a ministry, they were happy that a lot of the medication had been received and more was still to come. We have not received all the medication yet but soon, we will be receiving more. The reason there was a delay was because some of the suppliers were paid a bit later than we had anticipated. We will be distributing these to the different hospitals as soon as possible and the different health facilities will be alerted during the time of distribution, he said.

Trust

Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU) Secretary General Mayibongwe Masingane said they did not want to count their eggs until they hatched. He said this was because they did not trust government and until they had proof that the medication was indeed there and was being delivered to different hospitals in the country, they could not trust the ministry.

Although we are happy about receiving of the medication, due to our previous experiences with government, we can only believe it when we see it. We have seen government give out statements just to calm down the public. We will only believe it when we actually see hospitals receiving the medication,he said. Masingane mentioned that for them to trust that the medication had really arrived, government needed to fast-track the delivering process to the hospitals as medicine shortage was an issue which needed a quick intervention.

This is a serious issue which affects a lot of emaSwati and for that reason we are hoping that this is not a PR strategy from government as it would really be sad if that was the case, he said. For many months, nurses have been petitioning government regarding the shortage of drugs. Patients were given prescriptions and told to source the drugs from pharmacies as there were none in public health facilities. Most patients shared their frustration about this state of affairs, in particular because the medication cost more when bought from private pharmacies.
The Adamawa State Commissioner of Police, CP Sikiru Akande, has asked all vehicle users to return spy plate numbers to the police state head...





The Adamawa State Commissioner of Police, CP Sikiru Akande, has asked all vehicle users to return spy plate numbers to the police state headquarters in Yola.





A press statement signed by the commands Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Suleiman Nguroje, indicated that the order is a move to enforce the Inspector General of Polices ban on the use of spy vehicle numbers across the country.





The Adamawa State PPRO said CP Akande will not allow violators of the order or condone misguided elements who may insist on the use of the spy numbers.





The statement said the police and other security agents will confiscate such numbers from anyone found using them.





The police boss further directs divisional police officers, operational commanders and their supervisory Area Commanders to immediately enforce the order, the statement said.





It added that a task force that comprises all security agents will be going around to ensure compliance.
Kashim Shettima, former governor of Borno, topped the list of 11 persons recommended to be running mate of Bola Tinubu, presidential candi...

Kashim Shettima, former governor of Borno, topped the list of 11 persons recommended to be running mate of Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), by a committee headed by Babachir Lawal, former secretary to the government of the federation (SGF).

According to Daily Trust , the panel  planning and strategy committee of the Tinubu campaign organisation  which Lawal chaired, supervised the sub-committee that recommended the 11 persons to Tinubu.

The strategic committee was said to have been set up months ago and had Elisha Abbo, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, James Faleke, Magnus Abe, Nuhu Ribadu, Abu Ibrahim, Grace Bent, Musa Sarkin-Adar, among others, as members.

The newspaper said the sub-committee was set up after Tinubu was elected as the APC presidential candidate with the mandate to offer advice on the choice of a running mate.

Bent was picked as the chairperson of the sub-committee and Lawals panel was in charge of overseeing its activities.

Sources, according to the newspaper, said the sub-committee recommended seven persons from the north-east and four persons from the north-west geopolitical zones for the vice-presidential position.

Aside from Shettima, those recommended from the north-east were Kashim Imam, Babagana Zulum, governor of Borno; Yakubu Dogara, former speaker of the House of Representatives; Amina Mohammed, deputy secretary-general of the United Nations; Fatima Balla, and Senator Manzo.

Those from the north-west are Nasiru el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna; Najatu Mohammed, deputy governor of Kaduna; Aliyu Wamakko, former governor of Sokoto, and Atiku Bagudu, governor of Kebbi.

The news organisation quoted sources as saying the sub-committees report passed through Lawal and that Tinubu picked Shettima in line with the panels recommendation.

In arriving at our recommendation, we looked at all persuasions including religion, gender and acceptability. We looked at those who can add value to the ticket, the source was quoted saying.

He was part of the decision and the report got to the presidential candidate through him. First, we sent the soft copy of our report to Asiwaju before Babachir Lawal took the hard copy to him in London last Wednesday.

But Lawal was said to have denied being aware of the sub-committees report.

I chaired the Bola Tinubu planning and strategy committee, which was set up to implement strategies for Tinubu to pick the ticket. But Im not aware of the sub-committee that recommended running mates. It is not our work. You know politicians can cook up anything, Daily Trust quoted him as saying.

MUSLIM-MUSLIM TICKET A DISASTROUS ERROR

Recall that Lawal criticised Tinubus choice of running mate, describing it as a disastrous error.

Tinubu had, unveiled Shettima as his running mate on Sunday. The development has elicited varied reactions from Nigerians with some condemning the former Lagos governors decision.

Lawal, who protested the decision on Tuesday, asked the APC to compel Tinubu to change his choice.

I thought I will be able to avoid commenting on the disastrous error by my very good friend, Sen Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in his choice of a running mate, he had said.
Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), says the open lamentation of President Muhammadu ...

Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), says the open lamentation of President Muhammadu Buhari on the ongoing industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities has opened doors for him to urgently intervene.

Mr Tinubu spoke while meeting with members of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in Osogbo, the Osun state capital.

We initially thought of using back channels to engage the leadership of ASUU but now President Buhari has thrown down the Gauntlet. He has even shown his lamentation in the last 48 hours and as a result of that he had left the job open for our intervention, the APC leader added.

Mr Buhari had during the Sallah holidays in a statement issued by his media aide Garba Shehu, said, Truly, enough is enough for keeping students at home.

But ASUU president Emmanuel Osodeke snapped back the president retort, asking him to action the report of the committee he detailed to negotiate with them. Mr Osodeke maintained that the Buhari regime was responsible for the prolonged strike

Mr Tinubu, seeking to curry the students favour, promised that the lingering ASUU strike would soon be called off and asked the university students to prepare for their resumption back to class.

ASUU on Monday, February 14, 2022, embarked on industrial action over the alleged failure of the government to attend to its lingering demands.

Part of their demands includes the release of revitalisation funds for universities, renegotiation of the ASUU-FGN 2009 agreement, and deployment of the University Transparency Accountability System for the payment of salaries and allowances of lecturers.

The public universities lecturers are also asking for the release of the white paper report of the visitation panels to their various institutions among others.
Kemi Badenoch, former UK equalities minister, has taken a swipe at Nigerian politicians and accused them of using public funds for their p...

Kemi Badenoch, former UK equalities minister, has taken a swipe at Nigerian politicians and accused them of using public funds for their private matters.

Badenoch, a UK member of parliament of Nigerian descent, said this on Monday during an event to mark the commencement of her campaign for the office of the UK prime minister on Tuesday.

The 42-year-old was among several ministers that resigned over loss of confidence in Boris Johnsons style of governance.

Boris Johnson had resigned as UK prime minister on July 7.

Badenoch, who had earlier announced her interest in contesting, said she chose to run for the office of UK prime minister in line with her ambition to serve a country that gives her the opportunity to maximise her potential.

Speaking on her growing-up years in Nigeria, she said Nigerian politicians have a knack for making promises and failing to keep those promises.

I am running for prime minister because I am ambitious. I am ambitious for our country and for our party. I chose to be the conservative MP to serve and choose this country because here, I can be free and do anything I want to be here, she said.

I grew up in Nigeria and saw firsthand what happens when politicians are running for themselves when they use public money as their private piggybanks, when they promise the earth and pollute not just the air, but the whole political atmosphere with their failure to serve others.

I saw what socialism means. For millions, it is poverty and broken dreams. I came to Britain determined to make my way in a country where hard work and honest endeavour can take you anywhere.
Nigerian comedienne Princess has reacted to a ruling by Ikeja special offences court convicting Nollywood actor Olarenwaju James known as Ba...





Nigerian comedienne Princess has reacted to a ruling by Ikeja special offences court convicting Nollywood actor Olarenwaju James known as Baba Ijesha.

God is not man, Princess posted on her Instagram on Thursday.

The actor was arraigned on June 24, 2021. During the trial, six prosecution witnesses testified against him.

They are comedienne Princess, the 14-year-old minor, Olabisi Ajayi-Kayode, a child expert; Aniekan Makanjuola, a medical doctor; Wahab Kareem, the investigating police officer; and Abigail Omane, a policewoman.

The judge at Ikeja special offences court Oluwatoyin Taiwo convicted Baba Ijesha of indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault, and attempted sexual assault in a two-hour judgment.

Moments after the ruling, Princess published a video of her singing along to a song of thanksgiving.





Baba Ijesha faced a six-count charge of indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault, attempted sexual assault by penetration, and sexual assault by penetration.

The charges were proffered against him by the Lagos state directorate of public prosecutions (DPP).

The offences contravene Section 135, 137, 261, 202, 262 and 263 of the Lagos State Criminal Law 2015, which stipulates life imprisonment for offenders.
President Muhammadu Buhari has urged Nigerian military officers to confront terrorists and wipe them off the face of the earth. Buha...

President Muhammadu Buhari has urged Nigerian military officers to confront terrorists and wipe them off the face of the earth.

Buhari said this in Kaduna State while celebrating the sacrifices and successes of the Nigerian military in defending Nigeria courageously, urging them to bring peace to the country.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony of 247 students of the Senior Course 44 of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, on Thursday, Buhari promised that his government would continue to provide the needed support required to wipe out terrorists from Nigeria.

Buhari told the graduating students: The response of the Armed Forces of Nigeria to the Boko Haram insurgency, banditry, militancy, kidnapping as well as the activities of separatists and armed militias amongst others have been commendable.

We have witnessed recent terrorist attacks in Nigeria bearing the hallmark of national and trans-border insurgents trying to cause havoc in Nigeria as well as in neighbouring countries.

Itll be part of your duty to confront these terrorists and insurgents and wipe them off the face of the earth and bring peace to our countries.
Peter Obi, presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), has responded to a comment by Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in...

Peter Obi, presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), has responded to a comment by Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in which the latter criticised the LP.

At the APC governorship rally in Osun on Tuesday, Tinubu had described the LP as a mushroom party.

Think about your children and vote accordingly so you can see the future. Come out en masse. Dont mind PDP and other mushroom parties  parties like Labour; they will labour till they die. God will not make you labourers, he had said.

Speaking on Wednesday at a rally organised by the LP in Osun, Obi said such a comment by the APC presidential candidate comes from a place of hatred, but the LP will respond with love.

I listened to our national chairman when he said that somebody said that they can labour till death. When they they talk like that, when they show you hatred, Labour Party will show them love. There is dignity in labour, he said.

Obi, who urged the residents of Osun to vote for Yusuf Lasun, the LPs governorship candidate, said the partys focus is on ensuring a better welfare for citizens.

Vote for Labour Party so that your children can have jobs. Vote for people that will work for you, he said.

We want to change Nigeria and the only way we can change Nigeria is to remove all these people who have put Nigeria where it is for the past 23 years. This is time for them to go.

They are owing salaries, pensions; and those that are working hard are not been paid. But this will stop once you vote Labour Party on Saturday.

Vote for Labour Party; vote for the future of your children. Vote for the candidate that will be committed to better Osun state.

We are going to introduce you to a governor who will be committed to better Osun state, and that is what we want.

Also speaking, Julius Abure, the national chairman of the party, said the people should not sell their votes.

I want to beg you, no matter the temptation of the money they might want to give you, do not sell your future, he said.

The reason we had been in trouble over the years is because when they give us part of the money they stole from us, we will still vote for them.

If you can resist the temptation of not collecting the money, do not take it, but if you cannot resist the temptation, take the money and vote against them.
MBABANE  Hundreds of emaSwati who receive money through Shoprites money transfer platform have had their identity numbers and other personal information stolen.

Shoprites hacking had been doing the rounds on various internet platforms over the past week, and countries mostly affected have been named as Eswatini, Nambia and Zambia. The number of emaSwati who receive money through the Shoprite Financial Transfer system has been increasing over the years, evidenced by long queues within Shoprite outlets that offer such services. Ransom House, an organisation of ransomware hackers, has claimed responsibility for the attack on Shoprite, Africas largest retailer, according to information obtained from the tech website, techcrunch.com.

Shoprites Regional Manager for Eswatini, Khethani Ndlovu, confirmed knowledge of the hacking but fell short of giving full details of the incident. I can only confirm that a few of our customers were affected by the hack, but not too many. We may be talking about people in the hundreds, not thousands, he said. Pressed for further details, Ndlovu referred enquiries to Shoprites Corporate Communications Manager, Sarita Van Wyk, who is in Cape Town. Reached for comment via email, Van Wyk said the team that was well placed to communicate on the incident was Shoprites media wing. Please contact our media department, they are the right people to provide the information you are looking for, she said. An email was sent to Shoprites media department immediately, pursuant to Van Wyks response, but they had not responded at the time of compiling this article.

Questions

The questions asked related to whether Shoprite had officially informed its customers on the potential risk associated with the theft of their identities, and an outline of the exact number of customers affected. According to Tech Crunch, the information stolen from Shoprites database included names and identity numbers, but no financial information or bank account numbers. In a statement posted on its online platforms, Shoprite said: An investigation was immediately launched with forensic experts and other data security professionals to establish the origin, nature and scope of this incident.

In an interview with Newzroom Afrika, Data and Tech Expert Craig Rosewarne, said such attacks were common now all over the world. He urged Shoprites customers to be on the look-out for communication and transactions that may be suspicious online. Information theft affects all of us. The worst case scenario is when such information is used for identity theft purposes and misrepresentation. People affected by this must be vigilant at everything that seems suspicious, he said. Reports on various tech websites yesterday were to the effect that the information stolen from Shoprites servers was now being sold on the dark web, which is a codified network of computers accessed mostly by the hacking community.

In messages posted on Ransom Houses Telegram channel and seen by Tech Crunch, the gang, which is said to be targeting companies with weak security, claimed to have obtained 600 gigabytes of data from Shoprite. It said it collected personal data that was in plain text and raw photos packed in archived files, completely unprotected. The group also claimed to have contacted Shoprites management for negotiations and hinted that it will sell the data and make some of it public if the talks failed.
Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has cautioned former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachir Lawal, to be mind...





Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has cautioned former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachir Lawal, to be mindful of his utterances regarding the All Progressives Congress, APC, Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.





Ganduje accused Lawal of spreading falsehood over the decision of APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu to settle for former Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima, as his running mate.





Against the clamour of political stakeholders in the country, Tinubu had picked a Northern Muslim as his running mate.





Frowning at this decision, Lawal had alleged an Islamization agenda through the Muslim-Muslim ticket.





Lawal linked Ganduje to the plot to Islamize Nigeria and allegedly convert Tinubu into an Islamic president if he wins the 2023 presidential election.





Reacting, Ganduje accused the former SGF of spreading intolerance at a time the country needed unity.





In a statement by the Kano State Commissioner for Information, Muhammad Garba, the Governor said Lawal should have considered his relationship with Tinubu before making such remarks.





It is unfortunate that at a time when the country needs to be united for national development and religious tolerance, a man of Babachirs caliber, who is highly respected, would spread falsehood without much consideration to his position in the All Progressives Congress and close relationship with the partys flagbearer, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he said.





He urged Lawal and other internal critics to be mindful of their utterances, especially on religious matters and support the APC for quality leadership that will deliver the country from its challenges.
Raphinha has expressed his delight at joining Barcelona from Leeds United. The Brazil international joined the Blaugurana in a 68m de...





Raphinha has expressed his delight at joining Barcelona from Leeds United.

The Brazil international joined the Blaugurana in a 68m deal on Wednesday.

According to Raphinha, it has been his dream and that of his family and friends from when he was young.

He said: For me its a dream, not just mine but my family and friends.

Whoever saw me play, knows that to get here is a dream that Ive had since I was young. Now what I have to do is give my best and help Barca to return to being the Barca they always were.

Raphinha also admitted hes following in his Brazilian idols footsteps by coming to Barcelona.

I saw Ronaldinho and Neymar play here. I am one more Brazilian who is arriving at Barca and I hope to achieve what they achieved there, the 25-year-old added.
The Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said it received with utmost pleasure, the dismissal of the Appeal and Cros...





The Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said it received with utmost pleasure, the dismissal of the Appeal and Cross Appeal filed by Mahadi Aliyu Gusau demanding the removal of Governor Matawalle as the governor of Zamfara by the Appeal Court, Sokoto Division.





According to a statement signed by the States publicity secretary of the party, Comrade Yusuf Idris Gusau, the development followed the judgment delivered by the Appeal Court, Sokoto, presided over by Justice A A Gumel, affirming the earlier judgment of the Federal High Court, Gusau, which held that Governor Matawalle cant be removed from office simply because he defected from PDP to the APC.





The Court of Appeal in a unanimous judgment, held that Governor Matawalle has the right to defect to any political party of his choice. The Court also held that the provision of the Constitution is very clear to the effect that no punishment was provided against a governor who defects to another party, he said.





More so, it has indicated that Governor Matawalle cant vacate his seat and no Court of law can remove him just because of his decision to defect to another political party of his choice.





Similarly, the Court while dismissing the Cross Appeal filed by Barr Mahadi Aliyu Gusau, the impeached former deputy governor of the State, held that Mahadi Aliyu Gusau cant succeed Matawalle merely because he defected from PDP to APC.





The Court added that once a governor is sworn in, he ceases to be under the control of the political party which sponsored him, he said.





The Court of Appeal awarded ten million naira cost in favour of the 1st and 2nd Respondents in the main appeal





The two judgments were delivered by Justice A. A. Gumel, the Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Sokoto Division





The other justices who concurred with the judgment were Justice Mukhtar and Justice Dan-Juma.





The party is happy with the judgment and the court has proved that the judiciary is working towards protecting every citizens right according to the law of land.





With the judgment, however, the PDP has been totally grounded with no option than to accept the grand loss at all levels.





Because APC is waxing stronger and more formidable under the chairmanship of Hon. Tukur Umar Danfulani, with support of APC leader in the State, Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle, the scare will increase at the PDP house, but our doors shall remain open to receive anyone who realizes that the APC is the way to go, he stated.
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun early followed by cloudy skies this afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 84F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low around 60F. Winds light and variable.
MANZINI  A seven-month-old baby died after being strangled and hit with a blunt object on the head, allegedly by her father.

The incident happened at Mangcongco, which is a community in the western part of the country, located about 78 kilometres from Manzini. According to impeccable sources, the child was allegedly killed by her 29-year-old father following the disintegration of his relationship with the minors mother. The father, *Musi, reportedly contacted his live-in lover while she was at work on Tuesday morning. It was gathered from the sources that Musi proposed that she return to her house as he wanted them to talk, following the disintegration of their relationship.

Excused

The mother to the deceased minor was said to have requested to be excused from her place of employment to attend to the said emergency. However, upon arrival at her place of residence, it was gathered that Musi requested that they proceed to talk at a neutral place. The neutral place was said to have been a forest. Sources claimed that the mother of the minor did not adhere to the plea to proceed to the said destination. It was gathered that it was at this instance that Musi supposedly took the minor and left with her to the forest. It was alleged that Musi strangled and hit the minor with a blunt object on the head while in the forest before returning her to the mother. The impeccable sources suspected that the blunt object used by Musi was a stone. In fact, they claimed that he supposedly hit the child with a stone on the head after strangulating her.

Cohabitating

The sources purported that the suspect had been working in one of the forestry contracting companies in the area and had been cohabitating with the mother of the minor, until he lost his employment. After losing his source of income, it was claimed that the relationship between him and his live-in lover became strained following accusations of infidelity. Sources claimed that there were also allegations revolving around the paternity of the child, whom he had purportedly been supporting and was of the belief that she was his. Mangcongco Constituency Headman Nkosingiphile Dlamini said the community was still reeling from shock after the reports of the said murder. Dlamini said he received the report on Tuesday evening but they did not know the suspect as the area was full of people who were working in the forestry industry. The headman said what he had gathered was that the suspect had fled the area after allegedly committing the murder. It was gathered from sources that after fleeing Mangcongco, Musi went to his home area of Malangeni in Mankayane where he then requested family members to accompany him to the police yesterday morning.

Meanwhile, Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed the murder. She said on Tuesday at about 8am, a seven-month old girl was strangled and hit with a blunt object on the head while at Mangcongco.

Arrested

Vilakati said the minor was certified dead on arrival at the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) Hospital. She said a male aged 29 from Malangeni was yesterday arrested and charged by the police. Recently, this publication reported that a 20-year-old woman allegedly strangled to death her newborn baby boy and later buried the corpse next to a nearby river. The incident happened on January 24 when the mother was alone at her mothers home at Ngculwini. The mother of the minor, who resided with her live-in boyfriend in Matsapha, had paid her mother a visit at Ngculwini. It was also discovered that this was the mothers second child. It was reported that on the day of the murder, Takhona experienced labour pains while she was alone in her mothers home. She then gave birth to a baby boy whom she strangulated until he died. It was also reported that she then put the baby in bed until the following morning.

River

The baby was then dressed by his mother, who then put him in a bag and went to the nearby river. Further, it was disclosed that Takhona searched and found a spot near the river, where she saw sand and dug with a disposed old dish, which she found by the river. The baby was reportedly found by a community member who was collecting the sand and then reported the matter to the police. In another incident, a teenage couple aged 17, allegedly suffocated a six-month-old baby to death. The couple, who were Form II pupils at Mhubhe High School, allegedly agreed to end the childs life, after allegations that the minor boy was not the biological father of the baby. This incident also happened in the same area, Ngculwini.
Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon overstepped his authority when he ordered insurers to cover evacuation expenses for policyholders who fled Hurricane Ida from parishes that didnt issue mandatory orders to leave, a judge has ruled.

The ruling means that policyholders in parishes that didnt issue mandatory evacuation orders -- including all or parts of Jefferson, Livingston, Orleans, St. John the Baptist, St. Tammany and Tangipahoa -- arent entitled to reimbursements for expenses like food, gas and hotels during their stay out of harms way.

In a ruling released Friday, Judge Patrick E. Moore of the Division of Administrative Law -- a quasi-judicial court in Baton Rouge which adjudicates disputes between government agencies and those that they regulate -- wrote that Donelon acted in abuse of his offices discretion when he ordered insurers to cover evacuation expenses for residents who fled 25 parishes in Idas path.

'Prohibited use'

Most homeowners insurance policies include up to two weeks of prohibited use coverage for additional living expenses, but only if policyholders are under a mandatory order from public officials to leave.

Ahead of Hurricane Ida, some parishes within the storms path issued such orders, while others held off, fearing they couldn't implement a vehicle contraflow plan and safely evacuate all residents before the storm arrived.

On Sept. 2, four days after Ida made landfall, Donelon issued a bulletin, asking insurers to waive their policy language requiring a mandatory evacuation order to trigger that coverage.

After learning that several carriers were bucking that request, Donelon on Sept. 7 issued Directive 218, ordering issuers to treat the multiplicity of actions taken by public officials ahead of Ida as tantamount to an order to evacuate and requiring payment of those claims.

In late September, State Farm, which commands roughly 26% of Louisianas insurance market, and its subsidiary, Dover Bay Specialty, challenged the directive in the Division of Administrative Law, arguing that it amounted to an expansion of coverage.

The directive undermines one of the most fundamental tenets of insurance coverage: namely, that the coverage due is based on actual policy language, State Farms attorneys wrote in their petition challenging the directive.

Judge sides with insurers

In his decision, Moore sided with the insurers, ruling that Directive 218 is invalid and unenforceable, and adding that it was an improper exercise of Donelons discretion.

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The judge wrote that nowhere in the law does Donelon have the authority by directive to require the expansion of prohibited use coverage.

Moore called Donelon's interpretation of prohibited used policy language "clearly wrong, manifestly erroneous, and shocking to the conscience" of the court.

In an interview Wednesday, Donelon said, Im disappointed in that callous description of something so important to so many thousands of victims in coastal Louisiana.

The ruling cant be appealed, Donelon said.

He noted that all but five insurers complied with his directive: State Farm, Dover Bay, GeoVera, Evanston Insurance Company, and Continental Casualty Company.

Too late for evacuation order

Donelon previously said making reimbursements contingent on a mandatory order is legitimate to prevent residents from taking an all-expense paid vacation every time a storm enters the Gulf of Mexico.

But by the time Hurricane Idas threat became clear to local officials, it was too late to issue a mandatory order, he noted.

If they had ordered a mandatory evacuation, everything would have gridlocked, and people would have been stuck in 150 mph killer winds in their cars on highways all over south Louisiana, Donelon said previously.

However, under a new law, passed during this years regular legislative session, insurers beginning next hurricane season will be required to interpret all actions of a civil authority without regard to whether formal orders of evacuation were issued when determining whether to provide prohibited use coverage.

For people that have this coverage, it should be satisfied, state Rep. Laurie Schlegel, a Metairie Republican who sponsored the legislation, said during a debate over the proposal. Its not up to them to call a mandatory evacuation, its up to our civil authorities, and if they cant do it because it safely cant be called, then whats the coverage for?

Editor's note: A previous version of this story said Donelon was interviewed Tuesday. The interview took place Wednesday.
Evaluation of the prequalification bids submitted by top infrastructure majors for Bahrain Metro Phase One project will conclude by the end of this month, said a report citing the kingdom's Transportation and Telecommunications Minister Mohammed Al Kaabi.

"The Bahrain Metro is being implemented in four phases with the first one comprising two lines running 29-km-long covering 20 stations. Currently a technical team is studying the bids for Phase One which is set to conclude by the month-end," Al Kaabi told Akhbar Al Khaleej, our sister publcation.

It represents the first phase of the Bahrain governments ambitious plans of developing a 109-km rail based urban transit network (Metro) that consists of an elevated corridor with two lines having an estimated length of 28.6 km with 20 stations and two interchanges.
Two major UAE entities - Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) and Abu Dhabi Exports Office (ADEX) - have signed loan agreements worth AED338 million ($92 million) with Bahrain's Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) to finance a key water supply network project in the kingdom.

As per the deal, ADFD will provide a loan of AED150.6 million, while ADEX will offer AED187.32 million.

The project aims to enhance the capacity of the water transmission networks within Phase Two of Al Dur station development to 50 million gallons to ensure reserves of at least three days consumption average to cater to the everyday needs of the kingdom's residents, said a statement from ADFD.

Apart from drinking water supply, the station will serve construction, investment and industrial projects, thereby supporting EWAs water strategy until 2030, which aligns with the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs).

"These loan agreements signed with EWA demonstrate the depth of the brotherly relations between the UAE and Bahrain and the desire of our governments to maintain the strong bonds so both countries can work towards fulfilling each others aspirations and serving common interests," stated Mohamed Saif Al Suwaidi, Director General of ADFD and Chairman of the Executive Committee of ADEX after signing the deal with Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Minister of Finance and National Economy, and Yasser bin Ibrahim Humaidan, Minister of Electricity and Water Affairs at a special ceremony that took place in Bahrain.

The ceremony was attended by Adel Abdulla Al Hosani, Director of Operations Department in ADFD, Khalil Fadhl Al Mansoori, Acting Director General of ADEX and several officials from both countries.

Al Suwaidi pointed out that the project financed by ADFD will raise the efficiency of water supply, contribute to water security and enhance the sustainability of water resources.

"We are keen to support the development objectives of the Government of Bahrain and enable it to achieve water security and sustainability goals," he added.

Humaidan, while lauding the UAE for its steady support to Bahrain, said: "The cooperation between the two countries in various fields articulates the desire of the wise leadership in both countries to support common interests and advance bilateral relations. The two loan agreements will enable Bahrain to achieve a high-quality infrastructure that ensures sustainability of water resources."

"This cooperation also enhances the efficiency of water supply networks and supports the integrated strategy for managing water resources," stated the minister.

According to ADFD, Bahrain was one of the first countries where the Abu Dhabi group began its development activity in 1974. The amount of soft loans and government grants provided to the kingdom stands at AED23.12 billion, which covered 32 projects in vital sectors.

Al Mansouri hoped that the new strategic partnership with Bahrain will help drive the development of national exports and boost commercial and economic activities in both countries.

"Through our latest loan agreement, ADEX will work closely with Emirati companies by facilitating credit lines and financing solutions to Tecton Engineering and Construction that will undertake the construction of the second Al Dur pumping station including two tanks, each with a capacity of 20 million gallons, in addition to civil, mechanical and electrical works, along with the installation of the latest communication and control systems," he explained.

"As part of this project, we will also support Jindal SAW Gulf, a leading supplier of pipes and fittings ranging from 1200 mm to 800 mm in diameter. At ADEX, we seek to enable Emirati companies to identify promising opportunities and expand and compete in regional and global markets," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Finnish industrial major Metso Outotec has signed an agreement with Indias Larsen & Toubro Limited to supply four Symons cone crushers for an iron ore crushing and screening plant of National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC).

The crushers will be installed at Kirandul complex in Chhattisgarh, in Central India. The value of the order is not disclosed, and it has been booked in Minerals segment Q2/2022 orders received.

Crushing has one of the biggest environmental impacts in mining and aggregate operations. It is also one of the most critical ones. The right crusher and parts selection have a big impact on the whole crushing efficiency and economy.

Advanced features

The new Symons cone crushers have advanced features that will make the customers operations more efficient and reduce maintenance efforts compared to earlier versions and to other equivalent crushers on the market.

Metso Outotec can help the customer reduce their crushers maintenance time as well as increase their overall operating efficiency and machine availability in a sustainable manner. The upgrade will also reduce the need for physical labor to do liner changes and adjustments to the crusher, increasing the level of safety, says Matt Sloniker, Director, Classic Crusher Product Group at Metso Outotec.-- TradeArabia News Service
Brazil, which has already attracted Arab investments worth over $185.45 billion in key sectors such as infrastructure, energy and sewage disposal offers the Arab world a lucrative business climate and strong legal security.

This was the pitch by Flavio Rocha, Strategic Affairs Secretary of the Brazilian Presidency of the Republic, at the Economic Forum Brazil and Arab Countries, which brought together several notable players from both regions.

Jair Bolsonaro, Brazilian President of the Republic, stated how the Arab world is the third largest foreign market for Brazil, after China and the US. Trade flow between Brazil and 22 countries from the Arab league reached $24 billion in 2021, with exports to the bloc totaling to $14.42 billion, which is a 26% increase in revenue.

Brazilian exports

Similarly, exports from Brazil to the Arab world grew from $4 billion between January and April in 2021 to $5.2 billion in the same period of 2022. In addition, the Arab blocs sealed the fifth place among the top exporters of goods to Brazil, with the purchase volume of Arab products reaching $9.82 billion in 2021, an 82% increase from the previous year.

Furthermore, Brazil is now the worlds-largest exporter of halal protein. In addition to poultry and beef, exports of sugar, soybeans, and wheat have also increased significantly

Rocha said: Brazil and the Arab world have a multitude of business opportunities to develop together, and the present business environment facilitates this growth, further strengthening the economic ties between the regions.

Preventing double taxation

Bolsonaro stated: One of our key objectives is to reach agreements with Arab countries to facilitate investments and prevent double taxation. The results of the free trade agreement with Egypt serve as an inspiration for other initiatives within Mercosur, such as the ongoing negotiations with the UAE. We firmly believe that the prospects of economic cooperation between Brazil and the Arab world have only begun to be explored.

Over 300 members, from diplomats and state authorities to entity heads and entrepreneurs, attended the event held by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) at the Renaissance Hotel.

According to Lucas Ferraz, Foreign Trade secretary of the Brazilian Ministry of Economy, the current business environment is the result of a series of measures adopted by the federal government to reduce the Brazil Cost and expand the countrys global market participation. A few measures were highlighted by Ferraz, which included the reduction of taxes and bureaucratic barriers, as well as expanding trade agreements with other countries and economic blocs.

More agreements

Osmar Chohfi, President of the ABCC, believes the bilateral trade relationship between Brazil and the Arab world gained momentum at a past juncture in the global context when various nations had to adjust to novel and challenging trade and economic conditions.

He stated: There is a need for more agreements of this nature, along with a forum, where we can identify ways to resolve obstacles and sensitivities that prevent free trade agreements between Brazil and Arab countries.

This is also in reference to the 1970s and 1980s, when Brazil increased its trade with the Arab world through its evaluation and balance policy. This trend further continued into the 1990s and these two decades of the twenty-first century. Brazil's companies participated in the exchange with oil, gas, fertilisers, vehicles, airplanes, construction materials, and engineering services, developing a significant and highly complementary trade with Arab countries over the years," added Chohfi.

Critical point

Sameer Abdulla Nass, Vice President of the Union of Arab Chambers (UAC) and President of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), highlights another critical point in Brazil-Arab country relations being the elimination of logistical bottlenecks by establishing direct sea routes between Brazilian and Arab ports. This helped result in lower shipping costs and increased volume of bilateral trade, increasing revenue and improving strategic ties.

The growth in trade between the Arab world and Brazil is evidence that we still have several opportunities to be taken advantage of, even in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic and the global economic crisis. In order to benefit from the numerous advantages already present in Brazil and the Arab countries, we must intensify our economic cooperation and make high-quality investments on both sides, said Nass.

Chohfi and Augusto Pestana, President of the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil), signed a term of commitment to an agreement to promote halal business in the years 2022 to 2025 at the beginning of the Economic Forum Brazil and Arab Countries. The agreement aims to promote halal products internationally, through initiatives organised in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Indonesia, South Africa, Malaysia, France, and the UAE. Additionally, it aims to position Brazil as a leading competitor in the market for halal products by highlighting relevant initiatives and accomplishments that will be published globally.

The Economic Forum Brazil and Arab Countries is sponsored by Apex-Brasil, BRF/Sadia Halal. The event is also partnering with Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (Kizad), Fambras Halal certification, Pantanal Trading, and Embratur. Other companies supporting the event also include Modern Living, CDIAL Halal, Antika, Travel Plus, Parque Tecnologico Itaipu (PTI), and Egyzone.-- TradeArabia News Service
Male, July 14 (UNI) Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Thursday resigned as the President of Sri Lanka, Mohamed Nasheed, former Maldivian President and current Speaker said.

The Speaker of the People's Majlis of the Maldives tweeted, "Sri Lankan President GR has resigned."

Nasheed added, "I hope Sri Lanka can now move forward."

He said that he "believed the President would not have resigned if he were still in Sri Lanka, and fearful of losing his life."

"I commend the thoughtful actions of the Govt of Maldives. My best wishes to the people of Sri Lanka," he added.

UNI VP GK
STOCKHOLM, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- iGaming affiliate, Leadstar Media, has expanded its online bookmaker comparison site, My Betting Sites, by launching in Ireland, the tenth market in which its flagship brand has gone live since the website first launched in November 2019.

Having quickly established itself in the UK, Canada, Kenya, India and Nigeria, My Betting Sites has gone on to become the go-to online bookmaker comparison site in Australia, Ghana, New Zealand and South Africa.

Today, the site is one of the most important in the Leadstar portfolio and, according to Product Director Jacob Ljunggren, will only go from strength to strength now that Mybettingsites.com/ie is live too:

"My Betting Sites is performing well in some very competitive markets, catering to the online betting needs of punters in many parts of the world and we see no reason why we can't do the same in Ireland"

Ljunggren was also delighted with the company taking its first step in the Irish market:

"We've been following the online gambling industry in Ireland for some time and now we're active, we look forward to becoming the go-to source for reviewing and comparing top licensed Irish online bookmakers."

While lead generation remains the ultimate aim, the company is committed to providing reliable and accurate information about online gambling regulations, a feature of all Leadstar projects, as Ljunggren explained:

"The Leadstar way involves taking our users on a journey and leaving no stone unturned in ensuring online betting is fun but also safe. Educating users on the rules and regulations of the industry is a big part of what we do".

Online gambling companies offering their services to customers based in Ireland must be licensed by the Revenue Commissioners, or hold a remote bookmaker's license from a respected authority such as the UK Gambling Commission, Malta Gaming Authority, or the Gibraltar Betting and Gaming Association.

In addition to providing an overview of the regulatory developments, visitors to My Betting Sites Ireland can learn about the verification process of Irish online bookmakers as well as the payment options available. There are also sport-specific guides to help punters choose between bookmakers.

CONTACT:

Leadstar Media AB

info@leadstarmedia.com

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com
The Iranian regime is in talks with Belgian government officials to call for the release of Assadollah Assadi, an Iranian diplomat who was sentenced to prison in Belgium on terrorism charges, a Tehran official announced on Wednesday.

Assadis unconditional release is Irans request, and talks are ongoing with the Belgian government, Nasser Kanaani, an Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, was quoted as saying by Iranian state media. We hope that with the efforts we have made, we will see the release of this diplomat in the near future.

In 2021, Assadi was sentenced to 20 years in prison in Belgium for his involvement in a foiled 2018 bomb plot attack in Paris. His was the first trial of an Iranian official for suspected terrorism in Europe since Irans 1979 revolution.

Last week, lawmakers in Belgium gave initial clearance to a prisoner exchange treaty with the Iranian regime that will allow the two countries to extradite prisoners to each other.

The treaty has been sharply criticized, including by members of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), whose rally near the French capital had been the target of the 2018 bomb plot. The Iranian opposition group, which is headquartered in France, called the treaty shameful and said it gave Iran a green light to carry out attacks in Belgium.

This is a treaty with the worlds number one state sponsor of terrorism and its only designed to release a convicted terrorist, Farzin Hashemi, deputy chair of the groups foreign affairs committee, said during a news conference after the debate.

The Islamic regime has dismissed all terrorism accusations, calling the Paris attack allegations a false flag stunt by the NCRI, which Tehran, in turn, considers a terrorist group.

Several Belgian lawmakers also voiced concern that the treaty, as proposed, might lead to hostage diplomacy and put other Belgians at risk of detention.

Countries like Iran now know that they will be rewarded when they take Belgians into captivity, lawmakers of the political party New Flemish Alliance were quoted as saying by local media.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo defended the treaty, saying Brussels has no lessons to be learned from anyone when it comes to tracking down, indicting, convicting, and imprisoning terrorists, even if they are diplomats.

Other government officials also defended the deal because it might secure the release of a Belgian aid worker, Olivier Vandecasteele, who has been jailed in Tehran since February.

The message we want to send with this deal is that we will not abandon people who are wrongfully in a foreign prison, De Croo said.

Meanwhile, a group of about a dozen human rights organizations appealed to Belgian government officials to suspend the latest agreement with Tehran on mutual prisoners exchange.

In a joint statement released on July 12, the groups appealed to Parliament members in Brussels to cancel the accord, saying it could result in the release of a convicted terrorist and legitimize Irans hostage-taking.

The measure still needs to be put before the full 150-member lower house of Parliament, most likely in the next two weeks, but the chamber normally follows votes of its committees, given they have similar party compositions.

It is not clear when a prisoner exchange might happen.

Reuters contributed to this report.
When a newborn mouse experiences tissue or organ damage  including to the heart  its immune system promotes a regenerative response to heal the wound.

Im going to use my time as a KL2 Scholar to investigate how this immune-driven regenerative response occurs after injury to the heart and why it is soon lost in newborn mice, says Amanda Becker, MD, Pediatrics in the Division of Critical Care. I will also explore whether similar regenerative responses exist in humans and if they are lost with age. The long-term goals are to investigate and advance understanding of how the immune response to tissue and organ injury changes with age and to uncover new therapies to improve tissue and organ recovery during critical illness.
United Steelworkers union leaders from across the country just gathered in Pittsburgh on the eve of negotiations with U.S. Steel and Cleveland-Cliffs.

USW delegates have been meeting in negotiating committees and reviewing what members want before they finalize the proposals they plan to bring to the bargaining table with the Big Two steelmakers next week. USW District 7 Director Mike Millsap, who's based out of Gary, will lead the national talks with U.S. Steel while another union delegation will bargain with Cleveland-Cliffs.

"The committees are here meeting and developing what we're going to ask for in bargaining. We're in the middle of meeting with all the unions," he said.

The union has been surveying its members about what they want out of the latest round of collective bargaining. The USW likely will seek what workers everywhere want, Millsap said.

"Of course, we want better pay and better benefits, good health insurance and all that stuff," he said. "We're finalizing it at these committee meetings."

Market conditions are generally more favorable for the steel industry than they were during the last few rounds of contract talks though steel prices have been slipping of late.

"Prices are down. There's been a slowdown in business. But things are generally better," Millsap said. "Does that put us in a better position? I hope so. It's important to maintain and improve our benefits."

Another major issue is U.S. Steel's plans to sell its two blast furnaces at Granite City Works in Illinois, which could mean the loss of more than 1,000 USW jobs at the long-running mill just outside St. Louis.

"We'll end up bargaining over that issue. We think U.S. Steel should still make steel in Granite City," he said. "If they got to do this for business reasons, we're going to have that discussion."

USW's current four-year contract with U.S. Steel expires Sept. 1. It covers workers at Local 1014 representing the east side of Gary Works, Local 1066 representing workers on the west side of Gary Work, Local 6103 representing workers at the Midwest Plant in Portage and Local 2695 representing workers at both Gary Works and the Midwest Plant.

"We are looking forward to productive conversations and expect to reach an agreement with the USW," U.S. Steel spokeswoman Amanda Malkowski said.

USW's four-year contract with Cleveland-Cliffs also expires Sept. 1. It covers workers at Local 6787 at Burns Harbor Works, Local 1010 at Indiana Harbor Works East and Local 1011 at Indiana Harbor Works West.

"Cleveland-Cliffs and the USW have successfully negotiated equitable agreements for decades, and we share several common goals," Cleveland-Cliffs spokeswoman Patricia Persico said. "Our relationship at both the local and national levels are respectful and based on these common goals. We look forward to begin discussions and plan to bargain in good faith with the goal to reach an equitable agreement with the USW."

The contracts hammered out at the bargaining table will cover wages, benefits, workplace safety and working conditions for more than 10,000 steelworkers in Northwest Indiana, considered to be the steel capital of North America as it's home to half the nation's blast furnaces, some of the largest integrated mills in North America and countless steel-related businesses.

While the master negotiations take place in Pittsburgh, union locals in Northwest Indiana also will concurrently negotiate local agreements with mill management over plant-specific issues, such as parking, facility conditions and lunch breaks.

The last few rounds of contract talks were contentious with steelmakers demanding concessions like health care rollbacks that would have resulted in significantly higher out-of-pocket costs for steelworkers and their families. Talks stalled for months, prompting rallies of thousands of steelworkers across Northwest Indiana.

The last round of bargaining between the USW and major steelmakers in 2018 ultimately resulted in cumulative raises of 14% over four years, improved benefits and strengthened contract language.
Ranchi (UNI) In a setback to the anti-BJP political parties rooting for Yashwant Sinha as the presidential candidate, Jharkhand's ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha on Thursday announced its support to NDA's Presidential nominee Draupadi Murmu.

A letter announcing the party's backing for Murmu was made public by JMM supremo and Rajya Sabha MP Shibu Soren. As per the letter, all the MLAs and MPs of the party have been directed to vote in her favour.

"In the President's poll former Jharkhand Governor and tribal woman Draupadi Murmu is the candidate. For the first time after Independence any tribal woman is going to get the honour to become the President. Therefore after considering all aspects, the party has decided to vote in favour of Draupadi Murmu, " the letter said.

In the Jharkhand Assembly, the JMM has 30 MLAs. It also has one Lok Sabha MP Vijay Hansda and one Rajya Sabha MP Dr. Mahua Majhi.



The JMM's decision has come as a shock for the Congress as the two are alliance partners in the Mahagathbandhan government of Jharkhand. The Congress was hopeful that JMM, which has been at loggerheads with the BJP on numerous issues, would support the joint anti-BJP opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha who too has A Jharkhand connections and had served as an MP from the Hazaribagh constituency of the state.



Murmu had visited Jharkhand on July 4 and met JMM supremo Shibu Soren and Chief Minister Hemant Soren at his residence and sought support for her candidature.

Besides, at an earlier meeting called with regard to the party's strategy for the presidential poll, the majority of JMM MLAs had voiced their support for Murmu in view of her tribal connection.



Murmu hails from the Santhal tribe, to which the Soren family also belongs. Moreover, the two daughters-in-law of Shibu Soren including Sita Soren, an MLA from Jama seat of Jharkhand Assembly, and Kalpana Soren, the wife of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, also hail from Odisha's Mayurbhanj district, to which Draupadi Murmu also belongs. Shibu Soren's daughter Anjali Soren also resides in Mayurbhanj since her marriage.

During her stint as Jharkhand Governor, many of her works were appreciated by the JMM which was in the opposition for most of Murmu's tenure. When her term ended, Hemant Soren, then having taken voer as Chief Minister, hosted a dinner in her honour and also went all the way to the airport with her wife to see her off. UNI AK SSP
The Crown Point Community Foundation is accepting grant applications online.

Grants from the CPCFs Unrestricted Funds will be made to nonprofit organizations and community projects which serve the South Lake County area.

Fields of interest which will be considered for funding include Animal Related, Arts and Culture, Community Improvement, Economic Development, Education, Environmental, Food/Nutrition/Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Housing and Shelter, Public Safety, Recreation, Religion Related, and Youth Development.

The Crown Point Community Foundation is interested in funding projects that will improve the quality of life for citizens in the South Lake County area, said Mary Nielsen, President of the CPCF.

Eligible organizations may apply for grants on the CPCF online grant platform. Grant applications will be accepted through Sept. 1. To apply for a grant visit: cpcfgrants.communityforce.com.

The Crown Point Community Foundation (CPCF) awards grants from the unrestricted community grant-making funds held at the CPCF three times a year. The three application cycles are Feb. 1, June 1 and Sept. 1.

Only one grant application per organization or agency will be eligible within a 12-month period. The CPCF Grant Committee reviews all applications.
HAMMOND  A federal judge sentenced a Chicago man to prison Wednesday for the armed robbery of two Lake County businesses.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge Jon E. DeGuilio imposed a 14-year sentence Wednesday afternoon on 29-year-old Daniel Smith.

Smith pleaded guilty last December to brandishing a firearm during crimes of violence under an agreement with the U.S. attorney to avoid longer imprisonment, which he was facing if he had been found guilty at trial.

Smith admitted late last year that he was armed with a handgun Jan. 24, 2020, when he robbed employees of Boost Mobile, 2741 169th St., in Hammond and again one week later when Smith robbed a MetroPCS store at 6014 Broadway, in Merrillville.

He fled both times with cell phones as well as with cash from the Merrillville store.

He robbed a Boost Mobile store in the 17500 block of Kedzie Avenue in Hazel Crest, Illinois, in January 2021.

One of that stores employees photographed Smiths getaway vehicle. It was traced to his girlfriends residence in the 6400 block of Missouri Street in Hammond where officers arrested him while he was hiding under a blanket in the attic.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin Padula stated in an earlier memo to the court that Smiths criminal record goes back to age 16 when he was arrested for hijacking a couples car in 2009 and forcing the victims  at gunpoint  to drive him to their banks automatic teller machine and forcing them to withdraw money, which he took and then drove off in their car.

She said he has been arrested 10 other times, including once more for auto theft in South Bend in 2016 where his getaway ended abruptly when he got stuck in a snowstorm.

Federal defender Roxanne Johnson said Smith was born to a 14-year-old girl who was too immature to be a good parent. He never met his father, who was a convicted felon.

He had a history of emotional disorders that disrupted his education in elementary school. He dropped out of high school and was homeless at age 14 when he began abusing alcohol and drugs.

His attorney said Smith, who has fathered five children ages 2 to 8 years, has a number of health issues and came down with COVID-19 while in custody for the most recent robberies.
MICHIGAN CITY  A man has been charged in a fatal shooting at a local liquor store last year, police said.

Probable cause was found on Tuesday to charge Lamar Friend, 41 of LaPorte, with murder and attempted murder in the shooting at Eastside Liquors in August 2021. An arrest warrant was issued the same day, with a $1,000,005 cash bond. He was served the warrant Thursday while incarcerated at LaPorte County Jail on unrelated charges.

The case Friend is connected to, police say, occurred August 9, 2021 when a person was shot in the parking lot of Eastside Liquors. Michigan City Police Department officers were dispatched to the scene and found 34-year-old Michigan City resident Leland Collins suffering from life-threatening injuries.

Officers began life-saving measures until LaPorte County EMS arrived. Collins was transported to Franciscan Health Michigan City hospital, where he died.

Officers and detectives investigated the case for several months before turning it over to LaPorte County Prosecutors Office for probable cause review. When it was presented to LaPorte County Superior Court #1, Judge Jaime Oss found probable cause to charge Friend with attempted murder and murder, police said.

The charge of attempted murder was added because a female was with Collins when he was shot.

Friends first appearance in court is scheduled in LaPorte County Superior Court #1 at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Anybody who has additional information about this case can reach Lt. Anna Painter at 219-874-3221 ext. 1077 or email her at apainter@emichigancity.com.
MICHIGAN CITY  One person is in custody following a fatal shooting Wednesday, police said.

Michigan City police said they were called out shortly after 8 p.m. for a person suffering multiple gunshot wounds in the 1600 block of East Michigan Boulevard.

Officers arrived on scene to find 53-year-old Michigan City resident Jimmy Brown inside a vehicle with multiple life-threatening injuries.

Medical care was provided to Brown at the scene before he and a passenger were taken to Franciscan Health Michigan City hospital, where Brown later died, police said. His passenger was treated.

Police said they learned of an additional crime scene in the 100 block of Butler Street where a person of interest was detained.

"Numerous articles of evidence were collected while processing these crime scenes and multiple witnesses were interviewed," police said. "Detectives continue to interview witnesses, search for video surveillance and collect additional evidence."

The LaPorte County prosecutor's office is reportedly conducting a probable cause review of the investigation.

Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact Michigan City Police Detective Mark Galetti at 219-874-3221, extension 1088 or by email at mgaletti@emichigancity.com.
VALPARAISO  Police say mechanical issues were the cause of a stalled train blocking most of the crossings Thursday morning in the heart of the city and causing traffic congestion.

The train blocked Canadian National crossings from Silhavy Road west, Valparaiso police Capt. Joe Hall said.

"Please understand there is no emergency, as the train is stopped due to a mechanical issue that is being addressed as quickly as possible," he said Thursday morning.

Traffic was directed to Ind. 49, Ind. 2 at Evans Avenue, and Campbell Street.

"The Campbell St. bridge crossing is also experiencing heavy traffic and utilizing an eastern alternative may be a preferred route," Hall said. "Please be safe and patient as the traffic delays are being corrected."
Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry has received a $5,000 gift from a private foundation in Northwest Indiana to support its Meat the Need initiative.

According to Feeding America, more than 830,000 residents of Indiana regularly struggle with food insecurity  over 230,000 of which are children. Debra Treesh, Executive Director of Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry, said the funds received will be used to pay processing fees on over 3,700 pounds of donated livestock and deer, with the meat being given to agencies serving food-insecure residents within Lake and Porter counties.

Food banks, pantries and soup kitchens work to protect the most vulnerable and under-served in our communities and these agencies continue to face increased demand due to the lasting effects of the 2020 pandemic," said Katie DeForest, Fund Development Director of Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry.

Protein is one of the most important nutrients for brain and body development. Sadly, it is also the hardest commodity for food banks to obtain, especially now with the rising cost of groceries.

Treesh said the generous gift will allow Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry to continue and expand on its mission of hunger relief by providing nearly 15,000 more meals through local hunger relief agencies located in Lake and Porter counties.

"We are so grateful for the continued support of our efforts in responding to the needs of those in the community facing hunger," she said.

To donate, farmers and hunters just need to take their livestock or deer to a local participating meat processor (call ahead to schedule livestock). After processing, local food banks and pantries are called to pick up the donation. There is absolutely no charge to the livestock and deer donors. For a list of participating meat processors, visit www.HoosiersFeedingtheHungry.org.
They are trying to identify federal statutes that in some way will supersede state abortion restrictions and bans, said Lawrence O. Gostin, an expert in public health law at Georgetown University. Of the guidance for pharmacists, he said, The obvious goal is to have abortion medication in stock to treat a range of medical conditions and to be available for an abortion.

Yet the new guidance is cautiously written, and steers clear of telling pharmacies that they have to provide the drugs for the purpose of medication abortion, which is banned or restricted in certain states. Nor does the guidance address how a provision in federal law called the Church Amendments would apply. That measure allows health care providers, including pharmacists, not to perform or assist in abortions if they have religious or moral objections.

At issue are three drugs  mifepristone, misoprostol and methotrexate  that are often prescribed for other conditions but can also induce abortions. Experts said the administration was reacting to reports that women of childbearing age are being denied the drugs after the ruling.

Mifepristone is used to manage certain patients with a hormonal disorder called Cushings syndrome, and misoprostol is prescribed for ulcers. But they are also authorized by the Food and Drug Administration as a two-drug combination that can be taken to terminate a pregnancy during the first 10 weeks, and can also be used in combination following miscarriages. Methotrexate is used to treat autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis, as well as cancer.
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Journalism lost one of its greats this week: Francis X. Clines, who spent his 59-year career at The New York Times, died on Sunday.

In 2018, upon his retirement, Frank spoke movingly of his early days in New York and at the paper and said that from the beginning his purpose had been, simply, to tell stories. Which he did, memorably, in many settings  from his home in New York, from London, Northern Ireland, the Middle East and Moscow and later from his perch in Opinion. Id encourage you to read my colleague Robert McFaddens wonderful obit honoring Franks life.
How is this materially different from what Trump did as he attempted to overturn the results of the 2020 election? All the authorities  Bill Barr, head of the Department of Justice; White House lawyers; and state election officials  told him he had lost the election, but he sought other opinions, ones that confirmed his own view.

This is not to say that the prosecution and conviction of Moses were justified, but rather to illustrate that we live in two different criminal justice realities: People without power, particularly minorities and those unable to pay expensive lawyers, are trapped in a ruthless and unyielding system, while the rich and powerful encounter an entirely different system, one cautious to the point of cowardice.

Earlier this year, Moses conviction was thrown out because a judge ruled that the Tennessee Department of Correction had withheld evidence, and the prosecutor dropped all criminal charges against her.

Still, by the time the ordeal was over, Moses had spent 82 days in custody, time she couldnt get back, and she is now permanently barred from registering to vote or voting in the state.

This is the least of the consequences Trump ought to face: He should be prohibited from participating in the electoral process henceforth.

Some of the laws Trump may have broken in his crusade to overturn the election  like conspiracy to defraud the government  are more complicated than an illegal voter registration, but that is par for the course in a system that tilts in favor of the rich and powerful. Petty crime is always easier to prosecute than white-collar crime.
A Florida business is recalling its ice cream amid an investigation into a listeria outbreak that has been blamed for the death of one person and the hospitalization of two dozen, the Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday.

The company, Big Olaf Creamery, a family-owned business in Sarasota, Fla., recalled all flavors of its ice cream with expiration dates through June 30 because it has the potential to be contaminated with listeria bacteria, the F.D.A. said. Listeria causes an illness that can be fatal, especially among children, older adults and those with weakened immune systems, and an infection can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

Big Olaf Creamery stopped producing and distributing its ice cream on July 1 after the Florida Department of Health told the company that it was investigating an outbreak tied to its products, the F.D.A. said in a statement.
New Delhi, July 14 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Thursday participate in the first I2U2 summit, between the leaders of India, Israel, the US and UAE  marking the crystallisation of a new strategic geopolitical quartet of the four key nations, amid the global upheavals caused by the pandemic and the Ukraine conflict and its repercussions.

The summit will be held in virtual mode, between PM Modi, and his counterparts -- Prime Minister Yair Lapid of Israel, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and US President Joe Biden.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has said that just like the Quad has become a central pillar in the Indo-Pacific, the I2U2 can become a feature of the broader Middle East region.

The summit comes as the US President is on his first visit to the Middle East region.

Sullivan also stressed on Indias centrality to both the quartets. He termed India as one of the largest, most significant, most strategically consequential countries in the Indo-Pacific and as a country with long-standing relationships in the Middle East with a role in deepening Israels integration into the region.

Sullivan said that India plays a critical role in the Indo-Pacific.

And its one of the largest, most significant, most strategically consequential countries in the Indo-Pacific, and so it should play a central role in our strategy, including through the Quad.

He also said that India had very longstanding ties to and engagement in the Middle East.

And so just as the United States can play a critical and central role in helping deepen Israels integration into the region, India has a role to play in that as well.

The I2U2 Grouping was conceptualized during the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the four countries on October 18 last year, during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankars visit to Jerusalem. Each country also has Sherpa- level interactions regularly to discuss the possible areas of cooperation.

The I2U2 is aimed to encourage joint investments in six mutually identified areas such as water, energy, transportation, space, health, and food security.

It intends to mobilize private sector capital and expertise to help modernize the infrastructure, low carbon development pathways for our industries, improve public health, and promote the development of critical emerging and green technologies, an official statement said.

The Leaders will discuss the possible joint projects within the framework of I2U2 as well as the other common areas of mutual interest to strengthen the economic partnership in trade and investment in our respective regions and beyond. These projects can serve as a model for economic cooperation and offer opportunities for our businesspersons and workers, it said.

UNI RN
We have an opportunity to make good on the promise we made to our service members when our country sent them into harms way: that we would take care of them and pay for that care when they come home, said Representative Mark Takano, Democrat of California and the chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee.

Mr. Biden announced in his State of the Union address this year a policy that would give veterans with certain respiratory cancers  such as squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx and trachea, as well as different kinds of lung cancers  a lower burden of proof to have those conditions treated by the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system.

In 2020, Laurine Carson, the departments deputy executive director, told the committee that 12,582 veterans had claimed conditions related to burn pit exposure from June 2007 through July 2020, but that only 2,828 claims were granted.

A department spokesman was not able to immediately provide updated data on Wednesday. But there has been a groundswell of pressure from veterans groups to change the law governing eligibility so that it would be easier to secure care, an effort that has gained traction at the White House, with Mr. Bidens interest in the issue, and on Capitol Hill.

The Supreme Court has also taken up the question. In June, it issued a 5-to-4 decision in favor of an Army reservist who sued Texas for refusing to allow him to return to his job as a state trooper because of a medical condition that he claimed resulted from toxic exposure while serving overseas.

Opponents of the legislation objected to its cost, complaining that without cuts to other programs to compensate, the expansion of veterans health benefits would swell the deficit.
By Thursday afternoon, the authorities said they had located everyone.

No fatalities or injuries were reported, the authorities said at a news conference on Thursday afternoon.

Rescue efforts had been hampered because some roads were impassable, Sheriff McClanahan said.

Fortunately, the floodwaters are receding, he said. The county and the Virginia Department of Transportation were removing debris and mud from roads and assessing the damage to homes, he said.

Billy Chrimes, a search and rescue specialist with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, said on Wednesday that the effects of the flooding had caused delays in checking on people and rescuing them.

Officials said that everyone had been accounted for after they checked about 30 miles of road and 400 structures, Mr. Chrimes said at the news conference on Thursday. The authorities were still checking vehicles in the river, he said, adding that it was possible that new missing-persons reports would be filed.
The abrupt departure of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka early Wednesday did little to quell the ire of protesters who have been filling the streets of the capital, Colombo, for months demanding his resignation.

Undeterred by tear gas, the scorching sun and a military helicopter hovering overhead, the crowds continued to swell Wednesday, reinforced by arrivals from across the country. Protesters marched from the presidents office and later in the day, stormed the office of the prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Riot police officers carrying rifles and wearing gas masks stood guard but didnt engage the throngs of protesters, which included families with young children.
When work started in southern Ukraine in 1981 on what would become Europes largest nuclear plant, the country was part of the Soviet Union and political instability barely figured as a risk. Today, Ukraine is at war with Moscow, the plant is occupied by Russian forces and experts say they are concerned about its safety.

Three problems at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, in the city of Enerhodar and close to territory held by Ukraine, have caused particular worries.

Ukrainian officials say that Russian troops have installed artillery at the plant as a defense against a possible counterattack by Ukrainian forces looking to recapture territory lost since Russia invaded the country in February. A fire broke out in March during a Russian assault on the plant, and Russia later seized control of it.
The museum has owned the Head of a Peasant Woman since 1960, when it was donated by Alexander Maitland, an Edinburgh lawyer, as part of a collection of Impressionist and post-impressionist works that also included pieces by Paul Gauguin and Edgar Degas. The museum already owns three van Gogh paintings, and Fowle said she saw the self-portrait as a fourth.

A vast majority of van Goghs self-portraits were painted during his stay in Paris, especially from 1886 to 1888. He was short on money, so he reused canvases that he had used for other works in the Netherlands. Because he also could not afford to hire models, he frequently turned the mirror on his own face.

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam owns five double-sided paintings that are Nuenen works on one side, and self portraits on the other. So this painting fits right into that series, van Tilborgh said. We know of other cases of portraits in our museum that they were hidden under cardboard on the other side, he said.

Sjraar van Heugten, an independent expert on van Gogh, said that, based on materials about the new discovery that the museum had posted online, he felt confident that the hidden picture was a real self-portrait by the artist.
Jerome M. Eisenberg, a leading New York antiquities dealer who in the murky world of tomb raiders and smugglers held himself up as a guardian against the illegal importation and sale of ancient art, died on July 6, his 92nd birthday, in Manhattan.

His son, Alan, said his death, in a hospital, was caused by complications of pneumonia.

Mr. Eisenberg started a mail order ancient coin business with his father when he was 12, and over the years he sold an estimated 40,000 ancient artifacts  he insisted that he never knowingly sold any that were of suspect provenance  and appraised countless others for prospective buyers and insurance adjusters. He testified as an expert witness in numerous lawsuits on the value and source of antiquities.

As the founding editor of Minerva, an archaeological journal, he challenged the authenticity of several prominent relics. One was the Disc of Phaistos, a clay artifact, six inches in diameter and festooned with mysterious symbols, that was discovered in 1908 in Crete; another was the Snake Goddess of Knossos, which was found about the same time and, like the Disc, put on display in Crete at the Heraklion Archaeological Museum.
Schlagenheim, black midis 2019 debut album  when it was a quartet including the guitarist Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin  was puristically recorded by the band members alone. But with the album Cavalcade in 2021, and even more so on Hellfire, black midi has expanded and orchestrated its songs. The contrasts of blitz and delicacy are even greater, as daintily arranged string sections or screaming winds and brass appear and vanish at will.

Even in their occasional quiet moments, the songs on Hellfire have a white-knuckle momentum. This album fully surfaces Simpsons remarkable drumming, always at the service of the composition: crisp cymbal taps and surging across-the-kit rolls, high-speed fusillades and cymbal whispers, snappy marching-band snare drum, patiently repeated funk or Latin beats that suddenly explode. This time around, black midis music often moves so fast that Greep doesnt bother with melody. Many of his vocals arrive spoken, working up to an auctioneers hyperspeed in songs like The Race Is About to Begin, which is not so much rapped as spewed.
Emergency responders are frantically searching for survivors in the rubble, and dozens are missing. More than 70 people, including three children, were also hospitalized, Ukrainian officials said. Here are live updates.

Officially, Russia has taken a pause in its drive to capture Ukrainian territory in order to regroup. But the midmorning attack on the city of Vinnytsia  which is hundreds of miles from the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine  is the latest to hit a civilian target without an apparent military aim.

Analysis: The strategy underscores one of Russias most brutal psychological weapons: the terrorizing of civilians.

War crimes: The attack came as the Dutch government hosted a conference at The Hague intended to ensure that Russia is held accountable for violations of human rights in Ukraine. And Washington accused Russia of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian deportations.

Trial: The U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner appeared in a Russian court yesterday after pleading guilty to drug charges. The trial  which shows the limits of American power  is expected to continue today.

North Korea: Kyiv cut its diplomatic relations with Pyongyang after North Korea became the third country to recognize two Russian-backed separatist republics in Ukraines east, Al Jazeera reports.
The concessions from Amazon would last five years and apply only to its operations in the European Union. The settlement is under review, with a final decision by the commission expected later in the year. Rival companies and other groups have until Sept. 9 to submit their views on Amazons offer to the commission.

A settlement would help Amazon avoid a penalty that could total billions of dollars.

The settlement offer stems from two active investigations. In 2019, the commission started looking into Amazons collection of data about merchants. Another inquiry, into Amazon Prime and the Buy Box, began the next year.

The European Union has been sharpening its scrutiny of the worlds largest technology companies. Amazon, Apple, Google and Meta have all been the subject of antitrust investigations in recent years.

The oversight is expected to intensify. In March, policymakers reached an agreement on a new law, the Digital Markets Act, to stop the largest tech platforms from using their services and wealth to box in users and undermine competitors. Another law, the Digital Services Act, puts more pressure on social media companies to clean up their platforms.
Two federal regulators fined Bank of America $225 million on Thursday for mishandling prepaid debit card accounts used by a dozen states to distribute unemployment benefits during the pandemic, and the bank must compensate people for damages, an amount likely to total hundreds of millions more, federal officials said.

Because of a faulty fraud detection program, Bank of America improperly froze accounts and stymied customers who sought to have them unlocked, cutting people off from desperately needed funds in 2020 and 2021, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said.

Taxpayers relied on banks to distribute needed funds to families and small businesses to rescue the economy from collapse when the pandemic hit, said Rohit Chopra, the consumer bureaus director. Bank of America failed to live up to its legal obligations. And when it got overwhelmed, instead of stepping up, it stepped back.
Colombo, July 14 (UNI) Sri Lanka is on a knife-edge as Gotabaya Rajapaksa's resignation failed to arrive even on Thursday. The country is in a state of emergency with anger boiling protests across the nation.

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena is considering legal advice to see if it could be considered that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has vacated his office, even without a letter of resignation as Mahanayake Theras called on the Speaker earlier in the day to immediately summon Parliament and restore law and order.

Media reported that a private jet landed in Maldives and Gotabaya Rajapaksa was all set to depart Maldives for Singapore. Some said his final destination could be the UAE a day after the fleeing the Rajapaksas took an Air Force flight to Maldives.

His resignation was expected by 1 pm on July 13, but nothing of the sort happened and instead a confused and angry population in Sri Lankans continued to await for their embattled president's resignation hours after he fled the country.

The Speaker announced Rajapaksa has nominated his Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as acting President in his absence which fueled more protests.

Protests have now followed Rajapaksa to the Maldives with Sri Lankan expatriates protesting near Maldivian President's house, demanding to expel him from that country.

Sri Lankan authorities on Thursday lifted the curfew that was imposed since last evening till 5 am, in the Western province after the eruption of violence in the capital here.

The security authorities are discussing imposing of a curfew in the Colombo district from 12 pm on Thursday to 5 am on Friday.

UNI ING RNJ
Chinese artists have staged performances to highlight the ubiquity of surveillance cameras. Privacy activists have filed lawsuits against the collection of facial recognition data. Ordinary citizens and establishment intellectuals alike have pushed back against the abuse of Covid tracking apps by the authorities to curb protests. Internet users have shared tips on how to evade digital monitoring.

As China builds up its vast surveillance and security apparatus, it is running up against growing public unease about the lack of safeguards to prevent the theft or misuse of personal data. The ruling Communist Party is keenly aware of the cost to its credibility of any major security lapses: Last week, it moved systematically to squelch news about what was probably the largest known breach of a Chinese government computer system, involving the personal information of as many as one billion citizens.

The breach dealt a blow to Beijing, exposing the risks of its expansive efforts to vacuum up enormous amounts of digital and biological information on the daily activities and social connections of its people from social media posts, biometric data, phone records and surveillance videos. The government says these efforts are necessary for public safety: to limit the spread of Covid, for instance, or to catch criminals. But its failure to protect the data exposes citizens to problems like fraud and extortion, and threatens to erode peoples willingness to comply with surveillance.
Betsy Reed, the editor in chief of The Intercept, has been tapped to be the head editor of The Guardians U.S. newsroom, the British news organization said Thursday.

Ms. Reed has steered The Intercept, a newsroom that specializes in investigative journalism on topics including national security and criminal justice, since 2015. Before she joined The Intercept, Ms. Reed was executive editor of The Nation.

Katharine Viner, the editor in chief at Guardian News & Media, described Ms. Reed as one of Americas foremost and experienced editors in a statement.
Its been known for more than half a century that many men lose their Y chromosomes as they age. But no one knew if it really mattered. The loss of Y could just be a sign of aging, like gray hair, with no clinical relevance.

Now, though, researchers report that it can matter. Very much.

A new study using male mice genetically engineered to lose their Y chromosomes provides insight. The paper, published on Thursday in the journal Science, found that when the Y chromosome was gone from blood cells in those mice, scar tissue built up in the heart, leading to heart failure and a shortened life span.

Because there was a direct cause-and-effect relationship between the loss of Y and ailments of aging in the mice, the study bolsters the notion that the same thing can happen in human males. Researchers have documented an increase in risk for chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer related to loss of the Y chromosome in many studies over the years, including the new one, which used data from a large genetic study of the British population. The loss of Y could even account for some of the difference between the life spans of men and women, the authors of the Science study say.
Souraya wonders whether Beirut was really so bad. Their teenage daughter (Nadia Charbel) dreams of boys and a bigger world. Their other daughter (Ceana and Geana Restom) is too young to give up on her daddy, but she has also absorbed his trauma, harassed by the obsessive-compulsive delusion that by counting she can control the surrounding chaos.

The paradise these characters seek might as well be the Spanish coast of the title, elusive as it is. If a fuller sense of their humanity is sometimes lost to the ideas they serve, Akl has nonetheless produced a smart and sensitive film.

Costa Brava, Lebanon

Not rated. In Arabic, with subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 46 minutes. In theaters.
Christophe Cognets From Where They Stood scrutinizes an astonishing record of the Holocaust: photographs secretly taken by prisoners within Auschwitz-Birkenau and other concentration camps. Cognets analytical documentary adopts the stance of an investigating historian to explicate the pictures, which were made and smuggled out at mortal risk.

Unlike many documentaries about the Holocaust, this film hinges on still images rather than archival footage or interviews with survivors. Cognet joins scholars to pore over these pictures and their silent testaments; in one clutch of images, women displaying wounds on their legs are revealed to be subjects of Nazi medical experiments. Other portraits catch people in eerily calm-looking repose.
LONDON  Kevin Spacey, the Oscar and Tony Award-winning actor, pleaded not guilty to charges of sexual assault on Thursday, British prosecutors said.

In a short hearing at the Old Bailey, one of Londons grandest courthouses, Mr. Spacey, 62, confirmed his name and address  he is appearing as Kevin Spacey Fowler  before pleading not guilty to all charges, according to the BBC and other news agencies.

The actors appearance was largely procedural. During the hearing, the presiding judge scheduled a three- to four-week trial that will not start until June 6, 2023; the British judicial system is struggling to deal with a severe backlog.
For the other world-weary employees  the kindly, philosophizing model Natasha (Alba Baptista), the lovesick accountant Andre (Lucas Bravo)  Mrs. Harris proves single-handedly that the rules of society arent necessarily ironclad. If a humble maid can get her hands on a dress that costs 600 pounds, whats stopping Natasha from pursuing an intellectual life, or Andre from revolutionizing the company to appeal to women from all walks of life?

The trope of the laughably frumpy worker bee, filled with optimism and quiet wisdom, is demeaning, and Mrs. Harriss iteration is no exception. Despite its gleeful showcasing of beautiful clothes and vibrant midcentury Parisian sights, the film is caught between its fantasies and its principles, landing somewhere more annoyingly clueless  and dull  than it ought to be.

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

Rated PG. Running time: 1 hour 55 minutes. In theaters.
Molecular neuro-oncologist Sarah Obeng is very smart. But in the subtle delight Queen of Glory  written and directed by its lead actor, Nana Mensah  the American daughter of Ghanaian parents can be foolish, too. Take her married boyfriend and university colleague, Lyle (Adam Leon): Hes simply not worthy.

Sarah is organizing their relocation to his next job when she learns of her mothers death. Now she must decamp from Manhattans Upper West Side to the Bronx to plan her mothers funeral, deal with her father (Oberon K.A. Adjepong) and decide what to do with her mothers home, her Christian bookstore and the stores grateful employee, Pitt (Meeko Gattuso). Pitt especially gladdens as the former inmate with the face tattoos and creative side gig.
The convictions were the result of outrageous government misconduct and violations of their constitutional rights, said David Shanies, a lawyer for Mr. Aziz and Mr. Islams estate. These men and their families should not be delayed compensation for the gross injustices they suffered.

Mr. Aziz was a 26-year-old married father of six young children when he was convicted in 1966 of first-degree murder in the killing of Malcolm X, who was about to embark on a new phase of his career following a bitter break from the Nation of Islam, a Black nationalist group. Mr. Aziz and Mr. Islam were condemned despite a lack of physical evidence, conflicting statements from prosecution witnesses, and a third defendant taking the witness stand to confess to his role and to proclaim the two other mens innocence.

In court papers, Mr. Azizs lawyers accused the New York Police Department and the Manhattan district attorneys office of withholding evidence that supported his claim of innocence, using witness procedures that were suggestive and coercing witnesses to give false testimony  echoing investigative findings that led to his exoneration. Twenty-four former officers are named in the complaint.

He spent 20 years, during what should have been the prime of his life, locked in prison for a crime he did not commit, the lawyers said in court papers. The damage done to Mr. Aziz and his family was immense and irreparable.
And some see new opportunities  and bigger paychecks  in private-sector jobs when the labor market is as hot as it has been.

Singly or together, those factors have prompted thousands of city workers to quit, leaving jobs vacant and creating difficulties in delivering basic city services. As of March, the vacancy rate across city government was 7.7 percent, according to data from the Citizens Budget Commission.

Fabien Levy, a spokesman for the mayor, said in a statement that the citys labor shortage was part of a nationwide trend. He said the city has faced no operational impact to services from vacancies, but we are recruiting aggressively for every vacant position.

New York is unusual in calling all municipal workers to their desks. A national survey by Cisco of hybrid work in government found that 58 percent were working remotely all week long, and 91 percent were satisfied with the arrangement. Just over a quarter said they wanted to work from home every day.
Agartala, July 14 (UNI) Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha has called for an end to the culture of political violence and urged the ruling BJP cadres to ensure other party workers were not attacked and the opposition had the space to carry on their political activities.

Addressing a party meeting here on Wednesday, Saha stressed the need for establishing a culture of political courtesy and mutual political respect for a vibrant democracy to function.

On previous occasions, I had urged my leaders and workers to allow the opposition to carry out their activities, based on which people will choose their representatives in the coming (Assembly) election. I believe this will transmit a positive message to the society because violence is not the way to win the elections.

In an apparent referring to the latest attack on AICC Secretary and Congress party in-charge of Tripura Szarita Laitphlang and senior Congress leader of the state Ashis Kumar Saha at Bishramganj of Sepahijala district, the Chief Minister said, Even today I got a call from a former MLA of another party who said they are in trouble and their vehicle has been vandalised.

'Immediately I called up Rajib babu (state BJP Vice President and party's Sepahijala district in-charge Rajib Bhattacharjee) and Nabadal (state Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha president Nabadal Banik) and told them that these people must be given a free passage. I also rang up the DG (Director General of Police V S Yadav) and told him whatever has happened had happened, but the situation must not be allowed to aggravate further."

"We have to establish a culture of political courtesy and mutual political respect. This is what people look for, people understand," said the chief minister.

He said political civility must be shown to leaders and workers of other parties.

I want this culture of political violence on each other to be stopped immediately and bring the culture of decent politics to Tripura. We must adhere to the principle of political civility to the other party leaders and workers and allow them to do their activities without any hindrance, Saha told the meeting.

Saha also referred to the June 29 meeting he had with a Congress delegation led by the party's leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. a day after the attack on the state Congress headquarters (Congress Bhavan) that left its state president Birjit Sinha injured.

The chief minister said a senior minister of his cabinet had called him after he had given an appointment to the Congress parliamentary team.

"I have no hesitation in telling you that when a delegation from the Congress, led by Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhi Ranjan Chowdhury, wanted to meet me, I gave them an appointment within 30 minutes. A minister, whose name I won't disclose, telephoned me to ask why I have given them time within a day of the incident. I said "that's ok. Let them come. Let me hear what they have to say.".

"When the five-member delegation met me, he (Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury) told me their side of the happening. He told me "It is imaginable that such a barbaric thing could happen. We have come to strongly denounce what happened and for restoration of the rule of law. I head them".

There is no harm in dialogue and I believe this is political courtesy. In political democracy, there is a ruling party and the opposition parties  unless other parties get space, how will democracy run, Saha wondered. UNI BB SSP
Through her priest, she joined a group that was sending buses of people to Washington every month to lobby for a constitutional amendment banning abortion.

One of the first times I walked through those halls of the Senate and the House, I thought, this is not going to work. You could see it was going in one ear and out the other. Before we left the building, I said to some of the women: Theyre not even listening. This is only going to be done by prayer.  So they stood in the hallway and prayed.

Then on one of the bus trips, a woman approached her. She said to me, Phyllis, how is it that you dont go to the underground Mass? The woman invited her to a Mass in an underground church that was still using Latin, rather than modern languages. When she got there, she said, it was filled with women from the anti-abortion group.

That opened a tremendous door to me, she said.

She also got involved in Phyllis Schlaflys Eagle Forum and joined the campaign against the Equal Rights Amendment, which many believed would codify abortion rights. In 1976, she started a half-hour weekly radio show, Eagle Forum Presents, on a Long Island station, WALK.

She joined weekly vigils outside area abortion clinics and hospitals. It was dreary work, she said, because abortions were taking place inside. Thats the heavy-heartedness that you went in there with. It wasnt meanness towards the women. We were for the most part quiet.

For the last decade or so, because of health problems, she has been unable to walk in the annual March for Life in Washington. But she has kept praying for change, even as laws remain untouched in New York.
Just this year, a judge in Brazil tried to block an abortion for an 11-year-old who had been raped. Do you want to choose the babys name? the judge asked her. Would the babys father agree to give it up for adoption? Would you bear it a little longer? Why would anyone think that similar laws wont lead to similar results here?

Its been especially maddening to see people on the right smugly insist that the girl in Ohio could have had a legal abortion in her state. In a New York Post column casting doubt on the story, the law professor Jonathan Turley wrote, Ohio says abortions are allowed to prevent a serious risk of the substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman, which would certainly be the case for a 10-year-old.

His certainty is entirely unearned. The Ohio law actually says that abortion is permitted only in cases of medical emergency requiring the immediate performance or inducement of an abortion in order to prevent death or irreversible bodily harm that delay in the performance or inducement of the abortion would create. This language is vague and open to interpretation. Its obvious to me that a pregnant 10-year-old is an immediate medical emergency. But if you were an abortion provider in Ohio, would you stake your career, and perhaps your freedom, on prosecutors like Yost giving you the benefit of the doubt?

If states write laws that are completely vague about what the requirements are, they can still have abortion on the books, but have an environment in which no physician is willing to provide it, said the N.Y.U. law professor Melissa Murray.

Roe has been gone for less than three weeks, and the utterly predictable outcomes are already apparent. Today.com reported on a woman in Arizona who learned at 21 weeks that her wanted pregnancy was unviable, but whose doctor is unable to induce an early delivery because of the Supreme Courts decision. I really can only describe it as feeling trapped, she said.

As The Los Angeles Times reported, some patients are being denied methotrexate, a drug used to treat certain cancers and autoimmune conditions, because its an abortifacient. Medical professionals arent necessarily wrong to worry; according to the newspaper, In Texas, dispensing methotrexate to someone who uses it to induce a miscarriage after 49 days of gestation is a felony.
Donald Trumps Make America Great Again dog whistle appealed to delusions of lost white privilege, eventually leading to the deadly assault by a pro-Trump mob on the U.S. Capitol. Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India invokes a mythical golden age of Hindu glory that has worsened communal violence. Vladimir Putins repression and military adventures are driven by rose-tinted memories of the Soviet Union and czarist Russia.

Now its the Philippines turn, and it comes at a vulnerable moment for our country.

Philippine democracy is already under threat after the six-year term of Mr. Marcoss predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, a bully who spews hatred and insults, and belittles and threatens the press, and whose brutal war on drugs has resulted in thousands of people killed.

Mr. Marcos, now 64 but still known by his childhood nickname, Bongbong, is more agreeable by comparison, even anodyne. He parries anger over his familys crimes with an easy smile and empty appeals for unity, dismissing critics as dividers. But he is his fathers son.

Mr. Marcos has repeatedly denied or trivialized his familys crimes and refused to apologize. He stood by as his supporters unleashed a fire hose of historical distortions painting the elder Mr. Marcos as a brilliant leader who lifted the Philippines to heights of peace, prosperity and global leadership unmatched by democratic governments that followed. In one claim promoted by Marcos loyalists, the clans legendary wealth came not from plunder but from thousands of tons of gold that were given to the elder Mr. Marcos by a nonexistent Filipino royal family. According to this fairy tale, U.S.-backed liberal elites unjustly seized power and plunged the country into penury and despair.
Elon Musk is trying to walk away from his $44 billion agreement to buy Twitter, but the Court of Chancery in Delaware, where the company is incorporated and is now suing Mr. Musk, should order him to buy the social media company.

Forcing a party to keep a contractual promise  what lawyers call specific performance  is a rarely invoked remedy in merger cases, and rightly so. A forced corporate marriage can be bad for both parties and end up damaging a companys value. If Mr. Musk and Twitter are a poor fit, joining them could undermine Twitter while also eroding the worth of Mr. Musks other companies. Under this view, awarding money damages to Twitter instead of affirming Mr. Musks obligation to purchase the company would leave both better off and allow them to go their separate ways.

But holding both parties to their bargain  especially one of this economic magnitude  can also generate value for Twitter, as opposed to monetary damages. By ordering Mr. Musk to fulfill the terms of the contract, the court can create stability and certainty for future entrants into merger contracts  while giving the parties to this agreement room to negotiate their way out if both no longer want to go through with the deal.
I remember driving off from the retreat, and a lot of things started bubbling, Ms. Dore said. On her drive back to Los Angeles, where she lived at the time, she called Ms. Yeston. What came after this week of silence was that it was time for us to move on from the media, she added. We were burned out in many ways. The world that we had created was changing. We had had enough.

But they didnt know what would come next, or even if they should fold the site. They decided they didnt want to let it go dark or let the community they had built around it fizzle, so they kept Ms. Dores blog up with a skeleton crew, posting just three days a week.

When Covid came, I said, Do we just close the doors? Ms. Dore said. I would have said the story is finished.

In 2020, Ms. Yeston came to her with an idea to create a beauty brand inspired by French pharmacy products. Ms. Dore immediately loved the idea. I was always looking for the simple things I need everyday, like the Nivea cream your mom would put on your bum as a baby that you could also use as a mask for hydration, she said.

They wanted simple and effective products reflective of what a pharmacy sells  particularly ones sought out by savvy tourists in Paris. Think cult beauty finds like Embryolisse moisturizer and Bioderma micellar water. Citypharma, a pharmacy in the sixth arrondissement known for its vast selection of French pharmacy brands, is accustomed to seeing non-French speakers queued up before its 8:30 a.m. opening time.
I let friends stay at my lake house for a long weekend while I was away. I returned to six loads of dirty laundry, furniture moved all over the place and a pile of water toys in my shed  without so much as a thank-you note for letting them stay. I was upset and let them know it. Not only did they fail to apologize, they criticized my reaction (and questioned the amount of laundry they had actually left). I feel gaslit. These people are like family to me, but Im not sure I can forgive them. Their response to my complaint was worse than the original inconsiderate behavior. What can I do?

HOST

Listen, Im going to give you some advice that may be hard to take: Do nothing (for now). Theres no question your friends behaved badly  though you almost have to admire the audacity of quibbling over the amount of dirty laundry they left. Its upsetting when people deflect legitimate objections by policing tone.

But lets look at something else you wrote: These people are like family to me. I dont take that lightly. So, assuming your friends normally enrich your life, give them some time to recognize their mistake and circle back to you with a sincere apology. Many people can be defensive about criticism initially (youre writing to one of them), then regret their bad behavior and squirrelly responses.
After being in business nearly 75 years, the Sausalito, Calif.-based Heath Ceramics is still beloved for its durable but beautiful plates, cups and bowls, but many of the companys most dedicated fans also fervently collect its design collaborations with various global makers, some of which sell out online in minutes. Up next is Heaths partnership with Akio Nukaga, a veteran potter from Kasama, Japan, who works with his wife, daughter or the occasional assistant to make pieces with pleated surfaces that are inspired by traditional shinogi carving techniques. The ceramist has been collaborating with the team at Heath since 2009; for this years presentation, A Single Line Will Lead Me, opening this week, he challenged himself to move away from functional pieces like, say, mugs and saucers and instead create vessels, sculptures, vases, totems and other artistic one-offs that are primarily meant to be displayed. (In variegated stripes of gray, umber and marigold, the items would look especially nice nestled between books on a shelf.) Akios 59, and his body is telling him to slow down, says Tung Chiang, Heaths studio director. Its not about making more work but about making more significant work. He wants to leave his footprint as a potter in the world. heathceramics.com.

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Last week, our On Tech editor, Hanna Ingber, shared a story of her kiddo stumbling upon a design app that unlocked his amazing taste for interiors. We asked for your own tales of surprising ways in which technology helped you unleash creativity or discover new joys.

You guys (sniff), the responses were lovely. Were sharing a selection of them today.

The mission here at On Tech is to explore the ways in which technology is changing how we live, who we are and the world around us. We cant ignore the harmful effects, but I dont want us to lose sight of the wonder, either.
Soon after the 2021 killings, Alex Murdaughs life began to unravel further as those around him began to accuse him of years of financial corruption. The law firm where he worked, which was founded by his great-grandfather more than a century ago, said in September that Mr. Murdaugh had stolen millions of dollars from the firm.

The day after he was forced to resign from the firm, the police said he asked one of his distant cousins to kill him on the side of the road and stage the act as if it were a murder so that his other son, Buster, could collect on his life insurance policy. The plan failed  Mr. Murdaugh was apparently wounded in the shooting but not seriously hurt  and he and the cousin, Curtis Edward Smith, were charged with several crimes in the scheme.

In the months that followed, Mr. Murdaugh was charged with a series of financial crimes, including pocketing $2.8 million in settlement funds that had been supposed to go to relatives of Ms. Satterfield in a wrongful-death lawsuit over her fall on Mr. Murdaughs property. He admitted last month that he owed her sons $4.3 million.

The fallout went further as two associates of Mr. Murdaugh  a lawyer and a former chief executive of a South Carolina bank  were charged this year with various conspiracy and financial fraud crimes in what prosecutors described as schemes to misappropriate money in aid of Mr. Murdaugh. Altogether, Mr. Murdaugh has been charged with fraudulently pocketing about $8.5 million, according to the South Carolina attorney general.

This month, Mr. Murdaugh and Mr. Smith, his distant cousin, were indicted on conspiracy charges for what prosecutors said was years of money laundering related to distributing oxycodone. Mr. Murdaugh said last year that he suffered from a drug addiction and he checked himself into a drug detox center in Florida, but he was arrested at the center in October over financial crimes related to the settlement funds in the case of Ms. Satterfield.

This week, shortly after news emerged that he was likely to be charged with his wife and sons murders, the Supreme Court of South Carolina ordered that he be disbarred based on his admissions that he owed Ms. Satterfields family money, had stolen from his law firm and had tried to fake his own murder.
John R. Froines, a quiet but politically stalwart chemist who stood trial alongside six other antiwar activists  known collectively as the Chicago Seven  on charges of conspiring to incite a riot during the 1968 Democratic National Convention, and who went on to become a pioneering advocate for environmental justice, died on Wednesday in Santa Monica, Calif. He was 83.

His wife, Andrea Hricko, said the death, at a hospital, was caused by complications of Parkinsons disease.

A recently minted Yale Ph.D. on his way to teach chemistry at the University of Oregon, Dr. Froines found himself drawn into the swirl of antiwar activism building up to the Democratic convention, to be held in August 1968 at Chicagos International Amphitheater.
Former UW American Heritage Center Archivist Receives Leadership Award

Sara Davis

Sara Davis, a former University of Wyoming archivist, is the recipient of the prestigious Mark A. Greene Emerging Leader Award from the Society of American Archivists (SAA).

Davis was employed by the UW American Heritage Center (AHC) from 2018-2021 before moving to her current position as the Wyoming State Archivist. The SAA is North Americas oldest and largest national professional association for archival professionals.

The annual award celebrates early-career archivists who have already demonstrated leadership through contributions to the profession; provided collaborative service to local, regional or national archival and cultural associations; and completed successful outreach efforts on behalf of the awardees institution and the profession.

While at the AHC, Davis led a collaborative effort to document Wyomings reactions and experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic through outreach to collection donors and creation of a website at www.sites.google.com/wyo.gov/covidinwy/home that provided access to the donated materials.

Her outreach to the campus community led to the transfer of records of UW faculty members and departments that may not otherwise have been preserved. She also taught UW students about the archival profession, leading at times to their own career profession.

This award is particularly meaningful, as it is named in honor of Mark Greene, longtime director of the center from 2003 to 2015, says Paul Flesher, the current AHC director. It is gratifying to see one of the AHCs own receive this significant award. Sara is certainly deserving.

As an archivist, Davis says she strives to increase discoverability and access to information; make people aware of what an archive is and how it affects their lives; and collaborate with communities to ensure a comprehensive and inclusive record of the past.

I always am looking for ways to keep up to date with best practices in the archival profession; learn new and emerging technologies; communicate clearly with all partners; and remain open to ideas, she says. I am extremely grateful to receive this award and humbled to find myself in the company of past recipients.

Created in 2011 and renamed in 2017, the award honors Greene, a former SAA Fellow and past president of the association, for his longstanding commitment to mentoring young leaders.

The AHC is UWs repository of manuscript collections, rare books and the universitys archives. Citizens and scholars can engage with primary sources in all formats to support the creation of historical narratives, interrogate the past, build community, and pose and answer questions about human experiences. The AHC holds collections of distinction, serving citizens and scholars in Wyoming and around the world.
Lawmakers also voted to add to the military policy bill an amendment that would require top national security agencies to report on and combat white supremacist and neo-Nazi activity in federal law enforcement and the armed forces, in a vote in which House Republicans were unanimously opposed.

Such extremism is a threat to us in all segments of society. There is no reason to believe that our military is any different, said Representative Brad Schneider, Democrat of Illinois and the sponsor of the provision. He said that instances of extremism in the United States armed forces are rare, but we must do everything we can to identify them and to thwart them before risks become reality.

Every Republican voted no, but only one  Representative Andy Biggs of Arizona  publicly explained his opposition on the House floor. He argued that the proposal attempts to create a problem where none exists and denigrates our men and women in the service.

Every member of the military who showed an interest or actual participation in a white supremacist or white nationalist group has faced discipline, Mr. Biggs said. The relevant branch either demoted the individual, discharged them or otherwise disciplined the sympathizer.

The vote came as the nation continues to grapple with the fallout from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, which included dozens of current and former service members and which led to efforts at the Pentagon to rid extremism from the armed forces. In December, the Pentagon updated its rules against extremism, including tightening social media guidelines, changing the way it screens recruits and examining how to prevent retiring troops from being targeted by extremist organizations.

The House also approved a provision, led by Representative Kathleen Rice, Democrat of New York, that requires a review of national security agencies compliance with domestic terrorism reporting requirements already established by existing law. Only four Republicans backed it.
Ms. Peters has not knowingly violated bond conditions, Mr. Steinberg wrote.

Ms. Peters did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It was not clear if she was still in Las Vegas.

How Times reporters cover politics. We rely on our journalists to be independent observers. So while Times staff members may vote, they are not allowed to endorse or campaign for candidates or political causes. This includes participating in marches or rallies in support of a movement or giving money to, or raising money for, any political candidate or election cause. Learn more about our process.

During her speech in Las Vegas, Ms. Peters claimed that Representative Lauren Boebert, a Republican who is also from western Colorado, had dinner with multiple people who helped carry out the plot to copy election data.

Benjamin Stout, the communications director for Ms. Boebert, said on Thursday that Ms. Peterss claims are untrue.

Ms. Peters had previously told The New York Times that Ms. Boebert encouraged her to carry through with the operation. Ms. Boeberts campaign denied those allegations.

One of Ms. Peterss top aides, Sandra Brown, turned herself in on Monday after being indicted over her role in the alleged scheme to extract data from county election machines. Ms. Brown, who was the countys election manager, faces several felony charges, including conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation and attempting to influence a public servant. Her arrest was earlier reported by The Daily Sentinel.

Court records suggest that Ms. Brown was involved in the alleged plot from the very beginning. On April 23, Ms. Peters, Ms. Brown, another aide and Sherronna Bishop, a former campaign manager for Ms. Boebert, met with Douglas Frank, a high school math and science teacher in Ohio whose debunked theories have been influential among election conspiracists, according to records.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded in a statement citing yet another example of an extreme and radical Republican elected official. Without naming Mr. Paxton, the statement said it was unthinkable that this public official would sue to block women from receiving life-saving care in emergency rooms, a right protected under U.S. law.

The suit lands amid active discussion among doctors and hospital lawyers across Texas  and other states that have banned all or most abortions  about when the procedure might be permitted in emergencies. Texas law allows for exceptions when an abortion would save the pregnant patients life or prevent substantial impairment of major bodily function  the types of situations that the federal guidance is focused on, although it leaves room for interpretation.

Mr. Paxton has turned frequently to the courts to express his opposition to Mr. Bidens policies; The Texas Tribune reported in April that he had brought 11 immigration-related suits against the administration. He has also filed or joined a series of suits related to Covid-19 policies, including the administrations effort to mandate mask wearing and vaccination.

For Mr. Biden, the legal challenge highlights the pressure he is under from all sides in the wake of the Supreme Courts decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, the case that overturned Roe. Abortion rights activists and some liberal lawmakers have criticized the president for failing to act swiftly and forcefully enough to the ruling.
BERLIN  It was as if Ukraines ambassador in Germany was vying for the title of most undiplomatic diplomat: Determined to spur Berlin into more urgent support for his embattled nation, he mocked the chancellor, told a former lawmaker to shut your trap, and posted memes on Twitter likening Germanys lagging weapons deliveries to a snail with a bullet taped to its back.

Yet it was not the controversies of the present that ended Andriy Melnyks career in Berlin. Instead, it was a thorny question about the past.

Ukraine dismissed Mr. Melnyk last weekend after an interview in which he defended a nationalist Ukrainian leader who collaborated with the Nazis, and whose followers took part in massacres of Jews and Poles.
The Drapers Arms, a pub in North London, said it would not open on Monday and possibly other days because the forecast was unacceptable. Like other historic buildings, and many homes in Britain, the pub does not have air conditioning.

It gets too hot in the kitchen, said Melanie Hunt, an assistant manager. They cant work under those conditions. It is for the staff, especially the kitchen, but the front of house as well.

We have fans but I dont think they do too much, unless you are right in front of it.

July has already been warm in parts of Britain. Summer temperatures in southern England typically fall in the low to mid-20s, although Mr. Deakin said highs in the mid-30s have become increasingly common.

Sunday was the hottest day so far this year in Scotland, which hit 29.3 Celsius (84.7 Fahrenheit), and in Northern Ireland, which reached 24.3 Celsius (75.7 Fahrenheit), Mr. Deakin said in an interview on Thursday.

We get huge swings, he said.

Despite the bracing expectations, Britain may not be as bad off as some countries.
A Swedish court convicted a former Iranian judiciary official on Thursday of war crimes and murder, and sentenced him to life in prison for his role in the mass execution and torture of thousands of prisoners in Iran decades ago.

The official, Hamid Noury, a former assistant to the deputy prosecutor at Gohardasht prison, west of Tehran, was lured to Sweden in 2019 and was promptly arrested. He was indicted two years later over his role in the deaths of nearly 5,000 prisoners in the summer of 1988, in one of the most brutal crackdowns by the Islamic Republic against its opponents.

The landmark ruling, the first time an Iranian official has been prosecuted by a foreign country for crimes committed inside Iran and convicted, delivered a victory to human rights and Iran opposition groups and families of the victims.
There are five more days to work so that Parliament can confirm its confidence to the Draghi government and Italy can exit the dramatic tailspin it is entering right now, Enrico Letta, the leader of the Democratic Party, said in a Twitter post.

If Mr. Mattarella or the political parties that would like the government to continue cannot convince Mr. Draghi to stay, it would mean instability not just for Italy but for all of Europe, and at a precarious time. The European Union, of which Mr. Draghi is a fervent advocate, is struggling to keep unity in the face of the aggression in Ukraine by President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.

After Mr. Draghi took office in early 2021, when Italys president asked him to resolve a political crisis created by the collapse of Mr. Contes government, he led the country out of the worst days of the Covid pandemic and packed the government with highly accomplished experts who shook Italy out of its political and economic malaise.

Mr. Draghi, a titan of Europe often called Super Mario for his role in saving the euro as president of the European Central Bank, immediately boosted Italys international standing and investor confidence.

The promise of his steady hand at the wheel helped Italy receive more than 200 billion euros, or about $240 billion, in relief funds from Europe  a transformational sum that gave Italy its best chance at modernization in decades.

Mr. Draghi brought moderate growth to Italy, made reforms to its justice system and tax code, streamlined Italys bureaucracy, and found diverse sources of energy away from Russia, including renewables.
RIVNE, Ukraine  A priest doused in green dye during a Sunday liturgy. Another yanked out of his western Ukrainian church as the police stood by watching. A church attacked by vandals, who filled it with foam, plastered the walls with portraits of Stalin and later set it on fire.

For centuries, the Orthodox Church has been a dominant spiritual force in the country. Now the church is increasingly an object of distrust, largely because its spiritual leadership  at least until May  was in Moscow, rather than Kyiv.

Government officials once courted church leaders. Now they speak openly about suspicions that some priests are collaborating with Moscow and worry that the broader church could be a Trojan horse for pro-Russian views and more.
VINNYTSIA, Ukraine  A volley of missiles hit a shopping center, a dance studio and a wedding hall in central Ukraine on Thursday, killing at least 23 people and setting off a frantic search for dozens more missing in the rubble, in the latest strike to hit civilian targets far from the front line.

Seventy-one people, including three children, were hospitalized after three missiles hit the center of Vinnytsia, a typically sleepy provincial capital, leaving behind a harrowing scene of smoking ruins.

The attack used cruise missiles fired by a Russian submarine in the Black Sea, President Volodymyr Zelenskys office said. It said three children were among those killed in the strike on Vinnytsia, about 240 miles inland from the coast.
JERUSALEM  This is what international diplomacy has come to in the era of President Biden, also known as POTUS.

A couple months ago he traveled to Asia, where, having abandoned the TPP, he tried to form the IPEF and also met with the Quad. After returning home, he traveled to Los Angeles to preside over the S.O.A. with the O.A.S. Then he went to Europe, where he met with the G7 and NATO.

Now on his first trip as president to the Middle East, he is trying to reassure Israel about the Iran talks with the P5+1 (also known as the EC+3) and discussing the formation of a MEAD to defend against U.A.V.s. Then he held a virtual meeting for the first time with the I2U2. And finally, he will head to Saudi Arabia to get together with the G.C.C.+3 while quietly trying to win a little more cooperation from OPEC Plus.
JERUSALEM  President Biden restated his determination that Russia fail in its Ukraine ambitions, speaking on Thursday during a four-day visit to Israel and Saudi Arabia in which he and other leaders discussed the international response to the war and the global grain shortage it has exacerbated.

Putins assault on Ukraine is a challenge to the peace and stability everywhere in the world, Mr. Biden said at a news conference in Jerusalem after meeting with Prime Minister Yair Lapid of Israel. Putins war must be a strategic failure.

The free world must sustain a resolve to help Ukraine defend its democracy, Mr. Biden said, adding that the United States will continue to support Ukraine and the Ukrainian people who have been devastated and displaced by the Russian violence.
WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 > 00:00:02.990 Words will not stop them, Mr. President. 00:00:02.990 > 00:00:06.480 Diplomacy will not stop them. 00:00:06.480 > 00:00:08.520 The only thing that will stop Iran 00:00:08.520 > 00:00:11.520 is knowing that if they continue 00:00:11.520 > 00:00:14.220 to develop their nuclear program, 00:00:14.220 > 00:00:19.990 the free world will use force. 00:00:19.990 > 00:00:22.030 The only way to stop them is to put 00:00:22.030 > 00:00:25.510 a credible military threat on the table. 00:00:25.510 > 00:00:29.260 Israel wants peace and believes in peace. 00:00:29.260 > 00:00:33.460 We will never yield an inch of our security. 00:00:33.460 > 00:00:36.350 We are obligated to be cautious at every step. 00:00:36.350 > 00:00:40.080 But to any country, any nation 00:00:40.080 > 00:00:42.760 that wants peace and normalization with us, 00:00:42.760 > 00:00:47.150 we say, ahlan wa sahlan, shalom, 00:00:47.150 > 00:00:50.310 welcome. Mr. President, 00:00:50.310 > 00:00:53.480 you will meet with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, 00:00:53.480 > 00:00:55.760 Kuwait, Oman and Iraq. 00:00:55.760 > 00:01:01.210 I would like you to pass them all a message from us. 00:01:01.210 > 00:01:05.349 Our hand is outstretched for peace. 00:01:05.349 > 00:01:10.210 We are ready to share our technology and experience, 00:01:10.210 > 00:01:12.400 ready for our people to meet and learn 00:01:12.400 > 00:01:17.050 about one another, ready for our scientists to collaborate 00:01:17.050 > 00:01:19.790 and our businesses to cooperate. 00:01:19.790 > 00:01:22.150 You and I also discussed Americas commitment 00:01:22.150 > 00:01:27.300 to ensuring Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon. 00:01:27.300 > 00:01:28.788 This is a vital security interest 00:01:28.788 > 00:01:30.330 to both Israel and the United States, 00:01:30.330 > 00:01:33.930 and I would add for the rest of the world as well. 00:01:33.930 > 00:01:36.570 I continue to believe that diplomacy is the best 00:01:36.570 > 00:01:39.510 way to achieve this outcome, and well 00:01:39.510 > 00:01:42.000 continue to work with Israel to counter 00:01:42.000 > 00:01:44.430 other threats from Iran throughout the region, 00:01:44.430 > 00:01:46.170 including support for terrorism, 00:01:46.170 > 00:01:48.570 ballistic missile program that continues, 00:01:48.570 > 00:01:50.100 and the proliferation of weapons 00:01:50.100 > 00:01:52.450 to terrorists and proxies like Hezbollah. 00:01:52.450 > 00:01:54.660 Israels integration in the region. 00:01:54.660 > 00:01:57.720 Israels peace with its neighbors. 00:01:57.720 > 00:02:00.150 These are essential goals. 00:02:00.150 > 00:02:02.370 Tomorrow, Ill be the first American president 00:02:02.370 > 00:02:07.200 to fly from Israel directly to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 00:02:07.200 > 00:02:09.660 That represents important progress. 00:02:09.660 > 00:02:12.120 And when I see the Saudi leadership tomorrow, 00:02:12.120 > 00:02:15.420 Ill be carrying a direct message, message of peace 00:02:15.420 > 00:02:17.100 and extraordinary opportunities 00:02:17.100 > 00:02:19.650 that a more stable, integrated region could 00:02:19.650 > 00:02:24.380 bring to the region and, quite frankly, the whole world.
JERUSALEM  Prime Minister Yair Lapid of Israel urged the United States on Thursday to show Iran that it would take military action if Tehran continued its nuclear enrichment program, highlighting Israels opposition to U.S.-backed efforts to persuade Iran through diplomacy alone.

Mr. Biden and Mr. Lapid, who is serving as an interim prime minister until elections in November, also discussed the matter during a meeting as part of the presidents four-day visit to Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Words will not stop them, Mr. President, Mr. Lapid said of the Iranian leadership at a news conference afterward. Diplomacy will not stop them. The only thing that will stop Iran is knowing that if they continue to develop their nuclear program, the free world will use force.
The two men first had regular contact when Mr. Biden was a senator and Mr. Netanyahu was the deputy Israeli ambassador in Washington. Mr. Biden has often spoken fondly of Mr. Netanyahu since then, despite their political differences, and once described giving him a photograph with a warm caption: Bibi, I dont agree with a damn thing you say, but I love you.

After Mr. Netanyahu returned to Israel, becoming prime minister in 1996 and then losing the position three years later, Mr. Biden was the only American politician to write him a letter after his election defeat, he said. During moments of heightened friction between Mr. Netanyahu and President Barack Obama, Mr. Biden was often deployed to defuse tensions.

Relations between Mr. Biden and Mr. Netanyahu have nevertheless had their low points. Politically, the two men have different visions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Mr. Biden supports the creation of a Palestinian state as a resolution to the conflict, whereas Mr. Netanyahu has become increasingly open about his opposition to full Palestinian sovereignty.

In 2010, Mr. Netanyahus government embarrassed Mr. Biden while he was visiting Israel  announcing the construction of new settlement units in East Jerusalem, a move that obstructed the Obama administrations attempts to restart peace talks.
In an opinion article in The Washington Post about his Saudi trip, Mr. Biden did not mention Prince Mohammed by name (but did mention Mr. Khashoggi) and said his goal was to discuss energy, regional security and Iran with Arab leaders, including from Saudi Arabia.

For their part, the Saudis announced that Mr. Biden and Prince Mohammed would hold official talks. During them, Mr. Biden is likely to find an assertive leader who knows he has something the United States needs and wants to receive something in return.

This could include progress on a more formal security guarantee or cooperation in realms beyond oil, said Yasmine Farouk, a nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

The Saudis want to be treated as a U.S. partner, and today U.S. partners talk with the U.S. not just about security and oil but also about technology, climate and energy, she said.

Even if the visit goes well, such cooperation takes time to develop. But for Prince Mohammed, she said, just getting Mr. Biden to Saudi Arabia amounted to a triumph.
JERUSALEM  I2U2 sounds as though it might be a cross between a legendary Irish rock band and a droid from Star Wars.

The truth is almost as intriguing, at least for followers of international affairs: I2U2 is a new partnership between the governments of India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the United States. The name refers to the first letters of the four countries names in English.

President Biden and Israels prime minister, Yair Lapid, gave the fledging initiative additional momentum on Thursday morning with a four-way call in Jerusalem with their Indian and Emirati counterparts  Narendra Modi and Mohammed bin Zayed.
Both Mr. Bennett and Mr. Lapid have tried to confine the disputes with the United States to closed conference rooms. But they have sharpened their tone against Iran and its leadership, saying they would not hesitate to take action against Iran, overt as well as covert, if they felt Israels security was at stake.

In contrast, military intelligence officials argue that if a new nuclear deal is not reached, the U.S. and Europe will abandon the topic. In that case, Israel could be left alone in the international arena, facing an Iran racing ahead on its nuclear project, which analysts say is weeks away from amassing enough enriched uranium to make a nuclear warhead.

Israel did once make preparations to send bombers to attack Irans nuclear facilities, but called the operation off at the last minute in the face of resistance from the Obama administration. It was not a bluff, it was real, Mr. Netanyahu said in an interview with The New York Times in 2019. And only because it was real were the Americans truly worried about it.

But some officials think the threat, while indeed seen in Washington as real, backfired on Mr. Netanyahu.

I was under the impression at the time that the Israeli threat to attack Iran, a threat aimed at getting the United States to take more aggressive action, achieved the exact opposite result, said Tamir Pardo, Mossads chief at that time, in a recent interview. The Obama administration began talks ahead of signing the nuclear deal to create an international situation in which Israel will not allow itself to take military action.
Video transcript Back bars 0:00 / 2:23 - 0:00 transcript Words Will Not Stop Them: Israel Urges U.S. to Put Pressure on Iran Prime Minister Yair Lapid of Israel called on the United States to threaten military action if Iran continued its nuclear program, while President Biden said diplomacy was the best way to counter threats from Iran. WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 > 00:00:02.990 Words will not stop them, Mr. President. 00:00:02.990 > 00:00:06.480 Diplomacy will not stop them. 00:00:06.480 > 00:00:08.520 The only thing that will stop Iran 00:00:08.520 > 00:00:11.520 is knowing that if they continue 00:00:11.520 > 00:00:14.220 to develop their nuclear program, 00:00:14.220 > 00:00:19.990 the free world will use force. 00:00:19.990 > 00:00:22.030 The only way to stop them is to put 00:00:22.030 > 00:00:25.510 a credible military threat on the table. 00:00:25.510 > 00:00:29.260 Israel wants peace and believes in peace. 00:00:29.260 > 00:00:33.460 We will never yield an inch of our security. 00:00:33.460 > 00:00:36.350 We are obligated to be cautious at every step. 00:00:36.350 > 00:00:40.080 But to any country, any nation 00:00:40.080 > 00:00:42.760 that wants peace and normalization with us, 00:00:42.760 > 00:00:47.150 we say, ahlan wa sahlan, shalom, 00:00:47.150 > 00:00:50.310 welcome. Mr. President, 00:00:50.310 > 00:00:53.480 you will meet with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, 00:00:53.480 > 00:00:55.760 Kuwait, Oman and Iraq. 00:00:55.760 > 00:01:01.210 I would like you to pass them all a message from us. 00:01:01.210 > 00:01:05.349 Our hand is outstretched for peace. 00:01:05.349 > 00:01:10.210 We are ready to share our technology and experience, 00:01:10.210 > 00:01:12.400 ready for our people to meet and learn 00:01:12.400 > 00:01:17.050 about one another, ready for our scientists to collaborate 00:01:17.050 > 00:01:19.790 and our businesses to cooperate. 00:01:19.790 > 00:01:22.150 You and I also discussed Americas commitment 00:01:22.150 > 00:01:27.300 to ensuring Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon. 00:01:27.300 > 00:01:28.788 This is a vital security interest 00:01:28.788 > 00:01:30.330 to both Israel and the United States, 00:01:30.330 > 00:01:33.930 and I would add for the rest of the world as well. 00:01:33.930 > 00:01:36.570 I continue to believe that diplomacy is the best 00:01:36.570 > 00:01:39.510 way to achieve this outcome, and well 00:01:39.510 > 00:01:42.000 continue to work with Israel to counter 00:01:42.000 > 00:01:44.430 other threats from Iran throughout the region, 00:01:44.430 > 00:01:46.170 including support for terrorism, 00:01:46.170 > 00:01:48.570 ballistic missile program that continues, 00:01:48.570 > 00:01:50.100 and the proliferation of weapons 00:01:50.100 > 00:01:52.450 to terrorists and proxies like Hezbollah. 00:01:52.450 > 00:01:54.660 Israels integration in the region. 00:01:54.660 > 00:01:57.720 Israels peace with its neighbors. 00:01:57.720 > 00:02:00.150 These are essential goals. 00:02:00.150 > 00:02:02.370 Tomorrow, Ill be the first American president 00:02:02.370 > 00:02:07.200 to fly from Israel directly to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 00:02:07.200 > 00:02:09.660 That represents important progress. 00:02:09.660 > 00:02:12.120 And when I see the Saudi leadership tomorrow, 00:02:12.120 > 00:02:15.420 Ill be carrying a direct message, message of peace 00:02:15.420 > 00:02:17.100 and extraordinary opportunities 00:02:17.100 > 00:02:19.650 that a more stable, integrated region could 00:02:19.650 > 00:02:24.380 bring to the region and, quite frankly, the whole world. Prime Minister Yair Lapid of Israel called on the United States to threaten military action if Iran continued its nuclear program, while President Biden said diplomacy was the best way to counter threats from Iran. Credit Credit... Doug Mills/The New York Times

JERUSALEM  Israels caretaker prime minister, Yair Lapid, pushed President Biden on Thursday to go beyond his public commitment to stopping Iran from ever obtaining a nuclear weapon, declaring that all democratic nations must vow to act if the Iranians continue to develop their nuclear program.

The distinction between Mr. Bidens commitment and Mr. Lapids declaration was more than semantic: It goes to the heart of their countries differing approaches in dealing with Irans nuclear ambitions. Israel has conducted a series of covert sabotage and assassination operations to slow Irans ability to enrich nuclear fuel, while Mr. Biden has insisted that diplomacy, and a restoration of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement, are the best way to find a permanent solution.

If they continue to develop their nuclear program, the free world will use force, Mr. Lapid said at the opening of a news conference in Jerusalem after the two leaders met as part of Mr. Bidens four-day visit to the Middle East. During those remarks, Mr. Biden listened attentively but never repeated that commitment. Instead, he stuck to talking about blocking Iran from obtaining a weapon  not a program that might be intended to develop one.

In the short news conference, Mr. Biden was pressed directly on whether he would raise the case of a murdered Saudi dissident, Jamal Khashoggi, when he meets with Saudi leaders on Friday. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was deemed responsible for the brutal 2018 killing in Istanbul of Mr. Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post who was living in the United States.

Mr. Biden said on Thursday that his views on the murder were well-known  but he stopped short of saying whether he would specifically raise the dissidents name during his meeting.

My views on Khashoggi have been absolutely, positively clear, Mr. Biden said, adding that he had never hesitated to speak openly to allies and adversaries about human rights. But with the American leader scheduled to fly directly from Israel to Jeddah on Friday  a flight that itself says much about the changed environment in the Middle East  administration officials were still debating how, if at all, he should raise the case in public comments on Saudi soil.

In other cases, recently including Cuba and Venezuela, Mr. Biden has stressed that his administration is making democracy and respect for human rights the paramount consideration for dealing with other nations leaders. But on Thursday in Jerusalem he said, the reason I am going to Saudi Arabia is to promote U.S. interests, which include getting the kingdom to pump more oil from its somewhat modest spare capacity.

Mr. Bidens news conference with Mr. Lapid was the only scheduled set of extensive remarks on his trip to the Middle East. He used it to bolster the blossoming relationship between Israel and a handful of Arab states, including the creation of a joint air defense zone to protect against Iranian drones and missiles. Administration officials say that while they are pushing for full diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, they expect only incremental progress toward that goal on this trip.

He said that he had been impressed by a demonstration on Wednesday of Israelis and Americans using the Iron Dome rocket-interception system, and a new system named Iron Beam, still a prototype, that uses lasers.

These technologies and advances are critical, Mr. Biden said. Every rocket that is intercepted is a potential life, maybe more, that is saved.
President Bill Clinton famously came to Israel for a 22-hour visit in March 1996, four months after the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin by a Jewish extremist who opposed the peace process with the Palestinians and about 10 weeks before a highly charged national election. Shimon Peres was prime minister at the time, but a wave of deadly Palestinian suicide bombings that killed more than 60 civilians had damaged his national standing.

Mr. Clinton had clearly come to try to bolster the prime ministers chances, and to try to revive Israeli faith in the peace process. Nevertheless, Mr. Peres lost to Mr. Netanyahu, who served for three years until 1999, then returned to office a decade later.

Mr. Lapid, 58, the leader of the centrist Yesh Atid, has already served in government as a minister of finance, strategic affairs and foreign affairs, and as an alternate prime minister, along with a stint as the leader of the opposition. But he also suffers from a lack of security credentials in the eyes of many Israelis. Discussing weighty issues such as the Iranian nuclear threat with Mr. Biden could help burnish his image as a statesman.

In Israeli history, the people who naturally entered the prime ministers office had a security background, Nahum Barnea, a veteran political commentator for the popular Yediot Ahronot newspaper, said in a recent interview, citing decorated generals who went on to become prime minister, such as Mr. Rabin, Ehud Barak and Ariel Sharon.
Amy Sedeno

On June 12, 2022, the CDC announced that airline passengers traveling from a foreign country into the United States were no longer required to show a negative COVID-19 test. Earlier in April, a Florida judge struck down the U.S. Federal Transportation Mask Mandate, and all major U.S. airlines lifted masked requirements for domestic flights. After a 15-month standstill, the cruise industry made a comeback, and despite the rising gas prices, Americans were set to break road trip records for July 4. Experts anticipate that international travel in 2022 will meet and possibly exceed pre-pandemic levels.

Theres no doubt that travel is back, but is it back as we once knew it? And what does this mean for travel and hospitality public relations practitioners and our clients?

Understanding consumer behavior

Data is more critical than ever, and understanding consumer behavior is key to developing impactful PR strategies. With more consumers having an online presence, theres an opportunity for brands to personalize offers and experiences like never before. Tools like Brandwatch, Brand24 and Mention can track relevant keywords and media mentions and assist PR professionals in analyzing trends and competitors, giving brands a front-row seat to understanding what makes their consumers tickand click.

This article is featured in O'Dwyer's Jul. '22 Travel & Tourism PR Magazine

(view PDF version)

The media landscape has shifted

Press trips are now more competitive than ever, with destinations and hotels rolling out the red carpet to garner media attention. While group trips were once preferred, the media are now opting for individual experiences and choosing trips with flexible add-ons like flight insurance and extended stay options.

In-person vs. virtual

While the power of in-person meetings cant be matched, the media have grown accustomed to virtual meetings and are reassessing the value of leaving the comfort of their offices or homes when they no longer have to. The key is to make these gatherings personalized and experiential. Think virtual happy hour for a hotel or destination or a tutorial for skincare brands. These meetings must add value to be successful. Think about delivering a clever media mailer with curated/branded gifts prior to the interview to entice engagement and make the meeting more tangible.

Influencer marketing

Influencers are here to stay, but with more screen time, consumers have become wearier of influencer marketing tactics and seek more authentic, relatable content. This is why nano and micro-influencers are a brands secret weapon. They are enthusiastic about the products and experiences and speak to a niche audience.

Internal comms. are here to stay

During the pandemic, many brands realized their need for strategic internal communications to provide timely messages to stakeholders and consumers and boost employee morale. Company leaders became valuable spokespersons and social responsibility campaigns took center stage as consumers began expecting their favorite brands to speak out about topics like diversity and sustainability.

With hotels and destinations managing staff shortages, improved sanitation protocols, increased travel demand and more contactless technology, PR teams can be excellent allies for the industrys recovery. By providing clients with insightful intel, trendspotting and a deep understanding of the new consumer and media landscape, PR pros can keep hotels and destinations top of mind and quickly mitigate any unforeseen turn in the pandemic.

***

Amy Sedeno is Vice President and Partner at Carolyn Izzo Integrated Communications / CIIC PR.
Relevance International signs up Makhno Studio, a Kyiv-based studio of Ukrainian contemporary design, architecture, and ceramics. Relevance is providing PR and consultation services to the studio pro-bono while helping them build their brand in the US. So far, Makhno has completed more than 700 projects in 21 countries. The agency has also established agency of record relationships with boutique real estate agency Prime Manhattan Residential and Royal Palm Companies, which has more than 6,000 residences in its portfolio and over $3.5 billion in managed real estate projects.

Clarity picks up UK communications duties for Ankorstore, a B2B marketplace that offers a product catalogue of over 20,000 brands to 250,0000 retailers across Europe. Clarity will work to help the wholesale marketplace platform grow its brand awareness among key audiences and establish itself as a trusted partner to retailers and brands. The agency is partnering with English retail consultant and broadcaster Mary Portas on a range of activations to support the company. Founded in 2019 by four French e-commerce entrepreneurs, Ankorstore achieved unicorn status in 2021. It has offices in Paris, London, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin and Stockholm, and more than 600 employees. "We look forward to working together to champion independent retail in the UK," said Ankorstore UK deputy general manager Jina Kwon.

Marino adds Global Kids to its roster of nonprofit accounts. Marino will lead a media relations and creative campaign aimed at driving awareness of the organization in the regional and national landscape. Working primarily with middle school and high school students in underserved communities, Global Kids offers a variety of school-day and afterschool programs at school sites and at its NYC headquarters, as well as enriching summer learning programs. "Through its leadership development, global awareness and civic engagement programming, Global Kids is cultivating our future leadersand we look forward to advancing this important work," said Marino senior vice president Danielle Alkobi, who leads the agency's nonprofit practice.

Firecracker PR has signed on as the agency of record for Shield AI, an AI-software-for-defense "unicorn" that recently announced a Series E round of funding for $165m. Founded in 2015, Shield AI is the developer of the Hivemind autonomy stack, which it says enables intelligent teams of aircraft to perform missions ranging from room clearance, to penetrating air defense systems and dogfighting F-16s. The company has offices and facilities in San Diego, Dallas, Washington, D.C. and Abu Dhabi.
Becky Nictakis

The Alpine Group, a government affairs consulting firm, launches a comprehensive competitive funding practice. The practice will assist clients with strategic positioning, drafting and submission of compelling funding proposals and applications to win competitive funds. The firm is partnering on the practice with Capitol Funding Solutions, which has a strong track record of identifying competitive funding opportunities, consulting for grant-readiness on the organizational and project level, and writing applications, proposals and concept papers. Capitol Funding Solutions CEO Becky Nictakis joins Alpine as its competitive funding team leader. By bringing together lobbying expertise with competitive funding, the Alpine Group will bring new opportunities in order to help clients achieve their goals, said Alpine Group CEO Les Spivey.

Matter Communications opens a Dallas office to further support the regions global healthcare and high-tech presence, as well as recruit and retain diverse talent. Matter already works with companies in the Dallas area that include Catalyst Health Group, the creator of Texas largest clinically integrated network for primary care providers; software company symplr; Gainwell Technologies, a provider of tech solutions for health and human services programs; and LeadingReach, which helps care teams communicate more effectively. Matter has already hired six Texas-based professionals for full-time positions, with more than a dozen additional Dallas-based roles to be filled.

LaVoieHealthScience announces that the U.S. Patent and Trade Office has recognized LHS ongoing professional use of two proprietary service offerings and granted continued registered service marks for each for the next four years. The two service offerings, core elements of the agencys strategic consulting services, are LHS Immersion and The LHS Fifteen-Slide Presentation. We developed both processes many years ago and have found them, without exception, to provide tremendous value to our clients, said LHS president and CEO Donna L. LaVoie. We are gratified that the USPTO continues to view them as unique offerings in our industry by renewing our proprietary registration marks.
VISITORS to Lough Boora Discovery Park are in for a treat at the moment with a sea of bog cotton in bloom and numerous orchids such as the Bee Orchid coming into flower over the next month. The park is a wonderful place to see biodiversity and nature at its finest and Julie McLoughlin, Lough Booras new Visitor Experience Lead, has been busy over the past few months developing new experiences for visitors to enjoy at the Park.

A native of Clonaderig, Co. Offaly, Julie has over 15 years experience in tourism and hospitality, including at the famous Cliffs of Moher in Co. Clare, one of Ireland's favourite visitor experiences.

Im delighted to return home to Offaly and to have the opportunity to work at Lough Boora Discovery Park. I think it's Ireland's best kept secret and I am looking forward to sharing this magical place with more people. I believe we can make Lough Boora Discovery Park one of the top tourism destinations in Ireland and this will benefit the wider midlands region.

As people become more aware of the importance of our peatlands and the role they play as a solution to the climate crisis, Lough Boora can help people to learn about the biodiversity of peatlands and the unique role they play. I look forward to bringing my experience to Lough Boora Discovery Park.

Speaking about the Summer season now underway in the Park, Julie McLoughlin said, I am very excited to be leading the preparations for the summer season at Lough Boora. Over the winter weve spent a lot of time improving and upgrading our cycle paths and walking trails and its great to see so many families and groups visiting and enjoying the many activities available. Bike hire is as popular as ever with a full range of bikes suitable for adults and children available for hire, including electric bikes. Were also seeing lots of interest in our fishing and bird watching, while the fairy trail, sculpture trail and our many picnic and play areas are seeing plenty of activity.

Visitors can also enjoy a great outdoor food experience at The Organic Kitchen at Lough Boora. Food products are predominantly sourced from the family farm and other local organic farms in Co. Offaly, including Mossfield Farm, Feighery's Farm and the Red Shed Farm. Fairtrade organic coffees and teas, along with a variety of other refreshments are available from the cafe.

New to Lough Boora Discovery Park, every Tuesday evening and Saturday morning, Edel Johnson, a local yoga practitioner, provides Embodied Hatha Yoga classes at the cafe in the parklands. Surrounded by the natural beauty of the parklands, a class of yoga and meditation allows time and space to relax and focus on you.

Booking information for bike hire, yoga, and other activities is available on the Lough Boora website.

Lough Boora can be explored for its outdoor activities, nature and biodiversity, sculptures and historical Mesolithic Site. The Park has several walking routes, a fairy trail, sculpture park and activities such as angling and bird watching. Lough Boora also provides access to visitor information, public toilets, a cafe, picnic area and car park.
INDEPENDENT TD for Laois Offaly Carol Nolan has called on the Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe, to guarantee a funding package of 19 million to support infrastructure and community supports that have been deemed essential by The Alzheimer Society of Ireland (ASI).

Deputy Nolan was speaking after attending a briefing by the ASI which heard that that there is a growing need for dementia-specific care for thousands of people across the country.

I was honoured to attend the ASI briefing and to offer my support to the ASI and its dedicated team of workers and volunteers who go to make up such a wonderful and critically important organisation, Deputy Nolan said.

The ASI are asking for a minimum of 2.5m for dementia-specific day centres and 1.7m funding to enable Community Day Care at Home Services to be maintained. Indeed we know that up to 57,000 hours of Day Care at Home will be delivered this year, and that must continue especially in an environment of growing need.

This will be essential in the years ahead because as I understand it from the ASI, the prevalence of dementia in Ireland has increased from 54,000 to 64,000. We also know that there is an ongoing fallout from the closure of Day-Care centres during the Covid-19 pandemic.

I know from my previous engagements with the Alzheimers Society that the average weekly cost of a bed is c. 1,100 in a care home and c. 5,700 in an acute hospital, but the average cost of a weekly intensive home care package (average 33hrs) is 745 per week. This means that Family carers of people with dementia provide a value to the State of 807 million per annum.

Supporting the prudent and reasonable budget requests of organisations like the ASI makes sense on every level; financial, emotional, psychological and medical, Deputy Nolan concluded.
THE Energy and Farm Business Show and exhibition takes place at Gurteen Agricultural College on Tuesday, July 19th 2022. This major national event was launched by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD on the farm of Brian and Kenny McCauley, Mohill, County Leitrim who run a suckler and forestry farm and have diversified into supplying wood chip for the biomass heat market with McCauley Wood Fuels.

The Energy and Farm Business show is a joint initiative between Teagasc, Tipperary County Council, IFA, Tipperary Energy Agency, Gurteen Agricultural College and Technological University Shannon (TUS). The events main sponsor is the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine. This is the only event which brings together three unique topics in one show, including Energy, Farm Business Options and Sustainable Agriculture. For the first time, the show is launching three panel debates on Achieving net zero in agriculture, Energy Policy, The Path to 2030 together with the opening debate Agriculture at a Crossroads The panel debates will be chaired by Damien OReilly from RTE.

Speaking at the launch, Minister McConalogue said: As Government and as a sector, we are working to improve our energy security by reducing our dependence on imported fossil fuels. We are committed to delivering a profitable, resilient and diversified farm businesses and management of energy costs, and investment in clean technology is a key part of this. Energy and Farm Business is an extremely valuable event in creating such awareness and comes at a key time for farmers looking to diversify their income with sustainable projects. The contacts and links made here will help you develop your business in the future.

Barry Caslin, Teagasc Energy and Rural Development Specialist said: The next few years will see a dramatic uptake in renewable energy generation on farms. Beyond the more familiar options for renewable electricity production, the requirement for large amounts of low-carbon biomethane, or bioSNG, to displace fossil gas in the network presents a great opportunity for farmers and landowners. This event will provide rural entrepreneurs with information needed to diversify, innovate and succeed, through seminars, exhibitors, expert demonstrations and unrivalled networking and business clinic opportunities.

Paul OBrien, chair of the IFA Environment Committee said; Farm-scale and community-based renewables must be the central part of future energy policy in Ireland, if the ambitions of Governments Climate Action Plan are to be delivered. It is critically important that farmers can remain profitable and resilient through the decarbonisation transition by being supported to embrace these new business opportunities.

Also speaking at the launch, Jon Parry, Principal of Gurteen Agricultural College said: Gurteen College is delighted to once again host this important event. We know that agriculture and specifically Agricultural Education is a vital part of the solution to our climate crisis. Energy and Farm Business brings together all the key organisations and individuals, and provides the perfect opportunity to ensure our collective focus is properly targeted where it can have the best impact.

Conference Speakers will share insights on real opportunities to make financial savings and reduce energy consumption on-farm. The outdoor demonstrations form a popular part of the Energy and Farm Business show which will have main focus areas including biomass for renewable heat, solar PhotoVoltaic (PV), and Anaerobic Digestion (AD). The Farm Business Options seminar will feature farmers who have implemented successful new business ventures or have integrated new business projects with existing initiatives.

The expo hall, with over 60 exhibitors, is always a hive of activity with all areas represented; renewable energy generation, biomass, finance business consultancy.

Its free to attend and the show will provide farmers with expert advice about how to set up initiatives which make long-term business sense.
OFFALY Fianna Fail TD Barry Cowen has said common sense has been brought to bear on the controversial turf proposals.

Deputy Cowen was commenting on what he said was clarification from Taoiseach Micheal Martin this evening (Wednesday, July 13) at a meeting of the Fianna Fail parliamentary party.

Mr Martin told TDs and senators that traditional turf cutting, sale and gifting in rural areas will be allowed continue under the new regulations.

Deputy Cowen said existing and historic practices associated with turf cutting and provision for those owning bogs and plots, plus those who dont, but are dependent on family, neighbours or commercial cutters in their respective areas, will continue to avail of such options.

As I said all along and again at our parliamentary party tonight the practice of turf cutting is a diminishing practice save for many dependent and vulnerable households, said Mr Cowen.

Those same households need to be afforded the option, a realistic option, with appropriate grant assistance to cater for a specific heat retrofit.

Retrofit proposals should be included after a review of the recently announced heat retrofit programme with an option of 10,000 grant for those households presently dependent on solid fuel systems.

The Clara TD said this would be in addition to the existing grant towards insulation costs which is capped at 3,000.

It is understood that while the sale of turf will be permitted under the new rules, sale through retail outlets will be banned, as will advertising of the fuel.

Deputy Cowen also addressed the question of agriculture emissions targets and insisted that they be set at the lower end of initial recommendations at 22%.

Such a commitment as provided in PfG (Programme for Government) is a major acknowledgment of the sector's responsibilities and must be augmented by Government supports to entice, encourage and work with farm families in achieving this ambition, he said.

He said maintaining and enhancing the quality of products must be done with production systems which match environmental ambition and consumer demands.

The TD said he had no doubt that a target set with the acknowledgment and cooperation of agricultural sector will offer further potential decreases in carbon emissions while still realising the potential of the demands on world food requirements.

Deputy Cowen also repeated his previously stated belief that Ireland has a 300bn bonanza - a figure which matches the current value of the Irish economy - in offshore wind, particularly on the west coast.
Irelands environment minister has said that a ban on the commercial sale of smoky coal and turf approved by Cabinet on Thursday will save lives, and that the Attorney General was useful in providing clarity to parliamentarians concerns.

Earlier this year, several Fine Gael and Fianna Fail TDs raised concerns about a move to clamp down on turf burning this autumn at a time when fuel bills are rising sharply.

In particular, concerns were raised about how the regulations would affect small-scale turf cutters who sell peat to friends and neighbours.

What this is about is regulation at the retail end  stopping the mass distribution of smoky coal, wet woods, turf through retail premises, Environment Minister Eamon Ryan told reporters in Dublin on Thursday.

It wont be regulating in the home or policing that way.

Mr Ryan added that the plans approved by Government had not changed from the original draft plans, but the wording may have been clarified.

I think it was a question of hearing (everyone) out and providing real clarity and getting the wording on that, Mr Ryan said.

I think the Attorney General provided a very useful role because the final wording, as I said, you draft several times. So yes, we did listen.

But a year ago, six months ago, three months ago, I was outlining these regulations in the way that theyve now been delivered. And Im glad that that has the support of other parties, mostly independents Ive talked to, so I think we can introduce them now and see the benefit.

Mr Ryan added: We did look at variations  that idea of villages of 500 people or more having different rules.

The approval comes after Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Tanaiste Leo Varadkar discussed the turf ban at their respective parliamentary party meetings on Wednesday night.

We listened to our colleagues and government, Mr Ryan said. I think weve ended up with a solution that, from my talking to colleagues and other parties, they think is the right balance, and I do too.

I think its a really significant day for looking after our environment, improving public health. Having cleaner air right across our country is fundamental to good health and local environment.

The regulations will come into effect from October 31, the minister said.

The industry has been prepared, they were told last September this is what were going to do. Theyve already bought forward expecting this, so its not going to be a surprise.

This will save lives.

This is a particularly important public health measure for anyone who is suffering from asthma or anyone with a heart condition, anyone with a lung condition. This is good news today.

When asked whether there had been any climb down on what was agreed, Mr Ryan said: Were delivering a solid fuel regulation, which restricts the sale of smoky fuels, which delivers whats been promised for how many years? How many ministers have come to the (fence) and then didnt jump the fence? Weve just jumped the fence and Im very pleased to have done that.
Cultural Events in London as part of National Week Celebrations

Gibraltar Cultural Services on behalf of the Ministry of Culture has announced several cultural events in London as part of the National Week Celebrations.

A Cultural Soiree to celebrate Gibraltars identity kicks off things on Monday 5th September. This is being organised by GCS together with 2021 Cultural Ambassador recipient, Gabriel Moreno, bringing together musicians, poets, novelist, and creators amongst others to explore Gibraltars uniqueness. This event at Tower Theatre promises musical performances, shared ideas, poetry, and togetherness.

Tickets which are free can be obtained via Buytickets.gi. You can also follow the event page on Facebook for the latest news on the night.

A networking breakfast follows the next morning at Gibraltar House. This is aimed at professionals working in the cultural and artistic fields so they may connect, share ideas, and possibly find ways to collaborate.

The evening of Tuesday 6th September will see the launch of a special art exhibition at Bermondsey Project Space. The Minister for Culture, The Hon Prof. John Cortes will open the show. Nine artists have been selected to form part of the initiative, exploring Gibraltar under the title a Sense of Place/ A Sacred Place. The nine are a mixture of established and up and coming artists, providing a varied exhibition which includes paintings, photographs, sculpture, and video installations. The exhibition will run for three weeks putting Gibraltar on the map in the capital.

Whilst in London, the Minister will visit art studios in Greenwich to see first-hand how this idea has been developed in the UK. He will be accompanied by GCS CEO Seamus Byrne. This will allow them to explore the concept of artists' studios further in a bid to be able to deliver this on the Rock.
Tanaiste Leo Varadkar has absolutely condemned the burning of effigies of Sinn Fein and Alliance leaders in Northern Ireland as hatred not culture.

It comes after effigies of Sinn Fein president and vice president Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle ONeill, and Alliance Party leader Naomi Long were pictured on the Eleventh Night bonfire in Carrickfergus on Monday.

The PSNI have launched an investigation into the incident.

Addressing the Dail, Sinn Fein Finance Spokesperson Pearse Doherty called the burning a hate crime.

Over the past few days, we have seen effigies of my party colleagues Mary Lou McDonald, Michelle ONeill, along with Alliances Naomi Long  in addition to our national flag  being burned on unionist bonfires, he said.

This isnt culture, it is a hate crime. And it is unacceptable.

He said that Taoiseach Micheal Martin had failed to condemn the incident.

Shockingly, we have heard nothing from the Taoiseach, he said.

An effigy of the leader of the opposition burned in a bonfire 90 miles up the road and no official reaction from government.

This isnt good enough Tanaiste, its not good enough also from unionist political leaders, and also not good enough from the PSNI. And its not good enough for political leaders in this state.

He asked Mr Varadkar to join with him in unequivocally condemning the effigy-burning.

I did actually speak on this, on Newstalk yesterday, but happy to repeat what I said yesterday, he said.

Its not often that you and I agree 100%, but on this occasion I do agree with you 100%.

What we saw happen in Northern Ireland, effigies, posters of politicians, Michelle ONeill, Naomi Long, others, mainly female politicians  but not always  being burned is unacceptable.

The tricolour, the Palestinian flag, you name it, being burned on bonfires in Northern Ireland.

He said he respected orange culture, and that he had attended an orange order parade in Enniskillen years ago.

But he added: But burning images of other people, burning other countrys flags, that isnt culture  that is hatred.

It is absolutely wrong, and on behalf of the Government I absolute condemn it.
A group of local government representatives from Offaly travelled to the European Parliament this week to ensure that the voices and ideas of county and city councillors are heard at the heart of the European institutions.

The councillors travelled on the invitation of Ireland South Fianna Fail MEP Billy Kelleher.

The Offaly delegation consisted of Cllr. Robert McDermott (Edenderry Electoral Area), Cllr. Eddie Fitzpatrick (Edenderry Electoral Area) , Cllr. Frank Moran (Cathaoireach, Offaly County Council), Cllr. Declan Harvey (Tullamore Electoral Area) and Cllr. Danny Owens (Tullamore Electoral Area)

The councillors met with representatives of the EUs Committee of the Regions, the Renew Europe political group, in which Fianna Fail MEPs operate, and officials from various directorates of the European Parliament.

Commenting after the visit, Billy Kelleher MEP said, It was wonderful to be able to bring 30 members of local government from Munster and South Leinster to the European Parliament.

Due to the Covid 19 pandemic, this was the first opportunity for me to welcome my Fianna Fail councillor colleagues, and I believe they gained immensely from the visit, and I hope they can bring what they learned here back to their communities, concluded Kelleher.
Rumble 17 Jun 2022

Tracy Beanz does a brief walkthrough on a case that hasn't crossed the radar for many, but is particularly poignant today.
Two people are now in custody after a Melbourne father was shot dead earlier this week.
Ukrainian Natalia Kulakivska is searching for her missing husband, brother-in-law and nephew after they were captured by Russian forces.
Actor Kevin Spacey has pleaded not guilty to charges of sexually assaulting three men, in his first appearance at Londons Old Bailey.
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi offered to resign just hours after his coalition partner, the populist Five Star Movement, withdrew its support in a major confidence vote.
From 11 to 13 July, at the invitation of Mr. Sam Shivute, Commissioner of the Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA), Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO), visited Windhoek, capital of Namibia and Walvis Bay, a port town on the coast of Namibia. During his visit, NamRA launched an Advance Ruling Programme.

Secretary General Mikuriya reviewed the progress of NamRA, with its founding Commissioner appointed in 2020 and the management team, and later had a dialogue session with the officers of NamRA. He appreciated the ongoing efforts to build and consolidate the institution and the support of the Board of Directors. He noted the quick progress in adopting WCO programmes, including the UNODC-WCO Container Control Program (CCP) in September 2021 and the AEO Programme in April 2022.

Dr. Mikuriya had a series of meetings with political leaders, including H.E. Saara Kuugongelwa, the Prime Minister, H.E. Iipumbu Shiimi, the Minister of Finance, and H.E. Lucia Iipumbu, the Minister of Industrialization and Trade. They all supported the newly established NamRA in its endeavour to become a world class institution by implementing international standards and best practices offered by the WCO. He also had a courtesy call with Ms. Paulina Mbala Elago, the Executive Secretary of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), and her team, to explore ways to further enhance cooperation with the WCO.

During the launch of the Advance Ruling Programme, supported by the EU-WCO Programme for Harmonized System in Africa (HS-Africa Programme), Dr. Mikuriya congratulated NamRA on providing enhanced transparency and predictability to the trading community. He added that the Programme will improve the business climate and risk management capabilities along the supply chain while reducing disputes during the clearance of goods. A stakeholders session followed the launching event and provided knowledge and guidance on HS 2022 and advance ruling to businesses.

Dr. Mikuriya travelled by road to Walvis Bay, one of the regional transport and trade hub for the southern African countries. He met with the Governor of the region as well as with Customs officers of NamRA at the Custom House. He also exchanged views with the Namibia Port Authority and was informed about its expansion plan and collaboration with Customs. Dr. Mikuriya also visited the NamRA Port Control Unit and appreciated the targeting of illicit trade with the support of the CCP Programme and the positive results obtained.

The visit of the Secretary General was widely covered by the local media, including radio and television channels.
Russian missiles struck the city of Vinnytsia, killing 12 people, in what Ukraine's president called "an open act of terrorism." DW has the latest.
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has urged the global community to hold Russia accountable for its invasion of Ukraine. She views the war as the greatest challenge to the world economy.
At a conference in the Hague hosted by the International Criminal Court (ICC), among others, representatives from 40 nations agreed to coordinate efforts to bring perpetrators of war crimes in Ukraine to justice.
The Kansas City Royals will be without 10 of the 26 players on their active roster for their upcoming trip to Toronto due to Canadian restrictions on travellers who aren't vaccinated against COVID-19.
Daily Caller 14 Jul 2022

'One of the most brazen and damaging acts of espionage in American history'
Sri Lanka's top Air Force officer said the plane in which Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled was given to the President on the orders of the Ministry of Defence.
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The US president will also visit Saudi Arabia, where he will have talks with Saudi officials and attend a summit of Gulf allies. Iran's nuclear program is set to be high on the agenda during his stay in Israel.
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President Joe Biden is meeting multiple Israeli leaders abroad, Brittney Griner's trial in Russia goes on and more news to start your Thursday.


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Russian missiles struck a city in central Ukraine on Thursday, killing 17 and wounding another 90, in an attack the countrys president called an open act of terrorism against civilians.
Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov has swapped his camera for a gun and says his country will prevail in the fight against Russia.
The four-time Olympic champion has revealed that he was trafficked to the country as a child.
Activists are trying to prevent the movement, which is growing frustrated with the leadership uncertainty, from helping tip the country into outright anarchy.
Rumble 31 Jul 2022

It was one of the most dramatic weeks ever for Italian politics, with Mario Draghi resigning after The League, Forza Italia (FI)..
Singaporean authorities say Rajapaksa has been "allowed entry on a private visit" but not to seek asylum. It is thought he might travel on to the United Arab Emirates.
Despite winning a confidence vote, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said he would resign after the populist Five Star Movement, a coalition ally, pulled its support for the government.
A year after one of the worst floods in Germany's history, and the scars of the disaster are still visible.
The war in Ukraine will be longer if the UK continues to supply President Zelenskyy's forces with weapons, the Russian ambassador to London has told Sky News.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says with superpowers increasing "assertiveness" in the Pacific it was "more important than ever" to take a family-based approach. It comes after a turbulent week at the Forum, with first Kiribati leaving...
The Ukrainian towns of Mykolaiv and Bashtanka were shelled on Thursday morning, with rockets destroying a residential building, a hotel and educational institutions, emergency services said.


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India and Germany postage stamp was issued on March 7th, 2021. It was released by The Department of Indian Post to mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. India and Germany are commemorating the anniversary with events, which are planned to be held in Germany and India in 2022. As part of these celebrations, both the department of Indian Post and Postage Stamp division, the German Federal 
The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriffs Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Tereasa Nims.

Wednesday, July 13

10:01 p.m.  A 46-year-old Midland man was arrested after a traffic stop in Lincoln Township and was lodged at the Midland County Jail. A report is being sent to the Midland County prosecutor.

8 p.m.  Police responded to the 2600 block of Abbott Road for traffic offenses.

7:50 p.m.  A deputy was dispatched to a Jerome Township business regarding an employee receiving a suspicious phone call. The store manager believed it was someone playing a prank.

6:45 p.m.  Police were called to the 1100 block of E. Ashman St. for a destruction of property involving a mailbox.

5:43 p.m.  A deputy answered questions from a 25-year-old Porter Township woman regarding a drug test she had taken.

4:56 p.m.  A well-being check was requested after a Coleman home health care nurse arrived at a residence and her 57-year-old patient did not answer the door. He had not been heard from in a couple of days. Deputies made entry and located the man in the back of the house. He was fine and spoke with his nurse.

3:29 p.m.  Police were called to Eastman Avenue and North Saginaw Road for a personal injury crash.

1:12 p.m.  An 85-year-old Midland Township man reported equipment being left on his property for over a month. The man said there's an easement, but the equipment hasn't moved. He was worried it could have been stolen. A deputy responded and was able to find out the equipment belongs to a power line company and they were using it for a job nearby. Phone numbers were exchanged for better communication.

11:44 a.m.  Police responded to the 4900 block of Eastman Avenue for a property damage crash.

9:16 a.m.  A deputy was dispatched to Edenville Township for a suspicious man walking east on Curtis Rd. The 55-year-old man was found to be wanted on another complaint.

7:11 a.m.  A deputy responded to Mills Township regarding a domestic assault. A 55-year-old woman reported that her 44-year-old live-in boyfriend had assaulted her and had taken around $2,000 of her property. The deputy located the man and the property in Greendale Township. The man was arrested for domestic assault and larceny. The deputy returned the property to the woman and a report is being sent to the Midland County prosecutor.

3:54 a.m.  Deputies were dispatched to a Hope Township residence to speak with a 60-year-old man about a possible personal protection order violation. After further investigation, it was discovered that there was no violation.
Christophe Merceron/Getty Images/iStockphoto

A boy is dead and another man is missing after the rough waters of Lake Michigan turned a day at the beach into tragic chaos.

The incident occurred Wednesday evening in South Haven, Michigan when the South Haven Police Department and South Haven Area Emergency Services were sent out at 7:30 p.m. to South Haven's North Beach for a report of people struggling in the water.
Dow Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jim Fitterling was kneeling down, helping young brothers Jack and Matt Brodhag navigate an escape room at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational on Wednesday afternoon.

Specifically, it was a mobile trailer called "Creators Wanted Immersive Experience Escape Room" that encourages young people to explore careers in manufacturing by allowing them to exercise teamwork, communication and problem solving to find their way to the exit.

The fact that Fitterling, the leader of a Midland-based international materials science company that employs more than 35,000 people, was ready to literally get down to kids' level and engage them in career exploration underscores the urgency of the manufacturing labor shortage.

Fitterling and three other manufacturing leaders  National Associaton of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons; The Manufacturing Institute President Carolyn Lee; and Michigan Manufacturers Association President and CEO John Walsh  explained the drive behind Creators Wanted, a national campaign, during a brief media session in the Midland Country Club prior to a tour of the escape room.

The four shared some eye-opening projections:

 800,000 manufacturing jobs are available in any given month in the United States.

 Four million manufacturing jobs in the country will have to be filled by the end of this decade, and 2.1 million of them will go unfilled based on current trends.

 This would result in a loss of one trillion dollars to the gross domestic product of the United States.

They also posed the question of how the United States get to the point of falling so far short of filling its manufacturing workforce.

One answer was that parents and schools began steering students more toward college after high school and less toward skilled trades and manufacturing.

"We need to let them know there are alternatives to college," Walsh said. "We need to help students connect to training."

"We devalued these jobs that should be held with pride and dignity," Timmons said.

At the same time, the four speakers spelled out the benefits of working in manufacturing:

 The average manufacturing wage is $29 an hour.

 The average Michigan manufacturing employee takes home more than $82,000 in pay and benefits, according to National Association of Manufacturers.

"You can make six figures in manufacturing," Fitterling said, adding that it's an inclusive workforce. "Women working in manufacturing at Dow have been very successful. We have a military equivalency degree that we started last year at Dow. That has opened another pathway (into manufacturing)."

Facing a daunting labor shortage, manufacturing leaders are joining forces to promote the idea of becoming a "creator."

Creators Wanted is a national campaign launched by the National Association of Manufacturers and The Manufacturing Institute to grow the manufacturing workforce of today and tomorrow.

"Today, manufacturing is the future," Timmons asserted. "It was manufacturing that helped us through COVID. That set off a light bulb (and made people take a second look at manufacturing careers)."

Lee said The Manufacturing Institute has started an initiative called "35 by 30" that aims to grow the percentage share of women in manufacturing from the current 29% to 35% by 2030.

For their part, Jack and Matt Brodhag said they had fun solving challenges and taking the lead to help the accompanying adults break out of the escape room.

"We're going to do it again," Jack said.

The escape room is free and is open on Friday from noon to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
2022 Camp 911: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 27 at the Big Rapids Department of Public Safety building, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Big Rapids. This free hands-on learning experience is designed to provide seniors with readiness training for various incidences and emergencies. Open to older residents of Mecosta, Osceola and Lake counties. To register call 231-796-4848

MECOSTA COUNTY COA

Hot Meals: Persons age 60 and older, suggested donation is $3. Persons younger than age 60, cost is $6.

Mecosta Meal Site: 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, at the Activity Center, 12954 80th Ave., Mecosta.

Barryton Meal Site: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays at the Barryton Senior Building, 71 Northern Ave., Barryton.

Meals on Wheels: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Hot midday meals delivered to the door of homebound senior citizens in Mecosta County. Suggested donation: $3 for seniors, $5 for non-seniors.

Take and Reheat Meals: Frozen meals available Mondays-Fridays. Call 231-972-2884 to preorder.

Activities: Call 231-972-2884 to sign up.

BINGO: 1 p.m. Fridays

Line Dance: 9:30 a.m. Thursdays

Chair Dance: 11 a.m. Mondays and Wednesdays

Scrabble: 1 p.m. Thursdays

Bridge: 12:45 p.m. Mondays

Euchre: 1 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays

Pinochle: 12:45 p.m Thursdays

Mah Johngg: 12:30 p.m. Wednesdays

EnhanceFitness: We are back to in building exercise! 8:30-9:30 a.m. every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, or Zoom on Wednesdays. Space is limited, so reserve a spot by calling 231-972-2884.

Healthy Lifestyle: 10:30 a.m. every other Wednesday.

Music with Dave Marasus: Noon on Thursday, July 14.

Music with Mark & Mark: 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 20

Foot Clinic: Thursday, July 21 (By appointment only!)

Watercolor Workshop: 1 p.m. Thursday July 21, with Joyce Capen

Blood Pressure Clinics: 11 a.m. to noon at the Mecosta County Commission on Aging & Activity Center on the following dates (May 13, 27; June 10, 24; July 8, 22; Aug. 5, 19; Sept. 2, 16, 30; Oct. 14, 28; Nov. 23; and Dec. 8)

Prime Rib Dinner/Prime Shopping: 5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 10. Cost: $25 per person and $40 for two people. Tickets available until event is sold out. Proceeds benefit Meals on Wheels of Mecosta County.

BARRYTON SENIOR CENTER

Swiss Steak Dinner: 4-6:30 p.m. the last Friday of every month from April-October. Includes dessert.

OSCEOLA COUNTY COA

Hot Lunch: At noon Mondays-Thursdays, both in person and curbside pickup and in person. Call 231-734-5559 no later than 12:30 p.m. the day before to reserve a seat. Suggest donation: $2 per meal, $5.85 for those younger than 60.

Osceola County COA, 732 W. 7th St., Evart.

Meadowview Village Apartments, 802 Mill St., Reed City.

Boomers Rendezvous, 213 Neilson, Tustin.

Marion Meal Site, 101 E. Main St., Marion.

Blood Pressure Clinic: 10 a.m.-noon the second Tuesday each month at Meadowview Village and Evart COA; and 10 a.m.-noon the third Tuesday each month at Boomers Rendezvous and Marion Meal Site.

REED CITY SENIORS CENTER

Potluck: 11:30 a.m. first Wednesday each month

Table Games: Fun Bingo at noon Wednesdays; Euchre at noon Thursdays; Regular Bingo at noon Fridays (Doors open at 10:30 a.m., with early birds at 11:30 a.m.)

RESOURCES FOR SENIORS

Mecosta County Organizations

Mecosta County Commission on Aging and Activity Center: 12954 80th Ave., Mecosta. 231-972-2884, Facebook: @MecostaCountySeniorCenter

Barryton Senior Center, 71 Northern Ave., Barryton. 989-382-7244. Facebook: @barrytonseniorcenter

Osceola County Organizations

Osceola County Commission on Aging: 732 W. 7th Street, Evart. 231-734-5559, jhalladay@osceolacoa.org. Facebook: @Osceola.County.COA

Reed City Senior Center: 219 E. Todd Ave., Reed City. 231-832-3340. Facebook: @Reed City Senior Center

Lake County Organizations

St. Anns Lake County Senior Services: 690 Ninth St., Baldwin. 231-745-7201. Facebook: @St. Anns Lake County Senior Services

Luther Senior Citizens Center: 300 Ash St., Luther. 231-797-5401

Hollister Senior Center: 1505 Michigan Ave., Baldwin. 231-745-3843.

Northwest Lake County Senior Center: 4240 W. 4 Mile Road, Irons. 231-266-5785

State, National Organizations
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MANISTEE  The League of Women Voters Manistee County is reminding voters that election information and candidate responses to questions on a specific website dedicated toward informing voters of election details are available online.



Vote411.org is a League of Women Voters site that gives personalized nonpartisan voting information for Election Day.



Launched by the LWV Education Fund in 2006, VOTE411.org is a one-stop-shop for election related information, reads part of a news release from the league. It is place where you can: Register to vote; Verify voter registration; Find out whats on your ballot; Election dates; Absentee ballot information; Ballot measure information; Learn where candidates running for office in your community stand on the issues; and so much more!



Visitors to the site can also can print or email the information to use as a reference when voting.



In an effort to personalize the experience, only candidates appearing on ones individual ballot will be listed.



According to the release, the League of Women Voters has fought since 1920 to improve U.S. systems of government and impact public policy through education and advocacy.



The Leagues enduring vitality and resonance comes from its grassroots nature, with members operating at the national, state and local levels working towards the goal of making democracy work, the release states.



More information about the League of Women Voters Manistee County can be found online at lwvmanisteecounty.org.




Submitted photo/Melissa Gentz

MANISTEE  The congregation of Trinity Lutheran Church is set to honor their pastor, Rev. Dennis Rahn as he celebrates his 26th anniversary in the ministry, on Sunday.

A service of praise and thanksgiving will be held at the church during the 10 a.m. worship hour. Rev. James Schroeder, former pastor of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Scottville, will be preacher for the July 17 service.
In a publication titled "History of Manistee County," Marilla Township was described in this manner: Until the month of June, 1860, the territory now included in the township of Marilla was a dense forest of maple, beech, hemlock, and pine, and inhabited only by birds and beasts. At that time, a man by the name of C. Churchill, who had left the Empire State with his family to find a home in the new West, arrived here and was pleased with the appearance of the country. There were numerous springs and streams, and the soil promised fruitful returns. He built a log cabin and in the dense solitude of the forest formed a home.

Other brave souls soon followed and they began making decisions about what was needed in order to establish a good place to make a living, raise a family and to make a difference where they lived.

Where would the children be educated? Who would teach them? How can we carve roads to help us travel? Where can we worship? Where can we market what we grow? Where is the nearest place to get supplies?

The questions were many and the people tackled the issues by forming a government that would help make things happen. The people were risk takers, persevering and equipped themselves to deal with hardship and deprivation in order to build their community.

By 1878, according to the "History of Manistee County," As the settlers increased, various school districts were formed and comfortable buildings erected. Two of the school buildings are especially fine, costing about $1,000 each. The town has a well filled public library, which speaks well for the enterprise and intelligence of the people. There is a very handsome cemetery located near the central part of the town, which is well fenced and handsomely decorated with trees. The church societies are a Congregational and Baptist. The former was organized in 1872, and the latter in 1876.

By 1874, there were 188 people in Marilla. Farmers were raising wheat, corn, several varieties of grains, potatoes, hay and also produced wool, butter, and maple sugar for trade, marketing and for family use. Imagine being in on the ground floor of establishing a community. It took many people and some strong leaders to make that happen.

Marilla Church of the Brethren

One of the churches that was an integral part of this community was the Baptist congregation that was established in 1876. By 1896, the congregation undertook the ambitious project of building a church.

According to an early pioneer named Rueben Nichols in a letter to Church of the Brethren pastor Galen Barkdoll in November 1943, In the spring of 1896, I started out with a subscription for to build a church with my name at the top for $10.00. F. P. winters signed $10.00, and his mother for $5.00. In a few days it had grown to over $1,000.00. Then George Patterson deeded the lot. Then a building committee was elected: Rueben Nichols, H.W. Studley, and Irving Clark. Mr. Studley, refusing to act, Mr.Clark said Go ahead, its alright with me. From that time on I had full charge and the advice and help of George Brimmer. It was built that first winter. We had a 'bee', cut the logs and delivered them to the mill and had them cut for all the rough lumber. The Ladies Aid gave the windows and around $10.00 besides. Rev. George Crook went to Manistee and solicited from some business men and got a little over $1,000. Then at the dedication, pledges were taken for less than $15.00 making it free and clear. Right here the name of Josiah cook, Free Methodist, as a carpenter was a wonderful help and needs honorable mention in his work.

Henry Studley as a boy drove teams that hauled lumber to the church property. He recounts the following:

Marilla Museum & Pioneer Place 9911 Marilla Road, Copemish, MI Open Hours: 1-5 p.m. every Saturday through October Contact: Jan Thomas 231-362-3430 See More Collapse

The improved roads of that day had planks laid to assist and loads going uphill. On the downhill, the driver took the loose sand as it aided in slowing down the loaded teams acting as a brake. John Smyth (Henrys uncle) driving a lumber team regretted that his team must pull its load up the planks, then pull the load downhill in the sand. So he made one downhill trip on the planks. The fast moving load was more than the horses could manage and he narrowly avoided a smash up. Atop the next hill, still on the planks in order to save his team, he assayed to take the load of lumber down the planks by hand, the unmanageable wagon ran over him and lodged in the loose sand. Uninjured, John Smyth brushed the sand out of his hair saying, I wouldnt own such a smooth running wagon.

Now for the Brethren connection. The following was taken from the minutes of the Baptist congregation Dec. 11, 1912:

A meeting of the old members of the Marilla and Cleon Baptist Church for the purpose of making arrangements concerning the Church property was called to order by the old clerk, Geo. Brimmer and Bro. Edward Williams was chosen chairman of the meeting. After prayer by Bro. Crook, meeting proceeded to business. Present Edward Williams, John Holly, Glen Clark, Rueben Nichols, L. F. Hall, and W. F. Hall. Also Rev. R. A. Shaw and (Rev.) George Crook. Moved and seconded that we elect three trustees, one for one year, one for two years, and one for 3. Carried. Rueben Nichols elected for 3 years, George Brimmer, for 2 years, and Welcome Hall for 1 year. Moved and supported that the church property be sold by the trustees to the best of their ability. Carried.

In the early 1900s, many Brethren families were lured from Indiana to far northern Michigan by real estate agents who promised good farmland.

The available farmland in Indiana was limited and with the Brethren typically having large families, there wasnt enough farmland to support the growing population. So they packed up their belongings and families, rented railcars and traveled by train to what is now Brethren, Michigan.

They met with a bleak situation. The land that they purchased, sight unseen, was not productive. Among those who were part of this Brethren migration was the family of Hezekiah and Rachel Grossnickle.

Grandchildren of Hezekiah and Rachel were told by their parents that Rachel and her daughter, Grace, were in the barn milking the cow and weeping about their dire situation when Rachel cried Why did Hezzie bring us to this God forsaken country?

In spite of the hardships, the Brethren however persevered and found ways to survive and make a living. Hezekiah and Rachel tried a different path and traveled further east and north of Brethren to Marilla Township and found an already established community and suitable land.

The family moved once more and settled in and established a successful farm. As time went on, Hezekiah Grossnickle with the help of J. Edson Ulrey, Church of the Brethren pastor, headed a delegation of people who entered into an agreement with the Marilla Baptist congregation to purchase the present Marilla Church of the Brethren.

The Brethren and other assimilated community members thrived in their place of worship and their descendants continue to come to meeting in this historic place as the Brethren called it in long ago times.

Because of the early Brethren migration, several Churches of the Brethren were established in Manistee County with three surviving today: Lakeview Church of the Brethren, Marilla Church of the Brethren and Onekama Church of the Brethren.

Through these many years, Marilla Church of the Brethren has significantly impacted Marilla Township through its focus on service to others and extending the hand of fellowship to all.
Port Austin voters will be asked whether to approve a new millage proposal for fire protection funding this August.

The new millage would be 0.5 mills, which means an increase of 50 cents per $1,000 of taxable value.

If approved the money would to help the Port Austin fire department replace its now outdated equipment. According to Fire Chief Jason Zimmerman, the department's current main engine is 22 years old, while its air packs are clocking in at 20 years old.

"We've been unsuccessful with grants, so we think if we can get another half-mill, then we can start purchasing some of these bigger items," Zimmerman said.

The millage would cover all township property, meaning a slight tax increase in general for citizens of the township. It would not affect the millage already in place for fire protection, which is also at half a mill. Its addition would be for a temporary boost in funding until the current millage expires, at which point it would be the sole millage until 2027.

If approved, the millage is estimated to raise an additional $67,000 in its first year.

"The Port Austin residents have always been supportive of the fire department, so I feel that they'll be supportive of this in August," Zimmerman said.

The August primary election is Tuesday, Aug. 2.
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Saginaw Valley State University has received a major federal grant that will enable the institution to broaden the scope of services it offers rural students and prepare them for careers in Michigan.

The $1.2 million Pathways for Rural Student Success at SVSU grant, awarded by the U.S. Department of Educations Rural Postsecondary and Economic Development Program, will allow for both the expansion of existing programs and the development of new programs related to college readiness and access, student retention and success, and employability. The grant, which will be funded from October 2022 through August 2025, will provide resources to implement the Pathways program.

Student success is a high priority at SVSU, and we have many programs in place to support students and help them overcome obstacles that might interfere with their education, said Donald Bachand, SVSU president. With this funding, we can do even more, not only for rural students, but for all students.

About 70% of SVSUs students come from rural communities, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Ivy Braden, a 2018 SVSU graduate with a degree in communication, considers herself an anomaly among her high school classmates. The Nashville native attended Maple Valley schools, roughly midway between Lansing, Grand Rapids and Battle Creek. She said she was always encouraged to attend college, but she wasnt well prepared to navigate the college search and application process, especially completing the FAFSA  the free application for federal student aid. Braden didnt know many people who could provide practical assistance.

In my community, there werent many people with four-year college degrees, so college wasnt strongly encouraged and people werent familiar with the steps needed to apply to college, Braden said. My class was able to attend only one college fair, and even that was intimidating.

Braden  who now works in SVSUs Alumni Relations office  added that college may introduce students to career opportunities beyond what they see in their hometowns.

Rural communities dont have a wide range of businesses that expose you to different careers, she said. And, our high school wasnt able to offer the same kind of career exploration that many of my SVSU classmates had. We took a career interest assessment, but we werent provided with the information on what we needed to do to attain those careers.

Through the Pathways program, SVSU intends to provide personnel and structures to bridge these gaps, among others. SVSUs financial aid and scholarship opportunities, small class sizes, and caring campus culture are often appealing to students.

Jayson Tunstall, an accounting major who graduated from New Lothrop High School, said he and his classmates found SVSU to be a welcoming environment.

A good 40% of my graduating class was coming here out of high school. They discussed how nice the school was and how they felt at home on their tour, he said.

With funding from the grant, SVSU intends to build on this welcoming culture, developing and enhancing services to students before, during and even after their college years.

Brian Thomas, SVSUs associate vice president for academic affairs, said SVSU will direct resources to:

improve rates of postsecondary enrollment

support students to stay in school and complete degrees

develop pathways that lead to high-quality careers, especially those aligned with Michigans talent needs

While the grant period is for three years, SVSU is committed to continuing its Pathways program long into the future, building upon prior work.

SVSU previously was selected for the Higher Learning Commissions Student Success Academy, so we have been completing a comprehensive student success plan, Thomas said. While the grant is targeted to students from rural communities, we will be better positioned to serve our students from urban communities and other backgrounds too. Students face many common barriers, regardless of where they come from.
The Mason-Lake Conservation District will be hosting three free well water screening days to help homeowners ensure that they have safe drinking water.

The testing dates are scheduled for 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on July 20 at the Manistee Conservation District in Bear Lake, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on July 21 at the Mason-Lake Conservation District in Scottville and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on July 22 at the Wenger Pavilion in Baldwin.

The screenings are made possible through the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program, a state-funded grant program held at Mason-Lake Conservation District. The program strives to protect groundwater and help agriculture and forest managers to advance environmental stewardship on their lands.

Contamination

There are several factors that could result in well water being contaminated. With nitrate or nitrite water contamination, factors to consider are the potential nitrogen sources that are present on the surface, the type of soil and bedrock, and the depth and construction of the well. Nitrate sources could include fertilizer from farming and homeowners yards, animal wastes, septic systems, or municipal and industrial sewage treatment systems.

All infants under the age of six months could be at a risk of nitrate poisoning. Using water that is high in nitrate and/or nitrite for feeding or formula mixing can lead to a condition called blue baby syndrome and can be fatal.

Infants exposed to nitrates will ultimately lose the oxygen-carrying capacity of their blood, depriving them of oxygen. Blue baby syndrome symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting and/or being sluggish or tired. In serious cases, a bluish color will appear on skin, lips and around fingernails.

Nitrate poisoning isnt only a concern in humans; it can also happen in livestock, especially ruminant animals such as cattle and sheep. Therefore, it is important to get your water tested for contaminants for not only the home, but the farm as well.

Nitrates cannot be detected through sight, taste or smell. The only way to test for nitrates is by chemical testing. Once a year, the Mason-Lake Conservation District hosts a free private well water testing day. Anyone with a private well can bring in water samples to get tested for nitrates.

Sampling process

Water sample forms can be completed in person at the time of testing, or can be printed from the Mason-Lake Conservation District website. Samples can be collected with any small container that has a lid, and must be collected within 48 hours of dropping off the sample. Samples must be at least a 1-ounce sample and must be kept cool via refrigeration until time of testing.

Water must be run for at least 20 minutes prior to collecting the sample to ensure accuracy. If nitrate levels are at or above the health standard of 10 parts per million, well owners will be contacted with information concerning the risks of nitrates and further steps to take.



If well owners wish to do additional testing, the local health department can do testing for bacteria and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy has additional tests available for other drinking water contaminants. Call the Mason-Lake Conservation District office at 231-757-3707, ext. 5 or visit mason-lakeconservation.org for further information.

The mission of the Mason-Lake Conservation District is to provide leadership, technical assistance and education to aid individuals, groups and units of government in conserving, improving and sustaining our natural resources and environment.
TO THE EDITOR:

My family and I have known Annette Glenn for over 20 years. We were neighbors and became friends while living in Larkin Township and raising our families.

We did many activities together through homeschooling and our children became friends as well.
Director of Content and Operations

Spencer McKee is OutThere Colorado's Director of Content and Operations. In his spare time, Spencer loves to hike, rock climb, and trail run. He's on a mission to summit all 58 of Colorado's fourteeners and has already climbed more than half.
Washington, DC, US (PANA) - The Troika on Sudan -- Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States -- and the European Union (EU) say that the military and security forces should be held to the announcement by Sovereign Council Chair General Burhan Abdul Fattah Burhan that the military forces will cease participation in political talks
Photo: (Photo : Public Domains Picture)

Teenagers - four boys and three girls - were involved in a crime which led to the death of a 73-year-old man. The Philadelphia Police Department recently released disturbing surveillance footage on Friday of the deadly attack, which happened at approximately 2:30 a.m. on June 24.

In the footage, a group of teens can be seen chasing a person, who is unfortunately blurred, across a street in North Philadelphia. One of the teens hurled a traffic cone at the victim. A girl is then seen picking up the traffic cone and repeatedly throwing the cone at the victim. Another suspect appeared to be filming the assault on a phone, per ABC News.

Seeking teenage suspects

The Philadelphia Police Department is now seeking seven teenage suspects wanted in the attack on the elderly man. The department said, "The teens struck the victim several times with objects, knocking the victim to the ground and causing injuries to his head," and added, "The victim was transported to the hospital where he died of his injuries the following day."

Police identified the victim as James Lambert of North Philadelphia.

Police believed the teenagers were between the ages 13 and 17.

"Even I can't comprehend that teenagers would beat an old person in the street for no apparent reason," said Tania Stephens, Lambert's niece.

Police are now offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction, as is the case with all open homicides, per Daily Mail.

The police did not give exact descriptions of the young people involved except to point out a blonde patch of hair on one of them. The Police Department released a photo hoping it would help to find each person involved in the crime.

Read Also: Teen Girl Is Charged As An Adult After Murdering Her Stepmom; Girl's Father Want Her To Get What She Deserves

Juvenile Delinquency

News of the assault comes a day after a summer curfew for minors went into effect. According to the police, through September 29, those between the ages of 14 and 17 must be home by 10 p.m. Recently, some teenagers could go out even at midnight, but those under 13 must be home by 9:30 p.m.

The modified curfew is an attempt to keep young people off the streets and safe, especially during a high-crime season.

Council Woman Katherine Gilmore Richardson, who proposed the bill that modified the curfew, said they now see young people involved in more criminal incidents and criminal activities simply because teenagers were out late.

For those teenagers found violating the curfew, police will reunite them with their families at home or the precinct and bring them to community centers established during the curfew.

Homicide Capt. Jason Smith said during a briefing on Friday that the medical examiner had determined the cause of Lambert's death as blunt force trauma.

Smith is asking the parents of teenagers involved to come forward. If they know that their son or daughter is involved in the incident, they should contact an attorney and get in touch with the homicide unit, per Newsweek.

Related Article: Childhood Hunger: Linked to Violence and Low-Self Control Development Later in Life
Photo: (Photo : Eric James Ward/Unsplash)

The father-of-two, who fell in love with the Ukrainian refugee living with his family, has agreed to stop contacting the mom of his kids as ordered by the court.

Tony Garnett, 29, decided to leave Lorna Garnett, his partner of eight years, for Sofiia Karkadym, 22, so they could start their new life together. The father was smitten by Karkadym barely two weeks after her arrival in the U.K., and they have since moved out of the family home while Tony's relationship with his ex-partner became strained.

The dad, however, had no problems with the court order to stop contacting his ex. He said that it does not make any difference since he hasn't been speaking to Lorna for some time.

"I just care about seeing my children," the father said, adding that the judge has also ordered Lorna to do the same and cease contact with Tony, per Daily Mail.

Read Also: Vladimir Putin to Allegedly Welcome Another Daughter with Alina Kabaeva

Tony quits his job to be Karkadym's carer

In his commitment to his new partner, Tony decided to scale back on his job so he could take care of Karkadym full-time. The young woman acquired an eye infection when she left Ukraine via Germany. According to Wales Online, Karkadym needs six months to fully recover as she has been left partially blind by the infection.

Tony runs his own security company and said he's okay to take a break from this work to focus on his partner. While taking care of Karkadym, Tony also plans to work on his music and has been gathering materials inspired by his love for her.

The father also said he wants to protect Karkadym from the online abuse as netizens have labeled her a homewrecker who should be deported. Tony defended that it was his choice to move out and live with Karkadym.

She has also spoken up to defend herself amid claims that she seduced Tony from Lorna. In a message on Instagram, the 22-year-old belied the rumors that she had stolen him. As with Tony's pronouncements, Karkadym said he made a "conscious and informed decision" to choose her over Lorna because he has "the right to be happy."

Karkadym applied to become a Ukraine refugee in London and sought a sponsor via Opora Homes in April. Tony saw her appeal online and offered his house. He worked it out with her by contacting her on social media because he claimed that the process from the government was too slow.

During her short stay with the family, Karkadym claimed that Lorna showed two sides and became suspicious of her closeness with Tony. She said this constant suspicion pushed her and Tony to be together.

Lorna kicked her out, but Tony said he would also leave. Later, Tony claimed that it was love at first sight for him.

Lorna hesitated about taking in a refugee

Meanwhile, Lorna said she had reservations about accepting a refugee into their house, but Tony was sure of it. Lorna acknowledged that it had been terrifying for the people of Ukraine, so she opened her eyes and rationalized that they were doing the right thing by putting a roof over someone's head.

However, Lorna said something was off with Karkadym from the start. She told herself that she was being irrational when she suspected that the refugee was trying to attract Tony, per The Sun.

The mom was devastated after Tony confessed he was in love with the refugee. Lorna never married Tony but changed her surname to Garnett when they had children.

Lorna said that she would not discourage anyone from taking in refugees because there is a real crisis in Ukraine. However, she's hoping no other family will go through a break-up like her family.

More than 54,000 Ukrainian refugees have moved to the U.K. since the war with Russia in February.

Related Article: John Cena Meets Non-Verbal Teen With Down Syndrome Who Left Ukraine With His Mother
Photo: (Photo : Arek Socha from Pixabay )

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Wednesday, July 13, that it had authorized Novavax's protein-based COVID vaccine for adults. This is great news for Americans, who now have an alternative to the mRNA-based shots from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.

The Novavax primary series is given in two doses, which are administered 21 days apart, according to CNN. FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf issued a statement, saying that the authorization offers adults in the United States, who have not yet received a COVID-19 vaccine, another option that meets the agency's rigorous standards for effectiveness, manufacturing quality, and safety that are needed to support an emergency use authorization.

The FDA's signoff is not the last step. The decision will now go to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its advisory committee to issue their own recommendation on how the Novavax shots should be used. The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is scheduled to hold a meeting on July 19.

Biden administration secures 3.2 million doses of Novavax COVID vaccine

On Monday, July 11, the Biden administration announced that the United States has already secured 3.2 million doses of the Novavax COVID vaccine. They are ready to be shipped to states once the said shot receives the green light.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Novavax said in a statement that the company is expected to complete all necessary quality testing in the next few weeks, which would support the final release of the COVID shots. The company announced last month that the initial doses of the COVID vaccine would be manufactured by its partner Serum Institute of India, according to Reuters.

Wednesday's much-awaited authorization comes more than a month after the FDA's vaccine advisory committee overwhelmingly recommended that the agency authorize the use of the shots and five months since Novavax first submitted its application to the FDA.

Novavax's COVID shot has already been cleared for use in more than 40 countries, including the European Union (EU), but manufacturing problems have impeded the company's efforts to be authorized in the United States.

Read Also: Russian Mom Arrested for Selling Newborn Baby to Pay for Her $3,600 Nose Job

Novavax's COVID vaccine important to the vaccination campaign

Novavax CEO Stanley Erck told NBC News that the FDA authorization took longer than they wanted, but they are there. They had gotten the company's first approval with the agency for a vaccine in the United States.

Novavax's COVID vaccine uses an older technology found in other widely used vaccines, including the shots for shingles and hepatitis. The company's COVID vaccine uses synthetic coronavirus proteins to teach the body's immune system to recognize bits of the virus.

Erck and outside experts said that Novavax's COVID shot is important to the country's vaccination campaign because it may persuade people unwilling or unable to get the mRNA shots to finally get vaccinated. According to data from the CDC, about 22 percent of people in the U.S. have still not received a single dose of a COVID shot.

Related Article: Indiana Mom Draws a Heart on Her Children's Hands Every Morning in Case of School Shooting
Photo: (Photo : Abel Del Gado/Pixabay)

The family of missing Texas mom, Chrissy Powell, fears for her safety after her mother saw some disturbing text messages allegedly sent to her by an ex-partner.

Powell suddenly disappeared on Tuesday, July 5, 2022, and she likely forgot to take her mobile phone because she was already running late for work. The last images of the Texas mom were taken from her front door's ring doorbell camera, showing that she was rushing out of the house at around 10 a.m.

Powell's mother, Claudia Mobley, wasn't aware that her daughter had gone missing until one of her co-workers came by in the afternoon. They told her that Powell, who is a paralegal, didn't come to work that day, but she did call to tell her co-workers she would be getting in late.

Read Also: Parents of Missing Georgia Teen Slam Police for Saying She's a Runaway; Kaylee Jones Has Special Needs

Powell was arguing in the text messages

Mobley told The Sun there were text messages from one of the fathers of Powell's children. The two were apparently in a disagreement Sunday, July 3. The mom didn't say what they were fighting about, but Mobley described Powell's relationship with her child's father as "on and off," and they often argued just "like cats and dogs."

Powell's mother, however, does not think the ex-partner has the capability to hurt people. The San Antonio Police Department also spoke to him after Powell's family filed the missing person's report on July 6.

According to Daily Mail, the family checked with hospitals and the county jail for clues to Powell, but there hasn't been any sighting of a woman fitting her description. Mobley also said that her daughter's bank account had no activity. If she was going away somewhere, she would be using money.

Because she left in a hurry, she also forgot to take her medication for an undisclosed medical condition. Thus, not only was she missing but also in danger if she won't be able to medicate on schedule.

The San Antonio Police have distributed missing person's flyers with Chrissy's profile and opened a tip line via 210-207-7660.

***MISSING*** The San Antonio Police Department Missing Persons Unit is attempting to locate a missing 39-year-old woman. Chrissy Powell was last seen leaving her house in the Apple Creek neighborhood in San Antonio, TX at 10:34 a.m. on July 5th, 2022. pic.twitter.com/uVdnhGvVuO  The AWARE Foundation (@aware_the) July 13, 2022

Who is Chrissy Powell?

Lauren Leal, Powell's best friend for 33 years, did not notice anything unusual before her disappearance. She also didn't mention any concerns for her well-being or safety. The best friend said Powell would not do anything to put her children through a traumatic experience by simply running away. Her kids are 12 and 3 years old.

She graduated from the University of Texas San Antonio but was originally from Connecticut.

She was driving a 2020 Black Nissan Rogue with the license plate PYJ 8564 when she disappeared. She is around 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighs 120 pounds. Powell has blond shoulder-length hair, per Fox News.

Related Article: Where is Dylan Rounds? Mom Fears Teen Farmer is Murdered, Neighbor Charged With Weapons Crime
Photo: (Photo : ValynPi14 from Pixabay )

Four bodies recovered from a pond in the city of Indianapolis were identified on Wednesday, July 13, as those of a man who had been reported missing and his three kids.

According to the Marion County Coroner's Office, the bodies were that of 27-year-old Kyle Moorman and his three children, five-year-old Kyle Moorman II, two-year-old Kyannah Holland, and one-year-old Kyran Holland, NBC News reported.

Indianapolis authorities had asked the public for help in locating Moorman and his three young kids in a news release this week. They had been missing since July 6, when Moorman told his family that he was going fishing with his three children at 11 p.m.

Dad and 3 kids pronounced dead at the scene

Cops said they responded to a call just after 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 12. With the help of fire service divers, they retrieved the body of a man, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Sonar technology later located a vehicle in the pond. According to the statement, the vehicle was pulled from the water, and three young children were found inside. Officials did not confirm the identities of the passengers at the time. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) said on Wednesday that there was a commonality with the Moorman family missing persons investigation.

Assistant Police Chief Chris Bailey told WTHR that the car matched the description of the vehicle Moorman was driving when he was last seen. The same area where the vehicle was found was searched this week by officers on foot and drones. Police said a death investigation had been launched with the Indianapolis-Marion County Forensic Services Agency also assisting in the case.

Cops responded to the pond at Troy Avenue and Bluff Road around 7:45 p.m. on Tuesday, July 12, after receiving a report of a body being found in the water. IMPD tweeted around 9:30 p.m. that police officers were conducting a death investigation at the location.

IMPD confirmed just before 10 p.m. that divers from the Indianapolis Fire Department recovered a man's body from the water, where according to family members, Moorman's phone last sent out a signal on the evening of Thursday, July 7.

Read Also: Working Mom Cameron Diaz Returns to Acting After 8 Years With Netflix Film 'Back in Action'

Search for Moorman family ends in tragedy

After divers from the Department of Natural Resources and Indianapolis Fire Department located the man's body, they then found a vehicle in the pond. Bailey later confirmed that three small kids were found dead inside the vehicle.

Moorman's family was at the pond with police on Monday night to help in the search. Police stated that no tracks were seen heading toward the water; thus, they did not call for a dive team. IMPD did confirm to reporters that a baby bottle was found near the pond, which they collected for potential evidence.

Megan Brewster, Moorman's sister, told IndyStar via Facebook messenger that he was the best daddy in the world and a great brother and would be missed.

Related Article: Many Baby Formula Plants Not Inspected in the US Because of COVID Pandemic
Photo: (Photo : Dan/Kelli Oakley/Pixabay)

Following a divorce, grandparents may seek the court's permission to visit or even file for custody of their grandchildren. Every state has its own laws supporting the grandparents' rights, especially if the divorced parents are in conflict and cannot come up with a fair division of the custody and care of the kids.

State legislatures for grandparents' rights have been in effect for nearly 35 years, per the National Council on Family Relations. Advocates for grandparents' rights believe that children can benefit from maintaining a stable relationship with their grandmother or grandfather.

They support the premise that if the parents are no longer together, it could be more traumatic for the children to lose their connection with their grandparents. Thus, in some states, the custodial rights of the grandparents are not immediately cut off if the parents' relationship does not work out.

However, those who oppose giving grandparents access to their grandkids come from the thinking that the grandmother and grandfather should never interfere with the parents' decisions. If the mom and dad are no longer together but still competent and capable of raising their kids, then the grandparents cannot impinge on what the mother or father wants.

Read Also: Court Bans Texas Mom from Contact with Her Child; What is Suspected Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy?

The Troxel v. Granville decision

Such was the call of the U.S. Supreme Court when it handed down its landmark decision in Troxel v. Granville in 2000. This case, involving ex-spouses Brad Troxel and Tommie Granville, affirmed the parental rights over the grandparents' rights.

After Troxel and Granville divorced, Troxel brought his daughters to their grandparents every weekend. But then Troxel died a few years later, and his ex-wife asked the court to limit the paternal grandparents' visit to once a month.

The grandparents fought for their right to see their granddaughters every weekend, for a week during the summer, and for four hours on their grandparents' birthdays. The lower court granted this, but the girls' mother appealed.

Granville eventually won her appeal in the Supreme Court, which believed that parents will always have the fundamental right to their children over the non-parent. The Supreme Court also stated that there should be prerequisites that grandparents must meet to exercise their grandparents' rights with the child's best interest at the core of their case. Otherwise, the law will ultimately side with the decision of the parent.

What can grandparents do if they want to see their grandkids?

Depending on the state and the situation, the grandparent may choose not to go to court if they want to keep seeing the children. Instead, they should try negotiating with the parents without involving the law. They can, however, base their grandparenting time as mandated by the state where the grandchildren live, per the American Grandparents Association.

Grandparents must also remember that the kids could be under stress due to their parents' custody battle. They do not need the added stress of their grandma and grandpa in conflict with their parents.

For grandparents seeking to become custodians, however, they should first become legal guardians or file for custody. Expectedly, this will be a lengthy legal process, especially if other family members will contest the petition.

Related Article: Setting Boundaries for Grandparents Who Tend to Spoil their Grandchildren
Indigenous lender, OmniBSIC Bank has recapitalised to about GH516 million  above the regulatory requirement of GH400 million.



The large capital gives comfort to customers and the general public, strengthens the banks buffers and its balance sheet as well as enhances its capacity to fund big-ticket transactions in an economy where businesses are recovering from the global twin challenges.



The bank has also consolidated its turnaround story after recording significant profit in the second quarter of this year.

Its second quarter 2022 financial statement showed that the bank posted a profit-before-tax of GH25.04 million compared to a loss of GH11.72 million in the same quarter last year.



The bank posted its maiden gross profit of GH8.69 million in the first quarter of this year after recording losses since it was outdoored from the merger in 2019.



Rights issue



The unaudited financial statement showed that OmniBSIC Bank, which is the outcome of a merger of Omni Bank and Sahel Sahara Bank Ghana, raised its capital from about GH268.2 million in the second quarter of 2021 to GH516 million in the same period this year.



It followed the injection of about GH247 million by shareholders.



The Managing Director of the bank, Daniel Asiedu, explained in an interview that the recapitalisation followed a successful rights issue that was fully underwritten by the shareholders.



The successful recapitalisation of the bank above the regulatory limit and the consolidation of its turnaround now means that the banks profitability and resilience are on firmer footing.



With capital in excess of GH500 million, OmniBSIC, a wholly-indigenous bank, now joins the league of lenders with large capital and deep buffers, capable of supporting businesses to expand and improve upon their bottom lines.



Liquidity position



The banks second-quarter results showed that beyond the strong profit, its balance sheet and liquidity position were strong.



While deposits, and loans and advances enjoyed strong growth, cash and balances with other banks almost doubled.

Cash and balances rose from GH261.7 million in the second quarter of 2021 to GH497.23 million in the period under review  indicating the depth of the banks liquidity.



OmniBSICs investments also shot up to about GH1.13 billion in the second quarter of this year from the GH805.43 million recorded in the same period in 2021.



Implications



Mr Asiedu, who is leading the revitalisation of the bank, said the successful recapitalisation and the consolidation of the turnaround represented key milestones to customers and the bank in its nascent history.



For the recapitalisation, it means that we are solid and it also gives comfort to our customers and the general public that we are fully paid up.



Now that we have in excess of GH500 million in capital, it means that the public and our corresponding banks should be confident dealing with us, he said.



He added that the strong capital also increased the banks capacity to support businesses and thus called on the general public and entrepreneurs in particular to take advantage of the situation to grow.



Unparalleled customer service



The result of the refreshed OmniBSIC Bank is a combination of solid talent acquisition, capital injection and the infusion of new ideas and products and services into its operations by the board and management over the last year.

In May 2020, Mr Asiedu, an astute banker with more than three decades of management experience in multinational and state-owned banks, took over as MD with a vision to revitalise the bank and reposition it on the path of profitability.



With the support of the board, the chartered accountant and economic policy analyst has revamped and rejuvenated the staff, restructured the operations and introduced new products and services tailored at the needs of customers.

A new banking application is also underway to help strengthen the banks operations and improve its delivery to customers, the former MD of Zenith Bank Ghana and the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) said.



He explained that customer service was also prioritised and revamped, making it unparalleled at the moment.



So, generally, we are on the right path with the support of the board and of course, God, he added.



Experienced hands



Beyond leveraging his goodwill and experience, the Reverend Minister and Chairman of the International Presbytery of the Fountain Gate Chapel (FGC) said he had recruited experienced hands to man key positions as part of the plan to strengthen the banks structures.



He was hopeful that these and the improved product line and customer service would endear the bank more to customers, leading to increased business.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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A Ghanaian student, Ms Chelsea Sarpong has been awarded the best graduating student at the University of Portsmouth.



Ms Sarpong who completed her Masters Programme (MSc) in Cyber Security and Forensic Information Technology was presented with her award at the Universitys graduation ceremony held yesterday. She completed her undergraduate studies in Information technology at the Ghana Communication Technology University.



In honour of her enviable feat, the leadership of Portsmouth University, a Gold-rated University in the UK governments Teaching excellence framework, Ms Sarpong was given the rare privilege of delivering the acceptance on behalf of her class.



Ms Chelsea Sarpong, from Begoro, a farming community in the Fanteakwa District of the Eastern was joined by Mr Kingsley Agyeman, Director of the Scholarships Secretariat, Mrs Naa Dedei Tetteh, Head of Education at the Ghana High Commission, and Mr Dodzie Numekevor, Head of Public Affairs and Information, Ghana High Commission UK who represented the High Commissioner Papa Owusu-Ankomah.



Mr Kingsley Agyeman congratulated Ms Sarpong on her achievement, reiterating that it is a testament of the resilient spirit of the Ghanaian, noting that the young lady pulled off her achievement regardless the challenges she faced.



Mrs Pearl Tetteh, Head of Education at the Ghana High Commission to the UK expressed her committed to support Ghanaian students on scholarship in the UK to surmount their challenges in these difficult times.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Some final year Senior High School (SHS) students in the Northern Region have bemoaned the enormous impact the ongoing teachers' strike will have on their West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) performance.



Some students of the Kalpohin SHS and Vittin SHS in the Sagnarigu Municipality and Tamale Metropolis, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) about the situation in Tamale, expressed worry over inability to tackle some topics in the syllabus due to the double track system and COVID-19 effects adding the teachers' strike was another blow to them.



Nelson Bagrine, a final year science student of the Kalpohin SHS, said his batch was already lagging academically because they stayed home close to a year during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.



He said science students at the school were yet to complete practical aspects of the syllabus, which formed a key part of the WASSCE, adding, students could not do so without teachers.



He appealed to striking teacher unions to consider WASSCE candidates and said some teachers were willing to teach but scared of the consequences of defying orders of their mother unions.



Adam Ibrahim, a final year business student of the Kalpohin SHS, said it was quite difficult doing private studies during school hours because most of the topics required guidance from teachers for clarity and comprehension.



Jamaldenn Abdul Nasir, a final year Home Economics student of Vittin SHS, lamented the fate of the academic future of the 2022 batch of WASSCE students, saying that there was no serious teaching during their first year due to the double track system.



He appealed to the government to do the needful for teachers to return to the classroom adding "From what our seniors told us, WASSCE is not easy. If teachers do not teach us to pass, how can we be future leaders?"



Abdul-Karim Jemila, a final year Home Economics student of Vittin SHS, said "some of the topics have not been treated. So, we plead with the government to do what is necessary for our teachers to come back to guide us."



Mr Amidu Sualiu, Assistant Headmaster, Administration at Vittin SHS told the GNA that the mock examination for final year students was cancelled because teachers were not available.



He said although Management was still at post to regulate students' movements, it was difficult to manage them, and in view of that some boarders had left campus.



Even though the WASSCE was scheduled to begin next month, GNA's visit to these SHS showed empty classrooms with few students in the dormitories while the majority had left for home.



Meanwhile, Junior High Schools (JHS) visited by the GNA including Kalpohin Anglican JHS, Lamashegu L/A JHS and Kaladan SDA JHS were deserted.



Teachers across the country began a nationwide strike on July 05 to demand the payment of the Cost-of-Living Allowance.





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.

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Bernard Allotey Jacobs has called on government to replace the teachers on strike with unemployed graduates to make up for the disruption in the academic calendar.



Teachers at the pre-tertiary level, on Monday, July 4, embarked on strike demanding a 20% increase in the Cost of Living Allowance (COLA).



Labour unions have also threatened to take similar industrial action commencing on Tuesday, July 19.



Although the State authorities in charge of addressing the unions' concerns have had a meeting with them to arrive at an amicable conclusion on the latest developments, the unions have however refused to call off their strike.



In view of this, Allotey Jacobs says the government should optimize the situation by taking the unemployed graduates to fill the vacuum created by the teachers on strike.



"If we employ the 1 millon unemployed graduates to start teaching whereas the teacher unions are negotiating with government, it would really help," he said.



He however appealed to the unions to reconsider their decision, saying "I plead with them that doing the right thing at the wrong time is as equal as doing the wrong thing. This is time for us to beat our chest to say that we are Ghanaians, so Mr. President, irrespective of your faults, the world is suffering, therefore we will support you to make things better".



The social commentator, Allotey Jacobs, made these submissions on Peace FM's morning show.





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.

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Current industrial actions by labour and teacher unions in the country have dominated the airwaves as the public sector workers and teachers have refused to call off their strike despite talks by relevant State authorities for them to reconsider their action.



Four teacher unions began a strike action on Monday, July 4 and public service workers have also threatened to take same action on Tuesday, July 19 because their conditions of service haven't been addressed by the government.



They are demanding a 20 percent increase in their Cost of Living Allowance (COLA).



As the government keeps pleading with them to resume work, former CPP General Secretary, James Kwabena Bomfeh, popularly called "Kabilla", has taken a swipe at the unions.



According to him, the COLA for which they seek an increment isn't an entitlement, to wit, not their absloute right.



"It is not an entitlement and I want to make this point to organized labour. It is going to be a privilege but not every Ghanaian worker will get", he said on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" programme while discussing the strike actions by the unions.



He appealed to the unions to heed the calls to reconsider their decision, noting that the President's administration is not without mistakes.



"We must concede that no great effort can be without error", he stressed.





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.

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Government says it will leverage space technology systems to monitor and protect water resources to maintain its worth and quality. This comes on the back of the fight against illegal mining activities which are threatening the countrys water bodies.



Addressing the United Nations 5th International Conference on the Use of Space Technology for Water Resource Management in Accra, the Vice President announced that the government will soon pass the Ghana Space Policy which will further expand the role of the Ghana Space Science and Technology Institute into a full Agency to champion this course.



Water resource management is an integral part of national development and there is an avenue for space technologies to be used to monitor and evaluate water resources.



It is estimated that three out of ten people lack access to safely managed drinking water services as water scarcity affects more than 40% of the global population and is projected to rise. Among the challenges to water security are climate change, increase in population, increase in water consumption due to domestic use, agriculture, and industry. It is against this backdrop that efforts are being made to leverage space technology to effectively monitor and protect water resources.



Vice President Bawumia said the world is changing, and at a pace that requires leaders to simultaneously move along so as not to remain laggards. He noted that while water is abundant and readily available, recent activities in the localities have begun to hinder this resource. This calls for the use of advanced technology to protect the resource. He announced that the government will soon pass the Ghana Space Policy which will further expand the role of the Ghana Space Science and Technology Institute as a full Agency in the space industry. It will also leverage this to monitor activities on the water bodies in the wake of illegal activities such as galamsey.



Vice Chancellor of the University Energy and Natural Resources, Prof. Elvis Asare-Bediako in a remark said the University awaits the passage of the Ghana Space Scientist Bill by Parliament. This, he noted, will speed up Ghanas efforts to take part in the use of space technology to monitor activities on water bodies.



Chief Director of the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Mrs Cynthia Asare-Bediako outlined some of the initiatives to protect the countrys water bodies.



The 3-day conference will create the opportunity for participants to make recommendations towards the Decade for Action on Water for Sustainable Development 2018-2028.





Source: gbc









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Ghana has been to the International Monetary Fund seventeen times since Independence for financial aid.



Ghana has also never been in a better place to receive this financial aid without any long-term repercussions.



At first, glance, hearing the phrase IMF sends shivers down the spine of Ghanaians, and justifiably so.



Successive governments have entered the program and exited with fanfare, only to let the gains evaporate in a short time due to a return to the very practices that triggered going to the fund in the first place.



Ghana is fortunate in 2022 that despite a crippling global pandemic and an increasingly unending war in Ukraine, there are numerous indicators which signal hope that an IMF program would have lasting gains this time.



Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia outlined these during a speech at the launch of the Accra Business Schools new IT program held Thursday, June 14th, 2022.



Speaking at the launch, the Vice President listed the programs that place Ghana on a far better footing now than it has ever been and signal hope for the future.



After each IMF program, the underlying system and structure of the economy has remained the same, Bawumia said, adding a slew of policies and interventions Ghana did not have for any of our past trips to the monetary fund.



Ghana did not have a national id card, no functional national digital property address systeminefficiency, bureaucracy and bribery at the port and in delivery of government services, no digitisation at the passport office, DVLA, births and deaths .., less than 4% of the population had a tax identification numberthere were no drones to deliver medical suppliesand no free senior high school education, Bawumia rattled.



The compounding effects of these policies, alongside more fiscal responsibility on the part of the government should, in theory, help Ghana recover very well from the program's effects.



Dr Bawumia further spoke on a necessary cut to spending, increase in revenue mobilisation and curtailment of concessionary borrowing moves on the part of the government.



A further important step is to see the central bank, the Bank of Ghana, have a right of first refusal to purchase any gold mined in Ghana, a move to shore up its reserves back to acceptable levels.



All these add up to a promising future outlook despite the difficult economic conditions triggered by external factors  the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war  which Ghanaians are currently feeling.



Theres never a right time to go to the IMF- its like a trip to the doctor and theres really no good time for a trip to the doctor.



However, if we have to go, this might very well be the best time  a time in our history when we have enough policies in place to cushion the effects and enable consolidation of those gains going forward.



None of the previous governments committed a sin in the 17 times we went to the IMF, it was more in the fact that the country was allowed to deteriorate again after the program.



Ultimately, thats what this government would be judged on and not going to the IMF because weve seen that movie many times.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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A total of 124 houses ranging from one-bedroom to seven-bedroom apartments and other facilities would be constructed for the victims who were affected by an explosion which had so far claimed fourteen lives.



Mr Thywill Quarshie, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Apiate Disaster Relief Committee, disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) when we paid a visit to assess the state of the project.



"Earlier, some residents raised issues about the design of the project when it was presented to the community. All the concerns have been dealt with and most of the residents are satisfied with the designs and hope the government will start the project," the PRO said.



In addition, Mr Quarshie said, about two weeks ago, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor and his Deputy, Mr Benito Owusu-Bio, who doubles as the chairman of the Apiate Reconstruction Implementation Committee, visited the victims and assured them that all the necessary work had been completed so the actual work would begin soon".



He indicated that although the rains have set in, areas marked for roads have been graded while, other operators were also levelling the land, adding, "l believe that before the end of the month a sod cutting ceremony would be performed for the project to finally take off".



The PRO emphasised that Mr Benito Owusu-Bio would be inspecting the work done so far because it is part of the process to pave way for the project to commence smoothly.



Mr Quarshie expressed gratitude to individuals and corporate institutions who assisted them when the tragic incident happened and appealed to them to continue to donate to the Apiate Support Fund to help government raise the money required for the project.





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.

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The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) in the Ashanti Region has led the police to arrest an unlicensed herbal practitioner at Susanso, a suburb of Kumasi for selling unregistered herbal products.



Alfred Ampomah was picked up during an operation within the Kumasi Metropolis to clamp down on activities of unscrupulous persons engaged in the sale of unwholesome products by a joint taskforce made up of officials of the FDA and the police.



Dr Joe Adu-Manuh, a Regulatory Officer of the FDA and Daniel Geraldo, the Regional Public Relations Officer led the operation with the support of the police.



The task force picked information that Ampomah had been preparing and selling herbal products at Trade in the Atwima Kwanwoma District and lured him to Susuanso where he was arrested.



Some quantities of the products including, Power Plant, Power Borgar, and Koko Powder, were retrieved from the suspect and taken to the Regional Police Command for interrogation.



He admitted the offence and was subsequently arraigned before the Kumasi Circuit Court Two where he pleaded guilty to one count of preparing and offering for sale herbal products without registration.



The Court presided over by Mrs Priscilla Dapaah admitted him to bail in the sum of GHC50.000.00 with two sureties after pleading not guilty to the charge.



The case was adjourned to August 11, for hearing.



Police Chief Inspector Timothy Amoako, prosecuting told the Court that upon the arrest of the suspect he disclosed that he had large quantities of the products at Trede but failed to lead the police to retrieve them.



Mr John Laryea Odai-Tettey, Ashanti Regional Head of the FDA told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview that the FDA would continue to go after people whose activities posed serious threat to the health and safety of the general public.



Products that are not registered with the Authority and for that matter do not have the marketing authorisation are not supposed to be in trade, he emphasised.



He said medicinal products could be dangerous to humans if they were not properly certified for human consumption and urged the public to be mindful of any medicinal product they patronised.



The FDA is ready to assist all people willing to be in proper trade once you are producing for commercial purposes. Our hands are widely opened and you can walk into any of the FDA offices to receive assistance for the registration of your products, he urged.





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.

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Government-assisted Senior High and Technical Schools in the Upper West Region are yet to receive their consignment of food from the government.



This was after the Ministry of Education assured the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) during a meeting with the leadership of CHASS that food would be distributed to the schools on Tuesday, July 12.



Mr Magnus Innocent Der, the Upper West Regional Chairman of CHASS, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview in Wa on Wednesday, said they were informed that the food was on the way as at yesterday, but could not tell when it would arrive.



We are still managing to feed them, we cannot stretch too long, Mr Der, who is also the Headmaster of the Nandom Senior High School (SHS), said.



At about 9:20 am Wednesday, when the GNA visited the Wa SHS, Mr Iddrisu Adams Thirdman, the Headmaster of the school, said as at the evening of Tuesday, July 12, when he left the office, no food had arrived at the school.



The Upper West Regional CHASS had issued a letter on July 7, 2022, indicating that parents and guardians would have to feed their wards in the schools or send them home if the schools did not receive food by Friday, July 15, 2022.





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.

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The Chief Executive Officer and founder of Gospel Hypers Georgina Dotsey better Known as Sista Ginna has reiterated her outfit commitment to promoting the Ghana gospel industry.



I have the vision to help Christian creatives amplify their voice online, the desire to make an impact on the industry as well as position Gospel Hypers as a young and creative media that is taking the African Gospel industry by storm.



The passion for that vision  that thirsts for new ideas to promote the Gospel, especially the music industry is what drives me, she explained.



The CEO of the Leading Ghanaian online Christian Media and Public Relations Agency, Gospel Hypers made this observation as the firm is celebrating three years of operating as a full-service Faith-Based media and PR brand that provides creative content, promotions, and digital marketing strategies for Gospel musicians, Ministry Leaders, and individuals across Africa.



Starting out as a team of 2 individuals, Gospel Hypers has grown to become one of Africans biggest and most influential Christian brands with over a million social media followers across all Platforms.



The Brand currently has a robust client base and has helped boost positive perception for over 30 brands including managing social media accounts and solving complex social media issues, Gospel Hypers has also partnered with several events and helped promote lots of Gospel songs.



Gospel Hypers is now in its 3rd year and so I would describe it as a journey of continuous learning. Over the last three years, we  me and the team inclusive, have learnt a great deal.



Start-ups are hard work + consistency and while you hope to run faster, sometimes you fall, but what has made the difference is that we keep challenging ourselves to try again and do better.



We have definitely had our own fair share of challenges, criticisms, and even recognitions, but all in all, its been a rewarding experience.



With continued growth and Partnerships. We will continue to release great resources for the Ghana gospel industry and we will continue to partner with other leading PR firms across the world to deliver great campaigns and results for clients worldwide.

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.

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Indigenous Ghanaian energy technology company, Kofa, has announced the introduction of its high-end battery-powered motorcycles into the Ghanaian market.



This follows a successful pilot program that tested the robustness and efficiency of the innovative motorcycles and batteries in Ghana. A series of courier and logistics companies, including Graphic Courier participated in a six-month-long pilot test.



Electric motorcycles are gaining popularity worldwide, mainly because of their unique advantage of cost savings, smooth riding experience, higher performance and lower environmental impact as they do not rely on fuel. They therefore, do not directly emit smoke and other pollutants into the atmosphere. A better alternative for the modern age.



The founder and CEO of Kofa, Erik Nygard, said the company had invested heavily in its brand of motorcycles, batteries and the swap stations to ensure its seamless and successful introduction into the market.



It has been a pleasure working with our pilot customers and forward-thinking business like Graphic Courier to test the capabilities of an electric motorcycle, it has provided a lot of learnings that we have already used to improve our products and services, we are ready.



The CEO of Graphic Courier, Nathan K.V.S, expressed the hope that introducing the Kofa motorcycles into Ghana will be a great addition to the other means of delivery.



We have had the privilege of pilot testing one of the Kofa bikes, and apart from the cost savings, its ability to reduce the impact on the environment by not emitting pollutants is key.



Kofas core business is providing seamless access to charged swappable batteries through its Swap & Go system. Batteries can be accessed at any one of the Kofa Swap Stations which are currently being installed around the city of Accra. This means when a rider runs out of charge on their batteries, they simply head to a swap station and swap their depleted batteries for freshly charged batteries faster than it takes to fill a tank of petrol.



Going electric with the Kofa batteries and electric motorcycle can deliver savings of up to 30% compared to petrol.



About US:



Kofa Technologies Ltd. is a Ghanaian company focused on energy needs by re-engineering how people access energy. Our vision is to create an affordable and customer-driven electricity network powered by renewable energy using portable batteries, thereby helping to transition multiple use cases away from fossil fuels. Starting with electric motorcycles as our first use case, we will then drive mass adoption of renewable energy by opening our battery network to power peoples homes and businesses.

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.

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Member of Parliament for Kwadaso has disclosed that the saddest day in his life happened recently on the floor of Parliament.



Dr. Kingsley Nyarko said on Metro TVs Good Morning Ghana programme that seeing his fellow MPs jubilate over Ghanas return to the International Monetary Fund, was his saddest day.



He was commenting on governments IMF move on the programme with co-panelist, Kwesi Pratt, when he made the comment while lamenting the unnecessary partisanship that had characterized the IMF discussions.



On Friday when the announcement came, Randy, that was the saddest day in my life, some of my colleagues on the other side were jubilating that Ghana is going to the IMF, I was sad, he said.



Kwesi Pratt interjected positing that he would have done same if he were on the other side, an assertion the MP rejected.



Wouldnt you have jubilated? If your communicators were saying that those who went to the IMF were crazy, they were mad and you went there, wouldnt your predecessor be happy, if you were the predecessor?



The MP then made a rallying call for a united front in dealing with the current economic crisis the country is faced with.



If you are seeking political power, do it within the spirit of nation building and patriotism. Look at how our friends fought the E-Levy, now it was not fully implemented, he lamented.



Government on July 1 announced that the Finance Minister had been directed to engage with the IMF amid an economic downturn. A team from the Fund has been in town since last week meeting with government and other stakeholders for initial talks.



They are due to leave today after a week of engagements.



Media reports citing an IMF source indicates that the earliest Ghana can get support will be in the latter part of the first quarter of 2023.













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.

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Former Member of Parliament for Kumbungu, Ras Mubarak is livid about recent reports from the opposition and minority in Parliament that the Electoral Commission, EC, is planning to replace the current voter's register.



Mubarak believes the EC and the current government are capable of rolling out such an initiative but also that stopping them from proceeding is of the essence.



To do so, he calls for unending mass civil disobedience which he underscores must be a non-violence resistance.



According to him, this is a view he has shared many times in private. "The language this brigade of nation wreckers would understand is mass unending civil disobedience. One or two days demo would not stop such nonsense," he said in a Facebook comment.



The comment was on a post by Felix Kwakye Ofosu, an aide to former President John Dramani Mahama, who was among the first to allege that the EC wanted to recompile a new voter's roll for the 2024 polls.



Kwakye Ofosu's post alleged that the Ghana Card was to be the main source of identification for the new register adding that it was part of a grand scheme by the government to rig the 2024 polls.



The EC has yet to respond to the allegations that have been trumpeted by the Minority in Parliament through its leader Haruna Iddrisu, who put a US$80 million figure to the new register.



Read Ras Mubarak's full comment on non-violent unending mass protest:



Ill share publicly what Ive said a million times privately. The language this brigade of nation wreckers would understand is mass unending civil disobedience. One or two days demo would not stop such nonsense.



Theyve become bolder because the resistance is weaker. The courts have become complicit in enabling such madness. I wont count on parliament either. Mass non-violent resistance.



Anything short of this is frankly a waste of time. The Peoples power is more powerful than the gun-wielding corrupt officers they send out to quash demonstrations.



Read Kwakye Ofosu's post:



There must be something really amiss with Jean Mensah and her colleagues in the leadership of the Electoral Commission.



After wasting $ 80 million on a totally needless new register for the 2020 elections on the whim of President Akufo-Addo and his NPP, they want to spend another fortune to compile a new register for the 2024 elections with the Ghana card as the only source of identification.



The object, of course, is to manipulate that register to save the blushes of this hopeless government which is destined to be thrown out by the electorate in 2024. What kind of nonsensical leadership is this?



















Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The National Chairman hopeful of the New Patriotic Party, Stephen Ayesu Ntim, has admonished his competitors in the chairmanship race to eschew casting of insinuations, heaping vitriolic attacks and fabricating stories against one another.



In a brief interview with some media personnel who called on him at his campaign office, Mr. Stephen Ntim said that when elections are a few days to be held, the tendency for opponents to churn out falsehoods and smear campaigns becomes the norm. He has, therefore, asked his opponents and all aspirants to desist from acts that would put the name of the party into disrepute.



It is always the norm that during competitions such as the ones we are having, in order to get the upper hand, aspirants go overboard to peddle falsehoods against opponents. We must desist from such acts



If we take one another to the cleaners, how do we build bridges after the elections? How do we remain united after the competition? We must stop lying against one another, and thats what can bring unity after elections he advised.



He urged the delegates to reject aspirants who come with messages attacking opponents and lying against them.



My appeal to the partys delegates is that they should reject messages that seek to denigrate other aspirants or candidates. They may come up with all manner of falsehoods against those who are likely to be crowned winners, just disregard such people and their messages he said.



Mr. Stephen Ntim also used the opportunity to call on candidates to respect the guidelines for the elections.



Stephen Ntim who is tipped to win the Chairmanship race is seen as a calm and respectful leader who is also fair but very firm. He is the most experienced among the National Chairmanship aspirants. With his fifth attempt at the Chairmanship position, Ntim is tipped to be crowned on Saturday, 16th July 2022.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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In a letter addressed to the national election committee on Wednesday (13 July), Bissue said he took the decision after a broad consultation with various stakeholders.



Charles Bissue, a general secretary aspirant of the governing New Patriotic Party(NPP) has withdrawn from the contest a few days to the national annual delegates conference.



In a letter addressed to the national election committee on Wednesday(13 July), Bissue said he took the decision after a broad consultation with various stakeholders.



I tender herein, my withdrawal from the General Secretary contest of the New Patriotic Party. My

decision is sequel to broad consultations with family, promoters and supporters, delegates and

well-wishers of my campaign.



I am convinced, and reiterate that the various contenders for the position are equally deserving of

the position of a General Secretary. It is my prayer that delegates of this great Party make the

right choice in electing amongst the remaining candidates, the best to lead the NPP into another

political cycle; and that of course, is to break the 8-year jinx.



I assure the Party of my support to whoever gets elected as the General Secretary, and to be of

service to the Party, when called upon. [Reference section My Agenda 4 Change for a read on some of the various policies, strategies etc. I intended to deploy when elected as General Secretary], the letter stated.



This means five persons namely John Boadu, Justin Kodua Frimpong, Iddrisu Musah, Frederick Opare-Ansah, Charles Bissue and Ramseyer Ahmed Agyeman-Prempeh will stand for the position of NPP general secretary.



He further expressed gratitude to the leadership of the NPP.



Nii Ayikoi Otoo, a national chairman aspirant of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), has withdrawn from the contest with barely two weeks to the polls.



Three other prospective candidates  Dr Kwame Afriyie, a national organiser aspirant; Akosua Serwaa Bonsu, an aspirant for national womens organiser; and Tumfuor Klinsman Karikari, an aspirant for national youth organiser  have also withdrawn from the race.



Addressing a news conference in Accra on Wednesday (6 July 2022), the chairman of the NPPs national elections committee, Peter Mac Manu, said: As a result of the diligence of the national election committee and the preparedness of the prospective aspirants, no appeals against the nomination of any prospective aspirant were recorded.



He said the national appeals committee, led by Dan Botwe, had scheduled 24-25 June for the hearing of appeals, but he noted: In effect, there were no appeals.



He added: Honourable Ayikoi Otoo, who was vying for the national chairmanship position of the party, has  since withdrawn from the race  after vetting  Mac Manu said.



Forty-seven aspirants have been approved by the elections committee of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) to stand for national executive positions from Friday 15 July 2022.



In all, ten positions are up for grabs  the national chairmanship, first, second and third vice-chairs, general secretary, national organiser, national youth organiser, national treasurer, national womens organiser and national Nasara co-ordinator.



Seeking redress

After four days of vetting, the NPP elections committee, made up of Peter Mac Manu (chairman), Oboshie Sai-Coffie, Amin Anta, Ambassador Edward Boateng, Gary Nimako, Ing Kwesi Abease, Mawusi Nudekor Awity, Evans Nimako, Alhaji Bismi Hussain, Dr Kwaku Agyeman-Budu, Eric Ntori and Emmanuel Darkwa, approved 47 candidates for the various positions.



Disqualified or aggrieved aspirants/members of the party were given leave to petition a six-member national appeals committee, chaired by Dan Botwe, for redress from Friday 24 to Saturday 25 June 2022.



Ten people will contest for the positions of first, second and third national vice-chair. They include Rita Talata Asobayire, Emmanuel Ken-Wuud Nuworsu, Kiston Akomeng Kissi, Derek Kwaku Nkansah and Michael Omari Wadie.



The five other candidates are McJewels J Annan, Ismael Yahuza, Danquah Smith Buttey, Edmond Peprah and Alhaji Masawudu Osman.



John Boadu, Justin Kodua Frimpong, Iddrisu Musah, Frederick Opare-Ansah and Ramseyer Ahmed Agyeman-Prempeh are the five men who will stand for the position of NPP general secretary.



Two ladies  Ellen Ama Daaku and Hajia Sawudatu Saeed  will come up against Kate Gyamfua, the incumbent, for the position of national womens organiser.



Henry Nana Boakye, the current national youth organiser of the NPP, will face off with four other candidates for the national organiser slot. The other aspirants are Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus-Glover, Eric Amoako Twum, Bright Essilfie-Kumi and Seth Adu-Adjei.



Abanga Fusani Yakubu, Salam Mohammed Mustapha, Prince Kamal Gumah and Michael Osei Boateng are the four aspirants approved to stand for national youth organiser.



Seven contestants will fight for the position of national Nasara co-ordinator. They are Abdul Aziz Haruna Futa, Issaka Muaza Kunata, Awal Mohammed, Sulemana Alhassan Atakpo, Abdul Rahman Diallo, Haruna Ismael and Haruna Maiga.



The last position  national treasurer  has four names on the approved list. They are Dr Charles Dwamena, Collins Nuamah, Yussif Tedam and Eileen Mary Posch Oduro.

Source: asaaseradio.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.

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Former NDC Chairman for Central Region, Bernard Allotey Jacobs, has chastised Ghanaians over what he believes is an unfair treatment by the citizenry towards President Nana Akufo-Addo.



Allotey Jacobs, contributing to Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show Wednesday morning, was shocked that the President is widely criticized although he has proven to be a competent leader.



To him, "from 2017 to 2020, President Nana Akufo-Addo steered the ship of this nation to success that we were nearing a kind of heaven on earth. Let's be frank with ourselves. This man has performed very well. He's shown that he is a mature elder".



"Now, why are we doing this to him?", he further asked.



The former NDC stalwart and now a social commentator made these comments while reacting to the strike actions by teacher unions and public service workers as well as the criticisms about the President's underperformance.



He also questioned; "What has President Nana Akufo-Addo done?"



He therefore urged the citizens to rally behind the President instead of passing comments and taking actions against him.



"This is the time for us, as citizens, to stand with President Nana Akufo-Addo . . . "



He noted that the Ghana's development will only be fully realized with right thinking, hence emphasizing "the Ghanaian society, our character, our attitude, our mentality; if we don't change, we shall never succeed as a nation".







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.

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Hailey Knott, nurse operations manager, waits at a COVID-19 testing station located at the international arrivals area at Pearson International Airport in Toronto on Wednesday, January 6, 2021. The federal government says mandatory random testing of travellers arriving at its four main airports will start again next week.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Le Grande & Palm Beach Casino Tanzania Gears Up For 2022 Dar Poker Masters

July 14, 2022 Matthew Pitt Editor

The inaugural Dar Poker Masters was a roaring success with 120 players buying into the Main Event and the champion walking away with the 100 million Tanzanian Shillings (approx. $43,000) first place prize. The 2022 edition of the Dar Poker Masters is building on that initial success by extending to a week-long schedule featuring five events with buy-ins to suit all players.

Le Grande & Palm Beach Casino is hosting the 2022 Dar Poker Masters after doing such a fantastic job last year. The casino is located in the city of Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania, one of the fastest developing cities in East Africa, one with a bustling population of six million residents.

Five tournaments adorn the week-long schedule. The 2022 Dar Poker Masters kicks off with a No-Limit Hold'em Warm-Up event that costs the equivalent of $40 to enter. The shallow stacks, quick blinds, and the rebuy format means this is an exciting way to kick off the series on August 22.

The 2021 Dar Poker Masters top prize

High Rollers are catered for with a $1,050 buy-in event that runs from August 24-25. Players in the High Roller sit down with a generous stack of 200 big blinds and play to a 40-minute clock.

The Dar Poker Masters Main Event is the tournament everyone wants to win. It commands a $210 buy-in and should pay its champion upwards of $40,000 plus a commemorative bracelet that the organizers tell PokerNews is worth $16,000.

Rounding out the 2022 Dar Poker Masters are a $110 No-Limit Hold'em Turbo Freezeout and a $20 buy-in Pot-Limit Omaha rebuy and add-on event.

The 2021 Dar Poker Masters Champion

2022 Dar Poker Masters Schedule

Date Time Event Buy-in Starting Stack Clock Mon 22 Aug 6:00 p.m. #1 NLHE Warm-Up Day 1 (Re-buys and add-on) Tzs 100,000 ($40) 50 big blinds 20-mins Tue 23 Aug 6:00 p.m. #1 NLHE Warm-Up Final Day Wed 24 Aug 6:00 p.m. #2 High Roller Day 1(Re-entry) Tzs 2,500,000 ($1,050) 200 big blinds 40-mins Thu 25 Aug 4:00 p.m. #2 High Roller Final Day 4:00 p.m. #3 NLHE Turbo Freezeout Tzs 250,000 ($110) 100 big blinds 15-mins Fri 26 Aug 8:00 p.m. #4 Main Event Day 1 (Rebuys and add-on) Tzs 500,000 ($210) 100 Big blinds 40-mins Sat 27 Aug 3:00 p.m. #4 Main Event Day 2 Sun 28 Aug 3:00 p.m. #5 PLO Wind Down (rebuys and add-on) Tsz 50,000 ($20) 50 big blinds 20-mins 4:00 p.m. #4 Main Event Final Day

In addition to these five events, the casino plans to run cash games around the clock!

Costa Giannakopoulos, the Managing Director of Le Grande & Palm Beach Casino, is looking forward to welcoming players from across Africa and further afield.

"Partnering with PokerNews to promote the 2022 Dar Poker Masters allows us to attract and engage with players from Europe and around the globe. Come visit Dar Salaam and enjoy seven days of poker action and our amazing hospitality. Perhaps you'll stay for a week, two, or even longer for an exotic holiday spent exploring the beauty of Tanzania. I can personally recommend visiting our national parks, safaris, and taking a ferry to Zanzibar to relax on the island known as the African Caribbean."

Have a Look Back at the 2021 Dar Poker Masters

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

How To Get to the 2022 Dar Poker Masters

Thinking of heading to Tanzania for this incredible series? Turkish Airlines operate frequent direct flights from Istanbul International Airport. Once on Tanzanian soil, it is recommended you use the Bolt taxi app, or pre-book a shuttle bus service from Dar Salaam airport to the casino.

Where to Stay in Tanzania

The Dar Poker Masters management team recommends one of four options to rest your weary head at the end of the tournament grind. First choice should be the Le Grande Casino where the festival takes place. The hotel is located at the JM Mall building and is only a 10-minute walk from the ferry terminal to Zanzibar.

Harbour View is a four-star hotel that is also part of the JM Mall tower. Like the Le Grande Casino, there is no need to leave the complex to get stuck into the Dar Poker Masters tournaments or 24/7 cash games.

The Le Grand Casino management also run the Fairview Luxury five-star apartments that are a mere 80 meters away from the JM Mall entrance.

A little further afield, the Park Hyatt Hotel is located approximately 15-minutes' walk or a five-minute taxi ride away from the venue.
It was an action-packed opening day for Event #80: $600 Mixed No-Limit Hold'em/Pot-Limit Omaha (Eight Handed) that witnessed a total of 2,107 entries (over 500 more than last year) generate a $1,074,570 prize pool. After 22 levels of play over the course of 13 hours, the field was whittled down to just 76 players who have all secured a spot in the money.

The chip leader returning for Day 2 is Honduran recreational player Jorge Briones. Both Briones and John Dollinger (2,135,000) are the only two players to finish the night with over 2 million in chips, with Dror Ramaty (1,965,000) right behind. Player of the Year frontrunner Daniel Zack (1,295,000) is also looking to extend his lead in the rankings and is on the hunt for bracelet number three this series. Four-time bracelet winner Asi Moshe is also still in contention for Day 2 with 880,000.

Event #80: $600 Mixed No-Limit Hold'em/Pot Limit Omaha Day 2 Top 10 Chip Counts

Place Player Country Chips Big Blinds 1 Jorge Briones Honduras 2,585,000 86 2 John Dollinger United States 2,135,000 71 3 Dror Ramaty Israel 1,965,000 66 4 Giuseppi Maggisano Italy 1,900,000 63 5 Justin Barnum United States 1,815,000 61 6 Florian Ribouchon France 1,800,000 60 7 Nipun Java United States 1,775,000 59 8 Jonathan Dimmig United States 1,710,000 57 9 Jordan Russell United States 1,580,000 53 10 Quentin Roussey France 1,380,000 46

There were several notables that entered Day 1 that failed to find a bag, even after several attempts as it was a multi-entry event. Those include multiple bracelet owner Shaun Deeb who exited early, Hall of Famer Barry Greenstein who made it into the money, two-time bracelet winner Calvin Anderson, as well as PokerNews' very own Jesse Fullen.

The current schedule indicates that play will continue until a winner is crowned on Day 2 at 1 p.m. local time, Thursday, July 14th, in Ballys Ballroom, with the blinds resuming on Level 23, 15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 big blind ante. Levels will be 30 minutes on Day 2 with a 15-minute break after every three levels with the dinner break yet to be determined.

Follow along with the PokerNews Live Reporting Team to find out who will be crowned the winner and adorned with the golden bracelet.
Aiken, SC (29801)

Today

Mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 82F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 68F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
South Carolina Humanities, the state humanities council, has announced the 2022 recipients of its two prestigious awards: the South Carolina Governors Awards in the Humanities and the Fresh Voices in the Humanities Awards.

The awards recognize outstanding achievement in humanities-related work, from teaching to community engagement. This year they honor an array of individuals who have trained an expert lens on South Carolina culture through decades-long immersions in disciplines spanning everything from photography to archaeology.

In 1991, the council established the Governors Awards to highlight noteworthy accomplishments in humanities research, teaching and scholarship; institutional and individual participation in helping communities in South Carolina better understand its cultural heritage or ideas and issues related to the humanities; excellence in defining South Carolinas cultural life to the nation or world; and exemplary support for public humanities programs.

The three 2022 recipients of the Governors Awards in the Humanities are Jack Alterman, an acclaimed Charleston-based photographer; Beryl Dakers, a broadcast trailblazer and award-winning documentary filmmaker; and Gail Wagner, a prominent Southeastern paleoethnobotanist and archaeologist.

The pursuits of the three recipients are divergent, but a through line is clear. That is an abiding fascination with the people, places and stories that together represent South Carolina's cultural heritage.

Since opening his Charleston studio 40 years ago, Alterman has long been inspired by Charleston's blend of old and new, capturing the city's architecture and people.

The photographer has trained his lens on several notable community-based projects. Among them are "Who Among Us," an exhibition and documentary film produced to benefit the Crisis Ministries of Charleston and to raise awareness of the indiscriminate effects of homelessness, and "Eastsiders Matter," a public portrait exhibit displayed along a 150-foot fence on Columbus Street.

Jack Altermans work is a great example of the close ties between the arts and humanities; he uses photography to tell the story of the people and culture of Charleston, and it is a catalyst for further discussion," said Randy Akers, executive director of SC Humanities.

Dakers is no stranger to the camera either, though it is moving images that have most shaped her career. That four decades-plus career has included serving as a reporter, show host and public affairs director at WIS Television in Columbia, and in roles including news and public affairs director and director of cultural programming at SC-ETV. She has created and hosted dozens of award-winning local programs and documentaries, including "Nature Scene," which ran for 25 years and was nationally syndicated.

The third recipient, Wagner, has unearthed South Carolina's layered past in her role as professor emerita of anthropology at the University of South Carolina and a respected paleoethnobotanist. Her work has focused on fields of study including precolonial archaeology of eastern North America, particularly those in South Carolina, and ethnobotany, the study of the interrelationships between plants and peoples.

A statement from SC Humanities shared that Wagner "feels she has been fortunate as both an ethnobotanist and an archaeologist to conduct research at the intersection between science and the humanities, and through a number of venues she attempts to bring the excitement of that mixture to the general public."

The recently introduced Fresh Voices in the Humanities Awards honors innovative individuals who use culture and history to bring people together, but whose efforts may have gone relatively unnoticed beyond their own community.

The 2022 recipients are Len Lawson, assistant professor at Newberry College, published poet and advocate for South Carolinas African American poets, and Rhondda R. Thomas, Calhoun Lemon professor of literature at Clemson University who contributed significant research on the history of African Americans at Clemson.

The mission of SC Humanities is to enrich the cultural and intellectual lives of all South Carolinians. The 501(c)3 organization is governed by a volunteer board of directors comprised of community leaders from throughout the state.

For the recipients, these awards can represent more than recognition, but are a means to shine light on the subjects who are part of their work.

"For me to receive the Governors Award in the Humanities is, to say the least, a humbling experience, especially when I look at the past recipients of this prestigious award," Jack Alterman said. "I consider myself extremely fortunate that my photography has brought attention to the otherwise overlooked people and places of my city, Charleston, and the state of South Carolina."

The Governors Awards in the Humanities award ceremony and luncheon will be held at the Pastides Alumni Center in Columbia on Oct. 20. Table sponsorships are available, as well as individual tickets. To reserve a table and to learn more about this event, visit the Governors Awards Sponsor page or call 803-771-2477.

To learn more about this years winners and see a list of past recipients, go to the Governors Awards page of SC Humanities website at schumanities.org.
COLUMBIA  A 58-year-old Columbia woman who claimed to be a sovereign citizen was sentenced to more than three years in federal prison for defrauding the IRS of more than half a million dollars and using the money to buy a new house and car.

Alice Felder-Lucas filed fraudulent IRS Form 1040 returns petitioning for a tax refund of $708,190. She provided a false IRS Form 1099 claiming millions of dollars of income and withholdings, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Her tax return had been flagged for potential fraud, but the money was erroneously released to her and she transferred most of the funds to other bank accounts before the IRS discovered the fraud, the U.S. Attorneys office said.

The IRS was able to recoup $30,000 from Felder-Lucas. She was ordered to pay $678,486.97 in restitution.

During the case she reportedly filed several documents with the court claiming she was a sovereign citizen, a term loosely associated with tax protesters and conspiracy theorists who believe they are not subject to federal government statutes and laws.

The court rejected the citizenry claims and found her guilty of false claims against the U.S. and theft of governmental funds. U.S. District Judge Mary Lewis sentenced Felder-Lucas to 41 months in prison followed by three years of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.

To steal from the government is to steal from every taxpaying citizen in America," U.S. Attorney Corey Ellis said in a written statement. The defendant here stole from the American people and spent that money on luxuries for herself. She deserves to go to prison, and I appreciate our partners with the IRS for making this case possible.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, those who claim to be sovereign citizens exempt from U.S. law "clog up the courts with indecipherable filings."

While the filings are infrequent, its not completely uncommon for certain defendants to invoke a sovereign citizen defense, according to spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office Derek Shoemake. He said these supposed defenses create unnecessary work for the courts and are not successful, referencing the prison sentence handed down to Felder-Lucas.

Felder-Lucas filed numerous documents with the court claiming to be a sovereign citizen. In a letter of rogatory to the court, she referred to herself as "American Autochthon 'Indian' Sui Juris, one of the private naturalize civilians on South Carolina soil."
LEXINGTON  The owner of a Chapin paddleboard and kayak shop was sentenced to 25 years in prison for persuading a teenage girl to send him sexually explicit videos on social media and sexually abusing her.

Travis Hammack, 35, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and will need to register as a sex offender upon his release.

Myrtle Beach man charged with sexual exploitation of a minor A Myrtle Beach man has been arrested in connection with charges of sexual exploitation of a minor, according to a July 11 news release from the state Attorney Generals office.

The teenage girl reported to authorities that Hammack had been sexually abusing her for years, according to a statement from the 11th Circuit Solicitors Office.

The teenager reported the abuse to the Lexington County Sheriffs Department after Hammack persuaded her to send him sexually explicit videos on the social media application SnapChat and then assaulted her the next morning back in late-August 2021.

Moncks Corner man nabbed for 'child sex abuse material' Christopher James Hendrix of Moncks Corner was recently collared by the Beaufort Police Department's Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) i

Investigating officers from the sheriffs department then seized Hammacks cell phone and searched his SnapChat records.

Authorities say there appeared to be attempts to delete data from his phone, but officers recovered two sexually explicit videos. Officers also found other evidence backing the teenagers claims both sexual and psychological abuse over a period of years.

Horry County residents can now better track sex offenders with new app The Horry County Sheriffs office recently announced a partnership with OffenderWatch, a national sex offender registry that will allow better tracking.

Hammack is the owner of Paddle South Outfitters, selling kayaks, paddleboards, and related equipment as well as offering rentals. He pleaded guilty two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor at the Lexington County court on June 30.
Funds from the American Rescue Plans Build Back Better initiative are trickling down to South Carolina through a new U.S. Department of Agricultures program.

The goal of the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program is simple: Improve the nations agriculture supply chain by partnering with state and tribal governments to fund the purchase of local food products earmarked for underserved communities.

After starting the process this spring, the S.C. Department of Agriculture signed a cooperative agreement with USDA, meaning $6.1 million will be distributed to the states organization over the next two years.

But where exactly will this money go and how will it impact underserved communities?

According to Kyle Player, executive director of the SCDAs Agribusiness Center for Research and Entrepreneurship, the organization will work with a network of distributors that will purchase food from South Carolina farmers. The program has a goal of purchasing food from at least 120 farmers that will be distributed to at least 24 counties in need.

The Catawba Indian Nation  one of less than 600 federally recognized tribal nations in the country and the only one in South Carolina  will receive $1.4 million of the $6.1 million grant after it entered into a partnership with the SCDA.

This cooperative agreement is focused on basically distributors working with socially disadvantaged farmers and purchasing food, Player said. This will really help open up new markets for some of these socially disadvantaged farmers that werent there before.

The federal program was announced at the start of 2021, and state and tribal governments had to apply by April 5. Before applying, Player said the SCDA consulted statewide groups like the SC Black Farmers Coalition and Growing Local SC. The program will award up to $400 million in emergency food assistance to states and territories across the country. Colorado, Washington state, West Virginia, Guam and Puerto Rico are among the several states and territories that also signed agreements.

Farmers interested in participating will have to submit an application and agree to share their information with distributors; those distributors will be asked to do the same and provide documentation that a percentage of their purchases are from socially disadvantaged farmers.

Once the purchase is made, the distributors will be reimbursed through the grant. A portion of the $6.1 million will also fund the hiring of a new SCDA employee to lead the program.

GrowFood Carolina General Manager Anthony Mirisciotta participated in Zoom calls regarding the LFPA in March before the application was submitted. If well executed, he said the money will provide more production opportunities for farmers, helping rural and minority producers open new market channels in the process.

Its a pretty significant amount of money, and the USDA kind of had these top priorities of what they wanted it to go to, Mirisciotta said. The USDA has really identified the strength and the power and the resilience of the local food system.

GrowFood Carolina, under the Coastal Conservation Leagues umbrella, has been engaging in the work the LFPA grant will support on a smaller scale for two years through its Soil to Sustenance program, which relies on private donations to fill and distribute food boxes to 10 communities up and down the South Carolina coast. Since its inception, GrowFood has distributed about 40,000 food boxes, amounting to nearly 1 million pounds of South Carolina food. By participating in LFPA, Mirisciotta hopes to build on this work.

Both Mirisciotta and Player stressed the importance of continuing these relationships between farmers, distributors and communities after the two-year funding period ends. After signing the agreement, the SCDA forged ahead with its planning process, with the goal of launching fund distribution in the next five months.
Chef Alex Yellan is nearing the opening of what he hopes will be his dream Mexican restaurant.

Named Colectivo, the destination at 2901 Maybank Highway will cater to a local Johns Island crowd, serving Mexican food that Yellan himself craves  dishes you might actually find in Mexico, perhaps with a cheffy twist.

I think for me thats one of the things thats most exciting, is having the chance to cook for a larger portion of locals, Yellan said. Itll be cool to be a part of that growing Johns Island crowd out there.

Born in Arizona, Yellan spent a summer living with a family in Mexico during college, taking residence there again in his 20s with a former co-worker. Colectivos menu will be influenced by this experience and techniques he learned throughout his career in professional kitchens.

Were trying to find that line between traditional and modern, Yellan said. Mexican food is living and breathing just like any other cuisine.

After leaving his post as executive chef at downtown Charleston wine bar The Tippling House, Yellan started testing out Colectivo dishes at a friends house. Carnitas ribs, shrimp cocteles, bone marrow birria sopes, cochinita pibil and potatoes with Edam cheese are a handful of dishes that could land on the forthcoming restaurants menu, which will feature a mix of small plates and larger mains.

Colectivos tacos and burritos wont arrive as they do in other Charleston restaurants. Similar to a barbecue restaurant, meats will be served by the pound along with sides and stacks of house-made tortillas.

The idea is to share among the table.

Youre going to see the chef on some plates, but when it comes to the meats, Im kind of over the idea of doing the chef-curated taco, Yellan said. What we just want to have is really nicely cooked meats with their garnish and their salsa and everyones grabbing at it and enjoying that family-style.

Mexican meats and sides arent the only thing that will be shared at Colectivo, which will open for dinner Wednesdays through Saturdays. On Mondays and Tuesdays, Yellan will lend the 75-seat venue to former Xiao Bao Biscuit colleague Jamey Fairchild, who will serve food from his Gingerbug pop-up. Guests who visit on those nights can expect Thai curries and charcoal-grilled snacks.

Colectivo is targeting a fall opening. Before the restaurant debuts, Yellan plans to host a series of pop-ups starting in August.
FLORENCE  A federal jury has found a Conway man guilty of being part of an interstate drug trafficking conspiracy.

Brodus Bernard Gregg, 68, was convicted following a two-day trial of being part of a ring that operated for several years in the Pee Dee, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Brodus Gregg and his co-conspirators brought large quantities of cocaine from other states into South Carolina, and a jury has now held him accountable for his conduct, said U.S. Attorney Corey Ellis. We are grateful to the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Aiken County Sheriffs Office for their work in disrupting and dismantling this criminal enterprise.

Gregg potentially faces up to 40 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine.

The mission of DEA is unwavering  we relentlessly pursue drug traffickers who distribute dangerous drugs like cocaine in our communities, said Robert J. Murphy, the special agent in charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. These drugs cause immeasurable damage.

Around 2015, several drug dealers in the Conway and Myrtle Beach area began paying Gregg between $1,000 and $1,500 to pick up kilogram-quantities of cocaine and heroin from sources of supply in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Atlanta and drive the drugs back to South Carolina, where it was broken down for distribution, prosecutors said.

A DEA wiretap in 2020 intercepted communications from three target phones that were in contact with dozens of drug dealers in the Pee Dee, according to the news release.

Investigators discovered that Gregg had previously been caught during a traffic stop carrying a half-kilogram of cocaine from Atlanta to Conway while on a drug resupply run for the organization.

On Oct. 9, 2019, two deputies from the Aiken County Sheriffs Office Interdiction Unit stopped Gregg on Interstate 20 near Aiken based on a window tint violation. Deputies learned that Gregg had an outstanding warrant for an unrelated crime from Georgetown County. A police drug detection dog also indicated a positive alert for narcotics inside his vehicle.

When deputies attempted to detain Gregg to search his vehicle, he ran and tried to re-enter his vehicle to flee. A roadside struggle ensued. During this scuffle, a video captured Gregg telling deputies that they would have to kill him to detain him.

After he was detained, deputies searched the vehicle and located 500.9 grams of cocaine. Gregg admitted that he was delivering the cocaine from a person in Atlanta to someone in Conway. In the months that followed, he also admitted his role in the drug trafficking conspiracy to DEA agents.

At trial, Gregg testified that he did not know what he was transporting, and that he thought on an earlier occasion he had transported beauty supplies for a co-conspirators wifes beauty salon. He stated that he fought the deputies because he felt intimidated during the traffic stop and accused agents of lying about the statements he gave during his interviews.

Several other members of the conspiracy who had previously pleaded guilty testified as witnesses. They each said that Gregg knew that he was transporting cocaine, and that he had been doing so for them for several years. They said the half-kilogram of cocaine Gregg was transporting was worth approximately $25,000.

U.S. District Judge Sherri Lydon will sentence Gregg at a future hearing.
GEORGETOWN  A Moncks Corner man charged in a 2020 double homicide in Georgetown County will undergo a mental health evaluation at the Medical University of South Carolina to determine if he is competent to stand trial.

Attorneys for the state had no objection to an evaluation of Ty Sheem Walters III, 25, who is charged with two counts of murder in the deaths of Laura Anderson and her stepfather, Nick Wall, and one count of attempted murder against family friend Paul McConnell.

Fifteenth Circuit Chief Public Defender Ron Hazzard represented Walters at the July 14 hearing before Circuit Judge Jennifer McCoy. Among Hazzard's reasons for requesting an evaluation was that Walters underwent a "traumatic" head injury in a 2018 ATV accident.

Hazzard said MUSC documentation lists Walters as possibly suffering from a cognitive communication deficit, which raises concerns over Walters' ability to communicate and understand what he is being told.

Walters is accused of killing Anderson and Wall and injuring McConnell following a car accident along U.S. Route 521 in the Andrews area on Aug. 24, 2020. Walters was apprehended shortly after the incident and bond was denied days later. Circuit Judge Thomas Cooper denied bond for Walters a second time in January. He's currently being held at the Georgetown County Detention Center.
GEORGETOWN  A Pawleys Island man was sentenced to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to a 2020 fatal shooting in Georgetown.

Javon Jacob Hair, 30, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter July 11 before Circuit Judge Jennifer McCoy, Liz Smith, 15th Circuit assistant solicitor, said in a news release.

The charge stemmed from when 27-year-old Herman McCray Jr. was shot about 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 5, 2020. Multiple people witnessed the shooting and called police while others attempted to render aid to McCray.

McCrays parents and sister were at the sentencing hearing and told the judge that Herman McCray was the light of their households and his loss will never be forgotten.

We hope that this outcome will help to bring a measure of peace to Hermans family and friends, said Jimmy Richardson, 15th Circuit solicitor. We appreciate the efforts of Georgetown Police to bring this case to justice and make Georgetown a safer community.
Kingstree, SC (29556)

Today

Partly to mostly cloudy with isolated thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High near 80F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds light and variable.
NORTH MYRTLE BEACH  The city of North Myrtle Beach was recently served its second federal lawsuit in less than a week, this time by a Cherry Grove business alleging an ordinance amendment recently passed by City Council is unconstitutional.

Cherry Grove Beach Gear, a beach accessory rental company, claims in a 20-page lawsuit filed on July 11 that North Myrtle Beach officials unlawfully targeted the business through a June 29 ordinance amendment and additionally sought to place a monopoly on the rentals of beach chairs and umbrellas on the citys 9-mile shoreline.

The court filing comes six days after the American Civil Liberties Union of South Carolina filed a separate federal lawsuit on July 5 against North Myrtle Beach and two of its officials alleging an amendment to the citys existing noise ordinance that passed last year targeting vulgar music is unconstitutional.

North Myrtle Beach said its policy is to not comment on pending litigation.

City Council amended an existing ordinance on June 29 that prohibits businesses or people, regardless of the time, from renting, setting up or delivering any beach equipment from public beaches in the city. However, business owners can make arrangements to deliver the items to homes, rental units or at the end of beach accesses.

City officials previously said the ordinance that prohibits private companies from doing business on the beach is decades old. City Council passed an ordinance in 1990 that prohibits any person from engaging in the sale, lease or rent of any goods or other property upon the public beaches unless he or she has been granted a franchise.

The lawsuit claims city officials never intended to grant a franchise agreement with a third-party vendor and the prior ordinance was a sham designed to restrict competitive businesses, as well as monopolize the citys current service of renting its own chairs and umbrellas.

Additionally, it alleges that North Myrtle Beach earns nearly $3 million annually off beach rentals but has not collected and remitted sales and use taxes and accommodations taxes.

Cherry Grove Beach Gear said in the lawsuit that it has operated legally within the city limits since 2019 with a valid business license while paying both local accommodations and hospitality taxes imposed by City Council. According to the lawsuit, officials allegedly had no issues with the owners setting up rentals on the beach; their only concern was the safety of the company putting up umbrellas.

The owners claim that the city of North Myrtle Beach violated state law by mishandling accommodations and hospitality taxes by comingling the revenue with the citys general fund, the lawsuit said.

Derek Calhoun, who owns Cherry Grove Beach Gear, said he has received fines from the city totaling $5,000 for setting up his gear on the beach, according to a recent social media post.

The lawsuit said the daily citations are factors City Council could use to revoke Cherry Grove Beach Gears business license, thereby putting them out of business.

If (the citys) illegal and wrongful decision to target (Cherry Grove Beach Gear) and adopt North Myrtle Beach City Ordinance 5-24 is not reversed, (the citys) actions will have resulted in a permanent taking of (Cherry Grove Beach Gear) and a substantial loss of the owners investments, the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit asks for a temporary injunction against the city of North Myrtle Beach and an undisclosed monetary amount for damages.
A 30-year-old man was convicted for the 2018 armed robbery of a Mount Pleasant restaurant.

Brandon Lloyd Daniels was found guilty July 14 of committing robbery using force, discharging a firearm during a robbery and possessing ammunition while a felon.

A jury handed down the guilty verdicts after a three-day trial in the U.S. District Court in Charleston. The North Charleston man was convicted last fall after a bench trial of possessing a sawed-off shotgun and a second firearm offense stemming from the same robbery.

Mount Pleasant police responded April 4, 2018, to reports of a robbery and shooting at Tavern & Table, a restaurant in the town's Waterfront District off Shem Creek. A gunman wearing a red bandanna over his face and brandishing a pistol entered the restaurant after closing, police said.

The gunman shot an assistant manager in the lower back before employees turned over several of the restaurant's cash drawers. He fired two more stray rounds at another employee before fleeing the restaurant.

Daniels, a former employee of the restaurant, and a second suspect, Joshua Washington, were arrested two weeks after the shooting.

A day before the robbery, Washington rented a Dodge Ram truck that matched a vehicle seen on surveillance footage, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

While employed at Tavern & Table, Daniels inquired about the restaurants closing routine and how much cash was in the safe, the affidavit states. Maps on his cellphone placed him at the restaurant's location at the time of the robbery.

The men were initially charged in state court before a federal grand jury indicted the pair in July 2018.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for South Carolina recused itself from both cases around June 2020, federal court records show, but it's unclear why. There are several reasons why an office may recuse itself, such as when a federal prosecutor previously represented a party involved in a case.

As a result, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina prosecuted the case.

Washington, 30, of Summerville, entered into a plea agreement in February 2019. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery and agreed to cooperate with authorities in the case.

Tavern & Table did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The victim's mother said she forgave Daniels at a bond hearing in Charleston Magistrate Court in April 2019. The court did not identify the woman and she declined to give her name.

I forgive this man, and I hope that he can turn his life to God."

Washington faces 20 years in prison for the conspiracy offense. Daniels faces anywhere from 10 years to life in prison.

Sentencing hearings for the defendants have not been scheduled.
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."
COLUMBIA  One-time congressional candidate Adair Ford Boroughs is now one procedural vote away from becoming U.S. attorney for South Carolina.

After a brief hearing July 14, members of a Senate panel voted to advance the Columbia Democrat's nomination to the full Senate with just two members  Missouri Republican Josh Hawley and Tennessee Republican Marsha Blackburn  opposed.

President Joe Biden on June 6 tapped Ford Boroughs, a former tax attorney with the Department of Justice, to serve in the role.

If confirmed by the full Senate, Ford Boroughs will take the reins of a federal prosecution office currently in the mix of several high-profile cases, including ongoing investigations into the failure of the multi-billion dollar V.C. Summer nuclear power project and a longstanding probe into the alleged financial crimes of disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh  who on July 14 was indicted on two homicide counts for the June 2021 deaths of his wife and son.

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The U.S. Attorney's Office has seen considerable turnover, counting three leaders in six years.

A former attorney for the DOJ's tax division in Washington, D.C., Boroughs moved back to South Carolina as a clerk for U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel in 2013 and later assisted in the trial of white supremacist Dylann Roof, who killed nine Black congregants at a Charleston church in 2015.

Later, as a private practice attorney, Ford Boroughs ran unsuccessfully to represent South Carolina's Second District in Congress, losing to incumbent Republican Joe Wilson by 13 points.

The full Senate will likely consider her nomination later this month.
The debate over whether U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham must testify in Georgia next month as part of an investigation into possible criminal interference in the 2020 elections will now head to a federal courtroom in Greenville.

South Carolina U.S. District Judge Henry Herlong on July 13 issued an order staying the execution of the subpoena for Graham, a South Carolina Republican who is one many figures from Trump's inner circle who have been asked to testify before a special grand jury in Fulton County, Ga.

The judge has scheduled a hearing on the motion for July 20.

The legal action came after Graham's attorneys argued in federal court filings that Graham should not have to comply with the subpoena issued last week by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.

Graham, who remains one of former President Donald Trumps closest Republican allies in the Senate, is being asked to testify about at least two phone conversations he had with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Raffensperger's staff in the days after the 2020 presidential election.

In her subpoena, Willis said she sought Graham's testimony as part of an investigation into what she alleges is a "multi-state, coordinated plan by the Trump Campaign to influence the results of the November 2020 election in Georgia and elsewhere."

After Graham and his legal team said they would fight the subpoena, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney issued a ruling that ordered Graham to testify on Aug. 2, describing him as a "necessary and material witness" to the grand jury probe.

But Graham's attorneys argue in their July 12 filings that their high-profile client should not have to testify, largely because of the unique legal privileges afforded to Graham as a member of the Senate.

The legal argument, which was outlined in a 13-page document filed in Graham's home state of South Carolina, cites the obscure "speech and debate" clause in the U.S. Constitution that grants elected officials some degree of legal immunity.

That clause states that in all cases "except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace," senators and representatives "shall not be questioned" outside of Congress "for any Speech or Debate in either House."

According to Graham and his attorneys, those protections are absolute.

"What I'm trying to do is do my day job," Graham said in a July 12 interview on Fox News Radio. "If we open up county prosecutors being able to call every member of the Senate based on some investigation they think is good for the country, we'll ruin the place."

Laurence Tribe, a professor of constitutional law at Harvard Law School, said the clause specifically grants members of Congress special privileges. It allows senators and representatives to not to be subpoenaed or investigated by outsiders with respect to their official functions, such as why they voted the way they did or what they wrote in a legislative report.

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"But that does not extend by any expert's view to when a senator tries to look into an election in another state," Tribe said in an interview with The Post and Courier. "When Lindsey Graham calls people in Georgia  even if he doesn't do anything improper and is trying to find out about the Georgia election, or especially if he's trying to influence it  that's completely outside what the speech and debate clause is about."

Graham's two Charleston attorneys, Bart Daniel and Matt Austin, claim Graham's contact with Georgia officials falls within the "legislative sphere" because it was to gather information relevant to his oversight responsibilities as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and in carrying out his obligations to certify electoral votes before a joint session of Congress.

It is the latest legal strategy as Graham seeks to fight the subpoena compelling him to testify.

In a previous statement, Graham's legal team sought to dismiss the investigation altogether, calling it political and claiming the Fulton County District Attorney's Office is not only "engaged in a fishing expedition" and but was "working in concert" with the January 6 Select Committee in Washington.

During one of Graham's calls with Georgia's top elections official, Graham reportedly asked Raffensperger if his office had the power to reject certain absentee ballots. Raffensperger, who is also a Republican, later told The Washington Post he had interpreted Grahams question as a suggestion to toss out legally cast votes.

In the same call, Graham also allegedly asked Raffensperger about the states signature-matching law and whether political bias could have prompted poll workers to accept ballots with non-matching signatures.

"Senator Graham did not inject himself into Georgias electoral process, and never tried to alter the outcome of any election," Graham's attorneys wrote in the July 12 filing. "The conversation was about absentee ballots and Georgias procedures."

Additionally, Graham's attorney sought to quash his subpoena by arguing that Graham has "sovereign immunity" from state court procedures pertaining to his job as a senator. They also argue the district attorney's request that Graham appear for seven weeks "would inhibitor even potentially prohibit altogether" Graham from "exercising his constitutionally prescribed duties in the Senate on behalf of the People of South Carolina."

However, the recent ruling by the Fulton County superior court judge did not state Graham had to be in Georgia for seven weeks. It instead stipulated that Graham would be required to attend and testify before the special grand jury on Aug. 2, continuing until the end of his testimony either on or before Aug. 31  a time frame that amounts to 3 weeks, 5 days at the most.

Graham's attorneys argued the travel involved to testify in person in Georgia would "impose a burden" on his official Senate duties.

Tribe said that if Graham did nothing wrong, he should come forward and testify.

"His constituents in South Carolina should be asking what is he trying to hide," Tribe said. "And why does he want to embarrass the people of South Carolina by claiming that their senator is too important to show up for an important national inquiry in Georgia because, you know, the Georgia inquiry is of national significance."

Graham's attorneys declined to provide additional comment for this story.
COLUMBIA  A collection of abortion rights advocates are suing South Carolina over the state's newly installed "Fetal Heartbeat Act," saying it violates residents' right to privacy.

In a lawsuit filed July 13 in state court in Columbia, the coalition is asking to overturn South Carolinas ban on abortion after approximately six weeks of pregnancy, citing protections against "unreasonable invasions of privacy" outlined in the South Carolina Constitution.

The plaintiffs in the case include Planned Parenthood South Atlantic and Greenville Womens Clinic  which between the two operate the only three clinics offering abortions in South Carolina  as well as two physicians who provide abortions in South Carolina.

Planned Parenthood South Atlantic has long vowed to do everything in our power to protect abortion access for our patients in South Carolina, and today we continue that fight," CEO Jenny Black said in a statement.

"With todays state court challenge, we are once again seeking to block this harmful law that cruelly denies South Carolinians the power to make their own personal medical decisions," she added.

The suit seeks a temporary restraining order on the state law, as well.

Gov. Henry McMaster immediately vowed to fight the lawsuit, telling reporters it's questionable whether the state constitution's ban on "invasions of privacy" refers to abortions.

"We will defend, of course, the state law," he said following a separate media event with reporters July 13. "I think its a good law. There is the word 'privacy,' the right to privacy, in our state constitution, unlike our federal Constitution. The question is, what does that mean? And does that mean this? I think our state law is a good law, and well ultimately prevail."

The move marks a new legal strategy by abortion rights advocates after the U.S. Supreme Court in June overturned the bedrock protections for abortion allowed under the 1973 Roe v. Wade case in a decision that returned control over abortion access to the states.

With that case overturned, it cleared the way for South Carolina's 2021 "heartbeat" abortion law to go into effect, outlawing the practice once a fetal heartbeat is detected.

The privacy issue raised in the new South Carolina challenge aligns with tests of strength of similar right-to-privacy provisions in state constitutions in jurisdictions including Florida, Idaho and Kentucky.

Julie Murray, a staff attorney at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said South Carolina's right to privacy was added in 1971 amid a national dialogue around abortion access and bodily autonomy.

The revision was part of an amendment that rewrote the state constitution's entire "declaration of rights" section. Similar wording has been part of the South Carolina constitution since 1868, according to notes within the constitution itself.

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Murray contends the rewrite was done with the express intent that medical decisions should be left to patients and their doctors.

"There is a sort of popular understanding today about potential threats to privacy as government's capacity grows that were very much at the heart of the debate in 1971," Murray said. "There was sort of an understanding that things are changing rapidly and the potential for invasions of people's private lives and decision-making is greater and greater and evolving."

Nationwide, 11 states contain rights to privacy in their constitutions. And it has been tested in court numerous times.

In the 1993 ruling Singleton v. State, a South Carolina judge ruled prison officials violated an inmate's right to privacy after authorities decided to forcibly medicate him to render him competent for execution.

While that case has typically been cited in cases related to illegal searches and seizures, both Scott Bauries, a law professor at the University of South Carolina, and attorneys for Planned Parenthood cited the Singleton decision as a precedent in the case against the state's abortion ban.

According to the lawsuit, the "right to medical self-determination comprises the right to abortion," and decisions about whether to remain pregnant or end a pregnancy are "inherently private decisions that patients have the right to make, free from government intrusion, in consultation with their health care provider and based on their individual circumstances."

Bauries also noted a 1999 case, Hooper v. Rockwell, in which the S.C. Supreme Court rejected a mothers challenge to the forcible removal of a child from their home due to credible allegations of child abuse in which the mother argued the government violated her right to privacy.

"The court explained that, like all rights, the right to privacy is not unlimited, and a state can infringe such privacy interests such as the right to raise ones children without violating these rights if it has a strong enough state interest  there, protecting a child from likely physical abuse," Bauries said.

Even if successful, Molly Rivera, a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood, said the lawsuit would mark only the first in a series of legal battles against the state's efforts to ban abortion. A Statehouse legislative panel is set to meet for the second time, on June 19, to discuss a possibly stricter ban on abortions. The House is expected to advance the legislation as early as August. The Senate plans to return in early September.

If it's passed into law, Planned Parenthood would then have to file another lawsuit to prevent the law from going into effect.

Robert Kittle, a spokesperson for S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson, said the state plans to fight the July 13 lawsuit.
SPARTANBURG  Seven years ago, Ashley Wingo skipped her culinary graduation ceremony to cater a wedding.

The wedding was Wingos first catering event and the start of her company, Grace Catering LLC. She cooked for 150 people and didnt have a tasting with her clients before the event.

When it was all done, I was like 'this was awesome. I could do this for the rest of my life,' Wingo said. That night, I went home, made a menu and started brainstorming.

Wingo started her company since 2015 and now plans to add a new office and kitchen space on 241 Old Greenville Road in Spartanburg. There was a grand opening on June 26 for the public to taste food and ask questions about booking an event.

Grace Caterings new office space and kitchen is located in what used to be a fellowship hall. The space has been fully renovated.

Wingo said she is excited to give her customers a place where they can taste food, look at decor options, pay a bill or go over pricing.

I think hands-on and face-to-face is always better especially when you're spending money, she said.

As a child, Wingo didnt like cooking. Her mom and dad, a pastor, often cooked for large crowds of family and friends. Wingo said she spent a lot of time in the kitchen, and her passion for cooking and providing a unique dining experience grew.

While in high school, Wingo participated in the South Carolina ProStart Invitational. The annual competition is for high school culinary arts and hospitality students. The event is hosted by the South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Education Foundation.

Wingo graduated from the Culinary Institute of Charleston. While in school, she was the student body president of the American Culinary Federation Greater Charleston South Carolina Chapter. Wingo spent some time working at a restaurant in downtown Charleston called High Cotton where she worked her way up to becoming a saute chef.

I like presentation, she said. I like the food to taste good and look good too.

Wingos company handles catering for a wide-range of events, offers meal prep services and does private dinners. Though the company is based in Spartanburg, Wingo said she does travel for clients. The company also offers wedding and event decor.
Last week the Washington Free Beacons Collin Anderson reported the sale of a million barrels of oil from our strategic petroleum reserve to Unipec, the trading arm of the China Petrochemical Corporation. Andersons story ran under the headline Biden Sold a Million Barrels From US Strategic Petroleum Reserve to China-Owned Gas Giant, where it caught the attention of Senator Grassley.

Pres Biden reportedly sold oil fr American reserves to China's Sinopec which Hunter Biden may still b tied to via his financial ventures in China. If report correct thats OUTRAGEOUS Sen Johnson& I highlighted these connections to communist regime in our 2020 report+ bank records  ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) July 8, 2022

The story was then subjected to one of the Washington Posts fact-checks, this one under the byline of Fact Checker editor and chief writer Glenn Kessler here. Kessler begins with the Free Beacon story, with respect to which he does not find a single fact to be in error (though he doesnt say that). His job might have ended at that point, but it had only just begun. Kessler widened the net to take in Marjorie Taylor Greene et al. and concluded with his assessment:

This is an example of how simple facts  SPR oil was sold to a subsidiary of a Chinese company and Hunter Biden once has a business relationship with that company  are turned into something nefarious. The contract was awarded to the highest bidders in a competitively bid process and Hunter Biden was many steps removed from the U.S. trading arm of the Chinese firm. [As I read the narrative portion of Kesslers column, however, this actually remains to be determined.] Moreover, theres no reason for outrage. Oil prices are determined by global supply and demand. The Biden administration is seeking to lower the global price of crude oil by bolstering supply around the globe. Selling crude oil to traders, whether based in the United States, Europe or Asia, is part of that effort. Anyone suggests the Biden administration is doing something wrong here  as opposed to following the rules  earns Three Pinocchios.

Its a sort of no one here but us chickens response. The Free Beacon itself responded to Kessler yesterday in this editorial. (Full disclosure: My daughter Eliana is the editor-in-chief of the Free Beacon.) The editorial credits Kessler with putting on a master class in the lefts crusade to conflate objective truth with Democratic spin. The Free Beacon editors write (links omitted):

Yes, the Biden administration did this, Kessler concedes. Thems the facts. But three Pinocchios for Grassley and for us, he says, for turning simple facts into something nefarious. You know, like the fact that China was also supposed to be releasing oil from its reserves in order to ease global fuel prices, according to the White House, but is instead boosting its own reserves by hoarding barrels from our stockpile. But far be it from us to imply that the Biden administrations strategy here is amiss: Anyone who suggests the Biden administration is doing something wrong hereas opposed to following the rulesearns Three Pinocchios, Kessler writes. Heres how the fact checker-Democrat nexus works. White House adviser (and former Grillary Clinton apron model) Ian Sams is now waving Kesslers assessment around on Twitter, accusing Republicans of pushing false conspiracies about the President.

You be the judge. From our strategic petroleum reserve to theirs, whats the difference? And the possible Hunter Biden connection remains to be determined, but so what? Kessler has turned himself into a monitor of bad attitudes and false consciousness in a manner that should be beyond his jurisdiction but for its use to the Democratic Party.
Datti Baba-Ahmed, 53, is perceived as one of the few politicians in Nigeria without much dirt in their political career, despite a controversial stint at the Senate that ended within a year after his election was upturned by the court.

Peter Obis decision to choose Mr Baba-Ahmed as his running mate is seen by some as a way of avoiding more popular politicians burdened by allegations of corruption. But the Labour Party candidate only fell back on the economist and university proprietor after unsuccessful merger talks with Rabiu Kwankwaso, a former Kano State governor and candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

Clean image

Mr Baba-Ahmed is from a rich family with good standing in Northern Nigeria. While his clean image may be an asset for the Labour Party, he faces a battle ahead from the political warlords in his native Northwest, a region that is the stronghold of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).

Having won a House of Representatives seat under the then opposition All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in 2003, Mr Baba-Ahmed also knows how to beat a ruling political party. But unlike in 2003 when the then ANPP was basking in the popularity of its presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, he has to win this time under a Labour Party less known in the North.

An economist and banker, Mr Baba-Ahmed is known for many things but his disdain for corruption is what endears him to many people. In 2006, he was one of the federal lawmakers who frustrated the infamous third term move of then President Olusegun Obasanjo and in 2021, he called for a special prayer against corruption.

His candidature with Mr Obi is also being seen as a convergence of intellectuals. But winning elections in Nigeria requires more than fluency in speech, good knowledge of issues and personal integrity.

If it is to be based on certificates, Messrs Obi and Baba-Ahmeds knowledge of the economy will give them an edge over their main opponents. But do they have the structure and money to do that? In 2019, when he contested for the presidency under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a frustrated Mr Baba-Ahmed decried the impact of money on the process.

Unlike the political parties that won elections, I will never use looted funds for my campaign. My records are there to show that I have always defeated candidates by spending less, earned from legitimate sources. Somebody should challenge APC to declare how much they spent in 2014/2015 and where they got it, he said in a 2019 interview.

The Zaria-born politician is also said to be a good manager, taking into consideration how his private university, Baze University Abuja, has flourished while a new one, Baba Ahmed University, is taking shape in Kano.

APC, PDP structures

Despite his credentials, Mr Baba-Ahmed faces a big challenge securing votes for the party in the North-west, especially with the popularity of the APC, which rules six of the seven states in the region. The PDP also has a structure in the North-west and the partys zonal leader, Sokoto State governor Aminu Tambuwal, is more influential and more popular than Mr Baba-Ahmed.

The formidable structures of both the APC and PDP are seen as the reason Mr Baba-Ahmed may end up not having the desired impact in his region for Mr Obi.

But others contend that a structure is not all about what is seen on the ground, as Mr Obi is building a massive cult of followers on social media, especially on Twitter. In an interview, Mr Baba-Ahmed said the social media would vote in 2023, challenging the belief that Tweeps are mostly among the missing in action supporters on election day.

Im into the business of data and statistics. And I decided to particularly look at that. This tells you that social media is going to vote. Even if they are in Antarctica, one person is there and he mobilises 100,000 people here to go out and vote. It has succeeded, he said during a political discussion on Channels TV.

Many of their supporters on Twitter, like Abubakar Santuraki (Abu Amir), are echoing that declaration.

IPOB

Another issue Mr Baba-Ahmed has to fight off is the perception in the North-west that every Southeasterner is sympathetic to the agitation by the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) for secession.

This is despite the fact that Mr Obi has never identified with the struggle for secession and that even IPOB had distanced itself from him. The antics of his supporters, mostly from the South-east, on Twitter have also not been helpful, which made Mr Obi ask them to avoid insulting other candidates and their supporters.

These social media warriors, who have now come to address themselves as Obidients, have become so vocal and ubiquitous on Twitter that they can no longer be ignored.

Though his principal has not been linked with IPOB and secession, Mr Baba-Ahmed will have to contend with the popular belief in the North that an Obi presidency is nothing short of an IPOB presidency that may lead to secession.

While Mr Obi is from Anambra State in the South-east and is sure of garnering votes in the region and the South-south, the LP needs the votes from the North-west, especially through the efforts and influence of Mr Baba-Ahmed.

Great chance?

The APC and PDP not picking their presidential and vice presidential candidates from the region offer the LP a chance to make a statement in the region. But is Mr Baba-Ahmed capable of helping them to take the opportunity?

The head of the political science department at Umaru Musa Yaradua University, Katsina, Kabir Yandaki, said Mr Baba-Ahmed does not have what it takes to fight the APC and PDP.

To analyse the question candidly, I dont think Datti Baba-Ahmad as Peter Obis running mate will generate any vote for the Labour Party. This is because Datti is not a popular candidate in Northwestern Nigeria. He is only mildly known in Kaduna State because of his family background. To cut it short, even the Labour Party itself is not popular in the region. The dominant political parties in the Northwest are PDP and APC. Thus, I dont think the party and the said candidate can get even the 25 per cent of the total votes cast in any state of the region, Mr Yandaki said.

A rolling stone

Mr Baba-Ahmed, like many other politicians, has also been a rolling stone with respect to his membership in political parties. In 2003, he was in ANPP. He followed Mr Buhari to the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in 2011 before he left for the PDP when he lost his senate seat. He fought for the PDPs presidential ticket but lost to Atiku Abubakar in 2018 and also contested for the PDP governorship ticket in Kaduna State this year before he found himself as the vice presidential candidate of the Labour Party.

The outcome of the 2023 elections and the impact that Mr Baba-Ahmed is able to make on the outcome may determine how long he stays in his latest party.
The Senate Chief Whip, Orji Kalu, has urged the Federal Government to re-open negotiation with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Mr Kalu, in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja, condemned the disruption of academic activities as a result of strikes by the university lecturers.

According to him, the federal government should also endeavour to implement the signed agreements with the lecturers in the interest of students, their parents, the education sector and the country at large.

Mr Kalu described as worrisome the continued brain-drain in the country, which he said had contributed to poor quality of Nigerian graduates.

Incessant strikes disrupt the academic calendar, encourage brain drain and contribute significantly to the poor quality of graduates in the Country, with far-reaching implications on national development.

The federal government should urgently take all necessary measures to open a realistic negotiation with ASUU to stop the strike and implement the signed agreements in the interest of our students, their parents, the education sector and the country.

We must stop playing with the future of our youths, he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that ASUU began strike on Feb. 14, 2022, due to the governments failure to meet its demands.

The union insisted on the strike due to failure of the government to meet the 2009 agreement.

The ASUU President, Emmanuel Osedeke, a professor, said that the union took the difficult decision after exhausting all avenues available to amicably settle the matter with the federal government.

(NAN)
Following a suit by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and 176 concerned Nigerians, the ECOWAS Court has declared unlawful the suspension of Twitter by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, and ordered the administration never to repeat it again.

This development was disclosed today by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare.

It would be recalled that following the deletion of President Muhammadu Buharis tweet, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, announced the suspension of Twitter in Nigeria. The government also threatened to arrest and prosecute anyone using Twitter in the country, while the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) asked all broadcast stations to suspend the patronage of Twitter.

But in the judgment delivered today, the ECOWAS court declared that it has the jurisdiction to hear the case, and that the case was therefore admissible.

The Court also held that the act of suspending the operation of Twitter is unlawful and inconsistent with the provisions of Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights both of which Nigeria is a state party.

According to the Court, The Buhari administration in suspending the operations of Twitter violates the rights of SERAP and 176 concerned Nigerians to the enjoyment of freedom of expression, access to information and the media, as well as the right to fair hearing.

The Court also ordered the Buhari administration to take necessary steps to align its policies and other measures to give effect to the rights and freedoms, and to guarantee a non-repetition of the unlawful ban of Twitter.

The Court also ordered the Buhari administration to bear the costs of the proceedings and directed the Deputy Chief Registrar to assess the costs accordingly.

Reacting to the judgment, Femi Falana, SERAPs lawyer in the suit, said, We commend the ECOWAS Court for the landmark judgment in the case of SERAP v Federal Republic of Nigeria in which the Judges unanimously upheld the human rights of community citizens to freedom of expression, and access to information. Even though the Court had granted an interim order of injunction last year which restrained the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami SAN from prosecuting Nigerians who defied the Twitter ban, SERAP deserves special commendation for pursuing the matter to a logical conclusion.

Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right and the full enjoyment of this right is central to achieving individual freedom and to developing democracy. It is not only the cornerstone of democracy, but indispensable to a thriving civil society.

With the latest decision of the Court to declare the suspension of Twitter in Nigeria illegal it is hoped that the Heads of State and Governments of the member states of the Economic Community of West African States will henceforth respect and uphold the human right of community to freedom of expression guaranteed by Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.

It would be recalled that SERAP and 176 concerned Nigerians had in suit No ECW/CCJ/APP/23/21 filed before the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice in Abuja, sought: An order of interim injunction restraining the Federal Government from implementing its suspension of Twitter in Nigeria, and subjecting anyone including media houses, broadcast stations using Twitter in Nigeria, to harassment, intimidation, arrest and criminal prosecution, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

The suit, read in part: if this application is not urgently granted, the Federal Government will continue to arbitrarily suspend Twitter and threaten to impose criminal and other sanctions on Nigerians, telecommunication companies, media houses, broadcast stations and other people using Twitter in Nigeria, the perpetual order sought in this suit might be rendered nugatory.

The suspension of Twitter is aimed at intimidating and stopping Nigerians from using Twitter and other social media platforms to assess government policies, expose corruption, and criticize acts of official impunity by the agents of the Federal Government.

The free communication of information and ideas about public and political issues between citizens and elected representatives is essential. This implies a free press and other media able to comment on public issues without censor or restraints, and to inform public opinion. The public also has a corresponding right to receive media output.

The arbitrary action by the Federal Government and its agents have negatively impacted millions of Nigerians who carry on their daily businesses and operational activities on Twitter. The suspension has also impeded the freedom of expression of millions of Nigerians, who criticize and influence government policies through the microblogging app.

The suspension of Twitter is arbitrary, and there is no law in Nigeria today permitting the prosecution of people simply for peacefully exercising their human rights through Twitter and other social media platforms.

The suspension and threat of prosecution by the Federal Government constitute a fundamental breach of the countrys international human rights obligations including under Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and Article 19 of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Nigeria is a state party.

The suspension has seriously undermined the ability of Nigerians and other people in the country to freely express themselves in a democracy, and undermined the ability of journalists, media houses, broadcast stations, and other people to freely carry out their professional duties.

A lot of Nigerians at home and abroad rely on Twitter coverage of topical issues of public interest to access impartial, objective and critical information about ideas and views on how the Nigerian government is performing its constitutional and international human rights obligations.

The implication of the decline in freedom of expression in Nigeria is that the country is today ranked alongside countries hostile to human rights and media freedom such as Afghanistan, Chad, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Zimbabwe and Colombia.

Kolawole Oluwadare

SERAP Deputy Director
The presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi, has urged the electorate in Osun to vote for Yusuf Lasun, during Saturdays governorship election in the state.

Mr Obi, who made the call during the partys rally on Wednesday in Osogbo, said that it was only Labour Party that could rescue the people from suffering and poverty.

He said that if the party emerged victorious in the governorship election on Saturday, there would be prompt payment of workers salaries and pension.

Vote for Labour Party so that your children can have jobs. Vote for people that will work for you.

We want to change Nigeria and the only way we can change Nigeria is to remove all these people who have put Nigeria where it is for the past 23 years. This is time for them to go.

They are owing salaries, pensions; and those that are working hard are not being paid, but this will stop once you vote Labour Party on Saturday.

Vote for Labour Party, vote for the future of your children. Vote for the candidate that will be committed to better Osun State.

We are going to introduce you to a governor who will be committed to better Osun State, and that is what we want, he said.

Also speaking, the National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure, said that Labour Party was the only party that had a solution to the problem facing the state.

Mr Abure appealed to the electorate to come out en masse on Saturday and vote for the party.

I want to beg you, no matter the temptation of the money they might want to give you, do not sell your future.

The reason we had been in trouble over the years is because when they give us part of the money they stole from us, we will still vote for them.

If you can resist the temptation of not collecting the money, do not take it, but if you cannot resist the temptation, take the money and vote against them, he said.

In his remarks, Mr Lasun, who is the former Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, said if elected, he would restore the states economy through agricultural revolution.

The governorship aspirant also said that he would embark on empowerment of women and infrastructural development.

Mr Lasun appealed to the electorate to vote for him and Labour Party.

By July 16, I know Osun State will vote for me and it will shock them, he said.

(NAN)
A Civil Society Organisation (CSO), ONE Campaign, in partnership with National Advocates for Health, Nigeria Health Watch, and the Public & Private Development Centre (PPDC), has announced plans to launch a new report on the state of primary healthcare service delivery in Nigeria.

The organisation, in a statement issued on Wednesday, said this will be done through a comprehensive analysis of the status of implementation of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) across states in Nigeria.

The Executive Director of ONE Campaigns for Africa, Edwin Ikhuoria, said the report aims at stimulating interest from critical stakeholders to improve the overall Primary HealthCare (PHC) delivery in Nigeria.

Mr Ikhuoria said PHC is the cornerstone of health systems resilience and its strength is essential to preparing for future pandemics.

It has been eight years since the National Health Act was passed and four years since the BHCPF was activated in Nigeria to address the shortage of PHC services, yet the BHCPFs utilisation and implementation remain below expectations, he said.

He said this exacerbates Nigerias vulnerability, and unless it is addressed, the country will remain open to future shocks of unprecedented magnitude.

About the report

The report, The state of Primary Healthcare service delivery in Nigeria will be released in Abuja on July 19 2022 in the presence of critical policymakers and a broad spectrum of health advocates and campaigners.

ONE campaign said the report provides a comprehensive assessment of the implementation of BHCPF, ranks health system performance across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) using a standard group of health systems indicators, and recommends pathways to increase utilisation of the BHCPF at the state level.

Stanley Achonu, Country Director for Nigeria at the ONE Campaign, said the report aims to ignite action amongst stakeholders and impact the needed change and increase access to PHC services across Nigeria.

Mr Achonu said the conclusions of this study will spur more action to improve health care in all 36 states and the FCT.

Despite the difficulties, it is not impossible for states to improve their health outcomes. Nigerians access to and use of health care will be greatly improved with a firm commitment and swift action from all relevant parties, he said.

A timely step

Primary healthcare is a level at which non-emergency, preventative health issues should be managed. It is meant to provide services to the majority of people based on need, without geographical, social, or financial barriers.

Unfortunately, only about 20 per cent of PHC facilities across Nigeria are fully functional. The rest cannot provide essential healthcare services.

Some PHCs are faced with lot of problems, including poor distribution of health workers, poor quality of health care services, poor infrastructure, and lack of supply of essential drugs.

The inability of PHC centres to provide basic medical services to people especially at the rural areas, has increased the influx of patients to secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities. This has led to long queues in these hospitals and worsen patient experiences.

The Managing Director of Nigeria Health Watch, Vivianne Ihekweazu, said there has been collaborations with ONE and other partners to support this important assessment of States Primary Healthcare provision.

Mrs Ihekweazu said the organisation is excited about putting this report in the public domain to serve as essential evidence for advocacy.

In her remarks, Akubuo Nonye, Programme Manager at PPDC noted that fixing Nigerias healthcare system today is critical, as access to foreign medical care is useless without a stable state of health in Nigeria.

About ONE

ONE is a campaigning and advocacy organisation of over Nine million people taking action to end extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa.

Nigeria accounts for 2.8 million of the organisations supporters. Not politically partisan, the organisation raise public awareness and press political leaders to combat AIDS and preventable diseases, increase investments in agriculture and nutrition, and demand greater transparency in poverty-fighting programmes.
The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Thursday, dismissed a suit seeking the disqualification of Osun State governor Adegboyega Oyetola as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in Saturday, July 16 governorship election in the state.

A governorship aspirant on the APC platform in Osun, Moshood Adeoti, had filed the suit seeking the nullification of Mr Oyetolas candidacy on the grounds that the governor participated in the primary while serving as a member of the partys Caretaker Extraordinary and Convention Planning Committee (CECPC).

The CECPC led by Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State handed over to the partys new National Working Committee (NWC) led by Abdullahi Adamu in March this year.

Sued as defendants in the suit are the APC, Mr Oyetola and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

But delivering judgement in the case on Thursday, the judge, Inyang Ekwo, held that the plaintiffs suit does not establish any cause of action.

Agreeing with Mr Oyetola and APCs arguments, the judge said Mr Adeotis case constituted an abuse of court process.

I make an order dismissing this suit, the judge held.

Mr Ekwo said the APCs CECPCs is not part of the offices provided for by the partys constitution, adding that it was just an ad hoc creation of the APC.

The judge clarified that Mr Oyetolas membership of the CECPC did not constitute a breach of Section 84 (12) of the Electoral Amendment 2022.

The controversial clause in the Electoral Amendment Act 2022, provides that No political appointee at any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for at the convention or congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election.

Background

Mr Adeoti, who was an aspirant in the February 19 Osun APC governorship primary, contended that Mr Oyetolas membership of the CECPC violated the provisions of Section 222 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as Amended) and Article 31(iii) of the APC (October 2014 as Amended).

In the suit, Mr Adeoti lawyers, Chiesonu Okpoko, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), argued that the governor should have resigned his membership of the (APC)s CECPC and leave office as an officer of the party at least 30 days prior to the date of its primary election in Osun State primary election to qualify for participation in the said 1st defendants primary election.

APC, Oyetolas defence

In a preliminary objection filed against the suit, the lawyer to the APC, A. I. Layonu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said Mr Oyetola tendered his resignation letter to the APC as a member of its committee on January 19 and that the party acknowledged its receipt.

He urged the court to dismiss the suit.

On his part, Mr Oyetolas lawyer, Olusegun Jolaolu (SAN), urged the court to dismiss the case for lacking in merit.

He noted that Mr Oyetola resigned his membership of the CECPC before the day the primary poll took place.

While Bashir Abubakar, who appeared for INEC, said though the commission filed a counter affidavit and a written address, he said he left the outcome of the case to the decision of the court.

But counsel for the plaintiff, Mahmud Adesina, also a senior advocate, argued that the purported resignation letter was a backdated one.

With the courts verdict, the coast is now clear for Mr Oyetolas participation in Saturdays governorship election in the state.
A Senator, Danladi Sankara, has hailed the choice of former Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima, as the vice presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2023 election.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr Tinubu announced Mr Shettima as his running mate in Katsina on Sunday during a visit to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Both Messrs Tinubu and Shettima are Muslims.

Nigerians and political players have continued to react to Mr Shettima s nomination several days after.

While some have hailed this decision, others have faulted it describing it as insensitive and unfair to the Christians.

In a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Sankara, who represents Jigawa North-west, said the choice of Mr Shettima has further brightened the chances of the party to secure victory in the 2023 general election.

He described Mr Shettima as a competent, cerebral, tested and accomplished leader and administrator who would add value to the presidency of Mr Tinubu in the service of the nation.

By choosing Shettima, Mr Tinubu, he said, has proven himself a leader with great wisdom and vision to assemble capable people to assist him provide the desired leadership that would improve the welfare Nigerians.

Senator Shettima is capable and well prepared. We are together with him in this ninth Senate and everyone is aware of his leadership capabilities, he will compliment efforts of Tinubu to bring about the desired progress and development of the nation.

On the issue of Muslim-Muslim ticket, Mr Sankara said there was no cause for alarm or apprehension by any group, both men are patriotic and well meaning Nigerians who are very conscious of the requirements of equity and justice in leadership and public administration.

Amid mixed reactions, choice of Shettima final

Mr Sankara is the latest among the lawmakers to react to the Tinubu/Shettima ticket.

Earlier, Ahmad Lawan, the Senate President, hailed the partys decision on Mr Shettima and expressed optimism that they would perform excellently.

He had also spoken on behalf of the North-east National Assembly caucus.

In the same vein, his deputy, Ovie Omo-Agege described Mr Shettima as a vibrant and detribalised human as well as the best choice for the position.

But some Christian leaders in the party have condemned the ticket, describing it as crass insensitivity to the Christians.

While they called on President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene, the group said they cannot, in good conscience, return to their constituencies to campaign for a Muslim/Muslim candidature.

And recently, a former Secretary General of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, described Mr Tinubus choice of Shettima as satanic and dead on arrival.

Despite these reactions, however, Mr Tinubu has said his decision to run with Mr Shettima is final. He is to officially present his running mate to the APC leadership later today.
The Lagos State government says it is planning to set up traditional medicine offices near General Hospitals in the state.

Olubukola Oshintelu, the chairperson, Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board, said the idea would enable residents to choose which treatment option they prefer.

Mrs Oshintelu stated this during a sensitisation for traditional medicine practitioners on Thursday in Badagry.

According to the chairperson, the patients will now decide whether they want traditional or orthodox treatment, but there will be no competition.

The state is after the wellness of its citizens, this is to promote good health of our people, she said.

The chairperson said that traditional practitioners in the state must register with the board, adding that without registration, they could not practice in the state

To those that are doing the practice secretly, the task force and the monitoring team will come after them, expose and reprimand them.

This is just to make sure that Lagos people are saved and reduce quackery in the sector and also reduce unnecessary incidents, she said.

Mrs Oshintelu said to become a practising traditional medicine practitioner in Lagos, one needed to first register with the board.

Before becoming a practitioner, you will first collect a form and undergo six months of mandatory training, after which a certificate will be given to you.

The training does not end there because this is a matter of life and death; so, they will further go to another six-week training program after which some of them will become community birth attendants.

With these two training programmes, there is no reason for them to have accident again when it comes to pregnancy management as well as the care of the baby after delivery, she said.

The chairperson urged traditional medicine practitioners to have data for better relevance.

Each clinic, each practitioner must have a record of everyone coming in. They should state what they do, and they must get their demographic data and how they are getting better.

If your patients are not getting better, you have to refer them to the people who can cater for them, she said.

Mrs Oshintelu, however, said the board would soon begin the construction of the IBILE office in Badagry, adding that Ikorodu office had been completed and waiting to be inaugurated.

According to him, this will ease the practice of traditional medicine as most of the things that they are coming to do in the head office will be done there.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that different traditional medicine practitioners from different communities in Badagry attended the programme.

(NAN)
One more person has died of injuries sustained during the terrorist attack on St Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.

The death brings the number of deaths to 41, from the attack which occurred on June 5, 2022.

The Ondo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, told journalists Thursday the number of fatalities is now 41 while 17 persons were still being hospitalised.

While commiserating with the bereaved families and praying for the speedy recovery of those still in the hospital, Mrs Ademola-Olateju restated the commitment of the State Government to having a memorial site built in honour of all the victims.

The terrorists had attacked the church with explosives and shot at the worshipers killing their victims including two children and a police officer.

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Last month, operatives of Amotekun Corps said they had arrested some suspects who took part in the terror attack on June 5. They, however, did not provide details.

Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has also signed into law an amendment to the Ondo State Security Network Agency Law.

The governor, who assented to the bill at the State Executive Chamber of his office, noted that the new amendment became imperative in light of the heightened insecurity across the state.

He assured that the amended law would enhance the security architecture of the state and help the Amotekun Corps to perform better.

The governor appreciated the State House of Assembly for the quick passage of the bill.

The Corps Commander, Adetunji Adeleye, who doubles as the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, appreciated Mr Akeredolu for assenting to the amendment to the law which established the Ondo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun.

He assured that the development would scale up the operational capacities of the state security outfit.

The governor also announced the procurement of newly acquired operational vehicles to be distributed to all security operatives in the state including the Nigerian Police, Nigerian Army, Directorate of State Security and Amotekun Corps to enhance the performances of security agencies in the state.
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, on Thursday, led chieftains of the party to Osun State to campaign for Ademola Adeleke ahead of Saturdays election.

Some of the top PDP members who were in Osogbo included the partys national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu; vice presidential candidate, Ifeanyi Okowa; and former vice president, Namandi Sambo.

Others were Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa; former senate president, Bukola Saraki; and former governor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola.

The PDP chieftains said the ruling All Progressives Congress had plunged the state into darkness since Mr Oyinlola handed over the state to the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, the immediate past governor of the state.

They described PDP as the only party that can rescue the state and the entire country from hardship.

While addressing a crowd at the rally held in Osogbo in support of Mr Adeleke, the national leaders of PDP expressed confidence that the party will win the Saturday governorship election.

Mr Atiku advised electorates to stand by the polling booths after casting their votes in other to avoid vote-stealing.

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He condemned electoral fraud, urging electorates to shun vote buying and rigging of elections.

I have come to Osun to particularly ask you not to allow APC to steal your victory as they did in the last election. This state is a PDP State, I have come to appeal to you to make sure that on Saturday you vote and protect the vote, said Mr Atiku.

Dont allow any more rigging in Osun State because you are going back to darkness if you allow them to rig you again.

They have been rigging Osun election for 23 years. The previous rigging they rigged was through the court, the last rigging they rigged was through the ballot. It is now your responsibility to protect your votes and vote for Senator Ademola Adeleke as Governor of Osun State.

In his address, Mr Ayu appealed to the electorates to vote for Mr Adeleke in Saturdays election.

Mr Ayu described the party as the only messiah who can rescue Nigeria to its promised land.

There is darkness in Osun State, there is darkness in the land, we want to light. Vote for Ademola Adeleke on Saturday. PDP will rescue Nigeria Mr Ayu said.

Mr Diri, who is the chairman of the PDP Campaign Council, urged electorates in the state to be ready for the Saturday election.

We have seen the support, the base of PDP in Osun State, get your PVCs, vote out University ASSU strike, vote our currency that has become the worst currency in the world, vote out poverty and illiteracy, vote out banditry and killings, vote out hardships in your land.

This election in Osun State is not the only election for Osun people, it is an election for Nigeria. It will be the beginning of kicking out those who have failed us in this country Mr Diri said.

In his remarks, Mr Adeleke expressed appreciation to his supporters.

He appealed to his supporters to vote for him as the next governor of the state.

We have proven them wrong that PDP is in Osun State. I sincerely appreciate you. Vote for PDP on Saturday.
The Police have begun the enforcement of the ban on the use of spy police licence plate number across the country.

The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali (IGP), Wednesday, announced the ban in Abuja, explaining that the measure was to forestall the continuous disregard for traffic rules in the country.

The force spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, disclosed via a Twitter post on Thursday that the police have started enforcing the ban.

He said the police have have contacted some VIPs to ensure compliance.

By the time we arrest their aides, they will adjust. The IGP personally started this (enforcement) yesterday in Abuja, the force spokesperson tweeted.

Anambra

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, Echeng Echeng, has directed the enforcement of the ban in the state.

The police spokesperson in the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, who disclosed this in a statement on Thursday said the commissioners directive was in furtherance of the order by the IGP.

The Commissioner, Mr Echeng, has established an enforcement team to ensure the recovery of all spy police licence number plates in the state, Mr Ikenga said.

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Mr Echeng tasked area commanders and divisional police officers as well as other heads of police facilities in the state to support the enforcement team in carrying out the directive.

He said the order was part of deliberate measures aimed at strengthening internal security in the country as well as preventing disregard for traffic rules across the country.

According to him, the ban became necessary because some individuals hide under the privileges of spy police number plates to violate the laws guiding road-users.

The police commissioner urged residents of the state to ensure voluntary compliance with the directives to avoid being arrested by the police.
The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dumebi Kachikwu, will on Friday announce his running mate ahead of the 2023 General Elections.

To beat the INEC June 17 deadline for the submission of candidates names for the top office, the ADC submitted names of Ahmed Mani as its vice-presidential candidate.

However, persons close to Mr Kachikwus campaign team confirmed that Mr Mani will officially be out of the race as the ADC presidential candidate prepares to make the announcement.

As slated in its schedule of activities, all political parties have till July 15 to withdraw or replace names of its presidential and National Assembly candidates submitted for the poll.

Sources close to the ADC presidential candidate said the event to unveil his running mate in grand style in Abuja.

It is not a name I can tell you at this time. Our presidential candidate plans to disclose the name in a grand style tomorrow. So wait till you hear from the horses mouth, one of the sources told PREMIUM TIMES.

Mr Kachikwus yet to be announced running mate, according to another source, will share his passion for impactful leadership and people oriented service after his election as President.

All I can say is that the proposed running mate to the ADCs Presidential candidate, is a well-groomed and knowledgeable Nigerian who would rightly complement Kachikwu efforts in working to restore order, provide security, lift Nigerians out of poverty, fix the nations comatose infrastructure, curb corruption and painstakingly revive the economy, another source said.

Mr Kachikwu emerged the ADC flag bearer in June after defeating ten other aspirants.

He defeated the likes of Kingsley Moghalu and Chukwuka Monye at the keenly contested presidential primary held in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
Half-way toward the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world is at a point where instead of working towards closing the gender equity gap, decades of progress are being rolled back, with womens fundamental rights and health under threat.

These reversals are being exacerbated by COVID-19 and other compounding crises, such as increasing incidences of conflict and the climate emergency. They come at a time when the world was just starting to see decades of hard-earned labour and effort bear fruit, with the number of girls in education increasing, maternal mortality rates falling, and child marriages and deaths decreasing.

The United Nations High-level Political Forum (HLPF), currently underway in New York, is a critical opportunity to reflect on progress made to date and agree on a way forward to tackle the significant risks being faced at this midway juncture.

This Wednesday, July, 13, 2022, an official side-event to the HLPF, Choice, Voice and Autonomy: Womens political leadership for health in a fragile world, was jointly organized by PMNCH, Women in Global Health, UHC2030 and Global Health 50/50, and hosted by the Government of Estonia. The virtual leadership dialogue has brought together global policymakers, government representatives, business leaders, health care providers, youth and community representatives from around the world. They have reflected on the importance of women leaders in making a difference on social progress via gender equity in the context of health and education to deliver the Sustainable Development Agenda.

At a time when compounding crises are rolling back previous progress made on womens empowerment and the health of communities, war is also being waged on the fundamental rights of women and girls, Helen Clark, PMNCH Board Chair, and former Prime Minister of New Zealand, said. We need urgent and transformative action to reverse these worrying trends. Women must have both seats and voice at decision-making tables. To achieve the vision of leaving no one behind in development, societies must move beyond lip service to implementation of rights-based and gender sensitive approaches to achieving equality, resilience, and sustainability.

Summit participants focused on solutions to increase womens representation and participation in leadership roles and reduce gender gaps across every aspect of society, everywhere. Championing multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral partnerships are key to these challenges, and the only way forward to address a problem as pervasive as gender equality.

Women and girls represent half of the worlds population, yet their full potential remains largely untapped. They are too often subject to sexual or physical abuse and exploitation, threatened with harmful traditions and practices, denied the right to education and healthcare, discriminated against in employment, and often deterred from participating in political processes, including voting. Globally, 143 countries legally guarantee equality between men and women. But in practice, gender inequalities subsist in most parts of the world, and in many cases are being rolled even further back.

The recent decision by the US Supreme Court to repeal its 1973 ruling on abortion in Roe vs Wade provides one of the starkest examples yet of this worrying trend. Its effects will resonate way beyond US borders, including in West Africa. It may lend spurious legitimacy to those seeking to restrict the rights of women, and may encourage some other countries to roll back abortion law or provision, placing the health of women and girls at greater risk.

Abortion issues in Africa are as controversial as in the United States. The overturning of Roe v Wade may influence African law makers to update some of the draconian laws that most African women are exposed to. The legality of abortion in Sub-Saharan Africa falls along a continuum from prohibited to allowed without restriction as to reason. Restrictive laws either prohibit abortion altogether or restrict it to cases where a womans life or health are threatened. As of 2019, 92 percent of the regions women of reproductive age live in the 43 countries with highly or moderately restrictive laws. Data from 2019 shows that 2.4 million women in Western Africa have abortions in unsafe conditions and 14 million do not receive treatment for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and trichomoniasis. Among women who want to avoid a pregnancy, unmet need is higher for adolescents aged 1519 than for all women aged 1549 (64 percent versus 56 percent).

The Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade could have drastic impacts on US funding and policies for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in the region. Experts predict a fall in US bilateral and multilateral funding for family planning, sexual education, and gender-related public health programs for low- and middle-income countries. This outcome is even more likely if Republicans gain greater power in upcoming US midterm elections.

No less than 53 of the 251 SDGs indicators make direct reference to gender equality, women and girls. Yet women are not given seats at decision-making tables commensurate with their numbers. As of 1 September 2021, there were 26 women serving as Heads of State and/or Government in 24 countries. At the current rate, gender equality in the highest positions of power will not be reached for another 130 years. Among 138 organizations tracked over five years by Global Health 50/50, 54 (39 percent) have had neither a female CEO nor a female board chair in this period.

The pervasive leadership gap between women and men can only be closed by addressing systemic barriers to womens advancement. This is especially important as emerging evidence from the pandemic shows that female-led countries have generally fared better in terms of outcomes during COVID-19 through instilling proactive and coordinated policy responses. For future pandemics, women must not only have equal participation in COVID-19 response and recovery efforts, but also equal decision-making power and leadership opportunities, and policies and programmes must also include a gender lens.

Global Health 50/50 co-directors Professor Sarah Hawkes and Professor Kent Buse said The collective failure to deliver equality in global health is inextricably linked to a failure to ensure equality in voice, representation, and inclusion at the top. We urgently need feminist leaders, especially women and other under-represented groups, to push for health rights, equity and gender equality. But promises and commitments are not enough. We also need robust systems of accountability to ensure that promises made are promises kept  something we at Global Health 50/50 aim to deliver.

Attitudes towards gender roles deteriorated further amid COVID-19 as outdated social norms and stereotypes continue to hold society back from reaching gender equality. Millions of dollars for programmes providing health services to women, girls and adolescents have been cut due to competing priorities and demands amid the pandemic. Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services are too often made optional rather than essential services, leading to increases in deaths of and harm to women. Emerging data estimates that for each COVID-19 death, more than two women and children have lost their lives because of disruptions to health systems since the start of the pandemic.

Health is a right, not a privilege. It requires political will and leadership. But women need to have an equal say in the health systems that impact their health and well-being. Ye they only have 25 percent of the seats in parliaments and hold 25 percent of the senior roles in global health. The rules must be change to advance from this unequal reality, said Gabriela Cuevas Barron, Co-Chair, UHC2030 Steering Committee.

Some 11 million girls might not return to school this year due to COVID-19s unprecedented education disruption. This not only threatens decades of progress made towards gender equality, but also puts girls around the world at risk of adolescent pregnancy, early and forced marriage, and violence.

Women have been disproportionately hit by unemployment, losing 4.2 percent of jobs as a result of the pandemic, compared to 3 percent job losses for men . If no action is taken to counter the gendered effects of the pandemic on womens jobs, it is estimated that global GDP growth will be $1 trillion lower in 2030 than it would if womens unemployment simply tracked that of men.

Women are the majority of the global health workforce (70 percent of all workers and 90 percent of frontline workers), yet only 25 percent of senior leaders in health. A 2021 report revealed that just 11 percent of countries surveyed reported ZERO midwives in leadership positions; and almost half of all countries reported no midwife leader in their ministry of health.

Gender gaps are pervasive the world over and closing them requires significant progress on issues as broad-ranging as violence against women, access to contraception, and womens labour-force participation. Gender inequality cuts across all sectors, interlinks with other areas of development, and requires solutions from many actors including those in government, corporations, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).

Even before the pandemic gender inequity was hard wired into the global health workforce, with women clustered into lower status sectors and jobs, marginalised in leadership and frequently subject to violence and harassment. Although women are the majority of health workers, they hold only 25 percent of decision-making roles in health, and women from the Global South are particularly marginalised, said Dr Magda Robalo, Global Managing Director, Women in Global Health.

Women in Global Health research shows that women have actually lost ground in leadership since the start of the pandemic. A total of 85 percent of our survey of national COVID-19 task forces had a majority of men as members. Earlier this year, the WHO Executive Board had just six percent of women members, down from 32 percent in January 2020. Women are experts in the health systems they largely deliver, and health systems are weaker when womens knowledge and professional expertise are marginalised in decision making.

Multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral partnerships can be an engine for powering the effort needed to close the gender parity gap. There is a need to redouble our efforts to enhance partner capacity for joint advocacy, meaningful inclusion and greater accountability. Stronger partnerships with communities are also needed to enhance and entrench gender equality into societal structures. This is even more important as the world seeks to restore and rebuild societies following the pandemic.

In 2020 PMNCH, the worlds largest global alliance for womens, childrens and adolescents health, launched its COVID-19 Call To Action Advocacy campaign to address the multiple impacts of the pandemic on the health and well-being of women, children and adolescents. The Call to Action includes measures to counter the gendered effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has shown that if women and girls are not explicitly prioritized, they will be forgotten.

The most recent G7 Communique showed a strong response from G7 nations on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), and reaffirming the importance of comprehensive SRHR.

People, communities and economies will thrive when we raise up our women and girls. When we acknowledge the contributions of women; when we pay women fairly for the work that they do; when we show the value and inherent necessity of women for society, said H.E. Kersti Kaljulaid, Former President of Estonia, the UN Secretary-Generals Global Advocate for Every Woman Every Child. The solutions are complex, but let us commit to a gender lens that includes the participation of women  especially young women and girls  working in partnerships and communities, governments, corporations and NGOs towards our common
The UN humanitarian partners have delivered food and nutrition assistance to no fewer than 26,000 people in the past week in the town of Rann, Northeast Nigeria.

The UN correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Deputy Spokesman for the UN Farhan Haq disclosed this at a news conference at UN headquarters, New York on Wednesday.

According to Mr Haq, Rann is one of the most challenging environments for aid workers in the region.

He said it was the site of repeated attacks by non-state armed groups during which hundreds of civilians, internally displaced people as well as aid workers were killed.

Humanitarian agencies have been forced to reduce their footprint there in recent years.

For example, a major international health partner suspended its work in Rann in June following the heightened risk of attacks targeting civilians and aid assets.

With the lean season now underway, some 4.1 million people urgently need food assistance across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe in northeast Nigeria, Mr Haq said.

He, however, said that due to funding shortages, only about 1.2 million people there were receiving food aid as of the end of May.

He said aid agencies had reached some 1.8 million people during the first quarter of 2022.

He said this was in spite of the fact that 2022 Humanitarian Response Plan, which required 1.1 billion dollars, was less than 25 per cent funded.

In addition, the official said that the UN team there, led by Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim, Matthias Schmale, had continued to support the Governments work to respond to and recover from the pandemic.

Our team contributed to the provision of health care services to more than 125,000 members of vulnerable communities in Borno while implementing risk communication initiatives, including on the ongoing work to tackle obstetric fistula, reaching nearly 68,000 people.

On the socio-economic front, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) provided more than one million dollars to vulnerable smallholder farmers to sustain and boost production.

Haq said the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) had also ensured that support to sexual and reproductive health services continued to be provided.

For its part, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) partnered the European Union to ensure the implementation of criminal justice responses to terrorism and violent extremism.

The partnership is contributing to federal prosecutors in Nigeria reviewing close to 2,900 case files that contributed to the release of 1,800 adults and 580 children from custody, as well as the referral of 230 cases for trial before the Federal High Court, he said. (NAN)
Nigerians regard just four of their 16 presidential candidates as serious contenders in the 2023 general elections. These are Bola Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the Labour Party and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

Candidates were selected by their parties through primary elections. The conduct of the two main parties in the presidential primaries was dismal, with rampant allegations of vote buying. The PDPs Atiku has wanted the presidency since 1991. The ruling APC primaries results were not as certain, with Mr Tinubu perceived to have largely fallen out of favour. In the end, he won by a landslide amid vote-buying allegations.

The overnight polls were keenly followed by young middle-class, mostly southern Nigerians (the #EndSARS demographic), who shared live commentary on Twitter.

The 2020 #EndSARS protests were seen as the political awakening of Nigerias youth. Although the demonstrations were centred around police brutality, they reflected broad dissatisfaction with security, political and economic governance. The governments response  including extra-judicial killings  triggered an emigration surge.

For many #EndSARS protestors, the 2023 polls will be their first chance as eligible voters to choose their leaders.

But the presidential primaries were a case study of the flawed and exclusionary nature of Nigerian politics.

Messrs Tinubu and Atiku are not very different. They are friends and allies, and both have well-documented corruption or criminal cases at home and abroad.

Although Mr Tinubus official age is 70, some believe he could be 10 years older. Atikus records state hes 75.

Mr Tinubu is a former Lagos State governor. He was instrumental in establishing the APC as Nigerias ruling party. Although hes considered to have facilitated Lagos States economic growth and self-sufficiency, this allegedly came at the cost of state capture. There are concerns about his health, divisive remarks and lack of accountability. He has even said he wants to be Nigerias next president because its his turn.

Atiku was a former vice-president, but his time in government was riddled with corruption allegations. Like Mr Tinubu, some of these claims are linked to his entrepreneurial success. His response to the recent murder of a Christian woman in northern Nigeria on religious grounds raised questions about his ethnic politics. He deleted and retracted his condemnation of the attack on social media after threats that hed be punished at the polls.

The NNPPs Mr Kwankwaso is regarded as a typical Nigerian politician. Although he has significant influence in his home base of Kano State, where he was once governor, there are doubts this can translate to a national victory. Some of his controversial comments also raise concerns about his ethnic politics.

Also vying for the APC and PDP tickets were sitting Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and former governor Peter Obi. Osinbajo, preferred by middle-class Southern intellectuals, came third. Mr Obi resigned from the PDP shortly before the primaries, citing recent developments apparently related to the monetisation of the process. This despite being on the PDP ballot as Atikus vice-presidential candidate in 2019. He later joined the minority Labour Party and emerged as their presidential candidate.

Mr Obi, 60, is perceived to play politics slightly differently. His support grew after numerous TV interviews featured technical analyses of Nigerias many problems. He talks about moving Nigeria from consumption to production and says he can solve the increasing insecurity. Unlike other candidates, he hasnt been caught on record playing to ethnicity.

Mr Obi is the facts and figures candidate  although these are sometimes disputed. He says his time as Anambra State governor proves he can succeed as president. Mr Obi is the youngest of the four candidates and has the best understanding of the world of young Nigerians. He speaks the language of young people in the country and the diaspora. Among his fans are popular Nigerian celebrities, including award-winning writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

The rejection of the possibility of a Tinubu or Atiku presidency has been a rallying point and gained Mr Obi, even more supporters. Following the primaries, theres been a surge in voter registration, especially by youngsters. Previously, the youth made up over 70 per cent of registered voters but often did not participate enough in voting.

Although campaigns have not officially begun, the #EndSARS demographic seemingly prefers Mr Obi. The protest had no official leaders, but a few key actors openly declared their support for him. Mr Obi is Igbo from Nigerias South-east, but his support is starting to transcend ethnic divisions. It is also reaching across socio-economic lines. Unsolicited donations are pouring in, and youngsters are dedicating time and resources to campaign for him.

The relative obscurity of Mr Obis political party is a challenge for his supporters. Discussions are frequently organised on and off social media to brainstorm political strategies and ensure he wins.

Although the #EndSARS demographic is pragmatic about the likelihood of success, they arent holding back. Their relative minority status among young Nigerians is viewed not as a stumbling block but a challenge, with mobilisation skills transferred from the protests to Mr Obis campaign.

Nigerias 2023 elections will occur against a backdrop of profound economic, political, social and security issues. Although many citizens see the next elections as critical, voter turnout has been declining for almost 20 years.

If recent developments are sustained, Nigerias youth may again become a voting bloc to reckon with, regardless of an Obi win. This is happening against a gradual shift of economic power from Nigerias oil economy controlled by political elites to its services economy led by its youth. The shift presents possibilities that could transform the future of Nigerian politics.

Teniola Tayo, Researcher, Institute for Security Studies (ISS) Regional Office for West Africa, the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin

This research is funded by the governments of the Netherlands and Norway.

(This article was first published by ISS Today, a Premium Times syndication partner. We have their permission to republish).
A good governance group, Yiaga Africa, has said it observed in its preliminary findings that some politicians, in a bid to induce voters, donated rams during the Sallah celebration.

Paul James, an elections manager with the group, spoke at a press conference in Osogbo, Osun capital on Thursday.

The Osun election is scheduled to hold on Saturday.

Out of 15 aspirants, Governor Gboyega Oyetola of the APC, Ademola Adeleke of the PDP, Yusuf Lasun of the Labour Party, Oyegoke Omigbodun of the SDP, and Akin Ogunbiyi of the Accord Party are seen as the major contenders.

Mr James said their findings span from April to July.

In our fifth pre-election reporting period, voter inducement was reported by the Long Term Observers (LTO) in Egbedore, Iwo, Orolu, Ifedayo, Irepodun and Ede North LGAS, he said.

Specifically, food items and livestock were distributed to people as a campaign strategy employed by political parties.

The group said that voter inducement may undermine the legitimacy of electoral outcomes and create an unequal playing field for the aspirants.

Cult clashes

Mr James further said that they observed a sharp increase in activities of cult groups and physical violence during political campaigns.

Between July 6 and July 13, Yiaga Africa observers reported intra-cult clashes by the groups affiliated with the PDP in Gbemu Area/Isale Osun in Osogbo LGA. The intra-cult clashes are a result of the power tussle by the various cult groups within the party, he said.

Yiaga Africa also received a report that these cult groups are assembling small arms and light weapons ahead of the election.

In Ilesa East and Ilesa West LGAs the cult group known as Afiri Enibaa Boys have been demanding pay-outs from the APC & PDP and threatening to disrupt the conduct of the elections in these LGAS.

Yiaga Africa received a report from the Ojo-Oba area in Ifelodun of a clash after the Labour Party candidate gave his supporters money after a campaign activity in the area.

A fight ensued, leading to some people being attacked with machetes and sustaining severe injuries.

According to Cynthia Mbamalu, the groups programme manager, 500 observers have been deployed to assess the electoral process.

Yiaga Africa will be able to estimate the state-wide results for the governorship election within a narrow range based on well-established statistical principles, she said.

If INECs official results fall within Yiaga Africas estimated range, then the public, political parties and candidates should have confidence that the official results reflect the ballots cast at polling units; however, if the announced results have been manipulated and do not match the polling units results, Yiaga Africa will expose it.

Ms Mbamalu said the group will  consider a range of issues such as shortcomings in the pre-election period, the quality of Election Day processes, and the scale and scope of critical incidents to assess the integrity of the process.
Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State has emerged as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Cross River North Seat ahead of the 2023 elections.

Mr Ayade, who emerged unopposed, was elected at a fresh primary election at the Ogoja Local Government Area (LGA) of the state on Thursday.

The election followed the voluntary withdrawal of Martins Orim who won the ticket at the May 28, primaries.

Sameera Tabo, the chairperson of the APC Primary Election Committee for Cross River North, declared the governor winner with 252 votes.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the total votes cast were 255, while three votes were invalidated.

According to Tabo, following Mr Orims withdrawal, the fresh primary election was to ensure that the party fielded a candidate for Cross River North under the provisions of the Electoral Act.

In his acceptance speech, Mr Ayade expressed gratitude to the delegates for electing him.

He said that after running for the office of the president of Nigeria, he returned home and then came under pressure from his people to contest for senate.

They said I did very well when I was a Senator from 2011 to 2015 and insisted I go back; today I have answered their call.

Of course, they recognised that this country requires a legislator that has both executive and legislative experience.

I am very experienced, I know the challenges of our people and possess the essential elements that will help us make the appropriate laws and legislation that will change the narrative of our people, he said.

The governor said he was well equipped for the senate and would bring his wealth of experience to bear in the upper legislative chamber if elected.

(NAN)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has suspended the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise in a local government in Enugu State following an attack on officials.

The unnamed officials of the commission were attacked by gunmen on Wednesday at a community primary school in Umuozzi Ward 19 of Igboeze North Local Government Area of the state.

While no casualty was recorded, the national spokesperson of the INEC, Festus Okoye, said staff members sustained different degrees of injuries as a result of the attack.

He said the commission also lost two of its registration machines while staff involved in the attack lost personal belongings.

The gunmen fired sporadically into the air to disperse registrants and registration officials. In the ensuing stampede, one of our staff sustained injuries and is receiving treatment in a hospital.

However, two voter registration machines and personal items of the staff such as mobile phones were lost, he narrated.

Consequently, Ward level registration of voters in Igboeze North is hereby suspended, Mr Okoye said in a statement on Thursday.

Recurring decimal

Wednesdays attack is the second on the INEC branch in the Igboeze North LGA of Enugu State in July.

Yet to be identified arsonists on July 3 attacked the commissions office in the same LGA before setting the facility on fire.

The arsonists forced their way into the premises after overpowering security guards on duty.

No casualties were reported but 748 ballot boxes, 240 voting cubicles, office furniture and equipment were destroyed in the inferno created by the arsonists.

PREMIUM TIMES in May also reported an attack on the commission office in Igboeze South, a local government area close to where the latest attack occurred.
The Defence Headquarters says the troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have eliminated 42 Boko Haram insurgents in the past two weeks in the North-east.

The DHQ said 3,858 terrorists including six top commanders and their families surrendered to troops in the theatre of operation.

The Director, Defence Media Operations, Bernard Onyeuko, a major general, said this while reviewing the progress of the ongoing military campaign against insurgency on Thursday in Abuja.

He said that troops took the battle to Boko Haram terrorists/Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) enclaves with more coordinated operations.

He said the Air Component of OPHK on July 11 conducted an air interdiction operation at Tumbum Jaki and Tumbum Murhu near Lake Chad in Borno killing more than 21 terrorists.

Mr Onyeuko disclosed that the six terrorists commanders surrendered to troops at Gwoza.

He listed the surrendered commanders as Malam Mala Hassan (Wali), Ali Madagali (Munzur), Musa Bashir (Chief Anur), Buba Dahiru (Munzur), Jafar Hamma (Kaid) and Abbali Polisawa.

Also, about 3,858 Boko Haram terrorists and their families surrendered between July 1 and July 14, comprising 505 males, 1,042 females and 2,311 children, he said.

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The spokesperson said the troops also neutralised an unspecified number of terrorists in different encounters at Gamage village in Dikwa Local Government Area, Dikwa  Gamborou-Ngala road, Pulka  Gwale road in Borno during the period.

According to him, several terrorists logistics suppliers/collaborators have been arrested with different items at various locations within the theatre.

Among them were two women namely; Hauwa Gambo and Khadija Dirsa.

Consequently, troops neutralised 42 terrorists, arrested 10, captured 17 AK47 rifles, one QTC rifle, 1 RPG bomb, one RPG tube, five hand grenades, 120 rounds of 5.5mm and 54 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, he said.

Mr Onyeuko listed other items to include 151 rounds of 7.62mm NATO; 60 rounds of 12.7 108mm, two ammo links, five Dane guns, eight rounds of fabricated 7.62mm ammunition, one smoke grenade, two locally made explosives, 23 empty AK47 magazines, and five FN magazines.

He said the surrendered terrorists and their families were being profiled and documented while recovered items and apprehended suspected terrorists had been handed over to the appropriate authorities for further action.

(NAN)
The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) on Thursday announced a bishop, Isaac Idahosa, as the running mate of Rabiu Kwankwaso, for the 2023 presidential election.

The choice of Mr Idahosa came almost six weeks after the collapse of an alliance talk with Peter Obis Labour Party (LP).

Both NNPP and LP were earlier working on a possible way of aligning forces of Messrs Kwankwaso and Obi on the same ticket as presidential and vice presidential candidates.

The talks allegedly failed due to the inability of the two to reach a compromise on who should take the number one and two slots.

After a meeting on Thursday, the partys National Secretary, Dipo Olayoku, confirmed the development in a phone conversation.

He said the NNPP will release an official statement in respect to the news.

Mr Idahosa, an Edo State indigene, is a pastor at the popular Illumination Assembly.

Mr Obi has since picked a former senator, Yusuf Ahmed Datti, as his running mate.

The popular cleric was eventually nominated among the 20 candidates shortlisted for screening.

The spokesperson, Muyiwa Fatosa, said the choice of Mr Idahosa was largely informed by his outstanding record and integrity.

Idahosa was selected because of his outstanding record, his impeccable integrity, his broad understanding of the Nigerian State and its contemporary challenges, his undiluted commitment to improving the conditions of Nigerians, and his sincere believe that a New and Better Nigeria is possible if we work together with sincerity, tolerance, competence, and faith.

A self-made achiever and a credible Nigerian, Bishop Idahosa is also selected because he represents the definition of a true role-model for the Nigerian youth, Mr Fatosa said in a statement issued on Thursday.

The official unveiling of Mr Kwankwasos running mate will be held on Monday at the International Conference Centre in Abuja.
A Nigerian economist, Pat Utomi, has said the Labour Party (LP) has a better structure than the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Mr Utomi, a member of the LP, stated this when he appeared as a guest on Channels TVs programme, Politics Today, on Tuesday.

Labour Party has a super structure, much better than the structures APC and the PDP have, he said.

The Labour Party is built around the labour movement and a college of civil society organisations, Mr Utomi, a professor of political economics, added.

He said the alliance with the labour unions and civil society organisations will ensure victory for the LP in the 2023 presidential election.

He said the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress have political commissions in every state of the federation.

Peter Obi, a former Governor of Anambra State, is the presidential candidate of the LP for the 2023 general elections.

Mr Utomi, who was a major contender for the presidential ticket of the LP, stepped down and declared support for Mr Obi, who eventually won the partys presidential primary in Asaba, Delta State.

Since his emergence as the LP presidential candidate, political analysts have continued to argue that one of the greatest challenges to Mr Obis presidential ambition is his lack of a political structure.

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But Mr Utomi dismissed the argument saying that it was unfortunate that some people occupying public offices would steal money to rig elections and come back to ascribe the victory to the existence of political structures.

He said, with the structure that we have, I am guaranteeing that on the election day, in every polling station in this country, there are at least 15 people who are standing up for the Third Force (Movement) to support the Labour Party candidate.

The 66-year-old Delta-born politician said he was around during the formation of the PDP in 1998 and then the APC in 2014, but was convinced that the two parties were not capable of leading Nigeria to become a better country.

Faulty structures

Mr Utomi said the structuring of the two political parties were faulty from the outset and that they lacked a clear plan to offer quality leadership in the country.

It became clear to me that the nature of the structures of the APC and the PDP is such that it was about transactions  you give, I take.

It was all really about self. No ability to throw up leadership that sees Nigeria where it is going and works to deliver Nigeria in that direction. It was about who gets what and who shares what. Thats why production fell off the shelf and got substituted with sharing, he said.

Mr Utomi faulted the prevalent politics of sharing among public office holders in Nigeria, arguing that the country cannot move forward in such a society where sharing has been prioritised over production.

No country has grown rich from sharing. But the nature of PDP and the APC is about sharing and that guarantees that Nigeria will fail as a country, he said.

He said although Nigeria was a producing country in the 1950s and 1960s, the struggle by some leaders to develop their regions better than their counterparts harmed the consciousness of production in the country.

By the time we got the new civilian regime of 1999, it was a strong part of the culture. Then, it was clear in my head that the only way we could make progress is to disrupt (the system). Thats why I began to work on this idea of Third Force Movement, Mr Utomi said.
The ECOWAS Court of Justice in Abuja, on Thursday, declared as unlawful last years suspension of Twitter by the Muhammadu Buhari government, ordering the government to desist from such an illegal act in the future.

The court ruled that suspending the operations of Twitter is unlawful and inconsistent with the provisions of Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, both of which Nigeria is a state party, according to a statement by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).

SERAP and 176 concerned Nigerians had filed the suit to challenge the suspension of Twitters operations in Nigeria in June last year.

The ban came after Twitter deleted a tweet by Mr Buhari.

The Nigerian government and officials of Twitter held talks which led to the lifting of the suspension in January this year, ending the ban that lasted about seven months.

While the talks were going on, the Nigerian government locked horns with SERAP and 176 others in a legal battle at the ECOWAS Court.

SERAP and the other plaintiffs alleged in the suit that the ban on Twitter violated their various right to freedom of expression and others.

The Nigerian government, on its part, urged the court to dismiss the suit, saying the regional court lacked the jurisdiction to hear it.

But the ECOWAS Court, in its judgement, on Thursday, affirmed it had jurisdiction to entertain the suit.

The Buhari administration in suspending the operations of Twitter violates the rights of SERAP and 176 concerned Nigerians to the enjoyment of freedom of expression, access to information and the media, as well as the right to fair hearing, the court held.

The court also ordered the Buhari administration to take necessary steps to align its policies and other measures to give effect to the rights and freedoms, and to guarantee a non-repetition of the unlawful ban on Twitter.

The Court also ordered the Buhari administration to bear the costs of the proceedings and directed the Deputy Chief Registrar to assess the costs accordingly.

Suit

SERAP and the 176 other concerned Nigerians had in suit marked ECW/CCJ/APP/23/21, argued that The suspension of Twitter is aimed at intimidating and stopping Nigerians from using Twitter and other social media platforms to assess government policies, expose corruption, and criticize acts of official impunity by the agents of the Federal Government.

They contended that the free communication of information and ideas about public and political issues between citizens and elected representatives is essential, urging the court declare the governments action unlawful.

Drawing the courts attention to the losses being incurred by businesses in Nigeria as a result of the ban, the plaintiffs said, The arbitrary action by the Federal Government and its agents have negatively impacted millions of Nigerians who carry on their daily businesses and operational activities on Twitter.

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They said Twitters suspension was arbitrary as there is no law in Nigeria today permitting the prosecution of people simply for peacefully exercising their human rights through Twitter and other social media platforms.

The implication of the decline in freedom of expression in Nigeria is that the country is today ranked alongside countries hostile to human rights and media freedom such as Afghanistan, Chad, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Zimbabwe and Colombia.

But the Nigerian government argued in February that with the lifting of the suspension of Twitter operations, the suit had lost its purpose and amounted to an academic exercise.

But the court noted that the lawyers representing the Nigerian government only filed the application for the dismissal of the suit after the suit had been adjourned for judgement.

It added that the Nigerian government did not provide evidence of the agreement it reached with Twitter management as evidence of resolution of the issue.

Background

The federal government, on June 4, 2021, announced the suspension of the platform in Nigeria through the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed.

The government, through the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, subsequently threatened to arrest and prosecute anyone using the microblogging site in the country, while the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) asked all broadcast stations to suspend the patronage of Twitter.

Justifying its action, the government had insisted Twitter was using its platform as a channel for disseminating fake news against Nigerias corporate existence.

After being criticised for bypassing the federal governments ban on Twitter, Mr Malami, denied threatening to prosecute Nigerians still tweeting on the microblogging site.

Mr Malamis denial came days after he unknowingly exposed himself in a Facebook post which showed he too had bypassed the Twitter ban like many other Nigerians.

He, however, reiterated the governments position on the ban.

But our position on Twitter is clear: Anyone, whether individual or corporate institution that enables Twitter to circumvent the ban the Federal Government of Nigeria placed on the company, will be prosecuted.

Reactions to Twitter ban

The suspension of Twitter by the Nigerian government drew criticisms locally and from foreign governments and organisations, among whom were Nigerias allies.

The European Union (EU) and the four countries  the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States of America, and the Republic of Ireland  issued a joint statement through their diplomatic missions in Nigeria expressing their disappointment over the Nigerian governments suspension of the social media platform.

The joint statement added to the growing condemnation which the ban on Twitter and move to impose licensing requirements on other social media in Nigeria attracted.

In their joint statement, the diplomatic missions expressed their support for human rights of free expression and access to information.

According to them, the rights applied both online and offline.

Interim relief

About three weeks after the ban was announced in June last year, the court gave a reprieve to Twitter users.

The court ruling on an interlocutory application issued an interim order restraining the government of President Muhammadu Buhari and its agents from unlawfully imposing sanctions or doing anything whatsoever to harass, intimidate, arrest or prosecute Twitter and/or any other social media service provider(s), media houses, radio and television broadcast stations, the Plaintiffs and other Nigerians who are Twitter users, pending the hearing and determination of this suit.

Twitter ban lifted

After seven months of the ban, the Nigerian government in January, announced it had lifted the restriction on the micro-blogging site.

Before the ban was lifted, the government announced that Twitter had agreed to register as a corporate entity in Nigeria, among other conditions that preceded its reversal of the restriction.

The ban on Twitter, costing Nigerian businesses billions of naira, was condemned by many Nigerians, civic groups and the international community, but the government claimed that many agreements had been reached with the social media platform ready to comply.

The government claimed Twitter had committed to establishing a legal entity in Nigeria during the first quarter of 2022.

The legal entity, it said, will register with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

Similarly, it said the social media platform has agreed to appoint a designated country representative to interface with Nigerian authorities.

Twitter reportedly agreed to comply with applicable tax obligations on its operations under Nigerian law.

The federal government said the company also agreed to give its officials the ability to take down tweets it considers a threat to the countrys security.

Twitter wrote on its public policy account that it was delighted with the restoration of its services in Nigeria.

While expressing delight at the restoration of its services in Nigeria, it has yet to comment on the governments claims.

The restriction had pushed Nigerians in the country to accessing Twitter with the aid of a Virtual Private Network (VPN).

Following the lifting of the ban, many Nigerians are reacting in different ways, most attributing the decision to lift the ban to the upcoming general election in 2023 and the governments intention to use the platform for its campaign.
Really, I black out when conversations oscillate around religion and ethnicity. I think the issues we should be interrogating at this time are: Security, Economy, Education, Healthcare, Infrastructure. I would rather assess the presidential hopefuls by their blueprint on these fundamentals which directly affect me than flagellate over religion.

On the cusp of every political evolution in Nigeria, there is often a trafficking of recriminations  The North is scheming to dominate the South, and the South is angling to outwit the North. Syrupy conjectures and time-tested misconceptions. Crisis merchandisers are at their best stoking tension, as conspiracy theories of Islamisation surge in the public grid.

We will always have conspiracy theories and crisis merchandisers  for as long as unity and mutual trust remain elusive.

Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, has set off a tinderbox of reactions by his choice of a running mate  Kashim Shettima, a former governor of Borno State. Ordinarily, there should be no hue and cry over his decision. He is at liberty to decide who to walk and work with. But Nigeria has been diametrically sundered by years of attrition, hate-bartering and exhausting recriminations. Undoubtedly, the psychological mutilations from these years of anger will shape up to be the frustrations of the next administration.

Should Tinubu relinquish his right to choose a running mate he believes is loyal, competent and can help him win the presidential election, so as to pacify those threatening Armageddon? I do not think it will be fair to relieve him of carte blanche in this regard. He is only a presidential candidate, and not yet the president. If he becomes the president in 2023, then it becomes a bounden and inescapable obligation for him to abide, through and through, by the constitutional stipulations of federal character.

Tinubu is one whose leadership antecedents are a staple of public discourse. Religious or ethnic bigotry is not in the trove of the famous allegations against him. As governor of Lagos, Tinubu had a diverse cabinet; in fact, he is reputed to be one of the few governors who appointed non-natives, including Igbos, to their cabinet at the time  when bringing non-indigenes into State cabinets or government positions was unsexy.

The truth is, Nigerians are hurting from the exclusivist style of governance of the current administration and are afraid of a reprise of their agonies; hence the outcry. It will be imprudent to dismiss the concerns of the Christian community who have endured the tragedies of kidnapping, killings, desecration of places of worship and other assaults on their existence by Islamist terrorists. Their agitations are born out of the realities of the times. Priests are being kidnapped in what appears to be a targeted hit. Only a few weeks ago, terrorists attacked a church in Owo, Ondo State, killing about 40 people, including children. So, it will be injudicious to shrug off the apprehension of the Christian community on the Muslim-Muslim ticket.

However, Tinubu is one whose leadership antecedents are a staple of public discourse. Religious or ethnic bigotry is not in the trove of the famous allegations against him. As governor of Lagos, Tinubu had a diverse cabinet; in fact, he is reputed to be one of the few governors who appointed non-natives, including Igbos, to their cabinet at the time  when bringing non-indigenes into State cabinets or government positions was unsexy.

I watched the interview of Sam Ayedogbon, senior apostolic leader at Realm of Glory International Churches, on Arise TV, on Tuesday. The pastor railed against Tinubus choice of a running mate, but said something profound about the APC presidential candidate. He said when Tinubu was governor of Lagos, a church was to be demolished for certain official reasons, but he protested against it to the governor. He said Tinubu invited him to explain the reasons for the planned exercise, but he declined to meet with him. According to Pastor Ayedogbon: But the church was no longer demolished.

Really, I black out when conversations oscillate around religion and ethnicity. I think the issues we should be interrogating at this time are: Security, Economy, Education, Healthcare, Infrastructure. I would rather assess the presidential hopefuls by their blueprint on these fundamentals which directly affect me than flagellate over religion.

He should, going forward, begin to show prospects of inclusion and of sensitivity to diversity in his disposition, plans and policy paradigms. It is important that he shows that there will be no perpetuation of the current administrations exclusivist proclivities, which deepen national strife and insecurity.

I believe Tinubu has his work cut out for him. He should reach out to the Christian community, their leaders and groups with tactile assurances, and that if he becomes president, he will build a country where all Nigerians can exist under justice, equity, peace and harmony, and where no one will be excluded on the basis of religion or ethnicity.

He should, going forward, begin to show prospects of inclusion and of sensitivity to diversity in his disposition, plans and policy paradigms. It is important that he shows that there will be no perpetuation of the current administrations exclusivist proclivities, which deepen national strife and insecurity.

Let me synopsise my thoughts with this poignant paragraph from The Broken Truths; Nigerias Quest for National Cohesion, a book by Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah. He wrote ever so candidly: God created us for a purpose and meaning in life. He is the Lord of History and time. However, for us Nigerians, God has become the greatest excuse for the inefficiency, corruption, and shameful degrading life of our people today. We are over 90 percent Christians and Muslims in Nigeria, but there is nowhere in the world where religion has become an incubus, a burden, and a source of dreadful violence as it has in Nigeria. Our leaders are constantly kneeling before pastors and imams seeking blessings while the rest of the world is moving on, drawing inspiration from sweat, brains and brawn without evoking God. We, on the other hand, evoke God to witness to our corruption and outright larceny.

Fredrick Nwabufo a.k.a Mr OneNigeria is a writer and journalist.
As the Nigerian government grapples with Stockholm syndrome, as evident in the lingering ASUU strike, it is obvious that rationality matters. Bureaucrats should not be allowed to advise the government. Instead, a strong Nudge team is needed for this task. ASUU will surely fail when it fails to accept knowledge based solutions.

It is my turn (emulating the Jagaban) to write on the lingering strike that has dwarfed the Nigerian public university system. The Federal Government is yet to understand that, fifty gazelles do not equal an elephant (based on the PNAS article of February 4, 2020 by Faith and colleagues). In other words, the government is lethargic and unperturbed by the cumulative impacts of letting down the ivory tower. The university is a big brother to all other public agencies that the hand of the government feeds. The prosperity of China, Singapore, and South Korea is not unconnected with their huge investments in universities and the research and development sector. God forbid, should the Nigerian government disengage employees at a number of other sectors, it would be easier to replace most of them from the reserve army of job seekers from within Nigeria. But it would be tall order to do the same with a university system. Assuredly, even professors from neighbouring Sahelian countries (Chad, Mali, Niger) would flatly reject Nigerias current university pay and working conditions.

Recently, I took part in recruiting Nigerians, a Chadian and a Nigerien early career researcher on behalf of a United Kingdom based university to work in the three countries for a certain climate change and conflict research activity in Lake Chad. The Chadian took the job simply because he had been working with the main UK researcher (a Nigerian working in the UK). The pay is surely higher than what obtains in the Nigerian system. Unsurprisingly, the recruited Nigerien eventually rejected the offer. Why? A fresh employee at many agencies like the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and dozens of others, earns more than an academic who has been on the job for close to 10 years. The best way to escape poverty in the Nigerian academia is to have a high H-Index, be around the corridors of power on the campus, or in the Mother Government itself. Those not so confident about the system need to hover around developing personal businesses. Every university worth its name brings into its fold different specialists and experts in academics, administration, finance and strategy and each category is indispensable in the 21stcentury university.

Concerning the ongoing strike, I recently got novel insights into understanding the mindsets of the government and the Nigerian society at large. It is like Nigerians have given up on the university. As such, I am writing this opinion to somehow dissect where we as a country got it (very) wrong. The university is just one unit within the larger ecosystem of public institutions. Hence, calling it an elephant worth 50 gazelles. The gazelles are the other organisations in the private and public sectors. Paradoxically, the Nigerian government finds it easier to starve and punish university staff because the society and the government suffer from a phenomenon called Stockholm syndrome. This is a kind of stress and trauma driven psychological disorder or condition in which victims irrationally and unknowingly fall in love with their abusers and see nothing wrong with them. Such persons rarely see anything good in their benefactors or saviours.

No doubt, Nigerian universities are prosumers (producers and consumers) and many others  specifically the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Nigerian National Petroluem Corporation (NNPC) and family, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and most security apparatuses  are mass consumers with apparently too little yield to show for the value of monies they received. Yet, for the government so much loves them, it romantically gives them more and more funds every time.

I will try to discursively harp on how society and the government exhibit tendencies of Stockholm syndrome. Now, I recall that after a months-long strike that started in 2020 and lasted into 2021, the public universities commenced another jerky journey. I want to presume that from the time Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) called off its strike in 2021 to the time it indulged in the current strike, many positive things have happened. A set of students were graduated, convocations were held, conferences, workshops were held and papers were published and new grants were awarded. Thanks to the Federal Government for releasing funds that enabled universities to operate to the current strike bus stop. At least, even without adequate funding, one can say there is some level of value for money (VFM) for the universities to deliver some activities and contributions to the countrys growth and development in the last one year. VFM is making sure organisations deliver best results from their expenditures. Personally, I believe that it is farfetched if anyone assumes that the majority of public universities have judiciously used such resources for optimum efficiency, effectiveness or their productivity has created mighty outcomes. VFM is an issue that I often encounter when handling foreign research grants. If funders consider that your project fails the balance between VFM, research impacts and good outcomes, then forget it.

No doubt, Nigerian universities are prosumers (producers and consumers) and many others  specifically the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Nigerian National Petroluem Corporation (NNPC) and family, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and most security apparatuses  are mass consumers with apparently too little yield to show for the value of monies they received. Yet, for the government so much loves them, it romantically gives them more and more funds every time. Isnt this a manifestation of Stockholm syndrome? None of the refineries work and the government (parliament inclusive) approves their luxurious budgets. Interestingly, the disorder does not appear when it comes to the universities. For instance, the government is quick to sanction university staff by stopping their salaries but is unwilling to punish those who import adulterated fuel that causes vehicles to break down and who created a long lasting fuel crisis in the country recently.

Sections of the media, civil society, and the legislature have been vociferous about sex-for-marks lecturers (still good) but, almost everyone is listless about the young ladies that banks send out daily as marketers, with targets to meet at whatever cost (hoping someone is working to end this). Nobody cares about them and other sexually exploited ladies in public offices, enterprises, airports, hotels and malls. The Stockholm syndrome screens the country from seeing all others but rowdy lecturers; and I insist it is good to flush the evil lecturers out of the system. Methinks, but I stand to be corrected, the Nigerian corporate world is more aligned to sex-for-everything, than the university, which is supposed to be fighting sexism at the moment, rather than sexual abuses. Does the Nigeria Police also suffer from Stockholm syndrome? In 2017, Premium Times authoritatively reported that police operatives were offering protection to Abdulrashid Maina, the man accused of depleting and embezzling the Nigeria Police pension funds.

It is irrational for any government and society to allow a persistent culture of strike to be the most defining feature of its university system. Who will counsel the government? I am not sure if the conciliatory gestures of eminent groups of people like Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) or any other ad hoc committee can find an elixir.

The Stockholm syndrome makes all of us vulnerable to abuses by the strong and powerful. One of the commercial banks that are my bankers pluck my deposits from left and right, top and bottom and from the centre in the name of phantom charges. The latest was on 28th of June, when the sum of N20,406.00 in the name of internet services (I hope I or they are wrong). But the truth of the matter is that the reckless charges on the citizens are made possible by the fact that the CBN does not do its job. Those accused of mishandling public funds to the tune of N80 billion remain local heroes, that the high and lowly placed persons defend, escort, and pray for them. Arent all these evidence of the manifestation of a deep Stockholm syndrome? Who is ashamed to sink more money into the power sector whose best trademark is grid collapse?

It is irrational for any government and society to allow a persistent culture of strike to be the most defining feature of its university system. Who will counsel the government? I am not sure if the conciliatory gestures of eminent groups of people like Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) or any other ad hoc committee can find an elixir. It seems to me that if our governments value the advice of science or knowledge driven governance, then we can solve the issue at once. Behavioural economists and psychologists have in recent years established solid knowledge on human irrationalities in the government decision-making and choice architecture. Today, governments employ teams of psychological economists to help them arrive at possibly the best decisions. Those groups of invisible experts (called Nudge Team, Nudge Corner etc.) are supportive of governments in many countries. In the United Kingdom, they occupy small offices at the Whitehall. Putin has his Nudge team. Politicians use the Nudge experts to help them escape public and employee biases to arrive at the best possible decisions to solve particular nagging problems. As the Nigerian government grapples with Stockholm syndrome, as evident in the lingering ASUU strike, it is obvious that rationality matters. Bureaucrats should not be allowed to advise the government. Instead, a strong Nudge team is needed for this task. ASUU will surely fail when it fails to accept knowledge based solutions.

Aliyu Barau is an associate professor at Bayero University Kano.
the position of a vice president is like an extra tyre of a car. Unless something substantially happens to the tyres already affixed to the vehicle, no role is assigned to the extra tyre! For instance, I am yet to see how the position of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has improved the standard of living of Nigerian Christians in the past seven years. For reasons best known to him, he has found it difficult, if not impossible, to condemn the merciless and confirmed massacre of Christians all over the country in recent times.

Nigeria is at crossroads, and Nigerians have been thrown into an unprecedented state of confusion. Never in the history of our beleaguered nation has religion been used as an instrument of division by someone who is supposed to use his position to unify the citizenry.

Unfortunately, since the infamous mantra of I belong to nobody., Nigerians with the spirit of discernment have come to realise that nothing could be more deceptive. During the buildup to the 2015 presidential election, the major instrument of negative campaigns against the candidacy of General Muhammadu Buhari (as he then was, and evidently still is) was his insatiable appetite for and disposition towards nepotism. This negative trait was highlighted at every given opportunity by his political adversaries. To my surprise, but not to the surprise of those who claimed to have known him like the back of their hands, his first set of appointments proved the critics right. Since then, he has never looked back, from his inherent disposition towards favouritism, irrespective of what anyone else may think. It never bothered him. It, therefore, did not take long before I retraced my footsteps! I foresaw continuing support for him ending in tears for Nigeria and Nigerians, as it has unfortunately turned out to be.

When the issue of the AK47-wielding criminal elements within the herders (both local and foreign) first came up, it was naturally expected that the president, who claimed to belong to nobody, would come out and make a policy statement to stem the ugly tide, but what did we see, our dear president, not surprisingly, decided to look the other way! It then became apparent to all and sundry that Nigerians had been sold a dummy by claiming that President Muhammadu Buhari belonged to nobody. Ever since, the seeds of discord surreptitiously and unnecessarily planted between the Christians and Muslims in the country have continued to germinate at lightning speed. His ability to speak to Sunday Igboho and Nnamdi Kanu (in far away Kenya) in languages that they understood proved that he could speak to anyone or persons in the language that they understand if he considers it a task that must be done. It is just a matter of where there is a will; there must be a way!

Ordinarily, what should fully engage the minds of Nigerians concerning who assumes positions of leadership in the public sphere at this critical time, should be competence, as opposed to religious leanings. This becomes imperative in a country with more church- and mosque-goers than real Christians and authentic Muslims! A country where both Christians and Muslims pray before they start meetings, tell lies at those meetings, and still end those meetings with prayers! I am not sure we have had an idol worshipper as the countrys prime minister, head of state, or president since independence. It has always been either a Muslim or a Christian. Regrettably enough, the present level of decadence, despondency, helplessness, and hopelessness is where those who claimed to be adherents of both religions have led the country.

Unfortunately, the present realities have boxed everyone into a religious corner, with the fear of domination brought to the fore by the events of the past seven years, where some people who claim to be adherents of religions appear to have been licensed to kill without caution! One then finds it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to assert that the fears of domination by some sections of Christendom are misplaced.

Under normal circumstances (and circumstances are not always normal in Nigeria), what should be of paramount importance is the competence, integrity, and suitability of the aspirants! Nevertheless, today, what is engaging the minds of everyone is religion! On a personal note, I have not seen what changes religion has brought to the Muslims in the Northern part of the country, where most of Nigerias past leaders came from. We are now talking of the first prime minister, Tafawa Balewa, Murtala Mohammed, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, General Muhammadu Buhari (as military head of state), General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, General Sanni Abacha, Umar YarAdua and President Muhammadu Buhari as a civilian president. These are all Muslims. They did not elevate the standard of living of the downtrodden Muslim masses to an acceptable minimum, and the result is there for all to see at the moment. Even for the Northern Christians, I am yet to be provided with concrete evidence of how about nine years of General Gowons tenure impacted the standard of living of Northern Christians. Coming Southwards, General Olusegun Obasanjo (rtd) has ruled both as a military head of state and as a civilian president. Goodluck Jonathan has had his period, both as a Christian leader, not forgetting the interim era! I am yet to be provided with evidence of how their tenures benefitted Christians in the country to the exclusion of others. The traditionalists do not even have a say in all these!

Unfortunately, the present realities have boxed everyone into a religious corner, with the fear of domination brought to the fore by the events of the past seven years, where some people who claim to be adherents of religions appear to have been licensed to kill without caution! One then finds it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to assert that the fears of domination by some sections of Christendom are misplaced. It is gratifying to note, however, that the current search for the leadership of the Conservative Party in the U.K. is devoid of any religious or ethnic coloration!

I have read several opinions about Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubus (ABATs) choice of a Muslim as his vice-presidential candidate during the 2023 presidential election slated for February next year. ABAT has won many political battles in his lifetime mainly due to his political sagacity and other unproven factors. However, head or tail, the current battle is such that he cannot win. Already, we have seen how some Christians and other political adversaries have reacted to the choice. It would be tantamount to self-deception for anyone to think that if he had chosen a Christian, the choice would have been acceptable to everyone.

this piece has not been put together to endorse ABATs candidacy! Far from it! My experience with the candidacy of General Muhammad Buhari in 2015 has taught me never to stake my integrity on any politician in Nigeria. President Buhari has disappointed me at the federal level. Governor Kayode Fayemi has disappointed me in Ekiti State! I have come to the inevitable but realistic conclusion that Nigerian politicians do not run insane until they assume power.

However, come to think of it, the position of a vice president is like an extra tyre of a car. Unless something substantially happens to the tyres already affixed to the vehicle, no role is assigned to the extra tyre! For instance, I am yet to see how the position of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has improved the standard of living of Nigerian Christians in the past seven years. For reasons best known to him, he has found it difficult, if not impossible, to condemn the merciless and confirmed massacre of Christians all over the country in recent times. In other words, the position of a vice president benefits the occupant and his retinue of political jobbers and family members. No more, no less!

In a nutshell, I do not envy ABAT in the present circumstances. Whichever decision he took, it would not have been acceptable to everyone.

Let me end this epistle by saying that this piece has not been put together to endorse ABATs candidacy! Far from it! My experience with the candidacy of General Muhammad Buhari in 2015 has taught me never to stake my integrity on any politician in Nigeria. President Buhari has disappointed me at the federal level. Governor Kayode Fayemi has disappointed me in Ekiti State! I have come to the inevitable but realistic conclusion that Nigerian politicians do not run insane until they assume power. Anyone apart from their political hangers-on who puts his integrity at stake for them does so at his/her peril. Obasanjo promised to deal with the erratic power supply within two years upon his assumption of office in 1999. However, the sector remains one of the worst (maybe next to insecurity) in Nigeria today. That is about twenty-three years after! On my part, its fingers (and toes) crossed. My prayer is that one day, just one day, a Gorbachev would emerge on Nigerias political scene to do the needful to the confusing system!

We evidently and realistically cannot continue like this.

Caleb Arogundade, a legal consultant and former company secretary/legal adviser, writes from London, United Kingdom.
Natural and material resources dont grow wealth, its visionary leadership that does. This is what Tinubu brought to Lagos, and its what made the difference. Nigeria needs Bola Ahmed Tinubu now like never before.

If He Could Build Lagos To Be Richer than 50 African Countries, Then He Is the Man

Today, Lagos is richer than 50 out of the 55 countries in the continent of Africa. A man who survived as the governor of a Nigerian state without the normal monthly Federal Government allocations to the local government administrations of the State must truly be special. We all know that even with the monthly allocations from Abuja, many States still fail to cope with their responsibilities. Some of them cannot even pay ordinary salaries to workers of their states, not to talk of making developmental strides. This was not the case with Tinubu when Obasanjo kept the money from Abuja from him, he rather thrived, thanks to some incredible ingenuity in financial management.

Listen now, he not only survived, he went ahead to do something our country had not seen before or after him. He was able to increase the internal revenue generation of the State from a paltry N600 million monthly, to N51 billion today.

It is said that if Lagos was a country, itll be number five by GDP as of 2016, thanks to its $146 billion economy. As of 2016, this was bigger than the economies of Ghana, Cameroon, Kenya, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Senegal, Congo, etc.

Lagos didnt become this successful because it gets more money from Abuja than other States. The States with the biggest allocations are in the South-South and their people still run to Lagos to survive.

Lagos didnt become this wealthy through proceeds from its natural resources like oil, gas etc. Even in States that receive 13 per cent of all our nations wealth, youll learn a different story.

Natural and material resources dont grow wealth, its visionary leadership that does. This is what Tinubu brought to Lagos, and its what made the difference. Nigeria needs Bola Ahmed Tinubu now like never before.

Friends, this is the type of man Ill like to see manage the affairs of our beloved country.

May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and may all her haters live long to witness it.

For the love of God, church and nation.

Sunday Adelaja, the senior pastor of the Embassy of the Blessed Kingdom of God for All Nations, writes from Kyiv, Ukraine.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has commended the Jennifer Etuh Foundation (JEF) for donating a specialist hospital and skills acquisition centre to Mallagum Kagoro community in Kaduna State.

Jonathan, who has been partnering with the foundation since it was inaugurated two years ago, gave the commendation on Monday during the inauguration of the hospital, built by the foundation in memory of late Mrs Jennifer Ramatu Etuh, wife of the Chairman of JEF, Mr Thomas Etuh.

At the ceremony, Jonathan, who was represented by a former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim, commended Etuh for keeping up with the legacies of caring for the underprivileged by his late wife.

The hospital, which has a 50-bed capacity, will be managed by Bingham University, while the skills acquisition centre will be managed by the Family Worship Centre, pastored by Sarah Omakwu.

The establishment of the hospital is part of the vision of late Mrs Jennifer Etuh to provide accessible and affordable world-class healthcare services to women and children in rural communities.

The hospital is located on a 12-hectare land area with an outpatient department, three consulting rooms, a pharmacy, an antenatal, special care baby unit, an intensive care unit, labour/delivery room, cervical cancer screening room, mammogram section among others.

The skill acquisition centre, on the other hand, has a beauty salon, art and craft as well as catering tutorials sections for vocational trainings.

Jonathan said: By this project, you have touched the heart of humanity. You have made impact where it is most felt and I have no doubt that our departed sister, your wife, is living her life all over again through those that will be positively affected by these projects.

He said that the philanthropic work of the foundation would benefit the entire people of Kaduna and beyond and urged the managers of the facility to ensure that the hospital was affordable for the people to use.

In his speech during the occasion, Chairman of the Foundation, Mr Thomas Etuh, said the project was to fulfill the aspirations of his late wife, whose intention was to establish hospitals in the six geopolitical zones to cater to the needs of women and children.

He said JEFs first project was the establishment of a Medical Centre in Odu Ogboyega, Dekina LGA, Kogi State, commissioned on Jan. 26, 2022, with the one inaugurated in Kaduna as the second.

Etuh said four additional hospitals will be established in Imo, Gombe, Osun and Cross River states in the near future, in fulfillment of this vision.

The third hospital will be commissioned in Osun, on the 3rd anniversary of her death.

Also speaking on the laudable project, the Chief of Kagoro, Dr Ufuwai Bonet, commended the state government for permitting the construction of the hospital.

I believe that as the operations take off, the state government will complement that effort of the Foundation.

The community remains grateful to the indigenes, who voluntarily gave their lands without asking for any compensation, the traditional ruler stated.
The President/Chairman of Council of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Dr. Ken Okpara, FCIB has said the Institute will partner the Association of Corporate Affairs Managers of Banks (ACAMB) to further project and protect the image of the banking sector in Nigeria.

The CIBN boss explained that the partnership became necessary to further reposition and sanitise the banking industry as well as guard it against fraudsters who are tarnishing the names of Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) in the country.

Okpara, who took over CIBNs leadership on May 21, stated this on Wednesday when he played host to the executive committee of the Association of Corporate Affairs Managers of Banks (ACAMB) who paid him, the CIBN Council and Executive Management, a courtesy visit at Bankers House, Victoria Island, Lagos.

In his welcome address to the visiting ACAMB executives, Okpara acknowledged the symbolic relationship between the two professional bodies while calling for synergy between the duo to further reposition the banking industry for increased impact.

According to him, it is high time bankers took narrative of the developments in the industry by showcasing its strides and also reorienting the public on how to avoid fraudulent pitfalls in their daily banking transactions.

The CIBN President said to achieve this, the institute will partner ACAMB to explore running a specialised radio programme that will provide verified information and enlightenment to members of the public.

He stated further that the proposed radio programme will be owned by all the banks, thereby using it as a voice for continuous projection of their interests.

The need to showcase the positive strides and image of the banking industry and the re-orientation of the public on this, is now paramount. We will have a forum to speak on and correct issues as they unfold through different avenue including radio programmes. With that, we will be able to provide information, enlightenment, happenings in the industry, financial inclusion, financial literacy, cybercrimes, frauds, etc to the general public, Okpara noted.

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He disclosed that in the long run, the institute will consider the establishment of a Bankers radio station to the advantage of the banking public.

Going forward, we would explore the possibility of floating a Bankers Radio through the CIBN. This will provide continuous public enlightenment, Banker-Customer forum/platform, customers protection, consumer advocacy, etc. he said.

Commending ACAMB as a worthy partner through the years, Okpara said the association has been living up to its expectation of projecting the banking industry positively despite the challenges.

He specifically appreciated ACAMB for the strong visibility support it gave the last Annual Banking & Finance Conference and ask for more for all the initiatives his administration will undertake. He also disclosed that the institute will be partnering ACAMB to host CIBN-ACAMB regular media engagement.

According to him, the engagement will help cover issues ranging from bank charges, malpractices, humongous profits and other issues of concern to the banking public.

ACAMB has been wonderful with the projection of the Banking Industry nationwide, and due to this, we will be partnering with ACAMB to institute and host regular CIBN-ACAMB Media engagement.

The media engagement will help cover all discussions on bank charges, malpractices, banks turnover components, contributions and other issues which are of concern to the people, the CIBN boss explained.

While urging all the banks on the need to continue to work together and tackle issues as a team, Okpara said: There should be no demarketing, because what affects one, affects all.

He implored ACAMB to continue to give their support to the Institute as well as the banking sector in general.

Responding on behalf of the executive committee members, the ACAMB President, Mr. Rasheed Bolarinwa, affirmed the associations strong commitment to the advancement of the institute and the banking sector at large.

He also availed the CIBN President of ACAMBs forthcoming signature 1st National Stakeholders Conference between the Banking Industry and Organised Private Sector (OPS) slated for August 3.

According to him, the conference is aimed at developing a synergy between the two critical sectors to rebound the national economy.

Bolarinwa also thanked the CIBN boss for the institutes support for ACAMB over the years and especially accepting to be a Guest Speaker at the forthcoming OPS Conference.
Three persons, including a police officer, were shot on Thursday, when robbers attacked some bank customers along Bank Road in Umuahia, Abia State.

The incident happened in the early hours of the day.

The robbers, said to be operating in a Toyota Corolla SUV, fired multiple gun shots in the air, forcing business centres and private offices to shut down abruptly.

A resident of the area told PREMIUM TIMES there are frequent robberies in the area, apparently because of the many commercial banks there.

She said when the incident happened, many people were calling their loved ones to keep away from the area to avoid being hit by stray bullets.

The police spokesperson in Abia State, Geoffrey Ogbonna, confirmed the incident to PREMIUM TIMES.

He said the attack was carried out by a three-man gang that specialises in trailing customers from commercial banks with intent to rob them.

He said no bank was attacked, and that commercial banks were not the targets.

The police spokesperson, however, said the attack was foiled by police operatives on patrol who intercepted the robbers and engaged them in a shoot-out.

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The armed robbers abandoned their operational vehicle and escaped.

They snatched another vehicle which aided their escape, he said.

Mr Ogbonna said no life was lost, but that three persons, including a police officer, were hit by stray bullets.

To the glory of God, there were no fatalities, even though three people were injured, including one of our men in that team, Mr Ogbonna said.

Aside from the officer, the other two victims have been identified as a female health officer, Apollos Theresa, and another woman, Chimuanya Joy.

The police spokesperson said the injured persons were receiving medical treatment in an undisclosed hospital in the state.

One AK-47 rifle, one machete and the abandoned vehicle used by the robbers, were among the items recovered during the operation, according to the police.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) clashed on Thursday after the latter accused the ruling party of denying them the use of several venues for their rallies.

The development comes as political parties hold their last rallies in the state ahead of the July 16 governorship poll.

Out of 15 aspirants, Governor Gboyega Oyetola of the APC, Ademola Adeleke of the PDP, Yusuf Lasun of the Labour Party, Oyegoke Omigbodun of the SDP, and Akin Ogunbiyi of the Accord Party are seen as the major contenders.

On Wednesday, 13 parties, including the APC and PDP, signed a peace accord in Osogbo, promising to eschew violence before, during, and after the election.

Olawale Rasheed, Mr Adelekes media director, told PREMIUM TIMES that the governor blocked us from using the stadium, the Freedom Park and Technical college for no reason.

Mr Rasheed said they confronted the governor over his refusal to allow them to access the venue but he claimed not to be aware. The buck stops on the Governors table.

We were denied usage of a public space, he added.

Ajibola Bashiru, a senator and the director-general of the Gboyega Oyetola Campaign, said the PDPs claims are untrue.

Governor is not in charge of the stadium. The stadium management is in charge, he said.

The locking up of the stadium in Osogbo forced the PDP to move their mega rally to the party secretariat in the capital, according to Diran Adeyemi, a chieftain of the party.
Two-thirds (63%) of Saudi youth say their country's relations with the US will improve under President Biden; the rest believe it will remain the same

70% of young Saudis have a 'very' or 'somewhat' favourable view of the president

Saudi youth are more likely to say the US is an ally now than at any point in the last five years

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- An overwhelming majority (92%) of young Saudis, who form about two-thirds of Saudi Arabia's population, see the United States as an ally of their nation, with 59 per cent stating the US is a 'strong ally' and 33 per cent citing it as 'somewhat of an ally.'

Finding from the annual ASDA'A BCW Arab Youth Survey Finding from the annual ASDA'A BCW Arab Youth Survey

This finding from the 13th edition of the annual ASDA'A BCW Arab Youth Survey was announced today ahead of the historic visit of US President Joe Biden to the Kingdom on July 15 and 16, 2022. President Biden's visit, upon the invitation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, is expected to enhance the historic and strategic partnership between the two nations.

As President Biden observed in an opinion piece in the Washington Post, "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."

According to the survey, the perception that the US is an ally of Saudi Arabia is at its highest level in five years. In 2020, 87 per cent of Saudi youth viewed the US as a 'strong ally' or 'somewhat of an ally', an increase in favourability over 2019 when 70 per cent of Saudi youth viewed the US as an ally. In 2018, 50 per cent of Saudi youth viewed the US as an ally.

The symbolism of Biden's arrival in the Kingdom, following his first official visit to Israel, will not be lost on young Saudis, three-quarters (75%) of whom believe addressing the 'Palestinian-Israeli conflict' should be a top priority for the Arab world.

Despite the broadly positive perception of President Biden, young Saudi men and women believe he has work to do on the Palestine-Israel question, with 93 per cent insisting his administration "should have a played a more active and unbiased role in resolving the conflict." A majority of young Saudis (73%) are confident that the conflict is 'very likely' to 'somewhat likely' to be resolved in the next five years.

Sunil John, President, MENA, BCW and Founder of ASDA'A BCW, said: "The findings from our survey reflect the optimism surrounding Biden's first visit to the Kingdom as the US president. The generally warm feelings young people have towards US, and their eagerness for peace across the region, especially in resolving the Palestinian conflict, show the value to be had from a reset of US-Saudi relations to achieve a more stable and stronger Middle East geopolitical order."

Underlining the strategic role of the US in the region, over one-third (36%) of young Saudis believe the US has the most influence in the Arab world among non-Arab nations, compared with 43 per cent of Saudi youth who say their own country is the most influential among Arab nations in the region.

Over two-thirds of young Saudis (63%) are also confident that their country's relations with the US will improve under President Biden, while the rest (37%) believe relations between the two countries will remain the same.

Almost all young Saudis (97%) are confident that their country is going in the right direction; 82 per cent agreed with the statement that 'our best days are ahead of us.'

For the largest-of-its-kind survey of the Arab world's largest demographic, which was unveiled in October last year, PSB Insights, the global strategic research and analytics specialist, conducted 3,400 face-to-face interviews with Arab youth aged between 18 and 24 in 50 cities and territories in 17 states in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region from June 6-30, 2021.

To know more about the findings and to download the white paper of the ASDA'A BCW Arab Youth Survey, log on to arabyouthsurvey.com

Notes to Editors:

About the ASDA'A BCW Arab Youth Survey

The Annual ASDA'A BCW Arab Youth Survey, launched in 2008, is the largest survey of its kind of the Arab world's largest demographic  its over 200 million youth. The survey fills an important gap in the data and insights on this influential community. It informs governments, the private sector, multilateral institutions, and academia on policymaking and future strategy.

The 13th Annual ASDA'A BCW Arab Youth Survey 2021, conducted by the international research firm PSB Insights, explores the hopes, fears and aspirations of Arabs aged 18 to 24 across 50 cities and territories in 17 states in the Middle East and North Africa.

A total of 3,400 face-to-face interviews were carried out between June 6 and June 30, 2021, in both Arabic and English, with male and female citizens of each country. The cohort was split equally between men and women. The survey covers five Gulf Cooperation Council states (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE), North Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan and Tunisia), the Levant region (Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, Syria) and Yemen.

www.arabyouthsurvey.com

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About ASDA'A BCW

ASDA'A was founded in 2000 as an independent communications firm by Sunil John, who leads the agency in its 22nd year. In 2008, WPP (NYSE: WPP) acquired a majority stake in ASDA'A and merged it with BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe), one of the world's top three communications firms. The agency has a team of over 160 professionals across its seven wholly owned offices. With an additional 11 affiliates, ASDA'A BCW covers 16 countries across the Middle East and North Africa. The agency serves over 100 retained clients and is the leading PR consultancy in the MENA market.

www.asdaa-bcw.com

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About BCW

BCW is the global communications agency that moves people on behalf of clients. BCW partners with clients in the B2B, consumer, corporate, crisis management, healthcare, public affairs, purpose and technology sectors to set strategic direction for all communications and create powerful and unexpected ideas that earn attention. Through an 'earned-plus' offer  earned media plus paid media, creative technology, data, AI and an expanding suite of innovative capabilities  BCW moves people with power and precision to move its clients forward. BCW is a part of WPP (NYSE: WPP), a creative transformation company.

www.bcw-global.com

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SOURCE ASDAA BCW Arab Youth Survey
NEW DELHI, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- To mark the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and pay tribute to his immense contribution in the independence movement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the unveiling of the freedom fighter's statue at the India Gate, New Delhi. The project has been undertaken by the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) led by its Director-General, Adwaita Gadanayak. To reflect the grandeur of Netaji's personality, the statue is being made out of a single piece monolithic absolute black granite block weighing over 300 tonnes.

The research, consulting and sourcing for the best suited granite was carried out by an Indian firm, Granite Studio India (GSI). Headquartered in the capital, New Delhi, Granite Studio India has over 40 years of experience & has its state-of-the-art facility in Andhra Pradesh. The firm has actively shouldered & completed multiple projects of paramount importance like the National War Memorial, AIIMS TRAUMA CENTRE. Granite Studio India very recently handed over his newly constructed house to the Delhi Chief Minister, all the granite supply and fixing was done by the firm.

"Extracting a single piece large granite block of size 32*11*8 feet weighing 300 tonnes was one of the biggest challenges," says the co-founder of GSI, Mr. Rajat Mehta .

He further stated, "With their innovative mining & block handling techniques, Granite Studio India made history for mining & transporting such a large block in a record time of 14 days. The block was extracted from a quarry in Telangana and transported to New Delhi. With the aggressive timeline, almost 37 tires of the truck busted during the 2000 km journey."

He added, "It is a matter of pride and passion for us and our team at Granite Studio India to be able to serve in a historic project like this."

A little about Granite Studio India.

It started four decades ago in 1982 when Mr. Ramesh Mehta ventured into the business of marbles. And after 32 years of operation, Mehta Marbles was rebranded into Granite Studio India , now headed by Mr. Mehta's youngest son - Rajat Mehta.

Headquartered in New Delhi, one of India's leading dealers of premium quality granite with its state-of-the-art facility in Andhra Pradesh. The firm hand-picks its granite from quarries across India: Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Orissa.

Some of their eminent projects include

The National War Memorial India Gate.

Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Prime Minister's Residence.

Delhi Chief Minister's Residence.

Chief Minister's Residence. Cancer Hospital in Mauritius

Contacts:

Yashwant Pratap Singh,

Email: [email protected],

Contact: +91 9999329168

SOURCE Granite Studio India
Agreement to elevate company's IT Infrastructure for enhanced Security and Data availability

NEW DELHI, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) recently announced its exclusive collaboration with Kyndryl (NYSE: KD), world's largest IT infrastructure services provider, to elevate its IT and security transformation journey across HMSI's manufacturing plants.

Currently, Kyndryl manages infrastructure services for plant production applications, enterprise and dealer management systems for all the dealers.

Mr. Atsushi Ogata - President, CEO & MD, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Lingraju Sawkar, President, Kyndryl India Honda logo

Bringing operational efficiency with an agile and improved customer service experience, the company's renewed alliance with Kyndryl will improve infrastructure manageability and uptime through increased automation as well as enhance the company's cybersecurity and resiliency.

Further enhancing HMSI's business applications and IT systems' availability, the new partnership will integrate an on-demand Disaster Recovery-as-a-service (DRaaS) set-up for minimal outage and production loss during a crisis impacting HMSI's primary data center.

Speaking on the association, Mr. Atsushi Ogata  Managing Director, President & CEO, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India said, "At HMSI, we are glad to announce our exclusive technological partnership with Kyndryl India. Their in-depth knowledge of HMSI's business functions pillaring upon complex IT systems is what precisely makes them a trusted advisor for our operations in India. Moving forward, the new synergy will enable us with better business availability and operations predictability while infusing a more agile IT environment that serves our customers and partners better."

Sharing his thoughts on the partnership, Mr. Lingraju Sawkar, President, Kyndryl India said, "In an increasingly competitive ecosystem staying ahead of the curve and anticipating business and operational challenges is paramount. Kyndryl's proven expertise in infrastructure management, automation, and cloud transformation, coupled with a deep understanding of HMSI's critical operations allows us to anticipate and structure a resilient and agile framework for the future. We are excited to expand on our collaboration with HMSI as they further unlock the potential of true digital transformation within their India operations."

During a disaster, Kyndryl's Cloud Resiliency Orchestration tool will bring HMSI's primary data center to a fully operational state in a matter of seconds, and its resiliency architecture will span seismic zones for added flexibility to systems during a customer demand surge.

Additionally, Kyndryl will enable automation of HMSI's delivery and IT framework to address process and compliance challenges that come with IT sprawl. This integration will provide a single automated executive dashboard to monitor ongoing IT infrastructure system, as well as health checks such as patching, backup status and provisioning.

About Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) is the wholly-owned subsidiary of Honda Motor Company, Japan. Since its inception in 2001, HMSI has grown to become India's 2nd largest 2Wheeler company with more than 50 million happy customers across India. HMSI has manufacturing facilities in four locations - Manesar (Haryana), Tapukara (Rajasthan), Narsapura (Karnataka) & Vithalapur (Gujarat). Delighting its customers, HMSI has an extensive network of over 6000 touchpoints with an additional support from 280+ Best Deal outlets (in over 200 cities) offering a one-stop solution for pre-owned Honda two-wheelers. For more information, please visit https://www.honda2wheelersindia.com/

About Kyndryl

Kyndryl (NYSE: KD) is the world's largest IT infrastructure services provider. The company designs, builds, manages, and modernizes the complex, mission-critical information systems that the world depends on every day. Kyndryl's 90,000+ employees serve over 4,000 customers in more than 60 countries around the world, including 75 percent of the Fortune 100. For more information, please visit http://www.kyndryl.com/www.kyndryl.com

For further queries contact:

Kyndryl

Arun Kumar: [email protected]

Rony Thomas: [email protected]

HMSI

Abhinav Raj: [email protected]

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SOURCE Kyndryl
SHENZHEN, China, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jimi/Concox has been named IoT industry leader for 2021 with 14% market share and sales of around 6 million units according to the latest vehicle telematics hardware market report from Berg Insight, the world's leading IoT market research provider.

Jimi/Concox has been focusing on the Internet of Vehicles (IoV) for many years and launches over 30 new products annually. Most new products relate to areas already developed, including logistics fleet management and asset management, auto insurance, car rental, two-wheeler management, among others. Jimi/Concox invests more than 15% of its revenue in R&D annually and has some new products in development that meet customers' needs in new areas. One such product is the LL303, which provides management solutions for heavy machinery and vehicles for customers.

"The company's biggest purpose is to serve customers and fully meet their needs," commented Gao Xingxin, chairman of Jimi/Concox. "We are very happy to be recognized by the market report from Berg Insight, although we are not surprised to receive such recognition as we have utmost confidence in our complete product range."

With a 70,000 square meter factory in China and two reliability laboratories, Jimi/Concox has the capacity to produce one million units monthly and test all aspects of product quality, including signal stability, product corrosion resistance, wear resistance, to name a few.

"The era of 2G IoT has passed, and the era of 4G and even 5G is the future," said Alex Dai, product director of Jimi/Concox. "Jimi/Concox has released several 4G-based IoT products combining communication positioning, intelligent sensing, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and other technical means to respond to changing market demands."

Jimi/Concox products have completed the specific certification requirements of numerous countries, including CE, FCC, PTCRB, AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, TELEC certifications, and others. To date, Jimi/Concox products have been sold to more than 150 key regions and countries, serving China Mobile, China Telecom, Deutsche Bahn, HERE Technologies, Orange, CalAmp, Telcel and many other well-known enterprises and organizations.

About Jimi/Concox

Concox Information Technology Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Jimi loT, has become a leading designer and manufacturer of telematics and wireless communications products for over 15 years, dedicates to bringing reliable products and customized solutions to clients across the world.

For more details, please visit Jimi IoT on Jimi IoT Facebook, LinkedIn, or directly contact the team via [email protected].

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SOURCE Jimi/Concox
LOS ANGELES, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- State approvals for permits to fix or deepen existing oil wells skyrocketed in the second quarter by 124% over the same time last year, Consumer Watchdog and FracTracker Alliance said today. Some of the permit approvals by the California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) are for idle wells and wells that barely produce, and both types can leak deadly methane and other harmful pollutants. The permits are posted on a map at www.newsomwellwatch.com

"These are permit approvals to rework old wells that the oil industry wants to squeeze dry," said consumer advocate Liza Tucker. "The state makes it far cheaper for oil companies to continue beating a dead horse than cement those wells shut, including wells that will never come back online or only produce 10 or 15 barrels of crude a day. State policy is misguided. Newsom should mandate that any wells near or in neighborhoods and any that are idle for more than a few years or barely producing oil should be shuttered to stop and prevent leaks."

In the last few months, Bakersfield residents have discovered more than 40 idle wells leaking methane and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) belonging to five different oil companies in suburban subdivisions of Bakersfield. Residents experienced fatigue, headaches and stomachaches. VOCs can negatively affect breathing, the nervous system and cause cancer.

"This can be attributed to CalGEM's policy of conducting many of their inspections remotely from regulators' desks, rather than conducting in-person inspections at the well sites in the field," said Kyle Ferrar, a coordinator for FracTracker Alliance. "Oil and gas companies can use these reworks to continue to kick the bucket down the road instead of paying the necessary costs to plug these idle wells. That's because there is very little oversight from CalGEM and no repercussions for leaking wells, as we have seen in Bakersfield."

CalGEM just announced late yesterday that it will review the practice of conducting inspections remotely. But the Newsom Administration has not undertaken a broader review of idle well policies that allow unproductive leaking wells to stay open for decades by charging oil producers fees far lower than they would otherwise have to pay to shutter them.

Second quarter permit approvals pushed the overall number of oil drilling permits approved since Newsom came to office in January 2019 to 11,669. During the second quarter, permit approvals to drill both new oil and gas production wells and wells using harsh and dangerous methods of extraction known as "enhanced oil recovery" (EOR), fell by half over the second quarter last year though permits to specifically drill new EOR wells rose by 10%.

Of all 2022 permit approvals to rework wells, 31% were issued for idle wells, according to FracTracker Alliance. Available data makes it hard to determine how long the wells have been idle. Legislation passed several years ago requires to provide an annual list of idle wells, their age, and their status. CalGEM published the last report in 2019 and has not published another since.

According to oil industry information gathered by the California Council on Science and Technology, there are at least 70,000 idle wells in the state, and many are 20-40 years old. Some have been idle for 80 years. That's 40,000 more idle wells than officially reported by CalGEM, according to FracTracker Alliance.

"It is critically important that the public has access to the list of ide wells as many could be leaking in urban and suburban settings and residents don't even know that they are there," said Tucker. "There are tens of thousands of these wells and they can be like ticking timebombs for nearby communities."

Hazardous spill reports filed by CalGEM showed some of the Bakersfield wells were releasing methane, a potent greenhouse gas, at concentrations of above 50,000 parts per million. These are public health hazards as, at these outdoor concentrations, just the click of a lighter can cause an explosion and the same indoor levels can be deadly to residents, according to PSE Healthy Energy, a research institute.

Community residents have pressured CalGEM to cap the wells to protect public safety. Uduak-Joe Ntuk, the state oil and gas supervisor, said in an online update that a few of the wells had "pinhole-sized leaks" that were "minor." A whistleblower speaking to a print media outlet said that Ntuk was "lying;" that no one had evaluated the safety of the leaking wells and the holes in their casings still pose a danger.

"Rather than approving rework permits to keep these aging and corroding wells operational, CalGEM needs to require oil and gas operators to properly plug and abandon these wells and remediate the well sites," said FracTracker's Ferrar. "Additionally, CalGEM should not be permitting new oil and gas wells, particularly near homes and communities. Consumer Watchdog and FracTracker Alliance urge Governor Newsom to require operators to plug and abandon these existing wells and to institute a 3,200-foot public health setback to keep future extraction and leaking oil and gas wells and their infrastructure away from people, homes, and communities."

SOURCE Consumer Watchdog
Expanded product line to bring farmers the largest selection of organic seeds in the U.S.

ALBERT LEA, Minn., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Albert Lea Seed House , owner of Viking Corn & Soybeans and one of the largest suppliers of organic field seed in the U.S., today announced it has acquired Blue River Organic Seed , the nation's longest-established organic seed corn brand from the Farmers Business Network (FBN).

Founded in 2005 and based in Ames, Iowa, Blue River's product line includes organic corn, silage, soybean, alfalfa, forages and sorghum. Albert Lea Seed is headquartered in Albert Lea, Minn. In addition to organic seeds, its product line also includes small grains, cover crops, wildflowers and native grasses.

"We firmly believe that integrating the Viking & Blue River Organic seed brands will be a real benefit to organic farmers," said Albert Lea Seed President Mac Ehrhardt. "The combined company will provide the best selection of organic-specific genetics, delivered by a farmer-focused team that specializes in organic agriculture and from a family-owned company that is committed to the long-term growth and success of organic agriculture."

Highlights of the Acquisition:

Elevates Albert Lea Seed as the largest organic field seed supplier, producer, and commercialization expert in the U.S.

Brings experienced industry leaders to the Albert Lea Seed team and will expand the organization's relationships in the organic farming market.

Adds Blue River's 40,000-square-foot, climate-controlled seed warehouse and office for support and distribution of the combined Viking/Blue River Organic Seed brand.

The combined Viking/Blue River Organic seed brand will operate out of Albert Lea, Minn. and Ames, Iowa.

"We have long admired the success of Albert Lea Seed. We are proud to join forces with them to accelerate our successes and seize the opportunity to further evolve the organic farming industry," said Maury Johnson, co-founder of Blue River Organic Seed. "We cherish our Midwest roots, and we remain committed to ensuring that farmers all across the country will benefit from the responsible production, sale and use of our organic products."

Albert Lea Seed currently serves more than 6,000 customers. The addition of Blue River will double the size of its organic corn and soybean seed business and will enable it to serve customers and dealers across the U.S. more efficiently.

ABOUT ALBERT LEA SEED HOUSE

Established in 1923, Albert Lea Seed is an independent, family-owned company that provides conventional non-GMO and organic seed products to farmers across the country under its Viking product line. It also offers cover crops, small grains and forage. Its mission is to partner with dealers and customers to provide the highest quality organic seed genetics available. For more information, visit: www.alseed.com .

ABOUT BLUE RIVER ORGANIC SEED

In 2005, Blue River Organic Seed was established by a few individuals with a common vision. They wanted to give organic farmers an opportunity to stay true to their organic farming practices and principles without having to sacrifice performance. Blue River's singular mission is to provide high quality seed and exceptional genetics specifically for organic farming environments across the nation. To learn more, visit: www.blueriverorgseed.com .

ABOUT FARMERS BUSINESS NETWORK

Farmers Business Network ( FBN) is an independent ag tech platform and farmer-to-farmer network with a mission to power the prosperity of family farmers around the world while working towards a sustainable future. Its Farmers First promise has attracted over 43,000 members to the network with a common goal of helping farmers maximize their farm's profit potential with data and technology enabled direct-to farmer commerce, community and sustainability offerings. FBN has set out to redefine value and convenience for farmers by helping reduce the cost of production and maximize the value of their crops. The FBN network has grown to cover more than 98 million acres of member farms in the U.S., Canada, and Australia. Blending the best of Midwestern agricultural roots and Silicon Valley technology, the company has over 900 personnel and principal offices in San Carlos, Calf., Chicago, Sioux Falls, SD, a Canadian Headquarters in High River, Alberta, and an Australian Headquarters in Perth with significant warehouse and logistics, remote and field employees across the U.S., Canada and Australia.

SOURCE Albert Lea Seed House
TROY, Mich., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Alchemie, an educational technology company based in Troy, Michigan, today announced it has received a prestigious one-million-dollar Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grant from the Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES), to bring to market the Kasi Learning System. SBIR grants are awarded to startups building game-changing technologies with the potential for positive impact on society.

Kasi is a system which uses multi-sensory augmented reality to create pathways for all students, and especially those with blindness or low vision (BLV), to explore and learn chemistry and science.

The Kasi system is a web-based software application that combines tactile manipulatives with computer vision algorithms to allow the manipulatives to "talk" to students to provide guidance as students learn STEM concepts. Instead of a mouse or a touchpad, the Kasi manipulatives, embossed with braille and other symbols, provide an alternative user interface for Alchemie's interactive learning software.

The goal is to create a learning system that is "born accessible," and deliver accommodations for differently abled learners as a key feature, not as an add-on to the product. Since most BLV students are more likely to receive instruction in mainstream classes, Kasi helps to build inclusiveness and confidence for BLV students and increase academic persistence in STEM courses.

"With the shift to all-digital learning tools which rely more on visual interactions, blind science students have an even more difficult time keeping up with content," said Julia Winter, Alchemie founder. "With the STEM skills learned from tools like Kasi, BLV youngsters are more likely to have the confidence to continue on into good science-oriented careers."

Through partnerships with leading education publishers Alchemie integrates their innovative learning tools, including Kasi, into content and homework systems, creating a truly accessible learning experience for all students.

With $125,000 in additional funding from the Michigan Emerging Technology Fund, the Alchemie team plans to design and manufacture inclusive packaging and the Kasi tactile pieces in the Traverse City area of Northwest Michigan.

About the ED/IES SBIR Program

The Department of Education's Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR), administered by IES, provides awards for the research and development of new, commercially viable education technology products. Known as ED/IES SBIR, the program's goal is to grow a portfolio of scalable, research-based products that address pressing needs across topic areas in education and special education.

About Alchemie

The Alchemie platform of interactive learning tools combines outstanding design with a game-inspired approach to present tough concepts for STEM in an innovative, engaging way. Rote memorization and multiple-choice questions are transformed into experimentation and meaningful learning with research-backed interactive technology. Alchemie's innovative web-based learning interactives are readily integrated with existing content delivery systems to create new, accessible educational experiences for STEM. More information can be found at www.alchem.ie.

MEDIA CONTACT: Colleen Robar, 313-207-5960, [email protected]

SOURCE Alchemie
New site reinforces commitment to New England market and accommodates workforce growth

WESTFIELD, Mass., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- All Energy Solar , a solar installation leader in Massachusetts, recently completed the process of moving the local office from Chicopee to Westfield. The relocation will accommodate solar workforce expansion at the company, as well as to better serve customers within Massachusetts and New Hampshire .

The move was fueled by a year of gains for All Energy Solar during which the company took on a record number of solar installations and has added on crews to fulfill customer demands. The company is also considering adding a second New England office, though plans on the location have not yet been solidified.

"The previous building in Chicopee served us well, but our needs and workforce have changed since we first opened up shop there and it was time to think about relocating," said Michael Allen, All Energy Solar's co-founder and chief executive officer. "Once we opened up to the idea of moving out of the building, going to a new city also became a possibility."

The Westfield building is about twice the size of the previous space and serves as a home base for a team of sales and operations professionals including project managers, engineering and service technicians, electricians, and installers. The new facility will provide All Energy Solar with much-needed space to continue to expand the company's local footprint.

"We are excited about our new, larger location in Westfield," said Brian Allen, president and co-founder of All Energy Solar. "The new space better accommodates our growing team and the equipment they need to continue providing industry-leading service and support to our customers. The additional space will also offer the opportunity for further expansion into more markets and services."

All Energy Solar has served the Massachusetts market since 2011 and has grown to provide residential and commercial solar installation services to several midwest states , in addition to Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Earlier this year, the company reported completing its 6,000th solar panel installation project and hiring its 200th employee .

Discover a variety of solar career opportunities: https://www.allenergysolar.com/careers/

Learn more about All Energy Solar: https://www.allenergysolar.com/our-company/

About All Energy Solar

All Energy Solar provides a full-service solar energy integration experience for residential, commercial, agricultural, and government customers looking to make the transition to solar energy. With industry-leading certifications and full electrical and building licenses, All Energy Solar installs quality solar power systems at competitive prices and monitors and maintains the systems after installation. To learn more, visit www.allenergysolar.com .

SOURCE All Energy Solar, Inc
CHICAGO, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Van Lines, one of the world's largest moving companies, has named the top five cities New Jersey residents are relocating to. Every year, Allied Van Lines produces a Migration Map report based on their data to show relocation rates across the United States. Recent reports have shown New Jersey lost more people by July 2021 than any other state except for the seven hard-hit pandemic states. Nearly half the people in New Jersey who move homes end up leaving the state entirely. Many of these people are in search of a new home state with lower taxes, housing costs, along with more opportunities for financial stability and community. As an expert in relocation, Allied Van Lines has used their data and research to compile a list of the top five cities New Jersey residents are relocating to.

The top five relocation cities for New Jersey residents named by Allied Van Lines are as follows:

Tampa, Florida Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Sarasota, Florida Los Angeles, California Fort Lauderdale, Florida

In addition to naming the top five cities that New Jersey residents are relocating to, the article released by Allied Van Lines explores the reasons behind why these people are departing in such high numbers. The article also explores what each destination city has to offer, along with reasons New Jersey residents may be choosing these cities as a new place to call home. Allied provides statistics, facts, and figures behind why New Jersey residents are choosing to relocate to different states.

"Although New Jersey is a state filled with culture, diversity, and incredible landscapes, we've seen an increase in migration away from this state since the pandemic hit," stated Steve McKenna, Vice President and General Manager, Allied Van Lines. "Many of these people are searching for a place to live with lower taxes, housing costs, and unemployment rates. Oftentimes, they feel they need to move states to find a better way of life."

Allied Van Lines has been named a leader in providing relocation services to corporations, consumers, government agencies, and non-profit organizations worldwide, with over 400 agent locations in North America. The moving company has been voted as America's Most Recommended Moving Company by Women's Choice Awards for five consecutive years and is an established global brand of SIRVA, Inc. As one of the leaders in the moving van industry, Allied Van Lines has the data and research tools required to analyze relocation patterns in the United States. The company's recently released article, "Where are New Jersey Residents Moving?" can be viewed by visiting https://www.allied.com/migration-map/2021/new-jersey .

For more information about Allied Van Lines, go to www.allied.com .

SOURCE Allied Van Lines
WASHINGTON, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Red Cross elects to its National Board of Governors, Lorence H. Kim, M.D., venture partner, Third Rock Ventures.

"We are delighted to welcome Dr. Lorence H. Kim to the Red Cross Board of Governors. He brings deep knowledge of innovation, investments, financial services and healthcare to the Red Cross along with a steadfast commitment to humanitarian service," said Chairman Bonnie McElveen-Hunter. "Lorence's experience will help the Board ensure the American Red Cross continues to fulfill its vital mission to alleviate suffering in the face of emergencies."

The Red Cross is led by a Board of Governors who govern, direct and oversee management of the business of the organization. At the Annual Meeting of the Red Cross held on July 13, 2022, delegates from local Red Cross units elected Dr. Kim to a three-year term.

Dr. Kim joined Third Rock Ventures as a venture partner in 2020. Previously, he served as CFO of Moderna where he raised and allocated capital to support technology and product development efforts in messenger RNA medicines. Prior to Moderna, Dr. Kim was a managing director and co-head of the U.S. biotechnology investment banking effort at Goldman Sachs.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

SOURCE American Red Cross
DES MOINES, Iowa, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Central Iowa Shelter & Services (CISS) is receiving a $10,000 donation from Iowa Total Care (ITC) to further their mutually beneficial efforts in the community. These funds will go towards the Agrihood and greenhouse expansion project at CISS, which aligns with ITC's "Be Well. Eat Well" initiative.

The Agrihood and greenhouse expansion project will include a HydroCycle Commercial Aquaponics System that leverages the natural biological processes of fish and plants. This process will give clients and the community access to about 75,000 pounds of low-maintenance and pesticide free produce and protein. Some of this food will be purchased by Mulberry Street Cafe for use in the kitchen training program. The increase in food resources will help the kitchen to serve a possible 300,000 meals annually to people in need.

Iowa Total Care recognizes the benefit this will offer to the community. This project aligns with their "Be Well. Eat Well" initiative, which promotes healthy living through healthy eating. This initiative helps connect those in need with access to affordable healthy food, cooking classes, and much more.

"Iowa Total Care recognizes the important work of CISS in supporting our most vulnerable," said Mitch Wasden, Plan President and CEO at Iowa Total Care. "Their innovative Agrihood and greenhouse expansion project will provide more access to healthy food and help those in need live healthier lives."

"Donating directly to CISS allows the money to go directly to the people who need it most," explained CISS CEO Melissa O'Neil. "The funds will go to the CISS community kitchen, and the kitchen will purchase necessary produce directly from the farm. This allows the continuation of a self-sustaining system that addresses food insecurity while improving lives in the community."

About Central Iowa Shelter & Services (CISS)

Central Iowa Shelter & Services is the largest low-barrier shelter in Iowa. Its mission is to provide shelter, meals and support services to adults experiencing homelessness and to facilitate their move toward self-sufficiency. Learn more at centraliowashelter.org.

About Iowa Total Care (ITC)

Iowa Total Care provides Medicaid healthcare coverage to eligible individuals in Iowa. Established in 2019, Iowa Total Care exists to improve the health of its members through focused, compassionate, and coordinated care. Iowa Total Care is a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a leading healthcare enterprise that is committed to helping people live healthier lives. Iowa Total Care's Be Well. Eat Well program promotes healthy living through healthy eating was created to address food insecurity. For more information on this initiative visit: iowatotalcare.com/bewelleatwell.

SOURCE Iowa Total Care
NEW YORK, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Car Wash Advisory is excited to announce a new member of its team  Damien Nguyen, who will be joining as a Financial Analyst.

After having Eric Harrison join as Chief Financial Officer, Damien Nguyen follows up with a wealth of expertise and knowledge  ranging from accounting and finance to marketing and data analysis.

His experience is a tremendous asset to the Car Wash Advisory team. His expertise and strong entrepreneurial spirit will guide clients to make the right decisions when looking into more information about car wash transactions with a team of equipped investment advisors.

About Damien Nguyen

Since his childhood, Damien has always been highly ambitious and eager to achieve his goals. Damien is the youngest of seven siblings but is also the first in his family to obtain a four-year degree, a Bachelor's in Finance from the University of San Diego. Additionally, he holds an A.A. in Business Administration, where he graduated with honors and a weighted GPA of 3.8 while also being a part of the student government.

Damien Nguyen is a huge asset to the Car Wash Advisory team as he brings years of expertise from various places. His previous experience stems from working for non-profit and community work. While working there, he was a lead analyst tracking, gathering, and analyzing performance data relating to food pantries in the San Diego area during the COVID-19 pandemic. His work ethic clearly goes beyond being a first-generation college graduate as he strives to use his skills to help the community while still achieving amazing accomplishments through his career as a financial analyst.

The Car Wash Advisory team has a huge advantage by having Damien join as a Financial Analyst with his strong work background. If any client is just beginning to learn how to buy a car wash, needs reliable investment advisors to work with and sound advice, or wants to do a car wash transaction, having Damien's expertise helps the Car Wash Advisory team and clients.

About Car Wash Advisory

Car Wash Advisory is the top car wash-focused investment bank, transaction advisor, and broker in the United States. Car Wash Advisory strives to provide honest, authentic, and professional transaction advice for any car wash sale, thus producing only the best results for clients when they work with experienced investment advisors.

To learn more about Car Wash Advisory, please visit www.carwashadvisory.com .

Contact:

Robin Sisk - Administrative Coordinator

Car Wash Advisory

332-209-4246

[email protected]

SOURCE Car Wash Advisory
Key points covered in the direct carrier billing platform market study:

Market estimates and forecast 2022-2026

Key drivers, trends, and challenges impacting market growth

Segment-wise, region-wise, and country-wide analysis

Analysis of market share by vendors

Key product launches and regulatory climate

Post-COVID-19 impact on the market landscape

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Direct Carrier Billing Platform Market: Growth Opportunities

People in regions such as the Middle East and Africa still have little access to electronic payment methods. However, with the increasing consumption of digital content and the increasing rate of smartphone ownership, the adoption of electronic payment methods is increasing in the region. In addition, the expansion of the young age population, rising disposable incomes, and investments in 5G networks are expected to create significant growth opportunities for vendors during the forecast period.

Parent Market Analysis:

Technavio categorizes the global direct carrier billing platform market as a part of the global application software market within the global IT software market. The parent global IT software market covers companies that are engaged in developing and producing applications and system software. It also includes companies offering database management software. The global application software market covers companies that are engaged in developing and producing software designed for specialized applications for the business or consumer market. It includes enterprise and technical software, as well as cloud-based software.

Direct Carrier Billing Platform Market Drivers

The market is primarily driven by the slow penetration of credit cards in developing countries. Many developing countries across the world are still heavily dependent on cash and debit card transactions. However, with the high adoption of smartphones, the consumption of digital content is increasing in emerging markets. This is creating opportunities for the direct carrier billing platform service providers. Direct carrier billing payment platforms enable the purchase of digital content subscriptions, thereby eliminating the need for credit cards or mobile payment options. All these factors are expected to foster the growth of the global direct carrier billing platform market during the forecast period.

The full report provides information on other drivers, trends, and challenges that are impacting the growth of the market.

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Direct Carrier Billing Platform Market: APAC to Dominate with 53% Global Market Share

The market will record the highest growth in APAC during the forecast period. Factors such as fast-economic growth, high penetration of smartphones, and increasing access to 3rd generation (3G) and 4th generation (4G) networks are driving the growth of the regional market. Besides, the high adoption of smartphones in the region is encouraging mobile network operators in the region to invest increasingly in mobile e-commerce and adopt direct carrier billing as a payment mode. This is expected to further accelerate the growth of the direct carrier billing platform market in APAC over the forecast period.

Direct Carrier Billing Platform Market: Apps and games segment to generate maximum revenue

The apps and games market segment is the leading end-user segment in the global direct carrier billing platform market. This market segment generates most of the revenue through the purchases of applications and digital games from app stores and in-app purchases. The rising demand for online games is one of the major driving factors for the growth of the global direct carrier billing platform market.

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segments, regions, and key countries in the direct carrier billing platform market.

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Direct carrier billing platform Market: Featured Companies

The global direct carrier billing platform market is characterized by the presence of established international direct carrier billing platform manufacturers. The competition among vendors is intense in terms of product features, price, customized solutions, and services offered. Over the years, established vendors have focused on geographical expansion, increasing production capacities, and upselling products by upgrading the existing ones. To attain a differential advantage against competitors in this intensely competitive and burgeoning market, vendors are taking initiatives to innovate their customer services, support, and training.

Some of the key players in the direct carrier billing platform market include:

Amdocs Ltd.

Apigate Sdn Bhd

Bango Plc

Boku Inc.

Centili Ltd.

Comviva Technologies Ltd.

Digital Turbine Inc.

DOCOMO Digital Ltd.

Fortumo OU

Oracle Corp.

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Direct Carrier Billing Platform Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2020 Forecast period 2021-2025 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 20.89% Market growth 2021-2025 USD 52.41 billion Market structure Concentrated YoY growth (%) 18.52 Regional analysis APAC, Europe, North America, South America, and MEA Performing market contribution APAC at 53% Key consumer countries China, Thailand, US, Russian Federation, and UK Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Amdocs Ltd., Apigate Sdn Bhd, Bango Plc, Boku Inc., Centili Ltd., Comviva Technologies Ltd., Digital Turbine Inc., DOCOMO Digital Ltd., Fortumo OU, and Oracle Corp. Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID 19 impact and future consumer dynamics, market condition analysis for the forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Table Of Contents :

1 Executive Summary

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 01: Parent market

2.2 Market characteristics

Exhibit 02: Market characteristics



Exhibit 03: Value chain analysis: Application software market

2.3 Value chain analysis

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 04: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition



Exhibit 05: Market segments

3.2 Market segment analysis

3.3 Market size 2020

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2020 - 2025

Exhibit 06: Global - Market size and forecast 2020 - 2025 ($ million)



Exhibit 07: Global market: Year-over-year growth 2020 - 2025 (%)

4 Five Forces Analysis

4.1 Five forces summary

4.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 09: Bargaining power of buyers



Exhibit 10: Bargaining power of suppliers

4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 11: Threat of new entrants

4.4 Threat of new entrants

4.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 12: Threat of substitutes

4.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 13: Threat of rivalry



Exhibit 14: Market condition - Five forces 2020

4.7 Market condition

5 Market Segmentation by End-user

5.1 Market segments

5.2 Comparison by End-user

Exhibit 17: Apps and games - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)

5.3 Apps and games - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Exhibit 18: Apps and games - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)



Exhibit 19: Online media - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)

5.4 Online media - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Exhibit 20: Online media - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)



Exhibit 21: Others - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)

5.5 Others - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Exhibit 22: Others - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)



Exhibit 23: Market opportunity by End-user

5.6 Market opportunity by End-user

6 Customer landscape

7 Geographic Landscape

7.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 26: Geographic comparison

7.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 27: APAC - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)

7.3 APAC - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Exhibit 28: APAC - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)



Exhibit 29: Europe - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)

7.4 Europe - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

- Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 30: Europe - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)

Exhibit 31: North America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)

7.5 North America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

- Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 32: North America - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)

Exhibit 33: South America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)

7.6 South America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

- Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 34: South America - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)

Exhibit 35: MEA - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)

7.7 MEA - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Exhibit 36: MEA - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)



Exhibit 37: Key leading countries

7.8 Key leading countries

7.9 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 38: Market opportunity by geography

8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

8.1 Market drivers  Demand led growth

8.2 Market challenges

Exhibit 39: Impact of drivers and challenges

8.3 Market trends

9 Vendor Landscape

9.1 Competitive scenario

Exhibit 40: Vendor landscape

9.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 41: Landscape disruption

9.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 42: Industry risks

9.4 Industry risks

10 Vendor Analysis

10.1 Vendors covered

10.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 44: Market positioning of vendors



Exhibit 45: Amdocs Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 46: Amdocs Ltd. - Product and service



Exhibit 47: Amdocs Ltd. - Key news

10.3 Amdocs Ltd.

Exhibit 48: Amdocs Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 49: Apigate Sdn Bhd - Overview



Exhibit 50: Apigate Sdn Bhd - Business segments



Exhibit 51: Apigate Sdn Bhd - Key news

10.4 Apigate Sdn Bhd

Exhibit 52: Apigate Sdn Bhd - Key offerings



Exhibit 53: Bango Plc - Overview



Exhibit 54: Bango Plc - Business segments

10.5 Bango Plc

Exhibit 55: Bango Plc - Key news



Exhibit 56: Bango Plc - Key offerings



Exhibit 57: Bango Plc - Segment focus



Exhibit 58: Boku Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 59: Boku Inc. - Business segments

10.6 Boku Inc.

Exhibit 60: Boku Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 61: Boku Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 62: Boku Inc. - Segment focus



Exhibit 63: Centili Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 64: Centili Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 65: Centili Ltd.  Key news

10.7 Centili Ltd.

Exhibit 66: Centili Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 67: Comviva Technologies Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 68: Comviva Technologies Ltd. - Business segments

10.8 Comviva Technologies Ltd.

Exhibit 69: Comviva Technologies Ltd.- Key news



Exhibit 70: Comviva Technologies Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 71: Comviva Technologies Ltd. - Segment focus



Exhibit 72: Digital Turbine Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 73: Digital Turbine Inc. - Business segments

10.9 Digital Turbine Inc.

Exhibit 74: Digital Turbine Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 75: Digital Turbine Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 76: DOCOMO Digital Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 77: DOCOMO Digital Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 78: DOCOMO Digital Ltd. - Key news

10.10 DOCOMO Digital Ltd.

Exhibit 79: DOCOMO Digital Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 80: Fortumo OU - Overview



Exhibit 81: Fortumo OU - Business segments



Exhibit 82: Fortumo OU - Key news

10.11 Fortumo OU

Exhibit 83: Fortumo OU - Key offerings



Exhibit 84: Fortumo OU - Segment focus



Exhibit 85: Oracle Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 86: Oracle Corp. - Business segments

10.12 Oracle Corp.

Exhibit 87: Oracle Corp. - Key news



Exhibit 88: Oracle Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 89: Oracle Corp. - Segment focus

11 Appendix

11.1 Scope of the report

Exhibit 90: Currency conversion rates for US$

11.2 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 91: Research Methodology

11.3 Research methodology

Exhibit 92: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 93: Information sources



Exhibit 94: List of abbreviations

11.4 List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contact

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
The accelerator program supports early stage women founders working in any industry.

HOUSTON, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- DivInc, the premier startup accelerator for people of color and women entrepreneurs, is proud to announce the launch of its first Women in Tech Accelerator made possible through Houston title sponsor, SheSpace.

DivInc's Fall 2022 Women in Tech Accelerator fueled by SheSpace supports women-led startups approaching industry challenges in innovative ways. The program is designed to address the challenges unique to female founders, including dependent care, in addition to providing the access to capital, mentors/advisors, and networks that DivInc programming is known for.

"Women-led companies are vastly underfunded by venture capital. This is a huge inequity, but it is also a huge missed opportunity for the VC community. Private technology companies led by women are more capital-efficient, achieving 35% higher ROI, and, when venture-backed, 12% higher revenue than startups run by men, according to the Kauffman Foundation," said Preston L. James II, DivInc Co-Founder and CEO. "DivInc is dedicated to creating the spaces and providing the resources women founders need to thrive. It's good for women founders and for the ecosystem as a whole."

DivInc's collaboration with SheSpace and women leaders in the Houston area will be the key to the long term success of this accelerator program and its founders.

"SheSpace leapt at the chance to partner with DivInc's Women in Tech Accelerator as women tenaciously look for responses to the systemic and unfortunate track record of underfunded women entrepreneurs and founders. No meaningful change can occur unless the people who are affected are part of the solution. Now is time to give the abundance of women with talent and potential surrounding us a head start in the founder ecosystem. This needs to be done by women who have already navigated it" said Stephanie Tsuru, Founder of SheSpace." "SheSpace is where forward-thinking females gather to embrace the power, persistence, and passion of working women. It is time to widen our net, and this accelerator is a good place to start."

Throughout the accelerator, SheSpace will work with the DivInc team on programming and thought leadership initiatives.

In total, 10 companies will be accepted to the 12-week program which will run from September through December 2022 and will be hosted at SheSpace and The Ion. Upon completion of the program, each participating company will receive $10,000 non-dilutive seed funding provided by SheSpace.

The Fall 2022 Women in Tech Accelerator fueled by SheSpace is also supported by Houston premier partners, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., Verizon, The Ion, and Mercury.

Learn more at www.divinc.org/women-in-tech

About DivInc:

DivInc is a 501c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to generate social and economic equity through entrepreneurship by equipping underrepresented founders with access to the critical resources they need to build investable companies. Founded in Austin in 2016, DivInc has supported 87 companies and over 100 founders. Learn more at www.divinc.org .

About SheSpace

SheSpace is Houston's premier female-focused co-working space. Their mission is to create clear pathways for bold, unapologetic women to accomplish both professional and personal goals while surrounded by like-minded women. SheSpace provides physical space such as offices, work desks, meeting rooms and event spaces so women can focus on productivity and success while minimizing stress and wasted time. But what makes SheSpace unique is the supportive, inclusive culture and educational programming. Their focus is providing an incomparable, inspirational work, meeting, educational and networking experience in a place built for women by women. Learn more at www.shespacehtx.com .

Media Contact:

Cherise Luter

Marketing Director, DivInc

[email protected]

SOURCE DivInc
Campaign Leads to Almost 600,000 Impressions and over 85,000 Downloads of the FH Consumer Classroom App

NEW YORK, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A campaign to promote a health insurance literacy app, FH Consumer Classroom, led to over 85,000 downloads and garnered positive attention from consumer survey respondents, who reported that the app was useful in learning about the healthcare system and insurance plans. These are among the findings reported in a new brief from the national, independent nonprofit FAIR Health. Entitled Advancing Health Insurance Literacy among Hispanic and Latino Communities: Lessons from FAIR Health's FH LAUNCH (Learn, Access and Understand Navigation of Choices in Healthcare) Espanol Initiative, the brief reveals the findings of an initiative to advance health insurance literacy in Hispanic, Latino and Spanish-speaking young adults in the New York City metropolitan area. The initiativecalled FH LAUNCH Espanol and generously funded by The New York Community Trust (The Trust)involved the dissemination of the FH Consumer Classroom mobile app, which is available for both iOS and Android.

Related Documents View PDF Advancing Health Insurance Literacy among Hispanic and Latino Communities: Lessons from FAIR Healths FH LAUNCH (Learn, Access and Understand Navigation of Choices in Healthcare) Espanol Initiative

Launched in April 2021, the FH Consumer Classroom app is available in both English and Spanish, and offers the same educational platform available on FAIR Health's consumer websites in a concise, visually welcoming and user-friendly format. Through articles, videos, a glossary, resources and interactive puzzle games, users can learn about health insurance and how to navigate the healthcare system.

As part of the FH LAUNCH Espanol initiative, in September 2021, FAIR Health implemented an educational outreach campaign targeting Hispanic, Latino and Spanish-speaking young adults (aged 18-26) in New York City, with an additional focus on formerly incarcerated reentry populations. The campaign, which was developed in tandem with an ad agency that serves Spanish-speaking populations, involved Facebook ads, digital display ads and targeted outreach to New York state and county health departments, social service organizations and agencies, two- and four-year colleges, correctional/reentry programs and other salient stakeholders. Ads and all promotional materials, such as postcards, were developed in English and Spanish.

Other Key Findings

FAIR Health assessed the utility and value of the app through informal interviews and feedback from a brief survey on the app.

Importance of Communicating through Diverse Channels with Culturally Relevant Messaging:



The success of the social media and digital ad campaign was rooted in multichannel dissemination with culturally relevant messaging. Campaign messaging, which was featured on promotional and educational materials, played off the classroom theme. An example of messaging (translated to English) included: "If learning about health insurance seems like an impossible assignment. Download this App." The social media and digital ads resulted in nearly 600,000 impressions (reflecting over 95,000 individuals), most of these in the greater New York area. Overall, the dissemination campaign, which also included targeted organizational outreach, led to more than 85,000 app downloads.

Utility and Value of HIL Resources:



Nearly 73 percent of survey respondents reported that they found the app "useful" or "very useful"; more than half (55 percent) of respondents said that the app made them more confident in their ability to evaluate healthcare quality and health insurance plans.

Acceptability of FH Consumer Classroom and Appetite for Resources:



Interviews revealed the acceptability of the app and an appetite for resources that advance health insurance literacy. Interviewees expressed the need for "centralized" information about healthcare and health insurance, especially for young adults.

FAIR Health President Robin Gelburd stated, "FAIR Health gratefully acknowledges The Trust's support for this important initiative. We remain committed to equipping consumers with actionable tools such as the FH Consumer Classroom app to support their ability to navigate the healthcare system and make informed decisions."

Irfan Hasan, Deputy Vice President for Grants at The Trust, said, "The Trust was proud to support the dissemination of a valuable resource such as the FH Consumer Classroom app for those who currently lack the tools and support to effectively navigate the healthcare system. FAIR Health's effort to promote the app to individuals who face language-based and other barriers to navigating the healthcare system is yet another step in the right direction of empowering individuals to make informed healthcare decisions."

To read the brief, click here.

Access FH Consumer Classroom from iOS or Android.

Follow us on Twitter @FAIRHealth

About FAIR Health

FAIR Health is a national, independent nonprofit organization that qualifies as a public charity under section 501(c)(3) of the federal tax code. It is dedicated to bringing transparency to healthcare costs and health insurance information through data products, consumer resources and health systems research support. FAIR Health possesses the nation's largest collection of private healthcare claims data, which includes over 36 billion claim records and is growing at a rate of over 2 billion claim records a year. FAIR Health licenses its privately billed data and data productsincluding benchmark modules, data visualizations, custom analytics and market indicesto commercial insurers and self-insurers, employers, providers, hospitals and healthcare systems, government agencies, researchers and others. Certified by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as a national Qualified Entity, FAIR Health also receives data representing the experience of all individuals enrolled in traditional Medicare Parts A, B and D; FAIR Health includes among the private claims data in its database, data on Medicare Advantage enrollees. FAIR Health can produce insightful analytic reports and data products based on combined Medicare and commercial claims data for government, providers, payors and other authorized users. FAIR Health's systems for processing and storing protected health information have earned HITRUST CSF certification and achieved AICPA SOC 2 compliance by meeting the rigorous data security requirements of these standards. As a testament to the reliability and objectivity of FAIR Health data, the data have been incorporated in statutes and regulations around the country and designated as the official, neutral data source for a variety of state health programs, including workers' compensation and personal injury protection (PIP) programs. FAIR Health data serve as an official reference point in support of certain state balance billing laws that protect consumers against bills for surprise out-of-network and emergency services. FAIR Health also uses its database to power a free consumer website available in English and Spanish, which enables consumers to estimate and plan for their healthcare expenditures and offers a rich educational platform on health insurance. An English/Spanish mobile app offers the same educational platform in a concise format and links to the cost estimation tools. The website has been honored by the White House Summit on Smart Disclosure, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), URAC, the eHealthcare Leadership Awards, appPicker, Employee Benefit News and Kiplinger's Personal Finance. FAIR Health also is named a top resource for patients in Dr. Marty Makary's book The Price We Pay: What Broke American Health Careand How to Fix It and Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal's book An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back. For more information on FAIR Health, visit fairhealth.org.

Contact:

Rachel Kent

Senior Director of Marketing

FAIR Health

646-396-0795

[email protected]

SOURCE FAIR Health
New confectionery and sweet packaged foods products will be developed in the new 45,000 square foot Innovation Center, which will also bring together Ferrero teams from across the U.S.

PARSIPPANY, N.J., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ferrero North America, part of the global confectionery company Ferrero Group, today announced plans to open an Innovation Center in Chicago's Marshall Field and Company Building. The new 45,000 square foot facility will bring together Ferrero's R&D teams throughout the U.S. and also house employees from Ferrero's Old Post Office location representing Fannie May, Nutella Cafe, Keebler, Famous Amos, Mother's, and other distinctive cookie brands in the Ferrero portfolio.

Ferrero Chooses Chicago's Historic Marshall Field Building for New Innovation Center with Strategic R&D Lab

"Our goal for this space is to reflect Ferrero's unique heritage and provide an opportunity to create greater synergies among our teams. This new space will foster the collaboration, creativity and culture that Ferrero is known for around the world," said Todd Siwak, President, and Chief Business Officer of Ferrero North America. "I am proud of our growing footprint in Illinois and strongly believe that this innovation center will propel our teams forward to become leaders in the sweet packaged foods category."

The new innovation center, R&D lab, and offices, located on the eighth and ninth floors at 24 East Washington, will bring about 170 cross-functional team members to Chicago's Loop neighborhood.

"We are thrilled to join Ferrero as it announces that Chicago will be home to the company's first innovation center in the United States," said Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot. "Chicago is a global destination for innovation and Ferrero will be well-placed here, benefitting from the city's connectivity to the world and its strong network of companies driven by tech and innovation. I congratulate Ferrero on this move and welcome them to Chicago as I look forward to more companies realizing Chicago's incredible potential."

The announcement is the latest in a series of milestones in Ferrero's growth in North America. The company is building a chocolate processing facility and a new plant to make Kinder Bueno products in Bloomington, Illinois and is expanding capacity in its Brantford, Ontario plant. In the past few years, it has opened new distribution centers in Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arizona and expanded its North American headquarters in Parsippany, New Jersey.

The move will take place over two phases, with all current Ferrero Chicago employees moving to a temporary office space while construction is completed on the final space. The final office at the Marshall Field & Co. building is set be complete by Spring of 2023.

24 E. Washington Street (the Marshall Field and Company Building) is operated by Brookfield Properties. The iconic property is a Chicago Landmark, a National Historic Landmark, and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978. Ferrero was represented in the lease transaction by Andy Strand and Todd Mintz of JLL. Brookfield Properties was represented by Jack OBrien, Daniel Heckman and Caroline Colnon of The Telos Group.

About Ferrero

For over 70 years, Ferrero has created products loved by generations. We've grown from a bakery in Alba, Italy into the third largest confectionery company in the world. Ferrero entered the North American market in 1969 and continues to spread joy with Ferrero Rocher, Nutella, Kinder, Tic Tac and Fannie May chocolates. Ferrero Group expanded its portfolio in 2018 with the addition of Butterfinger, CRUNCH, Baby Ruth, 100Grand and other legendary chocolate brands.

We're proud to be a family-owned company with 3,000 employees in eight offices and ten plants and warehouses in North America, including a cocoa processing plant in Brantford, Ontario and a planned chocolate processing factory in Bloomington, Illinois. Instilled in every aspect of our business is the entrepreneurial spirit of our founders, and their passion for quality, creativity, and innovation. Follow @FerreroNACorp on Twitter and @FerreroNACorp on Instagram. www.ferreronorthamerica.com

About Brookfield Properties

Brookfield Properties is a leading global developer and operator of high-quality real estate assets. We are active in nearly all real estate sectors, including office, retail, multifamily, hospitality and logistics, operating more than 800 properties and over 375 million square feet of real estate in gateway markets on behalf of Brookfield Asset Management, one of the largest asset managers in the world. With a focus on sustainability, a commitment to excellence, and the drive for relentless innovation in the planning, development and management of buildings and their surroundings, Brookfield Properties is reimagining real estate from the ground up. For more information, visit www.brookfieldproperties.com.

About 24 E. Washington Street (The Marshall Field and Company Building)

In 2021, Brookfield Properties completed a major restoration and overhaul of the iconic Marshall Field building  24 E. Washington Street -- the seven-story, 636,000-square-foot building into a unique and modern office property with 15-foot ceilings and oversized windows. The adaptive reuse of the historic building resulted in significant energy efficiency and other environmentally sustainable gains, as well as a lower carbon footprint than what demolition and new construction would have yielded. The building is centrally located with easy transportation access, including proximity to all seven CTA lines, the Metra, connections to both airports, and Ogilvy and Union Stations. It is steps from Michigan Avenue and Millennium Park.

About JLL

JLL is a leading professional services firm that specializes in real estate and investment management. JLL shapes the future of real estate for a better world by using the most advanced technology to create rewarding opportunities, amazing spaces and sustainable real estate solutions for our clients, our people and our communities. JLL is a Fortune 500 company with annual revenue of $19.4 billion, operations in over 80 countries and a global workforce of more than 100,000 as of March 31, 2022. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit jll.com.

CONTACT: Kelsey McGeough, [email protected]

SOURCE Ferrero North America
The move will enable banks to embed market-leading FX services directly into corporate and branch channels

LONDON, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Finastra and HSBC announced today that they are working together to distribute HSBC's FX services via Finastra's FusionFabric.cloud platform under a Banking as a Service (BaaS) experience. This collaboration will take advantage of the best elements of modern API-driven connectivity with licensed institutions' secure, regulated infrastructure.

The first phase of the roll out will provide both indicative and executable FX rates to regional mid-tier banks via a plug-in to Finastra's Fusion Kondor, a solution with low maintenance and ownership cost, backed by the liquidity and robust risk management capabilities of one of the world's largest FX franchises.

Integrating HSBC FX services with mid-tier banks will allow participating banks to deliver a wide range of currencies to their customers through branch networks and other retail channels, without requiring any additional technology integration. It will also provide clients with highly automated FX pricing capabilities, allowing banks to process higher FX volumes, and to differentiate themselves while maintaining their own customer relationships. Corporate clients will benefit from increased transparency of pricing and market conditions, improved ease of execution, and simpler currency risk management.

Available in H2 2022, the initial roll out will focus on financial institutions in Asia Pacific (APAC) with other regions to follow soon after. It will also be made available to embedders who require direct access to FX liquidity and pricing.

Richard Anthony, HSBC's Global Head of FX eRisk & Precious Metals said: "We are delighted to be working with Finastra. As one of the world's leading FX banks this is another great example of HSBC leveraging our world-class FX eRisk infrastructure to help our clients achieve their business objectives." Mark Williamson, Global Head of FX Partnerships and Propositions at HSBC added: "We are constantly seeking out strategic partnerships and channels to embed our FX Services and build market-leading customer propositions."

Angus Ross, Chief Revenue Officer, Banking as a Service (BaaS) at Finastra said: "The ability to integrate FX directly into corporate treasury platforms, as well as competitive pricing and liquidity into a single package will help reduce friction for regional banks and their customers and demonstrates a use case in which BaaS can really make an impact. HSBC is a leading market maker with deep liquidity in the FX market and shares Finastra's beliefs around the significant potential of BaaS. We're excited to be co-developing this solution to connect buyers and sellers of FX through a wholesale marketplace."

Finastra

Caroline Duff

[email protected],

+44 (0)7917 613586

Note to Editors

About Finastra

Finastra is a global provider of financial software applications and marketplaces, and launched the leading open platform for innovation, FusionFabric.cloud, in 2017. It serves institutions of all sizes, providing award-winning solutions and services across Lending, Payments, Treasury & Capital Markets and Retail & Digital Banking for banks to support direct banking relationships and grow through indirect channels, such as embedded finance and Banking as a Service. Its pioneering approach and commitment to open finance and collaboration is why it is trusted by ~8,600 institutions, including 90 of the world's top 100 banks. For more information, visit finastra.com.

HSBC Holdings plc

HSBC Holdings plc, the parent company of the HSBC Group, is headquartered in London. HSBC serves customers worldwide from offices in 64 countries and territories in our geographical regions: Europe, Asia, North America, Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa. With assets of US$3,022 billion at 30 March 2022, HSBC is one of the world's largest banking and financial services organisations.

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/967510/Finastra_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Finastra
SAN FRANCISCO, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SwimShow will return as an in-person event for their 40th anniversary with Ribbon providing registration and lead capture services via mobile devices and QR codes.

"Today's retailers are focused on sustainability, from the brands they work with to the shows they attend," explains Ribbon CEO Vinit Patil. "At SwimShow both retailers and exhibitors will be able to participate before, during and post-show without ever having to print a badge, business card or catalog. We hope more trade shows will follow SwimShow's lead."

As profiled in Women's Wear Daily, SwimShow's post pandemic rebranding has focused on sustainability and accessibility. After a logo and website redesign, Executive Director Judy Stein knew it was time to focus on streamlining the check-in and shopping experience. Ribbon's QR code badges make it easy to monitor attendance and leads throughout the event to be held July 16th through 18th at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Vendors will also be using QR codes to keep track of interested buyers to make sure no sales fall through the cracks during or after the show. This ecologically friendly evolution makes business seamless and allows for quicker reporting.

"They just snap the QR code and go," said Stein, who launched a new blog, entitled "SwimShow Stories" on their revamped website to build engagement. Their 40th anniversary blog post further describes their desire to "[shift] to a digital experience for sustainability and efficiency. Attendees register and check-in on the new app, and each receives their own QR code to track interaction and interest."

Ribbon is partnered with trade shows owned by International Market Centers and Angus Montgomery Arts. The platform surpassed $100M in transactions since launching with various shows last year, and will be announcing new partnerships with fairs and showrooms in home, gift, art and apparel in the coming months.

About Ribbon: Ribbon, a San Francisco based tech company, offers a turn-key SaaS platform for powering specialized B2B marketplaces and hybrid trade shows. Ribbon has revolutionized trade shows in industries that traditionally only relied on in-person business by supporting face to face events with a complementary fully transactional e-commerce platform for exhibitors.

SOURCE Ribbon
Owing to Increased Alcohol Consumption Flourishing Sales Have Been Anticipated in Glass Container Market. Amber glass containers are more preferred because they offer protection against UV radiation. In the coming years the demand for clear glass containers is expected to rise at a higher rate

NEWARK, Del., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Glass containers are a form of glass packaging that is highly preferred by customers owing to their ability to preserve the taste and flavor of the products inside. Due to some remarkable changes such as user-friendly, lightweight, and decreased logistics costs have flourished sales in the glass container market.

The unique features of glass, such as chemical durability, optical properties, transparency, and low cost ensure its continued success over the years. Future Market Insights (FMI) offers insights into key factors driving demand for glass containers. The report tracks the global sales of glass containers in 20+ high-growth markets, along with analyzing the impact COVID-19 has had on the beverage industry in general, and glass containers in particular.

Request a Sample of this Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-935

Key Takeaways

The alcoholic beverage industry has a strong influence on the glass container market since a majority of manufacturers sell alcoholic drinks filled in glass bottles.

Alcoholic drinks comprise one of the most lucrative segments within the beverages industry, accounting for a higher market share in terms of volume in comparison to other end-use applications.

The development of innovative and lightweight products with attractive designs and vibrant color combinations at lower production costs have remained a key growth enabler.

Demand for glass is augmented by the strong growth evident in the luxury packaging world, particularly in liquor and cosmetics.

The luxury packaging market is gaining traction across the globe. Key market participants are introducing various luxury packaging products to increase their product line and market share.

The U.S. will remain one of the most lucrative markets throughout the course of the forecast period. According to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), nearly 85.6% of people aged 18 years or above consume alcohol at some point in their lifetime.

Due to an increase in alcoholic beverage consumption, Germany is expected to remain one of the highly lucrative markets for glass containers.

Ask an [email protected] https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-question/rep-gb-935

Competitive Landscape

Ardagh Group S.A, Amcor Plc, Consol Glass (Pty) Ltd, Owens-Illinois, Inc., Saverglass Group, BA Glass, Hindusthan National Glass & Industries Limited, Nampak Ltd, Wiegand-Glas, Vidrala S.A. are some of the key companies profiled in the full version of the report.

It is estimated that the glass container market will welcome new entrants in the coming years, due to an increase in consumer preference for environment friendly products. Soon, multinationals and other established players in the market are likely to focus on expansion. Besides this, the focus on expansion will continue to increase through the forecast period.

Browse Detailed Summary of Research Report : https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/container-glass-market

More Insights into the Glass Container Market

FMI has projected the U.S. to remain one of the most lucrative markets throughout the course of the forecast period. According to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), nearly 85.6% of people aged 18 years or above reported consuming alcohol at some point in their lifetime. With alcohol consumption forecast to rise consistently, the demand for glass containers is expected to increase in response.

Due to an increase in alcoholic beverage consumption, Germany is expected to remain one of the highly lucrative markets for glass containers. As per the American Addiction Centers, Inc. (AAC), an average citizen in Germany consumes 11.3 liters of alcohol in a year while the global average is 8.9 liters.

Owing to the COVID impact there has been a surge in demand for glass containers like ampoules, vials, bottles, and others in China. The demand rose further with a high number of COVID-19 cases. The rise in the demand for glass containers is influenced by various factors.

Glass containers being one of the most preferred packaging formats for luxury items like perfume, cosmetics, and others find increasing demand within France's booming cosmetics and perfumery packaging sector.

As per British Soft Drinks Association, glass accounted for nearly 7% of the total soft drink packaging formats in 2019. However, when it comes to alcoholic beverages, this share for glass packaging reaches 80% of the total packaging formats used for the packaging of alcoholic beverages.

Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/brochure/rep-gb-935

Key segments

Product Type

Glass Bottle

Sauce / Syrup Bottle



French Square Bottle



Boston Rounds Bottle



Glass Jug



Others (Rio rounds, woozy bottles, pill packer etc.)

Glass Jar

Mason Jar



Hexagonal Glass Jar



Paragon Glass Jar



Straight Sided Jar



Others (Facet jar, tempered round jar, etc.)

Glass Vial

Food Grade Vial



Pharma Grade Vial

Candle Glass Container

Color

Amber Glass Container

Blue Glass Container

Clear Glass Container

Frosted Glass Container

Other Coloured Glass Container

End-Use Industry

Cosmetics & Perfumes

Perfumes



Color Cosmetics

Pharmaceuticals

Food Packaging

Generic Food Packaging



Specialty Food Packaging

Beverage Packaging

Alcoholic Beverages



Non Alcoholic Beverages

Other Products

Region

North America

Latin America

Europe

Asia Pacific (APAC)

(APAC) Middle East & Africa (MEA)

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Table of Content

1. Executive Summary

1.1. Global Market Outlook

1.2. Demand Side Trends

1.3. Supply Side Trends

1.4. Analysis and Recommendations

2. Market Overview

2.1. Market Coverage / Taxonomy

2.2. Market Definition / Scope / Limitations

3. Key Market Trends

3.1. Key Trends Impacting the Market

3.2. Product Innovation / Development Trends

4. Global Glass Containers Market Demand Analysis 2016-2020 and Forecast, 2021-2031

4.1. Historical Market Volume (Tonnes) Analysis, 2016-2020

4.2. Current and Future Market Volume (Tonnes) Projections, 2021-2031

4.3. Y-o-Y Growth Trend Analysis

5. Global Glass Containers Market - Pricing Analysis

5.1. Regional Pricing Analysis, By Product type

5.2. Pricing Break-up

TOC continued..!

About the Packaging Division at Future Market Insights

The packaging division at Future Market Insights provides an in-depth historical analysis and projections for the next ten years and covers the competitive landscape through a unique dashboard view. Ranging from packaging materials, packaging machinery to packaging designs & formats, Future Market Insights has an exhaustive database for these industry verticals, serving clients with unique research offerings and strategic recommendations. With a repository of 1,000+ reports, the team has analysed the packaging industry comprehensively in 50+ countries. The team evaluates every node of the value chain and provides end-to-end research and consulting services; reach out to explore how we can help.

Have a Look at Packaging Domain Related Research Reports:

Thin Wall Glass Container Market Size - Thin Wall Glass Container market study offers a comprehensive analysis of the business models, key strategies, and respective market shares of some of the most prominent players in this landscape.

Glass Pasteur Pipettes Market Shares - Glass Pasteur Pipettes are generally used in chemical laboratory, research and development department of any industry, for quality control and assessment, pathology and any analytical work which includes testing and handling of chemicals.

Container Liner Market Trends - The container liners market will register positive growth through 2021, with the overall valuation forecast to reach US$ 839 Mn in 2021. FMI projects container liners sales to increase at 4.7% CAGR between 2021 and 2031.

Container Stacking Machine Market Forecast - The global container stacking machine market and some of the key factors which are highlighted are end to end service offering by container stacking machine market which makes it a stand out point of differentiation.

Container Mouth Inner Seal Market Growth - Container mouth inner seal come in particularly handy while packaging of fluids, as they guarantee spill proof containment of the packaged content. The container mouth inner seal must be torn in order to open the container to use the product.

Glass Bottles Market Demand - The glass bottles market worth will reach US$37.1 Bn in 2021, as per Future Market Insights (FMI) analysis. Overall glass bottles sales are expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.2% between 2021 and 2031

Download complimentary copy of Future Market Insights White Paper on Intelligent Packaging for Circular Economy published in collaboration with Graham Packaging and Avery Dennison

About Future Market Insights (FMI)

Future Market Insights (ESOMAR certified market research organization and a member of Greater New York Chamber of Commerce) provides in-depth insights into governing factors elevating the demand in the market. It discloses opportunities that will favor the market growth in various segments on the basis of Source, Application, Sales Channel and End Use over the next 10-years.

Contact:

Future Market Insights Inc.

Christiana Corporate, 200 Continental Drive,

Suite 401, Newark, Delaware - 19713, USA

T: +1-845-579-5705

For Sales Enquiries: [email protected]

Website: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com

Report: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/container-glass-market

LinkedIn| Twitter| Blogs

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SOURCE Future Market Insights
DUBLIN, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Halal Food and Beverage Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by Product (Grain Products), by Distribution Channel (Hypermarket & Supermarket), by Region, and Segment Forecasts, 2022-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global halal food and beverage market is expected to reach USD 1063.11 billion by 2030. The global halal food industry is expected to witness a CAGR of 3.6% during the forecast period owing to the increasing Muslim population and their substantially increasing expenditure on food & beverages, which is considered the main driving force of this market. According to an article published in Salaam Gateway, in November 2019, 63.6% of Muslims globally spend USD 2.2 trillion on halal and Islamic food and lifestyle products.



Governments of the Islamic, as well as the non-Islamic nations and the manufacturers of halal-certified food products, have been taking various initiatives in terms of marketing & educating consumers about these products. The confidence of consumers in halal brands has been the most influential factor in the actual purchase of these products. According to an article published in Salam Gateway, in November 2020 Egypt's council of ministers introduced the 'Halal in Egypt' mark for Egyptian halal exports, while the Philippines' Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) also launched an official national logo.



Meat & alternatives held the largest segment in 2021 and are expected to maintain dominance over the forecast period. Halal meat has always been a remarkable business segment. For instance, in October 2019, Indonesia made halal certification mandatory for halal food products and established the halal products certification agency, Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Produk Halal (BPJPH). Owing to the formation of these types of organizational figures the industry participants have been successful to a great extent in building consumer trust and pushing penetration of the product category to even higher levels.



The hypermarket & supermarket segment contributed a majority of the share to become a larger division in the global revenue in 2021. The increasing penetration of independent retail giants such as Walmart and Costco among others are boosting product visibility and attracting a larger consumer base. Consumers prefer to physically verify these products before buying, which is driving the sales through this channel. For instance, Al Islami Foods Corporation offers a wide range of halal products via these stores across the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The market is highly fragmented with the presence of a large number of regional and local players.



Halal Food and Beverage Market Report Highlights

Grain products are projected to register the fastest growth due to a more cost-effective option for large organizations as it dispenses less amount of product per pump.

Online channel is anticipated to register faster growth during the forecast years owing to promising growth exhibited by e-commerce platforms, across Middle East countries including Saudi Arabia , UAE.

countries including , UAE. Europe is expected to register the fastest growth during the forecast period, with brands rolling out halal-certified food & beverage in the region.

Key Topics Covered:



Chapter 1. Methodology and Scope



Chapter 2. Executive Summary



Chapter 3. Halal Food & Beverage Market Variables, Trends & Scope

3.1. Market Introduction

3.2. Penetration & Growth Prospect Mapping

3.3. Impact of COVID-19 on the Halal Food & Beverage Market

3.4. Industry Value Chain Analysis

3.4.1. Sales/Retail Channel Analysis

3.4.2. Profit Margin Analysis

3.5. Market Dynamics

3.5.1. Market Driver Analysis

3.5.2. Market Restraint Analysis

3.5.3. Industry Challenges

3.5.4. Industry Opportunities

3.6. Business Environment Analysis

3.6.1. Industry Analysis - Porter's

3.6.1.1. Supplier Power

3.6.1.2. Buyer Power

3.6.1.3. Substitution Threat

3.6.1.4. Threat from New Entrant

3.6.1.5. Competitive Rivalry

3.7. Roadmap of Halal Food & Beverage Market

3.8. Market Entry Strategies



Chapter 4. Consumer Behavior Analysis

4.1. Demographic Analysis

4.2. Consumer Trends and Preferences

4.3. Factors Affecting Buying Decision

4.4. Consumer Product Adoption

4.5. Observations & Recommendations



Chapter 5. Halal Food & Beverage Market: Product Estimates & Trend Analysis

5.1. Product Movement Analysis & Market Share, 2021 & 2030

5.2. Meat & Alternatives

5.2.1. Market estimates and forecast for meat & alternatives 2017-2030, (USD Million)

5.3. Milk & Milk Products

5.3.1. Market estimates and forecast for milk & milk products 2017-2030, (USD Million)

5.4. Fruits & Vegetables

5.4.1. Market estimates and forecast for fruits & vegetables 2017-2030, (USD Million)

5.5. Grain Products

5.5.1. Market estimates and forecast for grain products 2017-2030, (USD Million)

5.6. Others

5.6.1. Market estimates and forecast for others 2017-2030, (USD Million)



Chapter 6. Halal Food & Beverage Market: Distribution Channel Estimates & Trend Analysis

6.1. Distribution Channel Movement Analysis & Market Share, 2021 & 2030

6.2. Hypermarket & Supermarket

6.2.1. Market estimates and forecast through hypermarket & supermarket, 2017-2030, (USD Million)

6.3. Departmental Store

6.3.1. Market estimates and forecast through departmental store, 2017-2030, (USD Million)

6.4. Online

6.4.1. Market estimates and forecast through online, 2017-2030, (USD Million)

6.5. Others

6.5.1. Market estimates and forecast through others, 2017-2030, (USD Million)



Chapter 7. Halal Food & Beverage Market: Regional Estimates & Trend Analysis



Chapter 8. Competitive Analysis

8.1. Key global players, recent developments & their impact on the industry

8.2. Key Company/Competition Categorization (Key innovators, Market leaders, Emerging players)

8.3. Vendor Landscape

8.3.1. Key company market share analysis, 2021



Chapter 9. Company Profiles

9.1. Nestle S.A

9.1.1. Company Overview

9.1.2. Financial Performance

9.1.3. Product Benchmarking

9.1.4. Strategic Initiatives

9.2. Cargill, Incorporated

9.2.1. Company Overview

9.2.2. Financial Performance

9.2.3. Product Benchmarking

9.2.4. Strategic Initiatives

9.3. Unilever

9.3.1. Company Overview

9.3.2. Financial Performance

9.3.3. Product Benchmarking

9.3.4. Strategic Initiatives

9.4. American Halal Company, Inc.

9.4.1. Company Overview

9.4.2. Financial Performance

9.4.3. Product Benchmarking

9.4.4. Strategic Initiatives

9.5. Al-Falah Halal Foods

9.5.1. Company Overview

9.5.2. Financial Performance

9.5.3. Product Benchmarking

9.5.4. Strategic Initiatives

9.6. Prima Agri-Products

9.6.1. Company Overview

9.6.2. Financial Performance

9.6.3. Product Benchmarking

9.6.4. Strategic Initiatives

9.7. One World Foods Inc.

9.7.1. Company Overview

9.7.2. Financial Performance

9.7.3. Product Benchmarking

9.7.4. Strategic Initiatives

9.8. Midamar Corporation

9.8.1. Company Overview

9.8.2. Financial Performance

9.8.3. Product Benchmarking

9.8.4. Strategic Initiatives

9.9. QL Foods

9.9.1. Company Overview

9.9.2. Financial Performance

9.9.3. Product Benchmarking

9.9.4. Strategic Initiatives

9.10. Rosen's Diversified Inc.

9.10.1. Company Overview

9.10.2. Financial Performance

9.10.3. Product Benchmarking

9.10.4. Strategic Initiatives



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/18sy7?

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

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SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Market for Hydrogen Fueling Stations, 2022" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

By year-end 2021, over public hydrogen stations were deployed globally, representing a dramatic increase over 2020. These deployments represent the highest number of station deployments in a single year. Figure 1 shows the breakdown of these stations by region.

The deployments of hydrogen stations have picked up in several countries, particularly in APAC and Europe. In 2021, the highest number of new hydrogen stations were deployed in China, followed by Korea. In Europe, France led the new deployments. Figure 1 provides the share of each region with respect to hydrogen station deployments.



With 2021 as the base year, this report provides 15-year forecasts through the year 2036. During the forecast period, the deployments of hydrogen stations will grow as a function of their declining costs and the uptake of hydrogen FCVs.



The capabilities of hydrogen stations are being enhanced, while their costs are declining. The capabilities include higher fueling pressures, increased fueling capacity, and expanded hydrogen storage.



There is a push to supply these stations with "green" hydrogen, i.e., hydrogen produced from clean energy sources such as solar panels and wind turbines. This trend is in line with the global drive for green energy completely free of carbon.



Information Trends projects that by 2030, the industry in many countries will become sufficiently self-reliant and independent so as not to need any intervention from governmental organizations for its financial sustenance.



South Korea, Austria, and Denmark are the first countries where enough hydrogen stations were deployed to allow an FCV to travel across the country. In the U.S., hydrogen station deployments in California allow an FCV to travel anywhere in the state and be supported by the hydrogen fueling network.



In addition to hydrogen stations for passenger vehicles, hydrogen stations for heavy-duty transportation are increasingly being deployed. These include stations for buses, trucks, and forklifts. In the upcoming years, the fueling stations will begin to supply hydrogen to trains, aircraft, and maritime vessels, further driving their growth.



The sums of money being poured into hydrogen station deployments are staggering. These deployments will generate $9 billion in revenue through 2036. The biggest chunk of the revenue will come from the APAC region, followed by Europe.





Scope of the Study



In this study, hydrogen stations are classified as retail, non-retail, and private.

Retail stations: These are designed for light-duty passenger non-commercial vehicles.

Non-retail stations: These are designed for commercial vehicles, such as buses, trucks, forklifts, locomotives, and maritime vessels. They include stations being used by companies and organizations for their internal needs.

Private stations: These stations are being used for trials and R&D.

Both retail and non-retail stations are considered public. In quantifying the market, this study considers only retail and non-retail stations.



This study does not consider Hydrogen-enriched Compressed Natural Gas (HCNG) stations as part of the hydrogen station market. Hydrogen stations offering compression levels below 35-MPa are also beyond the scope of this study.



Key Topics Covered:



1. Summary and Scope



2. Global Fueling Infrastructure

2.1 International Organizations

2.1.1 Hydrogen Council

2.1.2 IPHE

2.2 Market Factors

2.2.1 Market Ramp-Up

2.2.2 Deployments

2.2.3 Future Prognosis



3. APAC Deployments

3.1 APAC Organizations

3.1.1 International Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association

3.1.2 Asia-Pacific Hydrogen Association

3.2 Hydrogen Station Deployments

3.2.1 Deployments Overview

3.2.2 Australia

3.2.3 China

3.2.4 India

3.2.5 Japan

3.2.6 Korea

3.2.7 Malaysia

3.2.8 New Zealand

3.2.9 Rest of APAC



4 Europe

4.1 Organizations

4.2 Country Activity

4.2.1 Deployments Overview



5. Nordic Region

5.1 Organizations

5.1.1 Nordic Hydrogen Partnership

5.1.2 Nordic Hydrogen Corridor

5.1.3 The STRING initiative

5.2 Deployments Overview

5.3 Country Activity



6. Middle East & Africa

6.1 Deployments Overview

6.2 Country Activity



7. The Americas

7.1 Hydrogen Stations Deployments

7.1.1 Market Overview

7.1.2 Hydrogen Highway Initiative

7.2 Federal Policies and Initiatives

7.3 Western U.S.

7.4 Eastern U.S.

7.5 Canada

7.6 Latin America

8. Market Forecasts

8.1 Overview

8.2 Hydrogen Station Deployments

8.3 Hydrogen Station Revenue



9. Conclusions

9.1 Top Findings

9.2 Hydrogen as a Fuel

9.3 Rollout of FCVs

9.4 Hydrogen Station Deployments

9.5 Funding Requirements

9.6 Customer Experience

9.7 Other Findings



Companies Mentioned

ARENA

Clean Hydrogen JU

COHRS

European Commission

H Nodes

HBenelux

HFUTURE

High VLO-City Project

HIT Projects

HME

HPiyR

Hydrogen Europe

Hydrogen Europe Research

HyFIVE

HyFLEET: CUTE

SWARM

TEN-T

Zero Regio Project

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/siyddg

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

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SOURCE Research and Markets
Partnership will bolster organization efforts to provide access to resources that support engagement between Utah citizens and their local government.

AUSTIN, Texas, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- GovOS, a leading provider of digital transformation solutions for local governments, today announced a new partnership with the Utah Association of Counties (UAC). The UAC is a statewide nonprofit membership organization comprised of all 29 counties in Utah. The organization provides a range of services to help its members improve government operations and enrich the quality of services that Utah counties provide to citizens.

"The Utah Association of Counties is dedicated to providing its members with answers to the most challenging questions being asked of local governments today," said Bryan Rodgers, Corporate Relations Program Director, Utah Association of Counties. "Short-term rentals sit at the confluence of affordable housing, taxation, and community preservation, and therefore require nuanced solutions that can adapt and accommodate this emerging market. GovOS is at the forefront of STR thought leadership and brings a valuable point-of-view on best practices moving forward."

Through this partnership, UAC members have access to exclusive pricing for the GovOS Short-Term Rental (STR) solution which includes identification, registration, lodging tax collection and a 24/7 dedicated STR hotline for residents. In partnering with GovOS, the UAC is adding new services to its growing list of member programs that encourage engagement between citizens and their local government. The UAC has been providing Utah counties with access to resources since 1924.

GovOS has extensive experience working with jurisdictions, providing a comprehensive solution that increases engagement between STR owners and their local government agencies. The GovOS STR solution has been implemented in communities across the United States and throughout the state of Utah. These jurisdictions use the GovOS STR solution to support the long-term goal of identifying and monitoring short-term rental operators to ensure they remain in compliance with local regulations.

"Through this partnership, we can support the UAC's longtime mission of improving the effectiveness of government agencies in Utah," said Anna Vaughn, Senior Vice President of Partnerships for GovOS. "At the same time, we can continue providing local governments with the most effective and innovative software solutions available. By empowering local Utah governments with dynamic technology for STR identification, compliance, business registration and lodging tax collection, we can work together with the UAC to educate, serve and have a positive impact in Utah communities."

GovOS is actively engaged in strategic partnerships that benefit government agencies and their citizens. By building relationships with industry leaders in the STR ecosystem, the company can offer access to additional resources that work in tandem with its STR solution, and are designed exclusively to support city and county efforts to promote healthy communities.

Utah counties can learn more about UAC member programs at uacnet.org/programs

For more information about the GovOS STR solution, visit: govos.com/products/short-term-rental/

About GovOS

GovOS is the leading digital transformation platform for local governments. Headquartered in Austin, TX, GovOS serves government agencies of all sizes across the United States. Through its secure and integrated suite of cloud-based solutions, governments can automate and streamline operations, provide seamless access to resources and information, and deliver cutting-edge digital services to businesses, residents and agencies.

For more information, visit GovOS.com

About the UAC

The Utah Association of Counties (UAC) is a voluntary, statewide organization whose members are the 29 counties of Utah. The counties, through their elected officials, direct UAC activities in providing services to county officials. UAC was formed in 1924 to help counties provide effective county government to the people of Utah. The private, nonprofit organization offers a broad range of management, training, and intergovernmental relations services to counties, including commissioners and other elected officials (affiliates).

To learn more, visit uacnet.org/

Media Contact:

Karl Pawlewicz

[email protected]

SOURCE GovOS
A New Benefits Technology Platform to Enable Employers to Maintain a Competitive Benefits Offering

CHICAGO, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hub International Limited (HUB), a leading full-service global insurance broker and financial services firm, announced today the launch of HUB Benefits SmartView. Benefits SmartView gives employers richer insights to optimize and customize their benefits programs. The platform provides benchmarking across several key categories of employee benefits and risk control and creates contextualization of where a program could be improved, enabling an employer to enhance their competitive offering.

"HUB's investments in benefits technologies and data analytics platforms are more important now than ever before," said Jeff Faber, Chief Strategy Officer, HUB Employee Benefits. "HUB Benefits SmartView improves the client experience, provides more actionable guidance and delivers a more robust benefits planning solution by helping employers understand their current programs and the need to rapidly adapt and evolve them to attract and retain talent. It goes beyond traditional benchmarking, and guides clients on the strategies that their industry peers are planning and executing now and in the future."

As employers continue to view benefits as a critical incentive to attract and retain talent, HUB Benefits SmartView analyzes what a client offers their employees today and plans in the future, benchmarking these initiatives and their impact against their peers. HUB Benefits SmartView gives employers insights into their past strategies and the ability to author strategic roadmaps that examine:

employer cost reduction,

productivity & safety,

career & growth,

culture & connection,

health & energy,

money and security,

communication & engagement, and

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

About HUB International

Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, HUB International Limited is a leading full-service global insurance broker and financial services firm providing risk management, insurance, employee benefits, retirement and wealth management products and services. With more than 14,000 employees in offices located throughout North America, HUB's vast network of specialists brings clarity to a changing world with tailored solutions and unrelenting advocacy, so clients are ready for tomorrow. For more information, please visit www.hubinternational.com.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Marni Gordon

Phone: 312-279-4601

[email protected]

Jessica Wiltse

Phone: 312-596-7573

[email protected]

SOURCE Hub International Limited
Savio joins IDB with more than 25 years of experience in the investment banking industry

NEW YORK, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- IDB Bank, a New York-based private and commercial bank, announced Ken Savio as President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of IDB Capital, IDB Bank's broker-dealer subsidiary. As CEO, Savio will oversee the growth of IDB Capital as the Bank expands its wealth management business. He will also serve as a member of the IDB Senior Management Team and will report to Ziv Biron, IDB Bank's President & CEO.

A seasoned leader with more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, Savio has successfully led several broker-dealer entities, most recently serving as CEO of Olivetree Financial Group's U.S. business. In this role, he was responsible for regional management and development of the firm's U.S. equities business as well as expanding the firm's US growth strategy. Prior to his tenure at Olivetree, he held similar senior management roles at Macquarie, Cantor Fitzgerald and Bear Stearns & Cos., Inc.

"We are thrilled to bring Ken on as IDB Capital's CEO," said IDB Bank President & CEO Ziv Biron. "Ken's extensive leadership experience and deep industry knowledge will be invaluable in driving our wealth management business as we continue to bring forward leading capabilities to serve our clients."

IDB Capital offers personalized wealth management products and services to high-net worth domestic and international clients. IDB Capital makes available a full-range of brokerage products and services including but not limited to retirement planning, equities, fixed income instruments, mutual funds and alternative products.

"IDB Capital's impressive growth continues to showcase the invaluable importance of relationship-first practices in financial services," said Savio. "Our clients believe strongly in our customer-first focus, and IDB Capital is no exception. I'm excited to join the team and bring my own experience to the table as we grow the business together and continue furthering IDB's vision and promise to make wealth management personal."

Savio is a graduate of Fordham University, where he received his BA in Political Science and MBA in Finance.

About Israel Discount Bank of New York ("IDBNY" or "IDB Bank")

IDB Bank is a New-York State-chartered commercial bank, a member of the FDIC, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Israel Discount Bank LTD., one of Israel's leading banks. In addition to its Manhattan headquarters and branch offices in Brooklyn, N.Y, Staten Island, N.Y and Short Hills, N.J, the Bank maintains other full-service branches in South Florida and Southern California. The Bank provides a complete range of private banking and commercial banking services to U.S and international clients.

For 70 years IDB Bank has built its business by fostering deep relationships with its clients, rapid decision-making, and the ability to develop custom-tailored solutions for both its domestic and international clientele. To learn more about IDB Bank visit www.idbny.com

IDB Bank is a registered service mark of Israel Discount Bank of New York. MEMBER FDIC.

SOURCE IDB Bank
SEATTLE, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- JND Legal Administration announces a class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona against Defendants Theranos, Inc., Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. and Walgreen Arizona Drug Company (together called "Walgreens"), Elizabeth Holmes, and Ramesh Balwani (collectively, "Defendants"). The lawsuit is called In re Arizona Theranos, Inc., Litigation, Case No. 2:16-cv-2138-DGC.

This notice does not imply that there has been any violation of law or wrongdoing by Defendants or that there will be recovery after trial. Defendants contend that they did not do anything wrong, and they are not liable for any harm alleged by the Plaintiffs. There is no money available now, and there is no guarantee that there will be. Even if money does become available, you will not be allowed to recover for any amounts that Defendants have already paid you. However, your legal rights may be affected, and you may have a choice to make now.

What is this lawsuit about? The claims in the lawsuit arise out of Theranos blood testing services offered in Walgreens and Theranos stores. The lawsuit claims, among other things, that these blood testing services were not capable of producing reliable results, that the Defendants concealed the blood testing services' unreliability, that Walgreens knew that the blood testing services were unreliable and not market-ready, that the Defendants conspired to commit fraud on consumers, that Theranos's "tiny" blood testing technology (blood drawn with fingerpricks) was still in development, and that the customers who were subject to "tiny" Theranos blood draws by Walgreens employees gave their consent to those blood draws under false pretenses.

The Defendants deny these claims. Walgreens maintains it did not know that Theranos's blood testing services "were unreliable and not market-ready," and that it therefore did not conspire to commit fraud on consumers. Walgreens further maintains that it was, in fact, a victim of Theranos's fraud. Holmes and Balwani, on the other hand, contend that Theranos's test results were generally accurate and reliable, and that consumers were neither deceived nor injured. Defendants also assert that most class members have already been fully reimbursed for amounts paid for the tests through the Arizona Attorney General Consent Decree or otherwise, and so no other recovery is necessary or available to those class members. Plaintiffs claim that some class members have not been refunded or fully refunded for the tests and that other damages, beyond refunds for the tests, are due to class members.

The Court has not decided whether the Defendants have done anything wrong. That will not happen until the trial. The Court appointed two law firmsLieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP and Keller Rohrback LLPas "Class Counsel" to represent the Class and Subclasses.

This lawsuit does not seek damages or other relief for personal injury, emotional distress, retesting costs, or medical care costs. If you wish to pursue any of that relief, you need to exclude yourself ("opt out") from this lawsuit.

More information about the claims in this case can be found in the operative Second Amended Complaint and in other key case documents which may be viewed at www.TheranosLawsuit.com.

Am I part of the Class? The Court has certified a Class and three Subclasses. You are in the Class and/or the Subclasses if you fit within the definition(s) below:

Class : All purchasers of Theranos testing services, including consumers who paid out-of-pocket, through health insurance, or through any other collateral source between November 2013 and June 2016.

Arizona Subclass : All purchasers of Theranos testing services in Arizona between November 2013 and June 2016.

California Subclass : All purchasers of Theranos testing services in California, between September 2013 and June 2016.

Walgreens Edison Subclass : All purchasers of Theranos testing services who were subjected to "tiny" blood draws (fingerpricks) by a Walgreens employee between November 2013 and March 2015.

What are my options? If you are a class member, you have the option to do nothing or exclude yourself.

Do Nothing : If you do nothing, you remain a member of the Class and/or Subclasses, and are therefore bound by the outcome of the lawsuit regardless of who wins.

If Defendants are found liable, you may get money or benefits that may come from the lawsuit.

If Defendants are not found liable, you will receive no benefits, you give up any right to sue Defendants on your own about the same legal claims in this lawsuit, and will be bound by the result of this lawsuit.

Exclude Yourself ("Opt Out") : If you ask to be excluded from this lawsuit, and money or benefits are later awarded, you will not share in the money or benefits. If you ask to be excluded from this lawsuit, you will keep your right to hire your own lawyer to sue Defendants on your own about the same legal claims in this lawsuit.

If you ask to be excluded, you will not be bound by the results of any trial of the Class Action, and also not entitled to any damages (money or benefits), if any, that are later awarded. The deadline to request exclusion is SEPTEMBER 12, 2022.

For details about your rights and options and how to exclude yourself, go to www.TheranosLawsuit.com.

When is the trial? The Court has not yet scheduled the trial in this case, but it is expected that the trial will occur in 2023, and will take place in the United States District Court Courthouse, 401 W. Washington, Phoenix, AZ 85003. Once the trial is scheduled, the date and location will be posted on www.TheranosLawsuit.com. You do not need to attend any trial. Class Counsel will present the case for the Plaintiffs and the Class and Subclasses, and lawyers for Defendants will present on their behalf. If there is a trial, you or your own lawyer is welcome to attend at your own expense.

How do I get more information? For additional information, to review key case documents, and to register for case updates, visit www.TheranosLawsuit.com. You can also get more information by calling the Administrator toll-free at 1-866-615-0978, contacting Class Counsel (for their contact information visit www.TheranosLawsuit.com), or writing the Administrator via email at [email protected] or by mail at: In re Arizona Theranos, Inc., Litigation, c/o JND Legal Administration, P.O. Box 91214, Seattle, WA 98111.

PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE COURT REGARDING THIS NOTICE.

SOURCE JND Legal Administration
Parent Company, Radio Systems Corporation, acquires Invisible Fence of Carroll County, Invisible Fence of Delmarva, Invisible Fence of Baltimore, and Invisible Fence of Maryland, all are authorized independent dealerships, in an expansion effort to support more pet owners.

BALTIMORE, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Invisible Fence Brand, a pioneer in the pet containment industry, announce they are expanding their service area in Maryland, effective July 14th, 2022.

Invisible Fence of Carroll County, Invisible Fence of Delmarva, Invisible Fence of Baltimore, and Invisible Fence of Maryland have been authorized, full-service dealerships of genuine Invisible Fence products and services since 1990 with collectively more than 19,000 satisfied human customers, as well as the endorsement of neighborhood veterinarians.

Invisible Fence offers the most premier dog fence on the market including professional installation, Perfect Start(TM) Plus Training and exclusive Boundary Plus Technology

Invisible Fence of Delmarva will be rolling into Invisible Fence of Bay Area while Invisible Fence of Carroll County, Invisible Fence of Baltimore, and Invisible Fence of Maryland will be merging under Invisible Fence of Maryland.

"Our mission is to keep dogs and cats safe at home, and the Maryland team is passionate about working hard to ensure pet safety. We're excited to join forces with them and change the way people live with their pets." Said Ed Hoyt, Senior Director of Invisible Fence.

Acquiring Invisible Fence of Carroll County, Invisible Fence of Delmarva, Invisible Fence of Baltimore, and Invisible Fence of Maryland is Radio System Corporation's 27th acquisition in 21 months. The company recently acquired Invisible Fence of Chattanooga and Invisible Fence of Middle Tennessee now having a footprint that covers over 240 communities across the U.S. and Canada.

"We're eager to expand our direct services in Maryland. We'll be able to extend our customer service hours and offer new and innovative solutions while providing the same high-level attention the customers of Maryland have come to expect." Said Hoyt.

Invisible Fence offers the premier dog fence on the market including professional installation, Perfect Start Plus Training, and exclusive Boundary Plus Technology. Highly recommended by veterinarians, dog trainers, animal behaviorists, and other pet experts, Invisible Fence offers pet fences that can be customized for clients' unique needs.

Invisible Fence of Bay Area and Invisible Fence of Maryland will continue to champion pet welfare in the local community through local animal shelter donations, adoption events, and the Project Breathe Program.

For additional information or questions, customers can call 1-800-578-3647 or visit InvisibleFence.com, and follow Invisible Fence of Bay Area and Invisible Fence of Maryland on Facebook.

About Invisible Fence  Brand

Invisible Fence pioneered the pet containment industry in 1973, making it their mission to provide safe boundaries inside and outside of the home. The Radio Systems Corporation owned company predominantly sells pet containment, avoidance and access solutions across the U.S. and Canada. In addition to offering award-winning products like Boundary Plus Technology, Authorized Dealers provide professional installation, Perfect Start Plus Training and integrated solutions that have protected more than three million pets to date. Invisible Fence also founded the Project Breathe Program in 2006, donating more than 32,000 pet oxygen masks to fire departments and first responders. For more information on Invisible Fence or to find a local dealer, visit InvisibleFence.com or follow the company on Facebook.

Media Contact:

Contact: Rana Heidari

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (615) 339-8455

SOURCE Invisible Fence Brand
GIG HARBOR, Wash., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- James D. Atkisson, MD, is being recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Top Physician for his distinguished career in Palliative Medicine and in acknowledgment of his work at Franciscan Hospice and Palliative Care.

Dr. James D. Atkisson has worked as a Palliative Medicine Specialist for over 38 years. He has practiced at Franciscan Hospice and Palliative Care for the past fifteen years, located at 2901 Bridgeport Way West in University Place, WA.

James D. Atkisson

Dr. Atkisson has always wanted to be a doctor and help people. He was first inspired after witnessing a childhood friend who hurt his leg while playing. He constructed a splint for his friend to help him walk, and this was when he knew he would pursue a career as a physician when he grew up.

To attain his college education, Dr. Atkisson attended the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in 1976. He then completed a General Surgery Residency at AMI Presbyterian Denver Hospital. Dr. Atkisson then did two Internal Medicine residencies at Danbury Hospital in 1980 and Greenwich Hospital in 1982. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians (FACP) and is board-certified in Internal Medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). The ABIM is a group led by physicians to evaluate doctors who achieve high standards in Internal Medicine healthcare.

Dr. Atkisson currently works in Hospital and Palliative Medicine at Franciscan Hospice and Palliative Care in University Place, WA. He understands the family's emotional pain when their loved ones are diagnosed with a terminal illness or decide to remove themselves from medical treatment. He works to make the patient's final days comfortable, relieve pain, and support their family.

Dr. Atkisson mainly focuses on quality of life care, working closely with the Hospice Team to support patients and minimize their discomfort. He tries to reduce the patient's pain levels so they may spend time with their family in a relaxed environment after they stop receiving medical treatment. Dr. Atkisson enjoys working in this field to help his patients optimize their quality of life.

On a personal note, Dr. Atkisson loves to travel the world and spend time in the great outdoors. He would like to dedicate this honorable recognition to his Chemistry Professor and great mentor at the University of Kansas, Earl Huyser.

For more information, visit www.chifranciscan.org.

Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected]

SOURCE Continental Who's Who
HONG KONG, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China, the Hong Kong Institute of Business Studies (HKIBS) of Lingnan University (LU) in Hong Kong launched the first-ever "Hong Kong  Chinese Mainland Economic Integration Index (1990-2019)". Drawing from the literature on economic integration, the research team used archival data from various sources between 1990 and 2019 to construct a comprehensive index of economic integration. The results indicate that the two economies have become highly integrated and interdependent over time. The findings reveal the positive effect of economic integration on the Hong Kong economy, while highlighting significant challenges to economic development and governance in the SAR.

Figure 1. Hong Kong  Chinese Mainland Economic Integration Index (1990-2019)

The Hong Kong  Chinese Mainland Economic Integration Index (1990-2019), developed by the LU research team, includes three dimensions: driving forces (i.e., the development of institutional arrangements that reduce the transaction costs of cross-border economic activities), throughput process (i.e., the trade and investment activities of both sides), and outcome convergence (i.e., the effects of the market homogeneity and market symmetry due to economic integration). To measure the indicators of each dimension, the archival data were retrieved from government sources and international organisations, including the Census and Statistics Department (HKCSD), the National Bureau of Statistics of China, and the World Bank.

The results show that the overall index of economic integration shows a gradual upward trend over the past three decades (Figure 1). Although the index remained at a very low level in the early 1990s (lower than 10 points), the overall index picked up speed since Hong Kong returned to mainland China in 1997 (over 20 points). In 2003, the first Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) was signed and the Individual Travel Scheme was introduced. Since then, the level of economic integration continued to grow at an accelerated pace and achieved over 60 points in the 2008 financial tsunami. Starting from 2013, Hong Kong was positioned as a connecting hub in the mainland's Belt and Road Initiative (over 80 points) and the level of economic integration reached a remarkably high level by the end of the study period in 2019 (over 90 points).

As for the three sub-indices, the throughput process played a vital role in enhancing economic integration in the early years. In 2006, the CEPA, as a major driving force, facilitated the closer cooperation of the two economies. Overall, the three sub-indices gradually increased in a linear monotonic trend.

Prof Cui Geng, Professor of the Department of Marketing and International Business of Lingnan University in Hong Kong, said that the economic integration between Hong Kong and mainland China helps eliminate barriers to trade and investment, liberate the factors of production, and encourage efficient resource allocation and production among economic entities. "The level of economic integration between Hong Kong and the mainland grew steadily from 1996 to a remarkably high level in 2019, which indicates an overall positive long-term relationship between the integration index and economic development of Hong Kong. The index is also proportional to the growth of two major economic indicators including GDP and GDP per capita, indicating that economic integration makes an important contribution to Hong Kong's economic growth. In addition, such integration is in tandem with property prices partially due to the money flows from the mainland to Hong Kong as venture capitalists diversify their investments by investing in property, and therefore Hong Kong residential property prices continued to rise. The continuous economic integration also coincides with the increasing economic disparity in the territory, as indicated by the Gini coefficient, one of the highest in the world."

Moreover, Prof Cui said that bilateral price equalisation is the result of continuous economic integration. The negative relationship between the integration index and the coefficient of price variation shows a higher level of price convergence between the two economies.

However, the rising trend of economic integration has not had a significant impact on several social indicators, including the happiness of Hong Kong people, people's satisfaction with the government, and confidence in Hong Kong's future. In fact, the latter two indicators have decreased steadily since the mid-2000s, which may be associated with the increasing income disparity and the soaring prices of private residential properties.

Prof Cui added that these findings provide quantitative information on the economic integration and other socio-economic indicators as well as public sentiment towards the government and society. He said that although Hong Kong-Mainland ties have been the topics of heated debate, whether economic integration can lead to social cohesion and long-term stability remains unclear. He believes that the newly established index will serve as an important reference for policymakers and researchers as they formulate and analyse public policies.

The full report on the "Hong Kong  Chinese Mainland Economic Integration Index (1990-2019)" will be published in the Asia Pacific Business Review.

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1859391/LU_Hong_Kong.jpg

SOURCE Lingnan University (LU)
Deal count and fundraising by VC funds remained strong in Q2 while deal values across all stages and VC-backed public listings were hit harder by the economic downturn

SEATTLE, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite an uncertain macroeconomic environment, US venture capital (VC) deal activity in the first half of 2022 was strong, according to the Q2 2022 PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor, the authoritative quarterly report jointly produced by PitchBook and the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) with support from Insperity and J.P. Morgan .

While deal count remained strong, when compared with the highs of 2021, deal value declined significantly across all stages. The mega-deals that defined 2021 slowed in the first half of 2022 as investors took a more cautious approach. With more than $290 billion in dry powder, and nearly 3,000 funds closed since the beginning of 2019, the VC industry is likely to see the trends of steady deal count but readjusted pricing continue until certainty returns to the market.

VC-backed exit activity in Q2 2022 largely mirrored Q1. Corporate M&A exit count activity remained steady, but the biggest change was the precipitous decline in traditional IPOs. SPAC mergers also declined in Q2, bringing the total number of public listings in the first half of 2022 to 42. This decline is most concerning for the potential for billion-dollar exits, as IPOs have traditionally been the main source of liquidity for private companies operating at that scale. This decline is also concerning because VC-backed IPOs have historically had an outsized positive impact on the U.S. public markets.

"The second quarter of 2022 brought an expected continuation of market tightening in some parts of the U.S. venture ecosystem," said NVCA President and CEO Bobby Franklin. "However, the industry's record dry powder continues to fuel critical innovation that is addressing the country's important needs. The venture industry's long-term view of investing, even during uncertain fiscal times, is further proof it is a reliable economic engine with an eye toward funding the next generation of great American companies."

"As the market continues to react to volatility over the past six months, the venture ecosystem demonstrates strength as dry powder reaches new heights and fundraising levels surpass more than $100 billion for the second consecutive year," said John Gabbert, founder and CEO of PitchBook. "Exits remain extremely low while late-stage companies act with caution as a result of bearish public market activity. There are still uncertainties as to what to expect in the second half of the year, however, market indicators show resilience to weathering the potential economic downturn."

HIGHLIGHTS:

Investment Activity

Seed-stage investments are generally furthest from the public market and have been relatively insulated more than the rest of the industry from economic volatility. The Q2 estimated total seed deal count is near the highest figure in the dataset.

Q2 early-stage VC saw additional pressure affecting deal activity with roughly $16 billion invested across an estimated 1,340 deals. The quarter's total deal value dropped well below the record quarterly highs set in 2021, but is still ahead of pre-pandemic levels.

invested across an estimated 1,340 deals. The quarter's total deal value dropped well below the record quarterly highs set in 2021, but is still ahead of pre-pandemic levels. A substantial decline in late-stage deal count has yet to surface in the data, but average deal size and valuation have fallen significantly from recent highs.

Fundraising Activity

US VC fundraising has exceeded $100 billion for the second consecutive year. A strong showing from established managers in the first half of the year has pushed capital raised to a near record.

for the second consecutive year. A strong showing from established managers in the first half of the year has pushed capital raised to a near record. Through six months, we tracked $121.5 billion closed across 415 funds, making 2022 already the second-highest year on record for US VC fundraising and the second consecutive year this total has exceeded $100 billion .

closed across 415 funds, making 2022 already the second-highest year on record for US VC fundraising and the second consecutive year this total has exceeded . First-time fundraising has had a more difficult start to the year, raising just $7.6 billion after a record $16.8 billion was raised by new managers in 2021.

Exit Activity

Q2 2022 saw very similar exit activity to Q1 as counts tracked to the historical pace of 1,100 annual exits that we saw from 2014-2020, with exit value lagging the last three years.

IPOs continued to be essentially nonexistent for VC-backed companies in 2022, with only 22 closed during the first half of the year, relative to 183 in 2021, and 108 in 2020.

Corporate M&A exit count remained steady with more than 200 closed in Q2. With public listings halted, private companies may be looking to strategic acquirers as a more viable liquidity option, albeit with exit value expectations readjusted to align with overall repricing happening across the ecosystem.

Click HERE to download the full report.

Venture Monitor Q2 Webinar  August 18, 2022 from 10  11 am PDT

PitchBook and NVCA are hosting the webinar in partnership with Insperity and J.P. Morgan .

Click HERE to register.

About PitchBook

PitchBook is a financial data and software company that provides transparency into the capital markets to help professionals discover and execute opportunities with confidence and efficiency. PitchBook collects and analyzes detailed data on the entire venture capital, private equity and M&A landscapeincluding public and private companies, investors, funds, investments, exits and people. The company's data and analysis are available through the PitchBook Platform, industry news, and in-depth reports. Founded in 2007, PitchBook has offices in Seattle, San Francisco, New York, London, and Hong Kong and serves more than 70,000 professionals around the world. In 2016, Morningstar acquired PitchBook, which now operates as a subsidiary.

About National Venture Capital Association

The National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) empowers the next generation of American companies that will fuel the economy of tomorrow. As the voice of the US venture capital and startup community, NVCA advocates for public policy that supports the American entrepreneurial ecosystem. Serving the venture community as the preeminent trade association, NVCA arms the venture community for success, serving as the leading resource for venture capital data, practical education, peer-led initiatives, and networking. For more information about NVCA, please visit www.nvca.org .

Quote Sheet

Sarah Grimstead , Sales Regional Vice President, Insperity

"Human capital management should be top priority as we continue to find solutions in a world of uncertainty. With deal count still strong in Q2 2022, new and existing startups will be looking to maximize their most important asset, their people. With over $200 billion in dry powder, record fundraising the last two years, and lower exit activity, startups need to continue hiring and retaining the right people for their company. Having a strong company culture can increase employee engagement, reduce turnover, and faster growth compared to the rest of the economy."

Pamela Aldsworth, Head of Venture Capital Coverage, J.P. Morgan Commerical Banking

"Over the last quarter, the pace of fundraising has slowed sharply and valuations (mostly in the later stages) are beginning to correct. We expect valuations will come down across all investment stages as this cycle plays out - and in our view, this is a healthy resetting of the bar. But if the next few months are as quiet as we anticipate, founders will need to make some tough choices to preserve runway. Meanwhile, with IPO markets currently challenged, a consolidation wave could be just around the corner.

SOURCE National Venture Capital Association
DALLAS, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nanoscope Therapeutics Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing gene therapies for retinal degenerative diseases, today announced that the Company was chosen for Breakthrough Technologies Award at OIS Retina Innovation Summit in New York. The award is granted to a single company that demonstrates groundbreaking technological innovation, selected by Medical and Industry Peers.

At the OIS Retina Innovation Summit's Spotlight on Breakthrough Technologies session, Samarendra Mohanty, Ph.D., Co-Founder, President and Chief Scientific Officer of Nanoscope, gave a presentation on the Company's Platform technologies on Multi-Characteristic Opsin (MCO) and non-viral laser gene delivery. He also shared progress on U.S. clinical trials of MCO-010 for retinitis pigmentosa and Stargardt disease.

"Amongst the many dedicated industry leaders in the retina space who attended the OIS Retina Innovation Summit, it is an honor for us to be recognized by OIS," said Nanoscope's Co-Founder and CEO, Sulagna Bhattacharya. "We are not only encouraged by the progress we are making in advancing our MCO gene therapy platform, but also by the recognition from our industry of our efforts to improve the standard of care for patients suffering from retinal degenerative diseases."

Results from Nanoscope's Phase 2b RESTORE trial for retinitis pigmentosa, its most advanced clinical program, along with six-month data from the Phase 2 STARLIGHT trial for Stargardt disease, are expected in Q1 2023.

About Nanoscope Therapeutics Inc.

Nanoscope Therapeutics is developing gene-agnostic, sight restoring optogenetic therapies for the millions of patients blinded by retinal degenerative diseases, for which no cure exists. The company's lead asset, MCO-010, is presently in Phase 2b multicenter, randomized, double-masked, sham-controlled clinical trials in the U.S. for retinitis pigmentosa (NCT04945772) with top line data expected Q1 2023. The company has also initiated a Phase 2 trial of MCO-010 therapy in Stargardt patients (NCT05417126). MCO-010 has received FDA orphan drug designations for RP and Stargardt. Preclinical assets include non-viral laser delivered MCO-020 gene therapy for geographic atrophy.

Investor Contact:

Argot Partners

212-600-1902

[email protected]

SOURCE Nanoscope Therapeutics
FRISCO, Texas, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Gaby Saliby, Chief Executive Officer of Nexius, an industry-leading end-to-end telecommunications deployment services and smart technology solutions provider, has been named Best CEO for Diversity by Comparably, a workplace culture and compensation monitoring site.

Comparably surveys current employees at thousands of companies across the country for their anonymous feedback; their awards reflect top scores in corporate culture, based on data captured during a 12-month period.

Gaby Saliby, Nexius CEO, 2022 Nexius CEO Gaby Saliby named a Best CEO for Diversity nationally by Comparably.

Headquartered in Frisco, Texas, Nexius is one of the largest telecommunications deployment companies in the US rolling out 5G, small cells, distributed antenna systems (iDAS/oDAS) and private networks to tier one clients internationally. Through Nexius's in-house RF engineering, integration, project management, construction, architecture & engineering, site acquisition and scoping teams, Nexius is one of the few companies that can truly provide end-to-end telecom deployment.

"The strength of our business lies in the diversity of our employees," said Gaby Saliby. "We strive to recruit people from different industries, geographic locations, and walks of life, which not only enriches our company culture but also enables us to approach challenges in fresh, new ways. Our emphasis on bringing together a variety of perspectives and approaches to problem-solving continues to serve us well, and this award is validation of that," Saliby continued.

Nexius offers its employees various development programs, diversity and inclusion initiatives, networking opportunities and culture-building events throughout the year depending on employees' interests and their personal professional goals.

"Nexius' top ratings from employees across multiple diversity metrics is a testament to its commitment to maintaining an inclusive culture," said Comparably Chief Executive Officer Jason Nazar.

Nexius has previously been named a Best Place to Work in Dallas and a Best Company for Career Growth by Comparably, in addition to receiving a Best Company Culture award in 2021. Additionally, Saliby was named as one of the Best CEOs for Women last year by Comparably.

If you are interested in joining a positive and high-performing team, visit the Nexius careers page to learn more about an open position near you.

About Nexius

Since 2001, Nexius has provided end-to-end telecommunications deployment services and solutions on the latest technologies. Our services include designing, optimizing, deploying and delivering state-of-the-art networks tied together through program management expertise and automation tools for optimized time to market. As societies are leaping toward a more data-driven world, Nexius is leveraging technology innovation to unleash the smart economy, creating more connected communities. For more information about Nexius, visit www.nexius.com.

About Comparably

Comparably (www.comparably.com) is a leading workplace culture and corporate brand reputation platform with over 15 million anonymous employee ratings on 70,000 companies. With the most comprehensive data on large and SMB organizations in nearly 20 different workplace categories  based on gender, ethnicity, age, experience, industry, location, education  it is one of the most used SaaS platforms for employer branding and a trusted third party site for workplace culture and compensation. For more information on Comparably's studies and annual Best Places to Work & Best Brands Awards, visit www.comparably.com/news.

Press Contact:

Hanna Nayak

[email protected]

SOURCE Nexius
LOS ANGELES, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumer Watchdog filed its Opening Brief in a California Public Records Act ("CPRA") lawsuit against Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and the Department of Insurance. The CPRA suit alleges that Lara and the Department of Insurance failed to search for and produce records related to a pay-to-play scandal involving insurance companies with business pending before the agency.

The trial will be held September 2, 2022. Download the brief here: https://consumerwatchdog.org/sites/default/files/2022-07/2022-07-05%20Brief%20Petitioner%27s%20Opening%20Brief%20and%20Exhibits%201-40%20%28stamped%29.pdf

As explained in the Opening Brief, though Commissioner Lara had previously pledged not to accept insurance company contributions, in 2019 individuals linked to workers' compensation insurer Applied Underwriters and another company, IHC, contributed $53,400 to Lara's 2022 re-election campaign fund. Some of the contributions were made in the name of relatives of insurance company executives, apparently to hide their true source. Shortly after, Applied's president, Steven Menzies, requested that Commissioner Lara intervene in proceedings at the Department involving Applied. Lara did so, overriding Administrative Law Judge orders in at least four proceedings. Menzies also stood to gain if Commissioner Lara approved his purchase of Applied's subsidiary, California Insurance Company ("CIC").

In the wake of statewide news reports Commissioner Lara apologized and promised "transparency."

Consumer Watchdog then filed two CPRA requests with the Department seeking communications and meeting records involving 13 named individuals and any other individuals "employed by or representing" the insurance companies involved in the scandal.

Several records the Department ultimately produced suggest that Menzies and others improperly discussed the sale of CIC with Commissioner Lara and Department staff simultaneous to campaign fundraising. The Department refused to produce other records and failed to provide an adequate explanation for withholding them.

Without recourse, Consumer Watchdog filed a public records lawsuit asking the court to require the Department to search for and produce all responsive records.

Following the filing of the lawsuit, discovery responses from the Department demonstrated that the Department failed to search for, perhaps intentionally so, records related to at least four individuals that the Department knew were "employed by or representing" Applied and IHC.

These individuals include a former New Mexico insurance regulator who left office following a different pay-to-play scandal, an insurance executive involved in the sale of CIC, and two former California legislators-turned lobbyists, Rusty Areias and Fabian Nunez.

As noted in the Opening Brief,

"During discovery, Respondents admitted that they had done nothing to determine who was 'employed by or representing' Applied or the other companies, or to search for records responsive to the second half of the CPRA Requests. After this litigation was filed, Petitioner uncovered evidence that Respondents were aware of other individuals who represented the companies, but still failed, perhaps intentionally, to include their names as search terms in order to identify other responsive documents. As a result, the universe of responsive documents remains unknown. Respondents have a duty under the CPRA to establish search protocols and adopt search terms adequate to identify responsive records. Respondents violated this duty. . . . An agency fails to conduct an adequate search when it fails to pursue leads in response to a records request that, if followed, could reasonably lead to further responsive records."

The lawsuit, Consumer Watchdog v. Ricardo Lara et al. Case No. 20STCP00664, is being litigated in Los Angeles Superior Court. Consumer Watchdog is represented by attorneys for the group and Kelly Aviles, esq.

Consumer Watchdog is a non-profit public interest organization. Visit us on the web at www.ConsumerWatchdog.org

SOURCE Consumer Watchdog
Arendt is the first firm to offer the cloud-based data discovery product in Luxembourg and has a unique model in the European Union

CHICAGO, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Relativity, a global legal and compliance technology company, today announced that Arendt, a Luxembourg-based legal, tax and business services firm, is the first independent European firm to offer RelativityOne in Luxembourg. The adoption of RelativityOne, Relativity's cloud-based data discovery product, will enable Arendt's dedicated consulting branch, Arendt Regulatory & Consulting (ARC) to securely handle massive amounts of data and help clients globally respond to complex investigations, litigations, arbitrations and regulatory compliance matters.

Through RelativityOne, ARC will be able to better protect its data by storing it in Relativity's secure, flexible, and extensible platform backed by the power of automation and integrated artificial intelligence. RelativityOne helps users protect their most sensitive data and reduce risk with proactive threat prevention, 24/7 monitoring, automated security processes and leading compliance certifications. RelativityOne's scalability features and functionality will allow ARC to navigate the complexity of managing large volumes of data.

"As the sheer amount and complexity of data continues to grow, it is imperative that we continue to support the security of data management strategies," said Kieran McPate, Senior Manager, EMEA New Business at Relativity. "We are thrilled to bring RelativityOne's built-in security and end-to-end capabilities to Arendt, where it will integrate with Arendt's existing service offering to increase the level of detail and speed delivered to clients."

ARC uniquely offers forensic investigations, corporate intelligence and litigation support to its global clientele of corporations, law firms and financial institutions. Use of RelativityOne alongside ARC's forensic investigation expertise will allow ARC to best help organizations effectively respond to their most critical matters.

"Our aim is to assist clients across the globe with their investigation needs and to be the first Luxembourgish firm to do so, in addition to being a truly independent and European firm offering the full forensic services," said Stephanie Lhomme, Head of Forensic Investigations, Corporate Intelligence & Litigation Support at ARC. "RelativityOne usage is rapidly growing in our region, and we are excited to integrate this cutting-edge technology into the wider Arendt portfolio that we can present to our clients. As we work hand in hand with Arendt & Medernach, a leading law firm in Luxembourg, we are able to offer a unique complementary approach to our clients that currently none of our competitors can match."

Szilard Karakai, Head of Forensic Technology & eDiscovery added: "Arendt is proud to become the first independent Luxembourgish firm to utilise RelativityOne, and we look forward to continuing to increase the level of legal technology awareness in Luxembourg and across Europe. Our partnership with Relativity, combined with Arendt & Medernach's expertise in providing legal advice, can realistically transform the way eDiscovery investigations are conducted."

RelativityOne is currently available across 15 global geographies with two more to be added in 2022.

About Relativity

Relativity makes software to help users organize data, discover the truth and act on it. Its SaaS product RelativityOne manages large volumes of data and quickly identifies key issues during litigation and internal investigations. The AI-powered communication surveillance product, Relativity Trace proactively detects regulatory misconduct like insider trading, collusion and other non-compliant behavior. Relativity has more than 300,000 users in approximately 40 countries serving thousands of organizations globally primarily in legal, financial services and government sectors, including the U.S. Department of Justice and 198 of the Am Law 200. Relativity has been named one of Chicago's Top Workplaces by the Chicago Tribune for 10 consecutive years. Please contact Relativity at [email protected] or visit http://www.relativity.com for more information.

About Arendt Regulatory & Consulting

Arendt Regulatory & Consulting (ARC) is Arendt's dedicated regulatory consulting company composed of experienced professionals with a strong background in regulatory and business consultancy.

It offers a range of services from the classic regulatory consulting, working with funds, their asset managers and asset servicers on the practical implementation of rules and regulations, to topics such as risk management, fund distribution, fund governance and compliance of Luxembourg regulated entities, responding to the growing needs of clients for a practical, yet legally effective approach to regulatory change management and other regulatory issues.

SOURCE Relativity
ROSELAND, N.J., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lowenstein Sandler is pleased to announce that former New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Barry T. Albin has joined the firm as partner in the firm's Litigation department and will chair the Appellate Practice Group. He will also serve as a neutral arbitrator, special master, and mediator in complicated, high-stakes disputes.

When Justice Albin retired in July 2022, after 20 years on the state's highest court, NJ.com called him "a consummate juristdedicated, social, diligent, practical." In a recent New Jersey Monitor article, he was referred to as a "constitutional giant," and a New Jersey Law Journal editorial described him as a "brilliant writer" whose judicial "career reflects a unique combination of deep experience, great talent, hard work and grace."

As a Supreme Court Justice, Albin authored more than 400 opinions, including more than 230 majority opinions, more than 130 dissents, and dozens of concurrences. His judicial body of work spans the wide spectrum of the law. He has written opinions in the fields of criminal law and the rights of the accused; constitutional law and the rights of same-sex couples; civil rights; contract, family, insurance, employment discrimination, municipal government, tax, and election law; products liability, mass toxic torts as well as medical and legal malpractice; and more.

Albin is the author of landmark opinions on the rights of same-sex couples, the rights of the accused and workers, and civil rights, among others. He also authored a number of dissents, which later became law.

Before his appointment by Governor Jim McGreevey in 2002, Albin served as a deputy attorney general and assistant prosecutor, and for twenty years he practiced law in the private sector, handling criminal defense and civil rights cases as well as tort and employment law cases. In the years before he ascended to the Court, he tried approximately 60 jury trials and countless non-jury cases and argued numerous appeals. In one case, he secured a 17 million dollar jury verdict in a police shooting/civil rights case.

Christopher Porrino, who served as Chief Counsel to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and as the 60th Attorney General of New Jersey, and who now serves as Chair of Lowenstein's Litigation Department, says: "Justice Albin is a brilliant trial and appellate lawyer, and jurist. It is a personal and professional honor that my dear friend of more than two decades has chosen Lowenstein Sandler for the next chapter of his storied career. He is a skilled litigator and formidable advocate in the courtroom and will be a tireless arbitrator and mediator for those seeking to resolve their most complicated and difficult disputes."

Albin says: "My long career has intersected with many outstanding Lowenstein lawyers, some of whom have served as my clerks. I look forward to joining a firm that pursues the highest standards of professional excellence and that is committed to doing justice and serving the community."

Michael B. Himmel, Chair of the White Collar Criminal Defense practice, says: "The addition of Barry Albin to the firm further deepens our bench of former public servants, whose ethics and integrity are of the highest caliber."

Albin received his B.A. from Rutgers College in 1973. After graduating from Cornell Law School in 1976, he began his career as a Deputy Attorney General in the Appellate Section of the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. He then served as an Assistant Prosecutor in Passaic and Middlesex Counties from 1978 to 1982. He is a former member of the firm Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer.

About Lowenstein Sandler LLP

Lowenstein Sandler is a national law firm with over 350 lawyers based in New York, Palo Alto, New Jersey, Utah, and Washington, D.C. The firm represents leaders in virtually every sector of the global economy, with particular emphasis on investment funds, life sciences, and technology. Recognized for its entrepreneurial spirit and high standard of client service, the firm is committed to the interests of its clients, colleagues, and communities.

SOURCE Lowenstein Sandler LLP
Organic ice cream brand, Cosmic Bliss, launches national challenge to raise awareness for their mission to create a better food system

EUGENE, Ore., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cosmic Bliss, the makers of premium, organic, plant-based and 100% grass-fed dairy frozen desserts, is excited to launch a blissfully fun challenge that benefits the planet  asking America to scream for ice cream! As a brand on a mission to flip the food system to a more organic and regenerative supply chain, Cosmic Bliss is rewarding consumers' "ice-screams" with free ice cream and donations to nonprofits supporting the research and progression of organic and regenerative farming practices.

According to a recent report, consumers are increasingly aware of the environmental impacts of food, which is encouraging, and Cosmic Bliss believes we can all do more by using real foods, from farms and from nature without relying on heavily processed, synthetic biology and "techno-food." To kick off the challenge, Cosmic Bliss took to the streets of one of the greenest cities in the U.S.  San Francisco  to surprise local residents with a fun, interactive scream experience as featured in a newly released video.

Throughout July, the purpose-driven brand is calling on consumers nationwide to join the challenge by sharing a joyous video of themselves "screaming for ice cream" and for a better planet on social media while tagging the brand (@findcosmicbliss) and using the hashtag #icecreamforabetterplanet. Every video posted with #icecreamforabetterplanet contributes toward a $50,000 donation goal to the Rodale Institute and Regenerative Organic Alliance in partnership with 1% of the Planet. In addition, one lucky fan will take home the grand prize of a year's worth of free ice cream from Cosmic Bliss (terms and conditions apply)!

"At our core, Cosmic Bliss has always been deeply committed to supporting farming systems that are healthier for humans, animals, and the planet. We believe how you source your ingredients matter. How you contribute to the regeneration of our food system matters," said Shilpa Gadhok, VP of Brand Marketing at Cosmic Bliss. "We're excited for everyone to show how much they care, have some fun, help "scream" for the attention that regenerative agriculture and organic farming deserves, while still enjoying a spoonful of bliss from the planet we all care so much about."

Regenerative agriculture is a core tenant in the brand's efforts to flip the food system. Cosmic Bliss believes that food consumption shouldn't be filled with compromises on taste, one's health or impact on the environment. All products are certified organic, gluten-free, non-gmo project verified, contain no soy, sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners. It's why Cosmic Bliss ensures they make the most delicious, indulgent frozen desserts with the highest quality ingredients in a manner that helps to regenerate the planet for future generations.

In order to drive meaningful progression in this space, Cosmic Bliss is committed to donating a minimum of one percent of their annual revenue to environmental nonprofits that further the mission, research, and education of organic and regenerative agriculture. To do so, they work with 1% for the Planet to certify donations and pair with like-minded non-profits. The company has also taken on the initiative to improve the sustainability of its packaging, as the first brand to use a plant-based biopolymer in its pint packaging since 2019, and the brand uses recycled and renewable materials across their novelty packaging. Cosmic Bliss is a member of the Sustainable Food Trade Association (SFTA), Organic Trade Association, and the Oregon Organic Coalition.

For more information on Cosmic Bliss and their range of products, please visit cosmicbliss.com and follow them on Instagram .

About Cosmic Bliss

Cosmic Bliss is a purpose-driven premium indulgent frozen desserts brand focused on improving the resiliency of our agricultural system through sustainable sourcing and responsible business practices. It is part of the HumanCo family of brands and delivers creamy, decadent flavors across organic plant-based and organic, 100% grass-fed dairy desserts. As a clean-label brand focused on real (never synthetic) ingredients, all products are certified organic, gluten-free, non-GMO project verified, and contain no soy, sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners. The brand believes that organic agriculture is the baseline of where sustainable sourcing starts. The brand supports several organizations focused on sustainable progress and regenerative organic agriculture, through its partnership with 1% for the Planet.

About HumanCo

HumanCo is a mission-driven family of brands that is fanatical about creating products focused on healthier living and sustainability. We believe it has become too difficult to find and rely on healthy options, and we are changing this paradigm through a new approach: we put people first. HumanCo advances the health of consumers and the planet using a long-term strategy around impactful, cleaner consumer products created using real foods, from farms and from nature without relying on heavily processed, synthetic biology and "techno-food," that lead to healthier outcomes and improved trust.

Media Contact:

Jessie Depre

Cell: 815-503-1523

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Cosmic Bliss
FDA listing paves the way for Sleepiz' entry into the U.S. market and enables contactless, in-home respiration and heart rate measurement for remote patient monitoring and innovative medical study design

ZURICH, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Switzerland-based medical technology company Sleepiz has registered its Sleepiz One+ contactless respiration and heart rate measuring device with the FDA. Following the company's successful market launch in Europe and India, the FDA listing paves the way for Sleepiz to offer its solution for remote patient monitoring and clinical trials in the United States.

Sleepiz One+ monitors breathing during sleep with 99 percent accuracy

Sleepiz One+ is one of the first respiration monitoring devices to track and record patient data in a contactless manner during sleep. Sleepiz' technology allows for entirely new insights into patients' health as clinicians no longer have to rely on spot-check measurements but have access to continuous data. This new depth of information allows to detect changes in respiratory rate, which can be an early predictor of diseases like pneumonia and cardiac arrest, or point to an exacerbation in patients with chronic pulmonary disease.

The FDA listing allows Sleepiz partners in the United States to use Sleepiz One+ for remote patient monitoring and integrate the device into clinical study platforms in order to monitor respiration rate in a convenient and clinically-validated way. U.S. physicians can prescribe Sleepiz One+ to their patients to measure their vital parameters over the short and long term, allowing them to gain better insight into patients' physiological status. For patients, Sleepiz One+ brings a new and convenient way of continuous monitoring at home by simply placing a small device on their bedside table, while they rest.

To drive Sleepiz' market strategy in the United States, the company has appointed Robb LaChappelle as VP of Sleepiz USA. Mr. LaChappelle is an accomplished business development leader with extensive experience in the fields of medical devices, remote patient monitoring, life sciences and sleep. He has previously worked with innovators like Nonin Medical and Vital Images (Canon Medical) as well as with global players, such as Silicon Graphics/SGI (Hewlett Packard) and Honeywell.

Sleepiz CEO Soumya Dash said: "We are thrilled to welcome Robb to our management team and, together with him, extend the success of our business to the U.S. market. Robb will lead the buildup of our operations in the United States and work closely with our local partners to bring the benefits of our technology to patients, physicians and researchers."

Sleepiz VP for the United States Robb LaChappelle said: "Sleepiz offers a truly innovative solution, which provides a new level of comfort to patients, while fulfilling the highest standards in terms of data accuracy. I'm looking forward to working with the company founders on establishing and growing our presence in the United States."

Product visuals and portrait pictures are available for download at https://we.tl/t-fED1yygtix.

About Sleepiz

Sleepiz AG (Ltd.) is a Zurich, Switzerland-based medical technology company with a mission to provide patient-centric disease management through seamless integration of contactless monitoring into people's homes. Sleepiz leverages the power of sleep insights with a device that is simply placed on the bedside table. The device operates in a contactless fashion and measures movements originating from heart contractions and breathing patterns, as well as body motions with medical-grade accuracy. While focusing on respiratory illnesses in a first step, Sleepiz aims to improve people's lives by creating the future of healthcare. By making use of wireless millimeter wave technology, sensor fusion and artificial intelligence, Sleepiz will not only be able to diagnose sleep disorders but also perform long-term monitoring in the future. This will allow the monitoring of the progression of chronic diseases for faster intervention and better treatment.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1859342/Sleepiz.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1859533/Sleepiz_One.jpg

Media contact:

Oppenheim & Partner GmbH

Marash Pulaj

Stockerstrasse 32, CH-8002 Zurich

+41 44 515 65 00

[email protected]

Sleepiz contact:

Robb LaChapelle

Vice President Sleepiz USA

[email protected]

SOURCE Sleepiz AG
Recognized in the Wearable Category for the first-of-its-kind smart sensor platform for respiratory health, RESP

PHILADELPHIA, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Strados Labs announces it has been named a winner in the Wearables category of the 2022 Best of Sensors Awards for its flagship device RESP. The awards program is presented by Questex's Sensors Converge and Fierce Electronics and honors the best in sensor technologies and the sensor ecosystem, people and companies. The award recipients were selected by a panel of expert judges based on the products' or individuals' value to the marketplace, the impact of the problems it solves or issues it addresses, as well as the uniqueness of the design.

"Sensors Converge has been covering technologies driving innovation for over 30 years," said Strados Labs Director of Business Development, Shane Krauss. "Being honored as a winner for Best Wearable is a huge accomplishment for Strados Labs and our mission to advance respiratory care and treatment."

The Company won Best Wearable for a first-of-its-kind smart sensor platform for respiratory health, RESP. Strados recently received FDA Class II 510(k) clearance for home use of its first product, RESP, its second FDA clearance in less than 18 months and was also granted a CE Mark late last year. The Company is developing a robust pipeline algorithm to support and address other chronic diseases, as well as chronic disease management pathways. Strados will continue to target asthma, COPD and infectious respiratory diseases (COVID, RSV, and more)with plans to add heart failure and pediatrics later this year.

Charlene Soucy, Senior Director, Sensors & Electronics said, "The winners have outdone themselves this year with their innovations and perseverance. We are thrilled to honor them as the best in the industry."

About Strados Labs

Strados Labs is a medical technology company developing smart sensor platforms that utilize machine learning and proprietary algorithms to detect and predict compounding conditions associated with serious, chronic respiratory diseases to improve the lives of patients globally. The Company developed a first-of-its-kind smart sensor platform for respiratory health, RESP. Strados will continue to target asthma, COPD and infectious respiratory diseases (COVID, RSV, etc.) as it moves into 2022with plans to add heart failure and pediatrics in late 2022. The company is based in Philadelphia and is privately owned.

Media Contact:

Gabe Steerman

215-906-5538

[email protected]

www.stradoslabs.com

SOURCE Strados Labs
Grant provides wraparound support services for local women entrepreneurs through tools, training, mentorships and results-driven curriculum

NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Truist Foundation today announced a $1.25 million commitment to the Nashville Business Incubation Center (NBIC), a nonprofit focused on cultivating the growth and development of local women-, racially and ethnically diverse-, and veteran-owned small businesses. Specifically, the grant will provide tools, training, mentorships, and curriculum support to NBIC's RISE UP Academy, which works directly with women-owned businesses. This grant will also support NBIC's expansion to Huntsville and Birmingham, Alabama; Louisville, Kentucky; and other rural communities in Tennessee.

At the National Museum of African American Music, Truist Chairman and CEO Bill Rogers, President of Truist Foundation Lynette Bell, and Truist Tennessee Regional President Johnny B. Moore Jr. joined Angela Crane-Jones, CEO of NBIC, and Nashville Mayor John Cooper to introduce a panel conversation on how the grant will provide critical support for small business growth in Nashville. In addition, the panel also addressed the area's overall economic recovery given the impact of the pandemic and the March 2020 tornados that severely damaged portions of the city and Middle Tennessee.

"Truist Foundation is committed to generating systemic change to support small business owners from underserved communities," said Bell. "The work of NBIC provides essential training and ongoing support, especially to women entrepreneurs, creating opportunities for underserviced communities in Nashville."

The $1.25 million grant is part of Truist's recent announcement to commit $120 million to strengthen and support small businesses nationally, with a focus on women and diverse business owners.

"According to 2019 report , women are the fastest growing group of individuals starting businesses. However, Black women were earning an average revenue of just $24,000, compared to $142,900 among all women-owned businesses," said Crane-Jones. "Truist Foundation's investment will allow us to support the equitable growth of minority women-owned businesses via programs to open doors to generating more revenue and job creation to help narrow that wealth gap."

Truist has a longstanding commitment to supporting Nashville, including providing $1.1 million in charitable giving, lending and grants from Truist Foundation and Truist Charitable Fund in 2021. Truist and Truist Foundation have partnered with a number of Nashville-focused nonprofits including the Tennessee Affordable Housing Coalition, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville, the YMCA of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, Project Return and the Nashville Boys and Girls Club among others to help address affordable housing, support inclusive economic mobility and workforce preparedness across the region.

"Small businesses are a cornerstone of Nashville's economy so it's critical that we invest in their success," said Moore. "Our partnership with NBIC strengthens the opportunities for women and minority entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses, and it's how we fulfill Truist's purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities."

About Truist Foundation

The Truist Foundation is committed to Truist Financial Corporation's (NYSE: TFC) purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities. Established in 2020, the foundation makes strategic investments in nonprofit organizations to help ensure the communities it serves have more opportunities for a better quality of life. The Truist Foundation's grants and activities focus on building career pathways to economic mobility and strengthening small businesses. Learn more at Truist.com/Purpose/Truist-Foundation.

About Nashville Business Incubation Center

Founded in 1986, the Nashville Business Incubation Center (NBIC) is a non-profit incubator with a successful track record launching well-known companies such as Zycron, The Grilled Cheeserie and Christie Cookie. The center has provided business development resources to entrepreneurs to help them grow their enterprises, create jobs and generate wealth in their respective communities. The NBIC plays a vital role in strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Middle Tennessee and growing small businesses from tiny acorns to mighty oaks. Learn more at https://nbiconline.com/.

SOURCE Truist Financial Corporation
Spokane-based DH Acquires Seattle-based Nyhus Communications

SEATTLE and SPOKANE, Wash., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Two of Washington state's most influential communications, advocacy and marketing agencies have joined together to create the only statewide firm serving top business, government and nonprofit clients.

Spokane-based DH, a 25-year-old strategic communications, social change and marketing firm, has acquired nearly 30-year-old Nyhus Communications, including its world-class clients and its nine-person team. The combined agency will comprise more than 50 people with offices in Spokane and Seattle.

Two of Washington state's most influential communications and marketing agencies have joined together. Tweet this

"Offering clients insights, expertise and relationships from markets across the state is an unmatched opportunity," said Michelle Hege, DH CEO. "Importantly, having partnered previously with Nyhus Communications on advocacy campaigns, we knew our firms' values and teams aligned. We have spent our respective careers seeking to make a positive difference in communities through our strategic communications work."

Roger Nyhus, CEO and founder of Nyhus, said, "DH is the perfect home for Nyhus. Our teams are passionate and dedicated to creating exceptional work for our clients. We have a shared commitment to excellence, integrity, community and equity-based communications as the foundation for all our work. When I decided to sell Nyhus, DH was my first call. I am proud that everything we have built with Nyhus over the past three decades will be honored and carried forward through the next chapter with DH."

DH and Nyhus have been IPREX partner agencies for more than a decade. IPREX is the largest network of independently owned agencies, with 96 offices worldwide. The network has been an important benefit to both DH and Nyhus' clients.

"Since our agencies have long known each other, served in leadership and worked in close collaboration, the transition for our teams and clients will be seamless," said Andrei Mylroie, a DH partner and former global president of IPREX.

Marc Berger, Nyhus president and partner, will become executive vice president and Seattle market leader for DH. Berger currently leads the Nyhus team and oversees the firm's work. His leadership will ensure a smooth transition for Nyhus clients and team members.

"I'm excited to continue serving our outstanding clients and to grow our Seattle presence," Berger said. "Our stellar team will have new opportunities to collaborate with more than 40 new talented colleagues, and we'll be able to offer clients expanded services and capabilities, including creative services and media buying."

With the private transaction closing on June 30, Roger Nyhus retires from the agency to pursue what he describes as his "next exciting chapter of service."

Nyhus has been a highly successful, growing firm, even during the pandemic. The agency specializes in crisis and high-stakes communications as well as health care communications  all services in demand in recent years. The company will be rebranded as DH.

Nyhus has advised many marquee clients over the years, including Alaska Airlines; Swedish; PATH; Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; Craig McCaw's technology empire, including Teledesic, Nextel and Eagle River; Russell Investments; Four Seasons Seattle; Seattle University; Seattle Art Museum; Seattle Children's; Boeing; and Seattle Convention Center.

DH has worked with an impressive list of clients over the years, including Group Health Foundation; Washington State Department of Health; MultiCare; Genentech; Association of Washington Business; King County Metro; Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine; Express Scripts; Gonzaga University; Innovia Foundation; Itron; PayneWest; Tree Top; and Washington State University.

DH has long been recognized as a thought leader, regularly speaking at national and international industry conferences such as the Public Relations Society of America International Conference, Society for HealthCare Strategy and Market Development, and the International Social Marketing Association. Additionally, DH has received numerous prestigious industry awards including The Communicators, The Tellys, American Advertising Awards, International Social Marketing Association and PRSA's Best of Silver Anvil.

About DH

DH is a branding, advertising, public relations and social change agency based in Washington state. The firm designs and implements integrated media and community engagement campaigns for private and public sector organizations, often tackling challenges like public health crises, safety, business resiliency and education around complex public issues. DH is an industry leader in social behavior change campaigns and equity-centered communications methodologies, having been recognized for thought leadership by institutions like the International Social Marketing Association, Public Relations Society of America, the American Advertising Federation and more. The firm employs nearly 50 communications strategists and creatives and has operated for more than 25 years.

About Nyhus

Founded by CEO Roger Nyhus in 1994, Nyhus is best known as one of the most connected and strategic communications consultancies in Seattle. The 10-person agency partners with visionary companies and leaders who drive positive change. Nyhus specializes in strategic and high-stakes communications and advocacy for innovative organizations and their leaders. Specifically, the firm helps organizations and executives navigate crises and complex situations.

SOURCE DH
OMAHA, Neb., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP) will release second quarter 2022 financial and operating results on Thursday, July 21, 2022, at 7:45 a.m. ET. The company's management team will host a conference call and live webcast at 8:45 a.m. ET.

Parties interested in participating via teleconference may dial 877-407-8293. International callers may dial 201-689-8349. A live webcast of the presentation and materials will be available in the investor relations section of Union Pacific's website at www.up.com/investor. A replay of the audio webcast will be available shortly thereafter.

ABOUT UNION PACIFIC

Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) delivers the goods families and businesses use every day with safe, reliable and efficient service. Operating in 23 western states, the company connects its customers and communities to the global economy. Trains are the most environmentally responsible way to move freight, helping Union Pacific protect future generations. More information about Union Pacific is available at www.up.com.

www.up.com

www.facebook.com/unionpacific

www.twitter.com/unionpacific

SOURCE Union Pacific Corporation
BLUE BELL, Pa., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Unisys Corporation (NYSE: UIS) today announced that it will release its second-quarter 2022 financial results on Wednesday, August 3, 2022 after the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Unisys will host a conference call with the financial community on Thursday, August 4 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss the results.

The company will offer a live, listen-only Webcast of the conference call on the Unisys Investor Website at www.unisys.com/investor. A replay of the Webcast will be available on the Unisys Investor Website shortly following the conference call.

About Unisys

Unisys is a technology solutions company that delivers successful outcomes for the most demanding organizations around the world. Unisys offerings include digital workplace solutions, cloud and infrastructure solutions, enterprise computing solutions and business process solutions. For more information on how Unisys delivers for its clients across the commercial, financial services and government sectors, visit www.unisys.com.

Follow Unisys on Twitter and LinkedIn.

RELEASE NO.: 0714/9876

Unisys and other Unisys products and services mentioned herein, as well as their respective logos, are trademarks or registered trademarks of Unisys Corporation. Any other brand or product referenced herein is acknowledged to be a trademark or registered trademark of its respective holder.

UIS-C

SOURCE Unisys Corporation
CHICAGO , July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a research report "UV Disinfection Equipment Market by Component (UV Lamps, Reactor Chambers, Quartz Sleeves, Controller Units), Power Rating (High, Medium, Low), Application, End-user (Municipal, Residential, Industrial, Commercial) and Region - Global Forecast to 2027", published by MarketsandMarkets, the UV disinfection equipment market is projected to grow from USD 5.0 billion in 2022 to USD 9.1 billion by 2027; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.5% from 2022 to 2027. The key factors fueling the growth of this market include extensive use of UV disinfection equipment in healthcare facilities for disinfecting hospital environment, increasing demand for UV disinfection equipment to combat COVID-19 pandemic, intensifying concerns regarding safe drinking water in emerging countries, and long life and low power consumption of UVC LED-based UV disinfection equipment.

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UV lamps is projected to grow at the fastest rate for UV disinfection equipment market during the forecast period

The market for UV lamps is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. UV lamps are core components of UV disinfection equipment. The major factor contributing to the growth of this segment is the high adoption of UV LEDs in UV disinfection equipment. UV LEDs offer the advantages of longer life expectancy and lower power consumption, which has favored their adoption on a large scale. UV lamps have a lifetime of 8,000 to 10,000 hours or 1 year, whereas UV LEDs can achieve 25,000, 40,000, or even 100,000 hours. Most of the UV disinfection systems in the market come with annual lamp replacement to ensure reliable disinfection performance. UV disinfection equipment used in industrial and municipal applications employ multiple UV lamps in a single system, which is expected to drive the market for UV lamps in the near future.

Water and wastewater disinfection application for UV disinfection equipment market is expected to hold major share during the forecast period.

The water and wastewater disinfection segment is expected to lead the market during the forecast period. This leading position is attributed to the rising concern regarding water and wastewater treatment among governments across the world. The water and wastewater treated by UV disinfection equipment do not contain any harmful chemicals and are environmentally friendly. This has contributed significantly to the growth of the market. The highest market share of the UV disinfection equipment market for water & wastewater application across the world is attributed to the increasing implementation of stringent government regulations pertaining to safe and environmentally friendly treatment of water and wastewater.

Browse in-depth TOC on "UV Disinfection Equipment Market"

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Municipal end user is projected to grow at the fastest rate for UV disinfection equipment market during the forecast period

In municipal facilities, UV-based disinfection systems are used as a final stage in the drinking water treatment to disinfect the water by inactivating and eliminating microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, and pathogens. UV-based disinfection systems are comparatively more efficient than chlorine as they eliminate chlorine-resistant microorganisms too, even with a low dose. The increasing concern toward preserving natural resources by using an environmentally friendly disinfection solution for the treatment of water and wastewater in rivers and natural springs is among the main reasons driving the growth of the UV disinfection equipment market in the municipal segment. Moreover, UV disinfection equipment offer flexibility and lower operational cost, which makes them suitable for municipal water and wastewater treatment. Municipal corporations across the world are adopting UV disinfection equipment for water and wastewater treatment.

Asia Pacific is projected to grow at the fastest rate for UV disinfection equipment market during the forecast period

The UV disinfection equipment market in Asia pacific region is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This growth is attributed to factors such as government bodies in this region are working extensively to treat water and wastewater to reduce the issue of less availability of drinking water. Many projects have been planned to install UV disinfection equipment to treat water and wastewater in the region. For instance, the Clean Ganga Project deploy UV disinfection equipment offered by Trojan Technologies. Berson UV, a Halma Group company, has supplied UV disinfection equipment to several municipal projects in Australia for the treatment of water and wastewater. The increasing focus of governments on the treatment of water and wastewater is expected to drive the growth of the UV disinfection equipment market in Asia Pacific. Moreover, the high adoption rate of UV technology in countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, and India, along with the increasing number of startups dealing in UV technology, drives the growth of the UV disinfection equipment market in Asia Pacific.

Xylem Inc. (US), Trojan Technologies (UK), Halma Group (UK), Kuraray Co., Ltd. (Japan), Atlantic Ultraviolet Corporation (US), Evoqua Water Technologies LLC (US), Advanced UV, Inc. (US), American Ultraviolet (US), Atlantium Technologies Ltd. (Israel), Hoenle AG (Germany), and Lumalier Corporation (US) are the key players in the UV disinfection equipment market. These players are increasingly undertaking strategies such as product launches and development, expansions, partnerships, contracts, and acquisitions to increase their market share.

Related Reports:

Surface Disinfectant Market by Composition (Alcohols, Chlorine, Quaternary Ammonium), Type (Liquid, Wipes, Sprays), Application (Surface, Instrument), End-User (Hospital, Diagnostic and Research Laboratories) (2022 - 2026)

UV Curing System Market by Technology (UV LED, Mercury Lamp), Type (Spot Cure, Flood and Focused Beam, Conveyor), Pressure Type (High, Medium, Low), Application, Vertical and Geography (2021-2026)

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RALEIGH, N.C., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- VinFast announced they have received a $1.2 billion incentive package from the State of North Carolina for its electric vehicle manufacturing project in the US. The largest economic incentive package in state history was signed this week by Governor Roy Cooper, making VinFast the first car maker to locate in the North Carolina.

The VinFast's manufacturing facility will be built at the Triangle Innovation Point in Chatham County, North Carolina with a total investment of about $2 billion USD in the first phase.

Vingroup Vice Chair & VinFast Global CEO - Madam Le Thi Thu Thuy and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper in the signing ceremony for the MoU on VinFasts US factory project in March 2022

Covering an area of 2,000 acres, with two main areas: electric cars and buses production and assembly, and ancillary industries for suppliers, VinFast's factory is designed to reach the capacity of 150,000 vehicles per year. When brought into operation, the manufacturing complex will create an ecosystem of suppliers as well as thousands of local jobs, thereby creating both direct and indirect economic benefits.

"North Carolina's partnership with VinFast to bring good, clean energy jobs to North Carolina took an important step forward today with the signing of the budget, said Roy Cooper, Governor of North Carolina. "Electric vehicles, like the ones VinFast will produce in Chatham County, are a critical component of our strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build North Carolina into a hub for the clean energy economy."

"VinFast applauds North Carolina for their efforts and determination in advancing the state's clean energy economy and carbon mitigation goals," said Van Anh Nguyen, CEO of VinFast Manufacturing US. "This investment by the State of North Carolina is the starting point for a future marked by innovation, job creation, and economic growth. Today exemplifies how government and industry can come together to pursue a brighter future."

Phase one of the project will start construction in the second half of 2022 and production is expected to commence from July 2024. The factory establishment once again affirms VinFast's commitment to expand its business and invest in key locations across the US and globally.

In North Carolina, VinFast will be the first car factory and the largest economic development project in the state's history to date.

"The North Carolina General Assembly is thrilled that VinFast chose North Carolina for its monumental expansion," said Phil Berger, President Pro Tempore of the North Carolina Senate. "There's no question the business-friendly policies we've prioritized over the last decade played a pivotal role in VinFast's plan to bring thousands of good-paying jobs to North Carolina."

"North Carolina is heading into an exciting era of innovation with one of our newest corporate citizens, VinFast," said Tim Moore, Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives. "As our state continues its growth with new and expanding businesses, we will continue to work alongside VinFast as the company establishes roots in North Carolina and brings new jobs and opportunities for North Carolinians."

VinFast has also received critical financial support from the City of Sanford, Chatham County and the Golden Leaf Foundation. The complete incentive package includes:

Job Development Investment Grant of $316 million over 32 years

over 32 years State appropriation of $450 million , to cover site preparations, road improvements, and additional water and sewer infrastructure.

, to cover site preparations, road improvements, and additional water and sewer infrastructure. Community college training worth $38 million

Golden Leaf Foundation grant of $50 million

$400 million in incentives from Chatham County

Additionally, VinFast has received incentives from commercial organizations in the State of North Carolina, which is excluded from the government budget, up to hundreds of millions USD

About VinFast

VinFast  a member of Vingroup  envisioned to drive the movement of global smart electric vehicle revolution. Established in 2017, VinFast owns a state-of-the-art automotive manufacturing complex with globally leading scalability in Hai Phong, Vietnam.

Strongly committed to the mission for a sustainable future for everyone, VinFast constantly innovates to bring high-quality products, advanced smart services, seamless customer experiences, and pricing strategy for all to inspire global customers to jointly create a future of smart mobility and a sustainable planet. Learn more at: https://vinfastauto.us.

About Vingroup

Established in 1993, Vingroup is one of the leading private conglomerates in the region, with a total capitalization of $35 billion USD from three publicly traded companies (as of November 4, 2021). Vingroup currently focuses on three main areas: Technology and Industry, Services and Social Enterprise. Find out more at: https://www.vingroup.net/en .

SOURCE VinFast Automotive
Viome's Full Body Intelligence Test raises the bar for at-home health testing, providing consumers with unprecedented, holistic insights that drive their personalized food recommendations and custom-formulated supplements.

BELLEVUE, Wash., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Viome Life Sciences , a mission-driven company that empowers individuals to improve their health, today announced the launch of its new clinically-backed Full Body Intelligence Test , the most advanced holistic health and microbiome-based test ever commercially available. This first-of-its-kind, at-home test takes a cutting-edge approach with gene expression analysis for three essential areas of your health: the gut microbiome, oral microbiome, and your cells. These unique markers are proven to be crucial in decoding your health and addressing the root causes of chronic diseases, cancer, and aging.

"The Full Body Intelligence Test is a scientific breakthrough. The unique biochemical individuality inside each of us is a complex ecosystem that has remained mysterious, even in the modern-day," said Naveen Jain, Founder, and CEO of Viome Life Sciences. "Viome is building a future where each of us has access to insights into our health with actionable and individualized food and nutrients recommendations to regain control of our health and live a longer and healthier life. The Full Body Intelligence Test is the next step in our journey to create a world where illness and chronic disease are truly optional."

Viome's Full Body Intelligence Test provides unprecedented health insights based on microbial and human gene expression (mRNA), such as a person's biological age, immune system health, gut health, oral health, heart health, and brain and cognitive health, along with over 50 more subscores. Based on each person's unique biological data, Viome's state-of-the-art AI engine analyzes and recommends the food and supplement ingredients that are ideal for their body, targeting all of the essential functions that play a role in how fast they age, how they feel, how they look, and their body's resilience to stress and illness.

This approach, which honors the unique needs of each individual by truly understanding what's going on beneath the surface, is partnered with actionable next steps that mirror Viome's commitment to providing everyone with an individualized solution to accessing the nutrition they need. Consumers have the option to receive their custom-formulated, individually tailored supplements with only the ingredients they need (and in the precise dosage they need), including vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, food extracts, digestive enzymes, probiotics, and prebiotics. These ingredients target areas each person needs support, which varies from person to person, to support full-body health.

Viome Life Sciences was founded in 2016 by Naveen Jain and is backed by a team of world-class industry experts, translational scientists, nutritionists, researchers, doctors, and advisors focused on a single mission: to identify the root of chronic disease and cancer, and to make illness optional. Since its inception, Viome has developed and commercialized advanced viable health interventions for the many diseases that continue to threaten individuals, families, and communities worldwide. As an industry leader, Viome aims to further shift the paradigms of health and nutrition by democratizing consumer access to individualized healthcare and holistic preventative solutions.

To learn more about Viome Life Sciences and its solutions for prevention, diagnosis, and therapeutics for chronic illnesses, cancers, and aging, visit viome.com .

About Viome Life Sciences

Viome Life Sciences is a mission-driven systems biology company founded in 2016 to tackle the epidemic of chronic diseases, cancer, and aging. To help individuals improve their health and to better understand the root of chronic diseases, Viome is strategically split into two divisions. Viome Consumer Services is focused on growing its established consumer products, including tests, nutrition plans, and supplements. Viome Health Sciences is devoted to advancing its precision diagnostics and therapeutics platform. By conducting mRNA analysis at a mass scale, Viome is digitizing human biology and ultimately stopping the onset and progression of chronic diseases. Recently, Viome garnered FDA breakthrough designation for its oral & throat cancer detection device and has already successfully developed over 30 predictive models for some of the most prominent chronic diseases. For further information, please visit viome.com .

Media Contact

Factory PR

[email protected]

SOURCE Viome Life Sciences
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- VPR Brands, LP (OTC: VPRB):

On July 12, 2022, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of the United States Patent and Trademark Office ruled to uphold the validity of VPR Brands Patent and denied institution of the petition for inter partes review (IPR) filed by Jupiter Research, LLC in Case No. IPR2022-00299 seeking to invalidate the Company's US Patent number 8,205,622 B2. The decision of the PTAB is not appealable.

The company owns Intellectual Property which is one of the original Patents filed for electronic cigarette technology. This Patent dates to 2009 and includes independent claims covering electronic cigarette products containing an electric airflow sensor, including a sensor comprised of a diaphragm microphone. The sensor turns the battery on and off, and covers most auto-draw, button less e-cigarettes, cig-a-likes, pod devices and vaporizers using an airflow sensor rather than a button.

The PTAB determined in its decision denying institution Jupiter did not establish a reasonable likelihood that claims 13 through 18 of the Company's '622 patent are unpatentable. The PTAB decision analyzed the prior art presented by Jupiter and rejected all prior art references.

The PTAB's decision denying institution clears the way for the Company's infringement litigation against Jupiter pending in the District of Arizona to proceed. Claim construction in that pending suit has already been completed. While some discovery still remains, the case should proceed to pre-trial motions this year.

The Company is represented by SRIPLAW, P.A. in the Arizona case as well as in the IPR review proceeding before the PTAB.

VPR Brands along with SRIPLAW has started to identify and notify over 50 of the leading companies using the Auto Draw Technology and VPR Brands intends to vigorously enforce its Patent. These companies were prioritized, based on sales volume and popularity. Most recently VPR Brands LP and its legal team, headed by Joel B Rothman of SRIPLAW, have filed litigation against 9 of the companies. Additional lawsuits will continue to be filed as necessary to protect the company's Intellectual Property rights.

The vaping industry has matured in size and continues to grow. The company believes that its patent puts them in a unique position to capitalize on the recent surge in e-cigarette/vape usage that resulted in what some analysts estimate to be a $6 billion e-cigarette market, not including devices sold for cannabis and CBD.

A majority of the vaping devices sold in the U.S. now utilize an auto-draw/button-less technology. The company is investigating all button-less vape devices within the nicotine, CBD, and cannabis space that initiate vaporization from the user's airflow inhalation as they would be suspect of infringement.

The company may also seek a buyer for this patent in the future. As an example of past patent sales for electronic cigarettes, another company, Ruyan, gained a U.S. patent for its electronic cigarette product. In August 2013, Imperial Tobacco Group purchased the intellectual property behind the Ruyan e-cigarette for $75 million. The market was barely what it is today and has grown tremendously since 2013.

Previous Settlements Announced:

Effective December 1, 2021, VPR Brands, LP (the "Company") and NEPA 2 Wholesale, LLC ("NEPA") entered into that certain Settlement Agreement (the "Settlement Agreement"). Pursuant to the terms of the Settlement Agreement, the Company and NEPA agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by the Company against NEPA that alleged patent infringement relating to U.S. Patent No. 8205,622 (the "Patent"), and NEPA agreed to pay to the Company $275,000. In addition, pursuant to the terms of the Settlement Agreement, the Company agreed to license the Patent and related patents and applications to NEPA and certain of its affiliates.

On December 30, 2021, VPR Brands, LP (the "Company") entered into a Settlement Agreement (the "Settlement Agreement") by and between the Company and PHD Marketing, Inc. ("PHD"). VPR previously filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Central District of California (Civil Action No. 21-cv-03797) alleging patent infringement of U.S. Patent No. 8,205,622 (the "Patent") by PHD (the "Action"). Pursuant to the terms of the Settlement Agreement, the Company and PHD agreed to settle the Action. In addition, PHD agreed to pay the Company $85,000.00. The Company also granted PHD a nonexclusive, non-assignable license to practice the invention set forth in the Patent.

On March 18, 2022, the Company entered into a Settlement Agreement (the "XL Settlement Agreement") by and between the Company on the one hand, and XL Vape, LLC ("XL"), VGOD LLC ("VGOD"), and Saltnic LLC ("Saltnic" and collectively with XL and VGOD, the "XL Parties"), on the other hand. The Company previously filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Central District of California (Civil Action No. 2:21-cv-01110(MCS)) alleging patent infringement of the Patent by XL (the "XL Action"). Pursuant to the terms of the XL Settlement Agreement, the Company and the XL Parties agreed to settle the XL Action. In addition, the XL Parties agreed to pay the Company $155,000. The Company also granted each of the XL Parties a fully paid-up, royalty-free, non-exclusive license to practice the invention set forth in the Patent and all related patents and applications, domestic and foreign.



About VPR Brands, LP:

VPR Brands is a technology company, which develops consumer and business products based on the newest cutting-edge technologies and whose assets include issued a U.S. patent for atomization-related products including technology for medical marijuana vaporizers and electronic cigarette products and components. The company is also engaged in product development for the vapor or vaping market, including e-liquids, vaporizers, and electronic cigarettes (also known as e-cigarettes) which are devices that deliver nicotine and or cannabis through atomization or vaping, and without smoke and other chemical constituents typically found in traditional products. For more information about VPR Brands, please visit the company on the web at www.vprbrands.com

Forward-looking statements:

This news release contains statements that involve expectations, plans or intentions, and other factors discussed from time to time in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. These statements are forward-looking and are subject to risks and uncertainties, so actual results may vary materially. The company cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The company disclaims any obligation subsequently to revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.

SOURCE VPR Brands, LP
Loyalty program members can earn double points to use towards future stays at participating WorldHotels properties worldwide

PHOENIX, July 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- WorldHotels Rewards (WHR) is thrilled to announce the extension of its current promotion, "Double Rewards Points on Every Stay!," thereby allowing WHR members to continue earning double points at any participating WorldHotels location through August 30, 2022, without limit.

"Travel continues to surge and our guests are excited to once again explore the world and visit with family and friends," said Ron Pohl, President of WorldHotels. "We're very thankful that our loyal guests have returned to our collection of the finest independent hotels and resorts and extending this rich promotion allows us to recognize and thank them for their loyalty."

WorldHotels, a collection of the finest independent hotels in over 200 iconic destinations around the world, offers travelers the opportunity for exciting discoveries in the most unexpected places. From the Scottish Highlands to the glistening lights of Paris  and everything in between  WorldHotels offers discerning travelers a hotel collection in which each property captures the spirit of the destination that it serves.

Learn more about WorldHotels Rewards and register to earn double points on your next stay.

About WorldHotels Collection

WorldHotels Collection is a privately held hotel soft brand within the BWH Hotel Group global network. Founded by independent hoteliers dedicated to the art of hospitality, and celebrating its 50th year anniversary in 2021, WorldHotels offers one of the finest portfolios of independent hotels and resorts around the globe, expertly curated to inspire unique, life enriching experiences that connect people and places. WorldHotels is comprised of four unique collections, each with its own personality and style to appeal to the needs of today's traveler. The collections include: WorldHotels Luxury, WorldHotels Elite, WorldHotels Distinctive and WorldHotels Crafted. For more information visit WorldHotels.com.

Media Contact:

Katie Ray

Director of Public Relations

[email protected]

SOURCE WorldHotels
Increased demand from the cosmetics & personal care industry and surge in demand for cleaning products drive the growth of the global 2-phenylethanol market.

PORTLAND, Ore., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "2-Phenylethanol Market by Type (Natural and Synthetic) and End-use Industry (Food & Beverage, Personal Care & Cosmetics, Pharmaceutical, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20222031". According to the report, the global 2-phenylethanol industry generated $491.7 million in 2021, and is anticipated to generate $761.7 million by 2031, witnessing a CAGR of 3.3% from 2022 to 2031.

Prime determinants of growth

Increased demand from the cosmetics & personal care industry and surge in demand for cleaning products drive the growth of the global 2-phenylethanol market. However, the availability of substitutes for 2-phenylethanol that offer higher performance restricts the market growth. Moreover, rise in demand for natural fragrance ingredients presents new opportunities in the coming years.

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Covid-19 Scenario

The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the global 2-phenylethanol market, owing to shutting off of almost all operations, manufacturing, and distribution of all industries.

The demandsupply gap, disruptions in raw material procurement, and price volatility further hampered the chemical industry, thereby affected the growth of the global 2-phenylethanol market.

On the contrary, increase in demand for home and personal hygiene products due to rise in awareness regarding the cleanliness boosted the growth of the 2-phenylethanol. This, in turn, tends to overcome the impact of COVID-19 on this sector.

The natural segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period

Based on type, the natural segment held the highest market share in 2021, accounting for more than two-thirds of the global 2-phenylethanol market, and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. Moreover, the same segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 3.3% from 2022 to 2031, due to rise in health concerns among the population. The report also discusses about the synthetic segment.

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The personal care and cosmetics segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period

Based on enduse industry, the personal care and cosmetics segment accounted for the largest share in 2021, contributing to more than two-fifths of the global 2-phenylethanol market, and is projected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period. Moreover, the same segment is expected to portray the largest CAGR of 3.4% from 2022 to 2031, as it acts as a preservative for the cosmetic products, is allergy-free, and does not cause any side effects. Other segments analyzed in the report are food & beverages and pharmaceuticals.

Asia-Pacific to maintain its dominance by 2031

Based on region, Asia-Pacific held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2021, accounting for more than two-fifths of the global 2-phenylethanol market. Moreover, the same region is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 3.4% from 2022 to 2031. The presence of high consumer base for personal care & cosmetics and food & beverage industries is the major factor driving the demand for 2-phenylethanol in the region. Other regions discussed in the report are North America, LAMEA, and Europe.

Leading Market Players: -

Apple Flavor and Fragrance Group Co., Ltd.

Eternis Fine Chemicals Ltd.

Firmenich SA

Harmony Organics Pvt., Ltd.

Kdac Chem Pvt., Ltd.

LyondellBasell Industries Holdings B.V.

Matrix Scientific

Symrise AG

TCI America

Yingyang ( China ) Aroma Chemical Group



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Pawan Kumar, the CEO of Allied Market Research, is leading the organization toward providing high-quality data and insights. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

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DENVER, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nextworld ERP software company announced today that 20/20 Plumbing & Heating, Inc. (2020PH) has signed a 5-year contract with Nextworld. Nextworld will deliver its Financials, Procurement, Warehouse, Projects, Manufacturing, and Construction solutions in addition to their no-code development platform, Nextbot, to meet the needs of this specialty contractor.

"We were looking for an ERP that would allow us to modernize and automate our unique business processes and scale as our organization continues to grow. What became apparent to me from the beginning of the engagement was the value of the no-code platform that allows us to quickly automate even the most marginal of business processes, and that Nextworld continues to deliver new innovations and functionality with every update and release. We ran a comprehensive search process and their solution stood out as the one that would provide the greatest value both now and well into the future," says Vincent French, CFO of 20/20 Plumbing and Heating.

"When it comes to responding quickly to market changes and new business needs, we recognize the competitive advantage of employing leading-edge technologies. Nextworld is the only ERP that will work with us to run our business in our own way rather than force us into detrimental compromises. For that reason, they were the obvious choice," says Mike Mahoney, CEO of 20/20 Plumbing and Heating.

Kylee McVaney, Nextworld founder and CEO, adds "We are thrilled to be selected by 20/20 Plumbing and Heating. Part of redefining ERP is reimagining the entire journey for our customers so that it becomes a source of delight from the initial evaluation phase through and beyond the implementation and, ultimately, helps them to take advantage of new opportunities. The team has been incredible to work with thus far and we look forward to a long-term partnership with them."

About Nextworld

Nextworld is the only company that offers a modern ERP built on an enterprise, no-code platform. Nextworld delivers the agility, speed, and intelligence required to modernize business processes and gain value from your application investment  from the edge to the core of your operations. With Nextworld, businesses can focus resources on innovative opportunities that further their mission both now and into the future. Nextworld keeps its customers ahead of what's next.

About 20/20 Plumbing & Heating

At 20/20 Plumbing & Heating, Inc., we are more than a plumbing and HVAC company. We are community builders. An industry leader in California and Nevada since 2015, we deliver reliable, state-of-the-art service to single-family, multi-family, commercial, rehabilitation and hospitality projects. Our skilled tradespeople have the training and resources to meet your most challenging plumbing and HVAC needs and complete your new construction or commercial project  on-time and in-budget. We utilize the most technologically advanced systems for designing, manufacturing, and prefabricating materials in-house to deliver prompt, accurate bids to our clients.

Our partners include notable companies from local homebuilders to global hospitality brands, and we've earned their trust with our uncompromising standards of ethics, professionalism and accountability, and award-winning customer support. For more information, visit www.2020ph.com

SOURCE Nextworld
Forbes Finance Council is an Invitation-Only Community for Executives in Accounting, Financial Planning, Wealth and Asset Management, and Investment Firms

OKLAHOMA CITY, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kacey Butcher, the Chief Financial Officer for Adaptation Financial Advisors, Inc has been accepted into Forbes Finance Council, an invitation-only community for executives in accounting, financial planning, wealth and asset management, and investment firms.

Kacey was vetted and selected by a review committee based on the depth and diversity of his experience. Criteria for acceptance include a track record of successfully impacting business growth metrics, as well as personal and professional achievements and honors.

"We are honored to welcome Kacey into the community," said Scott Gerber, founder of Forbes Councils, the collective that includes Forbes Finance Council. "Our mission with Forbes Councils is to bring together proven leaders from every industry, creating a curated, social capital-driven network that helps every member grow professionally and make an even greater impact on the business world."

As an accepted member of the Council, Kacey has access to a variety of exclusive opportunities designed to help him reach peak professional influence. He will connect and collaborate with other respected local leaders in a private forum. Kacey will also be invited to work with a professional editorial team to share his expert insights in original business articles on Forbes.com, and to contribute to published Q&A panels alongside other experts.

Finally, Kacey will benefit from exclusive access to vetted business service partners, membership-branded marketing collateral, and the high-touch support of the Forbes Councils member concierge team.

"I am excited to have been selected as a Forbes Finance Council member and look forward to connecting with other industry professionals," says Kacey Butcher. "As we continue to expand through mergers and acquisitions, as well as through recruiting efforts targeted towards next gen talent, this forum will be a great asset for future growth opportunities within the financial services and wealth planning industry."

ABOUT FORBES COUNCILS

Forbes Councils is a collective of invitation-only communities created in partnership with Forbes and the expert community builders who founded Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC). In Forbes Councils, exceptional business owners and leaders come together with the people and resources that can help them thrive.

For more information about Forbes Finance Council, visit forbesfinancecouncil.com . To learn more about Forbes Councils, visit forbescouncils.com .

ABOUT ADAPTATION FINANCIAL

Adaptation Financial, Inc is a Hybrid Independent Registered Investment Advisory firm with over $750MM of client assets under management. The firm currently has 6 office locations across 3 states and caters to individual investors. Securities are offered through Registered Representatives of Cambridge Investment Research Inc., a broker-dealer, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services are through Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor. Financial planning services are through Adaptation Financial Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor. Cambridge and Adaptation Financial Advisors are not affiliated.

Visit www.adaptfa.com or call 800-522-8727 to connect with an advisor in your area.

SOURCE Adaptation Financial
WASHINGTON, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The President of Ineco, Sergio Vazquez Torron, formalized at the Center for Advanced Aviation System Development (CAASD) of MITRE, a United States organization, the development of seminars that are going to be offered to the four best young aeronautical engineers of the public engineering company. Ineco has had a solid relationship with MITRE for close to two decades in tasks relating to research and development of new airspace design methodologies, implementation of advanced air traffic control concepts, and use and assessment of software tools utilized to evaluate air navigation. Both entities strengthened their relationship by signing an agreement in 2019 to work together in technical areas, knowledge transfer, and joint participation in projects of mutual interest at the international level.

As a part of the aerospace talent attraction and retention program (AYREA) that Ineco has been running since 2019, in which 109 interns have taken part, these seminars will include three or four days during the last quarter of the year, as a first phase in a process of selective training. Among other activities, there will be presentations by experts on MITRE's best practices and MITRE-owned tools such as TARGETS, an air traffic simulation model and route evaluator for terminal airspace design that is able to assess flyability of new terminal route designs, or ASIAS, a system to analyze air safety to identify potential air traffic incidents, using a massive database of recorded flight data covering nearly all aircraft flying across the United States. Visits to MITRE laboratories will also take place where flight cockpit simulators assess the impact, both operational and environmental, of new airspace designs, as well as the reaction of pilots regarding their workload.

During his visit, Vazquez Torron has been able to review not only ongoing projects but also discuss technical trends and opportunities to expand joint programs.

High technology for air traffic management

The activities relating to air traffic management are multiple and generally linked to the application of high-tech solutions to complex problems. MITRE works closely with the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on the design of next-generation airspace systems. MITRE possesses some of the most advanced technical modeling, simulation, and analysis capabilities to assess improvements to current systems and to anticipate future operations in order, for example, to incorporate unmanned aircraft systems and services (UAS) or the integration and management of new commercial space traffic.

Meanwhile, Ineco, a Spanish public engineering company that is part of the MITMA Group (Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda), is a leader in services, projects and studies of air navigation systems and operations and has more than 20 years of national and international experience in these fields. It is the only Spanish entity that has International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) recognition and the second, after Enaire, to obtain certification as a flight procedure designer in accordance with Regulation UE 2020/469. Among other jobs delivered to MITRE, the EOS tool stands out, developed in-house by INECO to support designing flight instrument procedures, it is used to analyze possible obstacles that aircraft may encounter in flight, and ensure aircraft maintain a minimum safe distance from them.

More about Ineco and MITRE:

https://www.ineco.com/webineco/sites/default/files/Ineco_Mitre_profiles.pdf

SOURCE Ineco
RENO, Nev., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- aha!, powered by veteran ExpressJet Airlines, is excited to become a part of the Santa Rosa/North Bay Area region with its inaugural nonstop flight from Reno on July 14, 2022. This first flight begins aha! service between Reno-Tahoe International Airport and Charles M. Schultz-Sonoma County Airport.

"We are very appreciative of the warm reception we've had since announcing Santa Rosa as one of aha!'s newest routes - even Snoopy is celebrating with us today!" said Tim Sieber, head of ExpressJet's aha! business unit. "We're thrilled to be able to provide passengers with an easy nonstop flight between Reno-Tahoe and Santa Rosa - two destinations that offer a blend of urban adventures and outdoor recreation."

Nonstop Flights = Two Travel Days Saved

Travelers can replace a four-to-five-hour drive or painful layover with a quick 57-minute nonstop flight. Flights will operate each Thursday and Sunday departing Reno Tahoe International Airport at 3:40 p.m. PT arriving at Charles M. SchulzSonoma County Airport at 4:37 p.m. PT. Return flights will depart Santa Rosa at 5:15 p.m. PT and arrive in Reno-Tahoe at 6:12 p.m. PT.

"Connecting these two recreational hot spots is a fantastic addition to our local airport," said James Gore, Chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors and representative for District 4, which includes the airport. "This gives our residents the opportunity to enjoy all that the Reno-Tahoe area has to offer and gives the Northern Nevada residents an excuse for a hassle-free wine country getaway. An absolute win-win for both markets."

Free Tickets to the first 100 Passengers

For three days only, aha! is giving one free* ticket to the first 100 Santa Rosa-Reno customers. Travelers can use the promo-code WELCOME2STS to receive the $0 base fare for travel through Oct. 31, 2022 when booked by July 17, 2022.

Wines Fly Free

For a limited time, passengers can take advantage of aha!'s "wine flies free" program. Until November 30, 2022, aha! will accept one dedicated wine bottle case as a free checked bag. Customers can opt-in by selecting the "wine flies free" option during booking or by declaring their wine item during their check-in at the airport. See flyaha.com/winefliesfree for complete details and restrictions.

Flights are currently available for sale at www.flyaha.com and through the aha! Call Center at 775-439-0888.

About aha!

aha! is a leisure brand of ExpressJet Airlines. aha! seeks to provide travelers in smaller communities, many who have seen air service reduced over the past decade through airline mergers, with convenient, short, nonstop flights to high-quality destinations like the Reno-Lake Tahoe region. In addition to offering value-priced, nonstop flights, aha! will soon partner with resorts, casinos and attractions to "bundle" value-priced vacation packages. www.flyaha.com

About ExpressJet Airlines

ExpressJet Airlines operates Embraer ERJ145 regional jet aircraft and has more than 40 years of experience as a regional airline. ExpressJet operates its leisure brand aha!, which provides travelers in smaller communities with convenient, short, nonstop flights to high-quality destinations like the Reno-Lake Tahoe region. The company is expanding its service with specialty charter flights and additional future routes. ExpressJet is majority owned by KAir Enterprises with United Airlines holding a minority interest. www.expressjet.com

* WELCOME2STS Ticket Giveaway

$0 base fare tickets must be purchased by 11:59pm on July 17, 2022, and travel completed by Oct. 31, 2022. Subject to blackout dates. Capacity controls and other restrictions apply. A total of 100 tickets are available at the $0 fare and the number of seats available on each flight are limited. Customer is responsible for paying government-imposed taxes and fees, such as 9/11 security fee and Passenger Facility Charges (PFC), and well as other service fees such as for checked baggage. Fare rules are subject to change without notice. Not valid on previously purchased itineraries. $0 tickets may only be purchased at www.flyaha.com and are not available when calling the call center.

SOURCE aha!
Seasoned industry veteran brings unparalleled expertise to key leadership position

PLANO, Texas, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Aimbridge Hospitality, a leading global hospitality company, has welcomed hospitality industry veteran Allison Reid to the newly created role of Chief Global Growth Officer. Reid's addition to the Aimbridge leadership team represents a continued investment in securing top industry talent and driving growth through strategic development and operational expertise. Her experience and leadership will empower Aimbridge's business development teams to fuel the company's global pipeline.

Allison Reid

"We welcome Allison to our executive leadership team in this crucial role leading our global growth pursuits," said Michael J. Deitemeyer, Aimbridge president & CEO. "As Aimbridge evolves it is an ideal time for Allison, a recognized executive with extensive experience, to lead our growth focus, and through our operating structure and expertise we have the acumen ready to immediately take over management and add value for owners across the full spectrum of hospitality verticals."

Reid brings more than 35 years of hospitality leadership experience to Aimbridge, most recently serving as Chief Development Officer at Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants. In that role, she drove the strategic growth direction of the organization and led all real estate development activities, including the sales and negotiation process for managed and franchise development, client relationships, and asset repositionings.

Prior to Kimpton, Reid served as Senior Vice President of North America Development at Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, where she led all development and acquisition efforts for all 11 brands in North America, the Caribbean, and French Polynesia. She began her career as an assistant controller with ITT Sheraton Corporation at the St. Regis in New York and went on to hold roles with the Sheraton Grand in Los Angeles, Interstate Hotels, and W Hotels Worldwide. Reid completed her undergraduate work at Bryant University, with a focus on Accounting, Finance and Hospitality, and postgraduate at Georgetown University where she received a Master of Professional Studies in Real Estate.

"This is an incredibly exciting time in our industry, with notable growth potential and emerging opportunities ahead," Reid said. "I look forward to building on Aimbridge's momentum working with a dynamic team of the industry's best talent on a global scale."

To learn more about Aimbridge Hospitality, visit aimbridgehospitality.com .

About Aimbridge Hospitality

Aimbridge Hospitality is a leading, global hospitality company with a growing hotel portfolio representing more than 1,500 properties in 50 states and 23 countries, inclusive of pipeline. As a top hotel management company and trusted operator of over 80 lodging brands and distinctive luxury and lifestyle assets, Aimbridge leverages its scale and operational excellence to consistently deliver results for hotel owners and offer unparalleled opportunities for associates around the globe. Aimbridge adds value through focused, expertise-driven operating divisions in Full Service, Evolution Lifestyle, Enhanced Select Service, and Select Service, optimizing owners' investment returns and driving hotel market success. The Aimbridge EMEA Division has supporting offices across Europe in Amsterdam, Birmingham, and Glasgow. The Aimbridge LatAm Division has offices in Monterrey and Mexico City. Aimbridge Hospitality's global headquarters is based in Plano, Texas. To learn more, visit www.aimbridgehospitality.com . Connect with Aimbridge on LinkedIn .

SOURCE Aimbridge Hospitality
The new office will expand the company's North American presence and support key partners, business, and operations in the region

LONDON, United Kingdom, and TORONTO, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Alphawave IP (LSE: AWE), a global leader in high-speed connectivity for the world's technology infrastructure, announced today the planned launch of its new office in Ottawa, Ontario - expanding its North American presence in the country's key technology hub.

The new office located in the Kanata North technology park is currently in the middle of the design phase with construction planned to be completed by the end of the year. Alphawave expects the office to hold over 100 employees across all departments and roles by the end of the year, more than double the existing 50+ employees in the Ottawa area. The new office will provide more than 18,000 square feet of working space as well as over 5,000 square feet of laboratory space for the controller, SerDes, and optical teams.

"With our expansion into Ottawa, a major technology capital, Alphawave is well-positioned to accelerate growth and hiring in the North America region," said Tony Pialis, CEO, president, and co-founder of Alphawave. "The new site in Ottawa is a major addition to our company that will allow our engineering teams to better test, analyze, and create the next generation of connectivity technologies."

Alphawave currently has over 250 employees worldwide with aggressive plans to grow its global team significantly. By the end of the year, the company aims to have over 250 employees in Canada alone, with the planned acquisition of OpenFive set to further expand its workforce and propel Alphawave's connectivity leadership, product offerings, and customer base. The company plans to open an additional office in Milpitas pending the OpenFive acquisition, bringing the global office count to nine.

About Alphawave IP

Faced with the exponential growth of data, Alphawave's technology services a critical need: enabling data to travel faster, more reliably, and with higher performance at lower power. Alphawave is a global leader in high-speed connectivity for the world's technology infrastructure. Our IP solutions, therefore, meet the needs of global tier-one customers in data centers, computing, networking, AI, 5G, autonomous vehicles, and storage. Founded in Toronto, Canada in 2017, by an expert technical team with a proven track record in licensing semiconductor IP, our mission is to focus on the hardest-to-solve connectivity challenges. To find out more about Alphawave IP, visit: awaveip.com

Trademarks

All registered trademarks and other trademarks belong to their respective owners.

SOURCE Alphawave IP Group Plc
The Global Manufacturer's High-Quality Supplements and Medications Are Designed to Help Support a Healthy Body

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Reactive medicine is important  and essential. However, it is often focused on things like addressing critical dangers, providing damage control, and aiding in recovery. In contrast, often the best form of medicine and healthcare is reactive in nature.

It's a theme that the team at health and wellness manufacturer Ananta Medicare takes to heart. "Our goal isn't to temporarily address a medical issue," explains company president Pradeep Jain, "Our tagline is literally 'endless care about your health.' Most of our products are geared towards the prevention of medical conditions, not just now, but over the long term."

Ananta Medicare's company vision is to create a constant level of care that maintains health and improves the quality of human life across the board. It's this perpetual preventative mentality that has guided the manufacturer over the more than two decades of its existence so far.

Ananta Medicare already operates multiple manufacturing facilities in India. It also has offices in Europe, including the U.K. and Ukraine. This global reach, coupled with the company's devotion to high quality products, has enabled Ananta to lead the charge in shining a light on preventative health for consumers and medical professionals, alike.

"We have earned the confidence of patients and doctors from different countries around the world through our team's exemplary results," Jain explains, " Our success isn't accidental. It is the result of tireless work, devotion to our mission, and the high degree of professionalism our employees display on a daily basis."

The scale of production allows Ananta to focus on preventative health solutions across a broad product range that includes both food supplements and other herbal products . Some of these, such as Femimens and Femicycle, focus on women. Others, like Anantavati Kids, are for younger ages.

The Ananta team always strongly recommends consulting with a doctor before utilizing their products (or any health-related solution) to ensure that it meets the needs dictated by their particular symptoms. Even so, the ability to access clean, effective herbally-based remedies from a reputable manufacturer is a welcome relief for the many Ananta Medicare customers around the globe  soon to include the United States.

About Ananta Medicare: Ananta Medicare Limited was founded in 1999 and consists of a group of companies that specialize in the manufacturing and marketing of high-quality products with natural components. These include generic medicines, food supplements, and cosmetics. The brand has plants in India each dedicated to specific manufacturing needs. It also has offices in the UK, India, and Ukraine. The vision of the company is and always has been to protect and preserve health and increase quality of life. Learn more at anantamedicare.com .

Media Contact:

Sourabh Kumar

Business Development Manager

Ananta Medicare Limited

+91 9570620303

[email protected]

SOURCE Ananta
Maria Maccecchini, Ph.D., Founder, President, and CEO, will be participating on a panel discussing the Systems Biology of Alzheimer's Disease moderated by Jeffrey Cummings, MD, ScD, and Krista Lanctot, Ph.D.

BERWYN, Pa., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Annovis Bio, Inc. (NYSE: ANVS) ("Annovis" or the "Company"), a late-stage clinical drug platform company addressing neurodegenerative diseases, announced today that Maria Maccecchini, Ph.D., Founder, President, and CEO, will be participating on the Systems Biology of Alzheimer's Disease Panel at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference ("AAIC"). The panel will focus on the need and underpinning rationale for advancing novel therapeutic approaches for Alzheimer's disease. The four companies will present their novel approaches as well as outlook on developments impacting clinical trials and patients.

This panel is aligned with AAIC's "Part the Cloud" program, which strives to promote and fund novel research with the highest probability of slowing, stopping or ultimately curing Alzheimer's disease.

The panel is scheduled to take place on August 4th, 2022, at 8-9:15 AM Pacific Time / 11 AM - 12:15 PM Eastern Time. Interested parties may access a live panel discussion through the AAIC 2022 conference site and archived webcast of the presentation on the Company's investor relations website at: www.annovisbio.com.

Details of the panel are as follows:

Panel Moderators:

Jeffrey Cummings , MD, ScD, Director of the Chambers-Grundy Center for Transformative Neuroscience at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas ; Professor of Medicine at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University ; and Principal Investigator/Director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences-funded Center for Neurodegeneration and Translational Neuroscience

, MD, ScD, Director of the Chambers-Grundy Center for Transformative Neuroscience at the ; Professor of Medicine at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at ; and Principal Investigator/Director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences-funded Center for Neurodegeneration and Translational Neuroscience Krista Lanctot, Ph.D., Senior Scientist and Director of the Neuropsychopharmacology Research Group at Sunnybrook Research Institute

Participants:

Raymond J. Tesi , MD, President, CEO, and acting CMO of INmune Bio

, MD, President, CEO, and acting CMO of INmune Bio Hans Moebius , MD, Ph.D., CMO of Athira Pharma

, MD, Ph.D., CMO of Athira Pharma John Didsbury , Ph.D., Founder, President, and CEO of T3D Therapeutics

, Ph.D., Founder, President, and CEO of T3D Therapeutics Maria Maccecchini, Ph.D., Founder, President, and CEO of Annovis Bio

About Buntanetap

Buntanetap (previously known as ANVS401 or Posiphen) is an oral translational inhibitor of neurotoxic aggregating proteins (TINAPs), which mode of action leads to lower levels of neurotoxic proteins and consequently less toxicity in the brain. In a Phase 2a clinical trial in AD and PD patients, treatment with buntanetap resulted in statistically significant improvement in motor function in PD patients and cognition in AD patients. Additionally, buntanetap was shown to reduce biomarkers associated with AD or PD, it was well-tolerated and safe, and its pharmacokinetics were found to be in line with levels measured earlier in humans, meeting primary, secondary and exploratory endpoints.

About Annovis Bio, Inc.

Headquartered in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, Annovis Bio, Inc. is a late-stage clinical drug platform company developing transformative therapies that treat neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and other chronic and acute neurodegenerative diseases. The Company believes that it is the only company developing a drug that inhibits more than one neurotoxic protein, improves the information highway of the nerve cell, known as axonal transport, reduces inflammation and protects nerve cells from dying in chronic and acute neurodegeneration. Annovis conducted two Phase 2 studies: one in AD patients and one in both AD and PD patients. In the AD/PD study, buntanetap showed improvements in cognition and memory in AD as well as body and brain function in PD patients.

For more information on Annovis Bio, please visit the Company's website www.annovisbio.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release contain "forward-looking statements" that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate," "expect," "believe," "will," "may," "should," "estimate," "project," "outlook," "forecast" or other similar words, and include, without limitation, statements regarding the timing, effectiveness, and anticipated results of buntanetap clinical trials. Forward-looking statements are based on Annovis Bio, Inc.'s current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully in the section titled "Risk Factors" in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of this date, and Annovis Bio, Inc. undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law.

Media and Investor Contact:

Nic Johnson

Russo Partners, LLC

(303) 482-6405

[email protected]

SOURCE Annovis Bio
Personal assistance, concierge, and event planning company offers a new franchise opportunity in the lifestyle sector.

DENVER, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As You Wish, a personal assistant, concierge and event company, has launched franchise opportunities in cities across the United States using its proven lifestyle management business model.

The company, which was established in Denver in 2010, offers customized personal assistance and concierge services such as on-demand errand running, personal shopping, home away care, relocation assistance and more for busy individuals and families in a wide variety of scenarios. The brand has become known for its flawless execution of client requests and the highest possible quality of service. With its superior reputation and long-standing relationships throughout Colorado, the company is thrilled to expand outside of its home state and invite entrepreneurs across the country to join the As You Wish team.

"The American lifestyle is running at a faster pace than ever before, and there is a rapidly growing demand for the kind of support As You Wish clients enjoy," explained the company's founder, Allison Welch. "Now is the perfect time for entrepreneurial-minded individuals to get into this home based industry."

Those who would like to learn more about this unique franchise opportunity are invited to begin by viewing the As You Wish franchising introductory video. From there, interested parties should visit https://asyouwishfranchising.com/ to register and request a Franchise Discovery Kit.

Participants will be asked to complete a short survey, and a Virtual Franchise Discovery Day will be held at a date and time that will be disclosed privately to the parties. Training and subsequent support for franchisees will begin promptly after a franchise agreement has been executed.

Much like the 360-degree support the company offers its clients, franchisees can expect to have the full weight of this established team behind them. As You Wish operates on the notion that a well-rounded and confident team is its strongest asset, and the company is fully committed to the long-term success of its franchisees.

About As You Wish

Established in 2010, As You Wish is a national personal assistant, event-planning and concierge company that assists busy professionals, multi-tasking parents, and entrepreneurs who seek assistance to balance their professional and personal lives. Although concierge services are usually associated with luxury hotels or executives only, As You Wish is changing that perception by showing that assistance is for everyone and having a personal assistant is both invaluable and affordable for all. For more information, please visit www.asyouwishcolorado.com or follow on Instagram for the latest happenings.

SOURCE As You Wish
Market primed for accelerated growth through new, Engage Local initiative

MINNEAPOLIS, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Associated Banc-Corp (NYSE: ASB) today announced the appointment of Paul Schmidt to the role of Twin Cities market president. The company also announced plans for the expansion of its market commitment and accelerated growth through its new Engage Local initiative.

Paul Schmidt

"With approximately $2.5 billion in deposits1, Minnesota is Associated Bank's third-largest footprint. Given its strong economy and diverse set of industries, this market has tremendous opportunity for growth," said Andy Harmening, president and CEO, Associated Bank. "I can't think of a better person to serve as our market president and lead these efforts than Paul Schmidt. As a veteran of the commercial finance business and highest-ranking colleague in the Twin Cities, he knows and is committed to the success of this market."

Schmidt joined Associated Bank in 2015 and has nearly 40 years of banking experience. In addition to the role of market president, he will continue to serve as the company's head commercial real estate and facilities and as a member of the executive leadership team.

His appointment comes following the successful implementation of multiple corporate-level initiatives focused on the expansion of the company's core lending capabilities, growth of its core businesses and people-first, digital-forward strategies.

"These strategic plans are already well into the execution phase, and we are seeing encouraging results across the board," said Harmening. "Now, we are charting the future of our business on a regional level, with our new Engage Local initiative."

In this expanded role, Schmidt will provide leadership for the market, which includes approximately 200 colleagues across 17 locations. Associated has operated in the market since the mid-90s and offers a full array of consumer, wealth management, commercial banking and commercial real estate products and services to the bank's customer base.

Schmidt will also lead the Twin Cities regional leadership team in prioritizing efforts for the market. This ground-up approach takes areas of the business that are important to the company  sales, marketing, charitable giving, volunteerism and culture  and empowers colleagues to bring them to life at the local level.

"To grow the business, we must respond to  and ideally, anticipate our colleague, customer and community needs," said Schmidt. "Given our size and strength in the market, we are well positioned to focus on opportunities to grow our business while making Associated Bank a stronger partner for our customers and the community."

Associated Bank launched its Engage Local initiative in the greater Twin Cities market in the second quarter.

More information is available in the Associated Bank newsroom.

1$2.5 billion in deposits as of the FDIC data published annually

ABOUT ASSOCIATED BANC-CORP

Associated Banc-Corp (NYSE: ASB) has total assets of $35 billion and is Wisconsin's largest bank holding company. Headquartered in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Associated is a leading Midwest banking franchise, offering a full range of financial products and services from more than 200 banking locations serving more than 100 communities throughout Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota. The company also operates loan production offices in Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio and Texas. Associated Bank, N.A. is an Equal Housing Lender, Equal Opportunity Lender and Member FDIC. More information about Associated Banc-Corp is available at www.associatedbank.com.

Media Contact: Jennifer Kaminski

Vice President | Public Relations Senior Manager

920-491-7576 | [email protected]

Investor Contact: Ben McCarville

Vice President | Director of Investor Relations

920-491-7059 | [email protected]

SOURCE Associated Banc-Corp
OAKVILLE, ON, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - CEM Engineering and Sacre-Davey Engineering have been selected by Atura Power as Owner's Engineering Representative for the design, permitting, and equipment selection of the Niagara Hydrogen Centre which will produce 20MW of Green Hydrogen in Niagara Falls, Ontario. This state-of-the-art facility will benefit from our growing team's expertise in advanced power systems, hydrogen production, hydrogen infrastructure, and end-use applications. For more information, see the original June 27th announcement from Atura:

This is a 3D rendering of Atura Power's future 20MW Green Hydrogen production plant and loading facility, engineered and designed by CEM Engineering and Sacre-Davey Engineering. (CNW Group/Sacre-Davey Engineering)

Oakville, Ont., June 27, 2022 - Atura Power selected St. Catharines, Ont. based CEM Engineering and Sacre-Davey Engineering of North Vancouver, B.C. (CEM/Sacre-Davey joint venture) to advance the engineering of Atura Power's first green 20-megawatt (MW) hydrogen production facility - the Niagara Hydrogen Centre.

CEM/Sacre-Davey is the owner's engineer and has the responsibility to complete the detailed design and advance the project permitting while also supporting Atura Power in the technical selection of key project equipment and technology.

This project will be the largest green hydrogen production facility in Ontario, providing industrial consumers with low-carbon hydrogen for immediate consumption, including Atura Power's owned and operated combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plants. The development of this 20 MW hydrogen production facility will leverage the experience of CEM and Sacre-Davey and will support the development of the Ontario hydrogen economy.

The design, technology selection, and procurement activities that will support a final investment decision for the facility will be completed by late summer 2022, subject to federal funding, with a target completion date of early 2024 for the facility.

Atura Power is implementing a low-cost, low-carbon hydrogen program that will help reduce greenhouse gases, while supporting the development and adoption of a key clean-energy source on a path to an economy wide net-zero emissions future. As an enabler of clean energy, Atura Power is positioned to help build the hydrogen economy in Ontario. Low-carbon hydrogen will be an important tool in the fight against climate change. Atura Power, a subsidiary of Ontario Power Generation (OPG), supports the net-zero goals outlined in OPG's Climate Change Plan.

Green and low-carbon hydrogen will reduce or offset emissions in a variety of applications, including:

as a low-carbon fuel substitute for feedstock in high-emitting industrial processes

blending hydrogen with natural gas to reduce its carbon impact, and

powering fuel cells in vehicles which could help replace diesel engines in the heavy-duty and long-haul trucking industry.

Both the federal and provincial governments noted the potential for hydrogen to play a key role in helping meet climate change objectives. Read the Federal and Provincial strategies for more details.

Quotes

"Atura Power is positioned to be a leader in the Ontario hydrogen economy and the Niagara Hydrogen Centre is a major step forward in developing our capabilities in this emerging sector," said Chris Fralick, Atura Power President. "We are excited to advance this project with CEM/Sacre-Davey and expect that with their hydrogen leadership and positive past performance developing energy projects we will be successful in our goal of low-carbon hydrogen production at the Niagara Hydrogen Centre."

"CEM Engineering and our partner Sacre-Davey Engineering are very excited to work with Atura Power, bringing our 20 years of experience developing and implementing innovative energy systems to play a leading role for this major step forward in the development of a 'made in Ontario' hydrogen economy," said Matt Lensink, CEM Engineering CEO. "Atura Power's leadership in the hydrogen economy will pave the way for a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable Ontario."

"Sacre-Davey Engineering is thrilled to be partnering with Atura Power and CEM Engineering in delivering this large scale, low-carbon hydrogen energy project in Ontario," said Chris Sacre, Sacre-Davey Engineering CEO. "This project will build on our 35 years of expertise in the hydrogen and green/renewable energy space, make a significant impact in decarbonizing our energy, and support Canada's 2050 net zero targets."

About Atura Power

Atura Power, a subsidiary of Ontario Power Generation, plays a key role in the province's electricity system. With plants in Windsor, Halton Hills, Toronto, and Napanee, its fleet of combined-cycle facilities is flexible and dispatchable  an enabler of renewable energy sources like solar and wind power. Atura Power is committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and being a leader in facilitating economy-wide adoption of hydrogen across Ontario. aturapower.com/

About CEM Engineering

CEM Engineering is a thermal power project delivery firm, with headquarters in the Niagara Region. With foundational experience in cogeneration and energy management projects, CEM has become a leader in Canada's energy transition with a focus on hydrogen and renewable natural gas (RNG). Spread across multiple office locations across Canada, CEM provides consulting, schematic design, detailed engineering, and EPC project delivery to help our clients build a more functional world. cemeng.ca

About Sacre-Davey Engineering

Sacre-Davey Engineering is a process-centric engineering and project management company with decades of experience delivering energy and hydrogen-related projects. Sacre-Davey's expertise includes hydrogen generation, pipeline injection, recovery, purification, liquefaction, distribution, and refuelling. Having advanced, delivered, and scaled-up hydrogen projects around the world, Sacre-Davey is committed to supporting the development of a global hydrogen economy. sacre-davey.com/en/hydrogen

SOURCE Sacre-Davey Engineering
The SaaS Awards recognize the value AutoRABIT provides to financial companies

SAN FRANCISCO, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AutoRABIT, the only complete DevSecOps platform for Salesforce developers, has been shortlisted in the 2022 SaaS Awards program in the category Best SaaS Product for Financial Services.

AutoRABIT continues to solidify itself as a leader in Salesforce DevSecOps by proving its value to companies in the financial industry. As the only complete Salesforce DevSecOps platform, AutoRABIT is being recognized for providing the security and control financial businesses need to protect sensitive data and remain compliant with data security regulations.

Now in its seventh year of celebrating software innovation, the SaaS Awards program accepts entries worldwide, including the US, Canada, Australasia, EMEA and UK.

"Innovative technologies have always driven industry, and having disrupted the software business, SaaS continues to mature as a key driver for sustained improvement," said James Williams, head of operations for the SaaS Awards.

AutoRABIT's demonstrated ability to save companies time and money while also supporting strict data security requirements has offered great value to financial companies. The AutoRABIT platform exists outside of the Salesforce platform, enabling the strongest levels of control including the ability to host a client's environment on-premises or in a private cloud.

"AutoRABIT has proven itself essential to companies in the financial industry for optimizing their release process while remaining compliant with strict regulatory guidelines," said Eric Pearson, Product Manager of Security & Compliance at AutoRABIT.

Automated tooling like CodeScan by AutoRABITa static code analysis solution that provides total visibility into code healthand Automated Release Managementa CI/CD solution to increase speed to marketenable those in the financial industry to remain competitive in an evolving market while remaining secure.

AutoRABIT Vault Data Backup & Recovery offers complete snapshots of Salesforce data and metadata along with encryption, pseudonymization, and anonymization of protected information. These and other functionalities assist with GDPR, CCPA, and SOX compliance.

SaaS Awards finalists will be announced on Tuesday, August 23, 2022, with the ultimate category winners announced on Tuesday, September 13, 2022.

About AutoRABIT:

AutoRABIT was founded in 2015 to help developers regain control of their development cycles, increase deployment velocity, and deliver value within their organizations through a continuous delivery model. Today, AutoRABIT's suite of release management tools is the most comprehensive and secure in the market, and its customers are realizing the benefits of faster and more secure deployment in their Salesforce environments. Learn more at www.autorabit.com.

MEDIA CONTACT

Nicole Paleologus

Next PR

[email protected]

SOURCE AutoRABIT
MONTREAL, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - BCE Inc. (TSX: BCE) (NYSE: BCE) will hold its second-quarter 2022 results conference call with the financial community on Thursday, August 4, 2022 at 8:00 am eastern.

Participants will include Mirko Bibic, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Glen LeBlanc, Chief Financial Officer. Media are welcome to participate on a listen-only basis.

To participate, please dial toll-free 1-800-806-5484 or 416-340-2217 and enter passcode 6085726#. A replay will be available until midnight on September 4, 2022 by dialing 1-800-408-3053 or 905-694-9451 and entering passcode 6368475#.

A live audio webcast of the conference call will be available on BCE's website at

BCE Q2-2022 conference call.

About BCE

BCE is Canada's largest communications company, providing advanced Bell broadband wireless, Internet, TV, media and business communications services. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca or BCE.ca.

Through Bell for Better, we are investing to create a better today and a better tomorrow by supporting the social and economic prosperity of our communities. This includes the Bell Let's Talk initiative, which promotes Canadian mental health with national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns like Bell Let's Talk Day and significant Bell funding of community care and access, research and workplace initiatives throughout the country. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.

Media inquiries:

Marie-Eve Francoeur

514-391-5263

[email protected]

Investor inquiries:

Thane Fotopoulos

514-870-4619

[email protected]

SOURCE BCE Inc.
Bolster, Inc. has launched four new platform capabilities that include social media, app store, marketplace, and dark web protection in one comprehensive product.

LOS ALTOS, Calif., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bolster , Inc., the automated digital risk protection company, announced today the addition of four new platform modules: social media, app store, marketplace, and dark web monitoring. With these new additions, Bolster becomes the first solution to offer such comprehensive digital risk protection in one platform.

Customers can take advantage of a full suite of digital risk protection services powered by Bolster's industry-leading artificial intelligence. Bolster's AI powers its domain protection product, which offers automated detection, analysis, and takedown capabilities. With 95% of all responses requiring no manual intervention, most fraudulent sites are removed while they are still in the build and pre-build phase; before they can do any damage.

Bolster customers can now use Bolster's AI to monitor and protect their brand across four additional attack surfaces.

Social Media : detects and removes social media posts promoting counterfeit products, fake profiles, and scam offers.

: detects and removes social media posts promoting counterfeit products, fake profiles, and scam offers. App Stores : monitoring, detection, & take down of fraudulent apps & scam sites across all major app stores & 3rd party app stores, 500+ in total.

: monitoring, detection, & take down of fraudulent apps & scam sites across all major app stores & 3rd party app stores, 500+ in total. Marketplaces: monitors and detects fraudulent marketplace listings with natural language processing.

monitors and detects fraudulent marketplace listings with natural language processing. Dark Web: automated detection and intelligence to proactively identify and defend against future attacks that originate in the dark web.

By combining these 4 features with the company's flagship domain monitoring product, the Bolster platform provides a unique advantage to its customers by avoiding the deployment of separate tools for each use case. This consolidation of features provides a simplified user interface where fraud detection across the enterprise can be viewed and coordinated through a single pane of glass.

"Bolster is the only digital risk protection platform that has consolidated all five features into a single platform," said Abhishek Dubey, co-founder and CEO of Bolster, Inc. "It's been rewarding to see the value Bolster has been able to provide its customers through the consolidation of features, allowing them to cut down on additional platform expenses."

Customers are already seeing the benefits of the new offering, especially social media monitoring, a favorite medium for malicious actors. Bolster not only detects and removes fake profiles and scam offers across 14 different social media platforms, it also detects and removes brand infringements. Effective social media brand protection takes time to gather the intelligence needed to build a convincing case that a profile is malicious. For these reasons, many enterprises lack the time, expertise, and budget to mitigate threats. It's critical that companies take an automated approach to detection and takedowns across social media sites to eliminate impersonations, financial scams, counterfeit ads, or reputational risks such as defamatory claims or unauthorized brand associations.

"Bolster is delivering on innovation in record time to seamlessly detect and take down deceptive domains, websites, and fake products in minutes," said Shashi Prakash, co-founder and CTO of Bolster, Inc. "At Bolster, we believe that a safe internet is like clean water  a universal right."

For more information on Bolster, please visit: www.bolster.ai/

Bolster will be attending Black Hat 2022 located at booth #IC24. Please stop by to learn more about the full suite of digital risk protection capabilities.

About Bolster, Inc.

At Bolster, our mission is to make the internet safe for everyone. That's why we created the first and only fully automated platform purpose-built from the ground up to detect, monitor, and take down fraudsters on the Internet. We call it Automated Digital Risk Protection. Our comprehensive platform offers the most efficient protection across web, social media, app stores, marketplaces, and the dark web to combat fraudulent sites and content. Bolster was founded in 2017 by security industry veterans with headquarters in Los Altos, CA. To learn more, go to www.bolster.ai .

Additional Resources:

Press Contact:

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Lumina Communications for Bolster, Inc.

[email protected]

SOURCE Bolster
From scholarships and fellowships to research to address the world's greatest challenges, funds from more than 163,000 donors are making a difference locally, nationally and around the globe

SAN DIEGO, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of California San Diego has reached the conclusion of its landmark Campaign for UC San Diego, raising a total of $3.05 billion in philanthropic support over a span of 10 years. The funds have spurred a significant campus transformation, increased access with scholarships and fellowships for the next generation of leaders and expanded the university's positive global impact with research that is addressing some of the world's most pressing concerns.

Founded in 1960, UC San Diego is the nation's youngest university to reach a multibillion-dollar fundraising goal in a single campaign, raising $1 billion more than the original $2 billion goal. More than 163,000 supporters designated charitable gifts and grants to over 450 different areas across campus, including UC San Diego Health and Scripps Institution of Oceanography. In the final year of the Campaign, which concluded on June 30, 2022, the campus raised a record-breaking $420 million, setting an upward trajectory for continued transformation and impact.

"The incredible support from our generous donors during the Campaign for UC San Diego has fueled a remarkable physical, intellectual and cultural transformation that has greatly enhanced the experiences of our students, our patients and our greater San Diego community, in addition to benefiting countless lives around the globe," said UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. "Belief in UC San Diego as a force for change gave us three billion new reasons to keep exploring, to keep discovering and to keep impacting the world around us."

Campaign for UC San Diego volunteer leadership played a critical role in the success of the Campaign. Honorary co-chairs Joan and Irwin Jacobs, Ernest Rady and T. Denny Sanford set the foundation for the Campaign's success with gifts including $100 million from the Jacobs to establish the Jacobs Medical Center at UC San Diego Health, a commitment of $100 million from Ernest and Evelyn Rady for the Rady School of Management, and $200 million in total funds from Sanford to establish both the Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center at UC San Diego Health and the T. Denny Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion.

In addition, more than 100 alumni and community members stepped up to lead this historic effort as members of the Campaign for UC San Diego Cabinet. Every cabinet member donated to the Campaign, generating support totaling $1 billion. More than half of the cabinet was composed of alumni, including cabinet co-chairs Ken Kroner, PhD '88, and Aryeh Bourkoff '95, who each supported the Campaign with multimillion-dollar gifts. Many members of the Cabinet are also current or former trustees of the UC San Diego Foundation.

Overall, alumni giving also went up significantly. More than 45,600 alumni donors gave $257 million in gifts, representing an increase of 1,300% over the last campaign.

"We are so incredibly proud of how UC San Diego alumni have come together over the past decade to support their alma mater as a collective group," said Kimberley Phillips Boehm '82, UC San Diego Alumni president from 2020-22. "This support is driving the university's upward trajectory as it makes a difference for future generations of students, spurs innovative research, enhances medicine and transforms our campus."

To read more about the Campaign for UC San Diego and the remarkable impact of our donors' generous gifts over the last decade, please click here.

SOURCE University of California San Diego
Gas allowance to help with rising fuel prices; paid each month for the next year

MIAMI, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ChenMed, one of the largest providers of primary care to Medicare-eligible seniors, has announced it will provide a gas allowance of $50 per month to most of its hourly employees, and challenges other healthcare companies to do the same. The assistance to healthcare employees will be paid out every month, for a total of 12 months, to team members affected most by the rising cost of gas. This gas allowance amounts to a total of more than $1 million.

"The extra money really helps take some of the pressure off paying for gas. A lot of people are struggling right now." Tweet this ChenMed maintains a culture of love for both employees and patients. So, it's not surprising that the innovative company with nearly 100 primary care centers in 12 states is known as a great place to work with competitive market wages. ChenMed is now giving hourly employees a year-long benefit of a $50 monthly gas allowance to help them keep helping the doctors delivering VIP care to at-risk seniors in underserved communities.

"We heard from many employees during our last town hall event who wanted to know what we could do to help with rising gas prices," said Jim Whitling, chief human resources officer at ChenMed. "We listened to their concerns and came together to find a solution that we could implement quickly, and one that would go a step further to solve for the intensely high gas prices they are experiencing right now. We're glad to be able to assist our hourly team members during this difficult time."

According to Gordon Chen, M.D., chief medical officer at ChenMed, "Any healthcare company that is in a position to chip in and meet the needs of their care teams should do so. Our care teams are instrumental in achieving positive health outcomes for our patients. If we can help by easing some of the pressure caused by today's economic environment, they'll be freed up to focus on patients and provide the type of leading patient experience we strive to achieve."

The year-long gas stipend will appear in most hourly employees' paychecks beginning this month. The gross amount is being calculated to account for taxes so that each employee is taking home approximately $50 per month after taxes. The monthly stipend comes in addition to the competitive market wage  which is well above minimum wage for all roles - that ChenMed already pays team members to help them deal with the special circumstances of the heightened cost of fuel.

Some of ChenMed's Frontline Healthcare Heroes Note Their Appreciation:

"I appreciate the Chen family because they are dedicated to us as frontline healthcare workers," said Erika Joseph, a care facilitator at Chen Senior Medical Center in Opa Locka, Fla. "It's amazing they care about helping us out with the gas that we need to come and go to work."

Travis Camp, a care promoter at ChenMed's Dedicated Senior Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio, agrees. "I am so happy the company decided to do something extra to help during this difficult time," he said. "The extra money really helps take some of the pressure off paying for gas. A lot of people are struggling right now, and every bit helps."

"Prices of everything are going up," said Gissel Alanis, a care coordinator at Dedicated Senior Medical Center in Houston. "Getting help with everyday expenses such as gas is a big help and much appreciated."

About Chenmed

ChenMed, headquartered in Miami, is a privately owned medical, management and technology company that delivers the high-touch and personalized primary care Medicare-eligible seniors need to enjoy better health. The company operates nearly 100 senior medical centers in 12 states.

Named a Fortune 2020 "Change the World" company , a "Most Loved Workplace" by Newsweek magazine, and a certified Great Place to Work by the Great Place to Work Institute, ChenMed brings concierge-style medicine and better health outcomes to the neediest populations. ChenMed brands include Chen Senior Medical Center, Dedicated Senior Medical Center and JenCare Senior Medical Center. Thanks to its nimble and growing software entity, Curity, ChenMed also was recently named "A Best Place to Work in IT" by IDG's Insider Pro and ComputerWorld.

SOURCE ChenMed
Chicago Automobile Trade Association and USO Illinois Partner for 9th Year

CHICAGO, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Chicagoland's new-car dealers are once again on a summertime mission to raise awareness and funds for local military and their families. For the ninth year, the Chicago Automobile Trade Association (CATA) and its dealer members have partnered with USO Illinois to host Barbecue for the Troops grassroots community fundraising events throughout the area on Saturday, July 16. To date, more than 60 dealerships have signed on to support the cause, and are planning to offer everything from patriotic ceremonies, classic car shows, live music, games for kids of all ages and  of course  barbecue.

Chicagoland New-Car Dealers to Host USO Barbecue for the Troops Fundraisers on July 16 with a Goal of Raising $1M Tweet this 2022 USO BBQ for the Troops - Saturday, July 16

Over the past nine years, CATA dealers have rallied to raise more than $950,000 to support USO Illinois programs and services with nearly 600 fundraisers taking place. These funds enable USO Illinois to lend support to more than 300,000 service members and their families annually.

"This year is an especially exciting year as we are on the precipice of raising $1 million for USO Illinois over our nine-year partnership," said CATA Chairman JC Phelan. "We weren't able to fully execute this event the past two years due to the pandemic, but we are thrilled to bring back this amazing campaign in its full capacity this July to help the USO Illinois at a time when they desperately need funding for local troops and their families."

"For the ninth year, USO Illinois is proud to partner with the Chicago Automobile Trade Association and local new-car dealers for the USO Barbecue for the Troops initiative," said USO Illinois Executive Director Chris Schmidt.

"The USO Barbecue for the Troops program has raised more than $950,000 to support military service members and their families, right here in Illinois. The support of service members' hometown communities and local new-car dealerships has allowed USO Illinois to positively impact more than 300,000 service members and their families annually through hundreds of programs and services as well as our 10 USO Centers across Illinois. Neighbors helping neighbors through initiatives like Barbecue for the Troops makes communities even stronger and joining your local dealership for their BBQ in July is a great way to get involved! From USO Illinois and all those who serve our nation, we thank you for your generous support," Schmidt continued.

For those who can't visit a dealer USO Barbecue for the Troops event on July 16, there's still an opportunity to get into the action via social media. Today through the end of the month, the CATA and USO Illinois are accepting contest entries for the Ultimate Backyard Barbecue, including a new grill and delicious BBQ fare from Mission BBQ. To enter, complete the online contest entry form or visit DriveChicago.com for more details. The winner will be announced on or around August 15.

To find the full listing of CATA dealer USO Barbecue for the Troops fundraisers, visit DriveChicago.com. For more information about USO Illinois, visit Illinois.USO.org.

About the Chicago Automobile Trade Association

Founded in 1904, the Chicago Automobile Trade Association is one of the nation's largest metropolitan dealer organizations. It is comprised of more than 420 franchised new-car dealers and an additional 150 allied members. The group's dealer members employ about 19,000 people in the metropolitan area. The association has produced the world-famous Chicago Auto Show since 1935. For more information please visit www.CATA.info.

About the USO of Illinois

The USO strengthens America's military service members by keeping them connected to family, home and country, throughout their service to the nation. At hundreds of locations worldwide, we are united in our commitment to connect our service members and their families through countless acts of caring, comfort, and support. The USO is a private, nonprofit organization, not a government agency. Our programs, services and entertainment tours are made possible by the American people, support of our corporate partners, and the dedication of our volunteers and staff. To join us in this important mission, and to learn more about the USO, please visit Illinois.USO.org.

SOURCE Chicago Automobile Trade Association
BLOOMFIELD, Conn., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Global health services company Cigna Corporation (NYSE:CI) will release its second quarter 2022 financial results on Thursday, August 4, 2022, and will host a conference call the same day.

Second quarter 2022 financial results will be released no later than 6:30 a.m. Eastern Time (ET). Management will review these results on a conference call beginning at 8:30 a.m. ET. The call-in numbers are as follows:

Live Call

(888) 455-5036 (Domestic)

(773) 799-3981 (International)

Passcode: 842022

Replay

(800) 934-9697 (Domestic)

(203) 369-3395 (International)

It is strongly suggested that participants dial in to the conference call by 8:15 a.m. ET on August 4. A replay of the call will be available from 12:30 p.m. ET on August 4 until 11:59 p.m. ET on August 18, 2022. Additionally, the conference call will be available on a live internet webcast at https://investors.cigna.com/events-and-presentations/default.aspx in the Investor Relations section of Cigna's website. Please note that this feature will be in listen-only mode.

A copy of the company's news release and financial supplement will be available on Cigna's website in the Investor Relations section at https://investors.cigna.com/home/default.aspx, no later than 6:30 a.m. ET on August 4.

About Cigna

Cigna Corporation is a global health services company dedicated to improving the health, well-being and peace of mind of those we serve. Cigna delivers choice, predictability, affordability and access to quality care through integrated capabilities and connected, personalized solutions that advance whole person health. All products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, Evernorth companies or their affiliates and Express Scripts companies or their affiliates. Such products and services include an integrated suite of health services, such as medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, vision, supplemental benefits and other related products. Cigna maintains sales capability in over 30 countries and jurisdictions, and has over 190 million customer relationships around the world. To learn more about Cigna, including links to follow us on Facebook or Twitter, visit www.cigna.com.

Investor Relations Contact

Ralph Giacobbe

1 (860) 787-7968

[email protected]

Media Contact

Justine Sessions

1 (860) 810-6523

[email protected]

SOURCE Cigna
Opens Nashville, Tennessee Office

SUMMIT, N.J., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Concord Health Partners ("Concord" or the "Firm"), a healthcare focused investment firm, today announced that Erik Larsen and Derek Schmidt have joined the firm as Managing Directors. The Firm also announced the opening of a Nashville, Tennessee office.

Larsen joins Concord from HCA Healthcare, Inc., where he was most recently Vice President of the Special Assets Group. As Managing Director, Larsen will leverage his more than 20 years of experience in healthcare investing, investment banking and corporate development to help source new opportunities and enhance the firm's investment strategy and execution. He will report to James Olsen, Founder and Managing Partner of Concord, and be located in the Firm's new Nashville office.

Schmidt was most recently the Director of Private Equity for Marquette Associates, where he directed private equity and venture capital program construction, including manager selection, co-investment and secondary deployment. At Concord, he will lead the firm's capital formation efforts and focus on Concord's investor relations, single asset funds and the buildout of potential new strategies. He will report to Olsen and be located in Nashville.

"Our mission at Concord is to build a broad healthcare investment platform that allows us to extend our reach and take advantage of a broader universe of opportunities that create meaningful value for our investors and portfolio companies. These exciting team additions and the opening of our Nashville office help achieve that goal," said Olsen. "Adding Erik and Derek's experience further institutionalizes our team, and I look forward to working closely with them both to continue strengthening our investment process and working with our strategic LPs to accelerate growth at our portfolio companies."

"Concord's strategy, expertise and unique LP base have quickly proven to be differentiators in the healthcare investing space," said Larsen. "I am excited about the opportunity to strategically build the team and expand my network in Nashville to help Concord continue to identify and grow innovative businesses and solutions that improve quality of care, reduce cost, and enhance access to care."

"I have known the team at Concord for a number of years in my role underwriting investor commitments, and I am eager to join the team at such an exciting time for the firm and for healthcare investing more broadly," said Schmidt. "I look forward to partnering and engaging with the firm's advisors and strategic LPs to proactively identify new opportunities and avenues to drive value across the care continuum."

Schmidt and Larsen join Brian Gragnolati, who currently serves as President and CEO of Atlantic Health System and is former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the American Hospital Association, as recent additions to the Concord team. As announced on July 11, Gragnolati joined the firm as Executive Partner, where he will source new investment opportunities, support management teams and accelerate the growth of Concord portfolio companies through commercial introductions across the Concord network of strategic relationships.

"Nashville has become a true hub of healthcare innovation and talent," Olsen added. "Establishing a presence there will allow us to better identify, diligence and execute while we continue our growth and evolution as a firm. We look forward to benefitting from having both Erik and Derek on the ground there to help us build our team and capabilities in the market."

About Erik Larsen

Larsen has over 20 years of experience in healthcare investing, investment banking and corporate development. Prior to joining Concord, Mr. Larsen served as Vice President, Corporate Development for the Special Assets Group at HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE: HCA), one of the leading healthcare providers in the US, operating 186 hospitals and ~2,000 sites of care across the United States and United Kingdom. At HCA Healthcare, Mr. Larsen led the Special Assets Group, including leadership of the Company's corporate venture group (dba Health Insight Capital) from 2017 to 2022. Prior to joining HCA Healthcare in 2011, Mr. Larsen was a Director of Development at Renal Advantage, a private-equity backed outpatient dialysis provider and an investment banking professional at Morgan Joseph & Co and VelocityHealth Capital, Inc. Mr. Larsen received a B.A. from Wake Forest University, and an MBA from Wake Forest University, Babcock Graduate School of Management.

About Derek Schmidt

Schmidt has more than 19 years of experience in investments across both the public and private markets, with over 9 years of dedicated healthcare investment experience. Prior to joining Concord, he served as the Director of Private Equity and as a Senior Research Analyst, for Marquette Associates, where he directed private equity and venture capital program construction, including manager selection, co-investment and secondary deployment. He was also Chair of the alternative investment committee and a member of the OCIO committee. He was responsible for investment manager due diligence and investment performance across all private equity and venture capital programs. Prior to Marquette Associates, Schmidt worked as an Equity Analyst at Piper Jaffray and a Global Associate at William Blair, with a focus on investing across the healthcare sector. He previously worked within private markets at Huron Consulting in their transaction advisory group, where he assisted both for-profit and not-for-profit healthcare systems with their healthcare service and facility acquisitions. Schmidt holds a B.S.B.A. in business finance from The Ohio State University. He is a CFA charterholder and a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Chicago as well as a CAIA charterholder and member of the CAIA Association. He currently serves on the board of the Center Foundation for Anixter Center and sits on both the Investment Committee and Finance Committee for Anixter Center.

About Concord Health Partners

Concord Health Partners ("Concord") is a healthcare focused investment firm with a strategic model that optimizes the alignment of interests between investors and portfolio companies. Concord is primarily focused on investing in healthcare companies that have the potential to enhance the value of care through products, services, technologies and solutions that lower costs, improve quality and expand access to care. The firm has offices strategically located in Summit, New Jersey and Nashville, Tennessee. For more information, visit www.concordhp.com.

Media Contacts

ASC Advisors

Steve Bruce / Taylor Ingraham

[email protected] / [email protected]

203.992.1230

SOURCE Concord Health Partners
Launch of Smart Start Captain Recruitment Program Seeks Up to 30 US Captains

BEDFORD, Mass., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Connect Airlines today announced the launch of its Smart Start Captain recruitment program that will offer up to thirty highly qualified direct entry US Captains an industry leading, pay-protected salary of more than a quarter million dollars per year, plus sought-after quality of life benefits to join the USA's newest regional airline that is launching scheduled service on Dash 8 aircraft.

"We recognize the hiring challenges the industry is facing and are taking these unprecedented steps to meet the business objectives of our startup airline while offering pilots economic security and quality of life opportunities," said John Thomas, CEO, Connect Airlines. "Creating a new airline in a challenging market means we have to do things differently and smarter than others."

Connect is recruiting US Captains who have a minimum of 2500 hours total time that includes 1000 hours of part 121 or part 135 flying time. Pilots with this level of experience have been through the industry's ebbs and flow and are looking for a better work life balance. With its regional service and aircraft returning to their home base each day, Connect will offer its Captains an opportunity to set smarter schedules to optimize their duty time and home life.

"We are looking for Captains that see the opportunity in building a new airline and in participating directly in how that airline works and grows," said David Marcontell, Chief Operating Officer, Connect Airlines. "There is a huge benefit in collaborating with our pilots to build a smarter airline and we are backing that up with a compensation package that is considerably higher than any other Regional in the USA and highly competitive with Low Cost Carriers (LCC) as well."

Connect is now working closely with US and Canadian regulators towards successful completion of its certification process before beginning scheduled service between Toronto's Billy Bishop's (YTZ) convenient downtown airport and Chicago's O'Hare (ORD) and Philadelphia (PHL) airports. Last week the US Department of Transportation (DOT) issued Connect its certificate of convenience and necessity and tentatively approved Connect's certificate authorizing foreign scheduled air transportation.

Connect's aircraft will generate up to 40% less carbon emissions than the existing US regional jets they replace while at the same time providing a superior passenger experience. Connect also plans to be the first zero-emission passenger airline in the US through its recently announced order with Universal Hydrogen for hydrogen-powered aircraft beginning in 2025.

"By flying Turboprops, we are offering potential Captains an opportunity to fly a high-performance aircraft while also playing a leading role in dramatically reducing aviation's carbon footprint and helping the US reach its climate goals," said Marcontell. "We look forward to welcoming our new class of smarter aviators."

Connect recruiters will be at the PAPA Aerospace Expo and career event this Saturday in Las Vegas.

About Connect Airlines

Connect Airlines is an operating brand of Waltzing Matilda Airlines (WMA), a Boston based FAA Part 135 charter operator currently adding FAA Part 121 scheduled and non-scheduled services. WMA identified the need for a "smarter airline" and brought together aviation leaders with over 150 years' experience who share a common passion  to work and fly smarter. With the planes we fly, the technology we use, and the operations we run, Connect Airlines will deliver a quieter, cleaner, and healthier travel experience. Connect Airlines, the future of smarter, greener travel.

Media Contact

Scott Brownrigg

[email protected]

SOURCE Connect Airlines
Salmon Donations Surpass Expectations in Cordova, Alaska

CORDOVA, Alaska , July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Generosity runs deep in Alaska's small remote fishing community of Cordova. Home to the Copper River Prince William Sound commercial fishing fleet of 550 small independent fisherman, Cordova is where fishermen launch their boats to catch the renowned regional king, sockeye, coho, keta and pink salmon. It's also where many of these independent family fishermen choose to share a portion of their treasured catch to seniors and students during the season's designated donation days.

Local Cordova senior and Ruby the Sockeye Salmon on Senior Salmon Day. Copper River Salmon logo

Hosted by Cordova District Fishermen United, Senior Salmon Day was initiated in 1999 as a way to get the local catch to elders and seniors in the community who had aged out of being able to catch salmon themselves or who couldn't access the resource for a variety of reasons.

Now in its 23rd year, Cordova's Senior Salmon Day is woven into the town's tradition and is a communal celebration of the sustainable fishery and the local community. Historically donations were accepted only on one designated day and the fish was filleted fresh on Main Street and handed off to seniors. Due to COVID restrictions in 2020, the logistics shifted a bit. The donation days were extended and the fish, thanks to the generosity of local processing facilities, was filleted and flash frozen prior to the day of the event.

The 2022 Senior Salmon Day was held on July 6th and, Jess Rude, CDFU's Executive Director reports, "The feeling of this year's Senior Salmon Day was abundance and gratefulness all around. We were back together on Main Street and distributed more than 450 sockeye fillets, two fillets per elder." Rude further reports that Senior Salmon Day average fish donations by fishermen have increased since 2020 when the pandemic began. Reflecting on the event, Rude says: "Generosity of the fleet is up more than 50% of years past, perhaps because of a mix of neighborliness in harder times, thoughts on food security, or a fisherman's personal thoughts and reflections on inaccessibility to a local resource with market rates so high. We're thrilled to be able to showcase the generosity of the fleet, and the ways we all continue to lean in and share a coveted resource."

When Cordova's seniors were casually interviewed about how they would use the fillets, they happily reported hosting a barbecue with friends; pan frying it for dinner with a creamy lemon butter sauce; cooking it with a marinade of orange juice, soy sauce, spices; and putting it into their backyard smokehouse for a cold smoke before preserving.

This communal generosity will continue this summer when CDFU and the Copper River Watershed organize donations for the Fish to School Donation event. Prince William sockeye and pink salmon will be the starring fish at this event and the salmon will be filleted and flash frozen at the processing facilities. The ultimate destination? The student lunch trays at the Cordova School District.

About CR/PWS MA:

Copper River/Prince William Sound Marketing Association, a fishermen funded regional seafood development association, works on behalf of 500+ commercial salmon fishermen of Coastal South-Central Alaska. The association works to build brand awareness and consumer preference for wild Copper River king, sockeye and coho as well as Prince William Sound sockeye, keta, and pink salmon.

SOURCE Copper River Salmon
Syngenta's DuracadeViptera surpasses the competition, controlling 16 above- and below-ground pests.

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The best offense is a good defense when it comes to pest management, especially corn rootworman insect impacting more than 31 million acres and costing growers an estimated $1 billion annually in lost yield and control measures. Syngenta agronomists are encouraging growers to start their yield defense strategy now by monitoring for pests such as corn rootworm, western bean cutworm, and corn earworm. Monitoring throughout the growing season can help determine the best management strategies now and for the future.

"There are several key insect pest corn growers should keep an eye out for this growing season  including corn rootworm and western bean cutworm," says Bruce Battles, technical agronomy manager for Syngenta. "For those that plant corn on corn, conditions have supported an increase in corn rootworm populations in the last few years. Conducting root digs and monitoring adult corn rootworm beetles will help guide future management decisions."

According to Battles, western bean cutworm has continued to move east across the U.S. and into Ontario over the last two decades. "There can be several western bean cutworm larva per ear causing significant damage if it is not controlled."

To manage against costly pests, a whole-farm defense approach should include a trait stack that controls the widest spectrum of pests. Syngenta's DuracadeViptera trait stack offers the industry's most comprehensive protection, controlling 16 yield-damaging above- and below-ground insect pests, more than any competitive trait stack on the market.

"Some insects, such as corn rootworm, have indicators like previous year beetle counts or roots scores that can help predict next year's pest pressures and help with management decisions," says Tim O'Brien, traits manager for Syngenta. "But for other insects, their migrations and pressures can be unpredictable. Therefore, the best game plan against 16 different above- and below-ground insect corn pests like corn rootworm, western bean cutworm and corn earworm is the defense provided by DuracadeViptera."

Control 16 Above- and Below-Ground Pests with DuracadeViptera

For many growers, corn rootworm is the most damaging pest in their fields. DuracadeViptera helps control the costly below-ground pestto help develop stronger, more robust root systems, leading to:

Healthier plants

Fuller leaves for increased photosynthesis and maximum grain fill

Sturdy, strong stalks

The best-in-class DuracadeViptera stack also helps control above-ground pests, meaning less damage from ear-, stalk- and leaf-feeding insects, such as corn earworm, resulting in:

Improved stand and higher yield potential

Healthier ears with less insect damage

Reduced risk of mold and mycotoxin development

"Crop scouting is a valuable tool in assessing current and future insect threats; however, scouting and timing rescue treatments can be labor-intensive, expensive and result in varying degrees of success," says O'Brien. "In addition, some insects do not have many, if any, treatment options available."

Using DuracadeViptera offers growers peace of mind and is the only trait stack on the market that protects against 16 above- and below-ground pests, allowing farmers to focus on more than just pests, which is essential to the success of their operation, according to O'Brien.

2022 Syngenta. 2001 Butterfield Road, Suite 1600; Downers Grove, IL 60515. DuracadeVipteraTM and the Syngenta logo are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. All other trademarks are the property of their respective third-party owners.

SOURCE Syngenta
The dedication and unveiling ceremony is scheduled for September 24, 2022

BUFFALO, N.Y., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The first of its kind African American Veterans Monument (AAVM) will recognize the contributions of African Americans who have served and are currently serving in all six branches of the military, during the war and in peace times whether they enlisted voluntarily or were drafted. This Monument honors the contributions made by African American Veterans.

African American Veterans Monument

African Americans have served in all 12 of the country's major conflicts, beginning with the Revolutionary War in 1775. A disenfranchised group, African American Veterans, fought for the ideals of our country since its inception, despite facing unequal representation, disrespect, and disregard for their basic civil rights. Its design features 12 black concrete pillars symbolizing 12 campaigns from the Revolutionary War to the War on Afghanistan. It stands for the integrity, strength, and resilience of African Americans from every branch of service.

We invite you to view the inspirational video that introduced this project to the community on our website at www.AAVMWNY.org. The monument will extend the current footprint of The Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park on Buffalo's waterfront at Canalside and the Erie Basin Marina. Thank you, in advance, for your support of the country's first-ever African American Veterans Monument.

For More information on the Gala and Sponsorship Opportunities to support this endeavor please contact us.

Sincerely,

Van Taylor

AAVMWNY

Public Relations

716 855 1754

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl31las_M2o&t=11

WGRZ Buffalo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zQ19q0G_9

AM Buffalo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0x6v2Ydnx

WIVB Buffalo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkVyjg92A-

The African American Veterans Monument Committee is a collective of Veterans, Historians, and volunteers based in Buffalo NY. The mission is simple let history tell the story.

www.AAVMWNY.ORG

African American Veterans Monument Inc. is an exempt organization as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; EIN 85-2599672.

This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com.

SOURCE African American Veterans Monument
LOS ANGELES, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services (Didi Hirsch), home of the nation's premier Suicide Prevention Center and a leading provider of whole-person mental health and crisis care, announces its acquisition of Teen Line, the leading global teen-to-teen peer support line and youth-centered mental health organization.

One of the most vulnerable age groups impacted by today's unprecedented mental health crisis are children, adolescents and young adults , with suicide being the second leading cause of death for 10 to 24-year-olds. Each day in our nation, there are an average of over 5,400 suicide attempts by young people in grades 7-12. The acquisition bridges two leading organizations to more holistically support our most vulnerable demographic at a time when mental health challenges among our youth are reaching crisis levels. Didi Hirsch will have the opportunity to combine its mental health crisis care capabilities with Teen Line's successful track record and youth-support services to further enhance the organization's whole-person care model.

For over 40 years, Teen Line has provided support, resources and hope to young people through its hotline, taking calls, texts and emails by professionally trained teen and youth counselors and outreach programs. Teen Line's approach of teen-to-teen support has proven to be an effective mechanism in connecting and servicing teens, not only on a national but on a global scale. For over four decades, Teen Line continues to train high school students to be listeners, empower them to become mental health ambassadors, and evolve to be change-makers in their community. Within the last five years, Teen Line has experienced tremendous increases in demand for services with the number of teens reaching out nearly tripling, and the number of outreach programs conducted doubling. The organization responded to 7,175 calls, texts and emails from teens in distress in 2021 and has to date, trained over 2,200 teens to be "listeners" on the hotline in order to provide the necessary support. About 70% of incoming calls and texts come from outside of California, approximately 2/3 are by 14-17-year-olds, and more than 20% are by 13 and younger. Teen Line volunteers responded remotely during the pandemic and partnered with Didi Hirsch to supplement services during an influx of calls and during their after hours.

"Teen Line has been at the forefront of mental health advocacy and change by providing a safe, anonymous space for vulnerable youth," said Lyn Morris, CEO of Didi Hirsch. "Teen Line's work, and most importantly their team will help Didi Hirsch on our mission to further expand access to mental healthcare and provide the necessary resources to youth and other communities in need."

"We are beyond excited to join such a renowned and effective organization that shares our ethos and mission of mental health advocacy and crisis care," said Cheryl Eskin, Chief Operating Officer of Teen Line. "Didi Hirsch will expand Teen Line's reach to provide increased access to youth at a time when so many of our youth are struggling with mental health concerns. Together we can save more lives!"

Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services has been a recognized leader in whole-person mental health and crisis care for 80 years. Experts at its Suicide Prevention Center offer the nation's most comprehensive array of suicide-specialized services, including multiple 24/7 crisis hotlines in English and Spanish, Crisis Chat and Texting, and Teen Line after hours. Didi Hirsch pioneered suicide hotlines and support groups for survivors of attempts and loss that are gold standards taught throughout the U.S. today. The organization leads planning and implementation for 988 , the new three-digit dialing code that will route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, across California, going live on July 16, 2022.

Teen line has a long trajectory, created in 1980 by Dr. Elaine Leader and Dr. Terry Lipton. Through their personal work with teenagers, they saw the need for a more inclusive approach to adolescent mental health. After extensive research and recognizing that when teens need help, they go straight to their peers; Teen Line was born. In the past 40 years, notable programs and innovative outreach has been developed, including the training of LAPD Juvenile Procedures Officers since 1996 and LGBTQ+ outreach since 1998. The organization has received outstanding awards and certifications, such as the American Association of Suicidology accreditation in 2005. Teen Line has also recognized renowned figures like the late Rosa Parks, activist and civil rights leader in 1999. Recently, this past February, with the support of Morgan Stanley's Alliance for Children's Mental Health, Teen Line piloted a Career Development Program at Applied Technology Center High School in Montebello. These trained students will ultimately answer Teen Line texts at their school site, expanding Teen Line's hours and reaching into other communities.

Teen Line is possible through longtime supporters like Cedars-Sinai. Since 1980, their partnership has provided the office space and equipment needed for operations and will continue after this merger. "Cedars-Sinai is proud to support Teen Line for over forty-two years," said Jonathan Schreiber, Vice President of Community Engagement for Cedars-Sinai. "Now more than ever, resources and a safe space are crucial to help our youth and adolescents through difficult moments." "The unwavering commitment of Cedars-Sinai has allowed Teen Line to help thousands of youth worldwide each year," said Cheryl Eskin. "We thank and commend Cedars-Sinai for their ongoing support."

Teen Line will continue providing nationwide services to youth between 6-10 PM PST at 800-852-8336. There will be no disruption to Teen Line's hotline or training programs. After hours, calls will continue to roll to Didi Hirsch's 24/7 Suicide Prevention Center. Text services will carry on by texting "teen" to 839863 between 6-9 PM PST. Teens can also email another teen through www.teenline.org .

The official acquisition will be finalized by the end of the month.

Both organizations share a commitment to providing resources and access to the vulnerable communities in need. To learn more about Didi Hirsch's acquisition of Teen Line, visit https://didihirsch.org/ .

About Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services

Founded on principles of health equity and innovation, Didi Hirsch has been providing whole-person mental health and crisis care to children, adults and families since 1942. In additon to the above, its first-in-the-nation Suicide Prevention Center trains students, teachers, mental health professionals, first responders, law enforcement, and others throughout the U.S. to save lives. Didi Hirsch professionals compassionately care for over 165,000 children and adults annually through outpatient, residential, and crisis services at 10 locations and nearly 100 schools in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Learn more at DidiHirsch.org.

About Teen Line

Since 1980, Teen Line has provided a safe, anonymous space for youth anywhere to talk about their problems with a peer. Teen Line provides support, resources and hope to youth through a hotline of professionally trained teen counselors and works to de-stigmatize and normalize mental health through our outreach problems. Teen Line is accredited as a Crisis Center by the American Association of Suicidology. To date, Teen Line has trained over 2200 teens to become "listeners" on its hotline, as well as mental health ambassadors to their communities.

Teen Line is open every night from 6-10 PM PST at 800-852-8336 or by texting "teen" to 839863 between 6-9 PM PST. Learn more at teenline.org or follow us on social media @teenlineonline.

Media Contact

DISRPT PR

[email protected]



Dora H. Nunez

Director of Marketing and Communications

Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services

SOURCE Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services
CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- EARI Beverage Group (OTC:EARI), a diversified beverage and media group, today announces the acquisition of the Blossom Botanical Water Brand.

Adding to the EARI Beverage Group portfolio, the acquisition of Blossom Botanical Water expands the footprint in the functional and craft beverage market segments. The Blossom brand fits perfectly with EARI's strategy of identifying and acquiring brands in high-growth categories that have proven operating models and clear consumer acceptance. Blossom is credited with creating a new sub-category of plant-based waters using botanicals. The brand has distribution along the US East Coast and Midwest and has generated roughly $4 million in gross sales since inception.

"The exciting addition of this immunity-boosting botanical water fits perfectly with our craft and functional beverage portfolio" stated Bernard Rubin, CEO of the EARI Beverage Group. He further added, "An immediate priority is to test new variants and more environmentally friendly packaging. With our rapid expansion, we are thrilled to have the exceptional talent of Steve Fortuna, founder of Blossom Botanical Water, on the team to help us achieve these objectives."

"I'm delighted that Blossom is now part of the EARI portfolio. We have been a first mover in the use of flower botanicals for the beverage category, and now under the EARI umbrella, I am confident that the brand will go on to achieve its full potential in the marketplace", said Blossom Founder & CEO Steve Fortuna.

ABOUT EARI Beverage Group:

The Company trades on OTC Markets with the symbol, EARI and is a diversified beverage and media group, with brands in the hand-crafted spirit and functional drinks categories, covering "Craft Soda, Craft Beer, and Craft Spirits". In addition, the company also owns media streaming platforms with proprietary AR/AI/VR technology that can be used to promote the beverage brands.

ABOUT BLOSSOM BOTANICAL WATER:

Founded in Massachusetts 10 years ago and inspired by nature, Blossom Botanical Water is distinguished by its use of flower botanicals as a key flavor component across its portfolio of products. At only 20 calories per 16.9 oz bottle, it's a delicious, healthy alternative to both plain water and high-sugar sodas or juices. Blossom infuses pure spring water with the taste and aroma extracted from real blossoms, then uses a complementary fruit to create five hand-crafted unique flavors of distinctive appeal: Lemon Rose, Plum Jasmine, Mango Hibiscus , Pomegranate Geranium and Grapefruit Lilac. Blossom Water is further enhanced for your health by providing scientifically proven benefit to strengthen immunity, the body's best defense for maintaining wellness and vitality. Each bottle contains as much immune system support as 1 billion CFUs of probiotic from the strain Bacillus coagulants GBI-30 6086. Blossom Water's drinks are certified non-GMO and free of gluten, caffeine, and sodium. They have no artificial flavors, sweeteners, colors, or preservatives, and they are kosher and vegan.

Learn more at http://drinkblossomwater.com and via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

EARI Beverage Group Company Websites

www.earigroup.com www.betta4ubrands.com www.drinkfury.com www.whiterhinovodka.com www.neosuperwater.com www.foodytv.com http://zegen.com.ph/ https://bellcitybrewing.com/ https://laketahoedistilling.com/ https://4elementalspirits.com/

We encourage our shareholders to visit our official Twitter account for updates:

www.earigroup.com https://twitter.com/EARI_Bev_Group

Safe Harbor Disclosure

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are made under the safe harbor provisions within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are any statement reflecting management's expectations regarding future results of operations, economic performance, and financial condition. The forward-looking statements are based on the assumption that operating performance and results will continue in line with historical results. Management believes these assumptions to be reasonable, but there is no assurance they will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking statements, specifically those concerning future performance, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially. EARI competes in a rapidly growing and transforming industry, and risk factors, including those disclosed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, might affect the Company's operations. Unless required by applicable law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.

SOURCE EARI Beverage Group
Exro CEO Sue Ozdemir hosts a live webcast to provide shareholders a view inside its manufacturing facility and a review of the first half of 2022.

hosts a live webcast to provide shareholders a view inside its manufacturing facility and a review of the first half of 2022. Exro shared a virtual tour of its state-of-the-art sustainable manufacturing facility in Calgary, Alberta , demonstrating progress towards establishing a resilient, localized supply chain in North America .

, demonstrating progress towards establishing a resilient, localized supply chain in . Additional highlights from the webcast include business updates, as well as a recap of accomplishments in the first half of this year.

CALGARY, AB, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Exro Technologies Inc. (TSX: EXRO) (OTCQB: EXROF) (the "Company" or "Exro"), a leading clean technology company that has developed a new class of power electronics for electric motors and batteries, announced today mid-year company updates in a live webcast and the presentation file will be available on the Company website here.

Shareholders unable to attend the webcast can find an overview below of the information covered during the webcast, including updates on Exro's facilities and capabilities, energy storage system technology and other key projects.

Exro's technology is ideally positioned to evolve and engage alongside the electrification of transportation regardless of propulsion technology market direction. The company laid out a systematic go-to-market strategy by building momentum with key players in the e-mobility and energy storage markets, expanding partnerships, building on its successful track record of innovation and increase its penetration of the OEM market with its engineering and consulting offerings.

Exro shared information about its award-winning Coil Driver technology and its native ability to function as an AC fast charger, eliminating the need for an on-board charger or external DC fast charger. The technology can deliver up to level four fast-charging and vehicle-to-anything (V2X) capabilities. These product features offer benefits to original equipment manufacturers ("OEMs"), electric vehicle fleet operators and charging operators by simplifying electric powertrains and reducing total cost of ownership.

Exro shared additional information about its Energy Storage System ("ESS"), which is powered by its patented Battery Control System ("BCS"). The BCS technology expands the capabilities of batteries in their first and second life by enabling a greater depth of control on the cells. The technology optimizes battery packs for health and performance at the cellular level, extending battery life and permitting stationary energy storage systems to operate more safely, with less down time.

The Company's patent portfolio continues to grow and now includes 40 patents that have been published or are pending. This includes 25 issued and 15 patent applications, with wholly owned intellectual property in 13 patent families. Exro's global patent portfolio includes coverage in strategic countries, including the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, France, Hong Kong, Japan and many others.

Exro's partnership with Traktionssysteme Austria (TSA) is progressing well, as the two companies are collaborating on a motor for high voltage applications. The two companies are partnering to test and develop electric drive solutions using a TSA motor and an Exro Coil Driver. Recent testing continues to support Exro's best-in-class performance and continue to exceed expectations, achieving high torque output without limitations to speed range. An engineering team from Exro will travel to Austria next week for the next phase of testing on the high voltage Coil Drive System.

Facilities Update:

During today's live webcast, Exro CEO Sue Ozdemir shared a virtual tour of the Company's state-of-the-art sustainable manufacturing facility in Calgary. To meet automaker's staunch Environmental, Social and Governance ("ESG") supply chain expectations and Exro's net-zero carbon emissions objectives, the 37,000 square foot facility will run on clean energy solutions. The manufacturing facility will have the capability to produce up to 100,000 units annually. The facility features a solar panel array on the roof and a Class 10,000 clean room with a surface mount technology (SMT) production line. The manufacturing facility will aim to be ISO 9001, ISO 45001, ISO 14001, and IATF 16949 compliant for the start of production.

Additionally, the world class, net-zero designed facility features technical cleanliness, track and trace, water conservation and zero waste product capabilities. It was built in compliance with the most stringent global quality standards, making it unique in North America for automotive applications.

To meet automaker demand for resilient, localized supply chains, Exro is focused on completing its new facilities in Calgary and Mesa, Arizona. Anticipating supply chain delays, Exro proactively ordered dynamometers ("dyno") of various sizes for its North American facilities. Exro has taken delivery of its mid-size dyno in Mesa, Arizona. The dyno has been commissioned and is now ready for use at the Company's U.S. innovation center. A large dyno was ordered in 2021 and is expected to arrive at Exro facilities by the end of the third quarter.

Exro remains on track to commission its SMT manufacturing line before year-end. The equipment is on site and installed at the Company's manufacturing facility, and engineers are currently working through start up procedures for the equipment.

SEA Electric:

Despite recent TSA testing which would support on-time delivery of the high voltage Coil Driver for the SEA Electric project in the second quarter of this year, this timeline has been impacted by supply chain challenges. While Exro and SEA Electric continue to collaborate, delivery of the Company's Coil Driver is now currently scheduled for the third quarter of 2022. This delay does not impact the targeted first production dates in the second half of 2023. The teams are working concurrently to prepare for installation and integration upon delivery.

Linamar:

Exro is co-developing a next generation e-axle with Linamar for the electric powertrain market for medium-duty commercial vehicles by designing and supplying gearbox and intelligent inverter solutions for high-speed low torque and low-speed high torque applications. This continued partnership with a Tier 1 automotive supplier maintains Exro's position in the highly competitive automotive supply chain. Prototype testing and validation for a compact and cost-effective e-Axle with Coil Driver remain on track to be completed this quarter.

Vicinity Motor Company:

In May, Exro announced a purchase order from Canadian-based bus manufacturer Vicinity Motor Company. The multiyear sales and service agreement (the "agreement"), includes the purchase of high-voltage Coil Drive System units from Exro, along with a production slot, system pricing and commissioning services.

Exro Vehicle Systems will provide system engineering consulting services to integrate the electric powertrain for Vicinity's fleet of next-generation electric buses. News of this deal followed a previously announced supply agreement under which the companies have completed nearly 12 months of development and testing to conduct operational validation for the Vicinity Lightning electric bus.

evTS:

Also in May, Exro announced that it had signed an agreement with ev Transportation Services, Inc. ("evTS"), a Boston-based specialty electric vehicle manufacturer, to supply an initial quantity of 1,000 units of its 100V Coil Drive System beginning in 2023 for use in evTS model year 2023 FireFly vehicles.

This order followed months of collaboration under a non-disclosure agreement ("NDA") between the Exro and evTS engineering teams and demonstrated the improvement and optimization of FireFly powertrain performance enabled by Exro's award-winning Coil Driver technology. This agreement is the culmination of the cooperative efforts of the two companies to design and deploy high-performing purpose-built, commercial electric vehicles.

"It was great to have the opportunity to engage directly with our incredible shareholders and followers today, provide updates on our progress and give them an opportunity to see our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Calgary," said Sue Ozdemir, CEO of Exro. "We have accomplished a great deal over the first half of this year and are gaining momentum every day on our path to take our product to market, build our backlog, expand our talent pool and increase our resilience amid continued supply chain challenges. At Exro, we are committed to bringing our next generation platform of innovative control technology to market, and while we strive to assign and deliver on timelines, there is not always a direct path with new technology. Our commitment to delivering for our partners and customers remains unwavering."

About Exro Technologies Inc.

Exro is a clean technology company pioneering intelligent control solutions in power electronics to help solve the most challenging problems in electrification. Exro has developed a new class of control technology that expands the capabilities of electric motors, generators, and batteries. Exro enables the application to achieve more with less energy consumed.

Exro's advanced motor control technology, the Coil DriverTM, expands the capabilities of electric powertrains by enabling intelligent optimization for efficient energy consumption. Exro is working with many partners from all over the world to bring their technology to the electric mobility industries and beyond.

For more information visit our website at www.exro.com.

To view our Corporate Presentation visit us at www.exro.com/investors

Visit us on social media @exrotech.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (together, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of terminology such as "plans", "expects", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates", "believes" or variations of such words, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, that could cause actual results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing these forward-looking statements are reasonable based upon the information currently available to management as of the date hereof, actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. Readers are therefore cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed times frames or at all. Except where required by applicable law, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

This information is qualified in its entirety by cautionary statements and risk factor disclosure contained in filings made by the Company with the Canadian securities regulators, including the Company's annual information form for the financial year ended December 31, 2021, and financial statements and related MD&A for the financial year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada and available at sedar.com. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information except as otherwise required by applicable law.

Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

SOURCE Exro Technologies Inc.
Gift to 30 Food Banks Will Help Provide Healthy Meals to Children and Families Across the U.S.

CHICAGO, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its commitment to help create healthier generations, The Walt Disney Company has made a contribution to Feeding America to support efforts to source more produce and increase the number of nutritious meals provided to children and families who need it most. This year marks the 10th year that Disney and Feeding America have teamed up. To celebrate that relationship, Disney will fund 30 Feeding America member food banks throughout the U.S. In FY21, with help from donors like Disney, Feeding America secured more than 2.1 billion pounds of fruits and vegetables and plans to provide even more nourishing produce to families in need this year.

"We are thrilled to celebrate 10 years of working with The Walt Disney Company," said Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America. "Long term collaborations like this one are crucial to supporting the people we serve year after year, and Disney's produce grants are no exception. They are helping to make meaningful change in these 30 communities across the country. We are grateful for their continued support for our neighbors in need."

Since 2012, Disney has supported Feeding America's efforts to end hunger in the U.S., providing significant funding for the organization's produce programs and volunteer efforts at member food banks. This year's funding will help food banks provide more fresh produce to kids and families facing hunger by removing barriers to sourcing and distributing produce, building capacity by increasing refrigeration and equipment at food banks or helping to store and distribute fresh produce within communities to people who need it most. This generous grant was announced on Good Morning America today and featured an appearance by Michael Chernow, a member of City Harvest's Food Council, sharing delicious, nutritious and simple recipes using fresh produce easily obtained at local community food banks and pantries.

In addition to the produce grant, Disney has collaborated with Feeding America on a variety of other initiatives over the years. Disney has participated in food rescue programs via their theme parksin fact each year, Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort provide hundreds of thousands of meals in food donations to their local Second Harvest Food Banks. Disney VoluntEARS help collect, sort and distribute food which provides opportunities for employees and cast members to engage their local member food banks and make a tangible impact on food insecurity issues in their communities. And across the U.S., ABC Owned Television Stations have supported local Feeding America member food banks in each of their eight markets by activating in local communities to donate nutritious food.

See list of grant recipient food banks below.

Central Texas Food Bank  Austin, TX

Connecticut Foodshare  Wallingford, CT

Lowcountry Food Bank  Charleston, SC

Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina  Charlotte, NC

Greater Chicago Food Depository  Chicago, IL

Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano  Concord, CA

Montgomery County Food Bank  Conroe, TX

Second Harvest Food Bank of Southeast North Carolina  Fayetteville, NC

Treasure Coast Food Bank  Fort Pierce, FL

Central California Food Bank  Fresno, CA

Northern Illinois Food Bank  Geneva, IL

Long Island Cares, Inc.  Hauppauge, NY

Community Foodbank of New Jersey  Hillside, NJ

Houston Food Bank  Houston, TX

Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County  Irvine, CA

Los Angeles Regional Food Bank  Los Angeles, CA

Food Bank For New York City  New York, NY

City Harvest  New York, NY

Alameda County Community Food Bank  Oakland, CA

Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida  Orlando, FL

Food Share of Ventura County  Oxnard, CA

Feeding South Florida  Pembroke Park, FL

Philabundance  Philadelphia, PA

Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina  Raleigh, NC

Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino Counties  Riverside, CA

San Francisco and Marin Food Banks  San Francisco, CA

Second Harvest of Silicon Valley  San Jose, CA

Redwood Empire Food Bank  Santa Rosa, CA

Food Lifeline  Seattle, WA

Capital Area Food Bank  Washington, DC

To learn about Feeding America and the network of food banks, visit FeedingAmerica.org/Disney.

*$1 helps provide at least 10 meals secured by Feeding America on behalf of local member food banks.

Contact

Zuani Villarreal

Feeding America

312.641.6532

About Feeding America

Feeding America is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of more than 200 food banks, 21 statewide food bank associations, and over 60,000 partner agencies, food pantries and meal programs, we helped provide 6.6 billion meals to tens of millions of people in need last year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; brings attention to the social and systemic barriers that contribute to food insecurity in our nation; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry.

SOURCE Feeding America
Tampa General Leader, Nicole Justice has been selected to serve on the Florida Board of Medicine.

TAMPA, Fla., July 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Governor Ron DeSantis has appointed Tampa General Hospital Senior Director of Patient Safety Nicole Justice to the Florida Board of Medicine. Her appointment is subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

Nicole Justice, senior director of patient safety, Tampa General Hospital has been selected to serve on the Florida Board of medicine.

"Tampa General is committed to excellence in patient care and this appointment is further recognition of that commitment as well as the expertise and integrity of Tampa General's leadership team," said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General. "Nicole has been outstanding in perpetuating and elevating our safety standards and we would be honored for her to serve on the Florida Board of Medicine."

Justice is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Risk Management, a member of the Florida Society for Healthcare Risk Management and Patient Safety, has completed the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's Patient Safety Executive program, is an alumni of Leadership Tampa's class of 2019 and is the past Chairman of RISE Tampa's board. Justice earned her bachelor's degree in management from the University of South Florida and her master's degree in jurisprudence in health and hospital law and pharmaceutical and medical device compliance law from Seton Hall University's School of Law, South Orange, N.J.

"I appreciate the opportunity to serve on the Florida Board of Medicine and to represent Tampa General," Justice said. "I have a deep passion for enhancing the focus on patient safety in the delivery of health care. I will be honored to serve if approved for the Florida Board of Medicine."

The Florida Board of Medicine plays a leading role in the ever-changing health care environment through dialogue with the public, the legislature, academia, and the medical community.

The Florida Board of Medicine licenses, monitors, disciplines, educates, and when appropriate, rehabilitates physicians and other practitioners to ensure their fitness and competence in the service of the people in Florida. It consists of 15 members appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate.

In addition to Justice, other Tampa General Leaders appointed by the Governor to serve on state boards are Maja Gift, director of Pharmacy Services to the Board of Pharmacy in 2021 and Dr. Seema Weinstein, manager of Psychology and Neuropsychology, to the Board of Psychology in 2021.

ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL

Tampa General Hospital, a 1,041-bed, not-for-profit, academic medical center, is one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the region's only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. Tampa General Hospital is the highest-ranked hospital in the market in U.S. News & World Report's 2021-22 Best Hospitals, and one of the top four hospitals in Florida, with five specialties ranking among the best programs in the United States. Tampa General Hospital has been designated as a model of excellence by the 2022 Fortune/Merative 100 Top Hospitals list. The academic medical center's commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by two prestigious 2021 Forbes magazine rankings  America's Best Employers by State, third out of 100 Florida companies and first among health care and social organizations, and 13th nationally in America's Best Employers for Women. Tampa General is the safety net hospital for the region, caring for everyone regardless of their ability to pay, and in fiscal year 2020, provided a net community benefit worth more than $182.5 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education, and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It is one of the nation's busiest adult solid organ transplant centers and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With six medical helicopters, Tampa General Hospital transports critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care they need. Tampa General houses a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center, and its 32-bed Neuroscience, Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida. It also is home to the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed Level IV neonatal intensive care unit, and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General Hospital's footprint includes 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices, TGH Family Care Center Kennedy, TGH Brandon Healthplex, TGH Virtual Health, and 21 TGH Imaging powered by Tower outpatient radiology centers throughout Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Palm Beach counties. Tampa Bay area residents also receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track network of clinics, and they can even receive home visits in select areas through TGH Urgent Care at Home, powered by Fast Track. As one of the largest hospitals in the country, Tampa General Hospital is the first in Florida to partner with GE Healthcare and open a clinical command center that uses artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to improve and better coordinate patient care at a lower cost. For more information, go to www.tgh.org .

Media Contact: Karen Barrera

Assistant Director of Communications & Partnerships

(813) 844-8725 (direct)

(813) 928-1603 (cell)

[email protected]

SOURCE Tampa General Hospital
Future plant in Peru, Illinois to enable the company to better serve commercial customers

PARSIPPANY, N.J., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- GAF, a Standard Industries company and North America's largest roofing and waterproofing manufacturer, today announced a commitment to build the company's fifth polyisocyanurate (polyiso) insulation manufacturing plant in Peru, Illinois.

GAF (PRNewsfoto/GAF)

GAF has signed an agreement to purchase more than 100 acres of land in Bureau County, Illinois for the future home of a 450,000 sq ft plant that will manufacture the company's EnergyGuard line of products. Construction is expected to break ground in the third quarter of this year with production beginning on the site in 2024. GAF expects to bring more than 70 advanced manufacturing and engineering jobs to the Peru community through this new plant.

"GAF's growth is fueled by a deep commitment to serving our customers with innovative products and outstanding service. This investment in Peru is a clear demonstration of this commitment," said Jim Schnepper, CEO of GAF. "Peru's proximity to our customer base, transportation infrastructure and access to outstanding manufacturing and engineering talent make it an ideal location for us to continue our growth."

Polyiso is a versatile, high-performance insulation solution commonly used as continuous insulation for roofs and walls. It is often used in sustainable or green building applications. All polyiso roofing insulation manufactured by GAF has received GREENGUARD Gold certification, which means it has been tested against standards and proven to have low emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

In addition to manufacturing GAF EnergyGuard Polyiso Insulation and EnergyGuard NH (Non-Halogenated - made with non-halogenated flame retardants) Polyiso Insulation, the new plant in Peru will have enhanced technologies to manufacture custom and tapered design polyiso insulation, as well as composite polyiso insulation board which will be a new offering from GAF.

"This is an exciting time for our business and an important step toward meeting our goal of becoming the leader in the commercial roofing industry," said John Altmeyer, Executive Chairman, GAF Commercial Roofing. "Expanding manufacturing capacity is critical to continue delivering best-in-class service for our customers. Peru is an ideal location for us to expand polyiso production and continue innovating to meet our customer's current and future needs."

The company chose Peru because of its ideal location with perfect I-80 East/West and I-39 North/South access and excellent access to railways to service all of our Midwest customers. The city has strong community values with a talented workforce that brings a wealth of experience and innovative manufacturing capabilities that will be an immense asset to the company's future operations.

"Today is a momentous day for the city of Peru and our continuing efforts to keep expanding the job base in Peru for the benefit of all Peruvians as well as our community partners in our 3-county region," said Peru Mayor Ken Kolowski. "As a leader in modern manufacturing, we know GAF will be a great asset to this community bringing high-quality jobs and a true commitment to innovation that will benefit the city for years to come. We thank all of those that played a role in helping bring this opportunity to Peru."

This new plant will join the company's four existing polyiso operations in Cedar City, Utah; Gainesville, Texas; Statesboro, Georgia; and New Columbia, Pennsylvania.

About GAF

GAF, a Standard Industries company, is the leading roofing and waterproofing manufacturer in North America. For more than 135 years, GAF has been trusted to protect what matters most for families, communities and business owners with its innovative solutions and focus on customer service. GAF's leadership extends to its commitment to making a positive impact on its communities, industry, and planet. Learn more at www.GAF.com .

GAF Contact:

Joe Perri, +1 (973) 570-1834

[email protected]

SOURCE GAF
Student-designed investigation will test use of biosensors for water quality monitoring

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- An experiment by Genes in Space 2021 contest winner Selin Kocalar, 18, of San Jose, California, will launch today to the International Space Station aboard the SpaceX Commercial Resupply mission SpX-25. Kocalar, then a high school senior, won the competition by proposing a new way to detect environmental contaminants in drinking water aboard spacecraft.

Genes in Space 2021 winner Selin Kocalar readies her experimental samples for their launch to the International Space Station

Kocalar's research project tests novel biosensor technology for potential use in water quality monitoring. Biosensors are biological systems engineered to detect specific molecules, often harmful contaminants. Kocalar will validate two biosensors, each of which will produce a fluorescent signal in response to the particular target molecules they are designed to detect. This fluorescence will be visualized by an astronaut using the Genes in Space Fluorescence Viewer, a compact and easy-to-operate tool for molecular visualization.

"I am thrilled about the possibilities that Genes in Space-9 opens for us," Kocalar said. "Hopefully this investigation can inspire future synthetic biology technologies for space, such as point-of-care medical diagnostics and biosensor-embedded spacesuits."

In collecting data for Kocalar's experiment, NASA astronauts will use BioBits, a cell-free gene expression system, in space for the first time. BioBits uses DNA-encoded information to synthesize biologicals in vitro, opening up possibilities for on-demand production of therapeutics, biomaterials, and research tools aboard spacecraft.

"This is the kind of experiment we had in mind when we started Genes in Space  one that can demonstrate a technological innovation that ultimately improves life on Earth," said Boeing's Scott Copeland, a co-founder of the Genes in Space program.

Kocalar, who will enroll at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology this fall, won Genes in Space as a student at Leigh High School in San Jose, California. Kocalar designed her experiment with input from her sponsor, Dylan Barcelos, who himself placed as a finalist in the Genes in Space competition in 2016, and her mentor, Harvard University scientist Bess Miller.

Kocalar's experiment will build on advances made by previous winners of the Genes in Space contest, including the first instance of CRISPR gene editing in space. Genes in Space was founded in 2015 by miniPCR bio and Boeing, with additional support from the ISS U.S. National Laboratory and New England Biolabs.

Learn more: www.genesinspace.org

Media contact: Katy Martin, [email protected], 781-990-8727

SOURCE Genes in Space
SEOUL, South Korea, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On the July 14, 2022, GenScript ProBio (Brian Ho-sung Min, CEO), a global CDMO, and DAAN Bio Therapeutics (Byoung Chul Cho, Co-Founder & CEO), an innovative new drug developer such as antibody treatments and cell therapy drugs, announced that they had entered into a strategic cooperation MOU concerning the development for innovation drug discovery & development. GenScript ProBio and DAAN have agreed to strengthen their cooperation in the cell and gene therapy (CGT) and biologics field through this MOU.



Through this agreement, both companies will strategically cooperate in the overall development process, such as discovery, manufacturing, and clinical trials of antibody and cell treatments, and related research and service projects.

(Left) Brian H. Min, CEO of GenScript ProBio / (Right ) Byoung Chul Cho, CEO of DAAN Bio Therapeutics

DAAN Bio Therapeutics has conducted single cell transcriptomic and proteomic biomarker analysis through its own analysis platform using tissues secured from solid cancer patients along with DAAN Cancer Research Institute and Yonsei New Il Han Institute for Integrative Cancer Research.



Accordingly, DAAN Bio Therapeutics signed a contract manufacturing organization (CMO) service through GenScript ProBio to develop antibodies that specifically bind to the discovered target material, and established its own bispecific antibody production pipeline using antibodies derived through GMP production.

Brian H. Min, CEO of GenScript ProBio, said "I hope this strategic partnership with DAAN Bio Therapeutics will be of great support as a global partner in accelerating the development of DAAN's antibody and cell therapy through the GenScript ProBio's one-stop CDMO service platform. "

Byoung Chul Cho, Co-Founder & CEO of DAAN Bio Therapeutics, said "This strategic cooperation will be an opportunity to revitalize the development of antibody and cell therapy that control unique cancer treatment targets secured by DAAN Bio Therapeutics using GenScript ProBio's qualified and competitive technologies."

Through this strategic partnership, both GenScript ProBio and DAAN Bio Therapeutics will continue their cooperation more closely with each other to develop subsequent pipelines of DAAN Bio Therapeutics, such as antibody drug and cell therapy.

About DAAN Bio Therapeutics

Developer of integrated immune-oncology drug research platform intended to find various treatment strategies and develop novel drugs for lung cancer therapy. The company focuses on immune cell based anticancer therapy using NK cells and T cell receptors, and clinical trials based on independent research infrastructure, enabling patients to receive new drugs for cancer and get cured.

www.daancancer.com

About GenScript ProBio

GenScript ProBio is the subsidiary of GenScript Biotech Corporation, proactively providing end-to-end CDMO service from drug discovery to commercialization with proactive strategies, professional solutions and efficient processes in cell and gene therapy (CGT), vaccine, biologics discovery and antibody protein drug to accelerate drug development for customers. GenScript ProBio has established companies in the United States, the Netherlands, South Korea, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Nanjing and other places to serve global customers, and supported customers in the United States, Europe, Asia Pacific and other regions to obtain more than 30 IND approvals.

Toward the mission of "Innovation through Collaboration", GenScript ProBio is committed to helping customers shorten the timeline for the development of biological drugs from discovery to commercialization, significantly lowering R&D costs and building a healthier future.

www.genscriptprobio.com

SOURCE GenScript ProBio
The report, "Caring at Ginkgo," outlines the company's approach to sustainability, internal governance structures, and how its cell engineering platform is deployed

BOSTON, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA), the leading horizontal platform for cell programming, today published its inaugural Sustainability Report . The report highlights the company's vision for and approach to sustainability, includes case studies across its ecosystem, and reports data according to leading environmental, social, and governance ("ESG") frameworks.

"Ginkgo is building a horizontal platform for programming cells across organisms in any market and in the process, we're trying to address some of our most difficult environmental and societal challenges," said Jason Kelly, CEO and co-founder of Ginkgo Bioworks. "Engineers often say that technology is neutral; however, we believe that we cannot remain neutral when it comes to the use of biotechnology. We care how our platform is used and about the impact it has on the world."

Ginkgo's inaugural Sustainability Report shares the company's perspectives across three main sections: "The Impact of Cell Programming", which describes how Ginkgo seeks to prioritize environmental stewardship throughout its operations and programs; "Technology isn't Neutral", which sets out Ginkgo's views on its role in society and in its community; and "Ownership is the First Step in Caring", which outlines Ginkgo's governance structures and commitment to worker ownership. The report was guided by key ESG frameworks and standards, as well as a third-party led materiality assessment informed by stakeholder engagement.

"Making biology easier to engineer requires working on not just the technical aspects of programming DNA, but also on how we build our culture, our governance, and our ecosystem," said Christina Agapakis, Head of the Sociotechnical Studio at Ginkgo Bioworks. "This is our first sustainability report as a public company, bringing together the environmental impact, social context, and governance of synthetic biology under our framework for caring how our platform is used. We look forward to sharing our progress and continuing the conversation about the impacts and implications of synthetic biology, because a future where we can grow everything requires care, transparency, and many voices."

One core focus of Ginkgo's ESG framework involves the use of its cell programming platform to positively impact the environment. In recent years, companies have increasingly looked to synthetic biology to reduce emissions and reliance on limited natural resources. Ginkgo's platform has supported a variety of companies and initiatives involved in the development of climate tech, including:

Genomatica , which is seeking to accelerate the world's transformation to sustainable materials by replacing fossil fuel sources with plants;

, which is seeking to accelerate the world's transformation to sustainable materials by replacing fossil fuel sources with plants; Joyn Bio and Bayer , which are developing engineered microbes to provide nitrogen for crops to significantly reduce the need for synthetic fertilizer;

and , which are developing engineered microbes to provide nitrogen for crops to significantly reduce the need for synthetic fertilizer; Motif Foodworks , which is developing proteins and molecules that make plant-based protein more delicious and contribute to more sustainable food systems; and

, which is developing proteins and molecules that make plant-based protein more delicious and contribute to more sustainable food systems; and Allonnia , which is developing enzymes that degrade harmful plastics and other environmental toxins.

Moving forward, Ginkgo plans to regularly assess its own sustainability impact, working alongside third parties to facilitate the development and availability of evaluation tools useful for the broader bioeconomy ecosystem.

About Ginkgo Bioworks

Ginkgo is building a platform to enable customers to program cells as easily as we can program computers. The company's platform is enabling biotechnology applications across diverse markets, from food and agriculture to industrial chemicals to pharmaceuticals. Ginkgo has also actively supported a number of COVID-19 response efforts, including K-12 pooled testing, vaccine manufacturing optimization and therapeutics discovery. For more information, visit www.ginkgobioworks.com .

Forward-Looking Statements of Ginkgo Bioworks

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements regarding the potential success of Ginkgo's cell programming platform and its planned development of sustainability impact evaluation tools. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words "believe," "can," "project," "potential," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "strategy," "future," "opportunity," "plan," "may," "should," "will," "would," "will be," "will continue," "will likely result," and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not limited to: (i) the effect of Ginkgo's business combination with Soaring Eagle Acquisition Corp. ("Soaring Eagle") on Ginkgo's business relationships, performance, and business generally, (ii) risks that the business combination disrupts current plans of Ginkgo and potential difficulties in Ginkgo's employee retention, (iii) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Ginkgo related to its business combination with Soaring Eagle, (iv) volatility in the price of Ginkgo's securities now that it is a public company due to a variety of factors, including changes in the competitive and highly regulated industries in which Ginkgo operates and plans to operate, variations in performance across competitors, changes in laws and regulations affecting Ginkgo's business and changes in the combined capital structure, (v) the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations after the completion of the business combination, and identify and realize additional opportunities, (vi) the risk of downturns in demand for products using synthetic biology, (vii) the unpredictability of the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and the demand for COVID-19 testing and the commercial viability of our COVID-19 testing business, and (viii) changes to the biosecurity industry, including due to advancements in technology, emerging competition and evolution in industry demands, standards and regulations. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the "Risk Factors" section of Ginkgo's quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on May 16, 2022 and other documents filed by Ginkgo from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Ginkgo assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Ginkgo does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations.

GINKGO BIOWORKS INVESTOR CONTACT:

[email protected]

GINKGO BIOWORKS MEDIA CONTACT:

[email protected]

SOURCE Ginkgo Bioworks
TORRANCE, Calif., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- GITAI Japan Inc., a space robotics startup, has been selected as the Innovation Showcase Company in the Japan-US Innovation Awards co-sponsored by the Japan Society of Northern California (JSNC) and the Stanford University USAsia Technology Management Center. On July 14, Chief Robotics Officer, Dr. Nakanishi, will make a speech at the awards ceremony to be held on the campus of Stanford University.

Lunar Robotic Rover R1. It conducted a successful demonstration at JAXA's Mock Lunar Surface Environment. More Detail: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZcwuypT6rU

Japan - US Innovation Awards have two categories. The Emerging Leader Award will be presented to a company having a credible Japan  U.S. link that is young, dynamic, growing, and entrepreneurial. The previous winners are, for example, Tesla (2011), Dropbox(2016), and Mercari(2016). The Innovation Showcase recognizes up to five Japanese startup companies built around exciting new technologies and innovative business ideas that have the potential for major worldwide impact. Past Showcase nominees include WHILL (2015), Preferred Networks (2016), and Treasure Data (2017).

The reasons for our selection as an Innovation Showcase company are:

- Completed a technology demonstration of a GITAI autonomous space robot executing various tasks inside the ISS (International Space Station) Nanoracks Bishop Airlock

- Research and development of a robotic arm for a manned pressurized rover nicknamed "LUNAR CRUISER" for mobility on the Moon, in collaboration with Toyota Motor Corporation (TOYOTA).

- Opened a US headquarters office in Los Angeles, CA, and announced a full-scale recruitment drive to support the expansion of US business.

GITAI continues to develop space robotics actively, applying the space robotic technologies obtained through the successful technical demonstration in the ISS last year, and the extra-vehicular technical demonstration outside of the ISS planned in 2023. Based on the space-proven technology acquired by the demonstrations in space, we have been contracting various customer missions, such as joint development with TOYOTA and orders from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan.

About GITAI

GITAI is a space robotics startup that aims to provide a safe and affordable means of labor in space and reduce operational costs in space by 100 times. GITAI aims to provide highly capable, safe, and reliable robots to help build and maintain satellites, lunar bases, and even cities on Mars. GITAI is actively seeking highly motivated engineers and business development professionals to support these many endeavors. If you think you have what it takes, join us to send robots to the final frontier.

Company: GITAI Japan Inc. (Tokyo office), GITAI USA Inc. (Los Angeles office)

CEO: Sho Nakanose

URL: https://gitai.tech/en

Contact Us[email protected]

Phone: 424-999-8091

Press Kit

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/18LFP0HHIWxoCa0O16ZONz7ZbTvctmeNY?usp=sharing

SOURCE GITAI USA Inc.
DUBLIN, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Green Building Materials Market (2022-2027) by Applications, Product Type, Geography, Competitive Analysis, and the Impact of Covid-19 with Ansoff Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Global Green Building Materials Market is estimated to be USD 256.45 Bn in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 378.03 Bn by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 8.07%.



Market dynamics are forces that impact the prices and behaviors of the Global Green Building Materials Market stakeholders. These forces create pricing signals which result from the changes in the supply and demand curves for a given product or service. Forces of Market Dynamics may be related to macro-economic and micro-economic factors. There are dynamic market forces other than price, demand, and supply. Human emotions can also drive decisions, influence the market, and create price signals.



As the market dynamics impact the supply and demand curves, decision-makers aim to determine the best way to use various financial tools to stem various strategies for speeding the growth and reducing the risks.

Company Profiles

The report provides a detailed analysis of the competitors in the market. It covers the financial performance analysis for the publicly listed companies in the market. The report also offers detailed information on the companies' recent development and competitive scenario. Some of the companies covered in this report are Alumasc Group, Amvik Systems, BASF, Bauder, Binderholz, CertainTeed, DuPont, Forbo International, Interface, Kingspan Group, Lafarge (Holcim Group), National Fiber, Owens Corning, PPG Industries, RedBuilt, Reward Wall Systems, Structurlam Products, etc.



Countries Studied

America ( Argentina , Brazil , Canada , Chile , Colombia , Mexico , Peru , United States , Rest of Americas)

, , , , , , , , Rest of Americas) Europe ( Austria , Belgium , Denmark , Finland , France , Germany , Italy , Netherlands , Norway , Poland , Russia , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland , United Kingdom , Rest of Europe )

( , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Rest of ) Middle-East and Africa ( Egypt , Israel , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , South Africa , United Arab Emirates , Rest of MEA)

and ( , , , , , , Rest of MEA) Asia-Pacific ( Australia , Bangladesh , China , India , Indonesia , Japan , Malaysia , Philippines , Singapore , South Korea , Sri Lanka , Thailand , Taiwan , Rest of Asia-Pacific )

Competitive Quadrant

The report includes Competitive Quadrant, a proprietary tool to analyze and evaluate the position of companies based on their Industry Position score and Market Performance score. The tool uses various factors for categorizing the players into four categories. Some of these factors considered for analysis are financial performance over the last 3 years, growth strategies, innovation score, new product launches, investments, growth in market share, etc.



Ansoff Analysis

The report presents a detailed Ansoff matrix analysis for the Global Green Building Materials Market. Ansoff Matrix, also known as Product/Market Expansion Grid, is a strategic tool used to design strategies for the growth of the company. The matrix can be used to evaluate approaches in four strategies viz. Market Development, Market Penetration, Product Development and Diversification. The matrix is also used for risk analysis to understand the risk involved with each approach.

The report analyses the Global Green Building Materials Market using the Ansoff Matrix to provide the best approaches a company can take to improve its market position.

Based on the SWOT analysis conducted on the industry and industry players, the analyst has devised suitable strategies for market growth.

Why buy this report?

The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the Global Green Building Materials Market. The report includes in-depth qualitative analysis, verifiable data from authentic sources, and projections about market size. The projections are calculated using proven research methodologies.

The report has been compiled through extensive primary and secondary research. The primary research is done through interviews, surveys, and observation of renowned personnel in the industry.

The report includes an in-depth market analysis using Porter's 5 forces model and the Ansoff Matrix. In addition, the impact of Covid-19 on the market is also featured in the report.

The report also includes the regulatory scenario in the industry, which will help you make a well-informed decision. The report discusses major regulatory bodies and major rules and regulations imposed on this sector across various geographies.

The report also contains the competitive analysis using Positioning Quadrants, the analyst's Proprietary competitive positioning tool.

Key Topics Covered:



1 Report Description



2 Research Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Market Dynamics

4.1 Drivers

4.1.1 Emission Reduction Potential of Green Building Materials

4.1.2 Decrease in operational costs

4.2 Restraints

4.2.1 Planning and Customer Barriers

4.3 Opportunities

4.3.1 Rising growth of construction industry

4.4 Challenges

4.4.1 Cost Concerns and Market Barriers



5 Market Analysis

5.1 Regulatory Scenario

5.2 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Ansoff Matrix Analysis



6 Global Green Building Materials Market, By Applications

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Residential Buildings

6.3 Non-residential Buildings

6.3.1 Commercial & Office

6.3.2 Institutional

6.3.3 Industrial

6.3.4 Hospitality & Leisure

6.3.5 Others



7 Global Green Building Materials Market, By Product Type

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Exterior Products

7.2.1 Windows

7.2.2 Roofing

7.2.3 Doors

7.2.4 Sidings

7.3 Interior Products

7.3.1 Floorings

7.3.2 Insulation

7.3.3 Building Systems

7.4 Solar Products



8 Americas' Green Building Materials Market

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Argentina

8.3 Brazil

8.4 Canada

8.5 Chile

8.6 Colombia

8.7 Mexico

8.8 Peru

8.9 United States

8.10 Rest of Americas



9 Europe's Green Building Materials Market

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Austria

9.3 Belgium

9.4 Denmark

9.5 Finland

9.6 France

9.7 Germany

9.8 Italy

9.9 Netherlands

9.10 Norway

9.11 Poland

9.12 Russia

9.13 Spain

9.14 Sweden

9.15 Switzerland

9.16 United Kingdom

9.17 Rest of Europe



10 Middle East and Africa's Green Building Materials Market

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Egypt

10.3 Israel

10.4 Qatar

10.5 Saudi Arabia

10.6 South Africa

10.7 United Arab Emirates

10.8 Rest of MEA



11 APAC's Green Building Materials Market

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Australia

11.3 Bangladesh

11.4 China

11.5 India

11.6 Indonesia

11.7 Japan

11.8 Malaysia

11.9 Philippines

11.10 Singapore

11.11 South Korea

11.12 Sri Lanka

11.13 Thailand

11.14 Taiwan

11.15 Rest of Asia-Pacific



12 Competitive Landscape

12.1 Competitive Quadrant

12.2 Market Share Analysis

12.3 Strategic Initiatives

12.3.1 M&A and Investments

12.3.2 Partnerships and Collaborations

12.3.3 Product Developments and Improvements



13 Company Profiles

13.1 Alumasc Group

13.2 Amvik Systems

13.3 BASF

13.4 Bauder

13.5 Binderholz

13.6 CertainTeed

13.7 DuPont

13.8 Forbo International

13.9 Interface

13.10 Kingspan Group

13.11 Lafarge (Holcim Group)

13.12 National Fiber

13.13 Owens Corning

13.14 PPG Industries

13.15 RedBuilt

13.16 Reward Wall Systems

13.17 Structurlam Products



14 Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/20du6f

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Research and Markets
Surge in geriatric population and an increase in the prevalence of nephrological, leukemia, myeloma, and lymphoma cancer drive the global graft versus host disease market.

PORTLAND, Ore., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, 'Graft Versus Host Disease Market by Product Type (Corticosteroids, Monoclonal antibodies, Immunosuppressants, Others), by Treatment Type (Acute GVHD, Chronic GVHD), by End Use (Hospitals Pharmacies, Retail Pharmacies, Online Pharmacies): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031.' According to the report, the global graft versus host disease industry was estimated at $3.0 billion in 2021, and is anticipated to hit $10.4 billion by 2031, registering a CAGR of 13.5% from 2022 to 2031.

Prime determinants of growth-

Surge in geriatric population and increase in the prevalence of nephrological, leukemia, myeloma, and lymphoma cancer drive the global graft versus host disease market. Furthermore, rise in number of bone marrow transplants being carried around the globe to treat specific types of cancers has supplemented the growth even more. Simultaneously, rise in the GVHD-prevalent population, advancements in the diagnostic measures of the disease, approval of novel treatments, and a greater range of prophylaxis options are expected to create lucrative opportunities in the industry.

Download Sample Report- https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/12294

Covid-19 scenario-

A sharp decline in the number of transplantation procedures.

The fact that it requires the routine use of reusable equipment with close contact with patients impacted the global graft versus host disease market negatively, especially during the initial period.

However, the market has already gotten back on track.

Get detailed COVID-19 impact analysis on the Graft Versus Host Disease Market- https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/12294?reqfor=covid

The Acute GVHD segment to dominate by 2031-

By treatment type, the acute GVHD segment contributed to nearly three-fifths of the global graft versus host disease market share in 2021, and is expected to lead the trail by 2031. The same segment is also expected to exhibit the fastest CAGR of 5.8% from 2022 to 2031. Rise in the geriatric population coupled with increase in number of allogeneic transplantations drive the segment growth.

The hospitals pharmacies segment to maintain the lion's share-

By end-use, the hospitals pharmacies segment accounted for more than two-fifths of the global graft versus host disease market revenue in 2021, and will dominate by 2031, due to surge in demand for transplantation drugs. At the same time, the online pharmacies segment would manifest the fastest CAGR of 14.0% during the forecast period, owing to the Covid-19 pandemic in which the buying pattern of most of the individuals has changed to online pharmacies.

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North America garnered the major share in 2021-

By region, North America garnered the major share in 2021, holding more than two-fifths of the global graft versus host disease market. This is attributed to increase in the number of organ donations of deceased persons for transplantation, rise in allogenic transplantation procedure, and surge in cancer patients in this province. Simultaneously, Asia-Pacific would cite the fastest CAGR of 15.9% throughout the forecast period, due to increase in demand for drugs such as corticosteroids and monoclonal antibodies across the region.

Key players in the industry-

Asahi Kasei

AbbVie

Bristol Myer Squibb

GlaxoSmithKline PLC

Sanofi.

Incyte Corporation

Pfizer

Accord Healthcare Limited

Merck & Co

Novartis

Official Press Release- https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/press-release/graft-versus-host-disease-market.html

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SOURCE Allied Market Research
 Company shares to begin trading July 25 under new ticker symbols 

 Subordinate voting shares to be reclassified as common shares 

 Share consolidation not proceeding at this time 

OAKLAND, CALIF., AND TORONTO, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Harborside Inc. ("Harborside"", or the "Company") (CSE: HBOR), (OTCQX: HBORF ), a California-focused, vertically integrated cannabis enterprise, today announced that it will complete the previously announced name change (the "Name Change") to StateHouse Holdings Inc. ("StateHouse" or the "Company") on July 25, 2022. The Company previously filed articles of amendment to effect these changes.

"This is an important milestone for the Company, which was formed through the business combination of four pioneering California companies," said Ed Schmults, Chief Executive Officer. "As we look to the future, the Name Change to StateHouse reflects our shared journey from activism and advocacy, to the establishment of an enterprise with high standards of quality, consistency and reliability. Separately and now together, we have developed a legitimate industry from the ground up. Today, we begin a new chapter as we continue to build a premier California cannabis company. We believe our fully integrated platform for growth is the finest of any cannabis firm in the state."

The Company also announced today that its subordinate voting shares ("SVS") will be reclassified as common shares ("Common Shares") effective July 25, 2022 (the "Reclassification"), and that its board of directors (the "Board") has elected not to proceed with a share consolidation at this time. The Board has also granted restricted share units ("RSUs") evidencing the right to receive up to an aggregate of 450,000 SVS, subject to the satisfaction of certain vesting conditions, and options to purchase up to an aggregate 4,200,000 SVS to certain members of its management team in order to further align the interests of the Company's management and shareholders. The options are exercisable at a price of C$0.37 per SVS for a period of five years from the date of grant, with one quarter of the total number of options granted vesting on each of the first, second, third and fourth anniversary of the date of grant.

NAME CHANGE

The Company will be officially renamed StateHouse on July 25, 2022. The new corporate website statehouseholdings.com will launch on that date with additional information about the Company and its go-forward strategy. Harborside's archived corporate information, including financial results and news releases, will also be available on the StateHouse site.

Effective upon the market open on July 25, 2022, the stock will trade on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the new ticker symbol "STHZ.". The Name Change was overwhelmingly approved by shareholders of the Company at a special meeting (the "Meeting") held on February 22, 2022.

SHARE RECLASSIFICATION

The Company's SVS will be reclassified as Common Shares, effective July 25, 2022. The Reclassification is attributable to the mandatory conversion of Harborside multiple voting shares into SVS (the "Mandatory Conversion"), which was completed on March 31, 2022. Due to the Mandatory Conversion, there is now just a single class of StateHouse shares and no need for a designation other than Common Shares to describe such shares outstanding.

"We are very pleased with the changes to the Company's equity capitalization that have now resulted in a 'one share - one vote' structure," added Mr. Schmults. "This streamlined structure is part of a broader strategy designed to create a company that treats all shareholders equally, attracts institutional investors, and reflects our goal of being the premier investment vehicle in the California cannabis industry."

The Reclassification was overwhelmingly approved by shareholders of the Company at the annual and special meeting of the Company held on June 23, 2022. The Company's new CUSIP number for its Common Shares will be 85754G301 and its new ISIN number will be CA85754G3017 upon completion of the Name Change and the Reclassification.

All registered holders of SVS (being a shareholder who holds their SVS directly, registered in their own name), are asked to forward, by personal delivery or by registered mail, any physical share certificate(s) representing their existing SVS to the Company's registrar and transfer agent, Odyssey Trust Company, at 702-67 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON M5E 1J8, Attention: Securities, along with a letter requesting for such physical share certificate(s) to be updated to reflect the new CUSIPs for the securities of the Company resulting from the Reclassification. Shareholders who hold their securities through a broker, investment dealer, bank or trust company should contact that nominee or intermediary for assistance in depositing their securities in connection with the Reclassification.

SHARE CONSOLIDATION

After careful consideration, the Board has elected not to proceed with the consolidation of its issued and outstanding SVS (the "Consolidation") on a six-for-one basis at this time. The Consolidation was previously approved by shareholders at the Meeting. The Board will continue to monitor market conditions carefully and could proceed with the Consolidation at a later date if it determines that such a decision is in the best interests of shareholders. Depending on the timing of the implementation of such Consolidation, shareholder approval may be required in order to effect the Consolidation.

About Harborside (to be renamed StateHouse)

Harborside, a vertically integrated enterprise with cannabis licenses covering retail, major brands, distribution, cultivation, nursery and manufacturing, is one of the oldest and most respected cannabis companies in California. Founded in 2006, Harborside was awarded one of the first six medical cannabis licenses granted in the United States. Today, the Company operates 14 dispensaries covering Northern and Southern California and one in Oregon, distribution facilities in San Jose and Los Angeles, California and integrated cultivation/production facilities in Salinas and Greenfield, California. Harborside is a publicly listed company, currently trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") under the ticker symbol "HBOR" and the OTCQX under the ticker symbol "HBORF". The Company continues to play an instrumental role in making cannabis safe and accessible to a broad and diverse community of California and Oregon consumers.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates, and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements include, among other things: the ability to complete the Name Change and the Reclassification within anticipated timeframes, if at all; the timing of trading of the Common Shares under the StateHouse name following the Name Change and Reclassification within anticipated timeframes; the impact of the Name Change and Reclassification on the Company; the ability to complete the Consolidation, if at all; the ability of the Company to build a premier California cannabis company and to establish its integrated platform for growth; the establishment of the Company's new corporate website and the information available on such website; the ability of the Company to capture additional market share; and the ability of the Company to attract institutional investors.

These forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time such statements were made. Actual future results may differ materially as forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to materially differ from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors, among other things, include: implications of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on the Company's operations; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; expectations regarding the size of the cannabis markets where the Company operates; changing consumer habits; the ability of the Company to successfully achieve its business objectives; plans for expansion and acquisitions; political and social uncertainties; inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; employee relations; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on cultivation, production, distribution, and sale of cannabis and cannabis-related products in the markets where the Company operates; and the risk factors set out in the Company's management discussion and analysis for the period ended March 31, 2022 and the Company's annual information form dated December 13, 2021, which are available under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law.

The Company, through several of its subsidiaries, is indirectly involved in the manufacture, possession, use, sale, and distribution of cannabis in the recreational and medicinal cannabis marketplace in the United States. Local state laws where the Company operates permit such activities however, investors should note that there are significant legal restrictions and regulations that govern the cannabis industry in the United States. Cannabis remains a Schedule I drug under the US Controlled Substances Act, making it illegal under federal law in the United States to, among other things, cultivate, distribute or possess cannabis in the United States. Financial transactions involving proceeds generated by, or intended to promote, cannabis-related business activities in the United States may form the basis for prosecution under applicable United States federal money laundering legislation.

While the approach to enforcement of such laws by the federal government in the United States has trended toward non-enforcement against individuals and businesses that comply with recreational and medicinal cannabis programs in states where such programs are legal, strict compliance with state laws with respect to cannabis will neither absolve the Company of liability under United States federal law, nor will it provide a defense to any federal proceeding which may be brought against the Company. The enforcement of federal laws in the United States is a significant risk to the business of the Company and any proceedings brought against the Company thereunder may adversely affect the Company's operations and financial performance.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities in the United States. The Company's securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Neither the CSE nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Harborside Inc.
RICHMOND, Va., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hilb Group announced today that it has grown its market presence in the Southeast region through the acquisition of a South Carolina-based insurance book of business, further expanding the company's employee benefits offerings. The transaction became effective June 29, 2022.

About Hilb Group: The Hilb Group is a leading property and casualty and employee benefits insurance brokerage and advisory firm headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. Hilb Group is a portfolio company of The Carlyle Group, a global investment firm. Hilb Group seeks to grow through strategic acquisitions and by leveraging its resources and expertise to drive organic growth in its acquired agencies. The company has completed more than 135 acquisitions with over 100 offices in 22 states. Hilb Group is rated as one of the Fastest Growing Brokers by Business Insurance, a Top P/C Agency by Insurance Journal, and one of America's Fastest Growing Private Companies in the Inc. 5000. For more information on Hilb Group's growth as well as career opportunities, please visit our website at http://hilbgroup.com.

Media Contact:

Peter Lobred

804.548.4629

[email protected]

M&A Contact:

Ryan Havermann

804.414.6508

[email protected]

SOURCE The Hilb Group, LLC
NEW YORK, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As per Zion Market Research study, The global stretch marks treatment market achieved revenue growth of USD 2.63 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach around USD 4.17 billion by 2028, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 6.5 percent over the forecast period.

Key Industry Insights & Finding of the Stretch Marks Treatment Market Reports:

As per the analysis shared by our research analyst, the Stretch Marks Treatment Market is expected to grow annually at a CAGR of around 6.5 % (2022-2028).

(2022-2028). Through the primary research, it was established that the Stretch Marks Treatment Market was valued approximately USD 2.63 Billion in 2021 and is projected to reach to roughly USD 4.17 Billion by 2028.

Billion in 2021 and is projected to reach to roughly Billion by 2028. North America holds a sizeable portion of the industry; increased awareness of cosmetic operations and fashion in the region is resulting in a significant expansion of the market.

holds a sizeable portion of the industry; increased awareness of cosmetic operations and fashion in the region is resulting in a significant expansion of the market. The United States is expected to remain the highest revenue contributor in the region. The market in the US is primarily driven by an increasing customer desire for stretch mark treatments.

is expected to remain the highest revenue contributor in the region. The market in the US is primarily driven by an increasing customer desire for stretch mark treatments. One of the main factors fueling the global stretch marks treatment market's expansion is the rising prevalence of obesity among the general population.

By 2030, one billion people worldwide, including one in five women and one in seven men, will be obese, according to the World Obesity Atlas 2022, issued by the World Obesity Federation.

Zion Market Research published the latest report titled as "Stretch Marks Treatment Market By Treatment (Topical Products, Lasers, Microdermabrasion, Others), By End-Users (Hospitals, Specialty Clinics, and Homecare), By Distribution Channel (Hospital Pharmacy, Retail Pharmacy, Online Pharmacy, and Others), and By Region - Global and Regional Industry Overview, Market Intelligence, Comprehensive Analysis, Historical Data, and Forecasts 2022  2028." into their research database.

Stretch Marks Treatment Market : Overview

Stretch marks are scars or wavy lines that form when the skin rapidly extends or contracts. Stretch marks are frequently brought on by unforeseen changes in the body that tear the collagen and elastin when the skin heals on its own. They are also brought on by Ehlers-Danlos disease, Cushing syndrome, and aberrant collagen formation. Pregnant women and others who experience quick changes in muscle size as a result of major weight gain or decrease may get stretch marks. Serums, oils, fractional lasers, pulse-dye lasers, creams, and lotions are a few of the treatments for stretch marks that are often utilized. By addressing open pores & fine wrinkles and tightening the skin while rebuilding collagen, they help to lessen the visibility of stretch marks.

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Our Free Sample Report Includes:

2022 Updated Report Introduction, Overview, and In-depth industry analysis

COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak Impact Analysis Included

225 + Pages Research Report (Inclusion of Updated Research)

Provide Chapter-wise guidance on Request

2022 Updated Regional Analysis with Graphical Representation of Size, Share & Trends

Includes Updated List of tables & figures

Updated Report Includes Top Market Players with their Business Strategy, Sales Volume, and Revenue Analysis

Zion Market Research methodology

Industry Dynamics:

Stretch Marks Treatment Market : Growth Drivers

Growing prevalence of obesity fosters the growth of the market.

One of the main factors fueling the global stretch marks treatment market's expansion is the rising prevalence of obesity among the general population. Stretch marks are becoming more common as a result of people's changing food habits and increasing adoption of sedentary lifestyles. People are also suffering from excessive weight gain. By 2030, one billion people worldwide, including one in five women and one in seven men, will be obese, according to the World Obesity Atlas 2022, issued by the World Obesity Federation. Stretch marks are becoming more common, which increases the need for targeted treatment. This is mostly due to an increase in the intake of calorie-dense, fattening food by a huge population. In addition to this, the growing demand for stretch marks treatment products from pregnant women, easy availability of the products on online platforms, and growing awareness of aesthetics are some of the key factors that are boosting the growth of the market.

Stretch Marks Treatment Market : Restraints

High cost associated with the treatment to hinder the market growth.

An important issue restricting the market's growth to some extent is the high cost of this treatment process. Rural residents are less likely to be aware of the stretch mark treatment method, which is expected to significantly hurt the market. In addition to this, potential bottlenecks impeding the overall expansion of the global market include skin adverse effects related to laser therapy.

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Stretch Marks Treatment Market: Opportunities

Growing research and development activities to generate numerous opportunities for market expansion.

A rise in the number of R&D activities is another factor that will present advantageous chances for the expansion of the global stretch marks treatment market. Additionally, the market's growth rate will be further accelerated by the increasing approvals and releases of novel stretch mark treatment medications. Moreover, growing investments in the development of cutting-edge technologies and an extensive list of emerging markets will present favorable prospects for the expansion of the stretch mark treatment market over the course of the projected year.

Stretch Marks Treatment Market: Challenges

Lack of skilled professionals poses a challenge to market growth.

In emerging countries, the lack of trained professionals especially for laser treatment is the major challenge to the growth of the market. Also, poor healthcare infrastructure in underdeveloped countries serves as a challenge to market growth.

Global Stretch Marks Treatment Market : Segmentation

The global stretch market treatment market is segregated based on treatment, distribution channel, end-users, and region.

Based on the treatment, the market is split into microdermabrasion, lasers, topical products, and others. The end-users segment is divided into homecare, specialty clinics, and hospitals. The distribution channel comprises online, retail, hospital pharmacy, and others.

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List of Key Players of Stretch Marks Treatment Market :

Clarins Group

Laboratoires Expanscience

Merz North America Inc.

E.T. Browne Drug Co.Inc.

Syneron Medical Ltd.

Cynosure Inc.

Mama Mio US Inc.

Centre Light Solutions LLC

Dermaclara Inc.

Basq Skincare

The Boppy Company LLC

Union-Swiss (Pty) Ltd.

Ellipse A/S

Helix BioMedix Inc.

Weleda AG.

Key questions answered in this report:

What are the growth rate forecast and market size for Stretch Marks Treatment Market ?

What are the key driving factors propelling the Stretch Marks Treatment Market forward?

What are the most important companies in the Stretch Marks Treatment Market Industry?

What segments does the Stretch Marks Treatment Market cover?

How can I receive a free copy of the Stretch Marks Treatment Market sample report and company profiles?

Report Scope:

Report Attribute Details Market size value in 2021 USD 2.63 Billion Revenue forecast in 2028 USD 4.17 Billion Growth Rate CAGR of almost 6.5 % 2022-2028 Base Year 2020 Historic Years 2016 - 2021 Forecast Years 2022 - 2028 Segments Covered By Product Type, By Application, and By End Use Forecast Units Value (USD Billion), and Volume (Units) Quantitative Units Revenue in USD million/billion and CAGR from 2022 to 2028 Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa, and Rest of World Countries Covered U.S., Canada, Mexico, U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Argentina, GCC Countries, and South Africa, among others Companies Covered Clarins Group, Laboratoires Expanscience, Merz North America, Inc., E.T. Browne Drug Co., Inc., Syneron Medical Ltd., Cynosure, Inc., Mama Mio US, Inc., Centre Light Solutions, LLC, Dermaclara, Inc., Basq Skincare, The Boppy Company LLC, Union-Swiss (Pty) Ltd., Ellipse A/S, Helix BioMedix, Inc., and Weleda AG. Report Coverage Market growth drivers, restraints, opportunities, Porter's five forces analysis, PEST analysis, value chain analysis, regulatory landscape, market attractiveness analysis by segments and region, company market share analysis, and COVID-19 impact analysis. Customization Scope Avail customized purchase options to meet your exact research needs. https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/custom/2746

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Recent Developments

In September 2020 , Himalaya introduced Stretch Mark Oil and Cream. It is a groundbreaking, two-step skin care regimen that assists moms in lessening the visibility of stretch marks both during and after pregnancy.

Regional Dominance:

Asia Pacific likely to rule the global market with a substantial revenue share.

Asia Pacific dominates the global stretch marks treatment market with more than 40 percent of the share. Some of the prominent factors such as rising disposable income and shifting consumer lifestyles are contributing to the expansion of the market. Furthermore, a protruding development of the market is due to the emergence of internet shopping platforms. On the other side, North America holds a sizeable portion of the industry; increased awareness of cosmetic operations and fashion in the region is resulting in a significant expansion of the market. The region's high consumer discretionary income is also boosting the demand for stretch mark remedies. The United States is expected to remain the highest revenue contributor in the region. The market in the US is primarily driven by an increasing customer desire for stretch mark treatments.

Global Stretch Marks Treatment Market is segmented as follows:

Stretch Marks Treatment Market : By Treatment Outlook (2022-2028)

Topical Products

Lasers

Microdermabrasion

Others

Stretch Marks Treatment Market : By Distribution Channel Outlook (2022-2028)

Hospital Pharmacy

Retail Pharmacy

Online Pharmacy

Others

Stretch Marks Treatment Market : By End-User Outlook (2022-2028)

Microarrays

PCR

Others

Stretch Marks Treatment Market : By Technology Outlook (2022-2028)

Hospitals

Specialty Clinics

Homecare

Stretch Marks Treatment Market : By Region Outlook (2022-2028)

North America

The U.S.

Canada

Europe

France

The UK

Spain

Germany

Italy

Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific

China

Japan

India

South Korea

Southeast Asia

Rest of Asia Pacific

Latin America

Brazil

Mexico

Rest of Latin America

Middle East & Africa

GCC

South Africa

Rest of Middle East & Africa

Press Release For Stretch Marks Treatment Market : https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/news/global-stretch-marks-treatment-market

Browse Other Related Research Reports from Zion Market Research

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The global Genomics Personalized Health market accounted for in 2020 and is expected to reach by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 4.4% from 2021 to 2028. Pigment Dispersion Market - Global Industry Analysis : The global Pigment Dispersion Market accrued earnings worth approximately 35.1 (USD Billion) in 2020 and is predicted to gain revenue of about 45.7(USD Billion) by 2028, is set to record a CAGR of nearly 4.1% over the period from 2021 to 2028.

The global Pigment Dispersion Market accrued earnings worth approximately 35.1 (USD Billion) in 2020 and is predicted to gain revenue of about 45.7(USD Billion) by 2028, is set to record a CAGR of nearly 4.1% over the period from 2021 to 2028. Women's Digital Health Market - Global Industry Analysis: The global Women's Digital Health Market accrued earnings worth approximately 1.7 (USD Billion) in 2020 and is predicted to gain revenue of about 7.2 (USD Billion) by 2028, is set to record a CAGR of nearly 20.2% over the period from 2021 to 2028.

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SOURCE Zion Market Research
DUBLIN, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Objective Lenses Market (2022-2027) by Product Type, Application, End User, Geography, Competitive Analysis and the Impact of Covid-19 with Ansoff Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Global Objective Lenses Market is estimated to be USD 3.46 Bn in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 4.65 Bn by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 6.1%.



Market dynamics are forces that impact the prices and behaviors of the Global Objective Lenses Market stakeholders. These forces create pricing signals which result from the changes in the supply and demand curves for a given product or service. Forces of Market Dynamics may be related to macro-economic and micro-economic factors. There are dynamic market forces other than price, demand, and supply. Human emotions can also drive decisions, influence the market, and create price signals.



As the market dynamics impact the supply and demand curves, decision-makers aim to determine the best way to use various financial tools to stem various strategies for speeding the growth and reducing the risks.

Company Profiles

The report provides a detailed analysis of the competitors in the market. It covers the financial performance analysis for the publicly listed companies in the market. The report also offers detailed information on the companies' recent development and competitive scenario. Some of the companies covered in this report are Kyocera Corp, Leica Microsystems, Meiji Techno, Mitutoyo Corp, Motic, Navitar Inc, Newport Corp, Nikon Corp, Olympus Corp, Thorlabs Inc, Zeiss International, etc.



Countries Studied

America ( Argentina , Brazil , Canada , Chile , Colombia , Mexico , Peru , United States , Rest of Americas)

, , , , , , , , Rest of Americas) Europe ( Austria , Belgium , Denmark , Finland , France , Germany , Italy , Netherlands , Norway , Poland , Russia , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland , United Kingdom , Rest of Europe )

( , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Rest of ) Middle-East and Africa ( Egypt , Israel , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , South Africa , United Arab Emirates , Rest of MEA)

and ( , , , , , , Rest of MEA) Asia-Pacific ( Australia , Bangladesh , China , India , Indonesia , Japan , Malaysia , Philippines , Singapore , South Korea , Sri Lanka , Thailand , Taiwan , Rest of Asia-Pacific )

Competitive Quadrant

The report includes Competitive Quadrant, a proprietary tool to analyze and evaluate the position of companies based on their Industry Position score and Market Performance score. The tool uses various factors for categorizing the players into four categories. Some of these factors considered for analysis are financial performance over the last 3 years, growth strategies, innovation score, new product launches, investments, growth in market share, etc.



Ansoff Analysis

The report presents a detailed Ansoff matrix analysis for the Global Objective Lenses Market. Ansoff Matrix, also known as Product/Market Expansion Grid, is a strategic tool used to design strategies for the growth of the company. The matrix can be used to evaluate approaches in four strategies viz. Market Development, Market Penetration, Product Development and Diversification. The matrix is also used for risk analysis to understand the risk involved with each approach.



The analyst analyses the Global Objective Lenses Market using the Ansoff Matrix to provide the best approaches a company can take to improve its market position.



Based on the SWOT analysis conducted on the industry and industry players, The analyst has devised suitable strategies for market growth.



Why buy this report?

The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the Global Objective Lenses Market. The report includes in-depth qualitative analysis, verifiable data from authentic sources, and projections about market size. The projections are calculated using proven research methodologies.

The report has been compiled through extensive primary and secondary research. The primary research is done through interviews, surveys, and observation of renowned personnel in the industry.

The report includes an in-depth market analysis using Porter's 5 forces model and the Ansoff Matrix. In addition, the impact of Covid-19 on the market is also featured in the report.

The report also includes the regulatory scenario in the industry, which will help you make a well-informed decision. The report discusses major regulatory bodies and major rules and regulations imposed on this sector across various geographies.

The report also contains the competitive analysis using Positioning Quadrants, the analyst's Proprietary competitive positioning tool.

Key Topics Covered:



1 Report Description



2 Research Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Market Dynamics

4.1 Drivers

4.1.1 Increasing Use of Projectors in Offices, Movies Hall and Educational Institutes

4.2 Restraints

4.2.1 Complex Design, High Cost of Equipment

4.3 Opportunities

4.3.1 Growing Application Base in Diverse Industries

4.4 Challenges

4.4.1 Expensive High-Quality Lenses



5 Market Analysis

5.1 Regulatory Scenario

5.2 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Ansoff Matrix Analysis



6 Global Objective Lenses Market, By Product Type

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Scanning Objective Lens [4x]

6.3 Low Power Objective Lens [10x]

6.4 High Power Objective Lens [40x]

6.5 Oil Immersion Objective Lens [100x]



7 Global Objective Lenses Market, By Application

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Telescopes

7.3 Cameras

7.4 Microscopes

7.5 Others



8 Global Objective Lenses Market, By End User

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Industrial Use

8.3 Research Use

8.4 Medical Use



9 Americas' Global Objective Lenses Market

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Argentina

9.3 Brazil

9.4 Canada

9.5 Chile

9.6 Colombia

9.7 Mexico

9.8 Peru

9.9 United States

9.10 Rest of Americas



10 Europe's Global Objective Lenses Market

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Austria

10.3 Belgium

10.4 Denmark

10.5 Finland

10.6 France

10.7 Germany

10.8 Italy

10.9 Netherlands

10.10 Norway

10.11 Poland

10.12 Russia

10.13 Spain

10.14 Sweden

10.15 Switzerland

10.16 United Kingdom

10.17 Rest of Europe



11 Middle East and Africa's Global Objective Lenses Market

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Egypt

11.3 Israel

11.4 Qatar

11.5 Saudi Arabia

11.6 South Africa

11.7 United Arab Emirates

11.8 Rest of MEA



12 APAC's Global Objective Lenses Market

12.1 Introduction

12.2 Australia

12.3 Bangladesh

12.4 China

12.5 India

12.6 Indonesia

12.7 Japan

12.8 Malaysia

12.9 Philippines

12.10 Singapore

12.11 South Korea

12.12 Sri Lanka

12.13 Thailand

12.14 Taiwan

12.15 Rest of Asia-Pacific



13 Competitive Landscape

13.1 Competitive Quadrant

13.2 Market Share Analysis

13.3 Strategic Initiatives

13.3.1 M&A and Investments

13.3.2 Partnerships and Collaborations

13.3.3 Product Developments and Improvements



14 Company Profiles

14.1 Kyocera Corp

14.2 Leica Microsystems

14.3 Meiji Techno

14.4 Mitutoyo Corp

14.5 Motic

14.6 Navitar Inc

14.7 Newport Corp

14.8 Nikon Corp

14.9 Olympus Corp

14.10 Thorlabs Inc

14.11 Zeiss International



15 Appendix



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/v5kbl6

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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SOURCE Research and Markets
Over 10 hours of free content now available on-demand for up to a year

SALT LAKE CITY, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Instructure , the maker of Canvas, today will hold its annual conference, InstructureCon 2022 in North America. This is the first year holding regional versions of the virtual education technology and digital learning conferences. Three additional regional InstructureCons will take place later in the year for Latin America, Europe/Middle East/Africa and the Asia Pacific regions. Over 10,000 users have registered to attend the event, sharing useful solutions and edtech insights and learning from each other. The free professional learning event for educators and edtech users featured keynotes from well-known thought leaders Simone Giertz and Adam Grant. To register and view the presentations today and for up to a year, visit www.instructure.com/events/instructurecon .

With close to 50 sessions, InstructureCon this year will include encouraging content, useful tips for educators and insight into product developments. Packed with powerful keynote addresses and breakout on-demand sessions allow for a truly customized learning experience. The opening keynote presentation includes an interview with Simone Giertz, a passion-provoking educator, who will share her unique perspective into the importance of STEM education and how educators can inspire students and spark curiosity through the journey of creation and discovery.

The event closes with a keynote interview with Adam Grant, the organizational psychologist, bestselling author and professor at Wharton. He explores the science behind motivation, generosity, original thinking and rethinking. In this session, Adam will take us on a journey of discovery, connection and hope through personal insights and experience of embracing the educator's path.

"The theme for InstructureCon 2022 is 'embrace the journey,' a nod to the challenging, yet rewarding path educators undertake," said Melissa Loble, Chief Customer Experience Officer at Instructure. "This year participants will get to choose their own InstructureCon adventure, as they create a personalized virtual conference experience that delivers incredible insights in a simple format."

In addition to learning from their peers about how to overcome challenges through innovation, attendees will hear from Instructure executives and education experts including CEO Steve Daly about how to navigate new challenges through collaboration and community and how to embrace the journey of change. Mitch Benson, Instructure's Chief Strategy Officer, will discuss scaling the mountaintops of new technology, including Instructure's continued commitment to openness and the future of education. Chief Customer Experience Officer Melissa Loble will discuss the myriad challenges of being an educator in today's post-pandemic climate and highlight how teachers have blazed new trails with innovative real-life approaches to learning.

Over 30 Instructure partners will host virtual booths for attendees to stop by and learn more about their tools and services. Attendees can video chat with partner representatives and engage with them throughout the day.

Next year, InstructureCon will take place in person in Denver, July 25-28, 2023.

ABOUT INSTRUCTURE

Instructure (NYSE: INST) is an education technology company dedicated to elevating student success, amplifying the power of teaching, and inspiring everyone to learn together. Today the Instructure Learning Platform supports tens of millions of educators and learners around the world. Learn more at www.instructure.com .

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains "forward-looking" statements, which are subject to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the potential, timing, and examples of any strategic alternatives. These statements are not guarantees of future performance, but are based on management's expectations as of the date of this press release and assumptions that are inherently subject to uncertainties, risks, and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements include the risk factors described in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on February 22, 2022, and other documents filed with the SEC and could cause actual results to vary from expectations. All information provided in this press release is as of the date hereof and Instructure undertakes no duty to update this information except as required by law.

CONTACT:

Brian Watkins

Corporate Communications

Instructure

801-610-9722

[email protected]

SOURCE Instructure; Canvas
The Company's solar power solutions have been instrumental throughout the world in the past year as the globe witnesses an unprecedented number of natural disasters.

FREMONT, Calif., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading solar power technology solution provider, Jackery, won the Life Saving Solution of the Year Award at this year's Natural Disaster Expo held in Miami. Featuring both emergency backup power and off-grid power, Jackery's products were deemed by judges to be the best in safety and reliability, while causing no negative environmental impact.

The exhibition included 200 suppliers and 5,000 representatives from government agencies and disaster emergency response organizations. Attendees witnessed the unveiling of three awards that saw companies nominated based on the impact their services, products, or strategies had on emergency service provision and response to natural disasters, as well as market recovery from major incidents or disasters.

With the aim of empowering outdoor enthusiasts go further, Jackery has been always committed in providing quality products in life-saving work and community relief.

Jackery's response to the California wildfires

Jackery has been quick to respond to fires and wildfires throughout the United States. In California, the company worked directly with the mayor's office to distribute over 100 donated Jackery Explorer power stations and solar panels to affected families in the community.

Jackery's donations to Kentucky

When catastrophic tornadoes devastated the midwestern United States, Jackery was on hand to donate solar generators and portable power stations. The power stations provided essential electricity while the grid was down. These incidents continue, and Jackery continues to be ready and willing to help.

Climate change represents ongoing concerns for safety. Jackery products power lights, appliances, heaters/air conditioning, medical devices, communication devices, among others. The company continues to lead the way with proactive activism and to spread awareness of how backup solar power can save lives.

Jackery's life-saving devices bring peace of mind

As concern over ongoing and escalating natural disasters rises, leaders at Jackery take seriously their responsibility to provide life-saving devices in the form of solar generators, solar panels, and portable power solutions. The Company offers a wide range of solar power solutions, which provide various levels of power and always provide protection that brings peace of mind.

About Jackery

Founded in California in 2012, Jackery is a top-selling global outdoor solar generator brand that emboldens campers to go further outdoors without compromise. As the pioneer of the Solar Generator concept and products, Jackery offers a range of portable, versatile green generators that meet all outdoor needs, from charging a cellphone or laptop to powering large devices like electric cooking equipment, heaters, and lights. Its products have been consistently selected as Best Sellers on Amazon and have been included in Amazon's Choice lists since 2020. To date, Jackery has received 19 prestigious international awards, including the Red Dot Design Award, the iF Design Award, the A' Design Award and Competition, and the CES Innovation Award. The New York Times, CNET, Digital Trends, Forbes, Tom's Guide, and other publications have ranked it among the best solar generators on the market. Since 2018, Jackery has sold more than 1.5 million units worldwide and boasts a global footprint spanning from the US to Europe.

To learn more, visit http://www.jackery.com/

Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Jackery Inc.
LONDON, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Krispy Kreme UK ("Krispy Kreme" or the "Company"), today announced that it has appointed Jamie Dunning as its new President and Managing Director for the UK and Ireland.

A former Managing Director and President at Mars Retail Group and Sales Director at Cadbury Schweppes, Dunning will take over from Richard Cheshire, who recently took the decision to step down from his role as Krispy Kreme's UK & Ireland CEO after nearly twenty years of working in leadership roles at the Company.

Jamie Dunning, new President and Managing Director for Krispy Kreme UK and Ireland.

During his time leading Mars Retail Group, Dunning oversaw a transformation in the fortunes of the business and its associated brands, coming in at turnaround phase, and taking it to a phase of transformative accelerated growth.

The appointment comes at an exciting stage of Krispy Kreme's journey in the UK and Ireland as the Company looks to maintain the strong growth it has seen in the past five years. Dunning will be responsible for building on the successful legacy that Cheshire leaves behind.

Josh Charlesworth, Global President & Chief Operating Officer, Krispy Kreme, commented: "We are delighted to have been able to appoint Jamie to head up Krispy Kreme in the UK & Ireland. The work that his predecessor, Richard Cheshire, did to build the brand's presence and reputation in the region was nothing short of extraordinary, and we wish to thank him for his two decades of service. In Jamie we have a worthy new UK head, and I am excited to see the fresh perspective and wealth of knowledge that he will provide us with as we enter this thrilling new phase of our presence in one of our most valued markets."

Jamie Dunning, President & Managing Director, UK & Ireland, said: "I could not be more pleased to be joining the team at Krispy Kreme. I love everything about the company, from its strongly held values and its ambitious plans for the UK, to its delicious products! I will focus on continuing Krispy Kreme's signature Hub and Spoke model through expansions into online delivery, drive-throughs and bricks and mortar stores, but also cementing the relationship the company has with consumers as one of the countries' most-loved sweet treat brands that sparks joy and enhances shared moments".

Having entered the UK market in 2003, Krispy Kreme now operates 133 shops in the UK and Ireland and has a presence in over 1,500 other points of access thanks to partnerships with the likes of Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons.

This year is the 85th anniversary of Krispy Kreme's establishment globally, and the Company has plans to mark this milestone by continuing to provide people throughout the world with moments of joy and by targeting rapid growth in the UK and Ireland. Its UK arm recently re-introduced the Hotlight Hour initiative, the hour when customers are allowed to claim a freshly baked doughnut in-store, which had been paused due to Coronavirus. Meanwhile in Ireland, the doughnut maker opened its latest store at Liffey Valley Shopping Centre earlier this month  an addition to the existing Blanchardstown, Swords Pavilion, Dundrum Town Centre.

Richard Cheshire, former CEO, Krispy Kreme UK & Ireland, said: "Leading Krispy Kreme UK & Ireland over the last 20 years has been an absolute privilege that has provided so many magical memories for everyone involved. This year was, for many reasons, for me the right time to handover. I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who has played their incredible part over the last 20 years. I hope that you are as proud of your contributions as I am of you. I welcome Jamie as the new President & Managing Director, he is clearly a special talent and wish him and his leadership team all the very best for the future. It is exciting now to be a fan, and I look forward to the next chapter under Jamie's leadership."

Dunning will begin work in his new role on 25th July, and, after taking some time off, Cheshire is expected to set up his own business.

For more information on Krispy Kreme in the UK, visit www.krispykreme.co.uk, and in Ireland, go to www.krispykreme.ie.

About Krispy Kreme UK & Ireland

Krispy Kreme UK currently operates over 125 shops and has a presence in over 1,332 points of access. (Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons shops, Moto, Centre Parcs, RoadChef, Welcome Break, Eurogarages)

It entered the UK market in October 2003 in London and has since opened Hotlight shops in Edinburgh Hermiston Gait and St. James Quarter, Bluewater (temporarily closed for refurbishment), Braehead, Enfield , London Stratford, Leeds , Manchester , Peterborough , and Shannon Corner . To find your nearest shop or cabinet go to www.krispykreme.co.uk

in and has since opened Hotlight shops in Edinburgh Hermiston Gait and St. James Quarter, Bluewater (temporarily closed for refurbishment), Braehead, , London Stratford, , , , and . To find your nearest shop or cabinet go to www.krispykreme.co.uk Krispy Kreme UK can be found at: www.krispykreme.co.uk / www.facebook.com/krispykremeUK / @krispykremeUK

Krispy Kreme Ireland can be found at: www.krispykreme.ie / @krispykremeIRL

Purchase your doughnuts online through nationwide delivery: https://www.krispykreme.co.uk/krispy-kreme-delivered

About Krispy Kreme Inc:

Krispy Kreme is one of the most beloved and well-known sweet treat brands in the world. Our iconic Original Glazed doughnut is universally recognized for its hot-off-the-line, melt-in-your-mouth experience. Krispy Kreme operates in over 30 countries through its unique network of fresh doughnut shops, partnerships with leading retailers, and a rapidly growing ecommerce and delivery business. Our purpose of touching and enhancing lives through the joy that is Krispy Kreme guides how we operate every day and is reflected in the love we have for our people, our communities, and the planet. For more information, visit www.krispykreme.com.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1858584/Krispy_Kreme_Jamie_Dunning.jpg

SOURCE Krispy Kreme UK Ltd
CINCINNATI, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) America's largest grocery retailer, today announced it will offer more Americans delivery through the addition of spoke facilities in Nashville, Tennessee and Maywood, Illinois. Working in conjunction with nearby fulfillment centers, Kroger Delivery will now reach customers in Greater Nashville and the Chicago Metro Area.

"Kroger Delivery offers customers a truly differentiated service. Orders are transported in refrigerated trucks and delivered by trained Kroger uniformed associates, giving customers an unparalleled white glove delivery experience," said Bill Bennett, Kroger Vice President and Head of E-commerce. "Kroger Delivery is part of our rapidly expanding seamless ecosystem that provides customers with fresh and quality products when and where they want it  all with zero compromise and at an incredible value."

Local shoppers will also have access to the newly launched Boost by Kroger annual membership program. For either $59 or $99 per year, Boost provides customers with benefits like unlimited free delivery on orders of $35 or more and two Fuel Points for every $1 spent on groceries and general merchandise purchases through Delivery, Pickup and in-stores. Kroger estimates the membership can save customers more than $1,000 per year on fuel and grocery delivery.

Nashville, Tennessee

The approximately 40,000-square-foot facility will work in conjunction with the Atlanta fulfillment center, increasing the network's reach to customers up to 200 miles from the hub. The facility is located on Polk Avenue in Nashville, Tennessee.

"Kroger is a household name that we are proud to have in Tennessee, and I thank this company for its decision to create more than 180 new jobs for Tennesseans," said Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. "Our state's central location and skilled workforce will ensure Kroger's success in the years to come."

"Tennessee's unique position offers companies easy access to their customers and suppliers around the globe, so we believe Nashville will be the ideal location for Kroger's newest cross-dock facility," said Stuart McWhorter, Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) commissioner. "We appreciate this well-known brand for choosing to locate in Davidson County and look forward to seeing the growth that will come from this project."

"Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and Nashville Electric Service congratulate Kroger on its decision to locate operations in Nashville," said John Bradley, TVA senior vice president. "Helping to support companies creating jobs and investment in the region is fundamental to our mission of service. We are proud to partner with the Nashville Area Chamber and Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development to further that mission and celebrate this announcement together."

Maywood, Illinois

The nearly 80,000-square foot facility located in Maywood, Illinois is approximately 20 miles west of Chicago. It will work concurrently with the fulfillment center in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, and expects to employ more than 180 associates.

"As we continue in Moving Maywood Forward Together, I couldn't be more excited to welcome Kroger to the Village of Eternal Light. Their facility replaces a blighted area while adding new jobs and revenues that aid in the revitalization of our community. We are happy to welcome a partner that works to address our food desert designation and look to evolving collaboration with them," said Maywood Mayor, Nathaniel George Booker.

Kroger Delivery Explained

The expansion to Greater Nashville and the Chicago Metro Area represents an extension of a partnership between Kroger and Ocado Group, a world leader in technology for grocery e-commerce. In 2018, the companies announced a collaboration to establish a delivery network that combines artificial intelligence, advanced robotics and automation in a bold new way, bringing first-of-its-kind technology to America.

The delivery network relies on highly automated fulfillment centers. At the "hub" sites, more than 1,000 bots whizz around giant 3D grids, orchestrated by proprietary air-traffic control systems. The grid, known as The Hive, contains totes with products and ready-to-deliver customer orders.

As customers' orders near their delivery times, the bots retrieve products from The Hive and present them at pick stations for items to be sorted for delivery, a process governed by algorithms that ensures items are intelligently packed. For example, fragile items are placed on top, bags are evenly weighted, and each order is optimized to fit into the lowest number of bags, reducing plastic use.

After product orders are packed, groceries are loaded into a refrigerated delivery van, which can store up to 20 orders. Powerful machine-learning algorithms optimize delivery routes, considering factors such as road conditions and optimal fuel efficiency. Vans may travel up to 90 miles with orders from the hub and spoke facilities to make deliveries. Associates at the spoke facility will deliver orders within their service area, adding ZIP codes as demand grows.

Kroger currently operates customer fulfillment centers in Monroe, OH, Groveland, FL, Forest Park, GA (Atlanta), Pleasant Prairie, WI and Dallas, TX. The fulfillment network plans additional customer fulfillment centers in California, Frederick, MD, Phoenix, AZ, Romulus, MI (Detroit), Cleveland, OH, Charlotte, NC, Aurora, CO (Denver), as well as South Florida and the Northeast.

Media Assets

To download Kroger Delivery photography and video, visit here.

About Kroger

At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are Fresh for Everyone and dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit. We are, across our family of companies, nearly half a million associates who serve over 11 million customers daily through a seamless shopping experience under a variety of banner names. We are committed to creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site.

About Ocado Group

Ocado Group is a UK based technology company admitted to trading on the London Stock Exchange (Ticker OCDO). It provides end-to-end online grocery fulfilment solutions to some of the world's largest grocery retailers and holds a 50% share of Ocado Retail Ltd in the UK in a Joint Venture with Marks & Spencer. Ocado has spent two decades innovating for grocery online, investing in a wide technology estate that includes robotics, AI & machine learning, simulation, forecasting, and edge intelligence.

Kroger assumes no obligation to update the information contained herein unless required by applicable law. Please refer to Kroger's reports and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a further discussion of these risks and uncertainties.

SOURCE The Kroger Co.
Lady M is Committed to Deepening its investment in China with a Continual Focus on Product Excellence and Consistency

NEW YORK, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Over the last two decades, Lady M Confections Co., Ltd. ("Lady M") has seen remarkable growth as a renowned patisserie brand, with its cakes and confectioneries highly sought after all over the world. With over 50 locations globally, Lady M has set its sights on a company-owned strategy in Mainland China to strengthen the business and drive more growth in the region.

"Lady M is looking forward to taking a direct role in elevating the China business, a market that is pivotal to our growth strategy. We are fully committed to strengthening our presence, and to continue serving our loyal customers by having the ability to maintain and operate our boutiques to our brand standards," said Ken Romaniszyn, CEO of Lady M.

Lady M had worked with a licensing partner Shun Lee Shanghai Commercial Management Co., Ltd. ("Shun Lee") since 2017 when it made its entry into Mainland China. Shun Lee opened and operated over 20 boutiques in five approved provinces and cities including Beijing, Tianjin, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai. Their License Agreement with Lady M expired on April 9, 2022, and was not renewed.

Lady M plans to shift operations to a 100% company-owned strategy. According to Romaniszyn, "We are excited to focus on developing the China market with new concept boutiques and innovative product offerings. This decision is important to us since it allows us to maintain the highest quality and consistency customers around the world have come to expect from Lady M."

About Lady M:

Lady M is a New York City luxury confections brand with over 50 boutiques worldwide. Created in 2001 and led by CEO Ken Romaniszyn, Lady M is the creator of the world famous Mille Crepes. Lady M marries French pastry techniques with Japanese sensibilities, resulting in delicate cakes that are a touch sweet and perfect for every occasion. All cakes are handmade and prepared fresh without food additives or preservatives. Lady M's recipes have been refined over years to provide the finest quality in taste and appearance. Indulge in a world of cakes and confections at LadyM.com.

SOURCE Lady M Confections Co.
Key Highlights Offered in the Report:

Information on how to identify strategic and tactical negotiation levels that will help achieve the best prices.

Gain information on relevant pricing levels, detailed explanation on pros and cons of prevalent pricing models.

Methods to help engage with the right suppliers and discover KPI's to evaluate incumbent suppliers.

https://spendedge.com/sample-report/landscaping-procurement-report

Insights Into Supplier Selection and Evaluation:

Profile and service capabilities of the service provider, industry specialization of the service providers, reputation of service providers, and assessment of value-added services are some of the most critical parameters that buyers use to shortlist the suppliers in Landscaping.

This report evaluates suppliers based on quality and purity test of product samples, production capacity, certifications and accreditations, and geographical presence. In addition, suppliers are also shortlisted based on business needs, technical specifications, operational requirements, security compliance, regulatory mandates, working environment, quality control, sla nuances, acceptance criteria, legal requirements, change management procedures, pricing models, and penalty clauses.

For More Insights on Buyer Strategies and Tactical Negotiation Levers:

www.spendedge.com/report/landscaping-procurement-report

Key Drivers and Trends Fueling Market Growth:

The pressure from substitutes and a moderate level of threat from new entrants has resulted in the low bargaining power of suppliers.

Price forecasts are beneficial in purchase planning, especially when supplemented by the constant monitoring of price influencing factors. During the forecast period, the market expects a change of 1%-3%.

Identify favorable opportunities in Landscaping TCO (total cost of ownership).

Expected changes in price forecast and factors driving the current and future price changes.

Identify pricing models that offer the most rewarding opportunities.

Some of the Top Landscaping Market Suppliers Listed in This Report:

This Landscaping procurement intelligence report has enlisted the top suppliers and their cost structures, SLA terms, best selection criteria, and negotiation strategies.

Falkenhahn AG

Edwards Wood Products Inc.

Brambles Ltd

Smart Procurement Starts Here:

SpendEdge's procurement intelligence platform is the go-to tool for companies looking to access latest procurement research insights and supplier data on an easy to use platform:

Subscribe Now for FREE, to get instant access to over 1000 market-ready procurement intelligence reports without any additional costs or commitment.

Table of Content

Executive Summary

Market Insights

Category Pricing Insights

Cost-saving Opportunities

Best Practices

Category Ecosystem

Category Management Strategy

Category Management Enablers

Suppliers Selection

Suppliers under Coverage

US Market Insights

Category scope

Appendix

About SpendEdge:

SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions.

Contacts

SpendEdge

Anirban Choudhury

Marketing Manager

Ph No: +1 (872) 206-9340

https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us

SOURCE SpendEdge
Former Coca-Cola Company Sales Executive Brings Nearly Three Decades of Industry Expertise to Fast-Rising Hydrating Lemon Water Brand

ATLANTA, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lemon Perfect, the fastest-growing brand in the enhanced water category*, announced today the hiring of former Coca-Cola Company executive Jim Brennan as President and Chief Revenue Officer.

Lemon Perfect Founder and CEO Yanni Hufnagel says Brennan is a transformational sales leader who will be instrumental in developing and implementing plans for driving future growth and profitability. "Lemon Perfect is disrupting the enhanced water category by offering a better-for you, better-tasting product that is resonating broadly with the American consumer," Hufnagel said. "Today is a monumental day for Lemon Perfect. Jim is a best-in-industry sales executive and passionate people leader whose experience is unsurpassed. His sales strategy will drive revenue and profit while accelerating Lemon Perfect's rise toward its goal of becoming the number one brand in the multibillion-dollar enhanced water category by market share."

Brennan joined Atlanta-based Lemon Perfect as a Board Member and Operating Advisor in April 2021 after concluding a 32-year run across various sales roles at The Coca-Cola Company and Coca-Cola Enterprises. Brennan's day-to-day advisory played a key role in quadrupling Lemon Perfect's revenue in 2021. In his last role at Coca-Cola as Executive Vice President, National Retail Sales, Brennan led total customer management and the strategic selling vision for the top national retail customers across multiple channels of trade. In the role, Brennan was responsible for an $8B+ beverage portfolio and was heralded for his focus on developing people and talent.

"After retiring from The Coca-Cola Company, I thought my full-time roles were complete," said Brennan. "Then I met Yanni. I was motivated by his passion, vision, and unwavering commitment to changing the beverage landscape and making a healthier option accessible to all. Lemon Perfect is simply the best-tasting zero sugar product on the market and has unlimited growth potential. I am honored to lead the highly talented, energized Lemon Perfect team that is charging the hill every day with our distributor partners across the country. We are going to have fun scaling this great brand!"

"Jim is a seasoned beverage industry rockstar," said former Bai Brands Chief Operating Officer and Lemon Perfect Board Member Barak Bar-Cohen. "It is rare to find someone with Jim's experience, sales prowess, and tenacity who has the passion and drive to lead a commercial organization through triple-digit hypergrowth. On behalf of the Board, I would like to congratulate Yanni and Jim on this exciting new chapter in the Lemon Perfect journey. We are all delighted to have Jim in the C-suite alongside Yanni and the rest of the Lemon Perfect team."

In April, the Company announced the closing of a $31 million Series A headlined by internationally celebrated award-winning artist and entrepreneur Beyonce Knowles-Carter. The financing brought Lemon Perfect's total valuation to over $100 million in less than three years from the Company's selling its first bottle.

About Lemon Perfect

Lemon Perfect is a great-tasting and hydrating flavored lemon water with zero sugar and no artificial flavors or sweeteners. Powered by squeezed organic lemons, Lemon Perfect contains electrolytes from potassium and is packed with vitamin C, making healthy hydration more convenient, delicious, and refreshing than ever.

Lemon Perfect is widely considered by industry insiders to be one of the most scalable, exciting, and innovative emerging beverages in the marketplace. The company's mission is to promote healthy hydration and deliver the joy of flavoranytime, anywhere, and for everyone-.

Lemon Perfect is available at retailers nationwide, on Amazon, and on lemonperfect.com. The Lemon Perfect Company is headquartered in Atlanta, GA.

*Source: IRi Total MULO YTD Period Ending June 26, 2022

Media Contact

Shira Berg | Autumn Communications

[email protected]

SOURCE Lemon Perfect
GREENBELT, Md., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --Yesterday, in a victory for Maryland workers, the Maryland Court of Appeals held that workers in Maryland have greater protections than under a 1940s-era federal law, and must be paid for all of their hours worked. Explaining the circumstances, the Court stated that the State's wage and hour law "means what it says," and that workers, who are represented by Joseph, Greenwald & Laake, are entitled to compensation from the time they are "required by the employer to be on the employer's premises, on duty or at a prescribed workplace."

In an expansive 59-page opinion, the Court meticulously reviewed two cases of laborers working for different subcontractors on the construction of the MGM Grand Hotel. In those cases, "the workers accessed the construction site via buses, supplied by the general contractor for the project, that took them from the parking area to the construction site and back. The workers were not compensated for wait and travel time, either coming or going from the parking area, which in total averaged approximately two hours per day." Workers were told that this was the only way they could get onsite, and that they could be fired for reporting to work any other way. The question in both cases was whether the time spent assembling at the parking area as required by their employer, and being bussed to the construction site, constituted "work" compensable under Maryland's wage and hour law. The lower courts applied federal law and dismissed the cases, but the Court of Appeals reversed in a 7-0 decision, concluding that Maryland law was not so restrictive, and that whether the workers were entitled to compensation for the time their employers required them to spend in transit, was a matter for the jury to decide.

"This was a tremendous victory for Maryland workers. When the boss tells workers to do something, even outside of their regular duties, they are working, and now they will get paid," said Brian Markovitz, a Principal at JGL who represented the workers.

"Maryland's highest court has issued a decision that is fundamentally fair to all concerned," said attorney Steven Pavsner, who argued the case on behalf of Mr. Amaya. "Employers cannot reasonably expect to benefit from free labor, and workers cannot reasonably be expected to work for free."

"This ruling sends a clear message to Maryland workers: your time is valuable. Maryland took a stand to protect the health and welfare of workers by crafting its wage and hour laws to prevent corporations from demanding their workers' time but not paying for it," said Erika Jacobsen White, Principal at JGL and co-author of the briefing.

About Joseph, Greenwald & Laake

Joseph, Greenwald & Laake, P.A., is one of the most trusted law firms serving Washington, D.C., and the suburban Maryland area. For more than 50 years, our law firm has represented a variety of clients, including individuals, small businesses and multimillion-dollar corporations. From simple to complex legal needs, our law firm is prepared to deliver strategic solutions with high standards. Call or e-mail us at Joseph, Greenwald & Laake, P.A. to schedule a consultation with an experienced attorney. We offer reliable counsel on how best to proceed and what your rights and responsibilities are.

Media Contact:

[email protected]

(240) 553-1207

SOURCE Joseph Greenwald and Laake
More new and returning powerhouse dramas from Iceland, France and Sweden.

WASHINGTON, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Merjen, the first Maltese series to hit MHz Choice is a dark tale where toxic relationships, addiction and grief lead to more than one tragedy. Inspired by real events, young lovers Merjen (Claire Magro) and Bertu (Fabio Mifsud) can't escape their passion for each other and the thin line between passion and dangerous jealousy becomes more and more porous over the course of the series, ultimately leading to murder. The story goes back and forth in time narrated by Merjen's adoptive grandmother. She narrates the young couple's passion through Bertu's spiral into abuse, and Merjen's bitter remorse as a young single mother. The non-linear plot is anything but predictable as plot twists are waiting for viewers towards the climax of the series.

Claire Magro in 'Merjen' on MHz Choice

The dramatic flare continues with a wide variety of new series focused on medicine, law, family or all the above. The medical drama series Fractures (Iceland), created by the award-winning writing and directing team of Eva Sigurdardottir, Kolbrun Anna Bjornsdottir and Vala Thorsdottir, is centered around three generations of women and set against the starkly beautiful landscape of a small Icelandic village. Kristin (Sara Dogg Asgeirsdottir), an ER doctor, returns to her hometown to run a clinic and ends up reopening old wounds while her teenage daughter Lilja (Katla Njalsdottir) and mother Johanna (Helga E. Jonsdottir) each grapple with their health outside of Kristin's medical opinions. The drama widens beyond these three as viewers get to know the rest of the clinic's staff and the extended family of Kristin's ex-boyfriend Ragnar (Joi Johannsson), a local police officer. MHz Choice will also debut two new ensemble series, both from France: the family comedy-drama Make Love Not Kids and legal drama The Law Of

Swedish star Alexandra Rapaport graces the TV screen this August in a pair of returning fan-favorite series: in The Sandham Murders as amateur sleuth Nora and in Gasmamman as crime matriarch Sonja. Also returning to MHz Choice is the last season of French favorite Cherif.

The full August 2022 schedule available here: https://mhzchoiceblog.com/premiere-schedule/

AUGUST 2

MAKE LOVE NOT KIDS, FRANCE, FEDERATION INTERNATIONAL, NEW SERIES

Philippe Lefebvre (Detectives) leads an ensemble cast in this heartwarming French comedy-drama about three very different families in Paris.

AUGUST 9

FRACTURES, ICELAND, REINVENT STUDIOS, NEW SERIES

Female-led drama about a divorced ER doctor who moves back to her home village and confronts the ghosts of her past.

AUGUST 16

THE SANDHAMN MURDERS: SEASON 8, SWEDEN, BANIJAY RIGHTS, NEW SEASON

Nordic crime meets beautiful island scenery in this series based on the popular novels by Viveca Sten. Starring Alexandra Rapaport (Gasmamman).

CHERIF: SEASON 6, FRANCE, FRANCE TELEVISIONS, FINAL SEASON

Captain Kader Cherif is a brilliant and eccentric detective in this addictive, long-running mystery series set in Lyon.

MERJEN, MALTA, VIDEOPLUGGER, NEW LIMITED SERIES

A young mother struggles to survive on the hidden edges of Maltese society in this acclaimed, hard-hitting drama.

AUGUST 23

THE LAW OF FRANCE, FILM & PICTURE, NEW SERIES

Legal anthology drama focusing on the men and women who dedicate their lives to providing counsel for the defense in the French criminal court system.

AUGUST 30

GASMAMMAN: SEASON 5, SWEDEN, BANIJAY RIGHTS, NEW SEASON

Alexandra Rapaport (The Sandhamn Murders) stars as a suburban mom pulled into the criminal underworld to pay off her murdered husband's debts.

About MHz Networks

MHz Networks offers viewers access to a library of the best television mysteries, dramas, comedies and documentaries subtitled in English through its subscription streaming service, MHz Choice. Select MHz Networks content is also available on DVD and on its free ad-supported service MHz Now, available on Samsung TV Plus.

New MHz Choice customers receive a free 7-Day Trial. For more information, go to mhzchoice.com.

SOURCE MHz Networks
"Demining in Cambodia" Event Hosted by the Ambassador of Cambodia to the U.S.

WASHINGTON, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mine Detection Dog Rico was the star guest at an event hosted by H.E. Keo Chhea, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Cambodia to the U.S., on Capitol Hill yesterday to highlight the ongoing problems of landmines in Cambodia and the international efforts that are going into removing them.

Ambassador of the Kingdom of Cambodia to the United States H.E. Keo Chhea and MDD Rico, a recently retired mine detection dog who helped The Marshall Legacy Institute clear over 600,000 square meters of land in Bosnia & Herzegovina

Cambodia is one of the most heavily mined countries in the world. Despite ongoing demining operations conducted since 1979, it is estimated that up to 7 million landmines and other UXO remain in Cambodia. From 1979 to 2021, nearly 65,000 people were killed or injured by landmines. There are approximately 40,000 amputees in Cambodia due to landmines.

Moderating the event, Dr. Suzanne Fiederlein, Ph.D., of the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery ( CISR ), spoke of the tremendous progress that has been made in the last 30 years. However, "The largest challenge we face to continue and complete this work is funding."

Hosting the event, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Cambodia to the United States H.E. Keo Chhea, described how the task to remove landmines from Cambodia was huge. Landmines and other unexploded devices are "a continuing threat to farmers, to children, to transportation, to developmenteven to wildlife." Ambassador Keo Chhea continued, "I am grateful for the support of the United Nations and friendly governments like the United States. Cambodian citizens themselves have answered Prime Minister Hun Sen's fundraising drive to hasten demining efforts by contributing over US$20 million since July 1."

Matthew Hovell, Head of Region for South East Asia at The Halo Trust , expressed thanks to the U.S. government and taxpayers for their support. "We have seen the breathtaking transformation of villages that have been cleared of landmines, turning into thriving communities that are living, farming, trading and learning in safety. This has only been possible due to the support of the United States, HALO's lead donor." But there is considerable work to be done, with over 700 km2 still to be cleared. "I congratulate the Cambodian Government on their ambitious plan to be mine free by 2025 but would ask donors to stay the course considering the scale of the challenge remaining. This work remains both life changing and life saving," he added.

Alex Pate of Mines Advisory Group said, "In 2021 alone, MAG released 17 million square meters of land, returning it to the communities it belongs to, and destroying over 8,000 UXOs. That amounts to 45,000 square meters of land released per day. I am grateful to our partners, the Government of Cambodia, and our donors here in Washington DC."

Charlie Richter, APOPO U.S. Director, expressed thanks to Ambassador Keo Chhea and all partner organizations. "The Cambodian Mine Action Authority and Cambodian Mine Action Center have been extremely effective partners, open to APOPO's mine detection animal and other innovations and committed to a mine free Cambodia. APOPO hopes more international funding will come to the country to help the country strive towards a mine free declaration."

Elise Becker, Executive Director of The Marshall Legacy Institute (MLI), described the incredible work of Mine Detection Dogs (MDDs), and introduced Rico, a recently retired landmine detection dog. Together with then handler Kenan, Rico contributed to the clearance of more than 600,000 square meters of land in Bosnia & Herzegovina during their six years together. He now serves as MLI's Canine Ambassador.

A video providing more information on landmines and the Cambodia Government's demining program can be viewed here. https://lion.box.com/s/kt25lemv0tbacjv2j3rqp2qzqfncn4ba

SOURCE The Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia
RTHK: Rajapaksa submits resignation letter from Singapore

Sri Lanka's president submitted his resignation shortly after reaching Singapore on Thursday, the parliamentary speaker's office said, days after the head of state fled protests triggered by his country's worst-ever economic crisis.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa's emailed resignation would be examined before a formal announcement - expected on Friday - is made, the speaker's spokesman Indunil Yapa said.

Rajapaksa fled Sri Lanka on Wednesday, after protesters overran his palace on the weekend, heading first to the Maldives and then Singapore.

"The authenticity and the legality of the e-mail will have to be checked out" before being formally accepted, Yapa told AFP.

Rajapaksa would be the first president to resign since Sri Lanka adopted a presidential system of government in 1978.

A small but jubilant crowd, some waving the national flag, danced and chanted in celebration outside the presidential secretariat as news of the resignation broke.

"This is a monumental victory," said protester Harinda Fonseka. "But it is only a first step."

Under Sri Lanka's constitution, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe -- whose resignation is also being demanded by protesters -- would automatically become acting president until parliament can appoint a successor.

Rajapaksa, his wife Ioma and their two bodyguards arrived in Singapore from Male on board a Saudia airline flight.

As president, Rajapaksa enjoyed immunity from arrest, and he is understood to have wanted to go abroad before stepping down to avoid the possibility of being detained.

The former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed is believed to have played a behind-the-scenes role in getting him out of the country, and said Rajapaksa feared he would be killed if he remained.

"I believe the President would not have resigned if he were still in Sri Lanka, and fearful of losing his life," Nasheed tweeted.

Singapore's foreign ministry confirmed Rajapaksa had been allowed to enter the city-state for a "private visit", adding: "He has not asked for asylum and neither has he been granted any asylum."

He is expected to look to stay in Singapore for some time, according to Sri Lankan security sources, before potentially moving to the United Arab Emirates.

Rajapaksa is accused of mismanaging the island nation's economy to a point where it has run out of foreign exchange to finance even the most essential imports, leading to severe hardships for its 22 million people, with four out of five Sri Lankans skipping meals.

Sri Lanka defaulted on its $51-billion foreign debt in April and is in talks with the IMF for a possible bailout.

The island has nearly exhausted its already scarce supplies of petrol with the government ordering the closure of non-essential offices and schools to reduce commuting and save fuel.

In Colombo, demonstrators earlier left several of the emblematic state buildings they had taken over in recent days, after Wickremesinghe instructed security forces to restore order and declared a state of emergency.

"We are peacefully withdrawing from the Presidential Palace, the Presidential Secretariat and the Prime Minister's Office with immediate effect, but will continue our struggle," said a spokeswoman for the protesters.

Witnesses saw dozens of activists leave Wickremesinghe's office as armed police and security forces moved in.

The capital was put under curfew and armoured personnel carriers patrolled some areas.

Hundreds of thousands of people had visited the PM's compound since it was opened to the public, after he fled and his security guards backed down.

By Thursday afternoon, the gates were closed with armed guards posted both inside and outside.

Earlier in the day, business owner Gihan Martyn, 49, accused the president of "playing for time".

"He's a coward," he said outside the president's palace. "He ruined our country... So we don't trust him at all. We need a new government."

Police said a soldier and a constable were injured in overnight clashes with protesters outside the national parliament as security forces beat back an attempt to storm the legislature.

Protesters also left the studios of the main state television station after breaking in on Wednesday.

The main hospital in Colombo said about 85 people were admitted with injuries on Wednesday, with one man suffocating to death after being tear-gassed at the premier's office.

The military and the police were issued with fresh orders Thursday to firmly put down any violence, and warned troublemakers they were "legitimately empowered to exercise their force".

But student Chirath Chathuranga Jayalath, 26, said: "You cannot stop this protest by killing people. They'll shoot our heads but we do this from our hearts." (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2022-07-14. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Leading HVAC manufacturer to empower contractors with variety of commercial HVAC solutions

RACINE, Wis., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Modine Manufacturing Company (NYSE: MOD), a leader in technology in the HVAC industry, is partnering with Texas AirSystems, a premier independent representative for commercial HVAC manufacturers, to expand access to the Airedale product line.

As part of the partnership, Airedale by Modine will be represented by Texas AirSystems in the Texas market while providing an array of HVAC solutions to potential clients.

Modine Manufacturing Company is partnering with Texas AirSystems to expand access to the Airedale product line.

"At Modine, we strive to revolutionize the HVAC industry by proactively offering new innovative solutions to meet the needs of our customers," said Kimberly Raduenz, manager of strategic marketing for the IAQ division at Modine. "Equally as important as product development are the relationships built with the contractors we serve, and Texas AirSystems has built a reputation on building and maintaining strong partnerships that provide tangible value.

"This new partnership with Texas AirSystems not only expands the reach and notoriety of our Airedale line, but it empowers contractors to confidently select the perfect match for their project from an array of solutions offered by Modine. It's a win-win for everyone involved."

Modine specializes in a variety of ventilation and heating solutions for diversified markets. With a focus on providing optimal HVAC services, the Airedale product line offers solutions ranging from the ClassMate DX Cooling and Heat Pump to the Sentinel Vertical Unit Ventilator.

Representing over 80 manufacturers, Texas AirSystems offers innovative systems with a flexibility of equipment and solutions to best match each application. Their team partners with industry professionals and end users to provide energy-efficient, value-added solutions to complex projects.

"At Texas AirSystems, we work hard every day to build better partnerships. That's the ultimate benefit we offer our manufacturers and customers  that we are always looking for ways to win for our partners," said Al Amerson, executive vice president at Texas AirSystems. "Our new partnership with Airedale is going to make Texas AirSystems a better partner for the clients we serve across Texas. Their innovative comfort systems are designed to improve existing conditions bringing immense value to our customer partners.

"From elementary schools to higher education, educators trust Airedale to provide optimal learning environments with responsible energy consumption. That ideal combination provides our customer partners in the K-12 vertical market with clean, temperature-controlled air for a safer and more productive place to learn."

To learn more about Modine HVAC solutions, please visit https://www.modinehvac.com/.

To learn more about Texas AirSystems, please visit https://www.texasairsystems.com/.

About Modine

At Modine, we are engineering a cleaner, healthier world. Building on more than 100 years of excellence in thermal management, we provide trusted systems and solutions that improve air quality and conserve natural resources. More than 11,000 employees are at work in every corner of the globe, delivering the solutions our customers need, where they need them. Our Climate Solutions and Performance Technologies segments support our purpose by improving air quality, reducing energy and water consumption, lowering harmful emissions and enabling cleaner running vehicles and environmentally-friendly refrigerants. Modine is a global company headquartered in Racine, Wisconsin (USA), with operations in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. For more information about Modine, visit www.modine.com.

About Texas AirSystems

For over 45 years, Texas AirSystems has been locally owned and operated. We represent over 80 manufacturers, offering innovative systems with a flexibility of equipment and solutions to best match each application. Our sales professionals offer technical expertise in the design, construction, commissioning, and operation of building mechanical systems. Texas AirSystems exists for one reason: the unwavering pursuit of BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS. That commitment to partnership means continuously adapting our business to the way our partners need us to work so that together we can take on big challenges that produce even bigger results. Please visit www.texasairsystems.com for more information.

Media Contact: Heather Ripley

(865) 977-1973

[email protected]

SOURCE Modine Manufacturing Company
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo awards the President's "E" Award, the highest honor given to U.S. exporters, to Mott Corporation, a technology driven high precision filtration company.

FARMINGTON, Conn., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Yesterday, Mott Corporation, a technology driven high precision filtration company, received the President's "E" Award, the highest honor given to U.S. exporters. Mott is just one of 19 companies in the United States selected to receive the President's E Award.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo presents the Presidents E Award to Mott Corporation President and CEO, Boris Levin

In recognizing Mott, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said, "Mott Corporation has demonstrated a sustained commitment to export expansion. The "E" Awards Committee was very impressed with Mott Corporation's record of export sales to 68 foreign markets. The company's development products to support the global transition to clean energy was also particularly notable. Mott Corporation's achievements have undoubtedly contributed to national export expansion efforts that support the U.S. economy and create American jobs."

Melissa Grosso, Director of the U.S. Commercial Service's Connecticut office, highlighted, "Mott Corporation supports many customers in transitioning to clean energy with its technology and helped to increase production of green hydrogen in many countries. The company's deep passion for solving the most complex materials engineering challenges combined with the ability to rapidly customize its solutions to specific customer needs to scale production globally is truly unique. I am thrilled for Mott Corporation's employees for this significant achievement and look forward to continued work with the company."

Boris Levin, CEO of Mott, added: "We are proud to receive this award. Our purpose is to inspire engineers to escape the ordinary. To do that, our employee owners create the best performing products for the most demanding operating conditions in the foremost needed markets of our times  semiconductors, clean energy, life sciences and space exploration  earning our customers' trust day after day."

For more information, please visit https://www.mottcorp.com.

About Mott: Mott is a technology-driven precision filtration company trusted by the world's best technical brands across four core markets: Semiconductors, Clean Energy, Life Sciences, and Space Exploration. Mott's products can be found in everything from lifesaving medical devices to artificial intelligence to the Mars Rover. Established in 1959 and headquartered in Farmington, Connecticut, the company is 100% employee owned.

About the President's "E" Award: The President's "E" Award was created by Executive Order of the President to recognize to persons, firms or organizations which contribute significantly in the effort to increase U.S. exports.

Media Contact: Patricia Cruickshanks, Sales & Marketing Services Manager, [email protected]

SOURCE Mott Corporation
Former Vice Chair of the Federal Reserve and Former President and CEO of TIAA To Provide Strategic Guidance to NDVR, a start-up pioneering a new category of Wealth Optimization

BOSTON, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NDVR (pronounced "endeavor"), a start-up pioneering a new category of Wealth Optimization for High Net Worth investors, today announced that Roger W. Ferguson, Jr. will join the company's advisory board. The former vice chair of the Federal Reserve and former president and CEO of TIAA will serve as a key advisor to the company as it seeks to transform the wealth management industry with advanced technology and innovative business models.

"NDVR's work shows that we are now at an inflection point where High Net Worth investors can benefit from capabilities that were unthinkable just a few short years ago," said Ferguson. "Wealth optimization utilizes advanced algorithms and sophisticated investing strategies to create custom, goal-driven portfolios. I believe the future is bright for NDVR and I'm excited to be a part of it."

NDVR creates and manages custom portfolios for High Net Worth investors and their families using wealth optimization  a delightful, digital experience that helps every client identify, capture and quantify their specific investment preferences, lifestyle requirements and unique tax profile. Clients then leverage the technologically advanced platform, powerful algorithms, and sophisticated quantitative investment strategies  the kind typically available to only the largest institutional investors  to turn their preferences and requirements into tailored portfolios designed to deliver growth and secure their financial independence. In addition, clients are supported by experienced advisors unconflicted by the pressure to sell or build AUM. All delivered at remarkably low fees.

"I value Roger Ferguson's unparalleled experience, insights into the financial services industry, and especially his focus on issues that are top of mind for NDVR's High Net Worth clients, such as retirement readiness and legacy planning," said NDVR Founder and CEO Michael Simon. "Roger is an ideal addition to our Advisory Board and we are thrilled to welcome him to the NDVR team."

Bringing many decades of experience in the investment management industry and economic policies, from 1999 to 2006 under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, Mr. Ferguson served as the Vice Chair of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. He also served as economic advisor to President Barack Obama from 2008 to 2012 and was the president and CEO of TIAA for 13 years after having been a partner at McKinsey & Company and serving as an attorney at Davis Polk & Wardwell earlier in his career. Mr. Ferguson holds doctoral degrees in philosophy and law, and a bachelor's in economics  all from Harvard University  and serves on several boards, including those of Alphabet, Inc. (parent company of Google) and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

NDVR's Advisory Board will be comprised of business, academic, and community leaders who will guide and assist the company's leadership and Board of Directors in a variety of areas that are important to the company. Additional members of NDVR's advisory board will be announced in the future.

About NDVR, Inc.

NDVR is on a mission to fix the wealth management industry with advanced technology and better business models. Founded by serial technology entrepreneur Michael Simon and powered by a research and portfolio management team led by Roni Israelov, Ph.D., the start-up provides a delightful, digital-first experience where high net worth families can leverage institutional-grade investment strategies, powerful algorithms, and thousands of servers to build tailored portfolios based on their specific investment preferences and precise requirements. The goal  to deliver enhanced growth after taxes, after fees, and after the client's liquidity needs have been met, all at a fraction of the cost of traditional wealth management firms. For more information, please visit https://ndvr.com.

Contact:

Ken Phillips

Guyer Group for NDVR

[email protected]

SOURCE NDVR
No Evidence of Results-Altering Fraud or Misconduct Identified

WASHINGTON, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- After reviewing every claim of fraud and irregularities brought by Donald Trump and his supporters in all 64 cases challenging the 2020 election, a group of notable conservatives has reached the "unequivocal" conclusion that Trump's claims of election fraud are unsupported by evidence.

The group also examined all post-election reviews and audits in six battleground states. "Donald Trump and his supporters had their day in court and failed to produce substantive evidence to make their case," Lost, Not Stolen: The Conservative Case Trump Lost and Biden Won the 2020 Presidential Election states.

The 72-page report is signed by retired federal appeals court judges Thomas B. Griffith, J. Michael Luttig and Michael W. McConnell, former Solicitor General Theodore B. Olson, Senators John Danforth and Gordon H. Smith, longtime Republican election lawyer Benjamin L. Ginsberg and veteran Republican congressional chief of staff David Hoppe.

Each has worked in Republican politics, been appointed to office by Republicans, or is otherwise associated with the GOP. Several have worked as Republican poll workers or assisted in election day operations monitoring voting. None has shifted to the Democratic Party.

But they expressed deep concern over recent polls showing these unproven claims have significantly impacted Americans' confidence in election results. The report notes that "repetition of these false charges causes real harm to the basic foundations of the country" and that having "30 percent of the country lack faith in election results based on unsubstantiated claims of a 'stolen' election is not sustainable in a democracy."

The report does not question former President Trump's right to bring the 64 cases but observes: "Once they had lost, Trump and his supporters had an obligation to recognize that the election debate was over. Questions of election legality must be resolved dispassionately in courts of law, not through rallies and demonstrations."

The report's conclusion of insufficient evidence to support charges that the 2020 results were fraudulent came after a review of all 187 counts in the 64 cases Trump and his supporters filed in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

For example, Trump supporters called Nevada "the big treasure trove of illegal balloting," yet they failed to produce any evidence to support those claims. Subsequent investigations by local election officials and the Nevada Secretary of State, a Republican, found only 100 cases of potential fraud; Biden won by over 33,000 votes.

In Georgia, the Republican Secretary of State conducted a full manual recount of all five million ballots and investigated numerous specific allegations of fraud along with the Georgia Bureau of Investigations. That resulted in discovering approximately 64 instances of potential fraud, of which 31 were administrative errors amounting to one half of one percent of Biden's victory there.

Read the full report and signatories' bios here.

SOURCE Lost, Not Stolen
NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Novatech, the nationwide Managed Office provider, and core portfolio company of Trivest Partners, a leading founder-friendly private investment firm, has announced the acquisition of Atlantic Business Systems (ABS), a Florida based business technology provider specializing in Managed IT, Managed Print, Copiers and Printers, and Document Management/Security solutions.

Novatech & ABS join forces

The acquisition marks a pivotal move in Novatech's reach and breadth of business solutions offered across the US, along with enhancing the company's coverage in Florida where Novatech already has a strong customer base.

ABS was founded in 1994 and has built a strong legacy and reputation for making customer satisfaction their number one priority. Working with vendors like Sharp, Cisco, SonicWall, Microsoft, and Polycom and DELL, ABS is able to provide a true 360 offering of business technology solutions to the Florida business community.

Novatech Senior Leadership Weighs-In

"The ABS business model complements the Novatech Managed Office perfectly, and our vision in helping customers across the United States bring everything-up-to-speed," said Dan Cooper, CEO of Novatech.

"ABS is an incredible addition to the Novatech family of businesses," said Dave Moorman, President/CISO, of Novatech. "I've found the ABS employees and technology partners second to none. We're extremely excited to leverage their skills, passion, knowledge, and technical capability."

A Word from ABS Founder Barry Wallingford

"I picked Novatech to sell to because of their long-term vision, their tenured leadership team, and the synergies with the current ABS go-to-market approach and values," said Barry Wallingford, ABS Founder. "I knew this was a great opportunity for our employees, our customers, and our legacy."

The Future is Bright!

The ABS leadership team will report to Dave Moorman, President and CISO at Novatech. ABS will maintain its own back-office infrastructure along with its current sales, service delivery and operations teams.

About Novatech 

Founded in 1998, Novatech, Inc. is a nationwide business technology provider. The company eliminates the need for multiple managed service providers, hardware dealers and software integrators. Offering a full Managed Office portfolio, Novatech simplifies and streamlines the technology experience for today's business. Learn more at: www.novatech.net

About Trivest 

Trivest Partners LP is a private investment firm that focuses exclusively on the support and growth of founder-led and family-owned businesses in the United States and Canada in both control and non-control transactions. Since its founding in 1981, Trivest has completed more than 350 transactions, totaling approximately $7 billion in value. Learn more at: www.trivest.com

Media Contact:

Julia Ebner

615.679.2249

[email protected]

SOURCE Novatech, Inc.
DALLAS, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC ("Oncor") plans to release its second quarter 2022 results on August 4, prior to Sempra's (NYSE: SRE) (BMV: SRE) second quarter 2022 conference call. Oncor's earnings release will be available on Oncor's website, oncor.com.

Sempra executives will conduct a conference call at 12 p.m. ET, Thursday, August 4 that will include discussion of Oncor's second quarter 2022 operational and financial results. Investors, media, analysts and the public may listen to a live webcast of the conference call on Sempra's website, sempra.com, by clicking on the appropriate audio link. Prior to the conference call, an accompanying slide presentation will be posted on Sempra's website.

For those unable to participate in the live webcast, a replay of Sempra's call will be available a few hours after its conclusion on Sempra's website or by dialing (888) 203-1112 and entering passcode 1507557.

Oncor's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2022 will be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission after Sempra's conference call and, once filed, will also be available at oncor.com.

Headquartered in Dallas, Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC is a regulated electricity distribution and transmission business that uses superior asset management skills to provide reliable electricity delivery to consumers. Oncor (together with its subsidiaries) operates the largest distribution and transmission system in Texas, delivering power to more than 3.8 million homes and businesses and operating more than 140,000 miles of transmission and distribution lines in Texas. While Oncor is owned by two investors (indirect majority owner, Sempra, and minority owner, Texas Transmission Investment LLC), Oncor is managed by its Board of Directors, which is comprised of a majority of disinterested directors.

SOURCE Oncor Electric Delivery Company, LLC
COLUMBIA, Md. , July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy discovered that Orion's Veilan expanding shell consisting of dust and gas in front of the massive star cluster in the Orion Nebulamight be breaking.

Within the Orion Nebula is a massive set of stars known as the Trapezium stars. The winds from the Trapezium stars blow a bubble of dust and gas in the area in front of them, called Orion's Veil. The majority of Orion's Veil is sparse, with most of its gas lying in the bubble's wall. The wall, or Orion's Veil shell, is about a light-year thick and expanding toward us  and recent observations by the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) German REceiver for Astronomy at Terahertz Frequencies (GREAT) have identified some unexpected features in it.

"The bubble  with a diameter of approximately seven light-years  should be an almost sphere-like structure, but we found a protrusion in its northwestern part," said Umit Kavak, a postdoctoral researcher at SOFIA, based out of NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley, who is the lead author on a recent paper in Astronomy & Astrophysics describing the studies.

The SOFIA observations show ionized carbon emission in this protrusion, which Kavak used to determine its size, structure, and how it is expanding, in hopes of uncovering its origins and future.

Shaped like a "U" lying on its side, the protrusion extends well beyond Orion's Veil shell. It is a likely spot for the shell to pierce, and the protrusion's chimney-like top seems to imply it already has.

"When you breach the Veil shell, you effectively start stirring a cosmic soup of gas and dust by adding turbulence," Kavak said.

"This isn't the most appetizing soup, but it's one of the ways to form new stars or limit future star formation," added Alexander Tielens, a researcher at Leiden University and a co-author on the paper.

This turbulence affects the density, temperature, and chemistry of its surrounding region, which may ultimately lead to the creation or destruction of star formation sites.

The group also identified a second, weaker protrusion, which they plan to investigate further in a future publication. Together, these protrusions affect the entire morphology of the Orion Nebula.

ABOUT SOFIA

SOFIA is a joint project of NASA and the German Space Agency at DLR. DLR provides the telescope, scheduled aircraft maintenance, and other support for the mission. NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley manages the SOFIA program, science, and mission operations in cooperation with the Universities Space Research Association, headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, and the German SOFIA Institute at the University of Stuttgart. The aircraft is maintained and operated by NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center Building 703, in Palmdale, California. SOFIA achieved full operational capability in 2014, and the mission will conclude no later than Sept. 30, 2022. SOFIA will continue its regular operations until then, including science flights and a deployment to New Zealand this summer.

ABOUT USRA

Founded in 1969, under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences at the request of the U.S. Government, the Universities Space Research Association (USRA), is a nonprofit corporation chartered to advance space-related science, technology and engineering. USRA operates scientific institutes and facilities, and conducts other major research and educational programs. USRA engages the university community and employs in-house scientific leadership, innovative research and development, and project management expertise. More information about USRA is available at www.usra.edu.

PR Contact:

Suraiya Farukhi, Ph.D.

[email protected]

443-812-6945 (cell)

SOURCE Universities Space Research Association
NEW YORK, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- OUTFRONT Media Inc. (NYSE: OUT) announced today that it will report results for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2022 after the market closes on Wednesday, August 3, 2022. The earnings announcement will be available in the Investor Relations section of the Company's website, www.OUTFRONTmedia.com.

The Company will host a conference call to discuss the results on Wednesday, August 3, 2022 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The conference call number is 800-263-0877 (U.S. callers) and 646-828-8143 (International callers) and the passcode for both is 8001508.

Live and replay versions of the conference call will be webcast in the Investor Relations section of the Company's website, www.OUTFRONTmedia.com.

About OUTFRONT Media Inc.

OUTFRONT leverages the power of technology, location, and creativity to connect brands with consumers outside of their homes through one of the largest and most diverse sets of billboard, transit, and mobile assets in North America. Through its technology platform, OUTFRONT will fundamentally change the ways advertisers engage audiences on-the-go.

Contacts:

Investors

Media Stephan Bisson

Courtney Richards Investor Relations

PR & Events Specialist (212) 297-6573

(646) 876-9404 [email protected]

[email protected]

SOURCE OUTFRONT Media Inc.
Two-thirds (63%) of Saudi youth say their country's relations with the US will improve under President Biden; the rest believe it will remain the same

70% of young Saudis have a 'very' or 'somewhat' favourable view of the president

Saudi youth are more likely to say the US is an ally now than at any point in the last five years

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- An overwhelming majority (92%) of young Saudis, who form about two-thirds of Saudi Arabia's population, see the United States as an ally of their nation, with 59 per cent stating the US is a 'strong ally' and 33 per cent citing it as 'somewhat of an ally.'

Finding from the annual ASDA'A BCW Arab Youth Survey (PRNewsfoto/ASDAA BCW Arab Youth Survey)

This finding from the 13th edition of the annual ASDA'A BCW Arab Youth Survey was announced today ahead of the historic visit of US President Joe Biden to the Kingdom on July 15 and 16, 2022. President Biden's visit, upon the invitation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, is expected to enhance the historic and strategic partnership between the two nations.

As President Biden observed in an opinion piece in the Washington Post, "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."

According to the survey, the perception that the US is an ally of Saudi Arabia is at its highest level in five years. In 2020, 87 per cent of Saudi youth viewed the US as a 'strong ally' or 'somewhat of an ally', an increase in favourability over 2019 when 70 per cent of Saudi youth viewed the US as an ally. In 2018, 50 per cent of Saudi youth viewed the US as an ally.

The symbolism of Biden's arrival in the Kingdom, following his first official visit to Israel, will not be lost on young Saudis, three-quarters (75%) of whom believe addressing the 'Palestinian-Israeli conflict' should be a top priority for the Arab world.

Despite the broadly positive perception of President Biden, young Saudi men and women believe he has work to do on the Palestine-Israel question, with 93 per cent insisting his administration "should have a played a more active and unbiased role in resolving the conflict." A majority of young Saudis (73%) are confident that the conflict is 'very likely' to 'somewhat likely' to be resolved in the next five years.

Sunil John, President, MENA, BCW and Founder of ASDA'A BCW, said: "The findings from our survey reflect the optimism surrounding Biden's first visit to the Kingdom as the US president. The generally warm feelings young people have towards US, and their eagerness for peace across the region, especially in resolving the Palestinian conflict, show the value to be had from a reset of US-Saudi relations to achieve a more stable and stronger Middle East geopolitical order."

Underlining the strategic role of the US in the region, over one-third (36%) of young Saudis believe the US has the most influence in the Arab world among non-Arab nations, compared with 43 per cent of Saudi youth who say their own country is the most influential among Arab nations in the region.

Over two-thirds of young Saudis (63%) are also confident that their country's relations with the US will improve under President Biden, while the rest (37%) believe relations between the two countries will remain the same.

Almost all young Saudis (97%) are confident that their country is going in the right direction; 82 per cent agreed with the statement that 'our best days are ahead of us.'

For the largest-of-its-kind survey of the Arab world's largest demographic, which was unveiled in October last year, PSB Insights, the global strategic research and analytics specialist, conducted 3,400 face-to-face interviews with Arab youth aged between 18 and 24 in 50 cities and territories in 17 states in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region from June 6-30, 2021.

To know more about the findings and to download the white paper of the ASDA'A BCW Arab Youth Survey, log on to arabyouthsurvey.com.

Infographic - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1858798/ASDAA_Survey_Infographic.jpg

SOURCE ASDAA BCW Arab Youth Survey
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- OZY Media, the award-winning news and entertainment company, has retained internationally renowned intellectual property attorney John A. Squires to advise the company on entering into the "metaverse" with its forward-looking programming, diverse content and media properties. Mr. Squires' engagement is the latest in a series of deep talent team and advisor hires at OZY, including David Lawrence, with whom he worked for over a decade at Goldman Sachs. Mr. Squires will advise OZY's various business lines on harnessing emerging technologies to further its mission and help its loyal and discerning audience see the world more boldly, brightly, and engagingly.

OZY Media has retained internationally renowned intellectual property attorney John A. Squires. Tweet this OZY Media has retained internationally renowned intellectual property attorney John A. Squires

Carlos Watson, founder, and CEO said: "Retaining John is another significant step for OZY. As we continue to build a world-class team, we will be looking to further empower our team, talent, and audience by harnessing the 'new and the next' that Web 3.0 technologies have to offer. John's been at the forefront of disruptive technology shifts from the early days as Web 1.0 reengineered everything on Wall Street. Fast forward to Web 3.0 and what we are seeing now is the metaverse transforming human and information engagement."

Mr. Squires will be working across the breadth of OZY's media properties and leading-edge programs, such as the OZY Genius awards. "While meta technologies such as NFTs offer promise, it's not without its share of detractors. John brings us not only the benefit of his vast experience and remarkable track record, but he's literally someone who's ' written the book ' on technology adoption in transparent, sustainable and compliant ways to meet global standards, regulations and achieve financial and system integrity, " says OZY's Chair, Mike Moe.

"I'm delighted to be working with OZY in its formidable rebuild and help advise this fiercely talented team as to where the puck appears to be going with the transformative technologies that are Web 3.0. OZY clearly has its finger on the pulse of these transformative times, and this is where the promise of today's transformative technologies can be best realized," remarked Squires.

Squires started his Wall Street career in 2000 as Goldman Sachs' first Chief Intellectual Property Counsel across its global business lines. He obtained Goldman's very first fintech patents and ultimately earned recognition from then-FBI Director Robert Mueller for promoting legal and regulatory compliance and financial integrity. Holding various leadership positions within the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, Squires has provided Senate Judiciary Committee and Federal Trade Commission testimony on intellectual property reform. And as part of a select judicial working group, he co-authored a bench book for federal judges on patent financial damage claims.

Squires returned to private practice in 2010, after initially starting his career at the elite intellectual property boutique firm Morgan & Finnegan in New York. He continued to serve his financial sector clients with a focus on emerging companies and technologies. He is currently head of Emerging Companies and Intellectual Property for Dilworth Paxson LLP in New York and has advised on a broad spectrum of client matters, including the creation of the world's first patent asset backed financing fund. He led the issuance of Goldman's first cryptocurrency patent, SETLcoin . He also co-founded the risk management firm RANE and FinClusive, which brings compliance-centered banking to the globally underserved. Squires currently sits on the board of directors at FinClusive, where he has also co-authored a rule book dedicated to promoting transparency, financial system integrity and regulatory compliance in the use of emerging technologies.

In addition, Squires teaches international LLM students at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School and has written extensively for esteemed periodicals, such as the Wharton Business Review, [email protected] and the Tel Aviv University's Coller Venture Review. With his commercial, legal, and academic experience, Squires is globally recognized as one of the thought leaders and outstanding practitioners in decentralized finance and emerging technologies.

Squires is the ninth major team addition to OZY Media in 2022. He follows Courtney Matthews , former Rodale executive, as Vice President of Marketing; Rebecca Louzan , Director of Client Services; David Lawrence , former Goldman Sachs business intelligence chief and federal prosecutor, who joined the OZY board as Senior Advisor; Michael Safran , former Time Inc., Gannett and Bloomberg executive, as Chief Revenue Officer; Mukul Pandya , former Founding Editor-in Chief of Wharton's online business review, as Senior Editor-at-Large; Aparna Ranganathan as Vice President of Human Resources; attorney and global impact leader Beverly Watson as Managing Editor; and Daniel Kelley as Creative Director. The company continues to add staff and interested parties can contact our HR Team at [email protected] .

ABOUT OZY

Launched in 2013, OZY has built a diverse and unique voice in media, including 5 newsletters , 12 TV shows , 9 podcasts and 4 festivals . In 2020, OZY won an Emmy Award for its groundbreaking television program, "Black Women OWN the Conversation."

SOURCE OZY Media
With the exit from skinny jeans accelerating quickly post-pandemic, there has been a range of leg shapes trending as well as heavier, less stretch and non-stretch denim gaining popularity. With that, the trend cycle that Pacsun has seen emerge is "anything goes" denim, and the retailer is voicing this to their audiences throughout the #MyDenimStory campaign, encouraging their community to engage in telling their personal denim stories.

"The past has provided inspiration for our new denim collection's fits and styles. Everything old is new again, particularly to our Gen Z consumer, who brings relevancy to trends through social media sharing, and we are encouraging them to get creative with self-expression through their fashion choices," said Brieane (Brie Olson), President at Pacsun.

Content creators and brand ambassadors joining Pacsun for the campaign include Amelie Zilber ( @AmelieZilber ), Charlotte Briar D'Alessio ( @CharlotteDAlessio ), Gaelle Lily Ames ( @gigibearrrr ), Kat ( @WhoIsKat ), Malik ( @_malikanderson_ ), Peter Dupont ( @peter_dupont ), Tyler ( @zaptyler ) , Travis ( @YungTaco ), who can be seen sporting the latest from Pacsun, like low rise to mid rise, flare, bootcut, cargo, balloon, straight, mom, relaxed and more. All creators were involved in styling the campaign and their individual denim looks as part of the #MyDenimStory community.

"Through this campaign, we wanted to develop new styles that enable our consumers to channel the best versions of themselves. Denim is so versatile, and it's incredible to see how people express their mood and embrace their personality with different fits and styling," continued Olson. "As a leading retailer at the forefront of virtual and digital relevancy, it was important for us to incorporate mixed reality and cyberculture so that our community, who really value their physical and virtual identities, could engage with the campaign and denim beyond the IRL aspect."

With continued investment in digital and leveraging hybrid IRL and Virtual experiences, Pacsun is positioning itself as the go-to denim destination and launching the campaign simultaneously in both the physical and digital worlds. Each Pacsun retail location will have denim themed decor throughout and window displays showcasing campaign talent and imagery. Select stores will also feature prominent Bear sculptures, designed and made completely out of recycled denim, which intentionally ties in with a standalone commemorative NFT.

Digital and social media will be the catalyst for emerging denim trends, as Pacsun and its consumers share their lives and love for denim across social media platforms. Pacsun will provide amplification of their community voices in #MyDenimStory on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Twitter and Discord, and will share the #MyDenimStory of their creators, brand ambassadors, employees and customers. Pacsun will also be partnering with DRESSX to launch a virtual try-on experience featuring top denim styles and integrate the campaign into its existing Metaverse initiatives with an all-new Denim Shop in PACWORLD on Roblox, new Pac Mall Rat NFT denim mini-series with unlockable content, and the stand-alone NFT.

In support of the launch, an exclusive and interactive Fall event will be hosted at Pacsun's SoHo Flagship store later this month with guest influencers, talent and performances. The event will be livestreamed on Pacsun's social channels and feature denim embroidery stations, a photobooth, NFT bidding opportunities, and much more.

Pacun's label for its youngest consumer, Pacsun Kids, will highlight new denim, fleece, jackets, sneakers and more, for back-to-school staples. Select stores like Mall of America, Brea, and Cerritos, will offer activities to get kids ready for the school year, like hosted livestreams and more!

Campaign images and videos can be accessed here .

ABOUT PACSUN

Pacsun is a leading specialty retailer offering a cross section of emerging brands and trending fashion through the lens of youth culture. Throughout the contemporary, streetwear and active lifestyle markets, Pacsun partners with the best brands to offer curated collections, rare and exclusive products, and creative collaborations on every level. Founded in 1980, Newport, CA. Curated in Los Angeles. Follow @pacsun on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and TikTok.

SOURCE Pacsun
COMPANY TO ANNOUNCE FULL RESULTS FOR THE QUARTER ON JULY 28, 2022

ST. LOUIS, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Peabody (NYSE: BTU) today announced preliminary unaudited financial results for the second quarter 2022 in connection with the previously announced Wilpinjong Senior Notes repurchase offer, which is scheduled to expire on July 21, 2022.

The Company expects to report second quarter revenue of $1,310 to $1,340 million, net of approximately $25 million of unrealized mark-to-market losses related to coal hedges; net income attributable to common stockholders of $400 to $420 million; and Adjusted EBITDA1 of $570 to $590 million. Peabody posted $63 million of additional cash margin during the quarter in support of its existing coal hedge contracts and ended the quarter with $544 million of cash margin posted and $1,121 million of cash and cash equivalents. The Company continued to reduce its outstanding debt during the quarter and has retired senior secured debt of nearly $90 million year-to-date through June 30, 2022, with additional retirements of over $110 million pending settlement.

"The preliminary financial results reported today demonstrate the strength of our diversified platform, generating over $570 million of Adjusted EBITDA. With substantial cash generation this quarter despite continued operational challenges including rail performance in the PRB and weather in Australia, we believe we are positioned for a stronger second half as we continue to pay down debt and further collateralize our reclamation obligations," said Peabody President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Grech.

The nearly four-fold increase in Adjusted EBITDA compared to the prior year quarter is attributable to record high realized prices from our seaborne coal segments and higher margins and volumes from our Other U.S. Thermal segment. Second quarter costs were impacted by sales sensitive costs such as royalties and production taxes, higher diesel prices and advanced overburden removal in the PRB. Production volumes for the quarter were impacted by further degradation of PRB rail performance and the unexpected continuation of heavy rain and COVID absenteeism in Australia.

PIC AU Holdings LLC, "PIC AU", a wholly-owned subsidiary of Peabody that owns and operates the Wilpinjong mine, expects to report second quarter net income, net of income taxes of $80 to $95 million; Adjusted EBITDA of $160 to $175 million; and cash and cash equivalents of $202 million. PIC AU retired approximately $67 million of senior secured debt year-to-date as of June 30, 2022, with additional retirements of $90 million pending settlement.

______________ 1 Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure. Please refer to the tables and related notes in this press release for a reconciliation and definition of non-GAAP financial measures.

On Thursday, July 28, 2022, Peabody will announce full results for the quarter ended June 30, 2022. A conference call with management is scheduled for 9 a.m. CT on Thursday, July 28, 2022.

The call, replay and other investor data will be available at PeabodyEnergy.com.

Participants may also access the call using the following phone numbers:

U.S. and Canada (888) 312-3049

Australia 1800 849 976

United Kingdom 0808 238 9907

For all other international participants, please contact Peabody Investor Relations at (314) 342-7900 prior to the call to receive your dial-in number.

The preliminary financial results set forth in this release are based on information available to us at this time. Our actual results may vary from the preliminary estimated results presented here due to the completion of our financial closing procedures, final adjustments and other developments that may arise between now and the time the financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2022 are finalized. The preliminary estimated financial results have not been audited or reviewed by our independent registered public accounting firm. In addition, the preliminary financial results should not be viewed as a substitute for our full interim financial statements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on this preliminary data.

This press release is for informational purposes only and is not an offer or solicitation to purchase the PIC AU 10.000% Senior Secured Notes due 2024 (the "Wilpinjong Senior Notes"). The offer is being made solely pursuant to the offer to purchase, dated May 26, 2022 (as amended, the "Offer to Purchase"), which sets forth the complete terms of the offer that holders of the Wilpinjong Senior Notes should carefully read prior to making any decision.

The Offer to Purchase does not constitute an offer or solicitation to purchase Wilpinjong Senior Notes in any jurisdiction in which, or to or from any person to or from whom, it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation under applicable securities or blue sky laws.

Peabody (NYSE: BTU) is a leading coal producer, providing essential products for the production of affordable, reliable energy and steel. Our commitment to sustainability underpins everything we do and shapes our strategy for the future. For further information, visit PeabodyEnergy.com.

Contact:

Alice Tharenos

314.342.7890

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the securities laws. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They often include words or variation of words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "projects," "forecasts," "targets," "would," "will," "should," "goal," "could" or "may" or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements provide management's current expectations or predictions of future conditions, events or results. All statements that address operating performance, events, or developments that Peabody expects will occur in the future are forward-looking statements. They may include estimates of sales and other operating performance targets, cost savings, capital expenditures, other expense items, actions relating to strategic initiatives, demand for the company's products, liquidity, capital structure, market share, industry volume, other financial items, descriptions of management's plans or objectives for future operations and descriptions of assumptions underlying any of the above. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and reflect Peabody's good faith beliefs, assumptions and expectations, but they are not guarantees of future performance or events. Furthermore, Peabody disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, except as required by law. By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such differences include, but are not limited to, a variety of economic, competitive and regulatory factors, many of which are beyond Peabody's control, including the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and factors that are described in Peabody's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended Dec. 31, 2021, and other factors that Peabody may describe from time to time in other filings with the SEC. You may get such filings for free at Peabody's website at www.peabodyenergy.com. You should understand that it is not possible to predict or identify all such factors and, consequently, you should not consider any such list to be a complete set of all potential risks or uncertainties.

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures (Unaudited)

For the Quarters Ended Jun. 30, 2022 and 2021













(Dollars In Millions)























Note: Management believes that non-GAAP performance measures are used by investors to measure our operating performance and lenders to

measure our ability to incur and service debt. These measures are not intended to serve as alternatives to U.S. GAAP measures of performance

and may not be comparable to similarly-titled measures presented by other companies.

















Preliminary Estimate







Quarter Ended Jun. 2022

Quarter

Ended Jun. 2021



Low

High

Actual













Peabody Energy Corporation









Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Income Taxes $ 400.0

$ 420.0

$ (23.0) Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization 71.0

76.0

77.1 Asset Retirement Obligation Expenses 13.0

12.0

15.1 Restructuring Charges 1.0



2.1 Changes in Deferred Tax Asset Valuation Allowance and Reserves and Amortization

of Basis Difference Related to Equity Affiliates (1.0)



(0.5) Interest Expense 39.0

37.0

45.4 Net Loss (Gain) on Early Debt Extinguishment 3.0

2.0

(11.8) Interest Income 

(1.0)

(1.3) Unrealized Losses on Derivative Contracts Related to Forecasted Sales 27.0

23.0

23.7 Unrealized Losses on Foreign Currency Option Contracts 7.0

5.0

1.2 Take-or-Pay Contract-Based Intangible Recognition 

(1.0)

(1.1) Income Tax Provision (Benefit) 10.0

17.0

(4.8) Adjusted EBITDA (1) $ 570.0

$ 590.0

$ 122.1













PIC AU Holdings LLC









Income from Continuing Operations, Net of Income Taxes $ 80.0

$ 95.0

$ 12.9 Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization 17.0

15.0

16.5 Asset Retirement Obligation Expenses 1.0

0.5

0.7 Interest Expense 10.5

10.0

11.8 Net Loss on Early Debt Extinguishment 3.5

3.0

 Foreign Exchange Loss (Gain) 1.5

1.0

(1.7) Management Overhead Charges 3.0

2.5

2.9 Income Tax Provision 43.5

48.0

10.8 Adjusted EBITDA (1) $ 160.0

$ 175.0

$ 53.9



(1) Adjusted EBITDA is defined as income (loss) from continuing operations before deducting net interest expense, income taxes, asset retirement

obligation expenses, depreciation, depletion and amortization, and, with respect to the definition for PIC AU Holdings LLC, foreign exchange and

management overhead charges. Adjusted EBITDA is also adjusted for the discrete items that management excluded in analyzing each of our

segment's operating performance, as displayed in the reconciliation above. Adjusted EBITDA is used by management as the primary metric to

measure each of our segment's operating performance and allocate resources.













This information is intended to be reviewed in conjunction with the company's filings with the SEC.





SOURCE Peabody
DALLAS, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Department of State's Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Fellowship Program held its annual Forum in Washington, D.C. this week. Nina Vaca, Chairman & CEO of Pinnacle Group and Dallas's inaugural Entrepreneur in Residence, delivered the keynote address, with the purpose of inspiring the next generation of global entrepreneurs.

Related Documents View PDF Stacy White (center left) and Nina Vaca (center right) surrounded by YLAI Fellows

YLAI's purpose is to empower emerging entrepreneurs from the Western Hemisphere to help improve their economic potential along with their communities and countries. Started by the White House in 2015, the YLAI Fellowship Program has granted over 1,000 Fellowships and counting. YLAI Fellows have shared U.S. business models, increased trade, encouraged job creation, and built networks of young entrepreneurs and business and social leaders of over 50,000 members in 37 countries across Latin America, the Caribbean, Canada, and the United States.

"YLAI is a demonstration of [the State Department's] commitment to expand partnerships and deepen engagement with leaders in the Americas to support inclusive prosperity," remarked Stacy White, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Vaca helped launch the first class of YLAI Fellows in 2016 as a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship through the White House. This year, she returned to again deliver the keynote address at the YLAI Closing Forum, but this time in her role as Dallas's inaugural Entrepreneur in Residence.

"We are honored to have Nina Vaca back with us to speak with our YLAI Fellows. She is a living example of how entrepreneurship can improve families, communities, and even entire lives. When young people hear her story, they can see what is possible through the incredible power of entrepreneurship and a global perspective," said Diego Sandoval, YLAI Program Officer.

"There is nothing more important to creating prosperity globally than encouraging entrepreneurship, especially in the younger generation," said Vaca. "YLAI's work is incredibly important, and the impact the Fellows have had in their communities and home countries is truly remarkable. I am proud to support and encourage them as they take the next steps as world changers."

Following the YLAI Closing Forum, the Fellows will take everything they learned throughout the duration of the program, including their Entrepreneurial Leadership Action Plan (E-LAP) and the practical leadership training they received back to their home countries. These learnings combined with their newly expanded networks that span the Western Hemisphere will empower them to make their visions into reality.

About Pinnacle Group

Pinnacle Group is the largest Latina-owned and led global workforce solutions provider. Founded by Nina Vaca in 1996, Pinnacle Group's core services include talent acquisition and management, managed services (MSP), and employer/agent of record services. With an unwavering commitment to client service and a specialty in analytics and emerging technologies, Pinnacle Group provides transformational outcomes to primarily Fortune 500 clients and other large buyers of contingent workforce solutions. Pinnacle Group was named one of the fastest-growing companies in the US 13 times and was named the fastest-growing women-owned/led company in the country by the Women Presidents' Organization twice. For more information, visit http://www.pinnacle1.com.

Media Contact:

Sarah Miller

[email protected]

214-736-7235

SOURCE Pinnacle Group
LOS ANGELES , July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pour Les Femmes Foundation, the new non-profit created by actor Robin Wright and designer Karen Fowler to empower women and girls in conflict regions of the world, partnered with the Global Fund for Widows for their panel on June 21, 2022, at the US Capitol for their Make Widows Matter campaign.

High Commissioner Callista Mutharika, Former First Lady of Malawi and Karen Fowler, co-founder of Pour Les Femmes Foundation From left to right: Callista Mutharika, Heather Ibrahim-Leathers, Karen Fowler

On Jun 21, 2022, the Global Fund for Widows convened their first International Widows day event in Washington D.C. entitled, "Ending the World's Silence on Widows: Opportunities for Leadership Around the World". The event brought together different stakeholders and global experts from around the world including the U.S. Government to discuss opportunities to mainstream widows into social policies, human rights reporting, and business practices. Using the UN Sustainable Development Goals as its framework, the event aimed to provide concrete and actionable recommendations across sectors in order to address the needs of widows suffering human rights violations and discrimination in certain parts of the world.

Karen Fowler, the co-founder of Pour Les Femmes and the new Pour Les Femmes Foundation, spoke on a panel that included Heather Ibrahim-Leathers, Global Fund for Widows, Ms. Katrina Fotovat, Senior Official, Dept. of State Office of Global Women's Issues, H.E. Ambassador Hilda Suka-Mafudze, African Union Ambassador to the United States, High Commissioner Callista Mutharika, Former First Lady of Malawi, The H.E. Ambassador Victoria Sulamani, Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Sierra Leone to the U.N., and Mr. Vikas Khanna, Chef, Humanitarian, & Global Goodwill Ambassador for Widows. The event was moderated by CNN anchor Ms. Zain Asher.

"As a social enterprise, Pour Les Femmes is committed to our support of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that help widows and other women escape poverty," said Karen Fowler. "Pour Les Femmes's customers have brought over 3000 days of work to the 200 tailors in our Goma atelier who sew the garments for our Give Work capsule collection," Fowler added.

"With the recent launch of the Pour Les Femmes Foundation, we'll be able to build on the success we've had with our partners at the GiveWork program to help women in conflict regions around the world," said co-founder Robin Wright.

Heather Ibrahim-Leathers, the founder of Global Fund for Widows said, "Global Fund for Widows was honored to join forces with Pour Les Femmes at the US Congress to shine a critical spotlight on the issue of widows. Together, Global Fund for Widows and Pour Les Femmes are innovating sustainable and permanent solutions for their financial inclusion and changing the landscape in global development."

The Global Fund for Widows is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering widows and female heads of households to overcome poverty through skills-based training, job creation, and micro-finance.

Pour Les Femmes Foundation is a registered 501(c)3 public non-profit that was created by actor Robin Wright and designer Karen Fowler to further the corporate social responsibility goals of Pour Les Femmes and with an aim to empower women and girls in conflict regions of the world.

Media Contact:

Jeff Hallstead

323 578-1284

[email protected]

SOURCE Pour Les Femmes Foundation
BOCA RATON, Fla., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- JetASAP, a private jet charter app that connects flyers directly with operators, commission free, announces the release of a new trip availability feature. This exclusive feature allows charter operators to post their real-time empty-leg, must-move and one-way flights directly to the app. These trips display immediately and are available for flyers to search and book in real time.

JetASAP empty leg versus other services comparison

Live trips are typically only offered to industry insiders and are not available to the public, until now. JetASAP states that this new availability feature currently averages 200 trips a day across the U.S. and Canada.

"Many operators have availability, even with charter demand at an all-time high. This is a huge opportunity for flyers to save money when many of them are seeing increasing rates," said Lisa Kiefer Sayer, CEO and Founder of JetASAP. "We are taking a different approach in offering this new live feature, and we want our subscribers to have the very best opportunity at booking these empty-leg and one-way trips."

Below are a few examples of current prices that have come through the app:

Light Jet:

AtlantaCincinnati $5,389

NassauMiami $5,000

Los AngelesPhoenix $6,283

Mid Jet:

DenverNew York $10,500

FarmingdaleMiami $14,500

St. ThomasNew York 17,900

DCNantucket $6,800

Super Mid Jet:

Palm BeachBoston $15,975

OrlandoLas Vegas $30,000

ChicagoNashville $8,500

Miami--Fort Worth $10,000

St. PaulIslip $4,000

Heavy Jet:

VancouverSanta Barbara $21,000

Cabo San LucasLos Angeles $12,500

Los AngelesHawaii $24,500

AustinMontreal $17,075

Los AngelesLas Vegas $9,950

Many charter operators offer alternate routes to their posted availability. Flyers can contact operators with their desired routing to see if they can help, as the company's contact information is displayed on each trip. If the flyer wants to book, they can handle it directly with the charter operator outside of the app.

"This new feature gets us closer to our goal of building a true charter marketplace that is live, with real-time data, where flyers and operators can connect directly to source and book their travel," said Sayer.

JetASAP is currently working on their next feature, TripMATCH, where their subscribers will be automatically matched and alerted to any of these trips with their requests and saved travel preferences.

For more information, please visit www.JetASAP.com or download the app from the Apple App Store.

About JetASAP

As a one-stop set of aircraft charter tools, JetASAP provides subscribers a full suite of services to source and book their charter flights, commission free. These tools features: the ability to submit trip requests to over 700 charter operators and receive live bookable quotes; the JetRATE intelligent cost estimate tool, which offers flyers insight into expected market pricing for any trip; exclusive partner services at discounted rates, such as Charter Flight Support's aircraft coverage and support when a booked aircraft becomes unavailable due to a mechanical issue; innovative search tools such as the JetSEARCH operator directory; and the ability to search for trip deals in the live operator availability, including empty-leg, one-way and must-move flights.

The app is available on the Apple App Store for a subscription of $79.99/month or $799.99/year (a savings of $160) and comes with a free seven-day trial.

Media Contact:

Claire Kunzman

[email protected]

407-227-8867

SOURCE JetASAP
CINCINNATI, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Prosource, the region's leading business technology solutions provider, has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2022 honor by Enquirer Media. The Top Workplaces list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage LLC. The anonymous survey uniquely measures 15 culture drivers that are critical to the success of any organization: including alignment, execution, and connection, just to name a few.

"During this very challenging time, Top Workplaces has proven to be a beacon of light for organizations, as well as a sign of resiliency and strong business performance," said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. "When you give your employees a voice, you come together to navigate challenges and shape your path forward. Top Workplaces draw on real-time insights into what works best for their organization, so they can make informed decisions that have a positive impact on their people and their business."

"At Prosource, we are committed to creating an environment where amazing, dedicated people can do meaningful work, support their families, and chase their dreams," said Brad Cates, President & CEO of Prosource. "To again be named a Top Workplace is a reflection of our special culture, our engaged team members, and their commitment to our customers and to one another, and I am so proud of everything they have accomplished over the past year."

About Energage

Energage is a purpose-driven company that helps organizations turn employee feedback into useful business intelligence and credible employer recognition through Top Workplaces. Built on 14 years of culture research and the results from 23 million employees surveyed across more than 70,000 organizations, Energage delivers the most accurate competitive benchmark available. With access to a unique combination of patented analytic tools and expert guidance, Energage customers lead the competition with an engaged workforce and an opportunity to gain recognition for their people-first approach to culture. For more information visit energage.com .

About PROSOURCE

As a trusted technology partner, Prosource helps businesses of all sizes optimize processes, reduce costs, and enhance their bottom linesall with an unmatched customer experience. From managed IT, cybersecurity, enterprise content management, and digital transformation solutions to top-tier office and production equipment and managed print services, Prosource delivers powerful, secure solutions to help organizations leverage technology for strategic advantage.

With offices in Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia providing a depth and breadth of expertise, products, and services throughout the Midwest, Prosource offers personal service and support while leading the way in the region in business technology. For more information, visit www.totalprosource.com.

Amy Mersch

Prosource

[email protected]

(513) 769-0606 ext. 1213

https://www.totalprosource.com

SOURCE Prosource
The new site seeks to connect job seekers and companies looking for top talent by providing a more refined search experience

HILLSDALE, N.J, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- When it comes to hiring quality talent and needing to hire quickly, it can be challenging to sift through thousands of job seekers to find the right fit. But one new employment platform, QA Scout, is looking to transform the way the Quality Assurance industry hires by making the talent pool more specialized.

QA Scout is an employment site designed specifically for the Quality Assurance industry. The site caters to both job seekers, employers, and recruiters, giving all parties the opportunity to find the right fit for their needs.

Professionals seeking new career opportunities in the Quality Assurance field can easily set up a free profile. For career seekers who want to amplify their profiles and garner more employer attention, a paid option allows for their profile to be featured for a week at a time.

For employers looking for their next top performer, QA Scout streamlines the recruitment process, saving them the time and expenses of long recruitment and hiring processes. Employers can quickly post job openings and search job seeker profiles to find the ideal candidate.

QA Scout's intuitive platform also allows employers, recruiters, and job seekers to communicate with each other in-platform via instant private chat, video and voice interviewing, and direct email, streamlining the interview and hiring process.

"When it comes to recruiting new team members, time is money," said Stacey (Owner). "Spending too much time searching for the right candidate or finding a candidate that doesn't work out is costly. We make the applicant pool more refined to the industry, accelerating the time to hire and helping the right Quality Assurance employers and top talent find each other through our precision approach to the job search."

To learn more about QA Scout, visit https://www.qascout.com/.

CONTACT: Stacey

PHONE: 917.757.4598

EMAIL: [email protected]

SOURCE QA Scout
SEATTLE, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Quark Expeditions, the global Leader in Polar Adventures, has announced a new photography-themed voyage in Spitsbergen for the Arctic 2023 sailing season, positioning it as "a dream trip for photographers."

Beginner and advanced photographers can explore Spitsbergen in the Norwegian Arctic and hone their photography skills at the same time on the 11-day Spitsbergen Photography: Under the Midnight Sun voyage, which Quark Expeditions is offering in July 2023.

Photo by Michelle Sole

Inspiring guests through snow-topped mountains, massive glaciers, deep-walled fjords and tundra of Spitsbergen will be award-winning photographer, filmmaker and lecturer Chris Linder. "July is a magical time to visit Svalbard, when the light-filled summer days fuel a brief but intense explosion of life from tiny tundra flowers to polar bears, walruses, and whales," says Chris, who has photographed more than 50 scientific expeditions after transitioning from naval officer and oceanographic researcher to visual storyteller. "The diversity of subject matter and enchanting low-angle light make this expedition a photographer's dream."

Guests will enjoy this photography-themed journey aboard the 128-passenger Ocean Adventurer, a past winner of the Travel Weekly Magellan Silver Award for Best Overall Small Cruise Ship.

"We're so proud to have created this unique itinerary specifically geared to Arctic photographers," says Thomas Lennartz, Vice-President of Sales for Quark Expeditions. "The impetus for this itinerary came from our guests who've expressed a desire to perfect their photography skills in Spitsbergen, which is known as the Wildlife Capital of the Arctic. We're also pleased that our guests can learn from an award-winning photographer like Chris Linder who has many years in the Arctic."

In addition to learning amazing photography skills from an award-winning professional, guests can also look forward to:

Presentations from polar experts including marine biologists

Zodiac cruising and shore landings

The Polar Plunge

Kayaking

Learn more about Spitsbergen Photography: Under the Midnight Sun.

For images please visit:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/e2nnqfkmld249q0/AABedCq3IKSFfqzi4AMbHJzia?d

l=0

About Quark Expeditions:

Specializing exclusively in expeditions to Antarctica and the Arctic, Quark Expeditions has been the leading innovator of polar adventure since the company took the first group of consumer travelers to the North Pole in 1991. Quark Expeditions has been innovating ever since. With a diverse fleet of specially-equipped small expedition vessels and icebreakerssome of them equipped with helicoptersQuark Expeditions delivers deeply immersive polar experiencesand is able to take guests deeper into the Polar Regions than anyone else. Led by passionate and seasoned expedition teams, including scientists, wildlife experts and researchers, Quark Expeditions offers an onboard program that enriches the passenger experience.

About Ultramarine:

The technologically-advanced Ultramarine, the newest addition to the Quark Expeditions fleet, is a game-changer in polar exploration. Equipped with two twin-engine Airbus 145 helicopters, 20 quick-launching Zodiacs and the largest portfolio of off-ship adventure options in the industry, Ultramarine changes the way guests explore the Polar Regions. Other features include a spa, sauna with floor-to-ceiling windows, fitness centre, yoga space, spacious rooms and two restaurants plus a lounge and presentation theatre. Ultramarine has been designed with advanced sustainability systems that help us preserve the pristine Polar Regions for the next generation of explorers.

About Travelopia:

Travelopia is one of the world's leading specialist travel groups. A pioneer in the experiential travel sector with a portfolio consisting of more than 50 independently operated brands, most of which are leaders in their sector. From sailing adventures, safaris and sports tours, to Arctic expeditions, each brand is diverse and focused on creating unforgettable experiences for customers across the world.

SOURCE Quark Expeditions
Industry Leader Brings 30 Years' Experience from Goldman Sachs' Personal Financial Management, Fidelity, JP Morgan Chase, Citibank and American Express to Aquiline Capital-Backed RIA

Bernal Joins Recent Senior Executive Hires to Support SageView's Strategic Vision, Bolster Firm's Leadership at the Intersection of Wealth Management and Retirement Planning

Retirement Plan Consultants Andrew Ness and Cullen Reif Also Join SageView

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SageView Advisory Group ("SageView"), one of the nation's leading independent RIA firms, announced today it appointed Jorge Bernal as Chief Operating Officer as part of the fast-growing firm's plan for accelerating its growth as a provider of comprehensive wealth management solutions for individuals and families across the country.

Mr. Bernal will oversee all day-to-day operations and provide strategic leadership for SageView's shared services across more than 30 nationwide offices. He will be instrumental in setting and executing on the firm's strategic vision while maximizing scale and efficiency and ensuring an excellent client experience. Bernal reports to SageView's Founder and Chief Executive Officer Randy Long.

Mr. Long said, "I'm thrilled to have Jorge join our executive team of well-established and recognized retirement and wealth management leaders. His experience leading complex and diverse organizations and successful track record strengthen SageView's ability to deliver superior service and support for our advisors across our qualified retirement plan and wealth management teams."

SageView, with over $170 billion in retirement plan assets, is a longstanding leader in serving retirement plan sponsors across the country. Its wealth management business has grown to more than $4 billion via organic expansion and targeted acquisitions.

In January 2021, the company announced a strategic and financial partnership with Aquiline Capital Partners, a leading financial services and technology-focused private equity firm. Due in part to this partnership, SageView has acquired six firms since July 2021 and plans to continue its expansion through this year.

Mr. Bernal was previously a Managing Director and co-Head of Advisory Services for Goldman Sachs Personal Financial Management where he provided oversight and leadership to more than 250 national financial advisors who oversee approximately $35 billion in assets and generate approximately $250 million in annual revenue.

Prior to Goldman Sachs, Bernal was Chief Operating Officer for United Capital Financial Advisors and played a key role in its sale to Goldman Sachs. He was also a Senior Vice President at Fidelity Investments, a Managing Director at JP Morgan Chase, Vice President of Customer Service & Sales at Citibank and an Operations Manager at Deluxe Corp. He began his career at American Express where he was Supervisor on the Latin American Risk Management team.

Mr. Bernal received his bachelor's in Business Administration and International Management from High Point University in North Carolina. He holds FINRA Series 7, 24 and 63 licenses.

Expanded Wealth Management Industry Leadership

Mr. Bernal said, "I am excited to join SageView's impressive leadership team and be part of its growth momentum. I look forward to working with Randy and the team on delivering outcomes that meet SageView's strategic vision and offering clients the best in services."

Mr. Bernal is the latest in several key appointments at SageView. Jim Dario joined from TD Ameritrade in March as Head of Wealth Management. Tara Egan, formerly of Goldman Sachs, joined in May as Managing Director, Human Resources. In 2021, SageView hired Tony Notermann of Advisor Group as Chief Financial Officer and Jeremy Holly of LPL Financial as Chief Development and Integration Officer.

Retirement Plan Consulting Team Grows

Also joining SageView's Retirement Plan Consulting teams are Cullen Reif in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Andrew Ness in Richmond, Virginia.

Mr. Reif will be responsible for guiding investment committees in their fiduciary responsibilities, plan design strategy, building new client relationships and total plan fee benchmarking.

Jeff Gratton, Managing Director of SageView's Minneapolis, MN office, said, "We have known Cullen for many years and have been impressed with his retirement plan acumen and client relationship skills. He will help continue our trajectory while providing exceptional service to existing clients. We are proud to now have him on our team."

Mr. Ness is a nationally-recognized retirement plan consultant, with specific experience supporting tax-exempt Plan Sponsors and predominantly state retirement programs.

Nichole Labott, Managing Director of SageView's Richmond, Virginia office, said, "I'm thrilled to have Andrew as part of our team as an advisor who can provide expert advice to our clients and help us expand our reach. He will have an integral role in continuing our growth."

About SageView Advisory Group

SageView Advisory Group is an SEC-Registered Investment Advisory firm (RIA) serving retirement plan sponsors and individuals throughout the United States since 1989. SageView advises on 401(k), 403(b), 457, defined benefit and deferred compensation plans, and provides comprehensive wealth management services to individuals and families. SageView is headquartered in Newport Beach, California, and has more than 30 offices nationwide advising on over $170B of retirement assets (AUA) and $4 billion of advisory assets under management (AUM).

SageView Advisory Group, LLC is a Registered Investment Advisor. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where SageView Advisory Group, LLC and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No advice may be rendered by SageView Advisory Group, LLC unless a client service agreement is in place.

For more information about SageView, visit www.sageviewadvisory.com or call (800) 814-8742.

Contact: Julie Katsnelson

800.814.8742 | [email protected]

SOURCE SageView Advisory Group
PRINCETON, N.J., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SciTec Inc., was awarded a $26.6M contract from the U.S. Army to continue system development and technical support for missile simulators for the joint Service agency Center for Countermeasures. Under this 5-year effort SciTec will maintain and improve the Joint Mobile Infrared Countermeasure Test System (JMITS) and Multi-Spectral Sea and Land Target System (MSALTS) missile simulators in support of threat warning system acquisition, test, and evaluation; training; and military exercises.

"We're excited to continue support of the JMITS and MSALTS systems we developed for the countermeasure test community," said Nancy Straman, SciTec's Executive Director for Instrumentation, Measurement, and Test. "We're proud of the fact that JMITS has been continuously deployed supporting the community for over 15 years."

These missile simulator systems are custom-built with unique hardware, electronics, and software to generate realistic missile plume signatures. SciTec applies spiral development to upgrade these systems as test needs evolve to meet advancing threats and the increasing sophistication of missile warning systems aboard fixed and rotary wing aircraft. Under this contract SciTec also provides calibration, field test support, data analysis, and maintenance services.

Work will be performed at SciTec's Princeton, New Jersey instrumentation fabrication and lab facility and in the field as necessary to support our customers.

SOURCE SciTec
NEW YORK, July 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Generac Holdings Inc. ("Generac" or the "Company") (NYSE: GNRC). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.

The investigation concerns whether Generac and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

Generac has asserted that its recent acquisitions (including its 80% interest in Pramac and acquisition of Off Grid Energy) support the Company's "Powering A Smarter World" strategic plan and has touted the role played by Generac's much-hyped strategic distribution partnership with Sunnova. On June 22, 2022, Spruce Point Capital Management ("Spruce Point") published an investment report alleging that Generac is struggling "to suppress core business challenges, while pivoting towards a highly speculative and unproven acquisition spree in clean energy products and services." Among other things, the Spruce Point report: (1) accused Generac of engaging in a pattern of misreporting acquisition revenue contribution between 2019 and 2021; (2) questioned Pramac's ballooning receivables, calling it "a hallmark of channel stuffing"; (3) observed that Generac's press release announcing the Off Grid Energy acquisition obscured the fact that its 80% Pramac business was the end acquiror and found "evidence to suggest a sham revenue transaction at Off Grid Energy"; and (4) opined that Generac's distribution partnership with Sunnova may have been structured to enable Generac to round-trip cash flows.

On this news, Generac's stock price fell $7.41 per share, or 3.37%, to close at $212.57 per share on June 22, 2022.

Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP
NEW YORK, July 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of The Charles Schwab Corporation ("Charles Schwab" or the "Company") (NYSE: SCHW). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.

The investigation concerns whether Charles Schwab Therapeutics and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On July 2, 2021, Charles Schwab disclosed in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") that the Company "has been responding to an investigation by the [SEC] arising from a compliance examination" and that "[t]he investigation largely concerns historic disclosures related to the Schwab Intelligent Portfolios (SIP) digital advisory solution." Accordingly, Charles Schwab disclosed that "[g]iven the investigation's status, Schwab's second quarter 2021 financial results will include a liability and related non-deductible charge of $200 million."

On this news, Charles Schwab's stock price fell $2.03 per share, or 2.79%, to close at $70.77 per share on July 6, 2021, the next trading day.

Then, on June 13, 2022, the SEC announced that it "charged three Charles Schwab investment adviser subsidiaries" who "agreed to pay $187 million to harmed clients to settle the charges." The SEC charged Charles Schwab with misleading investors that used its robo-adviser product, Schwab Intelligent Portfolios. Instead of the touted "disciplined portfolio construction methodology" that sought "optimal return[s]", Charles Schwab's "own data showed that under most market conditions, the cash in the portfolios would cause clients to make less money even while taking on the same amount of risk."

On this news, Charles Schwab's stock price fell $1.98 per share, or 3.18%, to close at $60.24 per share on June 13, 2022.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP
CLEARWATER BEACH, Fla., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The most recent addition to the Sheraton Sand Key Resort culinary staff is 22-year-old prep cook, Jenna Wieneke. Wieneke, almost completely blind following a life-threatening motorcycle accident, was not sure she would ever be able to work again, especially not in a kitchen. But Sheraton Sand Key Resort's award-winning Executive Chef, Andrew Basch has a secret ingredient for joint success.

Since Wieneke connected with Hands On Education Services (www.handsoneducation.net) and Executive Chef Andrew Basch, her life has been forever impacted. "Jenna is one of the most positive people I have ever met, and our entire culinary team loves the energy she brings to the kitchen. She helps us all put life in perspective," said Basch.

Founded in 1998, Hands On Education helps young adults with hands-on training and prepares them for permanent employment. "Many times, people with disabilities are better workers in terms of productivity and speed, but more importantly they appreciate that you gave them the opportunity," explained Hands On Education Program Director, John Ficca.

Basch is paying it forward and making a significant impact in the community with his partnership with the state-funded hospitality training program for adults with disabilities. And by the way, Basch graduated from the Hands On Education program in 2004, and his experience with the program kickstarted an incredibly successful career. Basch currently oversees all culinary operations and four on-site restaurants and bars at Sheraton Sand Key Resort, including Rusty's Bistro, an eight-time consecutive Golden Spoon Awards Winner by Florida Trend Magazine.

Since becoming the Executive Chef in 2019, Basch has made it a priority to give back to the program that helped launch his career and has brought in three students from the Hands On Education program to work as a part of his culinary team.

About Sheraton Sand Key Resort

Sheraton Sand Key Resort is located directly on the beach at Sand Key. Offering 390 rooms and suites overlooking the Gulf of Mexico and the Intracoastal Waterway, the resort offers a legacy of exceptional hospitality serving guests from around the world.

For more information, visit https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/tpasi-sheraton-sand-key-resort

SOURCE Sheraton Sand Key Resort
SK Biopharmaceuticals will now be present in four continents: North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America

PANGYO, South Korea, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SK Biopharmaceuticals, Co., Ltd., today announced that it has entered into a licensing agreement for Eurofarma, a Brazilian pharmaceutical company with business in over 20 countries, to develop and commercialize cenobamate in Latin America for the treatment of epilepsy. Cenobamate is approved and available in the United States and Europe for the treatment of partial-onset seizures in adults.

Under the terms of the agreement, SK Biopharmaceuticals has granted Eurofarma the exclusive rights to develop and commercialize cenobamate in Latin America. In return, SK Biopharmaceuticals will receive an upfront payment of US$15 million and will be eligible to receive future milestones of up to US$47 million, in addition to royalties on sales generated in Latin America.

The agreement reinforces the company's commitment and capabilities in developing medicines for central nervous system disorders and providing treatment options for the epilepsy communities in this region and around the world. Cenobamate has been previously launched in the United States and Europe, and SK Biopharmaceuticals completed partnerships for cenobamate in Japan, China, Canada, and Israel. With this agreement, SK Biopharmaceuticals will now be present in four continents: North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America.

"We are extremely pleased to partner with Eurofarma, which has a proven track record in the region and a widespread network to drive development and commercialization of cenobamate in Latin America," said Jeong Woo Cho, PhD, President and CEO of SK Biopharmaceuticals. "This partnership reaffirms our commitment to provide innovative treatments to people with epilepsy. We will continue to broaden our footprint around the world to support the patient community with cenobamate."

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological diseases, affecting over 6 million people in Latin America.1 According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the regional office of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the Americas, over half of the people living with epilepsy in Latin America and the Caribbean do not receive appropriate treatment.2 Collaborating with Eurofarma, a Brazilian pharmaceutical company that covers 100% of Latin America and has, for 2022, a projected investment in innovation of more than BRL500 million, SK Biopharmaceuticals aims to bring its innovative product widely to the region.

About Cenobamate

Cenobamate is an anti-seizure medication (ASM) discovered and developed by SK Biopharmaceuticals and SK life science. While the precise mechanism by which cenobamate exerts its therapeutic effect is unknown, it is believed to reduce repetitive neuronal firing by inhibiting voltage-gated sodium currents. It is also a positive allosteric modulator of the -aminobutyric acid (GABA A ) ion channel.

Cenobamate is approved in the United States for the treatment of partial-onset seizures in adults and is available under the brand name XCOPRI (cenobamate tablets) CV. Cenobamate can be combined with other ASMs or used alone. The recommended initial dosage of cenobamate is 12.5 mg once-daily, with titration every two weeks; it is available in six tablet strengths for once-daily dosing: 12.5 mg, 25 mg, 50 mg, 100 mg, 150 mg and 200 mg.

Cenobamate is also approved in the European Union and the United Kingdom for the adjunctive treatment of focal-onset (partial-onset) seizures with or without secondary generalization in adult patients with seizures that have not been adequately controlled despite a history of treatment with at least two anti-epileptic medicinal products and is marketed by Angelini Pharma under the brand name ONTOZRY.

Additionally, cenobamate is in clinical development in Asia. Ono Pharmaceutical and Ignis Therapeutics have the rights to develop and commercialize cenobamate in Japan and in the Greater China region, respectively. SK Biopharmaceuticals has recently entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with Endo for cenobamate in Canada.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION AND INDICATION FOR XCOPRI (cenobamate tablets) CV

DO NOT TAKE XCOPRI IF YOU:

Are allergic to cenobamate or any of the other ingredients in XCOPRI.

Have a genetic problem (called Familial Short QT syndrome) that affects the electrical system of the heart.

XCOPRI CAN CAUSE SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS, INCLUDING:

Allergic reactions: XCOPRI can cause serious skin rash or other serious allergic reactions which may affect organs and other parts of your body like the liver or blood cells. You may or may not have a rash with these types of reactions. Call your healthcare provider right away and go to the nearest emergency room if you have any of the following: swelling of your face, eyes, lips, or tongue, trouble swallowing or breathing, a skin rash, hives, fever, swollen glands, or sore throat that does not go away or comes and goes, painful sores in the mouth or around your eyes, yellowing of your skin or eyes, unusual bruising or bleeding, severe fatigue or weakness, severe muscle pain, frequent infections, or infections that do not go away. Take XCOPRI exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to take it. It is very important to increase your dose of XCOPRI slowly, as instructed by your healthcare provider.

QT shortening: XCOPRI may cause problems with the electrical system of the heart (QT shortening). Call your healthcare provider if you have symptoms of QT shortening including fast heartbeat (heart palpitations) that last a long time or fainting.

Suicidal behavior and ideation: Antiepileptic drugs, including XCOPRI, may cause suicidal thoughts or actions in a very small number of people, about 1 in 500. Call your health care provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms, especially if they are new, worse, or worry you: thoughts about suicide or dying; attempting to commit suicide; new or worse depression, anxiety, or irritability; feeling agitated or restless; panic attacks; trouble sleeping (insomnia); acting aggressive; being angry or violent; acting on dangerous impulses; an extreme increase in activity and talking (mania); or other unusual changes in behavior or mood.

Nervous system problems: XCOPRI may cause problems that affect your nervous system. Symptoms of nervous system problems include: dizziness, trouble walking or with coordination, feeling sleepy and tired, trouble concentrating, remembering, and thinking clearly, and vision problems. Do not drive, operate heavy machinery, or do other dangerous activities until you know how XCOPRI affects you.

Do not drink alcohol or take other medicines that can make you sleepy or dizzy while taking XCOPRI without first talking to your healthcare provider.

DISCONTINUATION:

Do not stop taking XCOPRI without first talking to your healthcare provider. Stopping XCOPRI suddenly can cause serious problems. Stopping seizure medicine suddenly in a patient who has epilepsy can cause seizures that will not stop (status epilepticus).

DRUG INTERACTIONS:

XCOPRI may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how XCOPRI works. Do not start or stop other medicines without talking to your healthcare provider. Tell healthcare providers about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements.

PREGNANCY AND LACTATION:

XCOPRI may cause your birth control medicine to be less effective. Talk to your health care provider about the best birth control method to use.

Talk to your health care provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if XCOPRI will harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant while taking XCOPRI. You and your healthcare provider will decide if you should take XCOPRI while you are pregnant. If you become pregnant while taking XCOPRI, talk to your healthcare provider about registering with the North American Antiepileptic Drug (NAAED) Pregnancy Registry. The purpose of this registry is to collect information about the safety of antiepileptic medicine during pregnancy. You can enroll in this registry by calling 1-888-233-2334 or go to www.aedpregnancyregistry.org.

Talk to your health care provider if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if XCOPRI passes into breastmilk. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby while taking XCOPRI.

COMMON SIDE EFFECTS:

The most common side effects in patients taking XCOPRI include dizziness, sleepiness, headache, double vision, and feeling tired.

These are not all the possible side effects of XCOPRI. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or at www.fda.gov/medwatch.

DRUG ABUSE:

XCOPRI is a federally controlled substance (CV) because it can be abused or lead to dependence. Keep XCOPRI in a safe place to prevent misuse and abuse. Selling or giving away XCOPRI may harm others and is against the law.

INDICATION:

XCOPRI is a prescription medicine used to treat partial-onset seizures in adults 18 years of age and older. It is not known if XCOPRI is safe and effective in children under 18 years of age.

Please see additional patient information in the Medication Guide. This information does not take the place of talking with your healthcare provider about your condition or your treatment.

Please see full Prescribing Information.

About SK Biopharmaceuticals

SK Biopharmaceuticals and its U.S. subsidiary SK life science are global pharmaceutical companies focused on the research, development and commercialization of treatments for disorders of the central nervous system (CNS). The companies have a pipeline of eight compounds in development for the treatment of CNS disorders, including epilepsy. Additionally, SK Biopharmaceuticals is focused on early research in oncology. For more information, visit SK Biopharmaceuticals' website at www.skbp.com/eng and SK life science's website at www.SKLifeScienceInc.com.

About Eurofarma

The Eurofarma Group has been operating in the healthcare industry since its establishment in 1972, producing and marketing innovative products and services to improve people's quality of life. Focused on generating shared value, it operates in the areas of Prescription, Non-Prescription, OTC and Generic Drugs, Hospital and Oncology. Offers more than 700 products, over 2,000 SKUs, and serves 42 medical specialties. Present in over 20 countries, with a manufacturing park in Brazil and plants in six other Latin American countries, it generated net sales of BRL 7.1 billion in 2021, growth of 23% over the previous year, and employs more than 8,100 people.

Media Inquiries

H. Park, Director of Communications

[email protected]

Jaehee Kang, Communications Manager

[email protected]

1 Kevin Pacheco-Barrios, et al. Burden of epilepsy in Latin America and The Caribbean: a trend analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 1990  2019. The Lancet Regional Health  Americas. available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lana.2021.100140

2 Pan American Health Organization | Word Health Organization. Available at: https://bit.ly/3nF31qV [Last accessed July 2022]

SOURCE SK Biopharmaceuticals
ONTARIO, Calif., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ontario International Airport (ONT) and Southern California's dynamic Inland Empire will be on the global stage next week as aviation leaders from around the world gather for the 2022 SMART Airports & Regions Conference  one of the aviation industry's largest and most prestigious annual events.

Ontario International Airport and Southern Californias dynamic Inland Empire will be on the global stage next week as aviation leaders from around the world gather for the 2022 SMART Airports & Regions Conference.

The three-day conference opens Monday, July 18, at the Ontario Convention Center, and will focus on topics ranging from how aviation can inspire new economic opportunities in a post-pandemic world to the role of airports as incubators for innovation in urban development and regional connectivity.

"Ontario and the Inland Empire are an ideal location for this global gathering. We have one of the fastest-growing airports in the world, in the heart of one of the most robust population and economic centers in the U.S. And when it comes to innovative multimodal transportation solutions, no region can match what's being done here to redefine mobility and access while creating new economic development opportunities," said Alan D. Wapner, President of the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA) and Mayor pro Tem of the City of Ontario.

The SMART Airport & Regions Conference is being co-hosted by ONT and the Greater Ontario Convention & Visitors Bureau (GOCVB). Among the more than 50 speakers and presenters will be several leaders from the two organizations, including Wapner, OIAA Commissioners Ron Loveridge and Curt Hagman, the airport's Chief Executive Officer Atif Elkadi, Chief Capital Development Officer Michelle Brantley and Chief Commercial Officer Dan Cappell, and GOCVB President and CEO Michael Krouse.

The event comes as ONT is in the midst of a historic run that has seen travel volumes exceed pre-pandemic levels for three months in a row, including, in May, the highest number of passengers since the airport's return to local ownership in 2016. For the past four years, ONT has been recognized by Global Traveler as the fastest-growing airport in the United States, and its role as an economic driver and preferred aviation gateway for millions of Southern Californians is helping to drive significant transit investments across the region. Upcoming projects include zero-emission bus-rapid transit, hydrogen-powered passenger rail and an all-electric-vehicle tunnel from a planned state-of-the-art multimodal transit center.

In addition, ONT plays a critical role in the Inland Empire's emergence as a global goods movement hub, and today ranks among the Top 10 cargo airports in North America.

"We have a great story to tell  here at ONT and across this great region we serve. The Inland Empire is now the 12th largest  and fifth fastest-growing  metropolitan area in the U.S., with a quality of life that is unmatched. We've prepared ourselves to meet those growth needs, while preserving the convenience and positive customer experience that have become our hallmark," said Elkadi, ONT's CEO.

"We are thrilled to host this event at Ontario Convention Center and to expose the world-wide attendees to the heart of Southern California's Inland Experience! Our Convention & Visitors Bureau is here to welcome our visitors and provide information on the amenities and destinations in our region," said Krouse, GOCVB's President & CEO.

While the SMART Airports & Regions Conference officially opens on Monday, programs and presentations begin Tuesday. A complete agenda is available here.

About Ontario International Airport

Ontario International Airport (ONT) is the fastest growing airport in the United States, according to Global Traveler, a leading publication for frequent fliers. Located in the Inland Empire, ONT is approximately 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles in the center of Southern California. It is a full-service airport which offers nonstop commercial jet service to 33 major airports in the U.S., Mexico, Central America and Taiwan. More information is available at www.flyOntario.com. Follow @flyONT on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

About the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA)

The OIAA was formed in August 2012 by a Joint Powers Agreement between the City of Ontario and the County of San Bernardino to provide overall direction for the management, operations, development and marketing of ONT for the benefit of the Southern California economy and the residents of the airport's four-county catchment area. OIAA Commissioners are Ontario Mayor Pro Tem Alan D. Wapner (President), Retired Riverside Mayor Ronald O. Loveridge (Vice President), Ontario City Council Member Jim W. Bowman (Secretary), San Bernardino County Supervisor Curt Hagman (Commissioner) and retired business executive Julia Gouw (Commissioner).

About the Great Ontario Convention & Visitors Bureau

The Greater Ontario Convention & Visitors Bureau is the official destination marketing organization to promote the cities of Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga, California to visitors nationally and internationally. As destination experts we provide leisure, meeting groups and meeting professionals with an unbiased, comprehensive resource when booking a tour, convention, meeting or event within the cities of Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga, California. Ideal for leisure and business travel, the region boasts scenic mountains, deserts, vineyards and metropolitan areas that are both historic and cosmopolitan in character. Under the umbrella of the Greater Ontario Convention & Visitors Bureau is the California Welcome Center and several Signature Events to support the overall mission to drive visitors to the region, stimulating economic growth. The Greater Ontario Convention & Visitors Bureau provides the necessary destination support tools to execute a successful experience Visit www.GOcvb.org

OIAA Media Contact:

Steve Lambert (909) 841-7527 [email protected]

SOURCE Ontario International Airport
SabersPro crafts unique lightsabers and accessories that supply cosplayers, collectors, and intergalactic enthusiasts worldwide.

SMITHTOWN, N.Y., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Every year, more than 130,000 participants make the pilgrimage to San Diego, CA for the annual Comic-Con. This is the same event where numerous big-budget films are announced, unique artistic creations are sold in Artist's alleys, and fans of all generations and backgrounds come together dressed as their favorite characters from fantasy, comic, and science fiction based intellectual property.

Saber models SabersPro Neopixel

The popularity of these events has brought in significant funds to local municipalities so much that every state in America now hosts some version of a Comic-Con-related activity. In almost every instance, numerous cosplay-featured items are on the agenda. Of the 25 highest-grossing media franchises of all time, Star Wars ranks in number 5 and is a huge draw to any kind of costume-themed conference.

"We always know when a con is coming up," says SabersPro co-founder and designer Lev. "Our sales increase the moment tickets go on sale for Dragon Con in Atlanta or within about 3 months of San Diego's big Comic-Con. Our messages light up from all of the fans looking for a new cool-looking lightsaber to feature at the event."

SabersPro has supplied all kinds of unique lightsabers for fans who wish to dress up as their favorite character from Star Wars. With the latest installments of the Skywalker Canon coming to a close and the massive popularity of The Mandalorian, Book of Boba-Fett, and Obi-Wan Kenobi series on Disney Plus more fans all over the world are looking for new ways to express their inner sith or jedi.

"We're just proud to be a member of this community," continues Lev. "There was a time in the past when people would have been slightly outcast from society for enjoying fantastic worlds like Star Wars. Now, it seems like wherever you look, there is a new IP out there building a fan base of its own. We couldn't be happier!"

SabersPro is a popular choice for lightsabers because of the quality of the items being sold. The company uses baselit or neopixel technology in the lightsaber construction. This allows more custom lighting effects than what you would find in big box stores. Couple that with the intricate details, and you have a highly coveted piece for collectors and cosplayers.

As the global pandemic finally comes to a close, more and more of the fan world is ready to throw on their Chewbacca outfits and long Jedi robes. They look forward to unwrapping their lightsaber to show off at any of the upcoming cons, including the San Diego con at the end of July. Thanks to companies like SabersPro, there is a healthy outlet for fans who want to escape the dull 9-5 days and celebrate a shared hobby with friends and families of all ages.

SabersPro is a global online retailer of lightsabers for cosplayers, collectors, and dueling clubs. They are located close to New York City, where a supportive community of fellow fans continues to help their business thrive and grow. For more information or to purchase a custom baselit or neopixel lightsaber, please visit: https://saberspro.com.

Contact: [Nita Prekazi, [email protected], 631 988 3961]

SOURCE SabersPro
All Seven HBCUs in South Carolina Launch New Educational Institutes Thanks to $18M Appropriation

COLUMBIA, S.C., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- South Carolina's Institutes of Innovation and Information (SCIII) is an initiative and vision inspired by Sen. John L. Scott, Jr., focused on revolutionizing and cultivating the state's seven four-year HBCUs' overall capabilities and contributions for the citizens and residents of the state. South Carolina has a rich history when it comes to educating people of color, and the state's seven HBCUs produce more than 50% of all Black college graduates in this state. SCIII provides the perfect conduit for partnerships between South Carolina's HBCUs and state business and industry, diversifying and improving the state's workforce.

South Carolina's Institutes of Innovation and Information

Through the leadership and vision of State Senator John L. Scott, Jr., the South Carolina General Assembly appropriated $18 million in 2021 towards the development of educational institutes at each of South Carolina's seven HBCUs. Each institute was established with specific focuses and disciplines united to increase opportunities and exposure for their student bodies on campus and the surrounding community. Sen. Scott says: "The Institutes of Innovation and Information is one of the most powerful tools that Historical Black Colleges and Universities will see for years to come. As each HBCU launches its own institute to look at issues affecting South Carolina you will begin to get more involvement with our colleges and universities. The students, faculty, and staff will notice that having corporate partners will bring about scholarships, opportunities for young people such as internships, as well as jobs after graduation and even some during their tenure at school. We think this a game-changer for South Carolina. For the 5,000 plus businesses and corporations we have here, we have not had the opportunity to invite them to be a part of the HBCU lifestyle. Through the creation of this institute and with the direction of our executive director, Dr. Gwynth Nelson, we think this is highly possible."

The seven HBCUs include Allen University, Benedict College, Claflin University, Clinton College, Morris College, South Carolina State University and Voorhees University. Each school's institute has a specific focus area, and all of them fit under the umbrella of initiatives and efforts centered around bringing innovation to the school's students, the surrounding community and the state overall. Three of the institutes - at Claflin and Voorhees Universities, and at Morris College  have already officially launched. SCIII recognizes the intersectionality of industry, business and individual workers; the organization will strengthen HBCUs by building pipelines from each Institute directly to opportunities in state business and industry.

The SCIII Foundation was established to support and assist the efforts of the seven established institutions by providing funding, resources, and network partnerships with leaders in the business and philanthropic community. It is guided and managed by Executive Director Dr. Gwynth R. Nelson, who previously held the position of AVP of Institutional Advancement at Voorhees University. Dr. Nelson notes: "It is my belief that South Carolina Institutes of Innovation and Information (SCIII) will provide great opportunities for our students enrolled at the seven HBCUs. With the partnerships established with the SCIII Foundation, corporations and or HBCUs, the state's businesses and industries will connect and create tremendous opportunities for students. This connection will not only flourish, but it will bridge a gap among students, community and industry leaders. SCIII will work tirelessly to ensure a collaborative relationship because my motto is 'failure is not an option.'"

Dr. Rusty Monhollon, President & Executive Director, South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, believes SCIII will revolutionize the state's HBCUs by giving them more visibility and establishing relationships with the state's businesses and industries as they join forces with the Institutes. "Establishing partnerships between private and educational sectors for relevant training and career preparation will provide meaningful opportunities for our students, as well as the businesses and industries they work with," Monhollon said. "These relationships will help demonstrate the quality of our academic programs to the private sector while also allowing students to contribute locally."

About SCIII:

South Carolina's Institutes of Innovation and Information (SCIII) is an initiative and vision inspired by Sen. John L. Scott, Jr., which focuses on revolutionizing and cultivating the state's seven four-year HBCUs' overall capabilities and contributions for the citizens and residents of the state. South Carolina has a rich history when it comes to educating people of color, and SCIII provides the perfect conduit for partnerships between SCIII HBCUs and state business and industry, diversifying and improving the state's workforce.

Media Contact:

Tashion Macon

818.749.8786

[email protected]

https://sciiifoundation.org

SOURCE South Carolina's Institutes of Innovation and Information
BRUSSELS, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Significant changes to recent employment rates have forced employers to re-evaluate their approach to staff retention and the factors that influence longevity and strength in a workforce. The Great Resignation, in which millions of people are leaving their jobs in search of better lifestyles, has caused upheaval in almost every industry, creating large gaps in talent and production, while impacting budgets and company morale.

"At Amrop, we have noted significant trends in our partner countries  the ripple effect of what the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports as 47.8-million Americans resigning from their work last year. Our position as a global leadership advisory and executive search firm allows us to analyse and anticipate these challenges in other territories, assisting our worldwide network with strategies to tackle The Great Resignation" says Annika Farin, Amrop Partnership Chair and Managing Partner of the German office.

Amrop data shows that after its hard hit on the USA, The Great Resignation is now impacting a vast European territory, causing smaller countries to take note of retention lessons learnt in the US., also notes that Europe's demographical factors are impacting the job market, as the Baby Boomers are all exiting quite simultaneously  "this is especially apparent in Germany, we see this everywhere now, and have to get creative about it" says Farin.

According to Amrop Italy's President and Managing Partner Antonio Pellerano, the phenomenon is impacting 60% of companies in Italy, and several thousands of positions, mainly in the digital and ITC areas. Similar trends are now being seen in Eastern and Western Europe.

Although a Microsoft survey conducted last year highlights that 41% of the global workforce is considering quitting their jobs, the anticipated rate of resignation in the executive class is significantly higher. A recent Deloitte survey shows that nearly 70% of C-suite employees in the US, UK, Canada and Australia are seriously considering leaving their jobs.

The study indicates that 81% of the C-suite says that improving their well-being is more important than advancing their career, as they go in search of better-lived lives. This lifestyle pursuit is now trickling into European countries, forcing companies to pay close attention to their chief executives, chief financial officers, and other C-level employees, as they reassess the role of work in their lives.

Amrop develops retention programmes that keep employees engaged, productive and employed  always customised to the enterprise's needs and goals. A multi-faceted, targeted, and personal strategy is key, supported by a trusting, secure working relationship between the employer and employee.

The retention counselling service developed by Amrop Woodburn Mann and the Woodburn Mann Leadership Science Institute offers a successful example of such a programme, and one that the Amrop network around the world extract lessons from when dealing with partner retention strategies. It focuses on principles of enhanced engagement  at a personal and institutional level  that facilitate solutions for executives within a business.

"The programme cultivates long-term loyalty and delivery, enhancing the retention proposition and attracting the executive to remain in the company," explains Andrew Woodburn, Managing Partner at Amrop Woodburn Mann, who sits on the Global Board of the Amrop Partnership. "In most cases, the individual is not informed that they are undergoing retention counselling, since this knowledge could create an awkward dynamic between them and their employer. Rather, they are awarded an executive development opportunity. Together with the employer, we design a programme to overcome some of the challenges triggering the employee to become a flight risk."

Woodburn advises businesses to look beyond solely addressing the employee's needs. "In many cases, culture and retention stem from the leadership style trickling down from above. Therefore, systemically, the culture and leadership of the organisation need to be attended to from the top down. This is a long-term programme and can take many years to execute within an organisation, requiring a dedicated culture commitment and buy-in from the business."

He recommends a diverse facilitation mandate when creating such a programme. "It should include attitude, current organisational environment, any personal issues, education and training, leadership, remuneration, role scope and future expectations. This broad palette should bring to the surface the critical issues that need to be addressed by the retention programme, to generate a workable solution for both the employee and the employer."

"At Amrop, we encourage businesses to make retention plans part of their mandate to attract, develop and retain talent. Our aim when working with corporations is to hold on to enterprise knowledge by retaining long-term, highly valuable employees, particularly in the executive category. An executive's experience, qualifications, networks, insight, company understanding and ability to contribute beyond KPIs are highly prized commodities  and these C-suites should be a strong focus in a business's retention strategy"  Annika Farin

To ensure good retention planning, Amrop recommends an agile approach that considers the individual and their overall well-being. Companies that can offer flexibility to their employees and understand their needs and values are more likely to maintain a stable and competitive workforce. Offering attractive benefits, being committed to long-term career prospects, facilitating training, and investing in ongoing learning will instil greater loyalty, retaining talented and motivated executives who are committed to the organisation's success.

CONTACT:

Amrop GLOBAL HEADQUARTERS

The Amrop Partnership SCRL

Rue Abbe Cuypers 3

1040 Brussels, Belgium



T. +32 471 733 825

E. [email protected]

Brigitte Arhold COO

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1857796/Amrop_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Amrop
XI'AN China, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tianlong has launched a campaign together with the Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) care center in China (a non-profit organization for SMA), and The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University to care for children with SMA in May 2022.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an inherited disease that affects nerves and muscles, causing muscles to become increasingly weak. It mostly affects infants and children but can also develop in adults, ranking as the first fatal genetic disease of infants.

A Day with SMA Children

Tianlong always bears social responsibility and strives for making more people know about the disease and helping with early detection. We want to make the world of SMA children full of love with deeds. During the campaign, we invited many families in Xi'an, China to join us to accompany SMA children one day. We have also invited a professor to give a lecture on SMA treatment and help answer concerns from parents.

As a leading molecular diagnosis products manufacturer in China, Tianlong has PCR reagents covering 200 kinds of disease detection, including SMA detection. Based on the PCR melting curve method, Tianlong's Human Survival Motor Neuron 1 (SMN1) Gene Detection Kit is suitable for the auxiliary diagnosis of SMN1 patients and screening of SMN1 gene carriers. Besides PCR reagents, Tianlong can provide an integrated PCR lab solution from the nucleic acid extractor, and PCR systems to compatible reagents. We have helped over 80 countries in building up healthcare systems in the COVID-19 phase. Our Nucleic acid extractors and PCR machines have been a star in the war against COVID-19.

Every child is a gift to parents. They need to be nurtured with full love. Early detection can help with early diagnosis and treatment. We hope more people know about the rare disease and more SMA children and their families can be seen. We will bring technology to life and provide more solutions to better care for people globally.

Explore Tianlong : https://www.tlgenetech.cn/

Follow us on:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tianlongbiotech

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/TianlongBiotech/

Twitter:https://twitter.com/TianlongBiotech

Contact us:

[email protected]

SOURCE Xi'an TianLong Science and Technology Co., Ltd
Optimize Insights' customizable dashboards and visualizations answer critical subscription management questions and provide market data management reporting

NEW YORK and LONDON, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TRG Screen, the leading provider of enterprise subscription management solutions, has announced the introduction of Optimize Insights to unlock new insights and reporting capabilities within Optimize Spend, its market data management software platform.

Introducing Optimize Insights - Actionable insights from market data spend information. TRG Screen delivers actionable insights from market data spend information.

Optimize Insights sits at the heart of TRG Screen's new Optimize platform, launched in 2020. Market data teams benefit from detailed, data-driven intelligence that they can deliver to their internal business users, allowing them to fully optimize their spend and usage. While it offers an intuitive visual analytics platform for proactive market data management, it also supports other complex, high value enterprise subscriptions, such as research, telecoms, IT and software.

"Market data costs are escalating and need to be controlled. Firms need sophisticated, granular and flexible insights in self-service dashboards with drilldown capabilities and interactive reports powered by business intelligence and data visualization tools. Optimize Insights delivers this and more  it's a paradigm shift. Market data teams no longer need to sift through large buckets of data to get answers they need or build their own analytics tools, instead they are delivered actionable insights that pinpoint opportunities to optimize market data spend," comments Richard Mundell, Chief Product Officer for TRG Screen.

Optimize Insights tells the story of a firm's market data subscription landscape with automated trend analysis that explains why costs are changing. It combines underlying data on spend and usage to provide tailored insights with powerful calls to action to help firms optimize market data spend.

Key features in this first release allow users to see the high-level picture based on the requirements of their role before drilling into the detail, and includes:

Insights Library: Specially curated library of story-based visualizations and dashboards

Specially curated library of story-based visualizations and dashboards Dashboard Studio: Interactive dashboard designer allows users to create their own dashboards.

Interactive dashboard designer allows users to create their own dashboards. Pivot Studio: Intuitive web-based pivot table interface to manipulate underlying data with slice-and-dice drag-and-drop analytics and visualization capabilities.

Optimize Insights is available to customers of Optimize Spend. It is part of the base system with nothing additional to license, securely hosted in the cloud. As a modern SaaS application, it will be continually enhanced over time, driven by customer feedback, with new features, further datasets and additional insights.

Optimize is a completely flexible and scalable platform, able to deliver value to firms with only a few vendor relationships through to those managing hundreds of millions of dollars of subscriptions. TRG Screen enables more than 500 organizations worldwide to monitor and manage their high value enterprise subscriptions, delivering up to 30% cost savings.

About TRG Screen

TRG Screen is the leading provider of enterprise subscription management solutions. Founded in 1998, TRG Screen is uniquely differentiated by its ability to monitor both spend and usage of data and information services including market data, research, software licenses, consulting and other corporate expenses. TRG Screen's solutions provide its customers with full transparency into their vendor relationships and their subscription spend and usage, enabling them to optimize their enterprise subscriptions. TRG acquired Priory Solutions in 2016, Screen Group in 2018, Axon Financial Systems in 2019, and Market Data Insights in 2020 and with these acquisitions is now positioned as the global market leader in the financial, legal and professional services markets. TRG Screen's product portfolio includes subscription spend, usage, enquiry and compliance solutions. For more information visit www.trgscreen.com.

For more information, please contact:

Press Enquiries: Roel Mels, +31 73 6122 940, [email protected]

SOURCE TRG Screen
The Canadian Health Brand Has Created a Line of Unique Supplements

That Provide Simple and Effective Health Solutions All in One Place

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Unique Formula is a brand created by Real House Canada (RHC). Each of its product lines was carefully developed by CEO Ivy Liou, who is a registered nurse with a pharmacology background.

Liou and her R&D team, which boasts strong pharmaceutical experience, have spent years developing each of their innovative product lines that fall under the Unique Formula label. These include:

Canada Gem : The only Dual-Extracted Canadian Wild Chaga product in North America with the highest potency of medicinal ingredients, as proven by lab tests.

: The only Dual-Extracted Canadian Wild Chaga product in with the highest potency of medicinal ingredients, as proven by lab tests. Beauty Secret : A product line created to help regulate hormones, enhance beauty, and maximize nature's enduring charm.

: A product line created to help regulate hormones, enhance beauty, and maximize nature's enduring charm. Daily Defense : A line of products created to boost the immune system.

: A line of products created to boost the immune system. Maternal & Child : Products that target the nourishment and health of children from infancy through their teenage years.

: Products that target the nourishment and health of children from infancy through their teenage years. Targeted Health Boosters : A product line designed to target specific areas of our body, bringing the healthiest version of yourself to all family members by a simple choice.

: A product line designed to target specific areas of our body, bringing the healthiest version of yourself to all family members by a simple choice. Men's Care : Supplements that help men support their immune system, energy levels, gut health, and more.

Throughout the development of the Unique Formula catalog, the goal of the RHC team has remained consistent: to create a one-stop-shop where their customers know they're getting everything they need to maintain their health.

"Our solutions are simple, effective, and highly beneficial," Liou explains, "That has always been our goal. Our team of pharmaceutical professionals has dedicated years of research to developing these natural health products. They are tailored to many different needs, all under one roof. Real House aims to be your family's health store. We want to help you be the best version of yourself."

Liou goes on to explain that, along with its comprehensive catalog, the Unique Formula brand has gained a reputation for its potent results. "This is done through special combinations of ingredients," the CEO explains, "Every one of our formulas is unique and can't be replicated, thanks to our expertise with botanical analysis and extraction techniques. Each supplement also synergizes the potency of natural ingredients."

Between the ability to have a supplement for any occasion and the innovative synergy of their ingredients, the Unique Formula brand has seen quick adoption by a large and growing audience. Liou is also proud of the fact that customers keep coming back because the products really work.

To date, Unique Formula products have genuinely improved the quality of life for countless RHC customers in both Canada and Asia. The additional fact that the brand is in the process of entering the U.S. means Americans will be able to benefit from the brand's unique, holistic healthcare solutions soon, as well.

About Real House Canada and Unique Formula: Unique Formula is a Canadian health brand developed by a pharmaceutical R&D team and its associated pharmaceutical manufacturer. We have developed five product lines of unique formulations: i) Targeted Health Boosters, ii) Beauty Secret, iii) Men's Care, iv) Daily Defense, and v) Maternal & Child. Each of these is designed to provide a SIMPLE and EFFECTIVE healthy lifestyle that saves the hassle and confusion of deciding among all the different brands and products currently on the market. Learn more about RHC at realhousecanada.com .

Media Contact

Real House Canada Team

Real Organics & Naturals House Ltd.

Your Family's Health Store

156 - 11782 River Road

Richmond, B.C., Canada V6X 1Z7

Office: +1 (604) 447-8828

[email protected]

SOURCE Real House Canada
Together, Vena and Microsoft will put finance at the heart of strategy with leading cloud-based data analytics capabilities

TORONTO, July 14 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Vena Complete Planning, the platform loved by finance and trusted by business, today announced a technology collaboration with Microsoft including mutual investment in product, solution and platform innovation to empower the strategic office of finance.

The modern finance function is quickly becoming the linchpin for business-wide collaboration, decision making and agile planning in an uncertain and volatile business environment. The collaboration will unlock the full power of the Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Microsoft 365 clouds within the Vena platform to place finance firmly at the heart of business strategyenabling teams to connect financial data to strategic and operational plans, model multiple scenarios, create robust workflows and deliver actionable insights at scale to help stakeholders proactively adapt business models to dynamic market conditions.

"This collaboration represents a next-level investment in our ecosystem and product offering to revolutionize the role of finance as a strategic business partner," said Hugh Cumming, Chief Technology Officer, Vena. "Through Vena's native integrations with Excel and Microsoft Power BI, we will continue to expand our investment in Microsoft's leading cloud-based data analytics capabilities and help finance teams find new ways to harness vast amounts of data, create meaningful insights and drive optimal business outcomes."

A Collaboration That's Transformed the Future of Business Planning for Over a Decade

The announcement builds on more than a decade of collaboration between Vena and Microsoft to transform how businesses Plan To Grow, creating the only Native Microsoft Excel, cloud-based corporate performance management platform built for Microsoft 365 with Power BI Embedded. Vena Complete Planning automates key finance-led planning processes and connects data from core financial, ERP, CRM and all other critical source systems to power FP&A, extended planning and other spreadsheet-powered business processes in a single platform.

"Together with Vena, we are committed to empowering the strategic office of finance to lead through uncertaintydriving agility, managing risk and advancing the business with the power of predictive analytics and real-time data visualization," said Arun Ulagaratchagan, Corporate Vice President, Intelligence Platform at Microsoft Corp.

To learn more about how Vena customers are benefiting from the latest Microsoft product advancements, watch The Power of Vena and Microsoft featuring Vena Chief Technology Officer Hugh Cumming and Microsoft Chief Financial Planning & Orchestration Officer Wendy Braithwaite, a Vena Excelerate =SUM(it) 2022 on-demand replay available at Plantogrow.com .

A Shared Mission To Drive Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace

Vena was recently recognized as a winner in the 2022 Gavriella Schuster IAMCP D&I Partner of the Year Awards. The annual awards are the product of the IAMCP (International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners) D&I (Diversity & Inclusion) Committee in its recognition of the work that Gavriella Schuster, former Corporate VP, One Commercial Partner, Microsoft, has done in the promotion of workplace equity for all.

As a Microsoft Partner, Vena not only remains committed to investing in product and solution innovation, but also aligning around a shared mission to cultivate a strong culture of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in the workplace. Vena's DEI policies and efforts, along with the work of its employee resource groups, aim to create the space and freedom for employees to be themselves and to celebrate and value our differences.

"We are extremely proud to have been given this award and to have been recognized within the Microsoft Partner Channel by IAMCP and Gavriella Schuster, whose work in this area has been transformational," said Allison Munro, Chief Marketing & Ecosystem Officer, Vena. "We deeply believe that diversity in hiring talent brings perspectives that collectively help us better serve our customers and make our purpose-led organization stronger."

Click here to learn more about Vena partnering with Microsoft.

About Vena

Vena is the only native Excel Complete Planning platform built for Microsoft 365 with Power BI Embedded. Vena transforms how business, finance and operations leaders Plan To Grow with the Vena Growth Engine, the SaaS platform and methodology that empowers and inspires your plans and guides your growth journey. Over 1,300 of the world's leading companies power their growth with Vena. For more information, visit venasolutions.com .

SOURCE Vena Solutions
Study conducted at The Massachusetts General Hospital's Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center demonstrated highly significant improvements in Overall Survival and other key endpoints

As seen previously, VTX-067 produced a safety profile similar to that seen in the Control group

NEW YORK, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Voltron Therapeutics, Inc., a Lucius Partners portfolio company, today announced that data from the previously announce Study '098 demonstrated clear Proof-of Concept for VTX-067 in the treatment of HPV related cancers. This is a well-validated murine model of HPV related cancers.

VTX-067, a Self-Assembling Vaccine (SAV) targeting select peptides from HPV related cancers, was developed using Voltron's Self Assembling Vaccine Platform. Voltron has executed an exclusive worldwide license for this technology from The Massachusetts General Hospital's (MGH) Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center (VIC).

Study '098 was a double blind, preclinical study evaluating VTX-067 in TC-1 tumor injected mice to evaluate its impact on Overall Survival of the mice, as well as other key efficacy and safety endpoints. The Primary Endpoint of the study was the vaccine's impact on Overall Survival of the mice.

Results of the study demonstrated:

Improved Overall Survival : VTX-067/SAV had a highly significant, positive survival effect in the TC-1 tumor injected mice

: VTX-067/SAV had a highly significant, positive survival effect in the TC-1 tumor injected mice Tumor volume reduction : VTX-067 significantly reduced TC-1 tumor volume

: VTX-067 significantly reduced TC-1 tumor volume Dose response : there was a clear dose-response to SAV, with the overall best survival benefit to the TC-1 tumor bearing mice at the highest dose of SAV.

: there was a clear dose-response to SAV, with the overall best survival benefit to the TC-1 tumor bearing mice at the highest dose of SAV. Safety Profile: the SAV construct once again demonstrated it is well tolerated with no observed reactogenicity.

Commented Dr. Mark Poznansky, Director, Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, MGH: "The data clearly demonstrate that the inclusion of highly immunogenic epitopes derived from HPV in our self-assembled vaccine significantly controlled tumor growth and augmented survival in a well-established mouse model of HPV induced cancer, in comparison to control animals treated with saline or immunogenic peptides. Treatment with our vaccine also generated significant HPV targeted cell mediated immunity with no detectable reactogenicity. These results met, and indeed exceeded, our expectations for efficacy and immunogenicity in this important model"

Patrick J. Gallagher, Voltron's Chief Executive Officer commented, "We are tremendously excited about the results of this rigorously designed, double blind study for many reasons. First, our vaccine eradicated tumors in a number of mice in this aggressive tumor model at higher doses. Second, the data once again supports the SAV's incredible flexibility: Voltron has demonstrated success in producing a significant immune response in four different disease/animal models by using between two and 11 disease specific peptides. Finally, we have gained additional confidence in the utility of combing the SAV with a PD-1 inhibitor to drive targeted, durable responses."

James Ahern, Managing Partner, Laidlaw & Company (UK) and Founder of Lucius Partners, stated, "The team's expertise and commitment to driving this proof-of-concept study forward with a view to first in human trials has produced compelling results. We continue to identify additional programs for Voltron, which we will pursue in both oncology and infectious disease, that leverage our highly flexible vaccine platform to create new solutions for clinicians and patients. We remain focused on de-risking our programs and to provide value to our shareholders."

About Voltron Therapeutics, Inc.

Voltron Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation, was founded in 2017 to lead and accelerate the development of the Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center (VIC), and the Massachusetts General Hospital's novel Self Assembling Vaccine technology in a variety of indications, including in Oncology and Emerging Infectious Diseases. Voltron holds an exclusive worldwide license to this technology. With the work of our world class team of researchers and development team, this technology has shown in certain pre-clinical studies initial proof of concept in two infectious diseases (including Lassa Fever) as well as two oncology indications (Ovarian and HPV Related Cancers). For more information, please visit www.voltrontx.com.

About Lucius Partners, LLC

Lucius Partners is a consultancy that provides a broad suite of services to help healthcare companies grow, achieve milestones and generate value for their shareholders.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements that relate to the advancement and development of the VaxCelerate Platform, the commencement of clinical trials, the availability of data from clinical trials and other information that is not historical information. When used herein, words such as "anticipate", "being", "will", "plan", "may", "continue", and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements or information that refer to expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, performance or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking. All forward-looking statements are based upon Voltron's current expectations and various assumptions. Voltron believes there is a reasonable basis for its expectations and beliefs, but they are inherently uncertain. Voltron may not realize its expectations, and its beliefs may not prove correct. Actual results could differ materially from those described or implied by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including, without limitation, market conditions and any Voltron filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Consequently, forward-looking statements should be regarded solely as Voltron's current plans, estimates and beliefs. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Voltron cannot guarantee future results, events, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Voltron does not undertake and specifically declines any obligation to update, republish, or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, future events or circumstances or to reflect the occurrences of unanticipated events, except as may be required by law.

Contact:

Patrick Gallagher, CEO

Voltron Therapeutics, Inc.

Managing Partner

Lucius Partners, LLC

[email protected]

Matthew Duffy, President

Voltron Therapeutics, Inc.

Managing Partner

Lucius Partners, LLC

[email protected]

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1846494/Lucius_Partners_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Lucius Partners
Unleashed Brands officially launched July 14, 2021 led by the team behind Urban Air Adventure Park, America's largest and #1 Indoor Adventure Park Company

led by the team behind Urban Air Adventure Park, America's largest and #1 Indoor Adventure Park Company To date, Unleashed Brands has completed five acquisitions of kid enrichment franchise companies

Since last year, nearly 300 new franchisees signed on to be a part of Unleashed Brands from all over the United States

DALLAS, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Unleashed Brands, the world's first Youth Enrichment franchise platform company that includes category-leading brands Urban Air Adventure Park, Snapology, The Little Gym, XP League, Class 101 and Premier Martial Arts, is celebrating its one-year anniversary after making a profound impact on franchising, local business owners, communities and millions of kids across the country.

Since announcing the formation of Unleashed Brands July 14, 2021, along with its first acquisition, kids STEAM (Science, Technology, Art and Mathematics) brand Snapology, the platform company has added more than 50 jobs along with 20,000 square feet of support center space and a 135-person in-house call center to its Dallas-area campus. This growth is part of Unleashed's mission to support franchisees in their journey to help kids learn, play and grow through ownership of youth enrichment franchises offering fun, engaging and inspiring experiences.

Key milestones for Unleashed Brands in the past year include:

Creation of 57 corporate-level jobs at the franchisor level

Opening of 75 new franchise locations

Signing of nearly 90 new leases across brands Urban Air, Snapology, The Little Gym and Premier Martial Arts

Signing of 300 new franchisees who will open youth enrichment franchises across the United States

29 existing franchisees signing up for ownership of a different brand under the Unleashed platform

"When reflecting on this past year, I am extremely proud of the incredible achievements of the Unleashed Brands team. Hitting so many exciting milestones for our platform, our brands and our franchisees in such a short period of time is extraordinary. The Unleashed Brands leadership team is second-to-none, and I am proud every day of their commitment and passion towards the mission of helping franchise business owners thrive which leads to impacting millions of kids," said Michael O. Browning Jr., Founder & CEO of Unleashed Brands. "This is just the beginning for Unleashed Brands and our platform companies. We will continue to acquire the world's best brands that help kids learn, play and grow while also scaling the platform with additional technology, systems and people to support our franchisees. We have only scratched the surface and the best is yet to come!"

In addition to growth within the individual brands, the past year has brought much collaboration between franchise brands that are part of the Unleashed platform. For example, Snapology centers are now operating inside Urban Air parks, filling an important need for daytime business during the school year and offering franchisees a new revenue stream within their four walls. Several franchisees are also eager to sign on for more than one Unleashed Brands company in a given market so they can "own" the enrichment market in their communities and become multi-unit, multi-brand owners. Unleashed Brands is also testing multi-brand operating models by combining two or more of the brands in one real estate location and expects to continue innovating even more across brands in the platform over the next year.

Between all platform companies, Unleashed Brands has more than 770 units globally with more than 25 million annual visits. In 2022, the brands will open more than 230 locations across the country, with an additional 650 in development currently.

Unleashed Brands is backed by a management team with more than 150 years of combined consumer industry experience, focused on serving families. It continues to grow its industry-leading platform to better serve and support families as moms and dads seek to "Build Great Kids."

To learn more about Unleashed Brands and current opportunities, please visit unleashedbrands.com.

About Unleashed Brands

Unleashed Brands, currently includes portfolio brands Urban Air, Snapology, The Little Gym, XP League, Class 101 and Premier Martial Arts. and was founded to curate and grow a portfolio of the most innovative and profitable brands that help kids learn, play and grow. Over the last 10 years, the team at Unleashed Brands has built a proven platform and know-how for scaling businesses focused on serving families. Its mission is to impact the lives of every kid by providing fun, engaging and inspiring experiences that help them become who they are destined to be. For more information, please visit www.UnleashedBrands.com.

Media Contact: Sara Faiwell, Fishman Public Relations, [email protected], (847) 945-1300

SOURCE Unleashed Brands
The European parliament's recent decision to back plans to label gas and nuclear energy as green is likely to boost longer-term investment in nuclear.

"It's a vote of confidence from politicians and policymakers for utilities that have been struggling with the uncertainty," said Per Jander, director of nuclear and renewables at WMC Energy, the uranium technical adviser to Sprott Asset Management (TSX:SII).

Jander said the move paves the way for funds that are looking to invest in nuclear energy, including uranium, uranium miners and utilities.
Shares in Playtech PLC (LSE:PTEC) fell sharply after Hong Kong-based investment company TTB Partners said it will not make an offer for the British gaming software company.

TTB announced its interest in bidding for the FTSE 250-listed group last February, after Playtech shareholders rejected a 2.1bn offer from Aristocrat Leisure.

TTB attributed its decision to drop its bid plans to challenging underlying market conditions, although it said it remains supportive of Playtech and intends to support the company in its efforts to maximise shareholder value.

Responding to the news, Playtech said its board remains very confident about the companys positive long-term prospects.

The company said it had an excellent first half, with adjusted EBITDA expected to come in at more than 200mln, driven by both the B2B and B2C businesses.

The excellent first-half results and momentum in the business gives the board great confidence in the company's prospects for FY 2022 and beyond, and the company's ability to deliver material value to its shareholders," it said.

"Playtech carries strong momentum going into H2 2022 and continues to perform very well across its core B2B and B2C businesses, said CEO Mor Weizer.

We remain confident in our long-term growth prospects and, in particular, our ability to benefit from the structured agreements that are already allowing Playtech to access newly opened gambling markets."

Chairman Brian Mattingley added: "This process has shone a spotlight on the fundamental premium value of Playtech's businesses and the board will continue to consider options to maximise value for all shareholders.

Playtech shares dropped 19.5% to 415.40p in late morning trade.
WTI (Aug) $95.84 -$8.25, Brent (Sept) $99.49 -$7.61, Diff -$3.65 +64c.

USNG $6.16 -27c, UKNG (Aug) 280.0p +57.76p, TTF (Aug) 177.250 +6.25

Oil price

Yesterday it was the downward influences that won over the ol price, a big fall that actually breached the $100 level for Brent. More Covid in China, recessionary fears around the world and the IEA predicting weaker demand all did for the price.

Sleepy Joe is on his way to the Middle East hoping to persuade MbS to increase production, if he actually can, I believe that it wont be until after the hot summer when domestic power demand is sky high.

Serica Energy

Serica Energy PLC (AIM:SQZ)

Statement re. possible offer

Following the announcement by Kistos on 12 July 2022, the Board of Serica Energy confirms that on 24 May 2022, it received a non-binding proposal from Kistos regarding a possible cash and share offer for the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Serica.

Following careful consideration, the Board of Serica, together with its financial advisers, unanimously rejected the Kistos Possible Offer on 1 June 2022, on the basis that the Board strongly believed it significantly undervalued the Company and its prospects and was not in the best interests of shareholders or other stakeholders.

In response to this initial approach from Kistos and recognising the industrial logic of a combination implemented through an appropriate structure, Serica made a non-binding indicative cash and share offer for the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Kistos on 1 July 2022. On 8 July 2022 the Serica Possible Offer was rejected by the Board of Kistos.

Serica pro-actively seeks opportunities to utilise its strong balance sheet and operating capability to diversify its production portfolio and increase the scope for organic investments. In rejecting the Kistos Possible Offer and formulating the Serica Possible Offer, the Serica Board has taken the following factors into account and strongly believes:

1. Sericas management has an outstanding track record of financial and operational delivery

2. The Kistos Possible Offer materially undervalues Serica and would negatively impact the combined entitys balance sheet and growth potential

3. The Serica Possible Offer would secure for both sets of shareholders the advantages of scale and diversity attained from combining the asset portfolios

Serica shareholders are strongly advised not to take any action

1. Sericas management has an outstanding track record of financial and operational delivery

Significant value has been created for shareholders

Sericas share price has consistently outperformed its UK listed E&P peers Sericas share price has risen 1,120% over the past 5 years, against an average 66% increase for UK listed E&P peers[1]

No equity has been raised since 2013 with all subsequent growth funded from internal cashflows

Sericas Board has demonstrated its commitment to shareholder returns Rising profile of paid and announced dividends Recently secured authority for potential share buy-backs



Very strong operational and financial performance

Grown net production from 18,900 boepd in H1 2021 to 26,600 boepd in H1 2022

Successful completion of cash generating capital projects Rhum R3 well Columbus development LWIV programme on Bruce in 2022 delivering encouraging production results

North Eigg exploration well spudded in July 2022 targeting over 60 million boe of net P50 unrisked recoverable prospective resources

Reserve replacement ratio has been approximately 100% over last 2 years

Continuing to build financial strength to support re-investment and returns to shareholders No borrowings Limited decommissioning liabilities



2. The Serica Board strongly believes the Kistos Possible Offer materially undervalues Serica and would negatively impact the combined entitys balance sheet and growth potential

The Kistos Possible Offer materially undervalues Serica

The Serica Board strongly believes that the Kistos Possible Offer: Does not reflect the underlying value of the Companys assets and does not recognise the upside potential in its existing portfolio Is an opportunistic reaction to the recent and potentially temporary disconnect between Continental and UK gas prices Assumes a highly speculative equity re-rating of the combined entity given the effect of the proposed terms



The Kistos Possible Offer would leave the combined entity with a weakened balance sheet

The Kistos Possible Offer is dependent on new debt and utilisation of Sericas own existing cash balances

The net cash of the combined entity would be reduced by approximately 700 million under the terms proposed

The combined entity would have significantly diminished financial capacity for organic investment and further acquisitions

Increased exposure to market and fiscal risk

3. The Serica Possible Offer would secure for both sets of shareholders the advantages of scale and diversity attained from combining the asset portfolios

Serica sees merits in the combination of the two companies on the terms of the Serica Possible Offer:

Scale and diversity: gas-focused North Sea business with pro-forma 2P reserves of approximately 86 million boe[2] and estimated pro-forma 2022 production of approximately 40,000 boepd

Financially resilient: resources to execute an ongoing and impactful organic development and exploration investment programme through the upstream cycle

Strong platform for further acquisitions: significant capacity for future acquisitions and corporate combinations

Accordingly, Serica made its non-binding indicative proposal on 1 July 2022. On 8 July 2022, the Serica Possible Offer was rejected by the Board of Kistos.

The Serica Board continues to pro-actively pursue multiple growth options and will only proceed with any of them on appropriate terms.

The Board will not recommend any deal on terms which it believes are unattractive to its shareholders and wider stakeholders.

Serica shareholders are strongly advised not to take any action.

I am not going to make any comments on this situation until I have spoken to both sides and I can give some thoughts to the benefits that might accrue to either set of shareholders.

Sound Energy

Sound Energy, the transition energy company, announced on 30 September 2021 that its wholly owned subsidiary Sound Energy Morocco East Ltd (SEME) had filed to the Moroccan Court its challenge to the remaining charges against SEME relating to the Moroccan Tax Administrations assessment of the signing in October 2018 of a brand-new petroleum agreement for exploration at Greater Tendrara (the New Petroleum Agreement).

Under the remaining charges against SEME the Moroccan Tax Administration alleged that SEME had disposed of assets to Schlumberger in entering into the New Petroleum Agreement, triggering a claimed total taxation liability for SEME of approximately US$2.55 million. The Company remains of the strong opinion that the Remaining SEME Charges result from an incorrect interpretation by the Moroccan Tax Administration of the entry of the New Petroleum Agreement.

SEME has now been informed that the tribunal pronounced its decision in a public hearing in respect of the Remaining SEME Charges, with the judge rejecting SEMEs demand for the annulment of the prior decision of the commission in respect of the Remaining SEME Charges (the Notification).

The Notification does not provide reasons for, or details of, the tribunals decision.

The tribunals reasons for the decision will be available in due course. SEME will then consider the tribunals reasons and decide what further steps it will take including but not limited to lodging an appeal.

In addition to the Remaining SEME Charges, the Moroccan tax claims against Sound Energy Morocco SARL AU (SEMS) related to the Tendrara Lakbir Exploration Permits and the transfer of Operatorship from SEMS to SEME (the SEMS Claims) remain in due process. Under the SEMS Claims the Moroccan Tax Administration purports a so-called disposal for nil consideration of intangible assets by SEMS to SEME.

Further announcements will be made, as appropriate, in due course.

Graham Lyon, Sound Energys Executive Chairman, commented:

We are both surprised and disappointed with this ruling. Clearly, this is not what was expected and reflects poorly on the application and understanding of the applicable legislative code in Morocco. We will both appeal to the Moroccan higher courts and reflect on the ruling with the various Moroccan ministries given its impact for new entrants into Morocco.

It remains perplexing that the entry of a new petroleum agreement awarded by Government agreement, with its own exploration work commitment negotiated with the State of Morocco and covering different geographic areas/time periods, can be purported to be a sale of acreage previously surrendered to the Government.

Confusion has arisen due to a previous notification by the Company on 23 July 2018 whereby an entrant into the Tendrara Lakbir licence was postulated. This transaction never occurred. The Greater Tendrara exploration licence is not the continuation of the Tendrara Lakbir exploration licence.

We believe an error has been made and, whilst the Company, together with its advisors, continues to seek to engage constructively with the authorities, Sound Energy will continue to defend its rights through the Courts in relation to all outstanding claims.

This seems to be a particularly odd case of misunderstanding and as I read it Sound are waiting for written arguments from the court before lodging an appeal. I find it most difficult to believe that the oil and gas industry friendly Moroccans are doing their best to make Sound wish it had not appeared in the country in the first place.

The more you look at how much the various ministries that exist within the Moroccan Government in order to encourage international companies to explore and develop oil & gas the more that this case seems at odds with that welcoming stance.

Although the amount concerned does not in itself look like being the death knell for Sounds operation in Morocco the exposure is unhelpful and unwelcoming. I should expect them to carry on in-country with the work at Tendrara in the hope that the appeals are successful, if not the tax will be paid and it will just lead to an unpleasant odour for those considering investment in Morocco.

Wentworth Resources

Wentworth notes todays announcement from Scirocco in relation to the Companys proposed acquisition of the 25% non-operated working interest in the Ruvuma Production Sharing Agreement announced on 13 June 2022.

Scirocco announced that it has been informed by its partner ARA Petroleum Tanzania Ltd (ARA) of its intention to exercise its pre-emption rights in relation to the Proposed Acquisition under the terms of the Joint Operating Agreement. This Pre-emption would be subject to approval by the Government of Tanzania.

In addition, Scirocco confirmed that Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC), the national oil company of Tanzania and wholly owned by the Government of Tanzania, has indicated that it is considering exercising its statutory right of first refusal in relation to the Proposed Acquisition pursuant to Section 86(5) of the Petroleum Act 2015.

Scirocco is now taking advice to understand the implications of these developments and will then enter into discussions with each party to confirm next steps.

In the event that Pre-emption does not proceed, Wentworth remains committed to the Proposed Acquisition.

No payment under the loan facility arrangement has been made to Scirocco and no consideration will be due unless the Proposed Acquisition completes.

Katherine Roe, CEO, Wentworth, said:

The discussions regarding a potential exercise of pre-emption rights by Sciroccos partners underline the compelling economics of the transaction we constructed, which was designed to be in the best interests of our shareholders and in-country stakeholders with a focus on driving reinvestment into the Ruvuma Asset and into Tanzania.

We will await the outcome of the pre-emption discussions and provide a further update in due course.

This is interesting, ARA have the right to pre-empt Sciroccos 25% stake in Ruvuma but given they already have 75% I was quite surprised to see it. Now they will hold 100% unless TPDC themselves overruled them which I would have thought unlikely but clearly given the statement they are considering.

It will be very interesting to see how it plays out, one thing is for sure, Im not convinced that its the end of the story at this point, I will add more when I have delved a little deeper

Angus Energy

Angus Energy announced yesterday that the Company, together with specialist contractors and commissioning agents are making good progress with the testing and inspection of the totality of the facilities.

Whilst mechanical integrity is now complete, electrical and control circuitry continues to be tested both individually and as a whole to ensure that the SCADA control system functions in all eventualities  most particularly those emergency cases.

Progress is good and we expect to complete these tests and verifications before Monday 18 July 2022 at which time live gas can be introduced to the plant, if not before. First Gas Export into the grid (commercial sales) will be made under the offtake with Shell shortly thereafter. Anticipated production during Q3 comfortably exceeds the hedge amount as advised on 28 June 2022.

Further to the Companys announcement of 4 July 2022, Angus Energy PLC (AIM:ANGS) is pleased to announce that following receipt of the subscription funds it has now completed the subscription to raise gross proceeds of 1,000,000 through the direct subscription of 91,000,000 Ordinary Shares (the Subscription Shares) to a group of family offices and private investors led by Aleph International Holdings (UK) Limited (Aleph) at a price of 1.0989 pence per share, conditional only on Admission. This completes the Subscription originally announced on 24 May 2022 for a total of 6million.

In addition, the Company is also issuing 27,300,000 shares (the Fee Shares) at a price of 1.0989 pence per share and, as previously advised, 173,1000,000 Warrants exercisable at a price of 1.0989 pence per share. The Warrants have a 3 year term from the date of issue. The Fee Shares and Warrants relate to commission payable on the successful completion of the 6,000,000 Direct Subscription.

All good news from Angus as we get closer to first gas and with a raise of some 1m.

Getech

Getech, a geoenergy and green hydrogen company, is contracted to deploy its proprietary geospatial software and subsurface expertise to support the UKs first carbon storage licensing round.

Working with the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA), the UKs oil, gas and carbon storage regulator, Getech has used its Exploration Analyst software product to leverage NSTAs in-house data to create strategic maps that the NSTA is using to define optimal areas for CO2 storage.

The NSTA recently announced the UKs first carbon storage licensing round, inviting bids on 13 high graded areas that have the potential to make a significant contribution to the UK Governments aim of storing 20-30 million tonnes of CO2 by 2030.

Getechs Chief Executive Officer, Dr Jonathan Copus, commented:

Getech is working to accelerate the energy transition by assisting companies and governments in their delivery of sustainable and secure decarbonisation. We do this by deploying our unique geoscience data and proprietary geospatial software to help locate and manage low carbon developments.

NSTAs use of Exploration Analyst to map and promote an integrated emissions-to-storage value chain in and around the UK North Sea showcases another exciting application of products that we originally developed for petroleum customers, and which we are now establishing as essential tools in geothermal energy, critical minerals, carbon storage and green hydrogen.

Placing the demand for our carbon storage offering in a global context, c.130 new commercial-scale CO2 capture projects were announced in 2021, with the International Energy Agency forecasting that the capital spending could exceed US$40bn by 2024 (from US$1.8bn in 2021). The world however must locate and develop a further 700 carbon storage projects at this scale by 2030 to stay on track for the IEAs 2050 Net Zero Emission Scenario.

In step with the rapidly expanding energy transition markets, we look forward to scaling the deployment of our products, which we are also using to locate, develop and operate our own project investments.

Getech continue to bring the market news of exciting applications of products originally developed for petroleum customers for which they are now establishing as essential tools in geothermal energy, critical minerals, carbon storage and green hydrogen.

If the run of news continues then I would expect the shares to respond positively, the company is not well known but if they can get the message across I would expect it to be well received.

And finally

I was at The Oval yesterday and the revolution in the red ball game hasnt kept up in the white ball version. Despite enlisting the test match heroes England took a drubbing in the first ODI.
Investments in nuclear fusion have surged in the past year as new breakthroughs hold out the hope of finally tipping the balance towards what would be a clean, virtually limitless supply of electricity after nearly six decades of promise.

Over the past 12 months, US$2.8bn (2.5bn) has been poured into the sector globally, compared to about US$2bn a decade ago.

Corporates believe in its potential too, for according to a survey conducted by the Fusion Industry Association, more than 93% of companies believe fusion power will feed electricity into power grids by 2030.

First Light, General Fusion, Helion, and TAE are among several companies looking to commercialise those years of public research by proving fusion power can work.

"I couldnt be more optimistic," said Silicon Valley venture capitalist Sam Altman, who recently invested US$375mln in US fusion start-up Helion. He told FT, that in addition to solving the climate crisis, less expensive energy also transforms society.

UK companies like Tokamak Energy and First Light Fusion, both based in Oxford, have reported fusion breakthroughs.

Chinese technology giant Tencent invested US$45mln in First Light in February, bringing outside backing to US$107mln for the company, which was launched in 2011.

When Oxford University spinout First Light Fusion announced it had achieved fusion faster and cheaper than competitors, hopes were raised that the long search for a feasible form of energy might finally be around the corner.

The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) is also developing plans for a prototype fusion power plant as part of its support for the technology.

General Fusion, a company backed by Microsoft and Amazon's Jeff Bezos, won UKAEA approval to build and operate a nuclear fusion demonstration plant in the UK, with the start of operations planned in 2025.

Outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in 2019 that Oxford scientists are close to "creating commercially viable miniature fusion reactors for sale around the world", and added, "Now I know they have been on the verge for some time. It is a pretty spacious kind of verge."

Last year, when he called the technology an "exciting innovation that could super-charge our efforts to #BuildBackGreener," eight new companies have entered the fusion race, according to the Fusion Industry Association.

According to the association's chief executive, Andrew Holland, nuclear fusion is on a path to "commercial relevance" at a time when new clean energy options are desperately needed.

"With investment accelerating, it is increasingly likely that commercial fusion will become a reality within the next two decades, providing the basis for prosperity, safety, and security, for many years to come, " he added, reports Telegraph.

Though a usable scale of nuclear fusion has been tried for decades by scientists, nuclear fusion is the result of fusing together nuclei, which releases energy.

The reaction powers the sun and, in theory, could supply earth with abundant, clean energy, but replicating the reaction on earth is extremely difficult, requiring massive amounts of heat and pressure.

So far, scientists have not been able to produce more energy from the reaction than it takes to trigger it - though some are making progress.

Earlier this year, scientists in Oxfordshires Culham Centre for Fusion Energy in Oxfordshire doubled the previous record for energy generated by fusion power, delivering 59 megajoules for five seconds from the Joint European Torus facility.

Last year, UKAEA's Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak (MAST) Upgrade experiment, also at Culham, delivered a tenfold reduction in heat "from a blowtorch level down to more like you'd find in a car engine".

Government efforts carry on. It was end-2020 when the UK government invited communities to volunteer a site for a fusion reactor prototype that would put electricity on the grid.

The project, called Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP), began in 2019 with an initial 222mln over five years to develop a design, with the UKAEA saying construction could begin as soon as 2032, with operations by 2040.

The plant aims to generate a "near-limitless" source of low-carbon energy.
Compumedics Ltd (ASX:CMP) has delivered record new sales orders of $45.6 million for financial year 2022, growing its sales by 29% from $35.3 million from the previous financial year.

Sales included approximately $4.1 million for the new Magnetoencephalography (MEG) sales order.

In January this year, having reported half-year record sales, CMP secured its second MEG sale to Tianjin Normal University (TJNU) in China  home of the Psychology and Behaviour Research Centre.

The 'Orion Lifespan MEG' is Compumedics brain analysis platform, comprised of multi-modality neurophysiological assessment through EEG, MRI, CT, SPECT, PET scans and more.

Excluding MEG, CMPs sales were 17% higher than FY21.

Revenues affected by pandemic issues

Revenues for FY22 (subject to audit) at $37 million will be 4% higher than the previous financial year.

The low revenue figure is due in part to issues affecting many companies in a supply environment.

As an importer and exporter of product, CMP has been affected by pandemic-related, supply issues, global silicon chip shortages and other COVID-19 logistic-related delays, which contributed to a slower shipping capability than usual for the full financial year.

CMP is now doing the work to resolve these issues in the months ahead.

EBITDA on track

CMPs EBITDA, subject to finalisation of the results and audit, is expected to be similar or better than FY21, which was $2.6 million. Operating cashflow should also remain positive for FY22, with CMP holding about $9.8 million of cash and unused banking facilities, which includes a record June 30 cash balance of $7.2 million.

Together with positive ongoing operating cashflows, the cash at hand should be sufficient to meet CMPs current and future financing needs.

Highlights

Sales orders taken for FY22 were a record $45.6 million, a 29% increase compared to the $35.3 million of new sales orders booked for FY21

Unaudited revenues are approximately $37 million for FY22, a 4% increase on FY21

EBITDA is expected to be equal to or greater than FY21, which was $2.6 million

Cash on hand was strong for June 30, 2022, at $7.2 million, up from $6.8 million on June 30, 2021.

This is all in-line or slightly better than guidance given on May 27, 2022
Miramar Resources Ltd (ASX:M2R) has received a boost for its Gidji Joint Venture Project in WA, having closed the entitlement offer it announced on June 14 and raising $279,881 before costs.

The placement options offer, which featured in a replacement prospectus the company released on June 20, was fully subscribed.

Fully subscribed offer

The company will now issue 38,693,334 options exercisable at $0.25 each, expiring two years from the date of issue following the completion of the entitlement offer and placement option offer.

The options will be quoted under the ASX code M2RO. The company directors have the discretion to place a shortfall offer.

Miramar will plunge these funds into an accelerated exploration program at the Gidji Joint Venture Project (Gidji JV), with plans to prospect at a number of projects in the Eastern Goldfields, Murchison and Gascoyne regions of Western Australia. The cash will also serve as working capital.

The company expressed its gratitude for the continued strong shareholder commitment to its future.

About Miramar Resources

Miramar Resources is a West Australian-focused miner targeting the Eastern Goldfields, the Murchison and Gascoyne regions.

The companys portfolio contains high potential for new gold and nickel-copper-platinum group element (PGE) discoveries with viable transport to existing operations.
The AB Paloma awaits first oil-load in the Port of Geraldton.

Triangle Energy (Global) Ltd welcomes news that its Cliff Head Joint Venture (CHJV) with Pilot Energy (ASX:PGY) Ltd has established a new export route, successfully loading 24,500 barrels of oil into a chartered tanker, the AB Paloma, bound for Singapore.

Triangle Energy managing director Conrad Todd said: This is an exciting time and a major turning point for the CHJV.

The completion of the first export run for Cliff Head oil through the Port of Geraldton ensures that we will continue exporting and selling the oil produced from the Cliff Head Oil Field for the foreseeable future as we progress plans on the future utilisation of the Cliff Head facilities.

The first consignment of oil from the recently refurbished Arrowsmith Stabilisation Plant was loaded onto the AB Paloma, at the Port of Geraldton, having been trucked from the plant between July 8 to 11.

Trucks queuing to load at the Arrowsmith Stabilisation Plant.

More barrels to come

The tanker will remain on standby while the CHJV produces and stores a further 25,000 to 30,000 barrels, which will then be loaded onto the tanker, in roughly six weeks.

The AB Paloma will then set sail for Singapore laden with its cargo of oil.

This new export route will enable the continuation of oil production in the Perth Basin for both the Cliff Head Oil Field and other Perth Basin producers, allowing the CHJV to continue to progress plans for alignment on the future use of the Cliff Head Facilities.

Triangle acknowledged that the Port of Geraldton was of great assistance to the joint venture partners in the planning and execution of this new oil export route.

New route through Port of Geraldton

Mid-West Port Authority (MWPA) CEO Damian Tully said: We are excited to facilitate a new tanker export route through Geraldton, enabling the supply chain and demonstrating that MWPA continues to provide a viable trade opportunity.

I congratulate the CHJV on this significant milestone and we look forward to continuing our work with them.

The Cliff Head Field is expected to increase production in late August when the CH10 well workover is completed. This workover will resume in late July when the long lead items, including an electric submersible pump, arrive in Australia.

These long-lead items were purchased using funds from the capital raise undertaken in May this year.
Critical Resources Ltd (ASX:CRR) continues to set a fast pace with encouraging results from Mavis Lake Lithium Project in Ontario, Canada.

Assay results have been received from four more drill holes containing spodumene laths, which correlate to higher-grading lithium oxide assays, including 7.63 metres at 1.35% lithium dioxide.

Of the 42 holes drilled, 39 have intersected spodumene-bearing pegmatite.

Highlights

Assay data has confirmed lithium mineralisation, correlating with initial visual results identified immediately post-drilling. Results include:

7.63 metres at 1.35% lithium dioxide from 11.57 metres downhole, including 5 metres at 1.77% from 13.5 metres, 3.5 metres at 2.0% from 13.5 metres and 2 metres at 2.48% from 13.5 metres;

4.28 metres at 0.85% from 105.67 metres downhole; and

5.3 metres at 0.98% from 65 metres downhole.

As for the visuals, the company has seen:

8.9 metres of around 10% fine to large spodumene laths from 141.35 metres within pegmatite;

6.45 metres of around 5% fine to large spodumene laths from 111.85 metres within pegmatite; and

1.85 metres of around 25% fine to large spodumene laths from 126.4 metres within pegmatite.

Close-ups illustrate significant spodumene mineralisation.

The four most recent drill holes have intersected spodumene-bearing pegmatite within Pegmatite 6, which continues to extend known spodumene mineralisation towards the west.

Resource definition program continues

And there will be no rest for the drills. CRR is planning a further 5,000 metres as part of a step-out and infill program in support of defining a JORC-compliant resource.

Managing director Alex Biggs said: We are pleased to announce our second round of assays from Mavis Lake and are excited to see some high-grade intersections.

As we start phase two of drilling, we look forward to increasing the strike extent of known mineralisation and testing the identified geophysical anomalies.

We are very happy with progress to date and are working towards a JORC-compliant resource for the project.

About Mavis Lake

The Mavis Lake Lithium Project is 19 kilometres east of the town of Dryden, Ontario, in close proximity to the Trans-Canada highway and major railway transportation arteries linking larger cities such as Thunder Bay, Ontario, to the southeast and Winnipeg, Manitoba, to the west.

The region boasts excellent infrastructure with hydro-power located a few kilometres to the south-west of the project and is a well-established lithium province with multiple projects in the vicinity.
Golden Rim Resources Ltd (ASX:GMR) has identified extensive additional oxide gold target areas in an auger drilling program at Beroko Prospect within the Kada Gold Project in Guinea.

The companys infill drill program returned results up to 960 parts per billion (ppb) gold, confirming several parallel, north-south trending, bedrock gold anomalies at Bereko with a cumulative strike length of more than 5.5 kilometres.

Notably, auger gold anomalies provide target areas for Golden Rim to delineate strike extensions to the oxide gold mineralisation.

Looking ahead, the company has extended its induced polarisation (IP)/ground magnetics geophysical survey and results are now expected in late August before plans will be finalised for follow-up reverse circulation (RC) drilling at Bereko.

Auger drilling system successful

Golden Rim managing director Craig Mackay said: Systematic auger drilling to identify areas with anomalous bedrock gold beneath the shallow laterite cover has been hugely successful at Kada.

At Bereko, we have hit significant bedrock oxide gold in almost every RC hole targeting the auger anomalies.

Initial RC drilling results strongly suggest the area could deliver satellite oxide gold resources we can add to our existing gold inventory.

The initial auger drilling coverage at Bereko was broadly spaced to allow for a large under-explored area to be covered quickly.

Now, with the completion of the infill auger drilling we have considerably improved our understanding of the extent and trend of the auger gold anomalies and we are better placed to target the next round of RC drilling to locate more oxide gold mineralisation.

The extent of the gold anomalies at Bereko, with a cumulative strike length of 5.5 kilometres, is highly significant given the current 930,000-ounce mineral resource, 7 kilometres to the south, extends over 1 kilometre.

Auger program

Golden Rim recently completed a 218-hole auger drilling program across 1,990 metres at Bereko.

The drilling was designed to penetrate the shallow laterite cover to obtain a bottom-of-hole sample in each hole of the weathered bedrock (saprolite) beneath for gold analysis.

Results from the infill auger drilling are highly encouraging with the delineation of several parallel, north-south-trending bedrock gold anomalies (Western and Eastern anomalies) with a cumulative strike length of more than 5.5 kilometres.

Forward plan

Golden Rim has extended its IP and ground magnetics geophysical survey at the Bereko and Massan prospects, with three dipole-dipole IP lines (total of 3.6-line kilometres) now planned for Massan.

This survey is expected to be completed in about one month.

Golden Rim will use the results of its RC and auger drilling programs as well as the geophysical survey to guide further exploration at Kada during 2022, including planning further drilling to follow up the highly encouraging initial drilling results received from Bereko and around the mineral resource area at Massan.
Bitcoin reclaimed the US$20,000 support line in the early-Thursday trade, adding 3% against the day to creep up to US$20,104.

Ethereum also recovered lost ground after performing poorly throughout the week, climbing 4.48% to US$1,105.

Global market cap was up 2.57%, just missing out on breaking the US$900bln barrier by under a percentage point.

The decentralised finance (DeFi) space is on a roll, with Lido DAO up 25.12%, Curve up 14.77% and Aave up 13.38%, while the US$300mln derivatives platform Synthetix broke into the top 100 with a 12.33% rally.

Total value locked across all DeFi platforms rose 2.28% to break above US$74bln.

Ethereums premier decentralised exchange (DEX) Uniswap rallied 11.83%, increasing its market capitalisation to over US$4.5bln.

Among todays biggest losers, Bitfinexs LEO token fell 2.75%, play-to-earn token GALA dropped 2.13%, and the Kava blockchain shed half a percent.

Latest headlines

Celsius has finally caved and filed for a Chapter 11 bankruptcy, dashing users hopes of ever getting back their locked-up funds.

Celsius has initiated a financial restructuring process to provide the company with the best opportunity to stabilise the business and consummate a comprehensive restructuring transaction that maximises value for all stakeholders, the company said in a press release.

Cash continues to pour into blockchain investments despite the bear market, with the Chinese government now getting in on the action.

The Shanghais Economy and Information Technology Committee announced a US$1.5bln metaverse fund as part of a wider post-coronavirus initiative for accelerating economic recovery.

The South African Reserve Bank is ramping up crypto regulation with new legislation set to bring digital assets under the scope of the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA).
After a month full of speculation and uncertainty, centralised finance (CeFi) lending company Celsius Network has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US Bankruptcy Court in New York.

The news was met with despair among Celsius customers, who remained hopeful of retrieving the billions of dollars worth of funds held at ransom since Celsius froze withdrawals on June 12.

A voluntary petition filed on Wednesday July 13 cites over 100,000 creditors owed between US$1bln and US$10bln.

Cayman Islands-registered private equity firm Pharos Capital is listed as the largest creditor with an unsecured claim of over US$81mln.

Also present on the creditor list are technology companies The Caen Group and ICB Solutions, South African crypto exchange AltCoinTrader, tokenised fund Invictus Capital, Sam Bankman-Frieds Alameda Research, and a litany of high-value customers.

This is the right decision for our community and company, said co-founder and chief executive officer Alex Mashinky.

But those words will likely fall on deaf ears to stakeholders, many of whom were convinced to hand custody of their digital assets over to Celsius by Mashinsky himself.

Influencers in the spotlight

Two weeks before Celsius placed a temporary  now likely permanent  freeze on withdrawals, Mashinsky took to YouTube channel InvestAnswers to rally against the FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) surrounding the platform.

The Fudders are idiots who have nothing better to do exclaimed Mashinsky.

Dont believe the FUD, agred James Mullarney of InvestAnswers.

Celsius has the framework and transparency to let customers know if there is a problem, not to mention the financial backers, he gushed.

Want to make sure your crypto is stored safely for your loved ones? Give Celsius custody of your funds, they suggested.

So went the 45-minute interview.

Fellow bankrupt crypto lender Voyager had its own cheerleaders, not least billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban, who as a business partner with Voyager went on record calling it as close to risk free as you're gonna get in the crypto universe,

Cuban fans could also get US$100 of FREE crypto by usings the MAVS100 promo code!

Cuban in fairness stated that nothing in crypto is 100% risk free, while Mashinky and Mullarneys interview came with the standard not financial advice caveat.

But customers who were drawn in by these and similar comments are now likely to return to them with a sense of dismay, particularly those sharing suicide hotline information over Twitter and the Reddit community.

Who would be crazy enough to give their coins, their crypto, to somebody thats not a bank? Mashinksy once rhetorically asked an interviewer.

A story of Chapters

Celsius voluntary petition labels the business as none of the above on a list that includes a commodity broker option.

Source: stretto.com

Voyager did the same, which makes sense given that both entities have enlisted the same lawyer.

More than an arbitrary definition, this conscious decision could significantly influence how Celsius  and Voyagers  bankruptcy proceeding goes down.

Instead of a Chapter 11, brokers are required to file for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 7, which exposes the debtor to the Securities Investor Protection Act (SIPA) thus putting customers at the front of the queue for repayments.

According to Washington D.C.-based law firm Wilmerhale, a broker's customers stand to be affected less, and less adversely, by a broker's liquidation under the special bankruptcy and SIPA provisions compared to a Chapter 11.

If @celsiusnetwork and @investvoyager cared about their users they'd file for SIPA bankruptcy as brokers (which they always claimed to be), where ALL proceeds go to customers first.



Filing for Chapter 11 is them saying EXPLICITLY that THE COMPANY OWNS ALL USER ASSETS. pic.twitter.com/FMDzmjRBZO  Cory Klippsten (@coryklippsten) July 14, 2022

Since Chapter 7 forces businesses into bankruptcy, while Chapter 11 keeps the restructuring door open, it stands to reason why Voyager and Celsius want to take the latter route; a slim chance of saving their businesses would still exist, while users remain classified as unsecured creditors and have less claim to debt.

But heres the pinch: Voyager was more than happy to call itself a broker in the past, in no less than nine press releases since 2018 in fact.

Celsius has shrewdly avoided the term, but with essentially the name business model, what sense would it make for Voyager to be deemed a broker but not Celsius?

Whether or not Celsius and Voyager will be forced to change to a Chapter 7 is unclear.

As reported by Retuers, the judge in Voyagers case questioned whether Voyager had even filed the right type of bankruptcy case, suggesting that it met the criteria for liquidating as a broker-dealer with protected customer accounts.

If the courts decide to pursue this line, it could be bad news for Celsius but a glimmer of hope for customers.

As of 14:00 BST, CEL token was trading at US$0.62 with a market capitalisation of US$148.7mln.
Analysts remain divided about prospects for Burberry Group PLC (LSE:BRBY) (Burberry Group PLC (LSE:BRBY)) ahead of its first-quarter trading update on Friday.

The British fashion brand and retailer is heavily exposed to China's recent Covid-19 lockdowns and its home market in the UK, meanwhile, remains plagued by the cost-of-living crisis.

Analysts estimate that over a third of Burberrys business is exposed to the Chinese market and foresee this as having a potential impact on the retailers earnings for the recent trading period.

(Read the full Burberry preview here)

In relevant macro news for Burberry, Chinas economic growth and retail sales figures will be published.

Gross domestic product numbers are likely to confirm that it will be extremely hard for the economy to meet Beijings 5.5% target for the year.

In Q1 the economy was said to have seen an expansion of 4.8%, which comes across as extremely generous, said market analyst Michael Hewson, noting that retail sales plunged in April and May and are likely to have remained weak in June, while industrial production has also been disappointing as various lockdowns have shut down ports as well businesses.

One particularly significant statistic during April was that not a single car was sold in Shanghai through the entire month. Against such a backdrop it's hard to make the case for any sort of significant economic expansion during Q2 at all.

Retail sales declined 11.1% and 6.7% in April and May but there was easing of lockdown restrictions in June.
C-Bond's three-layer BRS system is certified to stop 15 rounds from a handgun from 15-feet away and its nine-layer system is certified to stop 1 round from a semi-automatic weapon from 50-feet away

When bullets hit C-Bond Systems (OTC:CBNT) Incs Patriot Glass Solutions ballistic-resistant window film, they dont get through. The glass may crack but it doesnt shatter.

The company has developed a patented nanotechnology and multilayer window film system certified by independent third-party labs to stop rounds from a handgun and another certified to stop rounds from a semi-automatic rifle.

Based in Texas with offices in Houston and San Antonio, C-Bond has already installed its C-Bond Secure, which deters forced entry, or C-Bond BRS (Bullet-Resistant System) in approximately 100 schools in the state. After 19 children and two adults were killed at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas in May, CEO Scott Silverman spoke out.

I believe we can help, Silverman said in an interview with Proactives Christine Corrado. Yes, there is business attached to that, but I really believe we can help from a moral perspective as well in that our technology actually stops bullets.

Silverman has school-age kids himself, as does C-Bond president Allison Tomek. Her daughter attends Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where a gunman killed 17 people in 2018.

The technology works like this: a window is coated with C-Bonds BRS solution, which uses nanotechnology to strengthen the underlying glass, and overlain with three sheets of 15-mil film (where one mil is 0.001 inches), with more C-Bond solution between each sheet of film.

Once installed, a bullet from a handgun fired from as little as 15 feet away doesnt get through. Remarkably, there is no decline in visibility either.

For semi-automatic weapons protection, C-Bond triples the number of film layers to nine, with the C-Bond patented solution again filled between each one. The result, while slightly cloudier than unprotected glass, does the job from as little as 50 feet.

Silverman has led demonstrations of Patriot Glass products all over the country, most recently in San Antonio on June 22. People take notice of what C-Bond BRS is capable of, he said.

Seeing the gun, hearing the gun [fire] ... and then walking up to the piece of glass after the shots happen, touching the back where the film is and seeing that it didn't penetrate  and seeing the bullet sitting on the floor  it's a strong statement, Silverman said.

Whats more, because the sheets are layered on one side of the glass, the technology stops bullets from the outside in but not the inside out. That means, hypothetically, someone (such as a security guard on the inside) could shoot out through a C-Bond BRS window if necessary.

Also, since the three-layer solution is compatible with standard glass thickness (1/4- to 1/2-inch), C-Bond BRS can be added to existing windows with no retrofitting required. The nine-layer solution needs to be fitted to 3/4-inch glass, which may need to be installed.

Its important to note that C-Bond BRS isnt an end-all-be-all solution to the school shooting epidemic in the United States. Silverman and Tomek are the first to say as much. But, if a gunman fires into a classroom window  as the shooter did at Marjory Stoneman Douglas  it can help.

Additionally, even though the three-layer Patriot Glass solution isnt certified to stop assault weapons, it still makes a significant difference compared to unreinforced glass. To that point, the company also offers a single-layer solution called C-Bond Secure that is designed to protect windows against break-ins and smash and grabs.

If someone hits a C-Bond Secure window with a bat, for example, its going to take a good minute or two of swinging to break through. That delay is an effective deterrent, Silverman said.

In terms of revenue, the Patriot Glass division is growing quickly. The company is seeing increasing demand for its ballistic-resistant window film due to the growing number of mass shootings.

Beyond the Building

C-Bond also has a patented technology designed to protect an entirely different kind of window: a car windshield. Windshields endure a great deal of impact from debris, and because the glass is bent, its more likely to crack if it gets hit.

Thats where C-Bond nanoShield technology comes in. The solution, sprayed on and squeegeed off, penetrates and strengthens the microscopic flaws inherent in every piece of glass. The result is invisible to the naked eye.

The savings on window repair and replacement are significant, Silverman said. To test it, the company applied nanoShield to 3,300 vehicles in a 13,000-car fleet belonging to a major car rental company at the Denver International Airport. The result was an 82% decrease in repair and replacement costs.

C-Bond is targeting rental cars and other vehicle fleets as potential customers, as well as auto dealerships.

However, the biggest potential customer base, which Silverman said C-Bond is looking to penetrate going forward, is insurance companies. Insurance companies eat 80% of windshield claim costs in the US, he said, which is a strong incentive for them to have it applied to vehicles they cover.

We believe that the insurance companies will motivate you as the insured motorist to actually put nanoShield on your windshield, similar to what they do today with antilock brakes, Silverman said.

This is especially important for windshields with electronic heads-up displays, which can make repairs more complicated and replacements more expensive. In fact, the average windshield replacement 10 years ago cost $400, whereas the average replacement now costs more than $1,800, Silverman added.

C-Bond Solutions trades on the OTC Markets in the US.

Contact Andrew Kessel at andrew.kessel@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow him on Twitter @andrew_kessel
The CBC property is located on the Quesnel Terrane that hosts several large copper-gold porphyry deposits

Belmont Resources Inc (TSX-V:BEA) announced it had identified a new copper-gold porphyry system at its Come By Chance (CBC) property in British Columbia.

The Vancouver-based company wrapped up its first drill program on the property, which is located on the Quesnel Terrane that hosts several large copper-gold porphyry deposits.

After drilling a little more than 2,300 metres, Belmont said that it had confirmed porphyry-style alteration, veining and mineralization over an initial area of 1,300 metres by 900 metres.

"The alteration and mineralization observed in drill core from all six holes, suggests that we have potentially drilled the periphery of a new porphyry copper-gold system in British Columbia, George Sookochoff, CEO of Belmont said in a statement.

Sookochoff added that the company is just beginning to unlock the untapped potential of the CBC porphyry project.

According to Belmont, intercepting significant intervals of propylitic alteration shows the company where it may be in the various zonations of a copper porphyry system. Also, significant amounts of chlorite, epidote and carbonates were associated with the Propylitic alteration, which Belmont said is also very important for confirming the position in the porphyry zonations.

Belmont is incorporating the drill results with 2021 geophysical data along with more detailed mapping to assist in vectoring toward the core of the porphyry system. A Phase II drill program is slated for the fall of 2022.

Contact Angela at angela@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow her on Twitter @AHarmantas
Bitcoin reclaimed the US$20,000 support line in the early-Thursday trade, adding 3% against the day to creep up to US$20,104.

Ethereum also recovered lost ground after performing poorly throughout the week, climbing 4.48% to US$1,105.

The global market cap was up 2.57%, just missing out on breaking the US$900bln barrier by under a percentage point.

The decentralised finance (DeFi) space is on a roll, with Lido DAO up 25.12%, Curve up 14.77% and Aave up 13.38%, while the US$300mln derivatives platform Synthetix broke into the top 100 with a 12.33% rally. Total value locked across all DeFi platforms rose 2.28% to break above US$74bln.

Ethereums premier decentralised exchange (DEX) Uniswap rallied 11.83%, increasing its market capitalisation to over US$4.5bln.

Among todays biggest losers, Bitfinexs LEO token fell 2.75%, play-to-earn token GALA dropped 2.13%, and the Kava blockchain shed half a percent.
TRX Gold (TSX:TNX) Corporation revealed its latest production figures from its Buckreef gold operation that showcased the mines highest quarterly production.

During its fiscal 3Q for the three-month period ended May 31, 2022, Buckreef delivered 2,733 ounces of gold and sold 3,033 ounces both of which are quarterly records, according to TRX.

The company achieved a low cash cost of $508 per ounce of gold, and a significant gross margin of 73%, resulting in record quarterly net income of $2 million, it said in a statement.

Production came in ahead of TRXs previously stated 1Q guidance, the company added.

The quarter represented the first full quarter operating the 360 tons-per-day (tpd) mill at Buckreef to nameplate capacity, according to TRX. The company also said that it is advancing construction on a 1,000 tpd processing plant, which is expected to be completed in the latter half of 2022.

TRX CEO Stephen Mullowney told investors that the results prove the company has a viable business and highlighted Buckreefs low cash costs, significant gross profit margins and record net income.

The goal now is to make this operation much larger, with a focus on resource expansion, and build a significant gold business that unlocks shareholder value, Mullowney said in a statement.

The CEO added that the company was able to use cash flow from operations to fund value accretive activities, including exploration. The firm reported a 250-meter extension to the Main Zone and will test for extension of gold mineralization to the southwest with an expanded drill program.

We are enthusiastic about the growth potential for the Buckreef Gold project which will be funded from operating cash flow from the expanded operation, Mullowney said. Congratulations to all of my colleagues on another milestone quarter.

Contact Angela at angela@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow her on Twitter @AHarmantas
Lakhimpur Kheri, July 14 : BJP MLA Arvind Giri who had partied with friends at Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) in 2007, has now been served a non-bailable warrant by the Court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) in Lakhimpur Kheri.

The MLA's driver Arjun Kumar has also been served a warrant.

Giri and his relatives had "violated DTR guidelines while having a party inside the Kishanpur range of the reserve forest".

Advocate Sanjay Rai, representing Dudhwa officials, said that Giri, a five-time MLA and the current legislator from Gola in Lakhimpur Kheri, had failed to turn up in earlier court summons.

ACJM Mona Singh has now directed Kheri SP Sanjeev Suman to "arrest the accused and produce them at the next hearing on July 28".

Incidentally, in a recent directive, the Allahabad High Court (HC) had asked the lower court to complete the trial proceedings within the next two months.

"A chargesheet against the MLA was filed in court in 2009. But he never appeared. He once took a stay from the HC and then the case file disappeared from the court's record room. The file was reconstituted and summons were served but again he did not turn up. Now, the HC has given specific directions to ensure speedy trial of this case," Rai said.

An FIR was registered against Giri under multiple sections of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act at Bheera police station in 2007.

Eight separate criminal cases have been registered against the legislator till date, Rai added.

The 61-year-old politician, however, claimed that the state had withdrawn five of the other pending criminal cases.

"I was a Samajwadi Party MLA in 2007, and this (Dudhwa) case was politically motivated. My relatives were in Kishanpur and had a tiff with the then ranger. Subsequently, two FIRs were registered against me, my kin and my driver. The state had withdrawn the criminal cases against me before the pandemic. The courts were closed then and so now the warrant has been issued in this one, maybe due to some miscommunication and also negligence of my advocate. I will personally appear before the court and put forward my case," Giri said.

Kheri SP Sanjeev Suman, meanwhile, said, "We will take appropriate action as per the directions of the court and ensure the accused are produced before it."
Lucknow, July 14 : A man has been arrested by customs sleuths at Lucknow airport after he landed with Rs 20.6 lakh worth of pure gold concealed in his rectum.

The passenger had boarded IndiGo 6E 1088 flight from Dubai, landing in Lucknow three-and-a-half hours later.

According to customs officials, "The gold was in the form of a paste which was wrapped in black tape in two packets. The total weight of the packets was 433 grams. After removing the tape and other impurities from gold, it weighs 397 grams." According to a customs official, "The passenger was walking strangely when he queued up for immigration clearance. His profile did not match with a passenger who would visit Dubai for merely a tour. The metal detector further raised the suspicion. He was brought out of the queue and was interrogated." The team recovered two packets in which pure gold was hidden in paste form. The accused passenger had concealed the packet in his rectum.

"It is amazing that he travelled for more than three hours in such a way," the official said.

The passenger was arrested and presented before the chief judicial magistrate (economic offences) for judicial custody.

Further investigation is under process. The smuggled gold was supposed to be taken to the National Capital Region.
Seoul, July 14 : South Korea's new coronavirus cases more than doubled in a week to near 40,000 on Thursday, as the country has experienced a resurgence of infections amid the fast spread of a highly contagious new omicron subvariant.

The country added 39,196 new Covid-19 infections, including 338 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 18,641,278, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) was quoted as saying by Yonhap news agency.

Thursday's figure also more than doubled from 18,511 cases logged a week earlier, as the country has seen an upturn in infections from end-June due to the highly contagious omicron subvariant BA.5.

The daily count hit over 10,000 on June 29 for the first time in about three weeks, and rose to over 20,000 on Saturday and further to 40,000 on Wednesday.

The KDCA reported 16 deaths from the virus Thursday, putting the death toll at 24,696. The fatality rate stood at 0.13 per cent.

The number of critically ill patients came to 69, up from the previous day's 67. Despite the surge in new infections, the figure has stayed below 100 since last month.

The KDCA has said the country entered a new virus wave, ending a downward trend from the peak of more than 620,000 in mid-March, and that the daily infections could surge to as high as 200,000 next month.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Lucknow, July 14 : For the first time, schools, colleges, universities, government, non-government offices and most importantly, markets will remain open on Independence Day.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said that this Independence Day will be celebrated as a special event this year in each district as it is the 75th year of Independence.

Chief Secretary D.S. Mishra said that a special sanitation drive would be carried out, as is done during the festival of Diwali, and this should be made into a national public movement.

"Programmes should be held at places linked with freedom fighters. Each day of the week during the Independence Day week should have a different programme. Independence Day celebrations should not be reduced to just an official programme. People should participate in it. People from all walks of life like social organisations, public representatives, NCC and NSO cadets, trade organisations should be linked with it," he said.
Rescuers evacuate stranded people in flood water in Jian'ou City, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 19, 2022. Heavy rainfalls hit Jian'ou City in recent days, causing floods and waterlogging. (Photo by Huang Jiemin/Xinhua/IANS) Image Source: IANS News

Aerial photo taken on June 19, 2022 shows rescuers evacuating stranded people in flood water in Jian'ou City, southeast China's Fujian Province. Heavy rainfalls hit Jian'ou City in recent days, causing floods and waterlogging. (Photo by Huang Jiemin/ Image Source: IANS News

Beijing, July 14 : China's national observatory on Thursday issued a blue alert for rainstorms in some regions of the country.

Heavy rainfall and rainstorms are expected in parts of northwest China and some areas of Jiangsu and Anhui provinces from 8 a.m. Thursday to 8 a.m. Friday, according to the National Meteorological Centre.

Some of these regions will experience up to 60 mm of hourly precipitation accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds, Xinhua news agency reported quoting the centre.

It advised local authorities to remain alert for possible flooding and called for protective measures in schools and kindergartens.

China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.
United Nations, July 14 : Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed has commended India's efforts to localise the monitoring of progress in implementing the UN's sustainable development goals (SDGs).

In her message to a session on the Indian Model of SDG Localisation here on Wednesday, she said, "I commend the government of India and the NITI Aayog for the remarkable degree to which the SDGs have been localised (with) indicators and targets embedded into planning, budgeting and monitoring frameworks at all levels of government".

The SDGs are 17 agenda points set by the UN in 2015 for achieving by 2030 and they range from poverty alleviation and promoting health to climate action and social justice.

The Indian government's think tank, NITI Aayog, steers long-term policies and provides technical advice for their implementation.

It has developed monitoring tools to chart the progress of implementation of the SDGs at state levels and right down to the district levels, NITI Ayog Vice Chairperson Suman Bery said.

This provides for competitive collaboration among the states and entities within states as they try to scale their efforts, he said.

The SDG India Index dashboard "is creating intense competition amongst states: states that do well, in the third fourth position, strive to reach the first one (while) other states focus on doing better", he said.

"The spirit of competition has been prompting the states to do better (and) you will see that this has resulted in superior outcomes," Bery said.

Mohammed said, "The 2030 agenda remains as relevant as ever, the world's compass for navigating turbulent uncharted waters".

"The SDGs recognise that world is interlinked to an unprecedented degree" and the level to which this message of interconnectedness has been embraced in India, from the Centre and the states down to the district and individual household level is truly impressive", she said.

Under-Secretary-General Usha Monari-Rao said that India's model of localised SDG monitoring will be an example for other countries.

She said, "We aim to expand learning from these partnerships (of UNDP with India) to inspire efforts to do development in ways that transform global commitments into green, inclusive and equitable actions within India and, of course, and always around the world, using India as an example".

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
New York, July 14 : As Sri Lanka crisis deepened, UN Chief Antonio Guterres on Thursday said it is important to address root causes of the conflict and protesters' grievances.

Taking to twitter, the UN chief said, "I continue to follow the situation in Sri Lanka very closely. It is important that the root casues of the conflict and protesters' grievances are addressed.

"I urge all party members to embrace the spirit of compromise for a peaceful and democratic transition." On Wednesday, a sea of protesters gathered outside Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's office. Police fired teargas shells to disperse the demonstrators.

Embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled the country, had appointed Wickremesinghe as Sri Lanka's interim President.

Latest updates on Srilankan Crisis

Latest updates on Raksha Bandhan 2022

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Los Angeles, July 14 : An appellate panel of three judges has ordered the release of a transcript in the Roman Polanski case a day after the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office withdrew its objection to disclosing the document.

Additionally, the prosecutors are reconsidering the director's 45-year-old rape case with "fresh eyes", reports Variety.

Two authors, Sam Wasson and William Rempel, had requested the court to unseal the transcript of a 2010 examination of Roger Gunson, the retired prosecutor who handled the case against Polanski in 1977. Polanski flew to France in 1978, shortly before he was to be sentenced for raping a 13-year-old girl and has been a fugitive ever since.

Variety further states that Polanski and his supporters have often argued that Judge Laurence Rittenband engaged in serious misconduct and reneged on a promise to sentence him to no more than a 90-day psychiatric evaluation.

Gunson was interviewed for the 2008 documentary 'Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired', which brought greater scrutiny to the handling of the case. According to Variety, he also testified behind closed doors for three days in 2010, as Polanski's defence lawyers were seeking to have the case dismissed.

Gunson has accused Rittenband of acting inappropriately and claimed that his own supervisors prevented him from trying to remove the judge from the case. The D.A.'s office has previously opposed release of the Gunson transcript and has also objected to Polanski's efforts to dismiss the case or to be sentenced in absentia.

However, George Gascon, who was elected D.A. in 2020, reversed the office's position on releasing the transcript. Tiffiny Blacknell, a special advisor to Gascon, also told Variety that the office is interested in reviewing the case with "fresh eyes", and will decide its next steps after seeing what the transcript says.

In its recent order accessed by Variety, the appeals court took note of the D.A's reversal stating: "We agree with the People that there is no factual or legal basis for the conditional deposition transcript to remain sealed." The court also quoted its own ruling from 2009, in which the appeals court urged the lower court to investigate the allegations of misconduct in the Polanski case. At the time, the court wrote, "Fundamental fairness and justice in our criminal justice system are far more important than the conviction and sentence of any one individual. Polanski's allegations urgently require full exploration and then, if indicated, curative action for the abuses alleged here.

Polanski's lawyer, Harland Braun, said that he may renew his efforts to resolve the case once the transcript is released.
Kathmandu, July 14 : Chairman of CPN (Maoist Centre) Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' is scheduled to visit India on Friday.

The visit is taking place soon after a high-level Chinese delegation visited Kathmandu and held talks with President, Prime Minister and leaders of the major political parties including the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, Maoist Center and among others.

Led by Liu Jianchao, the head of the International Liaison Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the high-level Chinese delegation met with different communist party leaders and urged them for party unification.

Dahal is visiting India on invitation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the ruling party of India, according to Dahal's secretariat.

Dahal is scheduled to hold high-level meetings with Indian leaders during his visit but his secretariat said final confirmation and schedule has not arrived yet.

Prachanda is expected to meet J.P. Nadda, the president of BJP, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, among others and will address a gathering in Delhi. This is purely a political mission as Nepal is heading to elections and there are talks about unity among the leftist political forces in Nepal and China is building pressure, one senior Maoist Center leader told IANS.

Dahal will be returning to Nepal on Sunday.
Colombo, July 14 : Sri Lanka's parliamentary speaker is yet to receive President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's resignation letter, local media reported.

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said that he has not yet received President Rajapaksa's resignation.

The resignation letter has not been sent because the President has not yet reached his destination, Daily Mirror reported quoting informed sources.

The letter is expected to be received today.

President Rajapaksa had left the crisis-hit Sri Lanka early Wednesday for the Maldives.

He was scheduled to board a flight for Singapore on Wednesday night but could not due to security concerns.

The President is all set to depart from the Maldives for Singapore in a shortwhile.

He is expected to announce his resignation after he reaches Singapore later in the day.
Kochi, July 14 : The Kerala High Court on Thursday dismissed two bail pleas of fraudster Monson Mavunkal after the state governments counsel strongly opposed the same.

The now arrested fake antique dealer's bail pleas pertained to two cases -- one in a POCSO case and the other in a rape case.

The counsel for the state argued that the charge-sheet in both the cases have been filed and the trial is all set to start and hence bail should not be granted.

Mavunkal (54) took all his high-profile guests into his fold by showcasing antiques in his collection which he claimed included the 'staff of Moses' and 'two of the 30 silver coins that were taken by Judas to cheat Jesus Christ'.

The police said he had showcased many "rare" items -- a throne said to be used by Tipu Sultan, as well as huge collection of old Qurans, Bibles, and handwritten copies of Bhagavad Gita.

Mavunkal used to bring several VIPs to his palatial residence, a part of which was converted into a museum to house his 'precious' antiques.

He is presently under judicial custody.
New Delhi, July 14 : Poonam Jain, the wife of Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, who was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to join the probe on Thursday in connection with a money laundering case under PMLA, won't appear before the agency on medical grounds.

Last Friday, the ED had asked Poonam Jain to join the investigation on July 14.

Satyendar Jain is currently lodged in Tihar Jail in connection with the money laundering case after the court rejected his bail application.

On July 1, the ED had arrested Vaibhav Jain and Ankush Jain, the two associates of the Health Minister.

The ED had initiated the money laundering probe on the basis of an FIR registered by the CBI in 2017 under Section 13(2) read with 13(1)(e) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, against Jain, his wife Poonam Jain, Ajit Prasad Jain, Sunil Kumar Jain, Vaibhav Jain and Ankush Jain.

A charge-sheet was filed by the CBI on December 3, 2018 against Jain, Poonam Jain and other accused persons. It was alleged that Jain, while holding office as a minister in the Delhi government between February 14, 2015 and May 31, 2017, had acquired assets which were disproportionate to his known sources of income.

The CBI had accused Jain, his wife and other accused persons of offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

On March 31 this year, the ED had provisionally attached immovable properties worth Rs 4.81 crore belonging to companies beneficially owned or controlled by Jain.

Jain was placed under arrest on May 30 by the ED under Section 19 of the PMLA.
New Delhi, July 14 : The Uttar Pradesh Police on Friday detained 14 Chinese Nationals, including a female, who had been illegally living in Noida.

The detentions were made after the police got a tip-off.

"Our special group got a tip-off that 14 Chinese nationals, including a woman, had been living in sector 49 of Noida area illegally. A team of Phase-2 Police Station was formed to look into the matter.

"The team found that their visa had expired and they had been staying in India illegally and were working for a cell phone company," said the senior police official.

A senior police official said the detained Chinese nationals have been identified as, Junhui Yin, Chuanliu Gong, Honglin Qi, Shilong Gang, Jintao Zhang, Tang Yang, Xiaogang Zhao, Yingli Zhang, Zhi Liu, Tao Wang, Dao Lin Zhang, Huang Yingjie, Zhixiao Pan, and Feiyan Tang (woman).

The police official also said that the Chinese nationals were held by the police team and their passports were seized. They were sent to a Delhi-based detention centre.

It was learnt that they had applied to extend their visa duration but it was not accepted.

The Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs and Chinese Embassy have been informed about their detention, said the police.
Panaji, July 14 : Goa Congress Nuvem MLA Aleixo Sequeira has demanded that drug suppliers should be arrested, and action against the drug peddlers was just an eyewash.

"Drugs issue is plaguing the state of Goa. Every day you will find in newspapers a nice photo (with) police constables surrounding a particular person saying he is caught with drugs. Look at the quantities that are being caught. Pathetic... never have I read in papers that a person with substantial quantities of drugs was caught. Peddlers cannot get drugs unless there is a supplier. Tell our police force to identify them. They are only catching peddlers who are roaming with a couple of grams," Sequeira said during the Assembly session on Wednesday.

Sequeira said that to eradicate the menace of drugs, there is a need to nab main culprits, who supply the drugs to peddlers. "Nabbing drug peddlers is just an eyewash," he said.

"Police are taking action against only drug peddlers. They are nabbing youngsters who are found with small quantities of drugs. They have failed to catch the drug dealers," he said.

"Goa has a coastal police force. It is a shame to say that a single boat is not in working condition. So why do we have this force?," he said further.
Male, July 14 : Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Thursday left for Singapore from the Maldives, media report said.

President Rajapaksa is accompanied by his wife and two security officials who flew with him from Colombo on a Saudi Airlines plane, Daily Mirror reported.

They were escorted to the plane by special forces of the Maldives Defence Force.

President Rajapaksa had left crisis-hit Sri Lanka early Wednesday for the Maldives.

He was scheduled to board a flight for Singapore on Wednesday night but could not due to security concerns.
Colombo, July 14 : Sri Lanka's anti-government protesters have decided to hand back the President's house and other public buildings which they have been occupying.

The protesters, who had occupied the entrance to the President's office and the Galle face green for more than three months, took over President's house, President's office and Prime Minister's official residence Temple Trees on July 9.

On Wednesday, they also took over Prime Minister's office despite standoff with police in which more than 40 people injured.

Amidst tense situation, a curfew was imposed in Colombo from 12 noon on Thursday to 5 a.m (Friday).

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled crisis-hit country in early hours of Wednesday, is yet to announce his resignation. This has led to a constitutional deadlock as new President cannot be appointed without the resignation of incumbent President.

Media reports stated that he departed from the Maldives for Singapore from where he is expected to announce his resignation.

Earlier, he said he will leave on July 13.
Canberra, July 14 : Australia's unemployment rate has fallen to its lowest level in almost 50 years.

According to labour force data published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Thursday, the official unemployment rate in June was 3.5 per cent, down from the 3.9 per cent recorded for the previous three months.

"This is the lowest unemployment rate since August 1974, when it was 2.7 percent and the survey was quarterly," Bjorn Jarvis, ABS head of labour statistics, said in a media release.

Jarvis said the large fall in the unemployment rate this month reflects more people than usual entering employment and also lower than usual numbers of employed people becoming unemployed.

"Together these flows reflect an increasingly tight labor market, with high demand for engaging and retaining workers, as well as ongoing labour shortages," Xinhua news agency reported quoting Jarvis.

An estimated 88,400 jobs were added to the economy in June, which marks the eighth consecutive monthly increase, following the easing of restrictions after the Covid lockdowns in late 2021.

However, the total number of hours worked by Australians fell slightly between May and June. The drop was attributed to a surge in coronavirus cases forcing more workers to isolate.

"In line with large numbers of Covid cases in June, the number of people working reduced hours due to illness continued to be high. This reflected ongoing disruption associated with the Omicron variant and cases of influenza," Jarvis said.

He said there were around 780,000 people working fewer hours than usual due to own illness in June 2022, almost double the usual number seen at the start of winter in the country.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
July 14 : Hailed as one of the finest actors of Indian cinema, Dhanush has been ruling the industry for the last two decades. The actor is now leaving no stones unturned in his acting career. The pan-Indian actor is all set for his Hollywood debut with the film 'The Gray Man.'

The film, which is gearing up for its release on July 22, also features Hollywood A-listers Chris Evans, Ryan Gosling and Ana de Armas. Ryan plays the film's protagonist, Court Gentry, a CIA operative. Chris portrays the unstoppable antagonist Lloyd Hansen, and Ana plays the role of Dani Miranda.

Directed by the Russo brothers, the American action thriller is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Mark Greaney. The most expensive film of the streaming giant Netflix features Dhanush as Avik San. The film's screenplay is written by Christopher Markus, Joe Russo, and Stephen McFeely.

Taking to Instagram, the actor shared some stills from the Los Angeles premiere of the film. As he struck poses for the photographers, the actor looked dapper in a black suit. But what grabbed the attention of the fans was the actor's sons, Yathra and Linga. The duo stole the spotlight with their charm.

"When you realise they have completely stolen the show from you At #TheGrayMan premiere with Yathra and Linga." said the photo's caption. Besides being an actor, Dhanush is a doting father of two boys, Yatra Raja and Linga Raja.

In the meantime, Dhanush's Tamil romantic comedy film 'Thiruchitrambalam' will be released on August 18. He is also expected to be seen in Vaathi, a Tamil action drama, and 'Sir' in Telugu. The actor was last seen in the Karthick Naren film 'Maaran.'
Patna, July 14 : The Patna High Court has rejected a death sentence to nine men pronounced by a special excise court in connection with a hooch tragedy, which left 20 people dead in Bihar's Gopalganj on March 15, 2016.

The special excise court cum ADJ Lav Kush Kumar in Gopalganj had held nine men and four women guilty in March, 2021. He had announced the death penalty to the nine men and life term to the four women.

Ajay Kumar Mishra, the defence lawyer, had challenged that decision in the Patna High Court.

"During the hearing for the last 15 months, we pointed out the loopholes in the decision of the lower court. The Patna high court was satisfied with our points and turned down lower court's death penalty decision," Mishra said.

"The double bench judges of Justice Ashwani Kumar Singh and Justice Harish Kumar gave the decision in favour of my clients. They are identified as Chathu Pasi, Kanhaiya Pasi, Nagina Pasi, Lal Babu Pasi, Rajesh Pasi, Sanoj Pasi, Sanjay Chaudhary and Munna. The court believes that the statements of the witnesses were contradictory and circumstantial evidence were not adequate," Mishra said.

The hooch tragedy that took place in Khajurbani locality under town police station in Gopalganj on March 15, 2016 claimed the lives of 20 people and six others lost their eyesight. The local police arrested 14 persons, including five women and one of them was released in the absence of proof.

The then Superintendent of Police Ravi Ranjan Kumar of Gopalganj had suspended 25 police personnel, including the SHO of Town police station.
Ahmedabad, July 14 : Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel announced Rs 17.10 crore as financial assistance for the municipalities in state to tackle the flood situation caused due to heavy rains.

The state government will provide Rs 17.10 crore to 156 municipalities. The aid will be provided for sanitation works including intensive cleaning to address the situation caused by heavy rains. Works like spraying of pesticides in the towns, disposal of solid waste to prevent epidemics, as well as disposal of rainwater will be carried out with the help of the fund.

The Chief Minister has also set the standards for this financial assistance. Accordingly, 22 'A' class municipalities will be given Rs. 20 lakh each, totalling Rs. 4.40 crore.

Similarly, a total of Rs. 4.50 crore will be allotted to 30 'B' class municipalities at the rate of Rs. 15 lakh each.

A total of Rs. 6 crore will be given to 60 'C' class municipalities at the rate of Rs. 10 lakh per municipality.

The 44 'D' class municipalities will get a total amount of Rs 2.20 crore at the rate of Rs 5 lakh each.

The Navsari District Collector has closed the highway from Chikhli Alipore to Valsad for the safety and security of the citizens due to flooding on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai National Highway in Navsari district due to continuous rains in South Gujarat. The district collector has also requested all citizens to avoid travelling on this highway.

Due to heavy rain, alerts in Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Navsari and Amreli, all schools and colleges in the districts have been given leave for 2 days - July 14 and July 15.

NDRF rescue operations are underway in the flood-hit areas amid continuous heavy rains. In Kandari village of Karjan taluka of Vadodara district, an NDRF team rescued 63 people and sent them to safer places.

The Vyara firefighter team was immediately dispatched by the Tapi Collector for rescue operation after it was reported that 10 people were trapped in the water near Purna river in Ambapani village of Dolwan taluka of Tapi district. The rescue operation lasted for about one and half hour and all the people were rescued.

The NDRF team conducted an evacuation operation in the low-lying areas of the Auranga River in Barudiawad (Valsad). More than 350 people were evacuated and shifted to safe shelters.
Bengaluru, July 14 : A book on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) by prominent Dalit writer and activist Devanur Mahadeva in Karnataka has stirred a controversy.

Right-wingers are calling it a propaganda against the RSS. The sale of the book titled "RSS Aala, Agala" (RSS, the Depth and Breadth) has created a record in the state.

Opposition leader Siddaramaiah on Thursday came in support of Mahadeva, saying "what's wrong in what he is saying about RSS?" Siddaramaiah further stated that Devanur had written the book with proper documents and gathering of evidence. "RSS will get angry if anyone dares to tell the truth. They don't like the truth. That's how they might lodge a complaint against Devanur Mahadeva." This is an act of obstructing a fundamental right of freedom of expression, he added.

Devanur Mahadeva is recognized as the iconic Dalit writer, activist and always takes an anti-establishment stand. There are talks about banning this book and lodging a case against the author.

However, the timing of the 72-paged book is being questioned by the right wingers and supporters of the BJP. They allege that the book was written with a political vested interest keeping the upcoming Assembly elections of 2023 in mind.

The book has a separate lesson on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and dubs him as "utsav murthy" (parading deity) and further says the real control lies with the Nagpur RSS headquarters.

In the book the author had called the majority of RSS members 'Manuvaadis' and also said they want to end the Constitution of India. He also stated that "Bhagavad Gita is an instrument of slavery".

The book has six publishers who printed 9,000 copies. The author has not claimed propriety over his work. Gauri Media Trust, named after the slain journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh is also one of the publishers. All copies are sold out and publishers are publishing the book on a large-scale. The book is also set for multiple translations.
New Delhi, July 14 : The Punjab Police on Thursday arrested two accused, Ankit Sersa and Sachin Chaudhary, in connection with the Sidhu Singh Moosewala murder case.

The two had been in custody of the Delhi Police, which had held them in a separate case.

On Thursday, the Punjab Police visited Delhi and arrested them. They moved a plea before the concerned court which allowed them the custody of both the accused.

The Punjab Police have claimed that the accused were involved in the murder of Moosewala and, hence their interrogation was required.

The Punjab Police told the court that sufficient steps have been taken for the safety and security of both the accused.

"Sufficient steps have been taken for the security and safety of accused Sachin Choudhary and Ankit Sersa during the transit remand and a team of 36 armed police personnel and total six vehicles have been arranged for their safe transit from Delhi to Punjab. Videography of transit remand from Delhi to Mansa (Punjab) of the accused shall be carried out for his safety," the Punjab Police said.

The Delhi court allowed one-day transit remand of both the accused. Now the Punjab Police will take them to Punjab where they will be produced before the concerned court.
Hyderabad, July 14 : Telugu superstar Allu Arjun will next appear in Sukumar's highly anticipated sequel 'Pushpa: The Rule'. The 'Arya' actor was sighted at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on Thursday morning, ahead of the film's official launch.

Allu Arjun is taking another holiday after he just returned from a long vacation with his family in Africa.

According to reports, the 'Pushpa' actor will visit the United States for a few days. Further details about his journey are unknown, but it is expected that he will return to Hyderabad soon, as the 'Pushpa' crew is going to launch the franchise's second installment through an official ceremony.

When Allu Arjun returns from his trip, he will join the cast of 'Pushpa 2 or Pushpa: The Rule.' In the upcoming sequel to the crime drama, Allu Arjun, who plays a sandalwood smuggler, will display his most ferocious side.

Pre-production on the film is now underway. Rashmika will play the female heroine, and many well-known actors are expected to star in the film.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Chennai, July 14 : Tamil Nadu home department has sanctioned an amount of Rs 50 lakh for the wellness programme 'Magizhi' which mainly deals with the mental health issues of cops including personal issues, mental trauma, stress and alcohol-related issues.

Greater Chennai City Police Commissioner, Shankar Jiwal, is spearheading the project and has roped in top psychiatrists of the city to provide mental support to the policemen. The police commissioner, in association with M.S. Chellamuthu Trust and Research Foundation (MSCTRF) and National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, has set up a health centre at Guru Nanak College in Velachery exclusively for police personnel.

According to the Greater Chennai City Police commissioner's office, 400 cops have already been treated by top psychiatrists in the city. The policemen who were treated include those who have suffered from alcohol addiction, depression and other mental health issues.

Officers in the city police commissioner's office told IANS that they will be conducting wellness programmes for close to 1,000 policemen.

While speaking to IANS, a senior doctor with the MSCTRF said that most of the participants who have undertaken consultation were suffering from work-related stress. The main reason for this work-related stress, according to the psychiatrists attending the cops, is continuous job without breaks or leave. Psychiatrists from the MSCTRF said that the government had announced one day leave a week for each policeman after the suggestions they had given to higher police officers on the need to provide the cops with a break from their routine.

Dr Prabhakar who is involved in the programme told IANS, "After the policemen were given a weekly off, the stress level had come down and there was marked improvement in the mental health situation." Police personnel with serious mental illness were referred to the Kilpauk Government Medical College hospital while those with alcohol addiction issues were treated at TTK hospital.

The MSCTRF and the health centre at the Guru Nanak College regularly monitor the health situation of those cops who were discharged from Kilpauk Medical college hospital and TTK hospital. The mental health centre of the Guru Nanak College also monitors regularly the health condition of those who were discharged.

The counsellors at the mental health centre regularly speak to the discharged cops and their families to monitor those who have recovered from the addiction. Two counselling sessions are conducted every month for those who have recovered from addiction.
New Delhi, July 14 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday said they have arrested four persons in a money laundering case linked to a reported Rs 3,986 crore worth bank loan fraud by Chennai-based Surana Group of Companies.

The arrests were made on July 12. The accused were identified as Dinesh Chand Surana and Vijay Raj Surana, both were the Managing Directors cum Promoters of Surana Industries Limited, Surana Power Ltd and Promoter of Surana Corporation Ltd; and P. Anand and I. Prabhakaran, the dummy directors of shell companies.

The ED initiated the money laundering investigation on the basis of three FIRs registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The allegations were that these three companies, along with their Promoters, Managing Director, Directors and unknown individuals indulged in the misappropriation and criminal breach of trust, manipulation of books of accounts through fictitious entities, had routed funds through the shell companies and siphoned off the funds from the company's accounts for their personal gains causing loss to the tune of Rs 3,986 Crore to the Public Sector Banks.

The ED learnt during the investigation that a web of shell companies was created by these persons, wherein the dummy directors of these shell companies were either the relatives, persons from ancestral village of Surana family or the employees of Surana group companies.

The transactions of the three main group companies were routed through those dummy, shell companies and thereafter the monies were siphoned off to other purposes, including purchasing properties through layering and also obtained benami properties in the name of those shell companies.

Investigation also revealed that Surana Group of Companies, Promoters had incorporated several companies in Cayman Island as well as BVI (British Virgin Islands) in the name of dummy directors and siphoned off money to park in those companies through four dummy companies established in Singapore.

"Money was generated by these Singapore-based companies through the sale of goods exported by Indian entities. However, these Indian entities have subsequently written off the receivables in the books of accounts in India," the ED said.

The ED also learnt that crores of rupees were transferred from these three main group companies to the shell companies and from the said shell companies to the personal accounts of the promoters and their wives.

"Chand Surana is the main perpetrator of this money-laundering scheme and all the shell companies were under his active control. Raj Surana aided in the transactions with the shell companies which were nothing but manipulation of accounts and also allowed the transactions to continue, including layering. Anand and Prabhakaran are the directors of these shell companies who actively connived with the Surana Management in siphoning off funds and thus aided and abetted them in their activities of siphoning and laundering of public funds," the official said.

All the four persons arrested were produced before the Principal Session Judge Court, Chennai which sent them to 14 days judicial custody.

Further investigation in the matter is on.
Hyderabad, July 14 : Two persons caught in flood waters in Telangana's Mancherial district were rescued by a helicopter on Thursday.

A team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rescued the two farmers stuck in floods in Godavari river in Oddu Somanpally village near Chennur in Mancherial.

The farmers were stuck in swirling waters while searching for their cattle. As the water level continued to rise, they climbed on top of a water tanker which was stranded in floods.

The locals had informed Chennur MLA Balka Suman, who alerted the authorities in Hyderabad and requested them to send a helicopter.

The MLA and senior officials were present near the scene during rescue operation. Both the farmers were airlifted and taken to National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) plant.
Seoul, July 14 : Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska made an emphatic appeal on Thursday for unflagging global solidarity behind her country's struggle against Russia's aggression, stressing the "democratic values of the entire world" are at stake in the prolonged conflict.

In an exclusive written interview with Yonhap news agency, Zelenska cautioned against any apathy toward the war touched off by Russia's February 24 invasion and delivered an impassioned message: "Do not get used to the war." "I would like to emphasise that there is no place for a neutral position in this war," the wife of President Volodymyr Zelensky said. "You cannot dismiss it as something distant and irrelevant, because this war threatens not only Ukraine but also the democratic values of the whole world." She then stressed Ukraine is in need of "everything," ranging from humanitarian aid and weapons to assistance for its post-war reconstruction.

The interview came as global attention appears to have relatively diminished compared with the initial stage of the war when the entire world was acutely aghast at the biggest conflict on European soil since the end of World War II in 1945.

Zelenska accentuated the importance of media attention, saying, "Indifference kills (people) indirectly." "This is my message to the media -- give Ukraine maximum coverage and do not stop," she said.

As part of her plea for Seoul's support, Zelenska drew a comparison between South Korea's experience of the 1950-53 war and the ongoing tragedy in Ukraine, saying the two countries have "a lot in common." "You, like us, know what it's like to live next door to a neighbor who constantly threatens not only you, but the entire world with nuclear weapons," she said.

"In the 1950s, the Western world came together to help South Korea win its war for freedom. Now the Western world has also united around Ukraine." Since the outbreak of the war, Zelenska has been at the vanguard of efforts to spread information about the devastating repercussions of Russia's invasion and drum up global backing for Ukraine's grueling fight against an invading Russia and for its post-war rehabilitation.

Her current role marked a shift from the traditional first-lady activities centering on humanitarian and cultural realms, she said.

"Before the war, we worked to improve food at schools to make it healthier and more balanced, but now we have to think about how to protect our children from famine," she said. "Who would have thought that in the 21st century a first lady in a country in the center of Europe would face such tasks?" "Humanitarian crises" are serious in Ukrainian cities occupied by Russia, she pointed out.

"I am simply scared to even imagine what is happening now in the occupied Ukrainian cities," she said. "The Russians create humanitarian crises ... so that people are forced to collect rainwater so that they don't die of thirst, so that people simply stop feeling like people." Those crises have obviously taken a significant toll on children. Zelenska cited instances of a girl with gunshot wounds getting behind the wheel to drive four adults to safety and a women's youngest son taking care of his mother and older sister in the hospital.

"This is what we see every day in our news. All Ukrainian children instantly became adults on Feb. 24," she said.

Watching such ordeals, the first lady, a mother of two children herself, vowed to "fight for every child" and help the young generations overcome their "enormous trauma" inflicted by the ongoing tragedy.

"I would tell the children that we fight this war for the right to live in our own home, to speak our own language, to invite whoever we want as a guest," she said. "This is a fight for the right to be a free person." Zelenska plans to host the virtual "First Ladies and Gentlemen Summit" on July 23 to discuss a wide range of issues related to the conflict, such as displaced people, education, children and women.

The transcript of her interview was written in Ukrainian and translated unofficially into English.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Mumbai, July 14 : Actor-writer-director Rajat Kapoor, who plays dual roles in his soon-to-be-released directorial 'Rk/Rkay', calls his parts in the film the most challenging in all these years. The theme of the film revolves around the hunt for its missing hero played by Rajat Kapoor.

Rajat, who plays the characters of Mahboob and RK in the film, shared that "The double role is difficult, no doubt about that. Not for any other reason, but in many scenes in this film - I was acting opposite myself - which means that there was no other actor in the scene. Normally when you act with another actors, you get a response and then you respond to your co-actor and the scene kind of builds from there." What compounded the challenges was the fact he was also calling the shots from the director's chair. "In this case, no such luck. And to make matters worse, I was also the director. I must say, in terms of being an actor- this was my most difficult experience." Written and directed by Rajat Kapoor, 'Rk/Rkay' also stars Mallika Sherawat, Kubbra Sait, Ranvir Shorey, Manu Rishi Chadha, Chandrachoor Rai, Abhijeet Deshpande, Abhishek Sharrma, Grace Girdhar, and Vaishali Malhara.

The film will debut in theatres on July 22, 2022 where it will clash with the Ranbir Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt-starrer period film 'Shamshera'.
Patna, July 14 : Two persons, including a police officer, sustained gunshot injuries during an encounter in Bihar's Khagaria district on Thursday.

The encounter took place at Satghatta village under Alauli police station on Thursday morning. The accused Sagun Yadav along with two of his aides were involved in a firing at Rampur Chowk in the morning.

"We learnt about three criminals who fired several rounds at Rampur Chowk and fled to Satghatta village. Accordingly, a team of Alauli police station reached Satghatta village. The accused, after seeing the police team, two of them fled from the village on a motorcycle while Shagun Yadav failed. When the police team asked for surrender, he opened fire on them," said Sumit Kumar, DSP of Khagaria (Sadar).

During the encounter, Shagun Yadav fired several rounds on the police team and one bullet hit on the thigh of SI Rajiv Kumar. In retaliation, the police team also fired at him. He also sustained a gunshot injury in leg," Kumar said.

"SI Rajiv Kumar and accused Shagun Yadav were admitted to the Sadar hospital and they are out of danger. Shagun Yadav is a notorious criminal of the region who was involved in attempt to murder, extortion and kidnapping. We are investigating the matter. Efforts are on to nab the other two accused," he said.
Kiev, July 14 : At least 17 people, including two children, were killed as Russian missiles hit Ukraine's Vinnytsia city, local media reported.

Ukrainian Prosecutor General office said, "Seventeen people were killed and several dozen people were injured in the missile strikes." Three Russian missiles hit a building with office space in city, also affecting the nearby residential buildings, Ukrainska Pravda reported.

The State Emergency Service of Ukraine said that 25 cars burned out completely in the incident.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
New Delhi, July 14 : Mohammed Zubair, the co-founder of fact-checking website Alt News, has moved the Supreme Court seeking to quash six FIRs registered against him by the Uttar Pradesh Police, over his tweets.

The plea has also challenged the constitution of a special investigative team (SIT) to probe these cases. Zubair has also sought interim bail in the 6 FIRs.

On Tuesday, the Uttar Pradesh government formed a two-member SIT to probe six cases lodged against Zubair in Hathras, Ghaziabad, Muzaffarnagar, Lakhimpur Kheri, and Sitapur.

Inspector General Dr Preetinder Singh, who is presently posted at Department of Prisons Administration and Reform, will head the SIT, while Deputy Inspector General of Police Amit Verma is a member of the SIT.

On July 12, the Supreme Court extended the interim bail granted to Zubair, by the top court, in the case registered against him at Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur.

A bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and A.S. Bopanna listed the matter for final disposal on September 7. The bench noted that the state government seeks time to file a counter affidavit and allowed the government to file a reply within 4 weeks and rejoinder within 2 weeks thereafter.

"Interim bail in Sitapur FIR case shall continue till further orders. List for final disposal on September 7, 2022," said the bench.

The top court's order came on a plea by Zubair seeking quashing of the FIR registered against him at Sitapur.

On July 8, the Supreme Court granted an interim bail for five days to Zubair in connection with a case registered against him by the Uttar Pradesh Police for a tweet, where he allegedly called Hindu seers 'hatemongers'.

A vacation bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and J.K. Maheshwari said: "The petitioner shall be granted interim bail in connection with FIR... June 1, 2022 lodged at P.S. Khairabad, District Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh for a period of five days from today or until further orders of the regular bench on terms and conditions to be imposed by the Judicial Magistrate-I, Sitapur, which shall include the conditions that the petitioner shall not post any tweets and shall not tamper with any evidence, electronic or otherwise in Bengaluru or anywhere else." "It is made clear that this order pertains to FIR dated 01.06.2022 lodged at PS Khairabad, District Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh only." Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, representing Zubair, submitted that his client was promoting secularism and not promoting any enmity among religions.

Gonsalves said, "I capture hate speeches... I am defending the Constitution and I'm in jail...And for what?" Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Uttar Pradesh government, submitted that the petitioner was a habitual offender and it was not a matter of one tweet or another, instead whether he was part of a syndicate which puts out tweets to destabilise society.
New Delhi, July 14 : Expressing concern over low uptake of precautionary doses of Sputnik V vaccine, the Centre on Thursday asked states to increase it.

The uptake of precaution dose of Sputnik V is only 0.5 per cent of those who are due for it.

In a letter to all states and UTs, the Health Ministry on Thursday suggested some measures to increase the uptake of Sputnik V booster doses.

"It has been observed that uptake of precaution dose of Sputnik V is only 0.5 per cent of those who are due for it. Reference may be made to e-mail sent to all states and UTs on May 5, 2022, wherein it was mentioned that beneficiaries who have received two doses of Sputnik V vaccine, may be administered precaution dose using Sputnik V (Component I) in Private Covid Vaccination centers (CVCs) after completion of 9 months or 39 weeks," Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said in the letter.

To increase the uptake of precaution dose ofSputnik V vaccine by the due beneficiaries, availability of Sputnik V vaccine (Component I) and functionality of private CVCs may be ensured, he wrote.

Bhushan has also suggested that the private CVCs, which were providing Sputnik V vaccine, may reach out to the due beneficiaries to receive the due doses - both second and precaution dose.

The letter has also asked to establish targeted communication for the due beneficiaries of precaution dose of Sputnik V.

Meanwhile, the interval between the second dose and precaution dose has now been reduced to 6 months or 26 weeks for all vaccines.
Seoul, July 14 : South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party (DP) said on Thursday that it has suspended talks with the ruling People Power Party (PPP) over parliamentary committee formations that have left the National Assembly in limbo.

Earlier this month, the rival parties voted to elect Rep. Kim Jin-pyo of the DP as new National Assembly speaker, but they have failed to narrow differences on how to form parliamentary committees.

Rep. Lee Soo-jin of the DP said it suspended talks with the PPP over parliamentary committee formations, criticizing the ruling party for a "lack of sincerity." Kim's election came after the DP accepted a proposal from the PPP that it would cooperate for the election of the parliamentary speaker and vice speakers on condition the DP promises to select parliamentary committee chiefs based on agreement between the two sides, Yonhap news agency reported.

Earlier, the DP offered to hand over the chairmanship of the judiciary committee, a key Assembly panel that has the power to approve bills before they are put to a plenary vote, to the PPP in exchange for the PPP's cooperation for the launch of a special committee on judiciary reform.

Hours before the DP's Lee announced the suspension of talks with the PPP, the ruling party's floor leader, Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, said the rival parties agreed on details of the special committee on judiciary reform.

The impasse in committee formation negotiations has left the Assembly idling for more than a month, forcing a halt in legislation and Cabinet member confirmation hearings.
Mumbai, July 14 : Song 'Tur Kalleyan' from Aamir Khan-starrer 'Laal Singh Chadda' has been shot at multiple picturesque locations in India.

The script of the song demanded different demographics. 'Laal Singh Chaddha' taps into the diverse geographics of the country, which is as old as it can get.

Tur Kalleyan exhibits one of the longest shot sequences in the film. It took around one and half months to shoot it. Not only did the team travel from Kashmir to Kanyakumari for the shoot of this song, it also travelled to far off places to extract five-second shots.

Back then, Aamir was having knee pain due to which not only did he have to be on painkillers, they had to bring along a physiotherapist for the shoot too.

Aamir went out of his way to shoot these scenes. Despite being in severe pain, the actor, fondly called as Mr. Perfectionist, refused to withhold the shoot and wrapped up in time.

The star took this decision because the shoot for this sequence was already delayed due to the Pandemic and he didn't want to wait on it.

'Laal Singh Chaddha', produced by Aamir Khan Productions, Kiran Rao, and Viacom18 Studios, also stars Kareena Kapoor Khan, Mona Singh, and Chaitanya Akkineni. It is an official remake of 'Forrest Gump'.

The film will be released on August 11.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Seattle, July 14 : Bill Gates is moving $20 billion of his wealth into the endowment of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which is ramping up its spending in the face of global challenges, including the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, media reports said.

The foundation, one of the world's largest philanthropies, plans to increase its payouts by 50 per cent over pre-pandemic levels, from nearly $6 billion to $9 billion each year by 2026. The foundation is primarily focused on charitable giving that's aimed at improving global health, gender equality and education, among other issues, CNN reported.

The Microsoft co-founder and his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, have both pledged to donate the vast majority of their wealth to the foundation they established together 20 years ago, as well as to other philanthropic endeavours.

The couple announced their divorce in May 2021, saying they would work together as co-chairs under a two-year trial period. At the end of that trial, French Gates has the option to resign and receive a payout from her former husband, who would remain in charge of the foundation.

With an estimated net worth of around $ 114 billion, Bill Gates is currently the world's fourth-richest person, according to Bloomberg's Billionaire Index, with most of his wealth tied to Microsoft shares.

But he doesn't intend to rank that high forever.

"I will move down and eventually off of the list of the world's richest people," Gates wrote in a blog.

"I have an obligation to return my resources to society in ways that have the greatest impact for improving lives. I hope others in positions of great wealth and privilege will step up in this moment too," he said, CNN reported.
Bengaluru, July 14 : With the CID trying to retrieve the erased data of a mobile phone belonging to arrested Additional DGP Amrit Paul, the Congress has started a campaign in the state that the ruling BJP ministers are involved in the Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) recruitment scam.

So far the investigation into the PSI recruitment scandal has revealed that arrested senior IPS officer Amrit Paul allegedly pocketed Rs 1.35 crore bribe amount. Sources said on Thursday that the former Additional DGP got this amount deposited in various accounts.

Sources also said that one of the arrested accused in the case DySP Shanthakumar had revealed about pocketing huge amounts of money by the arrested former ADGP. The officers are now planning to seize the money. However, the officers said that the data of the mobile phone used by Amrit Paul was erased.

The officers are now taking the help of experts in retrieving the data. If the sleuths get hold of the data, it may reveal some shocking details putting some leaders of the BJP and Congress in trouble, said the sources.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID), who are investigating the scandal, have got the custody of the former ADGP of Recruitment in Karnataka Police Department till July 16.

Congress MLA Priyank Kharge has been demanding that the accused Amrit Paul's statement be recorded before the court under Section 164 of CRPC as there is involvement of powerful ministers of the ruling BJP government.

Kharge had said, "Former ADGP Amrit Paul was your colleague. You (BJP) are also the partner in the crime. Why are you fearing him? Amrit Paul is demanding that he will record his statement before the court. If BJP is not part of the scandal, why is he not allowed to record his statement before the court? The Congress is also making a demand for a judicial probe into the scandal. The CID has submitted a charge sheet in connection with the scandal to the court and the investigating agency is likely to submit an additional charge sheet soon.

Never in the history of the state police department has an on duty IPS officer of the rank of ADGP arrested. The Congress has demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Home Minister Araga Jnanendra following the arrest of ADGP Amrit Paul.

es_new/400/2022/04/26/86318ef508b88032dce7161b0875b779.jpg' hspace='10' align='left' width='171' height='100' data-title='Tesla CEO Elon Musk attends an opening ceremony for Tesla China-made Model Y program in Shanghai, east China, Jan. 7, 2020. (Xinhua/Ding Ting/IANS)' /> New Delhi, July 14 (IANS) Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Thursday once again demonstrated his "disparaging" behaviour towards Twitter by posting a 'pile of poop' emoji as the micro-blogging platform sued him over terminating the $44 billion takeover deal.

As Twitter sued Musk, the company also submitted an earlier poop emoji reply by the Tesla CEO to Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal as evidence of his "disparaging" behaviour toward the platform.

Now, when a follower posted a link about Twitter submitting a poop emoji tweet as evidence of his disparaging behaviour, Musk replied with the same emoji, along with "BS (bullshit)" as text.

In May, Musk attacked Agrawal after the Twitter CEO went into finer details on how the micro-blogging platform is fighting spam and fake accounts, asking the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to probe whether Twitter's claim on the number of its user base is true.

The Tesla CEO even posted an emoji depicting a "pile of poop" to Agrawal on his Twitter thread that went viral on social media.

The Twitter lawsuit has been filed in the Delaware Court of Chancery in the US.

"In April 2022, Elon Musk entered into a binding merger agreement with Twitter, promising to use his best efforts to get the deal done. Now, less than three months later, Musk refuses to honour his obligations to Twitter and its stockholders because the deal he signed no longer serves his personal interests," the complaint read.

"Musk apparently believes that he -- unlike every other party subject to Delaware contract law -- is free to change his mind, trash the company, disrupt its operations, destroy stockholder value, and walk away," it added.

"Oh the irony lol," Musk tweeted shortly after news of the suit was made public.
New Delhi, July 14 : A Delhi court on Thursday directed authorities to produce CCTV camera footage of the Tihar Jail as it heard the plea moved by activist Sharjeel Imam alleging assault and harassment inside the prison, where he is currently lodged in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots' "larger conspiracy" case.

Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat also directed the duty register of jail sewadars to be presented before the court in the next hearing on July 20.

"Let the concerned Jail Superintendent be also present on the next date of hearing for assisting the court in disposal of the present application. Let the register of the inmates/sewadars, who participated in the said surprise search, as stated, may also be produced in the court on the next date. Let the CCTV footage of all the said three cameras for 30.06.2022 for the period 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. be also produced on the next date i.e. 20.07.2022," read the order.

Imam, who is in judicial custody in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots case, had approached the court seeking directions for 'protection of his life' inside the cell of Tihar, where he is currently lodged in.

"On June 30, at around 7.30 p.m., the Assistant Superintendent, along with 8-9 convicts came, to the cell of the applicant in the name of carrying out a search. The search operation is not permissible by the convicts and can only be carried out by competent staff. During the aforesaid search, the petitioner's books and clothes were thrown away, he assaulted and called a terrorist and an anti-national when he tried to protect his belongings," read his application filed in Karkardooma court through his counsel Ahmed Ibrahim.

He sought directions from the authorities concerned to protect him from such incidents in the future and sought direction from jail authorities for keeping the video recording in the CCTV camera of the jail at the relevant time.

Imam's plea said though he requested the Assistant Superintendent to prevent the convicts from assaulting him, however, hie plea was not heeded.

"It appeared that the Assistant Superintendent was complicit in the illegal act," Imam said in the plea. He alleged that some inmates also tried to place some contraband in his possession.
London, July 14 : The current political crisis in the UK has put the online safety bill, that can send tech CEOs to jail if their platforms fail to comply, in limbo till the new Prime Minister is chosen.

The Online Safety Bill, currently in final stages, was to be discussed in Parliament next week but it has now been paused until MPs return from their summer break, reports the BBC.

The delay was "an absolutely devastating blow and another example of the Tories prioritising their own ideals over people's safety online", Shadow Culture Minister Alex Davies-Jones was quoted as saying in the report.

The legislation puts the onus on Big Tech and firms that fail to comply with the new rules could face fines of up to 18 million pounds, or 10 per cent of their annual global turnover, whichever is highest.

In March, the UK government said that its revised online safety law will speed up the process against tech CEOs to send them to jail if their platforms fail to comply with the Online Safety regulations.

New measures in the law include tougher and quicker criminal sanctions for tech bosses and new criminal offences for falsifying and destroying data.

The Bill was originally drafted with a power for senior managers of large online platforms to be held criminally liable for failing to ensure their company complies with media and comms regulator Ofcom's information requests in an accurate and timely manner.

The Online Safety Bill will require social media platforms, search engines and other apps and websites allowing people to post their own content to protect children, tackle illegal activity and uphold their stated terms and conditions.

"The Bill will strengthen people's rights to express themselves freely online and ensure social media companies are not removing legal free speech. For the first time, users will have the right to appeal if they feel their post has been taken down unfairly," Digital Secretary Nadine Dorries had said.

It will also put requirements on social media firms to protect journalism and democratic political debate on their platforms. News content will be completely exempt from any regulation under the Bill, Dorries added.
Patna, July 14 : Three persons, including a retired police sub-inspector, were arrested after raids in the Phulwari Sharif area here which led to seizure of documents about the PFI's 'Mission 2047' for making India an Islamic state, a police officer said on Thursday.

Patna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Manavjeet Singh Dhillon said the arrested individuals were providing training to the youth on terror activities.

"During the raid, we have seized the flags of banned outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), pamphlets, documents of making the India Islamic state till 2047 and other sensitive documents were recovered from the place," Dhillon said.

Patna Police have registered FIR against 26 people and some of them were from Jharkhand, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu.

In Bihar, some of the accused belong to Patna, Darbhanga and other places.

The police officer said that the arrested accused including a retired sub-inspector of Jharkhand named Jalaluddin, former Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) member Athar Parvez and Arman Malik were arrested by Patna Police.

They are facing the charges of providing training to youths on Islamic extremism and terror activities According to sources, Athar Parvez's brother Manzar Parvez was involved in an incident of bomb explosion in Patna, and he is currently in jail.

"The accused were giving them training of Islamic extremism in the name of martial arts and physical training. We have seized documents from the training centre where proof for working against the unity and integrity of our country are established. We are scanning the bank accounts of the accused to find out the funding aspect," Dhillon said.

"The raids were conducted on the specific inputs for the intelligence bureau of the Delhi unit. Accordingly, a joint team of NIA and ATS conducted the raid and arrested them," Dhillon said.

"The preliminary investigation does not reveal any Pakistan connection. We are investigating the matter. The youth who had taken the training in the past will be arrested soon," the SSP added.

During the raid, the police also recovered a register wherein the names of youth were mentioned.

The arrested accused have revealed that 12 youth were from Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and they will be quizzed soon. The police suspect that it is a new terror module that was emerging from Patna.
Los Angeles, July 14 : The recent arrests of Iranian directors Mohammad Rasoulof, Mostafa Al-Ahmad and Jafar Panahi - all of whom have been locked up in Tehrans notorious Evin Prison is a result of mounting tensions between the government of Irans President Ebrahim Raisi and the West, reports 'Variety'.

Syrian multi-hyphenate Orwa Nyrabia, chair of the Berlin-based International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk (ICFR), and who is in close contact with the detained directors, said in a statement accessed by 'Variety': "The government in Iran is sending a message to all of us around the world saying, 'Things are getting worse', and this appears to be part of the nuclear deal negotiations and the geopolitical repercussions of what's happening after the Russian invasion of Ukraine." Talks to revive Tehran's 2015 nuclear accord with world powers have ground to a halt partly due to the fact that Russia is balking, since lifting sanctions could free up million of barrels of Tehran's crude oil stocks for global consumption, giving Russia less leverage as a major oil and gas supplier to the world, political analysts say.

'Variety' further states that along with the dissident filmmakers, Iranian authorities last week arrested reformist politician, Mostafa Tajzadeh, who has been critical of the government. Several foreigners have also landed in Iranian prison in recent weeks, including two French citizens, a Swedish tourist, and a Polish scientist, the Associated Press has reported, prompting concerns that Iran is trying to leverage all these arrests as bargaining chips in the negotiations.

Nyrabia, who also heads the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), points out that Iran's ongoing crackdown on its film community also comprises internationally known Iranian doc directors Mina Keshavarz ("The Art of Living in Danger") and Firouzeh Khosravani ("Radiograph of a Family"), both arrested in their Tehran homes in May and subsequently released on bail but banned from travelling, despite no charges being filed.

He notes that over the years, when the West and Iran were at loggerheads, "these (directors) were the people who were breaking the barrier and making everyone in the world connect with Iranian culture and find empathy and identification with the people and society in Iran".
London, July 14 : Emirates airline has blasted one of the world's busiest airports for its "incompetence" in failing to handle a surge in passengers, media reports said.

The Dubai-based airline on Thursday slammed demands made by London's Heathrow airport earlier this week that carriers stop selling any more tickets for this summer, CNN reported.

The airline, which operates six daily flights from Heathrow, has rejected the new limits and called them "entirely unreasonable and unacceptable", CNN reported.

Heathrow, like other airports, has struggled to cope with a bounce back in travellers after two years of pandemic restrictions and staff cuts. The airport said on Tuesday that it would cap daily passenger numbers at 100,000 until September 11.

"(London Heathrow) chose not to act, not to plan, not to invest. Now faced with an 'airmageddon' situation due to their incompetence and non-action, they are pushing the entire burden - of costs and the scramble to sort the mess - to airlines and travellers," the airline said in a statement, CNN reported.

The company said that Heathrow had given it only 36 hours to comply with the new cap, and had threatened legal action against airlines that refuse to comply. It added that it had enough ground handling and catering staff to handle its flights at the airport.

Emirates said that Heathrow's management team were "cavalier about travellers and their airline customers," and had failed to rehire and train enough staff in advance of the predictable surge in summer travel, CNN reported.

On average, Heathrow handled nearly 220,000 passengers each day, split between arrivals and departure, in 2018.

Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye said in an open letter to passengers on Tuesday that airlines had sold too many seats for the coming months.
Imphal, July 14 : A total of 19 influential tribal organisations in Manipur have stepped up the demand to implement the National Register of Citizens in the state to protect the indigenous people and to deal with the issue of illegal foreigners.

The indigenous 19 tribal federations and tribes submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday strongly demanding the NRC for filtering the foreigners out, putting them in detention centres and deporting them.

The organisations said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah in his speech in the Rajya Sabha on November 19, 2019 said that NRC would be implemented across the country. "In the light of this perception, we call for the implementation of NRC in Manipur to safeguard the genuine citizens," the tribal organisations submitted.

"It is the request to our responsible central government to open centres for detection and deportation of foreigners with immediate footsteps." The tribal bodies said that in 1980 and 1994, the All Manipur Students Union and All Manipur Coordinating Committee had undergone an agreement twice with the Manipur government and the then governor V.K. Nair regarding the detection and deportation of foreign nationals from Manipur with the cut off base of 1951 for identifying the foreign nationals from genuine Indian citizens.

Nevertheless, the past as well present government in Manipur has not taken up any steps towards the agreement, they pointed out.

The copies of the memorandum of the tribal organisations, which included, Mao Council, Tangkhul Naga Headman's Association, Thangal Union, Zeme Naga Council, Tarao Tribe Union, have also submitted to Home Minister Amit Shah, Manipur Governor La Ganeshan and Chief Minister N. Biren Singh.

They said that though the Central government extended the Inner Line Permit System to the state of Manipur in December 2019, most importantly, the fixation of indigenous people has yet not been defined.

As Manipur is a border state, the intrusion of immigrants from Bangladesh, Myanmar and Nepal by far and autonomously had settled at large since the abolition of the Pass Permit and Permit System on November 18, 1950 by the then Chief Commissioner Himmat Singh, the organisations said.

They said that on this issue, no discerning step had been taken up so far for the last 75 years under the Foreigners Act 1946.

"Because of this continuous overflow of influxes, which subsisted within us, has now taken possession of the socio economic and political rights of the indigenous people. Bangladeshi and Myanmar Muslims have occupied the constituency of Jiribam and a large number of them scattered on average in valley areas.

"Myanmar kuki and nearby Lushai kuki have settled at an unsystematic population of some lakhs in number. They have now counteracted ownership against the occupant indigenous people in hill areas. Likewise, Nepali population has risen in tremendous numbers," the tribal organisations pointed out.

Besides, the NRC with 1951 as the base year for recognising domicile, various Manipur students' bodies also demanded the establishment of a State Population Commission to "check and balance the population growth".

They said the indigenous communities are being "swamped and marginalised" in their own state by the "ever-increasing population" of outsiders.
New Delhi, July 14 : Production of many important spices, potatoes, tomatoes and both red and green chillies is estimated to be less in 2021-22 compared to 2020-21, as per the data released on Thursday.

The second advance estimates of horticulture crop and area data shows that a general increase in production of fruits, vegetables and honey is expected while there will be a decrease in production of spices, flowers, aromatics and medicinal plants and plantation crops over previous year.

However, overall total horticulture production in 2021-22 is estimated to be 341.63 million tonnes (MT), an increase of about 7.03 MT or 2.10 per cent over the 2020-21 production, as per the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare data.

Onion production is estimated to be 31.70 MT against 26.64 MT in 2020-21, potato production is expected to be 53.58 MT compared to 56.17 MT in 2020-21, while tomato production is expected to be 20.34 MT compared to 21.18 MT in 2020-21, the data showed.

For green chillies, it is expected to be 4.2 MT this year compared to 4.3 MT last year while production of red chillies (dried) is expected to be 1.8 MT versus 2 MT last year.

Asked if these estimates would have an impact on the market prices, Potato and Onion Merchants Association head, Rajendra Sharma said: "These are figures up to March 2022 that the government is releasing only now. People have finished consuming the produce from up to March. Whatever we now have in the market is from April, May and June, so it should not make a difference." Sharma, who is also the former President of Federation of Fruit and Vegetables Trade Associations of Delhi, also added that the current produce in the market will be in use till October almost as the rain months bring almost nothing much from any of these to the market.

Overall, fruit production is estimated to be 107.10 MT compared to 102.48 MT in 2020-21 while the production of vegetables is estimated to be 204.61 MT, compared to 200.45 MT in 2020-21.

Among the spices, production of ajwain, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, and black pepper is estimated to be less than previous year.

Production of all major plantation crops - arecanut, cashewnut and coconut - too is estimated to be less than previous year, the Agriculture Department data showed.
Bhubaneswar, July 14 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and workers on Thursday staged protest at the Odisha Assembly against Congress spokesperson Ajoy Kumar's alleged remarks on NDA presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu, The BJP MLAs raised this issue in the state Assembly and strongly condemned the statement made by Congress spokesperson while the saffron party workers staged protest in various districts across the state and burnt effigies of Ajoy Kumar and Rahul Gandhi.

As soon the Assembly began its business for the day at 10.30 a.m., the Opposition BJP members, holding placards, raised anti-Congress slogans and trooped into the well of the House, demanding apology from the Congress and passing a censure motion against it for the alleged "defamatory" remarks against Murmu, a tribal woman leader from Odisha.

Opposing the BJP members, the Congress MLAs too rushed to the well and raised slogans against the BJP for stalling the House proceedings for a person who is neither a member of House nor present there.

It triggered a face-off between the Opposition BJP and Congress forcing Speaker B.K. Arukha to adjourn the proceedings first till 11.30 a.m.

When the House reassembled for zero hour, BJP chief whip Mohan Majhi said Congress spokesperson Ajoy Kumar has made a "controversial and cheap mentality statement" against Murmu, who is going to be the first citizen of India.

Murmu, a tribal leader from Odisha, has worked hard for the development of poor, destitute and tribal people throughout her life. She had rejected a Bill, which was framed to allow transfer of tribal land to non-tribal people during her tenure as Jharkhand Governor, pointed out Majhi.

However, instead of supporting her, the Congress is indulging in making anti-tribal and anti-Murmu remarks at the behest of Rahul Gandhi, he said.

"We strongly condemn such remarks made by Congress spokesperson and demand to allow us to move a censure motion in the House against the Congress leader," Majhi said on the floor.

Congress legislature party leader Narasingha Mishra said, "The BJP members should not be intolerant. In a democracy, people are free to make differences of opinions and we are also making such statements in the House." Mishra said he has gone through the newspaper article on Kumar's statement and there is no derogatory remark made against Murmu.

As Ajoy Kumar is not present there, this issue should not be discussed in the Assembly, as per tradition of the House, he pointed out.

The Congress member urged the Speaker to expunge those words made against Kumar from the record.

Before Mishra completed his statement, BJP members again started creating chaos in the floor of the House which led the Speaker to adjourn the proceeding till 4 p.m. After the House was adjourned, the BJP MLAs holding banners staged a dharna in the Assembly premises.

Meanwhile, the BJP leaders and workers took out rallies and started protests in several places including Bhubaneswar and Mayurbhanj -- the home district of Murmu.

As per reports, Kumar, a former Lok Sabha MP from Jharkhand, on Wednesday said that Murmu, though a decent person herself, represents the 'evil philosophy of India' and she should not be made the symbol of adivasis.
Chennai, July 14 : Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian told mediapersons on Thursday that the state government has ordered the closure of four fertility hospitals after a minor girl from Erode was forced to donate her oocytes.

An oocyte is an immature egg (an immature ovum). Oocytes develop to maturity from within a follicle. During each reproductive cycle, several follicles begin to develop.

The minister said that six hospitals were involved in the crime of which four are located in Tamil Nadu, and one each in Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. He said the hospitals in Tamil Nadu will be shut, while the state Health Secretary has been directed to write to his counterparts in the other states to initiate appropriate action.

The hospitals which have directed to close down are located in Salem, Krishnagiri and Erode on charges of violating the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act and Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, based on an inquiry report which said the minor girl was forced to donate her oocytes.

Four persons, including the mother of the 16-year-old girl and her paramour, have been arrested on charges of forcing the girl to donate her Oocytes. The state health department had formed an inquiry committee headed by Viswanathan, Joint Director of Medical and Rural Health Services, and a final report was submitted on July 7.

Inquiries were conducted at the hospitals in Salem, Erode, Krishnagiri and Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala where the girl was taken forcibly.

The minister said that these hospitals have violated the provisions of law.

Subramanian said, "Commercial donation was going on at these hospitals where there were no qualified counselors. Also, the pros and cons of oocyte donation were also not explained to the minor girl." He said the girl was forced to donate oocytes several times and even her Aadhaar card was not verified. Also, the approval needed to be obtained from the spouse in such cases was taken from some other person.

The minister said that according to the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, a donor aged between 21 and 35 years can donate oocytes once in her lifetime.

He said the hospitals have been given 15 days' time to discharge all the patients who are admitted there.

As per the Act, the hospitals can be fined up to Rs 50 lakh and the concerned doctors and other management staff may be handed 10 years' imprisonment, Subramanian said.
Mumbai, July 14 : Jennifer Roth, the co-producer of the upcoming rescue drama "The Ambush", has showered praise on the film's director Pierre Morel, who was thoroughly clear in his head about how to pull off "the high production value" for the project.

During the Yemen War, the Emirati soldiers based out of Yemen's Mocha are dispatched on a mission. "The Ambush" is about how three of these soldiers are attacked in enemy territory and their captain organises a daring rescue effort.

About the scale of production of "The Ambush", Jennifer said: "Every film starts with the director and Pierre had certain expectations and skill level. He knew how to achieve high production value, so it became sort of a journey of working with him to review what local resources were here, what could be done in-house, in the market and what needed to be brought in from another place." On the special effects used in the film, she said: "Pierre has a special effects team he's been working with his whole career, who he adores. They weren't the easiest special effects people at times, but their work was beautiful. So, Pierre had people he really wanted to work with on Al Kameen." She also revealed how local technicians became a part of the project. "The stunt coordinator that Pierre had originally wanted to work with was not available, and our first AD had just come from a show in Morocco, he recommended a team of stunt people out of Morocco. I loved the Moroccans because they could speak Arabic, French and English." "The Ambush" is dropping on OTT platform Lionsgate Play on July 15.
New Delhi, July 14 : The Delhi High Court on Thursday adjourned, to August 16, the hearing of the plea of former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala alleging illegal incarceration in connection with a disproportionate assets (DA) case.

The court directed the state to decide the representation of Chautala, wherein he has sought that his entire period of sentence is over.

In the meanwhile, the court directed the petitioner to file all the relevant documents before the single judge's bench, where the petition is pending.

As per Chautala's plea, he was convicted for a period of four years and he had already undergone imprisonment of five years and six months and the further jail term is a violation of settled judicial decisions of the Supreme Court.

His plea stated that he, aged about 87 years old, was suffering from multiple ailments and progressive permanent disability of residual paralysis of both lower limbs and left upper limb.

".. even as per jail record, the petitioner (sentenced for RI of 4 years) has already undergone 5 years 6 months and 14 days (as on May 1) but the petitioner is not released from the prison..," his plea read.

In pursuant to his petition, the jail authorities calculated the actual physical incarceration of the petitioner in the present case at 5 years 6 months.

Still, instead of releasing the petitioner, they had forwarded a letter to the Special Judge, CBI, Rouse Avenue Court apprising that the actual period of custody undergone by the petitioner, it said.

On May 27, the city's Rouse Avenue Court sentenced Chautala to four years in prison and slapped a fine of Rs 50 lakh in connection with the disproportionate assets case, in which he was convicted earlier.
Bhopal, July 14 : Joint Opposition candidate for Presidential polls, Yashwant Sinha on Thursday questioned NDA nominee Draupadi Murmu's silence on issues concerning the tribal community in the country.

Addressing a press conference here at a hotel, Sinha called Murmu a 'silent' and 'rubber stamp' candidate for the Presidential election.

"I have great regards for Draupadi Murmu. However, so far, she has not broken her silence even on issues concerning the tribal communities in India. Hence, my question is to members of the electoral college, and also to the people of the county -- should India have a silent and rubber-stamp Rashtrapati?" Sinha said.

He further stated that there is nothing wrong if MLAs and MPs vote for a candidate of his or her choice in the Presidential election.

"The makers of the constitution have devised the method of the secret ballot to underscore the fact that the members of the Electoral College should have freedom to heed the call of their conscience, and should not blindly follow the decision of their respective parties.

"Therefore, I too urge MPs and MLAs, regardless of their party affiliations, to vote for me. But I strongly condemn the dirty tricks employed by the ruling party.... My fight is against anarchism and to protect the democracy of the country," he added.

"Apart from Madhya Pradesh, the BJP dislodged governments in Karnataka, Goa, Arunachal Pradesh, and most recently in Maharashtra. In all this, I hear alarm bells for democracy in India," Sinha said.

Sinha arrived in Bhopal on Wednesday night to seek support of MPs and MLAs for the upcoming July 18 Presidential elections.

He has left for Delhi on Thursday noon.
Kolkata, July 14 : The occasion was administering oath to the newly-elected office-bearers of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA). But West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar chose it to flag the 'rampant corruption' in the accounting process of GTA and also insisted on regular audits to curb this corruption.

Dhankhar said that henceforth he will keep a close watch on the financial activities of GTA and also cautioned that those responsible for the corruption through evasion of audit will attract strict action.

"Please do not cross the limits of your authority and the limit of my patience," the Governor said at the oath-taking ceremony of GTA's new chairman, chief executive officer and assistant chief executive officers in Darjeeling on Thursday.

According to Dhankhar, the newly-elected GTA board's primary focus should be development of the region.

"For the last three years, there have been major lapses in the development process, such as lack of adequate drinking water and pathetic condition of roads.

"All these happened because of rampant corruption, financial embezzlement and absence of regular audits. You have to ensure now that this is not repeated," the Governor said.

According to Dhankhar, ever since the inception of GTA, no audit of its expenditures has been conducted.

"Every year there should be mandatory audits. I want a clear audit of the crores of rupees embezzled so far. I also want the offenders to be booked and punished. You will get all my support as the Governor," Dhankhar said.

He also slammed the state government for maintaining silence on this issue of corruption.

"I have myself received several complaints about rampant corruption in GTA. But the administration remained silent. This will not be tolerated anymore. Do not take my words lightly," the Governor said.
Kolkata, July 14 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team, probing the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) recruitment scam, on Thursday interrogated state Education Secretary, Manish Jain for around four hours.

CBI sources said that the probable link of the Education Secretary with recruitment irregularities is quite complicated. Earlier, when the CBI integrated former state Education Minister and Trinamool Congress Secretary General Partha Chatterjee, he denied knowledge about the formation of the expert committee for recruitment, which is perceived to have played the key role in these recruitment irregularities.

However, sources said that when Chatterjee was told that the file pertaining to the formation of the expert committee contains his signature, he said that the particular file was forwarded to him by Jain.

"So, it became necessary for us to question Jain about whose instructions prompted him to forward the file to the then Education Minister," a CBI source said.

Jain was also asked whether at the time of forwarding the said file to Chatterjee, he had knowledge about the purpose with which the expert committee was formed. He was also asked why he forwarded that file to the Minister without being sure about the role to be played by the committee. The CBI sleuths also questioned him on whether there was any pressure on him to get the file cleared by Chatterjee.

CBI sources said that during the course of integration, the Education Secretary tried to avoid a number of questions. CBI will corroborate the information given by Jain with the statements of Chatterjee.

Meanwhile on Thursday, another team of CBI officials reached the data room of the WBSSC office at Salt Lake. They were accompanied by computer and software experts, who checked the data stored in the different computers at the WBSSC office.

CBI sources said that they believe that scanned copies of fake recommendation letters and fake panel lists are stored in some of these computers, and hence the experts will check each and every computer in the WBSSC office to track these scanned copies.
Chennai, July 14 : The PMK, the political arm of the powerful Vanniyar community, on Thursday urged the Tamil Nadu government to immediately remove Hindi inscriptions on the name board of the Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT) in Perumbakkam.

PMK founder leader, Dr S. Ramadoss said that the board bears the name in Hindi along with Tamil and English.

"The focus of the institute is to conduct research into Tamil language and the board has Hindi inscriptions on the name board," he said in a statement, pointing out at the the new building of the institute was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and when it earlier operated from Taramani, the name board had only Tamil and English inscriptions.

The PMK leader also lashed out against the CICT website also having Hindi and said that it amounted to imposition.

He said that even though CICT was a Central government institute, the majority of its functioning depends on state government activities and added that it was not acceptable for such an institution to have Hindi inscriptions on its board.

Ramadoss called upon the Chief Minister to take special attention to the issue and asked whether the Chief Minister's nod was sought for having the Hindi name.
New Delhi, July 14 : The BJP has topped the list of political parties receiving maximum donations for Financial Year 2020-21. The total donations declared by the national parties for FY 2020-21 was Rs 593.74 crore from 3,753 donations while the ruling BJP has declared donations amounting to Rs 477.54 crore from 2,206 donations.

A report released by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) disclosed that the donations declared by BJP are more than four times the aggregate declared by Congress, NCP, CPI, CPM, NPEP and AITC for the same period.

The Congress was at second position with a donation of Rs 74.52 crore from 1,077 donations while BSP declared that the party did not receive any donations above Rs 20,000 during FY 2020-21.

The report said that the total donations of the national parties during FY 2020-21 decreased by Rs 420.65 crore, a decrease of 41.49 per cent from the previous financial year 2019-20.

So far, as political parties are concerned, donations to BJP decreased from Rs 785.77 crore during FY 2019-20 to Rs 477.54 crore during FY 2020-21 (39.23 per cent decrease).

The Congress party's donations also registered a decline from Rs 139.01 crore during FY 2019-20 to Rs 74.52 crore during FY 2020-21 (46.39 per cent decrease).

In a comparison of the previous year, the decrease in donations declared by AITC was 94.74 per cent (Rs 7.65 crore), NCP - 56.19 per cent (Rs 33.68 crore) and CPI-M - 34.49 per cent (Rs 6.79 crore).

The report showed that a total of Rs 246.50 crore was donated to the national parties from Delhi, followed by Rs 71.68 crore from Maharashtra and Rs 47.07 crore from Gujarat.

The ADR report further said that 1,398 donations to the national parties were made by corporate or business sectors amounting to Rs 480.65 crore (80.95 per cent of total donations) while 2,258 individual donors donated Rs 111.65 crore (18.80 per cent of total donations) to the parties during FY 2020-21. It said that 1,111 donations from corporate or business sectors were made to BJP (Rs 416.794 crore) while 1,071 individual donors donated Rs 60.37 crore to the party during FY 2020-21.

Similarly, the Congress received a total of Rs 35.89 crore through 146 donations from corporate/business sectors and Rs 38.63 crore through 931 individual donors during FY 2020-21.

As per the ADR report, BJP (Rs 416.794 crore) received more than six times the total amount (Rs 63.931 crore) of corporate donations declared by all other national parties for the FY 2020-21.

Ther report observed that NCP, AITC, CPM, NPEP, Congress , BJP and CPI submitted contribution reports after a delay of 10 days, 117 days, 136 days, 137 days, 161 days, 164 days and 178 days, respectively.
London, July 14 : European consumers could face the prospect of energy rationing this winter as costs continue to soar amid the risk of Russia cutting off gas supplies, Shells chief executive has said, the media reported.

"It will be a really tough winter in Europe," said Ben van Beurden, speaking at the Aurora spring conference in Oxford on Thursday, The Guardian reported.

"We will all face very significant escalation in energy prices. In the worst case, Europe will need to ration its energy consumption." Factors being blamed for the continuing surge in wholesale energy prices include ongoing uncertainty regarding Russian gas flows into continental Europe, as well as more recent concerns such as the halted strike by Norwegian gas workers, and the UK's continued reliance on energy imports.

Van Beurden said there was "no way of telling" whether Russia would restart gas supplies into Europe via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline after maintenance started on Monday. It is due to conclude on 21 July, The Guardian reported.

"Putin has surprised quite a few of us," he said, adding, "I feel disappointed by the outcomes. He has also shown that he better be taken seriously when he makes threats... For a long time we thought it was not in Russia's interest to cut off Russia's largest market. He is able and willing to weaponise supplies." Asked about the race to become the next UK prime minister, Van Beurden said: "I hope there is no backtracking from net zero ambitions. There is a lot of popular opinion out there that is sometimes not helpful."
Beijing, July 14 : Five years after the death of Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo while in custody, activists in China have been forced to mark his death anniversary mostly in private, due to the ongoing ban on public references to him, media reports said.

A friend of Liu's, who only gave the pseudonym Gu Tian, said some people had found ways to mark the anniversary despite a ban on the topic on social media platforms, RFA reported.

"Xiaobo passed away five years ago. He was a very good and honest person, who could see beyond the basic concept of the Chinese nation and China," Gu told RFA.

"He fought back against an autocratic regime," he said.

Some people took to Twitter, which requires circumvention tools to access from mainland China, to leave messages commemorating Xiaobo's death at the age of 61 from advanced liver cancer, while serving an 11-year jail term for "incitement to subvert state power", RFA reported.

An account named for rights lawyer Yu Wensheng said Liu had "sacrificed his life to lead China towards democracy".

"Today, I bowed three times in the direction of the sea to honour his heroic spirit." Twitter user Li Fang wrote: "Many have forgotten Liu Xiaobo ... who died in prison five years ago. But China hasn't changed in those five years; the oppression and persecution are still the same. Forget Liu Xiaobo, and you forget China." Another user identified as Wang Xiaoshan also mentioned the fifth anniversary of Liu's death, which came after he was jailed for co-authoring Charter 08, which promoted democracy and constitutional government, RFA reported.

In previous year, activists have gathered or taken photos at the shoreline to commemorate Liu, whose ashes were scattered at sea on the insistence of ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials.

Xiaobo died of liver cancer while in hospital while in police custody in 2017.

His wife Liu Xia, who had been under house arrest since his Nobel Peace Prize was announced in October 2010, was finally allowed to leave the country in 2018 after which she settled in Berlin.

Since then, she has kept a low profile and rarely appears in public, RFA reported.
New Delhi, July 14 : Chennai Super Kings' batting ace Robin Uthappa announced on social media that he had been blessed with a daughter on Thursday.

The middle-order batsman shared pictures of his newborn daughter on Instagram, while he also penned a heartfelt note.

Uthappa and his wife Shheethal have named her Trinity Thea Uthappa.

"With hearts that are full, we'd love to introduce the newest angel into our lives. Introducing Trinity Thea UTHAPPA. We're so grateful to you for choosing us to bring you into the world and blessing us to be your parents and your brother," Uthappa wrote on his official Instagram handle.

The couple became first-time parents in 2017 when they were blessed with a son -- Neale Nolan Uthappa.
Chennai, July 14 : The special police team investigating the 2017 heist and murder case, at the Kodanad estate jointly owned by late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, questioned her former driver on Thursday.

The driver, Gunashekharan who hails from Cherankulam in Tiruvarur district was questioned at Police Recruits School (PRS) in Coimbatore.

Gunasekharan was Jayalalithaa's driver, along with the heist's alleged mastermind, Kanagaraj who was run over by a truck three days after the murder.

The Kodanad heist and murder case took place on April 23-24, 2017, wherein guard Om Bahadhur was killed and another guard Krishna Thapa was grievously injured.

Police sources told IANS that they are interrogating the driver to get more details on Kanagaraj.
New Delhi, July 17: A number of Baloch activists gathered at the British Parliament on Tuesday to chalk out an international campaign to make Pakistan accountable for mounting a war on the people in Balochistan. The campaigners discussed strategies whether Pakistan's civilian and military officials could be held accountable for the genocide against the Baloch community.

The discussion was organised by the Baloch Human Rights Council (BHRC) to address human rights violations by Pakistan in Balochistan province. It was hosted by Baroness Natalie Bennett, who promised to raise the matter in the British Parliament. She said that there are enough ways to put pressure on the government in Pakistan internationally and in the United Nations.

Noted activist Peter Tatchell laid out a road map for focusing international attention on Balochistan. He said that a UN-supervised ceasefire should be implemented in the strife-torn region under which "the Pakistani army is confined to the barracks" and the Baloch rebels also halt their activities. He also advocated for the release of all prisoners and the return of all Baloch refugees.

Tatchell said that Balochistan should be opened up to media, human rights organisations as well as aid agencies. He also said that international observers should be placed in the province till independence is achieved. He said that these points should be shared with Pakistan and the international community should be urged to act upon these.

On how to make Pakistan accountable, Baroness Bennett said that blasphemy laws and the harassment of religious minorities in the country can be another way to pressurise Pakistan because it has become a sensitive issue with faith-based groups outside of Pakistan. She added that people in the UK can ask the foreign office whether development aid to Pakistan has been spent on people or has been diverted towards non-community efforts.

Giving an overview of the situation in Balochistan, Dr Burzine K Waghmar from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) said that the signing of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in April 2015, the Baloch community has been further deprived. He highlighted that even though some of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) were supposed to be implemented through the CPEC, none of the development goals have been met.

Waghmar said that while land from the Baloch was taken for CPEC projects, the people have not been compensated. Similarly, the Baloch fishermen in Gwadar cannot fish in the Arabian Sea because of the Gwadar port, which is most likely to be a naval base with shelter for submarines. He added that even as Gwadar port has been leased to China for 40 years Balochistan itself will get only about 9 per cent of the revenue while the rest will go to China.

Activists said that Pakistan's violation of human rights goes beyond Balochistan. Dr Lakhumal Luhana from the World Sindhi Congress said: "In 75 years since Pakistan occupied Balochistan, two things have remained cast-iron. The killings have not stopped since then. Also, the fight of the Baloch for their survival and for freedom also never stopped". He added that the tens of thousands of Baloch who have been murdered by the Pakistan State were the finest of Baloch people.

Luhana said that the reason why Balochistan and Sindh are under occupation of Pakistan is because 80 per cent of the wealth of the country comes from these two provinces which are geo-strategically important. He said that all human rights conditions listed under the UN charter have been violated by Pakistan.

Giving a historical context to the Baloch issue, Dr Naseer Dashti from the BHRC said: "In the wake of the British withdrawal from India, the Baloch State, called the Khanate of Kalat, declared independence on June 11, 1947. In an agreement, called the "Standstill Agreement", and signed on August 4, 1947, the future State of Pakistan recognised the Khanate as an independent sovereign State. However, after nine months, it invaded and annexed the newly independent Baloch State on March 27, 1948".

Speaking about the "kill and dump policy" of the Pakistani military and spy agencies, Dashti said that the verified numbers of extrajudicially killed and missing persons during the last 17 years has crossed 15,000, adding that nearly a million people have been internally displaced.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative
New Delhi, July 14 : The Union Health Ministry on Thursday rushed a high-level multi-disciplinary team to Kerala to collaborate with the state health authorities in instituting public health measures in view of the confirmed case of monkeypox in Kollam district.

The Central team to Kerala includes experts from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), a doctor from RML Hospital, New Delhi, and a senior official from Ministry of Health & Family Welfare along with experts from its regional office.

The team will take a stock of on-ground situation and recommend necessary public health interventions. The state Health Department will work closely with the central team.

Meanwhile, earlier in day, the ministry asked states to increase surveillance on monkeypox disease which has been reported in many countries across the world. The ministry in a letter said that continued expansion of spread of the disease globally calls for proactive strengthening and operationalisation of requisite public health actions for preparedness and response against the disease in India.

The Centre, in the letter, said that orientation and regular re-orientation of all key stakeholders including health screening teams at points of entry, disease surveillance teams, doctors working in hospitals about common signs and symptoms, differential diagnosis, case definitions for suspects, probable or confirmed cases should be carried out.

Latest updates on Monkeypox Virus Outbreak
New Delhi, July 14 : The CBI has lodged a new case of bank loan fraud of Rs 55.27 crore against fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi, his firms and others.

The CBI official said that they have registered a case on complaint from Canara Bank against Mumbai based Bezel Jewellery (India) Pvt. Ltd, Mehul Chinubhai Choksi; Chetna Jayantilal Jhaveri; Dinesh Gopaldas Bhatia and Milind Anant Limaye, all directors of the firm, unknown public servants and unknown others on the allegations of causing loss of Rs 55.27 crore to the Canara Bank.

Bezel Jewellery (India) Pvt. Ltd was sanctioned Working Capital Facility of Rs 30 crore and Rs 25 crore respectively, by Canara Bank and Bank of Maharashtra under consortium arrangement.

The loan was sanctioned for the manufacturing and sales of gold and diamond studded jewellery.

The funds of the bank was used by the company to repay its long term borrowings.

In the initial year of availment of limit, the company repaid its long term borrowing of Rs 18 crore to its parent company and thereby diverted entire limit of Rs 10 crore of Canara Bank to the parent company on the date of availment of loan itself.

"It was learnt that the company has not routed any of the business transactions through the account and the transactions which do appear in the account were with their group concerns only, indicating diversion of funds. Further a bank guarantee of Rs 20 crore which was being availed from HDFC Bank was also invoked and the same was paid by Canara Bank by converting the Non-Fund Based limit to fund Based limit. Bezel Jewellery (India) Pvt. Ltd entered into fraudulent transactions and defaulted in payment obligations towards the banks by diverting & siphoning off the banks' funds in conspiracy with others causing a loss of Rs 55.27 crore to the banks," the CBI said.

The CBI conducted search operations at three premises of the accused in Mumbai which led to recovery of incriminating documents and articles.

Meanwhile, another case was registered on complaint from Union Bank of India against Mumbai based Paramshakti Steels Ltd, and its Directors, Rajendra Kumar Choudhary; Pankaj A Ranka and Sumeet O Ahuja and others for causing loss of Rs 35.89 crore to the Union Bank of India.

Paramshakti Steels Ltd and accused, during the period 2014 to 2016 cheated Union Bank of India to the tune of Rs 35.89 crore in the matter of availing irrevocable LC (Letter of Credit) of Rs 40 crore in favour of another company based in Mumbai.

The Motor Lorry Receipts of a private company at Mumbai lodged by the accused as part of LC documents were found to be bogus.

Moreover, the inspection carried out by the bank revealed no stock, employees left etc.

"Searches were conducted today at 10 locations including in Mumbai, Nagpur and Thane at premises of the accused which led to recovery of incriminating documents, articles," the CBI said.
Thiruvananthapuram/New Delhi, July 14 : Kerala on Thursday recorded India's first case of monkeypox with state Health Minister Veena George saying that the suspected case has turned positive.

The results has come from the the laboratory of NIV, Pune, she said, adding that strict containment protocols have been followed and there is no need of concern.

The patient, who arrived from the UAE on July 12, was at his house in Kollam.

When he developed the symptoms he was taken to a hospital at Kollam and from there he was shifted to the Trivandrum Medical College hospital where he is under close observation.

George said his parents are also under observation and so are 11 passengers who might have come with close contact with him in the aircraft.

Meanwhile, the authorities have also identified the auto rickshaw and taxi drivers who have carried this patient in their vehicle.

The patient, was identified as a close contact of a person who tested positive for monkeypox, and had been kept under close surveillance since July 12.

"There need be no cause of worry as everything is under control and the incubation period is 21 days. The Health Department is fully geared to handle this," George said.

The Union Health Ministry on Thursday rushed a high-level multi-disciplinary team to Kerala to collaborate with the state health authorities in instituting public health measures in view of the confirmed case of monkeypox.

The Central team includes experts from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), a doctor from RML Hospital, New Delhi, and a senior official from Ministry of Health & Family Welfare along with experts from its regional office.

The team will take a stock of on-ground situation and recommend necessary public health interventions. The state Health Department will work closely with the central team.

Meanwhile, earlier in day, the ministry asked states to increase surveillance on monkeypox disease which has been reported in many countries across the world. The ministry in a letter said that continued expansion of spread of the disease globally calls for proactive strengthening and operationalisation of requisite public health actions for preparedness and response against the disease in India.

The Centre, in the letter, said that orientation and regular re-orientation of all key stakeholders including health screening teams at points of entry, disease surveillance teams, doctors working in hospitals about common signs and symptoms, differential diagnosis, case definitions for suspects, probable or confirmed cases should be carried out.

Latest updates on Monkeypox Virus Outbreak
New Delhi, July 14 : With eyes on tribal votes in the 2024 general elections, the BJP is planning a grand celebration for Draupadi Murmu if she wins the upcoming July 18 Presidential election.

As the victory of Murmu is certain, the BJP has started preparation to celebrate her victory on "becoming the first tribal woman president of the country".

Sources said that preparation has started and direction has been issued in this regard for the grand celebration as there is no doubt on Murmu's victory.

"Everyone in the party and country are confident about Murmu's victory, and after that she becomes the first tribal woman President. Celebration will be organised across the country especially in tribal-dominated villages and areas," sources said.

It is learnt that as per plan, victory will be celebrated in over one lakh tribal villages in the country.

"Victory celebrations will start after the official announcement of the Presidential poll result on July 21. Celebration will be held at mandal (block) level in tribal areas and only posters of Murmu will be used," party sources said.

The party is also planning small rallies in tribal areas after the presidential election, to cover all villages and gram panchayats dominated by the community.

During BJP's National Executive Committee meeting held earlier this month in Hyderabad, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had lauded NDA's President candidate Murmu and said that her candidature stands over and above any politics.

Prime Minister Modi asked the party cadre to highlight about struggle and simplicity of Murmu's life among people.

A senior functionary said that by nominating her as a NDA candidate, the party leadership has already sent a message that after making inroads among all the sections of society, now the BJP leadership has decided to make inroads among the tribal communities across the country.

The saffron party is hoping to reach out to tribal communities across the country ahead of next Lok Sabha polls and in this year's assembly polls in Gujarat, and next year's state polls in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

A functionary noted that it is a strategic move with eye on 2024 Lok Sabha polls as there are 47 reserved Scheduled Tribes (ST) constituencies.

"Murmu becoming president of India, will definitely benefit the party in upcoming assembly polls and parliament elections," he said.
Jaipur, July 14 : Five people were badly injured in a leopard attack in a village near Jaipur city early on Thursday, officials said.

Such was the gravity of the attack that a man was quite badly mauled. It took four hours for the rescue team that reached the spot to to tranquilise and capture the big cat.

Officials said that the animal continued attacking people due to anger and fear.

The Forest Department team said that at around 3 a.m., the leopard attacked five people, including a child, in Chandwaji near Jaipur city. All injured were admitted to the SMS Hospital and a private hospital in Jaipur.

Officials said that the leopard initially entered Chandwaji village where it attacked a family. The animal first attacked 10-year-old David Meena, who was sleeping with his parents, and his parents Sajna Devi, 38, and father Ramphool Meena, 44, who came to save him. Meena's had was badly chewed and Sajna Devi's head and back seriously injured in its paw attacks.

When the people of the village tried to ward it by making noise, the animal entered Apex University premises, where it attacked watchman Mukesh Meena, 35, and another person, Govind Kumar, 35.

As information reached the authorities, the Forest Department team reached the spot at around 3.30 a.m. and started the rescue operation. The leopard was tranquilised at around 7.30 a.m.

Dr Arvind Mathur of the team said that as construction work was going on in the university, the animal hid behind wooden logs on the third floor. Due to this, it took a long time before the team could find and tranquilise him. The animal, which was also injured, was brought to the Nahargarh Biological Park, where it will be treated and released into the forest.
Bengaluru, July 14 : Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar Thursday said that the country needs to work towards self-reliance in fertilisers.

In his address at the inaugural of the National Conference of State Agriculture and Horticulture Ministers here, he, observing that the country has to depend on the import of fertilisers, said the Central government is incurring a subsidy of about Rs. 2.5 lakh crore rupees annually in the interest of farmers, so that the burden of rising prices internationally does not fall on them.

But there must be an end to this situation at sometime, he said.

"So now in the field of fertilisers also, we need to be 'aatma nirbhar'... there is a need to 'Make in India'," said Tomar.

Describing the importance of nano fertilisers, he said that the role of the states is important in promoting it. Due to the hard work of the farmers, the skill of the scientists and the policies of the Centre and States, agriculture in the country has developed better and is becoming sustainable, he said, asking his state counterparts to do their best work during their tenure for faster progress of agriculture.

The conference, organized by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, is deliberating on key issues to ensure the development of agriculture and farmers in the country. Coinciding with the 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav', the conference being held after a two year gap brought about by the Covid pandemic.

Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya and Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai also attended the event.
Patna, July 14 : Patna SSP Manavjeet Singh Dhillon has drawn criticism after he "compared" the Popular Front of India (PFI) with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Thursday.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Haribhushan Thakur slamming Dhillon, demanded his termination from the post after his public statement. He said that the Patna SSP has "lost his mental balance".

The Patna SSP, after the arrest of three persons including a former member of Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) named Akhtar Parvez, a retired sub-inspector of Jharkhand, Jalaluddin and a native of Phulwari Sharif Arman Malik on Thursday for providing training on Islamic extremism and terrorism to Muslim youth of the country under the PFI, said that they were giving training in martial arts and physical training similar to the branches (shakha) of RSS.

"The RSS is a nationalist organisation in the country which gives a lesson of unity, integrity and love. It is a cultural organisation based on patriotism. Comparing it with a banned organisation is unfortunate and extremely shocking. The Patna SSP has no right to remain on the post. The state government should terminate him and he should apologise to the nation," Thakur said.

Nikhil Anand, the national general secretary of BJP OBC wing and spokesperson, said: "The IAS and the IPS officers are considered above politics and beyond any influence. The way SSP Dhillon compared the PFI with RSS is extremely unfortunate, shameful and condemnable. These kinds of statements pass wrong messages to society. RSS is an organisation which is going to complete 100 years which promote national interest and nationalism." "PFI having close links with militant, anti-national and Islamic fundamentalist organisations and comparing it with RSS is completely irresponsible. If he wants to go into politics, he should resign from the post of SSP," Anand said.
New Delhi, July 14 : The Delhi High Court on Thursday granted time to the Centre and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to reply to a plea challenging the latter's order to stop the offering of 'namaz' at a mosque near Qutub Minar.

After hearing the submissions of the respondents seeking more time for instructions in the matter, Justice Manoj Kumar posted the case for further hearing for July 25.

On June 6, a vacation bench of the High Court had refused an urgent listing of the petition by the Delhi Waqf Board.

During the hearing, counsel of the Waqf Board submitted that the mosque situated close to the eastern gate of the Qutub Minar is a live mosque and a gazetted waqf property where people were regularly offering prayers. The petitioner said that it has never been closed for namaz earlier.

"On the contrary, there are visible signs of a live mosque, viz, chamber/Hujra of Imam, a duly appointed Imam, a duly appointed Moazzin, place of ablution with taps and water supply, toilet with water supply, a drainage system, rows of prayer mats and provision to secure the entire premises through doors," the plea said.

However, suddenly, the ASI stopped the prayers there on May 15, it said.
New Delhi, July 14 : In a bid to emphasise, the Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE) movement through sustainable consumption, the Department of Consumer Affairs is taking step for developing an overall framework for the 'Right to Repair', an official statement said on Thursday.

The aim of developing a framework on right to repair in India is to empower consumers and product buyers in the local market, harmonise trade between the original equipment manufacturers and the third-party buyers and sellers, emphasise on developing sustainable consumption of products and reduction in e-waste, the Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution Ministry statement said.

The committee will be chaired by Additional Secretary, Consumer Affairs, Nidhi Khare, and members includes Joint Secretary, Consumer Affairs, Anupam Mishra, former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge and State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission, Punjab, President, Justice Paramjeet Singh Dhaliwal, Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala, Vice Chancellor, Prof (Dr) G.S. Bajpai, Chair of Consumer Law and Practice, Prof. Ashok Patil, and representatives from various stakeholders like ICEA, SIAM, consumer activists and consumer organisations as members.

In its first meeting held on July 13, the committee identified important sectors like farming equipment, mobile phones, tablets, consumer durables and automobiles, and automobile equipment for right to repair. The committee also discussed the companies that avoid the publication of manuals that can help users make repairs easily.

"Manufacturers have proprietary control over spare parts, monopoly on repair processes that infringes the customers 'right to choose'. Manufacturers are encouraging a culture of 'planned obsolescence'. This is a system whereby the design of any gadget is such that it lasts a particular time only and after that particular period, it has to be mandatorily replaced. When contracts fail to cede full control to the buyer, the legal right of owners are damaged," the ministry said.

The committee also discussed how tech companies should provide complete knowledge and access to manuals, schematics, and software updates and to which the software license shouldn't limit the transparency of the product in sale. The parts and tools to service devices, including diagnostic tools should be made available to third parties, including individuals so that the product can be repaired if there are minor glitches.

The LiFE movement calls for mindful and deliberate utilisation of products. The rationale behind the 'Right to Repair' is that when one buys a product, it is inherent that one must own it completely for which the consumers should be able to repair and modify the product with ease and at reasonable cost, without being captive to the whims of manufacturers for repairs, the ministry statement added.

--IANS avr/vd

A
New York, July 14 : Launching the I2U2, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared on Thursday that working together, India, Israel, the US and the United Arab Emirates will make an important contribution at the global level in a time of uncertainties as it takes on an economic and humanitarian role.

The Middle East Quad, known as I2U2 derived from the initials of the four nations, took off at a summit in Jerusalem of Modi and UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan participating remotely and Israel's Prime Minister Yair Lapid and US President Joe Biden in person.

"This truly is a meeting of strategic partners. We are all good friends as well, and there are a lot of similarities in our approach and in our interests," Modi said in his speech in Hindi.

The Israel Prime Minister's office said that the leaders decided to establish a $2 billion food corridor between India and the UAE using Israeli technology and capabilities and to start a $300 million 300-megawatt wind and solar energy storage project in India with Israeli, UAE, and American technologies.

Biden said: "India is a major, major food producer in the world. Think of the beneficial impacts this will have on India's farmers and the people suffering from hunger and malnutrition in the region." By jointly using their technical expertise and mobilising private sector investment, they will help India reach its climate and energy goal of 500 gigawatts of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030, he said.

Modi said the I2U2 summit has established a "positive agenda" and identified six areas for joint action: water, energy, transport, space, health, and food security.

Mobilising "the mutual strengths of our countries that is capital expertise and markets", they can make a contribution to the global economy", he said.

Lapid said: "The world is watching this meeting. This shows that something special is happening here -- a new kind of economic and regional cooperation -- cooperation that is more flexible and better adapted to the problems we face." "I would like to emphasise: This is not a philanthropic group. We want to change the world for the better, but we are also creating relative advantages for our countries, for our businesses, for our science sector," he said.

Zayed said: "Our countries do not share a geographical border, yet they converge for peace, and their joint action to achieve wellbeing and prosperity." With several political differences among the four, they generally sidestepped political and strategic issues with their joint statement only mentioning the Abraham Accords, which was reached under former President Donald Trump to normalise relations between Israel, the UAE, and Bahrain.

"We reaffirm our support for the Abraham Accords and other peace and normalisation arrangements with Israel," the statement said.

Their statement also spoke of a bridge between the Middle East and South Asia.

"We welcome the economic opportunities that flow from these historic developments, including for the advancement of economic cooperation in the Middle East and South Asia, and in particular for the promotion of sustainable investment amongst the I2U2 partners," it said.

It also said that India expressed interest in joining the United States, the UAE, and Israel in the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate initiative (AIM for Climate).

Asked about the launch of the I2U2, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres's Spokesperson Farhan Haq said: "It's always a good and encouraging sign when different countries work together in terms of cooperative efforts, and we hope that they will be fruitful and cooperative." The I2U2 is an attempt to replicate in a different environment the Indo-Pacific Quad of India, the US, Japan and Australia, the goal of which is developing a bulwark of democracies against China.

In the Middle East, the I2U2 does not face as direct a threat from China, and India, in particular, does not share the same approach to Russia or to Iran.

Unlike in the Indo-Pacific where China poses a direct military threat, in the Middle East, the challenge is from its predatory Belt and Road Initiative.

In strategic terms, the I2U2 has a more generalised wariness of China's influence in the region and in Africa and other developing countries, which it will seek to deal with economic and humanitarian assistance.

The Quad has also taken the road of providing help to countries in the Indo-Pacific with a plan to provide Covid-19 vaccines as the current main focus, which can be a model for other types of assistance programmes tailored to the region.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis)
New Delhi, July 14 : Amid the heightened uncertainties around cryptocurrencies, the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) on Thursday announced to dissolve the Blockchain and Crypto Assets Council (BACC).

The association created and nurtured BACC for four years.

The IAMAI said that it was forced to take the decision in light of the fact that a resolution of the regulatory environment for the industry is still very uncertain.

Several crypto lending and trading platforms have filed for bankruptcy, laid off employees and frozen withdrawals, deposits and other transactions on their platforms, and cryptocurrencies crash in the global economic meltdown.

The association said in a statement that it would like to utilise its limited resources for other emerging digital sectors, which make a more immediate and direct contribution to digital India, notably, deepening financial inclusion and promoting Central Bank issued Digital Currency (CBDC).

"As an industry we will continue to positively engage with all stakeholders and continue to build emerging tech including Web 3.0," said Ashish Singhal (CEO of CoinSwitch) and Sumit Gupta (Co-founder and CEO of CoinDCX), Chair and Cochair of the BACC.

The BACC members were advised that IAMAI will continue to support activities of the BACC till the end of the month to ensure smooth and proper transition of the sector as well as closure of the ongoing projects.

Popular crypto tokens such as Bitcoin and Ethereum nosedived by nearly 70 per cent from their record highs amid the economic meltdown.
New Delhi, July 14 : A 75-day-long 'Covid Vaccination Amrit Mahotsava' will commence from Friday to provide free precaution dose to all eligible adults at government Covid Vaccination Centres (CVCs).

This special Covid vaccination drive is a part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, and is aimed to increase uptake for the precaution dose.

In a virtual meet with State and UT Health Secretaries and NHM MDs held on Thursday, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan urged states to give an intensive and ambitious push towards full Covud vaccination coverage by vaccinating all eligible beneficiaries and covering them with precaution dose.

Expressing concern over less percentage of precaution doses uptake among population groups aged 18 years and above which is only 8 per cent and persons aged 60 years and above at only 27 per cent, he asked states to implement the event as a public drive with massive mass mobilisation, through a camp approach.

They were advised to organise special vaccination camps in the routes of Char Dham Yatra, Amarnath Yatra, Kanwar Yatra (all states/UTs of north India) as well as major Melas and congregations.

Union Health Secretary advised to operationalise special workplace vaccination camps at big office complexes (public & private), industrial establishments, railway stations, inter-state bus stations, in schools and colleges, etc. In all such special vaccination camps, vaccination to be done mandatorily through CoWIN and vaccination certificate to be provided, he said.

States were advised to ensure that the available Covid vaccine doses are consumed in a timely manner and no dose expires in both government and private facilities. The Centre has also said to assess the requirement for the 75-day special drive as per the eligible population groups and inform to the Centre to provide adequate doses.

The special drive will continue for 75 days from July 15 to September 30. Those eligible for the precaution dose include all persons of above 18 years who have completed 6 months (or 26 weeks) from the date of administration of the second dose.
New Delhi, July 14 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said on Thursday that it has arrested seven accused persons, including then senior officials of Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL), in connection with fraudulent misappropriation of coal from the coal reserve of leasehold areas under the dominion of ECL.

The accused have been identified as Tanmay Das, the then chief manager-cum-HOD (security), ECL HQ, Debashis Mukherjee, then security sub-inspector, ECL Kajora, Sushanta Banerjee, then GM, Satgram ECL, Subhas Chandra Moitra, then project officer, Nimcha Group of Mines, Mukesh Kumar, then manager (security), ECL HQ, Rinku Behera, then security SI, and Abhijit Mallik.

A case was registered on November 27, 2020 on the allegations that the public servants of ECL, including security personnel, unknown officials and a private persons, entered into a conspiracy and fraudulently misappropriated coal from the coal reserve of leasehold areas under the dominion of ECL and also from the coal stock parked in the railway sidings for sale and supply.

The accused had obtained undue advantage in the form of bribe and facilitated misappropriation of coal from ECL leasehold areas and corresponding railway siding and thereby extended undue protection and patronage to the illegal coal syndicate being run by the said private person.

Earlier, the CBI had conducted searches at various places in West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh at the premises of the accused persons.

All the seven arrested persons were produced before a special court in Asansol, West Bengal, which remanded them to five-day police custody.
New Delhi, July 14 : The five persons arrested in Patna for indulging in anti-national activities following raids in the Phulwari Sharif area, which also led to the recovery of several incriminating documents, including PFI's 'Mission 2047', allegedly had Prime Minister Narendra Modi on their radar, the ongoing probe by Bihar police indicated.

Patna Police have arrested Athar Parvez and Mohammed Jalaluddin -- a retired sub-inspector from Jharkhand -- from the Phulwari Sharif area. Later, three more individuals -- Margoob Danish, Arman Malik and Shabbir -- were arrested.

They were allegedly running a terror module and were engaged in brainwashing the Muslim youth, the police said.

Parvez is said to be a member of the banned Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), who was providing training to the youth.

Manzar, Athar's brother, had been arrested earlier in connection with the 2013 Gandhi Maidan bomb blast during then Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's 'Hunkar' rally.

Mohammed Jalaluddin is also said to be a member of SIMI. The police have claimed that the accused tried to execute a terror strike during Modi's rally.

The police have recovered sensational documents from Jalaluddin and Parvez in which it has been written that they will make India an Islamic state by 2047.

On the pretext of providing physical training to the youth, the accused were brainwashing them in Patna. They were allegedly provoking Muslim youth against the Hindus.

Meanwhile, sources in the know of things said the NIA is also closely monitoring the matter, and has launched a parallel probe.

Though the NIA has not made any comment, there are possibilities that the case might be transferred to the probe agency in the coming days.

The PFI, however, said that it never published any objectionable documents and said that things were being planted.
Guwahati, July 14 : A court in Assam's Golaghat district on Thursday permitted Barshashree Buragohain, who has been in jail for around two months for reportedly writing poem on the banned ULFA-I, to appear for exams.

Buragohain has been allowed to appear in the BSc second semester examination which is commencing from July 18 with police escort.

The girl student was picked up by the police on May 17 for posting "anti-national" poems on social media, forcing her family members to appeal to the Assam government to let her appear for the undergraduate exam.

However, state Director General of Police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta had earlier said that she "was not arrested for writing a poem. She was arrested for encouraging others to join the outfit (ULFA-I)". Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had also echoed this. "If her family members say that she will not go and join the outfit, we may consider her release. Her counselling is going on. If she goes to ULFA-I and comes back as human bomb and triggers blast in Ganeshguri in Guwahati or she comes back with AK-47?," he told the media after her arrest.

A student of Mathematics, she had filed a petition before the Golaghat district and sessions judge through the jail authorities to allow her to appear for her semester exams.The district court in its order has directed the jail authorities to make necessary arrangements for her to appear in the examination.

The jail authorities have also been directed to provide sufficient police escort from the jail to her exam centre.

Two local parties, the Raijor Dal and Assam Jatiya Parishad, have asked the district authorities to release the young girl who would be unable to appear for her second semester examination.
Bengaluru, July 14 : Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday launched the state government's Rs 5,000 'Kashi Yatra Subsidy' scheme.

The Chief Minister formally launched the scheme by distributing the subsidy cheques for the beneficiary pilgrims at a programme in the Banquet Hall of Vidhana Soudha.

Speaking at the function organised by the Muzrai department, Bommai said this is a new scheme.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has renovated Kashi by building the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor.

"Kashi is a major pilgrimage centre evoking the spiritual faith of the people. The facilities and amenities for pilgrims were very poor earlier. Now, it has been totally transformed. Varanasi has direct air, rail and bus connectivity," he said.

"As a result there is a huge rise in the number of pilgrims visiting Kashi. Today we are distributing subsidy cheques for 10 pilgrims. In the coming days it would be transferred directly through the DBT system for pilgrims," Bommai said.

"The banks of river Ganga have been cleaned. About 23 Ghats have been renovated. The Kashi Vishwanath Corridor has been developed in such a way that the pilgrims could walk directly from the Ganga Ghats to Vishwantha temple. I congratulate Prime Minister Modi for this good work," the Karnataka Chief Minister said.

Apart from providing a Rs 5,000 subsidy, the state government has made arrangements for safe and comfortable journey by a separate train, accommodation facilities at Kashi to make the pilgrimage a safe and pleasant experience, Bommai added.
Bastad : , July 14 (IANS) Dominic Thiem of Austria added one more win to his first tour-level victory in 14 months as he defeated Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut to reach the quarter-finals at the Nordea Open on Thursday.

Thiem backed up his first-round win in this event and came up with an impressive performance to overcome Bautista Agut 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-4 to reach the last-eight stage here.

The Austrian, who defeated Emil Ruusuvuori on debut in Bastad earlier this week, played with great intensity and power throughout his two-hour and 41-minute clash against the fourth seed to come back from losing the second set to script a crucial win.

"It is great to play here," Thiem said in his on-court interview. "It is an amazing atmosphere and I am so happy that I won today so I can have at least another match tomorrow. It was really good.

"The win against Emil gave me confidence that I can compete against the best players in the world and today against Roberto. He is always such a tough opponent. I was expecting and hoping it would be a close match. Then when I won the first set in the tie-break I said 'Hey, I can win today.' I had the belief until the end of the match and the third set was really good," Thiem was quoted as saying in a report on the ATP Tour website.

The 28-year-old missed the second half of last year due to a wrist injury and arrived at the ATP 250 clay-court event in Bastad holding a 0-6 tour-level record in 2022. However, he has shown signs of promise on the clay in Sweden to reach his first tour-level quarter-final since Madrid in May 2021.

Thiem will next play Argentine Sebastian Baez or Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina as he looks to continue his run.

"It is a process. I beat Ruusuvuori and today I beat Bautista Agut. Two really top opponents, so if I can beat them I am definitely back," Thiem added. "I am into the quarters of a really strong tournament, so I am happy. It is a process, but I am going the right way." In a tight match, Thiem rallied from a breakdown in the first set and then played with more freedom in the third set, opening his shoulders to hit through the court and improve to 2-4 in his ATP head-to-head series against the fourth seed Bautista Agut.
Jammu, July 14 : Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama on Thursday said he is not seeking separation of his homeland from but China but is seeking more autonomy for his people.

"People in China are increasingly realising that I am not seeking the independence of Tibet, but autonomy and preservation of its Buddhist culture," he told the media in Jammu.

The Dalai Lama said only a few Chinese hardliners considered him to be a separatist.

The Nobel Peace Laureate is travelling to Ladakh on Friday where he is going to stay for a month to deliver discourses and meet followers.

After a long hiatus, the Dalai Lama is making his first visit outside his headquarters in Himachal Pradesh's Mcleodganj since leaving Bodh Gaya in January 2020 ahead of the Covid-19 pandemic's outbreak.
New Delhi, July 14 : Just three days ahead of the Presidential election scheduled on July 18, the joint opposition nominee for the top post, Yashwant Sinha, faced a major setback after the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) officially announced its support for NDA Candidate Draupadi Murmu.

The announcement came close on the heels of Shiv Sena declaring support for Murmu.

The JMM issued a statement signed by its founder Shibu Soren, which said that after Independence, this is the first time that a tribal woman is contesting for the top Constitutional post and all the MPs and MLAs of the party will vote for Murmu.

The announcement came as a setback for Sinha, who was banking on the JMM because he hails from Jharkhand and had represented the state in the Lok Sabha for many years.

The Shiv Sena had on Tuesday announced that it will support NDA's Presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu.

Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray made the formal announcement after a series of consultations with the party MPs, MLAs and other leaders, including tribals.

"There have been absolutely no pressures from the MPs, as claimed in the media. However, many Sena leaders and office-bearers from tribal communities have requested us we take a decision to support Draupadi Murmu for the President's post," Thackeray said.
Guwahati, July 14 : The Assam government has undertaken a multidisciplinary approach to combat the crime against women and children, Director General of Police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta said on Thursday.

Addressing a meeting of all stakeholders on women and child safety, he said that the multidisciplinary approach has been undertaken in order to effectively combat and tackle the crime against women and children.

He said that the meeting was organised with the objective of developing a mechanism of convergence among the stakeholders including the police, Social Welfare, Education, Labour, Judicial, and Health Departments and other government organisations including the State Commission for Women, Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, NGOs, and educational institutes which need to work in close coordination for a synergistic approach to address the issues related to women and children safety.

Participating in the discussion, State Commission for Women Chairperson Hemaprabha Barthakur stressed the need for a multipronged approach and elaborated the steps taken by the Commission in the recent times to combat this menace.

Additional Director General of Police, CID, A.Y.V. Krishna listed the steps taken by state police to deal with crimes against women and children, including setting up of a division headed by a Superintendent of Police rank officer for crime against women and children in CID Headquarters for monitoring heinous crimes against women and children and setting up of Special Cells for Women in 11 districts in collaboration with Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) as a multi-agency approach with an aim to provide legal, psychological and counselling to women victims.

The Assam government recently signed a MoU with TISS to deal with the issues related to women and children. Special Juvenile Police Units, headed by a Deputy Superintendent of Police, are now operational in all districts with a child welfare officer in each police station.

Women Help Desks have been started in 320 police Stations, exclusive training programmes for more than 1,330 police officers conducted by CID in the last two years, a Family Counselling Centre started at CID headquarters, Sishu Mitra Resource Centre set up in collaboration with UNICEF, and anti-human trafficking units set up in all districts.

Krishna also said that a total of 161 human trafficking cases were registered in the last one year, 123 traffickers arrested, and 279 victims, including 110 children, rescued.
Dhaka, July 15 : A US State Department report defending the Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh has angered veteran freedom fighters for backing "a Pakistan-paid war criminal, militant-breeding party, which committed rape and genocide".

Jamaat-e-Islami, which was an auxiliary force of Pakistan Army in the then East Pakistan, had led in crimes against humanity and atrocities along with Pakistani soldiers, said the veterans who fought the Liberation War back in 1971, expressing their anger and frustration for the unabashed lobbying of US for a party that had been convicted of war crimes with Pakistan forces by a judicial process.

Several top leaders of the Jamaat have been found guilty for murder, rape, and forcible conversions of minorities, and some have been hanged following the long judicial process of the Bangladesh War Crimes Trials.

However, the US State Department report 2022 on human rights situation in Bangladesh pulled up Sheikh Hasina government over "action against Jamaat-e-Islami".

Veteran Bangladesh war heroes are stunned by the US defence of the Jamaat, whose declared objective of creating a "Pakistan-owned Islamic Republic" has been found to be going against the spirit of the secular democratic policy of Bangladesh.

Former Justice Shamsuddin Ahmed Manik said that the Jamaat has violently agitated on a host of issues and dozens of innocent people have died in their firebombing of passenger buses and trains.

Author Sukharanjan Dasgupta said: "US envoy Peter Haas may lament Washington's 1971 policy as a 'mistake' but this US defence of Jamaat proves the Americans retain the same policy of backing pro-Pakistan forces in Bangladesh. Or else why would those claiming to fight the militants seek to pitch for Jamaat." He contended that the Americans always use Islamist radical forces to fight progressive nationalists in Asia.

"That is why they are shedding tears for the Jamaat-e-Islami in Bangladesh, the party of the war criminals that opposed its independence, killing millions of innocent people," he said.

The US State Department report says: "Opposition 'activists' faced criminal charges. Leaders and members of Jamaat-e-Islami, a leading Islamist political party in the country, could not exercise their constitutional freedoms of speech and assembly, because of harassment by law enforcement." Jamaat leader and former minister in the Premier Khaleda Zia's BNP-led four-party coalition government, Matiur Rahman Nizami was hanged to death on May 11, 2016 after being convicted of war crimes. Convicted of superior responsibility as the chief of the ferocious Al-Badr militia forces in 1971, he was found guilty of systematic killings of over 450 people alone in his own village in Santhia of Pabna and also grabbing the ancestral house of legendary Indian film actress Suchitra Sen. This was retrieved by the Hasina led government on 2014, following a SC order.

However, the US report pulled up the Bangladesh government headed by Awami League for deregistering Jamaat as a political party which prohibits them from seeking office.

"The fundamental constitutional rights of speech and assembly of its leaders and members were denied," it said.

Talking to IANS, veteran freedom fighter Foyez Ahmed Siddiqui said: "After the independence of Bangladesh, Pakistan-paid Jamaat was active in militancy against the innocent people. It pursued its Pakistani fundamentalist agenda with violent attacks on minorities and unleashed a ruthless tactic to employ radical values to upend the secular policy of Bengali culture until a high court verdict banned the party, bringing some justice for millions of families who fell victim to persecution since 1971." With Bangladesh scheduled to go in polls by end of next year, the US report clearly acts as a shot in the arm for the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Justice Manik told IANS.

The nexus between BNP and Jamaat dated back to the country's first military dictator General Ziaur Rahman.
Patna, July 15 : The five persons arrested in Patna for indulging in anti-national activities following raids in the Phulwari Sharif area, which also led to the recovery of several incriminating documents, including PFI's 'Mission 2047', allegedly had Prime Minister Narendra Modi on their radar, the ongoing probe by Bihar police indicated.

Patna Police have arrested Athar Parvez and Mohammed Jalaluddin -- a retired sub-inspector from Jharkhand -- from the Phulwari Sharif area. Later, three more individuals -- Margoob Danish, Arman Malik and Shabbir -- were arrested.

They were allegedly running a terror module and were engaged in brainwashing the Muslim youth, the police said.

Following the detection of the suspected terror module, several investigating agencies have started the investigation, and looking into different aspects including funding, conspiracy, training to Muslim youth etc.

Sources said that they were reportedly planning to carry out an attack on PM Modi during his recent visit to Patna during the centenary year celebration of Bihar Vidhan Sabha.

The Prime Minister had visited on July 12 and Athar Parvez and Mohammed Jalaluddin were arrested on July 11 from Phulwari Sharif.

They also held a "secret meeting" on July 6 and 7.

Athar Parvez, the former member of Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) is the brother of Manzar Parvez who was involved in the November 2013 Patna Gandhi Maidan serial blast during the rally of Narendra Modi, who was then the Prime Ministerial candidate.

During the investigation, it was also revealed that Athar Parvez used to take shelter in the house of Mohammad Jalaluddin in Jharkhand.

Jalaluddin was the SHO of Bhelwaghati police station in Jharkhand's Giridih district from November 20, 2018 to January 27, 2021.

Jalaluddin is considered a Muslim hardliner who used to extend support to Muslims in legal issues.

He also involved in helping the people of Muslim community in the construction of houses, marriages, apart from providing other assistances. He is said to have good connection and network with a large number of Muslim youth in Jharkhand's Giridih district.

Sources said that Jalaluddin was in contact with a number of youths just before his arrest in Patna. The investigating agencies are now scanning his network.

Preliminary investigation reveals that Athar Parvez and Jalaluddin own three bank accounts on which three bulk transactions to the tune of Rs 14 lakh, Rs 30 lakh and Rs 40 lakh have been made. The ED team is looking into this aspect and already started the investigation.

Following the statement of Parvej and Jalaluddin, the ATS of Bihar Police arrested the third accused Arman Malik as well.

They were involved in meetings of Popular Front of India (PFI) and Social Democratic Party of India at district, state and national level, and also in conspiracies surrounding anti-national and communal activities.

Following their statement, Patna Police have registered FIR against 26 people.

They are identified as Mohammad Raslan, a secretary of PFI Bihar-Bengal Regional Committee; Mohammad Riyaz, national level leader of PFI; Mohammad Ansarul Haq, PFI director of Mithilanchal region of Bihar; Mohammad Amin Alam, among others.

"The investigation is currently underway. We are doing every possible efforts to bust such terror or criminal activities. The central and state agencies are investigating it from all angles," said SK Singhal, DGP of Bihar police.

The police have recovered sensational documents from Jalaluddin and Parvez in which it has been written that they will make India an Islamic state by 2047.

On the pretext of providing physical training to the youth, the accused were brainwashing them in Patna. They were allegedly provoking Muslim youth against the Hindus.

Meanwhile, sources in the know of things said the NIA is also closely monitoring the matter, and has launched a parallel probe.

Though the NIA has not made any comment, there are possibilities that the case might be transferred to the probe agency in the coming days.

The PFI, however, said that it never published any objectionable documents and said that things were being planted.
Bengaluru, July 15 : Karnataka's opposition Congress on Thursday demanded a lie detector test (polygraph test) for government officers arrested in connection with the Police Sub-Inspector recruitment scandal.

The CID has arrested senior IPS officer and ADGP Amrit Paul in connection with the scandal, along with many other police officers, ranking from Sub-Inspector to Deputy Superintendent of Police.

Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah said that there is suspicion of involvement of many ministers and their associates, and clarity over the issue could only come if the accused officers are given lie detector tests.

He has also underlined that the diary written by arrested ADGP should also be investigated thoroughly.

"If Amrit Paul is subjected to a lie detector test, the nexus of politicians in the scandal would come out in the open. Let those who benefitted from the scandal face the heat," he said.

The investigations into the PSI recruitment scandal has revealed that Paul allegedly got his share of Rs 1.35 crore bribe amount to be deposited to various accounts, police sources said.

Meanwhile, the ruling BJP is in a spot as Congress is seeking on allowing the arrested senior IPS officer record its statement before the court.

The BJP is yet to respond to this demand. Party sources said leaders are worried about the fallout of this case as if any involvement of its leaders is found, it will dent the image of the party.
Patna, July 15 : Following a controversial statement of Patna SSP Manavjeet Singh Dhillon, Bihar police have issued a show-cause notice to him, directing the officer to reply within 24 hours.

The show-cause notice issued by ADG (law and order) Jitendra Singh Gangwar said that "the SSP must clarify why he made such a statement publically".

After the Patna police arrested three persons allegedly linked to the banned outfit PFI on Thursday, Dhillon compared the radical outfit with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

"The way RSS Shakahs are organised and its activists are trained, a similar pattern was being followed by the PFI. Under the garb of martial arts, they are providing arms training to activists," said Dhillon.

Following his statement, BJP leaders Hari Bhushan Thakur and Nikhil Anand slammed Dhillon for the 'shocking' statement and demanded his termination.

Thakur claimed that Dhillon has lost his mental balance.

While the BJP attacked Dhillon for his controversial statement, its alliance partner Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) came in defence of the SSP.

Danish Rizwan, the national spokesperson of HAM, said: "The Patna SSP has said that the way RSS organises Shakhas, the PFI is giving training to the youth in a similar manner. What is wrong with it? It does not mean that Dhillon said that RSS is a militant organisation."
New Delhi, July 15 : A powerful section in the Nagaland government was allegedly trying to 'delay' the peace process and maintain status quo in the name of ensuring consensus from 'all quarters', including the Naga insurgent group -- National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM).

However, bowing to public pressure and insistence from the Government of India to end 25-year-old peace talks, now a key minister in Nagaland Cabinet, Neiba Kronu said on Thursday that 'early solution' to the vexed Naga issue "will be good for all".

Kronu, Parliamentary Affairs Minister and trusted lieutenant of Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, said that the state government and legislators are pressuring the Centre and Naga negotiating groups to arrive at a solution at the earliest.

Addressing a meeting of NDPP workers in Pfutsero town in remote Phek district, the Minister added that all 60 legislators and two Nagaland MPs -- Phangnon Konyak (BJP in Rajya Sabha) and Thokeho Yepthomi (NDPP in Lok Sabha) -- would meet at Kohima on July 16 to update all concerned parties and chalk out future strategies vis-a-vis the peace talks.

The Nagaland government and a core committee for the peace process had in the last few months urged Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to broker peace -- a task the latter has said he cannot deliver.

Meanwhile, raising eyebrows in certain quarters, former Army chief and former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), (retd) General M.M. Naravane visited Nagaland earlier this week and met 'old friends' and key leaders.

Sources described it as a 'personal and courtesy visit' by a senior army officer who served and held important responsibilities in Nagaland and other adjoining states.

Retired General Naravane served in Zakhama in southern Angami region as Nagaland General Officer Commanding and also at Rangapahar near Dimapur in important positions. He had reportedly played a pivotal role in the famous surgical strike on Northeast militants in 2015.

The former CDS also met three categories of people in Nagaland -- social workers, state leaders and important "stakeholders in the peace process," sources said.

(Retd) General Naravane's visit could be purely personal as he is a retired Army officer. But the timing has raised some general curious questions.

Speculation is rife because 'time' is running out via-a-vis peace parleys which began in 1997. Nagaland elections are due by February-March 2023 and the Centre has an obligation to deliver peace and solution as BJP's election slogan in 2018 was 'Election for Solution'.

Various student bodies and influential Gaon Burrah Forum ('village elders' body) and Nagaland Tribal Council had in the last few months urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to expedite the peace process and arrive at an early solution.

The umbrella organisation of seven militant groups, Naga National Political Groups (NNPG), led by its Convener N. Kitovi Zhimomi is keen for an early solution while on the other hand, the NSCN-IM's demands for flag and a separate Naga constitution have stalled the peace parleys.

During his meetings with Naga leaders, (retd) General Naravane was told that 'delay' may not serve much purpose and apparently he also concurred with it.

Incidentally, his visit came when the Centre is exploring possibilities of appointing an exclusive Governor for Nagaland.

A source said the Army could enhance deployment of manpower in some parts of the state as well.

Speculation is rife that after July 18, the Centre may initiate some concrete steps next week or so post election of the new President.

On July 18, Nagaland is set to make a record when perhaps for the first time it will vote enmasse (all 60 legislators) in favour of BJP's and NDA's presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu.

She is set to become the first tribal President and also the first President to be born after Independence.

In a recent article in local newspapers in the state, veteran Naga leader S.C. Jamir wrote, "A vast majority of the people are anxiously waiting for a new dawn but a small minority of the Nagas want to continue the status quo but people are now vehemently against it. There is a marked change in the mood of the people of Nagaland. The ideological watchdogs have failed to note that there is anger against anti-social and anti-national elements." (Nirendra Dev is a New Delhi-based journalist. He is also author of 'The Talking Guns: North East India' and 'Modi to Moditva: An Uncensored Truth'. The views expressed are personal)
New York, July 15 : The first projects of the I2U2 will be located in India and help with agriculture, food and green energy, according to the joint statement of the four leaders after the group's launch.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid and UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan along with the US President Joe Biden launched the Middle East Quad known as "I2U2" from the initials of the participants.

The UAE will invest $2 billion in the agriculture and food project that aims to "maximise crop yields and, in turn, help tackle food insecurity in South Asia and the Middle East," the statement said on Thursday.

Biden claimed that the project that will utilise US and Israeli expertise "has the potential to sustainably increase India's food yield in the region threefold in just five years".

Gujarat will be the beneficiary of the 300 megawatt wind and solar energy programme and projects like that "have the potential to make India a global hub for alternate supply chains in the renewable energy sector," the statement added.

Speaking through a videolink from India, Modi said, "The I2U2 has established a positive agenda from its very first summit on Thursday." "We have identified joint projects in several areas and have also made a roadmap to take them forward," he added.

The I2U2 will work in six areas -- water, energy, transport, space, health and food security -- combining the expertise and the resources of the four nations, Modi said.

With political and strategic divergences among the four countries, the emphasis was on economic and technical cooperation.

Unlike in the Indo-Pacific region, where the other Quad of India -- the US, Japan and Australia -- face direct aggressive conduct by China, in the Middle East the challenge for I2U2 is from China's Belt and Road initiative to extend its power more subtly through predatory lending and trade practices.

The US President, who was present in person with Lapid in Jerusalem for the launch, said, "The first two projects that we're tackling together on food security and clean energy are designed to take on two of the most urgent crises affecting people around the globe: food insecurity." "Our nations represent some of the most innovative, technologically capable, and entrepreneurial people on the planet," he added.

The mobilisation of the strength of the I2U2 nations can be seen in the two projects in India.

UAE will invest $2 billion in the agriculture and food project, and the US and Israeli private sectors will lend their expertise while India will provide the land facilitating farmers' integration into food parks, the joint statement said.

The project will "develop a series of integrated food parks across India that will incorporate state-of-the-art climate-smart technologies to reduce food waste and spoilage, conserve fresh water and employ renewable energy sources," it added.

For the $330 million Gujarat wind solar electricity project that is to be complemented by a battery energy storage system, UAE-based companies are exploring opportunities to serve as "critical knowledge and investment partners," the statement said.

The US Trade and Development Agency has funded a feasibility study for it and the US and Israel are to work with the UAE and India to highlight private sector opportunities, it added.

"Indian companies are keen to participate in this project and contribute to India's goal of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030," it said.

UAE President said that he wanted to "emphasise the importance of giving priority during the coming time to research and development, healthcare and space".

Among the future projects mentioned is providing vaccines -- something that has been a focus area for the other Quad in the Indo-Pacific.

While putting the spotlight on food and energy security, the joint statement laid out an ambitious agenda ranging from infrastructure for better physical connectivity in the region to financing start-ups, with waste treatment in between.

The I2U2 statement detailed them: "We intend to mobilise private sector capital and expertise to modernise infrastructure, advance low carbon development pathways for our industries, improve public health and access to vaccines, advance physical connectivity between countries in the Middle East region, jointly create new solutions for waste treatment, explore joint financing opportunities, connect our startups to I2U2 investments, and promote the development of critical emerging and green technologies, all while ensuring near- and long-term food and energy security." (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis)
Wattay Airport, Vientiane, Laos [ VTE / VLVT ]

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Wattay International Airport (VTE), Vientiane, Laos Vientiane Website : http://www.vientianeairport.com/ Airport Type : Military/Public/Civi Operator : Military of Laos Hub for : Lao Air, Lao Airlines, Lao Central Airlines Timezone : Asia/Vientiane Wattay Airport Timezone : GMT +07:00 hours Current time and date at Wattay Airport is 15:40:06 PM (+07) on Tuesday, Aug 16, 2022

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"A book for anyone who has ever been fiercely inspired by a child - which should be everyone." Mitch Albom, Best-Selling Author "The greatest impact someone can have on another person is the legacy they leave behind. That was Sean's gift." TJ Nelligan

Emmy and Peabody Award-Winning Journalist Jack Ford to Narrate

Songwriter and Country Music Artist Monique McCall to Debut Song Inspired by Sean

After the sudden passing of his special-needs son, TJ Nelligan authored his first book, LIVE LIKE SEAN: IMPORTANT LIFE LESSONS FROM MY SPECIAL-NEEDS SON, to preserve their memories together. Now an Amazon best-seller and winner of multiple book awards, LIVE LIKE SEAN has been released as an audiobook with Emmy and Peabody Award-winning journalist Jack Ford narrating. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the audiobook will be donated to Special Olympics New Jersey, an organization very dear to both Nelligan and Ford.

"I initially wrote LIVE LIKE SEAN to memorialize my and Sean's time together, but the book has become much more. Sean's dear friend Bobby, who is featured throughout the book, suggested releasing LIVE LIKE SEAN in audio form so that their fellow Special Olympics athletes could also enjoy the book, said TJ. "Jack Ford was my first choice to serve as narrator, and I am honored and humbled that he so readily agreed. Jack is a true champion amongst champions and respected in so many fields; however, his selflessness displayed through his work on behalf of Special Olympics New Jersey impresses me the most. It is my privilege to direct all of the proceeds from the audiobook to Special Olympics New Jersey, an organization we both have been involved with for many years and one that truly changes lives."

We are honored to be the beneficiaries of the LIVE LIKE SEAN audiobook and know our athletes will truly be inspired by the heartwarming story, said Special Olympics New Jersey President and CEO, Heather Andersen. It is so great to have a familiar voice in Jack Ford to help make this story even more accessible to our athletes and community. TJ has been a champion for Special Olympics New Jersey for many years and we know these funds will provide even more resources for our athletes and leave a lasting impact.

Bobby Fredericks, Special Olympics athlete and member of the Special Olympics New Jersey Athlete Leadership Council, added, "I thought having an audiobook would be good. Everyone does not have time to read, and some Special Olympics athletes and others can't read. Everyone can learn something from LIVE LIKE SEAN. It did not matter who you were; Sean was your buddy."

A longtime friend of the Nelligan family, Jack and TJ immediately bonded over their support of Special Olympics New Jersey. Jack currently serves as the host of "Metro Focus" on PBS and was recently a CBS News Correspondent for "60 Minutes Sports." In addition, Jack previously served as Chief Legal Correspondent for NBC News, the co-anchor for the "Weekend Today Show" and a substitute anchor for "Weekend Nightly News" and "Meet the Press."

"I am deeply honored to be a part of this project," said Jack. "I first met Sean when he was a young Special Olympics athlete, and as with everyone, I was immediately both charmed and inspired by him. My hope is that through TJ's words and my voice, we will be able to introduce Sean's marvelous story to an even larger audience."

LIVE LIKE SEAN, an Amazon best-seller, provides a first-person perspective of seeing the world through a special-needs person, revealing that life lessons can come from the most unlikely places. Sean's lessons have resonated with readers worldwide as the book has been recognized with the 2022 IPPY Award, Gold Medal -Inspirational/ Spiritual category; 2021 BIBA Non-Fiction Award; 2021 Non-Fiction Book Author Association Award, Gold Winner; 16th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards Winner  Inspiration; and 2022 IBPA Ben Franklin Award, Silver Winner - Parenting & Family.

According to one of the judges of the 16th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards, "This book is incredibly well-written, impeccably organized, and the mechanics are nearly flawless. The chapters are short but powerful glimpses into life with Sean and what the author learned in their time together. My favorite parts of each chapter, beyond the intimate stories and moments shared, were the personal photos and thoughts from family and friends peppered throughout. Though every chapter centered its content on each central life lesson, the chapter ended with a helpful summary of how to 'Live Like Sean' with that focus. On a more personal note, the letters of love at the end had me undone. Though I usually find something to improve with each book I review, this one, from the cover design to the content, does not lack for one thing. Every parent would benefit from the wisdom within."

While promoting LIVE LIKE SEAN, TJ appeared on the Living & Loving podcast, hosted by Country Music Artist Monique McCall. Monique was so taken by Sean's story. After the interview, Monique inquired if anyone had put Sean's lessons to music. From there, a song and a budding romance developed. Sean's song, "2nd Chance," debuts on theLIVE LIKE SEAN audiobook. TJ's family always felt that Sean was an angel on earth, but even TJ was taken aback by how Sean continued to influence his life even after his passing. TJ and Monique were married in an intimate ceremony in Vail on 2/2/22.

"Sometimes the universe connects you to someone for a reason," added Monique. "Sean's story moved me so much  the lessons in this book about gratitude, wearing your heart on your sleeve, sharing a smile  it needed to be put into music."

TJ concluded, "The greatest impact someone can have on another person is the legacy they leave behind. That was Sean's gift."

Download a copy of LIVE LIKE SEAN, featuring "2nd Chance" by Monique McCall, everywhere books are sold and help support Special Olympics New Jersey. Additional information on LIVE LIKE SEAN can be found at TJNelligan.com. Additional information on Monique McCall can be found at MoniqueMcCall.com. For additional information or to donate, please visit Special Olympics New Jersey at sonj.org.
klevu logo Klevu and commercetools have announced their new strategic partnership. A new connector for headless ecommerce platform, commercetools, has been launched by the Klevu team for search, merchandising, and product discovery.

Klevu, the worlds leading provider of Artificial Intelligence-powered search and merchandising technology for digital commerce, is pleased to announce a new connector with commercetools headless ecommerce platform and is also now a certified commercetools ISV for search, merchandising, and product recommendations. Retailers that use Klevus full Product Discovery Platform achieve 37% more revenue per web session than those that dont, while providing a more unified customer experience for shoppers. Klevus product discovery platform leverages Artificial Intelligence, Natural Language Processing, and user behavior analytics to connect shoppers with products they want.

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Klevus recent MACH Alliance approval and our strategic partnership with commercetools are evidence of Klevus enterprise foundation. Solution integrators and retailers that use Klevu and commercetools together allow retailers to offer fully personalized front-end product discovery experiences supported by critical back-end functions in real-time, said Nilay Oza, CEO and Co-Founder, Klevu. Those using the commercetools platform can now access Klevu's advanced semantic language processing, and product ranking algorithm which helps ecommerce sites improve key metrics, such as increasing average order values, increasing margin, or improving conversion rates.

Unlike other garbage in garbage out search technologies that simply index data already available in a product catalog, requiring people to manually configure the product discovery engine, Klevus machine learning capabilities enrich catalog data automatically, and develop an ongoing understanding of how shoppers are engaging with each front-end experience specifically to display select products in the order most likely to convert. Klevu AI expands its knowledge as it accumulates more information from purchases, clicks, and product ratings -- giving the website the voice of the customer.

Christopher Holley, Global Director, ISV Partnerships at commercetools says, Im thrilled to welcome Klevu into the commercetools partner network. I am certain that solution integrators and merchants alike will enjoy testing the composable product discovery solutions that connect with commercetools. Legacy technology in product discovery is certainly behind us.

Klevu is a headless ecommerce microservice that can replace on-site search, category merchandising, and product recommendations banners functionality. Klevu is API-first, cloud-native, and headless architecture. Klevus new SDK optimizes conversion by connecting back-end ecommerce systems such as checkout, inventory control and product information management, to front-end product displays shown in ways that drive sales.

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Founded in Finland in 2013, Klevu has offices located in the UK, the US, India, Finland, Australia and Sweden. The end-to-end discovery and search solution is easy to configure, optimize and maintain, and can be integrated with major ecommerce platforms in as little as a few hours. For total creative control and headless ecommerce technologies, robust APIs and SDKs are available. For more information, please visit schedule a demo at klevu.com.

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commercetools is the leader in digital commerce and inventor of headless commerce. Based in Munich, Germany, commercetools achieved unicorn status in 2021 and works with world class companies including Lululemon, Sephora, LL Bean, and H&M.
We are thrilled to offer Solas boutique salon concept in Leesburg, Virginia. There are incredible possibilities for salon professionals with an entrepreneurial spirit to expand their businesses here." - Jeremy Tebo, VP of Corporate Operations

Sola Salons, the premier salon studios concept for established salon professionals, celebrates the grand opening of its newest salon in Leesburg, Virginia, conveniently located inside Battlefield Shopping Center. The new Sola location features a collection of 57 boutique, move-in-ready salon studios with floor-to-ceiling walls and glass doors that fully close. This unique layout and intentional design allows stylists to operate their individual businesses in the safety of a completely private one-on-one space.

"We are thrilled to offer Solas boutique salon concept in Leesburg, Virginia. There are incredible possibilities for salon professionals with an entrepreneurial spirit to expand their businesses here, while ensuring the upmost safety standards for their clients," said Jeremy Tebo, VP of Corporate Operations for Sola Salons. Were excited to welcome so many skilled professionals into our salon to serve the Leesburg community.

Sola provides a turnkey environment for experienced hairdressers, estheticians, nail technicians, massage therapists and makeup artists. Studios are equipped with:



Private space with oversized sliding/locking door

Floor-to-ceiling sound-insulated walls

High-end hydraulic chair and modern custom cabinetry

Full spectrum lighting to emulate natural daylight

Utilities and WiFi included in weekly rental fee

On-site laundry facilities and other shared amenities

Since its inception in 2004, Sola has grown to more than 600 locations throughout the U.S., Canada, and Brazil. Sola also launched BeautyHive, an e-commerce platform providing a convenient, economical way for Sola independent beauty professionals to get their backbar supplies without the hassle of distributors or store visits. BeautyHive is the latest platform that Sola has created for its stylists with the goal of making their lives easier and helping their businesses grow. Sola has remained committed to technology and innovation to better support its rapidly growing community of more than 18,000 independent beauty professionals. With proprietary tools like its SolaGenius application and BookNow website feature, the brand continues to be regarded as the leading franchise concept in the salon studios sector.

As the most dominant brand in the salon studios segment, we have created a turnkey solution for hundreds of thousands of beauty professionals to explore a better life as an entrepreneur. We are driven by our desire to use real estate to help aspiring business owners achieve their dreams and live their best lives, said Christina Russell, CEO of Sola Salons. With a wide variety of proprietary resources and tools, such as state-of-the-art technology and integrated marketing features, we ensure that our Sola beauty professionals are set up for long-term success from the very beginning.

The Sola Salons located at 1043 Edwards Ferry Rd. NE, Leesburg, VA 20176 offers 57 studios and 10,443 square feet of first-class amenities for salon professionals and their clients. Private studios are still available for rent. For more information or to take a tour, visit https://www.solasalonstudios.com/locations/battlefield, call our leasing manager Nicole DeMaio at (410) 237-7060 or email mailto:nicole.demaio@solasalonstudios.com [nicole.demaio@solasalonstudios.com __title__ null].

ABOUT SOLA SALONS

In 2004, Sola Salons was established with the opening of its first location in Denver, Colorado. Now with more than 600 locations open in the U.S., Canada and Brazil, Sola is proud to offer 18,000+ independent beauty professionals the freedom and benefits of salon ownership without the risk and overhead of opening a traditional salon. Its innovative salon model empowers hairdressers, estheticians, nail techs, massage therapists and other like-minded professionals to take control of their lives and their careers. Sola provides beauty professionals with beautiful, fully-equipped salon studios alongside the support and tools they need to launch their salon business in no time. For more information, please visit http://www.solasalons.com.
Farlong Nutraceutical has established a distribution partnership with Lanzhou Foci Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. The agreement positions Farlong to serve as the U.S. distributor of Lanzhou Focis best selling classical herbal formula teapills.

Farlong Nutraceutical, a vertically integrated, plant-based ingredient and supplement company, has established a distribution partnership with Lanzhou Foci Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. The agreement positions Farlong to serve as the U.S. distributor of Lanzhou Focis best selling classical herbal formula teapills.

Farlong Nutraceutical is committed to the introduction of genuine domestic products, and will soon join hands with Foci Pharmaceutical in the U.S. to release "Foci-Farlong," a joint brand of proprietary Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) products. The Foci products introduced by Farlong Nutraceutical are all genuine, providing consumers in the U.S. with accessible channels to purchase authentic Foci products.

The initial launch includes five well-known, co-branded functional formulas in the nourishment category, including Liu Wei Di Huang Wan, Xiao Yao Wan, Jia Wei Xiao Yao Wan, Bu Zhong Yi Qi Wan and Gui Pi Wan.

Lanzhou Foci is a household name in China because of its reputation and history of being one of the best and the oldest TCM manufacturers, said Jing Struve, executive director of Farlong Nutraceutical. With its deep roots, excellent quality and brand awareness, the partnership allows us to serve more people across the U.S., as the products will be offered and easily accessible through our online store, neighborhood vitamin stores, and naturopathic practitioners and clinics.

Following the initial launch phase, the partnership is expected to expand and include more than 30 of Lanzhou Foci Pharmaceuticals best selling classical formula teapills to complement Farlongs existing roster of natural products.

Founded in Shanghai in 1929 and moved west to Lanzhou in 1956, Foci Pharmaceutical is a "Chinese time-honored brand" enterprise with a pharmaceutical history of 93 years. Foci Pharmaceutical maintains the "five firsts" in the history of the development of TMC in China: the first enterprise in China to implement the industrial production of TCM; the first production enterprise in China to adopt the Western manufacture of TCM and pioneers  the concentrated pill form of TCM; the first joint-stock company of China's pharmaceutical enterprises; China's first Chinese proprietary medicine export enterprise; and China's first Chinese medicine production enterprise to produce GMP certification through drug quality standardization.

Foci Pharmaceutical is one of the first "Chinese time-honored brand" enterprises recognized by the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China and the "Foci" trademark is widely recognized throughout China. Its products are sold throughout the country and exported to the United States, Australia, Japan, Brazil, Russia, Uzbekistan, and more, totaling 30 countries and regions. The enterprise has been ranked among the top ten Chinese medicine export enterprises in China for several consecutive years and was rated by the Ministry of Commerce and the State Administration of TCM as one of the first backbone enterprises in the country's first group of TCM service trade.

Farlong creates natural and herbal supplements to promote a healthy and natural life, focusing on top quality ingredients and ancient roots. The company provides contract manufacturing services and more than 400 unique ingredients for health and beauty brands to develop proprietary formulas and product lines, and also produces its own consumer line of natural supplements from seed to shelf. Farlongs GAP certified farms are located in Yunnan Province, a geographical area known for harvesting specific medicinal herbs, proven to benefit the health and improvement for a variety of health conditions. Combining ancient Oriental medicine and modern technology, Farlong develops unique and effective formulas including Ginseng Plus Panax Notoginseng for heart health, Lifeflower Breviscapine for cognitive health, AstaBest Astaxanthin for antioxidant nutrition, and InnerPure for detoxing.

About Farlong Nutraceutical:

Farlong is a science-based and vertically integrated functional ingredient and formula provider who has more than 24 years of experience focusing on discovering, developing, and providing safe, effective, and unique medicinal herbs, plant extracts, and formulas with its own GAP (Good Agricultural Practice) certified cultivation base, cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practice) certified manufacturing facilities and distribution channels. Combining ancient Oriental medicine and modern technology, Farlong develops its own line of natural supplement brands, while offering contract manufacturing services and ingredients for health and beauty companies to create proprietary formulas and product lines. For more information, visit Farlong.com for supplements and 400+ ingredients, and follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
20/20 Plumbing & Heating Inc. has chosen NuVerge to Implement Nextworld's No-Code ERP Solution to Digitally Transform their Business! NuVerge Wins Major ERP Digital Transformation Project with 20/20 Plumbing & Heating Inc. (2020PH)

NuVerge LLC (NuVerge) announced today that it has entered into a five-year contract with 20/20 Plumbing & Heating Inc. (2020PH) to deliver Nextworlds No-Code ERP Software, NuVerges Job Site Management for Specialty Contractors and implementation services. In a digital transformation role, NuVerge will provide a full suite of Nextworld applications including Construction, Manufacturing, Warehouse, Procurement and Financials, built on Nextworlds No-Code development platform Nextbot, as well as their professional services to assist 2020PH in enhancing their operational performance through digital transformation.

We ran a comprehensive ERP selection process because we needed an enterprise-grade solution that would allow 2020PH to automate more than our standard business processes. Nextworlds No-Code ERP solution stood above the rest with its ability to easily automate all our unique business processes, said Vincent French, CFO. We believe NuVerges construction industry and specialty contractor expertise, coupled with this new technology will allow 2020PH to remain in the vanguard of the industry and allow 2020PH to accelerate our growth and move quickly into new markets, as opportunity presents.

We recognize the shift in sources of value creation toward software and are positioning ourselves to take of advantage of it. 2020PH has always been an innovation leader in the industry by exploiting technology and we were seeking software that would provide operational efficiency, accelerate and enable change at pace, while keeping us ahead of the competition. Nextworld and NuVerge are providing a solution that other ERP systems couldnt provide, so it was an obvious decision for us, said Mike Mahoney, CEO.

Mark Goedde, NuVerge President and CEO, mentioned, As a partner in their success, we look forward to a long and mutually rewarding relationship with 2020PH. Their long-term industry vision and focus on digital transformation, align well with our mission to improve operational performance for Specialty Contractors in the Construction Industry while untethering 2020PH from their legacy software.

About NuVerge

Established in 2018, NuVerge is a Global Reseller of Nextworlds No-Code ERP Applications and Nextbot (a No-Code platform for business process automation). NuVerge is committed to leveraging Next Generation Business Software and Technologies that focused on digital transformation and accelerated process automation.

The NuVerge Strategy is simple; assist our clients in the untethering of legacy software while improving their organizational performance and growing their business at an unprecedented pace.

NuVerge is headquartered in Longmont, Colorado and serves its North American client base from its East and West regional offices. Please visit http://www.nuverge.com for additional information.

About 2020 Plumbing and Heating Inc.

At 20/20 Plumbing & Heating, Inc., we are more than a plumbing and HVAC company. We are community builders.

An industry leader in California and Nevada since 2015, we deliver reliable, state-of-the-art service to single-family, multi-family, commercial, rehabilitation and hospitality projects. Our skilled tradespeople have the training and resources to meet your most challenging plumbing and HVAC needs and complete your new construction or commercial project  on-time and in-budget. We utilize the most technologically advanced systems for designing, manufacturing, and prefabricating materials in-house to deliver prompt, accurate bids to our clients.

Our partners include notable companies from local homebuilders to global hospitality brands, and weve earned their trust with our uncompromising standards of ethics, professionalism and accountability, and award-winning customer support.

For more information, visit http://www.2020ph.com

About Nextworld

Nextworld offers a radical alternative to those burdened by traditional ERP. They are the only company to offer a full suite of enterprise applications built from the ground up on a no-code platform. Nextworld is a revolutionary new company and solution that enables companies to run their businesses their way, focusing resources on innovative opportunities that further their mission both now and in the future and keep them ahead of whats next.

Visit http://www.nextworld.net for more information.

Contact:

Press@nuverge.com

Press@2020PH.com

Trademarks:

2020PH are registered trademarks of 20/20 Plumbing & Heating Inc. and/or its affiliates.

Nextworld and Nextbot are registered trademarks of Nextworld and/or its affiliates.

Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
4 Wheel Parts (https://www.4wheelparts.com), the largest retailer of 4x4 and off-road products globally, is excited to share the news of their upcoming store opening in Denton, TX, the 16th store location in the state and 7th location around the Dallas/Fort Worth area. With their state of art installation facilities, the Denton location will serve customers who want to customize their vehicles with the newest off-road products. As part of the grand opening event with extended hours on Saturday, July 16th from 9am-5pm, 4 Wheel Parts is offering one day special pricing and hourly giveaways worth over $5,000!

The grand opening will feature an exclusive sale for customers on thousands of Jeep and Truck parts and accessories, with trucks and jeeps on display. Along with hourly giveaways and free food, the first 100 customers to attend will receive free T-shirts. The Denton 4WP store offers shoppers the best selection off-road brands so they explore the latest off-roading and aftermarket products to customize their vehicle.

Store Location:

2101 W. University Drive

Denton, TX 76201

Hours:

Sunday: Closed

Monday: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. (Local Time)

Tuesday: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. (Local Time)

Wednesday: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. (Local Time)

Thursday: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. (Local Time)

Friday: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. (Local Time)

Saturday: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. (Local Time)

More information is available at: https://www.4wheelparts.com/

About 4 Wheel Parts

4 Wheel Parts is a powerhouse in the growing $10-plus billion truck, Jeep and 4X4 accessory market. A division of Transamerican Auto Parts (TAP Worldwide, LLC), and acquired by Polaris Industries Inc. in 2016, 4WP sells and installs an extensive line of industry-leading aftermarket parts and accessories for off-road enthusiasts through 95 brick-and-mortar stores in North America and online at 4wheelparts.com and 4wd.com. More than 500 aftermarket auto brands are offered through 4WP, including off-road tires, wheels, suspension, drivetrains, exterior/interior accessories, recovery equipment, lighting, electronics, replacement parts, and gear for the outdoor/camping lifestyle.
The welcome for four chimps airlifted to Liberia where they can now live in a sanctuary. These four chimps are a sign that theres hope, that we can do right by them  and other chimps in need. On World Chimpanzee Day, that's worth celebrating.

Four chimpanzees were successfully transferred from Guinea-Bissau to the Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue and Protection (LCRP), a chimpanzee sanctuary in Liberia. In a complex international operation, PASA and partners had been working on this transfer since first learning about the chimps in 2018. Through the global pandemic, and even a coup attempt, the team did not give up hope that these endangered animals could find a new life in a sanctuary. The four chimpanzees  Simao, Fifi, Tze, and Tita  range in age from just over two to 12 years old.

PASA first learned about Simao in 2018, when a woman working in Guinea-Bissau, came across a little chimp living in a cage. It was Simao. The woman was concerned about his welfare and contacted PASA to explore bringing him to a sanctuary. The team at PASA got to work and soon learned of other chimpanzees in need.

We were incredibly moved by Simaos story, said Kaitlyn Bock, PASA's Africa Operations Manager, who spearheaded the operation. And when we learned about the other chimps living in similarly harsh conditions, we knew we had to help. After four years of hard work, to see them safely transferred at last, well, its a dream come true.

Guinea-Bissau does not have a wildlife sanctuary, and there are no laws that prohibit private possession of chimps and other wildlife. These conditions meant that the chimps would need to be transferred to a sanctuary in another country, adding complexity and cost to the operation. PASA leveraged its members expertise in transfers and veterinary care to formulate a plan.

Rebeca Atencia, Executive Director of the Jane Goodall Institute in the Republic of Congo, and a wildlife veterinarian, visited the chimps in 2021 to assess their health and ability to travel. She recalls meeting Simao  also called Simon  for the first time.

Simao was kept in a cage that had no floor and was made of metal fencing, she remembers. He had to spend all day on bars of iron. The roof covered only one side, so when it rained, water entered everywhere. He did not have access to water or food, so if they forgot to give him water, he would be thirsty all day. Worst of all is that it was in the middle of a street where many trucks and cars passed by. In front of it there was a sawmill, so there was constantly a hellish noise.

The other chimps were kept in equally hard conditions. Fifi was in a small metal cage outside a hotel in Bissau, where she lived isolated from others for over 10 years. Tze and Tita were each chained to trees. And sadly, the fifth chimp, Julio, died just months shy of the transfer, a heartbreaking reminder that not every animal gets a second chance.

Jim and Jenny Desmond, founders of the Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue and Protection sanctuary (LCRP), agreed to take the chimps.

We are so fortunate to bring Fifi, Tze, Simao and Tita into the LCRP family, thanks to the amazing work of our partners and supporters around the world, said Jenny Desmond. We coordinated with the officials here in Liberia to arrange the necessary import permits, and helped secure free transport from DHL while our partners did the same in Guinea-Bissau. Were just so grateful that the chimps have arrived and that theyre healthy. We are letting them settle in a bit. Then we can start the work of rehabilitating them after years of isolation and poor treatment. The most rewarding part of rescuing chimpanzees in need is getting to see each person emerge from their trauma, start to play and laugh, form new bonds, and transform into their true selves.

This transfer required a coalition to succeed. This included groundbreaking collaboration between governmental agencies in both countries: the Directorate General for Forests and Fauna (DGFF) and Institute of Biodiversity and Protected Areas (IBAP) in Guinea-Bissau, and the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) in Liberia. Also integral to the success of the operation were LCRP, the Jane Goodall Institute, and DHL, which generously provided air transport free of charge. PASAs global network of supporters provided ongoing support.

The operation underscores the complexity and cost of protecting endangered wildlife. Increasingly, this requires transnational collaboration, as wildlife habitat disappears due to development and climate change. The role of sanctuaries has become central in protecting endangered species and brokering international agreements.

PASA members bring decades of expertise with transfers like this one, said Kelly OMeara, executive director of PASA. The power of our alliance is that we can now bring that knowledge to transform outcomes for endangered animals anywhere on the continent.

When asked why it matters to get four chimpanzees to a sanctuary, OMeara reflected on the potential loss of the species.

Set aside the simple fact that life in a cage or chained to a tree is no life at all for a chimp, she said. But the reality is that within 30 years, we may have lost them all. Their habitat is declining, they are hunted for trophy parts and as bushmeat. Frankly, the odds are against them. Thats why we say that in the race against extinction, every animal counts. These four chimps are a sign that theres hope, that we can do right by them  and other chimps in need. On World Chimpanzee Day, that's worth celebrating.
Lauren Cox I am honored to join Sumner Schick, and I look forward to delivering the unparalleled client service that this firm is known for, said Cox. Sumner Schick is more than just a place to work. It is a privilege to be part of a team of incredibly talented and down-to-earth attorneys.

Sumner Schick has hired Lauren Cox as an associate attorney in the firms civil litigation section. Cox will represent local and national clients in a wide range of disputes, including commercial, labor, and employment, premises liability, franchise disputes, qui tam/whistleblower, construction and real estate litigation, and business transactions.

I am honored to join Sumner Schick, and I look forward to delivering the unparalleled client service that this firm is known for, said Cox. Sumner Schick is more than just a place to work. It is a privilege to be part of a team of incredibly talented and down-to-earth attorneys.

Before joining Sumner Schick, Cox worked for several law firms, where she developed a well-rounded litigation practice. During her nearly four years of practice, Cox served on the outside litigation team for an iconic fast-food chain focusing on personal injury and tort defense, premises liability, and transportation litigation cases. In addition to civil defense litigation, Cox also has experience in representing plaintiffs in a variety of personal injury matters. Prior to law school, Cox graduated with honors from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. In 2018, Cox graduated from the University of Oklahoma College of Law and was admitted to the Texas State Bar shortly thereafter.

Lauren is a dynamic attorney with a wide range of capabilities that is difficult to find in young attorneys, said Managing Partner Justin Sumner. Laurens personality and demeanor is a perfect fit for our progressive firm environment. She is an excellent legal writer and fantastic with clients  truly understanding the clients objectives and then executing. Laurens addition further bolsters our exceptional civil litigation team, and we are thrilled that she chose to join Sumner Schick.

Sumner Schick LLP is a Dallas-based law firm that represents businesses (companies) and individuals in commercial litigation, business transactions, labor and employment law, health care compliance and regulatory law, qui tam/whistleblower defense and prosecution, Franchisor/Franchisee disputes, premises liability, real estate & construction, criminal defense, catastrophic personal injury, medical malpractice, and general business law matters. The firms attorneys advise and advocate for the interests of individuals and businesses of every size, including several Fortune 500 companies located nationwide. Learn more about Sumner Schick LLP at http://www.sumnerschick.com.
Co-Managing Shareholder and Co-Chair of the U.S. State and Local Tax Practice Bradley R. Marsh and Los Angeles Associate Ruben Sislyan, of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP, will speak on a webinar, Breaking California Tax Residency: Practical Consideration for Planning a Move Out of California hosted by the California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA) on July 14.

According to its website, CalCPA is the largest statewide professional association of certified public accountants in the United States with more than 42,000 members. The panel will discuss California tax residency, sourcing rules, and considerations for planning a residency change as well as recent California tax guidance and developments.

Marsh is co-managing shareholder of Greenberg Traurigs San Francisco office and focuses his practice on tax controversy matters, including property, sales, payroll, business license, employment, franchise, parcel, district, documentary transfer, transient occupancy, utility user, income, parking, gift, and estate taxes. He represents clients in audits, litigation, and administrative hearings, in addition to providing analysis of transactions and business models, and developing strategies for legislative resolutions.

Sislyan focuses his practice on California state and local tax controversies at the audit, administrative, and judicial levels. He has broad experience representing Fortune 500 and middle-market companies, closely held businesses, startups, families, and individuals in a wide range of state and local taxes, including corporate franchise/income, personal income, sales and use, property, tobacco, and gross receipts and other local taxes.

About Greenberg Traurig's Tax Practice: To stay competitive in today's global marketplace, international companies must seek out greater efficiency in their tax planning and compliance, including coordinating tax decisions from country to country. For U.S. operations, an environment of increased scrutiny  including passage of more restrictive legislation and a spike in audit activity at every level  is quickly becoming the norm, likewise spurring a need for greater self-evaluation and for more frequent representation in controversies and litigation with tax authorities. Greenberg Traurigs multidisciplinary tax team works closely with clients to address these and other tax planning needs, as well as tax controversies and litigation issues.

About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP has more than 2400 attorneys in 43 locations in the United States, Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. The firm, often recognized for its focus on philanthropic giving, innovation, diversity, and pro bono, reported gross revenue of over $2 Billion for FY 2021. The firm is consistently among the top firms on the Am Law 100, Am Law Global 100, NLJ 250, and Law360 (US) 400. On the debut 2022 Law360 Pulse Leaderboard, it is a Top 15 firm. Greenberg Traurig is Mansfield Rule 4.0 Certified Plus by The Diversity Lab and net carbon neutral with respect to its office energy usage. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com.
Scott Garrett Announced as New Chief Operating Officer of Compression Works I am looking forward to being a part of the Compression Works team that brings the AAJT-S to markets around the world where it will have an immediate impact in saving lives, said Scott Garrett.

Compression Works Inc., the medical device company that created the Abdominal Aortic and Junctional Tourniquet  Stabilized (AAJT-S) for the treatment of non-compressible hemorrhages in the global EMS and military markets, welcomes Scott Garrett as its new Chief Operating Officer. In his new role, Mr. Garrett will be responsible for driving company growth, scaling operations to meet the increasing global demand for the AAJT-S device and increasing sales in the global EMS, first responder, tactical law enforcement and military markets.

We are absolutely thrilled to have Scott Garrett join our executive team, stated President and CEO of Compression Works, Scott Dodson. Scott is a recognized leader and expert with a proven track record in both the EMS and military verticals where our life-saving device is used, said Dodson. His impact will be felt immediately as we accelerate the commercialization and distribution of our technology around the world.

Prior to joining Compression Works, Scott Garrett was the Vice President of Sales for the Military/Tactical/Distribution and Urology Division within the Anesthesiology and Emergency Medicine business unit at Teleflex, a multi-billion-dollar global medical device company. Scott also served as the Global Vice President for Military/Tactical Programs at Z-Medica which was acquired by Teleflex. Mr. Garrett has over 16 years of increasing levels of responsibility in the trauma, military, pre-hospital, tactical, law enforcement, international military business management and market development segments for medical devices.

Scott also served for 8 years in the U.S. Army as a Combat Arms Officer and achieved the rank of Captain with multiple deployments, including Iraq and Bosnia. He graduated from Texas A&M University as a Distinguished Military Graduate, with a Bachelor of Science degree in political science and an MBA from University of Texas-Arlington.

I am looking forward to being a part of the Compression Works team that brings the AAJT-S to markets around the world where it will have an immediate impact in saving lives, said Scott Garrett. I have always been attracted to technologies that make a difference, and in trauma situations there is no greater factor in a patients survival than stopping blood loss. The Compression Works technology stops the most difficult bleeding conditions so the patient can be stabilized and taken to definitive care, said Garrett.

The AAJT-S by Compression Works is made in the United States of America and has thousands of devices in use in markets around the world. For more information, visit or contact us at http://www.compressionworks.com.

About Compression Works

Compression Works is the developer and manufacturer of the Abdominal Aortic and Junctional Tourniquet-Stabilized (AAJT-S) medical device. The company delivers innovative solutions to meet the most pressing and unmet needs of emergency healthcare providers. Compression Works is committed to hemorrhage control research, identifying capability gaps and developing technologies and products to help facilitate the delivery of quality life-saving care. The solution is used by the military, trauma centers, rural emergency departments, EMS and federal and local law enforcement agencies. The AAJT-S device is proudly manufactured and assembled in the USA. Compression Works is a veteran-owned business dedicated to saving lives on and off the battlefield.
Cumberland School Department Joins the Rhode Island Purchasing Group by bidnet direct Registered vendors can access bids, related documents, addendum and award information.

The Cumberland School Department announced it has joined bidnet directs Rhode Island Purchasing Group and will be publishing and distributing upcoming bid opportunities on the system. The Rhode Island Purchasing Group connects participating agencies from across Rhode Island to a large vendor pool and streamlines the bid and vendor management process. bidnet directs Rhode Island Purchasing Group provides notifications to registered vendors of new relevant solicitations, as well as any addenda and award information from participating agencies across Rhode Island, and can be accessed at http://www.bidnetdirect.com/rhode-island/cumberlandschools.

The Cumberland School Department joined the purchasing group in July, and will utilize the system to publish and distribute upcoming bid opportunities. The Rhode Island Purchasing Group is a single, online location that manages sourcing information and activities and provides local government agencies throughout Rhode Island the tools needed to minimize costs and save time throughout the purchasing process.

We are always looking to increase our vendor pool and competition, says Alex Prignano, District Business Manager for the Cumberland School Department. We hope the Rhode Island Purchasing Group will help us extend the reach of our solicitations, and it can help our vendors find more local opportunities he continued.

Registered vendors can access all open bids, related documents and files, additional addenda and award information. In addition, the Rhode Island Purchasing Group offers a value-added service to notify vendors of new bids targeted to their industry, all addenda and advance notification of expiring term contracts. Registered vendors have access to not only the Cumberland School Department bid opportunities, but all participating agency bids.

Vendors may register on the Rhode Island Purchasing Group at: http://www.bidnetdirect.com/rhode-island/cumberlandschools. bidnet directs vendor support team is available to answer any questions regarding the registration process or the bid system at 800-835-4603 option 2.

Other local government agencies in Rhode Island looking to switch from a manual bid process, please contact the Rhode Island Purchasing Group for a demonstration of the no-cost sourcing solution.

About the Cumberland School Department:

Cumberland is located in the north eastern region of Rhode Island, The Cumberland School District has eight schools. The five elementary schools - Ashton, B.F. Norton, Community, Garvin Memorial and J.J.M. Cumberland Hill - all five offer full day kindergarten. Ashton Elementary houses the Cumberland Preschool Center.

Cumberland also has two middle schools, Joseph L. Mccourt and North Cumberland Middle School. Cumberland has one high school. The total enrollment for Cumberland Schools (as of October 2018) remains steady at approximately 4685 students.

The school system is led by its seven-member School Committee that is elected to serve for two years and includes a Chairperson, Vice-chairperson and Clerk. The School Committee hires a Superintendent of Schools to administer policies and to manage and lead learning in the district. The Cumberland Superintendent of Schools (in chronological order) are Mr. Robert Condon, Dr. Robert McGinnis, Mr. Rodney McFarlin, Dr. Robert Patterson, Mr. Robert Wallace (1993-1996), Mr-Joseph Nasif (1996-2005), Dr. Donna Morelle (2005-2011), Dr_ Phil Thornton (2011-2015), ML Robert Mitchell (2015-2021) and Dr. Phil Thornton (present).

About bidnet direct:

bidnet direct, powered by mdf commerce, is a sourcing solution of regional purchasing groups available at no cost to local government agencies throughout the country. bidnet direct runs regional purchasing groups, including the Rhode Island Purchasing Group, across all 50 states that are used by over 1,500 local governments. To learn more and have your government agency gain better transparency and efficiency in purchasing, please visit https://www.bidnetdirect.com/buyers
We are delighted to join this fraternity of forward-thinking bankers who are willing to take advantage of the BaaS opportunity in payments. Booshan Rengachari, Founder and CEO of Finzly

Finzly announced that it has joined the newly launched Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) Association. The association was formed by Bankers Helping Bankers (BHB), a social platform for collaboration and education on Bankng-as-a-Service.

Fueled by rapid expansion in fintech funding and a constant supply of new startups, there arent enough BaaS sponsor banks to meet the growing demand for banking services from hundreds of fintechs. There is a constant demand from fintechs to process customer payments on sponsor banks with modern payment infrastructure. BaaS is a highly specialized niche and one that is seeing a tremendous increase in bank participants, largely due to a predictable fee income.

Banking-as-a-Service is certainly a gamechanger for banks. Having a modern, turnkey and robust solution for payments is equally critical for banks and fintechs wanting to take advantage of BaaS. While fintechs can effortlessly scale their solution cost-effectively, banks can monetize their payment infrastructure and convert payments from a cost center to a revenue generator. We are delighted to join this fraternity of forward-thinking bankers who are willing to take advantage of this opportunity, Booshan Rengachari, Founder and CEO of Finzly, said. The BHB BaaS Association gives banks a perfect opportunity to learn, explore and network with industry leaders and other peer institutions.

Banks can use Finzlys modern, full-service platform with API middleware that processes all payment types (ACH, wires, RTP, FedNow & SWIFT), exceptions, and returns, with direct settlement and clearing connectivity with The Federal Reserve, The Clearing House, and SWIFT payment networks. In turn, fintech customers can send payments and debit requests directly to the sponsor banks via APIs and get instantaneous responses without the need for legacy batch files and manual reconciliation. Through a single API integration, fintechs wanting to embed payment experience in their products can create a seamless digital journey for their customers.

These elite bankers are the top 1% in both profitability and innovation Tanner Mayo, co-founder of BHB, said. It is essential that banks getting into this space do so in a safe, sound and regulatory compliant way. This association is intended to help them embrace the opportunities of BaaS while proactively identifying and mitigating risks.

The BaaS Association was created to:



Coordinate legislative and regulatory advocacy efforts to encourage the responsible delivery of BaaS by federally insured depository institutions

Promote best practices and standards for the delivery of BaaS products to non-banks

Build a community of like-minded bankers and other industry participants to share experiences, insights and learnings

Connect federally insured financial institutions to the technology partners who will help them facilitate successful BaaS programs

About Finzly: Finzly provides the financial infrastructure for Banks, Fintechs, and Businesses to offer and access financial services in an open, connected, real-time, and embedded ecosystem. Finzlys operating system for banks acts as a parallel core platform and is modern, cloud-based, real-time, and API enabled. With an array of readymade banking solutions including a multi-rail payment hub (ACH, Fedwire, RTP, FedNow, and SWIFT), foreign exchange, Digital Account Opening, KYC, Risk, Compliance, and a suite of customer experience components, Finzly allows the building of programmable banks, also offering a platform to launch Banking as a Service to fintech partners. To learn more, visit http://www.finzly.com

About Bankers Helping Bankers

Bankers Helping Bankers (BHB) is a bankers-only social+ platform for collaboration and education. Through data tools and dynamic user groups, BHB provides community bankers with a knowledge base focused on bank technology and emerging Fintech companies, as well as hot topics such as cryptocurrencies, banking-as-a-service, becoming a sponsor bank, and launching a direct digital brand. The BHB platform is free for bankers, reaching 75% of the banks. Join the movement to help save community banking. For more information, please visit: https://bankershelpingbankers.com/bhb-baas-association/
Industry-leading Forex CRM software provider, FX Back Office, has partnered with KYC/AML solution provider Shufti Pro in order to offer Shufti Pros innovative identity verification and fraud prevention systems to users of FX Back Offices CRM.

Established in 2016, FX Back Office is a world-class Forex CRM developer. Based in Limassol, Cyprus, their team of developers leverages years of industry experience to create bespoke, entirely customizable CRMs that can integrate with the worlds most popular trading solutions, payment service providers (PSPs) and third-party software.

Shufti Pro, a globally acclaimed identity verification service provider, offers award-winning KYC and AML solutions to businesses in the finance and banking, e-commerce, cryptocurrency, and healthcare sectors to name but a few. The high accuracy rate and global configurability of its solutions has fuelled demand for the companys services, and it has onboarded businesses across a wide range of industries. Shufti Pros KYC solution verifies the identity of customers in real-time, helping businesses to prevent identity theft, money laundering, and terrorist financing while staying compliant with global KYC and AML regulations.

We are over the moon to be able to announce our partnership with Shufti Pro. They are, without a doubt, one of the worlds leading providers of KYC and AML solutions and were excited that our users will be able to benefit from their services from within our forex CRM, said FX Back Office Co-founder & CEO Dmitriy Petrenko. We aim to offer our clients and their traders the very best tools with which to do their job and were excited to be able to work with Shufti Pro. Theyre a leading company and were looking forward to offering their solutions to our clients through our CRM.

Upholding trust and safety online is critical, especially when scams are increasing in almost every sector, said Victor Fredung, CEO of Shufti Pro. We are pleased to be assisting FX Back Office in its goal of delivering a robust and fraud-free digital experience to its clients. Shufti Pros KYC and AML services will enable our partner to mitigate identity and financial fraud while fulfilling regulatory requirements.

For more information:

Graeme Rowe

CMO | Shufti Pro

graeme.r@shuftipro.com

Christina Iracleous

CMO | FX Back Office

christina.i@fxbackoffice.com

###
there is no substitute for natural gas as a raw material or energy source (in Germany), and a shortage of natural gas will result in it not having enough energy for chemical production and lack of key raw materials for manufacturing products.

The Financial Post of July 09, 2022, reported that Canada will release a sanctioned, overhauled gas turbine to Germany, for use in Russias Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, hopefully preventing a further collapse of Germanys economy, says Friends of Science. Critics denounced the move as conflicting with Canadas Stand with Ukraine policy. According to Canadas international trade website: Germany, with the largest economy in the EU and the fourth largest in the world  Germany is Canadas largest export market in the EUwith two-way merchandise trade totaling $25.8 billion in 2021.

Germany is heavily reliant on natural gas from Russia. DW reported on July 11, 2022, that Germany was preparing for possible total Russian gas cut-off which would mean economic collapse and social strife due to rationing of low gas reserves and a cold winter ahead.

EChemi reported in April 2022, Germany chemical giant BASF warned that it may have to shut down production: there is no substitute for natural gas as a raw material or energy source (in Germany), and a shortage of natural gas will result in it not having enough energy for chemical production and lack of key raw materials for manufacturing products. Many BASF products are familiar and important to the daily life of millions of people worldwide. About 39,000 people work at BASFs Ludwigschafen chemical processing complex in Germany.

EU energy geopolitics expert Samuel Furfari explains in his July 12, 2022, Atlantico article, Towards a gas cut: the moment of truth on our dependence on hydrocarbons has come, oil and gas provide the horse-power to make large scale food production possible, but they are also the source of fertilizer. Skyrocketing fertilizer costs and blocked wheat exports from Ukraine will create food shortages and famine.

The energy crisis is due to lack of investment in oil and gas after years of concerted efforts by the unelected, unaccountable UNPRI on divestment from fossil fuels. They push climate change as our highest priority, along with ESG  Environment, Social, Governance scores for corporations. UNPRIs fiduciary guru is Al Gore.

Friends of Science Societys 2016 report Undue Influence  Markets Skewed identified that ESG and sustainable accounting manipulate markets and investments.

In 2019, the World Economic Forum issued a report promoting ESG standards, claiming that Strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance has the power to unlock significant positive impact for investors, companies and wider society.

A recent study for the European Corporate Governance Institute by Berg et al (2022) shows that ESG ratings of many firms have been subject to retroactive historical revisionism.

Steve Soukup, author of The Dictatorship of Woke Capital, has skewered ESG ratings, pointing to the Berg et al. study as evidence of fraud in ESG markets that only benefits the traders. He refers to Andy Kesslers July 10, 2022 op-ed in the WSJ The Many Reasons ESG Is a Loser  Youll pay far higher expenses for a fund with similar stocks but worse performance.

Friends of Science Societys report Climate Risk Reporting  An Exercise in Greenwashing notes that since carbon dioxide is not the main driver of climate change, thus carbon trading, nature-based solutions, and ESG reporting is greenwashing that exacerbates the global energy crisis.

Friends of Science says it is astounding that the Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) of Canada are embracing NetZero and ESG, as per their July 08, 2022, public statement. According to their mission statement: CPA Canada enhances the influence, relevance and value by acting in the public interest and contributing to economic and social development.

Prevention of an energy crisis and famine are in the public interest, says Friends of Science.

As Robert Lyman pointed out in his summary of the BP Statistical Energy Review, there is no energy transition occurring. NetZero is Magical Thinking.

About

Friends of Science Society is an independent group of earth, atmospheric and solar scientists, engineers, and citizens that is celebrating its 20th year of offering climate science insights. After a thorough review of a broad spectrum of literature on climate change, Friends of Science Society has concluded that the sun is the main driver of climate change, not carbon dioxide (CO2).

Friends of Science Society

P.O. Box 23167, Mission P.O.

Calgary, Alberta

Canada T2S 3B1

Toll-free Telephone: 1-888-789-9597

Web: friendsofscience.org

E-mail: contact(at)friendsofscience(dot)org

Web: climatechange101.ca


We are committed to working with healthcare leaders in Guyana to develop a healthcare system that ensures the highest possible level of health and well-being for the people of this country. - Dr. Jeremy Boal

His Excellency Dr. Irfaan Ali today announced a national healthcare initiative in collaboration with the Mount Sinai Health System, an internationally recognized healthcare provider, and Hess Corporation to improve the quality of and access to healthcare for the people of Guyana.

Working with the Government of Guyana, the Mount Sinai team will advise and help develop high quality primary care, specialized services in cardiology and oncology, and significant improvements at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. This work will be funded jointly by Hess Corporation and the Government of Guyana.

The President was joined today by Dr. Jeremy Boal, Chief Clinical Officer of the Mount Sinai Health System, and John Hess, CEO of Hess Corporation, for a signing ceremony to establish the multi-year national healthcare initiative.

I am pleased that we are advancing on another branch of our transformative agenda. The Governments commitment to providing world-class healthcare is one step closer with this partnership. Building this health infrastructure requires a holistic approach aimed at a human, systemic, institutional, infrastructural, technological, and cultural shift in achieving the goal of world-class healthcare. I therefore welcome the investment and the commitment of Hess Corporation and Mount Sinai, and their collaboration with our Government and the National healthcare system, which includes private healthcare in the achievement of our set goal, His Excellency President Irfaan Ali said.

CEO John Hess said: Access to affordable and high quality healthcare is central to the countrys vision for long term, shared prosperity for the people of Guyana. We are proud to be part of the strategic partnership with the Government of Guyana and the Mount Sinai Health System to bring a brighter and healthier future for every Guyanese citizen now and for generations to come.

We are honoured to work closely with the country of Guyana and Hess Corporation to advance healthcare services for the people of Guyana, said Dr. Boal. Our team of experts in oncology, cardiovascular medicine, endocrinology, primary and preventative care, and operations will help develop high-quality services for the Guyanese people in partnership with Dr. Irfaan Ali and key health and governmental stakeholders. We are committed to working with healthcare leaders in Guyana to develop a healthcare system that ensures the highest possible level of health and well-being for the people of this country.

A 40+ member project team of leading healthcare experts from the Mount Sinai Health System, including Mount Sinai International and the Arnhold Institute of Global Health, arms of Mount Sinai dedicated to advancing the institutions mission of delivering innovative, high-quality healthcare around the globe, will begin work this summer on implementation in partnership with the Government.

Hess Corporation is a leading global independent energy company engaged in the exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas. The company is recognized as an industry leader in environmental, social and governance performance and disclosure. More information on Hess Corporation is available at http://www.hess.com.

The Mount Sinai Health System is one of the largest academic medical systems in the New York metro area, with more than 43,000 employees working across eight hospitals, over 400 outpatient practices, over 300 labs, a school of nursing, and a leading school of medicine and graduate education. Mount Sinai advances health for all people, everywhere, by taking on the most complex healthcare challenges of our time  discovering and applying new scientific learning and knowledge; developing safer, more effective treatments; educating the next generation of medical leaders and innovators; and supporting local communities by delivering high-quality care to all who need it.

Through the integration of its hospitals, labs, and schools, Mount Sinai offers comprehensive healthcare solutions from birth through geriatrics, leveraging innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence and informatics while keeping patients medical and emotional needs at the center of all treatment.

Media Contacts:

Hess Corporation

Lorrie Hecker

212-536-8250

Office of the President

Cooperative Republic of Guyana

+592-225-1330

opguyana@gmail.com

Mount Sinai Health System

Press Office

212-241-9200

newsmedia@mssm.edu
Litigation Shareholder and Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Officer of global law firm Greenberg Traurig Nikki Lewis Simon spoke at at The Florida Bars 2022 Volunteer Bar Leaders Boot Camp Conference. Simon presented on a panel titled Putting Diversity on the Front Lines in Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Programming. Greenberg Traurig was a sponsor of the annual meeting.

Simon, along with fellow panellists, discussed the business and moral case for striving for diversity in CLE programming. Speakers also touched on different ways that CLE programs can aim to be diverse in speakers, content, and geographical reach.

Simon is a member of The Florida Bars Board of Governors, as well as a past chair of its DE&I Committee and past vice chair of The Florida Bars Federal Court Practice Committee.

As Greenberg Traurigs chief DE&I officer, Simon designs and guides strategic initiatives and programs to deepen firmwide diversity and inclusion efforts. Her role is indicative of, and integral to, Greenberg Traurigs core values of collaboration and inclusion  principles that inform the firms operations and legal business in meaningful, positive ways. Before assuming primary responsibilities on the business side of the firm, Simon, a commercial litigator with more than two decades of experience, represents her cross-industry clients business objectives by protecting their capital  human, intellectual, and financial  against claims of wrongdoing in complex commercial and class action litigation. Those matters have spanned the panoply of issues and claims businesses often face, from discrimination to wrongful death, defamation to fraud and misrepresentation, professional negligence, and malpractice to breach of fiduciary duty and securities law violations.

About Greenberg Traurigs Diversity Initiative: From its inception, Greenberg Traurig has uniquely empowering and diverse firm built on a foundation of fairness, equality, and authenticity. Through its Social, Racial, and Economic Justice Action Plan, the firm has committed $5 million over five years to help combat systemic racism and support impoverished communities. In addition, the firms efforts have been recognized through its Mansfield Rule 4.0 Certification Plus, administered by The Diversity Lab, and by local, national, and global publications and organizations including Chambers and Partners. Web: https://www.gtlaw.com/en/general/our-firm/diversity Twitter: @GT_Drives.

About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP has more than 2400 attorneys in 43 locations in the United States, Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. The firm, often recognized for its focus on philanthropic giving, innovation, diversity, and pro bono, reported gross revenue of over $2 Billion for FY 2021. The firm is consistently among the top firms on the Am Law 100, Am Law Global 100, NLJ 250, and Law360 (US) 400. On the debut 2022 Law360 Pulse Leaderboard, it is a Top 15 firm. Greenberg Traurig is Mansfield Rule 4.0 Certified Plus by The Diversity Lab and net carbon neutral with respect to its office energy usage. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com.


Charlton Singleton's "Crossroads," released in tandem with Quentin E. Baxter's "Art Moves Jazz." Within two hours [of meeting], we determined that we were brothers.

Friends, bandmates, and fellow members of the Gullah cultural community Quentin E. Baxter and Charlton Singleton enrich their relationship yet further with the tandem August 12 release of their albumsBaxters "Art Moves Jazz" and Singletons "Crossroads"on Baxters own BME/Baxter Music Enterprises. Two-fifths of the Grammy-winning Gullah music ensemble Ranky Tanky, drummer Baxter and trumpeter Singleton each also plays a prominent supporting role on the others record, with Baxter as the producer of both.

Friends for nearly 30 years, Baxter and Singletons musical collaboration began on the jazz scene in their native Charleston, South Carolina (first as a duo, then in the popular local quartet Gradual Lean). They also found common ground in South Carolinas Gullah culture, in which they both have roots. While that was the direction in which they ultimately found success in Ranky Tanky, they never lost touch with the jazz spark that had brought them together.

His playing reminded me of church, Singleton (music and choir director of Charlestons St. Patrick Catholic Church) says admiringly of the drummer. The admiration is mutual: Musically, Charlton is just so dependable, Baxter says.

The albums make clear their exceptional abilities (separately and together). On "Art Moves Jazz"Baxters leadership debutthe drummer extends his exploration of traditional Gullah music, stamping perceptively played jazz standards like Jimmy Heaths For Minors Only and Thelonious Monks In Walked Bud with its rhythms. Singletons "Crossroads" (his fifth album) skews more toward bebop-based jazz, even as it comprises eight shrewd original compositions ranging from the propulsive swinger On the Avenue to the nostalgic ballad Nett and Root.

In each case, however, the leader finds a sympathetic partner in his associate. Whether its Baxter underlining Singletons music with his surefooted rhythm, or Singleton seasoning Baxters folk-dance milieu with his pungent tone, both draw deeply from the same cultural wellsprings of jazz, gospel, and Gullah traditions, extensions of the Black heritage of the American South.

Or, as Baxter more concisely puts it, That stuff we played was swinging!

Charlton Singleton was born January 7, 1971. Quentin E. Baxter was born April 28, 1971. Both were born in Charleston, South Carolina; both showed an early aptitude for music; and both had profound family connections to the regions Gullah communityan African American enclave that forged a distinctive culture out of their African traditions and shared experience in slavery.

Despite these coincidences, however, trumpeter Singleton and drummer Baxter didnt know each other until the mid-1990s, when they (along with bassist Kevin Hamilton, another longtime friend and colleague) met at the Charleston record store where Singleton worked. Later that evening, he and Baxter got to know each other and were astounded by all they had in common. Within two hours, Singleton recalls, we determined that we were brothers.

Soon they were also roommates, not to mention collaborators. Baxter and Singletonalong with Hamilton and guitarist Clay Rossformed the jazz quartet Gradual Lean, which quickly came to be regarded as a linchpin of the Charleston jazz scene. However, Gradual Lean dissolved around the turn of the 21st century when its members turned to other pursuits. Baxter toured with such luminaries as Rene Marie, Monty Alexander, and Freddy Cole, also honing his chops as a producer; Singleton became an educator and continued developing the local jazz scene as the founder and director of the Charleston Jazz Orchestra.

In 2016, however, the duo, along with the other two members of Gradual Lean and vocalist Quiana Parler, reinvented themselves as Ranky Tanky, a jazz- and soul-infused combo whose assay was the Gullah musical tradition that Baxter, Hamilton, and Singleton had known from birth. They garnered considerable acclaim (and the number 1 spot on the Billboard jazz chart) with their self-titled 2017 album. Then they outdid themselves with the 2019 follow-up, Good Time, winning a Grammy Award for Best Regional Roots Music album.

All throughout, both men have cultivated accomplished solo careers. As he became a beacon of Charleston jazz, Singleton also recorded four albums under his own name. While he didnt lead a record himself, Baxter co-led and produced three with poet and electronic musician Marcus Amaker. Their work together on Baxters "Art Moves Jazz" and Singletons "Crossroads" reveals significant new depths in each individual, and in the creative relationship theyve fostered over three decades.
Republic is one of the few national commercial finance platforms with an operational presence in California, and it is great to work with people I have known my entire career. I cant wait to work with all of the brands and entrepreneurs we support together.

Republic Business Credit is proud to announce that Mary Carrillo has joined as Vice President, Customer Credit Manager, in its Los Angeles office. Mary brings significant industry expertise to Republics ambitious growth plans. Leading the customer credit department and its critical role in assessing customer credit risk across the business with a specific focus on apparel, textile, consumer packaged goods, furniture, and fashion industries, Mary will report directly to Republics Chief Operating Officer and Board Member, Matthew Begley.

Several members of the team in our Los Angeles office have known Mary for many years, and we are all thrilled to have such a proven executive on the team, Begley said.

Mary will be influential across the entire business, representing another key addition to Republic Business Credits commitment to the apparel and consumer packaged goods industries following its acquisition of Continental Business Credit in 2019.

Republic provides traditional factoring, asset-based lending, ledgered lines of credit, and direct to consumer working capital solutions to high-growth, transition, recoverable distress and early-stage companies.

Prior to Mary joining Republic in January, she spent more than 20 years working in the factoring and asset-based lending industry. Her dynamic career started as a collector and progressed through all operational aspects of commercial finance, including credit, and client management. She served as team leader for a factoring company with offices on both coasts and was directly responsible for all lending decisions of her portfolio.

It is amazing to rejoin so many colleagues, meet new ones and continue building upon their incredible success at Republic. I feel very fortunate to be joining a growing, diverse and exciting business, Mary said. Republic is one of the few national commercial finance platforms with an operational presence in California, and it is great to work with people I have known my entire career. I cant wait to work with all of the brands and entrepreneurs we support together.

Republic Business Credit is committed to helping entrepreneurs and private equity sponsors throughout the country. Republic supports clients in more than 30 states across its diverse geographic footprint.

We are excited that Mary is joining us as a proven leader in the customer credit and client service area, said Stewart Chesters, CEO and managing member of Republic Business Credit.

Republic Business Credit partners with banks, accountants, private equity sponsors, independent sponsors, lawyers, and investment banks to collaboratively support entrepreneurs across the United States, to create value, by enabling them to focus on growing successful businesses.

About Republic Business Credit. Republic Business Credit is a national provider of working capital facilities to private equity and entrepreneurial owned businesses. Republic provides asset-based lending, ledgered lines of credit, traditional factoring, direct to consumer loans, factoring, and Fast AR Funding. Republic partners with its clients to provide up to $12 million in senior credit facilities to rapidly growing businesses, startups, and companies experiencing recoverable distress. Nationally recognized as Winner of the 2015 Emerging Growth Company of the Year award from the Association of Corporate Growth, Republics expert and knowledgeable team boasts four Top 40 Under 40 winners, two Top Women in Secured Finance and a Top Women in Asset Based Lending by the Secured Finance Network and ABF journals respectively. Republic is recognized by the Secured Finance Network as one of the largest independently owned finance companies in the United States of America.
The Word of God Is Wisdom: Wisdom Is Knowledge Applied: Proverbs 2:6, 1 Corinthians 1:30, James 1:5: an engaging opportunity for reflection through creative devotional writings. The Word of God Is Wisdom: Wisdom Is Knowledge Applied: Proverbs 2:6, 1 Corinthians 1:30, James 1:5 is the creation of published author Rev. Harold E. Petersen, a native of Wisconsin who attended Waldorf and Concordia Colleges. Rev. Petersen served as a missionary pastor/teacher in Ethiopia for six years.

Rev. Petersen shares, The books of wisdom in the Bible are filled with gems. I have personally been blessed by the wisdom of God revealed here. The Bible has been part of my life from early days. Church activity, home devotions, and personal reading and study continue to draw me into the Word of God.

I was in high school when I was let to read the Bible through in a year. I continue to do this to this day. I marked special verses in each chapter.

A few years ago, I committed to write a brief devotion on each of these verses. In my writing, I also included verses of hymns that are favorite and seem to speak to the subject of the devotional. The Bible contains the Word of the Lord God. Learning this wisdom leads to understanding that enables us to live a rich life of faith.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Rev. Harold E. Petersens new book shares a powerful message regarding the knowledge one can gain through consideration of the Bible.

Rev. Petersens enjoyment of reflecting on specific scripture that seems to hold a unique meaning as a means of spiritual reflection and growth is shared within the pages of this thoughtful work.

Consumers can purchase The Word of God Is Wisdom: Wisdom Is Knowledge Applied: Proverbs 2:6, 1 Corinthians 1:30, James 1:5 at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about The Word of God Is Wisdom: Wisdom Is Knowledge Applied: Proverbs 2:6, 1 Corinthians 1:30, James 1:5, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
Customers near the St. John's area in Newfoundland can now get online pre-approvals for vehicle loans at Steele Honda. At Steele Honda, the financing specialists can help tailor a finance package to fit every customer's needs, irrespective of their credit situation.

Auto loan approvals might not be as easy as it sounds for most people. Credit histories and tiresome documentation are the major barriers applicants might face when deciding to apply for a car loan. Customers near the St. John's area in Newfoundland can now get online pre-approvals for vehicle loans at Steele Honda, an automotive dealership in the locality.

At Steele Honda, the financing specialists can help tailor a finance package to fit every customer's needs, irrespective of their credit situation. Interested parties have to complete a secure online credit application available on the dealership's official website. Applicants are requested to enter all the necessary personal, income and employment information so that the finance application can be processed faster. After submitting the online application, a member from the Steele Honda team will contact the customer to guide them through further proceedings.

Drivers are encouraged to drop by Steele Honda, located at 547 Kenmount Road, St. John's, Newfoundland. For further inquiries about the pre-approval of auto loans, customers can reach out to the dealership's customer care team at 709-579-1999.
Unpack Your Financial Baggage Episode 2 Lou makes a very compelling case for sticking to your financial plan, says King. With so much news available instantly, investors can sometimes react emotionally. Lou explains how people can overcome their anxieties and avoid making a bad, or rash, decision.

Lou Melone, CFP, Melone Private Wealths Managing Member, and DBusiness magazine, DBusiness Daily News, Tech and Mobility News, Detroit 500, and Michigan Makers editor R.J. King have launched their second episode of the podcast: Unpack Your Financial Baggage. The topic is The Anatomy of Investor Returns.

Episode two answers two questions: Why has the average investor continually, not only underperformed the indexes, but their own investments? What are the components that make up The Anatomy of Investor Returns?

The Anatomy of Investor Returns explains why our worst enemy to reaching our financial goals is ourselves. This unique blueprint uses long term analysis of the stock market, economic theories, neuroscience, human history, and psychology to explain how as humans we are vulnerable to sabotaging even the most carefully laid out financial plans.

Lou Melone, CFP started to build his model of The Anatomy of Investor Returns years ago and researched the ideas and concepts thoroughly over time.

This model provides the client with a simplistic understanding of why they shoot themselves in the foot. It explains a process of combining the data and human nature. For example, it's the rational brain versus the intuitive brain. By understanding the history of rational versus intuitive behavior, you can become aware of your shortcomings, stated Lou Melone, CFP.

The Components of The Anatomy of Investor Returns are:



Stimulus: The virus that affects your rational thinking.

Investor Behavior: How the stimulus affects your behavior - Five behaviors with which investors may struggle.

Volatility: Volatility vs Risk. What volatility is, what it isnt, and the anxiety people sometimes feel when they hear the word volatility.

Retention Rate: How volatility affects retention rates.

Asset Class: How retention rate affects asset class. A look at the performance of asset classes over time that often surprises many people.

Lou and R.J. also cover topics related to investing: What is the VIX otherwise known as the fear index.-

Lou makes a very compelling case for sticking to your financial plan, says King. With so much news available instantly, investors can sometimes react emotionally. Lou explains how people can overcome their anxieties and avoid making a bad, or rash, decision.

Episode three will launch soon and is a discussion about what an advisor does, what to look for when you're ready to hire a financial professional, a review of titles in the industry and what everyone wants to know: how do they get paid for their services?

https://www.meloneprivatewealth.com/unpack-your-financial-baggage-the-podcast

https://www.meloneprivatewealth.com/

About Melone Private Wealth

Clients trust Melone Private Wealths financial planners because they provide peace of mind while protecting and growing their wealth.

Financial planners at Melone Private Wealth provide comprehensive financial planning strategies for higher net-worth families to help protect, preserve, and grow their current levels of wealth and plan for retirement.

The team at Melone Private Wealth is focused on helping answer two critical questions, which most investors desire: Do you know exactly how much money it is going to take for you to retire? Do you know how much money it is going to take to remain comfortably retired?

About RJ King

R.J. King is editor of DBusiness magazine, DBusiness Daily News, Tech and Mobility News, and Detroit 500, all of which cover companies in metro Detroit and Michigan that are expanding locally, nationally, and internationally. He is the author of five books  Detroit: Engine of America, a gold medal recipient of the Midwest Book Awards, 8 Track: The First Mobile App, Passport to the Corner Office: The Starters Guide to Corporate Life, Grounds For Freedom: Saving Chernobyl, and Mystical.

About the Podcast

Lou Melone CFP and RJ King have created the podcast Unpack Your Financial Baggage. The podcasts focus is: At retirement, your whole financial life essentially collapses down to one two-fold question: Will your money outlive you or will you outlive your money?
Sunrise Technologies, a global provider of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Applications and cloud services, announced today that Vector Security, Inc. has selected Microsoft Dynamics 365 as its ERP and CRM solution and Sunrise as its implementation partner.

Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Vector Security is a premier provider of security solutions for homes and businesses. With a network of over 400,000 residential, business, and national account customers in North America and the Caribbean, Vector Security offers a wide range of security monitoring products and services, tailored to fit each customers needs.

Sunrise and Microsoft are the right partners to assist Vector Securitys business transformation journey, said Bryan Finney, VP of Information Technology at Vector Security. The Dynamics platform offers us a centralized business application solution and an opportunity to streamline the companys operations and processes, and were excited to move forward and reimagine our future.

Vector Security will implement several business applications from the Microsoft Dynamics 365 platform, including Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations for ERP and Dynamics 365 Sales/Marketing and Customer Service for CRM and Field Service as part of the companys broader business transformation.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Sunrise are a perfect fit for Vector Security, said John Pence, President and Founder of Sunrise Technologies. We look forward to assisting the Vector Security team with their business transformation and helping Vectors leaders achieve their business goals.

For more information, please visit sunrise.co.

About Sunrise Technologies

Sunrise Technologies is a premier global provider of Microsoft cloud-based solutions, backed by extensive industry expertise in Dynamics 365, Power BI, Fraud Protection, and Azure for retail, apparel, fashion, consumer products, furniture, and manufacturing companies. Sunrise delivers global, Tier 1, supply chain solutions and support that enhance Microsoft business applications for a lifetime. Plus, customers can hit the ground running with industry best practices, pre-built configurations, and a proven methodology.

About Vector Security

For nearly 50 years, Vector Security, Inc. (http://www.vectorsecurity.com) has been a premier provider of intelligent security solutions tailored to the needs of the customer. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, the company offers a full suite of electronic security services for residential, business, and national account customers across North America and the Caribbean through a network of branches, authorized dealers, and their ADS Security division. The Vector Security Networks division offers customized physical security and managed network services to multi-site commercial customers. Vector Security is a sister company of the Philadelphia Contributionship, a mutual insurance company founded in 1752, and currently provides cost-effective, technology-based security and automation solutions to nearly 400,000 homes and businesses across 58 branch locations.


The Charming Taste of Europe is pleased to present a restaurant week in San Francisco, collaborating with a variety of restaurants from July 25th to July 31st.

Throughout the week, reputable restaurants in the city will promote wines from the Consorzio Tutela Vini DAbruzzo highlighting the quality of viticulture throughout the region. Wines include Abruzzo DOC Pecorino, Cerasuolo dAbruzzo DOC, Montepulciano dAbruzzo DOC, Trebbiano dAbruzzo DOC and Villamagna DOC.

In a region where the enological experience is renewed day after day in the wake of tradition, the Wines of Abruzzo showcase the inhabitants of the land through their nuances and sincere character with an attentive eye on experimentation and consumer tastes.

The restaurants chosen include distinguished names such as Perbacco, Barbacco - Eno Trattoria, Ristorante Milano, Il Borgo, Piazza Pellegrini, Barbara Pinseria, Il casaro pizzeria and mozzarella bar, Spiazzo Ristorante, Caffe Tiramisu and others. At each restaurant, participants will be presented with wines for tasting throughout the aperitivo hour. During this hour, participants will taste the wines and their classic pairings with various European cheese and cold cuts. Throughout the tasting participants will have the opportunity to get to better understand the viticulture and tradition of Abruzzo.

"We are very proud to partner with these renowned restaurants in San Francisco, which represent the excellence of the most authentic Italian cuisine. This city is very strategic for us, being one of the major US wine markets, and we look forward to our collaboration with them, `` says President of the Abruzzo Consortium Valentino di Campli.

To learn more about The Charming Taste of Europe Campaign, visit charmingtasteofeurope.eu, which highlights the characteristics of the selected European products. Pages dedicated to The Charming Taste of Europe'' can be found on all main social networks, such as Facebook,Instagram, and YouTube. The participating Consortia invites everyone to join the social media campaign using the hashtag #charmeu.

About the Charming Taste of Europe:

Europe, a place with timeless charm, is the birthplace of some of the highest-quality products in the world. The Charming Taste of Europe is a special project that introduces exquisite specialties to the United States and Canada, such as Italian and French wines, and fresh fruits from Greece, that showcase Europes charm, beauty, culture, history, art, heritage and unmistakable tastes.

The mission of the Charming Taste of Europe, co-funded by the European Union, is to increase awareness of the merits and quality standards of select European wines and fresh fruits with promotional activities in the competitive markets of the U.S. and Canada. The Charming Taste of Europe is promoted by the Consortium for the Protection of Wines of Abruzzo, the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Kavala (Kavala COOP), the Agricultural Cooperative of Rachi Pieria Agios Loukas and the Union of Sweet Bordeaux Wines. These European agricultural products, famous around the world for their outstanding qualities, will continue to be promoted with initiatives and events for consumers, journalists and trade professionals. For more information visit charmingtasteofeurope.eu

To Follow The Charming Taste of Europe Campaign:

Website: charmingtasteofeurope.eu

Facebook: @CharmingTasteofEU

Instagram: @charmeu_usa

YouTube:The Charming Taste of Europe

Hashtags: #thecharmingtasteofeu and #charmeu

The content of this promotion campaign represents the views of the author only and is his/her sole responsibility. The European Commission and the European Research Executive Agency (REA) do not accept any responsibility for any use that may be made of the information it contains
Crowds waiting in line at Winston's Coffee & Waffles, East Market, Columbus, Ohio. The coffee consultants at Crimson Cup truly care about their work and their customers. They care about our success. Having vendors that are invested in your success is huge! - Steve Elshoff, Owner, Winston's Coffee & Waffles

Winstons Coffee & Waffles now has two locations in Columbus, Ohio! Adding to its popular food truck in Clintonville, Winstons has opened a restaurant in the new East Market in the citys Old Towne East neighborhood.

The new restaurant opened with support from award-winning Columbus coffee roaster Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea.

Winstons is the culmination of a dream that unfolded over 30 years. Owners Steve Elshoff and Katie Bolon originally planned to launch a neighborhood coffee shop, craft brew and wine bar in 2020.

But then a little thing called COVID-19 came knocking, Elshoff recalled. Since it wasnt safe to host our friends and neighbors indoors, we pivoted to a food truck!

In October 2020, we introduced something Clintonville and all of Columbus had never seen before: a food truck that serves world-class espresso drinks and one-of-a-kind waffles.

The waffles have developed almost a cult following among Columbus foodies. As one Google reviewer wrote:

My new Saturday reward. I pick up a waffle & the best coffee I've ever had after yoga at Ashtanga Yoga Columbus on Saturdays. They have gluten free options & the Oaty Honey Lavender Latte is amazing. The waffles have to be tried to be believed. Lovely staff.

Now, weve brought our deep-pocketed sweet and savory waffles and terrific espresso drinks to Old Town East, Bolon said. Since the new Winstons opened in May, weve been greeted by a steady stream of new and repeat customers.

Elshoff and Bolon chose Crimson Cup as the coffee partner for Winstons.

Their products are outstanding, and the service is beyond reliable, Elshoff said. "Beyond the quality and reliability, their people are excellent.

Among other accolades, the roasters exceptional craft and specialty coffees have earned top honors at the Good Food Awards, Golden Bean North America, and Roast magazines Roaster of the Year.

Crimson Cup also provides coffee business consulting to customers like Elshoff and Bolon through its 7 Steps to Success coffee shop startup program, which teaches entrepreneurs with little or no coffee knowledge how to open a coffee shop.

A big part of our mission is to help entrepreneurs like Steve and Katie bring their unique vision for their coffee business into reality, said Founder and President Greg Ubert. Winstons Coffee & Waffles is a unique concept with a bright future. We look forward to helping them continue to grow.

Crimson Cups 7 Steps to Success coffee shop startup consultants guided Elshoff and Bolon through every step, from writing a solid coffee shop business plan to laying out the new Winstons location, sourcing equipment, training baristas, marketing to customers and more.

The coffee shop startup program is based on Uberts book, Seven Steps to Success: A Common-Sense Guide to Succeed in Specialty Coffee.

Through this program, the Columbus roaster has helped over 300 entrepreneurs in 30 states start unique coffee shops in their local communities. In 2021, 19 new shops opened through the program. The new Winstons Coffee & Waffles is one of at least 18 planned for 2022.

As a one-stop shop for independent coffee shops, Crimson Cup also supplies award-winning coffee, the best coffee shop supplies in the business, and ongoing support to help coffee businesses thrive.

The coffee consultants at Crimson Cup truly care about their work and their customers, Elshoff said. They care about our success. Having vendors that are invested in your success is huge!

Like Winstons, a growing number of Crimson Cup customers are expanding to two, three, four or more locations.

Crimson Cup's ability to serve customers around the country means however much we expand, they'll always be able to meet our needs, Elshoff said. I don't worry about Crimson Cup, on any level, which frees me to worry about other things.

He noted that growth brings new challenges. I think the key to overcoming them is to surround yourself with great people  partners, employees and vendors. Being honest with them about your needs and expectations is also essential.

Were very much still learning, but it's also exciting to reach a new community, and to expand our team. One advantage to expanding is the confidence you gain from meeting challenges, which both your customers and team can sense. After that, success begins to breed success.

Elshoff had this advice for other entrepreneurs who are thinking about starting a coffee shop or restaurant:

Surround yourself with good people at all levels. I believe the keys to our success are great people, great products and great service. It's that simple.

Theres a terrific sense of accomplishment from creating something from nothing, and seeing it come to life through constant work and collaboration.

For coffee shop owners who are thinking about working with Crimson Cup, he said, Call, kick the tires, ask the questions. Meet with them and share your vision. You won't be disappointed.

Elshoff and Bolon invite everyone in Columbus and Franklin County to visit both locations of Winstons Coffee & Waffles. The food truck can be found at 3859 Indianola Avenue across from Weilands Market. The new East Market restaurant is at 1600 Oak Street.

To keep up with events and announcements, including hours and new menu items, follow the Winstons Coffee & Waffles Facebook Page.

About Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea

Founded in 1991, Crimson Cup is at the forefront of the coffee industry. Its attentive roasting, startup support and global partnerships are consciously designed for the greater good of communities around the world. Among other national recognitions, the company has earned 2020 and 2017 Good Food Awards, the 2019 Golden Bean Champion for Small Franchise/Chain Roaster and Roast magazines 2016 Macro Roaster of the Year.

Crimson Cup travels the world searching for the perfect cup  driven by meaningful relationships, honesty and a shared vision for the future. Its Friend2Farmer initiatives foster respect and decency through mutually beneficial collaboration across local and global communities.

Through its 7 Steps to Success coffee shop startup program, the company teaches entrepreneurs how to open and run independent coffee houses in their local communities. By developing a coffee shop business plan, entrepreneurs gain insight into how much it costs to open a coffee shop.

Crimson Cup coffee is available through over 350 independent coffee houses, grocers, college and universities, restaurants and food service operations across 30 states, Guam and Bangladesh. The company also owns several Crimson Cup Coffee Shops and a new CRIMSON retail flagship store. To learn more, visit crimsoncup.com, or follow the company on Facebook and Instagram.
Like the siblings at the center of their new middle-grade graphic novel, Twin Cities, Jose Pimienta grew up in Mexicali, just south of the U.S./Mexico border. In Pimientas follow-up to their debut, Suncatcher, twins Fernando and Teresa differentiate themselves when Teresa chooses to attend middle school in Calexico, on the U.S. side, opening up both opportunities and obstacles. In the book, Pimienta paints a rich border culture and nuanced family life. We spoke with Pimienta about cultural and gender-based double standards, teenage rebellion, and finding a place to call your own.

What were your impressions of life in Mexico vs. the U.S. when you were a kid, and how did you represent them in the book?

The U.S. seemed to be the provider of some cool stuff: music, movies. Back in the 80s and 90s, if you had a TV and you were in Mexico, youd get the Mexican channels, but if you had an antenna, you could get American broadcast channels.

The farther youd go, the more cultural distinctions there were. My mom told me that Americans had a bigger sense of personal space. Once I got very excited about something and rushed to it, and my mom said, Youve gotta slow down.

Twin Cities seems to take place in the 90s. How have things changed since that time for families whose lives straddle the border?

A few years ago, when I was writing draft after draft, that element was more prominent. I wanted to keep it close to the things I remember. [But] someone suggested that if I set it explicitly in the 90s, it would feel dated, and that resonated with me a little bit. Its not super important [to the story].

Crossing the border has gotten more complicated and complex, but the sensations were still there in my time. Keeping that part was very important. [Students like Teresa] develop life hacks around things like being observed by customs officershow theyre looked at, the kind of pressure theyre under.

Alex is rebellious and insightful and complex. How did you develop his character?

Ive met a lot of kids like Alex, who have gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to border politics, and have a very valid argument to feel the way they feelwanting to be proud of where youre from, but having this looming sensation of theres this other culture across the fence that outright says, Were the best country on Earth.

Its common for teenagers to come and drink in Mexico. So of course someone like Alex would feel like, Oh you come over here and do whatever you want. I wanted to give him a certain amount of anger that felt righteous. Some people feel even more extreme. I wanted to do right by him and validate him, even if I dont completely agree with him.

The storyline includes drugs and potential police violence, which are obviously both realities in kids lives. How was that handled in the editorial process?

We went through multiple drafts and tried to make it realistic. Its never clear why their car got taken into secondary revision [when Teresa is accidentally carrying Fernandos marijuana]. But customs officers can behave that way. It can be random.

One person could get a slap on the wrist for holding, vs. someone else putting their entire future at stake. The stakes are different for everybody. You can be told you cant cross again for 510 years. Thats how families can get separated.

How did you develop the sibling and family dynamics?

There were drafts where it was Fernando who was [waiting for his bedroom to be built instead of Teresa]. And someone said it seemed weird, because boys are treated way better in Mexican culture; they would give the bedroom to the boy and decide the girl can wait. Culturally, gender roles are very distinct, and that influenced Teresas arc. That scene where she finally sees her spaceI wanted her to relish that moment. [She is finally getting the message that] You belong here. This is your place.

I wanted to give each character their own mountain to climb. I wanted to take advantage of it being a printed book and to play with the dualism of what happens on one page vs. what happens on the opposing page, to be fair to those different experiences that are both valid.

Twin Cities by Jose Pimienta. Random House Graphic, $20.99 July 19 ISBN 978-0-593-18062-4
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Investigators establish facts of genocide in Bryansk region during WWII

MOSCOW, July 14 (RAPSI)  The facts of genocide of civilians during the Great Patriotic War have been established in the Bryansk Region, the Russian Investigative Committees press service reports.

During the occupation of the region the Nazis killed about 278,000 civilians and prisoners of war. These facts are confirmed by archive documents and investigative activities results, including interrogation of former prisoners of concentration camps and victims relatives, examination of grave sites and expertise conclusions, the statement reads.

According to the investigation, yet in October 1941 ordered by their commanders the Nazis killed 318 civilians in the village of Khatsun, including 60 children aged from 2 to 10 years.
Putin approves ratification of protocol on foreign trade zone between EAEU and Iran

MOSCOW, July 14 (RAPSI)  Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday signed a law on the ratification of a protocol to the Temporary Agreement on the Free Trade Area between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Iran, according to the official website of legal information.

The temporary agreement which came into force in 2019 is valid until October 27, 2022. However, negotiations for the conclusion of a new document may not be completed by this date, the State Duma of the Russian Federation reported earlier.

In March, a protocol to extend the Interim Free Trade Agreement (FTA) until October 27, 2025, or until the entry into force of a new agreement, depending on whether which of the events will come first was signed in Tehran in order to avoid the termination of the preferential trade regime with Iran, the statement read.

Russian authorities believe that the implementation of the protocol will contribute to "further development of cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran in the trade and economic sphere."
Punishment for torture legislatively toughened in Russia

Context State Duma adopts bill toughening punishment for torture

MOSCOW, July 14 (RAPSI)  A bill on tough sentence of up to 15 years in prison for torture became law after it was signed by President of Russia Vladimir Putin on Thursday.

The document defines tortures as actions aimed at the intimidation of an individual or forcing a person to commit certain actions.

The law recategorizes tortures committed by officials as extremely serious crimes punishable by imprisonment for up to 12 years.

Moreover, it fixes prison terms ranging from 3 to 10 years for abuse of power committed with the use of force or threat of violence, armed abuse of office or resulted in the grave circumstances, including actions against minors. The same actions accompanied by tortures will be punished with jail terms varying from 4 to 12 years with the deprivation of a right to hold certain posts for up to 10 years.

The document also introduces prison sentence of up to 15 years with the prohibition to hold specified posts for up to 20 years for tortures resulted in the death of a victim by negligence or causing harm which endangers life.

Amendments are to be introduced in the Criminal Code of Russia.




Russian minors ombudsman pushes for creation of Donbass orphan database

Context All child adoption applications filed by foreigners granted in 2021

MOSCOW, July 14 (RAPSI)  Russias child rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova has proposed to create a database of Donbass orphaned children during her meeting with head of the Donetsk Peoples Republic Denis Pushilin.

The republican database is to simplify the selection of families for orphans on the territories of Russia and Donbass, the ombudsman wrote on her social network page.

Moreover, Lvova-Belova and Pushilin discussed the creation of several teen centers.

The ombudsman went to Donbass on a humanitarian mission. She spent several days there.
American energy interests in the Middle East remain under attack. On June 22, Iranian-backed Iraqi militias again targeted Kurdistan and its largest gas facility, which is partially financed by the U.S. government, three times in one week with rockets. This follows five previous attacks against Kurdistans refinery and pipeline infrastructure.

Iran isnt relying just on its Iraqi militias to attack Kurdistans energy sector. It has also effectively weaponized Iraqs courts to prevent a new government in Baghdad from forming without Iranian-backed parties. In doing so, its long-term aim is to reverse Iraqi federalism and financially strangle Kurdistans energy sector. So far, the strategy is working: Iraq is without a government 10 months after national elections, and its ministries and courts are unhindered from a constitutionally seated government.

Recently, Iraqs commercial court ruled that contracts between the Kurdistan Regional Government and four American and European international oil companies are invalid, a move that threatens almost 200,000 barrels of Kurdistans 450,000 barrels of exports per day. However, UAE and Russian companies, including Rosneft and Gazprom, have been spared any legal challenges. The same is true for international companies that Baghdad seeks to retain in southern Iraq, such as Total and Chevron. Iraq also recently blacklisted key service companies operating in Kurdistan, including Haliburton and Baker Hughes; Exxon is the latest super major to exit Iraq, where contract terms dont justify future investment and are some of the worst in the world.

Irans attempted takeover of Kurdistan comes at a time when global oil markets remain tight. Iraq, as the second-largest OPEC producer, itself faces its own enormous energy challenges, including its inability to meet future production quotas and its dependency on Iranian gas imports.

So why is Iran moving now to decapitate the Kurdistan Regions energy sector  and what role can and should the U.S. play in this ongoing crisis? Irans ultimate objective is to reverse Iraqi federalism, as codified in the U.S.-brokered Iraqi Constitution, which provides Kurdistan semi-autonomy and the ability to develop future energy resources. This arrangement has attracted foreign investment in Kurdistan, including the only U.S.-financed energy projects in all of Iraq. The Kurdistan Region therefore stands out as Americas greatest security and energy partner, which inherently threatens Irans regional goals.

Iran is also aggressively attacking Kurdistan and Iraqi federalism as it sees an America eager to shift away from the Middle East and leave behind its difficult and costly history in Iraq. And Iran is counting on American amnesia and its critical role from 2003-2005 in guaranteeing semi-autonomy, including the development of energy resources, as a necessary condition for Kurdistan to accept Iraqs new Constitution.

President Biden has a significant opportunity when he meets with regional leaders in the Middle East this week and in Iraq in the coming months. Kurdistan and Iraqs future is at stake, and the U.S. has a range of diplomatic, economic, and military tools at its disposal.

Rather than allowing Iranian-backed militias, funded by the Iraqi treasury, to continue to threaten U.S.-financed energy projects in Kurdistan, the U.S. must consider taking other steps. Congress continues to appropriate hundreds of millions of dollars for Iraq, much of it now going to the Kurdistan Region to pay for Peshmerga salaries and equipment that are unfunded by the Iraqi government. But Congress should heavily scrutinize future security funding for Baghdad as long its Iran-backed militias attack U.S. personnel, facilities, and investments. Nor can Congress justify such support while Iraqs ministries maintain known connections and continue to fund U.S.-designated terrorist groups.

Iraq is the second-leading gas-flaring (the burning of natural gas) country and the only one in the world to both flare and import gas. To wean Iraq off Iranian gas, the U.S. must stop granting Iraq sanctions waivers to import and pay for Iranian gas, which the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps likely uses to launder U.S. dollars, and which further entrenches Baghdads endemic corruption. Iraq also remains dependent on dollar transfers from the U.S. Federal Reserve  a practice that must be put on the table so long as Iran threatens key American energy investments in Kurdistan.

The U.S. role in Iraq must match realities on the ground. Kurdistan remains our trusted security partner and the only place in Iraq where the American government has financed energy projects. The U.S. can no longer allow Iran to erase Americas 30-year security and energy partnership with Kurdistan. We have played a critical role in creating the Kurdistan Region, and now we must protect it.

Matthew M. Zais works for an American energy company with interest in the region and is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. He previously served as the Director of Iraq and Kurdish Affairs on the National Security Council and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Energy.
Animal control officers in Massachusetts responded to a home to rescue two baby raccoons from a resident's chimney.

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The Dedham Police Department said in a Facebook post that officers responded to the home when residents discovered the two babies inside the chimney.

The babies, estimated to be about 2 weeks old, were found on a smoke shelf between the chamber and firebox of the chimney. Officials said they believe the raccoons were likely born in the same location.

The department said the babies were removed from the chimney and placed in a safe location nearby, where they are believed to have reunited with their mother.

"We have every reason to believe that momma returned for her two babies during the night last night as they were left in a very safe place, where they were not seen this morning," the department said in a comment on the post.
A cat who escaped from her kennel after arriving at a Boston airport on a flight from Germany has been safely captured three weeks later.

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The cat, named Rowdy, escaped from her kennel after her family's Lufthansa flight arrived at Logan International Airport on June 24.

The feline was spotted wandering around the airport but evaded capture for three weeks before finally being caught Wednesday.

"Whether out of fatigue or hunger we'll never know, but this morning she finally let herself be caught," Jennifer Mehigan, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Port Authority, told WCVB-TV.

Mehigan said the capture came at the close of an extensive search.

"Searching for Rowdy became a community effort, with everyone from construction workers to airline staff constantly on the lookout hoping for a positive outcome," Mehigan said. "Massport staff set up wildlife cameras around Terminal E in areas she had been seen as well as safe release animal traps. Massport was also contacted by multiple animal organizations offering their assistance."

Patty Sahli, Rowdy's owner, welcomed news of Rowdy's capture.

"It's really touching to see, to me, that they all did this for a cat. I'm just really forever grateful," Sahli said.

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Massport said Rowdy would be given a veterinary examination before being returned to her family.
By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 07/13/2022



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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

alum Britt Nilsson has given birth to her second child with husband Jeremy Byrne.Britt, who appeared on 's nineteenth season starring Chris Soules in 2015 and then faced off against Kaitlyn Bristowe to become ette's eleventh-season star but lost, took to Instagram on Monday, July 11 to announce that she and Jeremy have welcomed another baby girl into the world."We did it!!" Britt captioned a slideshow of cute family photos."Ayla Karolina Grace Byrne. 11:52AM on July 5. 7 lb 6oz & 20 inches long. Thank You Jesus!!!"The photos featured Britt and Jeremy in the hospital after their daughter was born. The couple was all smiles, and one image captured Britt and Jeremy admiring their new little bundle of joy.Britt announced she was pregnant with Baby No. 2 in November 2021 by uploading pictures of positive pregnancy tests."Happy thanksgiving!!! Today we are SO GRATEFUL to Jesus for our little Baby Byrne No. 2. Wooo woooooo!!!!!! Hallelujah for this precious life inside, can't wait to meet you!" Britt gushed at the time.Britt then posted a photo of her growing baby bump two months later in January."Happiness around here," Britt captioned a series of photos, which included one of the couple's two-year-old daughter Noa reading a Berenstain Bears' book called New Baby.Britt gave birth to Noa on June 23, 2020."Hello! My Name is Noa Ellis Joy Byrne and I was born June 23 at 5:52AM, 9lb and 21 inches long!!" Britt wrote."NOA is a Hebrew girls' name that means 'movement' or 'motion.' In Japanese it means 'My love' or 'from love.' In Hawaiian it means 'freedom' or 'sea of freedom.' In Arabic it means 'higher' and 'genius.' To us, it means the cutest little squishy warrior princess angel nugget ever born on this earth."Britt continued of her baby girl's name, "It's also a biblical story in Numbers about 5 daughters asking Moses for their fathers' inheritance and God blessing their request before that was even remotely happening in society. Get it girl! So basically we love it for all the reasons!""ELLIS means 'Yahweh is God,' 'My God is Jehovah' or 'The Lord is my God.' JOY means JOY!!!" Britt concluded.Britt also gushed about her supportive husband -- his patience, partnership, love, kindness and generosity -- on that same day and how he had been an incredible help taking care of their little "treasure."Britt announced in December 2019 that she was pregnant with her first child by sharing a photo of herself at 14 weeks pregnant and a video of an ultrasound that was taken at 10 weeks."I can't believe our little boobah is zootin all around so much their little legs and arms, makes me cry!! Can't wait to keep watching you grow, I already love you so much!" she captioned the post.Britt and Jeremy revealed the gender of their baby two months later.The couple got married on September 9, 2017 at Jeremy's family ranch known as Green Oak Ranch in Vista, CA.According to Us Weekly, no bachelors or bachelorettes from the ABC franchise showed up for Britt's nuptials due to scheduling conflicts. Britt had reportedly invited Kaitlyn Bristowe Jillian Anderson and Megan Bell Britt and Jeremy began dating in 2016 following Britt's split from ette alum Brady Toops.Britt and Jeremy announced their engagement in May 2017, less than four months before they tied the knot."WE ARE ENGAGED!!!!" Britt gushed on Instagram at the time."I'm over the moon!!! The man of my dreams and the most godly, amazing, fun, life-giving, silly, intelligent, wonderful best friend I could ever ask for is my future husband!!!! I have been dreaming of this day forever!! Thank You Jesus!!! Wooo hooooo!!!!! I had no idea it was coming and it was the best day of my life! I love you forever Jeremy Byrne!!!"Britt told Us in September 2017 that she and Jeremy wanted to wait a year or two before starting a family to enjoy the adventure of being a married couple first."And then once I start having kids, I'll just be popping them out left and right," Britt joked at the time.Chris eliminated Britt on 19 before the women's round of hometown dates.Chris gave his final rose and a Neil Lane diamond engagement ring to Whitney Bischoff at the end of his season, but the couple broke up several months later following his participation on Dancing with the Stars.Britt came close to starring on ette's eleventh season in 2015, but on Night 1, the male suitors had to choose whether they'd like to continue dating her or Kaitlyn -- and Kaitlyn ultimately received more votes to become the franchise's leading lady for that season.Parts of Britt's short-lived time on ette were shown on the three-hour episode of : The Greatest Seasons -- Ever! that aired in June 2020 and recapped Kaitlyn's season.Interested in more news? Join our The Bachelor Facebook Group
Tyra Banks and Alfonso Ribeiro will host the new season of Dancing with the Stars.

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The 48-year-old model and television personality and 50-year-old actor will host the reality dancing competition series following its move to Disney+ for Season 31.

Disney+ confirmed the news in a press release Thursday.

Season 31 will mark Banks' third consecutive season as host. Ribeiro appeared as a celebrity contestant in DWTS Season 19, where he was partnered with Witney Carson and won the competition.

In addition, judges Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough are expected to return.

"Dancing with the Stars has been such an important part of my life for so many years, and I am ecstatic to officially rejoin this tight-knit family as co-host," Ribeiro said. "Tyra and I have a longstanding friendship that I hope will resonate with all of the fans at home as we kick off this new season on Disney+."

"I've known Alfonso since I was 19 years old and he always puts a smile on my face whenever I see him," Banks added. "Having such a fun-loving, longtime friend as co-host warms my heart. Plus, he's won the competition before, so he knows exactly what the stars are going through. Bantering back and forth with him live is going to be so much fun!"

Season 31 will premiere on Disney+ in the fall.

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News broke in April that Dancing with the Stars will move from ABC to Disney+ after 30 seasons.
Emmy-nominated drama, Stranger Things, recently wrapped its heartbreaking and action-packed fourth season on an epic cliffhanger.

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Since Netflix has said the fifth and final season of the iconic 1980s-set sci-fi series likely won't premiere until 2024, many viewers might be looking for other shows to fill the void while they wait to return to Hawkins, Indiana, and its apocalyptic parallel dimension, the Upside Down.

Here are five other supernatural series about people teaming up to fight evil that might fit the bill:

'Roswell, New Mexico' -- The CW, Netflix

In the romantic, contemporary, sci-fi dramedy, Jeanine Mason plays Liz Ortecho, a brilliant biomedical researcher and daughter of undocumented Mexican immigrants, who returns to the show's titular town after a 10-year absence to discover her high-school beau Max (Nathan Dean Parsons) and his siblings Isobel (Lily Cowles) and Michael (Michael Vlamis) are actually space aliens who have been living as humans all their lives. Their investigation into their extraordinary origins and powers pits them against shadowy government figures and evil beings from their own planet. The fourth and final season is airing on The CW now. The show is a remake of the 1999-2002 series, Roswell, which was inspired by the Roswell High young-adult book series by Melinda Metz.

'His Dark Materials' -- HBO, BBC

So far, there are two seasons of the British fantasy drama and a third and final season is now in the works. Based on Philip Pullman's beloved trilogy of novels, the show stars Amir Wilson, Dafne Keen, Ruth Wilson, Simone Kirby, Will Keen, Jade Anouka, Ruta Gedminstas, Lin-Manuel Miranda and James McAvoy. At the center of the story is Lyra (Wilson), a brave young woman who travels to different worlds to find a missing friend. Along the way, she meets many extraordinary beings and uncovers a kidnapping plot related to the mysterious cosmic substance known as Dust.

'Locke & Key' -- Netflix

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Two seasons of this adaptation of the graphic-novel series of the same name by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez are now streaming on Netflix and the third season is set to premiere next month on the streaming service. The supernatural-horror show focuses on the three Locke siblings who move into their ancestral home in Massachusetts after the murder of their father. They soon find magical keys in the house that give them special abilities, but it's not all fun and games. A demon also wants the keys and will do whatever it has to to snatch them. The cast includes Darby Stanchfield, Connor Jessup , Emilia Jones, Jackson Robert Scott, Laysla De Oliveira, Petrice Jones and Griffin Gluck.

'The Secrets of Sulphur Springs' -- Disney+

As of now, there are two seasons available of this original adventure series, which takes place in contemporary Louisiana and follows middle-school student Griffin Campbell (Preston Oliver) who moves with his family into the Tremont, an old, haunted hotel that just happens to have a time-travel portal in the basement. Griffin and his new best friend Harper (Kyliegh Curran) go back in time to solve the mystery of what happened to Savannah (Elle Graham), a young girl who disappeared more than 30 years ago.

'Marvel's Runaways' -- Disney+, Hulu

Based on the titular Marvel Comics characters, this show ran for three seasons and starred Rhenzy Feliz, Lyrica Okano, Virginia Gardner, Ariela Barer, Gregg Sulkin, and Allegra Acosta as superhero teens who unite to take down their supervillain parents, known collectively as the Pride. The criminal masterminds were played by Angel Parker, Ryan Sands, Annie Wersching, Kip Pardue, Ever Carradine, James Marsters, Brigid Brannagh, Kevin Weisman, Brittany Ishibashi and James Yaegashi.
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Brattleboro, VT (05301)

Today

Clouds and some sun this morning with more clouds for this afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 82F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy with occasional showers overnight. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.
TORRINGTON  Six towns and cities the congressional 5th District, represented by Democratic U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes, recently were awarded $125,000 for Drug-Free Community Programs, a federal program focused on preventing youth substance abuse.

Locally, the recipient is the Northwest Corner Prevention Network, which works with the Region 1 school district and the towns of Cornwall, Salisbury, Falls Village, Canaan, Sharon, Norfolk and Kent.

At a time when the addiction and overdose epidemic continue to affect our communities, this funding is critical to the health and wellness of young people, Hayes said.

The Drug-Free Community Program grant is intended to increase prevention awareness, create healthier communities, and it has different strategies to communicate with the public, said Chelsea Kapitancek, coordinator for the Northwest Corner Prevention Network. Our goal is to help create a healthier community overall. We are a group of volunteers interested in doing that in the Region 1 school district.

Kapitancek was hired earlier this year by the McCall Center for Behavioral Health. She said the networks partners are the Housatonic Youth Service Bureau, McCall Center for Behavioral Health, Womens Support Services, the Susan B. Anthony Project, Prevent Suicide CT, 211 Help Line, Canaan Family YMCA, Housatonic Valley Regional High School, Western Connecticut Coalition and The Trevor Project.

Members attend community events and give out information at our table, to help people understand what we do. Were looking to do community training sessions, provide information on prevention; the grant can help us with all these things, like public service announcements and marketing campaigns, Kapitancek said. We just sent a mailer out about legalized marijuana, reminding parents to keep their supplies locked up to avoid having children find them, for example.

The network also conducts surveys to understand parents concerns. Most of what we do is driven by the data we collect, Kapitancek said. For example, we chose alcohol and marijuana as a focus, because thats what our data said kids were using. And since our focus is on young people, families and the school environment, we can use the survey data we get to reduce risks.

The group, made up mostly of volunteers, is planning an ice cream social during the Sharon concert series on Aug. 3. Well also be at the Canaan Railroad Days, and basically anywhere that we can reach out to the public, Kapitancek said.

More members are always needed. Were definitely looking for more volunteers, especially young people, parents, and members of local faith communities, she said. Were planning our fall curriculum of programs, so we welcome people to sign up with us now.

Interested residents can visit ncpncoalition.org or email Kapitancek at NCPNCoalition@gmail.com or chelsea.kapitancek@mccallcenterct.org; or her colleague, Lynn Steinmayer, at lsteinmayer@hysbct.org, or call 860-480-8213.

Kapitancek is a resident of Torrington, and worked as a counselor at Rising Star Camp through the McCall Center. She also worked for Prime Time House in Torrington. Ive got a pretty broad human services background, she said.

Other grant recipients included Stand Together and Make a Difference in Danbury; Meriden Healthy Youth Coalition, Meriden; New Britain Local Prevention Council, New Britain; Citizens Against Substance Abuse in Wolcott; and Woodbury-Bethlehem Advocates for Substance Abuse Prevention.

Created in 1997, the Office of National Drug Control Policys Drug-Free Communities Support Program supports community-based coalitions that engage different areas of a community to prevent youth substance use, according to whitehouse.gov.

The DFC Support Program provides grants up to $125,000 a year for five years to community coalitions to strengthen the infrastructure among local partners to create and sustain a reduction in local youth substance use, according to the website. After five years, community coalitions may recompete for another five-year cycle.

For 2022, ONDCP anticipates awarding more than 700 grants to community coalitions across the country.
Pottsville, PA (17901)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 83F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable.
A Catholic priest on Thursday began a three-day protest outside a maximum security jail in Hong Kong, refusing food and calling for the release of political prisoners, as two icons of former protests in Hong Kong were sentenced to jail and a top human rights barrister defended herself against spying allegations in court.



Italian missionary-turned-rights activist Franco Mella, 74, began his protest amid warnings of extreme heat from the government, standing on a dam on Lantau Island overlooking Shek Pik Prison.



He called on the authorities to release political prisoners.



"They have stood up for workers and the poor for decades. What kind of law can convict them? Are those laws right?" Mella told RFA. "This hunger striker hopes to share a little of their pain, because the weather is so hot, and they must be suffering."



"They may also feel lonely in prison. They don't know if the community still remembers them. I hope to show them that we still care about them very much," he said.



Mella said he plans to fast for six days for all prisoners of conscience in Hong Kong, regardless of faith or background.



"The government won't get a healthy society by constantly arresting and jailing people," he said. "Instead, they should acknowledge the rights of others and allow the opposition to speak out."



"Silence doesn't mean the problem has been solved."



Italian missionary-turned-rights activist Franco Mella, 74, holds a three-day protest outside a maximum security jail in Hong Kong, refusing food and calling for the release of political prisoners, on Lantau Island overlooking Shek Pik Prison, July 13, 2022. Credit: RFA 'Foreign agent'

His protest came as former Tiananmen massacre vigil organizer and rights lawyer Chow Hang-tung defended herself and the now-disbanded Hong Kong Alliance against allegations of being "a foreign agent" under a draconian security law imposed by Beijing in the wake of the 2019 protest movement.



Chow took issue with the prosecution's "proof" that she and the Alliance were foreign agents, and argued that a specific definition should enter case law to prevent ever-expanding use of the term to encompass anyone with an overseas connection, according to independent journalist Suzanne Sataline, who live-tweeted Chow's self-defense on Thursday.



"The law must be challenged, otherwise there is no rule of law to control the govts power, the very essence of rule of law," Sataline summarized Chow as saying.



"The prosecutions argument would mean that any entity that is not a foreign agent could get served with an unlawful notice and nevertheless be convicted of noncompliance," Sataline wrote.



"Underlying unspoken assumption is that national security is always right and you cannot challenge that. Where does that play in the rule of law, the very essence which is abt restraining power, giving people the assurance that their lives would not be arbitrarily interfered with?"



Chow told the court that there could be hundreds or thousands of people in Hong Kong employed by different foreign governments all of whom will fit the law's description of an agent, without any of them being suspected of committing any offense, according to Sataline's account.



Chow's self-defense came a day after a magistrate's court jailed Alexandra Wong, 66, for "illegal assembly" for her role in the 2019 protest movement, where she was frequently spotted waving a British flag.



Nearly 3,000 people have been prosecuted under "illegal assembly" laws in connection with the protests, which began as a mass movement against extradition to mainland China, and broadened to include demands for fully democratic elections and greater official accountability.



Pro-democracy activist Koo Sze Yiu stands behind placards of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam during a protest before trying to board a ferry to Macau, in Hong Kong on December 18, 2019. The 75-year-old Koo, who has terminal bowel cancer, was concicted on July 12, 2022 of "attempting incitement" of hatred or dissatisfaction of the government under Hong Kong's national security law . Credit: AFP 'An authoritarian regime'

Wong pleaded guilty, but hit out at the Hong Kong government from the dock as "an authoritarian regime." She received an eight-month prison sentence for the "scale" of her contribution to public disturbances.



On Tuesday, a court convicted 75-year-old activist Koo Sze-yiu, who has terminal bowel cancer, of "attempting incitement" of hatred or dissatisfaction of the government under the national security law .



Koo was found guilty of planning to carry a coffin bearing the words "end the one-party dictatorship!" and "Down with the CCP!" on a protest organized by the League of Social Democrats outside the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s representative office in Hong Kong in February, on the opening day of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.



He was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment.



Koo told the court he had no problem "being a martyr" for the pro-democracy movement, and that what he would suffer was negligible compared with the huge numbers of political prisoners, journalists and rights lawyers jailed in mainland China.



Former opposition lawmaker Avery Ng said this means police will now be able to target any activist, whether they do anything or not.



"Koo hadn't even done anything yet, but was arrested for intending to demonstrate," Ng told RFA. "It's so easy for the police to arrest people they don't like or don't want to be visible."



"It's a further blow to freedom of speech and association," he said. "This is basically the criminalization of speech."



Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Homebuyers across China are threatening a mortgage payment strike in protest at stalled construction of properties by major developers across the country.



Investors started selling off Chinese banking and real estate stocks, as well as corporate bonds issued by property developers, on Thursday, amid fears the strike would hit the financial system, Reuters reported.



A growing number of homebuyers across China are saying they will halt mortgage payments to banks until developers resume construction of pre-sold homes, local media and social media reported.



Japan's Nomura has estimated that developers have only delivered around 60 percent of homes sold before actual construction between 2013 and 2020. China's outstanding mortgage loans rose by 26.3 trillion yuan during that period.



"We are the owners of a property in Wuhan Optics Valley," one homebuyer wrote on social media. "My husband and I both graduated from Tsinghua University with a master's degree. Now working in Shenzhen, we originally planned to return to Wuhan to settle down, but last August I heard the news that the construction site was suspended. So I am very anxious now."



By July 12, buyers of 35 residential projects across 22 cities in China said they had decided to stop mortgage repayments, according to a report by Citigroup Inc. on Wednesday, despite the fact that it could mar their personal credit rating.



Citigroup said the move could lead to bad debts of up to U.S.$83 billion, with large state-owned banks like China Construction Bank and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China facing greater risks as a result.



A document titled "Summary of Loan Suspension Notices of Unfinished Buildings in Various Provinces and Cities of the Country" said that buyers of apartments in more than 110 unfinished buildings across 21 provinces had decided to halt mortgage repayments as of July 13.



Buyers were linked to 32 unfinished projects in Henan, 15 each in Hunan and Hubei, eight in Jiangxi and seven in Shaanxi, it said, adding that well-known real estate companies like Shimao, Greenland, Aoyuan and Xinyuan were among those affected by the action.



'Black hole'

A former financial industry employee surnamed Song said the outcome was entirely predictable.



"China's real estate market is a black hole, which is the result of the collusion between the owners of real estate companies and local governments," Song said.



"The off-plan sale of properties is illegal, but they don't implement the law; the [local] leaders have the final say."



China's real estate has long been in crisis, with the country's top 100 real estate developers selling 43 percent fewer new homes in June 2022 than during the same period last year, according to China Real Estate Information Corp.



Song said mortgage income is currently propping up several major Chinese banks.



"Several major banks in China are supported by housing loans," Song said. "Mortgages in China have now reached 50 trillion yuan, equivalent to one fifth or one sixth of money in circulation."



Wang Longde, a former lawyer who lives in Laos, says the blame or the mortgage strike lies with the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP).



"With a [government-issued] license, legally speaking, property can be sold [off-plan]. But the government doesn't supervize developers to ensure they deliver the ... real estate to consumers on time and as required," Wang said.



Risk passed to consumers

Wang said many developers just build the main body of the building, accounting for 70-80 percent of construction costs.



If they run out of funds, they will then just halt production, passing the risk onto consumers.



Many homebuyers don't demand a contract setting out what happens to a mortgage in the event of construction delays or failure to complete, he said.



Song agreed.



"All problems in the banking system are caused by local government officials," he said. "For example, Shanghai Bank of Communications or China Construction Bank, their presidents are mostly mute. The real [power] is held by local government."



"This is on central-level officials."



Citibank analyst Griffin Chan has warned that the mortgage strike is "is a critical moment for social stability," as government censors were scrambling to delete posts about the strike.



Posts on the topic available earlier on Thursday had disappeared from social media later in the day, RFA found.



"Judging from the current economic situation in China ... if people refuse to make repayments [companies] go bankrupt," Song said.



"All aspects of banking and credit reporting will be affected, but regular folk don't care any more, and are lying down because they have lost faith in society as a whole," he said.



Many homebuyers have said in social media posts that they turned to a mortgage strike as a last resort, and only plan to withhold repayments until their properties are completed by the developers.



Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
The new designation is part of a campaign to punish their families for maintaining contact.

North Korean refugee Cho Chung Hui weeps during an interview at his office in Seoul, South Korea. on Feb, 18, 2021. For years, North Korean refugees have resorted to an underground network of brokers to call and send money to their families in North Korea. The money we send is a lifeline, said Cho, who transferred the equivalent of $890 to each of his two siblings every year before the pandemic.

North Korea has reclassified citizens who escape the country and resettle in South Korea as traitorous puppets in order to more harshly punish family members who remain in contact with them, sources in the country told RFA.

The shift could have major consequences for the families left behind that rely on the money their relatives living in the South send home.

More than 33,000 North Koreans have escaped their repressive country and moved to South Korea. Likely hundreds of thousands more live in China, the first destination for escapees who sneak across North Koreas northern border. Pyongyang has classified these people as illegal border crossers.

These days, at residents meetings, authorities are referring to the refugees who fled to South Korea as puppets, a resident of the northern province of Ryanggang told RFAs Korean Service on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

They are terrifying the families of these refugees by declaring that anyone in contact with a South Korean puppet will be punished for treason, even if it is their family members, she said.

Puppet is a term often used to describe the South Korean government to imply its illegitimacy. The shift signals that authorities will emphasize punishing escapees families as if they themselves have committed treason, according to the source.

North Korean refugee Choi Bok-hwa speaks during an interview in Ansan, South Korea, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021. For the first time in years, Choi didnt get her annual birthday call from her mother in North Korea. Choi believes the silence is linked to the pandemic, which led North Korea to shut its borders tighter than ever and impose some of the worlds toughest restrictions on movement. Photo: AP

This month alone, there have been three cases in the city of Hyesan, where families were caught talking to their relatives in South Korea over an illegal phone that had been wiretapped. [They] are currently being investigated by the city police, she said.

Previously, these kinds of families were able to avoid crackdowns by bribing state security agents and police officers with some of the money they received from their relatives in South Korea. But the residents are paying special attention to what the punishment will be this time, the source said.

For residents in and around Hyesan, making a living by farming has always been difficult due to the areas mountainous terrain and rough climate, so they have had to find other sources of income. Many families had gotten by by importing and selling Chinese goods. But the border has been closed and trade suspended since January 2020 due to the coronavirus.

There are many families of North Korean refugees in the area. They can manage to make ends meet with the support from their refugee family members, the source said.

The residents of Hyesan are literally on the verge of losing their livelihoods after the North Korea-China border became blocked, she said. Now that they cant really make ends meet [on their own], they cannot survive without the help of their families [in South Korea]. The residents are therefore criticizing the authorities for regarding those who receive help from escapees as treasonous.

They ask, What have the authorities done for the people?

North Korean refugee Chu Young-bok pays his respects to relatives in North Korea, as he sits before a fence near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating North and South Korea, at the Imjingak 'peace park' in Paju on September 24, 2018. - South Koreans are observing the annual 'Chuseok' thanksgiving holiday, which runs from Sept 24 to 26. Photo: AFP

Residents in nearby North Hamgyong province were angered that the authorities stepped up the smear campaign against escapees, a source there told RFA on condition of anonymity to speak freely.

[They] are outraged by the authorities who are socially burying people who only escaped for survival, he said.

The people are very resentful toward the authorities, who are now imposing all sorts of control measures but are failing to guarantee the living conditions of the people. If someone who escaped starvation is a puppet, isn't the governments disregard for the residents livelihoods also the act of a traitor? the source said.

The source doubted the new designation would stop people from contacting their family members in the South.

Even if the authorities call them a puppet and dont allow people to talk on the phone, who is going to obey? No matter how much they call them puppets and threaten to charge their families with treason, people are still going to talk to their family in South Korea, he said.

The refugees families here are protesting, saying that cutting off contact would mean their own starvation because they are able to live only with the help of their escaped family members. The people have a high degree of antipathy toward the authorities, who reinforce all these control measures to keep us from escaping, even if it means we will starve to death.

According to statistics from the South Korean Ministry of Unification, at least 1,000 refugees from the North have arrived in South Korea every year since 2002, peaking at more than 2,900 in 2009.

Under Kim Jong Uns rule, though, refugee arrivals in the South decreased to slightly more than 1,000 in 2019, then dropped off sharply in 2020, likely due to increased border security during the coronavirus pandemic.

Only 229 North Korean refugees made it to South Korea in 2020, 63 in 2021, and 11 through March 2022.

Translated by Leejin J. Chung for RFAs Korean Service. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
Around 10 people were arrested and others injured in clashes between locals and riot police in Vietnam's Nghi Loca district on Wednesday morning, locals told RFA.

"There were about 1,000 riot policemen, policemen in uniform and plain clothes officers," a local told RFA on condition of anonymity. "About 10 people were arrested and others injured in clashes between locals and riot police."

Locals said the Nghe An provincial government sent police to Nghi Thuan commune to stop them preventing the destruction of the road connecting Khanh Thien hamlet to the N5 road. They say the road has been there for a long time but the government wants to destroy it in order to build an industrial park.

The two sides were pushing each other." Nguyen Van Hien from Binh Thuan parish told RFA. "People opened the police barricades to get to the part of the road that was being demolished. Police used tear gas and the people ran away. The police arrested a few people and I don't know where they were taken."

Facebook live streams show locals removing the fence and clashing with police. One policeman was dragged away by protesters who punched and kicked him, while many of the locals were attacked and arrested. Riot police fired tear gas grenades while some locals fought back with petrol bombs.

Father Nguyen Dinh Thuc, who is from Binh Thuan but works as a pastor inf a nearby parish, said he saw a lot of policemen on his way home from morning service.

"People said that when they heard the road was closed they went to protest and were brutally beaten by riot police, officers in uniform and civilians. The police used tear gas, smoke bombs and light weapons," he said "Then the riot police entered the village and went into the homes of some families ...to beat people.They even went upstairs to beat people, even those in their sixties and seventies.. They beat them brutally and took away five people whose fates are unclear.

The priest said police remained in the commune for hours after protesters dispersed and confiscated dozens of motorcycles, electric bikes and bicycles.

Some locals say although people were seriously injured no-one could leave the village to get medical help because police had blocked off the neighborhood.

Map of WH Industrial Park, residential area and surrounding roads. CREDIT: Nghe An Newspaper





Creation of new industrial park

Citing information from a leader of Nghi Loc district, Wednesday's Giao Thong Online newspaper said workers from Nghe An province are completing the demolition of the old residential road running from National Highway 7C through the WHA Industrial Park to Nghi Thuan commune. It said in the process several policemen were attacked and injured by extremists.

The newspaper said police arrested a number of people for attacking officers.

On Wednesday morning RFA called Dang Thanh Tung, Chief of the Office of the People's Committee of Nghe An province, but he hung up when the reporter identified himself.

All attempts to call the chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Nguyen Duc Trung, Standing Vice Chairman, Le Hong Vinh, and agencies such as the People's Committee and the Nghi Loc District Police were unsuccessful.

RFA emailed the People's Committees of Nghe An province and Nghi Loc district and some local leaders but did not receive replies.

State media say the road being destroyed in Phase 1 of the 498 hectare WHA Industrial Zone 1 project, which is being carried out by a Thai company, is around 520 meters long and 3.5 meters wide. It was approved by the prime minister in 2017.

The government says it is necessary to remove the road, which runs through the industrial park, to build new links between plots for new factories and to install drains.

At the end of 2019, WHA Industrial Zone Nghe An Joint Stock Company built a bypass to replace the residential road. It was 6.5 meters wide and made of reinforced concrete.

Locals prefer the road they have used for more than 100 years. They also suspect the government wants to destroy the road in order to get the upper hand in future negotiations if it wants to take the land where the residents of Nghi Thuan commune are living in order to expand the industrial park.

According to priest Nguyen Dinh Thuc, on May 20, Nghi Loc district held a discussion with the people of Nghi Thuan commune at the hall of the commune People's Committee to ask people's opinions on the closure of the route from N5 road to Khanh Thien hamlet.

About 20 locals opposed the road closure for a variety of reasons. Some objected because the new road belongs to a private firm. Others felt unsafe because the road is bordered by a high steel fence.

At the meeting the government confirmed it had consulted people and named some those who had signed forms to show their attendance. The named people objected saying they had not discussed the road or approved the destruction of the old road to create company land.

The government held no further consultation before sending police to enforce the old road's closure on Wednesday.
Myanmar's military has further cracked down on National League for Democracy (NLD) members, sentencing former Pehkone township NLD MP Petel Aung and NLD members Lai Kyu and Maung Tat to life in prison at the Loi-Lin District Court in the country's southern Shan state last month.

Taung Lay Lone prisons court also sentenced Phekone residents Maung Kown, Maung Nyein and Joseph to death, the Progressive Karenni People Force (PKPF) told RFA on Thursday.

Shan state shares a border with Kayah state where the Karenni Army fought for independence until a ceasefire in 2012 and a further ceasefire three years later that only lasted three months.

Fighting between the military and Karenni forces, helped by local People's Defense Forces, has spilled over into Shan state and the PKPF has been monitoring junta activity there, including the arrests of NLD politicians.

PKPF officials said the military council has not issued an official statement regarding the sentences.

There were two groups arrested. Petel Aung was in one group and Maung Kown was in another. Petel Aung was arrested as a Peoples Defense Force leader. Another group member was arrested last year on charges of killing an army officer and two soldiers in Phekone Township. The order was handed down last month, but we just found out, said a PKPF official.

He added that MP Petel Aung, Lai Kyu and Maung Tat were arrested in Nam San, in Shan state on July 30, 2021. Maung Saung, Maung Nyein and Joseph were arrested in March last year.

The arrested have been charged by the military council with illegal association, murder and possessing illegal firearms.

Maung Kown, Maung Nyein and Joseph were sentenced to death. They were convicted under Section 302 (1) (b) of the Penal Code for murder, said a source close to the court who did not want to be named for safety reasons.

As of July 9, 117 people were facing trial and 140 had been sentenced to prison by the military council in Shan state and Kayah State, according to the PKPF.

There are 70 people facing trial at Taung Lay Lone prison, and 20 have been sentenced.

A total of 47 people are being held in Loikaw prison in Kayah state and 115 others are serving their sentences, the statement said. Five of the convicts have been transferred to Mandalay Obo Prison.

Calls to the military council spokesman by RFA went unanswered on Thursday. Opponents of the military junta who were arrested in prison across the country have been sentenced to long prison terms following the military coup on Feb. 1 last year.

According to military council data 114 people were sentenced to death by various military tribunals in Yangon between February 1, 2021 and May 19, 2022. A total of 78 people were sentenced to between seven years and life in prison.

Legal experts have pointed out that the coup council is threatening the public with death sentences and long prison sentences that are disproportionate to their crimes.
Min Aung Hlaings visit to Russia is his second since the military coup last year.

Myanmar junta chief Snr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing held talks with officials from Russias Ministry of Defense in Moscow this week, according to media reports, raising fears the junta is seeking new weapons to turn the tide in its fight against the countrys armed opposition.

The regime leader met with unspecified Russian defense ministry officials on July 11, a day after he arrived in Russia for a private visit, the junta said in a statement on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Reuters news agency quoted a Russian defense ministry statement as saying that Min Aung Hlaing had met with top officials from the ministry and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral military cooperation.

The official Global New Light of Myanmar reported Wednesday that after being welcomed on his arrival by Deputy Minister for Defence of the Russian Federation Colonel General Alexander Vasilievich Fomin, Min Aung Hlaing also held meetings with the Russia-Myanmar Friendship Association, the Russia-ASEAN Economic Council, the Rosatom State Corporations of Russia, and Russias State Space Corporation Roscosmos.

Notably, no mention was made of a meeting between Min Aung Hlaing and his counterpart, Russian President Vladimir Putin, or even the countrys Minister of Defense, Sergei Kuzhugetovich Shoigu.

The trip marks the junta chiefs second visit to Russia in the more than 17 months since Myanmars military seized control of the country in a Feb. 1, 2021 coup.

While Western nations were quick to impose sanctions on Myanmar over the coup, Russia has continued to supply Myanmars military with weapons and helicopters despite its continued and documented crackdown on civilians, killing at least 2,081 since coming to power.

International media had reported that Myanmar purchased at least six SU-30 multi-role fighter jets from Russia before the military takeover, a transaction that was confirmed to RFA Burmese by Capt. Zay Thu Aung, a Myanmar air force officer who has since defected and joined the anti-junta Civil Disobedience Movement.

Zay Thu Aung said at least two of the six jets have been stationed in Myanmars capital Naypyidaw since March this year and that a team of Russian pilots and technicians has been training Myanmar pilots and crews.

Six were purchased, but only two of them had been delivered by 2020. The rest wont be delivered until this year, he said.

It was agreed beforehand that Russian crews would be sent to train local officers on aircraft assembly and maintenance. Once the jets are ready, Russian test pilots will arrive to test the aircraft before handing them over. It was agreed to in advance.

Attempts by RFA Burmese to contact junta Deputy Information Minister Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun for comment on the sale of the jets went unanswered Wednesday.

Sukhoi Su-30 jet fighters perform during the MAKS 2021 air show in Zhukovsky, Russia, July 24, 2021. Credit: REUTERS/Tatyana Makeyeva Airstrikes on ethnic armies

Thein Tun Oo, director of the Thayninga Strategic Studies Group, a Myanmar-based think tank run by former military officers, said he knew the military had been ordering SU-30 fighter jets for some time.

Its been a long time since the SU-30s were ordered. The delivery has long been delayed, he said.

We heard all kinds of news about the aircraft, such as that they were being updated and made more compatible for Myanmar. Anyway, its time they should be delivered. Taking into consideration the time of production of the aircraft and signing of the contracts, its the right time for delivery and I think its very possible that they will be here soon as we are hearing about them [from the military] now."

Thein Tun Oo noted that Myanmar and Russia have a history of military cooperation and said it is customary for experts from the country where the equipment was purchased to come and train local crews.

Each two-engine SU-30 fighter jet, produced by Russia's Sukhoi Aviation Corporation, costs about U.S. $30 million.

Thein Tun Oo said the all-weather fighter can carry a wide array of weapons, including precision-guided missiles, rockets, and anti-ship missiles.

The 70-ton SU-30 fighter jet can also fly across the 1,275-mile north-south expanse of Myanmar, if needed, without needing to refuel, owing to its large fuel capacity, according to weapons experts.

Observers say Myanmars military regularly purchases Russian-made fighter jets and other powerful weapons to fight groups such as the Karen National Union (KNU) and the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), which are among the countrys most powerful and well-equipped ethnic armies.

In June, the junta carried out airstrikes on KNU and Karen National Defense Organization (KNDO) coalition forces who had attacked a military camp in Ukrithta village, in Kayin states Myawaddy township. Days of fighting ended with heavy casualties on both sides.

KNDO leader, General Saw Nedar Mya, told RFA that the military has yet to deploy sophisticated fighter jets like the SU-30 in airstrikes, opting instead to use older Russian-made MiG-29s.

They used jet fighters in the airstrikes on Ukrithta. They attacked us every day, for five days, day and night, he said.

Since the military dictator is getting support from China and Russia, the West should be backing us. But even though [the junta is] buying all kinds of fighter jets and other weapons, their people lack a fighting spirit. Our people have conviction and are in high spirits.

Relations at unprecedented level

Australia-based military and security analyst Kyaw Zaw Han said relations between Moscow and the junta have reached an unprecedented level since the coup.

He said the militarys use of sophisticated weapons, including fighter jets, in Myanmars civil war could lead to an increased death toll for the armed resistance.

The junta seems to have viewed Russia as a strategic partner from the beginning. This seems to be the case for both countries. And since the Feb 1 coup, the number of reciprocal visits has increased to an all-time high, he said.

Russian-made weapons are increasingly being used in the civil war and they have had a huge impact  The use of these warplanes in the internal conflict has resulted in a huge increase in the number of refugees and internally displaced persons.

He said frequent visits by delegations and top officials, as well as various rounds of talks on military and economic cooperation, have led to significantly strengthened ties between Russia and Myanmar since the coup. Min Aung Hlaing notably hosted Russias Deputy Defense Minister Lt-Gen Alexander V. Fomin in Myanmars capital Naypyidaw in March of last year, less than two months after ousting the democratically elected government.

According to the website Global Firepower, which tracks the development of military forces from around the world, Myanmar maintains a fleet of 280 aircraft, including fighter jets and attack helicopters, 664 tanks, and 155 warships, including one submarine.

In February, former U.S. Rep. Tom Andrews, who serves as U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, said in a report to the U.N. Security Council that countries should stop selling arms to the junta, citing a brutal crackdown on civilians since the coup.

The report called out permanent Security Council members China and Russia, as well as India, Belarus, Ukraine, Israel, Serbia, Pakistan and South Korea, for selling the weapons, which Andrews said are almost certainly being used by the military to kill innocent people.

Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
The Bangchak Oil Refinery is seen through the morning haze in Bangkok, Thailand, Jan. 17, 2021.

The Biden administrations nominee for U.S. ambassador to Thailand told a Senate committee Wednesday that he would press Bangkok to reduce its dependence on oil and gas from neighboring Myanmar, where the ruling military junta is committing horrifying atrocities.

Robert F. Godec made the pledge in response to a question from Sen. Ed Markey, who, citing a statement from Human Rights Watch , noted that Thailand receives 80 percent of oil and gas exported by Myanmars government.

We are seeking ways with the Thais to increase the pressure on the Burmese regime. All options are on the table, that includes further action in the oil and gas sector, Godec told a Senate Foreign Relations panel here questioning him and three other nominees for ambassador posts in the Asia-Pacific region as well as a nominee to serve as the U.S. representative to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Godec promised committee members that he would focus on efforts to work with Thailand to pressure its neighbor.

The Burmese regime continues to carry out horrifying atrocities. It is critically important that this stop, he said using the old name for Myanmar. Burma and the Burmese regimes horrifying actions have been a top issue in discussions with Thailand.

According to the statement released by Human Rights Watch in January, the state-run Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT) is responsible for the largest gas revenues paid to junta-controlled accounts through its purchases of about 80 percent of Myanmars exported natural gas from the Yadana and Zawtika gas fields. It said natural gas generates about U.S. $1 billion in foreign revenue annually.

Ive repeatedly called for the United States to take a page out of the EUs playbook and sanction the Myanmar oil and gas enterprise, Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, told Godec, referring to the European Union.

Since seizing control of Myanmar through a February 2021 coup that ousted a democratically elected civilian-led government, the Burmese junta has jailed opposition leaders and launched attacks that have killed more than 2,000 civilians, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, an NGO based in Thailand.

Then-U.S. Ambassador to Kenya Robert Godec (left) helps his wife, Lorri Godec Magnusson, hold a candle during the 20th commemoration of the 1998 bombing of the U.S Embassy in Nairobi, Aug. 7, 2018. Mrs. Godec was left paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair after the bombing. Credit: AP Blinken visit

The hearing on Capitol Hill followed Sundays visit to Bangkok by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken who took a hardline stance against the Myanmar government after meeting with Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha, the former Thai army chief and ex-junta leader who spearheaded a coup in 2014.

Blinken said the Thai and other governments in Southeast Asia must push the Burmese junta to end its brutal violence and steer the country back on a path to democracy, as he called on Myanmar to institute the Five-Point Consensus it agreed to in April 2021.

The consensus, hashed out during an emergency summit of Southeast Asian leaders in Jakarta that month, called for 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 that members of the opposition were in jail or in exile. The regime is not delivering what is necessary for the people.

In its January statement calling out PTT for its oil purchases, HRW noted that petroleum giants Chevron and TotalEnergies had announced plans days earlier to pull out of Myanmar.

Months earlier, the New York-based human rights watchdog had joined 76 NGOs in calling for PTT to not expand its oil business ties with the junta, noting that the state-owned petroleum company had been involved in exploration in Myanmar for three decades and had paid billions of dollars to the neighboring government.

But with production declining in recent years, the company has ramped up its midstream and downstream investments in the country, with the stated goal of becoming the top Myanmar provider of petroleum products, HRW said in May 2021 .

Thailands military-dominated government has enjoyed close ties with the Burmese military and been slow to criticize its neighbor since the generals seized power there last year.

Earlier this month, Prayuth played down reports of a Burmese fighter jet entering Thailands airspace amid fierce fighting across the border, even though the Thai air force had scrambled two jet-fighters during the incident.

It looks like a big deal but its up to us to not make a mountain out of a mole hill  we have a good relationship, he said at the time.

Godec, a long-time diplomat served most recently as acting assistant secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs, a post he assumed on Jan 20, 2021  the date of President Joe Bidens inauguration  until Sept. 30, 2021. He had previously served as ambassador to Kenya.

The Senate committee did not take any action at the end of Wednesdays hearing.

BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news service.
The bill recognizes Tibets legal status as unresolved and encourages Beijing to negotiate with the Dalai Lama.

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama speaks after inaugurating a museum containing the archives of the institution of the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India, Wednesday, July 6, 2022. Exile Tibetans also celebrated their spiritual leader's 87th birthday today.

A new bill in the U.S. Congress seeks to pressure Chinese leaders to enter into talks with the Dalai Lama to resolve issues relating to Tibet, including by directing the State Department to actively counter any disinformation from Beijing related to the history of the formerly independent country.

The Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Conflict Act was introduced on Wednesday by Reps. Jim McGovern (D-MA), the co-chair of the Congressional Executive Committee on China, and Michael McCaul (R-TX), the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

The legislation seeks to jump start negotiations between PRC officials and the Dalai Lama or his representatives. No formal dialogue has happened since 2010, and Chinese officials continue to make unreasonable demands of the Dalai Lama as a condition for further dialogue, it said.

McGovern said that China remains reluctant to open a dialogue with the Tibetan spiritual leader.

The Chinese continue to turn their backs on the Dalai Lama. Our bipartisan legislation seeks to strengthen U.S. policy by grounding it in international law and countering Chinese disinformation, with the aim of getting the two sides to negotiate a durable solution, he said.

The Dalai Lama fled Tibet into exile in India in the midst of a failed 1959 Tibetan national uprising against rule by China, which invaded the then independent Himalayan country in 1950.

Since then, Beijing has sought to legitimize Chinese rule through sinification policies and suppression of dissent in Tibet.

Their attempts to steal peoples freedoms and rewrite history continue to threaten American values and our national security interests today, McCaul said.

This bipartisan bill will help ensure Tibetans have a say in their own future, and reject the [Chinese Communist Party] lie that their tyranny over Tibet is historically legitimate, he said.

The Office of Tibet in Washington applauded the bill, saying in a statement that it supports the Tibetan peoples right to self-determination.

Chinas rule in Tibet lacks historical support, it lacks popular support, and it lacks diplomatic support, Sikyong (President) Penpa Tsering of the Central Tibetan Administration, an exile government in Dharamsala, India said.

Tibetans simply want the same right to self-determination that all people deserve. We have suffered enormous abuse from the Chinese government over many decades, yet we have always sought to settle our differences through peaceful dialogue, he said.

Namgyal Choedup, a representative in the Office of Tibet, the Dalai Lamas office in Dharamshala, India, said he looks forward to supporting the bills passage through Congress.

We Tibetans have always felt immense gratitude to the United States for its leadership in pushing a peaceful resolution to our nonviolent struggle against Chinas oppression, Namgyal said.

This will not only help the cause of Tibetans, but the cause of democracy, the cause of dialogue and the cause of peace around the globe. Therefore, we must do everything we can to help advance this bill through both houses of Congress and onto the presidents desk.
The incident occurred days after rights organizations called on the government to end prolonged detentions.

Thai authorities are searching for three Uyghur men who escaped from an immigration detention center in central Thailand earlier this week, a police investigator said Thursday.

The trio broke out of their cell before dawn on Monday, police Col. Rattapong Tiasud told BenarNews. The fugitives used a sharp tool to saw their way through metal bars as they escaped from the detention center in Prachuap Khiri Khan province, about 320 km (199 miles) south of Bangkok, according to an image that BenarNews obtained from another source.

We are searching for them, and Im awaiting reports from the ground. The search is a bit slow because of the public holidays lately, said Rattapong, an investigator at the immigration bureau.

He identified the escapees by one name each  Ali, 25, Abdulla, 30, and Abdullah, 29.

As of late Thursday, the escapees were believed to be still at-large. They were among more than four dozen Uyghurs who were being held at detention centers across Thailand after they allegedly entered the country illicitly while fleeing from northwestern China.

The Uyghur people, who inhabit the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), are a Muslim minority who have long endured persecution and repression by the Chinese government, cases of which have been well documented by human rights groups. Since 2017, Chinese authorities have ramped up a harsh clampdown on Turkic-speaking minorities including Uyghurs in Xinjiang through arbitrary arrests and lengthy detentions in internment camps.

In March 2021, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken labeled Beijings treatment of the Uyghurs as a genocide as he released his departments annual report on the state of human rights worldwide.

A Thai activist estimated that 52 to 56 Uyghurs were being held at detention centers nationwide.

Thai officials said the Uyghurs were detained after fleeing from XUAR as they tried to travel through Thailand in the hope of finding asylum in Turkey or other countries. The exodus began in 2013 and 2014 when about 475 fled to Thailand.

Since then, other Uyghurs have entered the country in a series of smaller waves.

Rights activists said human smuggling rings had allegedly aided Uyghurs entering Thailand from Myanmar and Laos. The asylum seekers traveled by roads and sometimes trekked through jungles to avoid police checkpoints along the way to Malaysia, but most ended up being rounded up in the far southern province of Songkhla, near the Malaysian border.

Those still held in detention centers are in an immigration limbo because China wants them back while Thailand has not decided what to do, said Chalida Tajaroensuk, director of the Peoples Empowerment Foundation, a Thai NGO that assists Uyghur refugees in the country.

They have been detained for nearly 10 years. So the government should consider releasing them, find them a good place to live  and never, ever send them back to China because that means sending them to death, Chalida told BenarNews in June.

Also, we would be very grateful if the Thai government allowed them to leave for third-country asylum. But it has hit a deadlock due to the Chinese governments pressure on Thailand.

Anniversary statement

Last week, the World Uyghur Congress announced it was among 52 international organizations calling for an end to the prolonged detention of Uyghurs by the Thai government.

The statement, released on July 8, marked the seventh anniversary of the forced deportation of about 100 Uyghurs, including women and children to China. The deportation occurred after Thailand sent about 170 women and children to Turkey, a traditional haven for Uyghurs fleeing persecution in Xinjiang.

The statement followed efforts in June by more than a dozen Thai and international organizations who lodged a petition to the parliaments foreign affairs committee seeking assurances that those being held in Thailand would not be sent back to China.

Rangsiman Rome, a member of the House foreign affairs committee, said he had received the petition and promised the NGOs that lawmakers would address the matter.

BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news service.
Military prosecutors on Thursday asked for prison sentences up to 17 years for two former commanders of Vietnams Coast Guard in the latest corruption cases that an analyst said could damage the forces combat readiness in the South China Sea.

Maj. Gen. Le Van Minh, Commander of the Coast Guard Zone 4 and Maj. Gen. Le Xuan Thanh, Commander of Coast Guard Zone 3, are charged with taking bribes of VND8.7 billion (U.S. $372,000) from a gasoline smuggling ring in exchange of information about law enforcement ships coordinates.

The two coast guard zones cover the waters from Binh Dinh to Ca Mau in Southern Vietnam.

As a result, the ring smuggled more than 204 million liters of gasoline from Singapore to Vietnam between March 2020 and February 2021, making large profits.

In April, Defense Ministry investigators arrested five other coast guard generals including the forces top commander, Lt. Gen. Nguyen Van Son, and the political commissar Lt. Gen. Hoang Van Dong, in an embezzlement case that shocked the country.

The generals were sacked last October for serious violations of the Communist Party's regulations, the laws of the State and Ministry of National Defense in finance, capital construction investment projects and purchase of technical equipment and materials, causing serious consequences, according to the military prosecution.

The five generals are awaiting trials which could bring hefty penalties.

These corruption cases, to be honest, are not surprising, said Nguyen The Phuong, a lecturer from Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics and Finance (UEF) and a defense analyst who has just authored new research on the Vietnamese coast guard force for the Korea Institute for Maritime Strategy.

They reflect a deeper culture and structural problems of the whole Vietnam military, he said.

A Hamilton-class patrol boat gifted by the U.S. to the Vietnam Coast Guard in 2017. CREDIT: Vietnam Coast Guard





Structural problems

This damages the reputation of the force, and its combat readiness. It is also slowing down the modernization plan and makes structural changes more complicated.

This problem cannot be solved easily, because it stems from inherent civil-military relationships, and other structural deficiencies, the analyst said.

In recent years, the Vietnamese government made large investments in the coast guard force in order to turn it into an internationally recognized force, capable of protecting the countrys maritime rights and interests as territorial disputes intensified in the South China Sea.

Vietnams military spending increased seven-fold between 2003 and 2018 and is now the largest amongst Southeast Asian countries, according to data provided by the Stockholm International Peace Institute (SIPRI).

The latest figure in 2020 shows that total spending could reach nearly $U.S. 5 billion but the exact amount of money allocated to the VCG has always been shrouded in mystery, as well as those budgets for other services, said Nguyen The Phuong.

Analysts and experts, even inside Vietnam, are facing immense difficulties in trying to figure out those data, he added.

So far, no maritime security strategy or doctrine has been publicized, according to the defense analyst, who said that the thick fog of secrecy and lack of transparency hampers the efforts to build a more modern and efficient military through a more transparent process of procurement and strategy building.

The Vietnamese coast guard force, now under the authority of the Ministry of Defense as a military service, was created in 1998 as Vietnam Maritime Police.

In 2013, the Marine Police was renamed Vietnam Coast Guard (VCG) and upgraded to the level of a full-fledged uniformed military service on a par with the Navy.

The VCGs establishment is a direct response to increasingly hybrid and sophisticated maritime disputes including the so-called gray zone tactics that China deployed in the South China Sea, Phuong said.

Gray zone is the terminology applied to activities by a state that are harmful to another state, but are not legally acts of war.

The analyst urged that a transparent and coherent national maritime security strategy be carefully created, and missions and objectives of the Navy and the VCG clearly defined in order to counter against any tactics and strategies that aim to undermine Vietnams sovereignty over the South China Sea.
An Armenian millionaire's plan to build a giant Jesus Christ statue, twice the height of Rio's iconic Christ the Redeemer, has run into trouble almost as soon as the groundbreaking ceremony was over. Tycoon Gagik Tsarukian declared that "God's hand" was behind the project, which was also backed by the Armenian government, but construction was suspended when it was revealed that the statue would obliterate the remains of a Bronze Age fortress.
Amid concerns over a captured nuclear power plant in Ukraine, the United Nations has dismissed suggestions that it is behind any delays getting international inspectors to the Zaporizhzhye facility, as concerns mount amid reports of shelling around the plant, which Ukraine and occupying Russian troops each blame on the other.

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, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.

Ukrainian and international warnings have intensified as safety crews work at gunpoint and Russians allegedly prepare to divert energy production from Zaporizhzhye, which is Europe's biggest nuclear plant with six Soviet-designed reactors.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in New York on August 15 that the world body's nuclear agency, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), acts independently but the Ukrainian and Russian sides must agree on a visit.

Dujarric said it was "just not the case" that the UN's executive arm was delaying any trip by IAEA people.

"The UN Secretariat has no authority to block or cancel" a visit to Zaporizhzhya, he said, and moreover has "the security, the logistics capacity" in Ukraine to support it.

"But there needs to be an agreement with Russia and Ukraine," Dujarric added.

The UN comments followed a pledge by Moscow to do "everything necessary" to allow IAEA experts to visit the Zaporizhzhya plant and Russia's defense minister reportedly speaking to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres about the situation at the facility.

Guterres has urged that a demilitarized zone be created around Zaporizhzhya, in southeastern Ukraine near the center of fighting in the five-month-old Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Moscow's overtures came one day after 42 countries from around the world signed a statement urging Russia to withdraw its armed forces from Europe's largest nuclear station, saying their presence posed "a great danger."

Kyiv and some Western leaders have accused Moscow of "nuclear blackmail" in its assaults on Ukrainian nuclear facilities as well as its implied threats to deploy its nuclear arsenal if Ukraine's supporters cross the Kremlin's red lines.

In his nightly video address on August 15, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the international community needs to act to prevent an accident or other catastrophic events at Zaporizhzhya due to Russian actions.

"If now the world does not show strength and decisiveness to defend one nuclear power station, it will mean that the world has lost," Zelenskiy said, according to Reuters. "It will lose to terrorism, and give in to nuclear blackmail."

Zelenskiy warned over the weekend that recent shelling at the plant had increased the threat of a radiation leak. Russia doesn't deny it has troops located at the plant but has disputed claims it has shelled the area. Instead, Moscow blames Ukrainian forces for firing artillery shells there, which officials in Kyiv deny.

The situation at the plant has caused heightened alarm at the United Nations and the IAEA. Both have said IAEA inspectors should be allowed to visit the plant.

"In close cooperation with the Agency and its leadership, we will do everything necessary to make it possible for IAEA specialists to appear at the station," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement on August 15.

Moscow later said that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had spoken to Guterres about the security of Zaporizhzhya.

"Sergei Shoigu conducted telephone negotiations with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres regarding the conditions for the safe operation of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant," the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

It did not elaborate.

Guterres' office did not immediately confirm the conversation or its substance, and it was unclear if spokesman Dujarric's comments reflected any conversation with Shoigu.

On August 14, the statement by 42 countries condemned Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and said the presence of Russian military forces at the plant was preventing authorities from maintaining nuclear and radiation safety obligations.

"It is undeniable that Russias invasion and its continued presence at Ukraines nuclear facilities significantly raise the risk of nuclear incidents and accidents," the statement released on the European Union's website says.

"We urge the Russian Federation to immediately withdraw its military forces and all other unauthorized personnel from the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, its immediate surroundings, and all of Ukraine so that the operator and the Ukrainian authorities can resume their sovereign responsibilities within Ukraines internationally recognized borders and the legitimate operating staff can conduct their duties without outside interference, threat, or unacceptably harsh working conditions.

"Deployment of Russian military personnel and weaponry at the nuclear facility is unacceptable and disregards the safety, security, and safeguards principles that all members of the IAEA have committed to respect," the statement added.

This statement was issued on behalf of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkiye, the United Kingdom, the United States, as well as the European Union.

With reporting by AFP and Reuters
SOFIA -- The European Commission has issued a key set of recommendations to dramatically reform and depoliticize Bulgaria's justice and prosecutorial system, which has been a constant irritant to Brussels and millions of Bulgarians.

But their release, in the annual Rule Of Law Report, amid a government collapse in Sofia and just hours after an unexpected flare-up among European parliamentarians probing corruption allegations against powerful Bulgarian political forces doesn't augur well for early implementation.

Pro-EU Prime Minister Kiril Petkov's coalition fell apart last month after a junior party pulled out over infrastructure spending and efforts to resolve Bulgaria's veto over EU accession talks for neighbor North Macedonia, in addition to regional strains over the Russian war on Ukraine.

The result means Bulgaria could soon face its fourth national elections in the span of about a year and a half if desperate coalition efforts fail, as appears likely.

A former justice minister, Hristo Ivanov, whose Democratic Bulgaria party could still get a mandate to try to form a government, warned in an interview with RFE/RL's Bulgarian Service recently that repeatedly inconclusive national elections threatened to "drag Bulgarian society into the madhouse."

But the furor over a Czech deputy's conduct of a budget committee meeting in the European Parliament might have posed the more immediate challenge to getting buy-in among Bulgarians for the EU's recommendations.

Bulgarian media quickly latched onto Czech Tomas Zdechovsky's statements as the acting chairman of the parliament's Committee on Budgetary Control that attempted to put to rest two years of speculation about scandalous -- and dubious -- images of opposition GERB party leader and former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov.

A heated exchange broke out after Zdechovsky surprised committee members by quoting letters from Bulgarian prosecutors to seemingly swat away the images' credibility just hours before the European Commission issued its report.

"This is an obvious attempt by the [European People's Party] to use the EU institutions in a scandalous attempt to clear the image of the former Bulgarian prime minister from the very serious accusations of corruption that led to his loss in the parliamentary elections last year," said Tsvetelina Penkova, a Bulgarian deputy in the European Parliament.

Borisov's GERB party, the second largest in Bulgaria's parliament, walked away this week from President Rumen Radev's mandate that would have allowed it to form a new government without new elections.

It is also part of the same conservative European People's Party grouping within European institutions that includes Zdechovsky and his Czech Christian Democratic Union party.

Doubts About Rule Of Law

The European Commission's annual Rule Of Law report considers both positive and negative developments in safeguarding the rule of law across the EU and within each member state.

In its third such report, issued on July 13, the commission urged "consistent actions" to punish corruption at the highest levels of power and issued six specific recommendations for Bulgaria to improve its own climate.

They included ending long-standing practices like the noncompetitive promotion of judges, combating "political influence" in a judicial oversight body known as the Supreme Judicial Council, and implementing steps to ensure the integrity of budget sector officials, especially among police and the justice system.

But the drama in the European Parliament highlighted the long arm of the country's politically connected prosecutorial leadership, despite years of pressure from Brussels to remedy what critics regard as a compromised prosecutorial process.

Bulgarian Prosecutor-General Ivan Geshev and his perceived lack of accountability have been singled out by the European Commission, the Council of Europe, and other institutions as a particularly urgent area of necessary reform.

The letters that Zdechovsky quoted from to discredit compromising images of Borisov were signed by Geshev's deputy, Plamena Tsvetanova.

Gold Bars, Cash, And A Gun

The photo scandal played out over several years like a tepid spy story.

Images were circulated in 2020 purporting to show a handgun, stacks of 500 euro bills, and gold bars on and in a bedside table in Borisov's residence in Sofia, known as Boyana. Another image appeared to show Borisov asleep on the same bed.

Although their authenticity was questioned from the start, much of the resulting furor revolved around long-running accusations of entrenched corruption among GERB and other officials.

Borisov responded with cautiously worded denials and called the images "kompromat." He also accused political rival Radev, a retired military commander turned president, of involvement, including through the possible use of an unmanned drone to take photos of the inside of his bedroom.

Radev, who had frequently publicly feuded with Borisov, strongly denied any role in the affair.

Subsequent media investigations and even prosecutors' efforts suggested there were manipulations and inconsistencies, but they never demonstrated conclusively that the images and a related video were fakes.

Sofia city prosecutors announced in late 2020 that they had halted their investigation into the images, since they couldn't determine their author or authors. But even then, they noted inconsistencies in some of the images, including changes to time stamps and digital identifiers. They even speculated that the images might be aimed at "presenting a certain negative image" of Borisov, who was prime minister at the time.

In November 2021, with the political stalemate seemingly broken in favor of a coalition led by Petkov, the bedside images reemerged and prosecutors hinted that their examinations cast doubt on aspects of their authenticity.

Enter The Czech

Zdechovsky chaired the European Parliament budget committee's mission to Bulgaria on April 11-13 to look into potential past wrongdoing by Borisov, part of a five-year probe that included suspicions raised by the circulation of the photos.

Acting as temporary chairman of the European Parliament's budget committee on July 13, Zdechovsky cited Bulgarian prosecutors' findings in the case to suggest that the images and metadata had been doctored, cash and gold bars pictured in the nightstand were impossible to identify conclusively, and Borisov was away on official business when at least some of the photos were taken.

Zdechovsky also quoted prosecutors' interrogation of a chambermaid at the residence who said she'd "never seen gold bars in the drawers of nightstands."

He said five "computer technical experts" had examined the images and, "in short, the examination showed that the photographs and videos have been manipulated."

"According to the five expert examinations, their circumstances call into question the authority of the photographs, images, and videos," Zdechovsky said.

He cited "multiple discrepancies" in the banknotes and gold bars, including "in the color of the watermarks, holographic stickers, light, and shadow of the object."

He also said Borisov was away from his residence on official business on the dates when some of the images were shot.

'Inadmissible' Meddling?

Zdechovsky was quickly challenged by European Parliament deputy Penkova. She said the sending of "selective information" by Bulgarian authorities to just one of the parties that took part in the fact-finding mission to Sofia was "inadmissible."

"Moreover, the information that you presented was selective -- it was not the whole document, it was just part of it -- and I believe the free interpretation of nonpublic documentation and correspondence leaves the feeling of certain bias of the committee...especially in a situation where Bulgaria's in another political crisis," she said.

She added that such perceptions "could be misinterpreted as invalid interference in Bulgarian political life and I don't think the EuroParliament has a position on that."

She argued that, on the contrary, the European Parliament had "consistently addressed the problem of corruption in Bulgaria" and urged transparency in committee procedures.

Zdechovsky cited his eight years of experience on the committee and responded: "I can declare that I am maximally neutral, transparent, and I will never [play]...political games."

He insisted that he had acted irrespective of any political context within Bulgaria.

Later, another Bulgarian MEP, Elena Yoncheva, alleged that some budget committee members were seeking to "whitewash" Borisov's image ahead of possible national elections to replace the current caretaker government.

Written by Andy Heil based on reporting in Sofia by RFE/RL Bulgarian Service correspondents Boris Mitov and Genka Shikerova
The flyer appeared earlier this month, pasted to the walls of apartment building entryways in the Moscow suburb of Odintsovo -- and hard to miss above the announcement for when the building's hot water would be shut off for maintenance.

"Wanted: men between 20 and 55 years old to serve as volunteer contract soldiers; starting salary 200,000 rubles ($3,400) a month. Contact the Odintsovo military recruitment center."

State TV newscasts feature telephone numbers where volunteers can call to get information about joining the "special operation" in Ukraine. Headhunter websites are littered with vacancies for "contract soldiers." Reports say Russian officials want to create "volunteer battalions" in every one of the country's 80-plus regions, generating up to 34,000 new troops for the war effort, according to one think tank.



Nearly five months after launching the largest war in Europe since World War II, Russia's military has a problem: not enough men; too many dead and wounded.

Russian officials are conducting a sweeping campaign to recruit more men to replenish the ranks of its units waging war on Ukraine, which the Kremlin calls a "special military operation."

News that Russia was scrambling to find more personnel has been well documented in recent weeks. Lawmakers in May voted to raise the upper age limit for military service so men over 40 can now enlist.

But how civilian and military officials are going about it -- trying to recruit thousands without provoking backlash from Russian society -- has only come into focus more recently.

"It's not mobilization," said Oleg Ignatov, a Russian analyst with the International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based research organization. "They don't want to declare war, for the time being. But they need men, infantry. They've experienced serious losses, and the success of this military operation won't happen without serious recruitment of new people.

"It's a flexible system, like covert recruiting, a hybrid system," he told RFE/RL. "But no one is forcing anyone to do anything. "



"Russia is facing a systemic manpower issue, and they are using multiple ad-hoc methods to fill in the gaps with volunteers, mercenaries, prison battalions, and personnel from other parts of the government like the national guard," said Dara Massicot, a policy researcher at the Rand Corporation and former senior analyst at the U.S. Defense Department. "It results in minimally trained soldiers and presumable lack of cohesion at the unit level."

"It's really like spackle on a wall at this point," she said.

Overall, Russia's losses are believed to be substantial. Western intelligence agencies say at least 15,000 troops have been killed, with higher estimates exceeding 20,000 -- a figure that exceeds the Soviet military's entire death toll over 10 years of war in Afghanistan in the 1980s. The last public announcement of death toll by Russia's Defense Ministry in March was 1,351 killed in action.

Become A Winner. Prove You're A Real Man.'

In the Tver region, northwest of Moscow, a military recruiter posted a video on July 11 on social media calling for men to sign up for the "special military operation." The advanced age of the recruiter and his halting presentation drew mockery from Russians and Ukrainians alike.

Still, like in Odintsovo, the beginning monthly salary, the recruiter said, was 200,000 rubles ($3,400), about four times the average salary nationwide and a princely sum in regions where the cost of living and average salaries tend to be lower than in cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg.

On Vesti Nedeli, a weekly state TV news magazine show broadcast nationwide, a segment shown on July 12 about local military units in southern Russia, featured three hotlines that viewers could call "for voluntary participation in the special military operation in Ukraine."

The Odintsovo flyer recruiting male volunteers appeared sometime around July 1, according to the local resident who photographed it and shared it with RFE/RL. The person, who asked not to be named, said it was unclear if anyone had responded to it but noted that her neighborhood was a new, well-to-do development where younger people and young families lived.

Russia's most notorious private military company, Vagner, has also been aggressively recruiting. The company, which is widely believed to be owned by St. Petersburg businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, gained notoriety during earlier deployments in Syria and the Central African Republic and has also been seen in other countries like Libya and Mozambique.

Vagner units have also been on the front lines on the battlefield in Ukraine's Donbas; Ukrainian military intelligence say the units were at the vanguard of offensive operations to take the cities of Mariupol and, more recently, Syevyerodonetsk.

As part of its marketing campaign, the company appears to have produced short video clips, published and reposted on the Russian social media networks VK and Odnoklassniki. Many feature pounding, heavy guitar music with the words "Become a winner. Prove you're a real man." Longer videos are published on its website, which appears to be accessible only within Russia.

"Do you want to inscribe your name in the history of military glory, but don't want to fight bureaucracy and controls? Then there's good news for you: The orchestra needs musicians in Ukraine!" the page's main appeal says. "Join us to liberate the entire Donbas! Embark on your first combat campaign with living industry legends!"

There was no immediate response to messages sent via the website's portal by RFE/RL or to its main phone number.

A reporter for the business newspaper RBK posed as an interested volunteer for a report published on July 9, calling several recruiters and private companies to learn the details of volunteering.

"The most important thing is to delete all social networksso that you are not there. Even old accounts that were there five or six years ago should be deleted. This is the condition of our company," the newspaper quoted one recruiter as saying.

In a detailed investigation published on July 13, the online news site Meduza detailed how Vagner and at least one other private military company worked closely with the Defense Ministry, both on deployments and recruiting, as part of covert mobilization.

"The line between mercenaries, the regular army and 'volunteers' has been completely erased during the war in Ukraine," Meduza said.

"There are no wild units," one private soldier was quoted as saying, using a term that describes independent or autonomous private forces. "Everyone works for the Defense Ministry."

Prigozhin's main company, known as Concord, said in a statement published on July 13 that it intended to sue the authors of the Meduza report under a new law that criminalizes distributing "deliberately false information" about the Russian armed forces.

Regional Recruits

On paper, Russia has a huge military: around 1 million active-duty members including all branches. The country also retains a system of mandatory conscription, where all men between 18 and 27 are required to serve at least a year in the armed forces, although many find ways to avoid service.

The military runs two cycles of conscription, in April and in September. This April, 135,000 men were drafted.

Conscript soldiers are forbidden from serving abroad, including in Ukraine. In the early days after the invasion, some conscripts were deployed in the invasion, something the Kremlin said was not supposed to have happened.

The ongoing national recruiting campaign reportedly includes efforts to pressure conscripts nearing the end of mandatory service -- something that will occur in the next two months for the September cycle -- to sign on for new volunteer contracts.

"Russia needed a systematic solution to its manpower problems months ago like a large reservist mobilization or even partial mobilization," Massicot said, "but such efforts would be politically unpopular and also structurally difficult for Russia's mobilization system."



So far, it is unclear how effective the recruiting campaign has been. The Defense Ministry, regional recruiting centers, and private companies release no figures on new personnel.

Public opinion polling, limited and influenced by wartime patriotic sentiments, shows that most Russians more or less support the military operation.

But while signs of public backlash are muted so far, there are hints of discontent in some regions among some ethnic minority groups who experts say have suffered disproportionate losses.

Regional officials in places like Dagestan, Ingushetia, and Kalmykia have already moved to create units comprised mainly of local men. The units primarily include contract soldiers who have previous military training and have been targeted by local recruitment drives.

One military unit that deployed to Ukraine was made up primarily of soldiers from Buryatia, a southern Siberian region that like many distant Russian regions suffers from relatively high unemployment and low salaries.

Buryat activists said that in recent weeks as many as 500 soldiers from Buryatia serving under contract have returned home, voicing doubts about the invasion. Some questioned the goal stated by President Vladimir Putin at outset of the invasion of "demilitarization and denazification" -- a term used that Kremlin officials have used to falsely assert that Ukraine's government is controlled by Nazi sympathizers.

"No one wanted to be an occupier," said Viktoria Maladayeva, head of the Free Buryatia Foundation, a nongovernment organization that has provided legal counsel for soldiers seeking to break their contracts.

"We Buryats, as an ethnic minority, constantly encounter racism and discrimination in Russia," she told Current Time. "It's Russia that needs 'denazification.'"

Russian military officials are also seeking to broaden the effort for regional-based volunteer battalions nationwide -- apparently attempting to group ethnic minorities into single units and possibly for budgetary reasons -- to distribute the financial burden of the war more broadly, experts said.



Maksim Fomin, a former soldier who fought in Ukraine's Donbas and now runs a widely read pro-Russian military blog, said in a video published on July 13 that Russian officials were planning to form volunteer battalions in every Russian region.

Under optimal conditions, the effort could yield as many as 34,000 new recruits by the end of August, the Institute for the Study of War estimated. How ready such units would be for active combat on short notice is unclear, the Washington-based think tank said.

The city of Moscow has one such volunteer battalion already in operation, funded from the city budget, according to Meduza's investigation. Dubbed Sobyanin's Regiment after the Moscow mayor, the unit accepts volunteers from around the country, not just Moscow.

Ignatov, the Crisis Group analyst, said the disproportionate losses among non-Slavic minority groups is likely not a deliberate decision by military planners or political leaders. Rather, he said, it's likely a reflection that the military is a lucrative employment opportunity for more impoverished regions, particularly given the salaries some positions are advertising.

"Putin doesn't want to acknowledge the war for Russian society," Ignatov said. "He wants Russian society, men, to fight. But he understands, roughly speaking, that his plan to subdue Ukraine -- that's only possible if the costs, or losses for Russian society, aren't too great."

"Those who support the war are passive. People can support it while sitting on the couch, watching TV. But they're not being asked to go fight. If they were, that would change the dynamic. Or if the losses mount for Russian society," he said.

"This hybrid system works for the Kremlin, and the political system, because it allows them for maintain the perception of normalcy," Ignatov said.
Iran has supplied unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to its proxies in the Middle East and employed them during reconnaissance, sabotage, and attack missions in the region.

Now, Iranian-made drones could end up in the hands of Russia, which is facing Western sanctions and international isolation, for use in its war in Ukraine.

The White House said on July 11 that it had information that Iran was rushing "up to several hundred" drones, including "weapons-capable UAVs," to Moscow's aid, a claim that appears to have been rejected by Tehran. Moscow has refused to comment on the issue.

U.S. national-security adviser Jake Sullivan said Iran was preparing to train Russian forces to use the drones as soon as this month.

Experts said Iran's strategic partnership with Russia, as well as Tehran's growing drone capabilities, make the Islamic republic a logical supplier for Moscow.

"Russia is probably interested because the Iranians have developed UAVs that extensively use commercial off-the-shelf components, making them cheap, that have been acquired despite extensive sanctions," said Jeremy Binnie, a Middle East defense specialist at the global intelligence company Janes.

"So, it has already developed clandestine supply chains that enables it to produce inexpensive long-range guided weapons, something the Russians could potentially take advantage of as they struggle to obtain foreign-made, high-tech components for their more sophisticated weapons."

Binnie added that if Iran was preparing to send hundreds of drones to Russia, as claimed, it would likely be "less sophisticated models, not ones that enable controllers on the ground to engage dynamic targets with guided weapons."

In recent years, Iran has become a prolific drone producer. Its fleet includes "long-endurance surveillance and attack platforms like the Shahed-129," so-called "suicide" drones that are effectively slow cruise missiles, and stealth drones "for penetrating well-defended airspace," said Binnie.

In May, Iran inaugurated a drone factory for its Ababil-2 strike and reconnaissance drone in Tajikistan, Tehran's first production facility abroad.

Samuel Bendett, an adviser at the Arlington-based CNA think tank, said Tehran could provide Russia with combat drones and loitering munitions -- also known as "kamikaze" or "suicide" drones -- to hit Ukrainian targets with better precision.

"The real question here is what is it that Russia lacks right now in Ukraine when it comes to UAVs? And my educated guess would be enough loitering munitions and enough combat drones to make a dent and to make a significant breakthrough against Ukrainian forces," Bendett told RFE/RL.

Bendett added that Tehran could supply Moscow with drone parts that could then be assembled in Russia or even fitted with Russian parts.

'Solidify Its Relationship With Russia'

Supplying Russia with drones could have significant ramifications for Tehran, observers said, making Iran an active supporter of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has been prompted criticism inside the Islamic republic.



Iran has officially said that it opposes the war and supports a cease-fire, while at the same time blaming "NATO provocations" for the conflict.



"Iran has clearly chosen its camp and does not seem to care about the reputational or financial costs of its alignment with Russia," said Ali Vaez, the director of the Iran project at the International Crisis Group (ICG). "This is the strategic implication of Iran's tactical partnership with Russia in Syria, which proved to be highly valuable to the leadership in Tehran."

Moscow and Tehran were key allies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during that country's brutal civil war.

Bendett said Iran could use drone sales to solidify its relationship with Russia.

We have various forms of cooperation with Russia, including in the sphere of defense, but we are not helping either side involved in the [Ukrainian] conflict because we are certain that it should be ended."

"Now, Iran has an opportunity to export something of its own to a country that is not only very important to it but a country that may rely on Iranian technology in the long term," he said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to say if Moscow had any plans to purchase Iranian drones. He said Russian President Vladimir Putin was not planning to discuss the issue during his July 19 trip to Tehran.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian appeared to reject the U.S. claim. During a trip to Italy on July 13, Amir-Abdollahian told the La Repubblica daily that Iran would avoid taking any actions that could lead to an escalation in the war in Ukraine. He did not say if Iran's military cooperation with Russia included the sales of combat drones.

"We have various forms of cooperation with Russia, including in the sphere of defense, but we are not helping either side involved in the [Ukrainian] conflict because we are certain that it should be ended," Amir-Abdollahian was quoted as saying.

Iran's Javan daily, which is affiliated with the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), on July 12 suggested that those with "deep" knowledge of Tehran's drone program were not surprised by Sullivan's claim. The daily claimed that Iranian drones were "superior" to Chinese and in some cases "even to Western ones and those made by [Israel.]"

Javan claimed that Iranian drones could be useful to Russia for high-altitude and tactical reconnaissance missions, destroying targets in enemy territory, directing artillery fire, and electronic warfare.

"Iran also has requirements in some defense fields that can be met in the form of purchasing products or receiving scientific and technical cooperation and experiences from the Russian side," the daily said.

Others in the country suggested that the U.S. claim was an attempt to raise pressure on Tehran and restore an international arms embargo against the Islamic republic that expired in 2020 in line with the 2015 nuclear deal between world powers and Iran.

"It seems that the United States is attempting to distort Iran's neutrality policy for public opinion and put Iran in the hostile camp [along with Russia]," analyst Mohammad Gheysari told the news site Tabnak.
Iran has condemned a decision by a Swedish court to sentence former Iranian prison official Hamid Nouri to life in prison for crimes committed during a 1988 purge of dissidents in Iran.

"Iran is absolutely certain that Nouri's sentence was politically motivated and it has no legal validity," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said in a statement.

Nouri, 61, was convicted of a "serious crime against international law" and "murder," the Stockholm district court said in a statement on July 14.

"The sentence is life imprisonment," it said. Nouri can appeal the verdict and sentence.

The court said Nouri participated in the executions of many political prisoners in Iran in the summer of 1988" and had the role of assistant to the deputy prosecutor at the Gohardasht prison in Karaj, Iran, "jointly and in collusion with others been involved in the executions."

Amnesty International called the verdict unprecedented and said it sends a message to Iranian authorities.

Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty Internationals deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement that survivors and relatives of thousands of political dissidents who were killed have waited decades for justice.

"With this first-ever ruling against an Iranian official, albeit in a European court, they have finally witnessed an Iranian official held to account for these crimes," she said.

Eltahawy also said the ruling should serve as a wakeup call to the international community to tackle the "crisis of impunity that prevails in Iran" and urged the UN Human Rights Council to set up a mechanism to investigate serious crimes committed in the country, including the thousands of unresolved disappearances.

Nouri was arrested at a Stockholm airport in 2019 and was charged with war crimes for the mass execution and torture of political prisoners at the Gohardasht prison in Karaj in 1988.

The killings targeted members of the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO), a political-militant organization that advocated the overthrow of Iran's clerical regime.

The group fought alongside the Iraqi Army, which was at war with Iran at the time, the Swedish prosecutors said, adding that Irans then supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issued an order for the execution of all prisoners in Iranian prisons who sympathized with and remained loyal to the MKO.

Amnesty International estimated that at least 5,000 people were executed on Khomeini's orders, saying in a 2018 report that "the real number could be higher." Iran has never acknowledged the killings.

Sweden's principle of universal jurisdiction allows its courts to try a person on serious charges such as murder or war crimes regardless of where the alleged offenses took place.

Nouri is the only person so far to be tried in the mass executions. He has denied the charges.

The trial, which began in August 2021, is particularly sensitive in Iran, where current government figures have been accused of having a role in the 1988 deaths, most notably President Ebrahim Raisi.

Raisi, a former chief of Iran's judiciary, has denied involvement in the killings, and Tehran has called Nouri's trial illegal.

"Sweden should provide the grounds for the release of Nouri as soon as possible," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani told a news conference on July 13.

Some in the West have expressed concerns about possible reprisals against Western prisoners held by Tehran. Two Swedish-Iranian citizens are on death row in Iran.

With reporting by AFP and Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a bill expanding the definition of so-called foreign agents to include anyone who is "under foreign influence," a change that critics say will make it even easier for the state to target its domestic critics.

The law signed on July 14 will come into force on December 1.

Under the old version of the law, prosecutors had to assert that an individual charged as a foreign agent had to receive financial or material assistance from abroad.

Russia has used its so-called foreign agent laws for the past decade to label and punish critics of government policies.

The amended law also broadens the definition of political activities to include a vague clause covering any activities that "contradict the national interests of the Russian Federation."

Individuals who are officially labeled as foreign agents will no longer be able to receive state grants for creative activities, work as teachers, organize public events, or work for organizations that distribute information.

According to the law, the four existing registries of foreign agents will be merged and a new list will be created to register all individuals tagged as foreign agents.

Among other things, that designation requires nongovernmental organizations that receive foreign assistance and which the government claims are engaged in political activities to register as foreign agents, to publicly identify themselves as such, and to submit to cumbersome audits.

They also must label any content they produce with an intrusive disclaimer or face criminal fines for not doing so. Kremlin critics say the foreign agent designation is also intended to stigmatize any independent civic activity in Russia.

The foreign agent law has been increasingly used by officials to shutter civil society and media groups in Russia.

The original 2012 legislation, which targeted NGOs and rights groups, has since been expanded to target media organizations, individual journalists, YouTube vloggers, and virtually anyone who receives money from outside of Russia and, in the eyes of the Kremlin, voices a political opinion.

Many of RFE/RL's Russian-language services and 18 of its Russian-national journalists have been added to the government's foreign agents lists.

The U.S. government-funded independent broadcaster suspended its physical operations in Russia in March after local tax authorities initiated bankruptcy proceedings against its Russian entity and police intensified pressure on its journalists. The bankruptcy proceedings stemmed from the company's refusal to comply with the labeling mandate or pay the millions of dollars in fines that accrued for not doing so.

RFE/RL has rejected the foreign agent label and insists upon the independence and integrity of its journalism.
Russian missiles struck the historic town of Vinnytsya in central Ukraine on July 14 in another air strike that left scores of civilians dead and injured.

Ukrainian authorities said at least 23 people, including three children, were killed in the midday attack on a city hundreds of kilometers from the front line, which came as EU officials convened in The Hague to discuss war crimes in Ukraine.

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, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.

State Emergency Services said at least 52 people were injured. The city council in Vinnytsya said many of them were in serious or critical condition. At least 39 people remain unaccounted for.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said three children were among those killed and tweeted what he said was a photo of the body of one of the children. Most of the image of the body, pictured lying near a stroller, was obscured.

"This is terrorism," Kuleba said. "Deliberate murder of civilians to spread fear. Russia is a terrorist state and must be legally recognized as such."

Several buildings in the city center were damaged, according to rescuers, and 25 cars in a parking lot caught fire.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called the attack "an open act of terrorism.

"Every day, Russia kills civilians, kills Ukrainian children, carries out missile attacks on the civilian facilities where there is no military target. What is this, if not an open act of terrorism?" Zelenskiy said on Telegram.

In an address later to EU officials at The Hague, Zelenskiy said there were eight rockets, two of which hit the center of the city. He led a moment of silence before urging European and International Criminal Court officials to open a special tribunal into Russia's invasion.

"I believe it is inevitable that the International Criminal Court will bring accountability to those guilty of crimes under its jurisdiction: war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide."

The European Union strongly condemned the attack as an "atrocity" and said it is the "latest in a long series of brutal attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure."

"There can be no impunity for violations and crimes committed by the Russian forces and their political superiors," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and commissioner for crisis management Janez Lenarcic said in a statement.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the strikes on Vinnytsya, calling for those responsible to be held accountable.

Guterres is "appalled by today's missile attack against the city of Vinnytsya in central Ukraine," spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

Vinnytsya, a city of 370,000 people, dates back to the Middle Ages, founded in 1363, according to the citys website.

Russia denies deliberately attacking civilians, despite video evidence showing otherwise and the widespread destruction of Ukrainian cities.

RT editor in chief Margarita Simonyan in a tweet quoted the Russian Defense Ministry as saying the site was a housing unit for Ukrainian military officers.

Ukraine's Operational Command South said earlier on July 14 that its forces struck at least three Russian military sites in southern Ukraine as they intensified their counteroffensive in the region while Russia maintained its shelling of towns and cities in the east, south, and center of the country.

The command said Ukrainian forces had hit two military checkpoints and a landing pad in the second strike this week on Nova Kakhovka in the Kherson region, a Russian-held area in the south. It said 13 Russian "occupiers" had been killed.

Ukraine said its earlier strike on Nova Kakhovka hit a Russian ammunition depot and killed 52 soldiers. The towns Russia-installed authorities said at least seven civilians were killed in that assault.

Ukraine's attacks in the south followed an announcement by Kyiv that it was amassing hundreds of thousands of troops in the region to prepare for a major offensive to recapture territory there while Russian forces set their focus on capturing the Donbas region, which consists of the eastern provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk.

Battlefield claims on either side of the conflict could not be independently verified.

Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of Ukraines Donetsk regional military administration, said three civilians were killed and five injured in shelling in the Donetsk region, including two people in the town of Chasiv Yar.

Chasiv Yar, with a population of about 12,000 people, was the site of a Russian rocket attack on an apartment building on July 9 that killed 48, an assault Ukrainian officials called a war crime.

With reporting by RFE/RL's s Ukrainian Service, AP, AFP, and Reuters
U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid jointly pledged to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, although the two allies remained divided on specific ways to deal with Tehran.

"We will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon," Biden told a news conference on July 14 following the joint signing of the Jerusalem Declaration during the U.S. presidents first Middle East trip since taking office in January 2021.

The statement also reaffirmed Washingtons support for Israel's regional military edge and its ability "to defend itself by itself."

"The United States stresses that integral to this pledge is the commitment never to allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon, and that it is prepared to use all elements of its national power to ensure that outcome," the statement added.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said Iran will have a "harsh and regrettable response" to any "mistake" committed by Washington or its allies.

"The great nation of Iran will not accept any insecurity or crisis in the region, and Washington and its allies should know that any mistake will be met by a harsh and regrettable response from Iran," Raisi said during a speech.

Lapid said after the signing that "the only way to stop a nuclear Iran is if Iran knows the free world will use force."

Israel and the United States still differ on specific policy toward Iran.

Biden has said he wants to return the United States to the landmark 2015 nuclear deal that Iran signed with world powers while he was vice president under President Barack Obama.

But then-President Donald Trump pulled out of the pact in 2018, saying Iran was not living up to the terms of the deal and was financing terror in the Middle East, a claim Tehran has denied.

On-and-off negotiations are being conducted between Iran and Western powers looking to revive the pact. Israel, a bitter rival to Iran, has opposed the nuclear deal, fearing the terms could lead to Tehran eventually developing nuclear weapons.

Biden, speaking to Israeli TV, said the deal represents the best opportunity to block Iran's attempts to develop a nuclear bomb.

"The only thing worse than the Iran which exists now is an Iran with nuclear weapons, and if we can return to the deal we can hold them tight," he said.

When asked if the United States could use force if needed, he responded, "If that was the last resort, yes."

Opponents of the pact have said the sanctions relief tied to the deal would provide Tehran additional money to support its proxy forces in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iraq.

Biden will also likely face continued opposition from Saudi Arabia when he travels to the Gulf nation later in the week. Sunni Muslim-led Saudi Arabia is also a bitter rival to Shiite-majority Iran, with both competing for influence in the region.

With reporting by Reuters and AFP
Volunteers are pictured last December setting up for the Christmas Blessings program at Christian Hill Community Church. A "Christmas in July" pasta dinner on Aug. 6 will raise funds to buy toys that will be given out to families from West Warwick and beyond during the 2022 holiday season.
Bank of America is facing $225 million in fines from the federal government after it automatically and unlawfully froze the accounts of Californians and people in other states applying for unemployment benefits during the height of the pandemic, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Bank of America has an exclusive contract with the California Employment Development Department to provide electronic services and debit cards for people to access unemployment and other benefits.

The CFPB said it is fining the bank $100 million for freezing accounts of people who were in desperate need of benefits during the darkest days of the pandemics economic effects, and giving them virtually no options to access the needed funds when there was no fraud present.

That money will be deposited into a victims relief fund, while the separate Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is fining the bank an additional $125 million to be sent to the Treasury Department.

Taxpayers relied on banks to distribute needed funds to families and small businesses to rescue the economy from collapse when the pandemic hit, CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said in an emailed statement.

In an email, the bank said it had consented to the agreements. Bank of America said it did not admit or deny any of what the the CFPB said had occurred.

Bank of America was hired by states to administer unemployment payments and the states were responsible for reviewing and approving applications and directing us to issue payments, the company said in an email.

The bank previously handled the unemployment benefits for 12 states but now administers benefits only for California.

The bank said it distributed more than $250 billion in pandemic unemployment benefits to more than 14 million people and overall distributed more pandemic relief to Americans than any other bank.

The statement pointed to government acknowledgment that the rapid expansion of pandemic unemployment benefits and programs led to increased fraud, some of it brazen and public, to the tune of billions of dollars.

The EDD has since contracted with identity verification company ID.me, which it says has so far prevented $125 billion in attempted fraud.

Bank of America partnered with its state clients to identify and fight fraud throughout the pandemic. For example, we worked with California to identify hundreds of thousands of suspicious cards and assisted the state in protecting billions of dollars, the company said.

The EDD responded to a request for comment but did not immediately address emailed questions.

The agency froze up to 1.4 million accounts because of suspected fraud, locking many people out of benefits and into a spiral of trying to prove their identity that went on for weeks or months.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

The expansion of federal pandemic unemployment relief led to an avalanche of identity theft that affected people with legitimate EDD accounts and prepaid debits cards, as well as fraudulent applications for benefits filed by criminals, the CFPB said.

The agency said Bank of America replaced individual fraud investigations with an automated process that relied on a series of red flags and froze accounts with a too-low bar for doing so. People were virtually unable to unfreeze their accounts once locked out and were unable to make reports at bank branches or online.

The bank no longer uses that automated system and investigates accounts flagged for fraud manually before freezing them.

Call centers also failed to operate 24/7 as promised, the CFPB said, and the bank repeatedly referred customers back to an overwhelmed EDD to verify their identity, despite meeting with the department dozens of times in the summer of 2020 and should have known it was essentially redirecting people into a black hole.

The bank will be required to pay back the money it wrongfully denied to people using its faulty fraud filter, and provide each affected person a lump-sum payment as compensation.

Chase DiFeliciantonio is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: chase.difeliciantonio@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ChaseDiFelice
Summer Rogers had her heart set on solar panels.

She had wanted to make her El Cerrito duplex more environmentally friendly for years. The opportunity came in 2019 when the roof of the home, which she owns with her mother, needed to be replaced. Solar was easy to add.

Its been one of the best decisions weve made as far as investment in our home, she said.

Shes not sure shed make the same choice today.

The pandemic and supply chain issues have roiled Californias rooftop solar industry, and theres an even bigger issue: State regulators are considering rolling back key incentive programs that have helped make California the biggest U.S. market for solar. Bay Area solar installers say they are struggling, despite the industrys steady growth across the state in recent years.

I really want to be an affordable solar company, said J.P. Rapagnani, co-CEO of Sutro Power, based in San Francisco. Growing up in the city, he wanted to be a part of the green revolution. But right now, he said, thats hard to achieve.

Its a nightmare dancing around the various rules, he said.

The uncertainty stems from a proposal to reduce state-established credits for surplus solar power  power produced by rooftop panels over and above what is needed by the home, a system called net metering  and also add an extra fee for homeowners with solar. The plan, which was initially proposed in December, caused public protests and an outcry from solar leaders.

Regulators said changes are needed to more accurately reflect the cost of maintaining existing grid infrastructure like power lines, which solar users pay little for but still rely on. The proposal was indefinitely delayed in February, and the commission made some adjustments in May and sought additional input in June. Its unclear when the commission will hold a vote on the proposed plan.

Terrie Prosper, director of the California Public Utilities Commissions news and outreach office, said changes were proposed in an effort to comply with AB327, which required the CPUC to reform net metering. Established in 1995, the program has allowed rooftop solar to thrive in California by paying homeowners a relatively high rate for the excess power they produce. More than 1 million homes across the state have panels, creating around 5,900 megawatts of capacity through 2020, which is close to 3 times the capacity of the states last remaining nuclear plant (though solar power is not produced around the clock, unlike nuclear).

The bill required the CPUC to ensure that customer-generated forms of energy continue to grow sustainably, but also to ensure that the total benefits are approximately equal to the total costs, according to Prosper.

At the heart of the new proposal is a potential reduction in benefits for some customers sooner than expected. Consumers who installed and connected solar panels prior to the potential adoption of new rules expected to be locked into the pre-existing benefits for at least 20 years, according to Bernadette Del Chiaro, executive director of the California Solar & Storage Association.

Under the current program, solar customers are able to fulfill their own energy needs directly through their solar panels, and receive a credit on their electric bills for any surplus energy they produce. They still pay certain charges that support low-income and energy efficiency programs, in addition to a one-time fee to connect their panels to the grid, usually around $75 to $145 depending on the utility company.

The proposal would shorten the lifespan of those benefits by five years. It would also, importantly, impose a fee on solar customers based on the size of their systems so that solar customers pay for a share of the costs of maintaining the electric grid  something those without solar panels must also pay for. Customers who are low-income, living in a disadvantaged community or living on tribal lands would be exempt.

For a moderate-size system of seven kilowatts, the new fee could translate to an extra $56 a month, or $672 a year.

Jessica Christian / The Chronicle

If the CPUCs changes are adopted, the new rules, with their diminished incentives and the new grid participation charge, would take effect for existing rooftop solar power users after only 15 years.

The worst thing for an industry is fits and starts, Del Chiaro said.

Potential clients now fall into two categories, installers say  those who want to install panels as soon as possible to benefit from the current incentives, and those who want to wait until the CPUC has made a final decision, in case the incentives are ratcheted down and they dont want to pursue solar.

Theres a certain amount of suspicion; people want certainty, particularly now, said Jeanine Cotter, president and CEO of Luminalt, a solar installer based in San Francisco.

Solar advocates and city officials across California are urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to reject the changes. Dozens of city governments and local officials, including the city of Berkeley and the mayor of Oakland, signed a petition in support of protecting solar net metering and efforts to continue growing rooftop solar.

Dave Rosenfeld, executive director of the group Solar Rights Alliance, said the potential changes are causing immense anxiety for people who have already invested in panels.

This would be the death of solar, he said.

Rogers, in El Cerrito, installed her panels shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic. She called the potential reduction in benefits from 20 to 15 years outrageous, and even though she was motivated primarily by the environmental benefits, she noted that solar panels are not a small investment.

Most people dont have money to just throw around on installing solar panels, she said.

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If the proposed changes are adopted, Rogers said her electricity bill with solar panels would  during some months  likely exceed or match what she was paying before installing them. It seems so unfair that you can generate your own energy and still have a higher bill, she said.

Currently, Rogers panels generate enough energy in the summer months that she never pays more than $30 per month during the winter, when she is using her electricity and heating more often. Before she installed the panels, she was paying around $200 in the winter months.

In the summer months, when she is using less energy, her bill is small. Before installing the panels, she paid around $40 a month in the summer. With the CPUCs changes, she would be paying at least $50  more in the summer than if she had never installed the panels.

Regulatory uncertainty isnt the only headwind facing the industry in California  global supply chain snarls and the pandemic have also hindered panel installation.

In order to be more affordable amid the instability, Rapagnani said Sutro Power  which was founded just two years ago  takes a smaller profit so that clients can pay less. Its difficult, he said.

To help ease the supply chain squeeze, President Biden moved in June to institute a two-year pause on additional tariffs and duties on imported Chinese solar panels. The Commerce Department had been investigating allegations of forced labor by Chinese manufacturers, but the administration hoped the two-year safe harbor would help spur construction of new solar power projects.

Even so, small installers continue to struggle.

Cotter said Luminalt often has a hard time finding basic materials such as breakers and subpanels amid shortages.

Del Chiaro argues that even amid the uncertainty, consumers should still consider adding solar panels to their homes. Blackouts, heat waves and the ever-present risk of wildfires in California make solar an attractive alternative to utilities. And, once built, the panels are a guaranteed source of electricity.

The sun shines almost every day, she said. It still is one of the best things you can do to invest in your home.

Chronicle data reporter Yoohyun Jung contributed to this report.

Emma Talley is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: emma.talley@sfchronicle.com
A federal appeals court revived a French copyright-holder's claim Wednesday for $2.68 million in damages from a San Francisco art editor who published a reference book that contained photos of Pablo Picasso paintings.

Nearly 16,000 photographs of Picassos works, taken from 1932 to 1970, were published in a 22-volume catalog after the artists death in 1973. In 1995, the art editor, Alan Wofsy, reproduced 1,492 of the photos in The Picasso Project, a publication he offered for sale at a Paris book fair.

After a French court found copyright violations and prohibited Wofsy from making further use of the photos, the copyright-holder, Yves de Fontbrune, found copies of Wofsys publication in a bookstore. The High Court of Paris awarded damages, and de Fontbrune sued in California to enforce the judgment.

The damages were initially thrown out by a federal judge. In a 2019 ruling, U.S. District Judge Edward Davila of San Jose said Wofsy was protected by the U.S. legal doctrine of fair use, which allows publishers to display copyrighted works for different uses than those intended by their creator.

Davila noted that Wofsys book had photos of fewer than 10% of paintings shown in the French catalog, and the intended audience was libraries and academic institutions, not art collectors.

But the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said Wednesday that Wofsy had not shown he was making fair use of copyrighted material because his actual use of the paintings shown in the catalog was to copy them.

The use of the copyrighted photographs was commercial and non-transformative, the court said in a 3-0 ruling. Varying uses by future viewers are largely irrelevant to the legal issue, the court said, quoting rulings in other copyright cases.

Wofsy also denied causing any harm to the copyright-holder, noting that auction prices for the original catalog had risen since his book was published. In his 2019 ruling, Davila said this was evidence that the two publications have distinctly separate markets and do not compete.

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But the appeals court said the increased overall value of the copyrighted catalog proves nothing about the effect on the market for the disputed photographs that Wofsy published. U.S. law presumes commercial publication of copyrighted material causes financial harm, the court said, and it is at least highly debatable that Wofsy can justify his actions by claiming fair use.

The panel ordered the case returned to Davila for further proceedings. The ruling was written by Joan Ericksen, a U.S. District Court judge from Minnesota temporarily assigned to the Ninth Circuit, and joined by Appeals Court Judges Andrew Hurwitz and Lawrence VanDyke.

Wofsys lawyer, Neil Popovic, said the ruling would still allow Wofsy to defend against the damages by showing that de Fontbrune no longer owned the rights to the Picasso catalog when he sued in the French court. Popovic said he could also appeal the ruling.

Bob Egelko is a Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
The ride-hailing giant Uber, already battling for its future in court, was hit Wednesday with a lawsuit accusing it of turning a blind eye to repeated sexual assaults by its drivers.

The abuses are a product of a toxic-male culture ... which started at the very top of Uber by placing profits and growth over safety above all else, said the suit, filed in Superior Court in San Francisco, Ubers home city. The plaintiffs were five women, all identified as Jane Does, but attorney Michael Carney said his law firm, Slater Slater Schulman, plans to file similar claims on behalf of about 550 women and men.

The suit said Uber became aware as early as 2014 that its drivers were sexually assaulting and raping female passengers but did virtually nothing to prevent the attacks. The same year, Carney said in the court filing, Uber began charging passengers a $1 Safe Rides Fee and advertised that it would be used for background checks and other safety measures, but instead simply pocketed the money.

The case comes as Uber and other companies such as Lyft and DoorDash are in a separate legal battle with potentially huge financial consequences.

After California lawmakers passed legislation that classified the companies drivers as employees  with rights to minimum wages, overtime and workers compensation  rather than independent contractors, the companies spent more than $200 million in 2020 in a successful campaign to pass Proposition 22, a ballot measure that redefined the drivers as contractors.

But an Alameda County judge struck down Prop. 22 last August, saying it violated the Legislatures authority under the state Constitution to regulate workers compensation. The case is now awaiting review in a state appeals court.

Wednesdays lawsuit alleged that Uber has a similar policy of denying responsibility for drivers who abuse passengers.

The company does not fingerprint prospective drivers or seriously check their backgrounds and refuses to report claims of assault to police, the suit said. It also quoted a 2019 Washington Post report that said Uber had a three-strikes policy for drivers, allowing them to keep their jobs after the first two complaints of abuse, and sometimes even after additional complaints.

Uber brought in former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder in 2017 to look into its operations. Carney quoted Holder as finding infractions across hundreds of global offices, including sexual assault and physical violence.

The company has also issued its own safety reports. The most recent report, for 2019-20, said there had been 3,824 complaints of sexual abuse during rides including 388 claims of rape, which Uber said was a considerable decline from the previous two years.

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The lead plaintiff in the suit said an Uber driver in Chino Hills (San Bernardino County) grabbed her, digitally penetrated her and tried to rape her this February. Another plaintiff said a driver in Perris (Riverside County) raped her in his car last November. The suit did not say whether either woman reported the attack to police.

The suit accuses Uber of negligent hiring and supervision, and of responsibility for the crimes of its drivers. It seeks unspecified damages, including punitive damages.

In response to the suit, Uber said, Sexual assault is a horrific crime and we take every single report seriously. There is nothing more important than safety, which is why Uber has built new safety features, established survivor-centric policies, and been more transparent about serious incidents.

The company also provided what it described as background information on its safety measures, which it said included checks on drivers criminal records, procedures for passengers to report safety problems during rides, and information-sharing with Lyft on drivers who have been deactivated from each companys platform.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
Rafe Swan/Getty Image

A 15-year-old boy from Berkeley was arrested in connection with a sexual assault that was reported on the campus of Berkeley High School in May.

The teen was arrested at his home on June 15, Berkeley police reported, and booked at juvenile hall for an alleged assault during school hours, around 12:40 p.m. on May 20. Both the accused perpetrator and the victim are students at Berkeley High, police said.
A full moon may wash out most shooting stars during the peak of the Perseids, but the Bay Area still will have a few chances to see one of the years brightest meteor showers.

Starting Sunday, July 17, people who gaze up at the dark sky will catch some streaks among the stars from the Perseids meteor shower. Expect about 40 meteors per hour, but during particularly intense storms, viewers may see as many as 120 per hour, said Andrew Fraknoi, the emeritus chair of the astronomy department at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills.

The full moon peaks Aug. 11, just one day before the Perseids peak on Aug. 12, and the moonlight is expected to outshine some of the faintest streaks from the shower.

But if the particles from the breakup of Comet Swift-Tuttle, the showers parent body, hit a large cloud of cosmic dust while intersecting with the Earths orbit, theres a chance of seeing brighter meteors.

The good news is the Perseids are unpredictable and sometimes have quite bright shooting stars, fireballs that are so bright they may look like fireworks, Fraknoi said.

The Perseids appear to come from the constellation Perseus, but will be visible across the entire night sky.

Kevin Key / Slworking/Kevin Key via Getty Images

A smaller meteor shower is also expected to appear around the same time as the Perseids  the Delta Aquariids.

This meteor shower, which appears to come from the constellation Aquarius, peaks around July 29, the day after the new moon, according to the American Meteor Society.

Although far fainter than the Perseids, the Delta Aquariids appearance during the new moon may make up for the full moons interruption of what is regarded as one of the best meteor showers of the year among astronomy experts.

Theyre not as fast as the Perseids, but they also have reports of characteristic colors such as yellow and blue, rather than the white streaks of the Perseids, which flash by quickly, said Paul Lynam, an astronomer at UC Santa Cruzs Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Stargazers observing the sky around the peak of the Delta Aquariids may see around five to 10 shooting stars per hour.

Because the Perseids will also be active around late July, its possible to see meteors from both showers at that time, Lynam said. It wont be easy to differentiate which streak comes from which shower.

To see the meteor showers, experts recommend heading out to a dark sky spot in the Bay Area. Locally, some of the best spots include Del Valle Reservoir near Livermore and Henry Coe State Park in Morgan Hill, according to the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers.

Allow at least 10 minutes  preferably longer  for your eyes to adapt to the dark. Dont use binoculars or a telescope, because that limits the field of vision.

Both the Perseids and Delta Aquariids are best viewed between midnight and around 5 a.m., an hour before the sun rises in San Francisco.

Gwendolyn Wu (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: gwendolyn.wu@sfchronicle.com
The affluent neighborhood of Northgate in Walnut Creek will not be allowed to secede from the Mt. Diablo Unified School District and form its own school district in Contra Costa County, the California State Board of Education decided Wednesday.

In rejecting the petition by residents of the Northgate portion of the district, the 11-member state board unanimously affirmed an earlier decision by the Contra Costa County Committee on School District Organization.

The state went along with the county decision largely because the proposal would carve out the highest performing and least diverse schools in Mt. Diablo Unified and adversely affect the remainder of the district.

The proposal also was determined to be exclusionary and promoting racial segregation. The proposed Northgate Unified School District would have been 50% white, while the remaining schools in the district would be 25% white.

The report said that the new district would have 9% non-English speakers as opposed to 26% in the remainder of the district.

It also said that creation of a new district was an attempt to isolate Northgate High, which is both the newest and highest-performing high school in the district, from the lesser-performing high schools in Mt. Diablo Unified.

We do not need to start segregating our schools again. That was back in the 60s, Vanessa Miranda, a cook in the district, said during public testimony. We need to stand together.

But Linda Loza, chief proponent of the measure, touted the 6,700 signatures supporters gathered purportedly representing Northgate residents who wanted to vote on the issue in an election, which would have been the final step had the state board decided to uphold the petition.

Our mission is to create a smaller, community-based public school district that will be more accountable to the community, Loza said. Our quest has always been about the children. It has never been about exclusivity, race, real estate values, etc. We never imagined that this would be an insurmountable feat plagued with nasty behavior.

The proposed Northgate Unified School District would have included Northgate High School, Foothill Middle School and Bancroft, Valle Verde and Walnut Acres elementary schools, all in Walnut Creek.

These schools are part of a sprawling district that spreads 28,000 students across 53 schools in all grades. It includes Concord, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Clayton, Pittsburg and Lafayette, and reaches as far as the Pacheco, Bay Point and Clyde communities.

According to the Mt. Diablo Unified website, 47% of children in the school district are Hispanic and 28% white. Nearly half the students come from low-income families and 20% are learning English.

In addition to failing to meet all of the minimum conditions for approval, the (California Department of Education) did not find any compelling local educational needs or concerns that would be addressed by the unification proposal, read the state board staff report. Further, the proposed unification would remove the most affluent area of the Mt. Diablo USD in order to create a smaller, less diverse, more affluent school district.

Contra Costa County officials had previously determined that supporters of breaking up the school district did not meet the minimum requirements needed to secede. In 2018, the county committee voted 3-2 against the split, saying it would diminish the existing district.

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The secession movement has been going on in one form or another for at least a decade.

Im angry and disappointed that anyone is allowed to create a new district for white people to pick and choose its students, said one caller during public comment Wednesday.

This is 2022, these white people cant be segregating all of us colored folk, said another.

Even the principal of Northgate High, Kelly Cooper, called the proposed new district blatantly segregationist, in urging the board to deny the petition.

Had the measure passed it would then have been put to the voters to determine if Northgate would be allowed to secede from the school district and form its own.

We all want the chance to vote on the opportunity to create a new school district, said Loza.

Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SamWhitingSF
The avalanche seems to starts off slow, like whipped cream melting off a sundae. But the icy flow picks up speed as it heads downhill, crests an embankment and finally explodes into a huge cloud of ice particles that engulfs the hapless videographer  who miraculously survives  in seconds.

The extraordinary footage was from a massive glacier collapse in Kyrgyzstan on July 8, and though it did not cause significant injuries, it was the second major avalanche caused by a glacier collapse in a single week. The first, which occurred in Italys Dolomites on July 3, killed 11.

Could something similar happen in California, home to seven glaciers on Mount Shasta and many more along the crest of the Sierra Nevada?

Now Playing: Video of the Kyrgyz glacier collapse Video: Harry Shimmin via ViralHog

Glaciers are enormous bodies of ice known for moving at a snails pace, not careening off mountains like waterfalls. But the video provided a rare and terrifying glimpse into the effect that warming temperatures can have on them. The events in Kyrgyzstan and Italy happened during high-altitude heatwaves. And the mountains of California  a state thats seen plenty of record-breaking heat in recent years  are not immune.

On Mount Shasta, there are two glaciers  Konwakiton and Hotlum  that could fall, experts say, though theyre smaller and thinner than those that collapsed in Europe and Asia, and the chances are remote. If it happened, a glacier collapse on Shasta would be more similar to Italys than Kyrgyzstans, said Mauri Pelto, director of the North Cascades Glacier Climate Project and a professor of environmental science at Nichols College in Massachusetts.

Rather than the flowing avalanche in Kyrgyzstans Tian Shan mountains, the disaster on Italys Marmolada mountain involved a slab of ice falling off the glacier.

It didnt travel that far. It wasnt that big. It just happened to be in a more populous area, said Pelto, who has monitored the dramatic retreat of Mount Shastas glaciers over recent years.

The one in Kyrgyzstan covered a lot more ground.

What really struck me was the avalanche had so much momentum that once it hit the gently rolling but generally flat terrain, it kept rolling at really high speed, said Kurt Cuffey, a professor at UC Berkeleys department of geography. He said trillions of little particles of falling ice compressed the air beneath them and mixed with it, creating a cushion the avalanche could ride on. Its a really well-lubricated flow.

Since those dramatic events, Europe has seen more record-breaking heat, epitomized by images of white blankets draped over glaciers in the Swiss Alps that are brought out during summers to prevent melting.

In California, the current glaciers began forming around A.D. 1350 in the Little Ice Age, which ended around 1850. During periods when the climate cools, snow hardens as it accumulates on mountains and compacts into glacier ice.

If there is enough excessive glacier ice, the ice will start flowing like a tongue down down the valleys, said Slawek Tulaczyk, professor of earth sciences at UC Santa Cruz. And then as the climate warms and the process reverses, the tongue of the glacier shrinks.

Tulaczyk suspects the tongue of the Marmolada glacier in Italy had likely retreated, leaving the rest of the glacier on a steeper section without a buttress to hold it in place.

On Mount Shasta, at-risk spots are on similar steep slopes. Pelto points to three locations toward the peak on the north and southeast faces of the mountain that luckily are in wilderness areas near the peak and not above widely used areas, though one is near an advanced climbing route.

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However, because the Shasta glaciers are fairly small and thin, there is less potential for harm, Pelto said. Mount Shasta rangers maintain an avalanche center to provide forecasts on the risk of an avalanche from snowpack; the risk of one caused by a glacier is generally not a concern, said Tyanna Blaschak, a hydrologist and earth scientist for the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, which manages the mountain and surrounding lands.

The glaciers in the Sierra Nevada are even less risky because they are generally situated in what are called cirques, cradled in concave basins of rock.

Though theyre generally in areas of steep topography, the glaciers themselves are not so steep that I could see them collapsing, said Greg Stock, park geologist at Yosemite National Park, which has two main glaciers in its boundaries and others nearby. What I imagine them to do is to keep melting at a pretty rapid pace.

Some of the largest Sierra Nevada glaciers lost 70% of their surface area between the early 1900s and 2014, according to the California Environmental Protection Agency, similar to whats happening in alpine areas worldwide.

Californians have a much higher chance of dying in an avalanche from regular snow pack in winter than in a glacier collapse, said Cuffey. On Mount Shasta, the greatest risk from melting glaciers are landslides, such as several last year that were made worse by the drought because there was a lack of snow to insulate the glaciers. (The U.S. Geological Survey uses seismic monitoring stations to track those debris flows.)

California has some pretty big hazard issues  earthquakes, fires, landslides, floods, said Cuffey. Fortunately or unfortunately, an avalanche caused by a glacier collapse is far down on the list of things we have to deal with.

Tara Duggan (she/her/hers) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tduggan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @taraduggan
A community college in the East Bay is offering a semester of free tuition and many other perks to most of its students in the coming months  a nod to the continuing challenges they face due to the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said.

Laney College, near Lake Merritt in Oakland, announced Wednesday that students who complete the FAFSA federal student aid application or the California Dream Act application can receive free tuition, textbooks, student health fees, bus passes, meals, weekly produce boxes and rental Chromebooks for the fall semester.

Students who fill out either application are eligible, regardless of whether they have qualified for financial aid in the past, according to a news release. International students are not eligible.

Now more than ever, we must recognize that college costs that go beyond tuition represent barriers to success for so many students, whether they are working adults attending part-time or high school graduates, Laney College President Rudy Besikof said in a statement.

Anything (our students) struggled with before the pandemic was made 10 times worse because of COVID, said Larena Baldazo, public information officer for Laney College. This effort is really serving as a way to make students have one less obstacle in their way ... we know that our communities are going through a lot.

Jessica Christian / The Chronicle

With about 17,000 students enrolled annually, the community college is the largest of four in the Peralta Community College District, which also includes Berkeley City College, Merritt College and College of Alameda. Laney College offers associate degrees, certificates and associate degrees for transfer.

Enrollment at the college and in the district as a whole has declined significantly in recent years, said Baldazo, adding that the pandemic made educational hurdles even more complicated.

Total enrollment had dropped by almost 20% over the past decade, The Chronicle reported last year.

Financial aid fraud has also plagued the Peralta district in recent years, which is part of why the college is using the FAFSA form process, Baldazo said.

During the pandemic, a flurry of bots and phantom students reportedly flooded the districts enrollment system in an attempt to collect financial aid, Oakandside reported. More than 3,000 fraudulent applications made it through the application process  and more than $179,000 in aid was doled out as a result, Peralta Colleges Board of Trustees said in a meeting last September.

Peralta has also turned a corner after major fiscal and management problems led to accreditors placing the district on probation in January 2020.

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In January 2022, the district announced in a press release that it had received an upgraded accreditation status  from probation to warning  though it remains on sanction by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. In March, Peraltas auditor gave the district a clean audit report, the district said.

A return to full accreditation is expected after a review by the commission in January 2023, the district said.

The district is in far better shape in terms of governance and finances in July 2022 than it was in 2019 when the data that drove the probation findings were gathered, said Mark Johnson, the districts Executive Director for marketing and communication.

Students interested in the free tuition program can find information about the Fall is Free program online at laney.edu/fall-is-free-at-laney/ or call the Fall is Free Helpdesk at 510-255-3507.

Annie Vainshtein (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: avainshtein@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @annievain
A report in The Chronicle heralded a settlement between San Francisco and opioid manufacturers Allergan and Teva for $54 million (Opioid makers settle suit in S.F., July 13). These two companies were responsible for drug addiction and deaths on the citys streets, and $54 million is a small amount to these pharmaceutical criminals who have contributed to the destruction of the quality of our lives.

In the same paper, the recently appointed interim district attorney, Brooke Jenkins, announced a crackdown on street drug dealers (D.A. plans crackdown on drug dealers).

The real criminals buy their way out of the consequences of their drug dealing while street dealers go to jail or prison.

David Simon and Ed Burns, co-creators of the HBO series The Wire, in recent comments called for an end to the war on drugs because it hasnt worked. That message hasnt gotten through to Jenkins.

Arresting street dealers while accepting millions from drug manufactures is a perfect example of two systems of justice. One for the rich and one for everyone else. As far as the rich are concerned, the only bars theyll see are those in their gated communities.

Sherry Gendelman, San Francisco

Reimagine S.F. nightlife

Regarding Could night mayor be dream come true for nightlife in S.F.? (Front Page, July 12): San Francisco has led the nightlife world in culture and technology for decades. However, it has not showcased or capitalized on that fact, costing the city and the nightlife community countless millions, while other cities attract crowds with ideas that started in the Bay.

I welcome any proactive efforts to develop this important sector. This is a complex area with many issues  but solutions also abound. There are many proven business models and permit processes from around the world that could be applied here. We urgently need to empower local artists and encourage reinvestment.

Most of all, we could use open forums to exchange and refine ideas from within the community and from others all over the world.

San Francisco is great. It just needs to pull itself together and show a bit of swagger.

Stefan Gosiewski, San Francisco

Antiabortion effort wins

Regarding For kids, future is scary (Insight, July 10): Vedika Jawas claim that Roe v. Wade was something that everyone was able to live with is ludicrous.

If it were true, we wouldnt be having the conversations we are having today. The antiabortion movement couldnt live with it. Evangelicals couldnt live with it. The Catholic Church couldnt live with it.

So, they did what our system asked them to do. They marched peacefully. They voted and got antiabortion legislators elected. These antiabortion legislators confirmed antiabortion judges. It was a Herculean effort but it succeeded.

If Jawas side wants to do the work and get a different result, more power to them.

Bill McGregor, Berkeley

Dont impose beliefs

Regarding A fetus is a human being who would be aborted (Letters to the Editor, July 13): The headline crystallizes the whole issue. Antiabortion activists have a religious belief that, from the moment of conception, a fertilized egg is a human being with rights that trump those of the mother whose egg was fertilized. Pro-choicers dont.

Those opposed to abortion have a right to live however they want but have no right to force other U.S. citizens to follow their religious beliefs.
UPDATE: California Gov. Gavin Newsom launches more ads attacking Republicans  this time in Texas

During a speech in May, Gov. Gavin Newsom proudly said he has a pro-life agenda.

The Planned Parenthood-endorsed Democrat wasnt announcing a reversal of his support for abortion rights. He was trying to wrest the term pro-life away from conservatives and redefine it to use against them.

If youre pro-life, you would actually support common-sense gun safety laws, you would be expanding after-school programs, Newsom said. The same folks that claim to be pro-life are cutting those programs.

Its a tactic Newsom has used often over the last few months. He ran ads in Florida on Independence Day arguing that freedom is under attack by Republican leaders there who have banned books, restricted speech in schools and passed laws to restrict womens access to abortions. He joined former President Donald Trumps new social media platform and posted that California had higher GDP growth than red states. He posted another video pointing out that eight of the 10 states with the highest murder rates are led by Republicans.

In each case, he took a value embraced by conservatives  freedom, economic strength, reducing crime  and tried to co-opt it.

The truth is there was an analysis done recently of the 14 states with the highest COVID death rates, and they all had one thing in common. They are all led by Republicans, he said in one video. So my question is a simple one. How do we define pro-life?

Taking your opponents slogans and redefining them is a difficult but worthwhile strategy, said George Lakoff, a cognitive science professor emeritus at UC Berkeley.

The question is whether he can pull it off, said Lakoff, who has written extensively about employing cognitive science in political messaging. Life and freedom are good things. You want to be in favor of them and you want people to think youre in favor of them.

Its a strategy Trump understands well, Lakoff said.

Trump, whose false claims were frequently debunked in news reports, would fire back by calling the reports on his inaccurate statements fake news, a term his supporters have embraced.

Anti-vaccine activists have done something similar with the slogan my body, my choice, which began as a rallying cry for abortion rights supporters but now can be seen frequently on signs at protests against government-mandated shots. During the pandemic, anti-mask protesters did the same with the phrase I cant breathe, which began as a slogan used by people opposing police violence  a reference to a plea made by George Floyd, Eric Garner and others before they were killed by police.

Dan Newman, a political strategist who works for Newsom, said its time for Democrats to fight back.

For too long, Republicans have had alarming success owning words and terms like pro-life, tough on crime, patriotism, fiscal responsibility, Newman said. Instead of turning the other cheek, its time to turn the tables.

Newman has argued Democrats should try a similar strategy in their campaign messaging on crime by rebranding their progressive criminal justice policies as better for public safety.

Liberals and conservatives share some of the same motivations for co-opting slogans and values from each other, even if their policy goals are in opposition. It gives both sides an opportunity to frame their policies in a positive light while taunting the other side by using their own words against them.

Melissa Michelson, a political science professor at Menlo College, said that in trying to redefine pro-life, Newsom is echoing a sentiment expressed by many liberals on social media.

He didnt invent it, its something a lot of progressives have been saying, she said. Its politically astute of the governor to pick up on that.

The strategy allows him to tap into liberals anger over the Supreme Court eliminating federal abortion rights protections, while at the same time promoting policies hes championed like health care expansion and robust pandemic response.

It also provides more fuel for speculation that he wants to run for president someday, despite his vehement insistence that he doesnt, Michelson said.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a frequent target of Newsoms and another politician often speculated to be eyeing a presidential run, is pushing back. In a fundraising email this week, the Republican governor contrasted the free state of Florida and the woke tyranny of Gavin Newsoms California.

Lets take a look at the record of the liberal elite in California, DeSantis wrote. 1. They locked their kids out of public schools at the behest of the teachers unions. 2. They forced small businesses to close with many never to re-open again. 3. They hobbled law enforcement and allowed drugs and crime to destroy their cities.

Staunch Republicans, like those likely to be on DeSantis email list, are unlikely to be swayed by Newsoms attempts to co-opt conservative talking points, said Kim Nalder, a political science professor at Sacramento State. But the tactic could sway some people in the middle. And it certainly will appeal to liberals who want to see their leaders point out what they see as hypocrisy on the right.

Its a very smart way to frame issues in terms of the values that people hold, Nalder said. Thats what people care about when they vote.  Framing things in terms of the values of the other side is probably the most likely way to convince people of your side.

Sophia Bollag is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sophia.bollag@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SophiaBollag
In the weeks since the Supreme Court handed down two major decisions  on Dobbs v. Jackson, handing abortion rights decisions to the states, and on New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, ruling that states could not pass restrictive laws on guns  people and pundits are again discussing the possibility of California seceding from the U.S. A CalExit if you will.

Thomas Elias of the Davis Enterprise addressed this in his syndicated column, and the San Francisco Chronicles political writer Joe Garofoli urged the state to either lead or secede.

As somebody who is repulsed by both these decisions and grateful California is positioning itself to be the heart of the resistance to an increasingly anti-democratic Supreme Court, I understand this sentiment.

Yet CalExit is a uniquely terrible idea, which would weaken economies and create civil unrest in both California and the U.S. it left behind.

Some may envision secession as an easy process. Californians go to the polls and vote, the legal wheels churn and in a few weeks or months the Republic of California is born and President Newsom is sworn in.

This is nonsense. If California were to try to secede, there is little reason to think the U.S. would let the state go easily. History  from the former Yugoslavia to the former Soviet Union  shows secession is never easy. If those examples seem far away, remember the last time a group of states tried to secede: The result was the Civil War.

California is too rich in resources, capital, real estate and industries for the U.S. to let it go. The U.S. without California would be a much poorer country, and all but the most MAGA-addled minds understand that.

While the Constitution does not specifically forbid states from seceding, there is nothing in that document that permits it either. Even if, by some geopolitical miracle, it happened, disentangling California from the U.S. would be an arduous task that would take years and damage both economies. Questions about trade, tariff and travel between the two polities as well as what would happen to companies and industries that rely on interstate commerce would be difficult to answer.

One issue would be the future of California military personnel, bases, weapons and equipment. In the breakup of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia at the end of the Cold War, this issue was hugely important and contributed to conflicts in both regions. There is no chance the U.S. would simply abandon all those military resources.

If California tried to seize those resources, the U.S. would likely respond with violence, but if California turned its military might over to the U.S., then the new country would be unable to defend itself. One solution would be to allow the U.S. military presence to remain in California, but that would undermine the project of Californias independence.

An independent California may be an intriguing idea for progressives, but a U.S. without California should be a terrifying one.

If California removed itself from the country, the Republican Party would dominate American politics and probably would build a permanent majority in Congress and the Electoral College. In other words, the newly independent California would find itself next to a huge right-wing country that would be deeply unsympathetic to California because of Californias progressive politics and its secession.

The politics of CalExit are further complicated because California is not as solidly progressive as many would like to think. In the 2020 election, Donald Trump got almost 35% of the vote in California. No state in the country produced more votes for Trump than California  it nosed out Texas for that dubious honor by about 110,00 votes. One out of every 13 votes Trump got in 2020 came from California. That was not enough to make him competitive in the state, but is more than enough to create problems if the state tried to secede.

It is also possible that a CalExit could trigger more secessions. That would weaken the U.S. more, turning it into several polities that would then enter into conflicts over military and other previously shared resources. Those conflicts could last for years and leave economic and humanitarian disasters in their wake.

The existential problem facing California  and indeed the entire U.S.  is that there is reason to believe the country cannot and perhaps should not hold together, but even more reason to believe that secession will lead to much bigger problems.

True, not everybody would lose from California seceding. Invariably, some people would find a way to make some money from the process, and some political leaders could gain as well. Most prominent among them would be Vladimir Putin, who would like nothing more than to see the U.S. weaken, break apart or collapse. Putin has been working toward that goal for years and has supported previous CalExit efforts. Californians would be foolish to help him.
Vascular ultrasounds are frequently ordered by vascular surgeons to evaluate the blood flow in arteries and veins. These safe, noninvasive tests can detect blockages and clots and are often used as screening tools for early detection of vascular disease and for post-treatment monitoring. Unfortunately, during the pandemic, many patients were forced to delay routine tests such as vascular ultrasounds.

With life getting back to normal and patients playing catch up on necessary care, demand for vascular ultrasounds is at an all-time high. However, the supply of specialized vascular technologists has not kept pace, leaving many surgeons and patients frustrated with an inability to get high-quality, timely results.

As Brad Hummel, the CEO of Mint Medical explains, theres a dynamic today that weve never seen  we have this insatiable demand for vascular testing and its tougher than ever for hospitals to hire skilled experienced vascular techs.

Based in Castro Valley, Mint Medical is solving that challenge for Northern California hospitals by providing an all-in-one lab within a hospital solution. They have a network of highly trained and educated vascular technologists, so hospitals dont have to worry about recruiting and credentialing these in-demand experts.

In addition to the technical staff, they also provide the equipment and even administrative services, including scheduling, registration, eligibility verification, exam transcription, and report distribution, so its truly an all-in-one solution.

Vascular ultrasound procedures are simple and painless for the patient, yet they are very specialized, labor-intensive tests that required highly trained techs. While other diagnostic tests rely on machines to do most of the work with oversight from a tech, operator skill and knowledge makes all the difference in achieving high-quality, reliable results for vascular ultrasounds. 

As a surgeon, I want a study quickly  like yesterday  so I can make a diagnosis and start treatment immediately. And I need results that I can trust. If I cant trust the results, then I have to repeat the study or conduct a more invasive procedure, says vascular surgeon Dr. Steven Okun. With Mint Medical, I have the flexibility to prioritize patients to get easy access if an urgent need arises and I know I can always trust the results. I trust their techs and know they always put quality first.

With radiology departments struggling to keep up with demand on all tests, Mint Medical allows them to shift the most specialized and demanding tests to a provider that their vascular surgeons trust. As Brad explains, we provide relief to radiology because we handle the most problematic tests within the domain of vascular surgery so they can see their other patients.

For 20 years, Mint Medical has focused exclusively on providing high-quality vascular testing. Vascular testing isnt one of many services for us, says Brad. Its not an afterthought. Its all we do. And thats the only way you get quality results on complex tests that are highly tech-dependent.

With the unprecedented demand across the country, Mint Medical has a vision and mission. Brad articulates, After two decades of serving the San Francisco Bay, we want to expand to other geographic areas to meet the demand for high-quality, accessible vascular scans. We have proven that have the expertise to maintain quality during peak demand and now want to scale that expertise to meet the demand for high-quality, accessible vascular scans across the country.

With their network of providers, resources, technology, and supporting infrastructure specifically to support vascular surgeons, Mint Medical is well positioned with both embedded and independent labs.
Amazon says it is helping small businesses take part in its biggest sales event of the year.

This Prime Day, its easier than ever for Prime members to discover and shop products from small business brands in Amazons store with the new Small Business Badge, the $1.12 trillion online retailer says.

Prime Day is an annual event rewarding Prime subscribers with steep discounts. Last year its estimated Amazon brought in $11.2 billion in the event.

But small business banners on Amazons website are sending consumers to Prime Day deals mislabeled as being from small businesses, The Examiner has found.

Banners for small business deals send consumers to Sena headsets and imarku knives made in Asia, and sold by multinational corporations, The Examiner found. Yet those items are labeled This product is from a small business brand.

Also listed in Prime Day sales as being made by a small business is a bidet toilet by Bemis, which is owned by Amcor, an $18.6 billion multinational corporation with 46,000 employees. And Zoa Energy Drinks, which are distributed by Molson Coors, are also being sold on Amazon in a Prime Day deal containing the small business badge.

There are many more examples of big companies labeled as small businesses, in deals consumers find by clicking to see deals from smaller companies. Amazon said it is addressing the issue.

Critics say Amazons claims of helping small businesses on Prime Day are hollow. Its Amazon and large companies, not small local businesses, that benefit most from Prime Day. These so-called small local businesses are actually international companies, Justin Kloczko, a tech advocate at the group Consumer Watchdog, told The Examiner.

Amazon did not immediately respond when asked for comment on the consumer advocates statements.

The badges were not the only confusion at Amazon related to small businesses the company said it is prioritizing.

When The Examiner asked for examples of local companies taking part in Prime Day, Amazon suggested Grownsy and Kakatimes as San Francisco-based small businesses that are participating in Prime Day.

Grownsy is an international limited liability company registered in Wyoming that sells baby products all over the world. An Alibaba listing of a Grownsy product says it was manufactured in China. The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Kakatimes is a brand of plastic toys also sold globally. The Kakatimes website was registered in China. The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Asked about the companies being held up as examples of local businesses, an Amazon spokesperson said, They are small businesses, too, but not SF-based.

Some small businesses said they did benefit from Prime Day. The San Francisco small business Cora told The Examiner that Prime Day provided an invaluable opportunity to break through to new customers.

Amazon has offered us an absolutely invaluable platform for reaching an audience that as a standalone brand we never would have been able to reach, Molly Hayward, co-founder of the womens wellness brand Cora. From our perspective, its really provided a ton of benefit.

On Wednesday, The Tech Oversight Project, a nonprofit that says its goal is to hold tech accountable, held an Antitrust Amazon Prime Day news conference with small business groups from around the country.

The nonprofit said Amazons Prime Day mistakes pointed out by The Examiner show that Congress should pass The American Innovation and Choice Online Act, which it says would force big companies such as Amazon to be more equitable to small businesses.

Amazon has blasted what it says are the bills vague prohibitions and unreasonable financial penalties.
In early March, Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a controversial proposal to compel people with serious mental health issues into care and housing.

Mental health advocates, mayors and family members who stood alongside him at the press conference at a San Jose behavioral health treatment program heralded the plan, known as CARE Court, as a visionary move.

But some county officials say they were stunned.

They really sprung it on everybody, said Farah McDaid Ting, public affairs director at the California State Association of Counties, who said lawmakers didnt consult or even give her organization a heads-up.

Four months later, the bill to establish CARE Court has sailed through all of its policy committees in the Legislature, secured unanimous approval from the Senate in May and is widely expected to become law later this summer. CARE Court  short for Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment Court  has garnered enthusiastic support from leaders of more than 45 cities, many of whom face fiery criticism over their handling of homelessness. Many family members, who for decades have felt stymied by strict eligibility rules for conservatorship, are also celebrating the new plan.

But county representatives continue to ring alarm bells about their ability to implement the proposal, especially as an aggressive timeline comes into focus. A handful of counties have registered support for the proposal, including Marin, Contra Costa and San Diego.

Many of the counties concerns come in the form of questions: Will the necessary housing be available? Where can they find the outreach workers and therapists needed to serve the population, given massive statewide shortages of both? What happens to all the struggling people who want housing and treatment, and already cant get it?

Disability rights advocates are raising fundamental questions about the very premise of CARE Court: Is it effective to compel people into care? Is involuntary treatment a violation of their civil rights?

But many of those who support the concept say the practical questions feel especially pressing right now, as the Legislature continues its deliberations. While many details are still in flux, the gist of the proposal remains the same as initially outlined. Anyone from family members to first responders could petition a civil court to create a court-ordered care plan for people who meet specific criteria. These include a diagnosis of schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders, along with being at risk of harming themselves or others or being unlikely to survive on their own. Participants would receive legal counsel and a range of mental health services, medication and supportive housing. Following a series of check-ins during a yearlong period, the participant could either graduate, be referred to an additional year of treatment. If a person refuses to comply, or fails out, they could be considered by the court for conservatorship.

Conversations about CARE Court have been peppered with frequent references to people living on Californias sidewalks and under freeway overpasses. But the administration hasnt been clear about how much of a dent the proposal would make in the states massive homelessness crisis. Prior to the pandemic, more than 161,000 people in the state were estimated to be homeless on any given night; that number has likely grown since. The administration says the program will serve 7,000 to 12,000 people with the most acute mental health needs. Homelessness isnt a prerequisite to participate.

The administration says the proposal represents a crucial step toward addressing one of the states great moral and policy failings: the vast ranks of unhoused people languishing with serious mental illness and without care.

What CARE Court is saying is we must create a pathway wherein these individuals that live in the shadows and often die in the shadows, become a priority group, said Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, who has been championing the program on behalf of the Newsom administration.

CARE Courts supporters say no more time can be wasted. Judge Stephen Manley, who started the states first mental health court in Santa Clara County nearly 25 years ago, notes the growing percentage of people in local jails and prisons with serious mental illnesses. Only by mandating that counties prioritize this population, he said, will anything change.

People are always telling me it cant be done, he said. To me it is a tragedy that we repeatedly, year after year after year after year, talk about this issue, do nothing, and all these individuals end up in the criminal justice system.

Is there enough housing or will there be?

Perhaps the most prominent question that has emerged among legislators and advocates is whether there is enough housing available to get the CARE Court program started.

Short answer: No.

But the state believes that bringing CARE Court participants to the front of the line, along with making unprecedented investments in housing this year, will allow counties to meet the needs of this population. Opponents fear others awaiting voluntary services will be bumped to the back of the line, leaving their needs to intensify.

I worry if it houses some but leaves others out, are we just reshuffling things? said Margot Kushel, director of the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center.

While the new budget deal includes $65 million this year and $49 million in ongoing annual funding to cover training, court costs and legal representation, counties say the proposal doesnt include any new funding for housing or services.

Theres a new door being built onto a small house, Ting said. Theres no square footage, theres no nothing, just a new door. Thats whats kind of frustrating about the premise.

The administration points skeptics to a $14 billion multi-year homelessness budget put together before the proposals announcement  which includes about $5 billion to build thousands of mental health treatment beds and homeless housing. This years budget includes $1.5 billion for interim treatment beds to hold patients over while permanent units come online. In response to counties concerns that even the bridge beds wont be ready in time, the bills authors recently said counties would be phased into the program over two years, starting in July 2023.

Sen. Susan Talamantes Eggman, the bills co-author and a Stockton Democrat, says she believes counties are unhappy with the proposal because it finally holds them to account. It requires that they provide the care and housing a participant needs and if they dont, face court fines of $1,000 per day. The money, collected by the state treasury, would eventually fund local services for the people CARE Court targets.

Were not just saying the person has the obligation to accept, were saying the system has the obligation to treat, Eggman said during a recent hearing.

Counties counter that these penalties will only take away from their already limited resources to treat people.

While the bill says a county has to provide services during the program, courts cant enforce a participants post-graduation plans. Advocates worry that without guaranteed housing people will wind up back on the streets, in emergency rooms and county jails.

Were going to release them back into the streets but we expect them to continue to adhere to the care plan and continue to be taking medication, said Shonique Williams, a statewide organizer for Dignity and Power Now, who opposes the proposal. But theyre going back into survival mode.

The state doesnt keep any sort of waitlist or even a count of treatment beds and housing thats available to people exiting homelessness. As a result, its impossible to gauge the exact shortage in each county.

But a state-commissioned report released in January found that more than 80% of counties need more mental health treatment beds and homeless housing. A 2021 study from the RAND Corporation, a nonprofit think tank, showed the state lacks 5,000 psychiatric hospital beds and another 3,000 beds at residential treatment facilities and board-and-care homes. The shortage is most pronounced in the San Joaquin Valley and for patients with additional medical needs.

Michelle Doty Cabrera, executive director of the California Behavioral Health Directors Association, said one recent survey showed counties had 14,000 unhoused individuals with serious mental illnesses voluntarily participating in full service partnership programs. But they couldnt find housing for more than half of these individuals, in part because many were screened out for reasons related to their mental health conditions, she said.

In Sacramento County, beds are increasingly rare at board-and-care facilities, where residents receive housing, 24-hour care and three daily meals.

It is a needle in a haystack right now, said Terry Fiscus, a behavioral health worker at Turning Point, which contracts with the county.

The less calm and rule-abiding the patient, the less chance they have of getting or keeping a spot, he said. On top of that, facilities have been closing at a rapid clip as housing prices soar and government-set reimbursement rates remain stagnant.

There are a lot of people that want to come in all the time. We cannot take them, said Jeanny Leung, who runs a board-and-care home in Sacramento.

Squeezing blood from a turnip

Housing isnt the only big concern counties are raising. To run, CARE Court requires staff and resources.

Some counties say they fear that, without new funding, the program will end up draining resources from other populations, potentially including children and youth.

Cabrera, of the California Behavioral Health Directors Association, uses phrases like squeezing blood from a turnip and robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Were at our limit in terms of what we can do, she said. We need more resources to do more.

The proposals proponents argue that theres plenty of money to get things up and running. They say county mental health systems have had a huge influx of taxpayer dollars in the past two years, thanks to the Mental Health Services Act, a 1% tax on incomes over a million dollars that was enacted in 2004.

Our millionaires in California seem to be doing very well for themselves, said Karen Larsen, CEO of The Steinberg Institute, a nonprofit focusing on mental health policy, which supports the proposal. She notes that revenues from the tax have hit historic highs  they were at more than $4 billion this past year.

For two decades prior to assuming her current role, Larsen served as director of Yolo Countys Health and Human Services Agency. She believes counties can afford the costs of the new program.

If they can prove they dont have enough resources, Id love to see it, she said.

Phebe Bell, Nevada Countys behavioral health director, said she was, indeed, able to tap the influx of Mental Health Services Act funding to purchase a new house, providing beds for six people who were unhoused. But strict rules often limit what that pot of money can be used for, she said.

If the county has to pivot to focus on CARE Court mandates, she worries about who wont be served.

Many of our people are only stable because we have someone coming twice a day to deliver their meds and check in with them and make sure their furniture is upright, she said.

When her county examined their full service partnership program, they found more than a third of the 78 people in their program at any given moment were inadequately housed, with many sleeping on the streets.

I dont have a single empty bed in our system of care, she said. Who exactly are we incorrectly prioritizing in our work right now?

Both sides agree on one specific challenge: a massive shortage of mental health providers.

At the beginning of the pandemic, many counties worried theyd face significant shortfalls and preemptively laid off mental health workers.

Now, as need surges, staffing has simply not kept pace. Counties are finding themselves losing bidding wars for therapists being courted by everyone from school districts to telehealth start-ups to major providers like Kaiser. Burnout is driving others from the field entirely.

Some counties now face vacancy rates of 30% to 40% in their behavioral health workforce, and many of the nonprofits they contract with are in the same situation, Larsen said.

I think its the biggest issue we face in mental health and substance use right now, she said.

This years budget includes $1.5 billion to build out the states entire healthcare workforce, including hundreds of millions that target behavioral health.

The states public guardians and conservators have also eyed the CARE Court proposal warily. While they are not officially affected by the proposal, they say they expect the program could lead to a surge in new referrals.

The programs are already severely underfunded and understaffed, said Scarlet Hughes, executive director of the California State Association of Public Administrators, Public Guardians, and Public Conservators. Right now, caseloads hover at 65 to 85 individuals per caseworker, though in some counties theyre as high as 135. That translates into visiting a client every three or four months, she said.

Any impact to our members is going to be significant because theyre underwater already, she said.

Whats next?

Questions over implementation, in addition to the ongoing debate over civil liberties, have been woven through CARE Courts journey from the start. That hasnt stopped the Legislature from voting overwhelmingly in the bills favor. It is expected to easily clear its final hurdles: an appropriations vote later this summer, a floor-wide vote in the Assembly and a signature from the author, the governor himself.

But despite their ongoing questions, counties have conceded that CARE Court is coming whether they like it or not. They know theyre not likely getting any more money for housing and staffing. For now, theyre using the appropriations process to petition for more time and tools to implement the program.

The administration acknowledges that counties around the state face severe shortages. But it remains committed to the idea of a better way to serve the people who are struggling the most.

California has done this before, Ghaly said. Weve stepped up for the most vulnerable, the most overlooked many, many times. And we can do it again.
Adam Michels first discovered there were toxic vapors seeping into his downstairs shower last September.

The news came thanks in part to a contentious new development slated for a nearby corner of Irving Street: a seven-story, 90-unit building  and the first 100% affordable housing of its kind in the Sunset District.

While some of his neighbors have long opposed the block-long behemoth, without it, he may never have learned about his exposure to tetrachloroethylene, sometimes referred to as perchloroethylene or PCE, a volatile organic compound from two erstwhile dry cleaning businesses that operated on his block for decades.

I wouldn't have known if it weren't for the testing, said Michels.

PCE is a colorless liquid used by dry cleaners and automotive industries to clean fabrics and degrease metals and is considered a likely carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency. Studies show that long-term exposure is associated with several types of cancer and other diseases, including Parkinson's.

It's a little scary, said Michels, a high school teacher at Lowell. It's not like it's going to kill you right away; it's more over the long term. But it's like: Do we want to live in a house with the chemical vapor coming in?

This week, Supervisor Gordon Mar introduced a resolution calling for a full clean-up of two contaminated sites on Irving. The first is home to the former Police Credit Union building slated for the 2500 Irving redevelopment project, and the second is an empty lot across the street connected to another former dry cleaning business.

There is a big bullseye  the highest concentrations beneath Irving Street in the vicinity of the sewer line, said Don Moore, an environmental consultant working pro-bono for the Mid Sunset Neighborhood Association, the group lobbying Mar and others for full remediation.

That makes sense, he said, as the dumping likely occurred long before the EPA and other agencies regulated chemicals like PCE. Many businesses used to flush chemicals down aging drains.

A frustrating neighborhood process

But before the avenues were plotted in neat rows of single-family homes throughout The City's western flank, the Sunset was a vast expanse of scrubby dunes. Sand, being a porous material, has a sneaky way of absorbing liquids and shifting underfoot, noted Moore.

These are dune sands, very transmissive, so vapor can move through them very readily, said Moore. We don't even know what the full extent is.

As testing for these chemicals ramped up, fresh tensions and pointed fingers arose over who should be responsible for mopping up the chemicals and how much of the neighborhood to treat.

It's been a very frustrating process both for the community and myself, " Mar said at a news briefing on Tuesday. I think one key issue here is that there are multiple parties involved  and it's pretty clear that all parties are doing everything they can to minimize their legal liability.

The mayors office and San Franciscos Department of Public Health assert that recent air sampling results indicate the site and surrounding residences are safe to occupy, including for sensitive populations such as children and the elderly  and that there is no current need to ventilate homes or mitigate conditions.

But Mar and the Mid-Sunset Neighborhood Association say otherwise. The air in our home has been tested twice over the last year for PCE, and the chemicals have been found at a significant level  four times the level that is actionable  but nothing has been done to address the issue, said Yi-Kuan Lee, Michels wife.

Disagreement about danger level

There's disagreement about how dangerous it is, said Michels, who has lived in the neighborhood with Lee for two decades and raised his two kids in the house. But he said, There are cancer cases all around our block. There's a Parkinson's case on our block. And yeah, we can't prove it's related. But it sure makes you think.

Recently, residents have directed their ire toward the nonprofit developer of the site, the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corp., DPH, and the California Department of Toxic Substances Control  the state agency that oversees the cleanup of sites  over a plan to install a vapor barrier beneath the new building to prevent PCE from entering the structure.

Long-term residents argue this is a temporary fix and would only benefit the immediate building.

DTSC has been all about mitigation rather than remediation, said Michael Weiss, a Sunset resident. What's not talked about but really should be, is that these vapor barriers, in fact, have a lifetime of about 20 years. The building is almost certainly going to be there for considerably longer than that  We're leaving everything in the ground  It's clearly going to be a problem in the future.

Instead of a barrier, Moore and residents are pushing for soil vapor extraction, or a method of sucking out the noxious vapor that settles in the air pockets between the sandy soils. The process could remove up to 90% of the PCE, said Moore.

Criticism has also been leveled against a state law, SB 35, which is aimed at streamlining housing construction in California. This has allowed the Irving affordable housing project to bypass certain California Enivronmental Quality Act requirements, which Mar said has been concerning given the findings.

If there was at least a full CEQA analysis done at 2550 Irving, that would have helped create more opportunity for these issues that we've been grappling with for a year plus to be handled in a more proactive and assertive way, said Mar.

Gordon Mars political tap dance

But the revelations about the depth and spread of the toxins come at a time when Mar is executing an intricate political tap dance  appeasing long-term residents who are opposed to plunking down massive housing developments in neighborhoods long dominated by single-family homes while voicing full-throated support for more housing in his district.

Hes also staring down challenges to his seat from both a pro-multifamily housing candidate and another who has criticized the Irving development, The Examiners Adam Shanks reported.

The acrid tenor of the yearslong battle over the future of this site has also trickled into the messaging of residents, who fear being cast as NIMBYs in a city where housing is hard to come by, and tensions over where to develop have boiled over time and again.

Many were careful to keep the toxins issue separate from other fights over 2500 Irving and other new affordable and market-rate housing projects proposed for the neighborhood.

We'd rather this get done sooner, but if not, we'd rather not have buildings show up on these properties that then end up making everything more difficult for all of us in the long term, said Weiss.

This can start to sound NIMBYish, but really, we just want it to be clean. We'd rather it be clean fast and build fast. But if we have to make the choice between clean slow and build slow or build fast and leave it dirty, we'd prefer a slow process.
Dear Mayor Breed,

I am writing to inform you that I will happily accept your offer to head up San Franciscos Office of Outdoor Dining & Leisure.

Youll be happy to know Ive spent the past two weeks conducting extensive research in Croatia, the worlds cafe capital, where coffee shops and restaurants have taken the art of lounging around and people-watching to new heights.

Having consumed 473 eis caffes while relaxing in a wide variety of cushiony lounge chairs, Im sad to report San Francisco lags far behind the developed world in terms of outdoor dining and imbibing. If the Sistine Chapel represents the height of enlightenment, our fair city is stuck somewhere in the time of the Druids.

But have no fear, Captain Cafe is here.

Before we get into some specific action items, your Honor, let's recap the situation. When COVID hit, and diners were forced outside, San Francisco made the progressive decision to allow sidewalk dining. (Before that, it was easier to build affordable housing than to get an outdoor patio permit.)

This triggered a rush to construct outdoor areas suitable for the task. Instead of going top shelf, in terms of tables, chairs and umbrellas, restaurants threw together a hodgepodge of roadside eateries that turned out more Peoria than Paris. We literally used wooden pallets, plywood and sheets of hard plastic to build our pathetic little parklets. Frankly, it's embarrassing.

So, we're half way there. It's great that San Francisco overcame its cafe phobia. Now we need to make them look good.

To do so, we need to up our design ambitions. From where I sit, staring out at the Adriatic nursing my 14th cappuccino of the morning, it's all about cover and cushions. In terms of shade, I have three suggestions. Umbrellas. Umbrellas. And more umbrellas.

The cafes of Europe have taken the humble canopy to a new level, making them bigger, longer, more colorful and propped up by all kinds of nifty contraptions. Using uniform colors and sizes, the city of Zagreb has created truly attractive outdoor spaces that invite strolling and sipping and general happiness.

And apparently it helps if nobody works. You literally can't find a table to sit at, among thousands, on a typical Tuesday. Perhaps they're all working remotely? Down on the coast, the cafes have sturdy umbrellas to withstand the coastal winds while protecting people from the scorching sun. Take note San Francisco: Nobody uses transparent, corrugated plastic sheeting above their tables.

Let's move on to the seating, Ms. Mayor. Nothing puts butts in the seats like comfortable butts. I've spent days now doing absolutely nothing but sitting on big fat cushions and watching the world go by. Try that on one of San Francisco's table-side benches. I mean, I'd rather stand. Over here, I've actually fallen asleep on some of the cushier couches. Spend the money on the seating, says the Captain. Success will follow. (While this is a private expense in Europe, perhaps we can subsidize this using a fraction of our $13 billion budget, Mayor Breed.)

Next up, San Francisco's waiters need to adjust their attitude to create a more cosmopolitan atmosphere. When a customer arrives in one of our newly spruced-up street restaurants, they should be roundly ignored for at least 15 minutes. When it finally comes time to order, they should be met with a withering look of boredom and disdain, followed by another lengthy period of abandonment.

When and if the food finally arrives, the check should be delivered no sooner than four hours later. And patrons should always be made to feel small if they insist on paying by credit card.

I don't make the rules, your Honor. I'm just here to enforce them.

Last but not least, it would help if diners were not forced to watch people defecate, smoke heroin or simply sleep in a pile of filth while dining. Apparently, customers don't enjoy this. I know it's a lot to ask, but Europe seems to have figured out how to make this magic happen. I believe it has something to do with enforcing the law and helping the homeless, rather than ignoring them. But don't ask me for specifics. That's not my department at City Hall. In fact, I have no idea whose department that falls under.

In closing, Ms. Breed, San Francisco needs to up its cafe culture. And fast. I'm sure you saw what I saw on your own recent fact-finding mission to Europe. I propose we both return to the continent every other month for the next 16 years to continue our observations. I hear Rome is lovely in September.

Yours in faithful service,

Captain Cafe
Photos of the suspected shooter in a baffling and deadly series of 7-Eleven robberies around Southern California have been released by police.

In five hours on Monday, police believe the same man attacked six different 7-Eleven stores; the date was 7/11, which is when the company has its anniversary festivities. The individual in a mask and black and green sweatshirt first ambushed a store in Ontario around midnight; 45 minutes later, he robbed an Upland store, and an hour after that, the gunman appeared at a Riverside 7-Eleven.
Boichik Bagels, the wildly popular bagel spot the New York Times once raved about, is expanding into a Bay Area bagel empire.

Earlier this year, owner Emily Winston shared her plans to open a second Boichik in Palo Alto as well as a wholesale plant in Berkeleys Gilman District.

Since then, community members loyal to Winston's New York-style bagels have been avidly funding the bagel expansion, reported Palo Alto Online. In true Silicon Valley style, Winston has been raising capital through what she calls "bagel futures," or "Bagel Bucks," which are discounted Boichik gift cards. She's also crowdfunding on SMBX for a $1 million bond offering, and that campaign has already raised more than $300,000 as of July 13.

"We've been a hit in Berkeley, CA since we opened in 2019, but after The New York Times called us 'the best bagel in the country', we really hit the capacity of what we can produce in this 1200 square foot space," reads the SMBX campaign. "It is time for us to grow!"

Investors funds will go toward construction and equipment for the Palo Alto shop and Berkeley factory, the campaign page says.

"There's extra warm and fuzzies because I'll go and talk to banks  they just care about the numbers, Winston told Palo Alto Online about all the community investment.

The Palo Alto Boichik Bagels is slated to open in September at 855 El Camino Real, Suite 115. The Berkeley factory does not yet have an opening date but is expected to eventually serve bagels onsite in addition to creating raw dough for each retail store and baking bagels for wholesale.
Its 11 p.m. on a Friday, Ive had three drinks and Im staring longingly through the glass at a case of divine-looking doughnuts. Glazed beauties glisten under the shop lights, and a chocolate doughnut with an appealingly toasted marshmallow wedged in its center seems to sing to me.

The line is long, but everyone pouring out from the Polk Street bars knows the drill: Bobs Donuts is the mandatory last stop of the night. Ending the evening with a fluffy pastry from the 24-hour spot feels like a warm hug to brace you against the cold San Francisco wind.

Bobs is so ingrained in locals consciousness, I hesitate to even categorize it as a tourist destination. But its the sort of place that manages to appeal to pretty much all demographics  20-something barhoppers in the wee hours and families touring the city in the light of day. Celebrities have even made the essential doughnut pit stop, from Nicolas Cage to Prince.

Madeline Wells/SFGATE

Bobs first opened in the late 1950s, although no one named Bob has owned it in many years. In 1977, current owner Aya Ahns family took over. No one today seems to know much about who the mysterious original Bob figure even was, other than a 1977 San Francisco Examiner article that described him as a German who supplied the SFMOMA cafe with authentic German cookies.

My daughter says that were all Bob, Ahn told SFGATE in a 2019 interview. Were all part of it. Everyone has lifted us up to become who we are.

A lot about Bobs feels super old-school, from the kitschy collection of framed doughnut art hanging on the walls to the little case of milk cartons by the register (yes, folks, thats actual cow milk). A hall of fame is also a fixture on the wall, listing everyone who has ever successfully completed the "Bobs Donut Challenge": finish a giant doughnut the size of 12 regular doughnuts in under 3 minutes and win a T-shirt.

But a few signs of the times have crept into the otherwise anachronistic eatery. Various trendy flavors, from a maple bacon to a Froot Loops doughnut, have taken up residence alongside the old fashioneds and apple fritters. And since the pandemic, diners can no longer plop down on a retro barstool and spill crumbs all over the Formica countertop  Bobs is still takeout only.

Photo by Blair Heagerty Photo by Blair Heagerty Photo by Blair Heagerty Charles Russo/SFGATE Blair Heagerty and Charles Russo/SFGATE Bobs Donuts has been a fixture on Polk Street since the late 1950s.

Even without being able to get the full dine-in experience, my first ever visit to Bobs still charmed me. I made two trips: once on a weekday afternoon for the family-friendly experience, and a second on the aforementioned boozy Friday night out.

The afternoon I stopped by the Polk Street location (Bobs also opened a second store on Baker Street in 2019), it was quiet. At first, I wasnt even sure it was open. But soon enough, I spotted the workers in the back dipping yeasted dough into vats of shimmering palm oil.

I requested a small box of doughnuts, and the helpful person behind the counter guided me through the bakerys most popular (and most delicious) offerings. She filled my pink box with an apple fritter ($3), a crumb doughnut ($1.75), a chocolate with sprinkles ($3.50) and a specialty croissant-doughnut hybrid ($4.50).

Charles Russo/SFGATE

Munching on our treats at a nearby park, SFGATE photo editor Charlie declared his maple bacon confection very impressive. I liked my apple fritter, Bobs most popular doughnut, the best  a pleasing textural contrast of crispy glaze, light and fluffy interior, and gooey chunks of cinnamon-y apple. I was less a fan of the cloying sweetness of the vanilla custard oozing out of the croissant doughnut, but every other pastry made a strong case for itself.

My second trip to Bobs, though, felt like the real deal. After a bar crawl consisting of watching my bartender at the tiniest bar in San Francisco shotgun a White Claw and ordering a gin and tonic beneath a bunch of bras hanging from the ceiling at Kozy Kar, my friends and I made our way to the bakery.

This time of night, folks lined up down the block for a sugar rush. Despite the alcohol in my system, I restrained myself and ordered only one: that beautiful smores doughnut that had called to me from the window. My pals and I congregated on the sidewalk beside the other inebriated sweet tooths with our pink boxes, sinking our teeth into the fluffy pastries.

Madeline Wells/SFGATE

Im going to take a risk here and admit that I am not the worlds most passionate doughnut fan  in fact, I rank pretty much any other pastry above them in my dessert power ranking. But Im being completely honest when I say this: The Bobs smores doughnut I ate on the sidewalk at 11 p.m. on a Friday made me believe in doughnuts again.

This doughnut took the comforting simplicity of the chocolate one Id had earlier and brought it up a notch with a smokier, more complex flavor. Maybe Im just nostalgic for childhood summers spent camping with my family, but the toasted marshmallow in the middle felt like the ultimate prize.

My friends, some of whom grew up with Bobs in the city, seemed equally pleased with their doughnuts based on the immediate silence that took over our circle. Only the sound of chewing could be heard, aside from one friend declaring with wonder, Mine is warm!

Charles Russo/SFGATE

Bobs Donuts is the jewel of San Francisco, whether youre a lifelong local or a tourist. But if you are a tourist, I cant recommend Bobs enough. It may be a bit out of the way from the usual tourist haunts, but it wont cost you an arm and a leg like a Ghirardelli sundae or a Tonga Room cocktail. And the doughnuts taste just as good as the locals say  whether its 2 p.m. or 2 a.m.

Bobs Donuts, 1621 Polk St. and 601 Baker St., San Francisco. Polk Street location open 24/7, Baker Street open Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday through Sunday, 7 a.m to 9 p.m.
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HARTFORD  Gov. Ned Lamont on Wednesday announced the release of a $6.3 million grant that will help redevelop the area north of downtown Hartford, near Dunkin Donuts Park.

One reason this is a winner is because its part of a strategy, Lamont said. Its part of a vision.

Lamont announced the funding at a Wednesday news conference after touring the neighborhood alongside Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin and other local and state officials. The grant is part of the Connecticut Communities Challenge Grant Program, where communities across the state apply for state funds to improve development in their areas. The state plans to open applications for another wave of grants later this year.

The Hartford redevelopment was a clear winner, said Community Development Deputy Commissioner Alexandra Daum.

Were between so many important neighborhoods, were between so many important new developments and were standing on a completely underutilized gorgeous corner lot, she said. This will fill in our corner lot and will complete the sort of vibrant corridor thats coming from the ballpark in this direction.

The project, at the corner of Ann Uccello and Main streets, was among 12 winners out of 52 applicants across the state, Daum said. The plans call for an apartment complex with 43 units, 25 percent of which will be affordable housing units. There will also be 8,500 square feet of retail space and a plaza equipped to hold community events.

The city is developing the area in partnership with the San Juan Center and Carabetta Development LLC. San Juan Center executive director Fernando Betancourt and Bronin joked theyd like to break ground tomorrow, but Betancourt said its likely the project will start this fall and take about a year and half to complete.

Its part of an ongoing attempt to redevelop the area north of downtown, following the completion of Dunkin Donuts Park in 2017.

For decades, the area just north of downtown was a sea of surface parking lots, Bronin said. It was a sea of vacant lots that was a physical and psychological barrier between our neighborhoods.

Now, officials hope the project will drive even more investment in the area. Developers and local officials had asked community members to submit their ideas and thoughts on the development for a survey, and Betancourt said the buy-in from the community means success is guaranteed.

Investment attracts investment, Bronin said. Confidence breeds confidence and people bring people. And thats what this kind of project is about. Its about taking one more step in development to help lay the groundwork for the future development that comes after.

jonah.dylan@hearstmediact.com
A sightseeing tour helicopter spun uncontrollably until it crashed into a hardened lava field on the Big Island of Hawaii last month. The pilot and five passengers sustained major and minor injuries.



The helicopter had a high [flight] time, with 12,000 some odd hours. The tail boom had just recently been inspected and the tail boom came off. Thats not supposed to happen, Ladd Sanger, a pilot and attorney whos been doing aviation litigation for more than 20 years, told SFGATE. He represents people who have been injured or killed in tour helicopter crashes in Hawaii.

There have been 54 commercial helicopter crashes in the islands from 1984 to 2022, averaging about one to two per year. Fifteen crashes were fatal, with a total of 57 people killed, according to statistics from the National Transportation Safety Board. The majority of these fatal crashes were caused by pilots flying into deteriorating weather conditions. Additional reasons for Hawaii helicopter crashes include pilot error, inadequate maintenance and mechanical defects.

No tour helicopter should be flying in the clouds, Sanger said. They shouldnt be launching when theres any question about what the weathers going to be.

Hawaiis last fatal tour helicopter crash happened in 2019. Seven people died on the island of Kauai when a highly experienced pilot continued the tour into deteriorating weather, losing visual references and striking terrain.

George Rose/Getty Images

A challenge for Hawaii pilots is the islands many microclimates, where conditions in one area can differ from surrounding areas. Visitors to Hawaii are familiar with the spontaneous rain showers they encounter driving from one side of the island to the other. In the same way, pilots will find the weather to be perfect at takeoff but not the same 10 miles away. In some places, the weather can change dramatically in a matter of seconds.



There are specific, small microclimates, for example, on the far side of Maui, said Sanger. There are microclimates that exist around Molokai, and the clouds can come on just virtually instantaneously when the temperature and the dew point get to the right place.



As an investigator in these crashes, the NTSB points to the Federal Aviation Administration as a contributing cause for Hawaiis helicopter crashes by not implementing safety recommendations, such as continuous radio communications, flight tracking capabilities, flight monitoring, onboard flight recorders and other improved technologies.



The NTSB previously made 11 recommendations to the FAA to prevent accidents like this one, but our recommendations only work when they are implemented. Its time for the FAA to act, said NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy in a 2022 press release about the 2019 fatal crash on Kauai.



It also reiterated past recommendations that could help with avoiding and escaping bad weather, such as cue-based training for pilots and the installation of weather cameras in problem spots, so pilots can see the weather where theyre headed in real time.

NTSB

Safety is the FAAs top priority, the FAA told SFGATE in an email. The agencys air tour regulations include requirements that are specific to Hawaii. To further improve safety, we installed five weather cameras in Hawaii with 21 more coming. The FAA conducts random and regular surveillance on all Hawaii air tour operators, and ensures companies address any issues we may find.

The rest of the planned 21 weather cameras for Hawaii are expected to be installed by the end of 2023.



Tourists are paying good money to go on a pleasant, smooth, beautiful scenic ride. Theyre not interested in rough weather. Theyre not interested in bobbing and weaving around clouds and theyre certainly not interested in putting themselves at risk, Sanger said. I just think people need to realize that tour helicopters in Hawaii do not have the safety record that theyre accustomed to when theyre flying on commercial airliners.
Since 1996, the San Francisco non-profit Internet Archive has been building a digital library of books, video and webpages which are free to access.

Many users may be familiar with the non-profits web-archiving Wayback Machine, but the site also serves as an important resource for accessing books, with Wikipedia linking out to digital versions of more than 200,000 books.

The Internet Archive isnt able to purchase e-books directly, but rather digitalizes versions of physical books they own, creating a resource for everyday readers and academics, as well as vision-impaired and dyslexic readers. However, a lawsuit from publishers Hachette, Penguin Random House, Wiley and HarperCollins puts that future access at risk.

The Internet Archives method of distribution is called controlled digital lending, in which only one copy of the book is available to be checked out at a time. The Internet Archive began the practice in 2011 and, to keep publishers at bay, the Archive has a moratorium on titles published in the last five years.

It keeps with the basic library practice of what libraries do. We buy books, we preserve books, and we lend books. And we support the publishing industry and authors through this process, says Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle.

When the pandemic began in 2020 and libraries closed for safety reasons, the need for e-book access increased, so the Internet Archive shifted its methods. One hundred libraries signed a statement of support to for expanding the level of distribution, which was called the National Emergency Library Act. At that point, the Internet Archives lending ratio grew above the one-to-one level of controlled digital lending, such that they were sharing more books than they physically owned.

These are not best sellers. These are library books, the sorts of things youd use for homework, says Kahle. Publishers are trying to dial time back and say no, you cant have access to anything that were not going to license you to read right now.

The program lasted for 14 weeks, ending two weeks early in mid-2020 due to the lawsuit filed by the four aforementioned publishers.

For their part, the publishers court filings accuse the Internet Archive of masquerading as a not-for-profit library and distributing full-text digital bootlegs for free, a practice it likens to piracy.

Should the lawsuit succeed, the Internet Archive would potentially be forced to destroy a large swath of books from the 20th century that are not available elsewhere.

Theyre looking for a digital book burning of millions of books, says Kahle. During the heyday of Germany in the 20th century, they destroyed 25,000 books. We have a new scale thats being demanded. Thats what theyre after, tens of millions of dollars in damages.

In addition to the destruction of the books, the publishers are asking for $19 million in damages  despite not claiming the lending process causes financial harm (the Archive's yearly budget is $20 million, which seems large until compared with the $170 million budget of the SF Public Library). Kahle believes the motivation is control of access to digital materials, with publishers able to determine who, where, when and which readers can access digital books, and take them offline at any time.

It's ironic that the internet was trying to build something with more democratic access to information and put more power in peoples hands, he says. But what its turned out is this control mechanism that allows publishers to reach into your machine  your Kindle, your computer, your library, and make things disappear or change.

Last week, the Internet Archive submitted summary briefs for a motion to have the case dismissed. On July 13, amicus briefs will be presented to the court, which the publishers are looking to block. The process will continue with court dates in September and October. Kahle doesnt expect it to go to trial, but rather anticipates a preliminary judgement to be announced in 2023 (which either party will likely appeal).

The consequences of the ruling are still far off, but Kahle sees it as an existential threat to free access to information. The decision could have ripple effects regarding the ownership of digital artifacts, which he claims would be in jeopardy due to licensing issues.

They want to make it so that in the online world, every reading event is a licensed and permissioned event, says Kahle. Its a little Orwellian, and theyre actually doing this.

Editor's note: This story was updated at 2:40 p.m., July 15, to include information from the plaintiffs' court filings.
Pat Commins of Dublin, Ireland and Elizabeth Rice of Michigan will be coming to Harbor Beach Friday, July 15, to talk about their new book "Irish Immigrants in Michigan: A History in Stories," which includes the story of Frank Murphy, a Harbor Beach native who became an associate justice of the Supreme Court.

Rice and Commins are cousins, though Rice's family emigrated to the U.S. in the 1840s while Commins' family stayed in Ireland. During one of his visits, the two of them were tending to the family plot in their local cemetery. As Commins looked at the hill, he noticed the vast numbers of Irish names on the headstones.

"That put the idea in our heads, 'Wouldn't it be interesting to know the stories of the Irish who came to Michigan?'" Rice recalled.

During the research and writing process, which took almost three years, Commins was surprised to find how many Irish people lived in Michigan. Almost one million citizens can trace their heritage back to Ireland.

"It amazed me how they've integrated themselves into local communities and kept their Irish heritage alive ... with stories of old and stories of new," he said.

Irish immigrants often came for the land, making their way from Boston, Chicago, and New York by various means. Once in Michigan, they would buy up a piece of land, farm, sell it, then move on to the next one.

Commins and Rice attributed this pattern to the novelty of owning land. During the 1800s, a time of high Irish immigration, they weren't allowed to own land back in their home country, so becoming a landowner was an enticing prospect they took full advantage of.

The book tells the story of Irish immigrants on a personal level, taking the perspective of one person or family from each of Michigan's 83 counties. They were very intentional about the point of view they told it from, because although there has been a lot of academic work about the Irish coming to North America, they were unable to find many documented individual, family, or community stories. The individual perspective also helps make the book more accessible.

"Honestly, for most people, history is probably learned through stories," Rice explained. "We listen to family stories when we go to reunions (for example)."

They also wanted to make sure it wasn't just a story for adults; children can also enjoy a good story. They're not all happy stories, but they're true, engaging, and taken from all walks of life, men, women, and children.

Those stories can teach not only the history of the time, but also lessons for us today, as all history does. They focus on the tenacity, loyalty, and kindness of those who came to make lives for themselves.

It also gives a unique perspective on immigration in general. Many who made the journey across the Atlantic never saw Ireland again; what prompted them to leave, to risk their lives and never see their families again? It's a question that can be asked of immigrants at any point of time.

"Just what they went through to forge a new home, in this adopted home, was really quite humbling," Rice said.

Their talk will be held at the Frank Murphy Museum at 1 p.m.
A recent Travel+Leisure report listed what is described as the best small towns for "art lovers" in the U.S. and one Texas town made the roundup.

The West Texas desert town of Marfa was highlighted as one of the nine cities in the roundup. The desert town of Marfa is known for its scenic views "strange lights" and more landed a spot in the rankings in part due to the work of minimalist artist Donald Judd, the report stated. The Judd Foundation and Chinati Foundation showcases Judd's work and other contemporary artists.

Building 98, home of the International Woman's Foundation and a number of murals, helped secure Marfa on the top nine list and the authors of the report recommended making an appointment for art lovers with a preference for female modernist artists.

So, what other U.S. small towns made the roundup of the best of the best for art lovers?

The roundup of best small towns for art lovers spans the entire U.S. from Fort Bragg, California, which was highlighted for its International Sea Glass Museum and the downtown's murals and art galleries, to Madrid, New Mexico, a former mining town along the New Mexico Turquoise trail which the report authors described as an artsy town with a "hippie vibe."

In the South, Eureka Springs, Arkansas, was highlighted for its "funky flair," with noted attractions including the Art Colony in Eureka Springs, the School of the Arts and the annual ArtRageous Parade. Paying homage to the music festival of 1969, Woodstock, New York, made the list with the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild and Woodstock Artists Association & Museum.

ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

The small town of Montpelier, Vermont, has art everywhere, according to the report, from rotating exhibitions at the State House and Supreme Court building to co-ops, galleries, cultural institutions and the volunteer-operated Montpelier Alive Art Walk which brings artists out for evening celebrations six nights each year.

On the East Coast, North Adams, Massachusetts made the list and was described as a smaller town with a prominent art scene with noted attractions including the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.

Boston Globe/Boston Globe via Getty Images

Centered around a 40,000-square-foot "shoppable" community art center named the Icehouse with more than 30 artists, Berkeley Springs, West Virginia made the roundup. Cody, Wyoming also made the cut with noted arts styles and attractions including an array of art representing local Native American culture and natural history as well as classic and modern western artworks.
Video above: Efforts are underway to recognize the good Samaritans who helped save a shark attack victim



A California man who was attacked by a great white shark while swimming near Lovers Point Beach has finally gone home, according to a spokesperson with Natividad Hospital.

Steve Bruemmer, 62, narrowly escaped death according to his doctor who spoke to sister station KSBW a day after the attack.



It couldve been much, much worse he couldve not made it out of the water, said Bruemmers doctor Nicholas Rottler, a trauma surgeon at Natividad Medical Center.

Rottler said the shark came within a millimeter of severing a major artery.

Bruemmer was in the hospital and rehab for three weeks before being released on Wednesday.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Barely a month into his first term as mayor nearly two decades ago, Gavin Newsom took a polarizing stand: He told a clerk to defy state law and start issuing the nation's first same-sex marriage licenses.

Democrats said the backlash helped sink their nominee for president; an openly gay congressman feared Newsom's move as mayor of San Francisco would only hurt the cause and become "a diversion." Even some liberal Democrats like then-Sen. Barbara Boxer of California did not join Newsom, voicing satisfaction with the state's domestic partnerships law.

The 2004 episode, supporters and advisers said, helped establish the political strategy of the now-governor of California, who has plunged himself into the center of the nation's raging fights over abortion, guns and LGBTQ rights - sometimes dividing and criticizing fellow Democrats. "Where the hell's my party?" he asked this year.

But unlike the relatively lonely crusade he waged 18 years ago, Newsom, D, has found an audience in many Democrats who have grown dismayed at the Biden administration and party leadership in Congress after Republicans rolled back long-cherished protections on their watch. His combativeness, including a direct confrontation of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, R, and policy countermeasures, such as using Republican antiabortion tactics to tighten state gun laws, have stoked speculation about a possible run for president as soon as 2024.

"He's giving a signal to others in the Democratic Party that this is not, you know, a time to be - " Boxer said in an interview.

She paused, struggling to find the right words. "This is the time," she continued. "It isn't the time to be sweet and nice."

Newsom sounded more alarms Wednesday about Democrats' strategy during a trip to Washington, even as he said emphatically that President Joe Biden should run for reelection. He said the party has allowed Republicans to "dominate the narrative," and that a cohesive countereffort "just doesn't exist, respectfully, from my vantage point," shortly after using his speech at a national education conference to denounce the conservative backlash to school discussions of race, LGBTQ identity and "social emotional learning."

The governor has said his calls for Democratic action are not meant to fault leaders like Biden, and political observers doubted Newsom would run against him. Advisers pointed to Newsom's insistence he has "subzero interest" in a presidential bid, though one of them would not rule out a run even if a fellow Californian, Vice President Harris, is a candidate.

Biden's stated intent to run for a second term has not quelled some calls in the party for a new direction, with growing concerns about his low approval ratings and his ability to run again in his 80s. Liberal activists launched a website this week urging him to step aside. Amid this rising angst, some Democrats see Newsom as an increasingly intriguing presidential prospect if there is an open primary.

Yet there are Democrats who say Newsom's criticism of the party is counterproductive and fear centrist voters would view him as a polarizing avatar of coastal blue state elitism. As one Democratic pollster put it, the Republican attack ads would write themselves. The pollster, who like others interviewed for this story, spoke on the condition of anonymity to be more candid, also suggested that female leaders should take center stage on issues like abortion.

"Nooooo!" groaned Samantha Sears, 33, when asked at an abortion rights protest here this month if Biden should run for reelection. She said she liked Newsom - "I have said in our house that he would be a great president" - but echoed others who don't see a heterosexual White male as the best face for a diverse party. "He's a cis, White, hetero man," she said, a "My Body My Choice" sign under her arm.

Still, Democrats across the spectrum said Newsom has channeled the raw anger that has gripped the party like few others. His campaign recently spent about $100,000 to air an Independence Day ad on Fox News. The commercial didn't air in California, where Newsom is expected to comfortably win reelection in November, but in Florida. "Freedom, it's under attack in your state," the governor said in the spot. "Your Republican leaders? They're banning books. Making it harder to vote. Restricting speech in classrooms. Even criminalizing women and doctors."

After Texas passed an unprecedented abortion ban designed to evade judicial scrutiny, Newsom said his liberal state would use the same strategy against assault weapons; he signed the resulting legislation this week.

And at a news conference this year, as the Supreme Court closed in on overturning Roe v. Wade, Newsom railed against the conservative agenda - "they're winning, they are" - and also questioned the Democratic response, asking, "Where the hell's my party?"

"There's this misconception that leadership necessarily has to start at the top and we need to get our talking points from Capitol Hill and the DNC," said a longtime adviser to Newsom, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the adviser was not authorized to speak on the record.

When asked if the adviser could imagine Newsom running against Harris, this person replied: "I think the real answer is: Who the hell knows?"

Newsom said Wednesday that he plans to get lunch with Harris in Washington. "I think she's been wonderful," he said. "I mean it. Look - how do you judge that position? It's difficult, because she has constraints in that office." Newsom will also be meeting with members of Congress this week and discussing abortion rights, climate change and guns, aides said.The governor told reporters his only ambition is "to express the frantic frustration, anger and despair a lot of folks are feeling about what's happening in this country in real time. And it transcends the administration. But we have to have the administration's back."

Some Democrats said they have felt emboldened by Newsom's fiery rhetoric. "Democratic voters are tired of feeling like we're on defense and want our leaders to go on offense because we believe that we're right on the issues," said Ian Calderon, a former majority leader of the California State Assembly who welcomed Newsom's Florida ad. "He sees this void and sees that he is somebody who can fill that," Calderon added of Newsom.

Biden has moved more incrementally than many in his party have said they would like in the wake of Roe being overturned, embracing a change to Senate rules to enable Democrats to codify abortion rights only after pressure in the party built up. Democrats have also been frustrated with Republican moves to tighten voting laws in key states and target LGBTQ rights, wishing they could see a more forceful response from the Democrats who control Congress and the White House.

Biden "was nominated on the promise that he would try to draw the country together after the horrible divisiveness of Trump, and so he is never going to be the culture warrior leader that some people were hungry for," said Matt Bennett, a co-founder of Third Way, a center-left think tank. He praised Biden's approach, but added, "If we presume that the Republicans will nominate Trump or somebody just like him - and I would put DeSantis in that category - whoever we nominate, whether it's the president or somebody else, is going to have to be ready to fight."

DeSantis's gubernatorial campaign declined to comment.

Newsom's posture has rankled other Democrats. Asked in May about Newsom's "Where the hell's my party?" comment on CBS's "Face the Nation," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said: "I have no idea why anybody would make that statement unless they were unaware of the fight that has been going on."

Newsom also clashed with fellow Democrats after rising from mayor to lieutenant governor in 2011. That year, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Newsom criticized state government and drew some boos for saying former president Barack Obama should have done more to achieve his agenda while his party controlled Congress.

"He might win the presidency just energizing the heck out of the base," said Evan Bayh, a centrist Democrat and former governor and senator from Indiana, speaking of Newsom. But Bayh said Democrats' priority right now should be winning Senate seats - not "critiquing the president's performance or setting the stage for the next presidential nominating process."

Biden, 79, has said he plans to run for reelection, but some in the party hope he might change his mind. One liberal website that launched this week says, "With so much at stake, making him the Democratic Party's standard-bearer in 2024 would be a tragic mistake."

In such a scenario, many Democrats expect a potentially crowded primary with governors, members of Congress and Cabinet secretaries possibly making White House bids.

Newsom told the San Francisco Chronicle this year that he has "subzero interest" in running for president. "It's not even on my radar," he said. Harris - who made her career alongside him in California - should be next in line, Newsom said. (Some of his current advisers have worked on Harris's campaigns.)

But skeptics point to Newsom's recent actions - including his debut on Truth Social, former president Donald Trump's social media platform, where his first post discussed a "red state murder problem."

The White House and a spokesperson for Harris did not respond to requests for comment. Asked this month about Biden's efforts on guns and abortion compared with other Democrats including Newsom, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters, "The president been also very loud and also very focused on those two issues." She pointed to the Biden's leadership in the recent gun-control legislation he signed into law and added, "He welcomes other voices in the Democratic Party."

Bakari Sellers, a surrogate for Harris when she ran for president, praised Newsom as "arguably one of our better messengers" - but said he has "a very difficult needle to thread" and "doesn't need to be campaigning for president of the United States."

With Democratic supermajorities in the state legislature and the ability to shape the world's fifth-largest economy, Newsom has more leeway than many Democratic leaders in other states and Washington to champion liberal policies and produce results, at a moment when many Democrats have grown frustrated with the slow-moving agenda in the nation's capital. Late last week, Newsom announced that California would produce its own insulin to sell "close to at-cost" as the fate of a federal bill to cap prices remains unclear.

When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ending the constitutional right to an abortion, state leaders moved to shield patients and providers in California from out-of-state liability. And last month, when the court curbed the powers of the Environmental Protection Agency, Newsom touted the California budget's funding to fight climate change and said blue states have to "double down, quadruple down."

Newsom has made himself a particular foil to DeSantis, who is also seen as a potential presidential candidate. DeSantis has championed "freedom" from some coronavirus restrictions and has moved to curb classroom discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity.

On Wednesday, at the 2022 National Forum on Education Policy, Newsom likened the latest policy battles to efforts to bar gay teachers from schools in the 1970s. "What the hell's going on in this country?" he told a ballroom crowd.

At the abortion rights protest this month outside the California Capitol, some marchers were eager for new Democratic leaders.

Kim Coleman Berger said she would love to see Harris run in 2024. But she likes Newsom, too: "He's the reason we're married," she said, standing beside her wife after the protest. The couple wore matching T-shirts with a profane message for members of the Supreme Court.

Newsom's aggressive tone is more often adopted by leaders further to the left like Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said Dan Schnur, a former Republican strategist who left the party and teaches political communications in California.

"Newsom pushes back just as hard," Schnur said. "But from the center-left."

The recent enthusiasm for Newsom's style is all the more striking given his vulnerability last year, when an effort to recall him from office prompted headlines like "Why Are Democrats Freaking Out About A Race In California?" and "Newsom's big problem in the recall election? Likability."

Recall proponents tapped into angst over Newsom's coronavirus restrictions and accusations of hypocrisy, after Newsom went to a lobbyist's birthday party at an expensive restaurant, the French Laundry, despite California's restrictions on gatherings.

Opponents in the recall and past elections have portrayed Newsom as out-of-touch with his constituents - highlighting his family connections to wealthy donors, his children's attendance at private school amid shutdowns and his multimillionaire status as the founder of a chain of wineries, restaurants and hotels.

But Newsom defeated the recall decisively last November after casting the race as a referendum on "Trumpism" that would install a Republican in his place. He coasted in this year's all-party primary, finishing as the top vote-getter.
Jacksonville AmVets Post 100 Commander Jim Duncan is no stranger to working hard for fellow veterans  whether it is helping a veteran get a job, to teaching them how to apply for a loan. Now, Duncan has an additional role to add to his already extensive resume, becoming the AmVets Department of Illinois commander.

"We have about 60 posts in Illinois," Duncan said, adding that there are about 10,000 members statewide. "We have been losing members due to attrition."

Serving both roles for his post, and overlooking other posts, Duncan's main mission for the next year is to increase members by letting younger veterans know about the organization. This, to Duncan, can be achieved by having current members volunteer in the community more and let people know AmVets is here.

"Our motto is 'veterans serving veterans' and I would like to get new, active members," Duncan said. "I would also like to see us do more volunteering."

For Duncan, it's more than just helping the community by volunteering. The AmVets organization tracks how many hours volunteers donate throughout the year and then use this to the organizations benefit.

"They track the volunteers and those numbers get used by lobbyists in Congress," Duncan said, adding that it helps with veterans dealing with things like veterans being exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War, for example.

In the past, Duncan has also served as district commander, service coordinator, helping with veterans in homes, provost marshal and firsst and second vice commander before taking on the position of commander at AmVets Post 100, a position that he has held for the past 12 years.

"There are five districts in Illinois, we're district three," he said of when he was district commander.

Not just a member of AmVets, Duncan is a life member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1379, belongs to American Legion Post 279, and is a life member of the Disabled American Veterans.

"The VFW is a great organization. To be a member you have to have served overseas during wartime," he said.

Duncan, who is an Army veteran and served in Vietnam, also gives back to his community by serving on such boards like the Jacksonville Planning Commission, Board of Trustees for Illinois College, the local Chamber of Commerce and the Womans Crisis Center.

"If there's a board, I'm usually on it," he said.

As he embarks on this new role, Duncan said that "he just wants this year to be a fun year."
As drought conditions continue to spread across Connecticut, officials on Thursday began advising residents to reduce water consumption and avoid unnecessary irrigation of lawns and gardens.

The hot weather and clear skies that were a fixture across southern New England in June  driving crowds of beachgoers to the shore  have continued to cause parched conditions in the region, weather experts said. All of Connecticut is currently experiencing abnormally dry or drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, which reported none of those conditions anywhere in the state three months ago.

On Thursday, Gov. Ned Lamont approved a recommendation by the states Interagency Drought Working Group to declare an emerging drought event, prompting officials to request that residents take voluntary measures to reduce their water use.

Residents should be mindful of their water consumption and take sensible steps to reduce impacts on other water uses and on the environment, Lamont said. We must begin early steps now to mitigate the potential for harm should the drought become prolonged.

Gary Lessor, the chief meteorologist at the Connecticut Weather Center, said Thursday that some parts of Connecticut along the coast have seen rainfall two inches below normal since June 1, and more than 5.5. Inches below normal since the start of the year.

Further inland, near Hartford, Lessor said that rainfall is also below historic averages, though not by as much.

We are starting to see the drought accelerating, Lessor said, adding We dont really see any big changes to the forecast going forward to September.

Dry conditions are not unheard of in Connecticut, which has entered its current stage, Phase Two, of drought management five times in the last two decades, most recently in 2020. That drought, which lasted for several months, eventually rose to Phase Three levels and prompted federal disaster declarations in parts of Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts.

So far, however, there have been no reports of adverse impacts such as wells drying up or reservoirs lowering in Connecticut, said Martin Heft, an undersecretary in the Office of Policy & Management and chair of the Interagency Drought Workgroup.

If that was the case, wed probably be at a different stage already, Heft said.

Mandatory water restrictions do not kick in until Phase Four of the states drought mitigation plan, Heft said. At that point, according to the plan, farmers may be experiencing complete crop loss and public utilities can be expected to take emergency measures in response to the drought.

In a letter to public water systems and local health officials on Thursday, Department of Public Health Environmental Health and Drinking Water Branch Chief Lori Mathieu asked officials to review their emergency plans and advise the agency of any worsening drought conditions.

The dry weather began in Connecticut shortly before the start of the annual season for harvesting strawberries and other early-summer fruits, prompting some farmers in eastern Connecticut to increase the irrigation of their fields.

Don Tuller, the owner of Tulmeadow Farm in Simsbury, said the drought had caused a minor setback for his crops of pumpkins and sweet corn, which are tough to irrigate. He said hes heard farmers in other areas of the state complain that their fields look as parched as they normally do in late August.

It really depends on where you are, what your crop is and whether you have irrigation or not, said Tuller, adding that larger farms tend to have sophisticated  and expensive  irrigation systems to help them through dry periods.

Theres a lot of folks that just dont have the capacity to do that, he said.

Lessor  whose forecast called for a hot, dry summer earlier this year  said Thursday that temperatures will continue to rise across Connecticut heading into August, and that drought conditions are likely to get worse.

One thing that could end everything really quick would be a tropical system, Lessor said, referring to a hurricane or tropical storm. But at this point, theres nothing really out there.

The Atlantic hurricane season, which began in June, is predicted to be particularly busy this year, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. So far, there have been three named storms, none of which have made landfall in the northeastern United States.
An Ohio man has been charged in the rape of a 10-year-old girl who had to travel to Indiana to undergo an abortion, a case that's been decried by President Biden in the days since the story garnered international attention.

Gershon Fuentes, 27, was arrested Tuesday after he confessed to authorities that he had raped the 10-year-old on at least two occasions, according to The Columbus Dispatch, which first reported the news. Fuentes, whose last known address is in Columbus, was arraigned on Wednesday on a charge of felony first-degree rape. He is being held in Franklin County Jail on a $2 million bond.

Columbus Police Detective Jeffrey Huhn testified that the arrest was made after a referral from Franklin County Children Services, which had been in touch with the girl's mother on June 22, according to video of the arraignment from WXIN - two days before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The girl had an abortion at an Indianapolis clinic on June 30, Huhn said.

The detective added that Fuentes's DNA is being tested to confirm that he was the father to the aborted fetus, according to video of the hearing.

If convicted, Fuentes faces life in prison.

Neither Clark Torbett, Fuentes's attorney with the Franklin County Public Defender's Office, nor a representative with Franklin County Children's Services immediately responded to requests for comment Wednesday. Assistant Franklin County Prosecutor Dan Meyer told The Washington Post that the office's policy "is to not comment on ongoing investigations."

The story of the 10-year-old victim was first made public by Caitlin Bernard, an Indianapolis physician who provides abortions. In an Indianapolis Star article published July 1, Bernard said that she had been called by a child abuse doctor in Ohio about a 10-year-old patient who was six weeks and three days pregnant.

The girl had to travel to Indiana for her procedure because abortions are now banned in Ohio after six weeks. Ohio was among the 13 states with "trigger bans" designed to take effect once Roe was struck down. Since the Dobbs decision, Ohio has imposed a ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, with no exceptions for rape and incest. While performing an abortion after six weeks remains legal in Indiana, lawmakers are expected to meet this month to consider further abortion restrictions.

The story quickly received international attention. In impassioned remarks on the future of abortion, Biden expressed outrage over the reported case. "She was forced to have to travel out of the state to Indiana to seek to terminate the pregnancy and maybe save her life," Biden said at the White House last week. "Ten years old - 10 years old! - raped, six weeks pregnant, already traumatized, was forced to travel to another state."

Soon after Biden's speech, Republicans - including Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Rep. Jim Jordan - expressed skepticism over the story. In a Tuesday evening op-ed titled, "An Abortion Story Too Good to Confirm," The Wall Street Journal's editorial board criticized Biden for giving his "presidential seal of approval on an unlikely story from a biased source that neatly fits the progressive narrative but can't be confirmed."

"The abortion debate is intense and passions run high," The Journal's editorial board wrote. "But the American people deserve better from their President than an unproven story designed to aggravate those passions."

Earlier in the week, Yost told Fox News host Jesse Watters that his office had heard "not a whisper" about the reported case of the 10-year-old victim. "We have regular contact with prosecutors and local police and sheriffs - not a whisper anywhere," Yost said on Monday.

The attorney general doubled down to the USA Today network on Tuesday, saying, "Every day that goes by the more likely that this is a fabrication."

Bernard, the doctor who first brought the story forward, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. When asked earlier in the week if there was a way to help corroborate her account of the 10-year-old, she declined, saying, "the things you're asking for are HIPAA violations."

"I am not going to put anyone else in Fox's line of fire," she wrote in a text message to The Post.

Yost initially issued a one-sentence statement when the arrest was announced Wednesday: "We rejoice anytime a child rapist is taken off the streets." Yost expanded on the news in a statement to The Post.

"My heart aches for the pain suffered by this young child. I am grateful for the diligent work of the Columbus Police Department in securing a confession and getting a rapist off the street," he said. "Justice must be served and BCI stands ready to support law enforcement across Ohio putting these criminals behind bars."

The statement did not address his earlier remarks.

Jordan, who called the story a "lie" on Tuesday in a tweet that has since been deleted, joined Yost in celebrating the arrest.

"Gershon Fuentes should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," the congressman wrote. Jordan also did not address his previous remarks about the case being a "lie."

Abortions performed on patients younger than 15 in the country are extremely rare. In 2019, 0.2% of reported abortions were performed on patients that young, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Huhn testified Wednesday that Fuentes admitted to detectives, through an interpreter, that he had sexual contact with the girl. The detective added that the girl also identified Fuentes as the man who impregnated her.

During the arraignment hearing, Meyer, the prosecutor, noted that the girl had only recently turned 10, The Dispatch reported - meaning she may have been 9 at the time she was raped and impregnated.
Women seeking an abortion in Michigan and medical professionals providing lawful services to them don't have to fear extradition for criminal charges.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, among other actions to protect reproductive freedom, signed an executive order prohibiting women and medical professionals taking part in legal abortions in Michigan from being sent to their home states for criminal prosecution.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel echos Whitmer's sentiment. When Roe v. Wade was overruled on June 24, 2022, Nessel said: "As long as Im in office, I will not prosecute women, girls or their doctors for seeking or providing abortion services. Nor will my staff seek licensure discipline against medical professionals who safely perform these procedures."

Whitmer announced the executive order in a press release on Wednesday, explaining laws and legislative proposals across the country supported by the GOP would make it a felony for a woman to seek abortion care and for a doctor to provide it.

If enacted, women and doctors could face jail time and felony charges. Those with felony charges cannot vote in some states. In Michigan, people with convictions can vote after they are released from incarceration.

"After the overturn of Roe v Wade and the ensuing implementation of a series of extreme bans on abortion that criminalize women and medical professionals across the country, visitors to Michigan must know that they can access reproductive health care within our borders without fear of extradition," Whitmer said in the release. "That is why I signed an executive order today refusing to cooperate with out-of-state law enforcement seeking to punish women for seeking health care. Michigan must remain a place where a persons basic rights are preserved."

Proposals also exist to punish a woman who decides to cross state lines to obtain an abortion. In Michigan, a proposal exists to imprison health care providers for up to 10 years if they help a woman get an abortion. The GOP legislature is also in court defending Michigans 1931 near-total abortion ban that does not include exceptions for rape or incest.

The current version of Michigans law criminalizing abortion without exceptions for rape or incest was enacted in 1931. In 1973, the passage of Roe rendered Michigans 1931 ban unconstitutional and abortion became legal in the state. Since Roe was overruled in the Dobbs v. Jackson case, Michigan's 1931 abortion ban was triggered.

On May 17, 2022, a Michigan state judge granted a preliminary injunction in a suit brought by Planned Parenthood against Michigans unconstitutional 1931 law criminalizing abortion. The injunction temporarily blocks the abortion ban.

While abortions are still legal in Michigan, this could change any moment if the injunction blocking the enforcement of the 1931 Michigan abortion ban is lifted.

On April 7, 2022, Whitmer filed a lawsuit and asked the Michigan Supreme Court to recognize a constitutional right to an abortion under the Due Process Clause of the Michigan Constitution. The lawsuit targets the prosecutors in the 13 counties where clinics that provide abortions in Michigan operate.

Whitmer filed the lawsuit nearly one month before the leak of a draft opinion by Justice Samuel Alito indicating the court was prepared to take the step to ban abortion at the federal level.

The lawsuit also asks the court to stop the enforcement of the 1931 Michigan abortion ban. The abortion ban violates Michigans due process clause, which provides a right to privacy and bodily autonomy that is violated by the states near-total criminal ban on abortion, according to Whitmer's office.
St. Louis County Police detectives are trying to identify a person of interest in a bank robbery.

In a press release, St. Louis County Police said the robbery occurred at the U.S. Bank in 11000 block of Larimore Road in Spanish Lake, Missouri. They believe the person of interest may be a woman or a man dressed as a woman.

Police say the person entered the back and showed a teller a note demanding money and then fled to a nearby Dirt Cheap liquor store and changed clothes in the restroom.

The person was last seen walking westbound down Dunn Road.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Bureau of Communications at 636-529-8210 or 314-615-8686.
CARTHAGE  State police are investigating the fatal shooting of a man reported to have held a deputy at gunpoint before stealing a police cruiser and leading authorities on a pursuit that ended in gunfire.

According to a preliminary report from Illinois State Police, Hancock County sheriff's deputies responded Wednesday to a report of a suspicious person. While the man was being questioned, authorities said, he went into the patrol vehicle and held an officer at gunpoint.
Pamela McCarroll doesn't have the luxury of ignoring phone calls from unknown numbers.

The 30-year old is undergoing treatment for long-term colon cancer in Fairfax County, Va., and never knows whether it could be a doctor, a hospital with test results, or someone trying to schedule an appointment.

Unfortunately, that means she's fielding up to 20 spam phone calls every day on her mobile phone, adding to her already sky-high levels of stress. Since her diagnosis in August 2019, the number of scam attempts has shot up while the topics have gotten strangely specific, including Medicare or senior benefits.

"I've gotten some calls about funeral insurance. That kind of bums me out," McCarroll says. "I've got cancer, but you don't have to rub it in."

We're living in an era of constant scams. The technology and techniques behind them have improved, while attempts to crack down have largely stalled. For the millions of people in the United States dealing with scam attempts like McCarroll, there doesn't seem to be any meaningful relief in sight.

We mostly think about scam calls and texts in terms of their financial costs to the people who fall for them. Consumers reported $5.8 billion in fraud to the Federal Trade Commission last year, a 70 percent increase from 2020. Falling for or engaging with one scam can lead to an increase in attempts. According to RoboKiller, an app for screening robocalls on phones, an average smartphone owner in the United States will get an estimated 42 spam texts and 28 spam calls a month. Once a number or email address spreads into more spammer databases, it can be bought and sold by the companies involved in the booming scam industry.

Someone could come across any or all of these scams in a week: A text message from UPS with a link promising a delivery. A prerecorded phone call about a car warranty or bank issue. Emails that appear to be from Amazon or Apple customer service asking you to log in to your account. Shady replies on Facebook Marketplace for a chair you listed. Maybe a wrong-number message on WhatsApp from a chatty stranger.

Beyond the financial repercussions, there's a steep emotional cost for people who don't lose a dollar, mental health experts say. Constant scam attempts can increase stress levels and strain relationships. Their negative impact on mental health is even worse when the scammers target people based on perceived weaknesses, like advanced age, loneliness or, in McCarroll's case, an ongoing illness. That anxiety can spread to their worried family members, they say.

Irene Kenyon's family was in a good position to avoid scams. She's the director of risk intelligence at risk assessment company FiveBy, and her father has two engineering master's degrees. But in 2017, she got a panicked call from her mother. Her father had gone out and bought $6,000 in gift cards at Target for a phone scammer who claimed to be their grandson. The man on the phone said he was in jail and needed to be bailed out. By the time Kenyon reached her dad, it was too late. He'd read the gift card numbers out over the phone.

"What these people do is play on people's emotions, they play on the fact that grandparents love their grandkids more than you can imagine, and all their logic will fly out the window," Kenyon says. They reported the case to the police, and a special program in their state was able to reimburse them for part of the lost money.

At the time, her parents were embarrassed and she was angry, but now they talk every day and go over anything suspicious. She has taught them to never answer any of the unknown calls they get a day and to look closely at emails. She says they're still tense about falling for something, and she worries about them day and night.

Many of these scams are easier to spot or screen with a little training, like looking for a misspelled email address or ignoring an unknown phone number on caller ID. Others scams are incredibly believable thanks to technology like spoofing, which lets the attacker fake a call from the number of someone you know, maybe even yourself.

A proud and protective mom of two adult daughters, Renee makes sure they both call her once a day to check in. When it looked like her oldest was calling at 11 p.m. on a recent weeknight, Renee and her husband were confused but answered right away. They were met with the gravelly voice of an unknown man on the other end.

"He was very agitated. He was very angry, very threatening," says Renee, who spoke on the condition that her last name not be used for fear of being targeted again. "The first thing he said was, 'I'm going to kill her. I'm going to get her. I don't want to have to hurt her. I've been to jail before, and I don't want to go back.' "

The scammer said he was holding Renee's daughter hostage and wanted money to let her go, asking repeatedly for her Cash App information - an app Renee didn't recognize. He threatened to slit her daughter's throat. Renee believed him completely but managed to stay calm and continue talking to him, slowly collecting more hints that the situation wasn't what it seemed. They sent police to their daughter's home, where they found her safe and confused. The man was a scammer who had faked her number. When it was over, Renee's calm broke and she began crying.

"I feel grateful, but I feel like they've invaded my space and my peace and that was trauma," Renee says.

Those feelings are common, says Matthew Mimiaga, a professor at UCLA.

"Scam victims often suffer from a decrease in life satisfaction and are likely to have higher levels of anxiety and lower levels of happiness," Mimiaga says.

Their lingering anxiety has real, physical side effects including feeling restless, wound-up or on edge, Mimiaga says. It could lead to people being easily fatigued, having difficulty concentrating, or even having headaches and other unexplained pains.

Anyone can be a target for phone and email scams, but the fallout can be worse for people who are older, says Iris Waichler, a licensed clinical social worker and author of "Role Reversal, How to Take Care of Yourself and Your Aging Parents."

"They're extremely vulnerable and lonely. The reason they're targets is when someone reaches out, they're sometimes just grateful to talk to somebody," Waichler says.

Older people may already be worried about losing independence or appearing to have diminished mental capacity, and are more likely to keep an experience with scammers to themselves out of shame. The adult could be left with lower self esteem and higher self doubt, Waichler says.

There have been some changes to try to help people avoid scams, at least over texts and phone calls. In 2019, large carriers agreed to use technology known as STIR/SHAKEN to authenticate who is calling to reduce robocalls and spoofed numbers. It's being adopted by smaller cellphone carriers this year. The FTC has also proposed a rule to address robotexts, but it's still pending. Phone makers are trying to combat the issue on their side with features that label some calls as possible spam, while companies like RoboKiller are making their own apps to screen and block.

Scammers, however, are always looking for new ways to adapt - and new targets to go after.

"As long as there's billions of dollars on the other end of it, it's not going to stop," says Chester Wisniewski, a principal research scientist at security company Sophos.

For now, awareness and a few tools can lower the stress but not make it go away.

Pamela McCarroll's husband, voice actor Michael McCarroll, has a blocking app from his carrier, but he made sure it was off when his wife was in the hospital for a week this month. Every time he saw a call from an unknown number, his stomach dropped and he thought, "Oh God." He was thankful it was just spam, every time.
On Wednesday, a date also known as National French Fry Day, Google Trends posted a tweet highlighting the most searched type of french fry for each state. So, what's the most searched type of french fry in Texas. Hint: It's not steak fries?

In Texas, search interest for sweet potato fries is by far the top fry type, as is the case across the vast majority of states, including Lone Star neighbors Oklahoma and Louisiana. Carne asada fries topped search interest in a regional pocket of the U.S. Southwest, including states like Nevada, California, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado.
Former President Donald Trump could be facing legal ramifications related to witness tampering.

At the conclusion of Tuesday's January 6 Committee Hearing, Representative Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming), who is also the vice chair of the committee, mentioned in her closing statement that Trump tried to contact a witness who has yet to come before the committee to testify.

Cheney did not disclose the witness's name or their title.

"After our last hearing, President Trump tried to call a witness in our investigation  a witness you have not yet seen in these hearings. That person declined to answer or respond to President Trump's call, and instead alerted their lawyer to the call  they're lawyer alerted us, and this committee has supplied that information to the Department of Justice," Cheney said, "We will take any effort to influence witness testimony very seriously."

A spokesperson for Trump, Taylor Budowich, posted a response to Cheney's remarks on Twitter writing, "The media has become pawns of the Unselect Committee. Liz Cheney continues to traffic in innuendos and lies that go unchallenged, unconfirmed, but repeated as fact because the narrative is more important than the truth."
A large, modern home perched above the rolling California hills in Placerville, currently listed for around $1 million, went viral this week due to one bizarre feature.

First posted on the popular Twitter account @zillowgonewild on Tuesday, the 4,400-square-foot, three-bed house at first looks like many other modern 1970s hillside homes. The spacious kitchen and living area in the home is clean and bright. Or, as the Twitter account described, it exhibits "a beautiful blandness."

But as the virtual tour creeps through the airy space, more and more (and more) storage space comes into view  shelves upon shelves, stacked closets, locked drawers, until the grand finale  a giant 2,000-square-foot stark white warehouse lined with endless shelving, simply named "The Room."

Navigate Realty

Many social media users saw the potential to store Funko Pops, while others likened it to their Minecraft builds.

But to some it was far more sinister, evoking psychological thriller "The Handmaiden" or the trophy room in "Dexter: New Blood." One user drew attention to the metal door leading to "The Room" that appears to lock from the outside.

Elsewhere, a TikTok video that walked through the virtual tour of the home, describing it as "one of the strangest interiors I have ever seen," garnered nearly half a million likes. That video was simply named: "What were they collecting?"

We spoke to the property's listing agent, Kelli Griggs of Navigate Realty, to find out.

Navigate Realty Navigate Realty Navigate Realty Navigate Realty 7652 Kona Court, Placerville, California

"It was an elderly woman who loved stuff," Griggs told SFGATE. "There were over 25,000 books, 2,000 DVDs, 2,000 VHS. Everything was new in its box."

It took nine months to remove "all the stuff" from the home after the owner passed away. "She was a collector of all things," Griggs said. "Shopping apparently gave her great pleasure. It was very tidy and organized and neat."

Once the owner filled the rows upon rows of shelving with unopened purchases, she built the 2,000-square-foot addition  the giant warehouse known as "The Room" connected to the home.

"It wasn't full. It was in anticipation of filling the space, it brought her great joy," Griggs said. "It was the craziest thing."

Despite the $1 million price tag seeming reasonable for a hilltop home on an 18-acre lot to some in the Bay Area, Griggs says that price is high for the town of Placerville, where the median house cost is around $550,000 and the median household income $51,000.

"It's really for an out-of-towner," she said. "It's definitely for a specific person."

Griggs envisions a car collector who could open up that wall and display their classic cars in an air-conditioned space. "Just the most glamorous garage," she said, "or maybe a daycare or one of those giant McDonalds play centers."

Navigate Realty Navigate Realty Navigate Realty Navigate Realty 7652 Kona Court, Placerville, California

The former owner's children are selling the home.

Their mom's eccentric collecting may not have all been for nothing, though. The thousands of books, items and collectibles that once lined the shelves were donated to fill homes ravaged by the Caldor Fire that blazed through El Dorado County last fall, Griggs says.

Beyond the books and DVDs, the shelves were full of brand new blankets, appliances and other household items bought, but unopened, by the former owner. "The children were able to take all of the things and completely furnish multiple families homes," Griggs says.

"The stuff didn't go away in vain," she adds. "It was maybe stored for such a time as this."

Find the listing, complete with a virtual tour of the property, here.
Patients with osteonecrosis of the upper jaw receive treatment at Cho Ray Hospital

As per statistics of the Central Hospital of Odonto-Stomatology in Ho Chi Minh City, every three months, the hospital averagely received one case with osteonecrosis of the upper jaw previously, but in the past five months, the unit has recorded 16 cases. However, hospitals have not confirmed if these cases are related to Covid-19 or not.

A 46-year-old woman in District 5 spent nearly six months for treatment at many hospitals without getting rid of jaw pain and facial swelling. In November 2021, she contracted Covid-19, then had a toothache, and 10 days later her face was swollen. She was diagnosed with myelitis and treated for two months.

Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Duong Anh Duc yesterday urged the city health sector to find out the cause of osteonecrosis in the maxillofacial and skull areas in patients who were having Covid-19 that the media reported lately for better treatment. He applauded the health sector for immediately conducting a meeting with experts to analyze and evaluate after the appearance of this bizarre disease and suggesting that the health sector continue to implement this plan. After that, she had sinus surgery but the disease did not go away. In May 2022, she was transferred to Cho Ray Hospital for further treatment.



At that time, the patient had osteonecrosis of the maxillary bone, spreading to the temple, and the foot of the butterfly. During surgery, surgeons discovered a large abscess with a lot of pus while opening the cheekbone frame, from the pit below the temple.

According to Dr. Nguyen Van Tuan, Head of the Maxillofacial Surgery Department of the National Hospital of Odonto-Stomatology, there is a sudden increase in this pathology.

Patients all had the same symptoms of toothache, jaw pain, and facial swelling. In case of early detection, necrosis has not spread and has been operated, patients will take antibiotics for 3-6 weeks before jaw restoration. Currently, 13 patients at the Central Hospital of Odonto-Stomatology in Ho Chi Minh City are in stable condition.

Also according to doctor Nguyen Van Tuan, the world medical literature has recorded similar cases. Accordingly, four risk factors suspected to lead to osteonecrosis of the maxilla in post-Covid-19 patients are reported. The first hypothesis is possible due to the SARS-CoV-2 virus attaching to the ACE-2 receptor causing concentration in the mucous membranes of the nose and mouth and microvascular occlusion of the maxillary bone.

People with Covid-19 experience hypercoagulability, causing blood vessel blockages that do not nourish bones well. Second, it is possible due to the use of anti-inflammatory drugs or due to bacterial infection, or fungal infection. Finally, patients with diabetes cause vascular complications and reduce resistance, so the body is susceptible to superinfection.

Regarding a cluster of patients with upper jaw bone necrosis at Cho Ray Hospital and the Central Hospital of Odonto-Stomatology in Ho Chi Minh City, physicians said that all patients had Covid-19. Previously, doctors of Ho Chi Minh City Otolaryngology Hospital also recorded several cases of upper jaw bone necrosis.

Many experts fretted that there may be many similar cases but they have not been reported. If patients have not received proper treatment promptly, they can die from bone necrosis and severe inflammation.

According to Professor-Dr. Tran Minh Truong, Vice President of the Vietnam Association of Otolaryngology, former Deputy Director of Cho Ray Hospital, the warning signs suggestive of the cases are severe pain during Covid-19 infection or after having tested negative for SARS-CoV-2.

Many patients have osteonecrosis of the jaw, the bone structure is destroyed, making the tooth wobbly as if it is about to fall. Patients suffered much pain and had bad breath, even if their tooth is extracted, the pain did not abate.

Up to now, the Ministry of Health has not had a treatment regimen for this disease, so even if the disease is diagnosed correctly, there have been widespread public debates about the treatment methods. A series of cases have been recorded unprecedentedly in a short time, so medical workers faced difficulties in giving explanations to patients and family members; however, without surgery, the condition of patients will get worse.

On the afternoon of July 13, Associate Professor Dr. Tang Chi Thuong, Director of the Department of Health of Ho Chi Minh City, said that the department has asked hospitals in the area to report the situation of receiving and treating patients with necrosis of the upper jaw bone after having Covid-19.

It is expected that in the following week, the Department of Health will organize a seminar to listen to experts for seeking the causes of cases of osteonecrosis of the upper jaw in recent years.

By Thanh An  Translated by Anh Quan
Page Content

Colorado enacted a slew of employment-related legislation in the 2022 legislative session. One important new piece of legislation, Senate Bill 22-234, updates the notice requirements regarding unemployment insurance that employers must provide to employees upon termination.

Under preexisting Colorado law, employers are required to provide a notice to employees at separation of employment that includes:

A statement that unemployment insurance benefits are available to unemployed workers who meet the eligibility requirements under Colorado law.

Contact information to file a claim.

Information the worker will need to file a claim.

Contact information to inquire about the status of their claim after it is filed.

Senate Bill 22-234 expands the information employers are required to provide at termination to include the following information:

Employer's name.

Employer's address.

Employee's name.

Employee's address.

Employee's ID number or the last four digits of the employee's Social Security number.

Employee's first and last dates worked.

Employee's year-to-date earnings.

Employee's wages for the last week worked.

The reason the employee separated from the employer.

The notice containing this information can be in electronic or hard copy format, and it must be provided to all employees at termination, regardless of the reason for the employment separation.

The requirement to provide the above notice went into effect as soon as the bill was signed into law, which occurred on May 25. While the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment is expected to issue a model form notice in the coming months, Colorado employers should take steps now to ensure that they are providing employees with each piece of information required under current Colorado law, and will thus need to create their own notice to employees upon termination.

David C. Gartenberg and Jennifer S. Harpole are attorneys with Littler in Denver.  2022 Littler. All rights reserved. Reposted with permission.
Udaan, Indias largest business-to-business startup, has expressed curiosity to purchase Metro AGs India wholesale unit, becoming a member of deep-pocketed suitors, together with Reliance Industries Ltd and Thailands Charoen Pokphand Group Co., an individual straight conscious of the plans mentioned.

Metro, which has 31 wholesale distribution centres in India, is predicted to promote the India unit by the tip of September, the individual mentioned.

The bidders plan to leverage Metros wholesale shops that cater to small companies, neighbourhood shops, and eating places to assist broaden their attain in Indias prime cities and entry merchandise. The successful bidder can even use the shops to fulfil on-line orders.

Metro opened its first retailer in India in 2003. In 2020-21, the corporate clocked Rs 6,738.3 crore in gross sales.

A spokesperson for Metro AG mentioned the corporate frequently assesses its international portfolio, similar to its market place within the respective nation, the life cycle of its operations, and the enterprises progress potential.

This can be a common strategy, and regular enterprise utilized to all nations, together with India. We dont touch upon rumours and speculations, the spokesperson, primarily based in Dusseldorf, Germany, mentioned.

A spokesperson for CP Group, whose retail arm Siam Makro PCL operates wholesale money and carry shops in India and different markets, declined to remark.

A spokesperson for Reliance Industries mentioned: As a coverage, we dont touch upon media hypothesis and rumours. Our firm evaluates numerous alternatives on an ongoing foundation.

Reliance Industries is the biggest offline retailer within the nation, working retail shops throughout grocery, vogue, footwear and electronics segments.

The business-to-business e-commerce platform operates throughout classes, together with way of life, electronics, house and kitchen, staples, vegetables and fruit, FMCG, pharma, toys and common merchandise. Udaan, run by Hiveloop Know-how Pvt., was based by Sujeet Kumar, Amod Malviya, and Vaibhav Gupta.

Every firm has totally different metrics on how theyve valued the Metro enterprise in India and have put in a bid, foundation that, the individual cited above mentioned on situation of anonymity.

Nonetheless, the ultimate resolution on who wins the bid to take management of the corporates operations right here shall be taken in Germany. Whether or not Metro will preserve a minority stake within the operations shall be determined primarily based on whether or not the brand new proprietor wants Metros experience to function the enterprise.

Metro is prioritizing the seek for native companions to purchase a majority stake in its India wholesale enterprise.

Funding banks Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan have been tasked to seek out both a purchaser for the corporates total enterprise within the nation or a accomplice who can purchase a majority stake. A 145-page info memorandum was circulated amongst potential consumers.

Metro will contemplate the customers skill to get regulatory approvals and meet monetary expectations and deal with current workers, mentioned the individual.

Competitors in Indias retail trade has solely intensified over the previous few years, with native conglomerates and overseas retailers ramping up investments out there.

These within the know of the retailers plans in India mentioned that the corporates present operations are too small given the dimensions and scope of the Indian retail market. The corporate has submitted a plan to scale its enterprise in India, together with rising operations to a number of a whole bunch of shops to potential consumers.
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Mining giant BHP has fired its strongest warning yet over the feared impact of Queenslands steep increases in coal royalties amid deepening concerns across the industry that it may damage the nations future investment appeal.

The Queensland state budget last month lifted a decade-long royalty freeze on every tonne of coal  a move the Palaszczuk government said would ensure the public received a fairer share of the super profits flowing in the sector as a result of the war in Ukraine that has worsened global shortages and sent prices to all-time highs.

The BHP Mitsubishi Alliance is Australias largest producer and exporter of metallutgical coal. Credit:Peter Braig

The decision has angered the mining industry in Queensland, which ranks as the worlds top exporter of metallurgical coal used in steel-making.

On Thursday, BHP, the largest Australian mining company, described the decision to impose a new tax on some of the states biggest employers without consultation as the antithesis of considered policy.
A Sydney trading house that had enlisted Australian cricketer Steve Smith as its ambassador has surrendered its financial licence and had two of its top executives banned following an investigation by the corporate watchdog.

Trade360, a brand operated by Australian finance outfit Sirius Financial, allegedly hired an offshore call centre to flog its risky products. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission found that call centre then engaged in pressure sales tactics to persuade people to buy financial betting products known as contracts for difference (or CFDs).

Steve Smith was a brand ambassador for Trade360.

ASIC said on Thursday it had banned former Sirius Financial executives Jonathan Schneider and Oskar Pecyna from working as a director, executive or manager at a financial services business for eight years.

ASICs investigation uncovered concerning consumer losses from trading in CFDs, including a Sirius Financial investor, who had limited knowledge of the market, losing over $400,000 after being told CFDs were a safe investment, said ASIC commissioner Danielle Press.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has built his brand around being a dude who likes music. CBD can even recall the Cool Albo era, when kids queued around the block to hear Labors Tory-fighting cult hero spin a DJ set at a Newtown pub that has now been unfortunately turned into a Holey Moley.

Spinning a tune: Anthony Albanese and Jacinda Ardern. Credit:Shakespeare

As PM, Albanese is still leaning hard into the music dude identity, even flexing it on the world stage. Last month, he gifted his Kiwi counterpart Jacinda Ardern records by Spiderbait, Midnight Oil and Powderfinger.

Arderns fiance Clarke Gayord wasnt too impressed by Albaneses taste, and the PM would hope his album diplomacy went down better with Emmanuel Macron. Yesterday, Spiderbaits Kram told the ABC the French President had also been gifted one of the bands albums.

Which got us wondering where DJ Albo might take this next. Given Indonesian President Joko Widodo is a renowned metalhead, the choice of AC/DC for their next meeting would make sense. Were curious about what the PM couldve given Ukraines Volodymyr Zelensky when the two met during a secret trip to Kyiv recently, although an extra $100 million in military aid probably did more than an album ever could.
Lawyers for the Catholic Church could resurrect a legal strategy to defend a civil claim launched by the father of a former choirboy who prosecutors had alleged was sexually abused by George Pell in Melbournes St Patricks Cathedral.

Two years on from Pells acquittal on criminal charges following a successful appeal to the High Court, lawyers for the church are investigating whether they can use the so-called Ellis defence  the legal strategy Pell backed as Australias most senior Catholic to avoid paying large compensation sums to victims of clerical abuse.

George Pell in 2021. Credit:AP

The Supreme Court heard on Thursday the churchs lawyers were considering using the controversial defence strategy in the latest court case involving Pell, even though the Victorian government abolished the legal loophole in 2018. Legal sources say it can still be applied in some circumstances.

Pell was in 2018 found guilty by a County Court jury of abusing two teenage choirboys in the cathedral after a Sunday Mass in December 1996. Those convictions were quashed by the High Court in 2020 and Pell was released from prison after more than a year in custody.
A pair of software engineers have been able to pinpoint locations of Perth houses with guns based off a controversial and so-called de-identified map that was released by West Australian Police, prompting fresh concerns for the privacy of registered owners.

The engineers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, found the locations using a controversial map of firearm locations in a Perth suburb made publicly available by police in March as part of a public relations blitz for an overhaul of firearms ownership laws.

The engineers found gun owner homes using publicly available software. Credit:guns

Gun owners in the suburb were outraged at the level of detail in the map but at the time police said the information had been de-identified.

WA Police Minister Paul Papalia said the data was too broad and anyone trying to pick a location of a firearm owner would just be guessing.
Drew Brian Hoy is trying to save Sydneys historic homes and buildings, one photo at a time.

His Instagram account, Forgotten Sydney, is part of a social media wave that is celebrating ordinary Australian homes and apartments  and not the ones youd find in the annual architecture awards.

Since the onset of the pandemic, his account has grown from fewer than 1000 followers to 14,000 followers.

Drew Brian Hoy, who runs Instagram account Forgotten Sydney, outside an art deco apartment block in Drummoyne. Credit:James Brickwood

Other accounts are booming. Retro Sydney, a nostalgic account that celebrates Sydney through the decades, has attracted 68,000 followers.
First home buyers will be able to access the governments Help to Buy scheme as soon as early next year, as the government works to bring state and territory governments together to tackle the nations widespread housing challenges.

The countrys housing ministers are meeting for the first time in five years on Friday, against a backdrop of high property prices, skyrocketing rental rates and rising interest rates.

Housing and Homelessness Minister Julie Collins is holding a summit with state and territory housing ministers in Melbourne on Friday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Housing and Homelessness Minister Julie Collins said she convened the summit so the federal and state governments can start working together to address the widespread housing challenges.

Housing affordability has become a national issue, so this is about how we can work together, she told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.
And then you have something that, Ive noticed, you Australians dont see so much as an asset and youre very worried about, which is the infinite capacity to attract talent. I mean, you have a line standing outside your borders of probably three billion people just waiting outside to be allowed in. And you can select who comes in. Loading That asset, together with all the other elements  space, resources, the rule of law, democracy, political stability  all of that is just unheard of. Think about where you can find that. Maybe Canada, despite the fact they have lousy weather most of the year. But Australia is an amazingly attractive long-term proposition. Why should Australians care about what one of Europes elite thinks about investing here? Parts of Australia, including most of the Nationals, are convinced that Europe is wasting its time on renewable energy. Their scepticism about the Acciona boss would only increase if they learned he has been advocating a price on carbon for years. To make things worse, he plays polo and his family is worth about $5 billion, which puts him at No. 4 on the El Mundo rich list for Spain. Yet Entrecanales has made that fortune by being smart enough to anticipate the change in global energy over the past three decades. He inherited a construction company and turned it into a renewable energy giant. The infrastructure business remains a big part of Acciona but Entrecanales put money into the wind farms in Spain in the 1990s. Around the time others were inventing the worldwide web, he was commercialising clean power.

That makes his opinion count. Entrecanales knows how to run the numbers on renewable energy projects so they make money. And if he thinks Australia is a good place to build more clean power, you can be sure others will reach the same conclusion. Some will do it for the good of the planet. Others will do it to boost their bank accounts. Either way, the change is coming. The numbers dictate what will happen. The Acciona chairman believes there is a solid rate of return on Australian renewables when measured in the basic unit of global finance, the basis point. He evaluates everything by whether it can deliver 300 or 400 basis points, which is to say 3 per cent or 4 per cent in returns above the cost of finding the capital to build the project. Loading We require from our investments 300 basis points in minimum return over the weighted average cost of capital, he says. Of course, the weighted average cost of capital depends on a number of factors, which is the country risk and our financing capacity in the country and all those elements, but basically thats the rule of thumb. That would be a minimum. Its often the target and its not easy because its a very competitive market, but 300 basis points would be a reasonable objective. In Australia, you may be somewhere between 300 and 400 points.

That might not sound like a lot, but it suggests Australia may have a slight edge in attracting investment from Acciona. And, of course, others. In normal wind and solar its a good risk-return equation, what you offer in your country, he says. What is next? Probably hydrogen. Loading The hydrogen economy is no fad. Yes, it was the subject of a famously premature Wired article in 1997 that said it would be the next big thing in energy. Yes, the commercial barriers are significant. But Europe is now putting immense amounts of time and money into making green hydrogen work as a way to store and transport energy that has been created by electrolysis that is powered by electricity from renewable sources. In the Netherlands, for instance, the Port of Rotterdam has struck deals with companies including Shell to import and generate hydrogen to send by pipeline into Europe. In Spain, the company that builds the trams for Sydneys inner west light rail, CAF, has built a hydrogen train using fuel cells from Toyota. It will be tested on the countrys rail lines at the end of this month. Navantia, the company that built three air warfare destroyers for the Royal Australian Navy (and wants to build three more), is developing a submarine powered by hydrogen.

Australias previous chief scientist, Alan Finkel, saw this coming several years ago. Another experienced adviser to government, Ross Garnaut, wrote in 2019 that Australia could become a renewable energy superpower. Loading Entrecanales forecasts an essential role for hydrogen or related fuels  liquid ammonia is one  because advanced economies will have to import their fuel. Japan and Europe do not have space for the size, the dimension that we need in terms of renewables to produce electricity for the electrolysing process, he says. He adds that Australia would be a natural exporter of green hydrogen. Your capacity is far beyond what your needs will be. But will it really work? Or is this just more talk? Entrecanales thinks the trade in hydrogen will only happen at large scale when the price of the fuel is cut in half from its current price around $12 per kilogram. Economies of scale have to play a big role, like they have played in every other industry in the world, and we need to have strong demand and we need to solve a technological challenge.
London: Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges of sexually assaulting three men a decade or more ago, and was told he would face trial next year.

Spacey, 62, stood in the dock and spoke clearly as he replied not guilty to each of the five charges during a hearing at Londons Central Criminal Court, commonly known as the Old Bailey.

Actor Kevin Spacey leaves the Central Criminal Court in London on Thursday. Credit:Getty

Judge Mark Wall set a date of June 6, 2023, for the trial to start and said it would last three to four weeks. It is likely to be at the Old Bailey, the venue for Britains highest-profile criminal trials.

The former House of Cards star, who ran Londons Old Vic theatre between 2004 and 2015, denied four counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.
Washington: Starbucks is closing 16 stores in cities around the United States, citing safety fears for their customers and workers, despite staff being trained in conflict de-escalation, dealing with an active shooter and engaging community and emergency services. We are closing stores in some locations that have experienced a high volume of challenging incidents that make it difficult to create a safe and welcoming environment, a spokesman said. A Starbucks coffee shop in Philadelphia, where one of the locations is being closed due to safety fears. Credit:AP The closures involve six locations in Los Angeles, six in and around Seattle, two in Portland, one in Philadelphia and one in Washington, DC. Although the spokeswoman declined to specify individual incidents that prompted the closures on Monday, Starbucks executives acknowledged that workers have encountered a deluge of problems, some related to drug use, mental health and racism in the neighbourhoods they serve.

Youre ... seeing firsthand the challenges facing our communities  personal safety, racism, lack of access to healthcare, a growing mental health crisis, rising drug use, and more, wrote Debbie Stroud and Denise Nelson, both senior vice presidents of US operations, in a letter to employees. We know these challenges can, at times, play out within our stores too. We read every incident report you file  its a lot. Loading They wrote that the company could take steps such as closing bathrooms  which are typically open to the public  or shuttering stores altogether. Employees affected would be given the option to be transferred to nearby locations, the spokeswoman said. Its not unusual for Starbucks to close  and open  locations, although the reason given for shuttering such a large number appears novel for the company. According to its latest annual report, Starbucks operates 8941 stores in the US. It closed 424 locations in the last fiscal year, though it opened 449 and moved 19 stores in the same time frame. Two of the locations marked for closure, in Seattle, are among those that have recently unionised. Another of the 16, one of the Portland stores, had petitioned for a union vote. The push to unionise workers, which has so far reportedly been adopted in 133 stores, began last year in Buffalo, as part of a reignited interest in organising by workers across a number of industries.
Suva: Five generations of the Work, Knowles and Lalabalavu families are buried in Sigatoka, central Fiji. Now they are at risk of washing into the sea.

In the distance, the great dunes of Sigatoka are buffeted by winds. Below, the water is translucent, shimmering against a shoal that was once filled with brown seahorses, crabs and mullets. This week the ocean lapped the shore with the threat of economic and environmental destruction.

Adi Paulini Lalabalavu-Naulago visits her familys cemetery at Olosara beach, Sigatoka. Credit:Joe Armao

My family belongs here, says Adi Paulini Lalabalavu-Naulogo as she looks over dozens of gravestones that are now inching closer to the waters edge. They have been here for hundreds of years. We are just trying to protect this place.

Year by year the water moves closer to the bones of her third-great-grandparents on the family property. The king tide just smashes the stone near the graveyard, she says. In another 20 years, this place will crack. The sea is vicious here.
THE HAGUE:--- July 4th, 2022. A delegation of the Social Economic Council (SER) paid a courtesy visit to the cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary of Sint Maarten, where they were welcomed by the Honorable Minister Plenipotentiary Rene Violenus, Cabinet Director, Carol Voges, and Senior Economic Policy Advisor, Prakaash Rostam.

After introductions, the conversation focused on the work method and the recently published advice of the SER. Furthermore, the social and economic development of Sint Maarten and the relations between the SER and similar institutions were discussed.

SER Chairman and Minister Violenus also shared their views on the challenges of Sint Maarten connected to the COVID-19 pandemic and some elements of the proposed Caribbean Body for Reform and Development (COHO) and how these challenges will impact the development path of Sint Maarten and its people.

Earlier in that same week, SER Sint Maarten made use of the opportunity to strengthen its ties with the SERs of Aruba, Curacao, and the Netherlands. The SERs of the Kingdom met in the Hague to discuss continued cooperation, exchange of best practices, and coordinate joint collaboration on future events.

Over the entire week, SER Sint Maarten succeeded in establishing a valuable network of contacts with several organizations in the Dutch cities of Amsterdam, 's-Hertogenbosch, and The Hague. The delegation consisted of Chairman Damian Richardson and Secretary-general, Gerard Richardson.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The Ministry of Justice held the second annual Justice Week Conference 2022 hosted by the Honorable Minister of Justice Anna E. Richardson from Monday, July 11, 2022, through Wednesday, July 13, 2022, at the Simpson Bay Resort. The conference themed Justice with Efficiency is the first activity carried out by the Ministry in commemoration of Justice Week. The conference aims to provide a platform where departments, agencies, and external partners of the Ministry can discuss topics related to their operations such as year plans, policy-based budgeting, challenges, and plan of action geared towards their efficient functioning. Present at this years conference were representatives of the Staff Bureau, Judicial Affairs Department, Coast Guard, Customs St. Maarten, Immigration and Border Protection Services, the Police Force of Sint Maarten, National Detectives, Point Blanche Prison and House of Detention, Financial Intelligence Unit Sint Maarten, SJIS Foundation Judicial Institutes St. Maarten (SJIS), Court of Guardianship, Public Prosecutors Office, Turning Point Foundation and the Ministry of Justice Course Coordinator, Ms. Miralda Martina.

During the three-day conference, each department delivered elaborate and critical presentations to a selected panel tasked with providing critical and structured feedback based on the agenda points. The panel consisted of Former Lieutenant Governor and St. Maartens Representative on the Progress Committee Mr. Franklyn Richards, and Former Lieutenant Governor, former Minister of Justice and Task Master for the Plan of Approach on the Protocol of Border Security Mr. Dennis Richardson. Mr. Richards and Mr. Richardson also formed part of the same panel during the first Justice Week Conference in 2021. Their presence at this years conference was crucial in continuing the trajectory of monitoring the progress achieved by the Ministry over the past year to provide constructive feedback.

Minister Richardson stated, As we celebrate Justice Week, I congratulate and thank all civil servants and stakeholders within St. Maartens justice chain. Despite the challenges, faced by the Ministry, we have made significant progress over the past 12 months as presented by each department. I am truly happy to see the immediate effects of the conference which has allowed for more synchronization in communication and strengthened collaboration between the various departments and agencies within the Ministry.

Mr. Richards stated, Kudos to the Minister of Justice, Minister Anna E. Richardson, for a job well done in organizing the Justice Week Conference 2022, wherein members and related members of the law enforcement have displayed among others their dedication, passion, and commitment enhancing the Justice chain with the limited available resources at their disposal to safeguard the wellbeing of the people of St. Maarten!

One of the highlights of the conference this year was the inclusion of special presentations by invited guests Chief Inspector of the Law Enforcement Council (LEC) Ms. Lixzandra Marquez, Former Ombudsman Dr. Nilda Arduin, Court Interpreter and Former Commissioner of Education Dr. Linda Richardson, and Counsellor Lisa Wilson-Gittens of The Listening Companion counseling and therapy firm. Ms. Marquez presented the tasks, responsibilities, reported inspections, and annual plans of the LEC. Dr. Arduin and Dr. Richardson rendered a presentation together concerning the ways in which the justice chain deals with language issues such as working in the Dutch language versus English. Mrs. Wilson-Gittens of The Listening Companion Firm presented the importance of mental health and justice.

Presentations at the Justice Week under the leadership of Minister Richardson made a positive impression on Former Lieutenant Governor and former Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson. Notwithstanding the financial limitations imposed on the ministry, the justice chain has managed with dedication and creativity to achieve improvements in the quality and quantity of the services by the justice system, Mr. Richardson stated in an invited comment. He warns, however, against further financial cutbacks in the ministry as they can threaten to prevent further development in essential services and even undo the progress that has been made. He points out that many necessary changes have been mandated in the course of achieving country status for St. Maarten and therefore neglecting them could undermine the autonomy of the country.

Minister Richardson hereby extends a special thank you to the Honorable Deputy Prime Minister Egbert J. Doran, the Council of Ministers Secretary-General Cassandra Janssen, the selected panel, her cabinet staff, the Management of the respective departments, and external partners of the Ministry of Justice, Dr. Nilda Arduin, Dr. Linda Richardson, Mrs. Lisa Wilson-Gittens, the Law Enforcement Council and the Department of Communication.

I remain of the notion that together we can achieve much more in the Ministrys quest to ensure order and the safety and security of the people of St. Maarten. As such, we will continue to utilize this platform where management teams have expressed their appreciation in receiving and sharing knowledge, resources, and best practices within the justice chain so that they may improve their service and operations, concluded Minister Richardson.
~ Employment in recession as youths worry about tomorrow.~

MARIGOT:---President of the Collectivity of Saint Martin calls on the population to embrace change with determination as it is required to improve the lives of all.

He also encouraged the inhabitants to enjoy the Marigot Fete or Fete de la Bastille as it has been reborn from its ashes.

The newly elected president said that the economic and social situation remains somewhat tense on the island while employment is in recession, training seems to be struggling to meet the real needs of the market, and young people are worried about tomorrow, but he is hopeful that things will improve.

Tourism remains the backbone of our economy and despite what those who keep saying that we are doing nothing say about it and think about it, we are working on defining a long-term recovery strategy.

If I have hope that tomorrow will be better, it is because we are working on it.

Obviously, it is the national holiday and therefore the whole nation celebrates this day of victory that July 14 represents in the history of France.

On July 14, 1789, the French people finally gained recognition that had hitherto been denied them.

In 1789, the French people finally achieved this freedom, this equality, this fraternity which allowed a real development of the men and women of France and the birth of a society which today makes the particularity and the strength of the Republic.

The national holiday is not a moment of individualism and selfishness but a moment of rallying, a moment when the patriot takes the lead to express his pride, his pride in being French or French to the rest of the world who observed.

Someone said that to be French is to believe in the emancipation of individuals and peoples. It is to be the heir to a history, a heritage, or geography. Have faith in the elevation to the rank of citizenship by the school and in a world organization of nations.

It is true, that the French Constitution recognizes the right to differentiation, and it is in favor of a more representative, responsible, and efficient democracy. That said, it sets itself the objective of clarifying, in the most concrete way possible and starting from the projects of the local authorities, the scope of these provisions and the possibilities they open up.

For of Saint-Martin, the notions of Liberty, Fraternity and Equality are concepts charged with local history and national history.

La Liberte is the only space that allows harmonious, responsible, and sustainable development.

For example, freedom of enterprise, student aid, holiday jobs, relay workshops, etc.). It is also the fight against insecurity.

Equality is the very foundation of freedom. It alone allows for greater security, greater social balance, and greater justice.

But the enjoyment of these rights entails responsibilities and duties towards others and towards the island, Saint-Martin.

He said he is thinking in particular of the fight against exclusions, of a possible reform of the education system in Saint-Martin for greater equality of children in the face of international requirements, etc.)

Fraternity is the only feeling that can establish between the different communities of Saint-Martin, a closer and more united union. It alone can allow the development of common values, of universal human values.

He invited the entire population to position themselves so that our Saint-Martinoise society can live again. I want us to learn again to respect this diversity of cultures and traditions that make us so rich.

Tomorrow will only be what we are capable of making of it and success only belongs to those who work with conviction and common sense.

On this July 14, 2022, I appeal to all the inhabitants of Saint-Martin solemnly ask that everyone do their part, that everyone participates in the development of an environment where it will be good to live whatever the age.

Today I invite all people of goodwill to join the cause of our territory and ensure that we find the outcome that is most favorable to all its inhabitants.

The republic is our business. So let us see that she lives and lives long.

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NEW BRITAIN  Nearly three decades after killing his teenage daughter, Robert Honsch was sentenced Wednesday to 60 years in prison, according to New Britain States Attorney Christian Watson.

In March, a Superior Court jury found Honsch, 78, guilty of murder. Honsch has been serving a life sentence in Massachusetts since being found guilty five years ago of killing his wife.

Police found the body of a teenage girl in a parking lot in New Britain on Sept. 28, 1995. She had been shot in the head, wrapped in garbage bags and covered with two sleeping bags, Watson said in a news release.

Eight days later, police discovered another woman about 40 miles away in Tolland State Forest in Massachusetts. She was also shot in the head, but her body was in an advanced state of decomposition, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

Both women went unidentified for years until investigators got a break in the case.

In 2014, the womens relatives filed a missing persons report, allowing investigators to identify the bodies for the first time since they were found 19 years earlier.

Law enforcement later identified the women as Robert Honschs daughter, 17-year-old Elizabeth Honsch, and his wife, 53-year-old Marcia Honsch.

Police determined Honsch had been living with his wife and daughter in New York at the time of the fatal shootings. Shortly after the murders, Honsch went to family members homes and told them that Marcia and Elizabeth had left for Australia. He said he would join them because of a job transfer.

Honsch then fled to South Africa and came back to the United states years later, Watson said.

In 2014, investigators found Honsch living in Ohio under the name Robert Tyree with a wife and three children. DNA and fingerprint evidence linked Honsch to his daughters murder and police arrested Honsch in Dalton, Ohio.
A former New York man was sentenced to five years in prison on Wednesday for sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl years ago on separate occasions, including in Greenwich.

Keenan Houston, 52, pleaded guilty to fourth-degree sexual assault, risk of injury to a minor and illegal sexual contact with a minor in May as a part of a deal with prosecutors in state Superior Court in Stamford.

In return for his guilty pleas, Houston received a 15-year prison sentence, suspended after a mandatory five years in prison. He was also placed on 20 years of probation and put on the sex offender registry for life.

Houston was first arrested in Greenwich in 2014 on charges of fourth-degree sexual assault and risk of injury when police learned he had confessed to sleeping with a then-8-year-old relative, Supervisory States Attorney Michelle Manning said.

While Houston was in jail awaiting trial, the victim and her family moved to Ohio. But when Houston was released after posting bond, he allegedly followed the family across the country, which violated the conditions of his release, and sexually assaulted the child again, Manning said.

Houston was arrested in Ohio on a charge of gross sexual imposition and later convicted, Manning said. After serving four years in prison on that charge, Houston returned to Connecticut to face charges here.

Lawyer Mark Sherman, who represented Houston, said his client has many issues, but said the plea deal and his sentencing allows Houston to accept responsibility and show contrition for his actions.

He does not want to put this family through any more pain than he has, and he wants the court to know that, Sherman said.

In addition to the sentence, Judge Gary White imposed a standing criminal protective order for the victim and her family that will last until 2062.

Houston will also be required to undergo sex offender evaluation and screening as a part of his probation.
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Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal has co-sponsored a federal bill that would preempt any state law designed to punish a person for seeking abortion across state lines. The bill proposal follows the passage of a Connecticut law that allows people from out of state to legally seek an abortion in this state.

The updated bill, passed in the most recent legislative session, was drafted in-part by state Rep. Matt Blumenthal, the son of the Senator. While it guarantees access to abortion here, the bill does not necessarily prevent an anti-abortion state from prosecuting a resident for seeking abortion care elsewhere.

Our safe harbor laws and other states anti-abortion laws, the battle between those laws will be resolved ultimately in federal court, Matt Blumenthal said.

Because cases like that could be determined in federal court, especially in a post-Roe America, Richard Blumenthal, along with Sen. Chris Murphy have proposed a bill that would close the loophole.

Connecticuts law is about as safe a harbor as one state can provide, Richard Blumenthal said. But against criminal penalties from another state for seeking health care, it still leaves open, unanswered questions, extradition being one of them.

The extradition clause of the U.S. Constitution does not allow one state to question the legality or reasoning behind an extradition request, but Richard Blumenthals proposal uses a different constitutional provision to make an end run around that hurdle.

This statute is premised on the clause in the Constitution, the constitutional protection of interstate travel, he said.

The 14th amendment to the U.S. Constitution says that residents are citizens of both the state in which they reside and of the United States as a whole, and that, No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States.

The U.S. Supreme Court has, at various times, interpreted that to mean that every citizen has a right to cross state lines for any reason, and that a person visiting another state has the privileges and immunities of a citizen of the state they are visiting.

But Blumenthal said that argument might not hold up if a case made it to the U.S. Supreme Court.

What were doing in effect is solidifying and clarifying that the constitutional protection for interstate travel means it is clearly illegal for anti-choice states to limit travel for abortion services, he said.

Using as a model a Texas provision passed last year, a Missouri lawmaker proposed a law that would allow residents to sue a person who helps a Missouri resident get an abortion in another state. A law like that could make it difficult for providers  even those living and working in pro-choice states.

If, for example, an abortion provider was traveling in Texas, they could find themselves in legal trouble.

For patients for others who may assist these women in crossing state lines to receive legal reproductive care and Connecticut providers even though working in a pro-choice state, might still be in fear of prosecution and lawsuits, Blumenthal said.

The proposed law as written also guarantees attorneys general and other citizens the right to prosecute people who attempt to restrict their right tt to travel out of state for an abortion.

It makes clear crystal clear that anti-choice states cannot limit travel for reproductive health services and not only does it make it absolutely unquestionable that there is this right to cross state lines and seek this kind of health care but it also gives the attorney general and people who are impacted the right to bring civil action against anyone who restricts them, Blumenthal said.

On Thursday, the U.S. Senate held a vote of unanimous consent on the proposal, though Blumenthal said that was unlikely to happen.

Blumenthal said he expects the bill to get a full vote on the Senate floor, and that the possibility of a filibuster might be eliminated for this proposal, which would require 51 votes to pass.

He said the Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act is a more limited measure than other bills guaranteeing abortion rights, and maybe stands for better chance because it is specifically rooted in a provision of the Constitution.

Earlier this week, state Attorney General William Tong vowed to fight anti-abortion states with every legal should there be an attempt to prosecute someone crossing state lines seeking abortion care.
Press Release

July 14, 2022 Nancy sees need for Committee of the Whole to tackle Covid-19 anew Senator Nancy Binay on Thursday said that the Senate might need to convene the Committee of the Whole once the 19th Congress opens to discuss pending concerns on Covid-19. "Siguro, when the 19th Congress opens, we can convene the Committee of the Whole para mabalikan ang mga pending issues and concerns regarding Covid-19 like vaccination programs, access to boosters, status of our healthcare workers, health and pandemic statistics, level of preparedness, exit plans, etc.," Binay said. This, as calls to require Filipinos to get booster shots have surfaced amid another surge in Covid-19 cases, with the country recording an average of 1,467 cases daily from July 4 to 10. Only 15.34 million Filipinos out of an eligible population of 40 million have so far availed of booster shots , which experts say provide additional protection against the virus. The Department of Health warned that the surge could hit its peak of up to 11,000 new infections by the end of July, with increased hospital admissions by August to September. Binay expressed her support for the government's booster drive, especially in the face of pandemic fatigue and vaccine complacency. "Sa ngayon, everyone's experiencing pandemic fatigue and vaccine complacency. Dahil sa pagbaba ng cases noong nakaraan, npeople have become less vigilant. I support the recommendation for the third shot (booster), pero dapat maging aggressive ang DOH doon sa mga nasa priority groups, paigtingin pa lalo ang pagbabakuna sa mga isolated and remote areas. Ang importante, we all agree that the paramount concern is to be fully protected from the virus," said the lawmaker. The senator also emphasized the need to continue revisiting and reviewing the country's public health policies to ensure these are up-to-date and in line with international standards. "Sa tingin ko, at the end of the day, we need to always revisit the science behind our every decision on matters of public health like having a common index and definition of what 'fully vaccinated' is or should be na compliant and aligned sa World Health Organization or similar internationally-recognized and respected organizations," said Binay.
STAMFORD  A state Superior Court judge denied a motion on Wednesday to reduce the bond placed on former Norwalk official Ellen Wink, who was charged with murder in the fatal shooting of her tenant earlier this year.

The motion, filed by Winks attorney Stephen Seeger last month, sought to lower his clients bond from $2.5 million to $1 million in light of audio evidence that the attorney says strengthens Winks claim of self-defense.

During Wednesdays hearing on the motion, Seeger detailed the five-minute-long audiotape, which he says captures the victim of the fatal shooting, 54-year-old Kurt Lametta, directing graphic hate language toward another tenant that also lived at Winks Nelson Avenue property in Norwalk.

In the motion, Seeger said he recently obtained audio evidence from a fellow tenant at the Nelson Avenue property that, he claims, reveals the victims temper and propensity for violence, antisemitic comments and threats that are plainly directed at Wink.

The fear factor, in Mrs. Winks case, is very important, Seeger said.

Seeger also claimed that his client, if released from custody, has no reason to leave the community. Any danger posed to the community, he added, could be mitigated through house arrest, GPS monitoring and intensive probation services.

Supervisory States Attorney Michelle Manning argued, however, that the audiotape should not be admissible.

Manning questioned the reliability of the audiotape, which was not time-stamped, so there was no way to tell when it was made. Manning said what Seeger was doing was a character assassination of a dead man with unreliable evidence.

Whats not in the audio is who these people are, when this was made, who else was present, Manning said. Theres a lot going on in this audio, but there is no violence. There is no assertion here that the victim in any way acted out in any manner that was violent.

Manning said Seegers attempt to paint Wink as someone who was terrified of Lametta didnt comport with an earlier incident in September 2021 where she threw all of his belongings  including clothes, jewelry and cash  out of her home, locked him out, then waited for him to come home while she cut the grass on the property.

Wink was later arrested in connection to the incident, and the case is still pending.

At one point, as Manning recounted the September incident, Judge Gary White had to intervene to ask Seeger to counsel his client because she was shaking her head and mouthing not true as Manning spoke.

She really shouldnt do that, White said.

After arguments by both attorneys, White ultimately decided that bond should remain at $2.5 million, though he said he would be open to revisiting it should anything change in the case. He also denied a motion from the state to raise the bond to $5 million.

Wink, who has since been fired as Norwalks Republican deputy registrar of voters, has been held in jail in lieu of bond since her arrest on Jan. 20.

Wink had a contentious relationship with Lametta dating to September 2020, when he allegedly stopped paying rent, police reports said.

According to an arrest warrant written by Norwalk Police Detective Lindsey Taylor, on Jan. 20 Wink let herself in to Lamettas home on Nelson Avenue allegedly to clean out his refrigerator ahead of placing the property on the market for sale.

The ensuing confrontation, which Lametta captured on video with his phone held at his side, shows Wink standing opposite her tenant in the homes kitchen, Norwalk Police Lt. Art Weisgerber wrote in his warrant.

Just as Wink turns around and appears to walk away from Lametta, two gunshots are heard and Wink is heard saying, You b-----d as she proceeds to walk toward Lametta through the kitchen while firing a handgun at Lametta who eventually runs into the living room and collapses, Weisgerber wrote in a separate warrant.

The video shows Wink pick up Lamettas cellphone, walk outside and throw it into the bushes, the warrant stated.

A police officer later recovered the phone when it was heard ringing in the bushes, Taylor wrote.

In a call to a 911 dispatcher following the fatal shooting, Wink said she went to Lamettas apartment to do some cleaning when he came at her, according to the police report. The report stated Wink can be heard yelling he was after me in the 911 call.

She said I am so tired of this guy, he is on the floor, Detective John Sura wrote in his report regarding Winks conversation with the 911 dispatcher. She said that she had kept telling him to get out and had enough. Wink continued rambling about issues Kurt Lametta caused.

According to the police report, Wink also told a first responding officer that she had fired a revolver registered to her five times at Lametta, adding he was (expletive) driving me nuts.

Wink is next expected to appear in court Sept. 14.
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President Klaus Iohannis extended congratulations and wishes of prosperity to the French people in a letter sent on Thursday to his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, on the occasion of Bastille Day.

According to the Presidential Administration, President Iohannis stressed in his message "the solidity and consistency of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and France, built on common values and excellent cooperation, both bilaterally and within the European Union and international fora."These privileged relations, the head of state mentioned, are reconfirmed by the recent visit to our country of the President of the French Republic and the dense and particularly constructive discussions held on this occasion. In this context, President Iohannis voiced his full readiness to act for the further deepening of relations between Romania and France, as well as for promoting a strong European project, based on unity and solidarity.The head of the state also evoked "the remarkable intensification of the Romanian-French cooperation on security, against the background of the crisis generated by the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine".At the same time, President Iohannis thanked France for its significant support in the context of NATO measures to strengthen security on the Eastern Flank, and especially in Romania, including in view of the historic decisions taken at the Madrid Summit and the announcement on increasing the French military presence in Romania.The head of the state congratulated his French counterpart on the particularly intense efforts made by France this year, as President of the Council of the EU, to advance the European agenda in an extremely complex period for the Union."The active steps of the French Presidency of the Council of the EU towards facilitating a coherent and unified response of the Union to the current challenges, as well as the parallel advancement of the previously set strategic goals, require full appreciation and recognition," said President Klaus Iohannis.
Ukraine's reconstruction projects that include investments in Romania's immediate vicinity will be supported by the Romanian authorities by unblocking the administrative procedures which are often time consuming, Secretary of State for European Affairs with the Environment, Waters and Forestry Ministry (MMAP) Ionut Sorin Banciu wrote on Facebook on Thursday.

He had a meeting with the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources of Ukraine, Ruslan Strilets, on the sidelines of the informal Council of EU Ministers of the Environment, held in Prague, which discussed the environmental impact of the Russian military aggression, the detailed assessment of these environmental damages and the solutions for the restoration and ecological reconstruction of the landscapes devastated by the war."The pleasant atmosphere was overshadowed by discussions about the impact of the Ukrainian war on people and nature, which we had with Ukrainian Environment Minister Ruslan Strilets and Bulgarian Environment Minister Borislav Sandov. We approached various topics, from the scars the war in our neighbourhood leaves for a long time, but also about the European course of Ukraine and the support that Romania and Bulgaria can offer to our neighbours. (...) On the second day, after the presentation of the report on the environmental incidents caused by the war, we had a long discussion about the detailed assessment of these environmental damages and about the solutions for the restoration and ecological reconstruction of the landscapes devastated by the war. (...) we discussed the reconstruction projects of Ukraine, which include investments in the immediate vicinity of Romania. We assured the Ukrainian minister of the Romanian authorities's support regarding the cross-border procedures for assessing the environmental impact of these projects. We will communicate directly and unblock all time-consuming administrative procedures. It is another way to come to the aid of neighbouring Ukraine in order to speed up reconstruction and recovery in a sustainable way," the Environment Ministry representative said.Representatives of Ukraine presented to the EU Environment ministers a report on the environmental damage recorded in the last four months.Secretary of State for European Affairs of the Ministry of Environment Ionut Sorin Banciu is the head of the Romanian delegation to the informal meeting of Environment Ministers of the EU member states, which takes place between 13 and 15 July 2022, in Prague.
WEDNESDAY, July 13, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Preterm infants who are breastfed do better in school and are less likely to develop attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), says a new study.

Preemies have a higher risk of doing poorly in math, reading and other academic skills, previous studies have shown. They're also at greater risk for ADHD.

But starting them off with lots of breast milk appears to blunt this risk and leads to better brain outcomes in later years, researchers report July 13 in JAMA Network Open.

The study looked at data for 586 babies born at less than 33 weeks gestation at five Australian birth centers. The researchers reviewed the amount of breast milk the babies were fed each day, as well as how long parents continued breastfeeding.

Overall, the research team found that higher intake of mother's milk was associated with higher performance IQ and higher reading and math scores by age 7.

Parents also reported fewer ADHD symptoms for children who drank more mother's milk as preemies.

Moreover, longer duration of breastfeeding -- up to 18 months -- was associated with higher reading, spelling and math scores.

"Our study confirms recommended strategies for supporting parents to provide maternal milk for preterm infants," said researcher Dr. Mandy Brown Belfort. She is director of clinical research with Brigham and Women's Hospital's Department of Pediatric Newborn Medicine in Boston, and an associate professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.

"And it strengthens the call for health policies and parental leave policies that support rather than work against parents," Belfort continued in a Harvard news release. "As a society, we need to invest in families -- it's an investment that will continue to benefit children when they reach school age."

Because the study was observational, it cannot actually prove that breastfeeding led to academic benefits. The authors acknowledge that other factors may have come into play, too.

More information

The U.S. National Institutes of Health has more about the benefits of breastfeeding.

SOURCE: Harvard University, news release, July 13, 2022

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WEDNESDAY, July 13, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- While many people suffer from depression after a stroke, a new study suggests depression often occurs beforehand and may be a warning sign.

"The study underscores why doctors need to monitor for symptoms of depression long term in people who have had strokes, said study author Maria Blochl of the University of Munster, in Germany.

For the study, Blochl and her colleagues looked at more than 10,000 adults without a history of stroke (average age, 65). Over about 12 years of follow-up, 425 had a stroke. These patients were compared to more than 4,200 people with similar backgrounds who did not have a stroke.

The study participants were surveyed every two years. They were asked whether they had experienced symptoms of depression in the past week, including feelings of loneliness, sadness, restless sleep, or feelings that everything was difficult to accomplish.

The surveys revealed that symptoms of depression often preceded strokes and got worse afterwards.

While both groups had similar scores from six years before, as the years went on, participants who were about to suffer a stroke became increasingly depressed, up until they fell ill, the study authors said.

"Depression is among the most pressing problems in people who have had a stroke and it is so common it is referred to as post-stroke depression," Blochl said in a news release from the American Academy of Neurology. "But our study found depressive symptoms not only markedly increase after stroke, it found people already had developed some depressive symptoms before the stroke even occurred."

In the pre-stroke assessments, 29% of people who were about to have a stroke met the criteria for probable depression, compared to 24% of those who did not have a stroke. At the time of the stroke, 34% met the criteria for probable depression, the investigators found.

This suggests that increasing symptoms of depression before stroke are mostly subtle changes and may not always be clinically detectable. But even slight increases in depressive symptoms, especially mood and fatigue-related symptoms, may be a signal a stroke ... is about to occur, Blochl said. Whether these pre-stroke changes can be used to predict who will have a stroke is unclear."

She said further study is needed to learn exactly why depressive symptoms occur before a stroke.

The findings were published online July 13 in Neurology.

More information

The U.S. National Institutes of Health has more about stroke.

SOURCE: American Academy of Neurology, news release, July 13, 2022
ST. LOUIS  Missouri health officials on Wednesday released answers to questions about Missouris abortion ban, but some say they do little to address confusion about exceptions for medical emergencies and how the law will be enforced.

The one-page document created by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services listed answers to four frequently asked questions about the regulations.

The answers stressed that DHSS does not determine whether an abortion is conducted legally, and that only law enforcement, local prosecutors and the Missouri Attorney Generals Office can investigate and decide if a crime has been committed.

In trying to answer what constitutes a medical emergency, the document simply reiterated the narrow definition in the state statute and said health officials are not able to give legal advice.

Whether a condition fits the emergency definition is based on reasonable medical judgment, according to the statute.

Reasonable medical judgment is intended to allow reasonably prudent physicians who have studied the conditions and treatments, flexibility to tailor their recommendations to the unique health care needs of individual patients, the new document states. Oftentimes, what is reasonable depends on acceptable standards of care developed by doctors and medical professionals.

The guidance comes on the heels of providers and attorneys questioning whether a pregnant patient has to be on the verge of death before an abortion can be used to save her life.

Dave Dillon, spokesman for the Missouri Hospital Association, said the same concern remains: How will the law be interpreted by law enforcement?

The practical challenge is the interpretation of the law  in real time and on the front lines of care  where clinical judgment matters, Dillon said. The uncertainty of whether that judgment will be second-guessed is the challenge for physicians. It is impossible to know in advance whether a prosecutor or member of law enforcement will agree about a clinician determination of risk to the life of the mother.

Missouris abortion ban was passed by the Republican-led Legislature in 2019 and triggered by the Supreme Courts Dobbs ruling on June 24, which overturned Roe v. Wade.

The law makes exceptions for a medical emergency, defined as a condition which, based on reasonable medical judgment, so complicates the medical condition of a pregnant woman as to necessitate the immediate abortion of her pregnancy to avert the death of the pregnant woman or for which a delay will create a serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman.

Under the law, providers who violate the abortion ban can be charged with a Class B felony, punishable by five to 15 years in prison, and lose their medical license.

Lisa Cox, spokeswoman for DHSS, told the Post-Dispatch that DHSS will not share abortion reports (which providers submit each time an abortion is performed) with law enforcement, and would only provide reports under a court order.

The abortion report form thats currently in use, which requires providers to explain the medical threat to the pregnant woman only in late-term abortions when the fetus could be viable outside the womb, also is out of date.

Cox said DHSS regulation and licensure staff are currently reviewing the forms and discussing if any changes need to be made.

The Post-Dispatch submitted questions to Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, asking how the abortion ban will be enforced  whether his office plans to rely on whistleblowers, subpoena abortion report forms from DHSS or use other measures.

Chris Nuelle, spokesman for Schmitts office, responded with the following statement: The Missouri Attorney Generals Office will work to uphold Missouri law and protect the sanctity of life.

Richard Muniz, general counsel for Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri, said, the fact sheet from DHSS is cold comfort to Missouri hospital and providers.

If history is any indication, we know the state of Missouri will weaponize its health oversight authority to second-guess the abortion care that is provided in the state , Muniz said, referring a legal fight in 2019 where DHSS refused to grant a license to the states only abortion facility.

Dr. Jeannie Kelley, a Washington University high-risk obstetrician at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, said while massive bleeding from the uterus or an ectopic pregnancy (when a fertilized egg implants outside the uterus) are clear medical emergencies, clear-cut situations such as those are few.

Theres a lot of situations where someones medical health is at risk from pregnancy, and it takes a lot of medical training to get to the point where we can suss that out, Kelley said. We are worried about the gray areas that may come up.

Examples, she said, are numerous: The amniotic sac rupturing early in pregnancy, placing the person at high risk of a serious infection or tear in the placenta; bleeding heavily or showing signs of a clot forming.

How much bleeding is an emergency has a huge gray area for some of us in these situations, Kelley said. That isnt necessarily answerable at this time.

Pregnant women with medically complex conditions such as a heart transplant, brain cancer or kidney disease can sometimes quickly deteriorate.

If we wait until she gets sicker and sicker and sicker, and she meets criteria as a medical emergency, then she starts hemorrhaging, or her cancer is at a point that is no longer treatable  if we wait until then, it may be already too late to stop the disease from progressing to a place that is not controllable, which would obviously be pretty disastrous for both the patient and her fetus, Kelley said.

Such medical situations are not rare, she said.

I would say for the majority of high-risk obstetricians who deal with pretty complicated maternal disease, this is a frequent occurrence throughout our practice that a gray area might come up, Kelley said.

She is also unsure how the states law will be enforced.

We dont know any of the answers to that, she said. Certainly all of us are worried that either we or our patients will be reported to the authorities by someone.

Still, Kelley said, more specifics in the law could bring more concerns.

All of the obstetric providers across the state would love clarification of what constitutes a medical emergency, she said. At the same time, we worry that because this is coming from non-medical people, that even if they defined a list, they would unknowingly exclude things from that list.

Posted at 6:45 p.m. Wednesday, July 13.
ST. LOUIS  Matthew Brummund, a retired FBI agent based in St. Louis for 20 years, has been tapped to head a proposed city agency that would oversee police misconduct investigations.

Although a bill creating a Division of Civilian Oversight has yet to be passed by the Board of Aldermen, Brummund already is on the city payroll in a related role and money to fund the new agency is included in the recently approved city budget.

On June 20, Brummund began work as commissioner for the citys existing Civilian Oversight Board. In that position, he is the lead staffer for the part-time board, which would work with the new investigative agency.

At the board he succeeded Kimberley Taylor-Riley, who resigned earlier this year. He was appointed by Mayor Tishaura O. Jones interim public safety director, Dan Isom.

Aldermen on Wednesday gave first-round approval to the bill setting up the new agency, which would have 10 investigators and seven other employees. The measure could come up for passage as soon as Friday.

The city police union opposes the bill as currently written, and some aldermen say more work is needed on it.

In his FBI career, Brummund conducted civil rights investigations and was a SWAT team member, counterterrorism investigator and human intelligence coordinator. He also spent more than three years as the St. Louis offices community outreach coordinator after the protests in Ferguson.

Through those experiences, Ive come to believe in the importance of police legitimacy and building that, Brummund told an aldermanic committee June 23. This legislation is a big part of that  showing police are accountable and transparent.

He previously was an assistant prosecutor in Michigan and a lawyer in private practice in Georgia.

The new city division would look into police misconduct complaints and use-of-force incidents now investigated internally by police and then reviewed later by the oversight board, Isom told the same aldermanic panel last week.

Under the new process, the new civilian commissioner would have authority to take disciplinary action against police and corrections workers upon consultation and in consideration of recommendation by the police chief or corrections commissioner.

Isom said that recommendation ultimately goes to the city personnel director and then, if appealed, to the Civil Service Commission.

He said criminal use-of-force probes now conducted by the police departments force investigation unit would be handled under the new system by a new unit in the circuit attorneys office working with police.

He said the police internal affairs division would continue as a small contingent but only to investigate alleged violations of internal procedures.

Interim Police Chief Michael Sack told the aldermanic panel last week that he is proud of the integrity and investigative skills of the police department's force investigation and internal affairs units in recent years.

But he said he understands the communitys perception that police cannot police themselves. I hope that this bill can help to build public trust.

He said he believes the new process can work but the devil is in the details that would be worked out over the next year.

Posted at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, July 14.
ST. LOUIS  A Soulard bar owner accused of gunning down a man two years ago in the citys McKinley Heights neighborhood sidestepped a retrial for first-degree murder by striking a plea deal Wednesday for a four-year prison term.

Joshua Lundak, 41, who owns Henrys bar, admitted prosecutors had enough evidence to convict him in the June 5, 2020, killing of Jeffrey Amick in an alley behind a commercial building.

Circuit Judge Theresa C. Burke accepted Lundaks Alford plea, an acknowledgment of sufficient evidence to convict him without admitting guilt. As part of the deal, prosecutors dismissed a count of armed criminal action and substituted the first-degree murder charge for involuntary manslaughter.

A judge in April declared a mistrial in Lundaks case after jurors voted 11-1 to acquit Lundak but could not return unanimous verdicts in the case. Lundaks retrial was set for next month. His plea deal includes about two years of credit for time already served in jail and on house arrest.

Defense lawyer Scott Rosenblum said Lundak did not want to risk a first-degree murder conviction at retrial when his plea offer means hell likely be paroled within weeks of going to prison.

At trial in March, Lundak claimed he was defending himself against an ongoing threat to his family by fatally shooting Jeffrey Amick in an alley behind the Jefferson Underground building on Jefferson Avenue. Lundak, an owner of Henrys bar in Soulard, was there because he had leased space inside the commercial building.

That morning, he backed his SUV out of the building about 8:25 a.m. and stopped in the alley facing Amick, who was intoxicated. Amick had lived in a building across the alley on Indiana Avenue. Lundak testified that he hadnt seen Amick as he drove slowly down the alley toward Amick.

After the two men exchange words, Amick threw an object at Lundaks building, according to charges and the surveillance video. Lundak got out of his SUV, used his drivers side door as cover and fired several pistol shots at Amick, forcing him to the ground.

Lundak then retrieved a shotgun from inside the building, returned and shot Amick as he lay wounded. Amick was shot in the face, shoulder and torso and died at the scene. Lundak drove off but surrendered to police a couple of weeks later.

Assistant Circuit Attorney Alex Polta said in court that Lundak killed Amick coup de grace-style with a shotgun, and that two witnesses would have challenged the defenses portrayal of Amick by testifying at trial next month that he was not a neighborhood nuisance.
ST. LOUIS  Legislation setting up a new agency requested by Mayor Tishaura O. Jones administration to investigate police misconduct allegations advanced at the Board of Aldermen on Wednesday.

The bill won preliminary approval, 14-3. But the measure fell short of the 15 favorable votes needed for final passage at a later meeting.

Four aldermen voted present, with some saying more work on the bill is needed to clarify how the new Division of Civilian Oversight would work with police and the circuit attorneys office. The circuit attorney would be given a new unit to investigate use-of-force incidents, something handled internally by police now.

The new oversight agency also would look into incidents involving staffers at city jails.

I want to make sure all law enforcement entities work together, said Alderman Marlene Davis, 19th Ward, who was among those voting present.

The sponsor, Alderman Shameem Clark Hubbard, 26th Ward, said there still would be time to modify the plan even after it is passed since it would take as long as a year to put into effect.

She said the bill represents good-faith efforts to build  trust between the citys public safety arm and the general public.

The proposed new agency would be part of the public safety department. It would be headed by a civilian oversight commissioner who would have authority to take disciplinary action against police and corrections employees upon consultation and in consideration of recommendation by the police chief or corrections commissioner.

Any such discipline could be appealed to the city Civil Service Commission. The measure also says the police chief and corrections commissioner would retain the power to discipline employees as conferred by current civil service rules.

The public safety director would decide on any claimed conflict between disciplinary action initiated by the oversight commissioner and that by the police and corrections agencies; the directors decision could be appealed to the Civil Service Commission.

The agency would have 10 investigators and seven other employees. The new agency would work with the citys existing Civilian Oversight Board set up several years ago to investigate complaints against police and a new jail oversight board.

The police oversight board, in a report issued last year, complained that it had been blocked for years from its duties of reviewing police shooting investigations and most civilian misconduct complaints.

The city police union, the St. Louis Police Officers Association, opposes the bill as currently written. Association president Jay Schroeder said the organization is concerned that someone outside the police department would have a key role in discipline.

He added that we have it under legal review to see if it violates any state statutes. He said its possible that the association would go to court to challenge the bill.

Abortion access aid

Also Wednesday, the citys top fiscal body endorsed spending $1 million in federal funds to help St. Louis women get abortions in Illinois and other states where the practice remains legal.

The 2-1 vote by the Board of Estimate and Apportionment clears the way for final passage by aldermen, who gave the plan preliminary approval last week. Aldermen could take up the bill again as soon as Friday.

Voting in favor Wednesday were Jones and Comptroller Darlene Green, while Acting Aldermanic President Joe Vollmer voted no.

The measure would allocate federal American Rescue Plan Act money for transportation, child care and other logistical help for women getting abortions outside Missouri.

A Missouri state ban on nearly all abortions was activated by the U.S. Supreme Courts recent reversal of the Roe v. Wade decision.

Posted at 6:50 p.m. Wednesday, July 13.
JEFFERSON CITY  A new state law could leave Missourians in the dark about people and businesses caught polluting the environment.

As part of a Republican-led rewrite of state environmental rules approved by the Legislature in May, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources would be barred from publicly releasing information about actions it takes against certain polluters.

That provision set off alarm bells at DNR, according to a review of the bill obtained by the Post-Dispatch.

Keeping information about fines and penalties confidential may reduce the publics ability to ensure the law is being enforced equitably, the review notes.

In addition, the analysis said, Requiring confidentiality in penalty calculations and allegations runs counter to principles of open government and the publics right to know.

Despite the concerns cited by employees of an agency he controls, Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, signed the measure into law on July 1.

The provision is part of a bill sponsored by Sen. Eric Burlison, R-Battlefield, that would prohibit environmental regulations administered by the state from being stricter than those set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Burlison said his proposal would prevent DNR from enforcing regulations that hurt small businesses, citing complaints by tourist caves and other businesses in his district.

Burlison, who is seeking the GOP nomination in the 7th Congressional District, did not respond to an interview request Thursday.

Opponents argue the measure will hurt the states land, waterways, people and animals if chemicals are released unchecked by industrial operations.

There are so many alarming things about this, said Michael Berg, spokesman for the Sierra Clubs Missouri chapter. The people of Missouri were not clamoring for weaker protection against hazardous waste. Almost nobody was asking for this.

John Madras, who retired in 2016 as the DNRs director of the water protection program, said the provision also will hurt the ability of violators to know if they are being treated fairly by the agency.

They have no idea if this is a consistent action by the department. Its entirely hidden and it doesnt need to be, Madras told the Post-Dispatch Thursday. The idea that it will all be confidential is entirely against everything related to accountability in government.

Sen. Steve Roberts, D-St. Louis, was among those opposed to the changes, saying during debate that the St. Louis region has a dark history of environmental problems, ranging from underground landfill fires to nuclear waste.

One example outlined in the analysis shows that the states current rules prohibiting the dumping of used oil into the environment would be negated because there is no federal equivalent.

For example, a homeowner would not be prohibited from dumping oil on their property, the review said.

In addition, a Missouri rule requiring used oil generators to keep tanks and containers closed at all times would be stricken from the books.

Allowing used oil accumulation tanks to be uncovered and exposed to rain could lead to spillover events when rainfall causes containers of oil to overflow, the review said.

DNR also raised concerns about the law limiting its ability to regulate certain kinds of fertilizer spills.

Parsons signature on the measure wasnt the first time he has taken steps to restrict access to public information.

Earlier this year he backed legislation giving government agencies the authority to charge fees for the time their attorneys spend reviewing and responding to records requested by the public.

In 2021, the Missouri Supreme Court shot down a previous effort by the governor to increase public record fees.

The proposed fee hike did not win final approval in the House and Senate before lawmakers adjourned in May.

The environmental legislation is House Bill 2485.

Posted at 1:15 p.m. Thursday, July 14.
ST. LOUIS  Joe Lengyel was stuck.

The homebuilder was ready to start construction on three houses on Norfolk Avenue. Like many building projects, they needed variances from the St. Louis Board of Adjustment.

Hed already built eight houses scattered across the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood, all of which needed variances to comply with the neighborhoods special zoning code. A neighborhood group had given his plan support back when he started the infill project in 2017. Hed built housing in other city neighborhoods and always had a good experience.

But this time, Lengyel lacked what is an essential key to doing business in St. Louis: an aldermanic support letter.

City Halls bureaucracy has long deferred to aldermen on routine functions, including zoning and variances. But the tradition, known as aldermanic courtesy, has drawn scrutiny in recent weeks following the federal indictment of two aldermen and the former board president. The three, who have pleaded not guilty, are accused of accepting bribes from a businessman in exchange for shepherding legislation through the board granting his projects tax breaks.

According to the indictment, they also offered him crucial aldermanic support letters needed to get city staff processing the businessmans abatement applications and his offer to purchase city-owned real estate.

Aldermanic support letters are often viewed as a proxy for neighborhood support. But in Alderman Tina Pihls busy 17th ward covering two of the citys hottest neighborhoods  the Central West End and Forest Park Southeast  those letters have been difficult for some to get.

I understand an alderperson wanting to ensure that development plans in their ward are appropriate and benefit the greater good, Lengyel said. But theres other ways to do that. ... It is extremely inefficient. And as we have seen, it leads to corruption.

Lengyels application was tabled at a February Board of Adjustment meeting after zoning staff told him that, in addition to needing some design tweaks, Pihl wanted to speak with him about the project.

He immediately sent her an email offering to meet. He followed up. Finally in April she emailed back, asking where his other projects were and indicating a neighborhood association committee would be reviewing development projects.

Then there was radio silence for weeks on end, Lengyel said. I left phone messages. I sent more follow-up emails.

Getting desperate, he called the citys zoning division back.

I said, Look, what am I gonna do here? I need to move forward, Lengyel said. My builder has other projects. Im getting nothing to react to.

Lengyel would finally get that support letter in June so he could apply for variances.

In an interview with the Post-Dispatch on Tuesday, Pihl apologized for the delay and said she needed more staff. Other aldermen say the same thing about the lack of staff, she said, and her ward is particularly busy with construction.

Im one person and theres only so much I can delegate, and because I have to make the decision, theres only so much I can do, Pihl said.

Lengyel wasnt the only developer who faced delays. Scott Siekert, also had trouble reaching Pihl to get a support letter for his project, an infill multifamily commercial building on Manchester Avenue.

I was told Alderperson Pihl wanted me to call her to talk about the project, Siekert said at a June 22 Board of Adjustment hearing. I tried calling twice and left phone messages and didnt hear anything back.

The board tabled Siekerts request for 60 days, with board member Mona Parsley citing a request from Pihl.

Chairman Joe Klitzing, who has been on the board for about a decade, voted to approve Siekerts variances. He said in an interview that he saw no reason to hold up someones project if theyd tried their best to reach neighborhood stakeholders. The Board of Adjustment has granted variances in instances where aldermen havent weighed in, and it has even gone against their wishes on occasion. But he said aldermen do have considerable sway.

It just has been something in this town, the alderpeople have their opinions, or whatever, on any development done in their ward, Klitzing said. Typically you want to get their approval before you even come to us.

Hes not a city employee

When Lengyel finally did get his support letter from Pihl, she didnt send it. It was attached to a June 22 email from Daniel Pate, a local real estate agent and a frequent critic on Twitter of development incentives.

Thanks for your patience with me on this, Pate wrote Lengyel. Please find the attached letter of support.

Lengyel said Pate was helpful enough, apologizing for the delay and explaining he had been out of town. But the episode left him perplexed.

It was like she was waiting for him to get back to do anything, Lengyel said. I dont understand why hes involved if hes not a city employee. It doesnt make any sense to me how thats appropriate.

Pihl is new on the Board of Aldermen. She was elected last year after the retirement of longtime alderman Joe Roddy. In a ward that has among the most development in the city, her hallmark has been pushing developers to contribute to affordable housing in exchange for her support of zoning and tax incentives.

But for Lengyel  he isnt seeking tax abatement for the three houses  it was never clear what she wanted. He still has never spoken to Pihl.

Months of waiting and then magically a letter of approval from Dan Pate popped out the other side, Lengyel said.

Pate lives in the 8th Ward, not in Pihls 17th, according to a biography on the STL Vacancy Collaborative, where he served on a working group with Pihl. He has long been a critic of the citys use of tax incentives, and he has expressed his support for Pihl.

I can promise (Pihl) thinks about development differently than prior administrations, Pate said on Twitter in May 2021. She was voted in to fix it. Shes ready for this.

Pate deferred comment to Pihl, who said he volunteers to help her with administrative tasks. Shes lucky, she said, to have someone like Pate familiar with community development and willing to help.

I dont have many unfortunately  I need more volunteers, Pihl said. Nobody sends emails or anything on my behalf. I direct them.

Lengyel said he has heard other complaints about Pihls responsiveness. Maybe Pate was just helping her keep up.

This might just be because shes overwhelmed with the demands of the role, he said. I feel for her if thats the case. But its what you signed up for.

A disconnect

Meanwhile, theres confusion about how to develop in one of the citys most in-demand areas.

Siekert said in a brief interview that he is in contact with Pihl now about getting her support for his project on Manchester Avenue, which isnt seeking tax incentives.

But his hearing at the board demonstrated what one member termed a disconnect between the Forest Park Southeast Neighborhood Association and the Park Central Community Development Corporation that, under Roddy, long served as the neighborhood review entry point for developers and businesses.

Stephen Begany, a neighborhood resident, asked the board to delay approving Siekerts project, saying the Forest Park Southeast Neighborhood Association hadnt reviewed it.

I think it sounds great, we just havent seen it, Begany said.

Siekert explained that he had gone through Park Central to present past projects to the community, and its current director, Abdul-Kaba Abdullah, told him he should present this project to the board of the Grove Community Improvement District, made up of businesses on Manchester.

City staff at the meeting also sounded confused.

I have a couple questions for you, St. Louis Zoning Administrator Mary Hart Burton told Begany. So youre, are you a different organization from the Park Central organization?

Begany explained they were separate.

The recent precedent has been Alderwoman Pihl has been asking developers to present their projects to the neighborhood association, he said. I dont know why she didnt respond to (Siekerts) request. Thats unfortunate.

Parsley, the Board of Adjustment member, made a motion to table the request so Siekert could present to the neighborhood association and get in touch with Pihl.

Park Central as we used to know it isnt the same as we used to know it since Roddy is no longer there, Parsley said And there is some type of disconnect now.

Park Central stopped doing development reviews after Pihl was elected to give her a chance to get acclimated and decide how she wanted to solicit community feedback, Abdullah, the director, said in an interview. They never got clarity on their role.

What we have is a disconnection where we have a new alderperson who has not defined the process for how you would like to see development work in this space, Abdullah said. We dont know what to tell developers.

In a statement, the neighborhood association said Pihl told them in late 2021 that she was putting together a new development review committee.

It was our understanding that she did not want to work through the pre-established committees administered by Park Central Development, the group wrote.

The neighborhood association was tapped in the interim to vet a large project  the proposal from Lux Living to build apartments on the prominent site long occupied by vacant houses at Kingshighway and Oakland Avenue.

Our community engagement facilitation was a temporary process and was not intended as a permanent replacement for an official neighborhood development review process, the neighborhood said.

Pihl said she stopped using Park Central because some residents felt that their voices were not being heard and there were not enough community meetings.

I ran on making some changes and this is one of the changes, Pihl said.

She acknowledged there has been some confusion because of the changes I made. But she said she was about to solicit applications for a new development review committee.

I want it to go quicker, she said of development reviews. And there is going to be a development review committee that reviews these a lot quicker.

Park Central always included neighborhood residents on its development review board, Abdullah said, along with business and building owners. But he recognizes that some see the group as a holdover from Roddy, who clashed with the citys progressive political faction where Pihl draws her support.

Contrary to popular belief, were not a partisan group that was started by Joe Roddy, Abdullah said.

Whoever ends up reviewing development in the neighborhood, St. Louis city government needs to lay out whats required for a variance rather than relying on tradition, said Abdullah, a former city manager in Berkeley.

If you need an aldermanic letter of support, that should be codified, he said. That should be in the rules.

Burton, the zoning administrator, didnt respond to a question about whether aldermanic support was required for staff to process variance requests. Instead, Nick Dunne, a spokesman for Mayor Tishaura O. Jones, sent a statement on behalf of Burtons boss, Building Commissioner Frank Oswald.

Community support is essential for the Building Division to consider supporting a variance, Oswalds statement said. Letters of support or opposition from neighbors of adjacent properties, community organizations, or the Aldermen are key to determining whether the Building Division will bring the variance requests before the Board of Adjustment for consideration.

Posted at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday, July 13.

Editor's note: A Tweet quoted in this article referenced a house the author said received tax abatement. The property is not abated.
JEFFERSON CITY  Missouris governor on Thursday shot down a call for a special session by two Democrats seeking to protect access to contraception and a physicians ability to treat ectopic pregnancies, which are not viable.

No, not a special session, because youre talking a very complicated issue thats going to take time to figure out, Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, said in response to a reporters question, KTVI (Channel 2) reported Thursday.

Parson signed the states current abortion law in 2019, and it took effect June 24, shortly after the U.S. Supreme Courts Dobbs ruling, which overturned Roe v. Wade. Missouris law outlaws abortions in all cases except medical emergencies.

Observers have debated how the law affects birth control, with Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt issuing a statement in June saying Plan B and other forms of contraception were still legal in Missouri.

Questions have also swirled about what constitutes a medical emergency, with hospital officials wondering if law enforcement would second-guess their medical decisions.

House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, specifically mentioned concerns over ectopic pregnancies, which threaten the mothers life, in her call this week for Parson to summon lawmakers back to Jefferson City.

Bureaucrats and attorneys dont need to be the ones deciding on what is life-threatening, Parson said Thursday. Doctors need to have a seat at that table and frankly theyre more qualified to be able to make that decision than anybody else is.

Ive got the ability to trust the doctors ... to make those decisions, you know, and I dont know that theres ever going to be a clear-cut answer on how to do that, he said.

In response, Quade said Thursday that the governor was issuing vague assurances instead of bringing legal certainty to the right of Missourians to access and use birth control.

Its nice to hear the governor finally say bureaucrats shouldnt come between a patient and their health care provider, but hes about three years too late after signing extreme legislation into law that does the exact opposite, she said in a statement.

Parsons comments followed the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services release Wednesday of a one-page document addressing questions about Missouris new abortion ban.

But the DHSS stressed it would not determine whether any abortion is legal, and that charging decisions would be left up to local prosecutors and the attorney general.

State law states medical emergencies are determined based on reasonable medical judgment.

The practical challenge is the interpretation of the law  in real time and on the front lines of care  where clinical judgment matters, Dave Dillon, spokesman for the Missouri Hospital Association, said Wednesday.

The uncertainty of whether that judgment will be second-guessed is the challenge for physicians, he said. It is impossible to know in advance whether a prosecutor or member of law enforcement will agree about a clinician determination of risk to the life of the mother.

Asked about the possibility of a special session on abortion, Mayor Tishaura O. Jones, who was at the same event Thursday as Parson, called it a bold step from legislative Democratic leaders, but said she didnt foresee anything coming of it.

Dont call a special session unless you have the votes, and right now in Missouri, we do not have the votes, Jones said.

Posted at 4 p.m. Thursday, July 14.
JEFFERSON CITY  A list of endorsements by a Missouri abortion rights group is generating attention for the candidates who didnt make the cut.

Pro-Choice Missouri, formerly known as NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri, chose not to endorse in several cases after identifying some key value discrepancies between the organization and select candidates, said Mallory Schwarz, executive director of the group.

She said the candidates and Pro-Choice Missouri were unable to come together, especially in regards to the status quo in Jeff City that allows for and sustains a culture of abuse.

Schwarz mentioned allegations of sexual misconduct that two women have publicly lodged against state Sen. Steve Roberts, D-St. Louis, since 2015. Numerous state lawmakers appeared on a host committee list for a fundraiser for Roberts last year, Schwarz said.

Included on the fundraiser host list were both state Reps. Tracy McCreery and Ian Mackey, who both sought the Pro-Choice Missouri endorsement this year and werent selected, Schwarz said.

The omissions illustrate a disconnect between many Capitol Democrats and grassroots activists regarding how to treat the political career of Roberts, who is challenging Rep. Cori Bush, D-St. Louis, in the Aug. 2 primary.

Schwarz said that in McCreerys case and in a few other cases, that Pro-Choice Missouri felt lawmakers werent using their power and clout to fight the abuse culture in Jefferson City.

This move that weve made with this endorsement process is a recognition that we cant separate issues of bodily autonomy  that access to abortion, or reproductive health care, is inextricable from support for survivors of sexual violence, Schwarz said.

A lot of people engaged in this advocacy work of protecting bodily autonomy do so because they have a personal history with experiencing violations of their own bodily autonomy, she said.

McCreery, in an interview Thursday, said the fundraiser was for Roberts state Senate campaign and that she was staying neutral in the 1st Congressional District primary.

She said that though her name was on the host list, she didnt attend the fundraiser.

She said she spoke with Pro-Choice Missouri recently and that the conversation was not focused on anything to do with my pro-choice record or my votes or my actions.

McCreery, who is running for the 24th Senate District, said despite lacking the Pro-Choice Missouri endorsement, she had been backed by Planned Parenthood and Access MO, two other groups that support abortion rights.

Those issues are very important to me, McCreery said. Ive worked really hard on bipartisan legislation dealing with domestic violence (and) sexual assault survivors.

She also said she is the Democrat in the House who acts as the liaison for interns following the 2015 scandal involving a former House speaker and an intern.

Schwarz said absolutely the group wouldve liked to endorse McCreery, saying the NARAL had been part of her first run for the state House as an independent in 2011.

It is heartbreaking to be here in this moment and to not have been able to come to a shared understanding of the harm caused by these actions, Schwarz said.

We will not settle for anything less than unapologetic and empathetic leadership that does not compromise on bodily autonomy, especially when its politically inconvenient, she said.

Mackey, who is running for reelection in the redrawn 99th House District, did not respond to requests for comment.

Pro-Choice Missouri endorsed Bush in November and has called for Roberts to suspend his congressional bid in light of the allegations.

Ryan Hawkins, spokesman for Roberts campaign, said the candidate has supported Pro-Choice Missouri for years.

They may put their personal political beliefs ahead of what their organization should be fighting for, Hawkins said.

Thats just another example of Roberts continuing to use the tactics of abusers who control the narrative here the way they try to control their victims, Schwarz said.

Other Democrats didnt receive the Pro-Choice Missouri endorsement after they didnt fill out the organizations survey.

Posted at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, July 14.
ST. LOUIS  The citys top fiscal body on Wednesday endorsed spending $1 million in federal funds to help St. Louis women get abortions in Illinois and other states where the practice remains legal. Just hours after the vote, Missouri Attorney Eric Schmitt renewed his threat to sue the city.

The 2-1 vote by the Board of Estimate and Apportionment clears the way for final passage by the Board of Aldermen, which gave the plan preliminary approval last week. Aldermen could take up the issue again as soon as Friday.

Voting in favor Wednesday were Mayor Tishaura O. Jones and Comptroller Darlene Green. The negative vote was from Acting Aldermanic President Joe Vollmer.

The measure would allocate federal American Rescue Plan Act money for transportation, child care and other logistical help for women getting abortions outside Missouri.

A Missouri state ban on nearly all abortions was activated by the U.S. Supreme Courts recent reversal of the Roe v. Wade decision.

The money would go to a new Reproductive Equity Fund in the city Health Department, which would contract with private organizations to spend the funds.

The bill also allocates $500,000 to the same fund for other reproductive health services such as access to doulas and lactation support and $250,000 for administrative oversight.

The measure also has $1.64 million for additional COVID testing, treatment and vaccination at local health clinics and $500,000 for another round of $100 gift cards to be used as an incentive to getting coronavirus shots.

The estimate board voted for the allocation without debate. Jones has been an outspoken supporter of the idea and has traded strong comments on the issue on social media with Schmitt, who has pledged to file a lawsuit to challenge the citys plans and a similar proposal before the St. Louis County Council.

Schmitt reiterated that threat late Wednesday, saying in a tweet: St. Louis has trash piling up and is defunding the police during a murder crisis but evidently has $1 million to pay for abortions. This brazen political maneuver clearly violates state law and I will file suit to stop this illegal action.

Previously, the mayor responded to Schmitt, calling his threats frivolous.

The citys homicide rate remains high, but the number year-to-date is lower than the same period in 2021, and well below 2020, when the city recorded its highest-ever rate. The Jones administration, which took office last year, has acknowledged problems with trash pickups, blaming staffing issues and other factors.

Vollmer in an interview said he opposed using ARPA funds on abortion access because there are so many other dire immediate needs of the city that could benefit all residents.

He said people in his 10th Ward, which he continues to represent while he serves as acting president, generally oppose the Supreme Courts action. But he said most who have contacted him also say theyre against ARPA money on abortion access especially when people have trash piled up.

The estimate board on Wednesday also signed off on various other expenditures, such as using $10 million from ARPA funds on additional violence prevention efforts in city neighborhoods and $3.6 million on youth programs.

The board also OKd giving the Regional Arts Commission $10.6 million in the citys share of ARPA funds and spending up to $35 million in other federal aid for emergency rental assistance to people economically impacted by the pandemic. Final aldermanic approval is still needed for the spending.

Updated at 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 13.
It would seem by now that the more experienced St. Louis County Council members wouldnt need schooling on how to properly follow Missouris Sunshine Law, but perhaps an Open Meetings 101 refresher course is in order. The fallback interpretation of the law, according to the state attorney generals website, is supposed to be this: When in doubt, a meeting or record of a public body should be opened to the public.

But in a Saturday special session, council members immersed themselves in plotting ways to exclude the public from deliberations on how to spend about $74 million in federal pandemic aid. Now theyre belatedly trying to walk back their plot in order to comply with a law they never should have contemplated violating.

The temptations of secret, backroom wheeling and dealing are exactly what landed former County Executive Steve Stenger in prison and has yielded indictments against one county employee and three members of the St. Louis city Board of Aldermen. Excluding the public opens the door to nefarious practices and further undermines the publics already-tattered trust.

At issue is an effort to form a working group of three council members who would discuss strategies for dispensing pandemic aid. Council members discussed whether the group could meet privately to streamline discussions and avoid the hassles and procedural regulations that public meetings require.

The more this thing becomes a living, breathing, lets have a public hearing every week committee, nothing will get done, complained council member Ernie Trakas, a lawyer. And thats why were sitting here two years down the road now still talking about this.

Funding destined for the county under the American Rescue Plan Act, plus millions of other dollars coming via the Rams settlement and a separate court settlement with opioid companies, belongs to the public. Citizens have every right to monitor how these tens of millions of dollars will be spent.

One of the typical methods elected officials use to avoid public and press scrutiny is to organize whats called a walking quorum. If just a few members meet privately, say, over coffee, the absence of a quorum gives them wiggle room to evade open-meetings requirements. Those members might agree to advance a certain measure. Individuals can then brief additional colleagues to help build a private consensus. By the time one of those pesky public meetings convenes, the measures fate is already agreed. The tactic stinks, and it violates the intent, if not the actual wording, of the Sunshine Law.

Credit goes to council member Lisa Clancy for raising objections. That committee [working group] absolutely cannot do its work in secret. These have to be public meetings, she said Saturday.

Its too bad that public meetings are cumbersome for some council members, but such inconveniences come with the job. Elected officials should embrace and celebrate transparency rather than trying to find ways to skirt the law.
If you could jump into a painting and walk around in it, what painting would you choose? Where would you go in the painting? The sun-splashed Riviera or foggy London? A forest filled with animals? A field of sunflowers or a haunting desert landscape?

Good museum conversation starters for adults as well as kids. Also a good way to engage kids when visiting an art museum, suggests Lindsay Genshaft, the senior manager of family and community programs at the Denver Art Museum, one of the most kid-friendly Ive visited.

Maybe its a rainy day on vacation, maybe youre home and the kids are whining that they are bored, maybe everyone has had too much sun. Maybe you have a child who is the best artist in his class, or the worst.

Whether you are art lovers or not, there is no better time to take the kids to an art museum as many are more kid-friendly than ever. That might turn a young art-hater into an aficionado.

You just have to plan your visit. Look online for special family tours and activities. Encourage the kids to peruse the museum website to see what exhibits might interest them  paintings, sculpture, Medieval armor, jewelry.

The august Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has #metkids with online and social media content developed by kids for kids. The Smithsonian, which includes the Getty Museum in LA, has a special free multimedia Getty Guide family tour and Art Detective Cards for kids to solve a mystery while exploring the museum. The Art Institute Chicago invites visitors to create their own museum journey with works from the museums extensive collections. Ready to fly through galleries like a superhero?

Of course you will find special family activities and programs at smaller art museums as well. Check out the Eric Carle Museum in Massachusetts with the original artwork your kids will recognize from his many books. Kids are invited to create their own art in the Everyday Art Project. The Heard Museum in Phoenix, which celebrates Native American culture and art, has a variety of hands-on activities and festivals, encouraging kids to build understanding.

(A tip: If you cant find a section on the museum website for families, search for what is offered for educators and students. Many of the activities and suggestions for school groups can be easily adapted for families.

At the Denver Art Museum, now reopened after a $175 million renovation, families are front and center in everything the museum does. Not only are kids and teens (up to 18) free but just about every gallery has a hands-on childrens activity and special exhibits have a kids audio guide, crafted with the help of the museums Youth Advisory Group. I really enjoyed seeing the special Claude Monet: The Truth of Nature at the Denver Art Museum, for example, told from the viewpoint of a little water lily.

With the help of her team and the Youth Advisory Group, Genshaft is working on the audio story for the fall special exhibit. Saints, Sinners, Lovers and Fools, which showcases 300 years of Flemish masterpieces.

Genshaft noted that the kids will help create the audio story.

I get so much from the kids, she said, as she showed us around the new Martin Building, recently opened as part of the museums large expansion.

Family Central offers drop-in activities. Kids can act out stories in costumes based on the museum exhibits, build sculptures, and create their own artworks to fit in a miniature museum. They can learn about the design process in the design studio and create their own button. Sometimes there is a long line, the activity is so popular, Genshaft said.

They can meet the native artist-in-residence and contribute to a project about Denver; design a box after seeing the beautiful Korean lacquer boxes. Customize details of a jacket in the Thread Studio or create jewelry designs in the Western Studio.

What is so unique here is that the family programs arent an afterthought, Genshaft said. We get to claim a spot in the gallery from the time an exhibit is designed.

Genshaft noted that art helps kids with early literacy and developing critical-thinking skills. It helps them develop empathy. When you ignore kids, she said, You are ignoring a massive population.

It would be interesting which image kids might want to jump in here  or if they have a favorite, another good question to ask. If they could choose an artwork theyve seen to take home, what would it be?

Perhaps the larger-than-life Mud Woman Rolls On by Roxanne Swentzell which shows a Native American female figure holding her four children, in the style of Pueblo Storytellers who pass knowledge down through the generations.

Genshaft noted that there are treasures inside the sculpture, including rocks and feathers that had meaning to the artist. New Art Venture tablets eventually will allow kids to see inside Mud Woman, and other interactive activities enabling them to gain more insight. Technology enhances their experience and makes them see things they wouldnt otherwise see, she explained.

Meanwhile, if you havent been to an art museum in a while, you may be surprised at what you will find to engage the kidsand yourselfas art museums work hard to welcome all visitors no matter how young. After all, they are the future of art museums, says Genshaft.

Have a discussion with the kids about art, she urged. There is nothing better.
Ukraine claims Russia is using 1.8-ton S300 (SA-10) SAM (surface to air missiles) as SSMs (surface to surface missiles). The allegation was based on Belarus revealing that they had recently tested S300s acting as SSMs. The S300 was known to have been designed with SSM capability. That means one of launch options includes SSM mode. There are two major limitations to using a SAM as an SSM. One is accuracy at longer ranges. Russian SAMs are guided to the target using a ground-based targeting radar that guides the S300 to aerial targets up to 150 kilometers away. SAMs are programmed to self-destruct if they miss their target so that the missile and its small (100-200 kg) warhead does not land on friendly territory. Used as an SSM the self-destruct is disabled and the guidance system aims the missile at a ground location, but less accurately than against aerial targets. Russia has apparently modified the SSM option to include a GPS option that directs the SAM to a specific ground location. The GPS option works, but not as accurately as expected. Ukraine believes that the Russians are running out of SSM missiles and using S300s as SSMs because there is not much need for their SAM capabilities, especially with the more recent and capable S400 now available.

The Ukrainians are also aware of what happened in Israel a year ago when a Syrian S200 missile was deliberately used against a military facility deep inside Israel. This took place in early 2021 when a missile from Syria landed a few kilometers from the Israeli Dimona nuclear research center. There was no damage because Dimona is 300 kilometers south of the Syrian border in a rural desert area. First thoughts were that this was another Iranian attempt to carry out some credible revenge for the recent Mossad operation that destroyed the underground Natanz nuclear fuel enrichment facility. If this was a deliberate missile attack, it failed, but it meant Israel spending a lot of money firing expensive ABM (anti-ballistic-missile) missiles at more Syrian anti-aircraft missiles that cross the border either accidentally or on purpose. Israel is trying to solve this problem by modifying its ABM fire control software to discriminate between the trajectories of SAMs that are not headed for civilian or military targets and those that are. The Israeli Iron Dome system has long used such a method to only shoot down targets headed for targets that must be defended.

Initial examination of the impact area debris near Dimona revealed it was a S200 (SA-5) SAM, a SAM that had been accidently landing for years after missing intended aircraft targets. For example, in 2017 Israel used an Arrow 3 anti-missile missile to intercept a Syrian S200 that had been fired at Israeli jets bombing a target in eastern Syria near Palmyra. Apparently several S200s missed the Israeli jets and instead of detonating anyway, as these missiles are programmed to do, continued into Israeli air space and an Arrow 3 ABM missile was fired just in case the incoming threat was a ballistic missile. At the time it was suspected that Syria might have deliberately modified some of their seven-ton S200 missiles to operate as surface-to-surface missiles. This has been done before with Russian SAMs, usually as an unofficial (and crude) modification by Arab users.

There have been some modern SAMs with a built-in surface-to-surface mode. This was done for the U.S. Nike-Hercules SAMs used during the 1960s and still around. Other users of the Nike-Hercules (like Taiwan and South Korea) made this modification and produced an accurate, if expensive, surface-to-surface short range ballistic missile. The Nike-Hercules was designed for potential use as a surface-to-surface weapon. The U.S. Navy has added a SSM capability to their SM 6 SAM and recently tested it successfully against stationary targets. This mod is meant to give SM-6 an anti-ship missile capability. Earlier U.S. Navy SAMs also had this SSM capability.

The 2017 incident was the first time the Arrow 3 has been used in a combat situation, and it was implied that the Arrow fire control system was programmed to automatically assume that anything resembling a ballistic missile headed into Israel, whether intentional or by accident, was a danger to Israel and should be shot down just to be on the safe side. Syria responded by announcing that if Israel continued carrying out these air raids in Syria they would use hundreds of ballistic missiles (most SCUDs and other Russian designs) against Israel without warning. This was a hollow threat because most Syrian ballistic missiles had been used or lost during the civil war that began in 2012 and is still going on.

Iran has been supporting the Syrians and has the capability to modify S200s for use against targets deep inside Israel. This is what Arrow was designed for and what the Israeli forces constantly prepare for. The recent Dimona incident was promptly claimed by Iran as a revenge attack. Iran also supports the Russian war in Ukraine and can ship cargo to Russia via the landlocked Caspian Sea that borders Russia and Iran. There has been no mention of Iran supplying Russia with mods for their S300s to turn them into more accurate SSMs, but it is a real possibility.
June saw the formation of a new government after several years of efforts to overcome clan and warlord objections to democracy in general. The elections were held and results certified on May 15th producing a parliament and new president. The parliament met four days ago and approved the presidents selection of a new prime minister. The prime minister has to f0rm a government by filling dozens of key jobs with candidates that will not cause disputes in parliament over who got what. Somalia is still dominated by the power of the clans and the blind loyalty to clan even when it harms national unity. Overcoming this factionalism in a democracy is often very difficult. So far it appears that a majority of Somali leaders are willing to give a clean government a chance to work in Somalia. The key test is forming the new government successfully.

Major suppliers of foreign aid are optimistic enough to restore suspended aid programs. The United States ordered several hundred special operations and other troops to return to Somalia. In late 2020 the previous U.S. government ordered all U.S. troops out of Somalia. This was completed by January 2021 as 700 U.S. troops left Somalia, most for reassignment elsewhere in Africa.

The departing American troops missed the most were Special Forces and SEAL operators training and advising their Somali counterparts. The American troops in Somalia also handled intelligence collection and monitoring things in general. This was supposed to continue from a major American special operations base in neighboring Djibouti, as will the use of American UAVs, based in Djibouti, to search for Islamic terrorists and carry out airstrikes when the opportunity presents itself. That did not happen because the new (since January 20, 2021) American government soon ordered a halt to the use of UAVs over Somalia. Al Shabaab and ISIL gunmen began moving around confident that they were not making themselves vulnerable. This enabled al Shabaab to be more aggressive in controlling civilian populations and collecting taxes from farmers that had little or nothing because of the drought and refusal of aid agencies to send food and other supplies to these areas because al Shabaab charged high cash transit fees, then stole much of the aid for resale in markets where the starving farmers could not afford it.

The 2021 moratorium on American UAV use over Somalia ended after a year because there was a new government willing to cooperate in getting emergency food aid to those who needed it most. To make this work there would be a revival of what happened in 2017 when American UAV operation resumed as Africom (U.S. Africa Command) increased its use of unarmed and armed UAVs over Somalia. This led to about 170 UAV airstrikes that killed nearly a thousand al Shabaab and ISIL members. In 2020 there were fifty of these UAV airstrikes. For 2021 there were seven UAV airstrikes, the last one on January 29th, just before the U.S. ban on UAV operations in Somalia began. Most of the UAV attacks were against al Shabaab targets with a few directed at ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) forces in the north. In 2019 there were 63 UAV attacks in Somalia for the entire year. The 2020 attacks killed several senior leaders although most UAV attack missions were in support of Somali Army operations, especially in southern Somalia where the remaining al Shabaab strongholds are. The loss of American trainers and advisors for special operations for the Somali army in the south and the PSF in the north has led to more Islamic terrorist activity. The Americans finally decided to return Special Forces and intel troops to Somalia and resume aerial surveillance of areas where al Shabaab is most active and to carry out air strikes against key al Shabaab leaders in an effort to disrupt and substantially weaken al Shabaab activity in Somalia. This approach to Islamic terrorism had worked in Iraq, Afghanistan and Israel and, with a legitimate government in Somalia, it might work there as well.

All this positive activity by the new government has foreign donors willing to continue and increase economic and military aid. Foreign money as well as peacekeepers were already being withdrawn before the new government was established. The UN had already started the process of pulling out the 20,000 peacekeepers. Foreign aid donors have adopted a send the aid to where it will do the most good approach. That policy put Somalia at a disadvantage because much, if not most of its aid was stolen and never reached those who need it. If the new government can demonstrate an ability to change the wicked ways of its predecessors, the aid will resume and increase. Somalia and other nations in the region need this because the region is suffering from one of its periodic droughts, and a major one at that. In the past these major droughts would cause visible declines in the population. After World War II (1939-45) foreign aid by a growing number of countries and NGOs (Non-government Organizations) made it possible to prevent these starvation deaths, at least in countries that could distribute the aid effectively. Somali was one of the nations that had trouble doing that, mainly because Somalia was still a deeply divided region because of the persistence of many powerful clans that looked after their own even if it meant other Somalis suffered. The clan loyalties are still a problem and a major factor in delaying fair elections of a national parliament.

Renewed Diplomacy

The new government has also restored good relations with Kenya. This includes cooperation with Kenya in dealing with al Shabaab activity in northeast Kenya, where Mandera county has long suffered from Somali violence. This includes al Shabaab roadblocks to check vehicles for non-Moslems, who are often kidnapped or killed. Counter-terror efforts have largely kept al Shabaab terrorists out of the capital (Nairobi), which is a thousand kilometers from Mandera, and that is what national politicians focus on. There have been two al Shabaab attacks in Nairobi since 2013. The latest one was in 2019. Politicians have priorities and problems get more attention the closer they are.

Al Shabaab has long sought to drive all non-Moslems out of northeastern Kenya because a lot of ethnic Somalis and Moslems live there. Over 80 percent of Kenyans are Christian and only twelve percent Moslem, most of them ethnic Somalis. There are also tribal problems in Mandera. One area along the Somali border has long been the scene of fighting between the Kenyan Murule (ethnic Somali Moslems) and the Marhan from across the border in Somalia. In 2015 about a hundred Marhan warriors crossed the border and raided Murule territory. Despite Kenya sending more soldiers and police to Mandera the violence continues. The Marhan have long been accused of supporting al Shabaab while the Murule oppose Islamic terrorism and al Shabaab efforts to chase Christians from the Mandera region.

Somali refugees and ethnic Somali Kenyans living in Kenya near the Somali border have been a major source of al Shabaab recruits for raiding and terrorism in Somalia as well as Kenya. Somali violence, both from al Shabaab and clan disputes, is less frequent throughout Somalia but persists on both sides of the Kenya border. On the Somali side is the autonomous Somali region of Jubaland. Across the border are the Kenyan counties (provinces) of Mandera, Garissa, Isiolo, Wajir and Marsabit. Occasionally the violence extends to cities elsewhere in Kenya. What is keeping al Shabaab active here and not elsewhere in Somalia are lucrative smuggling operations the Islamic terrorists dominate along the border.

In addition to bordering Somalia, there are several other reasons for all the Somali violence in this part of Kenya. First there is the usual pervasive corruption in Kenya and Africa in general. In addition, Somalia is recognized as the most corrupt nation in the world. Al Shabaab takes advantage of police corruption in Kenya, where the largely Christian police are particularly brutal towards ethnic Somali Kenyans. Similar attitudes are directed at the Somali refugees. That brutality and discrimination makes Kenyan Somalis reluctant to cooperate with police in finding al Shabaab terrorists or smugglers. About 76 percent of the four million Kenyan Moslems are ethnic Somalis who are citizens. Kenyas Moslem minority has been known to harbor Islamic terrorists. Most Kenyan Moslems live in coastal cities like Mombasa, where about a third of the 1.1 million population is Moslem. A lot of ethnic Somalis and Moslems live in northeastern Kenya and that is a problem when most of the soldiers and police are Christians and non-Somali. Al Shabaab exploits this friction to continue recruiting in Kenya and enjoying some local support in the Kenyan border areas.

June 25, 2022: The new Somali parliament approved Abdi Barre as the new prime minister in the new government (since May 15th) of president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. Only 220 of the 275 member parliament were present to approve Barre with a unanimous vote.

June 23, 2022: President Mohamud visited UAE (United Arab Emirates) to discuss renewed UAE economic support for the new Somali government. The UAE is a major investor in East African nations but had reduced such activity in Somalia because of the delays in forming a government. UAE leaders now believe Somalia is suitable, and safe, for renewed investment and economic development. The former Somali government had welcomed Turkish aid, which was mainly military and provided troops loyal to the former government that opposed and delayed fair elections. The new government now joins most other Middle Eastern governments in opposing Turkish efforts to interfere with rather than invest in countries like Somalia. Turkey does participate peacefully in building economies in the region but will also get involved in local politics as long as it favors Turkey.

June 20, 2022: Down south, across the border in Kenyas Mandera county, al Shabaab Islamic terrorists from Somalia destroyed a communications tower that disrupted communications for many residents. Al Shabaab considers Christian Kenyan rule of Mandera illegitimate because of the large number of ethnic Somali Kenyans and Somali refugees living in the area.

June 17, 2022: In central Somalia (Galmadug) a large force of al Shabaab gunmen attacked the town of Bahdo for the second time this year. Both attacks were repulsed but this time local militias and the small detachment of Somali police had been reinforced with soldiers and additional police. Not only was the attack repulsed but the soldiers, along with nearby reinforcements, pursued fleeing attackers and eventually killed at least 46 of them. Six of the dead were identified as foreigners. The January attack cost al Shabaab 17 dead. Al Shabaab regularly uses roadside bombs to attack security force convoys. The government has sent more troops and army commandos to Galmadug, to search out and attack al Shabaab camps. Somalis welcome the return of 450 American Special Forces troops who are essential in training Somali commandos and upgrading training for the Somali army in general.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 14, 2022 / 1933 Industries Inc. (the "Company" or "1933Industries") (CSE:TGIF)(OTCQB: TGIFF), a Nevada-focused cannabis consumer packaged goods company, announces the results of the extraordinary meeting of Holders of 10% Senior Unsecured Convertible Debentures Due September 14, 2022 ("Debentureholders") held yesterday.

Debentureholders voted on the following proposed amendments:

1. Revising the proposed amended conversion price applicable to the Debentures to $0.05 per share, being the lowest price at which the Company is permitted to amend the Conversion Price

Votes for 62.482% or 428,000 shares

Votes against 37.518% or 257,000 shares

The amendment did not pass.

2. Revising the proposed extended maturity date for the Debentures to December 31, 2022

Votes for 55.182% or 378,000

Votes against 44.818% or 307,000

The amendment did not pass.

3. Reducing the price per share for interest payments on the Debentures from $0.10 to $0.075 per share

Votes for 62.482% or 428,000 shares

Votes against 37.518% or 257,000 shares

The amendment did not pass.

4. Amending the price at which the Company may require a forced conversion of the Debentures from $0.15 to $0.10 per share, such conversion to be made at the amended Conversion Price of $0.05 per share

Votes for 69.781% or 478,000 shares

Votes against 30.219% or 207,000

The amendment was accepted by Debentureholders.

The amendments required an affirmative vote of at least 66 % of the principal amount of the debentures voted at the meeting. The total votes represented at the meeting accounted for only 18.7% of the outstanding debentures. The Company believes that with a stronger voter turnout, all the proposed amendments would have been accepted by Debentureholders. The Board of Directors had unanimously recommended that Debentureholders vote in favour of each of the amendments as it believes they are in the best interest of its shareholders. The Board of Directors is currently considering further options and will advise shortly.

About 1933 Industries Inc.

1933 Industries is a Nevada-based, growth-orientated company, focusing on the cultivation and manufacturing of a large portfolio of cannabis consumer-packaged goods in a variety of formats for both the wholesale and retail markets. Its product offerings include: THC flower, pre-rolls, and extracted products under the AMA and Level X brands for the Nevada market; Canna Hemp", national cannabidiol (CBD) brand of infused wellness products including CBD tinctures, gummies, topicals and sport recovery products. The Company owns 91% of Alternative Medicine Association, LC (AMA) and 100% of Infused MFG LLC (Infused).

www.1933industries.com

About Alternative Medicine Association

AMA is a licensed medical and adult-use cannabis cultivation and extraction subsidiary that produces its own branded line of unique cannabis products. AMA's extensive menu of cannabis products include: craft cannabis flower, pre-rolls, full spectrum oils, high quality distillates, proprietary blends of terpenes, vaporizer products and boutique concentrates such as shatter, crumble, batter, sugar wax, diamonds, and live resin. Ultra-craft brand Level X is an exclusive collection of exotic strains, selected specifically for their distinctive terpene profiles, high THC levels, and flavonoids. With state-of-the-art cultivation and extraction facilities based in Las Vegas, Nevada, AMA seeks to offer medical patients and recreational users alike a cannabis experience that's exceptional, potent, and consistent in quality. www.amanev.com

AMA is also licensed in Nevada as an adult-use cannabis distributor.

About Canna Hemp"

With over 50 products in its portfolio, the Canna Hemp" brand offers products in a variety of verticals and consumption formats, including, effects-based tinctures, topicals, vape pens and cartridges, gummies, and capsules for Sleep, Relief, Calm, Focus and Energy. High-grade CBD and a proprietary blend of terpenes formulated for specific effects are key differentiators for the Canna Hemp" line. The Company recently introduced previously untapped cannabinoids Cannabigerol (CBG) and Cannabinol (CBN) to its portfolio of products with a new line of natural tinctures and gummies.

www.cannahemp.com

For further information please contact:

Alexia Helgason, VP, IR, Marketing, Media

604-728-4407

[email protected]

Paul Rosen, CEO

[email protected]

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Notice regarding Forward Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to the settlement of transactions between the Company and Day One. The use of any of the words "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "should", "believe" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks including various risk factors discussed in the Company's disclosure documents, which can be found under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com. 1933 Industries undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

SOURCE: 1933 Industries Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:
WOKING, UK / ACCESSWIRE / July 14, 2022 / Linde (NYSE:LIN; FWB: LIN) today announced it has been included in the FTSE4Good Index for the seventh consecutive year.

The FTSE4Good Index Series is a tool for investors seeking to invest in companies that demonstrate strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices measured against international standards. Inclusion is based on an independent analysis of ESG data from over 7,200 securities. Each company is assessed against strict criteria which have also been aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

"Linde's products and applications are critical for society, from medical oxygen that helps save lives, to gases that help customers reduce their greenhouse gas emissions," said Tamara Brown, Vice President Sustainability, Linde. "In addition, we have a clear roadmap to reduce our own greenhouse gas emissions and our inclusion in FTSE4Good confirms the work towards Linde's mission of making our world more productive."

Linde helps companies improve their environmental performance and reduce their carbon footprint through high-quality solutions, technologies and services. In 2021, the company announced new greenhouse gas emission goals, including a target of 35% absolute emissions reduction by 2035 and climate neutrality by 2050.

About Linde

Linde is a leading global industrial gases and engineering company with 2021 sales of $31 billion (26 billion). We live our mission of making our world more productive every day by providing high-quality solutions, technologies and services which are making our customers more successful and helping to sustain and protect our planet.

The company serves a variety of end markets including chemicals & energy, food & beverage, electronics, healthcare, manufacturing, metals and mining. Linde's industrial gases are used in countless applications, from life-saving oxygen for hospitals to high-purity & specialty gases for electronics manufacturing, hydrogen for clean fuels and much more. Linde also delivers state-of-the-art gas processing solutions to support customer expansion, efficiency improvements and emissions reductions.

For more information about the company and its products and services, please visit www.linde.com .

Contacts:

Investor Relations

Juan Pelaez

Phone: +1 203 837 2213

Email: [email protected]

Media Relations

Anna Davies

Phone: +44 1483 244705

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE: Linde plc

View source version on accesswire.com:
Parag Agrawal, Chief Executive Officer of Twitter (NYSE: TWTR), informed his employees that the social media giant plans to hold Elon Musk fully accountable to fulfill his contractual obligations.

In an email to staff, Agrawal said he believes Twitter will prevail and prove our position in court.

We took this opportunity to tell our story and defend our company, our people, and our stockholders.

The coming weeks will be filled with news and noise about this case, with increased analyst and reporter speculation about what may unfold. Some of the coverage will be helpful to explain this complicated process, but a lot of the speculation will be distracting, Agrawal wrote.

Moreover, the companys top executive also warned about the challenging environment that presents additional complexities and challenges for us and our industry.

In a separate filing, Twitter said that Musks purported termination is invalid and wrongful.

Twitters lawyers described Musk as a model of hypocrisy in the lawsuit filed with the court in Delaware. In addition, Musks strategist is described as a model of bad faith.

Rather than bear the cost of the market downturn, as the merger agreement requires, Musk wants to shift it to Twitters stockholders. This is in keeping with the tactics Musk has deployed against Twitter and its stockholders since earlier this year, when he started amassing an undisclosed stake in the company and continued to grow his position without required notification, the lawsuit reads.

It tracks the disdain he has shown for the company that one would have expected Musk, as its would-be steward, to protect. Since signing the merger agreement, Musk has repeatedly disparaged Twitter and the deal, creating business risk for Twitter and downward pressure on its share price.

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said the Street sees Twitters lawsuit as very strong.

The Street is interpreting the Twitter suit against Musk filed last night as "extremely compelling" as Twitter walks into Delaware court with a clear upper hand in the eyes of the Street. While we assign fair value for Twitter as $30, the stock is now factoring in some significant chance that Musk will ultimately have to pay Twitter a settlement well north of $1 billion and in a possible scenario ultimately still have to buy the company at the agreed upon price at $54.20, Ives told clients in a note.

Yesterday, short-seller Hindenburg Research says it has accumulated a significant long position in shares of Twitter as the companys lawsuit poses a credible threat to Musks empire.

By Senad Karaahmetovic
AHF declared that federal, state and local public health and elected officials are grossly mishandling the response to the monkeypox outbreak that primarily affects gay men and men who have sex with men

In a press conference today, AHF called on the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to implement a proposed six-point plan to ramp up education on the virus and its prevention and treatment

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AHF, the largest global AIDS organization with treatment clinics or operations in 45 countries, held a press conference today calling on the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to adopt and implement a six-point plan of action on monkeypox proposed by AHF. Michael Weinstein, AHF President, also called out all levels of government for failing gay men on monkeypox with an ineffectual or absent public health response to the virus across the country.

During the conference, Weinstein quoted Republican Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) (via The Hill):

The administration has the tools and authorities necessary to combat these threats (from monkeypox). Your failures to act are a threat to public health, and especially for gay and bisexual men who are at highest risk," wrote Burr. "The government failed this population at the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, we should not fail them again."

The Hill also noted: Burr, who sits on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, criticized the absence of a clear research plan to better understand monkeypox as well as what he perceived to be a lack of communication coming from federal public health officials.

The six-point monkeypox response plan that AHF crafted and is urging County officials to adopt and implement grew out of frustration of health advocates over the lack of clear communication and action by L.A. County DPH on the global monkeypox outbreak, which will hit its two-month mark of presence in the U.S. this weekend.

As of July 13, the US has reported 1,053 cases across 42 states and Washington DC. California is experiencing the most cases161 infections, or 15%followed by New York, Illinois, DC, and Florida. LA County makes up 70 of those 161 cases. These cases are primarily among an already stigmatized population.

Where are Governor Newsom, Senator Padilla, Mayor Garcetti and HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra on the monkeypox outbreak, which is disproportionately affecting historically marginalized populations--gay men and men who have sex with men? said AHFs Weinstein.

AHF also supported other health advocates and elected officials for speaking out on the lack of available vaccines and the governments shortcomings on monkeypox response.

California State Senator Scott Wiener released a statement yesterday sharply criticizing the federal government:

We need to be very clear where the responsibility lies for this completely avoidable situation: the federal government. As far back as 2010, public health experts were warning that it was inevitable that monkeypox would spread beyond West Africa. And in 2019, the FDA approved a safe and effective monkeypox vaccine. Yet, the United States government ordered a mere 56,000 vaccine doses (enough for 28,000 people) for the national vaccine stockpile and failed to order the millions of doses that should have been ordered in preparation for an inevitable outbreak.  We need an enormous amount of additional vaccine doses, and we need it immediately. The federal governments failures are threatening to deeply harm our community. Once we move past this emergency, we need accountability for these failures  failures that put peoples lives and health in jeopardy.

Monkeypox Response: AHFs Proposed 6-Point Plan for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health should conduct twice weekly public briefings outlining the number of new cases and where they are occurring. Warnings to the gay and bisexual male population should be launched online, in newspapers and in outdoor advertising advising men to watch for symptoms; avoid group sexual situations; consult a doctor if you have symptoms indicative of monkeypox, and isolate if you are diagnosed. Require signs to be posted in commercial sex venues and via banner or other ads on hookup applications. Lobby the federal government to supply vaccine on an emergency basis. Regularly engage community partners to assist the Department of Public Health in prevention, testing, vaccination and treatment of monkeypox. Engage universities to initiate studies to determine the changed characteristics of monkeypox in the current pandemic.

The Los Angeles Blade will be hosting an in-person Monkeypox Town Hall on Wednesday, July 27, 2022, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at West Hollywood City Council chambers (625 N. San Vincente Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069). For more information, please visit: www.losangelesblade.com/townhall

And as part of efforts to educate its own AHF Healthcare Center patients and clients as well as the general public who may seek free HIV or STD testing at one of AHF Public Health Divisions 35 AHF Wellness Centers in the U.S., AHF created the following AHF Monkeypox Information Sheet: https://www.aidshealth.org?p=79853

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 1.6 million individuals in 45 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth, follow us @aidshealthcare or subscribe to our AHF podcast AHFter Hours.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220714005900/en/

LOS ANGELES: Ged Kenslea, Senior Director, Communications for AHF, +1.323.791.5526, [email protected]

Lau Lauren Hogan, Associate Director, Communications for AHF +1.310.940.0802 cell [email protected]

AHF SOUTHERN BUREAU: Imara Canady, National Director, Communications and Community Engagement, AHF +1.470.639.6591 work +1.770.940.6555 mobile [email protected]

Source: AIDS Healthcare Foundation
OLDWICK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A++ (Superior) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICR) of aa+ (Superior) of Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian Life) (New York, NY) and its core subsidiaries, Guardian Insurance & Annuity Company, Inc. (Wilmington, DE) and Berkshire Life Insurance Company of America (Pittsfield, MA) (together referred to as Guardian). Concurrently, AM Best has affirmed the Long-Term Issue Credit Rating (Long-Term IR) of aa- (Superior) of Guardian Lifes surplus notes. The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. (See below for a detailed listing of the Long-Term IRs).

The ratings reflect Guardians balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strongest, as well as its strong operating performance, favorable business profile and very strong enterprise risk management (ERM).

The group has maintained a significantly solid risk-based capital profile with risk-adjusted capitalization at the strongest level, as measured by Bests Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR). Guardians capital profile includes access to capital markets through its moderate use of surplus notes to support its business strategies. AM Best considers Guardians leverage ratios to be appropriate for the groups credit profile, which enhances financial flexibility.

Guardian benefits from its strong market position, which supports the groups strong operating premium levels, positive investment returns and strong underwriting performance. The consistency of Guardians balance sheet and operating performance are based on the companys continued low risk profile that is embedded into its ERM program. The company is actively managing its exposure to credit-related risk as part of its ERM process and has demonstrated the ability to withstand prolonged credit exposure.

The following Long-Term IRs have been affirmed with stable outlooks:

Guardian Life Insurance Company of America

 aa- (Superior) on $400 million 7.375% surplus notes, due 2039

 aa- (Superior) on $450 million 4.875% surplus notes, due 2064

 aa- (Superior) on $300 million 3.70% surplus notes, due 2070

 aa- (Superior) on $350 million 4.85% surplus notes, due 2077

Guardian Life Global Funding  aa+ (Superior) program rating

aa+ (Superior) on all outstanding notes issued under the program

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Bests website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Bests Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Bests Credit Ratings, Bests Performance Assessments, Bests Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Bests Ratings & Assessments.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright  2022 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220714005796/en/

Anthony McSwieney

Senior Financial Analyst

+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5715

[email protected]

Christopher Sharkey

Manager, Public Relations

+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159

[email protected]

Michael Adams

Associate Director

+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5133

[email protected]

Jeff Mango

Managing Director,

Strategy & Communications

+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5204

[email protected]

Source: AM Best
The Midwestern broadband service provider is on track to more than double its customer connections by leveraging the full power of the Calix Revenue EDGE platform to roll out the turnkey, managed home network solution, ProtectIQ, at no additional cost to customers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) announced today that Chariton Valley Telephone Corporation (Chariton Valley) expects to double its customer connections after providing ProtectIQ home network security to all customers at no cost. Chariton Valley leverages the full power of Calix Revenue EDGE to transform its value proposition and improve the customer experience. In May, the 70-year-old broadband service provider (BSP) launched ProtectIQ, part of Calix Revenue EDGE Suites, as it continues to roll out GigaSpire BLAST systems across its Midwestern communities. In a climate of increased cybersecurity concerns, Chariton Valley has equipped all GigaSpire BLAST customers with effortless access to robust home network security. In doing so, the BSP increases customer loyalty across rural regions and nearby cities in north-central and northeast Missouri. Many Chariton Valley customers have sophisticated internet habitshalf identify as gamers and almost 40 percent work from home. By evolving its value proposition, the innovative BSP has also fortified itself against billion-dollar market cap competition in Palmyra and Hannibal. In its first two months of offering ProtectIQ to all customers, Chariton Valley blocked more than 48,000 web threats, intrusions, malware, and viruses from entering home networksproving the immediate value of its investments.

The comprehensive Revenue EDGE platform enables BSPs of all sizes to easily and quickly launch differentiating turnkey, managed offerings. Chariton Valley continues to evolve its value proposition and strengthen its growing customer connections by:

Transforming its business to help communities thrive for decades. Chariton Valley is on track to complete a historic five-year, $42 million fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) buildout in its member service territory, and another $40 million in expansion opportunities next year by leveraging the secure broadband access network platform, Calix Intelligent Access EDGE. In May, it began rolling out turnkey, managed offerings in EDGE Suites, starting with Protect IQ , recently recognized by the cybersecurity industry as Best in Anti-Phishing, Network Security & Management, at no cost to its customers. As a result, Chariton Valley blocked thousands of web threats in only two monthsfurther proving the value of its investment in the region.

Chariton Valley is on track to complete a historic five-year, $42 million fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) buildout in its member service territory, and another $40 million in expansion opportunities next year by leveraging the secure broadband access network platform, Calix Intelligent Access EDGE. In May, it began rolling out turnkey, managed offerings in EDGE Suites, starting with Protect , recently recognized by the cybersecurity industry as Best in Anti-Phishing, Network Security & Management, at no cost to its customers. As a result, Chariton Valley blocked thousands of web threats in only two monthsfurther proving the value of its investment in the region. Creating internet experiences that grow with customers needs. After the successful rollout of Protect IQ , Chariton Valley is now taking a targeted approach to introduce its second EDGE Suite, the advanced parental controls in Experience IQ . Calix-partnered BSPs have seen a 178 percent increase in people using Experience IQ since the beginning of the year. Both Protect IQ and Experience IQ are accessed through the BSPs branded subscriber-facing mobile app, built on Command IQ , giving customers more control over their home networks.

After the successful rollout of Protect , Chariton Valley is now taking a targeted approach to introduce its second EDGE Suite, the advanced parental controls in Experience . Calix-partnered BSPs have seen a 178 percent increase in people using Experience since the beginning of the year. Both Protect and Experience are accessed through the BSPs branded subscriber-facing mobile app, built on Command , giving customers more control over their home networks. Leveraging data and insights to offer services that meet each customers unique needs. Using the insights and analytics in Calix Marketing Cloud (Marketing Cloud), even a small BSP like Chariton Valley can successfully leverage data for segmenting and targeting. For example, Chariton Valley uses Marketing Cloud to uncover which of its customers are most likely to need the advanced parental controls of ExperienceIQ. Now their marketing team can quickly identify the right people for the new service. This enables Chariton Valley to get maximum ROI from every dollar invested in marketing.

As a member-owned organization, the customer experience informs everything we do, said Kirby J. Underberg, president and chief executive officer at Chariton Valley. Chariton Valley is committed to the regions futurethe investment we made building a secure fiber network will benefit people living in north-central and northeast Missouri for the next three decades. However, we also understand that we are responsible for protecting our customers from the increasing threat of digital dangers that come along with the positive generational impact of secure, fast Wi-Fi. By adding critical services like home network security and advanced parental controls, we will continue to invest in our customers by providing superior internet experiences long after the latest deals from our competitors expire.

Along with ProtectIQ and ExperienceIQ, EDGE Suites also includes connected home camera security systems (Arlo Secure). Additionally, Calix is launching two new managed offerings this summer: social media monitoring (Bark) and connected device protection (Servify Care).

Chariton Valleys incredible first two months offering ProtectIQ to all customers underlines why todays successful broadband business must be about more than just fast Wi-Fi, said Matt Collins, executive vice president of commercial operations and chief marketing officer at Calix. ProtectIQ has helped BSPs of all sizes block millions of digital threats in 2022. The Missouri-based market leader competes against a billion-dollar market cap company and wins because it leverages the full power of the Revenue EDGE platform to easily and quickly launch turnkey, managed offerings like ProtectIQ that improve the customer experience. We look forward to supporting Chariton Valleys continued growth as they evolve their value proposition to reflect their commitment to protecting customers in north-central and northeast Missouri.

Learn more about how ProtectIQ, ExperienceIQ, and the growing list of turnkey, managed offerings in Revenue EDGE Suites help BSPs of all sizes improve the customer experience and grow their businesses.

About Calix

Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX)Calix cloud and software platforms enable service providers of all types and sizes to innovate and transform. Our customers utilize the real-time data and insights from Calix platforms to simplify their businesses and deliver experiences that excite their subscribers. The resulting growth in subscriber acquisition, loyalty, and revenue create more value for their businesses and communities. This is the Calix mission: to enable broadband service providers of all sizes to simplify, excite, and grow.

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based upon managements current expectations and are inherently uncertain. Forward-looking statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this release, and we assume no obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking statement to reflect any event or circumstance after the date of this release, except as required by law. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from current expectations based on risks and uncertainties affecting Calixs business. The reader is cautioned not to rely on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Additional information on potential factors that could affect Calixs results and other risks and uncertainties are detailed in its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC and available at www.sec.gov.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220714005274/en/

Press Inquiries:

Alison Crisci

919-353-4323

[email protected]

Investor Inquiries:

[email protected]

Source: Calix, Inc.
HAMILTON, Bermuda--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Essent Group Ltd. (NYSE: ESNT) today announced that it will hold a conference call on Friday, August 5, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss the Companys second quarter 2022 results, which will be announced prior to the market open on the same day.

The conference call will be broadcast live over the Internet at http://ir.essentgroup.com/events-and-presentations/events/default.aspx. The call may also be accessed by dialing 888-330-2384 inside the U.S., or 240-789-2701 for international callers, using passcode 9824537 or by referencing Essent.

A replay of the webcast will be available on the Essent website approximately two hours after the live broadcast ends for a period of one year. A replay of the conference call will be available approximately two hours after the call ends for a period of two weeks, using the following dial-in numbers and passcode: 800-770-2030 inside the U.S., or 647-362-9199 for international callers, passcode 9824537.

In addition to the information provided in the Company's earnings news release, other statistical and financial information, which may be referred to during the conference call, will be available on Essent's website at http://ir.essentgroup.com/financials/quarterly-results/default.aspx.

About the Company

Essent Group Ltd. (NYSE: ESNT) is a Bermuda-based holding company (collectively with its subsidiaries, Essent) which, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Essent Guaranty, Inc., offers private mortgage insurance for single-family mortgage loans in the United States. Essent provides private capital to mitigate mortgage credit risk, allowing lenders to make additional mortgage financing available to prospective homeowners. Headquartered in Radnor, Pennsylvania, Essent Guaranty, Inc. is licensed to write mortgage insurance in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and is approved by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Essent also offers mortgage-related insurance, reinsurance and advisory services through its Bermuda-based subsidiary, Essent Reinsurance Ltd. Essent is committed to supporting environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives that are relevant to the company and align with the companywide dedication to responsible corporate citizenship that positively impacts the community and people served. Additional information regarding Essent may be found at www.essentgroup.com and www.essent.us.

Source: Essent Group Ltd.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220714005109/en/

Media Contact

610.230.0556

[email protected]

Investor Relations Contact

Philip Stefano

Vice President, Investor Relations

855-809-ESNT

[email protected]

Source: Essent Group Ltd.
Sweeping federal lawsuit, asserting 14 claims of violations of law in nine U.S. states where AHF operates pharmacies, was filed in federal court in St. Louis, MO

AHF asserts Express Scripts, a huge pharmacy benefits manager, manipulates loophole in Medicare Star Ratings system as purported justification for clawing back millions of dollars of Medicare benefits from AHF pharmacies, creating higher profits for Express Scripts at the expense of patients

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, which cares for over 100,000 individuals living with HIV or AIDS in the United States, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Eastern Division, against Express Scripts, one of the three dominant U.S. pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs), and a subsidiary of Cigna, the $47-billion global health-insurance behemoth. The case, AIDS Healthcare Foundation v. Express Scripts, Inc. (Case No. 4:22-cv-00743), was filed yesterday.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220713005944/en/

AHF is the owner of the AHF Pharmacy chain of pharmacies, serving primarily people of limited economic means living with HIV/AIDS. Because Express Scripts manages pharmacy benefits for  and effectively controls access to  tens of millions of people with health insurance in the United States, Express Scripts has much greater bargaining power than much smaller community and specialty pharmacies like AHFs (even in small chains). Express Scripts offers AHF and other pharmacies essentially take-it-or-leave-it contracts with terms and conditions excessively favorable to Express Scripts and deleterious to AHF. Pharmacies like AHF must accept these contracts or lose access to countless patients.

Specifically, AHF asserts that Express Scripts manipulates the Medicare Star Ratings system  which is used to score insurance plans  to give unfairly low performance scores to participating pharmacies, and that, as a result of these arbitrary low scores, the PBM then claws back Medicare benefits from pharmaciesoften months and years after the factactions that result in higher profits for Express Scripts at the expense of HIV/AIDS and other patients served by AHF and other independent and mom-and-pop pharmacies.

AHF brought this civil action to recover many millions of dollars taken by Express Scripts, purportedly pursuant to unconscionable contracts with AHF yet in violation of those very contracts and the covenant of good faith and fair dealing implied in those contracts, among other violations of AHFs rights, said Andrew F. Kim, AHFs lead counsel on the matter.

AHF asserts 14 counts of Express Scripts law violations in nine U.S. states where AHF operates pharmacies. Among the counts are unfair or deceptive trade or business practices in California, Florida, Louisiana, New York, and Washington state. Five other counts assert violations of any willing provider laws in Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina.

AHF is demanding a jury trial in the case, which was filed by AHF in-house counsel and Kim Riley Law.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 1.6 million individuals in 45 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth, follow us @aidshealthcare or subscribe to our AHF podcast AHFter Hours.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220713005944/en/

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Ged Kenslea, Senior Director, Communications, AHF, +1.323.791.5526 [cell] +1.323.308.1833 [work] [email protected]

Jonathan M. Eisenberg, Deputy General Counsel--Litigation for AHF, +1.323.860.5361 [work] [email protected]

Kirra N. Jones, Assistant General Counsel for AHF, +1.323.860.5320 [work] [email protected]

Source: AIDS Healthcare Foundation
The Company also promoted Michael Lawlor to Chief Operations and Service Officer and Chris Rouser to its new Head of Human Resources

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today, FreeWheel announced that it has named Katy Loria as U.S. Chief Revenue Officer, Michael Lawlor as Chief Operations and Service Officer, and Chris Rouser as Head of Human Resources. Based in New York, Loria, Lawlor, and Rouser will serve as key members of the FreeWheel Executive Leadership team and invest in FreeWheels people, clients, software, and services to serve as the connective tissue within the video advertising ecosystem and provide global technology solutions for the future of TV advertising.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220714005135/en/

FreeWheel announced that it has named Katy Loria as U.S. Chief Revenue Officer. (Photo: Business Wire)

With a host of new streaming options and subscription models, the TV advertising industry is at an inflection point and in need of simplicity, efficiency, and scale. We are excited to have Katy, Michael, and Chris lead and further the companys focus on connecting this new TV ecosystem to enable its addressable and programmatic future, said Mark McKee, General Manager, FreeWheel. These industry leaders are excellent candidates for their respective roles: Katy, with her tremendous sales presence, focus on the customer, and solutions-oriented approach to sales; Michael, with his operational excellence-driven leadership and strategic customer-first approach to the business; and Chris, with his conviction that creating a great culture brings the talent and experience to help companies succeed.

Katy Loria, U.S. Chief Revenue Officer

As U.S. CRO, Loria will be responsible for growing both the sell and buy sides of FreeWheels marketplace. Reporting to McKee, she will define and maintain the revenue strategy through architecting and integrating revenue streams and designing and launching new revenue programs.

Loria joins FreeWheel from Screenvision Media, where she had a strong track record of revenue generation, client focus, and employee development, as well as spearheading industry-responsive strategies and leading strategic partnerships. Prior to Screenvision Media, Loria led national sales for ViacomCBS (now Paramount), where she cultivated a dynamic, solutions-oriented sales team. She began her career at MTV Networks in advertising sales.

With more than 20 years of leadership experience across Fortune 500s and start-ups, Loria is the recipient of several industry awards including Adweeks 50 Most Indispensable People and Celluloid Junkies Top 50 Women in Global Cinema.

Michael Lawlor, Chief Operations and Service Officer

In his newly promoted role as Chief Operations and Service Officer, Lawlor will be responsible for centralizing all advertising and service-level operations to ensure flexibility, coordination, and scale. By creating accountability for releasing new products as well as servicing them, FreeWheel is able to go to market swiftly, with customer-centric products and service. He will also report to McKee.

Lawlor has more than 15 years of industry experience and has been a key player at FreeWheel for more than seven years in various customer-centric leadership roles including leading Advisory Services, Global Client Services, AudienceXpress, and Media Operations. Most recently, Lawlor was head of U.S. Commercial and Marketplace Operations, where he developed and led the U.S. Marketplace Operations team and supported the U.S. Revenue team.

Prior to joining FreeWheel, Lawlor held integral roles at Univision, where he developed the companys first digital Revenue Operations function and launched Univisions first scaled premium video programmatic offerings. Lawlor also previously served in leadership positions at Strategy& (formerly Booz & Company) in the Media Operations practice and in the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He is on the board of Rosies Theater Kids.

Chris Rouser, Head of Human Resources

As Head of Human Resources, Rouser will be responsible for providing leadership to the companys Human Resources business partners who support employees throughout the globe. He will work closely with business leaders to design programs that engage, attract, retain, and enable the innovation and change critical to compete in the technology sector. Rouser will report to Tracey Kopper-Hourin, Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Customer Experience for Comcast Advertising, whose position he is filling following her promotion to her current role.

Rouser comes to FreeWheel from Comcast, which he joined in 2013 and has since grown his career in various talent and human resource roles. Most recently, he served as Vice President of Human Resources for Comcasts Keystone Region.

With more than 20 years of experience, Rouser previously held various global human resources and business operations roles at Advanced Technology Services, Inc., Verizon Communications, and Ford Motor Company.

About FreeWheel

FreeWheel empowers all segments of The New TV Ecosystem. We are structured to provide the full breadth of solutions the advertising industry needs to achieve their goals. We provide the technology, data enablement, and convergent marketplaces required to ensure buyers and sellers can transact across all screens, across all data types and all sales channels, in order to ensure the ultimate goal  results for marketers. With offices in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, London, Paris, Beijing and across the globe, FreeWheel, A Comcast Company, stands to advocate for the entire industry through the FreeWheel Council for Premium Video. For more information, please visit https://www.freewheel.com/ and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220714005135/en/

Media:

Meredith Fitzgerald

215-970-8504

[email protected]

Source: FreeWheel
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Harris Williams, a global investment bank specializing in M&A advisory services, announces it is advising Voff Premium Pet Food (Voff), a portfolio company of Systematic Growth, on its pending sale to Axcel. Voff is a leading European platform in the premium natural pet food segment, comprising nine strong brands across eight business units. The transaction is being led by Will Bain, Ryan Budlong, Konstantin Molinari and Ruben Pinheiro of the Harris Williams Consumer Group.

The Voff management team has built an extraordinary platform for growth in one of the most attractive and fastest growing sub-segments in pet food, said Will Bain, a managing director at Harris Williams. We are honored to be working with the Voff team and to have the opportunity to build on our strong momentum in the pet sector. In Axcel, they have a fantastic partner to continue to advance their leading position across Europe, and we look forward to following their continued success.

Marten Bernow, CEO of Voff, added, The experience and deep understanding Harris Williams has of the pet sector was a clear differentiator when we selected them to work with us. Their hands-on and detailed approach was invaluable; they delivered on all of the promises they made. On behalf of the full team at Voff, we are incredibly grateful for their support.

Fredrik Svedberg, partner at Systematic Growth, added, The quality of advice and insight provided by Harris Williams was exceptional, and their work ethic was phenomenal  right from the very start to the final negotiations. It has been a pleasure working with them in helping deliver this strong outcome.

Voff is a leading European producer of natural premium pet food. Since its founding in 2014, Voff has continued to strengthen its foothold across Europe, and today consists of nine strong main brands that are produced and sold across the continent. Voff believes in natural, premium pet food and sells a wide range of products  from raw pet food (BARF) to natural air-dried treats, natural pet supplements, chews and high-quality bird food  across various channels, online and offline. Voff is headquartered in Stockholm and has revenues of approximately 1 billion SEK.

Systematic Growth was founded by serial entrepreneur Ashkan Pouya and partners, with the vision to build globally leading companies in a systematic manner within selected sectors. It is based in Stockholm.

Axcel is a Nordic private equity fund working to create value that lasts long after the exit, which requires more than just capital. With its strong focus on leading Nordic companies in the industrials and business services, technology, consumer, and healthcare sectors, Axcel creates success through a combination of their teams network and experience paired with a systematic, growth-oriented value creation approach. Over the last 25 years, Axcel has raised six funds with cumulative capital commitments of 2.8 billion. These funds have made 68 platform investments, with more than 150 add-on investments and 49 exits.

Harris Williams, an investment bank specializing in M&A advisory services, advocates for sellers and buyers of companies worldwide through critical milestones and provides thoughtful advice during the lives of their businesses. By collaborating as one firm across Industry Groups and geographies, the firm helps its clients achieve outcomes that support their objectives and strategically create value. Harris Williams is committed to execution excellence and to building enduring, valued relationships that are based on mutual trust. Harris Williams is a subsidiary of the PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC).

The Harris Williams Consumer Group has completed transactions across a variety of verticals, including food, beverage and agribusiness; branded consumer products; consumer services; and restaurant and retail. For more information on the Harris Williams Consumer Group and recent transactions, visit the Consumer Groups section of the Harris Williams website.

Harris Williams LLC is a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC. Harris Williams & Co. Ltd is a private limited company incorporated under English law with its registered office at 8th Floor, 20 Farringdon Street, London EC4A 4AB, UK, registered with the Registrar of Companies for England and Wales (registration number 07078852). Harris Williams & Co. Ltd is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Harris Williams & Co. Corporate Finance Advisors GmbH is registered in the commercial register of the local court of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, under HRB 107540. The registered address is Bockenheimer Landstrasse 33-35, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany (email address: [email protected]). Geschaftsfuhrer/Directors: Jeffery H. Perkins, Paul Poggi. (VAT No. DE321666994). Harris Williams is a trade name under which Harris Williams LLC, Harris Williams & Co. Ltd and Harris Williams & Co. Corporate Finance Advisors GmbH conduct business.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220714005681/en/

For media inquiries, please contact Julia Moore at [email protected].

Source: Harris Williams LLC
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- jCyte, Inc., a private biotechnology company dedicated to improving the lives of patients with retinal degenerative diseases, announced the expansion of the companys leadership team with the appointment of Dr. Stewart Craig as Chief Technology Officer. In his new role, Dr. Craig will be the strategic and technical lead for all drug product development activities, including manufacturing process development, GMP facility design, build-out and scale-up, technology transfer, analytical test method development, quality control, drug product formulation development, and CMC regulatory interactions and filings.

An accomplished biotechnology executive and scientist, Dr. Craig brings to jCyte over three decades of experience in the implementation of technical operations, quality systems, and regulatory affairs for complex biologics, including hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), neural stem cells (NSCs), activated T cells, gene-modified T cells and gene-modified HSC products, as well as recombinant proteins, monoclonal antibodies, adeno-associated virus (AAV), gamma-retroviral (gRV), and lentiviral (LV) vector products. Stewart holds a B.Sc. in Biochemistry and a Ph.D. in Physical Biochemistry from Newcastle University (U.K.) and has authored more than 100 papers and abstracts many of which are in the cell and gene therapy space.

Prior to joining jCyte, Dr. Craig served as Chief Technical Officer for Erytech Pharma supporting the development of their innovative red blood cell-based therapeutic platform for severe forms of cancer and orphan diseases. Additionally, he has held executive level positions designing, implementing, and operating the CMC and GMP manufacturing infrastructure for various pioneering cell and gene therapy companies. These positions include Chief Manufacturing Officer of Orchard Therapeutics, SVP Technical Operations of Sangamo, EVP Manufacturing and Regulatory of Stemcells Inc., Chief Technology Officer of PCT Cell Therapy Services, and Chief Operating Officer of Xcyte Therapies. Dr. Craig also has extensive experience in the successful leadership of regulatory affairs for cell and gene therapy submissions in the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

Stewarts addition to the team brings to jCyte a highly qualified industry executive with the perfect blend of expertise in the creation, inspection, and validation of manufacturing facilities, the development and evaluation of quality systems, and the knowledge of how global regulatory bodies think and operate, said Dr. Shannon Blalock, Chief Executive Officer. His more than three decades of experience, and specifically, his deep experience with the late-stage development and commercial manufacture of cell therapies, will be invaluable as we successfully transition our manufacturing process for our transformative jCell platform technology from a clinical to a commercial stage. I am excited to welcome Stewart to our growing leadership team to help us ensure we bring jCell to the millions of patients around the world with RP and other retinal degenerative conditions who currently have no treatment options.

jCell is a first-in-class investigational treatment for RP which has received FDA Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation. In addition to RMAT designation, jCell has received Orphan Drug designation from the FDA and the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

About jCyte, Inc.

jCyte, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotech company focused on developing its first-in-class regenerative cell therapy, jCell, for retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and other retinal degenerative diseases. The treatment is minimally invasive and given as an intravitreal injection. There are currently no FDA approved therapies for RP. The Company is pioneering a new era of regenerative therapies to address the significant unmet medical needs of patients suffering from a broad set of retinal degenerative conditions. For more information, visit www.jcyte.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220712005263/en/

jCyte, Inc.

Robert Beathard

Sr. Vice President, Corporate Development

[email protected]

Source: jCyte, Inc.
Press Teleconference: Thurs., July 14 @ 10:00 am PT

With case numbers increasing rapidly in L.A. and elsewhere and extremely limited vaccine doses available nationwide, AHF will propose the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health implement a six-point plan to ramp up education on the virus and its prevention as well as share surveillance data

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AHF, the largest global AIDS organization with treatment clinics or operations in 45 countries, will host a Zoom Press Teleconference THURSDAY, July 14 at 10:00 am PT (1:00 pm ET) to propose a six-point plan of action on monkeypox to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. The plan grew out of frustration by AHF and other health advocates with the lack of clear communication and action by L.A. County DPH on the global monkeypox outbreak, which is approaching its two-month mark next week and which has disproportionately affected gay men or men who have sex with men (MSM). The World Health Organization (WHO) reports there are now more than 6,000 cases in 66 countries, in an outbreak that began with a few cases being reported outside of Africa starting mid-May in Europe.

WHAT: MONKEYPOX ZOOM PRESS TELECONFERENCE: AHF to propose six-point plan of action on monkeypox to L.A. County Dept. of Public Health, stepping up education, prevention & surveillance. WHEN: Thursday, July 14th 2022 10:00 am PT (1:00 pm ET) WHO: Michael Weinstein, AHF President Stuart Burstin, MD, PhD FACP, FCPP, AHFs Interim National Director of Infectious Diseases Matt Ford, Actor/Writer, West Hollywood resident and former monkeypox patient Other speakers TBD HOW: Join Zoom Press Teleconference here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87957123024

Meeting ID: 879 5712 3024

One tap mobile

+14086380968,,87957123024# US (San Jose)

+16694449171,,87957123024# US PRESS CONTACTS: Ged Kenslea, AHF Dir. of Communications (323) 791-5526 cell [email protected] Lauren Hogan, Associate Director, Communications for AHF +1.310.940.0802 cell [email protected]

Monkeypox: AHFs 6-Point Plan for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health should conduct twice weekly public briefings outlining the number of new cases and where they are occurring. Warnings to the gay and bisexual male population should be launched online, in newspaper and in outdoor advertising advising men to watch for symptoms; avoid group sexual situations; consult a doctor if you have symptoms indicative of monkeypox, and isolate if you are diagnosed. Require signs to be posted in commercial sex venues and via banner or other ads on hookup applications. Lobby the federal government to supply vaccine on an emergency basis. Regularly engage community partners to assist the Department of Public Health in prevention, testing, vaccination and treatment of monkeypox. Engage universities to initiate studies to determine the changed characteristics of monkeypox in the current pandemic.

The Los Angeles Blade will be hosting an in-person Monkeypox Town Hall on Wednesday, July 27, 2022, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at West Hollywood City Council chambers (625 N. San Vincente Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069). For more information, please visit: www.losangelesblade.com/townhall

And as part of efforts to educate its own AHF Healthcare Center patients and clients as well as the general public who may seek free HIV or STD testing at one of AHF Public Health Divisions 35 AHF Wellness Centers in the U.S., AHF created the following AHF Monkeypox Information Sheet: https://www.aidshealth.org?p=79853

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 1.6 million individuals in 45 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth, follow us @aidshealthcare or subscribe to our AHF podcast "AHFter Hours."

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220713005998/en/

Ged Kenslea, Senior Director, Communications for AHF, +1.323.791.5526, [email protected]

Lauren Hogan, Associate Director, Communications for AHF, +1.310.940.0802 cell, [email protected]

Source: AIDS Healthcare Foundation
Second quarter 2022 marks unparalleled results in NHOAs history, commented Carlalberto Guglielminotti, CEO of NHOA Group. H1 sales at group level grew by 10 times year-on-year reaching over 82 million euros, with record growth in all Global Business Lines:

Energy storage, which represents the technological backbone of the group, saw its sales growing by over 30 times despite the increasingly complex global scenario.

e-Mobility, although coping with the disrupted supply chain, doubled its sales, while keeping a stable conversion rate versus Stellantis EV sales.

Atlantes fastcharging infrastructure, launched less than a year ago and with a roll-out started in November 2021, already showed its ability to accelerate its 2025 targets with over 900 points of charge online and under construction in Southern Europe and a pipeline of around 1500 new sites.

The amazing results registered in H1 are a testament of NHOAs competitiveness in global markets, not only from a technological and economic point of view, but also and even more importantly from an execution perspective, managing countless large-scale projects in 4 continents, thanks to the work of its ever-growing team and the support of TCC and Stellantis.

PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News:

NHOA (NHOA.PA, formerly Engie EPS) is pleased to release the unaudited Q2 2022 Trading and Operational Update containing the performance indicators as of 30 June 2022.

2021 2022 Q2 2022 TRADING AND OPERATIONAL UPDATE Notes Data in H1 2021 FY 2021 Q1 2022 H1 2022 Var% vs 30 Jun 2021 Var% vs 31 Mar 2022 Consolidated Sales[1] m 7.2 32.9 20.9 82.2 +1,042% Consolidated Cash and Credit Lines available for withdrawal[2] (1) m 9.1 151.0 160.7 151.7 -6% BY GLOBAL BUSINESS LINE Notes Data in H1 2021 FY 2021 Q1 2022 H1 2022 Var% vs 30 Jun 2021 Var% vs 31 Mar 2022 STORAGE Sales[1] m 2.3 15.9 15.5 73.0 +3,074% Backlog[3] (2) m 45 193 194 143 -26% Contracts Secured (3) m 104 56 56 56 stable 12-month Order Intake (4) m 208 222 208 -6% Online Capacity MW 185 188 188 188 stable Projects Under Development[4] (5) MWh 700 1,012 1,043 1,043 stable of which signed turn-key supply contracts (Backlog) MWh 93 720 751 751 stable of which Contracts Secured MWh 607 292 292 292 stable Pipeline (6) m 835 764 772 1,031 +34% Projects in which NHOA is shortlisted # 4 4 5 +1 Notes Data in H1 2021 FY 2021 Q1 2022 H1 2022 Var% vs 30 Jun 2021 Var% vs 31 Mar 2022 e-MOBILITY Gross Sales including intercompany (Atlante)[1] (7) m 3.9 17.3 7.2 11.0 Sales[1] (8) m 3.9 17.1 5.2 9.1 +133% PoC Conversion Rate:  PoC / Stellantis Group EV Sales (9) # PoC 18% 17% 17%  Subscriptions / Total PoC (10) # PoC     PoC outside Stellantis / Total PoC # PoC 40% 60% 50% Manufacturing Capacity # PoC 2,250/week 2,750/week 2,750/week Notes Data in H1 2021 FY 2021 Q1 2022 H1 2022 Var% vs 30 Jun 2021 Var% vs 31 Mar 2022 INFRASTRUCTURE Sales[1] (11) m N/A N/A N/A Utilization Rate (12) % N/A N/A N/A Sites & Microgrids online and under construction (13) # 22 33 59 +26 Fastcharging PoC online and under construction # 760 808 932 +124 V2G Microgrid Capacity online and under construction MW 31 31 33 +2 EV based & stationary storage equivalent[4] (14) MWh 32 32 34 +2 Pipeline of New Sites under assessment (15) # 835 968 1455 +487 of which under development (16) # 69 125 164 +39

[1] Sales refers to Revenues & Other Income. H1 2022 Sales refers to (unaudited) Revenues & Other Income as at 30 Jun 2022

[2] Including cash deposits and cash collateral to guarantee securities on projects in execution

[3] Figures published until 4 October 2021 also include e-MOBILITY Backlog. Starting from the release of Q3 2021 Trading and Operational Update, Backlog is communicated only for Global Business Line Storage.

[4] FY 2021 and Q1 2022 figures updated on a like-for-like basis. 5.6MWh previously included in NHOA Energy on "Projects Under Development" reclassified on Atlante "EV based & stationary storage equivalent". Please also refer to notes (5) and (14)

Notes to the Q2 2022 Trading and Operational Update

(1) Cash and Credit Lines available for withdrawal represents the cash available in the bank account of NHOA, including cash deposits, coupled with the credit facilities approved and not withdrawn and still available as of the relevant reporting date. A portion of the liquid assets serve as cash collateral to guarantee securities on projects in execution.

(2) Backlog means the estimated revenues and other income attributable to (i) purchase orders received, contracts signed and projects awarded (representing 100% of Backlog as of the date hereof), and (ii) Project Development contracts associated with a Power Purchase Agreement, where the agreed value is a price per kWh of electricity and an amount of MW to be installed (nil at the date hereof). When any contract or project has started its execution, the amount recognized as Backlog is computed as (A) the transaction price of the relevant purchase order, contract or project under (i) and (ii) above less (B) the amount of revenues recognized, as of the relevant reporting date, in accordance with IFRS 15 (representing the amount of transaction price allocated to the performance obligations carried out at the reporting date).

(3) Contracts Secured means projects awarded, for which the signature of the full sets of the agreements has not been yet completed. Typically, when NHOA is awarded with a tender, typically being project financing, there are several steps to be completed (i.e., the EPC Agreement, the Notice to Proceed, permission to be signed). Contracts Secured are no longer part of the Pipeline but are not yet part of the Backlog. They will do so only once terms of documentation and planning permission are defined. Contracts Secured are almost entirely represented by the tender awarded in Guam to ENGIE, former majority shareholder of NHOA, with NHOA acting as exclusive technology supplier. The uncertainty on the progress of the project development being carried out by ENGIE in Guam continues, given (i) commodity price increases, namely solar PV modules, structures and cables pricing that could affect the original budget assumptions for the overall solar-plus-storage projects and (ii) the widespread disruption in global supply chains. NHOA has been informed that ENGIE notified Guam Power Authority about the fact that 2019 pricing is no longer sustainable in current market conditions.

(4) 12-month order intake represents the cumulated value of new purchase orders received, contracts signed and projects awarded in the 12 months preceding the relevant reporting date.

(5) Projects Under Development is an indicator representing the capacity equivalent of (i) Backlog, in terms of signed turnkey supply or EPC contracts and therefore excluding Project Development contracts associated with a Power Purchase Agreement, (please see Note (2) above), and (ii) Secured Contracts, represented almost entirely by the tender awarded in Guam to ENGIE, the former majority shareholder of NHOA, with NHOA acting as exclusive technology supplier. As of 30 June 2022, 5.6MWh related to the V2G Drosso have been reclassified to EV based & stationary storage equivalent in Atlante, considering that Atlante has started the construction phase (please also refer to Note 14).

(6) Pipeline means the estimate, as of the release date, of the amount of potential projects, tenders and requests for proposal for which NHOA has decided to participate or respond. On a quarterly basis NHOA will disclose in its Trading & Operational Updates the number of projects in which NHOA is officially shortlisted.

(7) Gross Sales including Intercompany (Atlante) refers to revenues recognized by the Global Business Line e-Mobility under Italian GAAP, including intercompany business transaction with Atlante, that are not included in group revenues on a consolidated basis.

(8) Please note that Backlog & Order Intake are not monitored by NHOA at the Global Business Line e-Mobility level, given the strong correlation between sales of charging devices (Points of Charge - PoC) and EV sales, which are monitored through the Conversion Rate performance indicator. Please further note that Sales refers to the revenues generated by the Global Business Line e-Mobility both with NHOA from January 2021 to April 2021 and Free2move eSolutions from May 2021, when the Joint Venture became operational.

(9) Q2 2022 PoC Conversion Rate is impacted by the availability of main electronic components of the eProWallbox suite.

(10) Total PoC refers to the number of PoC sold in the period by Free2move eSolutions. Please note that Free2move eSolutions launched the first Subscriptions pilot in Q3 2021 and testing phase in Q4. Considering the current market conditions of the energy sector and energy price volatility, commercialization has been postponed to H2 2022.

(11) Sales are Not Applicable for this Trading and Operational Update, as no material sales figures are expected during the launch phase of Atlante (i.e. throughout 2022).

(12) Utilization Rate is calculated, over the reference period, as the aggregate utilization time of all PoC divided by the aggregate time of availability of the same PoC, expressed as a percentage. Utilization Rate is Not Applicable for this Trading and Operational Update, and first Utilization Rate data will be disclosed when a materiality threshold of n.10 different sites is achieved (in operation for at least 6 months).

(13) During the second quarter of 2022 Atlante continued to experience delays in delivery of hardware which resulted in delayed opening of certain sites. As of 30 June 2022, there were 15 sites online: the Vehicle-to-Grid e-Mobility Hub of NHOA and Free2move eSolutions at the Stellantis logistics hub in Turin, 8 stations in Piedmont and the others in Lazio, Liguria, Lombardy, Abruzzo, Tuscany and Veneto. The residual 44 sites  between Italy, France and Spain - are defined under construction from the moment the connection request is officially issued to the relevant distributor.

(14) Please note that the data in MWh represents the EV based & stationary storage equivalent, i.e. the maximum battery capacity of Vehicle-to-Grid services that can be delivered by the Atlante Network at the relevant reporting date and includes the portion of stationary storage coupled with fastcharging technology in any Atlante charging station or e-Mobility Hub.

(15) Pipeline of New Sites under assessment includes the total number of sites, as of the relevant reporting date, which are actively pursued after prospecting activity and following a first internal screening for high level feasibility. At this point, the full contractual documentation remains to be finalized and signed, all the required permits have not yet been awarded and construction has not started.

(16) of which under development, being a sub-category of Pipeline of New Sites under assessment, includes sites for which a more detailed feasibility activity commences, including detailed discussions with site owners and exchange of documentation. For the sites included in the under development sub-category there would be a reasonable degree of confidence that they can be converted into fastcharging stations within the next six months (subject to interconnection and timely delivery of hardware).

* * *

The Q2 2022 Trading and Operational Update will be illustrated in the investor conference call scheduled on 15 July 2022 at 9:00am CEST. Dial-in details and presentation will be available on the corporate website nhoa.energy

* * *

NHOA

NHOA S.A. (formerly Engie EPS), global player in energy storage and e-mobility, active in the construction of the largest fast and ultra-fast charging infrastructure in Southern Europe, develops technologies enabling the transition towards clean energy and sustainable mobility, shaping the future of a next generation living in harmony with our planet.

Listed on Euronext Paris regulated market (NHOA.PA), NHOA forms part of the CAC Mid & Small and CAC All-Tradable financial indices.

NHOA, with offices in France, Spain, United States and Australia, maintains entirely in Italy research, development and production of its technologies.

For further information, go to www.nhoa.energy

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Forward looking statement

This release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements are not undertakings as to the future performance of NHOA. Although NHOA considers that such statements are based on reasonable expectations and assumptions at the date of publication of this release, they are by their nature subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual performance to differ from those indicated or implied in such statements. These risks and uncertainties include without limitation those explained or identified in the public documents filed by NHOA with the French Financial Markets Authority (AMF), including those listed in the Risk Factors section of the NHOA 2021 Universal Registration Document filed with the AMF on 6 April 2022 (under number D. 22-0251). Investors and NHOA shareholders should note that if some or all of these risks are realized they may have a significant unfavorable impact on NHOA.

These forward looking statements can be identified by the use of forward looking terminology, including the verbs or terms anticipates, believes, estimates, expects, intends, may, plans, build- up, under discussion or potential customer, should or will, projects, backlog or pipeline or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy, plans, objectives, goals, future events or intentions. These forward-looking statements include all matters that are not historical facts and that are to different degrees, uncertain, such as statements about the impacts of the Covid19 pandemic on NHOAs business operations, financial results and financial position and on the world economy. They appear throughout this announcement and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding NHOAs intentions, beliefs or current expectations concerning, among other things, NHOAs results of business development, operations, financial position, prospects, financing strategies, expectations for product design and development, regulatory applications and approvals, reimbursement arrangements, costs of sales and market penetration. Important factors that could affect performance and cause results to differ materially from managements expectations or could affect NHOAs ability to achieve its strategic goals, include the uncertainties relating to the impact of Covid-19 on NHOAs business, operations and employees. In addition, even if the NHOAs results of operations, financial position and growth, and the development of the markets and the industry in which NHOA operates, are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement, those results or developments may not be indicative of results or developments in subsequent periods. The forward-looking statements herein speak only at the date of this announcement. NHOA does not have the obligation and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any of the forward-looking statements.

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Press Office: Claudia Caracausi and Davide Bruzzese, Image Building, +39 02 89011300, [email protected]

Financial Communication and Institutional Relations: Chiara Cerri, +39 337 1484534, [email protected]

Source: NHOA
Bipartisan Congressional Delegation Sends Letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Explaining Why North Carolina Is Ideal Location for ARPA-H to Accomplish Its Mission

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Leaders from public and private universities, businesses, nonprofits, trade associations and state government have joined forces to bring the new Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health headquarters to North Carolina.

ARPA-H recently received $1 billion in inaugural funding from Congress to improve the U.S. governments ability to speed biomedical and health research to prevent, detect and treat diseases like Alzheimers, diabetes and cancer.

The ARPA-H in NC Coalition, facilitated by the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, is some 30 partners strong and growing. The Coalition is coordinating efforts locally and in Washington to demonstrate that, with this partnership, ARPA-H can have a rapid, effective start and accomplish its mission in the Tar Heel state. Each partner adds to the case that North Carolina has the expertise, record of entrepreneurial disruption, cross-sector collaboration and scientific innovations. North Carolina translates ideas from initial technology to discovery to development through manufacturing to prevent, treat and potentially cure a range of diseases.

This statewide collaboration follows a recent bipartisan letter from members of North Carolinas Congressional delegation led by Rep. David E. Price and both Sens. Richard Burr and Thom Tillis. The bipartisan members urge Xavier Becerra, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to strongly consider North Carolina, with its unique assets, as the best location for launching ARPA-Hs success.

North Carolina has a demonstrated record of industries partnering with our institutions of higher education across the state to bolster our nations health workforce, leading breakthrough biomedical, biotechnology and life sciences research on a global scale, the letter states. Our thriving economy, strategic location in the southeastern United States and low cost of living are attracting and retaining the worlds best and brightest. With an unmatched business environment, North Carolina offers a full complement of clinical, STEM, biotech and business training programs to prepare for a workforce skilled in cutting edge research, academia, health care and digital health for both public and private sectors.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper offered his support for bringing ARPA-Hs headquarters to North Carolina stating, North Carolina is prepared to help do what we do best: Marshal our world-class universities, researchers, biotechnology companies and local leaders to build focused partnerships to solve big challenges. North Carolina is ready to support the most audacious innovations in health care, focused on equity in our practices and outcomes.

Additionally, North Carolinas bipartisan, bicameral legislative Life Sciences Caucus supports the effort to bring the ARPA-H headquarters to the state.

Mary Beth Thomas, senior vice president, science and business development at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center added, North Carolina offers ARPA-H a thriving life sciences ecosystem, world-class educational and research institutions, broad talent pipeline and a diverse business climate unrivaled by other states. North Carolinas ecosystem has a highly collaborative culture with partnerships at the core of our success. This environment will accelerate ARPA-Hs efforts to quickly and efficiently begin to address our nations biggest health challenges.

About the ARPA-H in NC Coalition

The ARPA-H in NC Coalition formed to be a partner to the agency in its mission to improve the health and lives of all Americans. Coalition members include Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Charlotte Region Business Alliance, Duke Health, Duke Margolis Center for Health Policy, Duke University, ECU Health, East Carolina University, Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, NCBIO, NC Chamber, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, North Carolina Biotechnology Center, North Carolina Central University, North Carolina Community College System, North Carolina Department of Commerce, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, North Carolina Healthcare Association, North Carolina State University, Office of the Governor, Raleigh Chamber, RTI International, Research Triangle Foundation, Research Triangle Regional Partnership, SAS Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina Charlotte, UNC Health, University of North Carolina System, Wake County Economic Development, and Wake Forest University.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220714005810/en/

Mary Hecht-Kissell

North Carolina Biotechnology Center

[email protected]

919-523-7993



Laura Gunter

NCBIO

[email protected]

(919) 605-5710



Kerry Branon

RTI International

[email protected]

919-708-8205

Source: North Carolina Biotechnology Center
The joint venture, free-standing, 120-bed facility will help meet the regions rapidly growing need for mental health services

SAN DIEGO & BRENTWOOD, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Palomar Health and Kindred Behavioral Health (KBH), a business unit of LifePoint Health, today announced that they have entered into a joint venture partnership to build and operate the new Palomar Behavioral Health Institute.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220714005630/en/

Palomar Health and Kindred Behavioral Health, a business unit of LifePoint Health, have entered into a joint venture partnership to build and operate the new Palomar Behavioral Health Institute. Projected to cost $100 million and employ more than 200 health care professionals, the three-story, approximately 90,000-square-foot facility will include 120 inpatient beds and provide outpatient services. It will help meet the growing need for mental health services in the North San Diego County region. (Photo: Business Wire)

The Palomar Behavioral Health Institute is projected to cost $100 million and employ more than 200 health care professionals. The three-story, approximately 90,000-square-foot facility will include 120 inpatient beds and provide outpatient services.

Palomar Health has been planning a comprehensive expansion of its Behavioral Health Services, and the construction of a new Behavioral Health Hospital will allow Palomar Health to provide equitable, person-centered services across the continuum, treating the most vulnerable members of the community with dignity and the appropriate level of care. The new hospitals highly-specialized and compassionate environment will foster healing and reestablish patients connections to the community, which is critical for long-term recovery.

To achieve the extraordinary in healthcare, the entire organization constantly seeks better ways to improve every part of the patient experience and to always provide the highest quality of care. This partnership helps us reimagine behavioral health and offer support to so many people who need it, which is very important to us and our community, says Diane Hansen, President and CEO of Palomar Health.

Palomar Health is currently the only safety net hospital providing inpatient behavioral health services for Medi-Cal beneficiaries in the North San Diego County region, which is home to over 1.1 million people. It provides the following behavioral health services:

Inpatient Care

Acute Behavioral Health Unit

GeroPsychiatric Unit

Outpatient Therapy Services

Crisis Stabilization Unit

Substance Use Disorder Recovery Center (including adolescents and Medi-Cal beneficiaries)

This new joint venture between Palomar Health and Kindred expands on a longstanding, 20-year partnership between the organizations. The behavioral health hospital will be located a short distance from the Escondido campus, where a 52-bed inpatient rehabilitation facility was constructed in partnership with Kindred Rehabilitation Services (KRS), also a business unit of LifePoint. KRS and KBH currently operate more than 30 such joint-venture, specialty hospitals across 18 states.

We are excited to expand our relationship with Palomar Health and leverage their clinical expertise to make the North San Diego community healthier, said Cleve Haralson, senior vice president of joint venture and strategic services, LifePoint Health. We expect to break ground within 12 months and welcome our first behavioral health patients in 2024. Through both our rehabilitation and behavioral health specialty hospital partnerships with Palomar, we are proactively meeting local healthcare needs with a dedicated focus on high-quality care and excellent patient outcomes.

In addition to the crisis stabilization unit, the behavioral health hospital will serve as the first point of evaluation and care, providing initial emergent evaluations for individuals in the community going through a behavioral health crisis. Patients experiencing mental health emergencies will receive emergent evaluation and intensive stabilization with an immediate assessment to determine the safest treatment plan beyond the initial crisis. The behavioral health hospital will also collaborate with private practice physicians to provide services to members of the community seeking care.

At Palomar Health, were committed to delivering the highest quality medical care while listening and responding to the needs of the community. Were so excited to announce this new partnership, which will help leverage the Districts geographic presence to a regional level, enabling us to offer more care to the people who need it, says Sheila Brown, Chief Operations Officer at Palomar Health.

Palomar Healths team of world-class physicians, nurses, technicians and team members all share the common goal of making the patient experience extraordinary and leading healthcare into the future. For more information on Palomar Health, please visit PalomarHealth.org.

About Palomar Health

Established in 1948, the award-winning team at Palomar Health provides the most comprehensive healthcare in North San Diego County through its two medical centers and more than 900 affiliated medical providers serving more than half a million people. Palomar Health is San Diego Countys only member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network and is nationally recognized: for operating one of Americas 250 Best Hospitals; as a Best 100 Hospital for joint replacement and orthopedic surgery; as a Best Hospital for stroke care, heart care and bariatric surgery; a Diabetes and Stroke Center of Excellence; and as a Blue Distinction Center for spine surgery, cardiac care and maternity.

Through its network of providers, Palomar Health offers medical services in virtually all fields of medicine, including primary care, cardiovascular care, emergency services, trauma, cancer, orthopedics, womens health, behavioral health, rehabilitation, and robotic and bariatric surgery at offices strategically located throughout the North San Diego County region. For more information, please visit PalomarHealth.org.

About Kindred Behavioral Health

Kindred Behavioral Health Services (KBH) helps partner hospitals expand access to quality behavioral health services in local communities nationwide through contract management and joint-venture partnerships. We specialize in compassionate patient care across the behavioral health care continuum, including acute inpatient treatment, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient programs. Kindred Behavioral Health offers quality programs specifically designed to address the needs of various patient populations, including adults, adolescents, and seniors. KBH is part of LifePoint Health, a leader in community-based healthcare that serves patients and providers across the healthcare continuum.

About LifePoint Health

LifePoint Health is a leader in community-based healthcare that serves patients and providers across the healthcare continuum. Driven by a mission of Making Communities Healthier, the company has a growing diversified healthcare delivery network comprised of 63 community hospital campuses, more than 30 rehabilitation and behavioral health hospitals, and more than 170 additional sites of care, including acute rehabilitation units, outpatient centers, and post-acute care facilities. Its 50,000 dedicated employees are leading innovations in care across 29 states. More information about LifePoint can be found at www.LifePointHealth.net.

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Palomar Health Media Contact:

Bianca Kasawdish

Director of Public Relations

& Digital Content

InnoVision Marketing Group

(619) 356-3020

[email protected]



Kindred Behavioral Health Media Contact:

Michelle Augusty

SVP, Communications

(615) 920-7654

[email protected]

Source: LifePoint Health
REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Paymentus Holdings, Inc. (Paymentus) (NYSE: PAY), a leading provider of cloud-based bill payment technology solutions, will announce its second quarter 2022 financial results after the market close on Wednesday, August 3, 2022, a day earlier than previously announced due to an unexpected scheduling conflict with the webcast service provider.

The company will discuss the results in a live webcast at 2 p.m. Pacific Time (5 p.m. Eastern Time) on August 3rd. The webcast can be accessed on the investor relations section of the Paymentus website at ir.paymentus.com. A replay of the webcast will be available for one year following its conclusion and accessible on the Paymentus website.

About Paymentus

Paymentus is a leading provider of cloud-based bill payment technology and solutions for more than 1,700 billers and financial institutions across North America. The company was named the industrys best-in-class provider of EBPP solutions by Aite-Novarica in February 2022. The Paymentus omni-channel platform provides consumers with easy-to-use, flexible and secure electronic bill payment experiences through their preferred payment channel and type. Paymentus proprietary Instant Payment NetworkTM, or IPN, connects IPN partners platforms and tens of thousands of billers to Paymentus integrated billing, payment, and reconciliation capabilities. For more information, please visit www.paymentus.com.

CATEGORY: EARNINGS NEWS

SOURCE: PAYMENTUS

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Investor Relations

Paul Seamon

[email protected]

Media Relations

Tony Labriola

[email protected]

Source: Paymentus
TURIN, Italy--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Reply today announced that it received a 2022 SAP Pinnacle Award in the Customer Excellence category, which recognizes its outstanding contributions as an SAP partner. SAP presents these awards annually to the top partners that have excelled in developing and growing their partnership with SAP and helping customers run better. Winners and finalists in 22 categories were chosen based on recommendations from SAP, customer feedback, and performance indicators.

With the SAP Pinnacle Awards, we recognize top-performing partners who have excelled in helping customers become best-run businesses, said Christian Klein, CEO of SAP SE. The winning partners have been chosen based on their commitment to customer value creation, exponential growth, and simplification. Together, we support our customers on their journey to becoming intelligent, sustainable enterprises.

We are delighted to receive the 2022 SAP Pinnacle Award in the Customer Excellence category. This award crowns the accolades we have already achieved and underlines our partnership. SAP recognises our outstanding customer experience and the business results achieved for our customers, as demonstrated by the implementation of innovative reference projects and best practices. The award reconfirms our leading position and valuable relationship with our customers, who we support with next generation solutions and services in various industries," said Filippo Rizzante, CTO of Reply.

Reply's customers benefit from its extensive international experience in implementing SAP software solutions. The company uses an agile approach to the design and development of business information systems to optimise its activities and processes. Reply's expertise encompasses business processes using Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning, big data and analytics. The company uses the latest SAP technologies like SAP Customer Experience and industry cloud solutions to implement efficient and composable solutions for the digital transformation of intelligent enterprises.

SAP Pinnacle Awards shine a spotlight on distinguished partners to acknowledge their dedication to teamwork, exceptional innovation, and capacity to help customers achieve their goals.

Reply

Reply [EXM, STAR: REY] specialises in the design and implementation of solutions based on new communication channels and digital media. As a network of highly specialised companies, Reply defines and develops business models enabled by the new models of AI, big data, cloud computing, digital media and the internet of things. Reply delivers consulting, system integration and digital services to organisations across the telecom and media; industry and services; banking and insurance; and public sectors. www.reply.com

Reply also bundles SAP solutions through its specialised companies Syskoplan Reply, Portaltech Reply and Power Reply. Each company has a strong industry focus and proven knowledge of vertical processes and requirements.

SAP and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE in Germany and other countries. Please see https://www.sap.com/copyright for additional trademark information and notices. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.

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Media Contacts:

Reply

Fabio Zappelli

[email protected]

Tel. +390117711594

Aaron Miani

[email protected]

Tel. +3902535761

Source: Reply
Newly elected leadership greeted by thriving Ethernet ecosystem and transformative advances including Power over Ethernet, Single-Pair Ethernet, and speeds of up to 1.6 Tb/s

BEAVERTON, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Ethernet Alliance, a global consortium dedicated to the continued success and advancement of Ethernet technologies, today announced its Board of Directors and officers for 2022. With the accelerating pace of technology innovation, increasing standardization activities, and the imminent arrival of higher speeds ranging up to 1.6 Tb/s, the organizations leadership is at the forefront of todays flourishing Ethernet ecosystem.

One of Ethernets best traits is its ability to swiftly adapt to changing demands across applications, while resolutely maintaining its hallmark interoperability, said Ethernet Alliance chair, Peter Jones of Cisco Systems, Inc. From enterprises, to operational technology networks, to automotive, to edge computing, Ethernet delivers reliable performance up and down the value chain. The Ethernet Alliance is committed to its role as the Voice of Ethernet, and promoting Ethernets continued growth and expansion.

Elected during its annual membership meeting in June 2022, the Ethernet Alliance is pleased to announce the 2022 Board of Directors:

Peter Jones, Cisco Systems, Inc.  Chair and Board of Directors

Chris Lyon, Amphenol Corporation  President and Board of Directors

Jeffery Maki, Juniper Networks, Inc.  Treasurer and Board of Directors

Carl Wilson, Intel Corporation  Secretary and Board of Directors

David J. Rodgers, EXFO Inc.  Board of Directors

John Calvin, Keysight Technologies, Inc.  Board of Directors

Craig Carlson, Marvell Technology, Inc.  Board of Directors

Dave Estes, Spirent Communications plc  Board of Directors

Kishore Racherla, Broadcom Inc.  Board of Directors

Additionally, the Ethernet Alliance confirmed the following committee and subcommittee chairs:

George Zimmerman, CME Consulting  Technical Chair

David Tremblay, Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company  Power over Ethernet (PoE) Certification and Subcommittee Chair

Orshi Abraham, Spirent Communications plc  Marketing Chair

David J. Rodgers, EXFO Inc.  Events and Conferences Chair

Pavel Zivny, Tektronix, Inc.  High-Speed Networking Subcommittee Co-Chair

Sam Johnson, Intel Corporation  High-Speed Networking Subcommittee Co-Chair

Bob Voss, Panduit Corporation  Single-Pair Ethernet Subcommittee Chair

Mark Nowell, Cisco Systems, Inc.  Advisory Board Subcommittee Chair

The organization has marked a number of successes thus far in 2022, including its OFC 2022 multi-vendor interoperability demonstration and the Spring High-Speed Networking (HSN) Plugfest. The next plugfest event is scheduled for the second week of October 2022. The October plugfest will focus on upper layer interoperability testing in addition to further physical layer conformance. Companies interested in participating in this next plugfest event should contact the Ethernet Alliance.

For more information about the Ethernet Alliance, please visit our website, view the Voices of Ethernet interview collection, download the 2022 Ethernet Roadmap, read the blog and newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

About the Ethernet Alliance

The Ethernet Alliance is a global consortium that includes system and component vendors, industry experts, and university and government professionals who are committed to the continued success and expansion of Ethernet technology. The Ethernet Alliance takes Ethernet standards to market by supporting activities that span from incubation of new Ethernet technologies to interoperability demonstrations and education. The organizations plans may be found on the Events page of its website.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220714005690/en/

Media:

Vivian Kelly

Interprose for Ethernet Alliance

+1 703.509.5412

E: [email protected]

Source: Ethernet Alliance
University of Phoenix provides two scholarships to support students pursuing health care studies

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The University of Phoenix announces student winners of the 2022 HOSA-Future Health Professionals scholarships at the annual scholarship event of HOSA-Future Health Professionals, a global student-led nonprofit empowering students to become leaders in the global health community. The scholarships are for individuals planning to pursue health care profession studies and this years winners, Ajay Macherla, of Pennsylvania and Madison Wilson, of Alabama, receiving a scholarship of $1,000 each, were announced at the June 22 scholarship event in Nashville, Tennessee.

University of Phoenix is a longtime supporter of HOSA and the mission to create student leaders in health care professions, states Collene Bay Andersen, vice president, Corporate & Academic Alliances, Workforce Solutions. These scholarships help support student goals and their contributions to the future of health care.

HOSA-Future Health Professionals is a global student-led organization with the mission to empower members to become leaders in the global health community, through education, collaboration, and experience, and which actively promotes career opportunities in the health industry and to enhance the delivery of quality health care to all people. The HOSA-Future Health Professionals Scholarship Program allows sponsors to contribute $1,000 per award to recognize students academic excellence. This years program saw 100 scholarship recipients.

HOSA-Future Health Professionals is appreciative of the University of Phoenix's support of HOSAs 2022 scholarship program and of students preparing to be our next generation of health professionals, states Jim Koeninger, Ph.D., Executive Director, HOSA-Future Health Professionals. We are proud to work with partners such as University of Phoenix to be able to present these scholarship awards each year.

The University of Phoenix Workforce Solutions team provides support of the annual HOSA event and scholarships. Workforce Solutions offers companies across diverse industries as well as community colleges tailored learning and career pathways to recruit, upskill, reskill, and retain their workforce in an affordable and timely manner. Their flexible solutions are aligned to workplace needs and feature live support, career guidance and support tools, education programs, learning pathways, and credit options, including certificates, workshops, single courses, degree programs, or any combination of these tools.

Learn more here about University of Phoenix Workforce Solutions.

About University of Phoenix

University of Phoenix is continually innovating to help working adults enhance their careers in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant courses, interactive learning, and Career Services for Life help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. For more information, visit phoenix.edu.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220714005117/en/

Sharla Hooper

University of Phoenix

[email protected]

Source: University of Phoenix
Awards recognize digital-first organizations able to achieve operational transformation

NEEDHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- International Data Corporation (IDC) today announced UPS was named Overall Winner of the IDC Future Enterprise Best in Future of Operations North America Awards for its "On-road Dynamic Route Optimization and Navigation" (ORION 3.0) project. The annual awards recognize an organization that can rethink the way operations is managed. UPS will be presented its award at a virtual event this fall.

Check out IDC's Future of Operations eBook HERE

IDC's Future of Operations framework emphasizes the importance of building infrastructure and digital capabilities to develop resilient decision making that keeps enterprises tightly aligned with customer expectations and demands. One of the critical aspects of the evolution to resilient decision making is ensuring all the critical data and information is ingested, contextualized, organized, and visualized for key decision makers. IDC's Best in Future of Operations award celebrates organizations that have successfully made a fundamental shift in their operations model, a lynchpin to effectively scaling digital transformation initiatives.

Best in Future of Operations Award-Winning Project:

Overall winner: UPS: On-road Dynamic Route Optimization and Navigation (ORION 3.0)

Project Details: At the heart of ORION 3.0 is our desire to enhance and optimize our drivers' ability to do what they do best, provide world-class service to our customers. We do this through providing complete and accurate manifests via automated data flows, navigation to their next stop, and on-road dynamic updates as conditions change. This, in turn, enhances our customer's experience with more accurate Estimated Time of Arrival updates. When our drivers are more efficient and effective, we save time, fuel, reduce miles driven thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and provide better service to our customers. This solution processes 800+ million messages every day to facilitate on-time delivery of ~21 million packages per day in the U.S. with a significantly reduced cost to serve.

"UPS's ORION 3.0 exemplifies the importance of embracing a Data-Driven Operations (DDO) mindset in order to achieve operational excellence and resilience," said Leif Eriksen, research vice president, Future of Operations at IDC. "UPS was the clear winner in the inaugural IDC Future Enterprise Best in Future of Operations North America Awards for its embrace of technology innovations to become more data-driven in its own operations."

About the Future Enterprise Awards:

The world is moving from digital transformation (DX) (as we know it) to Digital First. DX started with transformation from analog to digital. With contextualization, digital first becomes the next evolution in DX. Digital is a permanent, yet dynamic fixture in this world. Digital first applies to any entity searching for a digital-based capability or enhancement that could improve our lives and desired outcomes. As we anchor ourselves in a digital-first world, one thing is clear: Organizations, private or public, large or small, will need to leverage technologies in an accelerated fashion to thrive. And the ones that can close the new digital gap through the greatest business value impact will become market leaders of tomorrow. These leaders are the Future Enterprises. To learn more about the Future Enterprise Awards, please visit idcdxawards.com.

To learn more about the Future Enterprise North America Awards please contact Heather Ball at [email protected].

About IDC

International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. With more than 1,300 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology, IT benchmarking and sourcing, and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC's analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. Founded in 1964, IDC is a wholly owned subsidiary of International Data Group (IDG), the world's leading tech media, data, and marketing services company. To learn more about IDC, please visit www.idc.com. Follow IDC on Twitter at @IDC and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the IDC Blog for industry news and insights.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220714005139/en/

Sarah Murray

Attune Communications

781-378-2674

[email protected]

Mary Conroy

IDC

508-935-6964

[email protected]

Source: IDC
Continues Work with the United Nations and Industry Partners to Combat Plastic Waste in the Oceans and Accelerate the New Plastics Economy

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Voice of the Oceans is an organization led by the Schurmanns, a Brazilian family thats a modern-day cross between Robinson Crusoe and Jacques Cousteau. The Schurmanns have been sailing the seas for 40 years focused on their mission to rid the oceans of plastics pollution by mobilizing people, businesses, and governments around the world to adopt behaviors and policies that advance oceanic conservation.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220713005934/en/

Voice of the Oceans expedition docks in New York City continuing their mission to raise awareness about plastics pollution. (Photo: Business Wire)

The expeditions sailboat, Kat, is a fully contained biosphere that is currently docked in New York Harbor where the organization continues discussions with the United Nations and industry partners on measures that will improve the health of the oceans by minimizing plastic waste.

We saw strong momentum at the UN Ocean Conference this year for a global treaty to curb plastic pollution by establishing a legally binding international agreement over the next two years, said David Schurmann, CEO of Voice of the Oceans and panelist at the conference, which took place in Lisbon at the end of June. This agreement by 175 countries will take humanity a step closer toward a new plastics economy that incentivizes and rewards those who prioritize conservation-centric behaviors. Our goal with the expeditions stop in New York is to usher in a new era of collaboration with industry leaders and develop innovations that can be applied on a large scale.

Were excited to leverage Voice of the Oceans expertise in reducing plastic waste and apply those learnings across our supply chain, said Marcelo Borges, CEO of Tramontina USA, a U.S. sponsor of the expedition. In addition to our long history of eco-friendly practices, Tramontina continues to challenge itself to not only innovate, but also lead our business to a more sustainable future. Simultaneously, we also have a vision to develop new projects based on circular economy practices. In keeping with our ongoing commitment to sustainable business practices, we are working on solutions alongside environmental consulting firm Searious Business and Voice of the Oceans to reduce single-use plastic in our packaging."

Tramontina is part of a global housewares manufacturer group whose products can be found in major retailers across the U.S. and in more than 120 countries around the world. Another expedition partner is Natura, part of Natura & Co., the worlds fourth largest pure play beauty group which also includes Avon, The Body Shop, and Aesop. Known not only for the quality of its products but also for its commitment to sustainability, Natura is dedicated to addressing critical environmental issues through its business model.

In addition to offering beauty products with refills, packaging made of recycled, recyclable and renewable resources (such as sugar cane), Natura challenges the status quo with one of its latest launches by using 50% recycled glass and up to 30% plastic in Kaiak fragrance bottles  not to mention eliminating the single-use plastic cellophane (a common industry practice). What is usually put aside as trash is transformed and repurposed into something new, and most importantly removing 23 tons of recycled plastic from the environment.

Voice of the Oceans raises awareness of the plastic waste issue and educates consumers about the interconnectedness of our actions. If consumers are not conscious about it, they wont demand changes. We need to push the whole industry to move together and protect the environment, says Maria Eduarda Cavalcanti, Natura USA General Manager.

Voice of the Oceanss latest expedition began in Santa Catarina, Brazil in August of 2021 and will travel to more than 65 locations around the world before it concludes in Auckland, New Zealand in November of 2023. Some important data points about plastic waste and the negative impact on the oceans include:

The arts are an important part of how Voice of the Oceans raises awareness about the harm plastic waste is causing to our planet. A musical performance by Crystal Sky will honor Voice of the Oceans in New York as will an art exhibit led by Chief Curator Vida Sabbaghi and Co-Curator Jade Matarazzo entitled Obsessive Sea with participating artists Carla Goldberg, Jacques Jarrige, Alex Korolkovas, Stephen Mallon, and Sui Park.

[Media Contact: Journalists interested in a tour of Kat and an interview with CEO David Schurmann should contact Agustina Pais at [email protected] or 305-407-5813.]

About Voice of the Oceans

Voice of the Oceans' purpose is to document the extent of the plastic pollution problem and identify solutions that protect the oceans and improve our planet. Our efforts are led by the Schurmann family with support from the U.N. Environment Programme, the Plastic Soup Foundation and corporate partners supporting Voice of the Ocean in its ESG efforts include perfume brand Kaiak (Natura), beer brand Corona (Ambev), writing, drawing and creative products brand Faber Castell, Basic Sanitation Company of the State of Sao Paulo (Brazil) Sabesp and pharmaceutical retail network RaiaDrogasil. Through the data we collect and share, we have opened a global dialogue about ocean pollution that includes not only improving our beaches, but also the animals that are harmed by our plastic waste and carry this invisible waste into the food chain. Micro- and nano-plastics found in the oceans also prevent the oceans from playing their role in sustaining the environment, such as producing oxygen and maintaining climate balance. Follow our expedition and support our efforts at https://voiceoftheoceans.com/

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220713005934/en/

Agustina Pais

[email protected]

305-407-5813

Source: Voice of the Oceans
FILE PHOTO: Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova speaks during a session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in Saint Petersburg, Russia June 16, 2022. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that attempts by the Group of Seven to cap oil prices may in fact cause them to rise.

"Those plans are anti-market and risky," she told a weekly briefing.

The cap scheme was first mooted last month by U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen as part of a campaign to increase pressure on Moscow to end what the Kremlin calls a "special military operation" in Ukraine. The shape of the final deal and price level have yet to be announced.

The United States and European Union have announced restrictions on Russian oil purchases as a way of punishing Moscow.

Russian oil has already sold with a hearty discount to global grades amid difficulties with financing and logistics.

The price of Russian Urals blend stands at around $75 per barrel, in comparison to the Brent benchmark front-month futures of just below $100. Russia had initially drafted its 2022 budget using the Urals average price of $62.2 per barrel.

Zakharova also commented on a trip by U.S. President Joe Biden to the Middle East and reports that he is likely to ask the world's leading oil producer Saudi Arabia to hike oil production in order to bring down high gasoline prices.

"We highly value longstanding cooperation with Saudi Arabia in energy," the spokeswoman said.

She blamed high oil and gas prices on West's "blunders" in energy policy as well as sanctions against large energy producers such as Russia, Iran and Venezuela.

President Vladimir Putin warned the West on Friday that continued sanctions against Russia over the conflict in Ukraine risked triggering catastrophic energy price rises for consumers around the world.

(Reporting by Reuters; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)
15:12 | Lima, Jul. 14.

"Agricultural and livestock products have been the star of non-traditional exports . They have seen a 15% average annual expansion," BCR Governor Julio Velarde stated.

"If one observes the average of the last five years, Peru is the country whose growth has been most benefited from non-traditional exports , almost 7% on average, when compared to the largest economies in Latin America," he affirmed.
FILE PHOTO: A Bank of America logo is pictured in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., January 30, 2019. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/File Photo

By Pete Schroeder and Elizabeth Dilts Marshall

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Bank of America has been fined $225 million by a pair of U.S. banking regulators over what they called a "botched" handling of jobless benefits during the pandemic.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) said the bank had a faulty fraud detection program that improperly froze the prepaid card accounts of thousands of people seeking jobless benefits in 2020 and 2021.

In addition to the fine, the regulators ordered the bank to pay redress to harmed consumers, which the CFPB estimated would amount to hundreds of millions of dollars more.

As jobless claims surged during the pandemic, the CFPB said the bank, which administered prepaid jobless benefit debit cards on behalf of 12 states, implemented an automatic fraud filter, which resulted in thousands of cardholders having their accounts improperly frozen.

Worsening matters, regulators said the bank made it difficult for people to unfreeze their cards, insufficiently staffing their call centers and requiring people to spend hours on hold to try and address the matter.

Taxpayers relied on banks to distribute needed funds to families and small businesses to rescue the economy from collapse when the pandemic hit, said CFPB Director Rohit Chopra. Bank of America failed to live up to its legal obligations. And when it got overwhelmed, instead of stepping up, it stepped back.

The bank did not admit nor deny the findings. In a statement, a bank spokesperson said states were responsible for reviewing and approving unemployment applications, and the penalties arose "despite the government's own acknowledgement that the unemployment program expansion during the pandemic created unprecedented criminal activity."

In addition to the fines, the bank now faces a pair of consent orders from the OCC and CFPB, which directs the bank to overhaul its policies and address shortcomings. Such consent orders can linger with banks for years, and subjects a firm to heightened regulatory scrutiny as it works to prove it has addressed underlying problems.

As part of the orders, the bank is directed to establish a remediation plan to identify harmed consumers and determine how much they should be repaid.

(Reporting by Pete Schroeder; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Aurora Ellis)
FILE PHOTO: The logo of Google is seen at the high profile startups and high tech leaders gathering, Viva Tech, in Paris, France May 16, 2019. REUTERS/Charles Platiau

(Reuters) -The U.S. Department of Justice is expected to file an antitrust lawsuit against Alphabet Inc's Google in weeks over its dominance in the online advertising market, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The Justice Department is likely to reject concessions offered by Alphabet, the report said. (https://bit.ly/3aDfNTL)

DoJ did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment and Google declined to comment.

Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Google has offered concessions to avoid a potential U.S. antitrust lawsuit, including a proposal to spin off parts of its business that auctions and places ads on websites and apps into a separate company under Alphabet.

However, a Google spokesperson told Reuters on Friday that it was engaging with regulators to address their concerns, adding that it has no plans to sell or exit the ad-tech business.

The DoJ has been investigating Google's ad-tech practices since 2019 and expedited the inquiry into the advertising market in recent months under the supervision of antitrust division's official Doha Mekki, the report said.

The Justice Department sued Google in October 2020, accusing the company of illegally using its market muscle to hobble rivals, in the biggest challenge to the power and influence of Big Tech in decades.

(Reporting by Chavi Mehta in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath and Shinjini Ganguli)
FILE PHOTO: Printed Twitter logos are seen in this picture illustration taken April 28, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

By Yuvraj Malik

(Reuters) -Twitter said its service was back online following a major outage on Thursday that kept thousands of users across the globe from accessing the social media platform.

The near three-hour outage affected as many as 50,000 users at its peak at around 8:15 am ET, according to outage tracking website Downdetector.com.

The incident comes days after Twitter sued Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk for violating his deal to buy the company and asked a Delaware court to order the world's richest person to complete the takeover.

"We had some trouble with our internal systems that impacted many of you globally. Twitter should be up and running as expected," the social media company said in a tweet.

Twitter is hosted on Amazon Web Services and also uses Google Cloud as its secondary vendor, Wells Fargo Securities analyst Brian Fitzgerald said.

The analyst ruled out a problem at cloud vendors as a reason for the disruption.

Twitter had suffered another widespread outage in February that it blamed on a software glitch.

Other big technology companies have also been hit by outages in the past year, with a near six-hour disruption at Meta Platforms keeping WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger out of reach for billions of users in October.

Notorious for outages in its early years, Twitter was known for using its popular "Fail Whale" illustration, which showed a beluga whale being lifted by birds, during such incidents.

Twitter shares were down about 1% at $36.42 on Thursday.

(Reporting by Yuvraj Malik and Nivedita Balu in Bengaluru; Editing by Aditya Soni and Vinay Dwivedi and Anil D'Silva)
The consumer campaign, Love Macadamia, is focused on building awareness, spreading nutritional knowledge, and cultivating a community of avid consumers for this nutritionally delicious superfood.

NEW YORK, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The World Macadamia Organisation (WMO), a not-for-profit with an aim of championing the potential of macadamias, recently announced the launch of their new positioning platform and campaign Love Macadamia, a U.S., consumer-facing initiative intended to grow the love, appreciation and regular consumption of macadamia nuts.

By creating Love Macadamia, WMO has embarked on a mission to grow the love among consumers in the United States' most health-centric markets and to educate them not just about macadamia nuts' many health benefits but also about the versatility in use for recipe incorporation as well as the truly luxurious taste that lends itself to an elevated eating experience. Love Macadamia will connect to consumers through paid media, a wide variety of content marketing, and social media with content focused on nutritional education, recipes, lifestyle inspiration, and of course, unique ways consumers can add them to a well-balanced and active lifestyle. Love Macadamia is positioned as the connection point between macadamia growers and consumers as a means to grow the love and consumption of these delightfully distinctive and decadent nuts and to cultivate a community of avid consumers.

"In recent years, macadamia farming has expanded rapidly," explained Jillian Laing, Chief Executive Officer of WMO. "Based on the trees currently planted, the supply is forecasted to double in the next four to five years, and triple in the next eight to 10. Our goal in developing Love Macadamia is to generate more awareness and demand in the U.S. market."

Macadamia nuts are a remarkable whole food packed with natural goodness. They are loaded with the "good fats" that our bodies crave. Based on scientific research, polyunsaturated Omega 3 and six fatty acids and monounsaturated Omega 7 and nine fatty acids provide an impressive array of health benefits that can help fight inflammation, lower cholesterol, and promote brain function. You can explore all the benefits of macadamia nuts at lovemacadamia.org or follow the love macadamia social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest.

If you are a U.S. retailer, brand owner, or wholesaler who wants to find out about how the Love Macadamia campaign can support your sales efforts, please contact WMO at [email protected]

The World Macadamia Organisation (WMO), a Singapore-based not-for-profit, was formed in 2021 to develop a global platform that represents the efforts of macadamia growers, manufacturers, and lovers alike. WMO's mission from the onset has been to develop a greater understanding and appreciation of macadamias globally, while stimulating growth, creating demand, and providing the long-term foundation for a strong, sustainable market.

WMO partnered with New Zealand-based creative agency Milk, and New York-based advertising agency fishbat Media, LLC, to develop the consumer insights, strategy, branding, key messaging that shaped the Love Macadamia story.

Michele Hamel, U.S. Marketing Agency Representative

[email protected]

Related Images











Image 1: Love Macadamia Advertising Campaign





Visualization of the Love Macadamia Brand and advertising components.

















Image 2: Love Macadamia Logo





Love Macadamia Branding









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

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LAKEWOOD, CO, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Associa Colorado, a leading provider of community management services throughout Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, and all along the Front Range, is pleased to announce that team member Trish Bayer has earned the Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA) designation from the Community Association Managers International Certification Board (CAMICB).

The CMCA is the only international certification program designed exclusively for managers of homeowner and condominium associations and cooperatives. It recognizes individuals who have demonstrated the fundamental knowledge required to effectively manage community associations. Established by the Community Associations Institute (CAI) in 1995, CAMICB is the professional accreditation body for more than 20,000 community association managers worldwide.

Miss Bayer joined Associa Colorado in 2019 and currently manages the day-to-day operations of several community associations. Her duties include working with board members, homeowners, residents, and fellow team members to maintain positive relationships and maximize livability. She holds a Bachelors of Arts Degree with double majors in Human Services and Psychology from Buena Vista University.

Trish Bayer is one of the many dedicated team members at Associa Colorado who are key to making our operations work seamlessly day in and day out, said Kim Corcoran, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, Associa Colorado branch president. By earning her CMCA certification, she is demonstrating yet another level of commitment to ensure that her community partners and fellow team members receive the best support possible.

About Associa

With more than 225 branch offices across North America, Associa is building the future of community for nearly five million residents worldwide. Our 11,000+ team members lead the industry with unrivaled education, expertise, and trailblazing innovation. For more than 43 years, Associa has brought positive impact and meaningful value to communities. To learn more, visit www.associaonline.com.

Stay Connected

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/associa

Subscribe to the Blog: https://hub.associaonline.com/

Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/associa

Join us on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/associa

Attachment

Tom Womack Associa 214-272-4107 [email protected]

Source: Associa
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aton Resources Inc. (AAN: TSX-V) ("Aton" or the "Corporation") announces that it has entered into an additional bridge loan (the "Loan") with OU Moonrider ("Moonrider"), a significant shareholder of the Corporation. Moonrider has also agreed to extend the maturity date of various loans which it has made in the past to the Corporation to June 30, 2023.

The Loan

The Corporation has borrowed C$1,000,000 from Moonrider, which Loan is repayable on the earlier of 12 months from closing, on the occurrence of various standard events of default, or on the closing of any debt or equity financing by the Corporation in an amount in excess of C$5.0 million. The Loan will bear interest at a rate of 12% per annum, payable when the Loan is due.

In connection with the Loan, Moonrider will be issued bonus warrants upon each drawdown on the Loan entitling it to acquire common shares of the Corporation. The number of bonus warrants issuable upon each drawdown shall be determined by dividing the drawdown amount by the share price of the Corporation's common shares on the date of the drawdown. The bonus warrants will be exercisable for a period of 12 months from each drawdown.

An initial drawdown under the Loan of C$391,140 has been completed entitling Moonrider to 1,261,741 bonus warrants with an exercise price of $0.31 per share and an expiration date of July 14, 2023.

The Loan and the issuance of the bonus warrants is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

The proceeds of the Loan will be used by the Corporation for ongoing working capital expenses and continuing its drilling program at Rodruin.

"OU Moonrider continues to support Aton too see the Corporation through the ongoing drilling program at Rodruin," said Tonno Vahk, Aton's Interim CEO.

Loan Extensions

Moonrider has previously supported the Corporation by making a number of loans to the Corporation, and the maturity date of some of these loans has now passed. Moonrider has agreed to extend the maturity date of each loan where the maturity date has passed to the new maturity date of June 30, 2023. The cumulative amount owed (inclusive of interest) under the loans which are subject to these extensions is $4,225,042.55 as of the date of this news release.

About Aton Resources Inc.

Aton Resources Inc. (AAN: TSX-V) is focused on its 100% owned Abu Marawat Concession ("Abu Marawat"), located in Egypt's Arabian-Nubian Shield, approximately 200 km north of Centamin's world-class Sukari gold mine. Aton has identified numerous gold and base metal exploration targets at Abu Marawat, including the Hamama deposit in the west, the Abu Marawat deposit in the northeast, and the advanced Rodruin exploration prospect in the south of the Concession. Two historic British gold mines are also located on the Concession at Sir Bakis and Semna. Aton has identified several distinct geological trends within Abu Marawat, which display potential for the development of a variety of styles of precious and base metal mineralisation. Abu Marawat is 447.7 km2 in size and is located in an area of excellent infrastructure; a four-lane highway, a 220kV power line, and a water pipeline are in close proximity, as are the international airports at Hurghada and Luxor.

For further information regarding Aton Resources Inc., please visit us at www.atonresources.com or contact:

Tonno Vahk

Interim CEOTel: +1 604 318 0390Email: [email protected]

Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Some of the statements contained in this release are forward-looking statements. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions; by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results in each case could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Source: Aton Resources Inc.
BALTIMORE, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ThoughtSpot, the Modern Analytics Cloud company will host a Mark Cuban Foundation Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bootcamp for high school students in the Fall of 2022 at Johns Hopkins University. The No Cost AI Bootcamp in Baltimore will be targeted at high school students and will introduce underserved students in grades 9 through 12 to basic AI concepts and skills.

ThoughtSpot is one of 20+ host companies selected to host 30 camps across the US in Fall 2022.

ThoughtSpot is the Modern Analytics Cloud company, and has pioneered a new way for anyone to ask questions of their data and get answers. With ThoughtSpot, anyone, regardless of their technical skills, can analyze data as easily as they search for information using Google. These insights can be connected to other applications and systems, bringing intelligence to decision making at scale.

The ThoughtSpot Bootcamp will be held over four consecutive Saturdays starting on October 22nd and ending on November 12th.

The student and parent application are now open at markcubanai.org/application. Students do not need any prior experience with computer science, programming, or robotics to apply and attend.

Throughout the AI Bootcamp, students will learn what artificial intelligence is and is not, where they already interact with AI in their own lives, and the ethical implications of AI systems including but not limited to TikTok recommendations, smart home assistants, facial recognition, and self-driving cars to name a few.

Students will benefit from volunteer mentor instructors who are knowledgeable about data science and able to help students quickly understand material normally taught at a collegiate level. As part of the 5-hour curriculum, students also get to work in Microsoft Azure, Microsoft's cloud computing platform, each day to build their own AI applications related to Chatbots, Computer Vision, Machine Learning, and Natural Language Processing.

The Mark Cuban Foundation provides the bootcamps curriculum materials, trains volunteer mentors, and recruits and selects local students to attend camp. In addition, the Mark Cuban Foundation and ThoughtSpot work together to provide food, transportation, and access to laptops for students at no cost throughout the duration of Bootcamp.

"This was my first boot camp, and I had such a memorable experience with all my peers and mentors. If I wasn't a senior I'd definitely come back and attend again!" - Cindy N., ThoughtSpot 2021

Founded by Mark Cuban in 2019, the AI Bootcamp initiative has hosted free AI bootcamps for students across several US cities, including Dallas, Pasadena, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Atlantic City to name a few. The Mark Cuban Foundation has impacted 450+ students to date and has a goal to have 1,000 students graduate from AI Bootcamps Program in 2023.

Students interested in applying to the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp should do so before Thursday, September 1st, 2022 at markcubanai.org/application. To see our 2022 camp locations and to learn more about the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamps, please visit markcubanai.org/faq.

Contact: Carli Lidiak, Mark Cuban FoundationPhone: 309-840-0348Email: [email protected]

Source: Mark Cuban Foundation
SAN FRANCISCO, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Betterview, an InsurTech provider of actionable intelligence to property and casualty (P&C) insurance companies, is pleased to announce a new partnership with leading location intelligence and aerial imagery company, Nearmap.

This partnership enables customers of Betterviews recently released CAT Response System (CAT-RS) for Claims to rapidly assess which insured properties were impacted by catastrophic events. Nearmap ImpactResponse captures high resolution imagery shortly after severe weather events, including windstorms, hurricanes, tornados, and wildfires. Combined with Betterviews CAT-RS, this imagery helps insurers respond proactively to customers in need and speeds recovery efforts. Insurers also benefit from seeing what has happened to properties before first notice of loss (FNOL) or a claims adjuster can physically reach the location improving operational efficiency.

This partnership is a great example of two companies joining forces to create a powerful solution, said David Lyman, co-founder and CEO at Betterview. Our predictive analytics, computer vision tools, and claim verification workflow with an intuitive UI, paired with Nearmaps market-leading imagery, will help insurers quickly respond to their insureds in times of crisis while simultaneously reducing claims expenses.

Nearmap ImpactResponse captures details of natural disasters to provide insurers inspection-grade imagery of impacted areas. Integrating aerial imagery from Nearmap ImpactResponse into Betterviews CAT-RS platform helps insurers quickly and accurately assess the extent of damage and decide how to allocate loss adjusters to impacted properties.

Using our market-leading proprietary camera and processing technology, Nearmap ImpactResponse gives insurers rapid access to post-catastrophe imagery, allowing them to review claims and respond to customers in a fraction of the time it would take to assess damage in-person, said Elizabeth Del Ferro, general manager of insurance for Nearmap.

Betterviews CAT-RS provides live predictions of real damage using fast computer vision processing to empower insurers to better manage resources and budgets, even in the face of unpredictable weather events. The Nearmap-Betterview partnership also reduces the possibility of fraudulent claims by revealing historical property conditions and accurate damage spotlights.

This partnership builds on our longstanding relationship with Nearmap, empowering companies to protect their policyholders quickly and efficiently when they are most vulnerable, said Dave Tobias, co-founder and COO of Betterview.

About BetterviewBetterview is the Property Intelligence & Risk Management Platform that leading P&C insurance companies depend on to identify and mitigate risk, improve operational and inspection efficiency, and build a more transparent customer experience throughout the policy lifecycle. By empowering insurers to automate pricing, underwriting, and renewal while focusing strategic action on critical properties, Betterview is transforming the insurance industry from Repair and Replace to Predict and Prevent. For more information, please visit www.betterview.com.

About NearmapNearmap (ASX:NEA) provides easy, instant access to high resolution aerial imagery, city-scale 3D content, AI data sets, and geospatial tools. Using its own patented camera systems and processing software, Nearmap captures wide-scale urban areas in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand several times each year, making current content instantly available in the cloud via web app or API integration. Every day, Nearmap helps thousands of users conduct virtual site visits for deep, data-driven insightsenabling informed decisions, streamlined operations and better financial performance. Founded in Australia in 2007, Nearmap is one of the largest aerial survey companies in the world and is publicly listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. For more information, please visit www.nearmap.com.

Media Contact:Jennifer OverhulseSt. Nick Media Services859-803-6597[email protected]

Source: Betterview
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Protective Life will host a Mark Cuban Foundation Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bootcamp for high school students in the Fall of 2022. The No Cost AI Bootcamp in Birmingham will be targeted at high school students and will introduce underserved students in grades 9 through 12 to basic AI concepts and skills.

Protective Life is one of 20+ host companies selected to host 30 camps across the US in Fall 2022.

The Protective Life Bootcamp will be held over four consecutive Saturdays starting on October 22nd and ending on November 12th.

The student and parent application are now open at markcubanai.org/application . Students do not need any prior experience with computer science, programming, or robotics to apply and attend.

Throughout the AI Bootcamp, students will learn what artificial intelligence is and is not, where they already interact with AI in their own lives, and the ethical implications of AI systems including but not limited to TikTok recommendations, smart home assistants, facial recognition, and self-driving cars to name a few.

Students will benefit from volunteer mentor instructors who are knowledgeable about data science and able to help students quickly understand material normally taught at a collegiate level. As part of the 5-hour curriculum, students also get to work in Microsoft Azure, Microsoft's cloud computing platform, each day to build their own AI applications related to Chatbots, Computer Vision, Machine Learning, and Natural Language Processing.

The Mark Cuban Foundation provides the bootcamps curriculum materials, trains volunteer mentors, and recruits and selects local students to attend camp. In addition, the Mark Cuban Foundation and Protective Life work together to provide food, transportation, and access to laptops for students at no cost throughout the duration of Bootcamp.

This bootcamp gave me the opportunity to discover the potential that AI has to revolutionize our world, but more importantly, it helped me see that I have a place to make an impact and contribute to that progress. - Sarah S., Protective Life 2021

Founded by Mark Cuban in 2019, the AI Bootcamp initiative has hosted free AI bootcamps for students across several US cities, including Dallas, Pasadena, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Atlantic City to name a few. The Mark Cuban Foundation has impacted 450+ students to date and has a goal to have 1,000 students graduate from AI Bootcamps Program in 2023.

Students interested in applying to the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp should do so before Thursday, September 1st, 2022 at markcubanai.org/application. To see our 2022 camp locations and to learn more about the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamps, please visit markcubanai.org/faq .

Contact: Carli Lidiak, Mark Cuban Foundation

Phone: 309-840-0348

Email: [email protected]

Source: Mark Cuban Foundation
MOUNT VERNON, N.Y., July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bona Fide Masks Corp. (www.bonafidemasks.com), the most trusted mask company for authentic, high-quality masks, announces a donation of over 1 million KN95 respirator masks to nonprofits and organizations in need. Established at the height of the pandemic to address the critical shortage of PPE, Bona Fide Masks has supported impact-driven philanthropic efforts to address the needs of underserved and critically compromised communities.

The executive team at Bona Fide Masks brings 80+ years of manufacturing and distribution expertise to the business. Over the last four generations, their affiliated company Ball Chain Manufacturing Co., Inc. has prioritized community service. Since its inception, Bona Fide Masks has donated hundreds of thousands of masks to frontline workers, schools, charities, soup kitchens and more. The company consistently looks to address the disproportionate effects COVID-19 has on our society.

Recently, Bona Fide Masks has strategically aligned with nonprofit partners such as PPE4ALL, Make-a-Wish, and Supply Bank to kick off a new initiative. For this rollout, the company will solicit customer feedback to determine mask donations. Bona Fide Masks will invite their customers to suggest nonprofits and 501(c)(3) organizations of their choice to support with this allocation of over 1 million authentic KN95 masks. Bona Fide Masks hopes that inviting their customers to drive the donation strategy will further reinforce their broader commitment to the community, as well as customer loyalty through the pandemic.

"We are really excited about this initiative. The idea of giving back is not new to our company, but we are delighted to weave this effort into our overall corporate approach. We have worked hard over the last two years to establish ourselves as the most trusted and authentic mask distributor, investing in our business as we grow. Through direct and exclusive partnerships with top mask producers, which include Powecom, Harley and Chengde, we have expanded our facilities and inventory, and we have appointed best-in-class logistics partners. We also purchased in-house testing machinery to supplement quality control. This large-scale mask donation is yet another investment we are proud of. We want to thank our customers for their loyalty and support through this pandemic. We look forward to paying their kindness forward to serve the communities that need us most." - Bill Taubner, President, Bona Fide Masks

"It's been a rewarding and refreshing opportunity to work with like-minded organizations like Bona Fide Masks. Both of our organizations were born amid the pandemic, in response to the critical needs of our country. As we continue to grow our organization, we are honored to work with a mask distribution company that takes such a high level of responsibility for delivering authentic and trusted masks to the public. Thanks to their donation, we will be able to serve soup kitchens, health care clinics and elderly communities." - Krishna Koka, CEO, PPE4ALL

PPE4ALL was established to provide personal protective equipment to essential workers, vulnerable populations, and others in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. PPE4ALL accomplishes this by addressing critical logistical and infrastructural issues, across the supply chain, with a community-based approach that connects stakeholders with vital resources needed to thrive in the face of obstacles. Bona Fide Masks has committed 100,000 Powecom KN95 respirator masks to this youth-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit. A donation of 50,000 Harley KN95 respirator masks will also go to SupplyBank, an organization that serves 58 counties with high demand for KN95 and N95 Masks. SupplyBank strives to ensure that under-resourced people have stigma-free access to essential supplies through trusted public and nonprofit agencies in their community.

ABOUT BALL CHAIN MANUFACTURING CO., INC. AND BONA FIDE MASKS CORP.:

The current owners' great-grandfather and grandfather started Ball Chain Manufacturing Co., Inc. (Ball Chain) in a small garage behind their home in the Bronx, NY. The company has been family-owned and operated since 1938. Ball Chain is now the world's largest manufacturer of ball chains (www.ballchain.com), seen on military dog tags, ceiling fans, handbags and light pulls, among many other goods. The company manufactures more than 3 million feet of product per week at its Mount Vernon, New York factory (all ball chains are made in the USA). Ball Chain is the exclusive supplier to the U.S. military for the iconic dog tag ID necklace worn by U.S. servicemen and women, and the company takes tremendous pride in everything it does.

Originally a division of Ball Chain, Bona Fide Masks Corp. handles warehousing and distribution with the utmost focus, systematically employing proven, regimented processes and protocols, as supply chain security and transparency are its highest priorities. In this regard, Bona Fide Masks is proud to issue statements of authenticity, providing further confidence to its customers and reinforcing its commitment to supply chain integrity.

Media Contact:

914.664.7500

Bill Taubner, President, [email protected]

Cristina Chianese, VP of Marketing & Strategy, [email protected]

Ball Chain Mfg. Co., Inc. / Bona Fide Masks Corp.

[email protected]

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YEREVAN, JULY 14, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan sent a congratulatory letter to French President Emmanuel Macron on the occasion of the National Day, the PMs Office said.

The letter reads as follows,

Honorable Mr. President, dear Emmanuel,

On behalf of the Armenian people and myself, I heartily congratulate you on the occasion of the National Day of France, conveying best wishes for peace, development and prosperity to friendly and brotherly France and the French people.

This day of national unity, July 14, best symbolizes the difficult path full of trials that was overcome by France and the French people for the victory of justice and universal values, for a dignified and bright future.

We highly value the privileged friendship with France, based on rich Armenian-French contacts with a history of a thousand years, as well as on a strong civilizational foundation and values. We are happy to record that, parallel to the high-level Armenian-French political dialogue, active steps are being taken to strengthen and develop economic ties between Armenia and France. In this context, we attach particular importance to the consistent implementation of the provisions of the 2021-2026 road map of Armenian-French economic cooperation signed in December of last year, as well as to ensuring the continuity of the success of the Aspirations Armenia-France conference organized at your initiative.

Armenia highly appreciates the role of France as the Co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group and its involvement in the process of peaceful settlement and fair resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh problem.

In this regard, I reaffirm Armenia's resolute commitment to achieve a peaceful and lasting settlement of the issue.

Honorable Mr. President,

Taking the opportunity, I congratulate you on carrying out the French Presidency of the EU with honor and successfully completing it. I am sure that in the future France will continue to play an important role in overcoming all the challenges emerging in this difficult period full of geopolitical upheavals, in favor of international solidarity and universal welfare.

Once again congratulating France on this inmost holiday, I reaffirm my and Armenian peoples desire to host you in Armenia on a state visit in the near future.

Sincerely, Nikol Pashinyan.
BOYLE HEIGHTS, Calif., July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global biotherapeutics leader CSL Behring will host a Mark Cuban Foundation Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bootcamp for high school students in the Fall of 2022 in conjunction with the i.am/Angel Foundation. The No Cost AI Bootcamp in Boyle Heights will be targeted at high school students and will introduce underserved students in grades 9 through 12 to basic AI concepts and skills.

CSL Behring is one of 20+ host companies selected to host 30 camps across the US in Fall 2022.

The CSL Behring Bootcamp will be held over four consecutive Saturdays starting on October 22nd and ending on November 12th.

The student and parent application are now open at markcubanai.org/application. Students do not need any prior experience with computer science, programming, or robotics to apply and attend.

Throughout the AI Bootcamp, students will learn what artificial intelligence is and is not, where they already interact with AI in their own lives, and the ethical implications of AI systems including but not limited to TikTok recommendations, smart home assistants, facial recognition, and self-driving cars to name a few.

Students will benefit from volunteer mentor instructors who are knowledgeable about data science and able to help students quickly understand material normally taught at a collegiate level. As part of the 5-hour curriculum, students also get to work in Microsoft Azure, Microsoft's cloud computing platform, each day to build their own AI applications related to Chatbots, Computer Vision, Machine Learning, and Natural Language Processing.

The Mark Cuban Foundation provides the bootcamps curriculum materials, trains volunteer mentors, and recruits and selects local students to attend camp. In addition, the Mark Cuban Foundation and CSL Behring work together to provide food, transportation, and access to laptops for students at no cost throughout the duration of Bootcamp.

"This bootcamp was a great experience and opened my eyes to the multitude of ways that AI can be used. Would definitely recommend it!" - Nhaomi L., CSL Behring 2021

Founded by Mark Cuban in 2019, the AI Bootcamp initiative has hosted free AI bootcamps for students across several US cities, including Dallas, Pasadena, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Atlantic City to name a few. The Mark Cuban Foundation has impacted 450+ students to date and has a goal to have 1,000 students graduate from AI Bootcamps Program in 2023.

CSL Behring develops and delivers innovative therapies for people living with rare and serious conditions. The companys global cell & gene therapy research hub is located in nearby Pasadena.

Students interested in applying to the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp should do so before Thursday, September 1st, 2022 at markcubanai.org/application. To see our 2022 camp locations and to learn more about the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamps, please visit markcubanai.org/faq.

Contact: Carli Lidiak, Mark Cuban FoundationPhone: 309-840-0348Email: [email protected]

Source: Mark Cuban Foundation
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Circle Computer Resources will host a Mark Cuban Foundation Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bootcamp for high school students in the Fall of 2022 in conjunction with NewBoCo. The No Cost AI Bootcamp in Cedar Rapids will be targeted at high school students and will introduce underserved students in grades 9 through 12 to basic AI concepts and skills.

Circle Computer Resources is one of 20+ host companies selected to host 30 camps across the US in Fall 2022.

The Circle Computer Resources Bootcamp will be held over four consecutive Saturdays starting on October 22nd and ending on November 12th.

The student and parent application are now open at markcubanai.org/application. Students do not need any prior experience with computer science, programming, or robotics to apply and attend.

Throughout the AI Bootcamp, students will learn what artificial intelligence is and is not, where they already interact with AI in their own lives, and the ethical implications of AI systems including but not limited to TikTok recommendations, smart home assistants, facial recognition, and self-driving cars to name a few.

Students will benefit from volunteer mentor instructors who are knowledgeable about data science and able to help students quickly understand material normally taught at a collegiate level. As part of the 5-hour curriculum, students also get to work in Microsoft Azure, Microsoft's cloud computing platform, each day to build their own AI applications related to Chatbots, Computer Vision, Machine Learning, and Natural Language Processing.

The Mark Cuban Foundation provides the bootcamps curriculum materials, trains volunteer mentors, and recruits and selects local students to attend camp. In addition, the Mark Cuban Foundation and Circle Computer Resources work together to provide food, transportation, and access to laptops for students at no cost throughout the duration of Bootcamp.

"This bootcamp gave me the opportunity to discover the potential that AI has to revolutionize our world, but more importantly, it helped me see that I have a place to make an impact and contribute to that progress. "- Sarah S.

Founded by Mark Cuban in 2019, the AI Bootcamp initiative has hosted free AI bootcamps for students across several US cities, including Dallas, Pasadena, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Atlantic City to name a few. The Mark Cuban Foundation has impacted 450+ students to date and has a goal to have 1,000 students graduate from AI Bootcamps Program in 2023.

Students interested in applying to the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp should do so before Thursday, September 1st, 2022 at markcubanai.org/application. To see our 2022 camp locations and to learn more about the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamps, please visit markcubanai.org/faq.

Contact: Carli Lidiak, Mark Cuban Foundation

Phone: 309-840-0348

Email: [email protected]

Source: Mark Cuban Foundation
Victoria, B.C., July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Innovation from a newly extracted ingredient is strengthening Canadas claim as a leader in plant-based foods  and that ingredient is a chickpea.

Humble and Frank Foods Ltd., InnovoPro and The Star Group are researching and testing chickpea ingredients and proteins in a variety of consumer-ready plant-based food products, leading to new high-quality chickpea-based food products for Canadians.

Our government is proud to support this project, which will improve the range of domestically produced plant-based proteins available to Canadians. With the support of Protein Industries Canada, these project partners will be adding another high-protein plant-based ingredient option for food processors looking to Canada for high-quality, innovative products, the Honourable Francois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry said.

Plant-based foods, such as chickpeas, represent a significant economic opportunity for Canadian companies to meet growing global and consumer demands for protein-rich foods that are healthy and environmentally sustainable. With research and development in new processing methods, agri-food producers will have additional tools to ensure a reliable and secure food supply of the nutritious food we all rely on, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food said.

Canada is a leading grower and one of the largest exporters of chickpea, but chickpea protein is a new ingredient that has not yet reached its full potential in Canadian food products. Growing trends suggest consumers seek a greater variety of plant-based foods other than pea-, soy- and wheat-based products. The consortium will address this market by creating protein-packed salad dressings, sauces, breading, frozen desserts and other protein alternatives made from Canadian chickpeas.

Chickpeas represent a new ingredient option for Canadas growing plant-based food sector. Canadian companies are again demonstrating their commitment to innovative plant-based foods and ingredients, Protein Industries Canada CEO Bill Greuel said. The consortium is creating significant benefits that will ripple across the value chain, from increasing capacity for Canadian farmers and processors, to expanding the healthy, high-protein food options for consumers around the world.

Capitalizing on chickpeas as a clean-tasting, functional ingredient, the consortium intends to strengthen Canadas chickpea supply chain by utilizing Innovopro's chickpea protein and other ingredients from chickpeas; creating new products for use by domestic and international food processors; partnering on research and development opportunities between Canadian and international companies; and further developing chickpeas reputation.

Humble and Frank will test the ingredients and finished goods and work with co-packers, InnovoPro and The Star Group, to scale up production for consumer- and industry-ready products. InnovoPro, a food-tech company with a leading chickpea protein platform, will oversee processing for finished chickpea protein formulas and support Humble and Frank, ensuring its incorporation into a finished product. The Star Group, a plant-based meal kit developer with expertise in maximizing shelf life, will create new value-added meal kits and salads incorporating variations of chickpea protein.

We believe food is made better when you gather and collaborate. Working directly with the protein source, InnovoPro and the creative meal-kit team at The Star Group has been invaluable to bringing Humble and Frank products to market quickly. Our consortium team is dreaming big, and we are packing plant-based, Canadian chickpea protein into your favourite foods for a delicious and sustainable taste  season, sprinkle, marinate and sauce it up, Humble and Frank Foods President Megan Du Preez said.

We are looking forward to this great partnership with Humble and Frank and The Star Group," Taly Nechushtan, Chief Executive Officer of InnovoPro said. We're thrilled to share forces with such innovative companies and jointly introduce new and unique nutritious, great-tasting, and sustainable plant-based food solutions in the Canadian market."

The Star Group is thrilled to be a part of this exciting new project. Canadians have long been leaders in agronomy, food sciences and the development of innovative food products, and so the combination of all three, with the leadership of three dynamic companies, is truly a golden opportunity. We are proud to be involved and look forward to contributing to the future of Canadian food production, Star Lab Director Jon Karwacki said.

A total of $2.8 million is being invested into this project, with Protein Industries Canada investing $1.4 million and the consortium members investing the remainder.

Over the past three years, Protein Industries Canada and industry partners have invested more than $480 million into growing Canadas plant-based food, feed and ingredient sector. The results of these investments include improved farming practices, increased sustainability and traceability, and the production of new ingredients and food products. Cumulatively this will increase the choices available to Canadians on grocery store shelves, create jobs and improve the health of our environment. Protein Industries Canadas goal is to grow Canadas plant-based food sector to $25 billion a year by 2035, supported by 17,000 jobs.

About Humble and Frank Foods Ltd.

Humble and Frank believes eating together is one of the most important parts of building meaningful connections. Since launching from Victoria, BC in 2016, the focus remains on food innovation and serving up ingredients customers recognize and come back for seconds. With over 50 original, premium crafted flavours to choose from, available across 1,000 stores in Canada, the company delivers a unique solution for both grocery and restaurant category buyers. Local partnerships and satisfied customers continue to accelerate new product development and ways to enhance, season, sprinkle, baste, batter, marinate and sauce up a favourite meal. Humble and Frank is proud to have honesty built right into the name, and the team is always humbled to be invited to the table.

About InnovoPro

InnovoPro is committed to bringing unique chickpea protein platform to the global food & beverage market, for creating nutritious, tasty, and sustainable food products. With an excellent nutritional profile, free from properties and wide usability in the food industry, InnovoPros CP-Pro 70 concentrate is the best choice for the growing plant-based protein market. Now, with its growing recognition and infrastructure, InnovoPro is in the best position to scale up its innovative solutions worldwide.

Visit innovopro.com to learn more.

About The Star Group

The Star Group strives to be the most innovative team in produce with an unwavering commitment to value and taste. With positions in all aspects of the fresh produce industry, including imports, primary production, value-add, logistics, distribution and marketing, The Star Group distributes fresh fruits, vegetables and prepared foods across Canada and around the world. B.C. Hothouse, a division of the Star Group, oversees a network of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) production facilities across British Columbia, producing a variety of fruits and vegetables year-round. The Star Group was founded in 1989 and now employs more than 800 in offices across Canada, the US and Mexico.

Attachments

Celeen George Protein Industries Canada 204-295-7925 [email protected]

Source: Protein Industries Canada
HOUSTON, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EXCEL (EXCEL) Petroleos Internacionales del Caribe (PIC) and its operating division in Mexico, Petroleos Internacionales del Caribe Inc., Sucursal Mexico (PICMEX) jointly announced today the signing of a Strategic Engineering, Procurement and Construction Partnership, Exclusive Agreement with PIC for the engineering, procurement and construction of PICs key Export Facilities in Houston, TX together with GLM compressed storage systems for various fuels and key gas pipelines forward positions for the required fueling elements for its Maritime and Terrestrial Operations. The operations will be vital to the US, the Americas and the United Mexican States with PIC one of kind solutions with its other key partnerships.

The Strategic EPC Partnership between PIC and EXCEL represents a significant investment milestone in the commercialization of the export facilities and receiving terminals, as it signals the commencement of project specific pre-FEED (Front End Engineering Design) studies by PIC for the delivery of its maritime and terrestrial operations that will ensure uninterrupted shipments by PIC and its other global partnerships for decades to come.

These studies will cover the design of the production and export terminals, receiving terminals and plants, along with the Fleet that will be built to transport and deliver fuel to PICs markets in Mexico and throughout the Americas. Following completion of the pre-FEED studies and Final Investment Decision (FID) by PIC and EXCEL, PIC and its consortium partners will undertake the FEED for final design and construction for the projects in Mexico that PIC has positioned thus far with its consortium partners.

EXCEL is very proud to be partners with such a great organization like PIC and being the chosen EPC for PICs state of the art facilities and pipelines, said Jason Hardwick, President of EXCEL Midstream Solutions.

EXCEL is pleased to enter this partnership and will provide the very best Engineering, Procurement and Construction services, said Dave Roberts, Chairman and CEO of EXCEL USA.

These projects will provide Mexico, and other countries in Central and South America, and the Americas with affordable fuels and power, as well as significant carbon emissions reductions, a key component in achieving sustainability and balanced for PIC and its Partner. We are excited to take this significant step with EXCEL, said Michael Hood, CEO of PIC. Through this exclusive operational partnership, PIC and EXCEL will accelerate commercialization of the Export Facilities to help meet the fuel supply and electricity needs of PICs customers in Mexico and throughout the Americas and abroad, while substituting higher-emission fuels to continue driving down emissions towards a greener brighter future. In addition to the thousands of new employment opportunities, this export operation will bring forth to the Great State of Texas over the next decade."

About Petroleos Internacionales del Caribe and Petroleos Internacionales del Caribe Inc., Sucursal MexicoPetroleos Internacionales del Caribe (PIC) is a global company based in the USA. The company develops and operates a variety strategic related operations with its key partnerships. Petroleos Internacionales del Caribe Inc., Sucursal Mexico (PICMEX) is an affiliate of PIC and is headquartered in Mexico. For more information, please visit www.pic-sas.com.

About EXCELEXCEL is a premier provider of full service civil, structural, mechanical, fabrication, electrical and instrumentation engineering, construction, and maintenance services, as well as disaster recovery services. EXCEL has a long successful history of managing and meeting the challenging schedules and budgets of projects of all sizes, and we are consistently recognized for our exemplary safety record and work quality. Our experience, breadth of projects, dedication to safety, and excellent corporate culture help us attract and retain the most highly skilled team of craft and supervisors available to serve our clients needs. For more information, please visit www.excelusa.com and www.excelmidstream.com.

Contact Jay Shahidi, Financial Controller +1 714-553-7482 [email protected]

Source: Petroleos Internacionales del Caribe (PIC)
DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla., July 13, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Two expert reviewers have examined National Floors Direct and broken down the facts that caused them to put the family-owned flooring company at the top of their lists of best companies.

Forbes Advisor and Bob Vila both named nationwide availability and the next-day installations throughout the Northeast as reasons they believe the company is worthy of honor.

"The full-service flooring company provides free in-home estimates and next-day installation service of an extensive selection of name brands," says Forbes.

Bob Vila Provides Facts Behind His Ranking

Bob Vila also cites competitive pricing as why he named the company the "Best Bang for the Buck."

"National Floors Direct delivers effective and affordable high-quality carpet installation," Vila says. He breaks his reasoning down further by listing these facts:

The company offers a $150 discount for online booking.

The company's rates include a guaranteed 15 percent lower cost than competitors based on a verifiable written estimate.

The company doesn't charge extra to move furniture or to provide premium padding.

Vila tells customers that carpeting typically lasts for ten years or more, so choosing a quality product from a reputable company is essential.

Forbes Provides Facts Behind Its Ranking

In addition to nationwide availability and next-day installations, Forbes lists the company's extensive selection as another reason it chose National Floors Direct as one of the Best Flooring Companies in June 2022. The company carries carpet, luxury vinyl, hardwood, tile, laminate, and commercial flooring and has the same large selection customers would find in the showroom of a Big Box store.

Forbes also cites consistently good customer ratings and the company's A grade with the Better Business Bureau. The magazine also likes its estimates and financing options.

"Estimates include furniture moving, premium padding, and standard stair work for free while they back them up with a low-price guarantee. The 75-year-old company also provides financing options and eco and pet-friendly offerings, but they don't perform custom flooring work," the Forbes Advisor says.

Other Company Facts

The founding family of National Floors Direct has been in the furniture business for 75 years. In 2005, the founders came up with a new way for customers to shop for new flooring. Rather than the customer having to measure their floors and come to the store, the company comes directly to them. The company brings its selection of name-brand flooring and its expertise to the customer's home.

The Carpet and Rug Institute of America has certified all the company's carpets for indoor use. Products are also Healthy Home Certified. Brands include Armstrong, Bliss, Bela Cera, Bruce Hardwood Floors, Coretec, Hartco, Homerwood, Indusparquet, Mohawk, Karastan, Kahrs, Shaw, Scotchgard, Silver Release, U.S. Floors, and Wear-Dated.

Contact:

Caroline HunterNational Floors DirectDeerfield Beach, Florida(888) 985-1384http://www.nationalfloorsdirect.com/

Source: National Floors Direct

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4ee941f9-9159-4383-afcf-8187e2b372dd

Expert Review Analyst Breaks Down the Facts for National Floors Direct Bob Vila and Forbes have recently honored National Floors Direct as one of the top flooring companies in the country.

Source: National Floors Direct
DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla., July 13, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Two expert reviewers have examined National Floors Direct and broken down the facts that caused them to put the family-owned flooring company at the top of their lists of best companies.



Forbes Advisor and Bob Vila both named nationwide availability and the next-day installations throughout the Northeast as reasons they believe the company is worthy of honor.

"The full-service flooring company provides free in-home estimates and next-day installation service of an extensive selection of name brands," says Forbes.





Bob Vila Provides Facts Behind His Ranking

Bob Vila also cites competitive pricing as why he named the company the "Best Bang for the Buck."

" National Floors Direct delivers effective and affordable high-quality carpet installation," Vila says. He breaks his reasoning down further by listing these facts:

The company offers a $150 discount for online booking.

The company's rates include a guaranteed 15 percent lower cost than competitors based on a verifiable written estimate.

The company doesn't charge extra to move furniture or to provide premium padding.



Vila tells customers that carpeting typically lasts for ten years or more, so choosing a quality product from a reputable company is essential.

Forbes Provides Facts Behind Its Ranking

In addition to nationwide availability and next-day installations, Forbes lists the company's extensive selection as another reason it chose National Floors Direct as one of the Best Flooring Companies in June 2022. The company carries carpet, luxury vinyl, hardwood, tile, laminate, and commercial flooring and has the same large selection customers would find in the showroom of a Big Box store.

Forbes also cites consistently good customer ratings and the company's A grade with the Better Business Bureau. The magazine also likes its estimates and financing options.

"Estimates include furniture moving, premium padding, and standard stair work for free while they back them up with a low-price guarantee. The 75-year-old company also provides financing options and eco and pet-friendly offerings, but they don't perform custom flooring work," the Forbes Advisor says.

Other Company Facts

The founding family of National Floors Direct has been in the furniture business for 75 years. In 2005, the founders came up with a new way for customers to shop for new flooring. Rather than the customer having to measure their floors and come to the store, the company comes directly to them. The company brings its selection of name-brand flooring and its expertise to the customer's home.

The Carpet and Rug Institute of America has certified all the company's carpets for indoor use. Products are also Healthy Home Certified. Brands include Armstrong, Bliss, Bela Cera, Bruce Hardwood Floors, Coretec, Hartco, Homerwood, Indusparquet, Mohawk, Karastan, Kahrs, Shaw, Scotchgard, Silver Release, U.S. Floors, and Wear-Dated.

Contact:

Caroline Hunter

National Floors Direct

Deerfield Beach, Florida

(888) 985-1384

http://www.nationalfloorsdirect.com/

Source: National Floors Direct

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4ee941f9-9159-4383-afcf-8187e2b372dd
FREE Any-Size Coffee & Fountain Beverages Available All Day on July 18;Florida Fund to Support 1,000 Local Nonprofits in the Sunshine State

ORLANDO, Fla., July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wawa Inc. today announced that in celebration of its 10th anniversary in the state of Florida, the company will offer FREE any-size hot coffee and fountain beverages throughout all of its Florida stores on July 18th  the day the first store opened in Orlando in 2012. The offer is meant to toast the community and give thanks to Wawas customers and 10,000 Associates spread across Wawas almost 250 Florida stores!

Additionally, as part of Wawas commitment to Florida and in honor of its 10th anniversary, The Wawa Foundation, the 501(c)(3) non-profit founded to support Wawas charitable giving and philanthropic activities, is thrilled to announce the launch of the Florida 10th Anniversary Fund. The Fund will feature a total of $100,000 in donations to be spread across 1,000 local nonprofits in areas surrounding health, hunger, and everyday heroes. Grant amounts will vary between $1,000-$2,500. Eligible nonprofits are invited to apply at thewawafoundation.org by August 31st.

Since 2012, Wawa and the Wawa Foundation have provided more than $10 million in community support across the state of Florida, and the Florida 10th Anniversary Fund is set to increase that even further as Wawa continues its expansion into the Sunshine State!

Though its been 10 years since Wawa first opened its doors in the Sunshine State, it feels like weve been here for even longer as weve been fortunate to develop so many lasting relationships and meaningful connections over the past decade, said Chris Gheysens, Wawas President and CEO. Were thrilled to offer all Florida customers free coffee on July 18 and celebrate that with the launch of the Florida 10th Anniversary Fund to support all the nonprofit organizations that give back to our communities in countless ways, every day. Cheers to 10 years in the Sunshine State and to many more decades of growth and fulfilling lives in Florida!

About Wawa in Florida In 2012, Wawa opened its first Florida store with the goal of providing a whole new world of quality and convenience for Floridians. Since then, the company has been fulfilling lives, every day, all throughout the Sunshine State. Wawa will continue to expand in Florida for years to come and will open its 250th store in the Sunshine State this fall and will employ more than 10,000 associates by year end. Wawa will continue to invest in Florida, opening more than 100 new stores over the next five years, including reaching new markets in the Panhandle region of Florida.

About Wawa, Inc.Wawa, Inc., a privately held company, began in 1803 as an iron foundry in New Jersey. Toward the end of the 19th Century, owner George Wood took an interest in dairy farming and the family began a small processing plant in Wawa, PA in 1902. The milk business was a huge success, due to its quality, cleanliness and certified process. As home delivery of milk declined in the early 1960s, Grahame Wood, Georges grandson, opened the first Wawa Food Market in 1964 as an outlet for dairy products. Today, Wawa is your all day, every day stop for freshly prepared foods, beverages, coffee, fuel services and surcharge-free ATMs. Wawa stores are located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C. The stores offer a large fresh foodservice selection, including Wawa brands such as custom prepared hoagies, freshly-brewed coffee, hot breakfast sandwiches, specialty beverages and an assortment of soups, sides and snacks. Forbes.com Ranks Wawa as #29 of Americas Largest Private Companies in 2021 and #12 on Forbes 100 Halo List in 2022. For more information, visit us on www.wawa.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat at @wawa.

CONTACT: [email protected]

Source: Wawa, Inc.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Madison Pacific Properties Inc. (the Company) (TSX: MPC and MPC.C), a Vancouver-based real estate company, announces the results of operations for the nine months ended May 31, 2022.

The results reported are pursuant to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) for public companies.

For the nine months ended May 31, 2022, the Company is reporting net income of $37.3 million (2021: $37.0 million); cash flows from operating activities before changes in non-cash operating balances of $7.4 million (2021: $7.6 million); and income per share of $0.60 (2021: $0.58). Included in net income is an after-tax net gain from the fair value adjustment on investment properties of $17.1 million (2021: $26.8 million).

The Company currently owns approximately $718 million in investment and development properties, including the Companys proportionate share of properties held through jointly-controlled partnerships. The Companys investment portfolio comprises 54 properties with approximately 1.9 million rentable sq. ft. of industrial and commercial space and a 50% interest in a 54 unit multi-family rental property. Approximately 99.0% of available space within the industrial and commercial investment properties is currently leased. The Companys development properties include a 50% interest in the Silverdale Hills Limited Partnership which owns approximately 1,400 acres of residential designated development lands in Mission, British Columbia. In June 2020, the partnership commenced development of 162 townhomes and 65 single family lots on the site, which consumed approximately 38 acres of land inventory. Approximately 60% of the four phase townhome development has been completed and sold and of the remaining townhome units, 100% have been presold. In respect of the single family lot development, 61 units have been committed for sale to a single developer of which 18 lots have been sold.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the geopolitical events in the world has continued to cause global economic disruption. These are uncertain and challenging times and management will be continuing to monitor business developments and market conditions and any effect they may have on the business.

For a review of the risks and uncertainties to which the Company is subject see its most recently filed annual and interim MD&A.

The Company is pleased to announce that a $.0525 per share dividend on each of the Class B voting common shares and Class C non-voting shares will be payable September 6, 2022 to shareholders of record on August 15, 2022. The dividend is considered an eligible dividend for tax purposes.

Contact: Mr. Marvin Haasen Ms. Bernice Yip President & CEO Investor Information Telephone: (604) 732-6540 (604) 732-6540 Fax: (604) 732-6550 Address: 389 West 6th Avenue Vancouver, B.C. V5Y 1L1

Source: Madison Pacific Properties Inc.
RALEIGH, N.C., July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (NYSE: MLM) (Martin Marietta or the Company) will host its second-quarter 2022 earnings conference call on Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The Company will release results for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, that morning before the market opens.

A live, listen-only webcast and supplemental information will be accessible on the Investors section of the Companys website at www.martinmarietta.com. The conference call may also be accessed by registering here: https://register.vevent.com/register/BI300eee080db640a88ab0a64b6ef0d62f. Please register at least 15 minutes in advance to ensure a timely connection to the call. An on-demand replay will be available on the Companys website approximately two hours following the conclusion of the live broadcast and will be available for one year.

Martin Marietta, a member of the S&P 500 Index, is an American-based company and a leading supplier of building materials, including aggregates, cement, ready mixed concrete and asphalt. Through a network of operations spanning 28 states, Canada and The Bahamas, dedicated Martin Marietta teams supply the resources necessary for building the solid foundations on which our communities thrive. Martin Mariettas Magnesia Specialties business provides a full range of magnesium oxide, magnesium hydroxide and dolomitic lime products. For more information, visit www.martinmarietta.com or www.magnesiaspecialties.com.

MLM-E.

Investor Contact: Jennifer Park Vice President, Investor Relations (919) 510-4736 [email protected]

Source: Martin Marietta Materials, Inc.
TORONTO, July 13, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PharmaTher Holdings Ltd. (the Company or PharmaTher) (OTCQB: PHRRF) (CSE: PHRM), a leader in specialty ketamine pharmaceuticals, announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has provided a Notice of Allowance for patent application No. 15/574,346, titled Compositions and Methods for Treating Motor Disorders, which includes claims intended to cover ketamine in the potential treatment of Parkinsons Disease and motor disorders that cause involuntary or uncontrollable movement or actions of the body (the Patent).

A Notice of Allowance is issued after the USPTO makes the determination that a patent should be granted from an application. A patent from the recently allowed application is expected to be issued in the coming months.

In August 2020, the Company entered into an exclusive license agreement with the University of Arizona to develop and commercialize the Patent. PharmaTher is advancing the development of ketamine for the potential treatment of Parkinsons disease. The positive topline data from the dose-finding and tolerability clinical study (the Study) of ketamine for the treatment of levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) in patients with Parkinsons disease has been submitted for presentation to a medical congress and expects to have the results made available in in late-Q3 2022.

The Study evaluated the safety, tolerability and efficacy of low-dose ketamine infusion for the treatment of LID in patients with Parkinsons disease. Efficacy data from the Study demonstrated that 100% of patients treated with ketamine demonstrated a reduction in dyskinesias as measured by the Unified Dyskinesia Rating Scale during the Study period compared to the pre-treatment baseline. Safety data from the Study demonstrated that ketamine was well tolerated with no serious adverse events reported. All adverse events were mild or moderate and reflected the expected side-effects of ketamine administration. This Study further supports the previous findings in the observational study publication, titled Case Reports Showing a Long-Term Effect of Subanesthetic Ketamine Infusion in Reducing l-DOPA-Induced Dyskinesias, regarding the positive impact of ketamine in reducing LID. In addition, the Study results are adequate to give an effect size in powering a Phase 3 clinical study.

Fabio Chianelli, CEO of PharmaTher, commented: The US Notice of Allowance of the Patent Application not only adds to our intellectual property portfolio covering novel uses, delivery forms and formulations of ketamine, but it also strengthens our commercial opportunities with ketamine as a potential treatment for Parkinsons disease and movement disorders. We are focused on advancing a potential Phase 3 clinical study for ketamine in the treatment of levodopa-induced dyskinesia in patients with Parkinsons disease.

Based on the Study results, the Company is preparing to engage the FDA to establish the next steps for a planned Phase 3 clinical study to allow for ketamines approval for Parkinsons disease under the 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway. The Company plans to use its proprietary ketamine intravenous product, KETARX, for the planned Phase 3 clinical study.



Ketamines Potential In Parkinsons Disease



Parkinsons disease is a debilitating disorder that affects over 1 million people in the U.S. and more than 7 million people worldwide. The global Parkinsons disease market is expected to grow from USD $5 billion in 2019 to USD $7.5 billion by the end of 2025 [360iResearch 2020] and it is estimated that the potential market opportunity for LID Parkinsons disease to be over USD $3 billion in the U.S. alone.



Ketamine is an FDA-approved N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-modulating (NDMA) drug that is widely used as an anesthetic agent either alone or in combination with other anesthetic agents [Smith et al, 1987; Pacheco et al, 2014]. The possible therapeutic effect of low-dose ketamine on levodopa-induced dyskinesia was noted in a retrospective analysis of Parkinsons disease patients who received ketamine for pain relief. During this analysis, it was observed that the patients experienced an improvement in LID lasting several weeks beyond treatment [Sherman et al, 2016]. These results were corroborated in a test of low-dose ketamine in a rodent LID model, and this possible effect has also been examined in a controlled study [Bartlett et al, 2016]. Ketamine may also have additional benefits in the treatment of pain [Niesters et al, 2014] and depression [Diamond et al, 2014; Murrough et al, 2013], which are frequent comorbidities of Parkinsons disease.



About Parkinsons Disease



There is currently no cure for Parkinsons disease, although some drug combinations are used to treat the disease symptoms. Although the etiology of Parkinsons disease is not fully understood, it is thought to result from loss of pigmented dopaminergic neurons in the Substantia nigra and their striatal projections, leading to dopamine deficiency in the striatum [Schapira and Jenner, 2011]. This ultimately affects the cortico-striatal system that controls movement. As a progressive neurogenerative disorder of the central nervous system that primarily affects the motor nerve system, symptoms of Parkinsons disease may emerge slowly and include tremors, rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural instability [Paulson and Stern, 2004]. Also, patients may experience non-motor symptoms such as autonomic dysfunction (orthostatic hypotension, constipation, bladder dysfunction), psychiatric (depression), cognitive and sensory symptoms (pain) [Olanow, et al, 2009]. These non-motor symptoms become more common as the disease progresses. Treatments, including levodopa and dopamine agonists, which restore the dopamine deficits in the brain, have been employed for almost 50 years. However, with continued treatment using levodopa, dose-limiting motor side-effects often emerge. This includes the emergence of abnormal involuntary movements termed Levodopa Induced Dyskinesias, which can be identified in about 50% of patients within five years after initiation of levodopa treatment and in almost all patients within ten years post-treatment initiation. These side effects often limit further dose increases in dopaminergic therapy.



There can be no assurance that the FDA will support any potential request for an expedited path to approval or further development for ketamine in the treatment of Parkinsons disease.

About PharmaTher Holdings Ltd.

PharmaTher Holdings Ltd. (OTCQB: PHRRF) (CSE: PHRM) is focused on the development and commercialization of specialty ketamine pharmaceuticals for mental health, neurological, and pain disorders. Learn more at PharmaTher.com .

For more information about PharmaTher, please contact:



Fabio Chianelli

Chief Executive Officer

PharmaTher Holdings Ltd.

Tel: 1-888-846-3171

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.pharmather.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider have reviewed or accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statement

This press release contains 'forward-looking information' within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated", "potential", "aim", may and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on PharmaTher Holdings Ltd. (the "Company") current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions that have been made by the Company at the date of the information and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information. Given these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, you should not unduly rely on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is made as of the date hereof, and Company is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements are described under the caption "Risk Factors" in Company's management's discussion and analysis for the three and nine month periods ended February 28, 2022 and 2021 ("MD&A"), dated April 25, 2022, which is available on the Company's profile at www.sedar.com.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any state, province, territory or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state, province, territory or jurisdiction.
YEREVAN, JULY 14, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan sent a congratulatory letter to President of France Emmanuel Macron on the national day, the Presidential Office said.

The letter reads:

I warmly congratulate you and the good people of France on the national day of the French Republic.

July 14 and the French Revolution marked a turning point in the world history and opened a new era of enlightenment, human rights and quality for the civilized world.

We highly value the sincere friendship and solidarity existing between the two countries and peoples and will continue making efforts for the development and expansion of the Armenian-French unique relations.

I am confident that we will register new achievements together in the near future by implementing the provisions of the Armenian-French Economic Cooperation Roadmap 2021-2026.

Armenia highly appreciates the high-level political dialogue between our countries and attaches importance to the engagement of France as an OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair country in the peaceful settlement process of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

Once again congratulating you on this occasion, I wish you good health and success in all your initiatives, and peace and welfare to the friendly people of France.




Pixium Vision announces the implementation of a financing of a maximum nominal amount of 30 million, and the drawdown of a first tranche of 5.5 million.

Implementation of the delegation of authority granted by the 6th resolution of the Combined General Meeting of April 19, 2022

Financing to support the PRIMAvera pivotal study and further development of the Prima system

Issuance of 550 Notes under the First Tranche

Subsequent drawdowns possible depending on financing needs (beyond the Second and Third Tranches)

Cash runway extended through the first quarter of 2023 with the drawdown of the First Tranche

Paris, July 14, 2022 - 7:00 am CEST- Pixium Vision (Euronext Growth Paris - FR0011950641 - Mnemo: ALPIX), a bioelectronics company that develops innovative bionic vision systems to enable patients who have lost their sight to live more independent lives, announces that it has entered into a new Convertible Note financing agreement with US-based investor specializing in healthcare, European Select Growth Opportunities Fund (the "Investor" or "ESGO") on July 13, 2022, a maximum nominal amount of 30 million of notes redeemable in cash and/or new shares (the "Notes"), without interest and without share warrants, over a maximum period of 36 months.

This financial transaction extends Pixium Vision's cash runway through the first quarter of 2023 after the issuance of the First Tranche of a nominal amount of 5.5 million euros.

" We welcome this financing agreement and the trust ESGO has placed in us for the second time. With this flexible financing instrument, which significantly strengthens our financial outlook, we will continue to advance our pivotal PRIMAvera study and advance the development of our Prima System," said Lloyd Diamond, Chief Executive Officer of Pixium Vision.

Objectives of this financing transaction

To secure financing of the PRIMAvera study and to complete patient enrollment for this study and the feasibility study in the United States;

To prepare the next steps in the development of the Prima System.

General description of the financing transaction

The transaction will result in the issuance of several tranches of Notes to the Investor, at the discretion of the Company and the Investor (with the exception of the first three tranches representing a total amount of 9.5 million) subject to certain conditions described below, and subject to compliance with certain conditions, for a maximum nominal amount of 30 million over a period of 36 months, it being specified that:

The Notes will have a nominal value of 10,000 each, with a maturity of 12 months from the date of issue, will be subscribed at 96% of par and will not bear interest;

The first tranche of the Notes, for a nominal amount of 5.5 million, was issued by the Company and subscribed by the Investor on July 13, 2022 (the " First Tranche ")1 ;

")1 ; The other tranches of Notes are divided into two tranches of  2,000,000 each (the "Second and Third Tranches") and the subsequent Tranches of 1,000,000 each (unless Pixium Vision and the Investor modify the amount) which will be issued by Pixium Vision upon exercise of Tranche warrants (the "Tranche Warrants") by the Investor, it being specified that 1,225 Tranche Warrants were issued by Pixium Vision and subscribed by the Investor on July 13, 2022. The balance of the Tranche Warrants, i.e. 1,225 Tranche Warrants, will be issued by Pixium Vision at the latest on the date of the drawdown request (Request) relating to the exercise of the last Tranche Warrants issued July 13, 20222 .

It is not the policy of the Investor to participate in the governance of the companies in which it invests, and consequently does not intend to seek representation within the governance of Pixium Vision . Furthermore, the Investor does not intend to remain a shareholder of Pixium Vision on a long-term basis. The shares resulting from the conversion of the Notes are intended to be sold in the short term on the market.

The Investor will have the option of requesting Pixium Vision to exercise the Tranche Warrants, at its sole discretion and subject to compliance with certain conditions, up to a maximum nominal amount of Notes of 2,000,000.

Pixium Vision will have the option of early termination of the financing without penalty only in the following events: (i) provided that the financing has been drawn down to a total of 12 million; (ii) in the event of the issuance of shares represented by American Depositary Shares and/or American Depositary Receipts in connection with the listing of shares to trading on a foreign stock exchange; (iii) in the event of a change in control; (iv) if it is impossible to drawdown the Second and/or Third Tranches, given certain price condition.

In the event that Pixium Vision obtains financing in the form of debt, equity-linked or equity financing, and subject to certain exceptions related in particular to the amount received by Pixium Vision, the Investor may request that Pixium Vision allocate up to 30% of the proceeds of such financing to the redemption of up to 50% of the outstanding Notes.

In the case of an event of default3 , at the request of the Investor, Pixium Vision shall redeem the nominal amount of the outstanding Notes at 109% of their value or the Notes shall be converted at a price equal to 80% of the lowest of the volume-weighted average daily trading prices of Pixium Vision's shares on the trading days during which the Investor has not sold any shares of Pixium Vision in the market, among the 10 trading days immediately preceding the date of receipt of a conversion notice by Pixium Vision.

Each Tranche of Notes will give rise to the payment in cash of a commitment fee representing 3% of the nominal amount of each Tranche of Notes subscribed, deducted from the amount to be received by Pixium Vision in respect of each Tranche subscribed.

For information purposes, the interest of a shareholder holding 1% of Pixium Vision share capital prior to the capital increase that would result from the issuance of new shares upon conversion of the Notes, will amount to 0.62% assuming that all 550 Notes issued on July 13, 2022 and all 1,225 Notes resulting from 1,225 Tranches Warrants issued on July 13, 2022 would be redeemed exclusively in new shares4 .

In the event of a conversion request by the Investor, the Notes may also, at Pixium Vision's option, be redeemed in cash and thus not have a dilutive impact on Pixium Vision's shareholders.

The characteristics of the Notes and the detailed terms and conditions of the transaction are set out below in the Annex and will also be available on Pixium Vision 's website.

It should be noted that no shares warrants are attached to the Notes.

Moreover, this financing does not give rise to the granting by Pixium Vision of any other guarantee or security to the Investor.

Indicative timetable of the financing transaction

July 13, 2022 Signature of the issuance agreement by Pixium Vision and the InvestorIssuance by Pixium Vision of the First Tranche of Notes (5.5 million) and 1,225 Tranche Warrants Subscription of the First Tranche of Notes and of 1,225 Tranche Warrants by the InvestorPublication of the press release

July 13, 2022 + 70 calendar days Drawdown of the Second Tranche of Notes of 2 million 5 July 13, 2022 + 140 calendar days Drawdown of the Third Tranche of Notes of 2 million 5 July 13, 2022 + 280 calendar days Drawdown of subsequent Tranches of Notes 5 6

About Pixium Vision

Pixium Vision is creating a world of bionic vision for those who have lost their sight, enabling them to regain visual perception and greater autonomy. Pixium Visions bionic vision systems are associated with a surgical intervention and a rehabilitation period. Prima System sub-retinal miniature photovoltaic wireless implant is in clinical testing for patients who have lost their sight due to outer retinal degeneration, initially for atrophic dry age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD). Pixium Vision collaborates closely with academic and research partners, including some of the most prestigious vision research institutions in the world, such as Stanford University in California, Institut de la Vision in Paris, Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, Institute of Ocular Microsurgery (IMO) in Barcelona, University hospital in Bonn, and UPMC in Pittsburgh, PA. The company is EN ISO 13485 certified and qualifies as Entreprise Innovante by Bpifrance.

Forward-Looking Statements. This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. For a discussion of risks and uncertainties which could cause the Company's actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements to differ from those contained in the forward looking statements, please refer to the Risk Factors (Facteurs de Risques) section of the Companys 2021 Half-Year Financial Report and other documents the Company files with the AMF, which is available on the AMF website (www.amf- france.org) or on the Companys website.

For more information: http ://www.pixium-vision.com/fr

Follow us on @PixiumVision; www.facebook.com/pixiumvision

www.linkedin.com/company/pixium-vision

Contacts

Pixium VisionOffer NonhoffFinancial Director [email protected] +33 1 76 21 47 68 Press Relations LifeSci AdvisorsSophie Baumont [email protected] +33 6 27 74 74 49 Investor Relations LifeSci AdvisorsGuillaume van Renterghem [email protected] +41 76 735 01 31

Annex - Characteristics and terms of the operation

Legal framework of the operation

Under the terms of its 6th resolution, the combined general meeting of April 19, 2022, the Board of Directors obtained delegation, with the option of sub-delegation, a delegation of authority to decide on the issue, on the French and/or other international stock exchanges, of ordinary shares and/or ordinary shares to which securities giving entitlement to the allocation of other ordinary shares or debt securities are attached, and/or securities (other than shares) giving access to ordinary shares, without preferential subscription rights, for the benefit of categories of persons meeting specific characteristics in the context of the implementation of equity or Note financing.

During its meeting on July 13, 2022, the Board of Directors (i) approved the principle of a Note issue representing a convertible loan of a maximum nominal amount of 30 million over a maximum period of 36 months from the date of signature of the issuance agreement, and (ii) made use of this delegation and decided to proceed with the issuance of the First Tranche of Notes in the amount of 550 Notes and of 1.225 Tranche Warrants issued free of charge allowing the drawdown of future tranches of the Note financing (representing a total amount of 17.750 million), in accordance with the terms and conditions of the financing agreement (the "Agreement"). The balance of the Tranche Warrants, i.e. 1,225 Tranche Warrants, (representing a total amount of 12.250 million) will be issued by the Company at the latest on the date of the drawdown request (Request) relating to the exercise of the last Tranche Warrants issued on July 13, 2022.

The Chief Executive Officer signed the Agreement on July 13, 2022 and the First Tranche of Notes and the 1,225 Tranche Warrants were subscribed by the Investor on the same day.

Main characteristics of the Notes 7

Subject to compliance with certain conditions8, the Notes will be issued in several tranches: 550 Notes were issued on July 13, 2022.

The subscription price of the 550 Notes issued on July 13, 2022 was partially utilized to repay an amount of  500,000 corresponding to the nominal value of the 50 Notes of the financing put in place in November 2019, which matured on May 13, 2022 and which were not converted on their maturity date.

Under the First Tranche, Pixium Vision will receive a net amount of 4,615,00.

The 550 Notes issued on July 13, 2022 and those that may be issued subsequently upon exercise of the 1,225 Tranche Warrants issued on July 13, 2022 and the Tranche Warrants that may be issued subsequently will have the same characteristics:

The Notes will have a nominal value of  10,000 each, with a maturity of 12 months from the date of issue, will be subscribed at 96% of par. and will not bear interest.

The Notes will be registered in Pixium Visions securities register and will be freely transferable to affiliates of the Investor and with the prior consent of the Company in all other cases. No application will be made for admission to trading.

Upon conversion the Notes will entitle their holders to obtain, at the Company's discretion: (i) the allocation of new shares, and/or (ii) the allocation of an amount in cash equal to all or part of the amount requested for conversion by the Investor. Payment in shares:



N = Vn / P With :

"N": corresponding to the number of ordinary shares of the Company to be delivered to the Investor;"Vn": corresponding to the nominal value of a Note, i.e.  10,000;"P": corresponding to 95% of the lowest of the volume-weighted average daily prices of the Company's shares over the trading days during which the Investor has not sold any of the Company's shares on the market, out of the 10 consecutive trading days immediately preceding the date of receipt of a conversion notice by the Company, which shall be at least equal to the Minimum Issue Price of the new shares set by the Board of Directors in accordance with the terms of the shareholders general meeting9 and to the nominal value of one share in the Company.

Payment in cash:

M = (Vn / P) * C

With :

"M": corresponding to the cash amount to be paid;"Vn": corresponding to the nominal value of a Note, i.e.  10,000;"P": 95% of the lowest of the volume-weighted average daily prices of the Company's shares on the trading days during which the Investor has not sold any shares of the Company on the market, out of the 10 consecutive trading days immediately preceding the date of receipt of a conversion notice by the Company, which shall be at least equal to the Minimum Issue Price of the new shares set by the Board of Directors in accordance with the terms of the shareholders general meeting and to the nominal value of one share of the Company ;"C" means the volume-weighted average daily trading price of the Company's shares on the date the Company receives a conversion notice.

The Notes that have reached maturity must be repaid by the Company to the Investor in cash.

In the event of an event of default10, at the request of the Investor, the Company shall redeem the nominal amount of the outstanding Notes at 109% of their nominal value or the Notes shall be converted at a price equal to 80% of the lowest of the volume-weighted average daily trading prices of the Company's shares on the trading days during which the Investor did not sell any shares of the Company in the market, among the 10 consecutive trading days immediately preceding the date of receipt of a conversion notice by the Company.

New shares resulting from the conversion of the Notes

The new shares issued upon conversion of the Notes will carry dividend rights. They will have the same rights as those attached to the existing ordinary shares of the Company and will be listed on Euronext Growth Paris.

A table tracking the exercise of the Tranche Warrants and the conversion of the Notes issued in the context of the transaction will be kept up to date on the Company's website.

Risk factors

The issuance of the First Tranche of Notes and the 1,255 Tranche Warrants does not significantly alter the Company's liquidity risks as described in Appendix 1 of Section 3 of its 2021 Annual Report made public on April 20, 2022. The Company reminds that although the subscriptions of the Tranches remain with the Company (except for the First to Third Tranches representing an amount of 9.5M and the right of the Investor to request for tranches representing up to 2M), this financing remains dilutive.

In particular, the Company informs the public of the existence of the following risks related to the transaction, namely (i) the risk of non-issuance of the subsequent tranches (only the First Tranche having been issued on July 13, 2022), (ii) the risk of dilution, (iii) the risk of the Pixium Vision share price and (iv) the risk related to the implementation of the penalties or indemnities provided for in the Agreement in the event of a default by the Company.

The Company draws the public's attention to the other risk factors relating to the Company and its business detailed in Appendix 1 to Section 3 of its 2021 Annual Report, available free of charge on the Company's website.

Theoretical impact of the issuance of the Notes

For information purposes, in the event of the delivery of new shares and in the event that all of the Notes likely to be issued under the financing program are redeemed exclusively in new shares, the impact of the issuance of the Notes would be as follows11 :

on the shareholding of a shareholder currently holding 1% of the Company's share capital (based on the number of shares comprising the Company's share capital on the date of this press release, i.e. 58,695,133 shares):

Shareholder's interest (in %) Undiluted basis Diluted basis (after exercise of all existing dilutive instruments to date) Before issue 1,00% 0,87% After issuance of the new Pixium Vision shares resulting from the conversion of the First Tranche of Notes (550 Notes) (representing 11,133,603 new shares) 0,84% 0,75% After the issue of the new Pixium Vision shares resulting from the conversion of the First Tranche (550 Notes) and the conversion of the 1,225 Notes resulting from the exercise of all 1,225 Tranches Warrants issued on July 13, 2020 (representing 35,931,174 new shares) 0,62% 0,57% After issuance of the new Pixium Vision shares resulting from the conversion of the entire financing (3,000 Notes) (representing 60,728,744 new shares) 0,49% 0,46%

* : Dilutive instruments consist of BSAs, BSPCEs and options not yet exercised and described in the 2021 annual report, as well as free shares in the course of the vesting period.

on the proportion of equity per share (based on equity at March 31, 2022 and the number of shares comprising the Company's share capital at the date of this press release, i.e. 58,695,133 shares):

Share of equity per share (in ) Undiluted basis Diluted basis (after exercise of all existing dilutive instruments to date)* Before issue 0,060 0,177 After issuance of the new Pixium Vision shares resulting from the conversion of the First Tranche of Notes (550 Notes) (representing 11,133,603 new shares) 0,127 0,220 After the issue of the new Pixium Vision shares resulting from the conversion of the First Tranche (550 Notes) and the conversion of the 1,225 Notes resulting from the exercise of all 1,225 Tranches Warrants issued onJuly 20-2020 (representing 35,931,174 new shares) 0,219 0,282 After issuance of the new Pixium Vision shares resulting from the conversion of the entire financing (3,000 Notes) (representing 60,728,744 new shares) 0,273 0,320

* : Dilutive instruments consist of BSAs, BSPCEs and options not yet exercised and described in the 2021 annual report, as well as free shares in the course of the vesting period.

Brochure

It is specified that this transaction will not give rise to the preparation of a prospectus subject to the approval of the AMF.

1 It is specified that the Company will receive a net amount of  4,615,000 corresponding to the subscription price of the First Tranche (i.e. 96% of the total nominal amount), i.e. 5,280,000 reduced by (i)  165,000 Commitment Fee, and (ii) the receivable held by the Investor against the Company corresponding to the balance of the bond loan granted by the Investor to the Company under the terms of an issuance agreement entered into on November 5, 2019 corresponding to 50 ORNAN 2019 with a par value of 10,000 which expired on May 13, 2022, i.e. 500,000.2 Either by using delegations of authority granted by the Combined General Meeting of April 19, 2022, or by using delegations of authority that may be requested from shareholders in the future.3 Events of default include, in particular, failure to repay the Notes loan at maturity, failure to convene a shareholders general meeting in breach of the terms of the Agreement, breach by Pixium Vision of its obligations under the Agreement, failure to issue new shares resulting from conversion requests, suspension or delisting of the Pixium Vision share, failure to repay existing debts, cessation of business, disposal or transfer of its main assets which has not been remedied within 5 calendar days. 4 Dilution is calculated assuming (i) an hypothesis of conversion price of 0.4940 (based on the closing price of July 13, 2022, which is set at 0.52) and (ii) after deduction of the 3% commission, representing 35,931,174 new shares. This dilution is without prejudice to the final number of shares to be issued and their issue price, which will be determined on the basis of the market price, pursuant to the terms and conditions as described in this press release.5 Unless the parties agree to proceed with the drawdown before the date indicated and subject to the fulfilment of the conditions allowing the drawdown mentioned below. 6 At the request of the Company and with a minimum of 30 days between each tranche (unless a shorter period is agreed between the Company and the Investor) 7 The detailed characteristics of the Bonds are available on the Company's website.8 The conditions include notably the absence of a material adverse change, the absence of an event of default, the satisfaction of conditions relating to the market price and amount of the Bonds that may be held by the Investor and the number of authorized shares. 9 The Board of Directors has decided that the issue price of the shares to be issued upon conversion of the Bonds shall be at least equal to the volume-weighted average of the share price over the ten (10) consecutive trading days preceding the date of determination of the issue price, potentially less a maximum discount of 30% (the "Minimum Price").10 Events of default include, in particular, failure to repay the bond loan at maturity, failure to convene a shareholders general meeting in breach of the terms of the Agreement, breach by Pixium Vision of its obligations under the Agreement, failure to issue new shares resulting from conversion requests, suspension or delisting of the Pixium Vision share, failure to repay existing debts, cessation of business, disposal or transfer of its main assets which has not been remedied within 5 calendar days. 11 Dilution and share of equity calculated on (i) the hypothesis of a conversion price of  0.4940 (based on the closing price of July 13, 2022, which is set at 0.52) and (ii) after deduction of the 3% commission. This dilution is without prejudice to the final number of shares to be issued and their issue price, which will be determined on the basis of exchange share price, pursuant to the terms and conditions as described in this press release.

Source: Pixium Vision
BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Verde AgriTech Plc (TSX: NPK) (OTCQB: AMHPF) (the Company or Old Verde) is pleased to announce the results of the Special Court Meeting (Court Meeting) and a General Meeting of Shareholders (General Meeting) held on Thursday, July 14, 2022, in London, United Kingdom, where its shareholders approved all items in both meetings.

The scheme of arrangement proposed in the circular the Company filed on SEDAR on June 14, 2022, (the Circular or Scheme Document)1 (the Scheme or Scheme of Arrangement) was approved and the directors of the Company were authorized to take all such actions as they consider necessary or appropriate for carrying the Scheme into effect. The matters related to the proposed Scheme of arrangement were also approved.

The voting results in relation to the Court Meeting and the General Meeting were as follows:

Meeting Item Voted Upon Voting Result Special Court Meeting Proposed Scheme of Arrangement * The resolution was duly passed by way of a poll. The detailed voting results as follows: Votes For Votes Against 99.496% 0.504% General Meeting Matters Related to the Proposed Scheme of Arrangement: * The resolutions were duly passed by way of a poll. The detailed voting results as follows: Votes For Votes Against 99.456% 0.544%

The proxy votes in relation to the Court Meeting and the General Meeting are detailed in the following table:

Meeting Number of Scheme Shares2 voted Percentage of Scheme Shares voted Number of Scheme Shareholders3 who voted Special Court Meeting 20,429,300 38.847% 107 General Meeting 19,365,334 36.824% 91

NEXT STEPS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE OF EVENTS

Completion of the Scheme Proposal4 remains subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the other Conditions5 set out in the Circular. Verde still requires the UK Courts sanction of the Scheme in a hearing (the Scheme Court Hearing), which is expected to take place on July 21, 2022. The dates and times in the detailed timetable as set out in the Circular remain unchanged. Subject to the Conditions, the Scheme is expected to become effective on July 22, 2022.

Old Verde shares will be exchanged for shares in a new Singaporean company (New Verde) on a one-for-one basis. Following the share exchange, New Verde will become the sole parent company of the Group. There will be no changes to the respective shareholdings of each Verde shareholder. Verdes listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) will be replaced with New Verdes listing on the TSX, again with no impact on Verde shareholders.

It is expected that the last day of trading in Old Verde Shares will be Friday, July 22, 2022 trading in New Verde will commence on the opening of trading, on Monday, July 25, 2022. The current trading symbols will not change. The New Verde Shares will trade on the TSX in Canada under the symbol NPK and the New Your Open Transparent Connect Venture Market (OTCQB) under the symbol AMHPF.

GENERAL

Note that capitalised terms used in this announcement, but not defined, have the same meaning as in the Scheme Document.

For further information, please consult the Circular filed on SEDAR by the Company on June 14, 2022: https://investor.verde.ag/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Circular.pdf

ABOUT VERDE AGRITECH

Verde is an agricultural technology company that produces potash fertilizers. Our purpose is to improve the health of all people and the planet. Rooting our solutions in nature, we make agriculture healthier, more productive, and profitable.

Verde is a fully integrated Company: it mines and processes its main feedstock from its 100% owned mineral properties, then sells and distributes the Product.

Verdes focus on research and development has resulted in one patent and eight patents pending. Among its proprietary technologies are Cambridge Tech, 3D Alliance, MicroS Technology, N Keeper, and Bio Revolution.6 Currently, the Company is fully licensed to produce up to 2.8 million tonnes per year of its multinutrient potassium fertilizers K Forte and BAKS, sold internationally as Super Greensand.7 By the end of 2022, it plans to become Brazil's largest potash producer by capacity.8 Verde has a combined measured and indicated mineral resource of 1.47 billion tonnes at 9.28% K2O and an inferred mineral resource of 1.85 billion tonnes at 8.60% K2O (using a 7.5% K2O cut-off grade).9 This amounts to 295.70 million tonnes of potash in K2O. For context, in 2021 Brazils total consumption of potash in K2O was 7.92 million10.

Brazil ranks second in global potash demand and is its single largest importer, currently depending on external sources for over 96% of its potash needs. In 2021, potash accounted for approximately 2% of all Brazilian imports by dollar value.

CORPORATE PRESENTATION

For further information on the Company, please view shareholders deck:

https://verde.docsend.com/view/fbgm6ch5rbf82mm9

INVESTORS NEWSLETTER

Subscribe to receive the Companys updates at:

http://cloud.marketing.verde.ag/InvestorsSubscription

The last edition of the newsletter can be accessed at: https://bit.ly/InvestorsNLMay2022

CAUTIONARY LANGUAGE AND FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

All Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resources estimates reported by the Company were estimated in accordance with the Canadian National Instrument 43-101 and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum Definition Standards (May 10, 2014). These standards differ significantly from the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Mineral Resources which are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.

This document contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This information and these statements, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements" are made as of the date of this document. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect current estimates, predictions, expectations or beliefs regarding future events and include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to:

(i) the estimated amount and grade of Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves; (ii) the PFS representing a viable development option for the Project; (iii) estimates of the capital costs of constructing mine facilities and bringing a mine into production, of sustaining capital and the duration of financing payback periods; (iv) the estimated amount of future production, both produced and sold; (v) timing of disclosure for the PFS and recommendations from the Special Committee; (vi) the Companys competitive position in Brazil and demand for potash; and, (vii) estimates of operating costs and total costs, net cash flow, net present value and economic returns from an operating mine.

Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects", "anticipates", "plans", "projects", "estimates", "envisages", "assumes", "intends", "strategy", "goals", "objectives" or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements.

All forward-looking statements are based on Verde's or its consultants' current beliefs as well as various assumptions made by them and information currently available to them. The most significant assumptions are set forth above, but generally these assumptions include, but are not limited to:

(i) the presence of and continuity of resources and reserves at the Project at estimated grades; (ii) the geotechnical and metallurgical characteristics of rock conforming to sampled results; including the quantities of water and the quality of the water that must be diverted or treated during mining operations; (iii) the capacities and durability of various machinery and equipment; (iv) the availability of personnel, machinery and equipment at estimated prices and within the estimated delivery times; (v) currency exchange rates; (vi) Super Greensand and K Forte sales prices, market size and exchange rate assumed; (vii) appropriate discount rates applied to the cash flows in the economic analysis; (viii) tax rates and royalty rates applicable to the proposed mining operation; (ix) the availability of acceptable financing under assumed structure and costs; (x) anticipated mining losses and dilution; (xi) reasonable contingency requirements; (xii) success in realizing proposed operations; (xiii) receipt of permits and other regulatory approvals on acceptable terms; and (xiv) the fulfilment of environmental assessment commitments and arrangements with local communities.

Although management considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect. Many forward-looking statements are made assuming the correctness of other forward looking statements, such as statements of net present value and internal rates of return, which are based on most of the other forward-looking statements and assumptions herein. The cost information is also prepared using current values, but the time for incurring the costs will be in the future and it is assumed costs will remain stable over the relevant period.

By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that estimates, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved or that assumptions do not reflect future experience. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as a number of important factors could cause the actual outcomes to differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations, anticipations, estimates assumptions and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. These risk factors may be generally stated as the risk that the assumptions and estimates expressed above do not occur as forecast, but specifically include, without limitation: risks relating to variations in the mineral content within the material identified as Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves from that predicted; variations in rates of recovery and extraction; the geotechnical characteristics of the rock mined or through which infrastructure is built differing from that predicted, the quantity of water that will need to be diverted or treated during mining operations being different from what is expected to be encountered during mining operations or post closure, or the rate of flow of the water being different; developments in world metals markets; risks relating to fluctuations in the Brazilian Real relative to the Canadian dollar; increases in the estimated capital and operating costs or unanticipated costs; difficulties attracting the necessary work force; increases in financing costs or adverse changes to the terms of available financing, if any; tax rates or royalties being greater than assumed; changes in development or mining plans due to changes in logistical, technical or other factors; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; risks relating to receipt of regulatory approvals; delays in stakeholder negotiations; changes in regulations applying to the development, operation, and closure of mining operations from what currently exists; the effects of competition in the markets in which Verde operates; operational and infrastructure risks and the additional risks described in Verde's Annual Information Form filed with SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com) for the year ended December 31, 2021. Verde cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive.

When relying on our forward-looking statements to make decisions with respect to Verde, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Verde does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by Verde or on our behalf, except as required by law.

For additional information please contact:

Cristiano Veloso, Founder, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer

Tel: +55 (31) 3245 0205; Email: [email protected]

www.investor.verde.ag | www.supergreensand.com | www.verde.ag

____________________________

1 For further information, please refer to: https://investor.verde.ag/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Circular.pdf

2 Scheme Shares: (i) the Old Verde AgriTech PLC Shares in issue at the date of the Circular; (ii) any Old Verde AgriTech PLC Shares issued after the date of this Circular and before the Voting Record Time; and (iii) any Old Verde AgriTech PLC Shares issued at or after the Voting Record Time but on or before the Scheme Record Time in respect of which the original or any subsequent holders thereof are, or shall have agreed in writing to be, bound by the Scheme, in each case other than any Old Verde AgriTech PLC Shares which are registered in the name of or beneficially owned by New Verde AgriTech PLC;

3 Scheme Shareholders: The holders of Scheme Shares.

4 Scheme Proposal: The recommended acquisition by New Verde AgriTech PLC of the entire issued share capital of Old Verde AgriTech PLC to be effected by way of the Scheme and subject to the Conditions and on the terms of this Circular including, where the context so requires, any subsequent revision, variation, extension or renewal of such proposal.

5 Conditions: The conditions of the Scheme Proposal set out in section A of Part 3 of this Circular, and condition shall mean any of them.

6 Learn more about our technologies: https://verde.docsend.com/view/yvthnpuv8jx6g4r9

7 See the release at: https://investor.verde.ag/2-5-million-tonnes-per-year-potash-mining-concession-granted-to-verde/

8 See the release at: https://investor.verde.ag/verde-to-reach-3-million-tonnes-potash-production-capacity-in-2022/

9 As per the National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects within Canada (NI 43 -101), filed on SEDAR in 2017. See the Pre-Feasibility Study at: https://investor.verde.ag/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/NI-43-101-Pre-Feasibility-Technical-Report-Cerrado-Verde-Project.pdf

10 Union of the Agricultural Fertilizers and Correctives Industry, in the State of Sao Paulo (SIACESP, from Sindicato da Industria de Fertilizantes e Corretivos Agropecuarios, no Estado de Sao Paulo).

Source: Verde AgriTech PLC
Brooklyn, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brooklyn Law Schools Board of Trustees, in consultation with the faculty, has assembled a search committee to determine a successor to Dean Michael T. Cahill, who announced in June that he would be returning to his previous position as tenured faculty at the end of the 2022-23 academic year.

Eileen T. Nugent 78, of counsel at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, and a member of the Law Schools Board of Trustees, will serve as chair of the Search Committee.

I am delighted that Eileen Nugent has agreed to serve as Search Committee chair, said Board of Trustees Chair Frank Aquila 83. On behalf of the entire Board of Trustees, I want to thank all the members of the Search Committee for taking on this crucial task.

Joining Nugent and Aquila, who will participate as an ex-officio member of the committee, will be fellow alumni and members of the Board of Trustees, as well as distinguished faculty members:





William D. Araiza , Stanley A. August Professor of Law

, Stanley A. August Professor of Law Christopher Beauchamp , Professor of Law

, Professor of Law Alexis J. Hoag-Fordjour , Assistant Professor of Law & Co-Director of the Center for Criminal Justice

, Assistant Professor of Law & Co-Director of the Center for Criminal Justice Melique Jones 98 , Chief People Officer at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts

, Chief People Officer at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Sasha L. Linney 11 , Associate General Counsel at Golden Tree Asset Management

, Associate General Counsel at Golden Tree Asset Management John Oswald 84 , President and CEO of Capital Trust Group

, President and CEO of Capital Trust Group David Reiss , Professor of Law & Research Director, Center for Urban Business Entrepreneurship (CUBE)

, Professor of Law & Research Director, Center for Urban Business Entrepreneurship (CUBE) Hon. Ramon E. Reyes Jr. 92 , U.S. Magistrate Judge and U.S. District Judge Nominee of the Eastern District of New York

, U.S. Magistrate Judge and U.S. District Judge Nominee of the Eastern District of New York Alice Ristroph , Professor of Law

, Professor of Law Steven G. Scheinfeld 85 , Global Chair of the Corporate Department at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson

, Global Chair of the Corporate Department at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson Danielle Tully, Associate Professor of Legal Writing

The Search Committee welcomes nominations and other recommendations for its consideration and those should be directed to Nugent, Aquila, or any other member of the committee. Once the Search Committee has selected the finalists it will offer members of the Brooklyn Law School community an opportunity to meet the candidates and provide input.

About Brooklyn Law School

Founded in 1901, Brooklyn Law School offers a vibrant intellectual community emphasizing teaching excellence, leading-edge scholarship, and an innovative academic program designed to prepare students for public service, business, and private practice, nationwide and across the globe. It is an independent institution, unaffiliated with any university or college, and the only law school in Brooklyn. The Law School offers J.D. and LL.M. degree programs. Visit Brooklyn Law School at www.brooklaw.edu.

###
TEMPE, Ariz., July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DriveTime will host a Mark Cuban Foundation Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bootcamp for high school students in the Fall of 2022. The No Cost AI Bootcamp in Tempe will be targeted at high school students and will introduce underserved students in grades 9 through 12 to basic AI concepts and skills.

DriveTime is one of 20+ host companies selected to host 30 camps across the US in Fall 2022.

The DriveTime Bootcamp will be held over four consecutive Saturdays starting on October 22nd and ending on November 12th.

The student and parent application are now open at markcubanai.org/application. Students do not need any prior experience with computer science, programming, or robotics to apply and attend.

Throughout the AI Bootcamp, students will learn what artificial intelligence is and is not, where they already interact with AI in their own lives, and the ethical implications of AI systems including but not limited to TikTok recommendations, smart home assistants, facial recognition, and self-driving cars to name a few.

Students will benefit from volunteer mentor instructors who are knowledgeable about data science and able to help students quickly understand material normally taught at a collegiate level. As part of the 5-hour curriculum, students also get to work in Microsoft Azure, Microsoft's cloud computing platform, each day to build their own AI applications related to Chatbots, Computer Vision, Machine Learning, and Natural Language Processing.

The Mark Cuban Foundation provides the bootcamps curriculum materials, trains volunteer mentors, and recruits and selects local students to attend camp. In addition, the Mark Cuban Foundation and DriveTime work together to provide food, transportation, and access to laptops for students at no cost throughout the duration of Bootcamp.

"This bootcamp gave me the opportunity to discover the potential that AI has to revolutionize our world, but more importantly, it helped me see that I have a place to make an impact and contribute to that progress."- Sarah S.

Founded by Mark Cuban in 2019, the AI Bootcamp initiative has hosted free AI bootcamps for students across several US cities, including Dallas, Pasadena, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Atlantic City to name a few. The Mark Cuban Foundation has impacted 450+ students to date and has a goal to have 1,000 students graduate from AI Bootcamps Program in 2023.

Students interested in applying to the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp should do so before Thursday, September 1st, 2022 at markcubanai.org/application. To see our 2022 camp locations and to learn more about the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamps, please visit markcubanai.org/faq.

Contact: Carli Lidiak, Mark Cuban FoundationPhone: 309-840-0348Email: [email protected]

Source: Mark Cuban Foundation
New York, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global real estate leader, Thor Equities Group, and leading Danish Pension Fund, PFA, today announced the acquisition of 12065 Pike Street in Santa Fe Springs; a premier cold storage warehouse fully leased to the worlds largest brewing company, Anheuser Busch.

Thor Equities and PFA have been partnering since 2016 to acquire, develop, and operate best-in-class assets and have established the Thor PFA USA Industrial Fund and Thor PFA European Mixed-Use Fund.

Situated on 8.7 acres, the asset includes two buildings totaling 158,800 square feet and features 16 exterior docks, 25 clear heights, a 110 truck court, and excess land for fleet and trailer parking, a rarity in the Los Angeles market. Located in the Mid-Counties submarket of Los Angeles with access to I-5 and I-605, the property is 17 miles from Downtown Los Angeles and 24 miles from the Port of Los Angeles.

This acquisition offers a rare opportunity to invest in one of the most desirable asset classes and industrial markets in Southern California. Given the proximity to the largest port in the U.S. and accessibility to a large population, the location is ideal for cold storage, and we expect the demand for this specialized asset-type to grow, said Chairman of Thor Equities Group, Joseph Sitt.

The acquisition represents Thors commitment to building a widespread industrial portfolio with new acquisitions in key markets in Georgia, Dallas, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Chicago in the last year.

Last week Thor acquired an industrial portfolio in Savannah for $49M, the third investment in the state of Georgia in the last nine months. Abroad, Thor recently sold a collection of prime assets across Spain, France, and the Netherlands, and has been especially active building its Spanish logistics portfolio. Last month, Thor launched its latest venture, Thor Digital, a division specializing on the acquisition and development of data centers across Europe with an equity commitment of up to US$3 billion and goal of US$9 billion in acquisitions value.

Attachment

Katie Smith Thor Equities 5514867218 [email protected]

Source: Thor Equities Group
FILE PHOTO: Traders work on the floor of the London Metal Exchange in London, Britain, September 27, 2018. REUTERS/Simon Dawson/File Photo

By Kirstin Ridley and Pratima Desai

LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. hedge fund Elliott Associates and Jane Street Global Trading are invoking the Human Rights Act as they seek to sue the London Metal Exchange (LME) for a combined $472 million over its decision to cancel nickel trades in March.

The nickel trading debacle is the biggest crisis to hit the world's oldest metals forum in decades.

Elliott and Jane Street, which are demanding damages of $456.4 million and $15.34 million respectively, are seeking a judicial review after the nickel price topped a record of $100,000 per tonne on March 8, prompting the LME's suspension of nickel trading and voiding of trades.

The two groups allege the LME acted unlawfully, breached its published policies, was disproportionate, favoured some market participants over others and violated their rights under the European Convention of Human Rights to the "peaceful enjoyment" of possessions, documents filed with London's High Court show.

The LME, which is owned by Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing, is resisting the claims, saying unprecedented market conditions caused a "disorderly" market and that it wanted to protect stability and integrity and avoid multiple defaults.

The LME is expected to file a more detailed response if London's High Court grants permission for a judicial review.

The case will test the LME's rules, which Elliott alleges lack clarity, guidance and precedence about when the exchange can use its cancellation powers - unlike the clear and detailed provisions about procedures that apply in the event of a default.

On the morning of March 8, the LME calculated that traders with short positions would have had to deposit a total of $19.7 billion in cash or collateral with the exchange's clearing house, LME Clear, to cover potential losses in the event of a default by an LME member bank or broker, the court documents seen by Reuters show.

"The action which the LME took was within its powers, and those powers were exercised fairly," an LME spokesman said on Thursday. "At all times, the LME sought to act in the interests of the market as a whole.

"The LME therefore continues to consider that Elliott's and Jane Street's grounds for complaint are without merit, and the LME will defend any judicial review proceedings vigorously."

Elliott declined to comment. Jane Street did not have any immediate comment.

(Reporting by Kirstin Ridley and Pratima Desai. Editing by Jane Merriman)
Phoenix, Arizona--(Newsfile Corp. - July 14, 2022) - The Stock Day Podcast welcomed Adamera Minerals Corp. (OTC Pink: DDNFF) ("the Company"), a company exploring for high-grade gold deposits near Republic Washington. CEO of the Company, Mark Kolebaba, joined Stock Day host Sever Copley.

Copley began the interview by asking about the Company's current drilling project. "We are talking about Buckhorn 2.0, which is the project that surrounds the past-producing Buckhorn Mine," said Kolebaba, adding that the area is known for having produced 1.3 million ounces of gold with an average grade of 13 grams per tonne. "We are looking for high-grade targets."

"We were able to do a deal with Kinross Gold Corporation for a lot of the older data," continued Kolebaba. "We put a value on that data of around $15 million and it advances us greatly, maybe by five to six years," he shared. "In the last several months we have reviewed the data in many different ways, and have been able to develop targets with multiple data sets."

"Could you tell us more about your other projects?", asked Copley. "One of our other big projects is Cooke Mountain, which is a project where we have a partnership with Hochschild Mining," said Kolebaba. "Last year we completed some drilling, and hit a couple of holes that had some high-grade gold," he shared. "We hope to do a bit more drilling on that this year as well."

"We also have a number of other projects," said Kolebaba. "However, a lot of these projects are strategic holdings," he explained. "Right now our key project is Buckhorn, which is our flagship project, and that is where the real value is."

"What message would you like to give investors?", asked Copley. "We are big believers in gold," said Kolebaba. "Secondly, we have $15 million of data that we are about to point the drill at," he said. "If you drill ten holes in this caliber of target, I think there is a chance to make a discovery," said Kolebaba. "We are very excited about this data set and the drill program we are about to embark on."

To hear Mark Kolebaba's entire interview, follow the link to the podcast here: https://audioboom.com/posts/8120758-adamera-minerals-corp-discusses-upcoming-drilling-program-for-it-s-buckhorn-mine-project-with-th.

Investors Hangout is a proud sponsor of "Stock Day," and Stock Day Media encourages listeners to visit the company's message board at https://investorshangout.com/

About Adamera

Adamera Minerals Corp. is exploring for high-grade gold deposits near Republic Washington. This area has reportedly produced 8 million ounces of gold. Adamera is the dominant regional explorer in the area.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Mark Kolebaba

President & CEO

For additional information please contact:

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.Adamera.com

The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Statements in this press release, other than purely historical information, including statements relating to the Company's future plans and objectives or expected results, may include forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions and are subject to all of the risks and uncertainties inherent in resource exploration and development. As a result, actual results may vary materially from those described in the forward-looking statements.

About The "Stock Day" Podcast

Founded in 2013, Stock Day is the fastest growing media outlet for Nano-Cap and Micro-Cap companies. It educates investors while simultaneously working with penny stock and OTC companies, providing transparency and clarification of under-valued, under-sold Micro-Cap stocks of the market. Stock Day provides companies with customized solutions to their news distribution in both national and international media outlets. The Stock Day Podcast is the number one radio show of its kind in America.

SOURCE:

Stock Day Media

(602) 821-1102

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/130921
Mississauga, Ontario and Sacramento, California--(Newsfile Corp. - July 14, 2022) - Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc.(CSE: BEE) (OTCQB: BEVVF) (CVE: BEE)(the "Company" or "BVT")is pleased to announce the Company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") with Bioglobal A.S. ("Bioglobal") in Turkey to accelerate BVT's entry into the region, with an option to further expand into adjacent countries.

Established in 2000, Bioglobal is a leading distributor of plant protection and plant nutrition products in Turkey, the Middle East and the Caucasus. Bioglobal has a long history of providing quality products and have well-established relationships with the region's growing community.

"BVT aligns perfectly to Bioglobal's core goal of providing sustainable and environmentally-friendly biological products to the agricultural marketplace," said A. zgur Ate_, General Manager of Bioglobal. "Pesticide residue poses a barrier to Turkish produce exports. Fortunately, BVT's biological fungicide, which reduces traditional chemical use, provides disease control and improves crop yield, is a scalable long-term solution - enhancing the overall export value."

Bioglobal will move forward on registration trials of BVT's proprietary Clonostachys rosea CR-7 (CR-7) biological fungicide with Turkish authorities - these are official research trials that are a required part of regulatory submission. If successful, the two companies will work towards a commercial agreement to market and distribute BVT's natural precision agriculture system to growers across the region.

"Turkey is an important producer of agricultural products, and bee pollination plays a vital role in Turkish agriculture with an estimated 300,000 bumble bee hives(1) sold in the country annually," said Christoph Lehnen, BVT Business Manager for Europe, Africa and Middle East. "Eastern European countries are major importers of Turkish produce. Therefore, our immediate market focus in Turkey will be to target strawberry and tomato growers, with plans to expand into oilseed such as rapeseed (canola), and other berries and vegetables. BVT products registered in the USA have been awarded a zero-residue rating, which will greatly assist in selling and marketing BVT in Turkey."

Turkish growers produced 440,968 metric tonnes of strawberries in 2018, while utilizing 16,102 hectares of farmland.(2) The country is ranked fourth globally in strawberry production, behind China, the US and Mexico.(3)The strawberry growing season in Turkey is long, with harvest starting in November and continuing into July.

Turkey is also fourth largest in the world in tomato production and is a leading exporter of the crop, with 12.2 million metric tonnes in 2018 using 176,430 hectares(4) of farmland. The companies will initially focus on greenhouse tomato production, where there is a serious need to address disease control, as the closed environment hinders the use of traditional spray chemicals.

"Greenhouse production represents a major market in Turkey, with a total of 77,000 hectares(5)," said Mr. Lehnen. "48% of the greenhouses are used to grow tomatoes, with a high utilization of bumble bees. This means what we've submitted for research approval represents a significant revenue opportunity for BVT."

"This milestone represents another step in what we have reiterated about BVT's overall strategic plan: with the expertise we have gained through increasing adoption of our technology in the US, we are now pursuing geographic expansions to open new, diversified revenue streams," said Ashish Malik, CEO of BVT. "Turkey is an important market for the crops we are focused on, and being a big exporter of these crops, growers there are looking for more consumer-friendly and environmentally sustainable solutions. We are pleased with the partnership we are building with Bioglobal - they are experts in the Turkish market and their focus is with sustainable biological solutions."

Through Bioglobal, the work required to commercialize and sell BVT's natural precision agriculture system in Turkey has already begun. BVT's product was submitted to the Turkish authorities for official trial research approval earlier this year, and once approved, trials will commence shortly. BVT's strategy is to continue to develop relationships with established partners in key markets to accelerate growth and broaden customer reach.

For more information on Bioglobal, visit their website at https://www.bioglobal.com.tr.

(1) Source: BVT estimate

(2) Source: FAOSTAT, 2018

(3) Source: NationMaster.com

(4) Source: FAOSTAT, 2018

(5) Source: A Haber, 2019

About Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc .

BVT, an agriculture technology company, is a market disruptor with a significant global market opportunity in the $240 billion crop protection and fertilizer market. BVT has pioneered a natural precision agriculture system that replaces chemical pesticides and wasteful plant protection product spray applications by delivering biological pesticide alternatives to crops using commercially grown bees. BVT's award-winning technology, precision vectoring, is completely harmless to bees and allows minute amounts of naturally-derived pesticides (called biologicals) to be delivered directly to blooms, providing improved crop protection and yield results than traditional chemical pesticides - and improving the health of the soil, the microbiome and the environment. Currently, BVT has over 65 granted patents, over 35 patents pending in all major agricultural countries worldwide and has US EPA registration of its Vectorite" with CR-7 (EPA Registration No. 90641-2) for sale as a registered biological fungicide for use on the labeled crops.

Additional information can be viewed at the Company's website www.beevt.com. To receive regular news updates from the Company, subscribe at www.beevt.com/newsletter.

Company Contact:

Ashish Malik, President & CEO

[email protected]

Investor Contact:

Babak Pedram, Investor Relations

Virtus Advisory Group

Tel: 416-995-8651

[email protected]

The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain statements contained in this press release constitute "forward-looking information" as such term is defined in applicable Canadian securities legislation. The words "may", "would", "could", "should", "potential", "will", "seek", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions as they relate to the Company, "annual revenue potential", are intended to identify forward-looking information. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking information. Such statements reflect the Company's current views and intentions with respect to future events, and current information available to the Company, and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including: planted acres, selling price of competitive chemical pesticides and the US to Canadian dollar exchange rate. Material factors or assumptions were applied in providing forward-looking information. Many factors could cause the actual results, performance or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking information to vary from those described herein should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize. These factors include changes in law, competition, litigation, the ability to implement business strategies and pursue business opportunities, state of the capital markets, the availability of funds and resources to pursue operations, new technologies, the ability to protect intellectual property rights, the ability to obtain patent protection for products, third-party intellectual property infringement claims, regulatory changes affecting products, failing research and development activities, the ability to reach and sustain profitability, dependence on business and technical experts, the ability to effectively manage business operations and growth, issuance of debt, dilution of existing securities, volatility of publicly traded securities, potential conflicts of interest, unlikelihood of dividend payments, the potential costs stemming from defending third-party intellectual property infringement claims, the ability to secure relationships with manufacturers and purchasers, as well as general economic, market and business conditions, as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in the Company's Filing Statement dated August 14,2020, filed with the CSE and securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada and available at www.sedar.com. Should any factor affect the Company in an unexpected manner, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, the actual results or events may differ materially from the results or events predicted. Any such forward-looking information is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. Moreover, the Company does not assume responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such forward-looking information. The forward-looking information included in this press release is made as of the date of this press release and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, other than as required by applicable law. All figures are in Canadian dollars.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/130670
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 14, 2022) - CVR Medical Corp. (TSXV: CVM) (OTCQB: CRRVF) ("CVR Medical" or the "Company" or "we") a Canadian listed and US based healthcare company in the medical device market is pleased to announce the completion and filing of its 2021 Financial Audit and Management Discussion and Analysis (MD&A). The financial report is posted on SEDAR. Paul Blunden, M.D., President CVR Medical Corp., acknowledges the quality work put in by the Audit Committee to complete the 2021 Audit.

About CVR Medical

CVR Medical Corp. is a healthcare company that operates in the medical device industry focused on the commercialization of its disruptive, proprietary Carotid Stenotic Scan device (the "CSS"). The CSS is a diagnostic tool that encompasses subsonic, infrasonic, and low frequency sound wave analysis technology. The CSS is a patented device designed to detect and measure carotid arterial stenosis. CVR Medical's shares are listed on the OTCQX under the symbol "CRRVF". The Company was previously listed for trading under the symbol "CVM". Additional information regarding the Company can be found in our recent filings with the SEDAR as well as the information maintained on our website at www.cvrmed.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD:

(signed) Paul Blunden, M.D.

President & Director

For further information contact:

Paul Blunden, M.D., President/ Director

Email: [email protected]

This press release contains forward-looking information that involves various risks and uncertainties regarding future events related to: trading on and dialogue with the Exchange, communications and negotiations with CVR Global, dialogue with certain advisors, the Term Sheet, the Proposed Restructuring, the Definitive Agreement, the License Agreement, the Review, certain corporate and securities law requirements, raising capital, the 2019 Audit and potential litigation. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements and are not guarantees of future performance of the Company. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits the Company will obtain from them. These forward-looking statements reflect management's current views and are based on certain expectations, estimates and assumptions which may prove to be incorrect. A number of risks and uncertainties could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including: (1) a failure or material setback in negotiations between the Company and CVR Global; (2) a failure of the Company to resume trading on the Exchange; (3) a failure of the Company to raise capital sufficient capital to relaunch the Company; (4) an inability to enter into a definitive agreement with CVR Global; (5)a downturn in general economic conditions in North America and internationally, (6) the inherent uncertainties and speculative nature associated with commercialization of technology and the practice of medicine;(7) a change in health regulations; (8) any number of events or causes which may delay or cease commercialization and development of the CSS Device; (9) the risk that the Company does not execute its business plan, (10) the risk of litigation between the Company and certain shareholders and the risk of litigation generally; (11) an inability to retain key employees, (12) am inability to finance operations and growth, (13) compliance with certain corporate and securities law requirements; and (14) other factors that are beyond the Company's control. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and, except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results differed from those projected in the forward-looking statements.

THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE INC. HAS NEITHER APPROVED NOR DISAPPROVED THE CONTENTS OF THIS PRESS RELEASE. NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/130956
Press Release

July 14, 2022 Revilla bill pushes to provide one tablet per student Senator Ramon Bong Revilla filed Senate Bill No. 258 that seeks to provide one tablet per student for those enrolled in public schools and state universities and colleges. "Bagamat dalawang taon na ang lumipas simula nang tayo ay tamaan ng pandemya, at may ilan na rin sigurong mga estudyante ang naka-adjust, hangad pa rin natin na mahandugan ang bawat mag-aaral ng sariling tablet upang makatulong sa kanilang pagaaral. Ito ay hindi lamang solusyon sa patuloy nating nararanasan ngayon, kung hindi paghahanda na rin natin sa future-proofing ng learning modalities para sa ating mga magaaral", Sen. Revilla explained. DepEd, in a statement, holds the position that distance learning would also address the persistent problem of classroom shortage in public schools, which is seen to recur once the classes shift to face-to-face arrangement post-pandemic. Former DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones further said that, "the greatest takeaway from this past year is that we have to be willing, flexible, and embrace technology". When enacted, the "One Tablet, One Student Program" will be implemented by the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education to provide a tablet computer to each student of public elementary, secondary, and tertiary schools to enable them to effectively participate in online learning. "The provision of learning gadgets to the students of the public school system will assure that quality education will be accessible to more Filipinos, especially to those who cannot buy on their own", Sen. Revilla added. In the bill, those students who already have their own personal learning gadgets shall be given educational assistance in the form of an internet allowance instead, to cover the cost of connectivity. In a survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) last year, 4 out of 10 Filipino students aged 5 to 20 years old do not have a device for distance learning. However, even before the crafting of the proposed law, Sen. Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. has already launched his own initiative, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic last 2020, to distribute tablet computers among Filipinos who are greatly in need of gadgets for the conduct of their work or online classes. Through his effort, the Kaalaman, Ating Palawakin (KAP) Amazing Gadget Giveaway provided thousands of beneficiaries with fully-functional tablet device. The initiative started when many of his followers on his social media accounts requested for laptops and tablets to be used amidst the adjustment on workplaces and schools due to the pandemic. Sen. Revilla immediately responded to the call and did his best to give many Filipino workers and students the means to continue their work and studies remotely. "The changing of times demand that we respond swiftly to the needs of our people. Our laws must always be ever dynamic and responsive especially in ensuring that the youth, who we so fondly call the future of this nation, will have bright future through programs that help enrich their education. The "new normal" after all, has taught us that emerging trends in learning should be adapted to so that no student will be left behind", Sen. Revilla stressed.
YEREVAN, JULY 14, ARMENPRESS. During the Cabinet meeting today Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan urged the ministry of emergency situations to intensity awareness raising works on fire safety rules.

The PM said that there is a dangerous situation in the country now because of the high rise in air temperature, stressing the need for preventive measures.

The important factor is the approach of our citizens, their behavior while in nature. Lets ask our citizens to strictly follow the fire safety rules and also be careful as leaving glass panes in nature is dangerous. The ministry of emergency situations should activate the preventive measures and be ready to response in an operational way. Last year we acquired two helicopters which enables to carry out fire-fighting works. Trials were already implemented, we should be convinced whether the personnel is ready or not, the PM stated.

He urged to hold regular awareness-raising campaigns by using media and social networks. Its a very dangerous situation, and we should do everything to prevent bad developments, he said.

In his turn Minister of Emergency Situations Armen Pambukhchyan said that they have convened an urgent session over the rise of air temperature and will work on an enhanced regime these days.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 14, 2022) - Glow LifeTech Corp. (CSE: GLOW) (OTCQB: GLWLF) (FSE: 9DO) ("Glow" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that it has extended the expiry date of an aggregate of 8,569,217 previously issued warrants (the "Warrants"). The Warrants were originally issued by the Company on March 3, 2021 at an exercise price of $0.40 per common share. The Warrants have been extended for an additional two (2) years, with the amended expiry being March 3, 2024.

Glow's Ongoing Activities[1]

On July 7, Glow announced its focus on the final stages of development of proprietary CBD (cannabidiol) and THC[2] (tetrahydrocannabinol) water-soluble ingredients in preparation for launch in Canada. With Glow's licensed cannabis processing space now built out and equipment successfully commissioned earlier this year, the company has been actively developing a diverse portfolio of high-bioavailability cannabis ingredients and new proprietary technologies to expand the Company's portfolio of solutions.

The Company's MyCell Technology is an advanced delivery system that transforms poorly absorbed cannabinoids, like CBD and THC, into water-soluble concentrates that have fast-acting onset, high-absorption and precise dosing.

Glow is engaged with a renowned branding firm and is in the late stages of establishing a refreshed brand identity that reflects the cutting-edge performance and quality of its technology and products. The Company is also pleased to report the completion of the recruitment phase of the ongoing clinical study on patients with long COVID syndrome, to assess the impact of its proprietary natural health product Artemic Support, which features MyCell Technology.[3]

Glow's portfolio of high-performance water-soluble cannabis ingredient solutions will unlock a step-change in what's possible with cannabis-infused products, enabling partner brands to easily innovate and differentiate with high-value products that are more effective, fast-acting, consistent and deliver predictable dosing. The versatility of MyCell enhanced concentrates allows them to power a variety of product formats including: droppers, beverages, foods, topicals, and capsules.

SUBSCRIBE: For more information on Glow or to subscribe to the Company's mail list visit: https://www.glowlifetech.com/news

About Glow LifeTech Corp.

Glow LifeTech is a Canadian-based biotechnology company focused on producing nutraceutical and cannabinoid-based products with dramatically enhanced bioavailability, absorption and effectiveness. Glow has rights to the groundbreaking, plant-based MyCell Technology delivery system, which transforms poorly absorbed natural compounds into enhanced water-compatible concentrates that unlock the full healing potential of the valuable compounds.

Website: www.glowlifetech.com

Contact:

James Van Staveren

Glow LifeTech Corp.

TF. 855-442-GLOW (4569)

ir@glowlifetech.com

Forward-looking Information Cautionary Statement

Except for statements of historic fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to delays or uncertainties with regulatory approvals, including that of the CSE. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. There are no assurances that the commercialization plans for the technology described in this news release will come into effect on the terms or time frame described herein. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com

[1]https://www.glowlifetech.com/news-blog/glow-provides-update-on-cannabis-development-activities-and-ongoing-clinical-studies

[2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrahydrocannabinol

[3]https://www.glowlifetech.com/news-blog/glow-lifetech-announces-commencement-of-clinical-study-of-artemic-support-featuring-mycell-technology-on-patients-with-long-covid

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/130941
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 14, 2022) - WildSky Resources (TSXV: WSK) ("WildSky" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company launched its exploration program in Nigeria on 3 Niobium-Tantalum exploration licences at the end of February after the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted.





Figure 1

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4505/130952_d0527b1bf4a5284f_002full.jpg

Mapping, prospecting, and geochemical surveys have been conducted at the South-East part of License EL 29626, where the regional Niobium-Tantalum mineralization trend passes. The outcrop or soil sampling was done at 50 metre spacings along grid lines spaced 200 meters apart. The lines were oriented at 330. One Portable Olympus Vanta VCR Geochemical Analyzer (XRF) was purchased in Vancouver and shipped to Nigeria to support this exploration program. The exploration team was divided into two groups, with one group using the XRF to analyze the sample in the field, and the other collecting samples and taking them to the camp for analyzing purposes. The XRF's detection limit is 5-7 ppm for both Niobium and Tantalum, and 4ppm for Thorium. 10 standard Nb-Ta samples were purchased from Vancouver and South Africa to control the XRF detection quality. The field team frequently used the XRF to analyze the standard samples and compared the results, indicating that the Niobium and Thorium detection errors are less than 20%. However, the Ta results are more variable.





Figure 2

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4505/130952_d0527b1bf4a5284f_003full.jpg





Figure 3

To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4505/130952_d0527b1bf4a5284f_004full.jpg

By the end of June, the Company completed 19.8 square kilometers of mapping and geochemical surveys. In addition, 1297 rock samples and 491 soil samples have been analyzed. Obvious Niobium-Thorium anomalies have been delineated at the Southern end and the North-Eastern corner of EL 29624, which are coincident with the regional Thorium anomalies where the Kenyang Nb-Ta open-pit mine is located in.

The younger grey-white, fine-grained granite stocks outcropped in the South and North-East Niobium-Thorium anomalies area. This younger granite was thought an important mineralization caused intrusion in the Kenyang Niobium-Tantalum mine.

The Company proposed to drill five (5) shallow holes (100m each) to test the Niobium-Thorium anomalies, 1 in North-East and 4 in South Nb-Th anomaly, and drilling of hole BH05 is currently underway.





Figure 4

To view an enhanced version of Figure 4, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4505/130952_d0527b1bf4a5284f_005full.jpg

In addition, the Company's technical team is also investigating new Lithium and Tantalum projects in Africa for potential acquisition by the Company.

The technical disclosure in this news release was reviewed and approved by Wenhong Jin, P.Geo., the Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

About WildSky Resources Inc.

WildSky Resources Inc. is a Canadian based exploration and development company with an office located in Vancouver, B.C. The Company's goal is to create value for shareholders through continuously exploring and developing its current properties in Nigeria, and at the same time looking for new properties to acquire through its international connections.

For more information on WildSky Resources, please contact the Company at (778) 889-4966, or visit the Company's website at www.wildskyresources.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

"signed by Wenhong Jin"

Wenhong Jin

President and CEO

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/130952
Market primed for accelerated growth through new, Engage Local initiative

MINNEAPOLIS, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Associated Banc-Corp (NYSE: ASB) today announced the appointment of Paul Schmidt to the role of Twin Cities market president. The company also announced plans for the expansion of its market commitment and accelerated growth through its new Engage Local initiative.

"With approximately $2.5 billion in deposits1, Minnesota is Associated Bank's third-largest footprint. Given its strong economy and diverse set of industries, this market has tremendous opportunity for growth," said Andy Harmening, president and CEO, Associated Bank. "I can't think of a better person to serve as our market president and lead these efforts than Paul Schmidt. As a veteran of the commercial finance business and highest-ranking colleague in the Twin Cities, he knows and is committed to the success of this market."

Schmidt joined Associated Bank in 2015 and has nearly 40 years of banking experience. In addition to the role of market president, he will continue to serve as the company's head commercial real estate and facilities and as a member of the executive leadership team.

His appointment comes following the successful implementation of multiple corporate-level initiatives focused on the expansion of the company's core lending capabilities, growth of its core businesses and people-first, digital-forward strategies.

"These strategic plans are already well into the execution phase, and we are seeing encouraging results across the board," said Harmening. "Now, we are charting the future of our business on a regional level, with our new Engage Local initiative."

In this expanded role, Schmidt will provide leadership for the market, which includes approximately 200 colleagues across 17 locations. Associated has operated in the market since the mid-90s and offers a full array of consumer, wealth management, commercial banking and commercial real estate products and services to the bank's customer base.

Schmidt will also lead the Twin Cities regional leadership team in prioritizing efforts for the market. This ground-up approach takes areas of the business that are important to the company  sales, marketing, charitable giving, volunteerism and culture  and empowers colleagues to bring them to life at the local level.

"To grow the business, we must respond to  and ideally, anticipate our colleague, customer and community needs," said Schmidt. "Given our size and strength in the market, we are well positioned to focus on opportunities to grow our business while making Associated Bank a stronger partner for our customers and the community."

Associated Bank launched its Engage Local initiative in the greater Twin Cities market in the second quarter.

More information is available in the Associated Bank newsroom.

1$2.5 billion in deposits as of the FDIC data published annually

ABOUT ASSOCIATED BANC-CORP

Associated Banc-Corp (NYSE: ASB) has total assets of $35 billion and is Wisconsin's largest bank holding company. Headquartered in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Associated is a leading Midwest banking franchise, offering a full range of financial products and services from more than 200 banking locations serving more than 100 communities throughout Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota. The company also operates loan production offices in Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio and Texas. Associated Bank, N.A. is an Equal Housing Lender, Equal Opportunity Lender and Member FDIC. More information about Associated Banc-Corp is available at www.associatedbank.com.

Media Contact: Jennifer Kaminski Vice President | Public Relations Senior Manager920-491-7576 | [email protected]

Investor Contact: Ben McCarvilleVice President | Director of Investor Relations920-491-7059 | [email protected]

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SOURCE Associated Banc-Corp
Networking and Educational Event Series Join Cambridge Innovation Institute's Extensive Portfolio

NEEDHAM, Mass., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cambridge Innovation Institute (CII) announces the acquisition of Rockville, Maryland-based Evaluating Biopharma (EBP) from BioPlan Associates, Inc. The EBP acquisition includes the properties in its event portfolio as well as its media offerings.

Phillips Kuhl, President of Cambridge Innovation Institute, says, "We are regularly looking for additional ways to work with and provide valuation content to those in the bioprocessing field. Evaluating Biopharma provides an excellent means of expanding our range of offerings for this rapidly growing industry segment. Their rare blend of education and networking is an ideal match for our Cambridge Healthtech Institute event portfolio."

"Joining the CII family of intelligence platforms provides the Evaluating Biopharma networking event series with the unique opportunity to leverage and build upon the expertise and information presented at CHI events, including The Bioprocessing Summit and Bioprocessing Summit Europe. The series provides invited industry leaders the opportunity to reconnect and strengthen relationships throughout the year, to access and evaluate proven experience to implement credible, applicable action plans to improve bioprocess efficiency and ultimately accelerate success," says Brian Caine, Co-Founder and Managing Director.

The Evaluating Biopharma networking and education event series was created to fill a generational knowledge gap. Eric Langer, President of BioPlan Associates, Inc., notes, "CHI offers a remarkable set of resources and skills that will rapidly expand the reach of these unique programs and ensure the networking component achieves its full potential in the industry." In addition to facilitating effective networking, Evaluating Biopharma events provide experienced industry veterans with a unique platform to spotlight their expertise, share their bioprocessing and business insight, and provide unparalleled advice. Ultimately, the mission is to "pay it forward," and help today's biopharmaceutical leaders leverage sound information to help biopharmaceutical companies make better, more effective business, process, and strategy decisions.

About Cambridge Innovation Institute

(www.CambridgeInnovationInstitute.com)A vision since 1992: Cambridge Innovation Institute (CII) delivers cutting-edge information through events, publishing, and training to leading commercial, academic, government, and research institutes across the life science and energy industries. Cambridge Innovation Institute consists of two business areas: our coverage of advances in life sciences under the well-established Cambridge Healthtech Institute (CHI) brand and coverage of rechargeable batteries under the Cambridge EnerTech (CET) brand. We focus on high technology fields where research and development are essential for the advancement of innovation.

About Evaluating Biopharma

(www.evalutatingbiopharma.com)Evaluating Biopharma networking and education events, co-founded by Eric Langer and BioPlan Associates, Inc. deliver intimate, interactive, targeted forums where all participants - speakers, attendees, sponsors, directly connected to the theme, can discuss universal challenges, share experiences, and access solutions to improve process efficiency, accelerate manufacturing, and ultimately deliver life-changing treatments to patients safely, effectively, profitably.

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SOURCE Cambridge Innovation Institute
Crash Champions to become a leading national collision repair service provider and one of the fastest growing operators with over 550 locations across 35 states

CHICAGO and SANTA MONICA, Calif. and DALLAS, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Crash Champions ("Crash Champions" or the "Company"), one of the nation's fastest growing independent collision repair service providers, announced today that it has entered into an agreement to receive a growth investment from Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. (together with its affiliates, "Clearlake") and will simultaneously execute a strategic transaction with Service King Collision ("Service King"). Crash Champions' management team and operating partners, alongside Clearlake, will lead the combined Company going forward. Following closing and integration, the Company will operate over 550 total locations across 35 states and the District of Columbia under the Crash Champions name and banner. Terms of the transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions including regulatory clearances, were not disclosed.

Founded in 1999 by Matt Ebert, Crash Champions is a U.S. operator of over 200 collision repair facilities. Having expanded from a single storefront in Chicago into a present-day network of 20 states, each location is built on the Company's founder and operator-led values, championing customer service and workplace satisfaction.

Since its founding in 1976, Service King has grown into one of the industry's largest collision repair platforms with over 330 locations spanning 24 states. Today, Service King offers deep footprint coverage in many of the nation's fastest growing MSAs, including Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Nashville, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. Partnering with Crash Champions will allow Service King to better serve its customers and carrier partners, while driving long-term value for employees, vendors, and investors.

"Today is an exciting day for Crash Champions and another major milestone in our growth story," said Mr. Ebert, founder and CEO of Crash Champions. "This strategic combination further enhances our ability to serve our customers and insurance partners while creating advancement opportunities for our team members across both organizations."

As part of the transaction, Clearlake is providing growth capital to Crash Champions. This marks Clearlake's second investment in the collision repair industry, having recently announced the capital infusion and debt recapitalization of Service King. Crash Champions' management team will execute on the Company's go-forward strategy with Clearlake's support.

"This investment was driven by our thematic-based approach to investing in the automotive aftermarket and our specific identification of the collision repair sector as an ecosystem at a historical inflection point," said Jose E. Feliciano, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, and Colin Leonard, Partner of Clearlake. "The proliferation of vehicle technology has put unique demands on the shop operators to invest in OEM certifications, equipment, and most importantly their personnel to deliver safe and efficient service. We are impressed by Matt and the Crash Champions leadership team and admire their commitment to customer service and re-investment in both their operations and talent. It is exciting to partner with them to create this differentiated national platform, and we look forward to utilizing our O.P.S. framework to unlock the inherent value of this combination and position the platform for continued strong growth."

Following the closing of this deal, the combined Company's total workforce will exceed 9,200 team members. Crash Champions and Service King have highly complementary geographic footprints with limited overlap. During the post-closing integration activities, both Crash Champions and Service King will continue operating at all service centers nationwide without interruption.

"We remain committed to the operator-first mindset that has guided us throughout our history. This approach has enabled us to successfully integrate hundreds of shops and thousands of employees into one of the leading employers in the collision repair industry. As we welcome Service King's customers and skilled team members into our family, we will continue this tradition and earn their trust every day," concluded Mr. Ebert.

For more information about Crash Champions, visit our website and watch our video here. For those collision repair companies interested in selling their business, Crash has made it easy. Please visit www.crashchampions.com/sell-your-shop to learn more.

About Crash Champions

Crash Champions is a leading independent collision repair company operating 218 state-of-the-art centers across 20 statesincluding: California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsinas well as Washington, DC. Founded in 1999 as a single shop outside Chicago by industry veteran and entrepreneur Matt Ebert, today Crash Champions is one of the fastest growing and largest founder-led and operated collision repair MSOs in America. For more information, visit www.crashchampions.com.

About Service King Collision

Service King Collision, which is now celebrating over 45 years of experience in the automotive repair industry, is a national operator of comprehensive, high-quality auto body collision repair facilities. The organization is consistently recognized for its commitment to customer satisfaction, quality workmanship, and giving back to the industry through innovative training and recruiting initiatives. Service King traces its roots to Dallas, Texas and founder Eddie Lennox, who opened the first Service King in 1976. Today, Service King operates 334 locations in 24 states, as well as the District of Columbia. For more information, please visit www.serviceking.com.

About Clearlake Capital Group

Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. is an investment firm founded in 2006 operating integrated businesses across private equity, credit, and other related strategies. With a sector-focused approach, the firm seeks to partner with management teams by providing patient, long-term capital to businesses that can benefit from Clearlake's operational improvement approach, O.P.S. The firm's core target sectors are industrials, technology, and consumer. Clearlake currently has over $72 billion of assets under management, and its senior investment principals have led or co-led over 400 investments. The firm is headquartered in Santa Monica, CA with affiliates in Dallas, TX, London, UK and Dublin, Ireland. More information is available at www.clearlake.com and on Twitter @Clearlake.

Contacts:

For Crash ChampionsGaffney Bennett PR[email protected]

For ClearlakeJennifer HursonLambert & Co.(845) 507-0571[email protected]

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SOURCE Crash Champions; Clearlake Capital Group
ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- DCS Corporation is pleased to announce the award of a 10-year Scientific, Technical, Engineering and Program Support Services (STEPSS) contract. STEPSS is a multiple-award, Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity contract with a $869M shared ceiling to support the United States Army Development Command Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM CBC) and other Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and high-yield Explosive (CBRNE) defense agencies.

"DCS is excited for the opportunity to expand our support to DEVCOM CBC and CBRNE agencies," said Jim Benbow, DCS CEO. "We look forward to building on our technical expertise and delivering technologies to the U.S. Army and the Warfighter."

Under STEPSS, DCS will compete for task orders to provide technical support for research, development, test and evaluation, engineering, acquisition (product development, fielding and support) and chemical and biological demilitarization operations. DCS currently supports DEVCOM CBC in the areas of bioinformatics, decontamination science, and NBC battlefield integration. The STEPSS contract will allow DCS to expand its customer base and footprint.

DEVCOM CBC

DEVCOM CBC is the primary Department of Defense technical organization for non-medical chemical and biological defense providing innovative CBRNE defense capabilities to enable the Joint Warfighters' dominance on the battlefield and interagency defense of the homeland. CBC possesses an unrivaled chemical biological research and development infrastructure with scientists, engineers, technicians and specialists located at four different sites in the United States: Edgewood Area of Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD; Pine Bluff, AR; Rock Island, IL; and Dugway Proving Ground, UT.

About DCS

An employee-owned company, DCS offers advanced technology, engineering, and management solutions to Government agencies in the national security sector. The transformative ideas, commitment to quality, and entrepreneurial spirit that characterize our employee-owners allow us to ensure the success of each customer's mission and actively contribute to the well-being of the Nation.For more information, please visit: https://www.dcscorp.com.

CONTACTDCS Corporation[email protected]571-227-6000

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SOURCE DCS Corporation
18 Florida-based organizations receive funds to support educational opportunities, career training to help meet local workforce needs

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Duke Energy Foundation and Duke Energy Florida have awarded $697,000 in grants to support a wide range of workforce training and development initiatives, as well as programs focused on attracting and retaining underrepresented and diverse workers.

"Duke Energy remains committed to creating access to workforce opportunities for the customers and communities we serve," said Duke Energy Florida State President Melissa Seixas. "These grants will help the organizations on the front lines assist Florida's current and future workers in obtaining the critical skills necessary to meet the state's evolving workforce needs."

Of the 18 Florida-based organizations that received funding this year, many are among higher education institutions that provide career-focused curriculum and training opportunities for students to gain valuable skills and meet local workforce demands.

For example, Lake-Sumter State College (LSSC) is receiving an $85,000 grant to prepare students for a competitive and high-demand career in linework.

LSSC will work to expand its utility-based program offerings to include a certificate program in renewable energy, as well as continue to provide scholarships to local students interested in participating in the Lineworker Boot Camp.

"We are so appreciative for the Duke Energy Foundation's gift to support energy education programs and student scholarships at Lake-Sumter State College," said Dr. Laura Byrd, senior vice president of institutional advancement and executive director, LSSC Foundation. "Our strong relationship with Duke Energy allows us to offer industry-leading energy education opportunities for students. With this year's gift, we look forward to expanding our programs to include courses and specializations in renewable energy."

Also among the grant recipients is AmSkills, a nonprofit organization that aims to transform lives and strengthen communities through workforce training and apprenticeships for youth, adults, veterans and the economically disadvantaged.

The $21,500 from the Duke Energy Foundation will support the expansion of AmSkills Manufacturing Academy, a Florida Department of Education registered pre-apprenticeship program at Anclote High School in Pasco County.

"Many young adults are not given the opportunity to explore different career paths before graduating, resulting in a group of young people who are unsure of what path to take after high school," said Tom Mudano, AmSkills president and chief executive officer. "AmSkills launched a manufacturing academy at Anclote High School in Pasco County in 2020, and it has grown from 30 students to more than 120 expected for the upcoming school year. Duke Energy's support has helped us both launch and grow this program and is truly helping to transform the lives of many young adults. We are so appreciative of their support."

Grants are administered through the Duke Energy Foundation, which is investing in workforce programs to help create vibrant economies in the communities we serve.

Duke Energy Florida

Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 10,300 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 1.9 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.

Duke Energy Foundation

The Duke Energy Foundation provides more than $30 million annually in philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The foundation is funded by Duke Energy shareholders.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 28,000 people.

Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy transition to achieve its goals of net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business and at least a 50% carbon reduction from electric generation by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The 2050 net-zero goals also include Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 emissions. In addition, the company is investing in major electric grid enhancements and energy storage, and exploring zero-emission power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2022 "World's Most Admired Companies" list and Forbes' "America's Best Employers" list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Media contact: Audrey StaskoCell: 315.877.3031Media line: 800.559.3853Twitter: @DE_AudreyS

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SOURCE Duke Energy
Gift to 30 Food Banks Will Help Provide Healthy Meals to Children and Families Across the U.S.

CHICAGO, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its commitment to help create healthier generations, The Walt Disney Company has made a contribution to Feeding America to support efforts to source more produce and increase the number of nutritious meals provided to children and families who need it most. This year marks the 10th year that Disney and Feeding America have teamed up. To celebrate that relationship, Disney will fund 30 Feeding America member food banks throughout the U.S. In FY21, with help from donors like Disney, Feeding America secured more than 2.1 billion pounds of fruits and vegetables and plans to provide even more nourishing produce to families in need this year.

"We are thrilled to celebrate 10 years of working with The Walt Disney Company," said Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America. "Long term collaborations like this one are crucial to supporting the people we serve year after year, and Disney's produce grants are no exception. They are helping to make meaningful change in these 30 communities across the country. We are grateful for their continued support for our neighbors in need."

Since 2012, Disney has supported Feeding America's efforts to end hunger in the U.S., providing significant funding for the organization's produce programs and volunteer efforts at member food banks. This year's funding will help food banks provide more fresh produce to kids and families facing hunger by removing barriers to sourcing and distributing produce, building capacity by increasing refrigeration and equipment at food banks or helping to store and distribute fresh produce within communities to people who need it most. This generous grant was announced on Good Morning America today and featured an appearance by Michael Chernow, a member of City Harvest's Food Council, sharing delicious, nutritious and simple recipes using fresh produce easily obtained at local community food banks and pantries.

In addition to the produce grant, Disney has collaborated with Feeding America on a variety of other initiatives over the years. Disney has participated in food rescue programs via their theme parksin fact each year, Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort provide hundreds of thousands of meals in food donations to their local Second Harvest Food Banks. Disney VoluntEARS help collect, sort and distribute food which provides opportunities for employees and cast members to engage their local member food banks and make a tangible impact on food insecurity issues in their communities. And across the U.S., ABC Owned Television Stations have supported local Feeding America member food banks in each of their eight markets by activating in local communities to donate nutritious food.

See list of grant recipient food banks below.

Central Texas Food Bank  Austin, TXConnecticut Foodshare  Wallingford, CTLowcountry Food Bank  Charleston, SCSecond Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina  Charlotte, NCGreater Chicago Food Depository  Chicago, ILFood Bank of Contra Costa and Solano  Concord, CAMontgomery County Food Bank  Conroe, TXSecond Harvest Food Bank of Southeast North Carolina  Fayetteville, NCTreasure Coast Food Bank  Fort Pierce, FLCentral California Food Bank  Fresno, CANorthern Illinois Food Bank  Geneva, ILLong Island Cares, Inc.  Hauppauge, NYCommunity Foodbank of New Jersey  Hillside, NJHouston Food Bank  Houston, TXSecond Harvest Food Bank of Orange County  Irvine, CALos Angeles Regional Food Bank  Los Angeles, CAFood Bank For New York City  New York, NYCity Harvest  New York, NYAlameda County Community Food Bank  Oakland, CASecond Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida  Orlando, FLFood Share of Ventura County  Oxnard, CAFeeding South Florida  Pembroke Park, FLPhilabundance  Philadelphia, PAFood Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina  Raleigh, NCFeeding America Riverside | San Bernardino Counties  Riverside, CASan Francisco and Marin Food Banks  San Francisco, CASecond Harvest of Silicon Valley  San Jose, CARedwood Empire Food Bank  Santa Rosa, CAFood Lifeline  Seattle, WACapital Area Food Bank  Washington, DC

To learn about Feeding America and the network of food banks, visit FeedingAmerica.org/Disney.

*$1 helps provide at least 10 meals secured by Feeding America on behalf of local member food banks.

Contact Zuani VillarrealFeeding America312.641.6532

About Feeding America

Feeding America is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of more than 200 food banks, 21 statewide food bank associations, and over 60,000 partner agencies, food pantries and meal programs, we helped provide 6.6 billion meals to tens of millions of people in need last year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; brings attention to the social and systemic barriers that contribute to food insecurity in our nation; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry.

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SOURCE Feeding America
Tampa General Leader, Nicole Justice has been selected to serve on the Florida Board of Medicine.

TAMPA, Fla., July 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Governor Ron DeSantis has appointed Tampa General Hospital Senior Director of Patient Safety Nicole Justice to the Florida Board of Medicine. Her appointment is subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

"Tampa General is committed to excellence in patient care and this appointment is further recognition of that commitment as well as the expertise and integrity of Tampa General's leadership team," said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General. "Nicole has been outstanding in perpetuating and elevating our safety standards and we would be honored for her to serve on the Florida Board of Medicine."

Justice is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Risk Management, a member of the Florida Society for Healthcare Risk Management and Patient Safety, has completed the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's Patient Safety Executive program, is an alumni of Leadership Tampa's class of 2019 and is the past Chairman of RISE Tampa's board. Justice earned her bachelor's degree in management from the University of South Florida and her master's degree in jurisprudence in health and hospital law and pharmaceutical and medical device compliance law from Seton Hall University's School of Law, South Orange, N.J.

"I appreciate the opportunity to serve on the Florida Board of Medicine and to represent Tampa General," Justice said. "I have a deep passion for enhancing the focus on patient safety in the delivery of health care. I will be honored to serve if approved for the Florida Board of Medicine."

The Florida Board of Medicine plays a leading role in the ever-changing health care environment through dialogue with the public, the legislature, academia, and the medical community.

The Florida Board of Medicine licenses, monitors, disciplines, educates, and when appropriate, rehabilitates physicians and other practitioners to ensure their fitness and competence in the service of the people in Florida. It consists of 15 members appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate.

In addition to Justice, other Tampa General Leaders appointed by the Governor to serve on state boards are Maja Gift, director of Pharmacy Services to the Board of Pharmacy in 2021 and Dr. Seema Weinstein, manager of Psychology and Neuropsychology, to the Board of Psychology in 2021.

ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL

Tampa General Hospital, a 1,041-bed, not-for-profit, academic medical center, is one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the region's only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. Tampa General Hospital is the highest-ranked hospital in the market in U.S. News & World Report's 2021-22 Best Hospitals, and one of the top four hospitals in Florida, with five specialties ranking among the best programs in the United States. Tampa General Hospital has been designated as a model of excellence by the 2022 Fortune/Merative 100 Top Hospitals list. The academic medical center's commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by two prestigious 2021 Forbes magazine rankings  America's Best Employers by State, third out of 100 Florida companies and first among health care and social organizations, and 13th nationally in America's Best Employers for Women. Tampa General is the safety net hospital for the region, caring for everyone regardless of their ability to pay, and in fiscal year 2020, provided a net community benefit worth more than $182.5 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education, and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It is one of the nation's busiest adult solid organ transplant centers and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With six medical helicopters, Tampa General Hospital transports critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care they need. Tampa General houses a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center, and its 32-bed Neuroscience, Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida. It also is home to the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed Level IV neonatal intensive care unit, and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General Hospital's footprint includes 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices, TGH Family Care Center Kennedy, TGH Brandon Healthplex, TGH Virtual Health, and 21 TGH Imaging powered by Tower outpatient radiology centers throughout Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Palm Beach counties. Tampa Bay area residents also receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track network of clinics, and they can even receive home visits in select areas through TGH Urgent Care at Home, powered by Fast Track. As one of the largest hospitals in the country, Tampa General Hospital is the first in Florida to partner with GE Healthcare and open a clinical command center that uses artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to improve and better coordinate patient care at a lower cost. For more information, go to www.tgh.org.

Media Contact: Karen BarreraAssistant Director of Communications & Partnerships(813) 844-8725 (direct)(813) 928-1603 (cell)[email protected]

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SOURCE Tampa General Hospital
Student-designed investigation will test use of biosensors for water quality monitoring

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- An experiment by Genes in Space 2021 contest winner Selin Kocalar, 18, of San Jose, California, will launch today to the International Space Station aboard the SpaceX Commercial Resupply mission SpX-25. Kocalar, then a high school senior, won the competition by proposing a new way to detect environmental contaminants in drinking water aboard spacecraft.

Kocalar's research project tests novel biosensor technology for potential use in water quality monitoring. Biosensors are biological systems engineered to detect specific molecules, often harmful contaminants. Kocalar will validate two biosensors, each of which will produce a fluorescent signal in response to the particular target molecules they are designed to detect. This fluorescence will be visualized by an astronaut using the Genes in Space Fluorescence Viewer, a compact and easy-to-operate tool for molecular visualization.

"I am thrilled about the possibilities that Genes in Space-9 opens for us," Kocalar said. "Hopefully this investigation can inspire future synthetic biology technologies for space, such as point-of-care medical diagnostics and biosensor-embedded spacesuits."

In collecting data for Kocalar's experiment, NASA astronauts will use BioBits, a cell-free gene expression system, in space for the first time. BioBits uses DNA-encoded information to synthesize biologicals in vitro, opening up possibilities for on-demand production of therapeutics, biomaterials, and research tools aboard spacecraft.

"This is the kind of experiment we had in mind when we started Genes in Space  one that can demonstrate a technological innovation that ultimately improves life on Earth," said Boeing's Scott Copeland, a co-founder of the Genes in Space program.

Kocalar, who will enroll at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology this fall, won Genes in Space as a student at Leigh High School in San Jose, California. Kocalar designed her experiment with input from her sponsor, Dylan Barcelos, who himself placed as a finalist in the Genes in Space competition in 2016, and her mentor, Harvard University scientist Bess Miller.

Kocalar's experiment will build on advances made by previous winners of the Genes in Space contest, including the first instance of CRISPR gene editing in space. Genes in Space was founded in 2015 by miniPCR bio and Boeing, with additional support from the ISS U.S. National Laboratory and New England Biolabs.

Learn more: www.genesinspace.org

Media contact: Katy Martin, [email protected], 781-990-8727

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SOURCE Genes in Space
YEREVAN, JULY 14, ARMENPRESS. The body of Armenian conscript Arsen Manukyan, born in 2003, was found with a gunshot wound in the head in a military position of one of the military units located in the eastern direction of the Republic on July 14, at 10:25, the Ministry of Defense of Armenia said.

Investigation is underway to clarify the circumstances of the incident.
ERLANGER, Ky., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hy-Tek Material Handling and Advanced Handling Systems (AHS), a Hy-Tek Material handling company, leading full-service integrators of automated fulfillment and distribution solutions, announced yesterday the Grand Opening of their newly updated 20,000 square-foot Innovation Lab. Among the audience were Mayor Jessica Fette, customers, prospects, and other local government officials. Located in Erlanger, KY, the event was held in tandem with the Package Fulfillment, Logistics and Delivery Expo being hosted yesterday and today in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear congratulated Hy-Tek | AHS and thanked the company leaders for their commitment to the commonwealth.

"As we work toward building an economy that works for all Kentuckians, high-tech job opportunities will play an increased role in those efforts," Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said. "This investment by AHS and Hy-Tek is creating quality jobs in Northern Kentucky and supporting distribution and logistics growth, which is one of our state's thriving key industries. Thank you to the company leaders for their commitment to the commonwealth. I look forward to seeing what's next for AHS and Hy-Tek in Kentucky."

"With Hy-Tek's unveiling of the Innovation Lab comes a new evolution in how we serve our customers," said Dave Tavel, Sr. Vice President of Sales at AHS. "The future of our industry will rely on the emerging technologies that we integrate, test, and evaluate within our lab. We are continuously reviewing new and better ways to solve our customers' challenges. It is an exciting time for our industry as the demands for quality and speed increase; the need to utilize robotics will be commonplace. Our focus will be on supplementing the existing labor force, reducing the physical demands of the jobs, and driving quality for the industry. The next 50 years begin today!"

Hosting over 25 customers and prospects throughout the last six months, the lab features warehouse robotics systems that solve many pain-points companies are facing today. These technologies include autonomous mobile robots, collaborative robotic arms, robotic sortation solutions, full-scale Goods-to-Person systems, and more to come in the future as the companies' partnerships and innovations continue to expand.

"Our strategic journey to focus on innovative technology started over four years ago," said Zac Boehm, Vice President of Innovation and Technology at AHS. "Throughout those years, we have researched many different robotics manufacturers and aligned ourselves with technologies that make a difference to our current and future customers. By building a focus around Exotec, Caja, and Tompkins Robotics, we can work through proving and pairing solutions together in our innovation lab to show the value to the industry."

Earlier this year, AHS was acquired by Hy-Tek Holdings, a material handling automation integrator that maintains a separate facility in Hebron. Having acquired Johnson Stephens Consulting, World Source, Fascor, BP Controls, and most recently, AHS, Hy-Tek now offers a comprehensive suite of solutions for its customers.

"Hy-Tek /AHS is the only Systems Integrator in North America to integrate robotics offerings from Exotec and Caja robotics systems," said Donnie Johnson, President of Integrated Systems at Hy-Tek. "Robotics are growing rapidly in the e-commerce and distribution areas in our business sector. Hy-Tek can offer end-to-end solutions for our valued customer base. Our clients prefer working with Hy-Tek/AHS due to our broad product offering and comprehensive design-build capabilities."

Having a universal location with all technologies, Hy-Tek | AHS provides an opportunity for customers to personally experience and test solutions that will optimize their supply chain process.

About Hy-Tek Material Handling, LLC  www.hy-tek.com

Headquartered in Columbus, OH, Hy-Tek is a material handling automation integrator serving clients in diverse end- markets and applications, including e-commerce, third-party logistics, and parcel. Hy-Tek was established as a combination of Hy-Tek Material Handling, WorldSource, BP Controls, Fascor, LCS, and AHS. Together, they operate as Hy-Tek Material Handling, LLC. Hy-Tek is the premier single-source provider of material handling solutions for a wide range of industries including manufacturing, distribution, retail, construction, food, electronics, and automotive. Since 1963, Hy-Tek and its best-in-class industry partnersincluding manufacturers of industrial equipment; conveyor systems; automated storage and retrieval systems; rack and shelvinghave been providing customers large and small with turnkey solutions. From customized one-of-a-kind handling and storage systems to pre-assembled buildings and off-the-shelf productsHy-Tek's experienced team of engineering, sales, operations, and project management professionals partner with customers to help enhance productivity, streamline processes, and boost profitability. With over 500 employees, Hy-Tek serves customers in the United States, Canada, and Mexico from offices in Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. For more information, visit www.hy-tek.com

About AHS  www.ahs1.com

AHS, a Hy-Tek Material Handling company, is a leading full-service integrator of automated fulfillment and distribution solutions, with a portfolio that encompasses 3PL, eCommerce, retail, wholesale, food and beverage, and healthcare. Headquartered in Erlanger, Kentucky, AHS is committed to unlocking the full potential of the supply chain to help its clients better serve their customers. The company uses its strategic partnerships of equipment and robotics manufacturers to create best-in-class solutions that solve a wide variety of pain points-- proven by the success of its clients. AHS has created a reputable brand over the past 45 years by creating strong relationships with its partners and clients, inspiring innovation, and consistently exceeding customer expectations. For more information, visit www.ahs1.com.

PRESS CONTACT Patrice Adams Director of Marketing, AHS 513-265-8915 [email protected]

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SOURCE Hy-Tek | AHS
Over 10 hours of free content now available on-demand for up to a year

SALT LAKE CITY, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Instructure, the maker of Canvas, today will hold its annual conference, InstructureCon 2022 in North America. This is the first year holding regional versions of the virtual education technology and digital learning conferences. Three additional regional InstructureCons will take place later in the year for Latin America, Europe/Middle East/Africa and the Asia Pacific regions. Over 10,000 users have registered to attend the event, sharing useful solutions and edtech insights and learning from each other. The free professional learning event for educators and edtech users featured keynotes from well-known thought leaders Simone Giertz and Adam Grant. To register and view the presentations today and for up to a year, visit www.instructure.com/events/instructurecon.

With close to 50 sessions, InstructureCon this year will include encouraging content, useful tips for educators and insight into product developments. Packed with powerful keynote addresses and breakout on-demand sessions allow for a truly customized learning experience. The opening keynote presentation includes an interview with Simone Giertz, a passion-provoking educator, who will share her unique perspective into the importance of STEM education and how educators can inspire students and spark curiosity through the journey of creation and discovery.

The event closes with a keynote interview with Adam Grant, the organizational psychologist, bestselling author and professor at Wharton. He explores the science behind motivation, generosity, original thinking and rethinking. In this session, Adam will take us on a journey of discovery, connection and hope through personal insights and experience of embracing the educator's path.

"The theme for InstructureCon 2022 is 'embrace the journey,' a nod to the challenging, yet rewarding path educators undertake," said Melissa Loble, Chief Customer Experience Officer at Instructure. "This year participants will get to choose their own InstructureCon adventure, as they create a personalized virtual conference experience that delivers incredible insights in a simple format."

In addition to learning from their peers about how to overcome challenges through innovation, attendees will hear from Instructure executives and education experts including CEO Steve Daly about how to navigate new challenges through collaboration and community and how to embrace the journey of change. Mitch Benson, Instructure's Chief Strategy Officer, will discuss scaling the mountaintops of new technology, including Instructure's continued commitment to openness and the future of education. Chief Customer Experience Officer Melissa Loble will discuss the myriad challenges of being an educator in today's post-pandemic climate and highlight how teachers have blazed new trails with innovative real-life approaches to learning.

Over 30 Instructure partners will host virtual booths for attendees to stop by and learn more about their tools and services. Attendees can video chat with partner representatives and engage with them throughout the day.

Next year, InstructureCon will take place in person in Denver, July 25-28, 2023.

ABOUT INSTRUCTUREInstructure (NYSE: INST) is an education technology company dedicated to elevating student success, amplifying the power of teaching, and inspiring everyone to learn together. Today the Instructure Learning Platform supports tens of millions of educators and learners around the world. Learn more at www.instructure.com.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTSThis press release contains "forward-looking" statements, which are subject to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the potential, timing, and examples of any strategic alternatives. These statements are not guarantees of future performance, but are based on management's expectations as of the date of this press release and assumptions that are inherently subject to uncertainties, risks, and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements include the risk factors described in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on February 22, 2022, and other documents filed with the SEC and could cause actual results to vary from expectations. All information provided in this press release is as of the date hereof and Instructure undertakes no duty to update this information except as required by law.

CONTACT:Brian WatkinsCorporate CommunicationsInstructure801-610-9722[email protected]

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SOURCE Instructure; Canvas
CHICAGO, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Datassential, the leading food and beverage insights platform connecting the dots between consumers and the food industry, today announced that its board of directors has appointed Jim Emling as the company's new CEO. Jack Li, current CEO, co-founder, and board member has been appointed as executive chairman.

"The board of directors and I are thrilled that Jim will serve as the next CEO of Datassential," said Li. "We're a fast-growing company, and I know that both Datassential and our customers will benefit tremendously from Jim's leadership  he's the ideal person to guide us through our next leap forward, focusing always on helping our customers succeed in their goals."

As executive chairman, Li will remain involved in defining the product vision and helping Datassential continue as a forefront thought leader in the food service industry. His daily focus will be on product innovation and delivering exceptional insights to hundreds of customers across the food landscape. "Datassential is such a cool company. We're all driven here by a singular focus to do amazing work that supports our industry, and I'm pumped that this move allows me to focus 100% of my time helping make our industry smarter," said Li.

Emling is currently the chief operating officer of Datassential and has served on its board of directors since September 2019. Since joining Datassential, Emling has been responsible for the daily operations of nearly all aspects of the business including sales, engineering, customer success, and finance. In his current role, Emling has driven Datassential to its fastest growth period in company history, in large part due to his emphasis on helping customers innovate and sell smarter. He also led Datassential's acquisition of CHD Expert Group in early 2022  the company's first.

"It's hard to describe how thoroughly I've been impressed by the world-class team at Datassential. This company has a truly uncommon devotion to its customers and the industry at large that you just don't often see. It really is inspiring to feel like we are part of something bigger than just ourselves, and I look forward to carrying this tradition forward as we continue to grow," remarked Emling.

Emling is an established business leader with experience across the data and food industries, spending the past several years helping operators, manufacturers, and distributors navigate to success in the wake of Covid. Previously, he was the long-time president of Zywave, which he helped to scale from $0 to $100 million of revenue. He also currently serves on the board of several innovative data businesses including Ease, Bitly, and Expert Institute. He received an MBA from Marquette University where he graduated summa cum laude. Emling also holds undergraduate degrees from the University of Wisconsin in both computer science and accounting, where he graduated summa cum laude with honors.

About Datassential

Datassential is the data insights platform influencing what's next on your plate and in your glass. Through a suite of intelligence tools, software and custom research solutions, and an unlimited insights library, Datassential guides the biggest names in food and beverage on what's next for the industry and how to stay ahead of it. Founded in 1999, Datassential powers insights for brands including General Mills, Pepsi, Land O' Lakes, Burger King, Starbucks, Target and more.

Media ContactDiffusion PR[email protected](646) 571-0120

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SOURCE Datassential
More new and returning powerhouse dramas from Iceland, France and Sweden.

WASHINGTON, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Merjen, the first Maltese series to hit MHz Choice is a dark tale where toxic relationships, addiction and grief lead to more than one tragedy. Inspired by real events, young lovers Merjen (Claire Magro) and Bertu (Fabio Mifsud) can't escape their passion for each other and the thin line between passion and dangerous jealousy becomes more and more porous over the course of the series, ultimately leading to murder. The story goes back and forth in time narrated by Merjen's adoptive grandmother. She narrates the young couple's passion through Bertu's spiral into abuse, and Merjen's bitter remorse as a young single mother. The non-linear plot is anything but predictable as plot twists are waiting for viewers towards the climax of the series.

The dramatic flare continues with a wide variety of new series focused on medicine, law, family or all the above. The medical drama series Fractures (Iceland), created by the award-winning writing and directing team of Eva Sigurdardottir, Kolbrun Anna Bjornsdottir and Vala Thorsdottir, is centered around three generations of women and set against the starkly beautiful landscape of a small Icelandic village. Kristin (Sara Dogg Asgeirsdottir), an ER doctor, returns to her hometown to run a clinic and ends up reopening old wounds while her teenage daughter Lilja (Katla Njalsdottir) and mother Johanna (Helga E. Jonsdottir) each grapple with their health outside of Kristin's medical opinions. The drama widens beyond these three as viewers get to know the rest of the clinic's staff and the extended family of Kristin's ex-boyfriend Ragnar (Joi Johannsson), a local police officer. MHz Choice will also debut two new ensemble series, both from France: the family comedy-drama Make Love Not Kids and legal drama The Law Of

Swedish star Alexandra Rapaport graces the TV screen this August in a pair of returning fan-favorite series: in The Sandham Murders as amateur sleuth Nora and in Gasmamman as crime matriarch Sonja. Also returning to MHz Choice is the last season of French favorite Cherif.

The full August 2022 schedule available here: https://mhzchoiceblog.com/premiere-schedule/

AUGUST 2

MAKE LOVE NOT KIDS, FRANCE, FEDERATION INTERNATIONAL, NEW SERIESPhilippe Lefebvre (Detectives) leads an ensemble cast in this heartwarming French comedy-drama about three very different families in Paris.

AUGUST 9

FRACTURES, ICELAND, REINVENT STUDIOS, NEW SERIESFemale-led drama about a divorced ER doctor who moves back to her home village and confronts the ghosts of her past.

AUGUST 16

THE SANDHAMN MURDERS: SEASON 8, SWEDEN, BANIJAY RIGHTS, NEW SEASONNordic crime meets beautiful island scenery in this series based on the popular novels by Viveca Sten. Starring Alexandra Rapaport (Gasmamman).

CHERIF: SEASON 6, FRANCE, FRANCE TELEVISIONS, FINAL SEASONCaptain Kader Cherif is a brilliant and eccentric detective in this addictive, long-running mystery series set in Lyon.

MERJEN, MALTA, VIDEOPLUGGER, NEW LIMITED SERIESA young mother struggles to survive on the hidden edges of Maltese society in this acclaimed, hard-hitting drama.

AUGUST 23

THE LAW OF FRANCE, FILM & PICTURE, NEW SERIESLegal anthology drama focusing on the men and women who dedicate their lives to providing counsel for the defense in the French criminal court system.

AUGUST 30

GASMAMMAN: SEASON 5, SWEDEN, BANIJAY RIGHTS, NEW SEASONAlexandra Rapaport (The Sandhamn Murders) stars as a suburban mom pulled into the criminal underworld to pay off her murdered husband's debts.

About MHz Networks

MHz Networks offers viewers access to a library of the best television mysteries, dramas, comedies and documentaries subtitled in English through its subscription streaming service, MHz Choice. Select MHz Networks content is also available on DVD and on its free ad-supported service MHz Now, available on Samsung TV Plus.

New MHz Choice customers receive a free 7-Day Trial. For more information, go to mhzchoice.com.

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SOURCE MHz Networks
WASHINGTON, July 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- President Joe Biden announced Wednesday he has appointed NASA Administrator Bill Nelson as one of four new members of the Cancer Cabinet, part of the President's Cancer Moonshot.

"Far too many Americans have been touched by cancer. Ending cancer as we know it has the power to save lives, unite our country, and inspire the world. It is a mission that represents NASA's ambition to propel humanity forward  for science, for healing, for hope," said Nelson. "NASA uses the unique microgravity environment on the International Space Station to conduct cutting-edge research with our partners, such as the Mayo Clinic, with the goal of treating serious medical conditions, including blood cancers like leukemia, lymphomas, and multiple myeloma. NASA is no stranger to moon shots, and we're all in on ending cancer as we know it."

Five months ago, the President re-ignited the Cancer Moonshot to reduce the death rate from cancer by at least 50 percent over the next 25 years and improve the experience of patients and families living with and surviving cancer. As a part of the Cancer Moonshot, the Cancer Cabinet provides leadership counsel and advice across the federal government on cancer-related programs and priorities.

First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and Dr. Alondra Nelson, deputy assistant to the president and performing the duties of director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, have announced the following five Cancer Cabinet Priorities, to:

Close the screening gap

Understand and address environmental and toxic exposures

Decrease the impact of preventable cancers

Drive innovation from discovery to patients, and

Improve the experience for patients and caregivers

The Cancer Cabinet's five focus areas of work seek to drive progress through independent agency initiatives and cross-agency collaborations.

The Cancer Cabinet is now expanded to include NASA, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Labor, and the White House Gender Policy Council, adding to the more than 20 departments, agencies, and White House components that make up the cabinet.

For more information about the research and development on the International Space Station, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/station

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SOURCE NASA
Luxury Co-Ownership Platform Recognized as Trailblazer in Real Estate Industry

SAN FRANCISCO, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pacaso, the leading technology-enabled real estate marketplace that helps people buy and co-own a luxury second home, has earned a coveted spot as an Inman Innovator Award finalist in the Most Innovative Company category. Since 1998, the Inman Innovator Awards have honored companies, individuals and new technology that increase productivity, efficiency and transparency for consumers and real estate professionals alike.

"There's no doubt that Pacaso and our innovative co-ownership model offers a solution for both communities and buyers."

"The annual Inman Innovator Awards highlight forward-thinking organizations and industry trailblazers who are working to shape the future of real estate and we could not be more proud that our efforts to make second home ownership easier and more sustainable are being recognized in the industry," said Pacaso CEO and Co-Founder Austin Allison. "The old-model of owning a whole second home is wasteful for most people and there's no doubt that Pacaso and our innovative co-ownership model offers a solution for both communities and buyers and is changing the future of real estate."

Founded in 2020, Pacaso operates in 40 destinations globally and has sold 600 units since its first sale less than two years ago. For buyers, Pacaso makes second home ownership more accessible by lowering ownership cost and by reducing hassle through a fully-managed owner experience. For communities, co-ownership means less competition for single family homes, more spending at local businesses, and more tax revenue according to an economic study.

Pacaso's recognition by industry leaders further cements the increasingly common category of co-ownership as the future of real estate. The real estate industry is embracing co-ownership as Real Estate Standards Organization and its members defined co-ownership as a property type, Engel & Vlkers introduced Pacaso and co-ownership to its already full-service luxury brokerage, and Leading Real Estate Companies of the World selected Pacaso for its Solutions Group program, a collection of preferred business resources for the global network of 550 real estate firms. The company has also aligned with an esteemed roster of innovative real estate agents including Ryan Serhant, Josh and Matt Altman, Landon Clements and Roh Habibi in its newly formed Pacaso Agent Collective.

Winners will be announced live at Inman Connect Las Vegas, Aug. 3-5, 2022. To learn more about Pacaso, please visit the Pacaso website.

About Pacaso

Pacaso is a technology-enabled marketplace that modernizes real estate co-ownership to make owning a second home possible and enjoyable for more people. Pacaso curates luxury listings with premium amenities and high-end contemporary interior design, offers  to  ownership with integrated financing, and, after purchase, professionally manages the home and supports seamless resale. Co-founded by Austin Allison and Spencer Rascoff in 2020, Pacaso operates in 40 top second home destinations around the world. Pacaso has been certified as a Great Place to Work and is recognized as one of Glassdoor's 2022 Best Places to Work.

For more information about Pacaso and to view luxury second home listings, visit www.pacaso.com or download the Pacaso app for Android or iPhone. You can also follow Pacaso on social media @PacasoHomes on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube or @Pacaso_Homes on TikTok.

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SOURCE Pacaso
CINCINNATI, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Prosource, the region's leading business technology solutions provider, has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2022 honor by Enquirer Media. The Top Workplaces list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage LLC. The anonymous survey uniquely measures 15 culture drivers that are critical to the success of any organization: including alignment, execution, and connection, just to name a few.

"During this very challenging time, Top Workplaces has proven to be a beacon of light for organizations, as well as a sign of resiliency and strong business performance," said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. "When you give your employees a voice, you come together to navigate challenges and shape your path forward. Top Workplaces draw on real-time insights into what works best for their organization, so they can make informed decisions that have a positive impact on their people and their business."

"At Prosource, we are committed to creating an environment where amazing, dedicated people can do meaningful work, support their families, and chase their dreams," said Brad Cates, President & CEO of Prosource. "To again be named a Top Workplace is a reflection of our special culture, our engaged team members, and their commitment to our customers and to one another, and I am so proud of everything they have accomplished over the past year."

About EnergageEnergage is a purpose-driven company that helps organizations turn employee feedback into useful business intelligence and credible employer recognition through Top Workplaces. Built on 14 years of culture research and the results from 23 million employees surveyed across more than 70,000 organizations, Energage delivers the most accurate competitive benchmark available. With access to a unique combination of patented analytic tools and expert guidance, Energage customers lead the competition with an engaged workforce and an opportunity to gain recognition for their people-first approach to culture. For more information visit energage.com.

About PROSOURCEAs a trusted technology partner, Prosource helps businesses of all sizes optimize processes, reduce costs, and enhance their bottom linesall with an unmatched customer experience. From managed IT, cybersecurity, enterprise content management, and digital transformation solutions to top-tier office and production equipment and managed print services, Prosource delivers powerful, secure solutions to help organizations leverage technology for strategic advantage.

With offices in Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia providing a depth and breadth of expertise, products, and services throughout the Midwest, Prosource offers personal service and support while leading the way in the region in business technology. For more information, visit www.totalprosource.com.

Amy MerschProsource[email protected](513) 769-0606 ext. 1213https://www.totalprosource.com

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SOURCE Prosource
ROSELAND, N.J., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lowenstein Sandler is pleased to announce that former New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Barry T. Albin has joined the firm as partner in the firm's Litigation department and will chair the Appellate Practice Group. He will also serve as a neutral arbitrator, special master, and mediator in complicated, high-stakes disputes.

When Justice Albin retired in July 2022, after 20 years on the state's highest court, NJ.com called him "a consummate juristdedicated, social, diligent, practical." In a recent New Jersey Monitor article, he was referred to as a "constitutional giant," and a New Jersey Law Journal editorial described him as a "brilliant writer" whose judicial "career reflects a unique combination of deep experience, great talent, hard work and grace."

As a Supreme Court Justice, Albin authored more than 400 opinions, including more than 230 majority opinions, more than 130 dissents, and dozens of concurrences. His judicial body of work spans the wide spectrum of the law. He has written opinions in the fields of criminal law and the rights of the accused; constitutional law and the rights of same-sex couples; civil rights; contract, family, insurance, employment discrimination, municipal government, tax, and election law; products liability, mass toxic torts as well as medical and legal malpractice; and more.

Albin is the author of landmark opinions on the rights of same-sex couples, the rights of the accused and workers, and civil rights, among others. He also authored a number of dissents, which later became law.

Before his appointment by Governor Jim McGreevey in 2002, Albin served as a deputy attorney general and assistant prosecutor, and for twenty years he practiced law in the private sector, handling criminal defense and civil rights cases as well as tort and employment law cases. In the years before he ascended to the Court, he tried approximately 60 jury trials and countless non-jury cases and argued numerous appeals. In one case, he secured a 17 million dollar jury verdict in a police shooting/civil rights case.

Christopher Porrino, who served as Chief Counsel to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and as the 60th Attorney General of New Jersey, and who now serves as Chair of Lowenstein's Litigation Department, says: "Justice Albin is a brilliant trial and appellate lawyer, and jurist. It is a personal and professional honor that my dear friend of more than two decades has chosen Lowenstein Sandler for the next chapter of his storied career. He is a skilled litigator and formidable advocate in the courtroom and will be a tireless arbitrator and mediator for those seeking to resolve their most complicated and difficult disputes."

Albin says: "My long career has intersected with many outstanding Lowenstein lawyers, some of whom have served as my clerks. I look forward to joining a firm that pursues the highest standards of professional excellence and that is committed to doing justice and serving the community."

Michael B. Himmel, Chair of the White Collar Criminal Defense practice, says: "The addition of Barry Albin to the firm further deepens our bench of former public servants, whose ethics and integrity are of the highest caliber."

Albin received his B.A. from Rutgers College in 1973. After graduating from Cornell Law School in 1976, he began his career as a Deputy Attorney General in the Appellate Section of the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. He then served as an Assistant Prosecutor in Passaic and Middlesex Counties from 1978 to 1982. He is a former member of the firm Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer.

About Lowenstein Sandler LLPLowenstein Sandler is a national law firm with over 350 lawyers based in New York, Palo Alto, New Jersey, Utah, and Washington, D.C. The firm represents leaders in virtually every sector of the global economy, with particular emphasis on investment funds, life sciences, and technology. Recognized for its entrepreneurial spirit and high standard of client service, the firm is committed to the interests of its clients, colleagues, and communities.

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SOURCE Lowenstein Sandler LLP
LARAMIE, Wyo., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Franchise Business Review has named The Human Bean's Matt Lockhart of Laramie, Wyoming this year's Freshman Franchise Rock Star. Lockhart was selected for the recognition from over 30,000 franchisees, representing more than 300 brands that participated in this year's research.

"I literally knew nothing about the coffee business, but saw The Human Bean's success on paper."

For this year's Franchise Rock Star Award, brands participated in a survey to have their nominees considered. This year, Franchise Business Review reviewed nominations in eight categories, including Women, Millennials, Veterans, Family Owned, Top-Performers, Giving Back, Multi-Unit Owners and Freshman (owned for fewer than two years).

"Each year it gets harder and harder to narrow down the list, but the franchisees recognized this year truly stand out as exceptional models of achieving success within the franchise model," says Michelle Rowan, president and COO of Franchise Business Review.

After spending 25 years in the automotive industry, Lockhart chose to pursue his dream of business ownership. After researching several franchise opportunities, he decided The Human Bean was the right fit for both his family and community.

"A major reason we chose a franchise is the proven business model," says Lockhart. "I literally knew nothing about the coffee business, but saw The Human Bean's success on paper. We [...] reasoned that with their business model, philosophy, and guidance we could realize success that we wouldn't have if we chose to try to do it on our own."

Lockhart opened the very first Human Bean in Wyoming in early 2020. Earlier this year, the drive-thru location also won the Laramie Chamber Alliance's Large Business of the Year Award.

"We felt great about nominating Matt for this recognition," says The Human Bean COO Scott Anderson. "He and his family and team are all shining examples of teamwork and community giving. We're honored to have them as part of our Human Bean family."

Visit franchisebusinessreview.com to see the complete list of 2022 Franchise Rock Star winners.

About The Human Bean

With a passion for creating happy 'Human Beans', the company's drive-thrus around the U.S. have established a reputation for friendly baristas, high-quality coffee, and innovative flavors. The Human Bean opened its first drive-thru espresso stand in Ashland, Oregon in 1998, and currently supports over 300 locations open or under development in 25 states.

Learn more at thehumanbean.com.

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SOURCE The Human Bean
List features peer-selected recipients representing all aspects of Washington's thriving wine community; TOAST! tickets on sale now

SEATTLE, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --TOAST!, a new event and awards program from The Auction of Washington Wines reveals its award recipients. These peer-reviewed honorees are recognized in seven categories, lauded for keeping the Washington wine community thriving and focused on its bright future. The public is invited to celebrate these achievements at TOAST! being held at Chateau Ste. Michelle on August 11 with a four-course dinner prepared by El Gaucho chefs paired with top wines from Washington state.

"The incredible talents, contributions and achievements throughout every aspect of our community are truly ground-breaking," says Jamie Peha, executive director for The Auction of Washington Wines. "We were honored to host this nomination process and special event with a goal to create both awareness and celebration for every role within the Washington wine industry, from the ground to the glass."

Those recognized were determined through an inclusive nomination process. The full list of recipients was just released at Auctionofwawines.org/toast. A few highlights include:

The Lifetime Achievement award , recognizing an individual whose extraordinary dedication, inspiration, and advocacy for the Washington wine community spans 25+ years in the industry: Bob Betz MW, Bob Betz Consulting.

, recognizing an individual whose extraordinary dedication, inspiration, and advocacy for the Washington wine community spans 25+ years in the industry: Bob Betz MW, Bob Betz Consulting. Vine to Wine award , honoring individuals who are hands-on in the vineyard, including leading or collaborating with peers : Patrick Rawn, owner and consultant, Two Mountain Winery.

, honoring individuals who are hands-on in the vineyard, including leading or collaborating with peers Patrick Rawn, owner and consultant, Two Mountain Winery. Healthy Land, Healthy Communities award, for commitment to addressing today's environmental challenges and developing equitable, viable, and responsible solutions: Washington Winegrowers, Sustainable Washington. Receiving the award on behalf of the organization, are executive director, Vicky Scharlau, and board chair, Shane Collins.

Please find a full list of winners at auctionofwawines.org.

A true celebration of the industry, TOAST! attendees will also hear from the three honorary chairs for 2022: Marchese Piero Antinori, honorary president of Marchesi Antinori; Renzo Cotarella, CEO of Marchese Antinori; and Marvin Shanken, editor and publisher of Wine Spectator Magazine and chairman of M. Shanken Communications as well as 2022 honorary vintner, John R. Bookwalter of Bookwalter Winery, and 2022 honorary grower, Kevin Corliss of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates.

TOAST! Is presented by Winebow Fine Wines & Spirits. Capacity for TOAST! is 200, tickets are on sale now at auctionofwawines.org.

About the Auction of Washington Wines (AWW)Since its inception in 1988, AWW has raised nearly $55 million to benefit Seattle Children's, Washington State University Viticulture & Enology Research, and the AWW Industry Grant. AWW is listed in the top five wine charity auctions in the U.S. by Wine Spectator. AWW's mission is to support the growth and awareness of the Washington state wine industry through a series of celebrated events benefiting the community. Key supporters for the 2022 season of events include Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, John L. Scott Foundation, The Seattle Times, PNC Bank, and Winebow Fine Wine & Spirits. For more information, please visit auctionofwawines.org.

MEDIA CONTACTS: Kate Neidigh / Annie SullivanOsborne Northwest Public Relations for Auction of Washington Wines[email protected] / [email protected]206.802.5163 / 206.856.5660

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SOURCE Auction of Washington Wines
YEREVAN, JULY 14, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan visited the French Embassy to congratulate on the national day, the Presidential Office said.

President Khachaturyan congratulated French Ambassador Anne Louyot on this occasion and stated that this holiday is very important not only for the French people, but also for the entire advanced humanity as it is symbolic for the ideas of freedom, brotherhood and equality.

The President highly appreciated Frances support to the development of different sectors in Armenia and friendly attitude.

The Ambassador thanked the Armenian President for the visit to the Embassy.

The sides highlighted constant development of the Armenian-French unique friendly relations and exchanged ideas about the current agendas of mutual partnership and future cooperation.
Grant provides wraparound support services for local women entrepreneurs through tools, training, mentorships and results-driven curriculum

NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Truist Foundation today announced a $1.25 million commitment to the Nashville Business Incubation Center (NBIC), a nonprofit focused on cultivating the growth and development of local women-, racially and ethnically diverse-, and veteran-owned small businesses. Specifically, the grant will provide tools, training, mentorships, and curriculum support to NBIC's RISE UP Academy, which works directly with women-owned businesses. This grant will also support NBIC's expansion to Huntsville and Birmingham, Alabama; Louisville, Kentucky; and other rural communities in Tennessee.

At the National Museum of African American Music, Truist Chairman and CEO Bill Rogers, President of Truist Foundation Lynette Bell, and Truist Tennessee Regional President Johnny B. Moore Jr. joined Angela Crane-Jones, CEO of NBIC, and Nashville Mayor John Cooper to introduce a panel conversation on how the grant will provide critical support for small business growth in Nashville. In addition, the panel also addressed the area's overall economic recovery given the impact of the pandemic and the March 2020 tornados that severely damaged portions of the city and Middle Tennessee.

"Truist Foundation is committed to generating systemic change to support small business owners from underserved communities," said Bell. "The work of NBIC provides essential training and ongoing support, especially to women entrepreneurs, creating opportunities for underserviced communities in Nashville."

The $1.25 million grant is part of Truist's recent announcement to commit $120 million to strengthen and support small businesses nationally, with a focus on women and diverse business owners.

"According to 2019 report, women are the fastest growing group of individuals starting businesses. However, Black women were earning an average revenue of just $24,000, compared to $142,900 among all women-owned businesses," said Crane-Jones. "Truist Foundation's investment will allow us to support the equitable growth of minority women-owned businesses via programs to open doors to generating more revenue and job creation to help narrow that wealth gap."

Truist has a longstanding commitment to supporting Nashville, including providing $1.1 million in charitable giving, lending and grants from Truist Foundation and Truist Charitable Fund in 2021. Truist and Truist Foundation have partnered with a number of Nashville-focused nonprofits including the Tennessee Affordable Housing Coalition, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville, the YMCA of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, Project Return and the Nashville Boys and Girls Club among others to help address affordable housing, support inclusive economic mobility and workforce preparedness across the region.

"Small businesses are a cornerstone of Nashville's economy so it's critical that we invest in their success," said Moore. "Our partnership with NBIC strengthens the opportunities for women and minority entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses, and it's how we fulfill Truist's purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities."

About Truist FoundationThe Truist Foundation is committed to Truist Financial Corporation's (NYSE: TFC) purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities. Established in 2020, the foundation makes strategic investments in nonprofit organizations to help ensure the communities it serves have more opportunities for a better quality of life. The Truist Foundation's grants and activities focus on building career pathways to economic mobility and strengthening small businesses. Learn more at Truist.com/Purpose/Truist-Foundation.

About Nashville Business Incubation Center Founded in 1986, the Nashville Business Incubation Center (NBIC) is a non-profit incubator with a successful track record launching well-known companies such as Zycron, The Grilled Cheeserie and Christie Cookie. The center has provided business development resources to entrepreneurs to help them grow their enterprises, create jobs and generate wealth in their respective communities. The NBIC plays a vital role in strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Middle Tennessee and growing small businesses from tiny acorns to mighty oaks. Learn more at https://nbiconline.com/.

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SOURCE Truist Financial Corporation
LOS ANGELES, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- VinFast announces the simultaneous opening of the first 6 VinFast Stores in California. In 2022, VinFast will continue to open more than 30 stores in California, while also exploring expansion to other states across the US.

VinFast stores will showcase and sell VinFast's premium electric vehicles while allowing customers to directly experience the company's high-end customer service. This is VinFast's strategy to expand its network of locations to build personalized relationships with customers, ensuring convenience, peace of mind and reliability throughout the process of purchasing and owning their electric vehicles.

The first six VinFast stores are located in prime locations across California. One of the first six stores  VinFast Santa Monica, where the opening ceremony will take place, is located at Santa Monica Place, one of the most modern, high-traffic shopping centers in the Los Angeles area.

VinFast Stores include footprints designated as VinFast "1S, 2S, and 3S". VinFast 1S stores are primarily located in high-visibility shopping centers and are focused on vehicle display and sales. VinFast 3S stores, the largest of the VinFast store types, merchandise vehicles, have full car and parts sales, and include service centers. VinFast 2S stores are visibly located on major thoroughfares and offer both parts and service, and also support nearby VinFast 1S stores. Additionally, these VinFast 2S stores support neighborhoods without other store types, but have high concentrations of VinFast customers.

Designed to convey the "Future of Mobility'' theme, VinFast Stores are created with a futuristic and minimalist design language and integrate interactive technology for a seamless "Online-to-Offline" experience. The spacious in-store ambience blends modern features in harmony with Eastern heritage and beauty inspired by nature that visually connects to VinFast's goal of creating a sustainable future for everyone.

At VinFast Stores, customers can explore the interior and exterior details of VinFast's electric SUVs  the VF 8 and VF 9, while experiencing the advanced technologies bundled as part of the VinFast Smart Driving package. Visitors can also learn more about VinFast's flexible and innovative sales plans and engage one-on-one with VinFast consultants on questions regarding both products and services.

Reflecting on this event, Madam Le Thi Thu Thuy, Vingroup Vice Chairwoman and VinFast Global CEO said: "The opening of the first six VinFast Stores in the US marks an important milestone in the company's global journey, as we move toward bringing premium products and services to American consumers. I believe that introducing VinFast and interacting with customers one-on-one in our corporate-owned and operated stores is the best way to build relationships with customers and to ensure quality service. We are proud to drive the global EV revolution towards a sustainable future. This future officially takes its next step today in California and will soon expand across the US and globally."

VinFast is also promoting its "VinFast Charged-Up" program for customers who reserve a VF 8 or VF 9 by September 30, 2022. This program offers: (1) a 1-year free VinFast Smart Driving package and (2) 3-years of free, unlimited charging at Electrify America's coast-to-coast charging network OR a Level 2 Home Charger with a $1,200 installation credit with our installation partner.

The VinFast Stores will be open to the public beginning at 4:00 PM, July 14th, 2022 (5:00 pm at Santa Monica Place) (6:00 AM July 15th in Vietnam).

List of VinFast Store Opening locations in California

VinFast Santa Monica: 395 Santa Monica Place, Space 171, Santa Monica, CA (open to the public from 5 pm)

395 Santa Monica Place, Space 171, Santa Monica, CA (open to the public from 5 pm) VinFast Hillsdale : Hillsdale Shopping Center, 52 31st Ave, San Mateo, CA

: Hillsdale Shopping Center, 52 31st Ave, San Mateo, CA VinFast Westfield UTC : Westfield UTC, 4545 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, CA

: Westfield UTC, 4545 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, CA VinFast Citadel : Citadel Outlets: 100 Citadel Drive, Commerce, CA

: Citadel Outlets: 100 Citadel Drive, Commerce, CA VinFast Berkeley : Fourth Street Shops, 1733 4th Street, Berkeley, CA

: Fourth Street Shops, 1733 4th Street, Berkeley, CA VinFast Corte Madera: The Village, 1618 Redwood Hwy, Corte Madera, CA

About VinFast

VinFast - a member of Vingroup  envisioned to drive the movement of global smart electric vehicle revolution. Established in 2017, VinFast owns a state-of-the-art automotive manufacturing complex with globally leading scalability that boasts up to 90% automation in Hai Phong, Vietnam.

Strongly committed to the mission for a sustainable future for everyone, VinFast constantly innovates to bring high-quality products, advanced smart services, seamless customer experiences, and pricing strategy for all to inspire global customers to jointly create a future of smart mobility and a sustainable planet. Learn more at: https://vinfastauto.us.

About Vingroup

Established in 1993, Vingroup is one of the leading private conglomerates in the region, with a total capitalization of $35 billion USD from three publicly traded companies (as of November 4, 2021). Vingroup currently focuses on three main areas: Technology and Industry, Services, and Social Enterprise. Find out more at: https://www.vingroup.net/en.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vinfast-opens-six-vinfast-stores-in-california-usa-301586977.html

SOURCE VinFast Automotive
Funding by Southern California Association of Governments, supported by South Coast Air Quality Management District

LONG BEACH, Calif. , July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Truck-as-a-Service (TaaS) fleet operator and charging infrastructure developer WattEV today announced the award of grants totaling some $3 million from two Southern California government agencies.

Both agencies are committed to cleaning air and supporting zero emission transportation.

WattEV will use funding from the "Last-Mile Freight Program" of the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) towards the purchase of 20 of its initial fleet of 50 Volvo VNR Electric Class 8 heavy-duty trucks. This move will help accelerate the deployment of emission-free freight-hauling in the six Southern California counties that make up SCAG's region.

"The awards from SCAG and South Coast AQMD demonstrate public vision and leadership in transforming freight into zero emissions," said Salim Youssefzadeh, chief executive officer of WattEV. "We're honored to be a recipient of these funds and to deploy these units in early 2023."

Said Jan Harnik, Mayor of Palm Desert and President of SCAG: "The Last-Might Freight Program helps Southern California focus on emission reductions and improve air quality while strengthening our supply chains in Southern California to deliver goods to the nation. Projects like this are an important contribution to our Connect SoCal Plan, which is aimed to support freight-related clean vehicles and equipment and keeping California in the driver's seat."

WattEV plans to use the 20 trucks partially funded by SCAG in its Truck-as-a-Service program for zero-emission freight deliveries starting in early 2023. The program is aimed at shippers and carriers operating in the Southern California region within WattEV's charging network.

WattEV's fleet of battery-electric trucks will serve shippers with sustainability mandates, starting with those whose base of operations are in Southern California. The WattEV fleet also will help affected shippers comply with Southern California's new Warehouse Actions and Investments to Reduce Emissions (WAIRE) program.

Zero-emission trucks used in the TaaS program will be available for individual drivers or small fleets as part of a full package service that includes use of the truck, charging and maintenance. The TaaS service provides value for owner-operators by removing the need for an initial investment in a new fleet, one of the highest barriers to entry in the new Zero Emission Transportation market.

Drivers will have new trucks at their disposal coupled with an innovative mobile app. The app enables drivers to plan the day ahead, receive route optimization directions, manage the state of battery charge, plus freight brokerage and data collection  thus removing the burdens and unknowns from zero-emission transport. The trucks can be picked up at any of WattEV's expanding network of charging depots.

"Many of our initial customers are brand-name shippers that require transport to and from their facilities in Southern California," said Paul Boehmer, Vice President of Sales at WattEV.

"Our unique TaaS offering provides the flexibility and ease operators are looking for, while also providing shippers a simple and fast way to meet their sustainability goals without the upfront costs. As we increase our fleet and infrastructure network, we can go beyond Southern California to facilitate the sustainable transport of goods up to Sacramento and across major US freight corridors."

About WattEVWattEV's mission is to accelerate the transition of U.S. trucking transport to zero emissions. It uses a combination of business and technology innovations to create charging infrastructure and data-driven workflow that provide truckers and fleet operators the lowest total cost of ownership. WattEV's goal is to get 12,000 heavy-duty electric trucks on California roads by the end of 2030, exceeding existing forecasts. More information is available online at www.WattEV.com.

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SOURCE WattEV
FILE PHOTO: The exterior of the Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve Board Building is seen in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 14, 2022. REUTERS/Sarah Silbiger

By Pete Schroeder

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An ambitious to-do list awaits Michael Barr, a former senior Treasury official who the U.S. Senate voted Wednesday to confirm to serve as the Federal Reserve's Wall Street cop.

Currently a professor at the University of Michigan Law School, Barr was a central figure at the Treasury under President Barack Obama when Congress passed sweeping reforms following the 2007-09 financial crisis.

Here is the regulatory agenda that Barr will have to tackle:

DE-REGULATION REDUX?

Randal Quarles, the previous Fed vice chair for supervision, led a review of post-crisis regulations, arguing they were too blunt and onerous. Democrats accused Quarles of saving Wall Street billions of dollars while increasing systemic risks, and they want the Fed to revisit some of those changes.

Among the most contentious were revisions to the "Volcker Rule" curbing speculative bank investments; scrapping a requirement for big banks to hold capital against certain swap trades; and stripping the Fed of its power to fail banks on their annual "stress tests" based on subjective concerns.

Barr will have to decide carefully which of these he believes he can reverse, given such changes are likely to be contentious and time-consuming.

CLIMATE CHANGE RISKS

Climate change, a top policy priority for Democrats, is expected to rapidly rise on the Fed agenda.

So far, the Fed has asked lenders to explain how they are mitigating climate change-related risks to their balance sheets, with the industry expecting to progress to a formal climate change scenario analysis in 2023, Reuters has reported.

Those projects are expected to accelerate. The big question will be whether the Fed pushes for restrictions or stiffer capital requirements on banks with significant exposures to polluting industries or other climate-specific risks.

Fed officials may end up treading more carefully than progressives had hoped, as Sarah Bloom Raskin, who was nominated for the post before Barr, saw her candidacy sunk by concerns she would push too aggressively on climate risk.

BANK M&A

The Fed's position on bank M&A is expected to become tougher under a new supervision chief. Progressive Democrats generally oppose bank tie-ups, arguing that they reduce competition and hurt consumers, and many deals were delayed after Quarles stepped down from the supervision role in October.

Some pending deals have been approved following Fed Chair Jerome Powell's renomination, but the industry is still waiting for the Fed and the Justice Department to decide on a potential new policy for bank deals. Barr is expected to lead the committee that scrutinizes potential tie-ups.

FINTECH FRAMEWORK

The Fed is also expected to tackle a regulatory blueprint for "fintech" companies that are quickly chipping away at the traditional financial sector.

It's exploring how banks intersect with fintechs, particularly with smaller lenders that may outsource more services and infrastructure. Fintechs are also lobbying the Fed for access to its payments system.

While other banking regulators have worked for years to bring fintechs under their regulatory umbrella, the Fed has resisted, fearing doing so could create systemic risks. But as the sector continues to balloon, the Fed is expected to act.

SUPPLEMENTARY LEVERAGE RATIO

Another issue on the table is the supplementary leverage ratio, a rule created after the decade-ago crisis requiring banks to hold capital against assets regardless of their risk.

The Fed had to temporarily ease that rule in the midst of the pandemic as a glut of bank deposits and Treasury bonds drove up bank capital requirements on what are viewed as safe assets.

Despite intense bank lobbying, the Fed let that relief expire but promised to review the overall rule. The Fed has yet to publish a proposal.

COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT ACT

The central bank will also play a key role in a long-awaited overhaul of the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) rules, which promote lending in lower-income communities.

The Fed issued a proposed overhaul of the rules alongside other bank regulators in May, which was intended to reflect the growth in online banking, while still ensuring lenders make meaningful contributions to the poorer areas they serve.

Barr will play a central role in the fine-tuning of that proposal before regulators finalize the new version.

(Editing by Michelle Price, Hugh Lawson and Jonathan Oatis)
UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

FORM N-PX

ANNUAL REPORT OF PROXY VOTING RECORD OF REGISTERED MANAGEMENT

INVESTMENT COMPANY

Investment Company Act file number 811-22894

INVESTMENT MANAGERS SERIES TRUST II

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

Diane J. Drake

Mutual Fund Administration, LLC

2220 E. Route 66, Suite 226

Glendora, California 91740

(Name and address of agent for service)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (626) 385-5777

Date of fiscal year end: September 30

Date of reporting period: July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022

Form N-PX is to be used by a registered management investment company, other than a small business investment company registered on Form N-5 (17 CFR 239.24 and 274.5) to file reports with the Commission, not later than August 31 of each year, containing the registrant's proxy voting record for the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30, pursuant to section 30 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and rule 30b1-4 thereunder (17 CFR 270.30b1-4). The Commission may use the information provided on Form N-PX in its regulatory, disclosure review, inspection, and policymaking roles.

A registrant is required to disclose the information specified by Form N-PX, and the Commission will make this information public. A registrant is not required to respond to the collection of information contained in Form N-PX unless the Form displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget ("OMB") control number. Please direct comments concerning the accuracy of the information collection burden estimate and any suggestions for reducing the burden to the Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 450 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20549-0609. The OMB has reviewed this collection of information under the clearance requirements of 44 U.S.C.  3507.

ITEM 1. PROXY VOTING RECORD.

KANSAS CITY SOUTHERN

Security 485170302 Meeting Type Special

Ticker Symbol KSU Meeting Date 10-Dec-2021

ISIN US4851703029 Agenda 935517726 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1. To adopt the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of September 15, 2021 (as it may be amended from time to time, the "merger agreement") by and among Kansas City Southern ("KCS"), Canadian Pacific Railway Limited ("CPRL"), Cygnus Merger Sub 1 Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of CPRL, and Cygnus Merger Sub 2 Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cygnus Merger Sub 1 Corporation (the "merger proposal"). Management For For For

2. To approve, on a non-binding, advisory basis, the compensation that may be paid or become payable to KCS's named executive officers that is based on or otherwise relates to the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement. Management Against For Against

3. To approve the adjournment of the KCS special meeting, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are not sufficient votes at the time of the KCS special meeting to approve the merger proposal or to ensure that any supplement or amendment to the proxy statement/prospectus is timely provided to KCS stockholders. Management For For For

PEOPLE'S UNITED FINANCIAL, INC.

Security 712704105 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol PBCT Meeting Date 16-Dec-2021

ISIN US7127041058 Agenda 935524567 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1A. Election of Director: John P. Barnes Management Against For Against

1B. Election of Director: Collin P. Baron Management For For For

1C. Election of Director: George P. Carter Management Against For Against

1D. Election of Director: Jane Chwick Management For For For

1E. Election of Director: William F. Cruger, Jr. Management For For For

1F. Election of Director: John K. Dwight Management Against For Against

1G. Election of Director: Jerry Franklin Management Against For Against

1H. Election of Director: Janet M. Hansen Management Against For Against

1I. Election of Director: Nancy McAllister Management For For For

1J. Election of Director: Mark W. Richards Management Against For Against

1K. Election of Director: Kirk W. Walters Management For For For

2. Approve the advisory (non-binding) resolution relating to the compensation of the named executive officers as disclosed in the proxy statement. Management Against For Against

3. Ratify KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for 2021. Management Against For Against

ATHENE HOLDING LTD.

Security G0684D107 Meeting Type Special

Ticker Symbol ATH Meeting Date 21-Dec-2021

ISIN BMG0684D1074 Agenda 935519047 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1. To approve the merger of AHL and Blue Merger Sub, Ltd. and the Agreement and Plan of Merger, by and among Apollo Global Management, Inc., AHL, Tango Holdings, Inc., Blue Merger Sub, Ltd. and Green Merger Sub, Inc. (which, as it may be amended from time to time, we refer to as the "merger agreement"), and the statutory merger agreement required by Section 105 of the Companies Act, 1981 (as amended) of Bermuda, which proposal is referred to as the "AHL merger agreement proposal." Management For For For

2. To approve the adjournment of the AHL special general meeting to solicit additional proxies if there are not sufficient votes at the time of the AHL special general meeting to approve the AHL merger agreement proposal or to ensure that any supplement or amendment to the joint proxy statement/prospectus is timely provided to holders of AHL Common Shares and AHL Preferred Shares, which is referred to as the "AHL adjournment proposal." Management For For For

3. To approve, on a non-binding advisory basis, certain compensation that may be paid or become payable to AHL's named executive officers, pursuant to arrangements with AHL, that is based on or otherwise relates to the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, which proposal is referred to as the "AHL non-binding compensation advisory proposal." Management Against For Against

CASPER SLEEP INC.

Security 147626105 Meeting Type Special

Ticker Symbol CSPR Meeting Date 19-Jan-2022

ISIN US1476261052 Agenda 935536497 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1. To approve and adopt the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of November 14, 2021 (the "Merger Agreement"), by and among Marlin Parent, Inc., Marlin Merger Sub, Inc., and Casper Sleep Inc. Management For For For

2. To adjourn the special meeting, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies in favor of the proposal to approve and adopt the Merger Agreement if there are not sufficient votes at the time of such adjournment to approve and adopt the Merger Agreement. Management For For For

CYRUSONE INC.

Security 23283R100 Meeting Type Special

Ticker Symbol CONE Meeting Date 01-Feb-2022

ISIN US23283R1005 Agenda 935540890 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1. To approve the merger (the "merger") of Cavalry Merger Sub LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent ("Merger Sub"), with and into CyrusOne Inc. (the "Company"), with the Company surviving the merger, in accordance with the terms of the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of November 14, 2021 (the "merger agreement"), by and among Cavalry Parent L.P. ("Parent"), Merger Sub and the Company, the merger agreement and the other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement. Management For For For

2. To approve, by advisory (non-binding) vote, the compensation that may be paid or become payable to the Company's named executive officers in connection with the consummation of the merger. Management For For For

3. To approve any adjournment of the special meeting for the purpose of soliciting additional proxies if there are insufficient votes at the special meeting to approve Proposal 1. Management For For For

ARENA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

Security 040047607 Meeting Type Special

Ticker Symbol ARNA Meeting Date 02-Feb-2022

ISIN US0400476075 Agenda 935540888 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1. To adopt the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated December 12, 2021 (the "Merger Agreement"), by and among Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Arena"), Pfizer Inc., and Antioch Merger Sub, Inc. Management For For For

2. To approve, on an advisory (non-binding) basis, the compensation that may be paid or become payable to Arena's named executive officers that is based on or otherwise relates to the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement. Management For For For

3. To adjourn the Special Meeting to a later date or dates if necessary or appropriate to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the Merger Agreement at the time of the Special Meeting. Management For For For

VONAGE HOLDINGS CORP.

Security 92886T201 Meeting Type Special

Ticker Symbol VG Meeting Date 09-Feb-2022

ISIN US92886T2015 Agenda 935542464 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1. To adopt the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of November 22, 2021 (the "Merger Agreement"), by and among Vonage Holdings Corp., Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ), and Ericsson Muon Holding Inc. Management For For For

2. To approve, by a non-binding advisory vote, the compensation that may be paid or become payable to Vonage Holdings Corp.'s named executive officers that is based on or otherwise relates to the merger contemplated by the Merger Agreement. Management Against For Against

3. To approve the adjournment of the special meeting of stockholders (the "Special Meeting") to a later date or time if necessary or appropriate, including to solicit additional proxies in favor of proposal 1 if there are insufficient votes at the time of the Special Meeting to adopt the Merger Agreement. Management For For For

PAE INCORPORATED

Security 69290Y109 Meeting Type Special

Ticker Symbol PAE Meeting Date 10-Feb-2022

ISIN US69290Y1091 Agenda 935542515 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1. To approve and adopt the Agreement and Plan of Merger, (as may be amended or modified from time to time, "merger agreement"), among Amentum Government Services Holdings LLC, a Delaware LLC (which we refer to as "Parent"), Pinnacle Virginia Merger Sub Inc., a Delaware corp. (which we refer to as "Merger Sub"), which is a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of Parent, and PAE, pursuant to which Merger Sub will be merged with and into PAE, with PAE continuing as surviving corp. in merger & a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of Parent. which we refer to as merger Management For For For

2. To approve specified compensation that will or may become payable to PAE's named executive officers in connection with the merger. Management For For For

3. To adjourn the special meeting, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies if there are not sufficient votes at the time of the special meeting to approve and adopt the merger agreement. Management For For For

TRISTATE CAPITAL HOLDINGS, INC.

Security 89678F100 Meeting Type Special

Ticker Symbol TSC Meeting Date 28-Feb-2022

ISIN US89678F1003 Agenda 935546789 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1. To approve and adopt the Agreement and Plan of Merger, by and among Raymond James Financial, Inc. ("Raymond James"), Macaroon One LLC ("Merger Sub 1"), Macaroon Two LLC ("Merger Sub 2" and, together with Merger Sub 1, "Merger Subs") and TriState Capital, as such agreement may be amended from time to time, Merger Sub 1 will merge with and into TriState Capital, TriState Capital will merge with and into Merger Sub 2, with Merger Sub 2 continuing as surviving entity in such merger, a copy of which is attached as Annex A & as more in proxy statement/pros ("merger proposal") Management For For For

2. To approve one or more adjournments of the special meeting, if necessary or appropriate, including adjournments to permit further solicitation of proxies in favor of the merger proposal (the "adjournment proposal"). Management For For For

NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

Security 67020Y100 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol NUAN Meeting Date 01-Mar-2022

ISIN US67020Y1001 Agenda 935542692 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1. DIRECTOR Management

1 Mark Benjamin For For For

2 Daniel Brennan For For For

3 Lloyd Carney Withheld For Against

4 Thomas Ebling For For For

5 Robert Finocchio For For For

6 Laura Kaiser For For For

7 Michal Katz For For For

8 Mark Laret Withheld For Against

9 Sanjay Vaswani For For For

2. To approve a non-binding advisory resolution regarding Executive Compensation. Management For For For

3. To ratify the appointment of BDO USA, LLP as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022. Management For For For

DEL TACO RESTAURANTS, INC.

Security 245496104 Meeting Type Special

Ticker Symbol TACO Meeting Date 07-Mar-2022

ISIN US2454961044 Agenda 935547628 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1. To adopt the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of December 5, 2021 (the merger agreement), among Jack in the Box Inc., Epic Merger Sub Inc., and Del Taco Restaurants, Inc. (the merger). Management For For For

2. To approve, on a non-binding advisory basis, specified compensation that may be paid or become payable to the named executive officers of Del Taco Restaurants, Inc. in connection with the merger and contemplated by the merger agreement. Management Against For Against

3. To approve one or more adjournments of the special meeting, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes at the time of the special meeting to approve the proposal to adopt the merger agreement. Management For For For

BOTTOMLINE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Security 101388106 Meeting Type Special

Ticker Symbol EPAY Meeting Date 08-Mar-2022

ISIN US1013881065 Agenda 935549002 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1. To adopt the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of December 16, 2021, by and among Bottomline Intermediate Holdings III, LLC (formerly known as Project RB Parent, LLC), Project RB Merger Sub, Inc. and Bottomline Technologies, Inc., as it may be amended from time to time. Management For For For

2. To approve the adoption of any proposal to adjourn the special meeting to a later date or dates if necessary or appropriate to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the merger agreement at the time of the special meeting. Management For For For

3. To approve, by non-binding, advisory vote, compensation that will or may become payable by Bottomline Technologies, Inc. to its named executive officers in connection with the merger. Management Against For Against

VERSO CORPORATION

Security 92531L207 Meeting Type Special

Ticker Symbol VRS Meeting Date 11-Mar-2022

ISIN US92531L2079 Agenda 935550992 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1. Proposal to adopt the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of December 19, 2021, by and among Verso Corporation, BillerudKorsnas Inc., West Acquisition Merger Sub Inc. and, solely for purposes of certain sections thereof (as specified in the Merger Agreement), BillerudKorsnas AB (the "Merger Agreement"). Management For For For

2. Proposal to approve, on an advisory (non- binding) basis, the compensation that may be paid or become payable to Verso Corporation's named executive officers that is based on or otherwise relates to the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement. Management For For For

3. Proposal to approve any proposal to adjourn the virtual Special Meeting to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes at the time of the virtual Special Meeting to approve the proposal to adopt the Merger Agreement. Management For For For

MIMECAST LIMITED

Security G14838109 Meeting Type Special

Ticker Symbol MIME Meeting Date 11-Mar-2022

ISIN GB00BYT5JK65 Agenda 935551033 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

S1. Authorize the directors of Mimecast Ltd to take all such actions as they consider necessary or appropriate for carrying the Scheme of Arrangement into full effect & to amend Articles of Association of Mimecast Ltd so that any ordinary shares of Mimecast Ltd that are issued on or after the Voting Record Time to persons other than Magnesium Bidco Ltd or its nominees will either be subject to the terms of the Scheme of Arrangement or immediately & automatically acquired by Magnesium Bidco Ltd and/or its nominee(s) for the Per Share Consideration. Management For For For

O2. Approve, on a non-binding, advisory basis, the golden parachute compensation between Mimecast Limited and its named executive officers relating to the Transaction. Management Against For Against

MIMECAST LIMITED

Security G14838A99 Meeting Type Special

Ticker Symbol Meeting Date 11-Mar-2022

ISIN Agenda 935551045 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1. To approve the scheme of arrangement in its original form or with or subject to any modification(s), addition(s) or condition(s) approved or imposed by the Royal Court of Jersey. Management For For For

CHANGE HEALTHCARE INC

Security 15912K100 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol CHNG Meeting Date 29-Mar-2022

ISIN US15912K1007 Agenda 935551211 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1A. Election of Director: Neil E. de Crescenzo Management For For For

1B. Election of Director: Howard L. Lance Management Withheld For Against

1C. Election of Director: Nella Domenici Management For For For

1D. Election of Director: Nicholas L. Kuhar Management Withheld For Against

1E. Election of Director: Diana McKenzie Management For For For

1F. Election of Director: Bansi Nagji Management Withheld For Against

1G. Election of Director: Philip M. Pead Management For For For

1H. Election of Director: Phillip W. Roe Management For For For

1I. Election of Director: Neil P. Simpkins Management Withheld For Against

1J. Election of Director: Robert J. Zollars Management Withheld For Against

2. Advisory Vote to Approve Executive Compensation(Say-on-Pay) Management Against For Against

3. Ratification of the Appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as the Company's Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for Fiscal 2022 Management For For For

BP MIDSTREAM PARTNERS LP

Security 0556EL109 Meeting Type Consent

Ticker Symbol BPMP Meeting Date 04-Apr-2022

ISIN US0556EL1098 Agenda 935562719 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1. CONSENTS TO AND APPROVES THE MERGER AGREEMENT AND THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED THEREBY, INCLUDING THE MERGER. (FOR = ACCEPT, AGAINST = REJECT)(ABSTAIN VOTES DO NOT COUNT). Management For For For

PROSPERITY BANCSHARES, INC.

Security 743606105 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol PB Meeting Date 19-Apr-2022

ISIN US7436061052 Agenda 935568569 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1.1 Election of Class III Director to serve until the Company's 2025 annual meeting of shareholders: George A. Fisk Management For For For

1.2 Election of Class III Director to serve until the Company's 2025 annual meeting of shareholders: Leah Henderson Management Withheld For Against

1.3 Election of Class III Director to serve until the Company's 2025 annual meeting of shareholders: Ned S. Holmes Management Withheld For Against

1.4 Election of Class III Director to serve until the Company's 2025 annual meeting of shareholders: Jack Lord Management For For For

1.5 Election of Class III Director to serve until the Company's 2025 annual meeting of shareholders: David Zalman Management Withheld For Against

2. Ratification of the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm of the Company for the year ending December 31, 2022. Management Against For Against

3. Advisory approval of the compensation of the Company's named executive officers ("Say-On-Pay"). Management Against For Against

CITRIX SYSTEMS, INC.

Security 177376100 Meeting Type Special

Ticker Symbol CTXS Meeting Date 21-Apr-2022

ISIN US1773761002 Agenda 935574637 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1. Adoption of the Agreement & Plan of Merger, dated January 31, 2022 (as it may be amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the "Merger Agreement"), by and among the Company, Picard Parent, Inc. ("Parent"), Picard Merger Sub, Inc. ("Merger Sub"), and for the limited purposes described in the Merger Agreement, TIBCO Software Inc. Pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub will merge with and into the Company, with the Company continuing as the surviving corporation & a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (the "Merger") Management For For For

2. Approval, on an advisory, non-binding basis, of the compensation that may be paid or may become payable to the Company's named executive officers in connection with the Merger. Management For For For

3. Approval of a proposal to adjourn the Special Meeting to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the Merger Agreement at the time of the Special Meeting. Management For For For

ACTIVISION BLIZZARD, INC.

Security 00507V109 Meeting Type Special

Ticker Symbol ATVI Meeting Date 28-Apr-2022

ISIN US00507V1098 Agenda 935580111 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1. Adoption of the Merger Agreement. To adopt the Agreement and Plan of Merger (as it may be amended from time to time), dated as of January 18, 2022 (the "merger agreement"), by and among Activision Blizzard, Inc. ("Activision Blizzard"), Microsoft Corporation and Anchorage Merger Sub Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation. Management For For For

2. Approval, by Means of a Non-Binding, Advisory Vote, of Certain Compensatory Arrangements with Named Executive Officers. To approve, by means of a non- binding, advisory vote, compensation that will or may become payable to the named executive officers of Activision Blizzard in connection with the merger pursuant to the merger agreement. Management For For For

3. Adjournment of the Special Meeting. To adjourn the special meeting to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to allow time to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the merger agreement at the time of the special meeting. Management For For For

WEBSTER FINANCIAL CORPORATION

Security 947890109 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol WBS Meeting Date 28-Apr-2022

ISIN US9478901096 Agenda 935582886 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1A. Election of Director to serve for one year term: William L. Atwell Management For For For

1B. Election of Director to serve for one year term: Mona Aboelnaga Kanaan Management For For For

1C. Election of Director to serve for one year term: John R. Ciulla Management For For For

1D. Election of Director to serve for one year term: John P. Cahill Management For For For

1E. Election of Director to serve for one year term: E. Carol Hayles Management For For For

1F. Election of Director to serve for one year term: Linda H. Ianieri Management For For For

1G. Election of Director to serve for one year term: Jack L. Kopnisky Management For For For

1H. Election of Director to serve for one year term: James J. Landy Management For For For

1I. Election of Director to serve for one year term: Maureen B. Mitchell Management For For For

1J. Election of Director to serve for one year term: Laurence C. Morse Management Against For Against

1K. Election of Director to serve for one year term: Karen R. Osar Management For For For

1L. Election of Director to serve for one year term: Richard O'Toole Management For For For

1M. Election of Director to serve for one year term: Mark Pettie Management For For For

1N. Election of Director to serve for one year term: Lauren C. States Management For For For

1O. Election of Director to serve for one year term: William E. Whiston Management For For For

2. To approve, on a non-binding, advisory basis, the compensation of the named executive officers of the Company (Proposal 2). Management For For For

3. To ratify the appointment by the Board of Directors of KPMG LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm of Webster Financial Corporation for the year ending December 31, 2022 (Proposal 3). Management Against For Against

KOHL'S CORPORATION

Security 500255104 Meeting Type Contested-Annual

Ticker Symbol KSS Meeting Date 11-May-2022

ISIN US5002551043 Agenda 935574132 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1. DIRECTOR Management

1 Michael J. Bender For

2 Peter Boneparth For

3 Yael Cosset For

4 Christine Day For

5 H. Charles Floyd For

6 Michelle Gass For

7 Margaret L. Jenkins For

8 Thomas A. Kingsbury For

9 Robbin Mitchell For

10 Jonas Prising For

11 John E. Schlifske For

12 Adrianne Shapira For

13 Stephanie A. Streeter For

2. To approve, by an advisory vote, the compensation of our named executive officers. Management For

3. To ratify the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending January 28, 2023. Management For

KOHL'S CORPORATION

Security 500255104 Meeting Type Contested-Annual

Ticker Symbol KSS Meeting Date 11-May-2022

ISIN US5002551043 Agenda 935574144 - Opposition

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1. DIRECTOR Management

1 George R. Brokaw Withheld For Against

2 Jonathan Duskin For For For

3 Francis Ken Duane For For For

4 Pamela J. Edwards For For For

5 Stacy Hawkins Withheld For Against

6 Jeffrey A. Kantor For For For

7 Perry M. Mandarino Withheld For Against

8 Cynthia S. Murray Withheld For Against

9 Kenneth D. Seipel Withheld For Against

10 Craig M. Young Withheld For Against

2. The Company's proposal to approve, by advisory vote, the compensation of the Company's named executive officers. Management Against Against For

3. The Company's proposal to ratify the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending January 28, 2023. Management Against None

INTERTAPE POLYMER GROUP INC.

Security 460919103 Meeting Type Annual and Special Meeting

Ticker Symbol ITPOF Meeting Date 11-May-2022

ISIN CA4609191032 Agenda 935606054 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1 A special resolution to approve a proposed plan of arrangement under section 192 of the Canada Business Corporations Act pursuant to an arrangement agreement dated March 7, 2022 entered into between 1351693 B.C. Ltd. (the "Purchaser"), a British Columbia corporation and an affiliate of Clearlake Capital Group, L.P., and the Company, to effect among other things, the acquisition by the Purchaser of all of the outstanding common shares of the Company in exchange for C$40.50 cash per common share. Management For For For

2 DIRECTOR Management

1 Chris R. Cawston For For For

2 Jane Craighead Withheld For Against

3 Frank Di Tomaso For For For

4 Robert J. Foster Withheld For Against

5 Dahra Granovsky Withheld For Against

6 James Pantelidis Withheld For Against

7 Jorge N. Quintas Withheld For Against

8 Mary Pat Salomone For For For

9 Gregory A.C. Yull For For For

10 Melbourne F. Yull For For For

3 Appointment of Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton LLP as Auditor. Management For For For

4 "Say on Pay" Vote. Management Against For Against

5 Approve the continuation of the Company's shareholder rights plan. Management For For For

TURQUOISE HILL RESOURCES LTD.

Security 900435207 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol TRQ Meeting Date 11-May-2022

ISIN CA9004352071 Agenda 935612259 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1 DIRECTOR Management

1 George Burns For For For

2 Caroline Donally For For For

3 R. Peter Gillin Withheld For Against

4 Alfred P. Grigg Withheld For Against

5 Stephen Jones For For For

6 Russel C. Robertson Withheld For Against

7 Maryse Saint-Laurent For For For

8 Steve Thibeault For For For

2 To appoint KPMG LLP as auditors of the Corporation at a remuneration to be fixed by the Board of Directors. Management For For For

3 Non-binding advisory vote to accept the approach to executive compensation disclosed in the accompanying information circular. Management For For For

ZYNGA INC.

Security 98986T108 Meeting Type Special

Ticker Symbol ZNGA Meeting Date 19-May-2022

ISIN US98986T1088 Agenda 935608818 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1. To adopt the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated January 9, 2022, which is referred to as the "merger agreement," among Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., Zebra MS I, Inc., Zebra MS II, Inc., and Zynga Inc., as it may be amended from time to time, which proposal is referred to as the "Zynga merger proposal". Management For For For

2. To approve, on a non-binding advisory basis, the compensation that may be paid or become payable to Zynga named executive officers that is based on or otherwise relates to the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement. Management Against For Against

3. To approve the adjournment of the Zynga special meeting, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes at the time of the Zynga special meeting to approve the Zynga merger proposal. Management For For For

CERNER CORPORATION

Security 156782104 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol CERN Meeting Date 26-May-2022

ISIN US1567821046 Agenda 935595198 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1A. Election of Director: Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. Management For For For

1B. Election of Director: Elder Granger, M.D. Management For For For

1C. Election of Director: John J. Greisch Management For For For

1D. Election of Director: Melinda J. Mount Management For For For

1E. Election of Director: George A. Riedel Management Against For Against

1F. Election of Director: R. Halsey Wise Management Against For Against

2. Ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm of Cerner Corporation for 2022. Management Against For Against

3. Approval, on an advisory basis, of the compensation of our Named Executive Officers. Management Against For Against

4A. Approval of the proposed amendments to our Third Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended (the "Certificate"), to remove the supermajority voting standards for certain business combination transactions with interested stockholders. Management For For For

4B. Approval of the proposed amendments to our Certificate to remove the supermajority voting standards to amend or repeal any provision of the Bylaws. Management For For For

4C. Approval of the proposed amendments to our Certificate to remove the supermajority voting standards to amend or repeal certain provisions of the Certificate. Management For For For

4D. Approval of the proposed amendments to our Certificate to remove the supermajority voting standards to remove a director with cause. Management For For For

5. Approval of an amendment and restatement of the Cerner Corporation 2011 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan to increase the number of authorized shares and the plan's term. Management Against For Against

6. Shareholder proposal requesting amendment to the Company's governing documents to give shareholders the right to call a special shareholder meeting. Shareholder For Against Against

MERITOR, INC.

Security 59001K100 Meeting Type Special

Ticker Symbol MTOR Meeting Date 26-May-2022

ISIN US59001K1007 Agenda 935637744 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1. To approve the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of February 21, 2022 (as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time, the "Merger Agreement"), by and among Meritor, Inc., an Indiana corporation ("Meritor"), Cummins Inc., an Indiana corporation ("Parent"), and Rose NewCo Inc., an Indiana corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent ("Merger Sub"), pursuant to which Merger Sub will be merged with and into Meritor, with Meritor continuing as the surviving corporation ...(due to space limits, see proxy material for full proposal). Management For For For

2. To approve, on an advisory (non-binding) basis, certain compensation that may be paid or become payable to Meritor's named executive officers in connection with the Merger. Management Against For Against

3. To approve the adjournment of the special meeting, if necessary or appropriate, including to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes at the time of the special meeting to approve the Merger Proposal or in the absence of a quorum. Management For For For

CEDAR REALTY TRUST INC.

Security 150602605 Meeting Type Special

Ticker Symbol CDR Meeting Date 27-May-2022

ISIN US1506026053 Agenda 935635497 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1. To approve the sale of the Company and substantially all of its assets, including the Grocery-Anchored Portfolio Sale and the Mergers (the "Transactions"). Management For For For

2. To approve, on a non-binding advisory basis, the compensation to be paid or that may become payable by the Company to its named executive officers that is based on or otherwise relates to the Transactions. Management For For For

3. To approve one or more adjournments of the special meeting, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies if we have not obtained sufficient affirmative stockholder votes to approve the Transactions. Management For For For

MOMENTIVE GLOBAL, INC.

Security 60878Y108 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol MNTV Meeting Date 07-Jun-2022

ISIN US60878Y1082 Agenda 935627832 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1. Approval of the Amendment of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Company to Declassify the Board of Directors. Management For For For

2. DIRECTOR Management

1 Alexander J. Lurie For For For

2 Dana Evan For For For

3 Sagar Gupta For For For

3. Advisory vote to approve named executive officer compensation ("Say-on-Pay"). Management Against For Against

4. Ratification of appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as the independent registered accountants of Momentive, Global Inc. for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022. Management Against For Against

TENNECO INC.

Security 880349105 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol TEN Meeting Date 07-Jun-2022

ISIN US8803491054 Agenda 935637263 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1. To adopt the Merger Agreement and approve the Merger. Management For For For

2. To approve certain compensation arrangements for the company's named executive officers in connection with the merger. Management Against For Against

3. To approve the adjournment of the Annual Meeting, if necessary, to continue to solicit votes to adopt the Merger Agreement and approve the Merger. Management For For For

4A. Election of Director: Roy V. Armes Management For For For

4B. Election of Director: Thomas C. Freyman Management Against For Against

4C. Election of Director: Denise Gray Management Against For Against

4D. Election of Director: Brian J. Kesseler Management For For For

4E. Election of Director: Michelle A. Kumbier Management Against For Against

4F. Election of Director: Dennis J. Letham Management Against For Against

4G. Election of Director: James S. Metcalf Management Against For Against

4H. Election of Director: Aleksandra A. Miziolek Management Against For Against

4I. Election of Director: Charles K. Stevens, III Management Against For Against

4J. Election of Director: John S. Stroup Management For For For

5. Ratify appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as independent public accountants for 2022. Management Against For Against

6. Approve executive compensation in an advisory vote. Management Against For Against

WILLIS TOWERS WATSON PLC

Security G96629103 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol WTW Meeting Date 08-Jun-2022

ISIN IE00BDB6Q211 Agenda 935625939 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1a. Election of Director: Dame Inga Beale Management For For For

1b. Election of Director: Fumbi Chima Management For For For

1c. Election of Director: Michael Hammond Management For For For

1d. Election of Director: Carl Hess Management For For For

1e. Election of Director: Brendan O'Neill Management For For For

1f. Election of Director: Linda Rabbitt Management Against For Against

1g. Election of Director: Paul Reilly Management For For For

1h. Election of Director: Michelle Swanback Management For For For

1i. Election of Director: Paul Thomas Management For For For

2. Ratify, on an advisory basis, the appointment of (i) Deloitte & Touche LLP to audit our financial statements and (ii) Deloitte Ireland LLP to audit our Irish Statutory Accounts, and authorize, in a binding vote, the Board, acting through the Audit and Risk Committee, to fix the independent auditors' remuneration. Management For For For

3. Approve, on an advisory basis, the named executive officer compensation. Management Against For Against

4. Renew the Board's existing authority to issue shares under Irish law. Management For For For

5. Renew the Board's existing authority to opt out of statutory pre-emption rights under Irish law. Management For For For

6. Approve the creation of distributable profits by the reduction and cancellation of the Company's share premium account. Management For For For

7. Amend and restate the Willis Towers

Watson Public Limited Company 2012

Equity Incentive Plan, including to increase

the number of shares authorized for

issuance under the 2012 Plan. Management Against For Against

ACTIVISION BLIZZARD, INC.

Security 00507V109 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol ATVI Meeting Date 21-Jun-2022

ISIN US00507V1098 Agenda 935640715 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1a. Election of Director: Reveta Bowers Management Against For Against

1b. Election of Director: Kerry Carr Management For For For

1c. Election of Director: Robert Corti Management Against For Against

1d. Election of Director: Brian Kelly Management Against For Against

1e. Election of Director: Robert Kotick Management For For For

1f. Election of Director: Lulu Meservey Management For For For

1g. Election of Director: Barry Meyer Management For For For

1h. Election of Director: Robert Morgado Management Against For Against

1i. Election of Director: Peter Nolan Management For For For

1j. Election of Director: Dawn Ostroff Management Against For Against

2. Advisory vote to approve our executive compensation. Management Against For Against

3. Ratification of the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm. Management Against For Against

4. Shareholder proposal regarding the nomination of an employee representative director. Shareholder Against Against For

5. Shareholder proposal regarding the preparation of a report about the Company's efforts to prevent abuse, harassment and discrimination. Shareholder For Against Against

ANAPLAN, INC.

Security 03272L108 Meeting Type Special

Ticker Symbol PLAN Meeting Date 21-Jun-2022

ISIN US03272L1089 Agenda 935645816 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1. To adopt the Merger Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of March 20, 2022, by and among Alpine Parent, LLC, Alpine Merger Sub, Inc., and Anaplan, Inc., as it may be amended from time to time. Management For For For

2. To approve the adoption of any proposal to adjourn the Special Meeting to a later date or dates if necessary or appropriate to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the Merger Agreement at the time of the Special Meeting. Management For For For

3. To approve, by non-binding, advisory vote, compensation that will or may become payable by Anaplan, Inc. to its named executive officers in connection with the merger. Management Against For Against

LHC GROUP, INC.

Security 50187A107 Meeting Type Special

Ticker Symbol LHCG Meeting Date 21-Jun-2022

ISIN US50187A1079 Agenda 935659803 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1. To adopt the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of March 28, 2022, by and among LHC Group, Inc., UnitedHealth Group Incorporated and Lightning Merger Sub Inc. Management For For For

2. To approve, on a non-binding, advisory basis, certain compensation that will or may be paid by LHC to its named executive officers that is based on or otherwise relates to the Merger. Management For For For

3. To adjourn the special meeting of LHC stockholders from time to time, if necessary or appropriate, for the purpose of soliciting additional votes for the approval of the proposal described above in Proposal 1 if there are insufficient votes at the time of the Special Meeting to approve the proposal described above in Proposal 1. Management For For For

CORNERSTONE BUILDING BRANDS INC.

Security 21925D109 Meeting Type Special

Ticker Symbol CNR Meeting Date 24-Jun-2022

ISIN US21925D1090 Agenda 935668357 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1. Proposal to adopt Agreement & Plan of Merger, dated as of 3/5/22, by and among Camelot Return Intermediate Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company ("Parent"), Camelot Return Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation & a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent ("Merger Sub"), & Company, a copy of which is attached as Annex A to accompanying proxy statement, pursuant to which, among other things, Merger Sub will merge with & into Company (the "merger"), with Company surviving the merger as a subsidiary of Parent (the "Merger Agreement Proposal"). Management For For For

2. To consider and vote on one or more proposals to adjourn the special meeting to a later date or dates if necessary or appropriate, including adjournments to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes at the time of the special meeting to approve the Merger Agreement Proposal (the "Adjournment Proposal"). Management For For For

3. To approve, by nonbinding, advisory vote, certain compensation arrangements for the Company's named executive officers in connection with the merger (the "Merger- Related Compensation Proposal"). Management For For For

SIERRA ONCOLOGY INC

Security 82640U404 Meeting Type Special

Ticker Symbol SRRA Meeting Date 29-Jun-2022

ISIN US82640U4040 Agenda 935660399 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1. To consider and vote on the proposal to adopt the Agreement and Plan of Merger, as it may be amended from time to time (the "merger agreement"), dated April 12, 2022, between GlaxoSmithKline plc, Orikum Acquisition Inc. and Sierra Oncology, Inc. Management For For For

2. To consider and vote on the proposal to approve, on a non- binding, advisory basis, the compensation that will or may become payable by Sierra Oncology, Inc. to its named executive officers in connection with the merger of Orikum Acquisition Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of GlaxoSmithKline plc, with and into Sierra Oncology, Inc. Management Against For Against

3. To consider and vote on any proposal to adjourn the special meeting to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the merger agreement at the time of the special meeting. Management For For For

SAILPOINT TECHNOLOGIES HOLDINGS, INC.

Security 78781P105 Meeting Type Special

Ticker Symbol SAIL Meeting Date 30-Jun-2022

ISIN US78781P1057 Agenda 935674297 - Management

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1. To consider & vote on the proposal to adopt the Agreement & Plan of Merger, dated as of April 10, 2022, (the "Merger Agreement"), by & among Project Hotel California Holdings, LP, a Delaware limited partnership & Project Hotel California Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation & a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent, whereby Pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub will merge with & into SailPoint & the separate corporate existence of Merger Sub will cease, with SailPoint continuing as the surviving corporation & a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent. Management For For For

2. To consider and vote on the proposal to approve, on an advisory (non-binding) basis, the compensation that may be paid or become payable to SailPoint's named executive officers that is based on or otherwise relates to the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement. Management For For For
UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

FORM N-PX

ANNUAL REPORT OF PROXY VOTING RECORD OF REGISTERED MANAGEMENT

INVESTMENT COMPANY

Investment Company Act file number 811-21719

INVESTMENT MANAGERS SERIES TRUST

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

Diane J. Drake

Mutual Fund Administration, LLC

2220 E. Route 66, Suite 226

Glendora, California 91740

(Name and address of agent for service)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (626) 385-5777

Date of fiscal year end: October 31

Date of reporting period: July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022

Form N-PX is to be used by a registered management investment company, other than a small business investment company registered on Form N-5 (17 CFR 239.24 and 274.5), to file reports with the Commission, not later than August 31 of each year, containing the registrant's proxy voting record for the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30, pursuant to section 30 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and rule 30b1-4 thereunder (17 CFR 270.30b1-4). The Commission may use the information provided on Form N-PX in its regulatory, disclosure review, inspection, and policymaking roles.

A registrant is required to disclose the information specified by Form N-PX, and the Commission will make this information public. A registrant is not required to respond to the collection of information contained in Form N-PX unless the Form displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget ("OMB") control number. Please direct comments concerning the accuracy of the information collection burden estimate and any suggestions for reducing the burden to the Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 450 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20549-0609. The OMB has reviewed this collection of information under the clearance requirements of 44 U.S.C.  3507.

ITEM 1. PROXY VOTING RECORD.

Vote Summary

CISCO SYSTEMS, INC.

Security 17275R102 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol CSCO Meeting Date 13-Dec-2021

ISIN US17275R1023 Agenda 935511469 - Management

Record Date 15-Oct-2021 Holding Recon Date 15-Oct-2021

City / Country / United States Vote Deadline Date 10-Dec-2021

SEDOL(s) Quick Code

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1A. Election of Director: M. Michele Burns Management For For For

1B. Election of Director: Wesley G. Bush Management For For For

1C. Election of Director: Michael D. Capellas Management For For For

1D. Election of Director: Mark Garrett Management For For For

1E. Election of Director: John D. Harris II Management For For For

1F. Election of Director: Dr. Kristina M. Johnson Management For For For

1G. Election of Director: Roderick C. McGeary Management For For For

1H. Election of Director: Charles H. Robbins Management For For For

1I. Election of Director: Brenton L. Saunders Management For For For

1J. Election of Director: Dr. Lisa T. Su Management For For For

1K. Election of Director: Marianna Tessel Management For For For

2. Approval, on an advisory basis, of executive compensation. Management For For For

3. Ratification of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as Cisco's independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal 2022. Management For For For

4. Approval to have Cisco's Board amend Cisco's proxy access bylaw to remove the stockholder aggregation limit. Shareholder Against Against For

TYSON FOODS, INC.

Security 902494103 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol TSN Meeting Date 10-Feb-2022

ISIN US9024941034 Agenda 935537920 - Management

Record Date 13-Dec-2021 Holding Recon Date 13-Dec-2021

City / Country / United States Vote Deadline Date 09-Feb-2022

SEDOL(s) Quick Code

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1A. Election of Director: John H. Tyson Management For For For

1B. Election of Director: Les R. Baledge Management For For For

1C. Election of Director: Mike Beebe Management For For For

1D. Election of Director: Maria Claudia Borras Management For For For

1E. Election of Director: David J. Bronczek Management For For For

1F. Election of Director: Mikel A. Durham Management For For For

1G. Election of Director: Donnie King Management For For For

1H. Election of Director: Jonathan D. Mariner Management For For For

1I. Election of Director: Kevin M. McNamara Management For For For

1J. Election of Director: Cheryl S. Miller Management For For For

1K. Election of Director: Jeffrey K. Schomburger Management For For For

1L. Election of Director: Barbara A. Tyson Management For For For

1M. Election of Director: Noel White Management For For For

2. To ratify the selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Company for fiscal year ending October 1, 2022. Management For For For

3. Shareholder proposal to request a report on sustainable packaging efforts. Shareholder Against Against For

BROADCOM INC

Security 11135F101 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol AVGO Meeting Date 04-Apr-2022

ISIN US11135F1012 Agenda 935550740 - Management

Record Date 07-Feb-2022 Holding Recon Date 07-Feb-2022

City / Country / United States Vote Deadline Date 01-Apr-2022

SEDOL(s) Quick Code

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1A. Election of Director: Diane M. Bryant Management For For For

1B. Election of Director: Gayla J. Delly Management For For For

1C. Election of Director: Raul J. Fernandez Management For For For

1D. Election of Director: Eddy W. Hartenstein Management For For For

1E. Election of Director: Check Kian Low Management For For For

1F. Election of Director: Justine F. Page Management For For For

1G. Election of Director: Henry Samueli Management For For For

1H. Election of Director: Hock E. Tan Management For For For

1I. Election of Director: Harry L. You Management For For For

2. Ratification of the appointment of Pricewaterhouse- Coopers LLP as Broadcom's independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending October 30, 2022. Management For For For

3. Advisory vote to approve compensation of Broadcom's named executive officers. Management For For For

DOW INC.

Security 260557103 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol DOW Meeting Date 14-Apr-2022

ISIN US2605571031 Agenda 935554736 - Management

Record Date 18-Feb-2022 Holding Recon Date 18-Feb-2022

City / Country / United States Vote Deadline Date 13-Apr-2022

SEDOL(s) Quick Code

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1A. Election of Director: Samuel R. Allen Management For For For

1B. Election of Director: Gaurdie Banister Jr. Management For For For

1C. Election of Director: Wesley G. Bush Management For For For

1D. Election of Director: Richard K. Davis Management For For For

1E. Election of Director: Jerri DeVard Management For For For

1F. Election of Director: Debra L. Dial Management For For For

1G. Election of Director: Jeff M. Fettig Management For For For

1H. Election of Director: Jim Fitterling Management For For For

1I. Election of Director: Jacqueline C. Hinman Management For For For

1J. Election of Director: Luis Alberto Moreno Management For For For

1K. Election of Director: Jill S. Wyant Management For For For

1L. Election of Director: Daniel W. Yohannes Management For For For

2. Advisory Resolution to Approve Executive Compensation. Management For For For

3. Ratification of the Appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as the Company's Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for 2022. Management For For For

4. Stockholder Proposal - Independent Board Chairman. Shareholder Against Against For

LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION

Security 539830109 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol LMT Meeting Date 21-Apr-2022

ISIN US5398301094 Agenda 935564751 - Management

Record Date 25-Feb-2022 Holding Recon Date 25-Feb-2022

City / Country / United States Vote Deadline Date 20-Apr-2022

SEDOL(s) Quick Code

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1A. Election of Director: Daniel F. Akerson Management For For For

1B. Election of Director: David B. Burritt Management For For For

1C. Election of Director: Bruce A. Carlson Management For For For

1D. Election of Director: John M. Donovan Management For For For

1E. Election of Director: Joseph F. Dunford, Jr. Management For For For

1F. Election of Director: James O. Ellis, Jr. Management For For For

1G. Election of Director: Thomas J. Falk Management For For For

1H. Election of Director: Ilene S. Gordon Management For For For

1I. Election of Director: Vicki A. Hollub Management For For For

1J. Election of Director: Jeh C. Johnson Management For For For

1K. Election of Director: Debra L. Reed-Klages Management For For For

1L. Election of Director: James D. Taiclet Management For For For

1M. Election of Director: Patricia E. Yarrington Management For For For

2. Ratification of Appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as Independent Auditors for 2022. Management For For For

3. Advisory Vote to Approve the Compensation of our Named Executive Officers (Say-on-Pay) Management For For For

4. Stockholder Proposal to Reduce Threshold for Calling Special Stockholder Meetings. Shareholder Against Against For

5. Stockholder Proposal to Issue a Human Rights Impact Assessment Report. Shareholder Against Against For

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP.

Security 459200101 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol IBM Meeting Date 26-Apr-2022

ISIN US4592001014 Agenda 935559483 - Management

Record Date 25-Feb-2022 Holding Recon Date 25-Feb-2022

City / Country / United States Vote Deadline Date 25-Apr-2022

SEDOL(s) Quick Code

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1A. Election of Director for a Term of One Year: Thomas Buberl Management For For For

1B. Election of Director for a Term of One Year: David N. Farr Management For For For

1C. Election of Director for a Term of One Year: Alex Gorsky Management For For For

1D. Election of Director for a Term of One Year: Michelle J. Howard Management For For For

1E. Election of Director for a Term of One Year: Arvind Krishna Management For For For

1F. Election of Director for a Term of One Year: Andrew N. Liveris Management For For For

1G. Election of Director for a Term of One Year: F. William McNabb III Management For For For

1H. Election of Director for a Term of One Year: Martha E. Pollack Management For For For

1I. Election of Director for a Term of One Year: Joseph R. Swedish Management For For For

1J. Election of Director for a Term of One Year: Peter R. Voser Management For For For

1K. Election of Director for a Term of One Year: Frederick H. Waddell Management For For For

1L. Election of Director for a Term of One Year: Alfred W. Zollar Management For For For

2. Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. Management For For For

3. Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation. Management For For For

4. Stockholder Proposal to Lower Special Meeting Right Ownership Threshold. Shareholder Against Against For

5. Stockholder Proposal to Have An Independent Board Chairman. Shareholder Against Against For

6. Stockholder Proposal Requesting Public Report on the use of Concealment Clauses. Shareholder Against Against For

BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION

Security 060505104 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol BAC Meeting Date 26-Apr-2022

ISIN US0605051046 Agenda 935560335 - Management

Record Date 01-Mar-2022 Holding Recon Date 01-Mar-2022

City / Country / United States Vote Deadline Date 25-Apr-2022

SEDOL(s) Quick Code

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1A. Election of Director: Sharon L. Allen Management For For For

1B. Election of Director: Frank P. Bramble, Sr. Management For For For

1C. Election of Director: Pierre J.P. de Weck Management For For For

1D. Election of Director: Arnold W. Donald Management For For For

1E. Election of Director: Linda P. Hudson Management For For For

1F. Election of Director: Monica C. Lozano Management For For For

1G. Election of Director: Brian T. Moynihan Management For For For

1H. Election of Director: Lionel L. Nowell III Management For For For

1I. Election of Director: Denise L. Ramos Management For For For

1J. Election of Director: Clayton S. Rose Management For For For

1K. Election of Director: Michael D. White Management For For For

1L. Election of Director: Thomas D. Woods Management For For For

1M. Election of Director: R. David Yost Management For For For

1N. Election of Director: Maria T. Zuber Management For For For

2. Approving our executive compensation (an advisory, nonbinding "Say on Pay" resolution) Management For For For

3. Ratifying the appointment of our independent registered public accounting firm for 2022. Management For For For

4. Ratifying the Delaware Exclusive Forum Provision in our Bylaws. Management For For For

5. Shareholder proposal requesting a civil rights and nondiscrimination audit. Shareholder Against Against For

6. Shareholder proposal requesting adoption of policy to cease financing new fossil fuel supplies. Shareholder Against Against For

7. Shareholder proposal requesting a report on charitable donations. Shareholder Against Against For

TRUIST FINANCIAL CORPORATION

Security 89832Q109 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol TFC Meeting Date 26-Apr-2022

ISIN US89832Q1094 Agenda 935561995 - Management

Record Date 17-Feb-2022 Holding Recon Date 17-Feb-2022

City / Country / United States Vote Deadline Date 25-Apr-2022

SEDOL(s) Quick Code

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1A. Election of Director for one year term expiring at 2023: Jennifer S. Banner Management For For For

1B. Election of Director for one year term expiring at 2023: K. David Boyer, Jr. Management For For For

1C. Election of Director for one year term expiring at 2023: Agnes Bundy Scanlan Management For For For

1D. Election of Director for one year term expiring at 2023: Anna R. Cablik Management For For For

1E. Election of Director for one year term expiring at 2023: Dallas S. Clement Management For For For

1F. Election of Director for one year term expiring at 2023: Paul D. Donahue Management For For For

1G. Election of Director for one year term expiring at 2023: Patrick C. Graney III Management For For For

1H. Election of Director for one year term expiring at 2023: Linnie M. Haynesworth Management For For For

1I. Election of Director for one year term expiring at 2023: Kelly S. King Management For For For

1J. Election of Director for one year term expiring at 2023: Easter A. Maynard Management For For For

1K. Election of Director for one year term expiring at 2023: Donna S. Morea Management For For For

1L. Election of Director for one year term expiring at 2023: Charles A. Patton Management For For For

1M. Election of Director for one year term expiring at 2023: Nido R. Qubein Management For For For

1N. Election of Director for one year term expiring at 2023: David M. Ratcliffe Management For For For

1O. Election of Director for one year term expiring at 2023: William H. Rogers, Jr. Management For For For

1P. Election of Director for one year term expiring at 2023: Frank P. Scruggs, Jr. Management For For For

1Q. Election of Director for one year term expiring at 2023: Christine Sears Management For For For

1R. Election of Director for one year term expiring at 2023: Thomas E. Skains Management For For For

1S. Election of Director for one year term expiring at 2023: Bruce L. Tanner Management For For For

1T. Election of Director for one year term expiring at 2023: Thomas N. Thompson Management For For For

1U. Election of Director for one year term expiring at 2023: Steven C. Voorhees Management For For For

2. Ratification of the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as Truist's independent registered public accounting firm for 2022. Management For For For

3. Advisory vote to approve Truist's executive compensation program. Management For For For

4. To approve the Truist Financial Corporation 2022 Incentive Plan. Management For For For

5. To approve the Truist Financial Corporation 2022 Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Management For For For

6. Shareholder proposal regarding an

independent Chairman of the Board of

Directors, if properly presented at the

Annual Meeting. Shareholder Against Against For

GENUINE PARTS COMPANY

Security 372460105 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol GPC Meeting Date 28-Apr-2022

ISIN US3724601055 Agenda 935556312 - Management

Record Date 22-Feb-2022 Holding Recon Date 22-Feb-2022

City / Country / United States Vote Deadline Date 27-Apr-2022

SEDOL(s) Quick Code

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1A. Election of Director: Elizabeth W. Camp Management For For For

1B. Election of Director: Richard Cox, Jr. Management For For For

1C. Election of Director: Paul D. Donahue Management For For For

1D. Election of Director: Gary P. Fayard Management For For For

1E. Election of Director: P. Russell Hardin Management For For For

1F. Election of Director: John R. Holder Management For For For

1G. Election of Director: Donna W. Hyland Management For For For

1H. Election of Director: John D. Johns Management For For For

1I. Election of Director: Jean-Jacques Lafont Management For For For

1J. Election of Director: Robert C. "Robin" Loudermilk, Jr. Management For For For

1K. Election of Director: Wendy B. Needham Management For For For

1L. Election of Director: Juliette W. Pryor Management For For For

1M. Election of Director: E. Jenner Wood III Management For For For

2. Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation. Management For For For

3. Ratification of the Selection of Ernst & Young LLP as the Company's Independent Auditor for the Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 2022. Management For For For

CORNING INCORPORATED

Security 219350105 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol GLW Meeting Date 28-Apr-2022

ISIN US2193501051 Agenda 935559471 - Management

Record Date 28-Feb-2022 Holding Recon Date 28-Feb-2022

City / Country / United States Vote Deadline Date 27-Apr-2022

SEDOL(s) Quick Code

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1A. Election of Director: Donald W. Blair Management For For For

1B. Election of Director: Leslie A. Brun Management For For For

1C. Election of Director: Stephanie A. Burns Management For For For

1D. Election of Director: Richard T. Clark Management For For For

1E. Election of Director: Pamela J. Craig Management For For For

1F. Election of Director: Robert F. Cummings, Jr. Management For For For

1G. Election of Director: Roger W. Ferguson, Jr. Management For For For

1H. Election of Director: Deborah A. Henretta Management For For For

1I. Election of Director: Daniel P. Huttenlocher Management For For For

1J. Election of Director: Kurt M. Landgraf Management For For For

1K. Election of Director: Kevin J. Martin Management For For For

1L. Election of Director: Deborah D. Rieman Management For For For

1M. Election of Director: Hansel E. Tookes, II Management For For For

1N. Election of Director: Wendell P. Weeks Management For For For

1O. Election of Director: Mark S. Wrighton Management For For For

2. Advisory approval of our executive compensation (Say on Pay). Management For For For

3. Ratification of the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022. Management For For For

JOHNSON & JOHNSON

Security 478160104 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol JNJ Meeting Date 28-Apr-2022

ISIN US4781601046 Agenda 935562997 - Management

Record Date 01-Mar-2022 Holding Recon Date 01-Mar-2022

City / Country / United States Vote Deadline Date 27-Apr-2022

SEDOL(s) Quick Code

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1A. Election of Director: Darius Adamczyk Management For For For

1B. Election of Director: Mary C. Beckerle Management For For For

1C. Election of Director: D. Scott Davis Management For For For

1D. Election of Director: Ian E. L. Davis Management For For For

1E. Election of Director: Jennifer A. Doudna Management For For For

1F. Election of Director: Joaquin Duato Management For For For

1G. Election of Director: Alex Gorsky Management For For For

1H. Election of Director: Marillyn A. Hewson Management For For For

1I. Election of Director: Hubert Joly Management For For For

1J. Election of Director: Mark B. McClellan Management For For For

1K. Election of Director: Anne M. Mulcahy Management For For For

1L. Election of Director: A. Eugene Washington Management For For For

1M. Election of Director: Mark A. Weinberger Management For For For

1N. Election of Director: Nadja Y. West Management For For For

2. Advisory Vote to Approve Named Executive Officer Compensation. Management For For For

3. Approval of the Company's 2022 Long- Term Incentive Plan. Management For For For

4. Ratification of Appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for 2022. Management For For For

5. Proposal Withdrawn (Federal Securities Laws Mandatory Arbitration Bylaw). Shareholder Against None

6. Civil Rights, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Audit Proposal. Shareholder Against Against For

7. Third Party Racial Justice Audit. Shareholder Against Against For

8. Report on Government Financial Support and Access to COVID-19 Vaccines and Therapeutics. Shareholder Against Against For

9. Report on Public Health Costs of Protecting Vaccine Technology. Shareholder Against Against For

10. Discontinue Global Sales of Baby Powder Containing Talc. Shareholder Against Against For

11. Request for Charitable Donations Disclosure. Shareholder Against Against For

12. Third Party Review and Report on Lobbying Activities Alignment with Position on Universal Health Coverage. Shareholder Against Against For

13. Adopt Policy to Include Legal and Compliance Costs in Incentive Compensation Metrics. Shareholder Against Against For

14. CEO Compensation to Weigh Workforce Pay and Ownership. Shareholder Against Against For

EVERGY, INC.

Security 30034W106 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol EVRG Meeting Date 03-May-2022

ISIN US30034W1062 Agenda 935561933 - Management

Record Date 01-Mar-2022 Holding Recon Date 01-Mar-2022

City / Country / United States Vote Deadline Date 02-May-2022

SEDOL(s) Quick Code

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1A. Election of Director: David A. Campbell Management For For For

1B. Election of Director: Thomas D. Hyde Management For For For

1C. Election of Director: B. Anthony Isaac Management For For For

1D. Election of Director: Paul M. Keglevic Management For For For

1E. Election of Director: Senator Mary L. Landrieu Management For For For

1F. Election of Director: Sandra A.J. Lawrence Management For For For

1G. Election of Director: Ann D. Murtlow Management For For For

1H. Election of Director: Sandra J. Price Management For For For

1I. Election of Director: Mark A. Ruelle Management For For For

1J. Election of Director: James Scarola Management For For For

1K. Election of Director: S. Carl Soderstrom, Jr. Management For For For

1L. Election of Director: C. John Wilder Management For For For

2. Approve the 2021 compensation of our named executive officers on an advisory non-binding basis. Management For For For

3. Approve the Evergy, Inc. Amended and Restated Long-Term Incentive Plan. Management For For For

4. Ratify the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for 2022. Management For For For

OMNICOM GROUP INC.

Security 681919106 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol OMC Meeting Date 03-May-2022

ISIN US6819191064 Agenda 935570639 - Management

Record Date 14-Mar-2022 Holding Recon Date 14-Mar-2022

City / Country / United States Vote Deadline Date 02-May-2022

SEDOL(s) Quick Code

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1A. Election of Director: John D. Wren Management For For For

1B. Election of Director: Mary C. Choksi Management For For For

1C. Election of Director: Leonard S. Coleman, Jr. Management For For For

1D. Election of Director: Mark D. Gerstein Management For For For

1E. Election of Director: Ronnie S. Hawkins Management For For For

1F. Election of Director: Deborah J. Kissire Management For For For

1G. Election of Director: Gracia C. Martore Management For For For

1H. Election of Director: Patricia Salas Pineda Management For For For

1I. Election of Director: Linda Johnson Rice Management For For For

1J. Election of Director: Valerie M. Williams Management For For For

2. Advisory resolution to approve executive compensation. Management For For For

3. Ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as the Company's independent auditors for the 2022 fiscal year. Management For For For

4. Shareholder proposal regarding political spending disclosure. Shareholder Against Against For

BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB COMPANY

Security 110122108 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol BMY Meeting Date 03-May-2022

ISIN US1101221083 Agenda 935571782 - Management

Record Date 14-Mar-2022 Holding Recon Date 14-Mar-2022

City / Country / United States Vote Deadline Date 02-May-2022

SEDOL(s) Quick Code

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1A) Election of Director: Peter J. Arduini Management For For For

1B) Election of Director: Giovanni Caforio, M.D. Management For For For

1C) Election of Director: Julia A. Haller, M.D. Management For For For

1D) Election of Director: Manuel Hidalgo Medina, M.D., Ph.D. Management For For For

1E) Election of Director: Paula A. Price Management For For For

1F) Election of Director: Derica W. Rice Management For For For

1G) Election of Director: Theodore R. Samuels Management For For For

1H) Election of Director: Gerald L. Storch Management For For For

1I) Election of Director: Karen H. Vousden, Ph.D. Management For For For

1J) Election of Director: Phyllis R. Yale Management For For For

2. Advisory Vote to Approve the Compensation of our Named Executive Officers. Management For For For

3. Ratification of the Appointment of an Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. Management For For For

4. Shareholder Proposal to Lower the Ownership Threshold for Special Shareholder Meetings to 10%. Shareholder Against Against For

5. Shareholder Proposal on the Adoption of a Board Policy that the Chairperson of the Board be an Independent Director. Shareholder Against Against For

ENBRIDGE INC.

Security 29250N105 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol ENB Meeting Date 04-May-2022

ISIN CA29250N1050 Agenda 935566274 - Management

Record Date 09-Mar-2022 Holding Recon Date 09-Mar-2022

City / Country / Canada Vote Deadline Date 29-Apr-2022

SEDOL(s) Quick Code

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1 DIRECTOR Management

1 Mayank M. Ashar For For For

2 Gaurdie E. Banister For For For

3 Pamela L. Carter For For For

4 Susan M. Cunningham For For For

5 Gregory L. Ebel For For For

6 Jason B. Few For For For

7 Teresa S. Madden For For For

8 Al Monaco For For For

9 Stephen S. Poloz For For For

10 S. Jane Rowe For For For

11 Dan C. Tutcher For For For

12 Steven W. Williams For For For

2 Appoint the auditors Appoint PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as auditors of Enbridge and authorize the directors to fix their remuneration Management For For For

3 Advisory vote on executive compensation Accept Enbridge's approach to executive compensation, as disclosed in the Management Information Circular Management For For For

4 Shareholder proposal Vote on the shareholder proposal, as set out in Appendix A of the Management Information Circular The Board of Directors recommends voting "AGAINST" Item 4 Shareholder Against Against For

INTERNATIONAL FLAVORS & FRAGRANCES INC.

Security 459506101 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol IFF Meeting Date 04-May-2022

ISIN US4595061015 Agenda 935567163 - Management

Record Date 08-Mar-2022 Holding Recon Date 08-Mar-2022

City / Country / United States Vote Deadline Date 03-May-2022

SEDOL(s) Quick Code

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1A. Election of Director for a one-year term expiring at the 2023 Annual Meeting: Kathryn J. Boor Management For For For

1B. Election of Director for a one-year term expiring at the 2023 Annual Meeting: Edward D. Breen Management For For For

1C. Election of Director for a one-year term expiring at the 2023 Annual Meeting: Barry A. Bruno Management For For For

1D. Election of Director for a one-year term expiring at the 2023 Annual Meeting: Frank Clyburn Management For For For

1E. Election of Director for a one-year term expiring at the 2023 Annual Meeting: Carol Anthony Davidson Management For For For

1F. Election of Director for a one-year term expiring at the 2023 Annual Meeting: Michael L. Ducker Management For For For

1G. Election of Director for a one-year term expiring at the 2023 Annual Meeting: Roger W. Ferguson, Jr. Management For For For

1H. Election of Director for a one-year term expiring at the 2023 Annual Meeting: John F. Ferraro Management For For For

1I. Election of Director for a one-year term expiring at the 2023 Annual Meeting: Christina Gold Management For For For

1J. Election of Director for a one-year term expiring at the 2023 Annual Meeting: Ilene Gordon Management For For For

1K. Election of Director for a one-year term expiring at the 2023 Annual Meeting: Matthias J. Heinzel Management For For For

1L. Election of Director for a one-year term expiring at the 2023 Annual Meeting: Dale F. Morrison Management For For For

1M. Election of Director for a one-year term expiring at the 2023 Annual Meeting: Kare Schultz Management For For For

1N. Election of Director for a one-year term expiring at the 2023 Annual Meeting: Stephen Williamson Management For For For

2. Ratify the selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the 2022 fiscal year. Management For For For

3. Approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of our named executive officers in 2021. Management For For For

PHILIP MORRIS INTERNATIONAL INC.

Security 718172109 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol PM Meeting Date 04-May-2022

ISIN US7181721090 Agenda 935568355 - Management

Record Date 11-Mar-2022 Holding Recon Date 11-Mar-2022

City / Country / United States Vote Deadline Date 03-May-2022

SEDOL(s) Quick Code

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1A. Election of Director: Brant Bonin Bough Management For For For

1B. Election of Director: Andre Calantzopoulos Management For For For

1C. Election of Director: Michel Combes Management For For For

1D. Election of Director: Juan Jose Daboub Management For For For

1E. Election of Director: Werner Geissler Management For For For

1F. Election of Director: Lisa A. Hook Management For For For

1G. Election of Director: Jun Makihara Management For For For

1H. Election of Director: Kalpana Morparia Management For For For

1I. Election of Director: Lucio A. Noto Management For For For

1J. Election of Director: Jacek Olczak Management For For For

1K. Election of Director: Frederik Paulsen Management For For For

1L. Election of Director: Robert B. Polet Management For For For

1M. Election of Director: Dessislava Temperley Management For For For

1N. Election of Director: Shlomo Yanai Management For For For

2. Advisory Vote Approving Executive Compensation. Management For For For

3. 2022 Performance Incentive Plan. Management For For For

4. Ratification of the Selection of Independent Auditors. Management For For For

5. Shareholder Proposal to phase out all health-hazardous and addictive products produced by Philip Morris International Inc. by 2025. Shareholder Against Against For

GILEAD SCIENCES, INC.

Security 375558103 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol GILD Meeting Date 04-May-2022

ISIN US3755581036 Agenda 935570134 - Management

Record Date 15-Mar-2022 Holding Recon Date 15-Mar-2022

City / Country / United States Vote Deadline Date 03-May-2022

SEDOL(s) Quick Code

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1A. Election of Director: Jacqueline K. Barton, Ph.D. Management For For For

1B. Election of Director: Jeffrey A. Bluestone, Ph.D. Management For For For

1C. Election of Director: Sandra J. Horning, M.D. Management For For For

1D. Election of Director: Kelly A. Kramer Management For For For

1E. Election of Director: Kevin E. Lofton Management For For For

1F. Election of Director: Harish Manwani Management For For For

1G. Election of Director: Daniel P. O'Day Management For For For

1H. Election of Director: Javier J. Rodriguez Management For For For

1I. Election of Director: Anthony Welters Management For For For

2. To ratify the selection of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022. Management For For For

3. To approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of our Named Executive Officers as presented in the Proxy Statement. Management For For For

4. To approve the Gilead Sciences, Inc. 2022 Equity Incentive Plan. Management For For For

5. To vote on a stockholder proposal, if properly presented at the meeting, requesting that the Board adopt a policy that the Chairperson of the Board of Directors be an independent director. Shareholder Against Against For

6. To vote on a stockholder proposal, if properly presented at the meeting, requesting that the Board include one member from Gilead's non-management employees. Shareholder Against Against For

7. To vote on a stockholder proposal, if properly presented at the meeting, requesting a 10% threshold to call a special stockholder meeting. Shareholder Against Against For

8. To vote on a stockholder proposal, if properly presented at the meeting, requesting that the Board publish a third- party review of Gilead's lobbying activities. Shareholder Against Against For

9. To vote on a stockholder proposal, if properly presented at the meeting, requesting a Board report on oversight of risks related to anticompetitive practices. Shareholder Against Against For

UNITED PARCEL SERVICE, INC.

Security 911312106 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol UPS Meeting Date 05-May-2022

ISIN US9113121068 Agenda 935570487 - Management

Record Date 09-Mar-2022 Holding Recon Date 09-Mar-2022

City / Country / United States Vote Deadline Date 04-May-2022

SEDOL(s) Quick Code

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1A. Election of Director to serve until 2023 annual meeting: Carol B. Tome Management For For For

1B. Election of Director to serve until 2023 annual meeting: Rodney C. Adkins Management For For For

1C. Election of Director to serve until 2023 annual meeting: Eva C. Boratto Management For For For

1D. Election of Director to serve until 2023 annual meeting: Michael J. Burns Management For For For

1E. Election of Director to serve until 2023 annual meeting: Wayne M. Hewett Management For For For

1F. Election of Director to serve until 2023 annual meeting: Angela Hwang Management For For For

1G. Election of Director to serve until 2023 annual meeting: Kate E. Johnson Management For For For

1H. Election of Director to serve until 2023 annual meeting: William R. Johnson Management For For For

1I. Election of Director to serve until 2023 annual meeting: Ann M. Livermore Management For For For

1J. Election of Director to serve until 2023 annual meeting: Franck J. Moison Management For For For

1K. Election of Director to serve until 2023 annual meeting: Christiana Smith Shi Management For For For

1L. Election of Director to serve until 2023 annual meeting: Russell Stokes Management For For For

1M. Election of Director to serve until 2023 annual meeting: Kevin Warsh Management For For For

2. To approve on an advisory basis named executive officer compensation. Management For For For

3. To ratify the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as UPS's independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2022. Management For For For

4. To prepare an annual report on lobbying activities. Shareholder Against Against For

5. To prepare a report on alignment of lobbying activities with the Paris Climate Agreement. Shareholder Against Against For

6. To reduce the voting power of UPS class A stock from 10 votes per share to one vote per share. Shareholder Against Against For

7. To require adoption of independently verified science-based greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets. Shareholder Against Against For

8. To prepare a report on balancing climate measures and financial returns. Shareholder Against Against For

9. To prepare an annual report assessing UPS's diversity and inclusion. Shareholder Against Against For

ABBVIE INC.

Security 00287Y109 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol ABBV Meeting Date 06-May-2022

ISIN US00287Y1091 Agenda 935568141 - Management

Record Date 07-Mar-2022 Holding Recon Date 07-Mar-2022

City / Country / United States Vote Deadline Date 05-May-2022

SEDOL(s) Quick Code

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1. DIRECTOR Management

1 William H.L. Burnside For For For

2 Thomas C. Freyman For For For

3 Brett J. Hart For For For

4 Edward J. Rapp For For For

2. Ratification of Ernst & Young LLP as AbbVie's independent registered public accounting firm for 2022 Management For For For

3. Say on Pay - An advisory vote on the approval of executive compensation Management For For For

4. Approval of a management proposal regarding amendment of the certificate of incorporation to eliminate supermajority voting Management For For For

5. Stockholder Proposal - to Adopt a Policy to Require Independent Chairman Shareholder Against Against For

6. Stockholder Proposal - to Seek Shareholder Approval of Certain Termination Pay Arrangements Shareholder Against Against For

7. Stockholder Proposal - to Issue a Report on Board Oversight of Competition Practices Shareholder Against Against For

8. Stockholder Proposal - to Issue an Annual Report on Political Spending Shareholder Against Against For

PHILLIPS 66

Security 718546104 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol PSX Meeting Date 11-May-2022

ISIN US7185461040 Agenda 935574372 - Management

Record Date 15-Mar-2022 Holding Recon Date 15-Mar-2022

City / Country / United States Vote Deadline Date 10-May-2022

SEDOL(s) Quick Code

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1A. Election of Director for a term of office expiring at the 2025 annual meeting of shareholders: Greg C. Garland Management For For For

1B. Election of Director for a term of office expiring at the 2025 annual meeting of shareholders: Gary K. Adams Management For For For

1C. Election of Director for a term of office expiring at the 2025 annual meeting of shareholders: John E. Lowe Management For For For

1D. Election of Director for a term of office expiring at the 2025 annual meeting of shareholders: Denise L. Ramos Management For For For

2. Advisory vote to approve our executive compensation. Management For For For

3. To ratify the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year 2022. Management For For For

4. To approve the 2022 Omnibus Stock and Performance Incentive Plan. Management For For For

5. Shareholder proposal regarding greenhouse gas emissions targets. Shareholder Against Against For

6. Shareholder proposal regarding report on shift to recycled polymers for single use plastics. Shareholder Against Against For

CVS HEALTH CORPORATION

Security 126650100 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol CVS Meeting Date 11-May-2022

ISIN US1266501006 Agenda 935576972 - Management

Record Date 14-Mar-2022 Holding Recon Date 14-Mar-2022

City / Country / United States Vote Deadline Date 10-May-2022

SEDOL(s) Quick Code

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1A. Election of Director: Fernando Aguirre Management For For For

1B. Election of Director: C. David Brown II Management For For For

1C. Election of Director: Alecia A. DeCoudreaux Management For For For

1D. Election of Director: Nancy-Ann M. DeParle Management For For For

1E. Election of Director: Roger N. Farah Management For For For

1F. Election of Director: Anne M. Finucane Management For For For

1G. Election of Director: Edward J. Ludwig Management For For For

1H. Election of Director: Karen S. Lynch Management For For For

1I. Election of Director: Jean-Pierre Millon Management For For For

1J. Election of Director: Mary L. Schapiro Management For For For

1K. Election of Director: William C. Weldon Management For For For

2. Ratification of the appointment of our independent registered public accounting firm for 2022. Management For For For

3. Say on Pay, a proposal to approve, on an advisory basis, the Company's executive compensation. Management For For For

4. Stockholder proposal for reducing our ownership threshold to request a special stockholder meeting. Shareholder Against Against For

5. Stockholder proposal regarding our independent Board Chair. Shareholder Against Against For

6. Stockholder proposal on civil rights and non-discrimination audit focused on "non- diverse" employees. Shareholder Against Against For

7. Stockholder proposal requesting paid sick leave for all employees. Shareholder Against Against For

8. Stockholder proposal regarding a report on the public health costs of our food business to diversified portfolios. Shareholder Against Against For

VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC.

Security 92343V104 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol VZ Meeting Date 12-May-2022

ISIN US92343V1044 Agenda 935575704 - Management

Record Date 14-Mar-2022 Holding Recon Date 14-Mar-2022

City / Country / United States Vote Deadline Date 11-May-2022

SEDOL(s) Quick Code

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1a. Election of Director: Shellye Archambeau Management For For For

1b. Election of Director: Roxanne Austin Management For For For

1c. Election of Director: Mark Bertolini Management For For For

1d. Election of Director: Melanie Healey Management For For For

1e. Election of Director: Laxman Narasimhan Management For For For

1f. Election of Director: Clarence Otis, Jr. Management For For For

1g. Election of Director: Daniel Schulman Management For For For

1h. Election of Director: Rodney Slater Management For For For

1i. Election of Director: Carol Tome Management For For For

1j. Election of Director: Hans Vestberg Management For For For

1k. Election of Director: Gregory Weaver Management For For For

2. Advisory vote to approve executive compensation Management For For For

3. Ratification of appointment of independent registered public accounting firm Management For For For

4. Report on charitable contributions Shareholder Against Against For

5. Amend clawback policy Shareholder Against Against For

6. Shareholder ratification of annual equity awards Shareholder Against Against For

7. Business operations in China Shareholder Against Against For

SEMPRA

Security 816851109 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol SRE Meeting Date 13-May-2022

ISIN US8168511090 Agenda 935580565 - Management

Record Date 17-Mar-2022 Holding Recon Date 17-Mar-2022

City / Country / United States Vote Deadline Date 12-May-2022

SEDOL(s) Quick Code

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1a. Election of Director: Alan L. Boeckmann Management For For For

1b. Election of Director: Andres Conesa Management For For For

1c. Election of Director: Maria Contreras-Sweet Management For For For

1d. Election of Director: Pablo A. Ferrero Management For For For

1e. Election of Director: Jeffrey W. Martin Management For For For

1f. Election of Director: Bethany J. Mayer Management For For For

1g. Election of Director: Michael N. Mears Management For For For

1h. Election of Director: Jack T. Taylor Management For For For

1i. Election of Director: Cynthia L. Walker Management For For For

1j. Election of Director: Cynthia J. Warner Management For For For

1k. Election of Director: James C. Yardley Management For For For

2. Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. Management For For For

3. Advisory Approval of Our Executive Compensation. Management For For For

4. Shareholder Proposal Requiring an Independent Board Chairman. Shareholder Against Against For

JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.

Security 46625H100 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol JPM Meeting Date 17-May-2022

ISIN US46625H1005 Agenda 935580515 - Management

Record Date 18-Mar-2022 Holding Recon Date 18-Mar-2022

City / Country / United States Vote Deadline Date 16-May-2022

SEDOL(s) Quick Code

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1a. Election of Director: Linda B. Bammann Management For For For

1b. Election of Director: Stephen B. Burke Management For For For

1c. Election of Director: Todd A. Combs Management For For For

1d. Election of Director: James S. Crown Management For For For

1e. Election of Director: James Dimon Management For For For

1f. Election of Director: Timothy P. Flynn Management For For For

1g. Election of Director: Mellody Hobson Management For For For

1h. Election of Director: Michael A. Neal Management For For For

1i. Election of Director: Phebe N. Novakovic Management For For For

1j. Election of Director: Virginia M. Rometty Management For For For

2. Advisory resolution to approve executive compensation Management For For For

3. Ratification of independent registered public accounting firm Management For For For

4. Fossil fuel financing Shareholder Against Against For

5. Special shareholder meeting improvement Shareholder Against Against For

6. Independent board chairman Shareholder Against Against For

7. Board diversity resolution Shareholder Against Against For

8. Conversion to public benefit corporation Shareholder Against Against For

9. Report on setting absolute contraction targets Shareholder Against Against For

AT&T INC.

Security 00206R102 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol T Meeting Date 19-May-2022

ISIN US00206R1023 Agenda 935579409 - Management

Record Date 21-Mar-2022 Holding Recon Date 21-Mar-2022

City / Country / United States Vote Deadline Date 18-May-2022

SEDOL(s) Quick Code

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1A. Election of Director: Samuel A. Di Piazza, Jr. Management For For For

1B. Election of Director: Scott T. Ford Management For For For

1C. Election of Director: Glenn H. Hutchins Management For For For

1D. Election of Director: William E. Kennard Management For For For

1E. Election of Director: Debra L. Lee Management For For For

1F. Election of Director: Stephen J. Luczo Management For For For

1G. Election of Director: Michael B. McCallister Management For For For

1H. Election of Director: Beth E. Mooney Management For For For

1I. Election of Director: Matthew K. Rose Management For For For

1J. Election of Director: John T. Stankey Management For For For

1K. Election of Director: Cynthia B. Taylor Management For For For

1L. Election of Director: Luis A. Ubinas Management For For For

1M. Election of Director: Geoffrey Y. Yang Management For For For

2. Ratification of the appointment of independent auditors Management For For For

3. Advisory approval of executive compensation Management For For For

4. Improve executive compensation program Shareholder Against Against For

5. Independent board chairman Shareholder Against Against For

6. Political congruency report Shareholder Against Against For

7. Civil rights and non-discrimination audit Shareholder Against Against For

THE HOME DEPOT, INC.

Security 437076102 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol HD Meeting Date 19-May-2022

ISIN US4370761029 Agenda 935581290 - Management

Record Date 21-Mar-2022 Holding Recon Date 21-Mar-2022

City / Country / United States Vote Deadline Date 18-May-2022

SEDOL(s) Quick Code

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1A. Election of Director: Gerard J. Arpey Management For For For

1B. Election of Director: Ari Bousbib Management For For For

1C. Election of Director: Jeffery H. Boyd Management For For For

1D. Election of Director: Gregory D. Brenneman Management For For For

1E. Election of Director: J. Frank Brown Management For For For

1F. Election of Director: Albert P. Carey Management For For For

1G. Election of Director: Edward P. Decker Management For For For

1H. Election of Director: Linda R. Gooden Management For For For

1I. Election of Director: Wayne M. Hewett Management For For For

1J. Election of Director: Manuel Kadre Management For For For

1K. Election of Director: Stephanie C. Linnartz Management For For For

1L. Election of Director: Craig A. Menear Management For For For

1M. Election of Director: Paula Santilli Management For For For

1N. Election of Director: Caryn Seidman-Becker Management For For For

2. Ratification of the Appointment of KPMG LLP Management For For For

3. Advisory Vote to Approve Executive Compensation ("Say-on-Pay") Management For For For

4. Approval of the Omnibus Stock Incentive Plan, as Amended and Restated May 19, 2022 Management For For For

5. Shareholder Proposal to Reduce the Threshold to Call Special Shareholder Meetings to 10% of Outstanding Shares Shareholder Against Against For

6. Shareholder Proposal Regarding Independent Board Chair Shareholder Against Against For

7. Shareholder Proposal Regarding Political Contributions Congruency Analysis Shareholder Against Against For

8. Shareholder Proposal Regarding Report on Gender and Racial Equity on the Board of Directors Shareholder Against Against For

9. Shareholder Proposal Regarding Report on Deforestation Shareholder Against Against For

10. Shareholder Proposal Regarding Racial Equity Audit Shareholder Against Against For

ALTRIA GROUP, INC.

Security 02209S103 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol MO Meeting Date 19-May-2022

ISIN US02209S1033 Agenda 935588472 - Management

Record Date 28-Mar-2022 Holding Recon Date 28-Mar-2022

City / Country / United States Vote Deadline Date 18-May-2022

SEDOL(s) Quick Code

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1A. Election of Director: Ian L.T. Clarke Management For For For

1B. Election of Director: Marjorie M. Connelly Management For For For

1C. Election of Director: R. Matt Davis Management For For For

1D. Election of Director: William F. Gifford, Jr. Management For For For

1E. Election of Director: Debra J. Kelly-Ennis Management For For For

1F. Election of Director: W. Leo Kiely III Management For For For

1G. Election of Director: Kathryn B. McQuade Management For For For

1H. Election of Director: George Munoz Management For For For

1I. Election of Director: Nabil Y. Sakkab Management For For For

1J. Election of Director: Virginia E. Shanks Management For For For

1K. Election of Director: Ellen R. Strahlman Management For For For

1L. Election of Director: M. Max Yzaguirre Management For For For

2. Ratification of the Selection of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. Management For For For

3. Non-Binding Advisory Vote to Approve the Compensation of Altria's Named Executive Officers. Management For For For

4. Shareholder Proposal - Commission a Civil Rights Equity Audit. Shareholder Against Against For

THE TRAVELERS COMPANIES, INC.

Security 89417E109 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol TRV Meeting Date 25-May-2022

ISIN US89417E1091 Agenda 935603490 - Management

Record Date 29-Mar-2022 Holding Recon Date 29-Mar-2022

City / Country / United States Vote Deadline Date 24-May-2022

SEDOL(s) Quick Code

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1A. Election of Director: Alan L. Beller Management For For For

1B. Election of Director: Janet M. Dolan Management For For For

1C. Election of Director: Patricia L. Higgins Management For For For

1D. Election of Director: William J. Kane Management For For For

1E. Election of Director: Thomas B. Leonardi Management For For For

1F. Election of Director: Clarence Otis Jr. Management For For For

1G. Election of Director: Elizabeth E. Robinson Management For For For

1H. Election of Director: Philip T. Ruegger III Management For For For

1I. Election of Director: Rafael Santana Management For For For

1J. Election of Director: Todd C. Schermerhorn Management For For For

1K. Election of Director: Alan D. Schnitzer Management For For For

1L. Election of Director: Laurie J. Thomsen Management For For For

1M. Election of Director: Bridget van Kralingen Management For For For

2. Ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as The Travelers Companies, Inc.'s independent registered public accounting firm for 2022. Management For For For

3. Non-binding vote to approve executive compensation. Management For For For

4. Shareholder proposal relating to additional disclosure of lobbying, if presented at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Shareholder Against Against For

5. Shareholder proposal relating to the issuance of a report on GHG emissions, if presented at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Shareholder Against Against For

6. Shareholder proposal relating to policies regarding fossil fuel supplies, if presented at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Shareholder Against Against For

7. Shareholder proposal relating to conducting a racial equity audit, if presented at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Shareholder Against Against For

8. Shareholder proposal relating to the issuance of a report on insuring law enforcement, if presented at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Shareholder Against Against For

CHEVRON CORPORATION

Security 166764100 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol CVX Meeting Date 25-May-2022

ISIN US1667641005 Agenda 935603882 - Management

Record Date 28-Mar-2022 Holding Recon Date 28-Mar-2022

City / Country / United States Vote Deadline Date 24-May-2022

SEDOL(s) Quick Code

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1A. Election of Director: Wanda M. Austin Management For For For

1B. Election of Director: John B. Frank Management For For For

1C. Election of Director: Alice P. Gast Management For For For

1D. Election of Director: Enrique Hernandez, Jr. Management For For For

1E. Election of Director: Marillyn A. Hewson Management For For For

1F. Election of Director: Jon M. Huntsman Jr. Management For For For

1G. Election of Director: Charles W. Moorman Management For For For

1H. Election of Director: Dambisa F. Moyo Management For For For

1I. Election of Director: Debra Reed-Klages Management For For For

1J. Election of Director: Ronald D. Sugar Management For For For

1K. Election of Director: D. James Umpleby III Management For For For

1L. Election of Director: Michael K. Wirth Management For For For

2. Ratification of Appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Management For For For

3. Advisory Vote to Approve Named Executive Officer Compensation Management For For For

4. Approve the 2022 Long-Term Incentive Plan of Chevron Corporation Management For For For

5. Adopt Medium- and Long-Term GHG Reduction Targets Shareholder Against Against For

6. Report on Impacts of Net Zero 2050 Scenario Shareholder Against Against For

7. Report on Reliability of Methane Emission Disclosures Management For For For

8. Report on Business with Conflict-Complicit Governments Shareholder Against Against For

9. Report on Racial Equity Audit Shareholder Against Against For

10. Special Meetings Shareholder Against Against For

BLACKROCK, INC.

Security 09247X101 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol BLK Meeting Date 25-May-2022

ISIN US09247X1019 Agenda 935606890 - Management

Record Date 28-Mar-2022 Holding Recon Date 28-Mar-2022

City / Country / United States Vote Deadline Date 24-May-2022

SEDOL(s) Quick Code

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1A. Election of Director: Bader M. Alsaad Management For For For

1B. Election of Director: Pamela Daley Management For For For

1C. Election of Director: Laurence D. Fink Management For For For

1D. Election of Director: Beth Ford Management For For For

1E. Election of Director: William E. Ford Management For For For

1F. Election of Director: Fabrizio Freda Management For For For

1G. Election of Director: Murry S. Gerber Management For For For

1H. Election of Director: Margaret "Peggy" L. Johnson Management For For For

1I. Election of Director: Robert S. Kapito Management For For For

1J. Election of Director: Cheryl D. Mills Management For For For

1K. Election of Director: Gordon M. Nixon Management For For For

1L. Election of Director: Kristin C. Peck Management For For For

1M. Election of Director: Charles H. Robbins Management For For For

1N. Election of Director: Marco Antonio Slim Domit Management For For For

1O. Election of Director: Hans E. Vestberg Management For For For

1P. Election of Director: Susan L. Wagner Management For For For

1Q. Election of Director: Mark Wilson Management For For For

2. Approval, in a non-binding advisory vote, of the compensation for named executive officers. Management For For For

3. Ratification of the appointment of Deloitte LLP as BlackRock's independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year 2022. Management For For For

4. Shareholder Proposal - Adopt stewardship policies designed to curtail corporate activities that externalize social and environmental costs. Shareholder Against Against For

MORGAN STANLEY

Security 617446448 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol MS Meeting Date 26-May-2022

ISIN US6174464486 Agenda 935584878 - Management

Record Date 28-Mar-2022 Holding Recon Date 28-Mar-2022

City / Country / United States Vote Deadline Date 25-May-2022

SEDOL(s) Quick Code

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1A. Election of Director: Alistair Darling Management For For For

1B. Election of Director: Thomas H. Glocer Management For For For

1C. Election of Director: James P. Gorman Management For For For

1D. Election of Director: Robert H. Herz Management For For For

1E. Election of Director: Erika H. James Management For For For

1F. Election of Director: Hironori Kamezawa Management For For For

1G. Election of Director: Shelley B. Leibowitz Management For For For

1H. Election of Director: Stephen J. Luczo Management For For For

1I. Election of Director: Jami Miscik Management For For For

1J. Election of Director: Masato Miyachi Management For For For

1K. Election of Director: Dennis M. Nally Management For For For

1L. Election of Director: Mary L. Schapiro Management For For For

1M. Election of Director: Perry M. Traquina Management For For For

1N. Election of Director: Rayford Wilkins, Jr. Management For For For

2. To ratify the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as independent auditor Management For For For

3. To approve the compensation of executives as disclosed in the proxy statement (non- binding advisory vote) Management For For For

4. Shareholder proposal requesting adoption of a policy to cease financing new fossil fuel development Shareholder Against Against For

LINCOLN NATIONAL CORPORATION

Security 534187109 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol LNC Meeting Date 27-May-2022

ISIN US5341871094 Agenda 935577330 - Management

Record Date 21-Mar-2022 Holding Recon Date 21-Mar-2022

City / Country / United States Vote Deadline Date 26-May-2022

SEDOL(s) Quick Code

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1A. Election of director for a one-year term expiring at the 2023 Annual Meeting: Deirdre P. Connelly Management For For For

1B. Election of director for a one-year term expiring at the 2023 Annual Meeting: Ellen G. Cooper Management For For For

1C. Election of director for a one-year term expiring at the 2023 Annual Meeting: William H. Cunningham Management For For For

1D. Election of director for a one-year term expiring at the 2023 Annual Meeting: Reginald E. Davis Management For For For

1E. Election of director for a one-year term expiring at the 2023 Annual Meeting: Dennis R. Glass Management For For For

1F. Election of director for a one-year term expiring at the 2023 Annual Meeting: Eric G. Johnson Management For For For

1G. Election of director for a one-year term expiring at the 2023 Annual Meeting: Gary C. Kelly Management For For For

1H. Election of director for a one-year term expiring at the 2023 Annual Meeting: M. Leanne Lachman Management For For For

1I. Election of director for a one-year term expiring at the 2023 Annual Meeting: Dale LeFebvre Management For For For

1J. Election of director for a one-year term expiring at the 2023 Annual Meeting: Janet Liang Management For For For

1K. Election of director for a one-year term expiring at the 2023 Annual Meeting: Michael F. Mee Management For For For

1L. Election of director for a one-year term expiring at the 2023 Annual Meeting: Patrick S. Pittard Management For For For

1M. Election of director for a one-year term expiring at the 2023 Annual Meeting: Lynn M. Utter Management For For For

2. The ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm for 2022. Management For For For

3. The approval of an advisory resolution on the compensation of our named executive officers. Management For For For

4. The approval of an amendment to the Lincoln National Corporation 2020 Incentive Compensation Plan. Management For For For

5. Shareholder proposal to amend our governing documents to provide an independent chair of the board. Shareholder Against Against For

6. Shareholder proposal to require shareholder ratification of executive termination pay. Shareholder Against Against For

COMCAST CORPORATION

Security 20030N101 Meeting Type Annual

Ticker Symbol CMCSA Meeting Date 01-Jun-2022

ISIN US20030N1019 Agenda 935613693 - Management

Record Date 04-Apr-2022 Holding Recon Date 04-Apr-2022

City / Country / United States Vote Deadline Date 31-May-2022

SEDOL(s) Quick Code

Item Proposal Proposed by Vote Management Recommendation For/Against Management

1. DIRECTOR Management

1 Kenneth J. Bacon For For For

2 Madeline S. Bell For For For

3 Edward D. Breen For For For

4 Gerald L. Hassell For For For

5 Jeffrey A. Honickman For For For

6 Maritza G. Montiel For For For

7 Asuka Nakahara For For For

8 David C. Novak For For For

9 Brian L. Roberts For For For

2. Advisory vote on executive compensation Management For For For

3. Ratification of the appointment of our independent auditors Management For For For

4. To report on charitable donations Shareholder Against Against For

5. To perform independent racial equity audit Shareholder Against Against For

6. To report on risks of omitting "viewpoint" and "ideology" from EEO policy Shareholder Against Against For

7. To conduct and publicly release the results of an independent investigation into the effectiveness of sexual harassment policies Shareholder Against Against For
OMB APPROVAL UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 OMB Number: 3235-0145 Expires: February 28, 2009 Estimated average burden hours per response. 14.5

SCHEDULE 13D

Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

(Amendment No. )*

SaverOne 2014 Ltd.

(Name of Issuer)

Ordinary Shares

(Title of Class of Securities)

80516T105

(CUSIP Number)

Carl M. Sherer, Esq., Rimon PC, 100 Park Avenue, Floor 16, New York, NY 10017, Tel 1-800-930-7271 x210

(Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person Authorized to

Receive Notices and Communications)

June 15, 2022

(Date of Event which Requires Filing of this Statement)

If the filing person has previously filed a statement on Schedule 13G to report the acquisition that is the subject of this Schedule 13D, and is filing this schedule because of 240.13d-1(e), 240.13d-1(f) or 240.13d-1(g), check the following box. 

Note: Schedules filed in paper format shall include a signed original and five copies of the schedule, including all exhibits. See 240.13d-7 for other parties to whom copies are to be sent.

* The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting persons initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required on the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed to be filed for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Act) or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the Notes).

Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB control number.

SEC 1746 (3-06)

CUSIP No. 80516T105

1. Names of Reporting Persons. I.R.S. Identification Nos. of above persons (entities only). Yaacov Tenenboim 2. Check the Appropriate Box if a Member of a Group (See Instructions) (a)  (b)  3. SEC Use Only 4. Source of Funds (See Instructions) PF 5. Check if Disclosure of Legal Proceedings Is Required Pursuant to Items 2(d) or 2(e)  6. Citizenship or Place of Organization Israel

Number of Shares Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person With 7. Sole Voting Power 1,626,143 (excludes 1,050,000 presently exercisable warrants) 8. Shared Voting Power 455,712 9. Sole Dispositive Power 2,676,143 (includes 1,050,000 presently exercisable warrants) 10. Shared Dispositive Power 455,712

11. Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person 3,131,855 12. Check if the Aggregate Amount in Row (11) Excludes Certain Shares (See Instructions)  13. Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row (11) 13.2% 14. Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions) IN

2

Item 1. Security and Issuer

Ordinary shares of SaverOne 2014 Ltd.

Address of Principal Executive Office: Em Hamoshavot Rd. 94, Petah Tikvah, Israel

Item 2. Identity and Background

(a) Name; Yaacov Tenenboim

(b) Residence or business address; Em Hamoshavot Rd. 94, Petah Tikvah, Israel

(c) Present principal occupation or employment and the name, principal business and address of any corporation or other organization in which such employment is conducted; Chairman of the Board of Directors of SaverOne 2014 Ltd., address as above

(d) Criminal convictions in the last five years: None

(e) Injunctive proceedings in the last five years: None

(f) Citizenship. Israel

Supplement to Item 2: Identity and Background of Other General Partners in Unicorn Technologies Management Ltd.

Item 2. Identity and Background

(a) Name; Yigal Landau

(b) Residence or business address; 85 Yehuda Halevi Street Tel Aviv Israel

(c) Present principal occupation or employment and the name, principal business and address of any corporation or other organization in which such employment is conducted; CEO Ratio Energies, Chairman and CEO Hiram Landau Ltd., address as above

(d) Criminal convictions in the last five years: None

(e) Injunctive proceedings in the last five years: None

(f) Citizenship. Israel

3

Item 2. Identity and Background

(a) Name; Ligad Rotlevy

(b) Residence or business address; 85 Yehuda Halevi Tel Aviv Israel

(c) Present principal occupation or employment and the name, principal business and address of any corporation or other organization in which such employment is conducted; Ratio Group- chairman, address as above

(d) Criminal convictions in the last five years: None

(e) Injunctive proceedings in the last five years: None

(f) Citizenship. Israel

Item 2. Identity and Background

(a) Name; Ronen Weisserberg

(b) Residence or business address; 24 Haezt st Carkur ISRAEL

(c) Present principal occupation or employment and the name, principal business and address of any corporation or other organization in which such employment is conducted; Member of the Board of Directors of Unicorn Technologies-Limited Partnership, address as above

(d) Criminal convictions in the last five years: None

(e) Injunctive proceedings in the last five years: None

(f) Citizenship. Israel

Item 3. Source and Amount of Funds or Other Consideration

Personal Funds

Item 4. Purpose of Transaction

Investment only. No other plans.

Item 5. Interest in Securities of the Issuer

(a) (1) Yigal Landau  115,563 ordinary shares with shared control and dispositive power via Unicorn Technologies Management Ltd., and 822,434 ordinary shares with shared control and dispositive power (with Ligad Rotlevy through Ratio Technologies Ltd.) of which 363,195 ordinary shares consist of presently exercisable warrants.

(2) Ligad Rotlevy  115,563 ordinary shares with shared control and dispositive power via Unicorn Technologies Management Ltd., and 822,434 ordinary shares with shared control and dispositive power (with Yigal Landau through Ratio Technologies Ltd.) of which 363,195 ordinary shares consist of presently exercisable warrants.

(3) Ronen Weisserberg  115,563 ordinary shares with shared control and dispositive power via Unicorn Technologies Management Ltd., 340,149 ordinary shares with shared control and dispositive power through K.O.D.M. Investments Ltd. (50% owned with Tenenboim), 17,758 ordinary shares with shared control and dispositive power, held through Flask Ltd., (a company in which Mr. Wausserberg holds 66.6% of the issued and outstanding shares), 662,389 ordinary shares with sole control and dispositive power held through A.S.T. Investment House Ltd. (100% owned by Mr. Wausserberg), 72,723 ordinary shares with shared control and dispositive power held through G.G.I. Group Ltd.,.

4

The table below summarizes the parties holdings:

Name Sole Voting Power Shared Voting Power Sole Dispositive Power Shared Dispositive Power Total Number of Ordinary Shares Percentage Yaacov Tenenboim 2,676,143 1 455,712 1,626,143 2 455,712 3,131,855 13.2 Yigal Landau 0 937,997 0 937,997 937,997 4.1 Ligad Rotlevy 0 937,997 0 937,997 937,997 4.1 Ronen Weisserberg 662,389 546,193 662,389 546,193 1,208,582 5.3

Item 5(c): Transactions in the past 60 days:

On June 15, 2022, Mr. Tenenboim purchased in the open market 210,000 ADSs representing 1,050,000 ordinary shares for $2.47 per ADS and 210,000 warrants to acquire 210,000 ADSs representing 1,050,000 ordinary shares for $0.46 per warrant.

Item 6. Contracts, Arrangements, Understandings or Relationships with Respect to Securities of the Issuer

There are no oral or written contracts, arrangements, understandings or relationships among the persons named in Item 2 with respect to the voting or disposal of the issuers securities.

Item 7. Material to Be Filed as Exhibits

None.

1 Includes 1,050,000 presently exercisable warrants

2 Excludes 1,050,000 presently exercisable warrants

5

Signature

After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct.

Date July 14, 2022 /s/ Yaacov Tenenboim Name: Yaacov Tenenboim

6
UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 13G

Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

(Amendment No. )*

ClearBridge Energy Midstream Opportunity Fund Inc

(Name of Issuer)

Common Stock, $0.001 par value

(Title of Class of Securities)

18469P209

(CUSIP Number)

July 8, 2022

(Date of Event which Requires Filing of this Statement)

Check the appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to which this Schedule is filed:

[_] Rule 13d-1(b)

[X] Rule 13d-1(c)

[_] Rule 13d-1(d)

*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the Notes).

SCHEDULE 13G

CUSIP No. 18469P209

1 Names of Reporting Persons Saba Capital Management, L.P. 2 Check the appropriate box if a member of a Group (see instructions) (a) [ ]

(b) [ ] 3 Sec Use Only 4 Citizenship or Place of Organization Delaware Number of

Shares

Beneficially

Owned by Each

Reporting Person

With: 5 Sole Voting Power -0- 6 Shared Voting Power 704,187 7 Sole Dispositive Power -0- 8 Shared Dispositive Power 704,187 9 Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person 704,187 10 Check box if the aggregate amount in row (9) excludes certain shares (See Instructions) [ ] 11 Percent of class represented by amount in row (9) 5.33% 12 Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions) PN; IA

The percentages used herein are calculated based upon 13,201,931 shares of common stock outstanding as of 11/30/21, as disclosed in the company's N-CSR filed 1/31/22

SCHEDULE 13G

CUSIP No. 18469P209

1 Names of Reporting Persons Boaz R. Weinstein 2 Check the appropriate box if a member of a Group (see instructions) (a) [ ]

(b) [ ] 3 Sec Use Only 4 Citizenship or Place of Organization United States Number of

Shares

Beneficially

Owned by Each

Reporting Person

With: 5 Sole Voting Power -0- 6 Shared Voting Power 704,187 7 Sole Dispositive Power -0- 8 Shared Dispositive Power 704,187 9 Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person 704,187 10 Check box if the aggregate amount in row (9) excludes certain shares (See Instructions) [ ] 11 Percent of class represented by amount in row (9) 5.33% 12 Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions) IN

The percentages used herein are calculated based upon 13,201,931 shares of common stock outstanding as of 11/30/21, as disclosed in the company's N-CSR filed 1/31/22.

CUSIP No. 18469P209

1 Names of Reporting Persons Saba Capital Management GP, LLC 2 Check the appropriate box if a member of a Group (see instructions) (a) [ ]

(b) [ ] 3 Sec Use Only 4 Citizenship or Place of Organization Delaware Number of

Shares

Beneficially

Owned by Each

Reporting Person

With: 5 Sole Voting Power -0- 6 Shared Voting Power 704,187 7 Sole Dispositive Power -0- 8 Shared Dispositive Power 704,187 9 Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person 704,187 10 Check box if the aggregate amount in row (9) excludes certain shares (See Instructions) [ ] 11 Percent of class represented by amount in row (9) 5.33% 12 Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions) OO

The percentages used herein are calculated based upon 13,201,931 shares of common stock outstanding as of 11/30/21, as disclosed in the company's N-CSR filed 1/31/22

Item 1.

(a) Name of Issuer: ClearBridge Energy Midstream Opportunity Fund Inc

(b) Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices: 620 EIGHTH AVENUE, 47TH FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY, 10018

Item 2.

(a) Name of Person Filing: Saba Capital Management, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership ("Saba Capital"), Saba Capital Management GP, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company ("Saba GP"), and Mr. Boaz R. Weinstein (together, the "Reporting Persons"). The Reporting Persons have entered into a Joint Filing Agreement, dated July 14, 2022, pursuant to which the Reporting Persons have agreed to file this statement and any subsequent amendments hereto jointly in accordance with the provisions of Rule 13d-1(k)(1) under the Act. Any disclosures herein with respect to persons other than the Reporting Persons are made on information and belief after making inquiry to the appropriate party. The filing of this statement should not be construed as an admission that any of the forgoing persons or the Reporting Persons is, for the purposes of Section 13 of the Act, the beneficial owner of the Common Stock reported herein.

(b) Address of Principal Business Office or, if None, Residence: The address of the business office of each of the Reporting Persons is 405 Lexington Avenue, 58th Floor, New York, New York 10174.

(c) Citizenship: Saba Capital is organized as a limited partnership under the laws of the State of Delaware. Saba GP is organized as a limited liability company under the laws of the State of Delaware. Mr. Weinstein is a citizen of the United States.

(d) Title and Class of Securities: Common stock, $0.001 Par Value (the "Common Stock").

(e) CUSIP No.: 18469P209

Item 3. If this statement is filed pursuant to  240.13d-1(b) or 240.13d-2(b) or (c), check whether the person filing is a:

(a) [_] Broker or dealer registered under Section 15 of the Act;

(b) [_] Bank as defined in Section 3(a)(6) of the Act;

(c) [_] Insurance company as defined in Section 3(a)(19) of the Act;

(d) [_] Investment company registered under Section 8 of the Investment Company Act of 1940;

(e) [_] An investment adviser in accordance with Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(E);

(f) [_] An employee benefit plan or endowment fund in accordance with Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(F);

(g) [_] A parent holding company or control person in accordance with Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(G);

(h) [_] A savings associations as defined in Section 3(b) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1813);

(i) [_] A church plan that is excluded from the definition of an investment company under section 3(c)(14) of the Investment Company Act of 1940;

(j) [_] A non-U.S. institution in accordance with Rule 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(J);

(k) [_] Group, in accordance with Rule 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(K). If filing as a non-U.S. institution in accordance with Rule 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(J), please specify the type of institution: ____

Item 4. Ownership

(a) Amount Beneficially Owned: The information required by Items 4(a) - (c) is set forth in Rows (5) - (11) of the cover page for each Reporting Person hereto and is incorporated herein by reference for each such Reporting Person.

Item 5. Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class. N/A

Item 6. Ownership of more than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person. The funds and accounts advised by Saba Capital have the right to receive the dividends from and proceeds of sales from the Common Stock.

Item 7. Identification and classification of the subsidiary which acquired the security being reported on by the parent holding company or control person. N/A

Item 8. Identification and classification of members of the group. N/A

Item 9. Notice of Dissolution of Group. N/A

Item 10. Certifications.

By signing below each Reporting Person certifies that, to the best of his or its knowledge and belief, the securities referred to above were not acquired and are not held for the purpose of or with the effect of changing or influencing the control of the issuer of the securities and were not acquired and are not held in connection with or as a participant in any transaction having that purpose or effect.

SIGNATURE

After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct.

Dated: July 14, 2022

/s/ Signature Michael D'Angelo

Name: Michael D'Angelo

Title: Chief Compliance Officer

Boaz R. Weinstein

By: Michael D'Angelo

Title: Attorney-in-fact***

*** Pursuant to a Power of Attorney dated as of November 16, 2015

EXHIBIT 1

JOINT FILING AGREEMENT

PURSUANT TO RULE 13d-1(k)

The undersigned acknowledge and agree that the foregoing statement on Schedule 13G is filed on behalf of each of the undersigned and that all subsequent amendments to this statement on Schedule 13G shall be filed on behalf of each of the undersigned without the necessity of filing additional joint filing agreements. The undersigned acknowledge that each shall be responsible for the timely filing of such amendments, and for the completeness and accuracy of the information concerning him or it contained herein and therein, but shall not be responsible for the completeness and accuracy of the information concerning the others, except to the extent that he or it knows or has reason to believe that such information is inaccurate.

DATED: July 14, 2022
TICKERS: BAC; BCCEF; OBT1

Source: Streetwise Reports (7/14/22)

This green tech company will use its rock-eating bugs to process gold from mining production in Ecuadorand possibly somewhere near you.



BacTech Environmental Corp. (BAC:CSE;BCCEF:OTC;OBT1:FRA) said it has signed letters of intent with several mining cooperatives to deliver up to 58 tonnes per day (tpd) of gold concentrates to be processed at its new bioleaching plant in Ecuador.

The company said it will negotiate the final terms of the deal prior to its plant opening in Tenguel in the first half of 2023.

The agreements cover arsenopyrite gold concentrates from three mines and processors, and were signed on July 5 and July 12, the company announced.

Moving the bioleaching process into production is a big turning point for the company, said Chris Temple, editor, and publisher of The National Investor.

I am quite confident that once they build this initial plant, and it starts processing, and everybody sees that the company is making money, the miners are making money, (and) the government is making money,  you're going to see this thing cloned really fast, Temple told Streetwise Reports.

Bioleaching uses naturally occurring bacteria to produce metal and makes it possible to work with lower-grade ore and recover metals from tailings sites as well as mines. Since first being attempted commercially in South Africa in 1986, there have been more than 20 bioleach plants built globally since then.

How do the bacteria eat rocks? BacTech President and Chief Executive Officer Ross Orr says to picture a brick wall where sulfur is the mortar holding everything together in the rocks. The bacteria chew and oxidize the sulfides. Once the mortar is gone, the wall comes crashing down.

The new agreements add another layer of credibility that this thing is actually going toward production, Orr said.

Co. Fresh Off Agreement With Government

The Ecuadorian government in May signed an Investment Protection Agreement (IPA) with BacTech, giving the green tech company a 12-year exemption from income tax, property rights guarantees, free transfer of profits abroad, freedom of import and export operations, and international arbitration for disputes.

The IPA's terms cover $95.5 million in plant construction and gold production activity through 2024 and additional investments and expansions, BacTech said.

BacTech found out in March that Ecuador had approved the construction permit for its $95.5 million plant near Ponce Enriquez quicker than expected.

Bioleached rock. Source: BacTech Environmental Corp.

There are 90 small mines in the area that produce significant amounts of arsenic along with gold. The 50 tpd plant would be capable of treating high gold/arsenic material and producing 1.75 ounces of gold per tonne of feed for about 30,900 ounces of gold per year, the company said. There is potential for expansion as the total availability of materials in the area is estimated to be 250 tonnes per day.

Contracting for an amount slightly above 50 tpd gives the plant some room to always be at or near capacity when there are supply issues. Orr said the plant has room to stretch in terms of its capacity, as well.

Could we add another 10 (tpd)? Yes, we could, Orr said.

The project would have pre-tax earnings of approximately $10.9 million and a two-year payback period, according to data from EPCM Consultores.

The company said local miners also will make more money. It intends to return their compensation back to previous levels before a price reduction imposed by Chinese buyers due to recent import levies on arsenic/gold concentrates entering China.

Orr said BacTech will not purchase any concentrates that have been pre-treated with cyanide or mercury.

We intend to capture the majority of the local small miner market by delivering environmentally friendly processing that supports fair business practices, Orr said in Wednesdays news release.

Ecuador Only the Beginning

BacTech is well-placed to prove that value can be reclaimed from mine waste around the world, Temple said.

Theyve got some better inroads than anyone in Ecuador, Temple said. Theyre looking at another potential operation in Peru. Theyre looking at  North America.

BacTech is also working on a pilot facility in Sudbury, Ontario, that will recover nickel, cobalt, iron, and a geopolymer product from pyrrhotite concentrates produced over the past 100 years. The pilot plant should start up sometime this summer.

BacTech has a market cap of CA$15.5 million with 172 million shares outstanding. It trades in a 52-week range of CA$0.17 and CA$0.06.



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Disclosures:

1) Steve Sobek wrote this article for Streetwise Reports LLC. He or members of his household own securities of the following companies mentioned in the article: None. He or members of his household are paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None.

2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: BacTech Environmental Corp. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. As of the date of this article, an affiliate of Streetwise Reports has a consulting relationship with BacTech Environmental Corp. Please click here for more information.

3) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports.

4) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the decision to publish an article until three business days after the publication of the article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of BacTech Environmental Corp., a company mentioned in this article.
The Air Force announced it has expanded big bonus payments for recruits who enlist in certain high-priority specialties, offering more than $50,000 to some willing to ship quickly as the service fights through tough times attracting troops.

The Air Force will now provide enlistment bonuses ranging from about $3,000 to some $58,000 to recruits who enlist into 22 active-duty specialties through Sept. 30, the end of the 2022 fiscal year, the service said in a statement issued Wednesday. Service officials said the Air Force needs to send thousands more troops to basic training in the coming weeks to meet its 2022 recruiting goal of about 26,000 new recruits.

Military officials from the Air Force  as well as the other service branches  have described fiscal 2022 as the toughest recruiting year in decades. Officials have blamed historically low unemployment levels, the lingering impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, and a shrinking population of young Americans eligible to serve for physical, academic or other reasons.

The Pentagon has said among the 31.8 million 17- to 24-year-olds in the United States, only about 9.1 million meet the basic physical requirements to serve in the military and only about 4.4 million of those physically eligible meet minimal academic requirements to enlist.

The Air Forces top recruiter, Maj. Gen. Ed Thomas, said Wednesday that the military must then compete with private sector, higher education and other government jobs for those young Americans eligible to serve, calling the current recruiting environment a battle for talent. Young Americans should see value beyond a paycheck in enlisting in the service, he added.

Our Air Force value proposition is about far more than pay or compensation. It's primarily about opportunity and joining a community with an unmatched sense of purpose, Thomas said. But in a highly competitive labor market, enlistment incentives can help ensure we get the additional airmen required to fill our ranks and serve the nation.

This week, the Air Force added maintenance-related specialties to its list of those eligible for bonuses. Those who sign up to maintain missile and space systems, facilities, military vehicles, refueling and bomber aircraft, fuel systems and aircraft armament are now eligible for a $3,000 bonus for signing a four-year contract or a $6,000 bonus for a six-year enlistment.

The service is offering the most cash to those willing to enter special operations or explosive ordnance disposal. Those specialties come with a $50,000 signing bonus for a six-year enlistment.

Those who enlist for six years to become survival, evasion, resistance and escape specialists are eligible for a $40,000 bonus.

The service is also paying bonuses for cyber specialties. Those who enlist for six years into network operations, systems operations, security operations or client systems operations can receive $12,000 to $20,000 enlistment bonuses, based on their existing cyber certifications, according to the service.

The service is also offering up to an $8,000 bonus to recruits who can fill so-called short-notice slots to ship to basic training within five days of signing a contract, officials said.

The Air Force has paid more than 179 such quick-ship bonuses to recruits since announcing that program in April, according to the service.
YEREVAN, JULY 14, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received the President of the Landtag of the state of Saxony-Anhalt of the Federal Republic of Germany Gunnar Schellenberger and the delegation led by him.

The Prime Minister emphasized the fact of the dynamic development of Armenian-German relations at different levels, which is evidenced by the recent frequent mutual official visits and active contacts. Nikol Pashinyan emphasized the decentralized cooperation with the States of Germany, which complements and enriches the interstate partnership.

The President of the Landtag of Saxony-Anhalt also noted the high level of bilateral relations and reaffirmed the readiness to implement new joint projects. According to him, it is for this purpose that the delegation led by him has visited Armenia, with which friendship and mutually beneficial partnership has a history of 10-years.

The interlocutors discussed issues related to cooperation between Armenia and Saxony-Anhalt, exchanging views on perspectives for cooperation in the spheres of science, education, culture, technologies, as well as in food processing, water resources and solid waste management, and agriculture. The Prime Minister highlighted the upcoming signing of the memorandum of cooperation with Armavir Province and offered to consider the possibility of organizing mutual visits of business circles, which will give an opportunity to exchange experience and development vision. Gunnar Schellenberger welcomed the idea, saying that the proposals of the Armenian side will be presented to the interested circles.

In the context of strengthening humanitarian ties, the sides referred to "Armenia Day" event planned in the Landtag on November 17, 2022. According to Gunnar Schellenberger, it is the first of its kind, and Armenia was chosen as a friendly and democratic country. The President of the Landtag also highlighted the activities of the "Mesrop" Armenian studies center at the Martin Luther University in the city of Halle in Saxony-Anhalt.

The Prime Minister expressed gratitude for continuous efforts in the Saxony-Anhalt state aimed at raising awareness of Armenian culture and the development of Armenian studies and emphasized that democratic values are one of the most important pillars of the relations between the two countries.
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea  The United States and South Korean air forces concluded four days of air combat exercises by F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters from both countries for the first time.

At least 14 South Korean aircraft, including the F-35A, F-15K, KF-16 and FA-50, participated in drills over South Korea, according to a news release from the Ministry of Defense on Thursday.

Sixteen U.S. aircraft took part, including six F-35As from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, and 10 F-16 Fighting Falcons from the Kunsan and Osan air bases in South Korea, 7th Air Force spokeswoman Lt. Col. Kelley Jeter told Stars and Stripes by phone.

No ordnance was dropped from the aircraft during the exercise, Jeter said.

The two countries held the exercise to improve capabilities in conducting combined operations through live environment training and boost collaboration between the stealth fighters, the Defense Ministry said.

The aircraft practiced attack formations and air intercepts after being split by simulated friendly and enemy forces, according to the release.

The drill symbolized the U.S.-South Korea alliance, and showed the two sides shared tactics exclusive to the stealth aircraft, South Korean air force Maj. Kwon Haebin, an F-35A pilot with the 17th Fighter Wing, said in the release.

The South Korean military purchased roughly 40 F-35s from the U.S. in 2014 and took its first delivery of the aircraft in 2019.

The drill marks the first time F-35s from both countries have flown together, although South Koreas stealth fighters have exercised with other U.S. aircraft.

On June 7, two days after North Korea test-fired eight short-range missiles, 16 aircraft, including South Korean F-35s and U.S. Air Force F-16s, flew over the West Sea, also known as the Yellow Sea, in a show of force.

The latest air combat drill comes nearly two months after President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Seok Youl met for the first time and agreed to bolster their military ties. Yoon, during a press conference in May, said the two countries were going to step up our exercises.

North Korea has conducted 17 rounds of missile tests so far this year and continues to lambast the U.S. and South Korea through its state-run media. In a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday, North Korea described the U.S.-South Korea drills as reckless military provocations and said the F-35s goal was to destroy the key targets of its country.
Nearly 10 months after an Army officer faced an administrative hearing for allegations that he raped his childrens live-in nanny more than a decade ago, he remains in the service working at the Army Surgeon Generals Office, according to service officials.

Col. Chris Warner, 48, is a psychiatrist who is no longer seeing patients and has no leadership role as he awaits a final approval to remove him from the Army  a decision made during an administrative hearing in late September by a three-member panel of general officers, known as a board of inquiry, according to the service and documents from the victim in the case.

The findings of that panel are still being evaluated by the Army Review Boards Agency, according to the Surgeon Generals Office, which issued a statement that it would not speculate on the outcome of that review.

The Army also has declined to comment on the results of the hearing or what punishment is pending review.

However, Warner could be discharged from the Army and forced to retire, with a decision most likely to be announced in August or September, according to Amber, the former nanny, and Don Friedman, her attorney. A rank reduction to as low as captain is possible, according to Friedman.

Stars and Stripes typically does not name victims in sexual-assault cases, but Amber gave permission to use her first name.

Warner was not court-martialed only because the Army did not believe that he could be convicted of the equivalent of first-degree rape, which is the only charge not barred by the statute of limitations, according to an email to Amber from Friedman after he met the Armys attorneys working on the case.

Warner was removed from his job as commander of Madigan Army Medical Center at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., on Oct. 2, 2020, shortly after Amber contacted the Army Criminal Investigation Division and said Warner raped or sexually assaulted her three times at his Georgia home in 2007.

At the time, Warner was assigned to Winn Army Community Hospital at Fort Stewart, Ga., where he was chief of behavioral health medicine and the 3rd Infantry Division psychiatrist from 2005 to 2010, according to the Coastal Courier newspaper. Amber lived with Warner and his family in their off-base home to care for the familys four children, she said.

Amber, then 19, accepted the job just as Warner, then 33, was preparing for a deployment to Iraq. In the few months between Amber moving in and Warners deployment, she said he raped her in her bedroom, in a family room and forced her to perform oral sex.

Investigators determined the allegations to be credible and sent them to Warners commander for a decision on whether criminal charges should be filed.

I got this false sense of, Hey, we did it. We heard you. We believe you. That they saw him for what he is, Amber said. It felt like the military had to do something to placate me. But I dont feel like it was taken as serious as it should have been.

Instead of a court-martial, Warner received a General Officer Memorandum of Reprimand, or GOMOR, followed by the board of inquiry hearing that took place at JBLM one year after he was removed from his command. Base officials did not respond to questions about why Lt. Gen. Randy George, former I Corps and JBLM commander, chose not to send the case to a court-martial but found enough cause to formally reprimand Warner.

An attorney for Warner did not respond to requests for comment.

The type of administrative board hearing that Warner faced was highlighted as worrisome and possibly biased in a Defense Department review last year on sexual assault and harassment in the military.

The report of the 90-day Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military, which was released in July 2021, called for the Pentagon to conduct a separate extensive review of the process to determine whether systemic issues regarding equity and accountability exist.

Because there was no data for the IRC to examine, the anecdotal concerns we heard from military sexual-assault survivors resounded with unanimity: these boards are not impartial and more often than not, decide to retain service members with substantiated incidents of sexual harassment or assault, the report stated.

The commission said administrative boards are made of service members hand selected by commands and have no legal training.

Lory Manning, a retired Navy captain and director of government relations for the advocacy group Service Womens Action Network, said she agreed with the concerns the review commission found.

The biggest problem is you can use them for ill or for good and there's not enough oversight, she said. Theres not enough data or record keeping on some of these things.

Did I do all this for nothing?

In the board review of Warners case, three general officers for his hearing evaluated evidence for five allegations: rape, extramarital misconduct, conduct unbecoming of an officer, the GOMOR and the relief for cause, according to information provided by Amber. The board determined the evidence presented for two days showed he committed the four lesser allegations but not rape. The board recommended Warner be discharged from the Army.

However, the Army hasnt released any of these findings publicly, nor have they said who sat on the board. It all remains pending approval, the service said. Once completed, the board is considered administrative and much of its proceedings are shielded by the Privacy Act, which blocks the public release of some personally identifiable information. Even Amber has been told she cant have copies of the evidence that she helped collect, such as copies or transcripts of a phone call that criminal investigators recorded between her and Warner.

Following the hearing at JBLM, a transcript of it was sent to the Army Review Boards Agency to determine the rank at which Warner should be discharged, said Col. Joey Sullinger, spokesman for JBLM. From there, the assistant secretary of the Army for manpower and reserve affairs will determine whether to approve the boards decision.

Meanwhile, Warner moved in December from Washington state to Virginia, where he is working on special projects and administrative support for the Army Medical Command chief of staff, according to the Surgeon Generals Office.

His medical license also remains in good standing in Indiana, according to online state records.

Amber said the slow and private process was not how she thought the criminal report would be handled when she came forward two years ago. Instead of seeing justice, she said she found frustration and doubt about whether the trauma that reporting has caused her was worth it.

It left me with so many more questions, said Amber, who initially came forward so no one else could be harmed as she was. Now she wants to share what the experience was like because she said she sees the system as broken.

Outside of providing testimony during Warners hearing, Amber was barred from witnessing the rest of it. She has no way of knowing what evidence was presented, she said.

It left me feeling even more violated, and it left me feeling like, Did I do all this for nothing?  she said.

The review commissions research found the procedures in Warners case are common, and the military is more likely to use nonjudicial punishment instead of a court-martial in cases of sexual assault. The military offers several forms of punishment outside of the courtroom, including boards of inquiry, such as in Warners case, and hearings led by the command known as an Article 15.

This is common because lawyers often dont think they have enough evidence, Manning said.

They opt for having a discharge board just to get the person out, she said. Its something we work with Congress on.

After the Government Accountability Office in May 2019 found the Army was not keeping full records on how many soldiers faced nonjudicial punishment, the service began doing so. However, the records do not track administrative boards, such as the one that Warner faced.

Fiscal 2021 is the first full year of complete records on nonjudicial proceedings and shows four colonels faced nonjudicial punishment, according to the Army. Its unclear how many more sat before administrative boards.

Across the ranks, 25,127 soldiers were punished as a result of Article 15 hearings for nearly 31,000 offenses. That included 285 sexual-assault offenses. The data does not show exactly what punishments were issued.

The active-duty Army held 593 courts-martial during fiscal 2021, according to the Army Report of Military Justice for that year, which is compiled annually by the service and provided to Congress.

Oversight and transparency

The Independent Review Commission included two recommendations among the 82 outlined in its report on how to improve the nonjudicial punishment system.

First, the commission said the Uniform Code of Military Justice should be amended to establish a preponderance of the evidence as the standard for nonjudicial punishment across all services.

That means a commander would have to believe theres more than a 50% probability that the person committed the offense, said Rachel VanLandingham, a former Air Force judge advocate and professor at Southwestern Law School in California.

That is the standard now for the Navy and Marine Corps, according to the commissions report. However, the Armys standard of proof is higher. It calls for the commander to believe beyond a reasonable doubt that the person committed the offense, which is the same as in all military court-martial proceedings. The Air Force has no stated burden of proof.

The review commission argued in its report for the lower level of proof because it is consistent with the need for accountability.

VanLandingham said she agrees the services should all use the same burden of proof, though she does not believe the Armys standard should be lowered. Instead, the other services should rise to meet it.

Their motivation to lower the standard is highly problematic, she said. [Nonjudicial punishment] is a career killer. Wouldnt you want that commander to have to say theyre damn well certain  when they are ending your career?

The review commissions recommendation is expected to be implemented by 2027, according to the Defense Department.

The IRC also recommended the military services should keep better records on the nonjudicial process and publish the nature and results of all disciplinary actions related to sexual misconduct, including punishment doled out in closed-door administrative hearings such as the one Warner faced.

It's been shown there's racial disparity in courts-martial, and I would bet my bottom dollar that those racial disparities are even more magnified or greatly magnified in disciplinary measures below court-martial, VanLandingham said. Sunshine is a good thing.

She said she would go a step further to use the data to hold commanders accountable for how they distribute punishment among their troops. To do that, the services need transparency, and they need to track the data.

The Army said it has already begun to do this at each installation based on the findings of a separate outside review conducted at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2020. The other services have until 2027 to implement it.

Manning said each of the various ways to determine potential punishment in the military are important to have, and she commended the review commission for offering up ways to keep better track of each of them.

We trust our leaders to have integrity, and most of them do, but not all of them, she said. We need some oversight to make sure these boards, which are good tools, are being run with integrity and fairness and justice.

Two years after making the charges against Warner, Amber said she remains frustrated the Army board didnt believe she was raped. She said attorneys and investigators who worked on her the case have consistently said they believe her story.

The whole process has a way of making you think, Am I crazy? Am I wrong for feeling this way? But to know that I'm not the only one to think this isnt right, I feel like it helps, Amber said. It isn't right and there is bias.
WASHINGTON  The Army is implementing two new policies taking aim at sexual assault and other serious crimes a year after a Pentagon-ordered commission report found the military was ill equipped to address such issues properly.

The policies  one that creates a new prosecution office focusing on 11 crimes including rape and child pornography, and another that makes it easier for victims to report sexual assault  come as a result of the July 2021 Pentagon report that made 80 recommendations to help the military tackle pervasive problems with sexual assault and harassment in the ranks.

The policies also come after the Army faced bitter criticism in the wake of the April 2020 death of Spc. Vanessa Guillen, who had reported she was sexually harassed by her supervisor at Fort Hood, Texas, but leaders failed to take appropriate action, according to an ensuing investigation. The supervisor created an intimidating, hostile environment in her unit, the investigation found. Guillen was later killed by another soldier, Spc. Aaron Robinson.

The first new initiative creates an Office of Special Trial Counsel that will solely prosecute specific offenses: murder, manslaughter, rape, sexual assault, child rape, sexual assault of a child, other sexual misconduct, kidnapping, domestic violence, stalking, retaliation, child pornography and wrongful broadcast, according to the Army.

Lt. Gen. Stuart Risch, the judge advocate general, will certify select active-duty attorneys, known colloquially as JAGs, to serve as special trial counsel, who will focus their caseloads on those involving the specified crimes. He will later appoint a certified special trial attorney to become the first general officer to lead the new special trial office.

The new office is a result of the recommendation in the Pentagon report to separate the prosecution of sexual assault cases from the chain of command, an issue that was hotly debated before being codified in the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act, which establishes military priorities and budgets for the Defense Department.

Only prosecutors have the technical training to make the purely legal decisions that affect victims access to justice, the Pentagon report concluded.

Previously, unit commanding officers decided whether a report of sexual assault should be sent to trial. That will now change after the report found a commanders position within a unit leads to an inherent appearance of a conflict of interest.

Commanders are not lawyers, and they do not receive adequate training regarding victimization, implicit bias and the impact these concepts have on the administration of justice, according to the report.

The second new initiative implements the Pentagons newly established Safe-to-Report policy meant to encourage troops to report sexual assaults by protecting them from being disciplined for minor misconduct in which they might have participated while they were victimized.

The initiative is designed to encourage victims to report their assaults without fear of punishment for collateral misconduct that might be discovered in an ensuing investigation, such as an underage drinking, curfew violations or having an unprofessional relationship with the accused, according to the policy.

The Navy also recently implemented the same policy.

Pentagon studies have shown that service members consider disciplinary action against them to be a significant barrier to reporting sexual assault, Army Resilience Directorate director James Helis said in a statement Thursday.

This directive helps reduce the stigma associated with reporting, so offenders can be held accountable for their actions and victims can get the support they need to heal, he said.

Senior Army commanders are now required to assess whether a victims associated misconduct is considered minor or non-minor based on their analysis of aggravating and mitigating circumstances before determining whether to punish them, the service statement said.

Aggravating circumstances include whether the action threatened a military mission or objective, harmed others or damaged government property. Aggravating factors will not necessarily require the victim be disciplined for the misconduct but should be used to determine whether punishment should be issued.

Mitigating circumstances include the victims age, whether the perpetrator had authority over the victim, and whether the victim engaged in the misconduct after the assault, which may be related to symptoms of trauma, according to the policy.

While commanders now have the discretion not to prosecute victims minor misconduct, they may still refer such victims to substance abuse screening, mental health or other medical providers to determine the soldiers fitness for duty or temporarily suspend them from certain critical positions, the policy states.
The U.S. Navy seriously violated Chinas sovereignty on Wednesday by sending a destroyer past the Paracel Islands, a disputed chain in the South China Sea, according to the Chinese military command for the area.

The USS Benfold steamed past the Paracels, 200 miles off Chinas southern coast, on a freedom-of-navigation operation to assert navigational rights and freedoms, according to the U.S. 7th Fleet. China, Vietnam and Taiwan claim the islands, where China has created outposts.

Naval and air forces of Chinas Southern Theater Command tracked and monitored the Benfold, said command spokesman Air Force Senior Col. Tian Junli, according to the official China Military Online on Wednesday. Chinese forces warned the American destroyer away from the islands, Tian said.

That claim is false, said 7th Fleet spokesman Lt. Nicholas Lingo in an email Thursday to Stars and Stripes. The Benfold continued into international waters after passing near the Paracels, he said. Even warships have a right to innocent passage through territorial seas under the U.N. Convention of the Law of the Sea.

The PLA Southern Theater Commands statement is the latest in a long string of PRC actions to misrepresent lawful U.S. maritime operations and assert its excessive and illegitimate maritime claims at the expense of its Southeastern Asian neighbors in the South China Sea, 7th Fleet said in a news release Wednesday.

Also on Wednesday, the USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group entered the South China Sea for the first time since leaving its homeport, Yokosuka Naval Base, in May on its annual patrol, according to 7th Fleet. The strike groups arrival and the Benfolds operation were unrelated, Lingo said.

The strike group will train in the area and conduct security operations, according to 7th Fleet.

Our strike group works consistently to stay capable and ready, and we continue that focus during operations in the South China Sea to demonstrate our commitment to the region, said strike group commander Rear Adm. Michael Donnelly in the release.

The group teamed up with South Koreas navy for an exercise in early June and participated in Valiant Shield, a 12-day U.S. military exercise, later that month.

Beijing regards the South China Sea as its backyard, and mostly its territory. It regularly denounces the presence of U.S. warships there, especially their demonstrations of freedom of navigation and innocent passage that challenge restrictions set by China and other Paracel claimants Taiwan and Vietnam.

Facts have once again proved that the US is nothing but a security risk maker in the South China Sea and a destroyer of regional peace and stability, Tian said after the Benfolds passage.
WASHINGTON  Navy Reserve Lt. Cmdr. Jonathan Calhoun said he was buried in paperwork for a mass mobilization exercise when he had the idea for a cell phone app that could streamline the process.

It was very high intensity on the administrative side, filling out forms from scratch, many of which were very duplicative in nature and that it was the same information  name, address, date of birth, etc.  on each form, he said of the training exercise held earlier this year. [They] also must be completed on either a military computer or on a personal laptop that [is] CAC-card enabled, which just makes it very difficult for reservists who aren't on a base installation on a daily basis.

Calhoun, who is assigned to U.S. Fleet Forces Command Maritime Operations Center in Norfolk, Va., said he thought shifting many of the required forms to a secure mobile platform would make the process faster and more efficient. He submitted his idea to the Navy Reserves inaugural i3 Waypoints program, a new invention competition that allows reservists of all ranks to pitch ideas to top brass.

Calhouns idea placed first in the contest, winning a trophy and the opportunity to work with our technology leaders to bring his idea to reality, said Capt. Colette Murphy, a Reserve spokeswoman.

Mobilizing a Navy Reserve unit requires a great deal of paperwork made even more difficult because reservists can only access the necessary documents from a computer with a Common Access Card reader, the military identification card that allows access to secure websites.

While some, including Calhoun, have CAC readers on their personal computers, many do not, requiring them to travel to a military installation to access one, he said.

I don't think that we can expect that every  especially every single  junior sailor has [a personal CAC reader], Calhoun said. I know that during the mobilization exercise, a number of the unit members who are assigned to our Navy Reserve [unit] did have to go in and actually sit down with someone to complete a lot of the forms because they weren't able to do it from their own personal devices.

Not only will the envisioned, encrypted app allow reservists to securely complete necessary mobilization documents from a personal mobile device, but it will also use artificial intelligence to autofill duplicative data fields, such as names and other basic information, across multiple documents, he said.

The app, which has not yet been named, will also provide real-time transparency and progress status for members and leadership throughout the process, and enable clear and customizable reviews and reports, Murphy said.

Vice Adm. John Mustin, chief of the Navy Reserve, said the service is already moving out on the design for Calhouns idea, which he said will accelerate the mobilization process and get reservists where theyre needed faster.

[Calhouns] idea to add mobile technology to our distributed activation process helps us achieve our goal of mobilizing the entire selected reserve force of 50,000 in 30 days, if required, Mustin said in a statement.

The i3 Waypoint competition will now be an annual event, which Mustin introduced to fast-track transformative ideas from across the Navy directly to the highest levels of the Navy Reserve, without filters or bureaucratic barriers, Murphy said.

The competition is named after the three I approaches that reservists can take to create a concept: invent something entirely new; improve something thats already established; or integrate several ideas, products or processes into a single system. This year, there were more than 100 ideas submitted.

Calhoun said the competition made him think highly of Navy leadership for putting together an event to actually source ideas from reservists.

When you're in the trenches on a day-to-day basis, you have these ideas, but the implementation is very hard on a micro scale, he said. Being able to have this platform to really engage directly with Navy leadership who's soliciting ideas  [and then they] say, Yes, not only do we agree with that, but we're willing to put the time and the money, the effort in order to get through to fruition [is exciting.]

The Navy Reserve has the benefit of having service members with civilian jobs in which they often develop outside expertise in technology, cyber security, engineering, human resources, finance and more, Murphy said. The new competition harnesses those strengths to produce important ideas to improve the service.

For example, Calhoun mentioned his idea to a technology company in his civilian career as a Bank of America senior relationship manager for aerospace, defense and government contracting clients. The tech representatives said they were already developing a similar concept and had presented it to the Pentagon.

Their specialty is being able to develop a secure, encrypted mobile app that would enable military users to complete a lot of the administrative types of documentation, not on a military computer but from their own secure mobile device, Calhoun said. Especially with the junior sailors who've grown up with a cellphone on their person 24/7, that is definitely the easiest and most efficient way to both contact everyone, as well as to complete a lot of the information exchange.

Other finalists in the competition included Lt. Brian Adornato of Naval Sea Systems Commands Surge Maintenance Sacramento; Cmdr. Bobby Hsu, the Naval Operations director of staff; Cmdr. Scott Mericle of Navy Reserve Operations, Plans and Policy for the Navys 2nd Fleet; and Cmdr. Sarah McGann of Navy Personnel Command and Lt. Josh Didawick of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations for Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education.

While there is one winner, the concepts from the four finalists also could be implemented.

Adornatos idea involved creating a new civilian technicians category of personnel. Hsu suggested creating an official Navy Reserve YouTube Channel. Mericles concept was to improve [the] active-to-reserve transition. McGann and Didawicks idea involved creating a new policy for Reserve retirement education across the career continuum.

Videos of all finalists presentations are available at https://www.navyreserve.navy.mil/Resources/I3-Waypoints/.
WASHINGTON  As retired Gen. Rhonda Cornum stood in the blazing sun Thursday morning, looking out over hundreds of veterans, their family members, international ambassadors and others, she recalled the day her Black Hawk helicopter was shot down in Iraq during Operation Desert Storm.

Its the day she was captured as a prisoner of war, suffering several broken bones and a gunshot wound.

Weve heard a lot of things about Desert Storm, but theres one thing that really stands out, Cornum said. Its that it was a demonstration of all the good things that can happen when theres an unambiguous and positive moral mission like liberating Kuwait from a brutal invasion.

Cornum was one of the 697,000 American troops that served during Desert Storm in 1991. In the 30-plus years since the conflict, those troops have not been recognized among the many other service members memorialized in Washington, D.C.

But now, as the nation approaches the 32nd anniversary of Operation Desert Storm and its preceding ground offensive Operation Desert Shield, a memorial is finally taking shape.

The National Desert Storm War Memorial Association (NDSWM) broke ground Thursday on a memorial at the corner of 23rd Street and Constitution Avenue, not far from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial.

At the groundbreaking, where over 100 veterans and their family members gathered, Scott C. Stump, NDSWMs CEO, emphasized the long journey that the group has taken to make the memorial a reality.

The road getting here has been fraught with obstacles, impediments and the need for our team to constantly improvise, adapt and overcome, he said.

The effort to build a memorial in honor of Desert Storm has been ongoing since 2013, when former Rep. Phil Roe, D-Tenn., introduced legislation in Congress to allow construction on federal land in Washington, D.C.

President Barack Obama authorized construction of the memorial in 2014, and President Donald Trump signed legislation in 2017 allowing for the memorial to be built near the National Mall.

Originally, the memorial was slated to be on the Constitution Avenue Belvedere, a strip of land along the Potomac River. Members of the National Desert Storm War Memorial Association opposed the location because they said it would be too hard to access from other memorials.

In 2018, after the National Capital Planning Commission decided on the southwest corner of 23rd Street and Constitution Avenue, the Commission of Fine Arts voted in favor of the new location, marking the end of a multiyear process to select the site.

The supposed 18-month site selection process, which commenced in January 2015, took us 39 months of toil struggle, pain, heartache, ups and downs to finally win approval for this phenomenal location were occupying here this morning, Stump said.

The memorial will lie just over a block from the U.S. Department of State  a location that Derek Chollet, Counselor of the U.S. Department of State, called fitting.

Its fitting because the international coalition that acted to liberate Kuwait was one of the great triumphs of American diplomacy, harnessing the power of Americas alliances of Americas partnerships in organizations like the United Nations, Chollet said.

However, the location has not been without some controversy. One member of the fine arts commission, Elizabeth Meyer, voted against the 23rd Street location in 2018 because of opposition to the large number of war memorials on the National Mall.

Thursdays milestone also came after funding setbacks.

The National Desert Storm War Memorial Association aimed for an opening before the end of 2021 so it could commemorate the 30th anniversary of Desert Storm. By law, however, the association had to finish fundraising the entire expected $40 million cost before it could start construction on the memorial.

In mid-2019, the association was $32 million short of its $40 million goal.

Kuwait played a major role in the memorial moving forward. The nation pledged $10 million toward the memorial in February 2020.

Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Kuwaits ambassador to the United States, said the decision to finance the memorial was a tribute to the alliance between the two countries that formed when American troops liberated Kuwait in Desert Storm.

It is a concrete testament to our ironclad partnership forged and solidified 31 years ago by blood, sweat and tears, Al-Sabah said at the ceremony, where he and several other members of Kuwaits government gathered. While a monument can never fully encapsulate the depth of our indebtedness to this great nation, we nonetheless eagerly await its completion in this great city.

In March, Kuwait contributed additional funds toward the memorial, which gave NDSWM enough money to move forward with construction plans.

When we saw that the process was a bit slower than we expected, we said, OK, you know, well step in, and well make this happen,  Al-Sabah told Stars and Stripes.

NDSWM will lead the construction of the memorial over the next couple of years and hopes that it will be finished before Veterans Day in 2024, Stump said.

The memorial will be shaped roughly like a half circle to commemorate the left hook formation that U.S. troops used to move north and then east during Desert Storm, effectively cutting off Iraqi forces in Kuwait.

To Adm. Christopher Grady, who is vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and served in Desert Storm, the militarys path and memorials shape also represent the strength of Americas troops.

It was a left hook so ingenious in design and so lethal in execution that reminds us of the indomitable warrior spirit of all of our service men and women, Grady said at the ceremony.

After the memorial is finished, NDSWM will turn over the keys to the National Park Service, which will take over maintenance once the memorial is formally dedicated.

While the National Park Services role in the care of this memorial wont start till this is formally dedicated, we have been active in the planning and design, said Jeffrey Reinbold, superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks.

Stump acknowledged the long delay in construction but said he is glad the process has been carried out the right way, without compromising NDSWMs core principles. When the memorial is finished, he hopes it will be a powerful representation of Desert Storm.

We want it to be done. Its time. Its been over 30 years. It should have been done probably 10 years ago, actually, Stump said. Its just great to see the enthusiasm. It really validates what were doing really does mean a lot to a lot of people.
The coastal marshlands of North Carolina take on a mythic quality in Delia Owens Where the Crawdads Sing. They are where the protagonist, Kya, grows up alone after her family leaves. They are also both the source of her artistic inspiration and her social isolation from the people in the nearby town of Barkley Cove.

Marsh is not a swamp, Owens book begins. Marsh is a space of light, where grass grows in water, and water flows into the sky. Slow-moving creeks wander, carrying the orb of the sun with them to the sea, and long-legged birds lift with unexpected grace-as though not built to fly-against the roar of a thousand snow geese.

It is a character as important as any in the book, and the filmmakers behind the big screen adaptation, which opens in theaters nationwide Friday, were not going to take any chances recreating that environment on a soundstage. They too would take to the marsh  oppressive heat, swarming bugs, looming alligators, unpredictable weather, flash floods, lightning storms and all  to bring the story to life. New Orleans plays coastal North Carolina in the film.

Reese Witherspoon and producer Elizabeth Gabler (Life of Pi, Hidden Figures) were both early champions of Where the Crawdads Sing, which became an unlikely publishing phenomenon, with over 12 million copies sold and a record-breaking 191 weeks on the bestseller list. They set out to make a feature film and enlisted Oscar-nominated Beasts of the Southern Wild screenwriter Lucy Alibar to take a stab at adapting the lyrical novel, which is at turns a romance, a coming-of-age tale, a courtroom drama, a mystery and a celebration of the natural world.

Director Olivia Newman had already decided she had to avoid the book when she heard there was an adaptation in the works. She wanted to preemptively spare herself the heartbreak of not getting to direct it herself. Then her agent told her that they were still searching for a director. She read it in two days, put a pitch together, and with an image of Terence Malicks The New World in her head, she landed the dream job.

We really wanted it to feel timeless, Newman said. Even though the book is really grounded in a specific time and place in American history that was so important for us to capture authentically, the story of the marsh girl also felt to me like a bit of folklore.

The story follows the marsh girl Kya from age 6, when her mother leaves suddenly and her siblings and father go soon after, to her teen years through adulthood, capturing her evolution as an artist and several romances. Her freedom and future are put into jeopardy when one of her suitors is found dead and shes assumed to be the cause. Daisy Edgar-Jones, the English actor who broke out as Marianne in Normal People, was cast to play Kya.

I feel very lucky that Ive been able to play women that are real and complicated, Edgar-Jones said. Kya and Marianne arent just one thing. They are both vulnerable and kind people, but theyre also incredibly spiky at times and flawed in many ways as well.

Edgar-Jones immersed herself in Kyas world which required her to adopt a mid-century Carolina accent, learn how to navigate a boat through the marsh and often be barefoot outdoors, which was mostly fine save for the red ants everywhere. Upon arriving in New Orleans, she found herself transported by the environment and its natural beauty and wildness. One of her fondest memories, she said, was the first time she saw the shack that production built in a nearby state park for Kyas house.

It felt like it was really lifted from my imagination, Edgar-Jones said.

Filming was scheduled to catch the spring greenery before the rains came. They planned to shoot exteriors in May and interiors in June, but nature had other plans. A record May rainfall had the production constantly having to rearrange, sometimes on the spot, when there were sudden lightning storms. There were also unique challenges in shooting a good portion of the film on water, which had the entire production  from actors and cameras to props and port-a-potties  on small boats in the marsh.

It was stressful at times, said Taylor John Smith, who plays Kyas friend and first love Tate. But being out in the humidity when the air is super thick and hearing the cicadas and the frogs croaking and seeing snakes and gators come up next to you in the middle of a scene? It was great that we were able to play around in that environment.

Newman said she has a bit of PTSD from the experience, from chasing the daylight to running from storms. And it felt like a cruel trick when after the rains, they had five days of gorgeous weather but couldnt film anything they needed to because of all the flooding.

It was very challenging...But at the same time, there was absolutely no way to tell the story without being right there in the environment. Its as beautiful as it is because we shot on location and dealt with the elements and captured that landscape exactly as it is, Newman said. We wanted to lean into the natural beauty of her world, of the marsh, of the swamps and really highlight how beautiful that landscape is without touching it, using natural light and just picking the right time of day to shoot.

The team spent nine months editing the film and everyone is excited about finally releasing it to the world on the big screen. Newman was heartened to know that Sony Pictures always intended for it to be a theatrical release, which is more and more of a rarity from major studios focused on franchises, tentpoles and superheroes  especially in the summer months.

I think theres a real thirst for these kinds of big dramas, romances and suspense movies, Newman said. We need more stories like this, and we need more movies like this in the theater."

I think that theres a lot to take away from a character like Kya, she continued. "I think weve all felt underestimated. Weve all felt sort of ostracized for different reasons. She gives us a bit of hope that were stronger than we think. This is a time when women especially need to be reassured.
High on a hillside above the Rhine River, Germany looks down from atop the massive Niederwald Monument, which commemorates victory in the 1871 Franco-Prussian War and the unification of Germania under Kaiser Wilhelm I.

There are many ways to get up to the monument, but the most scenic is by cable car from Ruedesheim am Rhein.

About 20 miles from Wiesbaden, the quaint town on the right bank of the river is a tourist hot spot in the Rheingau, perhaps Germanys premier wine-producing region, with its famous rieslings.

My wife and I climbed in a two-person gondola and were soon gliding over the vineyards toward the crest of the hill. The twin spires of St. Hildegard Abbey could be seen off in the distance.

From the cable car station, it is a short stroll to the monument. Construction began in 1877, and the monument was inaugurated in 1883 by the kaiser himself.

It is an imposing edifice, 125 feet high and weighing about 75 tons. The 34-foot-tall Germania looks over her lands.

Beneath her are two angels, one holding a sword and blowing a trumpet in a depiction of war, and the other holding an olive branch and a cornucopia, representing peace.

Also worth noting is the life-size relief portraying Wilhelm, then king of Prussia, and his supporters. Underneath are the words to the song sung by his troops, Die Wacht am Rhein, meaning The Watch on the Rhine.

After inspecting the monument, we joined the other tourists in enjoying the wonderful view of the Rhine below.

The monument sits in the middle of the Niederwald landscape park, originally laid out in the mid-18th century by a Count Ostein, who wanted to use it as a hunting ground.

Today, it features a Greek-style round temple built in the 18th century. Overlooking the Rhine, it has been a popular subject for landscape artists over the years. When we were there, a bride and groom were using it and the river as a backdrop for their wedding pictures.

We hopped on the cable car for the ride back to Ruedesheim, passing above hikers and the Winzerexpress, a small train that takes tourists through the vineyards.

Back in town, we joined the throngs of tourists making their way up and down Drosselgasse. Ruedesheims most famous street, it is lined with wine taverns, restaurants and cafes.

While touristy, it is a good place to try a Rheingau riesling and traditional German cuisine. We, on the other hand, kept on wandering through the towns cobblestone lanes past wineries and half-timbered houses.

Inside the most imposing of the latter, the Broemser Manor, is Siegfrieds Mechanical Music Cabinet, a museum of mechanical self-playing musical instruments.

Getting away from the crowds, we walked until we came to the Broemserburg, an ancient castle built around 1000. Also called the Niederburg, it houses the Rheingauer Weinmuseum.

The museum is closed for renovations, but luckily for us, there was a free concert in the castles expansive courtyard. The nearby Hochschule Geisenheim Universitys winery was selling wine.

As we sipped Rheingau vintages, we enjoyed the music and watched the hillside parade of gondolas, this time from afar.

On the QT

Directions: Ruedesheim is about 20 miles west of Wiesbaden on highway B42. Its a little over 50 miles from Kaiserslautern and includes a ferry ride from Bingen. Follow signs for parking.

Times: You can visit Ruedesheim and the Niederwald Monument anytime. At the moment, the cable car to the monument runs from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Sunday.

Costs: Parking is between 1.30 and 1.50 euros per hour in town. A single trip (either up or down) on the cable car costs 6.50 euros for adults and 3.50 euros for children. Round trip is 10 euros and 5 euros respectively.

Food: There are plenty of places to eat, especially on Drosselgasse. Most offer German and local Hessian specialties, and of course wine from the Rheingau.

Information: The citys website is ruedesheim.de. Info for the cable car is at seilbahn-ruedesheim.de/en.
Enter the world of the horror anime Attack on Titan at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, but hurry because the attraction closes Aug. 28.

A giant Titan greets guests as they enter this section of the park. It is a tiny section, but for fans of the anime its a must see. There arent too many attractions so plan on spending three hours, tops.

The main attraction is the Attack on Titan XR Ride. The Titans, the antagonists of the series, are giant humanoids that destroy the village and eat the villagers.

Even for guests who havent seen the horror anime its worth a ride on this one-of-a-kind roller coaster. Its unique because riders wear extended reality headsets as they traverse a roller coaster track.

Characters are talking in Japanese during the ride, but you dont need to understand the language to enjoy the experience. The theme of the ride is that Titans have left the town in rubble, and Levi, a main character in the anime, is leading the Survey Corps on a rescue mission to get you and the other survivors safely into the inner walls of the town.

On your mission, an unexpected attack takes the operation off course and into Titan territory. During the ride you are watching a screen in the headset and feeling the coaster as you move along the tracks.

The coaster moves fast through drops and tight turns. Also, the Titans displayed in the virtual reality headsets are quite terrifying, so I recommend leaving the little ones out for this ride. The height requirement is 102 cm, or 3.3 feet.

I stood in line for 1 hours on a Monday for the roller coaster, but the single riders line took less than half that time. So, those on a tight schedule might want to go with that option.

Titan merchandise is available outside the ride, including shirts, cups, pens, keychains and blankets of their favorite characters and items from the anime.

On the QT

Directions: Attack on Titan, at Universal Studios Japan, 2 Chome-1-33 Sakurajima, Konohana Ward, Osaka 554-0031; walking distance from Universal-City Station, Osaka.

Times: Open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Costs: Adult 1 Day Pass is 8,400 yen or $61.56, Child 1 Day Pass is 5,400 yen or 39.57 and a Senior 1 Day Pass is 7,600 or $55.70

Food: At Studio Stars Restaurant, plates include butter chicken and tea-flavored roast chicken with sides for 2,200 yen or $16.84. The kids meal includes a bacon and hamburger steak with sides and an orange drink. An Attack on Titan souvenir cup is 530 yen or $4.06 extra. A food cart serves a bun with a chicken filling for 650 yen or $4.98 or a popcorn bucket with tea-flavored popcorn in a souvenir bucket thats pricey, even for super fans, at 4,500 yen or $34.44.

Information: www.usj.co.jp
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan  The Air Force said its making changes at its air terminals around the world to safeguard traveling pets after a familys dog died in transit July 1 in Japan.

For the rest of the summer, Air Mobility Command will allow traveling pets into climate-controlled terminals when the outside temperature reaches 85 degrees Fahrenheit, according to a post Wednesday on the commands official Facebook page. Summer is when many military families move to their new duty stations.

Passenger terminals operated by the 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing throughout the Indo-Pacific also will store animals in a climate-controlled environment as they await their flights, Maj. Hope Cronin, a spokeswoman for Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., said in an email Wednesday.

The dog, Kolbie, a 10-year-old Pomeranian mix, died of heat stroke on the Patriot Express during its leg between Yokota Air Base and Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, both in Japan. The dogs owners, Amber Marie Panko and Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Christopher Panko, faulted aircraft handlers at Yokota in western Tokyo for leaving the dog in a garage during a layover. The Pankos had arrived in Japan after a 12-hour flight from Seattle.

Gen. Mike Minihan, Air Mobility Command commander, and the commander of the 730th Air Mobility Squadron, personally reached out to the Panko family to extend their condolences at the loss of Kolbie, get additional details on what occurred, and assure them that all measures are being taken to ensure AMC Patriot Express missions are as safe as possible for families traveling with pets, said the commands statement on Facebook.

The 730th Air Mobility Squadron is restoring power to an adjacent, temporary terminal facility at Yokota to provide additional areas for families with pets and is sourcing an aircraft air conditioning cart to help keep pets cool during the loading process, Cronin said in her email to Stars and Stripes. The passenger terminal at Yokota reopened June 13 after an extensive, $27.5 million renovation.

We recognize pets are a deeply important part of many families lives, and we take seriously the responsibility of safely transporting them when they are entrusted to our care, said Air Mobility Command.

The command said it is investigating whether all pet transport protocols were followed when the Patriot Express stopped at Yokota on July 1. At this time, our initial findings indicate our aerial port specialists followed established pet transport protocols and there is no evidence of intentional negligence. Unfortunately, these protocols did not adequately factor in the extremely high temperatures and humidity Yokota was experiencing over the July 4 weekend, said the statement on Facebook.

The command also addressed a Facebook post Monday by Leave No Paws Behind USA that two other dogs had died on the same Patriot Express flight with Kolbie. The Patriot Express is a government-contracted air service that flies between the U.S. and overseas military bases.

No other dogs died on that flight, according to the command. The 515th Air Mobility Operations Group, the parent unit to the 730th at Yokota, found that 10 other dogs on the same flight arrived safely at their destinations.

While we cannot change the outcome of this unfortunate situation, AMC leadership is committed to ensuring this never happens again, said the Air Mobility Command statement.

However, one dog apparently died in June aboard a Patriot Express flight out of Guam.

Navy spouse Julie Barker, 38, of Chicago, was on a flight from Guam to Chicago via Seattle on June 5 when she saw that another passenger had lost his dog, a pug.

The dogs were kept in crates six hours before the flight departed Guam, Barker said. She said she complained until she was allowed to walk her dog before the flight.

The flight stopped for a layover at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.

When we arrived, I took my dog out and then I see this guy holding his dog in his arms and at first I thought he was just cuddling him, Barker told Stars and Stripes by phone on Wednesday. Then I look at him and he's like crying and I'm just like Oh, my God is he dead? And he's like, Yes. 

She said the dog could not reach its water bottle, which was twisted outside his crate.

Barker said the dog owner declined to speak to Stars and Stripes. Cronin did not immediately respond to an email from Stars and Stripes requesting further information.

When he opened the crate, the dog was dead and he said that his first reaction was like, he's still warm, Barker said. I asked him, what do you want me to do? We need to do something because it's, it's horrible.
YEREVAN, JULY 14, ARMENPRESS. Chaired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, a consultation took place, during which issues related to systemic reforms planned in the Civil Aviation Committee were discussed, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.

In particular, reference was made to the activities of the committee, its structure, the involvement of high-level specialists, the provision of aviation safety, the training of pilots and other personnel, and other issues. The existing problems in the aviation sector and the measures implemented or planned for the near future to solve them were also discussed.

The representatives of the departments participating in the consultation made various observations and recommendations.

Prime Minister Pashinyan noted that the strategic goal of the Government is to bring Armenian aviation in line with the best international standards. The Head of the Government tasked to continue the discussions and update the package of reforms based on their results.
TORII STATION, Okinawa  A veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan with experience in the Pacific took command Thursday of the Armys 10th Support Group on Okinawa.

Col. Ned Holt, a native of Fulton, Mo., took over from Col. Chris Paone, whose tenure was dominated by the coronavirus pandemic.

The changeover took place at the Yomitan beach where the U.S. 10th Army landed in 1945 during the Battle of Okinawa. The island prefecture still has a role on the global stage, the commander of U.S. Army Japan said at the ceremony.

Today, Japan and the island of Okinawa are a part of the most consequential place during one of the most consequential times in history, said Maj. Gen. Joel Vowell.

Without naming China, Russia and North Korea, he referred to three potential adversaries who dont have our best interests in mind.

Vowell said Holt possesses "invaluable experience almost personally tailored for his new position.

Holt last served as deputy logistics director, and before that chief of plans and exercises, for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command at Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii, group spokesman Staff Sgt. Christopher Schmiett said prior to Thursdays ceremony.

The Missouri native previously commanded the 7th Group Support Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and served as assistant chief of staff for logistics at the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii.

He has bachelors degrees in history and political science from Louisiana State University and a masters degree in diplomacy from Hawaii Pacific University. Holt also did two tours in South Korea.

The 10th Support Group is composed of approximately 5,000 soldiers, family members and Japanese employees spread between Okinawa and Camp Zama, the headquarters 26 miles southwest of Tokyo of U.S. Army Japan, Schmiett said. The group is the senior command for all Army organizations on Okinawa and provides logistical support and sustainment to the joint force and American units in the Indo-Pacific area of operations.

The group commander is the Armys senior logistician in Japan, Vowell said.

Holt kept his remarks brief Thursday as soldiers swayed under Okinawas searing summer sun and 80% humidity.

Im inspired by your tenacity over the last 2  years, while operating in a challenging COVID environment, he said. I look forward to working with each and every one of you.

Paone, a native of Ramsey, N.J., heads to MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla., to serve as logistics officer for Special Operations Command, according to 10th Support Group spokesman Maj. Richard Barker. A veteran of Afghanistan, Paone is also a Bronze Star recipient.

Paone joined the support group in July 2020, with the pandemic well underway on Okinawa. Despite that, he shepherded the force through 10 Pacific Pathways exercises, which sustained over 60,000 U.S. and allied troops across seven countries, and countless other exercises, Vowell said.

He also expanded the Armys footprint on the high seas, with 10th Support Group vessels participating in 37 transportation missions in Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and Australia, Paone said.
STUTTGART, Germany  Alcohol is off-limits for a U.S. tank brigade deployed to Bavaria after multiple off-base incidents that involved drunken soldiers illegally riding electronic scooters, Army officials said this week.

Overnight passes for soldiers from the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, who deployed to the rural Grafenwoehr Training Area in March on a mission to deter Russian aggression in Europe, also were suspended until the entire unit is retrained.

It is vital to our mission in the European theater of operations that we uphold good order and discipline within our formations, Maj. Patrick Connelly, the brigade spokesman, said in a statement Wednesday. These restrictions will ensure we maintain our mission readiness and remain good guests with our host nation.

The temporary restriction of drinking privileges and overnight travel went into effect July 7. Since the units arrival in Germany, five soldiers have been charged with DUI for riding e-scooters while intoxicated, Connelly said.

He added that the brigade is taking steps to ensure that discipline is maintained.

In Germany, rentable e-scooters have become ubiquitous in recent years, particularly on sidewalks. That has led to occasions of troops running afoul of German law, which treats e-scooters the same as motor vehicles when it comes to blood alcohol limits.

The Fort Stewart, Ga.-based soldiers are part of a U.S. force that mobilized on short notice to Europe in connection with Russias full-fledged war on Ukraine. There are now more than 100,000 troops operating on the Continent, up from about 80,000 before Moscows Feb. 24 attack.

Since its arrival, the 1st Brigade has gotten high-level attention from German officials. In March, Bavaria governor Markus Soeder ordered 4,000 white sausages and hosted a welcome breakfast for the troops in a show of appreciation for their contributions to European security.

And on Wednesday, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited Grafenwoehr to thank the brigade.

What you do here, each and every one of you, is of existential importance to the security of my country, my people, our continent and our alliance, Steinmeier told the brigades soldiers during a speech at the base.

The last visit by a federal president to the U.S. armed forces in Germany was in 1996, according to Steinmeiers office.
We don't know whether Steve Bannon will ultimately testify for the Jan. 6 committee. It seems pretty likely his offer to do so was a last-minute ploy to avoid criminal liability for flouting the committee's subpoena. The committee reiterated Wednesday that Bannon must deliver the documents it has requested before it will enter into negotiations over testifying.

But there is little question that Bannon could be a significant witness. That was confirmed by a new piece of evidence that landed even as the Jan. 6 committee was holding a hearing Tuesday.

Mother Jones is out with a new Bannon tape from Oct. 31, 2020, in which Bannon talks in detail - presciently, it turns out - about how Donald Trump would claim victory on election night regardless of where the vote count stood.

"What Trump's gonna do is just declare victory, right?" Bannon told associates. "He's gonna declare victory. But that doesn't mean he's a winner. He's just gonna say he's a winner."

Bannon added: "As it sits here today, at 10 or 11 o'clock, Trump's gonna walk in the Oval, tweet out, 'I'm the winner. Game over. Suck on that.'"

To be clear, this is hardly the first indication that Trump's false victory declaration was preplanned, nor is it news that Bannon was predicting as much. A day after these taped comments, Axios's Jonathan Swan reported that Trump had told advisers that he would declare victory if it looked like he was ahead at the time - even if the outcome wasn't final. And even as voters were voting on Election Day, Bannon on his podcast publicly echoed his private prediction that Trump would claim victory between 10 and 11 p.m.

But what the new comments add to the record is what Bannon might have viewed as the ends. And just as his prescience about Trump's premature victory declaration and about "all hell" breaking loose on Jan. 6 invite all kinds of questions about just what he knew about Trump's plans, so too does how he described the potential impact of Trump declaring victory.

On the tape, Bannon acknowledged something emphasized in the Axios story and elsewhere: that it was quite possible that Trump would be ahead on election night because his voters were more likely to vote in person, and more Democratic-heavy mail ballots are often counted later - something dubbed the "red mirage." He came out and admitted that Trump would seek to exploit this misleading setup.

"More of our people vote early, that count; theirs vote in mail," Bannon said. "And so they're going to have a natural disadvantage. And Trump's going to take advantage of that. That's our strategy. He's going to declare himself a winner."

Bannon then predicted with apparent glee that this would set off a "firestorm."

"We're going to have antifa crazy, the media crazy, the courts are crazy," he said. "And Trump's gonna be sitting there mocking, tweeting s--- out. 'You lose. I'm the winner. I'm the king.'"

Bannon added: "Also, if Trump is losing by 10 or 11 o'clock at night, it's gonna be even crazier."

Bannon doesn't come out and describe the utility of this "firestorm" in the comments reported by Mother Jones. What purpose could be served by inflaming antifa and the media, besides stoking grievances that have proven politically useful to Trump? Perhaps Bannon just reveled in the idea of owning the libs.

But there are other, earlier Bannon comments that suggest that perhaps he saw some real, electoral utility in manufacturing such a "firestorm" - and that he had an eye for January 2021 all along.

In an interview with Showtime's "The Circus" released in early October - about a month before these other comments - Bannon predicted that there would be such uncertainty that Congress would be forced to decide the election. Bannon couched it in terms of Democrats supposedly seeking to overturn the election by counting mail ballots that he described as "uncertified," but even that framing suggested that this supposed uncertainty could well be manufactured. And the practical effect was him predicting a situation much like the one Trump would ultimately gun for on Jan. 6.

He even used the same word: "firestorm."

"It's gonna be crazy lawsuits on naked ballots, on every different aspect of it," Bannon said, adding, "With this scale of votes, we'll go into January, and that's when the firestorm starts."

Host John Heilemann pressed him on what seemed like a crazy idea at the time. Was Bannon really saying this would be decided by Congress two months after the election?

Bannon predicted: "Right before noon on [January] 20th, in a vote in the House, Trump will win the presidency."

It didn't get past the night of Jan. 6, but only because Vice President Mike Pence and enough Republicans snuffed out the idea. Trump and Co. weren't able to create enough smoke to convince enough Republicans to go along with their desperate gambit.

Bannon's theorizing didn't come out of nowhere. A few days earlier on his show, a former Trump White House official had talked about just such a scenario. The following day, Trump himself talked about the advantage he could have if it ever went to Congress, by virtue of there being more GOP-controlled congressional delegations than Democratic ones. Trump said, "We have an advantage if we go back to Congress. Does everyone understand that? I think it's 26 to 22 or something, because it's counted one vote per state."

(The House would award one vote per delegation in such a scenario. And at the time, Republicans had majorities of 26 delegations to Democrats' 22 - though that was subject to change in the 2020 election.)

So in total, Bannon predicted Trump's premature victory declaration, which came true. He predicted that all hell would break loose on Jan. 6, which came true. He predicted that uncertainty about election results spurred by a bunch of lawsuits would force Congress to decide the election, which wound up essentially being Trump's plan. And he suggested that unrest was perhaps desirable and/or could be of some utility in all of this, which evidence suggests Trump might well have agreed with on Jan. 6.

We don't know just how much coordination there was between Trump and Bannon, though the Jan. 6 committee noted Tuesday that the two men spoke at least twice Jan. 5, including before Bannon's prediction about Jan. 6. It's certainly possible Bannon was engaging in guesswork. But it also seems possible that he was privy to some of the strategizing about what was to come.

The Jan. 6 committee has focused on proving that Trump was repeatedly told his wild voter-fraud claims were false, in the service of proving he acted corruptly in seeking to overturn the election. What Bannon was saying publicly was that Trump was going to do all of this regardless of the actual results, which suggests that indeed the details really didn't matter to Trump. If that stemmed from talks with Trump and his team, that would drive home the corruptness.

Whether Bannon testifies or not, that's a significant piece of the puzzle.
YEREVAN, JULY 14, ARMENPRESS. The Investigative Committee of Armenia is carrying out operational actions to clarify the circumstances of the incident with a resident of the village of Khachik, who, according to his brother, left home on June 3 and did not return.

As the press service of the Investigative Committee told ARMENPRESS, as a result of operational measures it became known that on June 3, at about 09:00, a resident of Khachik village A.Kh. went alone to the area bordering Azerbaijan called "Jaghatsi Dzor" to collect greenery, where three unknown people of Azerbaijani nationality approached him and against his will transported him to Nakhichevan, and on June 12 A.Kh. was returned to the area called "Jaghatsi Dzor", from where he returned to the village of Khachik.

The investigation continues.
Service members and veterans are less likely to recommend joining the military to family and friends than they were two years ago, according to survey results released Thursday from the Military Family Advisory Network.

That, to us, was concerning, said Shannon Razsadin, executive director of MFAN, a nonprofit advocacy group. I think its the people who are living this life are having a hard time.

About 63% of respondents said they would recommend the military  a drop from about 75% in the survey completed in 2019. The reason for the decline could be linked to additional survey data that found more than half of military families have a moderate or poor family well-being, she said.

That's a really important thing that should get people's attention and making sure we're focusing on the whole family, said Razsadin, the spouse of a Navy officer. People who do this and live this life, its because of a patriotic sense of duty and responsibility to serve. The reality is that this life is hard, and we can't count on that to be the only thing that helps us get to the maintenance and growth of the all-volunteer force.

The findings are part of the networks 2021 Military Family Support Programming Survey, which is conducted every other year to gain insight into an array of support needs for military and veteran families. The survey was fielded online between October and December, with 8,638 people participating, according to the report on its findings.

Respondents, who were either service members, veterans or their spouses, came from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., two U.S. territories, and 22 countries.

This year, researchers introduced a family health scale into the survey, which is a measure of a family units well-being. It uses 10 questions that measure family relationships, heath care, finances and housing to create a well-being score. About 59% of families reported moderate or poor health, according to the survey report.

These findings paint a clear picture; military and veteran family well-being is related to health care satisfaction, family relationships, financial well-being, housing, food insecurity and the military community, according to the report.

The results come as the military services have faced a difficult year in meeting their recruiting and retention goals and have been increasing enlistment bonuses and relaxing some regulations such as its tattoo policy to entice new recruits. The Army has been particularly challenged in recruiting, in part because it is the biggest of the military services, said Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston.

Negative attention focused on military housing and other quality-of-life concerns also likely is having an impact of peoples willingness to sign up or reenlist, among other factors, he said last month.

I think thats one of the things thats actually hurting the Army, Grinston said, specifically mentioning negative coverage of military family housing. We are reluctant to see or read a positive story about the quality of life.

In 2018, Reuters reported on the dangerous conditions that military families have faced in base housing, including mold growth, toxic exposure, lead-based paint and asbestos, pest and rodent infestations, and water and sewage issues. Many conditions were exacerbated by poor or slow response to maintenance requests. Congress has since stepped in, issuing reforms to attempt to battle the problems.

The MFAN survey does show more than half of respondents living in privatized military housing were satisfied with their landlords responsiveness to repair issues. It also found poor base housing conditions were the most cited reason for choosing to live off base since 2019. People also noted a lack of availability in housing forced them to live outside the base.

Meanwhile, the survey found more than 60% of military and veteran families are paying more than they can comfortably afford for housing. That occurs when housing takes up more than 30% of the households income, according to the report.

There is a relationship between family well-being and housing burden. Families who were not housing burdened were significantly more likely to have excellent family well-being than those who were housing burdened, according to the report.

This divide is seen particularly among officers and the enlisted ranks, Razsadin said.

The reality is that whether youre enlisted or an officer, you still need a roof over your head, she said. Ultimately, that comes down to finance and compensation.

Among the five recommendations that MFAN offered to the military in its report was a call for the services to right-size the housing allowance paid to service members. When families struggle to pay for housing, it has a ripple effect through other areas. They are more at risk for food insecurity and might lack resources to pay for leisure activities or travel to visit family.

I think that these things are all connected, Razsadin said. We're seeing people having to choose between paying for their housing versus paying for food. The fact that [the housing allowance] and even some of the other allowances like [the cost-of-living adjustment] have not kept up with the reality of the needs of families is really problematic, and I think is a key component to a lot of these areas.

Other recommendations based on the survey were to increase the availability of health care and mental health appointments, increase the availability of child care, reduce barriers to saving money and conduct additional research on military family well-being. More studies would show what programming changes could have the biggest impact, the report stated.
WASHINGTON  As Mike Turner stepped up to pay his respects to former Marine Hershel Woody Williams on Thursday, he closed his eyes and prayed.

I said, God, youve got to give us the courage and the integrity and the commitment that [Williams] had to get us through these times, Turner said, choking up. Thats really, really important.

A retired Air Force colonel, Turner said he despaired about the tough times in this country and he saw Williams and his heroism in the battle for Iwo Jima as the embodiment of the best that America has to offer.

I kind of feel like all of us that ever wore a uniform owe Woody this day, he said.

Turner was among the throngs of lawmakers, military officials and members of the public who gathered at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday to remember and thank Williams as he lay in honor in the Capitol Rotunda, a tribute reserved for the most distinguished Americans and previously afforded to just six others.

Williams was the last survivor of the 472 servicemen from World War II who earned the Medal of Honor, the nations highest military award. He died June 29 in Huntington, W.Va., at 98 years old.

Uniformed pallbearers carried Williams casket Thursday in a solemn procession up the steps of the Capitol as onlookers bowed their heads. The casket, draped in an American flag, came to rest in the center of the Rotunda, atop a black catafalque constructed in 1865 for Abraham Lincoln.

With Woodys passing, we have lost a deeply selfless American and a vital link to our nations greatest generation, said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. His story echoes the service of so many Americans who faced the horrors of war so that liberty might triumph over fascism.

John Digilio, Jr., a retired Army general, said he and his group, State Funeral for World War II Veterans, lobbied for Williams to lie in honor as a final salute to the 16 million men and women who served in the U.S. armed forces between 1941 and 1945.

Standing in front of Williams casket on Thursday was emotional, he said.

The courage, the tenacity, his heroism was truly outstanding, Digilio said. He saved lives and thats perhaps the most important part.

The 36-day fight to capture Iwo Jima and its two critical airfields was already underway when the 21-year-old Cpl. Williams landed on the Japanese island on Feb. 21, 1945 with the 21st Marines of the Third Marine Division. Two days later, he was startled out of a slumber by the sounds of jubilation.

Suddenly, the Marines around me started jumping up and down, firing their weapons in the air, Williams recalled years later to the Marine Corps History Division. My head was buried in the sand. Then I looked up and saw Old Glory on top of Mount Suribachi.

The flag-raising, famously captured by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal and immortalized in bronze at the Marine Corps War Memorial, became inspirational fuel for the battle soon to come.

That afternoon, Williams volunteered to clear a path for Marine tanks and personnel carriers through an enemy network of pillbox bunkers and mines buried in black volcanic sands. He went forward alone, armed with a flamethrower.

For four hours, Williams dodged Japanese machine-gun fire to wipe out one pillbox after another, at one point mounting a pillbox to insert the nozzle of his flamethrower through an air vent. The resulting inferno incinerated the Japanese soldiers inside and silenced their guns.

In another moment, Williams charged into a group of enemy soldiers brandishing bayonets and killed them with a burst of flame. Williams destroyed seven pillboxes in total and returned to headquarters five times to replenish his weapons when his supply of diesel fuel and high-octane gasoline ran out.

His unyielding determination and extraordinary heroism in the face of ruthless enemy resistance were directly instrumental in neutralizing one of the most fanatically defended Japanese strong points encountered by his regiment, read Williams Medal of Honor citation.

Two of the four riflemen who covered Williams during the mission were killed  early casualties of what would become the bloodiest battle in the history of the Marine Corps, with nearly 7,000 dead. Of the 20,000 Japanese defenders, only about 1,000 survived, according to the Naval History and Heritage Command.

Williams fought through the remainder of the campaign on Iwo Jima though he was wounded in the leg by shrapnel on March 6, 1945. He returned to the U.S. in September after Japans surrender marked the end of World War II and he was presented the Medal of Honor by President Harry Truman the next month.

Years later, Williams said he could never satisfactorily answer a frequently posed question: Where did his bravery come from?

Everybody has some instinct of bravery, he said in a 2020 interview with the Defense Department. And, as long as they can control the fear, you can be brave.

Williams also attributed his fortitude to a hardscrabble upbringing in Quiet Dell, W.Va., where he was born Oct. 2, 1923, as the youngest of 11 children. Several of his siblings died during the 1918-19 flu pandemic.

We were taught in the [Great] Depression years, if you didn't have it, you had to make it, he said. And the only way you could make it was to work at it. Our upbringing gave us the confidence that developed into bravery.

Williams helped his parents run their small dairy farm and after his father died of a heart attack when Williams was 11, he took on odd jobs to support the family. He quit high school to join the Civilian Conservation Corps and later drove a taxi, sometimes delivering telegrams to the families of fallen soldiers.

Born weighing just 3 1/2 pounds, Williams grew to stand just 5 feet 6 inches tall. That was initially too short to enlist in the Marine Corps but became the services minimum height requirement in 1943, allowing Williams to finally become a Marine.

He was adamant about joining the branch after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Two of his brothers served in the Army but Williams intensely disliked their wool brown uniforms, calling the outfit the ugliest thing in town.

I decided I did not want to be in that thing, he told The Washington Post in 2020. I want to be in those dress blues."

Despite his small stature, Williams became a force of nature in the military, said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

Williams remained in the Marine Corps as a reservist, retiring as chief warrant officer in 1969. He worked as a counselor for the Veterans Administration and created the Woody Williams Foundation to serve Gold Star military families.

The thing that drew a farm boy from West Virginia to a lifetime of patriotic service could best be described as gravitational pull, McConnell said. Even his improbable safe return from dangerous combat couldnt convince him that hed actually done enough.

Michelle Jenks, a member of a Texan Iwo Jima reunion committee, met Williams in 2007 and she said his dedication to his fellow veterans extended well into his twilight years. He would go to the reunion every year, with a grandson in tow, and regularly kept in touch with Jenks and her family, she said.

Williams and his late wife, Ruby, had two daughters, Tavie Jane and Tracie Jean, as well as multiple grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

He was just an amazing, amazing man, Jenks said. His grandsons are just as amazing as he is, and they will carry on his legacy very well.
WASHINGTON (Tribune News Service)  A group of 41 Democratic senators, led by Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, sent a letter Wednesday calling on the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure same-sex spouses have access to the same benefits as other couples.

Murray, a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, asked VA Secretary Denis McDonough to revisit the cases of same-sex couples who would have qualified for benefits if they had been able to legally marry. Most states didn't allow same-same marriage until a 2015 Supreme Court ruling.

"Each of our veterans and their spouses deserve the same quality care and services once they leave the military  no matter who they love," the senators wrote. "Our veterans and their families, who selflessly served our nation and have sacrificed so much, must be afforded the benefits they have so rightly earned. This is not only a matter of fairness and equity, it is the morally right thing to do."

The issue came to Murray's attention in 2015 when her office helped Seattle-area resident Joe Krumbach become the first gay widower in Washington to receive VA spousal benefits. Krumbach's partner of 19 years, Army veteran Jerry Hatcher, died in 2008, four years before the Washington State Legislature made it legal for gay couples to marry.

Nearly a decade after the Supreme Court ruled in 2013 that denying federal benefits to same-sex couples is unconstitutional, the senators told McDonough they continue to hear from many spouses of deceased veterans who are facing barriers to receiving the VA benefits they are entitled to, including health care, monthly pension payments and help paying for burial costs. To be eligible for those benefits, couples generally need to be married for at least one year.

President Joe Biden signed an executive order in June that directed the Department of Health and Human Services to review barriers to accessing federal benefits and programs based on sexual and gender identity. The order also called for the VA to remove a ban on gender-affirming health care for transgender veterans, but it didn't mandate action on benefits for same-sex partners.

"In spite of important progress in ensuring that same-sex married couples can access federal programs, many LGBTQI+ families continue to face barriers in accessing vital benefits and services," a White House fact sheet said, using an acronym that encompasses lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and other identities.

The Biden administration has taken other steps to make same-sex couples eligible for federal benefits. In November 2021, the Social Security Administration dropped appeals filed during the Trump administration in two class-action lawsuits over survivor benefits, making same-sex spouses eligible to receive Social Security benefits if they can show they were in a committed relationship and would have married if they had been able.

Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, the top Democrat on the Senate VA Committee, notably did not sign the letter. Nearly all other Democratic senators signed, including Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington.

___

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Deposits and the first months rent was paid over to Carpenter on multiple occasions. None of this money has been recovered by any of the individuals involved.

A Louth man who was arrested on a European arrest warrant and extradited to Ireland has been sentenced to two years in prison for theft and deception.

James Carpenter (31) of Irish Street, Ardee, Co Louth, pleaded guilty to inducing an individual out of 500 under the promise of Electric Picnic tickets and inducing many individuals out of money for rent and deposits for accommodation.

Garda Keith Delaney said that in June 2016, a young woman had seen an advert on Gumtree for Electric Picnic tickets for sale for 500. The woman contacted the seller and transferred the money via bank transfer. She then sent a screenshot of the transfer, and Carpenter told her he would send the tickets that day.

When the festival tickets failed to arrive, and after Carpenter did not reply to her emails, she attended Swords Garda Station and made a complaint to gardai. She gave gardai the bank account details she transferred the money to, and a search warrant was issued. Carpenter was identified and arrested.

During his interview, Carpenter said he had tickets for sale but sold them to someone else. He said he had not planned on defrauding the woman, but the opportunity occurred, and he did it.

Detective Garda Niall Cadden told the court that gardai received many complaints regarding money being paid to a man who had advertised rooms or apartments for rent online. The court heard on many occasions that the day before the new tenants were due to move in, Carpenter would tell them there was an issue and defer the move-in date.

Deposits and the first months rent was paid over to Carpenter on multiple occasions. None of this money has been recovered by any of the individuals involved.

On one occasion, Carpenter told a tenant who was due to move in the following day that his mother had died and he would not be in Dublin for several days. He told a couple who were due to move in that he had inherited the property when his father had passed away. Neither of which was true.

Gardai interviewed Carpenter on several occasions, and he did confirm that he had carried out these offences. He was granted bail but failed to turn up for a court date in December 2016.

The court heard he was at large until April 2021, when he was arrested on a European arrest warrant. He was extradited to Ireland in October 2021 after he had served a six-month prison sentence for similar crimes in Scotland. Carpenter has 21 previous convictions, 10 of which were committed in Scotland.

Aoife O'Leary, BL, defending, said her client had gambling issues but was ashamed and remorseful for his actions. She said that Carpenter is trying to put his time in prison to good use, is an enhanced prisoner, and works within the officer's mess.

Judge Martin Nolan said the accused took advantage of desperate parties who were seeking accommodation. He said Carpenter has a record of doing the same, and when matters became critical, he removed himself and went to Scotland, only to make his way back to Ireland via a European arrest warrant.

Judge Nolan noted the accused guilty plea, his remorse and that he is getting on well in prison. He sentenced him to six months in prison for deception arising from selling Electric Picnic tickets and two years in prison for taking money from people under the promise of accommodation.

Both sentences will run concurrently and backdated for the time already served.
Aziz Dawood was originally from Pakistan but came to Ireland some years ago with his family, the court heard.

A driver caught with 4,000 worth of cannabis hidden in a rear footwell had issues with drugs and gambling at the time, a court has heard.

Aziz Dawood (37) was arrested after his vehicle was stopped by detectives from the Special Crime Task Force.

Judge David McHugh imposed an eight-month sentence suspended for two years.

The defendant, of Valley Drive, Druids Valley, Cabinteely, admitted possession of cannabis for sale or supply at Castleknock Estate, Dublin 15 on October 30, 2018.

Sergeant Maria Callaghan told Blanchardstown District Court that taskforce gardai were onpatrol when they witnessed a transaction take place.

Sgt Callaghan said officers stopped the vehicle and spoke to the driver. They got a smell of cannabis and the vehicle was searched.

Cannabis, with a street value of 4,470, was found in the drivers footwell. The cannabis was wrapped in a brown paper bag in a larger black plastic bag, the sergeant said.

Defence solicitor Valerie Buckley said Dawood was originally from Pakistan but came to Ireland some years ago with his family, and had attended school and college here. Ms Buckley said there were gambling issues and drug use which had led to the difficulties before the court.

She said Dawood was now drug-free, receiving counselling and gambling was no longer an issue.

Ms Buckley asked the judge to be as lenient as possible.
Courts

Rush hour ruckus | Pictured: Two men accused of hijacking Tesco van to get back to their own side of town
Detective Garda John Delaney agreed with counsel for the defence that he wouldn't rate Sullivan high on the list of criminal intelligentsia

A Dublin man who robbed a winning scratch card was caught by gardai after he cashed in the ticket to claim his prize of 5,000 three days later.

Wayne Sullivan (38) of Beauvale Park, Artane, Dublin 9, wrote his name and address on the back of the winning card before cashing it in at the GPO.

Sullivan was jailed for a year-and-a-half yesterday after he pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbing a Spar shop in Coolock.

He carried out the theft using a plastic gun on January 12, 2021.

The court heard Sullivan took a taxi from his home to the Spar shop, asked the taxi driver to do a U-turn and wait for him.

He went into the shop and, armed with the plastic gun poking out of his pocket, took cash and scratch cards.

A member of staff later told gardai that she thought the item looked like a child's toy but she was afraid and didn't want to take a chance.

After the hold-up, Sullivan got the taxi to drop him home.

Detective Garda John Delaney agreed with counsel for the defence that he wouldn't rate Sullivan high on the list of criminal intelligentsia.

He further agreed that Sullivan was very quiet and calm throughout his robbery of the Spar shop.

Gda Delaney told Diarmuid Collins BL, prosecuting, that the shop assistant at the till in Spar noticed a man who seemed nervous coming into the shop at around 8pm on the evening in question.

She said the man came quietly to the till, placed a Dunnes Stores bag-for-life on the counter and passed her a note which read: Do not f*** up. Do not f*** up.

When the teller read the note and looked up at Sullivan, he showed her the tip of what looked like a plastic gun poking out of his pocket.

Winnings never recovered

She put some cash totalling 126 into Sullivan's bag, and when he told her that there were more coins under the counter, she added in a few bags of coins.

The court heard that Sullivan then indicated he wanted some of the higher-value scratch cards, so the teller grabbed various 10 scratch cards and put them in the bag too.

Sullivan then left the shop quietly and the teller pressed the alarm button to alert gardai. Three days later, O'Sullivan went to the GPO and cashed in one of the scratch cards which had 5,000 winnings on it.

When gardai used the barcodes to trace the winning card, they found that Sullivan had written his name and address on the back.

Gardai searched Sullivan's home under warrant and found the clothing he had worn during the robbery. A face mask left in the Spar was found to contain Sullivan's DNA.

The taxi driver who dropped Sullivan to and from the shop told gardai his suspicions were aroused when Sullivan asked him to do a U-turn outside the shop and wait for him.

The taxi driver said Sullivan appeared to hesitate and build up his courage before entering the shop, and afterwards seemed to be in a hurry on leaving the shop.

Sullivan has 40 previous convictions, all from the District Court, including traffic offences, public order and theft.

Cathal McGreal BL, defending, said Sullivan had been addicted to tablets but was now completely clean of drugs and very keen to get out of prison and into residential treatment.

He wants out of there and resents the availability of drugs in prison, said Mr McGreal, adding that Sullivan had a daughter.

Judge Martin Nolan said even though Sullivan arrived at the Spar shop with some hesitation and the robbery was very understated, it had still involved the threat of violence.

His card came up trumps, he cashed it, the money was spent, said Judge Nolan, handing down a sentence of two-and-a-half years.

The judge suspended the final year of the sentence and backdated it to March 18 this year, when Sullivan went into custody on other matters. The 5,000 won by Sullivan with the scratch card has not been recovered, the court heard.
Anthony McKeever (39) was sentenced to three and a half years in prison, while his partner Adrienne Shepard (36) walked free from court with a suspended sentence

CAB officers seized an Audi Q7, more than 74,000 in cash and luxury goods including designer watches, sunglasses and clothing from the home of a couple who admitted to multiple counts of money laundering, a court has heard.

Anthony McKeever (39) of Kilmartin Crescent, Tallaght, Dublin was sentenced to three and a half years in prison after he pleaded guilty to five counts of possessing the proceeds of crime at his home on dates between March 21, 2004 and July 26, 2020.

His partner Adrienne Shepard (36), of the same address, walked free from court with a suspended sentence after she admitted possessing the proceeds of crime on various dates between June 13 and July 11, 2020 at her home.

Adrienne Shepard

Passing sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Wednesday, Judge Martin Nolan said Shepards case was different to that of McKeevers in that it involved recklessness on her part.

She was wilfully blind, said Judge Nolan, sentencing Shepard to one year in prison but suspending it in full provided she be of good behaviour for a year.

The court heard that McKeever transferred a total of 2,592 which was the proceeds of crime into Shepards Revolut account for her day-to-day expenses.

Sergeant Mick McGrath said that, when arrested, Shepard denied any wrongdoing or knowledge of her partners wrongdoing, but later pleaded guilty to possessing the proceeds of crime.

Sergeant McGrath agreed with Cathal McGreal BL, defending, that Shepard had shown naivety and that her role was a totally passive one.

The court heard both McKeever and Shepard had been very courteous and cooperative with gardai throughout the investigation and had saved valuable garda and CAB resources by pleading guilty.

Sgt McGrath told Michael Hourican BL, prosecuting, that gardai and CAB officers got warrants to carry out two searches of the couples home in April and July of 2020.

They recovered a total of 74,000 in cash concealed in various places including a pillow, a bedroom cabinet, a wardrobe and one sum of over 40,000 hidden in an extractor fan in the kitchen.

Gardai also seized an Audi Q7 parked outside valued at 45,000 along with two Rolex watches which turned out to be replicas.

Also recovered as the proceeds of crime were a Louis Vuitton wallet, a Gucci watch and four other designer watches, several pairs of designer sunglasses and a black Canada Goose jacket.

McKeever admitted owning two encrypted mobile phones found at his home. Gardai sought orders against McKeevers accounts with AIB, the Credit Union and Revolut, all of which were found to explain unaccounted sums of money.

Anthony McKeever (39)

Shepard has no previous convictions, while McKeever has a total of 19, including one for assault causing harm and aggravated burglary when he was a teenager, and another for drugs offences.

Sgt McGrath agreed with Pieter Le Vert BL, defending, that McKeever was not particularly sophisticated in that his various accounts were all in his own name and he was not trying to hide them.

The court heard McKeever and Shepard indicated early on that they would be pleading guilty.

Mr Le Vert said McKeever suffered from long Covid and now had a suppressed immune system which causes him to catch infections roughly every two weeks.

Judge Nolan agreed that this unfortunate medical condition will make McKeevers prison stay more difficult, but said he undoubtedly deserved a prison term.

It goes without saying, said Judge Nolan, noting that the money and car were the products of criminal behaviour but that the court had not been informed as to what type of criminal behaviour it was.

Mr Le Vert said his client worked in buying and selling cars and was an excellent family man, having acted as carer for his grandmother for nine years before her death.

McKeever has three children and was described as an excellent father with strong family support.
Collins has 43 previous convictions for offences including robberies and burglaries.

Judge Pauline Codd was speaking at the sentencing of Michael Collins (32) for the robbery at knife point of two taxi drivers who outlined in their victim impact statements how they have been and continue to be financially and psychologically impacted by the offences in April and May 2021.

Collins was finally arrested on May 13, 2021 after gardai spotted him walking down the street in Blanchardstown with a TV in a trolley. He told them he had found it in a bush. Gardai also recovered a stolen credit card when they searched him. He has been in custody since that date.

Collins, of Belgree Square, Tyrellstown, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery of the taxi drivers at locations in the city on dates in April and May 2021.

He also pleaded guilty to four counts of theft, handling stolen property and criminal damage.

Collins has 43 previous convictions for offences including robberies and burglaries.

Judge Codd said this was criminality of an extensive nature but, apart from the robberies, most were at the lower end of the range. She said the robberies were different and far more serious, noting the aggravating factor of the use of a knife.

She said taxis were a public service and there had to be a deterrent in relation to stealing from them.

People who are interfacing with the public have to be protected by the courts, she said they can not be seen as an easy target.

She noted it had a very serious effect on both drivers and it was aggravating that they had been providing a public service at the time.

She took into account his personal circumstances, many challenges and expression of remorse.

Judge Codd imposed an eight year sentence with the final year suspended on strict conditions.

Garda Dean Griffin told John Gallagher BL, prosecuting, that Collins robbed two taxi drivers while armed with a knife. The first was in Mulhuddert on April 14, 2021 and the second was in Tyrellstown on May 12, 2021.

The first taxi driver described that after bringing a man, woman and baby to their requested destination the man, Collins, had demanded money or he would cut him. He took the driver's mobile phone and ran when the woman with him shouted gardai.

The second taxi driver described how Collins had robbed him while he was waiting for a woman to return with his fare. Collins had approached his door armed with knife, put it to his Adams apple and demanded money, threatening to stab him. Collins got 120 in cash.

Both taxi drivers gave victim impact statements outlining how they had taken time off work after the robberies, suffered financial loss and it had continued to effect how they now worked at night, in particular areas or with male passengers.

The men described the fear they had been in during the robberies and how they remain on edge.

The first taxi driver said the phone that was taken from him contained photos of sentimental value and the second driver outlined how he now no longer takes cash customers, only account work.

The remaining counts on the indictment involve Collins walking out of shops with items without paying for them including groceries, perfume, a chain saw and strimmers.

Aidan McCarthy BL, defending, handed in a letter from Collins' mother and a note of apology from Collins indicating his remorse.

Mr McCarthy said Collins had suffered a number of tragedies involving family members in his life. He said Collins' father had been a violent and abusive alcoholic who insisted he leave school at the age of 12. His mother relied on him to help raise the rest of the family.

Counsel said unfortunately Collins began abusing cannabis, tablets and on occasion cocaine. He said he has detoxed in custody and is now free of narcotics. Collins hopes to get assistance with reading and writing while serving his sentence. He is remorseful for his actions.
Mr Boon was led to believe that Mr Birles hailed from an ancient Irish family and believed him to be a member of the Royal Cork Yacht Club

A well-known French actor, writer and film director claims he is the victim of an elaborate multi-million-euro fraud allegedly committed by a man who held himself out to be an "Irish Lord from an ancient family" and an expert lawyer in maritime law.

The allegation has been made by lawyers representing Daniel or Dany Boon who have secured a temporary High Court freezing order preventing Thierry Fialek-Birles aka Terry Birles aka Thierry Waterford-Mandeville and several corporate entitles he allegedly either controls or it the ultimate beneficial owner of from reducing their assets below a value of 6m.

The corporate defendants in the action are South Sea Merchant's Mariners Ltd Partnership (SSMM), Hibernian Petroleum Limited Partnership, United Irish Estates Limited and Hibernian Yachts Company Limited which are all Irish registered entities, and the Samoa-registered United Far East Oriental Holdings (Samoa) Ltd.

Mr Boon's counsel Rossa Fanning SC told the court that his client is the victim of an "elaborate fraud" committed by Mr Birles, who told Mr Boon "lie after lie" about a variety of matters.

Mr Birles, counsel said had committed the fraud by using a network of companies he had appeared to have established in Ireland and other jurisdictions and is somebody who "goes by several different aliases."

Counsel said client was making "very serious allegations," against the defendants.

The Belgian-based Mr Boon he said had not rushed to court and was seeking the freezing order after a thorough and professional investigation had been carried out into Mr Birles and the defendants, counsel said.

Counsel said that following a recommendation from a mutual associate last year Mr Boon, a keen sailor, engaged Mr Birles, to help provide services for the actor's yacht 'Umaren'.

Mr Birles, it is claimed advised him to utilise Dublin-registered SSMM.

Mr Birles had represented to Mr Boon that he was a partner of SSMM which his family established over 100 years ago, to provide special marine services, including maintenance and constructions costs associated with Mr Boon's yacht.

Mr Fanning, with Alison Keirse Bl instructed by McCann Fitzgeralds solicitors, said Mr Boon advanced over 2.2m through SSMM to cover the costs of running yacht.

Counsel said Mr Birles held himself out to be an expert in maritime law, and somebody who had strong connections with Ireland.

Counsel said Mr Boon was led to believe that Mr Birles hailed from an ancient Irish family and believed him to be a member of the Royal Cork Yacht Club.

Mr Boon also claims that in July 2021 Mr Birles told him of an investment scheme with the Irish Central Bank that paid 3.25% annual interest that was tax free.

Counsel said Mr Boon advanced 4.5m of his funds to SSMM so he could participate in the scheme.

He claims that subsequently to making that payment ne was informed by Mr Birles that SSMM had been taken over by an Italian family called Rossi, and that he was staying on with the firm as an advisor.

When Mr Boon sought his money back from SSMM he was informed by a person purporting to be a member of the Rossi that the money had been transferred to accounts in South Korea and Panama, and would be returned to him in due course.

Despite his requests SSMM has not returned his money, counsel said.

Mr Birles informed Mr Boon in November 2021 that the Rossi family had dismissed him as an advisor, owed him money as well and suggested suing SSMM to get his 4.5m back.

Mr Boon accepted Mr Birles version of events and still trusted him.

His position changed after he got an anonymous tip-off from a person who claimed to have also been a victim of a fraud committed by Mr Birles, counsel said.

Counsel said that following the tip-off Mr Boon instructed lawyers to have matters investigated.

Arising out of that probe he discovered that SSMM was a vehicle of the fraud, that the Rossi family who supposed acquired SSMM does not exist and that any messages from them were actually from Mr Birles.

In addition, the purported investment scheme with the Irish Central Bank was also not real, Mr Fanning said.

Counsel said that the investigation revealed that Mr Birles has used various aliases, has defrauded others, and is also believed to have spent time in prison.

Mr Boon, counsel said, advanced Mr Birles a total of 6.7m between April and July 2021.

Mr Boon does not know how much of the 2.2m advanced in respect of the yacht has been dissipated, counsel said.

The investigation revealed that a company that Mr Birles recommended, to which Mr Boon paid a five-figure premium, to insure the yacht also does not exist.

That entities registered address turned out to be a hardware store in Samoa.

Mr Birles, counsel said, had established a complex network of companies in different countries, a large number of which appeared to be registered in Ireland.

The corporate defendants have facilitated the fraud which he claims was committed by Mr Birles, counsel said.

Mr Birles also had a valuable property in Ireland which it is claimed was purchased and renovated with Mr Boon's money, and a sailboat called the 'Erin' which is currently in the jurisdiction to compete in sailing races in Co Cork.

Counsel said Mr Boon confronted Mr Birles with the allegations in a WhatsApp message in recent weeks. He held off confronting the defendant until after the investigation into the defendant's affairs had been completed.

However, Mr Boon has not got his money back, counsel said.

Due to the presence of significant assets linked to the defendants in the jurisdiction counsel said that it was decided to seek freezing orders from the Irish courts.

At the High Court on Wednesday Mr Justice Brian O'Moore granted Mr Boon, on an ex-parte basis, a freezing or Mareva-type injunction restraining the defendants from reducing, moving or dissipating any of their assets below a value of 6m.

The freezing order prevents Mr Birtles from moving the 'Erin' from its current location at Crosshaven in Co Cork.

The order also prevents the defendants from dissipating or transferring funds in SSMM's bank accounts with Revolut as well as accounts also linked to the defendants in Panama and South Korea.

The order further restrains the defendants from disposing or transferring a property located at Strand Street, Youghal, Co Cork allegedly beneficially owned by Mr Birles, that Mr Boon believes was acquired with his money

Mr Boon also secured various disclosure orders requiring the defendants to provide him with various documentation, in an attempt to ascertain where his money has gone.

The court placed an embargo on the media reporting the case till Thursday afternoon to allow Mr Boon's lawyers sufficient time to serve notice of the freezing order on financial institutions.

The matter will return before the court next week.
The victim, who worked as a salesman and security doorman, suffered a number of gunshot wounds as he returned home from a social function at around 4.30am.

A Dublin woman had to formally identify her late husbands body to gardai shortly after 5am in the morning as it lay on the ground outside their family home, an inquest has heard.

A sitting of Dublin District Coroners Court was told Michael Tormey (49), a father of three, was fatally wounded in a gun attack at his home at Thomond Park, Ballyfermot on January 9 this year

The victim, who worked as a salesman and security doorman, suffered a number of gunshot wounds as he returned home from a social function at around 4.30am.

Addressing a brief hearing of the inquest, the coroner, Aisling Gannon, said a post-mortem had confirmed that Mr Tormey had died as a result of traumatic gunshot injuries.

Christopher Devine

The inquest heard that Mr Tormeys wife, Amy Brennan, who was not present in court, had confirmed her husbands identity to gardai by pointing to a body on the ground outside their house.

Garda Lisa Sexton said she later identified the body to assistant State pathologist, Margot Bolster, at the Dublin City Mortuary in Whitehall.

Inspector Dan OCallaghan applied for an adjournment of the inquest under Section 25 of the Coroners Act on the basis that criminal proceedings had been instigated in the case.

On January 19, Christopher Devine (40), an unemployed man with an address at Convent Lawns, Ballyfermot was charged with Mr Tormeys murder.

He subsequently applied for and was granted bail by the High Court the following month.

The DPP confirmed last month that Mr Devine will be sent forward for trial on indictment at the Central Criminal Court.
John Maguire died after being stabbed multiple times at his home in Smithfield, Dublin

A man (28) is set to go on trial in Brazil charged with the murder of an Irishman in Dublin in 2013, RTE have reported.

John Maguire (51) was found deceased at his home on Ormond Square in Smithfield, Dublin in the early hours of September 23rd 2013 after he had been stabbed a number of times.

Following the incident, a chief suspect was quickly established, and a Gardai investigation ensued.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) then directed that he should be charged with murder.

The accused was not arrested in Ireland as he fled to his home country of Brazil just hours after the alleged murder.

The man who is accused of robbing and murdering the businessman was not extradited to Ireland to face the charge as Brazil does not extradite their own citizens.

They will however prosecute the accused if the alleged offence is also a violation of Brazilian law.

The trial, which will begin on August 2nd, will hear statements from a number of witnesses. It is expected that witnesses based in Ireland will give their testimony remotely.

Two other men are also accused of receiving stolen goods in relation to the crime.

The maximum penalty in Brazil for a conviction of homicide and robbery is up to 30 years behind bars
He was first jailed in 1974 for armed robbery

His solicitor Dean Kingham has written to Justice Secretary Dominic Raab asking that he grant Bronson, now 70, a pardon as he has said he is not been violent for a significant number of years.

In the letter, he said: "You have the power under the Prerogative of Mercy to grant Mr Salvador's release without requiring him to go in front of the Parole Board... he has not been violent for a significant number of years and his risk is primarily towards prison governors.

"The evidence in excess of the last five years is clear that his risk of violence has significantly reduced."

"The argument is that if he's been able to demonstrate that he's not violent in very high-risk situations in custody towards staff, governors, etc. then the risk falls away if he's released into the public because historically, whilst there was a risk to the public, it's never been as severe as that towards prison staff and governors, he continued.

Kingham said that there is evidence to suggest that as someone ages, their risk of violence decreases.

"When someone approaches 70 the research shows that the risk drops off to zero. Now, he's at that age bracket."

Speaking to Sky News from his cell in Woodhill Prison, Bronson said: "I bet you can't believe I'm still in, can you?

"It's an absolute liberty. I'm 70 years old now, 70 years old. I've never murdered anyone; I've never raped anyone. What am I in jail for? People don't believe it. They think I'm a serial killer."

"I'm the first man in Britain to have a public one (parole hearing) and the reason I'm doing that is I'm going to expose the system for what it's done to me, he continued.

"It's all coming out in the wash, my side of the story, and the truth is mate, it's going to shock the planet."

He signed off: "And between you and me I can still do 95 press-ups in 30 seconds, so I'm still the guv'nor. Good luck, your old china Charlie."

Bronson was sentenced to seven years behind bars for armed robbery in 1974.

With the exception of two brief periods of freedom, he has been in prison ever since for other burglaries, and violent attacks on prison guards and governors.

In 1999, he took an art teacher hostage in Hull prison after he criticised his drawing ability.

Bronson, wielding a broken bottle and prison shiv, dragged the terrified man with a skipping rope around his neck for two days.

He was handed down a sentence of life behind bars with a minimum of three years and has never been granted parole.

Three years ago he also stood trial charged with attempted grievous bodily harm on a governor at Wakefield jail, but he was acquitted.
Community members will be able to speak and give feedback to two people involved in the Auburn Enlarged City School District's diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

A tweet from the district's Twitter account said Auburn will be hosting meet-and-greets with Dr. Renee Burgess, executive director of diversity, equity, inclusion and instruction and Bill Berry, a consultant on the district's DEI work. The first is Friday, with other events in August and September. Attendees are asked to RSVP by emailing Burgess before the event Friday.

At its meeting in June, the board approved Burgess, the district's former director of English language arts, math and personalized learning, for the DEI position. A resolution from that agenda said Burgess would receive a four-year probationary appointment from March 23, 2022 to a tentative end of March 22, 2026, at a pro-rated salary of $110,000. During that same June board meeting, the body also approved Burgess' resignation as the ELA and math director, effective June 30.

Berry, the chair for the Harriet Tubman Center for Justice and Peace Board of Directors and the CEO and publisher of the literary and visual arts journal aaduna, was a DEI consultant for the district for the 2021-22 school year. He was approved to again serve as a consultant at a board meeting July 7.

In an interview with The Citizen Wednesday, Burgess said she took on the math and ELA role with the district in 2021. In late August, she is set to graduate and receive a doctorate in executive leadership from St. John Fisher University in Rochester. She said the university's program included an emphasis on social justice, "so that was a main thread throughout all of my coursework in the doctorate program." She successfully defended her dissertation in June. Burgess has a master's degree in administration from Notre Dame of Maryland University and served as principal of Bolivar Road Elementary School in the Chittenango district for two years before working in Auburn.

She and Berry suggested the meet-and-greets to Auburn Superintendent Jeff Pirozzolo several weeks ago and he liked the idea. Burgess had already reached out to community members to get their thoughts and input on diversity, equity and inclusion work. The educator talked about why she and Berry want to garner community feedback through these events.

"It's important because I feel as though that's who we serve, we serve the community, we serve the children in the community and they're our No. 1 priority," she said. "It's important that we engage in discussions around the people that are there to raise them and guide them and lead them."

Pirozzolo said New York state requires districts to have diversity, equity and inclusion plans, but Auburn began developing its strategic plan in 2020, about a year and a half before that mandate. Burgess is on the district's DEI committee and she and Berry have worked on that strategic plan with other committee members.

Pirozzolo said Burgess was the most qualified out of all of the candidates for the DEI director spot.

"This is her passion. This is what she wants to do," Pirozzolo said.

He also praised Burgess and Berry's suggestion for the meet-and-greets.

"It's a fantastic idea, and I think this is just the beginning. We're going to need to continue to engage our community and our parents. Everybody falls into diversity, equity and inclusion, we all do," Pirozzolo said. "But we really need parent engagement and community engagement to help us finalize and finish up our strategic plan. And then of course, executing our strategic plan is going to be the key piece to it."

Pirozzolo talked about why the district is paying both a DEI executive director and a consultant, since Berry is set to be paid $50,000 for his services, saying they are doing different tasks. Burgess is taking on instructional work, Pirozzolo said she will be gathering data regarding the diverse communities within the district's student population. Burgess will be working to ensure all students are academically successful and implementing interventions for students as needed, plus she will be working on enacting some DEI training with teachers, administrators, students and community members, with Berry providing DEI training to people as well.

Two people will be getting paid for DEI efforts due to the sheer amount of work required, Pirozzolo said.

"This job is not an eight o'clock to four o'clock. There's going to be a lot of evening presentations, there's a lot of meetings going to different organizations throughout Auburn, and to have one person covering all of that is impossible," he said.

Pirozzolo talked about the purpose of these meet-and-greets, saying the events are meant to give "community members or the parents an opportunity to come in and talk to us what their concerns are or to tell us what's going (well) what we need to expand on."
The elderly woman, who was given the moniker Betty the Bag Lady, has undergone genetic DNA testing which revealed she has familial ties to Ireland

An American-based charity is calling for Irish people to donate their DNA to help identify a woman with Irish ancestry who was found murdered on the side of a road in Michigan in 1992.

The DNA Doe Project, which was established in 2017, sets out to identify unidentified deceased persons (commonly known as John Doe or Jane Doe) using forensic genealogy.

The elderly woman, who was given the moniker Betty the Bag Lady, has undergone genetic DNA testing which revealed she has familial ties to Ireland.

Matthew Waterfield from the project told the Sunday World that Irish people can help solve the case.

[Betty] has matches with recent Irish heritage, but unfortunately they are too low for us to successfully work with because the common ancestors with the Jane Doe are probably in the early 1800s, before the Irish civil records were established, he said.

It looks like one of her parents may well have been an Irish immigrant, or at least of full Irish descent.

The DNA Doe Project says Bettys closest links are in Waterford, but she also has familial ties to Cork, Kerry and Mayo.

She also appears to have ancestors from the city of Turin in the Piedmont region of Italy, Matthew added.

Betty has familial ties to the surnames McLaughlin/McLoughlin, Morrissey, OBrien, Kelly, Hogan, Mahoney, Cashman, Walsh, Lyons, OSullivan/Sullivan, ODonoghue/Donahue, McDonagh and OBrien.

Were hoping more people of Irish descent, whether they live in Ireland or not, will be able to upload to GEDmatch and help us identify her, Matthew added.

To upload your DNA to GEDmatch, you must first have taken a direct-to-consumer DNA test from a company such as Ancestry, 23 and Me, or My Heritage.

Any of those websites will let you export and have for yourself your own raw DNA data, and once you have that you can upload it to GEDmatch or Family Tree DNA. Its free to upload, Matthew said.

When new DNA samples are uploaded, genealogists are able to use them to help build family trees in a bid to identify unknown persons.

The DNA Project stressed that every single upload, no matter whether someone thinks their DNA or family tree will be useful or not, is important.

Having people from other countries who are willing to help us is incredibly helpful for recent immigrant and diaspora cases, even if they dont know of anyone missing in their family tree, said Matthew.

Discussing Betty the Bag Ladys unusual moniker, Matthew said he believes that investigators chose the name in the 1990s because she was found wrapped in two bin bags.

[We hope] that the investigator who chose it was simply trying to draw attention to her case by making it stand out, he said.

While not much is known about the circumstances of Bettys death, finding out her identity will give authorities some clues about how her remains ended up on the side of the road.

Its believed that she could have been from a care facility in Indiana or Illinois, and that possibly following her death her remains were left there for some unknown reason, or perhaps she was a victim of homicide, Matthew explained.

The Project believes the woman was most likely born in the 1910s or 1920s.

Despite Betty the Bag Lady having substantial Irish heritage, Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) is unable to provide data from the Irish DNA database to the DNA Doe Project.

The only information from the National DNA Database available to gardai and other EU member states is data that links members of the Irish public to unsolved crimes or missing people.

FSI exchanges DNA information with other participating countries in the Prum treaty, Director General Chris Enright told the Sunday World.

The Prum treaty includes cross-border cooperation by means of exchanging judicial and police information and by providing mutual assistance.

Mr Enright explained that data is only available to member states if their search has a match within the database, meaning member states do not have unfettered access to all DNA data on record in Ireland.

With regards to the exchange of information, each European member state has to make its DNA database available to other member states for automated searches on a hit/no-hit basis, he continued.

After a match, personal data and case information are exchanged between countries by existing mutual legal assistance.

So far, the DNA Doe Project has solved 80 cases of unidentified remains in the United States and Canada.

The Project is currently working on a further 55 cases that are still unsolved but are currently being researched.
The airline said it is awaiting further direction from Heathrow to understand the impact on its schedule in the coming weeks

The airline said it is awaiting further direction from Heathrow to understand the impact on its schedule in the coming weeks, according to RTE.

In a statement, it said it will try to minimise disruption caused to customers.

Heathrow Airport has imposed a capacity cap of 100,000 daily departing passengers until 11 September amid a lack of resources.

Separately, industrial action at Bordeaux Airport and Lyon Airport has also led to the cancellation of two return flights tomorrow and one return flight on Saturday.

Aer Lingus has apologised to affected customers and said its teams are working to re-accommodate those impacted as soon as possible.

The airline said plans were in place to deal with the increased demand for travel following the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, but a significant spike in cases in recent weeks has created "considerable additional operational challenges".

As it operates up to 23 flights to and from Heathrow each day, Aer Lingus is one of the biggest users of the airport.

Heathrow also operates as a key gateway for travellers arriving and departing Ireland for other destinations, including many long-haul flights.

In a statement, the chief executive of the airport said the number of daily departing passengers was forecast to reach 104,000 this summer, which would result in lengthy queues and delays. As a result, they were capping the maximum number of departing passengers at 100,000.

"We are asking our airline partners to stop selling summer tickets to limit the impact on passengers," Heathrow Chief Executive John Holland-Kaye.

A spokesperson for Aer Lingus told the Irish Examiner they awaiting further directions to understand the impact on its schedule.

"Due to the large number of flights into London Heathrow, Aer Lingus will look to minimise disruption caused to customers by these mandated flight cancellations. Customers impacted will receive direct communication from Aer Lingus in the coming days."

The move by Heathrow was strongly criticised by the former Aer Lingus and British Airways boss Willie Walsh who now heads the body representing global airlines.

"I am surprised Heathrow have not been able to get their act together better than this. Airlines have been predicting stronger traffic than Heathrow has been predicting ... they clearly got it completely wrong," the director-general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) told Reuters.

"To tell airlines to stop selling - what a ridiculous thing for an airport to say to an airline," Walsh said.
Its expected that around 1,500 Irish patients will travel to the hospital each year for routine planned surgeries

A new hospital has opened in Spain that will be used to treat patients stuck on long waiting lists in Ireland.

The new 64-bed hospital, Hospital HCB Denia, has officially opened in Costa Blanca, Alicante.

This hospital is a part of a major new healthcare agreement, where patients will be treated under the EU Cross Border Directive, meaning the Health Service Executive (HSE) will cover the price of treatment up to the cost it would be in Ireland.

Almost every treatment that is currently available on the Irish public system will be provided at the new hospital.

Its expected that around 1,500 Irish patients will travel to the hospital each year for routine planned surgeries including hip replacements, knee operations, spinal procedures, cataract procedures, and weight-loss surgeries.

However, patients will still have to pay for their own accommodation and travel expenses.

The agreement has been made between the Hospital Clinical Benidorm Hospitales group (HBC) and Irish logistics company Healthcare Abroad, which will help patients use the scheme, travel, and receive treatment.

Healthcare Abroads chief operations officer Paul Byrne told RTE that the partnership with one of Spains premier hospital groups will transform the lives of many Irish patients.

He added that the agreement will facilitate a faster pathway to accessing important healthcare treatments, which will have an immediate impact on patients quality of life.

And Ana Vasbinder of HCB Denia said todays opening will provide patients with access to world-class facilities.

The number of patients covered by the HSE under the Cross Border Directive has increased in recent years.

In 2019, the HSE said that 4,961 patients were reimbursed for care abroad at a cost of 13m.

In 2020, the figures showed 4,723 patients were covered for care abroad at a cost of 15m, despite the pandemic.

So far this year 600 patients have received care abroad at a cost of 2m.

The most common EU countries where Irish people seek treatment under the scheme are Spain, Poland, Lithuania, and Germany.
Taoiseach Micheal Martin is the only Fianna Fail cabinet member to use business class flights

Mr Martins Fianna Fail Cabinet colleagues all said they do not fly business when travelling abroad on State visits.

Health Minister Stephen and Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue even flew economy class to an international expo in Dubai which Green Party deputy leader Catherine Martin travelled to in a business class seat.

Business class flights are responsible for at least three times more carbon emissions than economy, according to World Bank research.

The Taoiseach said he works hard in his role as leader of the country when defending his use of business class flights.

Ill be very straight with you, I work a full day before I go on any plane. I work on the plane and I work when I get off the plane. Full on. That's what I should do. That is my obligation and thats it, he said.

Mr Martin said in the fullness of time it will be seen that the Government made fundamental shifts in terms of climate change.

Meanwhile, Green Party Junior Minister Malcolm Noonan weighed in behind Catherine Martin saying he believed the additional personal carbon emissions clocked up his party colleague were worth it because of her Tourism and Art portfolio.

If you're specifically referencing the portfolio of tourism and arts these are important portfolios that Ireland benefits from hugely in terms of representation abroad.

I think it's important at times that there's a necessity perhaps to be in a position to be able to carry out work while traveling to events, the long-time environmental activist said in defence of Ms Martin.

Rebel Green Party TD Neasa Hourigan also refused to condemn Ms Martins business class jet-setting while her Cabinet colleagues flew economy to the same destinations.

Nobodys a saint. And I wouldn't expect anybody to be a saint, Ms Hourigan said.

I am not trying to be better than anyone else. I do have a car, but I try not to drive too much. People will use transport for their personal needs, she said.

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan, asked if the business class row was a case of do as I preach, not as I do by his party, said it should not be a case of what any one individual did. Instead he stressed the responsibility of airlines,

Everyone had to make this climate leap, he said, adding that personalisation of planetary issues risked getting into difficulty.

He added: I'm very glad I'm not tourism Minister because maybe the schedule when you arrive as a tourism minister in somewhere like Dubai, you literally are running from one meeting to the next.

Told that two Fianna Fail ministers had travelled economy class to the same Dubai Expo, Mr Ryan said: What we want to do is change the system so it saves all of us because we do have to take measures.

I met Aer Lingus and Ryanair yesterday. One of the key things we're talking about is how you switch to sustainable fuels to make aviation part of this change. No sector gets an out. Aviation is going to have to do as much as anyone else. They understand that.

Asked again if the business class flights suggested Green Party hypocrisy, Mr Ryan said: Im not going to start determining exactly who can or can't do what.

There are circumstances where I think it is appropriate that you want to arrive able to work from the get-go, which is often how it works as a minister.
Paul Downes said that the warm airmass that has brought a heat wave to Europe this month will likely be transported to Ireland over the weekend

Paul Downes said that the warm airmass that has brought a heat wave to Europe this month will likely be transported to Ireland over the weekend.

He said that while we can expect dry days with sunny spells on Friday and Saturday, temperatures will range in the mid to low 20s with highs of 25C predicted on Saturday in some areas.

But on Sunday, temperatures will begin to rise to the mid-upper 20s, feeling hot and dry with long spells of sunshine.

And temperatures will potentially surpass 30C or 31C locally on Monday, with Met Eireann forecasting hot conditions across the country.

Mr Downes warned that nighttime temperatures will be very warm and humid in the mid to high teens.

With temperatures soaring, it is important to remain hydrated and be sun smart, that goes for animals as well as ourselves. Be prepared and remember to be summer ready, he said.

The nighttime temperature will also be very warm and humid with temperatures on Sunday and Monday night not likely to fall below the mid to high teens and in some areas they may not fall below 20C, which is known as a tropical night.

The warm conditions are likely to continue into Tuesday, but the national forecaster says that the hot spell may come to an end as it looks like showers and thunder are on the cards.

There is a little more uncertainty regarding Tuesday but it does look like it will be another hot day and perhaps as hot if not hotter than Monday, Mr Downes said.

While this warmer air moves in our direction there will be the chance of a few thundery bursts especially on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, this morning will be mostly dry with sunny spells, although counties in Ulster will see the odd shower continue throughout the day.

It will generally become cloudier in the afternoon and evening but temperatures are expected to remain between 16 to 23C, feeling warmest near the south coast.
Sen Annie Hoey said she was approached by a number of people who had worked in Dublin Zoo who were concerned about the treatment of animals there

Senator Annie Hoey has detailed shocking allegations raised by a whistleblower of animal abuse at Dublin Zoo in the Seanad today.

The Labour party politician gave details of a protected disclosure by a zoo keeper outlining alleged animal abuse at the capitals Zoo.

Using her Seanad privilege to outline shocking details told to her, Hoey shared claims by the whistleblower of missing animals, the death of Silverback Gorilla Harry, and a paralysed zebra.

A number of months ago, I began a series of meetings with both former and current staff members in Dublin Zoo, she told the Seanad.

Through this engagement, I've been made aware of a number of breaches of these freedoms for animals and Dublin Zoo, the most detailed accounts of which have recently been issued to me by whistle-blower via protected disclosure regarding animal welfare management failings and Dublin Zoo.

Senator Annie Hooey

I've been told by the whistle-blower that there's been serious welfare issues, near misses, and safety and management concerns at Dublin Zoo, she continued.

Senator Hoey told the Seanad the whistleblower felt they had no option but to make a protected disclosure.

Under Irish law, workers are given legal protection to allow them to disclose information about wrongdoing in the workplace.

She went on to tell the Seanad about the whistleblowers claims that Kildare the Zebra died following complications that arose during a tooth extraction procedure.

She was darted twice and suffered from Capture Myopathy. She was kept alive even though staff requested the animal be euthanized.

"The tooth was extracted, and the animal was severely paralysed, when she came around from the anaesthetic, the animal was left to recover overnight, she continued.

After no change, the animal is going to be hung overnight in a harness, even though she was severely paralysed.

"One staff member pleaded at the end of the second day to end the animal's suffering. Management and the veterinary team were planning to leave her overnight, despite being severely paralysed.

"Staff were extremely distraught after witnessing the zebras' treatment, and they felt they could not raise concerns for fear of reprisals.

Ms Hoey added that the whistleblower claims staff consistently raised concerns leading up to the death of Harry, a Silverback Gorilla who died in 2016.

Keepers consistently raised concerns leading up to his death to supported daily reports that his behaviour was abnormal.

Keepers repeatedly asked for a vet to examine him. And eventually, a vet was called and he died shortly after. This has had an adverse effect on the rest of the troop.

The senator told the Seanad that Harrys story was one of the hardest for her to hear, and many of the staff she spoke to said that his treatment in the run-up to his death was unbearable.

"I saw the photos of Harry at the end and he suffered greatly. I have seen photographs of the animals I've mentioned here today and the visible unnecessary suffering they will have to endure is unfathomable.

She added: "This is not what care and compassion for animals is supposed to look like.

Zebras in Dublin Zoo

"This is not the standard of care which we as members of the public and of the parliament have come to expect from Dublin Zoo, a much trusted and beloved public institute.

However, the pain of sick and dying animals are not the only animal welfare issues that were detailed to me, she continued.

There is a major breach of guidelines happening in the form of missing animals.

It was claimed that in November 2019, two crested macaques went missing, presumed dead and In February, March and March of this year, a white collared mangabey went missing, also presumed dead.

Despite staff raising the issue of them not being found, management has not looked thoroughly for these animals or raised the public's awareness in the event, a member of the public were to encounter it.

She added: What I raised today is only a snapshot of the stories which I've been sharing to be about the failings in animal welfare and Dublin Zoo, she continued.

I have pages and pages and pages of testimony from both current and former staff, and I was on the phone until very, very late last night, hearing more stories that I don't have time to go through today.

These events are not in the far past, they're also happening quite recently, I've outlined some very recent breaches.

In a statement to sundayworld.com, Dublin Zoo branded the revelations as unfounded and said they dispute them in the strongest possible terms.

These allegations have been made without any engagement with Dublin Zoo. These allegations are wholly misleading and contain inaccurate clinical assessments, a spokesperson said.

It is important to note that at no time did any member of staff come forward to Dublin Zoo regarding issues raised in the Seanad today.

Issues raised by members of staff regarding animal welfare at Dublin Zoo are treated with the utmost sensitivity and seriousness and are thoroughly investigated.

Any disclosures are investigated immediately and rectified where appropriate. Staff can make animal welfare-related disclosures through their team, Dublin Zoo management or anonymously.

Making serious accusations of poor animal welfare standards without engaging with the clinical veterinary expertise at Dublin Zoo or the independent bodies responsible for auditing animal welfare standards in Ireland is irresponsible and has led to a gross misrepresentation of facts, the spokesperson continued.

Dublin Zoo is widely recognised as having a world-renowned standard of animal care.

The physical and psychological wellbeing of animals in our care is the number one priority, and ensuring every animal lives out its life to the full is paramount to Dublin Zoo.

Animal welfare is Dublin Zoos primary consideration, the foundation stone of all that we do, the statement continued.

Only the highest standards of animal care are acceptable at Dublin Zoo and our hard-working and passionate colleagues are testament to this.

We are routinely acknowledged and heralded both nationally and internationally for our independently audited first-class animal welfare care programmes.

The spokesperson continued by saying that the Zoo were not contacted to fact check the serious and upsetting allegations.

We would encourage the Senator to view the two most recent inspection reports from the Department of Housing, Local Heritage and Government.

The report from May 2022, which focused on animal welfare standards, found Dublin Zoo to be a modern facility which, in our opinion, is well run and has the welfare of the animals it cares for at the heart of each decision made by the operators.

These reports are publicly available but we will be sending copies of these independent reports to the Senator to ensure the Senator has accurate information.

We would also like to take this opportunity to invite Senator Annie Hoey to Dublin Zoo to discuss the allegations and to learn more about the world-class animal care standards in Dublin Zoo.

The Zoo spokesman added: Dublin Zoo was not given the opportunity to address the allegations made today before they were made public. They were never raised by any member of staff through the many channels available. The zoo further said that the claims unfairly undermine the incredible hard work and dedication of Dublin Zoos highly committed team of employees and volunteers who live and breathe Dublin Zoos purpose, mandate and animal welfare, on a daily basis.

The claims came as the Green Party outlined its animal welfare bill in the Seanad this morning.
Due to overcrowding at the transit centre at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin, new Ukrainian arrivals are being asked to remain at the terminal overnight.

The old central terminal building at Dublin Airport is being used to facilitate Ukrainian refugees after the State ran out of acomodation.

The DAA said it has made the unused terminal available to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for Ukrainians to help assist with the shortage.

Due to overcrowding at the transit centre at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin, new Ukrainian arrivals who do not have alternative accommodation are being asked to remain at the Dublin Airport terminal overnight.

A spokesperson from the airport authority said: DAA has made the old central terminal building at Dublin Airport available to the Department of Children to help them facilitate the arrival of Ukrainian nationals into Ireland.

"All and any services being offered within the building are looked after by the department.

The department said Ukrainians arriving in Ireland are their top priority but with the lack of accommodation available it is an evident struggle.

Ensuring the security, health and safety of people who are fleeing Ukraine has been, and remains, a top priority for the Government since the Russian attack began in February.

"Most of the people arriving in Ireland are women and children, a spokesperson from the department said.

This effort has involved, inter alia, all relevant Government departments and offices, local authorities, the Defence Forces and State agencies such as Tusla and the HSE.

Asylum seekers from other countries also continue to seek sanctuary in Ireland through the International Protection Service.

Over the past number of weeks there has been a very significant increase in the number of people seeking access to the International Protection Service (IPS) and this is causing a severe shortage of available accommodation for both people arriving from Ukraine and International Protection applicants.

This is also causing overcrowding in the Citywest Transit Hub.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin will today hold talks with ministers to discuss alternative accommodation arrangements.

The department said: Incoming arrivals overnight will remain in Dublin airport if they do not have an alternative source of accommodation.

Government is working intensively to put alternative arrangements in place with immediate effect.

The Taoiseach is meeting with relevant Ministers today [Thursday] to discuss the situation and review the current policies and processes.
A prison spokesperson said no prison staff or other inmates sustained any injuries

A spokesperson for the service confirmed they got on to the roof in the Mourne complex but said the incident has been brought under control.

They said no prison staff or other inmates sustained any injuries and said the incident will be sent to the PSNI.

An NI Prison Service spokesperson said: The Prison Service has confirmed that an incident at Maghaberry yesterday, during which four prisoners gained access to a roof in the Mourne complex within the prison, has ended.

Maghaberry Prison

"The situation was brought under control without injury to staff or prisoners. The rest of the prison was unaffected. The area will be assessed to ascertain how the prisoners were able to access the roof.

"The four prisoners will be charged under Prison Rules and their actions will be referred to the PSNI for investigation.

Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie claimed staffing levels at the prison had a part to play.

"As with assaults on staff and prisoner on prisoner it is clear that staffing levels at HMP Maghaberry had a part to play in 4 prisoners getting onto the roof of a prison block.

"This cannot continue and it is important the Justice Minister conducts an urgent review and learning account to identify how this was able to happen.

"Without a Justice committee to scrutinise events in the prison it falls to the Minister to ensure the public are satisfied that all failings, be they procedural, structural or human, are addressed.

In a statement, a Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said two appliances from Lisburn Fire Station attended the incident.

They added: Firefighters were called to assist with an incident at Maghaberry Prison. No action was required from NIFRS and the incident was dealt with at 1.17am.

The Department of Justice has been contacted.
Kitchener, pictured here for the first time, was jailed last week for sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl

Gareth Kitchener who was convicted of abusing a 13-year-old girl

A young mum says shes horrified the authorities falsely have a convicted child abuser Gareth Kitchener living in her house.

Court papers have the 36-year-old listed as living at Union Street in Ballymoney but it emerged last weekend he hasnt lived at that address in well over a year.

Kitchener, pictured here for the first time, was jailed last week for sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl though he was released on bail to appeal both his conviction and his sentence.

Despite the child abuser going to court last year to change his own bail address while he awaited trial for six counts of sexually touching a child his address is being given out to the press and public as Union Street.

When we called to the address looking for Kitchener the door was answered by a toddler whose mum explained she had already complained to the PSNI about the address cock-up.

I cant believe they are still giving out this address for a sex offender, I told them months ago he doesnt live here, said the mum who not surprisingly didnt want to be identified.

I was getting official letters to the house for this man and detailing how he was facing charges of child abuse, she told the Sunday World.

Id never heard of this person but I was horrified to think people thought a sex offender lived here. I went to the police and told them there was something wrong.

Ive never met Gareth Kitchener and I dont even know when he lived here. All I know is I moved in here on July 15.

Im not happy about it at all but thankfully the people round this area know me well enough.

Kitchener was due to have his appeal heard on Thursday but the case was adjourned but court listings continue to state his address as the one in Union Street which he left around 16 months ago.

Its not the first time the incorrect address of a convicted sex offender has been repeatedly given out by the courts.

Last year we revealed how pervert ex-teacher Colin Trory had been caught with indecent images of kids for a second time.

The address the court had for him for his recent offences was the old east Belfast address which he hadnt lived in for over 13 years.

Originally, we went to the address on top of the court papers available to the press which detail the ten new counts against him for which he pleaded guilty.

But we were shocked to discover a young couple with two young children were living at the address listed as Colin Trorys.

Though not as shocked as the young couple who politely informed us Trory had not lived there for well over 13 years and they had bought the property from a relative of his.

We can reveal Gareth Kitchener tried to claim inappropriate messages sent to the young girl had been sent by one of his young children.

The sleazy 36-year-old father-of-four pounced on the girl who had befriended his own kids though he continues to deny he did anything wrong.

However, a judge at Enniskillen Magistrates Court found him guilty and told Kitchener he had, Embarked upon inappropriate behaviour, touching and language for his own gratification.

The judge also described work time sheets produced by the Castlederg man, which he claimed proved he was at work when the offences occurred, were fraudulent.

Kitchener continues to deny six counts of sexually touching the victim over a four-week period, culminating on 5 September 2020 during a day trip with him and his family.

The court heard last week how on that day, a relative of Kitcheners approached the victims mother expressing concerns on his sexualised behaviour toward the child.

Hysterical, the mother rang Kitcheners partner telling her to bring the child home straightaway.

Kitchener however insisted his relative, Has from that day to this, denied going anywhere near the mother.

Apart from the day trip, he was adamant he couldnt have been present when the incidents occurred as he leaves for work at 6am, never returning home before 10pm, presenting timesheets to support this.

While stating his relative and employer were due to give evidence, he couldnt explain why neither came to court to do so.

When District Judge Steven Keown enquired police were told, they wanted nothing to do with the case Kitchener claimed to be unaware of this.

He denied any inappropriate behaviour, insisting, Im not that kind of person  I never laid one finger on her. Definitely not ... Everything she has said is lies. Every bit of it. I was always working, Monday to Friday. I was never about the house.

The victims mother described confronting her daughter having learned of Kitcheners behaviour, but she initially denied anything had occurred.

When pressed further, She burst out crying, she told the court. She hadnt told me because she didnt want Kitcheners partner getting in trouble.

She told my daughter not to say anything or Social Services would take away her kids. Can you imagine the position my child was in?

Kitcheners partner denied in court seeing any inappropriate engagement with the child and on the day the mother discovered the behaviour she said, I walked ( the child) to her house. Her mother was shouting a pile of abuse at me.

Following consideration, Judge Keown convicted Kitchener stating, The victim gave a detailed, unwavering account and the defendant gave a bald denial, asserting she lied for reasons unknown. His evidence was self-serving and unimpressive. I entirely reject it and his partners evidence, who attempted to sing off the same hymn sheet, but they contradicted each other.

The victim was reluctant to disclose what occurred, but when pushed, broke down and divulged all. This was after Kitcheners relative approached the mother with concerns. This relative refused to attend court to give evidence. I am satisfied she alerted the victims mother, resulting in her not wishing further involvement.

Kitcheners alibi timesheets were also rejected with Judge Keown noting, The employer  a convicted fraudster  also refused to attend court to stand over these records. I dont accept they are valid or legitimate. Theyre a fraudulent account of hours worked.

Judge Keown concluded, The defendant saw a young girl befriending his children and embarked upon clearly sexually inappropriate behaviour, touching and language, for his own gratification.

The case was adjourned for pre-sentence reports which revealed Kitchener maintains his innocence and intends to appeal the convictions.

Judge Keown imposed a sentence of four months custody, along with a Sexual Offences Prevention Order to last five years.

Kitchener was released on 500 bail pending appeal. The appeal was listed for last Thursday but has been adjourned until September.
The former Made In Chelsea star admitted that the couple have done all kinds of weird s*** together during a chat on the Spencer & Vogue podcast.

The former Made In Chelsea star admitted that the couple have done all kinds of weird s*** together during a chat on the Spencer & Vogue podcast.

Reading out a fan's question, Vogue asked: What's the strangest activity you've ever done together?

Spencer replied: We obviously can't talk about that on the pod.

But Vogue dismissed her husband and said: "I don't think we've done anything that strange."

Spencer hit back: "We've done all kinds of weird s***. What are you talking about?"

Vogue asked: "Like what?

Spencer revealed: "We have sex in public places."

Vogue stopped him and said: No we don't. Would you stop, no we don't. Where?

Spencer replied: "In the sauna."

And instead of denying Spencers claim, Vogue simply said, "That's not a public place," to which Spencer suggested, "Well it kind of is, anyone can walk in."

Vogue was keen to move on from the discussion and shut down any further revelations from Spencer, saying: "Anyway we're not getting into that."

It comes after the couple revealed that a doctor put them on a sex ban before Vogue gave birth to their third child, Otto, earlier this year.

Vogue explained that this was to prevent her from going into labour early.

"A doctor tried to put us on a sex ban again, she explained on their podcast at the time.

Spenny, he's so embarrassing the stuff that he texts the doctor I'm like, Stop sending them weird s**t like that.

Spencer added: "I needed actual information as to why I needed to know what it was that could trigger labour."

Vogue responded: "So sex can trigger labour and we can do it now because the baby is fully cooked. I didn't realise the baby was fully cooked before 40 weeks."

The couple welcomed baby Otto into the world on Easter Monday and are already parents to 3-year-old Theodore and 1-year-old Gigi.
A man from Vietnam shot into fame after building a wooden Bugatti for his son. The person built a wooden Bugatti Centodieci for his son. Now, the same person has made a wooden battle tank for his son. As he revealed, the man built a wooden version of his son's favourite battle tank from the video game World of Tanks. The tank comes as a functional one and it uses tracks and sprockets to move, instead of just wheels.

(Also Read: Wooden Tesla Cybertruck is here while wait for the real one still continues)

The person who happens to be a YouTuber started the project by building the frame of the tank and the wooden sprockets. He used actual metal sprockets to connect the tracks, while the wooden ones are just for aesthetics. The two tracks can move in both front and rear directions thanks to the two electric motors. These moving tracks allow the tank to perform real tank turns easily. The wooden tank even comes with a rotating cylinder at the centre. It gets a bazooka nozzle to complete the realistic visual appearance.

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However, the real tough job begins with the body panels and detailings, which have been made out of wood only. As the video suggests, the whole project took three months to complete. Besides the wooden panels, the tank also comes with metal frames and welded metal panels. With the detailing of the tank project, the three months seem justified.

First Published Date:
Kiwi charity Keep New Zealand Beautiful is excited to announce that its annual Clean Up Week, New Zealands largest movement against litter, will take place from September 17 until September 23.

Registrations for the event are open now.

This annual community initiative focuses New Zelanders attention on just how much litter is out there, with volunteers last year joining together to help remove about 300 tonnes of litter across the country, across an area equivalent to 2600 rugby fields.

Keep New Zealand Beautiful is supported by its ambassadors, renowned celebrity chef Michael Van de Elzen, media personality Stacey Morrison and artist Hayley King, known as Flox.

"Clean Up Week encourages Kiwi families to Do the Right Thing and work together to clean up their little part of New Zealand," says Keep New Zealand Beautiful CEO Heather Saunderson.

"All too often we see litter within our communities and pass it off as somebody else's problem.

"Clean Up Week provides a great opportunity for everyone to actively participate in looking after their local environment, creating a more sustainable, ecologically diverse and pollution-free future for all New Zealanders."

This year Keep New Zealand Beautiful celebrates 55 years of environmental community work, a testament to the organisations dedication to protecting NZs environment.

Being clean and green is not only vital for our own health and that of our waterways, flora, fauna and whenua, but also for the protection of our much-valued tourism industry, our climate future and the wellbeing of generations to come.

Anyone can get involved in Clean Up Week from schools, businesses, community groups or even just individuals wanting to make a difference.

"Last year we had 30,390 volunteers dedicate their time during Clean Up Week to tidy up their communities, and were urging more Kiwi families to take up the challenge this year."

For the first time, there will be the opportunity for those involved to contribute to KNZBs Citizen Science programmes as part of Clean Up Week.

The programmes are a great way for individuals to get involved, collaborate, and contribute to the litter solution while gaining experience in data collection and analysis.

"This year we launched both our Upstream and Backyard Battle citizen science programmes which contribute to a national and international data set.

"Citizen science is a great opportunity for volunteers to make an ongoing contribution to their community, develop research skills and be part of a global movement. The data collected helps us paint a picture of the litter problem at a local and national level, inform policies and take action."

Registrations for Clean Up Week are open now until 23 September at www.knzb.org.nz.

Clean Up Week is supported in partnership with Waste Management, EnviroWaste and some councils, which allows volunteers to dispose of the rubbish they collect for free at selected transfer stations.

With the help of the Mars Wrigley Foundation, free clean up kits will be available on request for ECEs, schools, youth groups, Keep New Zealand Beautiful Community and Educational branches, Individual/Family and Not-for-Profit members who don't have access to their own clean up materials. People can also purchase reusable clean up kit resources at a cost from KNZBs online shop.

To access free resources, participants must register their Clean Up Week event at www.knzb.org.nz. Resources such as event guides, posters, health and safety forms and certificates are available to download online once an event has been registered.

Keep New Zealand Beautiful Ambassador, Michael Van de Elzen is calling all New Zealanders to get involved.

"Clean Up Week is crucial for keeping our communities clean, green and safe. Now more than ever, it is important for us to do the right thing and participate in Aotearoas largest clean up event  but it is also a lot of fun getting together with others to make a difference.

"By working together we can work towards a cleaner and more sustainable future."

Visit www.knzb.org.nz for more information.
Waikato

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Beijing (Gasgoo)- Chinese automaker Chongqing Changan Automobile Co., Ltd. ("Changan Automobile") forecasted glowing numbers in its business performance during the first six months of 2022, the auto group announced on July 14th.

Photo credit: Changan Automobile

During the reporting period from Jan.1st to Jun.30th, Changan Automobile projects a drastic year-over-year surge in its net profit attributable to shareholders as well as after non-recurring deductions. The company attributed the performance boost to its up-rising brand image, continuously improving product structure, and elevated profitability among its proprietary brands.

Specifically, the automaker predicts that its net profit attributable to shareholders may amount to RMB5 billion-RMB6.2 billion ($741 million-$919 million) in the first half of 2022, skyrocketing 189.14%-258.54% from the year-ago period.

Meanwhile, its net profit after non-recurring deductions should stand at RMB2.5 billion-RMB3.5 billion ($370.5 million-$518.7 million), indicating a possible 237.95%-373.13% soar compared to a year earlier.

In addition, in June, Changan Automobile sold 207,430 vehicles, increasing 19.87% from a year ago. In the first half of 2022, the automakers cumulative sales volume amounted to 1,125,764 vehicles, notching down 6.25% year on year. In 2022, the automaker sold 84,958 wholly-owned-branded new energy vehicles by the end of June, skyrocketing 127.26% compared to the earlier year.
A Russian aircraft repeatedly fired missiles at the Odesa region, hitting the Moldova-flagged Millennial Spirit tanker.

The Russian aircraft again fired missiles at Odesa region, repeatedly hitting the Moldova-flagged Millennial Spirit tanker which drifts in the Black Sea without a crew.

The Operational Command notes that Russian warships in the Black Sea fired upon the tanker at the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
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Press Release

July 14, 2022 Senator Mark Villar files bill institutionalizing the Build, Build, Build program Senator Mark A. Villar has filed the Build, Build, Build Act which seeks to institutionalize and create a 30-Year National Infrastructure Program. This is in line with his campaign promise to ensure continuity of infrastructure projects and to improve the lives of Filipinos amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges. "Importante po na isulong natin sa Senado ang Build, Build, Build program, dahil ang pagkakaroon ng pangmatagalang plano para sa programang pang-imprastraktura ay makakapagpalago ng ekonomiya ng bansa. It will ease the much-needed improvement of the nation's roads, bridges, and other structures, while it aims to give thousands of jobs to the Filipino people," Villar said. The bill lays down the policies and strategies to be pursued by the government in identifying the initial core infrastructure projects that will be given priority. Furthermore, the bill provides various modalities for the implementation and financing of projects. The proposed bill clearly determines the role of implementing agencies in the development of essential transport, energy, water resources, information and communications technology, social infrastructure systems, and other basic overhead facilities in the country. "In the past six years, the Filipino people have seen and experienced the impact of the Philippines' Golden Age of Infrastructure. The Build, Build, Build program of the government resulted in the creation of hundreds of ports, thousands of roads and bridges, and millions of jobs. As the country welcomes a new administration, it is important to keep the momentum going by uniting behind this advocacy and bringing it to new heights not only for us but also for the generations to come," Senator Mark Villar added. Senator Mark Villar served as Secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways during the Duterte's Administration, spearheading the implementation of the Build, Build, Build program that constructed and rehabilitated major highways, farm-to-market roads, bridges, and diversion roads that lead to economic zones, and declared tourism destinations. "As I advocate for lasting reforms in the infrastructure sector of the country, I am certain that with the passage of this bill, we will encourage investors, facilitate job creation, boost economic growth, and most importantly, improve the quality of life in both the urban and rural areas of the country." Sen. Mark Villar said.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- WM Motor delivered 21,738 vehicles in the first half of 2022, according to the EV startup's press release, quoting the registrations offered by the China Automotive Technology & Research Center ("CATARC").

The Shanghai-headquartered company did not release the monthly sales data for June. Nevertheless, after deduction of the Jan.-May deliveries of 18,061 units, it can be calculated that WM Motor delivered 3,677 vehicles last month, representing a 13.5% growth from the previous month.

The startup had submitted the application documents for its potential initial public offering ("IPO") and listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, according to a stock exchange filing released in early June.

WM Motor's W6; photo credit: WM Motor

According to the IPO draft prospectus, WM Motor's annual revenue surged 51.6% from a year earlier to 2,671.7 million yuan ($396.954 million) in 2020 and further by 77.5% from 2020 to 4,742.5 million yuan ($704.628 million) in 2021. Its yearly gross loss margin decreased from 58.3% in 2019 to 43.5% in 2020 and 41.1% in 2021.

As for product portfolio, WM Motor started with SUVs, including the EX5, the EX6, and the W6, and has also developed sedans such as the E.5 and the M7.



In addition, WM Motor expects to launch one new EV model each year over the next few years, including new SUV, sedan, and MPV models riding on Caesarits next-generation chassis platformstarting 2023.
Screenshot

The approval of a new special use permit will see the old Days Inn motel in Taos turned into a 70-bed facility that will treat substance abuse and misuse for 90 to 180 days, accommodating about 200 clients per year.
Doug Gottlieb tweeting that Freddie Freeman wasnt provided with a final contract offer by the Atlanta Braves has been heavily disputed by agent Casey Close, and now Close is taking the case to court.

Jeff Passan had that story today at ESPN:

The lawsuit details Closes negotiations with the Atlanta Braves, the team with which Freeman had spent his career before signing a six-year, $162 million free agent contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers in March. On June 29, Gottlieb tweeted: Casey Close never told Freddie Freeman about the Braves (sic) final offer, that is why Freeman fired him  an allegation the complaint says is false and has prompted death threats toward Close and tens of millions of dollars in damages to Close and Excel. In a statement, Close said: Although we gave Mr. Gottlieb an opportunity to retract his false statement, he failed to do so. The Complaint sets the record straight as to what occurred during the negotiations with the Atlanta Braves.

Libel is difficult to prove, and Im certainly not some big city lawyer. But this is a fascinating example of the kind of responsibility media members have when putting stuff out into the world. Gottliebs tweet is the sort of thing that, if true, could certainly change Closes reputation going forward. Were probably going to get plenty of evidence discovery here that will show whether or not Gottlieb had a leg to stand on.

Passan lays out the requirements for libel in his report:

The complaint says Close, a former New York Yankees minor leaguer who has negotiated billions of dollars in contracts over a 30-year career as an agent, is a private figure. If his private-figure status is upheld by a court in the Southern District of New York, Close would need to prove Gottliebs statement was false and made with negligence. For public figures, the threshold is that the defendant published the statement with actual malice, or, as the Supreme Court defined, knowledge that it was false or with reckless disregard of whether it was false or not.

Gottlieb isnt exactly the top name in MLB newsbreaking, either, you know? But this is the risk taken when you put things out this specifically. Its wild considering the proliferation of fake news and baseless misinformation that someone could actually be taken to court over an issue like this, but Close clearly views it as important enough to spend time and effort proving his point.

[ESPN]
Forward-looking: Electric vehicles continue to grow more popular with each passing year -- it's a fast-growing industry that many tech companies are seeking to get a piece of, and Panasonic is no different. The Japanese conglomerate has just announced plans to build a massive EV battery plant in Kansas. This factory will be responsible for supplying Tesla cars with high-capacity batteries.

The factory will create up to 8,000 new jobs in the state, according to Governor Laura Kelly. 4,000 of those jobs will come directly from the factory, while Kelly expects an additional 4,000 to be created by "suppliers and community businesses." These jobs will be backed by a whopping $4 billion investment from Panasonic into the factory's construction and continued operations.

According to Nikkei Asia, Panasonic chose Kansas as its factory site due to the state's "favorable tax treatment" for businesses and the relatively short distance between it and Texas -- the location of Tesla's current global HQ; a sprawling, 2,500-acre Gigafactory.

We aren't sure which Tesla vehicle models will benefit the most from Panasonic's new factory. However, given that Texas' Gigafactory is primarily responsible for Model Y production and future Cybertruck production, both cars seem like strong contenders.

"As the largest private investment in Kansas history and one of the largest EV battery manufacturing plants of its kind in the country, this project will be transformative for our state's economy," Governor Kelly said in a statement. "Winning this project shows that Kansas has what it takes to compete on a global scale  and that our pro-business climate is driving the technological innovation needed to achieve a more prosperous and sustainable future."

This is indeed a big win for Kansas and one that wasn't achieved at random. Thanks to the state's "APEX" legislation (passed back in February), Kansas could attract Panasonic's interest on a level competing states simply could not. The APEX act -- "Attracting Powerful Economic Expansion" -- offers qualifying businesses refundable tax credits, partial payroll rebates for up to 10 years, training reimbursement, relocation reimbursement, and even complete sales tax exemption for up-front factory material costs during construction.

These benefits only apply to one firm per year until it ends in 2023, meaning only two firms can possibly reap these benefits. Panasonic is already occupying the 2022 slot, but 2023 is currently open.

Masthead credit: Nikkei Asia
In a nutshell: Not only is Elon Musk dealing with a lawsuit from Twitter that could force him to buy the platform, but he's also engaged in a war of words with Donald Trump. The Tesla boss tweeted that Trump should "hang up his hat" and is too old to run for office again in 2024. A response to the former president calling Musk a "bulls**t artist" who would have "begged" him for government subsidies.

Trump started the spat on Saturday at a campaign rally when he called Musk a BS artist for claiming that he had never voted Republican until this June. "He told me he voted for me," Trump said. He also called the Twitter acquisition contract "rotten."

Former President Donald Trump says Elon Musk is "not going to buy Twitter and he's a bullshit artist."pic.twitter.com/vscrRYTBql  Watcher.Guru (@WatcherGuru) July 10, 2022

On the same day we heard Twitter is suing Musk for walking away from the deal, the world's richest man responded to Trump. "I don't hate the man, but it's time for Trump to hang up his hat & sail into the sunset," Musk tweeted.

"Also, I think the legal maximum age for start of Presidential term should be 69," Musk added. If Trump does run, he would be 78 at the time of the election and, if he wins, 82 by the end of his second term as president.

Trump continued the tirade on his own social media app, Truth Social. "When Elon Musk came to the White House asking me for help on all of his many subsidized projects, whether it's electric cars that don't drive long enough, driverless cars that crash, or rocketships to nowhere, without which subsidies he'd be worthless and tell me how he was a big Trump fan and Republican, I could have said, "drop to your knees and beg," and he would have done it," he wrote.

"Now Elon should focus on getting himself out of the Twitter mess because he could owe $44 billion for something that's perhaps worthless," Trump's post continued. "Also, lots of competition for electric cars!"

Musk replied with a tweet that read "Lmaooo" along with a GIF of the Grampa Simpson 'old man yells at cloud' meme.

The two men have clashed before; Musk previously said he was thinking about supporting Florida governor Ron DeSantis as the Republican candidate in the next presidential election, and he withdrew from the Presidential Advisory Forum in 2017 in protest over Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement. However, Musk did say he would allow Trump back onto Twitter if he took over, overturning the permanent suspension handed down last year.
In a nutshell: YouTube isn't the only Google-owned service attempting to remain relevant in an age dominated by social media. Two of the company's core products  Search and Maps  are increasingly falling out of favor with youth using social media in ways you might never have considered.

During the recent Fortune Brainstorm Tech 2022 conference in Aspen, Colorado, Google SVP Prabhakar Raghavan said they keep learning that new Internet users don't have the same expectations and mindset that we've become accustomed to.

"The queries they ask are completely different," the executive added.

Raghavan noted that in Google studies, they are seeing roughly 40 percent of young people turning to TikTok or Instagram when searching for a place to have lunch. "They don't go to Google Maps or Search," he said.

TechCrunch reached out to Google, and a spokesperson confirmed that Raghavan's figured were based on internal research involving a study of US Internet users between 18 and 24. The data from the study hasn't been made public yet, but it could eventually find its way to Google's competition site at a later date.

As the publication correctly highlights, this could become a serious problem for Google. The company has spent decades and countless sums of money to fine-tune its recommendation algorithms for Search and to gather data for Maps. It also makes a lot of money from ads sold against Search queries.

That said, don't expect Google to sit around and watch the world pass it by. The tech titan is constantly evolving behind the scenes to meet users along their journey. "We have to conjure up completely new expectations and that takes altogether new technology underpinnings," Raghavan said.

Image credit: Kai Wenzel, Firmbee
AI-powered heart attack prediction is soon to come and could save a million lives.

The Bionics Institute 2022 Graeme Clark Oration, Melbourne's top science event, will feature a demonstration of this ground-breaking technology on Tuesday.

The artificial intelligence and bioengineering technique, created by American researcher Professor Natalia Trayanova from Johns Hopkins University, may save the lives of more than four million Australians who suffer from cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Digital Heart Twins

Professor Trayanova has developed "digital heart twins", which are virtual replicas of a person's heart that may be used to forecast the progression of heart disease, quantify the risk of heart attacks, and guide treatment decisions with the use of data-driven machine learning and biophysics-based modeling.

The leading cause of death worldwide continues to be heart disease. Up to 20% of fatalities can be attributed to sudden cardiac death (SCD) alone. SCD is an electrical problem that prevents the heart from beating normally rather than a heart attack, which occurs when arteries are clogged.

To estimate a patient's risk of sudden cardiac death over ten years, Professor Trayanova explained that the AI technology combines algorithms generated from MRI and PET scans in conjunction with deep learning of clinical data.

Trayanova said in a statement to Fast Company that doctors implant a defibrillator if a patient's ejection fraction is less than 30 percent; otherwise, they will not add one.

She noted that the 30 percent ejection fraction rule of thumb is also resulting in many people purchasing defibrillators when they don't require them.

Fast Company pointed out that according to one study, 40% of patients at some healthcare facilities received these devices even though only 23% of them were necessary.

Read Also: This AI Bot Finishes Scientific Research on its Own in Just 2 Hours

Bridging Prognostic Gaps in SCD

The AI developed by Trayanova's lab aims to close the significant prognostic gaps in SCD. Her team built the system using patient records from 156 persons with cardiac issues over a ten-year period who volunteered to disclose their health information.

They supplied every piece of information from their treatment records, including 22 other items that might be pertinent, such as nationality, weight, medication usage, and hypertension, in addition to the MRIs of their hearts.

Researchers were able to identify underlying patterns, such as how scar tissue and other elements of a person's heart make them more susceptible to SCD, by entering all the MRI scans into a machine learning system, according to Fast Company's report.

After creating their software, researchers tested their technology against patient records from 60 healthcare facilities located around the United States. In its diagnoses, the AI performed better than doctors.

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the country's economy loses almost $12 billion annually (according to 2018-2019 data) from CVD costs. This new AI tool may be essential to easing the strain on Australia's healthcare system.

By optimizing the patient's condition for the future rather than focusing on the patient's current condition, Trayanova envisions a future in which re-hospitalizations and repeat treatments are decreased with the introduction of her new invention.

Related Article: An 'AI Robot Chef' Is the Head Cook of a Pasta Restaurant in Japan

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
From the Los Angeles Times Editorial Board:

Firefighters and forest ecologists are again scrambling to save ancient giant sequoia trees from the threat posed by increasingly fast, powerful and destructive wildfires that have raged through California in recent years.

This time the fire is in Yosemite National Park. Crews have laid sprinkler systems to protect Mariposa Grove  home to the 2,000- to 3,000-year-old Grizzly Giant and some 500 other mature sequoias  from the oncoming Washburn fire.

Sequoias, with their thick bark and branches high above the ground, have adapted to living with fire and even rely on low- to moderate-intensity heat from wildfires to reproduce. But they are less able to withstand the intense blazes that are regularly burning through California, fueled by decades of fire suppression and climate change.

Conservationists told Times reporters Alex Wigglesworth and Diana Marcum that weve lost about 20% of the giant sequoia population over the last six years  a pace that does not bode well for the species long-term survival. The trees grow naturally only in California, on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada.

Its terrible to contemplate the destruction thats happening. Giant sequoias have lived and adapted to environmental conditions for centuries, yet in mere decades, humans have managed to make their ecosystem less hospitable and the planet downright dangerous for their survival.

And giant sequoias are not the only iconic trees facing a threat.

A recent study led by U.S. Forest Service biologists found pockets of Great Basin bristlecone pine in California and Utah that were unexpectedly dying off. The bristlecone pine is found in high-elevation areas and is revered for its extreme longevity, with some more than 4,000 years old.

Warmer temperatures and drought have put stress on the trees and made them vulnerable to bark beetles. Biologists found hundreds of dead bristlecone pines on Telescope Peak in Death Valley. So far, Methuselah, a 4,853-year-old bristlecone pine that may be the oldest living tree on Earth, has remained free of bark beetles, Times reporter Louis Sahagun wrote last month.

Meanwhile, the California Fish and Game Commission is deciding whether the western Joshua tree, which faces an existential threat from climate change, should be listed under the California Endangered Species Act.

Scientists predict that the trees, which can live for about 200 years, could lose upward of 90% of their current habitat in the Mojave Desert by the end of the century. Hotter, drier conditions from climate change, along with wildfire and development, are expected to cause the trees to die off at an increasing pace. Joshua Tree National Park could lose most of its namesake trees.

But California Department of Fish and Wildlife staff recommended in April that the western Joshua tree not be listed as threatened, saying it is not in serious danger of extinction in the foreseeable future. Denying protection would be a grave mistake and would make it harder to save the trees later.

How many more warnings do we need to act? Climate change is threatening some of our iconic trees that have stood for centuries, even millennia.

We need to be far more urgent, creative and committed in trying to keep these trees and their ecosystems healthy. This means ensuring that at-risk species are protected from the immediate harms of wildfire, bark beetles, development and other threats. It also means ending dependence on fossil fuels and slashing greenhouse gas emissions to slow global warming, which is the larger threat we all face.
Foxconn's $9 billion bailouts saved the top Chinese chipmaker from losing its business. However, the iPhone assembler's newly acquired stake in the state-backed Tsinghua Unigroup may be an issue.

(Photo : SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images)

The Foxconn logo is displayed on a Foxconn building in Taipei on January 31, 2019.

Foxconn Industrial Internet Company decided to invest in the Chinese tech firm through the fund handled by the financial firm Wise Road Capital.

Some anonymous individuals familiar with the latest investment of Foxconn said that the Apple partner paid around $788 million for a minority stake in the Chinese SoC maker.

Foxconn $9 Billion Bailout Saves China's Top Chipmaker

According to Bloomberg's latest report, the billion-dollar investment made by Foxconn is a huge deal since Apple is looking for new memory chipset sources for its next-gen iOS smartphones.

(Photo : Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

HANOVER, GERMANY - MARCH 04: The stand of Taiwanese electonics giant Foxconn promotes green and energy saving business practice at the CeBIT technology fair on the first day the fair opened to the public on March 4, 2008 in Hanover, Germany. CeBIT, the world's largest technology trade fair, will run from March 4-9.

Also Read: [RUMOR] Early iPhone 14 Production Now Expected After Apple Allegedly Orders Foxconn To Recruit More Workers

Previously, the giant iPhone maker tested a sample of NAND flash storage manufactured and developed by Yangtze Memory Technologies Co., an SoC maker located in Hubei, China.

As of writing, memory chipsets are considered the "gateway" for more advanced chipmaking methods.

Experts claimed that before manufacturers can produce efficient memory SoCs, they are required to increase their production capabilities, as well as conduct more investments.

Now that Foxconn saved the top Chinese SoC developer, there's a high chance that Tsinghua Unigroup will allow it to use its memory chipsets.

Foxconn's Stake Acquisition May Be an Issue

9To5Mac reported that although the latest billion-dollar investment made by Foxconn is beneficial for the top SoC maker in China, the stake acquisition it created can still be an issue.

This is because the shares acquired by the iPhone assembler reportedly didn't receive proper approval from the Taiwanese government.

Experts claimed that officials already view the deal as sensitive since it should have asked for approval from the country's investment watchdog before completing the stake ownership.

If you want to see further details about the stake acquisition issue of Foxconn, you can visit this link.

Previously, a Foxconn iPhone plant was recently closed after workers protested.

On the other hand, Foxconn's Chinese facility recruited more workers, offering better bonuses to those who accepted the job offers.

For more news updates about Foxconn and other partners of Apple, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Foxconn Acknowledges Improving Supply Chain in 2022 | Can We See iPhone 14 Soon?

This article is owned by TechTimes

Written by: Griffin Davis

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Aptera Motors, a California-based electric car manufacturer, is asking the US Congress to make Tesla's Superchargers and its plug the standard for all-electric vehicles in the country.

The car company has pointed out that this will make charging of EVs around the United States easier for all consumers.

Aptera Wants to Make Tesla's Superchargers the Standard

Tesla had created its own dominant charging standard when it first began manufacturing electric vehicles.

Now, the Elon Musk-own company is the number one EV manufacturer in the country, making its Superchargers and plugs the frequently used ones as more and more Americans drive Tesla vehicles.

Although the Combined Charging System or CCS has become the standard, Aptera believes it is still not the best EV charging standard in the market.

The car company is building a battery and solar-powered super-efficient three-wheeler electric vehicle.

Also Read: Updated Tesla Supercharger Map Now Shows More Stations, Timelines

According to Electrek, Aptera's EV has a range of up to 1,000 miles, and it achieves that by making the EV lightweight, with three wheels and a drag coefficient of only 0.13.

Apetra pointed out that every little bit of volume and weight improvement it has done on its EV is crucial, down to the connector, which is why it wants to adopt Tesla's connector instead, according to Inside EVs.

Electrek also reported that Aptera wants to encourage broader adoption of the Tesla connector, but it was not yet clear how the company plans on doing it.

To help their plans go forward, Aptera co-founders Chris Anthony and Steve Fambro have launched a petition on Change.org to ask the US Congress to make Tesla Superchargers and its plug the standard for electric vehicles in the United States.

Both Anthony and Fambro argued that the current CCS and SAE J1772 are "cumbersome, clunky, and expensive" compared to Tesla's Superchargers and plugs that are "lightweight, efficient and elegant."

The Apetra co-founders also cited Electreck's report that Tesla's Superchargers that are planned to deploy in Texas cost only a fifth of the stations that other charging network owners plan.

Apetra's petition has gotten more than 1,000 signatures after it was launched online.

Tesla to Expand its Superchargers

Apetra's petition came days after Tesla announced that it would expand its Superchargers to other electric vehicles in late 2022 as per the White House's request.

According to TechCrunch, the US government said back in April that it would increase its own network of 1,100 charging stations a hundred-fold to meet the upcoming demand as more Americans switch to electric vehicles.

Tesla is now calling for the expansion of the capacity of its Gigafactory in New York, where more than 1,600 employees produce Supercharging stations and solar panels.

The expansion could help Tesla get more revenue and attention as automakers launch new electric vehicles over the next couple of years, especially since the US aims to go full electric in 2030.

However, the EV manufacturer did not mention how much money it will invest in adding stations to its fast-charging network, but it did say that it is ramping up production of its "power electronics components that convert alternating current to direct current charging."

Related Article: Tesla Supercharger Still Can't Solve Fuel Hike Issue? Elon Musk Says He Is Working On It

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Sophie Webster

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
NASA's 2022 Photographer of the Year winners have been confirmed. This is the fourth photo competition of the international space agency.

But, unlike other competitions where the public can participate, this one is exclusive for the official photographers and other employees of NASA.

They can take selfies or capture their activities using their advanced DSLRs and other camera gadgets.

Gizmodo reported that the NASA Photographer of the Year contest is the space agency's way to appreciate the photographic skills of its staff.

"Congrats to the first place winners of NASA's fourth annual 'Photographer of the Year' awards," said NASA via its tweet.

The photo entries for NASA's fourth Photographer of the Year competition were not captured this 2022. Instead, they were taken back in 2021.

Based on this pattern, the images that NASA photographers will capture this 2022 will be published this coming 2023 for the fifth NASA Photographer of the Year event.

Now, here are the exact first place images for the Documentation, Portrait, People, and Places categories:

Congrats to the first place winners of NASA's fourth annual "Photographer of the Year" awards: Documentation: Norah Moran; Portrait: Josh Valcarcel; People: Denny Henry; and Places: Dominic Hart! https://t.co/Uw5T6IWsZn pic.twitter.com/7DGHqvdSoE  NASA HQ PHOTO (@nasahqphoto) July 6, 2022

Portrait: Josh Valcarel's photo showing NASA astronaut Thomas Marshburn.

Josh Valcarel's photo showing NASA astronaut Thomas Marshburn. Documentation: An image of Tess Caswell and Kelsey Young conducting lunar field geology observations at Johnson Space Center's Rock Yard.

An image of Tess Caswell and Kelsey Young conducting lunar field geology observations at Johnson Space Center's Rock Yard. People: A photo of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center engineer technician Ryan Fischer torquing a force gauge ring onto a vibe table.

A photo of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center engineer technician Ryan Fischer torquing a force gauge ring onto a vibe table. Places: Dominic Hart's image shows the National Full-Scale Aerodynamic Complex.

NASA Second, Third Placer Images

Aside from the four mentioned images above, eight more images also won the competition, entering second and third place:

Second Placer Images

Congrats to the second place winners of NASA's fourth annual "Photographer of the Year" awards: Documentation: Chris Gunn; Portrait: Norah Moran; People: Denny Henry; and Places: Norah Moran! https://t.co/Uw5T6IWsZn pic.twitter.com/GYgfcYlXFP  NASA HQ PHOTO (@nasahqphoto) July 6, 2022

Portrait: Norah Moran (a photo showing Jonny Kim wearing the high-altitude pressure spacesuit)

Norah Moran (a photo showing Jonny Kim wearing the high-altitude pressure spacesuit) Documentation: Chris Gunn (The preparation of NASA James Webb Space Telescope)

Chris Gunn (The preparation of NASA James Webb Space Telescope) People: Denny Henry (description not provided)

Denny Henry (description not provided) Places: Norah Moran (The future space suit xEMU)

Third Placer Images

Congrats to the third place winners of NASA's fourth annual "Photographer of the Year" awards: Documentation: Bill Stafford; Portrait: David Bowman; People: Jim Ross; and Places: Bill Ingalls! https://t.co/Uw5T6IX0OV pic.twitter.com/OQgFohHh4N  NASA HQ PHOTO (@nasahqphoto) July 6, 2022

Portrait: David Bowman (description not provided)

David Bowman (description not provided) Documentation: Bill Stafford (a photo of plain filed in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Bill Stafford (a photo of plain filed in Flagstaff, Arizona. People: Jim Ross (A selfie photo while inside the F-15 Eagle N897NA)

Jim Ross (A selfie photo while inside the F-15 Eagle N897NA) Places: Bill Ingalls (a photo of SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Double Asteroid Redirection Test)

If you want to know more details about these images, you can visit NASA's official website for its fourth Photographer of the Year annual event.

Recently, NASA's JWST shared its first deepest universe images.

Meanwhile, NASA's Mars Life Explorer now plans to dig the Red Planet underground.

For more news updates about NASA and its upcoming activities, keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: 'New Era in Astronomy': NASA James Webb Space Telescope's New Stunning Images and The Stories Behind Them

This article is owned by TechTimes

Written by: Griffin Davis

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
On Tuesday, July 12, Engadget reported that several restaurant owners have been blackmailed for weeks by online scammers.

The owners revealed that they had been targeted by scammers who intentionally posted negative reviews of their restaurants on Google and then demanded digital gift cards as the price for removing the reviews.

Scammers Target Restaurant Users

According to The New York Times, the owners of restaurants in cities including Chicago, New York, and San Francisco revealed that their businesses had been deluged with negative, one-star reviews on Google Maps, Google Reviews, and other Google platforms.

The reviews are posted by scammers who email the restaurant owners and pledge to remove the negative, one-star rating in exchange for a $75 Google Play gift card, according to Engadget.

If the restaurant owner does not comply with the demand, the scammers will post more negative reviews.

In an email sent to the restaurant owners, the scammers apologized for their actions, claiming that they had "no other choice."

The scammers said in the email that they are based in India and that the gift card would help cover basic expenses for them and their families for weeks.

Also Read: New Google Lawsuit Targets Google Maps and Other Tools; Another Monopolization?

The restaurant owners are directed to deposit the gift card into an email account managed by ProtonMail, an end-to-end encrypted email service based in Switzerland.

Google Maps spokesperson said that their team is actively investigating the situation and have already started removing cases of policy-violating content.

The spokesperson added that their policies clearly state reviews must be based on real experiences. When they find policy violations, they take "swift action raging from content removal to account suspension and even litigation.'

Google Maps' spokesperson also said that they encourage users and business owners to flag suspicious activity to them as it helps them keep the information on Maps accurate and reliable.

What to Do When You Got a Fake Review?

As both the authorities and Google work on fixing the ongoing problem with scammers, it is best to know how to remove fake reviews to help your business's online status, according to Broadly.

Sometimes, you will know whether a review is fake or not. Some signs of fake reviews include strange or vague language, tons of spelling errors, or references to people who do not work at your company.

However, there are fake reviews that might be more difficult to spot. For example, the reviewer may go into detail about why they were not satisfied with the service.

What you can do is respond to the negative reviews in a timely fashion.

Be prompt with writing back to any business review, as it will show other customers that you care about their feedback and concerns. Potential customers can already see the type of customer experience they may get if they go to your company.

You can also flag fake reviews so that the Google team can look at the content and decide whether or not it should be removed from your page.

Remember, it takes several days before Google can remove the negative review, so it is best to clarify any misunderstandings with the customer while waiting for the verdict.

Related Article: Google and Amazon Fake Reviews Efforts Face Probe in the UK - Protection of Consumers Questioned

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Samsung Galaxy S22 is now expected to receive the new look called Bora Purple. This will certainly excite many fans, especially since the advanced Galaxy S22 still remains among the most in-demand handsets despite being launched six months ago.

(Photo : Screenshot from Twitter post of @sondesix)

Samsung Galaxy S22's New Look is Bora Purple! Release Date, Availability, and Other Details

Galaxy S22 in Bora Purple looks so damn good!



From:https://t.co/aqnjfo0fmw pic.twitter.com/uuHAVODwvl  Alvin (@sondesix) July 13, 2022

The Apple competitor is no longer new, with purple color options for its devices. Various smartphones already have their own purple design options, such as the Galaxy S9 Plus.

Now, the popular Galaxy S22 is about to join the purple trend with its upcoming new color option. Here's its actual look and other details you need to know about.

Samsung Galaxy S22's New Look is Bora Purple!

According to Phone Arena's latest report, the new Bora Purple will allegedly be included in the base Samsung Galaxy S22 model and the Galaxy S22 Ultra and Galaxy S22+ versions.

(Photo : Screenshot from Twitter post of @ishanagarwal24)

Samsung Galaxy S22's New Look is Bora Purple! Release Date, Availability, and Other Details

Samsung Galaxy S22 Series will soon come in a new Bora Purple Colorway 



I see this as a perfect opportunity for some @BTS_twt promo  pic.twitter.com/MudDJuSdqS  Ishan Agarwal (@ishanagarwal24) July 13, 2022

Also Read: Samsung's New Galaxy XCover6Pro is 'Rugged' and 'Durable' - Find Out Its Full Features!

Its actual look is somehow comparable to the Violet shade option sold by the smartphone maker.

Critics even claimed that the upcoming version resembles the "BTS" variant of the Galaxy S22 units.

But, unlike the existing purple design, the new Bora Purple will cover the entire camera module.

Aside from this, Samsung Galaxy S22's metal frame will also be covered with the new color option, giving it a more elegant vibe.

Looks like S21 FE's lavender though  Alvin (@sondesix) July 13, 2022

The arrival of the new Galaxy S22 Bora Purple was first leaked by WinFuture, a German-based web-portal. It even provided the actual images of the new color option.

If you want to see the exact look of the new Bora Purple version of Galaxy S22, you can click this link.

Release Date and Other Details

As of press time, Samsung hasn't confirmed the exact release date of the new Galaxy S22 Bora Purple. On the other hand, its global availability is also uncertain.

Since the existing Samsung Galaxy S22 Violet-coated models are exclusive in the United States, experts claimed that there's a high chance that this will also be the same with Bora Purple.

When it comes to features, rumors claim that the new Galaxy S22 model will have the same specs; the Exynos CPU, eight gigabytes of RAM, etc.

You can click this link if you want to see further details about the upcoming Galaxy S22 Bora Purple.

On the other hand, Samsung TV Xbox game support was recently confirmed, allowing gamers to access their favorite Xbox titles.

Meanwhile, the Samsung 3nm chip has been completed ahead of TSMC and Apple.

For more news updates about the new Samsung S22 Bora Purple and other new color options, keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. Apple iPhone 13: Which Smartphone Depreciates More?

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Tesla's AI head, Andrej Karpathy, confirmed his resignation. The senior director handling the EV maker's Ai and computer vision departments announced his decision to leave Tesla on July 13.

(Photo : Screenshot from Twitter post of @gezgintrk)

Tesla loses its head of AI and vision Andrej Karpathy  a big loss for the Autopilot team https://t.co/ooObN8feU3 pic.twitter.com/8Ldmv4O3U9  Engin Dikmen (@gezgintrk) July 13, 2022

"It's been a great pleasure to help Tesla towards its goals over the last 5 years and a difficult decision to part ways," said Karpathy via his official Twitter announcement post.

Its been a great pleasure to help Tesla towards its goals over the last 5 years and a difficult decision to part ways. In that time, Autopilot graduated from lane keeping to city streets and I look forward to seeing the exceptionally strong Autopilot team continue that momentum.  Andrej Karpathy (@karpathy) July 13, 2022

He added that he is looking forward to seeing the Tesla Autopilot become better even without his presence in the company.

As of writing, his tweet was able to generate more than 8,000 likes and 500 retweets.

Tesla AI Head Andrej Karpathy Resigns

According to Electrek's latest report, Karpathy hasn't provided the specific reason behind his sudden resignation.

(Photo : Screenshot from Twitter post of @88888sAccount)

Who is left to wear the suit? pic.twitter.com/YcMT6NflsE  88888 Account (@88888sAccount) July 13, 2022

Also Read: Tesla Urges Texas EV Owners to Avoid Charging as Powerwalls Await ERCOT Regulation Amendments

But, he shared that wanted to continue his passion for open source, education, and especially around the technical work in artificial intelligence development.

His sudden resignation will certainly sadden many fans of the EV maker, especially since he is among the rare executives who are allowed to take the center stage during presentations.

Before his resignation, the ex-Tesla AI senior director became quiet. After people asked why Karpathy is out of the scene, Elon Musk confirmed that he was on sabbatical leave (for four months).

I have no concrete plans for whats next but look to spend more time revisiting my long-term passions around technical work in AI, open source and education.  Andrej Karpathy (@karpathy) July 13, 2022

Because of this, many individuals were worried, especially since many Tesla executives who also took their breaks also decided to resign.

Now, this scenario happened again with Karpathy. Although this is the case, the billionaire thanked Andrej for his contributions to the rising Tesla Autopilot tech.

Musk said that it has been an honor working with the ex-AI head.

Andrej Karpathy's Contributions

Karpathy joined Tesla back in June 2017. After being hired by the EV maker, he quickly became the head of the company's Autopilot computer vision team.

Before he accepted Tesla's offer, he was already working for a firm backed by Elon Musk; OpenAI. Andrej is considered by Tesla as one of the individuals who are more than fit to work for its Autopilot program.

During his time with the company, he is seen as a competent leader, which greatly helped in the enhancements of Tesla's self-driving tech. If you want to see further details about Karpathy, you can visit this link.

On the other hand, ex-Tesla employees were being hired by Apple, Amazon, and other tech firms.

Meanwhile, Twitter employees who are talking about the canceled acquisition deal of Elon Musk are now getting banned.

For more news updates about Tesla and other topics related to it, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Elon Musk Upgrades Tesla, SpaceX Childcare Benefits! Employees' Families To Receive Direct Donations

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Panasonic Energy is looking at a new venture for the company, and it is to expand its production capabilities and bring the new EV batteries that will provide everyone with high-capacity power cells. More importantly, the venture would be a $4 billion plant in Kansas, where it would create a new manufacturing facility to tap into its US operations.

Panasonic Energy: Kansas is the Place for the $4B Facility

(Photo : KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP via Getty Images)

The logo of Japan's Panasonic is displayed at a railway station on May 18, 2020. - Panasonic on May 18 will release earnings reports for FY 2019.

According to a press release by Panasonic Energy, Kansas is the area it chose in the country to be its following site for the first manufacturing facility in the country. The focus is to bring EV production from the company to the US, and it would have the manufacturing and all its processes here under the upcoming $4 billion plant.

The venture with Kansas State will help to boost the area's economy and provide jobs during and after construction, mainly when it is operating towards its EV battery creation. The transition to clean energy vehicles demands massive units of power packs that aims to help in bringing the world new battery cells for use.

Read Also: Panasonic Brings Optional Four-Day Work Weeks For Employees | Better Work-Life Balance?

Panasonic Energy: To Build the 4680 Batteries for EVs?

According to TechCrunch, the EV facility will be a massive one in the area, and it will be larger than Teslas Gigafactory in Sparks, Nevada, one of the largest lithium-ion battery factories in the world. Panasonic did not mention any specific battery production to take place in the new plant, with the 4680 batteries unknown for its creation in this location.

Panasonic, Tesla, and EV Batteries

Panasonic is one of the most known brands for electric vehicle batteries made for modern cars in the market. Recently, the demand has been massive for next-generation power cells from the company. It is the 4680 power cells that it co-developed with Tesla, being the high-output cell that aims to bring a million miles before it needs replacement.

Tesla put its faith in Panasonic for these power cells and the Japanese multinational conglomerate that brings the top battery packs in the world. It is in partnership with a lot of EV manufacturers and brands present now, using its batteries to power its cars for a clean energy transportation feature for all.

There were rumors that Tesla failed to create its in-house battery production, and it led to tapping in with Panasonic to bring the new power cells.

Now, it seems that Panasonic will be closer to American brands and the United States market with its upcoming Kansas plant that will bring its battery production here. The focus now is to start on the plant's erection and, in turn, bring the battery cells that would help produce many of its packs for the companies that need them.

Related Article: Faster Panasonic 4680 EV Battery Development Now Urged by Tesla! Demand to the Tech Company Increases

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Nikon is clarifying its statement that recently talked about the halt on its SLR development, which made waves in the camera industry and among those who prefer its technology over others. The Japanese tech company is one of the largest camera manufacturers in the world, and for a long time, its SLR cameras became its frontrunner in the industry.

Mirrorless cameras may be the future, but not everyone wants the technology for their preferences.

Nikon to Continue with its SLR Development and Releases

(Photo : David Becker/Getty Images)

An attendee uses a DSLR camera in the Nikon booth 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.

Nikon released a statement online addressing massive speculation regarding its SLR development that will supposedly cease once it focuses its ventures toward mirrorless cameras. Now, the company confirms that there will be no changes to its single-lens reflex (SLR) and DSLR development in the current focus.

The Japanese camera company said that the company is not withdrawing its SLR from its shops and manufacturing. Here, they said that the report that talked about pulling out its SLR is only speculation.

"Nikon is continuing the production, sales and service of digital SLR. Nikon appreciate your continuous support."

Read Also: Nikon Teases Z30 Mirrorless Camera With 125-Minute Video Record For Vloggers

Nikon to Still Focus on Mirrorless, Alongside the SLR

According to TechCrunch, Nikon may have released a statement like this regarding its continued release of the DSLRs and SLR cameras. Still, usually in situations like this, they talk about new products. Now, TechCrunch borders again on speculating on Nikon, especially with no more recent releases as it focuses on its business towards mirrorless cameras.

Nikon and the Mirrorless Cameras

Nikon still brings some top-performing cameras to the market, and the company is a known industry giant even during the early days of image-capturing devices worldwide. Now, Nikon's modern cameras bring one of the world's fastest and most performance-based devices, with one camera having more than 1,000 FPS on its sensors.

While Sony, Canon, and Fujifilm are famous for their takes on the mirrorless cameras in the industry, that does not mean Nikon is not one to develop their take on the devices. Nikon's Z FC is a camera with a retro-designed body, but it should not confuse the public as it comes with all the modern features, including a mirrorless setup, a DX sensor, and more.

Now, there was initial news that Nikon is focusing its manufacturing and development on the mirrorless transition that will bring the new age of cameras to the company. However, it is still not letting go of the SLR development and business in total, as the company confirmed now that it would live on with its releases and devices.

Related Article: Nikon DSLR, SLR Development To Be Halted? Here's What Japanese Camera Maker Wants To Do

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Hyundai stole the show at the Busan Auto Show earlier today when it unveiled the 2024 Ioniq 6 EV, bringing out its complete list of specs and features to come for the public. The new electric vehicle will be released in the coming months, giving the world an "electrified streamliner," the car's prominent branding on its current release.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 EV: Specs Revealed in Busan Auto Show

(Photo : Hyundai Newsroom)

Hyundai went to the Busan Auto Show and gave the world its latest electric vehicle under the IONIQ lineup, and the company brought this for a digital world premiere online. The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 EV was released for the world, and it brought its massive specs and feature that offers the latest there is to the clean energy car.

The car is an "electrified streamliner," and it offers a sleek body with many curves and an aerodynamically sculpted silhouette that completes its look. It resembles the Porsche Taycan on its headlights and front grill, but it still is a South Korean vehicle design that boasts everything Hyundai.

(Photo : Hyundai Newsroom)

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 EV brings a 77.4-kWh battery that can output up to 380 miles (610 kilometers) on a single charge. It also offers an 800-V ultra-fast charging that brings the batteries from ten to 80 percent in under 18 minutes.

Hyundai also boasts a refreshed interior with ergonomic designs to address its passengers' needs.

Read Also: Hyundai is Pouring $5 Billion to its US Investments, Apart from its Georgia EV Plant Venture

Hyundai's New Electrified Streamliner: Worth It?

The all-wheel drive EV brings 239 kW and 605 Nm of torque and is also offering an RWD option for all. The speculations on its release say it is coming by later in 2023, not seeing a release this year.

(Photo : Hyundai Newsroom)

With its many upgrades and significant changes on the car, it is one worthy upgrade if coming from earlier models or as one's first EV.

The price is currently unknown, but expectations are around a starting price of $40,000 up to $50,000.

Hyundai and its Electric Vehicles

Hyundai is known for its IONIQ lineup that brings the company's electric vehicles for the world to experience, and it is their take on the clean energy cars, straight from South Korea. This year's IONIQ 6 follows the famous IONIQ 5 from last year, offering 280 miles on its all-wheel drive system, which the company has improved now.

The South Korean car manufacturer has already moved toward its venture that focuses on an EV-only manufacturing plant in Georgia, where the company invested a lot for its upcoming releases. The new EV plant will focus on bringing the cars directly to the US market, and it would help offer more jobs in the country, with better opportunities for clean energy.

Now, there is news regarding a new electric vehicle of the company, and it would focus on bringing its latest features and offers to the world, and it is through the 2024 IONIQ 6 EV. Hyundai is one famous company regarding electric vehicles and a luxurious car that brings class and performance features in one.

Related Article: Hyundai Reveals IONIQ 6 EV's Design Featuring A Cocoon-Shaped Interior; When Is the Release Date?

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The brightest ever comet in our entire solar system, the K2, is passing near Earth by this week.

Scientists have been looking closely at this ultra-bright comet for half a decade, or roughly five years, to be more precise.

(Photo : YE AUNG THU/AFP via Getty Images)

This long-exposure photograph taken on July 25, 2020 shows the Comet NEOWISE (C/2020 F3) in the sky over Monywa in the Sagaing region in Myanmar.

And this time, the C/2017 K2 PANSTARRS comet, or simply known as the K2, is finally swinging by its nearest pass through the Earth.

It is a monumental event for scientists that have been observing the K2 comet for a while now. But amateur astronomers or hobbyists could also take a good look at it, thanks to its near encounter with our home planet this week.

Brightest Comet K2 is Passing By Earth

As per a news story by Phys.org, the Earth, planetary, and space sciences professor at the University of California in Los Angeles, David Jewitt, says that now is our chance to spot the bright K2 comet as it makes its final swing by the solar system.

But despite the upcoming approach to the Earth, the K2 comet still requires people to use binoculars or even a small telescope to see it. It means that our naked eye looking up at the sky would not suffice.

Even as the K2 is closing in on our home planet, Jewitt clarifies that it is still roughly 170 million miles away from Earth. So if you are trying to look for it using your naked eye or smartphone camera, you will be utterly disappointed.

The University of California professor says that the K2 comet is still far even if this would be its closest near the Earth. But it would be close enough for binoculars or a small telescope to spot right away.

And as such, it no longer requires any professional telescope to get a glimpse of it, thanks to its approaching close encounter with the Earth.

Pys.org adds in its report that Jewitt says the brightest star in the solar system, the sun, is around 93 million miles away from us.

According to a recent report by Interesting Engineering, the University of California professor says "it's probably the most primitive thing in the inner solar system at this time."

Read Also: The Largest Comet Will Come Close to Earth on July 14, Here's How to See It

Brightest Comet K2: How to See It

All that said, it is now crystal clear that if you want to take a look at the K2 comet, you will only be needing a pair of binoculars or a basic small telescope.

(Photo : YE AUNG THU/AFP via Getty Images)

TOPSHOT - This long-exposure photograph taken on July 24, 2020 shows a view of the Comet NEOWISE (C/2020 F3) in the sky over Shwebo, Sagaing region in Myanmar.

Phys.org precisely reports that it would be nearest at around 11 pm Eastern time on July 13, Wednesday.

Related Article: Newly Discovered K2-288Bb Planet Lies Within Habitable Zone And May Have Liquid Water On Its Surface

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The suspect in connection with starting the Pipeline Fire was sentenced to a year of probation Wednesday in Flagstaff after pleading guilty to lighting a fire on the Coconino National Forest in June.

Matthew Riser had lit toilet paper on fire in the forest June 11, a day before the Pipeline Fire was first reported. While an investigation into the fires cause is still underway and the events of Wednesday's hearing will not affect future charges related to its findings, as both the U.S. and defense attorneys stated that it does not currently appear that the burned toilet paper is connected to the start of the Pipeline Fire.

Riser was initially charged on three counts: possession of marijuana, lighting a fire on the national forest during restrictions and residing on the national forest. He pleaded guilty to the second count.

The first count had been dismissed without prejudice at a previous hearing. The third count, meanwhile, was dismissed on Wednesday without prejudice, meaning both have the potential to be filed again.

Riser said during the hearing that he had lit the toilet paper after flipping up a rock and that he had monitored the fire until it had gone out, at which point he replaced the rock. And it was a big rock, he said.

The only reason I did that is I dont litter, he later added. It was a bad mistake.

While defense attorney Daniel Kaiser said there was some question" as to whether Riser had seen the signs advising of fire restrictions there were several along the roadways he would have used to enter the forest.

Kaiser said in his sentencing recommendation that he hadnt seen a fire restriction case in the 20 years hed been working and asked the court to consider what has typically been done in similar circumstances. He again noted the impact of Risers time in detention and that Riser had been open with law enforcement.

If there was no Pipeline Fire, I dont know if wed even be sitting here, he said.  ... I think everything thats gone on [at] this time is significant enough and punishment enough.

When making the decision, Judge Camille Bibles referenced 2019s Cottonwood Creek Fire, which charred 64 acres of the Grand Canyon after a backpacker burned toilet paper.

I dont want to downplay the significance of having any type of fire in the forest [during restrictions], particularly during drought, she said.

In addition to his probation, Riser has been banned from five of Arizonas national forests, including the Coconino National Forest.
Google has launched the fourth and final public beta of Android 13 today, allowing Android users to test the impending upgrade ahead of its official release. But, more crucially, the beta provides developers an early peek at upcoming changes so they can prepare their programs.

(Photo : Daniel Romero / Unsplash)

About Android 13

Google has published the fourth and last public beta of Android 13 today, despite the fact that the actual release of Android 13 is only a few weeks away. In comparison, Android 12 was launched in October 2021, whereas Android 11 was introduced in September 2020.

Interestingly, compared to the difference between Android 11 and 12, the distance between Android 12 and 13 is less. Still, eager consumers have been anticipating this and may finally explore what it has to offer.

According to The Verge, there aren't many significant changes in this current release because Google achieved platform stability with the last beta. However, another round of fine-tuning ought to result in a more consistent experience.

Previous Android 13 betas had already included support for the new Bluetooth LE Audio specification, new app icon theming choices, a new picture picker to select which images an app may access, and a new permission to reduce unnecessary alerts. Android 13 also incorporates tablet improvements released with Android 12L, an incremental version featuring large-screen device optimizations.

Moreover, the Android Emulator and a release candidate build of Android 13 are included in today's update. Google achieved Platform Stability in Beta 3, which means that all app-facing surfaces, including SDK and NDK APIs, app-facing system behaviors, and limits on non-SDK interfaces, are final. Google says that Beta 4 will provide you with everything you need to finish your testing, including the most recent fixes and improvements.

In relation to last year's Android 12 upgrade, Android 13 brings fewer user-facing enhancements, which may be a good thing. Android 12 was a major upgrade to Google's mobile operating system that redesigned a lot of the UI and functionality set.

But as mentioned, it had a sloppy rollout with faults detected on devices from a variety of manufacturers. Hopefully, the lack of substantial changes in Android 13 means that the upgrading will go much more smoothly.

Also Read: Google's Android 13 Profile Switcher: Change Users on a Smartphone via the Lock Screen Soon [RUMORS]

How to Test and Use The Newly Released Update

If you want to try out this new beta, which Google refers to as a "release candidate" for Pixel smartphones. You can simply head over to Google's developer site to find out how to install it. Just keep in mind that you'll need a Google or one of its partners' for compatibility.

For developers, Google advises you to review your smartphone running Android 13 Beta 4 and work through the app flows and search for any functional or UI problems. Examine the Android 13 behavior changes for all apps to identify places where your app may be impacted. Some of the most important improvements to test are runtime notification permission, clipboard preview, and JobScheduler prefetch.

Related Article: Android 13 is Coming, and Its 3rd Beta Promises Platform Stability and Many NEW Features

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Despite advances in cardiovascular disease research in the past decades, heart disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide. In fact, sudden cardiac death (SCD) alone accounts for up to 20% of all fatalities.

But an ethical, more precise alternative to current methods might be provided by a miniature working model of a human ventricle. This new model could pave the way for the creation of novel medications and treatments and further the study of cardiovascular conditions, according to a report by ScienceAlert.

(Photo : University of Toronto Engineering News)

A Miniature Exit Chamber of a Heart

A millimeter-long (0.04 inches) vessel that replicates the muscular exit chamber of a human embryo's heart was reverse-engineered by scientists from the University of Toronto and the University of Montreal in Canada. It not only beats realistically but also pumps fluid!

The left ventricle of the human heart is responsible for delivering newly oxygenated blood to the aorta and then to all the parts of the body.

Sargol Okhovatian, a biomedical engineer at the University of Toronto, said that the new model can monitor both the fluid pressure and ejection volume, which how much fluid is pushed out each time the ventricle contracts.

It is worth noting that there are often only a few alternatives for researching how a healthy or sick heart distributes blood.

ScienceAlert stated that authentic models can be provided by non-functional organs, such as those that were removed during an autopsy. Although tissue cultures may offer a glimpse into biochemical operation, they fall short of replicating the hydraulics of a three-dimensional, pulsing mass.

Although it's not necessarily the most ethical decision, using an animal model also enables scientists to evaluate how a beating heart works as a pump when affected by novel treatments. But this new model could expand alternatives.

Read Also: New AI That Predicts Heart Attacks Could Save Patients From Cardiac Death For 10 Years

How The Heart Was Made

This new heart-like organ was produced in a lab using a combination of synthetic and biological materials, young rats' cardiovascular tissues served as the source of the cells, which were subsequently grown on a layer of scaffold printed from a polymer with grooves to guide the growth of the tissue.

The massive final chamber that squeezes blood into the aorta with one powerful blow was pushed to resemble the alignment of heart muscle fibers by the new model.

The team utilized a cone-shaped shaft they called a mandrel to transform the triple-layered stack of heart cells into a model that mimics a pulsing chamber.

The vessel's interior diameter of less than half a millimeter (0.02 inches) and pressure of about 5% of an adult's heart hardly allow it to expel fluids but the model is still a proof of concept that might eventually be expanded to include more tissue layers and depict a more robust system.

Without the need for invasive surgery or animal testing, these models could pave the way to examine not only cell function but also tissue and organ function, according to senior author Milica Radisic, a chemist from the University of Toronto.

Related Article: Pig Heart Transplant for Humans Is Effective Even for Brain Dead Patients

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Nintendo has bought Dynamo Pictures, a CG production studio, and will rebrand it as "Nintendo Pictures" The popular gaming company revealed in a letter on Thursday, July 14.

(Photo : Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

The rebranded animation study will concentrate on planning and producing visual content, including CG animation, as well as developing animation content using Nintendo IP.

As noticed first by The Verge, the company's IMBD profile includes credits for various games, such as post-production work on Metroid: Other M and performance capture work on Death Stranding and Persona 5.

Gearing For Super Mario Bros. Movie

"Nintendo has decided to acquire 100% of the outstanding shares (excluding treasury shares) of Dynamo Pictures and make it a wholly owned subsidiary to strengthen the planning and production structure of visual content in the Nintendo group," the letter writes.

According to Nintendo, the purchase is anticipated to close on October 3, 2022, but is still subject to the fulfillment of all applicable terms and starting closing conditions.

The purchase comes as Nintendo prepares for its biggest movie release, an animated film based on the Super Mario Bros. franchise starring Chris Pratt.

The movie will debut in theaters in the spring 2023-nearly 30 years after the previous cinematic adaptation, where Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo starred in the live-action Super Mario Bros. in 1993.

Super Mario Bros. live-action was initially planned for release on December 21, 2022, but the company decided in April that the film will hit the theaters next year.

Read Also: Scalpers Could be Shifting Efforts from Consoles to Games with the Special Edition of 'Xenoblade Chronicles 3'

Why Was the Movie Delayed?

According to a tweet from Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto, the new release dates for the Super Mario Bros. movie are April 28 in Japan and April 7 in North America. This was decided upon after conferring with co-producer Chris Meledandri.

Anya Taylor-Joy will play Princess Peach, Charlie Day will play Luigi, Jack Black will play Bowser, Seth Rogan will play Donkey Kong, Keegan-Michael Key will play Toad, and Fred Armisen will play Cranky Kong. Charles Martinet, a veteran Mario voice actor, will also appear in the film.

Deadline reported the delay was made in order to maximize the family audience for a release around the Easter holiday the following year. The Verge said that it might coincide with the launch of the first US Super Nintendo World theme park and Nintendo's follow-up to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

So far, the most recent Nintendo movie was the "Detective Pikachu" live-action adaptation based on the Pokemon series, which was released in 2019.

The purchase of Dynamo pictures also coincides with a surge in enthusiasm for adapting video games into motion pictures and television programs.

This year saw the debut of a second Sonic the Hedgehog animated movie, and HBO is now developing a television series based on Naughty Dog's The Last of Us.

Related Article: Nintendo Switch Online Adds 4 SEGA Genesis Games! Mega Man: The Wily Wars, and MORE

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One of the world's richest people and the founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates, has announced that he will be donating his fortune to a variety of causes, such as pandemic prevention, reduction of childhood deaths, and climate adaptation.

However, this donation will eventually remove him from the list of the richest people in the world.

(Photo : Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

Increasing The Foundation's Spending

According to its website, Bill Gates created the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) in 2000 to "combat disease, poverty, and unfairness around the world." Gates has been engaged in charitable endeavors through the foundation since leaving his position as CEO of Microsoft.

As one of the biggest philanthropies in the world, the foundation intends to raise its disbursements from roughly $6 billion to $9 billion every year by 2026, which is a 50 percent increase over pre-pandemic levels.

The foundation's main areas of concentration are charity giving that aims to address issues in education, health, gender equality, and many more.

Gates also assisted in funding the creation of vaccinations during the COVID-19 epidemic. The billionaire announced on Twitter that he will be funneling $20 billion to the foundation's endowment this month to continue his commitment to supporting the foundation's initiatives.

Gates is presently the fourth richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of over $114 billion, according to Bloomberg's Billionaire Index. The majority of his wealth is attributed to Microsoft shares but after his announcement, he acknowledged that he might go down or be crossed out of the list.

"I have an obligation to return my resources to society in ways that have the greatest impact for improving lives. I hope others in positions of great wealth and privilege will step up in this moment too," Gates wrote in a blog post.

Read Also: Bill Gates Throws Shade at Crypto and NFT, Saying 'They're '100% Based on Greater Fool Theory'

Gates' Twitter Thread

Gates explained in a lengthy Twitter thread that after decades of advancement, the world was currently experiencing significant setbacks due to the turmoil in Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic.

He stated that his foundation will work to provide people with the opportunity to live healthy and fruitful lives because he believed that the world may still get better in the future.

Melinda and I started the @gatesfoundation in 2000 because we believed that every person should have the chance to live a healthy and productive life. That vision remains the same, but the great crises of our time require all of us to do more. https://t.co/QBT6FHMqEj  Bill Gates (@BillGates) July 13, 2022

In the Twitter thread, Gates also reaffirmed that Warren Buffett, the CEO and Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, had made over $35 billion in donations to the foundation and was on par with him in his show of support.

The Giving Pledge is a global project for billionaires that Gates, his wife Melinda, and Buffett started in 2010. More than 200 billionaires have joined the effort during the past ten years, which calls for billionaires to donate the majority of their wealth to philanthropic causes either during their lifetimes or after they pass away.

Related Article: Bill Gates Reportedly Poured Millions to Dark Fund Against Elon Musk-Tesla CEO is ANGRY

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
China calls out Alibaba executives as part of their investigation regarding the largest data theft, which leaked information of around one billion Chinese residents.

(Photo : Photo credit should read ALAIN JOCARD/AFP via Getty Images)

A logo of the Chinese multinational e-commerce, retail, internet, and technology conglomerate, Alibaba group, is pictured on a window of a stand during the Vivatec trade fair (Viva Technology), on May 24, 2018, in Paris.

People familiar with the matter said that government officials required Alibaba Cloud Vice President Chen Xuesong, the new leader of the retailer's digital public-security business, as well as other top executives.

As of writing, Chen hasn't released any statement. On the other hand, the Shanghai government also decided to stay quiet regarding their upcoming meetings.

China Calls Out Alibaba Execs Over Largest Data Theft

According to The Wall Street Journal's latest report, the latest investigation being conducted by Chinese officials involves checking the leaked cache from the country's police databases.

(Photo : Photo by Guang Niu/Getty Images)

A man walks past the logo of Alibaba (China) technology Co., Lth on August 12, 2005 in Beijing, China. Yahoo Inc. signed a deal to buy 40 percent of Alibaba.com for EUS 1 billion cash while handing over the running of its China operations to the Chinese online retailer in the biggest investment by a foreign company to gain access to China's 100 million net users.

Also Read: Alibaba Faces Record $2.75 Billion Fine for Alleged Monopoly Practices

During the last weeks of June, authorities discovered that the stolen data was being offered for around $200,000. After that, cybersecurity experts found out that the database was actually handled by Alibaba's dashboard management tool.

They added that the data was leaked because the retailer's online tool had no passwords for a year. Because of this, hackers were able to complete their massive data heist easily.

On July 1, Alibaba senior managers decided to conduct a virtual meeting after an anonymous seller published an advertisement containing the stolen data; a sample of the leaked database was even included.

After discovering this alarming activity, Alibaba engineers were forced to deactivate their breached systems temporarily. As of press time, the exact reason behind the massive data breach is still unknown.

The 1 Billion Database Theft

TechCrunch recently reported that the massive data theft in China was acquired from a police database. Most of the user information leaked came from mainland China.

This is alarming since mainland China is the country's area where there are extreme internet access restrictions. The alleged seller claimed they acquired the massive database from Alibaba, which aligns with the latest findings of Chinese officials.

But, the hacking method used is still unclear. If you are among the concerned residents, the best thing you can do is to wait for the government's further announcements.

In March 2021, Pinduoduo replaced Alibaba as China's top shopping site.

In November 2021, the Alibaba NFT platform forced owners to hold their non-fungible tokens for six months before transferring them to another user.

For more news updates about Alibaba and China's ongoing data theft investigation, keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Security Expert Says Alibaba's UC Browser Tracks Browsing Data Even on Incognito

This article is owned by TechTimes

Written by: Griffin Davis

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The 2021-22 Northern Arizona Solar Co-op formed through Solar United Neighbors (SUN) will be hosting a free celebration of this years co-op at Mother Road Brewing Company on Thursday at 6 p.m.

The celebration will be a meet-and-greet for current members as well as a final information session for anyone interested in signing up before the July 31 deadline.

The solar co-op is the second of its kind organized by SUN in northern Arizona. Each solar co-op uses collective bargaining to negotiate a group rate on solar power installations from a single provider. This year the co-op attracted 163 members. A committee of these members selected a bid from Tempe-based Icon Power to provide their installations.

To be selected for this co-op in northern Arizona is a real honor because we know how thoroughly they reviewed each bid, said Jordan Bastian with Icon Power. We are eager to help more people go solar by providing quality panels at a good price and great customer service.

Bob Pifke, a co-op member who sat on the provider selection committee, said he was impressed by the thoughtfulness, thoroughness and critical thinking displayed by participating members.

"Through careful deliberations, we reached a consensus that Icon was the best supplier for our needs, Pifke said.

A similar co-op attracted 83 members a year ago. The resulting solar installations helped the City of Flagstaff move about 6% closer to generating 10 megawatts of clean energy as part of the citys carbon neutrality goals.

Those interested in attending Thursday can register for the event at www.solarunitedneighbors.org/event/northern-arizona-solar-celebration/.
Central Meteorological Observatory: There will still be more rainfall in the north in the next week, and the high fever in the south will not subside
A decision by the Southern Public Schools Board of Education to move ahead with the Community Eligibility Provision triggered a wave of praise for Southern and criticism for other districts in the area.

The CEP is a meal service option for school districts in low income areas which allows all students in the district to eat breakfast and lunch at no cost and without the household free and reduced lunch application forms. Depending on the poverty rate of the area, the district may need to cover up to 20% of the costs to provide free meals.

The Southern Public Schools Facebook page posted an announcement about the Boards move on June 14, saying that breakfasts and lunches will be free at the elementary and junior-senior high school for the next four years.

Southern Superintendent Christopher Prososki said he didnt intend to spur backlash against other districts in the area.

I am just going to make a short statement regarding this federal program because I feel that the CEP program is being weaponized against some districts in our area, he said. At Southern, all of our schools were eligible to participate in this federal program. I want to apologize about the hostility that some districts are facing because of my social media post about Southern participating in the federal CEP program. It was never my intent.

Prososki said he thinks CEP was the right move for Southern, but he said it may not fit every context well.

BPS Superintendent Jason Alexander shared a similar sentiment.

What works well for one district may not work for every district, Alexander said.

Southerns decision came in the wake of uncertainty about the future of school lunch costs across the nation. In response to the economic toll of the COVID-19 pandemic, the USDA opted to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students across the country for the past two years.

Next year, its our understanding that the USDA is returning to pre-COVID practices, Alexander said. So theres a process in place where people can apply for free or reduced lunches The Community Eligibility Provision is a little different in how it operates.

Assistant Superintendent Jackie Nielsen presented the pros and cons of CEP during the School Board meeting on July 11.

Nielsen said just three of Beatrices schools would qualify in the CEP: Beatrice Community Preschool, Paddock Lane Elementary and Lincoln Elementary.

We have another elementary that does not qualify, Nielsen said. So one of the questions becomes, Will we allow Stoddard families to transfer over to Paddock Lane, and right now, the answer is no So our Stoddard families would not receive these opportunities.

Nielsen said the 20% the district would need to cover with those three schools would total $62,531.92. For all six schools, the cost on the district's end would come out to $188,727.91.

Additionally, Nielsen claimed the reduction in free and reduced lunch applications would impact state funding and grant opportunities, including an estimated $34,876 reduction in state aid.

School Board Member Janet Byars discussed her concerns over the costs.

In the last two years, when they didnt have to fill them out, it has impacted our ability to apply for grants and applications, Janet Byars said. Its not free. Its free to the people who are actually receiving it, but its not free to our taxpayer. Because our taxpayer would have to pay that. The other concern is that were at the top of our levy so we would absolutely have to cut somewhere.

The BPS School Board unanimously decided against pursuing the CEP this year, though the members agreed to keep it on the table for future years.

Alexander encouraged all parents to fill out the free and reduced lunch form.

We dont see the applications, if thats a concern to anyone, he said.
A Billings man pleaded not guilty Thursday to allegations he pulled a gun on a police officer earlier this week.

Benjamin Carl Tedlund, 30, has been charged in Yellowstone County District Court with assault with a weapon, a felony, and obstructing a peace officer, a misdemeanor. Tedlund was on probation for previous conviction at the time of his arrest.

An officer with the Billings Police Department responded to a complaint Monday from someone who wanted a transient man moved off a property on the 600 block of North 26th Street. While the officer was speaking to the man, Tedlund and a woman approached, according to charging documents. Tedlund allegedly started badgering the officer, saying he knew the transient man and was angry that the officer was forcing him to move.

Tedlund was allegedly yelling at the officer and calling her foul names. The officer asked for Tedlunds name and grabbed his wrist to keep him from walking away, court documents said. Tedlund allegedly yanked his arm away, reached into his pants and pulled out a handgun. He racked the gun and ran away. The officer called for backup.

During their search of the area, police found Tedlund at North Park. He was allegedly carrying one semi-automatic handgun loaded with a magazine carrying nine rounds. Tedlund had a bag, inside of which was a machete and another magazine with 10 rounds. Police also found an ammo box with an additional 25 rounds in the bag, according to charging documents. Tedlund was booked into Yellowstone County Detention Facility that same day, and the investigation into the call is ongoing.

District Court Judge Colette Davies set Tedlunds bond at $50,000 at his arraignment Thursday. He was given a deferred sentenced in April 2021 for violating an order of protection, and Yellowstone County prosecutors will petition the court to revoke that deferment. As of Thursday, Tedlund remained in custody at YCDF.

If convicted of assault with a weapon, Tedlund could be sentenced up to 20 years in prison and forced to pay a fine of up to $50,000. A conviction for obstructing an officer comes with up to six months in jail and a $500 fine.

Despite a total of seven homicides in Billings under investigation this year, including three men shot dead by BPD officers, violent crime in the city is down for the first half of 2022 compared to years past. Instances of violent crimes, which include homicides, assaults and robberies are down by about 15% compared to the first six months of 2021, according to data presented by Billings Police Chief Rich St. John at a city council meeting last week.
Ron Gomez was one of 6 people inducted into The Louisiana Political Hall of Fame at the annual banquet held at the Cajundome Convention Center in Lafayette, February 23, 2019. The Legislature established the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame in 1987. It was created to highlight the careers of the state's leading politicians and political journalists. Its based in Winnfield, birthplace of governors Huey P. Long, Earl K. Long, and O.K. Allen.
'My plan is, in the next 20 years, to do everything that I set out to do, man, and then enjoy my Morgan Freeman years,' says standup comedian Marlon Wayans.
Lara Nicholson writes for The Advocate as a Report for America Corps Member. Email her at lnicholson@theadvocate.com or follow her on Twitter @LaraNicholson_.

To learn more about Report for America and to support our journalism, please click here.
Yellowstone County commissioners want to see the numbers.

In fact, at the commissioners' discussion meeting on Thursday, Commissioner John Ostlund presented a host of questions that he believes county leaders need to answer as they seek proposals from private groups wanting to take over management at MetraPark.

First among those questions, he said, was taking a good look at the financials of other public facilities under private management and at the numbers submitted earlier this year to Yellowstone County by the two companies interested in Metra, OVG and ASM Global.

"I went to the board (of commissioners)...to set the criteria for what we expect," Ostlund said.

Part of Ostlund's comments was a response to Commissioner Don Jones and the Billings Chamber of Commerce, which has suggested that the fairgrounds in Nampa, Idaho, run by OVG, are self-sustaining. Metra, by contrast, costs the county roughly $2.5 million to run.

Nampa's fairgrounds are not self-sustaining, Kevan Bryan, the county's finance director, told commissioners.

Bryan was quick to add that he wasn't suggesting that the grounds were poorly run or that they haven't improved upon how those fairgrounds were run in the past.

He was making the point that understanding the numbers supplied by these facilities is important so commissioners here can move forward with correct assumptions in their request for private management proposals.

"Our only goal is to give the board the clearest possible view in order to fashion the best RFP they can, and ultimately make the best decision possible for Yellowstone County," Bryan said.

Jones agreed that the county needs accurate and up-to-date financial information, and he agreed that the questions posed by Ostlund need to be answered as they move through the process.

He then added that Ostlund has consistently asked that his set of questions be answered and pointed out that some of them had been addressed in previous requests for information from OVG and ASM Global.

"I think we've gotten a pretty good feel," Jones said.

He then wondered if this really wasn't a "delay tactic" used by Ostlund to draw out the county's RFP process. Ostlund has opposed the process Jones and Commissioner Denis Pitman have used to pursue MetraPark management privatization.

Ostlund took exception to Jones' suggestion and said, "I'm trying to be thorough."

Pitman, who joined the meeting remotely, said many of these details will be worked out as the county gets answers back with its requests and begins to meet with either OVG or ASM Global.

"As we see the proposals and negotiate (them), that's how we move forward," he said.

The speed with which Jones and Pitman have pursued the privatization question and the deliberate manner in which they've worked to push it along has been a point of debate and bitter contention.

Pitman lost the primary election for his seat on the commission last month to challenger Mark Morse, who said the Metra debate and efforts to keep that debate transparent are what led to his win.

Earlier this month, Pitman announced plans to run as a write-in candidate in November's election.
Bill Gates, concerned about the significant suffering caused by global setbacks including the COVID-19 pandemic, has announced that he will donate $US20 billion ($29.6 billion) to his foundation so it can increase its annual spending.

The donation, combined with long-time board member Berkshire Hathaway chief executive Warren Buffetts $US3.1 billion gift last month, brings The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundations endowment to approximately $US70 billion, making it one of the largest, if not the largest in the world, depending on daily stock valuations. In an essay on the foundations website, Gates said he hopes others in positions of great wealth and privilege will step up in this moment too.

Billionaire Bill Gates is donating $US20 billion to his foundation so it can increase its annual spending. Credit:Bloomberg

The Gates Foundation plans to raise its annual budget by 50 per cent over pre-pandemic levels to about $US9 billion by 2026. The foundation hopes the increased spending will improve education, reduce poverty and reinstate the global progress toward ending preventable disease and achieving gender equality that has been halted in recent years.

According to the United Nations Development Program, 71 million people have been pushed into poverty since Russias invasion of Ukraine in February, mainly due to food and energy price surges. Households in the Balkans, the Caspian Sea region and Sub-Saharan Africa have been hit particularly hard. The UN World Food Program reports that the number of acutely hungry people is now 345 million, up 25 per cent since the start of the war in Ukraine.
Juni Nathan had eyes of liquid brown and a voice that could melt your heart. It was love at first sight for cameraman Brian Phillis as he framed the glamorous American singer for In Melbourne Tonight. He wrote a million love letters to her and got her to fall in love with him, their daughter says. He went over to LA to ask her to marry him.

So it was that Jodi Phillis had her creative soul nurtured in the dreamy sunshine of 1960s Los Angeles. Though born in Melbourne, the first six years of her life were bathed in Californian harmony as her mothers doo-wop trio, the Starr Sisters, gave way to the Beach Boys, the Mamas & the Papas, the Carpenters and  wow, it was psychedelic, man.

I had to get free of how I had been, says Jodi Phillis.

We lived in the San Fernando Valley, she says by Zoom from her sunny home studio in Wollongong. Have you seen Licorice Pizza? Its that world that we grew up in. Los Angeles at that time was all about fun and rainbows and H.R. Pufnstuf was my favourite show  Brian [Wilson]s melodies were so beautiful, but just so sad 

You might consider all this ancient history for an artist launching her sixth album  not counting her prodigious 90s rock band, the Clouds, and sundry other ensembles and scores for screen and theatre. But that dreamy childhood state of happy-sad psychedelic harmony is a recurring ideal in her work, not least her latest, We Need to be Free.
Girls participation in maths  and indeed all STEM subjects  has long been a topic of global concern. In particular, schools, educators and parents have sought out strategies to keep girls engaged and participating in advanced maths and science in secondary school.

Girls at single-sex schools are 85 per cent more likely to take advanced mathematics than girls in co-ed schools. Credit:Erin Jonasson

Despite efforts to engage girls in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), recent HSC data shows that girls involvement in higher-level maths is steadily declining  yet data from the Victorian Certificate for Education shows that girls at single-sex schools are 85 per cent more likely to take advanced mathematics than girls in co-ed schools.

They are also 79 per cent more likely to study chemistry, 68 per cent more likely to take intermediate mathematics, and 47 per cent more likely to study physics. Across the board, girls schools deliver higher participation in STEM subjects and this is supported by higher levels of engagement, enjoyment and aspiration.

The OECDs Program for International Student Assessment data confirms that girls school students also outperform co-educated girls on PISAs academic measures of science, mathematics and literacy. So, whats happening in girls schools?
Jim Pavlidis Credit:.

In relation to the article PM challenged on climate as Pacific leaders meet (14/7), one wonders if China was not pursuing the Pacific Islands into its sphere of influence, as opposed to the impact of climate change, how would Australia be responding to their need for survival? Previous governments, particularly Liberal governments, have ignored the known consequences of the changing climate and the vulnerability of these island states. There has always been arrogance and racism towards our Pacific neighbours. However the Labor government in seeking to sell a climate package seems contradictory if we do not increase our emissions reduction. The new government needs to be honest on the impact that the climate crisis is revealing.

Judith Morrison, Nunawading

Much to patch up, but lets not overreact

While some, mostly Coalition politicians, criticise Anthony Albanese for spending too much time overseas, its clear that it was needed in the Pacific (PM challenged on climate as Pacific leaders meet, 14/7). There was much to patch up: weak climate policy, poor taste jokes, and ministerial neglect to name but a few. Having said that, Australia must not overreact when it comes to security and the US alliance. Are billions spent on nuclear subs the best solution? Our focus should be on peaceful activities that protect the culture of the Pacific while improving living standards. The world needs harmony, not war. We should lift foreign aid from 0.2 per cent of GDP to the UNs recommended 0.7 per cent. We should stay out of the South and East China seas unless requested and use our naval resources in other ways such as providing COVID vaccinations and other resources to the many remote islands that have had supply chains weakened. The government has started well  lets keep it going.

Ray Peck, Hawthorn

A progression in the right direction

Once we had a government keen to exploit cheap Pacific islander labour to prop up National Party interests, to lecture, and to snigger, along with senior right-wing ministers who cracked hilarious jokes about islander lifestyles and islander futures. Now we have a progressive government, keen to engage, embrace and encourage our Pacific friends. How refreshing. How positive. How neighbourly. How Australian.

David Allen, Bayswater Nth

Support for Taiwan has to remain strong

Your correspondent (Letters, 13/7) queries Australias (and many other nations) stance on the sovereignty of Taiwan. To describe its being taken by China  in the same way Russia is trying to take Ukraine  as one lot of Chinese replacing another is simplistic.

The PRC has long wanted to assimilate Taiwan by 2049, the 100th anniversary of its foundation. The 50-year transition set up for Hong Kong prior to 1997 was designed to demonstrate to the people of Taiwan that such a merger could be peaceful and beneficial. Indeed, relations between the CCP and Taiwan government thawed to the extent that flights and commercial arrangements were sanctioned between Taipei and the mainland.

Then came Xi Jinping and the draconian tightening of democratic, commercial and individual freedoms in China. HK has unfortunately provided sufficient proof to Taiwan that the CCP cannot be trusted. The threat to an enduringly successful East Asian democracy and the crushing of its entrepreneurial people must be an anathema to any Australian. Taiwan is an industrial manufacturing powerhouse, providing the West with essential technology  without which it would be beholden to China. It is also strategically located in the South China Sea, and its annexing and that of its satellite islands by China would infringe on rights of nautical and aviation passage by other nations. Our best policy must remain to give staunch support for Taiwan, whatever else we are willing to horse-trade with our largest trading partner, China.

Caroline Leslie, Hawthorn
Victorias highest court has condemned mandatory minimum sentences in the state, saying they reduce judges to instruments of injustice, sometimes requiring them to inflict more severe punishments than are warranted.

Speaking during a judgment on a case on Thursday, Court of Appeal justices Chris Maxwell and Terry Forrest said that mandatory minimum sentences were wrong in principle and threatened the rehabilitation of young offenders caught in the justice system.

The comments were a rare rebuke from the traditionally conservative Court of Appeal. Credit:Wayne Taylor

They require judges to be instruments of injustice: to inflict more severe punishment than a proper application of sentencing principle could justify, to imprison when imprisonment is not warranted and may well be harmful, and to treat as identical offenders whose circumstances and culpability may be very different, they said.

Mandating imprisonment in this way must be seen to reflect the ascendancy of a punitive sentiment and a disregard of the demonstrated benefits of non-custodial orders and  in cases like the present  the vital importance of rehabilitating young offenders.
A Victorian man accused of abducting and raping two Melbourne hitch-hikers more than 20 years ago has been remanded in custody.

Drouin man Garry Cook, 71, appeared in person at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday after he was charged with 36 offences.

Officers search bushland in the Dandenong Ranges area in 1998 as part of Operation Collier. Credit:Nine News

Police allege Cook sexually assaulted two female hitch-hikers after picking them up in Melbournes outer-eastern suburbs in September and December 1998.

The 71-year-old was on Wednesday charged with rape, abduction of a child under 16, false imprisonment, making threats to kill, procuring sexual penetration of a child under 16, sexual penetration and indecent act with a child under 16, stalking and firearms offences.
Seven years ago, when Merilyn Harris migrated from England, she didnt know anyone her own age in Melbourne.

The retiree came here to be near her son, who had married an Australian, and her three grandsons.

Merilyn Harris is among U3A Melbourne City members calling on the City of Melbourne to provide a permanent home for the branch. Credit:Wayne Taylor

But she says she didnt want to be the aged granny sitting in the corner.

She wanted her own life and friends and so, before she left London, she joined the seniors community group U3A, which offers learning, social and physical activities.
If an online course is mandatory for all Montana hunters, should the state use a carrot or a stick to encourage participation?

The issue was recently debated by the Private Land/Public Wildlife Council as it considers updating the current Hunter-Landowner Stewardship Project. Created in 2010, the voluntary program is seen as a way to encourage hunters to be ethical when afield and to respect private property rights.

Over the past five years, almost 2,000 people started the 42-page online course, but less than half completed the program to earn a certificate, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Thats a small percentage of new hunters considering that last year alone 10,900 people took a hunter education or bowhunter education class either online or in a classroom.

PL/PW member Drew Steinberger said the course ought to be mandatory with different hot topics every year to continually educate people, rather than one and done.

If you want to hunt, thats a pretty big incentive for most folks, he said.

The idea of making the course mandatory didnt sit well with FWP Director Hank Worsech. The same idea was pitched by a different PL/PW group in 2014 and never went anywhere.

I think any time you try to force the public to do something, youre going to run into issues with it, he said, including people finding test work-arounds.

PL/PW member Donna McDonald said adding an additional condition to purchasing a hunting license would generate a public outcry and harm FWPs reputation.

You think my 88-year-old father would take that test? she said. Hell just go poach a frickin elk before taking that test.

Worsech said the logistics of mandatory participation would kill the department and create another hurdle for licensing at a time when the agency has suffered through several licensing errors. He also suggested that if the hassle is too great for nonresidents, they would find someplace else to hunt. Nonresident license dollars supply 73% of FWPs funding, he noted.

Instead, Worsech advocated incentivizing the program. Ideas tossed out as incentives were a free entry into a Super Tag drawing, which allows a hunter to go anywhere in the state for a certain species. Another possibility was a free bonus point that hunters could use when applying to get a permit in a hard to draw hunting district.

The largest demographic for hunter education  87%  is youngsters age 10 to 15 years old. Incorporated in hunter education is some of the same topics that the stewardship program addresses, but in a smaller dose.

I suspect that most of our problems are with our adults, not our kids, said

Wayde Cooperider, who supervises the hunter ed program for FWP. How do we get those parents involved and get them educated? I think thats the big nut that were all here to try and crack.

Worsech also noted, The people that really need it the most are the ones who are not going to take it, no matter how we incentivize it.

PL/PW member Everett Headley suggested that completion of the stewardship program be a requirement for someone to access Block Management Areas. BMAs are private and public lands where hunters have to sign in or request permission to hunt. FWP pays landowners for providing the access.

Unless there is some sort of carrot there to bring people to the table, its not going to have a wide audience, and a wide audience is what we need for people to find some kind of accomplishment in having a statewide hunter behavior change, Headley said.

Worsech said such a change would likely require legislation, but he added increased penalties for misbehavior on Block Management Areas could be considered. He also said hunters need to police their own ranks by reporting violations.

FWP should not have to carry the water for everyone, Worsech added, saying that sporting groups like the Montana Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers and the Montana Wildlife Federation should be involved. Other PL/PW members disagreed.

Probably Fish, Wildlife & Parks needs to have leadership, but I would also say its everybodys responsibility to push this message, said PL/PW member Dale Tribby.

The state agency has already launched an advertising campaign promoting hunter ethics. So far, $48,000 has been spent on radio, online, social, email and print ads, according to Greg Lemon, FWP administrator. Three billboards have also been erected with the slogan: Respect: Land, Landowners, Wildlife. Pass it on.

The PL/PW Council will take up the issue of the stewardship program at its next meeting in August. Lemon said the current course is heavy on text, with more than 20,000 words. His department is looking to make the new course almost completely video followed by an exam. The acronym for the new course is TREC: Think, Respect, Expectations and Communication.

PL/PW chairman Ed Beall said the program is all about building better relationships between landowners, hunters and promoting respect for the land.

Weve talked about this for a long time, Beall said. The relational aspect is kind of to me the stem on the umbrella.
The grandmother of a boy set to be moved to an adult prison in Western Australia fears he will take his life in the maximum-security facility.

About 20 boys, aged as young as 14 and mostly Indigenous, will be relocated from Perths Banksia Hill juvenile detention centre to a standalone facility at nearby Casuarina Prison.

Protesters march against a plan to move 20 high-risk juvenile inmates out of Banksia Hill Juvenile Detention Centre to an adult maximum security prison. Credit:Richard Wainwright), AAP

Officials say the detainees have been destroying property, escaping from their cells, assaulting staff and harming themselves. They have promised the boys will be kept away from the adult prisoner population in safe and secure units.

But advocates have called for urgent reform after an independent inspector found detainees were having their human rights violated.
A man in his 50s has died while windsurfing off the coast of Shoalwater despite attempts by another windsurfer to revive him.

A second windsurfer found the man slumped over his board on Thursday afternoon, and tried to paddle him back to shore while providing first aid.

A windsurfer in his 50s has died after being found unresponsive in the surf off Shoalwater. Credit:Nine News Perth

The good samaritan activated a personal locator beacon at about 3.30pm which alerted police, St John Ambulance and marine rescue to go to Shoalwater beach along Arcadia Drive.

Emergency services were unable to revive the man in his 50s.
Suva: Anthony Albanese has declared a climate emergency in the Pacific, after joining regional leaders in Fiji to warn Australias neighbours face an immediate threat to their security and wellbeing.

Following two days of meetings at the Pacific Islands Forum, 16 leaders signed off on the declaration on Thursday afternoon and backed Vanuatus campaign for the International Court of Justice to consider whether inaction on climate should be considered a breach of human rights. The forum stopped short of fully endorsing Australias campaign to host the UN climate change conference in 2024, but said it welcomed the initiative.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese outside the Grand Pacific Hotel on Thursday after his meetings in Suva. Credit:Joe Armao

The emission reduction targets agreed by the Pacific leaders to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees are set to put pressure on Australia to lift its own climate change ambition and cut emissions by 50 per cent by 2030. Palau and Fiji explicitly called out the Labor government earlier on Thursdayfor falling short of that target.

A draft bill obtained by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age revealed Labors plans to lock in a 43 per cent cut to emissions by 2030, and achieve net zero by 2050, through an act of parliament. Climate scientists say the first target will not be enough to limit global warming below 2 degrees.
It pushes people who are on that local wage further out to seek more affordable accommodation. She said barriers to home ownership are also locking households into the rental market for longer, after sales prices for homes also rose during the pandemic. An increase in rental supply and social housing would be needed to help local renters, she said. Even so, she said the pace of rental growth is now easing from its highs. People can only cope with so much increase in rent, because it becomes a compromise of, do I put a roof over my head, do I buy fuel, do I buy food? Paul McDonald, chief executive officer of Anglicare Victoria, which conducts an annual survey of rental affordability, said there had been a reduction in the available rental stock in regional Victoria of as much as 40 per cent since last year.

Some landlords had moved into their properties to work from home and others had made them available to tourists as short-term rentals, he said. In the Grampians area, rents have risen fast. Credit:Visit Victoria They are getting a financial hamburger with the lot, he said. They are getting rents going up, they are getting utilities going up, they have got petrol now going up  theres not too many places to hide with a limited income. He has seen families buying less healthy groceries than they would like and a new cohort of regular visitors with scant savings arriving at emergency relief centres. He called for more federal government focus on rental affordability such as a national summit, saying the Albanese governments plan for 30,000 new social and affordable homes was not enough.

In north-eastern Victoria, Indigo Real Estate principal Jamie Horne said there was a shortage of supply of rental homes in Beechworth and surrounds, and often five or six applicants per home. The Alpine Shire has been drawing renters as well as holiday visitors. We have seen a lot of rental providers have actually sold their investments, so they are taking them out of the market and they have become permanent homes, he said. Generally its [sales] to people relocating from out of the area. Competition for remaining rentals was strong and some potential tenants offered rent in advance or higher rent, he said.

This had left generational renters in Beechworth moving to Wodonga or Wangaratta where there was a broader pool of rental properties available. The Mornington Peninsula has been drawing remote workers from Melbourne, increasing demand for housing. Credit:iStock The trend is similar on the Mornington Peninsula, technically part of metropolitan Melbourne, but a haven for sea-changing city dwellers. Mornington Peninsula house rents are now at a median $510 a week, up 10.9 per cent in a year. Stone Real Estate Mornington Peninsula director of property management Jodie Harwood said some landlords are now increasing rents by up to $100 per week.

Loading Other landlords had sold their homes to owner-occupiers during the property boom, leaving rental properties in short supply for tenants. Rent prices have gone up astronomically, she said. Predominantly if they cant afford the area, they are moving away. Other tenants are offering more rent or rent in advance  although she advised tenants to submit an application with complete documentation as offers are made fast. KPMG demographer and urban economist Terry Rawnsley said skyrocketing regional rents were a hangover of the pandemic.

He said tenants with city incomes have pushed up rents rapidly and have taken up the historically low levels of rental supply in the regions. Loading All of these areas havent historically had a pipeline of housing growth. You have this fixed supply, a big surge in demand and the only factor that can give is the price, he said. He said it has created challenging conditions for local communities who could not find workers. Rawnsley said while priced-out workers in a major city would typically move to the next suburb, regional workers have to move to the next town, which can be hours away.
London: Italy has been plunged into political uncertainty after Prime Minister Mario Draghi offered to resign just hours after his coalition partner, the populist Five Star Movement, withdrew its support for a major economic package.

But Draghis resignation was quickly rejected by President Sergio Mattarella, who has asked the embattled prime minister to address parliament next week to assess how much support his government would have.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi had his resignation rejected by the Italian president. Credit:Bloomberg

The crisis in the European Unions third-largest economy was triggered when Five Star leader Giuseppe Conte boycotted the governments 23 billion ($34 billion) package of economic aid for families and businesses, arguing Draghi was not doing enough to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.

The development threatens major instability within the EU while the bloc is attempting to unite against Russias aggression in Ukraine and wean itself off a heavy reliance on Moscows oil and gas.
The third was a 72-year-old Chicago real estate tycoon, found in the garage of his townhouse, his throat slashed with a saw blade, his chest stabbed with pruning shears and his head wrapped in masking tape with a breathing hole left at the nostrils.

The second, a 33-year-old architect, was found 100 kilometres north on the shores of East Rush Lake, shot once in the head.

The first victim, a 28-year-old former Navy lieutenant, was found wrapped in a rug in a loft apartment in the warehouse district of Minneapolis, his head battered with a hammer.

The fourth was the caretaker of a cemetery in Pennsville, New Jersey, an unremarkable man of modest means who was reported missing by his wife and was found shot dead, lying in the burial ground.

Federal investigators believe all four deaths were the work of the same man - Andrew Phillip Cunanan, the 27-year-old fugitive who has been named as the leading suspect in the shooting death of the fashion guru Gianni Versace in Miami Beach.

Asked during a televised news conference on Tuesday night to describe Cunanans modus operandi, Mr Paul Philip, the special agent in charge of the FBI in Miami, appeared taken aback. He kills people, he said.

For the past three months, police say, Cunanan has been on a murderous coast-to-coast odyssey, suspected of killing the four men before the Miami shooting and, in three cases, stealing their cars.

He has been charged with the architects murder and is wanted for questioning in the other cases, putting him on the FBIs 10 most wanted list. Although the trail has often been warm, so far he has eluded pursuers.
Washington: Donald Trump said he could have made Elon Musk beg on his knees when he was in the White House, escalating a war of words between the businessmen.

The former president increased his attacks on the worlds richest man after Musk said Trump was too old to stand for leadership again and needed to sail into the sunset.

The 75-year-old recalled the Tesla and SpaceX chief executive visiting him in the Oval Office and said he would have begged him for government subsidies, in a message on Truth Social, his own social media app.

The war of words between Tesla founder Elon Musk and former US president Donald Trump has escalated. Credit:Bloomberg, AP

Trump said: When Elon Musk came to the White House asking me for help on all of his many subsidised projects, whether its electric cars that dont drive long enough, driverless cars that crash, or rocket ships to nowhere, without which subsidies hed be worthless and tell me how he was a big Trump fan and Republican, I could have said, drop to your knees and beg, and he would have done it.
In a joint statement to People, the producers of Funny Girl and representatives for outgoing leading lady Beanie Feldstein have confirmed that Feldstein was released from her contract six months early, perhaps in an effort to quell ongoing industry gossip about the situation.

Feldstein took to Instagram on July 10 to say that she had decided to leave the show on July 31, nearly two months earlier than her originally announced September 25 end date. After much speculation, the production confirmed on July 11 that Feldstein would be replaced by Lea Michele, who would join the cast on September 6, with standby Julie Benko essaying the role in the interim.

There was much speculation regarding Feldstein's choice of wording as she said the production "decided to take the show in a different direction." According to the People statement, that direction was one that did not include her in the cast.

"The producers of Funny Girl were not blindsided by Beanie's social post," the producers and Feldstein's representatives told the publication in a joint statement. "The producers decided to take the show in a different direction and end Beanie's contract on September 25th, 6 months earlier than anticipated. A month after that decision, Beanie decided it was best for her to leave on July 31st. The producers were aware of and in support of her decision. The producers and Beanie worked on this together professionally, respectfully and graciously."

Feldstein opened the production, which is directed by Michael Mayer at the August Wilson Theatre, in April. While the show was well received by audiences, reviews were largely negative and there was not much love for the first-ever Broadway revival of the piece during this season's awards period.
Little Island, New York City's new public park in Hudson River Park by W. 13th Street, will host An Evening with Seth Meyers & Friends on Wednesday, August 3 at 8pm. The one-night-only performance will be held on Little Island's largest stage, The Amph.

Meyers is an Emmy Award-winning writer, New York Times bestselling author, and host of NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers. Late Night is currently nominated for three 2022 Emmy Awards including Outstanding Variety Talk Series. Meyers began his TV career with Saturday Night Live in 2001, where he was a cast member for 13 seasons, serving as head writer for nine seasons and Weekend Update anchor for eight. In 2019, he released his debut standup special, Lobby Baby, on Netflix. Meyers executive produces Peacock's The Amber Ruffin Show and IFC's Documentary Now!. His children's book, I'm Not Scared, You're Scared, was released in March 2022.

All tickets to An Evening with Seth Meyers & Friends will be electronic/mobile-only and are available for purchase now at the Little Island website. No tickets will be available to purchase on-site, and a rain date will be held for Thursday, August 4.
HELENA  The commission that oversees the Montana State Library has rejected a proposed new logo after a member said the main feature  a prism  brought to mind the rainbow LGBTQ pride flag, something she suggested would set off a political firestorm.

Two commissioners and the state librarian are meeting again this month to suggest ideas for what to do next that they can bring to an Aug. 3 commission meeting. The commission voted 4-3 earlier this month to reject the logo after paying a company $130,000 from non-taxpayer library foundation funds to create it as part of a large library system reboot. The full contract is $292,500 and includes a rollout of the new design.

Commissioner Tammy Hall argued at a June meeting that approving the logo would set up an unnecessary political battle as the library seeks state funding from a Republican-controlled legislature next year. She suggested the logo be toned down to shades of blue, black and gray.

The rejected logo is predominately blue and features four triangles  reddish orange, yellow, green and light blue  that symbolize information being trumpeted outward.

"I think there are two things you can say today to set off a firestorm in the area of information," Hall said. "One is rainbow and one is misinformation. Those are very political, explosive weapons."

Addie Palin with the advertising agency Hoffman York said the "calibration of colors" was taken into consideration as they worked on the logo and that the colors are more muted "to avoid that suggestion of it being some sort of pride mark."

Kevin Hamm, president of Montana Pride, said the opposition to the logo is not really a topic of discussion in the LGBTQ community, but he took offense to the premise of the concerns.

"If you're going to have a problem with a logo and the first thing that you think is 'Oh, it's got bright colors and that's a little too queer for me,' you're a bigot and you have issues," Hamm said. "Don't throw my community under the bus just because all of a sudden rainbows make you think everything's gay."

Before the July 5 logo vote, Hall said her vote in opposition had nothing to do with the colors, adding she was "sorry that became such a big issue," but was because she believed the new logo should part of the state government rebranding effort that just got underway.

Library staff and some commissioners said the logo symbolizes the work they do, which includes archiving state government, history and geographic information and making it available to the public.

"I think it's a stretch to think that this represents a pride flag," said commission chair Kenning Arlitsch, noting the progress pride flag has 11 colors and the library logo has four.
PORTLAND, Ore.  The state of Oregon has slashed the financial penalties it assigned a baker who refused to bake a wedding cake for a lesbian couple almost 10 years ago.

In compliance with a state appeals court ruling earlier this year, State Labor Commissioner Val Hoyle said Tuesday that the Bureau of Labor and Industries is ordering Aaron Klein to pay $30,000 damages instead of a $135,000 fine issued in 2015, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported.

Laurel and Rachel Bowman-Cryer filed a complaint against Sweet Cakes by Melissa owners Melissa and Aaron Klein in 2013, saying the bakery refused to bake them a wedding cake.

The Oregon Court of Appeals twice upheld a ruling by the state civil rights division that found that an Oregon bakery illegally discriminated against the couple.

The court in January found the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries did not exhibit religious neutrality in issuing the fine and returned the case to the civil rights division to reassess it.

The damages were scrapped in 2018, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Colorado baker who had also been fined for refusing service to a same-sex couple on religious grounds. Justices there found Colorado's penalty had shown bias against the baker's religion. They ordered the Oregon Court of Appeals to take a fresh look at the Sweet Cakes case.

Applying the new standards set by the Supreme Court, Oregon appellate judges found reason to believe the steep penalty demonstrated bias. While the court found the state had a right to penalize Klein for illegal discrimination, it also concluded that the agency had "at least subtly" strayed from its legal requirement to be neutral in regard to his religion.

As a result, the Oregon Court of Appeals directed the bureau, now led by Hoyle, to take another look at the penalty.

"Per the direction of the Court of Appeals, we have recalibrated the damages awarded to complainants to fall squarely within the range of such awards in previous BOLI public accommodations cases, given the record established in this case," Hoyle said in a statement Tuesday. "This award is based on the violation of law, the record in the proceeding, and is consistent with BOLI case history."

Hoyle's order only awarded damages based on the decision to refuse service. It awards Rachel Bowman-Cryer $20,000 and her wife, Laurel Bowman-Cryer, $10,000 "for emotional, mental, and physical suffering resulting from the denial of service."

The Kleins have left Oregon, and business records indicate they have reopened their business in Ronan, Montana.
The state of Montana has paid $175,000 to a Public Service Commission employee who claimed his politician bosses wrongfully fired him for doing his job in 2020.

Justin Kraske, former chief legal counsel for the scandal-prone PSC, was issued payment July 5, according to Montanas state transparency website, which summed up Kraskes grievance as claiming the PSC lacked sufficient cause to terminate his employment.

We believe $175,000 is fair compensation for the harm Justin suffered from the events surrounding his termination as Chief Legal Counsel for the Public Service Commission, said Nate Wagner, Kraskes attorney. We believe this settlement will allow Justin to put this unfortunate incident behind him and move forward with his legal career."

Kraske was an attorney with the PSC for 13 years, serving as the commissions chief legal counsel for the about seven of those years. His termination in December 2020 followed three years in which legislative auditors twice concluded that accounting errors in the commissions finances were so pervasive that auditors couldnt rely on the information presented.

In two different lawsuits, Kraske recounted confronting the commissioners about financial problems as well as human resource issues and also problems with the commissions online database. The common denominator in all three issues was the commissions office administrator, Kraske argued. There are also harassment complaints being raised about the administrator and the commissions press secretary. Through public records requests, Lee Montana Newspapers has previously identified Mandi Hinman as the administrator and Drew Zinecker as the press secretary, to whom Kraske refers. Neither Hinman, or Zinecker are currently employed by the PSC. The records requests are ongoing.

Most recently, a district court ruled against a PSC attempt to charge Lee Montana more than $30,000 for the public records, including information about unusually large pay raises, from which Hinman benefited.

Kraske described an ongoing friction between himself, Commission Chairman Brad Johnson and Vice Chairman Bob Lake. The former chief counsel alleged that during his final years at the PSC, he was asked by elected officials to expose a government whistleblower who reported to the state auditor unusually large pay raises to the commissions office administrator, whose salary, state records show, was at one point on par with the earnings of Montanas state auditor and secretary of state.

Similarly, commissioners asked that he expose employees who had complained about harassment by the same administrator. Some employees complained that their personal information had been leaked by this person, both to coworkers and people outside the office.

By the end of 2020, Kraske was summoned by Lake to tender his resignation. Lake allegedly told the attorney that commissioners had already met about firing Kraske, which would be a violation of Montana open meeting law, and secured the votes to fire Kraske if he didnt resign. Kraske refused to go along and was fired. The only commissioner opposed was Roger Koopman, who warned that the commission was setting itself up for a lawsuit for firing Kraske without cause.
Four men face conspiracy charges in McKenzie County alleging they stole more than $2.4 million worth of crude oil over a period of more than a year.

Michael Garcia, Mark McGregor and Darrell Merrell, all of Watford City; and Joseph Vandewalker, of Arnegard, are each charged with felony counts of conspiracy to commit theft and dealing in stolen property.

Garcia also is charged with a felony count of leading a criminal association.

The McKenzie County Sheriff's Office alleges in court documents that Endeavor Crude truck drivers Merrell and Vandewalker skimmed oil they were to offload at a Crestwood Midstream facility, reportedly by manipulating equipment such as transfer pumps during their deliveries.

The two suspects allegedly stored the oil in two tanks at the so-called Little Knife Disposal south of Watford City, and later offloaded and sold the stolen oil they're accused of skimming.

The Oil & Gas Division of North Dakota's Department of Mineral Resources has "no facility permits or anything of the sort in this area near Watford City where this allegedly took place," according to Underground Injection Control and Treating Plant Manager Mark Bohrer.

The affidavit in the case reported 149 deliveries from Little Knife Disposal to the Crestwood facility from November 2020 to March 2022. Crestwood Midstream reported 34,199 barrels of crude oil received from Little Knife Disposal, worth more than $2.45 million, according to the document.

The charges also allege McGregor arranged pickup dates and details for the oil and that Garcia is the "money link" for selling the oil and paying drivers.

Garcia told investigators in April that skimming oil is "a common practice out here," according to the affidavit.

"There are a lot of trucking companies out here that skim oil, everybody does it, it's very easy, you can manipulate the numbers," Garcia said, according to the affidavit.

The investigation began after the sheriff's office in March took a report of stolen crude oil from a former driver of the trucking company.

Garcia and Merrell have pleaded not guilty, with a jury trial set for Nov. 14.

McGregor and Vandewalker have preliminary hearings/arraignments set for Sept. 1.

Attorneys for the four defendants did not respond to messages requesting comment.

McKenzie County State's Attorney Ty Skarda declined to comment on the case, citing an ongoing investigation.


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President Joe Biden on Thursday granted a presidential major disaster declaration requested by Gov. Doug Burgum for 40 counties lashed by spring storms and flooding.

Burgum requested the declaration last month. Burleigh and Morton counties are not among the 40 counties.

This presidential disaster declaration will unlock FEMA public assistance to help our local governments, agencies and communities recover from extensive infrastructure damage and make resources available to help build resiliency against the long-term risk of future flooding," the governor said in a statement.

The declaration is for the period of April 22-May 25.

The weather caused an estimated $57 million of damages to public infrastructure, but that number is expected to increase once all damages are tallied, according to Burgum's office.

The counties covered by the declaration include: Adams, Barnes, Billings, Bottineau, Burke, Cavalier, Dickey, Divide, Dunn, Foster, Golden Valley, Grand Forks, Grant, Griggs, Hettinger, Kidder, LaMoure, Logan, McHenry, McIntosh, McKenzie, McLean, Mountrail, Nelson, Oliver, Pembina, Ramsey, Ransom, Renville, Richland, Rolette, Sargent, Steele, Stutsman, Towner, Traill, Walsh, Ward, Wells and Williams.

Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and if warranted due to further damage assessments, according to the governor's office.

All areas of the state also are eligible for assistance under the federal Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which provides funding for projects to mitigate losses from future disasters.

North Dakota's all-Republican, three-member congressional delegation welcomed Biden's approval in a statement.

North Dakota saw unprecedented levels of precipitation this spring in the forms of heavy downpours, snowfall, sleet and freezing rain, U.S. Sens. John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer and U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong said. These storms had significant and widespread impact, causing long-lasting flooding and power outages. Thats why we worked with Governor Burgum to advance this disaster declaration, which will help cover the costs of recovery, while making resources available to improve resiliency in the long-term.

'Historic' weather

A three-day blizzard in mid-April dropped 2-3 feet of snow over a wide area, and an Easter Sunday storm that followed added several inches more, along with heavy rain in many other areas.

A late-month blizzard dumped another 1 to 1  feet of snow in the west and also brought freezing rain and strong winds to the region, toppling 7,000 power poles and damaging at least 550 miles of electrical lines and other infrastructure, according to the state. More than 10,000 people lost power, some of them for weeks.

The snowy and cold weather in April set more than two dozen records in the state, including nearly 10 in Bismarck, which experienced its snowiest April (21.9 inches) in recorded history. Some communities experienced precipitation from April 22-24 that was 25 times higher than normal, according to State Climatologist Adnan Akyuz.

The National Weather Service deemed the bad weather "historic."

The storms hit in the middle of spring calving season. The counties of Ward, Mountrail, Golden Valley, Billings and Stark had estimated losses of more than 10% of their 2021 cattle inventory. Most other western counties had estimated losses of up to 5% of their cattle inventory, according to a North Dakota State University study.

Serious flooding was widespread for a month, swamping fields, closing roads and dampening basements. The rising Pembina River made the small town of Neche in northeastern North Dakota into an island. Some residents in nearby Cavalier were asked to evacuate.

The National Guard was called upon to help stabilize the 65-year-old Bourbanis Dam upstream of Cavalier. Guard Black Hawk helicopters out of Bismarck dropped more than 200 1-ton sandbags on the Tongue River dam, and Minnesota Guard soldiers brought in 5-ton pumps capable of moving 4,000 gallons a minute.

Flooding also became a concern in the Devils Lake region, with flows into the lake potentially setting a record this year. The lake has risen 3  feet, swallowing more than 38,000 additional acres of land. The state has ramped up floodwater outlet pumps to ease the pressure.

The overly wet spring also hampered farmers trying to get into the fields to seed their crops. The amount of prevented-planting acres this year will be near record levels, according to North Dakota State University Crop Economist and Marketing Specialist Frayne Olson.
A man stands in front of a sign of Meta, the new name for the company formerly known as Facebook, at its headquarters in Menlo Park, California, U.S. October 28, 2021. REUTERS/Carlos Barria TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
"At the time we met, he was already going through peritoneal dialysis, which meant his kidney function was already at less than 5%, so I felt like it was urgent and he needed a kidney as soon as possible," she explained.



Colleen said it was totally her choice to donate a kidney, but added that while her boyfriend didn't ask her outright, he had "opened the door" for her to get tested by showing her brochures on how to find out if she was a match.
An 11-year-old girl from Hong Kong was admitted to hospital with chest pains three weeks after receiving the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine a month ago. After being in the hospital for a month, She could finally be discharged and return home on July 8, 2022. (Screenshot from her mothers Facebook)

11-Year-Old Girl Returns Home after Myocarditis Scare Following Her Second COVID-19 Vaccine

Family slammed the Hong Kong authorities for not releasing data of vaccine-related sickness

Siu Yick-tung, an 11-year-old girl from Hong Kong, was admitted to hospital with chest pains three weeks after receiving the second dose of COVID-19 vaccination. She was later diagnosed with myocarditis. Sius condition deteriorated sharply at the time, and she had to be admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).

Sius aunt posted updates on social media on the morning of July 9, 2022, that after being in the hospital for a month, the 11-year-old could finally be discharged and return home on July 8, 2022.

Siu thanked everyone who had been cheering for her health via her aunt: I am much better now. Even the doctor said that my recovery was progressing quickly. Thank you all, and you dont have to worry about me anymore.

Complications After the Second Dose of COVID-19 Vaccination

Yick-tung received the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine three weeks before her diagnosis. Her aunt criticized the authorities, saying they would never release data showing any vaccine-related illness.

Nonetheless, on June 8, 2022, the local girls condition unexpectedly deteriorated, and she needed to be sent to the ICU of the childrens hospital for emergency treatment. Siu was in a critical condition by the time she was in the ambulance. An artificial cardiopulmonary machine was used to maintain the heart and lung functions to reduce the workload on her heart.

When The doctors notified Sius family that she could finally leave the hospital after a month-long battle with Myocarditis, her family was thrilled and described the experience as to hell and back again.

Sius aunt also revealed that Siu would require a wheelchair for the time being while she would continue to exercise and regain the strength of her leg muscles.
Alex Murdaugh Charged With Murder in Deaths of Wife, Son

COLUMBIA, S.C.More than 13 months after disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh called 911 and said he found his wife and son shot outside their home, a grand jury indicted him Thursday on murder charges in their killings.

But the legal documents shed little light on the ongoing mystery over the deaths that captivated the public, who have clicked on hundreds of stories and podcasts detailing the dozens of other criminal charges that have piled up in the months since Murdaughs wife Maggie, 52, and their 22-year-old son, Paul, were killed on June 7, 2021.

Murdaugh, 54, has repeatedly denied any role in the deaths, saying he was visiting his mother and ailing father and discovered his son and wife slain when he returned to their estate.

Alex wants his family, friends, and everyone to know that he did not have anything to do with the murders of Maggie and Paul. He loved them more than anything in the world, Murdaugh defense attorneys Jim Griffin and Dick Harpootlian said in a statement.

Each murder indictment was one paragraph with exactly one new detail, accusing Murdaugh of killing his wife with a rifle and his son with a shotgun. They include no details on how police linked Murdaugh to the deaths after 13 months of investigation or why a man who had no criminal history and was part of a wealthy, well-connected family that dominated the legal community in tiny Hampton County might have wanted to kill his own family members.

More information may be released in a bond hearing for the new charges Wednesday at the Colleton County courthouse. Murdaugh is already in jail unable to pay a $7 million bond on the dozens of other charges.

Alex Murdaugh walks into his bond hearing in Varnville, S.C., on Sept. 16, 2021. (Mic Smith/AP Photo)

Murdaugh also was charged Thursday with two counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime, according to the indictments from a grand jury in Colleton County, site of the Murdaugh hunting estate where the killings happened.

Murdaughs family has dominated the legal scene in tiny, neighboring Hampton County for nearly a century. Murdaughs father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were the areas elected prosecutors for 87 years straight. Murdaugh once worked for the century-old, family-founded law firm, which said in September that he was stealing money.

Throughout the investigation, state police have released few details about the case, even fighting a lawsuit in which The Post and Courier newspaper accused the agency of refusing to release information required by state law. Thursdays indictments were no exception. A joint statement from State Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel and state Attorney General Alan Wilson said they wouldnt comment on specific evidence because the investigation remains active and a court case is pending.

Over the last 13 months, SLED agents and our partners have worked day in and day out to build a case against the person responsible for the murders of Maggie and Paul and to exclude those who were not. At no point did agents lose focus on this investigation, Keel said in the statement.

Murdaughs lawyers said it was very clear from day one that law enforcement was focusing on Murdaugh and no one else. They said they want his trial held in the next three months.

We know that Alex did not have any motive whatsoever to murder them, the defense attorneys said.

If convicted of murder, Murdaugh would face 30 years to life in prison without parole. Prosecutors could also choose to seek the death penalty under state law because more than one person was killed.

The June 2021 deaths prompted authorities to look into all corners of Murdaughs life. At least a half-dozen investigations resulted in charges that he stole $8.5 million from people who hired him and that he lied to police by saying he was shot by a stranger on a roadside when, officials say, he actually asked a friend to kill him so his surviving son could collect a $10 million life insurance policy just days after the family firm determined he was stealing money. The friend said the gun went off as he tried to wrestle it from a suicidal Murdaughs grip.

State police said information they gathered in the Murdaugh investigations also led them to review what was initially reported as the hit-and-run death of 19-year-old Stephen Smith in Hampton County in July 2015, although they didnt provide more details.

Agents also said they plan to exhume the body of the Murdaughs housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, who the family said died in the hospital several days after a fall in 2018. Prosecutors said Murdaugh got his home insurers to pay more than $4 million in wrongful-death claims in Satterfields case by saying he was negotiating for her family but didnt give them any of the money.

In June, Murdaugh was indicted in what prosecutors said was an eight-year money laundering and painkiller ring that also involved that same friend and former client charged with trying to help him commit suicide.

Murdaugh wrote 437 checks worth $2.4 million that his friend cashed over eight years, keeping some of the money for himself and giving the rest for wide-ranging illegal activities, according to the indictments unsealed last month.

The South Carolina Supreme Court disbarred Murdaugh on Tuesday, confirming the inevitable after Murdaughs attorneys declined to contest arguments at a June disbarment hearing.

By Jeffrey Collins
Bunnings Warehouse is seen in Maribyrnong on August 4, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. (Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

Australia to Investigate Kmart and Bunnings Over Use of Facial Recognition Technology

Australian major retailers Bunnings and Kmart have become the subject of an investigation over their use of facial recognition technology in stores.

On Tuesday, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) launched a probe into the companies personal information handling practices.

The watchdog has also commenced a preliminary inquiry with The Good Guys, although the consumer electronics retail giant announced on June 28 it has paused the use of facial recognition technology.

The move comes after consumer advocate group CHOICE revealed that out of 25 leading Australian retailers, only three national brands, Kmart, Bunnings and The Good Guyswho run hundreds of stores across the countrywere capturing the biometric information of their customers.

CHOICE consumer data advocate Kate Bower said in a statement that the retail giants use of facial technology is similar to them collecting your fingerprints or DNA every time you shop.

Bower previously said that retail businesses are disproportionate in their over collection of this information, which means that they may be in breach of the Privacy Act.

[The Privacy Act] requires that your collection of that information has to be suitable for the business purpose that youre collecting it for, and that it cant be disproportionate to the harms involved.

A CCTV camera in Pancras Square near Kings Cross Station in London, England, on Aug. 16, 2019. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Employee Protection or Mass Surveillance?

Bunnings chief operating officer Simon McDowell argued that the company has facial recognition in place in order to prevent theft and anti-social behaviour.

This technology is an important measure that helps us to maintain a safe and secure environment for our team and customers, he said.

We let customers know about our use of CCTV and facial recognition technology through signage at our store entrances and also in our privacy policy, which is available on our website.

According to CHOICEs survey, 83 percent of consumers believed retail stores should inform customers about the use of facial recognition at the store entrance, and 78 percent were concerned about the secure storage of faceprint data.

However, some have criticized the use of the technology.

University of Technology Sydney Professor Edward Santow, who focuses on the responsible use of technology, said even if the technology was perfectly, accurate, and its not, but even if it were, it also takes us into the realm of mass surveillance.

And I think there will be great concern in the Australian community about walking down that path, he told CHOICE.

Meanwhile, Dhakshayini Sooriyakumaran, Director of Tech Policy at Reset Australia, an independent think tank working to counter digital threats, said that data-driven decision-making is a kind of philosophy that institutions are adopting across all sectors and industries.

We are living in an economy where data is one of the most valuable resources any institutional entity can actually capture, she told The Epoch Times on June 15.

Government, like corporations, has been trying to fly under the radar and extract as much data as possible.
Beijing Must Acknowledge Its Mistakes: Australian PM

Beijing Must Work Harder for Relations to Normalize

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called on Beijing to admit it was a mistake to impose economic coercion on Australia and to remove trade barriers that have been place since 2020.

The comments by Albanese come days after Australias Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers Summit in Bali, Indonesia on July 8.

There is no reason why Australia, that has a free trade agreement with China, should be the subject of trade sanctions on a range of goodsbarley meat, coal, iron ore, he told Australias national broadcaster, ABC radio, on July 13.

A range of our goods have been the subject of not allowing open markets to operate, and thats placing pressure on those businesses, and China needs to acknowledge that theres no justification for this and remove it.

He said that China should be welcoming Australian produce, which is the best in the world.

Australian produce like meat and wine and seafood is the best in the world. And what they should be doing is welcoming that trade rather than having these ongoing sanctions against it, he said.

Sino-Australian Diplomatic Thaw Moving Slowly

The current diplomatic thaw between Beijing and Canberra appears to be moving at a glacial pace despite some breakthroughs, notably the meeting between Wong and Wangthe first high-level ministerial meeting in almost three years.

Yet, in comments after the meeting, Australian Foreign Minister Wong remained non-committal on whether the relationship could be restored, saying it was just the first step towards resuming relations.

I think it is a fair summation to say we both recognise it is the first step for both our nations. Weve got a path to walk, and you know, well see if it can lead to a better place between the two countries, Wong said.

She said Beijing would make decisions based on its national interests and sovereignty, adding that it was in their interests for bilateral ties to be stabilised.

A point Albanese reiterated to the ABC when asked if there had been any change to the diplomatic relationship since the meeting.

There hasnt been any immediate change. And thats why Penny Wong said very clearly that this was just a step forward. That change would be slow. But Australia will continue to assert our national interests, which are that these sanctions should be removed, he said.

Theres no ambiguity about our position, Albanese said. Well continue to raise human rights issues that Australians have been detained unfairly in China.

Well continue to raise those issues; well continue to raise the economic sanctions that are being held against Australian business. They are costing jobs in Australia and costing economic growth.

Authoritarian Regimes Trying to Reshape World Order

Meanwhile, Australias Shadow Minister for Defence Andrew Hastie warned the Henry Jackson Society conference in the UK that authoritarian powers were on the move and sought to reshape the world order and bend it to their liking.

He called for democratic nations to stand together against coercion.

Andrew Hastie, Liberal MP, speaks at Australian Parliament in May 2018. (Commonwealth of Australia)

Individually, we might be able to resist authoritarian coercionfor a time. But no nation can go it alone, Hastie said. We know this from Down Under. The [Peoples Republic of China] has used economic coercion to compel our political leadership to lift the ban on Huawei and ZTE participation in our 5G network.

Hastie noted that despite the Chinese Embassy leaking a laundry list of strategic demands to Australian media calling for the then-federal government to abide by 14 conditions before diplomatic relations could resumeAustralia had not conceded on any point.

We have only been able to stand firm because of the strength of our relationships across the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. Our values, shared with our friends, have been a force multiplier. And our best strategy is to stand together, he said.
Although new evidenceincluding voicemails proving that Joe Biden was aware of Hunters business dealings, new texts indicating that Joe Biden granted permission for certain financial transactions, and new emails showing that Joe Biden agreed to cover more than $800,000 in legal bills relating to those same business dealingshas surfaced, Attorney General Merrick Garland has refused to provide any update on the ongoing federal tax and finance investigations into Hunter Biden and has dismissed the need to appoint a special counsel. But now, Republican Rep. James Comer has accused the Treasury Department of running interference for the White House in an attempt to stymie efforts to investigate both Hunters and Joe Bidens finances. Comer recently wrote to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, complaining that the Treasury Department is refusing to release Suspicious Activity Reports connected with Hunter Biden or his family and associatesincluding the President.

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President Joe Biden exits the White House and walks to Marine One on the South Lawn, in Washington, D.C., on May 11, 2022. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Bidens Poorly Timed Visit to the Middle East

Commentary

In 1988, five years after calling the Soviet Union an evil empire, President Ronald Reagan visited Moscow where he addressed an audience of students from Moscow State University. At the heart of his speech, Reagan promoted the virtues and success of liberty and his vision that tyranny would ultimately be defeated (recall his other forecast made to the British Parliament in 1982 that the Soviet Union would end up on the ash heap of history).

Contrast those remarks with the current president and his trip to the Middle East. A headline in the Connecticut Post asks the right question: Biden once wanted to make Saudi Arabia a pariah  so why is he playing nice with the kingdoms repressive rulers now?

Biden will meet with Saudi Arabias Prince Mohammed bin Salman (affectionately known as MBS), who has been accused by U.S. intelligence of sending a hit squad to murder journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Apparently feeling the heat of criticism from people opposed to the trip, Biden felt the need to explain himself in an op-ed for The Washington Post.

In it, Biden makes this ludicrous claim: The Middle East Ill be visiting is more stable and secure than the one my administration inherited 18 months ago. He must have forgotten the Abraham Accords, which Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner cobbled together. It normalized relations between Israel and five Arab countries, including Bahrain, the UAE and Morocco, something never before achieved. As usual, Biden gives no credit to Trump.

Speaking of not forgetting, Biden was part of an administration that spent nearly $350,000 supporting a group trying to unseat then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a U.S. Senate investigation. The administration has also been pushing for a nuclear deal with Iran, which has clearly failed and never had a chance of succeeding. Thats because Irans leaders have repeatedly said they are obeying Allahs command to acquire nuclear weapons.

Biden has said he will raise the issue of human rights with MBS. That is unlikely to produce positive results in a nation that has only recently allowed women to drive cars.

Despite the cover-up with noble intentions, this trip is about trying to persuade Saudi Arabia to produce more oil so U.S. gas prices will come down to tolerable levels ahead of the November and 2024 elections. What will the United States get in return? Probably no more than Biden and Obama got from opening diplomatic relations with Cuba.

Last February, Biden telephoned MBS to effectively ask him to pump more oil after he had curbed additional domestic oil production, reversing the much lower gas prices during the Trump administration. Biden seemed to be offering him a dealBiden would provide more so-called defensive weapons for the Saudis to fight the Houthis in Yemen in exchange for more Saudi oil. Reading between the lines of reports about the call, it appeared MBS turned him down.

When Reagan visited Moscow, his approval ratings were 53 percent, according to Gallup. He dealt from a position of strength and moral clarity. Bidens approval numbers (if they can be called that) have declined to a record 33 percent, according to a New York Times/Siena College survey with a majority of Democrats wanting him to be replaced in 2024. Ninety percent of young Democrats want another candidate.

The Middle East has been relatively quiet in recent years. Bidens trip is unlikely to enhance stability and more likely to stir things up again. It has the potential of being a lose-lose for America and for Israel, which would be quite an accomplishment.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Brazil Party Official Shot Dead at Birthday Party Ahead of Heated Election

SAO PAULOA local official from Brazils leftist opposition Workers Party (PT) was shot dead on Saturday by a federal prison guard, according to state law enforcement.

Marcelo Arruda, a municipal guard and PT official, was celebrating his birthday party in the southern Brazilian city of Foz de Iguacu, in the state of Parana, when Jorge Jose da Rocha Guaranho entered the event and shot him dead.

According to a statement from Paranas public security office, Arruda and Guaranho had a disagreement at the birthday party, which resulted in both men being shot. Arruda died, while Guaranho was in intensive care, the statement said.

Previously, the Workers Party had said in a statement that Guaranho also died.

Arrudas death augurs badly ahead of an October general election amid intense political polarization in Brazil.

Aluizio Palmar, a journalist at the party, told Reuters that a man arrived and started screaming in support of right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro.

According to Palmar, the man left but returned about 15 or 20 minutes later, pointing a gun at Arruda.

Arruda ordered him to stop, identifying himself as a member of the security forces.

Both men then opened fire, according to a civil police report and security camera images circulated in local media, which showed them both injured, rolling around on the floor.

Another dear comrade passed away this morning, a victim of intolerance, hatred, and political violence, said the PTs national president, Gleisi Hoffmann, in a statement.

Bolsonaro said on Tuesday there is no justification for the murder. He has also called members of Arrudas family. In his recorded phone call, he suggested they tell the media he shouldnt be blamed for the murder.

Since almost all of the press is on the left, they are basically putting this guys actions on my back, the president told two of Arrudas brothers. The left has made this a political issue.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
People gawking at the sky late Tuesday were entertained by what is believed to be a piece from an old Russian rocket reentering the atmosphere.

Social media lit up after 10 p.m. with people asking if it was a meteor, space junk or some other phenomena from infinity and beyond coursing across the Montana skyline.

Ryan Hannahoe, executive director of the Montana Learning Center at Canyon Ferry, said the exact time of the citing was 10:08 p.m. and he received a text from SpaceWeather.com. explaining what happened.

"This may have been the fuel tank of an old Russian rocket, the text stated. Shortly before the explosion over Montana, the U.S. Department of Defense Space Track website issued a Trajectory Impact Prediction (TIP) message for an object called "BREEZE-M DEB (TANK)."

The above video was provided by Ryan Hannahoe, executive director of the Montana Learning Center at Canyon Ferry.

According to their alert, a Breeze-M fuel tank would fall into Earth's atmosphere "on July 13th at 04:06  52 minutes UT. That fits the timing of the Montana explosion," the text stated.

The fuel tank had been orbiting Earth for almost 10 years. It was part of a rocket that launched Russia's Yamal 402 geostationary communications satellite on Dec. 8, 2012, SpaceWeather.com, which tilted a posting about the incident "Space junk over Montana," said in its text. They said that recent increases in solar activity accelerated its orbital decay, finally bringing it down in a fiery display."

Hannahoe said he had not heard reports of the tank making a rough landing on Earth.

Thankfully most of the Earth is water so it lands in ocean, he said.

He said the Montana Learning Center was able to capture the flaming image as it flew by. He said they have a seven-camera system that points skyward and the image was caught on three of the cameras.

The spectacle was reportedly seen pretty much throughout the state as people in Helena, Billings, Great Falls and Missoula weighed in on social media as well.

But not everyone as at least one person on Facebook was disappointed she missed it.

Man, I picked the wrong night to go to bed early, she said.
Trees bloom on the campus of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, on April 16, 2008. (Christopher Capozziello/Getty Images)

Breaking Our Addiction to Prestige

Commentary

Bari Weiss, late of The New York Times opinion pages, was catapulted to celebrity when her letter of resignation from the NY Times went viral in 2020.

In that letter, Weiss chronicled the process of her disillusionment with a newspaper that had jettisoned journalismthe patient uncovering and articulation of factsfor a brittle, frenetic embrace of an orthodoxy already known to an enlightened few.

Weiss, a sinewy, independent-minded journalist, was brought into the NY Times to expand the stable and political coloration of contributors to its op-ed pages.

She left when she realized that the paper had succumbed to a spirit of febrile intolerance that made genuine diversity impossible.

The demonization of Tom Cotton, a sitting U.S. senator, by NY Times reporters because he wrote an op-ed calling for a military response to the Black Lives Matter/Antifa protests sweeping the country in the summer of 2020, was a prime exhibit.

Weiss has once more been making waves with the publication of The New Founders America Needs, a lecture she recently delivered at the University of Austin, one of several new educational initiatives that have risen up in an effort to haul away and replace the rotting carcass of Ivy, Inc.

Much that Weiss says will be familiar to anyone who has been paying attention to critics of that decadent establishment.

The toniest colleges and universities, she points out, have replaced the pursuit of truth with the celebration of various politically correct attitudes.

While the brand-name schools have the money, Weiss notes, they no longer have the mission. They have fundamentally abandoned the point of the university: the pursuit of truth.

Indeed. They have subordinated open debate to a regime of intellectual and moral conformity.

They have fostered an atmosphere of illiberal intolerance that subverts healthy curiosity and poisons the habit of collegiality.

None of these points is novel.

But The New Founders America Needs has rightly attracted attention partly because of its clear-headed articulation of home truths, and partly because Weiss is herself a political liberal.

There was a time when most of the trenchant criticism of the American higher education establishment came from the conservative side of the aisle.

The genre might be said to have been inaugurated in 1951 by God and Man at Yale, William F. Buckley Jr.s scorched-earth attack on collectivism, atheism, and moral relativism at his alma mater.

In succeeding decades, criticism of the moral, political, and intellectual failings of American higher education, especially in its ivy or ivy-adjacent dispensation, became a hardy perennial among pundits identified as conservative.

Readers with long memories will recall the apoplexy occasioned by Education Secretary William Bennetts To Reclaim a Legacy: A Report on the Humanities in Higher Education in 1984 or Allan Blooms surprise No. 1 bestseller The Closing of the American Mind in 1987.

By 1989, when my own contribution to the discussion, Tenured Radicals: How Politics Has Corrupted Our Higher Education, was published, most of the arguments for and against had been made and made again.

I have always thought, however, that the term conservative was generally misapplied to critics of higher education.

Politically conservative, some of those critics may have been.

Buckley, especially in his younger, polemical days, was quick to claim the mantle of conservatism, as were other prominent writers on the subjectthe late English philosopher Sir Roger Scruton, for example.

But many of the most thoughtful reflections on what has happened to this important institution have, in fact, come from the liberal side of the ideological divide.

I think, to take just one example, of Anthony Kronmans Educations End: Why Our Colleges and Universities Have Given Up on the Meaning of Life (2008) and his more recent Assault on American Excellence (2019).

Both of those excellent books are searching in their criticisms and, though written from a broad-church liberal position (Kronman was, after all, dean of the Yale Law School, the belly of the beast), largely consonant with many books by writers identified as conservative.

In the debate over higher educationwhich, writ large, is really a debate over the question How should we live our lives?the labels conservative and liberal are woefully inadequate.

This is the case for at least two reasons.

The philosopher Hannah Arendt put her finger on one reason in her 1954 essay The Crisis in Education. (Have you noticed how education always seems to be in crisis?)

Conservatism, Arendt notes, in the sense of conservation, is of the essence of the educational activity, whose task is always to cherish and protect something.

The real difficulty in modern education, she continues, lies in the fact that  even that minimum of conservation and the conserving attitude without which education is simply not possible is in our time extraordinarily hard to achieve.

How can you move to conserve the past if everywhere around you people are screaming that the past is racist, oppressive, sexist, and patriarchal?

If you regard the past as the enemy, education is impossible.

As Arendt observes, already in the late 1950s, The crisis of authority in education is most closely connected with the crisis of tradition, that is with the crisis in our attitude toward the realm of the past.

Consequently, she concludes, The problem of education in the modern world lies in the fact that by its very nature it cannot forgo either authority or tradition, and yet must proceed in a world that is neither structured by authority nor held together by tradition.

The essentially conservative nature of the process of educationa process that cant abandon the authority of tradition without subverting itselfis one reason that the labels conservative and liberal seem so out of place in the debate over higher education.

Another reason was articulated by the intellectual historian Russell Kirk when he acknowledged that he was conservative because he was a liberal.

That formulation might sound paradoxical. It isnt.

Kirk meant that because he championed such traditionally liberal values as tolerance, open debate, colorblind justice, and the disinterested pursuit of truth, he also sought to conserve the habits and institutions that nourished those values.

Liberal ambitions require a conservative temperament.

Conservative values require liberal safeguards.

As I say, all these points are common coin in the debate over higher education.

Nonetheless, they deserve to be repeated.

Looking back to the bedrock principles of the American founding, Weiss adduces 10 desiderata for the new founders she wishes to recruit in her campaign.

Again, many will be familiar.

To be a founder in 21st-century America, she says, means to reject the politics of resentment, to defend the rule of law, to defend freedom of speech.

Hurrah for those ambitions.

But perhaps her most original demandand among the most difficult to accomplishis No. 4: To be a founder means to break your addiction to prestige.

In other words, she adds, Worship God more than Yale.

Weiss touches here on an issue thats both critical and under-appreciated in the metabolism not only of education, but in cultural life more generally.

Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, and their near rivals are intellectually bankrupt.

Yet parents are willing to climb naked over broken glass to send their children, at stupefying expense, to these soul-blighting, character-corrupting institutions. Why?

The same can be said about the toniest primary and secondary schools.

Most are entirely captive to an ethic of political correctness and identity politics thats completely at odds with the moral and educational goals laid forth in their charters.

Something similar is true of other premier cultural institutions in America today.

Why do people think that publishing in or being written about in The New York Times is more important than appearing in, for example, The Epoch Times?

The latter is a hundred times more reliable and more genuinely diverse than the former, but elite opinion wont acknowledge that.

The goal of breaking our addiction to prestige is one of the paramount tasks that face those wishing to foster cultural renewal.

A lot more needs to be said about what that would entail, but were all in Weisss debt for raising the flag of that ambition.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
California Tax Preparer Defrauds $50 Million for Clients: Judge

SANTA ANA, Calif.A Buena Park tax preparer has been ordered by a federal judge to stop assisting anyone in submitting tax returns after it was determined he helped clients claim more than $50 million in bogus refunds, according to the judges ruling, which was made public Wednesday.

U.S. District Judge David O. Carter enjoined Jose Pineda and his businessAnaheim-based ABK Income Tax & Travel Inc.from helping to file federal tax returns and other tax-related services, according to the U.S. Dept. of Justice.

Federal authorities alleged in a civil complaint that Pineda and his business filed fraudulent tax returns from 2013 through 2020. The tax preparers would add fictitious or ineligible dependents to get higher tax refunds, officials alleged.

Most of the clients were Spanish-speaking immigrants who were unaware of the fraud and did not understand what was claimed, authorities said.

The investigators claimed in the complaint that from 2016 through 2020 the business prepared about 22,340 federal income tax returns with 89 percent seeking refunds that amounted to a total of $51,899,961.

Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorneys Office, said federal prosecutors could not comment on whether there is a criminal probe into the allegations.
Passengers lineup at the check in counter at Pierre Elliott Trudeau airport, in Montreal, June 29, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Ryan Remiorz)

Canada to Resume Mandatory Random COVID Testing for Vaccinated Air Travellers

Random testing of fully vaccinated travellers arriving at Canadas major airports will start anew on July 19, after the government paused the measure amid industry pressure and airport chaos.

As we have said all along, Canadas border measures will remain flexible and adaptable, guided by science and prudence, said Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos in a July 14 statement.

We need to keep border testing measures in place because that is how we track importation of the COVID-19 virus, and of new variants of concern.

The measure will affect travellers arriving at airports in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, and Toronto.

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) says the suspension was part of a strategy to move the testing for COVID-19 outside of airports.

Testing will now take place by in-person appointments at select testing providers and pharmacies, or through a virtual appointment for a self-swab test.

The government suspended random testing on June 11, amid mounting industry and political pressure over border restrictions and lengthy delays in understaffed airports.

Three days later, the government announced it was also suspending the vaccine mandate for the federal workforce and federally-regulated sectors.

PHAC says testing at borders is important to monitor the importation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and identify new variants. It also says the measure is essential to help slow the spread of the virus.
Chair of the Senate committee on Human Rights Senator Salma Ataullahjan and committee member Senator Yvonne Boyer are seen during a news conference on the report on forced and coerced sterilization, on July 14, 2022 in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

Canadian Senators Call for Compensation for Survivors of Forced Sterilization

Canadian senators of the human rights committee have released a report on incidents of forced or coerced sterilization in Canada while recommending the government apologize and compensate the victims.

For most people, the idea of being forcibly stripped of your ability to conceive is unthinkable, in fact, horrifying. But this disturbing practice has a long history in this country, and it persists today, said Conservative Senator Salma Ataullahjan during a press conference announcing the committees report on July 14.

The report, The Scars That We Carry: Forced and Coerced Sterilization of Persons in Canada  Part II, is based on the testimonies of women who have come forward to share their experiences.

The committee heard testimony from nine witnesses who say they are survivors of unwanted sterilization.

The victims will surprise no one: indigenous, black, racialized, and disabled women have borne the brunt of this inhumane treat, said Ataullahjan.

Senator Yvonne Boyer of the Independent Senators Group said all the survivors who testified relayed how they were sterilized without their free and informed consent.

Survivor Louise Delisle testified of being subjected to a partial hysterectomy without her knowledge or consent after giving birth at age 15.

She says she recalls hearing the doctor who delivered her baby say I dont want to see this girl back here again having kid after kid and going through this and maybe worse. We wont be in this position again.

Delisle said she found out about the hysterectomy after marrying at age 29 and consulting with a fertility clinic due to her inability to conceive.

Recourse

The report acknowledges the lack of data to better circumscribe the scope of the issue, but Boyer says her office has been acting as a clearinghouse to collect data.

Boyer says her office conducted anecdotal research with other researchers in Canada and found 12,000 cases. She also noted over 100 individuals have joined a class action lawsuit in Saskatchewan. Class action lawsuits have also been launched in most other provinces.

We know that this has occurred for a long time and my office does get calls on a regular basis about it still occurring, Boyer said.

The report recommends the adoption of legislation to make forced or coerced sterilization an offence under the Criminal Code. Bill S-250, which addresses this issue, had its first reading in the Senate on June 14.

Other recommendations include for the federal government to compensate the victims and issue a formal apology.

It also recommends increased investments in community-based midwifery in northern and remote communities and launching public education campaigns about patients rights.
The new Chief Executive of Hong Kong John Lee Ka-chiu, attended his first meeting with the Legislative Council in Hong Kong on July 6, 2022. (Sung Pi-lung/The Epoch Times)

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Limits Questions During 1st Q&A With LegCo

The new Chief Executive of Hong Kong, John Lee Ka-chiu, attended his first meeting with the Legislative Council (LegCo) as leader on July 6, 2022.

The Chief Executives Office wrote to the LegCo, suggesting members focus on only seven areas of public concern.

His suggestions raised questions about LegCos ability to supervise the government.

In an interview with The Epoch Times, Scholar Chung Kim-wah said that Lees approach is ugly.'

Chung also speculated that Lee was trying to take an easy road to dodge difficult questions and avoid embarrassing himself.

He also suspected that Lee would use the Q&A to please the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The Administration Wing wrote to LegCo on July 4, 2022, to propose focusing on only seven public concerns in the Q&A.

The seven concerns are China Leader Xi Jinpings speech on Hong Kong, land and housing supply, pandemic measures, the citys overseas promotion, information and technology, youth development, and environmental hygiene.

Tik Chi-yuen, a self-claimed non-pro-government member, criticized Lees approach. Tik said it was unacceptable and unsatisfactory; Tik believed such limitation would hurt the chief executives image, while the public might see it as a lack of confidence. Rules on questions also would interfere with members freedom to speak.

At noon on July 5, 2022, LegCo Chairman Leung Kwan-yin defended Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu when he met with reporters. Leung stated, It has been standard practice that the LegCo Chief Secretary consults with the CEs office on what to discuss in advance.

Leung mentioned that while the former CEO did not specify any restrictions, he did not consider Lees request an administrative bully. On the contrary, it showed mutual respect.

Lee Does Not Want to Make a Fool of Himself

Chung Kim-wah, a former assistant professor of applied social sciences at the Polytechnic University, said the Q&A approach is ugly. He suspected that the office would have given LegCo members a heads up, so they would know what to do.

Chung explained, Based on Lees poor performance and incompetency on elaborating the Anti-extradition Law in 2019, and during the CE election campaign, I guess Lee prefers no surprises so that he can prepare better. If the members ask anything more challenging, Lee worries he might be embarrassed.

Professor Chungs analysis also suggested Lees attempt to use this as an opportunity to butter up the CCP and Xi Jinping.

Former LegCo assistant said pro-Beijing DAB party was given cheat sheets in previous Q&A.

Former district councilor Ben Lam Siu-pan, who worked at LegCo for five-and-a-half years, said the previous two chief executive offices provided cheat sheets to LegCo members.

A member of the DAB party once left his cheat sheet on his seat, which the democratic party members later discovered.

Lam also thought the incident reflected John Lees delusion: Being chief executive means having the highest power, and neither Lee nor his office would require LegCos independent supervision.
Rod Colwell, CEO of Controlled Thermal Resources (R), and Tracy Sizemore, the company's global director of battery materials, walk along geothermal mud pots near the shore of the Salton Sea, where the company is mining for lithium, in Niland, Calif., on July 15, 2021. (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Photo)

Chinas Dominance in Rare Earth Processing Leaves US Defense Industry Vulnerable: Expert

As China already controls more than 85 percent of the global market for refining rare earth minerals, the U.S. defense industry could run into trouble if the imports of these elements are halted, according to Luisa Moreno, president of Defense Metals, a Vancouver-based mineral exploration company.

Rare earth minerals are used in various industries, according to Moreno, including in defense applications such as missiles, in agriculture to make fertilizers, and in medicine.

If China was to stop exporting these critical elements to the United States, there will definitely be a crisis where we will not have them for some of the military applications, she recently told Epoch TVs China Insider.

Rare earth minerals are also vital for an array of green technologies.

In green tech applications, they are used to make permanent magnet motors used in current lighted motors for electric vehicles as well as wind turbines, Moreno said.

And thus, she pointed out, the rest of the world is dependent on China for its transition to green technology.

The U.S., for instance, needs these elements for electric vehicles to make permanent magnet motors and electric motors that go into electric vehicles. So  there are many other elements that are controlled by China, Moreno said.

China also leads the world in technologies for processing rare earth.

China has spent decades researching promising technologies and exploring within the [countrys] boundaries, as well as outside, for these deposits, she said. And they have the technologies, and they are currently the experts in [the] processing of rare earth.

Moreno also pointed to the Mountain Pass mine in California, the only U.S. rare earth mining site.

They produce a concentrate, mineral concentrate before the rare earths are extracted, she said of the mine. And that is exported to China, where it is further processed into a chemical compound and then separated into elements.

So that is essentially where China is getting a lot of other rare minerals to be processed.

Curbing Dependence on China

Moreno said that given the increasing demand for rare earth around the globe, China is not going to be able to perpetually supply the world with the rare earth that we need for the various applications.

The Chinese Communist Party has explored the possibility of limiting the export of rare earth minerals that are used in American F-35 fighter jets and other advanced weaponry, Financial Times reported last year.

Thus, the expert urged that the United States and its allies ramp up producing rare earth on their own to mitigate their reliance on China.

Canada, United States together with the various deposits, could potentially with significant investments bring about more production of a mining of rare earth beyond what we have right now, in Mountain Pass, and then build the supply chain to be able to separate the elements and make metals out of them and compounds, Moreno said.

Its important for governments in Canada, the United States, Europe, and others to support junior mining companies so that they can develop their projects and support the development of supply chains. Because if that does not happen together with the capital markets, we might end up in severe scarcity outside China for these elements.
Activists set up a mock Uyghur forced labor camp outside the Apple flagship store in Washington, D.C., on March 4, 2022, to call on Apple to stop using Uyghur forced labor. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images)

Chinas Stars Dim for Investors

Commentary

By strangling the Chinese economy and crushing human rights, President Xi Jinping is rapidly turning China into a bad gamble for Western investors and multinational corporations.

Chinas dictator has run into increasing, if carefully expressed, criticism from top-profile figures within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)including Premier Li Keqiangover Xis ideological struggle to promote state capitalism alongside his quixotic and increasingly troubled zero-COVID policy.

Due to Chinas increasingly difficult regulatory environment, UBS, the largest private investment bank in the world, has already dropped Chinas gross domestic product growth rate estimate this year from 5.5 percent to 3.0 percenthardly what the world thinks of as Chinese levels of growth. Li has publicly stated that this drop in the growth rate is unacceptable, especially as the economy hasnt slowed this badly since 1990.

Before Xi, Chinas economic growth was much higher. Chinas average annual GDP growth rate under Yang Shangkun (19881993) was 8.6 percent; under Jiang Zemin (19932002), it was 9.8 percent; and under Hu Jintao (20022012), it was 10.4 percent.

Yet Xi managed just 6.5 percent even before COVID-19, a growth rate more typical of Latin America than the world-dominating power Xi hopes China will become. In fact, Chinas economic growth rate has been on a downward trend ever since Xi assumed his role as the general secretary of the CCP. It peaked at 7.9 percent in 2012 and declined every year as he ran down the relatively free-market economy he inherited, hitting just 2.3 percent growth in 2020.

The problem is Xis adherence to a state-dominated ideology rooted in Communist Chinas founder Mao Zedongs socialist vision, and this has led him to clash with top party officials such as Li and Vice Premier Liu He.

They have recently clashed on issues ranging from tech policy regulations to crackdowns on private education to capricious and brutal COVID-19 restrictions. Both the premier and vice premier have stated that they supported the development and public stock listings of technology companies, a rare frank rebuke to a sitting leader.

Xi continues to attack both human freedom and economic prosperity. This year, hes been pressuring top leaders within the CCP to speed up regulations for technology companies to enable his authoritarian vision of a complete surveillance network over his people to protect his increasingly unpopular reign.

For example, China implemented a personal information protection law in 2021, which is a threat to technology companies currently operating within China. This led companies such as Microsoft to shut down its LinkedIn service there in the same year, citing compliance requirements.

LinkedIns shutdown brings an end to the last major Western social media site operating in China, as other major social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and WhatsApp have already been blocked within the country.

James Zimmerman, an American lawyer based in the Beijing office of law firm Perkins Coie LLP, stated that Chinese markets have become less and less palatable for Western companies due to the reputational risks of operating in an environment with extreme content censorship, and tighter regulatory conditions. In other words, dancing for authoritarian regimes that murder their own people apparently is bad for business.

Meanwhile, just this month, Xi doubled down on his zero-COVID policy and implemented new lockdowns with mass testing drives in Shanghai and Beijing, just a week after numerous cities were finally breathing free after previous restrictions were eased. This has forced businesses to shut down and has been disrupting supply chains and has put Chinese jobs at risk.

Xis authoritarianism is attracting increasing backlash overseas. Numerous Western nations, such as the United States, Canada, and those in the European Union, imposed sanctions on China for its ongoing genocide against Uyghur Muslims, among the largest internment of ethnic and religious minorities since World War II.

Forty-four countries, including the United States, the UK, and most of Western Europe, released a joint statement stating, We will continue to stand together to shine a spotlight on Chinas human rights violations. We stand united and call for justice for those suffering in Xinjiang.

Meanwhile, China has even begun hunting down Uyghurs abroad, receiving help from countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates to silence criticism of Chinas genocidal policies toward Muslims.

Although Chinas actions are both wicked and heartbreaking, it isnt surprising given its past actions in Tibet and Inner Mongolia.

For many years, there has been an ongoing debate among multinational corporations about the ethics of doing business in China. That has become increasingly more contentious as China has sent over 1 million ethnic Uyghurs into forced labor camps.

Between Xis authoritarianism and his economic policies that are moving China toward a more centrally planned economy, doing business in China is no longer a question of trading morals for profits. Rather, it is increasingly clear that Xi is killing Chinas golden goose, and multinationals need to accelerate moves to less risky, less immoral, and less ideologically hostile nationswhether Thailand, Mexico, or Kenya, or back home in the United States.

Xis adherence to Maoist socialism will continue to make the economic and human rights issues plaguing China only worse in the future, making it harder and harder for foreign firms to operate there. Companies owe it to shareholders to get out of China on their own terms before Xi forces them out on his.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

Peter St. Onge Follow Peter St. Onge is an economic research fellow in the Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation. He holds a doctorate in economics from George Mason University and is a former professor at Taiwans Feng Chia University. He blogs at ProfitsOfChaos.com
Chinese Applicants to UK Universities up 60 Percent in 3 Years, Raising Fears of Over-Reliance

The number of Chinese applicants to British universities has risen by almost 60 percent in three years to a record 31,400, raising fears that UK institutions have become overly reliant on China.

The number of Chinese applicants is over 8,000 more than the number of applications from all 27 countries of the European Union, which was the biggest source of overseas demand before last year, according to the university admissions service UCAS.

In total, 135,000 international students have applied to UK universities this year, an increase of 3 percent on 2021. They account for nearly 20 percent of all applicants.

China is now by far the biggest overseas market for UK universities, with the number of Chinese applicants rising by 10 percent from last year alone.

By contrast, the number of applicants from the EU fell by 54 percent to 23,160 between 2019 and 2022, as EU students face higher tuition fees after Brexit.

Geopolitical Risks

Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, expressed concerns over British universities over-reliance on China for funding.

To me, its a great thing that so many Chinese people want to study in the UK, but it does put our universities at serious risk of shifting geopolitics, he told The Telegraph.

If there was a shift in UKChina relations, British universities would be a big loser and will do less research, he said.

British lawmakers have raised concerns about efforts by the Chinese Communist Party regime to influence academic freedom in UK university campuses.

In June, backbench MPs from across the political spectrum proposed an amendment to the Higher Education Bill that would outlaw the Chinese regime-funded Confucius Institutes if they are seen to curb freedom of speech and academic studies.

The government also introduced its own amendments to curb foreign influence on campuses, under which universities will be sanctioned if they allow China to influence what is said on campus.

PLA Funding

Problematic Chinese funding also originates from the Chinese military, The Times of London reported in February.

The number of research collaborations between UK scientists and Chinese institutes with deep connections to the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) has tripled to more than 1,000 in six years, according to an investigation conducted by the paper.

Since 2015, British universities have accepted 240 million ($325 million) from Chinese institutions, many of which have close links to the PLA.

British academics have collaborated with military-linked Chinese universities on sensitive dual-use research, involving technology that can be used for both military and civilian purposes, including drones, electromagnetic technology that can fire projectiles, aerospace materials, radar, jamming equipment, and high-performance batteries, the report said.
University students queue to receive COVID-19 vaccines at a university in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, on April 27, 2021. (STR/AFP)

Chinese City of Wuhan Reports Cholera Case, Communist Youth League Tries Blaming US

Health authorities in central Chinas megacity Wuhan confirmed a rare case of cholera on Monday days after a university student came down sick with the disease.

On Saturday, a student in the dormitory of the Engineering School of Wuhan University was diagnosed as having cholera. The campus was immediately shut down and the entire dormitory building was disinfected. Anal swab tests were conducted on all students in the building.

An owner of a store in the dormitory area of Wuhan University told The Epoch Times on Monday that the school has been closed since the day before, and was not allowing outsiders to enter.

A female doctor at the emergency department of Wuhan University Hospital said that she had not yet received any official notification, but the school was already tracing contacts. As to how long the investigation and testing would last, they are still waiting for an official notice from the Wuhan Health Commission.

Cholera is an acute diarrheal infection caused by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with Vibrio cholerae.

Wuhan University issued a reminder on the prevention of intestinal infectious diseases in summer on its official website on Sunday, requesting anyone who had symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting to report to the university clinic immediately.

The case sparked public concern and became a top search on Chinese social media, while the country is amid a resurgence of COVID-19.

A netizen said in a post, Why is it Wuhan again?

Another said: These last couple of years life has been turbulent; now this, how can we get on with our lives?

Another post read: Im so worried that Ill have to show a negative 48-hour anal swab certificate when I go to the supermarket in the future.

Blaming the US

Meanwhile, the Chinese communist regime has tried to shift the blame for the Cholera case onto the United States.

The Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)s Youth League posted on its official Weibo account a report of a supposed Russian investigation that claimed the United States was carrying out human experiments in the Kharkiv mental hospital in Ukraine. The claims also accused the United States of collecting and sorting out Cholera pathogen in Mariupol, and developing Biological Weapons in labs in Ukraine.

No specific information about the alleged Russian investigation was given in the post.

Echoing the Youth Leagues accusation, pro-regime Chinese net citizens posted about the visit of U.S. ambassador to China, Robert Nicholas Burns, to Wuhan University on June 13, saying cholera cases appeared soon after Burns visit.

They claimed in their posts that the U.S. ambassador is suspected of poisoning, and the United States has been causing a lot of harm to people.

A memorable visit to #Wuhan University with President Dou. Good to see the revival of educational collaboration with major American universities. @WHUni_Official pic.twitter.com/SMeBmzWWRI  Ambassador Nicholas Burns (@USAmbChina) June 13, 2022

However, other Chinese netizens countered the claims, pointing out: Why would a U.S. ambassador do something like poisoning? Dont imagine such things. The student got infected by dining in a restaurant outside the university.

Previously, the Chinese regime has also tried to shift the blame for causing the COVID-19 pandemic to other countries such as the United States, by claiming that the virus came from U.S. military personnel who attended the 2019 Military World Games in Wuhan and from the packages of imported frozen food from Europe.

Gao Miao and Hong Ning contributed to the report.
Two officials from the Chinese Embassy (2/R) and (C) listen to US Vice-President Kamala Harris speak via video-link to the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) in Suva, Fiji, on July 13, 2022. (WILLIAM WEST/AFP via Getty Images)

Chinese Officials Evicted From Pacific Forum Address

Two Chinese officials were discovered secretly attending an address by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris to the Pacific Islands Forum.

The officials were sitting with the media contingent before a reporter from The Guardian newspaper recognized the two males. When questioned on whether they were representing Xinhua News Agency or the Chinese Embassy, one man just shook his head.

The reporter notified Fijian police, who then removed the two men from the event.

An official from the Chinese Embassy is asked to leave the media area as U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks via video link to the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) in Suva, Fiji, on July 13, 2022. (William West/AFP via Getty Images)

It was later revealed that one man was the defense attache and the other the deputy defense attache at the Fijian Chinese Embassy.

Nations outside the Pacific Islands Forum membership usually arent invited to attend the event. In fact, Harriss address to the Forum was a rare exception.

US Ups the Ante in the Pacific

Harriss announcement of the diplomatic offensive is being viewed as an attempt to wrest back influence over the Pacific. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and democratic nations have been locked in an ongoing diplomatic tug of war over the region.

The Biden administration, going forward, will dispatch the Peace Corps to the region, establish embassies in Kiribati and Tonga, appoint the first-ever U.S. Envoy to the Forum, and look at reestablishing a U.S. Agency for International Development Regional Mission for the Pacific to deal with natural disasters and humanitarian aid.

Read More VP Harris Pledges Support to Pacific Leaders, Announces New Strategy

The history and the future of the Pacific Islands and the United States are inextricably linked. We have historic bonds going back generations, Harris said during her address.

US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks via video link to the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) in Suva, Fiji, on July 13, 2022. (William West/AFP via Getty Images)

We recognize in recent years, the Pacific Islands may not have received the diplomatic attention and support that you deserve. Today, I am here to tell you directly we are going to change that.

Australian and New Zealand leaders were also in attendance.

Listening to Pacific Leaders and Their Concerns

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised to bring positive energy to the event and touted his governments openness to listening to the Pacifics concerns on climate change.

Ive spoken about treating countries with respect. What that means is not just talking but listening, he told reporters on July 13. We have, as human beings, two ears and one mouth for a reasonbecause we should use the ears twice as much as we use our mouth. If you do that, youll learn from each other.

Days earlier, Defence Minister Richard Marles said Pacific leaders were more concerned with climate change than China.

The Pacific has been clear in saying that geopolitical competition is of lesser concern to them than the threat of rising sea levels, economic insecurity, and transnational crime. Australia respects and understands this position. And we are listening, Marles told the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

Cashing in on Climate Change Movement

Yet Eric Louw, a retired professor of political communication and expert in affirmative action, said leaders of developing countries could simply be exploiting Western sentiments around climate change and guilt around colonialism.

Unfortunately, the Left has so widely propagated this anticolonial mythology that it is becoming almost impossible to have a sensible discussion about the age of imperialism, he wrote in The Epoch Times.

In a separate piece, Louw referenced the ongoing geopolitical competition between democratic nations and Beijing.

During the Cold War days, corrupt politicians in weak, underdeveloped countries from the Pacific to Africa, and Latin America to Asia got rich playing the two sides off against each other, he wrote.

In recent months, this competition has heated up with the signing of a security pact between the Solomon Islands and Beijing that could open the door for the CCP to station troops, weapons, and even naval ships in the region.

Albanese declared on July 14 that he was very confident that Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare wouldnt allow that to happen.

I sat with him at dinner last night. One of the things we need to do is build personal relations between Australia and our friends in the Pacific, he told Channel Nine. We need to be prepared to listen to what they have to say, be prepared to assist in their development. But also be prepared to advocate, as my government is, action on issues of concern to them.
Islam is compatible with democracy and religious pluralism, as the recent cultural and political reformations in Indonesia have proved. Will other Muslim-majority nations take notice? And will Civil Islam help young Muslims stay Muslim? []

The rise of Islamic extremism in France, the reemergence of the Taliban in Afghanistan, and the recent drift toward Islamist politicspolitical efforts to enforce an orthodox interpretation of Islam on societyin Turkey have revived the debate about Islams relationship with democracy and liberty. French president Emmanuel Macron wants to build an Islam in France that can be compatible with the Enlightenment. The Taliban, on the other hand, have made it clear that there is no basis for a democratic system in Islam, with sharia law being absolute; in Afghanistan, there will be only Sharia law and that is it. Neither Macrons insistence on creating an enlightened Islam nor the Talibans high-handedness in implementing sharia offers a workable solution. Contrary to these singular approaches, Indonesia, the largest Muslim-majority country and the unlikeliest democracy in the world, provides us with an example of how Islam is, indeed, compatible with representative government and liberty and able to reconcile with native cultures.

Indonesias total population is 255 million, 87.2% of whom are officially Muslim. The country came into the limelight after its successful transition to democracy in the face of Islamist politics across the Muslim world. According to Freedom House, Indonesia is enjoying significant pluralism in politics and the media and undergoing multiple, peaceful transfers of power between parties after the fall of an authoritarian regime in 1998. The successful transition of Indonesia leads to the question, How did Indonesia reconcile with Islam?

The role of two Muslim social welfare organizations, the Muhammadiyah (est. 1912), with over 25 million members, and the Nahdlatul Ulama (est. 1926), with over 90 million members, is considered to be extraordinarily important in reconciling Islam with democracy. These two organizations are known as democracy-and-pluralism-enhancing civic associations. The leadership and members of these organizations remain committed to constitutional democracy and civic pluralism, which has led to what Robert Hefner calls Civil Islam.

Hefner argues that Civil Islam is based upon three broad principles: first, that democracy does not require complete separation between religious institutions and state authority; second, that Civil Islam affords state-societal collaborations, and simultaneously discourages both Islamists and secularists; and third, that the core value of Civil Islam is the notion that democracy is neither inherently Western nor liberal but rather a modern and trans-civilizational instrument to negotiate social difference in a world of diverse communities and interests. Such an approach to understanding Islam positions the religion as a path to spiritual perfection, not as a supremacist ideology or a vehicle for the conquest of the world.

Another question raised by the idea of pluralistic Islam is how was the notion of Civil Islam created and fostered in Indonesian society? The available literature suggests that the leaders of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) started producing core scholarship that focused on both Islamic ethics and pluralist democracy. Reforms rooted in this scholarship expanded and increased in the 1990s during Indonesias massive socio-political transformations. The majority of Indonesian Muslim thinkers and politicians from the 1990s onward promoted an interpretation of Islam that intended to imbricate its core values and practices with modern and democratic norms such as religiously undifferentiated citizenship.

In 2004, Abdurrahman Wahid, a former president and chairman of the NU, founded The Wahid Institute, for the promotion of Civil Islam. Similarly, Yahya Cholil Staquf, chairman of the Executive Council of Nahdlatul Ulama, cofounded Bayt ar-Rahmah li ad-Dawa al-Islamiyah Rahmatan li al-Alamin (Home of Divine Grace for Revealing and Nurturing Islam as a Blessing for All Creation) in 2014 and the Institute for Humanitarian Islam and Center for Shared Civilizational Values in 2021 to spread the idea that Islam is for everyone. In short, Indonesian Civil Islam opposes the orthodox Islamic interpretations of a global caliphate, blasphemy laws, and the use of the term kafir (infidel) for non-Muslims in the context of state life, because both Muslims and non-Muslims have equal rights under the Indonesian constitution. It further advocated ideas such as more education for women and the incorporation of science, history, and other secular disciplines into Islamic schools.

The lasting implications of such reforms can be gauged by the fact that in 1955 religious parties with an aim to establish an Islamic state won more than 40% of the total vote in Indonesia. However, in elections held since 1999, religious parties with an agenda to impose sharia could capture only 20% or less of the vote. The national elections of 2019 showed the continuity of this trend.

Despite the progressiveness of Indonesian Civil Islam, the country has a controversial blasphemy provisionArticle 156a of the Dutch-inspired Criminal Code, which criminalizes the expression of hostility, hatred or contempt against a religious group and deviant interpretations of religious teachings. Indonesia has also recently witnessed the rise of Islamist politics. In 2016, Defending Islam rallies against former Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama were attended by more than one million people. These rallies were jointly organized by several groups, including the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) and the Hizb ut-Tahrir Indonesia (HTI). However, in 2009, Abdurrahman Wahid urged his country to repeal Article 156a, saying God needs no defense. In other words, despite the challenges posed by both local and transnational Islamist organizations, Indonesias Civil Islam continues to adhere to its principles of inclusivity, freedom, and tolerance.

Some Muslim scholars have been making a case for a democratic theory for Muslim societies, and the successful democratization of Indonesia further strengthens their project. However, there are still some questions about the viability and long-term implications of Indonesias Civil Islam in foreign cultures.

First, from a democratic theory standpoint, Indonesias inclusive interpretation of Islam emerged organically from society. There was never one strongman with a singular understanding of Islam who affected change. Rather, Indonesias Civil Islam has always been about public intellectuals, communities, and peoples participation in government. In other words, the largest Muslim civic organization in Indonesia was not an institutional weapon like so many other Islamist groups across the Muslim world, in that it did not try to impose an orthodox religious interpretation on the people.

Second, the mere presence or participation of civic organizations in any society does not necessarily lead to democratization. Such organizationsand the people who run themhave to be grounded in the principles of equality and liberty. For instance, the fundamental Quranic principle of liberty that there is no compulsion in religion (2:256) has been at the heart of Indonesias democratic evolution.

Civil Islam can be a model for the Muslim world not as a political doctrine but as an alternative framework for an inclusive interpretation of Islam. As a moral and spiritual force, it does not denounce the cultural capital of societies; rather, it affords the reconciliation of local cultures with global realities. This reconciliation is important; as the cases of Afghanistan and Turkey demonstrate, any attempt by Islamists to strip away local culture leads to a serious identity crisis and democracy suffers in the long run.

Finally, as in Indonesia, the project of introducing Civil Islam to the greater Muslim world has to be carried out by local civil society and public intellectuals for the evolution and development of a discourse on pluralistic religious understandings. For this there has to be a sustained and extensive interaction between Indonesians and those who wish to import the Civil Islam paradigm. There must be conferences, internships and workshops, seminars, and student study-abroad programs to promote the free exchange of ideas. Young Muslims are leaving Islam because of the prevailing religious orthodoxy in countries such as Turkey. As a Muslim, I believe Indonesias Civil Islam can help reassure young Muslims about the compatibility of liberty and their religion, which will only strengthen Islam worldwide.
Cutting-edge applications of artificial intelligence are seen on display at the Artificial Intelligence Pavilion of Zhangjiang Future Park during a state-organized media tour in Shanghai, China, on June 18, 2021. (Andrea Verdelli/Getty Images)

Chinese Researchers Develop New AI Tech to Screen Loyalty of Communist Party Members

Millions of Chinese officials were investigated in the past 10 years amid Beijing's anti-corruption campaign

News Analysis

Chinese researchers recently developed artificial intelligence technology that can gauge Chinese officials loyalty to the ruling Communist Party. The technology could be a tool for Beijings anti-corruption campaign to monitor further and purge corrupt Party members, indicating the regimes growing fear of losing its legitimacy and power.

More than 4.7 million officials at all levels were investigated, subjected to various forms of disciplinary punishment, or prosecuted in the past 10 years, according to data released by Chinas top watchdog, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), on June 20.

Beijings anti-corruption campaign was initialed in November 2012, when Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping first came to power.

Political corruption is the biggest corruption. Some corrupt elements have formed interest groups in the hope of stealing power from the party and the state, according to state-run media Xinhua.

State-Sponsored AI Tech, Digital Authoritarianism

The Institute of Artificial Intelligence at Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center in eastern Chinas Anhui Province published a post, claiming that it developed technology that could directly support the CCP. A wonderful connection between AI and construction of the CCP, it touted on its official WeChat account on July 1, the 101st anniversary of the founding of the CCP.

The post included a video showing a man walking into an equipment room labeled Smart Political Thinking Bar, then sitting in front of a computer with a touch screen to take a test. After completing the test, his test score and analysis chart appeared on the screen.

The test, catered to Communist Party members, covers content taught in Party schools, including political indoctrination such as Xi Jinping Thought, communism, socialism, CCP history, and current policies and regulations.

The video introduced a device that could use AI technology to extract the biometric features of CCP members, including facial expressions, electroencephalography, and dermatological features, among others.

After integrating and analyzing personal data, it would evaluate how a person was able to understand the content he/she studied, such as gauging the level of concentration, recognition, and mastery of the various subjects.

The device can successfully integrate AI technology into the organizational life of CCP members, said the researchers in the short film. The organizational life refers to behaviors the CCP imposes on its members, such as proving ones loyalty to the Party.

The research team said it designed the AI device for building up the CCP ahead of the 20th Communist Party Congress. The Partys most important political meeting is expected to be held at the end of this year, which will determine whether Xi can secure a third term.

At the time of writing, the WeChat post was taken down.

However, it had been widely shared on social media before it was removed, triggering public criticism of the use of AI to monitor ideological indoctrination, with some denouncing it as technological brainwashing and digital authoritarianism.

U.S.-based media China Digital Times obtained some of the posts content and video and published a report earlier this month.

According to public information, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Anhui provincial government established the Hefei tech institute. The institute is managed by the University of Science and Technology of China.

People pass the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences in Beijing, China, on Oct. 6, 2015. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Millions of CCP Officials Investigated

Speaking at a press briefing held by the CCPs propaganda department on June 30, Wang Jianxin, director of the CCDIs publicity department, said that in 10 years, from the Partys 18th Congress to the end of April this year, around 4.3 million corruption probes were carried out and over 4.7 million officials received punishment.

Those CCP members were accused of various charges such as corruption, ties with criminal groups, abuse of power, and immoral lifestyle. An official report on the CCPs image crisis, released in 2012 by Tang Jun, director of the Crisis Management Research Center of Renmin University of China, said that as many as 95 percent of corrupt officials investigated had a mistress, and more than 60 percent of corrupt cadres had a second wife.

Zhang Lei, a law professor at Beijing Normal University, told Xinhua on June 30 that there are four major problems among the CCP cadres: formalism, bureaucracy, hedonism, and extravagance.

Gao Wenqian, a scholar of CCP history, told VOA on Oct. 28, 2016, that the CCPs institutional approach can only treat the symptoms of corruption but not the root cause, citing that one partys monopoly of power is the root cause of corruption in the CCP officialdom.

If you [the CCP] dont fight corruption from the system, its like fighting flies around a manure pit. Youll never get to the end; the more you fight, the more you get stuck. The result would be flies are as big as tigers and tigers are as many as flies, Gao said.

AI: A Tool for Surveilling CCP Members

The AI surveillance tech and anti-corruption campaign indicate that the CCP, fearing its downfall, will impose stricter controls on its members, especially high-level officials.

Official media Qiushi Magazine recently published a speech that Xi delivered at a seminar for provincial and ministerial-level officials on Jan. 11. Xi stressed the Party should strive to resolve the impurity of ideological thoughts, lifestyles, and organizations within the Partyanything that could undermine the CCPs authority.

Last year, Xi warned CCP members about the consequences of stepping out of line. In a speech, he pointed out that some officials have morphed into the spokesmen for various interest groups, power units, and privileged classes. Xi stressed that no matter who has the problem, they should be investigated and punished decisively and without mercy.

Moreover, at a June 17 meeting of the CCPs Politburo, Xi said that anti-corruption is a major political campaign that cannot afford to fail.
A man types on a computer keyboard in Warsaw on Feb. 28, 2013. Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United Kingdom have expressed serious concern over a group acting on behalf of the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS) that is stealing commercial intellectual property in a malicious global hacking campaign, widely known as Cloud Hopper, as of Dec. 21, 2018. (Kacper Pempel/Reuters)

Cyber Hackers Sent Scam Texts to Nearly 10,000 Deakin University Students

Deakin University has confirmed a hacker has mass spammed nearly 10,000 students and downloaded the contact details of almost 47,000 past and present students.

The cyber attack took place on July 10 when someone managed to hack a University staff members credentials and used them to access student information held by an unnamed third-party provider.

The hacker then sent 9,997 students a scam text message which asked the recipients to urgently pay customs fees for their ordered parcel. The SMS message also includes a link that takes the recipient to a form requesting their information, including credit card details.

In addition, the hacker gained access to the contact details of 46,980 current and past students, including student names, student IDs, mobile numbers, Deakin email addresses and recent results.

Deakin University spokesperson said in a blog post that the university has taken immediate action to stop further SMS messages from being sent and commenced an investigation into the data breach.

An investigation into the data breach was immediately commenced, the university said in a statement in which it has vowed to work to prevent future cyber attacks.

Deakin sincerely apologies to those impacted by this incident and wants to assure the Deakin community that it is conducting a thorough investigation to prevent a similar incident from occurring again.

Students who received the scam text are advised to change their Deakin password.

Universities Increasingly Become Victims of Cyber Attacks

The attack comes only days after Australian authorities registered new rules requiring telecommunication companies to identify, trace and block SMS scams to protect customers.

Deakin university noted it had reported the incident to the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner (OVIC), which recently released a report on the security of personal information held by Victorias universities.

According to the report, Victorias universities have increasingly become targets for cyber attacks due to their inadequate risk management of personal information, lack of clear policies about handling information that is no longer needed, and lack of written guidance about third-party data sharing.

In February 2021, Victorias university RMIT was hit by a ransomware attack, causing the university to shut down its system and suspend online and in-person classes.

Data from Scamwatch showed that Australians had lost over $6.5 million (US$4.37 million) to SMS scams so far, an increase of 188 percent compared to a year earlier.

In addition, SMS scams accounted for nearly one-third of all reported scams in 2022, and the total losses suffered by scam victims amounted to over $257 million.

Alfred Bui contributed to this report.
According to a study recently published in the Paediatric Infectious Disease Journal, the risk of COVID-19 to children is truly minuscule. The study tracks the outcomes for Icelandic children with a positive COVID-19 test, covering all the children who tested positive during the study period. It concludes that out of the 1,749 children tracked, none had severe symptoms and no child needed hospitalisation. A fifth of the children showed no symptoms.

It is curious, then, that when Icelandic health authorities decided to offer COVID-19 vaccination to 5-11 year-old children earlier this year, two of the four study authors were among the most vocal advocates of the policy.

At the time, the health risks related to COVID-19 vaccines were becoming increasingly clear, with the rate of reported serious adverse effects in Iceland 75-fold the rate for flu vaccines in 2019. The French Medical Academy had recommended against vaccinating healthy young children, Swedish authorities had decided not to offer them vaccination and the JCVI had recommended against it. But Icelandic authorities decided to go ahead with an organised campaign.

Earlier, the studys lead researcher, Dr. Valtyr Thors, a prominent paediatrician, had said vaccination was not needed for young children, but in January 2022 he suddenly reversed his opinion and strongly recommended vaccination to protect children against infection and serious illness. At that time, the Omicron variant had already taken over in Iceland, and numbers showed vaccine protection against infection to be zero or negative.

Late December 2021, another author, paediatrician Dr. Asgeir Haraldsson, Professor of Medicine at the University of Iceland, said five to 10 out of every thousand healthy children would need hospitalisation after COVID-19 infection and strongly recommended vaccination, claiming both Delta and Omicron variants posed a considerably higher threat to children than previous variants.

The study shows only 12% of infections among children occured in school. However, in late 2021 the importance of keeping schools open was repeatedly mentioned as an additional justification for the vaccination of children. In December 2021, Dr. Thors claimed infections in schools were a major problem and Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Thorolfur Gudnason suggested lifting quarantine requirements for vaccinated children under 16, while keeping them in place for the unvaccinated.

The new study was conducted between February 20th 2020 and August 31st 2021. It may thus be assumed that by December 2021, as they pushed for the vaccination of young children, the two authors already knew severe illness was extremely rare among children in this age-group and that the estimate of five to 10 hospitalisations per 1,000 children  up to 1%  was far off the mark. They should also have known by then how much milder the Omicron variant was in general, making the claim even further out. By early January it was clear also how little protection against the Omicron variant the vaccines provided, if any at all.

From the Brownstone Institute Reprinted from the authors Substack

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Epoch Health welcomes professional discussion and friendly debate. To submit an opinion piece, please follow these guidelines and submit through our form here.
People walk by a CVS Pharmacy store in Manhattan, New York, on Nov. 17, 2021. (Andrew Kelly/Reuters)

Drug Prices Can Drop 50-60 Percent If Practices of Prescription Drug Middlemen Properly Addressed: Former FDA Official

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on June 7 launched a comprehensive probe into pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) companiesthose acting as middlemen that manage prescription drug benefits on behalf of health insurers, large employers, and other payers.

According to the FTC, it plans to examine pharmacy benefit managers role at the center of the U.S. pharmaceutical system.

If their operations are addressed properly, drug prices can be reduced significantly, according to Peter Pitts, a former FDA official and the co-founder and President of Center for Medicine in the Public Interest (CMPI).

If the FTC does its job properly, consumers at the point of this dispensation at pharmacies or through the mail, could see their copay drop anywhere between 50-60 percent, Pitts recently told Epoch TVs China Insider program.

He noted that the amount would be significant savings for American patients and the price decrease would play an important role in encouraging Americans to use drugs when needed.

The more expensive drugs are, the less likely Americans are to use them, Pitss said.

Thats got serious consequences relative to lack of compliance and having diseases get worse and patient [treatment] become even more expensive, he added.

The expert further elaborated on how PBMs started to do harm to the U.S. pharmaceutical industry.

PBMs have brought together many small companies, and for many years managed to take advantage of volume to negotiate between 50-70 percent off the list prices, both for brand name drugs and generic drugs.

But later, out of greed, he said, theyre actually pocketing 50-60, sometimes 70 percent of the savings and not passing [them] along, ultimately, to patients.

So rather than being a tool to lower drug prices, youre actually raising drug prices and restricting use for American patients, Pitts said.

PBMs are so big, that they are actually trying to have the American consumer use more expensive products, because their cut of the rebates are bigger, he added.

In his opinion, this is the cause of the FTC investigation.

On the other hand, he pointed out, PBMs are an incredibly powerful lobby in Washington, which is why they have been able to get away with their shenanigans for so long.

Theyve got very big checkbooks and on another front theyre not afraid to write big checks to protect their nefarious monopolies, Pitts said.

Yet, both federal and state governments have become aware of PBMs practices and thus, he said, are trying to put laws in place to make sure that the rebates that these PBMs get actually get passed along to patients.

Pitts suggested that Congress also take action to tackle this practice.

If Congress can get together on a bipartisan basis, we can make things happen because at the end of the day, all members of Congress want Americans to have better access to medicines, Pitts said.
Elon Musk attends The 2022 Met Gala Celebrating "In America: An Anthology of Fashion" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York on May 2, 2022. (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)

Ex-M&A Lawyer From Twitters Law Firm Has Advice for Elon Musk, but Calls Him Rich, Weird and Stubborn

Matt Levine is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering the financial markets, and hes got a word of advice for Tesla Inc.s Elon Musk on how to handle the Twitter Inc. buyout fallout.

It is worth mentioning that Levine is also a former mergers and acquisitions attorney at the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katzthe same firm Twitter hired to sue Musk.

If Musk signed a deal to buy a thing for $54.20, and then he refused to pay and had no good reason for backing out of the deal, and the seller had to turn around and sell the thing to someone else for $25 instead, then the seller could go to court and demand that Musk pays the $29.20 difference. This is the normal remedy for breach of contract, called expectation damages in contract law, Levine wrote.

Although a merger deal is a legal contract, Twitter cannot force Musk to make up the shortfall. More specifically, the company is limited to suing Musk for no more than $1 billion in damages, which is also the amount of the reverse termination charge Musk may be required to pay Twitter under certain conditions.

Levine gave three options a Delaware court has to remedy the Musk/Twitter drama:

1. Agree with Musk and let him terminate the deal without paying anything.

2. Agree with Twitter that Musk is bound by his contract, and then make him pay $1 billion, the maximum available damages, for breaching the contract.

3. Agree with Twitter that Musk is bound by his contract, and then order specific performance, making him pay $44 billion to actually buy Twitter.

The former litigator noted the first choice is extremely unlikely, which leaves the two other options, both harsh, time-consuming and unlikely to be resolved by a court prior to a settlement.

Levine shared two settlement options for Musk:

1. Musk buys Twitter for less.

2. Musk walks away for more.

If Musk wrote Twitter a check that was much bigger than $1 billion, then Twitters shareholders would be, not made whole, but at least mollifiedand Twitter would remain Twitter, which, you know, could be better, but could also be worse. Of course, there are obstacles here. Elon Musk is rich, weird, and stubborn, and might not settle even when its in his best interests, Levine said.

Levine added Twitters directors are in an awkward spot: They are under a ton of scrutiny, they have a good legal case, and they will probably be sued by disgruntled shareholders if they settle for anything less than specific performance at $54.20 per share, even if doing so is in shareholders best interests. Nothing about this deal has been especially rational so far, and there is no reason to assume that it will settle rationally now.

By AJ Fabino

 2022 The Epoch Times. The Epoch Times does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital located in Fredericton, New Brunswick is shown on July 14, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Kevin Bissett)

Eyewitness Speaks Out on Patient Who Died in Waiting Room of Fredericton ER

A man who witnessed the death of a patient in the waiting room of a Fredericton hospitals emergency department this week says his provinces health-care system is broken.

John Staples, a residential support worker who witnessed the incident on July 11 around midnight, said on social media that the experience was a stark and somber realization that there is a need for major improvement to New Brunswicks health care system.

Staples posted details of the scene on Facebook on July 12, which quickly went viral.

In an interview with The Canadian Press on July 13, Staples said he was at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospitals emergency room with a client when he saw a man who appeared to be in great discomfort as he waited for hours in a wheelchair and eventually appeared to fall asleep.

The ER attendant came out to check on people and checked on him, Staples said.

She scurried back to the ER very professionally, not to raise any alarms and came back with a few other people. They wheeled him to the back and as they did, they called a Code Blue, he added, referring to the hospital code for a cardiac or respiratory arrest.

Unfortunately the gentleman passed away right there with us. He was literally at the threshold of getting medical attention and did not get it.

Staples said he doesnt fault the ER nurses and staff, saying they appeared stretched, but said something has to change in the provinces health care system.

Review Underway

Regional health authority Horizon Health Network has confirmed the death of an individual in the Fredericton hospitals emergency department waiting room, and says an investigation is underway.

Horizon thoroughly reviews any unexpected deaths that occur in our facilities to determine what took place and whether further action is required, Dr. John Dornan, president of Horizon Health told CBC News.

As it relates to this incident, we immediately started the review process. We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to this individuals family and loved ones.

The provinces health minister Dorothy Shephard also issued a statement, saying she is deeply saddened and concerned to learn about the passing of the patient.

I want to offer my sympathies to the individuals family and friends, Shephard said in the emailed statement on July 14, adding that she has requested Dornan start a review for a complete understanding of the incident.

We know the health care system is facing challenges and that frontline staff are working hard. I have no doubt that every New Brunswicker and all of our health care workers are affected by this story. We all want to know that when we go for help it will be there, and that it can be provided.

I anticipate receiving more information from Horizon officials in the coming days as the review progresses and the Department of Health offers our support to help in any way we can, she added.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard is shown in this courtroom sketch in Toronto on Jan. 19, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Alexandra Newbould)

Fashion Mogul Peter Nygard Waves Right to Bail Hearing in Quebec Sex Crime Case

Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard is waiving his right to a bail hearing in Quebec where he faces two sex-related charges.

Defence lawyer Laurence Juillet told the Quebec court that the accused chose to wave his right to a bail hearing because he is currently detained in a Toronto jail and is subject to a detention order in Manitoba.

Nygard, who participated in the short court hearing by phone, faces a charge of sexual assault and a charge of forcible confinement in Quebec.

Prosecutor Jerome Laflamme says the Crown will be ready to set a trial date at Nygards next Montreal court appearance scheduled for Sept. 8.

Nygard is facing six counts of sexual assault and three counts of forcible confinement in Toronto in connection with alleged incidents dating back to the late 1980s and mid-2000s.

Authorities in the United States have asked for him to be extradited to face charges of sex trafficking and racketeering in that country.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine for adults 18 and over.

The EUA is for the two-dose primary series targeting the original Wuhan SARS-CoV-2 virus  limiting the vaccines use, as about two-thirds of Americans already have completed a primary series of either the Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) still needs to sign off on the Novavax vaccine before pharmacies and other healthcare providers can start administering shots.

The vaccine makers stock rose 3% earlier today, after Politico reported yesterday that the FDA would likely announce the decision today.

The Biden administration on Monday announced a deal with Novavax to purchase 3.2 million doses of the vaccine.

Under the taxpayer-funded deal  which the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said was contingent on the vaccine receiving EUA and formal recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  the U.S. government will provide the vaccine to states, jurisdictions, federal pharmacy partners and federally qualified health centers.

Advisors to the FDA last month recommended the agency accept Novavaxs EUA application, but the agency delayed issuing the authorization pending FDA review of the Maryland-based companys manufacturing process.

Novavax already is available in other countries, including Canada and Australia, under the name Nuvaxovid.

The Novavax vaccine relies on a protein-based technology used for decades, leading some media outlets to portray it as a traditional vaccine compared with other COVID-19 vaccines that use newer technologies.

Politico reported last month that FDA committee members expressed interest in making available a vaccine that uses a different technology than the mRNA vaccines widely used in the U.S., in hopes of convincing unvaccinated holdouts to change their minds.

According to Politico, Novavax may appeal to the sliver of the population allergic to components of the messenger RNA vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, or who are skeptical of those shots newer technology.

But according to Dr. Meryl Nass, an internist with a special interest in vaccine-induced illnesses, chronic fatigue syndrome and toxicology, the medias portrayal of Novavax as a more traditional vaccine is not accurate.

Nass, a member of the Childrens Health Defense (CHD) scientific advisory committee, pointed out that the Novavax shot contains a novel adjuvant, Matrix-M, so it is not really an old-fashioned shot.

Nass raised safety concerns specific to the adjuvant, while others voiced concerns about Novavax being linked to heart inflammation and blood clots, and the fact that the vaccine was designed for use against the original Wuhan strain of SARS-CoV-2  not the various Omicron variants that are dominant today.

How Does Novavax Differ From Other COVID Vaccines Used in U.S.?

Novavax is a subunit protein vaccine. It uses the spike protein, which it delivers directly to the host cell, from the viral coat of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, as the antigen  the part of the vaccine that provokes an immune response.

The mRNA-based shots  Pfizer and Moderna  use a lipid nanoparticle to encapsulate the mRNA and usher it into the host cell. Then the host cells own machinery produces the spike protein.

Unlike mRNA vaccines, the spike protein is already premade in the Novavax vaccine, said Dr. Diana Florescu, who led the Novavax clinical trial. Its a shortcut. All the synthesis happens outside the body and we just give the end product: the spike protein.

Johnson & Johnsons Janssen COVID-19 shot is a viral vector vaccine. It also causes cells to produce the spike protein, but in a different way than the mRNA shots. It uses a virus called adenovirus, familiar as a common cause of respiratory infections.

The DNA in the adenovirus is modified so that when it enters the host cell, it causes the cells own machinery to produce the spike protein.

The adenovirus is also modified so it cannot replicate itself, which is why it is called a replication-defective recombinant adenoviral vector vaccine.

Adjuvant Used in Novavax Linked to Autoimmune Disease

Because Novavax is a protein subunit vaccine, it uses just the spike protein as the antigen rather than the whole pathogen (an inactivated or attenuated virus). Using the whole pathogen would expose the host to the virus entire protein coat instead of just one protein.

Protein subunit vaccines are often less immunogenic (less likely to provoke the immune system) than vaccines that use whole pathogens as the antigen, and may not generate a strong enough immune response.

Thats why they require the use of an adjuvant  in this case, Matrix-M  in addition to the antigen to get a stronger immune response.

However, few adjuvants are both potent and non-toxic enough for clinical use.

The proposed primary series for Novavax is two intramuscular injections 21 days apart at the dose level of 5 g of the recombinant spike protein and 50 g of the Matrix-M adjuvant.

Matrix-M, originally called QS-21, was one of the saponins derived from Quillaja saponaria, which is the soap bark tree native to Chile.

Some reports point out that the Matrix-M adjuvant  unlike the polyethylene glycol (PEG) lipid used in mRNA vaccines  is not linked to anaphylaxis (a severe allergic reaction), making it more attractive to people who are allergic to PEG.

But according to Nass, while its true that Matrix-M  which is not found in any other vaccines in the U.S.  isnt linked to anaphylaxis, it is linked to autoimmune diseases.

While touted as a replacement for the PEG lipid found in the mRNA vaccine, Matrix-M is less likely to cause anaphylaxis but more likely to cause autoimmune diseases, Nass said.

Nass voiced other safety concerns about Novavax technology, including the use of moth cells.

According to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, where Novavax Phase 3 clinical trials were conducted, the Novavax vaccine uses moth cells to create a nanotechnology version of the COVID-19 spike protein.

Nass said insect cells can be used to grow proteins rapidly. There is one flu vaccine made the same way: Flublok, Nass said. Flublok is one of two egg-free flu vaccines licensed for use in the U.S.

How many insect and viral proteins or other molecules are being injected into you when you get the Novavax vaccine  which is a function of how purified the vaccine is  is unknown, Nass said.

Novavax Still Uses the Spike Protein

The SARS-CoV-2 virus encodes 29 proteins, but Novavax  like Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson  chose to target only the spike protein.

As previously reported in The Defender, it is not known if the spike protein itself is safe.

We have known for a long time that the spike protein is a pathogenic protein, said Byram Bridle, Ph.D., assistant professor of immunology at the University of Guelph, Ontario. It is a toxin. It can cause damage to our body if it gets into circulation.

According to Brian Hooker, Ph.D., CHDs chief scientific officer, If you wanted to pick the most toxic protein, you know what represents the highest virulence, the highest amount of damage on the COVID-19 virus? You would pick the spike protein.

The spike protein has been consistently shown to create clotting issues in the blood, Hooker said.

Novavax Downplays Link to Heart Issues

According to the briefing document for the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee meeting on June 7, severe local adverse events occurred in 1.2 to 7.2% of Novavax recipients, and systemic adverse events occurred in 2.4% to 12.1% of Novavax recipients.

These adverse events were more frequent after the second dose than after the first dose.

As previously reported in The Defender, there are concerns that Novavax is associated with myocarditis and pericarditis, just like the mRNA vaccines.

Reuters reported that the FDA asked Novavax to flag myocarditis and pericarditis as an important identified risk in its materials accompanying the vaccine. It is not known if the vaccine maker agreed to do so.

Novavax denied the connection between its vaccine and the reported cases of heart inflammation, claiming that natural background events of myocarditis can be expected in any large database.

Based on our interpretation of all the clinical data supporting NVX-CoV2373 [Novavax] we believe there is insufficient evidence to establish a causal relationship, Novavax stated.

Does It Work Against the Omicron Variant?

Like the other COVID-19 vaccines available in the U.S., Novavaxs vaccine was developed against the ancestral Wuhan strain of SARS-CoV-2.

In the FDAs June 7 briefing document on the vaccines efficacy and safety, the FDA stated:

The study enrollment and efficacy follow-up occurred during December 27, 2020, to September 27, 2021, and mainly when the Alpha variant of SARS-CoV-2 was predominant and prior to the emergence of Delta and Omicron variants.

Relevant data to assess effectiveness of NVX-CoV2373 [Novavax] against the Omicron variant and sublineages, including observational data from use in other countries where the vaccine has been deployed, are currently unavailable; however, based on the efficacy estimate in the clinical trial of this vaccine, it is more likely than not that the vaccine will provide some meaningful level of protection against COVID-19 due to Omicron, in particular against more severe disease.

The FDA briefing document also stated that due to the limited length of follow-up, it is not currently possible to assess sustained efficacy over a period longer than 2 months.

Bruce Gellin, chief of global public health strategy at the Rockefeller Foundation, was the lone abstaining vote on the FDA committee that voted to recommend Novavax on June 7.

Gellin said he abstained because the committee wasnt given data on how the vaccine performs against the current Omicron variants, or for how many months its protection lasts.

Will Novavax Convince the Unvaxxed?

CNET last month reported that more than two years into the pandemic, a majority of Americans (about 67%) are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and many have been boosted.

A Kaiser Family Foundation poll found 75% of adult Americans self-report that they are already vaccinated.

Meanwhile, those hesitant or opposed to COVID-19 vaccination seem to be firm and consistent in their opinion, according to the Kaiser poll.

Kaiser has tracked the publics attitudes and experiences with COVID-19 vaccinations since December 2020. During that time, the percentage of American adults who answered the poll and said they would definitely not get vaccinated ranged from 12% to 17%.

In April, the most recent month reported, 17% of those polled said they would definitely not get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Millions of Americans have already been infected with COVID-19 and recovered. As of February 2022, the overall seroprevalence rate (indicating previous COVID-19 infection) in the U.S., determined by random antibody testing, was 57%.

07/13/22 Childrens Health Defense, Inc. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of Childrens Health Defense, Inc. Want to learn more from Childrens Health Defense? Sign up for free news and updates from Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and the Childrens Health Defense. Your donation will help to support us in our efforts.

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The FBI and the UKs MI5 have identified the Chinese Communist Party as one of the biggest threats to the United Statesnot only as a military threat, but also as a threat to political subversion and economic warfare.

Was this declaration out of character from previous stances of the United States and the UK on China? And if so, what could this tell us about the Chinese regime, amid rumors of a Taiwan invasion and an expansion of the Russia-Ukraine war?

To learn more, we speak with Casey Fleming, CEO of BlackOps Partners.

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The data was so profound that the UK decided to stop reporting at the end of March.  The infection rates in vaccinated persons, particularly after the second and third dose, were skyrocketing, said Dr. Paul Alexander, an expert in evidence-based medicine, research methodology, and clinical epidemiology. He served in the Trump administration as a COVID policy adviser.

The genetic vaccines for COVID-19 are ineffective against Omicron and newer variants, Dr. Alexander says. Furthermore, data increasingly suggests that vaccinated and boosted individuals are more likely to be infected by COVID-19 than unvaccinated individuals. Why would that be the case?

Dr. Alexander says hes also becoming increasingly concerned about how the genetic COVID-19 vaccines not only have risks of myocarditis, pericarditis, and other documented side effects, but may also damage the innate immunity that children have.

In this episode, Dr. Alexander breaks down the concept of innate immunity, something different from the commonly heard term natural immunity that results from prior COVID-19 infection.

Dr. Alexander argues our vaccination policies may actually be subverting this innate defense system that children haveagainst not just COVID-19, but other pathogens.

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Jan Jekielek:

Dr. Paul Alexander, such a pleasure to have you back on American Thought Leaders.

Dr. Paul Alexander:

Thank you very much for having me again. Thank you.

Mr. Jekielek:

There has been a lot of discussion and a lot of controversy about the concept of natural immunity in the context of COVID.

Dr. Alexander:

Yes.

Mr. Jekielek:

But theres another kind of immunity thats incredibly importantinnate immunity, which is something thats almost never talked about. So lets start there. What is it? Why is it important? What is happening right now?

Dr. Alexander:

Again, thank you very much, Jan. I want to thank the Epoch Times for the tremendous work they have done over these last two years with the information you gave out about COVID. I also want to say to Dr. Zelenkos wife, Rinat, that I express my condolences along with everyone else in the COVID world of research. We built on Dr. Zelenkos work with his Zelenko protocol for early treatment. He is a giant that will be missed.

To answer that question, first of all, I want to set the scene and let you know that Im in a lot of discussions everyday. All of us, Dr. Harvey Risch, Dr. McCullough, Dr. Tenenbaum, Dr. Vanden Bossche and I deal with the immunology, the virology, and the vaccinology every day. What Ive come to understand and what is critical is that the vaccine manufacturers, the CDC, the NIH, and the FDA are making a mistake when they deal with this virus today by disregarding the interplay and the ecosystem between the virus and the host.

Dr. Vanden Bossche actually explains this eloquently. To end a pandemic, you need to get to herd immunity. For you to get to a herd immunity, you need to cut the chain of transmission. If the chain of transmission is not cut, you will never ever get to population-level herd immunity. To do that, you need to have sterilizing immunity. You must bring out a vaccine that sterilizes the virus. By that we mean that it prevents infection in the host, it prevents replication, and it prevents transmission. Transmission is key.

So right now, this vaccine produces non-neutralizing, non-sterilizing antibodies. So what does that mean? That means that it does not stop transmission, and it does not eliminate the virus. So in other words, right now, we are vaccinating with this particular mRNA vaccine based on the initial Wuhan strain of the virus from March, April 2020. That is whats inside that vaccine. But its been a year now this strain has been gone. Weve gone through Delta, and weve gone through all of the sub variants of Omicron so far. Now we have the BA.4 and BA.5. variants.

In other words, the vaccinal antibodies, the antibodies induced by the vaccine do not hit the Omicron spike. That is why you have viral immune escape. And that is why people who are vaccinated are becoming infected. More so, we now understand, with some research by Nouara Yahi and others, that the non-neutralizing antibodies bind to the spike. Theres a binding between the two. The problem is that in that binding, the virus is actually becoming more infectious, and infecting the vaccinated person. That is where the data began to emerge.

There was data from around July, August of 2021, out of Barnstable, Massachusetts, for about 400 people who were double vaccinated. Delta was predominant at that point, but 75 to 80 per cent became infected. That particular event prompted the Director of the CDC, Rochelle Walensky, to come to the microphone and tell people who were double vaccinated to put on a mask. They began to realize that vaccinated people were getting infected and actually were prone to transmit.

At that same time, there was a very important study by Chau et al. out of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. That study looked at double vaccinated nurses who were part of a Delta outbreak. Those nurses became infected. They were locked down, but they became infected in that institution. They transmitted to each other. The amount of viral load in their nasopharyngeal passage was about 251 times that of another particular variant earlier in the pandemic. So it demonstrated to us that double vaccinated people were at risk of being infected, and were at risk of harboring massive pathogen in the nasopharyngeal passage, the oral cavity, as well as transmitting.

In that study, plus one by Shitrit in Israel, and one by Hetemaki of Finland, similar nosocomial outbreaks show that vaccinated nurses were becoming infected. What was alarming too is they were fully PPEd. They had the masks, the gowns, the shields, everything, and yet they transmitted. So those studies showed us a host of things, which is that there was really no difference between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated person. The studies began to open our eyes that something was wrong in the statement by the CDC and the NIH that this is a pandemic of the unvaccinated. When we looked at the data out of the UK, and we looked at the data of Scotland, we began to realize it is not a pandemic of the unvaccinated. In fact, there was actually no difference between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated from those COVID injections.

Mr. Jekielek:

Im going to jump in. At that time there was some sort of effect on adverse outcomes like mortality and severe infection. Is that right?

Dr. Alexander:

Yes. That was reported. The reality is we were getting some indications of that, particularly from nursing homes with elderly at-risk persons. The death rate began to decline. But theres a lot of controversy over that too, Jan. Simply because these vaccines, when they were developed by the Pfizer and Moderna were never designed to deal with death, hospitalization, ICU, or severe symptoms. They only dealt with reducing mild symptoms of COVID, and that has always been our contention. That when CDC, NIH, or FDA people came to the microphone and said, The vaccine is safe and effective. We always looked at each other and said, Wheres the data, because the trials never showed that.

Thats the other thing. The trials were built around the reduction of mild COVID symptoms. That is what the public didnt understand. They mention efficacy, that the vaccine is efficacious. Efficacious on what? You reduced mild COVID symptoms, you reduced my cough? You reduced what? Three coughs, seven coughs? Thats not important the population. They want to know, Does this vaccine reduce my risk of death, reduce my risk of hospitalization, and reduce severe outcomes?

Lets segue into the situation with innate immunity. We have a situation today where the Omicron sub variants, BA.4, BA.5, are highly infectious. The vaccinated person is getting infected. As I was trying to explain earlier, there is research that shows when you get vaccinated, the vaccinal antibodies bind to the spike, which is the target antigen. But in that binding, we have a situation that is called EDEI, antibody-dependent enhancement of infection, which is that the host or the vaccinated person is more prone to become infected. Thats what we are seeing.

Just take a look at the UK data and the Scottish data. The data was so profound that the UK decided to stop reporting at the end of March, and Scotland stopped in April. Because the data was showing that the infection rates in the vaccinated people, particularly after the second and third dose, were skyrocketing. This is a problem. The vaccine right now causes infection in the vaccinated, but it does seem to protect against severe illness in the lower lung.

Some experts are arguing now that illness could soon be overcome. But we could be facing a situation where we would potentially have a very infectious variant emerge that is also very violent, lethal, and cause a lot of severe outcomes and death. Strangely enough, this is happening all of a sudden in some countries. I have already been reading some reports from various nations that people who are becoming infected right now are showing up with more severe symptoms. So it makes us wonder, what has happened here? Is what Dr. Geert Vanden Bossche said now materializing?

So whats the bottom line? I do want to get into the innate immunity. But the bottom line is that these vaccines are not needed. We had early drug treatment. We quickly knew about vitamin D, and its benefits in dramatically reducing mortality. We knew about all of the steps that we could take in a normal epidemiological outbreak response, and even a pandemic response. Once we properly protected the elderly and the vulnerable in our society, we could allow the rest of the low-risk in this society to live normal lives and have their normal daily living. This whole situation caused a lot of angst to a lot of people, to the writers of the Great Barrington Declaration, and to myself.

Basically, we were seeing that you could allow the healthy people to live normal lives, which is what weve always done. They would be exposed to the virus naturally and harmlessly, not deliberately, just as part of their normal lives. They would be exposed. Those who became infected, their immune systems would deal with it. They would develop an immunity, an immune response. They would recover. Their immune response would actually protect the vulnerable. Then, you bring everybody back together again in the future. You find a way to keep the vulnerable away as much as you can. And Im not talking about locking people away in a room, somewhere in a dungeon.

You make reasonable decisions in your private homes, or even in the nursing homes. You protect them. You allow the healthy in society confront the pathogen. Then, they develop a robust immune response that will protect them in the future, as we go on. But thats not what we did. We actually did it backwards. We failed to protect the vulnerable, while we locked down the healthy. It has been two-and-a-half years. When we look at all of the research today, Jan, we can see there is no setting, location, or country where any COVID lockdown was successful in any measure to curb transmission or to reduce death. None. Herby et al. at Johns Hopkins University wrote a review a couple months ago, basically saying what we had already publishing in AIER (American Institute for Economic Research.) I had also published at the Brownstone Institute where we looked at all of the evidence showing that all of the lockdowns failed. All of them. And Herby et al. at John Hopkins did the same.

Mr. Jekielek:

Ostensibly, in Australia and New Zealand, they did succeed in curbing transmission.

Dr. Alexander:

Okay. Lets say we are in this room in this building. Lets say we are here, and we get word that theres a serious pathogen coming to this area and its right outside. So we all run around quickly, we seal the windows, we close the doors and we say, You know what? We cant do anything else. Were not going outside. We dont want it to come in, so were going to lock down. We have locked ourselves down in here. Okay, for how long? Because we could conceivably keep that pathogen out of this room, and none of us in the room will get infected. But, for how long? At some point, you are going to have to emerge. Depending on how long you lock this room down for, you might cause a lot of disaster in your life. You might not have a family, or have nothing to emerge to after that.

Theoretically, you could lock a country down. But realistically, you cant. Who could really lock down a country with borders? There are places that have tried; Australia, New Zealand, China. But look at what is happening. Every time they try to open up, their cases spike and they lock back down again. They are making their populations suffer. People jump out of buildings. Business owners in America have committed suicide because of the lockdowns. They closed their business and they gave up. We have many children across America who have ended their lives. They committed suicide, because of school closures from the lockdown. So there is a cost, and this is the cost we are talking about.

Yes, you could do it. You could tape everything up. But you would have no economy to emerge to. You would have destroyed the social fabric your society. People would take drastic steps. They could not stay in that type of situation for too long. But more importantly, here is what happens when we put pressure on the pathogen. I wouldnt say the pathogen, a virus, is actually a living entity. A virus is really a clump of genetic material packaged in a viral envelope. But it wants to reproduce, right? It has to do things to go forward. It wants to spread its genetic material. That is its principle goal. It does that by infecting me, and using my cellular metabolic machinery to replicate itself.

So, if I put pressure on to prevent it from doing that, it will respond to that pressure. It will respond to the steps that you are taking to prevent it, and it will evolve. We underestimated the capacity of this virus to evolve and adapt to the pressures that we placed on it. For example, at present, the vaccinal antibodies are non-neutralizing. That means they do not eliminate the viruses and stop infection. But, at the same time, you are putting pressure on the virus. Its almost like youre poking it, youre pushing it, but youre not destroying it. Had Moderna and Pfizer brought out a vaccine that was sterilizing, and eliminated the virus, we would not be having these discussions. This whole pandemic would have been over by February of 2021. The minute they brought out those vaccines the pandemic would have been over, because they would have brought out a proper vaccine that totally eliminated the virus. But these vaccines do not eliminate the virus.

They introduced a vaccine that out of the gate was suboptimal. And quickly, with the mutations and the evolution of the virus, we had a situation where the content of the vaccine was not matching the virus. They didnt understand that vaccinated inside a pandemic, is very different than vaccinated outside of a pandemic. Because inside of a pandemic, you are confronted with the infectious pressure from the pathogen. The pathogen is constantly trying to infect the population. So, that pressure from the pathogen on the population is never ending. But the vaccine that you administered is suboptimal, and it does not neutralize this virus.

Moreover, the vaccinal antibodies need about two to three weeks after the shot to develop properly, and to gain their functional capacity. During that two to three week period, you have people who are vaccinated within a pandemic, with the virus circulating. They have no protection. We also know that the immune system almost falls flat immediately post-vaccine for about two weeks while the immune system builds and develops. So, you have a situation where you have this virus pressing down on the population while the immune response is mounting, but the mounting immune response is suboptimal. It is not enough to eliminate the virus. The response is just enough to keep poking it and pushing it. Youre putting pressure on it.

This virus in the environment has billions and trillions of copies. There are hardier, fitter, more infectious variants. Those stronger variants are the ones that are responding to this suboptimal pressure. Remember, its not a sterilizing vaccine. Its a non-neutralizing, non-sterilizing vaccine. The manufacturers told us this, and the CDC told us this. It doesnt stop transmission. The strongest variants will overcome that suboptimal pressure and infect you, and infect the population. Beyond that, we have now found out that the vaccinal antibodies actually bind to the viruses, to the spike antigen. With that binding, with that union, it causes the virus to be more infectious.

Now the virus itself is more infectious. Thats the problem. The content of the vaccine was geared to the Wuhan strain of COVID. Your body, your cells will build antibodies to the Wuhan strain of the virus. But what is predominantly circulating now is Omicron with a multitude of mutations on the spike, 15 or 20. The current vaccinal antibody cannot hit that Omicron spike. It cannot even recognize it. That is a problem. In other words, if you keep vaccinating with these vaccines, you will never ever stop this pandemic. This pandemic can go on for a hundred years. It will never end. What we are seeing is infectious variant after infectious variant. The new variants are more infectious. Each version thats coming out is more infectious. Its a terrible situation.

Mr. Jekielek:

You talked about these hardy variants that are the ones that can overcome this suboptimal immune response.

Dr. Alexander:

Yes, its from immune pressure, and they become more infectious.

Mr. Jekielek:

How do they become more infectious?

Dr. Alexander:

First of all, in our environment, there is so much virus. There are variants in the environment from me and everybody else. Everybodys generating variants. In those variants, the predominant one will become the one that has the greatest number. They are the hardiest and the fittest. They can overcome the suboptimal vaccine, actually get around it, and infect the vaccinated person. Those have demonstrated that ability. They are hardier. Now they are totally resistant to the antibodies. They resist the antibodies completely. Those are selected because they are the hardiest. These predominant ones will now be selected to move forward. They are going to become the new dominant variant. We had that with Omicron. And now weve seen this subvariant, or clade, as we also call it, happening.

In the binding that takes place with the existing vaccinal antibodies, theres a union between the antibody and the receptor binding domain on the spike. The spike will normally interact with the AS2 receptor that sits on the surface of your cells to infect you. So this vaccine antibody will bind to that binding domain and block it. So now the spike, that portion that normally meets up with the AS2 receptor to infect your cells, is blocked by the antibodies. So now the spike cannot interact with the AS2 receptor to infect your cells, and the viral contents cant get inside of the cells and infect them.

Mr. Jekielek:

So thats the optimal situation.

Dr. Alexander:

Thats the optimal situation.

Mr. Jekielek:

But that is not what is happening.

Dr. Alexander:

That is not what is happening. Now, we can talk about innate immunity. What is happening is that after you get your vaccine, the vaccine antibodies interact with a binding domain on the spike. You would think that it would prevent the infection at that point of the virus. But what we are seeing is a condition called antibody-dependent enhancement of infection. What is it doing? Research by Yahi et al. is showing us that the virus itself becomes much more infectious.

The antibodies are enhancing the ability of this virus now to infect the host. It causes the host to be infected. As to the exact mechanism that makes that happen, they are working that out. Right now, the research we are looking at has largely been in vitro. But in the in vitro modeling, it is showing us what is happening. Because all of a sudden, we are seeing all of these vaccinated people becoming infected. And it should not be happening.

Mr. Jekielek:

You mentioned there is a connection to innate immunity. What is innate immunity? I know that everything you have talked about fits in with this. Please help us understand.

Dr. Alexander:

I am speaking with my background in evidence-based medicine and epidemiology. Im not a classical immunologist or virologist. Because of COVID, in the last two-and-a-half years, the people that I work with, colleagues at the technical level, have become very good friendsDr.Vanden Bossche, Dr. Yin, Dr. McCullough, Dr. Risch, and Dr.Howard Tenenbaum. What you hear about in the news, and what we wrote about so voraciously was natural immunity and natural acquired adaptive immunity.

But there is a compartment of the immune system that is called innate immunity. Innate because of the fact it is what you are born with. Let me then pivot straight to young people; infants, young children, and teenagers. The innate immune system is the first line of defense. It is composed of innate antibodies, just like the antibodies in natural immunity. Those are tuned out by the memory B cells. The innate antibodies are induced by the B-1 cells of the innate immune system. So its composed of the innate antibodies and what we also call the innate NK cells, natural killer cells.

Their name is basically what they do. They kill any infected cell, or any foreign cell inside the body. There are also other compartments and other cellular components, but these two are very critical. From a basic point of view, you can see the innate immune system in the surface of our skin, because the surface of our skin has microbes that play a role in defending us, and also in the surface of our eyes, the watery layer of our eyes. The principle innate compartment that we always tend to refer to is the mucosal compartment. The mucosa is that slimy layer that lines your nostrils, all the way to the back of your throat, and all the way down your pharynx, straight down the esophagus, to the stomach. This lining is what we call the mucosal lining, and the lining underneath it has mucosal cells.

In there, theres an immune response that takes place, principally in our nostrils. For example, with the COVID virus, the virus first lands in your nostrils, and is estimated to hang out for about two to three days. During that time, you have an immunological response. Your innate immune system begins a response at that point. So much so that experts like Dr. Bhakdi said very early on that what was needed here was a nasal vaccine, not an intramuscular vaccine that systemically delivered an immunological response in your bloodstream, because the virus is in the nostrils.

It has to progress down from the upper respiratory tract down to the lower respiratory tract deep inside the lung before it can even get into the bloodstream, and then to infect tissue. So the immune response is at the level of the mucosa. When children are born, they have maternal antibodies that get passed on from mother to child. Those go away rather quickly, and children then have a window of opportunity to train the innate immune system properly.

Principally, theyre trying to train the innate antibodies and innate NK cells. Those cells of the innate immune system get training by exposure to pathogens. The problem is that children are what we call antigenically naive. They dont come with prior exposure. They dont have the years of life where they have been exposed to a host of pathogens in the environment, and therefore have developed immunological memory, responding to them, and recovering. So they need something to be able to cope with the environment. Children come with this innate immune system. Its the first line of defense for young people, and it is critical.

That is why young children normally do so well against pathogens and are surviving the environment without having had a copious number of years of existence. They have not had exposure to pathogens, yet they bump up against them in the environment and they do well. The innate immune system does not have a memory like the acquired adaptive immune system. It is almost like a surveillance system, like a Praetorian Guard thats always looking for and dealing with anything that comes. And when the pathogen comes, it will deal with it and vanquish it.

It is very potent and does not need a memory. Im trying to help explain this to parents too. The innate antibodies are what we call low affinity. They are very potent and broadly effective. They dont need to be focused on any particular pathogen. They can deal with anything that comes along. The challenge here is that the vaccinal antibodies are what we call high specificity. They have a high affinity for the target antigen, which is a spike. The innate antibodies have low affinity. The innate immune system in children is of benefit to the immunological landscape. The training of the antibodies is okay, because in that period of time in young childhood, once the innate immune antibodies and the innate immune system is trained, it functions.

When a healthy child confronts COVID, the innate antibodies will eliminate the virus and sterilize it. They will prevent infection. They will prevent replication and transmission. And a child probably will be what we call asymptomatic. You would never even know that they bumped up against COVID, because the innate antibodies dealt with it. They are that potent. Some children who are a little older might have a few little symptoms. For a couple of hours they may say their stomach isnt feeling well. They may run a temperature. They may say they dont feel like going to school today. Do you know what I mean? Then after that, they recover.

The innate immune system is functionally doing its job. Every time it is trained in that way, every time that child is exposed to that pathogen as theyre getting older, the innate immune system has now benefited from the training and would vanquish it readily and easily. There is also the situation where the innate immune system, once properly trained, plays a role in helping your immune system defend itself from what doesnt belong to you. Properly trained, the innate immune system will know what belongs to you, and what does not belong to you.

If your innate immune system is not trained and the system goes sideways, you could have devastating autoimmune disease where your immune system attacks you. So, it is absolutely critical that very early on in childhood, the innate immune system and particularly the innate antibodies be allowed this training. What Dr. Vanden Bossche has theorized, and we are working on right now, is the fact that the vaccinal antibodies are highly specific to the target antigen, the spike. The vaccinal antibodies bind to the spike antigen first, and they block the innate antibodies from their functional capacity, which is binding.

Its a ridiculous situation where you have functional, innate antibodies that can bind and neutralize the virus, and eliminate it in children. But when you vaccinated them, the vaccinal antibodies would target that spike more readily than the innate antibodies. These vaccinal antibodies bind, and block the innate antibodies from binding. You have vaccinal antibodies that are worthless. They do not neutralize the virus, we know that. They are non-neutralizing. Omicron has largely resisted the vaccinal antibodies. You have vaccinal antibodies that are wordless blocking the innate antibodies, which are fully functional and can neutralize the virus and eliminate it. So, then you would have children being unable to eliminate the virus, and they would now become infected.

Mr. Jekielek:

Let me get this straight. Vaccinating very young children causes the opposite response to what you want. You think youre protecting them, but actually youre making them more vulnerable. Is that what youre saying?

Dr. Alexander:

Yes, with these COVID vaccines. We are so disturbed by what is happening.The FDA took a submission from Pfizer and Moderna to approve these vaccines for six month to five-year-old children, besides the ones for six to 11, and then 12 to 17. But lets just focus on these young kids. The CDC just rubber-stamped it. We just went through that in the second to fourth week of June when they had their meetings.

From a purest point of view, as a research methodologist, biostatistician, epidemiologist, and evidence-based medical professional, when I look at tables 19 and 20 in the June 15th submission that the FDA looked at in their decision making, tables 19 and 20 are very instructive. Even the untrained viewer can see this. You see the CDC and the FDA making decisions on a very small sample size, as little as 10 children in some instances. They are very, very small sample sizes. They started off with about 4,500 children. Somewhere along the line, Pfizer and Moderna displaced about 3000. Then, the numbers even dropped down to a couple hundred.

We have no full accounting as to what happened to those children, and why they were not included in this study and the analysis. We have a small number of events. We have like two events in one arm of the trial, and one event in the other. We know from a scientific point of view, and a methodological point of view that this is a red flag for a high risk of overestimating the treatment effect. We dont make policy decisions or any kind of decision on two events or three events in a study, two in one arm, one in the other. We look at 95 per cent confidence intervals, and we see they run from China on one side, back to California on the other side of the world, because its so broad.

There is so much uncertainty in terms of whether its beneficial or not. When you read the submission, you see that at some point they reported that children who got multiple infections of COVID were vaccinated. Thats a red flag. We also read that the children who had the most severe adverse events were vaccinated. So, it just boggles the mind. It stretches the imagination as to how they could have approved these vaccines for little children. We have the data to show that there is no data that FDA and CDC looked at, submitted from Pfizer and Moderna, that would convince any reasonable person that they should have gotten approval for these vaccines for children six months to five years old. The data is just not there.

I will challenge anyone at CDC and anyone at FDA to debate me. Just me. Or Dr. Risch. Or Dr. McCullough. Just explain to us how you could look at tables 19 and 20 in that June 16, 2022 submission and make a decision to vaccinate our children. Youre not even looking at science. What we are seeing is the innate immune system has a window of opportunity to be trained. Soon after the maternal antibodies fade, very young children have that window of opportunity, and it doesnt last forever.

They need to train the innate immune system. It is their first line of defense. It is my first line of defense. We had our innate immune system trained when we were young. But today, children are confronted with this COVID vaccine. We are trying to tell parents, Look, this is a risk management decision that you must make for yourselves, that theyre not making for you. And the risk management decision is thisthe CDCs own data says children have nearly zero risk of severe outcome or death from COVID. That data exists.

We looked at all of the data in Germany. For the entire pandemic, no healthy young child died of COVID. None. Zero. We looked at the data in Sweden, no healthy young child throughout the pandemic has died of COVID. Dr. Marty Makary at Johns Hopkins, his team looked at all of the child deaths that the CDC pegged to COVID. There were roughly 400 in America during the pandemic. Since the pandemic began, 400 young children. They have no evidence in the United States of America that there is one healthy childand I need to say this again slowlythey have no evidence in the United States of America that there is one healthy child that was infected with COVID and died from COVID. Thats a fact and that is the data.

I challenge anyone to show us any alternative data. Listen, the death of a child is the most devastating and tragic event ever. As a parent, you can never recover from the loss of a child. But the reality is, when we look closely at the data for the children the CDC has said died with a diagnosis of COVID, these children were not well children. They had a lot of illness. Morbid obesity has emerged as a super-loaded risk factor for severe outcomes in COVID, regardless of age. Thats the one risk factor. setting age aside.

Age has remained the principal risk factor for COVID. We know that the people who died were very elderly people, over the age of 80. Thats a fact. Then when you add in comorbidities, that brings the age down. We had people under 80 who died because they were unwell. They had two to three underlying medical conditions. But morbid obesity outstrips strips age, if age falls apart from the models, because obesity on its own is a potent, potent problem.

What am I saying? Im saying that healthy children, left on their own, because of their almost zero risk of severe outcome or death from COVID, do not need these COVID injections. They never did need these COVID injections. But now weve gone a step further. We are actually trying to explain to parents that there is an innate immune compartment of your immune system that we all have that initially needs to be educated and trained. It gets that training by the innate antibodies being exposed to a pathogen.

We are looking at the data in Africa today, and we are seeing Africa is winning. Why? Because a lot of the children and young people were not vaccinated. I know this because I look at the data every day. I could see the vaccination rate by country. The African countries have almost zero vaccine rates. They have not vaccinated their populations. What does that mean? That means that the young children and young people have benefited. Their innate immune system has benefited from the training that it normally needs.

So when Omicron bore down on Africa, these children and young people had their innate immune antibodies and innate immune system trained. So, they were able to deal with Omicron, have immunity, and eliminate the virus. If we damage the innate immune system in children, we are taking the most potent part of the immunological response off the battlefield. We made a mistake, Dr.Vanden Bossche, Dr. McCullough, and myself, all of us. On the one hand, we are fighting this monolith of the devastating COVID response with the catastrophe of the lockdowns, and the failure to use early treatments. We were fighting that and developing the algorithm. We were trying to educate people that the school closures were causing suicides in children. We were talking about natural immunity. I wrote that paper for the Brownstone Institute with 154 pieces of evidence.

Now its used informally by the U.S. House of Representatives for information. But we should have educated the public on innate immunity. Because the innate immune compartment is really the first line of defense, and its critical for children. Now, we are trying to tell the public. Dr. Vanden Bossche is the global leader on this, and I would say Im a disciple of his. But Im trying to explain it based on how I understand it. We are arguing that your child with a functional innate immune system is able to cope with not just COVID, but with all viruses that come its way. It copes with the common cold, coronaviruses, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr syndrome, hepatitis, all of the pathogens, as well as bacterial and fungal infections.

So we have a situation where if you subvert the innate immune system, you are going to hurt healthy children. Its almost like Johnny is healthy over here with his innate immune system and hes going through life. Johnny might be 7, 8, or 9-years-old. His innate immune system is being trained and developed. Johnny is going to school. His innate antibodies are being boosted and primed and activated and worked up and taxed and tuned daily, because Johnnys going to school. Johnny is confronting a pathogenic environment, and its doing its thing. His innate immune system is developing, its being educated, and its being trained.

Now youre trying to tell me that based on the suboptimal, dysfunctional, corrupted data submitted by Pfizer and Moderna to the CDC and the FDA, rubber-stamped and approved based on two or three events in a study, based on sample size of 10, based on confidence intervals that show ineffectiveness, you are going to vaccinate my child Johnny with a vaccine that runs the risk of subverting Johnnys functional innate immune system that has been working fine. Johnny has no problems, and now youre going to subvert him. Youre going to make my Johnny susceptible to a wide range of pathogens that otherwise Johnny would have no problem with. Thats the argument.

Mr. Jekielek:

Why do you think that its the entire innate immune system thats subverted here, not just say with COVID against that binding site? Is this just a possibility? Given that the normal risk is very, very low as youve outlined extensively, it just doesnt make sense to take the risk.

Dr. Alexander:

From what point of view? In the presence of the vaccinal antibodies, the innate antibodies cannot be trained. They cannot function. They lose their capacity to function. There is no training for them. thats a very important question and Ill answer it this way. Again, I dont pretend to be Dr. Geert Vanden Bossche. A lot of these viruses, influenza, RSV virus, all the coronaviruses have sugars on their surface called glycans. The antibodies in our immune system respond to patterns, not necessarily the one spike on the SARS virus. It looks at all of the glycans and sugars on the surface.

A lot of them share similar patterns on their surface. So, that immune response is not just to the SARS-CoV-2. The trained innate immune response is to a broad range of pathogens. So, you are subverting a potent innate immune response. In other words, you are going to take children and make them vulnerable to a broad range of pathogens. So much so that right now, we have this situation where WHO has placed avian influenza as a virus of concern. They have not declared it a higher level yet, but they say its on the radar. A form of avian flu is expanding right now,

With an untrained innate immune system, children are going to become susceptible to avian flu. Monkeypox right now has foci of infection in a particular high-risk group in society. We have a lot of reservations as to how the CDC and WHO have reacted to it. They have been flat footed in providing the proper guidance to the high-risk group as to how to cut the chain of transmission. You always have to cut the chain of transmission. If you do not cut the chain of transmission, you cannot eliminate that pathogen and get to what we call herd immunity.

Thats when you look at the epi curve, the wave, you see it slope up to the peak and then all the way back down to the baseline. Once you see it come back down to baseline, thats when herd immunity has been attained. Because of these non-sterilizing vaccines, what we are actually seeing right now, particularly with Omicron, when the curve is on a downward slope, it quickly goes back into another wave, and the subsequent peak is higher. And the subsequent peaks keep going up higher. Thats what we are seeing.

We are seeing that the curves are getting closer. They are happening faster, and theyre not coming back down to baseline. What does that tell us? That tells us something very alarming. It tells us that there is a massive amount of infection after every wave that remains in the environment. So, you are not getting to herd immunity. And it is because of these vaccines. The vaccines are making the vaccinated infected, period. That is what the evidence now shows us.

Mr. Jekielek:

Let me stop you for one second, because thats obviously a very contentious statement. Youre basically saying that vaccines are driving infection?

Dr. Alexander:

They are.

Mr. Jekielek:

What is the evidence?

Dr. Alexander:

We have research. We have already published papers that pointed this out. Yahi et al. is one. We have the actual data. We have data that was collected at a granular level from the United Kingdom. Every week, week by week, they would provide us the data. We looked at this for almost a year. And we were telling the world, Look, all of a sudden the vaccinated, the double vaccinated, and then the triple vaccinated, first booster, are getting more infected than the unvaccinated. So, we are saying something is wrong. This vaccine is doing something.

The UK stopped the data. They decided to not publish it anymore, with no proper explanation. Scotland did the same thing. Week after week, we were seeing the data. We said, Look at the data. We still have the graphs, they cant take that away. We have saved them as PDF files. We have all of the data. This is happening in Israel, its happening in Denmark, and its happening in all of the Nordic nations.

When the vaccines were rolled out in February, March of 2020, the content of the vaccine was based on the Wuhan legacy strain of COVID. Thats where the concept of original antigenic sin comes into play. The original antigenic sin is a very simple, elegant concept. It says that the initial exposure or imprinting, prejudices the immune response lifelong.

So, based on the initial exposure the immune system had, whether it was via natural exposure to the infection or via vaccine, that immunological response will be recalled every time the immune system of that person confronts the pathogen in the environment. So, now you are confronting Omicron. But your immune system is recalling Wuhan antibodies. The recall is back to the Wuhan strain, thats what is pulled up. But Wuhan antibodies cannot recognize the Omicron spike. They cant hit it. They miss it completely. So, they cannot neutralize it.

Mr. Jekielek:

When youre talking about these antibodies, youre talking about vaccine antibodies. But to the casual listener right now, they might say to themselves, If someone was naturally infected with an early variant like Wuhan or Delta they have the same problem, because theyre primed for Delta or the Wuhan strain. In this case, why is natural immunity different than vaccine immunity? Why is this natural immunity so much more effective, which is what the data says? Is it because the natural immunity is for the entirety of the virus, whereas the vaccine is purely for the spike? How does that work?

Dr. Alexander:

Exactly. You just answered it. Again, its very simple. I know the general public has tuned in over these last two years. I have understood this even more than the scientific experts at CDC. It makes no sense what theyre doing. The decisions they are making at the FDA and CDC, in my opinion, are actually causing harm to the public. And what you just said is exactly correct.

The vaccine provokes an immune response to one target on the virus, the spike protein which is what you see, those spicules that stick out on the outside surface of the viral ball. But the virus is made up of about 28 to 30 different proteins. On the surface area, theres a membrane protein, the envelope protein. Inside of the virus there is a very conserved protein called the nucleocapsid protein. Regardless of the iterations of the virus, it is conserved. There is no change.

The spike, though, is the most mutable part of the virus. That makes us question, why would they target the immune response to the most mutable part of this virus, where the spike protein mutates continuously? Why didnt they make the entire virus the target, the ball of the virus or other conserved parts of the virus, and not just the spike? You just answered it, which is that the vaccinal antibodies can only see the spike.

Natural immunity builds an immunological response to the entire viral ball, including the spike. The spike might change, but the natural immune system can recognize the other 20-something proteins on the surface molecules. Its almost like if my sister decided that she was going to do some sort of facial adjustment, and she was going to adjust her nose and do a nose job. We have natural immunity versus vaccine immunity. My sister did a nose job. She changed her nose, right? Vaccinal immunity only knows one thing about my sister, which is her nose, but lets call it a spike.

So when my sister comes back to see me, and lets say I was vaccinal immunity. I wouldnt recognize her, because she changed her nose. Thats the only thing I recognize about my sister. Natural immunity looks at my sisters nose, her height, her weight, the shape of her eyes, her ears, the clothing she wears, her skin color, and her hair length. So, when she comes back around, natural immunity will look at her and say, Hmm, that nose looks a little different now, but everything else is the same. This still is your sister. This is an example of natural immunity versus vaccine immunity.

Mr. Jekielek:

Youre arguing that the continued use of these genetic vaccines for young people is actually driving infection and driving the emergence of new variants that could be even more problematic, like BA.5. We are getting initial information that its a more severe disease. Are you saying that vaccination should be stopped for this reason? What are you advocating for?

Dr. Alexander:

Now, its almost like Pfizer and Moderna have admitted failure. They have come out and stated in the last day or so that theyre going back to the lab to try to bring out in the fall or winter, a bivalent vaccine that is now comprised of two spikes, the Wuhan spike and the present Omicron spike, the BA.4, BA.5 sub variants. We argue, That is as ridiculous as the current situation that we are in.

By the time they bring that out, we will have new variants. We will end up back at ground zero, where well be vaccinating into a pandemic for a second time with vaccinal antibodies that do not neutralize the virus. If we have COVID at that point with different variants predominant, how could a BA.4, BA.5 then match those new variants?

We are seeing that this vaccine was never needed in the beginning, because we had early drug treatment with the antivirals. We knew the at-risk target group was the elderly, high-risk people. We knew that we simply needed to provide focused protection. Very early on, by April of 2020, COVID showed us it was amenable to risk stratification. And baseline risk predicted severity of outcome and death. We knew there was a very steep age risk line. Risk only went up with age, and we needed focused protection. I refer back to the Great Barrington Declaration. We brought out a vaccine though that does not, out of the box, eliminate the virus.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky came to the podium around July of 2021, and said that double vaccinated peopleat that point it was Delta, and it wasnt even as infectious as Omicronneed to put on masks. We knew then that the vaccine had failed. It failed on Delta, and it completely fails on Omicron. It does not protect the upper respiratory areas. Dr. Vanden Bossche is arguing, and I see a lot of credibility in what hes saying, that with this increased infectiousness that we are seeing in the upper respiratory tract, yet with protection in the lower respiratory tract, we should not take that as a win.

He predicted about a month ago that very soon we are going to see the same suboptimal immune pressure in the lower respiratory tract, placing pressure on viral violence. Variants are going to overcome that suboptimal immune pressure, and the blocking of severe outcomes that weve been seeing would be overcome. Selection pressure would select for variants that could drive severe outcomes. We are beginning to get initial reports that people with BA.5 are beginning to demonstrate more severe symptoms.

We are still saying early treatment is the key. You need to get an early treatment. You need to follow those protocols, the FLCCC (Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance) protocol, the Zelenko protocol, and the McCullough protocol. Theyre out there. Early treatment is the way to go. This set of vaccines just does not work. In fact, theyre making matters far worse for the population, because we run the risk of bringing a variant that is not just infectious, but is also potentially lethal. We will not know how to cope with that.

I will end by saying that children bring zero risk to the table. The data has been very clear and stable for two years now, the children are at almost zero risk of severe outcome or death from COVID. So this is a vaccine that confers them no benefit, yet brings risk. We know about myocarditis, it has been published. There is pericarditis, and Guillain-Barre paralysis. We know of all of the issues, the blood clotting, and the bleeding from these vaccines. Dr. Kostoff, Dr. Tracy Hoeg, Dr. Jessica Rose, Dr. Peter McCullough, and myself, we have all written voraciously on the harms of myocarditis, pericarditis, bleeding, and blood clotting.

We trusted that the pharmaceutical companies did what we thought they should have been doing, which is that they studied children, and that these studies ran for the proper duration, with the proper sample size, and looked at the proper number of events. They did not. For Pfizer and Moderna, the FDA has seen no data from a properly conducted study that they have used for decision making. All of the studies were flawed methodologically. This is a fact. Pfizer and Moderna cannot challenge somebody like me or another evidence-based medicine person and show us that these studies are bonafide, high quality, robust and trustworthy. They are not.

You, the vaccine developer and you, the FDA regulator, are here to ensure that they have excluded harms. That statement is a critical statement. Maybe its not part of your lexicon, but it should be. The clinical trial conductor runs a study for the proper duration of follow up, so that they can exclude harms. They take those results to the regulator to get it approved, and to bring that product to market. If they have not excluded harms, the regulator cant approve something that is harmful. But in this case, the proper studies for the proper duration, and the proper safety testing was never done. This is what you and I and the public found out after the fact, because we thought Pfizer and Moderna did the proper studies. They did not.

All of the prior mRNA vaccines trials in animals failed. The record is clear on that. When they tried these vaccines in the animal models, post SARS-1, in 2003, all of the animals got very, very sick with liver and kidney toxicity, and many died because of these mRNA vaccines. They have looked at them in coronaviruses before, and they all failed. Its a fact. Now we have a situation where you have Pfizer and Moderna bring these suboptimal studies to the regulators, the FDA and the CDC, and they have approved them.

This is about our children here. You dont have the data or the evidence to support the approval. Now people like us are going one step further. We are trying to warn parents and tell them this is way past defunct or terribly conducted studies. We are trying to tell them that there is an innate immune system in your child that needs proper training. Your innate immune system was trained when youre a child. This vaccine will subvert it and damage it, and it will not be trained. Your child will be subject to COVID, and a host of other pathogens that could render them very sick and could mean catastrophe for them.

Heres the question. Why would you take the chance? The academic medical research community, and the publishing community should hang their heads in shame. We need proper discussion and proper inquiry into how they stood back. They did not step up to the plate and band together and say, No, this is crazy, especially the evidence-based medicine world. They failed in their role to be the protector and to properly inform people.

We argue today that scientific research and evidence-based medicine is dead. In the era of COVID, these have died. Theres a core of ten to twelve of us who have been fighting from the beginning that you have included in your journalism, in your media, and in publishing interviews of us. We are saying, Look, were overwhelmed by the millions of people who are against what we are saying. Sometimes we cant even get to the point where we can explain we are saying. We are just saying, You know what? We are in this so deep. We cant go back anymore, and we have to continue. That is why I am still speaking and why I am still writing. That is the reason why.

Mr. Jekielek:

Dr. Paul Alexander, its such a pleasure to have you on the show again.

Dr. Alexander:

Thank you very much, sir. Thank you for having me.

Mr. Jekielek:

Thank you all for joining Dr. Paul Alexander and I on this episode of American Thought Leaders. Im your host, Jan Jekielek.

[Narration/Jan Jekielek]:

The FDA did not immediately respond to our request for comment.

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It once hosted the likes of Charles Dickens, Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, Mark Twain and President William McKinley, and now the historic Frontier House in the Village of Lewiston will once again host guests coming to visit Buffalo Niagara.

Ellicott Development Co.  which acquired the vacant building in the heart of Lewiston's business district in 2019  plans to restore the landmark former inn and turn much of it into a boutique Airbnb.

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The Buffalo-based developer plans to spend $5.29 million on the rehabilitation of the 198-year-old structure at 460 Center St., creating at least six short-term rentals for tourists and five market-rate apartments on two floors, along with a restaurant or other commercial space on two other levels. The goal is to bring the 17,066-square-foot building back to life in the village's downtown.

"Lewiston is a great place for visitors and a great destination for visitors coming to the area. But also this building in and of itself is a draw," said Tom Fox, director of development for Ellicott. "Were looking to rebrand the building, and salvage a lot of the fabric inside the building."

To accomplish that task, it's asking the Niagara County Industrial Development Agency to approve more than $650,000 in tax breaks, including a 10-year payment-in-lieu-of-taxes that would save $447,652 in property taxes, plus a sales tax incentive of $165,436 and a mortgage-recording tax abatement of $39,693. If approved, Ellicott hopes to seek building permits later this summer, start reconstruction work, and finish by next summer.

Built in 1824, and located on nearly an acre of land just an eighth of a mile up a hill from the Niagara River, Frontier House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in July 1974, but it's been vacant since 2004. Signs listing its famous guests once hung above its porch, but its last use was as a McDonald's fast-food restaurant.

It was previously owned by Richard A. Hastings, who bought the three-story stone building for $270,000 in 2000, but wouldn't sell it for years because he hoped to redevelop it himself. The village pressured him because of 19 alleged code violations involving the exterior of the building, and threatened to prosecute him for $1,000 per day for the violations, but a planned sale to a Texas developer in late 2017 fell through because of the renovation costs.

The village agreed to buy the building in June 2018 and then seek proposals from developers, but a change in mayoral leadership meant the deal never closed. Instead, the new mayor sought out potential buyers. That's when an affiliate of Ellicott, 4600 Group LLC, purchased the property three years ago. Besides Ellicott, the ownership group includes former Niagara County Legislature Clerk Jeffrey D. Williams and the Jerome P. Williams Irrevocable Trust.

"The redevelopment plans will draw upon and celebrate the building's rich history, with the intent to make it a destination sought by visitors from outside the area," Ellicott wrote in the application. "The rehabilitation will afford tourists the opportunity to stay in this historic building while visiting the Niagara-Lewiston area."

Plans call for the basement and first floor to offer 3,586 square feet of space for a 2,500-square-foot restaurant and bar, a 500-square-foot lobby and a 400-square-foot lounge area, with another 2,274 square feet available for boutique office or retail use, according to Ellicott's application to the NCIDA. The Airbnb units and some long-term apartment rental space would take up the second and third floors, along with the fourth-floor attic.

"There's not a ton of retail space on the first floor," Fox said, adding that the firm already has a retail tenant considering the space.

Project costs include $800,000 for the property purchase, $3.87 million for construction, $90,000 in furniture and $536,458 in professional fees. Funding would come from $3.97 million in bank loans and $1.32 million in developer equity, as well as a $100,000 economic development grant from National Grid.

Some structural preventive maintenance work has already been done, but the project still needs approval from the village, including its Historic Preservation Commission. The developer also had to rebuilt the front left corner to provide more support to the roof. "That was a big unknown and a big surprise for us, but a cost upfront," Fox said.
Top Republican Backs Trump Over DeSantis in 2024

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on July 13 said hed favor former President Donald Trump over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis if both run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.

I like Ron DeSantis, but I know what Im getting with Trump. The good and the bad and everything in between, Graham said on Fox News.

Trump sounds pretty good to me right now, he added.

No candidates have formally announced bids for the next presidential race but Trump, 76, has repeatedly hinted he will be running for a third time, but will not make an announcement until after the upcoming midterm elections.

Trump won the 2016 election and lost the 2020 election. In both races, he earned the Republican nomination.

DeSantis, 43, a former U.S. congressman who is up for reelection this year, has said hes focused on Florida, but some Republicans hope hell launch a presidential campaign.

Trump supporters like Graham point to his accomplishments during his one term, including securing deals in the Middle East, cutting down on illegal immigration, and getting a slew of originalist judges on federal courts.

Many DeSantis supporters say Trumps actions leading up to, on, and after Jan. 6 showed he shouldnt be president again. Some take issue with Trumps continued promotion of COVID-19 vaccines and other stances. A number still support Trump but would prefer DeSantis over him.

Graham said little about DeSantis while comparing Trump to President Joe Biden, 79, who took office in January 2021 and who has said he will run for a second term despite questions about his fitness.

Graham knocked Biden for the surge in illegal immigration that has occurred during his administration, joking that California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a rumored Democrat presidential candidate, may be the only guy Biden is willing to deport.

Compare Biden to Trump when it comes to the mid-East. Bidens begging the Iranians to get back in a deal thats terrible for the Israelis and the Arabs. Biden is going to go to East Jerusalem to undercut the Trump policy of making Jerusalem the undivided capital of Israel. Ive never seen a president tour the mid-East in a more weakened condition than President Biden, and I say that with sadness, Graham said. Trump looks pretty damn good to me when you look at the issues were facing as a nation and as a world.

Biden, meanwhile, while in Israel, was asked about potentially facing Trump again in 2024.

Im not predicting it, but I would not be disappointed, he told Israeli broadcaster N12.
Actor Kevin Spacey arrives at the Old Bailey in London on July 14, 2022. (James Manning/PA)

Hollywood Star Kevin Spacey Pleads Not Guilty After Being Accused of Sex Attacks

Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey has formally entered not guilty pleas to sexual assault charges dating back 17 years.

The 62-year-old Hollywood star stood in the dock of Court One at the Old Bailey to deny five allegations relating to three men, who are now in their 30s and 40s

Spacey was listed under his full name of Kevin Spacey Fowler and appeared in person, having been granted unconditional bail.

Wearing a blue suit and blue tie with pink polka dots, he spoke to confirm his name and date of birth.

He then spoke clearly as he denied four charges of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.

The alleged offences are said to have taken place in London and Gloucestershire between 2005 and 2013.

At the time, Spacey was artistic director of The Old Vic theatre in London.

Justice Wall set a trial of three to four weeks from June 6 next year.

The senior judge said the case would be transferred to the Old Bailey unless the date could be accommodated at Southwark Crown Court.

A further hearing will take place earlier in 2023.

Kevin Spacey arrives at the Old Bailey in London on July 14, 2022. (James Manning/PA)

The judge granted Spacey continued unconditional bail.

Spacey thanked the judge at the conclusion of the 15-minute hearing.

The star was represented by defence barrister Patrick Gibbs QC, with Christine Agnew QC prosecuting for the Crown.

The historic wood-panelled courtroom was packed with journalists sitting on rows of benches.

Meanwhile, a large crowd of photographers and television crews gathered outside.

Leaving court, Spacey made no comment as he was ushered into a chauffeur-driven car with darkened windows.

The House of Cards star has an address in Waterloo, south London, but also lives in the US, where he has family and a nine-year-old dog.

Last month, at an initial court hearing at Westminster Magistrates Court, Spaceys lawyer, Patrick Gibbs QC, said his client strenuously denies any and all criminality in this case.

Gibbs said Spacey returned to the UK to establish his innocence and proceed with his life.

The charges include two counts of sexual assault on a man, who is now in his 40s, in March 2005 in London; sexual assault on a man, who is now in his 30s, and causing him to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent, in August 2008 in London; and sexual assault on a man, who is now in his 30s, in April 2013 in Gloucestershire.

The Crown Prosecution Service authorised the charges against Spacey in May, but he could only be formally charged after travelling to the UK last month.

Spacey, a two-time Academy Award winner, is known for starring in American Beauty and The Usual Suspects.

He was artistic director at The Old Vic between 2004 and 2015.
Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, District officials, and federal partners hold a public safety briefing on preparations for the upcoming 59th Presidential Inauguration, in Washington, on Jan. 15, 2021. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

House Lawmakers Approve Amendment to Defense Spending Bill Giving DC Mayor Command of Citys National Guard

The U.S. House of Representatives on July 13 voted to adopt an amendment to the annual defense spending bill that hands command of the capital citys National Guard over to the mayor of Washington, D.C.

The measure (pdf) was approved in a mainly party-line vote of 218209 to be added to the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

Specifically, the amendment would give command of the D.C. National Guard to Mayor Muriel Bowser, as opposed to the president, who currently oversees the force in Washington, D.C.

In other states across the United States, governors are in charge of their respective national guards.

Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) joined Republicans in opposing the amendment to the NDAA, while Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) supported the measure.

Two Republicans and one Democrat did not vote. House lawmakers are expected to pass the full NDAA this week.

In a statement on Wednesday Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), Anthony Brown (D-Md.), and Eleanor Holmes Norton, a Democrat who represents the District of Columbia, cited the Jan. 6 Capitol breach as a reason for the amendment.

On January 6, 2021, as our democracy was under attack, D.C.s mayor was unable to call out the D.C. National Guard, wasting hours and potentially costing lives, the members said.

If the authority to control the D.C. National Guard were to be given to D.C.s mayor, as governors of the states and territories control their National Guards, it would be the biggest expansion of home rule for the District since the 1970s. The January 6th attack on the Capitol demonstrated why this authority belongs in the hands of D.C.s mayor and not the president.

Completely Unacceptable

However, Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) called the amendment completely unacceptable during a debate on the House floor on Wednesday.

The president is the chief executive of the federal government and its capital city, Clyde said, while noting that under the amendment, Bowser would have complete control when it comes to deploying the National Guard as well as appointing its commissioned officers.

Clyde stated that Bowser has previously attempted to use the D.C. National Guard for political purposes; calling for their withdrawal from the district during the summer riots of 2020 and seeking to significantly limit the D.C. National Guard role to traffic control duties only prior to the events of Jan. 6.

Bowser previously called on then-president Donald Trump to withdraw thousands of National Guard soldiers and federal law enforcement officers from the capital during protests over the death of George Floyd, stating that city was well equipped to handle large demonstrations and that the mass presence of federal law enforcement officers was serving to ignite further protests.

I cant believe this even has to be said, but the D.C. mayor is not the governor of a state. And the District of Columbia, which houses our federal government, is not and should never become a state, Clyde said.

The Houses version of the fiscal year 2022 NDAA also handed over command of the D.C. National Guard to the D.C. mayor, marking the first in history either chamber had passed a bill giving the mayor this authority, Nortons office said.

However, the provision was not included in the final version of the bill owing to Republican opposition, according to the congresswomans office.
U.S. President Joe Biden takes part in a signing ceremony for H.R. 3684, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, on Nov. 15, 2021. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Immigrant Small-Business Owner Sues Biden Administration for Racial Discrimination

Company wants to bid on government infrastructure contracts, but owner is wrong color and gender

A Florida small-business owner is suing the Biden administration for racial and gender discrimination in connection with the $1.2 billion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which Biden signed into law in November 2021.

Christian Buckner, a disabled immigrant, filed a federal lawsuit on July 13, challenging a stipulation in the law that declares him ineligible to bid on $37 billion in government infrastructure contracts solely because hes white and male. Buckner is represented by the Equality Under the Law Project, which has won all three of its prior racial discrimination cases against the Biden administration.

If President Biden really wants to help disadvantaged small-business owners, then he should help new businesses struggling to survive or small-business owners who have a disability like me, said Buckner, who came to the United States to escape communist repression in Romania in the 1970s. Helping groups based on race and gender is never fair. I expect more from my government.

As part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, $370 billion was allocated for roads, bridges, and other transportation projects. Of that amount, at least 10 percent was set aside for businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, which federal regulations define as black Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, some Asian Pacific Americans, and women. Excluded from this group are white men and men from places such as North and West Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East.

Buckners small business, called Project Management Corporation, wants to bid on government infrastructure contracts but will be excluded from those that are set aside for designated groups.

The U.S. Constitution guarantees equality under the law, meaning that all Americans need to be treated as individuals and not members of racial groups, Daniel Lennington, Buckners attorney, told The Epoch Times. The U.S. Supreme Court and courts around the country have repeatedly struck down attempts to give preference based on race and gender.

The Biden administration cant be faulted for a lack of trying, however. In June 2021, a federal appeals court struck down a Biden administration initiative to use racial criteria in giving federal payouts to restaurant owners. Soon thereafter, a federal court blocked Bidens attempt to allocate farm relief funds according to race.

During Bidens presidential campaign in 2019, he spoke out against a U.S. society that he claimed discriminated against women and non-whites.

Its an English jurisprudential culture, a white mans culture, he said. Its got to change.

Lennington said, At the core of the Biden administration policies is their firm belief in the theory of systemic racism. They need to implement these quotas and set-asides and preferences in order to satisfy their own belief in this idea that America is a systemically racist place and that America continues to perpetuate racism against non-white individuals.

Ignoring a consistent string of losses in federal courts, the Biden administration is going to keep doing it, and they dont care how many courts strike them down, according to Lennington.

They are dedicated to this philosophy, he said.

While both the federal government and private companies are legally prohibited under the 1964 Civil Rights Act from discriminating on the basis of gender and race, this practice is becoming increasingly common. In April 2021, United Airlines announced that half of its new pilot hires would be women and people of color.

We want to make sure that we are tapping into a big deep talent pool and not limiting ourselves to just one section of the pond, Chief Communications Officer Josh Earnest said when announcing the new policy.

Federal law does allow racial discrimination if its narrowly tailored to compensate for specific cases of discrimination. Racial discrimination against black farmers by the U.S. Department of Agriculture was alleged in 2021, based on the charge that three-quarters of applications for assistance from white farmers were approved, but only 37 percent of black applicants were approved. However, if racial discrimination was the cause of this disparity, narrowly tailored remedies require that the government compensate the specific individuals who were discriminated against and not target entire groups of people.

We believe that the government may cure past discrimination by finding the victims of discrimination and remedying what was going on, Lennington said. But whats happening here is that the government is choosing racial groups and giving benefits to them based on perceived discrimination. Our Constitution, our entire system of government is dedicated to the proposition that government ought to treat everyone equally as individuals. The law demands equal treatment, and were holding the Biden Administration to that legal principle.

Race- and gender-based quotas for federal contracts date back to the 1970s, indicating that, after having been in use for half a century, theyre neither narrowly tailored nor are they achieving their goal. The Buckner lawsuit demands that such criteria be removed from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Indiana Attorney General Probing Whether Doctor Reported Rape of Young Ohio Girl

Indianas attorney general said on July 14 that hes investigating whether the doctor who first made public that a 10-year-old girl who was raped in Ohio and received an abortion in Indiana reported the crime.

Dr. Caitlin Bernard was named as the source of a July 1 story by the Indianapolis Star. Bernard told the paper that she was contacted by a child abuse doctor in Ohio who had a 10-year-old patient and that the patient was pregnant. The article suggested Bernard, who performs abortions, performed an abortion.

An illegal immigrant was arrested about two weeks later for allegedly raping the girl in Columbus.

Aside from the horror caused here by illegal immigration, we are investigating this situation and are waiting for the relevant documents to prove if the abortion and/or the abuse were reported, as Dr. Caitlin Bernard had requirements to do both under Indiana law, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, a Republican, said in a statement.

The failure to do so constitutes a crime in Indiana, and her behavior could also affect her licensure. Additionally, if a HIPAA violation did occur, that may affect next steps as well. I will not relent in the pursuit of the truth.

HIPAA, or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, is a federal law that governs the disclosure of details about patients.

Indiana law requires physicians to report to child services or law enforcement the pregnancy of a girl under the age of 15 because of the potential for child abuse. Failure to report is a class B misdemeanor. A doctor who aborts the pregnancy of a girl under 16 must file a report with the Indiana Department of Health and Indiana Department of Child Services within three days.

The phone number listed for Bernard on the website of the Indiana University School of Medicine, where she is an assistant professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology, was not working on Thursday. A spokeswoman for the university has not responded to requests for comment.

My heart breaks for all survivors of sexual assault and abuse, Bernard wrote on Twitter this week. I am so sad that our country is failing them when they need us most. Doctors must be able to give people the medical care they need, when and where they need it.

Mother Reported Rape

According to a Columbus Police Department detective, the girl was raped in May and received an abortion in Indianapolis on June 30.

Gerson Fuentes was arrested on July 12 and charged with rape of a child under the age of 13.

The rape was reported to the Franklin County Children Services by the victims mother, the detective said during a court hearing.

A probable cause statement obtained by The Epoch Times says Fuentes confessed and the detective said that the girl identified him as the babys father.

A public defender representing the man told the court that these allegations are very serious and Mr. Fuentes takes these allegations very seriously, but argued his client should not be denied bond, as prosecutors requested.

The judge ultimately granted a $2 million bond, but Fuentes remains held behind bars, according to jail records.
Investigation Reveals Operations of Powerful Yuma County Democrat Who Admitted to Ballot Harvesting

An undercover video at the polls helped investigators disrupt a local ballot harvesting operation run by a Democratic operative in Arizona, in a scheme that prosecutors have described as a modern day political machine seeking to influence the outcome of a 2020 municipal election.

Guillermina Fuentes, a former mayor of San Luis, and her associate Alma Juarez, earlier this year both pleaded guilty to one count of ballot abuse. Fuentes admitted to illegally collecting early ballots from four persons who were not her family members during a Aug. 4, 2020, primary election in the border town of San Luis.

Fuentes, of Yuma County, is the owner of a local construction business, a board member of the Gadsden Elementary School District, former mayor of San Luis, Arizona, and a Democratic precinct committee person.

Investigators noted that Fuentes had apparently used her powerful position in the community to get locals to hand over their ballots to her or others for them to drop off at the ballot box, according to records of the Arizona attorney general office obtained by The Epoch Times through a public records request.

Evidence

The Arizona attorney general offices investigation of Fuentes began after it received a notice from the Yuma County Sheriffs Office of a potential case of voter fraud.

During primary election day in 2020, Gary Snyder, then a write-in candidate for City of San Luis council member, went undercover to record a video that seems to show Fuentes to be collecting and filling out ballots beside a polling station, according to a special investigation report dated Oct. 27, 2020, and prepared by Agent William Knuth of the Arizona attorney generals office.

David Lara, former vice chairman of the Yuma County GOP, told The Epoch Times that he collaborated with Synder and passed the video evidence on to the Yuma County Sheriffs office for investigation. The Sheriffs office worked with the Arizona attorney generals office in a joint investigation.

A group of subjects, lead by Guillermina Fuentes were seen on video manning a table and appearing to be supporting particular candidates, Knuths investigation report reads. A female identified as Alma Juarez approached the table and made contact with a second female identified as Guillermina Fuentes. Fuentes is ultimately observed taking a ballot from Juarez.

Fuentes admitted in her guilty plea that the early ballots were later provided to Juarez. Juarez pleaded guilty in March to one count of ballot abuse, a misdemeanor with a maximum sentence of six months with probation available, according to Juarezs plea agreement.

In the video, it is clear that the ballot envelope was unsealed. Fuentes was observed to pick up a pen or pencil and write on the ballot envelope. She then pulls the ballot out of the envelope and makes three marks consistent with the filling in of spaces on a ballot to make a candidate selection. Fuentes put the ballot back in the envelope and sealed it. She then retrieved several more ballot envelopes from a folder on the table and handed them to Juarez. Juarez then walks toward the polling, the report continued.

Agent Knuth then contacted Juan Guerrero, a Justice of the Peace in Yuma County. Guerrero said he believed a group of influential subjects, including Fuentes, is exchanging money for the ballots of community members, according to the report.

Powerful Position

One of the people interviewed by investigators described Fuentes as a powerful figure in the San Luis community, a status she exploited to allegedly engage in ballot harvesting on other occasions.

Agent Knuth interviewed Monica Corral, who said she was employed by Fuentes at Fuentess construction company from August 2016 to January 2017.

Corral stated that during the time leading up to the 2016 general election, she was given envelopes which she determined contained money. Fuentes informed her who would come to pick up the envelopes, and at the time of pick up would either leave a ballot or provide a time when Fuentes could come pick up their ballot, Knuths report stated.

Corral stated that the majority of the envelopes dropped off at the business were unopened, as if they were just received in the mail, the report continued, adding that Corral estimated more than fifty ballots were dropped off.

Testimony of Monica Corral establishes a pattern and history of collecting ballots and in some cases providing monetary compensation for those ballots. Corrals statement also explains that Fuentes has continued to be allowed to engage in suspicious activity regarding ballots without question due to her powerful position in the San Luis community, the report said.

Agent Knuth collected statements from community members in San Luis and found that these statements support the theory that individuals canvass neighborhoods in San Luis and solicit ballots.

Hundreds of Communities

Catherine Engelbrecht, the founder of election integrity group True The Vote, previously told The Epoch Times that the Arizona attorney generals investigation, which led to the indictments of Fuentes and Juarez, showed that this issue is getting a broader look.

Engelbrecht described similarities between Fuentess case and the recent case of a Texas woman who pleaded guilty to 26 counts of voter fraud in a vote harvesting operation.

This is not about one renegade person harvesting ballots, she said, referring to the Texas woman. Its happening in hundreds of communities all over the country.

And this is just one front of a thousand-front war on our elections.

She added: So we, the American people, need to continue the pressure on to continue investigations moving forward to get to the bottom of whats happening, not just in Yuma County, Arizona, but in many counties across this country.

Sentencing Hearing

The punishment for Fuentess felony conviction ranges from probation to two years in prison.

Fuentes was scheduled to be sentenced by the court on June 30, according to the June 2 press release on the Arizona AGs website. The Court has then vacated the sentencing hearing and scheduled a mitigation hearing for Fuentes in September.

Prosecutors are seeking a jail term of one year, according to a July 6 court filing.

In a statement to The Epoch Times, Fuentess attorney Anne Chapman said Fuentes has requested a mitigation hearing because the States request for a year in prison is clearly excessive.

Snyder, who filmed the undercover video that led to the investigation into Fuentes and is a Republican candidate running for a seat at the Arizona State Senate, told News 11 that the sentencings delay is a tragedy of our judicial system.

Once shes a felon, which she already said she was, theres no compromise, Synder said.

News 11 reported that the delay was the third time the sentencing for this case has been postponed.

Fuentes previously told The Epoch Times that the charge was a result of political witchcraft and that her political opponents hated her.

Her attorney Chapman previously described Arizonas ballot abuse law as a part of race-based ongoing anti-democratic, state-wide, and national voter suppression efforts.

The Epoch Times has reached out to the Arizona attorney generals office for comment.

A previous version of this article misstated Gary Snyders position in 2020. He was a write-in candidate for council member at the City of San Luis. The Epoch Times regrets the error.
An Iranian flag in Bushehr, Iran, on Nov. 10, 2019. (Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images); A Belgian flag flies at the Federal Parliament in Brussels, on March 24, 2016. (Yorick Jansens/Belga/AFP via Getty Images)

Iran Says in Close Contact With Belgium Over Release of Diplomat Convicted of Terrorism

The Iranian regime is in talks with Belgian government officials to call for the release of Assadollah Assadi, an Iranian diplomat who was sentenced to prison in Belgium on terrorism charges, a Tehran official announced on Wednesday.

Assadis unconditional release is Irans request, and talks are ongoing with the Belgian government, Nasser Kanaani, an Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, was quoted as saying by Iranian state media. We hope that with the efforts we have made, we will see the release of this diplomat in the near future.

In 2021, Assadi was sentenced to 20 years in prison in Belgium for his involvement in a foiled 2018 bomb plot attack in Paris. His was the first trial of an Iranian official for suspected terrorism in Europe since Irans 1979 revolution.

Last week, lawmakers in Belgium gave initial clearance to a prisoner exchange treaty with the Iranian regime that will allow the two countries to extradite prisoners to each other.

The treaty has been sharply criticized, including by members of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), whose rally near the French capital had been the target of the 2018 bomb plot. The Iranian opposition group, which is headquartered in France, called the treaty shameful and said it gave Iran a green light to carry out attacks in Belgium.

This is a treaty with the worlds number one state sponsor of terrorism and its only designed to release a convicted terrorist, Farzin Hashemi, deputy chair of the groups foreign affairs committee, said during a news conference after the debate.

National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) member Farzin Hashemi (L) listens during a press briefing following the trial of Iranian diplomat Assadollah Assadi at the Antwerp criminal court on Feb. 4, 2021. (Dirk Waem/Belga/AFP via Getty Images)

The Islamic regime has dismissed all terrorism accusations, calling the Paris attack allegations a false flag stunt by the NCRI, which Tehran, in turn, considers a terrorist group.

Several Belgian lawmakers also voiced concern that the treaty, as proposed, might lead to hostage diplomacy and put other Belgians at risk of detention.

Countries like Iran now know that they will be rewarded when they take Belgians into captivity, lawmakers of the political party New Flemish Alliance were quoted as saying by local media.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo defended the treaty, saying Brussels has no lessons to be learned from anyone when it comes to tracking down, indicting, convicting, and imprisoning terrorists, even if they are diplomats.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo takes part in a press conference after a meeting of the consultative committee with ministers of the Federal government, the regional governments and the community governments, in Brussels, on March 19, 2021. (Philip Reynaers/Belga/AFP via Getty Images)

Other government officials also defended the deal because it might secure the release of a Belgian aid worker, Olivier Vandecasteele, who has been jailed in Tehran since February.

The message we want to send with this deal is that we will not abandon people who are wrongfully in a foreign prison, De Croo said.

Meanwhile, a group of about a dozen human rights organizations appealed to Belgian government officials to suspend the latest agreement with Tehran on mutual prisoners exchange.

In a joint statement released on July 12, the groups appealed to Parliament members in Brussels to cancel the accord, saying it could result in the release of a convicted terrorist and legitimize Irans hostage-taking.

The measure still needs to be put before the full 150-member lower house of Parliament, most likely in the next two weeks, but the chamber normally follows votes of its committees, given they have similar party compositions.

It is not clear when a prisoner exchange might happen.

Reuters contributed to this report.

From NTD News
Irvine City Council Announces Support for Abortion, Reproductive Freedom

IRVINE, Calif.In a rare move for Orange County cities, Irvine city council members voted to approve a resolution declaring reproductive freedom is a fundamental right during a meeting on July 12.

At the meeting, Mayor Farrah Khan said she had suggested the resolution be drafted and approved. In her comments, she said the purpose was to send a message to the community that the city does not support the U.S. Supreme Courts recent decision on abortion.

In a 6-3 vote, Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court on June 24. The original decision banned states from restricting abortion in the U.S. during the first trimesternow its left up to the states to regulate the procedure.

According to Mayor Khan, over 400 people gathered on June 24 in Irvine at Alton Parkway and Culver Drive to protest the Supreme Courts decision. She said she hopes the citys stance on the issue gives women hope.

The position, which was formalized as a resolution, includes whether or when to have children is foundational to a persons autonomy, dignity and ability to participate fully in economic, social, and civic life.

It additionally cites the American Psychological Association, stating, there is a preponderance of scientific data supporting the conclusion that freedom of choice and a womans control over her critical life decisions promotes psychological health.

The resolution also claims the Supreme Courts decision restricting abortion access disproportionately affects poor, rural, working-class women, and women of color who dont have the resources to seek an out of state abortion, should the states where they live ban the procedure all together.

Councilmember Tammy Kima member of Planned Parenthoods Leadership Councilsaid this subject was very personal for her since she began advocating for abortion rights when she attended high school. She never believed Roe v. Wade could be overturned.

I think this is very timely, Kim remarked about the resolution. Im really proud of our mayor and for our city for standing up for reproductive rights.

The vote passed 3-2 with Councilmember Mike Carroll and Vice Mayor Anthony Kuo voting no. Neither member spoke up during the discussion to address their disapproval of the document.

The resolution also says the city supports Californias legislative efforts to protect abortion rights, and the council urges federal leaders to make abortion legal nationwide.

Lastly the document says the city strongly supports protestors and demonstrators organizing to put pressure on elected officials to defend this historic attack on the rights of women and furthermore, encourages women and residents of Irvine to advocate for their support for abortion rights.

Irvine is the only Orange County city thus far to formally express disapproval of the recent Roe v. Wade decision.
Is ATAR Accurate Enough for Admitting Students to University?

Commentary

Back in April 2021, I observed: The sad reality is that many Australians cannot properly spell, write, or read and that this malaise is compounded by an inability to correctly apply the rules of grammar. I also noted that very few students are exposed to the great books of Western civilisation but instead are required to read inferior works that meet the expectations of our progressive elites.

Many opinion pieces have been published about the declining English teaching standards in primary schools, high schools, and universities.

In a revealing essay, Barry Spurr, Australias first professor of poetry, talks about the vicious circle in the teaching of English. For him, the discernible deterioration in the mastery of the English language is caused by the poor teaching of English at university, which, in turn, results in the deficient teaching of this subject in primary schools and high schools.

Specifically, he argues that those who have studied English in school are then further indoctrinated in its postmodern model at the university; and, in turn, many of these graduates come back to the classroom as teachers, to further propagate that learningand so on, and on.

Commenting on the failure to promote the reading of the great books of literature in the classroom, he also reveals that nowadays, texts on the Black Lives Matter movement, cyber-bullying, cancel culture, refugeesand one could add climate changeare invading the classroom, while banning the classics of literature from the curriculum.

How Low Do ATAR Admissions Go?

There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that Spurrs views are not spurious. Indeed, I recently asked a good high school student whether they still have to read some of the plays of William Shakespeare. She told me that the teacher still discusses Shakespeares plays, but students are no longer required to read the texts.

Sir John Gilberts 1849 painting The Plays of William Shakespeare contains scenes and characters from several of the Bards plays. Daheesh Museum of Art. (Public Domain)

It could be reasonably surmised that the reason for this weakening of the English language requirement lies in the difficulties associated with the reading of these plays; hence, some meaningless chatter substitutes for the real experience of enjoying the rich language of the great English bard.

What has caused this sordid state of affairs? The reality is that students are admitted to teaching courses at universities with a low Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR).

Pallavi Singhal, commenting in The Sydney Morning Herald on admission requirements for study at Australian universities in 2019, disclosed: Far more students with ATARs in the lowest bands are being admitted into teaching degrees than other fields, with nearly 40 percent of teaching undergraduates scoring below 70.

Of course, admission requirements vary wildly from university to university. Officially, most Australian universities require applicants to have an ATAR in the 65 to 70 band for admission to teaching courses. For example, in 2022, the University of Queensland advertised guaranteed admission into teaching degrees with an ATAR score of 76.

But the Australian Catholic University had an ATAR cut-off of 48.25 in 2019 for its bachelor of primary education course. Some education courses in Victoria even had cut-off scores of 30, which is the lowest reported ATAR a student can get.

A Vicious Cycle

It could be argued that the ATAR score for admission to teaching courses in universities is too low. Surely, this compares unfavourably to the more intellectually demanding systems that require scores of 96 or higher.

It should thus not be a surprise that many teaching/education students have difficulty reading or writing properly and are easily indoctrinated by lecturers, who offer their students the pathetic curriculum approved by the universitys woke brigade. In these circumstances, it is no wonder that graduates, when they return to the classroom, are ill-equipped to properly teach English to Australian cohorts of primary and high school students.

So, the cycle of ineptitude continues and becomes worse over time. This incompetence does not only manifest itself in the glaring absence of great books of literature but also in the conspicuous denigration of, or lack of concern for, the application of basic grammatical rules, including the proper use of punctuation, apostrophes, and commas, thereby eroding the lucidity with which the English language could be used to communicate with people.

Of course, there are competent teachers who genuinely endeavour to improve the English language capability of their students. For example, these teachers may seek to increase their students English vocabularies by familiarising them with very learned words.

Teaching English

Recently, I came across the use of the word sesquipedalian, an adjective used to qualify long-winded prose. One would be forgiven for not understanding this word, which certainly does not figure prominently in the daily vocabulary of most people. The word is reminiscent of the language used by Sir Nigel Hawthorne, better known as the fictional television character Humphrey Appleby in Yes, Prime Minister, or as a suitable question for $250,000 (US$170,000) in the popular Channel Nine Millionaire Hot Seat program.

Teachers may thus use difficult words to diversify and enrich their students English vocabulary. This is a good thing, provided it does not come at the expense of clarity in the communication of ideas.

Education is an endless pursuit. (Jacob Lund/Shutterstock)

The unfortunate situation in the teaching of English has not been assisted by people writing meaningless sentences which reasonably intelligent people cannot understand.

An example found on a blog post for the academic list H-Japan is the following sentence: Starting with these questions, Anne McKnight will discuss Ruth Ozekis novel My Year of Meats as a stabiliser to engage discussion about ways that relations between these localised discussions may be symptoms of something besides failure to be total or cynical paths to monumentality. Those who claim to understand this sentence, and can explain its meaning to other people, might well be members of a dwindling minority.

So, the message is clear: a revalidation of the teaching of English should start with an increase in the ATAR score. This will hopefully result in better-qualified teachers who are less amenable to slavishly imposing a woke curriculum on high school students.

But would an increased ATAR score and more demanding admission processes cause a decrease in the number of teaching graduates capable of servicing our schools? Undoubtedly, a consideration of this question might provide new insights into Australias education system.

But because of its complexity and multi-faceted aspects, it is better to leave its discussion for another time.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Ultra-Orthodox Jews watch people wave Israeli flags outside the Damascus Gate during Jerusalem Day celebrations in Jerusalem on May 28, 2014. (Dusan Vranic/AP Photo)

Israeli Communications Minister Says He Was Threatened Over Kosher Cellphone Reform

Israeli Communications Minister Yoaz Hendel has claimed that he was threatened by a representative of Yaakov Litzman, a former United Torah Judaism minister, over Hendels kosher cellphone reform.

Hendel made the revelations regarding the alleged threats at a conference in Shoham, Israel, on July 12.

A man came to me on behalf of Litzman, and clarified to me that if I touch the topic of cellphones in the Haredi sector, I will be erased. The man said, You will be burnt politically,' said Hendel, according to The Jerusalem Post.

A so-called kosher cellphone is a mobile device that can generally only make or receive phone calls and is not connected to the internet.

The devices are widely used by Haredi Jews, who comprise a number of ultra-Orthodox sects of Judaism and make up 12.6 percent of Israels population and 16 percent of Israeli Jews.

Until recently, the ultra-Orthodox Rabbinic Committee for Communications maintained oversight of all devices used by Haredi Jews.

The committee approved only certain telecommunication companies and blocked some phone numbers from being accessed by Haredi members, including government welfare agencies, hotlines for sexual and domestic violence support, and secular organizations that help people trying to leave the Haredi community, Religion News Service reported.

The committee also worked with cellphone providers to create easily identifiable and distinct phone numbers for the devices, making it clear if a caller was using a supervised or unsupervised device.

However, in May 2022, Hendel ushered in a reform allowing the kosher cellphone market to be regulated by the government as opposed to the Rabbinic Committee for Communications.

Less Oversight

Under the new law, which is set to take effect on July 31, Haredi Jews will have more freedom when it comes to Kosher phones, including the ability to change their mobile plans and decide limits on content restrictions without the supervision or oversight of a rabbi.

The decision sparked a backlash from ultra-Orthodox leaders who fear it will reduce their oversight over members, and protests erupted in Jerusalem, sometimes turning violent.

However, Hendel defended his decision at the July 12 conference, stating that Haredi citizens should have the same opportunities as other Israeli citizens to access the cellular company, type of package, and type of device they wish.

I needed to decide whether to take a political risk or to ignore the issue, like my predecessors did, Hendel said. I decided that I am deciding [what is best] for Israels Haredi citizens, even though I know they are not my electorate.

The Haredi political operators work for themselves. [They] raise prices and limit the public. They turn a blind eye toward discrimination against Sephardi girls in Ashkenazi institutions. These operators are the opponents of the Haredi public, not me, Hendel said.

Every decision has a political price, he added. But it is unacceptable that ministers reach their positions and then only deal with survival instead of making decisions for public benefit.
After months of negotiations with state historic preservation officials and neighbors, the Salvation Army of Greater Buffalo Area Services is ready to proceed with remaking its 2.9-acre complex along Main Street  including demolition of four of its five buildings, one of which was deemed as part of a historic district.

"Were trying to align the project better within the historic Allentown district," said Phillips Lytle LLP attorney Lindsey Haubenreich, representing the project. "Thats why its taken several months to get here. The project has involved revisions."

The Christian-based nonprofit social-services agency  which serves a low-income and homeless population  plans to construct an emergency shelter and 164 units of affordable housing, bringing its 67-year-old campus up to par with the needs of the community around it. That means replacing its dated buildings that are no longer suitable, especially the former Travelodge motel that was converted into its emergency shelter decades ago.

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Anchored by a three-story emergency shelter perpendicular to Main and a seven-story apartment building that stretches along Main and then angles back toward the center of the site, the proposed Hope on Main project entails 147 apartments in the large building and 80 beds in the shelter, plus 17 two-story townhouses in five separate clusters along and facing North Pearl.

That's 244 housing units in all, including studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and even three-bedroom apartments. Of those, 81 are permanently supportive units, with services provided for those with serious mental illness or substance abuse disorder, and for the chronically homeless. Plans also include a new 50-space parking lot and an interior courtyard and greenspace. And the agency plans to continue many of its current programs and services.

But the campus that extends from 954 to 1000 Main St. also reaches back to North Pearl Street on the other side, and is adjacent to the Allentown Historic District. The project has been delayed by long and complex talks with residents, preservationists and especially the State Historic Preservation Office, which earlier determined that two of the Salvation Army's buildings are contributing structures to the historic area.

The Salvation Army plans to retain one of them, its original main administrative building and chapel at 960 Main. But the other, at 972 Main, is slated to be torn down, along with 954, 984 and 1000 Main.

The original site plan application was submitted in January, along with an application for four variances from the Green Code, but "a lot has happened since then," Haubenreich said.

Officials hope the Zoning Board of Appeals will approve the request later this month, followed by the Planning Board, which reviewed the changes this week.

While the Buffalo Preservation Board agreed to the demolitions in June, it still has to approve construction on the site, possibly on July 21.

The issue was that, while the campus was not originally part of the historic district, it was incorporated within it during an expansion in 2011. At the time, the five buildings were considered "non-contributing," but state historic officials concluded otherwise in April 2022 for all but 1000 Main.

That led to further discussions with the state and the submission of more documentation, prompting the state office to drop 954 and 984 from significance because one was constructed later and the other  the former motel  had been altered too much.

That left 972 Main, so the state asked Salvation Army to look at alternatives to demolition and explain why it can't be kept intact. The nonprofit did so, showing that "none of the alternatives avoiding demolition ... are feasible and prudent," and the state finally agreed in early June. The Buffalo Preservation Board then backed the four demolitions.

Additionally, based on community and city feedback, the Salvation Army and its team changed some of the building designs, adjusting the location and angle of the apartment building so that it mimics the "historic fabric" of 960 and 972 Main while maintaining the campus feel. That reduced the greenspace in the middle but not the off-street parking. And they reduced the space between the townhouse buildings, enabling them to add one more unit.

Some minor changes were also made to the facade materials for the townhouses, and to the lighting and landscaping plans. Construction will take about 18 months.

"Once completed, the Project will provide badly needed services to the community," Haubenreich wrote. "Overall, we believe these changes have improved the design of the building and the site overall and have paid homage to a contributing structure, while not impacting the overall mission of the project."

Salvation Army has existed in Buffalo for 138 years, and has operated on the Main Street campus for over 60 years, providing community activities and emergency assistance to over 400 people each year. But today, "the greatest need in Buffalo is for safe, dignified, affordable housing," said Maj. Annette Lock, co-area director and director of operations, citing 6,000 people lacking adequate housing. "We have the resources to bring that to the community."

The agency considered selling its prime real estate - located across from the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and close to the Metro Rail - and relocating its "badly needed replacement" shelter elsewhere, according to a letter to the Planning Board from Haubenreich. But rebuilding the shelter on its current campus "would alleviate the need to rebuild in somebody else's neighborhood," Lock told the board on Monday.

"The best way to achieve its charitable goals and continue to serve the community would be a set of new structures at the site of the current campus," Haubenreich wrote.
Ive Never Seen Anything Like This: Texas Sheriff Blasts Biden for Border Crisis

Sheriff Roy Boyd of Goliad County, Texas, joined other law enforcement officials from his state recently to raise the alarm about the border crisis thats wreaking havoc in America. These local officials, who confront the consequences daily, are now calling it an invasion.

Boyd, a seventh-generation Texan, recently spoke to The Daily Signal about what its like in Goliad County, the vicious cartels trafficking humans and drugs, and why the problem of illegal immigration is much worse than anyone realizes.

This is just a tidal wave of people coming across. It is an invasion. Theres no two ways about it, Boyd said. When you, as a taxpayer in the state of Texas, cant utilize your own property because of the massive wave of people, it is an invasion, and thats exactly what it is.

Rob Bluey: We have seen, month after month, the number of illegal immigrants crossing the border increase. What is it like for you and your residents in your county?

Sheriff Roy Boyd: Well, anywhere throughout South Texas, what it is, its anything from an inconvenience to terrifying, depending on where youre at.

When you go down into deep South Texas, a lot of the ranches are now abandoned. The people who own those lands can no longer utilize them because of the cartel presence on their ranches. If they are there, they cant leave their houses without leaving somebody behind armed. Theyre getting carjacked at their gates on their own properties.

Where were at, we have a lot of absentee landowners, and thats property where nobody actually lives on the land. And so, whats happening is the cartel is coming in, and they will set up stash sites on those ranches where nobody is at, where theyll either strip vehicles [or] stage stolen vehicles.

Theyll hide illegal aliens while theyre going to gas up or whatnot, or somebody will bring them up from Mexico to where were at. Then, somebody comes from Houston to pick them up and then take them the rest of the way.

And so, thats what were looking at.

Bluey: So much of the time we talk about the border crisis as being a federal issue. You, obviously, being in local law enforcement are seeing it firsthand. What frustration do you have with the politicians in Washington or the Biden administration and their failure to address some of the problems you just outlined for us?

Boyd: I think the problem is that we find that the federal government has absolutely no will, or at least the politicians have no will, to do anything about this problem.

Your average Border Patrol agent, Homeland Security agent, wants to do something, but the Biden administration has worked extremely hard to tie their hands and prevent them from doing the jobs that theyve been sworn to do. And it makes it extremely frustrating.

So, what were doing is we find alternatives in order to accomplish those goals.

Bluey: You have talked about how working under [Texas Gov. Greg] Abbotts Operation Lone Star, you have taken steps to combat and try to repel this invasion thats happening in our country. You are about three hours from the Mexican border. What are some of the steps that youve been able to do with the governors support in order to help address this border crisis?

Boyd: Well, I met with the governor last year with a handful of other sheriffs. Ive met with the state House of Representatives and state Senate. We sat down, worked on some different strategies.

Thank God [that] Gov. Abbott, through his leadership, was able to acquire money that came to local law enforcement agencies to give us the capacity to go after the cartel activities within our jurisdictions, because most of us only have one to two deputies working in our entire county at any given time. [We] just dont have the manpower, the resources, to combat something like the cartel coming in.

So, thanks to the governor, were able to hire some individuals, some officers, that all their job is to go out and combat transnational criminal activity within our jurisdictions.

So, what weve done is, we took that funding that the governors office gave us and reached out to other law enforcement agencies. And right now, there are 16 of us who have come together to try to put pressure on the cartel to get them out of our region.

Bluey: You talk about the cartel. I feel like, as somebody whos not in Texas and maybe not seeing it firsthand, I dont have a full appreciation. Can you go into detail in terms of just how vast their network is and how difficult it is to repel them from your community?

Boyd: Well, the first thing you have to understand is, down in Mexico, the cartels operate whats called the plaza system. And what the plaza is historically [is] the center square in town, but as far as the cartels are concerned and the Mexican government is concerned, its a territory. And the Mexican government leases territory to different warlords, which are now the cartels, to operate within those areas. Theyve now replicated that system here.

Now, theyre not paying the government for the use of those territories, but what the cartel has done is theyve come into Texas, theyve come into other states, and theyve claimed territory.

And what they did then was they turned all of our main prison gangs, like Mexican Mafia, Texas Syndicate, Aryan Brotherhood, those people are now mere contractors to the cartel. The cartel runs these territories with an iron fist. And if you dont conduct business the way that they authorize, well, then you disappear, and we never see you again.

So, the cartel has come in and done that. Theyve also bought up and established what you would think are legitimate businesses within our communities. And they use this not only to move slaves through, but also [to] move drugs through [and] to launder their money. So, they put their money into the system and deposit it in the bank, and at that point, they can use that money for whatever they want.

Bluey: I imagine that one of the consequences is the increased distribution of fentanyl and human trafficking. Are these things that you yourself are seeing in your county?

Boyd: Yeah. Weve had a rash of fentanyl exposures within our region over the last couple of months. Sen. [John] Cornyn had provided everybody within our region with the antidote for fentanyl, the Narcan. Now that those have begun to expire, our contacts at [the] Texas Department of Public Safety stepped in and asked us if we needed some and re-upped all of the agencies in the area because we have had a lot of fentanyl exposures as of late.

We have a lot of human trafficking that goes through. Everybody wants to think that this is an immigration problem, but in reality these people arent immigrants. Theyre slaves. Theyre brought out of their countries. The cartel moves them through Mexico, pays off the Mexican government as they go. They get here. They push them across.

Some of them, they turn over to Border Patrol or tell them to turn [themselves] over. The vast majority, they dont do that to. They sneak them into the state, into the United States, and then they smuggle them through various means, getting them deeper into the U.S.

Those individuals are indentured servants here in the United States. Most of them, when we interview them, we find out that they believed when they got to the MexicoTexas border, that they were paid up and could come across. However, once they get brought across, theyre now told they owe more money.

And I actually have a letter from a house where they were keeping sex slaves in another jurisdiction, where they articulate it takes eight to 13 years to buy your freedom once youre brought into the United States. Thats if nobody turns around and sells you because youre just property while youre here.

Bluey: Its just heartbreaking to hear that. You spoke earlier about the fear that landowners in your county face. What do you hear from some of them, and what have their actions or response been to the increased presence of the cartel?

Boyd: Well, what our folks have done is theyre spending more time roaming around, checking the brush, looking for activity on their places, but they cant be everywhere. And we have a lot of absentee landowners. We have land trusts. We have different things like that, entities that arent even in our county that own land within our county.

And so, what weve done is, weve tried to educate people to be more vigilant and look for activity, look for places where activity might take place. And theyve been doing that. But what we see is a lot more people who are concerned, and theyre now carrying firearms for their own protection.

Bluey: Are there steps that we can take as a country to hold Mexico accountable for whats happening?

Boyd: Yes, most definitely. The only way to fix this isnt on this side of the river. Because once a foreigner gets on this side of the river and becomes an illegal alien, then our government is there to welcome them in, give them their visa gift card, give them their free voucher for the bus or the plane ride, wherever it is the cartel wants them to go, because thats really whats happening. The government is becoming the last logistical leg on the cartel slave trade.

The only way to solve this is to bring Mexico to their knees economically. The No. 1 expense of the cartelsand they have publicly complained about this for years in Mexicois paying off all of the government officials in Mexico.

Mexico is a system that is set up with graft and corruption. The cartels have to pay them off at a hefty amount every single month. So, the officials in Mexico are making a lot of money off this.

The only way to make them stop this partnership with the cartel is to create enough economic pain from the loss of legitimate revenue that it finally outweighs their gain from their illegitimate revenue that they gain from their partnership with the cartels.

Bluey: Do you think this administration has the stomach to do that?

Boyd: No. I think what this administration is doing is exactly what this administration wants. This is a direct result of our government wanting this to take place. Because if they didnt want it to take place, you could fix it in a matter of a month. But they dont want to fix it because this is what they want happening.

Bluey: And why do you think that is, though? I mean, we suspect that there is maybe a political advantage they see in the effect of bringing in so many illegal immigrants to this country. Obviously, they deny things like that. But in your own estimation, having seen it yourself up close, why are they refusing to take the steps, which I think to many Americans seem like common sense?

Boyd: Yeah. Its common sense if you want to remain a free country. To be quite honest with you, it would be a very long conversation about all the little nuances that go on into it. But as my friends in the field side and in the supervisory side of the federal government tell me, this is happening so that we can make a transition from a free republic to a Marxist style of government.

And so, why would you want to stop it if what you want is Marxism and what you want is a ruling class in peons? Why would you want to bring it to an end while youre importing more and more people into the slave trade, which basically creates a peon class within our society?

Bluey: Have you ever seen it as bad as it is today in your time working in law enforcement?

Boyd: No. I think the first border op that I ever wrote was in 2009 down in Brooks County. And Ive never seen anything like this.

We thought it was bad then, when we were finding the pamphlets that the Obama administration was having handed out in Mexico on how to get here and all the advertising on the radio in Mexico convincing people to come here illegally. We thought that was bad, but thats nothing compared to this.

This is just a tidal wave of people coming across. It is an invasion. There are no two ways about it. When you, as a taxpayer in the state of Texas, cant utilize your own property because of the massive wave of people, it is an invasion, and thats exactly what it is.

Bluey: Do you think that the numbers that the Department of Homeland Security puts out for apprehensions are an accurate reflection of the number of people who are actually crossing the border?

Boyd: No, not by any means. From Oct. 1 until today, I think there were 300  Im sorry, that was just Rio Grande Valley. From Oct. 1 to today, all across the border, excluding California, was just under 1.3 million apprehensions.

Border Patrol tells me they estimate they apprehend 8 percent to 10 percent of the people that come across. You hear people talk about got-aways. Theres supposed to be 800,000 got-aways. Well, in order to be a got-away, Border Patrol either has to see them [or] see physical evidence like a footprint or something, that they escaped without being apprehended.

Well, there are a lot more coming across because theres entire sections where nobody is patrolling. There are days in the Rio Grande Valley sector, which is a large sector, that theres not one Border Patrol agent actually out working the border. Nobodys looking for got-aways. So, you can imagine how many more there are when, on some days, theres nobody looking for [them].

I talked to a Border Patrol agent a couple weeks ago, and he told me that they got told to quit reporting their got-aways, that hes being told, Hmm, dont count those. And the logic was, Well, they may be counted somewhere else, so just dont count them anymore. And so, it just doesnt make sense, unless you understand that this is all by design.

Bluey: And what is the reason that the Border Patrol doesnt necessarily have a presence at all times?

Boyd: Because the administration has moved Border Patrol from being the Border Patrol to taking them in and making them process these individuals so that they can get them into the United States.

Historically what happens is, if youre apprehended and youre not going to be deported, youre given whats called a notice to appear. That notice to appear has that you have to appear on this date, at this time, at this court, at this address.

Well, now theyre handing them a notice to appear[but] theres no date, theres no time, theres no court, and theres no address. But as long as they have that piece of paper, whether its filled out properly or not, no federal agent can touch them for immigration violation.

So, theyre letting these people in and telling the media and the public, Oh, they have a notice to appear. But in reality, its an incomplete notice to appear that just gives them carte blanche to break federal law.

The other thing you have to consider is what theyve looked at this year is the people that they have deported. Depending on the sector youre in, between 40 percent and 80 percent of those people then reenter and are encountered a second time or a third or a fourth.

We in Goliad have apprehended people in bailouts [for whom] this is their third, fourth time being caught. This really showed us the fact that its just a revolving door.

We just started filing state charges on everybody because the federal system is broken. Theyre not going to do anything about it because this is what they want, so were just going to take care of it on the state side.

Bluey: Sheriff, you spent over two decades in law enforcement. What inspired you to first get involved? And given the challenges youre facing today, what keeps you going every day?

Boyd: I got into this just, I guess, by chance. I had a neighbor who got into law enforcement and I started riding with him, and I thought: This is a good, fulfilling job. I would really like this. This is something that I could make a career out of. I could make a difference, and I can go out and do something. Its changed drastically over that time.

To be quite honest with you, when I first became a cop in 1994, Border Patrol had an incentive where they would bring us a box of bullets for every illegal alien we apprehended. And they would come pick them up, sometimes 20, 23, and shove them into a suburban.

Talk about a drastic change.

The whole thing is, in the end, were all going to be judged, not by the people, not by anythingwere going to be judged by our Lord and maker. Were going to have to answer for what we did. And while I may not be able to fix it, and I may not be able to bring it to an end, Im going to do my part so that when I get to the pearly gates, at least when I get asked, theyll know I did something.

Bluey: Well, Sheriff Roy Boyd, thank you for your service. Thank you for what youre doing. Thank you for also explaining the issue articulately. I think its very helpful to hear from somebody whos on the front lines dealing with this on a daily basis. We appreciate what youre doing.

Boyd: Well, were just having fun.

Bluey: That was Sheriff Roy Boyd of Goliad County in Texas. Thank you, again, for being with The Daily Signal.

Boyd: Thank you.

Reprinted by permission from The Daily Signal, a publication of The Heritage Foundation.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida delivers a speech at his official residence in Tokyo, Japan, on July 14, 2022. (Zhang Xiaoyu/Pool Photo via AP)

Japan PM Blames Police for Death of Former Leader Shinzo Abe

TOKYOJapanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday blamed inadequate police protection for the death of former leader Shinzo Abe, who was shot last week while giving an outdoor campaign speech.

Abe, one of Japans most influential politicians, was assassinated last Friday in Nara in western Japan, shocking a nation known for its low crime rate and strict gun control. Photos and videos of the shooting show the gunman was able to approach Abe from behind, while security guards were focused toward the front.

I think there were problems with the security measures, Kishida said.

Officials at the National Public Safety Commission and National Police Agency are investigating what went wrong and will compile measures in response, Kishida said. A team of national police officials arrived at Nara prefectural police headquarters Thursday for the probe.

I urge them to carry out a thorough inspection and fix what needs to be fixed, while also studying examples in other countries, he said.

Kishida also announced plans to hold a state funeral for Abe later this year, noting his contributions at home and in boosting Japans security alliance with the United States. Abes nationalistic views drove the governing partys conservative policies.

People watch the hearse transporting the body of late former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe as it leaves Zojoji Temple in Tokyo, Japan, on July 12, 2022. (Philip Fong/AFP via Getty Images)

A hearse transporting the body of Japans former prime minister Shinzo Abe makes a brief visit to the Prime Ministers Office after his funeral ceremony, as Japans Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, officials and employees offer prayers in Tokyo, Japan, on July 12, 2022. (Eugene Hoshiko/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

By holding a state funeral in memory of former Prime Minister Abe, Japan will show its determination not to cave in to violence and to firmly defend democracy, Kishida said. Japan will also show to the world its determination to keep up its vigor and open a path toward the future.

A smaller funeral ceremony was held at a temple in Tokyo on Tuesday. A state ceremony would be only the second for a prime minister since World War II, following one for Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida in 1967.

The use of tax money for a state funeral for Abe received mixed reactions from opposition leaders. Democratic Party for the People leader Yuichiro Tamaki said many condolences were received from abroad and the plan is understandable, but Ichiro Matsui, head of the Japan Innovation Party, said it would require too much public money.

Abe was giving a speech in support of a governing Liberal Democratic Party candidate in last Sundays parliamentary elections when he was shot. The party and its junior coalition partner, Komeito, won a landslide victory in the polls. But his absence could trigger a power struggle in the wing of the party he led, shaking party stability.

A suspect was arrested immediately after the shooting and is being held for questioning for up to three weeks until prosecutors decide whether to press murder charges.

Japans former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (C) falls on the ground in Nara, western Japan, on July 8, 2022. (Kyodo News via AP)

Tetsuya Yamagami (R), the man accused of murdering former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is escorted by police while leaving the Nara Nishi police station to head to the prosecutors office in Nara, Japan, on July 10, 2022. (STR/Jiji Press/AFP via Getty Images)

The suspect reportedly told police that he abandoned a plan to shoot Abe a day earlier at a speech in another city because of a requirement that bags be checked at the entrance.

Police and media reports say he told investigators that he killed Abe because of rumored links between the former prime minister and a religious group the suspect hated. The suspect, 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, was reportedly upset because his mother made large donations to the Unification Church that bankrupted the family.

The assassination has shone a light on links between the Liberal Democratic Party and the Unification Church, which is known for its conservative and anti-communist beliefs and its mass weddings.

The Japan branch of the South Korean-based church confirmed on Monday that Yamagamis mother was a member and that Abe was not. Abe has appeared in video messages to groups affiliated with the church.

By Mari Yamaguchi
Police inspect a sidewalk near the site where former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was fatally shot, in Nara, western Japan, on July 13, 2022. (Kyodo News via AP)

Japan Police Find Bullet Marks Near Abe Assassination Site

TOKYOJapanese police said Wednesday they have found what they believe are several bullet marks on a building near the site of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abes assassination last week in western Japan, apparently from the first shot fired from a suspects powerful homemade gun that narrowly missed Abe.

Abe, the countrys longest-serving prime minister who remained influential even after stepping down two years ago for health reasons, was gunned down Friday during a campaign speech near a crowded train station in Nara.

A bullet from a second shot, fired seconds after the first from behind Abe, fatally struck him just as he turned around, apparently in reaction to the initial explosive sound.

The suspect, Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, was arrested on the spot Friday. He can be detained for police investigation for up to three weeks before prosecutors decide whether to formally charge him with murder.

Tetsuya Yamagami (R), the man accused of murdering former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is escorted by police while leaving the Nara Nishi police station to head to the prosecutors office in Nara, Japan, on July 10, 2022. (STR/Jiji Press/AFP via Getty Images)

On Wednesday, police found several of what they believe are bullet marks in the wall of a building about 90 meters (yards) away from the assassination site. Police said they believe the bullets, or fragments of the bullets, from the first shot hit the wall after narrowly missing Abe and piercing through an election vehicle parked nearby. The bullet marks on the wall and in the vehicle match, police said, suggesting they were fired from the same weapon.

Police confiscated the homemade gun that the suspect used to kill Abe when he was arrested. The taped-up 40-centimeter (16-inch) double-barrel gun made of two iron pipes was designed to release several bullets per shot, police said. Police also confiscated several other similar weapons from the suspects apartment.

Police and Japanese media have suggested that the suspected assassin decided to kill Abe after seeing reports about his ties to the Unification Church. The suspect reportedly was upset because his mothers massive donations to the church had bankrupted the family.

Japans former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (C) falls on the ground in Nara, western Japan, on July 8, 2022. (Kyodo News via AP)

The assassination of Abe has shed a light on his and his governing partys links to the Unification Church, which is known for its conservative and anti-communist stances and its mass weddings.

Tomihiro Tanaka, head of the Japanese branch of the South Korean-based church, confirmed on Monday that Yamagamis mother was a member. Tanaka said Abe was not a member but may have spoken to groups affiliated with the church.

Police this week inspected a building related to the church in Nara after the suspect told investigators he had test-fired a homemade gun the day before the assassination to figure out how powerful it would be. They found several holes in the wall of an unrelated office next door, which the suspect might have believed were part of the church, police said.

Abes assassination has shaken Japan, one of the worlds safest nations with some of the strictest gun laws. Police have acknowledged possible lapses in guarding Abe and announced plans to set up a task force to review safety procedures.

Hundreds of people, some in formal dark suits, filled sidewalks outside Zojoji temple in downtown Tokyo to bid farewell to Abe, whose nationalistic views drove the governing partys conservative policies.

The vehicle (R) carrying the body of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe leaves Zojoji temple after his funeral in Tokyo on July 12, 2022. (Hiro Komae/AP Photo)

By Mari Yamaguchi
Conservative leadership candidate Liz Truss speaks to supporters and journalists as she launches her campaign to become the next prime minister in London on July 14, 2022. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Liz Truss Loses Ground on Penny Mordaunt as Tory Leadership Contest Hots up

Attorney General Suella Braverman has been knocked out in the second round of voting for the leadership of the Conservative Party with Rishi Sunak opening up a lead on his rivals.

Rishi Sunak leads the field in the race to find a replacement for Boris Johnson, who resigned as Britains prime minister last week.

He got 101 votes on Thursday, ahead of trade minister Penny Mordaunt on 83 and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on 64.

The former equalities minister Kemi Badenoch got 49 votes and backbencher Tom Tugendhat got 32 but they could come under pressure to drop out before Fridays televised debate between the remaining leadership contenders.

Braverman, with 27 votes, drops out.

Earlier Truss set out her stall with a major speech, in which she defended her decision not to quit the Cabinet after Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid resigned.

Truss: I Supported Our Prime Ministers Aspirations

Truss said: I am a loyal person. I am loyal to Boris Johnson. I supported our prime ministers aspirations and I want to deliver the promise of the 2019 manifesto. What we need to do now is deliver, deliver, deliver, and I am the person in this race with the record of delivery.

She also had a veiled dig at Sunak, saying, Now is the time to be bold, we cannot have business-as-usual economic management, which has led to low growth for decades.

Brexit minister Lord Frost (right, next to Penny Mordaunt), sitting opposite Maros Sefcovic and Richard Szostak, during trade negotiations on June 9, 2021. (Eddie Mulholland/Daily Telegraph/PA)

Her supporters, who were present, included Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries and Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey, Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, and former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith, who was ousted from the job in 2003 without even being given the opportunity to fight a general election.

Mordaunt came under attack from former Brexit minister Lord Frost, who worked with her during the post-Brexit trade negotiations and told TalkTV: I felt she did not master the detail that was necessary in the negotiations last year. She wouldnt always deliver tough messages to the European Union when that was necessary. She wasnt fully accountable, she wasnt always visible. Sometimes I didnt even know where she was.

There will be a further ballot on Monday and there could conceivably be a final one on July 21.

Party Members Will Get to Choose From Final 2

The final two will make it onto a ballot paper which will be sent out to members of the Conservative Party who will then choose the winner, who will be announced on Sept. 5.

Johnson won a landslide election in December 2019 but resigned last week 48 hours after Sunak and Javid started an avalanche of ministerial resignations that fatally undermined his position in 10 Downing Street.

Johnsons position, which was already weak after he was fined by the police over partygate, was made untenable by revelations about Deputy Chief Whip Chris Pincher.
Lockheed Delivers First Model of New Rocket Launcher to US Army

Defense contractor Lockheed Martin Corp. said on Tuesday it had handed over the first model of its newest mobile rocket launcher to the U.S. Army.

The United States and its allies have recently supplied weapons worth billions of dollars to Ukraine to help it repel an invasion by Russia, which Moscow claims is a special operation.

Lockheed said the new multiple launch rocket system, named M270A2, can be transported by large military transport aircraft C-17 and C-5.

Britain, an M270A2 customer, said last month it will supply Ukraine with some of its older multiple-launch rocket systems that can strike targets up to 80 km (50 miles) away.
Los Angeles Police Department officers stand at the corner of Fairfax Avenue and Sunset Boulevard where a body covered in a white sheet lies on the pavement in Los Angeles on April 24, 2021. (Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images)

Los Angeles Homicides Jump 39 Percent Since 2019

LOS ANGELESIn the first half of 2022 homicides in the City of Los Angeles shot upward a whopping 39 percent from 2019. That was the year before the 2020 start of the COVID-19 pandemic. That summer also saw crime increase in most cities after the national riots following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) data showed 181 homicides from January to July 2022. That was up from 180 in the same period in 2021. The numbers were 140 in 2020 and 130 in 2019.

For all of 2021, the city suffered 397 homicides, the highest total in 15 years. However, if the current pace of 2022 is continued, the total for all of this year would be 362. That would be a decline of 8.8 percent from 2021.

Total violent crime saw a 6.9 percent uptick over 2021. And it rose 13.7 percent since 2020.

Areas of challenge continue to be our robberies, aggravated assaults, LAPD Chief Michel Moore said during a July 12 meeting of the Police Commission. Although in this last reporting period we did see improvements in both those categories versus property crime.

In a previous meeting, Moore told the commission the homicide rate is being driven by gang-related homicides of homeless people. According to an analysis by Crosstown, a nonprofit news organization at USC, the LAPD identified 42 victims, or 23.2 percent, as homeless in the first half of 2022. That was a 37 percent increase from the previous year.

Over the last year, there has been a 13.1 percent increase in property crimes. Shooting violence data has remained essentially flat from last year, with 133 shooting victims over the last month and 132 in July 2021.

The improvement we did see is in the last four weeks, we had 35 homicides, whereas last year at the same time we had 47, the chief said. So, while we entered into June with an overall increase of homicides year over year, we have seen some improvement in that area, where essentially were flattening the number of homicides this year versus last year.

Moore said there also have been more attacks on street vendors. He encouraged them to exercise good practices and cooperate so the police can pursue justice and defend them.

Were also aware that the vendors can at times become subjected to intimidation by local street gangs, and a taxing or pay-to-play circumstance extortion occurs, he said. Again, its critical for the department to be brought into those situations so that we can counter those threats to their safety as well.

He also attributed the growing crime to a jump in ghost guns, untraceable firearms usually constructed at home by the user and not registered. In LA, more than three out of four homicides recorded this year were carried out by a ghost gun, Crosstown found.

LAPD booked 3,556 firearms into the department. Of that, 754, or 21 percent, were classified as ghost guns.

We only have to look back to a few years ago where that number would have been fewer than 100, Moore said. The prevalence of these guns and the prevalence of overall gun violence is our most pressing challenge.

This year homicides were highest in Downtown LA, with 17 fatalities. Second was Vermont with 11 deaths, followed by Boyle Heights with 10.

As of July 2, Moore said the department had fallen below 9,300 sworn personnel, short of the departments 9,700 goal. The current number is 9,280.

At the conclusion of the 2021-22 fiscal year on June 30, LAPD recorded 426 fewer sworn officers than the previous year.

Were still underemployed, he said.
Marjorie Taylor Greene Lodges Ethics Complaint Against Democrat Staffer

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) on July 13 filed an ethics complaint against the chief of staff of a colleague after he was caught defacing posters placed outside her office.

Greene asked the House Ethics Committee to immediately open an investigation into the conduct of Timothy Hysom, the chief of staff for Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.), according to a copy of the complaint reviewed by The Epoch Times.

As the chief ethics body of the House of Representatives, it is your duty to consider ethical referrals, conduct investigations, and issue citations against Members and staff for violations of House Rules faithfully and impartially. I would urge the Committee to investigate the conduct of a House employee that certainly violates the respect this institution deserves and uphold whatever respect remains for the person and property of fellow Members of Congress, Greene wrote.

Hysom clearly violated the Rules of the House, which states that employees and members shall behave at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House and House shall adhere to the spirit and letter of the Rules of the House, she added.

An affidavit showed that the U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) identified Hysom as the man who defaced posters that Greenes office had put up seven times between January and March.

The posters said, There are Only Two Genders: Male and Female Trust the Science.

Hysom placed Bible verses on them.

Prosecution Declined

USCP referred the matter to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia, but prosecutors declined to take action, according to the USCP and a spokesman for Greene.

Matt Corridoni, a spokesman for Auchincloss, defended what Hysom did, saying regulations bar posters from being placed in hallways outside of members offices.

Adhering a stickerto a poster that shouldnt be there in the first placeis hardly a federal crime. What Tim did was to adhere a series of stickers to foul, mean spirited, bullying posters outside the Congresswomans office. These stickers were never threatening and always respectful, Corridoni previously told The Epoch Times via email.

Hysom has not responded to requests for comment.

The House Ethics Manual says that employees may not do indirectly what they would be barred from doing directly.

Greene said that what Hyson did certainly falls into the realm of behavior which would be barred directly under any normal code of ethics, urging the ethics panel not to condone Hysons behavior as acceptable.

Such a precedent would lead to the endorsement that staff or Members may violate the property of others whenever their party happens to be in the Majority, she said.

The panel, led by Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), does not comment on potential investigations. It periodically announces the results of probes it has launched.
Thames House, the headquarters of the British Security Service (MI5) is seen in London, on Oct. 22, 2015. (Peter Nicholls/Reuters)

MI5 Says There Is Growing Synergy Between Extreme Right and Incel Ideologies

MI5 officers told an influential committee of MPs there is a growing synergy between Incel and ERWT (Extreme Right Wing Terrorism) ideologies.

The Intelligence and Security Committees report (pdf) said, Most Involuntary Celibates (Incels) are non-violent or criminal and their activity would not meet MI5 terrorism thresholds.

But MI5 pointed out that Elliot Rodgerwho shot and stabbed six people in Isla Vista, California, in 2014 before turning his gun on himselfwas an example of Incel terrorism because his crime was aimed at societal change.

Rodger left a 137-page manifesto in which he vowed to punish everyone who is sexually active, but also went into detail about why he wanted to start a war on women.

Last month another Incel, Alek Minassian, was jailed for 20 years in Canada after he mowed down eight women and two men with a rental van in downtown Toronto in April 2018.

A police officer seals off the scene in Toronto, Canada, where Alek Minassian (pictured right on his Linkedin profile) crashed a rented van into dozens of shoppers on Apr. 24, 2018. (The Epoch Times/Linkedin)

Moments before he drove the van into shoppers on the pavement, Minassian went on the 4Chan message board and posted a manifesto in which he wrote: Private (Recruit) Minassian Infantry 00010, wishing to speak to Sgt 4chan please. C23249161. The Incel Rebellion has already begun! We will overthrow all the Chads and Stacys! All hail the Supreme Gentleman Elliot Rodger!

In July last year 21-year-old Tres Genco, who identified as an Incel, was charged with possessing a machine gun and planning a mass shooting of women college students in Ohio.

In the committees report, published on Wednesday, the Director General of MI5, Ken McCallum, cautioned against putting too much emphasis on the links between Incel terrorist activity and EWRT.

MI5 Struggle To Give Sense of Strategic Trend

McCallum said: It is not, as things stand, something we are seeing a huge crossover (with ERWT) into this territory but there is a crossover. It has cropped up from time to time but in slightly odd ways and I think we would struggle to give you any sense of a strategic trend here.

Jacob Davey at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, told the committee there was significant overlap between the growing online misogynist communities (sometimes called the manosphere) and right-wing extremist ideologies.

In its evidence to the committee MI5 said: Incel and white supremacist narratives can have many cross-cutting features, including tendencies towards a victimhood mindset, misogyny, and conspiratorial thinking (blaming of target-sets such as women, feminists, liberals, the Jewish community). Overlaps of Incel and right-wing grievances are therefore not unexpected.

The report concluded that the threat of extreme right-wing terrorism was on an upward trajectory and said military personnel were often seen as potential recruits.

The committee, which is chaired by Conservative MP Julian Lewis, said: Extreme right-wing terrorists often display an interest in military culture, weaponry, and the armed forces or law enforcement organisations.  This leads both to individuals seeking to join the military, and groups seeking to recruit within the military.

The report went on to say, The fact that the armed forces do not provide clear direction to service personnel regarding membership of any organisationlet alone an extremist onewould appear to be something of an anomaly.

In January 2020 the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre predicted: It is likely that right-wing terrorists globally will aspire to carry out high-impact attacks that will have a similar resonance in the right-wing community to Brenton Tarrants Christchurch attack [in March 2019, when 51 people were killed at two mosques in New Zealand].

Then, in June 2021, the Homeland Security Group said: Our understanding of the future trajectory of the extreme right-wing terrorism threat is aligned with views of operational partners and our international partners; the threat is likely to increase over the next five years, with economic decline caused by COVID-19 being a likely driver of increased threat.

The report also stated there was some evidence of Russian state support for extremist right-wing groups in the UK, likely to be driven by a bid to fuel divisions and increase socio-political discord.

PA Media contributed to this report.
A view of Nun cho ga, the mummified woolly mammoth calf, is shown in a handout photo. (The Canadian Press/HO-Government of Yukon)

Miners Say Baby Woolly Mammoth Find in Yukon Is Biggest Event in Life so Far

Travis Delawski went out looking for gold but found something even more precious.

The miner for Treadstone Gold got in his excavator on June 21 just before lunch and set out for the river in Yukons Klondike fields where he began scratching the black earth.

I put the ripper into the wall and popped it out and looked down, he said during a briefing on Wednesday. And there, something was looking at me.

He hopped out of his machine for a closer look while calling his supervisor, Brian McCaughan, on the radio to report that he had found a body, he said.

At first, Delawski said he thought it was a buffalo.

But then I got down and I looked kind of closer at it and it had a trunk. And then soon as that happened, I was like Brian, its a baby woolly mammoth.'

The Yukon government said the animal was found in the Trondek Hwechin traditional territory and is the most complete and best-preserved mammoth found in North America.

Trondek Hwechin elders named the mammoth Nun cho ga, which means big baby animal in the nations Han language.

Georgette McLeod, the Han language administrator for the nation, said elders had to find a way to note the animals significance, not just as a living being but also as a baby.

The history of the Han language goes quite far back in the span of time, but there is no name for a mammoth because it doesnt exist in the Han language, she said.

We wanted to ensure that it had a name related to baby, but it also signifies that this is a very large animal that has walked these lands for a number of years.

Brian Groves, senior heritage manager for Yukon, said preliminary examinations show Nun cho ga was female and between 30 and 35 days old when she died.

She was frozen in the permafrost about 30,000 years ago.

The animal is about 140 centimetres long and has well-preserved hair, trunk and tiny toenails that havent been hardened.

McCaughan, owner of Treadstone Gold, said when he went to look at the animal, he expected to see broken-up bones, which are usually found in the area.

I walked over to look at the bones and it had fresh skin on it and hair and looked like it died a week ago, he said with a laugh.

The significance of the discovery for him sinks in a little bit every day even nearly a month after she was found, he said.

What a crazy unbelievable find, he said, shaking his head.

There was a storm at the end of the day with bolts of lightning dropping around us and rain poured sideways, he recalled.

It was an experience that just grows on you and every day you get emotional about it because you get connected.

There is something in everyones life that stands out, and McCaughan said the day he saw Nun cho ga was his.

This is absolutely my No. 1 in the rest of my life, he said.

Jeff Bond, a manager at Yukon Geological Survey, said Nun cho ga likely died near a small stream coming off the side hill into Eureka Creek.

It was subsequently buried likely by a mud flow that came down in a storm event, he said. Probably not unlike the storm event that we experienced on June 21 when we recovered it. That in itself is quite significant in my mind.

The men put Nun cho ga in an excavator bucket after she was found and covered her with tarps and blankets to keep the body cold.

Woolly mammoths travelled across the Northern Hemisphere but disappeared about 10,000 years ago because of warming temperatures and excessive hunting.

Ross McPhee, senior curator at the department of mammalogy for the American Museum of Natural History, said the animal can offer insight into the rate of development of infant mammoths since the only information they have comes from elephants, their distant relatives.

Because the mammoths were living at a high latitude, life would have been much more dangerous than to be in the tropics, he said.

So, what kinds of adaptations did woolly mammals have for their babies, so that they were able to mature perhaps more quickly than elephants do today.

Until a plan can be drawn on next steps, Groves said Nun cho ga will remain in a freezer, many miles from where she was found.

At this point, Nun cho ga has been frozen for over 30,000 years and is being stored in stable conditions, he said. And really, were in no rush to determine what the next steps are regarding research or conservation activities.

By Hina Alam
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt has warned against spending federal funds on helping women get out-of-state abortions. File photo taken in St. Louis on Aug. 6, 2020. (Jeff Roberson/AP Photo)

Missouri County Set to Spend Federal Pandemic Relief Money on Out-of-State Abortions

Despite warnings from Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, some members of the St. Louis County Council want to allocate COVID-19 relief funds for the purpose of reimbursing women for abortions they secure in other states.

I dont understand why St. Louis Democrats believe this is even legal, said Paul Berry, a Republican who is campaigning to represent Missouris 2nd Congressional District.

If Joe Biden thought utilizing COVID funds for out-of-state travel to have abortions was a viable plan, he probably would have said so.

The allocation was proposed by Councilwoman Lisa Clancy who called for $1 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to be allocated to nonprofits for the facilitation of transportation and lodging for pregnant women seeking an abortion outside of Missouri.

Theres nothing in the law that allows us to spend this money because you disagree with the Supreme Court decision, said St. Louis County Councilman Tim Fitch (R-District 3) who voted against the resolution.

Missouri state law prohibits using any kind of tax dollars for the purposes of obtaining an abortion.

Clancy declined to comment.

When I spoke against it, I asked whether well cover people who need to travel to the Mayo clinic in Minnesota for cancer treatment and no, it wont, Fitch told The Epoch Times.

On June 28, the council approved 4-3 a resolution that condemns the U.S. Supreme Courts reversal of Roe v. Wade, which was introduced jointly by Councilwomen Rita Heard Days, Kelli Dunaway and Shalonda Webb.

Neither Days nor Webb responded to requests for comment, while Dunaway declined to comment.

St. Louis County isnt the only location in the state looking to offer assistance to pregnant women seeking out-of-state abortions.

Kansas City and St. Louis City have also vowed to use taxpayer dollars to fund abortion.

Its appalling, said State Rep. Nick Schroer (R-OFallon), who sponsored a 2019 bill that bans abortion upon the detection of a fetus heartbeat.

These are tax dollars that have been allocated to the states to cope with all of the business shutdowns and grief from tyrannical mandates.

Now, they want to use that money to send people over to Illinois in order to receive abortions? Thats just wrong.

In response, Schmitt ordered the municipalities to follow the law.

St. Louis City and County, and Kansas City, and any others who attempt to authorize taxpayer-funded abortions will be met with a lawsuit from the Missouri Attorney Generals Office, Schmitt warned in a statement online.

Lawmakers are scheduled to convene in September for a veto session but currently, the Missouri Legislature is adjourned.

As a result, Rep. Schroer is pushing for Gov. Mike Parson to call a special meeting to implement stronger barriers on the state level as to what federal COVID-19 relief dollars can and cannot be used for.

I dont think its very clearly laid out what certain penalties would be if they were misusing them so thats what a special session would be about, Schroer said.

We could set guidelines that they must spend it in a certain manner or risk losing state funds from our own budget and our own coffers in the future.

Under the 188.205 Revised Statute of Missouri, it is unlawful for any public funds to be expended for the purpose of performing or assisting an abortion, not necessary to save the life of the mother, or for the purpose of encouraging or counseling a woman to have an abortion unless it is for a medical emergency.

This is a political stunt, Fitch said of his council colleagues. Theyll pass it, the county executive will sign it and its going to tie up a million dollars of our ARPA funds. The money will just sit there. They wont spend it.

Dayanara Ramirez, a spokesperson for the U.S. Treasury, did not immediately respond to requests for comment about whether Missouri municipalities would face federal consequences if ARPA funds were spent on funding the logistics of securing an abortion.

For any legislation, there always has to be two rounds of voting of the legislative body, Fitch added. The county executive then has to sign it, which he will and once he does, it will take effect in 15 days.

Berry, who filed a complaint with the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Treasury, would rather see the $1 million spent on community health.

MRIs and CT scans are very expensive and if we spend the money on increasing our capacity to be able to provide low-income people with scans, to catch some of these diseases early, like cancer, it will give them a better opportunity for success, said Berry who is a married father of four daughters.

Spending one-half of one cent on abortion is too much for me.
Motorcyclists and people wade through a flooded road in a business district after a heavy rainfall in Karachi, Pakistan, on July 9, 2022. (Fareed Khan/AP Photo)

Monsoon Rains Kill at Least 150 in Less Than a Month in Pakistan

KARACHI, PakistanMonsoon rains over the past month have killed at least 150 people as downpours continue to lash Pakistan, triggering flash floods in some parts of the country, government officials said Monday.

The National Disaster Management Authority said 91 women and children are among the dead so far. The monsoon rains also damaged homes, roads, five bridges, and power stations across the country. At least 163 people were also injured in rain-related incidents since June 14, it said in a statement. Heavy rains and flash floods fully or partially damaged more than 1,000 houses across the country.

The situation was particularly dire in the major southern port city of Karachi, the countrys largest, where entire neighborhoods were submerged. Commuters were left stranded in places or attempting to wade through knee-deep water on foot or on bicycles. Some residents arranged for boats to move them to safer places.

At the moment, the situation is like this that we need to travel by boat rather than in vehicles as the roads are flooded, said one resident, Abdul Raheem.

Other Karachi residents said they were forced to abandon their cars on submerged roads and walk through waist-high water. Authorities summoned paramilitary troops and the Navy to help with efforts to drain the waters from flooded streets and evacuate people.

The rains are said to be almost twice as heavy as the average downpour at this time of the year. They started in mid-June, initially causing havoc in southwestern Baluchistan province, where 65 people have died so far.

In Sindh province, where Karachi is the capital, the disaster agency said at least 26 people died. Heavy rain also struck Islamabad and eastern Punjab province, killing at least 23 people since last month.

Authorities are delivering tents, food, and other essential items to hundreds of rain-affected people in the north and southwest.
Americans do not get enough magnesium. And it shows.

Research indicates that up to 75 percent of Americans are not getting theyre daily recommended intake of the mineral. This may explain a lot about the overall health of the nation. Too little magnesium is associated with a host of potential health issues, as it plays a role in over 300 biochemical processes. Some symptoms of a magnesium deficiency might include:

Poor sleep/trouble falling asleep

Muscle spasms

Tremors

Lost appetite

Poor coordination

Cramping

Anxiety

Fatigue

High blood pressure

Because of its massive reach with overall health, a lack of magnesium could play a role in the development of a number of symptoms. For sufficient magnesium intake, men and women need 420 mg and 320 mg, respectively.

Nuts and seeds are some of the best sources of magnesium you can find. Including them into your daily routine can bump up magnesium levels. Here are some of the best:

Brazil Nuts: A one-ounce serving, about six nuts, has about 26 percent of your daily recommended intake. You might not want to eat that many per day though. You see, Brazil nuts are also loaded with selenium. And although it rarely happens from food sources, eating too many Brazil nuts could lead to selenium toxicity. Therefore, sticking to about two Brazil nuts per day is recommended.

Chia Seeds: Eating an ounce of chia seeds can provide 23 percent of the magnesium you should eat each day. These seeds can easily be sprinkled into oats, yogurt salads, or smoothies. Along from being a great source of magnesium, they are also high in fiber and omega-3s.

Cashews: A single ounce of cashews or cashew butter can supply 20 percent of magnesiums daily target as well as a substantial serving of iron.

Almonds: Nineteen percent of your daily magnesium needs can be satisfied with a small handful of almonds. One ounce can help you reach your target.

These are surely not all the sources of magnesium at your disposal. Plenty of nuts and seeds can give you a sizeable serving and promote better health in multiple ways. If youre not feeling your best, try including more magnesium into your daily routine.

Republished from BelMarraHealth
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks to guests during an event with President Joe Biden and several family members of victims of the Tops market shooting at the Delavan Grider Community Center in Buffalo, N.Y., on May 17, 2022. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

New York COVID-19 Quarantine Rules Unconstitutional and Illegal: Judge

A New York Supreme Court judge this month quietly ruled that regulations mandating that people infected with or exposed to highly contagious communicable diseases be quarantined are a violation of state law, declaring them null and void.

The Isolation and Quarantine procedures, known as Rule 2.13, were enacted in February.

Under the rule, whenever appropriate to control the spread of a highly contagious communicable disease, the State Commissioner of Health may issue and/or may direct the local health authority to issue isolation and/or quarantine orders, consistent with due process of law, to all such persons as the State Commissioner of Health shall determine appropriate.

Isolations may include those at home, or in residential or temporary housing, subject to what the public health authority issuing the order determines is appropriate.

However, the rule notes that where symptoms or conditions indicate that medical care in a general hospital is expected to be required, the isolation location shall be a general hospital.

Three Republican state legislators, Sen. George Borrello, assemblyman Chris Tague, and assemblyman Michael Lawler, along with Uniting NYS, filed a lawsuit against Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul, Commissioner of Health Mary Bassett, the states health department, and the Public Health and Health Planning Council.

Plaintiffs argued that the Isolation and Quarantine procedures were in violation of the New York State Constitution and a violation of the separation of powers.

Its unconstitutional in our eyes, and anything like that should go through the legislature, Tague told local media. It should have an opportunity to be debated. To be able to have facts brought forth by health professionals, and leaders within our communities before we just decide to put something into law.

Lip Service

In a July 8 ruling, Acting Justice of the Supreme Court of Cattaraugus County Ronald D. Ploetz sided with the plaintiffs, stating that the rule merely gives lip service to constitutional due process.

Involuntary detention is a severe deprivation of individual liberty, far more egregious than other health safety measures, such as requiring mask wearing at certain venues. Involuntary quarantine may have far-reaching consequences such as loss of income (or employment) and isolation from family, Ploetz wrote.

The judge added that there was no scientific data or expert testimony to back up the rule.

Respondents offered no scientific data or expert testimony why Rule 2.13 was a necessary response to combat COVID-19, but instead contend only that it would provide a quick and nimble approach to combating the pandemic, wrote the judge. Nevertheless, during oral argument of this matter, at a time when we hope that the worst of the pandemic is behind us, counsel for the Respondents were unable to cite any instance where the procedure set forth in Rule 2.13 was actually utilized.

However, the judge noted in his ruling that the rule is null and void until the New York State Legislation acts otherwise, potentially paving the way for future appeals.

On Tuesday, Hochul told local media that she would be appealing the courts decision, stating, We feel very confident that if we appeal this, we will be successful.

New York Attorney General Letitia Jamess office on Wednesday formally appealed the state Supreme Court ruling, according to local reports.

The Epoch Times has contacted Jamess office for comment.

The ruling comes as Hochuls office on Wednesday reported that the seven-day average of COVID-19 cases in New York has risen from 30.53 per 100,000 people to 35.28, while hospitalizations have increased in recent days to 2,397 patients.

However, 57.5 percent of those people who were hospitalized were admitted for reasons that did not include COVID-19.
Newsom Receives Education Award for Californias Faltering Schools

Commentary

Ive been reporting on California schools for 35 years, watching them go from bad to much worse. So Im shaking my head over the video of Gov. Gavin Newsom today receiving the 2022 Frank Newman Award for State Innovation. It was given by the Education Commission of the States, a compact among the 50 states.

The group said the award was given to the Golden State in recognition of its coordinated approach to educating all students from preschool to postsecondary, with explicit attention toward whole-child supports and services, as well as its historic financial investments to ensure educational equity.

Obviously looking beyond his November re-election bid and running for president, Newsom boasted of the size of the state, as he often does, that has the fifth largest economy in the world. He continued, I do believe that education is under assault in ways that Ive never experienced in my lifetime.

He cited banning books, suppressing speech, a reference to parents and school board members across the country, including in California, objecting to Critical Race Theory and other brainwashing of young minds. And he cited what he called the othering of our students. I hadnt heard that phrase before. But I dont think he means students from families with traditional values being discriminated against.

He called this defending freedom of expression and speech, and said, 1,586 books have been banned just in the last 12 months, including 42 childrens books. Hes not talking about the increasing bans of conservative books by Amazon.com and other liberal companies, but by schools boards and libraries trying to protect children from wayward teachers.

In fact, there is no censorship in America except by liberal companies. You can publish and read whatever you want. As to public schools, they belong to the people, who through elected school boards determine curriculums. What would Newsom say if a teacher prescribed in class only books promoting Nazism? Would that be free speech? I think even he then would favor censorship.

He criticized Tucker, meaning Carlson, the Fox News host, for bringing up Critical Race Theory, which Newsom said didnt exist in California. Except as the news site Critical Race Training detailed, California has adopted many aspects of CRT at all levels of education. In March 2021, the state Board of Education passed an ethnic studies curriculum based in large part on CRT that applies to all public schools. It also mandates anti-Zionism, which many critics cite as explicitly anti-Semitic. Meanwhile, many public and private institutes of higher learning in California could properly be categorized as testing grounds for Critical Race Theory and pushing it further into the mainstream.

Then Newsom brought up the real meme of the moment, social-emotional learning, which he says was banned by the School Board in Florida as part of the 42 books it prohibited. Thats the state of his rival, Republican Ron DeSantis. On the July 4 weekend, Newsom ran a campaign ad for governor of California in Florida, as I covered in The Epoch Times here.

Newsom said social-emotional learning is good because its about the whole person. Hes a smart man, so he knows hes putting us on. Anyone whos paid attention to education policy, as Newsom has as mayor of San Francisco, lieutenant governor, and now governor, knows these fads come and go, making millions for the innovators who finally will turn dunces into geniuses.

I remember, to cite just a few, the California self-esteem movement of the 1980s, a national laughingstock; President George W. Bushs No Child Left Behind; Whole Language reading; the New Math; followed by the New New Math; and Common Core.

But my favorite education fad was the Quality Education Project of Bill Honig, California Superintendent of Public Instruction from 1983-93. According to a California Bar Journal summary, In 1992, he was charged with four counts of participating in making state contracts in which he had a financial interest. And, Convicted of four felony conflict of interest counts in 1993, Honig was placed on interim suspension by the bar that year.

Returning to Newsoms speech, he said Texas banned 713 books and, Education reform doesnt come with gag rules. He said 183 bills to gag free speech have been introduced nationally since last January.

After 15 minutes of his 23-minute speech, Newsom finally got to academics. He boasted about all his new spending and programs from the states unprecedented state surplus:

$4.7 billion for mental health and wellness;

$4.1 billion dollars for community schools;

created a brand-new grade, pre-K for all, an echo of his California for All slogan;

$5 billion for universal after school and universal summer school;

3.5 million kids will get child saving accounts, for college, actually a good idea;

Universal meals twice a day, so kids can avoid the stigma of getting welfare; but the problem is doing so further reduces the influence of families, where meals always have been a locus of conviviality, instead putting the government in charge of the kids nutrition; this is pure socialism;

Moved the pre-K student-teacher ratio from 1-24 to 1-10;

$3.6 billion in grants for arts and music instruments and supplies;

$38.7 billion more invested in education since the beginning of the pandemic.

He concluded with another peroration on the suppression of free speech  what kind of country is this? He wasnt talking about the chilling effect of U.S. Atty. Gen. Merrick Garlands FBI investigating parents for speaking up at school board meetings.

What was missing from Newsoms speech was anything about improving the states abysmal academic performance. California suffers the countrys lowest literacy rate, according to a study by World Population Review.

On the National Assessment of Educational Progress for 2019, the last year available, just 23 percent of Golden State students scored At or Above Proficient in reading. For mathematics, it was 29 percent proficient.

And as to diversity and ethnic harmony, black and Latino students continue to suffer an achievement gap. One solution would be to advance merit-pay for teachers, using all that new surplus cash, to encourage the best teachers to teach the lowest-scoring students. But the teachers unions, Newsoms top supporters, wont allow that.

The Newsom System is failing these students. Instead of working for real academic reforms, Newsom offers posturing. The state now is spending an astounding $24,000 per student in K-12. Thats $720,000 for a classroom of 30.

As I have said before, Newsom seems to be running not for president of the whole country, but to just get the Democratic Partys nomination. Should he get that nomination, his Republican opponent will scorch him for California schools academic failures and whatever nutty fads are being imposed on the poor suffering students in November 2024.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Reforms are needed to stop thousands of students being silenced by universities from speaking about abuse they have faced, ministers have been warned. (Alamy/PA)

Number of Rejected University Speakers Has Sharply Increased, Raising Free Speech Concerns

Almost 200 speaker requests or events were rejected by English universities or other higher education institutions in 20202021, new figures show, raising fears of rising incidents of cancel culture.

One person stopped from speaking is one too many, said Prof. Dennis Hayes, president of Academics for Academics Freedom (AFAF) told The Epoch Times by email. One world-renowned artist who was cancelled by the mob said that she believed many want an easy life so capitulate to their demands.

The numbers, published by the Office for Students (OfS), show that out of 19,407 external speaker requests or events, 193 were rejected in 20202021, compared with 94 in 20192020, 141 in 20182019, and 53 in 20172018. Some 632 events went ahead subject to conditions.

Sharply Increased

Susan Lapworth, interim chief executive at the OfS, said this data show that more than 99 percent of events and speaker requests were approved in 20202021 and suggests that, in general, universities and colleges remain places where debate and the sharing of ideas can thrive.

However, it is the case that the number and proportion of rejections sharply increased in 2020/21, with almost 200 speakers or events rejected, said Lapworth.

Some 47 cases were formally referred to external Prevent agencies, the OfS report also found. The Prevent duty aims to safeguard people from being drawn into terrorism.

The OfS data [are] interesting, they do not follow up on non-prevent cases. There might be a lot of subjectivity in these cases, it is hard to know without having details of each case, added Hayes.

Doesnt Really Surprise Me

The British conceptual and data artist Rachel Ara told The Epoch Times that in 2019 she had her lecture canceled at Oxford Brookes University after students from the LGBTQ+ society complained because she draws a distinction between biological sex and gender identity. Ara said that she had liked one tweet by Allison Bailey, the barrister suing the LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall.

It doesnt really surprise me, she told The Epoch Times, about the rise of rejected speakers. Aras work is widely acclaimed and has been exhibited in the Victoria and Albert museum, Whitechapel Gallery, the Barbican, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Korea, and the Mak in Vienna.

There are a few students that are very vocal and put a lot of pressure on the institutions not to platform certain people. Unfortunately, the staff seem to seriously be lacking any backbone and want an easy life so capitulate to their demands. They also know their jobs may be threatened, added the former V&A resident artist.

It can be a relatively organised process like in my case, where a focused group will start tweeting certain student groups to mobilise them to protest against some of the speakers. Im sure half the time theyve no idea why. Theres little critical analysis, theyre just told an unsuitable person is going to be platformed and we must stop them at all costs they create a mini hysteria, said Ara.

At the time, Oxford Brookes University told the Telegraph that Aras talk had been postponed in 2019 because it had not been booked through the usual process for confirming external speakers, adding, Having worked through this process, the talk will now go ahead online next month.

The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill is a proposed Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that would impose requirements for universities and students unions to protect freedom of speech. It is currently at the Committee stage at the House of Lords.

At the time, the government said that the Bill comes in light of examples of a chilling effect on students, staff, and invited speakers feeling unable to speak out. In one incident, Bristol Middle East Forum was charged almost 500 in security costs to invite the Israeli Ambassador to speak at an event. The government has since said there is a need for legislation with teeth thatll safeguard free speech at university campuses.

The OfS said that a new director for freedom of speech and academic freedom will sit on its board, and the government has said universities, colleges, and students unions that breach (the new) duties may face sanctions, including fines.

Lapworth said universities are required to take steps to secure freedom of speech within the law and that this applies to their arrangements for external speakers, as well as to discussion and debate in lecture and seminar rooms or across academic communities.

Topics which some may find offensive or controversial must be open to free debate in those contexts too, she said.

She said the OfS will continue to regulate universities to ensure they are meeting their obligations, and that the body is willing to intervene where we have concerns this may not be the case in this fundamentally important area.

Less Supportive of Free Expression

In June, the Higher Education Policy Institute polled 1,000 full-time undergraduates on free speech issues, concluding that students are significantly less supportive of free expression than they were just a few years ago.

The new results showed a solid increase from 2016 with things seemingly swinging too far in one direction, with students wanting greater restrictions to be imposed on things that have tended to be considered normal in the past.

At the time, Eric Kaufmann, professor of politics at Birkbeck College, University of London, and the author of Whiteshift: Populism, Immigration, and the Future of White Majorities described the driving force behind cancel culture as left modernism, which he says is the contemporary hegemonic ideology in elite institutions.

The whole philosophy which I call cultural socialism, as a religious form of wokeness, is dominant amongst students and younger people as well, he said adding that amongst the young, this ideology has taken precedence over free speech, due process, equal treatment, and other Enlightenment values, he said.

PA contributed to this report.
Obama Rebuked Ex-White House Doctor for Questioning Bidens Mental Health: Email

Former President Barack Obama expressed his disappointment in a 2020 email to his former doctor for questioning then-presidential candidate Joe Bidens cognitive health, calling it unprofessional.

Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas), the former White House physician who served the last three presidentsGeorge W. Bush, Obama, and Donald Trumpdisclosed the email in a forthcoming memoir called Holding the Line: A Lifetime of Defending Democracy and American Values, reported Fox News.

In 2020, when Biden was running for president and Jackson himself was running for Congress, the latter shared a video of Bidens cognitive misadventure on Twitter with the message, Remember the cognitive test that I gave @realDonaldTrump? The one he aced! Sounds like somebody else might need some testing done!! Scary!!

Within 20 minutes of his post, Jackson received what he called a scathing email from his former boss Obama.

I have made a point of not commenting on your service in my successors administration and have always spoken highly of you both in public and in private, Obama wrote in the email, calling him not only a fine doctor and service member but also a friend.

Thats why I have to express my disappointment at the cheap shot you took at Joe Biden via Twitter, the former president continued. It was unprofessional and beneath the office that you once held. It was also disrespectful to me and the many friends you had in our administration.

Obama told Jackson that he expect[s] better, and I hope upon reflection that you will expect more of yourself in the future.

After contemplating responding to Obamas email, Jackson said he eventually decided to walk away from it, which ended up being their last contact.

Remember the cognitive test I gave @realDonaldTrump? The one he aced! Sounds like somebody else might need some testing done!! Scary!! https://t.co/MhantZoHIy  Ronny Jackson (@RonnyJacksonTX) February 25, 2020

Jacksons and Obamas offices didnt immediately respond to requests for comment.

Cognitive State

The email went public just as President Joe Biden mistakenly said on Wednesday that people must keep alive the honor of the Holocaust before quickly correcting himself to say the horror of the Holocaust during his Israel visit.

Bidens cognitive state has been in question given his so-called gaffesboth before and after taking office. During his 2020 presidential campaign, Biden once said to supporters he was running for the U.S. Senate, not the president.

This had been going on for months and was getting worse, Jackson writes in his book. Trump never made crazy statements like the ones Biden was making almost every day.

Jackson declared in 2018 that Trump passed a cognitive test with flying colors and was in excellent mental shape. According to the physician, the then-president scored a 30 out of 30 after he requested the test in the hopes of easing concerns about his mental fitness, which was at that time widely questioned by the media.

Former President Donald Trump shakes hands with then-White House Physician Rear Admiral Dr. Ronny Jackson, following his annual physical at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland on Jan. 12, 2018. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Last November, after Biden underwent a physical examination and colonoscopy, his doctor Kevin OConnor said the 46th president remains fit for duty, without specifying whether Biden took a cognitive exam.

Jackson was among the 38 Republican lawmakers that requested Biden in a February letter to take a cognitive test, saying its beyond a partisan issue, following the example set by his White House predecessor.

The president, turning 80 this November, is reportedly losing confidence among the party, as a recent New York Times poll shows 64 percent of Democratic primary voters said they would prefer a different presidential nominee in 2024. The majority cited the presidents age as their main concern.
Maryland Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wes Moore, a first-time candidate boosted by Oprah Winfrey, and his wife, Dawn, campaigns in Baltimore on July 13, less than week before facing off with eight party rivals in the July 19 primary. (Courtesy of Wes Moore for Maryland Governor)

Oprah-Backed Newcomer Eyes Upset in Marylands Crowded Democratic Gubernatorial Primary

Nine candidates on Marylands July 19 Democratic gubernatorial primary ballot seek the partys nomination to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Larry Hogan in Novembers general election.

As of early July, the nine had collectively amassed more than $8.5 million in campaign cash, with six garnering at least $1 million each as Democrats try to claim the governors seat in a deep blue state where Hogan enjoyed bipartisan popularity.

The field features well-funded candidates with lengthy resumes reflecting national and statewide name recognition: a former U.S. Secretary of Labor, a former U.S. Secretary of Education, a former state attorney general, a former Clinton White House official, and a longtime state comptroller.

But it is a first-time candidate who has generated the most excitement in the racewith an assist from Oprah Winfreyand he is leading the pack in fundraising and endorsements while polling among frontrunners.

Wes Moore, a Rhodes scholar raised by a widowed Jamaican-immigrant mother, U.S. Army Airborne Ranger Afghanistan combat veteran, White House fellow, best-selling author, and investment banker who, as chief executive of the Robin Hood Foundation, raised hundreds of millions of dollars to fight poverty, is toe-to-toe with more established rivals as Election Day nears.

The newcomer is vying for votes in a stacked primary that includes former U.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez, State Comptroller Peter Franchot, former Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler, former U.S. Education Secretary John B. King, Jr., and Clinton White House official Jon Baron.

Maryland Democratic gubernatorial candidate Peter Franchot, elected to four consecutive four-year terms as state comptroller, speaks with voters on July 10 at the Southwest Baltimore County Democratic Club Picnic and Silver Spring Arts & Crafts Summer Fair. (Courtesy of Franchot for Governor)

The scrum survivor will face the winner of the Republican July 19 primary between Hogan-backed Kelly Schulz and state Del. Dan Cox (R-Frederick), endorsed by former President Donald Trump, in Novembers general election.

With the states July 714 early voting period drawing to a close, turnout for primary elections has been light, reports the Maryland State Board of Elections (MSBE). In addition to governor, the states primary slate includes inter-party races for attorney general, comptroller, one U.S. Senate seat, eight U.S. House seats, and state assembly.

In 2018, the last non-presidential election year, 872,207 people, about 24 percent of eligible voters, cast ballots in Maryland primaries, with 30,122 mailing them in.

For 2022s midterm primaries, more than 500,000 Marylanders have requested mail-in ballots, with about 115,000 returned by July 12, according to MSBE.

Maryland law prohibits counting mail-in votes until the Thursday after Election Day. Conclusive results wont be available until that day, the soonest, with late-counted ballots likely to determine the winners in the gubernatorial primaries and many other contests.

Maryland Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Perez meets with residents in Baltimores Patterson Park neighborhood on July 11. (Courtesy of Tom Perez for Maryland Governor)

A Goucher College Poll of 403 Democratic voters conducted on June 1519 and published June 28 showed Franchot leading the pack with 16 percent. Moore and Perez netted 14 percent each. No other candidate polled above 5 percent.

But 35 percent were undecided, and more than six-of-10 who favored a candidate said they could change their minds by Election Day. Therefore, this race is wide open; the winner could advance to November with just 15 percent of the primary vote.

Moore, 43, is the first Black Rhodes scholar from Johns Hopkins University and was identified by Winfrey a decade ago as having the it factor after writing a best-selling book, The Other Wes Moore.

Moore, in campaign addresses, insists everyone deserves an equal opportunity to succeed, saying as a former Wall Street investment banker, he knows Maryland can become more competitive and more equitable so no one is left behind.

His platform includes a plan to combat climate change in his first 100 days in office. He vows to promote abortion, close the racial wealth gap, and help older residents and retirees to stay in Maryland.

Moore tells voters he and lieutenant governor running mate Aruna Miller, both children of immigrants, are the only ticket of the nine with legislative, executive, military, and nonprofit experience.

He has been endorsed by U.S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.), state Senate President Bill Ferguson, state House Speaker Adrienne Jones, Prince George County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman, and the states 76,000-member teachers union, among others.

Moores campaign has raised more than $2.5 million since January and had $2.1 million in its coffers in early July. He can also tap into a $618,000 Opportunity Maryland PAC fund.

In a June 14 Zoom call, 250 supporters paid between $100 and $6,000 each to hear Winfrey tout Moores candidacy. Winfrey also narrates a 30-second ad, saying, This moment that were in demands a different type of leader. For governor in Maryland, you have one in my friend Wes Moore.

Questions have surfaced about the veracity of accounts of childhood adversity in his book. Moore has dismissed the claims as smears orchestrated by primary rivals.

Franchot, 74, served in the Maryland Assembly for 20 years advocating for gun control, abortion, and increasing the minimum wage before being elected four times as state comptroller, a position he has used to foster widespread name recognition in the state.

He is a populist who describes himself as an independent voice and strong fiscal watchdog and a real Democrat who represents the little fellers, not the Rockefellers.

A Vietnam War veteran, Franchot has frequently been critical of party leadership. Over the last eight years, he developed a close working bond with Hogan, deferring his long-anticipated run for governor until this year.

He and his lieutenant governor running mate, Prince George County Council member Monique Anderson-Walker, had $1.6 million in campaign cash in early July, and was leading, or among the top three, in every poll.

Perez, 60, served as director of the U.S Department of Justice Civil Rights Division 2009-13 and Labor Secretary 2014-16 in the Obama administration before leading the Democratic National Committee for several years.

The son of immigrants from the Dominican Republic, he is a Brown University graduate with a joint degree from Harvard Law School and the John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Perez describes himself as a progressive with ties to the establishment who is from the GSD or get stuff done wing of the party. On the campaign trail, he has addressed crime, wage disparity, mistrust of government and insufficient public transit, affordable child care, and education.

He has vowed as governor to address racial inequity in the states three-strikes law, worker protections against silica dust, better job training in high schools, and immigrant rights.

Perez and lieutenant governor running mate Shannon Sneed began July with $1.4 million in campaign funding with access to union-funded Maryland Opportunity PAC money.

House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), a Baltimore native, has campaigned on his behalf, and he has been endorsed by The Washington Post as being light-years ahead of the rest of the field who has distinguished himself as the most clear-eyed, straight-talking and substantive contestant.

Perez also has earned union endorsements, including by Communications Workers of America President Christopher Shelton, who said, If Tom Perez wins, he will be the most pro-labor governor in the country.

Gansler, 59, has served 23 years as a state attorney in various capacities, including as Maryland attorney general 2007-15, where he initiated environmental audits to identify sources of Chesapeake Bay pollutants, aggressively prosecuted gangs, and wrote an opinion that the state should recognize same-sex marriages from other states.

He claims to be the only pro-business, pro-public safety, moderate Democrat on the primary ballot with the demonstrated capacity to work with progressives on progressive issues.

Gansler maintains his moderate agenda, with an emphasis on fighting crime and protecting the environment, and will appeal to Republican and independent voters in the general election, noting Maryland voters have rejected progressive, liberal gubernatorial candidates in three of the last five elections despite being in the most Democratic state in the country.

In TV ads, he espouses a tough-on-crime balanced approach to safety and justice, pledging to hire 1,000 new police officers trained in violence de-escalation, install 10,000 new streetlights, and get guns off the street.

Gansler and lieutenant governor running mate, former Hyattsville Mayor Candace Bacchus Hollingsworth, began July with more than $1 million in cash, with $800,000 coming from a personal loan to his campaign.

King, 47, was U.S. Secretary of Education in the last year of the Obama administration after serving as New York State Commissioner of Education.

A Harvard- and Yale-educated attorney, he began his career as a high school social studies teacher and middle school principal. Although he has been appointed to administrative positions, this is his first time running for election.

King has been critical of Marylands Hogan Democrats for failing to improve education, help the uninsured, and combat climate crisis, telling voters it is time to start acting like the party of FDR Democrats.

He calls health care a human right. His plan includes universal, affordable child care, abolition of life sentences without parole for juveniles, emergency relief for renters, and collective bargaining for employees at public universities. If elected, he pledges 100 percent clean energy use in all Maryland public buildings by 2030.

King said education is the top issue with many voters, and in that realm, he is most qualified to address the kind of made-up issue of critical race theory Republicans use to divide voters.

He is endorsed by many liberal organizations, including Sierra Club Maryland, Pro-Choice Maryland, and Our Revolution Maryland.

He and lieutenant governor running mate Michelle Daugherty Siri entered July with $827,700 in their campaign coffers, with another $236,500 available through a PAC for the People fund.

Baron, 59, has worked in three presidential administrations, including under Republican President George W. Bush and as Department of Defense Small Business Innovation Research Program director in the Clinton administration, in addition to serving as counsel to the U.S. House Small Business Committee.

An attorney with a law degree from Yale, he is a former vice president at Arnold Ventures, a nonprofit focused on evidence-based giving in a wide range of categories including criminal justice, education, health care, and public finance. He is the founder and president of the Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy.

Despite spending 30 years in government, this is his first political campaign. To compensate for the lack of name recognition, he has used humor in ads to draw voters attention.

In one TV ad, Baron and his lieutenant governor running mate Natalie Williams pedal a tandem bike going nowhere while discussing the states perceived lack of progress in education and economic development. In another, he is walking up a Metro escalator going down.

His campaign calls for major evidence-based reforms in social spending programs. He vows to address stagnant wages through expanded job training and to pair first- and second-graders with retirees and recent college graduates for one-on-one tutoring.

Baron has raised $200,000, but he has put $1.7 million of his own money into the campaign.

Three hopefuls trail the top six candidates with little chance to win but great potential to affect who wins with every vote they receive in the crowded race. They are:

 Jerome M. Segal, 78, a philosopher, progressive activist, former U.S. Senate candidate, and 2020 presidential nominee of the Bread and Roses Party, a socialist party he founded.

His platform calls for a legal guarantee of 32 hours of paid employment, a four-day workweek, and free education from pre-K through college.

 Ralph W. Jaffe, 80, a retired educator and frequent gubernatorial candidate, says he uses campaigns to push ideas and as a teaching device for students.

 Ashwani Jain, 32, a cancer survivor who has worked as a recruitment assistant at the White House, a U.S. Department of Housing liaison to the White House, and a local program director for the National Kidney Foundation.
Founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum Klaus Schwab delivers remarks at the Congress centre during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos on May 23, 2022. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)

World Economic Forum Calls for Transition to Green Energy to Protect Democracy

An article published on the World Economic Forum (WEF) website has called for the world to transition to green energy, insisting that it is the key to protecting democracy.

In the article, Colorado State University economics professor Edward Barbier claims the world is facing two global crises of climate change and the decline of democracy. In order to sustain global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius (34.7 degrees Fahrenheit), he said the world must take immediate action and reduce carbon emissions, which includes the increased use of green energy technologies.

Barbier compared data from 83 countries classified as advanced, emerging market, and developing to make the case that the nations that have taken steps toward green energy are largely free and democratic. In contrast, countries that are not taking enough steps toward the green transition are typically less free and more autocratic, he claimed.

But the WEF articles suggestion that cutting down fossil fuel consumption will help with pollution and climate change contradicts actual data on U.S. emissions.

Problems With Green Agenda

After President Joe Biden took office in 2021, he pushed forward several green energy policies to reduce the use of fossil fuels, but Americas carbon emissions actually increased in 2021 after declining for 10 years.

Some explain the emissions increase by attributing it to the economy opening up after the COVID-19 pandemic.

But others have pointed out that the United States increased its use of coal under the Biden administration because of Bidens hostile attitude toward the oil and gas industry, which has led to high prices and underinvestment in new production and pipelines.

As of mid-June 2022, Americas oil refining capacity had fallen by 800,000 barrels per day. Half the refineries that closed did so as they were being converted for renewable fuel production.

Canadian leaders have also taken notice of the energy crisis.

At a press conference on March 11, Sonya Savage, energy minister for Alberta, Canada, noted that the Russian invasion of Ukraine had exposed the weakness of Americas energy policy. For the past decades, Western democracies have focused on climate change and carbon emission reductions without considering energy security, she said.

This failed North American energy strategy has now put the United States and Canada in a position where it is difficult to raise or even maintain domestic energy production, she said. In contrast, Russia can ramp up production without having to stick to any environmental standards.

This essentially results in the transfer of production of oil and gas from North America to places like Russia, Savage said.

Barbier pointed to Russias invasion of Ukraine and the resulting energy crisis to support his argument that countries not aiming for a low-carbon economy could be at greater economic peril.

He recommends that industrialized nations should phase out tax breaks for fossil fuels, impose higher taxes on carbon-intensive imports from other countries, and reform fossil fuel markets to fund green investments and innovation.

If these steps were to be implemented, it would drive up fossil fuel prices and, as a result, increase gas and energy prices.

Dutch Farmers Fight WEF Mandates

The current situation in the Netherlands between the Dutch government and Dutch farmers also appears to contradict Barbiers claim about green environmental policies leading to more freedom.

In an attempt to reduce nitrogen output to meet emissions goals in line with the World Economic Forums recommendations, the Dutch government announced plans that would require farmers in some areas to reduce their nitrogen output by 95 percent and cull livestock herds, resulting in the mass slaughter of animals and significant destruction of farming operations.

Farmers who dont cooperate with the mandate face having their farmland confiscated by the government, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (pdf).

The Netherlands is the second-largest food exporter in the world.

Farmers and truckers in the Netherlands have staged major protests over the environmental mandates, shutting down food distribution centers and airports in an effort to force the government to reverse the mandates.
NASA just kicked off the dawn of a new era in astronomy this week releasing the first full-color images and spectroscopic data from its new James Webb Space Telescope.

Its the largest and most powerful space telescope the world has ever seen, the space agency stated.

Dazzling shots display previously unseen reaches of space, near and far, and tell the story of the hidden universe  from neighboring exoplanets just beyond our solar system to the most distant galaxies observable in the early universe. They demonstrate, said NASA, Webb at its full power, ready to begin its mission to unfold the infrared universe.

Heres a peek at what the future of astronomy has in store.

Carina Nebula, the Cosmic Cliffs

Foremost featured are the cosmic cliffs, also known as the Carina Nebula (or NGC 3324), located roughly 7,600 light-years away.

They appear like moonlit, craggy mountains and valleys, but are actually a nursery of newborn stars, whose intense ultraviolet radiation and stellar winds carved out a gaseous cavity from interstellar space dust.

What look like mountain peaks are about seven light-years high, according to NASA. These hot, bright young stars were previously unobservable, until now.

Such star-forming regions as NGC 3324 have a relatively short shelf life, lasting between 50,000 to 100,000 years, making them difficult to capture. But Webbs extreme sensitivity and exquisite spatial resolution managed to chronicle the rare event.

Galaxy Cluster SMACS 0723

This shot of galaxy cluster SMACS 0723 captures thousands of galaxies within an extremely small field of view  one approximately the size of a grain of sand held at arms length.

The combining of Webbs high-resolution imagers and a natural effect called gravitational lensing made this near-infrared image possible.

This cluster is bound together by gravitational forces. In its center are bright white elliptical galaxies, whose gravitational effects stretch, warp, and even mirror more distant galaxies, which appear as orange arcs further beyond.

These images demonstrate the deep field capabilities of the Webb Space Telescope, but just scratch the surface of what it can actually do.

They represent the clearest, most detailed views of star clusters in the early universe so far, according to Webb Space Telescope.

WASP-96b

Webb also observed a hot, puffy exoplanet  a planet outside our solar system  transiting (passing in front of) WASP-96, a star within the Milky Way.

A total of 280 individual brightness measurements were taken over the course of 6 hours and 23 minutes, before, during, and after the transit.

Starlight passing through the planets atmosphere enabled scientists to observe haze and clouds, indicating there is water there.

Data from Webbs Near-Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS) shows the change in brightness of light from the WASP-96 star system over time as the planet transits the star. (Illustration: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI)

A transmission spectrum made from a single observation using Webbs Near-Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS) reveals atmospheric characteristics of the hot gas giant exoplanet WASP-96b. (Illustration: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI)

This exoplanet, WASP-96b, is believed to be a hot, gas giant with an atmospheric temperature of about 1,350 degrees Fahrenheit (725 degrees Celsius), orbiting a sun-like star roughly 1,150 light-years away in the constellation Phoenix.

WASP-96b orbits extremely close to its star  less than 1/20th the distance between Earth and the sun  completing one revolution in less than 3.5 Earth-days.

The data from WASP-96b mark the beginning of a journey for Webb to explore hundreds more systems and discover what other planetary atmospheres are made of.

The Southern Ring Nebula

The Southern Ring Nebula captured in near-infrared and mid-infrared light by Webbs NIRCam and MIRI. (NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI)

The Southern Ring Nebula was also captured by Webb using its near-infrared and mid-infrared imagers.

The telescope revealed a white dwarf star (the remnants of a star like our sun after shedding its outer layers) that had ejected multiple shells of material around it, forming a ring-shaped nebula distorted by gravitational forces.

The white dwarf had to repeatedly contract, heat up, and emit material  somewhat like a rotating sprinkler adding the ingredients needed  for thousands of years to form its present state.

Webb collected images in two different wavelengths. Its near-infrared camera (NIRCam) observes light that is closer to what human eyes can see; its mid-infrared imager (MIRI) delves further into the infrared spectrum  which detected the gleaming dust surrounding the white dwarf with enhanced sensitivity.

Stephans Quintet

The space telescope also captured a compact group of galaxies, located in the constellation Pegasus, called Stephans Quintet.

Able to pierce through the surrounding dust of one galaxy, Webbs imagers revealed the composition of the gas near its supermassive black hole center.

Together, these images and data revealed the capabilities of all four of Webbs state-of-the-art scientific instruments.

All told, scientists were stunned and elated.

Today, we present humanity with a groundbreaking new view of the cosmos from the James Webb Space Telescope  a view the world has never seen before, said NASA administrator Bill Nelson. These images, including the deepest infrared view of our universe that has ever been taken, show us how Webb will help to uncover the answers to questions we dont even yet know to ask; questions that will help us better understand our universe and humanitys place within it.

The Webb teams incredible success is a reflection of what NASA does best. We take dreams and turn them into reality for the benefit of humanity. I cant wait to see the discoveries that we uncover  the team is just getting started!

On Tuesday, July 12, the images were displayed on several digital screens in Times Square in New York and in Londons Piccadilly Circus.

An illustration of the James Webb Space Telescope in space. (NASA)

The James Webb Telescope was launched on Dec. 25, 2021, on an Ariane 5 rocket from a spaceport in French Guiana.

After undergoing a complex sequence of deployment in space, Webb then underwent months commissioning, aligning mirrors, and calibrating instruments to suit its space environment, readying the telescope for science.

Absolutely thrilling! said John Mather, Webb senior project scientist at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The equipment is working perfectly, and nature is full of surprising beauty. Congratulations and thanks to our worldwide teams that made it possible.

The project is a joint partnership between NASA, ESA (European Space Agency), and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).

The new space telescope aims to unravel mysteries within our solar system and beyond into more distant worlds, to probe unknown structures and the origins of our universe.

Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter
Pope Francis meets U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at the Vatican on Oct. 29, 2021. (Vatican Media via Reuters)

Pope Francis Says Biden Should Speak to Priest About Incoherence of His Support for Abortion as a Catholic

Pope Francis has criticized President Joe Biden for his stance on abortion, which contradicts the presidents Catholic faith, weeks after the Vatican praised the U.S. Supreme Court for overturning Roe v. Wade.

A month after conception, the DNA of the fetus is already there and the organs are aligned. There is human life, the pope said in an interview with Univision. Is it just to eliminate a human life?

The pope went on to advise Biden to meet with his priest.

I leave it to [President Bidens] conscience and that he speaks to his bishop, his pastor, his parish priest about that incoherence, the pope said.

In June, the Pontifical Academy for Life at the Vatican issued a statement hailing the Supreme Courts abortion decision. It said that the defense of human life cannot be solely limited to the realm of individual rights since life itself is a matter of broad social significance.

At a time when Western society is losing its passion for life, the Supreme Court decision is a powerful invitation to reflect on the issue, said Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Academy for Life.

Biden and his family members attend Holy Trinity Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Washington, which is overseen by Cardinal Wilton Gregory. The cardinal has stated that excommunication should be a last resort to resolve the issue of a Catholic politician who is pro-abortion and has not denied communion to Biden.

In May, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was barred from receiving Holy Communion by San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Joseph Cordileone due to her support for abortion.

Circumventing the Supreme Court Decision

Biden said it was a sad day for the United States when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, calling the conservative members of the court extreme in his remarks.

On June 30, Biden announced that he would support ending the 60-vote filibuster in the Senate so that bills legalizing abortion at the federal level could be passed. However, Bidens plans were dashed after two DemocratsSens. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Joe Manchin of West Virginiaannounced that they would not support ending the filibuster.

Speaking to reporters on July 10, Biden said that hed asked his advisers to determine whether he has the authority to declare a public health emergency on abortions, thereby ensuring the use of federal resources to promote abortion access.

In the majority opinion for the Roe v. Wade ruling, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito observed that the U.S. Constitution does not prohibit the citizens of each state from regulating or prohibiting abortion.

The Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision, including the one on which the defenders of Roe and Casey now chiefly relythe Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, he stated.
The Buffalo School Board is expected to vote unanimously Thursday evening to appoint Tonja Williams as the next superintendent of the school district.

Since Williams was appointed interim superintendent in March, she has won the support and confidence of a growing number of parents, community leaders and board members. A Buffalo native, she has deep roots in the community and a strong network within the school district.

She has the characteristics and the knowledge and the ability to move us to the next level, School Board Member Sharon Belton Cottman said. We believe she is what this district needs.

Buffalo's interim school superintendent meets with community members as part of listening tour About 40 parents and other district residents were asked by Superintendent Tonja Williams and three of her top administrators what they thought was going well in the district, what they thought would be the best way for the district to communicate with parents, and what obstacles they thought were facing the district that could be overcome by working together as a community.

Its a unanimous decision by the board, she added.

Williams spent much of the past few months meeting with parents, students and community groups, establishing herself as a humble, compassionate listener open to input.

That stands in contrast to her predecessor, Kriner Cash, who was widely seen as an outsider with no vested interest in Buffalo. Prior to taking the job in Buffalo, he served as an administrator in Miami-Dade County Schools in Florida and then as superintendent in Memphis. He spent much of his time early in the Covid-19 pandemic in his home in Marthas Vineyard, drawing criticism from many in the Buffalo Public Schools for his absence.

Williams grew up in Buffalo, graduating from Riverside High School. She earned a bachelors degree from Medaille College, a masters from Canisius College and a doctorate from St. John Fisher College in Rochester.

She has been employed in the Buffalo Public Schools since 1990, as a school counselor for a decade and then working her way up through the administrative ranks. She has served as the districts director of guidance and counseling, as an elementary school principal, as an assistant superintendent, and as an associate superintendent.

We need someone that believes in our students, that is devoted to making sure the Buffalo Public Schools can move to the next level, and who can be held accountable by the community  because they are home, Belton Cottman said.

In the weeks following Williams appointment as interim superintendent, some School Board members, while voicing support for her, also said they thought it was important to conduct a national search.

At the same time, though, a growing number of clergy, Common Council members and other community leaders publicly lauded Williams and declared that the time had come for a hometown candidate.

Since her appointment as interim superintendent, Williams has continued to receive the same pay she got as associate superintendent, $154,000, about half of what Cash was paid as superintendent.

Board President Louis Petrucci did not respond Wednesday to messages seeking comment. Williams declined to comment prior to the board meeting.

I dont want to be presumptuous, she said in a text message.

On Wednesday, she wrote on Facebook that the board on Thursday would be discussing the position of superintendent, and invited people to come to the meeting to show their support for her.

Reiterating a phrase she has frequently repeated since being appointed interim superintendent , Williams added: I UNDERSTAND THE ASSIGNMENT!
Students walk near a statue of George Washington on campus at the University of Washington in Seattle, in this file photo. (Ted S. Warren/AP Photo)

Professor Sues University After Being Censored for Rejecting Woke Land Acknowledgment

A professor has filed a First Amendment lawsuit against the University of Washington (UW), which censored him for disagreeing with the idea that the university campus sits on occupied land belonging to a native tribe.

Located in Seattle, UW is one of the many U.S. colleges and universities that promote land acknowledgment statements that recognize indigenous peoples as the original owners of the land upon which their campuses are built.

On a list of best practices, the public universitys computer science department recommends that professors include such a statement in their syllabi to acknowledge that our campus sits on occupied land that was once owned by the Coast Salish, a collective term for indigenous tribes living in British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon.

Stuart Reges, a computer science professor at UW, rejects the idea. I acknowledge that by the labor theory of property the Coast Salish people can claim historical ownership of almost none of the land currently occupied by the University of Washington, Reges wrote in the syllabus for his introductory programming course.

The labor theory of property is most prominently associated with 17th-century English philosopher John Locke, who argued that property rights should go to those who make productive use of the land, rather than those who allow the land to go to waste uselessly in their possession.

I have been unable to find much evidence that Native Americans ever made productive use of the 350 acres on which the main campus of the University of Washington now stands, Reges explained in an article in online magazine Quillette.

After several students complained, Magdalena Balzinska, director of the computer science department, ordered Reges to take down his own version of the land acknowledgment.

I ask that you remove the land acknowledgement statement from your syllabus immediately. It is offensive and it creates a toxic environment in your course, which is a required course in your major, Balzinska wrote in a Jan. 4 email. Reges replied that he wouldnt remove it unless all other faculty in the school also removed theirs.

[Administration] said at a faculty meeting that a syllabus is not a place to include a political statement, Reges said, reported student newspaper The Daily. So thats why they say that what I did is inappropriate. But then how is it appropriate to include this other version of the land acknowledgement? Why is it OK to include this version, but not mine? Thats the crux of the First Amendment issue here.

Balazinska eventually edited the passage out of Reges syllabus posted on the schools website. The university also created a shadow section of his programming course, which featured pre-recorded instructions by a different professor, and invited students to switch to that new section to avoid exposure to offensive views.

In addition, the University opened a disciplinary investigation into Reges, which, according to the lawsuit, could potentially result in further punishment or even termination of his employment because of the views he expressed in his dissenting statement.

In his complaint filed Wednesday at a U.S. district court in Seattle, Reges argued that UW is retaliating against him for protected academic speech in violation of his First Amendment right.

The University has taken these actions despite settled law that holds public university faculty have a First Amendment right to speak on matters of public concern in their teaching and research, the complaint reads. The value and utility of land acknowledgement statements exemplifies such a matter of public debate.

The lawsuit is backed by pro-free speech group Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), which was previously known as the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.

If UW encourages professors to take a political stance on their syllabi, it cannot punish those professors who diverge from the schools pre-approved stance, said FIRE attorney Katlyn Patton. At UW, the message to faculty is clear: Toe the party line or say goodbye to your students.

In a statement, a UW spokesperson said the university is reviewing that complaint, insisting that the university didnt do anything wrong in its handling of the situation.

The university continues to assert that it hasnt violated Stuart Reges First Amendment rights and we look forward to making that case in court, the spokesperson said.
An arriving Qantas Airbus A330 aircraft taxis at Auckland international airport in Auckland, New Zealand on Feb. 28, 2022. (David Rowland/AFP via Getty Images)

Qantas to Lift COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates for International Flights

Australias major airline Qantas is lifting the COVID-19 vaccination requirement for all international flights.

Qantas will no longer require passengers on international flights to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 from 12.01 a.m. Australian (EST) on July 19, the airline said in an update on July 13.

The move comes after the Australian government announced it would scrap the requirement for all overseas travellers to be vaccinated or seek exemptions to enter the country.

Home Affairs Minister Clare ONeil announced the news on July 3. Travellers to Australia will no longer need to complete a digital Passenger Declaration Form (DPD) or declare their vaccination status from July 6.

As more and more of us travel internationally and we get more confident in managing our risk of COVID, our airports are getting busier, ONeil said in a statement.

Removing these requirements will not only reduce delays in our airports but will encourage more visitors and skilled workers to choose Australia as a destination.

Travellers wait in line to verify their Covid-19 vaccination status as they check in for a flight to Sydney, Australia at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California, on Nov. 1, 2021. (Patrick T. Fallon/ AFP via Getty Images)

However, Qantas cautioned that passengers on international flights departing on or before July 18 would still need to provide proof of vaccination when checking in for the airlines international flights.

Some countries have restrictions around transiting. If youre transiting via another country or onto another international flight, ensure you check the requirements of your transiting and destination country to ensure their government allows you to transit, the update said.

Before booking and before you travel, ensure you check the latest airline and Government travel requirements, which may include mandatory health declarations, vaccinations, COVID-19 tests, use of face masks, entry permits, pre-approval and quarantine (possibly at your own expense), or you could be denied entry.

Mask Mandate Remain in Domestic Flights

In addition, Qantas warned that passengers will continue to be required to wear masks where government regulations require them, including on domestic flights in Australia.

The airline announced last month that from June 21, crew and passengers on direct international flights from NSW, Queensland, and Western Australia to the United States, the UK, and Rome, Italy, would no longer be required to wear masks.

The lift of the restrictions comes as Australia combats another winter wave of COVID-19 infections, with Federal Health Minister Mark Butler encouraging people to get booster shots.

There is pressure on our hospitals with more than 3,000 people in hospital today with COVID, and were still seeing around 300 or more deaths every week with COVID, Butler said.

We are not through this virus yet.
Record-Breaking Heat Wave Grips China, Affecting 900 Million People

A scorching heat wave has blanketed China, resulting in at least two people dying of heat stroke and pushing the electricity load to all-time highs. Authorities in manufacturing centers have also begun restricting power consumption for some factories.

As of July 12, heat waves have affected more than 900 million residents, according to the countrys national climate center. As many as 71 weather stations reported temperatures that surpassed all-time records, it stated.

By June 13, a total of 86 cities had issued red alerts, the highest warning in the three-tier system, which indicates that the temperature will top out at no lower than 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).

The heatwave has turned deadly recently, with many people being hospitalized for heat stroke and at least two deaths being reported in southern and eastern China.

A 49-year-old male worker died on July 8 after he fainted during work, according to The Paper, a state-backed media outlet. His body temperature was 40.7 degrees C (104.7 degrees F) when he was admitted to the hospital, the report states. The man was from the coastal province of Zhejiang, which neighbors Shanghai.

Another fatality related to the high temperatures was reported in Sichuan Province.

The hot weather coincided with mass testing for COVID-19 in several districts in Shanghai, adding to heat woes for both residents and health workers wearing protective suits.

A health worker puts her hands on a block of ice in front of a fan to cool off at a COVID-19 coronavirus testing station in the Huangpu district of Shanghai on July 12, 2022. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)

The commercial center declared a red alert on July 14, the third such alert this week. The city of 25 million people had only issued 17 such warnings since record-keeping began in 1873.

Surging Power Consumption

As temperatures climbed, demand for power rose as homes and businesses cranked up air conditioning, adding strain to the grid. Chinas maximum power load hit an all-time high of 1.22 billion kilowatts on July 12, the National Development and Reform Commission said on July 14.

Zhejiangs provincial energy bureau and state grid called on companies, factories, and residents on July 12 to save power after record-high electricity consumption was reported.

At least two polyester factories in the manufacturing hub of Zhejiang have been ordered to curtail their power consumption starting from July 12, with one stating that the restriction would be in place until the end of August, according to South China Morning Post.

The surging power consumption came several months after the country emerged from a widespread power crunch. The energy crisiscaused by the shortage of coalhas disrupted the lives of tens of millions, forced factories to reduce production or even shut down, and affected supply chains.

The heatwave, which descended on the country earlier than usual this year, is expected to last for another two weeks.

Reuters contributed to the report.
Loaded with natural sweetness and over-the-top nutrition, my healthy, oven-roasted sweet potatoes will delight your tastebuds.

Yes. Its a carb, but the sweet potatos creamy orange flesh is the wonderful complex carbohydrate kind, which keeps you full longer.

Since this tuber is easy to digest, it feels relatively light (compared to white potatoes) in your stomach.

For this recipe, the sweeties are combined with a bit of fresh ginger and aromatic coriander powder sizzled in ghee, then cooked to perfection.

What I love about this recipe is how incredibly easy it is to make, either in the oven, or on the stovetop. You may use the oven technique in the cooler season, and the stovetop when its warmer. You will love this. The anticipation of eating your sweet potatoes only heightens when the pleasing spice aromatics waft into your nose during the roasting process.

Sweet Potatoes Nutrition

Sweet potatoes are fat-free, cholesterol-free, gluten-free, high in fiber, and low on the glycemic index.

(Courtesy of Buttered Veg)

This makes sweeties the perfect substitute for wheat, and other grains, as part of a balanced plate.

High in fiber: particularly when you leave the skin on

High in magnesium: which promotes rest and relaxation

Full of antioxidants: to fight cancer-causing free-radicals

Rich in vitamins: particularly vitamins A, B, C, and E

High in beta carotene: which protects eye health

Is Sweet Potato a Carb?

Sweet potato is a complex carbohydrate. About 90 percent of its caloric content comes from carbs.

Carbohydrates include sugars, fiber, and starch.

(Courtesy of Buttered Veg)

1 cup cubed sweet potato contains 26.76g of carbohydrates, broken down as follows:

5.56g sugar (naturally occurring)

4g fiber (with the skin)

17.2g starch

Sweet potatoes are relatively low on the glycemic index when boiled, which means they will not spike your blood sugar.

However, roasting greatly increases their sugar content by converting starch to sugar in the process of cooking.

Sweet Potato Calories

One medium sweet potato (2 inches in diameter and 5 inches long) contains 103 calories, according to Nutritionix.

Sweet Potato Versus Yam

The creamy-smooth, reddish-orange colored sweet potato is actually an American invention that traces its history back to farmers in the 1930s.

Previous than that, sweet potatoes were all white, or yellowish in color.

(Courtesy of Buttered Veg)

Slaves from West Africa used the slang phrase yams to describe this new type of potato because it reminded them of an African vegetable they were familiar with that had a similar name, according to the Food Network.

This is how the sweet potato came to be interchanged and confused with yams, which are actually a completely different plant family.

Yams have a light beige-colored skin with light flesh, and tend to be much drier and starchier.

You can identify the American sweet potato by its reddish-orange skin, deep orange flesh, and moist, juicy texture.

If you do happen to pick up a yam, or a traditional sweet potato, or a modern red or purple sweet potato, I encourage you to just go with it.

Each will cook similarly, and each is guaranteed to be sweet and satisfying.

Ayurveda Sweet Potatoes

Ayurveda is a traditional system of medicine based on the idea that disease arises from imbalances in body, mind, and spirit, and the use of food as medicine.

Healing the digestive tract and supporting gut health is a major focus of Ayurveda, so how does Ayurveda view sweet potatoes?

Sweet potatoes are considered easy to digest, and a superfood that almost everybody can enjoy without digestive difficulty.

Compared to regular potatoes, sweet potatoes feel lighter in the stomach, so consider enjoying them more frequently.

Sweet potatoes are alkalizing, and like most red and orange foods, sweet potatoes are nourishing for the trifecta of blood, liver, and lymph.

Some people may find the skin a little harder to digest though.

Since Ayurveda values digestibility over nutrients, if your digestion is weak or sensitive, consider removing (or partially removing) the skins to enhance your enjoyment of sweet potatoes.

Variations

I love the idea of combining the sweet potatoes with other vegetables for added flavor and nutrition.

Other roots and tubers would combine well, such as celery root, parsnips, purple potatoes, or yams.

I also think that leafy greens would be wonderful, such as kale, collards, dandelion greens, Swiss chard, or spinach.

The beauty of adding leafy greens is that you are getting in the bitter taste, which will enhance the overall flavor of the dish.

I also think that any type of onion would be wonderful, such as yellow onion, sweet onion, leeks, scallions, or shallots.

(Courtesy of Buttered Veg)

Roasted Sweet Potato with Ginger & Coriander

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Servings: 2

CALORIES: 143KCAL

Author: Andrea at Buttered Veg

Loaded with natural sweetness and over-the-top nutrition, this healthy, oven-roasted sweet potatoes will delight your tastebuds.

Helpful Kitchen Tools:

1 Medium saucepan  3.5 quart with lid

Ingredients

2 teaspoons ghee, or butter

1 teaspoon ginger root, finely chopped

 teaspoon coriander powder

pinch red chili, or cayenne pepper

1 medium sweet potato, (about 2 cups), washed and chopped into -inch pieces

 teaspoon mineral salt

water, (enough to cover up to  inch of potatoes)

lemon, freshley squeezed (optional)

Instructions

Equipment prep steps

If you will use an oven to make this recipe, pre-heat it to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and ensure that you choose a saucepan with a fitting lid that can go on the stovetop AND in the oven. The recipe starts on the stovetop to speed up the cooking process, and then finishes in the oven. You may also cook the entire dish on the stovetop.

Recipe prep steps

Wash the sweet potato well and dry it with a clean cloth. Cut off the ends and any damaged areas of the skin, or peel it entirely with a potato peeler. Chop into -inch pieces.

Start the roasted sweet potato on the stove

Heat ghee or butter on medium heat in a medium saucepan on the stove. Add ginger and saute until lightly browned. Add coriander and red chili, and saute 10-20 seconds to release the aroma. Add chopped sweet potato and salt, cover with the lid, and cook for 5 minutes, or until starting to lightly brown. Once you see the browning, move to the next step. Add enough water to cover the bottom of the dish up to -inch high. Careful not to add too much water. Mix well to coat the potatoes with ghee and spices. Cover, and cook for 15 minutes (either in the oven, or covered on medium-low heat on the stovetop). Check for doneness. The potatoes will be done when a knife pierced into the flesh comes out easily. If they still need more time, stir to marinade the potatoes in the ghee and spices, and add a bit more water if needed. Continue to cook until soft.

Notes

Variation: add greens

Along with the water, add 4 cups chopped kale, collards, dandelion greens, Swiss chard, or spinach.

Variation: add root vegetables

Along with the sweet potatoes, add chopped celery root, parsnips, purple potatoes, or yams.

Variation: add onions

Along with the sweet potatoes, add yellow onion, sweet onion, leeks, scallions, or shallots.

Nutrition

Calories: 143kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 353mg | Potassium: 391mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 16031IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?

Mention @buttered.veg or tag #bvjoyfulcooks!

This article was originally published on butteredVeg.com.
Rogers 5-Day Refund After Outage Doesnt Go Far Enough, Legal Expert Says

Rogers Communications Inc.s move to credit its customers with the equivalent of five days of service following the massive outage that crippled its network last week is wholly inadequate, a legal expert said.

Five days is predicated on the possible belief that damage to individuals and small and medium-sized businesses can be quantified solely on the basis of a portion of a monthly fee, Richard Leblanc, a York University governance, law and ethics professor, said in an interview Wednesday.

Payments could not occur, sales were missed, meetings were missed, work could not be done, and businesses could not operate fully, so damages would be broader than that, Leblanc explained.

Rogers made the announcement via a statement posted on Twitter on Tuesday saying that it was a first step in earning back its customers trust.

Theyre keeping the door open to do more and showing goodwill as an initial first step, but its a minimum, Leblanc said.

In the statement, Rogers said it was listening to its customers from across the country and recognized how significant the impacts of the outage were for them.

Rogers wireless and internet customers were left without service in the outage that began early Friday morning and led to widespread disruptions. The outage affected 911 services as well as financial networks and other critical services.

The company said the disruption that shut down its mobile and internet services across much of the country came after a maintenance update in its core network, which caused some of its routers to malfunction.

As the next step, Leblanc believes Rogers should look to tailor its compensation strategy to better fit individual, household and business customers because the damages are not equal across the board.

Rogers is already facing a class-action lawsuit filed Monday by Montreal-based LPC Avocat Inc. on behalf of customers with a contract with Rogers, Fido Mobile or Chatr Mobile who didnt receive services on Friday or Saturday, as well as persons in Quebec who could not operate with their own device or make transactions because of the outage during that period.

Yuka Sai, a lawyer with the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) said consumers deserve a say in what constitutes fair compensation when mass outages occur.

PIAC has requested the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) open a public consultation on how customers should be treated by telecom companies in the event of a service outage.

This public hearing should set industry-wide rules on baseline emergency planning, notification and refund requirements, and other protections for both retail and wholesale-based customers, Sai said.

Jasmin Guenette, vice-president of National Affairs at the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), said for small and medium-sized businesses, the five-day reimbursement is likely to be insufficient to cover the revenue lost.

Rogers should be compensating businesses with a full month of free service, he added.

On Tuesday, the CRTC asked Rogers to provide a detailed explanation for the service outage by July 22, including why and how it occurred and what measures it is putting in place to prevent it from happening again.

Federal Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne met with Rogers chief executive Tony Staffieri and the heads of several other telecom providers on Monday and directed them to come up with a crisis plan, including agreements on emergency roaming, a mutual assistance framework during outages and a communication protocol to better inform the public and authorities during telecommunications emergencies.

Staffieri issued an updated apology Wednesday afternoon.

Our network outage last Friday was unacceptable. Simply put, we failed on our promise to be Canadas most reliable network, he wrote on the companys website.

The CEO said the company has to make things right.

You have my personal commitment that Rogers will make every change and investment needed to help ensure that it will not happen again.

By Adena Ali
Telecommunications company Rogers Communications signage is pictured in Ottawa on July 12, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick)

Rogers Pledges Investments to Prevent Future Disruption of Key Services

Rogers says its making more investments to ensure the public has access to 9-1-1 and other essential services following a nationwide network outage that disrupted emergency call systems in several provinces.

You have my personal commitment that Rogers will make every change and investment needed to help ensure that it will not happen again, Rogers CEO Tony Staffieri said in a statement on July 13.

As well, working with governments and our industry, we will implement what is needed to ensure that 911 and essential services can continue, no matter what outage may occur.

An Update from Rogers President & CEO, Tony Staffieri: Our network outage last Friday was unacceptable. Simply put, we failed on our promise to be Canadas most reliable network. Now our focus is to make things right and ensure this doesnt happen again. https://t.co/Jr2IPjmipv  Rogers News (@AboutRogers) July 13, 2022

In a 2009 report, the Emergency Services Working Group (ESWG), which addresses issues in relation to providing 9-1-1 services, said telecommunication service providers (TSP) would ensure access to 9-1-1 calls for handsets that were uninitialized, unsubscribed, unregistered, and lapsed subscription.

However, the document didnt address scenarios of TSP failure such as the recent Rogers outage.

The Epoch Times reached out to the ESWG for comment but didnt hear back by publication time.

The Rogers network outage, which occurred on July 8 and lasted up to 19 hours or longer for some clients, affected emergency call services in provinces including Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec.

The company said the outage was caused by a maintenance update to its core network which led to a malfunction in some routers, hitting both wireline and wireless services. The disruption left millions of Canadians without phone or internet services and affected the operations of government services, hospitals, businesses, financial institutions, and public transit systems.

Staffieri said the companys network is now fully operational and its customer service representatives have caught up on the backlog of issues.

As part of its remedial actions, Rogers said it will proactively reimburse its customers, giving them a credit equivalent to five days of services. The credits will be automatically reflected in their bills next month.

In speaking to many of you, it is clear that what matters most is that we ensure this doesnt happen again, Staffieri said.
Smoke rises in the sky after strikes at the frontline in the Donbass region on July 13, 2022. (Gleb Garanich/Reuters)

Russia Strikes Ukrainian City a Day After Grain Talks Breakthrough

KYIVRussian missiles struck the Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia far behind the frontlines on Thursday in an attack which Ukrainian officials said had left at least 12 people dead.

The strike, which Ukraine said had also wounded dozens, came a day after a breakthrough in talks between Moscow and Kyiv to unblock Ukrainian grain exports and underscored how far the two countries remain from any kind of peace settlement despite progress in those negotiations.

There are wounded and dead, among them a small child, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on the Telegram messaging app. What is this, if not an open act of terrorism?

The Russian defense ministry, which denies targeting civilians, did not immediately comment on the strike. Russia, which launched what it called its special military operation against Ukraine on Feb. 24, says its aim is to degrade Ukraines military infrastructure to protect its own security.

Vinnytsia lies about 200 km (125 miles) southwest of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and is far from the main frontlines in eastern and southern Ukraine.

The Russian strike hit the car park of the nine-storey Yuvelirniy office block at around 1050 (0750 GMT), Ukraines State Emergency Service said.

It posted photographs showing grey smoke rising from the twisted remains of burnt-out cars and smouldering rubble nearby.

Video footage posted on Telegram by Oleksiy Goncharenko, a Ukrainian politician, showed thick black smoke billowing out of a tall building.

Russian, Ukrainian, and Turkish military delegations meet with U.N. officials in Istanbul, Turkey, on July 13, 2022. (Turkish Defence Ministry/Handout via Reuters)

Fighting on the Eastern Front

On the frontlines of the war hundreds of miles to the east, Ukraine said it had repelled attempted Russian ground assaults after Moscow focused its fire on and around two towns there which it views as spring-boards to taking control of bigger cities.

Ukraine, with the help of recently acquired U.S. HIMARS mobile rocket systems, has begun to strike targets deep inside Russian-controlled territory and says it is destroying ammo dumps and degrading Russias ability to wage war.

Daniil Bezsonov, a Russian-backed official in the self-proclaimed Donetsk Peoples Republic, said on Thursday that the statelets armed forces and Russia were focusing their fire in eastern Ukraine on the towns of Siversk and Soledar.

Siversk is under our operational control which means we can strike the enemy wherever they are, he told the Solovyov Live online TV channel.

He made clear however that both towns were still held by Ukrainian forces however. The Russian plan, he said, was to seize the two towns and then move forward to attack the cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk from the east.

The Ukrainian military, which reported Russian shelling and air strikes on Siversk and Kramatorsk, claimed it was holding the line on all fronts and that it was repelling all attempted assaults.

The town of Soledar, seen as a gateway to the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut and Kramatorsk, had been bombed too, the Ukrainian military said.

Britains ministry of defense said it looked like Russian forces were struggling to make headway in eastern Ukraine as the war grinds towards the five-month mark because they were unable to marshal the necessary critical mass they needed to advance.

By Max Hunder and Pavel Polityuk
High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell arrives for the second day of a European Union leaders summit as EU leaders attempt to agree on Russian oil sanctions in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Brussels, Belgium, on May 31, 2022. (Johanna Geron/Reuters)

Russia Derangement Syndrome Trumps All

Destroying the planet to save Ukraine

Commentary

Saving Ukraine from Russia has become more important to Western leaders than saving the planet from climate change, more important than keeping their populations from freezing in the dark, more important than the viability of Western industries, and more important even than avoiding the risk of an all-out nuclear war between the West and Russia.

An early indication of the Wests loss of all perspective where Russia is concernedcall it Russia Derangement Syndromeoccurred in the United States after Donald Trump was elected president. Large swaths of the public, including virtually all Democrats and the legacy media, embraced a fantasy known as Russian Collusion, which asserted that Russia had colluded with the Trump campaign to install him as president. The fantasy persisted for three years until 2019, when Russian Collusion was confirmed to be a hoax perpetrated by Trumps rival for the 2016 presidency, Hillary Clinton.

Former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson testifies before the House Intelligence Committee in an open hearing in the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center in Washington on June 21, 2017. Johnson answered questions about Russias interference in the 2016 presidential elections and his departments response to the threat. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Earlier this year, after Russia invaded Ukraine over a territorial dispute, Russia Derangement Syndrome went into overdrive. An infuriated West sanctioned Russian goods and services helter-skelter without thinking through the consequences, chiefly those involving energy. Russia represents continental Europes chief energy source and is the main reason that Europeans can keep the lights on.

Only after the Europeans decided to punish Russia, and only after Russia announced cuts to gas flowstemporarily, it saidon the Nord Stream 1 pipeline of 60 percent, did it dawn on Europeans that Russia could retaliate this coming winter through punitively timed energy curtailments, putting Europe at Russias mercy.

In Germany, for example, Chancellor Olaf Scholzs administration did the math to discover that under all scenarios, Germany lacked the reserves needed to last the winter.

That was the sobering moment, acknowledged Klaus Mueller, who heads Germanys gas network regulator. If we have a very, very cold winter, if were careless and far too generous with gas, then it wont be pretty.

The European Union, now in a panic, is scrambling to acquire fossil fuels from any sources in a desperate attempt to stockpile energy prior to winter. Germany is returning to coal, as are Austria, Italy, and the Netherlands. The United Kingdom is also turning to coal and reversing its ban on fracking and on North Sea oil production. The EU is endorsing Norways latest exploitation of the North Sea and is open to new contracts for long-term commitments of natural gas.

The United States is exporting record amounts of gas, so much so that Europe now receives more high-priced liquefied natural gas from U.S. tankers than inexpensive natural gas from Russian pipelines. Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Europeans have advanced more than 20 liquefied natural gas import projects.

In this fossil fuel free-for-all, the West has effectively abandoned its once ironclad commitment to combat climate change, which its leaders never tired of describing as an existential threat to the planet. Gone is Germanys net-zero commitment to phase out coal plants by 2030, tenuous is the UKs pledge to stop using coal in power stations by 2024, and shaky is the G-7s determination to end direct public support for the international unabated fossil fuel energy sector by the end of 2022. Instead, the G-7, noting its determination to support Ukraine, backed increased deliveries of liquefied natural gas and urged oil-producing nations to increase their production.

Wind turbines near a coal-fired power plant, near Hamm, Germany, on June 8, 2022. (Ina Fassbender/AFP via Getty Images)

To punish Russia, the Europeans are knowingly visiting far more severe punishments on themselves. Germany is preparing to put its population on an emergency footing by urging the rationing of energy. Its governments are responding by dimming street lights, switching off the illumination of historic buildings, and shutting off hot water in gyms, museums, and government buildings. Housing complexes are limiting the hours that hot showers can be taken and lowering the thermostats in centrally heated complexes. Industries are planning to scale back, move away from Europe, or shut down operations altogether.

A complete halt to Russian natural gas exports would cost Germany 12.7% of economic performance in the second half of 2022, costing some $200 billion and affecting 5.6 million jobs, the Bavaria Industry Association warned last month.

Denmarks emergency plan involves shutting down gas heating during the summer, taking shorter showers, drying clothes outside, and suspending gas supplies to energy-intensive industries.

A greater punishment still is being voiced in the form of nuclear war. The UK, France, and the United States have all reminded Russia that they possess nuclear weapons in response to Russian reminders that it has the greatest nuclear arsenal of all.

Remarkably, before the West so uniformly came to Ukraines defense, Ukraine was held in low regard by Europeans, viewed as a kleptocracy run by corrupt oligarchs with only the faintest hint of the rule of law. That image was transformed overnight once Russia invaded, as Ukraine became an instant darling of the West, so worthy as to warrant the destruction of the Wests economy, environment, and possibly the West itself. Such is the power of the Russia Derangement Syndrome.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

Patricia Adams Follow Patricia Adams is an economist and the President of the Energy Probe Research Foundation and Probe International, an independent think tank in Canada and around the world. She is the publisher of internet news services Three Gorges Probe and Odious Debts Online and the author or editor of numerous books. Her books and articles have been translated into Chinese, Spanish, Bengali, Japanese, and Bahasa Indonesia. She can be reached at patriciaadams@probeinternational.org.
The logo of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries is seen in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Feb. 19, 2019. (Amir Cohen/Reuters)

San Francisco Reaches $58 Million Opioid Settlement With Teva, Allergan

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and AbbVies Allergan unit on Tuesday reached a $58 million settlement with the city of San Francisco just before completion of a trial over claims that they fueled an opioid epidemic in the city.

Under the deal announced by City Attorney David Chiu, Israel-based Teva will pay $25 million in cash and contribute a $20 million supply of the overdose-reversal drug Narcan. AbbVie will pay $13 million.

This will bring significant resources to help with education, prevention, and treatment, and the addition of tens of millions of dollars worth of overdose reversal medication will save lives in the Bay Area, said Paul Geller, a lawyer who represented the city in negotiating the settlement.

Tevas settlement also resolves the citys claims against Teva-owned drug distributor Anda Inc.

San Francisco will receive $54 million, while $4 million will go toward attorneys fees.

Todays settlement is another critical step forward in getting life-saving treatments to people suffering from opioid addiction, Teva said in a statement.

AbbVie said its discontinued branded opioid business had only a minimal market share nationwide.

A sign stands outside an Abbvie facility in Cambridge, Mass., on May 20, 2021. (Brian Snyder/Reuters)

The settlement was reached before closing arguments in a trial that kicked off on April 25.

San Francisco proceeded with closing arguments on Tuesday against retail pharmacy chain Walgreens, the last remaining defendant in the case.

Jayne Conroy, an attorney for the city, said Walgreens had attempted to shift blame onto others, such as street level drug dealers and manufacturers who lied about the addictiveness of opioids.

Despite the pharmacy chains finger-pointing, it took a fill, fill, fill approach toward opioid prescriptions rather than attempting to weed out suspicious orders, she said.

Walgreens claims it is blameless, Conroy said. And that is just not true.

Parent company Walgreens Boots Alliance has denied wrongdoing.

Neither Teva nor Allergan admitted wrongdoing as part of the settlement.

San Francisco had accused Walgreens, Teva, Allergan, and Anda of creating a public nuisance by flooding the city with prescription opioids and failing to prevent the drugs from being diverted for illegal use.

The companies argued that they sold legal medication prescribed by doctors.

The trial was selected as a bellwether case against drug manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacies, testing the strength of claims in thousands of lawsuits filed by state and local governments. In other similar trials, drugmakers also have been accused of playing down the addiction and overdose risks in marketing their painkillers.

San Francisco has been hit hard by the opioid crisis, which has caused more than 500,000 overdose deaths nationwide in the past two decades, according to the U.S. data. Opioid-related health issues account for 25 percent of emergency room visits at the citys largest public hospital, according to a court filing at the start of the trial.

San Franciscos lawsuit, filed in 2018, initially included claims against drugmakers Purdue Pharma LP, Johnson & Johnson, and Endo International Plc., and the three largest U.S. drug distributorsMcKesson Corp., Cardinal Health Inc., and AmerisourceBergen Corp.

The city settled with those defendants ahead of trial. It signed onto a $26 billion nationwide settlement with J&J and the drug distributors, and agreed to support Purdue Pharmas bankruptcy plan.

Teva has been attempting to reach a nationwide settlement of its opioid liability, and expects to reach a deal by the end of 2022.

By Deitrich Knauth and Brendan Pierson
A swarm of locusts on a field on the island of Sardinia in Noragugume, Italy, on May 22, 2022. (Rita Tolu/Handout via Reuters)

Sardinian Farmers Suffer Worst Locust Invasion in Over 30 Years

MILANWhen farmer Rita Tolu saw a big black wave storming across the horizon and taking over the fields in April, she knew that little of her dried fodder and alfalfa crops would be left in the following days.

Tolu, 40, and other farmers working the central areas of the Italian island of Sardinia have seen swarms of billions of locusts ravage their land in the worst such invasion for more than three decades.

The invasion is projected to affect an area of around 60,000 hectares this year, double that of 2021 and compared with just 2,000 hectares in 2019.

Tolu said that many of her colleagues might have to shut down their businesses as the plague of locusts adds to the impact of drought and rising fuel costs on farmers.

She and her family run a dairy farm of 200 hectares near the village of Noragugume, where crops and animal fodder such as ryegrass and clovers are also grown and around 1,000 sheep graze.

This year, Tolu was able to collect just 200 stacks of hayagainst 1,000 in 2021, she said, with some of it harvested early as a precaution and losing some of its nutritional quality.

Here people farm the land to avoid purchasing fodder and other animal feeds, said Rita Zaru, the mayor of Noragugume, where over 70 percent of the around 280 inhabitants are employed in farming and shepherding.

Zaru said that anyone who had opted to farm grassland this year to boost milk production had lost the whole of their initial investment because of the locusts.

Dry Fields and Depopulation

The problem is not new in Sardinia.

In 1946, about 1.5 million hectares of land, accounting for two-thirds of the islands territory, were affected as locusts spread quickly across fields abandoned during World War Two.

Ignazio Floris, who teaches General and Applied Entomology at Sardinias Sassari University, said depopulation and uncultivated lands were once again one of the main reasons behind this kind of natural event.

Rising temperatures and lack of rain also play a big role as dry and compacted soil makes it easier for locusts to lay their eggs.

Floris noted that this years invasion has been affecting an area equal to 23 percent of the island, a swathe of territory that is much smaller compared to the 1946 catastrophe or 198889, when 81,000 hectares were hit.

The outlook is uncertain but Floris does not expect locusts to multiply as rapidly in 2023 in the light of planned remedies such as ploughing more fields and the deployment of a specific type of beetle that feeds on the locusts eggs.

He also ruled out the locusts endemic in Sardinia making the jump to other parts of Italy, noting that their particular speciesthe Moroccan locustdiffers from the Desert locust that has ravaged African countries and Lebanon in recent years.

According to Tolu, Sardinian farmers were ready to play a more important role in helping to fight the plague by ploughing more of their land.

We are worriedbut we do not want to lose hope after so many years of crisis, she said. ($1 = 0.9818 euros)

By Federico Maccioni
Carl Paladino doesnt much seem to care.

He doesnt care that echoing a vile Facebook post linking the May 14 shooting at Tops Markets to a conspiracy theory rubbed salt in the wounds of Buffalonians.

He doesnt care that praising Adolf Hitler as an inspirational leader does the same to millions of people  here, and around the world.

If he cares that people say he's racist  he insists that he's not  you'd never know it from the frequency that the provocations occur. He singled out for insult the Black members of the Buffalo School Board, for example, and wrote that he would like former first lady Michelle Obama to return to being a male and let loose in the outback of Zimbabwe where she lives comfortably in a cave with Maxie, the gorilla."

And, now, he doesnt care enough about running a focused and professional election campaign to keep a registered sex offender out of his bid for Congress.

Any one of these offenses by Paladino would be troubling on its own; cumulatively, they describe a man unfit for public office.

The latest detonation occurred on Wednesday, when a campaign document revealed that its assistant treasurer is a registered sex offender who was convicted in 2017 of possessing child pornography. The document, filed last month with the Federal Election Commission, identifies Joel Sartori as the campaigns custodian of records.

Law enforcement estimates Sartori, 63, of Lancaster, to be a moderate risk to the public.

But, wait, it's all just a mistake, a campaign spokesman said  a simple oversight. Sartori never really worked for the campaign, said Vish Burra. Somehow  mysteriously  his name found its way into an official campaign document. Note to spokesman: A simple oversight is when you fail to file the document on time, not when the name of a kiddie porn felon ends up on said document. Thats a land mine.

Sartoris name has been removed from the document, Burra said, who added that Paladino strongly condemns the atrocity of child pornography. Good. Racism, too?

In fact, Sartori has been associated with Paladino for years. Records show that he gave more than $11,000 to previous Paladino campaigns and in 2010 was paid more than $6,000 by Paladinos gubernatorial campaign for office expenses. He has made other political contributions through limited liability corporations that Paladino created. Beyond that, he is an employee of Ellicott Development Co., which Paladino founded. Does Paladino care? He hasnt commented.

Paladino is a living, breathing land mine. Weve all seen the wreckage. His lack of attention and self-control undermine the Republican Party. Should he win in the 23rd Congressional District, the explosions will be continuous.

  

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.
Sen. Graham Pushes Back on Election Accusations After Grand Jury Subpoenas Him in Trump Case

Lawyers for U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on July 12 asked a federal judge to quash a subpoena for his testimony before a special grand jury in Georgia thats investigating possible unlawful interference in the 2020 election.

The subpoena was issued by a Fulton County election inquiry on July 11, which is seeking evidence related to an alleged coordinated effort by former President Donald Trump and others to influence and overturn the results of the November 2020 election in the state of Georgia and elsewhere.

Six other individuals connected to Trump were also issued subpoenas this week.

Grahams attorneys had previously indicated that they would challenge the subpoena for him to appear before the grand jury on July 12, stating that it would erode the constitutional balance of power and the ability of a Member of Congress to do their job.

In court papers (pdf) filed in South Carolina on Tuesday, the lawmakers attorneys stated that he did not attempt to interfere with the election results in Georgia.

Senator Graham has never inserted himself into the electoral process in Georgia, and has never attempted to alter the outcome of any election, the court papers state.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, a Democrat, wrote in her subpoena petition that Graham had made at least two telephone calls to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, and members of his staff in the weeks following President Joe Bidens win in the 2020 election.

Phone Calls

During the telephone calls, the witness questioned Secretary Raffensperger and his staff about reexamining certain absentee ballots cast in Georgia in order to explore the possibility of a more favorable outcome for former President Donald Trump, the subpoena reads. The witness also made reference to allegations of widespread voter fraud in the November 2020 election in Georgia, consistent with public statements made by known affiliates of the Trump Campaign.

Grahams lawyers claimed in Tuesdays filing that the conversation was about absentee ballots and Georgias procedures.

They also claim that as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Graham was within his rights to discuss the processes and procedures around administering elections with state officials.

The attorneys also argue that no extraordinary circumstances exist for compelling his testimony and that the court should, therefore, expedite briefing, and quash the state court proceedings seeking to compel his appearance.

What Im trying to do is do my day job, Graham said in a statement on Wednesday. If we open up county prosecutors being able to call every member of the Senate based on some investigation they think is good for the country, were opening Pandoras Box.

The Epoch Times has contacted Williss office for comment.

A Necessary and Material Witness

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney in the subpoena stated that Graham is a necessary and material witness to the Special Purpose Grand Jury investigation and that he possesses unique knowledge concerning the substance of the telephone calls, the logistics of setting up the telephone calls, and any communications between himself, others involved in the planning and execution of the telephone calls, the Trump Campaign, and other known and unknown individuals involved in the multi-state, coordinated efforts to influence the results of the November 2020 election in Georgia and elsewhere.

McBurney also added that Grahams testimony would be essential because it would likely reveal additional sources of information regarding the subject of this investigation.

Willis also issued subpoenas to John Eastman, Cleta Mitchell, Kenneth Chesebro, and Jenna Ellis, who advised the Trump campaign in the aftermath of the 2020 election, and podcast host Jacki Pick Deason.

The Fulton County District Attorney also filed petitions compelling former New York Mayor and Trumps personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, to appear before the special grand jury.

Jack Phillips and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
People with mild and symptomatic cases of COVID-19 quarantine at the Shanghai New International Expo Center in China on April 1, 2022. (Ding Ting/Xinhua via AP)

Shanghai Isolates Residents for Being in a WeChat Group with COVID-19 Cases

Chinas fear of COVID-19 reached new heights when the city of Shanghai put members of a WeChat group into home quarantine for at least seven days amid a recent COVID-19 outbreak.

The city of 26 million reported 74 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases from July 3 to July 6 that were related to a karaoke bar (karaoke is called KTV in China) in the Putuo District. The disease then spread to seven other KTV venues in five districts, according to the municipal pandemic prevention and control authorities on July 7.

One WeChat (a popular Facebook-like social media platform in China) group is reportedly composed of over 300 KTV goers, but many of them say they didnt go to the venues where patrons had COVID nor did they have any contact with the positive cases during the relevant times.

However, local district centers for disease control and prevention (CDC) designated the members as secondary contacts, turned their health codes red, and put them in home quarantine for seven days just because they were in the same WeChat group as the positive cases, said local officials.

People dressed in personal protective gear could be seen everywhere in Shanghai during the lockdown. With the stringent rules, the Party has revealed to the Chinese and foreign communities that property, security, and even life cannot be protected under its rule. (STR/AFP via Getty Images

Coronavirus can Spread via Internet: Resident

One resident under home quarantine was so upset that he wrote an article titled New findings by the CDC: Coronavirus can spread via Internet, together with an audio clip, on his Chinese social media account, describing the reason why he was isolated. His post soon went viral in China.

According to the online recording, the netizen called the Qingpu district CDC and asked why his health code turned red and why he was categorized as a secondary contact since he had not gone to the karaoke venue in Putuo District.

We have verified that indeed you didnt go to that KTV. If you did go, we would have categorized you as a close contact; since you didnt go, we have treated you as a secondary contact, the staffer replied in the recording.

According to the citys isolation rules that were updated on June 13, close contacts of positive COVID-19 cases are under central isolation and home quarantine for seven days, respectively, and they must take PCR tests on a daily basis during the 14 days of isolation. Their health code stays red for the whole period.

Secondary contacts are under home quarantine for seven days, and their health code remains red, after which they are subject to seven days of self-health management, and then have limited freedom to move around. They must take PCR tests as required.

In the recording posted online, the netizen asked the staffer of the Qingpu CDC: How come I am a secondary contact as I have not been there?

The staffer said: Because youre in the same WeChat group [as the positive cases].

A staffer of the Qingpu CDC confirmed the authenticity of the recording to China Newsweek, a state-run Chinese magazine, in an interview on July 11.

He said that the municipal CDC had given orders to categorize all the people in the WeChat group as secondary contacts. The local CDC could only follow orders, the staffer told China Newsweek.

The Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times reached out to the Qingpu CDC on July 12 and the staffer answering the call confirmed that all the members of the WeChat group were regarded as secondary contacts.

This is an order coming from above, not something we say casually, the staffer told The Epoch Times. We follow the policies set by the above.

The above refers to higher-level authorities in Chinese.

Home Sealed at 6 a.m.: Resident

Liu Ye (pseudonym) is also a member of the quarantined WeChat group. She also lives in Qingpu District.

In an interview with the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times on July 12, she said that she joined the group many years ago at the invitation of a friend. She hadnt gone to the KTV for the past six months as it was too far from her home.

A man wearing a protective mask is seen through a window at his home in a residential area in Shanghai, China, on April 13, 2022. (Getty Images/Getty Images)

Putuo is an urban district of Shanghai, while Qingpu is on the outskirts of the city, and is about 25 miles away from Putuo.

At about 6 a.m. on July 5, when I was still sleeping at home, the local village committee came and installed a magnetic smart lock on my door, and informed me I had to stay at home for seven days, she said.

Magnetic smart locks were used as early as 2020 in Shanghai to monitor people isolating at home. They send messages to the control center, including the time the door opens, and the phone number and name of the resident of the household, according to a report dated Feb. 23, 2020, on Yangtse, a Shanghai online news website.

The village committee did not inform her of its intention to install the lock beforehand. After it was installed, they told her that it was a decision by the Shanghai municipal CDC, according to Liu.

She said that her health code was red during the seven days she was made to home quarantine and had turned green yesterday after she took three consecutive PCR tests during the isolation period, all of which were negative.

It is so absurd that you are categorized as a secondary contact when you contact others who are behind a mobile [phone] screen, Liu was outraged. She said it was useless for her to lodge a complaint.

China current affairs commentator Tang Jingyuan told The Epoch Times on July 12 that locking up residents just for being in a WeChat group revealed that the actual pandemic situation in Shanghai could be much more serious than what has been disclosed to the public.

Such draconian measures also reveal how willful and arbitrary the communist regime can be, said Tang, it doesnt care how much peoples lives are affected by these measures.

Gao Miao and Gu Xiaohua contributed to the article.
Labourers work at a construction site in the central business district of Sydney in Australia, on June 18, 2020. (Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images)

Skilled Migrants Unemployed While Australia Struggles With Labour Shortages

Recent research has found that many skilled migrants cannot find a job matching their skills as employers do not recognise their qualifications.

The finding comes as businesses in many sectors across Australia are wrestling with labour shortages, and the unemployment rate is at record lows.

Under the current federal migration policies, migrants are selected based on their credentials and skills, which are pegged to education levels and occupations.

However, a joint study by Flinders University and Charles Darwin University indicated that many Australian employers do not accept their qualifications.

We argue Australia should consider developing a more coherent skilled migration process to better harness the human capital of skilled migrants, research co-author Andreas Cebulla from Flinders Universitys Australian Industrial Transformation Institute said.

The study interviewed skilled migrants in South Australia from India, the UK, China, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Iran and the Philippines and found that migrants were most confused about the discrepancy between what the Australian government accepts in its migration program and what employers recognise.

Its not enough to have a stamp of approval. They also need work experience, which, as newly arriving migrants, is impossible. So they have to do additional training, Cebulla said in comments obtained by AAP.

The other conflicting message is from the industry where we hear about skills shortages.

Many Migrants Go Underemployed

In addition, the research found that many migrants had to work in jobs lower than their skill levels. This situation especially occurred in the fields of information and communications technology, business, human resources and marketing professions, causing an oversupply of labour in those areas.

Cebulla said that although there was a solid assessment for working visas in place, Australian employers still regarded migrants accredited qualifications as insufficient.

When it comes to actually employing those migrants theyre calling for, theyre not fitting the job description, she said.

You end up with lots of highly qualified Uber drivers.

A Chemist Warehouse employee holds a sale signage in Melbourne, Australia, on Dec. 26, 2021. (Diego Fedele/Getty Images)

The researcher also said that it was difficult to understand why people with TAFE qualifications in aged and disability care could not get a job despite high demand.

However, in some sectors, doing additional courses helped increase migrants chances of getting employment. For instance, a migrant with a computer science degree might be able to find a job in Australia after completing another TAFE course.

Meanwhile, many migrants did not know that their original qualifications in fields such as IT, business, education, engineering, science, law and health were unrecognised in Australia.

People are not given this information before they arrive. They take any job, but its not a springboard, Cebulla said.

They are excluded from social welfare, but youre basically telling them to go back to school,

Half of Migrants Work Outside Their Expertise

Notably, nearly half of the surveyed migrants worked in occupations different from those nominated in their visa applications to make ends meet.

I am finding difficulty in securing employment as a secondary school teacher, a South African woman told researchers.

I do relief teaching but cannot get consistent work. I, therefore, have to resort to being a personal carer to support my family.

An employee adjusts her face mask as she stands at an information desk at Chadstone The Fashion Capital in Melbourne, Australia, on Dec. 26, 2021. (Diego Fedele/Getty Images)

Furthermore, those with diplomas or post-graduate diplomas are more likely to find employment in their nominated occupation, especially in health. However, many migrants were found to be underemployed.

Regarding migrant demographics, the study found that men were more likely to get a job than women.

Age is another factor affecting migrants chances of employment, with those in their 20s most impacted because of a lack of work experience.

Additionally, those aged 40 or above were likely to be underutilised or unemployed.

Ironically, having the right level of experiencewhich goes hand-in-hand with ageto be eligible for skilled migration to Australia can undermine ones effort in getting their skills recognised, Cebulla said.

The young are too young, and the old are too old.
A Starbucks sign is shown on one of the company's stores in Los Angeles on October 19, 2018. (Mike Blake/Reuters)

Starbucks to Close 6 Stores in Los Angeles Area Amid Safety Concerns

Starbucks announced this week that the company will permanently close 16 stores across the country, including six locations in the Los Angeles area, due to a high number of dangerous incidents such as theft and assault.

The decision was made after the employees from these locations were challenged in their ability to provide [a] safe and welcoming environment, according to a spokesperson for Starbucks.

Starbucks are a window into neighborhoods across America, including in L.A., and feel [such] challenges [in] a unique way, the Starbucks spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement.

On July 11, Starbucks senior vice presidents of U.S. operations Debbie Stroud and Denise Nelson published a message to the companys partners addressing safety concerns for its employees and announcing plans to improve support, including providing safety training, permanently closing stores, or closing restrooms.

Stroud and Nelson said they have read every incident report and will ensure employees feel empowered.

Youre also seeing firsthand the challenges facing our communitiespersonal safety, racism, lack of access to healthcare, a growing mental health crisis, rising drug use, and more, read the letter.

The discussion about store closures has been going on for several months and is unrelated to the recent 7-Eleven robberies that occurred in Southern California, according to the Starbucks spokesperson.

In addition to Los Angeles, Starbucks is also closing six stores in Seattle, two in Portland, and one each in Washington D.C. and Philadelphia. All closures will take effect on July 31, and employees will be given the opportunity to transfer to other stores.

The list of closures in the Los Angeles area include:

1st & Los Angeles, Los Angeles

2nd & San Pedro, Los Angeles

Hollywood & Vine, Hollywood

Hollywood & Western, Los Angeles

Ocean Front Walk & Moss, Santa Monica

Santa Monica & Westmount, West Hollywood

One of these stores is located in downtown Los Angeles, only five minutes walking distance from the headquarters of the Los Angeles Police Department.

I recognize that the downtown area, the civic center, has had its challenges, particularly during this pandemic, with areas of persons experiencing homelessness and encampments, LAPD Chief Michel Moore said during a July 12 press conference. Im disappointed to see Starbucks or for that matter any commercial engagement give up or walk away from the city. And Im hopeful that theyll change that.

This is the first time Starbucks has closed stores due to safety concerns. The company spokesperson told The Epoch Times that Starbucks does not have additional closures to announce at this time.
Tamara Lich, one of the organizers of the Freedom Convoy protest, delivers a statement during a news conference in Ottawa on Feb. 3, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld)

Tamara Lich to Remain in Jail While Awaiting Bail Review Set for Late July

A bail review will be held on July 25 for Freedom Convoy organizer Tamara Lich who is awaiting trial in an Ontario court on allegations of breaching her bail terms, her lawyer said.

The bail review for Lichs case was scheduled at the Ontario Superior Court at the earliest available date, according to defence lawyer Eric Granger, who appeared briefly via teleconference before the Ontario Court of Justice on July 14.

Lich was originally scheduled to appear for trial at the Ontario court today over allegations of having breached her bail terms set previously, after being denied bail in her last court appearance on July 8.

Her case in the Ontario Court of Justice is adjourned until after the bail review on July 28.

Lich has remained in custody since she was rearrested on June 27.

Arrest, Bail

A key Freedom Convoy organizer, Lich was first arrested on Feb. 17 and charged with mischief, counselling to commit mischief, and obstructing police, among other charges.

The Freedom Convoy protest started as a demonstration against the federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate imposed on cross-border truck drivers, which came into effect in January. The protest soon expanded into a larger movement with many Canadians joining in to protest various COVID-19 mandates and restrictions.

The protests in Ottawa lasted for around three weeks, ending after the federal government invoked the Emergencies Act on Feb. 14 and police cleared the demonstration in an escalated operation over a few days.

After initially being denied bail on Feb. 22, and having spent 19 days in custody, Lich was released on bail on March 7 under a number of conditions, including having no contact with fellow convoy organizers and not setting foot in Ontario.

In April, the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms selected Lich as the winner of the 2022 George Jonas Freedom Award and invited her to accept the award in a ceremony in Toronto on June 16.

Crown prosecutors said in May that by agreeing to attend the award ceremony, Lich had violated her bail terms and should be sent back to jail to await trial.

On May 25, Ontario Superior Court Justice Kevin Phillips ruled that Lich didnt breach her bail conditions, saying that the courts are not a thought police.

Rearrest, Denied Bail

On June 27, just days after attending the award ceremony in Toronto, Lich was rearrested in her hometown of Medicine Hat, Alberta, under a Canada-wide warrant, and was transferred back to Ottawa to attend a bail hearing.

During a court hearing on July 5, Crown prosecutors alleged that Lich had violated her bail conditions when she interacted with fellow convoy organizer Tom Marazzo at the June 16 award ceremony.

The Crown presented a photograph of Lich and Marazzo at the event and a video recording as evidence. The video allegedly shows Lich giving a speech at the event, and then sitting at a table where Marazzo and others are seated. In the video, Lich was seen approaching Marazzo and the two interacted briefly.

At that hearing, defence lawyer Lawrence Greenspon said a brief congratulatory exchange after winning an award wouldnt lead to illegal activity and isnt a breach of bail conditions. The court also heard testimony that lawyers who were present at the event approved the picture taken of Lich and Marazzo. Greenspon said Lichs bail terms specified that there should be no communication with convoy organizers except in the presence of counsel.

After spending days reviewing the case, Justice of the Peace Paul Harris said on July 8 that he was siding with the Crown, saying that Lich chose to sit at a table with Marrazo and that it is absolutely ridiculous for her to believe she could justify interacting with Marazzo by having her lawyers in the room.

Harris said Lich still poses a risk to public safety, as some Freedom Convoy protests continue to be held in Ottawa from time to time.
Illegal immigrants are apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol and National Guard troops in Eagle Pass, Texas, near the border with Mexico on June 30, 2022. (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)

Texas County Ratifies Invasion Declaration

Days after declaring the illegal immigration crisis at the southern border an invasion, Goliad County, Texas, ratified its declaration this week.

The ratification by the countys commissioners is part of an effort to get Republican Gov. Greg Abbott to make a state invasion declaration. Rep. Michael Cloud (R-Texas) has backed the countys move. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Cloud criticized the Biden administration for being derelict in their duty to safeguard the country.

The Biden administration continues to shrug off Americans calls for increased border security while criminal cartels exploit and attack our nation.  Texas has a right to defend itself, and Goliad has my full support in declaring an invasion, he said.

Declaring an invasion will allow the state government to use greater powers to remove illegal immigrants from Texas. On July 7, Abbott issued an executive order directing law enforcement officers in the state to apprehend illegal immigrants and send them to a port of entry at the border.

According to Abbott, the Biden administration has abandoned the covenant in Article IV, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution, in which the United States is obligated to protect each state against invasion. However, the Abbott executive order made no explicit invasion declaration, something that several counties, including Goliad, have been asking for.

On July 5, Kinney, Goliad, Edwards, Jeff Davis, and Terrell counties declared an invasion. That was followed by a similar declaration by Presidio County on July 7.

Kinney County Attorney Brent Smith said he expects up to 25 counties in the state to declare an invasion by the end of the month.

Illegal Immigration Spiking

In late March, state Rep. Matt Krause, a Republican, asked Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton whether the state has the sovereign power to defend itself from invasion.

Paxton replied that the issue involves a potential claim being considered by states and state attorneys general across the country to stop illegal immigration.

While we consider that and similar new claims against the federal government, it would be improper, and could compromise Texass litigation strategy, to comment on and telegraph the states position and arguments on this issue through an advisory attorney general opinion, Paxton stated without elaborating on the litigation strategy.

The invasion declarations come as a record number of illegal immigrants have been apprehended in recent months. In May, agents from Brownsville, Texas, to San Diego apprehended a total of 232,628 illegal border crossers, the highest monthly total in 23 years.

Republicans have blamed the Biden administrations policies of rolling back Trump-era rules, as well as lax interior enforcement policies, for the crisis.
Wind turbines are viewed at a wind farm in Colorado City, Texas, on Jan. 21, 2016. Wind power accounted for 8.3% of the electricity generated in Texas during 2013. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Texas Grid Operator Takes Emergency Measures to Avoid Blackouts as Wind Turbines Fail to Produce

Texass main grid operator said it was forced to take emergency measures on Wednesday to avert rolling blackouts amid a heatwave and a lack of power produced by wind turbines because of low winds and poor solar power production.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) issued a conservation appeal for 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday. It comes as Dallas and other cities saw triple-digit temperatures. And in Houston, the largest city in Texas, temperatures hit 101 degrees Wednesday, and highs are expected to remain above 97 degrees into the weekend, says a bulletin from National Weather Service.

ERCOT is asking Texans and businesses to voluntarily conserve electricity during this time. Currently, no system-wide outages are expected, said the operator in a news release. [Wednesdays] conditions are expected to be similar to those experienced on Monday, July 11, 2022. On that day, Texans and businesses responded by voluntarily conserving electricity and helping ERCOT successfully meet record power demand by reducing their energy use by 500 [megawatts].

Low Wind

According to the news release, one of the reasons for the conservation appeal and possible grid disruption is due to low wind, and it noted: Wind generation is currently generating less than what is historically generated in this time period.

Poor solar power generation is also a factor, the release stated. Developing cloud cover in West Texas has reduced the amount of solar generation, the operator wrote.

Cows stand in a field on the ranch of cattle rancher Bob Helmers, who recently allowed utility company Engie to build several wind turbines on his land, near Eldorado, Texas, on April 16, 2021. (Sergio Flores/AFP via Getty Images)

Thats coupled with a heat wave that has impacted much of the central United States, including Texas, which has driven a higher amount of electric useostensibly due to air conditioning.

It noted that more than four-dozen conservation appeals have been made since 2008 to deal with grid operations. Meanwhile, other grid operators are using similar conservative operations programs because of the heatwave.

An ERCOT spokesperson told Reuters that the operator is also blaming forced outages at coal- and natural gas-fed power plants, along with the low wind power generation. A spokesperson declined to provide details on the number or type of generating plants that were offline and prompted conservation measures.

Doug Lewin, president of consultants Stoic Energy LLC, told the news agency that there was less coal and natural gas generation capacity available on Wednesday than on Monday when ERCOT last called for conservation measures.

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins wrote on Twitter to call on businesses and residents to conserve power.

Starting immediately, all thermostats in county buildings will be turned to 78 degrees and I encourage all businesses and residents to do the same, Jenkins said on the platform.

In February 2021, a grid failure led to the deaths of more than 200 people in freezing weather and prompted an overhaul of the grid regulator.

Reuters contributed to this report.
President Joe Biden exits the White House and walks to Marine One on the South Lawn, in Washington, on May 11, 2022. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Texas Sues Biden Administration Over Ordering Hospitals to Perform Abortions

Texas on July 14 sued the federal government over a recent document that says abortions must be performed even if the procedures are not allowed by state laws.

The guidance amounts to an abortion mandate and is illegal because it violates multiple laws, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, said.

The guidance (pdf) was promulgated on July 11 by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

It tells state survey agency directors that under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), a doctor at an emergency department who is presented with a pregnant woman who has an emergency medical condition must perform an abortion if the abortion is a necessary stabilizing treatment.

The abortion must be done even in states where the law prohibits abortion and does not include an exception for the life and health of the pregnant person, the guidance says. That state law is preempted.

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, on the same day, told health care providers across the nation that stabilizing treatment could include abortion, irrespective of any state laws or mandates that apply to specific procedures. He said in the letter (pdf) that per the emergency labor act, the physician must provide an abortion in certain cases.

Texas officials see the situation differently.

Abortions Not Required by Law

The Abortion Mandate requires that a provider perform an abortion if abortion is the stabilizing treatment necessary to resolve [an emergency medical condition]. This condition has never been a part of EMTALA, they said in a 20-page suit, filed in federal court in Lubbock.

EMTALA does not mandate, direct, approve, or even suggest the provision of any specific treatment and, says nothing about abortion, they added.

The guidance violates Texass sovereignty, according to the suit.

Plaintiffs say defendants lack the authority to amend EMTALA and that the order violates multiple federal laws. Officials also illegally issued the rule without alerting the public and soliciting comment, which violates the Administrative Procedure Act, according to the suit.

Texas officials are asking the court to hold the guidance unlawful and issue injunctions preventing the U.S. government from enforcing it.

HHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The guidance came shortly after President Joe Biden, a Democrat, signed an executive order directing Becerra, the HHS secretary, to within 30 days identify how to make sure that patients receive the full protections for emergency medical care afforded under the law, including by considering updates to current guidance on obligations specific to emergency conditions and stabilizing care under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act.

Bidens order, in turn, was signed weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, ruling the 1973 decision was not constitutionally sound. The ruling returned the ability to fully regulate abortions back to states.

The majority opinion said that the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion and does not prohibit the citizens of each State from regulating or prohibiting abortion.

This administration has a hard time following the law, and now they are trying to have their appointed bureaucrats mandate that hospitals and emergency medicine physicians perform abortions, Paxton said in a statement.

I will ensure that President Biden will be forced to comply with the Supreme Courts important decision concerning abortion and I will not allow him to undermine and distort existing laws to fit his administrations unlawful agenda, he added.
The Plenary room of the European Parliament is seen during the 70th anniversary of the Universal declaration of human right's conference, in Brussels, Belgium, on Nov. 20, 2018. (Alexandros Michailidis/Shutterstock)

The Rise and Fall of the Human Rights Industry

Commentary

In the 1940s, ordinary young people threw themselves en masse onto beaches raked with machine gun fire, flew into clouds of flak, and died, to stop fascism and totalitarianism. They were imperfect, they committed their own crimes, some were there for hate, some abused and murdered. But most were ordinary people, from ordinary jobs in ordinary towns and suburbs, who agreed to fight so that others would be free to choose their own path.

They wanted to ensure that those who hate wouldnt dominate.

Following World War II, nations, their people, and leaders proclaimed that persecuting and systematically eliminating various groupswhether based on ethnicity, religion, political beliefs, or genderwas wrong. All people, and all nations, were equals, with rights to own and govern their own resources. The end of colonization and subjugation. The Universal Declaration on Human Rights and subsequent agreements were intended to codify this sentiment. These ideas werent unique in history, but the scale was.

As with most human endeavors, actions were sometimes corrupted and words sometimes merely a veneer. The founders of the United Nations ensured the powerful would remain so, reserving permanent Security Council seats for those who considered themselves more developed and important. The Universal Declaration on Human Rights includes an escape clause (Article 29) to allow other rights to be put aside should the U.N. or governments so decree.

Imperial powersthe British, French, and Portugueseremained reluctant to relinquish control of other peoples resources, so yet more bloody wars ensued. The Soviet empire looked to expand, the United States supported coups, while persecutions, child labor, forced marriage, slavery, and apartheid continued. There was no utopia, but such actions were widely condemned. A light was shone on them. That protected many from the grasp of tyrants.

A human rights and humanitarian industry evolved to support this international conscience, based on U.N. agencies and non-government organizations tasked with defending people and communities, highlighting abuses, and providing support when things turned bad. The diversity of human malfeasance and neglect was countered by the diversity of the organizations standing against it. It was socially acceptable to stand against money and power, on the side of the oppressed. People could make a career doing so, and many did.

Some Institutional Rot

As large institutions mature, successful career paths within them inevitably require that the institution be put ahead of its Cause. A mindset develops within which success of the Cause requires the institution to appear above reproachthe institution comes to represent the Cause, not serve it. Thus the Roman Catholic Church would move pedophile priests rather than expose and condemn them. The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights would cover up the pedophilia of U.N. peacekeepers while exposing that of the Catholic Church. As if the Cause is a sect dependent on the perceived purity of its guru and leader.

Protecting the organization in the name of protecting its cause is a trap we readily fall into. The urgency of saving others is subverted by the urgency of saving salaries (homes, holidays, pensions, and childrens education). Two generations after the beaches of Normandy and the rotting corpses in the Dachau train, the sense of urgency on human rights has dimmed. Not perhaps, in the villages of Yemen or in the mines in central Africa, but in the halls of Geneva and New York.

We developed an industry that required sustenance, and we sustained it as a vehicle to carry our conscience and compassion. Starving it would feel like kicking the oppressed or starving the hungry, so it steadily grew.

Helping the Helpers

The industry of international human rights pays well. Serving the poor and oppressed requires glossy brochures, meetings, travel, offices, and a growing workforce. This requires money. The traditional oppressors, the very wealthy who ran the mines and factories, or made the batteries, phones, and software, needed more positive reputations to grow their businesses.

A partnership of mutual benefit has developed over the past two decades, blurring the dichotomy between wealthy oppressors and those whose oppression often enriched them. With publicprivate partnerships, human rights and humanitarianism became a fashion statement, allowing corporations and their celebrities to demonstrate that inequality can be veiled with empathy.

Celebrities and the super-wealthy standing together on the Davos stage or in photo-ops with struggling villagers have become a touchstone for saving the poor. Removed from the hype, theyre totally incongruous. Glitter and puddles with brown children providing social sanitation for the World Economic Forum and its adherents, somehow melding equity with institutional greed. Battling for peoples self-determination has become less marketable than siding with the corporate powers that have plans to fix them. Davos is a better stage than Dhaka.

Children selling wares on the edge of an African marketplace dont support growing institutional needs. The human rights industry has simply gone where the money is, abandoning their standards of conduct. Priority must be given to those who pay the bills.

Selling the Children of the Pandemic

Then came 2020 and two weeks to flatten the curve. The removal of the rights of billions through lockdowns, the removal of education, the enforcement of poverty and servanthood, and the elderly condemned to die alone and lonely. In parallel, the unprecedented increase in wealth of those gurus of Davos, extolling the cleansed cities as they pillaged the savings of those who had inhabited them.

The human rights industry has been a good servant to their newly adopted masters through the carnage of the COVID-19 response. They have backed their institutions, foundations, and funders to the hilt. Undeterred by the reality around them, they loyally parrot the rhetoric of equity and inclusion while cranking the wheels that concentrate wealth.

The photogenic children in the brown puddles of 2019 promotional brochures may have lost their health care access, right to education, family income, or their lives, but that was deemed excusable in a global pandemic concentrated on the residents of Western elderly care homes. And a global pandemic, it turns out, promotes those who bow and maligns those who stand. The smart money in human rights involves bowing very low.

The Responsibility We Cant Delegate to Others

So has the human rights and humanitarian industry always consisted of empty rhetoric? Was it always just a way to earn a living, reflecting the values of its funders? When funded by the taxes of ordinary people, displays of courage, care, and attentiveness were assets. When serving the East India Companies of 2022, the paternalistic rhetoric of colonialism serves better.

But the people staffing these institutions also have changedthe principled may have fled and retired, while the weak and compliant have thrived. Perhaps the generation of college graduates that now staff these institutions have grown up in a culture of safety and affluence too divorced from the reality of human suffering, and see their work as part of a global game.

Whatever the reasons, these people can now see the harms that result from the neglect of principles they once espoused. There is a right and a wrong, and the human rights charters developed after World War II, however flawed, were a recognition of these. It isnt that truth has changed. Rather, those who were entrusted by society to protect its values have abandoned them.

Perhaps the fundamentals of right and wrong should never have been codified, or delegated to specific institutions and the individuals they employ. Truth cant be encompassed by words alone, nor can it be auctioned to the highest bidder. It should remain a burden on all of society, a price we all must pay, if were to keep human malevolence at bay. If we pay others to run up the beaches for us, they will eventually become mercenaries to the highest bidder.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Fresh Prints is reimagining classic collegiate style, and that's just the beginning

Fresh Prints is a thriving business that began with a very bad decision. We bought the company pretty blind, says Jacob Goodman. This was 10 years ago, when Goodman and his fraternity brother Josh Arbit were students at Washington University in St. Louis. At the time, Fresh Prints was a failing clothing company that sold fraternity, sorority, and college-branded merch, started by a few other students. The two friends bought it for $16,000, paying with Arbits bar mitzvah money. They figured it would be an education. They were right.

We didnt know what due diligence was. And we were like, Oh, are we going to have to shut this thing down right away?' Goodman says. Thats because, within a month, they were scammed by a customer for $8,000 and owed $25,000 for licensing royalties that hadnt been reported by the founders. But once they solved that, they started innovatingand today, Fresh Prints has 290 full-time employees and annual revenue of $40 million. Heres how they did it.

Fix the Foundation

The guys had already spent the bar mitzvah money, and they were now facing back payments and losses. So we had another bar mitzvah! Arbit jokes. Seriously, what they did was tell their vendors (printers, wholesalers, FedEx) that they had a temporary cash-flow problem, and they asked for a 30- or 60-day extension to pay. Most said yes; it was a lesson in having honest conversations. Then they secured licenses from the universities, fraternities, and sororities whose marks they wanted to print on their apparelcreating a real foundation to build from.

Build a Sales Force

Their target customers were students, so they figured their sales force should be, too. At first, they just roped in their friends at other colleges and trained them on a video meet with a Google doc of instructions. But we needed to figure out how to scale this, says Jolijt Tamanaha, who came on as the third co-owner in 2015. They created recruiting channels, like cold outreach on LinkedIn and referral campaigns, and developed a three-week training program with a dedicated internal team (now 13 people) to provide ongoing support.

Separate From the Competition

Custom apparel is an old and crowded industry, but Fresh Prints spotted an upside: Basically, everyone in our space is buying from the same five wholesale distributors that carry styles released like 10 years ago, says Tamanaha, and it gives these garments a budget throwaway vibe. So in 2019, they zeroed in on trendy graphics. Then in 2021, they launched their own high-quality clothing line with a sweat set (matching sweatshirt and sweatpants), which was all the rage on campus and drove more than $1 million in sales the first year.

Redefine the Company

Weve really leaned into making the transition from a custom apparel company to a fashion company, says Goodman. Meanwhile, theyre venturing off campus into corporate America with clients like Google, Amazon, and Uber for a whole new revenue stream: swag managementmugs, water bottles, sweatshirts, journals, and other merch customized with company logos for, say, an annual retreat or holiday gifts.

Never Forget the Basics

As Fresh Prints grows, it still stays close to students; in fact, it now has 625 campus managers driving sales. The biggest thing we teach them is how many times theyre going to have to get rejected and fall on their face in order to make it, says Goodman. Theres no class in college called Perseverance 101.

The Epoch Times Copyright  2022 The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors. They are meant for general informational purposes only and should not be construed or interpreted as a recommendation or solicitation. The Epoch Times does not provide investment, tax, legal, financial planning, estate planning, or any other personal finance advice. The Epoch Times holds no liability for the accuracy or timeliness of the information provided.
Its been two months since hate stole the lives of 10 Black people at Tops Markets on Jefferson Avenue. During that time, victims families have displayed remarkable strength and determination to make change.

Garnell Whitfield Jr. stood alongside the president of the United States the other day during a White House ceremony on the South Lawn. Whitfield, whose mother was among those gunned down in the supermarket, was at the White House on a day marking the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. The measure sprang not only from the Tops shooting but also followed the horrendous killing of 19 fourth-graders and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas, mere weeks after the Buffalo shooting.

The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, as Whitfield and Biden pointed out, is a significant accomplishment, but the measure falls far short of being able to halt an ongoing epidemic of gun violence, which has made being shot the leading cause of death among young people. As Whitfield, a former Buffalo fire commissioner, said, there is much more to do, starting with stronger action against semiautomatic rifles such as the ones used in Buffalo, Uvalde, and more recently, Highland Park, Ill., during an Independence Day massacre.

As the struggle continues to stop America from being its own danger zone, communities have come together to improve what they can.

Following the Tops shooting, donations poured in for a Cold Springs neighborhood that lost its sole grocery store, and support has been buttressed for individuals and organizations already working to feed people.

The African Heritage Food Co-Op; Buffalo Go Green/Urban Fruits and Veggies; the Resource Council of WNY; and FeedMore WNY partnered to distribute fresh produce five days a week and other food items two days a week at varying times and locations.

The Community Action Organization of WNY will move its food pantry into the Resource Councils West Ferry Street building later this month, becoming the 10th pantry serving the east part of the city. Visit: feedmorewny.org/programs-services/find-food/.

The Buffalo Together Community Response Fund, a collaboration of 14 funders, coordinated by the Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo and the United Way of Buffalo and Erie County, recently distributed grants to 85 Black-led organizations. The fund has received $5.2 million of donations and commitments from about 80 local and national foundations and corporations. The grants awarded to date represent only about 12% of that total.

Then there is the Buffalo 5/14 Survivors Fund, which has raised about $3.1 million. Its purpose is to provide financial support to victims of the shooting.

Perhaps the strongest show of forward momentum, despite disagreement over whether it should have occurred at that site, is the reopening Friday of the Tops store.

The reopening represents a communitys refusal to cave in to the racist terror that visited the store on May 14. This resilience from so many individuals and organizations proves what Jeanne LaGall, a volunteer with the African Heritage Food Co-op, said to be true: Hate did not win.
A vial of the Phase 3 Novavax coronavirus vaccine is seen ready for use in the trial at St. George's University hospital in London, Oct. 7, 2020. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)

Top Regulator: Severe Allergic Reaction a Side Effect of New COVID-19 Vaccine

A top government regulator has said that Novavaxs spike protein-based COVID-19 vaccine listed severe allergies as a side effect, as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday issued an emergency use authorization for the shot.

The European Medicines Agency on Thursday said that (pdf) severe allergic reactions could be potential side effects of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine. In the United States, the vaccines product label warns against administering the shot to people with a history of allergic reactions to any of its components.

The product information of Nuvaxovid will be updated with severe allergic reaction and unusual or decreased feeling in the skin as new side effects, the EMA wrote, adding that anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction) will be included in the EU product information as a side effect of Nuvaxovid  together with an update of the existing advice for managing risk of anaphylaxis.

It said that a few cases of anaphylaxis have been reported so far in connection to the vaccine. The EMA did not disclose the figure.

Generally, cases reported spontaneously by a patient or healthcare professional concern suspected side effects, i.e. medical events that have been observed after vaccination, said the agency, but which are not necessarily related to or caused by the vaccine.

A Novavax spokesperson told The Epoch Times Thursday that this update is a warning commonly included for commercially available vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines and that Novavaxs clinical development program reported no severe allergic reactions and therefore, this risk was not listed in the initial product label.

With broader deployment of doses, we have received reports of two cases of anaphylaxis (allergic reaction) that met a probable/definite case definition. Because anaphylaxis can occur with all vaccines and based on these cases, Novavax and the EMA agreed to update the label accordingly. We will continue to monitor all adverse events, including allergic reactions, the statement added.

Shares of Novavax fell 22 percent to $54.31 as of 12 p.m. on Thursday, although analysts have said that Novavax shares are generally volatile.

FDA Approval

In petitioning the FDA for an emergency use authorization, Novavax said it would market its vaccine to individuals who did not want to get the Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson shots. Pfizer and Moderna use mRNA technology for their shots, whereas Johnson & Johnson uses an adenovirus.

Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf speaks to members of Congress in Washington on June 16, 2022. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

The FDA said that Novavax presented information from clinical trials that were carried out in early 2021, before the Delta and Omicron COVID-19 waves. Studies from around the world have suggested that Omicron and later sub-variants can easily evade vaccines as top officials, including COVID-19 adviser Anthony Fauci, have contracted the virus despite having received two booster shots.

Authorizing an additional COVID-19 vaccine expands the available vaccine options for the prevention of COVID-19, including the most severe outcomes that can occur such as hospitalization and death, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said in a statement on Wednesday in authorizing the vaccine.

The agency said the vaccine, under the emergency use authorization, can be given to adults aged 18 years and older. The vaccine, which is given in two doses several weeks apart, can become available once the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signs off on the FDAs authorization.

Califf added that Wednesdays move gives people another option that meets the FDAs rigorous standards for safety, effectiveness and manufacturing quality needed to support emergency-use authorization.

COVID-19 is the illness caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.
Transient Sentenced to Over 11 Years for Robbing Mail Carriers

LOS ANGELESA transient who lived in various locations in the San Fernando Valley has been sentenced to 135 months in federal prison for a two-week crime spree in which he robbed five U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employeesand fired a handgun so close to one victim that it caused him to suffer a ruptured eardrum, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Thursday.

Elvyn Antonio Rodriguez, 22, a Nicaraguan national illegally residing in the United States, was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Dolly M. Gee, who also ordered him to pay $2,825 in restitution to the USPS and two mail carriers.

Rodriguez pleaded guilty in March in downtown Los Angeles to three counts of robbery of mail and property of the United States and one count of aggravated identity theft.

In April and May of last year, Rodriguez robbed five USPS employees in Encino, North Hills, Van Nuys, and West Los Angeles, pointing a firearm at them and stealing their personal belongings, including their cell phones, credit cards, and the keys to their USPS trucks. Rodriguez then used the victims credit cards at retailers, where he purchased various items including clothing, BB guns, a watch, a glass pipe, and gasoline.

Rodriguez, who has been in federal custody since May 2021, caused USPS a loss of at least $1,805, one victim a loss of $60, and another victim a loss of $960, according to the DOJ.

Rodriguezs victims remain traumatized and forever impacted by the crimes, prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum.
Ivana Trump at the Cinema Against AIDS 2009 benefit at the Hotel du Cap during the 62nd Annual Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2009 in Antibes, France. (Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for amfAR)

Trump Family Responds After Ivana Trumps Death Is Confirmed

Friends and family members issued responses on Thursday following the death of Ivana Trump, former President Donald Trumps first wife.

I am very saddened to inform all of those that loved her, of which there are many, that Ivana Trump has passed away at her home in New York City, the former president wrote on Truth Social Thursday. She was a wonderful, beautiful, and amazing woman, who led a great and inspirational life.

Trump continued to say: Her pride and joy were her three children, Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric. She was so proud of them, as we were all so proud of her. Rest In Peace, Ivana!

The Czech-born businesswoman and former model had several roles in the Trump Organization and other business ventures, including serving as the former vice president of interior design. Her work is included in the Trump Plaza Hotel, the Grand Hyatt Hotel, and the Trump Tower.

Our mother was an incredible womana force in business, a world-class athlete, a radiant beauty, and caring mother and friend, her three children said in a statement.

Ivana Trump was a survivor. She fled from communism and embraced this country. She taught her children about grit and toughness, compassion and determination, the family also said. She will be dearly missed by her mother, her three children, and ten grandchildren.

Ivana Trump, born Ivana Marie Zelnickova, worked as a model in the 1970s before she married Donald Trump in 1977 before she gave birth to three children: Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Eric Trump. The pairs marriage was the focus of intense media coverage before their divorce in 1992.

No matter how busy I was, I had breakfast with my children every day. I sat with them at dinner every night and helped them with their homework (I loved algebra) before going out in a Versace gown to a rubber-chicken charity event, Ivana Trump wrote in her book, Raising Trump. The kids and I celebrated, traveled, and grieved together. Our bond was, and is, our most valuable possession.

In 2016 after her former husband launched his presidential bid, Ivana Trump said, He is my best supporter.

I think he would be a great president, she told news outlets at the time.

Officials told New York City-area channel ABC7 that authorities responded to a cardiac arrest call at a residence on the Upper East Side in Manhattan. Her death is not considered suspicious.
Former President Donald Trump speaks to supporters during a rally at the I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Neb., on May 1, 2022. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Trump Says Hes Made Up His Mind About 2024, But Unsure About Timing of Announcement

Former President Donald Trump said he has made his decision about whether to run in 2024.

In an interview with the New York Magazine published on July 14, the 45th president disclosed that he has already made up his mind on that issue, but the big decision is the timing of the announcement.

Well, in my own mind, Ive already made that decision, so nothing factors in anymore. In my own mind, Ive already made that decision, he told the outlet.

I would say my big decision will be whether I go before or after, Trump said, indicating that he is undecided on whether to announce before or after the 2022 midterm elections.

He said there were certain assets in announcing the decision before the midterms.

Let people know. I think a lot of people would not even run [for 2024] if I did that because, if you look at the polls, they dont even register. Most of these people. And I think that you would actually have a backlash against them if they ran. People want me to run, Trump said.

I feel very confident that, if I decide to run, Ill win, he added.

Trumps comments come as the latest in a series of hints to the public about a 2024 run, despite not having officially announced his decision.

I ran twice, I won twice  And now with the approval of the great people of Alaska, we may have to do it again, Trump said in a July 9 rally in Alaska, noting that he received many millions more votes in 2020 than he did in 2016 when he defeated Hillary Clinton. The former president has maintained that substantial electoral fraud and irregularities had invalidated the result of the 2020 presidential election.

Despite concerns among GOP observers about what would happen if Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also entered the race for 2024, a July poll conducted by The New York Times and Siena College shows Trump to be nearly doubling DeSantis in terms of support among Republican respondents.

Results from a Morning Consult/Politico survey conducted in late June also reflected the same sentiment among GOP voters, where 53 percent of the respondents said they would vote for Trump if the 2024 Republican primaries were to be held today and 22 percent said of DeSantis.

Trump has previously dismissed concerns about the possible threat posed by a DeSantis run.

I dont know if Ron is running, and I dont ask him. Its his prerogative  I think I would win. Trump told The New Yorker in June.

The former president has more than 200 endorsements in the 2022 midterms, and has shown a generally strong track record with a more than 90 percent success rate so far.

Meanwhile, Republican figures have noted that Trumps influence in the GOP is far from waning.

I dont delude myself into thinking I have a big swath of the Republican Party, Trump critic Mitt Romney (R-Utah) told Politico in May about his thoughts on the former president, adding, Its hard to imagine anything that would derail his support.

So if he wants to become the nominee in [2024], I think hes very likely to achieve that, Romney said.

Back on the Right Track

Trumps comments about his decision on the presidential track were made public on the same day that the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) announced the former presidents participation in a high-profile event that will feature many elements of his 2016 platform.

The 45th president will deliver the keynote address on the second day of the American First Agenda Summit, a two-day event hosted by AFPI that is scheduled to start on July 25, according to a schedule published on the AFPIs website.

Trumps attendance at the event will be the first time the 45th president makes a public appearance in Washington since he left office in January 2021.

The America First Policy Institute is excited to welcome President Donald Trump back to Washington, D.C. Our team will introduce a policy agenda that will get our country back on the right track. These policies worked before, and they will work again. Americas future is America First! Brooke Rollins, president and CEO of AFPI and former director of the White House Domestic Policy Council under Trump, said in a press release on July 14.

The event will feature themes aligned with Trumps America-First agenda, including election integrity, border security, lowering gas prices, delivering peace through strength, fighting government corruption, and parental control in education.

The event will be closed to the general public but will be live-streamed and open to the press.

It will feature high-profile conservative figures and current and former Republican office holders, including eight former Cabinet-level officials, nine Trump White House officials, 10 senators, 13 House representatives, and three former governors.

These include former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Rep. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), and former acting United States Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf.

It wasnt that long ago that America was flourishing. Paychecks were growing. Poverty was shrinking. The price of gas was down. The stock market was up. And there were no new wars, said Rollins.

What a difference 16 months makes.
Printed Twitter logos in this picture illustration taken on April 28, 2022. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters)

Twitter Back Up After Global Outage

Twitter said its service was back online following a major outage on Thursday that kept thousands of users across the globe from accessing the social media platform.

The near three-hour outage affected as many as 50,000 users at its peak at around 8:15 am ET, according to outage tracking website Downdetector.com.

The incident comes days after Twitter sued Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk for violating his deal to buy the company and asked a Delaware court to order the worlds richest person to complete the takeover.

We had some trouble with our internal systems that impacted many of you globally. Twitter should be up and running as expected, the social media company said in a tweet.

Twitter is hosted on Amazon Web Services and also uses Google Cloud as its secondary vendor, Wells Fargo Securities analyst Brian Fitzgerald said.

The analyst ruled out a problem at cloud vendors as a reason for the disruption.

Twitter had suffered another widespread outage in February that it blamed on a software glitch.

Other big technology companies have also been hit by outages in the past year, with a near six-hour disruption at Meta Platforms keeping WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger out of reach for billions of users in October.

Notorious for outages in its early years, Twitter was known for using its popular Fail Whale illustration, which showed a beluga whale being lifted by birds, during such incidents.

Twitter shares were down about 1 percent at $36.42 on Thursday.

By Yuvraj Malik
Elon Musk's Twitter page displayed on the screen of a smartphone with Twitter logo in the background in Los Angeles on July 8, 2022. (Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images)

Twitter Exodus Continues Amid Buyout Battle with Elon Musk

Twitter said its experiencing somewhat elevated levels of staff attrition amid the social media giants buyout battle with Elon Musk, who refused to agree to a golden handcuffs plan endorsed by Twitter management to retain talent.

Tweeps, as the company dubs its employees, have been quitting their jobs at a similar rate to industry peers but slightly higher than economic conditions warrant and that Twitter seems comfortable with.

Our attrition is slightly higher than best practice for normal macroeconomic times, but remains inline with current industry trends. We will continue to monitor it to ensure that we can quickly identify any areas of concern and help mitigate where possible, Twitter said in a July 13 regulatory filing (pdf) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Twitter management said in the filing that they had put together several employee retention schemes to keep key staff on board but that Musk had refused to give these plans the nod.

Is the Deal Now Officially Off?

The filing featured an internal FAQ document for Twitter staff, with management explaining some of the circumstances around the companys decision to sue Musk for trying to back out of an agreement he had signed, pledging to buy Twitter for $54.20 a share, or a 38 percent or so premium over current market price.

What does Mr. Musks notice mean? Is the deal now officially off? a presumed Twitter staffer asked, according to the memo.

No. Mr Musks purported termination is invalid and wrongful, Twitter management replied, adding that it is pursuing legal action to enforce the merger agreement with Musk.

Elon Musk attends The 2022 Met Gala Celebrating In America: An Anthology of Fashion at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York on May 2, 2022. (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)

A Twitter staffer then posed a question about the companys plans to retain talent and why Twitter hadnt implemented retention packages or similar for Tweeps.

Saying that Tweeps are the heart of Twitter and will always be essential to our success, management said that it had put together two employee retention program proposals and sent them to Musk in late June.

Mr. Musk has not provided his consent to implement these programs, Twitter said.

Twitters lawsuit elaborates on this further, with the July 12 complaint (pdf) indicating that Musk had expressed his concern to Twitter management about the companys expenses and asked why it wasnt cutting costs more aggressively.

And, as noted, Musk has refused to approveor even discussTwitters proposed retention programs for key employees, Twitter said in the filing.

The details of Twitters proposed golden handcuffs staff retention plans are unclear.

Not a Great Situation

Musk in April disclosed a stake in Twitter of 73.1 million shares, or 9.1 percent of the company, at one point making him the biggest shareholder in the company.

Shortly after Musk signed the buyout agreement, Twitter disclosed communications from Musk indicating his desire for cost-cutting at the company and concerns about growing headcount and expenses.

Musk has reinforced this stance in subsequent communications, most recently at an all-hands virtual meeting with Twitter staff in mid June.

Right now costs exceed revenue. Thats not a great situation, Musk said at the meeting, hinting that lay-offs, cost-cutting, or a restructuring might be in store.

Twitter made clear in the July 13 memo that it isnt planning any company-wide layoffs but it left open the possibility of some targeted cuts.

Were not looking at company-wide layoffs. However, teams from across the company are reprioritizing and making changes to ensure we are operating responsibly and efficiently in the current operating environment, Twitter management said.

We may continue to see restructuring and org changes as we continue to align with our revised business needs (as we always have in the past).

Unlock Twitters Potential?

During the all-hands meeting, Musk also insisted Twitter staff should work in-office for at least 40 hours a week or find work elsewhere, in contrast to Twitters pandemic pledge that employees could work from home full-time forever.

Musk did say hed consider making an exception and potentially let staff whose work output is exceptional work remotely.

When Musk first announced the acquisition deal, he pledged to unlock Twitters potential by loosening restrictions on free speech on the platform and rooting out fake accounts.

One of his more attention-grabbing promises was to end former President Donald Trumps ban from the platform and let him back on Twitter.

Trump said that even if his Twitter ban was overturned, he probably wouldnt go back on the platform, preferring instead to stay on his own Truth Social.
Uber Sued by 550 Women Alleging Sexual Assault, Kidnapping by Drivers

Uber Technologies Inc. is being sued in the United States by hundreds of women who claim they were sexually assaulted, kidnapped, stalked, and harassed by drivers on the ride-hailing platform.

The complaint was filed in San Francisco County Superior Court on July 13, lawyers for the plaintiffs said in a press statement.

Approximately 550 women across multiple states are suing, including women who claim they were kidnapped, sexually assaulted, sexually battered, raped, falsely imprisoned, stalked, harassed, or otherwise attacked by Uber drivers they booked through the Uber app.

The attorneys said that at least 150 more cases are being actively investigated.

Plaintiffs are being represented by the law firm Slater Slater Schulman LLP.

Ubers whole business model is predicated on giving people a safe ride home, but rider safety was never their concerngrowth was, at the expense of their passengers safety, said Adam Slater, founding partner of Slater Slater Schulman LLP, in a news release.

While the company has acknowledged this crisis of sexual assault in recent years, its actual response has been slow and inadequate, with horrific consequences, Slater said.

The lawsuit alleges that as early as 2014, San Francisco-based Uber became aware that its drivers were sexually assaulting and raping female passengers, but that its drivers have continued to attack passengers, including the plaintiffs whose claims were alleged in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit cites multiple incidents of alleged sexual assault by Uber drivers in recent years, including one in Chino Hills, California, in February 2022, and another in Perris, California, in November 2021, when an Uber driver allegedly fondled and raped a passenger.

A string of other incidents dating back to October 2021 was also cited, taking place across the state of California and the cities of Pittsburgh and Boston.

Prioritization of Growth Over Customer Safety

Lawyers for the plaintiffs stated that Ubers prioritization of growth over customer safety was well-documented and outlined in their complaint, adding that Uber was fixated on getting new drivers onboarded as quickly as possible to fuel growth, so it eschewed traditional background check standards.

Additionally, Uber has a longstanding policy that it will not report any criminal activityeven assaults and rapeto law-enforcement authorities, Slater stated.

Multiple reports regarding Ubers sexual assault and harassment problems have come to light over the years, prompting the transportation firm to acknowledge in 2018 that Uber was not immune to this deeply rooted problem of sexual assault, while vowing to make important changes, including removing mandatory arbitration for individual claims of sexual assault or sexual harassment by Uber riders, drivers, or employees, among others.

However, lawyers for the plaintiffs state that despite being aware of the issue of sexual assault by Uber drivers, the company has refused to install video cameras in cars, even though doing so could prevent passengers and drivers from being assaulted, and it has maintained a three strikes policy for its drivers that kept predators at the wheel even after serious passenger complaints.

Slater said that Uber could be doing much more to protect its riders, such as adding cameras to vehicles used by its drivers, and performing more robust background checks, as well as implementing a warning system that would alert passengers when a driver does not stay on the correct path to a destination.

Acknowledging the problem through safety reports is not enough, Slater said. It is well past time for Uber to take concrete actions to protect its customers.

Safety Report

The lawsuit comes after Uber released its second U.S. Safety Report (pdf) in June, in which the company said it had received a total of 3,824 reports of sexual assault in 2019 and 2020. These ranged from non-consensual kissing of a non-sexual body part to non-consensual sexual penetration, or rape.

Ubers first safety report, which covered the period from 2017 to 2018, found that the total number of sexual assault reports was 5,981.

However, the latest report states that 99.9 percent of trips on the Uber platform ended without a safety incident.

Sexual assault is a horrific crime and we take every single report seriously, an Uber spokesperson said in a statement to The Epoch Times about the lawsuit.

There is nothing more important than safety, which is why Uber has built new safety features, established survivor-centric policies, and been more transparent about serious incidents. While we cant comment on pending litigation, we will continue to keep safety at the heart of our work, the company added.

Uber states that while the law firm claims to represent 550 women it has actually only filed 12 cases against Uber to date. They have not been able to provide any critical incident details for us to identify a connection to the Uber platform.

The report comes in the same week that former Uber executive Mark MacGann leaked more than 124,000 files showing that Uber executives, including co-founder Travis Kalanick, held undisclosed meetings with high-ranking government officials in the United States and Europe.
UK House Prices Still Rising Despite Cooling Demand: Survey

UK house prices continued on an upward march in June though the number of new inquiries from house hunters decreased, according to new data.

Survey results from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) show that 27 percent of property professionals reported a fall in interest from would-be buyers last month. It marked the third month in a row that interest from new buyers slipped.

But London appears to be more resilient, with 7 percent of respondents reporting an uptick in enquiries in June.

An easing in demand from new buyers has seen the volume of sales dip. Some 13 percent of respondents reported a fall in newly agreed sales and 9 percent anticipate a fall in transactions for the coming three months.

Despite the cooling in demand, however, house prices continued to rise because of a lack of available properties for buyers to choose from.

Some 65 percent of respondents said they saw an increase in house prices in June. Though this is down from the April high of 78 percent, it is comfortably above the long-run average of 13 percent, said RICS.

Survey participants also said market appraisals are broadly unchanged compared with 12 months ago, suggesting the tight supply backdrop is unlikely to shift drastically in the immediate future.

Housing Shortage

RICS Chief Economist Simon Rubinsohn commented, Pricing across much of the housing market remains resilient for now with a shortage of stock continuing to be a feature highlighted by many respondents to the survey.

Although buyer inquiries have predictably slipped a little of late, this needs to be placed in the context of the healthy level of demand in previous months, he said.

Jonathan Hale, head of government affairs for the UK and Ireland at RICS, said that the next government must address the further decline in housing availability.

Regardless of who is set to become the next PM, and indeed how their Cabinet will look, housing needs to be prioritised, he said, adding that RICS has long called for planning reform and greater deployment of modern methods of construction to support an increase in housing supply.

Because of the continued imbalance between supply and demand, rents are also expected to rise, RICS said.

Some 36 percent of housing professionals reported an increase in tenant demand, while 11 percent saw a fall in the number of new landlord instructions. And 52 percent predicted that rents will rise over the coming three months.

PA Media contributed to this report.
UK Police Open Investigation After Olympic Champion Mo Farah Revealed He Was a Trafficked Child

The Metropolitan Police said they have opened an investigation into the alleged trafficking of Sir Mo Farah when he was a child.

The four-time Olympic Champion revealed in a BBC documentary aired on Wednesday that he was born in Somaliland as Hussein Abdi Kahin and was trafficked to Britain when he was nine years old to do domestic labour.

Following the broadcast, The Metropolitan Police said specialist officers have launched an investigation into the allegations.

We are aware of reports in the media concerning Sir Mo Farah. No reports have been made to the MPS [Metropolitan Police Service] at this time, the force said in a statement.

Specialist officers have opened an investigation and are currently assessing the available information.

Farah is the first British track and field athlete to win four Olympic gold medals after he successfully defended his 2012 gold medalist titles in the 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres races in 2016.

In the documentary, titled  The Real Mo Farah, the 39-year-old said his father was killed when he was four during Somalias civil war and he was separated from his mother.

Farah said a woman he had never met brought him to Britain from Djibouti under the name of another child when he was nine.

Thinking at the time he was going to live with his relatives in Europe, Farah said he knew he was in trouble once they got to the womans flat in Hounslow, west London, when she took the contact details off him and ripped them up in from of him.

Farah said he had to look after the children if he wanted food, and he wasnt enrolled in a school until three years later when the woman told school staff that he was a refugee from Somalia.

Farah later confided to his PE teacher Alan Watkinson, who helped him find a foster family and eventually get British citizenship in 2000.

The Home Office said on Wednesday that in line with its guidance, the department is not planning to take any action against Farah because he was a child when the false representation was perpetrated.

Upon hearing the news, Farah told the BBC that he felt relieved.

For me, this is my country. If it wasnt for Alan and the people who supported me throughout my childhood, then maybe I wouldnt even have the courage doing [sic] this, he said.

Theres a lot of people I owe my life to, particularly my wife who has been very supportive throughout my career and who gave me the strength to come and talk about it.

In an Instagram post on Wednesday, Farah said he did the documentary for his wife and children, so they could understand more about the experiences that led us to becoming the family we are today.

Not every child will have the easiest start in life, but that doesnt mean they cant go on to achieve their dreams, he wrote. I hope youll all watch later and I cant wait to hear what you think.
University Professor Warns of Risks Caused by Popular Chinese Soup

An Australian study has found that bak kut teh, or pork ribs soup, could cause liver failure if used in conjunction with Western medication.

Bak kut teh is a popular Chinese dish, whose name translates to meat bone tea. However, there is no tea in the dish, made up of pork ribs that have been simmered in a broth of herbs and spices. Instead, the name refers to a strong oolong Chinese tea served alongside the soup in the belief that it cuts through the copious amount of fat consumed in this pork-laden dish.

It is believed to have originated from Fujian, China. However, the soup is commonly consumed widely across Asia.

Adelaide University professor and forensic expert Dr. Roger Byard made four different versions of the soup, including those served at Adelaide restaurants, and added them to cultures of liver cancer cells.

He used ingredients such as dried hawthorn, goji berries, ginseng, bark, and dried mushrooms.

When mixed with liver cells, the ingredients killed up to 83 percent in one concentrated soup formula, Byard said.

For the first time, a laboratory study by the University of Adelaide has shown that foods containing herbs, such as the soup bak kut teh, may also be toxic to liver cells.

He said that warnings have been in place for some time, alerting people that herbal medicines and therapies may have harmful side effects that can include liver damage and even death.

Bak kut teh is a clear peppery soup featuring pork ribs. (delightfulplate.com)

Herbal Medicine and COVID-19

Previously, Byard has questioned the recent studies on Chinese herbal remedies for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.

In an editorial published in Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology in 2021, Byard and his co-author Ian Musgrave said that while it is highly probable that certain traditional herbal preparations may alleviate symptoms of infectious diseases such as muscle aches and fevers, the evidence that herbs can prevent infection is less compelling.

However, the authors said that they are not dismissing herbal therapy altogether.

This editorial is in no way suggesting that traditional herbal preparations may not have a role in treating the symptoms of viral infections, Byard said.

But is instead drawing attention to the fact that herbal preparations do carry sometimes serious side effects and that these can be magnified by the ingestion of multiple herbs and the accompanying use of Western pharmaceuticals.

He advised community members to not follow unproven theories of herbal treatment of COVID-19, especially when it comes to children, who are extra susceptible to the side effects due to their immature metabolic pathways and physiological processes.

Byard said that people with underlying liver disease or who are taking prescription medications should be warned of the potential side effect of liver damage.

All such preparations should include accurate labelling of the ingredients until further studies can be undertaken to identify the specific herbal substances that are toxic, he advised.

However, there have been many recent studies that support the therapeutic effects of herbal medicine for COVID-19.

A paper published in 2021 reviewed the studies exploring herbal preparations for treating COVID-19 and found encouraging results in preventing and reducing symptoms.

The review found that ginger, lemon, orange, vitamin C, honey, garlic, ginger, turmeric, chilli, lemon, and hot water with salt all significantly impacted the management of COVID-19.

Different herbal medicine can interfere with COVID-19 by inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 replication and entry to its host cells, the study said.

The researchers also found successful use in parallel with modern medicine and vaccinations from India to Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia.

University Lecturer Wants to Bring Ancient Herbal Remedies to Clinics

Modern medicine focuses extensively on diseases, and medical students spend many years in school studying the body in a diseased state and the diseases themselves, whereas traditional and ancient medicinal practices, using food as medicine, is one of the main pillars.

Senior pharmacy lecturer Kamal Dua from the University of Technology, Sydney, is someone who has his eyes set on blending modern medicine with traditional herbal medicine.

He said that herbal plants and remedies had been used in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years, yet they have not been widely used in clinics.

He is designing a method of using nanoparticles to deliver berberine, a natural compound found in turmeric, barberry, and red wine and has shown to be effective in treating lung cancer. The novel delivery is aimed at reducing the dosage and hence the side effects of the herbal supplement.

Turmeric is one the most thoroughly researched plants in the world and a possible cause of sleepless nights for some pharmaceutical company executives. (Shutterstock)

Questions Over the Safety of Herbal Medicine Made in China

Another problem with traditional herbal medicine in the west is that many ingredients are imported from China.

Regulations in China are lax, and the communist regime regularly attempts to cover up domestic food scandals.

Vegetables are no exception and are often laden with chemical pesticides, fertilisers, and preservatives to give off a healthy appearance.

While there is no way to know whether the same vegetables adulterated in China are those exported to the United States, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration inspects less than three percent of imports for violations and deficiencies.
WAVE will help BlueTriton improve and credibly report water stewardship performance

MILWAUKEE --News Direct-- SCS Global Services

MILWAUKEE, July 14, 2022 /3BL Media/ - The Water Council is pleased to announce BlueTriton Brands has signed onto The Water Councils WAVE program, becoming the first company in the beverage industry to participate.

BlueTriton is a North American provider of bottled water brands including Poland Spring, Ice Mountain and Pure Life. WAVE will help BlueTriton improve its enterprise-level water stewardship performance and public reporting, concluding with independent verification of its progress.

At BlueTriton, water stewardship is at the core of our business, said Ed Ferguson, Chief Sustainability Officer. A healthy planet, resilient water cycle and responsible water management are paramount for long-term access to safe drinking water. We look forward to working with The Water Council and are proud to be an early adopter of WAVE to improve our environmental stewardship activities, create awareness around responsible water practices and to have our efforts independently verified.

The Water Council, an internationally acclaimed nonprofit dedicated to freshwater innovation, has helped companies of all sizes and industries improve water stewardship. It launched the WAVE program in February to help businesses anywhere in the world address water on an enterprise level, moving beyond non-contextual water management targets to develop meaningful strategies, goals and actions.

Through WAVE, participating companies learn about their water uses, impacts and risks; approve a corporate water stewardship policy; prioritize sites where water-related risks can be mitigated; and communicate a corporate action plan, goals and timeline. Their efforts are then independently verified by SCS Global Services, an international leader in third-party sustainability verification. Verified companies can confidently state they are credibly and strategically addressing water challenges and opportunities where it matters most.

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We are enthusiastic to work with a company as committed to freshwater resources as BlueTriton and its strong and extensive portfolio of water brands, said Dean Amhaus, The Water Council President and CEO. The WAVE is well suited to help BlueTriton further its water stewardship goals and tell its stewardship story.

BlueTriton is the second company to sign onto WAVE since its launch earlier this year, in addition to four companies that pilot tested the program in 2021.

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About The Water CouncilThe Water Council (TWC) is a global hub dedicated to solving critical water challenges by driving innovation in freshwater technology and advancing water stewardship. Built on more than a century of innovation, TWC has coalesced one of the most concentrated and mature water technology clusters in the world from its headquarters at the Global Water Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. Recognizing the need for smarter and more sustainable use of water worldwide, TWC also promotes water stewardship as a natural complement to water innovation in the effort to preserve freshwater resources in the Midwest and around the world. Today, The Water Council has established itself as a global leader in the water industry and one of Americas premier economic development clusters as recognized by government agencies, Brookings and the Harvard Business School.

About BlueTriton BrandsBlueTriton Brands offers an extensive portfolio of highly recognizable, responsibly sourced, and sustainably packaged spring water and other water brands including Poland Spring Brand, Deer Park Brand, Ozarka Brand, Ice Mountain Brand, Zephyrhills Brand, Arrowhead Brand, Origin Natural Spring Water, Saratoga Spring Water, AC+ION Alkaline Water, Pure Life, Splash Blast Flavored Water Beverage and Splash Fizz Fruit Flavored Sparkling Water Beverage. BlueTriton Brands also owns and operates ReadyRefresh, a customizable water and beverage delivery service that has been certified as a CarbonNeutral business.

Based in Stamford, Connecticut, BlueTriton Brands and its affiliates in the United States and Canada employ approximately 6,600 associates. BlueTriton Brands manages resources for long-term sustainability, and conserves more than 20,000 acres of watershed area. The Company has 28 production facilities across the United States, 16 of which are Alliance for Water Stewardship ("AWS") certified across 15 sites, with five of the certified facilities being AWS Platinum, the highest-level certification.

About SCS Global ServicesSCS Global Services is a global leader in third-party environmental and sustainability verification, certification, auditing, testing, and standards development. Its programs span a cross-section of industries, recognizing achievements in climate mitigation, green building, product manufacturing, food and agriculture, forestry, consumer products, and more. Headquartered in Emeryville, California, SCS Global Services has representatives and affiliate offices throughout the Americas, Asia/Pacific, Europe and Africa. Its broad network of auditors are experts in their fields, and the company is a trusted partner to companies, agencies and advocacy organizations due to its dedication to quality and professionalism. SCS Global Services is a chartered Benefit Corporation, reflecting its commitment to socially and environmentally responsible business practices. For more information, visit www.scsglobalservices.com. Learn more about SCS Responsible Water Practices.

Media Contacts:

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View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from SCS Global Services on 3blmedia.com

View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/bluetriton-brands-joins-the-water-councils-wave-program-298166534
US Appeals Court Revives Roundup Weedkiller Cancer Lawsuit

NEW YORKA federal appeals court on Tuesday revived a lawsuit by a Georgia man claiming Bayer AGs Roundup weedkiller caused his cancer, the latest in a string of legal defeats for the company as it seeks to avoid potentially billions of dollars in damages.

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Montgomery, Alabama, rejected Bayers argument that federal law shielded it from state law claims like the one brought by John Carson, who said he was diagnosed with a type of cancer called malignant fibrous histiocytoma in 2016 after using Roundup for 30 years. Carson said the company should have warned of cancer risk on the products label.

Bayer said it disagreed with the ruling and would consider its options. It said any cancer warning would be inconsistent with the label approved by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Bayer continues to stand fully behind its Roundup products, said the company, which acquired the weedkiller line with its $63 billion purchase of Monsanto in 2018.

A lawyer for Carson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Another federal appeals court, the 9th Circuit, rejected the same argument in a California lawsuit in 2020.

Bayer had hoped that a victory in Carsons case would create a conflict between appeals courts that would make the U.S. Supreme Court more likely to take up the issue, potentially limiting its liability in thousands of lawsuits.

The court has so far rejected the companys petitions to hear Roundup lawsuits.

By Brendan Pierson
U.S. President Joe Biden (4th R) listens to Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz (4th L), as they tour the Israel's missile defense system at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, on July 13, 2022. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

US, Israel Sign Joint Pledge to Deny Nuclear Weapons to Iran

U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid signed a new joint declaration expanding the security relationship between the United States and Israel on July 14.

A senior White House official told reporters during a conference call that the pledge includes a renewed commitment to blocking Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

This declaration is pretty significant, and it includes a commitment to never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon and to address Irans destabilizing activities, particularly threats to Israel, the senior White House official said.

The joint pledge notes the ongoing U.S. and Israeli support for a memorandum of understanding that was finalized while Biden was serving as vice president under former President Barack Obama.

The declaration will also emphasize support for the Abraham Accords and expanding Israels integration into the region, which, of course, is a theme of this trip, the official said. And it will reiterate our shared concerns about a number of global challenges, from food security to the situation in Ukraine and, of course, support for Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Iran Nuclear Deal

In an interview with Israeli media, which was recorded before he left Washington on July 12 but aired on July 13, Biden said he would keep Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on the U.S. Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) list even if doing so killed off the 2015 Iran nuclear deal as he began a trip to the Middle East.

Asked if his past statements that he would prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon meant that he would use force against Iran, Biden said: If that was the last resort, yes.

The only thing worse than the Iran that exists now is an Iran with nuclear weapons.

Bidens 1st Visit to Middle East as President

Biden arrived in Israel on July 13 on his first Middle East trip as president, but his 10th visit to the region overall.

At the airport, Biden was briefed by Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Israels Iron Dome defense system and a new technology called Iron Beam, which uses lasers and is being developed in conjunction with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency.

The United States has provided Israel with $4.8 billion for its security, which includes $1 billion for replenishing Iron Dome after the May 2021 conflict with Hamas in Gaza.

The president later laid a wreath at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial and met with Holocaust survivors.

U.S. President Joe Biden embraces Holocaust survivor Giselle Cycowicz during a ceremony at the Hall of Remembrance of the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial museum in Jerusalem on July 13, 2022. (Debbie Hill/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

On July 14, Biden met with Lapid for a bilateral meeting ahead of the announcement of the joint declaration. He was then scheduled to meet with Israeli President Isaac Herzog at his residence to discuss Herzogs recent visits to Jordan, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The two countries will also launch a new high-level strategic dialogue on technology in a bid to boost cooperation in four key areas. The four fields are technology to help with future pandemic preparedness, using technology to affect the climate, artificial technology, and other trusted technology ecosystems.

We want their tech sector to be connected with ours and looking west as we look to build the technology apparatus for the future, the senior White House official said.

Biden will also take part in the first I2U2 virtual summit with the leaders of Israel, India, and the UAE, which will be focused on food security and advancing clean energy, and visit with athletes attending the Maccabiah Games.

East Jerusalem Controversy

On July 15, the president will visit the West Bank and East Jerusalem and announce Palestinian economic opportunities, including the development of 4G capabilities in both Gaza and the West Bank.

This would mark the first visit by a sitting U.S. president to East Jerusalem, in a move that has been met with some concern, including from six Republicans and Israels former ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, who urged Biden not to go.

The affirmation will only serve to encourage the unwavering rejection of Israel by the PA, which continues to refuse to accept the existence of the Jewish State of Israel, Danon wrote in Israel Today. Considering the fragile state of affairs in Israel and the Middle East, and recent heightened tensions, a visit to eastern Jerusalem will undoubtedly damage peace prospects rather than encourage them. I would therefore urge you, President Biden, to kindly refrain from this unprecedented visit to eastern Jerusalem.

On July 13, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby had to walk back remarks made by U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan to reporters on Air Force One after Sullivan said the Biden administration wants the Palestinians to have a consulate in East Jerusalem.

After Israel, Biden will travel to Saudi Arabia on July 16 to discuss the energy crisis and hold talks with other Gulf allies in Jeddah.
The Pentagon is seen from the air in Washington, D.C., on March 3, 2022. (Joshua Roberts/Reuters)

US Military Cant Fulfill National Defense Strategy Because of Force Cuts: Experts

The U.S. military isnt able to fully realize the demands of the National Defense Strategy because of years of force cuts and a failure to modernize its arsenal, according to experts.

Theres a huge gap between what the national defense strategy requires that the Navy, the Air Force, the Army, and the Marine Corps [provide] and what they can actually provide today, said Mark Gunzinger, director of future concepts and capability assessments at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. Thats the product of three decades worth of force cuts and delayed modernization.

To make up for that fact and to prepare for a possible conflict with China, the United States may need to consider increasing its use of cheaper, unmanned systems in an effort to augment its more expensive assets, Gunzinger said. Particularly so, given that U.S. officials have warned that Chinas communist regime could launch an invasion of Taiwan by 2027.

How do you make up that gap and in the time frame were talking about? he said. A big part of the answer in unmanned systems.

Many US Systems Not Mission Capable

Gunzinger delivered the remarks during a July 12 roundtable on the issue of U.S. air and naval forces development hosted by the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank.

The group of experts discussed how unmanned systems could boost the survivability and warfighting capacity of U.S. military units in the Pacific, even as the military contends with sluggish readiness levels.

One such sign of dwindling military readiness discussed is a decade-long decrease in mission-capable systems, a trend most pronounced in the Navy and Marine Corps, which would be responsible for most of the fighting in the event of a conflict with China.

In perhaps the most jarring example of decreasing readiness, roughly 50 percent of the militarys F-18 Super Hornet fighter jets were considered to not be mission capable, according to Diana Maurer, director of defense capabilities and management at the Government Accountability Office.

When half of your aircraft are not able to get up in the air to perform a single mission, that really blunts the ability to carry out some of the operations that the Navy and others would like to perform, she said. Thats a concern.

Maurer said there were similar concerns with a number of vessels typically used to launch such aircraft and that the backlog and delays for routine maintenance on naval vessels were negatively affecting the military in profound ways.

To that end, she said the various service branches would need to do more to overcome institutional bias and integrate with one another in order to be capable of seizing the advantage in a Pacific conflict.

Theyre going to have to work together in a much more integrated, much more seamless way to make that possible, Maurer said.

US Forces Not Ready for China Conflict

Overall, the United States would need to do much to regain the high ground against China in the Pacific, according to Bryan Clark, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute.

The main challenge were facing is the missile threat posed by China, Clark said. Fundamentally, China has the ability to reach out thousands of miles away from its coast and threaten carrier strike groups  with a large number of precision strike weapons.

As such, he said, U.S. forces would likely need to operate in a highly constrained environment, 1,000 to 1,500 nautical miles away from the Chinese coastline in order to be effective. Even then, however, it would face its biggest challenge in Chinese aircraft with large salvos of cruise missiles and bombs.

Clark and his Hudson Institute colleague, Timothy Walton, co-authored a report (pdf) on the issue earlier in the year. In that document, they made the case that the Navy and Marine Corps should opt to field more F-18s and fewer costly F-35s.

The F-35s operational advantages would be effectively nullified given the distance they would have to be stationed away from Chinese forces, the authors said. The United States could make up the difference much more efficiently through distributed counter-air operations that relied on more drones and layered short-range air defenses, they said.

Such may not be the direction the Navy has in mind, however.

Our engagement with the Navy showed that they were thinking of getting longer-range weapons to try to deal with the challenge, Clark said. Fundamentally, theyre constrained by the fact that their future attack aircraft portfolio is F-35s and F-18s, they dont have a more penetrating aircraft on the horizon.

To that end, Clark said physically larger missiles also meant reducing salvo sizes and that the strategy might not be affordable at scale. As such, his and Waltons report suggested overhauling U.S. aircraft carriers to focus solely on strike capabilities while transferring other operation capacities to land and space assets.
Chinese-chartered merchant ship Cosco Shipping Panama crosses the new Agua Clara Locks during the inauguration of the expansion of the Panama Canal in this undated file photo. China is continuing its push to displace U.S. influence in the region and already has put parts of the Panama Canal under its control. (Rodrigo Arangua/AFP/Getty Images)

US Must Pivot Toward Latin America to Counter China

Socialism is spreading in Latin America, leaning toward China

Commentary

Leftists are gobbling up the governments of Latin America as countries drift into Chinas orbit.

On June 19, leftist and former guerilla Gustavo Petro won the presidential election in Colombia, calling attention to an increasing leftist shift across the Americas. This parallels increasing engagement with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), posing a threat to the United States and its interests.

Just weeks before Colombias presidential election on May 3, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken addressed the Conference of the Americas and said that it is important for the United States and Latin America to work together because of Russias brutal and unprovoked attack on Ukraine, and the growing threat to free and democratic societies from China and other authoritarian governments.

However, the actions of the Latin American governments suggest that they do not feel the same way as the United States about Russia and China. In fact, none of the southern neighbors have joined in the sanctions against Russia.

The Summit of the Americas held in Los Angeles, California, from June 6 to 10 excluded the socialist governments of Cuba and Venezuela as well as the authoritarian regime of Nicaragua. The heads of state of Mexico, Brazil, and many Caribbean countries protested these exclusions, weakening the U.S. position with the remaining nations.

Opposition supporters hold a banner reading No More Socialism during a gathering with Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, in Caracas, on Feb. 2, 2019. Guaido called for early elections as international pressure increased on President Nicolas Maduro to step down. (Juan Barreto/AFP via Getty Images)

Socialism or leftism is quickly rising across Latin America. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a leftist, was elected in 2018. Argentinians left-leaning President Alberto Fernandez took office in 2019. In Bolivia, leftist Luis Arce was elected president in 2020. The following year saw three leftists elected: Pedro Castillo in Peru, Gabriel Boric in Chile, and Xiomara Castro in Honduras. This year, the left-leaning former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is expected to win reelection in October. As Latin America creeps left, it slides deeper into the CCPs orbit.

China is among the top trading partners of Latin America, in addition to being the No. 1 trading partner of South America. The entire region is becoming extremely dependent on China trade. In 2021, Chile shipped 38.3 percent of its total exports to China. China is Brazils top trading partner, accounting for more than double the trade with the United States. Argentinas trade deficit with China, its No. 2 trading partner, increased 81.5 percent last year.

China is also a leading source of foreign direct investment and lending for the entire region. In 2020, China invested about $17 billion, mainly in South America. Between 2005 and 2020, the state-owned China Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of China loaned about $137 billion to Latin American governments. Many of these loans were made in exchange for oil. Venezuela has been the largest borrower, having borrowed $62 billion since 2007.

As of December 2021, 20 Latin American countries had signed on to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI, also known as One Belt, One Road). China benefits from natural resources and food, while Latin America receives Chinese cash. Meanwhile, the CCP is increasing its military presence in the region by providing military and police training to local governments, and installing telecommunications and surveillance systems. Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region also plays a role in Beijing, drawing away support for Taiwan as most LAC countries now officially recognize China.

China is a voting member of both the Inter-American Development Bank and the Caribbean Development Bank. Within the scope of the BRI, China has made a significant investment in the Panama Canal in addition to 21 major infrastructure projects across the region.

China also has established a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and a strategic relationship with Costa Rica. Additionally, China has signed comprehensive strategic partnerships with Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela.

Last year, Beijing and the 33 members of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States Central American (CELAC) signed the China-CELAC Joint Action Plan for Cooperation (20222024). The plan included not only economic and technological cooperation, but also security cooperation. Under the agreement, there is a commitment to continue holding the China-Latin America Superior Defense Forum. Recent security and military cooperation developments are consistent with the CCPs 2015 Defense Strategy white paper, which stresses the importance of establishing overseas defense cooperation.

Cuban security forces pose alongside their Chinese trainers in a Cuban government training school in 2016. (Courtesy of ADN Cuba)

The United States is naturally concerned about the security threat China poses in the region. Still, it is difficult to cajole Latin America away from CCP money with words alone. The Biden administration is also putting off many of the LAC states by refusing to recognize their individuality.

LAC comprises more than 30 nations, spanning at least seven official languages, each with unique problems and desires. The White House tends to lump them together and say that they are plagued by illegal immigration, transnational crime, weak institutions, flawed democracy, corruption, persistent interference from Russia, and the increasing influence of China. This blanket U.S. policy approach is insulting and alienating because countries such as Brazil and Peru are as different as Germany and France.

Suppose the Biden administration wishes to enlist the cooperation of the LAC nations in countering the CCP in the region. In that case, the White House will need to extend the same courtesy and diplomacy to these nations as it does to European and Asian countries. Washington must engage with them as unique individuals and offer realistic alternatives to the CCP. If not, then every nation from Argentina to the U.S. southern border will fall into the grasp of the CCP.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
The U.S. flag flies atop the Treasury Department in Washington on Nov. 18, 2008. (Jim Bourg/Reuters)

US Treasury Diplomat Nominee Aims to Curb Chinas Lending Influence

WASHINGTONThe nominee for the U.S. Treasurys top economic diplomacy job said on Tuesday he wants to limit Chinas growing global lending influence by working with international financial institutions and development banks to give countries borrowing alternatives.

Jay Shambaugh is President Joe Bidens choice for Treasury undersecretary for international affairs. If confirmed, the George Washington University professor and former Obama administration economic adviser would fill a crucial Treasury position that has been vacant since the Biden administration took office in January 2021.

Speaking to a Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing, Shambaugh said there is competition between Chinas state-driven economic model and the U.S. model driven by rule of law, transparency, and markets.

He said in working with institutions including the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) he would seek to present a good alternate option to engaging with China for countries, whether its in loans or other sorts of engagements.

Shambaugh said China should no longer be considered a developing country eligible for World Bank loans. He also said he wants to ensure that International Monetary Fund Special Drawing Rights monetary reserves channeled to poorer countries are not used to pay off debts owed to China for Belt and Road infrastructure projects.

Regarding the Biden administrations deliberations over whether to cut some tariffs on Chinese goods imposed by the Trump administration, Shambaugh echoed Treasury Secretary Janet Yellens comments that some of those tariffs had less of a strategic orientation to them. He said these tariffs should be reassessed as the economy has changed since they were imposed.

On Treasurys role in policing currency manipulation by major U.S. trading partners, Shambaugh said his job would extend well beyond producing currency manipulation reports every six months.

Regardless of whether Treasury labels countries currency manipulators in the reports, the department still must engage with those countries to ensure that they meet their G-7, G-20, and IMF commitments to avoid manipulating their currencies for trade advantage, he said.

Longtime Treasury assistant secretary Andy Baukol has been fulfilling the duties of the vacant undersecretary position, while David Lipton, a counselor to Yellen and a former senior IMF official, has been playing a key role in developing Treasurys international economic policy.

By David Lawder
Wolbachia-Aedes aegypti mosquitoes mate, at the National Environmental Agency's mosquito production facility in Singapore, on Aug. 19, 2020. (Edgar Su/Reuters)

Vietnam Tells Hospitals to Prepare as Dengue Fever Cases Surge

HANOIDengue fever cases in Vietnam so far this year have more than doubled compared to the same period in 2021, the health ministry said on Thursday, warning its hospitals to brace for more infections.

Dengue is a mosquito-borne disease common in Southeast Asia that causes flu-like symptoms. Severe forms of it can result in internal bleeding.

Vietnam recorded 89,120 dengue cases in the first six months, up from 35,936 a year earlier, an increase of 148 percent. Deaths tripled to 34 over the same period.

The country of 98 million people has typically recorded about 110,000 cases annually in recent years, with infections peaking usually between June and October.

The number of cases is forecast to continue to rise further, with more severe cases to be hospitalised, said the ministry, which issued special guidelines to healthcare providers this week.

All hospitals at provincial and district levels need to focus their resources to admit and treat severe cases.
Virginia Governor Declares State of Emergency After Severe Flooding

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has declared a state of emergency after heavy rainfall and severe flooding affected multiple counties in the southwest part of the state, including Buchanan County.

We are deeply saddened to learn that another flood has impacted a community still recovering from last years flood, Youngkin, a Republican, said in a statement. In the wake of the devastation, I want Virginians in Buchanan County to know that we are making every resource available to help those impacted by this storm.

While rescue and recovery continues, please join me in prayer as we lift up our fellow Virginians impacted by this tragedy.

A state of emergency enables the state to mobilize resources and deploy personnel to help local authorities deal with the aftermath of the weather event.

Multiple flooding reports in the county triggered road closures and search and rescue operations.

Eighteen groups were helping find and rescue people.

A lot of roadways are blocked by landslides, bridges, the approaches to those bridges are washed out, so its going to take time for that access to be restored to get in, to get into contact with everybody and make sure that everybody has their basic needs taken care of: food, water, shelter, those types of things, Billy Chrimes, a search and rescue specialist with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, told reporters during a briefing.

While about 44 people were unaccounted for on July 13, everyone was located by early July 14, officials said.

Multiple houses in Whitewood were washed away, WCYB-TV reported.

We were sitting at this post office over here, and the next thing you know, the house is floating on down through there. We thought it was going to wash off. Two of the houses washed off, a local, Seth Owens, told the broadcaster.

One of our neighbors driveways completely collapsed and fell down the mountain and fell down the creek, added another, Dominick Fragoso.
What Does an Abortion Ban Mean for Men?

Commentary

With the Supreme Court ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization overturning Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, abortion as a matter of law was returned to the states.

Writing for the majority, Justice Samuel Alito stated (pdf):

The Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision, including the one on which the defenders of Roe and Casey now chiefly relythe Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

That provision has been held to guarantee some rights that are not mentioned in the Constitution, but any such right must be deeply rooted in this Nations history and tradition and implicit in the concept of ordered liberty. 

It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the peoples elected representatives.

Contrary to the hysterical claims of pro-abortionists, the overturning of Roe did not remove a constitutional right for women, but, recognizing that there was no constitutional right for abortion, returned the question to be decided democratically, state by state, by the peoples duly elected representatives. The rules for abortion will thus, henceforth, as prior to Roe, vary from state to state, according to the voters will.

Almost all discussion of (and shrieking about) this Supreme Court decision has centered on its effects on women. But what effect will it have on men?

Mostly men have been left out of discussions about abortion, granting sole decision-making and responsibility to women, on the grounds that pro-choice women claim my body, my choice. Men have been given no legal say in the fate of unborn children to which they have been necessary biological contributors. That is unlikely to change under the new state-based, democratic dispensation.

But in actual social life among people, men often do have a say. This is because pregnancy is usually the result of sexual intimacy between a male and a female. (I wont open the woke semantic can of worms here by using the word woman.) In reality, some men on some occasions do have influence over women, especially to the extent that the intimate male and female are a couple. The male may not wish to become a father or face the legal obligations involved. Its far from unusual for males in intimate relationships to urge their female partners to get an abortion rather than to give birth.

Males and females enter into sexual intimacy in a wide range of contexts. Generally, in our now sexually permissive age, but particularly among sexually vigorous teenagers and those in their twenties, sexual relations take place in hook-ups, one-night stands, Tinder dates, and among friends with benefits. In other words, theres a lot of recreational as opposed to procreational sexual engagement. In these contexts, pregnancy is usually a serious inconvenience and not rarely a threat to educational and professional expectations and plans. Guaranteed easy access to abortion is a boon to responsibility-free recreational sexual activity.

Abortion is not the only procedure to guard against unwanted pregnancy. A variety of birth control methods and technology are readily available. And, while not entirely foolproof, they are effective. The demand by abortion advocates for control over my own body would perhaps carry more weight if greater attention to control over my own body was given prior to becoming pregnant. Abortion advocates such as President Bill Clinton promised that abortion would be rare, but in fact its anything but. Annually in the United States, more than a million or the better part of 1 million unborn babies were killed through legal abortion. In the 1980s and 90s, a million and a half unborn babies were killed annually through abortion, while since 2013 annual abortions have dropped to 900,000.

In those states with abortion bans or greatly restricted abortion time frames, the potential cost in life plans for unwanted pregnancy becomes greater. Recreational sexual relations are less risk free than they were before, and the consequences and responsibilities are more serious and more likely than under an easy-access abortion regime. Free sex may no longer be free. Consequently, people may be less willing to enter into sexual relations outside of committed relationships. Recreational sexual activity may be curtailed due to fear of unwanted pregnancy.

For men, free sex is a dream. Men feel physical pressure to relieve the sexual needs that they feel. Easy access to female partners is good news to males. Even with resulting pregnancy, in some communities many men are happy to have a number of baby mamas, demonstrating their manly prowess. Impregnating as many women as possible appears to be the selected evolutionary strategy for males.

For females, the evolutionary strategy is to give their all to protect their offspring. In contemporary industrial and post-industrial society, many women are able to choose alternative life courses with no or a limited number of offspring, carefully timed not to interfere with educational and professional activities. Abortion served their plans. In a restricted abortion context, rather than changing their educational and professional plans, they may decide to curtail recreational sexual activity, and to giving great attention to pregnancy-blocking birth control methods.

In jurisdictions with no or highly restricted abortions, females may choose to be more selective in their sexual encounters. Males, then, would face restricted sexual access to females. With pregnancy a possible outcome, and ways to stop an unwanted pregnancy curtailed, both females and males would face more responsibility than they are used to in the recreational sex regime. Would this lead to females and males taking more responsibility for pregnancies? Would mens role in pregnancy and in potential fatherhood be taken more seriously? Perhaps a world in which people took responsibility for their actions would not be a bad thing.

Large numbers of unmarried baby mama mothers might be a major improvement over hundreds of thousands of babies killed in the womb, but its far from an ideal solution. Single-parent families have exploded statistically. According to The Hill, in 2020 30 percent of Americas families, some 10 million, with children under 18 years were single parents, mostly single mothers, a tripling in percentage since 1965. In 2020, 25 percent of all children were raised in single-parent families.

According to the Kids Count Data Center, the percentage of children in single-parent families varied significantly by racial category. In 2019, the breakdown of percentage of children among Asian and Pacific Islanders in single-parent families was 15 percent; in non-Hispanic whites, 24 percent; Hispanic or Latino, 42 percent; Native American, 52 percent; and black or African American, 64 percent.

Single-mother families, in spite of valiant efforts by many hard-working single mothers, have far too many casualties among their children, especially boys. The statistics could not be clearer: boys bought up in single-mother households are many times more likely than boys brought up in two-parent families to live in poverty, drop out of school, join a gang, run away from home, engage in crime, use drugs, get killed in street violence, or end up incarcerated. However unintentional, this is terrible child abuse.

Men who father children need to step up and be fathers. Shirking this responsibility shows that these semen providers are not real men. For goodness sake, be a man! But the responsibility doesnt reside solely with men. Womens expectations need to include commitment from their childrens baby dads. And our feminist culture must stop demeaning, vilifying, discriminating against, and constantly undermining men. We have gone badly wrong, and we must seriously undertake a change of direction.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Philosopher and energy expert Alex Epstein in an interview with NTD's "The Nation Speaks" program in July 2022. (NTD/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

Why We Need More Fossil Fuels: Energy Expert Alex Epstein

Contrary to the mainstream narrative that we need to urgently replace fossil fuels with renewable energy to counter disastrous global warming, philosopher and energy expert Alex Epstein said humans should use more fossil fuels to make humans safe and productive.

If you think about it with a rational, pro-human, philosophical perspective, its actually obvious that we should use more fossil fuels, Epstein told NTDs The Nation Speaks program in a recent interview.

We dont talk about the benefits of fossil fuels, which, if you step back, thats crazy, said Epstein.

Nowadays, fossil fuels have been widely condemned for their CO2 emissions. Some environmental groups even called for phasing out natural gas, which largely contributed to the 32 percent reduction of CO2 emissions over the past 15 yearsas the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) stated.

According to EIA, burning fossil fuels for energy accounted for 73 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2020.

Benefits of Fossil Fuels

So many of our leading thinkers and institutions totally ignore the benefits of fossil fuels, said Epstein. This failure to consider the benefits of fossil fuels, which is really a systemic failure throughout all these institutions, and people who purport to be experts, that leads to things like todays energy crisis.

Experts are saying that fossil fuels are reliable, efficient, abundant, easy to move, easy to generate electricity, and they produce many products we need, such as gasoline, diesel, plastics, fertilizer, and more.

Environmentalists, NGOs, the United Nations, and many governments are proposing to phase out fossil fuels urgently to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, a goal set in the Paris Agreement. In 2015, 196 countries or regions adopted the Paris Agreement.

On June 17, during the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate hosted by President Joe Biden, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged governments to end the age of fossil fuels.

The climate crisis is our number one emergency. Renewables are the peace plan of the 21st century, together with all the new technologies that President Biden has referred to, the UN chief said in the meeting.

We have to recognize thatmost of our conversation doesnt recognizethat the earth, including earths climate, is not at all hospitable to human life in its natural, so to speak, unimpacted state, said Epstein.

If human beings are going to have long, healthy, safe, opportunity-filled lives, we need to become extremely productive. Theres no way around that. If we are not productive, we will be poor, and we will be endangered. And thats the fate of most people throughout history.

Epstein said that for human beings to be productive, the key is to use machines to amplify or expand our abilities. Such as, a combine harvester that can harvest a thousand times more wheat than a farmer using manual labor, or an incubator can save the lives of millions of babies, which humans cannot do.

You can only have machines if you have low-cost, reliable energy, added Epstein. So what fossil fuels do is they provide that low-cost, reliable energy thats so crucial to human life because it powers the machines that make us productive and prosperous.

According to EIA, fossil fuelspetroleum, natural gas, and coalaccounted for about 79 percent of total U.S. primary energy consumption in 2021. On a global scale, fossil fuels account for about 80 percent of energy sources, per the International Energy Agencys data.

Fossil fuels accounted for 79 percent of energy sources in 2021. (EIA/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

Another great benefit of fossil fuels is that they help humans master climate, said Epstein.

They give us such an ability to deal with things like heat and cold and storms and floods that our rate of disaster deaths from climate-related causes, like storms and floods, extreme temperatures, etc., is down 98 percent over the last century, said Epstein, citing World Bank data.

Epstein did a lot of research and wrote a new book, Fossil Future: Why global human flourishing requires more oil, coal, and natural gasnot Less. The book was published in May.

Last year, a report by the World Meteorological Organization also said deaths from weather-related disasters reduced 3-fold, from over 50,000 deaths in the 1970s to less than 20,000 in the 2010s.

However, what made the report widely reported is its conclusion that weather-related disasters have increased by a factor of five over the past 50 years. The United Nations, governments worldwide, and the mainstream media used it as new evidence that climate change leads to more disasters, and we must act quickly to counter this threat.

However, Roger Pielke, Jr., a University of Colorado Boulder professor, said there was a lack of reporting on disasters before 2000. He found that from 2000 to 2021, global weather and climate disasters declined by about 10 percent. His conclusion is based on data kept by Belgium-based EM-DAT, which is widely viewed as an authoritative source for data on global disasters.

The period since 2000 is viewed as the most reliable for data reliability, but it is safe to say that even since 2000, coverage has improved. So the 10 percent decline is possibly an underestimate, Pielke said on Substack.

If youre focused on human flourishing, and were 50 times safer from climate, how can you claim climate as a disaster? said Epstein.

Evaluation Standard

Epstein said we should have an evaluation standard focusing on human flourishing.

The standard by which many of our leaders are evaluating fossil fuelsincluding climateis the standard of eliminating human impacts, said Epstein.

Some scientists and environmentalists said human population growth and overconsumption lead to biodiversity loss, declining health, and climate change. An example of this is a 2021 report in Frontiers in Conservation Science.

My view is, its good or bad, depending on how good or bad that warming, and also greening, is for humans, plus all the benefits of all the energy that comes with it, said Epstein.

Epstein said its a scam to push for a rapid transition from fossil fuels to renewable energies.

Weve been hearing about renewable alternatives for 20-plus years. Theyve got massive subsidies. That should be suspicious because if theyre so good, why do they need subsidies? They have all sorts of preferences, including absolute mandates that we use them, and theyre still 3 percent of the worlds energy?

Epstein said its very important to know that fossil fuels provide 80 percent of the worlds energy, and billions of people are still starved of energy.

Last month, a peer-reviewed study found the transition to wind and solar is more expensive and environmentally nonviable.

If wind and solar were truly cheaperin a free market economythey would not require trillions of dollars of government funding or subsidies, or laws to force their installation, said the study (pdf).

A Danish environmental expert Bjorn Lomborg also doesnt think the energy transition by 2050 is feasible. His new book False Alarm: How climate change panic costs us trillions, hurts the poor, and fails to fix the planet was published last October.

Were not achieving our goals, said Lomborg. Itll be fantastically costly. Bank of America, McKinsey, and many others talk about the cost of $5 trillion or more per year. Nobodys willing to pay this. So we need to find a smarter, cheaper, and more effective policy.

Harry Lee Follow Harry Lee is a New York-based reporter for The Epoch Times. Contact Harry at harry.lee@epochtimes.com
Willful Blindness: Feds Ignore Illegal Alien ID Theft Plaguing Americans as US Coffers Fill

The historic surge of illegal immigrants across Americas southern border is fueling a hidden crime spree few in Washington seem willing or able to address: widespread identity theft victimizing unwitting Americans perpetrated by migrants who need U.S. credentials to work.

An extensive review of government reports, think-tank research, news accounts, and interviews with policymakers and scholars suggests the problem involves millions of peoplethough measuring it with precision is difficult because of the lack of data provided by authorities.

A telling indication of the scope of the criminality is provided by a little-known government accounting book, the Social Security Administrations Earnings Suspense File (ESF). It reflects the earnings of employees whose W-2 wage and tax statements have names and Social Security numbers that do not match official records. The total logged in the file has increased tenfold from $188.9 billion at the dawn of the millennium to $1.9 trillion in 2021.

Officials have historically ascribed a high proportion of the files growth to wages reported by illegal immigrants, and it has swelled alongside their population, which stands at a conservatively estimated 11.5 million today, 7 million of whom are employed. Among those doing so on the books, federal authorities have found that well over 1 million are using Social Security numbers belonging to someone elsei.e., stolen or shared with a relative or acquaintanceor numbers that are fabricated.

The data held in the ESF would enable authorities to pursue many of the fraudsters, but the IRS and other agencies responsible for enforcing the law have been reluctant to investigate, and regulations have prevented meaningful information-sharing among them.

This identity-related crime is providing a windfall for the U.S. government. A 2017 study from the conservative Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) found that the federal government collects about $22 billion annually in tax receipts from illegal aliens, with the bulk going toward Social Security ($12.6 billion) and Medicare ($5.9 billion)programs from which noncitizens are ineligible to receive benefits. FAIR estimated that illegal migrants also paid $3.3 billion in federal income taxa smaller proportion primarily due to illegal aliens lower wage levelsand another $1 billion in state income taxes.

In other words, the fraud has the effect of bolstering financially shaky federal programs. In one of the agencys rare direct statements on the issue, Social Security Administration Chief Actuary Stephen Goss told CNN in 2014 that without undocumented immigrants paying into the system, Social Security would have entered persistent shortfall of tax revenue to cover payouts starting in 2009. Leading progressive Rep. Pramila Jayapal echoed this observation in 2018, arguing that a complication of [then-president] Trumps plans to limit immigration is the effect to our Social Security Earnings Suspense Filemoney that keeps our Social Security system afloat, including money provided by undocumented immigrants.

The removal of these 800,000 young people would deal a crushing blow to our nation financially and the human cost would be immeasurable. #Dreamers are interwoven into communities everywhere, their deportation would tear us apart.  Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) February 27, 2018

Given Washingtons bipartisan willingness to tolerate illegal immigrationwhether driven by the multicultural left or businesses interests seeking cheap laborauthorities have focused on this apparent windfall to the U.S. Treasury. But they have largely ignored the costs. These include the significant strain illegal immigrant households place on public finances, which FAIR and others estimate vastly outweigh their tax contributions, their impacts on crime and the job marketand on the victims of identity theft.

Reports dating back over a decade show that hundreds of thousands of Americans are unknowingly sharing their Social Security numbers with illegal immigrants. Such victims may face tax bills for income they didnt earn or depleted benefits. Worse, some may experience the burden of bad credit histories and criminal records inaccurately attributed to them after being issued SSNs that illegal aliens had previously invented and used. The overall impact on American citizens is largely unknown because federal, state, and local governments as well as financial institutions have generally failed to notify them even when fraud is suspected.

The relevant agencies were largely non-responsive to RealClearInvestigations requests for updated figures on the size, scope, and extent of the fraud. Nor have lawmakers recently given voice to the victims. Congress seems to have last held a hearing spotlighting the defrauded over a decade ago. Related legislation aimed at reducing Social Security number fraud in employment has typically languished, and many lawmakers RCI contacted indicated only a passing knowledge of the issue.

One thing experts do agree on is that the problem is likely to get worse as more illegal immigrants cross the border and seek work.

Immigration Reform Spurs Fraud

The growth in illegal immigrant identity fraud, reflected in part by the booming Earnings Suspense File, serves as an ironic instance of regulation becoming the mother of criminal innovation.

In 1986, Congress for the first time made it explicitly unlawful for employers to hire illegal immigrants. The Immigration Reform and Control Act required those seeking employment to fill out I-9 forms attesting to citizenship or work-authorized immigrant status, and provide corroborating documentation and a valid Social Security number.

The law, signed by President Reagan amid great fanfare, was supposed to end the problem of illegal immigration, and as part of the grand bargain nearly 3 million undocumented immigrants, most of them from Mexico, were granted U.S. citizenship. But the law did not slow the pipeline of immigration as it was intended to do, and it would drive many illegal aliensnot only those crossing the border under cover but also those not allowed to work while awaiting court hearings that can take months or even years to take placeto fraud. According to the libertarian CATO Institute, the 1986 law spurred the creation of a largescale black market for legal documents in the United States. The value of document fraud increased after ICRA because false documents became necessary for illegal immigrants to fill out an I-9 form to work.

Aliens can procure Social Security numbers in several ways: Some simply conjure a nine-digit SSN out of thin air. Others use the numbers of their children who were born in the United States. Still others steal them directly from individuals, purchase them from dealers for $80 to $200 along with a green card as can be done in Los Angeles, or via the dark web for as little as $4.

Occasional crackdowns on the dark webs ID fraud market, as above, havent prevented its growth. (SSNDOB)

In a rare instance of enforcement, in June the Department of Justice announced that a joint operation between the IRS Cyber Crimes Unit and the FBI had seized the SSNDOB marketplacea series of lucrative websites touted on the dark web that sold illegally obtained Social Security numbers of more than 20 million Americans. But synthetic identity fraud persiststhe most common form of ID theft, where fraudsters create an entirely new identity by stealing the Social Security numbers of children or poor adults with little credit history.

While some illegal immigrants work off the books, the Social Security Administration has previously said that 75 percent are using fake or stolen numbers. By doing so, they gain access to broader employment opportunities. There is another powerful incentive for paying taxes as well. By dint of their generally low income levels, illegals can receive reimbursements through making use of deductions and exemptions, as well as rebates via refundable creditsleaving many with tax liabilities of zero or even as net recipients of government largesse. Immigration proponents contend that many do so in the hope that paying their taxes through employer withholding will weigh in their favor in a future amnesty, reflecting good behavior.

Their fraud can be detected each year when employers submit W-2s. The Social Security Administration analyzes the W-2s to detect inaccuracies, such as mismatched names to the numbers it has on file.

W-2 filings flow between Social Security and the IRS. Errant ones end up in the Earnings Suspense File. (GAO)

This is where the Earnings Suspense File comes into play. ESF, established in 1937, was long an accounting for wayward tax and Social Security paymentsfor instance when a newly married woman changed her name but forgot to notify the SSA. Should a legitimate taxpayer find he didnt get tax refunds or Social Security benefits because of a mix-up with his Social Security number, ESF records ideally would help him get what he was owed. Unreconciled filings would remain in the ESF.

For decades relatively little money was recorded in the file. According to the Government Accountability Office, in the three decades between 1950 and 1980 just $33 billion in uncredited earnings were recorded.

Contributions to the ESF exploded after passage of the ICRA in 1986, as a Social Security Administration inspector general report providing a chart showing annual contributions to the fund makes clear:

The Earnings Suspense File exploded after the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. (GAO)

Uncredited earnings rose to $77.3 billion in the 1980s, would double in the 1990s to $188.9 billion, and then grow by a factor of 10 over the next two decades to an accumulated $1.9 trillion todaysurging by $409 billion between the years 2012 and 2016 alone, according to documents obtained by the mass migration-skeptical Immigration Reform Law Institute via FOIA request.

A 2015 audit from SSAs IG reports that in a given year as many as one in 25 American workers supplied their employers with false informationeach year, SSA posts to the ESF 3 to 4 percent of the total W-2s and 1.4 to 1.8 percent of the total wages received from employers.

A 2018 Treasury inspector general report documented more than 1.3 million cases of employment-related identity theft from 20112016, and 1.2 million cases in which illegal aliens used Social Security numbers that belonged to someone else or were fabricated in 2017 alone. The Social Security Administration projects this number will rise to 2.9 by 2040.

Private estimates of Social Security number theft have ranged substantially higher.

A 2020 GAO report on employment-related identity fraud identified more than 2.9 million Social Security numbers with risk characteristics associated with SSN misuse.

Theres massive amounts of fraud, the SSA knows its happening, and they know its your Social Security numbers  being used. These IG reports make it explicitly clear, said Jon Feere, a former Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official now with the pro-immigrant, low immigration Center for Immigration Studies. And they basically say that they believe that one of the main reasons for this fraud is because of the employment of illegal aliens.

Known Fraud, Little Enforcement

The existence of the ESF means the Social Security Administration and the IRS, with which it coordinates, are sitting on a database containing a substantial population of fraudsters against American citizens. For the better part of two decades, government watchdogs have encouraged these agencies to put the data to use, but they have been reticent.

A 2005 Social Security Administration IG report stated: Although SSA continues to coordinate with DHS on immigration issues, it does not routinely share information regarding egregious employers who submit inaccurate SSNs. In our opinion, any serious plan to address SSN misuse and growth of the ESF must allow SSA to share such information with DHS, reads the report.

A 2006 GAO report similarly recommended that the SSA, IRS, and DHS share data to address this problem. However, federal law severely limits the SSA and IRS from sharing information from tax forms, in part on privacy grounds. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) called attempts to coordinate information-sharing between the SSA and immigration enforcement authorities during the Trump administration an all-out assault on our legal rights and our immigrant communities.

Since SSA lacks enforcement authority, the George W. Bush-led Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agency proposed a rule setting forth potential penalties for employers who did not respond to SSA no match lettersnotifications sent to employers informing them of employees whose SSNs dont match government records.

The proposed rule kicked off a firestorm of opposition from immigrant advocates. In 2008, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reinstated 33 employees who had been fired by their employer after receiving a no match letter. The court ruled a no match letter alone wasnt sufficient to determine whether employees were in violation of the law.

The Obama administration put an end to no match letters altogether. Jason Hopkins, the investigations manager for the IRLI, told RCI that the Obama administration did so in service of its Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Dreamers) program, which allowed illegal immigrants brought to the United States as children exemption from deportation and eligibility for work permits.

If they went in [and] applied for a DACA application, and they had to actually admit they put in fake social security numbers, theyd be essentially admitting to perjury, Hopkins says. So that would have scared them off, and Obama wanted them to apply for this program.

In 2019, the Trump administration-led Social Security Administration resumed sending out no match letters, delivering 1.6 million notices across 2019 and 2020. The Biden administration again discontinued the practice.

The SSA did not respond to RCIs multiple attempts to contact it regarding related policies.

The IRS has enforcement powers the SSA lacks, but has historically disavowed responsibility for dealing with illegal alien ID theft. In 2016 then-IRS Commissioner John Koskinen, who faced impeachment hearings for defying congressional subpoenas and the destruction of evidence, told Congress, We have Social Security and immigration authorities and others who enforce that part of the law, and if we start looking behind the system and doing their job for them, were going to discourage a lot of people from paying the taxes they owe.

Consistent with this view, a 2020 GAO report on employment-related identity fraud found that the IRS was not tracking numerous forms of employment-related identity fraud.

The IRS Internal Revenue Manual, which governs employees policies and practices, refers to those engaged in ID fraud as borrowers, defending this language as neutral, given that some may be borrowing an SSN from another family member to work, rather than engaging in actual identity theft.

When CNS News asked the IRS in 2018 how many taxpayer accounts it had referred for criminal prosecution, of the 1.3 million Treasurys inspector general had flagged for identity fraud, the agency said We do not have this information. Similarly, the IG report recommended that the IRS notify the 458,658 victims of ID theft identified in 2017and the IRS does not appear to have notified anyone.

When RCI asked the IRS about its policies for handling ID theft, the agency did not confirm it had done anything in response to the IGs findings or identity fraud specifically related to illegal immigration. A spokesman said that in recent years, weve referred peoplethat is, from the general U.S. populationfor prosecution all the time, and where appropriate, we work with other law-enforcement agencies.

The IRSs guide to employment-related identity theft highlights notices it might send to taxpayers indicating potential fraud, but it is not clear how many such letters it sends out, and the burden overwhelmingly falls on the victims to be vigilant and take steps to clear their names.

Meanwhile, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has curtailed worksite enforcement. Between halting no match letters and DHS leniency, Spencer Raley, a researcher with FAIR, told RCI, From a strictly immigration-enforcement standpoint, nothing is being done to combat the issue of illegal aliens committing document fraud in order to obtain employment.

RCI asked a series of questions of ICE, which leads criminal investigations into both document fraud and worksite enforcement, on the nature and extent of its targeting of those engaging in ID theft/fraud in employment, and whether and to what end it coordinated with other agencies on identifying such individuals for investigation. As of the time of publication, it had not responded to the questions.

Law enforcement agencies have periodically made illegal alien ID fraud busts in recent years, but not at meaningful levels relative to the previously reported number of fraudsters.

Given that Medicare is a beneficiary of the fraud, RCI posed a series of questions to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services pertaining to ESF, and whether it was aware of, or did anything to contact those whose SSNs might have been fraudulently used associated with Medicare contributions. A CMS spokesperson referred RCI to the Social Security Administration.

RCI posed similar questions to tax authorities in both California and Texasstates dominated by opposing political parties but each with substantial illegal alien populationsto ascertain whether they, like the federal government, were tracking taxes paid by those potentially using fraudulent IDs, including illegal aliens, and doing anything to pursue them.

Californias Franchise Tax Board told RCI that it does not have a state Earnings Suspense File, nor does it track how much tax revenue annually is attributable to individuals misrepresenting themselves on filings. It did note, If we suspect identity theft on an individual tax return, we send a notice to the taxpayer to let them know they may be a victim and how to verify the authenticity of the tax return on file. With respect to enforcement, the board indicated Fraudulent claims and suspected ID theft cases may be sent to its Criminal Investigations Bureau, which partners with other state law enforcement authorities. The board emphasized that California further partners with state, city, federal and industry partners to protect the entire tax ecosystem, with a focus on widespread fraudulent schemes and threat groups, rather than those filing and paying taxes.

As of the time of publication, Texas had not responded to RCIs inquiries.

Banks and credit agencies also have their own extensive sub-files for people who share the same Social Security number, but privacy laws make it impossible to get information on someone who has stolen ones SSN from a third party, even though the behavior of the person stealing ones number may end up affecting ones ability to get government benefits or credit.

Credit rating agencies Equifax, Experian, and Transunion did not respond to RCIs queries around illegal alien identity fraud.

Victims like Marcus Calvillo, left, face nightmares. Right, the illegal alien convict who stole his identity. (Tony Gutierrez/AP Photo; Kansas Department of Corrections via AP)

What Victims Face

Marcus Calvillo, a father of six from Grand Prairie, Texas, experienced one of the more harrowing episodes of identity fraud on record, at least in the eyes of the prosecutor who helped bring him justice. Calvillos life was upended after an illegal immigrant named Fernando Neave-Ceniceros was first arrested on drug trafficking charges in Kansas in 1993, then a slew of other ones, including a sex crime involving a minor, and his twice failing to register as a sex offender.

The criminal activity was recorded under Calvillos stolen identityNeave-Ceniceros fingerprints were linked to Calvillos name in national criminal databasesmaking it difficult for the innocent Calvillo to pass the cursory background checks required to hold a job and support his family.

At one point, Calvillo was working as a cable installer when he was abruptly fired. When asked why, he told the Associated Press he was only told, You know what you did. Calvillo also had disputes with the IRS over taxes on wages that had been paid to Neave-Ceniceros but recorded under his name.

After years of struggling to get helpa struggle similarly encountered by other victimsCalvillo contacted Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson, who had been pursuing another identity theft case, who helped him get justice. In 2016, Neave-Ceniceros was convicted on a series of charges including aggravated identity theft and misuse of a Social Security number. I dont know of a case where the theft of an identity had a more devastating impact than this one, Anderson told the Associated Press.

Despite wreaking havoc on Calvillos life, Neave-Ceniceros was only sentenced to one year and a day in prison for his crimes.

Horror stories such as Calvillos still abound. Ive been fired from jobs and have been accused of crimes I didnt commit because my identity was stolen, identity theft victim Adrian Gonzalez told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram last year. I dont know what to do anymore, I think I might need to change my name.

Linda Trevino, a Chicago suburb resident, was another victim, one of the hundreds of thousands NBC News cited in a report from over a decade ago. She had been denied a job at a local Target because someone using her SSN also worked there. Her number, in fact, had been used to obtain employment at 37 other employers, leaving her haunted by the IRS with letters asking her to pay others taxes, and facing creditors.

Children are victims of fraud too, and in fact may be prime targets given the clean records their IDs provide for thieves, and that conduct engaged in in their names may go undetected for years. Former California congressman Elton Gallegly wrote in The Hill in 2012 of a number of child victims of illegal immigrant fraud, including among them:

A 3-year-old issued an SSN already in use for years by a twice-arrested illegal alien, impacting the childs credit, medical, and work history.

A 9-year-old denied Medicaid due to wages reported on his SSN.

A 13-year-old denied as a dependent on her familys return for supposedly making too much money.

Immigration advocates downplay the criminality involved. Most workers are buying documents they believe to be false, a representative of the National Immigration Law Center told the Los Angeles Times. There isnt really any intention of stealing someones identity. But even when immigration-related identity theft lacks specific criminal intent, the confusion that ID theft creates when dealing with tax bills, receiving government benefits, facing ruined credit, and other problems can upend a persons life.

Citizens who discover someone else is using their Social Security number will quickly learn theres little they can do about it. According to the Social Security Administration, proof that ones SSN has been stolen and is being used by someone else isnt sufficient reason to change ones Social Security number. One must prove significant harm as a result, and the process is onerousin 2014 the agency only permitted a total of 250 people to change their Social Security number. The Federal Trade Commission details the numerous steps those who believe they might have been defrauded should take to get their lives back.

The problem is so extensive that Mike Chapple, a professor of information technology at the University of Notre Dames Mendoza College of Business, told Forbes, Its totally reasonable to assume that your Social Security number has been compromised at least once, if not many times.

Little Legislative Relief

One of the seminal victories for proponents of ID integrity in the workplace was the passage of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act in 1996, which launched the E-Verify system.

That its author, Rep. Ken Calvert, another California Republican, was still struggling 15 years later to move legislation making the program mandatory, illustrates the uphill battle the limited number of immigration hawks in Washington face.

The DHS-run program, which compares employment eligibility information from I-9 forms to government records, remains required solely of federal contractors. Only a small minority of states have mandated its use by employers. Republican senators Mitt Romney and Tom Cotton tried to pass a federal law that would simultaneously mandate E-Verify and raise the federal minimum wage to $10 an hour, but with the Senate controlled by Democrats, that legislation died.

On the House side, Georgia Republican Buddy Carter has sought to pass legislation multiple times that would require the IRS to produce a report on whether it could use proprietary information to identify illegal aliens fraudulently working in the United States, to no avail.

At the state level, even Republican red Texas, mired in problems pertaining to illegal immigration, has had difficulty finding the political will to police the workplace. At least 30 bills mandating E-Verify have been introduced in Texas in the past decade, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported last year. Only one has passed, and none addressed undocumented workers, employers or temporary employment agencies using fraudulently obtained identities.

Until recently, it wasnt clear whether states even had the authority to prosecute identity theft by illegal immigrants. In March of 2020, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that at least in some circumstances, they do, overturning a Kansas Supreme Court ruling that had voided the convictions of three illegal immigrants under the states identity theft law who had used stolen SSNs to obtain jobs.

The rapidly changing political landscape may be the only thing that could impact the broader trajectory of illegal immigration from which the fraud springs. The populist turn of the post-Donald Trump Republican Party is appealing to working class voters with a strong interest curbing illegal immigration to put upward pressure on wages.

Recent elections also show Hispanics voting for Republicans in significantly higher numbers, in part because of the Democrats more liberal border policies.

In the meantime, the illegal immigrant population continues to swell. The Biden administration has released over one million illegal immigrants into the United States, in addition to the more than 700,000 got-aways who evaded apprehension, and over 190,000 unaccompanied minors released into the interiorfor a total of nearly two million people. To put it bluntly, the Biden administration, and other Democratic administrations, they just dont care, says Jason Hopkins.

Mark Hemingway Follow Mark Hemingway reports on the key institutions shaping public life, from lobbying groups to federal agencies to elections, for RealClearInvestigations. His writing has appeared in USA Today, Wall Street Journal, MTV.com, and The Weekly Standard.
competition-boswell-vw0714

The Competition Bureau has faced a lot of criticism lately. It seems everyone has a favourite cause, company or deal that the bureau should have looked at, litigated against or blocked. I usually wouldnt comment on such criticisms. But my company, Dye & Durham Ltd., was used as a jumping off point to criticize the bureau and Canadas competition laws in an article by Vass Bednar, published in the Financial Post on June 28, 2022, entitled Why is Dye and Durham facing scrutiny in Australia and Britain, but not at home?

Bednar is entitled to her perspective. She may not like how competition law is enforced in this country, but does her criticism ring true based on the Dye & Durham example? Hardly.

Take her comparison to Australia and the U.K., two countries whose governments are reviewing Dye & Durham acquisitions. The Australian competition regulator has expressed some preliminary concerns about one transaction. But that is a far cry from any final decision. Similarly, the U.K. regulator has indicated some provisional concerns, but that is specific to the facts of that transaction and its review is ongoing.

What is different in Canada? Unlike its Australian and U.K. counterparts, Canadas Competition Bureau doesnt typically announce its investigations. They happen in confidence. But the Competition Bureau speaks with market participants and customers to understand the industry and any potential competitive harm a transaction could cause. If the Competition Bureau finds a problem, it has repeatedly said that it has the tools and the wherewithal to go after it. It has the ability to get a court order requiring production of extensive amounts of information  far more targeted and effective than the market studies Bednar suggests.

In fact, the bureau has been very active lately. In early 2021, the Competition Bureau was in court trying to unwind a merger involving grain elevators it alleges harms Canadian farmers. In mid-2021, it sought to block, and then challenged in court, a merger in the oilfield waste sector. And now, the Competition Bureau is challenging  and has temporarily blocked  the proposed $26-billion merger between two of Canadas largest telecom companies, Rogers Communications Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc. The Competition Bureau has forced Rogers and Shaw to announce a proposed divestiture to Quebecor Inc. to try to resolve its concerns.

Story continues

So, Bednar might ask, if the bureau isnt asleep at the wheel, whats going on with Dye & Durham? I wont presume to speak for the Competition Bureau, but I will speak from Dye & Durhams perspective. Yes, we have grown tremendously. Yes, we have raised our prices. Both have made headlines. Rising prices for almost everything are grabbing headlines today.

But software isnt a tank of gas. Dye & Durham works relentlessly to deliver the highest quality software products to our customers, who derive tremendous value from the digitization of previously manual processes. Our products save our customers  and the clients they serve  enormous amounts of money every year. They improve the productivity of every law office and business that uses them. Thats why our customers choose to use our products again and again despite other available options. Thats also why the province of Ontario recently chose to extend our partnership.

Bednar is correct that a very small number of our customers have chosen to work with our competitors. Were disappointed to lose anyone as a customer, but thats how a market economy works. Seeing customers vote with their feet pushes us to deliver better products every day. That competition has driven Dye & Durhams efforts to invest in innovation that we can use to further improve our products and services. That investment costs a lot of money. But its an innovation race that we have to keep running if we dont want to lose.

Bednars implication that the Competition Bureau should be competing for media attention with its international peers or with private plaintiffs (who usually receive 25 to 30 per cent of multimillion settlements) misses where the competition is actually happening: in the market among software providers, where it ought to be.

Charlie MacCready is executive vice president and chief legal officer at Dye & Durham.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson answers questions during a briefing on the current CCP virus pandemic in Downing Street, London, on Nov. 5, 2020. (Leon Neal/WPA Pool/Getty Images); Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon holds a briefing on the CCP virus outbreak in Edinburgh on March 26, 2020. (Andy Buchanan/WPA Pool/Getty Images)

With Bogeyman Johnson Gone, Will Scottish Independence Bid Falter?

As the curtain prepares to fall on the British Prime Minister Boris Johnsons premiership serious political gamesmanship will determine Scotlands future after its devolved government threw down the gauntlet on independence, according to political observers.

The leader of the Scottish National Party and Scotlands First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has declared her governments aim to make the UKs next general election a de facto vote on Scottish independence if permission to hold a referendum on Oct. 19, 2023 is denied.

The firstand last referendumon whether Scotland should become an independent country in 2014 saw voters decide to remain in the 300-year-old union by a 10 percent margin.

Now whoever takes over the leadership of the ruling Conservative Party in London looks certain to refuse the request to grant a Section 30 order to hold another referendum, as Johnson has.

An application to challenge the decision in the UK Supreme Court is seen not only by critics as unlikely to succeed.

So how will the loss of Johnson affect the cause for Scottish independence?

Immune to Johnsons Charms

Johnsons lack of appeal north of the border has never really been in doubt, and can, perhaps, be summed up by one journalist recently writing in The National, a pro-independence newspaper: Like the vast majority of Scots, I am thoroughly immune to Boris Johnsons charms

And it wasnt only his ideological opponents. A majority of Scottish Tory MPs clearly thought their cause would be better served without the embattled prime minister, as four of the six voted no confidence in him last month.

Boris was never particularly popular in Scotland even among Scottish Conservatives, a Conservative activist who asked not to be named told The Epoch Times. So I think there is a limited amount of damageif you likein his departure.

Pamela Nash, a former Labour MP, now chief executive of the pro-UK campaign group Scotland in Union based in Glasgow, suggests that antipathy to his public persona north of the border is such that Johnsons downfall could prove to be a spoke in the independence wheel.

I dont think the SNP will be very happy that Boris is going because they have been able to use him as the bogeyman, Nash told The Epoch Times. Its been a big part of their campaign for a referendum to get away from having Boris Johnson as a leader, as part of the UK.

But Nash is still nervous of another referendum, saying, By its very nature it will divide us once again.

Pivoting From Johnson to His Party

Scottish leaders have been quick to pivot to suggesting Johnson is only part of the problem.

This is about so much more than one individual, Sturgeon stressed in an interview with the BBC. While Boris Johnson is resigning, this damage is not limited to Boris Johnsonhe is merely the symptom of a broken political system that elevates people like him into power.

Johnson was only part of a fundamentally broken Westminster system, which places elitism, entitlement, and cronyism at its core, Sturgeon insisted.

Patrick Harvey, co-leader of the Scottish Greens, who are in a power-sharing arrangement with the SNP and support independence, went further: Lets not kid ourselves: Johnson was never fit to hold high office.

Those in the Conservative Party who facilitated Johnsons lying, his lawbreaking, and his incompetence must be held to account too.

Boris Johnson had also appointed himself the UKs first ever minister for the union. Conversely, it may be his departure that aids it most in the short term.

Whether Johnsons fall will ultimately prove a stabilising factor for the union remains to be seen.

Serious Political Gamesmanship

When asked about the implications of his resignation for Scotlands potential bid for independence next year, the instinctive answer of Professor Iain Begg from the European Institute at the London School of Economics is none.

Because I cannot see any other Tory leader taking a different view on agreeing to Sturgeons request, Begg told The Epoch Times.

The reality of a stand-off such as seems to be hoving into view would see serious political gamesmanship and I wouldnt like to hazard a guess as to how that will play out, actually, Stephen Fisher, professor of political sociology at Oxford University, ventured.

In a speech to the Scottish Parliament on June 28, Sturgeon insisted that last May, the people of Scotland said yes to an independence referendum by electing a clear majority of MSPs committed to that outcome.

While some accuse the SNP of exploiting every opportunity to pursue independence, the gripes are not just politiking.

A fundamental complaint is that Scotland has repeatedly had Conservative governments foisted on it, with a majority of Scots having not voted for a Tory government in a UK general election since 1955.

Brexit

In the Brexit referendum of 2016, in Scotland the majority voted to remain in the EU. Many proponents of independence said this amounted to Scotland being taken out of the EU against the will of the Scottish people.

Yet for Scottish Liberal Democrat deputy leader Wendy Chamberlain, another vote on independence in Scotland is not the answer to concerns about leaving the EU.

We oppose putting up new barriers to people and business, whether thats down the Irish Sea, the Channel, or at Gretna.

Leaving the EU was a mistake and it came with profound consequences. But the solution isnt for Scotland to throw more harmful nationalism at the situation.

Needed: A Compelling Story

With Conservative leadership hopefuls now jockeying to replace him, Fisher thinks whoever succeeds Johnson will have options to woo Scots.

Youd expect any Conservative leader to be committed to the union of Scotland in the UK and that shouldnt really discriminate much between candidates.

But there ought to be some who can create a more compelling story as to why they care about that.

If you get a more moderate prime minister who is more popular in Scotland maybe the antipathy towards the UK government would decline across the whole of Scottish society.

Fisher goes through possibilities.

They could include better Brexit arrangements for the export industry.

If the new leader is less concerned with climate change than Johnson was they might be more sympathetic to strengthening Scotlands fossil fuel industries.

Or they could look to reap huge advantages in Scotland with access to increasingly cheap renewable energy resources to enhance energy security and climate change mitigation, Fisher told The Epoch Times.

Other gestures could include tackling the soaring cost-of-living crisis and the anticipated rise in fuel bills.

Something that shows that the UK government can, with its size and power and reserves, actually help solve problems like that might show to people in Scotland that there is some advantage to being part of the UK.

Could Scotland Rejoin the EU?

A major factor in the question about independence is whether an independent Scotland could rejoin the European Union.

But Nash thinks the problems of leaving the United Kingdom would outweigh the benefits of rejoining the EU as 60 percent of trade is with the rest of the UK.

She also raises the spectre that haunted the first failed independence referendum. That it would need only one EU member state to veto Scotlands application to rejoin it.

There are still countries that would be very, very cautious about welcoming Scotland because of the separatist groups in their own country, Nash says, adding, Spain is the main one which comes to mind.

These are issues for the debate if and when it comes.

As things stand, the stage appears set for a showdown between London and Edinburgh over whether the questions will be asked at all.

In the context of a campaign things could go either way, says Fisher. It does remain a possibility that if theres a referendum there could be support for independence winning next time because things are so evenly balanced at the moment.

With suggestions having already been floated that Johnsons successor could seek a new mandate via a general election, Sturgeons brinkmanship could be tested sooner rather than later.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is doing its part to help local businesses take advantage of the opportunities offered by international trade.

Tom Dustman, international sales director for Sunnen Products Company, is coordinating and facilitating the second annual Export NOW program that will begin in late August with the first of three virtual training sessions.

Export NOW, which had its inaugural sessions in the spring of 2021, is sponsored by the Illinois SBDC International Trade Center at SIUE. The program is designed to help southern Illinois businesses grow their sales through exporting.

Sunnen Products Company, located at 7910 Manchester Road in Maplewood, Missouri, is a 98-year-old family-owned machine tool manufacturer. Its focus is on bore finishing, commonly called honing, and international trade is a major part of its business.

"The manufacturing process of honing is a secondary operation, and there has to be a work piece that has a hole in it," Dustman said. "When there is a requirement for ultra-high precision, honing is utilized.

"We like to say we perfect the hole. We make that hole very round and very straight and we impart a surface texture that allows lubrication to be attached to the walls of the hole."

Dustman is among the many international trade experts featured at Export NOW, which is a three-day series of workshops.

"We take a strategic look at the world," Dustman said. "We work with companies to create an export business plan for international trade. The plan is created with the assistance of people like me who have experience and knowledge on the topic."

The first session, on Wednesday, Aug. 24, is "International Outlook."

"For Session 1, I have recruited speakers from my network around the United States, plus a gentleman from the (United Kingdom)," Dustman said. "Well talk about how to select the country where you want to export. Its not always something like choosing Canada because its close and because they speak English.

"There may be other countries where the opportunities are much greater, but you need to have language skills or knowledge about business activities and customs. You also need to decide if youre going to sell direct, work through a distributor or find other means through a third party to represent your company."

Session 2, on Wednesday, Sept. 7, is "Export and Import 101," while the third and final session, on Wednesday, Sept. 21, is "Planning for Success."

"In each of those sessions, well talk about exporting and importing, including the dos and donts and the things you need to plan for," Dustman said. "In the last session, we will review the business plan for each of the invited companies."

Each session, which is virtual training via Zoom, runs from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with a break from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Export NOW series is being offered at no cost to five Illinois small businesses, with the $900 per company scholarship being fully covered by CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act funding.

As of Wednesday, spots were still available for two companies.

"This isnt something hypothetical  it will help you create a marketing strategy," Dustman said, "We have presenters from the Small Business Administration and the U.S. Commercial Service as well as people who will talk about digital payment methods that exist now as opposed to more traditional methods like a letter of credit.

"We have people who can help you create a website in another country so you can market your product or your service appropriately. Our mentors are all practitioners, like myself, who deal with exports every day."

Sunnen Products Company, meanwhile, provides an example of how a company can thrive and grow thanks to international trade.

Dustman noted that Sunnen, which employs about 500 people, has a global reach with 14 international subsidiaries, soon to be 15. It also has a sales network of about 35 independent distributors around the world.

"The normal question is, what kinds of parts are honed, and examples include internal combustion chainsaw engines, string trimmer engines and leaf blower engines," Dustman said. "They are all honed to very accurate dimensions to ensure that there is the power necessary to function, but also to minimize the pollution from exhaust.

"If you have an internal combustion engine in your car, all of the engine cylinder bores are honed so that the engine runs efficiently and provides all of the horsepower that is needed. Hydraulic cylinders on excavators and dump trucks are all products that are honed. The landing gear on aircraft are honed, such as the flight control valves, so that when the pilot flips the switch, the gears will always work."

Another example of honing is a diesel fuel injector.

"All of those fuel injectors are honed on Sunnen honing equipment and we sell that equipment to companies such as Caterpillar and Cummins," Dustman said. "Those injectors are typically honed to a bore straightness tolerance of about one micron, which is 1/175th of a human hair."

Dustman added that Sunnen has been exporting for about 85 years, with 45% of its annual revenue coming from international sales.

"Its a privilege for me to be responsible for all of the sales activity outside of the United States," Dustman said. "Im knowledgeable about normal business activities related to exporting, such as how you are going to get paid, in U.S. dollars or local currency, and how youre going to be ensured to get paid rather than sending your goods to some foreign country and hoping you get paid.

"Different countries have different standards for safety, and we have to know about those as well. U.S. compliance with export law is another area of regulation and its something you need to be constantly aware of. International trade documentation is also important, and you need to have total accuracy."

The sheer scope of international trade opportunities provides another reason for local companies to export their products and services.

"The United States represents only 5% of the worlds economy and the other 95% rests outside the United States," Dustman said. "There is a lot of activity out there that people can take advantage of if they want to export."

To apply and pre-register for Export NOW, send an email to international-trade-center@siue.edu with your company name, Illinois address, number of employees, website, and contact information for the representative of your company who would commit to attending all three sessions. Once the SBDC International Trade Center receives your email, it will be in touch to discuss eligibility, in order to be admitted as a participant in the program.

"The obvious benefit for companies in southern Illinois is to provide economic benefits for the future, including jobs for people," Dustman said. "When you look at a company like Sunnen with 500 employees and nearly half of our sales are international, if we just depended on the U.S. market, we would be half the size.

"There are good opportunities outside the United States because many countries prefer to buy from American companies. They know about the reliability of American companies, and they know that they can trust American suppliers and that the goods will arrive on time and that they will work. They feel there is no risk working with a U.S. company."
St. Clair County, Illinois health officials have announced the investigation of a probable case of monkeypox.

The county health department said in a press release Thursday afternoon that they are awaiting confirmation from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. An initial investigation shows the individual has had minimal contact with the public and any close contacts have been notified.

Domestic travel is believed to be associated with the case, according to the county health department, and there has been no identification of additional cases.

Officials are not releasing any identification of the individual, nor are they saying which region of the county this occurred in. St. Clair County is home to some of the most populated cities in the St. Louis Metro East including the county seat of Belleville, Fairview Heights, O'Fallon and Mascoutah. Collinsville in located in southern Madison County near the St. Clair County line.

A probable case of monkeypox in St. Louis is also being investigated.

Illinois reports 152 cases.
LA HULPE, Belgium, July 14, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Unifiedpost Group (Euronext: UPG) (Unifiedpost, the Group or the Company) today announces that Alychlo, the investment vehicle of Marc Coucke, has increased its stake to 11.93% of the shares.

On 11 July 2022, Alychlo N.V. exceeded the 10% threshold and the investment company held 4,120,282 shares (11.93%).

Hans Leybaert, CEO and founder of Unifiedpost: "We are delighted to welcome Alychlo as a new reference shareholder. Its a strong confirmation that this locally rooted family office believes in our future-oriented product offering and supports us in further writing Unifiedposts long-term growth story."

Nationale Nederlanden, PE Group, PMV, and FPIM are also among Unifiedpost Groups reference shareholders.

Financial calendar for 2022 12 August 2022 Publication of Business Update H1 2022 16 September 2022 Publication of Financial Results H1 2022 10 November 2022 Publication of Business Update Q3 2022

About Unifiedpost Group

Unifiedpost is a leading cloud platform for SME business services based on "Documents", "Identification" and "Payments". Unifiedpost develops and operates a 100% cloud platform for administrative and financial services that enable a real-time and seamless connection between Unifiedposts customers, their suppliers, their customers and other players in the financial value chain. With its one-stop-shop approach, Unifiedposts mission is to organise the administrative and financial processes of its customers in a simple and smart way. Since its inception in 2001, Unifiedpost has grown significantly with offices in 32 countries. In 2021, more than 500 million documents were processed and more than 1,600,000 SMEs were reached via the platform, as well as more than 2,500 larger companies.

Facts and figures worthy of mention:

Founded in 2001, a proven track record

2021 turnover of 171 million

1,400+ employees

A diverse, large and growing customer base in a wide range of sectors (banking, leasing, utilities, media, telecommunications, travel, social services, public organisations, etc.) ranging from large internationals to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs)

Unifiedpost Payments, a 100% subsidiary, is recognised by the National Bank of Belgium as a payment institution

Certified Swift partner

International track record in mergers and acquisitions

Listed on the regulated market of Euronext Brussels, code: UPG

Story continues

(*) Warning regarding forward-looking statements: The statements contained herein may contain forecasts, forward-looking statements, opinions and other forward-looking declarations with respect to the anticipated future performance of Unifiedpost Group and the markets in which Unifiedpost Group operates. Such forward-looking statements are based on managements current views and assumptions regarding future events. They naturally involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that appear justified at the time they are made, but may not prove to be accurate. Actual results, performance, or events could therefore differ materially from the results, performance, or events expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Except as required by applicable law, Unifiedpost Group has no obligation to update, clarify, or improve any forward-looking statements contained in this press release in light of new information, future events or otherwise, and disclaims any liability with respect thereto. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Unifiedpost Group SA  https://www.unifiedpost.com/en/investor-relations

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220713006014/en/

Contacts

Investor Relations & Media

Sarah Heuninck

+32 491 15 05 09

sarah.heuninck@unifiedpost.com
Rodeos throughput, or tonnes per day processed, held steady at 522 tons compared to 527 tons in the previous quarter

Golden Minerals Company (NYSE-A:AUMN, TSX:AUMN, ETR:7GB) revealed its 2Q production figures showing its Rodeo gold-silver mine in Mexico delivered 3,004 ounces of payable gold.

During the three-month period to end June 30, 2022, Rodeo also produced 12,768 ounces silver, according to a release.

All told, the mine delivered 3,158 gold equivalent ounces during the quarter at an average gold grade of 2.6 grams per ton, compared to 3,608 gold equivalent ounces at 3.1 grams per ton gold in 1Q 2022.

Rodeos throughput, or tonnes per day processed, held steady at 522 tons compared to 527 tons in the previous quarter, as did total tons processed of 47,479 (47,437 in 1Q).

The 1,866-hectare gold project is located in Durango State, Mexico, approximately 80 kilometers west of the Velardena properties and processing mills. Golden began gold and silver production at Rodeo in January 2021.

The mining operation generated over $25 million in revenue and $12 million in net operating margin in 2021.

Golden Minerals achieved gold recovery of 75.1% and silver recovery of 82.3%, it added.

Based in Golden, Colorado, Golden Minerals is primarily focused on producing gold and silver from its Rodeo mine and advancing its Velardena properties in Mexico. Through partner-funded exploration, it is advancing the El Quevar silver property in Argentina, as is acquiring and advancing selected mining properties in Mexico, Nevada and Argentina.

Contact Angela at angela@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow her on Twitter @AHarmantas
ABUJA, 14 July 2022  Over 500,000 conflict-affected people will benefit from a new humanitarian and development package aimed at enhancing peace, increasing livelihood opportunities and providing education, health, nutrition, child protection, and sanitation support to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable populations in Borno and Yobe States.

Funded by the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development through German Development Bank, KfW, children 0-23 months, pregnant women, school-age children, adolescent girls, female-headed households, and people with disability will be targeted under the Resilience and Social Cohesion project to be implemented for three years by the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF.

The multi-year project will leverage ongoing humanitarian support in Bade Local Government Area (LGA) of Yobe State and Shani LGA of Borno State, while also providing multisectoral interventions to address drivers of conflict and fragility. The project will support the strengthening of local governance structures to promote social cohesion through community-based processes and the capacity building of Government partners.

Now in its thirteenth year, armed conflict in north-east Nigeria has levelled communities, destroyed livelihoods, and disrupted essential services for children and adults. Protracted insecurity, high food prices and COVID-19 lockdowns have put more than 4 million people in need of food assistance. The situation is further exacerbated by a severe impact of violence and unrest on family income, mental health, nutrition, education and other child protection concerns. Across the region, 1.14 million children are acutely malnourished at a scale not seen since 2018.

This is a pathway to peace and sustainable development, said Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria. Children and other vulnerable groups will have a lifeline, and an opportunity to survive and thrive in communities where livelihood and peace building activities are present.

Conflict in any region is potential instability in the rest of the world. UNICEF is grateful to the German Government for supporting pathways to child survival and peace in north-east Nigeria, said Peter Hawkins.

The Resilience and Social Cohesion programme will contribute to seven Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of poverty eradication, zero hunger, access to quality education, gender equality, good health and wellbeing, climate action, peace, justice and strong institutions as well as partnership for goals.

The new programme which will focus on peace building, governance capacity strengthening, sustainable livelihood creation, restoration of infrastructures, and provision of life-saving services to 156,888 direct beneficiaries and 362,307 indirect beneficiaries in both LGAs.

WFP welcomes this timely and generous support from the Government and people of Germany. This project will support people and communities facing the peril of conflict and hunger in northeast Nigeria, especially in Borno and Yobe states, said Ms. Simone Parchment, Deputy Country Director and Officer in Charge, the World Food Programme Country Office, Nigeria.

In these affected states, persistent conflict, climate shocks, high food prices and reduced household purchasing power undermine peoples ability to feed themselves and sustain their livelihoods. This contribution from the Government of Germany will go a long way in building resilience, social cohesion and peace in the affected communities.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ebun Adegboruwa, has warned Nigerians against electing former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, as the president of Nigeria in 2023.

He made this known in a statement made available to The PUNCH on Wednesday.

The lawyer accused Atiku of being desperate, saying that PDP cannot be trusted with Nigerias constitution.

He also accused the PDP of flouting its rotation principle with Atikus emergence.

The PUNCH had reported that on May 27, Abubakar won the PDP presidential ticket for 2023 general elections, after polling 371 out of the 767 accredited votes to defeat his closest rival, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers who polled 237 votes.

Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, came a distant third with 70 votes. While former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, scored 14 votes, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi got 20 votes, while Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom scored 38 votes.

Dele Momodu and Ayo Fayose, Charles Ugwu, and Chikwendu Kalu scored zero votes each, while Tarella Diana and Sam Ohuabunwa each received one vote each.

While highlighting the dangers of Atikus presidency, Adegboruwa said, Undue and unbridled desperation for power lead to ineffectiveness. This has been the case with Buhari and so it shall be with Atiku, who has lusted for power beyond human understanding.

In order to satisfy the political ambition of Atiku, PDP ate its own vomit, threw away its own Constitution and rejected decency and justice embedded in the power rotation doctrine. If PDP will not honour its own Constitution, how can it be trusted with the Constitution of Nigeria?

In seeking to succeed Buhari from the same Northern region, Atiku and his supporters do not believe in the plurality and unity of Nigeria.

In seeking to succeed Buhari who is a Muslim of the same faith with him, Atiku does not believe in the secularity of Nigeria as stated in our Constitution.

In rejecting the popular decision of the PDP Committee set up to select his Vice-Presidential candidate, Atiku has shown himself to be an incurable dictator, who may be worse than Buhari if trusted with power.

An Atiku presidency will translate to 16 years of unbroken presidency of the North, which will lead to more agitations and may snowball into disintegration.

An Atiku presidency will translate to 16 years of Muslim-Muslim presidency, which will facilitate more terrorist attacks, lead to marginalisation of people of other faiths and likely increased persecution.

Having regard to our collective experience under the inglorious Obasanjo/Atiku regime, an

Atiku presidency will translate into the loss of national assets, the mortgaging of our commonwealth and uncontrolled senseless capitalism, leading to poverty of the masses.

Atiku cannot be the option for todays Nigeria. I, therefore, urge all people of good conscience to reject PDP and its leprous ticket.

Story Credit: Punch


The recent contention by Erastus Ikhide in a piece dated July 8, 2022 and titled Atiku in stormy waters over choice of running mate, more than anything else brings to mind the time-honoured saying by Martin Lurther King Jr, American Baptist minister and civil activist, that just as there are three Souths geographically, there are several Souths in terms of attitudes. A minority in each of these states, he explained, would use almost any means, including physical violence, to preserve segregation.

Aside from qualifying as one of the above referenced minorities that uses almost any means, including but not limited to diatribe, to preserve segregation, promote fierce political and ideological warfare that negates our rationality as human beings as well as manipulate mass opinion, Ikhide, in that report alleged that all is not well with former Vice President Atiku Abubakars bid to contest next years presidential election on the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He hastily and scantly concluded that the joint ticket of Atiku and Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has deflated the hope of Nigerians who were looking up to the party for redemption.

But nothing in the opinion of this piece could be further from the truth! And that is the apt response to the above tissue of lies.

Further characterizing his minority attitude a contradiction, and fantasy fast approaching hallucination is the new awareness that it came at a time when vast majority of Nigerians with critical minds, for reasons that will be explained in subsequent paragraphs, views Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowas joint ticket in the forthcoming 2023 presidential election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as not only necessary and welcoming, but eminently desirable.

Essentially, separate from their enormous experience in public leadership sphere as the nations former Vice President and Executive Governor of Delta state respectively, the duo are aware that presently, Nigerians need for lengthy speeches, statements and eloquent words is far less important than their need for people who can build airports, ports, companies, factories and other growth-generating ventures. Atiku and Okowa are aware that good management requires a capable manager and will end both the galloping unemployment and underemployment situation in the country which, going by the latest report from the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) , stands at frightening 33%.

Their combination will save and serve Nigeria as they are capped with required managerial skills capable of mobilizing the resources needed to reach specific targets within a defined time frame.

One point that is Okowa -specific which Erastus Ikhide must not fail to remember is that Governor Okowas antecedents in the last seven years as a state governor, indicates that in the areas of infrastructure development/deployment, education and healthcare delivery, the Governor currently has no rival in the country as he glaringly shares ideological characteristics/ideals with the late sage of the old Western in the person of Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

Take as an illustration, I grew up in the then Mid Western region, all the primary schools that I know were founded in 1955 by Awo. It is amazing to create this number of schools to make sure that education was available for all was exemplary. You ask; what was the education budget of Western region in 1955 to create this number of primary schools?

He was just looking for what to do for people.

In line with the above performance, Delta state under Governor Okowas first term in office, witnessed over 5,000 classrooms renovated/reconstructed/constructed and in his second term had, to his credit; incubated, nurtured and brought into existence three healthy universities to cater for the academic yearnings of the people of the state.

Apart from three new universities Okowa recently incubated, nurtured and established in the state, evidence also abounds that as a result of the work of the Technical and Vocational Education Board in conjunction with the supervising Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education in the state, six technical colleges in Agbor, Sapele, Ofagbe, Utagba-Ogbe, Ogor and Issele-Uku have been fully rehabilitated, well equipped and fully functional. Consequently, Delta is the first State in the country to have all of the courses offered by its technical colleges accredited by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).

In the same vein, The Delta State Library (a fully equipped e-resource centre) and the Office of the Head of Service were completed and are functioning to optimum capacity. The administrations quest for organizational synergy among Ministries, Departments and Agencies, cost-efficient bureaucracy and timely, excellent service delivery is in full flight with the completion of construction of the Central Secretariat Complex, an architectural edifice in its own right. All the MDAs are currently in one location, which has enhanced functionality, discipline and reduced cost of managing government business. because they have one source of power, internet services, among others. The new complex is also fitted with, among other facilities, banking halls and creche to boost productivity and enhance staff welfare.

In the areas of infrastructural development of the state, Okowa in his first term in office (between 2015 to 2019), through the Ministries of Works, Urban Renewal and the Delta State Capital Territory Development Agency, embarked on a total of 455 projects comprising 1,269.42 kilometres of roads and 517.34 kilometres of drainage channels. As at April 30 2019, 263 of these roads, covering 638.23 kilometres of roads and 295.71 kilometres of associated drains have been completed. Such a record has since tripled. The Direct Labour Agency also made great strides in the development of road infrastructure during this period.

This effort has advanced rural-urban integration whilst ensuring that our urban centres remain livable cities with good road networks and recreation opportunities. Even much more significant is the awareness that such success in this sector not only saved thousands of jobs, but also created several thousand others as well as opportunities for the informal business sector to grow.

For instance, it was noted that when this administration came on board, many of the major construction companies/Government contractors were at the verge of retrenching many of their workers as a result of the slump in the economy. However, we prevailed on them not to do so, assuring them of patronage. Today, these companies have expanded and employed more people as a result of our huge investment in road and physical infrastructure.

The Asaba Airport for example, was downgraded just before the Governor assumed office. Today, the same airport is now a category 6 airport that receives international flights; the airport is now a major national carriers hub in the South-East and South-South geo-political zones. Same goes with the Osubi Airport in Warri part of the state.

In the health sector, Delta state under Governor Okowa became the first in the country to commence Universal Health Coverage with the establishment of the Delta State Contributory Health Commission in February 2016. The Commission commenced healthcare service access to enroll on the 1st of January 2017. As at May 15, 2019, the total number of enrollees stood at 530,664 broken down as follows:

Providing services under the scheme according to reports are 110 primary healthcare facilities, 65 secondary healthcare facilities and 52 private healthcare facilities spread across the 25 Local Government Areas in Delta State. Healthcare service access has also been provided to employees of the State at the Abuja and Lagos Liaison offices. With a robust and dynamic ICT Platform, the scheme has been able to initiate a seamless e-medical record registration process for all.

In the past seven years of his administration, he devoted substantial resources, time and energy to build a knowledge-based economy and a critical mass of skills for entrepreneurship and business competitiveness. Over 20,000 persons benefited from flagship Skills Training and Entrepreneurship Programme (STEP), Youth Agricultural Entrepreneurs Programme (YAGEP) and similar programmes undertaken by the Ministries of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Commerce and Industry, Women Affairs as well as the Delta State Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency.

Looking at the above evidence, it will elicit the question as to; where did Erastus Ikhide get his facts from?

Utomi Jerome-Mario is the Programme Cordinator (Media and Public Policy), The Social And Economic Justice Advocacy (SEJA). He could be reached via; [email protected] or 08032725374.
Sri Lankas President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, has formally resigned from office after months of protests by citizens due to the countrys economic collapse and widespread hardship.

According to New York Times, Mr Rajapaksa submitted his resignation by email from Singapore where he fled to after first fleeing to the Maldives. Mr Rajapaksa fled the country to the Maldives on an air force flight after weeks of protests and the storming of his office on Saturday.

The report also noted that Singapores foreign ministry had confirmed Mr Rajapaksas entry.

It was said he has neither been granted nor had asked for asylum.

On Wednesday, four-time Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe was appointed as the countrys acting president.

Protests outside Sri Lankas parliament in Colombo had left some 42 people injured. One soldier reportedly had his rifle and 60 rounds of ammunition seized by a mob of protesters.

The prime ministers private residence was burnt down during the protests on Saturday.

A state of emergency was declared on Wednesday to control the protests in Colombo. The curfew was lifted at dawn on Thursday.
Chamber of Commerce says more migrant workers needed

BANGKOK: The Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC) has emphasised the need for more migrant workers in various sectors to help the Thai economy recover from the pandemic.

economicsimmigrationMyanmar

By National News Bureau of Thailand

Thursday 14 July 2022, 11:27AM

Photo: NNT

TCC Vice Chairman Poj Aramwattananont said there is a high demand for workers in labour-intensive sectors such as agricultural goods and food processing for exports, construction, tourism and services, reports state news agency NNT.

However, he emphasised that factors such as issues in migrant home countries and competition for workers from other nations are impeding worker recruitment and thus slowing Thailands economic recovery.

The vice chairman estimated that the Kingdom would require at least 3-4 million migrant workers to get its economy moving forward.

According to Pairoj Chotikasathien, head of the Labour Ministrys employment department, there are currently 2.5mn documented migrant workers from Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar.

To address the shortage, the Cabinet has approved labour management plans that include allowing documented workers to stay until February 2025.

Undocumented workers will also be permitted to register and work until the same date.

He added that with improved labour plans and the arrival of more workers, Thailand could see nearly 3mn migrant laborers by the end of the year.
Dr Opas to become next Permanent Secretary for Public Health

BANGKOK: The Cabinet has approved the appointment of Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, the Director-General of the Department of Disease Control, as the next permanent secretary for public health.

health

By National News Bureau of Thailand

Thursday 14 July 2022, 09:12AM

Photo: NNT

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul proposed his appointment to the weekly Cabinet meeting on Tuesday (July 12) for approval, reports state news agency NNT.

Dr Opas will take over for Dr Kiattiphum Wongrachit, who will retire on Sept 30, to become the 32nd permanent secretary for public health on Oct 1.

Dr Opas has been a driving force behind Thailands disease prevention plans, restrictions and measures over the past two years. He has frequently appeared in the press and media to inform the public about COVID-19, Monkeypox and other diseases.

His efforts during the COVID pandemic were widely praised by the medical and scientific communities.
Hostage-taker shot in shoulder, woman rescued

KHON KAEN: Police rescued a woman held hostage by a homeless man armed with a hand grenade at a community in Muang district on Thursday morning (July 14), after shooting him in the shoulder, ending a three-hour drama.

violenceSafetypolice

By Bangkok Post

Thursday 14 July 2022, 06:04PM

The woman hostage runs from the shop after police shoot her captor, ending her three-hour ordeal. Photo: Chakrapan Natanri / Bangkok Post

Special weapons and tactics police arrest the hostage-taker after shooting him in the shoulder, at Theparak community in Muang district, Khon Kaen, on Thursday (July 14). Photo: Chakrapan Natanri / Bangkok Post

The man, whose name was not known, was shot in the left shoulder. He was later taken to hospital, reports the Bangkok Post.

The woman was uninjured.

The drama began around 9.30am when a man entered a motorcycle repair shop in Theparak community in Muang district. He was armed with an M61 hand grenade and he took the shop owners wife hostage.

Police had earlier on Thursday gone to the community in response to complaints about repeated thefts. Residents alleged that a homeless scavenger was responsible, said Khon Kaen Police Chief Maj Gen Nopphakao Sommanat.

The officers found the man in the area with his pushcart, he said

They searched him and the cart and found an 11mm pistol and 10 bullets in his possession.

The man then produced an M61 hand grenade, and held it in his hand. The officers tried to persuade him to lay it down, but he refused. The man bolted, running through the community and into the motorcycle repair shop where he took the owners wife hostage, Maj Gen Nopphakhao said.

While police tried unsuccessfully to persuade him to release the woman, a rescue operation was mounted.

They also tried to communicate with the woman, sending her signals to be prepared.

When the time was deemed right, the woman was signalled to run away, and special weapons and tactics (SWAT) police fired shots at the hostage-taker.

The man was hit in the left shoulder. He fell down and the officers moved in to take the grenade from his hand. He was taken to hospital.

Explosive ordnance disposal officers then cleared the area, ending the three-hour hostage drama.

Maj Gen Nopphakao said initial checks found no record of the man or a permanent residence. There was also no confirmation of reports he was a former paramilitary ranger. Checks were continuing.
Sterling becomes first signing of Chelseas new era

FOOTBALL: Raheem Sterling yesterday (July 13) became Chelseas first signing since Todd Boehlys consortium bought the club, ending his successful seven-year spell at Manchester City.

FootballPremier-League

By AFP

Thursday 14 July 2022, 09:30AM

England international Raheem Sterling became Chelseas first signing since Todd Boehlys consortium bought the club ending his successful spell at Manchester City. Photo: AFP

The 27-year-old forward signed a five year contract for a fee reported to be 50 million (B.1 billion).

England star Raheem Sterling has joined Chelsea from Manchester City on a five-year contract, said Chelsea in a statement.

Sterling had pre-empted his move earlier yesterday by posting a goodbye message on social media saying he left City as a man having arrived from Liverpool as a 20-year-old.

However, once the signing became official Sterling - who is with Chelsea on their pre-season tour of the United States - turned his attention to what he hopes to achieve under Thomas Tuchel.

Ive obviously achieved a lot in my career so far, but there is still so much more to achieve and Im really looking forward to doing that in a Chelsea shirt, under Thomass management, said Sterling.

London is my home and where it all started for me, and its amazing I now have the opportunity to play in front of friends and family week in, week out at Stamford Bridge.

Sterling, capped 77 times by England, won four Premier League titles among nine major trophies since joining City from Liverpool in 2015.

A key player in the early years of Pep Guardiolas reign at City, Sterling scored 131 goals in 337 appearances for the English champions.

However, his regular place in the starting line-up at City came increasingly under threat from the signing of Jack Grealish for a Premier League record 100 million last year, plus the emergence of Phil Foden from the clubs academy.

Sterling will reportedly be joined at Stamford Bridge for the new season by Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly.

The Telegraph reported a 34 million deal has been agreed between the clubs for the 31-year-old centre-back.

Chelsea were in need of defensive reinforcements after Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen left as free agents to join Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively.
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by Jasmine Hall

Wyoming Tribune Eagle

Via Wyoming News Exchange

CHEYENNE  The Wyoming Wildlife Task Force met Thursday to debate six propositions for limited-entry license allocation and its impacts on hunters.

These were considered as part of an effort to develop a comprehensive proposal...
Grabbing a Bunnings snag after collecting the goods for a big DIY Sunday is somewhat of a tradition down under.



Australian sausages at Bunnings saw a dollar increase in price yesterday - sucks for them. But are we about to be met with the same fate?

Thanks to Concrete Playground's investigative journalism, we know that the answer is no.
Have an interesting bit of news youd like to see mentioned in the Along the Way column? Email it to Natasha Connolly at news@thesunchronicle.com.
RTHK: Ivana Trump dies aged 73

Donald Trump's first wife Ivana Trump, 73, has died, the former US president said on Thursday.

"I am very saddened to inform all of those that loved her, of which there are many, that Ivana Trump has passed away at her home in New York City," Donald Trump said in a post on the social medial platform Truth Social.

The couple married in 1977 and divorced in 1992. They had three children together: Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric.

"Ivana Trump was a survivor. She fled from communism and embraced this country. She taught her children about grit and toughness, compassion and determination," the Trump family said in a statement quoted by ABC News. She grew up under Communist rule in the former Czechoslovakia.

Neither the Trump family statement nor the post from the former president mentioned the cause of her death. (Reuters)

This story has been published on: 2022-07-14. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Republican Tim Michels, who has the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, is running for Wisconsin governor as a political outsider.

But records compiled by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, which tracks political spending and donations, show Michels and his wife gave more than $200,000 to powerful Republicans and candidates for the past 12 years. His top GOP rival in the race, former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, and her political committees donated $130,000 over the same period.

The winner of the Aug. 9 primary will advance to face Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.

Michels, co-owner of the Michels Corp. construction company, along with his wife, Barb, gave $207,650 to Republican and conservative candidates between 2010 and 2022, the Democracy Campaign data released Wednesday showed. Michels extended family gave $541,400 over that time period, the Democracy Campaign said.

The top beneficiary of donations from Michels and his wife was former Gov. Scott Walker, who got $58,000. Walker, who backs Kleefisch in the race, this week released an ad attacking Michels over his involvement with groups that advocated for a higher gas tax.

Before they were political rivals, Michels even donated to Kleefisch, giving her $1,000 in October 2010, just before she and Walker were elected for the first time, records show.

In 2002, Michels gave $3,000 to Republican Gov. Scott McCallum and $1,000 to his Democratic opponent, Jim Doyle. When asked about the Doyle donation in 2004, when Michels was running for U.S. Senate, his campaign spokesperson told The Capital Times newspaper that he gave the money in the best interest of his employees and the best interest of the business.

That was the last time Michels donated to a Democrat.

Michels ran for U.S. Senate in 2004 and lost to Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold. Since then, he has focused on his familys construction business while also serving in leadership roles for various high-powered organizations, including Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, the Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association and the Transportation Development Association.

Kleefisch, her husband, Joel, who is a former state representative, her campaign committee and a political action committee she created have contributed $130,000 to Republican and conservative candidates since 2010, the Democracy Campaign said. Kleefisch was lieutenant governor under Walker from 2011 to 2018.

Kleefischs contributions were smaller than Michels, with the highest donation being $5,000 to Deborah Kerr, a 2021 conservative candidate for state superintendent of schools.

Evers, his wife and his campaign committee donated about $14,000 to Democrats and liberal candidates over the same time, the Democracy Campaign said. The highest donation was just under $3,500 to Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul, who is also up for reelection this year.
Our View: Beacon Hill gets most of it right on public meetings
For the Telegraph

ALTON  The Alton Section of the National Council of Negro Women, Inc. will host its biennial cotillion Saturday, July 23, at 5 p.m. at the Premier Best Western Hotel, 3550 College Ave., in Alton.

This year's theme, Jewels of Distinction, embodies all the 2022 debutantes: ENiya Fields, Kyla Gerhardt, Kaliyah Newby, Amyiah Pittman and Anya Robinson.
Chatham Police Department

CHATHAM  Police and village workers in this Sangamon County community are getting an outpouring of love this morning after a video of them rescuing trapped ducklings started making the social media rounds.

Police in the town about 3 miles south of Springfield were called Wednesday afternoon to Hurstbourne and Windycrest drives after a passer-by found several baby ducklings trapped inside a storm drain.
EDWARDSVILLE  An expert forensic pathologist testified Wednesday that he recovered three slugs from the body of murder victim Andre Hutson of St. Louis.

Dr. Nathaniel Patterson testified in the trial of William Jenkins, 45, of Madison, that Hutsons death was of gunshot wounds and the manner of death was homicide. Jenkins is charged with first-degree murder, possession of a weapon by a felon and attempted armed robbery.

Hutson was killed Dec. 7, 2021 in Madison.

The doctor testified that one bullet entered the side of Hutsons head and lodged in his brain. The projectile caused bleeding in the brain, he said.

Another slug entered just below the victims ear and lodge next to his spinal cord, the doctor said. There were five bullet wounds found, Patterson said, which conforms with the prosecutions theory that Hutson was shot five times.

Three of the wounds caused less damage. One wound was superficial. Two other wounds showed evidence, of gun powder stippling, meaning the shots were fired at close range.

The doctor also testified that during his autopsy, he recovered a Taser probe from Hutsons chest.

It was unclear who fired the Taser and how one probe apparently hit Jenkins and the other hit Hutson.

The state is also claiming that a pair of gloves found not far from the scene also contained Jenkins DNA. Prosecutors Wednesday questioned several experts about the gloves.

In addition to Jenkins, Larry D. Lovett, 45, of Madison has been charged in the killing. Both Jenkins and Lovett have long criminal records.

Lovett was out on federal parole on a drug charge when Hutson was murdered. He is also charged with being a felon in possession of a weapon, a Taser, and attempted armed robbery.

In addition to first-degree murder, Jenkins is also charged with attempted armed robbery and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon.

Jenkins has a criminal record dating to 1994 when he was convicted of possession of a controlled substance.

He was also convicted in 1994 of possession of drugs near a school, housing project or school. He also was convicted that year of two counts of probation violation. He was convicted in 1996 of possession if a controlled substance. He also has convictions for aggravated discharge of a firearm, two additional counts of probation violation, and aggravated criminal sexual assault for which he was sentenced to 18 years in prison.

In 2007, he was convicted of manufacture or delivery of cocaine for which he was sentenced to four years in prison. In 2011; he was convicted of mob action.

At the time of the killing of Hutson, he was awaiting trial on charges of possession of a controlled substance and aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer.

In addition to the alleged murder of Hutson, Lovett is awaiting trial on a separate Aug. 2, 2021, charge for the murder of Ahmad Nunley of Granite City.

He was convicted in 2008 of a federal count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possession with intent to deliver cocaine, for which he was sentenced to 23 years in federal prison.
The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022, which effectively ended federal protections for a woman's right to an abortion, has continued to draw strong and often vocal opinions from all parts of the political spectrum.

Initial research by entities such as NPR, Pew Research, Politico and more have shown approximately 60% of Americans were opposed to overturning Roe v. Wade.

In fact, Gallup, Inc., an analytics company, has tracked the opinion of the nation since 1989, conducting 14 separate readings in that time, showing consistently nearly two-thirds of the nation supported Roe v. Wade, while only one-third favored overturning the case decisions and the protections it put in place for a woman's ability to have an abortion in the first three months of pregnancy.

"Partisans' opinions are sharply polarized on the issue, with 80% of Democrats, 62% of independents and 31% of Republicans saying they do not want Roe v. Wade overturned," a June 2, 2022 Gallup article read. "In contrast, 58% of Republicans, 34% of independents and 15% of Democrats want it reversed."

Now that the Supreme Court has overturned the ruling, and state governments across the nation scramble to either reinforce or block a woman's right to an abortion, some may be left wondering what is next.

Impact of the decision

While an initial reaction to the ruling might suggest it only impacts women, experts say that isn't the case.

One can argue that the majority of laws in the country have been written, enacted and enforced by men. This has created a strong public opinion pointing to a mostly patriarchal government that has made decisions on the behalf of all genders. The overturn of women's federally-protected rights to an abortion is no exception. Five men and one woman of a nine-member U.S. Supreme court voted to overturn Roe v. Wade  with each of the six being appointed by a Republican president.

While the protections that were stripped away were focused on a woman's choice, men undoubtedly are impacted by those decisions as well. A few weeks ago, the New York Times spoke to several men who shared how abortions have impacted their lives.

The NYT article states "an estimated one in five men in the U.S. has been involved in an abortion," according to analysis of data from the National Survey of Family Growth.

"Men really need to consider what losing access to safe and legal abortion means for them," said Joe Colon-Uvalles, an organizer at the abortion rights group Planned Parenthood, in the NYT article.

Roe v. Wade, the 1973 lawsuit between Jane Roe, an unmarried pregnant woman who sued to challenge Texas abortion laws in 1973 also enforced an individual's "zone of privacy." The ruling effectively stated things like contraception, marriage and child-rearing were included in these zones of privacy. Some experts, such as attorney and educator Sarah Wald, with Harvard University, speculate that overturning Roe will also have an impact on other private matters.

"The decision also has potentially devastating implications for other rights, many longstanding and currently part of the social, historical and moral fabric of America," Wald said in a Harvard article published June 28, 2022.

The impact has prompted some, such as news agencies like the Washington Post and The Conversation  written by academic experts  to suggest men should not only speak up about abortion's impact on their lives but also that it could be more impactful if they do.

"Some men could only hear a message about womens rights if delivered by a man," the Washington Post article reads. "If more men speak up for womens rights, they can help overcome some of the backlash against women who do."

However, The Conversation article, while sharing a similar sentiment, stressed there was a fine line in that.

"Of course, this shouldnt mean men taking over the conversation or making it all about us," The Conversation article reads. "Men can also have too much influence on pregnancy, by seeking to impose their wishes  and reproductive coercion is a common aspect of domestic abuse. Its important to recognize that this is first and foremost about supporting womens right to choose what happens to their bodies  and listening much more to their needs and experiences."

Next steps

"In response to the Dobbs decision, some people have expressed skepticism about the power of protest in protecting or securing rights. But this perspective is misguided," American political scientist Erica Chenoweth with Harvard said in an article. "First, sustained activism in support of choice and reproductive justice has led numerous states  including Massachusetts  to enshrine abortion access into law. This provides a powerful bulwark against the total removal of abortion access in the United States, regardless of Roe. Second, we need to think not only about what happened because of mass movements in the years preceding Dobbs, but also what was avoided due to movement mobilization and popular participation in democracy."

Chenoweth continued by noting the majority of public support was not enough to stop the decision on Roe v. Wade, but provides a good starting point for the "next chapter in a strategic battle to protect reproductive rights and other civil rights facing renewed peril."

Brian Nguyen, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of South California, told the NYT that "men have been minimized, if not completely overlooked" in the abortion rights conversation. Nguyen is the founder of Emerge Lab, a reproductive health reserve organization that looks to change that.

According to Nguyen, and Bradley Mattes, the president of Life Issues Institute, an anti-abortion organization, men often hear "It's my body, my choice."

Because the reproductive policies have been dictated by men, there is a perception that men are speaking out, the NYT article reads. However, research clearly shows that the opinions on abortion are split along party lines, not gender lines.

Ultimately, men can do well by educating themselves on women's reproductive systems, and filling in gaps that some sex education and anatomy programs have left, such as those Idaho Rep. Vito Barbieri exhibited in 2015 when asking if a pregnant woman could swallow small cameras to see if she was pregnant. Barbieri's comment from six years ago resurfaced following the Supreme Court decision.

Other impacts

Following the reversal of Roe v. Wade, many states  such as Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana and Missouri  had trigger laws that went into effect. Other states immediately started working on laws to ban abortions and the discussions around those actions have prompted some to speculate that some will try to limit even more.

"The states that are trying to limit abortion from the moment of conception  not even from the moment of pregnancy, as the medical profession would define it  could well try to challenge Plan B, emergency contraception, potentially even IUDs," said Wendy Parmet, director of the Center for Health Policy and Law at Northeastern University in an NBC News article.

The potential for lawmakers to impede with a doctor's decisions on behalf of their patients has prompted concerns from many.

"To say that we are incredibly concerned would, I think, actually be putting it mildly," Dr. Kavita Arora, chair of the ethics committee at the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, told NPR. "This threatens our ability to take care of patients on a daily basis."

Forcing trends

The Court's decision, along with the decisions of lawmakers across the country, has prompted an increased demand for contraception, according to CNN. Meanwhile, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is reviewing the first-ever request for over-the-counter birth control from HRA Pharma.

News agencies across the country  such as Bloomberg, Washington Post, Time and more  have reported a sudden increase in men seeking vasectomies.

Public outcry prompted President Joe Biden to sign an executive order July 8.

The executive order addressed topics:

Safeguarding access to reproductive health care services, including abortion and contraception;

Protecting the privacy of patients and their access to accurate information;

Promoting the safety and security of patients, providers and clinics; and

Coordinating the implementation of federal efforts to protect reproductive rights and access to health care.

Biden admitted his powers are limited, but encouraged voters to do their part to codify Roe v. Wade.

"No executive action from the president can do that," Biden said. "And if Congress, as it appears, lacks the vote  votes to do that now, voters need to make their voices heard. This fall, we must elect more senators and representatives who will codify a womans right to choose into federal law once again, elect more state leaders to protect this right at the local level."

Biden urged everyone to keep all protests on the matter peaceful, stating threats and intimidation are not speech. Biden said his office would have more on the matter in weeks to come.
Now settled into its new home, the legendary Anthonys restaurant steer probably isnt the slightest bit homesick.

Its new digs at a Columbus, Nebraska, truck stop are extraordinary, perfect for the large black Angus statue that spent most of its life on top of the popular Omaha steakhouse.

And its new dad, truck stop owner Bill Lehr, is thrilled to have the steer with him after bidding $45,000 in an auction for items from Anthonys, which closed in January.

I always did want that damn steer, he said the other day. He plans to give his new baby a name, probably Black Thunder.

Several facts  or coincidences, or even serendipity  seem to indicate that the steer has landed in the right place:

The truck stop has a highly appropriate name, the T-Bone, and a highly appropriate rural location at the corner of U.S. Highways 30 and 81 across from farmland just outside of Columbus.

It has large hand-painted cowboy boots, complete with spurs, perched on poles to mark both truck stop entrances. Lehr said they are part of the reason he bought the steer  the entire sale price went to Scare Away Cancer, an Omaha nonprofit that helps families touched by the disease.

It kind of works together with the boots, that we could give cancer the big boot, he said.

It has a clientele that includes farmers and other rural workers, busy cattle-truck drivers and a lot of locals who come to shoot the breeze, and at least one clerk who knows something about steers: Bailey Lehr, the owners granddaughter and the current Miss Rodeo Nebraska.

And it has Lehr himself, whose family has owned a cattle operation right down the road near Duncan, Nebraska, for more than 80 years.

What more could a bovine icon want?

Lehr appears determined to help the steer feel comfortable in its new surroundings and give its visitors a great experience.

He wont remove its red and white Anthonys blanket in homage to its longtime home and because the Lehrs have a family connection to the steakhouse.

Thats how its known. It was a very well-liked place in Omaha, he said. My wifes sister worked there for 20 years.

He wont put the steer on the roof in deference to its fans. Since the steer arrived a few weeks ago, he has watched people pull into the truck stop lot, get out, touch it, take pictures and then get in their cars and drive away  in fact, at least one person did that in the middle of an interview and video session for this story.

They couldnt do that in Omaha because it was on the roof, Lehr said.

It also would have been difficult and costly to mount the steer on the truck stop building  Lehr estimates that the statue weighs about 3,000 pounds, even though its hollow. He had no idea what was used to make it  maybe some kind of fiberglass, he said.

Ive looked at it hundreds of times and I still dont know what material it is, he said.

Springfield, Nebraska, residents Mick and Kathy Kriefels visited the steer when they were at the truck stop Tuesday on the way home from their cabin on Brandenburg Lake near Columbus.

Kathy said the now-closed steakhouse was a tradition in her husbands family.

He had gone to Anthonys since he was young for birthday dinners, she said, and the couple continued to go there after they were married.

When they were asked to deliver a quilt made by a friend in Rising City, near Columbus, to someone in Omaha, they arranged to meet at the T-Bone in part because the steer was there.

They posed for pictures, looked around the truck stop (which has a small cafe but not a lot of souvenirs or other products like its larger corporate counterparts) and  at Lehrs behest  paged through a book that chronicled the flood that hit the T-Bone in the 1990s, a seminal event for the businessman.

Lehr showed visitors the barriers he put up at the truck stop to ensure it never happens again and told stories about his tiff with the city of Columbus over the flooding.

He said he had a full-service cafe at the truck stop for about nine years until the cafe took water, but scaled it back in flood repairs. It served steaks in its heyday but now serves breakfast items, burgers and other diner-type food.

Though he really wanted the steer to fight cancer and honor his family legacy, Lehr set himself a limit in the auction. His main competitor was an executive from the corporate office of Fareway Stores Inc., in Boone, Iowa, who called to congratulate him after he won.

We were getting close to the cutoff point, Lehr said. We were thinking twice about it.

Luckily, time ran out in the auction when he had the winning bid, and he was able to honor members of his family: his son, who is currently fighting leukemia; and a brother who died from a different type of cancer.

At 81, Lehr still is fairly spry. He works on the cattle farm most days, primarily checking the herd for illness and other problems.

His grandson lives on the land and is the main caretaker for about 4,000 feeder cattle and 1,000 cows. Other family members drive semis full of cattle to stockyards in Nebraska and adjoining states.

Lehr, admittedly, is also feisty, a lifelong trait. He and his brother inherited the cattle operation when their father and their older brother both died within a short time. It came with a $4.3 million dollar debt.

Hes proud of the fact that it didnt fail  especially in the 1980s, a notoriously grim time for family farms  and that it remains successful today along with the familys four T-Bone properties (including three other Columbus-Duncan area gas stations) now primarily run by the women in the family.

I am a stubborn son of a buck, he said.
Two US investment firms plan to launch a fund offering investors the chance to shun companies that emphasise 'political activism and social agendas' at the expense of shareholder returns.

A 12 July filing with the US securities regulator reveals details of a new exchange traded fund, advised by Toroso Investments and sub-advised by Curran Financial Partners.

It aims to invest in companies 'with a track record of creating American jobs and incurring capital expenditures within the US'.

If approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the God Save America ETF will list with the ticker 'YALL' and invest in a portfolio of 30 to 40 companies with a market cap of at least $1billion.

YALL will prioritise companies 'with a track record of creating American jobs and incurring capital expenditures within the US'

The regulatory filing reveals little further detail about the ETF, which will invest across 11 sectors; energy, materials, industrials, consumer discretionary, consumer staples, health care, financials, information technology, real estate, communication services, and utilities.

There is not yet clarity on what fees YALL would charge, but it will be actively managed by Michael Venuto, Charles Ragauss and Adam Curran.

The filing comes at a time of a growing backlash against corporates' focus on social, political or environmental issues.

It is not the first time an investment firm has attempted to cash in on 'anti-woke' sentiment, with offerings such as the The Point Bridge GOP Stock Tracker ETF (MAGA), which invests in companies that support the US Republican party, according to Bloomberg which first reported news of YALL's listing.

A few years before that came the US-listed VICE ETF, which invested in so-called 'sin stocks' like tobacco, alcohol, gambling, pornography and guns.

However, investment offerings of this kind have often been met with muted investor appeal in the past.

'These things are hard to sell as an investment,' Eric Balchunas, Bloomberg Intelligence ETF analyst told news network.

'They're probably overestimating how much people will actually move their investments into this. Even people who care a lot -- people like cheap, they like liquid.'

Concerns about corporate's non-business activity of this kind is not unique to the US.

Recently an HSBC banker was suspended for controversial comments about the investment industry's growing focus on sustainability issues.

This week, Tory leadership contender Kemi Badenoch took aim at the likes of Unilever's Ben & Jerry's, which she said had a 'main priority' of 'social justice, not productivity and profits'.

However, the vast majority of City firms maintain that environmental, social and governance  ESG  considerations are key when valuing a company, and understanding the risks and opportunities it faces.

Chief executive of the Association of Investment Companies Richard Stone recently called for greater regulatory oversite of ESG data in efforts to fight the 'misallocation of investments, greenwashing and consumer harm'.

He said: 'ESG is an increasingly important investment consideration for investors, but too many claims still do not stand up to scrutiny.

'We have called for high standards so investors can clearly differentiate ESG funds from other investment products. We look forward to working with the FCA and the Treasury to ensure ESG data and ratings are robust and credible.'
Local officials are reminding residents about water safety following a drowning incident earlier this month.

In the afternoon of July 5, deputies with the Platte County Sheriffs Office and personnel with Columbus Fire and Rescue responded to Loup Power Tailrace Park and the Platte River regarding a possible drowning.

According to a press release from the sheriffs office, a 17-year-old male from Schuyler had been fishing where the canal dumps into the river when he was swept away in the current. A search took place that day and continued the next. Local airboat operators, a local plane owner, Nebraska Game and Parks and the Colfax County Sheriffs Office assisted in the search. The victim was recovered from the river at 11:45 a.m. on July 6.

Columbus Assistant Fire Chief Nate Jones said there are precautions people can take when participating in water activities. The risk of drowning is present even when doing something like fishing.

Life jackets is a big one, Jones said. Running water, especially with a river, changes day to day and sometimes hour to hour so understanding that the current is different or maybe when you get in to later. It all depends on when the canals let water out and how high the water level is in the river, how big the current's going to be.

Jones added that people should bring someone along with them and also bring something that you can throw out to someone to help pull them to shore, such as a rope.

The summertime is when water-related incidents occur since its warmer and more people are outside, he said. No matter the body of water someone is in, being able to swim is the most important factor for water safety no matter the activity, he added.

A lot of instances (are when) people can't swim or can't swim well enough, Jones said. Against current, like the canal and the two rivers we have, are a little bigger concern. But Lake North is 20 feet deep so that becomes a concern as well.

In Columbus, Vanessa Oceguera said she heard about the incident, when it happened, from a friend who owns property near Tailrace.

The next day, I was getting several calls while I was at work to help translate as my friends were out there helping the family search for the body, Oceguera said.

The family of the teen had arrived to the area from Guatemala not long ago, she added. The family appeared traumatized by what had happened and didnt really understand how things worked in these situations and needed someone to explain it to them.

Oceguera said she helped provide translations over the phone but, after receiving four or five calls, left her work to head to the scene of the accident. She stayed there the entire afternoon, she added.

At least it's face to face and then I'm not seeming like just some person over the phone and translating; it could be more personable since they were already experiencing something very, very difficult, Oceguera said.

The services for the teen were held in Schuyler. According to his obituary, he was 18 and his body was transported to Guatemala for burial. Authorities have not officially released the individual's name.

Oceguera noted she and a friend group were talking about the situation, and she helped spearhead some fundraising efforts, when she found out that Cassie Granados, the daughter of the owners of the River Land Cabins and Campground, was going to help put up additional signage and a life jacket on the property. The campground is located next to the Tailraces public property.

It shows a lot of empathy from the family, and a lot of care and concern as well, Oceguera said. That's really nice for them to do for an area right next door to a public access area.

Oceguera said the incident is an opportunity to educate others about water safety and look at what other resources may be needed in Platte County, such as a boat thats equipped to handle the water at Tailrace.

Notably, throughout the situation, the family received quite a bit of support. There were many people helping provide food to searchers on scene, Oceguera noted, and residents of Schuyler came to Columbus to help search.

The family just wanted everyone to know that they are extremely grateful for all of those people who helped take care of them during that time, Oceguera said. They're very religious as well, so they said God would repay our kindness with his blessings, and they were just very appreciative to everyone that came out and helped those two days.
The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue is warning business owners in the state that scam artists are impersonating it and sending fraudulent letters in the mail.

The letters direct business owners to turn over their accounting records with the goal of receiving sensitive financial information, according to the department. The letter tells the business owner that they are being investigated for an alleged violation of delinquent sales tax liability and threatens them by saying penalties will be imposed on their accounts.

The letter concludes with contact information for a resolution officer and urges the business owner to provide accounting records prepared by a licensed professional, such as an attorney or CPA.

This is a prime example of fraudsters impersonating a government agency as they try to convince hardworking Pennsylvanians to turn over sensitive information about their businesses, Revenue Secretary Dan Hassell said. We are urging Pennsylvania business owners to be on high alert if they receive a suspicious notice that includes the Department of Revenue name and logo. If you have any doubt at all about the legitimacy of a notice from the department, please use the contact information listed on our website, revenue.pa.gov. This is the best way to ensure you are speaking with a legitimate staff member at the Department of Revenue.

The department said that in providing information, business owners could open themselves up to scammers using the financial data to make unauthorized transactions, request fraudulent tax refunds or even apply for loans under the name of the business.

The letters have the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue logo, but they also have suspicious or inaccurate details, according to the department. The notice does not provide a return address, which the department will always have, and it addresses the recipient only as Dear Business Owner. The department said it will typically have the business owner or business name in its letters.

The letter also lists the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue Tax Investigation & Enforcement Unit and Pennsylvania State Revenue and Cash Disbursement Unit, but the unit names arent correct, even though the department does conduct criminal tax investigations. The letter also claims the business is not registered, but the department said most businesses likely already registered in getting a sales tax license.

The department suggested business owners read the language of the letter carefully and identify vague, blatant factual errors and unexpected, immediate demands. Business owners with questions can submit them online to the department at https://revenue-pa.custhelp.com, which the department promotes as secure.
BETHLEHEM - Joanne Maier, a Glenmont resident who lives on Anders Lane, wasn't mincing words about her concerns about Beacon Island, the manmade piece of land on the Hudson River where a $350 million offshore wind turbine tower factory is being built.

Maier was speaking at the Bethlehem Town Board meeting Wednesday night, shortly after state and Port of Albany officials had sought to reassure residents that the recent tree-clearing on roughly 80 acres of land on Beacon Island had been done safely.

But Maier wasn't having any of it. She said she was very concerned about what she said was 2 million tons of "cancer-causing fly-ash" that was deposited decades ago on the shores of the Hudson from coal-fired power plants.

She was most concerned about the 300-plus students at Glenmont Elementary, who were finishing up the school year when a contractor for the Port of Albany clear-cut all of the trees on the property in May. Glenmont Elementary is a five-minute drive from Beacon Island, and much closer as the crow flies.

"There were huge dust clouds," Maier said of the after-effects of the tree-cutting. "I am concerned about who and what was exposed at that time ... Who knows what (the students) breathed in."

Wednesday's meeting was just the latest in which Bethlehem residents expressed their outrage with what they see as a lack of communication between the Port of Albany and local residents about the wind turbine tower manufacturing project, which has the support of top political leaders in New York, including Gov. Kathy Hochul and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

The project will include the construction of four massive buildings on the Hudson that will be hammering, welding and painting massive towers that will be floated down the Hudson to offshore wind farms off Long Island.

The project will create 500 construction jobs and 500 permanent jobs for the so-called "green" economy in the Capital Region while helping the state reach its goals to combat climate change.

Officials from the Port of Albany and the state Department of Environmental Conservation tried to assure residents at the meeting that no fly-ash was disturbed by the tree-cutting, which left all the stumps and root systems intact.

They also said that officials have been monitoring the site regularly to make sure no pollutants have made their way into the air. And the site is watered down when needed to prevent dust clouds.

"We will continue to monitor for compliance," said Anthony Luisi, the DEC's regional director told the audience. He even gave out his work phone number, which is 518-357-2068. "You can ask for me."

Still, questions remain why the Port of Albany suddenly stopped site-clearing activities at the site after the tree clearing. A group of Glenmont residents, including Maier, have sued the port over the tree clearing, and the federal government, including Schumer's office, has been critical of the tree-clearing activities, saying it may have violated federal environmental laws, putting a $29.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation in jeopardy.

Although port officials attended Wednesday's meeting, they have been vague about why site clearing on such an important project has been delayed, only saying that the port was in the process of dealing with more permits and some "outside entity" whose name they wouldn't reveal.

"The Port of Albany and town of Bethlehem has followed all legally required permitting processes at the municipal, state, and federal levels," the port said in a previously unreported statement the port sent to the Times Union. "It is the ports mission to continue to demonstrate that their highest priority is the care and wellbeing of this community and to require best management practices in its pursuit of this historic project.

The town of Bethlehem, the DEC and the federal government have been involved in the approval process for the Beacon Island project. Bethlehem Town Supervisor David VanLuven brought in officials from the port and DEC to speak to residents after the lawsuit was filed and several news articles reported anger by residents over what they said was a lack of transparency, even though the town held dozens of meetings on it over three years.

Maier said the issue was the pandemic had forced the town to close town hall and hold many of the meetings online via Zoom. That led to less participation than would have been expected.

Nathaniel Gray, who also lives on Anders Lane, agreed. Gray only purchased his house on Anders in November.

"I found out about this three-and-a-half weeks ago," Gray told the town board during the public comment period that Maier also spoke during. "Most everybody sitting in a seat right now, very upset about this, found out about this three-and-a-half weeks ago. Do any of you truly believe this is not the response you would have gotten three-and-a-half years ago at a public meeting?"
GREENWICH  Operators of the Washington County Fairgrounds say a half-million dollar grant for broadband will bring them into the 21st century, allowing vendors easier access to online payment systems and opening doors for new educational programs throughout the year.

Were pretty excited, Rebecca Breese, co-general manager of the fairgrounds.

The $511,855 federal Department of Commerce award was included in the American Rescue Plan to improve local internet connectivity. The $1.9 trillion program was pushed through by President Joe Biden in 2021 to help recover from the pandemic and its economic disruptions.

The project will support the installation of high-speed internet service with live broadcasting capabilities at the Washington County Fairgrounds. It is being matched with $127,964 in local funds.

This project will allow for more events and increased attendance, enhancing local economic resilience, said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Castillo.

Breese said vendors at the annual county fair, scheduled this year for Aug. 22 to 28, have long struggled with connectivity, often relying on spotty Wi-Fi or using their own cellphone hot spots to connect to the internet in order to accept payments.

This should solve that problem. Additionally, the faster connection will facilitate the numerous other programs that the nonprofit fair puts on throughout the year.

Those include seminars on farming and agriculture, which is increasingly computerized and connect online, as well as events such as livestock exhibitions like the statewide Holstein cow show scheduled for September.

Its multipronged, said Breese.

The connectivity upgrades wont be in place for this years fair but should be ready for the 2023 events, she said.

rkarlin@timesunion.com 518 454 5758 @RickKarlinTU


Jacom Stephens / Getty Image

SCHENECTADY  No, the voice on the phone demanding payment to avoid arrest is not a police officer's.

Schenectady police say someone is carrying out a phone scam in which they call a potential victim, claim there is an arrest warrant for the victim that can only be avoided if the victim makes a payment.
athima tongloom, Contributor / Getty Images

Oneida County family members who ran doughnut and coffee shops in the Mohawk Valley will serve time for tax evasion and using unreported income to fund a lavish lifestyle, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.

In November, John Zourdos, 69, his wife, Helen Zourdos, 65, and their son, Dimitrios Zourdos, 39, were each convicted by a federal jury of conspiracy to defraud the United States, tax evasion, and helping to file false corporate tax returns.
JamesBrey, Contributor / Getty Images

SARATOGA SPRINGS  A man who robbed three downtown stores in one day, two within 10 minutes of each other, pleaded guilty Thursday, prosectors said.

Justin P. Rock, 37, admitted to four counts of felony third-degree robbery. He faces eight to 16 years in state prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 15.
Update: This article has been updated with new information provided Friday by the State Police.

BETHLEHEM  A New Jersey man was arraigned Wednesday on a felony charge of leaving the scene of a crash that killed a Colonie man last month on the Thruway, State Police said.

The troopers said their investigation with the state Thruway Authority and the state Intelligence Center linked a 2013 Mercedes SUV that hit Michael Tran on May 29 to Ardit Lleshi, 25, of Garfield. Tran was on the highway near Exit 23 after he walked away from an earlier wrong-way crash. His body was found the day after the crash.

Troopers said that by June 30 investigators gathered enough evidence to charge Lleshi with the crash. Lleshi was arrested on a fugitive from justice warrant by the Garfield Police Department. State Police brought him to Bethlehem Wednesday.

After his arraignment, Lleshi was released on his own recognizance. He was charged with leaving the scene of a fatal motor vehicle collision, a felony that carries a sentence of up to seven years in prison and must return court Aug. 4.

State Police released details of the arrest Thursday. Lleshi could not be reached for comment, but his attorney, Derek Andrews, said Lleshi pleaded not guilty.

"We're still looking for details of the State Police investigation somehow connecting Michael Tran's passing to Ardit Lleshi," Andrews said.

State Police on Friday said Lleshi, who told them he was a contractor, was headed to Vermont when the crash occurred.

An obituary said Tran, 48, was born in Saigon, Vietnam, and came to the U.S. in 1997. He worked as a manicurist in Troy.

His body was discovered at 11:49 a.m. May 30, the day after he walked away from a wrong-way crash and was apparently hit by another vehicle on the other side of the highway near Exit 23, State Police said at the time. His body was found in the median almost "directly opposite the original crash scene" on the northbound side, troopers said.

State Police said they investigated a crash in the area at 11:16 p.m. May 29. Troopers said Tran's vehicle was going north on the southbound side of the highway when his vehicle hit a tractor-trailer south of the exit.

Witnesses said Tran appeared to be uninjured and walked away from the scene. Troopers examined the area around the crash scene the night it occurred but found no sign of Tran. State Police spokesman Beau Duffy, at the time, said investigators believed Tran was hit after troopers left the area. He declined to describe the evidence that led the police to believe Tran was killed after the troopers were gone, saying such a disclosure would "jeopardize an ongoing investigation."

But on Thursday, State Police added clarity to the timing of the second crash, noting Tran was struck by the Mercedes at around 11:30 p.m. that night, less than 15 minutes after troopers were called to the scene of the first crash.

Still, Duffy stood by his initial remarks.

"Yes, thats what was believed at the time," Duffy said Thursday. He deferred further questions to troopers with Troop T.

A spokeswoman for Troop T on Friday said Tran was hit before troopers arrived at the scene of the first crash.
Some election commissioners are already complaining that the cost of expanded early voting is too high, given what they see as limited benefits. Their evidence for the claim rests on just one election: last month's primary.

"It isn't worth it," said Edward McDonough, the Democratic election commissioner for Rensselaer County, which was forced to open an early voting location in downtown Troy last year after losing a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Letitia James. "When is enough enough?" Mr. McDonough asked, noting the costs associated with staffing poll locations for the nine-day period.

It is true that turnout was low for the primary, but it was hardly a normal election. Because courts threw out the state's gerrymandered election maps, New York is holding primary elections twice this summer: one in June for governor, lieutenant governor and Assembly races, another in August for congressional and state Senate contests.

Those dueling primary dates were doomed to depress turnout, which is why we urged state lawmakers to move the June primary to August. They also make the elections a poor way to judge the enhanced voting requirements that began this year and require longer hours and more locations.

There is, of course, a financial cost to early voting. But the primary goal of elections officials isn't financial efficiency; it's about ensuring that every voter who wants to vote has a chance to do so  and early voting is one of the best ways to expand opportunity.

In Rensselaer County, 1,424 people voted early in the June primary, including 337 at the downtown Troy location. Yes, we wish those numbers were higher. But some proportion of those 1,424 people may not have voted without the nine-day window before Election Day. Who's to say those votes weren't worth the cost?

We'll remind Mr. McDonough  and other election commissioners critical of the expansion  that nearly 40 states have in-person early voting, and many offer early voting periods that are far more generous than New York's nine days.

In Illinois, for example, early voting starts 40 days before Election Day. In Indiana, it's 28 days. Even some states criticized for rolling back ballot access still have longer early voting periods than New York: Georgia offers at least 17 days of early voting, while Texas offers 13.

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There is nothing, then, that's particularly unusual about New York's mandate or the burdens it places on those who run elections. If anything, New York might want to consider adding a few days to open voting so that it doesn't continue to lag Georgia and other states.

Meanwhile, turnout for early balloting seems likely to grow as voters become aware of the expansion and accustomed to its convenience. Of course, it would help if Mr. McDonough and other commissioners touted and advertised the opportunity instead of bad-mouthing expanded voting as an unnecessary cost.

That's not an unreasonable expectation. Election commissioners, of all people, should want more people to vote, not fewer.
The Washington County Salvation Armys back-to-school fair will be on July 30 at the First Assembly of God Church, located at 803 North Missouri Street in Potosi.

In order to sign up, parents and guardians need to call 573-438-2164 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. The Salvation Army also asks that the number and ages of the school age children to be given when signing up. The deadline to sign up for the event is July 22.

Upon arrival, you will need to present an ID, a bill with current address, proof of income, and a Social Security card for each member of the household.

Donations are also being accepted for the back-to-school fair, be it a donation of time, money, or services to help many children. According to the Salvation Army, the fair gives opportunities for the local businesses to give back to the community. Businesses and organizations are welcome to set up booths and/or providing a service.

Some items and services that are often provided during the event include backpacks, school supplies like pens, pencils, erasers, notebooks, and binders, haircuts, clothing, and shoes.

If interested in helping, call Washington County Chairman Eddie Strauser at 573-438-3882. Donations can also be mailed to P.O. Box 35, Potosi, MO 63664.
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ALBANY  U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, the Republican nominee for governor, is unlikely to run on the Independence Party line after the state Board of Elections invalidated nearly 13,000 signatures that were included in his petitions.

Zeldin's campaign operation had submitted about 52,000 signatures, well above the 45,000 needed to get his name on the third party line, but the disqualified signatures left him well short following the board's ruling. The filing period ended May 31.

Zeldin's petitions were challenged by officials with the New York Libertarian Party, who not only contested the signatures were invalid but also noted that about 11,000 of them were photocopied duplicates.

"Republicans talk a lot about election integrity, but the Zeldin campaign attempted to fly under the radar and submit over 11,000 fraudulent signatures in an attempt to get a third line on the ballot," Andrew Kolstee, secretary of the Libertarian Party, said in a news release Thursday.

Kolstee, who was the objector to the signatures, claimed that the Libertarian Party officials and the campaign of Diane Sare for U.S. Senate found 900 sheets with 11,000 signatures that were photocopies of the original sheets filed by the campaign.

A spokesman for Zeldin's campaign said that if there was an error it was due to the workload handled by volunteers.

"All five statewide candidates, scores of legislative and local candidates and a massive amount of each campaigns' volunteers collected tens of thousands of signatures from throughout New York," said Katie Vincentz, a spokeswoman for the Zeldin's campaign. "Being nearly an entirely grassroots effort, we haven't reviewed all of the petitions nor the specific objections associated with them. In the final few days leading up to the filing deadline, tens of thousands of signatures from all over the state had to be immediately turned into the Board of Elections. While the Zeldin for New York campaign is not aware of photocopies, we certainly didn't make any photo copies."

The Board of Elections does not make determinations on fraud related to petition signatures. The issue is pending in court. A spokeswoman for the board said it does not comment on pending litigation.

A judge could potentially overrule the board's decision, which would leave Zeldin with an outside shot of still appearing on the Independence Party line.

The board ruled Tuesday that 12,868 signatures were invalid, leaving Zeldin with 39,228.

Prior to changes pushed by then-Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in 2019 that made it more difficult to get onto a statewide ballot for a third party, it was 5,000 signatures needed every four years.

Zeldin's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

On Zeldin's campaign website, it requests people join "Team Zeldin's Election Integrity Task Force."

"Our team will be working around the clock now and into November to ensure we have fair elections, but we can't do it alone," the campaign's website states.

In December 2020, Zeldin tweeted that "ballot integrity always matters regardless of the circumstances and regardless of whether the issue impacts one vote or thousands." He recommended a series of changes, including "signature verification with campaigns able to participate." His comments came as then-President Donald J. Trump was contesting the results of the election. Zeldin subsequently voted against certifying the results of the presidential election.

Following a recent decision out of a lower court in New York on whether to allow non-citizens the ability to vote in New York City elections, Zeldin issued a statement through his campaign stating that "one person, one vote belongs to U.S. citizens, and no one else!"

"Im honored to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the leaders across our state who stood up for election integrity and the rule of law to put an end to it," Zeldin said last month.

Zeldin is set to face Gov. Kathy Hochul, the Democratic nominee, in the general election on Nov. 8. Zeldin is to appear on the lines of the Republican and Conservative parties while Hochul is set to appear on the Democratic and Working Families Party lines.

"Zeldin submitting 11,000 fake signatures just emphasizes his hypocrisy and proves he is willing to sell New Yorkers another 'big lie' to benefit his failing campaign," state Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs said in a statement. He noted to Zeldin's backing of Trump's election fraud concerns in the 2020 presidential election.

Other candidates who were also invalidated that sought to run on the Independence Party line by the board was Zeldin's running mate, Republican nominee for lieutenant governor Alison Esposito, as well as the Republican candidates for comptroller, Paul Rodriguez, attorney general, Michael Henry, and U.S. Senate, Joe Pinon.
Tipperary County Council has so far identified long term or more suitable short term accommodation for eight of the 13 families it had to place in emergency accommodation when they became homeless in recent months.



But just eight of the 33 single people in this situation have so far been offered accommodation, the councils Director of Housing Sinead Carr reported to the local authoritys July meeting.



She said the council has 75 people in emergency accommodation, including the 17 adults and 25 children that made up the 13 families.



And 95% of the councils emergency accommodation budget for the year is already spent after six months.



To date, the council has identified long term or more appropriate short term accommodation for all bar five of the 13 families who became homeless.

Work is continuing to find suitable accommodation for the remaining five families.



As she explained at previous council meetings, the increase in homelessness in the county is caused by a rise in notices to quit issued to people availing of Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) and Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) as private landlords sell up due to rising house prices.



Ms Carr said rents were rising in the private sector due to the shortage of private rental housing and there was a lack of private housing in the county to meet middle income renters, which in turn put pressure on low income renters.



She explained that HAP rates in the county were insufficient in the current market but pointed out that increasing them was a double edged sword as it would in turn affect rent prices.



Alongside this, income limits were too low for social housing supports and there was insufficient emergency accommodation in the county to meet the current spike in demand.

To deal with the crisis, Ms Carr said the council was working on getting two more family Open Front Door housing units for people who become homeless by the end of the year bringing the total to nine in the county. The council also planned to roll out four more Housing First units (for very vulnerable homeless people) in the next few weeks to address the needs of some of the 33 single people in emergency accommodation.



This will bring the number of Housing First units in the county to 16. Six more Housing First units will be delivered by the end of the year.



Ms Carr outlined the council has also assigned an extra clerical officer to deal with homeless cases presenting to the local authority. It has also changed and strengthened its procedures in dealing with families living in private rental accommodation who receive a notice to quit.



She advised families who do receive a notice to quit to contact the council immediately in relation to finding alternative housing and not to wait until the last month before they are due to leave their accommodation.

These families would undergo a Housing Support Assessment and link in with the council official who helps people qualifying for HAP to source housing.

Minister to receive shopping list of actions Tipperary County Council is seeking to tackle housing crisis in this county

Tipperary County Council is sending a letter to the Minister for Housing & Local Government detailing a shopping list of measures it wants the Government to introduce to ease the housing crisis in this county that has caused a spike in people becoming homeless in recent months.

A draft letter to the Minister setting out seven actions ranging from tax incentives to expanding social housing income limits to encourage more private house building in the county and assist those on low incomes to secure affordable and social housing was produced at the conclusion of the councils July meeting in Clonmel on Monday.

The council spent two and a half hours considering and debating how to tackle the housing crisis at the meeting during which the councils Director of Housing Services, Sinead Carr, and Senior Housing Engineer, Jonathan Cooney, gave presentations on actions the local authority is taking.

The seven measures the council is urging Housing & Local Government Minister Darragh OBrien to take are:

1. Increase the social housing income limit in Tipperary to the same level as neighbouring counties Limerick and Waterford.

2. Reintroduce long term leasing as an option for small time landlords.

3. Appoint a second Vacant Housing officer for Tipperary due to the countys size and length and the level of work required to address dereliction and vacancy.

4. Amend the Repair and Lease Scheme, targeted at over the shop living, to include a tax-based incentive scheme for those property owners in towns of 15,000 people and less.

5. Seek the introduction of a targeted, limited and locational appropriate tax incentive or other innovative financial support mechanism to deliver housing on lands where there is currently planning permission.

The incentives or supports would include (but not be limited to), a reduction of VAT on new builds, similar to the support given to the hospitality sector when it was deemed to be in crisis.

They would also include an increase in the Central Bank multiplier for house purchasers given the better standard of homes currently being built and the lower operation cost of running them. The council suggests consideration also be given to introducing old Section 23 type tax incentives that would be time limited and location specific.

6. Amend the Housing for All Loan to better accommodate those who cannot access social housing supports.

7. Raise the cap on the First Home Scheme in Tipperary from 250,000 to 290,000 to facilitate affordable housing development to occur. This national scheme supports first-time buyers on moderate incomes to buy new homes at reduced prices.

Several councillors, including the councils Housing Strategic Policy Committee Chairman Cllr Kieran Bourke, supported Sinn Feins Cllr David Dunnes call for a temporary moratorium on issuing enforcement notices for the removal of mobile homes and log cabins that havent planning permission until the housing crisis has abated.

Cllr Dunne cited the case of a constituent on the housing list for 14 years and who purchased a log cabin to live in while Cllr Mairin McGrath highlighted the case of a young pregnant woman, whose family wanted to provide a mobile home for her as she had nowhere to live and didnt qualify for either social housing or the Housing Assistance Payment.

They argued that pursuing enforcement notices on this type of accommodation at the moment would just end up further increasing the number of people who are homeless.

But Director of Housing Sinead Carr was strongly against this proposal. She said mobile homes sounded like an easy solution but she insisted they were the wrong solution in terms of their planning, residential amenity and environmental impact.

But Cllr Bourke and Cllr Dunne again urged the council to defer enforcement orders on mobile homes for the foreseeable future.

Council CEO Joe MacGrath stepped in and supported Ms Carrs stance. While mobile homes might deal with the urgency of the issue they wouldnt deal with a persons long-term accommodation need.

I can assure you the person will be back onto you saying that it doesnt address their need or the person who owns the site will be looking to have it taken away.

Cllr Dunne responded by asking: Do ye want to make people homeless?

Mr MacGrath shot back: you know we dont. But he conceded that while he couldnt give an undertaking not to enforce the law, he would ask the Directors of Services for Housing and Planning to liaise with each other to deal with specific cases in this area.

Meanwhile, a 20-8 majority of the council voted to reject a motion tabled by Workers & Unemployment Action Group Cllr Pat English calling on the council to request the Dail to affirm into law that a housing emergency exists in Ireland.

The motion called for the law to continue for three years after being passed by the Government and that it be reviewed by the Oireachtas after the expiry of that three years.

He argued that passing this law would enable unprecedented emergency actions to be taken to deal with the crisis as had been done in the past to deal with the banking crisis of the last recession and the Covid-19 pandemic.

His motion was seconded by Cllr Dunne and also supported in the vote by Labour Cllr Fiona Bonfield and Independent councillors Joe Hannigan, Hughie McGrath, Mairin McGrath, Andy Moloney and Annemarie Ryan. It was opposed by Fianna Fail and Fine Gael members as well as Independents Cllr Kevin OMeara and Michael OMeara. Twelve councillors were absent for the vote.

In tabling the motion Cllr English said this was the longest and most severe housing crisis the country has witnessed and he supported homeless charity founder Peter McVerrys proposals to reduce rents across the board by 25% and reduce the tax landlords pay on their rental income by 50%.

Cllr English said the Government should extend the ban on evictions introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic and called for social house building to be undertaken on a much larger scale by local authorities.

Clonmels Cllr Siobhan Ambrose said she believed the Minister for Housing was doing a good job and lots of different schemes to support and generate different types of housing were being tried.

She said the main issue was that houses cant be rolled out in the morning. It took time.

And she pointed out three housing projects in her area were delayed due to planning objections.

Fine Gaels Cllr John Fitzgerald said telling the Government there was a housing emergency would not be new to them or the Oireachtas and argued that proposing ideas and tweaks to policies was more beneficial.
Online fraud incidents are up 50% with a warning that fraudsters are now using customers card details to set up Apple/Google Pay.

Bank of Ireland has reported a 50% increase in smishing fraud cases

This has prompted Bank of Ireland to warn customers around a new wave of fraudulent text messages in circulation, where fraudsters are using customers card details to set up Apple/Google Pay.

The Bank has experienced a spike in smishing, where fraudsters send fake text messages appearing to be from delivery services including An Post or Government agencies including the HSE and Revenue.

Customers who click the links in the text messages are then directed to fake websites where they are asked for their card or online banking login details.

The fraudster uses these details to set up Apple/Google Pay on the customers card or to set up the customers online banking on a new device.

If the customer gives away the genuine One Time Passcode sent by Bank of Ireland to confirm the set-up, the fraudster can then access the customers account.

During the last month, the number of smishing cases detected by Bank of Irelands Fraud Prevention team has increased by c. 50% since the introduction of this tactic.

How the current scam operates:

Customer receives a fraudulent text purportedly from An Post or alternatively HSE or Revenue  for example: Your parcel is ready for delivery. Please pay the outstanding charge on this link ----" or Youve been a close contact of someone with Covid. Please follow the instructions here to order a test -----"

The customer clicks the link, is brought to a fake website and gives some personal information and their credit / debit card number.

The fraudster will then:

Use the customers card details to set up Apple Pay or Google Pay. The customer then gets a genuine One-Time Passcode from Bank of Ireland to confirm Apple Pay or Google Pay set-up, but then gives away the code to the fraudster on the phishing website.

Or

Based on the card number the customer has given, the fraudster directs the customer to a spoofed online banking login page. The customer gives their online banking login details and then gets a genuine One-Time Passcode to set up online banking on a new device.

The customer gives that code away on the phishing website, which allows the fraudster to set up online banking and make payments from the customers account.

Where customers have stopped part of the way through the scam process, they may then get a phone call claiming to be from Bank of Ireland in an attempt to get banking details and the One-Time Passcode.

Those calls will often look like theyre coming from genuine Bank of Ireland numbers as the fraudster can spoof the number that appears in your display.

Bank of Irelands advice to customers in response to the current activity is:

Do not click on links or respond to any SMS text messages which are designed to appear as if sent by the bank or other businesses and service providers.

Remember that Bank of Ireland will never send you a text with a link to a website that asks you for your online banking login details or any One-Time Passcodes that weve sent to you.

The bank urges people not to share your One-Time Passcode to set up Apple/Google Pay on your card with anyone even if the person advises they are from Bank of Ireland.

If you get a suspicious text, please email a screenshot of the text to 365Security@boi.com and then delete the text.

If you think you may have given away any of your banking details, please call our 24/7 Freephone line 1800 946 764 immediately.

For more advice and information on fraud, visit www.boi.com/security or www.fraudsmart.ie
Irish premier Micheal Martin has said the UK Governments Rwanda scheme may have resulted in an increase in international protection applicants in the Republic.

The Taoiseach made the comments after it emerged on Wednesday night that Ireland had a severe shortage of state accommodation for Ukrainian refugees.

Speaking from Government Buildings on Thursday, Mr Martin said that of those at the reception centre for Ukrainians at Citywest in Dublin, 70% are now international protection applicants.

We will be analysing this, but something has happened in the last two to three months in terms of the surge within international protection applicants, something has clearly happened, the Taoiseach said.

Anecdotally or intuitively, one can see, and maybe sense that that policy announcement, which I thought was a wrong policy announcement by the UK, a shocking sort of initiative in my view, to be doing some agreement with Rwanda, clearly may have motivated people utilising the Common Travel Area to come into the Republic  yes, I think it is one of a number of factors.

The Taoiseach made the comments as he and the Minister for Housing, Darragh OBrien, announced a progress update on the Housing for All plan.

Mr OBrien said real progress had been made, despite significant headwinds.

Commencements are up, permissions are up, completions are up, and thankfully people are now drawing down more mortgages than they have in over a decade. First-time buyers are at their highest level since 2007.Speaking after announcement of a 50 million euro Croi Conaithe (Towns) Fund, which aims to bring vacant and underused buildings in towns and villages back into use, Mr OBrien said of the Croi Conaithe (Cities) Scheme:

Its a targeted support that goes to homeowners by reducing the purchasing price of an apartment. It will directly ensure that over 5000 new apartments will be built for owner-occupiers.

Im very glad to say, as the Taoiseach alluded to, that there has been substantial interest from the sector in this scheme, and it has the potential to bring fresh life into our cities over the coming years.

It comes as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has called on the Irish government to urgently provide emergency accommodation for refugees.

Enda ONeill, Head of Office with UNHCR Ireland, said the Government needed to make significant investment.

The Government is to be commended for its efforts to date in providing accommodation to the tens of thousands who have arrived in Ireland this year fleeing war and persecution, he said.

However, it is becoming increasingly clear that the current approach of contracting accommodation from the private sector has reached its limits.

Significant investment is now required by the Government to ensure that it has the capacity to meet the immediate need for shelter of new arrivals and to provide safeguards for the protection of children and other categories of vulnerable people.
Laurel The Salon Skin & Beauty Celebrates 5 years in business!

To mark this milestone in business they are expanding their service menu with a new Laser Machine to include such treatments as the removal of skin lesions & pigmentation, tattoo removal, carbon peels, skin toning & skin rejuvenation.

Be sure to follow Laurel The Salon Skin & Beauty on Facebook & Instagram to find out more out their Birthday offerings both on products & services on August 9.

In Laurel the Salon we are results driven, fuelled from the satisfaction our clients receive from each of our beauty, grooming & skincare treatments.

Salon owner, Laura, made the brave decision in 2017 to establish a unique Skin & Beauty Salon in the heart of Irishtown, Clonmel.

Having found the ideal premises Laura set about amalgamating specialised Beauty Treatments with medical grade Aesthetics.

Laura was awarded Beautician of the Year 2019, a Business All Star, and most recently won Business Woman of the Year 2022 in the Network Ireland Tipperary Awards.

Since opening, the Laurel team has expanded.

After an illness in 2018, Senior Therapist Pauline decided to return to work to her first love, Beauty Therapy, to retrain and up-skill in all areas in this sector.

Aisling, salon co-ordinator, joined the Laurel team after 13 years in the treatment room working as a Senior Therapist bringing her vast experience and knowledge of the beauty industry to the Salon.

Junior Therapist , Ceelin, joined the Laurel team in 2018 and is blossoming into an excellent therapist, specialising in her Spray Tan and Lash Lift technique.

Most recently the young and vivacious Aideen joined the team in early 2022 with real passion & flare for the beauty industry. Aideen is a fully qualified beauty specialist with previous experience working in salons in Dublin & Waterford cities.

Specialising in our advanced skincare, brows and waxing treatments Laura is also an expert in microblading and semi permanent eyebrows.

The team at Laurel is especially passionate about skin and the functioning of the body.

Laura having previously taught Anatomy and Physiology in Beauty College before opening the unique and stylish beauty salon that is Laurel the Salon.

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The congressional contender attempts to direct the conversation away from abortion and instead hopes to curb the Kansas appetite for breakfast tacos.



Here's the word . . .



ADKINS ENDORSED BY FRANKLIN COUNTYS TOP LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.  Amanda Adkins, Republican candidate for Congress in Kansas Third Congressional District, announced today that she has been endorsed by Franklin Countys Sheriff Jeff Richards and Undersheriff Kiel Lasswell: Im honored to have the support of Sheriff Richards and Undersheriff Lasswell. Ive gotten to know these two leaders during the time Ive spent in Franklin County and appreciate the crucial role they play in serving and protecting their community. As President Biden continually fails to address the crisis at the border, drugs like fentanyl are pouring into the U.S., making their way up I-35, and ruining the lives of Kansans through addiction and overdoses at record rates. Sharice Davids has voted with Bidens border policies one hundred percent of the time. Kansans deserve real solutions to these pressing issues, and law enforcement officers like Richards and Lasswell are being forced to bear the majority of the consequences of Biden and Davids policies.



Sheriff Richards noted that his recent visit to the Southern border influenced his decision to endorse Adkins: Im endorsing Amanda for Congress because Ive seen the border crisis firsthand. I know Amanda will go to Washington and be a leader in finding solutions to the record illegal drug trafficking and humanitarian crisis stemming from Biden and Davids mismanagement of our border.



Undersheriff Kiel Lasswell joined Richards in endorsing Adkins: Im endorsing Amanda Adkins because we need a proven, strong, and respected voice in Washington to preserve our Kansas values.



Davids has a checkered past when it comes to protecting the safety of the communities she represents and supporting law enforcement. In 2018, Davids claimed our law enforcement system is rooted in violence. She has also criticized funding for a border wall, called for the abolishment of ICE, voted against Title 42 (then tried to walk back her opinion this election year), voted against prohibiting gang members from receiving federal benefits, stated that declaring an emergency at the southern border is dangerous to our democracy, and believes that ...we have to get away from thinking of everyone whos coming to the United States as being a threat.



Richards and Lasswell join Johnson County Sheriff Calvin Hayden in endorsing Adkins campaign for Congress.



Adkins previously released a full plan for securing our Southern border. It can be found at amandaadkins.com/defending-security-advancing-workforce/.



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For our late night denizens we take a moment to remember how a natural disaster helped to shape Kansas City.

Long before the days of blaming everything on "climate change" this weather event defined the lives of the entire metro area.



Here are the basics . . .



In mid-July 1951, heavy rains led to a great rise of water in the Kansas River, Missouri River, and other surrounding areas of the Central United States. Flooding occurred in the Kansas, Neosho, Marais Des Cygnes, and Verdigris river basins. The damage in June and July 1951 across eastern Kansas and Missouri exceeded $935 million (equivalent to $9.76 billion in 2021). The flooding killed 17 people and displaced 518,000 more.



July 13 experienced the single greatest levels of flood and led to the greatest amount of destruction by flood experienced in the Midwest as of that date.



Last year there was a bit deal over the 70th anniversary.

But . . . TOP ECHELON TKC READERS still think it's important to note Kansas City's ongoing battles with the climate weather.

The West Bottoms flood is one of many reasons Kansas City suffered enjoyed an influx of Latinos on the Westside . . . After they were flooded out of Armourdale.



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Hopefully, more for the morning update . . . STAY TUNED!!!



Remembering the great flood of 1951 Mud stuck roughly 20 feet high on the support column of a building in Kansas City, Kansas' Armoudale district is one of many lasting impacts of the floods of 1951. A special exhibit at the Wyandotte County Museum highlight's the flood's 70th anniversary.

1951 Kansas City Flood Aerial flood view looking south across the Fairfax District toward the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers. Smoke at top left is from the fire at 31st and Roanoke/Southwest Boulevard.

1951 Kaw River Flood During the summer of 1951, heavy rainfall in the Kansas River basin caused extensive flooding. Some areas received 16 inches of rain from July 9-13. As the crest of the floodwaters rapidly moved down the Kansas (also called the Kaw) River, the cities of Manhattan, Topeka and Lawrence suffered severe damage.

Hopefully, we'll have more for the morning update . . . STAY TUNED!!!
Charlottesville Fire Department hopes the word fireman will become an obsolete term by inviting girls to check out the profession at a Girls Fire and Rescue Camp.

The departments first-ever camp runs July 26 to July 29 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m at the departments Fontaine Station. It will include age-appropriate physical training, classes and fire and emergency medical simulations to teach girls more about the profession.

The camp is open to girls age 12 through 17 who are city residents.

If [girls] cant see it, they think they cant do that. They dont believe that they can achieve it or that they can become something, said Fire Captain Lance Blakey. We want to change that. We want women to see that they can be a firefighter.

Blakey said that in 2020 only three women served with the city fire department. Today the department employs nine women and wants to see that number go up even further. This camp is part of that effort.

Historically, the fire service has not always been very open to women. Its always been seen to be a male dominated profession. But the fire service has changed over the years, Blakey said. We want to make our department open to all people, and not only that, we want to make sure that our culture in our fire department is one that people will be welcomed in so they feel included in our department.

Blakey said the idea for the camp arose after considering a variety of ideas the department developed for getting into the community. The camp is in line with the departments strategic plan which calls for making the department more diverse, equitable and inclusive.

The camp will teach participants a variety of fire and emergency medical skills, including Stop The Bleed training and basic hands-only CPR.

What we want is for these young ladies to not just come here and learn information about the fire service, but also take back some skills so that they can help not only in their community, but in their homes, Blakey said.

The camp will also introduce participants to the various jobs and career paths in the fire department that go beyond just fighting fires, including emergency medical, technical rescue and community risk reduction. The camp not only will introduce participants to the often overlooked aspects of the fire service, but also show all the varying career opportunities in the fire service.

Those interested in participating in the camp can apply by visiting tinyurl.com/2948td35. Applications close July 19.
As if a quick look around this Summer wasn't enough to convince the non-believers . . .



Here's a reminder that most local construction work is accomplished by way of an "international" work force that's utilized by even the most hard-line immigration hypocrites hawks.

Check-it . . .



The statute in question is part of the Immigration and Nationality Act that was passed 70 years ago. It authorizes up to five years in prison for anyone who encourages or induces an alien to come to, enter, or reside in the United States, knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that such coming to, entry, or residence is or will be in violation of law.



The statute tacks on another five years to the sentence if the defendant acted for the purpose of commercial advantage or private financial gain.



At issue in the 10th Circuit case was whether Congress intended the terms encourage or induce to be read narrowly as criminal solicitation, or more broadly, in which case the statute would potentially criminalize protected speech under the First Amendment.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
In this post we share a bevy of news that's worth a look but might not be debatable . . .



Check TKC news gathering . . .

Kansas City Public Library makes nearly 1,000 laptops available for checkout The Kansas City Public Library announced Wednesday that 900 Chromebook computers are now available for checkout for free with a library card. The library is calling the move an attempt to improve technology access and digital equity for Kansas City residents.

KC tech grant expands training for digital job skills In Kansas City and across the country, there arent enough workers to fill middle-skills jobs, which require at least a high school diploma but not a four-year degree.

School bus companies offer incentives to combat driver shortage in Kansas City area About five weeks before some districts go back to school, many are still facing a bus driver shortage. Many bus companies are offering incentives to get more drivers as some districts rearrange routes to get every student to school.

Teen bicyclist hit by car in the Northland seriously injured KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A teenager is in the hospital with serious injuries after being hit by a car while riding his bike in the Northland. According to the Kansas City Police Department, the teen was riding his bike east on the westbound lanes of Compton Avenue.

MoDOT awarded $3.25 million for freight and rail improvements The Missouri Department of Transportation says it has been awarded $3.25 million for improvements to the statewide freight network. The move follows an internal investigation by MoDOT into the network and questions over Missouri rail safety, raised by the recent derailment of an Amtrak passenger train.

Lenexa plans $1M in improvements to skate park at Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park LENEXA, Kan. - The skate park at Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park is more than 20 years old. The pavement, rails and ramps all have wear and tear. But now, the city of Lenexa said it plans on spending $1 million on upgrades to the skate park and a nearby parking lot.

Residents have no help to repair deteriorating roads in Cass County subdivision A family in a small Cass County subdivision needed help understanding who is taking care of their road maintenance after seeing the roads continue to deteriorate. Tracy Salmons' family moved into the Belton Country Village neighborhood just south of East 187th Street and Mo-Y Highway south of the Belton city limits in October 2020.

The new 988 suicide prevention hotline will connect Kansans to help near them TOPEKA, Kansas - Think of the new 988 not just as an easier-to-remember suicide hotline. The number that goes live in Kansas on Saturday also comes with an infusion of federal tax dollars aimed at creating a more powerful and nimble lifeline to families caught in a mental health crisis.

Mid-Continent Public Library names acting director Susan Wray, the assistant director and chief operating officer of the Mid-Continent Public Library (MCPL) system for the last 12 years, began her new role as acting director of the system on July 1 following the retirement of Steven Potter as director and CEO.

Stroke survivors biking across America stop in Kansas City A group of stroke survivors made a stop in Kansas City as they bike across the country to raise awareness.For stroke survivor Michael Obel-Omia, it is about proving to himself than anyone else that he can do it. Obel-Omia suffered a stroke in 2016 at age 50.

After COVID push back, plan for connected walking trail in KC back in works KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Something big is coming to Kansas City. Community leaders have a goal to connect every downtown neighborhood with a trail, making commute around the city easier and more efficient for everyone. The plan for the Greenline trail has been in the works since 2019, but like many things, COVID-19 pushed it back.

After COVID push back, plan for connected walking trail in KC back in works KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Something big is coming to Kansas City. Community leaders have a goal to connect every downtown neighborhood with a trail, making commute around the city easier and more efficient for everyone. The plan for the Greenline trail has been in the works since 2019, but like many things, COVID-19 pushed it back.

Art in the Loop to feature trumpets. puppets & playback theater - Downtown Council of Kansas City Art in the Loop will introduce a new performing arts series next Wednesday at Oppenstein Park, the Downtown pocket park at 12th & Walnut. The free, public performance will feature electronic jazz, improv theater, and a puppet show next Wednesday, July 20.

Developing . . .
They should ask for a unicorn whilst they're at it.



Meanwhile . . . Back in the real world Starbucks is shutting down locations over safety concerns.

Here's the progressive local angle . . .



"Baristas say union-busting tactics make them ineligible for travel coverage for abortions and gender-affirming care in states where those are banned."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
This morning Kansas City police are asking the community for help with their latest homicide investigation as the level of deadly local violence continues to escalate this Summer.

Check the report that includes deets of a rare fatality on the nice side of the bridge . . .



Homicide 2633 NE 43rd Street

This morning, just after 2 AM, officers were dispatched to 2633 N. E. 43rd St. in regard to a shooting. Upon arrival they found an adult male victim lying in the parking lot who had been shot and was unresponsive. EMS arrived and pronounced the victim deceased. We do not have any suspect information to share at this time and are asking for the publics help.



Detectives and crime scene personnel have responded to the scene and are actively canvassing for witnesses and processing the scene for evidence. If you have any information please call the Homicide unit at 234-5043. If you wish to remain anonymous you can call the TIPS hotline at 474-TIPS, with up to a $25,000 reward for an arrest in this case.

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Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

Man shot and killed in Best Western parking lot in Kansas City KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Police are looking for whoever shot and killed a man in the parking lot of a Kansas City motel early Thursday morning. Officers responded just after 2 a.m. to the Best Western at Northeast 43rd Street and Kansas Avenue on a call of a shooting.

Police investigating deadly shooting at Kansas City Best Western hotel Hide Transcript Show Transcript WHAT ARE YOU HEARING? IT WILL RIGHT NOW WE KNOW THAT POLICE RESPONDED TO NORTHEAST 43RD AND ANTIOCH AT THE BEST WESTERN JUST AFTER 2 AM THROUGH CALLS OF A SHOOTING WHEN THEY ARRIVED THEY FOUND A MAN UNRESPONSIVE IN THE PARKING LOT WHEN EMS ARRIVED.

Developing . . .


Once again . . . We're moving past last year's numbers -- The 2nd highest in KCMO history.



Here's the first report . . .

Homicide 200 block of W. 100th Terrace



Today at approximately 3:45 PM officers were dispatched to an apartment in the 200 block of West 100th Terrace in regard to a shooting. Upon arrival they found an adult male inside of an apartment who had been shot. Officers began lifesaving measures at that time. EMS arrived and transported the victim to the hospital where he was pronounced deceased. Multiple people were detained at the scene and detectives are talking with them now. We are not looking for any additional suspects at this time.



Detectives and crime scene personnel have responded to the scene and are actively canvassing for witnesses and processing the scene for evidence. If you have any information please call the Homicide unit at 234-5043. If you wish to remain anonymous you can call the TIPS hotline at 474-TIPS, with up to a $25,000 reward for an arrest in this case.

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Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

Kansas City police investigating fatal shooting near 100th Terrace, Wornall Road homicide west 100th terrace, kcmo SOURCE: KMBC Kansas City police are investigating a fatal shooting Wednesday near West 100th Terrace and Wornall Road.Police were called about 3:45 p.m. to the 200 block of West 1ooth Terrace.Authorities said one person was shot. Police said it is now a homicide investigation.

Police respond to homicide reported Wednesday on south side of Kansas City Police are investigating a homicide reported late Wednesday afternoon in south Kansas City. Officers were dispatched to the 200 block of West 100th Terrace, Capt. Leslie Foreman, a spokeswoman for the police department, said shortly before 5:15 p.m. Additional details were not immediately available.

Developing . . .
A team at McMaster University is working on an inhalable COVID vaccine that they hope would prompt an immune response right in the lungs, which would prevent infection by the virus. - Georgia Kirkos
A "special pleasure" from Ned Beauman, the end of the "Multiverse Refugees" trilogy, something fresh from Eddie Robson and a controversial book from Sandra Newman.
Nairobi National Park Tour in Kenya is the most popular to transit travelers at Nairobi Airport including delegates



(TRAVPR.COM) KENYA - July 13th, 2022 - Many travelers come to Africa in search of the big five: buffalo, lions, leopards, elephants and rhinoceroses. The chance to get close to these animals in their natural habitats is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but your trip to the Africa is anything but a trip to the zoo. Safaris can be physically taxing and strenuous, and you may not see all the animals you expected. Since most safari destinations are in developing sub-Saharan nations, travelers must take certain safety and health precautions. If youre planning a safari (or just dreaming about it), be as prepared as possible. Get some good guidebooks, talk to friends whove been to Africa and research, research, research. Weve outlined some important safari basics, from choosing a destination to getting vaccinated, to help you start planning a successful African adventure such as short trip to the Nairobi National Park which can be booked online through https://www.cruzeiro-safaris.com/nairobi-national-park or book online through their e-commerce portal and buy your self a ticket

For more information consult the site of https://www.cruzeiro-safaris.com and https://cruzeiro-safaris.com/nairobi-tours

About Cruzeiro Safaris Kenya

Cruzeiro-safaris.com is established in Kenya, incorporated in 2004. Its core business is safari packages and day tours complemented by air travel. It has a well-established wealth of experience in arranging memorable tours and safaris and has established a client base who provide with repeat business year after year. Join us on facebook, twitter and youtube. Safaris in Kenya may be tailored to the tourist taste and can extend to Tanzania and Uganda. Browse and read reviews on tripadvisor page and one can also book from trip advisor link.

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Mobile : +254-(0) 722-370833 (Kenya)

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Email: info@cruzeiro-safaris.com

Website: | https://www.cruzeiro-safaris.com and https://cruzeiro-safaris.com/nairobi-tours/

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Some Albemarle County residents are torn about how the county should grow.

The county began surveying the community last month about seven proposed growth management options, part of the first phase of the countys effort to update its comprehensive plan. The concepts range from reducing density in the countys development areas to setting standards to help determine whether and how to expand a growth area.

As of Wednesday, 119 people have taken the survey, which closes at 10 p.m. Sunday. Those initial responses, made public this week, show stark divisions in the community. Other chances for citizen input will be available to residents as the plan update moves along.

Charles Rapp, the countys deputy director of community development, said community comments combined with input from county planning commission members and the Board of Supervisors will help determine guidelines and policies for future county growth.

The policies and guidelines will be used to help plan other parts of the comprehensive plan, including transportation, housing and parks and recreation.

We could certainly use multiple options, said Rapp, who also is the countys acting planning director. There might be a little piece of one and a larger piece of another.

Rapp said county staff wanted to see which ideas resonated with the community and then create themes based on what they hear.

The county currently focuses new residential and commercial growth into designated development areas that take up about 5% of the countys land. The rest of the land is designated as remaining rural. That process began with the countys first comprehensive plan in 1971.

Boundaries of the development areas have changed over the years but have been stable for the last two decades, said Tori Kanellopoulos, a senior planner with the county.

A county analysis released in May found that Albemarle has enough land in its development areas to accommodate a 23% increase in population over the next 20 years. To do that would require updating the zoning code to allow denser developments and significant redevelopment and infill, among other changes.

The comprehensive plan was last changed in 2015. It serves as the guiding document for long-term land use planning and resource protection. The document is used in making zoning changes and other policy priorities such as growth management.

In the survey, the county asked for comments on possible policy changes and to weigh in how the different concepts support climate action and equity goals as well as projected growth.

Those concepts included:

- adding higher housing density in growth areas, including infill;

- adjusting and reducing maximum densities recommended in the development areas to more closely align with historic buildout patterns;

- new criteria on when, where, and how to expand development areas;

- non-residential development around Interstate 64 interchanges to support jobs growth and economic development goals;

- creating rural villages within the rural area to promote small-scale commercial and service uses to serve nearby residents;

- evaluating whether to adjust current service provisions for development and rural areas

- promoting forestation and regenerative land uses in the rural area to support climate action goals.

Among the seven options, expansion of development areas and reducing densities received the least support, according to the survey responses.

Getting a firm grasp on how to steer the county is a challenge.

We hear a lot of polarizing feedback, Rapp said. A lot of folks support more density and just as many folks seem to oppose it. A majority of these options have both a lot of support and a lot of opposition.

On Tuesday, a working group assisting county staff with the update reviewed comments, including the nearly 120 survey responses submitted from June 23 to July 7. The responses were compiled by question and didnt include personal identifying information.

Some respondents believed wealthy county residents were dictating development and they wanted it stopped.

Stop allowing suburban wealthy NIMBYs to dictate zoning decisions about density and the critical need for housing types across varied markets, one person wrote in the survey comments. Grow [where] you have the reasonable connections to your water and sewer now. More affordable housing stock is the critical component to equity.

Please stop listening to the rich people who think their expensive homes will be de-valued by having apartment buildings around, another wrote. The majority of people who actually work in this community shouldnt be prevented from finding housing because of a small vocal minority of NIMBYs.

Others urged the county to stop approving new developments.

Too much confusion, traffic and overall lack of vegetation has ruined Albemarle County, one person wrote. Too many forests have been removed for massive development. Its ruined the town. I hate it here and cannot wait to leave.

Several commenters, who seemed opposed to growth, believed improvements to infrastructure and plans to address school capacity should be made before approving new developments.

The countys five-year capital improvement program includes $72.7 million for a new high school center and elementary school, as well as $3.5 million to begin designing a second new elementary school. The School Board has backed a plan to build new schools to address overcrowding at Baker-Butler and Mountain View elementary schools. School division staff have said they would about five years to build a new school, which the county has not done since 2002.

Several comments in the survey responses specifically highlighted concerns with additional growth in the Hollymead area along U.S. 29 and in Crozet.

Allow more growth to the south and the east, one person wrote. The north and west are bearing the brunt of it, in an inequitable way. There is not a shortage of land here, there is a shortage of vision.

County staff will review the options and community feedback with the Planning Commission at a July 26 work session. Then another survey on the options will likely be released.

Rapp said a key task will be to figure out how to support all the different opinions in a way that comes together as a unified vision.

Rapp added the county is working to hear from community members through surveys, pop-ups, open houses and roundtables.

The county wants to wrap up its update of the comprehensive plan in 2024. To learn more about the process and take the survey, go to engage.albemarle.org/AC44.

We really would love for folks to get involved early because that is when the initial concepts get formed, county spokeswoman Emily Kilroy said. This is really a great time to dive into some of the background documentation that's available on the web page, and just start sharing your thoughts for the future with us because this is the forming phase. It's a great time to add your voice to the conversation.
Iconic Events and Kit Promotions have combined to create Iconic Mas on the streets of Tobago
Russia has already lost about 37,870 troops in Ukraine (+300 over the past day).

The relevant statement was made by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

Between February 24, 2022 and July 14, 2022, the enemys total combat losses included also 1,667 tanks (+18 over the past day), 3,852 armored fighting vehicles (+20), 840 artillery systems (+1), 247 multiple launch rocket systems, 109 anti-aircraft warfare systems, 219 aircrafts (+2), 188 helicopters, 2,720 motor vehicles and fuel tanks (+16), 15 warships/boats, 681 unmanned aerial vehicles (+3), 67 special equipment units. A total of 155 enemy cruise missiles were shot down.

Over the past day, Russian troops have suffered the highest losses in the Kramatorsk direction. The data are yet to be updated.

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Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi spoke over the phone with General Mark Milley, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, briefing the latter on the latest developments on the front lines and assuring him that the Ukrainian side realizes the responsibility to not allow western weaponry getting into the hands of terrorists.

Thats according to Zaluzhnyis post on Facebook.

Tonight there was yet another conversation with General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Traditionally, I informed my counterpart about the current operational situation. I have noted that the enemy continues to focus its main effort in the north of Luhansk and Donetsk regions, trying to push us out of our positions. Active hostilities are being conducted in the directions of Izium-Slovyansk, Sviatohirsk-Slovyansk, Lysychansk-Soledar, Lysychansk-Siversk, and Popasna-Soledar. We manage to repel massive enemy attacks. On the Kherson direction, units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine continue to liberate our territories, Zaluzhnyi wrote.

Read also: General Staff thanks US for supplying four more HIMARS systems

According to the Commander-in-Chief, General Milley noted the effectiveness of our missile and artillery systems, particularly the M142 HIMARS.

Also, the parties discussed the pace and volume of international technical assistance deliveries.

I emphasized that the Ukrainian side is clearly aware of the responsibility for each weapon and will not allow it to fall into the hands of terrorists, the top commander stressed.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, on July 13, Mykhailo Podolyak, the advisor to the head of the Presidents Office, has assured partners that all weapons supplied to Ukraine is being thoroughly accounted for and forwarded to the front lines, while claims of the opposite are part of Russian disinformation aimed at disrupting further supplies.
As a result of the missile attack on Vinnytsia, 117 people sought medical care, 71 people were hospitalized.

"As of 21:00, people sought medical care, 71 people were hospitalized, 23 (3 children) were killed," Serhiy Borzov, Head of the Vinnytsia Regional Military Administration, posted on Telegram.

Twenty-nine people are still missing.

Read also: Wreckage of two missiles shot down near Vinnytsia shown

As reported, on July 14, the Russians hit Vinnytsia city center by Kalibr cruise missiles, launching them from a submarine in the Black Sea. Two missiles were downed by the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

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It is already clear that the sanctions will not curb imports of Russian gas as too many EU member states can't adjust quickly enough.

As Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala told Reuters, the sanctions now being finalised by the EU's executive were expected to ban gold imports, widen a list of dual-use goods banned for export to Russia and target more individuals.

The European Commission should be ready to present the package in the coming days and member states could approve it immediately after, the Czech Prime Minister said.

"What is definitely problematic is to include energy into the sanctions, because a rule must be observed that the sanctions must have a greater impact on Russia than on the countries imposing the sanctions," he noted.

Fiala said there was no chance that gas would be included.

"I think that it should not be there, because a number of countries depend on Russian gas," he said.

The Czech Republic, which took over the EU's rotating six-month presidency on July 1, is one of those countries, dependent on Russia for almost all of its gas needs.

Overall, the EU relied on Russia for 40% of its gas before Moscow invaded Ukraine.

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U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo and Ukrainian Finance Minister Sergii Marchenko have discussed progress made toward implementing a price cap on Russian oil to restrict revenue for Russias military while dampening the impact of Putins war on global oil and energy prices.

The relevant statement was made by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

In a phone call, Adeyemo and Marchenko also discussed U.S. economic assistance for Ukraine and international efforts to hold Russia accountable for its unjustified and unprovoked war on Ukraine.

Deputy Secretary Adeyemo reaffirmed the United States commitment to Ukraine and discussed international economic assistance provided by donor countries, including the recent additional contribution from the United States to Ukraine of $1.7 billion in direct budgetary support.

According to Adeyemo, the U.S. Treasury continues to use its sanctions authorities to degrade Russias ability to wage its war in Ukraine and threaten its neighbors.

A reminder that, on July 13, 2022, during a nationwide telethon, Ukrainian Finance Minister Sergii Marchenko noted that Ukraine would receive about $4.4 billion in assistance from international partners in July 2022.

According to Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, by the end of 2022, international partners are expected to provide another $20 billion in assistance and support for Ukraine.

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U.S. President Joe Biden, who is visiting Israel, intends to discuss the Russian war in Ukraine during talks with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, scheduled for July 14.

This was reported by Vesty.co.il, citing high-ranking sources in Jerusalem and Washington, as seen by Ukrinform.

At the same time, it is emphasized that the president will offer the Israeli leadership "to take a more definite position on the conflict" and increase the amount of assistance to Kyiv. The sources declined to provide any further details on the matter.

According to political analysts, the "Ukraine issue" will be discussed during the talks behind closed doors. No statements or briefings are likely to follow.

Earlier, the media indicated that the White House would like "greater clarity" in Jerusalem's policy regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Sources close to the U.S. administration made it clear that Washington expected "symmetry in countering the threat emanating from the Kremlin" from its main strategic partner in the Middle East. In turn, Jerusalem brought to the White Houses attention the reasons why they are forced to act precisely this way.

As Ukrinform reported, President Volodymyr Zelensky said at a conference chat with students and professors from Israels leading educational and research facilities that Ukraine is grateful to the Israeli society for its support in countering Russian aggression, but also seeks assistance from the Israeli authorities, which is not yet available.

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Ambassador of France to Ukraine Etienne de Poncins awarded Ukrainian poet Lina Kostenko France's highest award  the Legion of Honor order.

As an Ukrinform correspondent reports, the solemn award ceremony was held at the Embassy of France in Ukraine on Thursday, July 14.

"It is a great honor for me to present the Legion of Honor order to outstanding Ukrainian poet and writer Lina Kostenko on July 14, the day of our national holiday. When I made an official proposal to the President of the Republic to present Madame Lina Kostenko with the high award, I could not have imagined that this ceremony would take place during the war. But in the context of Russian aggression, to which Ukraine fell a victim, the presentation of this award becomes even more significant," the Ambassador of France said.

Addressing Lina Kostenko, he noted that to characterize her life path in a few words, he would choose "determination, courage, and desire for freedom."

"Your civic activism has always been one of your defining features, next to your great talent as a poet and writer, but it is your courage, your determination and your civic stance that we want to celebrate today," the diplomat emphasized.

In her turn, Lina Kostenko noted that being awarded the Legion of Honor was a complete surprise for her as, she noted, she belongs to "world not famous literature".

"The Legion of Honor is an order of knights and it is a great honor to receive it... I renounce all titles and political jewelry, but I accept this order with great gratitude and dedicate it to our soldiers as they are our most honorable Legion," she said.

Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine Oleksandr Tkachenko also congratulated Lina Kostenko with the honorary award.

"Lina Kostenko became a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor order. This is the highest award in France, awarded by the president of the republic for military or civilian merit. I am proud of having the honor to be your contemporary," Tkachenko wrote on Facebook.

Lina Kostenko is the author of more than 15 poetry collections and one novel.

In Soviet times, Lina Kostenko took an active part in the dissident movement, for which she was excluded from the literary process for a long time.

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Inmates and suspects awaiting trial will get weekends off from Lebanon Municipal Jail starting Friday, July 15, while the city's police department struggles to keep officers on the streets.

Lebanon police Chief Frank Stevenson told the City Council on Wednesday, July 13, that under state law misdemeanor offenders held in the citys jail require hourly checks  time that an officer could instead be patrolling the city.

Close the jail, and that officer is available to respond to emergency calls or back up other cops, he said.

That should relieve that pressure valve for them, Stevenson said.

A weekend off

The city pays one jail officer to supervise people housed in the 12-bed facility Monday through Thursday. Officers from Lebanons patrol division cover nights, when inmates generally are asleep, and they fill in three days, Friday through Sunday.

Jail officers supervise visitors, arrange phone calls and fetch food, Stevenson said. The citys budget states jail funding also pays officers to transport prisoners and watch over inmate work crews.

Theres always more to it than just, Hey, are they OK? Stevenson told the council.

People housed in the city jail will fill out paperwork granting their release. If theyre not back by 8 a.m. Monday, a judge can issue a warrant that demands their arrest for abandoning a sentence.

Theyll show up here and well book them back in, Stevenson said. If it absolutely flops on its face, then Im going to have to come back and visit this.

The jail suspended a contract with Linn County Parole and Probation that set aside beds for housing people who violated the terms of their state supervision, effectively overflow housing for state-sanctioned inmates.

It was a constant that we had sanctioned people here for 30 days, Stevenson said.

Weekend closures will continue until the department can adequately staff its patrol section, he said.

Stevenson at the meeting assured councilors people charged with violent crimes will still be taken to Linn County Jail.

Someone gets arrested for doing something really bad, we can still take them to county? asked councilor Michelle Steinhebel.

Theyll make sure theyre housed properly, Stevenson said.

A shortage

Meanwhile, Lebanon has been unable to attract qualified candidate cops to fill vacancies. The citys police force has paid overtime, reassigned a detective to patrol, Stevenson said, and cut down patrols to work around a months-long staffing shortage.

Ideally, Lebanon is patrolled by four officers at any time and the department budgets for 14 officers to fill that job covering a city of more than 18,400 people.

With six openings and a curtailed patrol staff of eight officers, Lebanon is patrolled by just two per shift.

Theyre extremely tired. Theyre worn down. And theyre still out here doing the job, Stevenson said.

The mid-Willamette Valley and Oregon are hard-hit by a shortage of police officers.

Applications at police departments fell off in recent years and experienced officers have left for better-paying departments or quit law enforcement entirely.

Lebanon began offering $6,500 in sign-on bonuses for experienced officers after March to attract already-trained, state-certified cops from other agencies. Linn County Sheriffs Office and Albany Police Department were offering $5,000 in bonuses around the same time.

Stevenson said a new patrol officer is expected to start July 26. Another four candidates interviewed with the city Thursday and now move on to vetting, including background checks, he said.

Including state certification, training and a probationary period with the department, Lebanon produces a fully independent patrol officer in about 18 months.

The department commands $6.51 million of the citys budget, the largest chunk by far and 41% of the $15.87 million Lebanon must spend to keep running between 2022 and 2023.

Stevenson said staff wont know whether inmates cut free for weekend releases will report to the jail until Monday morning when they continue the terms of their incarceration or dont  go back behind bars or not.

He said the department is out of options. Releasing inmates is the safer choice, he said, than allowing officers to patrol Lebanon without officers elsewhere in the city ready to back them up.

We still need to hold individuals accountable, he said. It just looks a little different now.

Related stories:
Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Miftah Ismail on Thursday assured the Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA) to resolve their issues at priority basis

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Jul, 2022 ) :Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Miftah Ismail on Thursday assured the Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA) to resolve their issues at priority basis.

During a meeting with PRGMEA delegation, headed by its Chairman, Shaikh Luqman Amin, the minister expressed the resolve to promote the business activities and facilitate the business community to attain sustainable growth.

Among others, the meeting was attended by Coordinator to PM on Commerce and Industry, Rana Ihsan Afzal; Chairman Federal board of Revenue (FBR) and senior officers from finance division and FBR.

According to press statement issued by the finance ministry, the minister stressed the delegation to enhance exports base of the country.

Earlier, the delegation members highlighted the contribution of garments in the exports of Pakistan. They apprised the minister about issues related to taxation on value added garments, refund of Sales Tax, etc.

Issues of defer payments, Drawback of Local Taxes and Levy (DLTL) and GSP plus status were also discussed in the meeting.
(@Abdulla99267510)

Finance Minister Miftah Ismail says that International Monetary Fund has no objection over lowering prices of the petroleum products.

ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-July 14th, 2022) Finance Minister Muftah Ismail said that petrol prices would go down today.

The Minister also said that International Monetary Fund (IMF) would not make any objection to it.

The IMF earlier today had revealed that the Pakistani authorities and the IMF finally reached a staff-level agreement over the release of $1.17 billion to support the countrys fragile economy.

Talking to the reporters in Islamabad, Miftah said that the prices of petroleum products would be lowered today instead of waiting till July 15 as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wanted to give immediate relief to the people.

He stated that the finance ministry received a summary from the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) recommending a cut in prices.

He also congratulated the nation over agreement with IMF, saying that the nation stood by PM Shehbaz Sharif in difficult decisions.

"Nations see difficult times and the Pakistani nation understands the situation during crises but now the time to give relief to the nation after difficult times has come," Miftah added.
Police claimed on Thursday to have arrested 32 criminals and recovered drugs and illegal weapons from their possession in the district during the last 24 hours

FAISALABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Jul, 2022 ) :Police claimed on Thursday to have arrested 32 criminals and recovered drugs and illegal weapons from their possession in the district during the last 24 hours.

According to police, raiding teams nabbed 15 drug pushers and recovered 5.

8 Kg hashish and 130 litres liquor from their possession. The police also held 3 gamblers and recovered stake money of Rs. 7,000 from them. In a crackdown against illegal weapons, the police arrested 14 persons and recovered 14 pistols and a number of bullets from them.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

PORT-AU-PRINCE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th July, 2022) AU-PRINCE, July 14 (Sputnik) - At least 89 people have been killed and hundreds injured as a result of clashes between armed gangs in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, media reported.

According to the Agence France-Presse news agency, 16 people are still missing.

The disturbances erupted on Friday when members of the G-9 gang attacked their rival gang, G-Pep. Clashes continued in a number of districts of the capital.

A significant number of casualties are reportedly among gang members, but there are also civilian casualties.

In April, similar clashes in the north of Port-au-Prince occurred between the 400 Mawozo and Chen Mechan gangs. Then more than 200 people were killed, hundreds were injured and more than 30,000 local residents were forced to flee to another region.

Haiti is facing a severe security crisis. According to official figures, more than 200 people were kidnapped for ransom or murder in May, while from the beginning of the year there were more than 500 such cases
KALININGRAD (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th July, 2022) The European Commission's guidelines have lifted significant amount of transit restrictions to the region, accounting for over 80%, Kaliningrad Governor Anton Alikhanov said on Thursday.

"That is the victory of our diplomacy as a significant amount of the restrictions on the transit to Kaliningrad, accounting for over 80%, was lifted," Alikhanov told the Russia-1 broadcaster.

The official went on to say that the development of a sea bridge for goods transportation to Kaliningrad will continue despite the positive results on the transit via Lithuania.

He added that the control of railway transit via Lithuania under the EU guidelines will not pose problem as there are generally accepted methods of cargo surveillance.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th July, 2022) Russia has decided to suspend the permits for the maintenance of its helicopters at Bulgarian and Czech facilities after western countries continue to supply Kiev with weapons with plans to repair Ukrainian military equipment, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

"We noticed that several NATO and EU countries are continuing to supply weapons and military equipment to the regime in Kiev and plan to organize the maintenance of the equipment at industrial facilities in Eastern Europe.

As a retaliatory measure, Russia has made the decision to suspend the aircraft repair company permits, which were earlier given out to a Czech factory ... and Bulgarian companies," Zakharova said at a regular press briefing.

Thus, the Czech and Bulgarian companies were stripped of the rights to do maintenance and repair works of helicopter equipment produced in Russia, according to the spokeswoman.

Russia no longer takes responsibility for the safe use of helicopters, repaired by these companies, Zakharova said.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

SEOUL (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th July, 2022) North Korea is going to develop interstate relations with the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Luhansk (DPR and LPR) in line with the values of sovereignty, peace and friendship, the KCNA news agency reported on Thursday.

On Wednesday, the North Korean Embassy to Russia told Sputnik that the country had decided tp recognize the independence of the DPR and the LPR.

In response, he Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has cut off diplomatic ties with North Korea.
North Korea is ready to support Russia's position regarding the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics, Pyongyang's Envoy to the United Nations Kim Song said on Wednesday

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th July, 2022) North Korea is ready to support Russia's position regarding the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics, Pyongyang's Envoy to the United Nations Kim Song said on Wednesday.

"The government of the DPRK (North Korea) is fully ready to support the position of the Russian Federation ... concerning Donetsk and Luhansk," Kim Song said.

The ambassador also said North Korea could take additional measures concerning the possible representation of the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics at the United Nations.

Earlier in the day, Donetsk People's Republic head Denis Pushilin announced that North Korea recognized the DPR, describing it as "another victory" for diplomacy.

Russia was the first country to recognize the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics in February, followed by Syria last month.
The Russian Embassy in Washington and the Consulate General in Houston have proposed to the United States trilateral talks with Mexico about illegal crossings at the US southern border, but has not received a response, Russian Consul General in Houston Alexander Zakharov told Sputnik

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th July, 2022) The Russian Embassy in Washington and the Consulate General in Houston have proposed to the United States trilateral talks with Mexico about illegal crossings at the US southern border, but has not received a response, Russian Consul General in Houston Alexander Zakharov told Sputnik.

"We have suggested several times that we have consultations with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) but they have not responded to any of our proposals," Zakharov said. "Exactly the same proposal was made by the Russian Embassy to the US Department of Homeland Security.

They have not responded to anything yet. We are ready for consultations. We offered tripartite consultations - Russia, United States and Mexico - we did not receive any response."

Zakharov pointed out that the channel used to facilitate illegal border crossings exists and has flourished in recent months.

"The channel is clear: they (Russian nationals) fly to Mexico and from there - I don't know who they pay, the locals - they organize border crossings, illegal border crossings," Zakharov said. "Unfortunately, there are tragic cases, as in San Antonio. This is the whole tragedy of the situation."
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th July, 2022) Moscow warns Moldova against joining Russia sanctions imposed by the West, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

"In Russia, the ongoing efforts of the European Union and NATO aimed at fully integrating Moldova into their anti-Russian campaign, as well as developing its territory under the guise of providing assistance in the field of security, did not go unnoticed," Zakharova told a briefing, adding that usually countries that impose sanctions against Russia get hurt more.
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MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th July, 2022) Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has not yet departed from the the Maldives to Singapore and has not given his resignation letter to the parliament speaker in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, the Daily Mirror online newspaper reported on Thursday, citing sources.

Rajapaksa and his wife, alongside with two security officers, did not board a regular flight to Singapore on Wednesday night due to security concerns. They are now preparing to depart on a private jet, the online newspaper said.

The Maldive authorities have increased security presence at the Velana International Airport, since the Sri Lankan president plans to depart from the country soon, according to India Today.

On Wednesday, during the meeting of parliamentary party leaders, Sri Lankan Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena stated that in a telephone conversation Rajapaksa said that he would submit his resignation letter before midnight.

Sri Lankan newspaper Newsfirst reported that in the absence of an official resignation letter the speaker is now looking into legal provisions to announce that the president has vacated his post.

It is possible that Rajapaksa could give in his resignation after arriving in Singapore, Newsfirst said, citing an unnamed source.

Sri Lanka is mired in a political deadlock caused by the country's worst economic crisis since gaining independence in 1948. The country has been hit with anti-governmental protests which culminated on Saturday, when activists in Colombo took control of the residences of the president and the prime minister, demanding their resignation.

Rajapaksa, who fled the country late Tuesday, appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as interim president. Wickremesinghe has declared a countrywide state of emergency and a curfew in Colombo. The parliament will hold a presidential election on July 20 and appoint a caretaker government, which will remain in power until the next general election.
ISTANBUL (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th July, 2022) Turkey and the United Nations will inspect ships which are heading towards Ukrainian ports, a source familiar with the matter told Sputnik on Thursday.

The 'grain issue' meeting was held on Wednesday in Istanbul. A diplomatic source has said that hopes on reaching consensus are high.

Following the negotiations, the Turkish Defense Ministry said that agreement has been reached on creating a coordination center in Istanbul.

"The control will be carried out by the Turkish side and the UN. This formed the basis of the proposed mechanism for the work of the coordination center in Istanbul. The technical details will still be discussed," the source said.
The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is appalled by today's strike against the city of Vinnytsia, United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Thursday

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th July, 2022) The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is appalled by today's strike against the city of Vinnytsia, United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Thursday.

"The Secretary-General is appalled by today's missile attack against the city of Vinnytsia in central Ukraine that reportedly killed at least 22 people, including three children, and wounded more than 100 others," Dujarric said in a statement.

Guterres condemns any attacks against civilians or civilian infrastructure and reiterates his call for accountability for such violations, the statement said.

The Ukrainian authorities have blamed Moscow for the attack, saying the Russian military deliberately attacked civilians.

Russian media published photographs of the House of Officers that was hit by the missile, saying it was a military target where Ukrainian officers were trained.

Earlier on Thursday, Russian diplomat at the United Nations, Evgeny Varganov, said Russia only strikes military targets in Ukraine and confirmed the strike in Vinnytsia was against the House of Officers, where the Ukrainian military trained its officers.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th July, 2022) Major French cities are likely to face blackouts within this year and the next one. media reported.

Almost all European countries are preparing for possible blackouts and their leaders hope that the upcoming winter would be mild, the Euractiv news outlet reported on Wednesday, citing a source in corporate risk management.

The RTE French transmission system operator told Euractiv that it was currently impossible to precisely predict the blackouts this winter because of the high uncertainty.

Later, senior executive of the EDF energy company Marc Benayoun has dismissed the reports about possible blackouts.

"I do not believe that we are going to face a disaster," he said at a Senate hearing.

Benayoun acknowledged that the situation was difficult but expressed a belief that it would not come to blackouts.

EDF President-Director General Patrick Pouyanne has called on the French people to minimize the consumption of electricity by keeping the room temperature at the level of 17 Celsius degrees (over 62 degrees Fahrenheit) and the air conditioners at the level of 26 Celsius degrees despite of the heat.

Europe is now entering into an energy crisis amid the Russian military operation in Ukraine and the sanctions against Moscow that may result in the suspension of Russian gas supplies to the EU.
MEXICO CITY (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th July, 2022) Russian diplomats in Brazil received a parcel "with unknown content," it was destroyed by bomb-disposal experts, a source in the Russian embassy told Sputnik.

"A parcel with unknown content arrived at the embassy, the police and firemen came to the call. A team of bomb-disposal experts carried out a controlled detonation of the package.

At the moment, the police are studying its contents," the source said.

The work of the diplomatic mission continues as normal, he added.

CNN Brasil cited the republic's police later on Thursday as saying that the parcel contained a hard hat with an attached flashlight.

A similar incident happened in May outside the Russian consulate in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo when an unknown person tied a fake hand grenade to the gates of the mission.
WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th July, 2022) The United States is working with its partners in Syria to build temporary detention centers for members of the Islamic State terror group (banned in Russia), US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the middle East Dana Stroul said on Wednesday.

"What we are seeking to do is to work with our partners and with the coalition to construct facilities that will allow for the secure humane detention of Islamic State fighters while the longer-term solution of repatriation, rehabilitation, de-radicalization, etc.

continues," Stroul said at the Middle East Institute in Washington.

Stroul noted that this is a so-called middle-term effort led by the US State Department, and jointed by the Defense Department as well as other entities like the National Security Council and the US Agency for International Development.

However, Stroul declined to clarify how many such facilities remain in Syria and how mach the United States is spending to maintain them.

"This is an ongoing assessment", she said.
A heatwave sweeping southwestern Europe was expected to peak on Thursday in Spain, with the scorching temperatures fuelling stubborn wildfires ravaged several countries

Madrid, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Jul, 2022 ) :A heatwave sweeping southwestern Europe was expected to peak on Thursday in Spain, with the scorching temperatures fuelling stubborn wildfires ravaged several countries.

Temperatures soared in Greece, Spain and Portugal, while the heatwave was expected to continue in Britain and France into next week.

It is the second heatwave to hit the region in a matter of weeks, as scientists say they are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change.

Southern Spain was bracing for temperatures to rise again Thursday as the stifling heat continued.

"For Thursday, we expect it to be the hottest day of this heatwave," said Spain's state meteorological agency AEMET.

The valleys around three major rivers -- the Guadiana, Guadalquivir and Tagus -- will experience temperatures of 44 Celsius (111 Fahrenheit) to 45 Celsius, it said.

The health ministry told people to drink plenty of fluids, wear light clothes and stay in the shade or air-conditioning.

The city of Almonte in the southern region of Andalusia saw the mercury hit 45.6 degrees Celsius at 5:30 pm on Wednesday.

Several other southern cities such as Seville and Cordoba recorded temperatures above 44C.
Authorities in Pakistans turbulent southwestern Baluchistan province found the body of a senior serving military officer Thursday, two days after he was kidnapped by insurgents there.

Officials said the slain officer, identified as Lieutenant Colonel Laeeq Baig Mirza, was abducted on Tuesday while he was traveling in a vehicle with his family to the tourist resort of Ziarat, about 100 kilometers northeast of the provincial capital, Quetta.

The armed assailants freed Laeeqs family members before forcing him into one of their vehicles and driving away, according to local sources.

The militarys media wing, Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), later confirmed that a male cousin of the officer was also among the hostages.

Pakistani troops and helicopters were quickly dispatched to the area to rescue the officer and track down his abductors. Local security officials said the massive search operation ended Thursday morning, with recovering Laeeqs body and luggage.

Determined to recover the innocent civilian hostage and apprehend perpetrators, (a) sanitization operation in the area by security forces continues unabated despite bad weather conditions, the ISPR said.

The outlawed Baluchistan Liberation Army group claimed responsibility for the attack.

The BLA routinely carries out roadside bombings and ambushes against security forces in the sparsely populated, natural resource-rich province, Pakistans largest. However, the deadly hostage-taking incident involving a senior army officer is unprecedented, said residents and officials in Baluchistan.

Provincial Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo in a statement condemned the killing of the military man as a cowardly act of the terrorists and vowed to bring those responsible to justice.

Baluchistan is among the regions in Pakistan where China has invested billions of dollars over the past seven years in large-scale infrastructure development projects under Beijings global Belt and Road Initiative.

The bilateral program, known as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, has built road networks and power plants across Pakistan and the Gwadar deep-water port in the turbulent province.

The BLA and other banned insurgent groups operating in Baluchistan oppose Chinese investments there, claiming Beijing and Islamabad are depriving people in the impoverished region of their natural resources.

Pakistan dismisses insurgent claims and accuses rival India of supporting and funding them to undermine the corridor, accusations that New Delhi rejects.

In April, a female BLA suicide bomber killed three Chinese nationals in the southern port city of Karachi.
When the U.S. Supreme Court on June 24 overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide, the consequences seemed clear: Each of the 50 states would decide whether to permit abortion within its borders.

In the conservative-leaning, southern state of Louisiana, it was expected that a "trigger law" would immediately be activated, prohibiting any abortion not deemed to be necessary to protect the mother's life. Instead, access to abortion in Louisiana has swung back and forth at a dizzying rate, dismaying defenders and opponents of the procedure, not to mention women with unwanted pregnancies.

Its been confusing and horrible for the women who seek abortions at our clinic, said Kathaleen Pittman, the clinic administrator at Hope Medical Group for Women, and one of three abortion clinics in Louisiana. Hope Medical Group for Women, in the city of Shreveport, is the lead plaintiff in an ongoing court battle over whether the states anti-abortion trigger law can take effect. Pittman told VOA that ahead of the Supreme Court ruling, the clinics waitlist grew dramatically. Shortly after the high courts decision, nearly all abortions were halted in Louisiana.

Three days later, abortion rights advocates won a victory as a state court blocked the trigger law, allowing abortions to resume. Since then, abortions have been made illegal again and  as of Tuesday  once again legal.

Deciding to get an abortion is one of the most difficult decisions many women will have to make, Pittman said. Weve had women waiting for weeks or more for this procedure they feel they need. Then, in some cases the day before their appointment, weve had to make a heartbreaking call to tell them its no longer permitted by state law and that we have to cancel the abortion.

The legal whiplash is unlikely to end anytime soon as both sides prepare for a prolonged battle in the courts. I think its something thats going to drag on for a while, unfortunately, said Sarah Zagorski, communications director at Louisiana Right to Life, an anti-abortion advocacy organization. Every day the Louisiana law is stopped from going into effect is another day that innocent babies are murdered in this state, she continued. Thats not acceptable to us.

Confusion for women

In more than a dozen states, similar legal fights are under way over abortion bans. In addition to Louisiana, laws prohibiting abortions have been temporarily blocked in Idaho, Kentucky, Michigan, and Utah. While these temporary restraining orders (TROs) are welcomed by abortion rights defenders because they allow clinics to proceed with the procedure for the time being, they have created confusion and, in some cases, a false sense of hope  not just at abortion clinics but for millions of American women unsure where abortion laws stand in their state.

We had 40 women who were scheduled for an abortion on Saturday while the last TRO was in effect, Pittman said. These are 40 women who made this very difficult decision to move forward with an abortion, who waited on our waitlist, who had an ultrasound and a consultation with us already because thats what Louisiana law requires, and who  in some cases  were already in transit across the state or from some other state where they couldnt receive an abortion.

Last Friday, just one day before those abortions were set to occur, a New Orleans judge ruled she could not uphold the TRO because she no longer had jurisdiction over the case because it had been moved to Baton Rouge. The result was that abortions were, at the time, once again illegal.

We had to call each of those 40 women and tell them to turn their cars around because we couldnt do the procedure, Pittman said.

Legal ambiguity

Opponents of Louisianas anti-abortion trigger law argue the statute is ambiguous and doesnt adequately spell out the rare instances in which it would allow the procedure. The triggers are quite clear: the law goes into effect when Roe has been overruled. That condition is now met, so this is neither vague nor confusing, said Liz Murrill, who, as solicitor general of Louisiana, is involved in fighting the TRO.

Hope Medical Group for Women and other plaintiffs say the law lacks clarity in complicated situations involving potential health risks to pregnant women, and they fear women who need an abortion as a life-or-death matter may be denied one. The situations theyre arguing about dont even involve them, she said of the lead plaintiff, an abortion clinic. Medically necessary treatments are handled at hospitals by doctors, not at abortion clinics.

They like to talk about ectopic pregnancies [where a fetus grows outside the main cavity of the uterus], for example, but the law never did and does not now ban treatment of ectopic pregnancies, cancer, or any other treatment that is necessary to preserve the health and safety of a pregnant woman," Murrill added. The plaintiffs are serial litigators, and their intent is to create confusion, which ultimately hurts women.

Pittman, from Hope Medical Group for Women, says that is not true. We constantly get calls from doctors and the volume of calls has gone up since the Supreme Court ruling, she said. Sometimes they want to know if we think a certain procedure is legal, and sometimes they want to know if well do the procedure for their patient since their hospital is either morally opposed or legally unable to do it themselves. Were very much a part of this.

The battle continues

Earlier this month, New Orleans resident Emily Diament and her family experienced a tragedy that showed her how dangerous the Louisiana law could be for women in the state. She was pregnant with her second child, but during her routine, 20-week scan, she learned the fetus no longer had a heartbeat. The news was devastating.

Diament and her husband had two choices: She could have a traditional, vaginal birth to remove the dead fetus, or she could undergo dilation and evacuation (D&E), a common abortion procedure.

The D&E is the faster and safer option, Diament said, but beyond that, as a mother who just lost her 20-week-old child, I cannot fathom having to be induced, go through contraction after contraction, and then push with all that I have to deliver my child that I know is already passed.

Diament understands her situation is not seen as an abortion and would not be considered illegal under the Louisiana law. But shes worried, she said, about what other mothers will have to go through.

There are many instances where a pregnant mother experiences serious complications with her baby while it still has a heartbeat, she told VOA. If the baby develops a fatal disease, for example, and wont be able to survive outside the womb, this law would make it illegal for that mother to have a D&E because the baby has a heartbeat and the mothers life isnt at risk. D&Es are already illegal in places like Texas and Alabama.

The only option those women would have is to be induced into labor, Diament continued. While some may choose that option, many  like me  would feel tortured having to spend hours in pain pushing out a baby that would be left to die in their arms.

For the emotional and physical health of women, as well as for the protection of doctors who might be hesitant to perform such procedures because theyre unsure of the legal consequences, Diament said the law must be further clarified.

In the courtroom

On Tuesday, opponents of the law received encouraging news. A judge in Baton Rouge reinstated the TRO. This made abortions in Louisiana legal once again, at least temporarily.

Joanna Wright, lead attorney for Hope Medical Group for Women, told VOA its telling that in the past two weeks, two separate Louisiana judges have ruled similarly.

Theyve both rightly judged that irreparable harm will occur if the trigger bans are enforced, she said. Next, Wright explained, they will argue for a preliminary injunction on July 18. If granted, the injunction would extend the period of time that abortions remain legal in the state. We take solace, she said, in the fact that crucial health care for women has been restored in the state of Louisiana.

Anti-abortion advocates such as Sarah Zagorski of Louisiana Right to Life, however, say those critical of the state's law are grasping at straws and finding extreme and uncommon examples to delay implementing the statute so they can keep performing abortions.

We will continue to fight to protect innocent children, as well as to protect mothers who are being pressured into making decisions so many of them come to regret, she said. We are hopeful this important anti-abortion law will stand in time  hopefully it doesnt take too much time  but in time.
An arson attack on a suburban Athens building that houses the offices of a Greek radio station and newspaper caused significant damage early Wednesday and drew condemnation from political leaders in Greece and elsewhere in the European Union.

Explosions were heard before a fire broke out shortly after 3 a.m. at the building that houses radio station Real FM and the Real News newspaper in Maroussi, a northern Athens suburb.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze. Fire Service investigators found the remnants of three gas canisters tied together on an external stairwell between the ground and first floors, as well as a can containing a flammable liquid.

No one was injured, although a radio station sound engineer was evacuated and treated for smoke inhalation. The offices of a shipping company on the building's top floor suffered the most damage. The newspaper in located on the first floor and the radio station on the second.

Real Group owner Nikos Chatzinikolaou, a veteran journalist, posted a short clip from his car that showed the top of the building on fire and tweeted: "Explosions and fire at Real FM and Realnews! They are burning us! They are trying to shut us down!"

Chatzinikolaou founded the media company in 2007. The group also includes news site enikos.gr.

Real Group reported on its website that security cameras showed two people with their heads covered placing the canisters and can.

Police said they suspect other people might have helped the arsonists escape, are examining security cameras from nearby buildings.

The group's news site said a serious malfunction in the radio station's broadcast tower on Tuesday could be related to the fire.

No one had claimed responsibility as of Wednesday afternoon.

Greece has seen similar attacks on media outlets and other targets that most often turned out to be the work of far-left groups, but Tuesday's fire caused more serious damage.

"The freedom of the press is neither constrained nor muzzled by terrorist acts," Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said during a Parliament session.

Opposition leader Alexis Tsipras, several government ministers and politicians from all of the countries political parties made online and live statements strongly denouncing the attack.

European Commission Vice President for Values and Transparency Vera Jourov joined the condemnation and said Greek authorities must do "much more ... to guarantee the security of journalists and media, because this this attack is really shocking."


U.S. law enforcement officers will ask, when detaining immigrants in the country illegally, whether they are parents or guardians to avoid separating families under a Biden administration policy launched on Thursday.

The directive, an effort by President Joe Biden to reverse former President Donald Trump's more restrictive policies, also allows for previously deported parents or guardians to return to the United States temporarily for child custody hearings.

The new U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) directive replaces Trump-era guidance issued in 2017 that did not explicitly require officers to inquire about, or record, parental status or guardianship.

A Democrat, Biden campaigned on a promise to build a more humane and orderly immigration system to counter that of Trump, his Republican predecessor.

When he took office early last year, Biden prioritized immigration enforcement against those convicted of more serious crimes. As a result, arrests and deportations of immigrants living illegally in the United States plummeted compared with a year earlier.

But federal courts in recent months have blocked Biden's efforts to focus on serious criminal offenders and Republicans have criticized the administration's approach, saying fewer detentions and deportations have encouraged more illegal crossings.

In another departure from Trump administration policy, the new guidance applies to parents or guardians of incapacitated adults as well as children.

ICE Acting Director Tae Johnson said in a statement that officers will preserve family unity "to the greatest extent possible."

Some immigration activists on Thursday said the measures did not go far enough. Heidi Altman, policy director at the National Immigrant Justice Center, which provides legal services to refugees and asylum seekers, called the memo the "bare minimum."

After taking office in January 2021, Biden implemented a series of measures to reverse what he called "cruel and senseless" Trump policies that separated thousands of children and parents at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Two candidates were knocked out of the race to replace U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday, leaving six lawmakers battling to lead a Conservative Party  and a country  hoping to move on from months of scandal and division.

Former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Treasury chief Nadhim Zahawi failed to reach the threshold of 30 votes in a secret ballot by Conservative lawmakers needed to stay in the contest.

The remaining contenders will now scramble to scoop up the two men's supporters in a contest that will replace the flamboyant, scandal-ridden Johnson  a figure famous in Britain and around the world  with a new and much lesser-known prime minister.

The vote confirmed the front-runner status of ex-Treasury chief Rishi Sunak, who came first with 88 votes. And it gave a big boost to Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt, who secured 67 votes to come in second place.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss got 50 votes. Ex-Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch, backbench lawmaker Tom Tugendhat and Attorney General Suella Braverman also remain on the ballot.

The 358 Tory lawmakers had crammed into a humid corridor at Parliament on Wednesday afternoon to line up and cast their ballots in a grand room hung with oil paintings. Security staff made them hand over their phones to ensure secrecy.

Further rounds of voting will take place Thursday and, if needed, next week, until just two candidates remain.

The final two contenders will face a runoff vote by about 180,000 Conservative Party members across the country. The winner is scheduled to be announced Sept. 5 and will automatically become prime minister, without the need for a national election.

The candidates are jostling to replace Johnson, who quit as Conservative leader last week amid a party revolt triggered by months of ethics scandals. He will remain in office as a caretaker prime minister until his replacement as party chief is chosen.

Unlike Sunak and Truss, Mordaunt didn't hold a senior post in Johnson's government, though she was a junior minister. An affable politician from a military family, she is widely seen as a breath of fresh air and has been scoring highly in polls of party members.

At her official campaign launch on Wednesday, Mordaunt said the party had "standards and trust to restore" after the scandal-tarnished Johnson years.

She said voters "are fed up with us not delivering, they are fed up with unfulfilled promises and they are fed up with divisive politics."

Supporters of Truss, meanwhile, are urging lawmakers on the party's libertarian right wing  including backers of Zahawi, Badenoch and Braverman  to unite around the foreign secretary. Lawmaker Simon Clarke said that would "ensure there is a clear free market vision in the final two."

Neither Hunt nor Zahawi endorsed a candidate after they left the race. Zahawi said "I don't intend to make any further intervention."

The slate of candidates is strikingly diverse, with four contenders from ethnic minorities and four women. But all are offering similar tax-slashing pledges, with only Sunak offering a note of caution. He has cast himself as the candidate of fiscal probity, saying said the country needs "honesty and responsibility, not fairytales" to get through economic shockwaves from the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

Supporters of the other candidates have improbably depicted Sunak  whose heroine is former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher  as a left-winger. Johnson's office has denied running a campaign to bad-mouth Sunak, whose resignation last week helped end the prime minister's reign.

A spokeswoman insisted Johnson was remaining neutral in the campaign to choose his replacement.

Johnson struck a valedictory note at his weekly Prime Minister's Questions session in the House of Commons. He hinted it could be his last appearance there, though he is scheduled take questions again next week, before Parliament's summer break, and to leave office on Sept. 6.

"The next leader of my party may be elected by acclamation," he told Labour leader Keir Starmer  though that would only happen if one of the final two candidates dropped out. "So it's possible this will be our last confrontation."

Johnson said it was "true that I leave not at a time of my choosing," but insisted: "I will be leaving soon with my head held high."
Cameroon is asking for international help to fund the rebuilding of western regions that have been destroyed in five years of conflict with separatists. A plan to construct roads, schools, hospitals, markets and homes was launched in 2020 but has been hindered by ongoing fighting and budget woes.

The reconstruction plan has raised only $18.2 million of the $150 million needed to rebuild the English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions, the government said Thursday. Officials in the mainly French-speaking country also say intense fighting between separatists and troops is making it very difficult to rebuild infrastructure in towns and villages where relative peace has returned.

Paul Tasong, coordinator of the Presidential Plan for the Reconstruction and Development of Cameroon's Northwest and Southwest Regions, noted what countries like Japan have allocated in terms of Cameroonian francs.

"Today only Japan supports us with 1.5 billion ($2.3 million) and we are currently actively working with them for an additional 900 million ($1.3 million) from Japan," he said. "We don't want to underestimate the very important and significant contribution from the national private sector where we recorded 1.2 billion ($1.8 million). What are the other partners doing? We are still waiting and we continue to wait with hope."

Tasong said the government of Cameroon contributed 70 percent of the money put forth for the reconstruction plan.

When the government launched the plan in 2020, it promised to reconstruct 12,000 private homes and public buildings that were destroyed by fighters. So far, only 40 schools and 20 hospitals have been rebuilt.

According to Tasong, hundreds of farmers and fishers also received funds to restart activities in towns and villages where there is relative calm. The government said at least 15 markets have been reconstructed.

Elsie Ambe, a businessperson in Cameroon, attended a meeting Wednesday in Yaounde as a potential donor. She said donors are reluctant to contribute because separatists continue to torch government property and houses of people suspected of sympathizing with the central government in Yaounde.



"Those who destroyed the infrastructure we already had are still there and if their minds are not rebuilt, they will likely (continue to) destroy," she said. "So I think that moral rearmament and harmonious living together should be considered as a priority. From there, you (government) can think of any other need. Reconstructing the mind is a fundamental base of reconstruction."

Separatists on social media platforms, including WhatsApp and Facebook, say they intend to disrupt the plan, developed by President Paul Biya in 2020. This month, the government said fighters either chased or abducted road workers from several towns and villages in the Southwest region.

The government said it must continue with the plan to revive the economies of the troubled regions and bring back people who have fled the crisis. It also said a majority of the 700,000 children whose schools were burned down five years ago will be able to return to the classroom to resume their education.

Cameroon's government said separatists will be defeated if civilians report fighters who are hiding and destroying public edifices in English-speaking areas.

Biya created the reconstruction plan and said he was implementing a resolution approved in October 2019 when he organized a national dialogue to solve the crisis in western regions. Separatists who are seeking to carve out a republic called Ambazonia did not attend and said they will only be ready to discuss terms of their quest for independence.

Separatists have been fighting since 2017 to split the English-speaking Northwest and Southwest from the rest of the country and its French-speaking majority.

The United Nations says the separatist conflict has killed more than 3,300 people, with about 750,000 fleeing their homes to safer French-speaking towns and to neighboring Nigeria.


Congress gave its ultimate final salute Thursday to Hershel W. "Woody" Williams, a 5-foot-6 "force of nature'" in the battle of Iwo Jima and the last remaining Medal of Honor recipient from World War II.

Seventy-seven years after his wartime heroism, Williams, who died last month at 98, lay in honor in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, a tribute reserved for the nation's most distinguished private citizens. Only six others have received the honor: civil rights icon Rosa Parks, the Rev. Billy Graham and four Capitol police officers.

Just 21, Williams was a Marine corporal when U.S. forces came ashore on the strategic Japanese island in early 1945. Williams moved ahead of his unit and eliminated a series of Japanese machine gun positions. Facing small-arms fire, he fought for four hours, repeatedly returning to prepare demolition charges and obtain flamethrowers. President Harry Truman awarded him the Medal of Honor, the military's highest decoration, later that year.

But the new tribute to Williams was about more than his bravery in combat service. It served as recognition for a generation of heroes, now dwindling in numbers, who fought in World War II. House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy said Williams wanted Thursday's ceremony as a way to recognize every Medal of Honor recipient from that war.

"With Woody's passing, we have lost a deeply selfless American and a vital link to our nation's greatest generation," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said during the ceremony.

Pelosi said Williams was far from the biggest Marine, standing only 5-foot-6 and weighing in at 130 pounds, "yet he was a force of nature on the battlefield." She said he singlehandedly destroyed seven enemy positions, and that Truman said he acted with "unyielding determination and extraordinary heroism."

Lawmakers have lauded Williams throughout the week, marveling at his youth during his actions at Iwo Jima. They also hailed his public service following his military career, which included establishing a foundation that works with local stakeholders to create monuments for Gold Star families of the fallen throughout the country.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., recalled meeting Williams at one such ceremony in Owensboro, Ky.

"By that point, he'd been giving back to his beloved country for 77 years," McConnell said. "So, needless to say, Woody's service leaves us a rich legacy."

Williams was well known in his native West Virginia. In 2018, a Huntington, Va., medical center was renamed in his honor, and the Navy commissioned a mobile base sea vessel in his name in 2020.

The state's two senators took the Senate floor Wednesday to remember him. Democrat Joe Manchin called him the "greatest of the greatest generation." Republican Shelley Moore Capito recalled his humility, saying that when Truman presented him with the Medal of Honor, Williams remembered asking himself why he was selected for the nation's highest military honor when Marines right beside him did not make it home.

"That shows you the kind of man that Woody Williams was, always putting his country and his comrades first and never concerned with who got the credit," Capito said.
The United Nation's latest global population projection predicts there will be 8 billion people on the planet by November and that the population will gradually increase to 8.5 billion by 2050 and to more than 10 billion by 2080. That growth will come with significant economic and environmental implications.



The projected growth is not evenly spread across the world. Some regions, including Eastern and Southeastern Asia, are expected to shrink in population, while North America and Europe are expected to grow at very low rates. The bulk of the population growth is expected to come from sub-Saharan Africa and Central and Southern Asia.



The move past the 8 billion mark masks the fact that globally, the population is growing at its slowest rate since the 1950s. Two-thirds of all people currently live in regions where the fertility rate, measured in births per woman, has fallen below the replacement rate of 2.1. In many cases, those falling rates are driven in part by government policies.



Sub-Saharan Africa

Growth will be most concentrated among eight countries: the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and the United Republic of Tanzania.



Of those eight, the countries in sub-Saharan Africa will account for more than half of the world's population increase over the next 30 years, creating what U.N. officials called a potential demographic dividend, with the share of working-age adults, defined as those between 26 and 64 years of age, rising as a share of the population.



Countries looking forward to an increase in the number of working age people as a share of the overall population, have an opportunity to maximize the benefits of the dividend by investing in human capital formation, the report found.



While the demographic circumstances underlying the dividend are conducive to rapid economic growth on a per capita basis, reaping its potential benefits requires significant investments in education and health, progress towards gender equality and the availability of gainful employment.



A graying globe



Unlike the countries of sub-Saharan Africa, the population of the planet as a whole is trending older. Between 1980 and 2022, the number of people ages 65 or older tripled to 771 million and is on track to hit 994 million by 2030 and 1.6 billion by 2050.



Some regions are aging faster than others. By 2050, the percentage of people 65 or older in Eastern and Southeastern Asia is expected to double from 13% to 26%. In Europe and North America, nearly 19% of the population is currently 65 or older, and that proportion is expected to rise to nearly 27% by 2050.



By contrast, sub-Saharan Africa is projected to have just 5% of its population in that age bracket by 2050.



Countries with aging populations should take steps to adapt public programs to the growing proportion of older persons, including sound social security and pension systems, the establishment of universal health care and long-term care systems, the U.N. urged.



India to be most populous



China is currently the worlds most populous country with 1.43 billion people, but that is expected to change by next year, with India, currently at 1.41 billion, surpassing it. Chinas population is actually expected to begin shrinking this year, as decades of low birthrates take their demographic toll.



Projecting out to 2050, India is expected to remain the most populous country with 1.67 billion, followed by China at 1.317 billion. The United States, currently in a very distant third place with 337 million people, will maintain that position, as the population grows modestly to 375 million.



However, the United States will have to share third place with Nigeria. Currently, the sixth most populous country with 216 million residents, Nigeria is expected to grow to 375 million by 2050.



Pakistan, currently the fifth largest country with 234 million people, will retain that rank, while growing to 366 million.



The Democratic Republic of Congo is expected to see a large percentage increase. Currently at 97 million people, its population is expected to more than double to 215 million by 2050.



Environmental challenges



The report notes that as global population growth continues, it creates possible complications in the fight against climate change. All else equal, an increase in people means more greenhouse gases are being emitted into the atmosphere.



The growth of the population itself may not be the direct cause of environmental damage; it may nevertheless exacerbate the problem or accelerate the timing of its emergence, depending on the problem in question, the time frame considered, the available technology and the demographic, social and economic context, it said.



However, the report argues that the most highly developed countries should bear the largest burden.



Whereas all countries should take actions to tackle climate change and protect the environment, more developed countries  whose per capita consumption of material resources is generally the highest  bear the greatest responsibility for implementing strategies to decouple human economic activity from environmental degradation.
The United States has joined some 45 countries in agreeing to coordinate investigations into alleged war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine, with the Netherlands raising the possibility of creating a special tribunal to judge them. An international meeting in The Hague comes amid reports of another deadly Russian missile attack in Ukraine.

Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said justice must be delivered against alleged Russian atrocities in Ukraine  possibly by setting up a special tribunal to judge them.

The way I understand it, we have to fill the vacuum and the ICC (International Criminal Court) doesnt have the jurisdiction. So I can imagine that we do look into coming up such a tribunal," Hoekstra said. "As the Netherlands we will take an open look into this. It will probably not be easy. There is merit in doing that with as many friends as possible from the international community

Ukraine has already called for such a tribunal  similar to those set up to judge atrocities committed during the Rwandan genocide or the former Yugoslavia.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated that demand by video link during Thursdays so-called "Ukraine accountability" meeting in the Netherlands.

Countries attending pledged $20 million to support the U.N.s International Criminal Court, or ICC, and other experts probing alleged atrocities linked to the Russian-launched conflict in Ukraine.

Russia has denied targeting civilians in Ukraine.

The ICC doesnt have the jurisdiction to prosecute suspected perpetrators because neither Ukraine nor Russia are court members.

But ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said the tribunal did have powerful tools to help deliver justice, and that coordination among countries was key.

This has to go beyond Ukraine because every life matters. No people of the world are more precious than other people," Khan said. "

Speaking on behalf of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. human rights envoy Uzra Zeya said alleged Russian atrocities in Ukraine mirrored those its committed elsewhere.
The African Development Bank (AfDB) agreed this week to help Zimbabwe clear its $13.5 billion debt during a visit by the Abidjan-based lender's president. The AfDB has also started releasing loans from a $1.5 billion fund to help Africa avert a looming food crisis fueled by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Zimbabwe is one of 38 countries set to benefit from the bank's fund, which is known as the African Emergency Food Production Facility.

African Development Bank, or AfDB, President Akinwumi Adesina said during his visit that Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa had sought his assistance for Zimbabwe to clear its external debt, which started accumulating after the late Robert Mugabes administration defaulted.

I believe that Zimbabweans, ordinary Zimbabweans, have suffered long enough. You have a country, a beautiful country in which you now have 40 percent of the population that is living in extreme poverty. And they do not have the resources to get out of that. So, we have to create a new hope, a new pathway so that tomorrow can be a better day than yesterday. Zimbabwe has a significant amount of debt areas that it needs to clear. But you cannot run up the hill if you are carrying a backpack of sand. So, Zimbabwe cannot run up a hill for its economic recovery and growth and prosperity if its carrying a backpack of sand, he said.

AfDB and Zimbabwe are looking for ways Harare can get access to international financial money while the debt is being settled over a long period.

Mthuli Ncube is Zimbabwes Finance Minister.

What we have done so far is to begin token payments for the African Development Bank, the World Bank, the European Investment Bank, and also all the 17 Paris Club partners. But what needs to be done is to fully implement the full roadmap for the arrears clearance. But for us to work well, we need a champion, and I am pleased to say that Dr. Adesina has agreed to be the champion, to cajole all partners around the world for us to be able to implement our arrears strategy, he said.

Gift Mugano, an economics professor at Durban University of Technology, said the post-Mugabe government is still reckless and careless, and so the AfDB will not be able to satisfy the world on a plan to clear Zimbabwes arrears.

In four years, our debt has doubled. Doubled because we were borrowing money recklessly, doubling because we created a new debt through white farmer compensation deed. There is also a component of debt, which we do not know where it is coming from because minister of finance is not going to parliament at each and every time he assumes new debt. If the government wants to clear the debt, it must stop increasing the debt, said Mugano.

During his visit to Zimbabwe, AfDB President Adesina said his organization was filling a food security gap of 30 million metric tons caused by Russias invasion of Ukraine. That will come through the African Emergency Food Production Facility, a fund worth $1.5 billion.

It will support Africa, produce 38 million metric tons of food with a value of $12 billion. Wheat, corn, maize, that will include 6 million metric tons of rice, 2.5 million metric tons of soyabeans. So, we are very sensitive to this. Africa has no business of going around with bowls in hand to beg for food. Africa has a business and must be in the business of putting seed in the ground and producing its own food and making sure that it can unlock tremendous agriculture potential that it has, but we cant eat potential. We have to unlock the potential of agriculture, he said.

Africa, Adesina said, imports mainly wheat and corn from Ukraine and Russia, as well as 2 million metric tons of fertilizers.
A Dutch journalist said she was deported from Iraq's autonomous region of Kurdistan on Wednesday, blaming her expulsion on Turkey's reaction to her coverage of an outlawed Kurdish party.

Frederike Geerdink covers Kurdish and political issues in Turkey for Dutch media. Her Twitter bio touts her inside knowledge of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)  a pro-Kurdish group designated a "terrorist" organization by Ankara and its Western allies.

Geerdink tweeted Wednesday that she was on her way to Kobane, a Kurdish-majority town in Syria near the Turkish border, when she was stopped by authorities.

"I am being deported from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. I almost crossed the border into northeast Syria when suddenly ... I was put in a car with police and brought to Erbil airport, where I'm now," Geerdink said.

"Erdogan's arm is long," she said, blaming Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The journalist was detained by Turkey in January 2015 for "distributing terrorist propaganda" for the PKK rebels.

In September of the same year, Geerdink was arrested again while covering clashes between the Turkish army and PKK rebels. An official said she had entered a restricted zone, and she was subsequently deported.

Her expulsion from Turkey drew condemnation from the Dutch Association of Journalists and the European Federation of Journalists, who called the actions of the Turkish government "very alarming and contrary to international law."

Geerdink took aim at authorities in Kurdistan on Wednesday over her removal.

"It is utterly sad that the authorities in the Kurdistan region in Iraq are so afraid of a woman with a pen," she tweeted, adding that local journalists "are being jailed more often than ever."

According to a Foreign Ministry spokesperson quoted by the Dutch news agency ANP, the consul general in Erbil is in "close contact" with the journalist.

"We believe that journalists should be able to do their work anywhere in the world. That's why we have stressed the importance of press freedom," he said.

The Dutch ambassador in Baghdad has also contacted the Iraqi foreign minister about the matter, according to ANP.
In a deeply Catholic country, accusations that an American priest abused dozens of children at an orphanage stunned many in East Timor.

So when independent journalist Raimundos Oki heard that a group of girls planned to sue authorities, claiming they had been subjected to unnecessary virginity tests as part of the criminal case, he knew he had to hear their story.

Oki published interviews with the girls on his news website, Oekusi Post, ahead of the trial of Richard Daschbach. The then-84-year-old American priest was jailed in December for 12 years for child abuse.

But now Oki is under investigation himself, on accusations that he breached judicial secrecy.

The case is unexpected in East Timor. Also known as Timor-Leste, the country has one of the better records globally for press freedom.

Groups including Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Human Rights Watch, however, note that the risk of legal proceedings and a media law with vague provisions that journalists "promote public interest and democratic order" could encourage self-censorship on some subjects, including accusations of abuse in the Catholic Church.

Call from police

Oki learned that he was under investigation when police called on June 29, ordering the journalist to report to a police station in Dili, the capital, the following day.

At the station, police informed Oki that the public prosecutor's office had ordered an investigation into the journalist for allegedly "violating the secrets of the legal system."

The investigation is connected to the reports Oki published in 2020 about a planned lawsuit against authorities. In it, the claimants alleged authorities subjected them to virginity tests while investigating claims of abuse against the priest.

In their lawsuit and in interviews with Oki, the claimants said they had told authorities they were not among the minors abused by the priest, but that authorities still forced them to undergo the invasive procedure.

"They wanted to share what they went through with the public," Oki said. "As a journalist, it is my duty to share their stories with the world."

At the time that his articles were published, the priest was still on trial. Oki said a police officer told him the judicial secrecy accusation was linked to Daschbach's trial.

Authorities have not responded publicly to the lawsuit, which was filed in July 2021.

The public prosecutor's office in Dili didn't respond to VOA's request for comment.

If convicted, Oki could face up to six years in prison.

'Public interest'

Both the journalist and his lawyer, Miguel Faria  who also defended Daschbach in his trial  deny that Oki breached judicial secrecy, citing public interest as a justification for publishing the interviews.

"Cases of forced virginity tests are considered public interest, and it is very important for the public to know what happened to these victims," Faria said.

The lawyer said that in this case, "the victims speak firsthand about their experiences."

Judicial secrecy laws are often enforced to ensure the right to a fair trial or to prevent the risk of a jury being influenced by reporting. UNICEF and others also have guidelines for coverage of child abuse and trials to prevent minors being identified or retraumatized.

Rick Edmonds, a media analyst at the Florida-based Poynter Institute for Media Studies, said that in some countries, interviewing witnesses during or even shortly before a trial takes place can jeopardize the trial or provide grounds for appeal if the jury isn't entirely sequestered.

Daniel Bastard, Asia-Pacific director at RSF, said that prosecutors should consider some legal arguments, including that the girls' testimonies were published during Daschbach's trial.

But, he said, "from a press freedom point of view, we need to look at the bigger picture on this issue and think about the public interest."

"I think the very key in this case is the idea of public interest. In a functional democracy, there can be some debate between the necessity of judicial secrecy and the need for the public to know exactly what is at stake," Bastard told VOA.

Showing the suffering

Oki said his objective was to show the suffering the girls went through. At the time, he said, the media focus was the trial of the priest and not the experiences of minors, who say they went through unnecessary procedures while the case was investigated.

"Forced virginity test is a violation of basic human rights," he said. "This practice is against every international norm of human rights."

The reporter said authorities didn't need to carry out such tests to build a case against the former priest.

The United Nations has called for so-called virginity tests to be banned, saying the procedure is both unscientific and "a violation of human rights."

Parker Novak, a Washington-based expert on East Timor, believes Oki's case is controversial because it touches on the role of the church in the Timorese society.

"There is a reluctance in the Timorese media, in the Timorese society, to report critically on influential institutions and leaders," he told VOA.

The Catholic Church is arguably the most influential institution in the Timorese society, he said.

"So certainly, any reporting that can be perceived as critical of the church, even if that reporting is wholly justified, whereas this case probably was, it's still seen as taboo within the Timorese society, and that's what causes controversy," Novak added.

Closed trial

East Timor is said to contain the highest percentage of Catholics outside Vatican City, and the priest, Daschbach, was a revered figure in the community who had the support of former President Xanana Gusmao, who attended the sentencing.

The Associated Press reported that Daschbachs trial was closed to the public and that some witnesses complained of being threatened.

A U.S. federal grand jury in Washington later indicted the priest for illicit sexual contact in a foreign place and wire fraud.

Oki has faced legal action previously for his reporting. In 2017, the journalist was accused of criminal defamation over a 2015 article published in the Timor Post about then-Prime Minister Rui Maria de Araujo.

Charges in that case were later dropped, but Oki believes the case against him this time is more complicated.

"If they want to politicize it, then I believe they will imprison me," Oki said. "However, if they look at the story, which was published last year along with several videos, they will see that there is no wrongdoing."
For full coverage of the crisis in Ukraine, visit Flashpoint Ukraine.

The latest developments in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. All times EDT.

10:06 p.m.: In his Thursday night video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the international community to officially recognize Russia as a terrorist state in the wake of the Vinnytsia attack, CNN reported.

"Russia has shown its attitude to international law, to Europe, and to the entire civilized world," Zelenskyy said.

Zelensky's remarks come after missiles struck the city of Vinnytsia on Thursday. He said that among 23 people killed were three children younger than 10.

"Unfortunately, this is not the final number, he added. Debris clearance continues. Dozens of people are reported missing. There are seriously injured (people) among those hospitalized.

8:30 p.m.: Moscow-backed separatist authorities in the southeastern Ukrainian region of Zaporizhzhia say they plan to stage a referendum on joining Russia this year.

"We will organize a referendum this autumn," says Yevgeny Balitsky, head of the Moscow-installed administration in the occupied part of the region of Zaporizhzhia.

Zaporizhzhia has been largely under Russia's control since the first weeks of Moscow's invasion.

7:36 p.m.: Two people were killed when Ukrainian forces shelled a bus station in the separatist-held city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, a separatist leader said on Thursday.

In a post on Telegram, Denis Pushilin, head of the self-proclaimed, Russian-backed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), said that two civilians had been killed and three wounded when the bus station was struck by a howitzer.

Ukrainian interior ministry adviser Anton Herashchenko accused Russian forces on social media of striking the center of Donetsk but pinning the blame on Ukraine.

Reuters was unable to independently establish who was responsible.

6:22 p.m.: About 40 people are missing in the missile strike on Vinnytsia, and about 100 people were injured, according to @KyivIndependent.

5:30 p.m.: The International Monetary Fund expects Ukraine to continue to service its foreign debt, an IMF spokesperson said Thursday.

At the moment Ukraine is servicing its debt in an orderly way, said Fund spokesperson Gerry Rice in a scheduled news briefing. "We would expect that to continue."

He said the IMF sees international community grant financing as a priority for the immediate and short-term, as "that would allow the Ukrainian government to remain operational without incurring further debt."

Ukraine's economy and government revenue have shrunk significantly since Russia's invasion in late February, Reuters reported.

4 p.m.: Bellingcat is an independent, international collective of researchers, investigators and citizen journalists.

3:05 p.m.: Ukraine is using Western-supplied long-range weapons and 155mm smart shells to hit Russian ammo dumps and supply lines, forcing Moscow to rethink how it supplies fuel and ammunition to the front line, a Ukrainian general said on Thursday, Reuters reported.

General Oleksiy Gromov told a news conference that Western-supplies of weapons were critical to Ukrainian strikes and singled out U.S.-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) that Kyiv began receiving last month.

"Right now the enemy is looking at placing brigade-level ammunition dumps no closer than 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the front line, and depots at corps-level at distances of over 150 kilometers."

Gromov's assertions could not be independently verified by Reuters.

2:10 p.m.: Lithuania will not try to reverse a decision by the European Union's executive arm to allow certain sanctioned goods pass through its territory on the way to Russia's Baltic Sea enclave of Kaliningrad, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said Thursday.

The European Commission said Wednesday that Russia can continue transporting certain cargo to Kalingrad by rail  but not by road  as long as the goods don't serve a military purpose, The Associated Press reported. EU members Lithuania and Poland both border Kaliningrad, and Russia does not have a direct land route to the region.

Lithuania earlier this year barred trains carrying goods from Russia that were subject to EU sanctions, a move that angered Moscow amid tensions over the war in Ukraine.

1:15 p.m.: U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres has condemned the latest deadly missile attack in Ukraine.

The secretary-general is appalled by today's missile attack against the city of Vinnytsia in central Ukraine that reportedly killed at least 22 people, including three children and wounded more than 100 others. The secretary-general condemns any attacks against civilians or civilian infrastructure and reiterates his call for accountability for such violations., his spokesperson said in a statement.

Ukraine said three Russian missiles hit an office building in the center of the city and damaged residential buildings in the area. Russia has denied targeting civilians.

11:25 a.m.: French President Emmanuel Macron warned his country's people Thursday to prepare for a total cutoff of Russian natural gas by supporting alternatives, having public lights switched off at night and engaging in a period of nationwide energy sobriety, the Associated Press reported.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine and ensuing sanctions have aggravated other factors driving up prices for energy and other goods. With no end in sight for the Ukraine war, Macron said, the French should brace themselves for costs to remain high.

10:32 a.m.: Turkish officials say there is a potential breakthrough in efforts to release Ukrainian grain to world markets as global food prices soar amid Russias war with Ukraine. Turkey's defense minister, Hulusi Akar, said an agreement is likely to be announced soon following four-way talks Wednesday among Russian, Ukrainian, United Nations, and Turkish officials in Istanbul.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said in a statement after Wednesdays talks that a deal to allow the release of millions of tons of Ukrainian grain could come as early as next week. Reporter Dorian Jones has the details from Istanbul.

9:47 a.m. : More than 40 U.S. and European judicial authorities agreed on Thursday to coordinate investigations into suspected war crimes in Ukraine, shortly after what Kyiv said was a Russian missile strike that killed civilians far from front lines, Reuters reported.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the international conference in the Hague that Russian missiles had struck two community centers in the west of Ukraine, killing 20 people, including three children, and wounding many more.

Russia has denied targeting civilians in Ukraine.

On Thursday, 45 countries at the conference in The Hague - headquarters of the International Criminal Court (ICC) - signed a political declaration to work together on investigations into war crimes in Ukraine.

They also pledged $20 million to assist the ICC, as well as the prosecutor general's office in Ukraine and United Nations support efforts.

7:48 a.m.: A report by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) expresses "grave concerns" of alleged mistreatment by the Russian authorities of tens of thousands of Ukrainians who had been forcibly deported from their country and sent to so-called "filtration centers, RFE/RL reported.

"There are reports indicating that people are subject to harsh interrogations and humiliating body searches in such centers," says a 115-page report seen by AFP.



The report calls the establishment of such centers an "alarming" development.

The report was based on information obtained by three experts named by the OSCE covering the Ukraine war from April 1 to June 25.



The Russian Embassy in Washington called the allegations an attempt to stoke "Russophobia" and "poor-quality Western disinformation."

6:25 a.m.: Ukrainian officials said Russian missiles struck the central Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia on Thursday, killing at least 12 people and wounding 25 others.

Police said three missiles hit an office building in the center of the city and damaged residential buildings in the area.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the dead included a child.

Every day Russia is destroying the civilian population, killing Ukrainian children, directing missiles at civilian objects where there is no military (targets). What is it if not an open act of terrorism? Zelenskyy wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

Russia has denied targeting civilian targets.

5:50 a.m.: The Kyiv Independent shared, via Telegram, that a dozen people have died and 25 have been injured after a Russian missile struck Vinnytsia, a city in west-central Ukraine. The announcement said a child was among those killed.

"Every day, Russia kills civilians, kills Ukrainian children, carries out missile attacks on civilian facilities where there is no military target," said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy via social media, according to Agence France-Presse. "What is this if not an open act of terrorism?"

5:15 a.m.: U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Thursday that Russia's war in Ukraine has had negative effects all over the world, as evidenced by higher energy prices and growing food insecurity, said Reuters.

Yellens comments came during a news conference held on the Indonesian island of Bali, where finance leaders of G20 countries  including Russia  are meeting.

4:30 a.m.:

3:15 p.m.:

2:20 a.m.: Russian-designated mayor Konstantin Ivaschenko said water supplies will resume this month in the Russian-held Ukrainian city of Mariupol, Reuters reported citing Russias state news agency TASS.

Ivaschenko, whose appointment to the post has not been recognized by Ukraine, added in Wednesdays comments that authorities plan to resume operation of the citys passenger port that links to Russias Rostov-on-Don and Black Sea cities.

2:05 a.m.: The Guardian reports that a third American is now being held captive by pro-Russian separatists.

According to The Guardian, Suedi Murekezi was arrested last month in the Russian-occupied port city of Kherson in southern Ukraine. The 35-year-old had been living there for more than two years, said his brother Sele Murekezi. He had visited Ukraine for business.

1:05 a.m. North Korea said Thursday it has sent word to the leaders of the Russian-backed separatist regions in eastern Ukraine  Donetsk and Luhansk  of its willingness to develop diplomatic relations, reports The Associated Press.

North Korea, along with Russia and Syria, is one of the few nations to recognize the independence of the provinces, which separatists have controlled since 2014.

12:05 a.m.:

Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
Mali's military government has suspended the rotation of U.N. military and police forces following the renewal late last month of the mandate of the U.N. mission there.

The government announced in a written statement that, for national security reasons, all rotations of the military contingent and police contingent of MINUSMA were suspended as of Thursday.

The suspension comes after Mali arrested 49 soldiers from Ivory Coast on Sunday.

During a Thursday briefing, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for the U.N. secretary-general, said that the troops were not officially part of MINUSMA but came as support of their contingents, what he described as a common practice in peacekeeping missions. The Malian government labeled them mercenaries. Ivory Coast has called for their release.

The arrests were not mentioned in the statement announcing the suspension.

Since April, the U.N. has been seeking access to the town of Moura, where locals told human rights investigators and journalists that the army and Russian mercenaries carried out a massacre over five days.

The mandate for the mission in Mali was renewed during a Security Council meeting on June 29. During renewal talks, Malis U.N. representative said the government would not allow the U.N. to carry out investigations of alleged human rights abuses as part of its mandate.

The U.N. mission in Mali has almost 12,000 troops and 1,700 police officers. It is a visible presence in many of Malis northern cities, which were taken over by Islamist militants in 2012 and have seen increasing insecurity in recent months following the French armys withdrawal from the country.
A Russian arms dealer labeled the "Merchant of Death" who once inspired a Hollywood movie is back in the headlines with speculation around a return to Moscow in a prisoner exchange.

If Viktor Bout, 55, is indeed eventually freed in return for WNBA star Brittney Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, as some published reports suggest, it would add to the lore around a charismatic arms dealer the U.S. has imprisoned for more than a decade.

Depending on the source, Bout is a swashbuckling businessman unjustly imprisoned after an overly aggressive U.S. sting operation, or a peddler of weapons whose sales fueled some of the world's worst conflicts.

The 2005 Nicolas Cage movie, "Lord of War" was loosely based on Bout, a former Soviet air force officer who gained fame supposedly by supplying weapons for civil wars in South America, the Middle East and Africa. His clients were said to include Liberia's Charles Taylor, longtime Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and both sides in Angola's civil war.

Shira A. Scheindlin, the former New York City federal judge who sentenced Bout before returning to private law practice, can be counted among those who would not be disappointed by Bout's freedom in a prisoner exchange.

"He's done enough time for what he did in this case," Scheindlin said in an interview, noting that Bout has served more than 11 years in U.S. prisons.

He was convicted in 2011 on terrorism charges. Prosecutors said he was ready to sell up to $20 million in weapons, including surface-to-air missiles to shoot down U.S. helicopters.

Bout has steadfastly proclaimed his innocence, saying he's a legitimate businessman and didn't sell weapons. He's had plenty of support from high-level Russian officials since he was first arrested. A Russian parliament member testified when Bout was fighting extradition from Thailand to the U.S.

Last year, some of his paintings were displayed in Russia's Civic Chamber, the body that oversees draft legislation and civil rights.

Bout's case fits well into Moscow's narrative that Washington is lying in wait to trap and oppress innocent Russians on flimsy grounds.

"From the resonant Bout case a real 'hunt' by Americans for Russian citizens around the world has unfolded," the government newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta wrote last year.

Increasingly, Russia has cited his case as a human rights issue. His wife and lawyer claimed his health is deteriorating in the harsh prison environment where foreigners are not always eligible for the breaks that Americans might receive.

Last month, Russia's human rights commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova said: "We very much hope that our compatriot Viktor Bout will return to his homeland."

Moskalkova said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the General Prosecutor's Office and the Ministry of Justice were working to see if Bout might qualify for transfer to Russia to serve the rest of his sentence.

Now held in a medium-security facility in Marion, Illinois, Bout is scheduled to be released in August 2029.

"If you asked me today: 'Do you think 10 years would be a fair sentence,' I would say 'yes,'" Scheindlin said.

"He got a hard deal," the retired judge said, noting the U.S. sting operatives "put words in his mouth" so he'd say he was aware Americans could die from weapons he sold in order to require a terrorism enhancement that would force a long prison sentence, if not a life term.

"The idea of trading him shouldn't be unacceptable to our government. It wouldn't be wrong to release him," Scheindlin said.

Still, she said an even exchange of Griner for Bout would be "troubling."

The WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist was arrested in February at a Moscow airport, where police said they found cannabis oil in a vape canister in her luggage. While the U.S. government has classified her as "wrongfully detained," Griner pleaded guilty to drug possession charges on July 7 at her trial in a Russian court.

Scheindlin said Griner was arrested for something that "wouldn't be five minutes in jail."

That sentiment is shared by others. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch said in a July 9 editorial that Bout illegally trafficked billions of dollars of weapons "to feed wars around the world" and has "the blood of thousands on his hands," while Griner "made a stupid mistake with a tiny amount of cannabis. She harmed no one."

Griner could face up to 10 years in prison. Her guilty plea was not unanticipated by those who understand that similar moves commonly precede prisoner swaps. Whelan was arrested three years ago on espionage charges that the U.S. has said were trumped up and false.

In April 2012, Scheindlin imposed the mandatory minimum 25-year sentence that Bout now serves, but she said she did so only because it was required.

He was taken into custody at a Bangkok luxury hotel after conversations with the Drug Enforcement Administration sting operation's informants who posed as officials of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, also known as the FARC. The group had been classified by Washington as a narco-terrorist group.

He was brought to the U.S. in November 2010.

The "Merchant of Death" moniker was attached to Bout by a high-ranking minister of Britain's Foreign Office. The nickname was included in the U.S. government's indictment of Bout.
Christian groups in Nigeria are criticizing the ruling All Progressives Congress Party (APC) for choosing Muslim candidates to run in next year's election for both president and vice president.

Past presidential tickets have been mixed, with one Muslim and one Christian, to reflect Nigeria's religious population, which is just over half Muslim.

Among religious groups criticizing the selection is the Christian Association of Nigeria. In a statement this week, CAN said the selection portrayed insensitivity toward the collective unity of the country, citing insecurities and a recent wave of attacks on churches.

The association expressed concerns that the issues could escalate if there isnt proper representation in the corridors of power.

On Sunday, the ruling party's presidential flag bearer, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a Muslim, named former Borno state Governor Kashim Shettima, also a Muslim, as his running mate.

The APC said the selection was based on competence and not religious sentiments.

"We're not selfish," CAN spokesperson Adebayo Oladeji told VOA. "We're not saying he should pick a pastor or one of our officials. What we're saying is go for a Christian to balance it. It's for unity, peace and development of this country. The country has been polarized under [President Muhammadu] Buhari. Look at the country today. Priests are being kidnapped. Churches are being attacked."

Despite the fact that Nigeria's population is about equally divided between Christians and Muslims, Christian leaders have complained for years about being sidelined when top political appointments are made.

Attacks on churches noted

Since last month, Christian groups have renewed criticism of authorities, saying they have turned a blind eye to a spate of attacks on Christians and churches.

But the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) rejected claims that Christians had been marginalized and told VOA the council does not comment on political issues.

Ibrahim Aselemi, who leads the media and communications unit of the NSCIA, said, "It is a purely political matter, so that's why we don't want to comment on it. Look at the southern states. It's always been Christian. Christian tickets for all the state governors. The council has not made any comments."

Some citizens, like Abuja resident Meshach Iko, are also criticizing Tinubu's nomination of Shettima,

"Nigeria is not a country that is being dominated by a single religion," Iko said. "For a candidate of his kind to only consider one part of the religion in the country is not really a good idea."

Political analyst Rotimi Olawale said the religion of candidates should not be a setback.

"In my own perspective, it's not important what religion the candidates subscribe to," Olawale said. "And I think for anybody who's concerned about that, they have the opportunity to vote for or against them at the polls."

Presidential and parliamentary elections take place next February 25 and March 11.

CAN said the decision is left for Nigerians to make when they vote.

But many local churches across the country have been mobilizing members and urging them to get their voter cards and use them wisely when the time comes.
Oksana Poltorak fled Ukraine to bring her family to safety in Greece. Living in a house with two other families, Oksana works hard to create a sense of normalcy for herself and her children. But she longs to return to Ukraine and reunite with her husband and son. Waiting in Greece makes its streaming debut on VOA+ on July 14, 2022.
Somalias President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has met with parents of troops training in Eritrea and promised they will soon return home to fight against the Islamist militant group al-Shabab. Somalia sent thousands of soldiers to train in Eritrea, sparking a series of protests over the last year from parents who were unable to communicate with them. Mohamud met with the troops on a visit to Eritrea this week, where he agreed to improve bilateral relations.

Somalias President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met Wednesday night in Mogadishu with the parents of Somali cadets who have been in secretive military training in Eritrea, in some cases since 2018, without communicating with their families.

Mohamud, who met the troops during a state visit to Eritrea on Sunday, said their sons were doing well and would be deployed in the fight against Islamist militant group al-Shabab when they return home.

He said all the troops were given money to buy SIM cards so they can talk to their parents today or tomorrow.

The Somali president did not give a timeline for when the troops would return, but he pledged to follow up on the trainees case shortly after he took office in late May.

Video of Mohamuds meeting with the parents was distributed by the presidents office.

In the video, parents thanked the president for his efforts to bring the troops back home.

One father, Ilyaas Kulubow, pledged their support for the military and the president.

He says after the civil war in 1991 there were no schools. You are the one who established schools and educated these boys, says Kulubow, we just fathered them. He says we gifted the boys to you to protect you starting from today. Thank you very much, says Kulubow, and we ask Allah (God) to be with you to be able to reconcile among Somalis.

Mohamuds meeting with the troops in Eritrea this week was the first time many of them were seen since the training first began in 2018.

Somalias previous government had dismissed concerns from parents who were unable to reach their children in training and would not provide details.

A U.N. report in June last year said thousands of Somali troops had taken part in the war in Ethiopias Tigray region, prompting protests by parents who feared their sons were the ones sent to fight.

Somalias government denies any of the Somali troops that trained in Eritrea were involved in Ethiopias Tigray conflict. Some media reports and critics dispute that account and allege some have been killed in Ethiopia.

Matt Brydon is a Nairobi-based independent Horn of Africa security analyst.

There is some indication they were actually deployed initially under the Tripartite alliance established between Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea in 2018 as part of a regional standby force and they might therefore be based in Eritrea for some time. But that force never materialized," said Matt.

Abdirisak Adan was an adviser to former Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.

He says many countries train Somali soldiers, including Eritrea. The problem, says Adan, was that the administration of (former President) Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, also known as Farmaajo, kept their information secret and didnt share it with the parents.

During his visit to Eritrea on Tuesday, President Mohamud and Eritrean President Isais Afwerki agreed to improve relations between their countries, including strengthening defense and security relations.
Sri Lankas president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, resigned after he went to Singapore from the Maldives, where he had first landed after fleeing angry protests triggered by a deep economic crisis that people blamed on his administration.

The resignation was sent to the speaker of parliament by the Sri Lankan High Commission in Singapore. A formal announcement is expected Friday after the letter is authenticated, according to the speakers office.

Although Rajapaksa had pledged to quit office by Wednesday, he had not stepped down earlier, deepening political uncertainty and anger in Sri Lanka, where chants of Gota Go Home have reverberated for months. The delay apparently helped him escape while he still enjoyed presidential immunity.

Singapore could be only a layover destination for the embattled leader.

Singapores foreign ministry said in a statement that Rajapaksa has been allowed entry on a private visit. He has not asked for asylum and neither has he been granted any asylum. Singapore generally does not grant requests for asylums, the ministry said.

In Colombo, protesters vacated official buildings Thursday, including the president and prime ministers official residences that they had occupied in recent days.

A curfew was imposed in the city and troops patrolled the streets, but the capital was calm a day after thousands of protesters stormed the prime ministers office demanding that Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has been appointed acting president by Rajapaksa, also step down.

Although the protesters had earlier vowed not to vacate the buildings until the two leaders resigned, they appeared to have shifted tactics, saying that they want their movement to remain peaceful.

In a peoples struggle like ours, moments of victory dont last forever. When we occupied the official buildings, there was a symbolic meaning to it, Chameera Dedduwage, one of the protesters, told VOA. Now that the president has left the country, it is not necessary to hold on to them.

Popular protests demanding a leadership change had erupted in the country after its economy spiraled into crisis earlier this year resulting in severe shortages of food and fuel. They have been largely peaceful but frustrated people stormed the presidents home and office after Rajapaksa defied calls to step down, prompting him to go into hiding and then flee the country.

The protesters have vowed to continue their struggle to press for the resignation of Wickremesinghe, calling him part of the same political system that has brought the country to the point of economic collapse.We will do it in a peaceful manner, in a patient manner, said Manuri Pabasari, a protester. But we will persevere to change the system that the Rajapaksas represented.Wickremesinghe had taken over as prime minister in May to lead efforts to restore the economy, but he has also become a target of public ire.

He is seen as a proxy for the Rajapaksas, points out Murtaza Jafferjee, chairman of the Advocata Institute, a research organization in Colombo. His party has a single seat in parliament and therefore he has no legitimacy and people are not accepting him.

Wickremesinghe has said he will only resign once a new unity government is in place and has asked the speaker of parliament to find a new prime minister agreeable to both the ruling and opposition parties.

However, a leadership transition could be chaotic as the political parties are deeply divided. Lawmakers have agreed to elect a new president next week, but so far, a consensus appears elusive.

The political instability is causing concern because it will delay urgent efforts needed to address the economic crash that has led to enormous hardship for the country of 22 million. Sri Lanka is left with virtually no foreign exchange to import essential commodities and most people are coping with massive hardship as prices of food soar, fuel supplies run out and long hours of power outages become the norm.

Ongoing talks with the International Monetary Fund for a bailout were seen as key to begin the process of putting the economy back on track, but the political flux will likely set them back.

We were hoping to finalize a staff-level agreement with the IMF this month, but it does not look like that will happen, says Jafferjee. The political situation will have a huge impact on economic recovery.
Turkish officials say there is a potential breakthrough in efforts to release Ukrainian grain to world markets as global food prices soar amid Russias war with Ukraine. Turkey's defense minister, Hulusi Akar, said an agreement is likely to be announced soon following four-way talks Wednesday among Russian, Ukrainian, United Nations, and Turkish officials in Istanbul.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said in a statement after Wednesdays talks that a deal to allow the release of millions of tons of Ukrainian grain could come as early as next week.

Akar said Turkey would play a pivotal role in checking shipments in harbors and guaranteeing the safety of Black Sea export routes. In addition, a coordination center with Ukraine, Russia, and the United Nations for exporting grain would be set up in Turkey, he said.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, while welcoming the process, also cautioned Wednesday that this is not yet a done deal.

"More technical work will now be needed to materialize today's progress. But the momentum is clear, he said.

Trust has been a key stumbling block in months of diplomatic efforts to reach a deal. Kyiv has said it fears that if it de-mines its ports to allow cargo ships to export grain, Russian forces will use that move to their advantage and attack. The grain has been stuck amid Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Aaron Stein of Philadelphia-based Foreign Policy Research Institute said trust and international sanctions on Russia have been the main obstacles.

"This food corridor would require the Ukrainians to remove mines from seaports. They were put there for a reason to keep Russians from invading their country. And there is no appetite whatsoever to lift sanctions, and that is the Russian demand, and that is not going to happen," said Stein.

The Reuters news agency quotes a U.N. official speaking anonymously as saying that most of the sticking points have been overcome, without giving details.

Moscow has so far not commented on the Istanbul talks.

Meanwhile, the U.N. warns that unless tens of millions of tons of grain stuck in Ukrainian ports are released, world food prices will continue to climb, threatening famine across the globe.

Ukraine is a leading wheat exporter, and nations in Africa are heavily dependent on Ukrainian grain. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine is determined to reach a deal.

Zelenskyy said his government is putting significant effort into resuming the supply of food to the world market. He said he is grateful to the United Nations and Turkey for their efforts.

The progress at the Istanbul talks has underlined Turkey's position as a critical facilitator in negotiations between the warring parties, said Sinan Ulgen of the Center for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies, a research organization in Istanbul.

"President (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan has been careful to highlight that Turkey wants to maintain relations with both sides. So, as a result of this balanced policy, Turkey has been trying to carve out a space for diplomatic influence as a facilitator or potentially as a mediator," said Ulgen.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has close ties with his Ukrainian and Russian counterparts. Ahead of the Istanbul talks, the Turkish leader spoke with Zelenskyy. Next week, the Turkish leader is scheduled to meet face-to face with President Vladimir Putin in Tehran for talks that could be key to finalizing any deal to get Ukrainian grain back on world markets.
Ukrainian officials said Russian missiles struck the central Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia on Thursday, killing at least 23 people and wounding more than 100 others.

Police said three missiles hit an office building in the center of the city, located about 270 kilometers southwest of the capital, Kyiv. The strikes, coming from a Russian submarine in the Black Sea, damaged residential buildings in the area and engulfed 50 cars in a nearby parking lot.

The governor of the Vinnytsia region, Serhiy Borzov, said Ukrainian air defense systems shot down another four missiles over the area.

With a population of 370,000, Vinnytsia is one of Ukraine's largest cities. Thousands of people from eastern Ukraine, where Russia has concentrated its offensive, have fled there since the start of the war in late February.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the dead included a child.

Every day Russia is destroying the civilian population, killing Ukrainian children, directing missiles at civilian objects where there is no military [target]. What is it if not an open act of terrorism? Zelenskyy wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

Russia has denied targeting civilians in Ukraine.

Warfare continues to rage in eastern Ukraine, but the British Defense Ministry said Thursday that despite continued shelling, Russian forces have not made major territorial gains in recent days.

"The aging vehicles, weapons and Soviet-era tactics used by Russian forces do not lend themselves to quickly regaining or building momentum unless used in overwhelming mass  which Russia is currently unable to bring to bear," the British ministry said.

Grain exports

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Wednesday there is broad agreement on a deal between Russia and Ukraine, with Turkey and the United Nations, to export millions of tons of Ukrainian grain stuck in silos since Russias invasion on February 24.

Today is an important and substantive step, Guterres told reporters of developments at talks in Istanbul among the four parties. A step on the way to a comprehensive agreement.

The U.N. chief broke his public silence on the negotiations, pointing to a statement from Turkeys defense minister, who said there is agreement on major points, including the creation of a coordination center with Russia, Ukraine and the U.N.; agreement on controls for checking grain at ports; and ensuring the safety of cargo ships carrying the grain out of Odesa.

Of course, this was a first meeting, Guterres noted. The progress was extremely encouraging. Now, the delegations are coming back to their capitals, and we hope the next steps will allow us to come to a formal agreement.

While Guterres would not predict when the final agreement would be ready, he said he hoped the parties would reconvene next week and have a final agreement. Whenever it is, he said, he would be ready to go to Istanbul to sign it.

A U.N. official with knowledge of the talks said there was an important meeting of the Russians and the Ukrainians where they were able to make a lot of progress on sticking points.

More than 20 million tons of Ukrainian grain are being stored in silos at the Black Sea port of Odesa, and dozens of ships have been stranded because of Russia's blockade. Turkey said it has 20 merchant ships waiting in the region that could be quickly loaded and dispatched to world markets.

The grain deal has been in the works for months, with U.N. officials raising the alarm nearly immediately after the war started about the consequences for global food security if Ukraine, which is one of the worlds top grain exporters, is unable to get its harvests out.

Truly, failure to open those ports in Odesa region will be a declaration of war on global food security, World Food Program chief David Beasley warned at a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on May 19. And it will result in famine and destabilization and mass migration around the world.

WFP says 276 million people worldwide were facing acute hunger at the start of this year. They project that number will rise by 47 million people if the conflict in Ukraine continues, with the steepest increases in sub-Saharan Africa.



Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has accused Russia of forcibly deporting hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians from areas it controls in the east and south of the country to Russia.

Blinken said an estimated 900,000 to 1.6 million Ukrainian citizens, including 260,000 children, have been interrogated, detained, and deported from their homes to Russia, including to isolated areas in the Far East, through filtration operations.

In a statement on July 13, Blinken called on Russia to stop these operations, which he said violate the Geneva Conventions.

"The unlawful transfer and deportation of protected persons is a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians and is a war crime," Blinken said.

The filtration operations are separating families, confiscating Ukrainian passports, and issuing Russian passports "in an apparent effort to change the demographic makeup of parts of Ukraine," Blinken said in the statement.

The people who are "filtered out" include Ukrainians deemed threatening because of their potential affiliation with the Ukrainian military, media, government, and civil society groups, Blinken said.

He also cited eyewitness reports from survivors who said that Russian authorities had transported tens of thousands of people to detention facilities in Donetsk controlled by Moscow-backed separatists, where many are reportedly tortured.

There are reports that some individuals targeted for filtration have been summarily executed, he said.

The filtration program appears to have been planned early and matches similar operations that Russia undertook in other wars, including in Chechnya, he said, adding that the Russians must be held accountable.

"This is why we are supporting Ukrainian and international authorities' efforts to collect, document, and preserve evidence of atrocities," he said.

The statement came a day before the Ukraine Accountability Conference in The Hague on alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

Some information for this report was provided by Agence France-Presse.
A U.S. presidential initiative to boost American support in the South Pacific is a reaction to the growing influence of China in the vast tract of tropical islands that have historically been under Western influence, experts say.



Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson responded positively Wednesday to the U.S. initiatives but also offered a note of caution.



We are happy to see Pacific island countries receive more support for its development and vitalization from countries willing to do so, ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said during a scheduled news briefing in Beijing. This has always been Chinas position. At the same time, we believe that all countries, when pursuing cooperation with Pacific island countries should  not target any third party or harm their interests.



The Pacifics small, often impoverished, archipelagic countries rely largely on aid and trade from larger nations.



Washington intends to establish embassies in the South Pacific nations of Kiribati and Tonga, the White House said in a statement Tuesday. U.S. President Joe Bidens office said it is ready to ask Congress for $60 million per year for the next decade, about triple the current levels, to back maritime economic development.



The White House further intends to return the U.S. Peace Corps to Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and Vanuatu, citing progress toward reestablishing a U.S. Agency for International Development regional mission for the Pacific in Fiji.



At the Pacific Islands Forum in Suva, Fiji, on Wednesday, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris met virtually with Pacific island leaders to announce the new commitments. Those commitments will deepen U.S. partnership with the region, according to the Biden administration. The forum is a 51-year-old economic and military bloc spanning 18 states.



The return of the Peace Corps to the South Pacific, along with plans for embassies and an expansion of maritime security assistance, count as good news, said Gregory Poling, director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative under the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.



Skeptics here and in the Pacific islands might say that all of that should have happened 10 years ago, and certainly we heard some of this floated during the Obama and Trump administrations, Poling said. But Chinas activity in the region has finally woken Washington up to the fact that it [the U.S.] cant take its place or that of its allies in the Pacific islands for granted anymore.



Chinese influence



Beijing signaled its intent in the South Pacific when it started the China-Pacific Island Countries Economic Development and Cooperation Forum in 2006. China calls that forum, which has been held three times, its highest-level trade and economic dialogue with the South Pacific.



Over the past year, China has shown increasing interest in the region, where it seeks to expand its naval influence and long-standing business interests, especially in fishing, experts have told VOA.



Beijing signed a security agreement with the Solomon Islands in April and reached 52 cooperation deals after its foreign minister spoke with leaders from 17 South Pacific countries in May and June.



Old and new US role



Washington has influenced the South Pacific since just after World War II. Some Pacific islands are U.S. territory and others are close diplomatic allies. The U.S. government carried out 67 nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands between 1946 and 1958, sending fallout throughout the country.



Former U.S. President Barack Obama responded to Chinas growing Asia-Pacific influence with his 2011 pivot to Asia policy but focused more on Asia than the Pacific, said Tarcisius Kabutaulaka, associate Pacific islands studies professor at University of Hawaii at Manoa. At this point, it would be difficult to see what Washington, D.C., is doing without considering the China factor, Kabutaulaka said.

In March, the State Department announced that the U.S. is renegotiating its compacts of free association with Palau, the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia. Compacts are meant to give the three South Pacific nations special economic and military protections.

Australia and New Zealand, both U.S. allies, are also key economic benefactors of the South Pacific. The U.S. government joined Australia, Britain, Japan and New Zealand last month in setting up a partnership called the Partners in the Blue Pacific that further targets interests in the South Pacific.

China is motivating the U.S. push to renew those compacts as they come due beginning next year, Kabutaulaka said.



South Pacific nations will eventually benefit, free of political risk, by accepting overtures from both China and the United States, said Satu Limaye, vice president of the East-West Center research organization in Honolulu.

Some of the smaller states may have both bureaucratic and capacity problems, but they wont [be] so inundated with absorptive capacity problems that they wont be able to manage relations, Limaye said.



Limaye said Bidens plans for the Pacific will take time to come to fruition as officials seek congressional approval, find money and staff embassies.
A grand jury on Wednesday indicted Buffalo mass shooting defendant Payton Gendron on federal hate crimes and firearms violations charges.



Gendron, 19, was charged with 14 violations of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act and 13 counts of federal firearms violations, law enforcement officials announced.



The hate crimes charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison or the death penalty, the Justice Department said.



Gendron is accused of using a Bushmaster XM rifle to kill 10 Blacks and injure three other people at the Tops grocery store in Buffalo, New York, on May 14.



The mass shooting prompted Congress to pass the first major gun control legislation in decades last month. Among other things, the law imposes tougher background checks for buyers under the age of 21.



On June 1, Gendron was indicted by a state grand jury in New York on 10 counts of first-degree murder, 10 counts of second-degree murder as a hate crime, and three counts of attempted murder as a hate crime.



New York is one of 23 states without the death penalty.



Gendron has pleaded not guilty to the state charges.



Before carrying out the attack, Gendron posted a 180-page document online acknowledging his role.



"I am the sole perpetrator of this attack," he wrote.



Gendron decided to carry out the attack, he wrote, because he wanted "to spread awareness to my fellow whites about the real problems the West is facing."



Gendron was referring to a conspiracy theory known as the "Great Replacement," which holds that Western elites, Jews in particular, are bringing in immigrants to replace whites.

In a statement, Attorney General Merrick Garland said, "The Justice Department fully recognizes the threat that white supremacist violence poses to the safety of the American people and American democracy. We will continue to be relentless in our efforts to combat hate crimes, to support the communities terrorized by them, and to hold accountable those who perpetrate them."
U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli acting Prime Minister Yair Lapid publicly differed on the best approach to counter the threat of Iran's nuclear weapons program, as the two leaders signed a joint declaration that reiterates the U.S. commitment to strengthen Israel's ability to defend itself and confront Iran's "aggression and destabilizing activities."

"Diplomacy will not stop them. The only thing that will stop Iran is knowing that if they continue to develop their nuclear program, the free world will use force," Lapid said Thursday in a joint press conference with Biden. "The only way to stop them is to put a credible military threat on the table."

Minutes later, President Biden reiterated the U.S. commitment to ensure Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon. But he emphasized, "I continue to believe that diplomacy is the best way to achieve this outcome."

VOA reports from Jerusalem:

Israel was a major critic of the international agreement signed in 2015 between Tehran and a group of world powers that restricted Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. Biden served as U.S. vice president when the agreement was signed, and it was his predecessor, President Donald Trump, who withdrew the U.S. from the deal in 2018.

The U.S. is trying to get Tehran back to the agreement, including through indirect talks in Vienna.

"There is a deal; it's on the table. And the onus now is on Iran to take that deal. And they have not proven willing to do that; they have been adding a bunch of requirements outside the boundaries of the deal," said John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, in an interview with VOA.

Biden and Lapid signed a joint declaration that includes a statement that the two nations are "prepared to use all elements of its national power" to ensure Iran doesn't go nuclear.

In an interview with Israeli TV, Biden appeared to temper that by saying he would use force only as a "last resort."

Israel knows it will not secure Biden's commitment to use force on the Iran nuclear issue, said Jonathan Rynhold, head of the political studies department at Bar Ilan University.

Rynhold told VOA the American president is still seen by Israelis as "committed strategically" to the security of its Middle East allies against the Iran threat. Washington is pushing for deeper security and economic ties between Israel and its Arab neighbors, including the ongoing process of integrating the region's missile defense systems.

"It means that each of the countries will have more time to respond, which gives them more options, which helps the United States to contain conflicts because there's more time to deal with things," Rynhold noted.

In the joint declaration, Washington further affirms a commitment to work together with other partners to confront Iran's "aggression and destabilizing activities, whether advanced directly or through proxies such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad."

Tehran maintains its nuclear program is peaceful and for energy production.

I tell the Americans and their regional allies that the Iranian nation will not accept any crisis or insecurity in the region, and that any mistake made in this region will be met with a harsh and regrettable response, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said in televised remarks aired after the U.S.-Israeli joint declaration.

Israeli regional integration

As the U.S. encourages Israel's deeper integration into the region, on Friday he will make a historic flight from Tel Aviv to Jeddah. This would be only the second time an American president has flown between the two nations, which currently don't recognize each other diplomatically, following Trump's 2017 flight from Riyadh to Tel Aviv.

Before heading to Jeddah, Biden will meet with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to reiterate support for the two-state solution, despite dim prospects.

Biden drew a direct correlation between prospects of a Saudi-Israel diplomatic normalization and a two-state solution toward an independent Palestinian statehood.

"As we work together toward greater integration  greater integration, we'll also continue to work toward a lasting negotiated peace between the state of Israel and the Palestinian people," Biden said.

"Israel must remain an independent democratic Jewish state," he said. "The best way to achieve that remains a two-state solution for two people, both of whom have deep and ancient roots in this land, living side by side in peace and security; both states fully respecting equal rights of their citizens, both people enjoying equal measures of freedom."

Palestinian activists say such words are not enough, and Biden must publicly condemn Israeli settlement expansions and the demolition of Palestinian homes.

"These are things that the administration hasn't done that would, for the Palestinians, show that the U.S. is seriously interested in the two-state solution, ensuring that the two-state solution is still on the table," said Zaha Hassan, a Ramallah-based human rights lawyer and a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, to VOA. "And these are the kinds of things that the Palestinians have not seen."

The Biden administration is not offering a roadmap to peace between Israelis and Palestinians, but it is renewing U.S.Palestinian ties that were severed under Trump.

The administration is set to announce $100 million for hospitals in East Jerusalem. Other planned announcements include those focusing on Palestinian economic development, such as developing 4G wireless networks in Gaza and the West Bank.

I2U2

Also Thursday, Biden and Lapid joined a virtual summit of the I2U2  a new partnership among the governments of India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the United States. The name refers to the first letters of the four countries' names.

The meeting focused on food security and efforts to boost clean energy.

The group is launching a $2 billion project addressing food security challenges with agricultural parks in India. The UAE is contributing funding to the project, Israel is providing technological help, and the U.S. private sector is participating.

Additionally, Biden met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog to discuss Israel's emerging relations with other countries in the region, including the UAE, Turkey and Jordan.

"The Middle East can grow into a meeting point for climate innovation and combined medical research, clean energy, food security, and peaceful exchange among faiths and peoples," Herzog said during a ceremony to award Biden with the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor.

Per diplomatic custom, Biden met former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his role as the official leader of Israel's parliamentary opposition. Unlike his meetings with Lapid and Herzog, Biden's meeting with Netanyahu was not open to the press. Netanyahu is set to run against Lapid in the country's early election in the coming months  its fifth in three years.

Biden ended his second day in Israel meeting American Jewish athletes and attending the opening ceremonies of the Maccabiah Games. The Games, first held in 1932, are an international Jewish and Israeli multi-sport event now held quadrennially in Israel.
Senior U.S. officials are going public with their concerns that Turkey will soon launch renewed military operations in northern Syria, warning such a move will endanger U.S. forces in the region and have disastrous consequences in the fight against Islamic State.

Turkey has been threatening to expand an existing 30-kilometer-deep security zone on the Syrian side of the Turkish border since late May, sparking concern among U.S. partners in Syria and a series of consultations between Washington and Ankara.

But those talks have failed to stop saber-rattling from Ankara, prompting multiple U.S. officials to publicly hammer home the message that no good will come from another Turkish incursion.

We strongly oppose any Turkish operation into northern Syria and have made clear our objections to Turkey, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Dana Stroul told a forum in Washington on Wednesday.

ISIS is going to take advantage of that campaign, she added, using an acronym for the terror group, also known as IS or Daesh.

Stroul and other U.S. officials said their concerns are amplified by a growing body of intelligence indicating IS is intent on launching operations to free 10,000 fighters held in makeshift prisons across northeastern Syria, guarded by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

ISIS views the detention facilities where its fighters are housed as the population to reconstitute its army, Stroul said. If there are military operations that would cause the SDF to focus on moving north to protect their communities from an air campaign or a ground campaign, theres only so many SDF to go around.

An attempt by IS in January to break 4,000 fighters out of the al-Sinaa prison in Hasakah failed, but only after the U.S.-backed SDF surged in 10,000 troops to quell the uprising, aided by U.S. jets, attack helicopters and ground forces.

Still, the escape of about a dozen hardened, experienced fighters gave the terror group hope that the tactic will pay off, especially if the SDF must shift its forces to fend off a Turkish operation.

Unlike the U.S., which views the SDF as an effective partner in the fight against IS, Turkey views the SDF as a terror syndicate  a Syrian offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which both Ankara and Washington view as a terror organization.

Stroul said the U.S. recognizes Turkey has legitimate concerns about PKK activity in Syria and Iraq and pledged the Pentagon will continue to work with Turkey to counter that activity.

She warned, however, that a Turkish incursion would be a step too far.

Such an operation puts at risk U.S. forces, the [global] coalitions campaign against ISIS, and will introduce more violence into Syria, Stroul said, warning of additional, catastrophic fallout.

The SDF, if they are under that kind of pressure, they are going to be pushed in the hands of our adversaries, she said, pointing to possible SDF collaboration with Syria, Russia or even Iran.

Speaking at the same forum earlier Wednesday, the State Department acting counterterrorism coordinator echoed Strouls concerns.

Increased military activity in Syria is only going to increase the instability and the opportunities for ISIS, Timothy Betts told an audience at the Middle East Institute in Washington.

The U.S. Agency for International Development likewise expressed concern that a Turkish incursion would exacerbate the humanitarian crises.

Theres another 500,000 people who could be displaced, said Andrew Plitt, USAIDs acting assistant administrator for the Middle East. There's a lot of diplomatic activity ongoing certainly to try to temper any actions by the Turks in that direction with regards to how destabilizing it might be.

VOA reached out to the Turkish Embassy in Washington, which has not yet responded to the U.S. criticisms.

The U.S. has about 900 troops in Syria, most of them in the northeast supporting the SDF as it targets IS cells in the region.

IS ambitions

Intelligence estimates from the U.S. and other U.N. member states have put the size of ISs forces in Syria and Iraq at anywhere from 6,000 to 16,000 fighters, most operating as small cells in remote areas.

U.S., SDF and Iraqi officials also believe the groups core leadership has been weakened by a series of strikes targeting senior members, including a drone strike Tuesday that killed Maher al-Agal, the top IS official for its Syrian province.

However, there are signs that the IS core is at least trying to position itself for a comeback.

It is trying to revive itself, according to Joshua Geltzer, White House deputy homeland security adviser. It is a group that at least in small pockets right now continues to exercise or at least attempt to exercise some territorial control.

Geltzer said IS has taken credit for at least 350 attacks in Syria and Iraq already this year, and that there is also evidence IS leadership in Syria and Iraq is still able to exert influence over its affiliates around the world and share financial resources.

US repatriations

U.S. officials Wednesday announced a total of 39 American citizens have now been brought back from Iraq and Syria since 2016, an increase of 12 since the Justice Department last released figures in late 2020.

The State Department said the 39 repatriated individuals include 15 adults 11 of whom have been charged with crimes related to their support for IS  and 24 minors.

Justice Department officials previously said two of the repatriated adults were not charged because they were minors when their families took them to join IS.
Two outstanding issues affecting Caribbean and Central America operator Digicel appear to have been resolved, or come closer to resolution, after the sale of its Pacific operations and the agreement by the parties involved to an arbitration process to settle a dispute with Papua New Guinea over tax.

The leading news story, inevitably, is that Digicel Group Holdings Limited (DGHL) has finally announced the completion of the sale of Digicel Pacific Limited, its wholly owned subsidiary. The sale is to a subsidiary of the Australian telecommunications company Telstra Corporation Limited, with funding from the Australian government, through Export Finance Australia, Australia's export credit agency.

The transaction values Digicel Pacific at up to US$1.85 billion, inclusive of a three-year, US$250 million earn-out. A payment of US$1.6 billion, before deductions for customary working capital and other adjustments, is payable to DGHL upon closing of the transaction. Digicel expects to achieve a payment of US$50 million in respect of the first earn-out period, which is based on service revenue performance for the year ended 31 March 2022.

Digicel has also reported that Papua New Guinea has agreed to enter into a binding international arbitration process to resolve a disputed one-time US$99.4 million exit tax demand aimed at Digicel PNG and to waive a further US$14.2 million sought in respect of non-payment of the tax to date. As part of this process US$99.4 million has been placed in escrow on closing pending the outcome of the arbitration, which will take place in Singapore.

Digicel Pacific operates in six markets in the South Pacific including Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu, Tonga and Nauru. There will be no change to the Digicel brand in the six markets and the current management team will remain with and continue to lead the business.
Last week, the U.S. Justice Department announced the indictment of one former and one current Department of Homeland Security agent in connection with an alleged Chinese government plot to target U.S.-based critics.

The men, the law enforcement agency said, aided a transnational repression scheme to silence, harass, discredit and spy on U.S -based residents for exercising their freedom of speech.

Their victims ranged from a prominent California-based Chinese sculptor to a Chinese American Army veteran running for a congressional seat in New York.

This was not the first Chinese operation of its kind inside the United States. But it marked the first time that China has recruited federal agents in support of their effort, reflecting what U.S. authorities regard as Beijing's increasingly brazen intrusion into other countries.

"There seems to be a marked escalation in their efforts to carry out this unlawful campaign, a campaign that's inimical not only to U.S. law but [also to] democratic values that we adhere to," said David Laufman, who headed the Justice Department's counterintelligence and export control section from 2014 to 2018.

A term popularized in recent years, transnational repression refers to efforts by authoritarian regimes to target critics living outside their borders. They do this in a variety of ways, from online harassment and intimidation to physical assault and assassination.

With a growing number of governments "using the same tools" to target critics, the advocacy organization Freedom House warns that the problem is becoming "normal."

In a recent report, Freedom House documented 735 incidents of transnational repression from 2014 through 2021, with China accounting for more than 30% of the incidents, making it the most prolific user in the world.

About 75% of transnational repression activities are carried out in non-democratic countries, said Freedom House senior researcher Yana Gorokhovskaia.

This is what makes it shocking  that the Chinese government has been able to be so active in the U.S.," Gorokhovskaia said.

Growing US alarm

Once seen as a human rights issue, transnational repression is increasingly viewed by U.S. officials as a violation of national sovereignty that must be countered. The recent U.S. focus on Chinese attacks comes as U.S. law enforcement and intelligence officials warn about Chinese espionage and influence operations.

Uzra Zeya, undersecretary of state for civilian security, democracy and human rights, told a congressional panel last month that "the reach and frequency of [China's] global repression is growing more alarming by the day."

In response, Zeya said, the Biden administration has adopted a whole-of-government approach that includes visa restrictions, export controls, and the investigation and prosecution of perpetrators.

"We must reckon with this serious threat, and we are combating it with the attention, seriousness and resources it deserves," Zeya said.

The Chinese government denies wrongdoing outside its territory.

Asked for comment on the U.S. allegations, Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, told VOA in an email, "China always asks Chinese citizens to abide by laws and regulations in host countries. We have never asked and will never ask Chinese citizens to do things in violation of local laws and regulations."

Liu continued, "The accusation of 'transnational repression' is totally made out of thin air. The U.S. attempt to hype up [the] 'China threat' and tarnish Chinas reputation is doomed to fail."

Operation Fox Hunt

While China has long been known to engage in transnational repression around the world, its use of repressive tactics against dissidents and minorities increased in recent years as President Xi Jinping has consolidated power at home and adopted a more muscular foreign policy, experts say.

Laufman said China's cross-border activities have been on U.S. law enforcement's radar since at least 2014.

That's when Beijing launched an anti-corruption drive known as Operation Fox Hunt. Together with a later version known as Operation Skynet, Fox Hunt seeks to repatriate fugitives wanted for financial crimes in China. But U.S. officials say China has used the program as a cover to silence critics.

According to Freedom House, several parts of the Chinese government security apparatus are involved in transnational repression activities. These include the Ministry of State Security (MSS), Ministry of Public Security (MPS) and the People's Liberation Army (PLA). The MSS is responsible for counterespionage and political security.

While MSS agents manage the targeting of Uyghurs, Tibetans and domestic dissidents, MPS officers work with local authorities to make threatening calls to exiles, according to Freedom House. In other instances, the Chinese government keeps a distance, using proxies such as "anti-cult associations" in the United States to harass and attack critics.

The latest Chinese plot to target U.S.-based dissidents came to light in March when federal agents arrested two prominent Chinese Americans in New York.

Shujun Wang, a well-known New York-based academic, was accused of using his status within the Chinese American diaspora community to collect information about prominent activists and dissidents and report his findings to his four MSS handlers.

Fan Frank Liu, president of a purported media company, was accused of hiring private investigators to illegally collect tax records and other information about several dissidents.

Both men face charges of acting as agents of the Chinese government, as well as other criminal charges.

US agents charged

In a superseding indictment unsealed on July 6, a grand jury charged Craig Miller, a current DHS agent, and Derrick Taylor, a former DHS agent, for destroying evidence of their roles in obtaining confidential information about the dissidents from a restricted government database. Another DHS agent, recently retired, is described as a "co-conspirator" in the indictment but has not been publicly charged with any crime.

Liu's alleged handler was Qiang "Jason" Sun, a Hong Kong-based employee of a technology firm, according to the indictment.

In early 2021, Sun allegedly sent instructions to Liu to surveil and gather derogatory information about three U.S.-based Chinese dissidents.

Court documents do not name the dissidents. But two of the victims  Weiming Chen, a California artist, and Arthur Liu, the father of figure skater Alysa Liu  have since come forward.

The third dissident, described as an Indianapolis-based activist, remains unidentified.

Liu's activities came to the FBI's attention in early 2021 when he asked a private investigator to obtain federal tax records on Chen and other dissidents. Concerned that the request had come from the Chinese government, the investigator contacted the FBI instead and began cooperating.

In secretly recorded phone calls, Liu allegedly asked the investigator to obtain Chen's tax records, agreeing to pay $3,500 to bribe an Internal Revenue Service agent into illegally releasing the records.

No IRS agent was bribed. Instead, Chen secretly agreed to have the investigator hand over his tax returns to Liu.

In an undated document, Liu explained to Sun the goal of obtaining Chen's tax records.

Based on his high price quotes for his [Chen's] artwork," Liu wrote, "we believe he definitely took in a large sum and evaded taxes, a major crime in the U.S. After obtaining evidence, spend money for court and attorney fees to totally get rid of him."

Having obtained Chen's tax records, Liu allegedly tasked another investigator, Matthew Ziburis, with spying on Chen.

In court documents, Ziburis is described as a former Florida corrections officer and bodyguard living in New York.

Chen's artwork, including a sculpture depicting China's Xi, had drawn the ire of Chinese authorities.

Armed with pointers provided by Sun, Ziburis flew to California where he secretly installed a GPS tracking device in Chen's car. Among other things, he photographed and videotaped Chen and his sculptures at his sculpture park in Yermo, California.

Ziburis had been given a cover story: He was an art dealer for a "very rich Jewish man [and] head of the Jewish community" whom House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wanted to build a "democracy museum," the documents allege.

Ziburis was arrested in March.

In July 2021, the fiberglass sculpture was destroyed in a suspected arson. No one has been arrested in connection with the arson, but Chen blames it on Chinese government agents.

"I'm very, very upset," Chen said in an interview with VOA. "I am just afraid that so many people working for the Chinese government want to destroy America, free speech and free population and free news."

Last month, on the 33rd anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, Chen unveiled a replacement dubbed "CCP Virus II," using a material that is harder to burn.

Congressional candidate targeted

Yan Xiong, an Army veteran running in the Democratic primary for New York's 10th Congressional District, said he was "shocked" to learn he had been targeted.

"They tried to sink my campaign," Xiong said in an interview.

Xiong announced his candidacy in September 2021. Shortly after the announcement, a retired China-based MSS agent allegedly hired a U.S-based private investigator to undermine Xiong's campaign, including the use of physical violence.

"Right now, we don't want him to be elected," the agent, Qiming Lin, wrote, according to court documents.

In other instances, the goal of Chinese transnational repression campaigns has been to pressure critics into silence.

Frances Hui, a Hong Kong activist now living in the U.S., said she was "harassed and followed" by a Chinese government agent after she helped organize a pro-Hong Kong protest in 2019 while a student in Boston.

"That experience really traumatized me because it involves my personal life, and I was personally being harassed by this person," Hui said.

Family member in crosshairs

Rushan Abbas, founder and executive director of the Campaign for Uyghurs, described how the Chinese authorities detained her sister shortly after she appeared on a panel at a Washington think tank in 2018.

"I criticized China's policies. And describing the current situation, what China's doing against Muslims and as well as outlining the faith of my in-laws, my in-laws' entire family [was] taken to concentration camps," she said. "Just six days after that speech, they took my sister hostage."

But prominent activists are not the only ones who are targeted, Gorokhovskaia said.

"Even ordinary people we talked to as part of our research  Falun Gong practitioners who are not very public in terms of their profiles  were still harassed," she said.

And the impact ripples beyond the immediate victims. While many activists continue to speak out, others have chosen to keep a low profile.

In the United States, there are more than 8,000 Uyghurs," Abbas said. "How many of us are speaking [out]? If you look at the social media, you cannot find even 50 speaking regularly, not even 10 percent, because of what could happen to their family.

Editor's note: The article has been updated to clarify the charges filed against the former and current DHS agents, and to note that the person who allegedly hired a private investigator to undermine Yan Xiong's campaign was a retired MSS agent .
The U.S. is getting another COVID-19 vaccine choice as the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday cleared Novavax shots for adults.

Novavax makes a more traditional type of shot than the three other COVID-19 vaccines available for use in the U.S.  and one that's already available in Europe and multiple other countries.

Nearly a quarter of American adults still haven't gotten their primary vaccinations even this late in the pandemic, and experts expect at least some of them to roll up their sleeves for a more conventional option  a protein-based vaccine.

The Maryland company also hopes its shots can become a top booster choice in the U.S. and beyond. Tens of millions of Americans still need boosters that experts call critical for the best possible protection as the coronavirus continues to mutate.

For now, the FDA authorized Novavax's initial two-dose series for people 18 and older.

"I encourage anyone who is eligible for, but has not yet received, a COVID-19 vaccine to consider doing so," FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said in a statement.

Before shots begin, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must recommend how they should be used, a decision expected next week.

Novavax CEO Stanley Erck told The Associated Press he expected the U.S. to expand use of the vaccine beyond unvaccinated adults fairly quickly.

Already, the FDA is evaluating it for those as young as 12, Erck said. Novavax also has submitted data on booster doses, including "mix-and-match" use in people who'd earlier received Pfizer or Moderna vaccinations.

The Biden administration has bought 3.2 million Novavax doses so far, and Erck said vaccinations should begin later this month.

Skeptic convinced

Sharon Bentley of Argyle, Texas, is one of the holdouts. Bentley was hesitant about the first COVID-19 vaccines, but then her husband volunteered for a Novavax trial, getting two doses and later a booster.

Her husband's positive experience with a more tried-and-true technology convinced me," Bentley said, adding that she planned to tell some unvaccinated friends about the option.

The Novavax vaccine is made of copies of the spike protein that coats the coronavirus, packaged into nanoparticles that to the immune system resemble a virus. Then an immune-boosting ingredient, or adjuvant, that's made from the bark of a South American tree is added and acts as a red flag to ensure those particles look suspicious enough to spark a strong immune response.

Protein vaccines have been used for years to prevent hepatitis B, shingles and other diseases. It's a very different technology than the dominant Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines that deliver genetic instructions for the body to produce its own copies of the spike protein. The lesser-used Johnson & Johnson option uses a harmless cold virus to deliver spike-making instructions.

Like the other vaccines used in the U.S., the Novavax shots have proved highly effective at preventing COVID-19's most severe outcomes. Typical vaccine reactions were mild, including arm pain and fatigue. But the FDA did warn about the possibility of a rare risk  heart inflammation  that also has been seen with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

The Novavax vaccine was tested long before the omicron variant struck. But last month, the company released data showing a booster dose promised a strong immune response even against omicron's newest relatives  preliminary evidence that several of the FDA's scientific advisers called compelling.

Still, U.S. regulators are planning for a fall booster campaign using Pfizer and Moderna shots that better target omicron subtypes, and Novavax also has begun testing updated shots. Erck said the company could have updated doses available late in the year.

European regulators recently cleared the Novavax vaccine to be used as young as age 12, and several countries have authorized booster doses of its original vaccine.

Earlier manufacturing difficulties held up the vaccine, although Erck said those have been solved, and Novavax can meet global demand. Much of the company's vaccine, including doses for the U.S., are being produced by the Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine manufacturer.
Raffaello Pantucci is a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore and senior associate fellow at the Royal United Service Institute in London.

More than a decade ago, Pantucci and Alexandros Petersen, an expert in energy geopolitics, embarked on a journey to write a book about Chinas influence in Central Asia. The two academics new book, Sinostan: China's Inadvertent Empire, offers a glimpse into China's expanding economic, cultural, and political power in the Eurasian heartland. Petersen was killed in 2014 in Kabul in a terrorist attack. Pantucci said they started the book project together, so it was appropriate to finish it with his name as well.

The following interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

VOA: Why do you call your book Sinostan: Chinas Inadvertent Empire?

RESEARCHER AND BOOK AUTHOR RAFFAELLO PANTUCCI: What you have in Central Asia is increasingly a region that finds itself linked and beholden to China, but at the same time, its now got a new kind of large great power in its region and in its midst but is not interested in sort of playing the same kind of a father role maybe that you find with Russia, that used to be the dominant power and still is a very important power in the region, or the United States, which has always been a relatively transient or passive power in this region as well. So, China is increasingly becoming the most consequential player on the ground, principally in economic terms but increasingly thats spreading to all sorts of other areas as well. This is the thing were trying to explore in this book.

VOA: Isnt the region of Central Asia traditionally known as one under Russias political dominance?

PANTUCCI: Yes, certainly Central Asia is a region that is very heavily influenced by Russia and continues to be. There (are) the real economic links. There is a lot of infrastructure that ties Central Asia to Russia. Roads in the region were built by Moscow, and so, therefore, they were built with Moscows logic in mind, and this is more about connecting them up to the rest of the Soviet, what was then the Soviet Union what is now Russia, rather necessarily to connect up to that region. This is true of rails. This is true of roads.

But then also youve still got a very important role for Russia in economic terms. We look at remittances and migrant labor. There are lots of young men in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan and young women and even older ones who go and work in Russia. They cant find good jobs in in their own territory. So, they find themselves migrating to Russia to find better jobs and better employment and then send the money home. And this is not inconsiderable money that were talking about. In the case of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, various accounts say that its about a third of national GDP comes from these remittances.

But I think the key thing that has changed over time is that Russia, which used to be the kind of a big economic power and a big powerhouse is every term in the region, has become a much smaller power, in some ways a weaker power. In contrast to Russia, China which has become (an) incredibly dominant, growing power, and so this has kind of shifted the power dynamic a little. Now what was interesting in doing the research for this book was that we found that essentially the Chinese were always very careful, very careful to be sure that they would not aggravate Moscow and things that they were doing in the region. So, while its certainly true that Russia used to be the dominant player, China is the coming power. But its interesting, the two of them seem able to operate in this sort of parallel way when you actually see Russia in particular, trying to edge back and take (a) piece of influence or assert its authority.

There are still things that Russia can do and will do in the region that China will not. I think security is a very good example of this. If we look at the kind of security deployments that Russia made in the wake of the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in the region, this is something that China can never do, and China would never want to do. If we look at the stabilizing effect of Russian forces after we saw chaos in Kazakhstan at the beginning of the year, again, which China would not have been able to do. Mr.(Russian President Vladimir) Putins visit recently to Tajikistan where he spoke about Afghanistan, and he spoke about economic remittances highlighted once again the important role that Russia does still play.

The war in Ukraine has complicated this, complicated this considerably because I think a lot of people in the region being quite worried about Russias behavior in Ukraine and what this might mean for what they could do to Central Asia. But you know, (at) the moment I think they still recognize that Russia has a very important and special role to the region, which China cannot quite replace yet.

VOA: What has Chinas approach been to Central Asia since the ex-Soviet republics independence?



PANTUCCI: If we go back to the end of the Cold War, so the early 90s, China was (a) very different power to the one that we have today, and it was just coming out from the chaos of the Cultural Revolution. In 1992, we had, of course, Deng Xiaopings famous southern tour, and then interestingly in 1994, we had a visit by Li Peng into Central Asia. This is actually a visit which was initially intended from 1993. This visit was one where he toured four Central Asian capitals. He avoided Dushanbe which at the time was racked by a brutal civil war, but he visited all the other capitals.

In these capitals, he highlighted the point that China was an eager partner was sort of opening up, wanted to open up more in this direction, was very interested in two things we kind of discussed repeatedly at every stop. One was recreating the Old Silk Road and so creating connectivity across the region and the other was worrying about Uyghur militancy and Uyghur dissidents and extremists that the Chinese worried about in general -- that they feared would gather in Central Asia to ultimately cause trouble within China.

VOA: What is Central Asias place in Chinas Xinjiang policy?

PANTUCCI: Central Asia plays a very important role in Chinas Xinjiang policy. The Chinese government is ultimately preoccupied about national legitimacy. When we look at a region like Xinjiang, Xinjiang is in many ways I've always thought, the sixth or seventh Central Asian country from the sense that, you know, it's got within it this ethnic population of Uyghurs who are closer in ethnicity to the Turkic Central Asians than they are to Han Chinese who speak (a) language that is very close to the sort of Turkic populations rather than the Chinese ones. They've got a long history in this region.

But at the same time, Xinjiang is not an independent country. It is part of China and, what this means in sort of practical terms is that, as we've seen, that there is this connection. Now, if you go back and look at the sort of early days of the end of the Cold War, this was largely seen through a fairly threatening light. The concern was that these linkages across the border would basically be a source of problems and instability. And this continues to be a concern, but what has changed is that the degree to which China can see that actually in a long-term answer to stability in Xinjiang is not just the sort of heavy security pressure, which they will continue to exert, but actually long-term answer is economic prosperity and stability.

And the interpretation analysis is that through this economic prosperity, this will bring a kind of population which is happy and which will no longer protest and therefore, will bring stability to it. But if you are going to develop a region like Xinjiang, you're going to have to connect it up to the region its next to.

Central Asia plays such important role in China's thinking towards Xinjiang. If they are going to stabilize this region, make it more prosperous, they're going to have to create greater connectivity through this region. That was the thing they've been planning out for many years before the Belt and Road (Initiative) was articulated.

VOA: How do you sum up the Chinese influence in Central Asia?

PANTUCCI: I think the one thing that's very clear is (its) economic influence is very important and plays an important role, and I think that's both real in the sense that there is a lot of Chinese investment and there are a lot of Chinese opportunity. If you're a young Central Asian these days, I think learning Mandarin to enable you to go and trade directly in Chinese markets is something a lot of people want to do and think about because it's a great opportunity and it's the boom market. That kind of economic opportunity is really big, and I think is both real but also both a carrot (that) kind of always dangles there that people kind of want to take advantage of. 

But I think the one interesting question, which I think is the influence one, which I think is going to be an interesting one to observe going forward, is the volume of people who increasingly have this connection, personal connection to China, be that through the many scholarships that the Chinese government offers to the students in the region to go work there, to go and study in China to the many people who work in presidential administrations who got offers or civil servants in the region or security officials who also go to training program in China and speaks in Mandarin. I think that is going to have an interesting impact on the influence level.

VOA: What does Chinas rise in Central Asia mean to the world and, in particular, to the U.S.?

PANTUCCI: I think it's significant that you now have a situation where China, I think historically was a much more maritime-focused power. And there's a lot of attention being paid to China's maritime power. I think in Washington's halls of power, that's where a lot of the attention focuses on the issue of Taiwan and people don't really look at what happens in Central Asia, in the Eurasian heartland, and people tend to disregard that. But what's happening there's a really fundamental geostrategic shift in China's direction. It's going to really spread Chinese influence across this wide space and bring it right up to Europe's borders. So for Europe this is desperately important because this is contiguous to the European territory and is deeply connected to Europe and (an) important part of Europe. And for the United States that means, you know, it's going to reshape the kind of Eurasian landmass and that is going to be significant for the United States as a kind of a global power.

China, I don't think is necessarily to (have) thought through the consequences of what having this influence and power actually means and what it means in terms of responsibilities.
The World Health Organization is calling for action to stem the growing spread of deadly infections such as monkeypox and Ebola between animals and humans in Africa.

A new WHO analysis finds zoonotic outbreaks on the African continent have increased by 63% from 2012 to 2022 compared to the previous decade.

Globally, the WHO says more than 60% of human infectious diseases, and more than 75% of emerging infectious diseases, are caused by pathogens found in wild or domestic animals. It says those diseases sicken about one billion people and kill millions every year.

WHOs regional director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, said zoonotic diseases pose a severe threat in Africa. In the past decade, she said outbreaks of the animal-transmitted illnesses accounted for one in three confirmed public health events in the region.

A deeper dive reveals that Ebola and similar hemorrhagic fevers constitute nearly 70% of these outbreaks, she said. The remainder include, among others, monkeypox, dengue fever, anthrax, and plague. Although there has been a notable increase in monkeypox cases since April this year, compared to the same period in 2021, the positive news is the numbers are still lower than for the 2020 outbreak peak.

That year, the WHO recorded its highest ever monthly cases in the region. So far this year, the health agency has reported more than 2,000 suspected cases of monkeypox. Of those, only 203 have been confirmed. Most cases and deaths are among males, with an average age of 17.

Moeti noted infections originating in animals have been jumping to humans for centuries, but the risk of mass infections and deaths has been relatively limited in Africa.

As rising urbanization encroaches on the natural habitats of the continents wildlife, and the demand for food from an especially fast-growing population burgeons, the risk is heighted, she said. The addition of improved road, rail, and airlinks, which remove the natural barrier that poor transportation infrastructure provided, opens the way for the spread of zoonotic disease outbreaks from remote to urban areas.

Moeti said Africa cannot be allowed to become a hotspot for emerging infectious diseases. She said an all-hands-on-deck approach is needed to counter the threat.

She said experts in human, animal, and environmental health must work together with communities to prevent and control zoonotic outbreaks from spreading across the continent.
(Holdingford, MN) Navy Fireman First Class Elmer Kerestes will be buried with full military honors at 10:30 a.m. on July 29, 2017 at Highland Cemetery near Holdingford. Elmer was killed in action on December 7, 1941 aboard the USS Oklahoma during the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor. He was among the first Minnesotans to be killed during WWII. The USS Oklahoma suffered the second most casualties during the attack. It was struck by multiple torpedoes and capsized killing a total of 429 Sailors and Marines.

Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, but laboratory staff were only able to identify 35 men at that time. Kerestes remained unidentified. In 2015 Navy personnel exhumed all the unknown remains of the USS Oklahoma for analysis. Earlier this year, DNA proved the identification of Kerestes remains.

Late next week, tentatively expected to be the afternoon of July 27, Elmers remains will arrive at the Minneapolis Airport. He will be escorted by law enforcement, the Patriot Guard, Legion Riders, and family to the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Melrose along I-94.

On the day of the burial, July 29, there will be a procession leaving at 9:45 a.m. from the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Melrose, traveling east on County Road 65, continuing east on County Road 157 through Freeport to Albany, then continuing east on County Road 54 to Avon, and then traveling north on County Road 9 to Holdingford. In Holdingford the procession will turn west and travel on Cedar Street to Main Street and then turn north. It will continue north to River Street/County Road 17, take a left and then turn north on County Road 9 for about one mile and arrive at Highland Cemetery.

Northbound vehicle traffic on County Road 9 near the cemetery will be restricted for official use in relation to the funeral services. Southbound traffic will remain open for local residents.

Public event parking will be available at Holdingford High school and on the Township shop site located on Highway 9. The high school has made some of their buses available to shuttle people from the high school to the cemetery. Albany Chrysler has volunteered the use of some vans for shuttling people from the shop site to the cemetery.

The family of will be offering some food and refreshment following the funeral services at the Holdingford American Legion.

VFW Post 5160 in Holdingford was named in honor of Elmer Kerestes and Joseph Troxil. There is also a war memorial in Holdingford dedicated to Elmer Kerestes, Walter Mattson, Joseph Troxil, and Walter Krystosek.

Elmer and his family have waited 76 years to bring him home. Please come out and show your support at the cemetery and along the procession route and help honor Elmers sacrifice with the homecoming he deserves.
In June 2022, British Conservative Party Whip Chris Pincher and former minister was spotted in Lonfon drunk, stalking men at the Carlton Club. Subsequently, on 3 July, several testimonies showed that this was not the first time that he was caught violating the Puritanical moral code of his countrys ruling class. The incident was followed by a spate of resignations from members of Boris Johnsons governmen (63 employees out of 179). Finally, Prime Minister Boris Johnson himself resigned on July 7 for reasons that were unrelated to his political action.

On 8 July 2022, former Japanese Prime Minister and strongman of his political party, Shinzo Abe, was assassinated while attending an election rally. His father had introduced Reverend Moons Unification Church to Japan in the 1950s. The entire Abe clan was closely linked to this church, which is actually a major military, political and religious pressure group and an indispensable tool of the US/CIA during the cold war. At this time, Shinzo Abe and the Moon sect were using all their influence to coax Japan to publicly ally with the United States against the Peoples Republic of China.

On 10 July 2022, several young women who attended a summer party hosted by the German Social Democratic Party complained of malaise. Among the participants were German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, SPD parliamentarians and their staff. It appears that at least nine of these women were unknowingly drugged and possibly raped.

On 11 July 2022, in its late morning edition, the French daily Le Monde published the first part of a study on a series of documents delivered to a media consortium, revealing the methods used by the Uber company to entrench itself in various countries. These internal Uber documents show that, as Minister of the Economy, current French President, Emmanuel Macron had facilitated the establishment of this American company in France, notably by changing existing laws designed to hinder Ubers entry into the French market. For now, none of the disclosed documents allow us to conclude that Uber has bribed Emmanuel Macron.
The seven-month ban imposed on Twitter by the Nigerian government was unlawful, according to a ruling by the ECOWAS court, the judicial organ of the Economic Community of West African States, which has the responsibility of resolving disputes related to the interpretation of the communitys treaty, protocols and conventions.

This decision, widely reported in the Nigerian media, follows a suit by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and 176 'concerned Nigerians'. SERAP aims to use human rights law to encourage government and others to address developmental and human rights challenges such as corruption, poverty, inequality and discrimination.

The ECOWAS Court has, in its ruling, declared unlawful the suspension of Twitter by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari and ordered the administration never to repeat it again.

The social media giant was blocked in Nigeria on 4 June 2021 after the platform removed a post by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari issuing a threat of punishment to regional secessionists.

The ECOWAS court held that the act of suspending the operation of Twitter is unlawful and inconsistent with the provisions of Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to both of which Nigeria is a party.

It said: The Buhari administration in suspending the operations of Twitter violates the rights of SERAP and 176 concerned Nigerians to the enjoyment of freedom of expression, access to information and the media, as well as the right to fair hearing.

The Court also ordered the Buhari administration to take steps to align its policies and other measures to give effect to these rights and freedoms, and to guarantee a non-repetition of the unlawful ban of Twitter. The administration must also bear the costs of the proceedings.

For Twitter, under fire in a number of countries, this can be counted a modest triumph. Whether it will cause a rethink from governments in places like Russia and India, however, is another question.
A project that could massively expand the available infrastructure for 5G in Brazil has been mooted by two major players in their fields in that country.

Brazilian telecoms company Surf Tech has reportedly signed a partnership with Rumo, a logistics company with a strong focus on railways, to jointly implement a rail-based fibre optic network on the countrys railway lines  to the benefit, it is hoped, of 5G.

The Tele.Sintese telecommunications, internet and ICTs portal says that the initial investment is estimated at R$1.5 billion (about $275.5 million), which will be raised through the issuance of debentures by Surf Tech.

Rumo's participation appears to involve the assignment of the right to deploy optical fibre along the railway tracks it manages. The project could target as much as 14,000 kilometres of tracks managed by Rumo.

Local newspaper reports suggest that the network, designed to handle traffic of up to one billion Gpbs, could be a million times more powerful than an undersea cable connecting Brazil to the United States, with a transformative effect on the implementation of 5G in Brazil.

In fact more than 500 municipalities that currently host train lines managed by Rumo could benefit. Implemented by Surf Tech, such a project could be a major boost to sectors such as logistics, health and education.

Both parties are understandably upbeat about the prospects for such a project. According to the Executive Consulting Manager of Rumo, Renato Caldo, the partnership is a milestone for the country's infrastructure. However, its now a question of when and how it might actually happen.
Italy faces fresh political crisis as M5S threatens to shun vote of confidence.

The Italian government led by premier Mario Draghi risks collapse after the populist coalition partner MoVimento 5 Stelle (M5S) pledged to boycott a parliamentary confidence vote on Thursday.

M5S leader, former prime minister Giuseppe Conte, said on Wednesday night that his party would not back the vote on the 26 billion cost-of-living package in the senate.

Conte claims the government has not listened to M5S proposals including measures to tackle social problems. The party has also repeatedly voiced its opposition to Italy sending more military aid to Ukraine.

The M5S is willing to engage in dialogue and make a "constructive contribution" to the government, Conte said, but stressed the party is "not willing to write a blank cheque".

The M5S stance risks leading to early elections in the autumn, ahead of Italy's scheduled general election in the spring of 2023.

The right-wing Lega party of Matteo Salvini has threatened to quit the government if the M5S boycotts the key vote, while Enrico Letta, leader of the centre-left Partito Democratico (PD), said going to the polls "would be logical" if the government falls.

Giorgia Meloni, leader of the right-wing Fratelli d'Italia (FdI) party which has remained outside Draghi's broad coalition and is leading in opinion polls, has called for immediate elections.

Draghi said in recent days that the government could not survive without the M5S but stressed that his administration would not accept ultimatums.

If the M5S ceased to back the government, Draghi said, it would be up to President Sergio Mattarella to decide the next move.

Support for the M5S under Conte's leadership has plunged over the last year and in June the party was split after foreign minister Luigi Di Maio quit the party he once led, taking dozens of parliamentarians with him.

"Not voting for confidence in the government is a serious matter" - Di Maio said on Wednesday - "A government crisis right in the middle of a war is a clear act of irresponsibility, and condemns the country to the abyss."
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Much of Europe assumed Italy had ushered in a new dawn when Mario Draghi was appointed prime minister on Feb. 13, 2021. On Thursday, however, not quite a year and a half later, the Draghi era entered its twilight. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Draghi tendered his resignation after part of his coalition rebelled, abstaining in a vote he deemed crucial to remaining in office. President Sergio Mattarella rejected his attempt to quit and suggested Draghi test the waters for support next week by addressing lawmakers and explaining the crisis. That buys Draghi time and the possibility of avoiding a snap election by cobbling together an alternative coalition.

Still, the euro areas third-largest economy is descending yet again into political turmoil. It is bad news for Italy and Europe and a rude awakening for international investors. The great hope has fizzled that the prime minister would guarantee improved public finances and economic growth in a country that hasnt seen much in years.

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This all comes at the worst possible time and in the worst possible conditions: Theres a war going on and we are just days before the European Central Bank comes out with an anti-fragmentation tool largely to benefit the country by restraining its bond spreads. It is further proof that Italys political class is incapable of looking beyond the next election cycle.

Even in the countrys most difficult hours, Rome cant help but put party machinations before national interest. As a result, not only has Draghis reputation been tarnished, Italy risks losing its place at the table in Brussels alongside Germany and France. It was his prestige  as the former president of the ECB who rescued the European Union amid the euro crisis  that gave Italy that new clout and sense of robust discipline. All of thats now a mirage, thanks to the shortsightedness of local politicians.

Take Giuseppe Conte, the leader of the abstaining Five Star Movement and the catalyst for Draghis move to resign. He justifies the current government crisis by arguing that Italy is facing serious economic problems and Draghi hasnt listened to his demands about inequality. He isnt prepared to take the blame for the fall. But you cant be in government and work against it.

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There are some real ideological differences between the two men. For example, Draghi approves of sending weapons to aid Ukraine but the Five Star base does not. Most of the recent drama, however, is posturing to revive Contes moribund party in the polls even though an election does not guarantee anything for Five Star in terms of seats. Meantime, the economic crisis that Conte says he wants to soften will be amplified by the turbulence he has created.

The next general election isnt due till the spring of 2023, but in Italian politics, practice leaves plenty of room for improvisation. If Draghi can form another coalition, he should do it and lead the government through the winter. The prime minister doesnt like to get his fingers dirty in the petty, everyday politics but the extra time would avoid the unhealthy fibrillation that comes with a snap election campaign. In his former life as ECB head, Draghi restored confidence in the euro with three simple words: Whatever it takes. This time around, he could do the same for Italy by simply staying put. It is not the ending he was hoping for. In fact, its the mess he wanted to avoid. But no one gets a clean exit from Italian politics.

Staying on will give him a chance to mitigate what comes after. If recent polls are anything to go by, the far-right Brothers of Italy party would likely win the next election. Its leader, Giorgia Meloni, has benefited enormously from opposing Draghi. (It is the only major political group not part of his coalition.) Shes wasted no time calling for an election. Brothers of Italy taking the most seats in the legislature would send shockwaves from Rome to Brussels. It would undo much of what Draghi has achieved since February 2021. Markets would be panicked over the possibility, once again, of the dreaded Italexit.

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While international commentators have been too sanguine about a post-Draghi Italy, I am not entirely convinced Italexit will be as imminent as it was in previous political convulsions  even if Meloni is ascendant. The subject, for the most part, has disappeared from public discourse. Only a small fringe seriously wants it; the politicians who raise the issue use it as bargaining chip to agitate for concessions from Brussels.

Perhaps the greatest achievement of the Draghi era was to be a form of containment. In 2018, Italy had been shaken by a populist earthquake that saw both the fringe right and left win power and influence as voters pushed to transform what they saw as a government that no longer delivered. The new powers-that-be promised transparency and an end to political intrigues. That didnt work out. Draghi was appointed (he was never elected) to patch things together. His day in the sun was always going to be short. The next best hope  if and when the next election comes  is that Italians not return to the parody of politics they voted to dismantle four years ago.

More From This Writer and Others at Bloomberg Opinion:

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This Energy Crisis Needs a  Whatever It Takes Moment: Maria Tadeo

 The Woman Who Might Lead Italy to the Far Right: Rachel Sanderson



Ukraine Has Better Heroes Than This Friend of Fascism: Andreas Kluth

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Maria Tadeo is the European correspondent for Bloomberg Television based in Brussels where she covers European politics, economics and NATO.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

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It was too quiet to last. A sustained and brutal destruction of capital in Indias telecom industry was only just starting to give way to a period of peace and calm. The three operators who survived out of the dozen on the scene in 2016 must have been grateful for the end to a debilitating price war. Stable market shares and decent per-user revenue would support the next round of investment.

So imagine the anxiety that bubbled up on the news that billionaire Gautam Adani  the port and airport owner whos so far had nothing to do with telecom  will bid for 5G spectrum in this months auction.

Six years, ago it was another tycoon  Mukesh Ambani  who disrupted Indias wireless market with cheap data and free calls. Hes now the market leader with 410 million subscribers. To core telco revenue, add services like digital advertising, e-health and mobile education, where big rewards are still some years away. All told, Ambanis Jio Platforms Ltd., in which Meta Platforms Inc. and Alphabet Inc. are investors, is a $95 billion enterprise, 17% bigger than the hydrocarbons empire he inherited from his dad, according to Jefferies.

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Should Ambani now prepare for an Adani assault? Theyre rivals who have so far managed to move in separate orbits. Ambani built up scale in consumer businesses like telecom and retail to shed the groups overdependence on refining and petrochemicals. Adani went after industrial and utility-scale customers in transportation, coal and power. But they now have overlapping ambitions, for instance in renewables and media. Analysts at Motilal Oswal in Mumbai are noticing a consumer bent within the Adani group, which could extend beyond owning the countrys No. 1 edible oil brand. Could telecom become a battlefield for two of the worlds richest people?

The Adani group is ruling out any such plans. Analysts, too, are skeptical if its worth fighting over the sector. Bank of America says theres no viable business case for any non-4G telco in consumer mobility given low tariffs, limited room to differentiate, inadequate spectrum and lackluster returns on investment. Jio and Bharti Airtel Ltd., the No. 2 player, are on a strong wicket financially. Vodafone Idea Ltd. has skirted bankruptcy or slump sale  the fate that befell several other players  thanks to a state-mounted rescue. If Adani does decide on a full-fledged telecom entry by buying the struggling No. 3 player, it will still require billions of dollars of capital expenditure to backfill the telcos missing investment. And for what? Just $2 per month per subscriber, which is what Jio is making now? It doesnt seem like an efficient use of the debt financing that propels the Adani juggernaut. The scope for a new telco is only in the enterprise space, the Bank of America analysts say.

Theres some support for that view. For one thing, 5G will be a good fit for Adanis ambitious renewable-energy play. That $70 billion investment commitment has two sides to it: Producing clean power and investing in data centers  the largest energy-consuming industry to ever exist, he said at last years Bloomberg India Economic Forum. Pairing high-speed spectrum with a data center makes sense.

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Other in-house businesses, such as a planned super-app, could also benefit. We are participating in the 5G spectrum auction to provide private network solutions along with enhanced cybersecurity in the airport, ports and logistics, power generation, transmission, distribution, and various manufacturing operations, the Adani group said in a press statement, adding that the airwaves it wins at the auction may also be deployed in education, health care and skill development. The founder and his family recently announced that they would donate 600 billion rupees ($7.7 billion) to Adani Foundation, the philanthropy that would spearhead the social investments.

Still, its unclear why Adani wants to join the auction when his operation can  as a captive non-public network  ask to be assigned spectrum by the government for 10 years without having to pay any license or entry free. Spectrum acquired through auctions is expensive because it is eligible for commercial services, Jefferies researchers say. Since Adani is taking this route, its fair to ask if this isnt a backdoor entry into consumer wireless. Ambani had followed the same playbook. In 2010, he acquired a tiny, obscure company that had surprised everyone by submitting the winning bid to offer broadband internet (but no phone calls) across India. In 2013, the government allowed voice services on the spectrum and Reliance got itself a pan-India license. Thats how Ambani entered telecom. Theres nothing to rule out a repeat  this time by his rival.

Speculation about Adanis actual intentions in telecom wont end even if he puts up a modest show at the auction. If the 60-year-old, first-generation industry magnate from Prime Minister Narendra Modis home state of Gujarat only wants to target enterprise-level customers, then he doesnt need to spend $4 billion or more for buying 100 megahertz of spectrum across India. On the other hand, if he does want to get into consumer wireless, nows too early to show his cards.

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After getting hold of the spectrum in 2010, Ambani took six years to set up his network and yet caught his rivals napping. Could Adanis ultimate goal be to exploit bankers and investors memory of the carnage that took place after Ambanis 2016 entry? He could, in theory, raise the cost of capital for the entire industry  by keeping the market guessing about a possible clash of titans. Just the threat that Adani might eventually come after the $2-per-month customer could see capital-starved Vodafone Idea buckle, in which case he could swoop in on it later. Theres nothing more disquieting for an industry than to know that the hard-won peace will probably not last long.

More From This Writer at Bloomberg Opinion:

 Indias Billionaire Race Sees One Pulling Away: Andy Mukherjee

 In India, Its Old Money Versus Adani Billions: Andy Mukherjee

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 The Feud that Determined the Ambani Future: Andy Mukherjee

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Andy Mukherjee is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering industrial companies and financial services in Asia. Previously, he worked for Reuters, the Straits Times and Bloomberg News.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

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Once a week, typically on the day that the Centers for Disease Control updates its Covid data tracker, I send my dad a text: Did you make an appointment to get your booster? Yes, Im a nudge. But the data for people his age are unambiguous: A second booster helps keep them alive and out of the hospital. Each new variant of omicron, currently the worrisomely contagious BA.5, provides fresh kindling for infections. And even though fewer people are dying these days compared with earlier waves, hospitalization rates are ticking up  most dramatically among people 70 and older.

My father is hardly the only one in that group not up to date on Covid vaccines. While public health experts have been debating the makeup of fall booster shots, they seem to be overlooking a concerning trend: a growing lack of enthusiasm for more shots. Very few of those eligible have received their second boosters, and many have missed even the first one. Most children under 12 remain unvaccinated. Covid shots are being thrown out in the US at an accelerating pace; since May, some 12 million doses have expired, the Wall Street Journal reported.

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The White House is reported to be considering making second booster shots widely available for all adults. It should also be carefully planning how to better sell the value of those vaccines before the US heads into the first winter Covid season with little mask-wearing or other protective measures in place.

People are tired of the pandemic, and persuading them to get more shots keeps getting harder. Easy-to-understand guidelines for vaccination could help get people back on track  especially if theyre paired with evidence-backed messaging. Here are a few ideas worth considering:

Persuading Reluctant Parents

The share of elementary school-aged kids who have received their first two Covid shots has been stuck at around 30%. We expected uptake to be slow in the 5-to-11 age group, but we didnt expect it to be this slow, said E. Adrianne Hammershaimb, a research fellow at the University of Marylands Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health. Only 1.5% of children under 5 had received their first shot by July 7.

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When Hammershaimb and her colleagues surveyed parents last fall about Covid vaccine attitudes, they identified a few potential strategies for improving uptake of the shots. Their survey showed, for example, that many parents would be more likely to accept a vaccine that has full approval from the Food and Drug Administration  rather than the emergency use authorization that vaccines for younger kids currently have. Last week, the FDA gave Pfizers vaccine full approval for kids 12 to 15  more than a year after the shots were initially authorized, and full approval for younger kids shots seems a long way off.

Most parents also said they would be less likely to get their children a Covid shot if its side effects appeared to be greater than those from other childhood vaccines. Clearly, public health officials and pediatricians will need to emphasize that most kids experience only mild, short-lived symptoms from the shots.

Parents are also weighing the risks of the vaccine against those of Covid itself, which underlines the need for public health officials and pediatricians to explain why vaccinating children matters. Sean OLeary, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist at the University of Colorado who studies barriers to vaccination, gives families a pitch that goes something like this: Although adults stand a greater risk of serious outcomes from Covid than children do, infections are not benign in kids. More than a thousand have died from Covid in the US. And if that sounds like a small number in the larger context of Covid deaths, well, it should  because the death of any child is rare and uniquely tragic. Just as we would leap at the chance to prevent other causes of childhood deaths, things like pediatric cancer or drownings, so should we leap at the chance to vaccinate against Covid.

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OLearys research suggests that pediatricians should be even more nuanced when talking with reluctant families. One is to make a presumptive recommendation. That is, rather than ask parents their preference, state that the child is due for the vaccine. Another is called motivational interviewing, a method that has been effective in persuading people to stop smoking. By this approach, the doctor doesnt tell patients what to do, OLeary explained, but instead has a guided conversation so they understand why a behavior change is important to their own internal values.

Convincing Unboosted Adults

Communicating the importance of vaccination to adults is tougher. People who happily got their initial shots may no longer be keeping track of when they are due for the next one. Or they may be concerned that if they get one now, theyll miss out on an updated vaccine in the fall. Some are questioning the need for any more shots because theyve had Covid, maybe more than once, and have recovered just fine.

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At this stage, anyone making a case for more shots needs to lead with empathy. People are not in the mood to be pushed, said Heidi J. Larson, director of the Vaccine Confidence Project at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Heading into fall, when new boosters tailored to omicron variants are expected to arrive, the challenge will be to recapture the high percentage of adults who got their first round of shots. Ideally, people of all ages will be able to get vaccinated at once  as they are with flu shots.

Restoring peoples enthusiasm for vaccines will require nuanced messaging as well as plain honesty around what the FDA and CDC know and dont know about how well the shots protect people. The ground campaign needs to ramp up now.

More From Bloomberg Opinion:

 Havent Had Covid Yet? Maybe Youve Just Been Lucky: Faye Flam

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 Like Flu Shots, Covid Boosters Need Yearly Schedule: Lisa Jarvis

 Long Covid Is Showing Up in the Employment Data: Justin Fox

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Lisa Jarvis is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering biotech, health care and the pharmaceutical industry. Previously, she was executive editor of Chemical & Engineering News.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

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If you lean toward supporting Russia in its invasion of Ukraine, or if youre a pacifist convinced of the inherent criminality of armed conflict, youll find evidence that, for all of its adroit messaging, Ukraines conduct during the war is hardly impeccable.Theres the recent United Nations report that appears to confirm Vladimir Putins frequent accusation that the Ukrainian military uses civilians as living shields  a practice banned by the Geneva Conventions  by deploying in residential areas and buildings from which people have not been evacuated. Both the UN and some reputable human rights organizations also have questioned Ukraines treatment of Russian prisoners of war.Theres the alarming story of Ukraines former human rights commissioner, Lyudmyla Denysova, who told horror tales of child rape by Russian soldiers that could not be independently confirmed after getting her daughter a contract with the international aid organization UNICEF to run a telephone helpline. The daughter apparently provided the evidence-free material to Denysova, strengthening the Russian narrative that Ukraine is faking evidence of Russian atrocities.Theres former Ukrainian ambassador to Germany Andriy Melnyks stubborn defense of Nazi collaborator Stepan Bandera, whom Poles and Israelis consider a genocidaire but whom many Ukrainians, especially in the countrys west, revere for his single-minded pursuit of his peoples independent statehood. Melnyks scandalous apologia for the nationalist assassinated in Germany by the KGB has added fuel to Putins claim that Ukraine needs denazification.Finally, examples abound of Ukrainians profiting from the national emergency. In April, the Ukrainian parliament lifted customs duties to speed the import of vehicles for the military and emergency services. In the next two months, almost 100,000 vehicles were imported, including a Ferrari, a McLaren and other expensive cars; on July 1, the customs duty was reimposed. Given how corruption-rotted Ukraines economy has been throughout the post-Soviet years, stories of wartime graft, profiteering and abuse of Western assistance will doubtless increase once peace is restored.

You could dismiss these unsavory examples simply by recalling the most fundamental fact of the war: Ukraine is the side that has been attacked and invaded by its much bigger neighbor. It is the wronged party and the underdog. All independent reports overwhelmingly blame Russia for wreaking outrage on civilians, from targeting residential areas to documented cases of rape and summary execution. Russian propaganda lies on a grand scale. Putins increasingly fascist, almost-totalitarian regime has no right to talk of denazifying anyone.

And lets be clear: Western human rights activists and UN officials arguably lack the moral standing to hold Ukrainians to account. For all the military aid Western nations have sent, they have not put boots on the ground for Ukraine. So any aberrant behavior on Ukrainians part must be weighed against the trauma they have endured by watching Russians pillage, kill, raze entire cities to the ground  with the world effectively standing on the sidelines.

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Yet such a blanket dismissal would be a cop-out. Heres why.

Modern Russia and Ukraine have been forged by the same brutal Soviet tradition: Win at any cost, give no quarter to enemies, lie if thats what it takes to win, grab your chances wherever you see them. Information on Ukraines military losses is more carefully guarded than that on Russian KIA and MIA numbers, and not even the UN knows how many prisoners each side has taken. Just as Russia has thrown waves of young soldiers from its poorest regions into the meat grinder of urban combat, so Ukraine has engaged in ruthless triage, sacrificing troops and civilians in some cities that have been all but erased to bleed the invaders and keep them out of the rest of the country. War will wipe the slate clean, as they used to say in Russia and Ukraine during World War II. The unsentimental, bitter tradition is, in part, why the belligerents are worthy of each other militarily  and why few nations would do better fighting against either Russia or Ukraine.

But while Russia is unlikely to subject itself to any public reckoning for its crimes even if it loses on the battlefield  t-shirts emblazoned with I am Russian and Im not ashamed say it in so many words  Ukraines civilizational choice in favor of the West and its status as a country that has lost more lives than any other this century in an effort to remain a sovereign democracy do not allow it to adopt this kind of attitude.

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Regardless of the military outcome of the conflict as its been conducted in recent months  as a war of attrition fought for bits of territory  Ukraines stalwart effort to retain its statehood and independence represents a decisive victory. Now, despite the urgency of staving off further Russian gains and the hope of reversing the ones already made, Ukraine also must consider what kind of country it will be once some kind of peace is re-established  and what kind of country it doesnt want to be.Will it enter the post-war reality perpetually embittered and perpetually entitled, always complaining that it didnt get enough help during the war and isnt getting enough for its reconstruction efforts? Will it justify political repression by the need to eradicate Russian influence? Will it sink again into the familiar quagmire of thievery as its elite tries to seize the day while Western aid is still forthcoming? Will it, like some Balkan nations after the Yugoslav wars, cover up for its war criminals and honor Nazi collaborators as its spiritual precursors?

Ukraine is no stranger to bad choices made after its most heroic moments  witness the botched state-building efforts after both of its 21st century revolutions.This time around, however, there are hopeful signs, even amid the invasions horrors. Not only was Human Rights Commissioner Denysova fired by the parliament, but Ukrainska Pravda, one of the countrys top news outlets, published an investigation into her unconfirmed claims and her daughters UNICEF gig. This story doesnt attempt to cast doubt on Russians rapes in Ukraine, Ukrainska Pravda wrote. But untrue stories about it only play into the enemys hands. Its hard to imagine a Russian news outlet following a similar logic.

Ambassador Melnyk has been fired, too, along with several colleagues. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy provided no explanation for the move, but the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry officially distanced itself from Melnyks defense of Bandera. Clearly, the Ukrainian government  at least under this president and with the current pro-European agenda  is not going to reinforce the nationalists cult, which has flourished since the 2014 Revolution of Dignity. Keeping up good relations with a neighbor such as Poland, which has accepted millions of Ukrainian refugees and donated generously to the war effort, takes precedence over misplaced national pride.

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As for the way Ukrainians are fighting, Zelenskiys increasingly successful drive to procure Western long-range artillery and the skillful use of the new weapons to take out Russian ammunition depots signal a welcome shift from earlier, forced scorched-earth tactics. Ukraines desire to fight a more modern war rather than engage in grueling 20th century-style trench and urban warfare is evident  and, even if Western allies wont send troops, at least they can help shift the character of the battlefield action.

As the worlds attention inevitably drifts away from what has become a protracted, slow-moving conflict, Ukraine cannot afford to backslide and become indistinguishable from its enemy. Much to their credit, Zelenskiy and his team appear to be aware of the danger. Holding the moral high ground that Ukraine has gained at huge cost is as important as battlefield heroism if it is to win a better future for its people, not just the fight over territory.

More From Other Writers at Bloomberg Opinion:

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 Ukraine Shouldnt Overplay Its Hand With Allies: Pankaj Mishra

 Ukraine Has Better Heroes Than Stepan Bandera: Andreas Kluth

 Start Planning the Reconstruction of Ukraine Now: Editorial

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Leonid Bershidsky, formerly Bloomberg Opinions Europe columnist, is a member of the Bloomberg News Automation Team. He recently published Russian translations of George Orwells 1984 and Franz Kafkas The Trial.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

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As they worked to overturn Donald Trumps 2020 election defeat, Sidney Powell and other lawyers arranged for a forensic data firm to access county election systems in at least three battleground states, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post.

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As far as cliches go, truth is stranger than fiction is right up there. But when it comes to the case of Delia Owens, author of the hugely popular book Where the Crawdads Sing, it feels somewhat fitting.

Owens book, which sees a young girl swept up in a mysterious murder, sold 12 million copies and has recently been adapted into a feature film produced by Reese Witherspoon.

Delia Owens book Where The Crawdads Sing was a bestseller, but now the author is reportedly sought for questioning in relation to a suspected fatality in the south of Africa from almost three decades ago.

The movie, which will be released in Australia next week, has all the hallmarks of a box office success. Everyones favourite it girl, Daisy Edgar-Jones (from Normal People), plays the lead and everyones second favourite it girl, Taylor Swift, penned an original song for the soundtrack.

But just as Owens should be basking in professional glory, it has been revealed that the author is wanted in Zambia for questioning over the murder of an alleged poacher.
ORLANDO (AP)  Sentencing for a former Florida tax collector whose arrest led to a probe of U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz has been set for December, as his lawyer indicated that his client continues to cooperate with federal investigators in multiple jurisdictions.

After several postponements, former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg will be sentenced on Dec. 1 in federal court in Orlando for six federal crimes, including sex trafficking of a child, identity theft, stalking, wire fraud and conspiracy to bribe a public official, according to an order filed this week. He pleaded guilty to the charges last May.

Greenberg faces a minimum 12 years in prison, although court papers indicate his attorney plans to ask for less because of his continuing cooperation with federal prosecutors.

Greenberg has been cooperating in active investigations in Orlando and the District of Columbia, as well as in other jurisdictions, the former tax collectors attorney, Fritz Scheller, said in court papers asking to seal a motion about Greenbergs sentencing date.

The unopposed motion to set the date of the sentencing hearing provides confidential information concerning these investigations, as well as information regarding the nature and extent of Mr. Greenbergs ongoing cooperation, Scheller said.

The judge in the case granted the request to seal the motion.

Greenbergs cooperation could play a role in the ongoing probe into Gaetz, who is being investigated over whether he paid a 17-year-old for sex. Gaetz has denied the allegations and previously said they were part of an extortion plot. Gaetz, a Republican, represents a large part of the Florida Panhandle. No charges have been brought against the congressman.

The Greenberg plea agreement said the former tax collector admitted being involved in what are sometimes referred to as sugar daddy relationships where he paid women for sex, but attempted to disguise the payments as school-related expenses or other living expenses.

Greenberg has been linked to a number of other Florida politicians and their associates. So far, none of them has been implicated by name in the sex trafficking probe.
The father of a former choirboy who prosecutors had alleged was sexually abused by George Pell in Melbournes St Patricks Cathedral has launched civil action in an attempt to sue the cardinal and the Catholic Church.

In 2018, Pell was found guilty by a County Court jury of abusing two teenage choirboys in December 1996. However, those convictions were quashed by the High Court in 2020 and Pell was released from prison after spending more than a year in custody.

George Pell has been accused of sexually abusing two former choirboys when he was the Archbishop of Melbourne in 1996. Credit:AP

The full bench of the High Court unanimously quashed Pells convictions after the countrys seven most senior judges found there was a significant possibility an innocent person was found guilty at trial. Pell pleaded not guilty and maintained his innocence.

At the trial, one of the former choirboys gave evidence alleging he and his friend were abused after a Sunday mass by the church leader, who in 1996 was the Archbishop of Melbourne.
Hidden amid the controversy of former deputy premier John Barilaros short-lived appointment to the coveted position of trade commissioner to the Americas was a glaring gap in diversity. Of the six lucrative NSW trade postings announced, only one went to a woman.

Helen Sawczak, the former head of the Australia China Business Council, was the sole woman appointed to one of the roles, although not without a smidgen of concern. Sawczak, who was named China trade commissioner, had previously raised eyebrows after public comments she made when working for the business lobby.

Jenny West appears before the parliamentary inquiry on Monday. Credit:Nick Moir

In mid-2020, Sawczak warned that Australia needed to keep on top of national security issues but not to the detriment of our economic interests. Her comments unleashed a flurry of criticism from national security experts, as well as federal MPs on both sides of politics, who warned business could not dictate foreign policy.

Sawczak also lamented that the then Morrison governments calls for an inquiry into the COVID-19 pandemic had undermined the Australia-China relationship. To go out like a shag on a rock, little Australia demanding an inquiry and insinuating blame, was probably not a great foreign policy move, Sawczak said.
A wrong decision can open the way for an appeal on the basis that the jury was not provided with a balanced account. Days can be spent defining moments, and words spoken under white-hot stress examined in the cool light of day. Loading In 2002 Roberts and his partner in crime, Bandali Debs, were convicted of the murders of Silk, 34, and Miller, 35, who were ambushed in Cochranes Road, Moorabbin while on a stake-out searching for two men who had committed a series of armed robberies. Nineteen years later Roberts won a retrial after the Court of Appeal found his conviction was tainted by police malpractice. The second jury listened to evidence that lasted nearly four months and had five COVID-related interruptions.

They were diligent, with many taking copious notes. Trial judge Stephen Kaye observed the jury was the most durable I have ever seen. At the trials conclusion he excused them from ever having to sit on a jury again. They took four days to decide. No one could doubt their commitment. To understand Roberts arrest, conviction, retrial and ultimate acquittal we must look at two laws, one good and one bad. First the bad: Roberts was the victim of a miscarriage of justice by the state government, which passed a law designed to be tough on police killers but which actually sabotaged the justice system. When Roberts was first convicted, trial judge Justice Phil Cummins sentenced him to life with a minimum of 35 years, believing the young offender should be given a chance at rehabilitation. He sentenced Debs to life with no minimum because he knew Debs would never change. Debs groomed Roberts to be his armed robbery apprentice. Roberts was just 17 at the time of the police murders and was manipulated by the man he saw as a father figure. Debs has since been convicted of two more murders.

In 2016 the government changed the Sentencing Act, banning police killers from seeking parole unless chronically infirm - effectively throwing out Cummins judgment and re-sentencing Roberts to life. On any level, this was manifestly unfair and allowed politicians to hijack the sentencing process. But then there is the good law: That a case can be reopened if new evidence is unearthed. In late 2012, respected veteran homicide investigator Detective Senior Sergeant Ron Iddles undertook a review of the evidence that led to Roberts conviction. How and why the review was conducted remains a matter of dispute, as it was not authorised through the normal chain of command. The head of the squads at the time was Superintendent Paul Sheridan, who had been the officer in charge of Lorimer, the taskforce that investigated the Silk-Miller murders.

Sheridan is a man with a reputation for being stubborn, a stickler for the rules and a police officer of the highest integrity. But there was a flaw in Lorimers evidence that came into existence under Sheridans watch but without his knowledge. Roberts told Iddles he was Debs partner in 10 previous armed robberies but was not with him in Cochranes Road when Debs was looking at the Silky Emperor restaurant as a potential 11th target. Silk and Miller were on surveillance duty (Operation Hamada) looking for the two bandits robbing suburban soft targets when they pulled over Debs, who was driving his daughter Nicoles Hyundai. Police at the scene of the Silk-Miller shooting in 1998. Credit:Jason South Roberts told Iddles he had helped cover up the crime after the fact but had not shot the police. Nicole Debs said Roberts was with her, and they had been out that night, although she couldnt remember where.

In 2013 Iddles completed his report, codenamed Rainmaker, concluding: I am unable to find any material or evidence which would show Roberts new account is contradicted in any way by evidence presented at the original Supreme Court trial. Iddles expressed an expert opinion. It was not evidence. When the report was made public, Iddles went further, saying: On the basis of probability, he [Roberts] was not there. Loading It created headlines and little else. To win a retrial, Roberts legal team had to produce new and compelling material denied to the original 2002 jury. Roberts could have given the account he gave Iddles at his original trial. Instead, he had denied everything. It would have ended there, except that a copy of the original statement from one of the first police at the scene where Silk lay dead and Miller dying was unearthed - a statement hidden from the defence and the jury in the first trial.

An addition to a statement is common when filed as a supplementary document, giving the defence the chance to explore potential inconsistencies. In this case, however, the original statement had been destroyed and a later one backdated to appear as if it was taken within hours of the shooting. It related to a key plank of the prosecution case: that Miller said there were two offenders, allegedly Debs and Roberts. The fact that several original statements had been altered to back the two offenders call was the new and compelling evidence that made the Court of Appeal order a retrial. Sergeant Gary Silk (left) and Senior Constable Rodney Miller. The act of hiding the original statements was a spectacularly stupid attempt to produce a watertight case.

Any suggestion the statements were altered to falsely implicate Roberts is misguided, since Debs and Roberts did not become suspects until five months after the alterations were made. It was a tidy-up rather than a cover-up, yet still inexcusable. It was the subject of severe criticism from the Court of Appeal and the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission and is now being investigated by police to see if disciplinary charges should be laid. If the Court of Appeal believed there was insufficient evidence to convict Roberts it could have ordered an acquittal. Instead, it found the prosecution case was strong, saying: We accept that the consistent history of the manner in which the Hamada robberies were committed by Debs and the appellant [Roberts] raises a strong probability that (absent other evidence) if the Hyundai car was present at the Silky Emperor for the purposes of robbery, then both men were present. In this trial, the first responders were questioned on what they heard, what was recorded in their first statements and any contradictions in previous evidence. Their evidence that Miller said two offenders was pivotal because two police who drove along Cochranes Road saw Silk and Miller near the Hyundai and only one other person standing at the drivers door. The Crown claimed they didnt see Roberts because he was slumping in the front passenger seat. Loading

One witness who has since died said he drove past to see a police car and a second car parked in Cochranes Road with both the passenger and drivers door of the second car wide open. The prosecution claimed that if it was the Hyundai, two people had left the car to speak to police. During the second trial, one first responder denied he could be mistaken about what he heard, saying those words were going to haunt me until my death. One of the first police there was Cheltenham Constable Brad Gardner, who was on a routine 6pm to 2am patrol. The most junior officer at the scene, having only graduated the year before, he held Millers hand and cradled his head. He took notes at the time, which included what Miller said when asked for descriptions. Prosecutor Ben Ihle, QC, asked: And what was his response?

Gardner: Two, one on foot. Ihle: What did you do with that information? Gardner: I wrote it into my notebook. Gardner hopped into the ambulance to write down anything else Miller might say. He followed him all the way to the Monash Hospital operating theatre and waited outside until he was told Miller was dead. Gardner has left policing and is now a truck driver.

The scene on Cochranes Road, Moorabbin, the day after the murders. Credit:Jason South The Court of Appeal had earlier made reference to Gardners recollections. He wrote two, one on foot. Gardner was a very deliberate and precise witness. Three of Victorias most experienced judges clearly believed him. Senior defence barrister David Hallowes, SC, repeatedly questioned the credibility of some of the first responders but accepted Gardners version from his notes taken at the time that Miller said two, one on foot. (Hallowes did however question whether it meant categorically that Miller was referring to two offenders.) The reason for the retrial - whether Miller had referred to two people - was finally conceded.

While the retrial gave the defence the chance to examine the first responders on inconsistencies in statements, it gave the prosecution the chance to recalibrate. As Roberts now admitted he was Debs partner in the 10 armed robberies, the prosecution argued the jury could reasonably conclude he was in Cochranes Road for the 11th. And this time Debs would break his silence. His evidence was fascinating and horrible. He showed no remorse and discussed the ambush murder of two police as if checking off a shopping list. Bandali Debs (left) outside court in 2002 and Jason Roberts during his retrial in 2022. Credit:Simon Schulter, Jason South His version was different to the prosecutions, and he admitted to the defence he was a liar. He had a motive to give evidence: he hoped to be rewarded by being transferred from NSWs Goulburn Prison back to Melbourne to be closer to his family.

But for all that he was unshakeable: Roberts was there and killed Silk. Kaye warned the jury that as a convicted criminal, any evidence Debs gave should be treated with caution. Clearly the jury didnt believe him. Debs was a serial killer. His life sentence has saved lives. For Roberts to stand any chance he had to jump into the witness box and open himself up to cross-examination - a high-risk, high-reward tactic. An accused usually stays silent, leaving it to the prosecution to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt. Roberts was solid and articulate, giving his version of what happened that night - based on what he said Debs had told him.
Aged care homes have been promised better access to antiviral drugs and vaccinations, amid predictions current coronavirus outbreaks  already killing scores of nursing home residents each week  will worsen in the coming fortnight.

As aged care COVID-19 deaths continue to increase, the Albanese government on Thursday launched its winter plan for how to handle outbreaks in centres across the country.

Aged Care Minister Anika Wells warned she expected case numbers to spike later this month, with outbreaks and illnesses peaking in late July.

Were looking at a wave going across [aged care homes in] July and August, probably peaking at the end of July, she told a media conference in Brisbane.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has agreed to a snap meeting of national cabinet on Monday to confront the COVID winter crisis, as he faces a rebellion from state leaders and Labor MPs over the decision to axe the $750-a-week self-isolation payment.

As COVID case numbers surge around Australia, unions, retail, hospitality, business groups and the opposition have called for the COVID-19 disaster payment - which ended on June 30 and has cost almost $1.9 billion since being introduced in August 2020 - to be reinstated.

This will be the second national cabinet meeting. The first was held on June 17, three weeks after the federal election. Credit:Rhett Wyman

On Thursday, leaders from New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania and the ACT all called for the axing of the leave payment to be immediately reversed - or at least reconsidered.

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler was forced to defend the hard decision on Thursday to cut the $750-a-week leave payments during the winter COVID surge, saying the government could not afford to continue.
North Sydney MP Kylea Tink has called for the Albanese government to prioritise the first speeches of independent MPs so they can to contribute to debate of the governments climate change legislation.

The new House of Representatives has to get through some 15 hours of first speeches and Tink is one of several crossbenchers worried theyll be at the end of the list  which would effectively gag them because of a rule that says lower house members cant contribute to debate before they make their speech.

Incoming crossbenchers Monique Ryan, Zoe Daniel, Kate Chaney, Kylea Tink, Dai Le, Libby Watson-Brown, Sophie Scamps and Allegra Spender arrive at Parliament House for the first time as MPs. Credit:James Brickwood

There are 35 new MPs in the parliament, who are each given 20 to 25 minutes for their first speech  a chance to outline their background and indicate policy priorities  and the government is aiming to get through them by late October.

However, parliament returns on July 26 and the government plans to introduce its climate action bill as a priority, along with paid domestic violence leave and creating a new jobs agency.
Closing the generous pension scheme for federal judges that currently provides each retiree hundreds of thousands of dollars a year would leave the budget more than $400 million better off by the end of the decade, according to independent costing analysis.

Liberal senator Andrew Bragg said the defined benefits scheme was way outside community expectations. The current scheme sees retired judges who had been in their role for a decade or longer receive 60 per cent of their working income as a pension, which in some cases is nearly $365,000 a year.

Senator Andrew Bragg says the defined benefits scheme should be closed. Credit:James Brickwood

This is really the most outrageous hangover from a bygone era, Bragg said.

The independent Parliamentary Budget Office, on request by Bragg, analysed the costs involved in closing the existing pension scheme to new judges and moving to superannuation.
Newly elected independent senator David Pocock has warned that the Albanese governments plan to axe the union-hunting construction watchdog shouldnt be driven by ideology, saying 1.2 million workers could be left out in the cold, in an early sign Labor faces crossbench resistance to its industrial agenda.

While the Greens have backed the governments move to defund the Australian Building and Construction Commission, Pocock criticised Labor for trying to kill it off slowly while almost 40 cases are still on the books, adding the nation was fortunate to have a separation of government and courts.

Newly elected senator David Pocock has raised concerns about the abolition of the construction watchdog. Credit:Rhett Wyman

Having grown up in Zimbabwe, where people dont have that luxury, or that right, we should be protecting it and actually valuing it, Pocock said.

Pocock said a mature debate needed to be had about the commissions removal, prioritising the wellbeing of workers.
Scott Morrison has lashed out at China, accusing it of supporting Vladimir Putins war crimes by buying Russian wheat instead of Australian grain.

But the former prime minister predicted that despite the bilateral relationship plummeting to its nadir during his tenure, China would long remain Australias biggest trading partner.

Morrison made the comments at the Asian Leadership Conference in South Korea  his first public appearance since being ousted from office in May.

Former prime minister Scott Morrison and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Credit:AP

Morrison renewed his attacks on China for allowing 7 million people to leave Wuhan in January 2020, despite Chinese officials knowing that a new deadly pathogen responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic was circulating and killing people.
A train that once served the Thap Cham - Da Lat rail line is being used as a tourism attraction in Da Lat in this photo taken in October 2018. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy

An 84-km railway line from Thap Cham to Da Lat, built by the French in early 20th century, will be revived at a cost of VND28 trillion ($1.15 billion).

Built over a long period of 25 years (1908-1932), the line ran from the former coastal Champa Kingdom near Thap Cham town in Ninh Thuan Province to resort town Da Lat in the Central Highlands.

The revival will be implemented as a public-private partnership (PPP) project, it was said at a Wednesday meeting between the Ministry of Transport and Ninh Thuan authorities.

The ministry has chosen Bach Dang Hotel Complex Trading  Service JSC based in Da Nang as the project's investor.

The investment will go into recovering the entire route, which comprises 17 stations, 64 bridges, five tunnels and a 16-km rack rail section.

It is expected that the investor will complete investment preparation and pre-feasibility study for approval within 2024 so that the project can be completed and become operational in 2030.

A section of the Thap Cham - Da Lat railway that runs through a tunnel near Da Lat. The tracks are gone but the tunnel remains. Photo by VnExpress/Truong Ha

When it was built, the route was the second in the world to use track rails to traverse steep terrain, after the Jungfraujoch that runs across the Alps.

The railway line remained operational for around 14 years after the colonial French regime was defeated and withdrew from Vietnam in 1954. Then it fell into disuse and the tracks were dismantled by people to sell as scrap metal.

Part of the railway line, a short distance of seven kilometers, has already been revived. Operated by Da Lat, it has become a popular tourist attraction.
A foreign woman choose children's books at a bookstore in downtown HCMC in 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

A majority of expats are content with Vietnam's cost of living but find its administration among the worst worldwide, a new survey has found.

As many as 80 percent of surveyed expats said they are satisfied with the general cost of living in Vietnam compared to the global rate of 45 percent, ranking Vietnam first worldwide in the index of "Personal Finance", according to a survey released Tuesday by the world's largest expat community, InterNations.

"There are affordable prices in almost all areas," said a Swiss expat who remains anonymous.

Ninety-two percent say their disposable household income is enough or more than enough to lead a comfortable life, compared to 72 percent globally.

"I live comfortably on my limited income," shared an American expat.

For its annual Expat Insider survey, conducted for the ninth time this year, InterNations asked nearly 12,000 expats living in 52 countries and territories about living and working abroad.

As found in the survey, Vietnam is also considered a destination where expats can easily settle in and make friends.

The country ranks ninth in the "Ease of Settling In" index, with 84 percent describing locals as generally friendly compared to 66 percent globally, while 83 percent find them friendly towards foreign residents in particular compared to 65 percent elsewhere.

For the "Finding Friends" subcategory, expats rank Vietnam seventh, saying it is easy to make local friends.

Bad experience

Overall, Vietnam comes 7th out of 52 destinations in the Expat Insider 2022 survey, with 84 percent of expats happy with their life in Vietnam compare to a global rate of 71 percent. It ranks below Mexico, Indonesia, Taiwan, Portugal, Spain and the UAE, and above Thailand, Australia and Singapore.

However, expats rank Vietnam very low when it comes to administration, at 46th on the "Expat Essentials" index.

In the "Admin Topics" subcategory of the index, Vietnam ranks 51st overall, only above Malta.

Expats find it difficult to deal with local bureaucracy (66 percent versus 39 percent globally), open a local bank account (41 percent versus 21 percent globally), and get a visa in order to move there (48 percent versus 24 percent globally).

Expats vote the country last (52nd) for the availability of administrative/government services online, and nearly one in four expats find it generally difficult to pay without cash, compared to 8 percent globally.

They also raise concerns over environmental issues and the healthcare system.

The country lands among the bottom 10 in the "Quality of Life" index, where it is ranked 48th. Over half of them (53 percent) are unhappy with the urban environment, which is over triple the global average.

"The noise pollution is terrible," a French expat commented.

Expats are especially unhappy with the air quality (64 percent unsatisfied versus 19 percent globally).

"The smog is a huge problem and the air is really toxic," notes an expat from Italy.

What is more, over half the expats believe that the government does not support policies to protect the environment (versus 18 percent globally), ranking the country 50th for this factor.

Additionally, expats in Vietnam are unsatisfied with the country's healthcare system. About one in five expats say that healthcare is "generally unavailable" and one in four reports that it is difficult to access all the kinds of healthcare services they need.

When expats are able to access healthcare services, they find them to be of poor quality, with 23 percent unhappy with the quality of medical care, compared to 14 percent globally.

The number of expats living and working in Vietnam was 117,800 in 2019, ten times higher than 2005, and 1.4 times higher than 2015.
Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh requested China Wednesday to facilitate smooth customs procedures for agricultural products and establish hotlines for incidents regarding fishing activities at sea.

At the 14th Meeting of the Vietnam-China Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation in China, jointly hosted by Minh and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the two officials talked about existing issues including trade imbalance, goods stuck at the border, certain economic cooperation projects and ODA.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minh requested China to facilitate smooth customs procedures, especially for the export agricultural products from Vietnam to China. He also proposed establishing "green passages" by shortening certain customs procedures and keeping the market open for Vietnamese fruits.

In response, Yi said China values Vietnams interests regarding the export of agricultural products to China, as well as maintaining smooth customs procedures. He affirmed that China would continue to expand its market and cooperation with Vietnam, maintain the stability of supply chains and cooperate in fields like digital economy, e-commerce, clean energy, emission reduction and infrastructure connectivity.

Regarding border and territorial matters, both Minh and Yi agreed to cooperate on managing land borders, while abiding by common awareness regarding the maintenance of peace and stability at sea.

Both agreed to boost the progress of negotiations for a new agreement on fisheries cooperation in the Gulf of Tonkin and the signing of an agreement regarding rescue efforts at sea as well as one on establishing hotlines for incidents involving fishing activities at sea.

Vietnam is Chinas largest commercial partner in the ASEAN bloc and the sixth largest in the world. China is also Vietnams largest commercial partner. Vietnam-China trade turnover in 2021 reached $165.8 billion, a 24.6 percent increase from 2020, according to Vietnam Customs.
Today

A mix of clouds and sunshine, seasonable, and mainly dry.

Tonight

Partly cloudy.

Tomorrow

Times of clouds and sun. A shower can't entirely be ruled out in spots, but continued mainly dry.
Passengers wait to complete check-in procedures at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi in late June, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh

Vietnamese pilots have occupied runways longer than needed while airplanes were not parked in order, causing thousands of delays in June, aviation authorities said.

More than 5,600 flights operated by Vietnamese airlines were delayed last month, accounting for 18.2 percent of total services operated by the country's six carriers, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV).

The figure was up 15.9 percent year-on-year and up 9.4 percent from last month.

Low-cost carrier Vietjet Air had the industry's highest rate of flight delays at 24 percent, followed by Vietnam Airlines with 20.1 percent.

In most cases, flights were delayed at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City.

Ho Minh Tan, deputy head of CAAV, said the issue of delayed flights at Tan Son Nhat is "quite serious" as he attended a Wednesday meeting on the matter.

He said apart from overloaded infrastructure, the arrangement of parked aircraft "is not reasonable" as planes that take off first are located far from the runway while those departing later are placed closer.

There were cases in which a plane spent as long as 15-20 minutes only to move from the parking lot to the runway, he said.

Bui Thanh Ha, head of the air traffic control department of Southern Region Air Traffic Services, said another reason for the issue is pilot skills.

In the latest survey conducted at the airport, a Singapore airline's plane left the runway in 60 seconds after landing, while Vietnamese pilots needed nearly 70 seconds.

During takeoff, air traffic controllers have to calculate to save every second though Vietnamese pilots still spend 10-15 seconds on average to start running.

"It is clear that our pilots do not have an awareness of saving time," said Ha.

Dinh Viet Son, another CAAV deputy head, said if there are heavy downpours at Tan Son Nhat and airplanes cannot land, air traffic controllers should decide not to let airplanes designated to land at Tan Son Nhat depart.

Because in that case, those airplanes would have to circle, a situation that would exhaust passengers and cause carriers to waste extra money on fuel, he said.

Vietnam Airlines Deputy General Director Trinh Hong Quang blamed its flight delays on the market bouncing back "beyond all forecasts." Carriers were unprepared for such a boom in travel demand, Quang said.

In the first six months of the year, the number of passengers through domestic airports reached 40.7 million, up 56 percent over the same period last year.

Around 1.8 million were international passengers, up 904 percent.

CAAV Head Dinh Viet Thang said each airport now has to come up with a specific set of rules to deal with runway occupation.

At Tan Son Nhat and Hanoi's Noi Bai airport, pilots must make sure they leave the runway within 60 seconds after landing, and take off within 30 seconds.

Thang said as the infrastructure remains limited, CAAV would have to reduce flight numbers, citing similar actions done to deal with travel boom in other countries.

"It is very hard to accept the fact that a flight from HCMC to Cam Ranh airport in Khanh Hoa took only 45 minutes but passengers have to wait several hours," he said.
READING, Pa. - A man is in the hospital after a shooting in Reading Wednesday night.

It happened on the 600 block of Front Street.

Police said the man was taken to the hospital in an ambulance.

Police said the incident poses no additional threats to the community.

Authorities expect to release more information on Thursday.
KUTZTOWN, Pa. - A global nonprofit aimed at growing the organic movement through rigorous research, farmer training, and consumer education has gotten a big financial boost from Giant.

Rodale Institute received a $1 million donation from The GIANT Company.

The funds were raised through The Giant Companys Healing Our Planet campaign, which ran from March 1 to May 31, and allowed customers to round up their checkout purchases to the nearest dollar at Giant, Martin's and Giant Heirloom Market stores.

The funding will go towards supporting the Rodale Institute Farmer Training Program, as well as farmer consulting services, education projects, and research studies.

The Giant Company presented Rodale Institute with a check for $1,099,208.55 on June 20 at a ceremony event at The GIANT Company headquarters, which was attended by Rodale Institute CEO Jeff Moyer, The GIANT Company President Nicholas Bertram, Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Reading, and other recipients of funding from the Healing Our Planet campaign.
Some of the Lehigh Valley's largest employers say they're still experiencing supply chain issues.

"If you miss any one of those components it really is disruptive to our process and for our ability to bring a truck down the line," said Mike Lovati, Senior Vice President of Group Trucks Purchasing North America at Volvo.

Representatives from Mack Trucks, Lutron, and Infinera joined Congresswoman Susan Wild and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo Wednesday to talk ways to improve it, like the bipartisan Innovation and Competition Act, which is currently in the U.S. House.

The bill would invest $52 billion in domestic semi conductor production.

"Every product Lutron makes has at least one if not multiple semi conductors in it, and the supply chain challenges that we face have had a big impact on our ability to deliver to our customers," said Lutron Co-President Ed Blair.

"Infinera is not only a consumer of semi conductors, but we are actually a producer of semiconductors," said Darrell Engel, senior Director of Operations and Site Leader at Infinera.

"We're actually looking to expand and so support through things like the Competes Act can really go a long way."

The bill would also invest in STEM education, reauthorize the National Apprenticeship Act, and create Regional Innovation Hubs, an addition from Congresswoman Wild.

"I am a huge advocate for the Lehigh Valley to be one of those regional innovation hubs. We have the perfect combination of manufacturers and institutions of higher learning," Wild said.

The Senate has its own Competition Act, which Republican leaders have been pushing for. However, neither bill has been passed both chambers, and there is concern any help may come too late.

"We've got to look at this as our constituents on both sides of the aisle winning, if America wins with better competition, and better manufacturing, and better production," Wild said.
ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Illegal dirt bikes and ATV's have been a growing problem around Pennsylvania, and in the Lehigh Valley.

So legislators took action, passing a law that gives local authorities more power to deal with the issue. Mayors and police chiefs from cities in our area met Wednesday to discuss what that legislation means for them.

Riding the bikes on city streets has always been illegal, but the punishment was simply a citation. However, on Monday Gov. Tom Wolf signed a bill that would actually give law enforcement more power when they see this illegal activity and the chance to put a stop to it for good.

"They're not hurting anyone yet, but they will," Easton Mayor Sal Panto said Wednesday.

Legislators are trying to prevent that. State Sen. Pat Browne sponsored the bill signed by Wolf this week.

"If people are convicted for illegally operating a bike on our streets they lose the bike," Browne said.

"It's either sold or destroyed. Hopefully that sends a very strong message that we're just not going to tolerate this."

Essentially the bill would allow police to seize and destroy a dirt bike if someone was illegally riding it on a city street, something brought up at Wednesday's Dirt Bike and ATV Task Force meeting in Allentown.

"That takes away the ability from that dirt bike from coming back out to the roadway," said Allentown Police Chief Charles Roca.

Local leaders say when this law goes into effect it will help a lot of issues city residents face daily.

"It's a quality of life issue, a nuisance issue, but make no mistake, it's a public safety issue," said Easton Police Chief Carl Scalzo.

But the task force also knows, they have their work cut out for them in implementing the law to make life safer.

"Even with this new legislation we still have a lot of work to do, but a lot of it comes down to education," said Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk.

The law wouldn't go into effect for about 60 days. Local leaders say they'll continue to hold those task force meetings for as long as necessary.
NORRISTOWN, Pa. - A Pottstown man was acquitted on charges connected to the fatal shooting of his girlfriend's ex-boyfriend back in January.

On Wednesday, a jury found Avery Nascimento, 22, not guilty on murder charges relating to the death of 36-year-old Sean Robbins in the 100 block of Sheridan Street.

Defense attorney Frank Genovese tells 69 News the jury found Nascimento guilty of attempted murder charges for a 34-year-old woman due to serious bodily injury inflicted. Nascimento hit the woman, choked her, threatened her with a handgun, and told her she was going to die tonight, according to the news release.

The DA's office says an argument had ensued over photos on the woman's cellphone. After learning of the assault, Robbins, the woman's ex-boyfriend, arrived at the residence, the DA's office said. The victim and defendant attempted to talk it out, but became involved in a physical fight that ended with Robbins being shot, according to the news release.

Nascimento is in custody until sentencing in early October. He is facing a sentencing of 20-40 years behind bars.
ELKO  Northeastern Nevada is under a red flag warning Thursday for the third day in a row, following lightning that started more than a dozen blazes in the Elko District.

Four of Thursdays fires are still listed as in progress, along with two earlier fires.

The largest fire that started Wednesday has burned 75 acres about 15 miles north of Crittenden Reservoir. A blaze on Forest Service land burned 70 acres near Draw Creek, about 20 miles east of Charleston Reservoir.

On the opposite end of the county, two fires burned 10 acres each near Cowboys Rest resort in the south Ruby Mountains and at the northeast end of Cedar Ridge.

All four of these fires are listed as in progress. So is the Rabbit Fire, which started Tuesday and has burned about 54 acres near Fort Halleck Road.

The Goshute Fire, which started June 25, is also still listed as active. It has burned 1,966 acres.

Other small fires that started Wednesday and have been contained were at Mitchell Creek and west of Graymont Mine in the South Toano Range.

The largest blaze so far this year has burned 5,989 acres in northern White Pine County. The Becky Peak Fire is listed at 60% contained.

Elkos high is expected to climb to 101 on Thursday, just as it has for the past two days. The National Weather Service is calling for a chance of isolated dry thunderstorms between noon and 11 p.m.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
President Joe Bidens reelection prospects have seemed doubtful for months now. Many voters think the nations oldest president ever  he turns 80 in November  is too old for the job and is certainly too old for a second term. Many others think hes simply doing a bad job. Many think both. And that includes Democrats who voted for Biden as well as Republicans who didnt.

Now, we seem to have reached a turning point. In recent days, the most influential media voice among Democrats, The New York Times, has published two articles that appear to lay a foundation for pushing a reluctant Biden out of a reelection race in 2024.

The first was published on July 9 with the headline, At 79, Biden Is Testing the Boundaries of Age and the Presidency. Dont be fooled by the gentleness of the headline. The article clearly suggested Biden is too old to be president. It reported that Bidens upcoming Middle East trip was originally going to be part of his European trip last month until aides realized that putting the two destinations together in one trip would have made for an arduous 10-day overseas trek and that such extended travel might be unnecessarily taxing for a 79-year-old president. One official even called the idea crazy.

Bidens aides acknowledge that he looks older than just a few years ago, the Times reported, calling that a political liability that cannot be solved by traditional White House stratagems like staff shake-ups or new communications plans. While the Times called Bidens energy level impressive for a man of his age, it nevertheless said Bidens energy is not what it was, and some aides quietly watch out for him.

[Biden] often shuffles when he walks, and aides worry he will trip on a wire, the Times reported. He stumbles over words during public events, and they hold their breath to see if he makes it to the end without a gaffe. Those public appearances have fueled the perception that Biden is too old to be president, the article said. His speeches can be flat and listless. He sometimes loses his train of thought, has trouble summoning names or appears momentarily confused. During the European trip, the paper said, Bidens fellow leaders protectively treat[ed] him like a distinguished elderly relative.

In all, Bidens age has become an uncomfortable issue for Democrats, the paper reported. If he mounts another campaign in 2024, Mr. Biden would be asking the country to elect a leader who would be 86 at the end of his tenure, the Times said, testing the outer boundaries of age and the presidency. Testing the outer boundaries of age? For many Americans, the simpler way of saying that is too old.

Now, the Times has published a devastating poll the paper conducted with Siena College. The survey found that 64% of Democratic voters want a different nominee in 2024  just 26% want the party to renominate the president. On top of that, the poll shows Bidens job approval among all Americans at just 33%. And, on top of that, just 13% of those surveyed believe the country is on the right track. With the country gripped by a pervasive sense of pessimism, the Times wrote, the president is hemorrhaging support.

And what is it about Biden that particularly worries his partys voters? Age. Concerns about his age ranked at the top of the list for Democratic voters who want the party to find an alternative, the paper reported. Im just going to come out and say it: I want younger blood, said Nicole Farrier, a 38-year-old preschool teacher in East Tawas, a small town in northern Michigan. I am so tired of all old people running our country. I dont want someone knocking on deaths door. Farrier voted for Biden in 2020 in hopes he might heal the nations divisions, the Times said, but now she is preoccupied with what she described as crippling increases in her cost of living.

The second-highest concern is Bidens job performance. The Times reported: He hasnt done what I think hes capable of doing as president to help the American people, said Kelly King, a former factory worker in Greensburg, Indiana. As a Democrat, I figured he would really be on our side and put us back on the right track. And I just feel like hes not.

The poll offered one glimmer of good news for Democrats: Even in his weakened condition, Biden could still narrowly defeat Donald Trump 44% to 41%, in a hypothetical 2024 head-to-head matchup. But even Democrats who would definitely vote for Biden against Trump would still prefer another nominee.

What does it all mean? It means Biden is in trouble. But that has been clear for quite a while. Voters have long been concerned about the presidents age. They have been concerned about his ability to handle the worlds most demanding job. And they have wished there were some better alternative.

What is perhaps more newsworthy now is that the media institution most respected among Democrats, especially Democratic opinion leaders, has so frankly put the spotlight on Bidens problems. From a Democratic perspective, it is one thing when Republicans complain about Biden. It is another when The New York Times does it. And now everyone, except perhaps the most dogged Biden loyalists, is alarmed about the state of Joe Biden.
At the 14th meeting of the Steering Committee for Vietnam - China Bilateral Cooperation. (Photo: VNA)

The two sides congratulated each other on the positive development achievements of each country and underlined the significance of Vietnam - China relations in the overall external relations of both countries.

They agreed that since the previous meeting of the committee last September, the two sides have worked closely together to maintain the stability of the overall bilateral relationship and cooperation with positive results.

Along with regular meetings at all levels, the two sides have seen good cooperation results in the fight against COVID-19, they noted, adding that partnerships in economy, trade, investment and other areas, have also expanded.

Vietnam is Chinas largest trade partner in ASEAN, and the six biggest trade partner in the world. Meanwhile, China has continued to be Vietnams largest trade partner, they said.

Both sides agreed that problems mentioned at the 13th meeting have been settled, while pointing out a number of shortcomings in bilateral trade, including a growing imbalance in bilateral trade, the congestion of goods at border gates, Chinas slow opening of its market for Vietnamese farm produce, and difficulties in travelling between the two countries due to COVID-19.

Regarding the cooperation orientations in the future, both sides agreed to increase exchanges and meetings at high and all levels, implementing cooperation agreements between the two Parties, promoting the committees role in removing arising problems, maintaining collaboration in important areas such as diplomacy, defence and security, and beefing up bilateral partnership in a stable, balance, sustainable manner. The two sides will continue to increase people-to-people exchange activities.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh suggested the Chinese side continue to create favourable conditions for customs clearance activities at border gates, especially for Vietnamese fruits, agricultural and aquatic products, while setting up green lines to reduce time for quarantine and customs clearance process.

He proposed China open its door wider for Vietnamese fruits and back the opening of Vietnams trade promotion office in Chengdu of Sichuan province.

The Deputy PM also underlined the need to enhance the efficiency of the Vietnam - China railway route that connects with the railway route linking China and Europe as well as a number of countries, along with the expansion of high-quality investment in areas suitable to Vietnams demand and sustainable development strategy.

He also suggested the formation of new cooperation formats such as trans-border e-commerce, and the improvement of cooperation efficiency in the areas of finance, transport, agriculture, environment, science-technology, education, culture, tourism and sports.

Agreeing with Vietnams cooperation proposals, Wang affirmed that China attaches great importance to Vietnam's interest in expanding exports of agricultural and aquatic products to China and ensuring smooth customs clearance at border gates, adding that his country is ready to open and upgrade border gates to meet the demands of both countries.

China will continue opening its market and cooperating with Vietnam in maintaining the stability of the supply and production chains, deepening collaboration on new land and sea transport corridors, discussing cooperation in the fields of digital economy, e-commerce, clean energy, emission reduction, and infrastructure connectivity, while resuming commercial flights between the two countries and receiving Vietnamese students returning to China to study.

Mentioning border and territory issues, both sides concurred to coordinate and well manage the shared land border, and properly settling any cases following three legal documents regarding the land border between Vietnam and China.

Vietnam and China agreed to continue to strictly abide by the high-level common perception on maintaining peace and stability at sea, including the Vietnam-China agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of sea-related issues, while effectively promoting negotiation mechanisms for practical progress, speeding up the negotiations for a new agreement on fisheries cooperation in the Bac Bo (Tonkin) Gulf, and reaching an agreement on cooperation in search and rescue at sea and another on the establishment of hotlines on unexpected cases of fishing activities at an early date.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh underscored that both sides should work hard to control disagreements; not take actions that complicate the situation and expand disputes; respect each other's legitimate rights and interests in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and maintain peace and stability in the East Sea together.

Concluding the meeting, Minh and Wang announced the signing of a number of cooperation agreements, including an agreement on economic and technical cooperation on the provision of non-refundable aid between the Government of Vietnam and the Government of China for the 2020 fiscal year; a protocol on phytosanitary requirements for durians exported from Vietnam; and a cooperation agreement on a geological research project in Red River Delta of Vietnam and Changjiang River Delta of China.

Earlier, on July 12, Deputy PM Pham Binh Minh had a meeting with Liu Ning, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, during which both sides agreed to increase exchanges and meetings at all levels, further promote existing cooperation mechanisms, enhance economic, trade and investment collaboration efficiency and strengthen transport infrastructure connections. They also concurred to work closely together in pandemic prevention and control, border protection and the opening of new border gates.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh hailed the cooperation outcomes between Guangxi and Vietnamese localities and thanked Guangxi for providing vaccines and medical equipment to border provinces of Vietnam. He affirmed that the Vietnamese Government supports and creates optimal conditions for localities to promote win-win partnerships with Guangxi, and expressed hope that Guangxi will help to streamline customs clearance for Vietnamese farm produce.

Liu said he hoped both sides would optimise the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership to further bolster bilateral and multilateral economic and trade cooperation, and welcomed Vietnam to join and contribute to the success of the 19th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) that will be held in Nanning in September./.
Bramwell Tovey, who was the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestras music director from 1989 to 2001 and helped found the Winnipeg New Music Festival, died Tuesday at his home in Barrington, R.I.

Tovey was diagnosed with a rare form of sarcoma in 2019, according to a release by the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, where he was its principal conductor and artistic director.

Tovey had undergone surgery shortly after his cancer diagnosis in Boston but the sarcoma returned in January. Tovey died one day after his 69th birthday, surrounded by his family. JEFF DE BOOY / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Former WSO maestro Bramwell Tovey died Tuesday at his home in Barrington, R.I. He was 69.

Richard Turner, the WSOs principal harpist during Toveys tenure, said, the Winnipeg symphony was his orchestra and that the London-born conductor set a high standard for his successors.

He was really the champion of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, something really special. He really felt for the organization and that made a big difference, Turner said Wednesday.

He was passionate about the music, that was first and foremost for him, and it really didnt matter what music. When asked what was his favourite piece, he replied, well, whatever piece he was conducting at the moment.

Daniel Raiskin, the WSOs music director and one of Toveys successors who have had the task of living up to his reputation, said in a statement that Tovey impact on the symphony continues to be felt and his passion and selfless approach will serve as an inspiration.

We lost the best of the best, Raiskin said in a statement. Rest in peace, dear Maestro.

In a statement from the WSO, it praised Toveys work in the community, which often included performing on his own or with orchestra members at seniors homes.

He was noted for bringing the same level of commitment and enthusiasm to outreach and education concerts as he did to the great symphonic masterworks bringing to each a human touch and a profound love of music. He will be deeply missed by audiences and musicians alike.

Tracy Dahl, the Winnipeg soprano and vocal instructor, paid tribute to Tovey, who was a close friend as well as conducting many of her performances.

You were so gracious and supportive as I walked through cancer. I owe the last 10 years of my singing to your constant faith in me, she posted on Facebook. Thank you for your gift of friendship and joy in making music from Gershwin to Mahler.

Tovey conducted the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra after leaving Winnipeg, and earned Grammy and Juno awards leading the orchestra and his longtime friend, James Ehnes, the Brandon-born violinist on a 1996 album.

Tovey also took his baton all over the world for the past two decades, conducting the New York Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and starting in 2018 in London, where he grew up, leading the BBC Concert Orchestra as its principal conductor.

He was a musicians conductor whose warmth sense of humour and artistic leadership will be sorely missed. Bill Chandler, the orchestras director said in a statement Wednesday.

Turner says Tovey will be remembered for his devotion to new music and new ideas. Those were combined together when he helped found the Winnipeg New Music Festival in 1992 with Glenn Buhr, the WSOs composer-in-residence at the time.

To me, the definition of a legacy is something that lives past you, and you think about hes been gone from the job here 22 years and its still going strong, his successors have all been passionate about it and its attracted those people, he said. To go through that volume of music and he learned it all  he wasnt faking it  that was very impressive.

Alan.Small@winnipegfreepress.com

Twitter: @AlanDSmall
LOS ANGELES (AP)  Nick Barragan is used to wearing a mask because his job in the Hollywood film industry has long required it. So he wont be fazed if the county thats home to Tinseltown soon becomes the first major population center this summer to reinstate rules requiring face coverings indoors because of another spike in coronavirus cases.

I feel fine about it because Ive worn one pretty much constantly for the last few years. Its become a habit, said Barragan, masked up while out running errands Wednesday.

Los Angeles is the most populous county, home to 10 million residents. It faces a return to a broad indoor mask mandate on July 29 if current trends in hospital admissions continue, county health Director Barbara Ferrer said this week. Nick Barragan wears a mask while running errands in Los Angeles on Wednesday, July 13, 2022. Los Angeles County is facing a return to a broad indoor mask requirement if current trends in hospital admissions continue, health officials said. Barragan said he's disappointed that the fast spread of COVID-19 could mean the return of a mandate, but he's used to wearing a mask because it's always been required for his job in film production. (AP Photo/Christopher Weber)

Requiring masks again helps us to reduce risk, Ferrer told Los Angeles County supervisors.

She added: I do recognize that when we return to universal indoor masking to reduce high spread, for many this will feel like a step backwards.

Nationwide, the latest COVID-19 surge is driven by the highly transmissible BA.5 variant, which now accounts for 65% of cases with its cousin BA.4 contributing another 16%. The variants have shown a remarkable ability to get around the protection offered by vaccination. Mask an unmasked patrons walk along a row of food stands inside Grand Central Station Wednesday, July 13, 2022, in Los Angeles. Los Angeles County might be imposing a mandate on July 29 if COVID-19 numbers continue to rise. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

With the new omicron variants again pushing hospitalizations and deaths higher in recent weeks, states and cities are rethinking their responses and the White House is stepping up efforts to alert the public.

Some experts said the warnings are too little, too late.

Its well past the time when the warning could have been put out there, said Dr. Eric Topol, head of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, who has has called BA.5 the worst variant yet. A bus driver wears a mask while picking up passengers along Hill Street Wednesday, July 13, 2022, in Los Angeles. Los Angeles county might be imposing a mandate on July 29 if COVID-19 numbers continue to rise. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Global trends for the two mutants have been apparent for weeks, experts said  they quickly out-compete older variants and push cases higher wherever they appear. Yet Americans have tossed off their masks and jumped back into travel and social gatherings.

And they have largely ignored booster shots, which protect against COVID-19s worst outcomes. Courts have blocked federal mask and vaccine mandates, tying the hands of U.S. officials.

We learn a lot from how the virus is acting elsewhere and we should apply the knowledge here, said Ali Mokdad, a professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle.

White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha appeared on morning TV on Wednesday urging booster shots and renewed vigilance. Yet Mokdad said federal health officials need to push harder on masks indoors, early detection and prompt antiviral treatment.

They are not doing all that they can, Mokdad said.

The administrations challenge, in the view of the White House, is not their messaging, but peoples willingness to hear it  due to pandemic fatigue and the politicization of the virus response.

For months, the White House has encouraged Americans to make use of free or cheap at-home rapid tests to detect the virus, as well as the free and effective antiviral treatment Paxlovid that protects against serious illness and death. On Tuesday, the White House response team urgently called on all adults 50 and older to get a booster if they havent yet this year and dissuaded people from waiting for the next generation of shots expected in the fall.

New York City, San Francisco and many other local governments also have stepped up reminders encouraging people to get boosters, wear masks and take other precautions but have refrained from imposing mask mandates lifted following the major spike last winter. During the latest surge, Philadelphia resumed its mask mandate in April but lifted the requirement within a few days.

For most of the pandemic, Los Angeles County has required masks in some indoor spaces, including health care facilities, Metro trains and buses, airports, jails and homeless shelters. The new mandate would expand the requirement to all indoor public spaces, including shared offices, manufacturing facilities, warehouses, retail stores, restaurants and bars, theaters and schools.

Its unclear what enforcement might look like. Under past mandates, officials favored educating people over issuing citations and fines.

On a typically sunny and warm summer day in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Sharon Fayette ripped off her mask the moment she stepped out of a Lyft ride and groaned when informed another universal mask requirement might be coming. Oh man, when will it end? she said.

Fayette said she was exhausted by shifting regulations and dubious another mandate would be followed by most residents. I just think people are over it, over all the rules, she said.

Barragan said he learned a harsh lesson about the effectiveness of masks when he went without a face covering at a film industry mixer last month in Los Angeles.

I thought it would be fine because we were all outdoors, said Barragan, 35. A few days later he started feeling sick and tested positive.

Hed avoided catching the virus for more than two years because he was religious about masking up.

The one time I took it off, I caught it! he laughed.

While hospitalizations and deaths have remained well below prior spikes nationally, the current trends are troubling. Last month, daily deaths were falling, though they never matched last years low, and deaths are now heading up again.

The seven-day average for daily deaths in the U.S. rose 26% over the past two weeks to 489 on July 12. The coronavirus is not killing nearly as many as it was last fall and winter, and experts do not expect death to reach those levels again soon.

But hundreds of daily deaths for a summertime respiratory illness would normally be jaw-dropping, said Andrew Noymer, a public health professor at the University of California, Irvine. He noted that in Orange County, California, 46 people died of COVID-19 in June.

That would be all hands on deck, Noymer said. People would be like, Theres this crazy new flu thats killing people in June.

Instead, simple, proven precautions are not being taken. Vaccinations, including booster shots for those eligible, lower the risk of hospitalization and death  even against the latest variants. But less than half of all eligible U.S. adults have gotten a single booster shot, and only about 1 in 4 Americans age 50 and older who are eligible for a second booster have received one.

This has been a botched booster campaign, Topol said, noting that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still uses the term fully vaccinated for people with two shots of Moderna or Pfizer. They havent gotten across that two shots is totally inadequate, he said.

Noymer said if he were in charge of the nations COVID response he would level with the American people in an effort to get their attention in this third year of the pandemic. He would tell Americans to take it seriously, mask indoors and until we get better vaccines, theres going to be a new normal of a disease that kills over 100,000 Americans a year and impacts life expectancy.

That message probably wouldnt fly for political reasons, Noymer acknowledged.

It also might not resonate with people who are tired of taking precautions after more than two years of the pandemic. Valerie Walker of New Hope, Pennsylvania, is mindful of the latest surge but hardly alarmed even with two friends now sick and her husband recently recovered from the virus.

I was definitely concerned back then, she said of the pandemics early days, with images of body bags on nightly news broadcasts. Now theres fatigue.

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Johnson, an AP medical writer, reported from Washington state. Associated Press writers Bobby Caina Calvan in New York and Zeke Miller in Washington contributed.

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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.
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP)  U.S. prosecutors suspect a Wyoming company of potentially concealing problems with a pipeline that broke in 2015 and spilled more than 50,000 gallons (240,000 liters) of crude into Montanas Yellowstone River, fouling a small citys drinking water supply, court filings show.

The government is suing Bridger Pipeline for violations of environmental laws in the 2015 spill, which came after the line buried beneath the Yellowstone became exposed and broke when ice scoured the river bottom near Glendive, Montana. Prosecutors are pursuing similar claims against a related company over a 2016 spill in North Dakota that released more than 600,000 gallons (2.7 million liters) of crude.

The accidents came a few years after an Exxon-Mobil oil pipeline broke beneath the Yellowstone during flooding. The spills helped put a national focus on the nations aging pipeline network, which has continued to suffer high profile accidents including recent spills in Louisiana and California. FILE - In this Jan. 19, 2015 photo, cleanup workers cut holes into the ice on the Yellowstone River near Crane, Mont., as part of efforts to recover oil from an upstream pipeline spill that released more than 50,000 gallons of crude. Federal prosecutors are suing pipeline operator Bridger Pipeline for violations of pollution laws following spills in Montana and North Dakota. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)

A survey of Bridgers pipeline on the companys behalf in 2011 included a note that the pipe was buried only 1.5 feet (0.5 meters) beneath the ever-shifting river bottom. That would have put it at heightened risk of breaking.

But after the spill, prosecutors alleged, company representatives referenced a second survey when they told federal regulators that the pipeline had been buried at least 7.9 feet (2.4 meters), giving it adequate cover to protect against spills.

This raises questions  which Bridger has yet to answer  about whether Bridger concealed material facts about the condition of the crossing before the Yellowstone spill, assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Elmer wrote in court documents.

Attorneys for Bridger rejected the allegations about conflicting surveys as conspiracy theories.

Pipeline company spokesperson Bill Salvin said the government misunderstood the surveys.

There was adequate depth of cover across the entire crossing, Salvin said. We think the government is trying to find something thats just not there.

Federal prosecutors last month filed a lawsuit with similar claims against a sister company, Belle Fourche Pipeline, over the 2016 North Dakota spill that contaminated the Little Missouri River and a tributary.

Both pipeline businesses are part of Casper, Wyoming-based True Companies, which operates 1,800 miles (2,900 kilometers) of line in Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming.

Prosecutors allege the spills violated the Clean Water Act and are subject to penalties of up to $6.6 million in the Montana case and up to $89.5 million in the North Dakota case.

Attorneys for Belle Fourche, in their initial response to the federal lawsuit, on Thursday denied any violations of pollution laws. A more detailed response is expected at a later date.

The legal challenges over the spills come as Bridger seeks to build a new pipeline from western North Dakota to southeastern Montana. North Dakota Public Service Commission in May approved part of the line.

Bridger last year reached a $2 million settlement with the federal government and Montana over damages from the Yellowstone River spill. The company was previously fined $1 million in the case by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality.

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Follow Brown on twitter: @MatthewBrownAP
VINNYTSIA, Ukraine (AP)  Russian missiles struck a city in central Ukraine on Thursday, killing at least 23 people and wounding more than 100 others far from the front lines, Ukrainian authorities said. Ukraines president accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilians in locations without military value.

Officials said Kalibr cruise missiles fired from a Russian ship in the Black Sea damaged a medical clinic, offices, stores and residential buildings in Vinnytsia, a city 268 kilometers (167 miles) southwest of the capital, Kyiv. Vinnytsia region Gov. Serhiy Borzov said Ukrainian air defenses downed two of the four incoming Russian missiles.

National Police Chief Ihor Klymenko said only six bodies had been identified so far, while 39 people were still missing. Three children younger than 10 where among the dead. Of the 66 people hospitalized, five remained in critical condition while 34 sustained severe injuries, Ukraines State Emergency Service said. In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters work to extinguish fire at a building damaged by shelling, in Vinnytsia, Ukraine, Thursday, July 14, 2022. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

It was a building of a medical organization. When the first rocket hit it, glass fell from my windows, said Vinnytsia resident Svitlana Kubas, 74. And when the second wave came, it was so deafening that my head is still buzzing. It tore out the very outermost door, tore it right through the holes.

Borzov said 36 apartment buildings were damaged and residents have been evacuated. Along with hitting buildings, the missiles ignited a fire that spread to 50 cars in a parking lot, officials said.

These are quite high-precision missiles.  They knew where they were hitting, Borzov told the AP. In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, rescuers work on a scene of building damaged by shelling, in Vinnytsia, Ukraine, Thursday, July 14, 2022. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

Russia denied targeting civilians.

Russia only strikes at military targets in Ukraine. The strike on Vinnytsia targeted an officers residence, where preparations by Ukrainian armed forces were underway, Evgeny Varganov, a member of Russias permanent U.N. mission, said in an address to the chamber.

Among the buildings damaged in the strike was the House of Officers, a Soviet-era concert hall. In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters work to extinguish fire at a building damaged by shelling, in Vinnytsia, Ukraine, Thursday, July 14, 2022. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

Margarita Simonyan, head of the state-controlled Russian television network RT, said on her messaging app channel that military officials told her a building in Vinnytsia was targeted because it housed Ukrainian Nazis.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy repeated his call for Russia to be declared a state sponsor of terrorism. The strike happened as government officials from about 40 countries met in The Hague, Netherlands, to discuss coordinating investigations and prosecutions of potential war crimes committed in Ukraine.

No other country in the world represents such a terrorist threat as Russia, Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address. No other country in the world allows itself every day to use cruise missiles and rocket artillery to destroy cities and ordinary human life. A Ukrainian serviceman carries a 155 mm artillery shell before firing at Russian positions from a U.S.- supplied M777 howitzer in Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Thursday, July 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Zelenskyy said that among those killed was a 4-year-old girl named Liza, whose mother was badly wounded. A video of the little girl, twirling in a lavender dress in a field of lavender, was widely shared on social media.

Today, our hearts are bleeding, and our eyes are full of tears because our family of many thousands has lost one of our own, the charity Down Syndrome wrote. It said: They were just on their way from a speech therapy class, and they just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Zelenskyys wife later posted that she had met this wonderful girl while filming a Christmas video with a group of children, who were given oversized ornaments to paint. Firefighters work to extinguish a fire at a building that was damaged by a deadly Russian missile attack in Vinnytsia, Ukraine, Thursday, July 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

The little mischievous girl then managed in a half an hour to paint not only herself, her holiday dress, but also all the other children, me, the cameramen and the director  Look at her alive, please, Olena Zelenska wrote in a note accompanying the video.

Zelenskyy called for creating a mechanism for confiscating Russian assets around the world and using them to compensate the victims of Russian terror.

Ukrainian Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky echoed Zelenskyy, calling the missile attack a war crime intended to intimidate Ukrainians while the countrys forces hold out in the east. Ukrainian servicemen fire at Russian positions from a U.S.- supplied M777 howitzer in Kharkiv region, Ukraine, on Thursday, July 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

He said several dozen people were detained for questioning on suspicion that the Russian forces had received targeting assistance from someone on the ground.

The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv issued a security alert late Thursday urging all U.S. citizens remaining in Ukraine to leave immediately. The alert, which appeared to be in response to the Vinnytsia attack, asserted that large gatherings and organized events may serve as Russian military targets anywhere in Ukraine, including its western regions.

Vinnytsia is one of Ukraines largest cities, with a prewar population of 370,000. Thousands of people from eastern Ukraine, where Russia has concentrated its offensive, have fled there since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.

Kateryna Popova said she saw many injured people lying on the street after the missiles struck. Popova had fled from Kharkiv in March in search of safety in quiet Vinnytsia. But the missile attack changed all that.

We did not expect this. Now we feel like we dont have a home again, she said.

Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov said the attack mirrors previous ones on residential areas that Moscow has launched to try to pressure Kyiv to make some concessions.

Russia has used the same tactics when it hit the Odesa region, Kremenchuk, Chasiv Yar and other areas, Zhdanov said. The Kremlin wants to show that it will keep using unconventional methods of war and kill civilians in defiance of Kyiv and the entire international community.

Before the missiles hit Vinnytsia, the presidents office reported the deaths of five civilians and the wounding of eight more in Russian attacks over the past day. One person was wounded when a missile damaged several buildings in the southern city of Mykolaiv early Thursday. A missile attack on Wednesday killed at least five people in the city.

Russian forces also continued artillery and missile attacks in eastern Ukraine, primarily in the Donetsk region after overtaking the adjacent Luhansk region. The two regions make up the Donbas, a mostly Russian-speaking area of steel factories, mines and other industries that powered Ukraines economy.

Donetsk Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko, meanwhile, urged residents to evacuate as quickly as possible.

We are urging civilians to leave the region, where electricity, water and gas are in short supply after the Russian shelling, Kyrylenko said in televised remarks. The fighting is intensifying, and people should stop risking their lives and leave the region.

On the battlefront, Russian and Ukrainian militaries are seeking to replenish their depleted stocks of unmanned aerial vehicles to pinpoint enemy positions and guide artillery strikes.

Both sides are looking to procure jamming-resistant, advanced drones that could offer a decisive edge in battle. Ukrainian officials say the demand for such technology is immense with crowdfunding efforts underway to raise the necessary cash.

In other developments:

 Russian-installed officials in southeastern Ukraines Zaporizhzhia region announced that they planned to hold an early September referendum on incorporating the region into Russia. Large parts of Zaporizhzhia are under Russian control now, as is most of neighboring Kherson. Kremlin-backed administrations in both areas have declared their intentions to become part of Russia. Separatist leaders in the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk republics have also announced similar plans.

 Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday signed into law a bill banning the dissemination of information on Russian companies and individuals who could face international sanctions. The law explicitly bans from internet or media publication  without written permission  any information about transactions made or planned by Russian individuals or legal entities participating in foreign economic activity. It also suspends for three years the obligatory publication of key financial and governance information by major Russian state corporations.

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Maria Grazia Murru reported from Kyiv.

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Follow APs coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
CALGARY  WestJet Airlines check-in services have been restored, after a temporary system outage caused flight delays and snarled travel across Canada Thursday morning.

WestJet spokeswoman Morgan Bell said travellers are still being encouraged to arrive early and check their flight status before heading to the airport. She said the airline is still experiencing issues with its self-serve baggage drop at Calgary, Ottawa, Saskatoon and Halifax airports.

System outages affected both WestJet Airlines and air traffic control agency NAV Canada on Thursday, with travellers on social media reporting long lines and confusion at airports. WestJet Airlines says a system outage Thursday morning is delaying some flights and intermittently impacting the company's operations. A Westjet employee assists people checking in for a domestic flight at Vancouver International Airport, in Richmond, B.C., on Thursday, January 21, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Elle Dunlap from San Francisco, Calif.  who was travelling with her husband and five-year-old son Thursday to Saskatoon, Sask. for her husbands brothers memorial service  arrived at the San Francisco International Airport at 6 a.m. Thursday morning. Their flight, with a scheduled connection in Calgary, was supposed to depart at 8:30 a.m. but as of 9:15 a.m., the family was still waiting.

I was anxious about this flight anyway because Ive heard about some of the troubles with domestic flights within Canada, Dunlap said in an interview, adding she first suspected there was a problem when the family was unable to check in online.

We came to the airport super early, but there was just no communication (from WestJet). It was just the systems not working and we were just waiting in line with 100 other people for hours.

NAV Canada, the not-for-profit corporation responsible for air traffic control in Canadian airspace, said it was experiencing disruptions in western locations Thursday due to a service outage with its third-party telecommunications provider, Zayo.

Zayo spokesperson Karen Modlin said the outage amounted to a disruption of two key fiber lines managed by one of the companys underlying fiber providers in Canada and was caused by a train derailment Wednesday evening.

We have rerouted a significant volume of traffic via other routes so that our customers can begin resuming normal operations, Modlin said, in an email to The Canadian Press.

We regret the inconvenience this has caused for our customers and air passengers, and our top priority is the safety of everyone involved.

NAV Canada spokesman Brian Boudreau said air traffic control reduced the flow of departures and arrivals temporarily in some locations as a result.

He later added that services are returning to normal.

The outages Thursday are exacerbating what has already been a frustrating summer for Canadian air travellers.

Airlines and airports have been struggling to cope with a massive travel resurgence in the wake of the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, and staffing issues at carriers and federal agencies have resulted in flight cancellations, baggage delays and endless queues.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 14, 2022.
Preston Brown knows the risk of wildfire that comes with living in the rural, chaparral-lined hills of San Diego County. Hes lived there for 21 years and evacuated twice.

Thats why he fiercely opposed a plan to build more than 1,100 homes in a fire-prone area he said would be difficult to evacuate safely. Brown sits on the local planning commission, and he said the additional people would clog the road out.

Its a very rough area, Brown said. We have fires all the time now. FILE - A helicopter drops water over a wildfire, Dec. 7, 2017, in Bonsall, Calif., that forced evacuations. Environmental groups have been arguing in California courts that developers are not fully considering the risks of wildfire and choked evacuation routes when they plan housing developments near fire-prone areas. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)

Opponents like Brown, a member of the Sierra Club and California Native Plant Society, scored a win last year. A California court sided with a coalition of environmental groups and blocked a developers plan called Otay Village 14 that included single-family homes and commercial space. The groups argued the county didnt adequately consider fire escape routes, and the judge agreed.

Thats not the only time Californias escalating cycle of fire has been used as a basis to refuse development.

Environmental groups are seeing increased success in California courts arguing that wildfire risk wasnt fully considered in proposals to build homes in fire-prone areas that sit at the edge of forests and brush, called the wildland-urban interface. Experts say such litigation could become more common. FILE - Dick Marsala looks through debris from his destroyed home after a wildfire roared through the Rancho Monserate Country Club, Dec. 8, 2017, in Bonsall, Calif. Environmental groups have been arguing in California courts that developers are not fully considering the risks of wildfire and choked evacuation routes when they plan housing developments near fire-prone areas. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has backed a handful of the lawsuits, putting developers on notice.

You cant keep doing things the way weve been doing when the world is changing around us, Bonta said in an interview, adding that he supports more housing. His office has, for example, questioned the increased fire risk of a 16,000-acre (6,475-hectare) project that includes a luxury resort and 385 residential lots in Lake County, roughly 130 miles (209 kilometers) north of San Francisco in an area that has already seen significant fire.

Bonta said his office is working on a policy that will help developers and local officials avoid future opposition from his office. It will provide guidance on evacuation routes, planning for population growth and minimizing fire risk, he said.

Developers say they already consider wildfire risks in their plans, comply with strict fire codes and adhere to state environmental policies, all while trying to ease another one of the states most pressing problems: the need for more housing.

Builders also say communities sometimes unfairly wield wildfire risk as a tool to stop development. The AGs office has weighed in on this side, too. Last year, the city of Encinitas denied permits to an apartment complex citing the possibility of choked outgoing traffic if there were a fire.

Encinitas  a city with a median home price of $1.67 million  was thwarting the states affordable housing goals, Bontas office wrote. Months later, the commission approved the developers plan with some changes.

FIRE AND LAWSUITS

California is withering under a megadrought that is increasing the risk of fire, with 12 of the 20 largest wildfires in its history taking place in the past five years. UC Berkeley researchers estimate 1.4 million homes in California are located in high or very high-risk areas. Activists say the public is increasingly aware of fires.

The result is more lawsuits.

Opponents of the developments are employing the often-hated California Environmental Quality Act against local governments in these lawsuits. That law ensures theres enough information about projects like Otay Village 14 for officials to make informed decisions and address problems. In 2018, the state strengthened requirements for disclosing wildfire risk, leaving developers more vulnerable to this kind of litigation.

Peter Broderick, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, said environmental groups are challenging the worst of the worst, large projects in undeveloped, high fire-prone areas that cater to wealthy buyers.

Were talking about sprawl, Broderick said.

Pro-housing advocates have said the states policies encourage sprawl.

MAJOR HOUSING NEED

But by fighting big developments, environmental groups are holding up thousands of homes, said Mark Dillon, an attorney who represented the Otay Village 14 builders. New developments take fire risk seriously, employing techniques for fire-resistance and complying with building codes, he said. Otay Village 14 would build its own fire station.

California shouldnt just focus on building in city centers, Dillon countered.

We shouldnt be outlawing the single family home, he said.

Jennifer Hernandez heads the West Coast Land Use and Environmental Group at Holland & Knight LLP. She said developers are adjusting to changes in the environmental review law but that the attorney generals office should issue a public policy.

The ad hoc nature of unexpected interventions by the AGs office does a policy disservice to California housing needs, she said.

Hernandez represents an industry group that sued Calabasas, an affluent community of over 20,000 northwest of Los Angeles, arguing that it improperly cited wildfire risk to deny a 180-unit development.

Its on the main street of an existing community, she said. And why is this a problem?

Calabasas City Manager Kindon Meik said the project would violate open space rules and was in a high-risk area that had recently burned, adding the city has plans to meet its new housing needs.

Californias housing shortage has made homes unaffordable for many moderate and low-income residents. Researchers, housing policy experts, and others say development at the edge of the forest has been driven in part by these punishing home costs in cities like Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and their suburbs.

In recent years, the state passed measures aimed at ensuring cities build enough new homes, but a recent statewide housing plan said 2.5 million new homes are still needed over the next eight years.

Greg Pierce, a professor of urban environmental policy at the University of California, Los Angeles, said theres very little land left in California that is undeveloped, cheap and at low risk of fire.

Meanwhile, activists have more projects in their crosshairs.

NeySa Ely of Escondido has a list of items like medicine and dog supplies to grab the next time she has to flee a fire. She had to evacuate in 2003 and 2007. The first time, she remembers driving away and seeing flames in the rearview mirror.

At that point, I just started sobbing, Ely said.

Her house survived that blaze, but the memory stuck. So when she heard about plans for Harvest Hills, a roughly 550-home development proposed about a mile from her house, she worked to block it, concerned that more residents and buildings in the area would clog the roads out and increase the chance of fire.

The project hasnt been approved yet, but if it is, Ely said, I think it will be heavily litigated.

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The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of APs environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/environment
VANCOUVER  Emergency crews are on scene in Vancouver where a rooftop parking lot has collapsed into office space below, injuring several people.

Vancouver Fire Chief Karen Fry tweeted crews had pulled eight people from the rubble, with at least two sent to hospital.

Asst. Chief Dan Moberg says structural supports have been set up to allow crews to remove debris and search the building for others, which is expected to take several hours.

That step had to wait for engineers to assess the damage created when an area of about nine by 12 metres caved in around 1 p.m.

Moberg says construction involving drilling on a section of the parking lot was underway when it collapsed.

The incident has closed Lougheed Highway between Rupert Street and Boundary Road, a major route for traffic.

Emergency Health Services says the two patients were transported to hospital. It did not provide details on their condition.

Moberg says about 30 firefighters attended the scene alongside police, while EHS said four paramedic ground units responded.

Vancouver Police declined to comment, saying its an unfolding incident with multiple agencies responding and it will provide updates when it has more specific information.

WorkSafeBC, the provincial workers safety agency, says it has launched an investigation to identify the cause of the incident, including contributing factors.

_ By Amy Smart with files from Hina Alam in Vancouver.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 14, 2022.
OTTAWA  Forced and coerced sterilization should be a criminal offence and those subjected to it deserve an apology and compensation, a Senate committee said in a report Thursday.

The Senate human rights committee has been studying the issue since 2019, and concluded in a final report that forced and coerced sterilizations persist in Canada and both legal and policy responses are needed.

The senators say the horrific practice disproportionately affects vulnerable and marginalized groups including Indigenous women, Black and racialized women and people with disabilities. The Senate of Canada building and Senate Chamber are pictured in Ottawa on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019. The Senate is expected to release recommendations today to end forced and coerced sterilization in Canada. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

The report defines forced or coerced sterilization as a surgical procedure to prevent conception that is performed without a patients free, prior and informed consent.

The repercussions of forced and coerced sterilization are extensive, lasting and devastating, Sen. Yvonne Boyer told a news conference Thursday.

Boyer said survivors who spoke to the committee delivered powerful truths and that survivors must guide the way forward.

The survivors who testified were unequivocal: they believe that racism was the driving force behind their unwanted sterilizations, Boyer said.

On top of the trauma of undergoing the procedure itself, witnesses describe long-term health and psychological effects, including depression, anxiety and loss of trust in the medical system.

The report noted that Canada has a long history of forced and coerced sterilization through laws and government policies that sought to reduce births in Indigenous and Black communities, as well as people living in poverty or with disabilities.

Boyer said the finding that struck her the most was the deep-rooted impact of sterilization on entire communities and future generations.

Forced sterilization disrupts and breaks the natural laws that Indigenous Peoples have followed since time immemorial, she said.

Boyer said more detailed data documenting the prevalence of the practice is forthcoming based on reports from survivors. One estimate suggests as many as one-quarter of the women in Igloolik, Nun. may have been forceably sterilized.

A proposed class-action lawsuit led by lawyer Alisa Lombard is also underway to seek compensation for Saskatchewan and Manitoba women who say they forced or coerced sterilization, some as recently as 2018. More than 100 women have joined that lawsuit thus far.

Other proposed class actions are underway in Alberta and Quebec, as well as an individual action case filed last year in Northwest Territories.

The United Nations Committee Against Torture called on Canada in 2020 to stop the extensive forced or coerced sterilization of Indigenous women and girls in the country.

Boyer already introduced a bill in the Senate last month that would make it a criminal offence to sterilize someone against their will or without their consent. She is urging the government to pass the bill quickly.

While existing Criminal Code offences criminalizing assault could be used to prosecute forced sterilizations, Sen. Salma Ataullahjan said the committee has not seen consequences for anyone engaging in the practice.

In the report, Lombard said there is no sign of doctors facing consequences for acts of forced or coerced sterilization which could change if a specific criminal offence is created.

If doctors know that they could potentially be subject to criminal sanctions, this could change behaviour quite quickly, said Lombard.

Sen. Michele Audette added that it would help women or families to know there is legislation specifically designed to protect them.

Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Marc Miller said in an interview Thursday that the government is absolutely willing to talk to the senators and perhaps look at what changes need to be made to the Criminal Code.

He said it would be an oversimplification to say that non-consensual sterilizations already are a crime because the ways in which forced sterilization occurs is much more subtle, much more insidious, and the legacy of systemic racism in the health care system.

Boyer read a statement from a First Nations woman in southern Alberta who said she was coerced into being sterilized after having four children. She said her mother was also sterilized shortly after having her.

Ive been attacked by a system that wished harm on the continuance of my family and ancestral lineage, she said in the statement.

Its simply genocide, limiting the number of my immediate family unit, my relatives, members of my tribe, and Indigenous existence.

NDP Crown-Indigenous relations critic Lori Idlout said forced sterilization is state violence against Indigenous women whose voices were ignored for too many years as they reported what happened to them.

She said it is incomprehensible that laws in existence already arent being enforced.

The RCMP, police forces, and medical associations should be investigating all allegations of forced or coerced legislation and responding appropriately, said Idlout. The continued ignorance of these complaints must cease immediately.

Idlout said any restorative justice measures, including compensation, must be led by the Inuit, First Nations and Metis survivors, families, and communities affected by forced and coerced sterilization.

Justice can only come after truth, said Idlout. All levels of government have a role in addressing the forced sterilization of women and girls, and recognition of those harms must come from all levels of government.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 14, 2022.



This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
WASAGAMING  Two former corporate workers from Calgary say living in Wasagaming is proving to be a dream come true.

Bree Andal and her partner own the iconic Sugar Shop candy store and Prairie Sun Jewelry and Apparel. Both businesses are located in the historic Scraces building, which was converted from a grocery store and butcher shop 20 years ago.

Andal and her partner gave up their careers in Calgary and bought the businesses at the beginning of the pandemic. It was their dream to live and own a business in Clear Lake, and the pandemic didnt stop them from achieving it. MIRANDA LEYBOURNE / THE BRANDON SUN The Ponce family visited Wasagaming, in Riding Mountain National Park, to take in the quaint sights and sounds.

It almost brought more Manitobans out to the park, which is what we want to see, instead of people spending that money going out to Banff or Ontario.

Even though sales remained steady throughout the pandemic, Andal said it was still a stressful time to be in business.

People were a little bit at their breaking point with COVID. We still had an awesome year business-wise, but this year has been fabulous. MIRANDA LEYBOURNE / THE BRANDON SUN Sandra Shwetz, owner of the Boardwalk on Clear Lake, is happy to be serving customers with a smile.

Andal said this year is so successful because even more people are heading to the park.

Weve seen people coming out from different parts of Manitoba, weve seen (licence) plates from New York here, so were generating people. People are hearing about us and its so good to see were very thankful to every person who walks through our door.

Another notable local business in the community is the Boardwalk on Clear Lake, a place people flock to for everything from ice cream to bug spray. Owner Sandra Shwetz said the pandemic didnt have much of a financial hit.

The business stayed constant. We had an increase over the year before, even in the first COVID year.

This is the 18th year the business has served sweet treats and necessities to visitors. Shwetz said the loosening of restrictions feels wonderful.

Its incredible not to be trying to marshal people from one place to the other with the rules changing every week.

The business removed the plexiglass it had installed and, although staff still wear masks during peak hours, Shwetz is happy they can smile at people again.

It wasnt as fun (during the pandemic). I have the most fun job in the world, serving ice cream to people, (but) their spirits werent as high as normal.

The best part of this year for Shwetz has been the return of beloved regulars who stayed away over the past two years.

Were seeing some faces that wed been seeing for 15 years and didnt see for two. Now theyre back again.

That sense of community is much stronger this year.

Girlie Ponce of Winnipeg visited the resort area recently with her extended family. They limited travel during COVID, and she said theyre happy to enjoy everything Wasagaming has to offer.

Its just so nice here. Its so cosy and quaint, with beautiful scenery.

Amber Hilstrom of Estevan, Sask., said it was their first time returning to Riding Mountain National Park in years.

It feels great to be here.

The pandemic didnt stop Sheldon, Darlene and Porter Rybuk, residents of Winnipeg, from visiting Wasagaming every summer. Last year they even went twice.

Last year quite a lot of restaurants and businesses were closed, which was kind of disappointing. So this year, its nice to see that everything is opening up, said Darlene Rybuck.

 Brandon Sun
One year after the province announced plans to make it easier for internationally educated nurses to work in Manitoba, more than 100 people have applied for provincial financial aid to go through the certification process.

However, its unknown how many nurses who were educated in other countries have been able to join the nursing workforce since then.

Health-care system leaders are moving forward with a plan that would eventually allow international licensed practical nurses and registered nurses to start picking up shifts before they finish the required certification process. It is an idea that came out of a provincial working group trying to streamline the licensing process for internationally educated nurses, a Shared Health spokesperson stated. ANDREW VAUGHAN / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES As of late last week, 106 internationally educated nurses living in Manitoba had applied for financial assistance under the project, which then-health minister (now Premier) Heather Stefanson announced in July 2021.

No timeline has been set, but the idea is LPNs, and perhaps eventually RNs, with certification in another country would start working while completing their English-language education and certification.

A provincial working group meets regularly and work is progressing on multiple fronts. The most advanced is a joint initiative with the College of LPNs of Manitoba for eligible internationally educated nurses to enter practice sooner, in a supervised capacity, with registration with the college. Applicants would be internationally trained nurses who require minimal education and can be remediated through distance or continuing education. Implementation planning is progressing, with further details to come once finalized, Shared Health said.

Consultation between operators and the College of RNs of Manitoba have been initiated to explore a similar entry role for RNs.

As of late last week, 106 internationally educated nurses living in Manitoba had applied for financial assistance under the project, which then-health minister (now Premier) Heather Stefanson announced in July 2021.

Much of the programs work has focused on making sure international nurses have the English language proficiency to go through the certification process, but the number whove been able to apply to become certified as a result of the provincial program is not being tracked. That information was not available despite Free Press requests to the provincial government, Shared Health and the College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba.

When Stefanson announced the project last summer, she said the province planned to pay up to $23,000 per internationally educated nurse to go toward assessments, training, English language requirements and other expenses (such as transportation and child care).

The expectation was nurses would be able to become certified and join the workforce as soon as possible, but that goal remains to be realized. The project is one of the main initiatives provincial leaders emphasize when asked what Manitoba is doing to recruit more nurses.

When asked how the project is working in practice, a spokesperson for the Manitoba Nurses Union said there hasnt been much progress, although the working group has been meeting since early this year.

Although MNU has been included on the committee created by (Health Minister Audrey) Gordon, there has not been much, if any, progress. We will continue to meet as a committee, however as far as we know, there has not been progress to make it easier for IENs to gain employment here in Manitoba, the union stated.

The application process is lengthy and expensive. Manitoba is not the only province trying to speed up certification.

International nurses first have to apply through the National Nursing Assessment Service. The service evaluates their file and submits a report to the appropriate provincial body. That process can take up to a year.

The application then goes to the provincial regulatory body. In Manitoba, the College of Registered Nurses requires initial application and assessment fees that are more than $800.

Theres been a significant spike in the number of internationally educated nurses being assessed by the national service. The organization issued its highest-ever number of advisory reports for completed applicants in 2021-22, at nearly 12,000. Its an increase of 40 per cent compared with previous years, said executive director Gayle Waxman.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca
A plan to ensure the City of Winnipeg can use its buying power to better the community is moving forward.

Councils executive policy committee cast a unanimous vote to implement a sustainable procurement action blueprint Wednesday.

If council concurs, the city will implement changes over three years that can help Winnipeggers overcome employment barriers and get hired, and/or achieve other key social and environmental goals.

The plan recommends the city pursue community benefit agreements for construction projects, which have specific social outcomes for hiring, training and other factors. It also calls for the city to earmark certain contracts for Indigenous businesses and social enterprises, including some Indigenous-only bid opportunities.

While the changes would see the city eventually award bidding points to companies that incorporate desired social benefits while competing for city contracts, specific targets and rewards have yet to be set.

Crime prevention cash push steps forward

Councils most powerful committee has approved a call to seek new options to tackle Winnipeg gun and gang activity.

Members of the executive policy committee approved a call for the city to apply for up to $4.5 million from the federal Building Safer Communities Fund, which is earmarked for community-based programs and social development. The funding cant be spent on police services.

If city council and Public Safety Canada approve, the city will hire an employee to manage the program and start an expression of interest process to find grant applicants, with the position and grants covered by federal dollars.
The Manitoba government is touting an update to student aid operations as a move that will reduce red tape and make both loan management and repayment easier for users.

Amendments to the Student Aid Regulation harmonize its provisions with the requirements of the Canada Student Financial Assistance Program, the province announced Wednesday.

Manitobas regulation has been updated to enhance disability provisions for students and eliminate the restriction that limits funding to one diploma, certificate or degree, among other reasons, officials said. MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Integrating the provincial and federal loan programs will help streamline and simplify the administration of student loans, improving services for more than 47,000 borrowers, Advanced Education Minister Jon Reyes said in a prepared release.

Integrating the provincial and federal loan programs will help streamline and simplify the administration of student loans, improving services for more than 47,000 borrowers, Advanced Education Minister Jon Reyes said in a prepared release.

These changes will make it easier for students to manage their student loans as they access the education and training opportunities needed to build their careers and support Manitobas economic growth.

Reyes said the modernized system will simplify administration, management and repayment for student loans.

The first phase of the changes will ensure new borrowers only have a single payment to manage.

Existing borrowers will have two loans (one provincial and one federal) and two repayments until April 2023, which is when the changes are slated to be fully implemented. At that point, graduates will only have one monthly repayment and will be able to manage it via the national loan service centre, per the province.

The Canadian Federation of Students welcomed the changes Wednesday, but indicated much work is required to improve the provinces student aid program.

Its good to see that they are trying to make it more accessible, said Marie Paule Ehoussou, spokeswoman for the local chapter of the national advocacy organization.

The CFS Manitoba chairwoman said the average local student graduates with roughly $35,000 in debt.

As far as Ehoussou is concerned, the province needs to do more loan forgiveness, dole out more grants than loans, and advocate for all student loans to be interest-free after graduation.

Provincial and federal loans are interest-free during a borrowers studies. However, Canada Student Loans start to accumulate interest six months after a client stops attending classes on a full-time basis.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggie
OTTAWA  A Winnipeg Conservative MP claims the Liberals softer touch on crime has been contributing to the citys crime wave, arguing looming reforms will only make the problem worse.

People are desensitized to it, almost, Kildonan-St. Paul MP Raquel Dancho said. Its really concerning, and I dont feel that the Liberal plan will do anything, which is the most frustrating thing.

As the Tory public-safety critic, Dancho toured Winnipeg Police Service headquarters in February and heard that officers were being run ragged because of an increase in gun and drug cases. JESSE BOILY / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Its really concerning, and I dont feel that the Liberal plan will do anything, which is the most frustrating thing, said Kildonan-St. Paul MP Raquel Dancho.

During another visit this month at the WPS firearms-training centre she was told the problem was worse.

They can barely keep up with the violent crime, let alone lesser crimes like break-and-enter, which are obviously also very concerning, Dancho said.

Her comments contrast with WPS Chief Danny Smyths contention in a July 8 news conference that a spate of high-profile violent crimes was alarming, but not a new trend in the city. ADRIAN WYLD / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino noted that gun crime was trending upwards before the Liberals took office in 2015, after the Harper government cut some funding streams for police officers.

On Tuesday, Premier Heather Stefanson said Smyths comments risked normalizing violence. She said she reached out to the police union to hear whats really happening from the front line.

Dancho argued the Trudeau governments decision to undo reforms dating back to former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harpers era have contributed to crime in the city.

Since taking office, the Liberals have repealed some mandatory minimum sentences, arguing they have led to a disproportionate incarceration of minority groups and Indigenous people.

A month ago, the Liberals defended their policies in Parliament when Dancho raised the issue of violent crime in Winnipeg.

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino noted gun crime was trending upwards before the Liberals took office in 2015, after the Harper government cut some funding streams for police.

The last time the Conservative party had the reins of government, there was a failed and prosecuted agenda around sentence reforms that simply did not work. The Supreme Court of Canada repeatedly struck down those failed policies, Mendicino shot back, on June 9.

The (Conservatives) have no plan, no alternative, except for repeatedly stating that they would make assault-style rifles legal again.

The Liberals have plans to repeal more mandatory-minimum sentences for drug and gun crimes through Bill C-5, which the Senate will likely pass into law in the fall.

The legislation gives judges more leverage to sentence offenders to community service or order addictions treatment.

Dancho said that would end a guarantee that criminals serve time for crimes such as extortion, or firing a gun with an intent to harm. She fears violent offenders could instead end up in programs or serving house arrest terms in the same neighbourhoods as people theyve put in danger.

She argued that contradicts the Liberals own logic, since the party has pledged to deter gun smuggling by beefing up some sentences as part of a national ban on handguns.

Winnipeg police have long said that guns used in city crimes are overwhelmingly already banned in Canada, and were often smuggled from the United States.

Dancho argued the Liberals should instead increase funding for both police officers and grassroots intervention programs such as Bear Clan Patrol in Winnipeg and Torontos The One by One Movement.

If they really cared about this, they would be dumping money into areas where its going to help, she said.

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca
The arrest of a Winnipeg sex predator uncovered a network of abuse that spanned the globe and victimized hundreds of children, a court heard Wednesday.

Kenneth Emersons arrest in July 2020 led to the discovery of tens of thousands of pages of internet chat room logs in which he manipulated child victims into performing sex acts for him.

The chats discovered on the accuseds phone revealed that the accused had directly victimized hundreds of children, created and distributed child sexual abuse material, and tried to assist other like-minded offenders in connecting with children to abuse in their jurisdiction, Crown attorney Katie Dojack told provincial court Judge Wanda Garreck.

 the accuseds phone revealed that the accused had directly victimized hundreds of children, created and distributed child sexual abuse material, and tried to assist other like-minded offenders in connecting with children to abuse in their jurisdiction.

These chats show that the accuseds online victimization of children spanned the globe and included children in the U.K., Canada, Australia, Italy, USA, New Zealand, Ireland, Romania, Guatemala and Sweden.

Emerson has pleaded guilty to two counts of internet luring and one count each of making child pornography, making written child pornography, possession of child pornography, distribution of child pornography, and invitation to sexual touching.

Seated in the prisoners box, Emerson, 31, shook his head from side to side as Dojack told Garreck she will be seeking a sentence of 22 years in prison.

The accused routinely bragged about having unprotected anal sex with male children.

Emerson came to police attention in June 2020, after a woman reported finding disturbing chats on her 12-year-old sons Instagram account, Dojack told court, reading from a lengthy agreed statement of facts.

Court heard Emerson befriended the boy over the social medial platform a month earlier, pretending to be a 14-year-old boy. Emerson persuaded the boy to give him a pair of his underwear in exchange for $5.

The boy suggested this was weird and asked if this was a trap, but agreed to drop off his underwear under a bench at a park near his home.

He explained he didnt want kids to get murdered, just molested. He told children that even though sex between adults and children was illegal, it was common and fine if it was consensual.

Emerson, who did not meet with the boy in person, later asked for another pair of underwear, this time telling him to wear it for three days and to provide him with photos before completing the exchange. The boy provided Emerson with the photos but not the underwear before his mother discovered the communications and contacted police.

An investigator with the Winnipeg Police Services internet child exploitation unit followed Emersons Instagram account, identifying himself as a 12-year-old boy.

Eleven minutes later, (the officer) received a notification the accused wanted to send him a message, Dojack said.

Emerson again identified himself as a 14-year-old boy and over the next two weeks engaged in graphic sexual talk with the officer before asking him to drop off a used sock at a park picnic table. When Emerson picked up the sock, police arrested him.

A subsequent analysis of Emersons cellphone uncovered tens of thousands of pages of online chats, many of them over platforms frequented by child sex predators due to their anonymity features, the Crown said.

The chats revealed the accused was eager to trade child sexual abuse material with other like-minded offenders, Dojack said. The accused routinely bragged about having unprotected anal sex with male children.

Emerson was the creator and administrator of multiple chat groups where he required children to provide nude pictures of themselves, telling the children they were necessary to prove they werent pedophiles.

The chat groups were created for the sole purpose of trading child sex abuse material or luring and sexually exploiting real live children, Dojack said. As such, he created the rules and was in control of who was allowed to join these groups.

Children are so dumb about their safety, Emerson disclosed in a chat room frequented by adult pedophiles, Dojack said.

He explained he didnt want kids to get murdered, just molested. He told children that even though sex between adults and children was illegal, it was common and fine if it was consensual. He expressed that it was rape that gave pedophiles a bad name.

Court heard Emerson encouraged other pedophiles in abusing children, including one man he pushed to abuse his own brother. In other instances he connected pedophiles with children in their area who he had already victimized online.

The sentencing hearing resumes Thursday.

dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca
The number of violent crimes in Winnipeg rose in 2021, as property and other crimes fell, statistics released Wednesday show.

The Winnipeg Police Services 2021 report finds violent crime was up slightly from the year before (10,993 cases, a five per cent increase), while the number of homicides was well above the five-year average (for the third consecutive year).

The city scored 173.3 on the violent crime severity index, which is calculated by taking the volume of crime and the degree of seriousness. DAVID LIPNOWSKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES A recent report indicates the number of violent crimes in Winnipeg rose by five per cent in 2021 over the previous year.

While the latest statistics for the other large Prairie cities were not yet available, Winnipeg is well ahead of the 2020 violent crime index for Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina and Thunder Bay, which scored 78.3, 127.4, 137.5, 135.7, and 159.7, respectively.

Ive been here a long time, and Ive seen crime rates go up and down during the course of my career, Winnipeg Police Service Chief Danny Smyth said Wednesday. I try to isolate the violent crime (numbers) and, as we know, were trending up a little bit on that. Its not unprecedented, but that causes me alarm and I think its important we address that.

During this week, there has been a fair number of reporting that Ive characterized this criminal violence as normal. That is not the case, Ive never characterized violence as normal. Ive described it as alarming and a real concern.

Among the 2021 numbers, Smyth said there are some good signs.

I certainly noticed our guns and gangs unit and our general patrol unit, they are making a difference, he said. They seized over 850 guns which were used in crime last year They are making a difference in removing firearms from the community.

Last year, there were 43 homicides in Winnipeg, a 2.4 per cent increase from 2020. (There have been 27 homicides so far this year.)

In 2021, overall calls to the police communications centre increased by almost 10 per cent, but the number of events officers were dispatched to was lower than in 2020. Of the calls dispatched, well-being checks were up by nine per cent.

Despite dipping to 39,670 in 2021 (from 44,455, an 11 per cent drop), property-related cases still made up the majority of overall crimes, accounting for 69.8 per cent of crimes in Winnipeg.

Violent crimes were next at 19.4 per cent, followed by other crimes at 8.8 per cent (down 14 per cent from 2020 numbers), traffic crimes at 1.1 per cent (down 10 per cent from 2020 numbers) and drug crimes at 0.9 per cent (down 19 per cent from 2020 numbers).

University of Winnipeg criminologist Michael Weinrath said overall property crimes were down, but it was more because of the COVID-19 pandemic than anything law enforcement did.

COVID kept people in their residences, Weinrath said. You dont have as many people circulating around in public, so you dont have as much opportunity to have thefts. People are home, so property crime and break ins are down.

Marion Willis of St. Boniface Street Links, a community advocate for decades, said the failures resulting in crime in Winnipeg are systemic.

If we dont address sort of whats the bigger systemic issue and the root, then there isnt going to be any solution to them, Willis said Wednesday.

You can replace Danny Smyth as many times as you like, nothings going to change. Hes not the problem.

The problem, Willis said, is a lack of cohesive collaboration with all levels of government to create a multi-disciplinary service delivery model that works toward common community goals.

Its not that there isnt enough money, I think theres money, she said. Its not that there isnt an understanding of what the need is, I think, so many of us understand what the need is.

But its piecemeal, sort of ad hoc, to different groups and different organizations to find initiatives that are not part of an overall strategic plan, so you just end up with a very broken, scattered, fragmented landscape of services.

On Wednesday, Mayor Brian Bowman deflected media questions about the violent crime numbers, saying: What I see overall is crime is down and that is encouraging.

There are a number of factors we are seeing, and the trend lines are going in the right direction, Bowman said. (However), violent crime, obviously, is a source of concern  and should be a source of concern to all of us in the community and is one of the reasons why we should be tackling the root causes of violence.

Coun. Markus Chambers, chairman of the Winnipeg Police Board, said coming out of the pandemic there are many people who are marginalized than ever before.

A lot of it is about the economics, the amount of homelessness, the amount of addictions and mental health that we are experiencing that police are responding to on a daily basis, Chambers said.

If the province could step up and provide more resources around those issues, I think it will allow a lot more police resources to assist in crime prevention and reduction in crime.

Meantime, Moe Sabourin, president of the Winnipeg Police Association, said he thinks the 2021 drop in property crimes could be a statistical glitch.

We find the public is quite frustrated by the rep0rting system, the union leader said. People get frustrated and they dont report it because they dont think anyone will be caught.

 with files from Malak Abas

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca

Winnipeg Police 2021 Statistical Report
WINNIPEG  Protesters opposing COVID-19 restrictions who blocked off streets in downtown Winnipeg earlier this year cost police nearly half a million dollars.

Data obtained by The Canadian Press through freedom-of-information requests shows the nearly three-week demonstration had a $484,806 policing price tag. The vast majority  $319,547  was for on-duty salaries for officers.

The police service is paying those officers to be on duty, regardless, Supt. Dave Dalal said. Winnipeg police talk to the lead driver in a convoy of COVID-19 mandate protest trucks as they head home Wednesday, February 23, 2022. Protesters opposing COVID-19 restrictions who blocked off streets in downtown Winnipeg earlier this year cost police nearly half a million dollars.THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods

That means, Dalal said, those officers were redirected from other duties, such as traffic control or problem solving in neighbourhoods. But it did not cost citizens extra money, he said.

Another $150,463 was spent on overtime salary. A total of 466 policing hours were tallied during the protests.

It cost $3,908 to operate the police services helicopter. Police also spent $10,254 on things such as barriers, fences and removing vehicles.

A group of vehicles, including a handful of semi-trailers and some farm equipment, began occupying a block of Memorial Boulevard, just outside the main entrance to the legislature grounds, on Feb. 4. They raised a giant American and Canadian flag and had signs calling for freedom from mandates.

The group blared horns and even used a train horn to make significant noise in the downtown area.

The group departed 19 days later after police issued an ultimatum that protesters could face charges or have their vehicles and other assets seized if they did not remove them.

At the time, the Manitoba government had already announced plans to lift almost all its pandemic restrictions.

Dalal said police approached the protesters in the same way they would any large-scale demonstration. They also had warning about what could happen, he said, because the Ottawa Freedom Convoy protest had already begun.

We certainly had a view of what this could grow into, he said.

Police identified organizers early and communicated with them to maintain public safety, Dalal said.

He said police believed that if all the trucks were removed on the first day, it would have been a larger challenge than negotiating with protesters over time.

While there was round-the-clock surveillance, many of the costs were associated with two weekends when counter protests were set to take place, he said.

There have not been a lot of prolonged protests in Winnipeg to compare costs, Dalal said. Winnipeg police always review operations to determine what could have been done differently or better, he added.

The bill for Winnipeg police is much less than the $35-million price tag associated with policing the three-week long occupation in Ottawa that same month.

That occupation, as well as a protest at the border in Coutts, Alta., prompted the federal government to invoke the Emergencies Act for the first time. It ended after hundreds of officers from police forces throughout Canada moved in to disperse the crowds, making dozens of arrests.

The Winnipeg police response was more muted than expected, especially considering what was happening in the nations capital, said Frank Cormier, a criminology professor at the University of Manitoba.

Cormier did not see a compelling reason to allow the Winnipeg protesters to establish a presence for so long.

Once protesters are able to become that dug in  then it becomes far harder to remove them, he said.

The longer they occupy an area, the more they feel entitled to be in that area. It can almost legitimize in the protesters minds that they have every right to be there.

However, Cormier added, the costs associated with policing dont seem excessive.

At first glance, I thought we got off light compared to other places, he said.

Kevin Walby, a criminal justice professor at the University of Winnipeg, said all those funds are better used elsewhere in the city.

I just think of how starved for resources our city is, he said.

He said it felt as though police acted as a buffer for the protesters, despite the group continuously violating bylaws and provincial laws.

Walby said the protesters should look at what their demonstration cost, adding it didnt achieve anything.

You can see its a really selfish sucking up of resources.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 14, 2022.
A woman formerly deemed incompetent to stand trial was sentenced Wednesday for negligence which led to the overdose death of her 13-month-old daughter.

Mariah L. Gay, 23, of San Antonio, Texas, was found guilty after pleading no contest to a felony charge of neglecting a child with the consequence of bodily harm during a Dec. 14 hearing. Gay, formerly of Spring Green, was found to be incompetent to stand trial in January 2021.

The psychologist who made that determination for Sauk County Circuit Court said Gay could be restored to competency within a year of that time. Gay was found competent and the case moved forward during a September hearing.

According to the criminal complaint, a man found the toddler having trouble breathing during early morning hours in February 2019. He told police the 13-month-old had 30 seizures in roughly five minutes and had fixed, dilated pupils.

First responders took the child via ambulance, but she died on the way to UW Hospital in Madison. There was red residue on the childs hands and mouth, which was discovered to be Flaming Red Hot Cheetos.

Autopsy results showed the child died after a massive ingestion of Bupropion, an anti-depressant prescribed to Gay. Two other residents in the Spring Green home found pills and Cheetos in the crib in the basement, where Gay resided at the time. Detectives later found a prescription bottle with its top off and pills lying on a pile of childrens toys and clothing.

Gay told police she arrived home from work after midnight and put her bag containing her medications on her dresser.

Four hours later, Gay said she had gone to main floor to ask the other residents for help because the child was having seizures and feared the toddler accessed her pills while she was asleep.

Circuit Court Judge Michael Screnock ordered that a presentence investigation meant to evaluate Gays background and provide a sentencing recommendation be performed. It was filed in February.

Released on a $10,000 signature bond in October 2020, Gay moved to Texas. Screnock issued an arrest warrant when Gay failed to appear for a hearing April 25. Circuit Court Judge Patricia Barrett ordered the bond revoked May 31 after Gay was extradited from Texas at a cost of $7,450, noting that it has been a struggle to get the defendant here to finalize this case, according to online court records. Gay was held at Sauk County Jail until Wednesdays sentencing.

Screnock sentenced Gay to two years in state prison and three years of extended supervision with 96 days of credit for time already served. Gay must also provide a DNA sample, undergo any recommended treatment and have no unsupervised contact with minors without the approval of her parole agent once released on extended supervision.
A Texas man found guilty in March after pleading no contest to felony charges for shooting at a Wisconsin Dells nightclub while driving away was sentenced Wednesday in Sauk County Circuit Court.

Mark A. Perales, 28, of El Paso, Texas, admitted to driving away while shooting at the building after being kicked out of The Reef Night Club in April 2021.

Circuit Court Judge Michael Screnock sentenced Perales to five years in prison and five years of extended supervision with 110 days credited for time already served for the felony counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety and discharging a firearm while in a vehicle. Charges of first-degree reckless injury and discharging a firearm from a vehicle toward a person were dismissed but read in, meaning they were considered in sentencing.

According to the criminal complaint, Perales was thrown out by a bouncer after he admitted to police he had been drinking quite a bit of alcohol. Once he was tracked down, Perales told police in an interview that he drove off while shooting a legally purchased firearm from his vehicle.

Witnesses said a crowd in the outdoor area scattered when they heard the shots. A bartender saw a woman fall. She was moved inside to a pool table where patrons wrapped a belt around her leg because she had been shot.

An officer arrived and applied a tourniquet before she was taken via ambulance to UW Hospital in Madison. A second woman had been grazed by a bullet in the thigh and was driven to SSM Health St. Clare Hospital in Baraboo for treatment.

The driver had gotten away before police could follow him, but nearby surveillance cameras caught it on video. Lake Delton and Portage police officers met to search for the Chrysler Sebring at the job site of construction company Entact LLC of Westmont, Illinois. It was found near a city-owned building along the 700 block of East Mullet Street near the Columbia County fairgrounds with front end damage.

As conditions of his extended supervision, Perales must not have any contact with the two people shot, their family members or their work places. Perales is also prohibited from being on the premises of the night club or its daytime counterpart, Bobbers Island Grill, and from any business which has the primary purpose of selling alcohol. He cannot possess any alcohol or controlled substances, must undergo any recommended counseling, including anger management and alcohol and other drug assessment and treatment.
The Beaver Dam Unified School District will be utilizing $2 million in federal ESSER funds in order to balance the districts budget due to some state grants being unavailable to the district this year.

Beaver Dam Director of Business Services Anne-Marie Malkovich went over the school district budget, discussing this point during the districts board meeting on Monday. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction release equalized aid in July and the Beaver Dam Unified School District approves the budget in July.

The Beaver Dam Unified School District is expected to receive $24.4 million or a little over $1 million less than the district received in equalized aid last year.

Several factors are still needed to determine the actual budget, including an enrollment count (as of the third Friday in September), the property values in the district report, and the private school voucher information.

The school board will approve the final budget for the 2022-23 school year on Oct. 24 following a budget hearing. The final tax levy will be certified at that time.

We are in the second year of the biennium budget from the state so as far as the revenue limit goes, there is no increase, Malkovich said.

The district is expecting a decrease in revenue limits by $563,000 due to non-recurring declining enrollment exemption the district had last year. The district does have an enrollment exemption this year due to a decrease in students this year as well. The district will have 50 less students after losing the larger Class of 2022 and having smaller class sizes in the lower grades.

The decrease in equalized aid, along with the district having the same revenue limit, would shift the cost to property taxes, Malkovich said. Expenditures are expected to increase. These include staff wages and insurance, transportation costs and property and liability insurance.

Malkovich said that the district would have a hole in the budget of almost $2 million without the federal ESSER funds.

ESSER is the federal funding that we have received that was part of COVID relief, Malkovich said. We will be using ESSER to close that budget gap. We are estimating $2 million.

Malkovich said he projects the mill rate will be reduced by a few cents from what was in place last year.
COLUMBUS  A 39-year-old Columbus man was placed on a $10,000 signature bond on Thursday after allegedly attempting to strangle a Columbus Police Officer the night before.

Branden Kennedy faces felony counts of battery or threat of a law enforcement officer and strangulation and suffocation along with misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest, criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct. If convicted of either of the felonies, he could face up to three years of initial confinement and three years of extended supervision.

Kennedy appeared before Columbia County Circuit Court Judge Andrew Voigt, who set a return date of Aug. 26.

According to a press release from Columbus Police Chief Dennis Weiner, the Columbus Police Department was conducting a disorderly conduct investigation at a residence in Columbus on Wednesday at 11:30 p.m. Kennedy allegedly lunged at the officer. The officer fell the ground, striking his head, and was strangled and choked by Kennedy. A stun gun was used but was not effective.

Upon arrival of a Columbia County Sheriffs Deputy and his K-9, Kennedy continued to be defiant, but was eventually taken into custody. He was transported to the Prairie Ridge Health Clinic. While at the hospital, Kennedy became violent again and the stun gun was used additional times with limited results. Medical staff were able to sedate him.
WAUPUN  As the result of an ongoing investigation, during the week of July 4, investigators and deputies with the Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group  Drug Unit (LWAM), Fond du Lac County Sheriffs Office, and the Winnebago County Sheriffs Office, an out-of-state subject in possession of quantities of illegal controlled substances was arrested.

The investigation was a joint effort between LWAM, the Fond du Lac County Sheriffs Office and Winnebago County Sheriffs Office who worked collaboratively on the investigation which resulted in the arrest.

During the investigation, investigators intercepted a subject who was traveling to Wisconsin from out of state. K-9 units from the Fond du Lac County Sheriffs Office conducted a traffic stop on Highway 151 at Highway 49. The stop ultimately resulted in the seizure of approximately 10 pounds of high-grade marijuana, three-fourths of a pound of high potency THC wax, more than seven pounds of THC edibles, and quantities of suspected heroin, LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, ketamine and oxycodone.

It was a huge bust and there were a lot of different players that were involved including our department, said Waupun Police Chief Scott Louden.

According to a press release dated July 12, more than $21,000 in U.S. currency was found along with a loaded 9mm handgun. The vehicle was also seized, and the subject arrested on charges relating to possession and distribution of illegal controlled substances as well as a weapons violation.

Drug dealers with loaded weapons present a serious danger to public safety, said Attorney General Josh Kaul. Thank you to the law enforcement officers who were part of the collaborative investigation that led to this arrest and the recovery of several types of drugs and a loaded weapon.

The Fond du Lac County Sheriffs Office continues to keep the enforcement of drug related crimes a top priority, said Fond du Lac County Sheriff Ryan Waldschmidt. Time and time again our deputies witness the devastating effects of drug distribution and use in our community, and the associated crimes that often time come with the drug trade. This sizable seizure of a large variety of illegal drugs, combined with a firearm and significant quantity of cash, is the result of the hard work of our deputies and other officers from around the area who work in partnership with LWAM each day. We will continue our work to intercept these illegal drug transports and hold accountable those who distribute these illegal items here.

One of the key elements to fight our overdose and addiction issues are the arrest and conviction of drug dealers, said Winnebago County Sheriff John Matz. We all know someone who has been impacted by this affliction. We will continue to work together to address this issue.

LWAM is a multijurisdictional task force comprised of investigators from participating law enforcement agencies within Winnebago, Outagamie, Fond du Lac and Calumet counties. LWAMs mission is the investigation and enforcement of both state and federal drug trafficking laws with the goal of preventing the flow of illegal and dangerous drugs into the communities within these counties as well as holding offenders who chose to distribute dangerous drugs within these communities accountable for their criminal activities.

No further information can be released at this time as the investigation remains ongoing.
WAUPUN  The ongoing debate over Waupuns branding as the City of Sculpture failed to move forward as a move to add the iconic End of the Trail statue to the citys wayfinding signs failed Tuesday night.

The statue was commissioned by Waupun industrialist Clarence Shaler and sculptor James Earle Fraser. The heroic-sized statue has stood in Waupun  the only place where a completed sculpture has found a home  since 1927. According to Waupuns 150th anniversary book, The two men, each great in his field, shared empathy for the plight of the American Indian and the tragedy of the American policy of Indian extermination.

Mayor Rohn Bishop proposed adding the world-famous logo to wayfinding signs about to be installed in the city at a recent meeting. Wayfinding signs point in the direction of landmarks such as the city hall, the public safety, the library, the pool and other destinations. They currently have a stylized W with symbols of family and agriculture at their center.

It was a blow to some and a victory for others as a deeper discussion of the meaning of the citys most iconic statue was outlined. Its meaning, far deeper than a symbol of Waupun, may be discussed at an upcoming forum on the topic. No date has been set.

Supporters and opponents made their cases in front of the Common Council on Tuesday evening.

Waupun Historical Society President and former Beaver Dam Area Chamber of Commerce Interim Executive Director Zac Dickhut spoke first. He indicated that his opinion is his own and does not reflect either of his positions in the community.

Were all very proud to have this sculpture, but Ive heard from 20 or so business owners who have concerns that the image doesnt really do anything to depict businesses in the community, said Dickhut. They see it as tired, as old and as something that weve used in the past. We should be looking toward the future. There are also political issues as far as James Earl Frasers original message of native plight rather than having it represent Waupun.

Answering a question from Tracie Nichols, Bishop shared that waubun (sic) is Ojibway for Dawn of Day. A nude sculpture of that same name depicts a symbolic fresh start. It has stood in front of City Hall since 1931.

Were named after a word that has been wrong since the city was named (waubun versus waupun) and doesnt mean what its supposed to mean, said Nichols. Thats the very definition of systemic racism. Its a bigger conversation than what weve been having. Its bigger than the sculpture, its bigger than a pretty place to take pictures. Its something that needs to have a bigger conversation. I would urge you not to push through the wayfinding signage until you have those conversations with the appropriate people.

Valerie Kempen spoke for herself and not for the HoChunk Nation of which she is a member.

The statue shows a Native American defeated and dying, thus the name, she said. Its a commentary on the damage Euro-American settlements inflicted upon Native Americans. It represents the genocide of Native Americans. Its harmful to the 12 tribes in Wisconsin, harmful to native and non-native children. This is going to take everyone back, wa-a-a-ay back. Were going to go back in history by using that as a symbol. Using a symbol like that can rip a town apart. It has already created ripples in the City of Waupun.

She continued, Please consider a forward-looking symbol for your town. Use a symbol that promotes unity. Lets look forward and stop living in the past.

Jason Whitford said, Im here in support of using the sculpture on the signs, and the reason for that is that this is not a new idea. This symbol has been around for a long time. I think it creates a lot of conversation about the good and the bad. And I dont think anybody in this room is going to forget that. The main thing is were going to talk about it, and I think by using it were going to talk about it even more. I think thats going to benefit everybody.

Alderman Jason Westpahl said, I see no reason to go back and change the recommendations that came to us in the first place. The signs and logo were voted on. Theyre here. Lets put them up.

Other aldermen agreed.

It is uncertain whether discussion of the old logo will continue. Until then the newest logo will remain in place.
The Portage Library is gearing up for a community-wide reading program with the goal of educating the area about Alzheimers disease and dementia.

In August, the library will be showcasing a month-long program with a spotlight on these progressive diseases that destroy memory and other mental functions of those who have the disease. Community Read organizers encourage community members to pick up a copy of Jolene Brackeys Creating Moments of Joy: Along the Alzheimers Journey.

Chris Baker, Adult Services Librarian & Technology Coordinator at Portage Public Library, said people can expect to check out Brackeys book starting next week.

The library is putting together the month-long, Community Read event to increase awareness and help people understand Alzheimers and dementia, Baker said. This can be a very lonely disease and we want people to know there are resources here for people.

The library is working with the Alzheimers and Dementia Alliance of Wisconsin for this project. Janet Wiegel is the alliances outreach specialist for Columbia, Marquette and Sauk counties.

Its about collaborating with other groups to make these things possible, Baker said. This is a difficult subject to discuss and we collaborate with other groups to get the best information.

Wiegel will be leading an Alzheimers and dementia story time for children on Aug. 4 in the childrens department.

Weve worked with the Alzheimers and Dementia Alliance and Janet, Baker said. Shes great and has been really helpful setting this all up and getting it going.

Baker said along with increased awareness and understanding of Alzheimers disease and dementia-related illnesses, the library hopes to create a support network in Portage for people with Alzheimers and dementia and their caretakers. Another goal is to unify the community and destigmatize the disease and to support research for diagnoses and potential cures.

On Aug. 11 the library will be showing the film Still Alice in the Bidwell Room. The film will be followed by a Q&A forum with Weigel. The 2014 film tells the story of a linguistics professor diagnosed with Alzheimers disease.

Baker said the book is important because it is good to keep a positive view when dealing with this subject.

Jolenes book discusses joy and thats a big part of this, Baker said. This journey of having someone in your life with dementia is very difficult. The book explains that this process is a little easier with a sense of humor. Looking for those moments of joy helps a lot.

On Aug. 18 Weigel will lead a book discussion about Brackeys book at the library. Then on Aug. 25 Brackey will be in Portage to give two presentations on her book and will speak about Alzheimers and dementia.

Brackeys visit is sponsored by Klay Vehring, financial advisor at Edward Jones.

River of Art Banner

Patti Fichter, the librarys Events & Programming Coordinator, pointed out the new piece of artwork at the library that is rather large.

Its the River of Art banner from the Portage Center for the Arts, Fichter said. The large banner is hung with dozens of fish on it, each with individual design on the same outline of a fish.

Kids and other people decorated their own fish and then submitted it to the PCA, Fichter said. The PCA then created the banner and for a short period of time had it on display outside of the Portage Center for the Arts, 301 E. Cook St.

However, after a couple of storms they had to take it down, Fichter said. We worked with them to get it on display here and it is a great piece.

The banner is on display for anyone heading to the circulation desk in the library, Baker added.

Its a collaborative effort similar to the community read, Fichter said. At the library we are committed to being an important part of the community and the community read and the collaboration with other groups makes us all better.

Fichter said there is a chance of future collaboration with the PCA about displaying more of the PCA artwork in the library in the future.

Baker and Fichter said people should keep an eye on the librarys social media sites like Facebook for updates on what is going on in the Portage Public Library, 253 W. Edgewater Street.
On Oct. 4, 1880, Henry D. White of Germantown and Anna M. Frederickson Jordan of Clearfield were married in Mauston.

They settled on his property in Section 11 of Germantown, west of the Wisconsin River. The couple worked diligently clearing the land, constructing buildings, all while starting up a working farm. After a few years, the property took on the appearance of a small village, becoming a multi-business oriented settlement of the White family. The Whites operated a general store. Stock included groceries, candy, tobacco, dry goods, and kerosene. They dealt in hardware items, and most anything a farmer and his family might need. The store was located in the front section of the house, facing Highway G. Henry White took orders for farm machinery, especially J. I Case products, sold fire insurance as he didnt believe in life insurance, so did not handle it. He was clerk of Lake Juneau Country School as well as township tax assessor.

While serving as Justice of the Peace, he officiated at an occasional wedding. When the groom inquired about the fee, his answer would be, As much as you think the bride is worth. That approach normally netted a dollar or two.

Following the closure of the village of Werner post office, Congressman Joseph Babcock saw into the need for postal service to that area. He helped establish a post office called Zanoni at the White Family farm. The question of the name Zanoni seems open as far as the White family is concerned. One reported that postal authorities in Washington could not read her fathers writing, so its the name they came up with. Another account was Congressman Babcock had the privilege of naming the new post office, and chose an Indian word, Zanoni. Anna White served as postmistress from 1898 until 1912, the entire time it was in operation.

He owned the first threshing machine in the area and would go throughout the township with the machine, threshing rye and oats for all the farms. The Whites had nine children. They also boarded the local school teacher. In addition to bedrooms being upstairs, one large section provided room for dances and home-talent plays and parties.

The White children attended school with Hornburgs, Langendorfs, Lobensteins, and Hanifys, among others. The youngest daughter began teaching at Four Corners School in Clearfield when she was 16 in 1920. Her father White died In March 1921. The farm was sold and equipment and livestock auctioned. On the auction bill, every horse and cow was listed by a name. Anna White and the youngest daughter went to Chicago to live after all was settled on the Zanoni farm.

Anna White lived to the age of 90, passing in 1952. Her funeral was held in Necedah Methodist Church with burial at Bayview Cemetery, next to her husband.

Today, the Zanoni Farm land is part of the northern section of Buckhorn State Park.

Descendants of the White family from North Carolina visited Juneau County in June.
Most days Danielle Carlson is teaching high schoolers about renewable energy in her Fennimore classroom. This week, she was learning to install actual solar panels on a Madison rooftop.

Carlson is one of 16 high school and technical college instructors from across the country who came to Madison Area Technical Colleges outdoor solar laboratory Wednesday to learn hands-on skills as part of a new effort to advance clean energy development.

Funded through a $7.5 million National Science Foundation grant, the Center for Renewable Energy Advanced Technology Education  or CREATE  is a collaboration of five state, technical and community colleges from across the country.

The goal is to advance the clean energy transition by providing resources like curriculum guides, faculty workshops and industry partnerships to ensure a skilled workforce.

Were going through a once-in-a-century transformation in how we produce electricity, said Ken Walz, CREATE director and MATC instructor. Were retiring legacy coal-fired plants  and we arent building any new coal-fired plants  all that capacity is being replaced with wind and solar.

Walz said technical colleges are uniquely positioned to train workers for two of the nations three fastest-growing trades, wind turbine technicians and solar installers.

That just means a tremendous number of jobs that need to be filled, Walz said. And all those jobs require something more than a high school education, but usually not a four-year bachelors degree.

Each of the member institutions focuses on a different area, including green construction, electric vehicle technology and battery storage. MATCs focus is solar energy.

Walz said the grant will allow the college to expand the work it has done in recent years with Wisconsin educators.

Its amplifying our efforts and taking us to a national stage, Walz said. Now well be serving teachers from all over the county.

As part of this weeks workshop, high school and community college instructors installed solar panels on mock rooftops at MATCs Commercial Avenue campus.

One team worked on a sloped, shingled roof, another on a flat roof, and a third put up a pole-mounted system. Once installed, the panels will be commissioned and begin pumping energy into the grid until they are dismantled for the next round of training.

Kalie Brunton, a community college instructor from the Columbia River gorge in the state of Oregon, said she hopes to apply the skills she learned at the workshop to help meet the growing demand for skilled technicians.

Theres a lot of renewable energy in the gorge, Brunton said. Theres a lot of wind, a lot of hydro. We dont really have a ton of solar in our program right now, so Im here learning how they teach it.

Carlson, who teaches about wind power as part of her science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) curriculum, said she didnt know much about solar before attending a workshop earlier this summer.

She said learning how the systems actually work will help her be able to explain the concepts and even steer students toward new opportunities.

A lot of the kids who take my STEM classes are very hands-on and like going into trades, she said. Now that I know this is here, I can definitely send kids this way.
Wisconsin reported more than 2,000 new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday, the highest daily total since June 2, as health officials expressed concern about highly transmissible new versions of the omicron variant.

Meanwhile, Dane County reported its second case of monkeypox, the third in Wisconsin in a multination outbreak that reached the U.S. in the spring.

With Wisconsins 2,006 new COVID-19 cases, the state had a daily average of 1,584 cases, the highest since June 10, according to the state Department of Health Services. As of Wednesday, 427 people were hospitalized with COVID-19, matching the figure from Friday, which was the highest since March 5, according to the Wisconsin Hospital Association.

Florence County, in northern Wisconsin bordering Michigans Upper Peninsula, has a high COVID-19 community level, meaning people should wear face masks indoors, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Fifteen counties, including Dane, have medium levels, meaning people at high risk should talk to their doctors about wearing masks. The rest of Wisconsin has low levels, the CDC says.

Coronavirus levels in sewage systems are up recently in Ashland, Brookfield, Kenosha, La Crosse, Monroe, Portage, Viroqua and Watertown, but have shown no significant change in Madison. As people get tested for COVID-19 less at labs and turn more to home tests, for which results typically are not publicly reported, health officials are looking at wastewater to monitor virus trends.

With the new omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5 accounting for most coronavirus spread in the U.S., health officials this week urged people who havent received booster shots to get them. Currently, many Americans are undervaccinated, meaning they are not up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines, said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, CDC director.

Another new omicron variant, known as BA.2.75, is raising concern in India and the U.S., according to The Associated Press.

Monkeypox, a different type of viral illness, does not spread easily from person to person and has a relatively low risk of widespread transmission, health officials say.

Most people with monkeypox report close, sustained contact with others who have the infection. Many of those affected are men who have sex with men, but anyone who has been in close contact with someone who has monkeypox can get the illness, the CDC says.

People with monkeypox typically develop a characteristic skin rash or lesions. Additional symptoms such as fever, chills and swollen lymph nodes can also occur.
We are all storytellers. We all live in a network of stories. There isnt a stronger connection between people than storytelling. ~ Jimmy Neil Smith, director of the International Storytelling Center.

Since human life began, weve shared stories. Whether the details of the buffalo hunt or the dramatic polar bear escape were told around a campfire on the plains or inside an igloo lit by whale oil, stories have entertained and connected us.

Here are three stories told by master storytellers that have stuck with me, and theyre worth sharing.

My sister-in-law, Shirley, a nurse and missionary, tells the story of helping set up an emergency room in Gabon, Africa. The deadly disease, Ebola, originated nearby, so she was on the alert for any signs of it.

One day, a 24-year-old man arrived with blood flowing from his mouth. She donned protective gear and asked him questions, Is there anyone else in the village who has a fever or these symptoms? When did you get sick? When did the bleeding start? He wouldnt answer.

His mother and sister looked guilty, but said nothing, so she pressed them. If you dont tell me what happened to him, hes going to die.

She learned that the man was afraid of the forest gods so he saw the witch doctor. The Nganga told him if he wanted protection against the forest gods, hed need to get five razor blades, chew them, and swallow them.

She was both appalled and relieved, knowing that it wasnt Ebola. She ordered an X-ray. Gabonese nurses assessed him and prepped him for surgery. He survived the ordeal.

The Nganga ruled the community through fear, be it from forest gods, or through telling them someone had cursed them. She tried to reason with the family, pointing out that they often ended up at the clinic after seeing the Nganga.

Witch doctors werent the only scary beings in Africa and she tells the following story featuring African baboons.

She met other missionaries in Kenya for medical training. She and her Lebanese friend, decided theyd go to the Nairobi National Park to hike the hippo viewing trail. An armed man at the entryway should have been on guard, but he slept.

The women didnt spot any hippos, but on the hike back, they noticed a troop of baboons only 50-75 feet away. She turned around and brought her camera up to her eye. Through the lens, she saw a protective female curl back her lips, revealing sharp, deadly teeth. The baboon let out a high-pitched alarm call, and the others joined her in a charge. She screamed and they ran.

To this day she doesnt understand why the baboons screaming and the charge stopped. But thats when she made her second mistake. She turned back to look. Another high pitched alarm call, and the troop charged again. They ran again, screaming shrilly.

An elderly missionary couple heard, got in behind them, and faced the troop. They clapped loudly. The baboons stopped, but kept baring their teeth. The couple clapped again, even louder. After a long, breathless pause, the group watched in relief as the troop turned and retreated.

When the women met back up with others, my sister-in-law asked friends if theyd heard the screaming. Yes, one missionary said, it was the baboons.

She wiggled an eyebrow at her friend. It wasnt just the baboons.

The final storyteller is Wisconsin Dells Kim Kolumba, who interviewed for a teaching job in the Dells years ago. Her mother would often join her for the ride to various towns. The special education director, Ron Piekarski, interviewed Kolumba. When he discovered they were from the same small town, he said, Your mother . . . shes dead, isnt she?

She blinked, I hope not; shes waiting for me in the car.

After the interview, chuckling to herself about the exchange, she headed to her vehicle. She spotted her mothers head drooped against the seateyes closed, mouth open. Mom! she called, opening the door. Mom!

Her mother awoke and sat up.

She let out a long breath. Whew! Come on, lets go out to lunch. I have a funny story to tell you.

Stories  whether theyre frightening or funny  connect us to one another. Do you have a favorite story to share? If so, please contact me at laundrie@live.com.
#GradnGive on Mandela Month entrenches ubuntu

Students graduating in July are urged to spread joy by bringing non-perishables to restock the Wits Food Bank.

The Wits July 2022 graduation season falls on the week of Nelson Mandela International Day, celebrated globally on 18 July to encourage the world to embrace and live the values of the global icon Nelson Mandela. The first president of a democratic South Africa, Nobel Peace Prize Winner and a Witsie, Mandela is recognised for his humanity and reconciliation to promote care, especially for vulnerable members of society.

As the Wits 2022 graduates celebrate their graduation, the University invites graduands to participate in the #GradnGive initiative, in the spirit of Mandela Day. #GradnGive challenges graduates to donate to the Wits Food Bank on their graduation day. The Food Bank, launched more than a decade ago, addresses student food insecurity and hunger on campus.

We are calling on our graduates to show up and help another Witsie to get to where they have by giving students peace of mind through food security. The Wits Food Bank is a lifeline to thousands of students on campus who do not have enough financial resources, and often sacrifice essentials, in order to make it through university, says Karuna Singh, Senior Programme Advisor: Wits Citizenship and Community Outreach (WCCO), which manages the Wits Food Bank and similar initiatives.

The Wits Food Bank provides food parcels to more than 5 000 students per year, while the Masidleni Daily Meal Project on campus provides 1 000 hot meals per day and up to 20 000 meals per month.

Graduates are encouraged to bring tins of non-perishable food and toiletries on their special day. These donations can be dropped off outside the Great Hall where graduations will be hosted for the first time since 2020.

The theme for Mandela Day 2022 is Do what you can, with what you have, where you are and reminds us that we can all make a difference, says Singh.

The drive to restock the Food Bank will culminate in an event on Friday, 22 July, when Wits staff and students who are on campus during the winter break can bring their own tins of food and toiletry donations that will be used to build a Wits 100 Mandela Day image on a canvas on the Library Lawns and then photographed with a drone. The Wits 100 image is a visual representation to commemorate the Universitys centenary and contribution to society.

The call to support the Wits Food Bank is not only limited to the July Graduating class and is open to everyone.

Monetary donations can also be made safely online through a gateway managed by the Development and Fundraising Office.

Read more:

Wits alumni gives R1.5m to students facing hunger

Been there, felt the hunger
Ukraine had proposed to form a basic algorithm for the operation of navigation in the Black Sea, Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak wrote on the Telegram channel on Wednesday evening.

"The security of Ukraine in the Black Sea is a priority in the issue of resuming the export of Ukrainian agricultural products. Therefore, Ukraine proposed to form a basic algorithm for the functioning of navigation in the Black Sea," he wrote.

According to Yermak, as a result of the meeting, the parties agreed to form a Joint Coordination Center under the auspices of the UN. It will be located in Istanbul. Its task will be to carry out general monitoring and coordination of safe navigation in the Black Sea.

Earlier, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar announced that the participants in the four-party talks (Ukraine, Turkey, Russia, and the UN) on the export of Ukrainian grain agreed to establish a coordination center in Istanbul.
As a result of missile fire on Mykolaiv on the morning of July 14, civilian facilities were destroyed, Mayor of the city Oleksandr Senkevych has said.

"Rashists again hit a number of civilian facilities in Mykolaiv. Rescuers and emergency teams are already working on the ground," Senkevych said in the Telegram channel.

Later, "Suspilne. Mykolaiv" said the hotel Mykolaiv had come under fire.

"Hotel Mykolaiv came under fire from Russian troops. Information about the presence of dead or wounded as a result of the shelling is being specified," the publication said in the statement.
The House select committee investigating January 6, 2021, holds a hearing in Washington, July 12. Former President Donald Trump tried to call a member of the White House support staff who was talking to the House select committee investigating January 6, 2021, two sources familiar with the matter tell CNN.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer offers heat advice as Wrexham could hit 36C on Monday

The Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Wales is urging people to take extra precautions and to plan ahead to keep themselves and others safe.

There is a Met Office Amber warning, issued for Sunday 17 July, Monday 18 July and Tuesday 19 July, suggesting some parts of east Wales could see temperatures reach early to mid-thirties.

The local GFS model for Wrexham is above, however note that is a model not a forecast, and is of course changeable. At the time of writing it has a possible storm clearing through around midday on Tuesday.

The Welsh Government has said they are working with emergency services, local authorities, schools and businesses to keep the public safe during the Met Office warning period.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Wales (DCMO) Chris Jones said, Extreme heat warnings are not issued lightly by the Met Office and the potential health risks need to be taken seriously.

Very high temperatures can be dangerous for everyone but elderly people, children, those with chronic health problems and vulnerable people who may struggle to keep cool are at a higher risk.

Demand on NHS Wales and our emergency services is already high so by taking extra precautions to keep ourselves and our families safe, we can all help to reduce pressure on these vital services.

These temperatures can be particularly worrying for vulnerable or elderly people so I would also urge people to check in on neighbours and relatives to make sure they are keeping as cool as possible as the temperature rises.

The advice they note is:

Stay hydrated  drinking water is vital as your body loses more fluid in higher temperatures.

Plan ahead and stay in the shade  it is best to avoid the hottest part of the day between midday and 3pm and avoid doing strenuous outdoor activities between these times.

Wear sunglasses and sun protection  sunscreens or sun blocks will help to prevent sunburn.

To keep your home cool, turn off non-essential lights and electrical equipment and keep rooms shaded by closing blinds and curtains.

Do not leave young children, elderly people or pets in parked cars as temperatures inside can soar.

While the temptation to cool off may be high, be careful around open water including river and lakes and supervise children.

Wear loose fitting clothing and a hat if outdoors.

If you are worried about any symptoms related to heat visit the NHS 111 website  111.wales.nhs.uk  to check your symptoms or call 111 for advice.

The extreme heat warning is likely to have a significant impact across society:

TRANSPORT

There may be significant impacts on transport infrastructure in Wales during the period of extreme heat, including road and rail. Travellers should plan ahead and ensure they have plenty of water. The heat will mean that vehicles are more likely to break down on roads and could also place strain the rail network, both of which could lead to travel disruption and delays. Travellers should check with their rail or bus operator, Traffic Wales or Traveline Cymru to be alerted to any disruption and change their travel plans accordingly.

SCHOOLS AND CHILDCARE

Advice is being provided to schools and childcare settings to deal with the extreme heat, including avoiding vigorous physical activity and maximising shade and ventilation. Children should wear loose, light-coloured clothing if possible, wear hats outdoors and drink plenty of water.

WORKPLACES

All workplaces have a legal responsibility to ensure a safe and healthy environment for their workers. Employers should make reasonable adjustments to ensure that employees can carry out their work safely and in line with the Health and Safety Executives advice on working in hot temperatures. https://businesswales.gov.wales/news-and-blogs/news/hse-working-hot-temperatures-guidance

EVENTS

For all events scheduled during the extreme heat period, organisers should review additional communications out to attendees, spectators and participants  both prior to and during, the event  advising on recommended safe behaviours in extreme heat. They should also consider the need for any additional measures, in relation to event staging and infrastructure, in order to mitigate against the worst effects of extreme heat  for example provision of extra shade, water stations and other measures. Based on further consideration of the risks, they should assess whether all or part of the event should be postponed.

Welsh Government Ministers and officials say they are also taking part in UK-wide Civil Contingencies structures to ensure a co-ordinated approach to cross-border issues caused by the extreme heat.
Warning issued over WhatsApp impersonation scam

North Wales Police have issued a warning to members of the public of a Whatsapp scam currently circulating.

The message may appear to come from an unknown number or from the correct number, if a phone number has been spoofed or a Whatsapp account hacked.

Scammers claim to be the recipients son or daughter and claim that their phone has broken and that they are using someone elses.

They will then go onto ask for money and provide bank details.

The fraudster exploits the apparent relationship with the victim, as well as applies significant pressure, to make the victim act quickly and not question the request.

The messages are a scam  do not send any money to unknown bank accounts if you receive such a message.

Similar Whatsapp scams have been doing the rounds for sometime and can also see scammers claim to be locked out of a bank account and in urgent need of help.

Again the fraudsters will claim to be the recipients son or daughter.
Preventing the yacht of MP Viktor Medvedchuk from leaving the territorial waters of Croatia and its further seizure is an indicative case of cooperation between the Ukrainian and foreign offices of the Task Force, the Ukrainian interdepartmental working group Task Force notes.

In an interview with Interfax-Ukraine, member of the Task Force interdepartmental working group, Head of the Department for International Legal Cooperation at the Prosecutor General's Office Dmytro Litkevych said that during the investigation of the criminal case against the MP, his assets abroad were searched for, and in Croatia, ARMA revealed the MP's yacht.

"When we sent the first request for international legal assistance to Croatia with a request to seize the revealed property, we did not receive a concrete answer about the possibility of its implementation within a month," Litkevych said.

According to him, the situation changed when information appeared that the yacht plans to leave the territorial waters of Croatia.

"We quickly responded to this by involving our colleagues from other foreign Task Forces in resolving this issue. Thus, the 'escape' of the yacht was suspended. And then we received a court decision on the transfer of this property to ARMA, on the basis of which our Croatian colleagues made a seizure within its jurisdiction," he said.

In turn, head of the Task Force interdepartmental working group, deputy head of ARMA, Philip Pronin, stressed that ARMA could not have done this on its own.

"Together with the prosecutor's office, several algorithms were developed to preserve the value of this asset, by selling or transferring it to management. Thanks to the prosecutor's office, a consensus was reached with the Croatian side, further actions are planned related to the departure and evaluation of the yacht," Pronin said.

He summed up: "This case is very multi-layered, and international partners worked well on it, and within our country everyone united to achieve a result. That is, the MP's yacht is interesting and indicative in terms of the process organizing technique."
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will personally move a confidence motion in his own government Monday, by which time the Conservatives want to have eliminated all but two candidates to replace him as party leader.

Nothing could better exemplify how the suppression of the class struggle by the trade unions and the Labour Party is giving the Tories precious time to reorder their government after a palace coup forced Johnsons resignation.

On Tuesday, a motion from Labour specifying no confidence in Her Majestys Government while [Johnson] remains Prime Minister was rejected as not a valuable use of parliamentary time because Johnson has already resigned.

Labours motion was framed with the two-fold intention of somehow embarrassing Tory MPs by forcing them to defend Johnson, while making clear to big business that Starmer and company were not opposing a Tory government in principle and would not unduly rock the boat. It was a more accurate reflection of Labours aim of maintaining political stability at a time of heightened crisis than Starmers occasional references to being ready for a snap general election if one is called.

Everything Labour does is to make sure that events continue to be determined by a hated and weakened government that went into meltdown last week. Mondays vote will see the Tories express confidence in themselves, while Labour and the Liberal Democrats propose amendments seeking to include Johnsons name so he can supposedly be forced to resign now rather than when his successor is announced on September 5.

It is certain, despite Labours claims to the contrary, that its original motion would have failed even had it not been blocked. The Tories are not about to commit political suicide out of a sense of shame! If they are to be removed from office, then the working class must do it. Labour certainly wont do so.

The longer the parliamentary farce of semi-opposition led by Sir Keir Starmer continues, the more the dangers posed to workers are apparent.

Yesterday saw the completion of the first round of voting in the Tory leadership contest, with the bottom two of eight candidates eliminated. Jeremy Hunt, a widely despised former health secretary, fell because he is considered too left-wing by most Tories. Nadim Zahawi fell in part fell because he was seen as too openly disloyal to Johnson, after accepting his offer to become chancellor only to then demand the prime minister step down.

This leaves a contest between former chancellor and multi-millionaire Rishi Sunak, advancing himself as a sensible Thatcherite, and the alternative right-wing candidates of former Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and some right-wing also-rans.

Sunak, the current favourite among MPs, is considered too reticent in his promises to slash taxes and would lose against Mordaunt and any other candidate in a poll of Tory party members.

Mordaunt is presently placed second and is a party favourite for good reason. A Brexiteer, she has been serving as minister of state for trade policy since 2021 after serving as Defence Secretary in 2019 before being removed by Johnson on his replacing Theresa May.

Daughter of a former paratrooper and a captain in the naval reserve, she is emphasising her military credentials. She worked for US president George W Bush between 2000 and 2004. An admirer of Donald Trump, she cited watching as a nine-year-old the Falklands task force leave Portsmouth harbour as the formative experience shaping her political beliefs.

Truss is so famously deranged as a warmonger that she needs no introduction and presently has the backing of Johnsons main sidekick Jacob Rees-Mogg. But she is matched in zealotry by Suella Braverman and Kemi Badenoch.

Former soldier and chair of the Defence Select Committee Tom Tugendhat has decried the bean counters, meaning Sunak, for refusing to raise defence spendingwhich he wants to lift to 3 percent of GDP. Security always comes before spreadsheets, he said.

This is the filthy cabal that still sits in Westminster when so many millions of workers want to see the back of them. The great task that must be resolved is to break through the political disenfranchisement and demobilisation of the working class by the combined forces of the Labour Party and the trade union bureaucracy.

If it were not for the trade union leaders, then the Tory governments crisis would be playing out against a background of mass strikes by workers demanding an end to savage austerity. Only this week, the train drivers union ASLEF announced massive votes to strike at eight train operating companies involving 21,000 workers. But ASLEF General Secretary Mick Whelan declared regarding the struggle waged by 40,000 Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union members, Theres no reason why wed call them all out together ASLEF strike dates will be announced Thursday.

As the first round of the Tory leadership contest was concluding, the RMT announced it would hold a single days strike on July 27, in response to a final offer by Network Rail which General Secretary Mick Lynch said represents a real terms pay cut for our members and the paltry sum is conditional on RMT members agreeing to drastic changes in their working lives. He stressed that We remain open for further talks.

If the trade union leaders were not suppressing strike action, then rail, post, telecoms, council, health and education workers numbering three million would already be in struggle, representing the basis for a general strike against the government. Instead, this prospect is never raised while the union leaders back Starmer in his efforts to neuter workers opposition to the government. Lynch told the Durham Miners Gala this weekend, We dont have a great relationship with Keir Starmer, but I want a Labour government and the Labour leader is Keir Starmer. If he can win that there will be a change and it will be in our interests.

This is said of a man who has threatened to expel his own MPs if they criticise NATO or attend RMT picket lines! And who last night whipped Labour peers in the House of Lords to abstain on an attempt to force the government to provide free school meals for all children in low-income families and receiving Universal Credit.

On Tuesday, Lynch called the passage of Tory legislation allowing the use of agency workers as a scab labour force to break strikes in essential services unethical and morally reprehensible and totally impracticable. But he followed this with his now reflex call that the Tory government should be unshackling Network Rail and the train operating companies so we can secure a negotiated settlement on the railways.

The necessary answer to the sabotage of the trade unions and the Labour Party is to demand an immediate general election, forced through by a unified offensive of the working class. The trade union bureaucracy must not be allowed to determine the struggle in the factories and workplaces and Labour must not be left to sabotage the political struggle against the Tories. This means building rank-and-file committees in every workplace to take the fight against the Tories out of the hands of the trade union bureaucrats and to immediately begin the building of a new socialist leadership in the working class to replace Labour.
Written and directed by Justin Chon

Blue Bayou, written and directed by Justin Chon, is an angry, affecting film that indicts US immigration policy for its brutality and dramatizes the hell through which people are put when they fall into the clutches of the authorities in question. Chons film makes clear to all those with eyes and ears that the current anti-immigrant mania in official circles cuts across the most elementary needs and wants.

The work takes its title from the song written by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson, and recorded by Orbison in 1961, which later became one of Linda Ronstadts signature numbers.

Blue Bayou opens with the camera on Antonio Leblanc (played by Chon) as he urgently tries to sell himself during a job interview. He is Korean-born, but was adopted by American parents in 1988 at the age of three. Confronting a callous interviewer clearly biased against Antonios ethnicity, the New Orleans tattoo artist, rebounding from a troubled criminal past, makes a desperate effort to find better-paying employment to support a growing family. Despite the fact that Antonio is a talented motorcycle mechanic, the interview and job search come to a disheartening dead end.

Antonio has a stable and loving marriage to Kathy (Alicia Vikander), a physical therapist pregnant with their child. (At one point, Vikander sings an impressive rendition of Blue Bayou.) He is also the doting stepfather to young Jessie (Sydney Kowalske), who was abandoned by her biological, police officer father, Ace (Mark OBrien), now attempting to mend a relationship that the antagonistic girl rejects. The cop is not above wielding his badge to undermine Antonio.

Aces racist partner, Denny (Emory Cohen), utilizes a minor altercation to have Antonio arrested and placed in an ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement) detention center, where he learns he is actually undocumented in the US because two sets of adoptive parents never filed the requisite paperwork.

Alicia Vikander, Sydney Kowalske and Justin Chon in Blue Bayou

In a meeting with expensive immigration attorney Barry Boucher (Vondie Curtis-Hall)to pay for whose services Antonio resorts to motorcycle theftAntonio and Kathy are informed that a judge has ordered Antonios deportation. Marriage to a US citizen notwithstanding, the failure of his adoptive parents to legalize his status, along with his criminal record, gives him only two options: to depart voluntarily and file for a change in status from South Korea, or to stay and appeal, and risk a loss in the case that would forever bar him from the US.

Antonio chooses to put everything on the line. This involves asking for help from his adoptive mother, who never defended him from the daily beatings administered by her now deceased husband. He is also hindered by Kathys hostile mother. Furthermore, on the day of the court hearing, Emory brutalizes Antonio to prevent him from showing up. When all appears hopeless, Antonio considers suicide by drowning, an act that echoes his Korean mothers attempt to drown the infant she could not afford to raise. Water is a recurring image.

A final, emotionally wrenching scene between Jessie and Antonio brings home the genuine inhumanity of the US immigration system.

A moving postscript lists only a few of its victims:

Monte Hainesadopted 1981, deported 2009

Kristopher Larsenadopted 1975, facing deportation

Maurecio Cappelliadopted 1986, deported 2018

Anissa E. Druesedowadopted 1982, deported 2006

Paul F. Schreineadopted 1990, deported 2018

Emily Warneckeadopted 1964, facing deportation

Hyebin Schreiberadopted 2014, facing deportation

The titles point out that no official statistics are available as to the total number of adopted people in the US facing deportation. The Adoptee Rights Campaign estimates that 25,000 to 49,000 children who were legally adopted by US citizens between 1945 and 1998 may themselves lack citizenship.

That number increases to an estimated 32,000 to 64,000 adoptees without citizenship when the period between 2015 and 2033 is also taken into consideration, as children adopted between 1999 and 2016 reach their 18th birthday.

Kristopher Larsen, executive director of Adoptees for Justice, asserts that many deported adoptees struggle to find jobs and housing. They dont know the country that theyre being deported to. They dont know the language. They dont know the culture, Larsen says. And a lot of times, the countries that theyre being deported tosince they were raised here in the US as US citizens, the receiving countries dont even really acknowledge the deportee as a person of that nation.

Alicia Vikander and Justin Chon in Blue Bayou

In an interview with Reappropriate, director Chon explains that he grew up with Korean-American adoptees as friends, and their stories have always been a part of my sphere. When I started hearing that adoptees were being deported, I just could not believe that US citizens could adopt a child from overseasand the child has no choice or not as to whether they goand the US government acknowledges the adoption as legal; but then, when those adoptees become adults twenty or thirty years later, the government decides that theyre not US citizens. It makes zero sense to me.

These people are undocumented, continued the filmmaker, in the sense that they dont even know theyre undocumented. Its a completely different kind of experience. Immigration in this country tends to be spoken about primarily as an issue of the US-Mexico border, whereas the issue is actually so wide-reaching.

In Blue Bayou, Chon has created a sincere and appropriately outraged work, despite a few rough edges and unnecessary contrivances.

Chon has come under fire from the identity politics crowd for not casting an actual adoptee as the films lead! Such arguments merely ignore everything about several thousand years of the dramatic representation of reality, including the art of acting.

One such critic complained that Blue Bayou does not allow the adoptee community to reclaim our stories and choose when, how, and if to tell them  one of the very few ways in which we have some agency as adoptees. The same individual argued that adoptees voices and experiences [are] being overlooked or erased, even within progressive Asian American circles.

Despite the comments of these shortsighted elements, Blue Bayou condemns a social order that uses terror against the vulnerable immigrant population to intimidate the working class as a whole and attack its basic rights.
Two days after the July 11 release of a public service announcement by New York Citys office of emergency management (OEM) for the case of a nuclear attack, there has been no serious explanation given for this extraordinary step taken by the administration of Americas largest city, which is home to almost 8.5 million people and the countrys financial center, Wall Street.

The 90 second long video, which has now been watched by over half a million people, was issued without any political explanation or context. In what appeared like a parody on the Cold War-era advice to children to hide under your desk in case a nuclear bomb is dropped, the video recommended the public to get inside, shower with soap or shampoo, and then stay put and check their safety alerts from the city for more information. To top it all, the presenter ended the video with a reassuring smile, stating, Youve got this.

The utter irrationality of the content was almost as disturbing as the very fact of the release of the video itself. Of course, all of these recommendations would be worthless in case of an actual nuclear detonation, which would incinerate the city and surrounding area and turn much of the East Coast uninhabitable for generations.

A 2015 article published by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists noted that Russia at the time had an estimated 700 strategic nuclear warheads each with an explosive power of 800,000 tons of TNT that, if fired, could hit the US within less than half an hour. If such a warhead exploded over midtown Manhattan, it would create a gigantic fireball which would vaporize the structures directly below it and produce an immense blast wave and high-speed winds, crushing even heavily built concrete structures within a couple miles of ground zero. Within tens of minutes, everything within approximately five to seven miles of Midtown Manhattan would be engulfed by a gigantic firestorm.

The article continues to describe the apocalyptic scenario as follows: Those who tried to escape through the streets would have been incinerated by the hurricane-force winds filled with firebrands and flames. Even those able to find shelter in the lower-level sub-basements of massive buildings would likely suffocate from fire-generated gases or be cooked alive as their shelters heated to oven-like conditions. The fire would extinguish all life and destroy almost everything else. Tens of miles downwind of the area of immediate destruction, radioactive fallout would begin to arrive within a few hours of the detonation.

The response in the national and local media to the public service announcement has been marked by extreme complacency and indifference, with most outlets limiting themselves to perfunctory reports. The New York Times, which just found that people around the world are better off than ever, has not published a single article on it, as of this writing.

By contrast, thousands took to social media to express their shock and profound discomfort, with many correctly asking, is there something I should know about? Clearly, there is.

But no serious answer to this question has been given by either New York City or White House officials. In a press conference that was almost as bizarre as the video itself, Democratic Mayor Eric Adams defended the video, saying, I dont think it was alarmist. Im a big believer in better safe than sorry. I take my hat off to OEM. This was right after the attacks in the Ukraine, and OEM took a very proactive step to say lets be prepared. And it doesnt mean just a nuclear attack, its any natural disaster. Pack a bag. Know where your medicines are located. These are just smart things to do.

Adams then insisted that the decision to publish this video was made by his administration alone, stating, it was of my briefing, because when I saw it and heard it, I thought it was a great idea. My understanding is that it was really taking necessary steps after what happened in Ukraine to give preparedness.

At a White House briefing on Wednesday, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan also insisted that the initiative had been taken by the city, without coordination with the White House. His language, however, was notably evasive. He said, I do not believe that it [the public service announcement] was the result of any intelligence-sharing from the federal government to New York City, and added, I cant speak as to why they put it out at this point.

Workers cannot take these statements at face value. The decision for the release was taken in the midst of the biggest war ranging in Europe since 1945, in which NATO is effectively fighting a proxy war in Ukraine against Russia, the worlds second-largest nuclear power.

Without any public declaration, much less public discussion or democratic decision, the US has effectively entered a military conflict with Russia. While gutting funds to social and COVID spending, the US government has funneled tens of billions of dollars worth of weapons into the Ukrainian army, including long-range missiles that can hit Russian territory, assisting in military strikes on Russian targets and engaging in one major provocation after another.

Although US President Joe Biden has repeatedly ridiculed and dismissed warnings by Russian President Vladimir Putin that the Kremlin is prepared to make use of its nuclear arsenal, the Wall Street Journal reported recently that since February, there had been a series of urgent meetings in the administration to map out how Mr. Biden should respond if Russia conducts a nuclear detonation in Ukraine or around the Black Sea. Officials will not discuss the classified results of those tabletop exercises.

At its summit two weeks ago, NATO announced plans for high-intensity  warfighting against nuclear-armed peer-competitors, an extraordinary announcement that, again, has been almost entirely blacked out by the media.

It should also be noted that the head of New York Citys Office of Emergency Management is Zach Iscol, who was appointed by Adams on February 22, just days before the beginning of the war in Ukraine. Iscol is a representative of what the WSWS has termed the CIA Democrats: former intelligence and military personnel who are deeply embedded in the US national security apparatus and have come to play a major role in Democratic Party politics.

Iscol is a former Marine who was involved in the Second Battle of Fallujah in 2004, the single biggest battle during the bloody, decades-long US occupation of Iraq. The city, one of the oldest urban settlements of human civilization, was turned into a sea of ruins and has become a sinister symbol of the war crimes of US imperialism against the people of Iraq. In 2020, Iscol unsuccessfully ran for the office of mayor, pledging to translate his experience during the battle of Fallujah to New York City  a threat that must no doubt be taken seriously.

While the immediate background behind the issuing of this video remains to be clarified, it confirms the warnings by the WSWS about the very real threat of nuclear war. Writing in April this year, the WSWS warned that Capitalism is normalizing mass death, first from the pandemic, and now from a war, including one fought with nuclear weapons.

The total devaluation of human life, the indifference to mass death in the pandemic and the recklessness with which American capitalism is rushing into conflict with Russia reflect the views and social character of the American ruling class. This parasitic oligarchy feasts upon the impoverishment and exploitation of the working population.

Living on financial speculation made possible by a credit bubble inflated by the Federal Reserve, fearing and hating the working population of America and the world, the American ruling class is as desperate and reckless as it is ruthless. The central question is what will develop more quickly: the war drive of the capitalist oligarchy or the growing global rebellion of the working class.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky announced his speech at the Forum in The Hague dedicated to the prosecution of Russian war criminals.

"I am preparing to address the participants of the forum in The Hague in the Netherlands, which will be held tomorrow and dedicated to the prosecution of Russian war criminals," he said in a traditional video statement on Wednesday evening.

According to him, "world democracies are willing to do everything necessary to make every Russian terrorist responsible for evil against Ukrainians. And we must coordinate our efforts in such a way that all the guilty receive fair sentences. There will be a tribunal."
On Wednesday, hundreds of friends and family members of Jayland Walker and opponents of police violence attended a public funeral at the Civic Theater in downtown Akron, Ohio, to honor and lay to rest the 25-year-old worker who was killed by city police in a fusillade of bullets on June 27.

Walker was murdered by eight still unidentified officers following a brief vehicle and foot pursuit.



The young African American was unarmed when the police fired over 90 rounds at him as he fled. In the roughly seven seconds that police unloaded on Walker, the young man received over 60 wounds. The police then handcuffed Walkers lifeless body and delivered the corpse, still in handcuffs, to the coroners office.



Jayland Walker



Since Walkers murder, police, in coordination with Democratic Mayor Dan Horrigan, the Biden administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, have sought to criminalize all protests. In response to peaceful protests, the police have attacked demonstrators with tear gas and carried out mass arrests. Horrigan has imposed a nightly curfew from 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. covering the downtown core of Akron, which, as of this writing, is still in effect.



The Akron Police Department engaged in wanton violence against protesters and journalists alike last week. Fearing a social explosion, over the weekend and so far this week the police have not carried out such naked acts of brutality. However, local residents report that police have continued to stalk and intimidate peaceful protesters outside the curfew zone.



These police state measures continued on Wednesday. While the Akron City Council, at Horrigans urging, passed a token resolution the day before Walkers funeral declaring Wednesday a day of mourning in support of Jaylands family and friends, the real measure of Horrigan and the Democratic Partys mourning for Walker was the deployment of Summit County Sheriff's SWAT teams and armored tanks outside the funeral.



In addition to SWAT officers with assault rifles, the police lined the sidewalks with yellow police tape and deployed cruisers and undercover officers.



Despite the repressive police presence, there was a large turnout of people who came to pay their respects to the former delivery driver, Amazon worker and high school wrestler. Family members recalled Walker joking that if he ever became a professional wrestler, his stage name would be string bean.



Among the attendees at the funeral were Michael Harris and Jacob Blake, Sr. Both men were beaten and arrested by Akron police last week while peacefully protesting the killing of Walker.

Jacob Blake, Sr. is the father of Jacob Blake, Jr., who was shot seven times in the back by Kenosha, Wisconsin, police Officer Rusten Sheskey in August 2020. The younger Blake was paralyzed from the waist down. No charges were ever brought against Sheskey, who is still a cop in Kenosha.

Speaking at the funeral of the loss of his best friend, Dupri Whatley said that Walker was like a brother to him, someone he could always call to get advice. If it wasnt for him, I probably wouldnt be where I am today, Whatley said. I used to call Jayland all the time, but I cant anymore.



This is really hard for me, Whatley concluded. He is going to live through me, I am never going to forget him.

In contrast to police depictions of Walker as an out-of-control, gun-toting criminal, Robin Elerick spoke fondly of her youngest cousin. She recalled being there the day he was born and watching him grow up and play with her children.

I was able to know him for his whole life, she said. I got to introduce him to my boys. ... He was a soft-spoken, funny guy, always looking to make people smile.



Elerick said that the last several weeks had been very hard on Jayland. The month prior to being killed by the police, Jaylands fiancee was killed in a still-unsolved hit-and-run accident. The moments I remember were us just holding hands and crying, Elerick said. There were a lot of I love yous back and forth.



While family and friends spoke eloquently at Walkers service, and working class protesters have risked arrest and physical assault by the police while peacefully demanding justice for Jayland Walker, Black Lives Matter operatives have been deployed to the city to channel the movement against police violence into the dead-end of police reform, racial politics and the Democratic Party.



Local Akron protesters told the World Socialist Web Site that at least one scout with the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation (BLMGNF) flew into Akron ahead of the funeral. The BLMGNF was founded in 2013 by Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza and Opal Tomoeti following the killing of Trayvon Martin.



Since its founding, the group has been inundated with donations from multibillion-dollar corporations such as Apple and Google. The leaders of BLMGNFan organization whose structure is opaque and whose finances are even muddierhave purchased multimillion-dollar mansions for themselves and donated millions to Democratic Party election campaigns.



Over 1,000 people are killed by the police every year in the US. The majority are white, although African Americans are killed in numbers higher than their proportion of the population. What the vast majority of victims of police killings have in common is that they are working class and poor.



Speaking at a press conference after the funeral was Tamika Mallory, the co-director of Until Freedom. Mallory is the former executive director of the National Action Network, which was created by Al Sharpton.



Sharpton was a 2004 Democratic presidential candidate and since the 1980s has played a major role in suffocating working class demands for an end to police abuse by channeling anger into the historical graveyard of social protest, the Democratic Party.



In her comments, Mallory, unlike the speakers at the funeral, sought to present police violence entirely as a racial issue. She said the real cause of police violence is white supremacy, which is running rampant in this nation.



She said that while we know that its not just white officers who shoot people, the one thing that is common in police killings is that the victims are almost always black people.



This is demonstrably false. Every year, white people, usually men, make up a plurality of those killed by police in America. According to a database maintained by the Washington Post, from January 1, 2015 through July 12, 2022, of the 7,553 people shot and killed by police, 3,138 are classified as white, roughly 42 percent of all those killed by cops.



Within the last several months, two young white people, 22-year-old Joe Nagle of Michigan and 12-year-old Thomas Siderio of Philadelphia, were murdered by police. Both were unarmed.



The racialist presentation of police violence, promoted by the identity politics-obsessed Democratic Party and its political appendages among privileged layers of the middle class, is meant to sow divisions within the working class and obscure the fundamental division in capitalist societysocial class.

The police are part of the capitalist state, which exists to protect the wealth, property and political domination of the corporate-financial elite of all races and ethnicities. The police are the front-line enforcers of exploitation and social inequality. They cannot be reformed. They must be abolished as part of the united struggle of workers for political power and socialism.



The presentation of police violence as the result of white supremacy by upper-middle class elements like Mallory is not only false, it is self-serving. Last year, she held a virtual tour to tout her new book, in her words, a masterpiece titled State of Emergency.



Joining Mallory on the virtual book tour were a whos who of phony progressives in the Democratic Party, such as former Ohio Representative and Bernie Sanders surrogate Nina Turner, CNNs Van Jones and Black Lives Matter spokesperson Shaun King. At the Billboard Music Awards ceremony this past May, she accepted the Revolt Black Excellence Award from multi-millionaire Sean P. Diddy Combs.



In a scathing letter sent last year to the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation and, among others, Tamika D. Mallory, Samaria Rice, the mother of Tamir Rice, the 12-year-old who was shot dead by Cleveland police in 2014, demanded that they stop monopolizing and capitalizing off our fight for justice and human rights.



We dont want or need yall parading in the streets accumulating donations, platforms, movie deals, etc. off the death of our loved ones, while the families and communities are left clueless and broken, Rice wrote.






The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) released an hour-long podcast on June 23 in which several academics and media figures discussed the extradition proceedings of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange being taken from court in London, Wednesday May 1, 2019. [AP Photo/Matt Dunham]

The program remains worthy of comment several weeks later. It is, after all, one of the very few occasions on which the publicly-funded broadcaster has seen fit to devote an entire show to Assange, despite the fact that he is Australias most high-profile political prisoner, and a fellow journalist.

The ABC broke its general silence on Assange under conditions of an outpouring of support for the WikiLeaks founder, after British Home Secretary Priti Patel announced last month that she had approved his extradition to the US, where Assange faces 17 Espionage Act charges and 175 years imprisonment for exposing American war crimes.

Anyone hoping for a sympathetic accounting of Assanges persecution, or a statement of support for a journalist facing egregious persecution, was left disappointed.

The program was entitled: Is Julian Assange entitled to a free speech defence? Every credible press freedom and human rights organisation has answered the question unequivocally in the affirmative. They have demanded that the US charges be dropped forthwith, because they constitute a frontal assault on the most basic democratic rights.

Not so the ABC and its esteemed guests. The radio presenters were Waleed Aly and Scott Stephens and the program was part of an ABC Radio National series The Minefield.

Aly has previously made limited criticisms of the prosecution of Assange, though not recently. A politics lecturer at Monash University and ubiquitous media personality, his liberal credentials are primarily based on the promotion of multicultural identity politics, which are not even slightly left-wing or threatening to the powers that be.

Less frequently noted is that Aly works for Monash Universitys Global Terrorism Research Centre think tank, a state-funded body which collaborates with policing agencies and is tasked with fostering counter-terrorism practices.

The Minefield hosts Waleed Aly and Scott Stephens (Photo: ABC)

Stephens is an ABC editor, and former theology and ethics lecturer and parish minister. He is considered an expert on the Slovenian academic Slavoj Zizek, an intellectual charlatan whose occasionally left rhetoric is marshalled in support of imperialist war and reaction.

Appearing as a guest on the Assange episode was Katharine Gelbera University of Queensland Professor of Politics and Public Policy and head of that universitys School of Political Science and International Studies.

Barely five minutes into the program, Stephens complained that Assangists are so sensitive about Assange as a cause, and what Assange as a cause might then mean for the future of western democracy or the future of press freedom that no admission that there really may have been things for which he has rightly been charged and for which he should be held accountable and for which he should be tried, can even be broached.

The only crime for which Assange has been charged is publishing true information, in the public interest, which exposed illegal actions by the American government and its allies. If that is made illegal, so is any opposition to war and other government policies.

Stephens presented the kangaroo court process to which Assange has been subjected for over a decade as a bona fide legal case.

Is the defence really worth the price of causing people to lose faith altogether in legal systems, in the internal accountability structures within journalism, of the ability of politicians and judges to behave and to act, and to legislate, in good faith? Stephens continues.

Without evidence, he repeated the US Department of Justices account of the charges against Assange: Soliciting/conspiring with persons who had access to classified information to assist them in procuring that informationin other words hacking, and the mass publication of documents that placed persons who were informants, especially in Afghanistan and Iraq, in immediate threat of reprisal, of imprisonment, and of death.

These claims are refuted by evidence that has been on the public record for years.

Testimony in court cases has proved that Assange did not hack into US computers.

Far from willfully, heedlessly or recklessly placing individuals at risk through WikiLeaks publications, both Mark Davis and Der Spiegel journalist John Goetz have revealed the extensive redaction of documents by Assange.

Yet, Stephens declared, On both fronts, in my opinion, it is right for him to be extradited, it is right for him to be placed on trial.

Stephens did not note that according to a Yahoo! News report last September, the Trump administration and the CIA had plotted to kidnap or assassinate Assange in 2017. Were these plans for state murder in London an expression of the rule of law and democratic norms? Stephens did not say and Aly did not bother to ask.

Gelber jumped in to proclaim that WikiLeaks is not a journalistic organisation, despite having received some of the highest honours in the field, including Australias Walkley Award for Most Outstanding Contribution to Journalism in 2011.

According to Gelber, Assange is saying that I can illegally obtain information, I can exercise no prudence or caution in what I choose to make public. I can put individuals at risk because I want to. I can ignore all of the principles of journalism. And then when they come after me, which I knew was going to happen, Im going to say How dare you come after me. I have free speech.

Stephens concurred with Gelbers anti-democratic rant, adding, The free speech argument is not on the side of those who try to illegally obtain that information.

The US has acknowledged it has no evidence that WikiLeaks publications resulted in any individual in the world coming to physical harm. The only damage done was to the bogus humanitarian and democratic pretensions of the warmongers in Washington.

If soliciting information is a crime, moreover, so is all genuine journalism. If journalists do not solicit information, they simply become a forwarding service for approved official information that is handed to them by government authorities. Such a conception of a free press would not be objected to by any number of dictators and autocrats.

Gelber expanded on this point: We cant allow that special protection [freedom of the press] to be extended to anybody with a keyboard no matter how they obtained the information, no matter what they want to release, and without exercising any editorial restraint, or prudence, or judgment.

In other words, press freedom applies only to journalists who work for multibillion dollar media conglomerates, and who are vetted by the intelligence agencies. This was certainly not the conception of the American revolutionaries, who inscribed free speech for all as the First Amendment of the American Constitution, but it would be heartily agreed to in the offices of the CIA and their Australian counterparts.

Aly, adopting the lame pose of pseudo-objectivity that is so favoured among careerist journalists and talking heads, distanced himself from those who would brand Assange as either a villain or messiah. He added: I just feel like it would be a much better conversation if you were banned from mentioning the name Julian Assange.

So would the CIA thugs who plotted to assassinate Assange, and all of the government leaders who have overseen his decade-long persecution.

Alys statement underscored the obliteration of any substantial distinction between upper-middle class liberal opinion, and the rantings of academics who speak for the intelligence agencies and the state.

The program underscores several conclusions that must be drawn by those fighting for democratic rights and Assanges freedom.

Chief among them is that there is no constituency for democratic rights within the political establishment, including the ABC, whatever its erstwhile liberal pretensions. To the extent that the assault on democratic rights is discussed in these circles, it is legitimised and promoted with slanders and outright lies. If a dictatorship were proclaimed, such individuals would have a measured conversation on its pros and cons.

The official media, including the ABC, is completely integrated into the state and corporate apparatus. Its figureheads and self-styled experts are representatives of an affluent upper-middle class that has been irredeemably corrupted by its six-figure salaries, stock market holdings and property portfolios.

The real basis for Assanges freedom is the emerging movement of the working class, including in the US, Britain and Australia. It is there that a genuine commitment to democratic rights, free speech and an opposition to imperialist war is to be found.
The World Socialist Web Site (WSWS) is continuing to receive statements in support of Dr. David Berger, an Australian physician and dedicated Zero-COVID advocate, who is facing disciplinary action from the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) because of his opposition to the official let it rip pandemic policies of mass infection and death.

Since the publication of our first article, which calls on scientists, health workers and other sections of workers to speak out in defence of Dr. Berger, the WSWS has published three articles compiling these statements and will continue to do so this week. These articles have been read by tens of thousands of people throughout the world.

We urge readers to speak out in Bergers defence by emailing your statements here. Please indicate in the email how you would like to be identified in our next article, and if you want to include a photo, please attach one to the email.

Dr. Colin Hughes sent the following statement of support for Dr. David Berger. Hughes is a former chair of the Royal Australian College of General Practioners Western Australia and a former head of Public Health East Metro Perth. He is currently a tutor at the Curtin Medical School.

It wasnt the delayed vaccine rollout that was the worst of the Morrison governments COVID response. Nor the $40 billion paid to companies that made a profit during the initial shutdown. It was the total refusal to accept Public Health advice about the management plan. Their delayed plans for purpose-built quarantine; the pretence that they were supporting State Governments while pandering to the Freedom anti-vaccine zealots.

Colin Hughes (Image supplied)

Worst of all was their reliance on advice from doctors like Dr. Nick Coatsworth and his message, still repeated on MSM [mainstream media] current affairs, that COVID was not airborne, masks didnt matter, that kids were not affected by COVID, and that we had to learn to live with it.

Most dangerous of all was the message that vaccination was the silver bullet that would see our way out of COVID. Thank goodness for doctors like Dr. David Berger and former AMA president Dr. Andrew Miller, amongst many others, to tell the truth about the consequences of a failed Public Health response to a virus that has been shown to easily morph into more virulent, contagious and vaccine immune strains.

Look at Asia. There mask-wearing is a civic duty. You wear a mask to protect not only yourself but your loved ones at home, especially your grandparents, your mates at work and those in the community most vulnerable. Instead of millions of dollars of taxpayer dollars being spent on pre-election propaganda of the fake and inadequate response to the Climate Emergency; that money should have been spent on Public Health information on how best to protect the community from COVID.

There are some amazing graphics developed overseas showing a coloured gas response to coughing and breathing in COVID infected air. Simple advice to open a window and ensure that government regulations covered CO2 monitors, clean air and HEPA filters in all offices, public buildings and especially schools. Compared with what it has cost the taxpayer for the botched response, these measures would be highly cost effective.

So why hasnt it happened under the new Albanese Labor government? While they are busy calling summits on wage parity and industrial relations, why isnt Health Minister Butler calling for a summit on Australias ongoing response to everlasting COVID?

We need a summit and a democratic discussion involving frontline respiratory physicians and emergency medicine doctors, as well as the RACGP and AMA. All state chief health officers and ministers should attend. Most importantly can we please have true public health doctors attend who are aware of the principles of harm minimisation and health literacy?

Philmrea

I just read the two articles published about the Australian government and ruling class attempts to silence the good doctor and wanted to throw my two cents in as a sign of support. What follows is just an observation as to the absurdity of Dr. Bergers predicament and, in general, all systems operating under capitalism.

Over years of reading and thinking about the world, I have developed confidence in the conjecture, everything is backwards under capitalism.

Is there any truth to the statement?

Well, what could possibly be more backward than a government and health system implementing policy optimally designed to spread a virus to as large of a proportion of the population as possible during a global pandemic?

What is more backward than a national health service intentionally spreading misinformation and actively suppressing the truth at the time when it is needed by society the most?

What can be more backward than a national professional accrediting agency that considers disagreeing with, let alone actually correcting others, professional misconduct?

Dr. Berger actually finds himself at risk of losing his medical license for communicating true medical information Can this even be considered backward? Whatever it is, its disorienting

Rebecca Mclaren, from Melbourne, Australia, is a former health insurance worker but is now involved full-time in the home-schooling her children

I am so grateful for people like Dr. Berger because without people like him, we dont know the risks and cannot keep ourselves safe. Our government tells us to take personal responsibility but then lies to us about the dangers of COVID and deliberately downplays the seriousness of it, its reprehensible. It is supposed to be their job to properly inform people and create policies that keep the public safe. Not purposely mislead us and silence anyone who tells us the truth.

Rebecca Mclaren (Image supplied)

I cannot believe that in 2022 in Australia an attempt is being made to prevent a doctor from giving people vital, life-saving information. This is an absolute disgrace.

I hope that Dr. Berger keeps speaking out. He is one of the few good people we have left to give us reliable, truthful information. Without this we simply cannot keep ourselves safe.

Todd Lewis

Dr. Berger, your consistent and tireless advocacy for the citizens of your country shows a most good and caring man.

Politeness can be a facade used by those without empathy. Accusing you of not being polite is a malicious and desperate attack. I so very much admire you.

Strength and courage sir. Strength and courage.

Virginia

I have greatly valued Bergers advocacy and insight throughout the pandemic. His evidence-based updates and posts have been exceedingly important in helping me protect my family and myself.

That the Australian medical authorities should attempt to silence him and even subject him to a re-education is a shameful travesty and truly shocking in this day and age! They would be wiser to spend their time actually focusing their energies on measures to mitigate transmission of this airborne virus!



Send us your statements of support for Dr. Berger and we will publish them in the coming days.
On July 13, United States Vice President Kamala Harris gave a virtual speech to the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) summit, a meeting of 16 regional government leaders taking place in Fiji. She announced a major escalation of US involvement in the Pacific, aimed at ramping up the strategic, economic and military encirclement of China.

US Vice President Kamala Harris addresses the Pacific Islands Forum (Photo: Twitter/VP)

Harris was invited by Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama to speak at the last minute, despite a previous announcement by the PIF that the US, China and several other observer countries would be excluded from the talks. In a provocative move intended to underscore Chinas exclusion, two officials from Beijings embassy in Fiji, who were sitting with the media during the session at which Harris spoke, were escorted out of the conference room by police.

Harris pledged to triple US funding for economic development and ocean resilience in the Pacific, with $600 million to be provided over the next 10 years. These funds will help strengthen climate resilience; invest in marine planning and conservation; and combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing; and enhance maritime security, she said. This provides a framework for the further expansion of the US Coast Guard and navy throughout the vast region.

In a throw-away line, Harris declared that the US will continue to stand with [Pacific countries] to address the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, because of the homicidal let it rip policies adopted by the US, Australia and New Zealand, and almost everywhere else except China, COVID is now spreading rapidly across the Pacific. Fiji is one of the worst-hit countries, with 869 recorded deaths in a population of 900,000.

Nauru President Lionel Aingimea pulled out of the PIF summit at the last minute, saying he had to focus on addressing the pandemic. The country of fewer than 11,000 people recorded its first COVID death this month.

Harris also announced that two new US embassies will be established, in Tonga and Kiribati, and a new USAID mission in Fiji, as well as the return of Peace Corps volunteers to the region.

The vice president left no doubt that China is the target of these moves. She declared that the US aimed to strengthen the international rules-based orderto defend it, to promote it, and to build on it At a time when we see bad actors seeking to undermine the rules-based order, we must stand united.

The rules-based order refers to the US-dominated system of rules and institutions established following World War II. The US has repeatedly accused China of undermining the rules-based order through its economic and diplomatic expansion, including in the Pacific.

Kiribati suddenly announced it was pulling out of the PIF just days before the summit, saying it was dissatisfied with the leadership of the Forum. Immediately, international media outlets blamed China for the move, something denied by Kiribatis government and Beijing.

The Marshall Islands, which is a key US ally and hosts a US Army base, has also pulled out of the PIF; like Kiribati, it had previously demanded a new leader for the Forum from one of the Micronesian countries.

This did not stop Anne-Marie Brady, a prominent pro-US academic in New Zealand, from telling CNN that Kiribati appears to have been given instructions not to attend and that its move was intended to disrupt Pacific unity, just when it was about to come up with a collective response on Chinas attempt to set up a security treaty in the region.

The PIF summit has also been preceded by hysterical denunciations, particularly in the Australian and NZ media, of the Solomon Islands recent security agreement with China. In April, the US threatened to invade the country if steps were taken to establish a Chinese military presence there.

Harris intervention at the Fiji summit signals that the Biden administration is no longer satisfied with allowing its junior imperialist allies, Australia and New Zealand, to police the region and keep the smaller Pacific states in line.

The fact that Fiji invited Harris to speak is significant. The countrys leader, Bainimarama, is a former military strongman who came to power in a coup in 2006, and whose regime rests directly on the military. Fiji is becoming an important hub for US military engagement in the region. Last month, US Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro met with Fijis military commander General Logavatou Kalouniwai and other officials. This followed a visit earlier in the year by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The entire Indo-Pacific has been transformed into a tinderbox by Washingtons preparations for war against China, as the US and NATO escalate the war with Russia over Ukraine. The US ruling elite is seeking to overcome its historic economic decline by subordinating Russia and China to its domination, even if this means risking nuclear war.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, speaking to the media in Fiji today, said she told Solomon Islands leader Manasseh Sogavare that it would be New Zealands deep concern to see anything that contributed to the militarisation of our region. She said all PIF leaders agreed on this point, including Sogavare.

Such statements are profoundly hypocritical. The PIF summit coincides with the major US-led Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) military exercise in Hawaii, held between June 29 and August 4. The exercise involves 26 countries including Australia, New Zealand, Japan, India, and several NATO powers including Germany, France and the UK.

Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of the US Pacific Fleet, told reporters this week that the combat power that China is developing over the last few decades was concerning and that RIMPAC was intended to demonstrate the solidarity of all its participants to the international rules-based order. According to Defense News, Paparo said RIMPAC was designed to bolster proficiency in areas that would be applicable in a war with China over Taiwan, including amphibious operations and long-range strikes.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday the US Navy destroyer USS Benfold carried out another provocative freedom of navigation exercise close to China-claimed islands in the South China Sea. According to Reuters, Tian Junli, a Chinese military spokesperson, said troops were placed on high alert as the Benfold illegally broke into Chinas Paracel territorial waters without the approval of the Chinese government.

Australia is playing an integral role in the militarisation of the Pacific, as Washingtons main ally. At the PIF summit today, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to recommit to the Labor Partys election pledge to establish a new Australia Pacific Defence School. The academy is intended to coordinate and expand existing Australian-led training initiatives in the region, involving the armed forces of Papua New Guinea, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu.

In a speech on Monday at the Washington CSIS think tank, Australian defence minister Richard Marles made clear that Australia is preparing for war against China. He denounced Chinas military build-up, in order to justify Australia spending hundreds of billions of dollars to acquire nuclear-powered submarines and other high-tech weapons.

At the PIF summit, Harris, Ardern and Albanese all paid lip service to the need to address climate change, which poses an existential threat to the impoverished, low-lying island nations in the Pacific. Albanese declared that there was no challenge more important than climate change. Ardern announced some funding for mitigation programs, including the preservation of Pacific seed crops impacted by climate change.

However, none of the imperialist powers have taken the necessary urgent steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which continue to soar. Australia is responsible for about 84 percent of the Pacifics emissions, according to the Climate Council.

Nor did any of the leaders explain how their intensifying preparations for world war, which would involve nuclear-armed adversaries, would benefit the environment.

The PIF summit underscores the imminent danger of such a war, and the urgent need for the international working class to intervene with its own anti-war program, based on the fight to abolish capitalism, which is the source of war.
Eight people were killed as a result of a missile strike by Russian invaders on the city of Vinnytsia on Thursday afternoon, Deputy Head of the President's Office of Ukraine Kyrylo Tymoshenko has said.

"Russian missiles hit the center of Vinnytsia. Eight killed, including a small child. There are wounded. This is another crime of the invaders in our peaceful city deep in the rear," Tymoshenko said in Telegram.

Earlier it was reported about two killed, including a child, and six wounded as a result of the strike.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky called Russia a "killer country" and a "terrorist country" after a missile attack on Vinnytsia on Thursday.

"Vinnytsia. Missile attacks on the city center. There are wounded and killed, among them a small child. Every day, Russia destroys the civilian population, kills Ukrainian children, directs missiles at civilian targets. Where there is nothing military. What is this if not an open terrorist act? Monsters. Killer country. Terrorist country," he said on his Telegram channel.
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan and Georgia have signed the memorandums of understanding on the twinning of the cities of Shamkir-Marneuli, Agstafa-Gardabani, Goygol-Bolnisi, and Dashkasan-Dmanisi, Azernews reports.

The documents were signed during the meeting between Azerbaijan's Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov and Georgia's Kvemo Kartli region governor Giorgi Dokhturishvili, within the framework of his visit to Azerbaijan.

"The #MemorandumsofUnderstanding on the twinning of the cities of Shamkir-Marneuli, Agstafa-Gardabani, Goygol-Bolnisi, and Dashkasan-Dmanisi was signed within the framework of the visit of the governor of Kvemo Kartli region of Georgia Giorgi Dokhturishvili to our country. This is an important contribution to the strengthening and developing our relations," Jabbarov wrote on his official Twitter page.

During the meeting, the parties also shared their views on the benefits and prospects of successful cooperation between the two countries for the development of economic and trade relations.

Earlier, Giorgi Dokhturishvili held a meeting with Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov. They discussed prospects of cooperation in trade, economy, transport and transit, investment, energy, and other spheres. The parties emphasized the vital role of collaboration between cities of the two countries in expanding the bilateral ties.

Azerbaijan and Georgia are collaborating in a variety of economic sectors. The two countries signed a number of cooperation agreements in 2021 as part of a meeting of the joint intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation.

Simultaneously, as part of the trilateral business forum held in Baku in December 2021, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey signed five memorandums and agreements on cooperation.

In 2021, the two countries' trade turnover totaled $763.6 million, with exports accounting for $661 million and imports accounting for $102.6 million.
Head of the President's Office of Ukraine Andriy Yermak proposes to create a parliamentary commission to control the use of weapons supplied to Ukraine.

"I want to invite MPs to consider one important issue, namely, the creation of a Temporary Special Commission, which will be engaged in the preparation and consideration of issues related to the control of the use of weapons received from our partners. Russian attempts to unbalance the international coalition around Ukraine are suffering a crushing collapse," he said in a Telegram channel on Thursday.

According to him, "the issue of weapons for our state is a priority. We all see how Western guns, self-propelled guns, HIMARS and other types of weapons are already changing the situation on the battlefield. We need more weapons to liberate the territories, we will not let the Russians win and do everything to drive them out of our land."

"Parliament as a legislative agency should be attached to the control of Allied defense assistance. Our goal is to be as transparent as possible under martial law," Yermak said.

He said "all Western weapons received are registered and sent to the frontline. Everything is clearly controlled, and now this process will become even more open. It is transparency that is the best recipe against Russian manipulations and fakes."
As a result of enemy missile attacks on Vinnytsia, some 17 people, including two children, were killed, dozens of people were wounded, and an investigation has been launched, the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) has said.

"Under the procedural leadership of Vinnytsia Regional Prosecutor's Office, a pretrial investigation has been launched in criminal proceedings on violations of the laws and customs of war, which is associated with premeditated murder (part 2 of article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine)," the prosecutor's office said in a Telegram channel on Thursday.

According to the prosecutor's office, on the afternoon of July 14, the armed forces of the Russian Federation fired missiles the central part of the city of Vinnytsia.

"At the moment, 17 killed are known, including two children. Several dozen people were injured. Residential buildings, administrative and office premises were significantly destroyed and damaged," the PGO said.

The search work continues. Prosecutors, investigators and emergency services are at the scene.

Pretrial investigation in criminal proceedings is carried out by the SBU Department in Vinnytsia region.
Some 20 killed, including three children, in missile attack on Vinnytsia  K.Tymoshenko

Some 20 people killed as a result of a missile attack by Russian invaders on the city of Vinnytsia on Thursday afternoon, three of them are children, Deputy Head of the President's Office of Ukraine Kyrylo Tymoshenko has said.

"So far, some 20 people are known to have died due to a missile attack on the city, including three children. Some 90 people have turned to medical institutions for help," Tymoshenko said in Telegram.

According to him, the Russians hit the center of Vinnytsia with Caliber cruise missiles, launching them from a submarine in the Black Sea.

The rescue operation continues, the President's Office deputy head said.
(Getty Images)

In 1986, a relatively fresh-faced senator from Delaware delivered an impassioned speech on the immorality of South Africas apartheid regime and his countrys support of it. During a Senate foreign relations committee hearing, a 43-year-old Joe Biden pounded his fist on the table in anger as he attacked George Shultz, Ronald Reagans secretary of state, for backing the South African government, which imposed a system of segregation policies against its non-white majority.

Im ashamed thats our policy [...]. Im ashamed of the lack of moral backbone! he said. These people are being crushed, and were sitting here with the same kind of rhetoric.

Whats our timetable? What are we saying to that repugnant regime? Are we saying youve got twenty days, twenty months, twenty years? We asked them to put up a timetable, whats our timetable? Where do we stand morally? he asked.

It was a powerful condemnation of a system of racist oppression being carried out by a US ally, and one of many made by the senator on the subject throughout his career. But some 35 years later, those very same questions are being asked of Mr Biden as he visits Israel and Palestine for the first time since becoming president of the United States.

When Mr Biden travels in the coming days to Bethlehem he will be greeted by large billboards emblazoned with the words: Mr President, this is apartheid, alongside a map of what is left of the disconnected Palestinian territories  a stunt arranged by Israeli human rights group BTselem.

During an interview with Israeli television on Wednesday, the president was asked what he thought about voices in the Democratic Party who called Israel an apartheid state.

There are few of them. I think they are wrong. I think they are making a mistake. Israel is a democracy. Israel is our ally. Israel is a friend. I think that I make no apology, he said, before going on to tout the $4bn in military aid given by his administration to Israel.

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It was a softball question, framed as an internal political disagreement rather than a practical reality. In any case, it was not answered fully. But there are reasons to expect that it should be.

Since Mr Bidens last visit to Israel in 2016, a consensus has emerged among leading human rights groups on the question of apartheid in Israel. That consensus it is that Israel is now practising the very same crimes that Mr Biden once forcefully condemned as a senator.

Last year saw a significant shift in how rights groups described Israels occupation. In January 2021 , BTselem published a detailed report in which it labelled Israel an apartheid state.

By geographically, demographically and physically engineering space, the regime enables Jews to live in a contiguous area with full rights, including self-determination, while Palestinians live in separate units and enjoy fewer rights, the group said.

This qualifies as an apartheid regime, although Israel is commonly viewed as a democracy upholding a temporary occupation, it added.

Soon after, in April last year, Human Rights Watch presented its own landmark 213-page report which came to the same conclusion. The rights group found that Israeli authorities are committing the crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution.

We reached this determination based on our documentation of an overarching government policy to maintain the domination by Jewish Israelis over Palestinians coupled with grave abuses committed against Palestinians living in the occupied territory, including East Jerusalem, HRW said.

Amnesty International followed suit in February of this year with a report that found Israel was committing the crime of apartheid against Palestinians.

The report sets out how massive seizures of Palestinian land and property, unlawful killings, forcible transfer, drastic movement restrictions, and the denial of nationality and citizenship to Palestinians are all components of a system which amounts to apartheid under international law.

And in March, Michael Lynk, the UN Special Rapporteur for the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, called on the United Nations to address what he also described as apartheid.

Apartheid is not, sadly, a phenomenon confined to the history books on southern Africa, he said in his report to the Human Rights Council.

There is today in the Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967 a deeply discriminatory dual legal and political system that privileges the 700,000 Israeli Jewish settlers living in the 300 illegal Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, he added.

Israels ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, responded to the reports by accusing the groups behind them of launching a Jihad war against the only vibrant democracy in the Middle East.

Yair Lapid, who was foreign minister at the time of the report but who greets Mr Biden as Israels prime minister today, said in a statement responding to the Amnesty report: Israel isnt perfect, but we are a democracy committed to international law, open to criticism, with a free press and a strong and independent judicial system.

The Biden administration also said it rejected the view that Israels actions constitute apartheid. The departments own reports have never used such terminology, State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters.

The Apartheid Convention, adopted by the UN general Assembly in 1973, declares that apartheid is a crime against humanity and that inhuman acts resulting from the policies and practices of apartheid and similar policies and practices of racial segregation and discrimination are international crimes. The 2002 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court also set out apartheid as a crime against humanity.

There are, of course, significant differences between the South African apartheid regime and Israels occupation of Palestinian territories. But there are also many similarities  Desmond Tutu, an anti-apartheid leader whom Mr Biden praised in his 1986 speech, spoke of them often.

"I have witnessed the systemic humiliation of Palestinian men, women and children by members of the Israeli security forces. Their humiliation is familiar to all black South Africans who were corralled and harassed and insulted and assaulted by the security forces of the apartheid government, he said in 2014.

Mr Biden has spoken often of his long lasting and deep relationship with Israel. He has been a consistent supporter, both in word and deed. But his refusal to properly address the question of apartheid in Israel makes his campaign pledge to human rights will be the centre of our foreign policy sound hollow. It is also the kind of vague answer that a younger Joe Biden would have forensically interrogated, as he did to Mr Shultz.

The question that Mr Biden should answer now then, is precisely how he disagrees with worlds leading human rights groups and their designation of the crime of apartheid in Israel.
Parag Agrawal, Twitters chief executive, urged staffers to steer clear of distracting speculation after the company sued Elon Musk in Delaware Chancery Court. We took this opportunity to tell our story and defend our company, our people, and our stockholders. We plan to hold the buyer fully accountable to fulfill his contractual obligations, he said in a memo.

Twitter filed the suit after Musk unilaterally terminated an agreement from April to buy Twitter for $44 billion, or $54.20 a share. The social media platform also asked for an expedited trial in September as it is critically important for this matter to be resolved quickly but told employees that it cant predict the duration of the process.

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At this point, the next step in the process will be for the court to set a schedule for the case. Twitter shareholders still need to approve the deal although no date has been set yet for a vote. Twitter will report quarterly earnings July 22.

Twitters stock rose today amid a growing consensus that it has a strong case against Musk and could win billions in damages or a settlement even if the merger ends up scuttled. But uncertainty hanging over the company is no good for morale or business. Its been a surreal process, with Musk starting to bash Twitter within weeks of agreeing to buy it. The company said that in late June it sent Musk a formal request for consent to two employee retention programs but Musk has not provided his consent to implement these programs.

Our attrition is slightly higher than best practice for normal macroeconomic times, but remains in line with current industry trends, it added.

Sean Edgett, the companys General Counsel asked staff to refrain from sharing any commentary about the acquisition on Twitter or Slack.

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The memo and other comments were noted in SEC filings this afternoon.

Agrawals email:

Team,

I know this process has been challenging for all of you, and I continue to be deeply grateful for your passion, agility, and commitment to Twitter. I encourage you to take time to read what we filed. We took this opportunity to tell our story and defend our company, our people, and our stockholders. We plan to hold the buyer fully accountable to fulfill his contractual obligations. We will prove our position in court and we believe we will prevail.

The coming weeks will be filled with news and noise about this case, with increased analyst and reporter speculation about what may unfold. Some of the coverage will be helpful to explain this complicated process, but a lot of the speculation will be distracting. It is important to remember that we have collectively built a company that has navigated through adversity, disruption, and challenges throughout our 16 year history. Along with this litigation, the current environment  macroeconomic, geopolitical, societal  presents additional complexities and challenges for us and our industry. But with each challenge, we have persevered. How? Through our purpose, our focus on our customers, and above all else, our resilience.

The work all of us do, as individuals and as #OneTeam, impacts peoples lives and comes with deep responsibility and meaning. Twitter is not built by the leadership team or an owner, it is built by all of you  and together, we all define the future of Twitter. What unites us is our care for our customers, this company, and each other. Our resilience, collectively, will carry us forward.

I am grateful to be working alongside all of you.

Parag

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Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado; Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota Getty Images

GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert renews her ideological attacks on Democrat Ilhan Omar in her new memoir.

Boebert writes that Omar "not only doesn't speak out against terrorism; she condones it."

Boebert compared Omar to a suicide bomber in 2021 and tweeted regrets, but never resolved anything.

Still feeling spurned after an initial apology was rejected, GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado rekindles her feud with Rep. Ilhan Omar in a new memoir by calling the Minnesota Democrat a "terrorist sympathizer" who "consistently spewed anti-American and anti-Jewish rhetoric."

In a chapter titled "Keep the Faith, Keep Up the Fight," Boebert attacks Omar  and, by extension, Democrats who consider the deadly attack on the US Capitol newsworthy.

"Leftists will compare January 6 to 9/11 but look the other way when a domestic terror group like Antifa sets fire to cities like Portland, Seattle, or Minneapolis. In fact, Minneapolis's own congressional representative not only doesn't speak out against terrorism; she condones it," Boebert writes, adding that Omar "has long been a terrorist sympathizer, which she's made clear repeatedly with outlandish comments and vitriolic, bigoted posts on Twitter."

Boebert again criticized Omar's remark in a 2019 speech that "some people did something" on 9/11, referring to the terrorists, as part of remarks about Islamophobia in America in the wake of 9/11.

Omar's office did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. The Democrat has previously accused Boebert of having "a clear pattern for Islamophobic hate speech."

Boebert amps up the vitriol by referring to Omar by her full name, Ilhan Abdullahi Omar  a move reminiscent of Republicans' play to terrify their base by demonizing President Barack emphasis-on-Hussein Obama. Omar, who moved to the US as a child refugee after she and her family fled Somalia's civil war, became one of the two first Muslim women ever elected to Congress along with Rep. Rashida Tlaib in 2018.

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Boebert has repeatedly attacked both Omar and Tlaib, calling her two colleagues "black-hearted evil women" and calling Omar a member of the "jihad squad."

This latest attack, included in the newly-released "My American Life," comes months after Boebert was accused of being Islamophobic for characterizing Omar as a suicide bomber during a campaign rally in Colorado. The ensuing controversy last fall led to awkward phone calls between the two, a public rebuke from Omar, and passage of an anti-Islamophobia bill.

Time may have passed, but Boebert clearly hasn't let go of the incident.

She blasts Omar anew, laying into her for describing some terrorist attacks as the outgrowth of systemic abuse.

"Aww, the poor things. Those misunderstood, maladjusted, and alienated guys," Boebert mockingly writes. "Well, I hate to break it to you, Ilhan, but terrorists are alienated because law-abiding Americans don't take kindly to murderous, bloodthirsty psychopaths slaughtering the innocent in the name of politics, religion, or anything else."

Boebert rages on from there, recounting the controversial "anecdote" she shared about riding in an elevator with Omar  "a joke that I later realized could be hurtful to people in the Islamic community, so I won't repeat it here," she notes  the subsequent firestorm that ensued on social media, and a private conversation with Omar that didn't go as planned.

"I was able to speak with Omar by phone a few days later and apologize personally," Boebert writes, adding that Omar demanded a public apology (beyond what Boebert said she'd already tweeted out). " It took but a second to realize there was no reasoning with this person, so I told Omar she should apologize for her anti-American, anti-Semitic, and anti-police rhetoric."

How did they leave things?

"Omar hung up on me," Boebert writes.

Omar said in a statement at the time at Boebert refused to apologize to her on the call.

"Instead of apologizing for her Islamophobic comments and fabricated lies, Rep. Boebert refused to publicly acknowledge her hurtful and dangerous comments," Omar said. "She instead doubled down on her rhetoric and I decided to end the unproductive call."

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In the months following the 2021 shooting deaths of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, and the death of his father, former 14th Circuit Solicitor Randolph Murdaugh III, South Carolina attorney Richard "Alex" Murdaugh has been repeatedly struck with financial crime indictments, drug charges and civil suits, as he sits jailed in the state capital on a $7 million bond.

Now, the fourth generation legal legacy is an attorney no more, and the Colleton County Grand Jury has charged Alex Murdaugh with two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime in the deaths of his wife and son.

On July 12, Murdaugh was officially disbarred from the practice of law in the Palmetto State by order of the state Supreme Court. The same day, his family members and one of his attorneys said that SLED agents met with them "as a courtesy" to inform them that they intended to charge Alex Murdaugh in connection with the double homicide.

As the public wonders what's next, here is what we know and don't know about the Alex Murdaugh case.

Previous reporting: Here's a timeline of the Murdaugh family killings

Pending charges: Murder charges pending for Alex Murdaugh. 'We want the truth,' family says

Who are the Murdaughs?

For over a century, the Murdaugh name was synonymous with civil law and criminal justice in and around Hampton County. Alex's great-grandfather, Randolph Murdaugh Sr., founded a personal injury firm that grew into a Lowcountry legal giant, and Alex's father was the third Randolph Murdaugh to hold the office of 14th Circuit Solicitor in a family tenure that spanned more than 85 years.

Like the generations before him, Alex Murdaugh attended the University of South Carolina law school, played Gamecock football while enjoying hunting, fishing and boating in the scenic Lowcountry, practiced civil law at the family firm, and even worked as a volunteer assistant solicitor under his father. Murdaugh lived a seemingly perfect life of wealth and luxury, dividing his time between the family's primary estate and its Edisto beach house.

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Despite their power, wealth and connections, the Murdaughs were largely unknown outside the realm of their five-county circuit  until Alex's son, Paul, allegedly crashed his father's boat in Beaufort County, leaving Mallory Beach, 19, of Hampton dead.

A fatal crash involving this boat, owned by Richard "Alex" Murdaugh and allegedly driven by his son, Paul, would spark a series of events that would bring the Murdaugh family into the national spotlight.

Then, as Paul Murdaugh awaited trial on felony boating under the influence charges, the family was propelled into the national spotlight on the night of June 7, 2021, when Alex Murdaugh called 911 to report that Paul and his mother had been shot and killed.

A mother and son of a prominent family lay dead, and for more than a year, no arrests or suspects were officially announced.

Dispatches From Hampton County: Remembering victims, lives lost in the Murdaugh crime saga

Power, prestige and privilege: Inside the rise and fall of the Murdaugh dynasty in South Carolina

What we know about the double homicide

State officials are set to announce criminal charges in the shooting deaths of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh, say family members.

Maggie, 52, at the time, and Paul, 22, were shot and killed outside their Colleton County estate, commonly called "Moselle" by the family, near Islandton.

Alex Murdaugh called 911 at 10:07 p.m. and told operators that he wasn't home at the time of the killings and came home to find both victims unresponsive and that nothing else looked out of place.

The Colleton County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene and immediately notified the State Law Enforcement Division, which took the lead in the investigation.

Colleton County Coroner Richard Harvey reported that the victims were found on the ground near the family dog kennels, and both died of multiple gunshot wounds. Harvey placed the time of death between 9 and 9:30 p.m. Soon after the killings, SLED issues a statement saying that there is no danger to the public.

On June 16, eyewitnesses reported to The Hampton County Guardian that SLED agents with SCUBA diving gear were searching the Salkehatchie River roughly two miles from the crime scene. SLED would not confirm if this was related to the homicides.

On June 10, a day before the Murdaugh family was set to hold funerals for Paul and Maggie, Randolph III, 81, died of apparent natural causes at his home in Hampton County. In less than a week, the Murdaughs held funerals for three of their own.

Members of the Murdaugh family, vilified by some in the public following Beachs death, appeared on Good Morning America on June 17 pleading for help, stating that Paul had received death threats. The person who did this is out there, said Randolph Randy Murdaugh IV. We need help finding who did this Were just regular people, and we are hurting just like they would be hurting if it had happened to them.

The killings prompted international media coverage and a true crime, social media following  as well as numerous rumors and conspiracy theories.

Online following of Murdaugh saga: South Carolina murder saga attracts cult-like online following

On June 25, Alex and his surviving son, "Buster," offered a $100,000 reward for the killer or killers.

On June 23, SLED spokesperson Tommy Crosby released the following statement: "SLED has opened an investigation into the death of Stephen Smith based upon information gathered during the course of the double murder investigation of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh." Smith's death had controversially been ruled a hit and run in 2015.

For more than a year, SLED remained tight-lipped about the case and released little information, which was heavily redacted, as public speculation and interest grew.

On July 12, 2022, Alex's brother, John Marvin Murdaugh, told The Guardian that SLED met with family members that morning as a "courtesy" to announce pending homicide-related charges against Alex, but did not discuss details.

On July 14, 2022, the Colleton County Grand Jury charged Alex Murdaugh with two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime in the deaths of his wife and son.

What we don't know

SLED investigators have released little information and few public records in this high-profile homicide case, so there is much that the public doesn't know. The USA TODAY Network will continue digging deeper and share more official information as it becomes available.

Did Murdaugh have an accomplice?

While multiple S.C. media outlets have reported two weapons were used in the killings, state police did not discuss additional suspects with the Murdaugh family members or Maggie's family, the Branstetters. However, it is possible that additional suspects could be indicted later.

What is the motive in these killings?

SLED has announced no motive or suspects, but there are theories abound on social media.

Where will the murder trial be held?

According to a spokesperson for the S.C. Attorney General's Office, murder trials are generally held in the county where the crime happened unless a judge grants a change of venue. Colleton is one of five counties in the 14th Circuit where Murdaugh's family were chief prosecutors for more than 85 years. In other high-profile cases, jury pools have been selected from outside of the jurisdiction.

How serious are Murdaugh's other charges?

Murdaugh is already facing a total of 84 criminal charges, as well as 10 lawsuits in state court and one in federal court. At last tally by the S.C. Attorney General's Office, if convicted on all charges and sentenced consecutively, those charges add up, in theory, to more than 734 years of prison time. It is unclear, however, what Murdaugh's actual punishment will be if convicted or if additional charges are to be added.

Will others be charged in connection to Murdaugh's financial and narcotics cases?

Currently charged along with Murdaugh for financial crimes are suspended attorney Cory Fleming, former banker Russell Laffitte, and a Colleton County man, Curtis Edward Smith. Smith is also charged with Murdaugh in connection with narcotics charges. It is possible that other attorneys and bankers may be charged, and it is even more likely that other drug offenders will be indicted, considering the fact that Murdaugh and Smith are charged with distributing Oxycodone in a "multi-county area."

What has taken SLED so long to file murder charges?

This isn't just an isolated criminal case. Murdaugh is connected in some way to two other ongoing homicide investigations by SLED - the 2015 death of Stephen Smith and the 2018 death of Gloria Satterfield - as well as an alleged financial crime spree spanning multiple victims in several counties for more than a decade. SLED is also tasked with investigating serious crimes all around the state, which compounds matters.

I have more questions about Alex Murdaugh

If you have additional questions that our journalists can help answer, please share them with us using the form below. We will continue to update the story with answers to your questions.

If you can't see the form above, please submit your question here.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Alex Murdaugh case: What we know and don't know
There are 15 reports of missing people who were in site of missile strikes in Vinnytsia  National Police chief

As of 14:00 on Thursday, the police received 15 reports of missing citizens who were at the site where enemy missiles hit in Vinnytsia, Chief of the National Police Ihor Klymenko has said.

"Vinnytsia: as of 14:00, the specialized police line received 15 reports about missing citizens who were in the area where enemy missiles hit. Now they are not getting in touch," the chief of the National Police said on his Facebook page.

He said: "Unfortunately, the death toll has risen to 20. Three of them are children."

According to Klymenko, more than 400 police officers continue to work at the scene. "Some 12 investigative teams of the National Police of Ukraine and the State Security Service are documenting another crime of the Russian army against the Ukrainian people," the chief of the National Police said.
Sir Mo Farah has tried a few sports in his time, including football, cycling and, I seem to recall, a bit of running, but after watching The Real Mo Farah you feel like youve been in the boxing ring with him. Revelation after revelation, detail after detail and with one searing emotional confession leading to yet another, the viewer is left punchdrunk, bewildered at the real story of his life. You get quite bruised from this hour of jaw-dropping television.

The old version was heartwarming enough  a family reunion in Britain, fleeing from the Somali civil wars. It was, importantly in these times, a lawful form of asylum seeking (though in truth all asylum seekers have the right to have their case heard).

The truth? He was what is now often called, in the dehumanising language used by some, an illegal. Farah was trafficked to the UK from Somalia on false papers at around the age of nine and worked as a virtual child slave in domestic servitude with strangers in London. His identity was switched unwittingly with the traffickers own child, Mohamed Farah. They told him: If you want to see your family again, dont say anything. The real identity and the family links of this little boy were then extinguished.

When, eventually, his teachers found out the facts about this disruptive, disturbed child, when Mo could hide it no longer, they used subterfuge to get him a British passport in the bogus name hed been forced to adopt. If theyd tried to establish his legal residency as the kid he really was, Hussein Abdi Kahin, its less likely hed have made his life in Britain and won all those gold medals.

Technically, they broke the law, but who  once they see a helpless, vulnerable child rather than some demonised illegal migrant  would do otherwise? His headteacher, Sarah Rennie, and his PE teacher, who couldnt quite believe what was passing rather quickly across his eyes, are heroes in this story. So too, is Kinsi Farah, the aunt who rescued him from his effective incarceration. There are probably people out there who want them prosecuted. Thats the state were in.

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Its one of the those documentaries where the producers rightly left the story to be told by those involved, and did so without any intrusive voiceover. So it is mostly the voice of Mo himself we hear, eloquently struggling to come to terms with his past, his past lying, and the lingering feeling it was all somehow his fault that he left his family behind. But were also left alternatively shaken and delighted to hear the testimony of his wife, Tania, his mum, Aisha, real twin brother, Hassan (still back in Somaliland, a breakaway territory from the failed state of Somalia), and astonishingly the real real Mohamed Farah, the boy whos identity was used fraudulently to get the young Mo/Hussein through Heathrow Airport. Each of them only knew bits, if anything, of the story of the greatest Olympic athlete Britain has ever produced. Now we know it all. Or nearly...

Strange to say, that for all its shocking stories, The Real Mo Farah left some of the most sensitive questions about this national golden treasure stubbornly unanswered. We know, for example, why his mother sent him away to nearby Djibouti when his father, a cattle farmer, was hit by shrapnel during the civil war, but not why his uncle and aunt then exported him to the Farah family in London. As Sir Mo says, the hardest thing is admitting to myself that someone from my own family may have been involved in trafficking me.

Plainly, if not intentionally, Sir Mo is also trolling the government as it tries to implement its cruel Rwanda refugee deportation plan. No one needs to state the uncomfortable truth that were this skinny, toothy lad to arrive on a dinghy across the English Channel today, hed get sent straight back to Africa, even if his asylum claim is genuine. Theres a telling little sequence where we see the Olympic superhero driving back to his childhood home in Hounslow, listening to Priti Patel on the radio banging on about Border Force. He doesnt say anything. This time, he doesnt need to.
JERUSALEM - President Joe Biden on Thursday affirmed his view on the culpability of Saudi Arabia in the gruesome murder of a Washington Post columnist in 2018.

But Biden hedged when asked if he will discuss the killing when he meets Friday with Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who U.S. officials believe ordered the killing of Jamal Khashoggi. Without directly responding, Biden said his views on the killing are "absolutely clear" and he has "never been quiet" on human rights.

I will bring up  I always bring up human rights, Biden said during a news conference in Israel. But my position on Khashoggi has been so clear, if anyone doesnt understand it, in Saudi Arabia or anywhere else, then they havent been around for a while.

Khashoggi, a U.S. resident who had been critical of the Saudi government, was killed and dismembered inside a Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2, 2018. Khashoggi had gone to the consulate to get documents he needed for his upcoming wedding.

The crown prince has denied any involvement in Khashoggi's murder.

Biden's Saudi visit: A signal of 'impunity'? Biden's trip to Middle East pits human rights against geopolitical reality

The latest on Biden's trip: Tensions over Iran nuclear deal disrupt Biden's kumbaya moment in Israel

As a presidential candidate, Biden promised to make the kingdom a pariah state because of its human rights abuses.

In the run-up to his Middle East trip, the White House has said the goal is to recalibrate but not rupture the relationship.

On Thursday, Biden said there are too many important issues at stake to not engage with Saudi Arabia, which will be hosting a meeting of regional leaders during Bidens visit.

I want to make clear that we can continue to lead in the region and not create a vacuum, Biden said, a vacuum that is filled by China and/or Russia, against the interests of both Israel and the United States and many other countries.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden defends visit to Saudi Arabia after Khashoggi murder
Crude could be in for a momentous Wednesday. Phil Rosen here with you on hump day, eagerly awaiting updates from President Joe Biden's arrival in the Middle East.

Today, the Commander in Chief will try to shake things up in oil markets as he travels to Saudi Arabia to mull the global energy crunch. Below, I break down what you want to know ahead of any wheelin' and dealin' that might take place.



Plus, Twitter has followed through with its promise to sue Elon Musk, and the lawsuit is full of fiery accusations.

And by the way, Insider is seeking nominations for its new series, 100 People Transforming Business. Get the deets here.

Alright, nobody blink  we've got a lot of ground to cover.

If this was forwarded to you, sign up here. Download Insider's app here.

Joe Biden

President Joe Biden.Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

1. Even if talks go well this week, OPEC will be hard pressed to resolve the tight market. As part of its year-ahead outlook, the oil cartel said Tuesday that global demand will continue to outpace supply as member countries struggle to increase flows.

In the group's first outlook for 2023, OPEC said demand will balloon by 2.7 million barrels per day. To fill that gap, OPEC would need to increase its output well above the mark it hit in June, even though member nations have already fallen short of quotas in recent months.

All this doesn't bode well for Biden's arrival in Saudi Arabia, as he's expected to push OPEC's de facto leader to increase output to alleviate price pressures in the US.

But, like other top producers in the UAE, the Saudis have little spare production capacity.

Meanwhile, the IEA provided little consolation ahead of Biden's travels. "The world has never witnessed such a major energy crisis in terms of its depth and its complexity," IEA head Fatih Birol said Tuesday.

With winter in Europe not far off, the energy chief warned the region will face great challenges as Russia threatens to cut off fuel, a move that would have dire repercussions for the global economy.

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As Birol put it: "We might not have seen the worst of it yet  this is affecting the entire world."

In other news:

US stock market traders

Friday's inflation print shocked investors.Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images

2. US stock futures traded cautiously Wednesday, as investors brace for key US inflation data. Meanwhile, Twitter's share price is up in pre-market trading, after the social media company sued Elon Musk, saying the billionaire is obligated to complete the $44 billion deal. Here are the latest market moves.

3. On the docket: Fastenal Co., Delta Air Lines Inc., and more, all reporting. Plus, look out for June's Consumer Price Index data, expected from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics at 7:30 am ET.

4. Experts on Wall Street are warning that the stock market sell-off likely isn't over. The S&P 500 has fallen as much as 23% this year, but some of the pros forecast further downside. These 10 charts paint a picture of what's to come.

5. Investors should expect a tough earnings season, according to Bank of America. Corporate sentiment sits at its lowest level since the start of the pandemic, and macro headwinds to earnings growth are steadily building. Here's what you want to know.

6. Oil prices could jump to $140 a barrel if Russian crude doesn't get a price cap. That's what a US Treasury official told Reuters on Tuesday. G7 leaders proposed the crude price ceiling at a June summit  which could limit Russian crude from selling over $60.

7. Investing legend Charlie Munger compared buying crypto to investing in nothing. Warren Buffett's longtime business partner slammed digital asset sellers as "delusional or evil." Plus, he issued a warning against buying or trading cryptocurrencies and explained why he avoids it like a "dirty sewer".

8. BlackRock said investors should be prepared for a long stretch of market volatility. And the turbulence will last for years, according to the world's biggest asset manager. The firm's analysts broke down its strategy to help investors roll with the punches  including these four portfolio changes to make during the uncertainty.

9. A portfolio manager beating 99% of his peers this year explained his process for picking winners amid a market downturn. James Abate broke down his strategy for investing in the current landscape, and shared seven recession-proof stocks he loves right now.

Canoo

Markets Insider

10. Shares of Canoo surged as much as 107% yesterday after the EV maker inked a deal with Walmart. The agreement will see the retail giant purchase 4,500 delivery vehicles with the option to buy up to 10,000. It is a potential course correction for Canoo, which reported a steep loss last year.

Keep up with the latest markets news throughout your day by checking out The Refresh from Insider, a dynamic audio news brief from the Insider newsroom. Listen here.

Curated by Phil Rosen in New York. (Feedback or tips? Email prosen@insider.com or tweet @philrosenn).

Edited by Max Adams (@maxradams) in New York and Hallam Bullock (@hallam_bullock) in London.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Authorities search an area in New Hampshire near where Hanson native Maura Murray disappeared in 2004 on Wednesday, July 13, 2022.

LANDAFF, N.H.  Authorities on Wednesday searched an area near where Hanson, Massachusetts, native Maura Murray disappeared in 2004, the New Hampshire attorney generals office announced.

The search was off Route 112 in Landaff and Easton.

The attorney general's office said the one-day search is over, but wouldn't say whether anything useful was discovered.

Officials said the search was not the result of new information in the case. Instead, its part of an ongoing investigative process and will consist of a more extensive search surrounding areas that had been previously searched in a more limited fashion, they said.

Maura Murray, of Hanson, went missing in 2004 after leaving her dorm at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and heading to New Hampshire.

"Knowing that the investigators are actively doing a ground search 18 years after Maura's disappearance is all that my family could ask for," Murray's sister, Julie Murray, said. "We are very pleased to hear this news today, that not only are they actively searching, but the fact that they still care, and Maura has not become a file on a cabinet, which is my biggest fear."

Murray was 21 years old when she disappeared in February 2004. She had been a student at UMass-Amherst and left the college Feb. 9, 2004.

The Hanson native told professors there was a death in the family, but that wasn't true. At 7:30 that night, Murrays car was involved in what appeared to be a single-car crash on Route 112 in Haverhill, New Hampshire.

More: FBI issues national alert in unsolved 2004 disappearance of Hanson native Maura Murray

Shortly after, a person saw and spoke to someone believed to be Murray at the crash scene. However, when the police arrived, Murray was not there.

In the years since, numerous searches of the area at and around the crash scene have been conducted by law enforcement authorities and private citizens, with no positive results.

New Hampshire authorities say anyone with information about Murray is asked to call the New Hampshire Cold Case Unit at 603-223-3648 or email Coldcaseunit@dos.nh.gov.

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More: Sister of Hanson's Maura Murray hopes for breakthrough in case

Murray's family said they are encouraged by the most recent search.

"Normally, some of these searches are done privately," she said. "The fact that this was publicized and a press release was put out is, again, encouraging for my family."

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: NH area searched for clues in disappearance of Hanson's Maura Murray
U.S. Sen. Ted. Cruz, R-Texas, said the video of the failed law enforcement response to the Uvalde shooting, published Tuesday by the American-Statesman and KVUE, was "deeply concerning" and that people need answers to understand "what the hell went wrong."

"We must have accountability and transparency to understand how these failures could have happened  and to ensure they never happen again," Cruz said. "The families of those we lost, and the community of Uvalde deserve answers and they deserve accountability."

Other Texas political leaders directed their concern not at the troubling law enforcement response that the video lays bare, but at the decision to publish the video.

Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin, who last week had called for the video's release, on Tuesday night criticized it being made public before Uvalde families were able to view it first.

The 82-minute video  which had never before been seen by the public  shows the gunman entering the school and then firing toward a classroom, followed by more than three minutes of long bursts of gunfire, and then police arriving but not confronting the gunman for more than an hour. The video was edited by the news organizations to muffle the sounds of childrens screams and blur out a student in the hallway who was not hurt.

Nineteen children and two teachers were killed in the massacre.

Gov. Greg Abbott had called for release of the video, from the investigative file into the shooting, on Monday in two television interviews. Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin had called for its release on Friday, saying it would bring clarity. He has repeated his view at a City Council meeting Tuesday night that the Texas Department of Public Safety was engaged in a "coverup" by minimizing its role in the shooting response.

Statesman newsroom leaders decided to publish the video as a public service amid shifting narratives from state leaders about how officers responded and after multiple requests for public information related to the May 24 shooting had been denied. A Texas House committee investigating the shooting intends to show to families Sunday, and then publicly release an edited version of the video, which will not include the gunman entering the school or the sound of gunfire in the classroom, Uvalde City Council members said Tuesday night. The Statesman and KVUE did not cut those portions of the video.

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That committee has been the target of criticism from Uvalde residents for interviewing dozens of witnesses behind closed doors.

Renae Eze, Abbotts spokesperson, said in a statement to the Statesman that Abbott was disheartened and disappointed that this video was "leaked" before the victims families and the Uvalde community had viewed it first.

The governor has been clear since day one that he expects all information surrounding the tragedy at Robb School Elementary to be released, and we do appreciate that the Uvalde community is getting answers, Eze said.

She said investigations by the Texas Rangers and the FBI are ongoing, and Abbott looks 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.

Abbott's Democratic rival Beto O'Rourke criticized the governor's leadership. Speaking a day after the attack, Abbott praised law enforcement for rushing to stop the shooter. The governor later said he had been misled. Abbott's notes taken during a law enforcement briefing before his comments suggesting law enforcement bravery do not reflect that he was told officers acted without delay to stop the shooter. Others present also said that was not a part of the briefing, though those who spoke to the governor never mentioned the delay at all.

"Abbott told the families, the community of Uvalde, and the entire state of Texas that it could have been worse, ORourkes communications director, Chris Evans, said in a statement. As we continue to witness, it was a lot worse."

At a Uvalde City Council meeting on Tuesday evening, the Uvalde mayor called the decision to release the video "chickenshit." Multiple Uvalde residents at the meeting, however, supported the video's release, and one called the actions of the police "chickenshit.

Steve McCraw, Texas Department of Public Safety director, said he was deeply disappointed the video was released before the Uvalde communities and families of the victims could view it.

Those most affected should have been among the first to see it, McCraw said in a statement. As I stated during my testimony before the Senate Special Committee to Protect All Texans, this video provides horrifying evidence that the law enforcement response to the attack at Robb Elementary on May 24 was an abject failure. In law enforcement, when one officer fails, we all fail.

DPS, Abbott's office, the Uvalde Police Department and other agencies have rejected requests from the Statesman and other media organizations for records  appealing to the attorney general's office for a ruling on disclosure  including 911 call logs and officer communications, even as elected leaders and Uvalde residents have pleaded to understand how the law enforcement response unfolded, who was in charge and why officers waited to long to act.

Statement from DPS Director Steven McCraw on the release of video from Robb Elementary School: https://t.co/0IzFPDDTlw pic.twitter.com/iuM6T8ut55  Texas DPS (@TxDPS) July 12, 2022

State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, a Democrat who represents Uvalde, said officials had told families to prepare themselves to view the footage on Sunday, and it was appalling that someone had leaked it. He said Abbott and the DPS were letting Uvalde families down.

We will not let up the pressure to expose the full truth or what happened and hold those responsible for the failed law enforcement response accountable, Gutierrez wrote on Twitter.

Gutierrez has sued the Texas Department of Public Safety over documents related to the shooting. DPS did not provide the documents, or seek an attorney general's opinion about withholding the records, within 10 business days as required under state law, the lawsuit alleges.

Officials told families to prepare themselves to view this horrific footage on Sunday. Now, somebody leaked it. This is appalling. @GovAbbott and @TxDPS keep letting #Uvalde families down. #txlege 1/2 https://t.co/t4Jva6UUjf  Senator Roland Gutierrez (@RolandForTexas) July 12, 2022

I am also disappointed the victims families and the Uvalde communitys requests to watch the video first, and not have certain images and audio of the violence, were not achieved, state Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock and chairman of the House committee investigating the shooting, wrote on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas politicians respond to video of Uvalde shooting police response
(Adds comment by Russian Union of Grain Exporters)

By Daphne Psaledakis and Michelle Nichols

WASHINGTON, July 14 (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday sought to facilitate Russian food and fertilizer exports by reassuring banks, shipping and insurance companies that such transactions would not breach Washington's sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

Enabling those Russian exports is a key part of attempts by the United Nations and Turkish officials to broker a package deal with Moscow that would also allow for shipments of Ukraine grain from the Black Sea port of Odesa, which have been blockaded by the war.

The written U.S. clarification came a day after Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and U.N. officials met in Istanbul for talks aimed at resuming Ukraine's grain exports. Turkey announced that the parties would return next week to sign a deal.

"The United States strongly supports efforts by the United Nations to bring both Ukrainian and Russian grain to world markets and to reduce the impact of Russia's unprovoked war on Ukraine on global food supplies and prices," said the U.S. Treasury Department in the factsheet.

The war in Ukraine has sent prices soaring for grains, cooking oils, fuel and fertilizer, stoking a global food crisis.

Eduard Zernin, head of the Russian Union of Grain Exporters, described the U.S. move as "an act of goodwill" and a "real step in the fight against world hunger."

"We sincerely hope that other countries involved will follow this example and issue the necessary clarifications and licenses in order to remove hidden sanctions that hinder the supply of grain to countries in need," he told Reuters.

RUSSIA, UKRAINE KEY SUPPLIERS

Russia's Feb. 24 invasion and blockade of Ukraine's ports has stalled exports, leaving dozens of ships stranded and some 20 million tonnes of grain stuck in silos at Odesa.

Moscow has denied responsibility for worsening the food crisis, blaming instead a chilling effect from Western sanctions for slowing its own food and fertilizer exports and Ukraine for mining its Black Sea ports.

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Ukraine and Russia are major global wheat suppliers, and Russia is also a large fertilizer exporter, while Ukraine is a significant producer of corn and sunflower oil.

The U.S. Treasury made clear that the sale and transport of agricultural commodities, as well as medicine and medical devices, was allowed and would not be breaching a raft of sanctions that Washington has imposed on Russia.

Washington also stressed that there were no sanctions on Russia's production, manufacturing, sale, or transport of agricultural commodities, including fertilizer, and that providing insurance or reinsurance for the transportation or shipping of those products was not prohibited.

Imports of Russian fish and seafood to the United States are banned under Washington's sanctions.

As the U.N.-led talks got underway in May to revive Ukraine and Russian food exports, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield had said Washington was prepared to give written assurances -- known as "comfort letters" -- to shipping and insurance companies in relation to Russian exports. (Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis and Michelle Nichols; Editing by Aurora Ellis and Jonathan Oatis)
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Amidst the angst and concerns of many in the wake of the mass shooting last month that killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, Brevard Public Schools staff reassured parents Tuesday that they have safety plans in place.

Superintendent Mark Mullins told parents that there are plans to respond actively to a potential shooting at a Brevard school, saying  without going into too much detail  that the Brevard County Sheriffs Office is prepared to confront a shooter if the situation ever arises.

The subject was broached by Jessica Walker, the mother of a BPS student entering eighth grade, when she asked the School Board to share some information about how the school district would respond to a shooting.

DId you miss Tuesday's Brevard School Board meeting? Watch it here.

I'm wondering, are we doing enough? Walker said. I know that we have our (school resource officers) and I'm grateful for that. But is that enough?  I was hoping that the board could help me feel a little bit safer in these crazy times.

Brevard Public Schools Superintendent Mark Mullins discussed school safety at a Tuesday School Board meeting.

Mullins said he has received several calls and emails from concerned parents after the Uvalde school shooting on May 24. The local police response in Uvalde has been widely criticized because officers waited 78 minutes before entering the classroom to engage the shooter.

Similarly, the Broward County Sheriff's Office came under fire for its response to the 2018 Valentine's Day shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 dead.

More: Brevard Public Schools offer free summer meals, but there's a catch worrying needy parents

Mullins said he spoke with Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey after the Texas shooting and confirmed with him that deputies would absolutely enter a school building in the event of an active shooter attack and face down the perpetrators.

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He said, 'No question,' Mullins said. Unequivocally. It is part of everything we do.

Mullins added that the district cant share details of all of its safety efforts because that could put the plans in jeopardy. But he said each school has a safety plan, and every year schools participate in active shooting drills. After the drills, safety experts in the administration review the drills to make changes as needed.

More: Sheriff Ivey to Belford: Deputies won't enforce Brevard School Board speaking policies

In addition, he said the sheriff's office has two full-time analysts who scan social media for threats, and schools have school resource officers present on campus.

School Board member Jennifer Jenkins said she and other school board members, parents themselves, worry constantly about shootings, especially after what happened in Uvalde.

The following day, I was just as concerned bringing my five-year-old to school, Jenkins said. I think about all those things, all the time.  And so if it gives you any reassurance to know that everyone up here, shares your concerns. It's a priority to them. I just wanted to let you know you're not alone.

Criminal justice consultant and law enforcement training expert Roy Bedard said police handled the Uvalde shooting wrong; in the event of an active shooter, police should attempt to confront the shooter immediately.

"They did it wrong, not only with respect to the moral issue, which I think the public is most concerned with, because no one can imagine a bunch of police officers standing outside or kids are being killed inside," Bedard said. "But from an actual police training perspective, they also did it wrong."

Police still continue to make that mistake because they're human, Bedard said, and despite their training sometimes fail to engage an active shooter right away out of fear.

"We expect them (police officers) to charge towards the sound of the guns, run into burning buildings and to do things that normal people don't do," Bedard said. "And so sometimes when they're faced with those real threats, they act like normal people, and it always seems to shock us when they do."

That challenge is somewhat unavoidable, but lives could be saved if rapid response teams are available to engage a shooter before police arrive, Bedard said.

"I don't necessarily have a recommendation except to say that there has to be some space in the minds of school administrators that weapons should be accessible on or near campus with people who are trained to use them so that they can have a rapid response team and not have to wait for local law enforcement to show up from the outside," Bedard said.

Bailey Gallion is the education reporter for FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallion at 321-242-3786 or bgallion@floridatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Brevard superintendent: deputies ready to confront any school shooters
University of Missouri Health Care CEO Jonathan Curtright is leaving his position on July 15 for a new job as chief operating officer at University of Oklahoma Health.

Jonathan Curtright is leaving his position as CEO of University of Missouri Health Care on July 15 for a new job as chief operating officer at University of Oklahoma Health, MU announced in a news release Tuesday.

Curtright has held the top position at MU Health Care since 2016.

I am proud of the work weve accomplished in the last seven years. I am and always will be a passionate supporter of MU Health Care, the University of Missouri, and this community," Curtright wrote in a statement. "Together, we grew the quality and the breadth of health care in this region and across the state. Ill always be grateful to have been a part of that work."

Rick Barohn, MU executive vice chancellor for health affairs, praised Curtright's work.

We thank Jonathan for his contributions and for his leadership of MU Health Care since 2016. In recent years, MU Health Care has made advances in technology, strengthened financial, compliance and patient ratings, and provided excellent service to our community during the pandemic, to name just a few, Barohn wrote in a statement. We wish Jonathan well in his next endeavor.

MU Health Care has been an economic driver for the UM System during Curtright's tenure.

Curtright's time as CEO has included development of a new children's hospital under construction, the addition of Battle and Boonville primary care clinics, and a partnership with Capital Region Medical Center in Jefferson City.

Barohn has appointed vice chancellor for health affairs Nim Chinniah as interim CEO. Chinniah has served on senior leadership teams at Vanderbilt University, the University of Chicago and Northwestern University.

MU will soon launch a national search for a permanent CEO, the school said.

More: Proposed change in paid time off for some UM System workers could happen in 2024

Roger McKinney is the education reporter for the Tribune. You can reach him at rmckinney@columbiatribune.com or 573-815-1719. He's on Twitter at @rmckinney9.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: MU Health Care CEO Jonathan Curtright leaves University of Missouri
LANSING  The Lansing Housing Commission passed two resolutions Wednesday night relating to the sale of 200-plus public housing units after many who spoke during public comment made clear they were against the move.

Both resolutions passed 3-2 during Wednesday night's special meeting. One resolution was to submit the commission's sale application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; the other was to award SK Investments, the proposed buyer, 235 Section 18 vouchers.

Members tabled the resolutions at a June 28 meeting to conduct further research.

More on public housing: Renters question Housing Commission's maintenance history with HUD application on hold

Commissioners Don "Moose" Sober and Heather Taylor voted against the measures.

"I'm unfamiliar with the situation and there's too many questions," Sober said. "There's too many 'if this happens, what do we do.'"

Taylor declined to comment, but confirmed she voted no.

Lansing Housing Commission Executive Director Doug Fleming told the State Journal he doesn't have estimates on the sale's revenues because 40 renters expressed interest in buying their properties and the final number of homes to be sold is subject to change.

Sale Pending: Lansing Housing Commission to sell 200 homes it can't maintain to Florida buyer

Derrick Knox, founder of Advancement Corporation, said during the nearly one-hour public comment session that he submitted a request for proposal, which required him to sign a confidentiality agreement with Affordable Housing Investment Brokerage, the firm representing the commission.

He alleged the commission neglected to assess statewide and local minority-focused organizations' viability for the RFP, which violates HUD's equity action plan.

"None of that was taken into consideration and then to be completely ignored during this process was nothing short of disrespect to us or anybody else here locally," Knox said.

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Fleming later denied Knox's claim, stating the commission hasn't received an agreement or proposal from Knox. He said local organizations like Knox's and the Fledge Foundation don't have the funds or history to support managing public housing units.

"They have no money. They can't afford to buy it," Fleming said.

Knox provided the LSJ a copy of his confidentiality agreement, which was signed Feb. 10.

Fleming declined to reveal who submitted RFPs. The LSJ has filed a public records request for the information.

Housing advocates and residents of other housing conversion sites spoke during public comment about concerns with the housing commission's track record in maintenance requests.

"These people are living in these houses, one for 22 years and never had new paint, because they don't deserve it?" questioned Shannon Norris of the Fledge Foundation.

Advocates Skeptical: Rundown homes, out-of-state buyer drive concerns about pending public housing sale

Fleming said advocates and residents are pushinga "false narrative." He said the claims of mold are instead mildew.

"If you go through and use any cleaner that's available out there, that stuff just wipes off and it's not a horrible substance that everybody's making it sound," he said.

Renters can request inspections from HUD and Lansing Code Enforcement if they feel the commission isn't taking adequate action, Fleming said.

What happens next?

Fleming said HUD will review all documents relating to the sale including the RFP process to verify whether the commission conducted steps legally and in an equitable manner.

He said he doesn't know how long the process will take.

"If it was, they can say 'yes, you did this right.' We can move forward," he said. "If they say we didn't, then they can tell us to go back and we'll have to redo (the RFP) again."

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Contact reporter Krystal Nurse at (517) 267-1344 or knurse@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @KrystalRNurse.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Lansing Housing Commission moves forward in HUD application, vouchers
Raleigh Police Department

Allowing an extremely dangerous snake to escape from your house is one thing. Not reporting it for months as it slithered around a residential area is quite another.

TikTok-famous snake handler Chris Gifford, 22, is asking for forgiveness in the wake of last summers snake scare in Raleigh, North Carolina. Residents lived in fear after authorities warned that a zebra cobraa deadly species known for its venom-spitting used to blind preyhad been spotted on the loose, but it wouldnt be found for several days.

Gifford previously pleaded guilty in court for not immediately raising the alarm when the snake got out of its enclosure in November 2020. I was young and terrified, Gifford said in an interview with WRAL, explaining why he didnt immediately act. I still am young and terrified about the whole situation.

TikTok Snake Stars Escaped Pet Cobra Was on the Loose for Months in North Carolina, Police Say

The social-media starwho has over half-a-million followers on TikTokbought two African zebra cobras in November 2020 to add to his snake collection. Hed kept them in separate enclosures in a standard quarantine procedure to stop new additions potentially spreading diseases to other snakes. But when he checked on them the day after their arrival in his house, one was gonea realization Gifford describes as this giant, Oh crap moment.

He realized that the container hadnt been latched properly and immediately set about searching his parents basement for the missing reptile. Gifford hoped safety measures hed put in place would ensure the snake must still be down thereuntil he found a pen-size hole in the wall leading into the drywall and crawl space under the house. Believing the zebra cobra must be trapped, Gifford convinced his parentsand himselfthat there was no need to notify anyone about the breakout. Weeks passed without any sign of the snake. But even if it had got out, North Carolinas freezing January nights and snowfall would surely mean the African snake couldnt survive, right?

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Wrong.

In June 2021, animal-control officers paid a visit to Giffords house. He assumed it was a routine visit to check on his snake collection until, after a search of his home, one of the officers pulled up a picture of the spitting cobra on her phone. She goes, This was found about three streets over. She asked me, Is this snake yours? Gifford said. In a panic, Gifford lied and said it wasnt his.

After she left his home, he told the local news outlet that he had a pang of conscience and called the officer to come clean. Gifford was ultimately ordered to give his $35,000 snake collection to the county and made to pay over $13,000 in restitution in part for the police and EMS search for the snake. Gifford also promised to not own any snakes for at least a year. The city of Raleigh even introduced a new dangerous-animal ordinance designed to stop people possessing snakes like Giffords in the wake of the panic.

Gifford now gets the seriousness of his inaction. It was on a ladys porch, he said, speaking of where the snake was finally caught with a glue-trap. Imagine if a little kid or something of that nature had happened? He also explained his motivations for speaking out now: Mostly this is just an apology because there are no excuses for what happened.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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The Yermak-McFaul international expert group has become a key platform for the formation of the allies' sanctions policy towards Russia, Head of the President's Office of Ukraine Andriy Yermak believes.

According to the presidential press service on Thursday, a regular meeting of the International Expert Group on Russia-related sanctions was held under the chairmanship of Head of the President's Office Yermak and former national security adviser to the President of the United States, Ambassador Michael McFaul. The event was held via videoconference.

During the meeting, Yermak said the group's experts prepared four large-scale documents and a number of statements, and also actively informed the general public about the need for sanctions against Russia.

"These efforts are highly appreciated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian government and, most importantly, by the entire Ukrainian people. They were also noticed by our allies. The documents of our group were handed over to the leaders of many states  the United States, Great Britain, the European Union," Yermak said.

According to him, last week, two U.S. senators during a meeting with the president of Ukraine mentioned the work of the International Expert Group.

"They said the very idea of recognizing Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism stems from the Action Plan provided by our group," Yermak said.

The President's Office head said that to date, more than 50% of the steps of the group's action plan have been completed.

In addition, according to Yermak, the International Expert Group has become a key platform for the formation of sanctions against the aggressor country, and almost all world leaders refer to the products of its work.

"Now we see how the EU sanctions coordinators are developing the seventh package based on the materials of our group. We see the reflection of our ideas in the sanctions of the UK, the United States and other states of the sanctions coalition. In general, the group had a very important impact. And I would like us to support this success," he said.

It is noted that the meeting participants agreed on the importance of strengthening sanctions against Russia, in particular, recognizing the aggressor as a state sponsor of terrorism, expanding personal sanctions, further sectoral sanctions in the financial and energy sectors, and broader trade and technological restrictions.

They also proposed to analyze the impact of sanctions on certain sectors of the Russian economy in order to develop recommendations for strengthening their effectiveness.
Update: Pennsylvania congressman concludes internal investigation with few answers after Ron Johnson's claims about false electors

WASHINGTON  After denying claims from U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson that his office had a hand in the effort to get Vice President Mike Pence false elector paperwork, Pennsylvania Congressman Mike Kelly has launched an internal probe into his staff's potential involvement.

Our current chief-of-staff has begun conducting an internal investigation, which Rep. Kelly is aware of and takes seriously," Matt Knoedler, Kelly's press secretary, confirmed to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Wednesday afternoon.

Kelly's potential role in the effort to hand Pence false elector paperwork from Wisconsin and Michigan in the minutes before Congress was set to confirm Joe Biden's victory on Jan. 6, 2021, has become a point of contention in recent weeks.

Johnson has maintained that the false elector documents, which texts show his staff attempted to deliver to Pence before being told not to, came from Kelly's office. Kelly has denied the accusation.

Subscribe to our On Wisconsin Politics newsletter for the week's political news explained.

But Johnson's office on Wednesday provided the Journal Sentinel with a screenshot of a phone record indicating Sean Riley, Johnson's chief of staff, had a 2-minute phone call with a number associated with former Kelly chief of staff Matt Stroia at 11:58 a.m. Jan. 6.

There is no audio of the conversation, but Johnson spokeswoman Alexa Henning told the Journal Sentinel that the conversation between Riley and Stroia was "about how Kelly's office could get us the electors because they had it." Kelly's office, Henning said, would later deliver those elector packets to Johnson's office.

The Journal Sentinel has not confirmed the nature of the conversation, and Knoedler did not answer follow-up questions about the phone call. A call, text and email to the phone number and an email associated with Stroia were not returned.

Story continues

Stroia left his post as Kelly's chief of staff in June 2021, taking a job in the private sector, according to a news release from the time.

"Rep. Kelly's office keeps denying that he and Sen. Johnson have spoken, but that is something we have never claimed," Henning said in a statement. "Confirmed from phone records, his former chief of staff spoke to ours. Our office statements have been 100% accurate and true."

More: Ron Johnson's effort to pass false electors to Pence not a priority of Jan. 6 committee, chairman says

Knoedler in a statement prior to the release of the purported phone records said Kelly "is not aware of any conversations taking place between Mr. Stroia, or anyone else from his team, and Sen. Johnsons staff." He referenced a June interview with an Ohio TV station in which Kelly says he hasn't spoken with Johnson since 2011 and denies knowledge of the exchange.

"And quite frankly when you ask people so what is it that hes saying we did, I say, Really? Why would somebody think a Congressman from Pennsylvania would have anything to do with the election procedure in Wisconsin?'" Kelly said in the interview.

Johnson last month acknowledged that he communicated with Wisconsin attorney Jim Troupis and his chief of staff by text message at 11:42 a.m. on Jan. 6 about getting Pence a document Troupis described as regarding "Wisconsin electors."

Reilly spoke with Stroia, Johnson's office contends, at 11:58 a.m. And evidence presented at a Jan. 6 committee hearing last month shows Riley texted Pence aide Chris Hodgson at 12:37 p.m. saying Johnson "needs to hand" the false electors from Wisconsin and Michigan to the vice president.

Still, Jan. 6 committee chairman U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson told the Journal Sentinel Tuesday that Kelly's name "didnt come up" in the committee's investigation into the effort to get Pence the false elector paperwork.

Thompson said the committee doesn't plan to look further into Johnson's involvement at this point. Rather, the Department of Justice is going to be looking into the false elector strategy.

Contact Lawrence Andrea at landrea@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter @lawrencegandrea.

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Mike Kelly investigating ties to false elector scheme, Ron Johnson
An Oregon restaurant has been deluged with angry messages, fake reservations and even death threats, after an influential online vaccine opponent was thrown out for failing to comply with the businesss vaccine requirement.

On 30 June, Naomi Wolf, once known for her feminist writings and now an opponent of Covid vaccines, shared a video on Gettr of the moments just after she was, as she put it, assertively ushered out of Salem, Oregons Epilogue Kitchen and Cocktails, a New American restaurant.

In the clip, Ms Wolf acknowledges she saw the sign outside the restaurant mentioning its vaccine requirement, but compares herself to a historical freedom fighter and says she is a victim of discrimination.

A lot of people in this nations history pushed boundaries like that and it turned out to be the right thing to do, she tells an employee. People do have equal rights in this country.

We value our customers safety, so when we set a requirement, we ask everyone to follow it, the employee tells Ms Wolf, adding, Im sorry that youre centering yourself. Theres a lot people in this city that told us so many times that theyre so grateful theres a place that exists like this.

In the video, Ms Wolf also claims Covid vaccines dont stop transmission of the coronavirus.

This is false, according to health experts.

This is false information, Akiko Iwasaki, a professor of immunobiology and molecular, cellular and developmental biology at Yale University, told USA Today. Vaccines provide significant protection from getting it  infection  and spreading it  transmission.

The Independent has reached out to Ms Wolf for comment.

Jonathan Jones, co-owner of the restaurant, one of the only in the city with a vaccine requirement, told Newsweek the exchange has lend to a torrent of hate directed at Epilogue. The restaurant has dealt with surly customers in the past and criticisms of the vaccine mandate, but not at his level, he said.

Story continues

I think the difference here is the intensity and the glee that theyre getting in the harassment and then just the sheer volume, he said. Her national following has made this a lot more intense.

Epilogue has received roughly 100 harassing phone calls, 60 fake reservations and 150 false one-star reviews on Google before they were removed, according to the owner.

Theyve also gotten fake reservations under Donald Trump and Joe Brandon.

We had no idea, Mr Jones added. We just assumed she was just a random person.

This is not Ms Wolfs first controversy over Covid. She was kicked off Twitter last year for posts that violated the social networks terms of service with respect to accurate Covid information.
You are the owner of this article.
Santiago Ochoa's reporting for the Yakima Herald-Republic is possible with support from Report for America and community members through the Yakima Valley Community Fund. For information on republishing, email news@yakimaherald.com.
Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the interpretation of facts and data.

Opinion: Enough. DACA and DREAMers have been at the mercy of the courts for too long. Step up, Congress
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba said that the Russian occupiers launched a missile attack on Vinnytsia at the very time when a conference on the responsibility of the Russian Federation for crimes committed in Ukraine is being held in The Hague (Netherlands).

"While a Conference on responsibility is being held in The Hague under the leadership of Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra, Russia is committing another war crime. At least one child died among the other victims of the missile strike on Vinnytsia. We will put Russian war criminals on trial for every drop of Ukrainian blood and tears," Kuleba wrote on Twitter.

As reported, 20 people were killed as a result of a missile strike by Russian occupiers on the city of Vinnytsia on Thursday afternoon, three of them children. Ninety people have sought help from medical institutions, of which about 50 are in serious condition. In addition, the police received 15 reports of missing citizens who were at the site of enemy missiles. Residential buildings, administrative and office premises received significant destruction and damage as a result of the impact.
The 48-year-old woman is among the very few people in Europe (and possibly the first ever activist)* to have been accused of aiding and abetting abortion after providing another person with abortion pills. In 2020, she was contacted by Anna - a woman who was 12 weeks pregnant. Anna wanted to go to Germany to terminate the pregnancy, but couldn't do it - she had a small child, and her husband threatened her that if she left with their three-year-old child, he would report parental kidnapping. Justyna helped the woman, and the case was later reported by her husband.

Ms. Wydrzynska was charged with the crime of aiding and aborting a pregnancy by handing over at least 10 pills containing misoprostol, and marketing a medicinal product without the necessary authorization.

I wanted her to have a choice"

Justyna testified for the first time on April 8. "I know how important it is to believe that you can decide for yourself. This is very difficult when youre stuck in an abusive relationship. For me, my abortion was just the beginning of a fight for myself and the safety of my children. It took me three years to walk away from my abusive husband. By providing her with pills, I wanted her to be able to make a decision about herself and her life. My intention was not that she should terminate her pregnancy, but that she should be able to choose for herself, that by holding the pills in her hands she should be able to decide about her life"- she said in court.

In the end, the pregnancy was not aborted; the pills were seized by the police. Anna, who asked Justyna for help, later had a miscarriage.

REKLAMA

The court did not issue a verdict in April but allowed the catholic-fundamentalist organization Ordo Iuris to participate in the trial- the organization indicated in its motion that it wanted to represent the interest of the victim of the crime, the 12-week-old unborn fetus that died as a result of the miscarriage.

Justyna Wydrzynska's next hearing was scheduled to take place this Thursday, July 14, but the Warsaw court decided to adjourn it until October.

Thousands of women from all over the world declared their support for Ms. Wydrzynska. More than 110,000 people signed Amnesty Internationals Urgent Action petition addressed to the Polish Minister of Justice, and a group of MEPs also sent their letter of support. The governments of Belgium and France, organizations such as Catholics for Choice, as well as the United Nations special mandate holders also voiced their support for the prosecuted activist, calling on the Polish government to drop the charges.

REKLAMA

FIGO, the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics, which brings together 130 obstetrics and gynecology associations from all around the world, also stood up for Justyna.

Polish government: a zygote is a human being"

The Polish Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Family and Social Policy, and the Ministry of Justice have responded to the letter sent by the UN.

Because abortion in Poland is permitted in cases of danger to the life of the pregnant person and in cases of rape, it cannot be claimed "that abortion is not legal in Poland"  the Ministry of Health explains.

REKLAMA

The Ministry of Family and Social Policy, meanwhile, argues that Poland does not discriminate against women and their rights and freedoms, as it complies with the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and its articles, which state, among other things, that "States shall take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in the political and public life, including the right to participate in non-governmental organizations and associations related to the public and political life of the country".

With its firm stance on abortion, the Ministry of Justice argued that the UN Rapporteur's remarks are "groundless, misguided and lacking in substance from the point of view of the Polish legal system".

Further, Zbigniew Ziobros ministry replied with a mini-lecture on biology, explaining to the UN that "the question of the beginning of human life is not controversial. Every human life begins when a sperm combines with an egg cell to form a zygote as a new biological system. As a result of the fertilization process, a fully genetically formed new human being is created, the development of which takes place throughout human life. Thus, an embryo, fetus or a newborn are terms describing the various stages of human life development" - writes the Ministry of Justice, adding that: "there is no doubt that human life should not be valued based on age, health status, life expectancy or any other criteria".

***

EDIT (15.07.2022): An earlier version of the article wrongly stated that Ms. Wydrzynska "is the first person in Europe to be accused of aiding and abetting abortion after providing another person with abortion pills". It was brought to the editor's attention that similar cases have already taken place in other European countries (such as Northern Ireland or Malta) before. Ms. Wydrzynska, however, is possibly the first activist to be accussed in this context.



***

Every day, 400 journalists at Gazeta Wyborcza write verified, fact-checked stories about Polish politics and society, keeping a critical eye on the ruling camps persistent assault on democratic values and the rule of law; the growing cultural tension between religious fundamentalism and human rights; and the ongoing Russian invasion in Ukraine. Our journalists are on the front lines in 32 Polish cities, reporting from the streets, hospitals, and courtrooms about issues that move public opinion.

We decided to make our service available to everyone free of charge in order to provide access to high quality journalism for expats and English speakers interested in Polish affairs.

The access to information should be equal for all.
The number of searches of Ukrainians has increased in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Hanna Maliar said.

"In the temporarily occupied territories, according to the Main Intelligence Directorate, the number of searches of our citizens who are forced to stay there now has increased: searches in their places of residence and in public places. During searches of persons who express their public discontent, the occupiers threaten them with weapons, inflict moral and physical injuries, despite the gender and age of our people," Maliar said at a briefing at the Ukraine Media center in Kyiv on Thursday.

According to her, the Russian invaders continue to strengthen the administrative and police regime in the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories. In most of the occupied settlements, patrol areas have been expanded by armed Russian servicemen with the equipment of additional checkpoints, Maliar added. She stressed that in this way the Russian invaders are trying to impose on the local community an atmosphere of general fear and coercion of the population of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, forcing them to cooperate with the Russian occupation administrations.

"Today, the occupiers are planning to forcibly integrate the medical sphere to Russian standards in the temporarily occupied territories and are trying to integrate educational processes and the educational sphere in the temporarily occupied territories to Russian standards and are trying to do it before September 1," said Maliar.

She pointed out that most educational institutions in the temporarily occupied territories do not agree to the conditions of the occupiers and refuse to cooperate.

"The Russian occupier is trying to import workers to those vacancies that they cannot fill in the field of education from Crimea, from the so-called Donetsk Republic, but in fact also from our temporarily occupied territory, and from the Russian Federation. It is noteworthy here that the citizens of the Russian Federation are in no hurry to go to work in the temporarily occupied territories because they are afraid of shelling, because there is a serious shortage and a shortage of filling vacancies, " the deputy head of the Ministry of Defense said.
A Brazilian national arrested in Budapest on June 21 on charges of drug trafficking, money laundering, manslaughter and forgery will remain in custody during the appeal procedure against a ruling to extradite him to his homeland, the Budapest Appellate Chief Prosecution Office said on Wednesday.

The 64-year-old man was arrested on an international arrest warrant in Budapest, and the court ordered that he remained in custody during the extradition procedure.



The defence appealed that ruling, citing the state of the rule of law and prison conditions in Brazil.



At a press conference after the arrest, Zoltan Boross of the National Investigation Bureau (NNI) said the man was wanted for crimes punishable by up to 30 years in prison.



He allegedly smuggled 45 tonnes of cocaine between 2017 and 2019 alone, he said.



Hungarian police apprehended him after information received form international law-enforcement partners, he said.



Meanwhile in Sao Paulo President Novak Addressed Brazilian Literary Academy



Hungarys family policy aims to restore the social recognition of raising a family by offering financial support, tax cuts, and an expanded creche network, President Katalin Novak said in Sao Paulo on Tuesday.



Addressing the Academia Paulista de Letras, Novak noted that Hungarys Fundamental Law defines marriage as the voluntary union of a man and a woman, and declares all life protected from the moment of conception.



The Fundamental Law has been amended recently to contain the definition of the father as a man and the mother as a woman, she added.



Hungary spends over 6% of its GDP on family support, the president said, adding that the number of marriages doubled and the number of abortions halved in the past decade, while the readiness to raise children was rowing steadily.



Ahead of the event, Novak handed the Hungarian Order of Merit, Knights Cross, to Ferenc Hegyi, the head of the Hungarian House in Sao Paulo, in recognition of his work preserving the national identity of Hungarians living there.



Novak was welcomed to the Academia Paulista de Letras and introduced by academy head Jose Renato Nalini.



Hungarian President Katalin Novak left for Brazil on an official visit on Saturday

After Central Europe, I am continuing to strengthen the international relations of my country in Latin America.



I have been invited to Brazil because they are closely following for many years now how we are helping the Hungarian families, Novak said in an English language post on Facebook.



They are interested in how we have managed to put childbearing, child-rearing and jobs in the focus of our policies, she added.



Novak travelled first to Rio de Janeiro, where she visited a navy base and met students as well as members of the Hungarian diaspora.



Her schedule includes a meeting with President Jair Bolsonaro in Brasilia.
Ruling Fidesz and Christian Democrat MEPs on Wednesday dismissed a draft report by the European Parliaments Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) condemning Hungary as a lie.

For more than a decade, the European left has failed to digest that a Christian Democratic government espousing national values has been re-elected over and over again, Fidesz MEP Balazs Hidveghi told a press conference in Brussels.



He said the report by French leftist MEP Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield added to a number of lies presented in reports by rapporteurs Rui Tavares and Judith Sargentini.



Hungary is at grave risk of breaching European values in a deliberate and systematic way, according to the draft LIBE report on the state of the rule of law in Hungary, adopted on Wednesday with 47 votes for, 10 against and 2 abstentions.



Hidveghi called it appalling that while Europe faced an economic crisis because of the war in Ukraine coupled with soaring energy and food prices, all the European left could do was launch another attack against Hungary.



Their aim is to prevent Hungary from reaching an agreement with Brussels on accessing EU recovery funds it is entitled to he said. He slammed DK MEP Klara Dobrev and Momentums Anna Donath for assisting in that effort.



Hidveghi said that besides the already well-known accusations and lies, the report was full of absurdities, one of which was that Hungary had adopted draconian laws against journalists. He added that everybody can write and say what they want in Hungary.



Hidveghi said that the report strongly attacked Hungarys child protection law, and urged the country to take in illegal migrants and accept distribution quotas. Hidveghi thanked the right-wing MEP on the LIBE body who stood up for Hungary and the Hungarian people when the draft report was debated.



The draft report identifies shortcomings with Hungarys constitutional and electoral system, the independence of its judiciary, the rights of judges, and flagged corruption as a problem.



It also raises concerns regarding privacy and data protection, freedom of expression, including the diversity of mass media, academic freedom and freedom of religion.



Further issues raised include the rights of sexual minorities and other minorities, including the rights of Roma and Jews, as well as related hate-speech protections.



The LIBE report also said there were concerns over the rights of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees in Hungary.



The committee called on the European Commission to use every means at its disposal to protect European values, and urged it to withhold approval the Hungarian plan, on the basis of which the country would tap EU recovery funds, until Hungary fully complies with all relevant recommendations of various European bodies and courts.



It said that the way Hungary disburses EU funding may contribute to the misuse of those monies. The draft report will be presented to the EP from September 12 to 15 in Strasbourg.





MTI Photo
On Tuesday, several hundred demonstrators blocked traffic in Budapest in protest against the governments amendments to the popular simplified tax scheme (KATA), designed for self-employed entrepreneurs.

The amendment to the KATA self-employed tax scheme was tabled in Parliament on Monday and approved on Tuesday, without debate with stakeholders. The law will restrict participation in the preferential tax scheme, from 1 September, to those self-employed who provide services only to individuals.



A wide range of self-employed people, from bike couriers to journalists to professional musicians will be affected. The government said the adjustments were necessary as the scheme is widely abused by employers to replace de facto employment contracts, in order to avoid higher taxes. Protesters demanding the withdrawal of the amendments blocked traffic on two bridges over the Danube in Budapest on Tuesday afternoon.



On Telex, Gergely Bruckner writes that most of the current 450,000 self-employed who pay tax in the KATA scheme will be excluded from the preferential self-employment tax arrangement.



As participants in the KATA scheme can provide services only for individuals, those who have income from companies will need to opt out and pay higher taxes, the liberal pundit points out. Bruckner predicts that the new rules will result in tax evasion and job losses.



Magyar Nemzets Tamas Pilhal lambasts opposition parties for siding with demonstrators blocking traffic in Budapest.



The pro-government commentator finds the tax amendments justified, claiming that the preferential tax scheme designed for self-employed individual contractors was used by employers including multinational companies to avoid higher taxes. In an aside, Pilhal recalls that the opposition parties did not even support the introduction of the KATA scheme in 2013.



He concludes by accusing the opposition of trying to increase its popularity by creating public hysteria after their humiliating defeat in the April Parliamentary election.



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MTI Photo: Zoltan Balogh
Detailing the governments seven-point plan to keep household utility bills low, Gergely Gulyas, the prime ministers chief of staff, told a regular press briefing that domestic gas production will be increased from an annual 1.5 billion to 2 billion cubic metres.

Citing a ministry report, he said the extraction of gas fields could be increased further.



Gas prices are high enough that it is even worth using more expensive technologies in gas extraction, he added.



The government has also mandated the minister of foreign affairs and trade to procure more gas, Gulyas said.



Hungarys natural gas storage facilities are currently 44% full, which is enough for three months, he said, adding that the aim was to have as much gas available as possible.



As part of the measures, the government is also introducing an export ban for energy, including firewood, Gulyas said. Also, lignite extraction will be stepped up and the blocks at the coal-fired Matra power plant will be restarted, he said.



The government will also initiate extending the lifespan of the Paks nuclear power plant, he added.



Meanwhile, he said a blanket cap on household electricity and gas prices was simply unaffordable in the current wartime energy crisis.



The utility price cap scheme will therefore be limited to average consumption levels from August 1. Those who consume more energy than the average will have to pay the market price, he explained.



Average monthly electricity consumption in Hungary is 210 kWh, while an average household consumes 144 cubic meters of gas a month, Gulyas said.



Three quarters of households will not be affected by the change because their consumption is below the average level, he said, adding that market prices will only apply to consumption over the average for the remaining one quarter of households as well.



Szilard Nemeth, the government commissioner in charge of the utility price cap scheme, said that going forward, the consumption threshold for the reduced gas price for a family with three children will rise to 2,329 cubic metres a year from 1,729 cubic metres.



The threshold increases by 300 cubic metres for every additional child, he added.



The governments new measure and the utility protection fund aim to ensure that the utility price cap scheme can remain in place, Nemeth said.



He said that under the scheme, an average consumers monthly electricity bill comes to 7,750 forints (EUR 19), which would be 50,833 forints without the utility price cap.



Meanwhile, the average monthly gas bill totals 15,833 forints rather than 131,441 forints thanks to the scheme, he said. The scheme saves consumers 158,691 forints a month, Nemeth said.



MTI Photo: Tamas Kovacs
Hungary's government has declared a state of energy emergency and has approved measures that will include limiting the caps on household gas and electricity bills to average consumption levels from Aug 1, the prime minister's chief of staff said.

The protracted war in Ukraine and the sanctions imposed on Russia by Brussels have led to a dramatic increase in energy prices across Europe, causing an energy crisis in a large part of the continent, Gergely Gulyas told a regular press briefing.



It has also become clear in the recent months that as things stand, Europe will most likely not have enough gas for the autumn and winter heating season, he said.



Therefore, in the interest of protecting Hungarian families and the economys energy supply, the government has followed the example of several other European countries and has declared a state of energy emergency, Gulyas said.



It has also approved several measures that will enter into effect in August, he added. Gulyas said the measures would ensure that the country has enough energy in the winter and that the scheme to cap utility bills can remain in place.



Szilard Nemeth, the government commissioner in charge of the utility price cap scheme, said large families will continue pay the reduced gas prices, but a consumption limit for their caps will remain in place.





MTI Photo: Tamas Kovacs
YORK -- Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) officials are asking power customers around the state to be wary of scammers demanding payment or their power will be disconnected.

These predatory individuals will call and state the customers bill must be paid immediately or the power will be shut off and will recommend several methods of payment, NPPD officials say. Sometimes the scammers caller-identification is falsified so it appears to originate from the utility company, a practice known as spoofing.

Scammers continue to be creative and are always looking for an opportunity to take advantage of others, says NPPD Retail General Manager Pat Hanrahan.

Keep the following in mind when answering phone calls and always be wary of such scams. NPPD offers the following tips and suggestions, saying: We do not ask for payment over the phone. We do not ask customers for credit card numbers or demand payment with a pre-paid card. We do not go door to door demanding payment. We do not accept nor request payment from Zelle, Venmo, PayPal or Apple Pay.

View NPPDs payment methods to make paying your bill simple, secure and convenient at https://nppd.com/accounts-billing/ways-to-pay.

NPPD tell customers that if they receive an urgent call requiring immediate action to prevent disconnect of their electric service, they should hang up the phone and call NPPD Customer Service Specialists at 1-877-ASK-NPPD (275-6773). They can also find information concerning scam calls at https://www.nppd.com/accounts-billing/scams.
Indias low-cost carrier IndiGo is in the process of addressing issues related to its employee remuneration after a sizeable number of cabin crew and technicians went on a mass sick leave. IndiGo released a statement saying that they are in constant dialogue with its employees to take care of any issues or grievances.

The airlines statement comes after a sizeable number of the airlines aircraft maintenance technicians went on sick leave to protest against their low salaries and demand restoration of salaries that were slashed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"As a responsible employer, IndiGo is in constant dialogue with its employees to take care of any issues or grievances. The aviation industry has undergone a difficult phase over the last 24+ months. As business recovers, we are in the process of addressing some of the issues related to employee remuneration. This is an ongoing activity and we will continue to take employee feedback in the process," Indigo said in a statement.

Also read: DGCA clarifies allegations over denying commercial pilot license to transgender

IndiGo also said that the airline's operations will continue to be normal, with the addition of several new destinations to their network.

"Meanwhile, our operations continue to be normal, while we add several new destinations to our network and look forward to welcoming customers from across India and the world," it added. Earlier in the day, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said that they are keeping a close watch on the situation that emerged after maintenance technicians of airlines went on mass sick leave. A senior DGCA official informed us that they are keeping an eye on the situation." DGCA is keeping watch on the situation. Operations are normal as of now. We expect a resolution shortly," he said.

He added that they are in communication with the concerned airlines regarding the issue and asked for early resolution. The issue has largely affected the operation of Indigo and later it spread to other airlines like Go First.

(With inputs from ANI)

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New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday underlined the need for blended finance and leveraging private capital to achieve sustainable development goals. She was speaking at the Sustainable Finance for Climate Transition roundtable in Bali, Indonesia, which is hosting the third G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors. "The Union Finance Minister highlighted the role of MDBs, use of Blended Finance and leveraging Private Capital for scaling up SustainableFinance and reaching SDGs," the finance ministry said in a series of tweets. The finance minister also shared India's two-pronged energy transition plan - promoting renewables in the energy mix and adopting innovative policy measures for increasing energy efficiency and security.

"FM Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman emphasized the Panchamrit strategy to tackle climate change, as envisaged by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi," another tweet said. At the COP26 conference in Glasgow, Scotland, last year, Prime Minister Modi took the pledge of 'Panchamrit' or five-nectar elements in India's fight against climate change. (Also Read: Centre to review export, windfall oil tax every fortnight: FM Nirmala Sitharaman)

The 'Panchamrit' commitment seeks to raise India's non-fossil fuel-based energy capacity to 500 GW by 2030, ensure that 50 percent of the country's energy requirements would be met by renewable energy sources by the same year, reduce the total projected carbon emission by one billion tonnes, decrease the carbon intensity of the economy to less than 45 percent and finally, achieve net zero emissions by 2070.

The SDGs adopted by member countries of the United Nations in 2015 are intended at fostering peace and prosperity for people and the planet. Some of these 17 goals are no poverty, zero hunger, good health and wellbeing, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth, industry, innovation, and infrastructure.

It also includes reduced inequalities, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, climate action, life below water, life on land, peace, justice, and strong institutions, and lastly strengthening global partnerships for the goals. Sitharaman also held bilateral meetings with some of her counterparts. During her meeting with Indonesian finance minister Mulyani Indrawati, she discussed progress made under G20 Indonesia Presidency. (Also Read: Sensex up 239 points, Nifty above 16000)

Both leaders deliberated upon ways to collaborate further on G20 Finance agenda, including global health, sustainable finance, financial inclusion, climate, and infrastructure. Sitharaman also presented a special series of coins and stamps under the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsava to Indrawati. She also met Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong on the sidelines of the G20 FMCBG. "The two leaders had fruitful discussions on India-Singapore engagements and exchanged views on G20 agenda and global economic and financial matters," a tweet said.
New Delhi: The Karnataka government will mull imposing fines on those not wearing masks in public places in Bengaluru, state Health Minister K Sudhakar said on Thursday (July 14) as Covid-19 cases remain high. I feel that masks have to be made compulsory at least in Bengaluru. Till now, there were no fines. We may have to think about imposing fines on people also before it gets out of hand. Of course, this is at the discussion stage. Ultimately we will discuss with Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, K Sudhakar was quoted as saying by PTI.

He said that people are not taking the coronavirus seriously now and treating it like any common flu. "Now that the symptoms of anybody infected are not serious or bothering people...No deaths...People not getting admitted to the ICU or requiring ventilator support, a common man feels it (Covid-19) is like any flu. He is not taking it as seriously as it should have been, though we are trying to tell them," Sudhakar told reporters.

"Covid-19 is a new disease that broke out nearly two years ago, so experts do not know much about the post-Covid effect on a person", he said urging people to be vigilant.

"We should be considering all precautionary measures rather than thinking about it after getting affected. To that extent, the government is thinking seriously to really consider a few options like compulsory mask and effective preventive dose of vaccination as early as possible that too on a warfooting," the Karnataka Health Minister said.

On whether the current Covid-19 surge can be a sign of a fourth wave, Sudhakar said he was unsure as the cases spike every three to four months and then subside.

Meanwhile, Karnataka logged 1,231 new coronavirus infections and zero fatality on Wednesday, as per the official data.

(With agency inputs)
In a sensational development, five persons have been arrested in Bihar's capital Patna for indulging in anti-national activities. The five people were arrested following raids in the Phulwari Sharif area, which also led to the recovery of several incriminating documents, including PFI`s `Mission 2047`.

In today's DNA, Zee News' Rohit Ranjan makes an analysis of the conspiracy to divide India again in the year 2047.

The Patna Police has arrested Athar Parvez and Mohammed Jalaluddin -- a retired sub-inspector from Jharkhand -- from the Phulwari Sharif area. Later, three more individuals -- Margoob Danish, Arman Malik and Shabbir -- were arrested.\

They were allegedly running a terror module and were engaged in brainwashing the Muslim youth. Parvez is said to be a member of the banned Students` Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), who was providing training to the youth.

Manzar, Athar`s brother, had been arrested earlier in connection with the 2013 Gandhi Maidan bomb blast during then Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi`s `Hunkar` rally.

Mohammed Jalaluddin is also said to be a member of SIMI. The police have claimed that the accused tried to execute a terror strike during Modi`s rally.

The police have recovered sensational documents from Jalaluddin and Parvez in which it has been written that they will make India an Islamic state by 2047.

On the pretext of providing physical training to the youth, the accused were brainwashing them in Patna. They were allegedly provoking Muslim youth against the Hindus. The probe has now been handed over to National Investigative Agency.

The PFI, however, said that it never published any objectionable documents and said that things were being planted.

Watch DNA to understand the big news in detail.
Almost 30% of the missile attacks mounted by Russia during the week were aimed at the civilian infrastructure in the territory of Ukraine, Deputy Chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksiy Hromov has said.

"We have been repelling the enemy attacks during the week: not even a meter of Ukrainian land was lost. However, the enemy continues to mount missile attacks on the territory of Ukraine. [] During the week almost 30% of enemy missile attacks were aimed at the civilian infrastructure facilities, which shows that the purposeful actions of the Russian political and military leadership are aimed at the genocide of the Ukrainian people," he told a press briefing at the Ukraine-Ukrinform Media Center on Thursday.

The enemy has increased the number of air attacks as compared to last week from 70 to 118, the official said.

"Last week the enemy every day mounted seven to twelve air attacks, while on July 8-9 alone its aviation launched 50 strikes. On the day before yesterday, July 12,  30 airstrikes. Mostly the facilities in Donetsk, Zaporizhia and Kharkiv regions were attacked," Hromov said.

Since the beginning of the armed aggression the enemy has mounted 630 attacks with Iskander and Kalibr cruise missiles on the territory of Ukraine.
New Delhi: Congress leaders have decided to protest across the country against the BJP-led Central government on July 21, the day Congress' interim president Sonia Gandhi is scheduled to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the National Herald case. The decision to this effect was taken in a meeting on Wednesday. The party has also called another meeting on Thursday, where all the general secretaries, state in-charges and PCC chiefs will discuss `Bharat Jodo Yatra` and other organisational programmes, said an ANI report.

The meeting is expected to discuss the protest march and other public outreach programmes, besides making a strategy to protest inside the Parliament premises as the Monsoon Session of Parliament is starting from July 18. After the meeting, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday told ANI, "Congress President Sonia Gandhi is a tigress. She is not afraid of these things. She has seen so many things like this. She will go to the ED office and face this government."

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi for questioning in connection with the National Herald case in which senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, Pawan Bansal has already been questioned. Last month, the ED also questioned former Congress President and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi in the case for more than five days.

During that time also, Congress leaders and workers protested against ED and BJP-led Centre for indulging in `vendetta politics. `The party workers and leaders also protested the "brutal" action by Delhi police officials who manhandled many party activists and allegedly entered the Congress headquarters in Delhi forcefully.

Also read: National Herald case: After over 40 hours of questioning, Rahul Gandhi summoned by ED again

Official sources said that Sonia Gandhi has been asked to appear before the investigators at its headquarters here around 11 am on July 21. Fresh summons were issued to Sonia Gandhi as she could not appear before its investigators on June 8 in the case for the first time in connection with a money laundering case involving the National Herald as she was infected with COVID-19 and was hospitalised. The ED wants to record both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi`s statements under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Also read: 'No one is Queen Victoria or Prince': BJP hits back at Congress amid Rahul Gandhi's ED probe

The ED last month questioned Rahul Gandhi on several occasions in the case, under which investigation is on to ascertain alleged financial irregularities under the PMLA. The case was registered about nine months ago after a trial court took cognisance of an Income Tax Department probe carried out on the basis of a private criminal complaint filed in 2013.

The petitioner had approached the court alleging that the assets of Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which published the National Herald newspaper, were fraudulently acquired and transferred to Young Indian Pvt Limited (YIL), in which Sonia Gandhi and her son owned 38 per cent shares each.

The YIL promoters include Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Swamy had alleged that the Gandhis cheated and misappropriated funds, with YIL paying only Rs 50 lakh to obtain the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore that AJL owed to Congress. Congress argued that YIL was a not-for-profit company under Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956 that can neither accumulate profits nor pay dividends to its shareholders.

Calling it a case of political vendetta, senior Supreme Court advocate and Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi had said, "This is truly a very weird case -- an alleged money laundering case on which summons are issued with no money involved."

The federal agency`s move followed the questioning of senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress Treasurer Pawan Bansal in April this year in New Delhi in connection with its money laundering probe into the National Herald case. The agency then recorded the statements of both the Congress leaders. The National Herald is published by AJL and owned by YIL. While Kharge is the CEO of YIL, Bansal is the Managing Director of AJL.

The ED is currently investigating the shareholding pattern and financial transactions as well as the role of party functionaries in the functioning of AJL and YIL.

Wednesday's meeting was attended by the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress General Secretary Organisation KC Venugopal, AICC Treasurer Pawan Bansal, AICC General Secretary Mukul Wasnik, Ajay Maken, Randeep Surjewala, Bhawar Jitendra Singh and Rajya Sabha MP and AICC in-charge of Delhi Shaktisinh Gohil. Notably, the party has prepared pamphlets to be distributed among the public on the National Herald case, said the report.

(With ANI Inputs)
Two terrorists involved in anti-national activities have been arrested in Patna, the capital of Bihar. One of the arrested terrorists is Mohammad Jalaluddin, a retired police officer of Jharkhand Police, while the other is Athar Parvez, a current member of PFI. According to Patna Police, both of them were giving terrorist training under the guise of martial arts. The secret document 'Mission 2047' of PFI-SDPI has been found from them, in which it has been said to make India an Islamic nation by 2047. There was also a plot to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit on July 12.

The suspected terrorists were being trained in Phulwari Sharif 15 days ahead of PM Modis visit. They held meetings on July 6 and 7 to plot ways to target PM Modi. The Bihar Police conducted raids at the Phulwari Sharif office of the suspected terrorist. Police said that people from other states were coming for the last two months to take training from these two. Visitors were changing their names while booking tickets and staying in hotels.

According to police, the accused taught the local people to use swords and knives in the name of martial arts on July 6-7. He incited young people to religious violence. The police said, "we have the CCTV footage as well as the accounts of the witnesses." Parvez raised lakhs of rupees in donations to carry out terrorist activities. Police also told that an excerpt of 8-page long document shared titled 'India Vision 2047' was recovered.



Athar Parvez is the brother of Manjar, accused of bomb blast in Patna Gandhi Maidan. According to Patna Police, Athar Parvez had tried to get bail to free several accused in the Gandhi Maidan blast at the meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is being told that both the arrested accused used to roam in different parts of the country to provide terrorist training to uneducated and misguided youths.
New Delhi: On Tuesday, shocking news came from Lucknow about a pit bull mauling to death its owner  an 80-year-old woman. The dog apparently mauled the woman for almost an hour, chewing off her face and stomach. The family is now coping with the loss and trying to identify the reasons behind the dogs aggressive behaviour. However, it is exactly for this ferocity that ownership of pit bulls is banned or restricted in several countries.

The United Kingdom banned the ownership and breeding of pit bulls under the Dangerous Dogs Act of 1991. The decision followed a slew of dog attacks, often unprovoked, on humans for years that claimed a number of lives. Pit bull ownership needs a court nod, but then again, they cant be bred, sold or exchanged.

Pit bull import and ownership are also banned or restricted in several other countries of Europe, including France, Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Poland. Similar rules are in force in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and several cities of Canada as well. Puerto Rico had a two-decade ban in place till 2018, when it was once again made legal to own, sell and import the breed.

Strong, energetic and courageous, pit bulls were once used for dog fighting and blood sports. They are now increasingly being used by law enforcement agencies in several countries for detection of narcotics and bombs, and to track criminals.

Several mauling incidents involving pit bulls have come to the fore in India recently. In January this year, a pit bull attacked a child in Noida. Surprisingly, the video of the incident that went viral showed the dogs owner calmly looking on from the terrace even as the child was wailing in pain.

In June last year, another incident was reported from Jaipur when an 11-year-old childs face was badly injured after his landlords pit bull attacked him. The dog also inflicted serious injuries on the childs neck, head and thighs.
New Delhi: A statue of Mahatma Gandhi at a Hindu temple in Canada was desecrated on Wednesday (July 13, 2022) and is being investigated as a hate crime, the local police said. A five-metre-tall statue of Mahatma Gandhi was defaced at a Vishnu temple in Richmond Hill, a city in Ontario province. According to media reports, the person defaced the statue with "graphic words", including "rapist" and "Khalistan". Mahatma Gandhi's statue is said to be at its current location, a peace park, for over three decades.

India, meanwhile, said that this "criminal, hateful act" of vandalism has deeply hurt the sentiments of the Indian community in Canada.

"We are distressed at the desecration of Mahatma Gandhi statue at Vishnu temple in Richmond Hill. This criminal, hateful act of vandalism has deeply hurt the sentiments of the Indian community in Canada. We are in contact with Canadian authorities to investigate this hate crime," the Consulate General of India, Toronto, tweeted.

The High Commission of India in Ottawa also reacted to the incident and said that they are "deeply anguished" by this hate crime that seeks to "terrorize" the Indian community.

"We are deeply anguished by this hate crime that seeks to terrorize the Indian community. It has led to increased concern and insecurity in the Indian community here. We have approached the Canadian government to investigate and ensure perpetrators are brought to justice swiftly," they said in a tweet.
The special investigation team probing the security breach at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee`s residence in South Kolkata, is trying to track the Bangladesh-links of Hafizul Mollah, the trespasser arrested in this connection.

From Mollah, the investigation sleuths have secured 11 mobile SIM cards, out of which one is registered in Bangladesh.

Sources from the city police said this particular SIM registered in Bangladesh was used by Mollah to transfer a number of pictures of the chief minister`s residence from different angles to a number of persons who are currently based out of Bangladesh.

Exactly from this development doubts have recurred in the minds of the investigation sleuths on whether Mollah has any connection with any Bangladesh-based underground outfit.

"We are working on certain specific clues in this direction, which we are unable to disclose now for investigation purposes," said a city police official.

It is learnt that although Mollah`s counsel had been repeatedly claiming in the court that his client is suffering from mental disorder, the investigation sleuths are not subscribing to this logic considering the nature in which Mollah did multiple surveys of the security arrangements in and around the chief minister`s residence before actually trespassing.

"His survey system had a specific pattern. There are a number of lanes and bylanes leading to Harish Chatterjee Street where the chief minister`s residence is. From the CCTV footage and from his confession it is clear that he had made a thorough study of these lanes and bylanes. He also befriended local children offering them chocolates and cold drinks. This pattern of survey is not possible for anyone suffering from a mental disorder. Rather there was a specific pattern and motive behind this survey," the city police official said.

After the event of trespassing at the chief minister`s residence, her security system has been beefed up. Peeyush Pandey, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer with experience with Special Protection Group (SPG) has been brought in as the director (securities).
New Delhi: A Kerala man, who recently returned from abroad, has shown symptoms of the monkeypox virus and has been admitted to a hospital, news agency PTI reported on Thursday (July 14, 2022) citing state Health Minister Veena George. The minister informed that his samples have been collected and sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) for testing. She said the monkeypox disease could be confirmed only after getting the test results.

Without revealing more details, George said that the person showed symptoms of the virus and was in close contact with a monkeypox patient abroad.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals) with symptoms similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients, although it is clinically less severe.

With the eradication of smallpox in 1980 and the subsequent cessation of smallpox vaccination, monkeypox has emerged as the most important orthopoxvirus for public health.

Recently, a person was also admitted to a hospital in Kolkata with symptoms of the monkeypox virus. He, however, had tested negative after the report of his blood sample and rash fluid came to Kolkata from NIV, Pune.

WHO 'concerned' about sustained transmission of monkeypox

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had recently said that he is "concerned" about the sustained transmission of monkeypox disease outbreak as it would suggest that the "virus is establishing itself" and it could move into high-risk groups including children, the immunocompromised and pregnant women.

"We are starting to see this with several children already infected," he said.

"They advised that I should reconvene them quickly based on the evolving situation, which I will do"-@DrTedros #monkeypox https://t.co/BDhhHheS5j  World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) June 29, 2022

"With large gatherings happening around the world there are opportunities to both squash the stigma around the virus and spread good information so people can protect themselves," Tedros said.

What is monkeypox virus?

Monkeypox, which was first discovered in 1958 in monkeys kept for research, is a rare viral infection similar to human smallpox. The virus belongs to the family Poxviridae, which also includes the viruses causing smallpox and cowpox disease.

The first human case of monkeypox was reported in 1970 and the disease occurs primarily in tropical rainforest areas of Central and West Africa.

What are symptoms of monkeypox?

The monkeypox virus typically presents itself with fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes and may lead to a range of medical complications. It is usually self-limiting with the symptoms lasting from two to four weeks and severe cases can also occur.

How does monkeypox virus spread?

Monkeypox is transmitted to humans through close contact with an infected person or animal, or with material contaminated with the virus. It reportedly is spread by rodents such as rats, mice, and squirrels.

The monkeypox disease is transmitted through lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets, and contaminated materials such as bedding.

How are monkeypox cases treated?

Vaccines used during the smallpox eradication program also provided protection against monkeypox. Newer vaccines have been developed of which one has been approved for the prevention of the disease. An antiviral agent developed for the treatment of smallpox has also been licensed for the treatment of monkeypox, according to WHO.

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: Seeking smooth functioning of Parliament's Monsoon session beginning July 18, the government has called an all-party meeting on Sunday morning, while the presiding officers of the two Houses will also meet the floor leaders of various parties. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has convened the meeting of floor leaders on Saturday, while Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu will meet the floor leaders of various parties on Sunday evening.

According to sources, the customary meeting of all parties has been called by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi on Sunday morning to discuss the agenda and seek their support for the smooth functioning of the Parliament session. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be present.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi may attend the meeting as he has done so in the past. They said that Birla has invited floor leaders of various parties for a meeting on Saturday evening at 4 pm. Naidu has convened the meeting on July 17 at 6 pm.

Also read: 'You are creating history': PM Narendra Modi to 'Shramjeevis' building new Parliament

The Monsoon session of Parliament begins on July 18 and will continue till August 12. This will also be the last session for Naidu in his current term which is ending on August 10.

The notification for holding the election to the vice president's post has been made and the last date for filing nominations is July 19. Both the ruling BJP and the opposition are yet to name their candidates.
Indore: The family members of Dinanath Bhargava, a co-artist in the team that had designed the original national emblem of India, on Wednesday said that in order to accomplish the task, he kept visiting a zoo in Kolkata for three months to closely observe lions. The family members recalled this amid a row over the national emblem installed atop the new Parliament building, to which the opposition parties have taken objections, accusing the Centre of replacing the "graceful and regally confident" Ashokan lions with those having menacing and aggressive posture. Bhargava was part of the group, which designed the national emblem that decorated the Indian Constitution's manuscript. It was designed on the basis of an ancient sculpture 'Lion Capital of Ashoka' at Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh which dates back to 250 BC.

"India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had given the task of designing the Constitution's original manuscript to Ravindranath Tagore's Shantiniketan's Kala Bhavan principal and noted painter Nandalal Bose," Bhargava's wife Prabha (85) told PTI. But Bose had handed over the task of creating the Ashok Stambh's picture to her husband, who was young at that time and studying Arts in the Shantiniketan, she said.

"After the directives of his guru, my husband continuously visited Kolkata's zoo for three months to closely observe lions for their expressions and to see how they sit and stand," she said.

Also read: 'PM Narendra Modi Ji, please look at the face of the lions': Opposition

The family members claimed that a replica of the original artwork of Ashok Stambh designed by Bhargava is still in their possession as he had completed it many years later in around 1985. The artwork designed by Bhargava using gold leaf shows the mouth of the three lions opening a little and their teeth are also visible in it. At the bottom "Satyamev Jayate" is also written in golden colour.

Also read: Congress MP Manish Tewari's cryptic tweet: 'Ever tried putting a lion on leash....'

Meanwhile, Bhargava's daughter-in-law refused to comment on the row over the difference in the design of the emblem situated atop the new Parliament building and the original one designed by her father-in-law. "I don't want to get into this controversy, but it is natural that there is bound to be a little different in a picture and its statue," she said.

She demanded that any art gallery, place or museum in Madhya Pradesh be named after Bhargava to preserve the memory of the artwork that he had designed for the Constitution, adding "Despite several leader's assurances to the family on the issue, this demand has remained unfulfilled till date." Bhargava hailed from Betul town in the state and breathed his last on December 24, 2016 at the age of 89 years in Indore, the family members added.
New Delhi: After some words including 'jumlajeevi', 'Covid spreader' and 'Snoopgate' were "banned" in Parliament, the Opposition on Thursday (July 14) flayed the Centre over the "gag order". The row comes in the backdrop of a new booklet released by the Lok Sabha Secretariat ahead of the Monsoon session of Parliament which mentions a list of unparliamentary words and expressions. Taking a dig at the Narendra Modi-led government over the booklet, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said it is a "New Dictionary for New India".

The former Congress chief described the word unparliamentary as  "Words used in discussion and debates which correctly describe the PM's handling of the government, now banned from being spoken."

"Example of an unparliamentary sentence: 'Jumlajeevi Tanashah shed Crocodile Tears when his lies and incompetence were exposed'," the picture shared by Rahul Gandhi read.

New Dictionary for New India. pic.twitter.com/SDiGWD4DfY  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 14, 2022

AAP MP Raghav Chadha also took a potshot at the ruling dispensation and said it is disappointing to see a gag order on words used by the Opposition to criticise the Central government.

"It's heartening that Govt of India knows adjectives that accurately describe their performance while it's extremely disappointing that a gag order has been issued on parliamentarians and all those words that Opposition used to criticise the govt," Raghav Chadha was quoted as saying by ANI.

"This revised list of unparliamentary words is itself unparliamentary. This shows GoI is fearful of the truth. Words like 'jumlajeevi' became unparliamentary while 'andolanjeevi' remains there," he added.

Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien said he will continue to use these words in Parliament. He tweeted, "Session begins in a few days. GAG ORDER ISSUED ON MPs."

"Now, we will not be allowed to use these basic words while delivering a speech in #Parliament : Ashamed. Abused. Betrayed. Corrupt. Hypocrisy. Incompetent. I will use all these words. Suspend me. Fighting for democracy," the TMC leader wrote.

As the opposition outrage grows, the government sources told PTI that the list "does not contain new suggestions", but only a compilation of words "already expunged" in the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha or state legislatures.

The words and expressions included in the booklet declared as "unparliamentary" are: `anarchist`, `Shakuni`, `tanashah`, `taanashahi`, `dictatorial`, `Jaichand`, `Khalistani`, `vinash purush`, and `khoon se kheti', 'dohra charitra`, `nautanki`, `dhindora peetna`, `nikamma` and `behri sarkar`, IANS reported.

Notably, the Monsoon session of Parliament will commence on July 18 and continue till August 12.

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (July 14) will participate in an I2U2 Summit, along with Israel PM Yair Lapid, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and US President Joseph R. Biden. The first Leaders Summit of I2U2 will be held virtually today at 1600 hours. The I2U2 Grouping, conceptualized during the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the four countries held on October 18 last year, is aimed to encourage joint investments in six mutually identified areas such as water, energy, transportation, and space, health, and food security.

Issuing a statement about the summit, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday said, "Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will be participating in an I2U2 Summit, along with Prime Minister of Israel Yair Lapid, President of the UAE Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and President of the USA Joseph R. Biden."

"Each country also has Sherpa-level interactions regularly to discuss the possible areas of cooperation," said the MEA, adding that it intends to mobilize private sector capital and expertise to help modernize the infrastructure, low carbon development pathways for our industries, improve public health, and promote the development of critical emerging and green technologies.

Also read: PM Modi to participate in first I2U2 Summit on July 14

It further informed that the leaders will discuss the possible joint projects within the framework of I2U2 as well as the other common areas of mutual interest to strengthen the economic partnership in trade and investment in our respective regions and beyond. It further added that these projects could serve as a model for economic cooperation and offer opportunities for our businesspersons and workers.

US cites India's strategic importance for I2U2, Quad

US President Joe Biden`s administration on Wednesday offered a full-throated justification for elevating ties with India, especially through multilateral platforms such as the newly launched I2U2 that the two countries form with Israel and the UAE, and the Quad with Japan and Australia. Biden called India the "most strategically consequential country in the Indo-Pacific", said an IANS report.

India`s "longstanding" ties in West Asia and with Israel were reportedly cited as the reason for the Biden administration involving India in the I2U2, which will hold its first-ever summit in a four-way virtual meeting later today.

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters accompanying Biden on Wednesday that a "significant announcement" is expected to be made at the I2U2 summit on food security, which, he had said earlier, would be the focus of the first-ever summit of the new body.

Citing India`s "longstanding" ties to the West Asia region and "a relationship over the years" with Israel, Sullivan went on to say, "just as the United States can play a critical and central role in helping deepen Israel`s integration into the region, India has a role to play in that as well".

Ties between India and Israel have improved rapidly with bipartisan support on body sides after the two countries established full diplomatic ties in 1980. India`s ties with the Gulf region countries go a long way back, but it has made rapid progress with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar in recent years. Notably, the new Quad for the West Asia region is Biden`s attempt to broaden US policy from its decades-long narrow focus on terrorism and wars.

(With Agency Inputs)
The missile attack on Vinnytsia on Thursday is another act of Russia's targeting of civilians in Ukraine, Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine Matti Maasikas has said.

"Today's missile attack in the center in Vinnytsia is another act of Russia's increasing targeting of civilians in Ukraine. All these crimes will be thoroughly investigated and perpetrators will be brought to justice. The EU is cooperating closely with Ukrainian authorities on it," he said on Twitter.
Ranchi: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha Chief Shibu Soren on Thursday said his party will support NDA presidential nominee Droupadi Murmu in the July 18 election, ending weeks of suspense. In a statement, he directed all MPs and MLAs of the JMM to vote for Murmu. "You are aware that Droupadi Murmu, former governor of Jharkhand and a tribal woman, is the candidate in the upcoming presidential election. For the first time after Independence, a tribal woman is going to get the distinction of becoming the president," he said.

"Therefore, after due deliberation, the party has decided to vote in favour of Droupadi Murmu in the presidential election," he said.

JMM, an ally of the Congress, has 30 MLAs in the state legislature. While Murmu's victory is ensured even without JMM's support, the declaration by Soren is a shot in the arm for the NDA.

Yashwant Sinha, the opposition candidate, is also from Jharkhand. The ruling party was in a dilemma whether to back the "son of the soil" or a "fellow tribal", analysts said.

Murmu had visited Jharkhand on July 4, and met Soren to seek his party's support. His son Hemant Soren, the chief minister, was also present in the meeting.

Murmu and Soren are both tribal leaders and belong to the Santhal ethnic group, which has a sizeable population in Jharkhand as well as neighbouring Odisha, from where she hails.

The BJP, the main opposition in Jharkhand, welcomed the ruling JMM's decision.

"Thanks to Dishom Guru Shri Shibu Soren Ji and Hon'ble Chief Minister Shri @Hemant Soren Ji," Union Minister and former Jharkhand chief minister Arjun Munda said in a tweet.

BJP state president Deepak Prakash termed the JMM move as a "welcome step" and said Murmu will represent 12 crore tribal population in the presidential poll.

BJP leader and former chief minister Babulal Marandi dubbed the JMM's step as a "decision in national interest".

Reacting to the announcement, Congress state unit president Rajesh Thakur said the JMM is free to make its own decision and it would not impact the alliance adversely as this was formed in the state only to contest elections and not for any other matter, including the voting in the presidential election.

He had earlier said that if the JMM keeps away from Sinha, the opposition candidate for the upcoming presidential poll, it would not send across a good message to the people of Jharkhand.

Murmu, however, talked to Soren over the phone and expressed her gratitude to him.

The Jharkhand CM had met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other NDA leaders in Delhi on June 27.

Of the 14 Lok Sabha constituencies in Jharkhand, the BJP has 11 and the JMM, Congress and the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) have the remaining three.

Among the six Rajya Sabha MPs, one is from the Congress and two from the JMM and three from the saffron party. In the 81-member state assembly, the ruling JMM-Congress-RJD alliance has a combined strength of 48. The BJP has 26 legislators, including Babulal Marandi, the former JVM-P chief who joined the saffron camp after the 2019 assembly elections.
Gujarat: The Railway University in Gujarat's Vadodara has been granted central status by the Union Cabinet, Union minister Anurag Thakur said on Wednesday. The university has been renamed as Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya. The Union Cabinet gave its approval to introduce a Bill in Parliament, namely, the Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2022 to amend the Central Universities Act, 2009 for setting up of Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV), Thakur said.

The amendment would help in converting the National Rail and Transportation Institute (NRTI), a deemed-to-be university into Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, a Central University, he added. Currently, the NRTI offers BSc in transportation technology, BBA in transportation management courses, and MSc in railway system engineering and integration.

Anurag Thakur said since the government has plans of pumping in Rs 100 lakh crore in projects related to rail, road and sea infrastructure, the varsity would provide the necessary research and skilled manpower. The infrastructure sector in the country is going in for a major expansion under the Narendra Modi government.

The Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya is envisioned to be a key enabler for expanding the transportation sector which is strategically critical for India's economic growth and development, he said. The sector requires a stable supply of highly trained personnel and state-of-the-art technology. The University will fill these gaps, he added.

The scope of the university will extend beyond the Railways to cover the entire transport sector to support its ambitious growth and modernisation, he asserted.

It will integrate and utilize the extensive network of training facilities owned by the Indian Railways and the institutes of other sectoral ministries like road transport and highways, civil aviation, ports, shipping and waterways, the minister said.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee spent a long time at the Raj Bhavan in Darjeeling. Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar visited Darjeeling on Wednesday. The Chief Minister flew to the hills a few days ago to attend the GTA swearing-in ceremony. And yesterday, as soon as the Governor reached Darjeeling, he called Mamata Banerjee at his place. Significantly, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Bishwa Sarma was already present there. As a result, speculation started surrounding the presence of Mamata Banerjee in the same place together. However, Mamata said that it was a courtesy call.

The two Chief Ministers met in Darjeeling. Mamata Banerjee of Bengal and Himanta Bishwa Sarma of Assam. Both came to the Raj Bhavan in Darjeeling at the invitation of West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar. The possibility of such a meeting can be seen from the morning yesterday. Mamata is in Darjeeling to attend the swearing-in of the GTA. After the announcement that the Chief Minister of the neighboring state of Assam was coming to Darjeeling, various rumors started. It was thought that Himanta could talk to Trinamool Supremo Mamata about supporting Draupadi Murmu in the presidential election as an ambassador on behalf of the BJP. But after that brief meeting, Mamata made it clear that there was no talk of politics. The whole thing was a courtesy call.

West Bengal Governor Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar with Honble Chief Minister Smt. Mamata Banerjee and Honble Chief Minister Assam Shri Himanta Biswa Sarma @himantabiswa at Raj Bhawan, Darjeeling. pic.twitter.com/R1aw9uzgD6  Governor West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankhar (@jdhankhar1) July 13, 2022

However, according to a section of the political circles, it cannot be a co-incidence. If there is smoke, there is more possibility of fire. If the discussion had taken place in the house for two and a half hours, it would have been about the presidential election for sure. However, its authenticity has not been officially acknowledged.

Although the Saffron camp has enough votes over Draupadi's victory, the BJP is looking to win by a record vote. That is why efforts are being made to attract many parties of the opposition camp. In Bengal too, the BJP has sent letters to all Trinamool MPs and MLAs asking for support for Draupadi. When she came to Kolkata, however, no one from the Trinamool met Draupadi. Not even Mamata. Even after this, there is speculation that the BJP may seek support from the TMC for Draupadi. It is also heard that Mamata and Himanta discussed about it in the presence of Dhankhar in Darjeeling.

However, Dhankhar tweeted before noon on Wednesday that Himanta had come to the hill only at the invitation of the governor. After that Himanta went to Raj Bhavan. The governor also tweeted a video also. It is seen there that Mamata is welcoming Dhankhar and Himanta in northern attire. After that they were seen talking face to face. However, Mamata said that it did not happen for a long time. "I had some tea and a biscuit. There was no discussion of politics. This is a very courtesy call", she told reporters after the meeting.

What has been discussed about the presidential election? In response to such a question, Mamata said that no political issue was discussed. Mamata also mentioned how she got help from Himanta when she went to Kamakhya.

Though there was no political discussion on Wednesday, Mamata also said that Bengal should have regular contact with the Assam government. She said, Many Bengalis live in Assam. Again many people of Assam live in Bengal. Assam is one of our border states too. So, if ever there is a need, it is necessary to keep in touch between the two governments."

However, when asked whether there was any talk with Himanta about the presidential election, the chief minister demanded, "how will it be... His party and our party are different."
New Delhi: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Thursday (July 14) lashed out at the BJP over a list of unparliamentary words and expressions released by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, saying that the situation was not so bad even during the British rule. TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee condemned the gag order, asking the need for conducting Parliament sessions if the opposition is not even allowed to express their views. It is shameful that words such as 'abused', 'betrayed', 'corrupt' can't be used while pointing to the government's failures. MPs speak in Parliament on behalf of the people. This is autocratic. The situation was not so bad even during British rule," he was quoted as saying by PTI.

"What is the use of convening a Parliament session or even having the Parliament, if the government decides what we will speak and how we will speak? They want to decide on what we will wear, what we will do, and how we will speak. They are running the country like a personal fiefdom," Abhishek Banerjee, a Lok Sabha MP and the nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said.

The Opposition has slammed the Central government after certain words including 'jumlajeevi', 'Covid spreader', 'anarchist', 'Shakuni', 'tanashah' and 'Snoopgate' were deemed "unparliamentary" by the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

TMC MP Mahua Moitra also launched a blistering attack on the Centre over the unparliamentary words and said Baith jaiye. Baith Jaiye. Prem se boliye. New list of unparliamentary words for LS & RS does not include Sanghi. Basically govt taken all words used by opposition to describe how BJP destroying India & banned them, she wrote on Twitter.

In another tweet, she asked if truth is unparliamentary. Is Truth unparliamentary? Annual Gender Gap Report 2022 Ranks India 135 out of 146. On health and survival subindex, India ranked lowest at 146th place. India among only 5 countries with gender gaps larger than 5%, Moitra said.

Is Truth unparliamentary?



- Annual Gender Gap Report 2022 Ranks India 135 out of 146

- On health and survival subindex, India ranked lowest at 146th place

- India among only 5 countries with gender gaps larger than 5%  Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) July 14, 2022

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla issues statement amid 'unparliamentary' words row

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla clarified that no words have been banned and they have only issued a compilation of the words that have been expunged. Earlier a book of such unparliamentary words used to be released... to avoid wastage of papers, we have put it on internet. No words have been banned, we have issued a compilation of the words that have been expunged, Om Birla was quoted as saying by ANI. The Lok Sabha Speaker also said that members are "free" to express their views while maintaining decorum of the House.

(With agency inputs)
Champawat: Expecting a footfall of more than 5 crore pilgrims during the holy month of Shravan, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday assured that all arrangements for a safe Kanwar Yatra have been made by the state administration."We have made all the arrangements regarding the smooth conduct and safety during the Kanwar Yatra. We appeal to them to follow the rules made by the administration," Dhami said.

"This time, we expect more than 5 crore in Kanwar Yatra. No matter how many Lord Shiva devotees come, everyone is welcome."

Uttarakhand administration on Wednesday announced that pilgrims with swords, tridents and other such harmful objects will not be allowed during the Kanwar Yatra. The administration also gave instructions to the police station and outposts in-charges to seize these materials at the district border. "There will be a ban on bringing swords, tridents, and sticks in the Kanwar Yatra starting from tomorrow. All the station and outpost in-charges have been instructed to seize them at the district borders," Janmejay Khanduri, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Dehradun said.

The `Kanwar Yatra` is an annual pilgrimage of Lord Shiva`s devotees that started Thursday. The Kanwariyas (pilgrims) visit places like Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand and Sultanganj in Bihar to fetch the holy water of River Ganga. They then worship God with the same water. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the Kanwar Yatra in 2021 was cancelled in Uttarakhand and entry at `Har ki Pauri` was also restricted.

Thursday also marks the onset of the holy month of `Sawan` (Shravan), which is considered to be the most auspicious month of the year. The month holds great significance for devotees of Lord Shiva, who considered the Supreme Lord, the creator, protector, and destroyer of the universe, according to Hindu religious beliefs.

During the month of Shravan, the devotees observe fasts on Mondays which are considered to be particularly auspicious days of the month. Lord Shiva is worshipped on Mondays throughout the year and the Mondays of this month are especially significant with the whole month being dedicated to the lord. The festival is celebrated predominantly in north India. This year Sawan started on July 14 and will end on August 12. Four Mondays fall during this period- July 18, July 25, August 1, and August 8.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Zee News staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rain in the following days in several states. Isolated heavy rainfall is very likely over Jammu and Kashmir, West Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana today (July 14); Himachal Pradesh on July 14 and 15, Uttarakhand on July 14, 15, 17 and 18; Uttar Pradesh on 18th and over East Rajasthan during the next 2 days till July 16.

Meanwhile, heavy rains lashed several parts of Gujarat in the last 24 hours and many areas in Navsari went under knee-deep water as some rivers in the district were in spate, officials said on Thursday. Authorities rescued 45 people stranded in the Tapi and Vadodara districts in the early hours of Thursday, a state government release said. Heavy showers have been lashing many parts of the state since the last four days. The IMD has predicted heavy rains during the day at several places across Gujarat, including north and south parts of the state and the Saurashtra region.

In Telangana, more than 19,000 people have been shifted to relief camps as rains continued to pound several parts of the state leading to the inundation of low-lying areas. More than 10 people have died in various rain-related incidents like wall collapse and electrocution. The Telangana government has announced education institutes in the state will remain closed till Saturday because of continuous rain that inundated low-lying areas and damaged road links in several places.

The IMD has predicted isolated very heavy rainfall very likely over East Madhya Pradesh on July 17; Vidarbha on 17th; Chhattisgarh on 16th & 17th; Odisha till 16th; Konkan and Goa, Madhya Maharashtra and Gujarat region on 15th.

Maharashtra has also been getting very heavy rainfall. All the schools in Pune city as well as in the neighbouring Pimpri Chinchwad area remained closed on Thursday due to a heavy rain forecast, officials said.

Heavy rain and flash floods damaged a foot-over bridge in the hilly areas of Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri causing much inconvenience to the people. People are forced to cross the rivulet in waist-deep water for commuting. The rain has also damaged the crops of the local farmers.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will join US President Joe Biden, Israeli PM Yair Lapid and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the first virtual summit of 'I2U2' on Thursday. The leaders of the four-nation grouping are expected to discuss joint economic projects to bolster economic cooperation under the framework of the coalition. Notably, the global food and energy crisis arising out of the Ukraine conflict is likely to figure prominently during the virtual summit, which is expected to commence around 4 pm.

US President Joe Biden will convene the maiden virtual Summit with Prime Ministers of India, Israel and the President of UAE during his upcoming visit next month to the Middle East, said an ANI report. According to the White House, the meeting of I2U2 was a part of the Biden administration`s effort to revitalize American partnerships across the world. I2U2 leaders would discuss the food security crisis in the wake of the Ukraine war and other areas of cooperation.

What is 'I2U2' Summit

The four-nation grouping is known as 'I2U2' with "I" standing for India and Israel and "U" for the US and the UAE. I2U2 is aimed to encourage joint investments in six mutually identified areas such as water, energy, transportation, space, health, and food security.

The group intends to mobilize private sector capital and expertise to help modernize the infrastructure, low carbon development pathways for our industries, improve public health, and promote the development of critical emerging and green technologies.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday said, "The leaders will discuss the possible joint projects within the framework of 'I2U2' as well as the other common areas of mutual interest to strengthen the economic partnership in trade and investment in our respective regions and beyond."

Also read: PM Modi to participate in first I2U2 Summit along with Israel, UAE and US virtually today

According to the MEA, the I2U2 grouping was conceptualised during the meeting of the foreign ministers of the four countries held on October 18 last year, as India's bilateral strategic ties with each of the three countries are on an upswing in the last few years.

According to reports, leaders will discuss the possible joint projects within the framework of I2U2 as well as the other common areas of mutual interest to strengthen the economic \partnership in trade and investment in respective regions and beyond. These projects can serve as a model for economic cooperation and offer opportunities for our businesspersons and workers, according to the MEA statement.

Israel sees India's partnership as a 'game changer' in I2U2

Ahead of the I2U2 Summit's first high-level meeting, a former Israeli National Security Adviser has opined that the formation of the new grouping is a significant development where India's partnership can prove to be a "game changer".

As Israel prepares to welcome US President Joe Biden on Wednesday in a packed three-day programme that includes a high-level meeting of the new I2U2 forum in which Prime Minister Modi would participate virtually, Israel's former National Security Adviser, Maj Gen Yaakov Amidror told PTI that "India can also help to enhance and expand the scope of Abraham accords bringing in new countries". "It has the ability to push others by saying that it is in the interest of the world," said Amidror.

Experts believe that the I2U2 grouping has the potential to build on the Abraham accords to expand regional partnership beyond the Middle East, specifically on energy, tech and economic issues.

With the Russian-Ukrainian war posing new challenges in the energy market in Europe and in the Middle East, Amidror said that Greece, Cyprus and Israel working together on natural gas pipeline projects can be an important development also in the context of the I2U2 discussions, adding "Add India to this new situation, where Israel is a bridge with Europe and India another big trading partner in the whole context - it will be a game changer."

India's strategic importance at I2U2

The US administration has offered a full-throated justification for elevating ties with India, especially through multilateral platforms such as the newly launched I2U2 that the two countries form with Israel and the UAE, and the Quad with Japan and Australia calling India the "most strategically consequential countries in the Indo-Pacific".

Earlier, the US had set up the Quad, the Asian Pacific Quad, with the US, Australia, India and Japan which is also seen by many as a forum to counter Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

India`s "longstanding" ties in West Asia and with Israel were cited as reasons for the Biden administration involving India in the I2U2, which will hold its first-ever summit in a four-way virtual meeting later Wednesday with Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid joining from Israel. Notably, US President Joe Biden is for the next few days on his first trip to the region.

Accompanying President Biden, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Wednesday told reporters that a "significant announcement" is expected to be made at the I2U2 summit on food security, which, he had said earlier, would be the focus of the first-ever summit of the new body.

Sullivan was more expansive about the Biden administration`s approach to India in response to a specific question about India`s involvement in all of the President`s recent foreign policy initiatives such as I2U2 and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity, which is designed to offer countries a sustainable alternative to China`s predatory Belt and Road Initiative.

Citing India`s "longstanding" ties to the West Asia region (called the Middle East by the rest of the world) and "a relationship over the years" with Israel, Sullivan is quoted by IANS as saying, "just as the United States can play a critical and central role in helping deepen Israel`s integration into the region, India has a role to play in that as well".

The I2U2 can become "a feature of the broader region, just as the Quad has become a central pillar of the Indo-Pacific strategy of the United States", Sullivan further added.

(With Inputs from Agencies)
Colombo: The Central Bank of Sri Lanka has warned the public from using cryptocurrencies amid the grave economic crisis in the country, saying that this market is "largely unregulated".

The bank, CBSL, said in a notice that the public is "warned of the possible exposure to significant financial, operational, legal and security related risks as well as customer protection concerns posed to the users by investments in Virtual Currencies (VCs)".

The public is also warned not to fall prey to various types of VC schemes offered through the Internet as well as other forms of media, the bank added.

The warning came as new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday ordered imposition of curfew in the Western Province with immediate effect and emergency law island wide.

Security forces were directed to arrest people acting in a riotous manner and seize the lorries they were travelling in.

On July 9, braving similar forces, people took control of the President's house, his office and Prime Minister's official residence symbolically overtaking the government and the presidency.

The CBSL said that virtual currencies are largely unregulated digital representations of value that are issued by private entities and can be electronically traded.

"CBSL has not given any license or authorization to any entity or company to operate schemes involving VCs, including cryptocurrencies, and has not authorized any Initial Coin Offerings (ICO), mining operations or Virtual Currency Exchanges," said the bank.

Furthermore, Electronic Fund Transfer Cards (EFTCs) such as debit cards and credit cards are not permitted to be used for payments related to virtual currency transactions, it added.

"Therefore, VCs are considered as unregulated financial instruments and have no regulatory oversight or safeguards relating to their usage in Sri Lanka," the bank said.
Los Angeles: 'Aquaman actor Amber Heard lost a bid for a new trial in her defamation case with ex-husband Johnny Depp on Wednesday when a judge rejected her lawyers` argument that one of the jurors had served improperly. In June, Heard was ordered to pay Depp $10.35 million in damages when a jury in Fairfax County, Virginia, ruled she had defamed the Pirates of the Caribbean star in a newspaper opinion piece.

Her attorneys had asked the judge in the case to throw out the decision and declare a mistrial, arguing that one of the jurors on the case should not have been eligible to serve because his summons was intended for his father, who had the same name and lived at the same address.

Judge Penny Azcarate ruled that there was "no evidence of fraud or wrongdoing" by the juror and that the jury's verdict should stand.

She also noted that both sides had questioned and accepted all jurors at the start of the trial.

"Due process was guaranteed and provided to all parties in this litigation," Azcarate wrote.

Depp, 59, had sued Heard and argued that she defamed him when she called herself "a public figure representing domestic abuse" in an opinion piece published in The Washington Post. Depp denied hitting Heard, 36, and said she was the one who turned violent in their relationship.

Heard countersued, saying Depp smeared her when his lawyer called her accusations a "hoax." The jury awarded Heard $2 million in damages on one of her counterclaims. Heard said she only struck Depp in defence of herself or her sister.
New Delhi: As actress Mallika Sherawat is busy promoting her upcoming film RK/RKAY, she opened up about her career and being typecast. Mallika claimed that what actress Deepika Padukone did in her film Gehraiyaan, she did the same thing 15 years back in her movie Murder. Shakun Batra directorial Gehraiyaan is a film about modern day complex romances and apart from Deepika also featured actors Siddhanth Chaturvedi and Ananya Panday. The movie had various intimacy scenes between Deepika and Siddhant. Anurag Basu directed Murder also dealt with extramarital affair and grabbed a lot of attention because of steamy scenes between Mallika and Emraan Hashmi.



Sand told Prabhat Khaba, Such hue and cry were created when I did Murder. People said all kinds of things about the kiss and the bikini. What Deepika Padukone did in Gehraiyaan, I did that 15 years ago, but people were too narrow-minded back then. I should tell you that a section of the industry and media was mentally torturing me. These people only talked about my body and glamour, not my acting. I worked in Dasavatharam, Pyaar Ke Side Effects and Welcome, but none talked about my acting.

The actress further shared about the changes that she has noticed in the film industry and said, Earlier, the heroines were either too good, sati-savitri types who were too innocent to know anything, or they were the characterless vamps. These were the only two types of roles written for heroines. The change that we see now, shows women as humans. She can be happy or sad. She can make mistakes, she can falter, and you love them despite all of that. The heroines are more confident about their bodies as well.



On the work front, Mallika Sherawat is promoting her film RK/RKay, which will hit the theatres on July 22. The movie is written and directed by Rajat Kapoor and also feature Kubbra Sait, Ranvir Shorey, Manu Rishi Chadha, Chandrachoor Rai, Abhijeet Deshpande, Abhishek Sharrma, Grace Girdhar, and Vaishali Malhara in pivotal roles.
The number of victims of a Russian missile attack on Vinnytsia on Thursday has increased to 22 people, the bodies of six people have been identified, Chief of the National Police Ihor Klymenko has said.

"The missile attack on Vinnytsia: as of 5 p.m., the bodies of 22 victims have been found. Only six of them have been identified," he said on Facebook.

DNA testing might be needed to identify the victims of the attack, he said. Therefore, the authorities ask the direct relatives (biological parents and children) of those who have gone missing to get in touch and provide their biological samples.

Klymenko recalled the hotline phone numbers: (050) 222 0326 or 59-42-00.

He also said that the police have found two people who were missing among those injured and one more missing person was found among the victims.

"There are still 39 people on the list of those missing as a result of the missile attack on Vinnytsia," Klymenko said.

He also noted that around 100 people suffered injuries of various degrees of severity.

In addition, more than 50 various buildings and more than 40 cars were damaged in the missile attack, he said.

The district has been encircled by the police in order to collect all necessary evidence of Russia's another war crime as well as prevent possible looting.
NEW DELHI: Lalit Modi, former IPL chairman, on Thursday (July 14) announced that he is dating Bollywood star and former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen. The London-based businessman, and currently fugitive, made his relationship with Sen official in a post on his Twitter account.

"Just back in london after a whirling global tour #maldives # sardinia with the families - not to mention my #betterhalf @sushmitasen47 - a new beginning a new life finally. Over the moon," Modi, 56, wrote alongside two current and two throwback photographs with the actor. In one of the photos, the two can be seen cosying up to each other amidst the blue waters of the ocean. In the other one, the 'Aarya' actress and Lalit Modi are all smiles as they pose for a selfie.

Just back in london after a whirling global tour #maldives # sardinia with the families - not to mention my #betterhalf @sushmitasen47 - a new beginning a new life finally. Over the moon. pic.twitter.com/Vvks5afTfz  Lalit Kumar Modi (@LalitKModi) July 14, 2022

Soon after he shared the tweet, speculations about Modi and Sen's wedding started doing the rounds on social media. In a follow up post, the businessman clarified that they are just 'dating'.

Meanwhile, we take a look at how social media is reacting to the whirlwind romance of Lalit Modi and Sushmita Sen:

Never give up in life. I googled you both. Be happy! Cheers!  TanyaSingh (@T19Says) July 14, 2022

Waited 9 years _  Naina (@Na1naaa) July 14, 2022

Lehron se darkar nauka paar nahi hoti pic.twitter.com/5306xO8r3O  Sagar (@sagarcasm) July 14, 2022

Never lose hope, you never know what tomorrow may bring. #SushmitaSen pic.twitter.com/uxqZP4WiPb July 14, 2022

Never lose hope, you never know what tomorrow may bring. #SushmitaSen pic.twitter.com/1l2hbMuNO4  Himanshu Aswal (Artist) (@Himanshaswal) July 14, 2022

In December 2021, Sushmita announced breakup with fashion model Rohman Shawl. However, the two share a good bond as they have posted pictures with each other post-break-up.

Sushmita also recently appeared on Twinkle Khanna's chat show where she spoke about her decision not to get married and what led to it. In the show, Sushmita said, "Luckily I met some very interesting men in my life, the only reason I never got married is that they were a letdown. It had nothing to do with my kids. My kids were never in the equation. If at all, they have been very gracious. Both my kids have accepted people in my life with open arms, and never made a face. They have given everybody an equal measure of love and respect. It's the most beautiful thing to watch".

She also revealed that she came close to getting married thrice, and all three times 'God saved' her. "I came close to getting married thrice; all three times God saved me. I can't tell you what disasters followed with their respective lives. God protected me, also because God is protecting these two kids, he can't let me get into a messy affair," she added.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Sushmita Sen announced the third season of her popular web series 'Aarya 3' recently in which she plays the titular character of Aarya Sareen, a powerful and strong lady who goes beyond boundaries to protect her family from the world of crime. She takes over the illegal business and drug syndicate run by her husband, portrayed by Chandrachur Singh, and his partners when the former is shot dead.
New Delhi: Bollywood model-actress Urvashi Rautela is making India proud of her hard work and achievements in every way possible. The actress has joined hands with The Smile Train NGO, an international charity, as the Global Brand Ambassador.

The actress has been formally introduced as the Global Brand Ambassador for Smile Train NGO, Urvashi received the prestigious ambassadorship during her Smile Train charity gala. Bali, Indonesia, has been the first destination of Urvashi's Smiles trip to visit Smile Train patients and partner hospitals in the country. Urvashi Rautela also celebrated along with the organization an important milestone of reaching more than 100,000 cleft surgeries and serving two decades of supporting cleft patients in Indonesia.

Urvashi has personally pledged Rs 67 lakh at the charity gala event to support 200 medical treatments for children with cleft lip and palate on Smile Trains worldwide networks.

Talking about being a Global Ambassador of such a huge organization, Urvashi mentioned, "I believe that every child deserves the ability to smile. Cleft is a serious condition that can put a childs life in danger. I am committed to working closely with Smile Train to raise awareness, engage active community involvement and use my platform to encourage donations to support cleft treatment. Over the past 22 years, Smile Train has transformed the lives of more than 1.5 million children and aims to double that reach in the next five years, putting more children on track to a better future."

Afaf Meky, the executive manager of Smile Train, on being associated with our superstar, stated, "We are very excited to work with someone as inspiring as Urvashi Rautela. Their support and active involvement with Smile Train will help reach our community to a greater extent. Urvashis journey is so inspirational, just like her Miss Universe journey, I have seen how compassionate and authentic she is when it comes to her advocacies. She really has a heart of gold and is always passionate about helping kids."

Smile Train is an international children's charity that has helped help poor children throughout the world with 100 per cent free cleft repair surgery and full cleft care.

Urvashi Rautela has undoubtedly set an example for all young women who aspire to be successful in their lives. She is a true inspiration for each youth out there on how to be successful and make India proud in every way possible just like Aishwarya Rai Bachan (former Smile Train Ambassador)

On the work front, Urvashi Rautela Pan Indian 200 crore mega budget film "The legend" releases on July 28, 2022, worldwide in all the theatres.
Mumbai has been witnessing heavy rainfall for a few weeks now. Thousands of passengers struggle everyday to reach their workplaces as local train services tend to get delayed during heavy rains and sometimes due to maintenance work on tracks as well. But not anymore! To save time and avoid delays, Central Railways introduces GPS tagging to track the real-time location of Mumbai local trains. Rail passengers will now be able to track the live location of their Mumbai locals through the Yatri app.

However, for now, this facility is only available for trains running under Central Railway as it has completed GPS tagging on all of its locomotives.

GPS devices are installed within the rakes and the Yatri app will send the real-time location of its trains to various devices. The data gets refreshed after every 15 seconds, if not, then users can refresh the app and can see a train icon moving on the rail map showing the live location of the train. For a few initial days, this feature will be exclusively available on the Belapur-Kharkopar route.

Also read: Kolkata Metro Update: Rail services on the East-West line increased to 100 per day, details HERE

Currently, Mumbai locals are tracked via the M-indicator app, but now Indian Railways is looking forward to raising the bars in providing digital services to the passengers for a much more convenient journey. Having said that, users of the app will also be able to suggest new features and register their suggestions on the app. Around 4.5 lakh passengers have already downloaded the app.

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State deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced the Maharashtra government has given all the necessary approvals to move on with the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project. After the state cabinet meeting, Fadnavis told a press conference that the project had received all necessary approvals from Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

He stated that some of the unresolved concerns were land acquisition and clearing of forests. The project's anticipated cost is Rs 1,10,000 crore, of which the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is providing funding for Rs. 88,000 crores. The Thane and Palghar districts have obtained more than 70 per cent of the land needed in Maharashtra for the project.

The previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, headed by Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray had not taken any step to put the project on the fast track. Thackeray had instead asked the railway ministry to build the high-speed train corridor between Pune and Nagpur cities.

Also read: Kolkata Metro Update: Rail services on the East-West line increased to 100 per day, details HERE

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his then-Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe laid the foundation of the bullet train project in Ahmedabad in September 2017. The train is expected to cover the distance of over 500 km in around two hours.
The 116.65-km Taranga Hill-Ambaji-Abu Road rail line gets a nod for construction from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs at an estimated cost of Rs 2,798.16 crore. The Taranga Hill-Ambaji-Abu Road rail line will boost connectivity and further socio-economic progress. It also fulfills a long-standing demand for improving access to Ambaji, Prime Minister Narendra Modis tweet read.

The Taranga Hill-Ambaji-Abu Road rail line, which has been approved by the Cabinet will boost connectivity and further socio-economic progress. It also fulfils a long-standing demand of improving access to Ambaji. https://t.co/a8ihaHNBNI  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 13, 2022

To be built by the Ministry of Railways, the project will link two states and three religious places and will be completed by 2026-27. The proposed rail line will traverse through the Sirohi district of Rajasthan and Sabarkantha, Banaskantha, and Mahesana districts of Gujarat.

Ambaji is one of the 51 Shakti Peeths which attract millions of devotees from Gujarat as well as other parts of the country and abroad every year. Mount Abu is the headquarters of the Brahma Kumari community and is frequented by its followers from around the world.

The construction of this railway line will facilitate easy travel for millions of devotees. Those visiting the temple of Ajitnath Jain (one of the 24 Tirthankaras) at Taranga Hill will generate direct employment for about 40 lakh man-days.

Also read: Ludhiana Railway station to get a revamped look soon! Check proposed design HERE

"The estimated cost of this project is Rs 2,798.16 crore and will be completed by 2026-27. The new railway line will connect two states, and three religious places and will reduce the load on the main railway line," Thakur said at a press briefing.

Besides enhancing connectivity and mobility, the project will lead to the overall socio-economic development of the region.

This line will facilitate faster movement of agricultural and local products and improve mobility of the people between Gujarat and Rajasthan as well as to other parts of the country. The project will also provide an alternative route to the existing Ahmedabad-Abu Road railway line. The new line shall also benefit the dairy industry of Mehsana and the marble industry of Gujarat.

(With inputs from PTI)

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San Francisco: Amid recession fears, tech giant Meta is likely looking forward to bidding goodbye to a few employees as a media report says that the platform has asked managers to identify people for layoffs. According to The Information, Meta Platforms' Vice President of Remote Presence and Engineering Maher Saba has instructed managers to identify and "move to exit" poor performers as the company struggles with macroeconomic pressures and hits to its advertising business.



In a post to Meta's internal messaging system, Saba, who has been with Meta for eight years, told managers to think about the value their team members bring to Meta. "If a direct report is coasting or a low performer, they are not who we need; they are failing this company," Saba was quoted as saying. (Also Read: Meta to shut down digital wallet Novi in September)



"As a manager, you cannot allow someone to be net neutral or negative for Meta," Saba added. Managers should identify people on their team who "need support" by 5 p.m. on Monday and "move to exit people who are unable to get on track," the post said.



Representatives for Meta, including Saba, did not respond to requests for comment by the website. Meanwhile, the company recently warned employees to expect a tough second half of the year. (Also Read: WhatsApp to soon let users hide online status from everyone)

Recently, Meta chief product officer Chris Cox detailed the company's financial dilemma in an internal memo that detailed key areas where the social media giant plans to invest. Cox reiterated statements made by Meta CEO and co-founder Mark Zuckerberg during a call with analysts as part of the company's first-quarter earnings report. He added that the company is in "serious times here and the headwinds are fierce," underscoring that its challenges aren't likely to vanish anytime soon.
New Delhi: Garena Free Fire releases redeem codes on everyday basis. The 12-digit redeem code consists of alphabets and numbers. Players can get rewards such as skins for in-game weapons and characters to improve their gaming experience.

Garena Free fire is banned in India. However, if you are located outside India, you can access the reward codes and redeem them. For that you will be required to visit official Garena Free Fire reward site and log in to your Facebook, Google, Twitter IDs to access the Free Fire redemption page. (Also read: Google Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro features listed on ecommerce website: Details here)

Check out the Garena Free Fire Redeem Codes for July 14, 2022

FFAC2YXE6RF2

J3ZKQ57Z2P2P

FFCO8BS5JW2D

FFBBCVQZ4MWA

FF10HXQBBH2J

B6IYCTNH4PV3

WOJJAFV3TU5E

3IBBMSL7AK8G

FF1164XNJZ2V

WEYVGQC3CT8Z

WLSGJXS5KFYR

X99TK56XDJ4X

FF11NJN5YS3E

FF9MJ31CXKRG

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(Also read: Shocking! Ex-Amazon Web Services engineer hacked data of 10 crore customers)

How to Redeem Garena Free Fire codes for today, July 14 2022

Step 1: Go to the official Garena Free Fire redemption portal



Step 2: Log in on the portal with either your Facebook, Twitter, Apple, Google, VK, or Huawei ID.



Step 3: Enter a redeem code in the designated text box.



Step 4: Click on the Ok button to get free rewards in your game account.

(Disclaimer: Garena Free fire is banned in India. Hence we advise people to adhere to government rules)
New Delhi: The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), the industry's apex body representing telcos, on Thursday urged the government not to allow Big Tech companies to enter the 5G spectrum auction this month via back door channels. The COAI said in a statement that the 5G spectrum should not be provided on an administrative basis as it leads to no business case for the rollout of 5G networks in the country.



"If the independent entities set up private captive networks with direct 5G spectrum allotment by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), it will diminish the revenue so much that there will be no viable business case left for the telecom service providers (TSPs) and there will not remain any need for 5G networks rollout by TSPs," said Lt. Gen. Dr. S.P. Kochhar, Director General, COAI. (Also Read: Microsoft first Big Tech firm to cutback workers amid global meltdown)

It is important to understand, said the COAI, that licensed access service providers are fully capable of providing these services most competitively and economically compared to private companies. "Any consideration of administrative allocation of spectrum for such networks is fundamentally against the principles of a level-playing field," Kochhar added.



The telecom industry body further said that it will effectively provide a backdoor entry to big technology players to provide 5G services and solutions to enterprises in India without equivalent regulatory compliance and payment of levies that TSPs are subjected to. (Also Read: When will 5G services launch in India? IT minister shares BIG update, says deployment to begin in)

The Department of Telecom has released a notice inviting applications for the auction of spectrum in 600, 700, 800, 900, 1800, 2100, 2300, 2500, 3300 MHz, and 26GHz bands. The NIA provides explicit clarity on the subject of Captive Non-Public Networks (CNPN). The last date for submission of the application was July 8 and it will give an indication of potential participants for the auction and earnest money deposit on July 20 which will indicate the maximum spectrum payout for each telco. The telcos are allowed to surrender spectrum that will be auctioned after a minimum period of 10 years from the date of acquisition. Last month, in a big relief to telecom companies, the DoT scrapped the 3 percent floor rate on spectrum usage charge.




By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan and Egypt have discussed the implementation of joint projects between the two countries, Azernews reports.

The discussion took place during a meeting between Orkhan Mammadov of Azerbaijan's Agency for Small and Medium Business Development and Egyptian Ambassador Hisham Mohamed Nagy Abdel Hamidi.

During the meeting, the parties also exchanged views on the possibility of creating joint ventures with the participation of entrepreneurs and the organization of mutual business missions.

Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on March 27, 1992. The Egyptian embassy in Baku has been operating since April 1993, while Azerbaijan's embassy in Cairo has been open since January 1994.

In total, the two countries signed around 50 documents on cooperation in various fields.

The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Egypt amounted to $42.4 million in 2021, and to $4.1 million in the first five months of 2022.
In case of Russia's attempt to advance from the Black Sea, Ukraine will use anti-ship missiles, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) Valeriy Zaluzhny has said.

"The AFU monitor the enemy activities in the Black Sea. The Russian warships are hesitant to approach the Ukrainian coastline and stay at a considerable distance. However, if the enemy attempts to advance, we will use our anti-ship missiles," he said during a meeting with Defense Minister of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov and U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink.

The Defense Ministry of Ukraine said on its website that Reznikov and Zaluzhny focused attention on the fact that thanks to partners' assistance the Ukrainian military are able to monitor the preparations for the launch and the launch of Russian missiles against Ukraine. They stressed that the missile systems on the Russian warships also pose threat to Ukrainians.

Zaluzhny informed the U.S. Ambassador about the security situation in the context of fight against Russia's armed aggression and said that the defense system in the capital of Ukraine is reliable.

"The potential confrontation line is more than 2,000 kilometers. At the moment, intensive military operations continue in eastern Ukraine, Donetsk and Luhansk regions. In February-March, there were battles near Kyiv. However, we have managed to organize a reliable defense system in the capital and force the enemy army back. We are reinforcing the defense system. Respective military groups have been created for the defense of the city. So, a sharp transfer of military operations to Kyiv is impossible. Today, missile attacks pose the greatest danger to us. However, we fight. We shoot down many enemy missiles," Zaluzhny said.

The parties discussed the system of accounting and transparency of security assistance, left out a possibility of any embezzlement or uncontrolled use of weapons. They also tackled the issue of launching logistics accounting systems jointly with the partners of Ukraine.

Reznikov thanked Brink and the American people for strengthening Ukraine's defense capacity and noted effective use of the HIMARS systems by the Ukrainian army to hit the positions of the Russian invaders.

The U.S. Ambassador, in turn, expressed respect for the Ukrainian defenders and said that further assistance to the Ukrainian army would give the maximum result.
No indication that weapons supplied by NATO allies to Ukraine get into other party's hands  Dutch Foreign Minister

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands Wopke Hoekstra has said there is no indication of the fact that the weapons supplied by NATO allies to Ukraine gets into other party's hands or is used for war crimes.

The minister said this in The Hague on Thursday at a press conference following the Ukraine Accountability Conference.

"In theory, these things are always possible, but I have no indication that it is happening. And I think both we and our allies and the Ukrainian forces are very careful to make sure this does not happen," he said.

Hoekstra also noted that the NATO allies "are a bit cautious in describing what we exactly deliver, and when we deliver it."
On Monday, July 18, at 12.00, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency will host a discussion entitled "Military-political situation: external and internal. Trends and predictions." Participants include Director of the Institute for Global Strategies Vadym Karasiov; political expert Kostiantyn Matviyenko; Director of the Ukrainian barometer sociological service Viktor Nebozhenko (8/5a Reitarska Street). The broadcast of the press conference will be available on the YouTube channel of the Interfax-Ukraine agency. Admission of journalists requires registration on the spot.
Israeli occupation forces said they had killed a Palestinian man who allegedly tried to stab their officers during a raid on his home in east Jerusalem early Monday.


Organ transplantation has enabled many patients with terminal organ failure to have a longer and better life. But live organ donation offers a relatively limited number of organs due to the large gap between the number of donors and awaiting recipients.

The second source of organ donation is post-mortem. Understandably, the public acceptance of this type of donation is often a matter of controversy due to the moral and legal aspects of its regulation and implementation.

Article 8 of Egypt's organ transplant law allows the transplantation of an organ from the body of a deceased person to a living person if the deceased consented in a documented will. Article 10 calls for a registry to be created for patients in need of transplantation, which will be organised by need.

"Deciding to donate your organs is an enormous gift. You could help save up to eight to 10 lives by donating multiple organs and save up to 50 people with tissue, eye and even bone donations," explained Youssief Rady, the first Egyptian to officially register his will to donate his organs after death. There is no age limit; anyone can register to become an organ donor after death. However, to be able to do so, a person needs to die in hospital under specific circumstances.

"Medical specialists decide in each individual case whether a person's organs and tissues are suitable for donation," Rady added.

Last year, writer Khaled Montaser used his book signing event to call on intellectuals, artists, and influential figures to help raise awareness about organ donation.

Montaser urged them to register as organ donors to encourage the public and called for adding the donor status to driver's licenses.

"Blood and tissue types need to match for a transplant to be successful," Neurologist Mariem Raaouf explained. "Place of death also plays a factor in organ donation, since organs can only be donated within 48 hours of death, after which they need to be maintained in special facilities until ready for a transplant," she added.

Moreover, a person cannot become an organ donor if they have or are suspected of having certain conditions like HIV, cancer and Ebola.

However, "the real problem in Egypt is that the medical community cannot agree on a definition of death and is split between those who define death as death of the brain, and those who define it as death of the heart," Raaouf further explained.

"And without a clear, agreed upon definition of death, who will be able to decide a person is now dead and therefore their organs can be donated?" she wondered.

"What happens when we die? There are many answers, speculations and stories; however, there is only one answer that everyone agrees on and knows for a fact will happen, our bodies will rot," explained Doaa Hisham, a young branch manager.

"A lot of people go out of their ways to keep their names alive even after they die, and I think organ donation after death is the best way to do so," she added.

Religion also always comes up as an obstacle, as some religious edicts prohibit organ transplantation on the ground that Islam does not allow Muslims to give up their organs by selling or donating, whether during life or after death.

However, most Muslim scholars have given permission for organ and tissue transplantation to save human lives.

Moreover, Dar Al-Iftaa allowed organ transplants from living or dead donors in cases where they are meant to save the life of a patient at a chronic state and on the condition that such transplants are legal, and should not include any financial benefits for the donor, his family or his heir in case the donor is deceased.

"The Quran states that whoever saves the life of a human being, it is as if he has saved the life of all mankind," Hisham said.

In 2018, Sherif Al-Gazar, a young Egyptian-Greek, made it to the news when he donated his heart, liver and kidneys to save the life of four Chinese patients after he slipped in the bathtub and suffered from brain herniation, sight loss and respiratory system failure, while on a business trip in China. His sister signed the authorisation papers on air with her mother on the speaker phone.

However, "this is all impossible without implementing a solid system that is corruption-proof and takes into consideration everything from safe and sound transplants, to a fair waiting list with priorities always given to those in more critical conditions and not those with money," said Rady.

The head of the Egyptian parliament's health affairs committee, Ashraf Hatem, said in a telephone interview on the Sada Al-Balad channel that the law regulating organ donations will soon be implemented.

"Work will be done with the government to introduce any needed amendments," he said.

"A few articles in the law need to be clarified before parliament so as not to cause confusion during implementation, including articles concerning the transfer of organs from a deceased person."

A cross sectional study was conducted over a period of two years among 2,743 adult participants, chosen from two healthcare facilities in Egypt: the Egyptian Liver Hospital and the National Research Centre.

Participants were both males and females between the age of 18 and 65.

According to the study, conducted by the National Research Centre and published in biomedcenteral, only half of the participants agreed to post-mortem organ donation (47 percent).

However, after explaining the process of donation, its regulation and consenting form to them, this percentage increased significantly to 78 percent.

"Our results suggest that increasing awareness about the subject could in turn increase its acceptance among the public. Efforts to improve educational programs and informational campaigns on the social and health benefits of organ donation could contribute to increasing the number of donations," the study stated.

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At least four children were killed and 11 others were injured on Wednesday evening after a bus overturned and fell into El-Salam Canal on the road connecting the governorates of Damietta and Daqahliya, Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported.

The police, river rescue forces, and seven ambulances from Damietta and Daqahliya were dispatched to the site of the accident.

The bus was carrying children returning from a Quran competition in Damietta governorate, according to eyewitnesses.

The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed El-Tayyeb has expressed mourning for the victims, and ordered to quickly disburse compensation to the families of the deceased and the injured, according to Al-Azhar Facebook page.

Egypt has witnessed a steady decline in the number of road accidents in recent years in parallel with national efforts to improve the countrywide road network.

The country reported a drop of 28.9 percent in road traffic injuries and 8.9 percent in deaths in 2020 compared to the previous year, the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS) said in a report in November.

The number of road traffic injuries and deaths were 56,789 and 6,164, respectively, in 2020, according to the report.

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Ambassador David Thorne, Senior Adviser to the Climate Envoy in the United States, expressed his happiness with his recent visit to Egypt as part of the expanded conference organized by the Egyptian-American Chamber of Commerce, which was attended by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and a number of ministers, officials and businessmen. The visit coincided with a visit to Egypt by the US Green Trade Mission delegation, which included representatives from about 40 American companies.

Thorne said in an interview with Al-Ahram in Washington that the Egyptian government is taking extensive steps towards green transformation, is exerting great efforts in preparing for the upcoming climate summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, and that Egyptian-American coordination in this regard is at the highest levels.

Thorne praised the efforts of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi in this vital issue, especially his announcement at the World Economic Forum that Egypt had joined the global pledge on methane, which Thorne described as a welcome step in the US and internationally.

Ahram Online: Egypt is hosting the COP27 climate summit at the end of this year, and you visited Egypt recently to discuss the climate issue. What is required for the success of this summit?

David Thorne: We need to follow through on implementing existing goals and commitments and continue to increase ambition to keep a 1.5-degree Celsius limit on temperature rise within reach and to enhance adaptation efforts. We see two key objectives. The first is ensuring that countries whose 2030 emission targets are not yet aligned with the Paris temperature goal strengthen their targets this year, as called for in Glasgow. The second is strengthening adaptation efforts to help countries cope with climate impacts that cannot be avoided. President Biden and President El-Sisi announced at the recent Major Economies Forum meeting that Egypt and the United States will partner at COP27 to focus on tangible steps to strengthen adaptation efforts in Africa.

AO: In your opinion, what is required of countries to address the climate crisis?

DT: We dont have time to waste. The window for limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius is rapidly narrowing. We are calling the 2020s the decisive decade because we have to act quickly and ambitiously if we want to prevent global temperature from rising above 1.5 and spare people and the planet from the worst consequences of the climate crisis.

AO: Poor countries are the most negatively affected by climate change, so what is your role in helping these countries?

DT: We are strongly committed to helping vulnerable countries and communities adapt to and manage the impacts of climate change. President Bidens Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE) will help empower developing countries and communities by providing adaptation finance, climate information, and support to increase climate resilience related to food, water, infrastructure, and health. We also are very pleased to partner with Egypt to address adaptation in Africa, as announced by President Biden and President El-Sisi.

AO: Last year set new records in the concentration of greenhouse gases, the rise in sea levels, the warming of the oceans and ocean acidification. Will the world be able to mitigate the effects of climate change?

DT: The recent IPCC reports make it clear that we still have options, but we are running out of time. This is why it is crucial that we implement existing goals and commitments and continue to raise our ambition.

AO: The success of mitigating the effects of climate change can only be achieved through private sector financing and investments. What are the most important areas that should be supported and financed by the private sector in this regard?

DT: The private sector is a crucial partner in combating the climate crisis, from setting and implementing net zero targets to supporting increased resilience and aligning financial flows with a green future. Many companies are setting ambitious goals and shifting investment toward climate solutions. We must accelerate these efforts to deliver the trillions of dollars needed to achieve the net-zero transition. Our First Movers Coalition is driving innovative technology by mobilising market demand for green steel, green cement, green fuels and other climate-friendly products. Its also critical that we strengthen private investment in climate adaptation.

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The United States and Israel reaffirm the unbreakable bonds between our two countries and the enduring commitment of the United States to Israels security. Our countries further reaffirm that the strategic U.S.-Israel partnership is based on a bedrock of shared values, shared interests, and true friendship. Furthermore, the United States and Israel affirm that among the values the countries share is an unwavering commitment to democracy, the rule of law, and the calling of Tikkun Olam, repairing the world. The leaders express appreciation to former Prime Minister Bennett, who led the most diverse government in Israels history, and under whose leadership this extraordinary partnership has continued to grow stronger.

Consistent with the longstanding security relationship between the United States and Israel and the unshakeable U.S. commitment to Israels security, and especially to the maintenance of its qualitative military edge, the United States reiterates its steadfast commitment to preserve and strengthen Israels capability to deter its enemies and to defend itself by itself against any threat or combination of threats. The United States further reiterates that these commitments are bipartisan and sacrosanct, and that they are not only moral commitments, but also strategic commitments that are vitally important to the national security of the United States itself.

The United States stresses that integral to this pledge is the commitment never to allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon, and that it is prepared to use all elements of its national power to ensure that outcome. The United States further affirms the commitment to work together with other partners to confront Irans aggression and destabilizing activities, whether advanced directly or through proxies and terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

The United States and Israel note that nothing better reflects the steadfast and bipartisan support of the United States to Israels security than the unprecedented Memoranda of Understanding on security assistance signed by successive U.S. administrations over the last few decades, and that these arrangements demonstrate in word and deed that the United States considers Israels security essential to U.S. interests and an anchor of regional stability.

The United States strongly supports implementing the terms of the current historic $38 billion Memorandum of Understanding in full, which honors the United States enduring commitment to Israels security, as well as its conviction that a follow-on MOU should address emerging threats and new realities. In addition, the United States is committed to seeking additional missile defense assistance in excess of MOU levels, in exceptional circumstances such as the hostilities with Hamas over eleven days in May 2021. Israel appreciates the U.S. commitment to the MOU and for providing an additional $1 billion over MOU levels in supplemental missile defense funding following the 2021 conflict. Further, the countries express enthusiasm to move forward the U.S.-Israel defense partnership through cooperation in cutting-edge defense technologies such as high energy laser weapons systems to defend the skies of Israel and in the future those of other U.S. and Israel security partners.

Israel thanks the United States for its ongoing and extensive support for deepening and broadening the historic Abraham Accords. The countries affirm that Israels peace and normalization agreements with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco constitute a critical addition to Israels strategic peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan, all of which are important to the future of the Middle East region and to the cause of regional security, prosperity, and peace. The countries note that the historic Negev Summit, initiated and hosted by Prime Minister Lapid, was a landmark event in joint U.S.-Israeli efforts to build a new regional framework that is changing the face of the Middle East.

The United States and Israel welcome in this regard the meeting held in Manama, Bahrain on June 27th, forming the Negev Forum on regional cooperation. The United States welcomes these developments and is committed to continue playing an active role, including in the context of President Bidens upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia, in building a robust regional architecture; to deepen the ties between Israel and all of its regional partners; to advance Israels regional integration over time; and to expand the circle of peace to include ever more Arab and Muslim States.

The United States and Israel also welcome the opportunity to participate in a quadrilateral (hybrid) meeting, together with the leaders of India and the United Arab Emirates, in the context of the I2U2 initiative, bringing together these four countries to advance cooperation in economy and strategic infrastructure, and demonstrating the importance of this new partnership, first launched by their Foreign Ministers in October 2021.

The United States and Israel reiterate their concerns regarding the ongoing attacks against Ukraine, their commitment to Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity, and affirmed the importance of continued humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine.

The United States and Israel affirm that they will continue to work together to combat all efforts to boycott or de-legitimize Israel, to deny its right to self-defense, or to unfairly single it out in any forum, including at the United Nations or the International Criminal Court. While fully respecting the right to freedom of expression, they firmly reject the BDS campaign. The two countries will use the tools at their disposal to fight every scourge and source of antisemitism and to respond whenever legitimate criticism crosses over into bigotry and hatred or attempts to undermine Israels rightful and legitimate place among the family of nations. In this context, they express their deep concern over the global surge in antisemitism and reassert their commitment to counter this ancient hatred in all of its manifestations. The United States is proud to stand with the Jewish and democratic State of Israel, and with its people, whose uncommon courage, resilience, and spirit of innovation are an inspiration to so many worldwide.

The United States and Israel commit to continuing to discuss the challenges and opportunities in Israeli-Palestinian relations. The countries condemn the deplorable series of terrorist attacks against Israeli citizens in recent months and affirm the need to confront radical forces, such as Hamas, seeking to inflame tension and instigate violence and terrorism. President Biden reaffirms his longstanding and consistent support of a two-state solution and for advancing toward a reality in which Israelis and Palestinians alike can enjoy equal measures of security, freedom and prosperity. The United States stands ready to work with Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and regional stakeholders toward that goal. The leaders also affirm their shared commitment to initiatives that strengthen the Palestinian economy and improve the quality of life of Palestinians.

The United States and Israel enjoy extensive bilateral cooperation and dialogue between their two countries in many critical spheres  from groundbreaking collaboration in science and technology, to unique intelligence sharing and joint military exercises, to shared efforts in confronting pressing global challenges such as climate change, food security, and healthcare. To complement the extensive existing scientific and technological cooperation between their two countries, and to bring their cooperation to a new height, the leaders launched a new U.S.-Israel Strategic High-Level Dialogue on Technology to form a U.S.-Israel technological partnership in critical and emerging technologies, as well as in areas of global concern: pandemic preparedness, climate change, artificial intelligence, and trusted technology. This new technological partnership will be designed to boost the countries mutual innovation ecosystems and address geostrategic challenges.

In this same spirit, the United States and Israel affirm their commitment to continue their shared and accelerated efforts to enable Israeli passport holders to be included in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program as soon as possible, as well as their support for increased collaboration on operational cyber exchange and on combatting cybercrime. The leaders state that all of these initiatives, and countless other joint endeavors, undertaken between their peoples at every level of government and civil society demonstrate that the U.S.-Israel strategic partnership is indispensable and makes an outsized contribution not only to the good of American and Israeli citizens but also to the good of the Middle East and of the world.

With this record of remarkable achievement and with a sense of the incredible promise that the unparalleled U.S.-Israel relationship holds for the future, the United States and Israel warmly welcome entering the 75th year of this extraordinary partnership.

Signed by Joseph R. Biden Jr., President of the United States of America and Yair Lapid, Prime Minister of the State of Israel

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Egyptian Minister of Manpower Mohamed Saafan is following up on the killing of an Egyptian pharmacist in Saudi Arabia and the procedures to ship his body home for burial, the ministrys official Facebook page reported on Thursday.

On Wednesday, an Egyptian pharmacist, Ahmed Mohamed Hatem Abdel Hadi, 33, working in the Saudi city of Sakaka was reportedly shot twice by a Saudi woman when he refused to dispense an antibiotic without a prescription, the Ministry of Manpower stated.

It is illegal to dispense medicine, including antibiotics, without a prescription, according to Saudi law.

The pharmacist was immediately taken to hospital but died upon arrival.

Police arrested the woman and are investigating the incident, the statement said. The identity of the assailant has not been revealed.

Emigration Minister Nabila Makram extended her condolences to the deceaseds family, the Ministry of Emigration said on its Facebook page on Wednesday.

Makram contacted the family of the pharmacist and affirmed that the Egyptian embassy is accelerating procedures to return the body home and is following up on the investigation.

Also, Egypts Syndicate of Pharmacists released a statement on Wednesday expressing mourning for the victim.

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The Board of Trustees responsible for managing Egypt's national dialogue will meet next week to discuss the dialogue's schedule of debates and the formation of its main and subsidiary committees.

Al-Ahram political researcher and member of the board Amr Hashem Rabie revealed in a press interview on Thursday that the next meeting of the dialogue's board of trustees will be held next Tuesday (19 July) to discuss the dialogue's schedule of debates, the agenda and the formation of committee.

"The dialogue will be divided into three main committees mandated with discussing political, economic and social issues, and sub-committees can also be formed whenever necessary to discuss subsidiary issues related to the main ones," said Rabie, adding that "the 19 July meeting could also name the members of the three main committees."

The first meeting of the national dialogue's board of trustees, which was held on 5 July, wrapped up with endorsing the dialogue's code of conduct and internal bylaws.

The 25-article code of conduct is divided into three parts, the first of which tackles the dialogue's general ethical rules, the second covers the rights and obligations of participants in the national dialogue, while the third regulates the rules of speech.

In general, the code states that the objective of Egypt's national dialogue is to introduce reforms and set the priorities of Egypt in the coming stage.

"The success of the dialogue is the responsibility of all participants and to achieve this goal all participants should refrain from turning the dialogue into a forum for scoring goals or settling personal and partisan accounts," said the code, adding that "the primary job of participants is to find common ground among themselves as well as observe objectivity, transparency and neutrality throughout the debates."

The code also states that in their coverage of the event, all media outlets should be keen on publishing and broadcasting all points of view expressed during the dialogue's debates.

As for the second part, the code states that participants who will take the floor should voice their viewpoints in a clear and concise way (not exceeding 10 minutes) while observing the dignity of the country's constitutional institutions.

"Each participant should also submit viewpoints in print to the dialogue's secretariat-general in order to be recorded in the state's national archives for the coming generations," said the code.

Article 5 of the second part states that participants should refrain from using any "insults or bad words" or engaging in any kind of badmouthing or discussing any issues outside the context of the debate, and in such a case the session's chairperson will intervene to exclude persons who commit such violations.

The code's third part gives the session's chairperson the right to interrupt speakers, impose discipline, and stop the debate if he/she finds that the rules of debate are being violated.

As for the dialogue's 19-article internal bylaws, they state that members of the dialogue's board of trustees are doing a voluntary job and that they shall not obtain any money or in-kind incentives in return, and that if any member opted to leave his post, the general coordinator would conduct the necessary consultations to choose another one to fill this post.

The by-laws also state that the board will have the right to seek the advice of experts or specialists on certain issues, without these having any voting rights.

The bylaws also state that all the national dialogue's sessions will be made public, with journalists and media people are allowed to attend, unless the board of trustees decides otherwise.

Article 14 states that the meetings of the dialogue's board of trustees are closed-door ones and that members are the only ones allowed to attend these meetings. "In some cases, however, the board can decide that its meetings are aired live or recorded," said article 14.

On 26 April, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi called for a national dialogue to draw up a new political roadmap for Egypt in the coming years. The dialogue's 19-member board of trustees held its first meeting on 5 July to prepare the agenda and timetable schedule of the dialogue.

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By Trend

Azerbaijan has great potential in the field of renewable energy, the former President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers told Trend.

According to Zatlers, Azerbaijan is ready to further develop its potential in the above field.

"The country can really benefit from this. It has great potential in the use of wind and solar energy," the ex-president said.

He also said that Azerbaijans Karabakh region has great potential for the development of solar energy.

"Today there are many innovative ideas in the world to create a "green" zone in Karabakh. Azerbaijan has enough resources for this," added Zatlers.
Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria and Patriarch of St. Mark's Diocese arrived in Austria on Thursday for a two-week visit, according to state news agency MENA.

Sources in the church said the pope will inaugurate two Coptic churches in Austria, MENA reported.

Pope Tawadros was welcomed by the Egyptian Ambassador in Vienna Mohamed Mulla.

The sources added that the pope will participate in a European youth conference due to be held near Vienna. Youths from various Coptic churches in Europe will take part in the event.

Pope Tawadros II congratulated on Sunday President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, state officials and Islamic leaders ahead of Eid El-Adha.

"I extend to your Excellency and to all our beloved Muslims the deepest heartfelt congratulations on the occasion of the blessed Eid El-Adha," Pope Tawadros said in a message to El-Sisi.

The pope prayed to God to support the president in achieving further success in developing Egypt and countering the different challenges facing the nation.

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Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi will conduct a visit to Germanys capital, Berlin, on 17-18 July to meet with German officials and attend the Petersburg Climate Dialogue, the German Embassy in Cairo said in a statement on Thursday.

During the visit, El-Sisi will hold bilateral meetings with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and a number of prominent members of the German government, the statement said.

Besides climate protection, which is a mutual priority for both countries, El-Sisis visit to Berlin will focus on celebrating 70 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the embassy noted.

The visit will also discuss regional and international relations, the embassy said without elaborating.

The international Petersburg Climate Dialogue has been organised by Germany annually since 2009 ahead of each UN climate change conference to hold discussions and agree on approaches on the next climate conference.

As host of the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) in November, Egypt will participate in the Petersburg Climate Dialogue managed by Germany, the embassy said.

El-Sisis upcoming visit to Berlin reaffirms the depth of the German-Egyptian relations and the mutual keenness of the two countries to deepen cooperation in the field of climate and stability in the Middle East, German Ambassador to Cairo Frank Hartmann said.

Egypt has been coordinating with other countries and international partners on COP27, which it will host in Sharm El-Sheikh city, and the country wishes to focus on ensuring the implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate and turning climate pledges into actions.

Last month, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry participated in the Bonn Climate Change Conference (56th session of the Subsidiary Bodies) in Germany, which aimed to lay the groundwork for the success of COP27.

During the Bonn conference, Shoukry and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Patricia Espinosa officially signed the Host Country Agreement for COP27.

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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will hold talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris next week focusing on the "peace process" and elections, the Palestinian foreign ministry said Thursday.

Abbas, who is due to meet Macron on July 20, will also discuss "putting pressure on Israel to provide the appropriate atmosphere for holding the Palestinian elections, specifically in the city of Jerusalem", a statement read.

Direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians have not been held since 2014.

Palestinian elections scheduled for last year were cancelled, with Abbas citing Israel's refusal to allow them to take place in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem.

The announcement came after Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki met his French counterpart, Catherine Colonna.

Last week, Israel's new Prime Minister Yair Lapid headed to Paris for his first foreign trip as leader to meet Macron, who said there was "no alternative to a resumption of political dialogue between the Israelis and the Palestinians".

Abbas is scheduled to meet with US President Joe Biden on Friday in Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank.

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A heatwave sweeping southwestern Europe was expected to peak on Thursday in Spain, with the scorching temperatures fuelling stubborn wildfires ravaging several countries.

Temperatures soared in Greece, Spain and Portugal, while the heatwave was expected to continue in Britain and France into next week.

It is the second heatwave to hit the region in a matter of weeks, as scientists say they are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change.

Southern Spain was bracing for temperatures to rise again Thursday as the stifling heat continued.

"For Thursday, we expect it to be the hottest day of this heatwave," said Spain's state meteorological agency AEMET.

The valleys around three major rivers -- the Guadiana, Guadalquivir and Tagus -- will experience temperatures of 44 Celsius (111 Fahrenheit) to 45 Celsius, it said.

The health ministry told people to drink plenty of fluids, wear light clothes and stay in the shade or under air-conditioning.

The city of Almonte in the southern region of Andalusia saw the mercury hit 45.6 degrees Celsius at 5:30 pm on Wednesday.

Several other southern cities such as Seville and Cordoba recorded temperatures above 44C.

'Major' fires

A fire in Spain which started in the eastern region of Extremadura on Monday has so far ravaged at least 4,000 hectares of land, local officials said.

Between January 1 and July 3, more than 70,300 hectares of forest went up in smoke in Spain, the government said -- almost double the average of the past 10 years.

Italy, Croatia, France and Portugal all reported forest fires linked to the heat this week.

In Greece, a helicopter helping to fight a forest fire on the island of Samos on Wednesday crashed into the Aegean Sea, killing two crew members, the coastguard said Thursday.

In Portugal, over 2,000 firefighters were battling dozens of wildfires across Portugal, including four deemed "major".

One person died in a forest blaze, authorities said Wednesday, after a body was found in a burned area in the northern region of Aveiro.

Around 60 others have been injured, some 860 people evacuated and roughly 60 homes destroyed or damaged.

Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa warned that Thursday would be the "most serious" day of the heat wave because temperatures were expected to rise and winds were stronger.

"Today is the day where we have to be the most careful," he said.

Fireworks cancelled

Meteorological services in France also warned the situation would "become intense between Sunday and Tuesday" -- possibly exceeding 40C before dipping by Wednesday.

Although temperatures eased by a few degrees Celsius across France, wildfires continued in the Gironde region near the southwestern city of Bordeaux, destroying some 3,700 hectares of forest in three days, with firefighters still unable Thursday to stop the blazes.

Tourist magnet the Dune de Pilat, Europe's highest sand dune, was closed to visitors after several thousand were evacuated from campsites this week.

"The situation is stable, but not yet under control," the region's authorities said Thursday as temperatures were forecast to hit 38C.

However, no additional evacuation of residents was planned, after hundreds were moved from their homes in recent days as a precaution in the region.

Further south, the Landes region and the city of Nimes cancelled all fireworks for Bastille Day, France's national holiday.

Temperatures were expected to reach 36C in southern France, 25C in the north of the country, and 32C in Paris on Thursday.

London meanwhile has issued an "amber" alert -- the second highest of three levels -- while one UK climate official said there was a chance Britain's highest temperature -- 38.7C recorded on July 25, 2019, in Cambridge -- could be surpassed.

London mayor Sadiq Khan announced an emergency plan to help homeless people deal with the extreme heat which includes distributing water and suntan lotion.

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Russian missiles struck the city of Vinnytsia in central Ukraine on Thursday, killing at least 12 people in what President Volodymyr Zelensky called "an open act of terrorism".

Ukraine's emergency services said there were "12 dead, including one baby, and 25 wounded" and dozens of rescue workers were fighting to put out a large blaze sparked by the strikes.

The news came as EU foreign and justice ministers prepared to meet in The Hague for a conference on alleged Russian war crimes.

Zelensky said he would be addressing the meeting via video call and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is set to attend.

"Every day, Russia kills civilians, kills Ukrainian children, carries out missile attacks on the civilian facilities where there is no military target. What is this, if not an open act of terrorism?" the Ukraine leader said in a statement on social media.

War crimes tribunal?

Zelensky has vowed to hold Moscow to account and has called for a special war crimes tribunal to be set up in the Netherlands.

The International Criminal Court in The Hague opened an investigation into possible war crimes in Ukraine just days after Moscow's forces invaded and it dispatched dozens of investigators to the country to gather evidence.

Its prosecutor Karim Khan also later visited Bucha, a town outside Kyiv where AFP journalists discovered 20 bodies in civilian clothing lying in a street, and where officials later said hundreds of other people had been killed.

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 and the conflict has raged since then, killing thousands of people, destroying cities and forcing millions to flee their homes.

In recent weeks, Russian strikes in central Ukraine away from frontlines in the east and the south have become relatively rare.

But the war has raged around cities like Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine near the Black Sea which the presidency said was hit by a "massive missile strike" earlier on Thursday.

"Two schools, transport infrastructure and a hotel were damaged," the presidency said in its morning military update.

The skeletal insides of one building gutted by the strikes was visible in images distributed by local officials, with municipal workers clearing bricks and rubble-strewn after the attack.

Fighting in Ukraine has focused on the industrial Donbas region in the east, but Kyiv's troops have been pressing a grinding counter-offensive in the south to retake Kherson.

The presidency added -- without elaborating -- that residents along the southern front in the Kherson region were reporting an "increase in equipment and the number of Russian troops."

'Total victory'

In east Ukraine, Moscow-backed troops said they were closing in on their next target.

"Siversk is under our operational control, which means that the enemy can be hit by our aimed fire all over the area," a pro-Moscow rebel official, Daniil Bezsonov, was cited as saying by Russian state-run news agency TASS.

At a Ukrainian trench position along the eastern frontline, a 25-year-old soldier who goes by the nom de guerre Moryak was working to fortify defences.

"We hide when they shell, we dig when it's calm," he told AFP journalists.

A fellow combatant in their trench dismissed the idea Ukraine and Russian forces could reach an agreement to halt fighting, explaining their goal was: "Total victory".

High-stakes grain talks

Several rounds of negotiations to end the fighting at the beginning of the conflict fell through, but delegations from Kyiv and Moscow met in Istanbul this week to discuss unblocking Ukraine's grain exports.

The high-stakes meeting involving UN and Turkish officials in Istanbul broke up after slightly more than three hours with an agreement to meet again in Turkey next week.

"The success of this story is needed not only for our state, but also -- without exaggeration -- for the entire world," Zelensky said in his evening address Wednesday after the talks.

The conflict in Ukraine has pushed up grain prices and Europe is suffering from sky-rocketing energy bills stemming from sanctions on Russia and Moscow's move to limit gas flows to Europe.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Thursday that Russia's war in Ukraine posed the "greatest challenge" to the global economy, as G20 ministers prepare to start talks in Indonesia.

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Two North Korean fishermen who were forcibly repatriated by South Korea in 2019 were executed on return on charges of treason, a well-informed source said Wednesday.

The Moon Jae-in administration claimed that the two, whom it accused of murdering 16 fellow crewmembers, had no intention to defect, but the North Korean regime seems to have believed otherwise.

News of their forcible repatriation caused fear among other defectors from the brutal dictatorship, who are considered South Korean citizens under the Constitution and entitled to protection once they decide to defect.

One defector who used to be a high-ranking official in the North and was hiding in Thailand in November 2019 told the Chosun Ilbo, "I was shocked when I saw the news reports of the forced repatriation and could not sleep for several days. I was worried that I might end up getting sent back blindfolded."

Another defector who was hiding in China at the time said, "I had second thoughts about going to South Korea because I was afraid of being sent back. It makes me shudder to see the photos of those fishermen."

The Unification Ministry here on Tuesday released a dozen photos of the two men being blindfolded and desperately resisting being handed over to North Korean soldiers at the border.

A South Korean activist who helps North Korean defectors said, "The forced repatriation had a huge psychological impact on North Koreans. Many gave up plans to defect and many others who were hiding in China chose to flee to the U.S. or Canada instead."

According to the source, the two fishermen were executed by state security in North Hamgyong Province, where they lived, on charges of murder and treason.

North Korean law stipulates that it is treason to escape to another country, betray communism or hand over state secrets to the enemy, which entails a punishment of more than five years of hard labor or death. "The fact that they were found guilty of treason means they confessed to attempting to defect," the source said.

People Power Party lawmaker Ha Tae-keung told the Chosun Ilbo, "I learned that the North Korean regime used the repatriation incident as an example to tell North Koreans that it is useless to defect."

The two had in fact expressed their intention to defect in handwritten statements during a hasty investigation here by the National Intelligence Service.

"As soon as the fishermen signed a document professing their will to defect, they become a South Korean nationals," Ha said. "The Moon administration pushed its own citizens, to their deaths in order to curry favor with North Korea. After that, North Korean defectors avoided South Korean soldiers and government officials for fear of being sent back to the North."


The government on Wednesday announced a plan to increase second booster vaccinations for COVID-19 as the infections surge to over 40,000 a day in Korea. The plan includes a structured vaccination drive for people over 50 and patients with chronic diseases starting next week. Currently only the over-60s, immunocompromised people and those at nursing homes or hospitals are systematically being encouraged to get their jabs. Everyone else can get them on demand just by walking into a clinic, but uptake has been disappointing. Even among the over-60s only a paltry 35.2 percent have had their second booster shot. President Yoon Suk-yeol publicly had his second booster at a community health center on Wednesday and called on people to participate in the vaccination drive as soon as possible.

President Yoon Suk-yeol receives a second COVID-19 booster shot at a community health center in Seoul on Wednesday. /News1

But public opinion is divided over the effectiveness of the second booster. Many are skeptical that it can protect them against the BA.5 Omicron subvariant, which has become the dominant strain throughout the world and is highly likely to cause breakthrough infections as it is more resistant. But the government points out that while the vaccines may not protect from infection, they are highly effective in preventing severe illness and death. Prof. Kim Nam-joong at Seoul National University Hospital said, "There have been no studies with solid conclusions yet about the effectiveness of the second booster in preventing the BA.5 subvariant. But many experts believe that a second booster is effective in preventing severe cases and death given the characteristics of the Omicron strain and the cases that have occurred so far."

A health worker checks safety tape at a coronavirus test center in Daegu on Wednesday. /News1

Others disagree. Prof. Chun Eun-mi of Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital said, "Two doses of vaccination are enough to prevent severe cases. What's important now is to prescribe COVID treatments like Paxlovid for more patients, because no vaccines can catch up with mutating variants." Some people are worried that too many vaccines might weaken their natural immunity. But Prof. Kim Woo-joo of Korea University Guro Hospital said, "It's groundless. The current interval between jabs of more than four months is appropriate considering the efficacy of vaccines." Many would prefer to wait for the arrival of an improved vaccine, but that seems a long way off. On June 30, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asked vaccine makers to improve the efficacy of their drugs to prevent the BA.5 subvariant. But even if a new vaccine is developed quickly, it will take months before it becomes available in Korea.
KYODO NEWS - Jul 14, 2022 - 23:53 | All, World

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa arrived in Singapore on Thursday, a foreign ministry official said, after he left his country facing its worst economic crisis since independence.

The Singaporean ministry said in a statement he has been allowed to enter the country on a private visit but has not asked for asylum.

The embattled leader arrived a day after he fled Sri Lanka to the Maldives aboard a military plane after seeing a massive number of protestors storm his official residence in Colombo demanding his resignation.

The island nation of 22 million people is now under a state of emergency, with his ally Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe serving as acting president, but the appointment has made protestors even more furious.

The prime minister, who has also been facing intense pressure to quit, imposed a curfew in the Sri Lankan capital again from noon on Thursday.

The president was going to step down on Wednesday but has yet to do so, apparently taking advantage of the title to help facilitate travel procedures before finding ways to live in exile.

Under the country's law, presidents are protected from arrest while in power.

Singapore generally does not grant requests for asylum, according to the ministry.

Singapore's state-owned news channel said that the Sri Lankan president arrived in Singapore at around 7:20 p.m. on a Saudi Arabian airline flight.

The Associated Press reported earlier that he was due to visit Saudi Arabia after Singapore, citing a Maldives government official. But the news agency now says that his final destination is not immediately clear.

Related coverage:

Sri Lankan president flees country amid economic crisis, protests
KYODO NEWS - Jul 14, 2022 - 07:05 | All, World, Coronavirus

U.S. drug regulators on Wednesday granted emergency use authorization for a COVID-19 vaccine developed by biotechnology firm Novavax Inc., making it the fourth shot of its kind available in the country.

The protein-based vaccine is expected to offer an alternative for individuals with an allergic reaction to the mRNA vaccines already in wide use, such as the one made by U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. It has already been authorized for use in other countries including Japan.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of the Novavax vaccine in individuals 18 years of age and older. It will be administered as a two-dose series, with the injections three weeks apart.

In the United States, two types of two-dose mRNA vaccines -- the one by Pfizer and another by Moderna Inc. -- as well as a one-shot vaccine made by Johnson & Johnson have been made available after the coronavirus pandemic accelerated in 2020.

Around 22 percent of people in the United States have yet to receive a single COVID-19 vaccine shot, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The administration of President Joe Biden is once again urging people to get vaccinated as the highly transmissible BA.5 subvariant of Omicron has driven a rise in infections across the country.

According to CDC data, BA.5 is estimated to have accounted for 65 percent of all new cases in the week that ended Saturday.
KYODO NEWS - Jul 14, 2022 - 11:10 | All, Japan, Coronavirus

Japanese digital transformation minister Karen Makishima has contracted the coronavirus during her trip to the United States, the Digital Agency said Thursday.

Makishima tested positive for the virus when she took a PCR test before her scheduled return to Japan. She is asymptomatic and staying in a hotel, the agency said.

Staff accompanying the minister have all tested negative. Makishima's return to Japan, scheduled for Saturday, will be delayed.

Makishima, who arrived in the United States on Monday, has held talks with senior U.S. government officials and delivered a lecture to a think tank during her trip.
By Trend

Azerbaijan Small and Medium Business Development Agency (SMBDA) provided training and consulting services to more than 8,000 business entities in the first half of 2022, Trend reports via the SMBDA.

According to the agency, during the reporting period, the SME Development Centers (SMEDCs) operating [within SMBDA] in 21 cities and regions of Azerbaijan organized more than 400 free business trainings, in which over 6,000 entrepreneurs took part.

The trainings covered the issues of business planning and development, "green economy", corporate law, marketing and sales, finance, taxes, insurance, human resource management, exports, business legislation, and professional communication skills.

In the first half of this year, the SMEDCs provided consulting services in the field of coordination with public and private structures, access to financial resources and other areas to nearly 1,000 entrepreneurs.

At the same time, these centers provided support to entrepreneurs and those wishing to start their own business in the development of business plans for 170 projects covering the city of Baku and the regions.

The centers also provided support in the creation of more than 180 new SMEs, added the agency.




KYODO NEWS - Jul 14, 2022 - 14:44 | All, World, Japan

Japan conducted large-scale joint exercises with the United States over nearby waters earlier this month involving a total of 52 aircraft, the Air Self-Defense Force said Thursday, amid intensifying maritime activities by China and Russia in the region.

Including aircraft that flew several times, 20 ASDF fighter jets, 29 fighters and two warplanes of the U.S. Air Force, and a U.S. Navy patrol plane participated in the drills on July 6 as well as Monday and Tuesday over the Sea of Japan, the Pacific and the East China Sea, the ASDF said.

Aimed at enhancing the ASDF's "tactical technique and the capabilities of joint Japan-U.S. actions in response" to armed attacks, the joint drills were carried out following two exercises conducted by the allies in late June, according to the ASDF.

In a related move, patrol planes of Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force and the U.S. Navy carried out a joint drill on Wednesday over waters near Japan's southwestern islands, the MSDF said.

The drills came as Chinese and Russian warships have been repeatedly spotted off Japan, especially since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in late February, though the vessels did not intrude into Japanese territorial waters.

In early July, a Chinese naval ship pursued a Russian warship just outside Japanese territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, according to Japan's Defense Ministry, in an apparent attempt to demonstrate Chinese sovereignty over the Tokyo-controlled, Beijing-claimed islets.

Two days later, an information-gathering vessel of the Russian navy briefly entered an area just outside Japan's territorial waters around its southernmost Okinotori Island in the Pacific, according to the ministry.

Beijing and Moscow also flew a total of six strategic bombers over the Sea of Japan, the East China Sea and the Pacific in late May, when Tokyo was hosting a summit of the Quad group, also involving Australia, India and the United States.
KYODO NEWS - Jul 14, 2022 - 16:43 | World, All, Japan

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin is planning to visit Japan on Monday to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, sources familiar with the countries' bilateral ties said Thursday, as the two nations explore ways to thaw their icy relationship.

During his envisaged stay, Park will also meet with his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi, in what will be the first formal bilateral meeting for them since Park took up the post following South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's inauguration on May 10, according to the sources.

Park's meeting with Hayashi would be the two nations' first foreign ministerial talks in Japan since November 2019.

The two countries' history-related disputes will likely be at the top of their agenda as issues linked to Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula continue to strain Tokyo-Seoul ties, including compensation demands from South Koreans over wartime labor and Koreans forced to work as "comfort women" in Japan's military brothels.

Park is also expected to directly convey his condolences to Kishida and Hayashi over the death of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who was fatally shot during an election stump speech last Friday in western Japan, the sources said.

During his visit to Seoul to attend Yoon's inauguration ceremony in early May, Hayashi met Park, who was then a candidate for South Korean foreign minister, and requested he visit Japan at an early date.

Park had initially planned to visit before campaigning began for the nation's House of Councillors election last Sunday, but put it off apparently due to Tokyo's concerns over a possible negative impact a conciliatory mood with Seoul could have on conservative voters, according to the sources.

Yoon has called for a future-oriented approach to the relationship with Japan, which sank to its lowest point in years during the administration of his predecessor Moon Jae In over the wartime issues.

Tokyo maintains that issues raised by South Korea such as labor compensation have already been resolved, and has been urging Seoul to abide by their past agreements.

The two neighbors are also at odds over Seoul-controlled, Tokyo-claimed islets in the Sea of Japan, called Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea.

Hayashi and Park had a trilateral meeting involving U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week on the fringes of a foreign ministerial meeting of the Group of 20 major economies on the Indonesian island of Bali, agreeing to work together closely to deal with North Korea's missile and nuclear threats.

Pyongyang has repeatedly test-fired ballistic missiles since the beginning of the year, with fears growing that the reclusive nation may carry out what would be its first nuclear test since 2017.
KYODO NEWS - Jul 14, 2022 - 21:40 | All, Japan, Coronavirus

Japan's cumulative COVID-19 infections topped 10 million cases Thursday, with the country logging over 90,000 new cases for the second straight day, but the government has indicated there are no plans to impose restrictions at this point.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, at a press conference, stressed the need for "maximum caution" while keeping the economy going at the same time, adding that the government will "use our strengthened (COVID-19) response capability" to stem the seventh wave of coronavirus infections.

In Tokyo, where 16,662 new cases were confirmed, the metropolitan government raised the capital's COVID-19 alert to the highest of four levels.

Amid the rebound driven by the highly transmissible BA.5 Omicron subvariant, a total of 97,788 new COVID-19 cases were reported across the country, approaching the peak of some 104,000 daily cases that the country saw in February.

"Coronavirus infections are spreading nationwide, and the number is increasing in all age brackets, especially among young people," Kishida said.

It has taken only four months for the cumulative nationwide total to double, according to a Kyodo News tally, highlighting the accelerating pace of infections. After the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in Japan in January 2020, it took around 19 months to hit 1 million and another six months to reach 5 million.

Only around a dozen countries now have cumulative COVID-19 cases higher than Japan, with the United States and India topping the list at around 89 million and 43.7 million, respectively, according to the University of Oxford's Our World in Data project.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said the occupancy rate of hospital beds has been rising but remains low on the whole, as are the numbers of deaths and people with severe symptoms.

Related coverage:

Maximum caution needed as COVID cases surge: Japan PM

The government also announced the postponement of the start of a domestic travel subsidy program, originally planned for the first half of July, in a blow to an industry that has been battered by a lack of travel due to the virus's spread.

To curb the spread of the virus through travel and socializing during the upcoming summer vacation period, the government is planning to request the country's 47 prefectures set up free COVID-19 testing sites at major stations and airports between Aug. 5 and 18 so people who have not undergone a third vaccination, among others, can check their infection status.

The government also plans to accelerate the third round of vaccinations targeting those in their 20s and 30s while pushing forward with fourth shots to elderly people at care facilities. About 8 million health care and nursing care workers are targeted for fourth shots.

The government is also considering a program to promote awareness of the need to ventilate indoor areas as people are driven into air-conditioned spaces by the hot summer weather, a factor believed to contribute to the spread of infections.

On Monday, Shigeru Omi, the head of a government COVID-19 panel of experts, said Japan "has no doubt entered" its seventh wave of coronavirus infections but said there is no need to restrict activities at this stage.
A Ghanaian apprentice shows Chinese cold dishes in a restaurant in Accra, capital of Ghana, on July 11, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Zheng)

ACCRA, July 13 (Xinhua) -- For Chen Guanghong, a Chinese chef based in Ghana for 12 years, using Chinese cuisine to communicate with Ghanaian diners is always more efficient than words.

"Food speaks louder than words," he always joked.

Chen worked in a Chinese restaurant affiliated with China's Gansu International Economic and Technical Cooperation Co., Ltd. in downtown Accra, the capital of Ghana.

The restaurant is a household name among locals because of its authentic Chinese flavor. It could take in tens of thousands of Ghanaian diners yearly, including many Ghanaian officials and celebrities.

Naming the spicy tofu and fish stew, hot and sour soup, fried rice, and many other dishes as their favorites, Chen said some Ghanaian regulars have totally fallen in love with the Chinese food.

"There is a young Ghanaian couple who are obsessed with Chinese steamed stuffed bun so that they come to our restaurant every Thursday for it, and they also said they love the taste so much," Chen said.

Aklie Atterh, a Ghanaian diner, told Xinhua that his favorite Chinese dishes are too many, from the spring roll to dumplings, and dining with his family here has become regular.

Behind the teeming sight of the dining room, Chen and his Chinese and Ghanaian colleagues have put in a lot of effort.

Few Ghanaian chefs knew Chinese culinary skills before they worked here, and had to be trained by their Chinese masters from scratch, from cutting up vegetables and meat to adeptly using Chinese seasonings.

Meanwhile, Chen also imparted the traditional Chinese culinary culture to his Ghanaian apprentices. Now some can carve different animals to decorate cold dishes, while some can write Chinese characters on plates.

"We have trained dozens of Ghanaian chefs in recent years, some of whom choose to stay, while some cook Chinese cuisine in starred hotels and international cruises," said Chen, adding many chefs have taken the restaurant as a training school for Chinese cuisine.

Wisdom Kwable, a Ghanaian chef that worked in the restaurant for 10 years, told Xinhua that he picked up the skill of cooking Chinese cuisine with the help of Chen and decided to make it a lifelong career.

"I'm good at boiled spicy beef, boiled spicy fish fillet with other sources, and all types of fried rice, including the popular Yangzhou fried rice," said Kwable.

Since local people's craze for Chinese cuisine is on the rise, more and more Chinese restaurants have sprung up in recent years in Ghana's major cities, such as Tema and Kumasi.

"As an old Chinese proverb says 'food is the paramount necessity of the people', I believe no matter Chinese or Ghanaian, the pursuit of delicious food are the same, and the Chinese cuisine brought us closer," said Chen. 

A Ghanaian apprentice learns to prepare Chinese cold dishes in a restaurant in Accra, capital of Ghana, on July 11, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Zheng)

A Ghanaian chef shows Chinese steamed buns in a restaurant in Accra, capital of Ghana, on July 11, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Zheng)

A Chinese chef teaches a Ghanaian apprentice to prepare Chinese cold dishes in a restaurant in Accra, capital of Ghana, on July 11, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Zheng)

A Ghanaian chef cooks a Chinese dish in a restaurant in Accra, capital of Ghana, on July 11, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Zheng)
BUENOS AIRES, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Argentina reported three new cases of monkeypox, bringing the total number of cases to 12, the Health Ministry announced Wednesday.

In a statement, it said that the cases correspond to two residents of the Province of Cordoba, aged 29 and 34, and a resident of the city of Buenos Aires, aged 43.

"The three cases have a history of travel to Europe. The jurisdictions have initiated isolation and contact tracing, while there are no secondary cases to date," the statement read.

Regarding the two Cordoba residents, "the men returned from Europe on July 1 and started showing symptoms between July 3 and 5. One of them presented fever, headache, muscle pain, fatigue, and skin pustules and scabs, while the second showed very mild symptoms," it added.

On July 7, they went to Rawson Hospital, where samples were taken, and on June 12, the diagnosis was confirmed by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases.

The man in the city of Buenos Aires returned from Europe on July 3 and was attended on July 7 at a health center, after presenting the characteristic symptoms of the disease.

"He is considered a confirmed case by clinical and epidemiological criteria, since it has not yet been possible to take a laboratory sample," the Health Ministry commented.

It also reported that 11 of the 12 cases in the country had a history of travel. 
JERUSALEM, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Israel's trade deficit in the first half of 2022 increased by about 35.2 percent year-on-year, the state's Central Bureau of Statistics reported on Wednesday.

The Israeli trade deficit reached 21.5 billion U.S. dollars in January-June 2022, up from 15.9 billion dollars in the same period of last year.

Israel's exports of goods in the first half of this year totaled 33.5 billion dollars, a rise of 24.1 percent from the 27 billion dollars in the same period in 2021.

Israel's imports totaled 55 billion dollars in the first six months, 28.2 percent higher than the 42.9 billion dollars recorded in the first half of last year.

The country's hi-tech industry exports rose by 18 percent in January-June 2022 to 10.86 billion dollars, up from 9.2 billion dollars in the same period of last year. 
LAGOS, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Six people were killed and 65 others injured in a windstorm-triggered disaster in Nigeria's northern state of Jigawa, the emergency management agency said on Wednesday.

The windstorm wreaked havoc on the Kafinhausa local government area of the state on Tuesday and destroyed several houses, said Yusuf Sani, head of the Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency, in a statement issued in Dutse, the state capital.

"Six people lost their lives and 65 others who sustained injuries in the disaster have been hospitalized," Sani said.

He said the agency was conducting a damage assessment exercise to ascertain the extent of destruction caused by the disaster.

According to the official, some displaced people took refuge with their relatives in the area, pending a temporary shelter would be provided for them by the agency. 
UN General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid speaks at the opening of the ministerial segment of the High-level Political Forum on sustainable development at the UN headquarters in New York, on July 13, 2022. UN General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid on Wednesday proposed action in five areas to bring the world back on track toward sustainable development. (Eskinder Debebe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

UNITED NATIONS, July 13 (Xinhua) -- UN General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid on Wednesday proposed action in five areas to bring the world back on track toward sustainable development.

The volume, magnitude, and scale of complex challenges to sustainable development are arguably both unprecedented and unrelenting today, he said. "From deepening climate change and regional conflicts, to rising inequality and food insecurity, the challenges we face threaten to derail the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda."

At the opening of the ministerial segment of the High-level Political Forum on sustainable development, convened under the auspices of the UN Economic and Social Council, he made five key recommendations.

"First, we must take action to get us there. We must invest in innovation, technology and behavioral change that bring about the future we want and need. This includes increasing investments into areas supportive of social protection, poverty reduction, the environment and climate action, as well as empowering youth as agents of a sustainable transformation," he said.

Second, there is a need to learn the lessons from COVID-19, particularly where systems and policies proved dysfunctional. There is a need to invest in the kinds of actions that can protect the most vulnerable, ensure resilient livelihoods, and leverage the power of science and technology, he said.

Third, there is a need to push for reform measures in the international financial system, in debt relief and vulnerabilities, and in overseas development assistance and humanitarian relief, he said.

Fourth, there is a need to address the situation of the most vulnerable countries. This includes shaping targeted responses to the issues they face. This also includes advancing a Multidimensional Vulnerability Index as a vital tool to help vulnerable countries access financing to respond to these crises, he said.

Fifth, there is a need to renew the commitment to the sustainable development of Africa, including support for key actions to reach universal vaccination, achieve food security, and ensure energy access across the continent, he said.

"The last three years, despite being marked by immense global tragedy and grief, gave us the much-needed pause to reassess the state of our world and our existence, and to see what needs to be fixed, replaced, renewed, reimagined or transformed," said Shahid.

"We have yet to fully seize that historic opportunity for a profound transformation, renewal, and reset. Let us change that. Let us resolve to act now. Let us ensure that future generations look back on this pandemic, on this period in history, not only as one of grief and trial, but of renewal and change. Let us ensure that the pain we have experienced translates into lessons learned, into actions, and into a more inclusive, sustainable, and hopeful future," he added. 
RAMALLAH/GAZA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- As U.S. President Joe Biden arrived in Israel on Wednesday for his first Middle East trip as president, some Palestinian political factions have voiced their rejection of the visit, and called for protests in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

During a seminar held in Gaza City, Bassem Na'aim, who is in charge of the political department of the Islamic Resistance Movement, said that Biden came to the region laden with "failure."

The U.S. president has no solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Na'aim said, stressing the "need to hold a strategic dialogue at the level of Arab and Islamic parties, countries and entities."

In the eyes of Ahmad Al-Medallal, a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Palestinians should not bet on "the U.S. project in the region."

"The Palestinian leadership has to form a national front to manage the state of conflict with Israel," he said.

Maher Mezher, a leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine in Gaza, said that Biden's visit aims to strengthen the U.S. grip on the region, warning against false promises by the United States.

Meanwhile, multiple Palestinian factions and activists called for rallies in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in protest against Biden's visit.

Delivering a short speech upon arrival on Wednesday, Biden said, "as president of the United States of America, I can say that our relationship with Israel is deeper and stronger than ever before."

He vowed that the United States would create more stability "because this is critical to all the peoples of the region."

On Friday, Biden is set to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the presidential residence in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. 
KIEV, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine and Russia have made some progress at the talks on grain exports in Istanbul that also involved representatives of Turkey and the United Nations, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday.

"The Ukrainian delegation informed me that there is some progress. We will agree on the details with the UN secretary-general in the coming days," Zelensky was quoted as saying by his press service.

Ukraine is making significant efforts to restore the supplies of food to the global market, he said.

Earlier in the day, delegations from Ukraine, Russia and Turkey met with a UN delegation in Istanbul to find ways to export Ukrainian grain from Ukraine's Black Sea ports to the global market. 
By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Swedish ambassador Christian Kamill has met with Carpet Museum director Shirin Malikova to discuss prospects of cooperation, Azernews reports, citing the Carpet Museum.

The ambassador praised the high-level cooperation between the two countries in many areas, including culture.

He stressed the importance of implementing joint activities for the further development and expansion of the Swedish-Azerbaijani ties in the cultural field.

The diplomat presented the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum with a book by textile historian Viveka Hansen titled "Textilia Linnaeana: Global 18th Century Textile Traditions and Trade".

Shirin Malikova expressed her gratitude to the ambassador for his interest in the Azerbaijani culture and for keeping close contact with the museum. She noted that the valuable book will take its rightful place in the museum's library.

Next, the Swedish ambassador viewed the? Lampa carpet recently donated to the museum's Shusha branch by Elmira Suleymanova, Vice Chairman of the Council of Elders, the country's first Ombudsman.

Lampa carpet (the 1930s) woven in Shusha has been recently presented at the museum.

The first samples of such carpets were woven in Shusha in the early 19th century, and they are also known as Shusha, used to adorn mansions and palaces.

Later, the Lampa became widespread in Karabakh as dast hali gaba, a carpet set consisting of a wide central area known as "hali" and narrow side parts called "kanara".

Stylized with beautiful flowers, including Kharibulbul, the Lampa carpet reflects the unique beauty of the Karabakh region and the aesthetic taste of the people living there.

These remarkable carpets, preserved in world museums and numerous collections, remain significant.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks to reporters at the UN Headquarters in New York, July 13, 2022. (Xinhua/Xie E)

UNITED NATIONS, July 13 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday hailed what he called "substantive progress" in ensuring the export of Ukrainian food products through the Black Sea.

"Today in Istanbul, we have seen a critical step forward to ensuring the safe and secure export of Ukrainian food products through the Black Sea," he told reporters at the UN Headquarters in New York. "In a world darkened by global crises, today, at last, we have a ray of hope -- a ray of hope to ease human suffering and alleviate hunger around the world, a ray of hope to support developing countries and the most vulnerable people, a ray of hope to bring a measure of much-needed stability to the global food system."

More technical work will be needed to materialize today's progress. But the momentum is clear. In the end, the aim of all parties is not just an agreement between Russia and Ukraine, but an agreement for the world, he said.

He thanked the Turkish government for its outstanding efforts to convene the talks and its critical role going forward. He thanked Russian and Ukrainian officials for their constructive engagement.

"The United Nations pledges to do our full part to support the follow-up," he said. "Today is an important and substantive step, a step on the way to a comprehensive agreement. We must also do more for struggling people and developing countries getting pummeled by a food, energy and financial crisis not of their making. We must do more to help all those living on the margins around the world -- countries on the brink of bankruptcy, families on the edge of famine."

There was very substantive progress and a broad agreement in the Istanbul talks, said Guterres.

There was substantive agreement on many aspects, mainly the questions related to the mechanisms of control, to the system of coordination, and to demining, he said.

"But of course, this was a first meeting. The progress was extremely encouraging. We hope that now the delegations are coming back to their capitals, and we hope that the next steps will allow us to come to a formal agreement," he said.

The UN chief would not predict how soon a final agreement will be reached.

"We are hoping that we'll be able to reconvene very soon -- I'm sure next week -- and hopefully we'll be able to have a final agreement. But as I said, we still need a lot of goodwill and commitment by all parties. They have shown it. I'm encouraged. I'm optimistic. But it's not yet fully done."

The United Nations will be together with Russia, Ukraine and Turkey in making sure that the next steps of coordination, of control, of the implementation, are done effectively. The United Nations is fully engaged in that common effort, he said.

The progress in the Istanbul talks is an extremely relevant step in relation to addressing the food crisis, together with the efforts in relation to the access of Russian food and fertilizers to the global markets, he said. "But I do not see immediately the perspective of a peace agreement. I think in any case, this demonstrated that the parties are able to have a constructive dialogue. And this is, of course, very good news. But for peace, we still have a long way to go."

The hopeful news from Istanbul shows the importance of dialogue, said Guterres. "Let us take inspiration from that ray of hope to help light a way to a desperately needed negotiated solution for peace in line with the UN Charter and international law." 

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks to reporters at the UN Headquarters in New York, July 13, 2022. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday hailed what he called "substantive progress" in ensuring the export of Ukrainian food products through the Black Sea. (Xinhua/Xie E)
A Ghanaian apprentice shows Chinese cold dishes in a restaurant in Accra, capital of Ghana, on July 11, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Zheng)

For Chen Guanghong, a Chinese chef based in Ghana for 12 years, using Chinese cuisine to communicate with Ghanaian diners is always more efficient than words.

ACCRA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- For Chen Guanghong, a Chinese chef based in Ghana for 12 years, using Chinese cuisine to communicate with Ghanaian diners is always more efficient than words.

"Food speaks louder than words," he always joked.

Chen worked in a Chinese restaurant affiliated with China's Gansu International Economic and Technical Cooperation Co., Ltd. in downtown Accra, the capital of Ghana.

A Chinese chef teaches a Ghanaian apprentice to prepare Chinese cold dishes in a restaurant in Accra, capital of Ghana, on July 11, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Zheng)

The restaurant is a household name among locals because of its authentic Chinese flavor. It could take in tens of thousands of Ghanaian diners yearly, including many Ghanaian officials and celebrities.

Naming the spicy tofu and fish stew, hot and sour soup, fried rice, and many other dishes as their favorites, Chen said some Ghanaian regulars have totally fallen in love with the Chinese food.

"There is a young Ghanaian couple who are obsessed with Chinese steamed stuffed bun so that they come to our restaurant every Thursday for it, and they also said they love the taste so much," Chen said.

Aklie Atterh, a Ghanaian diner, told Xinhua that his favorite Chinese dishes are too many, from the spring roll to dumplings, and dining with his family here has become regular.

Behind the teeming sight of the dining room, Chen and his Chinese and Ghanaian colleagues have put in a lot of effort.

Few Ghanaian chefs knew Chinese culinary skills before they worked here, and had to be trained by their Chinese masters from scratch, from cutting up vegetables and meat to adeptly using Chinese seasonings.

A Ghanaian chef cooks a Chinese dish in a restaurant in Accra, capital of Ghana, on July 11, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Zheng)

Meanwhile, Chen also imparted the traditional Chinese culinary culture to his Ghanaian apprentices. Now some can carve different animals to decorate cold dishes, while some can write Chinese characters on plates.

"We have trained dozens of Ghanaian chefs in recent years, some of whom choose to stay, while some cook Chinese cuisine in starred hotels and international cruises," said Chen, adding many chefs have taken the restaurant as a training school for Chinese cuisine.

Wisdom Kwable, a Ghanaian chef that worked in the restaurant for 10 years, told Xinhua that he picked up the skill of cooking Chinese cuisine with the help of Chen and decided to make it a lifelong career.

"I'm good at boiled spicy beef, boiled spicy fish fillet with other sources, and all types of fried rice, including the popular Yangzhou fried rice," said Kwable.

Since local people's craze for Chinese cuisine is on the rise, more and more Chinese restaurants have sprung up in recent years in Ghana's major cities, such as Tema and Kumasi.

"As an old Chinese proverb says 'food is the paramount necessity of the people', I believe no matter Chinese or Ghanaian, the pursuit of delicious food are the same, and the Chinese cuisine brought us closer," said Chen.
JERUSALEM, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Israel's largest hospital has launched a training program for Palestinian healthcare professionals, enabling them to provide advanced maternal telemedicine to pregnant women living in remote areas in the West Bank.

The all-female Palestinian team will engage in hands-on training at Sheba Medical Center in central Israel, including remote fetal monitoring, remote fetal ultrasound, patient communication, and digital urinalysis.

The goal of this program is to help pregnant Palestinian women living in wide rural areas surrounding Hebron city in the southern West Bank to receive remote health services such as the prevention and detection of gestational diabetes and preeclampsia.

Ronit Zimmer, executive director of Project Rozana, a collaborator of the project, explained to Xinhua that it is not easy for people in those rural areas to go to the hospitals in Hebron, which is located at least 20 kilometers away, in the absence of road infrastructure and public transportation.

In addition, some women may find it difficult to leave their homes because they have to take care of their children, she added.

"With telemedicine, we can get anywhere, even to the most remote villages. It significantly improves pregnancy monitoring while lowering costs," Avi Tsur, director of both Sheba's Women's Health Innovation Center and OB-GYN Beyond department, told Xinhua.

To monitor and treat patients, the Palestinian staff, excluding the gynecologists, will go to public meeting places in the rural areas, where the patients will be treated and tests remotely examined by the doctors using Sheba's technologies.

Raghad, the Palestinian team's coordinator and dentist, said the training workshop at Sheba was "a great experience."

"We met friendly people, really enjoyed the lectures, and got a lot of information on different subjects. It will help us treat women from low socioeconomic villages with poor health status."

Tsur said that "the members of the Palestinian medical staff liked coming to Israel and working with us. Relationships have been established here beyond professional work."

After the training days at Sheba, the hospital's support will continue, with online sessions about twice a month.

"The fact that important hospitals on both sides work together will surely have a positive effect on the relationship between the two peoples," Zimmer noted.

"The program is based on humanity, we know that the sense of life is to help others and do good, and a lot of people are waiting for us," Raghad said. 
China urges the Japanese side to take seriously the legitimate concerns of various parties and stop pushing forward the ocean discharge plan, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Thursday. #GLOBALink





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Refugee children pose for a photograph at a Syrian refugee camp in Bar Elias, Bekaa Valley, eastern Lebanon, on June 19, 2018, ahead of World Refugee Day. After years of war in Syria, Syrian refugees continued their lives in Lebanon. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

by Dana Halawi

BEIRUT, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Alaa Abou el-Heja, a 50-year-old Syrian refugee and father of six, awaits eagerly his return to Syria, as the Lebanese government's recent plan to secure refugees' return to their homeland gives him new hopes to see his beloved country after 11 years of displacement.

El-Heja, who lives in Bar Elias camp in eastern Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, said refugees should better return to their homeland in light of the severe economic crisis in Lebanon, which was further burdened with hosting over 1.5 million Syrian refugees.

"We have been using water, bread, electricity, fuel and other resources that have become scarce for the Lebanese themselves," he told Xinhua.

A scene inside the Burj al-Barajneh camp in south of Beirut, Lebanon, on Sept. 21, 2021. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)



The Lebanese government announced earlier in July a plan to secure the return of 15,000 Syrian refugees monthly to their homeland regardless of the position of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in this regard.

The UNHCR did not agree to a number of items that were put forward by Lebanon, including the request to suspend the payment of aid to Syrian refugees in Lebanon, and has withdrawn from the tripartite committee proposed by Lebanon, the country's Minister of Displaced Issam Charafeddine was quoted as saying by Voice of Lebanon, a private local radio.

A refugee child rides a bicycle at a Syrian refugee camp in Bar Elias, Bekaa Valley, eastern Lebanon, on June 19, 2018, ahead of World Refugee Day. After years of war in Syria, Syrian refugees continued their lives in Lebanon. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

Bassem Abou Odeh, another Syrian refugee who now works at a workshop for machinery maintenance in eastern Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, said that the displaced community is divided between optimists and pessimists regarding this plan.

Abou Odeh hoped that Lebanese authorities would carefully study and wait until the security situation subsides completely in Syria, as some areas, including Raqqa and Idlib, still suffer from kidnappings and killing incidents by terrorists.

Abou Hamed Hassan Jabra, a Syrian sergeant responsible for a group of displaced people in Lebanon's eastern village of Qaraoun, told Xinhua that some refugees are expecting to return after the Lebanese government announced its return plan which seemed serious and firm.

Meanwhile, a large proportion of the displaced will face huge challenges as some may have established small businesses or engaged in work in Lebanon and their return will force them to lose everything and start from scratch in their homeland, he noted.



Visiting Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres speaks at a press conference at Baabda Palace near Beirut, Lebanon, on Dec. 19, 2021. Guterres on Sunday urged the international community to increase its support for Lebanon, Lebanese TV station al-Jadeed reported. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

Dalal Harb, the media advisor at UNHCR, told Xinhua that "most of the refugees hope to return to Syria one day but many of them informed the commission that they are still concerned about several factors, including safety, housing, access to basic services and livelihoods."

She added that "Lebanon has a duty to abide by the principles of protecting refugees on its territories, and allowing them the voluntary right to return in safety and dignity," while the international community must continue to stand by Lebanon by supporting the most vulnerable people, displaced Syrian and Lebanese alike.

Lebanon remains the country hosting the largest number of refugees per capita with the government's estimation of 1.5 million Syrian refugees, yet the dire economic situation in Lebanon has negatively affected the livelihood of the Lebanese and also the displaced, whereby nine out of ten Syrian refugees live in extreme poverty, according to the United Nations. 
A quartet meeting is held by the delegations of Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, and the United Nations in Istanbul, Turkey, July 13, 2022. Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said on Wednesday that an agreement was reached in Istanbul's meeting on the basic principles and several technical issues on resuming exports of Ukrainian grain.

The statement came after a quartet meeting was held by the delegations of Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, and the United Nations in Istanbul. (Xinhua)

ISTANBUL, July 13 (Xinhua) -- First round of the discussions between Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations aiming to deliver stranded Ukrainian grain into the global market concluded in Istanbul on Wednesday.

The Turkish Defence Ministry announced the end of the talks on Twitter without disclosing any immediate results or whether the talks will continue.

The meeting came at a time when global food prices have soared with growing concerns about food shortages due to the prolonged crisis in Ukraine.

The ministry reported earlier that during the meeting, the delegates would work on creating a safe corridor on the Black Sea to transfer grain from Ukrainian ports.

Turkey has long been playing a role of mediation, seeking ways to establish a mechanism that will prevent a food crisis by allowing Ukraine to export its grains to the global market via sea routes.

Ankara also expects Istanbul to become an operational hub where the entire shipment process will be conducted. 

A quartet meeting is held by the delegations of Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, and the United Nations in Istanbul, Turkey, July 13, 2022. Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said on Wednesday that an agreement was reached in Istanbul's meeting on the basic principles and several technical issues on resuming exports of Ukrainian grain.

The statement came after a quartet meeting was held by the delegations of Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, and the United Nations in Istanbul. (Xinhua)

Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar speaks during an interview after a quartet meeting held by the delegations of Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, and the United Nations in Istanbul, Turkey, July 13, 2022. Akar said on Wednesday that an agreement was reached in Istanbul's meeting on the basic principles and several technical issues on resuming exports of Ukrainian grain.

The statement came after a quartet meeting was held by the delegations of Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, and the United Nations in Istanbul. (Xinhua)
QUITO, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese vehicles lead the automobile market in Ecuador as consumers are increasingly drawn to their design, sticker price and innovative features.

The sales of Chinese vehicles have seen "unusual growth in a small market like Ecuador's and "the trend is going to continue to grow," Executive Director of the Chamber of the Automotive Industry of Ecuador (Cinae) David Molina told Xinhua.

Between January and June of this year, 24,463 Chinese-made vehicles were sold, accounting for 39 percent of the total sales in the Ecuadorian market, a Cinae report provided to Xinhua on Tuesday showed.

The sales of Chinese-made vehicles grew 10 percent compared to the same period last year. In June of this year alone, 4,104 Chinese vehicles were sold in the country, occupying a 39.7-percent share of the Ecuadorian market.

Automobiles, vans, SUVs and trucks of more than 40 Chinese brands are estimated to be sold in Ecuador.

As Chinese auto sales grow, so do their points of sale in Ecuador, with local dealerships involved in the assembly, distribution and sale of a wide variety of Chinese vehicles.

One of them is Ambacar, which for 12 years has been involved in the sale of Chinese sedans, SUVs and pickups by brands such as Great Wall, SWM, Soueast and DFSK, as well as utility and multipurpose vehicles by Shineray.

Esteban Salazar, head of the Ambacar dealership on Granados Avenue in the northern part of the capital Quito, told Xinhua that Chinese vehicle sales have been "overwhelming."

Consumers are attracted by the vehicles' price and added value, such as comfort and safety features, he said.

Ambacar, which accounts for more than 10 percent of local market share with average monthly sales of 900 vehicles, has an assembly plant in the central city of Ambato, and has expanded to Colombia, Costa Rica and Peru.

"The best thing is to try our Chinese cars, to come see their high-quality parts and performance, (with) smaller 1,500-cubic-centimeter engines that are turbocharged, so they consume less fuel," said Salazar.

Monica Nunez, owner of a Haval M4 mini SUV, described herself as a "very satisfied" customer, saying the vehicle was well-equipped and fuel efficient.

"What surprised me most was the engine and auto parts, the spare parts are quite economical, so it was the kind of car I really wanted," said Nunez.

"China has produced very good vehicles, and it did it with precision, keeping in mind the cost and the technology of the bodywork, which offers a lot of safety," she added.

Systems engineer Mario Giler, who drives a Great Wall truck, said that buying a Chinese vehicle turned out to be an "excellent idea and a great benefit."

"It is my first vehicle ... It is truly a very good option given the quality of the product. Its structure is that of a luxury car with an accessible price for everyone," said Giler.

Increasingly more Chinese cars are circulating on Ecuador's roads, gaining a fan base and contributing to the economic recovery of the automotive sector following two years of flagging growth due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 
U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid in Jerusalem on July 14, 2022. Biden arrived in Israel on Wednesday, starting his first trip to the region during his presidency. (Kobi Gideon/GPO/Handout via Xinhua)

JERUSALEM, July 14 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid signed a joint declaration in Jerusalem on Thursday, vowing to stop Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

The U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Joint Declaration was signed on the second day of Biden's Middle East trip, and the United States pledged not to allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon even at the cost of using "all elements of its national power."

The United States affirmed its commitment to work together with other partners "to confront Iran's aggression and destabilizing activities, whether advanced directly or through proxies."

Speaking during a joint press conference with Lapid, Biden said that Israel is facing "threats."

There has been "an ironclad commitment from the United States of America to Israel's security," he said, adding "we'll make sure Israel can defend itself, by itself."

Echoing Israel's hope for a stronger U.S. action against Iran, Lapid said the only thing that will stop Tehran from becoming a nuclear power is to "put a credible military threat on the table."

Biden arrived in Israel on Wednesday, starting his first trip to the region during his presidency.

On Friday, he will travel to the West Bank to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. In the afternoon, he will fly to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for talks with Saudi officials, and participate in a summit with officials from regional countries.

Israel hopes that the visit will help to warm up ties with Saudi Arabia amid growing concerns over Iran's activities in the region and its nuclear program. Biden is also expected to try to persuade Saudi Arabia to increase oil production amid the crisis in Ukraine. 

U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid in Jerusalem on July 14, 2022. Biden arrived in Israel on Wednesday, starting his first trip to the region during his presidency. (Kobi Gideon/GPO/Handout via Xinhua)

U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid in Jerusalem on July 14, 2022. Biden arrived in Israel on Wednesday, starting his first trip to the region during his presidency. (Avishag Shaar-Yashuv/GPO/Handout via Xinhua)
BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has stressed the need to reduce the burden that people face in receiving medical treatment, and to advance medical reforms.

Efforts should be accelerated to ensure that high-quality medical resources become more broadly available and are distributed in a more balanced manner, Li said in an instruction to a national teleconference on medical reform held in Beijing on Thursday.

Medical institutions are obliged to meet people's basic needs for medical treatment, and shall not deny care to patients in emergency or critical conditions, said Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

Li said that measures shall be implemented continuously to benefit the people and ease the burden they face in receiving medical treatment, and that reforms shall be promoted towards the high-quality development of public hospitals.

Li also demanded further advancing the Healthy China initiative, developing traditional Chinese medicine, building up the ranks of rural doctors, and carrying out science-based and targeted measures to contain the epidemic, so as to safeguard people's health and promote economic and social development.

Vice Premier Sun Chunlan attended and addressed the teleconference.

Sun called for continued efforts to build regional centers for medical services and medical research, improve the management of medical consortiums, strengthen the community-level medical and health institutions, and establish a tiered diagnosis and treatment system.

She also stressed the strict implementation of the newly-updated COVID-19 control protocol to ensure that the economy and people's work and lives are less affected. 

Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan attends and addresses a national teleconference on medical reform in Beijing, capital of China, July 14, 2022. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)
A consumer pays in digital yuan (e-CNY) at a department store in southwest China's Chongqing, May 3, 2022. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)

BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- China's digital yuan transactions amounted to 83 billion yuan (about 12.33 billion U.S. dollars) by the end of May this year amid the country's push for pilot use of digital currency.

A total of 264 million digital yuan transactions had been carried out as of the end of May, Zou Lan, an official from the People's Bank of China (PBOC), told a press conference on Wednesday.

By May 31, the digital yuan payment service was accessible in nearly 4.57 million commercial outlets, Zou added.

The pilot program of the digital fiat currency, or the e-CNY, has been expanded to 23 places in 15 provincial-level regions.

The PBOC launched e-CNY pilots in Shenzhen, Suzhou, Xiong'an and Chengdu at the end of 2019. More domestic cities later joined the pilot program following its successful operation.

Zou noted that digital currency has played a positive role in promoting consumption, boosting domestic demands and stabilizing economic growth.

The central bank will further expand the scope of its pilot programs, strengthen pilot scenario construction, and enhance international cooperation, Zou added. 
By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

A book exhibition has opened as part of the Vagif Poetry Days, Azernews reports, citing Azertac.

Ilgar Fahmi, a member of the Azerbaijani Union of Writers and People's Writer Anar welcomed the guests of the event.

In his remarks, Deputy Chairman of the Azerbaijani Union of Writers Rashad Majid said that the books of over 100 poets and writers are displayed at the exhibition. The book presentations were held within the exhibition.

The books "Karabakh Saga, Thirty Years of Longing - Victory of 44 Days" prepared by the Azerbaijan Writers' Union and "All Roads Lead to Shusha..." about the Vagif Poetry Days were presented at the book fair.

The book "The Saga of Karabakh, Thirty Years of Longing - Victory of 44 Days" was started to be prepared from the first days of Azerbaijan's victory in the Second Karabakh War at the initiative of People's Writer Anar, chairman of the Azerbaijani Union of Writers.

The book contains memories of writers from liberated Karabakh about their region. For example, Elchin Afandiyev wrote from Shusha, Ramiz Rovshan shared his thoughts about Gubadli.

Famous writers like Seyran Sakhavat (Fuzuli), Elchin Huseynbayli (Jabrayil), and Agil Abbas (Aghdam) also supported the initiative and shared their memories and thoughts about the country's regions.

Poems dedicated to Karabakh, and publicist articles about the Kharibulbul Festival were included in the book. The author and editor of the book's foreword is Rashad Majid.

Writers and poets participating in the exhibition published books dedicated to Azerbaijan's Victory in the Patriotic War.

At the event, Elchin Iskanderzada, Elshan Azim, Arzu Asad, Intigam Yashar, and others spoke about their books and recited poems.

Poet and publicist, member of Azerbaijani Union of Writers, Ramiz Gusarchayli, read his poem dedicated to Shusha.

The Vagif Poetry Days are being held for the second time in Azerbaijan's cultural capital since Shusha was liberated from Armenian occupation.

The project is co-organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the Azerbaijani Culture Ministry, and the Union of Azerbaijani Writers.

In 2021, a large-scale event was held for the first time in the poet's native city after its liberation from the Armenian occupation.

Azerbaijan's national leader Heydar Aliyev was the first, who instructed holding the Vagif Poetry Days. Until 1991, the cultural event was held annually in Azerbaijan.

The 2021 Vagif Poetry Days were remembered by fascinating performances, colorful exhibitions, literary symposiums, and the heart-touching poetic composition "From Nizami to Vagif".

The 2022 Vagif Poetry Days also promise to be very special. As part of the event, poems will be performed outside the Molla Panah Vagif mausoleum and in other historical parts of Shusha.
Prime Minister of Estonia Kaja Kallas attends a speacial meeting of the European Council at the European Union headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, May 30, 2022. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

Kallas proposed that the Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu), which is on summer break, hold an extraordinary session on Friday to vote on the new coalition of the Reform Party, Isamaa Party and the Social Democrats.

TALLINN, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Estonian President Alar Karis on Thursday proposed that Reform Party leader Kaja Kallas form the next coalition government after she resigned as prime minister together with her minority government.

"I signed the resignation request of Prime Minister Kaja Kallas but also asked her to form a new government which could start working quickly and deal with all important issues of Estonian life. I hope that the new government can start its activities already next week." Karis said on social media.

At the presidential office, Karis met with Kallas, who submitted her resignation and that of the entire government.

Estonian Reform Party Chairwoman Kaja Kallas addresses the parliament in Tallinn, Estonia, Jan. 25, 2021. (Erik Peinar/Parliament of Estonia/Handout via Xinhua)

Kallas proposed that the Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu), which is on summer break, hold an extraordinary session on Friday to vote on the new coalition of the Reform Party, Isamaa Party and the Social Democrats.

The Reform Party has been ruling as a minority government since Kallas dismissed all seven ministers from the junior coalition partner Center Party due to a dispute over welfare policy on June 3.

Alar Karis delivers his first speech as Estonian president at the inauguration ceremony in Tallinn, Estonia, Oct. 11, 2021. (Erik Peinar/Parliament of Estonia/Handout via Xinhua)

In accordance with the Constitution, the Estonian head of state nominates the candidate for prime minister, who is granted the authority to form a government by the parliament. The head of state then appoints the members of the government, after which they swear the oath of office before the Parliament.

Kallas, 45, has led her party since 2018 and became prime minister in 2021. The country is scheduled to hold the next parliamentary election in March 2023. 
SHANGHAI, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai's market regulator has rolled out guidelines to regulate livestreaming sales activities to combat click farming, false advertising, and other foul play.

According to the municipal administration for market regulation, livestreaming sales platforms should establish a "blacklist" system for delinquent livestreamers. They may not advertise their livestreaming with such hype as "the lowest prices online" or "lowest prices in history."

To protect the rights and interests of minors and the elderly, it said livestreaming sales should not arbitrarily label products as "for infants and children only," sell products and services containing pornography or violence to minors, or publish illegal advertisements regarding medicine, investment, and real estate that target the elderly.

The guidelines have also clarified the obligations of livestreaming platforms, the channel operators, and livestreamers, and proposed the establishment of a rapid disposal system for consumer rights disputes.

Shoppable livestreaming is booming in China. According to a report released by data analysis agency iiMedia Research in late June, the scale of the country's livestreaming e-commerce industry hit 1.2 trillion yuan (about 178 billion U.S. dollars) in 2021, and this figure will likely exceed 2.1 trillion yuan by 2025. 
TAIYUAN, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Over the past 44 years, Liu Guizhen has worked as a doctor, teacher, entrepreneur, and village leader. She has taken on all of these roles in a mountain village in north China. This year, she is taking on another role in Beijing.

Liu, nearly 60, has been a village doctor since 1978. She also worked as a village teacher from 1988 to 2017, has served as village Party chief since 1996, and even founded a local cooperative in 2018.

Duanjiawan Village in north China's Shanxi Province, which had long battled poverty, bid farewell to poverty in 2017, thanks to Liu's efforts. Locals in the village hail her as the "mountain's daughter" for her decades-long dedication to this cause.

This year, Liu was elected as a delegate to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

"I feel very lucky. I'm just an ordinary person from a valley in the mountains doing some simple things," Liu said.

Liu's hometown, Duanjiawan Village, nestled deep in the mountains, was not an ideal place to start a career.

In 1978, the village didn't have a doctor. Liu, then setting her mind on taking the college entrance examination, was persuaded by her father, then village Party chief, to take a course organized by the local government for training villagers to become doctors.

"You're the only one who has been to high school in the village, who else can I turn to, if not you?" Liu recalls her father's words.

Since then, Liu has embarked on a career as a village doctor. She bought lots of books and consulted with professionals at the beginning and gradually mastered the relevant skills.

She never charges villagers for her visits. With many pains relieved and illnesses cured, Liu gradually gained the trust of local villagers. From 2006, she even started to receive patients from a neighboring village as the village doctor there was about to retire.

Liu has also imparted much of her knowledge in the classroom. In 1988, as its only teacher had left, the Duanjiawan primary school suspended classes for two months. Liu stepped up again becoming a substitute teacher.

In 1996, Liu was elected the Party chief of the village. Troubled by the lack of natural resources, local villagers grew corn, millet, and potatoes to get by.

Through conducting surveys, Liu found that it might be a good idea to grow pine trees, which could be financially rewarding. However, changing villagers' conventional ideas was never going to be easy as many of them were wary of the risks and afraid of losing money.

Liu and her husband decided to take the risk, and were the first to plant pine tree seedlings in their 200-square-meter plots. After two years, the saplings were sold for 75,000 yuan (about 11,150 U.S. dollars).

Seeing abundant profits from growing pine tree seedlings, many villagers followed Liu's steps and planted a variety of seedlings including pine, poplar, and picea asperata.

Whenever villagers met problems in cultivating seedlings, Liu always gave advice and even lent money to poverty-stricken families to help them get started.

In 2017, the village planted tree seedlings on approximately 6.7 hectares of land. By the end of 2020, net income per capita in the village surpassed 10,000 yuan.

As she is about to fulfill her duty as a CPC national congress delegate later this year, she would like to take the opportunity to convey the voice and thoughts of the people in the villages and devote herself to improving the teaching environment of schools in rural areas, and living conditions of the residents of the villages.

"I never regret staying in the village, and I will continue to serve the villagers wholeheartedly for the rest of my life," said Liu. 
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits Xinjiang University in the city of Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 12, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

URUMQI, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, inspected a university, an international land port area, a residential community and a museum in the city of Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning.

Xi visited Xinjiang University, the Urumqi International Land Port Area, the community of Guyuanxiang in the Tianshan District and the Museum of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Xi learned about the work in nurturing talent, coordinating COVID-19 response with economic and social development, promoting ethnic unity and progress and consolidating the sense of community for the Chinese nation, among others.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits Xinjiang University in the city of Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 12, 2022. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits Xinjiang University in the city of Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 12, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, speaks with teachers and students while visiting Xinjiang University in the city of Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 12, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the Urumqi International Land Port Area in the city of Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 12, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, speaks with staff members and others while visiting the Urumqi International Land Port Area in the city of Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 12, 2022. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the community of Guyuanxiang in the Tianshan District in the city of Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 13, 2022. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the community of Guyuanxiang in the Tianshan District in the city of Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 13, 2022. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the community of Guyuanxiang in the Tianshan District in the city of Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 13, 2022. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, speaks with people of various ethnic groups while visiting the community of Guyuanxiang in the Tianshan District in the city of Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 13, 2022. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the community of Guyuanxiang in the Tianshan District in the city of Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 13, 2022. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, waves to people of various ethnic groups while visiting the community of Guyuanxiang in the Tianshan District in the city of Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 13, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, waves to people of various ethnic groups while visiting the community of Guyuanxiang in the Tianshan District in the city of Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 13, 2022. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, waves to people of various ethnic groups while visiting the community of Guyuanxiang in the Tianshan District in the city of Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 13, 2022. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, speaks with the performers of the Manas, which has been inscribed as an intangible cultural heritage, while visiting the Museum of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in the city of Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 13, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the Museum of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in the city of Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 13, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, poses for photos with the performers of the Manas, which has been inscribed as an intangible cultural heritage, while visiting the Museum of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in the city of Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 13, 2022. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a resident's home at the community of Guyuanxiang in the Tianshan District in the city of Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 13, 2022. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)
URUMQI, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, inspected a university, an international land port area, a residential community and a museum in the city of Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. 
U.S. President Joe Biden holds talks with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid in Jerusalem, on July 14,2022. (Avishag Shaar-Yashuv/GPO/Handout via Xinhua)

The differences on the Iranian nuclear issue between the U.S. and Israel remained despite the two allies signed a deal on building a strategic partnership during U.S. President Joe Biden's visit, analysts said.

JERUSALEM, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The differences on the Iranian nuclear issue between the United States and Israel remained despite U.S. President Joe Biden's current visit, analysts said.

Biden and Israeli caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Thursday signed the Jerusalem Declaration, a joint document on building a strategic partnership, under which the two close allies affirm their commitment to preventing the nuclear armament of Iran.

But Israeli analysts said that such declaration usually lacks substance and does not reflect any important development in the bilateral relations.

U.S. president Joe Biden (1st L) holds talks with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid (2nd L) in Jerusalem, on July 14, 2022. (Kobi Gideon/GPO/Handout via Xinhua)

Moreover, they predicted that Biden's whirlwind four-day tour to the Middle East, which will end with a stay in Saudi Arabia this weekend, would not live up to the expectation of him to expediate the normalization of the ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

NUKE TALKS AT FOCUS

"The real issue is what the U.S. is going to do about Iran, which is what Israel is very much concerned about, and we know that there are differences of opinion between Israel and the U.S. on this issue," said Efraim Inbar, president of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, an Israeli think tank.

Israel considers Iran as its arch foe and has continuously voiced concern over its nuclear aspirations, though Iran insists its nuclear program is not for military purposes.

U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog at the Israeli president's residence in Jerusalem, on July 14, 2022. (Yonatan Sindel/JINI via Xinhua)

The U.S., together with other world powers, has been engaged in negotiations with Iran on reviving the 2015 Iranian nuclear pact since last year. The U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018, but the Biden administration hopes to restore the deal through indirect talks with Iran.

However, during the Thursday meeting between Lapid and Biden, the two sides made a great effort to show there was little disagreement between the two close allies.

"Today, you and I also discussed America's commitment to ensure Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon," Biden said at a joint press conference. "I continue to believe that diplomacy is the best way to achieve this outcome."

But Lapid insisted that "Words will not stop them (Iranians). Diplomacy will not stop them."

"The only thing that will stop Iran is knowing that if they continue to develop their nuclear program the free world will use force. The only way to stop them is to put a credible military threat on the table," he said.

Emmanuel Navon, an expert on international relations at Tel Aviv University, said that as the stalemate in the Iranian nuclear deal talks continues, the Americans want to send a message to their allies that they are not the ones who closed the door on the possibility of reviving the pact, but rather the Iranians.

Palestinians hold a protest against U.S. President Joe Biden visit, in Gaza City, on July 14, 2022. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

REVIVING U.S. INFLUENCE

An additional issue on the agenda, was the normalization of the ties between Israel and Arab countries. The process began in 2020 with the signing of the Abraham Accords, under which Israel normalized relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Later Morocco and Sudan followed suit to normalize their ties with Israel.

Biden is scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia on Friday. Analysts expected symbolic gestures toward the normalization of the ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia, which reportedly will allow for commercial Israeli flights to fly over its airspace.

"The expectations I think are dramatic ... Having said that, we can clearly see warming up in the relations between the two countries. We see Israeli businessmen going there, we know that there are also Israeli officials visiting Riyadh," said Inbar.

The importance of Israel's normalization with the Gulf States is also part of both American and Israeli efforts to shore up their abilities and options to counter Iran, in case the nuclear deal talks fail.

"There is a new regional architecture that the Americans are trying to construct toward Iran," said Navon, "It is part of the American alternative plan to an agreement with Iran."

"There is an extensive security cooperation between Israel with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain. There is already intelligence cooperation with Saudi Arabia and this is an attempt to make it more official," Navon noted.

Biden wants these relations to be upgraded gradually in order to send a message to Iran that the U.S. is a superpower that has other options other than diplomacy, he added.

Palestinians hold banners that read in Arabic "no to American politics" and "no to Biden's visit to Palestine" in protest against U.S. President Joe Biden's visit, in the West Bank city of Nablus, on July 14, 2022. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua)

PALESTINIAN QUESTION MARGINALIZED

During Bident's visit in Israel, the Israeli-Palestinian was not high on the agenda during the meetings.

At the joint press conference with Lapid, Biden voiced his continued support for the two-state solution to the decades-long conflict, although he acknowledged the solution is currently unattainable.

"They (the U.S.) do understand that a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not possible at this time ... but there is a need for ameliorating the conditions of living of the Palestinians and of course Israel doesn't object to that," said Inbar.

Ahead of the visit, Israel approved a series of economic measures aimed at improving the situation in the Palestinian territories in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The number of work permits for Palestinians to enter Israel is expected to increase and zoning plans in the West Bank are to be approved.

Biden recognizes the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and has no illusions about a quick solution, said Navon. "The problems do not disappear just because there isn't an agreement on the solution."

On Friday, the U.S. president is slated to meet Palestinian officials, including President Mahmoud Abbas. He will also visit a Palestinian hospital in East Jerusalem. 
ADDIS ABABA, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia generated about 500 million U.S. dollars in export revenue from the manufacturing industry sector during the just-concluded Ethiopian 2021/22 fiscal year that ended on July 7, the country's Ministry of Industry has disclosed.

The revenue marked a 100 million U.S. dollars increase as compared with the previous Ethiopian 2020/21 fiscal year, state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate (FBC) quoted Melaku Alebel, Ethiopia's Industry Minister, as saying Wednesday.

Despite promising growth registered in Ethiopia's manufacturing sector recently, the sector is, however, struggling due to lack of adequate supply, challenges associated with infrastructure deficit, lack of trained manpower as well as financial constraints.

Meanwhile, Alebel has called on stakeholders to exert concerted efforts to find lasting solutions in addressing the challenges affecting the East African country's manufacturing industry sector.

On Sunday, the Ethiopian government disclosed a record 1.4 billion U.S. dollars revenue from the exports of coffee during the just-concluded Ethiopian fiscal year.

The East African country exported 300,000 metric tons of coffee during the last 12 months, eventually generating 1.4 billion U.S. dollars in revenue, Ethiopia's Agriculture Minister Oumer Hussien said Sunday. 
Senegal's Foreign Affairs Minister Aissata Tall Sall speaks at the 41st Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union in Lusaka, Zambia, on July 14, 2022. The 41st Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union (AU) opened in Lusaka Thursday with the host country calling on African countries to enhance agricultural production in order to tackle food insecurity. (Xinhua/Martin Mbangweta)

by Elias Shilangwa

LUSAKA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The 41st Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union (AU) opened in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, Thursday with the host country calling on African countries to enhance agricultural production in order to tackle food insecurity.

The meeting, comprising foreign affairs ministers from member states, is being held under the theme "Building Resilience in Nutrition on the African Continent: Accelerating Human Capital, Social and Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms." It runs from July 14 to 16.

Zambian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Stanley Kakubo said the theme was a reminder to member countries to up their efforts in translating the continent's agricultural potential into agricultural growth in order to eliminate hunger and malnutrition.

He said the continent was endowed with various natural resources to enhance agricultural production, noting that Africa has the potential to be food secure as well as a net exporter of agricultural products if productivity was enhanced.

According to him, member countries must take advantage of the coming into force of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA) agreement by ensuring value addition to products in order to be competitive in global trade.

The minister said that there was a need for African countries to find alternative financial resources in order to foster the competitiveness of African products as well as seek innovative ways of reducing the cost of capital.

He also called on member states to renew their commitments to attaining Agenda 2063, Africa's development blueprint to achieve inclusive and sustainable socioeconomic development over a 50-year period, and its flagship programs.

African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat said the continent was facing various challenges which have exposed countries to various vulnerabilities.

Despite the various challenges, African countries must rise up and show the world that they are able to dissolve their own problems, said the AUC chairperson, while urging participants at the meeting to find ways to address the organization's dwindling contributions so that Africa sees a reduction in dependency on partners.

Senegal's Foreign Affairs Minister Aissata Tall Sall said the integration of the free trading area was indispensable to Africa's quest to achieve success.

She said the coming into force of the free trading arrangement was the biggest stride made in ensuring the continent's integration agenda.

According to her, member countries must be committed to the free trading arrangement as it will create growth and development for the continent.

This was the first time Zambia was hosting an AU event since 2001 when the southern African nation hosted the summit which drew up the implementation plan of the organization as part of the transition process from the Organization of African Unity (OAU).

The meeting was expected to receive reports on the Conference of State Parties of the African Medicines Agency, operationalization of the Africa Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the status of the regional integration in Africa and the division of labor between the AU and regional economic communities.

The meeting will be followed by the 4th AU mid-year coordination meeting on July 17 where 13 African leaders are expected to attend. 

African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat (Front) speaks at the 41st Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union in Lusaka, Zambia, on July 14, 2022. The 41st Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union (AU) opened in Lusaka Thursday with the host country calling on African countries to enhance agricultural production in order to tackle food insecurity. (Xinhua/Martin Mbangweta)
MOGADISHU, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) said Thursday it has deployed some 160 police officers from Nigeria to support stabilization efforts in the country.

Mohammed Ibrahim, who commands the eleventh Nigerian Formed Police Unit (NFPU) contingent, said the officers will provide support to the Somali Police Force in line with the Somalia Transition Plan.

"These officers are well-trained and disciplined. They will fulfill the mandate that has been assigned to them, and will not fail their country or the African Union," Ibrahim said in a statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.

ATMIS said the incoming contingent that arrived in Mogadishu on Wednesday, replaces another, known as NFPU 10, which recently returned to Nigeria after completing a tour of duty that included helping to provide security during the recent parliamentary and presidential elections.

The ATMIS Police component will have 1,040 personnel, including five Formed Police Units (FPUs), and will maintain that number until December 2024, according to the United Nations Security Council Resolution.

The police officers are expected to support specialized training, advising, and mentorship of the Somali police force including in joint patrols and protection of vital installations.

Ibrahim said the officers will also support the service delivery capacity of the Somali police in the provision of policing services across Somalia and help counter violent extremism and social disorder through community policing, public order management, and other crime prevention strategies.

This is Nigeria's eleventh police unit to be deployed to Somalia since 2012.

The police-contributing countries of ATMIS are Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Zambia, which are deployed across the five operational sectors. 
COLOMBO, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena has received the resignation letter of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and will formally announce his resignation on Friday after completing the legal procedures, the Speaker's Office told Xinhua.

Media reports said Rajapaksa emailed his resignation to the speaker, after he arrived in Singapore flying from the Maldives.

Rajapaksa's original resignation letter will be delivered to Colombo from Singapore, according to media reports, saying the speaker needs to see the original letter before formally announcing the president's resignation.

According to the country's constitution, if the office of president becomes vacant prior to the expiration of his term of office, the parliament shall elect one of its members as president who is qualified. Before the new president assumes office, the prime minister shall act in the office of president and appoint one of the other ministers of the cabinet to act in the office of prime minister.

Abeywardena said on Monday that political party leaders have decided to elect a new president on July 20 through a vote in parliament. 
NEWS PROVIDED BY

Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights

July 14, 2022



NEW YORK, July 14, 2022 /Christian Newswire/ -- Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on companies that will pay the travel expenses for an employee's abortion:

In light of some states electing to pass restrictive abortion legislation, woke corporations, and that includes dozens of the most powerful companies in the nation, have said they will pay the travel expenses for an employee's abortion. To see a list of some of the most prominent ones, and what they will cover, click here.

The ruling class, which has lined up in jackboot fashion behind the left-wing agenda, is very proud of its virtue signaling. They will soon change their tune once they are faced with the realities of their decision. Make no mistake, they have created an ethical and legal minefield for themselves.

On the ethical front, how do these companies explain their total lack of interest in paying women to access adoption services? If they are truly pro-choice, why is this option not being funded?

Peter Rex is founder and CEO of Rex, a Florida-based entity that builds and invests in tech companies. He, along with the Texas-based insurance company, Buffer, is paying for adoptions, "as well as covering the full costs of birth for employees who keep their children." He chides the woke companies. "These businesses are ignoring the possibility that many employees may simply need a little more help to carry their baby to term."

Rex is putting his money where his mouth is, saying that "my business has decided to give up to $7,500 to employees who want to have their baby and give it up for adoption." But adoption is not something that moves the ruling class the way aborting children does.

Some of these companies are in a race to show how courageously woke they are. For example, of the 101 companies we list, 11 also offer to pay for "gender-affirming care" (they are highlighted). Patagonia is even offering to pay for the "Training and bail for those who peacefully protest for reproductive justice."

How this is going to play out legally remains to be seen.

Peter Bamburger, a business professor at Tel Aviv University, sees lots of problems on the horizon. "Even before dealing with the bigger issuesreputational harm, political retribution and exposure to legal liabilityassociated with using employee benefits to help employees access abortion services, employers are going to have to be prepared to face off against a byzantine mix of bureaucratic, legal and tax challenges."

The minefield is actually worse than what he describes.

Will workers sue for discrimination saying their decision to explore adoption services are not being funded? What if those who transition to the other sex decide they want to detransition, citing mental health issues? If pro-abortion protesters who are locked up are entitled to bail benefits, how can pro-life protesters be treated any differently?

If an employee wants to travel to another state to obtain an abortion, how can she protect her privacy interests? How can the company insure that her co-workers wont find out? Will her boss know the reason for her absence?

How will the company know she is really pregnant, and not just seeking to get a vacation on their dime? Will they demand she submit to a pregnancy test? Will she be entitled to "loss of pregnancy" benefits (Vox Media does) if she is depressed after her abortion? Can part-time workers get this benefit?

Will a Texas man who claims to be a woman be given money to travel to his hometown in New York for his abortion? Or will he be denied funding on the basis that a man can't get pregnant and therefore cannot have an abortion? What a sweet lawsuit that would be.

This is hardly an exaggeration. In 2020, the Association of LGBTQ Journalists awarded Samantha Schmidt an Excellence in Journalism award for her 2019 story in the Washington Post. The online title of her piece was, "A Mother, But Not a Woman." The man she wrote about insisted on being called "they."

Companies should stay out of politics and just attend to business, providing for basic healthcare services. But if they insist on doing otherwise, workers should demand what Impossible Foods says it will cover: in addition to travel, it pays for lodging, meals and child care for employees who travel out of state to get their abortion. Employees should not settle for fast foodgo to the best steakhouse in town and enjoy a fine bottle of wine.

One final piece of advice. After the worker has enjoyed her stay she should go home and tell her boss she met a pro-life activist who convinced her not to kill her kid. If the company demands to be reimbursed, she should sue them for violating her pro-choice rights.
By Trend

Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Ali Asadov visited the Japanese Embassy in Azerbaijan and expressed condolences over the death of a prominent statesman, former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe on July 13, Trend reports.

"The death of Shinzo Abe after being assassinated during his speech at a political campaign event was received with deep sorrow," Asadov wrote in a condolence book at the embassy.

Shinzo Abe was a remarkable leader who dedicated his entire life to his country and worked to bring balance to the world. His great contribution to the development of friendship and cooperation between Azerbaijan and Japan was highly appreciated.

The prime minister also expressed deep condolences to the family and relatives of the ex-premier, as well as to the Japanese people.
TOKYO, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Thursday that "maximum caution" is necessary amid a resurgence of COVID-19 cases in Japan.

The prime minister's remarks were made as the government confirmed 97,788 new infections nationwide on Thursday.

The government's COVID-19 panel of experts warned Thursday that the nation's capital may see an explosive increase in infections that has never been experienced before.

They said if the pace of transmission continues at the current rate, the daily tally will exceed 23,000 after a week, surpassing the peak of the sixth wave. The number could top the 53,000-mark after two weeks, they said.

Tokyo reported 16,662 new cases on Thursday.

They raised Tokyo's COVID-19 alert level to the highest on the four-tier system. It's the first time since April that the alert level has been raised to the highest level.

Kishida said the government will accelerate the vaccination drive, with about 8 million health care and nursing care workers targeted for fourth shots.

The experts, meanwhile, said that it is vitally important for younger people to receive a third dose of vaccine.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said Thursday that the occupancy rate of hospital beds has been rising.

A total of more than 10 million people have been confirmed infected with COVID-19 in Japan since the outbreak of the pandemic and a total of 31,547 people have died from the virus, according to official figures Thursday. 
Musicians play at the opening ceremony of the Chinese-built highway section in Podgorica, Montenegro on July 13, 2022. The 41-km priority Smokovac-Matesevo section of Montenegro's Bar-Boljare Highway built by a Chinese company was opened Wednesday. (Xinhua/Shi Zhongyu)

PODGORICA, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The 41-km priority Smokovac-Matesevo section of Montenegro's Bar-Boljare Highway built by a Chinese company was opened Wednesday.

Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic, Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic, Charge d'Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Montenegro Hua Yafang and representatives of the China Road and Bridge Corporation attended the opening ceremony.

"This investment will undoubtedly open up new directions of development and give the strongest impetus to the domestic economy ... The highway is the beginning of the permanent connection of Montenegro with the world. The hills of the Montenegrin karst will unite with the fertile plain, the capital city with the northern region, Montenegro with Europe," Abazovic said.

Hua said that the highway is a fruit of China-Montenegro cooperation, thanks to the Belt and Road Initiative and the China and Central and Eastern European Countries cooperation mechanism.

The highway will effectively increase the movability of production factors between the north and south of the country, enable more balanced economic opportunities in Montenegro and thus become a "highway of development," she said.

At the same time, as a symbol of successful cooperation between Montenegro and China, it will become a "highway of friendship," Hua added.

Ervin Ibrahimovic, deputy prime minister of Montenegro, said that this is the "biggest, most important and most valuable infrastructure project in Montenegro's history," which will undoubtedly boost the country's development.

The highway section, financed by the Export-Import Bank of China, stretches across mountains with 20 bridges and 16 tunnels. 

People watch a fireworks show during the opening ceremony of the Chinese-built highway section in Podgorica, Montenegro on July 13, 2022. The 41-km priority Smokovac-Matesevo section of Montenegro's Bar-Boljare Highway built by a Chinese company was opened Wednesday. (Xinhua/Shi Zhongyu)

Representatives of the China Road and Bridge Corporation attend the opening ceremony of the Chinese-built highway section in Podgorica, Montenegro on July 13, 2022. The 41-km priority Smokovac-Matesevo section of Montenegro's Bar-Boljare Highway built by a Chinese company was opened Wednesday. (Xinhua/Shi Zhongyu)

Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic, Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic, Deputy Prime Minister Ervin Ibrahimovic, and Charge d'Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Montenegro Hua Yafang (L to R front) attend the opening ceremony of the Chinese-built highway section in Podgorica, Montenegro on July 13, 2022. The 41-km priority Smokovac-Matesevo section of Montenegro's Bar-Boljare Highway built by a Chinese company was opened Wednesday. (Xinhua/Shi Zhongyu)

Montenegrin Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic addresses the opening ceremony of the Chinese-built highway section in Podgorica, Montenegro on July 13, 2022. The 41-km priority Smokovac-Matesevo section of Montenegro's Bar-Boljare Highway built by a Chinese company was opened Wednesday. (Xinhua/Shi Zhongyu)

People walk through a toll booth of the Chinese-built highway section in Podgorica, Montenegro on July 13, 2022. The 41-km priority Smokovac-Matesevo section of Montenegro's Bar-Boljare Highway built by a Chinese company was opened Wednesday. (Xinhua/Shi Zhongyu)

Ervin Ibrahimovic, deputy prime minister of Montenegro, speaks at the opening ceremony of the Chinese-built highway section in Podgorica, Montenegro on July 13, 2022. The 41-km priority Smokovac-Matesevo section of Montenegro's Bar-Boljare Highway built by a Chinese company was opened Wednesday. (Xinhua/Shi Zhongyu)
ATHENS, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Two people died and two were rescued after a helicopter crashed off the Greek island of Samos in the Aegean Sea on Wednesday during efforts to extinguish a wildfire, Greek national broadcaster ERT reported.

The four persons on board the ER-MHY (Mi- 8 MTV-1) type helicopter were three foreign nationals (from Romania and Moldova) and a Greek, according to an e-mailed press release from the Fire Brigade.

Meanwhile, 38 firefighters with 15 fire engines were still battling the blaze on the island, with their efforts hampered by strong winds, Greek national news agency AMNA reported. 
BERLIN, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Passenger numbers at Frankfurt Airport, Germany's largest, almost tripled in June year-on-year to 5 million people amid the ongoing travel chaos across Europe, operator Fraport AG said on Wednesday.

In June, passenger volume hit a new high since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but still remained 24.1 percent below the pre-crisis level seen in June 2019, according to Fraport.

"We are pleased that people are eager to travel again," Stefan Schulte, chief executive officer (CEO) of Fraport AG, said. "This demonstrates the strong momentum driving air travel demand."

Like other airports in Europe, Frankfurt is experiencing staff shortages this year. Many airlines and airports laid off staff because of the COVID-19 pandemic, all but bringing air traffic to a complete standstill. The industry is currently hit by a fresh wave of Omicron cases.

Due to "poor punctuality for ensuring connectivity," many re-bookings and re-dispatches were necessary, a Fraport spokesperson told Xinhua on Wednesday. With the current understaffing, these could only be processed step by step. The personnel situation "affects the entire industry in Europe."

More and more pieces of delayed luggage, thousands in fact, are piling up at German airports, according to a recent survey conducted by the dpa press agency.

German national carrier Lufthansa, Europe's largest airline in terms of passenger numbers, has been forced by coronavirus infections, strikes and extreme weather events to cancel more than 3,700 flights departing from Frankfurt and Munich during the summer months.

To limit queues, cancelations and baggage delays, London's Heathrow Airport has said that it would cap departing passengers at 100,000 per day until the middle of September.

"Some airlines have taken significant action but others have not, and we believe that further action is needed now to ensure passengers have a safe and reliable journey," Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye said. 
PARIS, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The French need to rein in their energy consumption in order to prepare for likely shortages, French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday in an interview for the national day.

Macron also spoke about the Russia-Ukraine conflict, purchasing power, retirement and the COVID-19 situation in the country.

He said France will continue to support Ukraine and the French people must be "prepared" as the conflict will last.

"We need to prepare ourselves for a scenario where we have to completely manage without Russian gas," said the French President.

Meanwhile, he said France is seeking to boost energy supplies by looking for gas "elsewhere", including Algeria, the United States, Qatar and Norway.

Macron also confirmed that his country would continue to invest in nuclear energy, "a sustainable solution both for France and for other countries."

His government is proposing to continue the energy tariff shield that caps the increase of energy prices in France until the end of the year, said Macron.

He also called for concerted efforts from the European countries to stabilize electricity prices.

Speaking of retirement, Macron said his country must "progressively raise the retirement age to 65 by the 2030s". By making the population work longer, France will reduce its unemployment rate to 5 percent, he added.

France, like many other countries in Europe, is undergoing a seventh wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, he confirmed.

Thursday also sees a military parade on the Champs-Elysee Avenue, a time-honored tradition in France. 
LONDON, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Some 93 percent of U.S. small business owners are worried that the United States will fall into a recession in the next six months, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing a survey released by Goldman Sachs.

Sixty-one percent of responding firms said the country was headed in the wrong direction, the report said.

It added that 78 percent of firms said the economy has become worse in the past three months.

In addition, 84 percent said hiring challenges had worsened, according to the survey. 
NEW YORK, July 14 (Xinhua) -- A majority of American voters across nearly all demographics and ideologies believe their system of government does not work, with 58 percent of those interviewed for a New York Times (NYT)/Siena College poll saying that "the world's oldest independent constitutional democracy" needs major reforms or a complete overhaul, reported NYT on Wednesday.

"The discontent among Republicans is driven by their widespread, unfounded doubts about the legitimacy of the nation's elections. For Democrats, it is the realization that even though they control the White House and Congress, it is Republicans, joined with their allies in gerrymandered state legislatures and the Supreme Court, who are achieving long-sought political goals," said the report.

Among all voters, 49 percent said the Capitol riot was an attempt to overthrow the government. Another 55 percent said former U.S. President Donald Trump's actions after the 2020 election had threatened American democracy. As with so many other issues, voters saw the riot through the same partisan lens as other issues.

"Democrats' pessimism about the future stems from their party's inability to protect abortion rights, pass sweeping gun control measures and pursue other liberal priorities in the face of Republican opposition," said the report.

Americans' bipartisan cynicism about government signals a striking philosophical shift: For generations, Democrats campaigned on the idea that government was a force for good, while Republicans sought to limit it. Now, the polling shows, the number of Americans in both parties who believe their government is capable of responding to voters' concerns has shrunk, it added. 
LONDON, July 14 (Xinhua) -- More mass shootings occurred in the United States in the last five years than any other comparable time span dating back to 1966, The Guardian reported.

There were 31 massacres from 2017 through 2021, compared with 24 from 2012 through 2016, it said in an analysis piece last week.

As mass shootings in the United States reached a record high, so did the number of deaths and injuries, it said.

From 2017 to 2021, perpetrators killed 299 people -- about a third more than the 221 fatalities in the five-year period that ended in 2016, it said, adding that the number of people injured was five times higher.

The Guardian's analysis is based on data from the Violence Project, a nonprofit research group that uses a narrow definition of mass shootings adopted from the congressional research service, which advises federal lawmakers.

The Guardian noted that there is no national, legal definition of a "mass shooting" in the United States as several organizations that track mass shootings use different yardsticks: some count only incidents in which three or more people are killed, while others measure incidents with at least four people killed or injured.

The lack of consensus on what qualifies as a mass shooting makes the problem confusing to talk about, let alone try to address, it said, citing Jacob Kaplan, a criminologist at Princeton University. 
Srinagar: National Conference (NC) leader Farooq Abdullah and PDP supremo Mehbooba Mufti's love for Pakistan is evident, which keeps coming to the fore day by day. In the same episode, now former CM Farooq Abdullah has once again returned to Pakistan's adoration. He (Wednesday, July 13, 2022) has said that India should hold talks with Pakistan to establish peace in Kashmir. Let me tell you that, Pakistan itself does not advocate talking to India, as much as Abdullah and Mehbooba advocate for talks with Pakistan even while in India.

Farooq Abdullah claims that talks will have to be held with Pakistan to end terrorism in the Valley. For this, the hearts of the Kashmiri people have to be won. He claimed that the situation in Kashmir will not be normal until the issue is resolved. Abdullah spoke of a "reaction to action" against the policeman who was martyred in the terror attack in Lal Bazar. He said the policeman's son was killed by the Indian Army and now his father was killed by a "militant." In April 2020, Mushtaq Ahmed's terrorist son was killed in an encounter with the army. According to Abdullah, it is not known who is going to kill and who is going to save. The NC chief, however, welcomed the government's decision to compensate the victim's family. At the same time, Abdullah also talked about formulating a concrete policy on population control.

Mehbooba Mufti has a problem with the installation of tricolours in her houses:-

At the same time, apart from Abdullah, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti has also recreated the adoration of Pakistan. Criticising the Central government's Har Ghar Tiranga campaign, he said, "We are a Muslim-majority state. We refused to go with Pakistan and agreed to stay in India. We accepted the flag of this country and mixed our flag with it. We saluted both flags. But today, people are entering our houses and putting up flags (tricolour).''

Now Navjot Sidhu got upset with whom in jail? Complaint reached DGP

National Herald case: ED to question Sonia Gandhi here, 'Congress' will create ruckus on streets

Kumar Vishwas' security threatened by 'Kejriwal'? Govt provides Y+ category security
KIEV: Russia and Ukraine have made some progress at the discussions on grain exports in Istanbul that also involved representatives of Turkey and the United Nations, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has sad.

"The Ukrainian delegation informed me that there had been some advancement. In the upcoming days, we will decide on the specifics with the UN secretary-general " Zelensky was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

The President reportedly stated on Wednesday that Ukraine is making major efforts to restore food supply to the international market.

To establish ways to export Ukrainian grain from Ukraine's Black Sea ports to the international market, delegates from Ukraine, Russia, and Turkey met with a UN delegation in Istanbul earlier in the day.

The first direct discussions between Russia and Ukraine since March on an agreement to ease the global food crisis brought on by the blockade of grain shipments from Ukraine's Black Sea ports made significant headway, but an end to the war remained far off as intense shelling continued in the country's east.

After the meeting, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that the discussions on permitting grain exports had given people "a ray of hope to lessen human suffering and alleviate hunger around the world," but he also cautioned that a deal was "not yet totally done."

Ukraine reports a strike on a Russian ammunition depot in the south.

Putin, Erdogan discuss bilateral ties, Ukraine situations

Russian missile hits 6-storey apartment in Kharkiv
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to French President Emmanuel Macron, Azernews reports, citing Azertac.

Dear Mr. President,

I heartily congratulate you and all the people of your country on the occasion of the national holiday of the Republic of France, and convey my best wishes.

This year marks a significant anniversary in the history of Azerbaijan-France interstate relations. In the current year, when we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries, we review our achievements during the past period and explore the possibilities for a further expansion of effective cooperation we have developed in the fields of economy, energy, culture, education, etc. I believe there are prospects for the development of our mutually beneficial cooperation in various directions.

The new geopolitical reality established in the South Caucasus has created favorable grounds for sustainable peace and regional economic cooperation. Having ended the 30-year occupation of its lands, Azerbaijan wants to turn the page of the war, normalize relations with Armenia and sign a peace treaty. We believe that France can make a valuable contribution to the process of preparing a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan based on the five principles we have presented in accordance with international law.

The mines Armenia has planted in the liberated territories remain the biggest obstacle to the restoration and reconstruction work carried out here, as well as to the socio-economic reintegration of the region. Since 10 November 2020, more than 220 people have been killed or seriously injured as a result of mine incidents. We appreciate France's contribution to the process of demining of our territories, and hope that your country will provide necessary support in clarifying the fate of nearly 4,000 of our compatriots who went missing during the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict.

Please accept the assurances of my highest consideration.
If you want to learn how to ride a bicycle without falling down, you need to keep on moving. Movements create balance, and you need to keep it going. Veteran artist Govinda Lal Singh Dongol aims to keep his life moving so that he can achieve a balance not only in his life but in his paintings as well.

An ongoing exhibition is a testimony to this effort.

The exhibition

Ganesh by artist Govinda Lal Singh Dongol

Govinda Lal Singh Dongol, 77, believes having the right balance can lead a persons life towards prosperity. Prosperity, according to him, is not only about finances but your creativity too. Hence, he is proud of himself for how he has acquired his prosperity.

I believe I am the first Nepali artist to explore wash technique and charcoal medium in Nepal. I am the only one who can teach wash technique, charcoal medium, thangka painting and abstract painting.

In his ongoing exhibition, Integration of Tradition in Modern Form, the same idea of prosperity is reflected along with the artists wish for the right balance. He has used Lord Ganesh, the god of success and prosperity, as his major motif.

This is Govinda Lal Singh Dongols 12th solo exhibition that kicked off on July 7 at Souvenirs Gallery Cafe, Red Cross road, Solteemode. The cafe itself is adorned with various woodcraft items and artefacts related to the traditional Newa architecture. Dongols paintings accentuate the beauty of the cafe.

However, for some, its ambience might be an overwhelming experience that is heavily decorated with woodcraft. Yet, with his paintings on its walls aptly placed, one can freely view the masterpieces around the cafe.

When tradition meets modernity

Ganesh by artist Govinda Lal Singh Dongol

Other than Ganesh, Govinda Lal Singh Dongol has painted many other Hindu gods and goddesses in a realistic form. But, there are his abstract paintings too. Altogether, there are 23 paintings displayed in the gallery cafe.

In one of his paintings using the wash technique, he painted a beautiful nude woman looking at herself in a huge oval mirror carrying an oil lamp. She has wrapped half of her body with a see-through shawl. The realistic painting has a sense of serenity and tranquillity due to the perfectly applied hues and the right balance of light and shades.

Govinda Lal Singh Dongol, created the painting thinking about Muslim women during the time of regular power cuts in Nepal. He says, I think Muslim women are the most beautiful women in the world. Their face and anatomically fit bodies make them so. And, my nude painting has a story in it.

The story begins as everyone in her neighbourhood appreciates her natural beauty. Out of curiosity and her wish to understand why everyone calls her beautiful, she takes off her clothes and glares at her own body at night. At this point, she is satisfied with her own beauty and that very moment is what Govinda Lal Singh Dongol caught in this painting.

There is a sense of clarity in the use of colours in all of his paintings. In his figurative paintings, the figures are crisp and clean. But, then, he also worked on abstract paintings. There is a colour balance and rhythm in his abstract paintings.

When asked how one should appreciate abstract paintings, he says, An artist creates abstract paintings only after working in this field for a long time. The viewers need to feel it more than asking questions about the concrete meaning. To feel an abstract painting, the viewers have to see the painting without any hurry. Then only, they can appreciate abstract art.

According to Govinda Lal Singh Dongol, humans are built in such a way that they can figure out balance and aesthetics in anything or anybody. You will know which abstract art is good and bad by looking at the paintings.

Moreover, the title of the exhibition is aptly taken for the paintings on display. The use of modern techniques such as wash and abstract along with traditional religious motifs like tantra, shiva linga, gods and goddesses depict the perfect amalgamation between the modern and the traditional.

Aspirations and disappointments

Paintings on display by artist Govinda Lal Singh Dongols ongoing exhibition

After his graduation from JJ School of Art in India, Govinda Lal Singh Dongol arrived in Nepal in 1971 with an aim to teach what he learned there. He dedicated more than 35 years of his life to academics of fine arts and even became the principal of Lalitkala Campus. He also contributed to the design of the academic courses for undergraduate and graduate levels affiliated with Tribhuvan University.

But, he has a lot of disappointments in the field. He complains he was wrongly accused of being a royalist.

Dongol these days might be forgetful about remembering the names of people or places, but whenever he gets to talk about art, he is as energetic as a 30-year-old. For him, his lifes philosophy is all about keeping the right balance between happiness and sadness.

Govinda Lal Singh Dongol says, Happiness and sadness are like sisters and they are there for some moments. So you need not be too excited when you are happy and be depressed and melancholic when you are sad.

The exhibition featuring Dongols ability to have that balance in traditional and modern techniques continues till July 17.
Naama Issachar, an American Israeli woman who spent 10 months in Russian prison for traveling with a small amount of cannabis, is breaking her silence for the first time as her case draws comparisons to WNBA star Brittney Griner.

"I know what (Griner is) going through," Issachar, 28, said during an exclusive interview with NBC Nightly yNews' Kate Snow. "I see the videos of her and Im like, I know that courtroom."

Issachar was arrested in 2019 and sentenced to 7 years in prison after 0.3 ounces of marijuana was found in her luggage during a three-hour layover in Moscow while traveling from India to Israel. Issachar spent 10 months in prison before she was pardoned by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2020.

Griner, a seven-time WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist, has been detained in Russia since February after vape canisters containing cannabis oil were found in her luggage at Moscows Sheremetyevo Airport. Griner plead guilty to drug possession charges last week and faces up to 10 years in prison.

Issachar said Griner's case is "probably the biggest reason" she's sharing her story.

BRITTNEY GRINER pleads guilty to drug charges during appearance in Russian court

LEBRON JAMES clarifies comments on Brittney Griner's detainment in Russia

As Brittney Griner remains in Russian detention, Naama Issachar  whose story is eerily similar  is speaking out exclusively to @tvkatesnow.



During a 2019 layover in Moscow, Russian authorities found a third of an ounce of cannabis in her bag. She was held for 10 months. pic.twitter.com/z4z4YIzlJl  NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (@NBCNightlyNews) July 13, 2022

Like Griner, Issachar said she unknowingly traveled with the cannabis.

"It was never intentional. There was never a time that I knew it was in my bag," Issachar told the outlet.

Issachar said her checked backpack was searched in front of her after she was pulled out of line at Sheremetyevo Airport while trying to board her flight home. The 28 year old said no translator was present and she was unsure of what was happening. Then, cannabis was discovered.

"I was like 'where did that come from?' There was no point that I was like, 'Oh no, they found it,'" she recalled. "I knew it was probably bad, (but) I didnt understand how bad it could be  that this is probably one of the worst countries for that."

Issachar told NBC News that she was imprisoned in multiple Russian facilities over the course of 10 months, including the one Griner is believed to be held at. She said she shared a cell with up to 40 women at a time and was only allowed one hour of fresh air per day.

"They dont provide you with anything besides food," she said, adding that she never felt scared or abused. "They dont provide you with toilet paper or feminine hygiene products."

BRITTNEY GRINER: What is life in Russian prison like for WNBA star?

'MIGHT BE HERE FOREVER': What we know as Brittney Griner enters guilty plea in 'mind-numbing' trial

OPINION: Don't forget Brittney Griner, the WNBA star and Russian prisoner, is a person, too

WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner is escorted to a courtroom for a hearing, in Khimki just outside Moscow, Russia, on July 7, 2022.

Issachar  who grew up in New Jersey before moving to Israel as a teenager and serving as a sniper in the Israel army  said she believes she was "hands down" a political pawn used by Putin as tensions escalated between the Russian leader and then-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Griner was arrested and detained on Feb. 17 after Russia had invaded Ukraine and international tensions with the United States and the rest of the world escalated. Griner is due back in court Thursday after pleading guilty last week.

When asked what message she would send to Griner, Issachar said, "Try to smile. It helps even if it seems like it doesnt. It really helps. I think theres so much power in what we train our minds to think. There was something that I read, and it really changed everything that I thought. It was a quote that said if you cant change anything else, you can choose to change your mind. It was so simple."

Contributing: Chris Bumbaca

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brittney Griner has support from woman jailed in Russia over cannabis
PLEASANTON, Calif., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Following a comprehensive search process, 10x Genomics, Inc. (Nasdaq: TXG), today announced the hiring of Jim Wilbur, Ph.D., as Chief Commercial Officer, effective July 27. In this role, Wilbur will be responsible for driving commercial strategy and execution and leading the company's sales, support and marketing functions.

10x Genomics Logo (PRNewsfoto/10x Genomics, Inc.)

A life sciences entrepreneur and seasoned global commercial executive, Wilbur brings nearly 30 years of experience building businesses, developing high-performance teams and scaling commercial organizations to drive growth and customer success.

"Jim's deep experience driving commercial excellence and execution at scale make him the ideal person to lead our global commercial team in this next phase of growth," said Serge Saxonov, Co-founder and CEO of 10x Genomics. "What stood out from all the other great candidates is Jim's detailed understanding and passion of the sales craft, his ability to operate strategically from first principles and his technical depth as a top-notch scientist. It's an incredibly rare combination. He is a great fit with the 10x mission and culture, is rigorous about process and data and has tremendous energy to get things done. We're thrilled to welcome him to the team."

Wilbur joins 10x Genomics from Meso Scale Discovery (MSD), the world's leading provider of highly sensitive multiplex immunoassays. Widely recognized for its innovative and robust technology, MSD develops, manufactures and markets instruments and assays for research use in life sciences and biodefense.

As part of the original team that started the operations of MSD, Wilbur initially led the development of the company's core technology and products. When MSD launched its first products in 2001, Wilbur assumed leadership for the company's commercial function, building the global team responsible for marketing, selling and servicing the company's portfolio of instruments and consumables. Since that time, Wilbur has scaled MSD's global commercial organization to deliver sustained high growth and cultivate deep partnerships with customers.

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"It's an exciting time to join the 10x team, be part of the company's mission and have the opportunity to make a difference in a transformational way," said Wilbur. "10x has a great foundation to build on, and I have strong confidence in the company's long-term opportunity and ability to fulfill the tremendous promise of single cell and spatial biology. I look forward to helping the team drive a strong culture of commercial excellence, deliver meaningful value for customers and accelerate growth and impact."

Wilbur earned his bachelor's degree in chemistry and intellectual history from the University of California, San Diego, and holds his Ph.D. in chemistry from Stanford University. Prior to MSD, he completed an NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship at Harvard University.

About 10x Genomics

10x Genomics is a life science technology company building products to interrogate, understand and master biology to advance human health. Our integrated solutions include instruments, consumables and software for analyzing biological systems at a resolution and scale that matches the complexity of biology. 10x Genomics products have been adopted by researchers around the world including in all of the top 100 global research institutions as ranked by Nature in 2020 based on publications and all of the top 20 global pharmaceutical companies by 2020 research and development spend and have been cited in over 3,800 research papers on discoveries ranging from oncology to immunology and neuroscience. Our patent portfolio comprises more than 1,500 issued patents and patent applications.

Contacts

Investors: investors@10xgenomics.com

Media: media@10xgenomics.com

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SOURCE 10x Genomics, Inc.
KAHNAWA:KE MOHAWK TERRITORY, QC, July 14, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - Today marks a major step forward in advancing First Nations control over First Nations education for almost 5,800 students in 22 communities in Quebec.

The Grand Chiefs and Chiefs of the First Nations Education Council (FNEC) and the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services, gathered on the Kahnawa:ke Mohawk Territory to sign a historic regional education agreement. Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer, Kahnawa:ke Grand Chief; John Martin, Chief of Gesgapegiag and Chief Responsible for Education; Ghislain Picard, Regional Chief, Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador; and Denis Gros-Louis, Director General of the FNEC, were also in attendance to celebrate the signing of this agreement.

This agreement between the FNEC, its 22 member communities and Indigenous Services Canada will provide an envelope of approximately $1.1 billion over five years for communities to implement education programs that will support the academic success of First Nations students. Through Indigenous Services Canada, $310.6 million in new funding was announced for this agreement in Budget 2022, and will complement approximately $790 million through existing education funding streams.

The result of 10 years of hard work, this agreement is based on a funding formula entirely designed by and for First Nations members of the FNEC. The agreement will ensure that the education needs of students, from kindergarten to Grade 12, are fully funded and based on community models, priorities, and realities. As a result, this agreement will allow for:

A culturally appropriate curriculum

Improved funding for school transportation

Recruitment and retention of more than 600 teachers and specialized resources

Improved student success

Increased student retention and high school graduation rates

Canada remains committed to supporting and advancing the work of First Nations control over First Nations education, leading to better student outcomes and stronger communities. Today's signing of this historic agreement with the First Nations Education Council, representing 22 communities in Quebec, is an example of the successes that can be achieved in partnership along the path of reconciliation.

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Quotes

"This is a major step forward for our people, and an honour to have signed this monumental agreement in Kahnawa:ke Mohawk Territory. This agreement will provide Kahnawa:ke with the funding and assistance required for the next five years to ensure our children and young adults get an education that embodies our roots, language, and culture."

Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer

Kahnawa:ke Grand Chief

"Through the signing of this historic agreement with the First Nations Education Council today, First Nations children in Quebec will have better learning and education opportunities ahead of them. It is because of the determination of the First Nations Education Council and the 22 communities involved that this agreement could happen, and it will keep children connected to their language and culture through their schooling. This is what reconciliation looks like when we work together in partnership."

The Honourable Patty Hajdu

Minister of Indigenous Services

"The [FNEC REA] is a significant step toward ascertaining First Nations control of First Nations education for the twenty-two First Nations members of the First Nations Education Council. The FNEC-REA offers predictable funding and stability to our communities thanks to a funding formula developed by First Nations and specifically to meet the needs of all our students in a culturally and linguistically relevant approach to Indigenous learning."

John Martin

Chief of Gesgapegiag and Chief Responsible for Education

"The signing of this agreement is the culmination of many years of work aiming to guarantee access to funding in order to meet our children's needs, at last. This agreement will ensure that they receive the educational services they need and which respect their universal right to education."

Ghislain Picard

Regional Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador

"The signing of the agreement is the completion, after more than 35 years, of the founding members' vision. It clearly demonstrates the expertise and determination of education professionals from the 22 FNEC member communities. The climate of reconciliation in which the agreement was negotiated was based on the funding formula developed by the FNEC. This agreement reflects the potential for economic and cultural sustainability that our future graduates will bring to their community."

Denis Gros-Louis

Director General of the FNEC

Quick facts

The First Nations Education Council (FNEC) is an association that is based on the collective strength of its 22 member communities in an effort to provide quality education to First Nations children in Quebec.

The FNEC represents 24 elementary and secondary schools and approximately 5,800 students across eight First Nations in Quebec.

The FNEC member communities are: Gesgapegiag, Gespeg, Kahnawa:ke, Kanesatake, Kebaowek First Nation, Kitcisakik, Kitigan Zibi, Lac Simon, Listuguj, Long Point First Nation, Manawan, Mashteuiatsh, Odanak, Opitciwan, Premiere Nation Abitibiwinni, Rapid Lake, Timiskaming First Nation, Wemotaci, Wendake, Wolastoqiyik Wahsipekuk, Wolf Lake First Nation and Wolinak. Each member community has its own distinct cultural, demographic, socio-economic and linguistic profile.

On May 4, 2021, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed to help frame discussions for the development of the current regional education agreement.

The objectives of the regional education agreement are:

The agreement is effective retroactively from April 1, 2022, until March 31, 2027. A renewal mechanism is in place to evaluate the performance of the agreement, beginning in 2027, to update the basis for its renewal.

Budget 2022 allocated $310.6 million over five years, including $50 million from Budget 2021 resources, to implement this agreement. This is in addition to the current program funding underway, totalling approximately $1.1 billion over five years.

Eight regional education agreements have been developed by the Government of Canada and First Nations partners to address the different needs and priorities of each community. These agreements represent approximately 22,000 students. Discussions are currently underway with other First Nations communities and education organizations to advance other education agreements across the country.

This agreement continues the important work underway as the Government of Canada remains committed to working with First Nations to help close educational gap outcomes between First Nations and non-Indigenous Canadians. This approach aligns with Article 14 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; and Calls to Action 7, 8 and 12 of the Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, which call for the Government of Canada to provide quality education to First Nations while respecting the principle of First Nations control over First Nations education. This initiative also contributes to the Government's response to the Calls for Justice 2.3 and 4.4 of the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

Associated links

Stay connected

Join the conversation about Indigenous Peoples in Canada:

Twitter: @GCIndigenous

Facebook: @GCIndigenous

Instagram: @GCIndigenous

Facebook: @GCIndigenousHealth

You can subscribe to receive our news releases and speeches via RSS feed. For more information or to subscribe, visit www.isc.gc.ca/RSS.

SOURCE Indigenous Services Canada

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JINING, China, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from Global Times Online:

A bridge, weighing 29,000 tons with a length of 170 meters, was successfully rotated to its targeted position in Jining, East China's Shandong province on July 11.

In 66 minutes, the bridge rotated above the Xinxiang-Yanzhou Railway, so as to not interfere with the railway below.

The bridge, built by Railway No. 10 Engineering Group, is the largest T-structure road swivel bridge in Shandong to date in terms of its length and weight. It is a part of a new expressway that connects Weishan in Jining with the provincial capital Jinan.

The southern section of the Jinan-Weishan Expressway, one of Shandong's key projects, is 59.7 kilometers long, has two-way four-lane standards, and has a designated speed limit of 120 km per hour. This design will help to integrate the development of the provincial capital economic circle and western Shandong.

The swivel construction technique has been widely used in China to build bridges. The approach expedites construction while assisting in overcoming environmental and traffic-related limitations.

SOURCE GLOBAL TIMES ONLINE
PITTSBURGH, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ansys, Inc. (NASDAQ: ANSS) announced today that the Company expects to release its second quarter earnings on Wednesday, August 3, 2022, after the market closes. The Company will hold a conference call conducted by Ajei Gopal, president and chief executive officer and Nicole Anasenes, chief financial officer and senior vice president of finance at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, August 4, 2022 to discuss second quarter 2022 results and future outlook.

Ansys logo. (PRNewsFoto/ANSYS, Inc.)

CONFERENCE CALL INFORMATION:

What: Ansys Second Quarter 2022 Earnings Conference Call

When: August 4, 2022 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time

We encourage participants to pre-register for the conference call using the enclosed link. Callers who pre-register will be given a unique PIN to gain immediate access to the call, bypassing the live operator. Participants may pre-register any time, including up to and after the call start time. You will immediately receive an online confirmation, an email with the dial in number and a calendar invitation for the event.

To pre-register, go to:

https://dpregister.com/sreg/10167284/f2c923b880

You may also register for the conference call by logging in through the investor section of our website at https://investors.ansys.com and clicking on Events & Presentations and click on the event or go to Quarterly Results under the Financials section and click on the Webcast link.

The following will be available on the corporate website https://investors.ansys.com at or prior to the time of the conference call: a link to the live audio webcast of the call as well as the earnings press release and earnings prepared remarks.

For those who do not have internet access or are unable to pre-register, simply join the call on the day of the event by dialing (855) 239-2942 (US) or (412) 542-4124 (CAN and INT'L). Ask the operator to join you into the Ansys Conference Call.

The call will be recorded with replay available within two hours after the call at https://investors.ansys.com or at (877) 344-7529 (US), (855) 669-9658 (toll-free Canada) or (412) 317-0088 (INT'L). Passcode: 3042539.

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/ About Ansys

When visionary companies need to know how their world-changing ideas will perform, they close the gap between design and reality with Ansys simulation. For more than 50 years, Ansys software has enabled innovators across industries to push boundaries by using the predictive power of simulation. From sustainable transportation to advanced semiconductors, from satellite systems to life-saving medical devices, the next great leaps in human advancement will be powered by Ansys.

Take a leap of certainty  with Ansys.

Ansys and any and all ANSYS, Inc. brand, product, service and feature names, logos and slogans are registered trademarks or trademarks of ANSYS, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States or other countries. All other brand, product, service and feature names or trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

ANSSF

/ Contacts

Investors

Kelsey DeBriyn

724.820.3927

kelsey.debriyn@ansys.com

Media

Mary Kate Joyce

724.820.4368

marykate.joyce@ansys.com

Cision

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SOURCE Ansys
FACT.MR

Seamless Operations Are Being Promoted Through Proper On-Site Material Handling Through Bucket Elevators. This Factor Is Expected To Keep the Bucket Elevators Market Going

United States, Rockville MD, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A market research and competitive intelligence provider  Fact.MR, mentions that the global Bucket elevators market would be valued US$ 1.18 Billion in 2022 and clock a moderate CAGR of 5.8% between 2022 and 2032. Fact.MR unleashes the fact that rising demand for bucket elevators in agriculture, food, paper & pulp, power, lime, steel, cement, mining, and various others is propagating the bucket elevators market.



Thus, the global Bucket elevators market is projected to reach US$ 2.07 Billion by the year 2032. Stainless steel is the material generally used for constructing bucket elevators there are various forms and sizes available. Additionally, they could be used effectively in weather of any type. The other advantages include high load capacity, convenience with regards to installation, and minimal maintenance.

For Critical Insights on Bucket Elevators Market, Request a Sample Report

https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=548

To promote seamless operations, effective on-site material handling support has recently gained relevance. Additionally, this is generating profitable business prospects for suppliers of bucket elevators.

The market is expanding as a result of exceptional qualities including increased wear resistance, quick handling of heavy and abrasive materials, higher durability, and more.

Why are Bucket Elevators Seeing Steady Rise in Demand?

Rapid Industrialization & Use of IoT to Shorten Production Processes Driving Bucket Elevator Sales

Global sales of bucket elevators are primarily driven by rising industrialization in emerging economies. It is predicted that the bucket elevators market will continue to be influenced during the forecast period by the rising demand from the mining, chemical, and agricultural industries, along with rising production growth from the same.

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The popularity of IoT-enabled bucket elevators is growing as they track process duration, cut long waits, lower energy use, etc. Today, the efficient operation of the production process depends critically on the material handling process.

To eliminate inconsistencies in the production process, it is essential to monitor the entire material handling process. The incorporation of cutting-edge technologies into bucket elevators ensures predictive maintenance, remote monitoring, etc. in such a situation.

To learn more about Bucket Elevators Market, you can get in touch with our Analyst at https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=AE&rep_id=548

Key Segments Covered in Bucket Elevators Industry Survey

Bucket Elevators by Type :



Centrifugal Discharge Elevators

Continuous Discharge Elevators Positive Discharge Elevators





Bucket Elevators by Capacity :



< 1 ton/hr

1 ton/hr - 100 ton/hr 100 ton/hr - 250 ton/hr 250 ton/hr - 400 ton/hr 400 ton/hr - 650 ton/hr 650 ton/hr - 800 ton/hr > 1000 ton/hr





Bucket Elevators by End Use :



Agriculture Industries

Power Plants Pulp & Paper Mills Steel Production Industries Lime Industries Cement Industries Mining Industries Food Industries



Bucket Elevators by Region :



North America

Latin America Europe East Asia South Asia & Oceania MEA



Competitive Landscape

The manufacturers, apart from engaging in extensive research, are looking for bespoke bucket elevators buckers capable of moving loose materials gently and quickly, so as to cater to the clients. Customization is another factor seen through.

Tsubakimoto Europe B.V. has its sprag clutch for the bucket elevator. The major objective is provision of high torque capacity and better life-span, particularly for the low speed shaft conveyors and bucket elevator.





Get Customization on Bucket Elevators Market Report for Specific Research Solutions

https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=RC&rep_id=548

Key players in Bucket Elevators Market

Sukup Manufacturing Co.

KWS Manufacturing Company, Ltd.

Mahindra Tsubaki Conveyor Systems

Mark & Wedell

Chaoyang Heavy Machinery Manufacturing Co.

Satake Corporation

Beumer Group



Key Takeaways from Bucket Elevators Market Study

North America holds 26.3% of the market share.

Europe contributes for 24.8% of the entire market.

Speedy Industrialization coupled with usage of IoT to reduce the downtime of bucket elevators market

Cement Industry to be at the forefront regarding end-use applications due to high-rise buildings being erected.

About the Industrial Goods Division at Fact.MR

Expert analysis, actionable insights, and strategic recommendations of the highly seasoned Industrial Goods team at Fact.MR helps clients from across the globe with their unique business intelligence needs. With a repertoire of over thousand reports and 1 million-plus data points, the team has analysed the Industrial Goods across 50+ countries for over a decade. The team provides unmatched end-to-end research and consulting services.

Explore Fact.MR's Coverage on the Industrial Goods Domain-

Energy Storage Systems Market- Consumption of energy storage systems is predicted to increase at a CAGR of 5.6% from 2022 to 2031. The global energy storage systems market stands at US$ 45.1 billion in 2022, and is projected to reach a valuation of US$ 73.8 billion by the end of 2031.

Function Generators Market- The global function generators market is expected to hold a market value of US$ 1.53 Billion in 2022, against US$ 1.44 Billion in 2021, with a Y-o-Y growth rate of 6.25%. The rising adoption of high-performing devices for aerospace and defense and government services is anticipated to hike the revenue to US$ 2.4 Billion while exhibiting a CAGR of 4.6% during the forecast period from 2022 to 2032.

Wind Turbine Generator Market- Global sales of wind turbine generators have reached US$ 21 billion in 2022, and are set to top US$ 35.4 billion by 2032, increasing at a CAGR of around 5.4% over the next ten years. Demand for wind turbine generators across the world stood at around US$ 19.7 billion in valuation in 2021, accounting for 6% share of the global wind turbine market in terms of value.

Lifting Accessories Market- The global lifting accessories market has reached a valuation of US$ 458.1 million in 2022. Detailed industry analysis has revealed that revenue from the sales of lifting accessories is expected to climb to US$ 801.5 million by 2032, with the market expanding at a CAGR of around 5.8% over the 2022-2032 assessment period.

U.S. Vacuum Pumps Market- Vacuum pump sales in the United States reach a value of US$ 1.7 billion in 2021. The U.S. vacuum pumps market is projected to rise at 6.6% CAGR to exceed a valuation of US$ 3.43 billion by the end of 2032.

Mud Gas Separator Market- Worldwide demand for mud gas separators is estimated to be valued at US$ 3.9 Mn in 2022. Detailed industry research reveals that the global mud gas separator market is forecast to reach US$ 5.6 Mn by the end of 2032, expanding at a steady CAGR of 3.6%.

Shank Hooks Market- Newly-released data from the shank hooks market analysis reveals that global demand for shank hooks enjoyed year-on-year (YoY) volume growth of 2.5% in 2022. Over all, the global shank hooks market is predicted to expand at 4.6% CAGR to increase from a valuation of US$ 37.5 Mn in 2022 to US$ 58.9 Mn by 2032.

Grow Light Market- The global Grow light market is estimated to grow at an impressive CAGR of 8.2%. It is poised to reach a valuation of nearly US$ 11.4 Bn by 2032 from US$ 5.2 Bn in 2022.

Incident and Emergency Management Market- The global incident and emergency management market is poised to increase at a steady CAGR of 6.4% during 2022-2032. The incident and emergency management market is estimated to reach US$ 245.6 Bn by 2032 from US$ 132.4 Bn in 2021.

Rig Control System Market- Worldwide sales of rig control systems are estimated to reach US$ 800.5 Mn in 2022. Looking ahead, the global rig control system market is forecast to top US$ 1.1 Bn by the end of 2032, expanding at a CAGR of 3.2% during 2022-2032.

About Us:

Market research and consulting agency with a difference! Thats why 80% of Fortune 1,000 companies trust us for making their most critical decisions. While our experienced consultants employ the latest technologies to extract hard-to-find insights, we believe our USP is the trust clients have on our expertise. Spanning a wide range  from automotive & industry 4.0 to healthcare & retail, our coverage is expansive, but we ensure even the most niche categories are analyzed. Our sales offices in United States and Dublin, Ireland. Headquarter based in Dubai, UAE. Reach out to us with your goals, and well be an able research partner.

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Elon Musk, over the past few months, has become more outspoken on politics Patrick Pleul/Getty Images

Car buyers are canceling Tesla reservations over Elon Musk's behavior on Twitter, CNN reported.

Some said they would ditch the brand, while others were more likely to support it.

Musk has sparred with Biden and called Democrats the party of "division & hate" in recent months.

Several drivers told CNN they've backed out of purchasing a Tesla due to Elon Musk's political views.

In interviews with 12 recent car buyers, multiple drivers told the network they had ditched a Tesla product -- leaving deposits as high as $250 on the table -- because of Musk's recent behavior on Twitter.

"I don't want Tesla cars to become the new MAGA hat," Scott Wilson, a Tesla driver who is considering canceling a second order, told CNN. "I don't want to be seen as a rich jerk, and I don't want to be seen as a political conservative, libertarian free speech warrior."

Over the past few months, the Tesla CEO has become more outspoken on politics - sparring with President Joe Biden on Twitter, calling Democrats the party of "division & hate", and comparing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to Hitler. In May, the billionaire said he would begin voting for the Republican Party in the upcoming presidential election and later announced support for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as a potential 2024 presidential candidate.

News of Musk's decision to switch political parties came days before Insider released an investigation that revealed SpaceX had paid a former flight attendant $250,000 after she accused Musk of sexually harassing her. Musk told Insider at the time that there was "a lot more to the story," but later joked about the allegations on Twitter.

"If someone wants to spend money at Hobby Lobby, or Chick-fil-A or Tesla, they can do that," Steven Kronenberg, a California man who canceled a Tesla solar roof installation, told CNN Business. "I have plenty of other options."

Chick-fil-A and Hobby Lobby are known to promote conservative Christian values and have taken stances against the LGBTQ community in the past.

Story continues

While some car buyers said Musk's behavior on Twitter had repelled them from his company, others said they were more likely to support the billionaire now, CNN reported.

In May, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said he was considering buying a Tesla after the electric-car maker moved its corporate headquarters to Texas in December, according to Bloomberg.

Meanwhile, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) said she's considering ditching her Tesla in favor of a car made by a unionized workforce. Musk repeatedly has spoken out against the United Autoworkers Union and has been accused of threatening workers who have attempted to unionize.

Politics have become increasingly involved in consumer buying habits, according to a report from Reuters in June. The publication said that consumer boycotts escalated in the wake of the murder of George Floyd.

An April survey from the online loan marketplace LendingTree found that about 25% of Americans are ditching a company or product they have bought in the past over political concerns, as well as issues related to how the company treats its employees.

Read CNN's full story on its website.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Element Fleet Management

Revised Call Date: August 10, 2022

Revised Call Time: 7:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)

TORONTO, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Element Fleet Management Corp. (TSX: EFN) (Element or the Company), the largest pure-play automotive fleet manager in the world, will hold its Q2 2022 results conference call and webcast for investors and analysts on Wednesday, August 10, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Elements financial and operating results for the period will be issued after market close on Wednesday, August 10, 2022 and will be available on the Companys website at elementfleet.com/investor-relations/public-disclosures.

The conference call and webcast can be accessed as follows: Webcast: https://services.choruscall.ca/links/elementfleet2022Q2.html Telephone: Click here to join the call most efficiently,

or dial one of the following numbers to speak with an operator: Canada/USA toll-free: 1-800-319-4610 International: +1-604-638-5340

The webcast will be available on the Companys website for three months thereafter. A taped recording of the conference call may be accessed through September 11, 2022, by dialing 1-800-319-6413 or +1-604-638-9010 and entering the access code 9159.

About Element Fleet Management Corp.

Element Fleet Management (TSX: EFN) is the largest pure-play automotive fleet manager in the world, providing the full range of fleet services and solutions to a growing base of loyal, world-class clients  corporates, governments and not-for-profits  across North America, Australia and New Zealand. Element enjoys proven resilient cash flow, a significant proportion of which is returned to shareholders in the form of dividends and share buybacks; a scalable operating platform that magnifies revenue growth into earnings growth; and an evolving capital-lighter business model that enhances return on equity. Elements services address every aspect of clients fleet requirements, from vehicle acquisition, maintenance, accidents and remarketing, to integrating EVs and managing the complexity of gradual fleet electrification. Clients benefit from Elements expertise as the largest fleet solutions provider in its markets, offering unmatched economies of scale and insight used to reduce fleet operating costs and improve productivity and performance. For more information, visit elementfleet.com/investor-relations.

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CONTACT: Contact: Michael Barrett Vice President, Investor Relations (416) 646-5698 mbarrett@elementcorp.com




By Azernews

By Orkhan Amashov

History has a fascinatingly uncanny propensity to distinguish the substantial from the trivial. The massive campaign mounted against the now-outgoing British Prime Minister will go down as constituting the latter; Boris Johnsons reign, on the other hand, will be remembered for its sheer import and lasting impact that will never cease to haunt its detractors.

His tenure at Downing Street should have lasted a decade at least, and posterity should have remembered the 20s of our century as the glittering golden age of BoJo. Yet here we are. The carefully and relentlessly engineered internal Tory rebellion, which in its final phase included the upper crust of the cabinet, compelled the Blond Exocet to officially resign as Conservative leader, which means that, in less than two months, he will depart Number 10, much to the chagrin of his steadfast supporters.

In politics, no-one is remotely indispensable, said Boris in his resignation announcement. Yet, one cannot help but be certain of his own indispensability in terms of the course the UK has charted before and during his time at the top of British politics.

Despite being a Tory, Johnson managed to become Mayor of Labour-inclined London. No other fellow Conservative would have achieved the same. His role in the Brexit campaign was supremely critical. His powers of persuasion, rhetorical brilliance, and the instinct he had for the correct course of action culminated in the historic 23 June referendum verdict in 2016, putting the British withdrawal from the EU in motion.

In 2019, when Theresa May was unable to pull the strings, Johnson emerged as the only person able to unite the party and consequently the nation. In December of the self-same year, the Conservatives, under his helm, achieved a landslide victory  the biggest since the time of Margaret Thatcher - sending a death blow to Jeremy Corbyns Old Labour and ensuring the irreversibility of Brexit.

His government faced a once-in-a-generation health crisis and tackled it. The initiation of the swift and efficient rollout of the best Covid vaccines, AstraZeneca and Pfizer, saved an estimated 10,000 lives. His anti-lockdown instinct effectively impacted Britain's balanced recalibration between restriction and relaxation-oriented measures.

His leadership during the course of the ongoing Ukrainian crisis has been unmatched. As Tony Abbot, former Australian PM, has wisely reminded us recently and all of the current Tory leadership contenders, filling his shoes on the world stage will be a task of gargantuan proportions.

His Churchillian self-assurance mobilised the West, echoing the old adage that it is at the time of great trial that a great leader is primed to show how great he or she is. It came as no surprise that his resignation prompted mourning in Ukraine and felicitation in Moscow.

As with any other great figure of elevated standing, Johnson will go down in history as someone who achieved victories, which very few of his contemporaries could have imagined coveting; and, simultaneously, one cant help but ruefully reflect on so many other pinnacles that could have claimed and will never be.

The putchists, who toppled Boris, were not driven by their half-feigned dismay at the Partygate scandal or other mishaps of minor import in the grand scheme of things, but by that which history will prove to be a grave miscalculation  the sense that Johnson had become a liability and incapable of securing a victory in another election.

Be in no doubt that, once a new Tory leader assumes the role of Prime Minister, Labour will push for a new general election on the basis that the public has not voted for them. Expect #NotMyPM hashtags or something along the line contaminating the social media networks from September onwards. Indeed, Neil Watson, a British journalist, closely intertwined with the Labour party, assures me that such a campaign is primed for the onslaught.

Under the present British system and in light of the practicalities, as they could be ascertained today, BoJos chances of return are less than miniscule. But, it appears to be more than a likely possibility that some elements of a nascent Return Boris project will surface in the upcoming days.

Conservative Post has reported that the Tory party is under huge pressure  from members and high-profile donors  asking if there is any way Johnson may stay at the helm. A significant portion of the membership argues that there has been no explicit mandate from people to topple the outgoing PM. However, those who have invested money are deeply worried that the party without BoJo is gravely risking its present electability.

Petronella Wyatt, a journalist and former Deputy Editor at the Spectator - at one time helmed by BoJo - claimed that a source at Number 10 had told her that Boris would stand down as PM in order to run for the Tory leadership. Downing Street swiftly issued a denial.

BoJo's legacy is secure. So, great and monumental have been his achievements that however unthinkable and preposterously wild the idea of his "comeback" may appear to be, even that possibility will loom large over the party and the nation for some time to come.
(Bloomberg) -- The European Union is in discussions about removing sanctions it imposed on some Russian individuals over their involvement in Moscows war in Ukraine after the blocs lawyers found that the penalties may have been imposed on weak grounds, according to people familiar with the matter.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Some 30 individuals have taken the EU to court, asking to be removed from the sanctions lists, and about another 10 have asked the EU directly to be removed, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the process is private.

The European Councils legal service informed EU ambassadors on Wednesday that some of those requests were justified as information provided by the sanctioned individuals showed that evidence underpinning the penalties was either weak, old or wrong, according to the people.

The people didnt specify the number of errors the EU lawyers found or the names of the people involved.

A spokesperson for the EUs foreign affairs and security policy declined to comment, citing confidential ongoing discussions. An email sent to the council seeking comment on the legal assessment wasnt immediately returned.

Targeted Tycoons

Even so, the new assessments will be a tiny proportion of targeted individuals. Since the beginning of the war in February, the EU has sanctioned hundreds of people, including dozens of tycoons, businesspeople, politicians and military officials.

Andrey Melnichenko and his wife Aleksandra are among those to have written to the EU through lawyers to ask that it reconsiders sanctions on the couple, according to documents seen by Bloomberg. They cite what they believe to be a number of errors in how they have been characterized in the listings, including allegations of being closely allied to the Russian leadership. Melnichenko is the founder of the global fertilizer company EuroChem Group AG.

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Others, including steel magnate Alexey Mordashov and metals tycoon Alisher Usmanov have also asked the EU to reconsider its decision, people familiar with the situation said.

Spokespeople for Melnichenko, Mordashov and Usmanov declined to comment.

The EU is set to propose listing about 50 more people and entities as part of a new package of sanctions it aims to adopt next week, which is expected to also target gold and tighten previous measures.

The legal basis of any sanctions needs to be solid as losing a court case carries reputational and economic risks for the EU. Still, de-sanctioning individuals requires the backing of member states and some diplomats urged against speedy decisions at Wednesdays meeting, the people said.

In total, 41 legal actions have been filed in court in response to the blocs sanctions, involving individuals, entities and sectoral measures.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
Evergold Corp.

TORONTO, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Evergold Corp. (Evergold or the Company) (TSX-V: EVER, OTC: EVGUF). The Company announces that notwithstanding a strong cash position of approximately $1.9 million, cost concerns and exceptionally poor market conditions necessitate postponing the planned drill program at the remote but promising Golden Lion project in north-central B.C. Construction this summer of a bridge and extension of the road north across the Toodoggone River to Thesis Golds adjacent Ranch project will provide drive-on access to within kilometres of the GL1 Main Zone target, reducing the requirement for helicopters and decreasing costs for the next phase of drilling at Golden Lion, which will now take place when conditions allow. Tempting new targets are emerging from recent fieldwork at both the Companys Holy Cross, B.C. and Rockland, Nevada properties, and first-ever drilling at the drive-on, year-round accessible Holy Cross Property, is being considered for September this year. A drill permit for Rockland is anticipated in the August-September timeframe.



Market Conditions:

Market conditions in the junior mining and exploration space have deteriorated as 2022 has progressed, and are presently as challenging as they have been in a generation. Market trading volumes are exceptionally low, investors have an overriding risk off attitude, are not responding to positive news, and available capital is limited. In this difficult environment management is conserving capital and operating with a heightened degree of caution.

Golden Lion Property, GL1 Main Zone Target

Over the past several years the Company has advanced the GL1 Main Zone target area with successive programs of geochemistry, geophysics (magnetic and induced polarization (IP) surveys), geological mapping, drilling and 3D-modeling, to the point where it has been demonstrated to extend along some 2.7 kms of strike, to have system true widths exceeding 100 metres, and to consist of a broad envelope of shallow, low-to-moderate grade Au-Ag mineralization, locally encompassing high grades over underground-style widths (see news, November 16, 2021, and January 17, 2022).

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The project warrants a substantial next phase of drilling that is both large enough to materially advance geological understanding, and large enough also to drive down costs per metre of drilling, which are presently high given the helicopter-accessible-only location and relatively small scale of the Companys drill programs to date. Exploration costs should significantly decline with the construction by other operators of a new bridge this summer over the Toodoggone River, and extension of the road north across the river to Thesis Golds nearby Ranch camp. The Company intends to take advantage of these improvements to local infrastructure to return to the GL1 Main zone target, operating at lower cost, when conditions allow.

Holy Cross Property

The 100% owned Holy Cross Au-Ag property, located in central B.C. south of Fraser Lake, has been held by the Company since its founding, has drive-on access (skid-mounted drills can be used, helicopters are not required), is largely treeless and has moderate topography. Moreover, hotel accommodation is available in nearby Fraser Lake, eliminating the need for an on-site camp. For all these reasons exploration dollars go much further, and costs per metre drilled are low.

The property hosts a robust siliceous and pyritic alteration system and carries silver, gold, and copper values over a large area that is underlain by felsic volcanic and/or high-level intrusive rocks. The alteration and mineralization are closely associated with the felsic rocks, which are interbedded with subordinate feldspar phyric volcanic rocks of intermediate composition, conglomerate and fine-grained sedimentary rocks. Work by the Company and previous operators, including IP, magnetic, and audio-magnetotellurics (AMT) surveys, along with mapping and rock and soil geochemical sampling completed earlier this year, has revealed attractive coincident geochemical and geophysical anomalies. The Company plans to carry out an additional roughly 30 line-km induced polarization survey in July or August, preparatory to finalizing drill targets, with drilling to be carried out later in the field season. Further details will be announced when plans are complete.

Rockland, Nevada Property

The Company has methodically advanced the Rockland, Nevada Au-Ag property, optioned in 2021, using a spectrum of exploration techniques including soil and rock geochemical sampling, drone-borne magnetics in 2021 and, in 2022, a 21 line-km controlled-source audio-magnetotellurics (CSAMT) survey, a 14 line-km IP survey, and hyperspectral sampling of select historical reverse circulation (RC) drilling chip samples to help determine alteration mineralogy. Much of this work has been focused on the Rockland East area and is currently being modelled in three dimensions. Both the CSAMT and IP survey have returned intriguing results, including attractive new coincident chargeability and resistivity anomalies of significant scale that are complemented by surface showings and geochemical anomalies. A draft plan of operations for Phase 1 drilling at Rockland East is currently under review by permitting authorities. Permit receipt is anticipated for August or September.

Evergold has several very fine property assets that have the potential to make shareholders money in the medium term, says Kevin Keough, President & CEO. In the meantime, we must manage through the current really tough markets. This entails husbanding our capital, and deploying what we have to maximum advantage. We will provide a further update on plans, including proposed drilling at Golden Lion and Holy Cross, as the summer progresses.

Quality Assurance and Quality Control

Charles J. Greig, P.Geo., a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release.

About Evergold

Evergold Corp. is a Canadian explorer with four wholly-owned precious metals projects in B.C. (Golden Lion, Holy Cross, Snoball and Spanish Lake), and a single project under option in Nevada (Rockland). Company management is proven, with a track record of exploration success, most recently the establishment of GT Gold Corp. in 2016 and the discovery (see SEDAR / news, July 25 and Dec. 15, 2017 respectively) of the Saddle South epithermal vein and Saddle North porphyry copper-gold deposits near Iskut B.C., which hold more than 20 million ounces of gold equivalent in all categories (Saddle North NI 43-101 Technical Report, August 20, 2020). GT Gold was acquired in 2021 by Newmont Corporation.

For additional information, please contact:

Kevin M. Keough

President and CEO

Tel: (613) 622-1916

www.evergoldcorp.ca

kevin.keough@evergoldcorp.ca

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release includes certain forward-looking statements which are not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Companys future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as believes, anticipates, expects, estimates, may, could, would, will, or plan. Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on information currently available to the Company, the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet managements expectations. Risks, uncertainties and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, the Companys objectives, goals or future plans, statements, exploration results, potential mineralization, the estimation of mineral resources, exploration and mine development plans, timing of the commencement of operations and estimates of market conditions. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to failure to identify mineral resources, failure to convert estimated mineral resources to reserves, the inability to complete a feasibility study which recommends a production decision, the preliminary nature of metallurgical test results, delays in obtaining or failures to obtain required governmental, environmental or other project approvals, political risks, inability to fulfill the duty to accommodate First Nations and other indigenous peoples, an inability to predict and counteract the effects of COVID-19 on the business of the Company, including but not limited to the effects of COVID-19 on the price of commodities, capital market conditions, restrictions on labour and international travel and supply chains, uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, changes in equity markets, inflation, changes in exchange rates, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in the development of projects, capital and operating costs varying significantly from estimates and the other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, and those risks set out in the Companys public documents filed on SEDAR. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law.




Ignitis grupe

Ignitis Renewables Projektai, a subsidiary of Ignitis Renewables, which is owned by AB Ignitis grupe (hereinafter  the Group), on 13 July has signed a letter of intent with electricity transmission system operator Litgrid AB securing grid capacity in Jonava region, Lithuania for connection of 252 MW capacity solar park which is under development.

Projects final investment decision will be made at a later stage of the projects development. Investments are estimated to reach up to EUR 200 million. It would be the largest greenfield investment project initiated by the Group thus far. Furthermore, in the future the Group sees an additional development potential in this location.

The solar park is planned to be constructed and start generating electricity by 2025. The park should operate under market conditions. Project implementation also requires receiving over the next few months a permit to develop the electricity generation capacity from National Energy Regulatory Council (NERC).

Ignitis Renewables is a green energy company operating in the Baltic states and Poland. It is responsible for developing onshore and offshore wind, solar energy, biomass and waste-to-energy projects and their further management. The company develops new projects in pursuit of Ignitis Groups strategic goal to reach 4 GW installed green generation capacity by 2030. The Groups total onshore wind and solar greenfield projects portfolio now is around 650 MW.

For more information please contact:

Arturas Ketlerius

Head of Public Relations at Ignitis Group

arturas.ketlerius@ignitis.lt

+370 6 207 6076




The Science Based Targets initiative has validated Illumina's targets to reach Net-Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050

SAN DIEGO, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN), a global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, announced today it is among the first group of companies worldwide to receive approval of its net-zero targets by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). This includes validation of Illumina's corporate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets by the organization.

Illumina announced today it is among the first group of companies worldwide to receive approval of its net-zero targets by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

The SBTi is a global body that enables businesses to set ambitious emissions reduction targets in line with the latest climate science. Its Net-Zero Standard is the world's first science-based certification of companies' net-zero targets in line with the Paris Agreement's goal of keeping planetary warming to 1.5C.

"Illumina proudly joins the SBTi as the first genomics company in the world with a verified, science-based, net-zero target," said John Frank, Chief Public Affairs Officer of Illumina. "This approach will help us demonstrate that our long-term net-zero climate targets are credible, ambitious, and accountable."

Illumina SBTi-approved targets

Net-Zero Target

Near-Term Targets Commitments based on 2019 baseline levels

Long-Term Target Commitments based on 2019 baseline levels

In October 2021, the SBTi launched the world's first Corporate Net-Zero Standard. In January 2022, it opened this certification to all companies, and Illumina was among the first to request verification of its net-zero target. Now, Illumina is among the first group of companies in the world to receive validation of its science-based targets.

"The SBTi Net-Zero Corporate Standard creates alignment and drives action," said Frank. "There is still much work to be done, but we have committed to the most ambitious level of climate action and we urge others to do the same."

"As a science-based organization, we are compelled to ensure our reduction targets are aligned and verified to a science-based approach," said Sharon Vidal, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Illumina. "The validation of our net-zero targets from the SBTi is vital to the integration of environmental stewardship into the fabric of our operations."

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Illumina's net-zero progress and sustainability performance will be reported in the annual Corporate Social Responsibility Report.

Illumina's Climate Action Plan includes a $20 million philanthropic commitment to support initiatives dedicated to sustainability innovation and environmental justice, and goals to reduce water-use intensity and waste to landfill in direct operations. Click here to learn more about Illumina's approach to environmental sustainability.

Use of Forward-Looking Statements

This release may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Among the important factors to which our business is subject that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in any forward-looking statements include our ability to meet our net-zero targets in a timely fashion, if at all. Other risk factors related to our business are detailed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent filings on Forms 10-K and 10-Q, or in information disclosed in public conference calls, the date and time of which are released beforehand. We undertake no obligation, and do not intend, to update these forward-looking statements, to review or confirm analysts' expectations, or to provide interim reports or updates on the progress of the current quarter.

About Illumina

Illumina is improving human health by unlocking the power of the genome. Our focus on innovation has established us as a global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, serving customers in the research, clinical, and applied markets. Our products are used for applications in the life sciences, oncology, reproductive health, agriculture, and other emerging segments. To learn more, visit www.illumina.com and connect with us on Twitter , Facebook , LinkedIn , Instagram , and YouTube .

Investors:

Salli Schwartz

858.291.6421

IR@illumina.com

Media:

Adi Raval

US: 202.629.8172

PR@illumina.com

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/illumina-among-first-in-the-world-to-receive-approval-of-science-based-net-zero-target-301586425.html

SOURCE Illumina, Inc.
Say what you want about LeBrons comments on Brittney Griner, its Americas fault shes over there.

LeBron James, the newly minted billionaire, found himself in a similar trap that faces President Joe Biden: They both want Griner home from a Russian prison where she faces 10 years for vaping, but it looks like Vladimir Putin is in position to force the U.S. into a costly turnover.

Putin, the Russian dictator, could be willing to hand over Griner for Viktor Bout, a convicted weapons trafficker known as the Merchant of Death.

U.S. authorities arent saying what they'll do. Griner has her next court date on Thursday

But thats not an even trade.

Griner pleaded guilty to drug charges for two vape cartridges that Russian authorities said they found in her bag at an airport near Moscow in February.

Bout was convicted in 2011 and later sentenced to 25 years in prison after U.S. authorities accused him of trying to sell 800 surface-to-air missiles, 30,000 AK-47s and 10 million rounds of ammunition to a Colombian rebel group.

'Free to leave': LeBron James slammed for Brittney Griner comments, clarification by Enes Kanter Freedom

The allegations against Bout go far deeper. Hes been connected to unfathomable atrocities.

National security expert Douglas Farah wrote recently for Politico that Bout is responsible for enabling murderous groups to kidnap and train thousands of child soldiers; use rape as a systematic method of terror and control; torture through the mass amputations of arms, legs, ears and lips; slaughter civilians, and help the Taliban take power in Afghanistan  There are no words to describe the human toll of Bouts activities on thousands of people, from armless child amputees in refugee camps to the scorched rural hamlets burned to the ground by marauding children traumatized into killing their own families.

Biden could improve the deal somewhat by asking for Paul Whelan, a U.S. citizen whos been locked up in Russia for nearly four years after being accused as a spy.

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James stepped out of bounds in the eyes of conservative referees when he said on The Shop: Uninterrupted, in a brief clip that went viral this week, that if he were Griner, he might not want to come back to the U.S. after the ordeal.

Clarification: LeBron James addresses Brittney Griner comments amid backlash

America got Griner's back? It's a fair question

How can she feel like America has her back? James said.

He dribbled that back on Twitter saying, my comments (werent) knocking our beautiful country. I was simply saying how shes probably feeling emotionally  #BringHerHome.

But we all need to realize were culpable in this.

Brittney Griner earns about $230,000 a year playing for the Phoenix Mercury, where shes one of the leagues biggest and most recognizable stars. James earns more than double that (about $520,000) per game  not to mention all of his endorsements and entrepreneurial moves that prompted Forbes to rank him as the first active NBA player to become a billionaire.

LeBron James: Brittney Griner should question returning to United States

Why was she in Russia in the first place?

So how much does Brittney Griner make playing in Russia? Reportedly about $1 million. So theres the answer for anyone wondering why was Brittney Griner in Russia in the first place?

The argument will be, of course, that the NBA generates more revenue than the WNBA.

But thats the result of American sexism, and if the NBA is looking to offset the inequality between men and women by helping to subsidize the WNBA, then it needs to invest more. The current pay gaps are unconscionable.

If Griner earned more, would she have felt compelled to moonlight halfway across the world?

Theres an argument to be made that more of our nations flaws are in play in Griners case, illustrated by Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard.

If it was LeBron, hed be home, right? she said. Its a statement about the value of women. Its a statement about the value of a Black person. Its a statement about the value of a gay person. All of those things. We know it, and so thats what hurts a little more.

I'll put it plainly. Given how U.S. media has prioritized white damsels in distress, could you imagine how Griners case would play if she were a waifish Hollywood blonde, stolen from her spouse on minor charges by a nasty and opportunistic European regime?

Adam Silver: What else can NBA do regarding Griner's detainment in Russia?

It's our fault Griner is Russia's prisoner

As for that proposed trade, Bout for Griner, there are some interesting perspectives in favor.

Farah advises Biden to make the swap, saying that Bouts underworld credibility has been spent since his conviction a decade ago and that while there should be no mercy for Bout and only his victims could offer forgiveness  there is now a chance for an act of compassion for an innocent life.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul pushed the tempo on that message, telling NPR that the swap presents a problem for the United States' system because (Bout is) a real criminal, and the Department of Justice convicted him, and he's in jail for a good reason. Brittney Griner is not a real criminal, and so they feel very uneasy about doing those kinds of swaps. That said, we've done it before.

Just earlier this year, the Biden administration traded Konstantin Yaroshenko, another Russian prisoner  convicted criminal  for Trevor Reed. And back in 2010, when I was in the government  I was working at the White House at the time  we swapped spies, a dozen of them that we picked up here in the United States in return for four Russians that we wanted to get out of Russian prison. So there is a precedent for these things to happen.

Griner, meantime, is worried about her teammates.

I realize you are dealing with so much, Griner wrote in a letter to the president. But please dont forget about me and the other American detainees.

We dont know exactly how many Americans are detained in Russia, but we know about Griner and Whelan.

We dont know what, if anything, Biden is willing to trade to get either or both of them back.

But in Griners case, we know its our fault shes over there.

It makes James comment prescient: Does America have her back?

Mercury coach: Brittney Griner's detainment would be resolved 'if it was LeBron'

Reach Moore at gmoore@azcentral.com or 602-444-2236. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @SayingMoore.

There's plenty Moore where this came from. Subscribe for videos, columns, opinions and analysis from The Arizona Republics award-winning sports team.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: LeBron backtracked, but does America really have Griner's back?
Over 200 bank branches will close in 2022 across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Photo: Dinendra Haria/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty

Vulnerable households in the UK could be left behind as people struggle to access cash due to an unprecedented rate of high street bank branch closures.

Around 226 banks are set to shut by the end of this year, taking the total number of closures to 325, according to data from cash machine network Link (the full list of branches is on a spreadsheet on the Link website).

Barclays (BARC.L) became the latest bank to announce additional closures, with 10 more bank branches leaving the high street as more people bank online, which means less people are visiting banks in person.

A Barclays spokesperson said: "We continue to review and adjust our branch footprint to ensure it reflects the way that our customers are increasingly choosing to do their banking.

"We will always give twelve weeks notice of any branch closures, explaining the rationale for the decision, as well as highlighting alternative branches and ways to bank."

The figures come as several banks have already slashed the number of branches they operate.

Last week, Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY.L) also said it is closing 66 bank branches between October 2022 and January next year as customers shift online.

It confirmed 48 Lloyds sites and 18 Halifax branches will shut down as part of a wider trend which has seen larger lenders ditch the high street.

Read more: Half a million Scots risk struggling to access cash amid bank closures

It is thought that around 5.4 million adults rely on cash to a great extent or very great extent in their daily lives, with the closures leaving households without access to face-to-face banking.

A report from the Scottish Affairs committee in July warned half a million Scots who are dependent on cash risk being cut off from accessing their money as banks ramp up branch closures.

More than half (53%) of all bank branches in Scotland have shut down since 2015. This represents the highest percentage loss across the UKs four nations.

Separate analysis from consumer group Which? shows 4,685 bank branches have shut their doors.

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Which? warned that elderly consumers, those aged 65 and over, who are most likely to reply on cash as a payment method, made up 23% of the population across the 17 areas with poor access to cash.

Read more: UK faces acute shortage of free-to-use ATMs, study warns

Meanwhile, the UK government recently confirmed that the FCA would be given powers to make sure cash remained accessible.

The powers will authorise the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to impose measures on UK banks and building societies to ensure the continued availability of withdrawal and deposit facilities in local communities across the country.

In June, the FCA criticised lenders for not thoroughly examining how branch closures affect their customers, telling them to consult more widely before taking action.

Full list of all the banks closing branches across the UK by December:

Barclays 81 branches

HSBC (HSBA.L) 56

Lloyds 48

NatWest (NWG.L) 15

Royal Bank of Scotland 13

Bank of Scotland 11

Halifax 18

Ulster Bank 9

Nationwide (NBS.L) 8

Danske Bank (DANSKE.CO) 4

Santander (BNC.L) 1

All the closures will affect banks in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Watch: The risks of buying now and paying later
Staff Sergeant William Wood perished on a bombing mission over Ploiesti, Romania, on Aug. 1, 1943.

Fred Barton and his wife, Joan, have been waiting 79 years for this homecoming.

Chiefland resident Fred Barton is the nephew of the handsome young man known as Staff Sgt. William Wood, who on Aug. 1, 1943, perished during a bombing mission described as one of the most daring attacks of the war over Ploiesti, Romania.

Barton had only met his uncle as a toddler, but he is now the oldest living relative of the U.S. Army Air Forces gunnery specialist. Because of his DNA, Barton became one of several distant kin who would help to identify Woods remains.

In May, Barton learned that Wood had been identified and would be brought back to Tallahassee for a full-honors interment.

Situated halfway between Woods former home in Georgia and some distant cousins in Florida, the burial in the Tallahassee National Cemetery will happen Aug. 1, on the very day Woods Liberator B24 (Hells Wench) was shot down in a mission to destroy Romanian oil refineries  refineries from which the Germans pumped fuel for the tanks that were overrunning Europe.

Sgt. William Wood was 25 and the gunner when the B24 Hells Wench was shot down in Romania on Aug. 1, 1943.

A staff sergeants final mission: Operation Tidal Wave

The story of the repatriation of Woods remains is one that involves dozens of devoted, usually veteran, military men and women, who treat the reuniting of a fallen military brother with their families much like they would a living comrade coming home.

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jim Bell and Master Sgt. Yilder Zapata are two of the dedicated team who, under the auspices of the Department of Army Casualty Branch, shepherd the remains of deceased servicemen and women home.

They help the families with funeral and other services and provide information that had perhaps for decades been missing  all in an effort to honor and memorialize the fallen.

Joan Barton has almost memorized the contents of a book prepared by Bell.

It is a black book that has everything about my husbands uncles mission  and what happened after the plane was shot down, she said. Its sad, but it is good to finally know these details.

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In August of 1943, war raged around the world. The Allies fought Germans in Sicily; Nazis had taken Denmark; the U.S. and Canada had invaded islands in the Aleutians; nearly 3,000 Romani were gassed at Auschwitz; and Operation Tidal Wave, Woods mission, would begin the mission to bomb oil refineries in Ploiesti, Romania.

Staff Sgt. William Wood is coming home to the United States, for burial at Tallahassee National Cemetery, on Aug. 1, 2022. It will mark the 79th anniversary of the day his Liberator B24 was shot down in a mission in Romania in 1943.

It was on the first day of the month of August in Benghazi, Libya, that 25-year-old William Wood climbed into the B24, situating himself firmly behind a machine gun and in the tail of the plane that would give him a sweeping view of oncoming aircraft.

Operation Tidal Wave would be the largest heavy bomber assault of an oil production site of the war. There were 177 Liberator heavy bombers with a total of 1,725 aircrew aboard. It would go on to have some of the greatest losses of any Allied operation to date. Fifty-one of the airplanes, each with a 10-man crew, would fail to return.

Bell, who provided all the information known about the bomber attack, says the details demonstrate the extreme danger of the mission.

These planes are mostly used for high altitude bombing operations, Bell said. This attack would be launched at only altitudes of between 100 and 300 feet in order to provide more precise bomb delivery.

But the entire perimeter of the petroleum plant was surrounded by artillery. And the Germans knew they were coming.

The B24 Hell's Wench crashed during a World War II bombing mission over an oil refinery in Romania on Aug. 1, 1943.

'A wrong turn' and a 'hero's burial'

Five bombardment groups were taking part in the mission. Communications, locating maps, target sights all would need to be coordinated carefully. However, as the attackers dropped in altitude, visibility became impaired  the Germans were setting off smoke pots to obscure the oil refinery.

The navigator in the lead plane in the group then took a wrong turn.

The second plane with Wood as gunner and piloted by Lt. Colonel Addison Baker attempted to call the pilot back despite radio silence, but unable to, proceeded forward with the mission.

"Hells Wench took so many hits that Baker had to jettison his bombs to stay airborne," according to a recounting of the mission in Air Force Magazine. "His formation, taking heavy losses as it bombed, turned the Columbia Aquila refinery into a mass of smoke and flames. Once through the inferno, Baker climbed high enough for some of his crew to bail out before Hells Wench gave out and plunged to the ground. No one survived."

The Columbia Aquila refinery in Ploiesti, site of the Hells Wench crash. Lt. Col. Addison Baker was the pilot of the B24, on which Sgt. William Wood served as gunner.

For his heroism in carrying out the attack despite all adversity, Addison Baker was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously.

Others were honored too, Bell says.

The Romanian civilians gathered as many of the American airmen as they could and gave them heroes burials in their own cemeteries.

Remains unidentified

Later, unidentified military members would be relocated to the Unknowns in the Hero Section of the Civilian and Military Cemetery of Bolovan in Romania. After the end of World War II, the remains were disinterred for identification.

There were 80 servicemen who could not be identified and who were moved to the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Belgium. There, for the next 74 years, Wood would wait to be brought home.

But the military does not forget its own.

In 2017, the Defense Pow/MIA Accounting Agency began exhuming unknown soldiers thought to be airmen from Operation Tidal Wave. Sent to the DPAA Laboratory in Nebraska, scientists began the daunting task of identification using the most up-to-date methods: anthropological analyses, mitochrondrial DNA, Y chromosome DNA, and autosomal DNA, among them.

Over the years, Woods mother had passed away. Then five sisters, a brother, and other relatives. But several, as well as nephew Frank Barton, had given samples of their DNA should it be of any help in the repatriation of the lost member of their family.

B24 Liberator bombers over Ploiesti oil fields during Operation Tidal Wave.

Then, two months ago, out of the blue, Joan Barton says, she and her husband got a call from the Army.

They were sure they had made a positive identification of my husbands uncle. She says that 51 trillion positive matches made them confident.

So many medals

With the identification of William Wood, Jim Bell linked arms with Florida Casualty Assistance Officer Yilder Zapata, who has worked closely with the Barton family as to their wishes for the last resting place of their uncle.

Making arrangements with the funeral home, the national cemetery, and all other details have been in the hands of Zapata including coordinating the medals that will posthumously be awarded to Wood.

He will be given so many medals, says Joan Barton.

Indeed, Wood will receive 10 medals: The Purple Heart; Distinguished Flying Cross; The Air Medal with Oak Leaf; Army Good Conduct Medal; American Defense Service Medal; European-African-Mid-Eastern Campaign Medal with Silver Star; WWII Victory Medal; Presidential Unit Citation with Oak Leaf; US Army Enlisted Air Crew Member Wings; Honorable Service Lapel Button for WWII.

The service will take place in one of two pavilions on the Tallahassee National Cemeterys campus on Aug. 1 at 2 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

Joan Barton says that she has been told there will be an Honor Guard with a 21-gun salute, and maybe even a fly-over by fellow airmen. It is sure that dignitaries will be in attendance as well.

A formation of B24 Liberators take off from their airfield near Benghazi, Libya, on July 20, 1943. The Operation Tidal Wave attack force consisted of 178 B24 Liberators, each with 10-man crews.

Bell, who every day deals in the reunions between the living and the dead, says that this is not a sad job.

Rather, This is good news. What I have to tell them is something they may have been waiting for for years.

Fred and Joan Barton, as the last members of the family, agree. They feel grateful that they are here to see William Woods homecoming  a lifetime between now and the time he left  but now a time for them to say welcome home.

Marina Brown can be contacted at mcdb100@comcast.net.

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: WWII gunnery Sgt. William Wood coming home to US for Tallahassee burial
A Boy Sitting On an Inflatable Ring going down a waterslide

Georgiy Datsenko/Getty Images

Water parks are a great way to beat the heat of a summer day, but they can often be a pricey activity. But thankfully a new study shows that doesn't always have to be the case.

There are affordable water parks throughout the country where tickets can cost as low as $13, according to a HomeToGo study shared with Travel + Leisure. And between entry, accommodation, parking, and more, families can make a whole weekend out of it for less than $100.

"With the return of the hot summer temperatures, we're excited to be able to offer travelers a helpful guide to America's most exciting water parks so they can cool off at any budget," Caroline Burns, the director of PR and a travel expert at HomeToGo, said in a statement shared with T+L. "While the index revealed that California, Florida, and Texas had the most water parks on this year's ranking, families can find just as many pulse-pounding water slides, relaxing lazy rivers, and family-friendly play areas in destinations across the country."

The most affordable water park in the country is the NRH2O Family Water Park in North Richland Hills, Texas, according to the study, which ranked the top 50 water parks in the United States based on affordability. There, a ticket will set travelers back $22.99, the median nightly accommodation rate is $53, a locker is $12, and parking is free for a total cost of $87.99 per night.

That was followed by Splash Kingdom Oasis in Shreveport, La., which has a ticket price of $24.95, a median nightly accommodation rate of $55.51, free parking, and $10 lockers.

The Buccaneer Bay in Weeki Wachee, Fla., boasts a ticket price of only $13 but is pricier than others when it comes to accommodation rates, which average $71.02 per night. Aqua Adventure in Fremont, Cali., and Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Rockford in Cherry Valley, Ill., round out the top 5 most affordable water parks in the country.

Overall, California came in as the state with the most water parks on the list with a total of 11 and an average total cost per day of $138.06, followed by Texas, which had 10 on the list and a total average cost of $132.96 per day, and Florida, which had 9 on the list and a total average cost of $139.16 per day.

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Nationwide, entry prices averaged $39.82.

HomeToGo also pointed out several water parks that feature record-breaking attractions  although they may not have the cheapest prices  like Noah's Ark Water Park in Wisconsin, which is the largest park in North America, and the DreamWorks Water Park at the American Dream Mall in New Jersey, which the company noted features America's tallest water slide along with the world's biggest indoor wave pool.

Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. When she's not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram.
Nature's Fynd

SpaceX-25 launches Natures Fynds novel bioreactor to grow its nutritional fungi protein, Fy onboard the ISS

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Natures Fynds protein bioreactor is going into orbit aboard SpaceX-25 to develop new ways to provide nutritious, sustainable protein for space exploration. This flight is an exciting next step in Natures Fynds ongoing collaboration with NASAs EPSCoR (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research), Montana State University, and BioServe Space Technologies, a Center within the University of Colorado Boulder.



The goal of the flight study is to demonstrate the use of a novel bioreactor technology for growing high-protein food on the International Space Station (ISS). This bioreactor technology has proven to efficiently convert simple feedstocks on Earth, including vegetation and other excess plant material into high-protein biomats of fungi. Now, this flight will research the bioreactors efficacy under low-Earth orbit microgravity and radiation conditions.

We are seeing the possibilities of exploration beyond our planet brought to life just this week by NASAs James Webb Space Telescope. Today, were thrilled to announce our role in the revolutionary NASA research to develop a safe, efficient, and robust system for producing fresh food in space. Our connection to NASA is deepNatures Fynd started as a research project for NASA, which led us to discover a remarkable microbe with origins in Yellowstone National Park. Were delighted to come full circle now and demonstrate our technologys efficacy for future space travel. Our breakthrough fermentation system is relatively simple, uses minimal energy and water, and delivers a nutritious protein that is easy to harvest, with little to no waste in a matter of daysas perfect for space as it is here on Earth, said Thomas Jonas CEO and Co-Founder of Natures Fynd.

The novel bioreactor onboard the ISS will grow Fy, Natures Fynds highly versatile, nutritional fungi protein harnessing their patented fermentation technology that uses a fraction of the land, water, and energy required by traditional agriculture. Packed with all twenty amino acids, including the nine essential ones, Fy is a complete, vegan protein and a healthy source of fiber and other essential nutrients. Natures Fynd recently launched its Meatless Breakfast Patties and Dairy-Free Cream Cheese made with Fy in grocery stores across the USto deliver on its mission of creating amazing foods that nourish people while nurturing the planet.

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NASA EPSCoR Project Manager Jeppie Compton added, Each of these projects has the potential to contribute to critical innovations in human spaceflight on the International Space Station and beyond. Were very impressed with the ideas put forward in these investigation concepts and look forward to seeing how these technologies perform.



About Natures Fynd

Natures Fynd is a Chicago-based food company creating versatile alternative proteins to nourish the worlds growing population while nurturing the planet. Born out of research conducted for NASA on microbes with origins in Yellowstone National Park, the companys breakthrough fermentation technology grows Fy. Fy is a new-to-the-world nutritional fungi protein that uses only a fraction of the resources required by traditional agriculture. The company has raised over $500 million in equity and debt financing to date. Nature's Fynd's products are available in stores across the country, including Berkeley Bowl in California, Fairway Market in New York, Mariano's in Chicago and now select Whole Foods Markets stores in ten states across the West and Northeast. For more information visit www.naturesfynd.com Or follow along on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn. The terms Natures Fynd, The Fynder Group, Fy, and Fy Protein are trademarks of the Company.



Contact Sarah Rosenberg at sarah@wickedgm.com for press inquiries.








By Trend

Daily COVID-19 infections in South Korea have jumped above 40,000 for the first time in two months, with the government warning of a potential five-fold surge in the coming months, Trend reports citing Reuters.

"Daily infections could soar to as many as 200,000 between mid-August and late September," Prime Minister Han Duck-soo told a government COVID response meeting, citing the view of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) and experts.

The figure of 40,266 announced on Wednesday represents an 8% jump over the previous day and is the highest level since 43,908 on May 11.

Levels of 200,000 per day were last seen in April.

Han said people in their 50s and those with underlying diseases will become eligible for a second booster shot.

Until now, only people aged 60 or above were eligible. The take-up rate has been low, however, with just 32% opting to receive a fourth shot.
The United States Army awards Ricardo over 18.9million USD towards the life-saving Antilock Brake System/Electronic Stability Control (ABS/ESC) retrofit kit.

DETROIT, Mich., July 14, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The United States Army has awarded Ricardos Defense business unit, located in Michigan, over 18.9million USD to deliver additional Antilock Brake System/Electronic Stability Control (ABS/ESC) retrofit kits to improve the safety of operation of the US Armys High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV).

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220629005571/en/

Ricardo Awarded Over 18.9 million USD to Deliver Additional ABS/ESC Retrofit Kits to US Army (Photo: Business Wire)

In addition to those retrofit kits Ricardo has previously delivered, this contract award will improve safety on fielded vehicles in the US Armys enduring HMMWV fleet. Additionally, more than 7,000 new production or recapitalized HMMWV vehicles have been delivered to the US Army with Ricardos integrated ABS/ESC technology following the Armys mandate of the Ricardo system on all new production HMMWVs. In 2019, the Army provisioned Ricardos ABS/ESC retrofit kit into the national stock system for application of vehicles produced prior to 2019 that are slated to remain in the Armys enduring fleet through 2040.

Chet Gryczan, President of Ricardo Defense said: "Ricardo is committed to providing our customers with mission critical, innovative, integrated solutions that deliver capability to the soldier. This award demonstrates that Ricardo can solve tough challenges for legacy systems that require a future-looking integrated solution. Consistent with our core values of sustainable, safe, and smart mobility, the successful deployment of Ricardos ABS/ESC safety critical system ensures the safety of soldiers and operators remain at the forefront of every training and operational mission. We are extremely proud to support the US Armys objective ensuring that soldier safety remains a top priority throughout each mission."

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The Ricardo developed ABS/ESC retrofit system encompasses a complete solution integrated into the HMMWV architecture including antilock braking, electronic stability control, active rollover protection, traction control, and improved brake calipers, pads, and rotors. The Ricardo system additionally introduces a crashworthy steering column and a modern electronic network to the vehicle and leverages low-cost, proven components specifically designed for the arduous requirements of military application. From the beginning, Ricardo designed the system for ease of upgrade to the existing fleet to minimize HMMWV lifecycle cost to US taxpayers.

Ends

Ricardo Defense Inc, is the business entity within Ricardo plc that works on classified safety and defence contracts for the US DoD and it therefore operates as a separate entity governed by a Special Security Agreement (SSA). Ricardo Defense Inc provides solutions to meet the challenges faced by defence customers in the integration of complex and diverse systems specialising in taking innovative technologies from science to real-world deployment.

About Ricardo

Ricardo plc is a global strategic, environmental, and engineering consulting company, listed on the London Stock Exchange. With over 100 years of engineering excellence and employing close to 3,000 employees in more than 20 countries, we provide exceptional levels of expertise in delivering leading-edge and innovative cross-sector sustainable products and solutions. Every day, we enable our customers to solve the most complex and dynamic challenges to help achieve a safe and sustainable world. Visit www.ricardo.com

Ricardo Defense Inc, is the business entity within Ricardo plc that works on classified safety and defence contracts for the US DoD and it therefore operates as a separate entity governed by a Special Security Agreement (SSA). Ricardo Defense Inc provides solutions to meet the challenges faced by defence customers in the integration of complex and diverse systems specialising in taking innovative technologies from science to real-world deployment.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220629005571/en/

Contacts

Media contacts:

Kathryn Bellamy

Group Senior Communications Manager

Ricardo plc

Email: kathryn.bellamy@ricardo.com

Telephone: +44(0)7921 941824

Kathryn Caulfield

Communications Manager

Ricardo Defense

Email: kathryn.caulfield@ricardodefense.com

Telephone: +1 (586) 899-7668

Cell: +1(248) 602-5159
THE AUTOMOBILE made America mobile. It also made us lazy.

A well-established body of research going back at least 20 years shows that as sprawl increased, our walking decreased and our waistlines grew.

Walking, however, is back. Whether we do it for recreation, commuting, exercise, or out of concern for the environment, the bottom line is Americans are more frequently choosing their feet to get them from point A to point B.

An analysis last year by CommercialCafe found that across the nation, walking was growing in popularity at a far greater clip than either driving or taking public transit. In fact, our own Virginia Beach was cited, along with Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as two areas that are walking more than everboth reaching highs of 178% and 187% in July [2021], respectively, and far outpacing any other increases in driving anywhere else in the country.

So we were excited to learn that the city of Fredericksburg is taking serious steps toward making good-old-fashioned bipedal locomotion easier and more practical.

Currently, the city has five major shared-use paths, which are designed for walkers and cyclists. The most popular may well be the Rappahannock River Heritage Trail, which is a 3.1-mile loop that goes by Old Mill Park, the river front along Riverside Drive, and back past Mary Washington Hospital, as well as Kenmore Park.

The four others are the Fall Hill Trail, the Cowan Boulevard Trail, the VCR Trail, and the Dixon Park Trail.

Theres a trail network gap, however, meaning the five trails are not connected in a way that would allow people to travel continuously along the network of shared-use paths.

Jamie T. Jackson, the citys director of public transit and transportation, tells The Free LanceStar that plans are underway to change that.

Currently, Jackson says, the city has six planned or proposed projects for trail connections. Two of them are unfunded, she notes, though work is underway to correct that. The two unfunded trailsBankside Trail and the VCR Connectorare critical for the systems success. The city should know by the spring if it will receive the funds it needs.

This work is exciting for many reasons, and City Council member Jon Gerlach highlighted two in his June 27 e-newsletter to constituents.

First, the East Coast Greenway is a network of trails that connects 15 states over 3,000 miles along the East Coast corridor. And the pathway goes right through Fredericksburg.

We dont expect people will suddenly opt for their bikes over Amtrak when planning a trip to New York City. But in the same way the Appalachian Trail opened that beautiful stretch of mountains to citizens and helped elevate an interest in hiking and the environment, the East Coast Greenway has the potential to take peoples eyes off Interstate 95 and on to the natural beauty of the stretch from Maine to Florida. And the greenway provides another option for exploring it.

The other reason is that eventually the VRE Trail may join up with the Spotsylvania trail system, allowing commuters to make their way between the two areas by bike or foot. Such a connection has already opened in Stafford Country, where the Ferry Farm Trail now connects the county to the city across the restored Chatham Bridge.

According to Jackson, its not just the people on the cutting edge of the Green Revolution who are pushing for these changes.

A wide range of ages and demographic groups have fought for more trail expansion, she says. We have transitioned to a different phase away from the pandemic, and people want to get out and enjoy their community.

Sometimes major disrupters, like the pandemic, open up new and exciting possibilities. At least in this case, it seems to be sparking a desire to return to healthier, cleaner ways of getting around.

The car has had a good run. Maybe too good. All that sprawl, after all, is whats directly responsible for the ever-present gridlock that is I95 between Fredericksburg and points north (and south).

Anything that gets more of us to park our vehicles and walk or bike is a plus. For the environment. For our own health. And for our ability to get out and enjoy our beautiful region.
GRUNDY, Va.  Members of Bristol Virginia Fire Departments Swift Water Rescue Team encountered near total destruction after flood waters ravaged parts of Buchanan County Tuesday night into early Wednesday.

The Bristol unit was among the first to respond to a flash flood alert in parts of Buchanan County, starting rescue operations about 2:30 a.m. Wednesday. What they found were people clinging to life in the Dismal River area near Twin Valley High School.

They had major, major flooding over there; houses completely gone, cars in rivers, bridges torn out and no means of egress for most of the citizens, Capt. Gary Russell of the Bristol department said Thursday morning. On the initial search we finished 10:30 a.m. Wednesday we probably made contact or moved out 30 to 40 individuals. We probably hauled out 15 to 20 on our vehicles. 

Many, he said, are devastated.

They meet you, begging for help, with whats on their back. Everything else in their life is gone at that point, Russell said, shaking his head.

The Bristol team also responded to Buchanan County last August when flood waters tore through the Hurley area. The scenes are similar, but this is a much larger event, Russell said.

Its substantial compared to Hurley. Its a lot more widespread  over 27 miles altogether, he said. Bridges and roads washed out, homes blocking roadways, homes completely gone. Every resident we made contact with said it came very quickly and a lot of them didnt have time to get out.

In many cases residents are cut off.

The areas were working in they have no power, no telephone, no cell service, no water, no sewer, and no roadways in some instances. Some of them dont have any neighbors -- theres some distance between houses -- or the neighbors left that night. There is no communication in their areas. Our radio communication is spotty due to the terrain and cell phone service is zero.

Rescue teams have been able to distribute water to impacted residents who choose not to leave their homes, Russell said.

Not everyone wants to evacuate. Some people want to evacuate. Its their home and they want to stay there, Russell said.

On Wednesday night 44 residents were unaccounted for. That number was reduced to 17 by Thursday. Bristol and other units were dispatched to another area to resume searching Thursday morning.

We call it ground pounding. Basically we walk, we interview people, we ask about names off the list we have. If they are supposed to live in a certain house and the house is hit by flood waters we go in, do a thorough search looking everywhere. Hopefully we can go out, make contact and its over. But were here until the end.

UPDATE: Authorities confirm everyone is safe after Buchanan County flood GRUNDY, Va.  Authorities confirmed everyone has now been accounted for and there have been no fatalities from the Tuesday night flooding that swept through a 30-mile stretch of Buchanan County.
For Kristin Johnson and Heidi Richmond, its a chance to bring people together for a good cause.

Both are working with a Food Truck Festival from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, July 20, in the parking lot of First Lutheran Church, 3200 E. Military Ave., in Fremont.

The public is invited to the event, which will feature five food trucks  Sauce Bosses BBQ; Table Grace Ministries (meatballs); Nicks Street Eats hot dogs; Sabor Costeno; and Scottys Shaved Ice.

Event proceeds will go to the Fremont Area United Way and other area food partnerships.

The churchs summer theme is At the Table with Jesus. In keeping with that theme, the church is hosting the event.

During his earthly ministry, Jesus ate with a variety of people at tables.

We decided one of the programs that we would like to do is to bring people together around a table, said Johnson, a First Lutheran deacon.

She believes a picnic table sounds like a good place to bring people together in the summer.

Because it would be an opportunity to bring people together, it would be a great opportunity to support some of the nonprofit organizations that deal with food in our community that feed people around tables, Johnson said.

Johnson said food insecurities continue at local elementary schools and Fremont High School.

We thought this would be a good way to help with those food insecurities, Johnson said.

Event attendees can come to the parking lot and choose the truck they want to buy food from and sit at a picnic table in the church parking lot. Some tables will be put under an awning for shade and protection in case of rain.

The food trucks will provide a portion of the sales to the church, which will send those donations to United Way and other charities. Table Grace will use sale proceeds to support its ministry.

Attendees also can purchase food and take it home.

The women hope area residents will attend.

Its going to be a fun time to meet with people from the community and to be able to feed your family in an easy way, knowing youre giving back to the community and its all good food for a good cause, said Richmond, director of First Third Ministries at the church.

The church has a spacious parking lot. The women said music will be playing and there will be a fun atmosphere.

Christy Fiala, executive director of Fremont Area United Way, appreciates the church and the fundraiser.

It is absolutely impressive that First Lutheran continues to work to support food security for families in the community and this is just another example of their collaborative effort in Fremont, Fiala said.
Newly elected Republican State Chairman Eric Underwood said Thursday the party's new leadership will focus on "getting conservative Republicans elected statewide" during a rollout event attended by former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry and Lt. Gov. Mike Foley.

Underwood, of Lincoln, said he is centered on "moving this party forward" with an opportunity for "the people (to) have a voice when they didn't before."

Now, he said, "the people will be in charge of the Republican Party."

Underwood was elected chairman at a party convention in Kearney on Saturday that removed Dan Welch of Omaha as party chairman and, in the process, wrested the party away from the control of Gov. Pete Ricketts.

Responding to a question as to whether he is concerned that the governor may now remove his substantial funding support for the state party, Underwood said he "hopes that (Ricketts) chooses to continue to finance the same goals" of electing Republicans.

Underwood said the party under its new leadership will support gubernatorial nominee Jim Pillen and the other Republican nominees chosen at the May 10 primary election.

And, he said, it will prepare a legislative plan that focuses on fiscal responsibility, agriculture, limited government, education and "election accountability and voter verification."

Current party rules provide for creation of a plan to elect legislators by September.

"Stay engaged, stay empowered," he urged a crowd of supporters who attended the event at GOP state headquarters in Lincoln.

Underwood, who was previously elected as Lancaster County GOP chairman, is general manager of Rodizio Grill, a restaurant in Lincoln's Historic Haymarket.

The tone of Underwood's remarks at the event was conciliatory as he attempts to build a unified Republican campaign effort this year.

However, in an earlier interview published online by the Nebraska Examiner, Underwood signaled what "could mean more Republican challengers in GOP primary races with incumbent Republicans" in the future, Aaron Sanderford wrote.

The appearance of Fortenberry and Foley at Thursday's event was significant.

Fortenberry, who resigned from his House seat following his conviction on changes of lying to federal officials about an illegal foreign contribution to his 2016 reelection campaign, was abandoned by Ricketts prior to his conviction and while he was an announced candidate for reelection.

Ricketts endorsed Sen. Mike Flood of Norfolk, who was subsequently elected to the 1st District House seat.

Foley endorsed Charles Herbster of Falls City in the gubernatorial primary campaign while Ricketts supported Pillen, prompting the governor to say the lieutenant governor showed poor judgment.

In brief remarks, Foley said the mission now is to elect Republicans.

Fortenberry, who attended the event with his wife, Celeste, did not speak.

Underwood said he is all about "moving this party forward, protecting our future and moving this state forward."

That, he said, is "100% my goal."

The change engineered in Kearney represented "democracy at work," he said. resulting in "a new value structure, a new culture."

Now should come "a healing process," he said.
Authorities in Pakistan say they have found the body of a military officer two days after he was abducted in the country's restive Balochistan Province.

Security forces searching for Lieutenant Colonel Laeeq Baig Mirza found his body in the mountainous Hernai district near Ziarat, a statement on July 14 said. The statement did not elaborate.

The ethnic separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) earlier on July 14 claimed responsibility. The banned group said it had abducted a military officer from a shrine in Balochistan and later killed him. It was a rare attack on an officer of that rank in the region that borders Iran and Afghanistan.

A local journalist told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal that militants set up a roadblock on July 12 near the shrine and stopped the vehicle that the army officer was traveling in with his wife and children.

They abducted him after seeing his ID and let his wife and children go.

Neither the BLA nor security forces confirmed that the militants also abducted some of Mirza's friends.

A security official quoted by Reuters said the body of a friend who was abducted with Mirza was also found. The official, who requested anonymity, said the men's bodies were found in different locations. The official added that they were abducted on the Ziarat-Quetta Road about 25 kilometers from Ziarat.

The Pakistan Army's Public Relations Office did not comment on the incident but Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, chief minister of Balochistan Province, condemned it in a statement and called on authorities to investigate.

Balochistan Province has been plagued by sectarian violence, attacks by Islamist militants, and a separatist insurgency that has led to thousands of casualties since 2004. Most of the attacks are claimed by the separatist ethnic Baluch or sectarian groups that target the minority Shi'ite Hazaras in the area.

The province is also the recipient of a major chunk of the more than $60 billion investment from China under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor program, a flagship project of Chinas Belt & Road Initiative.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reached an agreement with Pakistan aimed at reviving a $6 billion bailout package that had been stalled since 2019.



The IMF announced on July 13 that if the organization's executive board approves the agreement, it will release a crucial $1.17 billion tranche quickly.



The agreement comes after the government of newly elected Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif imposed additional taxes and slashed energy subsidies to comply with IMF requirements.



"The agreement with the fund has set the stage to bring the country out of economic difficulties," Sharif posted on Twitter.



Pakistani Finance Minister Miftah Ismail accused former Prime Minister Imran Khan of avoiding adopting the painful reforms in order to remain popular.



The release of the IMF funds was expected to prompt other international financial institutions to resume cooperation with Pakistan.

Based on reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters
By Azernews

By News Center

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will address the nation from Sarachane Square in Istanbul on July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day, Yeni Shafak daily reports.

On the 6th anniversary of the July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day, the presidents press service will conduct extensive remembrance activities at home and overseas under the topic "For the Love of Turkiye".

Throughout the ceremonies, the focus will be on the July 15 epic that was written with the love of the nation, as well as the nation's strong will and resolve. The international memorial activities will focus on the triumph of democracy gained on July 15, the power of Turkish democracy, and the threat presented by the treasonous FETO (Fethullah terrorist organization) to world democracies. The memorial events indicated above are intended to keep the spirit of July 15 alive, build national awareness, and remember the memory of the holy victims.

On July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will lay flowers at the July 15 Monument in the Presidential Complex alongside veterans and martyrs' families. Erdogan will also lay a wreath at the Turkish Grand National Assembly Monument following the Friday prayer and Hatm-i Sharif event at the Nation Mosque. Following the Ankara performance, the president will address the nation, while attending the July 15 Democracy National Unity Day program in Istanbul Sarachane Square in the evening.

Turkish and English films, videos, clips, and documentaries that illustrate FETO in all its aspects and highlight national resistance and democratic triumph will be presented as part of the activities arranged by the presidents press service.

Throughout the country, events on the subject of July 15 will be held in the open air and through digital means. Screenings will be placed on July 15 in Sarachane, Besiktas, Uskudar, and Istanbul Airports, Ulus Square in Ankara, in front of Kentpark Mall, Kizilay Square, and Konak Square in Izmir. Mobile LED shows will be conducted in New York to draw attention to July 15th.

Furthermore, the Press Advertisement Agency will hold a headlines exhibition on July 15 at Marmaray Yenikapi Station. The 15 July Democracy and National Unity Train, themed for the Love of Turkiye and organized in collaboration with the president's press service and Turkish State Railways (TCDD), will depart from Ankara on July 15 and arrive at Istanbul-Soyutlucesme Train Station.

In addition, three-day photographic exhibits will be held in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Eskisehir, Konya, Kayseri, Gaziantep, Sivas, Trabzon, Kahramanmaras, and Erzurum by the Directorate of Communications. On the other hand, prayers will be said in all mosques on July 15 in cooperation with the Directorate of Religious Affairs.

On July 15, there will be a video mapping show at Galata Tower, Haydarpasa Train Station, and Ataturk Cultural Center. On the same day, TRT1 will show the film Break of Dawn, while TRT Music will broadcast the epic concert with Fahir Atakoglu.

Fahrettin Altun, the Turkish president's press secretary, stated that President Erdogan, together with his people had shown tremendous courage against the attempted coup on July 15, 2016, and that a big betrayal was prevented via an extraordinary struggle in Turkish history.

Describing the July 15 event as the triumph of the national will and democracy, Altun said that the nation took to the squares that night and wrote a heroic epic against traitors and cowards. The presidents office has arranged memorial programs and celebrations both at home and abroad to keep alive the spirit of resistance that was exposed on the night of July 15, he added.

Altun stated that they will continue to show the world the genuine face and bloodthirstiness of FETO.

"As our president has always said, we will not forget July 15, we will not let it be forgotten. We will always remember the betrayals of FETO. We will always keep alive the epic struggle of our nation, the memory of our martyrs, and the heroism of our veterans," he said.

The July 15 Project Tracking System, which was established by the presidents press service, on the other hand, reached the highest number of projects/events in the last six years, with approximately 9,000 project entries by institutions and organizations in 2022.

While there were 2,961 projects in 2020 and 3,876 in 2021, the number of programs to be realized this year surpassed 9,000, exceeding the total of the previous two years. This figure indicated that July 15 spirit was kept alive and that citizens maintained their democracy watch.
Fourteen thousand classes offered, 2,000 students, 160 guest choreographers, 4,500 artistic epiphanies.

Thats the short list of Ormao Dance Companys legacy over the three decades of its existence. The professional modern and contemporary dance troupe will celebrate by offering three performances Friday and Saturday at Kathryn Mohrman Theater at Colorado College.

Were moving toward being this dance company that has a rich experience for dancers and, because of age, we are hopefully reflecting our community more, said Artistic and Executive Director Jan Johnson. We have this range of age  25 to 50  so theres a lot of different life experiences and that shows on stage.

The shows feature four choreographers, some of whom have worked with Ormao for years, including Chung-Fu Chang, who created pieces for the companys 20th and 25th anniversaries. This years piece, Accents, is inspired by the racism he regularly encounters when people hear him speak English with an accent.

Even though he is a professional and has been working many years in higher education, hes been overlooked, Johnson said. Because he has an accent, people assume maybe hes not smart or doesnt belong here. His work is relevant because thats not just his story, thats many peoples stories who live here.

If you go What: Ormao Dance Company's 30th anniversary concert When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, 4 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday Where: Kathryn Mohrman Theater, 14 E. Cache la Poudre St., Colorado College Price: $30; $25 65 and older; free students, 12 and younger, CC students, staff and faculty with ID, masks recommended; 471-9759, ormaodance.org

Larry Keigwin, artistic director of Keigwin + Company in New York City and co-founder of Green Box Arts Festival, will offer Cruise Control, a fast and boisterous piece set to music by Motown queen Diana Ross.

The duet Beacon, by Julian Barnett, explores the relationship between a brother and sister, with its frustrations and tenderness: Its like this roller coaster. Sometimes their bodies are just yelling at each other, Johnson said.

The longest piece, the 25-minute When We Kiss the Sky, by KT Nelson, who is from ODC/Dance in San Francisco, features eight dancers taking a journey through a bevy of feelings stemming from the pandemic: Its that trajectory of being alone, connecting with one, starting to connect with more, connecting with everyone, and finally the environment, Johnson said.

Thirty years ago, Johnson, a professional dancer, was taking classes and getting to know the Colorado Springs dance community after moving here from Wisconsin. There werent many opportunities for dancers, besides some happenings at CC, so she adopted a Field of Dreams mentality: If you build it, they will come. And they did.

At first, she focused on finding choreographers and putting together performances, and offering classes to adults. As the years went by, she integrated children into the process and created classes for them, inspired by their parents who liked the philosophy behind Ormao.

Its still the foundation, the fabric of what we do here, which is everybody has a voice, she said.

And theres a sense of welcoming everyone into the creative process. Its more important now than ever.

Contact the writer: 636-0270
Researchers are getting closer to understanding the complex, mysterious phenomenon that creates one of the most iconic scenes in Colorado's mountains.

We really dont know much about the specific sources of water that spills from Spouting Rock above Hanging Lake, Eagle-Holy Cross District Ranger Leanne Veldhuis explained in a recent news release. The 2020 Grizzly Creek fire and resulting debris flows "highlighted the need for the (U.S. Forest Service) to better understand the hydrology of the area," she said.

Water-tracing specialists with Missouri-based Ozark Underground Laboratories were contracted to find answers surrounding the popular destination.

In a progress report, they recognized the fire's aftermath "poses significant threats to the integrity of Hanging Lake." They suspected debris flows from now-barren slopes could alter the travertine formations that water travels through, eventually spouting from the canyon wall as the cascades seen above the lake.

Those travertine formations  limestone deposited from underground mineral springs  commonly define caves, researchers explained in the report.

"However," they wrote, "travertine deposition above ground requires a unique combination of physical and chemical conditions, and travertine features as large as those forming Hanging Lake are rare and quite extraordinary."

The first order of business was determining Hanging Lake's origin waters. From dropping dye at several streams and following the content to the lake, researchers determined a source: the upper, western reaches of Deadhorse Creek.

On a straight line, the distance between there and Hanging Lake is roughly 5 1/2 miles and 2,520 feet, according to the report. That begs the question for researchers: What all is happening in that space between?

"Results from the 2021 dye traces have answered some questions, but have also left much to be discovered," they concluded in the report.

They plan to continue investigating, partly with the help of local cavers.

Read the full report here: https://bit.ly/3yCzUJE
By Azernews

By News Center

The Turkish Bayraktar TB2 UAVs, which the rest of the world covets and rewrite the rules of modern warfare, have grabbed headlines of the British press, Yeni Shafak reports.

The Telegraph investigated the Bayraktar TB2's production location and spoke with Baykar's Technology Leader Selcuk Bayraktar.

Natalya Vasilyeva of The Telegraph's Russia correspondent writes that "employees are fitting pieces to the hub of the Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicle at a closely guarded plant in Istanbul".

Her article begins by mentioning the impact of the Turkish-made unmanned aerial vehicles on the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

"At the time, no one imagined that a technological business that would become a global brand would emerge from Turkey," Selcuk Bayraktar said in an interview with The Telegraph.

He claimed that the goal of creating drones is not for profit, but to make Turkiye independent and powerful, by developing high-tech aviation for the nation.

The article further emphasizes that Bayraktar is always at the helm of the operation and practically lives in the plant.

The article also adds that Bayraktar TB2 drones were the key to Azerbaijan's win over the Armenian forces in 2020 and put an end to the escalation of the long-standing conflict over the separatist enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.

In the meantime, Turkiye continues to work on its domestic National Combat Aircraft project. Turkish defense industry companies began to transfer their experience and knowledge to the Turkish Aerospace Industries' National Combat Aircraft (TAI). The aircraft, which is expected to be released from the hangar in 2023, has been ordered.

Baykar is a private Turkish defense company specializing in UAVs and artificial intelligence, which was founded with 100 percent domestic capital in 1984 under Baykar Makina by Ozdemir Bayraktar.

The companys primary goals were the production of automotive parts such as engines, pumps, and spare parts to ensure the localization of the automotive industry in Turkey.

In the 2000s, the company took steps toward producing unmanned aerial vehicles in line with the developments and progress in the aviation sector.
Gov. Jared Polis on Wednesday appointed Attorney General Phil Weiser to serve as interim district attorney for the 12th Judicial District beginning July 14 following the resignation of embattled San Luis Valley District Attorney Alonzo Payne.

Payne, whose resignation became effective on July 13, has been the target of a recall campaign and a withering report from the Attorney General's Office. He resigned a day before Polis was set to announce the date of his recall election.

Weiser on Tuesday said an investigation revealed complaints so severe they are unprecedented in the State of Colorado. The seven-month investigation not only confirmed the allegations but Payne did not do anything about them.

In a statement, Weiser said that "the people of the San Luis Valley deserve a fresh start with a new district attorney" and acknowledged there are systemic problems with the 12th Judicial District's office.

Payne blamed the "elite" and said he wanted to spare the citizens of the San Luis Valley the expense and divisiveness of a recall election.

"It is apparent to me that the elite of the San Luis Valley and the judicial activists amongst us do not want to see criminal justice reform enacted," he said in a letter. "I hope they soon realize that incarcerating the poor and underprivileged is not the solution to address the overarching poverty and substance abuse issues that are rampant in the San Luis Valley and statewide."

During its investigation, Weisers office found that the vast six-county 12th Judicial District, Payne and his staff routinely failed to communicate with victims about their cases, failed to consult with them about plea deals and case dismissals, and generally did not treat them with dignity.

Weiser on Tuesday said the "lack of compliance in this case is deeply problematic happening in the face of prior efforts to do something about it.

The grassroots campaign to recall Payne was started earlier this year by a domestic violence victim who said Payne disrespected her, yelled at her and even called her "hysterical" on the eve of her ex-fiancee's trial in which she was expected to testify against him.

"Were done. The recall is over. Today the citizens/victims of the San Luis Valley have truly been heard," Lani Welch of Alamosa said. "I never thought it would happen."

Just last week, the Secretary of State's office notified Welch that her petition campaign had garnered enough signatures to set a recall election in motion.

Representatives of the Attorney General's Office had traveled to the San Luis Valley to talk with victims who complained about how Payne treated them.

Weiser confirmed that his office investigated nine complaints from crime victims and the probe validated their claims. He also announced securing an agreement with the District Attorney's Office.

It says to me that the lack of compliance in this case is deeply problematic happening in the face of prior efforts to do something about it, Weiser said.

In a statement, Weiser said in some instances, Payne's office "may even have placed victims safety at risk.

Under the agreement, an outside independent monitor will oversee Payne's office's compliance with the Victim Rights Act and the Colorado Constitution. The state will choose the independent monitor, who will be funded by the District Attorney's Office. Payne's office must provide full access to its documents and personnel to the monitor.

Payne's office must also create a new policy that ensures it communicates with crime victims and with law enforcement related to cases which arise in the district. That agreement will last for three years or six months after a new DA takes office, whichever comes first, according Weiser.

In addition, the office must also:

Adopt new mandatory training for employees to ensure compliance with new policies and procedures

Revise the offices website, create new informational materials, and notify victims of their VRA rights

Hold quarterly meetings with staff and others, including law enforcement, to improve communication about VRA compliance and operations relating to VRA cases

Payne, a San Luis Valley native who has been the top law enforcement officer there for a year and a half, did not respond to a request for comment. He ran for office on a platform of criminal justice reform, was opposed to mass incarceration, and stressed that the poor were all too often criminalized because they couldnt afford an attorney to represent them.

He was endorsed by Bernie Sanders in June 2020 as a criminal justice advocate.
Residents are questioning a plan to spend more than $100 million to reconstruct North Nevada Avenue as part of a potential extension of a transportation sales tax that could head to the voters in November.

Old North End Neighborhood President Dutch Schulz asked the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority board Wednesday why such a large percentage of the city's expected $592 million in projected future tax collections is planned to go into reconstructing a 2-mile stretch of road north of Fillmore Street that he said is not particularly unsafe or congested.

The $592 million could be raised over 10 years for city projects if voters approve a portion of a 1% sales tax that funds major road projects in the city of Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Manitou Springs, Green Mountain Falls, Ramah and Calhan. The city and the county receive the bulk of the funds.

Some of the other high-dollar projects include the expansion of Marksheffel Road estimated to cost $47 million and the city's portion of the extension of Powers Boulevard from Colorado 83 to Voyager Parkway estimated to cost $72 million. El Paso County also expects to contribute to the Powers extension but did not present cost estimates to the board Wednesday.

The Nevada reconstruction project is split into four segments on the list voters will review, and all four are described as projects that will improve signalized intersections and provide better transit, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure to support the north Nevada redevelopment vision.

Schulz noted that redevelopment is not the purpose of the authority supported by sales taxes and the proper way to fund redevelopment is through a metro district, typically funded by property taxes.

He noted the money to support redevelopment along north Nevada Avenue could be better used to address wildfire evacuation choke points in the community.

"Where are we going to get the money to solve the problem with evacuation? Its there, it is right on the table," said Schulz, who spoke another with another board member from the association.

Colorado Springs City Councilman and Authority board member Wayne Williams said the project is needed to add sidewalks and vibrancy to a former stretch of highway that is now a gateway to the urban center.

Public Works Director Travis Easton said the city needs to ensure infrastructure is in place for development.

"We know that this development is happening. It would be irresponsible of us not to have public improvements that are there to accommodate this development to make sure people can walk from point A to point B," he said.

He was not aware of development projects that have been announced for the corridor.

Resident Walter Lawson asked the board why the road projects on the list were not evaluated to consider wildfire evacuation out of high-risk areas, such as southwest Colorado Springs.

"We are desperately lacking in east-west roads," Lawson said.

Williams said the city list of potential projects includes east-west corridors such as Woodmen Road, Dublin Boulevard and Colorado Avenue.

Colorado Springs abandoned two controversial east-west road projects in town ahead of a vote on the ballot question. Residents raised concerns about a study of the extension of Constitution Boulevard where it dead-ends near Paseo Road to the Fontanero/Interstate 25 interchange. Neighbors felt a high-speed road through a historic neighborhood would bring unwanted noise, traffic and pollution.

Neighbors also opposed changing Platte Avenue and Boulder Street into one-way roads, and so major changes to those corridors are no longer planned as part of the ballot question.
By Trend

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on Wednesday exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern in a phone call, said the Egyptian presidency, Trend reports citing Xinhua.

They also exchanged greetings on the occasion of the outgoing Muslim holiday of Eid Al-Adha.

The phone conversation came three weeks after Egypt and Saudi Arabia signed 14 investment deals in Cairo worth 7.7 billion U.S. dollars during the state visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud.

Egypt and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states have recently intensified talks and official meetings as part of their efforts to boost economic and security cooperation.

Egypt has repeatedly stressed that the Gulf security is an integral part of the Egyptian national security, while the GCC countries pledged economic support to Egypt.
By Trend

A coordination center for exporting Ukrainian grain is expected to be set up in Turkiye's largest city Istanbul, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said shortly after Turkiye hosted a four-way meeting on Wednesday, Trend reports citing Daily Sabah.

"An agreement has been reached on the establishment of a coordination center with representatives of all sides, joint controls for checking grains at harbors, and ensuring the safety of the vessels in the transit routes, following the meeting which took place in a positive and constructive atmosphere," Akar said.

He noted that Turkiye, Russia and Ukraine would meet again next week and sign an agreement.

Praising the meeting as an important step toward solving the global food crisis, Akar said the four sides have discussed all details related to the grain corridor.

"We see that all sides are eager to solve this problem," he said, adding that Turkiye will continue to undertake the responsibility to contribute to regional and global peace and prevent humanitarian catastrophes.

Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hailed the agreement on Ukrainian grain exports, saying it is an "important and substantive step" to ease global hunger.
The Story

The contingency-fee system, which allows lawyers and their clients to agree that the lawyer will be paid only in the event of success, does not increase the number of medical malpractice lawsuits brought against doctors.

As attorneys must cover the costs for their time and research, they want to be assured that any medical malpractice case they accept on a contingency-fee basis has substantial merit.

Consequently, attorneys turn away many people who come to see them, for lack of a good case.

Gist:

The contingency-fee system does not lead to an increase in the number of malpractice lawsuits brought against doctors (conclusion)

How come?

Because lawyers reject cases they feel do not have merit.(support)

Why?

Well, the lawyers must cover their costs and thus want to accept only the cases they believe are winnable . (support)

The Gap

John has not studied, therefore he will not score more in the test than he did last time.

he could have this time

The Goal

The Evaluation

A. specify the criteria attorneys use to judge the merits of a medical malpractice case

Incorrect

winnability

B. consider whether, in the absence of a contingency-fee option, even people with meritorious cases are much less likely to initiate litigation if they believe they might incur large legal fees

Correct

C. note whether, in successful medical malpractice lawsuits, the average monetary award after legal costs have been deducted is less under contingency-fee arrangements than otherwise

Incorrect

D. consider the effect of the contingency-fee system on the number of lawsuits sought for reasons other than medical malpractice

Incorrect

sought

E. acknowledge the rising cost of medical malpractice insurance

Incorrect

Additional Notes

decreases

If you have any doubts regarding any part of this solution, please feel free to ask.



To know about our upcoming online classroom batches: Get taught live by 99th percentile instructors, Chiranjeev and Anish.To know about our upcoming online classroom batches: https://gmatintensive.com/ Signature Read More

- This statement talks about a system. What system? A fee system under which a lawyer gets paid only in the event of success (a successful outcome of a case - a result in favour of the client). The term contingency-fee also helps us understand what the system is. The statement says implementing such a system does not lead to an increase in the number of malpractice lawsuits brought against doctors. The author makes a claim here. The author simply claims that the number of such medical lawsuits will not increase. The number could decrease, or remain constant. (The author has started the passage off with a claim. Hell probably go on to provide some basis for making this claim.)- (Indeed. The author does get into supporting the claim made above.) According to the author, the reason (why the fee system does not lead to an increase in the number of malpractice lawsuits brought against doctors) is that lawyers want to accept only cases that have significant merit. Why so? Since attorneys must cover their costs. (This sentence itself can be broken up into two portions - the first supporting the other.)- The word consequently tells us that the author is about to present a consequence of something mentioned before. What is the consequence? Lawyers decline many cases that do not have significant merit. What is this a consequence of? The latter half of the second statement.Gist starts.The passage gives us reasons for why lawyers might reject certain kinds of cases under a particular fee system. Without telling us anything about how lawyers and clients operate when not using this fee system, the author claims that the number of lawsuits will not increase. In order to conclude that a number will not increase beyond another number, we need to know more about the other number. How do relevant factors govern and influence that number?This argument is equivalent to saying:We can see why John may not score as high as. However, how can we compare his potential score this time with his performance in the past? Did he study last time? What if this test is (or the last one was) extremely easy? What if John paid very close attention in classes, and is a quick learner? We do not know anything about Johns performance last time, thus the conclusion that John will not perform better is flawed.We have discussed one gap that the argument fails to tackle. There could be other gaps as well.. The lawyers find it in their best financial interest to not take cases under the contingency-fee system that they feel have a low chance of success. Not mentioning what criteria the lawyers use is not a flaw in the argument.Note: The answer choice does not indicate that the criteria lawyers use to decidemay be flawed. The answer choice simply states that the argument fails to specify the criteria. Yes, the argument does not specify the criteria. That on its own does not indicate that the lawyers did not use any criteria or that the criteria was flawed.. Ok, so this option talks about the likelihood of clients bringing cases to lawyers under some different fee system. What if the chances of a client bringing a case to a lawyer go down if the client knows hell need to incur a large fee even if he does not win the case? This might mean that overall fewer lawsuits are brought against doctors. This is in line with what we discussed in the gap section above. This option tells us that the argument fails to consider how the number of lawsuits brought might get impacted if the contingency-fee system is not used. Thus to conclude that the number of lawsuits brought against doctors will not increase is flawed.. There is no indication in the argument as to how the magnitude of the potential eventual monetary gain impacts the decision of clients or lawyers to bring such lawsuits. Besides, if the monetary award were indeed less under the contingency-fee system, the argument would be strengthened. Thus, not considering this situation cannot be a flaw.. The argument is specifically about the impact on the number of medical malpractice lawsuits brought against doctors. This option talks about the number of lawsuits sought for other reasons.Lets consider that this option talks about sought for medical malpractice.We can logically assume that clients would have a higher incentive to bring a case to a lawyer if they need to pay only if they win the case. Thus, probably, the number of lawsuitswill increase overall under the contingency-fee system. However, given that the lawyers are selective under this system, more sought does not mean more brought against. Thus, the argument will hold as is even if we consider this situation. Thus, not considering this situation is not a flaw in the argument.. Who would pay medical malpractice insurance? The doctors. The cost of such insurance to the doctors would have no bearing on whether clients consult lawyers for medical malpractice cases, and whether lawyers take on such cases.does not increase is not the same as. Does not increase means that the number either decreases or remains the same.John does not like broccoli is not the same as John hates broccoli. John could mean hate or be indifferent towards broccoli.In Quant, not negative does not necessarily mean the number is positive. It means that the number is either positive or 0._________________
Danville Community Colleges Center for Organizational Excellence and Data Analytics team has been named the winners of the Catalyst Award for Assessment Practices and Institutional Effectiveness by Anthology.

Founded in 2005, the annual Catalyst Awards recognize and honor innovation and excellence in the Anthology global community of practice, where millions of educators and learners work every day to redefine what is possible when leveraging technology.

The team is made up of Cory Potter, director of institutional planning, effectiveness and Research; Justin Nichols, research analyst and assessment coordinator; Mark Rutledge, information systems specialist; and Tamela Adams, online student coordinator.

The team supports enrollment management, assessment, program review, accreditation, academic planning and institutional strategic planning at Danville Community College. They respond to internal requests for institutional data as well as requests from state and federal agencies and other external organizations. In addition, COEDA is the home of DCCs Innovative Ideas Incubator, an initiative to help students, faculty and staff develop innovative ideas for college improvements.

Im incredibly proud of our team for their continued commitment to excellence, said Potter. Assessment is a major part of every institution of higher learning and it is wonderful to be recognized for our processes, faculty workshops, and the hard work our team has put in to ensure our continued accreditation.

Catalyst Award winners are selected by a cross-functional team of Anthology experts and represent the very best in their field. The Catalyst Awards were expanded when Anthology and Blackboard combined in 2021.

Were pleased to honor this years Catalyst Award winners for their commitment to improving the educational experience for all learners through EdTech and sharing these insights with the broader community, said Jim Milton, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Anthology. Were proud to partner with institutions who are innovating to advance student success.

Potter was set travel to Orlando, Florida, to accept the teams award on this week at the Anthology Together EdTech Event.
Gods Pit Crew  a Danville-based disaster relief organization  is deploying volunteers and staff members to Buchanan County in southwest Virginia after dramatic flooding hit the area Tuesday night.

A deluge of rain created heavy flooding that destroyed homes, caused landslides and blocked roads.

Our hearts go out to those impacted by these terrible floods, Gods Pit Crew COO Brandon Nuckles said in a statement. There is so much destruction and many people need help.

A team was expected to travel to the area and stay through Tuesday to help survivors. Members will do things like cut trees, remove debris and muck out and dry flooded homes, a release stated.

We are praying for them and are grateful to be able to respond with trained volunteers and supplies to serve them in their time of need, Nuckles said.

Gods Pit Crew also plans to send a tractor-trailer load of emergency supplies along with the groups signature Blessing Buckets which contain food, personal and hygiene items, and a Bible.

This comes on top of continuing efforts to help elsewhere in the country. Volunteers recently rebuilt two homes for Kentucky families impacted by deadly tornadoes in December.

Three more homes are expected to be constructed next month in Kentucky and Tennessee. Also, Gods Pit Crew provided a new mobile home for a Pembroke, Georgia, family following a tornado there in April. The organization reported the familys mobile home rolled with them inside, but everyone recovered with only minor injuries.
By Trend

The Hungarian government has declared a state of emergency in the energy sector, Gergely Gulyas, the head of the Prime Minister's Office, announced on Wednesday. He added that this decision was made following a meeting with Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Trend reports citing TASS.

"Due to the protracted war [in Ukraine] and Brussels sanctions [against Russia], prices for energy carriers have skyrocketed across Europe, and an energy crisis has erupted in large parts of the continent," Gulyas said as quoted by the MIT news agency.

"In recent days, it has become clear that Europe will most likely not have enough gas for the autumn-winter heating season. In order to provide energy to Hungarian families and the country's economy, the Hungarian government, like many other countries, declares a state of emergency in energy sector and adopted a seven-point action plan, which will enter into force in August," he added.

Gulyas specified that the government plan will include measures such as increasing domestic gas production, expanding gas purchases from abroad, limiting the use of gas at preferential prices, a temporary ban on the export of certain types of energy carriers, expanding coal mining, an accelerated restart of a number of capacities of the Matra power plant, as well as extending the service life of the Paks nuclear power plant, built according to Soviet technologies and using Russian nuclear fuel.

The head of the prime minister's office noted that by taking these emergency measures, the government expects to ensure normal energy supply in the country at reasonable prices.

"We want to guarantee Hungary's energy security and reduce utility bills for the population," Gulyas stressed.
ROCKINGHAM COUNTY  Folks may have become inured to the threat of COVID-19 here, but its still a formidable foe, the countys public health director reminds as the state sees case counts shoot up 63% over the past two weeks.

In Rockingham County, the infection rate has hovered around 14% for several weeks now, and the BA. 5 strain of the COVID omicron variant is responsible for the lions share of North Carolinas 49,000 new infections reported between June 28 and July 11 statewide, health officials say.

Known for its ability to dodge immunity shields from vaccines and previous infection, BA. 5 is the most highly transmissible strain of the virus scientists have yet seen, according to top researches with Scripps Research Institute and the CDC.

RockinghamNow recently asked Trey Wright, the countys public health director, for his best advice for navigating the ongoing pandemic.

What do you hope folks will do as we are confronted with new variants that are more clever at evading our immunity from vaccines and previous illness?

Wright: I hope folks use common sense about protecting themselves as we are seeing the infection rate hold steady at 14%. Be aware of where youre traveling, the infection rate there, what type of setting (you will be in, i.e. indoors, outdoors), the number of people in that setting, vaccination status of those people. If you are seeing family, ask if anyone has been sick ... has someone recently been a close contact to a positive case?

Is masking more important this summer than most think?

Wright: I hope folks will use good judgement about the setting they are in and if they need to mask. Again (you must consider) the variables of setting, traveling, infection rate of (an) area, etc... My personal example: when I flew out of PTI (Piedmont Triad International airport) my family and I stayed masked the entire time. That included at the airport, the car rental booth, dining, hotel and even at the Atlanta Aquarium. (Note: Leading researchers recommend masking with high quality NIOSH rated masks, such as N-95s and KN-95s for the best protection.)

Do we need to brace for a COVID-19 surge in the fall and winter?

Wright: I wish I had a crystal ball, but at this point, it looks as if the infection rate will continue to stay in double digits as less simple infection control methods are are followed. For example: I see more and more individuals coughing (without) covering their mouths AND also see less people hand washing after bathroom use.

Right now, what do you advise folks to do when they are indoors with larger crowds with unknown vaccination status?

Wright: I hope folks will use good judgement about the setting they are in and if they need to mask.

Is dining out safe with 14% infection rate?

Wright: People need to use caution regardless of (infection) rate while in public. This goes beyond COVID to all sicknesses. I, in particular, dont even want to catch a cold, so practicing simple things such as hand washing or using hand sanitizer, covering our mouths when sneezing and coughing, and limiting exposure to potentially sick individuals (are important).

And are you seeing folks bring smaller children in for vaccination in Rockingham County or is there resistance?

Wright: We are seeing some smaller children being vaccinated. We did not start offering (vaccines to the youngest age group) until last week, so it is still too soon to tell.

Are Rockingham Countians following through with getting their 3rd and 4th boosters?

Wright: We continue to see individuals wanting their 4th dose, immunocompromised and those with the 3rd dose booster.

Meanwhile, over the past two weeks Rockingham County has counted roughly 326 new cases of COVID. That number may be a gross undercount as many people are home testing throughout the state and nation and not reporting results to the state for inclusion in statistics.

Subvariants have increased the chance of reinfection, too, experts with the CDC say.

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 in June.

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. North Carolina, with its population of 10.4 million, has diagnosed 2.8 million residents with COVID-19 during the pandemic and seen 25,267 patients die of the disease.

This week, the state is averaging 3,183 cases a day, which is likely much lower than the actual number of cases with many going unreported, health experts said.

While vaccination may not be able to stave off all variants, it certainly can help blunt the effects of the virus, which can cause long-term side effects including cardiovascular damage.

But Rockingham County is well behind the rest of the state when it comes to vaccination with just 28% of all eligible residents having taken a shot and at least one booster. North Carolina, by contrast, counts 58% of all residents as vaccinated with at least one booster shot.

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.

Since the start of the pandemic, Rockingham County has lost 299 residents to the disease, county records show.

The county health department has the following guidelines for those who test positive or are exposed to someone who does:

If you test positive for COVID-19, isolate.

This means everyone, regardless of vaccination status.

Stay home for 5 days.

If you have no symptoms or your symptoms resolve after 5 days, you can leave your house, but continue to wear a quality mask, such as N-95 or KN-95 around others for 5 additional days.

If you have a fever continue to stay home until your fever resolves.

If you were exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should quarantine.

If you have been boosted or have completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine within the last 6 months, or completed the primary series of the J&J vaccine within the last 2 months, wear a mask around others for 10 days. Test on day 5, if possible.

If you develop symptoms get a test and stay home.

If you completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine over 6 months ago and are not boosted or completed the primary series of J&J over 2 months ago and are not boosted or are unvaccinated, stay home for 5 days. After that, continue to wear a mask around others for 5 additional days.

If you cant quarantine you must wear a mask around others for 10 days.

Test on day 5 if possible.

If you develop symptoms get a test and stay home.
GREENSBORO  The nonprofit American Hebrew Academy received nearly $1.5 million in loans from the COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program, despite the fact its school closed before the pandemic began.

Records from the U.S. Small Business Administration show the private, nonprofit school received two loans for $743,059 each  one in May 2020 and another in February 2021. The loans were intended to maintain the schools payroll, according to records.

William Scarborough, the academys business affairs officer, indicated in an email this week that the money was used to help maintain the schools 100-acre campus.

The school has had no income since early 2019, Scarborough said in the email. Maintenance costs on this campus are fairly high  which is one of the reasons why the school closed.

The campus is reopening this month as a facility to house immigrant children while they await reunification with family members or sponsors in the United States.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is paying the American Hebrew Academy nearly $50 million to lease the campus off Hobbs Road for five years. The academy will host up to 800 unaccompanied minors who will live, study and participate in recreational activities there, according to the schools website.

The American Hebrew Academy will also be contracted to provide educational programming. Children will be taught reading, writing, math, science and social sciences, the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement said in June, as well as participate in recreational activities.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement is legally required to provide for the care of all unaccompanied children referred by the Department of Homeland Security until they are appropriately placed with a vetted sponsor, the agency said.

Scarborough said the school will be named Greensboro Global Academy, although the Office of Refugee Resettlement refers to the site as "Greensboro Piedmont Academy for Influx Care Facility for UC (unaccompanied minors)."

"This will involve around 60 teachers and assistants and a number of support staff," Scarborough said in the email.

The academy's news release announcing the leasing agreement indicated up to 800 people would be hired to staff the facility, including counselors, medical professionals and other workers to meet the needs of unaccompanied children.

Scarborough would not comment on the nonprofit's financial situation or how much it would be paid to provide educational services.

The release also said the federal government would contract for food service and security, though it is unknown who will provide those services.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to several emails seeking more information about the facility, including how many children it would accommodate or how much providing services to them would cost.

The announcement that the luxurious campus in northwest Greensboro will house immigrant children is just the latest in a series of plans for the spacious property.

The academy was founded in 2001 as an international Jewish college prep school, but closed unexpectedly in June 2019. The school, which was losing millions annually, closed for financial reasons, officials said at the time.

Enrollment that year was 134 in a school initially built for 400.

In September 2019, the American Hebrew Academy announced plans to reopen in the 2020-21 school year for ninth, tenth and eleventh-graders following a $26 million loan from Puxim Ltd., a Chinese education company. The loan was secured by the schools campus, which is valued at $25.8 million, according to Guilford County property appraisal records.

The school planned to begin accepting non-Jewish as well as local students. "By expanding our admissions to a broader population of students, we are confident the academy will thrive," CEO Glenn Drew said in a 2019 interview with the News & Record.

However, the school did not reopen and the nonprofit began doing business in November 2019 as AHA International School.

Eight of the nonprofits board members either stepped down or were removed at the time the loan was obtained.

Drew, who according to tax records drew a salary of more than $647,000 and whose company, RSM Associates, received nearly $1.5 million to facilitate the transition, stepped down in November of that year.

In May 2020, the academy announced it would reopen again  this time as AHA International School. But those plans never came to fruition, either.

The 2020 PPP loan, which was paid in full or forgiven  the Small Business Administration would not confirm which was the case  was intended to retain 50 jobs. The 2021 loan, which is still open, was intended to retain 64 jobs.

The school had 159 employees in 2018 and paid out nearly $6.7 million in salary and benefits, according to the academys tax returns. The Small Business Administration uses payroll information from the previous tax year in determining a companys eligibility for a PPP loan.

With the latest federal contracts, the academy likely will house more students and employ more staff than at any time in its history.
As state health officials watch COVID-19 metrics rise and fall, one in particular is steadily rising in recent weeks: hospital admissions of confirmed COVID-19 patients.

While data released Wednesday is showing the highest number of hospital admissions statewide since late February or early March, Cone Health is reporting that their hospitalizations are the lowest since May 30, according to spokesman Doug Allred.

In Cone Health hospitals on Wednesday, 45 patients were hospitalized with the coronavirus. Of those patients, 25 are unvaccinated and 20 are fully vaccinated.

Statewide, at least 971 COVID-19 patients were admitted to hospitals during the week ending July 9. Thats up from 895 the previous week, according to data released Wednesday by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

Nationwide, new hospital admissions increased 3.1% from the previous week, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as the BA.5 subvariant is becoming the dominant strain.

In North Carolina, there were 25,051 newly reported cases during the week ending July 9  down from 25,562 the previous week, according to the DHHS report.

While many cases are no longer reported due to at-home testing, the overall trends of cases reported can still be informative, DHHS said on its website.

Guilford Countys community level remains a low classification as determined by the CDC, which uses several metrics to classify the impact of COVID-19 illness on health and health care systems in a county.

Locally, public health officials reported 194 new infections for a total of 2,130 active cases on Wednesday and no new deaths. The single-day positivity rate was 17.7%, meaning thats the percentage of tests coming back positive for COVID-19.

The percentage of all emergency room visits statewide for patients with coronavirus symptoms was 5.5% during the week ending July 9  the same as the previous week, according to the state report.

Another metric that health experts are watching closely is the number of COVID-19 virus particles found in wastewater, which has been shown to be an early indicator of how quickly the virus may spread without relying on individual test results.

In the states latest report, 16.5 million coronavirus particles were found in wastewater samples during the week ending July 6  up from 15.8 million the week prior.

By comparison, 100 million COVID-19 particles were found in wastewater samples in late January during the peak of the omicron surge.
Ada Limon, a fine arts and creative writing instructor at Queens University of Charlotte, was officially named the nations 24th poet laureate on Tuesday.

Limon, 46, will serve as Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress  a position that has existed since 1937. Her job will be to inspire an appreciation of the reading and writing of poetry, the Library of Congress said in a news release.

She found out about her hiring after receiving an invitation for a mysterious Zoom call on June 1, Limon told the Lexington (Kentucky) Herald-Leader. On that call, Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress, welcomed her into the position.

I was completely at a loss for words, Limon told the Herald-Leader. It was not on my radar. My first thought was, Oh, are you sure? Did you get the right person? I was a little speechless and also  I dont want to say in denial, but I had a hard time accepting it because it all seemed so surreal.

Although shes taught in Queens Master of Fine Arts program since 2014, Limon has lived in Lexington for over 10 years.

Among Limons specific duties will be initiating poetry projects, reading her work in the Coolidge Auditorium in Washington and opening the literary season on Sept. 29 before closing it in the spring, according to the release.

Limon, in the release, called her appointment an incredible honor.

Again and again, I have been witness to poetrys immense power to reconnect us to the world, to allow us to heal, to love, to grieve, to remind us of the full spectrum of human emotion, Limon said in the release.

Limon, a native of Sonoma, California, authored six poetry collections  including The Carrying, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry; and Bright Dead Things (2015), a finalist for the National Book Award and the National Books Critics Circle Award.

Hayden, the Librarian of Congress, said Limons accessible, engaging poems ground us in where we are and who we share our world with.

Ada Limon is a poet who connects, she said in the release. They speak of intimate truths, of the beauty and heartbreak that is living, in ways that help us move forward.

Limon recently released her newest poetry collection, The Hurting Kind, and is currently hosting The Slowdown podcast series from American Public Media.

She will be in the company of a long line of distinguished poets who have served in the position, including Joy Harjo who served three terms in the position from 2019-22, Juan Felipe Herrera, Charles Wright, Natasha Trethewey, Philip Levine, W.S. Merwin, Kay Ryan, Charles Simic, Donald Hall, Ted Kooser, Louise Gluck, Billy Collins, Stanley Kunitz, Robert Pinsky, Robert Hass and Rita Dove.
DURHAM  The city is responding to complaints that police are not doing enough to protect and serve Latinos by boosting the pay of officers who speak Spanish.

At a community meeting, city leaders announced a new $2,000 bonus they hope will encourage more bilingual people to become police officers, emergency workers and other local government employees

We have listened to the concerns of many who are victims of crime and feel unprotected because those that are supposed to protect them are unable to speak their same language, said Gonzalo Torres, a priest at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, during a meeting at the church Sunday afternoon.

The N.C. Congress of Latino Organizations, which organized the meeting, said there have been about 300 complaints from the members of different Latino groups it represents. Residents have said they felt ignored, looked down upon from some officers for not speaking English well, or have not bothered to call 911 due to a lack of Spanish-speakers.

The NCCLO previously told Durham officials that bilingual officers were leaving the police force to work in other cities that paid employees more for speaking Spanish on the job.

More than 40,000 Durham residents are Latino, according to the most recent census, but only 1 in 14 police officers can speak Spanish.

Just 33 officers, or about 7% of the police, were bilingual as of May, police department data requested by The News & Observer shows.

We must do better as a police department to better serve all of you, and the only way for us to do that is to put a priority in our (Hispanic community) liaison in our department, Police Chief Patrice Andrews told the roughly 150 people at Sundays meeting.

We also want to be able to recruit officers that look like you, that look like our entire immigrant community, our Hispanic population, she said.

More pay for bilingual cops

Andrews responded Si, si, si! eagerly when asked during the meeting if she would commit to hiring more bilingual officers in the next five years.

She asked the crowd to look at Officer Rut Avila, who sat in a pew near the church altar where people spoke. Andrews said she was Durhams only Hispanic Liaison officer, which was not enough.

Bilingual city employees previously were eligible for a $1,000 salary bonus if they proved their Spanish competency. The city, in talks with the NCCLO, previously discussed the possibility of a $1,500 bonus.

This now means Durham, one of the top cities in the state, works towards incentivizing folks that are bilingual, and keeping them, said Mayor Pro Tempore Mark-Anthony Middleton.

Eligible employees can receive a $1,500 bonus for using either written or verbal Spanish fluency in their jobs, and $2,000 when they use Spanish speaking and writing skills on a regular basis, Middleton said.

Durham has $160,000 in its 2022-23 budget to pay for bonuses of city employees bilingual in Spanish.

We have been witnesses today to important changes and fulfilled commitments, said the Rev. Daniel Robayo of El Buen Pastor Episcopal Church, speaking in Spanish. Today it has been shown that unity creates organization and that organization creates power. Our power is demonstrated by the number of people of faith in this place with the same goal.

New HEART pilot program

The new HEART pilot programs are answering some non-violent emergency calls with unarmed responders, and also placing mental health professionals in the citys 911 center to direct callers to resources.

HEART responders are currently able to provide assistance in Spanish through LanguageLine, an on-demand Spanish translation service, he said.
STOKESDALE  Ontex, a leading international supplier of disposable hygiene products, celebrated its grand opening Wednesday with state and regional economic development officials, pledging to fatten rural Rockingham County's economy with more than 400 jobs and millions in investments.

A Belgium-born company, Ontex specializes in manufacturing retailer brands and its own label of products, including adult and baby diapers and feminine hygiene products. It's the first manufacturer to make a home at Rockingham Countys newest industrial estate, Carroll Industrial Developments South Rockingham Corporate Park at 9300 NC-65.

With manufacturing facilities in 20 other countries, the Stokesdale plant serves as Ontex's first production site in the United States.

And is positioned to quickly and efficiently meet the global retailers needs, company officials said.

Rockingham County is proud to support the expansion of Ontex to our area, which not only supports the needs of individuals around the world, but creates jobs for our residents here at home, said Kevin Berger, chairman of the county board of commissioners. We look forward to supporting Ontexs success for many years to come.

In May of 2020, Ontex announced its plans to locate here. The company further promised to invest $96 million in the county and create 403 new jobs.

Since then, production has officially begun with more than 100 new workers, Ontex officials said Wednesday.

More hires are expected and the company is recruiting for various positions and shifts as it expands production, officials said.

To accommodate the massive plant, the park made sweeping expansions to its infrastructure, economic development officials said.

Water and sewer line extensions were funded by North Carolina Department of Commerces Rural Infrastructure Authority, and Golden Leaf Foundation funded the park's 500,000 gallon water tank.

Such moves will help lure more manufacturers to the site, developers and county officials contend.

The Golden LEAF Foundation is excited to celebrate the grand opening of Ontex in Rockingham County, said Golden LEAF President and CEO Scott T. Hamilton.

We look forward to the hundreds of new, quality jobs for Rockingham County and its surrounding residents.
Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy

On Amazon Prime

(NR)

Grade: B+

Belle

On Amazon Prime

(PG)

Grade: A

The pandemic has shrunk the world, bringing more international movies into our home.

Distributors, stung by fewer moviegoers in theaters, are providing us earlier access to everything, including gems from overseas.

Thank you. We gratefully accept.

This week, I streamed two Japanese films  and both were wonderful.

Belle is a spellbinding animated family film about a grieving teen who finds her path to healing in the virtual universe of avatars.

Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy is an existential meditation on womens relationships  a gift for those who like their movies slow and deep, rather than fast and shallow.

Zosha Millman, a gifted Seattle critic, described Belle as: A little bit Apple shareholder meeting; a little Social Network; a dash of Disney Princess, and a massive helping of technofuturist anime possibility.

On the outskirts of this dazzling universe lives Suzu, a 17-year-old mousy bumpkin whose mother drowned trying to save another child.

Grieving Suzu escapes to her laptop hideaway, a virtual metaverse known as U.

She creates her own avatar, beautiful Belle who sings like an angel.

Suzu loved to sing, but her sadness has muted her. Belle sings for Suzu.

Belle is a projection of the girl Suzu once dreamed of becoming.

Belle becomes a global phenomenon, a shining star of U. Everyone wants to know, Who is Belle?

Suzu keeps her secret. She overhears her classmates gossiping cattily about Belle.

One quiet boy reaches out to Suzu. He can sense her struggles, and wants to help. Slowly, she lets him in.

Meanwhile, inside U, Belle confronts the inevitable villain, The Dragon. This subplot is a tired fantasy trope, but with one twist. Dragon, too, will emerge as a wounded child, hiding inside a violent avatar.

This animated fable is a cautionary, mesmerizing immersion inside multimedia platforms where gamers live.

Mamoru Hosodas Belle may be a masterpiece. Please watch the subtitled version on Amazon Prime, not the dubbed version. Honor international films by hearing the poetry inside their native tongue.

After the family watches Belle, tuck the kids in and cue up Wheel of Fortune. Oscar-winner Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car) interweaves three stories, showcasing bright, intuitive women at crossroads.

The third chapter, Once Again, is the masterpiece. Oh, my, did this touch me deeply.

Two women spot each other on an escalator. Hugs, tears. Old friends, reunited.

Tea? Lets catch up.

Then the shock. Both mistook the other for someone else. They are strangers, really.

But they keep disclosing and listening. Both are hurting. In a few hours time, they will connect so deeply, that healing will begin in two hearts.

Then one boards a train and heads home.

The message is powerful, universal: No encounter is accidental. Every moment percolates with possibilities.

We have the power to help each other, even in the briefest of encounters.

Reach out. Connect. Heal.
By Trend

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres stated his readiness to travel to Istanbul, if an agreement on grain export is achieved, Trend reports citing TASS.

"First of all, we dont know yet when the formal agreement will be established. Obviously, I will be ready to interrupt my holidays to go to Istanbul if it is the case," he told reporters Wednesday.

"Everything is organized for that purpose if necessary and if it happens," the Secretary General said. "There are other ways in which agreement can be formalized.".
Lake County filed a lawsuit on Thursday against the state of Montana, making good on its promise to litigate if state officials refused to negotiate a cost-sharing plan for a unique law enforcement arrangement Montana entered into with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes nearly 60 years ago.

The lawsuit asks a District Court judge to declare the state is obligated to reimburse Lake County pursuant to the agreement for law enforcement services on the CSKT reservation, and to pay for the past services rendered by the county since the agreement was enacted.

The obligation in question was part of an agreement known as Public Law 280. The agreement gives Lake County, which overlaps with the majority of the Flathead Reservation, jurisdiction over felony crimes. Typically, the Bureau of Indian Affairs or the FBI handle such cases, but local officials have said they prefer local law enforcement keep jurisdiction.

The agreement in 1963 was struck between the CSKT and the state of Montana. But, according to Lake County, the state has never contributed to local law enforcements work in funding such infrastructure or exercising that jurisdiction, other than the state highway patrol, which by law is limited to crimes on roadways.

A state fiscal analysis in 2017 estimated the cost of fulfilling the obligations in Public Law 280 have spun up to over $4 million. The entire county operates on a $12.5 million budget from property taxes.

Lake County officials sent a letter to Gov. Greg Gianforte in February, announcing they've reached a "breaking point" and asking to negotiate a path toward a financially viable system. That letter included a lawsuit if the governor's office failed to engage in a meaningful way. Through a spokesperson, the tribes in February supported Lake County's bid to the state for additional law enforcement funds.

Rob Bell, one of the attorneys representing Lake County in the matter, said the parties had some "limited" discussions but could not make any headway.

"It was really just to generate a discussion to put together a working group that could try to tackle the issue as a group and work together to find solutions," Bell said. "Unfortunately we didn't make a lot of progress on that and it did not feel like the governors office wanted to engage as deeply as we would have liked."

The lawsuit filed Thursday in Lake County District Court seeks damages including the past and present costs the county incurred in fulfilling the states obligation to Public Law 280, although it does not include a dollar figure.

The filing also requests a declaratory judgement by the court establishing the states obligation to reimburse Lake County for costs incurred going forward for carrying out the law enforcement duties associated with Public Law 280.

A spokesperson for Gianforte said Thursday the governor's office does not comment on pending litigation.

"We continue to hope that we can work with the governor's office to put together a solution and potentially a proposal that can go to the legislature," Bell said. "That door hasnt closed, its just that in the absence of progress weve got to move forward with the lawsuit."
A 34-year-old Boise man died Tuesday in Jefferson County after his westbound Ford F350 drifted off the left-hand shoulder of Interstate 90 around 6:30 p.m. and he over-corrected, causing the pickup to roll multiple times.

The driver was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected, sustaining fatal injuries, reported the Montana Highway Patrol. He was alone in the vehicle.

He was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, which occurred in the vicinity of mile marker 258. Road conditions were dry.

The Highway Patrol said alcohol was a suspected factor in the crash.
VANDALIA  City leaders in Vandalia on Wednesday welcomed the release of a memorandum from the Illinois Department of Corrections telling staff at the Vandalia Correctional Center that their jobs and the facility are safe from closure and consolidation.

The memo comes in the wake of rumors and fears about the fate of the prison, with the Department of Corrections telling lawmakers as recently as February that plans to downsize Vandalia were moving forward.

But now, according to the memo from Department Director Rob Jeffreys, they are not. And Vandalia Mayor Ricky Gottman was left breathing a sigh of relief.

Announcing in a statement that he was quite pleased at the news, Gottman thanked Gov. J.B. Pritzker and all others who have been working hard behind the scenes towards a solution to this matter.

And he added: In a phone meeting with the governors office and representatives of IDOC last Thursday, July 7, I felt good about where this matter was heading. The attached memorandum from the Department of Corrections was a result of that call.

In the memo, Jeffreys states: Vandalia Correctional Center is NOT closing, nor was it being considered for closure.

He said the department had been looking at consolidation of some buildings at Vandalia to newer facilities on the same site. But he emphasized that no buildings were to have been demolished and The plan WOULD NOT have resulted in layoffs or geographical transfers.

At this time, we have decided to hold off on the consolidation/conversion at Vandalia. If it is decided in the future to revisit this plan, we will notify AFSCME Council 31 and continue discussions.

Jeffreys said the IDOC needs to reevaluate how it operates its prisons statewide in the wake of a relatively low male inmate population, currently down to 27,823. He said that number is likely to stay low in the wake of recent sentencing reforms.

Vandalias inmate total had shrank to a low of 301 in February when consolidation was being discussed and now stands at 458.
EAST CHICAGO  A 7-year-old boy was killed in a homicide in East Chicago on Tuesday morning, the Lake County coroner's office said.

East Chicago Police Department received several calls of shots fired on 3500 Pennsylvania Street at approximately 1 a.m. Its ShotSpotter system alerted police to five rounds of shots fired, but nobody was located on the scene, police said.

Officers then proceeded to St. Catherine's Hospital to see if anybody could be found there with a gunshot wound. There, they identified a van going toward the emergency room at a high speed.

In the van was an adult female carrying a 7-year-old boy. All parties were removed from the van, and it was taken as evidence.

Officers on scene secured the van, due to firearms, spent shell casing, blood splatter and a 30 round magazine in plain view.

The boy was identified at St. Catherine's Hospital emergency room by death investigators as Jermiah Moore. His address was unknown. He died due to a gunshot wound.

Detectives are awaiting a formal statement from witnesses and family members in the van with the child.

Assisting agencies included Lake County coroner's office, Lake County Crime Scene Investigations and East Chicago Police Department.

"Any time a child is the victim of senseless gun violence it affects and saddens us all," East Chicago Police Chief Jose Rivera said in a news release. "Thoughts, prayers and caring emojis on social media will not bring the shooter to justice. We need witnesses or anyone with information to come forward and cooperate with our detectives. We cant allow these cowardly thugs to randomly open fire in our community with impunity. Our department will use all the resources we have available to help us catch the shooter and any person involved in todays homicide of an innocent child."
CHICAGO - Scammers are targeting the victims of Highland Parks mass shooting, Illinois attorney general warned.

Anonymous callers have contacted survivors of the Fourth of July parade shooting and misrepresented what state financial support they may be entitled to, the attorney generals office said.

As victims of a violent crime  including those affected by the horrific shooting in Highland Park  attempt to recover from trauma, they should not have to sort through misinformation or potential scams relating to programs that may provide assistance in a time of need, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul wrote in a statement.

Reports of attempted scams have come from a number of family members and friends of victims injured, the attorney generals office wrote. The anonymous callers offered help filling in the states Crime Victims Compensation Program application.

Many of the callers misrepresent the programs eligibility requirements and covered expenses, the statement said.

The state program provides financial reimbursement to eligible victims of violent crime for certain expenses, including funerals and burials, counseling, lost wages and medical bills, the statement said. Applications for the program can be found online.

Victims who receive calls regarding the Crime Victims Compensation Program should verify that they come from the attorney generals office and can request in-person appointments, the statement said.

Illinois law prohibits individuals from charging applicants a fee for assistance in filing an application. In addition, state law limits reimbursement to statutorily determined expenses, it continued.

The attorney generals office also encouraged state residents to research charities before making donations aimed at supporting Highland Park victims. People should avoid giving donations in cash, pay close attention to charities names and ask how much of a donation will go to the charity, the statement said.

Crowdfunding platform GoFundMe currently lists 15 different verified fundraisers requesting money for Highland Park victims on its website. The Highland Park Community Foundation is also raising money on its website, which was shared by the city.

People hoping to obtain additional information about the Crime Victims Compensation Program or report suspicious information about the program should call the attorney generals crime victim assistance line at 800-288-3368, the statement said. Those seeking to report suspicious charities should call the Attorney Generals Charitable Trust Bureau at 312-814-2595.
A local pastor, citing the resilience of Christian faith, listed reasons why young couples might question having children: climate change, cost, gun violence, a less civil society. The pastor essentially encouraged them to have faith and go for it. We all need an encouraging word, but in todays contentious society, can we coexist with our differences, and not just in church?

Sometimes, I wonder if God is trying to tell us something: You mortals should hold off on baby-making until you provide them a safer world. Theyre being picked off by bullets, bullying, and sorry, bad parenting. Practice faith with common sense and remember to give your children equal attention after theyre born. And stop cherry-picking Bible verses to make political points. I hate that.

President Reagan once declared it Morning in America; President Obama encouraged the Audacity of Hope. Its hard to feel the intended optimism of those two themes right now, but someone believed enough to get America through two world wars, a Great Depression and more. By comparison, these are good times.

Confession: I dont know if God really addressed faith with common sense. He might want us to figure that out for ourselves. I do know we once had the incentive to find common ground through compromise to make things better. Do we still have that?

Jim Newton, Itasca
New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Partly to mostly cloudy. High 97F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. Low 74F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.
GRUNDY, Va.  Authorities confirmed everyone has now been accounted for and there have been no fatalities from the Tuesday night flooding that swept through a 30-mile stretch of Buchanan County.

During a noon press conference to update where the search and rescue operation stood, law enforcement and state emergency management officials said the only injury documented from the flood so far, has been a snake bite.

The number of people unaccounted for stood at 44 Wednesday evening but was reduced to 17 by early Thursday morning as search and rescue teams worked throughout the night in the Dismal River and Whitewood sections of the county to locate people who had been unable to confirm they were safe.

More than 100 homes over an extensive area are damaged or destroyed, according to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.

Water began rising rapidly Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning stranding several residents and displacing homes.

The estimate of the property damage to determine the extent of the disaster will begin Friday, according to authorities. The survey is expected to take some time due to the remote nature and topography of the area.

Most residents in the affected areas have no electricity, telephone, water or sewer service, state Sen. Travis Hackworth, R-Richlands, said Thursday morning. Hackworth said hes been in contact with the governors office regarding the severity of the flooding. Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency for the area yesterday.

Three roads are currently closed due to flood debris or damage. Route 628, Route 635 and Route 715 are currently closed. Routes 628 and 635 are expected to be passable as early as later Thursday or early Friday. Route 715 has a damaged bridge and will require more extensive repair.

The United Way of Southeast Virginia has set up a donation program for those wishing to give monetary or donations of goods to help the affected area of the county. Authorities said the items most in need currently are cleaning supplies. Mops, bleach, shovels were all mentioned as items that could be immediately be put to use to help residents clear their homes from flood damage.

Donations are being accepted at the Twin Valley Elementary School.

At an emergency shelter set up at Twin Valley Middle School, people loaded cases of water and other supplies Thursday morning, preparing to deliver them to those directly affected by the flood.

Though the shelter was ready, no one needed to spend the night there, said Marcy Watson, Buchanan Countys director of social services.

Theyre just coming here to shower, charge phones, she said.

About a dozen elderly people with medical conditions were placed in nearby motels because their homes were damaged, Watson said.

Denise McGeorge, disaster programs director for the Buchanan County Department of Social Services, was waiting at the shelter to take reports of damages.

McGeorge said she had already heard from people whose homes were devastated and who had lost everything theyve worked for in their lives.

She said that a couple described their residence beginning to collapse around them Tuesday night, with water rushing in so quickly that they had trouble getting out.

Hes 62 and the waters already up to his chest, McGeorge said.

McGeorge said that the man turned to his wife and said that if he did not make it out, he hoped she would tell the children that he loved them. The wife responded that they were going to make it, McGeorge said.

The couple then clawed at the ceiling until they broke through to rafters, and clung to them to keep from being swept away.

Another husband and wife reported being bitten by a copperhead snake and stung by bees as they fled from rising water, McGeorge said.

They all have their stories  and theyre all heartbreaking, McGeorge said.

McGeorge said that the extent of the floods damages would not be known for days or longer.

Hired to coordinate the response to the Hurley flood 10 months ago, McGeorge noted that state relief funds were still coming in for that disaster.

Were on the front end, the beginning stages of the response to Tuesdays flooding, McGeorge said.
A Ballad Health partnership providing free legal assistance to low-income patients completed its first year in 2021.

Last year, nearly 400 hours of free legal services worth more than $40,000 were provided to Ballad patients as part of the health care systems new Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP) with the Appalachian School of Law (ASL), Virginia Tech and regional legal aids.

Dr. Matthew Loos, chief academic officer at Ballad Health, called the MLP unique in the nation from an educational and research perspective.

Right here in the Appalachian Highlands we are on the tip of the spear when it comes to this type of effort and this type of work, Loos said. That really is part and parcel to what the promise of Ballad is, what we want to bring to this region and what we believe the people of this region deserve.

According to a recent report from the MLP, the program got more than 1,500 referrals from Ballad last year, 120 cases resulting from 251 patient calls, and 81 case closures. Thats according to data analyzed and compiled by a team from Virginia Techs Pamplin College of Business. That aspect of the partnership is a distinguishing factor, according to Suzan E. Moore, J.D., executive director of MLP at ASL.

The thing that really sets our MLP apart from the hundreds of others that are operating across the country is the collaboration with Virginia Tech, Moore said. What they brought to the equation is the business analytics.

According to Moore, Ballad professionals initiated the referrals to the MLP, but it was up to the patient to seek the legal help. According to the report, the majority of legal hours in closed cases were spent on unemployment and financial assistance, with the top two services provided being related to insurance and housing assistance.

There are some success stories where we have obtained disability awards, Medicaid coverage, child custody in a domestic case, Moore said. We look at everything from housing to food assistance to planning documents, like powers of attorney, and landlord-tenant disputes  anything that you can think of that might be a determinant of someones social circumstances  meaning food, housing, income, that sort of thing  we assist with.

According to Moore, the MLP launched in 2020, but kicked into full gear last year as most referrals came from four hospitals  Norton Community Hospital, Johnston Memorial Hospital, Holston Valley Medical Center and Bristol Regional Medical Center. Services are provided by ASL students under the supervision of their professors and attorneys from the regional legal aids. In general, the partnership is about improving patients home settings, which can play as vital a role in health as treatment received, Loos said.

Having the right surgery, for example, is incredibly important, but if you have that surgery and you go home to an environment (of homelessness) or it's an environment that doesnt have clean water or nutritional food  you could be the best surgeon in the world [and still] have real problems with recovery, Loos said. We know that this type of effort stretches well beyond just the simple access to social services. It really does have a major impact in the health and well-being of the people that it serves.

The Ballad-funded MLP is something Moore sees carrying on well into the future.

Our initial partnership is for five years, but we think its going to be so beneficial to all parties concerned that we will have an ongoing and hopefully a permanent partnership among these current groups, Moore said. It has come a long way [and] weve had some early success, but I really believe that the best is yet to come  It's something that I think will continue to grow and that will benefit the low-income patient population in Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee.
Young woman missing after being trafficked to work in Cambodia

Authorities in Quang Nam Province are searching for a young woman who lost contact with her family after working in Cambodia.













Police in Thang Binh District on Wednesday afternoon issued an announcement about their search for Hoang Thi Tri (middle)



Police in Thang Binh District on Wednesday afternoon issued an announcement about their search for Hoang Thi Tri, 18, who disappeared after leaving her house in Binh Minh Commune for Cambodia to work.



According to the local police, the young woman left her home on March 21 and has not contacted her family since. Her mother, Nguyen Thi Lan, reported to the police that a human trafficking ring might have cheated Tri.



"We've asked police departments and concerned agencies nationwide to co-operate to look for Tri," Thang Binh Police said. "Anyone who has information about Tri can report to the nearest police department or ring 02353.874.203.



On July 12, Police in Quang Nam Province arrested Truong Cong Duy, 30, for allegedly trafficking seven local people to Cambodia.



Authorities in some central and central highlands provinces are investigating human trafficking scams linked to Cambodia targeting local young people.



Seven people in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai were recently rescued after being trafficked to Cambodia to work at local casinos.
By Trend

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi King Salman discussed bilateral relations and regional issues in a phone call Wednesday, the Presidential Communications Directorate said, Trend reports citing Daily Sabah.

The leaders also exchanged Eid greetings, the directorate said in a statement.

The Saudi king also spoke with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who is expected to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden.
GRUNDY, Va.  Members of Bristol Virginia Fire Departments Swift Water Rescue Team encountered near total destruction after flood waters ravaged parts of Buchanan County Tuesday night into early Wednesday.

The Bristol unit was among the first to respond to a flash flood alert in parts of Buchanan County, starting rescue operations about 2:30 a.m. Wednesday. What they found were people clinging to life in the Dismal River area near Twin Valley High School.

They had major, major flooding over there; houses completely gone, cars in rivers, bridges torn out and no means of egress for most of the citizens, Capt. Gary Russell of the Bristol department said Thursday morning. On the initial search we finished 10:30 a.m. Wednesday we probably made contact or moved out 30 to 40 individuals. We probably hauled out 15 to 20 on our vehicles. 

Many, he said, are devastated.

They meet you, begging for help, with whats on their back. Everything else in their life is gone at that point, Russell said, shaking his head.

The Bristol team also responded to Buchanan County last August when flood waters tore through the Hurley area. The scenes are similar, but this is a much larger event, Russell said.

Its substantial compared to Hurley. Its a lot more widespread  over 27 miles altogether, he said. Bridges and roads washed out, homes blocking roadways, homes completely gone. Every resident we made contact with said it came very quickly and a lot of them didnt have time to get out.

In many cases residents are cut off.

The areas were working in they have no power, no telephone, no cell service, no water, no sewer, and no roadways in some instances. Some of them dont have any neighbors -- theres some distance between houses -- or the neighbors left that night. There is no communication in their areas. Our radio communication is spotty due to the terrain and cell phone service is zero.

Rescue teams have been able to distribute water to impacted residents who choose not to leave their homes, Russell said.

Not everyone wants to evacuate. Some people want to evacuate. Its their home and they want to stay there, Russell said.

On Wednesday night 44 residents were unaccounted for. That number was reduced to 17 by Thursday. Bristol and other units were dispatched to another area to resume searching Thursday morning.

We call it ground pounding. Basically we walk, we interview people, we ask about names off the list we have. If they are supposed to live in a certain house and the house is hit by flood waters we go in, do a thorough search looking everywhere. Hopefully we can go out, make contact and its over. But were here until the end.
The N.C. State Health Plan has appealed a federal judge's order that resumed payments for medical treatments, including hormone therapy and surgeries, for transgender individuals.

Judge Loretta Biggs of the Middle District of N.C. ruled June 10 in favor of plaintiffs who included several transgender people or their parents. Biggs' order required the states health plan to resume coverage that day.

The appeal was filed Tuesday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. State Treasurer Dale Folwell, who oversees the state health plan, is a defendant in the case.

The plan insures more than 750,000 teachers, state employees, the governor, current and former legislators, state university and community college personnel and their dependents, and non-Medicare retirees and their dependents. It is the largest buyer of medical and pharmaceutical services in North Carolina.

Folwell said the state health plans board announced Wednesday that it would no longer exclude treatments connected with sex transition or modifications.

Folwell and the health plan board also claim Biggs' order "deprived the Plan of the benefit of a jury trial, where experts could transparently debate whether sex transition operations are or are not medically necessary."

"We believe the judges order is legally incorrect, Folwell said.

Local beneficiary

Among people potentially affected by the appeal is Stewart Jeffers, who is undergoing gender transition treatments that began in January 2020.

Jeffers, 21, has been covered by the state health plan through his father, Tripp, a former high school history and philosophy teacher in Winston-Salem.

"This is for me to have a better life, and are necessary surgeries and procedures just like any other necessary surgeries and procedures," said Stewart Jeffers, who underwent a gender-affirming procedure on June 20 at a private medical facility.

However, Biggs' order did not affect Jeffers' $8,000 out-of-pocket expense since that bill was due before the June 10 resumption of state health plan coverage for gender transition procedures.

He paid for the procedure by raising about $5,000 and using $3,000 in savings.

Stewart expects the medical benefit to apply to his future hormonal treatment procedures that can cost up to $150 per visit. Those treatments, started at once a month, are now every six months and will become once a year around the end of this year.

He also has been paying for prescriptions out of pocket.

Background

According to a statement from Folwell, the state health plans refusal to cover surgical and hormonal treatments related to the diagnosis of gender dysphoria dates back to the 1990s.

In December 2016, Treasurer Janet Cowell and the health plan board voted to allow coverage for a year, citing projected federal regulatory changes.

The board vote took place three weeks before Folwell began his first term as treasurer on Jan. 1, 2017.

The Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund Inc. and Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund filed suit in March 2019.

Folwell said he requested Attorney General Josh Stein represent both the state health plan and the UNC System in the lawsuit. Stein chose to represent the UNC System, which eventually settled for an undisclosed amount.

Judge's order

Biggs determined the state health plans refusal to cover medical care related to gender transition "discriminates based on sex and transgender status in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution and discriminates because of sex in violation of Title VII" of the federal Civil Rights Act.

"Defendants are  ordered to reinstate coverage for 'medically necessary services' for the treatment of gender dysphoria. The issue of damages is reserved for trial," she wrote.

Folwell said that "Ive always said that if the legislature or the courts tell me we have to provide for sex transition operations and treatments, I would.

N.C. State University professor Julia McKeown, one of the plaintiffs in the 2019 lawsuit, said in a June 10 news release from Lambda Legal that "after years of fighting for fair treatment, finally having a court decide that these health-care exclusions are wrong is vindicating."

"As government employees, all we want is equal access to health care, but we were denied just because we are transgender."

SHP stance

Folwell has said his stance on excluding gender transition care from the state health plan is part of his overall effort "to lower health care costs for those that teach, protect and otherwise serve.

"This case has always been about protecting the authority of the board to sustain the plan for current, future and retired members, and nothing else, he said.

The Associated Press reported June 10 that the health plan board, when agreeing to cover the medically necessary services for 2017, estimated the annual cost for such coverage would be several hundred thousand dollars.

Biggs wrote that the plaintiffs' doctors and experts, medical associations and the plan's third-party administrators agreed that such treatments "can be medically necessary to treat gender dysphoria in some cases."

Biggs also wrote that "defendants have not submitted any admissible evidence to refute that these treatments were 'medically necessary,' and it appears both NCSHP and Blue Cross agree that they would have been covered in absence of the exclusion.

"Defendants' belief that gender-affirming care is ineffective and unnecessary is simply not supported by the record."

Tripp Jeffers said his son was covered by the state health plan for most health procedures, but was excluded from coverage for his transition procedures.

"He had to raise thousands of dollars on his own, because the state treated him like he wasn't a real patient," Tripp Jeffers said. "That's unfair."

He said the judge's ruling is "is a victory for families who deal with this discrimination on a daily basis."

"Dale Folwell defends this discriminatory practice as a so-called cost-saving measure, but that doesn't explain why educators and other state employees have had to pay premiums under his tenure for health insurance that was provided for free to employees prior to his election," Tripp Jeffers said.

Tripp Jeffers began work in June for the N.C. Association of Educators as a labor-management consultant and says, "The flawed state health care plan is one of many reasons I have left the classroom after 28 years.
" " Delores Huerta in front of a painting of Cesar Chavez at United Farm Workers (UFW) headquarters in Keene, California. Annie Wells/Getty Images

More than 50 years ago, a determined young woman stepped up and created the iconic slogan "Si, se puede!" ("Yes, we can!") that would lift up the voices of the voiceless and change the state of labor in the United States forever. That woman, civil rights activist Dolores Huerta, would go on to co-found the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) with Cesar Chavez.

The NFWA later became the United Farm Workers of America (UFW) and, as vice president of that organization until 1999, Huerta helped launch the first farmworkers strike in the country, which kickstarted the fight for union rights and labor organizing in the agricultural sector in the U.S. and changed the lives of farmworkers forever.

"In my opinion, she is one of the most important American civil rights and labor rights leaders in the second half of the 20th century and into the new millennium," says Mario Garcia, author of "A Dolores Huerta Reader," in an email interview.

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Early Life and Family History

Huerta was born April 10, 1930, in the town of Dawson, New Mexico. She was one of three children born to activist parents. Her father was a miner, farmworker and union leader who later went into state politics.

"Her parents, Alicia Chavez and Juan Fernandez, were early role models of activism," says Monica Brown, author of "Side by Side: The Story of Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez," in an email interview.

After her parents' divorce, Huerta moved with her mother to Stockton, California, where they lived in a diverse community of Mexican, Filipino and Japanese Americans. According to the book "Dolores Huerta: Get to Know the Voice of Migrant Workers," Huerta was a talkative, inquisitive young girl, and her grandfather nicknamed her "Siete Lenguas," Spanish for "Seven Tongues."

" " Dolores Huerta speaks on stage during a United Farm Workers (UFW) rally in California in 1975. Cathy Murphy/Getty Images

"When her family moved from New Mexico to Stockton, California, her brothers had to work in the fields, and [Huerta] as a teenager also wanted to join them. However, her mother forbade this because she did not want her daughter to work in the fields," Garcia says. Huerta's mother did permit her daughter to work in industrial packing sheds, but the working conditions there weren't much better than in the field. But what Huerta saw stuck with her.

"I think this early exposure to the harsh working conditions of farmworkers provided a context for Dolores later working to organize these workers to do away with the more exploitative aspects of farm labor," Garcia adds.

After graduating from Stockton High, Huerta married, had two children and began teaching elementary school children, many of whom were the impoverished sons and daughters of farmworkers. Although the marriage did not last long, the teaching had a profound impact on Huerta's desire to improve the lives of farmworkers.

"As a very young woman, Dolores was a teacher, and saw the children of farmworkers come to school with no shoes and hungry  this motivated her to work for change," Brown says.

Sarah Warren wrote the book "Dolores Huerta: A Hero to Migrant Workers." She adds by email that Huerta was driven to do more for the children she planned to serve when she found out how their families were being abused.

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Dolores Huerta, Cesar Chavez and the Delano Grape Strike

At age 25, Huerta became immersed in activism, joining a local activist group run by Fred Ross that advocated on behalf of Mexican Americans. There, Huerta began learning how to become a labor organizer.

"As a young adult she became involved with the Community Service Organization (CSO) which was an organization mobilizing Mexican Americans in civil rights work and voter registration in the 1950s," Garcia says.

At the CSO, Huerta met Cesar Chavez, who would go on to become one of the most widely recognized Mexican American labor leaders in U.S. history. Huerta and Chavez began to work together for improved working conditions and wages for farmworkers, who earned as little as 70 cents an hour at the time.

" " Dolores Huerta and Richard Chavez, labor organizer and brother of UFW co-founder Cesar Chavez, speaking at a meeting at the UFW headquarters in Keene, California, in the mid-1970s. Cathy Murphy/Getty Images

"Cesar recognized Dolores' talents as an organizer plus her own personal strength and so when he began to organize in the fields by 1962, he recruited Dolores to work with him," Garcia says.

Together, Chavez and Huerta founded the National Farmworkers' Association in 1962, which later became the United Farm Workers union. Huerta remained vice president of United Farm Workers until 1999. The two had a complex relationship, according to scholars. From one point of view, they were comrades in the fields, working for better conditions for the most marginalized workers in society.

"As Dolores once told me, they were comrades. They spoke to farmworkers on the backs of flatbed trucks and co-founded the United Farmworkers Union," Brown says.

"Dolores saw herself as equal to Cesar and he accepted this. Cesar didn't always agree with Dolores, but he learned from her," says Garcia. "She was one of the few persons in the union who was not afraid to criticize Cesar, which he appreciated."

Huerta and Chavez became most well-known for organizing the 1965 Delano grape strike and boycott, in which striking Filipino grape farmworkers  led by activists like Larry Itliong and Philip Vera Cruz  sought the help of the emerging National Farm Workers Association, which largely represented Latino workers.

Huerta marched along with Chavez for workers' rights, brought together the Filipino and Latino workers on the picket line, and led a nationwide boycott of nonunion table grapes. In 1970, Huerta and Chavez's steadfast organizing paid off, resulting in union contracts, as well as better wages and working conditions for the grape workers.

"Dolores Huerta played a big role in getting farmworkers to participate in union activities, to boycott grapes and other produce, to picket farms, and become members of the union," says Stacey Sowards, author of "Si, Ella Puede! The Rhetorical Legacy of Dolores Huerta and the United Farm Workers."

" " Ethel Kennedy (right) joins Dolores Huerta (left) in prayer for Cesar Chavez outside the Monterey County jail Dec. 5, 1970. Chavez was in jail for violating a court injunction prohibiting the lettuce boycott of that year. Bettmann/Getty Images

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"Si, Se Puede!"

In 2012, President Barack Obama awarded Huerta the Presidential Medal of Freedom recognizing her, not Chavez, as the original source of the phrase "Si, se puede!" Obama famously appropriated the slogan for his own presidential campaign, but Huerta's rallying cry had been used for years to organize farmworkers and inspire advocacy for other civil rights issues.

"Dolores Huerta first spoke the famous words, "Si, se puede!" while speaking to a group of workers who kept saying "We can't organize the workers here. We can't. No se puede!" Dolores responded, "Si, se puede! Yes, you can!" Brown says.

Huerta became an iconic activist and a source of pride for Mexican Americans and others within the Latinx community. Her organizing helped bring about the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act, which granted amnesty to 1.3 million undocumented workers.

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Legacy and Present-day Activism

Huerta celebrated her 91st birthday in 2021, and remains active on the front lines as a civil rights advocate and labor organizer. She holds media events and hosts TED Talks on how to speak out and become empowered through activism.

"Her legacy today is that she has become a social movement icon," Sowards says. "She has demonstrated how one moves from individual action and concern for community to working with other people on those issues to creating an entire social movement."

Huerta also founded the Dolores Huerta Foundation in 2003. The nonprofit focuses on empowering and training grassroots organizers in lower-income and disenfranchised communities in California, including work on LGBTQIA issues.

" " Dolores Huerta attends the premiere of the film "Dolores" at The Metrograph on August 21, 2017 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Although farmworkers have more collective bargaining opportunities as a result of Huerta's work, they still experience widespread exploitation, harsh working conditions and wage theft. In recent years, Huerta has been vocal in pushing for immigration reform to provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, who constitute a large share of farmworkers in the U.S.

Moreover, Huerta continues to boost the civic power of Latinos, specifically through efforts to turn out the vote. Latino voters played an important role in the 2020 election, turning out in record numbers.

"She has been very active in registering people to vote and getting people to the polls," Sowards says. "Her foundation works to get people more involved beyond voting, such as organizing voters to vote, but also to participate more fully on social justice issues in their communities."

Ultimately, Huerta's legacy endures through the important issues she raised as an activist and community organizer, which continue to resonate today.

"Her legacy of taking on issues of social justice, not only in the fields but in the fight for women's rights, civil rights, voting rights and for world peace, are all part of her legacy," Garcia says.

Now That's Interesting Dolores Huerta's family has been in the U.S. for five generations, and her great-grandfather fought in the Civil War.
Summer is a time for children to explore and discover, create memories, and gain life experience outside the classroom. Unfortunately for many families, summer brings uncertainty, as students experience food insecurity and stay home due to lack of affordable enrichment activities.

With summer in full swing, millions of children across the country who normally rely on school meals lack access to the nutritious foods they need and the learning and enrichment that schools provide. The dairy community can make a positive impact by supporting the USDA Summer Food Service Program.

The free USDA Summer Food Service Program provides children with engaging enrichment activities and nutritious foods, like dairy products, that help them grow, play, and thrive while school is out. While the program is designed to be easy to access, with no eligibility or enrollment paperwork required, there continues to be limited awareness on where to find free summer meals.

This program, along with other federal nutrition assistance programs designed to boost access to nutritious foods, including nutrient-rich dairy, provides a critical safety net for underserved and marginalized communities. This is especially important during childhood, since nutrition and high-quality foods like milk and dairy can positively impact lifelong health. And while access to nutritious foods is important, nutrition education also plays a critical role to ensuring children are supported to grow healthfully and reach their full potential.

Thats why Dairy Council of California offers nutrition education resources  including the newly created Taste and Teach lesson born out of a partnership between Dairy Council of California and California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom  to enrich meal programs.

Dairy farmers already play an important role in elevating health through the production of dairy foods. This good work can be further amplified by also supporting the USDA Summer Food Service Program and efforts to pair nutrition education with access to nutritious foods. Help families connect with local meals through the Summer Site Finder and visit HealthyEating.org/SummerMeals for other ways to advocate for summer meals and nutrition education.

Summertime is just a short season, but access to healthy meals and nutrition education sets children up for lifelong success. Join us as we continue to elevate the health of children and families through the pursuit of lifelong healthy eating habits. To learn more, visit HealthyEating.org/Join.

To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com.

(c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2022

July 11, 2022
Further information has been revealed about the recent Shanghai police data breach that could impact 70 per cent of China's population.

In addition to the underlying vulnerabilities that led to the alleged breach, new sources indicate the data may have been publicly accessible for over a year.

The apparent data breach was initially unconfirmed, with widespread media coverage beginning only after a hacker posted an offering of one billion leaked Chinese citizen records in exchange for 10 Bitcoin (BTC).

While the Chinese government has remained silent on the issue, many journalists and cyber security experts have taken it into their own hands to investigate and substantiate the hackers claims.

Multiple sources, including the ABC and CNN, have confirmed a number of publicly exposed records are factual, revealing both personally identifiable information (PII) as well as specific case details ranging from incidents of petty theft through to domestic violence.

The Australian Federal Police has also investigated 100 leaked records pertaining to Australian citizens, with one case relating to a previous federal MP who phoned Shanghai police after a car-related theft in 2004.

Further investigation suggests that the current sample dataset spans 20 years between 1995 to 2019.

How did the breach happen?

LeakIX, a reputable platform that investigates security misconfigurations in large systems, suggests the breach originates from a misconfigured instance of Kibana.

Kibana is a service related to Elasticsearch databases that the Shanghai police used to manage and administrate data.

According to Alibaba's current documentation for Kibana, the service is not only exposed to public networks by default, but a certain legacy version of the service, which the Shanghai police appeared to be using, does not include authentication features in its base product.

This indicates that the deployment lacked appropriate password and access control measures, ultimately leaving the impacted database open to the public.

LeakIX notes that these blatant security oversights were in effect as early as April 2021.

Given China's reputation for mass surveillance and data hoarding, cyber security experts have speculated that a breach of this nature was unavoidable.

However, there is still substantial disbelief and disappointment in the cyber security community regarding the sheer volume and sensitivity of the data involved.
An artist's impression of the vertical take-off and landing aircraft V-STAR plans to bring to Australia. Source: supplied

V-STAR has plans to bring vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft to Australia for regional travel, aeromedical and search and rescue services and commercial transport.

While not new  VTOL technology has been used in military planes like the Harrier Jump Jet for decades  V-STAR has contracts with overseas commercial operators to introduce aircraft that have the versatility of a helicopter with the range and speed of a traditional fixed-wing aircraft to Australia.

Chief Executive Officer and Founder Tony Laws said the company had options on bringing in a mixed fleet of what is also known as power lift aircraft, including the tilt-rotor AW609 from Italian company Leonardo, which is the first commercially certified aircraft of its type globally.

These new aircraft designs will change the way we approach regional travel and transport in Australia, Laws said.

Anywhere we need to get people and equipment quickly and cheaply is where these aeroplanes come in.

Laws said V-STAR was also in partnership with Swiss company Dufour Aviation, which will give the new venture early access to Dufours next-generation aircraft called the Aero3, a tilt-wing hybrid-electric plane.

Dufour is a world leader in aircraft electric propulsion systems and has applied its hybrid electric power systems to the new aircraft designs.

Laws, a pilot with a background in search and rescue, said the Aero3 was perfect for emergency services in Australia. The plane, which can hold a stretcher and two medics, can land on almost any helipad and is three times cheaper to operate than a fixed-wing plane and 10 times cheaper than a helicopter.

According to Laws, the hybrid-electric propulsion gives the 2800kg aircraft a range of over 1000km and three hours of endurance.

V-STAR has a partnership with Swiss company Dufour Aviation for its Aero3 tilt-wing hybrid-electric plane.

Dufours Chief Commercial Officer Sascha Hardegger said V-STAR Powered Lift Aviation is an Australian player that aspires to bring a unique travel service to regional and metropolitan Australia, utilising the versatility of powered lift aircraft.

We are proud to be one of their chosen key manufacturers with an agreement for our Aero3 in the field of emergency services, Hardegger said.

V-STAR is also looking at the TriFan 600, being developed by XTI Aircraft in the United States, which is a tilt ducted plane that is an alternative to light business jets and rescue planes. It has a maximum speed of 600kph and a range of 500km, far outdoing any helicopter.

Transport services with planes like the TriFan 600 would mean V-STAR could offer 45minute flights from Adelaide to Pt Lincoln for just $85, Laws said.

The TriFan 600 is a tilt ducted plane being developed by XTI Aircraft in Denver, Colorado.

Adelaide was picked for the V-STAR headquarters because Laws already has a relationship with helicopter service Helistar Aviation at Adelaide Airport that would help start the pilot training and certification needed to introduce power lift aircraft into Australia and the region.

Laws said they are also in discussions with the Government of South Australia about a trade delegation in 2023 to look at Australian first trials and the possibility of advanced manufacturing based in Adelaide.

South Australias climate, geography and infrastructure make it an ideal location for testing and potential manufacturing, Laws said.

He said the Adelaide headquarters would eventually provide aircraft sales, a world-class training centre, aircraft maintenance and support and the infrastructure, including regional landing pads and ports, needed to operate the aircraft across the country.

This story first appeared in Startup Daily, read the original here.
Building new skills may be among the most important reasons people stay in their jobs, but more than half of respondents to a new survey of upskilling priorities admit they're too busy to actually develop their skills  and a third don't have the budget to do so.

The survey results come from in Pluralsights newly released State of Upskilling Report 2022, an April survey of 760 technologists in the US, Australia, and seven other countries about their skills-development priorities.

The results highlight the paradox facing companies that need to provide training opportunities to win and keep staff, but are also apparently not giving them enough time to undertake that training.

Although the technology workers surveyed were generally self-motivated to learn  91 per cent said they want to improve their tech skills to fulfil personal career goals and just 22 per cent said employers required it  fully 61 per cent of respondents said they were too busy to engage in meaningful learning, up significantly from 41 per cent last year.

In addition, fully a third said they still cant find enough budget for the training they need.

That was up from 29 per cent last year, suggesting that a growing roster of post-pandemic budget priorities is compromising training budgets.

The report also noted that 52 per cent of workers that said they consider leaving their job at least once a month  and cite the lack of professional growth and learning opportunities as a key reason to leave.

Businesses need to double down on skills development, said Pluralsight vice president of workforce development Josephine Lanzarone.

She warned that an ever-widening skills gap, dwindling talent pipeline and intensifying competition for workers meant its no longer possible to hire your way out of todays talent crunch.

Retention is key, she explained, and our research shows that dedicating resources to upskilling and reskilling your current employees plays a critical role in keeping talent engaged.

Neglect to do so, and your employees will look for someone else who will.

Promoting self-driven learning

Many employers are addressing this issue by providing training in non-traditional ways, with just 37 per cent of respondents saying they still use in-person, instructor-led training.

Fully 61 per cent, by contrast, said they tapped online skill development platforms and 43 per cent use virtual instructor-led training  both of which allow learners to develop their skills at their own speed, in their own time.

Virtual learning is about more than just convenience, however.

Respondents said they are generally looking for a low-stakes environment to learn a new skill, the report notes, with learners wanting to feel psychologically safe as they learn in a sandbox/lab type environment without fear of consequences.

Australia lagging behind

Many Australian employers are still failing to meet employees expectations or global benchmarks, with online learning company Coursera recently ranking Australia as the worlds 33rd most well-developed training market.

Australias business, technology, and data science skills were ranked at just 58 per cent, 63 per cent, and 71 per cent of the optimum in the companys new Coursera Global Skills Report 2022, which lauded the technology skills development work of regional neighbours like Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, and Kazakhstan.

Australia was strongest in data science areas like data analytics and data visualisation, while skills in technology areas like web development, cloud computing, and databases were also strong.

The countrys workforce leaders should continue to prioritise these domains, the analysis recommends, lauding the governments digital skills investment but warning that Australias skills still lag global benchmarks in areas like strategy and operations (with a score of just 19 per cent), mobile development (31 per cent), security engineering (32 per cent), and software engineering (38 per cent).

Noting that Australias economy has low levels of diversification and complexity, the analysis warned, without investing in skills development, Australia risks leaving itself open to global instability Skills training can make Australia a talent destination, not just a source.
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Ruslan Manafzada, an Azerbaijani army serviceman, died of a gunshot wound, Azernews reports, citing the Prosecutor-Generals Office.

The incident took place at around 2300 hours on July 13, the report elaborates.

The military prosecutor's office has launched a criminal case under Article 125 of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code in connection with the death of soldier Manafzada Ruslan Sharif oglu, a full-time active military serviceman of the Azerbaijan army, as a consequence of an assault weapon fire, the ministry said.
Bank of America Corp. has been fined a combined $225 million by federal regulators for violations of law and unsafe or unsound practices occurring in 12 states that includes North Carolina.

The civil money penalties of $125 million by The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and $100 million by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) were disclosed Thursday.

The agencies said the banks fine is related to its administration of a prepaid card program to distribute unemployment insurance and other public benefit payments dating back to 2020.

The bank administered the Unemployment Benefits Prepaid Card Program on behalf of 12 states: Arizona, California, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, Nevada and South Carolina. Only California remains a participant in the program.

Bank of America was ordered to provide remediation to customers whose access to unemployment benefits was denied or delayed. The CFPB said the remediation is estimated to result in hundreds of millions of dollars.

The CFPB said in a statement its $100 million fine was for botching the disbursement of state unemployment benefits at the height of the pandemic.

Bank of America automatically and unlawfully froze peoples accounts with a faulty fraud detection program, and then gave them little recourse when there was, in fact, no fraud.

CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said in a statement that taxpayers relied on banks to distribute needed funds to families and small businesses to rescue the economy from collapse when the pandemic hit.

Bank of America failed to live up to its legal obligations. And when it got overwhelmed, instead of stepping up, it stepped back.

Bank of America was fined $10 million by the CFPB in May over unlawful garnishments. In 2014, the CFPB ordered Bank of America to pay $727 million in redress to its victims for illegal credit card practices.

OCC actions

The OCC determined that the banks practices violated Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, which prohibits unfair or deceptive acts or practices, in connection with the banks failure to adequately investigate and resolve consumer claims of unauthorized transactions.

The OCC also found other deficiencies in the banks administration of the program, including in operational processes, risk management and internal controls.

The OCCs $125 million penalty will be paid to the U.S. Treasury.

The OCC said customer remediation will involve compensation for the financial harm suffered due to a loss of access to unemployment funds caused by, among other things, failing to timely reimburse consumers for unauthorized transactions and wrongfully freezing or blocking prepaid card accounts.

The order also requires the bank to take comprehensive corrective action to improve its risk management and oversight over the program.

The bank failed these prepaid cardholders by denying them access to their mandated unemployment funds during the height of the pandemic, and leaving these vulnerable consumers without an effective way to remedy the situation, acting OCC comptroller Michael Hsu said in a statement.

Banks must pay attention to the financial health of their customers and conduct their activities in accordance with all consumer protection laws.

When they dont, we will act accordingly.

Bank of America response

Bank of America said in a statement the bank was hired by the 12 states to administer unemployment payments, with the states responsible for reviewing and approving applications and directing us to issue payments.

This action arose despite the governments own acknowledgement that the unemployment program expansion during the pandemic created unprecedented criminal activity, where illegal applicants were able to get states to approve tens of billions of dollars in payments.

Bank of America partnered with our state clients to identify and fight fraud throughout the pandemic.

The bank cited as an example efforts with California to identify hundreds of thousands of suspicious cards and assisted the state in protecting billions of dollars.

Bank of Americas support to the states enabled the government to successfully issue more than $250 billion in pandemic unemployment benefits to more than 14 million people and overall distributed more pandemic relief to Americans than any other bank, the bank said.

OCC Wells Fargo enforcements

Bank of America is not alone among national banks receiving a nine-figure civil penalty from the OCC.

In September, Wells Fargo & Co. was handed a $250 million fine by the agency based on the banks unsafe or unsound practices related to deficiencies in its home lending loss mitigation program and violations of the 2018 compliance consent order.

Wells Fargo has not met the requirements of the OCCs 2018 action against the bank. This is unacceptable, Hsu said at that time.

Counting the latest civil penalty, Wells Fargo has agreed to pay more than $7.25 billion to settle various regulatory and legal disputes since the fall of 2016 when its fraudulent customer account scandal erupted to the surface.

Charlie Scharf, Wells Fargos chief executive, said in response to the OCC fine that building an appropriate risk and control infrastructure has been and remains Wells Fargos top priority.

The OCCs actions today point to work we must continue to do to address significant, longstanding deficiencies.

Bowman Gray IV, a local independent stockbroker, said that Wells Fargos constant failures in doing the right thing merit more significant fines.

While certainly not a shining example of showing a corporate conscience, Bank of America has not consistently stepped in it like Wells Fargo.

However, Gray said Bank of Americas actions are more egregious is that the people harmed could not afford to be denied access to their unemployment benefits.

In either case, these massive banking institutions seem to see the potential for a new profit center without spending sufficient time considering what might go wrong and who might get hurt.

These fines must be meaningful to impact and hopefully discourage other bad actors.
The N.C. State Health Plan has appealed a federal judge's order that resumed payments for medical treatments, including hormone therapy and surgeries, for transgender individuals.

Judge Loretta Biggs of the Middle District of N.C. ruled June 10 in favor of plaintiffs who included several transgender people or their parents. Biggs' order required the states health plan to resume coverage that day.

The appeal was filed Tuesday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. State Treasurer Dale Folwell, who oversees the state health plan, is a defendant in the case.

The plan insures more than 750,000 teachers, state employees, the governor, current and former legislators, state university and community college personnel and their dependents, and non-Medicare retirees and their dependents. It is the largest buyer of medical and pharmaceutical services in North Carolina.

Folwell said the state health plans board announced Wednesday that it would no longer exclude treatments connected with sex transition or modifications.

Folwell and the health plan board claim Biggs' order "deprived the Plan of the benefit of a jury trial, where experts could transparently debate whether sex transition operations are or are not medically necessary."

"We believe the judges order is legally incorrect, Folwell said.

Local beneficiary

Among people potentially affected by the appeal is Stewart Jeffers, who is undergoing gender transition treatments that began in January 2020.

Jeffers, 21, has been covered by the state health plan through his father, Tripp, a former history and philosophy teacher at Parkland High School.

"This is for me to have a better life, and are necessary surgeries and procedures just like any other necessary surgeries and procedures," said Stewart Jeffers, who underwent a gender-affirming procedure on June 20 at a private medical facility.

However, Biggs' order did not affect Jeffers' $8,000 out-of-pocket expense since that bill was due before the June 10 resumption of state health plan coverage for gender transition procedures.

He paid for the procedure with about $5,000 from fundraising efforts and $3,000 in savings.

Stewart expects to benefit from future hormonal treatment procedures that can cost up to $150 per visit. Those treatments started, at once a month, are now every six months and will become once a year around the end of 2022.

He also has been paying for prescriptions out of pocket.

Background

According to a statement from Folwell, the state health plans refusal to cover surgical and hormonal treatments related to the diagnosis of gender dysphoria dates back to the 1990s.

In December 2016, Treasurer Janet Cowell and the health plan board voted to allow coverage for a year, citing projected federal regulatory changes.

The board vote took place three weeks before Folwell began his first term as treasurer on Jan. 1, 2017.

The Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund Inc. and Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund filed suit in March 2019.

Folwell said he requested Attorney General Josh Stein represent both the state health plan and the UNC System in the lawsuit. Stein chose to represent the UNC System, which eventually settled for an undisclosed amount.

Judge's order

Biggs determined the state health plans refusal to cover medical care related to gender transition "discriminates based on sex and transgender status in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution and discriminates because of sex in violation of Title VII" of the federal Civil Rights Act.

"Defendants are  ordered to reinstate coverage for 'medically necessary services' for the treatment of gender dysphoria. The issue of damages is reserved for trial."

Folwell said that "Ive always said that if the legislature or the courts tell me we have to provide for sex transition operations and treatments, I would.

N.C. State University professor Julia McKeown, one of the plaintiffs in the 2019 lawsuit, said in a June 10 news release from Lambda Legal that "after years of fighting for fair treatment, finally having a court decide that these health-care exclusions are wrong is vindicating."

"As government employees, all we want is equal access to health care, but we were denied just because we are transgender."

SHP stance

Folwell has said his stance on excluding gender transition care from the state health plan is part of his overall effort "to lower health care costs for those that teach, protect and otherwise serve.

"This case has always been about protecting the authority of the board to sustain the plan for current, future and retired members, and nothing else, he said.

The Associated Press reported June 10 that the health plan board, when agreeing to cover the medically necessary services for 2017, estimated the annual cost for such coverage would be several hundred thousand dollars.

Biggs wrote that the plaintiffs' doctors and experts, medical associations and the plan's third-party administrators agreed that such treatments "can be medically necessary to treat gender dysphoria in some cases."

Biggs also wrote that "defendants have not submitted any admissible evidence to refute that these treatments were 'medically necessary,' and it appears both NCSHP and Blue Cross agree that they would have been covered in absence of the exclusion.

"Defendants' belief that gender-affirming care is ineffective and unnecessary is simply not supported by the record."

Tripp Jeffers said his son was covered by the state health plan for most health procedures, but was excluded from coverage of his transition procedures.

"He had to raise thousands of dollars on his own, because the state treated him like he wasn't a real patient," Tripp Jeffers said. "That's unfair."

Tripp Jeffers said the judge's ruling is "is a victory for families who deal with this discrimination on a daily basis."

"Dale Folwell defends this discriminatory practice as a so-called cost-saving measure, but that doesn't explain why educators and other state employees have had to pay premiums under his tenure for health insurance that was provided for free to employees prior to his election," Tripp Jeffers said.

Tripp Jeffers began work in June for the N.C. Association of Educators as a labor-management consultant and says, "The flawed state health care plan is one of many reasons I have left the classroom after 28 years.
Imagine, following the Winston Weaver Co. fertilizer plant fire in February, that the Winston-Salem Fire Department sought to raise funds  by raffling off a box of matches and a can of gasoline.

Or, following an accidental drowning at Belews Lake, rescue crews sought to raise funds  by raffling off a plastic swimming pool.

Horrendous, no?

This is the same kind of energy being generated by the Forsyth County Republican Party as it prepares to raffle off guns and ammo, including semiautomatic rifles, as the Journals Wesley Young reported Wednesday. The fund- and awareness-raising scheme follows several highly publicized mass shootings of innocent victims, including children, that have set our country on edge  shootings in which both innocent bystanders with personal firearms and armed police have seemed far less effective than the murderers with their AR-15s. Its a grim offer and, at the very least, insensitive to the recent victims of gun violence, both in our community and in other states. We agree with Lisa Mayo Cockerham, who responded to the raffle by stating online, This is completely tone deaf.

The only people who are upset about gun raffles are people who are hostile to guns and gun owners, raffle organizer and local provocateur Vernon Robinson told the Journal  as if being hostile to deadly weapons was a bad thing. But more generous souls would add the victims of gun violence and the survivors of people murdered by guns to the list of those who might be upset. They bear witness  actual witness, not imagined to make some political point  to the horrors presented by easily obtained firearms, even in the hands of legal owners.

We have to wonder if this isnt just an attempt to stir up a little controversy, be featured on the Journals front page and to, as they say, own the libs. If so: mission accomplished.

But getting a rise out of decent people could have consequences that go far beyond making them delightfully uncomfortable. The winners will be over 18 and pass through a background check  how oppressive  just like many mass shooters. Placing deadly weapons into random hands is simply irresponsible.

It also places deadly weapons in the forefront as a symbol of the local Grand Old Party. That beats a defeated presidential candidate, we suppose, but there are even better symbols the party could use: A barbecue grill. Pancakes. An American flag, made in America. Instead, the party has chosen a divisive, intimidating, frightening and deadly symbol of modern, troubled American life to represent its members. We wont be surprised if some Republicans, especially the more sober public officials, refuse to play along. Local Republican politico Linda Petrou has at least pointed to better issues on which her fellow Republicans could focus, like the economy.

Republicans are not alone in making poor symbolic gestures at times  ask any Democrat  but to choose a tool of murder and sorrow as representative of their party is a mistake. Guns like these have been used recently in Uvalde, Texas; Buffalo, N.Y.; Highland Park, Ill.; and in more than 300 other mass shootings so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Its a tool that, when used as designed, leaves dead people in its wake. Its more likely to elicit visions of dead school children than heroic police officers. The GOP is choosing to be represented by a messenger of death rather than, with the rest of us, mourn the victims of its use.

Its not too late for the party to change course and exhibit a little decency  maybe a diaper raffle? How about a tank of gas?  rather than try to trigger what is an absolutely reasonable response from people who favor a culture of life that requires no weapons to justify itself.
A federal judge will allow most of a lawsuit brought by a Christian student organization against the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to move forward.

Ratio Christi, which started at UNL in 2018 to promote the "historical, scientific, and philosophical reasons to believe Christianity is true," sued the university after it was denied funding to bring a speaker to campus.

All eight members of the NU Board of Regents, as well as several administrators, the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska, and the University Program Council were named in the suit.

According to the complaint, filed in October 2021 in U.S. District Court, Ratio Christi sought $1,500 to bring Robert Audi, a former UNL faculty member who now teaches at the University of Notre Dame, to campus in April.

The University Program Council, which distributes more than $270,000 in funds collected from student fees, denied the request, telling Ratio Christi the Event Fund could not be used to finance "political campaigns, or speakers of a political or ideological nature."

Instead, the council recommended Ratio Christi add a speaker to promote a countering viewpoint, which the student group said it did not want to do.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge John Gerrard said while the denial of funding spurred the lawsuit, the claims in Ratio Christi's complaint "sweep far more broadly, posing a broadside attack on the entire funding scheme" for speakers at UNL.

Along with imposing restrictions on student groups to not host speakers who deliver ideological or political perspectives, or also invite speakers to provide another viewpoint, Ratio Christi alleged UNL invited speakers who promote certain ideologies without hosting opposing views.

Gerrard said Ratio Christi's argument that UNL's mandatory student fee allocation system violated the constitutional rights of the group's members was "not well developed and somewhat difficult to follow," but that he would allow it to proceed because the university did not provide adequate reason to dismiss it.

"And quite possibly, the confusion surrounding this claim may even further the plaintiff's argument to the extent it demonstrates that the university's student fee allocation system seems to be riddled with differing policies whose applications are unclear," Gerrard wrote in the order.

While UNL's policy for campus speakers allows for organizations to pay political and ideological speakers to come to campus, Gerrard said, student organizations cannot receive funds under an Event Fund policy if the speakers they wish to invite are political or ideological speech.

"While there very well may be a clear system for disbursing student fees and lawful explanations for the differing standards and policies presented in the record, that cannot be determined at this stage from the facts and arguments before the Court," Gerrard said.

The order, which paves the way for the case to proceed toward trial, granted the university's motion to dismiss claims for damages against the individuals named in the lawsuit.

Gerrard said that to the extent that any regent or administrator had personal involvement in the decision to deny funding, they would be entitled to qualified immunity.

The plaintiffs are entitled to seek compensatory damages against the individual defendants, however, including for the reimbursement of student activity fees.
People struggling with feelings of desperation or thoughts of suicide will soon have an easy-to-remember number to call for help.

State officials announced Wednesday that the new number (9-8-8) is being rolled out Saturday as a way to call, chat or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at any hour.

Sheri Dawson, the behavioral health director for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, described the three-digit number as akin to calling the familiar 9-1-1 for a heart attack or other physical emergency.

But instead of getting an ambulance and emergency medical technicians, people calling the new number will reach trained crisis counselors who can help them through an immediate situation and make connections for follow-up care. In some cases, care may include a response from one of the state's existing mobile crisis response teams.

"What it really does is provide us the opportunity for hope and connections, someone to call and ultimately save lives of Nebraskans," Dawson said.

Gov. Pete Ricketts said that 9-8-8 calls from within Nebraska will be handled by staff at Boys Town, which has handled calls to the existing suicide hotline since 2005. That line, 1-800-273-TALK (8255), will remain active for people who may not have the new number.

Boys Town also handles the Nebraska Family Helpline, 888-866-8660, which was set up to help troubled parents and children.

Ricketts hailed the new hotline option, pointing out that suicide is a national public health issue. He encouraged friends and family members to call the hotline if they have concerns about people they love.

"This is really a tremendous program that we'll have," the governor said.

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide was the 10th-leading cause of death in 2019 and 12th in 2020, when COVID-19 deaths claimed the third spot. Suicide was the second-leading cause of death for youth ages 10-14 and 25-34 in 2020.

Kyle Kinney, program manager at Boys Town, said the organization answered 8,777 Nebraska calls made to the existing suicide lifeline in 2021. Of those, staff was able to handle 97% without calling in outside emergency responders.

He said the number of calls has gone up this year, which tracks with other reports about increasing mental health struggles nationally. Calls were up 16% for the first three months of the year, compared with 2021.

The suicide hotline in Nebraska, as well as the Nebraska Family Helpline, get most of their support from the state. Dawson said the HHS behavioral health division budget includes $4.7 million for the two. A federal grant provides another $640,000.
Rusted chemical barrels and other debris still litter the shell of the burned-out Nox-Crete warehouse in central Omaha, weeks after a three-alarm fire.

Cleanup of the site has been delayed by an insurance-related investigation of the fire, according to documents filed with state environmental regulators.

The fiery blaze sent black smoke and noxious fumes roiling across central Omaha on May 30, prompting a voluntary evacuation of some of the nearby neighborhoods. After the fire, milky white and bluish runoff could be seen flowing from the site, those documents indicate.

State documents indicate that a July 26 meeting on the private investigation could clear the way for cleanup  assuming Nox-Crete has a plan ready to go.

As of Tuesday midafternoon, the company had not filed a cleanup plan with the state.

Owen Lasswell, spokesman for the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy, said state environmental regulations require that Nox-Crete clean up the site, and the state has been in communication with the company toward that end.

The department advised Nox-Crete in a July 7 phone call that cleanup should occur as soon as possible, according to documents on the agencys website.

Additionally, on June 23, the state advised the company to figure out what remained on-site so that it would have a cleanup plan ready for when the insurance review is complete.

Nox-Crete did not respond to a World-Herald request for information, so neither the status of the insurance investigation nor the cleanup plan was available.

The Omaha Fire Department completed its physical investigation of the fire on June 2 and turned the property over to Nox-Crete at that time, said Battalion Chief Scott Fitzpatrick. A cause of the fire could not be determined, he said.

Fitzpatrick said it is standard practice for an insurance company to hire a private company to investigate the fire.

On the civil side, there may be several entities that need to be put on notice and given access to examine the site, he said. There is always potential for large, complicated civil litigation in these types of cases.

The importance of an expeditious cleanup was made clear on June 14, when nearly 2 inches of rain fell in Omaha. Runoff overwhelmed the berm that Nox-Crete had installed, allowing contaminated water to escape the premises, according to documents on file with the state. The warehouse is located near 20th Street and Woolworth Avenue.

Samples of the runoff, which was described as foul-smelling and a translucent milky color, were tested by Nox-Crete and Midwest Laboratories on behalf of the company. While its not clear how expansive the testing was, Midwest Laboratories found that the runoff contained petroleum products.

Nox-Crete has since shored up the berm with landscape fabric and rock, according to state documents.

Jim Theiler, assistant director of Omaha Public Works, said the city is satisfied with Nox-Cretes updated storm runoff plan.

In addition to the berm, he said Nox-Crete has laid an absorbent sock on the ground (a long roll of absorbent) to filter oils and other petroleum-based products from runoff.

The runoff ... has passed through a containment system that helps trap and remove the pollutants before it leaves the site, he said.

The city has concluded that Omahas sewer treatment plant can process runoff that is entering Omahas sewers, Theiler said.

That conclusion, he said, is based on the fact that the city has a better understanding of what was stored in the warehouse, the city was able to provide input into Nox-Cretes storm runoff plan and Nox-Crete has washed down the site, collecting water from cleanup in containers.

Washing down the site helped remove some of the contaminants from what was running off into the system, he said.

According to documents on file with the state, Nox-Crete has said the bluish and whitish tint to past runoff is from the pigment and resin used to seal the edges of plywood.

The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy is in charge of monitoring the Nox-Crete site for problems; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has said it has no role, unless its help is requested by the state.

According to state documents, Nox-Crete has hired the Paul Davis company to oversee the cleanup, and it, in turn, has subcontracted with Peitzmeier Demolition to clean up the burned-out warehouse and B2Environmental to do environmental work. B2Environmental has begun sampling waste inside the warehouse to inform the disposal plan, according to state documents.

Its not clear whether Nox-Crete has submitted its cleanup plan to the state; a plan is not included among the documents publicly available.

Once cleanup of the warehouse is complete, Nox-Crete will test surrounding property for contamination to determine if further cleanup is needed. That said, testing conducted June 1-3 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found no actionable amounts of contaminants on property near the site, with one exception. A yard tested high for lead and that contamination is believed to be due to historical industrial processes in the area.

Characterizing the nature of the materials contained within the burn scar is important because Nox-Crete will have to take it to the proper type of landfill. Uncontaminated building materials can be taken to a construction landfill while contaminated materials may have to be taken to a hazardous waste landfill.
Newly elected Republican State Chairman Eric Underwood said Thursday the party's new leadership will focus on "getting conservative Republicans elected statewide" during a rollout event attended by former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry and Lt. Gov. Mike Foley.

Underwood, of Lincoln, said he is centered on "moving this party forward" with an opportunity for "the people (to) have a voice when they didn't before."

Now, he said, "the people will be in charge of the Republican Party."

Underwood was elected chairman at a party convention in Kearney on Saturday that removed Dan Welch of Omaha as party chairman and, in the process, wrested the party away from the control of Gov. Pete Ricketts.

Responding to a question as to whether he is concerned that the governor may now remove his substantial funding support for the state party, Underwood said he "hopes that (Ricketts) chooses to continue to finance the same goals" of electing Republicans.

Underwood said the party under its new leadership will support gubernatorial nominee Jim Pillen and the other Republican nominees chosen at the May 10 primary election.

And, he said, it will prepare a legislative plan that focuses on fiscal responsibility, agriculture, limited government, education and "election accountability and voter verification."

Current party rules provide for creation of a plan to elect legislators by September.

"Stay engaged, stay empowered," he urged a crowd of supporters who attended the event at GOP state headquarters in Lincoln.

Underwood, who was previously elected as Lancaster County GOP chairman, is general manager of Rodizio Grill, a restaurant in Lincoln's Historic Haymarket.

The tone of Underwood's remarks at the event was conciliatory as he attempts to build a unified Republican campaign effort this year.

However, in an earlier interview published online by the Nebraska Examiner, Underwood signaled what "could mean more Republican challengers in GOP primary races with incumbent Republicans" in the future, Aaron Sanderford wrote.

The appearance of Fortenberry and Foley at Thursday's event was significant.

Fortenberry, who resigned from his House seat following his conviction on charges of lying to federal officials about an illegal foreign contribution to his 2016 reelection campaign, was abandoned by Ricketts prior to his conviction and while he was an announced candidate for reelection.

Ricketts endorsed Sen. Mike Flood of Norfolk, who was subsequently elected to the 1st District House seat.

Foley endorsed Charles Herbster of Falls City in the gubernatorial primary campaign while Ricketts supported Pillen, prompting the governor to say the lieutenant governor showed poor judgment.

In brief remarks, Foley said the mission now is to elect Republicans.

Fortenberry, who attended the event with his wife, Celeste, did not speak.

Underwood said he is all about "moving this party forward, protecting our future and moving this state forward."

That, he said, is "100% my goal."

The change engineered in Kearney represented "democracy at work," he said, resulting in "a new value structure, a new culture."

Now should come "a healing process," he said.
By Trend

A fire broke out in Azerbaijans liberated Zangilan district, Azerbaijani Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) told Trend.

According to MES, its State Fire Protection Service immediately arrived at the scene of the incident on the basis of information received by MES about the fire in the village of Razdara in the Zangilan district.

It was found that dry grass, bushes were on fire when assessing the operational situation at the scene of the incident. The fire was localized.

Fire-fighting activities are continuing and State Fire Protection Service of MES, State Border Service and Ministry of Internal Affairs are also involved.
CALEDONIA  The village is continuing to move to fill empty land with new high-end housing along and near the lakefront.

The Caledonia Village Board at its meeting Monday unanimously approved a development agreement with Sussex-based Cornerstone Development of Southeast Wisconsin, LLC for parcels located in Tax Incremental District No. 5, west of Waters Edge Road/Erie Street.

These properties were formerly a doctors office and the Western Publishing Company parking lot. The development totals 18.5 acres and is to be named The Glen at Waters Edge.

This development is across the street from the Waters Edge Condominium development, which was approved in September 2020 to be located at addresses including 5915, 5919 and 5945 Waters Edge Road.

At the Monday meeting, the Village Board approved a revised development agreement to shrink the planned buildings.

The Glen at Waters Edge

Cornerstone Development proposed to construct 30 single-family homes with an estimated completion value of $15 million.

The Village of Caledonia created TID No. 5 as a rehabilitation-conservation district. This project adheres to that plan by providing a five-acre park in the TID No. 5 boundary and extends Five Mile Road from Waters Edge Road to the current endpoint of Five Mile Road near N. Pointe Drive, providing improved vehicular circulation and access, village plans say.

The 30 homes will range from approximately 1,600 to 2,600 square feet, not including lower levels. The average lot size is estimated to be 12,000 square feet.

The five-acre park is to be located near the central part of The Glen at Waters Edge development along with a walking trail. The park will contain a pond and Cornerstone Development is additionally planning a fountain there.

Were really excited about this because its going to be a nice place to grow a new neighborhood and we think we have a plan that would work well, said John Wahlen, owner of Cornerstone Development. He noted people often ask about walking paths and access to nature; its important.

Wahlen estimated the homes would sell for around $400,000-$500,000.

Were offering granite and quartz counters, and Kohler fixtures and great trim, Wahlen said.

Wahlen said hes hoping that by the end of this year, his company is rolling on infrastructure so construction can begin by the spring. The homes should be fully completed by 2024 or 2025, he said.

I just am excited for some high-end homes here in Caledonia, that offer beautiful landscaping close to the big body of water we call Lake Michigan, Trustee Holly McManus said. But Im excited for you guys to be in the village and offer some kind of competition to our neighboring jurisdictions to say, hey, come live here. Were just as good as everywhere else, if not better.

Waters Edge Condominiums

The original plans were to create a 280-unit residential complex for the Waters Edge Condominiums.

The developer now intends to construct approximately 178 units, with an estimated development cost of at least $60 million. The Village Board unanimously approved this change in plan.

Original plans also stated the units were meant to be condominiums, but if they werent sold, they could be rented as apartments. The new plans state the units are only to be sold as condominiums and townhomes.

These buildings are to be located on 20.1 acres at the former Olympia Brown School/R.E.A.L. School and former Western Publishing Co. Creative Center, now owned by the Village of Caledonia. The latter has been vacant since the mid-1990s.

The project is led by West Allis-based Cardinal Capital Management Inc., under the limited liability company CCM-Caledonia. Construction has already begun, and the projected end date for the entire project is 2027.

The village supported the changes because it acknowledged that diversity of housing types is needed and, in particular, that there is a shortage of housing choices in the village and surrounding communities, village plans say. The village desired to expand its housing stock, including residential housing with a density of about 10 units per acre, within the district and upon the property.

The Racine County Economic Development Corporation retained Ehlers, Inc.; The Lakota Group; Market and Feasibility Advisors; and Foth Companies to undertake a Racine County Development Study which recommended that the demands for supplier facilities, housing for temporary and permanent workforce and infrastructure demands to support  private investment may require financial commitments from local governments and that tax incremental financing is an important financial tool to make such projects financially feasible.

The village finds that the development of the project are in the vital and best interests of the village and its residents and will serve a public purpose in accordance with state and local law, plans state.

Jack Reichl, CCM-Caledonia construction project manager, said he has been helping remove asbestos from the existing buildings, knocking them down and working on bluff stabilization throughout the past year.

Im now excited to be moving forward with new construction soon, Reichl said. Were very excited with what Rinka (the architects) has come up with in a short amount of time after they saw the market study.

Two-story townhomes are to be perched at the north east corner of the site. A conservancy area is slated for the center of the development. West of the conservancy, there are additional townhomes on the right side of the roadway. The villas along Waters Edge Road are fourplexes. Most units will have two bedrooms, but there will be one-bedroom and three-bedroom units as well.

In past designs, there wasnt enough parking. So, with the new plans, each unit has two parking stalls, Reichl said.

Resident Jane Batten, who lives on Waters Edge Road, said the original plan made the neighborhood a little nervous.

I just want to commend you on working through a better plan and a plan that is better suited to where we see our neighborhood going, Batten said, addressing the Village Board. We always have an opinion  I just want to tell you that were happy that you have kept us in the loop and hopefully you continue with this. Good plan.
Wisconsin reported more than 2,000 new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday, the highest daily total since June 2, as health officials expressed concern about highly transmissible new versions of the omicron variant.

Meanwhile, Dane County reported its second case of monkeypox, the third in Wisconsin in a multination outbreak that reached the U.S. in the spring.

With Wisconsins 2,006 new COVID-19 cases, the state had a daily average of 1,584 cases, the highest since June 10, according to the state Department of Health Services. As of Wednesday, 427 people in the state were hospitalized with COVID-19, matching the figure from Friday, which was the highest since March 5, according to the Wisconsin Hospital Association.

Florence County, in northern Wisconsin bordering Michigans Upper Peninsula, has a high COVID-19 community level, meaning people should wear face masks indoors, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Fifteen Wisconsin counties have medium levels, which means people at high risk should talk to their doctors about wearing masks.

The majority of the state, including Racine and Kenosha counties, has a low COVID-19 community level, according to the CDC. The last time more than one COVID-19 case was confirmed in a single day in Racine County was June 1, and only two new cases were confirmed that day. DHS confirmed no new cases in Racine County from June 30-July 12.

As people get tested for COVID-19 less at labs and turn more to home tests, for which results typically are not publicly reported, health officials are looking at wastewater to monitor virus trends.

Coronavirus levels in sewage systems are up recently in Ashland, Brookfield, Kenosha, La Crosse, Monroe, Portage, Viroqua and Watertown. There has not been a spike within the Racine Wastewater Utility since early June.

With the new omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5 accounting for most coronavirus spread in the U.S., health officials this week urged people who havent received booster shots to get them. Currently, many Americans are undervaccinated, meaning they are not up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines, said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, CDC director.

According to DHS, 61.4% of Wisconsin residents and 59% of Racine County residents are fully vaccinated, while 32.3% of Racine County residents and 35% of Wisconsin residents have received at least one booster dose.

Another new omicron variant, known as BA.2.75, is raising concern in India and the U.S., the Associated Press reported.

Monkeypox

Monkeypox, a different type of viral illness, does not spread easily from person to person and has a relatively low risk of widespread transmission, health officials say.

Most people with monkeypox report close, sustained contact with others who have the infection. Many of those affected are men who have sex with men, but anyone who has been in close contact with someone who has monkeypox can get the illness, the CDC says.

People with monkeypox typically develop a characteristic skin rash or lesions. Additional symptoms such as fever, chills and swollen lymph nodes can also occur.
CHILTON  A judge on Wednesday dismissed a charge against a Wisconsin man accused of hiding the corpse of a man he was convicted of killing in the early 1980s.

John Andrews, of Chilton, pleaded guilty in 1994 to homicide by negligent use of a motor vehicle in the death of 67-year-old Starkie Swenson, who went missing in 1983. Prosecutors said Swenson and Andrews were involved in a love triangle and that Andrews ran over Swenson. Andrews was sentenced to two years in prison.

Swenson's body was found last September by two people hiking in High Cliff State Park. Since Andrews failed to disclose to police in a June 2021 interview where the remains were, prosecutors charged him with hiding a corpse.

However, Judge Carey Reed said Wednesday that the statue requires that someone hid a corpse in order to evade prosecution or to gain benefits. Reed said those terms are not met in this case, WLUK reported.

The judge did leave the door open for prosecutors to file a charge of obstruction of law enforcement.
1. Yes. The new high school has made it a must. Thousands of people are impacted..

2. Yes. Even if it means revising some budgets, these entities must move on the project.

3. No. Its been known for years that the road was a problem.. Why the urgency now?

4. No. If prioritizing the road means more taxes, forget it. The project will just have to wait.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say until school has been in session for a few months.

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By Trend

The philosophy of Azerbaijans social policy is to direct economic growth to improve the populations welfare, Trend reports.

In recent years, when the financial crisis and COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated social problems in numerous countries, Azerbaijan continued the implementation of social projects and economic reforms. The country has made considerable efforts to improve the social conditions of war veterans and families of martyrs right after the historic victory achieved in the 44-day second Karabakh war.

Thus, following the Presidential Decree, the YASHAT Foundation was established on December 8, 2020 to address the problems of the second Karabakh war participants. Its possible to apply to the Foundation by calling the short number 8110 or through the official website yashat.gov.az.

The foundation budget is financed by voluntary contributions, and the donations constituted 73.78 million manat ($43.4 million) until June 23, 2022.

The YASHAT Foundation has held meetings with 17,015 citizens, including family members of 2,927 martyrs, as well as 5,650 veterans, to review their needs and requirements. A total of 27,232 appeals of 12,652 citizens have been accepted, and 22,454 payments have been implemented thus far.
KEARNEY  The Buffalo County Planning Commission is preparing a new comprehensive plan for the rural, unincorporated areas of Buffalo County.

The plan will include demographic and economic statistical analysis, as well as initiatives for both land development and preservation in rural Buffalo County. The planning process also will include a review of existing zoning and subdivision regulations for the county.

The Buffalo County Planning Commission is being assisted by Hanna: Keelan Associates, P.C., a Lincoln-based community planning and research consulting firm.

The citizens of Buffalo County are invited and encouraged to participate in a public hearing with the County Planning and Zoning Commission to discuss and comment on the results of the countywide opinion survey and draft of county-wide land use preservation and development initiatives.

The public hearing will be 5:30 p.m. Thursday in the board of commissioners meeting room in the Buffalo County Courthouse, 1512 Central Ave.

Questions or comments regarding the public hearing can be directed to Dennise Daniels, Buffalo County zoning and floodplain administrator, at 308-236-1998 or ddaniels@buffalocounty.ne.gov.
KEARNEY  Nonpartisan Nebraska will host a community meeting in the South Platte Room of the Kearney Public Library at 3 p.m. July 30.

The event will feature a presentation by Nathan Leach of Kearney on the urgent need for citizens to organize in defense of Nebraskas historic nonpartisan unicameral state Legislature.

Nebraska has enjoyed the benefits of a one-house nonpartisan Legislature (the only in the United States) since 1937. But now partisan lawmakers have indicated a plan to repeal key historic provisions in the Legislatures rules that keep the process free of formal party control such as the use of a ballot vote to elect leaders in the body, said Leach.

Not only would this change make Nebraskas legislative body more like Congress, it also would make it harder for individual lawmakers to represent and act in the best interest of their constituents. It would centralize power in the hands of the few in Lincoln and Omaha and away from the heart of Nebraska, Leach said.

The July 30 event is free and open to the public, and those wishing to participate can RSVP online at npnebraska.org/upcoming-events. Online participation is available.

Nonpartisan Nebraska is nonprofit dedicated to keeping the Nebraska Legislature nonpartisan.
KEARNEY  Jessie Daake is both excited and apprehensive these days.

Shes never lived outside of Kearney. Shes never lived on her own. Shes never had a full-time job. All that will change in late July when she heads to the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colo., to become a FOCUS missionary for two years.

FOCUS, or the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, sends missionaries who are college graduates to work with students on college campuses.

Daake is nonplussed by the nuts and bolts of this assignment. She will share a four-bedroom house with three female FOCUS missionaries. She must raise her own $48,000 salary because she is not permitted to hold an outside job. That way, she will be available at all times to students and their busy schedules.

Daake, a May graduate of the University of Nebraska at Kearney and a 2018 graduate of Kearney Catholic High School, wi ll be following in the footsteps of the two missionaries who founded the FOCUS program in 1998.

We put all our efforts on the college campus because the university is the most strategic place to transform the world, the FOCUS website says.

Daake understands that. Everyone has a desire in their heart that can only be filled by God, she said.

Her personal spiritual journey began in the fall of 2021.

The daughter of Lynda and Scott Daake and a member of Prince of Peace Catholic Church, Daake compiled an exhaustive list of noteworthy activities at UNK: cheerleader, a member of both Alpha Omicron Pi sorority and the Order of Omega Greek honorary society, a Chancellors Ambassador and more. But her life took a curious twist last fall when she attended a Bible study led by Megan Krueger, a FOCUS missionary at UNK.

There was strength in our small but mighty group, Daake said. Megan also took time to invest in me outside of this group by having coffee with me and inviting me to events at the Newman Center. The Newman Center provides social and spiritual support for Roman Catholic students on campus.

Daake said shed always led a very much divided lifestyle with spiritual and academic/pragmatic sides. Late last fall, those two sides collided at a Gospel presentation when she encountered the question, Where is God in your life? Is He at the center, or is something else at the center, and hes on the side?

I had kept saying, I am the center of my life, but when the time is right, I will put God in the center, she said. But Megan kept giving me little ways I could pursue the Lord. I wasnt ready for that, but Im a people person, and I decided to make the surrender to Christ because I didnt want to let Megan down.

The evening after that Gospel presentation, she surrendered her life to Christ, but afterwards, I felt uncomfortable. I wondered, What did I just do? she said.

Instead of going back to her dorm, she went to the Newman Center chapel and prayed. She told God that He had made it clear that she couldnt make it on her own. I laid everything at his feet and just laid back into His arms. I had a moment of realization that I needed to surrender my life to the Lord, she said.

She headed back to her dorm. That night, as she laid in bed, I had a true joy in my heart that I hadnt felt in so long. I realized I needed to let Him in, she said.

Shortly after that, Krueger encouraged Daake to apply for FOCUS. Daake did, but she was rejected. She was stunned and confused.

That was hard, she said. I told God, I thought this is what you wanted. What is going on? She got an internal message back: Jessie, you are not ready. This is so new to you.

He said, Take a bigger step back. I needed to surrender even more and make God the center of my life in all things. He was giving me more time to do that, she did.

In January, she re-applied for FOCUS. This time, she was accepted. This spring, she began attending daily Mass at the Newman Center. Her prayer life picked up, too. She led a Bible study for a small group of her Alpha Omicron Pi sisters.

That was so, so good. I could see the love and desire in these girls hearts. They just needed guidance. I loved hearing their questions, she said.

Her initial FOCUS commitment is for two years. She can extend that to three years if she chooses. Then, she expects to launch a career in foundation work in the healthcare field. She earned her degree at UNK with a business administration major and a minor in health care management.

FOCUS assigned her to Golden based on her personality and leadership, among other qualities. Daake, who has three brothers and no sisters, joked that shes been preparing for CSM my whole life. She had her first FOCUS training this summer in Bismarck, N.D.

In Golden, she will work with five other FOCUS missionaries. With her extensive sorority experience at UNK, she expects to reach out to sorority women at the predominantly male campus. She organized her sororitys Strike Out Bowling event in March 2020 to benefit the Arthritis Foundation. She also led the AOPi Sisters for Soldiers project, assembling 451 care packages for service members here and overseas.

With that experience, she feels confident about raising the $4,000 a month shell require for her own salary for the next two years. The friendly, outgoing, energetic Daake hopes to develop relationships with the people who support her financially. This will also help develop the relationship side of my future career, she said.

I feel so blessed to have this opportunity. I could have turned away from FOCUS when I was first rejected, but what better career is there than to share the love of Jesus for others, and to work for organization that invests in me as well?

end line maryjane.skala@kearneyhub.com
CHICAGO  University of Nebraska at Kearney students won a school-record 14 awards at the Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda National Leadership Conference.

Nine UNK students attended the conference, and seven placed inside the top 10 in at least one event. With 14 total awards, the UNK chapter earned more national placings than any other Nebraska school.

UNK also received a Gold Seal Award of Merit, which recognizes chapters that have actively participated in projects and programs identified with the goals of FBLA-PBL.

Hosted June 24-27 in Chicago, the annual conference allows FBLA and PBL members from colleges and universities across the country to network, attend leadership workshops and compete in events testing their business knowledge and skills.

The top 10 performers in each event were recognized June 27 during the Awards of Excellence Ceremony.

Students attending the conference were Courtney Cox of Alliance, Olivia Lawless of Aurora, Sydney Atkinson of Butte, Maddie Getz of Kearney, Omar Sanchez of Lexington, Joseph Hiatt of Spencer, Cody Swinarski of St. Paul, Megan Wallman of Syracuse and Jackie Kalkwarf of Wilber.

FBLA-PBL is the largest business career and technical student organization in the world. Its collegiate division aims to inspire and develop the next generation of leaders by preparing them for careers in business-related fields.

UNK Results:

- First place  Sydney Atkinson, future business educator; Maddie Getz, economic analysis and decision making

- Second place  Sydney Atkinson, Joseph Hiatt and Megan Wallman, local chapter annual business report; Courtney Cox, financial services; Joseph Hiatt, small business management plan

- Third place  Sydney Atkinson, business communication; Maddie Getz, forensic accounting

- Sixth place  Megan Wallman, job interview

- Seventh place  Courtney Cox, personal finance; Olivia Lawless, client service; Cody Swinarski, business presentation; Olivia Lawless and Megan Wallman, sales presentation

- Eighth place  Courtney Cox, business communication

- Ninth place  Sydney Atkinson and Joseph Hiatt, desktop publishing
Lee was born and raised in Viroqua. After graduating from Viroqua High School, he attended the United States Air Force Academy where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering. He later earned a Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering at MIT. In 1984, Lee was selected as a NASA astronaut candidate. Upon finishing his one-year training and evaluation program, he was qualified to be a mission specialist on future Space Shuttle crews. During his 17 years with NASA he flew four Space Shuttle missions, traveled over 13 million miles, went around the world 517 times, spent 33 days in orbit, and did four spacewalks totaling 26 hours. He retired from the Air Force and NASA in 2001.
WAUZEKA, Wis.  A two-mile stretch of Plum Creek in rural Crawford County is being transported 170 years into the past, thanks to a research team from UW-La Crosse.

Junior Travis Key and faculty mentors Colin Belby and John Kelly are using drone imagery, soil samples and geographic information system software to determine how the creek and surrounding countryside have changed since European-American settlement in the 1850s.

The Mississippi Valley Conservancy, which recently acquired the 1,600-acre property near Wauzeka, will use the information to restore the landscape to its natural state.

Over the years, farming practices led to more and more sediment building up along the creek, which cut the stream off from the floodplain, explains Key, a geography major. The ultimate goal is for the Mississippi Valley Conservancy to reconnect the river to its floodplain so it will be like it was nearly 200 years ago.

On a sunny summer morning, the trio parked their cars along the quiet country road, slung heavy packs over their shoulders and set off along the creek.

The first order of business was placing markers at surveyed coordinates on the banks. This allows the team to create aerial imagery with centimeter-level accuracy, and to match that imagery to historical aerial photos of the property.

Once the creek was properly marked, Belby sent the drone buzzing on an automated course about 350 feet above the ground.

Then the team used an auger to drill into the soil and extract a foots worth of sediment. Additional samples taken deeper in the Earth will shed light on how the landscape has evolved.

Were looking for the point where it transitions from light brown soil to dark, almost black soil, Belby explains. Dark soil is an indication of higher levels of organic material, which is what you would have had pre-European settlement. We dont know how deep well have to dig. It could be 10 feet or more.

Once the soil samples and drone photography are complete, the team will return to the lab and document the lands changing geography.

Turning the dial back 170 years, they say, will have a major positive impact on the local ecosystem.

It will allow the river to breathe a little more and turn some of this land into more permanent wetlands, notes Kelly, whos on the Mississippi Valley Conservancy Board. Youll end up with a healthier and more complex ecosystem resembling pre-settlement times.

Key, who recently changed his major to geography, says the chance to work in the field alongside Belby and Kelly is a major boost to his college experience. It also underscores the robust undergraduate research offerings at UW-L.

While geography students at other universities may not experience field work until late in their program, Key was able to get ahead through a UW-L Deans Distinguished Fellowship. The program, funded through the UW-L Foundation, supports collaborative research between undergraduates and faculty members. Students receive a $5,000 stipend, along with $500 to cover travel and equipment costs.

My original plan was to work at Kwik Trip this summer, Key says. Because of the Deans Distinguished Fellowship and the stipend, I get all these new experiences, and I dont have to work full time.

The Plum Creek Conservation Area is an ideal place to teach and promote conservation.

The property includes over five and a half miles of frontage along the west bank of the Kickapoo River and over two miles along Plum Creek. Nearby, the nearly 2,000-acre Kickapoo Wildlife Area-Wauzeka Unit supports one of the highest concentrations of rare forest-interior breeding birds in southwestern Wisconsin.

The Mississippi Valley Conservancy was able to purchase the property thanks to a sizable gift from an anonymous donor.

Belby and Kelly say its key for students to get hands-on experience with conservation projects, as they are a critical component to many careers related to geography.

In some cases, UW-L student researchers use the same equipment and the same software theyll be expected to use as professionals.

Whatever Key does with his geography degree, his experience at Plum Creek will leave him well prepared.

Overall, this has been a great learning experience for me, especially since Im still early in the program, Key says. Its a really cool project to be a part of.
After four years on the La Crosse Common Council, District 5 council member Justice Weaver announced on Thursday that he was resigning.

In a statement shared by the city, Weaver said the resignation was because of personal health issues. His resignation took effect on July 5.

I no longer am able to adequately serve on the city council and will be relocating for the time being, he said in his statement.

Weaver was first appointed to the city council in 2018, and as a student, he was elected to the seat in 2019, which represents a district encompassing much of the UW-La Crosse campus.

He is the previous chair of the Human Rights Commission, and he previously told the Tribune that one of his greatest accomplishments while on the city council was helping the city commit to cutting emissions to net zero by 2050.

At the time of his resignation, he was currently serving on the Judiciary & Administration Committee, the Municipal Transit Utility Board and the Room Tax Commission.

Weaver was to be up for reelection next spring. However, he was among a group of three council members that were drawn out of their districts during the redistricting process last fall.

I have had a wonderful experience serving with my fellow council members, city staff and many constituents of the great city of La Crosse, Weaver said in his statement.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve the citizens of La Crosse and work among individuals who have committed so much of their time and energy to make La Crosse a better place to all, he said.

There is now one vacancy on the La Crosse Common Council, bringing the body down to 12 representatives until a new member is either appointed to fill the spot or elected in the spring.
A Columbus man has been charged with raping a 10-year-old Ohio girl who then had to travel to Indiana seeking an abortion after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, according to court proceedings CNN obtained through affiliate WBNS.

Rumors of the case garnered national and international attention, with some US political leaders referencing it in conversations about abortion bans.

Gerson Fuentes, 27, was arrested Tuesday, according to Columbus police and court documents. He has been charged with felony rape of a minor under age 13, according to the Franklin County Municipal Court. His first court appearance was Wednesday.

Fuentes is being held on $2 million bond, according to the court. CNN has reached out to his attorney for comment.

Fuentes admitted to authorities he raped the young girl on at least two occasions, Det. Jeffrey Huhn testified Wednesday at Fuentes' arraignment.

Police first were alerted to the child's pregnancy in late June through a referral by a local children services department that was made by the 10-year-old's mother, Huhn testified.

The girl underwent a medical abortion in Indianapolis on June 30, the detective testified. DNA from the Indianapolis clinic was being tested against samples from Fuentes and the child's siblings, Huhn said.

Fuentes' next court appearance is July 22, court documents show.

In a statement Wednesday, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said, "My heart aches for the pain suffered by this young child."

"I am grateful for the diligent work of the Columbus Police Department in securing a confession and getting a rapist off the street," Yost said. "Justice must be served and (the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation) stands ready to support law enforcement across Ohio putting these criminals behind bars."

After Roe v. Wade was overturned, an Ohio law banning abortions as early as six weeks into a pregnancy went into effect.

Indianapolis-based OBGYN Dr. Cailin Bernard told CNN earlier this month that after being contacted by a child abuse doctor in neighboring Ohio, she recently helped a 10-year-old girl have an abortion in Indiana. The young girl was six weeks and three days into the pregnancy, Bernard told CNN.

The doctor said she saw an immediate influx of patients seeking abortions in Indiana, particularly from bordering states Kentucky and Ohio, which passed laws severely limiting abortion care following the Supreme Court decision.

The Columbus Dispatch newspaper was first to report on the case and arrest. The Columbus Police Department would not immediately provide additional details on the arrest.

"Out of compassion for victims we will not comment on any rapes of juveniles," Columbus police spokesperson Sgt. Joe Albert told CNN.

CNN has reached out to the Ohio attorney general, Franklin County Child Services and an Indiana-based abortion provider for additional details.

In the days before details emerged of Fuentes' arrest, some conservative media outlets and Republican officials had expressed doubt about the case or whether the girl existed.

Rep. Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican, tweeted, "Another lie. Anyone surprised?" The tweet has since been deleted.
Those looking to mail their absentee ballots in upcoming Wisconsin elections should do so themselves, rather than have someone assist them in that process, the nonpartisan administrator of the Wisconsin Elections Commission said Thursday.

Speaking with reporters, Meagan Wolfe was asked how voters should proceed following the Wisconsin Supreme Courts 4-3 ruling last week barring the use of absentee ballot drop boxes in the state. Wolfe pointed to Wisconsin statute that states an absentee ballot envelope shall be mailed by the elector, or delivered in person, to the municipal clerk. Federal laws allow disabled voters to get assistance delivering their ballots.

The Supreme Court also ruled that absentee ballots must be delivered by mail or in person to a local clerks office or designated alternate site, but did not rule on whether voters can have others take their ballots to the mailbox, such as an assistant for someone with disabilities.

As of right now, the voter is the one who is required to mail their ballot, Wolfe said. I would check with your local election official as they are the ones in their communities who are responsible for administering that process and providing their voters with information about how ballots can be returned.

Barbara Beckert, director of External Advocacy with Disability Rights Wisconsin, a plaintiff in the drop box case, said in a statement Thursday that federal law protects the right of people with disabilities to seek assistance with mailing an absentee ballot or have a person of their choice deliver the ballot to a clerk or polling place. The Supreme Courts ruling does not change that, she said.

Beckert said voters with questions or concerns may contact the groups voter hotline at 844-347-8683 or info@disabilityvote.org.

No guidance

The states bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission on Tuesday split along party lines when deciding whether to issue any guidance to the states more than 1,800 election clerks on absentee ballot drop boxes following the ruling from the states high court. The commissions three Republican and three Democratic members deadlocked on a handful of votes related to drop box guidance. Republican members proposed guidance solidifying the courts decision, while Democratic members said that would only confuse clerks leading up to the Aug. 9 primary.

There certainly always is confusion whenever there is a change that happens right before an election or in this instance in the middle of an active election cycle, Wolfe said. I also dont think it would be appropriate for me to opine beyond anything that is in the courts ruling.

Proponents of the free-standing, mailbox-like structures have said they are a secure and safe voting option, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, some Republicans argue that adding any unauthorized method for returning ballots opens the door to fraudulent activity, despite multiple reviews of the 2020 election finding no evidence of widespread fraud.

Election fodder

The Supreme Courts ruling has since been used as fuel by former President Donald Trump and gubernatorial candidate Timothy Ramthun to once again call on state Republicans to decertify the results of the 2020 presidential election, something experts and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have described as a legal and constitutional impossibility.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, has opposed efforts to decertify the election, prompting criticism from Trump on the social media platform Truth Social. In a Wednesday post, Trump regarded Vos as a long time professional RINO always looking to guard his flank.

RINO  or Republican in name only  is a derogatory term Republicans attach to members of the party they dont feel are loyal enough.

The Democrats would like to sincerely thank Robin, and all of his fellow RINOs, for letting them get away with murder, Trump said. A Rigged & Stolen Election!

In response to Trumps comments, Vos said he agrees with Trump that the state Supreme Court made a courageous decision by barring drop boxes, but repeated that there is no way to reclaim electors or overturn an election, as Trump has demanded.

My plan is to focus on electing a Republican Governor so Governor (Tony) Evers cannot again veto the 22 election reform bills weve passed, Vos said. The Assembly will take these bills up again first thing next legislative session.

Recounts and court decisions have affirmed that President Joe Biden defeated Trump in the battleground state by almost 21,000 votes.

Conservative report

On Friday, a new report compiled by eight conservatives, including four judges and both a current and former Republican U.S. senator, further refutes claims by Trump and others that the 2020 election was stolen.

The reports authors wrote that they have become deeply troubled by efforts to overturn or discredit the results of the 2020 Presidential Election.

Claims that an election was stolen, or that the outcome resulted from fraud, are deadly serious and should be made only on the basis of real and powerful evidence, according to the report. If the American people lose trust that our elections are free and fair, we will lose our democracy.

The report, titled Lost, Not Stolen: The Conservative Case that Trump Lost and Biden Won the 2020 Presidential Election, delves into Trumps specific claims of widespread fraud in several states, including Wisconsin.

The report largely affirms findings laid out in court rulings and previous reports, including those conducted by the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau and conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, that found no evidence of widespread fraud in the states presidential election.

There was no widespread voter fraud in Wisconsin, according to the 72-page report. Trump-requested recounts only increased Bidens margin of victory. Legal claims targeted not fraud but ordinary election-administration challenges related to absentee and mail-in ballots. All were rejected.

The report also references lawsuits filed by Trump challenging absentee voting guidance issued in early 2020 by the state Elections Commission. Those lawsuits were filed in November of that year, eight months after the guidance was issued. All were ultimately rejected.

It is entirely proper for campaigns to challenge new rules for election administration, but this must be done sufficiently before the election to enable corrections to be made, the report states. It would be an affront to democracy to disqualify votes that were cast in compliance with unchallenged procedures on account of lawsuits filed after the election has taken place and the other candidate has won.
Fasset Technologies Limited, a global digital asset gateway in the Middle East, has announced a collaboration with global payments technology company, Mastercard, to expand financial capabilities in Indonesia.

This tie-up, which will create economic opportunities for the underserved segment, follows Fassets $22 million Series A closing first reported in April.

Fasset and Mastercard will co-develop solutions to support and expand financial and digital capabilities across the country. As part of this, Mastercard will leverage its domestic and global insights to drive local adoption of new technologies that can improve access to critical financial services.

Digitalising banking

Moreover, Fassets technological capabilities will help digitalise banking services for everyone.

The world is changing at an unprecedented rate. With more people relying on digital assets and technologies to become resilient, there is a need for key players in the public and private sectors to come together to create solutions that can lead to new opportunities and solutions for wider financial inclusion. Mastercard is delighted to provide its solutions in digital payments and cyber-security for Fasset to support Indonesias efforts in financial inclusion and advance broader access to digital technologies, said Navin Jain, Country Manager, Indonesia, Mastercard.

Fasset is focused on promoting "financial inclusion and democratising access to opportunity by enabling a new wave of digital asset owners in our target emerging markets," said Hendra Suryakusuma, Country Director, Indonesia, Fasset. "Asset ownership is the strongest way to power healthy livelihoods and economies. Digital asset-driven remittance corridors can unleash a new wave of socioeconomic prosperity through unique product offerings that were diligently building, said Suryakusuma.

Growing digital products

Fasset is investing in growing its digital products, developing training and education platforms to onboard the underserved segment to the formal economy. By working with Mastercard, Fasset will provide easy access to financial and digital tools that will help close the digital divide and improve the livelihood for communities.-- TradeArabia News Service
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While medical care has rapidly changed at Winona Health in the past 53 years, a familiar face has been there throughout: Dr. Andrew Edin.

Edin, 84, who recently retired, remembers being inspired to go into health care after a doctor spoke to his father at the local hardware store in his small Minnesota hometown.

The doctor suggested Edin go into medicine, based on the skills and interests Edins father told the doctor Edin already had.

Before this, Edin had never considered going into the field, as he always assumed he would go into business like his own father had in Hinckley.

But Edin did grow up around people in the medical field; his neighbor was also his doctor.

(Medicine) sounded appealing to me, Edin remembered.

When he applied for medical schools, Edin was accepted into a university in Minnesota, but decided against it, realizing college might be his only chance to spend some extended time outside of the state.

Edins father was supportive of this, even selling his American Tobacco Co. stock to afford to send Edin to Yale University.

Many people during that time were talking a lot about lung cancer, he recalled, and he remembered his father saying, Itd be a good joke to sell that stock to pay for medical school.

While attending Yale and starting his career at Winona Health in 1969, medicine was very different than it is today, he said.

Edin recalls back then that when people were diagnosed with lung cancer, patients could expect to live about 13 weeks. Now, many of Edins patients have been able to live with lung cancer  thanks to the help of options such as early detection, chemotherapy and radiation  up to seven years.

At Winona Health, Edin helped change how treatment was done locally, leading the way for equipment to be brought in for pulmonary function and bone density tests to be completed on site. Edin was able to read the results of both of tests, advancing the organizations ability to treat patients locally.

Edin, who is a general medicine doctor for adults, has held a variety of roles at Winona Health over the years, including working in the coronary care unit.

When he became older, Edin worked at the clinic as a general internist.

One of his specialities was pacemakers  which Edin shared was revolutionized to be more efficient when he was in training.

Edin, who continued to do pacemakers up until his retirement, placed his first one in a patient in 1967.

Since beginning, Edin has placed anywhere from about 12 to 30 pacemakers every year  totalling about 750 to 800 pacemakers through his career, he said.

Edin has enjoyed his time at Winona Health, especially caring for and tracking patients health throughout the years  not just doing a single procedure or consultation and then saying goodbye like at some other bigger facilities.

I really wanted to be a long-term person and thats exactly what I got here, he said.

Winona Health president and CEO Rachelle Schultz, in a statement about Edins retirement, said, Winona Health is 128 years old, and Dr. Edin has been a caregiver here for 53 of those years. The impact he has made on families in our community is unparalleled. Winona Health and the Winona community are very fortunate to have had Dr. Edin delivering stellar care to patients. His retirement is certainly bittersweet.

When talking about ending his work, Edin shared a perspective he once read, The truth is, at least in a town like Winona thats fairly small, your patients become your friends and my friends have become my patients.

So, while Edins time at Winona Health may have come to an end, the relationships he has built will continue on into his retirement.
Finastra and HSBC are working together to distribute HSBCs FX services via Finastras FusionFabric.cloud platform under a Banking as a Service (BaaS) experience.

The move will enable banks to embed market-leading FX services directly into corporate and branch channels.

This collaboration will take advantage of the best elements of modern (Application Programming Interface) API-driven connectivity with licensed institutions secure, regulated infrastructure.

Finastra Fusion Kondor

The first phase of the roll out will provide both indicative and executable FX rates to regional mid-tier banks via a plug-in to Finastras Fusion Kondor, a solution with low maintenance and ownership cost, backed by the liquidity and robust risk management capabilities of one of the worlds largest FX franchises.

Integrating HSBC FX services with mid-tier banks will allow participating banks to deliver a wide range of currencies to their customers through branch networks and other retail channels, without requiring any additional technology integration.

It will also provide clients with highly automated FX pricing capabilities, allowing banks to process higher FX volumes, and to differentiate themselves while maintaining their own customer relationships. Corporate clients will benefit from increased transparency of pricing and market conditions, improved ease of execution, and simpler currency risk management.

FX liquidity

Available in H2 2022, the initial roll out will focus on financial institutions in Asia Pacific (APAC) with other regions to follow soon after. It will also be made available to embedders who require direct access to FX liquidity and pricing.

Richard Anthony, HSBCs Global Head of FX eRisk & Precious Metals said: As one of the worlds leading FX banks this is another great example of HSBC leveraging our world-class FX eRisk infrastructure to help our clients achieve their business objectives.

Mark Williamson, Global Head of FX Partnerships and Propositions at HSBC added: We are constantly seeking out strategic partnerships and channels to embed our FX Services and build market-leading customer propositions.

Reducing friction

Angus Ross, Chief Revenue Officer, Banking as a Service (BaaS) at Finastra said: The ability to integrate FX directly into corporate treasury platforms, as well as competitive pricing and liquidity into a single package will help reduce friction for regional banks and their customers and demonstrates a use case in which BaaS can really make an impact.

"HSBC is a leading market maker with deep liquidity in the FX market and shares Finastras beliefs around the significant potential of BaaS. Were excited to be co-developing this solution to connect buyers and sellers of FX through a wholesale marketplace.-- TradeArabia News Service
Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright's Dubai office has advised cryptocurrency exchange OKX on its entry into the UAE market.

OKX is one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world by trading volume. It offers spot, margin, futures, options, perpetual swaps trading, DeFi, lending and mining services to its millions of users in more than 100 countries worldwide.

OKX has successfully signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with, and obtained a provisional licence from, the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (Vara), the authority responsible for the licensing and regulation of virtual assets in Dubai.

Virtual assets

OKX is one of the first international cryptocurrency exchanges to enter into such an arrangement with Vara since the new Dubai law regulating virtual assets came into effect earlier this year.

Norton Rose Fulbright has assisted OKX - among others - with the negotiations and the signing of the MoU with Vara, and will continue to assist with the licensing process and this strategic market entry.

In parallel, Norton Rose Fulbright will also work with OKX and Vara to help brainstorm an appropriate and attractive legal framework for the virtual assets industry to thrive in Dubai.

The Norton Rose Fulbright team was led by partner Adjou Ait Ben Idir, who heads the Middle East corporate, M&A and securities practice, with partner Matthew Shanahan, senior associate Ismael Sinaceur and associate Kanan Kasuya supporting.

Pivotal moment

Idir said: We were delighted to be able to advise OKX on its entry into Dubai at such a pivotal moment for the crypto industry in the region. There are huge opportunities in this sector, within and from the UAE, and we look forward to continuing to support our clients as great strides with global effects are being made in the crypto space across the country.

This case continues the firms strong track record in the establishment of cryptocurrency trading platforms in the UAE. Earlier this year, a Dubai office-led team advised Bybit on its entry to the UAE market.-- TradeArabia News Service
The Mattel toy company has created a new Barbie doll with the famous British scientist Jane Goodall as its model.

The company released the new doll this week, the latest member of the Barbie toymakers Inspiring Women series. Mattel said the doll, made from recycled plastic, honors Goodall's revolutionary research on chimpanzees in Tanzania and her efforts to protect the wild animals.

The 88-year-old Goodall said she was thrilled to partner with Barbie.

My entire career, Ive wanted to help inspire kids to be curious and explore the world around them  just like I did, she said.

The doll is dressed in a light brown shirt and shorts, much like that seen in the many images of Goodall at work in Africa. It also comes with a notebook, binoculars, and another doll modeled on the real chimp Goodall named David Greybeard.

He was the first chimpanzee with which she built trust in Tanzanias Gombe National Park. The relationship permitted her to study the animals extremely closely.

I wanted a doll to be me even before this idea came up, the 88-year-old scientist told Reuters. She praised Mattel for developing new Barbies that represent a wider number of working women.

There's all kinds of astronauts and doctors and things like that, she said. She noted that many children learn about her in school.

They'll be thrilled to have the Barbie doll," she said.

Lisa McKnight agrees. She is the Executive Vice President and Global Head of Barbie and Dolls for Mattel.

We hope that this collection she said, inspires kids to learn more about green careers, how they can protect the planet, and act out sustainable stories through doll play.

Goodall started her research in what is now Tanzania in the 1960s. She produced massive amounts of research on wild chimpanzees over the years. She documented how they made and used tools, lived in communities, and showed a high level of emotional understanding.

Mattels Barbie division has teamed up with the nonprofit Jane Goodall Institute to support several projects centered on ecology-related careers. The company released the Barbie on July 14, World Chimpanzee Day. The day also marked the 62nd anniversary of Goodalls arrival at Gombe.

Goodall wants to teach children that if they want to have a good effect on the changing environment, they must act.

Goodall said, Hope is about action Climate change, loss of biodiversity, poverty, unsustainable lifestyles, pollution, you name it. We reach out to others because there are people working on each one of these problems

Im Faith Pirlo.

Marie-Louise Gumuchian reported this story for Reuters. Faith Pirlo adapted it for Learning English.

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Words in This Story

toy  n. something a child plays with

doll  n. a child's toy in the form of a baby or small person

thrilled  adj. very excited and pleased

inspire  v. to move (someone) to act, create, or feel emotion

curious

binoculars  n. a pair of tubes with glass lenses at the ends that you look through to see things far away

biodiversity  n. the number and kinds of plants and animals that exist in a particular area or in the world generally

unsustainable  adj. not able to last or continue for a long time; not sustainable

________________________________________________________________

What do you think of Jane Goodall getting her own Barbie doll or her work with chimpanzees?

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On Kenyas southern coast, an estimated 1,500 people depend on the sea to make a living. But local fishers are seeing less of one especially valuable fish, the tuna.

Local weather conditions usually mean there is a lot of tuna. The fish earns them a good amount of money at local markets.

Kenyan fisher Chapoka Miongo said there are several reasons that he and others are finding less tuna. One is the presence of large foreign fishing ships in the area. Another reason is changes to local weather conditions caused by climate change.

Kassim Abdalla Zingizi is a fisher from the town of Vanga. Zingizi said most small fishing businesses lack the skills, knowledge, and financial support to compete with larger foreign fishing boats. The foreign boats are mostly from Europe and Asia. They use satellite technology to follow schools of tuna all over the Indian Ocean.

Another reason for the decrease in tuna is climate change.

Dennis Oigara is from the Kenya Fisheries Service. Oigara said the Kenyan government is putting an economic strategy into effect that will deal with the effects of climate change on the means of living for those on the coast. It will also increase the skills among artisanal fishers and further sustainable fishing methods.

Financial support for large fisheries has long been blamed for destructive fishing practices. The World Trade Organization has discussed the issue but there has been no resolution.

The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission is responsible for the areas tuna laws. In 2018 and 2020, the amount of tuna caught went over catch limits. The tuna commission was criticized for not enforcing measures to help protect several kinds of tuna from overfishing.

However, at its meeting earlier this year, the commission passed a resolution to study the effects of climate change on tuna fish stocks in the area. It was called one of the meetings successes.

It is the second regional fisheries management organization to enforce a resolution on climate change.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says differences in the climate have led to reduced amounts of sea life and damage to coral. It also said climatic differences have led to an increased risk of conflict over decreasing resources. Kenyan fishing communities are already feeling these effects.

Mazera Mgala started fishing in 1975. The experienced fisher said, Back in the day I would start fishing in the early morning and three to four hours later I would be through as I had caught enough fish.

Nowadays, Mgala added, I stay longer at sea and still catch less.

Im Gregory Stachel.

Wanjohi Kabukuru reported this story for The Associated Press. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English.

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Words in This Story

opportunity  n. a chance to do something

sustainable  adj. involving methods that do not completely use up or destroy natural resources

secretary  n. a person in a club or other organization who is in charge of keeping letters and records

coral  n. a hard material formed on the bottom of the sea by the skeletons of small creatures

_____________________________________________________________________

What do you think of artisanal fishing?

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Pacific island leaders welcomed a promise by the United States to increase aid to island nations in the Pacific Ocean. Proposed aid will go to fight illegal fishing, increase security and deal with climate change. It comes after many years of limited support.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris spoke to the leaders at the Pacific Islands Forum, or PIF, in Suva, Fiji by video link on Wednesday. Harris proposed that U.S. aid to the islands would increase 200 percent to $60 million a year for the next 10 years. The measure requires approval from the U.S. Congress.

Leaders gathering for the four-day meeting see climate change as the areas major security issue. But tensions between China and the U.S., and the surprise withdrawal of Kiribati from the meeting, are also being discussed.

Recently, some Pacific leaders have sought to increase trade and security ties with China. The Solomon Islands, for example, struck a security agreement with China that has brought concern from the United States and its allies.

Harris told the leaders, "We recognize that in recent years that Pacific islands may not have received the diplomatic attention and support that you deservedWe are going to change that.

After Harris speech, Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. told Reuters, "It really shows the U.S. are back and want to play an active role." He added, "Sometimes because of our remoteness we get forgotten, so this was important.

The meeting will discuss a proposal by China to sign a trade and security agreement with 10 nations that have ties to China. But some PIF members are against it.

Palau, which has a defense relationship with the United States and diplomatic ties with Taiwan, was among the PIF members excluded from the proposed China deal. But Whipps said China was economically active in the nation.

"That competition creates, sometimes, concerns about security. We lived through World War Two and we don't want to see that again," he said.

The United States is also working on a renewed fishing treaty with Pacific island nations. The treaty has permitted U.S. ships to fish in their exclusive economic zones, or nearby waters, for many years. It has also offered greater support for maritime surveillance in the Pacific.

Fiji's Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama is the chair of the Pacific Islands Forum. He said, I think it is clear to see that the U.S. is certainly looking a lot more like the Pacific partner we have traditionally held it to be.

Increased attention from Australia

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese added that it was important the U.S. was increasing support, including new embassies in Kiribati and Tonga.

"We very much welcome the Biden administration's increased presence in the region," he said, adding strategic competition was a backdrop to the conference.

Australia and Fiji announced they would build an $83 million center in Fiji to hold the Fiji navy headquarters, Fiji Hydrographic Office, and Fiji Maritime Surveillance Coordination Center.

Albanese said the countries will work together on the project. The Australian leader said that it would create local jobs, protect local fishing industries and was "important for our security partnership".

In Beijing, a Chinese official said that his government welcomes greater support from others to help the Pacific islands. But he warned that such efforts should not be undertaken to oppose China.

Im Mario Ritter, Jr..

Hai Do adapted this Reuters report for VOA Learning English with additional material from the Associated Press.

_____________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

role n. the part that someone or something has in an activity or situation

remoteness n. the quality of being far away from other things or other people

surveillance n. the act of carefully watching something or someone

strategic adj. related to long term plans to reach major goals such as those involving politics, war, or other major events

__________________________________________________________________

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In June, I traveled overseas for the first time since 2019 (and I managed not to get Covid!). London, Dublin, Amsterdam, and Bucharest were my airport destinations; Oxford University, University College Dublin, University of Amsterdam, and Dimitri Cantemir Christian University my academic hosts. The events were ISNS in Oxford ; a mini-conference on Nietzsche at UCD (papers by me, Tsarina Doyle [NUI-Galway] and Brian O'Connor [UCD]), and then an afternoon workshop on draft chapters of my co-authored Marx book; an anti-moralist conference on capitalism in the 21st-century in Amsterdam; and the IVR (international legal philosophy event) in Bucharest .

Travel

European airports were not in good shape, as widely reported in the media: the departure from Dublin was the worst (one hour on the "regular" security line, but it operated in an orderly way); the departure from Bucharest (surprisingly) was the best, despite other problems there. Arrivals were generally fine, although my wife had a bad experience at Schipol in Amsterdam. Aer Lingus deserves notice for scummy airplane behavior by cancelling my afternoon flight from London to Dublin the morning of the flight, and then rescheduling me for a flight the next morning which was useless. They did refund the flight, and I rebooked on Ryan Air, which was actually quite competent. (Aer Lingus from Dublin to Amsterdam was fine, however.)

Tarom, the Romanian airline that I flew from Amsterdam to Bucharest, and whose lounge I visited in Bucharest later in the trip (they share it with Lufthansa) cannot be recommended. Even in business class at midday from Amsterdam, the "service" consisted of water, tea and coffee. The flight was scheduled to depart at 11:40 am, but they "waited" 50 minutes for passengers allegedly caught in the security line disaster at Amsterdam Schipol (I was in business class to get "fast track" security," which was somewhat better, but still screwed up--Schipol is an embarrassment for a rich country); the passengers who planned ahead apparently didn't count. Even weirder, the only "late" passengers boarded 30 minutes late, but we sat for another 20.

On my departure from Romania, the Tarom lounge at the Bucharest airport (to which I had access as a United Gold member) was not air conditioned. (As one driver told me, everyone in Bucharest calls July "the hot month," but only a few parts of the airport are air-conditioned. Those used to bourgeois comforts are in for an unhappy surprise in Bucharest. Even the DCCU, which hosted the IVR in Bucharest, had only a few air-conditioned rooms, which did not include the auditorium where I delivered the opening plenary address. I commend the couple of hundred of hearty souls who attended under those circumstances! Here are some photos from Twitter.)

Since I was abroad for a couple of weeks, I had to check luggage everywhere I went, and everywhere it arrived on time. So kudos to modern technology and the airport personnel for making that part of travel run smoothly.

Substance

Back in 2015, I organized with some esteemed colleagues the International Society for Nietzsche Studies, as an alternative forum to the existing and rather unsatisfactory Nietzsche societies (NANS and others--although Lanier Anderson, Paul Katsafanas and others are now doing their best to salvage NANS). Nietzsche studies has matured considerably in the last thirty years, with a now strong international group of scholars who are both philosophically and philologically knowledgeable. ISNS has become the forum for those scholars. The recent meeting in Oxford was our 5th (Covid delayed things, obviously), and was extremely rewarding: I learned from both the papers and from the comments of the conference participants. I am particularly pleased by the quality of submissions from junior scholars over the years. After initial support from my colleague Michael Forster (Bonn) and his Humboldt Chair, it is especially gratifying that so many international scholars now pay their own way to come to ISNS, confirming its place as the premier scholarly forum for Nietzsche studies.

University College Dublin has long had the most interesting philosophy department in Ireland, one that is "pluralistic" in the good sense (not the idiotic SPEP sense): it is a major center in the Anglophone world for scholarship on the post-Kantian European traditions (e.g., Maeve Cooke and Brian O'Connor), but faculty there also do important work on analytic philosophy and its history. It is pretty clearly the best philosophy department in Ireland (even allowing for the excellent addition of John Divers to TCD).

Professor O'Connor kindly organized a day-long set of events connected to my visit. Early in the day, we had a mini-Nietzsche conference, feature myself (presenting this), Tsarina Doyle and O'Connor. Doyle offered an ambitious account of Nietzsche's naturalism as including a substantive metaphysical commitment to a view of causal powers (I'm skeptical, but it was well-done); O'Connor, who is now writing a book on Wagner, discussed Wagner's remarkably "progressive" early political writings, contrasting Wagner's views with Nietzsche's. (Ironically, the "progressive" Wagner was contemporaneous with the raving anti-semitic maniac Wagner!) In the afternoon, several graduate students, as well as Professors O'Connor and Cooke, gave me excellent feedback on several chapters of the forthcoming Routledge Philosophers volume on Marx that I am writing with Jaime Edwards. We discussed historical materialism, Marxian economics, and the early Marx, and the book will be improved by this intelligent feedback.

Amsterdam was an unusual event for me, since many of the participants were not philosophers (or legal scholars), but political and social theorists without philosophy backgrounds (the organizer, Enzo Rossi, was an exception, since his training is in philosophy although he is now in a political science department, and he has become the focal point for a vibrant community of European scholars working on realist approaches to political philosophy, against the tide of moralizing blather that dominates in the Anglophone world).

What was particularly striking to me is that everyone, regardless of disciplinary background, was focused on what actually matters. If one spends too much time among self-identified analytic philosophers these days one might think the pressing issues confronting humanity are the latest "epistemic injustice" or the number of "people of color" employed in philosophy departments or the semantics of "slurs." By contrast, at this conference the focus was on capitalism, its pathologies, and its future. This conference was a good reminder of how utterly morally ridiculous and trivial so much of analytic philosophy has become.

The final event was the 30th Biennial World Congress of Philosophy of Law & Social Philosophy (IVR), this one in honor of Hegel and Rawls. Outside the Anglosphere, the IVR is the major event in the field of legal philosophy. I attended for the first time in Lucerne in 2019 (the "before times"), and found it quite delightful. Experimental jurisprudence is thriving in Europe, for example, thanks to a group of younger scholars, who were well-represented in Lucerne and again in Bucharest. I have benefitted a great deal over the years from interaction with legal philosophers--many, but not all, legal realists--in Italy, Poland, Scandinavia, France, and Serbia, among other places and the IRV is an opportunity to see many of them.

So I was really pleased to have the opportunity to give the opening plenary address at the 30th World Congress, and I do commend, as noted earlier, the several hundred conference attendees who suffered through that talk in a sweltering auditorium, one of several failures by the host institution. (The legal philosopher Michael Moore [Illinois] chided me at dinner that night for giving a talk that "poured cold water" on the celebration of Hegel and Rawls, but I can imagine many of those there would have welcomed a real bucket of cold water.)

On the other hand, DCCU treated me and the other plenary speakers exceptionally well, and I also had the opportunity to meet Henry Richardson (Georgetown) and Elizabeth Holzleithner (Vienna)--who also gave plentary talks--whom I did not know previously. The IVR is such an important forum for the international community of legal philosophers that I do think they need to interrogate conditions on the ground a bit more carefully, to make sure they are adequate for all the non-plenary attendees. Despite that, I was glad to see friends from Sweden, Spain, and Serbia, and to meet colleagues from Poland, Japan, and elsewhere.

The whole trip was a stark reminder for me of how much we have lost by the inability to gather with colleagues, intellectually and socially, during the pandemic era.
LEXINGTON  Lexington Girl Scout Taya Berry has earned the highest achievement within the Girl Scouts USA by creating communication books for non-verbal students in the Lexington High School district.

Berry was one of 22 Girl Scouts from the Spirit of Nebraska to earn the highest award possible, the Gold Award.

The Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska stated that Berry, created books for every STAR classroom in her school district to help facilitate communication between nonverbal students, other students, and staff.

It makes me feel proud to earn such a prestigious award, Berry said, at the same time I am giving back to the community.

This years Spirit of Nebraska Gold Award Girl Scouts made meaningful, lasting change in childhood literacy, inclusivity through education, mental health awareness, women empowerment, and more, the Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska press release stated.

Using strategic thinking, collaboration, problem solving and time management, Gold Award Girl Scouts addressed pressing issues becoming the future leaders the world needs, the release concluded.

According to Girl Scouts USA, only 5.4 percent of eligible Girl Scouts earn the award. The Gold Award is often compared to the Eagle Scout in Boy Scouts of America.

Becoming eligible is no small task, one has to complete two Girl Scout Senior or Ambassador Journeys or complete one Girl Scout Senior or Ambassador Journey and have earned a Silver Award.

After this point, a Girl Scout has to plan and implement a Take Action project that reaches beyond the organization and provides a sustainable lasting benefit to the larger community.

It requires a minimum of 80 hours of work in planning and actually completing the project. All of these hours must be completed by the awardee, and it is encouraged that the girl uses troop members and others from the community to help her.

Plans must be developed with the aid of an advisor, then a project proposal must be submitted and approved by the girl's local council before starting the project, and a final report submitted and approved after the project's completion.

The Gold Award emblem is presented as a pin resembling an eight-pointed gold star with rays radiating from a central, polished trefoil. The award was originally created in 1980.

Berrys idea was to create communication books for each different school building in the Lexington Public Schools district. She said she got the idea through babysitting several children who were non-verbal and interacting with different people through Unified Bowling and Circle of Friends.

She got to work on the project around the end of May 2021, she created eight books for all ages, they contain pictures with corresponding words, allowing non-verbal students to more effectively communicate.

The pictures display emotions, places in the school, the community and different phrases. I want everyone to be able to communicate, Berry said.

She said she made the books in such a way as to allow teachers to add more pages with even more phrases, pictures, etc., in the future if needed.

Teachers have told Berry they really like, the books and they are serving their intended purpose.

Berry met the 80 hour requirement for the project and was recently interviewed by judges who asked her about the projects sustainability and local impact. They also wanted to make sure she was on the right track and that the project fit all of the parameters.

Berry said last year, Its pretty rare to be awarded.
A former Bryan Middle School staffer is awaiting trial in Sarpy County District Court on a charge of third-degree sexual assault of a child.

Aweys M. Salat, 24, was arrested June 1. He was released on bond June 4.

The assault allegedly took place at the middle school, at 8210 S. 42nd St., according to investigation reports.

Andrew Karmazin, principal of Bryan Middle School, sent a letter to staff members and families of students to notify them of Salats arrest.

Salat had been listed as a paraprofessional at the school, but an Omaha Public Schools spokesperson said Salats employment with the district has been terminated.

He will be arraigned in district court later this month.
Agthia Group, one of the regions leading food and beverage companies, today (July 14) announced that its board of directors has approved a strategic acquisition of 60% stake in Auf Group, a specialised healthy snacks and coffee manufacturer and retailer in Egypt.

Established in 2010, Auf Group processes, manufactures, retails and distributes a broad portfolio of products across Egypt including coffee, nuts, healthy snacks and other confectionery products sold under the Abu Auf masterbrand.

With this move, Agthia gets to spread its footprint in the attractive Egyptian snacking market and, together with last years acquisition of leading processed meat producer Atyab, facilitates the establishment of the group as a major player in the Egyptian consumer packaged goods industry.

The acquisition also reflects Agthias ongoing commitment to strengthening its portfolio and diversification into branded consumer goods.

It will build on last years acquisitions of the GCCs leading innovative healthy snacks and food company, BMB Group, and the Al Foah dates business, strengthening Agthias market, category, and channel portfolio.

On the strategic move, Agthia Group Chairman Khalifa Sultan Al Suwaidi said: "As part of our strategy to stimulate growth and enhance our operations, we are focused on expanding Agthias footprint in the MENAP region. The acquisition of Auf Group is a compelling opportunity to bolster our delivery of this commitment, while further penetrating one of the regions fastest-growing consumer markets."

"Following a record first quarter in 2022, we believe that Auf Group will accelerate Agthias strong growth trajectory both now and in the future," he added.

Group CEO Alan Smith pointed out that Auf Group was an important strategic target for Agthia to boost growth in its snacking and healthy food verticals, as it continues to adopt a more consumer-centric business model.

"In addition to immediate access to new revenue streams and product lines, we are excited to expand our presence in Egypt and utilise the acquisitions made last year to further strengthen our operations and market revenue base," he noted.

The transaction will see Agthia acquire 60% of Auf Group, while Auf Groups founders will retain a combined stake of 30% in the business and continue to lead the company with the full backing of Agthias regional footprint and operational support.

Tanmiya Capital Ventures, an Egyptian private equity firm which invested in Auf Group in 2019, also remains a committed shareholder with a 10 percent stake.

"Auf Group has grown substantially in Egypt since its foundation in 2010, with consistent investment in corporate infrastructure and human capital enabling us to build a distinguished brand and remain at the forefront of the local healthy snacks market," observed Ahmed Auf.

"Following our partnership with an institutional investor in 2019 to further accelerate growth and institutionalise the company, we believe we are now ready for the next step in our journey," he added.

For Agthia, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer was international legal counsel, while Matouk Bassiouny & Hennawy was its Egyptian counsel and CI Capital the financial advisor.

For Auf Group, EFG Hermes, a leading investment bank franchise in Frontier Emerging Markets (FEM), played a vital role advising its shareholders on the milestone deal.-TradeArabia News Service
The owners of Star Liquor on Williamson Street are buying Woody & Annes on Winnebago Street and intend to keep the name, the 22-foot shuffleboard table, and everything else as is.

The business isnt broken, so Im not trying to fix it, but I like having fun with food sometimes. So, well see what happens, said Josh Swentzel, who also owns the Ohio Tavern, 224 Ohio Ave., off Atwood Avenue.

Theres not really room for expansion or a kitchen or anything in that building, he said.

The men have an accepted offer on a deal worth about $400,000 and it is expected to go through in mid-August once they get city approvals and financing, he said.

Swentzel will own it with Troy Armbruster and Michael Randall, who bought the nearby Ideal Bar on Atwood Avenue in 2016 with other partners and have kept it largely the same.

Over the past two years, Swentzel said he has had conversations with Armbruster and Randall about buying Woody & Annes, and when owners Bill Woody and Anne Pfister got serious about selling, they jumped at it.

Swentzel said the idea is similar to what Armbruster and Randall did with the Ideal Bar, keeping a building from getting torn down and saving a piece of tavern culture.

The men dont intend to do any remodeling and Swentzel said hes planning on contacting Woody & Annes staff soon.

Im actually planning on doing that today, he said Thursday. I definitely want them to know that were not coming in there to do anything crazy. Well probably have to shut down for a little bit to just do some administrative changes and maybe fix a few things that we dont know are broken yet. But the customer experience should be very similar.

Woody and Annes offers frozen pizza, chips, popcorn and other snacks, and the new owners dont intend to add to that.

Theres not really room in that building for any sort of expansion or food program. So, its not something were currently thinking about, Swentzel said.

Anne Pfister, who with her husband has owned the bar, 2236 Winnebago St., for 34 years, one year longer than theyve been married, said theyre the fourth owners of the tavern.

This bars started in, I think it was 1941. It might have been before that, said Pfister, 67, who plans to retire with her husband to their place in northern Wisconsin.

She said she has had almost no police calls or other problems. Its all neighborhood people and Ive known people that have come here for three generations. Its just your actual neighborhood bar in the middle of town.

Swentzel grew up in the Minocqua area and said Woody & Annes is reminiscent of a lot of the smaller bars in northern Wisconsin.

Buying the bar, he said, is an opportunity to keep a classic tavern operating, and not seeing another one of these apparently affordable housing, $1,300 studio apartments going up. We just want to make sure that it continues to be what it is and it doesnt get torn down and we lose a little bit more of the neighborhood.
Series Premiere

The horror-themed video game just keeps on giving. After six movies and a big-screen reboot, Resident Evil makes its inevitable transition to streaming with an eight-episode adaptation that toggles between a 2022 timeline (three months before the end) in a squeaky-clean New Raccoon City and a post-apocalyptic nightmare-scape in London 2036 (14 years after the end). Thats where Jade Wesker (Ella Balinska) is fighting hordes of mutant-zombie zeroes, gruesome giant monsters and the nefarious Umbrella Corporation thats responsible for it all. Flashbacks to 2022 reveal a younger Jade (Tamara Smart) and her half-sister Billie (Siena Agudong) growing ever more concernedfor good reasonabout their father Alberts (Lance Reddick) experiments at Umbrella with the drug Joy. Not much joy to be had here, but you already knew that.

Series Finale

The finale of the UKs terrific dark dramedy about life (and death) within an underfunded maternity ward picks up two months after the previous episodes tragic twist. Adam (Ben Whishaw) knows his job is on the line as he faces a malpractice tribunal, but how far will he go to keep it? And does he even want to?

Series Premiere

A three-part docuseries from investigative journalist/director Matt Tyrnauer takes a hard look at the rise, reign and scandalous implosion of the lingerie company through a revealing study of the fashion brands former CEO, Les Wexner. Secrets exposed include the brands association with the notorious Jeffrey Epstein in the underworld of fashion.

Series Premiere 10:30/9:30c

Adam Pally (Happy Endings, The Mindy Project) and improv comedian Jon Gabrus are such dedicated party animals that theyll go anywhere to have a high old time. Their buddy-comedy travelogue is devoted to eating and drinking and other forms of indulgence, starting with a stopover in Denver, where getting a Rocky Mountain High at the International Church of Cannabis is the first order of business. Future destinations include Maui, Miami, Puerto Rico, Portland and Atlanta.

10/9c

The spy thriller, which hit a talky patch in recent episodes, picks up the pace in the first seasons penultimate episode as Dan Chase/Henry Dixon (Jeff Bridges) and Zoe/Marcia (Amy Brenneman) make their move in Morocco, but not before Zoe gets another debrief about playing the espionage game: Once you turn it on, you cant turn it off, Dan/Henry warns her. FBI assistant director Harold Harper (John Lithgow) is also facing a reckoning with protegee/mole Angela/Emily (Alia Shawkat) when treacherous events bring cat and mouse ever closer.

Inside Thursday TV:
A Brooklyn man charged last week with the vehicular hit-and-run death of an Oregon man who was jogging along a rural road was ordered to stand trial Thursday after a preliminary hearing.

Timothy W. Pritchett, 38, also pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, which include hit-and-run resulting in death and homicide by negligent driving, both for the death of Logan Gueths, 30, whose body was found June 8 near the intersection of Highways MM and A in the town of Oregon.

A criminal complaint filed last week alleges Pritchett admitted he maybe was using FaceTime to talk with someone on his cellphone when the crash occurred. Investigators also found that a van Pritchett was driving had sustained damage, and that Pritchett had gotten the windshield replaced in Rockford, Illinois, within days of the crash.

An autopsy found Gueths died from blunt force trauma to the head, torso and extremities, according to the complaint.

Pritchett was ordered to stand trial by Circuit Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn after testimony by three Dane County Sheriffs Office detectives.

Body found

According to the complaint:

On June 8, shortly after 5 p.m., a semitrailer truck driver found Gueths body in the ditch along the side of the road. Investigators found vehicle parts scattered nearby.

A roommate of Gueths told a sheriffs detective that Gueths had left for a run about 9 p.m. the night before and did not return.

Searching a part number found on one of the pieces left in the road, investigators found it was from the passenger side front corner marker light lens of a Chevrolet Express van, made between 1996 and 2002.

Appeal for help

After the sheriffs office issued a press release asking for help finding a possible vehicle of interest, it received a tip about a dark-colored van parked at a garage on Douglas Drive in Brooklyn. Detective George Mayerhofer visited the home and left his business card after getting no answer at the front door, and on June 10 he received a call from Pritchett.

If this is regarding the incident around my house, Ive been pulled over multiple times already, Pritchett said on the voicemail. Theres no damage on my vehicle. Youre welcome to see it.

The next morning, Pritchett called to say he was coming to the police station. In a phone conversation with Mayerhofer, Pritchett said he thought he had hit a deer on Highway MM the night of June 7, after leaving work in Rockford. He said he thought he hit the deer between 9:40 and 10 p.m.

Pritchett said when he struck the deer he stopped and looked around but didnt see anything. He picked up a mirror that had come off the van and left. Pritchett agreed to come to the Public Safety Building in Madison to speak to Mayerhofer. When he arrived for the interview, investigators noticed damage in the area near a plastic light cover like the one found at the crash scene.

During an interview, Pritchett said he had also had his windshield replaced at Rockford Auto Glass in Rockford.

Paint detected

The van, which was towed from the Public Safety Building parking lot, also carried what investigators described as a strong odor of spray paint and had what appeared to be spray paint on the front passenger side.

Visiting Rockford Auto Glass, detectives were shown the old windshield from Pritchetts van, with damage that it had sustained in the crash. A technician who had done the work said the damage was a bowling ball size compression on the passenger side, with some other damage on the drivers side.

Investigators also looked at data from Pritchetts cellphone and found that its camera had been on and connected to FaceTime between 9:32 and 9:37 p.m. on June 7, which investigators believe, based on other data recovered from the phone, is the time period that the crash occurred.

Asked who he was speaking with by FaceTime, Pritchett said it was someone called Fussy in Washington. He said he didnt remember whether he was using FaceTime when the crash occurred, but after being asked several times added that he was maybe on FaceTime during the crash.
A woman whose 2014 drunken driving homicide case was long delayed by legal questions was convicted Thursday on all counts against her.

A Dane County jury of eight men and four women deliberated for about two hours and 45 minutes before it found Dawn M. Prado, 55, guilty on all counts related to the Dec. 12, 2014, crash on Highway MM in Fitchburg that killed Janet Grady, 55, of Stoughton, and injured a man who was a passenger in Prados minivan.

In all, Prado was convicted of nine counts, including homicide by drunken driving. But because some of the charges are redundant and overlap one another, state law requires that she only be sentenced on three of the convictions, likely those for homicide by drunken driving, causing injury by drunken driving and fourth-offense drunken driving.

The homicide conviction carries up to 40 years of combined prison and extended supervision, the injury conviction carries up to six years, and the fourth-offense drunken driving carries up to a year in jail.

Dane County Circuit Judge Nicholas McNamara will sentence Prado after a pre-sentence report is completed by the state Department of Corrections.

Three days of testimony in Prados trial wrapped up Wednesday with a crash scene analysis by Wisconsin State Patrol Sgt. Ryan Zukowski, who said he believed based on his analysis that Prado was driving the 2005 Chrysler Town and Country minivan that smashed into Gradys Pontiac Vibe nearly head-on.

On Thursday, state assistant attorneys general Emily Thompson and Tara Jenswold rested, and Prados attorneys, public defenders Laura Breun and Adam Welch, rested without calling witnesses. Prado, who sustained a traumatic brain injury in the crash and said she does not remember what happened, decided not to testify.

Defense stance

Welch argued to the jury that prosecutors had failed to prove Prado was driving the minivan, instead arguing it could have been Prados passenger, Deshonn Banks. He faulted Fitchburg police for failing to seek state Crime Lab analysis of more pieces of evidence, and at one point said Jenswold lied to the jury during her closing argument when she stated the speed that Zukowski calculated the minivan was traveling as it went into a skid before the crash.

Later, outside the jurys presence, Jenswold objected to the characterization, and McNamara agreed it was too strong of a word.

In particular, Welch said prosecutors failed to establish who exactly owned a womens winter boot that was jammed into a lower airbag assembly in front of the drivers seat, which prosecutors and Zukowski contented was left behind by Prado when she was thrown from the minivan through the front passenger side window. The other boot was found on the ground near Prado.

The prosecution has failed to rule out any reasonable doubt, Welch told the jury, asking it to acquit Prado.

Rebuttal offered

But in a rebuttal closing argument, Thompson said that in order for jurors to believe that Prado wasnt the driver, they would have to believe that Banks was, and there was no evidence supporting that idea. Or the jury would have to believe there was a third person driving the minivan, which she said was about as likely as space aliens driving it.

Despite whatever the jury felt about Banks  he died in November  because of his prior criminal convictions and his use of drugs and alcohol, Thompson said, he was completely credible when he repeatedly told witnesses at the scene just minutes after the crash that he was sleeping when the crash happened.

Thompson said that for the defenses theory to be true, Banks, after surviving a tremendous crash, would have had to arrange the evidence to implicate Prado before anyone arrived at the scene, then come up with a story blaming her, all while drunk and high.

It sounds ridiculous, she said.

Legal issues

Last year, the state Supreme Court ruled the law under which blood was collected from Prado was unconstitutional, but said police were acting in good faith at the time, based on the law as it stood then.

Prados blood alcohol concentration was just over the 0.08% limit for drivers in Wisconsin, but she was limited to 0.02% because she had three prior drunken driving convictions. Drugs, including a metabolite of cocaine, were also found in her blood.
Attorney Jim Troupis has asked a judge to disqualify the law firm bringing a case against him and the Republicans who signed paperwork attempting to hand Wisconsins Electoral College votes to Donald Trump  alleging he has an attorney-client relationship with the firm as part of an estate plan.

The lawsuit was filed in May and alleges the 10 Republicans broke several criminal and civil laws when they met at the state Capitol on Dec. 14, 2020, to sign official-looking documents asserting that Trump won the state. The suit also names Troupis, a former Republican-appointed Dane County judge who represented Trump in a failed effort to overturn Wisconsins 2020 election results, and Boston-area lawyer Kenneth Chesebro, who advised the Republicans.

Attorneys for Troupis note in a Wednesday court filing that he and his wife retained law firm Stafford Rosenbaum in late 2019 and had been working with attorney Johanna Allex to develop and prepare an estate plan, which involved providing the law firm with intensely private and confidential matters and information about their family, assets, and finance.

While the estate plan has not been finalized, Troupis considers himself a client of Stafford Rosenbaum. Attorneys with the firm earlier this year filed a lengthy and publicized complaint accusing Troupis of engaging in a civil conspiracy, which in turn invoked several federal and criminal statutes, Troupis attorneys wrote.

Feeling betrayed, ambushed, and embarrassed by Stafford, his counsel of choice, Troupis requests that Stafford be disqualified from representing the Plaintiffs in this litigation, his attorneys added.

Stafford Rosenbaum attorney Jeffrey Mandell, who brought the case against Troupis, Chesebro and the 10 Republicans, said Allex is not a litigator and has no involvement in the lawsuit.

We are confident that we have lived up to all of our ethical obligations, all of our responsibilities to our clients, we take those things very seriously, Mandell said.

They dont want to answer for their actual conduct so they want to fight about a minor technicality that doesnt even apply here, he added.

Fines and damages

Troupis contends that the financial information provided to the law firm as part of preparing an estate plan is relevant to the lawsuit, as it seeks punitive damages from the defendants.

The lawsuit seeks more than $2.4 million in damages, including $2,000 fines for the Republicans and their attorneys, and up to $200,000 in punitive damages for each plaintiff. It alleges the Republicans and their attorneys broke multiple laws, including counterfeiting public records, illegally interfering with official procedures, defrauding the public and engaging in conspiracy.

The lawsuit alleges that, by doing so, the individuals played a role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

But before a judge rules on Troupis motion to disqualify Stafford Rosenbaum, the first question is which court will take up the matter. Defendants in the case have asked that it go before U.S. District Court as it pertains to the presidential election, but Mandell contends the matter is a state issue and the suit should remain in Dane County Circuit Court, where it was filed.

The fundamental claims in this case, civil conspiracy, public nuisance ... those are all creatures of state law and this case, at the end of the day, will be decided on state law and therefore does not qualify for the federal courts limited jurisdiction, Mandell said.

Ties to Trump

The meeting of Republicans occurred following advice from attorneys with close ties to Trump. Documents have underscored efforts by those in Trumps inner circle to circumvent the Electoral College process in several states, including Wisconsin, following the 2020 election, despite recounts and court decisions affirming that Democrat Joe Biden defeated Trump in the battleground state by almost 21,000 votes.

The Republicans have said the meeting was to preserve their legal options amid litigation surrounding the election.

The meeting took place on the same day that the Democratic slate of Wisconsin electors convened in the Capitol building to deliver the states 10 electoral votes to President-elect Biden. It also occurred after the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that Biden had won the election and a month after Wisconsin county clerks canvassed the presidential election results.

Texts unveiled last month by the U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection revealed Troupis tried to get U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Oshkosh, to pass documents falsely stating Trump won Wisconsin to then-Vice President Mike Pence on Jan. 6. Pence refused to go along with the scheme.

The office of U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, of Pennsylvania, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Thursday that a three-week internal review conducted by his office found little information on Johnsons comments that his staffer spoke with Kellys former chief of staff about the false elector scheme.

Complaint denied

Mandells lawsuit follows a March decision by the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission to unanimously deny a complaint filed by Mandell that sought sanctions against the 10 Republicans, including Republican commissioner Robert Spindell, who signed the official-looking documents.

Others to sign the documents in Wisconsin include former chair of the state Republican Party Andrew Hitt; 8th Congressional District GOP chair Kelly Ruh; 1st Congressional District GOP vice chair Carol Brunner; Dane County Republican Party chair Scott Grabins; La Crosse County Republican Party chair Bill Feehan; 5th Congressional District GOP chair Kathy Kiernan; 6th Congressional District GOP chair Darryl Carlson; 1st Congressional District GOP vice chair Pam Travis; and Mary Buestrin, vice chair of the Midwest region for the Republican National Committee.

Hitt and Ruh were subpoenaed earlier this year by the U.S. House committee investigating the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

The state Republican Party has not responded to questions on whether any of the electors or others within the party have been subpoenaed as part of other investigations into the events that led to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.
U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson raised over $7 million in his reelection effort in the second quarter of the year, his campaign announced Wednesday, while Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes raised over $2.1 million, his campaign said.

The Oshkosh Republican, his campaign noted, brought in triple the amount raised by the Democratic Senate front-runner in the same period, referring to Barnes, who has led his fellow Democratic U.S. Senate candidates in the latest Marquette Law School polls.

Johnsons campaign received 53,638 online donations with an average donation of $38, his campaign said, noting 96% of the donations were under $200.

More complete data will become available Friday, when Federal Election Commission reports for second-quarter fundraising information are due.

Ron Johnson has the support of regular people all across Wisconsin because he fights for them every day in Washington, Johnson campaign spokesperson Ben Voelkel said in a statement.

Barnes average donation in the second quarter of 2022 was $35, his campaign announced July 7, with the latest $2.1 million haul bringing his campaign total to $6.1 million, making his campaign the most lucrative Democratic one that isnt self-funded in any way.

The money in the latest quarter flowed in from more than 39,500 total donors and didnt include any corporate PAC money, his campaign noted. Barnes campaign said June has been Barnes best fundraising month since launching.

This quarters unprecedented show of support is proof that working families are ready to support a candidate who understands firsthand the challenges theyre facing and their hopes for the future, Barnes spokesperson Lauren Chou said in a statement last week.

Barnes, Milwaukee Bucks executive-on-leave Alex Lasry, state Treasurer Sarah Godlewski and Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson are the top candidates facing off Aug. 9 in a crowded primary election. The winner will take on Johnson on Nov. 8

The latest Marquette Law School Poll, released in June, showed each of the Democratic candidates in a statistical tie with Johnson. In head-to-head matchups with Johnson, Barnes received 46% to Johnsons 44%, Godlewski received 45% to Johnsons 43%, Lasry received 42% to Johnsons 45% and Nelson received 44% to Johnsons 43%.

Barnes is leading the pack in the June Marquette poll with 25% support from likely Democratic primary voters. Lasry had 21%, Godlewski had 9% and Nelson had 7%.
Long-acting reversible contraception such as intrauterine devices (IUDs) will become available at the citys sexual and reproductive health clinic later this year, Public Health Madison and Dane County announced Thursday.

With an additional $360,000 that County Executive Joe Parisi will ask the County Board to allocate from the general reserve fund, Public Health will fund an expansion of staff and hours at the departments sexual and reproductive health clinic at 2705 E. Washington Ave., the department said in a statement.

The clinic currently operates part-time, 16 hours a week, offering sexually transmitted infection testing, birth control and emergency contraception at low or no cost. The increased funding will expand staffing to allow the clinic to operate 24 hours a week, Public Health director Janel Heinrich said.

This expanded capacity will help us reach hundreds more people each year, she said. Currently, the clinic serves roughly 1,300 people a year, with men disproportionately represented.

Based on conversations with stakeholders in the Madison and Dane County community, the clinic will also begin offering IUDs for long-term pregnancy prevention, Heinrich said. She added those conversations took place both before and after the ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, which overturned the half-century constitutional right to an abortion set by Roe v. Wade.

The decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has created a health care emergency for every woman and person who gives birth in Dane County and beyond, Parisi said. While Public Health already provides many reproductive health care services ... the need to expand those services has never been more urgent.

We cant undo what the Supreme Court did, and we cant make the state Legislature do what they should do, Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said at a news conference Thursday.

Still, she said that improved access to both the clinic and IUDs would lead to decreased teen pregnancies and high-risk births, especially among low-income and Black and indigenous people of color, citing a study from Colorado following the states expansion of access to IUDs.

If we can achieve similar outcomes here in Madison and Dane County, it will disproportionately support the health of Black women in our community, Rhodes-Conway said.

The expanded hours and IUD appointments are expected to begin this fall. A specific date has not yet been set.

Women seeking IUDs will be able to receive them in a single appointment, said Public Health director Janel Heinrich. The additional staff will also allow Public Health to conduct more outreach and education efforts surrounding reproductive health, Heinrich said in the statement.

The $360,000 will jump-start the expansion of the clinic, Parisi said.

Drawing from the general reserve fund is a rare event, but the urgency of the moment calls for swift and decisive action, he said.

Afterwards, Madison and Dane County will partner through the normal budget process to allocate just over $1 million for the expansion, Parisi said.
Update: A 5-year-old boy who was pulled from Lake Michigan at Pennoyer Park in Kenosha Tuesday evening has died, Kenosha police announced Wednesday afternoon.

This death investigation remains open with the Kenosha Police Department.

Details of the investigation are not being shared at this time, including the identity of any person involved.

Mayor John Antaramian and County Executive Samantha Kerkman "recognize that there were many people at the location last night who may have witnessed the tragic event," according to the press release.

Seeing something like this is shocking and County resources are available to help people process what they witnessed," Kerkman said.

I offer my sympathy and prayers to the family. This tragic death is a reminder of the ever-changing flow of the Pike River into Lake Michigan and the dangerous undercurrent of the lake. The City has applied for a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation as we continue to look for solutions. I encourage families that may need assistance in dealing with this tragedy or on how to talk to your kids about it, to contact the Mental Health Resource Center 262-764-8555, Antaramian said.

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Emergency crews pulled a 5-year-old boy from Lake Michigan Tuesday night after he was reported missing while at Pennoyer Beach with a group of people that included other children who were playing at the shoreline and in the water.

The boy was reported missing at 6:17 p.m., following an earlier rescue call the Kenosha Fire Departments crew had responded to the beach east of the Pennoyer Park band shell. Emergency units, including a Fire Department ambulance and multiple police cruisers were at the scene along the Lake Michigan shore, directly behind the band shell where the Tuesday's at the Shell outdoor concert continued into the early evening.

A U.S. Coast Guard craft was also near shore assisting with the search, as were emergency responders in an inflatable craft.

"Cold water resuscitative measures"

About 45 minutes later, rescuers located the boy in the water, according to Battalion Chief Ryan McNeely. Multiple personnel held sheets around the immediate scene at the shore shortly after beginning life-saving measures. Moments later, the large group of emergency medical personnel rushed the boy to an awaiting ambulance which initially drove away without sounding its sirens.

According to McNeely, emergency medical personnel performed, cold water resuscitative measures on the boy prior to transporting him to a local hospital. His condition was not immediately disclosed.

McNeely said rescue workers were initially called at 5:57 p.m. for a report of a near drowning of another child prior to pulling the boy from the lake.

What that call actually was, was a young girl who was conscious and breathing and walking on the beach coughing up a lot of water. So that was categorized as a near drowning, he said.

The girl was later transported from the scene to a local hospital for observation and evaluation. Her injuries were not life-threatening, he said.

McNeely said that as emergency medical crews were evaluating her, authorities discovered the girl was with a group of children, including the 5-year-old boy.

It was determined at the time they were missing one of the kids from that group, he said, referring to the boy. It was presumed he was still in the lake.

The situation then was upgraded to a water call incident, he said, which activates the countys dive team, the Coast Guard, additional department personnel and police.

Kenosha police issued a statement on Twitter confirming that the boy had been rescued, but that the the matter was an "evolving investigation" and would have no further comment on the incident Tuesday night.

Concert-goers join the search

Several people on the beach who had been at the band shell for the concert, said they had left the performance to help with the search. An announcement had been made during the concert alerting the audience about the missing boy.

Fire and rescue, they said, had to respond to the water incident just moments earlier involving the young girl, possibly a few years older than the boy. It was not known whether the two children were related to each other, however.

Elisa Rocha of Kenosha was among the concert-goers who went to the beach to help with the search.

"We were just listening to the music and one of the police officers made an announcement that there was a little 5-year-old boy ... that was missing," she said. Rocha said the officer included in the announcement that the boy was not wearing any swim trunks and for the audience to be on the lookout for him.

"So, we just picked up our stuff and helped them look," she said. Rocha said the authorities didn't release any further information on the boy.

According to Rocha, other people on the beach noted that fire and rescue were already on the scene for a girl who was with the boy and reported to be in the water with him. The waters in the area are known to have dangerous rip currents and large signage nearby warns swimmers of the hazards in both English and Spanish.

"The little boy ended up going missing in the meantime," she said. "It's just horrible. I hope he's found."

Garrett Devoe of Kenosha said he was also at the band shell to attend the concert but decided to go for a walk on the beach before it started.

"We'd seen everybody waving their arms before the police arrived," he said. "There was a couple here, a man with his daughter holding her and saying there was a boy missing."

According to Devoe, the man said that they had found the boy's shorts. He said the man and his daughter, who Devoe said was about 8 years of age, were crying. Rescue personnel then descended upon the beach and into the lake to search for him.

He said following the police announcement at the concert "everybody started searching" for the boy, Devoe included.

Resident with drone assists in finding boy

McNeely said that aiding in the search was a man who was at the beach and offered to use his drone to help find the boy.

He launched his drone and at 7:02 p.m., we found the (boy) in the water, said McNeely. The boy was discovered in the lake about 50 feet from the shore.

This story continues to develop. Check back later for additional details at www.kenoshanews.com
Firefighters and forest ecologists are again scrambling to save ancient giant sequoia trees from the threat posed by increasingly fast, powerful and destructive wildfires that have raged through California in recent years.

This time the fire is in Yosemite National Park. Crews have laid sprinkler systems to protect Mariposa Grove  home to the 2,000- to 3,000-year-old Grizzly Giant and some 500 other mature sequoias  from the oncoming Washburn fire.

Sequoias, with their thick bark and branches high above the ground, have adapted to living with fire and even rely on low- to moderate-intensity heat from wildfires to reproduce. But they are less able to withstand the intense blazes that are regularly burning through California, fueled by decades of fire suppression and climate change.

Conservationists told Times reporters Alex Wigglesworth and Diana Marcum that weve lost about 20% of the giant sequoia population over the last six years  a pace that does not bode well for the species long-term survival. The trees grow naturally only in California, on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada.

Its terrible to contemplate the destruction thats happening. Giant sequoias have lived and adapted to environmental conditions for centuries, yet in mere decades, humans have managed to make their ecosystem less hospitable and the planet downright dangerous for their survival.

And giant sequoias are not the only iconic trees facing a threat.

A recent study led by U.S. Forest Service biologists found pockets of Great Basin bristlecone pine in California and Utah that were unexpectedly dying off. The bristlecone pine is found in high-elevation areas and is revered for its extreme longevity, with some more than 4,000 years old.

Warmer temperatures and drought have put stress on the trees and made them vulnerable to bark beetles. Biologists found hundreds of dead bristlecone pines on Telescope Peak in Death Valley. So far, Methuselah, a 4,853-year-old bristlecone pine that may be the oldest living tree on Earth, has remained free of bark beetles.

Meanwhile, the California Fish and Game Commission is deciding whether the western Joshua tree, which faces an existential threat from climate change, should be listed under the California Endangered Species Act.

Scientists predict that the trees, which can live for about 200 years, could lose upward of 90% of their current habitat in the Mojave Desert by the end of the century. Hotter, drier conditions from climate change, along with wildfire and development, are expected to cause the trees to die off at an increasing pace. Joshua Tree National Park could lose most of its namesake trees.

But California Department of Fish and Wildlife staff recommended in April that the western Joshua tree not be listed as threatened, saying it is not in serious danger of extinction in the foreseeable future. Denying protection would be a grave mistake and would make it harder to save the trees later.

How many more warnings do we need to act? Climate change is threatening some of our iconic trees that have stood for centuries, even millennia.

We need to be far more urgent, creative and committed in trying to keep these trees and their ecosystems healthy. This means ensuring that at-risk species are protected from the immediate harms of wildfire, bark beetles, development and other threats. It also means ending dependence on fossil fuels and slashing greenhouse gas emissions to slow global warming, which is the larger threat we all face.
Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the largest industry in the UAE outside oil and gas, has announced that young EGA engineers provided career advice to more than 500 UAE high school students. This was done at Emirates Schools Establishments virtual career fair to encourage them to Make it in the Emirates.

The sessions for students in grades 11 to 12 were held as part EGAs Ambassador Programme.

EGAs Ambassador Programme is led by young Emirati engineers and professionals, who explain the practical application of science, technology, engineering and mathematics studies in the UAEs industries.

Inspiring young people

The objective of the programme is to inspire more young people to pursue careers in these fields, to support the achievement of the UAEs Operation 300bn industrial growth strategy and Make it in the Emirates.

Since its inception in 2019, EGAs Ambassador Programme sessions have reached more than 14,500 students, mostly at universities including the American University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates University, Khalifa University, and the Higher Colleges of Technology. EGAs ambassadors are often graduates of the universities they visit.

EGA also runs Engineer the Future, a programme in partnership with Emirates Schools Establishment to provide hands-on learning experiences in high schools exploring the science on which the aluminium industry is based.

Important pillar

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of EGA, said: Through Operation 300bn and Make it in the Emirates, the UAEs industrial sector is set to become an even more important pillar of our national economy. As a nation, we need more young people to choose and succeed in careers in science, engineering, technology and maths. It is vital that industrial companies like EGA help inspire young peoples interest in these fields, and we are proud to work with Emirates Schools Establishment and our university partners to do so.

EGA is also offering students additional virtual and in-person workshops under the theme Future Skills. The weeklong programme aims to enhance the employability of Emirati students through a series of business presentations, case studies, problem-solving activities and research assignments.

EGA is a significant employer of professionals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, with more than 1,500 employees working in these fields including over 500 UAE Nationals.-- TradeArabia News Service
Editors note: This feature ran Oct. 26, 2017, in the Times-News and at Magicvalley.com.

Bob Akers of Idaho Falls forwarded a copy of an old letter to the Times-News.

Written by a member of the Women of the Ku Klux Klan, the 1924 letter asked a Mrs. Roberts of American Falls to join their ranks by appealing to her sense of patriotism.

Akers, a Vietnam War veteran, said the letter belonged to his mother, a friend of Mrs. Roberts daughter.

When Mrs. Roberts passed, Ruth found her mothers diary and offered it to my mother to read and said that she could dispose of it when she was done, he said. My mother said this letter rested between pages in that diary journal, with no other mention in that journal (of) the KKK.

The WKKK rode several waves into modern times, the first in the 1860s. In the 1920s, a second wave brought more than a half-million women into its ranks.
PAUL  A team of seventh- and eighth-graders from West Minico Middle School won an all-expense paid trip to the Kennedy Space Center last week after placing first in the nation in the middle school division during a science challenge. West Minico Middle School teacher Brandi Milliron said it was her first year participating in a mission for the NESSP (Northwest Earth and Science Sciences Pathways) which is a NASA partnership program.

STEM is one of my favorite subjects and Mrs. Milliron is one of my favorite teachers, student Andrew Ashcraft, 14, said.

Ashcraft said because there were so many students interested in the program Milliron had them each write a paper on why they wanted to participate before choosing the eight students to form the team.

Along with Ashcraft, the team consisted of students Avery Haynes, Brody Williams, Nautika Dubose, Ayden Hunter, Wesley Meyers, Clark Cundick and Tiana Frei. They worked together between 70 and 80 hours outside of their regular classes to complete several challenges for the mission, called ROADS (Rover Observation and Drone Survey) on Icy Worlds.

Seven of the students were able to take the trip to Cape Canaveral, Milliron said.

We are very proud of their accomplishments, Minidoka County School District Superintendent James Ramsey said. Mrs. Milliron went above and beyond to provide this opportunity for these students.

The students were challenged to learn about Europa, one of Jupiters moons because NASA is launching the Europa Clipper in 2024 that will orbit and collect data.

The team performed yeast experiments to determine the characteristics of life, built a 3D model of Europa and estimated what the core and outside of the moon might look like, created a 5-by-8 map of the surface and used a drone to drop payloads of samples that a coded rover collected.

They also created a mission development log to document their activities, which were combined into Google slides and a video was recorded and edited for the final submission.

At least 50 teams from across the country competed.

After winning in their division, the team traveled to the Space Center earlier this month.

The trip was really fun and I learned a lot about space and the program, Ashcraft said.

At Cape Canaveral the students participated in a simulation of a shuttle launch and watched Falcon 9 SpaceX launch live, he said, among other adventures.

To have young people from Idaho go to the Space Center and have that kind of experience is fantastic, Ramsey said.
The Henry County Planning Commission approved unanimously a request from an Axton couple to have their property rezoned, but not before hearing from a nearby resident who had concerns about the change.

Mark and Deborah Minter told the Commission that they were new residents at 78 Robertson Ridge Road and were not aware of zoning restrictions on their property with a home and nearly 14 acres of land preventing them from adding a swimming pool and additional structures.

There are three residential classifications, Director of Planning, Zoning and Inspections Lee Clark said. You are limited on the size of the accessory structures on your property and its based on the square footage of the main structure.

Clark said the Minters property was zoned rural residential and a new structure could not be built that was more than half the size of the home already on the property.

This [request] is not far-fetched because its on 13.5 acres and surrounded by lots of agricultural around it, Clark said. I dont think it would harm the community one bit to have this approved and so I recommend approval.

Mary Thompson, who identified herself as a nearby neighbor, was the only person to speak in opposition to the request.

Were on 32 acres, said Thompson. Im here for the defense and sanctity of the district. Its been corrupted. Were also under special permits for large scale solar farms. This property fronts the road and the property across it is residential with homes that have been there for 30 years or more.

Thompson said special use permits are impacting the neighborhood.

This is like the wild wild west, said Thompson. Towers, boosters and relay stations could be there. Dont be so quick to do a rezone without having signage to let the neighbors know.

Mark Minter told the Commission he had no intention of putting up a tower and intended to do nothing to disrespect the neighborhood.

Deborah Minter walked to the podium after her husband spoke and pointed to Thompson saying Were new here and this goes beyond what we are asking.

Clark agreed with Deborah Minter.

I want to take 30 years of my experience and put it in a sentence and I cant, said Clark. What you are saying is 100 percent true, but planning is an inexact science. The things that you are saying are philosophically correct, but in Henry County, we go by Virginia law and Virginia is a Dillon Rule state.

Clark said his office followed the law regarding advertising a requested rezoning and often put up signs, although it was not required to do so.

There are many properties in that same community zoned agricultural, but this one isnt, Clark said. The uses that you mention, they all require another public hearing before the Board of Supervisors. I really do appreciate your input and I can relate to everything you were saying, but in this case I think the agricultural zoning fits the community its in. I really dont believe that there is anything these applicants could do that would substantially impair the property values of the adjoining properties.

Said Planning Commission Member Jeff Prillaman: Weve all seen the property and I agree with Lee. I live on a 34-acre A-1 property and I recognize your concerns.

The request was approved by the Commission and now goes before the Board of Supervisors who will conduct a public hearing on the matter at their meeting on July 26.
In one of the final decisions in its recently completed term, the U.S. Supreme Court dealt a crippling blow to the Environmental Protection Agencys ability to regulate the greenhouse gases that drive global warming.

Virginia is fortunate that state statutes continue to advance the cause of a cleaner, more sustainable environment, but that progress is under threat. While Congress must act in light of the courts ruling, holding the line in Richmond is vital to protect communities increasingly vulnerable to climate change.

In a 6-3 decision issued June 30, the Supreme Court concluded that the EPA overstepped its authority in regulating emissions from power plants under the Clean Air Act. At specific issue was the Clean Power Plan, issued by President Barack Obama and formalized in 2015, that established limits for plant emissions to help the United States meet its commitments under the Paris climate accord.

The court concluded that the sweeping regulations imposed by the Clean Power Plan exceeded the authority of the executive branch, which oversees the EPA. The majority ruled that without explicit congressional authority, the agency acted outside its scope of authority.

The implications of that decision are enormous. Not only does it hamstring the ability of the EPA to reduce the harmful pollutants that drive climate change, it calls into question a host of federal actions, since agencies routinely interpret laws to determine their rule-making authority.

There is, of course, an obvious antidote to the courts poison pill: Congress can specifically grant the EPA authority to regulate greenhouse emissions, thereby allowing the agency to reduce pollutants and protect the environment. Political polarization and institutional dysfunction make that unlikely, but it is essentially what the court wants: for legislators to legislate.

Federal action on greenhouse gases is critical for a number of reasons, but primarily because emissions do not respect state boundaries. Pollution in Tennessee affects Virginia, for example, so Washington has a central role to play in establishing and enforcing a national regulatory framework.

But the courts ruling also puts the onus on state legislatures to act  and Virginia has done so.

In 2020, the General Assembly passed the Virginia Clean Economy Act, which sets the commonwealth on pace to eliminate carbon emissions by 2050. With the support of the two largest electric utilities, Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power Company, the law will move Virginia to renewable and nuclear energy in less than 30 years.

The legislature also passed the Clean Energy and Community Flood Preparedness Act in 2020, which authorized Virginias participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a market-based carbon trading program that encourages utilities to transition toward renewable power.

The 11 RGGI states divide revenue from the sale of carbon credits and the commonwealths participation has netted $378 million so far. Virginias share is split between the Community Flood Preparedness Fund, which pays for resilience and flood protection, and low-income energy efficiency programs administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development.

The Youngkin administration and its partners in the legislature want to undo that work, proposing to withdraw Virginia from RGGI and reverse the important progress made in recent years.

Ideally, the world would be united in its efforts to curb harmful emissions to avoid a climate catastrophe. The United States should be a leader in this battle and can be if Congress finds the will to act by giving the EPA authority to impose effective regulations.

At the very least, however, Virginia must protect its laws and programs that put the commonwealth on the path to a cleaner, more sustainable future. The future of this region and communities throughout Virginia depend on it.

The Virginian-Pilot & Daily Press Editorial Board
A Nebo man serving 30 years in federal prison for child pornography was sentenced to another 20 years in McDowell County Superior Court for child sex offenses from the same investigation.

Jonathan Carver, 27, of Chestnut Oak Forest Drive, Nebo, was found guilty of felony statutory rape of a child by an adult and felony first-degree statutory sex offense. He was sentenced to 240 to 348 months in prison. He was given credit for 572 days time served. He must have no contact with the victim.

In December 2020, McDowell deputies charged Carver with sexual offenses against a 2-year-old girl and an 8-month-old boy, authorities said in a news release. Detectives received an anonymous tip that led to the investigation, which determined that Carver had inappropriate sexual contact with the victims of whom he was acquainted. He was taken into custody under a $1 million bond, according to the news release at the time of the arrest.

In February this year, the U.S. District Attorney Dena King for the Western District of N.C. announced Carver was sentenced to 30 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release and required to register as a sex offender for the production of child pornography. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North and South Carolina and McDowell County Sheriffs Office were involved in investigating the local and federal case.

On Sept. 1, 2021, Carver pleaded guilty in federal court to using a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of the conduct. According to court records, in November 2020, HSI was notified that an individual with the screen name Johnnybegood115, later identified as Carver, was using the Kik social media messaging application to create and distribute child pornography. In December 2020, law enforcement issued a search warrant for Carvers Kik account. A forensic analysis of the information obtained revealed that Carver had produced images and videos of himself sexually abusing an infant and used his Kik account to distribute the child pornography online.

The following cases were heard in McDowell County Superior Court during the week of July 27, with the Hon. J. Thomas Davis presiding and prosecution from the office of District Attorney Ted Bell:

 Charles Robert Brown Sr., 56, of Mae Drive, Nebo, was found guilty of felony trafficking methamphetamine. Sentenced 70 to 93 months in prison. Given credit for 27 days time served. Fined $59,000. Must pay a court-appointed attorney $260. Must pay court costs.

Guilty of felony possession with intent to sell a Schedule II controlled substance. Sentenced 12 to 24 months in prison. Given credit for 24 days time served.

 Cody Thomas Brown, 27 of Mae Drive, Nebo, was found guilty of felony trafficking in methamphetamine. Sentenced 70 to 93 months in prison. Given credit for 50 days time served. Fined $50,000. Must pay $3,380 for a court-appointed attorney.

Guilty of possession with intent to sell a Schedule II controlled substance. Sentenced six to 17 months in prison. Given credit for 24 days time served.

 Wesley Garrett Buchanan, 30, of Bakersville, was found guilty of misdemeanor drug paraphernalia. Sentenced to 45 days in jail. Given credit for nine days time served.

 Curtis Logan, age and address unknown, pleaded no contest to assault on a female. Was found guilty. Given credit for 150 days time served.

 Amy McEntire, 48, of Camp Creek Road, Old Fort, was found guilty of felony possession of methamphetamine. Must serve 30 months supervised probation. Must pay $125 for a court-appointed attorney. Must perform 48 hours of community service. Must pay court costs. Given credit for eight days time served.

 Jeremy Wayne Parker, 43, of Choctaw Drive, Marion, was found guilty on two counts of felony trafficking methamphetamine, resisting public officer, driving while license revoked, fictitious info to officer, possession of marijuana paraphernalia and possession of drug paraphernalia. Sentenced 70 to 93 months in prison. Given credit for 60 days time served. Fined $50,000.
Wefox, a Berlin-based insurtech, has closed a $400 million Series D funding round led by Abu Dhabi Mubadala Investment Company, reports say.

Other investors include Eurazeo, LGT, Horizons Ventures, OMERS Ventures, and Target Global,

Wefox sells insurance to intermediaries and has millions of customers.

With the new investment, Wefoxs values surged to $4.5 billion down from $3 billion.

Unlike most direct to consumer insurtechs, wefox acts as an ecosystem enabler, empowering the various distribution channels instead of competing with them, said head of Mubadala Ventures Ibrahim Ajami.

This model has allowed wefox to scale quickly and sustainably, providing brokers and customers alike a platform that seamlessly digitises the insurance market, Ajami added.

This new valuation of $4.5 billion is a clear validation of our business model, which focuses on indirect distribution via agents rather than direct. This makes our business one of the most credible insurtechs in the market right now. We continue doubling our revenues with last year reaching $320m CEO and founder of wefox Julian Teicke said.

Teicke continued: Within the first four months of this year wefox generated more than $200m in revenues, which keeps us on track to achieve our revenue target of $600m by the end of 2022.

Wefox now has more than two million customers and we aim to reach three million customers by the end of this year. It is further proof that wefox is trusted and testament to our focus on prediction and prevention, rather than the traditional approach of repair and replace.

We are making insurance 10 times better through technology. As a result, our customer experience is simple and fit for purpose for the way we live today.

Mubadala manages a portfolio of assets valued at $243 billion.
The 23 migrants, who lost their lives during last months attempt by some 2,000 migrants to storm the crossing point between the Moroccan city of Nador and Spanish enclave Melilia, died of asphyxiation in a stampede, according to a preliminary report released Wednesday by Moroccan National Human Rights Council (CNDH).

Furthermore, Moroccan law enforcement agents did not open fire on migrants during their coordinated assault which was unprecedented in nature, tactics used and scope, affirmed the Human Rights Watchdog in its report drafted following a fact-finding mission on the events of June 24.

The mission members met separately with authorities, NGOs and injured migrants at the hospitals. 217 people were injured, including 140 law enforcement officers and 77 migrants during their violent mass assault of the Nador border fences, said the CNDH report.

It described the crossing attempt as swift and well-organized, taking place in broad daylight in a concentrated area contrary to previous border storming attempts.

After reaching crossing point, the migrants jostled in a very narrow and tightly secured space, while the turnstile gates remained firmly closed, leading to deadly stampede and number of injuries, underlined the CNDH report.

The fact-finding mission could not determine whether the injuries of some of the migrants were caused by falling down the border fences and jostling or were the result of a disproportionate use of force.
The presidents of Chad and Niger promised Wednesday in NDjamena to do everything possible to revitalize the joint anti-jihadist force of the G5 Sahel after the departure of Mali and signed a security cooperation agreement that has not been disclosed.

Nigers Mohamed Bazoum, on a visit to his counterpart and neighbour, transitional President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, also sidestepped a question about the details of the forthcoming redeployment of French forces from Operation Barkhane to his country, which has been pushed out of Mali by the ruling junta.

The decision to withdraw from Mali is an episode that will be overcome, there will soon be a meeting between the four other countries allied in the G5 Sahel  Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mauritania  to ensure that the G5 is viable, Bazoum told a press conference.

Bamako announced on 16 May that it was leaving the alliance, whose armies are fighting, alongside Barkhane, the many jihadist groups that are bloodying the Sahel and spreading inexorably towards the south of the continent.

We have not yet considered that it is over for the G5 Sahel, we will fight, said Bazoum, without commenting on Bamakos decision. The young general Deby, proclaimed transitional president at the head of a junta of 15 generals after the death of his father Idriss Deby Itno fifteen months ago, regretted the departure of Mali. Lets remain optimistic and hope that he reconsiders his decision, he said.

France, which has deployed thousands of troops in Mali for several years (up to 5,100 men), has been pushed out by the junta in power since August 2020.
The Ivorian military headquarters gave details on Wednesday 13 July of the presence of its 49 soldiers arrested at Bamako airport on Sunday.

The Ivorian army insists that the arrested contingent is indeed on an official mission in Mali as part of the operations of the UN peacekeeping mission, the UNMIS.

But the UN is struggling to clarify whether these deployments, which began in 2019, have as clear a mission as Abidjan claims.

Initially, UN teams in both New York and Bamako corroborated the Ivorian version. But after cross-checking, new information revealed that the Ivorian soldiers were not considered as National Support Elements (NSE) by the UN, and for the organization it was primarily a bilateral matter.

This was confirmed by UN spokesperson Fahran Faq: The Ivorian troops do not belong to the UNMIS forces. A request from Cote dIvoire to deploy national support elements was approved in 2019.

However, no troops have been deployed under this agreement since then. We strongly encourage both countries to work together to resolve the situation and allow the release of the detained troops.

To be clear, Abidjan did sign a convention in 2019 with the UN to deploy its logistical support. But if soldiers have been sent to Bamako over the past three years, this has not been organized within the framework of this convention. In the end, they were therefore not legally and administratively considered as NSE.

Is this just an administrative mix-up, a formalisation error? Is it the fault of the Ivorian army or the UN teams? Questions remain unanswered. Despite this information, the Ivorian General Staff reiterates that the contingent of 49 soldiers is indeed part of the National Support Elements (NSE) and was therefore legitimate, as initially confirmed by the UNMIS spokesperson the day after their arrest.
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Canada on Thursday authorized the use of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine for children six months to five years of age.

This means 1.7 million children, among Canada's population of 38 million, are now eligible to be inoculated against the coronavirus.

"After a thorough and independent scientific review of the evidence, Health Canada has determined that the benefits of this vaccine for children between 6 months and 5 years of age outweigh the potential risks," the agency said.

It said that in clinical trials the effectiveness of the regime for small kids was found to be similar to that observed in people aged 18 to 25.

"With this announcement, parents and caregivers now have an option to protect these very young children, a group at high risk of infection and where additional health prevention measures like wearing masks may not always be feasible," said Patricia Gauthier, president of Moderna's Canadian unit.

The green light comes a year and half after the Moderna vaccine was approved in Canada for adults.

The United States launched its inoculation campaign for children under five in June.

Also Thursday, Ottawa reinstated mandatory random COVID-19 testing of air travelers arriving at the nation's four major airportsin Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouverafter pausing the program last month.

"We need to keep border testing measures in place because that is how we track importation of the COVID-19 virus, and of new variants of concern," Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said in a statement.

Anyone testing positive must self-isolate for 10 days.

 2022 AFP
Dantri/DTiNews readers support poor family in Hanoi

Dantri/DTiNews readers have donated around VND1.1 billion (USD47,413) to a Hanoi family in which both husband and wife are seriously ill.



The donations came after an article about Nguyen Thi Hangs family in the city's outlying district of Ba Vis Van Thang Commune was published on Dantri/DTiNews Newspaper.



Of the sum, VND952.52 million was donated through Dantri/DTiNews, VND197.47 million through the Vietnam Study Promotion Fund and the remainder directly sent to the family.





Hang and her father



The familys situation became public knowledge after their daughter Hang, 12, sent a letter to seek help to Dantri/DTiNews Newspaper.



Hangs father Nguyen Manh Hung, 52, has been suffering from a brain haemorrhage for many years. He is bedridden and tortured by pain. The family is too poor to cover the treatment, so Hung mostly takes pain relievers.



Meanwhile, Hangs mother Nguyen Thi Van is blind in one eye after an accident. Since then, her health has worsened.



Hang is likely to leave school to stay at home to look after their parents.
As part of the Green Business Network initiative, the Environment Agency  Abu Dhabi (EAD) recently collaborated with AD Ports Group to launch its new Clean Your Perimeter campaign.

The initiative empowers industrial entities to adopt more sustainable waste management practices and minimise single-use plastics consumption.

The Clean your Perimeter campaign started this May and will last until December 2022. The objectives include educating industrial facilities and helping them increase their environmental awareness regarding the importance of keeping Abu Dhabi clean and engaging employees in corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities such as Citizen Science clean-ups of nearby areas.

Citizen science research

This is in addition to supporting citizen science research on the volume of single-use plastics and other types of waste entering the environment.

To develop successful campaigns, facilities are requested to conduct internal awareness sessions for all employees, including supervisors, contractors, security teams and broader support staff such as truck drivers, on how to reduce the impact of littering and help protect the shared environment.

Circulation of internal awareness collaterals such as facts, infographic videos and more will support the outreach.

Recognition

As part of the campaign, facilities will get the chance to be recognised for their efforts through the social media channels of EAD. Furthermore, at the end of this year, a ceremony will be organised to express appreciation for the success of the Clean your Perimeter campaign.

Ahmed Baharoon, Executive Director, Environmental Information, Science & Outreach Management (EISOM), commenting on the launch, said: As the prime environmental regulator in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, our main concern in line with the governments vision is providing a safe and healthy environment for all.

To this end, we developed the Clean Your Perimeter campaign, which will encourage facilities to motivate their team of employees to participate by conducting their own citizen science clean-ups to ensure their surroundings are free of pollutants or waste. At the same time, it is an opportunity for all facilities to also contribute to citizen science by supporting EAD to research the volumes of single-use plastics and other types of waste entering the environment throughout the year.

Impactful clean-ups

Baharoon added: We want to encourage the concept of impactful clean-ups, which means that they should not be merely a one-off activity, but more of a lifestyle. We also believe that clean-ups can be more impactful through data collection, education, awareness and the instigation of behavioural change in the community. We are all responsible for keeping our environment clean, and we should always include it as part of our community projects."

Othman Al Khouri, Executive Director, Corporate Authority, AD Ports Group said: "The Clean Your Perimeter campaign is an important initiative that aims to drive awareness and engagement around sustainable waste management practices within our communities. The programme will enhance the importance of cooperation among all stakeholders, who will work together throughout its duration to reduce wastage on their premises.

Building legacy

This collaboration with a leading institution such as EAD falls in line with the directives of the wise leadership to maintain long-term positive impacts on the environment and build a legacy for future generations, a cornerstone of AD Ports Groups ongoing sustainability strategy.

Last year EAD held nine public clean-ups and gathered more than 3 tonnes of waste, measured by weighing the waste collected during the activity.-- TradeArabia News Service
Chimpanzees make use of cobbles to break nuts, but they do not modify them. Homo habilis was one of the earliest hominin species that intentionally modified cobbles to manufacture the crude, Mode One choppers. Homo habilis was only able to break out large flakes from a cobble; its voluntary control of its mental template was quite crude. Homo erectus, on the other hand, was able to break off much smaller flakes and produce the fine, symmetrical, Mode Two hand axes. Therefore, Homo erectus was most likely capable of finer voluntary control of its mental template. Credit: Andrey Vyshedskiy, licensed under CC-BY

Did the boy bite the cat, or was it the other way around?

When processing a sentence with several objects, one has to establish "who did what to whom." When a sentence cannot be interpreted by recalling an image from memory, we rely on voluntary imagination to construct a novel mental image in our mind.

In a previous study, the team of Dr. Andrey Vyshedskiy, a neuroscientist from Boston University, U.S., hypothesized that this voluntary imagination ability has fundamental importance for combinatorial language acquisition. To test the hypothesis, the researchers designed a voluntary imagination intervention and administered it to 6,454 children with language deficiencies (age 2 to 12 years).

In that three-year study, published in 2021, the scientists concluded that children who were engaged with the voluntary imagination intervention showed 2.2-fold improvement in combinatorial language comprehension compared to children with similar language deficiencies. These findings suggested that language can be improved by training voluntary imagination and confirmed the importance of the visuospatial component of language.

In his latest work, now published in the journal Research Ideas and Outcomes (RIO), Dr. Vyshedskiy builds on these experimental findings to address the question of language evolution and suggest that evolutionary acquisition of language was driven primarily by improvements of voluntary imagination, rather than the speech apparatus.

Dr. Vyshedskiy explains, "Chimpanzees and bonobos can learn hundreds of words. However, apes that know the names of objects, colors, and sizes are not capable of identifying 'a large red pencil' among multi-colored, multi-sized pieces of Lego, crayons, and pencils. This suggests that apes cannot mentally integrate color, size and objects together. Thus, voluntary constructive imagination must have been acquired by humans after our ancestors split from chimpanzees 6 million years ago.

"Evolutionary development of voluntary imagination can be traced back through the evolution of stone tools, since the process of hand ax manufacturingfor examplerequires voluntary imagination of a future tool.

"Apes do not manufacture stone tools, further confirming their imagination limitations.

"Our ancestors started manufacturing crude Mode One choppers about 3.3 million years agothe first indication of voluntary imagination ability. Then, two million years ago, the emergence of symmetrical Mode Two hand axes with a long cutting edge indicates a major improvement of both tool design and voluntary imagination. Later, approximately 400,000 years ago, the Neanderthals began manufacturing even better Mode Three tools, demonstrating even better voluntary imagination ability.

"Finally, about 70,000 years ago, Homo sapiens dramatically extended their tool repertoire as they came up with bows and arrows, needles with eyes, flutes, and composite artworks. This is when most researchers recognize that humanity acquired the modern voluntary imagination ability."

Dr. Vyshedskiy proposes that this step-wise development of voluntary imaginationand not the speech apparatus per sewas the key factor underlying the acquisition of modern combinatorial language.

There are several additional lines of evidence suggesting dissociation of articulate speech and voluntary imagination.

Firstly, there is significant genetic and archeological evidence that modern speech apparatus was acquired 600,000 years ago, which is quite a long time before acquisition of modern voluntary imagination 70,000 years ago.

Secondly, mirroring phylogenetic sequences, typical children develop articulate speech by their second year, two years before they acquire the voluntary imagination necessary to comprehend spatial prepositions, recursion, and complex fairy tales.

Thirdly, speech is not an obligatory component of combinatorial language at all. If early humans had had voluntary imagination, they could have invented sign language. All formal sign languages include spatial prepositions and other recursive elements. This was evidenced in the 1970s, when the largest natural experiment of language origin to date reported on 400 Nicaraguan deaf children from two schools who spontaneously invented a new combinatorial sign language in just a few generations. This means that the capacities of the speech apparatus could not have been a limiting factor in the acquisition of modern combinatorial language at all.

Fourthly, articulate sounds can be generated by gray parrots and thousands of other songbird species. However, these birds do not acquire combinatorial language. So, evolution of sound articulation is independent from and also a simpler process than improving voluntary imagination.

In conclusion, on the basis of studies of children, neurological observations, archeological findings, combinatorial sign language invention by Nicaraguan deaf children, and variety of sound boxes in birds, Dr. Vyshedskiy argues that the evolution of hominin speech apparatus must have followed (rather than led to) the improvements in voluntary imagination.

Contrary to the common assumption, it is voluntary imagination rather than speech that appears to define the pace of combinatorial language evolution.

Explore further Recursive language and modern imagination were acquired simultaneously 70,000 years ago

More information: Andrey Vyshedskiy, Language evolution is not limited to speech acquisition: a large study of language development in children with language deficits highlights the importance of the voluntary imagination component of language, Research Ideas and Outcomes (2022). Andrey Vyshedskiy, Language evolution is not limited to speech acquisition: a large study of language development in children with language deficits highlights the importance of the voluntary imagination component of language,(2022). DOI: 10.3897/rio.8.e86401
Nick Barragan wears a mask while running errands in Los Angeles on Wednesday, July 13, 2022. Los Angeles County is facing a return to a broad indoor mask requirement if current trends in hospital admissions continue, health officials said. Barragan said he's disappointed that the fast spread of COVID-19 could mean the return of a mandate, but he's used to wearing a mask because it's always been required for his job in film production. Credit: AP Photo/Christopher Weber

The number of new coronavirus cases reported worldwide rose for the fifth week in a row while the number of deaths remained relatively stable, the World Health Organization reported Thursday.

In the U.N. health agency's weekly review of the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO said there were 5.7 million new infections confirmed last week, marking a 6% increase. There were 9.800 deaths, roughly similar to the previous week's figure.

Earlier this week, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the pandemic still qualifies as a global emergency and he was "concerned" about the recent spike.

"The virus is running freely, and countries are not effectively managing the disease burden," he said during a Tuesday press briefing. "New waves of the virus demonstrate again that COVID-19 is nowhere near over."

In the last two weeks, cases of COVID-19 reported to WHO surged 30%, driven largely by the hugely infectious omicron relatives, BA.4 and BA.5. The two omicron subvariants have shown a worrisome ability to re-infect people previously vaccinated or who have recovered from COVID.

According to WHO, the biggest increases in COVID-19 cases were seen in the Western Pacific and the Middle East, where they jumped by more than a quarter. Deaths spiked by 78% in the Middle East and by 23% in Southeast Asia, while dropping elsewhere or remaining stable.

WHO said that relaxed COVID-19 surveillance and testing programs in numerous countries have complicated efforts to track the virus and to catch any potentially dangerous new variants.

In the U.S., the new omicron variants have pushed up hospitalizations and deaths in recent weeks, prompting some cities and states to rethink their approaches. White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha, during a Wednesday TV appearance, called for booster shots and renewed vigilance against the virus.

The White House response team has also urged all adults 50 and older to urgently get a booster if they haven't yet this yearand dissuaded people from waiting for the next generation of shots expected in the fall.

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
In this image provided by the Serum Institute of India, vials of freshly manufactured Novavax COVID-19 vaccines wait to be labeled in 2022, in Pune, India. The U.S. is getting another COVID-19 vaccine choice as the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday, July 13, 2022, cleared Novavax shots for adults. Credit: Serum Institute of India for Novavax via AP

The U.S. is getting another COVID-19 vaccine choice as the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday cleared Novavax shots for adults.

Novavax makes a more traditional type of shot than the three other COVID-19 vaccines available for use in the U.S.and one that's already available in Europe and multiple other countries.

Nearly a quarter of American adults still haven't gotten their primary vaccinations even this late in the pandemic, and experts expect at least some of them to roll up their sleeves for a more conventional optiona protein-based vaccine.

The Maryland company also hopes its shots can become a top booster choice in the U.S. and beyond. Tens of millions of Americans still need boosters that experts call critical for the best possible protection as the coronavirus continues to mutate.

For now, the FDA authorized Novavax's initial two-dose series for people 18 and older.

"I encourage anyone who is eligible for, but has not yet received, a COVID-19 vaccine to consider doing so," FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said in a statement.

Before shots begin, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must recommend how they should be used, a decision expected next week.

Novavax CEO Stanley Erck told The Associated Press that he expected the U.S. to expand use of the vaccine beyond unvaccinated adults fairly quickly.

Already the FDA is evaluating it for those as young as 12, Erck said. Novavax also has submitted data on booster doses, including "mix-and-match" use in people who'd earlier received Pfizer or Moderna vaccinations.

The Biden administration has bought 3.2 million Novavax doses so far, and Erck said vaccinations should begin later this month.

Sharon Bentley of Argyle, Texas, is one of the holdouts. Bentley was hesitant about the first COVID-19 vaccines but then her husband volunteered for a Novavax trial, getting two doses and later a booster.

Her husband's positive experience with a more tried-and-true technology, "that convinced me," Bentley said, adding that she planned to tell some unvaccinated friends about the option, too.

The Novavax vaccine is made of copies of the spike protein that coats the coronavirus, packaged into nanoparticles that to the immune system resemble a virus. Then an immune-boosting ingredient, or adjuvant, that's made from the bark of a South American tree is added that acts as a red flag to ensure those particles look suspicious enough to spark a strong immune response.

Protein vaccines have been used for years to prevent hepatitis B, shingles and other diseases. It's a very different technology than the dominant Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines that deliver genetic instructions for the body to produce its own copies of the spike protein. The lesser-used Johnson & Johnson option uses a harmless cold virus to deliver spike-making instructions.

Like the other vaccines used in the U.S., the Novavax shots have proved highly effective at preventing COVID-19's most severe outcomes. Typical vaccine reactions were mild, including arm pain and fatigue. But FDA did warn about the possibility of a rare risk, heart inflammation, that also has been seen with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

The Novavax vaccine was tested long before the omicron variant struck. But last month, the company released data showing a booster dose promised a strong immune response even against omicron's newest relativespreliminary evidence that several of the FDA's scientific advisers called compelling.

Still, U.S. regulators are planning for a fall booster campaign using Pfizer and Moderna shots that better target omicron subtypesand Novavax also has begun testing updated shots. Erck said the company could have updated doses available late in the year.

European regulators recently cleared the Novavax vaccine to be used as young as age 12, and several countries have authorized booster doses of its original vaccine.

Earlier manufacturing difficulties held up the vaccine, although Erck said those have been solved and Novavax can meet global demand. Much of the company's vaccine, including doses for the U.S., are being produced by the Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine manufacturer.

Explore further Novavax hopes its COVID shot wins over FDA, vaccine holdouts

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Researchers have created a liquid biopsy test, which uses two circulating proteins, to test for major liver diseases. The test was found to be highly accurate, sensitive, and specific for both NASH and liver fibrosis. For the first time, a non-invasive test will allow for the determination of staging of both diseases without recurring to invasive liver biopsy.

Non-alcoholic steato-hepatitis (NASH) is the most severe form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and is diagnosed in approximately 60% of NAFLD patients. NASH puts people at risk of progressing to advanced liver diseases such as liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer.

NAFLD affects approximately 52 million people in Europe and 64 million people in the US, costing $138 billion annually to the European and US healthcare systems combined.

Currently, NASH can only be diagnosed with invasive liver biopsy, which is the standard of diagnosis, but is expensive and has co-morbidities and complications. There are also no reliable blood (i.e. liquid biopsy) tests for the diseases because of low sensitivity and specificity. Current blood tests are also unable to reliably predict NASH and fibrosis staging.

Professor Geltrude Mingrone, from King's College London and Catholic University of Rome, Italy, looked to find a more accurate liquid biopsy test.

The paper, published in the journal Gut, identified two protein biomarkers, PLIN2 and RAB14, that were used as part of an algorithm to identify people with NASH and/or liver fibrosis. The ability for these proteins to detect NASH was tested in cohorts of people with either biopsy-confirmed NASH or liver fibrosis.

The algorithms, which used A.I., gave impressive results, including a sensitivity of 8895%, a specificity of 90100%, and an overall accuracy of 9293% for NASH. For fibrosis, they were even better, with a sensitivity of 99100%, specificity of 9096%, and accuracy of 9899%. As well as being much more accurate than all other currently available biomarkers, it is now possible to predict the stages of the diseases without invasive liver biopsy.

Mingrone says that "this blood test will allow to define the real prevalence of NASH in large and small populations, including children and adolescents, avoiding the need for invasive liver biopsy. Importantly, it will also allow to monitor the efficacy of NASH treatments over time, reducing screen failures and helping generate better drugs."

These results show that the PLIN2/RAB14-based liquid biopsy can provide rapid and cost-effective testing to combat the growing epidemic of NASH and liver fibrosis. This will be an invaluable tool in diagnosing and monitoring cases of liver diseases, enabling people to receive earlier treatment.

The authors also believe that the testing will allow for the improved capacity for researchers to study NASH and liver fibrosis in the general population, including disease progression, and record the effects of treatment, from lifestyle to surgical and pharmacological interventions.

No NASH drug has been approved by the FDA or EMA due to the lack of an accurate, reliable, and non-invasive test. Between 6573% of patients that currently enroll in clinical trials for NASH-related therapies are found to be ineligible for the trial due to screen failure. The testdeveloped in collaboration with Metadeq Corp.is expected to significantly reduce screen failures in clinical trials and improve the chances of new life-saving drugs reaching the market.

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More information: Giulia Angelini et al, Accurate liquid biopsy for the diagnosis of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and liver fibrosis, Gut (2022). Journal information: Gut Giulia Angelini et al, Accurate liquid biopsy for the diagnosis of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and liver fibrosis,(2022). DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2022-327498
Nick Barragan wears a mask while running errands in Los Angeles on Wednesday, July 13, 2022. Los Angeles County is facing a return to a broad indoor mask requirement if current trends in hospital admissions continue, health officials said. Barragan said he's disappointed that the fast spread of COVID-19 could mean the return of a mandate, but he's used to wearing a mask because it's always been required for his job in film production. Credit: AP Photo/Christopher Weber

Nick Barragan is used to wearing a mask because his job in the Hollywood film industry has long required it. So he won't be fazed if the county that's home to Tinseltown soon becomes the first major population center this summer to reinstate rules requiring face coverings indoors because of another spike in coronavirus cases.

"I feel fine about it because I've worn one pretty much constantly for the last few years. It's become a habit," said Barragan, masked up while out running errands Wednesday.

Los Angeles is the most populous county, home to 10 million residents. It faces a return to a broad indoor mask mandate on July 29 if current trends in hospital admissions continue, county health Director Barbara Ferrer said Thursday.

Ferrer conceded that "for many this will feel like a step backwards," but requiring masks again is part of a toolkit of "sensible safety precautions" during a jump in cases that's reminiscent of the Delta variant-fueled surge last summer.

"We are not closing anything down. We are not asking people not to gather with the people they love," Ferrer said during a public briefing. "We're asking you to take a sensible step, when there's this much transmission with a highly transmissible variant, to go ahead and put back on a well fitting high-filtration mask when you're indoors around others."

Nationwide, the latest COVID-19 surge is driven by the highly transmissible BA.5 variant, which now accounts for 65% of cases with its cousin BA.4 contributing another 16%. The variants have shown a remarkable ability to get around the protection offered by vaccination.

Money is exchanged at a food stand while workers wear face masks inside Grand Central Market Wednesday, July 13, 2022, in Los Angeles. Los Angeles County might be imposing a mask-wearing mandate on July 29 if COVID-19 numbers continue to rise. Credit: AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

With the new omicron variants again pushing hospitalizations and deaths higher in recent weeks, states and cities are rethinking their responses and the White House is stepping up efforts to alert the public.

Some experts said the warnings are too little, too late.

"It's well past the time when the warning could have been put out there," said Dr. Eric Topol, head of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, who has has called BA.5 "the worst variant yet."

Global trends for the two mutants have been apparent for weeks, experts saidthey quickly out-compete older variants and push cases higher wherever they appear. Yet Americans have tossed off their masks and jumped back into travel and social gatherings.

And they have largely ignored booster shots, which protect against COVID-19s worst outcomes. Courts have blocked federal mask and vaccine mandates, tying the hands of U.S. officials.

Travelers wait in long lines at a security checkpoint in Denver International Airport Tuesday, July 5, 2022, in Denver. The Fourth of July holiday weekend jammed U.S. airports with the biggest crowds since the pandemic began in 2020. Credit: AP Photo/David Zalubowski

"We learn a lot from how the virus is acting elsewhere and we should apply the knowledge here," said Ali Mokdad, a professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle.

White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha appeared on morning TV on Wednesday urging booster shots and renewed vigilance. Yet Mokdad said federal health officials need to push harder on masks indoors, early detection and prompt antiviral treatment.

"They are not doing all that they can," Mokdad said.

The administration's challenge, in the view of the White House, is not their messaging, but people's willingness to hear itdue to pandemic fatigue and the politicization of the virus response.

For months, the White House has encouraged Americans to make use of free or cheap at-home rapid tests to detect the virus, as well as the free and effective antiviral treatment Paxlovid that protects against serious illness and death. On Tuesday, the White House response team urgently called on all adults 50 and older to get a booster if they haven't yet this year and dissuaded people from waiting for the next generation of shots expected in the fall.

Two commuters wait for a train to arrive at a Metro station in Los Angeles, Wednesday, July 13, 2022. Los Angeles County, the nation's largest by population, is facing a return to a broad indoor mask mandate if current trends in hospital admissions continue, health director Barbara Ferrer told county supervisors Tuesday. Credit: AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

New York City, San Francisco and many other local governments also have stepped up reminders encouraging people to get boosters, wear masks and take other precautions but have refrained from imposing mask mandates lifted following the major spike last winter. During the latest surge, Philadelphia resumed its mask mandate in April but lifted the requirement within a few days.

For most of the pandemic, Los Angeles County has required masks in some indoor spaces, including health care facilities, Metro trains and buses, airports, jails and homeless shelters. The new mandate would expand the requirement to all indoor public spaces, including shared offices, manufacturing facilities, warehouses, retail stores, restaurants and bars, theaters and schools.

It's unclear what enforcement might look like. Under past mandates, no individuals were cited for refusing masks and officials favored educating people over issuing citations and fines.

Two commuters ride an escalator as they exit a Metro station in Los Angeles, Wednesday, July 13, 2022. Los Angeles County, the nation's largest by population, is facing a return to a broad indoor mask mandate if current trends in hospital admissions continue, health director Barbara Ferrer told county supervisors Tuesday. Credit: AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

On a typically sunny and warm summer day in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Sharon Fayette ripped off her mask the moment she stepped out of a Lyft ride and groaned when informed another universal mask requirement might be coming. "Oh man, when will it end?" she said.

Fayette said she was exhausted by shifting regulations and dubious another mandate would be followed by most residents. "I just think people are over it, over all the rules," she said.

Barragan said he learned a harsh lesson about the effectiveness of masks when he went without a face covering at a film industry mixer last month in Los Angeles.

"I thought it would be fine because we were all outdoors," said Barragan, 35. A few days later he started feeling sick and tested positive.

He'd avoided catching the virus for more than two years because he was religious about masking up.

Masked and unmasked commuters are seen at a Metro station in Los Angeles, Wednesday, July 13, 2022. Los Angeles County, the nation's largest by population, is facing a return to a broad indoor mask mandate if current trends in hospital admissions continue, health director Barbara Ferrer told county supervisors Tuesday. Credit: AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

"The one time I took it off, I caught it!" he laughed.

While hospitalizations and deaths have remained well below prior spikes nationally, the current trends are troubling. Last month, daily deaths were falling, though they never matched last year's low, and deaths are now heading up again.

The seven-day average for daily deaths in the U.S. rose 26% over the past two weeks to 489 on July 12. The coronavirus is not killing nearly as many as it was last fall and winter, and experts do not expect death to reach those levels again soon.

But hundreds of daily deaths for a summertime respiratory illness would normally be jaw-dropping, said Andrew Noymer, a public health professor at the University of California, Irvine. He noted that in Orange County, California, 46 people died of COVID-19 in June.

A commuter sits in a Los Angeles Metro train in Los Angeles, Wednesday, July 13, 2022. Los Angeles County, the nation's largest by population, is facing a return to a broad indoor mask mandate if current trends in hospital admissions continue, health director Barbara Ferrer told county supervisors Tuesday. Credit: AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

"That would be all hands on deck," Noymer said. "People would be like, 'There's this crazy new flu that's killing people in June.'"

Instead, simple, proven precautions are not being taken. Vaccinations, including booster shots for those eligible, lower the risk of hospitalization and deatheven against the latest variants. But less than half of all eligible U.S. adults have gotten a single booster shot, and only about 1 in 4 Americans age 50 and older who are eligible for a second booster have received one.

"This has been a botched booster campaign," Topol said, noting that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still uses the term "fully vaccinated" for people with two shots of Moderna or Pfizer. "They haven't gotten across that two shots is totally inadequate," he said.

Noymer said if he were in charge of the nation's COVID response he would level with the American people in an effort to get their attention in this third year of the pandemic. He would tell Americans to take it seriously, mask indoors and "until we get better vaccines, there's going to be a new normal of a disease that kills over 100,000 Americans a year and impacts life expectancy."

Yousey Kamel, 62, wears a face mask while riding in a Los Angeles Metro train in Los Angeles, Wednesday, July 13, 2022. Los Angeles County, the nation's largest by population, is facing a return to a broad indoor mask mandate if current trends in hospital admissions continue, health director Barbara Ferrer told county supervisors Tuesday. Credit: AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

Masked patrons wait to order at a food stand inside Grand Central Market Wednesday, July 13, 2022, in Los Angeles. Los Angeles County might be imposing a mask-wearing mandate on July 29 if COVID-19 numbers continue to rise. Credit: AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

A worker waits for orders at a food stand inside Grand Central Market Wednesday, July 13, 2022, in Los Angeles. Los Angeles County might be imposing a mask-wearing mandate on July 29 if COVID-19 numbers continue to rise. Credit: AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

People wear a face mask while waiting at a bus stop along Hill Street Wednesday, July 13, 2022, in Los Angeles. Los Angeles County might be imposing a mask mandate on July 29 if COVID-19 numbers continue to rise. Credit: AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

Mask an unmasked patrons walk along a row of food stands inside Grand Central Station Wednesday, July 13, 2022, in Los Angeles. Los Angeles County might be imposing a mandate on July 29 if COVID-19 numbers continue to rise. Credit: AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

A patron wears a mask while waiting for a food order at Grand Central Market Wednesday, July 13, 2022, in Los Angeles. Los Angeles County might be imposing a mandate on July 29 if COVID-19 numbers continue to rise. Credit: AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

A bus driver wears a mask while picking up passengers along Hill Street Wednesday, July 13, 2022, in Los Angeles. Los Angeles county might be imposing a mandate on July 29 if COVID-19 numbers continue to rise. Credit: AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

That message probably wouldn't fly for political reasons, Noymer acknowledged.

It also might not resonate with people who are tired of taking precautions after more than two years of the pandemic. Valerie Walker of New Hope, Pennsylvania, is mindful of the latest surge but hardly alarmed even with two friends now sick and her husband recently recovered from the virus.

"I was definitely concerned back then," she said of the pandemic's early days, with images of body bags on nightly news broadcasts. "Now there's fatigue."

Explore further Experts rue simple steps not taken before latest COVID surge

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Connor Speed never imagined he would be asking for a vasectomy at the age of 23, but after the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, he decided to take the plunge.

He's frustrated by what he sees as a loss of rights for the women in his life; he also wants to avoid unwanted pregnancies.

"Unfortunately my fiancee and my daughter now don't have the right to choose what they want to do with their body, and I do, so I made this choice," said Speed, who scheduled the procedure in his home state of Missouri five days after the ruling. By the time he undergoes the planned procedure in October, he'll have turned 24.

The high court's reversal of the 1973 landmark decision protecting the federal right to abortion has sent shock waves through the medical, legal and advocacy communities. Under pressure to respond, the White House said President Joe Biden signed an executive order Friday intended to preserve access to the procedure.

Meanwhile, couples have been forced to reconsider how they'll safeguard against unwanted pregnancies. Speed is among hundreds of men rushing to book sterilization procedures after the June 24 ruling.

In Ohio, where abortions are now prohibited after six weeks into pregnancy, the Cleveland Clinic went from lining up three or four vasectomies a day to 90. Des Moines, Iowa, urologist Esgar Guarin said he typically performs 40 to 50 vasectomies a month; last weekend alone 20 men registered. Koushik Shaw of the Austin Urology Institute in Texas said his office received about 70 calls within the hour of the ruling.

Many men who had been considering a vasectomy say the verdict was the last straw, according to Tampa, Florida, urologist Doug Stein. Weekly requests for the procedure at his practice have nearly tripled to about 150.

"They want to remain pregnancy-free, because now you cannot reverse a pregnancy as easily as you could before," he said.

Planned Parenthood Federation of America, which provides vasectomies in some of its clinics, said web traffic on a page explaining how to receive a sterilization procedure increased over 2,200% in the days following the judgment. Traffic to an article on how to get a vasectomy spiked more than 1,500%.

"Many people are rightfully concerned about their rights and access to sexual and reproductive health careincluding, but not limited to, abortion," said Diana Contreras, Planned Parenthood's chief health care officer.

In a vasectomy, doctors sever the tubes that carry sperm, preventing it from mixing with semen. Dependence on it is not uncommon: In a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey published in 2020, 5.6% of women cited vasectomy as their contraceptive approach, compared with 14% using birth control pills.

While vasectomies are often reversible, success rates range from 30% to 90%. Most women's tubal ligation procedures, another surgical form of pregnancy prevention, can't be reversed and are far more dangerous than male sterilization.

"Every single year in this country alone, 25 to 30 women die from getting their tubes tied," said Marc Goldstein, a Weill Cornell Medicine urologist. In contrast, research published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1992 found that, among men who were cancer-free at the start of the study, vasectomy "was associated with reductions in mortality from all causes."

Goldstein said he's seen an unusual increase among vasectomies in men who are younger and in childless couples since the ruling. That may also reflect a link between vasectomies and financial dread that's been noted in periods such as the Great Recession of 2007-2009, when procedures spiked while reversals dropped, he said. US consumer confidence has fallen to its lowest point since July 2020, according to the Ipsos-Forbes Advisor US Consumer Confidence Tracker.

"Whenever we see a downturn in the economy, more people think about having less children," said Philip Werthman, a urologist at the Center for Male Reproductive Medicine & Vasectomy Reversal in Los Angeles. Whether those trends last remains to be seen.

"My initial response is that part of this is reactionary," said Stein, the Tampa urologist. Future legislation and court activity will likely play an important role, he said.

While contraception itself is currently unaffected by the court's June decision, Justice Clarence Thomas suggested the group reconsider that issue, among many other rights-based questions. As those uncertainties mount, Speed said his choice to get a vasectomy has eased a lot of his anxieties about family planning.

"I don't regret my decision," he said. "I am eager for it, I'm excited, and hopefully it's not just a decision made in vain."

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Prior to Ohio's new six-week cutoff for legal abortions, about 9 in 10 people seeking care in Ohio had abortions later than the current law allows, new research suggests.

In a study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, researchers from The Ohio State University found that 1 in 4 patients didn't know they were pregnant before six weeks of gestation. Among those who did know they were pregnant before six weeks, 86% still had their abortions after the six-week mark.

The findings come from a survey conducted in 2020 and 2021 that included 1,141 abortion patients. Since then, following this summer's Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, Ohio has banned abortions after six weeks, or 42 days of pregnancy.

Lead author Abigail Norris Turner, a professor in the colleges of medicine and public health at Ohio State, said the study suggests that a large percentage of pregnant people who want to terminate a pregnancy will now not be able to do so in Ohio.

"Regardless of when pregnancy is discovered, six-week bans disrupt care for nearly all patients," she said. "Obviously everyone who doesn't know they're pregnant until after six weeks gestation can't get an abortion in our state. But when you also consider the requirement of at least two clinic visits, a mandatory 24-hour waiting period, staff shortages and high demand, among other factors, some people who know they are pregnant before six weeks are likely still not going to be able to get abortions before the six-week limit."

The researchers also wanted to understand whether people who knew they were pregnant before six weeks had a different "deliberation window" than those who learned they were pregnant later. Their findings showed that the two groups of patients reported approximately the same number of daystwo to threebetween finding out they were pregnant and contacting the abortion clinic.

The median gestation when a person discovered a pregnancy was 34 daysabout a week before the current ban renders abortion illegal in Ohio. The median time between pregnancy discovery and termination was about triple that22 days.

The study also found that later pregnancy discovery was more common for those who had fewer educational and financial resources.

"Many people choose abortion because they don't have enough money or want to pursue higher education before raising children. We learned in this study that those same factors are associated with not knowing you are pregnant until after six weeksso people in this position are trapped," Norris Turner said.

The findings underscore the importance of keeping pregnancy tests on hand, taking them early and scheduling any pregnancy-related appointments as soon as possible, said study co-author Alison Norris, associate professor public health and medicine at Ohio State.

It is also important to inform patients that abortion providers are striving to accommodate those who have only a short window before the six-week mark, she said, adding that for those who learn they're pregnant too late for an abortion in Ohio, funds that help with out-of-state travel, child care and overnight accommodations are essential.

"There is no public health or medical reason to have a six-week ban on abortion, and it isn't what patients need or want. Such a ban will have lasting harmful impacts on the people who need to travel for an abortion or who are forced to carry a pregnancy to term," Norris said.

The research was done as part of the work of the Ohio Policy Evaluation Network, or OPEN, a multi-university reproductive health care research group that Norris co-leads.

Study co-authors include Katherine Rivlin of Ohio State and Danielle Bessett, Jeremy Brenner-Levoy, Zoe Muzyczka and Tamika Odum of the University of Cincinnati.

More information: Abigail Norris Turner et al, Who loses access to legal abortion with a 6-week ban?, American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (2022). Journal information: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Abigail Norris Turner et al, Who loses access to legal abortion with a 6-week ban?,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2022.06.032
Caliper testing. Credit: Stellenbosch University South Africa

Many children in South Africa run the risk of developing foot abnormalities such as hammer-, clawed- and retracted toes and heel spurs because they wear school shoes that don't fit properly.

This is one of the key findings of a new study at Stellenbosch University (SU).

"Our research shows that habitually barefoot kids wear school shoes that are either too short, too long or too narrow for their feet. Wearing ill-fitting shoes regularly can have a negative impact on the development of their feet which can lead to various foot abnormalities, and musculoskeletal problems such as lower back pain later in life," say Marise Breet and Ranel Venter from the Department of Sport Science at SU. They set out to determine if the length and width dimensions of prescribed school shoes match the foot dimensions of habitually barefoot children.

The findings of their study were published recently in BMC Pediatrics.

Breet and Venter measured the feet of 698 kids (431 girls and 267 boys) between the ages of six and sixteen in urban and rural schools. They also measured the length and width of different brands of school shoes currently available in stores. The maximum heel-toe length (HTL) and foot width with an added 10 mm toe and width fit allowance to each participant were compared to the corresponding school shoe length and width.

"Our results show that, comparing the shoe length and maximum heel-toe-length of participants, as well as taking 10 mm toe allowance into account, 59% of children wore shoes that were not the correct length. With regards to the shoe width and the added 10 mm of width fit allowance, 98% of the shoes worn by the children were too narrow for their feet."

"Given the width dimensions of the shoes in our study, many children in South Africa will not have the option of a school shoe with a wider forefoot, as this is not available. Habitually barefoot children have a wider forefoot than those who wear shoes on a regular basis."

According to the researchers, there are several possible reasons for the prevalence of ill-fitting shoes.

"Recent research has indicated toe and width allowances are not applied effectively. Often too much or too little space is left for the toes inside the shoe to ensure a correct shoe fit. The recommended toe allowance of 10 mm should be considered in addition to the HTL of the child to guarantee the correct fit for shoe length."

"Our shoe manufacturers use a shoe design based on the British system, using foot length as the basic measurement. In this system, each increase in foot length will correspond with a standardized increase in foot girth, based on European data."

"Also, the manufacturing of children's shoes is often not predominantly influenced by orthopedic and biomechanical research, but by fashion trends."

The researchers add that the quality of information available on footwear fit and the rapid increase (up to 1.5 cm per year) in foot length in children between the ages of six and 14 years could also be reasons for ill-fitting shoes.

They recommend that shoe manufacturing companies consider the shoe width of school shoes for habitually barefoot children and adolescents to avoid the long-term negative effects of ill-fitting shoes.

"Shoe designs for these children should produce a shoe to fit the foot properly and mimic the natural shape and dimensions of the bare foot. This should help to enhance the healthy development of the foot."

"It should be pointed out, however, that shoe manufacturers don't always have the right data to design a standard shape from available measurements. Consequently, they focus on shoe length as a basic measurement without considering the other dimensions."

The researchers say their study advances and elaborates on existing views on this highly relevant issue, as it places the onus on shoe manufacturers to improve on the basic dimensions of available shoes for habitually barefoot children.

"Results from our study could help to create awareness of the current mismatch between these children's feet and available school shoes and could also assist shoe manufacturers to make better-fitting shoes for our South African children and adolescents."

More information: Marise Carina Breet et al, Are habitually barefoot children compelled to wear ill-fitting school shoes? A cross-sectional study, BMC Pediatrics (2022). Marise Carina Breet et al, Are habitually barefoot children compelled to wear ill-fitting school shoes? A cross-sectional study,(2022). DOI: 10.1186/s12887-022-03263-9
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Existing gaps and serious limitations concerning the information in vaccine product labels makes it challenging for health care providers to know when to recommend vaccination to pregnant women. A new study, which identified these knowledge gaps, surveyed health care providers, and recommended improvements for the future is published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Women's Health.

Health care providers are often hesitant to recommend vaccination in pregnancy, and this hesitancy has been linked to inconsistencies and ambiguity in vaccine information, evidence, and policies, including information in vaccine labels. In their survey, Janice Graham, Ph.D., from Dalhousie University and the Canadian Center for Vaccinology, and coauthors, showed that health care providers were uncertain about the purpose of vaccine product labels and the evidence contained in them. More than a third of the survey respondents incorrectly thought that the information contained in the product labels was updated regularly. "Most health care providers were unaware that labels are not up-to-date about the risks or burden of the disease," state the investigators.

"More frequent updating and alignment of robust, unbiased, and independently reviewed clinical trial and post-market safety and effectiveness evidence with Nation Immunization Technical Advisory Group recommendations would allay health care providers and public misunderstanding," conclude the investigators.

"For the COVID-19 vaccines, specifically, there are no data about pregnancy and breastfeeding included in the labeling. As noted by the authors, despite the growing body of evidence about the use of COVID-19 vaccines and the risk of severe disease from COVID-19, there is no indication if/when those vaccine labels will be updated," says Journal of Women's Health Editor-in-Chief Susan G. Kornstein, MD, Executive Director of the Virginia Commonwealth University Institute for Women's Health, Richmond, VA.

Explore further International study reveals factors contributing to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among health care providers

More information: Terra Anne Manca et al, Deferring Risk: Limitations to the Evidence in Product Labels for Vaccine Use in Pregnancy, Journal of Women's Health (2022). Journal information: Journal of Women's Health Terra Anne Manca et al, Deferring Risk: Limitations to the Evidence in Product Labels for Vaccine Use in Pregnancy,(2022). DOI: 10.1089/jwh.2021.0609
A toddler is inoculated for polio during a free vaccination campaign for polio, rubella and influenza organized by the Health Ministry in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, June 18, 2022. An Associated Press analysis of rare government data and estimates from public health agencies shows that Venezuelas vaccination crisis is growing, putting it among the worlds worst countries for getting required shots that protect young children against potentially fatal diseases. Credit: AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos

The wails pierced the walls of the walk-in clinic tucked among rundown homes in the heart of Venezuela's capital. Artemis Parra got one vaccine in each arm, for polio and measles. The shots were free at the government site, and they filled gaps in the 1-year-old's vaccination record. But they weren't enough to meet national requirements for children her age. Artemis needs two more, at a cost of $400a bill her unemployed mother and government-worker father can't afford.

Public health officials have long warned that Venezuela, with an unraveling health-care system and roughly a decade of political unrest, has alarmingly low vaccination rates. The country is banned from purchasing vaccines through a regional system that offers affordable prices until it pays off an $11 million debtlargely the result of a power struggle between the government and the U.S.-backed opposition.

Specific data on vaccination rates have been elusive in Venezuela, where institutions are shrouded in secrecy, corruption and bureaucracy. The country hasn't published rates since 2015.

But an Associated Press analysis of rare government data and estimates from public health agencies shows that Venezuela's vaccination crisis is growing, putting it among the world's worst countries for inoculating children against potentially fatal diseases.

Many children lack several of the 10 vaccines recommended by 12 months of age, to protect against 14 diseases including polio, measles and tuberculosis. Two of the shotsone that prevents life-threatening diarrhea and one that protects against respiratory viruseshave hardly been given at all over the past several years.

Nurses look over a child's vaccination card during a free vaccination campaign for polio, rubella and influenza organized by the Health Ministry in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, June 18, 2022. An Associated Press analysis of rare government data and estimates from public health agencies shows that Venezuelas vaccination crisis is growing, putting it among the worlds worst countries for getting required shots that protect young children against potentially fatal diseases. Credit: AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos

Rates are lowest in states far from the capital and large cities. Government and opposition officials trade blame, but most agree: There are not enough shots for a population that desperately needs them in a country plagued by supply issues.

Vaccination experts say the political turmoil in Venezuela is largely to blame, with t he COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating access issues.

"In situations of conflict, you often see a variety of different parties using the provision of health services as a way of generating favor," said Katherine Bliss, director of the Immunizations and Health Systems Resilience program at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Bliss said overall vaccination rates dropped globally during pandemic lockdowns, and many nations rebounded. But Venezuela and others in Latin America struggled. They cannot fully fund vaccination programs but don't qualify for the aid available to the poorest nations.

A nurse holds a vaccination card during a free vaccination campaign for polio, rubella and influenza organized by the Health Ministry in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, June 18, 2022. An Associated Press analysis of rare government data and estimates from public health agencies shows that Venezuelas vaccination crisis is growing, putting it among the worlds worst countries for getting required shots that protect young children against potentially fatal diseases. Credit: AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos

Data from Venezuela's health department breaking down the percentage of children who have been immunized according to the nation's vaccination scheduleprovided to the AP by a medical professional on the condition of anonymity, for fear of retributionshow that roughly 70% of children had received one shot against measles but less than 30% had the standard required second dose. In the two southeastern states along the border with Brazil, the rate for the second dose is as low as 15% for that smaller, rural population.

Globally, 84% of children received a first dose; 70% got two, according to World Health Organization and UNICEF data.

The Venezuelan government didn't respond to inquiries from AP about the vaccine crisis.

For Artemis Parra, the vaccinations missing after her clinic visit were for rotavirus, which causes diarrhea and vomiting, and pneumococcal disease, responsible for pneumonia and other infections. United Nations agencies estimate the national rate at zero for both shots. The Venezuelan document obtained by AP doesn't list either vaccine.

Children hold toys they were gifted as they wait their turns to be inoculated during a free vaccination campaign for polio, rubella and influenza, organized by the Health Ministry, in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, June 18, 2022. An Associated Press analysis of rare government data and estimates from public health agencies shows that Venezuelas vaccination crisis is growing, putting it among the worlds worst countries for getting required shots that protect young children against potentially fatal diseases. Credit: AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos

The clinic was part of a campaign to get measles, rubella and polio shots in children's arms. Vaccines began arriving in June through the Pan American Health Organization, WHO's arm in the Americas. It's unclear how they were purchased.

Venezuela has traditionally bought most of its supply through PAHO's Revolving Fund for Access to Vaccines, which consolidates demand from participating countries and leverages purchasing power for lower prices.

Despite Venezuela's debt, the government and PAHO got 4.4 million shots for the drive. PAHO didn't answer AP's inquiries about the source of payment.

For families, the vaccine source isn't important. Clinics mean protect for children at no cost

At 4 a.m. on a mid-June Saturday, Dimas Campos was first in line to get his 19-month-old got shots. Campos told other parents one way to obtain remaining vaccines: Travel to Colombia, 500-plus miles from Caracas. By car, the trip takes at least 13 hours. Buses take longer.

Yuberlim Salazar watches a nurse fill out a form for her daughter to be vaccinated during a free vaccination campaign for polio, rubella and influenza organized by the Health Ministry in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, June 18, 2022. An Associated Press analysis of rare government data and estimates from public health agencies shows that Venezuelas vaccination crisis is growing, putting it among the worlds worst countries for getting required shots that protect young children against potentially fatal diseases. Credit: AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos

"You get on the bus at night, arrive in the morning, get vaccinated," Campos said. His family estimated they'd spend $100 for the trip for free shots at a humanitarian aid site, versus $400 at a private Venezuelan practice.

Such trips show the effect of Venezuela's crisis beyond its borders. Peter Hotez, of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, said Venezuela's crisis is destabilizing the continent.

"It's become a Latin American problem, and really, a Western Hemisphere problem," he said.

Venezuela and other countries face a deadline of Friday to order vaccines for next year from PAHO's Revolving Fund.

Dr. Ciro Ugarte, of PAHO, insisted Venezuela can't make purchases: "The debt of Venezuela to the revolving fund for vaccines is still on."

AP's analysis shows that dips in vaccination rates matched periods of political decline. A downward trend began in 2016, just before the U.S. and other countries imposed broad economic sanctions to try to topple President Nicolas Maduro.

Nineteen-month-old Anastasia Campos sucks on her pacifier as she waits to be inoculated during a free vaccination campaign for polio, rubella and influenza organized by the Health Ministry in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, June 18, 2022. An Associated Press analysis of rare government data and estimates from public health agencies shows that Venezuelas vaccination crisis is growing, putting it among the worlds worst countries for getting required shots that protect young children against potentially fatal diseases. Credit: AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos

A baby reaches out for balloons on display at a free vaccination campaign for polio, rubella and influenza organized by the Health Ministry in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, June 18, 2022. An Associated Press analysis of rare government data and estimates from public health agencies shows that Venezuelas vaccination crisis is growing, putting it among the worlds worst countries for getting required shots that protect young children against potentially fatal diseases. Credit: AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos

Dimas Campos holds his 19-month-old daughter Anastasia as his wife, standing, talk with a nurse holding a child from her own family, about Anastasia's vaccination card during a free vaccination campaign for polio, rubella and influenza organized by the Health Ministry in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, June 18, 2022. An Associated Press analysis of rare government data and estimates from public health agencies shows that Venezuelas vaccination crisis is growing, putting it among the worlds worst countries for getting required shots that protect young children against potentially fatal diseases. Credit: AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos

Photographed through a window, a woman holds a baby during a free vaccination campaign for polio, rubella and influenza organized by the Health Ministry in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, June 18, 2022. An Associated Press analysis of rare government data and estimates from public health agencies shows that Venezuelas vaccination crisis is growing, putting it among the worlds worst countries for getting required shots that protect young children against potentially fatal diseases. Credit: AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos

A child cries out as she is inoculated during a free vaccination campaign for polio, rubella and influenza organized by the Health Ministry in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, June 18, 2022. An Associated Press analysis of rare government data and estimates from public health agencies shows that Venezuelas vaccination crisis is growing, putting it among the worlds worst countries for getting required shots that protect young children against potentially fatal diseases. Credit: AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos

Children jump in an inflatable castle during a free vaccination campaign for polio, rubella and influenza organized by the Health Ministry in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, June 18, 2022. An Associated Press analysis of rare government data and estimates from public health agencies shows that Venezuelas vaccination crisis is growing, putting it among the worlds worst countries for getting required shots that protect young children against potentially fatal diseases. Credit: AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos

Maduro's socialist government and the faction of the opposition backed by the U.S. and led by Juan Guaido have accused each other of exploiting the issue of vaccines.

The U.S. gave Guaido and his parallel government control of hundreds of millions of dollars in assets. Disbursements must be approved by the U.S. Department of Treasury.

Treasury officials referred questions to Guaido's team. Guaido's opposition faction didn't respond to inquiries from AP about vaccine payments and any use of frozen assets.

For public health officials, rotavirus and pneumococcal inoculations are top concerns. Handwashing and other good hygiene can help. But Venezuela's potable water service is unreliable at best.

Some parents are aware of the risks of skipping the expensive vaccines but say they have no choice.

"We do not have the budget," stay-at-home mom Yuberlim Salazar said at the vaccination clinic. "It is unfair to save the money to give her the vaccine and not give food to my daughter. I prefer to give my daughter food."

Explore further Polio makes comeback in Venezuela after decades

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Premier maker of precious wearable art objects, Qannati Objet dArt has revealed Celebration of Time, its debut collection of Eternity bracelets and Quantum timepieces inspired by Mesopotamian culture and expertly handcrafted in France.

Celebration of Time will be unveiled this month at an exclusive, invitation-only presentation in Paris during Couture Week.

Prior to the global launch in July, the collection was presented to clients, connoisseurs of art, watches and high jewellery as well top tier editors and KOLs in the Middle East in May on an appointment basis.

Qannati Objet dArt

Qannati Objet dArt is French Bahraini premier maker of precious, one-of-a-kind wearable art objects. The first luxury brand from Bahrain, dually based in Paris and Manama, Qannati Objet dArt was founded in 2018 by Mahmood Qannati, a Bahraini-born global entrepreneur with a passion for history, a keen eye for art and a love of fine craftsmanship. Four years in the making, Mahmood has overcome every challenge to make the Qannati dream a reality.

Debut Collection

The debut collection, titled Celebration of Time, consists of 13 intricately designed, beautifully handcrafted art objects designed to be worn on the wrist. Under a sapphire glass dome, each piece features a unique, sculpted miniature metier dart universe that uses a combination of precious stones and exotic materials to narrate, a chapter in the millenary journey of mankind.

This debut collection consists of 6 Eternity bracelets and 6 Quantum Timepieces, each complementing the other as they may be worn separately or together, one on each wrist like the ancient kings of Mesopotamia. The 13th piece, which represents the beginning of time  the big bang, will remain in Qannatis private collection.

In addition to the existing collection, Qannati Objet dArt offers its clients, the possibility to order a bespoke bracelet or timepiece, which can be designed by the Qannati team in the theme of the client's own choosing for the miniature universe under the sapphire dome. This bespoke service is offered to those who desire a wrist ornament that expresses their personal legacy or aspirations.

Ancient Mesopotamian Inspiration

Though handmade in France, Qannati Objet dArt is firmly grounded in the traditions of ancient Mesopotamian, birthplace of 4,500 year-old civilisations.

The design of each piece is based on the powerful symbolism of the Flower of Life, an ancient ornamental motif reserved for the kings of Mesopotamia and their Chosen Ones.

These motifs which were discovered by Mahmood through the Mesopotamian collections during his visit to the Louvre Museum, ignited his passion to create and launch Qannati Objet dArt wearable masterpieces thereby reviving the ancient tradition of wearing symbolically powerful objects on both wrists.

Exceptional craftsmanship

To make its vision of unique wearable art objects a reality, Qannati Objet dArt has harnessed the talents of two of Frances most exceptional master craftsmen. The jewellery conceptor and designer Frederic Mane, named Artistic Director of Qannati, and Jothi-Seroj Ebroussard, a master jeweller and sculptor, have joined the team, bringing their impeccable Metiers dArt sensibility to Qannatis masterpieces.

This collection consists of original handmade objects that will stand out in the eyes of an elite international clientele who appreciates the superlative craftsmanship of timeless ornaments, meticulously crafted and always one-of-a-kind. We believe in exclusivity, which is why each masterpiece is unique, because each life experience is unique, says Mahmood Qannati, founder of Qannati Objet dArt.

Master Designer and Artistic Director

For over two decades, French master designer Frederic Mane has used his immense talent to create outstanding objects for the worlds most renowned luxury brands and important high jewelry houses of the Place Vendome.

Manes Parisian design studio is dedicated to creating a wealth of luxury objects, among them precious watches and bespoke jewellery. His extraordinarily objects have earned him the title of Lord of Jewellery Design on the Place Vendome. His work has been widely exhibited around the world, and he regularly travels to meet clients and the collectors of his custom-made creations.

As Qannatis Artistic Director, Mane has conceptualised the stories inside each unique piece, creating a precious stage for each under the sapphire dome, to capture the very essence of a chosen narrative in precise technical details and a masterful finish.

Master Jeweller and Sculptor

Jothi-Seroj Ebroussard, known as Jothi, founded his company shortly after obtaining a degree from a prestigious college of applied arts, lEcole Boulle of Paris.

A precocious artist, Jothi became a frequent collaborator with the high jewellery maisons of the Place Vendome. An artist with a passion for sculpture, Jothis preferred artistic expression is miniature sculpture.

Marrying his Parisian sensibility with a taste for the mystical and the exotic, Jothi brings an unmistakably authentic touch to his unique creations for Qannati.

From precious stones to the range of materials that he transforms with his boundless creativity, Jothi has an unrivalled eye for detail, enriching his creative imagination with natures elements.-- TradeArabia News Service
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

In addition to keeping city residents safer where they live, work, and play, , a new analysis of data from Chicago shows that as violent crime decreases, so does the area's death rate from heart disease. This study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, demonstrated the deep impact that violence can have not just on the individuals involved, but also in the community at large.

"It's important to acknowledge the impact of the built environment on health," said the study's lead author, Lauren Eberly, MD, a clinical fellow in Cardiovascular Medicine and associate fellow of the Leonard Davis Institute. "Exposure to violent crime appears to be an important social determinant of cardiovascular health within the broader context of the ways in which structural racism harms health."

Data from the most recent 15 years of data available out of Chicago, 2000-2014, covered an overall, significant decline in violent crime. City-wide, the decline was 16 percent total, and coincided with a 13 percent decrease in cardiovascular disease mortality.

But when the researchers examined neighborhood-level numbers, they saw that deeper declines in violent crime appeared to correlate with sharper declines in heart disease-related mortality, too. For instance, the group of neighborhoods with the greatest decrease in violent crime averaged a 59 percent drop, which correlated with a nearly 15 percent total drop in heart disease mortality. Even in the areas with the lowest change in violent crime (a 10 percent decrease), cardiovascular mortality still declined by more than 11 percent.

That the mortality rates declined less when violence crime declined less was notable.

"Because community areas that experienced the smallest decline in crime also experienced the smallest improvements in cardiovascular mortality, pre-existing disparities in mortality between neighborhoods in the city are likely to worsen over time, especially with the recent rise in crime rates in the United States," Eberly said. "While these results represent one large, urban U.S. city that could potentially not be generalizable to other cities, we suspect that these results are likely reflective of many other large urban cities across the country."

Research has shown that violent crime tends to disproportionately affect the areas where people of color live. While the research of Eberly and her colleagues didn't explicitly examine the racial makeups of the neighborhoods examined, that foreknowledge shows that the study's findings likely have strong significance.

"We hope that, given these results, people will consider the root causes of violence," Eberly said. "We must acknowledge the legacy of racist policies and practices that have led to concentrated disadvantage and crime in Black and other racially and ethnically minoritized neighborhoods. Policies must be implemented to address the health consequences of structural racism and racial segregation."

One of the study's co-authors, Eugenia South, MD, an assistant professor of Emergency Medicine and director of the Penn Urban Health Lab, has performed clinical trials around neighborhood interventions aimed at improving public healthand decreasing violence. These have included increasing green space and structural repairs to the homes of low-income owners.

"In light of our latest analysis, such interventions' impact on cardiovascular health warrants further attention," Eberly said.

Data from 2000 until 2014 was the most recent set available to fully examine. Since then, violent crime has increased, both in Chicago and in many areas across the country. While Eberly could not say for sure due to data not being available for more recent years, Eberly said that it is possible that these increases also are translating to increases in cardiovascular death rates.

The study also didn't divide the violent crime out into different types. In cities like Philadelphia, gun crime has spiked since the pandemic.

"It is possible that different types of crime rates in a neighborhood may have different relationships with community health, which needs to be investigated further," said the study's senior author, Sameed Khatana, MD, an assistant professor of Cardiovascular Medicine. "Even if violent crime rates in a neighborhood are a marker of cardiovascular health, rather than the specific cause of cardiovascular deaths, the rise in any type of violent crime is concerning as it may identify neighborhoods where residents are especially vulnerable to worsening cardiovascular health in the years to come."

Explore further Study: California homicides spiked during pandemic

More information: Association between community-level violent crime and cardiovascular mortality in Chicagoa longitudinal analysis, Journal of the American Heart Association (2022). Journal information: Journal of the American Heart Association Association between community-level violent crime and cardiovascular mortality in Chicagoa longitudinal analysis,(2022).
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Despite women with stroke being more likely than men to arrive at the hospital by ambulance, their care is less likely to follow a smooth pathway of care along the way, according to new research published in the Medical Journal of Australia.

There was also an age effect, with ambulance staff more likely to miss a stroke diagnosis in women under the age of 70 years than they did in younger men.

Lead author Dr. Xia Wang, research fellow at The George Institute for Global Health, said women typically have worse functional outcomes after stroke and require more supportive care than men, so ensuring they receive best practice care is important.

"Our study suggests that better recognition of stroke symptoms in women by ambulance staff could ensure the right treatment is started as early as possible and give them the best opportunity for recovery," she said.

Stroke is Australia's third most common cause of death, with 55,000 people likely to suffer one each year. Treatment is changing thanks to developments in medical research in recent years. There are now more proven options leading to better outcomes for people who have experienced a stroke. But the success of these breakthroughs is often very time dependent, so identifying a stroke even before a patient has arrived at the hospital is critical.

Over 200,000 patients (51% women) admitted to NSW hospitals between July 2005 and December 2018 and subsequently diagnosed as having a stroke were included in the study. About half the patients arrived at hospital by ambulance, with women more likely than men to present this way.

The researchers found that women under 70 years old who went on to be diagnosed as having a stroke were more likely than men to be assessed by ambulance staff as having migraine, anxiety, unconsciousness, high blood pressure, nausea, or headache. And they were less likely than men to receive pre-hospital stroke care during their ambulance journey. Yet, there were no differences in the time between the emergency call and emergency department admission.

Senior Research Fellow and Academic Lead of the George Institute's Global Brain Health Initiative, Dr. Cheryl Carcel said that missing stroke diagnosis in women could be due to different symptoms, but there was possible implicit sex bias amongst health care providers.

"When stroke is not recognized early, delays can have serious consequences," she said. "Procedures for in-ambulance stroke care ensure patients with stroke symptoms are brought to a high-level specialized facility quickly to receive life-saving treatment. While there aren't any studies looking at clinician sex bias in stroke, we have evidence from other countries where it is happening in coronary artery disease. Greater awareness amongst all health professionals about differences in symptom presentation between men and women could help address this bias. In the case of stroke, this is particularly important for ambulance staff, so that women are identified early and treatment is commenced even before they reach the hospital."

Explore further Different stroke symptoms could be making them harder to spot early in women

More information: Xia Wang et al, Differences in the prehospital management of women and men with stroke by emergency medical services in New South Wales, Medical Journal of Australia (2022). Journal information: Medical Journal of Australia Xia Wang et al, Differences in the prehospital management of women and men with stroke by emergency medical services in New South Wales,(2022). DOI: 10.5694/mja2.51652
The University of Montana ousted its top curator for the Montana Museum of Art and Culture position after hiring her last fall.

Anna Marie Strankman departed UM as the 11,000-piece art collection held by the museum plans to transition to a new building currently under construction. Previous reporting by the Missoulian said Strankman would be key to the transition.

It was a business decision and a fit decision in part from the university and the museum, Rafael Chacon, director of the museum, confirmed Wednesday. He could not speak further on the reasoning for the decision.

The Missoulian reported in its November profile of Strankman that she was chosen because of her expertise in collection management. Chacon previously said she would oversee the move of the collections from storage to the new building.

Dave Kuntz, director of strategic communications at UM, said Strankman was employed through a letter of appointment, which acts as a job term for an employee. Kuntz explained that it is common for a letter of appointment to expire or not renew.

An internal email shared with the Missoulian found Chacon decided to not renew Strankmans position.

The curator job is now filled by two people. Ted Hughes, previously a volunteer curator, will work as a half-time interim curator. Ashley Rickman, an assistant curator, will step up to handle more programming duties.

The museum will search for a new permanent curator, but there is no set timeline, Chacon said.

The change should not affect the operations of the museum, Kuntz said, which in the coming months will begin to re-catalog, clean and move one of the largest art collections in Montana. Many collections have been stored away from the public eye for decades.

Currently, the art museum operates out of the PAR-TVs Meloy and Paxson galleries. Most of the collections are kept in storage. The museum, spurred by a $5 million donation from Terry and Patt Payne, would vastly increase the number of galleries and art shows for the public.

Crews broke ground on the north side of the university for the three-story, 17,000-square-foot facility in March. Completion of the museum building could come by late summer 2023, and includes an extended walkway for memorial row.

Strankman was most recently the curator of collections and exhibitions for the University of New Mexicos museum. UMs website listed Strankman with 15 years of museum experience across universities in the West.

The university hired Strankman after the previous curator, Jeremy Canwell, was fired after a Title IX investigation found he sexually assaulted a museum intern in the summer of 2020.

The Missoulian reached out to Strankman for comment, but heard no response.
Yellowstone Revealed, a series of three place-based projects by an inter-tribal group of Indigenous artists and scholars, will premiere in Yellowstone National Park in August.

Sponsored by Bozeman-based Mountain Time Arts, the temporary projects are meant to highlight Indigenous people's historic and continued presence during Yellowstone's 150th anniversary.

Lead artists include Shane Doyle (Apsaalooke), Patti Baldes (Northern Arapaho/Northern Paiute), Dean Nicolai (Bitterroot Salish) and Tim Ryan (Salish).

REMATRIATE by Patti Baldes will be shown Aug. 24-25. At sunset the artwork will showcase 15 moving buffalo sculptures made of willow branches. Thirty dancers and 10 drummers will bring the buffalo to life. The focus of Baldes project is land rematriation through buffalo restoration.

ReVisiting the Stories: Indigenous Environmental Stewardship by Dean Nicolai and Tim Ryan  A series of interpretive hikes, demonstrations and storytelling that will take place at scheduled times and locations from Aug. 23-28. The purpose of this series is to give park visitors insight into diverse Indigenous knowledge, ways of knowing and connection to landscapes. During this five-day period, five different knowledge keepers will lead hikes. The tribal speakers will represent their distinct, diverse connection to Yellowstones landscapes. Other hike leaders include: Aaron Brien, Apsaalooke; Conrad Fisher, Tsistsistas/Suhtaio; Lailani Upham, an Amskapi Pikuni; Johnny Arlee from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, among others.

All Nations Teepee Village by Shane Doyle  This project will feature 12 teepee lodges and 15 teepee rings to signify a new era of Indigenous inclusion and representation in Yellowstone. The spaces represent the 27 affiliated tribal nations of the Yellowstone area. The installation will come to life with a community of tribal representatives sharing knowledge with park visitors alongside their traditional lodges.

There are three components to this project; 1. Teepee Village will provide an immersive, tactile experience for the visitors; 2. Seven Illuminated Teepees will be visible from the village, lighted brightly to represent the seven generations that will come after us and indicate a brighter future for all; 3. Contemporary Native American Encampment (MTA Basecamp).

The cultural and artistic co-producers of the events are Ren Freeman (Eastern Shoshone) and Mary Ellen Strom. Partnering organizations include Mountain Time Arts, Yellowstone National Park, the city of Gardiner, Yellowstone Forever, National Parks Conservation Association, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Pretty Shield Foundation and Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council.

To learn more about Mountain Time Arts, visit: mountaintimearts.org.
Hunter success for elk on public land gets tougher each year. So does finding spots on private land to chase elk that have been pushed off public land.

Elk exhibit an incredible skill for adapting to the imbalance of hunting pressure on private vs. public lands. They seek out areas with fewer hunters. Extended hunting seasons aimed at increasing harvest only seem to exacerbate this dynamic.

As longtime hunters, conservationists, landowners and game managers, we are eager to find solutions by working with folks to chart a more effective course.

Just as hunters desire access to elk, most landowners want effective hunters whose priority is harvest over recreation. It is important that hunters understand the principles and obligations of accessing private lands.

Private lands often represent the soul of a farming or ranching family and these lands represent home. Farms and ranches are businesses that provide the owners livelihoods. Every hunting season impacts their ranch work, creates serious inconveniences and challenges.

Imagine hunters knocking on your doors during dinner or calling you at random hours seeking permission to hunt while you are trying to run your business. Some landowners choose to deal with too many elk rather than hordes of hunters.

We can improve this situation.

One time-honored solution to the time and energy drain on landowners was established in 1996 when the state-wide Block Management Program was launched by Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

This program has proven to be a huge benefit to landowners and hunters alike and has opened up 6 to 7 million acres of private land a year to public hunting. During Kathys ranch participation in the program, hunters were able to sign up at a sign-in box adjacent to her driveway to request ranch access without struggling with how to approach her or her husband, and they no longer had to answer the door, field phone calls or manage hunters. It was a huge timesaver.

Furthermore, Kathy found hunters who came to them through the Block management program were good, responsible hunters who treated the privilege to use their land with respect. Block management paid an impact fee that covered any damage to fences or gates from hunters and helped defray the cost of weed treatments for the land. Its a great program for both landowners and hunters.

Block management improved relations between hunters and landowners. There are a couple of new enhanced hunter education programs that lend some excellent tools to improve Block Management and potentially provide a way to access more private lands. Hunters develop a way to raise the bar on their skills, ethics, and proficiency. Thats welcomed news to private landowners.

Craig is a wildlife management instructor for the Master Hunter Program created by One Montana (onemontana.org). This is an excellent resource for seasoned hunters to refine their knowledge and skills in a diversity of classes, from wildlife management to landowner relations to proficient shooting.

Graduates from this rigorous program, over 60 hours of instruction, become ambassadors for the sport of hunting as they emerge with invaluable understanding of wildlife and management of private lands.

Similarly, Craig and George Bettas of the Ravalli County Fish and Wildlife Association (rcfwa.org/) developed a hunter education program called the Next Level Hunter Camp. Its a two-day course which improves hunters firearm proficiency, understanding of wildlife management, and their understanding of the challenges and operations of landowners.

Increasing access to private lands is complex. However, landowners are begging for more skilled hunters. Enhanced hunter education programs that are easily replicable may be a tool that will increase hunting opportunities and help move us toward long-term solutions to this decades-old challenge of managing elk on private and public lands.

Its not the magic pill to make all of our issues go away, but its a good start on helping connect ethical, thoughtful hunters with community-minded landowners who are looking to be part of the solution to elk management.
THURSDAY, July 14, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Decades of research have shown the power of skin-to-skin contact between preemies and their moms, but would the same technique, dubbed "kangaroo care," work with fathers?

Yes, claims a new Australian study that found when dads held their premature babies close to their bare chest, they reported feeling a "silent language of love and connection."

"It's like when your finger touches a fire, there are receptors there letting you know that it's hot," said study author Qiuxia Dong, a nurse and master's candidate at the University of South Australia. "It's the same thing [in kangaroo care], when the attachment happens between father and baby or mother and baby, it's just another reaction."

First-time father Joel Mackenzie experienced it with his tiny daughter, Lucy, when he was first able to hold her, two weeks into her time in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Mackenzie explained that the NICU experience can be a really isolating one for parents, especially dads who are not often considered by the health care system when it comes to reconnecting with their child after a medical intervention.

"I felt like I was actively fostering her survival and her development by giving her a cuddle," said Mackenzie, who was one of 10 dads followed in the study.

The findings were published online recently in the Journal of Clinical Nursing.

One expert in neonatal care described how the bonding process works.

"There are biologic phenomenon that exist that allow babies and their parents to bond, and there are hormones that get released that allow you to fall in love," explained Dr. Robert Angert, a neonatologist at NYU Langone in New York City. "Those are stimulated by all your senses  your sight, but also your smell and touch. If you cut out some of those senses, you're going to miss out on those opportunities," he said.

"On the other side, you have anxiety and stress, and those make it harder to fall in love. As they describe in the article, a lot of parents, particularly non-birthing parents, are stressed and anxious and worried about the well-being of their child, especially a baby whos in the ICU," Angert added. "Bringing them together safely and in a way that's helpful to the baby reduces that anxiety to the parent."

Research has shown that during kangaroo care, the close contact activates nerve receptors in mammals that increase the production of hormones that lower pain and stress for both babies and parents.

The latest study illustrated that: Many of the fathers described the NICU environment as "overwhelming," but the ability to hold their children next to their skin fostered strong bonds and relaxed them, which helped build confidence and made them very happy.

"It was palpable how much of an impact it had on her," Mackenzie said. "Of course, it helped me in bonding with her and helping me understand her and what was good for her as a child, but also as well you could almost tell that she almost drew energy from us. She started to move better, she started to develop faster. Id see her move better on a day-to-day basis. Eat more, be more responsive. Her eyes would open and move and engage more each time we took her out of the crib."

Having to separate a newborn from its parent for medical reasons isn't just traumatic for parents, it can have emotional and developmental impacts on the infant as well.

Angert said that "separation is an incredibly traumatic event in the life of a newborn, and I think we underestimate the impact that that event has on a baby. So we have an opportunity here to restore some of that togetherness, and it's not without good reason that we're taking the baby away. Were saving their life. But it's also good to think about when we can reestablish contact and allow them to give kangaroo care to their babies."

Parents who go through the NICU process have no doubts about the efficacy of staying by their child's side when they're sick. Mackenzie, whose child will celebrate her first birthday next week, said the bonding made all the difference.

"She still has mild lung disease and chronic cerebral palsy, but [the kangaroo care] part of her NICU experience was definitely a contributing factor to where she is now, I have no doubt about it," Mackenzie said. "Children whove gone through this experience definitely have a better chance of survival in my opinion."

More information

To learn more about skin-to-skin contact benefits between parents and newborns, visit the Cleveland Clinic.

SOURCES: Qiuxia Dong, RN, master's candidate, University of South Australia, Adelaide; Joel Nigel Mackenzie; Robert Angert, MD, neonatologist, Hassenfeld Childrens Hospital, NYU Langone, New York City; Journal of Clinical Nursing, June 16, 2022, online
A federal judge has given Talen Energy one month to produce a reasonable proposal for the future of Colstrip Power Plant, one that wont leave the generators other owners in the lurch as the companys bankruptcy proceeds.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Marvin Isgur of Texas told Talen that it cannot expect Colstrips five other owners to put energy plans on hold as Talens bankruptcy plays out.

I am not going to have folks in Montana or in Seattle without reliable power in accordance with applicable law, Isgur said on Tuesday during a hearing that was later posted on the Houston courts docket. I'm not going to let the bankruptcy case have that effect.

At issue is where the power plants majority owners will be getting their energy in the future. Four owners with a combined 70% stake in Colstrips surviving units face deadlines in Oregon and Washington to cut the cord on coal power. The earliest deadline is Dec. 31, 2025. Owners Avista Corp., of Spokane, Puget Sound Energy, of Bellevue, Portland General Electric and PacifiCorp, based in Eugene, are all building new generation projects for a post-Colstrip era.

Likewise, NorthWestern Energy, which owns a 15% share of Colstrips capacity, is also building new, non-coal generation and securing purchase power agreements for the coming years. The monopoly utility has about 400,000 electric customers in Montana, about the same number of customers as Montanas rural electric cooperatives. Knowing whether Colstrip will shut down in three years, as the majority owners prefer, would determine how much additional energy NorthWestern plans for.

It wasnt smooth sailing for Colstrip before Talens bankruptcy. The power plant owners were 13 months into litigation concerning two new laws passed in early 2021 by Montanas Legislature. The first law empowered the state government to nullify portions of the private business contract that had determined operations at Colstrip for 40 years, namely by forcing arbitration to take place in Montana, not Spokane, Washington, as the contract specified. The second law empowered Montanas attorney general to mandate repairs at the power plant and fine businesses $100,000 a day if they didnt do as they were told.

The timing of the new arbitration law was terrible for NorthWestern. The utility had earlier petitioned for arbitration about whether it took a unanimous vote by the owners to close Colstrip. Although NorthWestern is a Colstrip stakeholder, the utility doesnt control a vote outright on all power plant matters under the Ownership and Operation Agreement that governs the plant. Rather, it has a vote sharing agreement with Talen. Talen and NorthWesterns arrangement isnt recognized in the Ownership and Operation agreement key to Colstrip decisions.

Pausing the lawsuits assures that arbitration over whether a unanimous vote is needed to shutter Colstrip wont be decided soon.

In an unexpected twist, Talens attorney Jessica Liu, suggested that Talen had previously offered to buy out all the other Colstrip owners, including NorthWestern Energy. Liu made the statement in response to Judge Isgur asking what kind proposal Talen was willing to make to settle the future of Colstrip.

They want to get rid of all of their ownership. Will you take over all of the ownership and take over all of their operating expenses? Isgur asked.

Liu responded, I'd have to speak to the client on whether or not we'd be willing to take over all of their ownership interest, but Talen Montana has expressed interest in taking over their ownership interest, as well as Northwestern, I would say. I think there is an opportunity for a conversation.

Isgur seemed doubtful.

Acquiring formerly the four-unit power plants surviving two units would be a significant pickup for any company, let alone one attempting to shed $4.5 billion in debt in bankruptcy court. The existing environmental cleanup costs at Colstrip are estimated to be $200 million to $700 million.

The nameplate capacity of the surviving two units is 1,480 megawatts, which currently spin through more than 2 million meters in the Pacific Northwest.

Speaking for the Colstrip utilities doing business in Oregon, Washington and Idaho, attorney John Kaplan told the court the problem Colstrip has is that from the beginning it was wired to deliver power to Oregon and Washington. The states on the other end of the line no longer want coal power.

Isgur gave Talen until Aug. 11 to produce a plan for Colstrip, which he expected to be part of Talen's overall restructuring plan to be presented four days later. The outcome of the hearing August 15 would determine whether the stay on the two Colstrip lawsuits remains in place.

"I'm just shooting a shot over the debtor's bow," Isgur said. "This better be a reasonable proposal because if it's not, then I'll just turn everything loose and let somebody else make that decision that is able to do so. I strongly encourage the debtors to come up with reasonable alternatives."
At the Montana Museum of Art and Culture, one new exhibit will bring some magic to Missoula.

I think its good for us to see that, south of our border, theres a whole world with very rich aesthetics and storytelling and mythology and spirituality, and this collection reveals the breadth of art in that part of the world, MMAC executive director H. Rafael Chacon said.

Titled Fiesta de Santos: Latin American Festival and Devotional Arts, the exhibit is centered around the festival arts in Latin America, spanning from diverse communities in Mexico to Peru and featuring celebrations and holidays both religious and secular.

Much of the art fits within the genre of magical realism, a literary movement focused on the surreal and magical elements of everyday life. Works range from the ancient, before pre-1492, when Christopher Columbus first reached the Americas and colonization ensued, to modern times.

At the door, visitors are greeted with a pretty exuberant depiction of the Virgin Mary in a relief print, who represents one of the most popular images in Mexican art. She can be seen all over the exhibit, from sculptures to paintings, Chacon said.

Other artwork includes a piece showing a funeral, showing an entire family carrying a person to their grave. There are both familial and community altars present in the artwork, showing an important aspect of spiritual life in different Latin American communities. There are also several vibrant masks at the exhibit that would typically be accompanied by music and dancing, Chacon said.

One of the major points illustrated by the exhibit is how important craft is to village life in Latin America, he said. It also shows how beautiful that life can be through color, form, and function.

In color and material of all sorts, the world is a vibrant place, and its illustrated by the way average people ornament themselves and the world around them.

Most of the artists behind the artwork are anonymous, with some more contemporary graphic artists named. Chacon said he hopes people realize that Latin America is a vibrant place to experience art from, and people can learn a lot from stories originating from family life in the region.

The works are on loan to the museum from the Hoyt family collection, a collector that MMAC regulars might recognize from last years African art exhibit. Fiesta de Santos will be the museums first bilingual exhibit, so all the artworks labels and information and the virtual tour will be in Spanish and English.

I like to think that Latin America is very much a part of life in the U.S., Chacon said. Many of us in this country have cultural roots in Latin America.

The more people experience different sets of stories and traditions, the better, he said.

In some ways, were learning about ourselves by looking at this art.
Overcrowding at Columbia Falls City Hall forced the Planning Board and Zoning Commission to postpone a meeting on a 455-unit subdivision Tuesday.

More than 100 people turned out to the meeting, prompting the board to reschedule it for Aug. 9 at a different venue. The location for the August meeting has yet to be determined.

The overwhelming turnout came in response to a proposal from developer James Barnett for a zoning map amendment and planned unit development along River Road, south of U.S. Highway 2 and east of the Flathead River Bridge.

Barnett previously proposed a controversial project known as Mountain Gateway at the base of Big Mountain Road in Whitefish. Whitefish City Council denied the proposal in February.

Now, Barnett is seeking to build 455 units on 49.1 acres, divided among 65 attached single family row houses, 390 apartment units and 10 row house units dedicated to the Northwest Montana Community Land Trust.

All of the units would be long-term rentals.

Barnett proposed rezoning the parcel from CR-3 (One Family Residential) to CR-4 (Urban Residential). The project density would be 9.2 units per acre.

The property was previously approved as a 151-unit subdivision in 2008 before the housing market crash.

Part of the new proposal includes 21.5 acres of park and open space, as well as a 300-foot setback from the Flathead River.

The developer also proposed moving River Road to the east of the property and adding a stoplight at the intersection with U.S. Highway 2.

The River Highlands subdivision proposal generated considerable backlash from the community, including members of the Upper Flathead Neighborhood Association citizens group.

The organizations president, Shirley Folkwein, enumerated concerns with density, traffic and environmental impacts among other issues.

We were very pleased last night with the large turnout, Folkwein said Wednesday.

One of the major concerns is that this does not fit the character of the neighborhood at all, she said. This is still a rural area.

Folkwein was worried about the impacts the development could have on wildlife that use the area as a corridor, as well as the potential harm from drilling under the Flathead River to place water and sewer lines to serve the development.

Were aware of other pipelines, lines that have ruptured, Folkwein said. It does happen.

Folkwein also raised questions about traffic, affordability and safety surrounding the development.

Wed like people to know were not opposed to development, Folkwein said of the UFNA. We support sensible development and dont see this as sensible development.

Barnett, on the other hand, believes the area is ripe for a development like River Highlands.

He pointed out the 2019 Columbia Falls Growth Policy designates the property as an urban residential area.

Adding 455 units, Barnett explained, wouldnt happen overnight. The development would grow in phases based on demand, he said.

But approving all 455 units at once is a more efficient way to provide housing stock than parceling the property out into smaller projects that require individual approval, Barnett added.

He said this desire to provide housing for the community is driving the project, and he highlighted the use of long-term rentals as evidence of that commitment on the part of the development team.

We feel like that by providing long-term rentals instead of the previously approved subdivision with homes that most people cant come close to affording, it helps with the housing crisis for years and years to come, said Barnett.

"Our communitys need for housing is acute," wrote WGM Project Engineer Mike Brodie in an email. "We are fortunate to be in a position to help impact housing in a meaningful way with attractive home opportunities for our residents while also creating meaningful open space along the river. This is a place I would want to live and I think it will have a lasting positive effect on the City and the greater Flathead Valley."

Barnett also explained drilling under the Flathead River is a common practice employed by many Public Works departments.

It is fairly common, really, agreed Columbia Falls Public Works Director Chris Hanley. It is a very safe procedure, actually.

Hanley pointed to a similar project taking place under the Clark Fork River in St. Regis, and he said he supports putting the utility lines below the Flathead River.

Barnett also said he doesnt believe safety will be a concern for the development because the plans all go through the fire marshal.

Theyre probably some of the safest buildings for fire, he said.
The banding station at Spring Meadow is unique, allowing the public to observe the work and assist with the release of birds.
Nine West, a leading brand from Apparel Group, a fashion and lifestyle retail conglomerate, is launching its new Glitz & Glam collection with Arab celebrities Dana Halabi, Haya Afif, and Basma Haider as its star campaigners, who embody the values of empowerment and compassion, aligning with its brand values.

The Glitz & Glam Collection features a wide range of footwear and handbags for its trendy customers to create their own unforgettable fashion moments, said a statement from Apparel Group.

The styles have a perfect amount of sparkle/shine that is easy to dress up or down and easy to wear during the festive occasions, while its collection of footwear boasts trendsetting silhouettes and bejewelled uppers, it stated.

"The handbag collection is a classy way to enhance your entire look. Adding gold trimming to your look not only makes it sparkle but also helps you to slay it overall. The elegant and spacious handbag collection allows you to create your ideal look in minutes," said a spokeswoman for the group.

"Although Nine West talents come from different backgrounds, they all share the passion for fashion and beauty," she explained.

Basma, a stylist and an actress, considers fashion as an art and a form of self-expression. Haya, a mother of two, got inspired from her hijab and turban to start her fashion blogging career 3 years ago. Dana, a fashion and beauty blogger, is always inspired by fashion trends and makes them a part of her daily-life routine.

"They are all inspirational women whose creative expression brings the future to light," she added.-TradeArabia News Service
The Supreme Courts decisions last month came down like a wrecking ball. For the first time in history, the Supreme Court took away freedom. In Dobbs, the court sent women back 150 years, justifying its decision by saying the issue of abortion is up to the people and their elected representatives.

Some justify Dobbs by saying it is about states rights. But, in NY State Rifle & Pistol Association, the Court took the opposite approach, rejecting New Yorks 100-year-old law, passed by the peoples elected representatives, to address gun violence in a densely urban state.

The only consistent threat in the court's decisions is the imposition of a minority, authoritarian view on the majority.

(Senate Minority Leader Mitch) McConnell promised a federal ban on abortion if Republicans win in 2022. Dobbs cleverly preserved such a national ban by leaving the issue to the peoples elected representatives rather than the states.

In the meantime, the legal vacuum left by Dobbs is being filled by extreme decisions in the states. Idaho and Louisiana have introduced bills to criminalize birth control. Some states no longer allow any exception for rape, incest, or to save the life of a pregnant woman. Missouri has proposed a Fugitive Pregnancy law, making it illegal to leave the state to get an abortion.

Montanans are fiercely protective of our right to privacy. A majority of Montanans support a constitutional right to choose when and whether to become a parent. That right includes the right to choose how we educate our children, whether and who we marry, and to raise our children with our own values  including what religion, if any, we choose to practice.

Ryan Zinke applauded Dobbs and pledged his fealty to national leadership, even where it is out of step with Montana. Zinke was in Congress when the Republicans controlled the House, the Senate and the presidency. If banning abortion were what the majority of people wanted, Zinke and his national party had their chance. Instead of persuading a majority of Americans that they were right, they stacked the courts with judges to restrict our freedom.

Marching in lockstep with that national agenda, the Supreme Court imposed an 1800s view of the world on us all.

It has had its say.

But we have the next word. The November 2022 election is our chance to bring our country to the center, to bind the nations wounds caused by extremism.

The transformative nature of America is in acknowledging that we are not perfect. Montanas new congressional seat gives us hope  because it gives us a choice. We can go the way the Supreme Court is pointing  toward authoritarianism and restricting who participates in our democracy. Or, we can strive for a more perfect union. We can strive for more expansive views of liberty, and of democracy. We can be ever more inclusive.

We have the next word, and who we elect this November will represent our Montana voice.

As a lifelong Montanan, having spent my entire professional career advocating for Montanans in Montana, I will be Montanas voice in that debate in a way that Zinke will not.

I will work to strengthen the middle class, and sponsor laws that reduce the need for abortions by restoring the child-tax credit and making child-care afforable. Nearly half of those who chose abortions are parents who cannot afford another child. I will codify a national right to access to abortion, access to contraception, and a right to marry.

These laws give people and families real freedom by giving them a real choice.
Butte-Silver Bow Chief Executive J.P. Gallagher, along with partners at the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) and Montana Technological University, invite residents to help develop a community Sustainability, Health, and Resilience Plan (Butte SHARP). The plan will serve as a blueprint for economic development tied to green energy and a stronger local food system while helping the community prepare for climate disruptions such as drought, wildfire and heat waves.

Gallagher said that county staff will work with a citizen steering committee and local businesses to develop the sustainability, health and resilience plan, which will be incorporated into the B-SB Comprehensive Plan and updates to zoning guidelines.

Butte-Silver Bow residents interested in serving on the steering committee should send an email or letter of interest to Jim Kambich, B-SB chief of staff, jkambich@bsb.mt.gov, 155 W Granite Street, Butte, MT 59701. Steering Committee members will be selected by partners in the Resilient Butte project, including Gallagher, Les Cook at Montana Tech and Steve Thompson at NCAT.

For those interested in specific topics, Gallagher also invites residents to participate in working groups focused on green energy and climate adaptation. The green energy committee will look at strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as solar energy development, innovative energy storage systems, and energy efficient homes and commercial buildings.

There are going to be opportunities to boost our economy through new energy development, and Butte is well situated to benefit, Gallagher said in a press release. But we need to do this in a way that works best for our community, and that means planning ahead.

The climate adaptation committee will focus on ways to minimize risks related to more volatile weather events and climate disruptions, which could include protection of municipal watersheds and water supply, stabilizing restoration of contaminated properties, redevelopment of brownfields and safeguarding public health.

NCAT will coordinate community participation and educational programs, said Executive Director Steve Thompson. NCAT provides technical assistance across the nation to develop practical solutions in support of community sustainability, regenerative agriculture, and clean energy. We have offices in 10 states, but Butte has been our headquarters for 46 years. We look forward to supporting our hometown through the Resilient Butte project.

To get involved in one of the working groups focused on local climate solutions, contact Rylie Yaeger at ryliey@ncat.org, 406-533-6644.

The public also can get involved by completing an online community survey to share your experiences, prioritize issues of concern, and identify economic development opportunities. Access the survey through the project website at www.ResilientButte.org.

Montana Tech Chancellor Les Cook said the university will provide technical expertise to the project.

Montana Tech appreciates the opportunity to partner with Butte-Silver Bow, NCAT and our community to support a healthy and prosperous future, Cook said There are issues that we need to address, and there are new opportunities that we would be wise to consider.
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte recognized three veterans in Butte Thursday with the 2021 Montana Governors Veteran Commendation.

Montana, and Butte in particular, is home to a proud history of military service, and it was an honor to recognize three outstanding veterans who have made a positive impact in the community, Gianforte said in a press release. While we can never fully repay them, we can say thank you, and thats what the Montana Governors Veteran Commendation is all about.

Gianforte presented awards to James Long, David Jon Reisenauer and Matt Egloff, all of Butte.

Master Sgt. James Long

A veteran of the United States Marine Corps, James Long served for 22 years and 9 months. Since retirement, Long has participated in the burials of over 200 veterans in Montana, and travels hundreds of miles each year attending memorial services. Long is also known to regularly drive veterans to appointments to help them receive treatment.

Petty Officer David Jon Reisenauer

David Jon Reisenauer served in the U.S. Navy from 1973-1979. He was the first Vice Commander of American Legion Post 1, and currently dedicates his time to supporting fellow veterans as Commander of the Silver Bow United Veterans Council as well as a driver for the Disabled American Veterans Van. He also an active member of the Boy Scout Troop sponsored by American Legion Post 1.

Sgt. Matt Egloff

As a member of the U.S Army, Matt Egloff served in Korea and Germany, before becoming a licensed professional engineer, and engineering instructor at Montana Tech. While supporting Butte-Silver Bow 4H shooting sports, he worked with many individuals, including then-junior shooter Nick Mowrer, who later competed in the 2012 and 2020 Olympics. Egloff has also worked with the Butte-Silver Bow Crimestoppers, Western Montana Veterans Home Foundation, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1448, and Butte United Veterans Council (UVC).

The Montana Governors Veteran Commendation recognizes outstanding Montana veterans who selflessly served in the U.S. Armed Forces and subsequently made a positive impact in their community. Thirty-one veterans received the award in 2021.
The 10th Annual Montana Conference on Suicide Prevention will be held Friday, July 22, in the Butte High School auditorium. The Montana Conference on Suicide Prevention is a statewide conference hosted annually by the Montana Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention with financial assistance from multiple community partners and sponsors across the state. This is the first year the conference will take place in person since 2019, when it was hosted at the Helena Civic Center.

This conference brings together citizen advocates and healthcare professionals alike, delivering curated content from proven experts. The goal is to equip attendees with tools, strategies, and resources they can use to innovate their practices.

Our aim is to provide clinically-sound, evidence-based information, including actionable strategies that clinicians can implement in their practices and with their patients immediately. With generous financial assistance from our many sponsors across the state and region, we can host this conference with world-class content at no charge to attendees. Its important to make sure that providers across Montana and the region are up to speed on the most innovative information possible, said Jennifer Preble, conference co-Chair and AFSP Montana Chapter board member/volunteer.

According to the most recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2020 Montanans died by suicide at a rate of 25.88 per 100,000  the third highest suicide rate in the nation and over double the national average. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for Montanans between ages 10 and 44.

The conference theme is Interventions Across a Developmental Lifespan. Keynote speaker will be Dr. Shauna Springer, a licensed psychologist, award-winning podcast host, and one of the world's leading experts on psychological trauma, military transition, suicide prevention, and close relationships. Conference attendees will also hear from many of Montanas foremost experts about suicide prevention initiatives and practices specific to Montanas unique cultural and geographical landscape.

Attendee check-in starts at 7:30 a.m. and the conference program begins at 8 a.m. Professionals who register and attend the Montana Conference on Suicide Prevention in person can earn free professional Continuing Education credits for free. Certificates will be issued at the conclusion of the conference.

For more information, visit montanacosp.org or afsp.org/Montana.
American Prairie has announced that access to 9,300 acres of its newly acquired ranch along the Musselshell River will be open to hunters this fall through the state Block Management Program.

Under the program run by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, additional public lands that may be accessed on the ranch include 18,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management property and almost 2,000 state acres for a total of almost 30,000 acres, one of the larger BMAs in Eastern Montana.

"We're pretty excited to see they're going to do that," said Billings resident Jake Schwaller, the Eastern Montana board member of the Montana Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. "We think Block Management is one of the best programs the state has."

American Prairie finalized the purchase of the 32,000-acre 73 Ranch in December 2021. Prior to the acquisition, the Bureau of Land Management had been seeking to buy the ranchs deeded land in a deal that fell through over pricing. The property adjoins the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge south of the UL Bend.

Schwaller said his group is "definitely disappointed" the BLM was not able to acquire the land for the public and that the problem highlighted the agency's need to update its land purchasing process.

Alison Fox, CEO of American Prairie, said in a statement, Sharing the 73 is a highly rewarding component of our mission and expands the quality of outdoor experiences we can provide to the public."

According to FWP, reservations to hunt the 73 Ranch can be made beginning Aug. 22 by calling the Region 4 call center (they handle permission for all the AP properties) at 406-422-6087. Reservations are taken on Wednesdays only from 9 a.m. to noon for the following Thursday-Monday. There is a limit of 12 hunters a day. The BMA is closed to hunting on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for rest days.

A no-shooting zone has been established along the Musselshell River for elk that congregate in irrigated fields during the general hunting season while American Prairie and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks study elk use and distribution, the group said.

Big buyer

American Prairies purchase of ranches across Eastern Montana  now totaling more than 450,000 acres of deeded and public land  has stirred resentment by some residents and retribution by several local, county and state lawmakers. The groups stated goal is to create the largest nature reserve in the contiguous United States.

The groups reintroduction of bison and pursuit of changes in BLM grazing leases to allow bison prompted opposition last year from Gov. Greg Gianforte, along with other state officials including the director of Fish, Wildlife & Parks, and the leaders of the Departments of Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources and Conservation. Despite the opposition, in March the BLM issued a proposed decision to allow American Prairie to graze bison on about 63,000 acres of federal land in Phillips County under 10 year leases.

On the properties American Prairie has purchased, the organization has opened 79,476 acres spread across 10 areas to hunters through the Block Management Program. Other American Prairie properties enrolled in the hunter access program include more than 20,000 acres on the PN Ranch, over 18,000 acres on Timber Creek and 12,000 on the Dry Fork.

Across Montana, as of 2020, the program has provided access to about 7.1 million acres and made payments to more than 1,200 landowners under the agreements.

American Prairie's enrolled Block Management properties are equally split between those that require the hunter to simply sign in at a box (Type 1), to those that require a reservation and landowner permission (Type 2). The 73 Ranch will require permission.

Our philosophy is to strike the right balance between growing healthy wildlife populations and providing high-quality hunting experiences, said Daniel Kinka, senior wildlife restoration manager for American Prairie, in a statement. A healthy prairie ecosystem relies on balanced interactions between predator and prey, which have historically included human hunting on the grasslands. When carefully managed, wildlife populations can continue to grow and thrive amidst human hunting.

Recreation

Hunting and wildlife groups have previously hailed American Prairies openness to public access, which is not limited to hunters. Campgrounds, rental cabins and yurts have been established on the properties and mountain biking, hiking and horseback riding encouraged. Dispersed tent camping is allowed on some deeded lands.

The group has also opened its National Discovery Center in a historic downtown Lewistown building as an educational form for its lands, providing an introduction to the areas habitat and wildlife, as well as a community meeting space and theater.

Mike Kautz, director of Public Access and Recreation, said all visitors should be prepared for rugged, remote conditions if they plan to explore the 73 Ranch or other American Prairie parcels.

This is an amazing landscape to explore, but its not without a few risks, Kautz said in a statement. We really encourage visitors to come prepared and pay attention to inclement weather conditions, which can leave roads impassable at times.

On the 73 Ranch, as with all American Prairie properties, e-bikes are allowed on motorized travel routes only.

A full list of American Prairies Block Management acreage and more information about hunting opportunities can be found at https://www.americanprairie.org/hunting. More details on 2022 BMAs will be available from FWP in mid-August.
MUSCATINE  After 11 years as the owner of Bark Chiropractic and Rehab Clinic, Dr. Brad Bark has announced that he has sold the clinic to associate Ashley Richenberger and the name of the clinic will change to Pearl City Chiropractic.

Bark said the transition is something that had been in the works since January 2021, when he first announced for health reasons he planned to step back from treating patients. Since then he has been elected mayor of Muscatine and got the job of chief executive officer of Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce and Industry. On Thursday, his first ribbon-cutting with the chamber was for the opening of Pearl City Chiropractic.

Its really special to me, Bark said, regarding the ribbon cutting. Its going to be great to see everybody and there will be some patients that come by.

Richenberger was not available Thursday morning for comment.

Bark said surgery had left him unable to practice chiropractic, so it seemed like time to hand the reins of the business over to the next person who would care for the community. He said there will be few changes to the clinic other than the name. Richenberger, along with Dr. Austin Porter and Dr. Josiah Street will continue to serve the area. The location and phone number will also remain the same. Bark said Richenberger had promised him they would continue the same culture that was set in place when the clinic opened and continue the diversified healthcare approach.

May 2, 2011, Bark remembers, the doors of the clinic opened to its first customer. Since then Bark has travelled all over the country to promote the clinic. The clinic started with two chiropractic rooms and a rehab room. Today it boasts nine chiropractic rooms and hosts three chiropractors.

I am really excited for Dr. Ashley and Dr. Josiah and Dr. Austin for getting to continue the great care they have done in the past, Bark said. I am really excited for them and will always support them.
MUSCATINE  Next week, Muscatines local Catholic Daughters chapter will be celebrating one of its biggest milestones.

On Saturday, July 23 at 10 a.m., Saints Mary and Mathias Catholic Church will be holding a public Mass offered by the Rev. Thomas Zinkula, bishop. Although the Mass will be themed around Saint Joan of Arc, it will also be in recognition of the 100th anniversary of Saint Joan of Arc Court No. 524 of the Catholic Daughters.

We want to thank the members of our community and our parish for so generously supporting our many fundraisers over the years, secretary Kathy Johnson said.

Found all across the U.S., Catholic Daughters is a national womens organization that tries to do service within their community as well as their church. For its members, their mission is to embrace the principle of faith working through love in the promotion of justice, equality and the advancement of human rights and human dignity for all mankind.

Although the Muscatine chapter is only now just celebrating its 100th anniversary, Johnson explained that this celebration was actually meant to happen two years ago but had to be postponed due to concerns from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Everybodys ready to celebrate, Johnson said, adding that although the group has still celebrated and held service in the meantime, its members are still looking forward to gathering with the community.

In addition to recognizing the group itself, the Saturday mass will also take a moment to recognize the groups many years of charity work and fundraising.

For our fundraisers, we make caramels and we sell those at church, Johnson explained. We also sell wreaths at Christmas, and we have also served at MCSA (Muscatine Center for Social Action) and its Domestic Violence Shelter.

In the past, the Catholic Daughters have held a baby shower for the Domestic Violence Shelter in order to give them women living there the supplies that they need for their infants. The group has also used its funds to support Senior Resources, Habitat for Humanity and Biking for Babies, which is a group that supports struggling pregnant women. In addition, the group funds scholarships that are specifically meant for service-minded senior high school girls.

When asked what the group meant to her, Johnson said she saw it as a way to truly help her community.

(Before joining Catholic Daughters) I didnt even know some of these needs existed, and I didnt know a way I could help meet some of those needs. I feel like Catholic Daughters is an organization that is trying very hard to do good  and being a part of an organization that is trying to do good enables you. It has enabled and encouraged me to do more for my community and for others, she said.

For residents that wish to learn more about the Catholic Daughters - Muscatine Chapter, they can visit https://marymathias.org/catholic-daughters-scholarship.
Scammers have been demanding money while pretending to be a police officer, the Eldridge police warned Thursday.

The scheme involves a phone call in which the caller uses an actual Eldridge officer's name and tries to convince the person they contact to pay money to avoid arrest, the news release states.

The police department does not do this, or call people demanding money to pay fines, the release states. Money, and personal information like social security numbers and financial numbers, should not be provided over the phone.

Eldridge residents who get a call they are concerned is illegitimate should contact the police department, the release states.
Airports Council International (ACI) World is urging State representatives at the upcoming ICAO meeting to reach an agreement on a Long-term Aspirational Goal (LTAG) for CO2 emissions reductions.



ACI World is joined by ACI Africa, ACI Asia-Pacific, ACI EUROPE, ACI Latin America-Caribbean and ACI North America in urging the agreement aligned with the Paris Agreement 1.5C goal and the industry objective of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.



The aviation industry, Ministers, and high-level officials from States will gather at ICAOs headquarters in Montreal, Canada between 19 and 22 July for the High-level Meeting on the feasibility of a long-term aspirational goal for international aviation CO2 emissions reductions.



The States representatives will examine the outcomes from the ICAO Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection and seek to make policy commitments in preparation for the 41st Session of the ICAO Assembly, a triennial event that establishes the worldwide policy of the Organization for the next three years. ACI and other international organizations are calling on States to reach a meaningful agreement to establish a clear regulatory framework in which the aviation industry can thrive while continuing to deliver socio-economic benefits to the world.



Sustainability leadership by airports

Aviation plays a fundamental role in connecting communities as well as establishing and maintaining business connections, carrying 45% of global trade, and supporting 58% of world tourism1. The aviation sectors objective is to continue to provide this vital connectivity, while also reducing its global climate impact and achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.



ACI and its member airports have already committed, at the global level, to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050 with support from governments. More than 130 ACI member airports have brought forward their target to 2030 or even earlier. Some are planning for net zero by 2040, while others will need more support to develop and implement their decarbonization roadmaps. ACI is working with governments and other sectors to support all its members in reaching these ambitious but achievable objectives.



ACI and its member airports are also part of the Air Transport Action Groups (ATAG) net zero carbon goal for aviation emissions, under which the global aviation industry (airlines, airports, air traffic management and aircraft/engine manufacturers) has aligned with the Paris Agreement 1.5C goal.



Airports long-standing sustainability leadership has been exhibited through clear strategies and decarbonization roadmaps they have developed, as well as significant achievements in the implementation of environmental and social initiatives for many years.



Airport Carbon Accreditation  the global airport carbon management certification standard  has grown over the past 15 years to include 403 airports certified at all levels of the program in 79 countries across the world. Of these, 87 airports are either carbon neutral or pursuing the highest levels of the program. In addition, 10 airports have already achieved net zero.



The need for a unified global goal

ACI, representing the worlds airports, recognizes the need for assistance in the industry transition and urges governments to tackle climate change by balancing the need for many States to grow their economies and continuing to ensure the benefits of sustainable development for society. Collaboration is the catalyst, by providing benefits to all stakeholders. An agreement at the global level at ICAO is essential to provide consistency among policies and to avoid unintended consequences.



Therefore, airports, working with other aviation business leaders, are calling on governments meeting at ICAO to agree on a decarbonization goal for the long-term, aligned with the Paris Agreement 1.5C goal and the global aviation industry objective of net zero by 2050, and to do so in advance of the ICAO Assembly.



A global agreement on the ICAO Long-term Aspirational Goal would help provide the necessary regulatory certainty for investment and finance to be granted, particularly for the development and deployment of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), and other solutions as they mature.  TradeArabia News Service
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Two people allegedly beat a person late Tuesday in Davenport, fracturing his eye socket and nose.

The attack happened about just before midnight at the Washington Street Mini Mart, 1601 Washington St., according to court records. The injured person, whose age was not available, suffered the fractures in the bones in his face and another in his right hand.

Darrell A. Johnson, 27, East Moline, faces a charge of willful injury causing serious injury in relation to the attack, according to court records. Johnson allegedly beat the person with his hands and feet, including repeatedly punching and stomping on his face and head.

Walquaja D. Boyd, 23, Davenport, has been charged with willful injury causing serious injury and assault causing bodily injury or mental illness, court records state. Authorities accuse her of also using her hands and feet to injure the victim, including punching and stomping on his head and face.

Boyd is also accused of punching a second person in her face and head, court records state. That person suffered injuries to her limbs, face and neck.

Court records did not further identify the second person.

After the attack, Johnson and Boyd, with two other people identified as defendants in the case, left in a black 2010 Ford Expedition, court records state.

The identities and alleged actions of the other two defendants were not provided in the court records for Boyd and Johnson.

The attack was recorded by security cameras and lasted between one and two minutes, according to court records. Boyd allegedly told police after she had been read her Miranda rights that she was at the convenience store at the time of the attack.

Johnson was arrested about 12:53 a.m. Wednesday at the Sherwood Forest Apartments, 1000 Blythwood Place, after officers were called there for a disturbance.

Officers told Johnson he was suspected in the attack on Washington Street and attempted to handcuff him, court records state. Johnson allegedly ran away and refused to stop, but was caught.

These allegations led to Johnson also being charged with interference with official acts, a misdemeanor, court records state.

Johnson and Boyd were in custody Wednesday morning. Their bonds have each been set at $10,000.
Neither of Iowas Republican U.S. senators expressed support for a nationwide ban on abortions when asked about that possibility Wednesday.

On separate conference calls with Iowa reporters, both Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst said the issue of abortion regulations now rests with individual states after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that eliminated what had been a federally guaranteed right to abortion access.

Grassley said his response to a question about a federal abortion ban is pretty simple.

Ive been fighting for 50 years for this to be returned to the states, Grassley said.

Ernst said she is adamantly pro-life and that she is anxious to see what the Iowa Legislature and governors will be debating on the issue.

For a national abortion ban to pass, Republicans would have to regain majorities in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House, and win back the White House. And assuming the filibuster still is in place, Republicans would need 60 votes to pass a ban through the Senate.

Grassley also said he could not support any provision that would make it a crime for a pregnant person who lives in a state where abortion becomes illegal to have one in a state where it remains legal. Grassley said he believes such a provision would be unconstitutional.

He said the right to travel between states is one of the principles of freedom in America.

We cannot stop people from traveling any place they want to, Grassley said. Its a constitutional issue, and a freedom (issue).

Ernst also said she was outraged by President Joe Bidens recent executive order to try to protect access to abortion, calling the order unconstitutional.

The Biden administration on Monday told hospitals they must provide abortion services if the life of the pregnant person is at risk, saying federal law on emergency treatment guidelines preempts state laws that now ban the procedure.

Bidens order directs federal agencies to take steps within their power to safeguard abortions and reproductive health services, including ensuring the availability of emergency contraceptive medications, expanding access to medication abortion and providing legal protection for out-of-state patients and abortion providers.

Again, this has been referred back to the states and local authorities by our United States Supreme Court. So this is not a national emergency, Ernst said.

And I know that there are a lot of heated arguments and discussions that will happen because of this decision, she said. Thats OK.

I just want to remind everybody that a decision has been made by an independent branch of the federal government. It will go back to those states, those governors, those elected representatives, for decisions to be made that will be right for those states.

I dont believe the president should have engaged that way that he did when it comes to abortion issues.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds did not rule out  but threw cold water on  the possibility of Iowa taking advantage of federal incentives for states to pass red flag laws that allow groups to petition courts to temporarily remove weapons from people deemed a threat to themselves or others.

President Joe Biden this week celebrated the passage and recent signing of a new law considered the most wide-ranging gun violence bill Congress has passed in decades.

The measure, passed after mass shootings including those in Buffalo, N.Y., and Uvalde, Texas, includes funding to help states put in place laws that make it easier for authorities to temporarily prevent a person in crisis who has been adjudged dangerous from accessing firearms, among many other provisions.

Iowa has no extreme risk protection order law where law enforcement, concerned family members or others can seek a court order to temporarily prevent someone deemed as a threat from buying or possessing firearms.

Gun safety advocates say such measures are a proven way to intervene before gun violence  such as a gun suicide or a mass shooting  takes more lives. Some gun rights activists contend the measures instead give courts broad discretion to confiscated firearms without due process.

National polling suggests strong majorities of Americans from across the political spectrum support extreme-risk laws. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia have adopted them in the past few years, and social science research suggests that they work, most strikingly in preventing gun suicides, according to PolitiFact.

Reynolds, at a news conference on Tuesday, however, said Illinois red flag law failed to prevent a man there with a known pattern of concerning behavior from shooting dozens of people at a July 4 parade in Highland Park, Ill.

No matter how many laws or rules you have on the books, if somebody has evil in their heart, you can't handle that, she said.

Lawmakers, lawyers and doctors in Illinois say there may not have been enough public awareness of the states red flag law at the time law enforcement came into contact with Robert Crimo III, who police said confessed to the Highland Park shooting, PolitiFact reported.

The recent federal legislation includes money for public awareness campaigns and more training of police.

Reynolds said the issue of gun violence needs to be addressed holistically, while preserving lawful gun owners right to bear arms under the Second Amendment.

There's not one single answer, she said.   So we'll take a look at everything, but it's a balance in how we move forward.

Iowa Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, R-Ankeny, and House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, did not return messages seeking comment. Republicans hold agenda-setting majorities in the Iowa Legislature.

Its unclear how much federal grant money would be available to Iowa under the new federal law. Iowa received more than $2.6 million in Department of Justice assistance grants last fiscal year, and the gun safety bill increases funding levels.

States would receive funding based on an existing formula, and have flexibility to use the funds to implement extreme risk protection order programs, drug courts and other crisis intervention programs. States that choose to use grant funding for red flag laws must comply with due process requirements, such as the right to an in-person hearing and an unbiased adjudicator.

Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks, a Democrat, said such laws could be a vital tool to keep law enforcement safe and blunt a rise in gun violence nationwide.

Maybanks pointed to a recent incident a few months ago where a man in Marion, who was undergoing a pretty significant mental health crisis to which his family and friends were aware, engaged in a shootout with police. Fortunately, no one was injured, Maybanks said.

And there wasn't any ability to enter into his residence or to receive a court order  to remove firearms that his family and associates knew that he possessed, he said. And so unfortunately, what transpired was he had an alleged breakdown and ended up actually using the firearm to shoot out of his house, out various portions of his house from various angles, while law enforcement was on the scene. They had to defuse that situation.

The man was arrested and charged with crimes stemming from the shooting.

An extreme risk protective order  would have allowed the family members to preemptively take those firearms out of their loved ones possession who's undergoing a mental health crisis and they fear that he might hurt himself or others, Maybanks said.

Depending on the state, petitioners under such laws must show probable cause or clear and convincing evidence to establish that the gun owner presents a safety risk.

But essentially what it comes down to is there are certain identifiable people in the community, based on reports by their loved ones, associates or law enforcement, that present an immediate risk to themselves or to others, Maybanks said. And what we see are these folks go beyond the generalized risk of dangerous hate behavior because they refer to their firearms or are known to carry their firearms or use them more frequently.

And therefore, we have not only a chance to prevent violence, but specifically to prevent gun violence from occurring.

While an extreme-risk law would not solve domestic violence or prevent people from suicide, such protection orders could help keep guns out of the hands of abusive partners and reduce gun violence and domestic violence in some situations, said Laura Hessburg, public policy director at Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Two-thirds of women killed by an intimate partner in the United States are killed with a gun, according to an analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data by Everytown for Gun Safety.

And access to a gun makes it five times more likely that an abusive partner will kill his female victim, Hessburg said. "... The bottom line for us is that guns and domestic violence are obviously a lethal combination. We are not opposed to gun ownership, rights, etc. But we are frustrated by constant pressure to further expand gun rights and opposition to common-sense gun laws that enhance individual and public safety.

Matt Sinovic, executive director of the liberal advocacy group Progress Iowa, said hes optimistic that Iowa can pass red flag laws, despite the Republican-controlled Legislature passing a number of laws loosening gun regulations in recent years.

I think its something that should be pushed for, and we should try to get done, that the state should do, but it certainly would be an uphill battle, Sinovic said.

Erin Murphy and Caleb McCullough of The Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau contributed to this report.
In todays world of high-tech winemaking, storage and distribution, its fascinating to think about how architecture participated in the creation of wine through the years. Archaeology has always been a fascination to me and can give todays winemakers some insight on the process historically.

We know that wine was being produced seasonally as a byproduct of grape juice in the Armenian and Georgian mountains more than 6,100 years ago. However, it was a haphazard process and it wasnt until about 5500 BCE that production was moved indoors and became a permanent part of the community.

One ancient wine cellar was found in an Armenian cave with a crude but functional wine press and a fermentation tank, along with a leather shoe. This suggests that shoes were removed and the custom of stomping grapes was common. Lucy Ricardo would be proud.

Interestingly, Egyptians, who are known for their beer production, were making wine around 4000 BCE. While grapes never grew in ancient Egypt, there was a royal winemaking industry in the Nile Delta of importing grapes from Palestine and Phoenicia, today's Lebanon. Around 2700 BCE, grape vineyards grew on the Delta, and wine kept in glass containers was essential for a souls voyage into the afterlife.

Wild grapes grew from todays Turkey all the way to southern Iran. The 15th-century BCE Mesopotamians recorded 81 vineyards in a single village, and the tablets were clear that they drank wine until saturated and inebriated.

But hold on. Did the Chinese invent wine even earlier? Fluids from 9,000 years ago discovered in China proved to be grape-based and included rice, honey and fruit. Rumor is, the Chinese were making sangria before anyone else made wine.

The sixth-century BCE Greeks pioneered the cultivation and production of wine from grape vineyards as well as olive oil from olive tree orchards. Their processes influenced wine production in todays France, Italy, Austria and even eastern nations. One of the earliest-known Greek wine presses was discovered in Crete in the era around 1600 BCE. Eventually, the Romans picked up the baton and made it a true business for trade throughout the Mediterranean.

Interestingly, the stone basin with a runoff drain was developed about the same time for both wine and olive oil extraction. The best wine was produced from free-run juice released by grapes under their own weight before any treading or pressing in cool underground rooms or caves. This wine was used for medicinal purposes, just as todays medicines often have an alcohol base.

In 200 BCE, a very detailed account of the workings of a Roman press room was published by Cato the Elder. By the first century CE, wine was produced in large tanks or troughs from grapes stomped by feet or paddles. The storage and delivery of wine throughout the Mediterranean and as far away as the British Isles was in amphorae, pointed vessels that could be unloaded by plunging them into the harbors wet sand.

Of course, the Romans were always eager to erect temples to Bacchus, the god of wine, the grape harvest, winemaking and even religious ecstasy. Throughout the Mediterranean, dozens of such temples dotted the Roman cities. One such temple in Baalbek, Lebanon, was photographed by my brother. Ironically, he never drank.

In the Middle Ages, winemaking was advanced by religious orders who owned the best vineyards around their abbeys and monasteries. The basket press became popular and featured wooden staves bound together, with a disk that would press toward the bottom and cause the juice to seep out between the staves into a wooden surrounding basin. This remained the common method into the 19th century.

Keeping wine in vessels to age was uncommon in this unsanitary era. There are reports of wine cellar workers suffocating from released carbon dioxide while treading fermented wine grapes in a vat.

Since the 10th century, wine and architecture have become so intertwined as to become codependent. Castles and monasteries initially shaped the image of wine as more than an elixir but as an experience. Rather than go into an extensive history here, I am planning a follow-up article on how todays wine industry is so dependent on cutting-edge architecture.

Todays wineries are becoming temples to Bacchus as if the Romans had built them. Only contemporary and edgy, but with all the solemnity of a cathedral.

So, which comes first? The wine or the architectural statement?
An Antioch resident will serve more than 13 years in state prison for leading a scheme to steal credit card readers and use the devices to fraudulently withdraw more than $1 million, according to California and Napa city authorities.

Toni Coffman, 37, was one of 29 people to be sentenced in connection with the theft and hacking of credit card terminals from dozens of dental and medical offices, state Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Friday. The defendants, who authorities said belonged to or were associated with the Bully Boys and CoCo Boys street gangs of Contra Costa County, pleaded guilty to grand theft, burglary and criminal conspiracy charges.

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Coffman, described by authorities as the ringleader of the thefts, received a sentence of 13 years and eight months and was ordered to pay $861,000 restitution, Bonta said in a news release.

Sentencing information for the other 28 defendants was not immediately available. In all, the defendants prison terms will total about 86 years.

Coffman was one of three people arrested after a break-in at a Napa dentists office on the night of Feb. 2, 2016, according to police Sgt. Pete Piersig.

A cab driver who heard the sound of breaking glass in the 3000 block of Solano Avenue notified officers, who saw burglary damage at the dental practice and three people driving away in a stolen vehicle, Piersig said Wednesday.

When police stopped the vehicle and detained the occupants, they found stolen card readers inside, according to Piersig, who identified Coffman as the getaway driver.

Coffman and two men from Pittsburg were booked into the Napa County jail on suspicion of burglary, criminal conspiracy, and possessing stolen property, burglary tools and drugs.

Cab driver reports burglary, leads to 3 arrests Three out-of-towners were arrested after a taxi cab driver reported suspicious circumstances on Solano Avenue in Napa Tuesday night.

An investigation bolstered by several search warrants in Contra Costa County revealed that thieves were burglarizing various medical and dental buildings, looking for specific card reader models to steal. They would then use the machines to put funds on gift or credit cards, thousands of dollars at a time, Piersig said in an email.

After Coffmans arrest, authorities found 28 stolen credit card terminals in a storage unit belonging to her, as well as patients records swiped from a Stockton office, the San Jose Mercury News reported after Coffman and other suspects were indicted in 2018.

A detective from Walnut Creek Police, assigned to the Northern California Computer Crimes Task Force, took the lead in the investigation and used evidence from the 2016 Napa incident to connect other people to the theft ring, according to Piersig.

Although Coffman was a suspect in other agencies cases, by Napa PD actually arresting her and doing a search warrant at her house in Antioch, it got the ball rolling on the rest of the case, he said.

Members of the CoCo Boys and Bully Boys were arrested in September 2018 and indicted, along with Coffman, in Sacramento County Superior Court on 240 counts linked to the burglaries. The scheme struck businesses in 13 counties, led to the theft of at least 40 card scanners, and left behind more than 60 identity theft victims, the Mercury News reported at the time.
Casting from his pole on Tuesday into Winery Lake at the di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art, Owen Stone, 11, realized he might have actually hooked a real live fish.

Something was grabbing, at the line, said Owen.

It was bobbing and pulling.

Owen was right. He had made a catch, but this fish wasnt going to end up on a dinner plate. It would be released back into the lake, to live, and swim, another day.

The catch and release was just one part of a week-long camp at the di Rosa Center. Running four weeks total, Camp di Rosa includes learning about the flora, fauna, animals and geology at di Rosa as camper groups explore the 217-acre nature preserve. Hiking, bird watching, archery, fishing and field games are other activities.

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Campers are also making make art during studio time and learning about the many sculptures and artworks that can be found outdoors and inside di Rosas galleries.

The di Rosa is hosting at total of four weeks of summer camp, with about 30 kids attending per week.

This site just calls for a camp, said Andrea Saenz, the deputy director and director of education at di Rosa. It has so many elements that make for a really beautiful experience for kids.

Were trying to have a really special summer camp experience that really embodies both the art and nature aspects of our mission, Saenz said. And this camp does that in a really beautiful way. Its pretty awesome.

I love fishing, said Owen on Tuesday at Camp di Rosa. Sure, the waiting is kind of rough but it pays off when you catch something. He also enjoys the art activities at the camp. You get to express yourself and thats just magical.

The camper said he was looking forward to doing archery next, because of the skill level thats involved. Ive done archery before; its really fun.

Eamonn O'Briain, 7, said so far the best part about Camp di Rosa was the snakes and lizards. "And definitely dont forget the bass, caught in Winery Lake.

His favorite lizards are blue belly lizards, because if they cut their tails off and I find it well be able to get the DNA and then make it (into) something else if we get it to a scientist, he announced. My job basically is to find the DNA of the blue belly.

Estee Brossier, who is 12 and lives in Sonoma, said she did not catch a fish, but her friend Charlotte King-Thomas had better luck.

Charlotte caught a fish, but we were her motivation, said Estee. We were like, 'come on reel it in!'

For her first time fishing, it was fun but the rods kept getting stuck together, said Estee.

Then, we saw a rattlesnake," she said. "I almost stepped on it," but counselors lead her to safety.

Charlotte, also 12 and from Sonoma, said shes previously fished, with her dad during a camping trip.

So I brought my own rod, just casted it out and I caught a huge fish in like two seconds, using salmon eggs for bait. Then we kept trying to reel it in, she said of the bass they had temporarily caught. They said it was the biggest fish theyve seen from this lake, noted Charlotte.

Fishing at camp is fun, she said. I like casting it and looking at the lake to see tiny movements in the water. You never know when you will catch a fish.

Frankie Rock, 10, from Napa, said she also liked fishing at Camp di Rosa.

Once you get the hang of it, its really fun to see how far you can get it and its fun to see if you get something, or if you get seaweed, instead of fish.

Frankie also liked making her own art portfolio at the camp. I drew some cool stuff on the front. She said shed recommend the camp to her other friends. Id say its very fun and very creative.

Walker Karpuk, 8, also threw a line out at Winery Lake on Tuesday.

Instead of catching a live fish, I caught my imaginary, invisible fish, said Walker. What kind of imaginary fish? A rainbow fin and an invisible piranha, said the camper. I let them go but the piranha almost ate my whole rod.

Imaginary fish or not, he hasnt given up on landing the real thing. On Friday Im definitely catching fish, he announced.

Back to camp at Napa's Connolly Ranch Where can favorites such as Grandmother Oak, the Spider Tree and the Bat Cave be found in Napa? Connolly Ranch.

The di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art occupies 217 acres of the original 465 acres of land purchased by Rene di Rosa in 1960. Located in the scenic Carneros Region at the south end of the Napa Valley, di Rosa opened to the public in 1997 as part of di Rosas vision for an art park accessible to the greater public.

The property now encompasses multiple galleries, a courtyard and a sculpture meadow that are all protected under the Napa County Land Trust.

While the di Rosa is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary, this is only the second year of Camp di Rosa, said the director.

Adding a camp to the centers offerings meets the goal of opening up the preserve to more visitors and more possibilities, Saenz explained.

A year ago we refreshed our mission and we have a wonderful newish executive director, who is really updating the vision of di Rosa.

What is di Rosa today?

The treasure in Napa's backyard: di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art celebrates 25 years: Napa's di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art is one of its hidden treasures worth seeking out, says director Kate Eilertsen. "After all, you can only drink so much wine."

We are an art and nature center, said Saenz. The property offers walking paths, picnic tables and outdoor art installations. In addition, we have a really wonderful representation of Northern California art from the 1960s to the early 2000s. Its a wide and eclectic representation from that era, as well as rotating exhibitions.

Saenz cleared up some common misconceptions about di Rosa. First, its not a winery. Second, the famous di Rosa sheep artworks are still on display  just at a different location. Lastly, the di Rosa collection hasn't been sold, or deaccessioned.

While there have been some very careful decisions made, were not selling the collection, Saenz noted. Encompassing about 1,600 works, the di Rosa collection is robust and strong, she said.

The re-visioning of the center seems to be working, especially when it comes to Camp di Rosa. All four weeks of camp have been full. Each week of camp costs $425. Some financial assistance was made available, via the Napa Valley Community Foundation and other donors.

My goals for camp are that the kids go home filthy, tired and maybe fall asleep in the car, while sharing stories and the artwork they made that day.

If you do all that; thats a good camp, said Saenz.
flydubai, the Dubai-based airline, has launched flights to Samarkand in Uzbekistan from 20 September with a twice-weekly service, growing its operations in Uzbekistan to two points including the capital Tashkent.



Flights to Samarkand International Airport (SKD) will operate from Terminal 3 at Dubai International (DXB) on Tuesdays and Fridays. With the launch of operations to Samarkand, flydubai grows its network to 102 destinations served by a fleet of 65 Boeing 737 aircraft, giving passengers from the UAE and the region more reliable and convenient options for travel.



Hamad Obaidalla, Chief Commercial Officer at flydubai, said: we started our operations to Uzbekistan in 2019 and we were pleased to see the market grow as the demand for travel returned. With a combined frequency of eight flights a week to Samarkand and Tashkent, we look forward to further supporting the trade and cultural links with the UAE and encouraging more people to visit this beautiful country steeped in history and tradition.



As one of the most ancient cities in the world, Samarkand is believed to be as old as Rome and Athens and an important centre of human civilisation. This culturally rich city was an important crossroad on the Silk Road and is now included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Samarkand is home to many unique monuments including the Registan Mosque and madrasas, Bibi-Khanum Mosque, the Shakhi-Zinda compound and the Gur-Emir ensemble, as well as Ulugh-Beg's Observatory.



Jeyhun Efendi, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations and E-commerce at flydubai, said: Central Asia is an important and growing market for flydubai. flydubais new service will provide our customers from Samarkand and the adjacent areas with an easier and more efficient way to travel to the UAE and beyond. We will start with a twice-weekly service from September and we are excited to see the market grow even further in the future.



flydubai operates flights to six destinations in Central Asia including Almaty and Nur-Sultan in Kazakhstan, Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan, Dushanbe in Tajikistan as well as Samarkand and Tashkent in Uzbekistan.



Emirates will codeshare on this route offering passengers more options for connections through Dubais international aviation hub.



Return Business Class fares from DXB to SKD start from AED8,000 ($2,180) and Economy Class Lite fares start from AED 1,800.  TradeArabia News Service
According to information published by the New Zealander MoD on July 14, 2022, under grey skies, the Royal New Zealand Navy frigate HMNZS Te Mana triumphantly sailed into Waitemata Harbour and received a well-deserved Ceremonial Homecoming following the completion of a three-year frigate systems upgrade in Canada.

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New Zealander Anzac class frigate Te Maha, Waitemata Harbour, Auckland. (Picture source: New Zealander MoD)

The upgrade programme was managed by the Ministry of Defence and carried out by Lockheed Martin Canada, which delivered new radars, electronic detection and other above-water systems, the self-defence missile system, decoys against missiles and torpedoes, and an upgrade to the hull-mounted sonar, along with the combat management system that integrates these.

About the Anzac class frigate HMNZS Te Mana

HMNZS Te Mana (F111) is one of ten Anzac-class frigates and one of two serving in the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN). The ship was laid down under the joint Anzac project by Tenix Defence at Williamstown, Victoria in 1996, launched in 1997, and commissioned into the RNZN in 1999.

The Anzacs are based on Blohm + Voss' MEKO 200 PN (or Vasco da Gama-class) frigates, modified to meet Australian and New Zealand specifications and maximise the use of locally built equipment.

Each frigate has a 3,600-tonne (3,500-long-ton) full load displacement. The ships are 109 metres (357 ft 7 in) long at the waterline, and 118 metres (387 ft 2 in) long overall, with a beam of 14.8 metres (48 ft 7 in), and a full load draught of 4.35 metres (14 ft 3 in).

The ships are fitted with a Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion machinery layout, consisting of two controllable-pitch propellers driven by a single General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbine and two MTU diesel engines: initially the TB83 model, but these were replaced in 2010 with more powerful TB93s.

Maximum speed is 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph), and maximum range is over 6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph). The standard ship's company of an Anzac consists of 22 officers and 141 sailors.

The main armament for the frigate is a 5-inch 54 calibre Mark 45 gun, supplemented by an eight-cell Mark 41 vertical launch system for RIM-7 Sea Sparrow, two 12.7-millimetre (0.50 in) machine guns, and two Mark 32 triple torpedo tube sets firing Mark 46 torpedoes.
YEREVAN.  Hraparak daily of writes Armenia writes: A few weeks ago, the Azerbaijanis abducted a resident of Khachik village of Vayots Dzor [Province], 60-year-old Ashot Khachatryan, from the territory of the village while carrying out agricultural work. After holding him hostage for about a week, they returned him back. We were told that violence was also used against him.

It is noteworthy that the official [Armenian] agencies are silent about the incident, there is no [respective] statement because this fact shows that, contrary to [PM Nikol] Pashinyan's assurances that the Armenian-Azerbaijani borders are equipped and proper monitoring is in place, soon it will be so peaceful that not soldiers but a few border guards will stand at the border, in fact there are great dangers.

We were alerted by the residents of Khachik that there is simply powerlessness there. Khachik is part of the enlarged community of Areni, whose leader Husik Sahakyan told us that he does not know much about [this] incident.

"We found out that one day he [i.e., Ashot Khachatryan] was lost, and the next day he came back. I don't know anything more," he said.
YEREVAN.  Zhoghovurd newspaper of Armenia writes: According to Zhoghovurd dailys information, the process that has started on depriving the opposition MPs of their [parliamentary] mandate will not be completed. The [ruling majority] CC [i.e., the Civil Contract Faction in the National Assembly] is taking some steps just to scare them, knowing full well that it will not be able to deprive everyone of their mandates.

As is known, the Council of the National Assembly will discuss today the matter of petitioning to the Constitutional Court to terminate the [parliamentary] powers of 33 opposition MPs. The [respective] rationale states that the basis for depriving them of [their parliamentary] mandate is [their] dishonorable absence from at least half of the voting during the half-year.

The final decision on depriving parliamentarians of their mandates is, of course, the Constitutional Court's, the initiative is the CC's, however, according to Zhoghovurd dailys information, as a result, [these opposition] MPs will not be deprived of their mandate. The result of the process will be that either as a result of consideration, the petition will not be sent to the Constitutional Court for some reason, or the court will deny the petition once it has been sent.

Let's remind that we are talking about depriving 33 [opposition] MPs of their mandate, whereas the names of 4 [such] MPs are missing. Although [MPs] Taguhi Tovmasyan and Ishkhan Zakaryan [also] have absences, their absences during these months were considered honorable. (...). Martun Grigoryan and Argishti Gevorgyan have just taken the [parliamentary] mandate, therefore they do not have an absence [from the voting in parliament].
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Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia on Thursday sent a congratulatory letter to President Emmanuel Macron of France on the latters National Day. The letter reads as follows, in particular:

"We highly value the privileged friendship with France, based on rich Armenian-French contacts with a history of a thousand years, as well as on a strong civilizational foundation and values. We are happy to record that, parallel to the high-level Armenian-French political dialogue, active steps are being taken to strengthen and develop economic ties between Armenia and France. In this context, we attach particular importance to the consistent implementation of the provisions of the 2021-2026 road map of Armenian-French economic cooperation signed in December of last year, as well as to ensuring the continuity of the success of the Aspirations Armenia-France conference organized at your initiative.

Armenia highly appreciates the role of France as the Co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group and its involvement in the process of peaceful settlement and fair resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh problem.

In this regard, I reaffirm Armenia's resolute commitment to achieve a peaceful and lasting settlement of the issue.

Taking the opportunity, I congratulate you on carrying out the French Presidency of the EU with honor and successfully completing it. I am sure that in the future France will continue to play an important role in overcoming all the challenges emerging in this difficult period full of geopolitical upheavals, in favor of international solidarity and universal welfare.

Once again congratulating France on this inmost holiday, I reaffirm my and Armenian peoples desire to host you in Armenia on a state visit in the near future.
Officials from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, and the United Nations agreed on key aspects of a plan to resume exports of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, senior Turkish and U.N. leaders said, The Wall Street Journal reported.

At a meeting in Istanbul Wednesday, officials from the four parties agreed to establish a coordination center in Istanbul where their representatives would oversee outbound shipments of grain, Turkeys defense minister said.

During the negotiations, the parties agreed on partial demining and ceasefire, said a person familiar with the talks.

Under the broad agreement reached Wednesday, grain could ship from three Ukrainian ports in convoys escorted by Ukrainian vessels, with a cease-fire to protect vessels within geographical limits and some minesweeping, a person familiar with the talks said.

The Turkish navy would inspect empty ships arriving at Ukrainian ports to address concerns from Russia that the vessels could be used to transport Western arms to Kyivs forces. The U.N. will establish a command and control center in Istanbul to monitor threat levels to the shipping.

A person familiar with the talks said an agreement could be signed in the coming days after some technical details are ironed out, but cautioned, It would be wrong to say an agreement is imminent.
YEREVAN.  Speaker Alen Simonyan of the Republic of Armenia National Assembly (RA NA) on Thursday received a delegation led by president Gunnar Schellenberger of the Saxony-Anhalt Landtag of the German federal state of Saxony-Anhalt.

The stable development of friendly relations between Armenia and Germany and the deepening of inter-parliamentary cooperation were highly emphasized at the meeting. Reference was made to the already signed documents on cooperation between Armenia and Saxony-Anhalt. Simonyan highly appreciated the existence of the Mesrop Center for Armenian studies at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, asking for the support of the parliamentarians to ensure the continuity of activities of the Center. The German partners noted that the issues related to the Center are at the center of attention, presenting the work already done in the direction of its vital activity.

The sides reflected on the Armenia Day event planned for November 17 in the Landtag, expressing confidence that it will strengthen Armenian-German cooperation. According to the representatives of the German side, this project is the first of its kind, and Armenia was chosen as a country with friendly and democratic values. It is common for us to say that we wake up early. This means that we are prompt and able to respond to all questions, Schellenberger noted, referring to the further plans for prospective cooperation.

The sides discussed the matters related to lasting peace and security in the region, and humanitarian issues following the 44-day Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) war in the fall of 2020.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu said that the inhabitants of the country need to prepare for a difficult winter and to warm up their homes, Sputnik Moldova reported.

"Everyone is preparing for a hard winter. I'm sorry to say, but we also need to be prepared for such a winter. This means, as much as possible, to insulate houses to reduce heat loss," Sandu said.

She also noted that the government is working on a compensation mechanism for citizens.

The day before, Sandu denied the possibility of discussing more favorable gas contracts with the Russian leadership. She said that she did not regret that she did not go to Moscow for a more favorable agreement.
Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz tried to open a plastic water bottle with his teeth during a meeting with US President Joe Biden.

Footage of Gantz with the bottle quickly spread online.

In the video, you can see that when the Israeli delegation, exhausted by the heat, was served bottles of water, the minister did not open the bottle with his hands, unlike the woman sitting next to him who was already drinking water. The 63-year-old high-ranking official decided to resort to the unconventional method of opening the bottle with his teeth.

According to the footage, Gantz did not even try to uncork the bottle with his hands, and the presence of the American leader and a large number of other people at the ceremony did not embarrass him at all. Whether the minister managed to open the bottle and drink water is unknown.
President Vahagn Khachaturyan of Armenia on Thursday visited the French embassy on the occasion of the French National Day, and congratulated French Ambassador Anne Louyot on this holiday.

In his respective remarks, the Armenian President emphasized that this holiday is very important not only for the French, but also for the entire progressive humanity, as it is symbolic of the ideas of freedom, brotherhood, and equality.

Also, Vahagn Khachaturyan lauded France's support and friendly attitude in the development of various domains in Armenia ever since the latters declaration of its independencein 1991.

Ambassador Louyot, for her part, thanked the President for the visit.

The interlocutors stressed the continued development of special Armenian-French friendly relations, and exchanged views on the current agendas of interaction and future cooperation.
UNITED NATIONS, July 12 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Tuesday identified four areas where efforts are needed to promote strategic communications in UN peacekeeping.

Strategic communications can help the world know more about peacekeeping, and help peacekeeping better serve the world. The UN secretary-general's Action for Peacekeeping initiative includes strategic communications in the toolbox, which is an important measure to enhance the safety and security of peacekeepers and improve the performance of peacekeeping operations, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations.

China believes that to enhance strategic communications, there is a need to work on four areas, he told a Security Council open debate on the key role of strategic communications for efficient peacekeeping.

First, creating stronger partnerships.

The United Nations should enhance communications with the host country, troop- and police-contributing countries, and regional organizations, so as to share information, align goals, and coordinate activities. Of all the stakeholders, the host country is the most important one. The United Nations should continue to improve communications with host countries, heed their opinions, address their concerns, and seek their support. The Security Council should create the mandate of a peacekeeping mission in a reasonable manner based on the needs of the host country. Missions should also improve their communications with local communities to gain public understanding and support.

Second, better protecting the safety and security of peacekeepers.

Peacekeepers are faced with more and more serious safety and security challenges. There is a need to enhance security information exchanges between missions and host governments and improve the situational awareness and risk prevention capacities of missions. In areas where many forces conduct operations, the host governments could consider creating an information-sharing mechanism to avoid misunderstanding or misjudgment.

Third, facilitating effective mandate implementation for peacekeeping operations.

Restoring peace in the host country is the primary responsibility of a peacekeeping operation. A mission should, based on thorough communications with the parties concerned and relevant regional organizations, promote the resolution of conflicts through dialogue and communication. Military means alone cannot fulfill the mandate to protect civilians. Missions should improve communications with local communities so as to be able to detect and address security risks as soon as possible to effectively prevent conflicts and better protect civilians.

Fourth, improving strategic communications capacity-building.

The UN Secretariat will soon update the strategic communications public information policy. China hopes that the Secretariat will take this opportunity to integrate strategic communications into all components and units of peacekeeping operations, and in the process, keep close communications with stakeholders. The Secretariat should include strategic communications in the training for peacekeepers to help them get a deeper understanding of local cultures and the situations of the host countries so as to more closely facilitate the implementation of the priority national policies of these countries.

As the second-largest contributor to the UN peacekeeping budget and a major troop contributor, China has always been committed to peace through concrete actions. China has included strategic communications in its training system and has provided peacekeepers from dozens of troop-contributing countries with targeted training. China will continue to work with peace-loving nations to contribute to the maintenance of world peace and security, said Zhang.
YEREVAN.  Speaker Alen Simonyan of the Republic of Armenia National Assembly (RA NA) on Thursday received Serbian Ambassador Tatjana Panajotovic Cvetkovic, the NA informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Welcoming the guest, the RA NA President noted that he is happy that he accepted her credentials while standing in for the President of Armenia, adding that the establishment of a permanent diplomatic representation in Yerevan is the best stimulus for the development of Armenian-Serbian relations and cooperation. The sides referred to the importance of parliamentary diplomacy, considering the exchange of experience and mutual visits as a starting point.

Alen Simonyan pointed to the active contacts of the friendship groups, giving key importance to the development of close cooperation with Serbia within the framework of international organizations: UN, OSCE, CoE, and BSEC.

Reference was made to the issues of the establishment of peace and security in the region. Alen Simonyan noted that Armenia is advancing the agenda of opening an era of peace in the region.

The prospects for the development of Armenian-Serbian multi-sectoral cooperation were discussed.
French President Emmanuel Macron called on citizens to prepare for a complete cessation of Russian supplies, turn off the lights at night and take part in a nationwide period of "energy sobriety," AP reported.

According to Macron, there is no end in sight to the war in Ukraine, so the French should be prepared for costs to remain high.

This war will continue," he said in a televised interview marking France's national holiday, Bastille Day. The summer, early autumn will be very hard.

"Russia is using energy, like it is using food, as a weapon of war, Macron said. We should prepare ourselves for the scenario where we have to go without all Russian gas.

He said the government will prepare a "sobriety plan" to save electricity, which will begin with turning off street lights at night. Macron assured that France will continue to strive to diversify its gas sources, calling for a faster transition to offshore wind farms and more European cross-border energy cooperation to survive the current crisis.

Macron's far-right and far-left political opponents have blamed EU sanctions for reducing the purchasing power of French consumers. The French president gave no indication in the interview of a change in policy toward Ukraine. We want to stop this war without getting involved in this war. At the same time, we want to do everything so that Russia doesnt win, so that Ukraine can defend its territory. We dont want a world war, Macron said.
In mid-March, the Emory School of Medicine Class of 2022 gathered for the annual Match Day ceremony to learn where they would serve their residencies. It was the first in-person Match Day since 2019, with 146 Emory medical students obtaining a residency that day.

Of those 146, 35 will spend all or part of their residency training in the state of Georgia, 34 will begin their training at Emory, and 28 will remain at Emory for their entire residency.

They were among thousands of medical students across the country receiving positions at U.S. teaching hospitals through the National Residency Match Program. Some students, however, participate in smaller match programs for particular specialties (such as ophthalmology and urology) and the military residency match.

In addition to Emory, students will receive residency training at other prominent institutions, including Harvard, University of California San Francisco, Johns Hopkins, University of Colorado, University of Washington, University of Pittsburgh, University of Chicago, Duke, Cornell, Stanford, Columbia and others. Earlier this year, two students matched in the U.S. military.

The specialties chosen most frequently by class members for their residencies were internal medicine (33), pediatrics (15), neurology (9), ob/gyn (9), psychiatry (9), ophthalmology (8), emergency medicine (7) and surgery (7).

Read the full Match Day coverage, including several student spotlights.

Now that the class is spreading across the country to begin residency training, the map above shows the institutions that will be home to Emory graduates and the specialties they will be pursuing.

Map notes:
Rajapaksa flees Sri Lanka, appoints PM as president

Sri Lanka has declared a state of emergency after the president fled overseas to escape anti-government protests. Photo: AFP
Sri Lanka protesters to leave official buildings

Demonstrators gather inside the office building of Sri Lanka's prime minister during an anti-government protest. Photo: AFP
Six plead guilty to perverting course of justice

Six defendants plead guilty at West Kowloon Court. File photo: RTHK

Six people have pleaded guilty at the District Court to perverting the course of justice.



They were among 12 people who tried to flee to Taiwan by speedboat and were intercepted by mainland coastguard in August 2020.



The six who pleaded guilty on Thursday are Liu Tsz-man, Cheng Tsz-ho, Cheung Chun-fu, Cheung Ming-yu, Yim Man-him and Kok Tsz-lun. The alleged offence is said to have been committed between December 2019 and August 2020.



Another defendant, Li Tsz-yin, did not appear in court because he has been listed as a close contact of someone infected with Covid-19 while in custody.
Sri Lankan leader finally quits, from Singapore

Sri Lankans celebrate as they react to early reports of the Sri Lankan president's resignation. Photo: AP

Sri Lanka's president submitted his resignation shortly after reaching Singapore on Thursday, the parliamentary speaker's office said, days after the head of state fled protests triggered by his country's worst-ever economic crisis.



Gotabaya Rajapaksa's emailed resignation would be examined before a formal announcement  expected on Friday  is made, the speaker's spokesman Indunil Yapa said.



Rajapaksa fled Sri Lanka on Wednesday, after protesters overran his palace on the weekend, heading first to the Maldives and then Singapore.



"The authenticity and the legality of the e-mail will have to be checked out" before being formally accepted, Yapa said.



Rajapaksa would be the first president to resign since Sri Lanka adopted a presidential system of government in 1978.



A small but jubilant crowd, some waving the national flag, danced and chanted in celebration outside the presidential secretariat as news of the resignation broke.



"This is a monumental victory," said protester Harinda Fonseka. "But it is only a first step."



Under Sri Lanka's constitution, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe  whose resignation is also being demanded by protesters  would automatically become acting president until parliament can appoint a successor.



Rajapaksa, his wife Ioma and their two bodyguards arrived in Singapore from Male on board a Saudia airline flight.



As president, Rajapaksa enjoyed immunity from arrest, and he is understood to have wanted to go abroad before stepping down to avoid the possibility of being detained.



The former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed is believed to have played a behind-the-scenes role in getting him out of the country, and said Rajapaksa feared he would be killed if he remained.



"I believe the President would not have resigned if he were still in Sri Lanka, and fearful of losing his life," Nasheed tweeted. (AFP)
Kozhikode (Kerala) [India], July 14 (ANI/PR Newswire): SWA Diamonds, one of India's leading ornament manufacturing companies, has won the Guinness World Record for the title, 'the most number of diamonds set in one ring'. The ring, manufactured in the Malappuram district of Kerala, has won several prestigious awards, including the Guinness World Records and Asian Book of Records. The model of the ring has been inspired by the pink oyster mushroom which stands for eternity and it sparkles with 24,679 diamonds on it. Named 'The Touch of Ami', this ring has made a previous record of a ring with 12,638 diamonds become yesterday's story. Ms Rijisha TV, a post graduate in lifestyle accessory design, from the National Institute of Design has meticulously designed 'The Touch of Ami' and Guinness World Records entered it in the 'Most Diamonds Set in One Ring' category. It took 90 grueling days to achieve this milestone. Capestone, the holding company behind SWA Diamonds played a major role in winning the global award. SWA officials are immensely proud of the fact that this feat was achieved in Kerala, a place with a sizeable number of diamond and gold consumers, but with very less jewellery manufacturing units. It is indeed a great achievement that this award-winning jewel has come from this state and has won this prestigious title over countries like Belgium which dominate the diamond industry worldwide. ''It is our privilege and honor that this ring was made in India and also the owner of the ring is an Indian. 'The Touch of Ami' also marks the triumph of entrepreneurship in the diamond sector of our state,'' says Abdul Gafur Anadiyan, MD of SWA Diamonds. Capestone, which has been a major player in the gold-diamond-platinum ornament manufacturing domain for the last two decades, launched the SWA Diamonds brand in 2019. Even through the challenging Covid-19 pandemic situations, the company managed to launch SWA Diamonds brand in more than 150 stores, within a short period of two years, say the owners. SWA Diamonds has made it possible to present world-class and uniquely designed diamond jewellery for consumers across the world. With INKEL EDUCITY Malappuram, a government undertaking, holding this world record, it is expected that this achievement will attract more investment to the high growth industry of diamond ornament manufacturing business in India. SWA Diamonds is a brand owned by Capestone, one of South India's largest manufacturers of gold, diamond, and platinum ornaments based out of Malappuram Inkel Educity , Kerala. In 2002, the company entered the industry with manufacturing and supply of machine made chains to all major and prominent jewellery retailers and in the year 2019, the company launched SWA Diamonds in the affordable diamond category. This story is provided by PR Newswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PR Newswire)
London [UK], July 14 (ANI/PNN): Indian fashion designers and luxury couturiers Falguni Shane Peacock received the prestigious Shiromani award at the NRI World Summit 2022, held at Dorchester, UK. The designer duo, who have dressed numerous celebrities in India and worldwide, received the award for their immense contribution to the world of fashion and their philanthropic initiatives via The Peacock Foundation. The award was handed by GP Hinduja and Secretary-General Manu Jagmohan Singh in the presence of other dignitaries present at the event. The Shiromani Award was instituted in 1977. In the past, the award has been conferred upon eminent personas from all walks of life, such as Mother Teresa, The Dalai Lama, Chief Marshal Sam Manekshaw, actors Raj Kapoor and Jaya Bachchan, sportspersons Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Dev, PT Usha, and Vishwanathan Anand, amongst others. The award ceremony was followed by an event held at the House of Lords the next day, where Shane Peacock was the keynote speaker who spoke about the flourishing Indo-Britain relations and trade association. This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN)
Atlanta [US], July 14 (ANI/PRNewswire): Cyble, the Y Combinator-backed leader in AI-powered global cyber threat intelligence, is proud to announce that it is now a credible source in the list of key contributors to VirusTotal's risk analysis. Being a part of VT's list of website/domain scanning engine contributors will allow Cyble to extend its threat research even beyond its client base and serve the entire cybersecurity fraternity at large. Owned by Chronicle - a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. (Google), VirusTotal offers threat research insights and reputation data to foster the analysis of suspicious files, risky URLs, malicious domains, and IP addresses for the effective detection of potential cybersecurity threats. VirusTotal reports comprise crowdsourced details consolidated through intelligence from multiple global security services. This strategic integration with VirusTotal will help extend Cyble's SaaS-based enterprise solution - Cyble Vision - to the overall cybersecurity community. It will empower security researchers worldwide to access Cyble's unique threat indicators that it observes as part of its routine threat monitoring exercise. As a result of this partnership, Cyble's actionable threat intelligence, gathered from 200B+ darkweb records and 400M+ digital assets, will now be synchronized with VirusTotal's database, in turn allowing organizations to enrich their Threat Intelligence and Digital Risk Protection framework. According to Dhanalakshmi Pk, Senior Director Malware and Intelligence Research at Cyble, "VirusTotal is one of the largest and most reputed repositories of malware scanning, trusted by millions of security analysts and researchers for data enrichment. Being integrated with VirusTotal is another milestone in Cyble's journey towards securing individuals, enterprises, governments, and Law enforcement agencies across the world. It will help the global infosec community to leverage Cyble's exclusive real-time threat intelligence repositories for protecting their digital assets from targeted cyberattacks. Additionally, Cyble's rich data set will enable users of VirusTotal to carry out the proactive identification and mitigation of a plethora of digital risks associated with critical severity vulnerabilities, supply chain compromise, Ransomware and APT attacks, and Phishing attacks, among others." With a vision to democratize digital risk protection through a combination of automation, human analytics, and innovation, Cyble aims to continue to secure its clients and the global cybersecurity community at large with timely and actionable threat intel to pre-empt and avert potential future attacks. With proprietary threat hunting models based on a combination of big data, ML+AI, and state-of-the-art threat research, Cyble alerts its users with sufficient context to understand cyber risks and prioritize them through real-time alerts and meaningful threat intelligence. This news comes just a few days after the company's recent announcement of launching a dedicated Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) Program to empower industry-leading MSSPs with enhanced controls to provide, configure, and monitor all services provided by Cyble Vision as a software suite to its end customers. Besides offering a converged view of Threat Intelligence, Digital Risk Protection Services, and Darkweb and Cybercrime Monitoring capabilities, Cyble is deeply invested in expanding visibility into the darkweb and upgrading its research models and technology to keep pace with the growing sophistication of cyber threats. Beenu Arora, CEO, and Co-founder of Cyble says, "We're incredibly excited to join hands with VirusTotal. This gives us an opportunity to serve the cybersecurity industry globally. As part of such an extensive global threat information platform, we will continue to scale our tool to cater to a wider audience. This partnership will help us direct our efforts towards expanding our threat intelligence capabilities in lockstep with the growing security needs of the industry. Furthermore, being integrated into VirusTotal's list of credible sources portrays our credibility as a trusted and reliable cybersecurity leader and cybercrime mitigation partner." Cyble is a global threat intelligence SaaS provider that helps enterprises protect themselves from cybercrimes and exposure on the Surface web, Deepweb, and Darkweb. Its prime focus is to provide organizations with real-time visibility into their digital risk footprint. Backed by Blackbird Ventures, Xoogler, and Y Combinator as part of the 2021 winter cohort, Cyble has also been recognized by Forbes as one of the top 20 Best Cybersecurity Start-ups, along with several other industry recognitions. Headquartered in Georgia, United States, and with offices in Dubai, Australia, Singapore, and India, Cyble has a global presence. To learn more about Cyble, visit www.cyble.com. This story is provided by PR Newswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PR Newswire)
Pune (Maharashtra) [India] July 14 (ANI/NewsVoir): Sany Bharat, achieved a significant milestone by delivering 4 units of Sany SCC8000A 800 Ton crawler crane, India's largest crawler crane, to Sanghvi Movers Limited. Sany is the largest slew crane manufacturer in India and Sanghvi Movers Limited in the largest Hoisting Solutions company of India ranked 6th largest worldwide. With this addition, Sanghvi Movers Limited, the largest Hoisting Solutions Company of India, will have nearly 60 Sany crawler cranes, Truck Cranes and All Terrain Cranes to offer as rental solutions for core infrastructure projects across multiple sectors. The keys for these Sany SCC8000A 800 Ton crawler cranes were handed over to Sanghvi Movers Ltd at a formal function held in Pune. Speaking at the function, Deepak Garg, Managing Director Sany India and South Asia said, "This milestone has boosted our confidence to accomplish large turnkey projects with Sanghvi Movers and other companies in the infrastructure and engineering sector in India. As their trusted partner, we will continue to deliver high-performing equipment that provide excellent safety, reliability and durability in extreme working conditions at mining and wind power sites. We always aspire to collaborate with companies like Sanghvi Movers Limited and support large infrastructure projects that India is set to achieve in future. In addition, Deepak Gargoutlined the parallel growth path of Sanghvi Movers and Sany Group since their inception in 1989." The SCC8000A is an 800-ton lifting capacity crawler crane, customised to meet the application requirements of mega infrastructure projects such as Wind Power, Cement, Petrochemicals, Infrastructure and almost every segment of the heavy haulage industry. Sany Crawler Cranes feature excellent reliability and highest operational efficiency while offering technological innovations, maximum safety, stability and flexibility in all kinds of operating environments. SCC8000A Crawler Cranes are currently being used at a wind power project in Gujarat. At the handover function held in Pune, Rishi Sanghvi, Managing Director, Sham Kajale, Joint Managing Director and CFO, SML Group promoter Mina Sanghvi and Non- executive Women Director Maithili Sanghvi of Sanghvi Movers Limited, were present to receive the keys for the 4 units of SANY SCC8000A 800 Ton crawler cranes. From Sany Bharat, Deepak Garg, Managing Director, Dawson Zhu, Executive Director, Dheeraj Panda, Chief Operating Officer and Sanjay Saxena, Senior Vice President and Head of Heavy Equipment Business Unit for Sany India and South Asia were present along with senior leadership team from both companies. Sany India was incorporated in 2002 and offers the widest range of Construction Machinery in India and South Asia. In 2012, Sany India invested more than INR 750 crores to develop infrastructure for R&D, Manufacturing, Quality Inspection, Testing, and Service at their manufacturing facility in Chakan, Pune. Through this facility, the company operates in multiple Business verticals viz: Earth Moving, Lifting, Foundation, Mining, Ports, Concrete, Roads and Renewable Energy solutions. Presently, Sany India offers products like excavators, truck-mounted cranes, all-terrain and rough terrain cranes, crawler cranes, transit mixers, batching plants, boom pumps, trailer pumps, piling rigs, motor graders, pavers, milling machine, compactors, reach stackers, rubber tyred gantry cranes, rail-mounted gantry cranes, mining equipment, wind turbine generators and many more. The company has already established a strong network of around 41 dealers and 210 touch points across India to cater to the growing demand and provide support to all its customers and associates. Sany has more than 22000 machines delivered on the ground, contributing to infrastructure development projects in India and other South Asian countries. Owing to its widest product range, superior build quality, service commitment, innovative solutions, and global expertise, Sany India has achieved market leadership in various construction equipment segments. With the Government of India's focus on infrastructure development and modernization, the company is poised for tremendous growth. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)
New Delhi [India], July 14 (ANI/PNN): Coinciding with the 100-day worldwide solo motorcycle ride by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev to raise awareness about the atrocious impact of soil degradation on humanity; Asteride, a unique tech Start-Up for Bikers, organised a series of "Bikers Rallies" across Delhi NCR to spread awareness about the #SaveSoil mission and advocate the critical need for conservation of soil's fertility and good health. The Bikers Rally was held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium as part of the mega event welcoming Sadhguru in Delhi on June 5 which was also World Environment Day! More than 200 motorcycle enthusiasts pledged their solidarity to the #SaveSoil mission by riding in the scorching heat of Delhi to the venue on Indian Motorcycle, Harley Davidson, BMW Motorrad, Triumph, Honda, Royal Enfield and other prominent brands. The bikers were welcomed at the Stadium by the team of #SaveSoil Volunteers and cheered by over 15,000 people who participated in the event. As a prelude to the #SaveSoil awareness campaign, Asteride organized one of the largest Bikers Rally and Event in Gurugram at Yansh Adventure Zone on May 28, 2022. The event was attended by over 150 riders representing all brands of motorcycles. During the event, volunteers of the Save Soil mission performed Nukkad Natak, shared tips on saving soil, and a brand new rap song on the #SaveSoil mission was launched by the famous Hindi Rapper - Ashmeet Teja. Prominent riders and motorcycle influencers attended both events in huge numbers, echoing the message to a much larger audience. Addressing the rallyists, Jitesh Surana, founder of Asteride, said that the time has come for the whole biking community to take collective action towards the prevention of soil degradation by taking initiatives at personal and community levels. Scientists and agencies have predicted that the planet has cultivable soil for only up to 55 years and have warned of catastrophic food shortages leading to civil wars. Asteride has pledged to the cause and taking the #SaveSoil movement across India by an initiative called "Karmic Rides", which empowers bike riding communities to do good and give back to society and the environment as a collective force." he added. With over 600 riding groups, Asteride is already the largest Connected Community Platform for Bikers in India. The 'Save Soil' movement was initiated by the Founder of Isha Foundation, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, to urge Governments across the globe to formulate policies to address soil health. On March 21, he commenced a solo motorcycle journey of 30,000 km that is slated to cover 27 countries in 100 days to create awareness. Visit www.asteride.co for more details or contact the organisers at contact@asteride.co This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN)
New Delhi [India], July 14 (ANI/PNN): One in every 15 adults in India suffers from depression, and one in every six people will experience depression later in life, according to Dr Neha Mehta, co-founder of My Fit Brain, who expressed her concerns about the country's mental health in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic. Dr Neha stated that depression could occur at any age and sex, though women are more prone to depression than men. Research shows that one-third of women experience a major depressive episode at least once in their lifetime. "It's high time that we shed out all the stigma around Mental health and support people to come and talk about it," said Dr Neha Mehta. "Depression cases are increasing at an alarming speed in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic. With students losing their valuable years due to Covid and many people losing their jobs, I meet twice the number of people suffering from depression. Even the war in Ukraine to has led many students and families into serious stages of anxiety and depression." Dr Neha suggests a few realistic goals to be performed by those undergoing depression-like planning small goals instead of big targets, reading ten pages from any book, cleaning wardrobe, organizing work desk, etc. The pandemic in India has left some people with physical ailments and others with severe mental health issues. A WHO report reveals a 25 per cent spike in the cases of anxiety and depression in the past two years. The pandemic that locked people inside their homes, cutting them from the entire world, and making them socially inactive has resulted in stress, anxiety, and depression. "Meditation, creativeness, exercise, nature, and spending time with loved ones are the effective remedies to kill depression and anxiety," said Dr Neha. This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN)
India's overall exports, merchandise and services combined, rose to $64.91 billion in June 2022, registering a year-on-year growth of 22.95 per cent, as per the government data released on Thursday. For the April-June 2022 period, the overall exports stood at $189.93 billion, exhibiting a positive growth of 25.16 per cent over the same period last year. The overall imports in June 2022 are estimated to be $82.42 billion, exhibiting a positive growth of 55.72 per cent over the same period last year, according to data released by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry. In the 1st quarter of FY22-23, the overall exports are estimated to be $235.11 billion, exhibiting a positive growth of 49.41 per cent over the same period last year. Sharper growth in imports led to a widening in the trade deficit. The trade deficit widened to $45.18 billion in April-June 2022 period as compared to $5.61 billion recorded in the corresponding period of last year. Merchandise exports in June 2022 were $40.13 billion as compared to $32.49 billion in June 2021, exhibiting a positive growth of 23.52 per cent. Merchandise imports in June 2022 were $66.31 billion, which is an increase of 57.55 per cent over imports of $42.09 billion in June 2021. The merchandise trade deficit in June 2022 was estimated at $26.18 billion as against $9.60 billion in June 2021, which is an increase of 172.72 per cent. Merchandise exports for the period April-June 2022 were $118.96 billion as against $95.54 billion during the period April-June 2021, registering a positive growth of 24.51 per cent. Merchandise imports for the period April-June 2022 were $189.76 billion as against $126.96 billion during the period April-June 2021, registering a positive growth of 49.47 per cent. The merchandise trade deficit for April-June 2022 was estimated at $70.80 billion as against $31.42 billion in April-June 2021, which is an increase of 125.34 per cent. Non-petroleum and non-gems & jewellery exports in June 2022 were $27.94 billion, registering a positive growth of 8.65 per cent over non-petroleum and non-gems & jewellery exports of $25.71 billion in June 2021. Non-petroleum, non-gems & jewellery (gold, silver & precious metals) imports were $38.53 billion in June 2022 with a positive growth of 38.30 per cent over non-petroleum, non-gems & jewellery imports of $27.86 billion in June 2021. Non-petroleum and non-gems & jewellery exports during April-June 2022 were $83.62 billion, an increase of 13.81 per cent over non-petroleum and non-gems & jewellery exports of $73.47 billion in April-June 2021. Non-petroleum, non-gems & jewellery (gold, silver & precious metals) imports were $108.97 billion in April-June 2022, recording a positive growth of 34.80 per cent, as compared to non-petroleum, non-gems & jewellery imports of $80.83 billion in April-June 2021. (ANI)
European consumers could face the prospect of energy rationing this winter as costs continue to soar amid the risk of Russia cutting off gas supplies, Shells chief executive has said, the media reported. "It will be a really tough winter in Europe," said Ben van Beurden, speaking at the Aurora spring conference in Oxford on Thursday, The Guardian reported. "We will all face very significant escalation in energy prices. In the worst case, Europe will need to ration its energy consumption." Factors being blamed for the continuing surge in wholesale energy prices include ongoing uncertainty regarding Russian gas flows into continental Europe, as well as more recent concerns such as the halted strike by Norwegian gas workers, and the UK's continued reliance on energy imports. Van Beurden said there was "no way of telling" whether Russia would restart gas supplies into Europe via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline after maintenance started on Monday. It is due to conclude on 21 July, The Guardian reported. "Putin has surprised quite a few of us," he said, adding, "I feel disappointed by the outcomes. He has also shown that he better be taken seriously when he makes threats... For a long time we thought it was not in Russia's interest to cut off Russia's largest market. He is able and willing to weaponise supplies." Asked about the race to become the next UK prime minister, Van Beurden said: "I hope there is no backtracking from net zero ambitions. There is a lot of popular opinion out there that is sometimes not helpful." --IANS san/arm ( 272 Words) 2022-07-14-20:02:04 (IANS)
A Virginia judge has rejected Amber Heard's request for a new trial in her legal battle with her ex-husband Johnny Depp and denied her claims that a juror snafu prejudiced the outcome of the case. "Defendant does not allege Juror Fifteen's inclusion on the jury prejudiced her in any way," wrote Judge Penny Azcarte unequivocally Wednesday, rejecting the Aquaman star's move to get the more than $10 million verdict for her ex-husband tossed and a new trial ordered, Deadline reported. Heard's lawyers had asked Judge Penney Azcarate to set aside the verdict awarding $10 million to Depp and declare a mistrial, but the judge denied the request. "The juror was vetted, sat for the entire jury, deliberated, and reached a verdict," the Fairfax County judge who oversaw the bitter six-week trial between the former Rum Diary co-stars. "The only evidence before this Court is that this juror and all jurors followed their oaths, the Court's instructions, and orders. This Court is bound by the competent decision of the jury," Deadline reported. The new filing comes just a week after Heard's legal team asked a judge to toss out the USD 10.35 million judgment made in favor of Johnny Depp, arguing that it wasn't supported by the evidence. Following the six-week trial in Fairfax County, Virginia, a seven-person jury reached a verdict on June 1, deciding that Depp, proved that Heard defamed him in the 2018 op-ed, in which she described herself as a "public figure representing domestic abuse." Depp has maintained that he never assaulted Heard and claimed she physically harmed him. The jury awarded Depp USD 15 million in damages but Heard will only have to pay USD 10.35 million due to a Virginia law limiting punitive damages (the judge reduced the amount). In her countersuit, Heard won one of the three defamation counts and was awarded USD 2 million in damages, as per People magazine. (ANI)
Taking to Instagram, the 'Dabangg' actor shared a boomerang video on her Instagram story, in which she can be seen walking on a treadmill with a funny crying filter applied to her face.

The 'Noor' actor captioned the video, "Late night cardio got me like..." followed by an angry avatar.

Earlier, the actor had faced a lot of backlash on social media due to her weight, every time she stood strong and gave it back to the trollers for mocking her.

The 'Rowdy Rathore' actor recently stepped into the business world with her new nail brand 'Soezi'.

Veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha's daughter, actor Sonakshi Sinha made her Bollywood debut alongside Salman Khan in 'Dabangg'.

Meanwhile, the 'Akira' actor will be soon marking her OTT debut with Amazon prime video's upcoming series 'Fallen' in which she plays the role of a cop for the first time in her career. The series will stream later this year.

Apart from this she also has 'Double XL' alongside Huma Qureshi and her rumoured boyfriend Zaheer Iqbal. The official release date of the film is still awaited. A horror comedy film 'Kakuda' along with Riteish Deshmukh and Saqib Saleem. (ANI)
According to Deadline, the 'American Beauty' actor was charged with five sexual assault charges in June 2022 by the Metropolitan police. The alleged historical offences cover a period of 2005-2013 in London and the county of Gloucester and were against three men all now aged in their 30s and 40s.

Media gathered around the 'House of Cards' actor after he arrived at the court. He donned a baby blue suit, cream shirt and blue spotted tie and was immediately ushered into a meeting room with his legal representatives.

On June 16, Spacey was granted bail by the court. He had been interviewed under caution by police before the charges were brought, but had said he would "voluntarily" appear in UK court to prove his innocence, Deadline reported.

He has been charged with four counts of sexual assault in the U.K. against three men between 2005 and 2013. He was also charged with "causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent."

Meanwhile, Channel 4 is currently working on a special documentary series following Spacey's legal proceedings and his life beyond the courts, Deadline reported. (ANI)
Hollywood actress Emily Blunt recently hosted the American Institute for Stuttering's 2022 Freeing Voices, Changing Lives Gala in New York City. According to Variety, "Stutterers are my heroes. That's why I am here," the AIS board member and actress told the crowd. Earlier in the evening, Blunt opened up with the outlet about her own battle with the speech disorder. "It's not that you'll never not be a stutterer. I'll always be one. Occasionally it will sort of rear its head if I'm on set or having to pitch an idea. It's pressurised situations that are quite hard for stutterers. A pressurised situation where you have to be persuasive and communicative is quite challenging still for me," she said. While discussing the fact that stuttering is a prominent hereditary trait in her family, Blunt recalled the different ways her parents tried to deal with her childhood speech disorder. Laughing amongst a crowd of peers who shared her plight, Blunt said, "My mom sent me to, like, cranial osteopathy. And then she tried everything. I would listen to dolphins at night... I think she thought it was because I wasn't relaxed. And I was like, 'No, I am fine! I am calm.'" At one point, she told the audience her mother even suspected that her cello lessons, where she laid the instrument against her ribcage, were the root of the problem. "She couldn't white knuckle it. You don't know what it is. You don't know how to help your child," Blunt said, as per Variety. (ANI
American comedian and 'Bad Boys' actor Martin Lawrence has weighed in on the future of the franchise in the wake of co-star Will Smith's slap of Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars. According to Deadline, in a recent interview with Ebony, the actor dismissed the notion that the slap has put an end to plans for the fourth Bad Boys film, first announced in 2020. "We got one more at least," he claimed. His comments were in line with those of Sony chairman and CEO Tom Rothman, who in a recent interview with Deadline said that the idea the brakes have been pumped on the sequel is "inaccurate." "That movie's been in development and still is. There weren't any brakes to pump because the car wasn't moving. That was a very unfortunate thing that happened, and I don't think it's really my place to comment, except to say that I've known Will Smith for many years, and I know him to be a good person," said Rothman. Directed by Michael Bay, the original Bad Boys introduced viewers to Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) and Mike Lowrey (Smith), two hip detectives who look to protect a witness to a murder, while investigating a case of stolen heroin from the evidence storage room of their police precinct. The buddy cop pic debuted in April of 1995 and grossed over USD 141 million, spurring sequels 'Bad Boys II' (2003) and 'Bad Boys for Life' (2020), as per Deadline. (ANI)
British actor Tanya Reynolds, who played the alien-loving Lily for three seasons on the Netflix dramedy 'Sex Education', will not be part of the show's upcoming fourth season. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the decision, which sources say was made months ago, comes as part of a creative reset for the series following the closing of the show's Moordale High School at the end of season three. "It's just the natural progression of these shows -- when you have such big ensemble casts and so many characters, I think you have to let a few older characters go to make way for newer ones, which is absolutely the right thing, the way it should happen," Reynolds told RadioTimes of her Sex Education departure. She now joins her on-screen love interest Patricia Allison, who played fellow fan-favorite Ola, as series regulars who will not return for the fourth series season from creator Laurie Nunn. Sources suggest season three will feature a mix of old and new faces as 'Sex Education' moves on from the shuttered Moordale High in favor of a new school. Filming for season four will begin this summer. As per The Hollywood Reporter, several primary cast members are expected to return, though Netflix declined to comment on those specific details. (ANI)
A day after he fumbled during his speech before Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at the Bihar Assembly centenary celebrations, BJP leaders on Wednesday "advised" RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav to avoid public addresses without practice. BJP OBC Morcha national General Secretary-cum-Bihar BJP spokesperson Nikhil Anand expressed sympathy with Tejashwi Yadav for appearing nervous and stumbling during the speech at the closing ceremony of Assembly's centenary celebrations. "Politics has its place, but the respect of the Leader of Opposition is also related to the honour of Bihar. So Tejashwi should not be ridiculed. On the historic occasion of completion of 100 years of Bihar Assembly, the Leader of Opposition should have come fully prepared to address and should have avoided presenting himself in a casual manner," he said. Anand also asked RJD to change the speech-writer. "Instead of taking out anger on Tejashwi Yadav, we all should find out the person who had written such a bad speech. RJD should sack the present speech-writer and get a new speech-writer," he said. However, his fellow spokesman Arvind Kumar Singh said: "Due to non-education, the Leader of Opposition insulted the image of Bihar with his poor speech on Bihar Vidhan Sabha centenary celebration on Tuesday. "We are giving the slogan of 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padao' in the country and our Leader of Opposition is uneducated. Leader of Opposition should learn lessons from this, and take admission in the high school." In response, RJD state spokesperson Chitranjan Gagan said: "BJP is doing low grade politics by raising it at this point. Every person has their own style to deliver the speech. The important aspect of his speech was his point which he raised before the Prime Minister. He demanded the Bharat Ratna for Jan Nayak Karpoori Thakur and a research institute of political science in Bihar where students and legislators will get the training and learn democratic values of the country." "We never do cheap politics. At once, PM Narendra Modi forgot to deliver his speech after his malfunctioning in the teleprompter reportedly failed during a global event. Are BJP leaders forgetting that? We never raise this point as it is related to our Prime Minister. We do not do cheap politics," he added. --IANS ajk/vd ( 388 Words) 2022-07-13-20:38:02 (IANS)
In a rare gesture, the CPI-M and the Trinamool Congress on Wednesday strongly condemned the attack on the Congress leaders in Tripura and demanded punishment for the accused "BJP workers". AICC Secretary Szarita Laitphlang and Tripura Congress leader Ashis Kumar Saha were attacked allegedly by the "BJP workers" at Bishramganj in western Tripura on Tuesday afternoon. Though both the Congress leaders remained unhurt, their vehicles were damaged. Claiming that the broad daylight attack was perpetrated in front of the police officers and security personnel, the Congress leaders filed an FIR with the police naming the attackers, but none was arrested so far. While Congress announced launching state-wide agitations against the frequent attacks on the opposition party, the CPI-M and the Trinamool Congress in an unusual gesture separately condemned the attack. The AICC Secretary and Saha on Wednesday went to south Tripura district headquarters Belonia to attend organisational events. They told the media that the Congress has been organising agitations against the series of attacks by the "BJP workers" across the state and in the current phase the stirs would continue till July 17. Szarita Laitphlang in a letter to the Director General of Police V.S Yadav, explaining many attacks on the Congress workers and leaders, requested him to take legal action against the attackers. Referring to the June 26 attack on the state Congress headquarters, she demanded adequate security to the party offices and leaders to prevent recurrence of such incidents in future. The BJP, responding to this, said their workers were also attacked by the opposition party workers and an FIR was also registered with the police accordingly. "Our Chief Minister Manik Saha has already announced that the police and the administration would not tolerate any attempt to disturb the peace and the democratic environment. The government is determined to maintain peace and democratic atmosphere in the state. Police would take appropriate legal action against the attackers," BJP spokesperson Subrata Chakraborty told the media. --IANS sc/pgh ( 340 Words) 2022-07-13-20:40:02 (IANS)
The Rajasthan BJP was left red-faced on Wednesday after an ugly war of words erupted between two senior BJP leaders in Jaipur over giving entry to some party workers at an event organised for NDA's Presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu. In a video that has gone viral on social media, BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Kirodi Lal Meena Meena could be seen slamming Deputy Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore for not giving entry to some party leaders and workers from the tribal belts of the state. In response, Rathore advised Meena to be mind in his tone. The war of words between the two leaders went on for some time before Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat intervened and pacified the two parties. At the reception programme for Draupadi Murmu in Hotel Clarks Amer, entry was given only to those leaders who carried valid passes. Meena had arrived for the programme along with some leaders and workers from the tribal belts. When the workers accompanying him were stopped at the entry gate, they got angry. Meena then intervened and took the tribal leaders inside. Some leaders were seen carrying the BJP flag. Seeing this, Shekhawat and Rathore asked them to leave the flags outside. Shekhawat also advised them not to raise slogans in favour of BJP. After this a heated argument broke out between Meena and Rathore. Soon after the video of the incident went viral, the two leaders explained the situation and ensured that all is well between them. Meena tweeted, "It was natural for an emotional person like me to get angry when the tribal workers, who came to Jaipur from Dungarpur-Banswara and other remote areas to felicitate NDA's Presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu, did not get entry into the programme. I put forth the suffering of my tribal brothers and sisters in front of Rajendra Rathore. "If you don't share your problems with your loved ones, whom would you tell? There is no question of any difference of opinion with my brother Rajendra Rathore." Rathore on his part said, "The video has been presented in a wrong way. Me and Kiroriji have been friends for the last 30 years, and we are more like brothers. He presented his thoughts to me as a brother." Meanwhile, state Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra shared the video and quipped that everyone is claiming to be fit for the CM's chair and hence are throwing mud on each other and roaring, raising infighting in the party. They are least worried about the people, he said. --IANS arc/arm ( 436 Words) 2022-07-13-20:44:02 (IANS)
The joint Opposition candidate for the Presidential election, Yashwant Sinha on Wednesday said the Indian democracy is in grave danger, and every institution of democratic governance is being subverted by the ruling party. Sinha said that government agencies like the ED, CBI, income tax department and even the Governor's office are being weaponised to target opposition leaders, to engineer defections in opposition parties and to topple state governments. "Never before did the Indian Republic face as many simultaneous threats to the Constitution," he said while addressing the meeting of Congress and other opposition MLAs and MPs in Guwahati. Contrary to speculation that Badruddin Ajmal-led All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) may not support Sinha, the party leaders met him and assured their support to him in the Presidential polls. The AIUDF has 15 MLAs in the 126-member Assam assembly and the party supremo (Ajmal) is the lone Lok Sabha member. Sinha further said that the economy is mismanaged. "The Indian rupee has suffered the steepest fall against the US dollar during the tenure of the current Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) from 58.44 in 2014 to 79.63 on Tuesday. The unprecedented price rise has badly hit the common people. Here is an example. The price of an LPG cylinder in 2014 was Rs 410. Today in Guwahati, it is Rs 1,129 - nearly 300 per cent increase. Record unemployment, especially in the northeast, has created a bleak future for our youth." Sinha said that to win elections, the ruling party has embarked on an evil design to communally polarise India's multi-faith society. "We have seen this in Assam, too. This will have perilous consequences not only for social peace, but also for the nation's unity and integrity. The ruling dispensation's agenda of one nation, one party, one ruler is meant to convert democratic India into an imitator of communist China. This must be stopped," he asserted. Sinha said: "I have a great personal regard for Draupadi Murmu. However, I have repeatedly stressed that this election is not about persons and their identities, it is about ideologies. It is about their commitments to the Constitution." "Should India have a silent Rashtrapati? Should India have a rubber-stamp Rashtrapati?" Sinha asked, and announced: "I shall serve as the impartial Custodian of the Constitution. I shall use my powers, without fear or favour, to restrain the government if it deviates from the principles of the Constitution." He also said that Shiv Sena leader Udhhav Thackeray was forced to declare that they would support the NDA candidate. Sinha said that as the common candidate of the combined opposition, he has so far visited Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Karnataka, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab. "I regret that due to paucity of time, I am unable to visit other states in the northeast. The election for the President of India is taking place in highly troubled conditions," he added. --IANS sc/pgh ( 497 Words) 2022-07-13-22:34:04 (IANS)
The infrastructure of 2,100 out of 5,080 government-run high schools in Odisha are in dilapidated condition, school and mass education minister Samir Ranjan Dash told the Assembly on Wednesday. In a written reply to a question asked by BJP member Nauri Nayak, the minister said there were 37,067 classrooms in 5,080 government high schools in the state as per the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) 2020-21. Of the total number of classrooms, 5,874 classrooms in 2,098 high schools are in a dilapidated condition and 377 high schools don't have a boundary wall, he said. The highest 148 such schools are there in Ganjam district, which is the home district of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, followed by Mayurbhanj district where 133 schools are in bad condition. While 131 such schools are there in Balasore district, Cuttack and Jajpur district have 116 and 110 dilapidated high schools, respectively. The state government has estimated that around Rs 1,005 crore is required for construction of the required number of new classrooms and boundary walls, Dash said. The state will make a detailed estimation of funds required for repair of dilapidated classrooms and construction of new classrooms and accordingly submit the annual work plan and budget for the year 2023-24 under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan before the Centre, he said. After the approval of the proposal, the state government will take required steps, Dash said, adding, the school repair and renovation work has been given to state panchayati raj and drinking water department. Moreover, he said, the state government has submitted a proposal to the union government for construction of additional 5,306 classrooms during the period from 2022-23 to 2025-26 under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan. However, the Centre has not approved any additional classroom during the current year, added the minister. In another reply, Dash said 436 panchayats in the state have no high school. The upper primary schools in these panchayats are being upgraded into high schools. Further, new high schools are being set up based on requirements with the approval of the Central government in the panchayats which have no high schools, he added. --IANS bbm/pgh ( 366 Words) 2022-07-13-22:46:02 (IANS)
The students of Class XI and XII will have a chance to study agriculture as the Rajasthan government will set up agro-complexes at 35 government higher secondary schools across the state. The concerned fficials confirmed that Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot approved the proposal on Wednesday and also permitted appointing one lecturer each in these schools. As per the proposal, Bikaner district will have four agro complexes, Jaipur, Jhunjhunu and Nagaur will have three each, Alwar, Dausa, Rajsamand, Sawai Madhopur, Shri Ganganagar and Tonk will have two complexes each, while Barmer, Banswara, Bharatpur, Chittor, Churu, Dholpur, Hanumangarh, Jaisalmer, Karauli and Sikar will have one each agro-complex, which will help students learn more about agriculture techniques. --IANS arc/arm ( 126 Words) 2022-07-13-22:56:02 (IANS)
The Karnataka government has decided to release 84 prisoners lodged in different jails across the state on the occasion of celebration of 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' on the basis of good conduct, sources said on Wednesday. It has been a tradition in the state to release prisoners during the celebration of Independence Day every year on August 15. Sources confirmed that this time, a decision has been made to release 84 prisoners chosen among more than 15,000 inmates. The Chief Superintendent of Prisons would give a report on prisoners to be released based on their good conduct during serving of sentence to the Home department. The Home department in turn would discuss the issue with the Law Department and the matter would be presented in the cabinet meeting. The Chief Minister would take a call on the issue and finally the list would be sent to the Governor for approval. The prison department has identified 84 prisoners including 4 women prisoners who are serving life sentence in the prisons. A total of 81 prisoners have served two third periods of their sentences, sources said. The state government is likely to finalise the list within 15 days. The Central government has also given directions in this regard to the state. They will be released on August 15. The prison department is planning to release more prisoners during the occasion of the Republic and Independence Day celebration in 2023, sources said. --IANS mka/pgh ( 252 Words) 2022-07-13-22:56:04 (IANS)
The classification of 56,826 square km of Western Ghats region including the area in Karnataka and other states as per the report of the Kasturirangan Committee by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests has led to stiff opposition in the state. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had earlier clarified in a virtual meeting with Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, that classifying the Western Ghats region as a eco-sensitive zone will impact the life of people of the region and affect their livelihood. He added that the proposal was opposed by the people as well as the state government. A meeting has been called condemning the move of the Central government under the leadership of Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on July 18. The Central government ministry has released the draft notification in this regard last week and sought objections from respective states within 2 months. Araga Jnanendra said on Wednesday that the meeting will take a resolution against the Central government condemning the recent draft notification seeking objections from the states. The meeting will be attended by MLAs from the Western Ghat region of the state. They will discuss the pros and cons of the decision of the union government. The public opinion is against the classification of sensitive zones as it directly affects the life of people living in malnad (hilly) regions of the state. The development of the region will suffer and it will cause severe setbacks in terms of development of the region. The Karnataka government has already rejected the Kasturirangan Committee report in this regard and made its opposition to implement the recommendations of the report. The MLAs of the region have been pressurising the government to stick to its earlier stand. The ruling BJP government had further taken a decision against the implementation of the Kasturirangan Committee report in the cabinet after elaborate discussions in this regard. Karnataka has one of the largest forest cover in the country. Experts have opined that opposition to the Kasturirangan Committee is disastrous for ecologically fragile Western Ghats. The report proposes 37 per cent of the total area of Western Ghats, which is about 60,000 square kilometers, should be declared as eco-sensitive area (ESA). Out of this, 20,688 sq km will fall in Karnataka state covering 1,576 villages. The report has recommended prohibition on mining, quarrying, setting up of red category industries and thermal power projects. --IANS mka/pgh ( 416 Words) 2022-07-13-23:12:03 (IANS)
PM urges start to new Tan Son Nhat terminal project

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has asked for work to start on Son Nhat International Airports Terminal 3 project in the third quarter of this year.



Under the PMs instruction, the Airports Corporation of Vietnam needs to begin construction of Terminal 3 in the third quarter of this year after the land is allocated.





Tan Son Nhat International Airport
NDA Presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu who arrived here on Wednesday to garner support for the upcoming July 18 election was given a rousing welcome. Programmes were organised at three places to welcome Murmu from the Jaipur airport to the hotel. Tribal dance, folk songs and music programmes that exhibited a blending of tribal culture and Rajasthani tradition were held at different locations to welcome her. While veteran leaders welcomed Murmu at the airport, the BJP Mahila Morcha showered flowers on Murmu and applied 'tilak' on her. BJP leader Jitendra Meena said: "Gabri dance was held... there were flower showers... 'dhol-nangade' etc. were played to welcome her." Murmu, while addressing the MLAs and MPs, said: "I salute all the people of the state from the bottom of my heart and pay obeisance to brave mothers of the brave land of Rajasthan." "Despite the difference in geographical conditions in Rajasthan and Odisha, there are many similarities in both the states, which include living in harmony with nature," she said, adding that when she was made the Presidential candidate by NDA and supporting parties, she understood the thinking behind it because she was aware of the visionary thinking of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "He wants to see the book and pen in the hands of the mother and daughter of the desert and is committed to bring the mother and daughters of the forest land into the mainstream. I am very happy that under the rule of the Modi government, water is reaching the house of women. Along with this, by connecting the daughters of tribal society with education, they are realising their dream," she said. Murmu said: "A daughter of a tribal community, who grew up with small dreams in Odisha, was given a way to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, this is a democratic dream, this is 'Antyodaya', this is to show faith in the daughter of the village, the poor and the jungle. Through the MPs and MLAs present here, I am seeking the support of the people of Rajasthan. "I never thought of becoming the President, but the NDA under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made me a medium to connect with the people of the last villages. The deprived, the tribal and the exploited can see themselves in me. We are hopeful, moving and confident to build a new India," she added. --IANS arc/pgh ( 409 Words) 2022-07-13-23:28:02 (IANS)
Ghaziabad Police on Wednesday have arrested a car driver for allegedly hitting a cyclist and a traffic constable on July 12. Speaking to ANI Alok Dubey, CO, Ghaziabad said, "Yesterday (July 12) evening a car driver hit a cyclist. When he tried to stop him, he also hit the traffic constable. On seeing the incident some people stopped the car and caught the driver of the car." While the people were running after the driver, two people who were sitting inside the car drove away the car. The police seized the car and have launched a hunt for the other two accomplices who were in the car during the incident. "But during this time two other persons in the car took away the car. The police arrested the driver of the car and also recovered the car. Efforts are on to arrest the other 2 persons who were in the car at the time of the incident," said Alok Dubey. (ANI)
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed an appeal against a conviction and sentence under POCSO Act for raping a minor girl in her home in 2014. The High Court noted that the appellant had abused and violated the trust shown by the parents of the victim by giving the task of being a guardian in their absence. He had committed the offence when the parents of the victim were away. He was given the responsibility of looking after the victim and her younger sister. He was awarded life imprisonment not less than 14 years by the trial court in June 2021. The Division Bench of Justice Mukta Gupta and Justice Anish Dayal dismissed the appeal filed by Puran. The bench rejected the contention of the appellant that he is now more than 60 years of age and is the sole earning member of the family and has an unmarried daughter who has to get married. The Court while dismissing the plea, observed, " The accused was given the task of being a guardian of the victim and he abused and violated that trust thereby marring the life and future of the child, causing serious mental agony to the child victim, the younger sister and the parents who would be completely shaken by such an egregious, reprehensible and heinous act." The bench, in view of the contention of the appellant, further observed, "The trial court has awarded the sentence of imprisonment for life not less than 14 years, as per the mandate of Section 433A IPC. Thus this court deems it fit to not interfere with the sentence awarded by the trial court." The counsel for the appellant had contended that since the offence was committed in the year 2014, the provision prior to the 2019 amendment would apply which provides for punishment for a term not less than seven years but which may extend to imprisonment for life. This case is related to the incident that happened on the night of May 31, 2014, in southwest Delhi. The appellant had committed rape upon a 10-year-old girl and he threatened her that he would kill her if she disclosed the incident. At the time of the incident, the parents of the victim had gone to their native place in Uttar Pradesh. (ANI)
Days after Sayed Sarwar Chishti, the Khadim of the Ajmer Sharif Dargah, kicked up a row with his provocative remarks, his son Syed Aadil Chishti made highly objectionable and derogatory statements against Hindu gods. Vishva Hindu Parishad on Wednesday condemned the incident and demanded the Rajasthan government arrest him immediately. Speaking to ANI, VHP Joint General Secretary Surendra Jain said, "The whole world is aware about the poisonous words of Chishti, due to which an atmosphere of hatred was created in the country and slogans were raised... and Kanhaiya was killed in Udaipur." "The kind of video released by his son Aadil Chishti in which he is seen mocking Hindu deities is highly objectionable and we will not accept it," he said. VHP leader Surendra Jain further told ANI, "Have people forgotten what civilization is all about? I demand the Rajasthan government that if you are really serious about the security of Hindus, then action should be taken against all these Chishtis of Ajmer Sharif and Aadil should be jailed along with his father Sarwar." "I also want to say that you should start learning good manners and not insult Hindus," he said. Sayed Sarwar Chishti, the Khadim of the Ajmer Sharif Dargah had kicked up a row with his provocative remarks, his son Syed Aadil Chishti made highly objectionable and derogatory statements against Hindu Gods. In a video clip, Aadil Chishti can be heard making offensive comments against Hindu Gods. His statement comes against the backdrop of now-suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma's remarks on Prophet Mohammad that had led to widespread violent protests across the country and also drew condemnation from some Gulf countries.A few days ago, Sarwar Chishti, secretary of Anjuman Committee, had warned of a movement that would "shake India". He had said if Prophet Mohammad is insulted then the Muslims will begin a movement that would jolt India.However, Sarwar Chishti was on Tuesday seen at a peace rally in Rajasthan which was organised by religious leaders. He also appealed to Hindus and Muslims to live together peacefully."It is my desire to see peace and harmony in the country. I want people of both communities to live together with peace and harmony," Sarwar Chishti said.Last month, Sarwar Chishti's nephew Gauhar Chishti, had made provocative statements against Nupur Sharma and raised "sar tan se juda" slogan outside Ajmer Sharif Dargah. (ANI)
Several senior members of Parliament have lashed out at the report of the Lok Sabha Secretariat which has released a list of words that has been designated as "unparliamentary." The list comes just ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament that begins on July 18. Usage of many words - such as 'corruption', 'corrupt', 'Jumlajeevi', 'tanashah', 'Dictator', 'black' and 'Khalistani' are among those that have been banned. Senior members of Parliament including Jairam Ramesh Derek O'Brien and Randeep Surjewala Priyanka Chaturvedi have questioned the intent behind such a notification. Derek O'Brien in a tweet said: "Session begins in a few days. Gag order issued on MPs. Now, we will not be allowed to use these basic words while delivering a speech in Parliament: Ashamed. Abused. Betrayed. Corrupt. Hypocrisy. Incompetent. I will use all these words. Suspend me. Fighting for democracy." Some words and expressions which were declared unparliamentary from time to time by the Chair in different Legislative bodies in India the country as well as in Commonwealth Parliaments have been compiled by the Lok Sabha Secretariat for ready reference in the future. The present compilation also contains references to words and expressions declared unparliamentary in Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and State Legislatures in India in 2021. The entries are arranged under keywords. The keywords are selected from the relevant expressions/words and then arranged in alphabetical order to facilitate quick and easy retrieval by the users. Some of these keywords may not appear unparliamentary unless read in conjunction with the other expressions spoken during the parliamentary proceedings. However, the final call on expunging these words will be taken by the Rajya Sabha chairman and Lok Sabha Speaker. (ANI)
Attorney General of India KK Venugopal has refused to give consent for initiating contempt of court proceedings against former Delhi High Court judge Justice SN Dhingra, former Additional Solicitor General Aman Lekhi and senior advocate K Rama Kumar for their comments criticising the Supreme Court judges over oral observations against suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma. Venugopal said that the statements made by them are "not vituperative or abusive nor are they likely to interfere with the administration of justice by the Supreme Court of India", adding that the "reasonable criticism" of judicial proceedings "would not constitute contempt of Court". "I find that the statements made by the three persons. who are in the realm of 'fair comment' on a hearing conducted by the Supreme Court. The statements are not vituperative or abusive nor are they likely to interfere with the administration of justice by the Supreme Court of India," the Attorney General wrote in a letter. "It may be noted that the Supreme Court, in a large number of judgments has held that fair and reasonable criticism of judicial proceedings would not constitute contempt of Court," he added. He said that he is not satisfied that the criticism made by the three persons is with malice or is an attempt to impair the administration of justice, or that it was a deliberate and motivated attempt to bring down the image of the judiciary. "In these circumstances, I accordingly decline consent to initiate proceedings for criminal contempt of the Supreme Court of India," he said. Earlier this month, a group of retired judges, bureaucrats and armed forces sent an open letter to Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana condemning the observation made by the bench of Justices of the Supreme Court for "surpassing the Laxman Rekha" while hearing former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma's case in the Supreme Court, terming the remarks as "unfortunate and unprecedented". The letter sent to CJI Ramana was signed by 15 retired judges, 77 retired bureaucrats and 25 retired armed forces officers against Justices Surya Kant and JB Pardiwala, who heard the Nupur Sharma's case. The Supreme Court had come down heavily on suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma stating that her outburst is responsible for an unfortunate incident in Udaipur, where a tailor was murdered. The apex court further blamed the suspended BJP leader and said that she and "her loose tongue" has set the entire country on fire and she is single-handedly responsible for what is happening in the country and said she should "apologise to the whole country". (ANI)
Amid the prevailing flood-like situations in the Valsad district of Gujarat, the police and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have relocated at least 350 people to safer places from the low-lying areas of the district, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Nilesh Kukadia said on Wednesday. "Since the water level is rising here, we have appealed to the people to move on to safer places...We have also availed the people with the shelter homes facility," SDM Kukadia told ANI. "Currently, the dam level of Auranga river is 3.41 metres and we have shifted around 350 people, with the help of (local) administration, NDRF, Police team, Revenue administration, and the Municipality," he said further. Meanwhile, the NDRF captain Suresh Kumar said that they have evacuated people to safer places before the danger to life increases when the water level will rise at the night. "Two teams (NDRF) are deployed here with the local administration and rescue agencies. Our teams are active at various places in Gujarat and each of them is capable enough of overcoming any kind of flood situation," Kumar added. A red alert has been issued by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel after his aerial inspection yesterday. Patel got details of the dire situation due to heavy rains in Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Navsari, Dang and Valsad districts from the collectors of the districts, and visited the rain-affected Narmada, Navsari and Chhotaudepur districts. However, the Director General of the Indian Coast Guard, VS Pathania, also informed about the helicopter launched by the ICG, as an attempt for Valsad Flood relief. "Yesterday we received the information from the administration of Daman regarding the floods in river Ambika and helicopters were launched. We found that a few people were stranded on the rooftops. These people were shifted to safety," Pathania said. Notably, Valsad has been reeling under the floods after torrential rainfall hit several parts of the district, during the past few days. The ICG officials had also said that the Indian Coast Guard had launched an operation through the helicopter Chetak and rescued 16 people from the area on Monday. As an aftermath of the heavy rain in the city, the water of the Auranga river started overflowing on Sunday (July 10), which led to the flooded low-lying areas in the Valsad district. The NDRF teams and local administration had relocated around 300 people to safer locations on Sunday. The Meteorological Department predicted light to moderate rainfall in the entire state for the next three days. Extremely heavy rainfall is expected in many districts of South Gujarat, Saurashtra and Kutch. "For the next 5 days, light to moderate rainfall is expected in the entire state. Extremely heavy rainfall is expected in many districts of South Gujarat, Saurashtra and Kutch. The intensity of rainfall will reduce by July 15," Dr Manorama Mohanty, Director, Meteorological Department said on Tuesday. Parts of south Gujarat and Kutch-Saurashtra received very heavy showers in the last 24 hours (on July 13) leaving 14 people dead, while over 31,000 were evacuated so far this rainy season, officials confirmed on Wednesday. Three national highways in Kutch, Navsari and Dang districts were also blocked due to damage caused by rains. 51 state highways and over 400 panchayat roads have also been damaged, state Disaster Management Minister Rajendra Trivedi told reporters. (ANI)
In a conversation with ANI, he also said that the process of registrations will start on July 18.

"Farmers in Madhya Pradesh have produced black moong in the summers but their prices in the market are very low. Since we are a government of the farmers, we have decided to purchase the Moong at the MSP of Rs 7,275 per quintal," CM Chouhan said.

"Moong will be procured from the farmers only and for that registrations will start from July 18," he added.

Earlier in June, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) had approved the increase in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for all mandated Kharif crops for marketing season 2022-23, with the aim to ensure remunerative prices to the growers for their produce.

"Dependence on imports has reduced. Farmers' income has increased. Approved rates are in line with the principle of fixing the MSPs at a level of at least 1.5 times," Minister Thakur had said in the press conference.

MSP stands for the Minimum Support Price which the government offers to pay to the crop producers, to ensure no loss to the farmers. (ANI)
The residents of Pegalwadi village were seen crossing a stretch of road filled with knee-level water with their belongings and children on their shoulders and heads as heavy rains pounded numerous areas in Maharashtra, leading to overflowing rivers and drains on Thursday. In another incident in Palghar on Wednesday, a landslide was reported in the Vasai area. Two people were killed in the incident while the another two were rescued. Maharashtra Chief Minister expressed his grief over the incident and took note of the situation. "The relatives of the deceased will be provided Rs 4 lakh each from Palghar District Collector's Natural Disaster Fund and Rs 2 lakh each from Vasai Virar Corporation. Besides, he instructed the concerned administration to pay Rs 50,000 each to the injured for treatment," tweeted Eknath Shinde. A red alert issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday is said to continue for several districts of Maharashtra, including Raigad, Palghar, Nashik, Pune, Satara, and Kolhapur. There is an Orange alert for rainfall today in Mumbai, Thane, Gadchiroli, Chandrapur, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg and Nandurbar. According to IMD fairly widespread/widespread light/moderate rainfall and thunderstorm/lightning with isolated heavy rainfall are expected over Maharashtra and several other states during the next four to five days. On Monday, various temples submerged under the Godavari river in Nashik, due to incessant rain over the past three days. (ANI)
Emphasising on preventive measures to address the huge burden of genetic diseases, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday said providing quality and affordable healthcare is a shared responsibility of the public and private sector. Speaking at the inauguration of the Blood Transfusion Unit and Advanced Diagnostic Laboratory at the Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Society in Hyderabad, the Vice President urged the private sector and NGOs to complement the government's efforts in combating genetic diseases. Naidu highlighted the importance of preventive measures to address the huge burden of genetic diseases like thalassemia and sickle cell anaemia in the country. He wanted the states to undertake mass screening of the children for early identification and management of genetic disorders. Recognising that the available treatment options for these genetic conditions -- bone marrow transplantation or regular blood transfusion - are cost-intensive and distressing to the child, Naidu called for a comprehensive approach to address the health challenge of Thalassemia and sickle cell anaemia. Mentioning that around 10-15,000 babies are born every year with Thalassemia in India, the Vice President said that lack of awareness of these genetic diseases is a major impediment in their prevention and early diagnosis. Therefore, he urged all stakeholders - doctors, teachers, public figures, community leaders and media - to spread awareness on Thalassemia and sickle cell disease. Naidu asked the private sector to set up more diagnosis and treatment facilities, especially in tier two and three cities and rural areas to make healthcare accessible to all. Describing gene disorders as a major health concern in the country, the Vice President said that they impose a heavy economic and emotional burden on the affected families. Statistics show that the prevalence of beta- Thalassemia is in the range of 2.9 to 4.6 per cent in India whereas sickle cell anaemia is more prevalent among lower socio-economic sections of society, ranging from 5 to 40 per cent among the tribal populations. He said that early detection of genetic disorders will help in counselling the patients, thus avoiding the marriage of two individuals who are silent carriers of defective genes which may lead to serious genetic abnormalities in their children. Noting that children affected with Thalassemia need regular blood transfusions throughout their life, Naidu exhorted the youth to come forward and donate blood for the needy. He also appreciated the Union Health Ministry for coming up with detailed guidelines for prevention and management of Thalassemia, Sickle cell anaemia and other variant anaemia. Observing that the country has seen considerable improvement in various health indices since independence, the Vice President said that still there are challenges in ensuring quality and affordable healthcare for all. Stressing the need to address the shortage of trained human resources in healthcare on war footing, he suggested making rural service mandatory for young doctors before getting admission to PG courses. "Scaling up e-Health initiatives in rural areas using digital tools is another cost-effective method for making healthcare accessible to all," he added. Referring to the problem of high out-of-pocket expenditure on health, Naidu said that it adversely affects the low-income households that face the risk of being pushed into poverty. Highlighting that quality and affordable healthcare is an important aspect of governance, Naidu said that it should be accorded top priority by the Center, states and local bodies. He praised the Government's flagship scheme 'Ayushman Bharat' for helping many poor families and stressed that providing quality and affordable healthcare is a shared responsibility of the public and private sector. Stating that 'share and care' is the core of Indian philosophy, he wanted everyone to inculcate the values of service-mindedness and concern for others, particularly for weaker sections. "Serving the poor is serving God," he stressed. (ANI)
Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel have been providing security cover to him.In February this year, the Centre had granted 'Y' category security cover to Vishwas after he had accused Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal of having links with separatist outfits.

The poet-turned-politician was a founding member of AAP and had alleged that Kejriwal had connections with separatists in Punjab and those having sympathy with separatists used to come to his house for meetings during the last assembly polls.

Kejriwal had said the allegations made him "laugh".

Kejriwal had said that he will give a befitting reply to the "corrupt people targeting AAP" by inaugurating 12,430 modern classrooms in Delhi schools.

"This country will not bow down to these corrupt people. Now the country has decided. Now the country will move forward. Baba Saheb and Bhagat Singh's dreams will be fulfilled," he had said. (ANI)
The Delhi Police Crime Branch on Thursday filed a chargesheet in a Rohini court in connection with the Jahangirpuri violence that took place on April 16. In the chargesheet, Delhi Police has named 37 arrested accused in the case and besides them, two juveniles are also mentioned in the chargesheet. Delhi's Rohini court has set July 28 for consideration of the chargesheet filed by the Delhi Police Crime Branch pertaining to the Jahangirpuri riots. Delhi Police has filed chargesheet under various which including Section 307 (attempt to murder), Section 120 B (criminal conspiracy), Section 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), Section 186 IPC (voluntarily obstructs any public servant in the discharge of his public functions), Section 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) Section 332 (Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), Section 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) Section 436 (Mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house) Section 147 (Punishment for rioting) Section 148 (Rioting, armed with a deadly weapon) Section 149 (Every member of unlawful assembly guilty of the offence committed in prosecution of common object) and Section 427 (Mischief causing damage) of the Indian Penal Code(IPC) and under various provisions of Arms Act. According to sources, of 39 people who were mentioned in the chargesheet, 30 are Muslims while seven of them are Hindus. The sources said that Delhi Police will file a separate chargesheet before the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) against minor offenders. Mohammad Ansar and Tabrez Ansari have been named as the main conspirators, as per sources. According to sources, Tabrez was the person who had posed as a member of the person of Aman Committee formed after the Jahangirpuri violence and was also seen attending peace meetings with senior police officers. A Delhi Police team had also gone to West Bengal to question some of Ansar's relatives in East Midnapore. The third main conspirator Delhi Police have named who was behind the riots is Ishrafil, who is still at large. Apart from this, the chargesheet names three persons who have been declared proclaimed offenders by the court and are absconding. Non-bailable warrants have also been issued against some absconders. The chargesheet reveals that the accused people had done planning in advance on April 10 to incite violence on April 16, on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti. The sources said that as part of the planning, bricks and bottles were stashed on some rooftops. Some swords and pistols, a total of 15, that were used in the riots were also seized from the arrested persons. Police have made these claims based on more than 2,300 CCTV and mobile recorded footage of the violence along with WhatsApp chats and call detail records. (ANI)
A Sessions Court of Patiala House Court on Thursday reserved the order on the bail petition of Mohammad Zubair in the alleged tweet case. Order in the matter will be passed tomorrow (Friday). Additional Sessions Judge Devender Kumar Jangala on Thursday reserved the order after the conclusion of the argument of both sides. Delhi Police special public prosecutor Atul Srivastava, while opposing the bail plea of Mohd Zubair, submitted that the bail should not be granted at this stage. Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) is also there where the economy is also involved. Investigation in the matter is at a good pace without any biases. Delhi Police said, "56 lakh rupees were received by the organisation where he (Mohd Zubair) is a director violating FCRA. We gave notice to the Razor pay. There is also a certain forgery in this case which may be done, we are looking at that. The bank's notice has already been issued." The Police alleged that it was done in a planned and clever way. "It is not as simple as Zubair's lawyer has projected," Delhi Police lawyer submitted. Delhi Police Special Public Prosecutor Atul Srivastava submitted before the sessions court that Zubair through tweets hurt the sentiments of a community. "Hanuman ji is Brahmchari and he through his tweets compared Hanuman ji with Honeymoon," he said. Advocate Vrinda Grover appearing for Mohd Zubair denied Delhi Police allegations of foreign funding. She submitted, "no foreign contribution has been received by me, neither in my personal nor in the organisation's account. We have invited people to donate to our organisation but it is boldly written that we don't accept foreign funding...as we're not registered under FCRA. Therefore we don't take foreign remittances. Our receiving of the donations and funding are very transparent." Zubair's lawyer, however, showed a screenshot of the Alt News portal which is clearly written that 'donate now' and was in the public domain. "It is a Non-Profit Organization (NPO) under Pravada Media. He has not received any foreign contribution neither in the form of Indian currency nor in foreign currency," the lawyer submitted. Advocate Vrinda Grover further submitted, "the picture in question used in the said tweet...is from Kissi Se Na Kehna released in 1983. Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) gave the certificate. I haven't edited the picture." Zubair's lawyer Vrinda Grover showed the movie clip to the Judge and added that the people of the country were enjoying many freedoms including the freedom to crack a joke. "Actor of the said movie Hrishikesh Mukherjee also did the same," she said. Zubair was booked by the Delhi Police under sections 153A (promotion of enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language) and 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Delhi Police said. Earlier on Monday, Zubair had moved a bail petition in Sessions Court seeking bail in the Delhi FIR registered against him in a case pertaining to an alleged objectionable tweet. On July 2, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) refused to grant bail while sending him to 14-days of judicial custody. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Snigdha Sarvaria dismissed the bail petition after hearing the submission of the defence counsel and special public prosecutor (SPP) Atul Srivastava for Delhi. In the order, the court observed that "since the investigation is at the initial stage and in view of the circumstances and gravity of the offence, no ground is made out for bail. Application dismissed and the accused is remanded to judicial custody till July 16, 2022." Delhi Police had also added three new Sections-- 201 (for the destruction of evidence - formatted phone and deleted tweets), 120-(B) (for criminal conspiracy) of IPC and 35 of Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, in the matter. The FIR against Zubair was lodged on June 20 based on a complaint filed by the Duty Officer of the IFSO unit of the Delhi Police Special Cell which tackles cyber crimes. Zubair was arrested and sent to one day of police custody after a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against him based on a Twitter posting, which another Twitter handle alleged "hurt Hindu sentiments." (ANI)
In the video shared by Trinamool Youth Congress member Dipankar Kumar Das, the party supremo can be seen sitting in a small kitchen of a local momo seller.

In the short video, the West Bengal Chief Minister makes the savoury dumplings from scratch. She flattens the soft dough and adds fillings to it and then seals it.

While making the delectable snacks, the Chief Minister can be seen interacting with the woman.

This is not the first time Banerjee was seen trying her hands at making the local snacks.

Shortly after attending the swearing-in ceremony of newly elected members of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), Banerjee was seen serving the 'Pani Puri' also known as 'Phuchka' to children and tourists.

While in the year 2019, just before returning to Kolkata from the seaside town of Digha, she had stopped at a tea stall, made fresh, steaming cups of tea, and served them to locals.

Banerjee, who is on a three-day visit to Darjeeling attended the oath-taking ceremony of 45 newly elected members of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA). (ANI)
A group of seven youngsters had gone to take a bath, out of whom four were rescued. One is still stuck in the river and ops are currently underway to rescue him.

The search for the two who were washed away is ongoing at the moment. (ANI)
The Centre on Thursday wrote a letter to all the states and union territories, reiterating some of the key actions that are required to contain the spread of the disease. Health secretary Rajesh Bhushan cited the letter sent by the ministry on May 31 in which it had issued a comprehensive 'Guidelines for Management of Monkeypox Disease' As of now, there is no reported case of Monkeypox in India. The health secretary asked all the states and union territories to take key actions like orientation and regular re-orientation of all key stakeholders including health screening teams at points of entries (PoEs), disease surveillance teams, doctors working in hospitals about common signs and symptoms, differential diagnosis, case definitions for s for suspect/probable/confirmed cases and contacts, contact tracing and other surveillance activities that need to be undertaken following the detection of a case, testing, IPC protocols, clinical management etc. He further asked to screen and test all suspect cases at points of entries and in the community. "Patient isolation (until all lesions have resolved and scabs have completely fallen off), protection of ulcers, symptomatic and supportive therapies, continued monitoring and timely treatment of complications remain the key measures to prevent mortality," he said. Bhushan said that the intensive risk communication directed at healthcare workers, identified sites in health facilities (such as skin, paediatric OPDs, immunization clinics, intervention sites identified by NACO etc.) as well as the general public about simple preventive strategies and the need for prompt reporting of cases needs to be undertaken. The hospitals must be identified and adequate human resource and logistic support should be ensured at identified hospitals equipped to manage suspect/confirmed cases of Monkeypox. "I am sure, States/UTs shall make all efforts to ensure effective preparedness and take required action as per the guidelines. Union Ministry of Health shall continue to monitor the situation closely and will extend all requisite support in this regard," he added. The Centre's directive came after a suspected case of monkeypox, the first in India, has been reported from Kerala. A traveller who arrived in Kerala three days ago from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was hospitalised after he displayed symptoms of monkeypox. Samples from the traveller have been sent for testing to the National Institute of Virology in Pune, health minister Veena George said today adding that the case can be confirmed only after the results of the test are obtained. According to World Health Organization (WHO), monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals) with symptoms similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients, although it is clinically less severe. Monkeypox is transmitted to humans through close contact with an infected person or animal, or with material contaminated with the virus. It is usually a self-limited disease with symptoms lasting from two to four weeks, WHO said. Monkeypox virus is transmitted from one person to another by close contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets and contaminated materials such as bedding. As reported by WHO, Since January 1, 2022, and as of June 22, 2022, a total of 3413 laboratory-confirmed cases of Monkeypox and one death have been reported to WHO from 50 countries/territories. The majority of these cases have been reported from the European Region (86 per cent) and the Americas (11 per cent). This points to a slow but sustained increase in the spread of cases globally. Considering this is the first time that cases and clusters are being reported concurrently in five WHO Regions, WHO has assessed the overall risk of spread of cases as "Moderate" at the global level. (ANI)
A Delhi court on Thursday directed to produce the CCTV footage and duty register in connection with the alleged assault on Sharjeel Imam in his prison cell. He had alleged the assault on him by a jail official and convicts during a search and had also alleged that he was called a terrorist. Jail authorities have denied the allegations. They filed a report on the application moved on behalf of Sharjeel Imam. Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat directed to file the CCTV footage and duty register of Sahayak (sewadar) on the next date of hearing. The CCTV footage will be played in court on July 20. The jail authorities on Thursday filed a report on the application moved by Sharjeel Imam. The allegations of assault, throwing his books, and calling him a terrorist have been denied in the report. It stated that the search was conducted in his ward on June 30, 2022, under the supervision of the Deputy Jail Superintendent. It also stated that Sharjeel Imam misbehaved with staff while threatening to falsely implicate them. He made the complaint to attract media attention, the report added. Jail authorities stated that the entire incident is recorded on the CCTV and the same has already been preserved. It will be produced in the court as and when directed. Sharjeel had sought direction from jail authorities to preserve the CCTV footage. It was alleged that a search was illegally conducted in his cell on the evening of June 30. His clothes and books were ransacked by inmates during the search. He was assaulted in the presence of the assistant superintendent when he tried to stop them. The court adjourned the order on the interim bail plea of Sharjeel Imam in the sedition case till the next date of hearing. The special public prosecutor (SPP) sought time to file written submissions. Sharjeel had moved the lower court for bail in the sedition case on May 27. His counsel had withdrawn the bail application from the Delhi High Court after the prosecution had raised the issue of maintainability. The High court had asked him to approach the lower court for bail. The bail application was moved by Talib Hussain, Ahmed Ibrahim, and Kartik Venu. The application says that in view of the recent direction of the Supreme Court, Sharjeel Imam should be granted bail. Advocate Talib Hussain argued that in the light of direction given by the Supreme Court on sedition law, the trial should continue and that Sharjeel Imam should be released on interim bail. On the other hand, the Special Public prosecutor (SPP) argued that though the proceedings under sedition law are stated by the Supreme Court, the section of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) are invoked. These sections cannot be ignored. Under such circumstances, the accused should not be granted interim bail. The Supreme court had directed to keep all pending appeals and proceedings with respect to the charge framed under section 124A (Sedition) of the Indian Penal Code in abeyance. This case was registered by the Crime Branch of Delhi Police for allegedly inflammatory speeches given by Sharjeel Imam at different places in the country in protest against the CAA-NRC. (ANI)
"Post Independence, it is the first time that a tribal woman would get the opportunity to become the President. So after all discussions, the party has decided to vote in favour of Droupadi Murmu in the presidential election," said the JMM statement.

"All the MPs and MLAs are directed to cast votes in favour of Droupadi Murmu in the presidential election to be held on July 18," the party said.

Murmu spoke to JMM chief Shibu Soren and thanked him for supporting her.

YSR Congress Party, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Shiromani Akali Dal have already extended their support to Murmu.

The Congress-led opposition has fielded former Union minister Yashwant Sinha against Murmu for the presidential election on July 18.

JMM is the lead partner of the ruling alliance in Jharkhand which also includes Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

Murmu is a former Governor of Jharkhand and a former Odisha minister. If elected, she will be the first tribal President of India and the country's second female President. Born in a poor tribal family in the village of Mayurbhanj, a backward district in Odisha, Murmu completed her studies despite challenging circumstances.

Murmu is the first presidential candidate from Odisha of a major political party or alliance.

The counting of votes for the presidential election will take place on July 21. (ANI)
Confident of NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu's victory in the Presidential elections, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) plans to begin celebrating in more than one lakh tribal villages as soon as the results are announced on July 21, sources said The BJP workers have been instructed to begin the celebration after the announcement of the victory of Murmu all over the country, especially among the tribal community in more than one lakh villages across the country. According to sources, the BJP high command has instructed the office bearers and workers that the BJP will celebrate the victory of Droupadi Murmu in every part of the country. BJP is preparing to celebrate in about 15,000 Mandals. BJP's plan is that the message of victory of the country's first tribal woman to the highest post should not only go to the whole country but it should also reach the tribal community of the country. As soon as Murmu's victory is announced on July 21, instructions have been given to put up hoardings and posters of Droupadi Murmu in these tribal villages. According to sources, instructions have also been given not to put up posters of any leader other than Murmu on this day. Murmu is a former Governor of Jharkhand and a former Odisha minister. If elected, she will be the first tribal President of India and the country's second female President. Born in a poor tribal family in the village of Mayurbhanj, a backward district in Odisha, Murmu completed her studies despite challenging circumstances. Murmu is the first presidential candidate from Odisha of a major political party or alliance. Murmu was a national executive member of BJP's ST Morcha from 2013 to 2015 and served as BJP district chief of Mayurbhanj (West) in 2010 and 2013. Between 2006 and 2009, she was chief of BJP's ST Morcha in Odisha. She was a member of the national executive of BJP ST Morcha from 2002 to 2009. Murmu also has the support of the YSR Congress Party, Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Akali Dal and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). However, the Congress-led opposition has fielded former Union minister Yashwant Sinha against Murmu for the presidential election on July 18. The voting for the next President of India will start on July 18 while counting will take place on July 21. (ANI)
Many parts of Gujarat have been facing incessant rainfall which has caused a flood-like situation in the area.

According to ICG, the women and the child were immediately taken into the aircraft and evacuated to a safe location.

Earlier on Tuesday, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel visited the flood-affected areas of Navsari and met the victims.

On the other hand, Union Home Minister Amit Shah also assured all possible help to Gujarat Chief Minister Patel as heavy rains caused flood-like situations in the state's various areas.

Gujarat administration, State Disaster Response Force and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are engaged in providing quick help to the affected people, the Home Minister further said.

The Meteorological department said that Gujarat's situation is due to flash floods. The state received 18 inches of rainfall in just four hours. People are now struggling to procure even essential items. (ANI)
Following the opposition's criticism of the 50-page compilation of words deemed unfit for use in Parliament released by the Lok Sabha secretariat, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday said that "no words have been banned." Earlier on Thursday, a major row erupted over a 50-page compilation of words deemed unfit for use in Parliament, ahead of the Monsoon session beginning July 18. Earlier on Thursday, amid the row over the questioning of the Lok Sabha secretariat by the Opposition over words listed as "unparliamentary", top sources in the Lower House said that such removal of words has been taking place since 1954 under various political dispensations. Amid the row over the questioning of the Lok Sabha secretariat by the Opposition over words listed as "unparliamentary", top sources in the Lower House on Thursday said that such removal of words has been taking place since 1954 under various political dispensations. Earlier, several senior members of Parliament had criticized the report of the Lok Sabha Secretariat which had released a list of words that have been designated as "unparliamentary"."Any word spoken which is against the ethos of Parliament or disrespectful in nature and can compromise the dignity of the house. The discretion lies with the chair to expunge them," sources had said. "Such compilation has been made since 1954 under various political dispensations. From time to time this has been brought out under various political dispensations," sources had added. The Lok Sabha Secretariat gave some examples of certain words that had been expunged earlier. "The word 'dishonest' was first expunged in a Rajya Sabha debate on August 17, 2011. Similarly, the word 'dishonesty' was first expunged in the Lok Sabha debate on March 3, 2011," sources had said. As part of a Parliament record, the word 'Shame' was expunged on March 21, 2012.The word 'cheating' was taken off the Parliament records as unparliamentary in the Rajya Sabha debate on March 20, 2012. "The chair had expunged the words 'Chori' and 'loot' first time in the Lok Sabha debate on March 13, 2012 and 'jhooth' on April 27, 2012," sources had said. The words 'corrupt' and 'corrupt man' were expunged from the Parliament records on November 17, 1966, in a Lok Sabha debate. "Ayogya - incompetent- first expunged on November 17, 1966, from Parliament records of a Lok Sabha debate," sources had said. Similarly, plenty of such removals have taken place over the years. Referring to the reaction of the Opposition, the government sources had said this is a result of their "bankrupt politics" as the list is not a new suggestion, but merely a compilation of words already expunged in Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, or state legislatures. It also contains a list of words considered unparliamentary in parliaments of Commonwealth countries. "It is abused was considered unparliamentary in Australia's House of Representatives. Childishness was considered unparliamentary in Quebec's National Assembly. Lollipops in the budget were expunged from Punjab Assembly. You have reached where telling a lie was expunged from Punjab Assembly," said the sources. The list comes just ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament that begins on July 18.Usage of many words - such as 'corruption', 'corrupt', 'Jumlajeevi', 'tanashah', 'Dictator', 'black', and 'Khalistani' are among those that have been banned. Senior members of Parliament including Jairam Ramesh Derek O'Brien and Randeep Surjewala Priyanka Chaturvedi had questioned the intent behind such a notification. Derek O'Brien in a tweet had said: "Session begins in a few days. Gag order issued on MPs. Now, we will not be allowed to use these basic words while delivering a speech in Parliament: Ashamed. Abused. Betrayed. Corrupt. Hypocrisy. Incompetent. I will use all these words. Suspend me. Fighting for democracy." (ANI)
The padyatra (march) will cover a distance of 25 km every day.

The party held a meeting today on the Bharat Jodo Yatra which was attended by general secretaries and state in-charges along with Pradesh Congress Committee chiefs.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi had made an announcement about the yatra on the last day of the Chintan Shivir in Udaipur in May. The yatra will begin the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

The five-month yatra is scheduled to cover a distance of 3,500 kilometres and more than 12 states.

The yatra will include padayatras, rallies, and public meetings, which will be attended by the senior Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

The Congress suffered debacle in the assembly polls held earlier this year and the yatra is seen as an attempt to rally the party rank and file for the upcoming electoral battles. (ANI)
A 35-year-old Muslim cleric was shot dead by four unidentified people in Maharashtra's Nashik district on Tuesday, as per the police.

The cleric was a resident in Yevala town of Nashik district in Maharashtra. (ANI)
Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian told mediapersons on Thursday that the state government has ordered the closure of four fertility hospitals after a minor girl from Erode was forced to donate her oocytes. An oocyte is an immature egg (an immature ovum). Oocytes develop to maturity from within a follicle. During each reproductive cycle, several follicles begin to develop. The minister said that six hospitals were involved in the crime of which four are located in Tamil Nadu, and one each in Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. He said the hospitals in Tamil Nadu will be shut, while the state Health Secretary has been directed to write to his counterparts in the other states to initiate appropriate action. The hospitals which have directed to close down are located in Salem, Krishnagiri and Erode on charges of violating the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act and Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, based on an inquiry report which said the minor girl was forced to donate her oocytes. Four persons, including the mother of the 16-year-old girl and her paramour, have been arrested on charges of forcing the girl to donate her Oocytes. The state health department had formed an inquiry committee headed by Viswanathan, Joint Director of Medical and Rural Health Services, and a final report was submitted on July 7. Inquiries were conducted at the hospitals in Salem, Erode, Krishnagiri and Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala where the girl was taken forcibly. The minister said that these hospitals have violated the provisions of law. Subramanian said, "Commercial donation was going on at these hospitals where there were no qualified counselors. Also, the pros and cons of oocyte donation were also not explained to the minor girl." He said the girl was forced to donate oocytes several times and even her Aadhaar card was not verified. Also, the approval needed to be obtained from the spouse in such cases was taken from some other person. The minister said that according to the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, a donor aged between 21 and 35 years can donate oocytes once in her lifetime. He said the hospitals have been given 15 days' time to discharge all the patients who are admitted there. As per the Act, the hospitals can be fined up to Rs 50 lakh and the concerned doctors and other management staff may be handed 10 years' imprisonment, Subramanian said. --IANS aal/arm ( 417 Words) 2022-07-14-19:00:03 (IANS)
The PMK, the political arm of the powerful Vanniyar community, on Thursday urged the Tamil Nadu government to immediately remove Hindi inscriptions on the name board of the Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT) in Perumbakkam. PMK founder leader, Dr S. Ramadoss said that the board bears the name in Hindi along with Tamil and English. "The focus of the institute is to conduct research into Tamil language and the board has Hindi inscriptions on the name board," he said in a statement, pointing out at the the new building of the institute was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and when it earlier operated from Taramani, the name board had only Tamil and English inscriptions. The PMK leader also lashed out against the CICT website also having Hindi and said that it amounted to imposition. He said that even though CICT was a Central government institute, the majority of its functioning depends on state government activities and added that it was not acceptable for such an institution to have Hindi inscriptions on its board. Ramadoss called upon the Chief Minister to take special attention to the issue and asked whether the Chief Minister's nod was sought for having the Hindi name. --IANS aal/vd ( 219 Words) 2022-07-14-19:42:03 (IANS)
In a study that followed preterm infants for seven years, investigators found that children who received greater quantities of maternal milk both during and after time in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) had greater academic achievement, higher IQs and reduced ADHD symptoms. "Our study finds that there may be long-term neurodevelopmental benefits to providing maternal milk to preterm infants," said corresponding author Mandy Brown Belfort, MD, MPH, of the Department of Pediatric Newborn Medicine. "A lot of families are dedicated to the idea of providing maternal milk but may face steep challenges. Our findings emphasize the importance of providing support for initiating and sustaining lactation because maternal milk at this early age can provide benefits years later." Belfort and colleagues looked at neurodevelopmental outcomes for 586 infants born at less than 33 weeks' gestation at one of five Australian perinatal centers. Children were evaluated at age 7 (corrected for prematurity). The team looked at data on maternal milk dose (volume of maternal milk infants received each day) and maternal milk duration (how long parents continued breastfeeding) predicted several neurodevelopmental outcomes. These outcomes included academic achievement, Verbal and Performance IQ, symptoms of ADHD, executive function, and behavior. Overall, the team found that higher maternal milk intake was associated with higher Performance IQ and higher reading and math scores. Parents also reported fewer ADHD symptoms for children who consumed more maternal milk during infancy. Duration of maternal milk intake (up to 18 months corrected age) was also associated with higher reading, spelling and math scores. The researchers controlled for confounders, including clinical and social factors. These beneficial associations were stronger for infants born at the lowest gestational ages, particularly those born below 30 weeks of gestation. The authors note that their study is observational -- they cannot determine causality as there may be other, unaccounted factors that influence both the ability to provide maternal milk and academic achievement. The study's strengths include its large size, the range of outcomes examined, and that the researchers could assess school-age outcomes. Other studies have only followed children through preschool age, making it difficult to assess the full range of neurodevelopmental outcomes. Overall, Belfort sees the team's findings as an affirmation of guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics and World Health Organization, both of which recommend maternal milk for infants. "Our study confirms recommended strategies for supporting parents to provide maternal milk for preterm infants," said Belfort. "And it strengthens the call for health policies and parental leave policies that support rather than work against parents. As a society, we need to invest in families -- it's an investment that will continue to benefit children when they reach school age." (ANI)
A bill introduced in Congress today will take concrete action to resolve China's decades-long illegal occupation of Tibet by fully recognizing Tibet's unresolved status and faulting China for violating the Tibetan people's right to self-determination. The 'Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Conflict Act' faults China for failing to meet expectations of participating in dialogue with the Dalai Lama or his representatives and recognising that Tibetans have a right to self-determination--and that China's policies preclude them from exercising that right. The promotion of resolution to the Tibet-China Conflict Act will affirm the US position that Tibet's legal status remains to be determined under international law, despite more than six decades of China's illegal occupation and the Chinese government's disinformation falsely claiming that Tibet has been part of China since ancient times. Representatives Jim McGovern, D-Mass, and Michael McCaul, R-Texas, introduced the bill in the House today, July 13, 2022. Under China's brutal occupation, Tibet is now the least-free country on Earth alongside South Sudan and Syria--according to the latest rankings from the watchdog group Freedom House--and the Chinese government has refused to negotiate with Tibetan leaders since 2010. "Congress has had a long and abiding interest in a peaceful resolution to the conflict between Tibet and China. The United States government has consistently called on Chinese officials to return to dialogue, without preconditions. But that hasn't worked. The Chinese continue to turn their backs on the Dalai Lama. Our bipartisan legislation seeks to strengthen US policy by grounding it in international law and countering Chinese disinformation, with the aim of getting the two sides to negotiate a durable solution." "The Chinese Communist Party's invasion of Tibet in 1950, and its repression of Tibetans ever since, set the stage for the CCP's ongoing territorial aggression and human rights atrocities. Their attempts to steal peoples' freedoms and rewrite history continue to threaten American values and our national security interests today. This bipartisan bill will help ensure Tibetans have a say in their own future and reject the CCP lie that their tyranny over Tibet is historically legitimate," said Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas In recent years, the US has also passed several pieces of legislation on Tibet as it continues to support the nation against Chinese atrocities. During the 2020 presidential campaign, then-candidate Joe Biden promised to "work with our allies in pressing Beijing to return to direct dialogue with the representatives of the Tibetan people to achieve meaningful autonomy, respect for human rights, and the preservation of Tibet's environment as well as its unique cultural, linguistic and religious traditions." Biden has already delivered on one of his campaign promises by appointing a new Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues. In December 2021, Uzra Zeya, the Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights, took on the Special Coordinator role. (ANI)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky blamed Russia for causing unrest in Sri Lanka as well as around the world due to the blocking of food products during the invasion of Ukraine. One of the major tactics Russia has used in their invasion of Ukraine is the creation of an "economic shock," Zelenskyy said, adding that several countries experiencing food and fuel shortages due to the disruption in the supply chain have benefitted Russia's agenda. Highlighting the crisis in Sri Lanka during a recent address at the Asian Leadership Conference in Seoul, he further said "The shocking food and fuel price hikes led to a social explosion. No one knows now how it will end." War in Ukraine has left an estimated 1.6 billion people in 94 countries exposed to at least one dimension of finance, food, or energy crisis, with around 1.2 billion living in "perfect-storm" countries severely vulnerable. Amid the ongoing protests, Sri Lanka's now acting President, Wickremesinghe stepped down from his post of Prime Minister due to the escalation in violence and protests in the country. 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. Notably, 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. Moreover, due to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the increase in hunger since the start of the war is only ascending. The number of severely food insecure people doubled from 135 million prior to the pandemic, to 276 million over just two years. The ripple effects of the war could push this number to 323 million. The Group of Seven (G7) leaders during the recently held summit also discussed the impact of Russia's war on food and energy supplies including the global economy and said the bloc is determined to support Ukraine in producing and exporting grain, oil, and other agricultural products. They called upon Russia to cease, without condition, its attacks on agricultural and transport infrastructure and enable free passage of agricultural shipping from Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea. In a recent agreement between the Russian Federation and Ukraine, a months-long blockade of grain deliveries via the Black Sea will break, the UN Secretary-General Guterres said in a statement calling it a critical step forward in ensuring the safe and secure export of Ukrainian products. (ANI)
As many as 39 people have died in incidents of flash flooding in the past week with new districts in the east, south, south-east, and central regions of Afghanistan impacted by heavy rains. "Since 5 July, flash floods have reportedly killed 39 people across five provinces - Uruzgan (20), Ghazni (6), Nuristan (7), Paktya (3) and Zabul (3). Nine of those killed were children, including six in Ghazni and three in Paktya provinces," the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a flood update. The heavy rains have damaged or destroyed around 2,900 houses, a tenfold increase since the last reporting period, and also disrupted livelihoods. Critical civilian infrastructure such as roads and bridges have also been impacted. With the rains, land has slipped resulting in unexploded ordnance being transported into several villages of Paktya. This risk will increase as heavy rains continue. Families assessed to date report needing emergency shelter, non-food items, food and water, sanitation, and hygiene support. In the eastern region, heavy rain caused new flash flooding in four districts and affected close to 500 families - 213 families in Nangarhar, 200 families in Laghman, 26 families in Kunar, and 14 families in Nuristan. This is the third time that the eastern region has experienced flash flooding in less than a month. Three new provinces in the Southern Region - Kandahar, Uruzgan and Zabul - have been affected by heavy rains. Initial reports from partners and the ANDMA office indicate that some 600 households are affected in Uruzgan and Zabul, including damaged agricultural lands and livestock. There are unconfirmed reports of 23 deaths - three people reportedly killed in Zabul from a house that collapsed and 20 people reportedly killed in Uruzgan in a bus that was overturned. Multiple localized assessments and relief operations are ongoing. OCHA said that it continues to coordinate the emergency response on behalf of humanitarian partners in all four regions affected - central, eastern, southern, and south-eastern regions. (ANI)
Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama on Thursday embarked on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, marking his first official tour outside his base in Dharamshala since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. This visit is also taking place just three days before the 16th round of Corps Commander-level meetings between India and China, which according to sources is expected to start on July 17. During his tour, the Dalai Lama is expected to visit the famous Thiksay monastery in Leh. The Tibetan spiritual leader's trip is likley to irk China as Beijing had recently criticized Prime Minister Modi, for extending wishes to the Dalai Lama who recently celebrated his 87th birthday, stating that India should stop using Tibet-related issues to interfere in China's internal affairs. The External Affairs Ministry had slammed China's criticism and said that it has been a consistent policy of the government to treat the Dalai Lama as a guest in India. "His Holiness is accorded all due courtesies and freedom to conduct his religious and spiritual activities in India. His Holiness' birthday is celebrated by many of his followers in India and abroad. The birthday greetings by the Prime Minister to his Holiness on his 87th birthday should be seen in this overall context," Bagchi said. Beijing has always had an issue with Dalai Lama since he took shelter in India. In the 1950s, when China illegally occupied Tibet, the Tibetan Spiritual leader had to take shelter in India. The Dalai Lama tried to advocate for a mid-way negotiation with China to peacefully resolve the issue of Tibet. Meanwhile, India and China have been engaged in a standoff since April-May 2020 over the transgressions by the Chinese Army in multiple areas including the Finger area, Galwan Valley, Hot springs, and Kongrung Nala. The situation worsened after violent clashes with Chinese troops in Galwan Valley in June 2020. (ANI)
Nowhere in the world is it more important for the United States to battle extremism with public diplomacy than in Pakistan, said US Representatives Brad Sherman and Carolyn Maloney in a statement as they commended American Broadcaster Voice of America's (VOA) launch of the Sindhi Language Programme. "We are thrilled that, after many years of advocacy for a Voice of America (VOA) Sindhi language program, Voice of America announced that it has launched a Sindhi language webpage," Sherman and Maloney said in a joint statement. "There is perhaps nowhere in the world more important for the United States to battle extremism with public diplomacy than in Pakistan, a nuclear-armed state with significant security challenges. VOA outreach in Pakistan will be far more effective with VOA communicating in the Sindhi language," the statement added. Currently, VOA Urdu actively engages with several television and radio affiliates in Pakistan, offering updates on the latest developments in the United States. Urdu is the native language for only an estimated 8 per cent of Pakistanis. An estimated 14 per cent of Pakistanis - over 30 million people - speak Sindhi, yet VOA had no service in Sindhi. The US lawmakers said the launch of a VOA Sindhi-language website is a meaningful step towards expanding VOA's reach and message in Pakistan. "We hope it is just the first of many steps towards a full VOA service in the Sindhi language." After a long wait to reach out to the members of the Sindhi minority community in Pakistan, Voice of America, this week, the Sindhi language (voasindhi.com), under VOA's Urdu broadcasting service, launched a new webpage. Voice of America's Urdu Service has been broadcasting to Pakistan since 1952 and reaches over 6 million people every week. With reference to Voice of America's global services, after the addition of Sindhi language, the number of Voice of America listeners and viewers in Pakistan will increase further. The Sindhi language is mostly spoken in the South and East region of Pakistan, while the number of speakers in South Asia is over 35 million. The content of the new language webpage will cover global news, current affairs, science, technology, women's issues and education as well as issues of bilateral relations between the US and the South Asian region and its population. Yolanda Lopez, Acting Director of Voice of America, earlier explained that the new service will provide Sindhi speakers with the important news and information they need, as well as help tell the story of America in the region. After the promotion of the Sindhi language, Voice of America is now broadcasting in 48 languages, nine of which are spoken in the South and Central Asia region. (ANI)
Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama, who arrived in Jammu from Dharamshala on Thursday said that the majority of people in China realise that he is not seeking independence within China but meaningful autonomy and preservation of Tibetan Buddhist culture. "Not Chinese people, but some Chinese hardliners consider me a separatist. Now, more and more Chinese are realising that Dalai Lama not seeking independence but within China meaningful autonomy and to preserve Tibetan Buddhist culture," the Dalai Lama told reporters upon his arrival in Jammu from . The Tibetan spirital leader was responding to a question on China's objecting to his visit to Ladakh. The Dalai Lama also sad that more and more Chinese are showing interest about Tibetan Buddhism. "Some of the Chinese scholars have realised that the Tibetan Buddhism is truly knowledge and tradition and a very scientific religion." The Tibetan spiritual leader, is on a two-day official visit to Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory Ladakh, said that he will visit Leh tomorrow. This is the first official tour of the Dalai Lama outside his base in Dharamshala since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. This visit is also taking place just three days before the 16th round of Corps Commander-level meetings between India and China, which according to sources is expected to start on July 17. During his tour, the Dalai Lama is expected to visit the famous Thiksay monastery in Leh. The Tibetan spiritual leader's trip is likely to irk China as Beijing had recently criticized Prime Minister Modi, for extending wishes to the Dalai Lama who recently celebrated his 87th birthday, stating that India should stop using Tibet-related issues to interfere in China's internal affairs. The External Affairs Ministry had slammed China's criticism and said that it has been a consistent policy of the government to treat the Dalai Lama as a guest in India. "His Holiness is accorded all due courtesies and freedom to conduct his religious and spiritual activities in India. His Holiness' birthday is celebrated by many of his followers in India and abroad. The birthday greetings by the Prime Minister to his Holiness on his 87th birthday should be seen in this overall context," Bagchi said. Beijing has always had an issue with Dalai Lama since he took shelter in India. In the 1950s, when China illegally occupied Tibet, the Tibetan Spiritual leader had to take shelter in India. The Dalai Lama tried to advocate for a mid-way negotiation with China to peacefully resolve the issue of Tibet. Meanwhile, India and China have been engaged in a standoff since April-May 2020 over the transgressions by the Chinese Army in multiple areas including the Finger area, Galwan Valley, Hot springs, and Kongrung Nala. The situation worsened after violent clashes with Chinese troops in Galwan Valley in June 2020. (ANI)
Recently, the head of the International Liaison Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Liu Jianchao visited Nepal, which is seen as Beijing's bid to push for unity or to forge an alliance among the Nepali Communist Parties. Liu, who arrived in Nepal on Sunday, held talks with former Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. He paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and held talks with Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka, The Kathmandu Post reported. On Monday, he met with CPN (Maoist Centre) chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal. Liu is scheduled to call on President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Wednesday before wrapping up his Nepal visit. This time, it seems the Chinese have returned to their old strategy of gaining the confidence of all sides and engaging with all political groups, according to a Maoist leader. The experts said that while it is natural for CPC leaders to maintain close relations with Nepali communist parties, Liu's visit this time also sends a message that it is not averse to having ties with the Congress, which Beijing views as a more America-friendly party. During his meeting with Dahal on Monday, Liu said that China respects the decision taken by Nepali leaders, the government, and political parties, according to Narayan Kaji Shrestha, head of the Maoist Centre's international department, according to The Kathmandu Post. "They did voice their concerns that Nepal should be cautious while taking assistance or developmental projects so as not to harm China's interest," said Shrestha. Liu also raised issues including the US-led Indo-Pacific Strategy during the meeting with Maoist leaders. "The US had declared its policy through the Indo-Pacific Strategy that it aims to contain China. So they urged us to remain cautious while dealing with such policies of a third country that can have serious consequences for China," said Shrestha. The publication citing three communist leaders reported that the Chinese side did not push much for unity among the communist parties of Nepal. Rajeshwar Acharya, a former Nepali ambassador to China, said that this visit entails at least three components--geopolitical shifts, Beijing's renewed interest in Nepal, and its security concerns, reported The Kathmandu Post. "Growing American activities in Nepal are a cause for concern for the Chinese," said Acharya. "The Chinese may be thinking that it would be difficult for Nepal to avoid American engagements. They are flying into Kathmandu to remind us of the presence of Nepal's all-weather friend in the north." Also, according to Acharya, since Liu's visit is taking place ahead of the elections, obviously the Chinese are keen to bring the leftist forces together in their quest for a reliable political force in Nepal. Liu's delegation is arguably the first from China to visit the BP Museum, named after BP Koirala, the Nepali Congress' revolutionary, in Sundarijal, on the outskirts of Kathmandu. Acharya said this also shows that the Chinese want to work closely with the Nepali Congress, The Kathmandu Post reported. Above all, Beijing wants assurances from Kathmandu that its legitimate security concerns must not be compromised by any actions of the Nepal government and political parties, according to Acharya. Some experts believe the Chinese delegation wanted to assess the possibility of unity among Nepali communist forces and also send a message to the Congress that they are comfortable working with it. (ANI)
Unidentified armed men attacked and killed Sheikh Sardar Wali Saqib on Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported citing sources.

Khalid Zadran, a police spokesperson confirmed the incident and said police have initiated an investigation.

On Wednesday, unknown armed men also shot dead four people in a bakery in the eastern Logar province, local media reported.

In April, Taliban had refuted a report released by the US State Department which acknowledged a steep fall in the human rights progress in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of US troops last August.

In a series of Twitter posts, Zabiullah Mujahid, the Deputy Minister of Information and Culture of Afghanistan stated that human rights were violated when the US invaded Afghanistan in 2001, according to Khama News Agency.

"Human rights were violated when US occupiers killed 200 people in a day and were bombing their homes and raiding women and children. And on a dark night dragged the people into prison, and kept up to 15,000 political prisoners" Khama New Agency reported citing a tweet by Mujahid.

The human rights issues included credible reports of extrajudicial killings by security forces; forced disappearances by anti-government personnel; torture and cases of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment by security forces, the report said.

It also includes reports of serious restrictions on free expression and media by the Taliban, including violence against journalists and censorship; severe restrictions on religious freedom; restrictions on the right to leave the country.

Meanwhile, Afghan minister Zabiullah Mujahid also denied a New York Times report over the killings of security members of the previous Afghan government by the Taliban.

Mujahid said there has been a general amnesty announced by the supreme leader Mullah Hebtullah Akhundzada and that no one has been killed, the Afghan media outlet said. (ANI)
The recent North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Madrid and G7 summit held in Germany have exerted pressure on China's ambitions and "coercive policies" in the Indo-Pacific. European leaders have grown increasingly wary of China in recent years, and those views have hardened after Beijing has refused to condemn the "Russian invasion of Ukraine," reported Global Strat View. China has been included in NATO's "Strategic Concept," adopted at the bloc's summit in Madrid, Spain, on June 29-30 for the first time. It lays out the security challenges facing the 30-country military alliance while outlining a course of action and suggests China's ambitions and "coercive policies" challenge the allies' interests, security, and values. China found a special mention in both the summit's communique and the 'Strategic Concept' document. NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg remarked China is not an adversary, but it does represent serious challenges to the alliance, reported Global Strat View. He further averred that "China's growing assertiveness and its coercive policies have consequences for the security of Allies and our partners." The new Strategic Concept outlines NATO's transformation in line with the NATO 2030 agenda adopted at the 2021 Summit. The messaging was clear that in addition to NATO's "Euro-Atlantic" focus, the alliance is eager to expand its strategic influence in the Indo-Pacific region and tackle the emerging China challenge. The NATO alliance members and their Indo-Pacific partners are exploring ways and areas of common interests to counter China's increasing hegemonic economic and military designs. Those issues include cyber and hybrid threats, maritime security, counter-terrorism, and the impact of climate change on security, reported Global Strat View. In addition to the NATO summit, the Group of Seven (G7) countries met in Germany on 26-28 June, discussing pressing geopolitical/economic issues. They launched an infrastructure investment plan, Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, to counter China's Belt and Road Initiative. The G7 Leaders' communique mentioned China 14 times and opposed Beijing's illegal maritime activities in the East and South China Seas, human rights concerns in Hong Kong, and urged China to pressure Russia to stop its "military aggression" in Ukraine, reported Global Strat View. The recent summits signal an increasing alignment between the US and its European partners on the China issue. Moreover, China's use of economic coercion towards other countries, particularly those in Europe, and the US' successful attempts to convince the NATO allies to speak with "one voice" against Beijing's aggressive policies have largely united the alliance. On the other hand, China has possibly underestimated the extent to which its stance would resonate through its ties with the European countries. The relationship is already on shaky ground following European concerns over human rights abuses in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, Beijing's 'wolf warrior' diplomacy, and China's economic targeting of Lithuania over the latter's relations with Taiwan. China has reacted aggressively against various communiques and policy statements against it. China's Mission to the European Union said in a statement that "[NATO's] Strategic Concept claims that other countries pose challenges, but it is NATO that is creating problems around the world." The statement further noted, "We urge NATO to stop provoking confrontation by drawing ideological lines, abandon the Cold War mentality and zero-sum game approach, and stop spreading disinformation and provocative statements against China." Meanwhile, the NATO alliance warned that Beijing is working to "subvert the rules-based international order, including in the space, cyber and maritime domains," which would have direct strategic implications for the US and its alliance partners in Europe and outside. Although it was the first-time inclusion of China in NATO's policy document and the G-7's communique, this trend will continue in future summits as well, reported Global Strat View. (ANI)
China's coronavirus lockdowns in major cities has affected trade and daily life causing the country to report a grim performance in the second quarter and increasing concerns of a global recession. China's economy may have contracted in the three months ending in June, The Washington Post newspaper reported citing experts, adding that it is likely that Beijing will report modest growth. Mercator Institute for China Studies' chief economist Max Zenglein said, "The government will not acknowledge a contraction." "The further growth is from zero, the less credible the official figure will be," Zenglein added. China's grim performance in the second quarter will be a setback for the country. Several countries including the United States reopened and lifted their restrictions in their rebound from the pandemic. However, China doubled down their "zero covid" policy stating that too many will die if the restrictions were lifted and the country was reopened. The approach eventually became controversial and damaged their economy. More severe lockdowns were implemented in the country as it continued to report more coronavirus infections this year. The two-month lockdown of China's Shanghai was particularly devastating, the article read. The draconian zero-COVID policy implemented by the authorities in Shanghai, the world's largest port, resulted in unprecedented disruption in economic activity with factories getting shut, and ports facing delays. Transport and logistics networks have been severely impacted, with restrictions hitting the delivery of goods around the country and to ports with major global shipping connections. During a visit to Fuzhou last week, China's Premier Li Keqiang said that the economic situation was at a critical point and urged officials to steer the economy "back on track," Xinhua reported. Despite Chinese President Xi Jinping's commitment to follow the "zero covid" policy, the photographs from the meetings showed that no one was wearing a mask in Fuzhou. Many people have been unemployed and underemployed, especially in service industries, due to the repeated lockdowns in different parts of the country. Even a single automobile was not sold in Shanghai in the month of April. Several cities reported an 18.4 per cent jobless rate of people aged 16 to 24 in the month of May. "The Chinese economy is in a very bad shape now, consumer demand is very weak," Washington's Peterson Institute for International Economics' research fellow Tianlei Huang said. Huang added that even in the most optimistic scenario, the country will not be able to achieve its growth target of 5.5 per cent for the full year. The lockdowns have affected factory production, supply chains and caused goods shipments delays to the rest of the world. Consumer prices in the country rose by 2.5 per cent due to the dampened demand. A lot of home buyers have been refusing to pay mortgages on unfinished projects, a media report said last week. "The Chinese economy in the second half of 2022 still faces the uncertainty of periodic lockdowns in response to new covid breakouts. If a recession breaks out in the U.S. or Europe, it will add further difficulty to the Chinese growth," Columbia University professor Shang-Jin Wei said. Foreign investors have been shifting production to other countries due to the economic uncertainties in China, Huang said. "The recent very negative outlook of the foreign business community is probably not just some noise in the short term but may have some longer-term implications," he added. (ANI)
Protest rallies and demonstrations were held in parts of Pakistan's Sindh province over the death of Sindhi youth Balal Kaka, who was killed by Afghans at a hotel at Qasimabad, Hyderabad a few days ago. Balal Kaka was shot dead by Pathans at a restaurant over a food bill during Eidul Adha. Reports in local media said that the hotel owners allegedly shot dead Bilal Kaka and injured his two friends after a dispute over a food bill at the Super Salateen Hotel near Wadhu Wah near Hyderabad bypass - one of the most popular areas in Hyderabad, Daily Pakistan reported. Porhiyat Tehreek (Labour Tehreek) held demonstrations in front of Hyderabad Press Club where speakers said there has been a conspiracy right since the formation of the country to reduce Sindhis into a minority in Sindh, reported local media. According to the local media, illegal Afghan residents are involved in narcotics and money lending at a heavy rate of interest. It further noted that they were also involved in killing the Sindhi youths. The local media further pointed out that police authorities and others in law-enforcement departments do not act against such elements. They said Balal Kaka's case is not just one isolated case but it is the result of an influx of outsiders into Sindh. They said peaceful political movements are the only way out to get rid of outsiders' influx into Sindh. Meanwhile, Sindh United Party Chairman and Convener of Sindh Action Committee, Syed Jalal Mehmood Shah said that the law-and-order problem in Sindh is increasing because of the Afghans living in Sindh and others coming to Sindh from elsewhere. Hundreds of protesters from the Kaka tribe took to the national highway in Sindh province to protest against the killing of Balal Kaka. Rallies were held at Qambar, Jacobabad, Nawabashah, Tando Mohammad Khan, Halan, and at Kariyo Ghunoor by different groups including nationalist Jiye Sindh Quami Mahaz and Awami Tehreek, Sindh Tarqui Pasand's Students' Federation and Sindh United Party. Jiye Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM) has announced demonstrations across Sindh Friday on July 15 demanding the ouster of outsiders in Sindh, reported local media. JSQM chairman said that Afghans staying in Sindh are the major reason for ruining Sindh. Taking a dig at authorities, he said that the Afghans also seem to have got licenses now to kill Sindhi youth in Karachi and Hyderabad. (ANI)
The Embassy of Bangladesh received the gift consignment at the Integrated Check post on behalf of Bangladesh Premier Sheikh Hasina.

Speaking on the occasion, Assistant Director Tripura Horticulture Department Deepak Baidya said, "This complement has not been extended for the first time. This friendly step has been continued for years on both sides. Bangladesh government also sends the most precious Hilsa fish in the high season, September or October, every year."

Queen pineapple, gets exported to Saudi Arabia, Japan, and the UK these days for its unique taste and demand. (ANI)
"I want to announce to you that this evening I will hand over to the President of the Republic a letter of resignation," the press service of the government's Chigi Palace quoted him as saying, according to Sputnik News Agency.

On Thursday, senators from one of the biggest parties in Draghi's coalition -- the Five Star Movement -- abstained from a confidence motion, a stunt that throws Italy's government into crisis and could even lead to its collapse, The Washington Post reported.

"Today's vote in parliament is a very significant event from a political point of view," Draghi said.

Though the government survived -- by 172 to 39 -- Draghi, according to The New York Times, had made clear that he would not lead a unity government that had no unity.

According to multiple reports, he is now expected to meet with the country's president, Sergio Mattarella, to discuss next steps.

Italy is facing a worsening economic situation caused in part by rising energy costs.

Italian Prime Minister on Tuesday said that he plans to announce a series of measures aimed to reduce the impacts of the worsening economic situation caused in part by rising energy costs.

Draghi downplayed the economic challenges when talking to the Foreign Press Association later on Tuesday, saying the government's balance sheets were "very strong" and that despite recent difficulties, "Italy remains a strong country", Xinhua News Agency reported. (ANI)
Five Chinese companies are providing ongoing support to Russia's military despite the United States and its partners banning such backing due to Moscow's actions in Ukraine, the US Commerce Department said. The US has accused several companies and research institutes in China of supporting Russia's military after the Ukraine invasion began, in one of the first concrete signs of Chinese entities allegedly helping Russia against Washington's wishes, The Washington Post reported. According to the media, the Commerce Department added five of the companies to a trade blacklist known as the Entity List as punishment. "Today's action sends a powerful message to entities and individuals across the globe that if they seek to support Russia, the United States will cut them off as well," Alan Estevez, undersecretary of commerce for industry and security has said in a statement, cited by The Washington Post. In recent weeks, US officials have said they did not see any "systematic effort" by China to help Russia evade Western sanctions, despite the "no limits" partnership that leaders Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin declared in February. Since February, the US and European nations have been pressuring China to distance itself from Russia and its war. While the Chinese side has signalled solidarity with Russia. President Xi Jinping last month said that Beijing's support for Moscow remains steadfast. The Chinese have also sharply increased imports of Russian energy, with crude oil purchases in May up 55 per cent from a year earlier, according to reports. On February 24, Russia began a special military operation in Ukraine after the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics requested help in defending themselves. The Russian Defense Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and the civilian population is not in danger. The West however denies these claims by the Russians and in response, Western nations have imposed comprehensive sanctions on Moscow. (ANI)
Muharram commemorates the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain, the son of Hazrat Ali and the grandson of Prophet Muhammad.

A large number of people from villages of the Khag area participated in a meeting presided by the Chairman JKPJF, Agha Syed Abbas Rizvi.

Speaking at the event, Agha Rizvi highlighted the plight of the Shia Community and said that the administration is making adequate arrangements for the volunteers required during Muharram events.

The participants appealed to the Lieutenant Governor's administration to look into the arrangements for the event.

Muharram signifies an expression of sorrow over the martyrdom of Imam Hussain at the Battle of Karbala that took place over 14 centuries ago.

Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, reaches a crescendo on 10th day of Muharram, the day when Imam Hussain Ibn Ali, and his followers were martyred in 61 Hijri or 680 CE at Karbala, in present-day Iraq.

The tenth day of Muharram is the Day of Ashura, which to Shia Muslims is part of the mourning of Muharram. Sunni Muslims fast during this day. (ANI)
Amid large-scale protests in Henan province by bank depositors over the release of frozen funds, white-clothed men, who are suspected to be from the Chinese People's Armed Police Force, suppressed the protests in front of the Zhengzhou People's Bank of China (PBoC) office, local media reported. Non-mainstream media believes that these white-clothed men can be personnel from the People's Armed Police or just plainclothes policemen. The media has posted images of the clothes worn by them and the item name is "Summer duty short-sleeve", manufactured in 2021. By the name of the item, it appears that it was specially made for the personnel to use on such occasions. An image posted on Weibo, shows a policeman wearing this shirt during the Zhengzhou protests which further shows that these plain-clothed people included policemen. It has been seen that people in white clothes were particularly violent towards the protesters. Various news reports highlight that protesters were harassed by the local police and their Wechats were also frozen after returning to their homes. Following protests by bank depositors that caught the eye of national and international media, Chinese authorities in the central Henan province have promised to start paying back funds which had been frozen. Payments will be made in batches, with the first due on July 15, state media outlet Global Times reported citing the local banking and insurance regulator and financial regulatory bureau of Henan province said in a joint statement. This development comes after China on Sunday dispersed a protest by hundreds of depositors, who sought to demand their money back from banks that have run into a deepening cash crisis. Four rural banks in China's Henan province have frozen millions of dollars worth of deposits since April, threatening the livelihoods of thousands of customers in an economy already affected by Covid lockdowns. Hundreds of depositors have staged several demonstrations in the city of Zhengzhou, the provincial capital of Henan, but their demands are being ignored by the Chinese authorities, CNN reported. On Sunday, more than 1,000 depositors gathered outside the Zhengzhou branch of the country's central bank, the People's Bank of China, to launch their largest protest yet. The local government used plain clothes to suppress the protest. This was the depositors' 4th protest which is likely to continue until central and local governments reached an agreement on who pays how much share. "I did not expect them to be so violent and shameless this time. There was no communication, no warning before they brutally dispersed us," said one depositor from a metropolis outside Henan who had protested in Zhengzhou previously, and who requested CNN conceal his name due to security concerns. "Why would government employees beat us up? We're only ordinary people asking for our deposits back, we did nothing wrong," the Shandong woman said. With travel limited across China by various Covid restrictions on movement, the demonstration is among the largest China has seen since the pandemic, Notably, protestors were seen using national flags to display patriotism, a common strategy for protesters in China. In a country where dissent is clamped down swiftly, the tactic is meant to show that their grievances are only against local governments and that they support and rely on the central government to seek redress. "Against the corruption and violence of the Henan government," a banner written in English read. A large portrait of late Chinese leader Mao Zedong was pasted on a pillar at the entrance of the bank. Across the street, hundreds of police and security personnel -- some in uniforms and others in plain clothes -- assembled and surrounded the site, as protesters shouted "gangsters" at them. In a statement late Sunday, the local police said they recently arrested members of an "criminal gang," who were accused of effectively taking control over the Henan rural banks starting from 2011 -- by leveraging their shareholdings and "manipulating banks executives." The police added the suspects were also accused of illegally transferring funds through fictitious loans, and that some of their funds had been seized. (ANI)
Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt plan to join BRICS, and their potential membership bids could be discussed and answered at next year's summit in South Africa, BRICS International Forum President Purnima Anand told Russian media on Thursday. "All these countries have shown their interest in joining (BRICS) and are preparing to apply for membership. I believe this is a good step, because expansion is always looked upon favourably, it will definitely bolster BRICS' global influence," Anand told Russian newspaper Izvestia. The BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) account for over 40 per cent of the global population and nearly a quarter of the world's GDP. The bloc's stated purposes include promoting peace, security, development, and cooperation globally, and contributing to the development of humanity, RT reported. Anand said the issue of expansion was raised during this year's BRICS summit, which took place in late June in Beijing. The BRICS Forum President said she hopes the accession of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt will not take much time, given that they "are already engaged in the process", though she doubts that all three will join the alliance at the same time, RT reported. "I hope that these countries will join the BRICS quite shortly, as all the representatives of core members are interested in expansion. So it will come very soon," Anand added. The news of the three nations' plans to join the BRICS comes after Iran and Argentina officially applied for membership in late June, with Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh touting the bloc as a "very creative mechanism with broad aspects". --IANS san/vd ( 279 Words) 2022-07-14-19:36:02 (IANS)
Five years after the death of Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo while in custody, activists in China have been forced to mark his death anniversary mostly in private, due to the ongoing ban on public references to him, media reports said. A friend of Liu's, who only gave the pseudonym Gu Tian, said some people had found ways to mark the anniversary despite a ban on the topic on social media platforms, RFA reported. "Xiaobo passed away five years ago. He was a very good and honest person, who could see beyond the basic concept of the Chinese nation and China," Gu told RFA. "He fought back against an autocratic regime," he said. Some people took to Twitter, which requires circumvention tools to access from mainland China, to leave messages commemorating Xiaobo's death at the age of 61 from advanced liver cancer, while serving an 11-year jail term for "incitement to subvert state power", RFA reported. An account named for rights lawyer Yu Wensheng said Liu had "sacrificed his life to lead China towards democracy". "Today, I bowed three times in the direction of the sea to honour his heroic spirit." Twitter user Li Fang wrote: "Many have forgotten Liu Xiaobo ... who died in prison five years ago. But China hasn't changed in those five years; the oppression and persecution are still the same. Forget Liu Xiaobo, and you forget China." Another user identified as Wang Xiaoshan also mentioned the fifth anniversary of Liu's death, which came after he was jailed for co-authoring Charter 08, which promoted democracy and constitutional government, RFA reported. In previous year, activists have gathered or taken photos at the shoreline to commemorate Liu, whose ashes were scattered at sea on the insistence of ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials. Xiaobo died of liver cancer while in hospital while in police custody in 2017. His wife Liu Xia, who had been under house arrest since his Nobel Peace Prize was announced in October 2010, was finally allowed to leave the country in 2018 after which she settled in Berlin. Since then, she has kept a low profile and rarely appears in public, RFA reported. --IANS san/arm ( 376 Words) 2022-07-14-20:08:02 (IANS)
Confirming the news, Jaspal Singh, Brother-in-Law of Malik told ANI, "We are uncertain about who killed Ripudaman. His younger sister is on her way to Canada."

Malik was one of the persons who was accused of playing a crucial role in the bombing of Air India Flight 182 Kanishka.

A bomb exploded on Air India Flight 182 "Kanishka" from Canada off the coast of Ireland on June 23, 1985, killing 329 passengers and crew. This included over 280 Canadian citizens including 29 entire families and 86 children under the age of 12.

Malik and his co-accused, Ajaib Singh Bagri, were acquitted in 2005 of mass murder and conspiracy charges. Notably, Malik spent four years in prison before his acquittal and later asked for USD 9.2 million as legal fees, however, a British Columbia judge rejected his claims for compensation.

The terrorist bombing of the AI Flight 182 remains the worst terrorist attack on Canada to date.

The majority of the victims were Canadians, and the bombing was the result of a conspiracy conceived, planned and executed in Canada. (ANI)
A favorable exchange rate between the dollar and the euro may make a summer getaway to Europe look attractive this year, but travelers who have been there warn that the continent's airports are a mess.

Mark Cassell, a political science professor at Kent State University who lives in Washington, D.C., told USA TODAY that his experience traveling home from Amsterdam this week was marred by flight cancellations, long lines and lost bags.

Just getting my boarding pass required at least an hour and half of waiting, and waiting to get through security was another three hours," he said. "I looked at the number of steps I took and it was at least 2 to 3 kilometers of lines."

Flying to Frankfurt from Amsterdam. During the spent in security line at @Schiphol I could have biked to Frankfurt. This is what privatizing security looks like. pic.twitter.com/8Vvv23kuX9  Mark Cassell (@MarkCassell1) July 11, 2022

Cassell wound up having to connect through Frankfurt, Germany, after his original direct flight was canceled, and he said he wound up waiting in more lines there, including an hour-and-a-half-long line just to confirm his luggage made it onto the new flight. He was told by the airline that it did, but it never showed up on the carousel at Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C.

Nanci Belmont, a bassoonist from New York, had a similar experience flying home from Italy via Paris on Sunday.

Delay compensation: What an airline owes you if your flight isn't on time

Airlines say FAA staffing is behind delays. FAA says it's a pilot shortage. So what's to blame?

@lufthansa counter in Frankfurt. Hundreds standing in line waiting to check. Exactly 4 people able to help. 90 minute wait times just to talk to someone. pic.twitter.com/uQQsSWkXLX  Mark Cassell (@MarkCassell1) July 12, 2022

I go to the carousel where our bags are supposed to be, and there were so many people standing there, the carousel finally stopped and the carousel is full of bags that belong to no one," she said. She guessed the bags that did show up were ones that hadn't made it onto earlier flights.

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Belmont's luggage eventually was delivered to her apartment in New York on Tuesday, but by then she had already gone out of town again for a teaching opportunity in Texas, meaning she had to borrow spare tools and other job-related items from colleagues because hers had been stranded in Europe.

"We make our own reeds and we have these toolkits that are filled with knives and other scraping-type things that one cant take on a plane in their carry-on," she said. "A good amount of things I needed to travel with to Texas that I didnt get before leaving."

What travelers need to know

If a summer Eurotrip is still on your horizon, experts and fellow travelers warn that this is the season to get to the airport early and pack your patience.

"I was surprised and impressed by the stamina of the people who were traveling with small children," Cassell said. "Literally you were in line for hours  how did you go to the restroom?"

Headaches in Europe: Here's how summer travelers can 'prepare for the worst.'

Air travel in Europe is a mess: Trains are a cheaper, quicker workaround

According to data from Hopper, an online travel booking platform, Brussels and Frankfurt's airports have had the least reliable service so far this month as 72% and 68% of their respective flights experienced delays.

Travel agents have told USA TODAY that those heading to Europe this summer should leave themselves plenty of extra time to account for lines and to avoid checking a bag if at all possible.

Belmont emphasized that she wished she hadn't had to check her reed tools.

"Keep some things that you really need in your carry-on," she said.

What are European airports and airlines doing to ease congestion?

To cope with surging demand, major airports in Europe, including Heathrow in London and Schiphol in Amsterdam, are capping capacity through the summer and asking airlines to trim their schedules and limit ticket sales.

Even with those measures, airport operators across the continent warn this summer could continue to be tough as they work on hiring people to help process travelers through bag checks and security.

Travelers wait in long lines to check in and board flights at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, Netherlands, on June 21, 2022.

"My advice would be: Practice patience when possible," Belmont said. "This is a summer people are going to be traveling again, and the fact airlines can't keep up with it is pretty frustrating."

In one extraordinary sign of how bad things have gotten in Europe, Delta Air Lines' CEO acknowledged during the company's earnings call on Wednesday that the airline operated a baggage repatriation flight this month. After canceling a passenger service on July 11, the airline used the plane to bring about 1,000 bags back to the U.S., the airline said.

When will things get better?

Airlines and airport operators are trying to smooth things out, but it's going to take time.

Alex Cruz, former CEO of British Airways and current board member at Fetcherr, an AI firm focusing on airline pricing and revenue management, has told USA TODAY that one of the key backlogs in Europe is getting new airport employees the security clearances they need to work at or past security.

He said things should be more normal by the fourth quarter of this year and possibly back to business as usual by summer 2023.

What does a stronger US dollar mean for American travelers visiting Europe?

"Going to Europe looks a lot cheaper to Americans compared to last summer," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics. "With a stronger dollar, that's helping offset the cost of airfare and hotel room rates about 10% to 20% cheaper.

"If you're thinking about traveling and have some excess savings, now is the time to go."

Of course, the opposite is true for European travelers heading to the States.

"The U.S. looks incredibly expensive to Europeans compared to this time last year, about 10% to 15% more," he said.

Contributing: Terry Collins, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Travel to Europe: Long lines, lost luggage, favorable euro exchange
Three men who stole thousands of N-95 masks and millions of medical gloves from a Broward County supply company  one of the largest known thefts of personal protective equipment in the U.S.  will be going to prison.

A federal judge in Fort Lauderdale sentenced Alexander Jolly, Kenold Million and Pietro Sinclair to 28 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In a Wednesday hearing, U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith also ordered them to pay $470,000 in restitution for the PPE thefts, which occurred during the early months of the surging COVID-19 pandemic.

They all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit theft of pre-retail medical products.

READ MORE: $1 million worth of medical gloves meant for hospitals were stolen. Then police got a tip

According to court records, Jolly and Million both worked at Owens & Minor, the healthcare logistics company they robbed, while Sinclair worked for the Penske Corporation, the trucking company hired to take the equipment from the companys Sunrise warehouse to front-line medical workers.

In April 2020, a time when hospitals were facing critical PPE shortages, Sinclair loaded his work truck with extra pallets of PPE  mixing the stolen pallets with legitimate shipments. Then, he delivered the stolen pallets to Jolly and Millions house in Fort Lauderdale, prosecutors say, where they used cardboard and furniture to disguise the shipments.

From there, they moved the pallets to other locations in Broward and Miami-Dade using rental trucks and vans.

In total, the trio stole 8.5 million pairs of gloves, 57,000 respirator masks, along with dozens of medical gowns. It cost $470,000 to replace all the equipment.
RASLINA, Croatia (Reuters) - Croatian authorities deployed firefighting aircraft and dozens of firefighters and soldiers on Thursday in an effort to contain three major wildfires along the country's Adriatic coast.

The wildfires, fanned by strong winds, broke out earlier this week as flames caught dry brush and low vegetation in the areas of Zadar and in the Sibenik. Around 20 homes were burned, authorities said. There were no reported casualties.

Arndt Dreste, 55, moved to the village of Raslina, near Sibenik in January, after selling all his property in Germany. His house was severely damaged by the fire.

"I bought this house in January ... I (am) cut off from Germany and this is my life here ... it was here," Dreste told Reuters showing the charred walls of his home.

The World Meteorological Organisation warned on Tuesday the heatwave was spreading and intensifying in large parts of Europe.

With human-caused climate change triggering droughts, the number of extreme wildfires was expected to increase 30% within the next 28 years, according to a February 2022 U.N. report.

(Reporting by Antonio Bronic in Raslina, Writing by Aleksandar Vasovic; Editing by Alex Richardson)
Infowars host Alex Jones at the Texas State Capital building on April 18, 2020 in Austin, Texas. Sergio Flores/Getty Images

An attorney for Alex Jones requested that evidence on white supremacy be barred from a trial.

Jones was sued for defaming parents of Sandy Hook victims, and faces hefty damages.

Jones pushed baseless "crisis actor" conspiracy theories after the mass shooting.

Attorneys for Alex Jones, the far-right conspiracy theorist, want evidence about white supremacy and right-wing extremism barred from an upcoming trial.

The jury trial is to decide how much Jones should pay parents of Sandy Hook mass shooting victims he has already been found guilty of defaming.

A Connecticut judge ruled that he defamed eight families of victims killed in the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

Jones had baselessly alleging that they were "crisis actors" who staged the atrocity.

In court filings submitted Tuesday, Jones' attorneys requested that a judge push back the date for the trial alongside a flurry of other requests.

They that the judge block "the introduction of evidence on the topics of white supremacy and right-wing extremism."

"Such evidence is not relevant to the issues that will be before the jury and would also be unfairly prejudicial and inflammatory to the defendants," attorneys Norm Pattis and Kevin Smith wrote.

Jones also lost two defamation lawsuits brought by the parents of Sandy Hook victims in Texas last year, and his bid to file for federal bankruptcy protection didn't work.

This resulted in scheduling conflicts for the various trials where the damages he's got to pay will be decided, reported the News-Times local Connecticut newspaper.

The Sandy Hook mass shooting in December 14, 2012, resulted in the deaths of 20 children and 6 staff members, and renewed debate about gun control legislation.

Jones, founder and host of conspiracy theory site Infowars, pushed baseless claims that the shootings were faked by the government as part of a plot to clamp down on gun ownership.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Protesters sitting at a desk in the prime minister's office and waving national flags from the building's rooftop terraces. Ordinary Sri Lankans sprawling in plush living rooms, playing a piano and marveling at paintings in the vacated presidential palace.

The images of protesters taking over government buildings amid clouds of tear gas and making themselves at home in the lavish surroundings are a striking contrast to the privations of everyday life amid Sri Lanka's economic collapse.

The protesters, who occupied the presidential residence since Saturday and stormed the prime minister's office on Wednesday, vowed they would stay until both men resign. But they announced on Thursday they were leaving after the Parliament speaker said he was seeking legal options to consider since President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had fled the country without submitting his resignation letter as promised.

Security forces had initially used tear gas to try to disperse the protesters at the prime minister's office.

At the presidential palace, guards continued their patrols but didn't intervene as farmers, laborers and students crowded the hallways and airy verandas of the colonial-era residence.

This belongs to the people, laborer Padama Gamage declared at the president's residence after traveling on a bus from Galle, on the countrys southwestern tip, to Colombo to join the demonstrations. Now I know how these leaders enjoyed luxury at our cost.
An arrest warrant has been issued for Tina Peters (Associated Press)

A judge in Colorado has ordered the arrest of indicted pro-Trump elections clerk Tina Peters after prosecutors said she violated release conditions by travelling out of state.

District Court judge Matthew Barrett revoked Ms Peters bond after District Attorney Dan Rubinstein said in court documents he learned she had attended a law enforcement conference in Nevada on 12 July.

Ms Peters has been charged with tampering with voting equipment and misconduct and has become a leading GOP election conspiracy theorist.

Mr Rubinstein became aware Ms Peters had travelled to Las Vegas after she appeared in a photo posted to social media with Gail Golec, a candidate running for a seat on Arizonas Maricopa County Supervisors Board, at the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (CSPOA) event in Nevada in Las Vegas.

Strategizing next steps for #election protection with these super heroes, Ms Golec wrote on the post.

Ms Peters also sent a notarised letter from Las Vegas to Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold to request a recount in her failed primary election bid for the GOP nomination in the state secretary of states race, according to court documents.

Ms Peters was removed from overseeing county elections after allegedly helping two other Republican activists steal voting machine software.

Tina Peters, centre, posed for a photo at a conference in Las Vegas on 12 July (Twitter)

She and her chief deputy are being prosecuted for allegedly allowing a copy of a hard drive to be made during an update of election equipment in May 2021.

A former employee in Ms Peters office was also arrested this week on allegations that she was part of the scheme.

According to court papers, Ms Peters unauthorised access of voting machines forced Mesa County to ditch the equipment, which costs around $600,000 to replace.

Mr Rubinstein had previously said he would not object to Ms Peters travelling outside of Colorado during her campaign for secretary of state.

However, the election was held on 28 June, two weeks before Ms Peters appearance at the Las Vegas conference.

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In February, Ms Peters was arrested by police who were serving a search warrant for her iPad on charges of obstructing police and obstructing government operations.

MS Peters is charged with three counts of attempting to influence a public servant, criminal impersonation, two counts of conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, one count of identity theft, first-degree official misconduct, violation of duty and failing to comply with the secretary of state.

She has dismissed the charges filed against her as politically motivated and has not yet entered a plea.

Associated Press contributed to this report
BEIJING (Reuters) - Some Beijing residents returning from domestic travel were asked by local authorities to wear COVID-19 monitoring bracelets, prompting widespread criticism on Chinese social media by users concerned about excessive government surveillance.

According to posts published on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning on microblogging platform Weibo, some Beijing residents returning to the capital were asked by their neighbourhood committees to wear an electronic bracelet throughout the mandatory home quarantine period.

Chinese cities require those arriving from parts of China where COVID cases were found to quarantine. Authorities fit doors with movement sensors to monitor their movements but until now have not widely discussed the use of electronic bracelets.

The bracelets monitor users' temperature and upload the data onto a phone app they had to download, the posts said.

"This bracelet can connect to the Internet, it can definitely record my whereabouts, it is basically the same as electronic fetters and handcuffs, I won't wear this," Weibo user Dahongmao wrote on Wednesday evening, declining to comment further when contacted by Reuters.

This post and others that shared pictures of the bracelets were removed by Thursday afternoon, as well as a related hashtag that had garnered over 30 million views, generating an animated discussion on the platform.

A community worker at Tiantongyuan, Beijing's northern suburb, confirmed to state-backed news outlet Eastday that the measure was in effect in the neighbourhood, though she called the practice "excessive".

A Weibo post and a video published on the official account of Eastday.com was removed by Thursday afternoon.

Weibo user Dahongmao wrote on Thursday afternoon his neighbourhood committee had already collected the bracelets, telling him that "there were too many complaints."

The outcry against electronic bracelets comes at a time of growing COVID fatigue around China, with disobedience and infractions on the rise since a nationwide outbreak in March.

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The Beijing government could not be immediately reached for comment after regular office hours.

Besides Beijing, several other regions and jurisdictions have introduced bracelets as a COVID control measure, or plan to do so, including Hong Kong, Henan, Inner Mongolia, and Zhejiang, according to Chinese news site Jiemian.

But data privacy concerns and the usage of COVID monitoring technology for other purposes, such setting health codes on alert to stop protesters from congregating, has left many Chinese wary of such gadgets and apps.

(Reporting by Eduardo Baptista; Editing by Tomasz Janowski)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (L) and US President Joe Biden (R). Pool via REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque; REUTERS/Andrej Isakovic

Biden on Thursday wouldn't commit to addressing Khashoggi's murder when he visits Saudi Arabia.

"I always bring up human rights. But my position on Khashoggi has been so clear," Biden said.

Biden has been accused of undermining his pledge to make the kingdom a "pariah."

President Joe Biden on Thursday would not directly say whether he plans to address Jamal Khashoggi's brutal murder when he visits Saudi Arabia and meets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman this week.

"My views on Khashoggi have been absolutely, positively clear and I have never been quiet about talking about human rights," Biden said during a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid in response to a reporter's question on whether he'd raise the issue during his trip.

When the reporter followed up and once again asked whether Biden would mention Khashoggi as he visits the kingdom, Biden replied, "I always bring up human rights. But my position on Khashoggi has been so clear. If anyone doesn't understand it, in Saudi Arabia or anywhere else, then they haven't been around for a while."

On the campaign trail, Biden pledged to make Saudi Arabia a "pariah" over Khashoggi's killing.

"We were going to in fact make them pay the price, and make them in fact the pariah that they are," Biden said of the Saudi government during a presidential debate in November 2019.

"They have to be held accountable," Biden added.

Biden entered the White House in January 2021 vowing to recalibrate US-Saudi relations. Last year, the Biden administration released a declassified intelligence report that explicitly implicated Prince Mohammed  the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia  in Khashoggi's murder.

Along these lines, Biden has faced criticism over his foreign visit.

"A presidential trip to Saudi Arabia right now is going to be confirmation, validation not just that it's business as usual but that MBS got away with murder," Aaron David Miller, a former US diplomat who advised multiple secretaries of state on the Middle East, told Insider last month.

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But Biden on Thursday said maintaining ties with the Saudis is vital to ensuring there's not a power vacuum in the region that US adversaries exploit.

Biden said the reasons he's going to Saudi Arabia is "much broader," emphasizing that he's traveling there to "promote US interests."

"I think we have an opportunity to reassert what I think we made a mistake of walking away from  our influence in the Middle East," Biden said.

"We can continue to lead in the region and not create a vacuum  a vacuum that is filled by China and/or Russia against the interests of both Israel and the United States and many other countries," he added.

Biden's visit to Saudi Arabia comes as his administration tries to revive the Obama-era Iran nuclear deal, and amid worldwide concerns over oil brought on by disruptions linked to both the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's unprovoked war in Ukraine.

The US president, who landed in Israel on Wednesday, is set to arrive in Saudi Arabia on Friday. This week's trip marks Biden's first visit to the Middle East as commander-in-chief.

Read the original article on Business Insider
President Biden and interim Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid meet in Jerusalem on Thursday. The two have differences over Iran. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press)

President Biden on Thursday would not commit to confronting the leaders of Saudi Arabia later this week over the killing of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

I always bring up human rights, but my position on Khashoggi has been so clear, if anyone doesnt understand it in Saudi Arabia  or anywhere else  they havent been around, Biden said at a news conference in Jerusalem.

Biden had pledged during the 2020 election to make Saudi Arabia an international "pariah" over the killing, believed to have been ordered by Saudi leaders, as well as other human rights abuses. But he argued Thursday that it is essential to reengage with the longtime ally to avoid creating a leadership vacuum in the Middle East. Biden, who travels to Saudi Arabia on Friday to meet leaders of that country and others in the region, argued that China and Russia would fill that void if the United States fails.

Khashoggi, a dissident, was slain in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded the slaying was ordered by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler.

"The reason I'm going to Saudi Arabia ... is much broader," he said. "It's to promote U.S. interests.

The administration has argued that Biden is seeking to improve the supply chain and shipping access, to strengthen ties between Israel and its neighbors and to head off the growing threat of Iran's nuclear weapons development.

But the trip is seen at home as an attempt to lower high oil prices  one of Biden's biggest political liabilities  even as experts say any increase in Saudi production will have little effect on prices at the gas station.

The decision to travel to Saudi Arabia has already created a series of awkward moments and questions. Administration officials, hoping to avoid a photo of Biden shaking Mohammed's hand, had suggested Biden would not shake hands with any leaders because of concerns over COVID-19. But after arriving to a rapturous welcome ceremony in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, he shook hands with several Israeli officials.

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White House officials still will not say whether they will let reporters into the room when Biden meets Mohammed on Friday. But they have ruled out a joint news conference like the one Biden had in Jerusalem.

In that news conference, Bidendefended America's decision to pursue diplomacy in an attempt to halt Iran's nuclear weapons program, an effort opposed by Israel and Saudi Arabia.

In pledging to protect Israel's security, Biden offered support for "an independent democratic Jewish state," weighing in on a long-running conflict over the role of Palestinians who live predominantly in territories occupied by Israel. Biden at the same time reiterated his support for a Palestinian state.

Israel's interim prime minister, Yair Lapid, meanwhile, delivered a lengthy warning about negotiations with Iran, which he said was bent on destroying "the only Jewish state in the world."

Biden favors a return to a 2015 pact  negotiated by the Obama administration and dumped by President Trump  that sought to constrain Iran's ability to enrich uranium. Israel argues the agreement did not go far enough in ensuring compliance or preventing Iran from resuming its efforts, especially after it eventually expired.

Words will not stop them, Mr. President. Diplomacy will not stop them," Lapid, standing at a lectern beside Biden, said. "The only way to stop them is to put a credible military threat on the table.

It must not be a bluff. But the Iranian regime must know that if they continue to deceive the world," he continued, "they will pay a heavy price.

Biden offered "an ironclad commitment of the United States of America to defend Israels security. But when asked, he declined to put a timetable on ending diplomacy with Iran, even as Israel has argued Tehran is simply buying time as it gets closer to building a weapon.



.



We have laid out for the leadership of Iran what were willing to accept," Biden said. "Were waiting for their response. When that will come, we are not certain, but we are not going to wait forever.

Though the conflict between oil and human rights has dominated much of the discussion at home, the Iran question looms largest here.

Biden said several times during his visits with Lapid and other Israeli officials that he wants to foster further security cooperation among Israel and its long-time Arab adversaries. Those closer ties have been driven by mutual fears of Iran. In Saudi Arabia, Biden will also meet with leaders from Egypt, Jordan, Iraq and six Persian Gulf nations as part of a regional conference.

Biden told reporters that he and Lapid spoke "about how important it was, from my perspective, for Israel to be totally integrated into the region."

Israelis and Saudis, whose governments do not have formal diplomatic ties, are working to enhance cooperation in combating Iran. But they are both hoping that the U.S.-backed deal falls apart. If it doesn't, they at least want to remain part of the discussions with U.S. officials and help shape the response if Iran fails to comply.

To that end, Lapid and Biden signed a declaration that commits the U.S. "never to allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon," and "to use all elements of its national power to ensure that outcome."

The visit with Lapid is unusual in that he is a caretaker prime minister who recently took office after the government dissolved. He is campaigning to win the office permanently in November elections.

Biden has tried to stress that the American relationship with Israel is not dependent on personalities or partisan politics, despite former President Trump and other Republicans becoming more closely aligned with Israel's conservative leaders. Biden met later Thursday with Benjamin Netanyahu, the former prime minister who was close to Trump and with whom the current president has enjoyed a frosty relationship.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Bill Gates told Forbes about his plan to donate $20 billion to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation this month. Jeff J Mitchell/Pool/Getty Images

Bill Gates said he and Melinda French Gates still "work constructively" on their charity foundation.

Gates told Forbes he and his ex-wife were often in agreement on issues relating to the organization.

"And we have a few things where she knows better than I, and we just support each other," he said.

Bill Gates revealed in an exclusive interview with Forbes that, despite their acrimonious split, he and his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, still work well together on their charity organization.

Gates told the outlet about his plans to give $20 billion to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation this month and said things were going well behind the scenes.

The foundation announced last July that French Gates might step down as co-chair in two years if she and Gates could no longer work together.

"I think all the evidence I see says that we'll be able to run the foundation together forever," Gates told Forbes, adding that his $20 billion donation went through with French Gates' encouragement. He added that the pair were able to "work constructively" together even during the "tough times" of their divorce.

"It's always surprised me how much Melinda and I agree on foundation stuff. And we have a few things where she knows better than I, and we just support each other," said Gates.

He told Forbes that French Gates "gets to speak for herself," and that he has received indications that they are and have always been a "great partnership."

In July 2021, Insider reported on the uncertainty and confusion at the foundation that resulted from the couple's split, as well as the allegations of inappropriate workplace behavior and ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein on Gates' part.

The couple announced they were parting ways in May 2021  after 27 years of marriage  and were officially divorced in August, per court records.

Both parties have opened up about their relationship. In December, Gates said he thought 2021 was the hardest year of his life, attributing his "great personal sadness" to the divorce and the isolation he felt amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, French Gates said in March that she thought their relationship "wasn't healthy" and that she "couldn't trust" what they had.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The stage is set for Pittsburghs Black Music Festival.

But the cost of safety is taking center stage as fears about large gatherings continue to resonate following a mass shooting on the Fourth of July.

The city has told me that they are not going to support this event, said festival organizer William Marshall.

Marshall says safety is his biggest concern for the estimated 60,000 people coming to Pittsburghs Black Music Festival at Point State Park this weekend.

Marshall tells Channel 11 that the city is not allowing him to use city services like barricades, paramedics, and cleanup crews.

He also says that a day before the event starts, hes still trying to figure out what police presence there will be.

Every time we put on an event like this, we think about the mass shootings or racial shootings. We just had a Fourth of July incident. A guy shot at the community marching in the parade. So thats why I ask the city to help us, said Marshall.

We emailed Pittsburgh police and Mayor Ed Gaineys office.

A spokesperson for the city replied: As with any event like this festival, the city provides police as security based on a matrix from the department of public safety, and we offer the use of Pittsburgh police officers at cost to the event organizers.

We are a very soft target, and if you dont think its important to secure this event, I dont know what to say, " said Marshall.

Marshall tells us that hes paying for his security detail, and there will also be a handful of park rangers at Point State Park.

While this has been the citys standard practice for independent events at Point State Park in recent years, Marshall said city police officers are paid through tax dollars  and this event will bring more money to the city.

The festival starts at 11 a.m.

The musical acts take the stage from 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. Thursday through Sunday night.

Story continues

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Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Russia on Wednesday to cease its filtration system that has forcibly deported thousands of Ukrainians in Russian-occupied territory, which he called a war crime.

The unlawful transfer and deportation of protected persons is a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians and is a war crime, Blinken wrote in a statement, citing as many as 1.6 million unlawful deportations, detainments and interrogations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky put the number at 2 million. So many of our people have already been taken to Russia. Several hundred thousand children, the president said in a video address Wednesday.

The exact numbers are unknown, Zelensky said, because all these deported people are deprived of means of communication, their documents are taken away from them, they are intimidated and taken to remote areas of Russia to make it as difficult as possible for them to return to their homeland.

Blinken called on Russia to release the Ukrainians and facilitate their safe return  and to allow outside observers to monitor the filtration facilities and areas to which Ukrainians were forcibly relocated.

Russian President Vladimir Putin took a step in the opposite direction on Monday, signing a new passport decree expanding a fast track to Russian citizenship for Ukrainians.

Putin also recently introduced the Russian ruble as currency in occupied areas as part of his efforts to delegitimize the Ukrainian state and assert Russias influence.

As part of the filtration process, Blinken wrote, many Ukrainians are coerced into signing legal agreements not to return to Ukraine.

Reports also indicate Russian authorities are deliberately separating Ukrainian children from their parents and abducting others from orphanages before putting them up for adoption inside Russia, he wrote, adding that as many as 260,000 children have been among those pushed through filtration.

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Blinken also cited mounting evidence that Russia is detaining or disappearing thousands of Ukrainian civilians who do not pass filtration.' Ukrainians with ties  or potential ties  to their countrys army, media and government are among those flagged.

President Putin and his government will not be able to engage in these systematic abuses with impunity, Blinken wrote, affirming U.S. support for the collection of evidence against Russia by Ukraine and international authorities.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Owners and operators of several Middle Tennessee Japanese restaurants were indicted last week for harboring undocumented workers.

The list includes Bonfire Mongolian Grill in Clarksville.

A federal indictment was filed in Nashville Wednesday against Zhongzhi Tommy Zhuo, 46, Jianping Alan Zhuo, 37, and Xiaofen Joyce Zhuo, 38, all of Hendersonville; and Jianhua Jason Zhuo, 35, and Lili Wu, 32, of Gallatin.

Jianping "Alan" Zhuo opened the Clarksville Bonfire Mongolian Grill restaurant in 2017.

The indictment said Zhongzhi, Jianping, and Jianhua Zhuo, along with Lily Wu, participated in a scheme to harbor people in the United States illegally, according to a release from the United States Attorney's Office Middle District of Tennessee.

If convicted, the suspects face between 5-20 years in prison.

Along with the Bonfire Mongolian Grill in Clarksville being identified as one of the restaurants harboring the undocumented workers, the release identified Fuji Japanese Steakhouse, with locations in Hendersonville, Goodlettsville and White House; Bonfire Mongolian Grill, with locations in Hendersonville, Mount Juliet and Spring Hill; and the Koi Japanese Steakhouse in Gallatin.

The indictment also alleges that residential properties owned or leased by one or more of the defendants were used to house undocumented workers, including properties in Hendersonville, Gallatin, Goodlettsville, Clarksville, Mount Juliet and Spring Hill.

As part of the indictment, the release said the defendants were alleged to have communicated with and paid a broker to find and deliver undocumented workers to the restaurants.

They also employed undocumented workers without requiring them to complete applications or collect documents to determine the worker's immigration status or employment authorization; housed the undocumented workers at the residences; transported the undocumented workers between the residences and restaurants; and maintained separate books accounting for payments to undocumented workers made outside of the regular payroll system.

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Xiaofen Joyce Zhuo, was charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States by paying undocumented workers in cash; failed to withhold and pay employment taxes to the IRS; and refused to allow undocumented workers to pay taxes, including for those that had Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers, the government said.

The defendants also conspired to provide understated wages to tax preparation businesses that prepared and filed tax forms with the IRS, the release said.

The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation in which the United States seeks to forfeit four residences involved in the commission of the offenses, bank accounts and a money judgement representing the amount of the proceeds of the crimes.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, IRS-Criminal Investigation the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Hendersonville Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Levine and Thomas J. Jaworski are prosecuting the case.

Reach reporter Craig Shoup by email at cshoup@gannett.com and on Twitter @Craig_Shoup. To support his work, sign up for a digital subscription to TheLeafChronicle.com.

This article originally appeared on Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle: Bonfire Mongolian Grill owners across Middle Tennessee indicted
This article is adapted from CoinDesk Brasil, a partnership between CoinDesk and InfoMoney, one of Brazil's leading financial news publications. Follow CoinDesk Brasil on Twitter.

The Brazilian Chamber of Deputies postponed voting on a crypto bill until after the presidential elections in October, sources close to the matter told CoinDesk.

Deputies were going to consider the crypto bill before the congressional recess, starting next week, but the treatment of a budget guidelines law and a proposed constitutional reform for the medical sector have dominated the legislative agenda.

In April, the Senate approved the bill, which regulates crypto transactions and creates the label "virtual service providers" for crypto companies.

The Chamber of Deputies, for its part, has not reached a consensus on a final text as Congressman Expedito Netto (PSD-RO), in charge of presenting the bill in the lower house, removed two articles from the Senates original bill. The first removed article required exchanges to keep their assets separate from those of customers, while the second demanded exchanges to already have an EIN in Brazil in order to apply for a license.

ABCripto, the association that gathers local exchanges, asked the Chamber of Deputies to preserve those two original articles; meanwhile, foreign companies such as Binance and Bitso welcomed Nettos proposed changes.

The first round of Brazil's presidential elections will take place Oct. 2, in which former President Lula da Silva is the frontrunner, according to the latest polls. A run-off would take place on Oct. 30.

This article was translated by Andres Engler and edited by CoinDesk. The original Portuguese can be found here.
By Tyler Clifford

(Reuters) -The man accused of shooting dead 10 Black people at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, on May 14 has been indicted on 27 federal hate crimes and firearms offenses, the U.S. Justice Department announced on Thursday.

The indictment returned by a federal grand jury tacks on an additional hate crime count against Payton Gendron, 19, in a criminal complaint filed last month. He is now charged with 14 hate crimes violations and 13 firearms offenses.

Authorities say the suspect, who broadcast the attack in real time to the livestreaming service Twitch, is a white supremacist who targeted the store because it was the hub of a tight-knit, predominantly African-American neighborhood in Buffalo.

The indictment spares federal prosecutors the additional legal step of asking a judge to determine whether there is sufficient evidence against the defendant to bring the case to trial.

If convicted, the Conklin, New York, man could face life in prison or the death penalty. Prosecutors must notify the court prior to trial whether they will seek a death sentence.

Gendron, who was 18 at the time of the mass shooting, is currently in state custody facing 10 counts of first-degree murder and 10 counts of second-degree murder in state court.

The indictment came less than an hour before community members planned to gather at the Tops Friendly Markets store - the site of the shooting - for a moment of silence and prayer to commemorate the two-month anniversary of the May 14 attack.

The store, which has since been fully renovated with increased security systems and a victim memorial, is set to reopen on Friday.

Ten days after the massacre, a mass shooting at a school in Uvalde, Texas, left 19 children and two teachers dead. Seven weeks after the Buffalo massacre, seven people where shot dead at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois.

The attacks have reignited a longstanding national debate over U.S. gun laws.

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said the Tops store reopening was a step forward in the community's efforts to heal.

"It is important to move forward as a united and strong community. We will not let hate win," he said.

(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago and Tyler Clifford in New York; Editing by Josie Kao and Chizu Nomiyama)
Canadian meteorologist Kelsey McEwen is showing her appreciation for hospital staff who took care of her baby daughter. (Photo via @kelseymcewen on Instagram)

Kelsey McEwen is thanking hospital staff after spending a "long day" in the emergency room with her one-year-old child.

On Wednesday, the Canadian meteorologist for CTV's "Your Morning" shared a message on her Instagram Story, showing gratitude for the "excellent" emergency room hospital staff who were able to treat her daughter Charlotte's ear infection.

"After a long day in the ER, baby girl is finally on the mend," McEwen penned alongside a masked hospital selfie, holding her little one. "Severe ear infection, likely ruptured eardrum. Missed by four doctors at walk-in clinics, but my mama heart knew something was wrong and I kept pushing for answers."

The TV personality said she was missed by four doctors at walk-in clinics. (Photo via @kelseymcewen on Instagram)

"She slept well last night for the first time in a week," McEwen continued. "Thankful for the excellent hospital staff who, despite the long wait, treated everyone with kindness and compassion. You are my heroes."

McEwen shared an additional update, sharing that Charlotte is doing much better after her hospital visit.

"This is 10 times perkier than she was yesterday," McEwen wrote alongside a video of her daughter. "Honestly, I could cry. She was not herself yesterday at all."

McEwen said she was so happy she "could cry" after seeing her daughter act like herself again. (Photo via @kelseymcewen on Instagram)

The mom-of-three has always been transparent on social media about her motherhood journey. Back in January, the broadcaster shared an emotional message on Instagram, admitting that she had been feeling "lost" since welcoming her youngest child, Charlotte, in May.

McEwen told her more than 23,000 Instagram followers in a since-deleted post that she has been struggling to raise three small children during another COVID lockdown to find time "to be me," and that she was feeling envious of other people's seemingly "perfect" lives on social media.

McEwen welcomed her baby daughter, Charlotte, at the end of May 2021. (Photo via @kelseymcewen on Instagram)

"Im having a hard time with social media these days. Not because of trolls or critics. But honestly? Because of the envy I feel. Everyones highlight reels just look so shiny. And happy. And perfect," she captioned a makeup-free selfie, in which she is holding her eight-month-old baby.

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McEwen explained that seeing other moms on social media who look like they live "balanced" lives began to affect her. Aside from a lack of time for herself, McEwen admitted that she misses who she is outside of motherhood.

"I miss me. I do. I miss me, a lot. I know Ill get back to me soon, and this isnt forever, but sometimes its hard to see past the sleepless nights and the nursing bras and remote school and lockdowns and the lack of showers or alone time or grownup conversations," she penned, adding that she recalled feeling the same way with each of her older children after the "newborn haze" faded.

"Deep down, I know my highlight reel might look different, but its happy," she added. "Its perfect. Its shiny (even if that shine is baby vomit or greasy hair). I guess I just needed to say that out loud today. Im a great mom. But Im also more. Im a great me too."

Let us know what you think by commenting below and tweeting @YahooStyleCA! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
A caregiver was arrested for hitting a disabled woman and pulling a ponytail.

On Jun. 30 at approximately 3 PM, the Memphis Police Department (MPD) received a tip from Adult Protective Services of alleged abuse in the 1400 block of Greendale Avenue.

A woman who is mentally and intellectually disabled, and requires help with activities of daily living, lives in a supportive transition home, court documents showed.

The woman said that her caregiver, later identified as Cordarious (Cam) Black, hit her in the head and pulled a ponytail from her hair.

The abuse was seen by multiple people in the care home, according to an affidavit.

The woman positively identified Black in a six-person lineup.

Cordarius Black was charged with abuse of elderly or vulnerable adult.

Black has a court date on Jul. 15.

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UNITED NATIONS (AP)  China urged the U.N. Security Council on Thursday to try to cut off the supply of small arms, light weapons and ammunition to gangs in Haiti, which has been unable to stem an upsurge in criminal violence and kidnappings.

Beijing also called for the council to demand an immediate halt to gang violence, criminal activities, roadblocks and the occupation of any public institution.

It also wants the council to express its readiness to impose additional sanctions, including travel bans and asset freezes, on people who support gang violence or criminal activities, abuse human rights or undermine Haitis peace, stability and security.

With the mandate for the U.N. political mission in Haiti ending Friday, the 15 council members were trying to reach agreement on a new resolution to extend the mission. The resolution initially was drafted by the United States and Mexico, and China was proposing revisions supported by its ally Russia.

The revised draft, obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, includes another major proposal by China.

It asks U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to consult Haitian authorities, relevant regional countries and regional organizations on deploying a multinational police unit" to Haiti. It would operate in close coordination with the U.N. political mission to support the Haitian polices efforts in combating gang violence in order to establish and maintain public safety and law and order and to promote and protect human rights.

The original draft called for beefing up the U.N. mission to include up to 42 police and corrections department advisers, led by a U.N. police commissioner, and staff to ensure that sexual and gender-based violence are addressed.

When the current resolution extending the U.N. mission was adopted in October, Haiti had been contending with the assassination of President Jovenel Moise last July, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake that killed over 2,200 people in August, and escalating gang-related killings, kidnappings and turf wars.

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A year after Moise's assassination, gang violence is even worse, and Haiti has gone into a freefall that has seen the economy tumble and many Haitians flee the country to escape the turmoil. At the same time, attempts to form a coalition government have faltered, and efforts to hold general elections have stalled.

This week, officials in Haitis capital reported that dozens of people had died as a result of days of fighting between rival gangs in the violent Cite Soleil neighborhood. Doctors Without Borders said thousands of people were trapped in the district without drinking water, food and medical care.

A spokesperson for Chinas U.N. Mission said an embargo on weapons for criminal gangs is the minimum the council should do in response to the appalling situation in Haiti.

Anything falls short of that will not only disappoint the Haitian people, but also means a lost opportunity for the Security Council, said the spokesperson, who commented only on condition of anonymity.

Other council members said an arms embargo would be unenforceable.

The draft resolution revised by China would urge all Haitian stakeholders, including the U.N. mission and the regional organization CARICOM, to reach an agreement within six months on a Haitian-led political for holding inclusive, peaceful, free, fair, and transparent legislative and presidential elections as soon as security conditions and logistical preparations permit.

Russia supported Chinas call for revisions to the U.S.-Mexico draft resolution. A spokesman for Russias U.N. Mission said that taking into account the situation in Haiti, we believe we need to have an opportunity to make changes to the mandate of the mission.

The United Nations has been involved in Haiti on and off since 1990, and the last U.N. peacekeeping mission was in the country from 2004 until October 2017. The political mission now there advises Haitis government on promoting and strengthening political stability and good governance, including the implementing the rule of law, inclusive national dialogue and protecting and protection of human rights.
WASHINGTON  Congress needs to plug a looming $3 billion funding shortfall in the World Trade Center Health Program by any means it can, said New York Democrat Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.

The program treats more than 117,000 people who got sick after responding to, working near, or living in the disaster zone created after the 2001 collapse of the World Trade Center and, to a lesser extent, at the terror attack sites at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania.

Congress permanently funded the program in 2015, but the funding formula hasnt kept up with inflation. The enrollment also surged over the last seven years, and tens of thousands of people have come down with expensive illnesses, including 25,000 cases of cancer.

More than 20 years later, this tragedy continues to cause debilitating illnesses and take lives. Now we know that its likely that more people have died from 9/11 illnesses than lost in those attacks, said Gillibrand in a conference call with reporters to lay out the scope of the problem.

The health program would need to take steps to address the shortfall next year, starting with warnings that cuts are coming. Depending on how fast expenses continue to grow, cuts could begin in 2024, and by 2025, new responders and survivors would be cut off. Gillibrand said the cutoff could come as soon as October of 2024.

The money problem was supposed to be fixed in President Bidens Build Back Better legislation, but that died last December when Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) came out against the so-called reconciliation bill.

Reconciliation is a budget process in Congress that lets legislation move expeditiously, with simple majority votes that cannot be blocked with a filibuster in the Senate.

With Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) attempting to start a new, smaller reconciliation bill to replace the Build Back Better Act, Gillibrand said Schumer should add the 9/11 cash again.

Gillibrand has proposed a standalone bill that could fix the problem, and at least a dozen Republicans have demanded that a similar bill in the House be advanced at once.

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Floortime is the most precious asset Sen. Schumer has right now, and so hes trying to use it as judiciously as possible to get the most done possible, Gillibrand said, referring not just to 9/11 funding, but to other priorities.

If either a standalone bill or reconciliation will not work, Gillibrand pledged to attach the funding to a must-pass bill moving through the Armed Services Committee that she serves onnamely, the annual National Defense Authorization Act.

If the bill is not included in reconciliation, Ill be offering this bill as an amendment to the defense bill, Gillibrand said. I have the utmost confidence that between these two pathways, this bill will be passed and sent to President Bidens desk.

John Feal, the longtime 9/11 advocate, said Congress needs to pass the legislation quickly before ill first responders and survivors have to worry about their ability to get care, including bouts of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress following the aftermath of the terror attacks and recovery efforts.

We have to do this with empathy, but we also have to expedite this and assure the 9/11 community that we can get this done, and that we didnt forget about them.
Nevada Democratic incumbents Gov. Steve Sisolak and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto lead their Republican challengers, according to a KLAS TV-The Hill-Emerson College poll released Wednesday.

Forty-four percent of Nevada voters said they plan to support Cortez Masto, while 41 percent said they planned to support Republican Senate nominee and former state Attorney General Adam Laxalt. Nine percent said they were undecided, and 6 percent said they planned on supporting someone else.

The poll also found Cortez Masto polling favorably with the states Hispanic population, which is a powerful voting bloc in Nevada.

Cortez Masto holds the support of minority voters in Nevada: 61% of Asian voters, 51% of Black voters, and 46% of Hispanic voters support Cortez Masto while Laxalt holds the plurality of support among White voters at 46%, said Spencer Kimball, the executive director of Emerson College polling.

Meanwhile, in the governors race, Sisolak leads his GOP rival Joe Lombardo 44 percent to 40 percent. Nine percent said they plan to vote for another candidate, and 7 percent said they were undecided.

Nevada is becoming one of the most closely watched midterm states. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates its Senate and gubernatorial races, along with its first, third, and fourth congressional district races, as toss-ups.

While many of the Democrats have an incumbency advantage in the race, Republicans stand to benefit from Bidens poor approval ratings in the state. According to the poll, only 33 percent of voters say they approve of the job the president is doing. Fifty-seven percent say they disapprove.

However, the poll also shows Sisolak appearing to outperform Biden in the state. Forty percent said they approved of the job the governor was doing, while 48 percent said they disapproved.

The KLAS TV-The Hill-Emerson College poll was conducted July 7-10, among 2,000 registered voters in Nevada. The polls margin of error is plus or minus 2.1 percentage points.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  A California appeals court on Wednesday ordered the unsealing of some documents in the criminal case against renowned director Roman Polanski, who has been a fugitive since pleading guilty to having sex with a 13-year-old girl decades ago, a California prosecutor announced.

The court ordered the unsealing of the conditional deposition transcript of Roger Gunson, who was the original prosecutor in the Los Angeles County case, the county district attorney's office said.

There was no immediate word, however, on when the documents would be made public.

A call seeking comment from Polanski's agent in Los Angeles, Jeff Berg, wasn't picked up Wednesday night.

But Harland Braun, Polanski's attorney, told the Los Angeles Times that his client was ecstatic" over the order by the 2nd District Court of Appeal.

Polanski, 88, who won a best director Oscar for The Pianist in 2003, remains a fugitive after pleading guilty in 1977 to unlawful sex with a minor and fleeing the United States for France on the eve of sentencing the following year.

France, Switzerland and Poland rejected bids to extradite him back to the United States and he continues to be feted in Europe, winning praise and working with major actors.

However, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences expelled him from its membership in 2018.

At Polanskis trial, the victim testified that during a photo shoot at Jack Nicholson's house in March 1977 when the actor wasn't home, Polanski gave her champagne and part of a sedative, then forced her to have sex despite her objections. The girl said she didnt fight him because she was afraid of him but her mother later called police.

But in a 2010 interview with CNN, the victim, Samantha Geimer said she thought the judge in Polanski's case had been dishonest with him.

In 2017, Geimer appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom to ask a judge to end the case, calling it a 40-year-sentence imposed on both her and the director. The request was denied.

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Polanski has long argued that there was judicial misconduct in his case. In 2010, a Los Angeles court took sealed testimony from Gunson about his recollections of promises made to the director by the judge in 1977.

Polanski has argued that the Gunson transcript would show that the L.A. County Superior Court judge, Laurence Rittenband, had intended that after he pleaded guilty, Polanski would serve only a 90-day evaluation in state prison. The director was released after just 42 days but the judge later tacked on another 48 days and Polanski fled.

Polanskis lawyers had long sought the unsealing of that testimony, believing the transcript might help their case.

Braun told the Times that after he gets the transcript, hell ask to have Polanski sentenced to time served, which might permit him to return to the U.S. without fear of arrest.

Geimer, who has pressed for investigation of alleged judicial misconduct, also had asked that the transcript be unsealed and in a letter last month, she urged the DA's office to take a fresh look at the case.

The office had objected to releasing the material for years but rescinded its objection earlier this week, saying it was heeding Geimer's wishes.

Finally, after decades of waiting, the victim had her request granted and her voice heard," the DA's office said in its statement Wednesday.

We are pleased the appellate court agreed with both the victim and our office about the need for transparency, District Attorney George Gascon said in the statement. We hope it gives her a small measure of assurance that eventually, she can have some measure of closure in this decades-long litigation.

According to the DA's office statement, Geimer was notified of the decision and was grateful, stating, Its never too late to do the right thing.
Cristiano Ronaldo played for Manchester United in 2003 and he may yet play for them in 2023. The Erik ten Hag era began without Uniteds most famous player but with the new manager declaring he was not for sale. Ronaldos apparent wanderlust means that, if he gets his way, his reunion with United will be cut short. Rather than returning them to past glories, it has cast him into uncharted territory. Stay and the Champions Leagues record goalscorer will be playing in the Europa League. It would be a sign of how the mighty has fallen.

It would also be an indication of his return backfired. Because, ultimately, everyone has suffered. Even Ronaldo, though his bank balance was boosted still further by the sort of salary that makes him unaffordable to most others. While he won the Sir Matt Busby award again and was shortlisted for PFA Player of the Year, and while his return of 18 league goals was exceptional for a 37-year-old, it was still his lowest tally for 13 years. He has slipped off the pedestal of the worlds best. He had the joyous homecoming against Newcastle and the tour de force of his hat-trick against Tottenham, but untold indignities against Liverpool and Manchester City.

More broadly, United went from second to sixth, from 73 goals and 74 points to 57 and 58 respectively. The idea Ronaldo would bring the best from the other attack-minded players, that he would spur them on to improvement, was disproved. Jadon Sancho had a difficult debut year. Each of Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood, Anthony Martial, Edinson Cavani and Bruno Fernandes scored fewer goals than in 2020-21. Meanwhile, Ten Hag got a glimpse of untapped potential and life without Ronaldo when Sancho and Martial scored and Rashford looked livelier in Tuesdays 4-0 win over Liverpool.

Yet while Ronaldo was far from the sole cause, Rashford had the worst season of his life last year. He is not the reason Greenwoods campaign was curtailed early but, before the Portuguese joined, it started with three goals in as many games and the sense he could emerge as Uniteds premier striker, before that role was plucked from him. Cavanis absences became ever longer, his commitment ever more questionable, but after United asked him to stay, he lost his status and his shirt number to a still older forward and a year of his career.

Agent Bruno, one of those to persuade Ronaldo to return, lost some of his powers and his potency in his compatriots shadow. Both endured goal droughts: perhaps it was no coincidence that two of Fernandes rare penalty misses came with the added pressure that Ronaldo was on the pitch. Martial, like Jesse Lingard, became a spare part. Magnificently, despite possessing so many potential strikers in autumn, United contrived to start a Manchester derby with Paul Pogba and Fernandes as twin false nines while Ralf Rangnick bemoaned a lack of forwards.

Not that Uniteds various leaders endured any lasting benefit from Ronaldos comeback either. If Ed Woodward and the Glazers hoped it would restore their popularity after signing up for the Super League  or a host of other things  any uplift proved temporary. Woodward is gone; protests calling for the Glazers to do likewise have become common.

Nor did Uniteds figurehead on the pitch fare much better. Harry Maguire endured the most traumatic campaign of his career, losing form and authority, seemingly undermined by the Ronaldo faction. Ten Hag confirmed the centre-back as captain again, which could set the tone for another divided dressing room if a man with designs on the armband stays.

United suffered their worst Premier League finish last season (Getty Images)

Meanwhile, whereas Ronaldo had one manager for his first six seasons at Old Trafford, now he is on his third of his second coming. Rewind a year and Ole Gunnar Solskjaers reign could be deemed a qualified success: he was not a world-class manager but he had lifted them to second, counter-attacking tactics had produced a series of wins against the elite and he had rebooted United, focusing on youth, improving a number of players and apparently producing a happier dressing room after Jose Mourinhos fractious tenure. Instead, Solskjaers final 10 weeks were so hideously bad that all notions of progress seemed destroyed. The foundations he felt he was laying seemed built on sand. And if, again, that was not all Ronaldos fault, he altered the dynamic.

Then Ralf Rangnicks interim spell in charge was doomed from the start. The combination of the godfather of gegenpressing and the most static of strikers was a predictable mismatch. Rangnick could neither play with Ronaldo nor without him. His team were incoherent and ineffective. Ronaldo scored as many league goals for Rangnick as Fernandes, Rashford, Sancho, Pogba, Cavani, Greenwood and Martial mustered between them. The German still concluded United needed a younger striker. He presented his recommendations for how the squad should be reshaped to the board. The chances are they included suggested parting with Ronaldo.

And yet, when the forward reached the same conclusions for very different reasons, United appear intent on keeping him. Perhaps the sense of rejection would be too great for them to accept it. Yet if a year together worked for anyone, it may have been Uniteds commercial and social media teams. In other respects, everyone has felt a loser from the serial winners return.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Wednesday said the police response to a the mass shooting inside a Uvalde, Texas elementary school in May was indefensible and deeply, deeply concerning, after surveillance footage from inside the school was released.

A day after the Austin American-Statesman published the footage  which showed at least 13 officers, some with riot gear and body armor gathered in the hallway for more than an hour while the gunman rampaged  Cruz told Reuters that police have provided demonstrably false information about the response.

We need answers and we need accountability as to what the hell went wrong, Cruz told the news wire service. The 70-plus minutes they waited, it is heartbreaking, and I think it is indefensible.

The gunman was inside Robb Elementary School for around 77 minutes, killing 19 children and two adults before police shot and killed him.

The law enforcement response has been widely criticized after police gave conflicting information about what happened, at first saying police responded within minutes and then later admitting it took more than an hour to confront the gunman.

Cruz has blamed the rise in gun violence across the U.S. on violent video games, slowing church attendance and social media bullying, as opposed to the proliferation of guns.

After the Uvalde shooting, he proposed boosting school-safety measures like installing bullet-resistant doors and windows. Cruz also attended a National Rifle Association conference just days after the May 24 bloodbath.

Pete Arredondo, the Uvalde school district police chief who was the commanding officer during the incident, has been placed on administrative leave pending several investigations into the incident.

Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw has called the police response an abject failure and said the classroom doors were not locked, contradicting comments from Arredondo, who said police spent time searching for a key to unlock the doors.

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The leaked surveillance footage has been controversial, in part because state and city officials were planning on releasing the video on Sunday after parents of the victims had a chance to review it.

On Tuesday, shortly after the Austin American-Statesman published the video and an accompanying narrative, Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin slammed the paper for leaking the video, calling it the most chicken way to put the video out.

The newspapers editor, Manny Garcia, defended the decision to publish the video, saying it was in the public interest to bring to light what happened at Robb Elementary.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A vulnerability in software that governments and companies around the world use could take years to eliminate, according to a report from a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) review board.

The analysis states that a security engineer from the Alibaba Cloud Security team in China first reported the vulnerability to the Apache Software Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides support for Log4j, the software.

The software collects and maintains information about system activity.

The DHSs Cyber Safety Review Board concluded that the vulnerability will be endemic and may remain in systems for up to a decade or more.

The report notes that the board is not currently aware of any significant attacks on the Log4j software and that the exploitation of the software happened at lower levels than expected based on the vulnerabilitys severity.

The report states that organizations spent significant resources to deal with the vulnerability, and the organizations that responded most effectively were the ones that understood their own use of the software and have the technical resources to manage assets, assess the risk that the vulnerability posed and mobilize response actions.

The board made a series of recommendations to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for actions that should be taken in the future.

The recommendations are categorized into four main focuses  addressing the continued risks of Log4j, adopting industry-accepted practices for managing vulnerabilities, building a more proactive model of vulnerability management and making investments for the countrys digital security in the future.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
After almost two years in the hospital and multiple near-death experiences, 3-year-old Kingston Vang-Wraggs is heading back home to Wausau this weekend.

His father, Tommy Wraggs, said Kingston has had many medical complications over the course of his life, but after beating a flesh-eating bacteria and receiving a kidney transplant in June, he's finally ready to go home.

"It's been quite a road and I look forward to coming home," Wraggs said. "I look forward to taking my son for a walk."

Kingston's medical journey began in 2019 when he was 3 months old. His parents noticed his stomach was swollen so they took him into the hospital in La Crosse, which is where they were living at the time. The hospital staff took pictures and sent them over to their colleagues in Madison, who, when they saw the pictures, immediately sent Kingston to American Family Childrens Hospital in Madison.

Tommy Wraggs of Wausau pushes his 3-year-old son Kingston Vang-Wraggs out of American Family Childrens Hospital in Madison on June 29. Kingston, who was diagnosed with congenital nephrotic syndrome, a rare kidney condition, in 2019 and received a kidney transplant in June, is heading home after spending almost two years in the hospital.

Once there, Wraggs learned first that Kingston had nephrotic syndrome, which is a group of symptoms that mean the kidneys are not working, and genetic tests revealed Kingston had congenital nephrotic syndrome, a rare kidney condition where the kidneys cannot properly filter waste products. Children are born with the syndrome and it typically shows up by the time they are 3 months old.

Because of this condition, Kingston had an "almost nonexistent" immune system and would eventually go into kidney failure. During his first hospital stay, Kingston had several surgeries, a gastrostomy tube placed so he could eat, and he was put on dialysis when he was about 6 months old. Kingston had both his kidneys removed when he was around 1 year old.

Wraggs, who became a single dad when Kingston's mom left when he was 10 months old, was able to bring Kingston home after he recovered from his kidney removal and continued the dialysis at home.

"(The nurses were) great teachers in the hospital. I learned how to do dialysis for him while maintaining a job at that time, Wraggs said. "And with that, everything was progressing nicely and we were on a transplant list."

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Tommy Wraggs of Wausau holds his 3-year-old son Kingston Vang-Wraggs on June 29 at American Family Childrens Hospital in Madison.

On Sept. 27, 2020, Wraggs could tell something was off with Kingston. He drove him to the Madison hospital where the doctors found Kingston had an aggressive flesh-eating bacteria. It had eaten holes in several of his organs, including his stomach, liver and intestines, and they were leaking fluid inside him.

That night, Wraggs watched as Kingston's heart stopped and his lungs collapsed. The doctors and nurses at the hospital immediately went into action, trying to bring Kingston back. Within two minutes, the hospital staff were able to revive and stabilize him.

"I'm talking to (Kingston) in my head, telling him to come on, come on, because I didn't know what was going on," Wraggs said. "All I know is I'm stuck in this moment."

Several days later, doctors asked Wraggs if he would be willing to sign a do not resuscitate order, which means if Kingston were to have another episode, medical staff would not perform life-saving measures. At that point, doctors estimated Kingston had around a 3% chance of survival.

Wraggs said he refused to sign the order.

"I just felt like he didn't have a voice, so I had to be his voice, and he hadn't given up, so I couldn't give up," Wraggs said.

After they discovered the flesh-eating bacteria, Kingston was taken off the transplant waitlist because "needing kidneys was the least of his problems," Wraggs said. For over a year, Kingston had to focus on surviving.

Fortunately, Kingston improved enough to be placed back on the waitlist and in June, doctors found a kidney match. Wraggs said he got the call while he was at the gym.

"I got the phone call and I couldn't believe it," Wraggs said. "And now, as a grown man, I'm in the gym crying, getting dressed, which was awkward. But it was just unbelievable."

Kingston's transplant surgery went well. Wraggs said it was the smoothest surgery he's had yet. They kept him in the hospital for a few more weeks, and on June 29, he was able to leave. Wraggs stayed in Madison for a few more weeks attending doctor appointments, but he is planning to head back to his Wausau duplex this weekend.

Wraggs said he loves Wausau and he cannot wait to get back to the city. He's moved around a lot, but said Wausau has always been his favorite place to live, so he moved there in 2019. He said because of Kingston, he's barely been able to spend time at his apartment there.

Coming home, there is a lot for Wraggs to figure out. He had to quit his job and take care of Kingston full time in the hospital, and he has not had an income for a while. Wraggs's sister started a Gofundme page, "Our Miracle Baby Kingston is coming home!", to help Wraggs.

Kingston has now received national attention, with Good Morning America and ABC News covering his story. Wraggs said he wants to use the media attention to thank everyone who has helped him and Kingston, including the hospital staff, the Ronald McDonald house where he stayed, his friends and family and Kingston's social workers.

"I have my son, so that was my overall goal, the overall prayers was for him," Wraggs said. "So anything that goes, I'll take."

MORE NEWS: Family history and love drive preservation efforts of Rib Mountain's 'little white church'

MORE NEWS: 'Where are they gonna stop?': Hundreds gather in downtown Wausau to protest the overturning of Roe v. Wade

Emalyn Muzzy is a reporter covering Central Wisconsin. You can contact her at Emuzzy@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @EmalynMuzzy.

This article originally appeared on Wausau Daily Herald: Kingston Vang-Wraggs returns to Wausau after two years in hospital
Elon Musk argued that former President Donald Trump would be too old for the presidency in 2024, throwing his support behind Ron DeSantis instead. Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images, Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue, Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Elon Musk suggested that Ron DeSantis would easily win the 2024 presidential election if he ran.

He said DeSantis would win without needing to campaign if he went up against President Joe Biden.

Musk repeatedly referenced Trump's age as a reason not to support him amid their ongoing feud.

Billionaire Elon Musk on Tuesday reasserted his support for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a potential 2024 presidential run, arguing that former President Donald Trump would be too old for the job and predicting that DeSantis would effortlessly defeat President Joe Biden.

"If DeSantis runs against Biden in 2024, then DeSantis will easily win  he doesn't even need to campaign," Musk tweeted.

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO said in June that he started voting Republican this year and that he would likely back DeSantis if the lawmaker were to enter the race for the White House.

In turn, DeSantis  who has so far declined to confirm a presidential run  publicly welcomed Musk's political support.

Musk also continued his snubs of former President Donald Trump on Tuesday, positing that the latter's age would hinder his effectiveness as America's executive leader if he were to be elected again.

"Trump would be 82 at end of term, which is too old to be chief executive of anything, let alone the United States of America," Musk tweeted.

His Tuesday musing was part of a larger Twitter thread in which he initially encouraged Trump to "hang up his hat & sail into the sunset." Musk's comments came in response to a clip of Trump calling the Tesla CEO a "bullshit artist" for withdrawing from his deal to buy Twitter.

As a result, a renewed war of words emerged between the two men this week.

Trump, reacting to Musk's remarks about him on Twitter, claimed on his own social media platform Truth Social that he could have made Musk beg for his help while he was in the White House.

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He also blasted Musk's Tesla and SpaceX, claiming that the companies build "electric cars that don't drive long enough, driverless cars that crash, or rocketships to nowhere."

Musk later jabbed back at Trump by again referring to his age, posting a GIF of an elderly "Simpsons" character yelling and screaming out a window.

"Lmaooo," the CEO wrote.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Jul. 13As extreme hot weather continues driving record power demand across Texas, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas is issuing a Conservation Appeal for 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, a press release stated.

ERCOT is asking Texans and businesses to voluntarily conserve electricity during this time. Currently, no system-wide outages are expected.

On Wednesday, conditions are expected to be similar to those experienced on Monday. On that day, Texans and businesses responded by voluntarily conserving electricity and helping ERCOT successfully meet record power demand by reducing their energy use by 500 MWs.

Conservation is a reliability tool ERCOT has deployed more than four dozen times since 2008 to successfully manage grid operations. This notification is issued when projected reserves may fall below 2300 MW for 30 minutes or more.

ERCOT encourages all electric customers to visit the Public Utility Commission's Power to Save or their electric provider's websites to get important conservation tips. According to the PUC, ways to reduce electricity use during peak times include turning up your thermostat a degree or two, if comfortable, and postponing running major appliances or pool pumps during the requested timeframe.

ERCOT continues to use all tools available to manage the grid effectively and reliably, including using reserve power and calling upon large electric customers who have volunteered to lower their energy use.

ERCOT emphasizes that the call for conservation is limited to the hours of 2-8 p.m. on Wednesday, July 13.

Factors driving the need for this important action by customers:

>> Record high electric demand. The heat wave that has settled on Texas and much of the central United States is driving increased electric use. Other grid operators are operating under similar conservative operations programs as ERCOT due to the heatwave.

>> Low wind. Wind generation is currently generating less than what is historically generated in this time period.

>> Forced thermal outages. The number of forced outages in thermal generation exceeds ERCOT forecasts.

>> Solar. Developing cloud cover in West Texas has reduced the amount of solar generation.
Robert Honsch, then 70, was living in Dalton, Ohio, as Robert Tyree when he was arrested in 2014 for the 1995 murders of his wife Marcia and teenage daughter Elizabeth. Marcia was dumped in Massachussetts and Elizabeth in New Britain, Conn. and Honsch was convicted of murder in trials in those two states in 2017 and 2022, respectively. .

A decades-long saga, which began in 1995 with a man fatally shooting his wife and teenage daughter, dumping their bodies in two different states and starting a new life in the midwest, ended Wednesday when he was sentenced in a Connecticut courtroom for his daughter's murder.

Robert Honsch, 78, already serving a life sentence in Massachusetts for killing his wife, Marcia, was sentenced to the maximum 60 years for what State Superior Court Judge Laura Baldini called the "cruel, inhumane and unconscionable" murder of 16-year-old Elizabeth.

Robert Honsch, then 70, was living in Dalton, Ohio, as Robert Tyree when he was arrested in 2014 for the 1995 murders of his wife Marcia and teenage daughter Elizabeth. Marcia was dumped in Massachussetts and Elizabeth in New Britain, Conn. and Honsch was convicted of murder in trials in those two states in 2017 and 2022, respectively. .

Baldini cited the heinous nature of the crime, but also found disturbing Honsch's efforts to cover it up and mislead the victims' relatives in a bid for "absolution of responsibility for committing a horrific crime.

"He has shown no remorse for his actions," Baldini said. "These calculated, deliberate actions are reflective of a heartless individual without care for others or the laws of society."

One of Elizabeth's half-sisters, Diana Mirabel, was watching a livestream from her home out of state and clapped and wiped away tears when Baldini finished imposing the sentence.

Elizabeth Honsch

"This is a long time coming, 27 years," Mirabel, 57, told the judge moments earlier, adding she hoped Honsch would one day "find it in his heart" to explain why he did what he did to her mom and baby sister. "This was a lifelong nightmare for myself and my family... Justice is served for Elizabeth and may she rest in peace."

Honsch killed Elizabeth and Marcia in late September 1995, each shot in the head. Honsch dumped his daughters body, wrapped in garbage bags and two sleeping bags, behind a liquor store in a New Britain, Connecticut strip mall, where it was found early on Sept. 28 by two police officers. Marcias body was found about 40 miles away at Tolland State Forest in western Massachusetts eight days later.

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Honsch was not arrested until 2014, the year the bodies were identified. He was convicted in Marcias killing in Massachusetts in 2017 and in Elizabeths killing four months ago in New Britain state Superior Court.

Marcia had Mirabel and three other daughters from a previous marriage when she met Honsch in the Bronx. They married in 1977 and Elizabeth was born two years later. All five of the girls lived with them initially but it was only Robert, Marcia and Elizabeth together when the couple separated in 1988. Marcia and Elizabeth moved to Cold Spring, although Elizabeth would frequently stay with Honsch in Brewster, New York, and she attended Brewster High School as a freshman and for most of her sophomore year.

The couple reunited in 1995 several months before the killings and Marcia and Elizabeth moved back in with Honsch on Main Street.

Honsch, who was a vacuum salesman, fled to South Africa in October 1995 after telling his wifes daughters he had gotten a job transfer and Marcia and Elizabeth left ahead of him to Australia.

But at his trial in 2017, according to MassLive.com, one of them, Debra Estrada, testified it was always odd to her Honsch sent them there even though he said he had been given the choice of working in several countries but hadnt picked one yet.

Uncovering the truth

Detectives in both states joined forces after the bodies were discovered but they were unable to identify the bodies. It wasnt even until DNA testing in 2010 that they knew for certain the two women were mother and daughter.

New York State police were brought into the case in 2009 based on a tax stamp on cigarettes and clothes that appeared to have come from the Albany area. But there still were no missing person reports for the two.

By then, Honsch was living as Robert Tyree in Ohio, where he had married a woman and had three children with her.

Relatives insisted they had reported Marcia and Elizabeth missing over the years, including to authorities in Putnam County. But there were no official reports disseminated and investigators did not make the link to the women until 2014, when a niece of Marcias in Virginia contacted New York State police.

By that time, at least one of Marcia Honschs daughters, Mirabel, had been in touch with his new wife, Sheryl Tyree, for several years because Sheryl Tyree had reached out to Honschs family in New York to find out about his past.

Marcia Honsch , 53, of Putnam County, in July 1995, two months before she was murdered by her husband Robert and dumped in Tolland State Forest in Massachussetts. Robert Honsch was convicted in her murder in 2017 and sentenced to life in prison. He also killed their teenage daughter Elizabeth in September 1995 and was convicted of murder for that killing in Connecticut in March 2022.

In 2013, Mirabel confronted Honsch in a phone call and he told her Marcia had run off with another man in Australia and Elizabeth likely went with her, Mirabel testified in 2017, according to MassLive.com. When she told him she didnt believe him , he said he must have heard that from someone else because he didnt remember.

Marcia Honsch , 53, of Putnam County, in July 1995, two months before she was murdered by her husband Robert and dumped in Tolland State Forest in Massachussetts. Robert Honsch was convicted in her murder in 2017 and sentenced to life in prison. He also killed their teenage daughter Elizabeth in September 1995 and was convicted of murder for that killing in Connecticut in March 2022.

The call to New York police led to a DNA match identifying both women. Investigators interviewed Honsch in Ohio and took hair samples that were eventually matched to evidence found with Elizabeths body. He told them he couldnt remember much from 1995. He recognized the sleeping bag but could not offer anything about how Elizabeth ended up in it. He then asked for a lawyer and was arrested.

Daughter was 'vibrant, intelligent'

While the circumstances that led to the killing may never be known, Baldini said, "it is likely that Elizabeth experienced immediate and significant terror when faced with her father choosing to end her life."

State's Attorney Christian Watson called Elizabeth "vibrant, intelligent, outgoing and wonderful" and assailed Honsch for not only the killing but for going "about his life as if Elizabeth's life didn't matter and didn't exist."

Just like he did when sentenced in Massachussetts, Honsch declined to say anything when Baldini gave him the opportunity. He also chose not to participate in the court's presentence investigation so Baldini had limited mitigating information.

His lawyer, Justin Smith, said Honsch was advised not to speak because he maintains his innocence and is planning to appeal. Smith asked for the minimum 25-year term, saying that would effectively be a life sentence for Honsch, who, besides his age, has health problems related to a stroke he suffered while in custody awaiting trial.

Honsch will serve his Massachussetts sentence first and members of the New Britain Police Department were expected to transport him to a prison there following the sentencing.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Robert Honsch sentenced for 1995 murder of teenage daughter
A federal designation aimed at combatting large-scale drug trafficking in Erie County is expected to bolster the efforts of a task force that has been fighting violent crime and drug activity in Erie for decades.

The Erie Area Gang Law Enforcement Safe Streets Task Force, which has been in place since the 1990s, has investigated large-scale drug trafficking as part of its crime-fighting efforts in the city. That work will continue in cooperation with the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area designation and its mission, officials said.

Erie County was recently designated a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, or HIDTA, through the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy.

The designation provides "critical resources and support" to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations operating in Erie County, Stephen R. Kaufman, the acting U.S. attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, said in announcing the designation in May.

Dealers have used the county as a repackaging hub for further distribution of their drugs and to funnel drug proceeds back through the supply line, Kaufman said.

Erie County is one of nearly three dozen areas across the country, including four other counties in Pennsylvania, with the designation under a program created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Western PA:Lawrence County designated as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area

In this file photo, Erie city and county drug investigators display about 1 pound of suspected crystal methamphetamine, along with three guns, cash and suspected drug paraphernalia, seized during the search of an Erie residence on Nov. 13, 2019, in an investigation fueled by neighborhood complaints. A new federal designation is designed to help law enforcement combat illegal drug trafficking in the Erie area.

Erie to fight drugs through designation: Federal designation adds resources, funding to fight against illegal drugs in Erie County

Local law enforcement officials said in May that the designation will provide more money and resources to target major drug trafficking in the county. It will involve all law enforcement agencies in the region in some capacity, with more coordination among those agencies, officials said.

Space leased in Erie

Area law enforcement is already at work on those efforts, Erie Police Chief Dan Spizarny said.

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The latest public action related to the HIDTA designation occurred on Wednesday, when Erie City Council approved a resolution authorizing the city to enter into an agreement to lease office space on State Street for HIDTA, as well as for the E.A.G.L.E. task force.

The space will cost the city $270,000 over five years, with the FBI reimbursing those expenses monthly, according to the resolution.

Spizarny said the office will be used for HIDTA operations and will hold all of the staff that will be working under the designation. It will also be used for task force operations as needed, he said.

The HIDTA designation and the resources it brings to the area will enhance the work of the Erie Area Gang Law Enforcement task force, or E.A.G.L.E., as well as the work of local, state and federal investigators, according to a statement from the FBI in Pittsburgh.

The work will be coordinated through the combined efforts of the Erie Bureau of Police; the Pennsylvania State Police; the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office; the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the DEA; Homeland Security Investigations; and the FBI, according to the statement.

E.A.G.L.E.'s efforts

Safe Streets Task Forces like E.A.G.L.E. bring federal, state and local law enforcement together to address violent crime plaguing communities, according to information on the FBI's website. There are 160 task forces nationwide, including 14 in Pennsylvania.

The E.A.G.L.E. task force operations are run by the FBI through its Erie office. While much of the task force's work has involved drug investigations, it has also been involved in investigating gun crimes in Erie.

Representatives on the task force include members of the state attorney general's Bureau of Narcotics investigation and the Erie Bureau of Police, the FBI said.

Erie police currently have one full-time member assigned to the task force, Spizarny said.

The Pennsylvania State Police previously had troopers assigned to the task force but currently has no one assigned to it, said Lt. Mark Weindorf, crime section supervisor for state police Troop E and a former task force member. Adding troopers back on the task force is being considered, Weindorf said.

Troop E will have people dedicated to the work done through HIDTA, and state police will serve as a commanding state authority in its efforts, Weindorf said. Erie police will have officers dedicated to HIDTA investigations, Spizarny said.

"What it allows is funding and resources to bring together state, federal and local partners to combat the local drug activity together," Weindorf said of the designation.

Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNhahn.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie crime: Federal designation to support efforts of local task force
Russians have been stealing Ukrainian grain

Read also: Turkeys Erdogan agrees to hold talks between Russian and Ukraine in Istanbul

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that the parties agreed on the establishment of a coordination center in Istanbul and agreed on "main technical issues", including "joint control at points of departure and arrival".

Read also: New talks on grain corridor for Ukrainian agricultural exports announced by Turkey

According to the official, "[the Turkish side] sees that the parties are ready to solve this problem." He announced that another meeting of the Ukrainian and Russian delegations should take place next week, at which all details will be reviewed again and the final document will be signed.

As reported by Reuters citing sources among diplomats, the parties discussed the departure of ships with grain from the ports accompanied by Ukrainian ships on the condition that Russia agrees to a ceasefire during the movement of cargo, and Turkey, with the support of the United Nations, will inspect the ships to "allay Russian fears over arms smuggling".

Read also: Traffic jam on entry to Danube as vessels line up to export Ukrainian grain

Earlier, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, said that the negotiations regarding Russia's unblocking of Ukrainian ports for the resumption of grain exports to the international market were at the final stage.

Russia has deliberately blocked Ukrainian ports and sea routes in the Black Sea, disabling the export of grain from Ukraine, and has also prevented exports by rail, launching missile strikes on elevators, railway infrastructure, and even crop fields, causing fires.

Read also: Ukraines MFA summons Turkish ambassador after Turkey releases a Russian ship carrying stolen Ukrainian grain

Kremlin officials demanded that sanctions imposed on Russia for the war against Ukraine be lifted in exchange for the unblocking of Ukrainian ports.
BANJUL (Reuters) - Gambia's former spy chief and four other ex-intelligence officials have been sentenced to death for the 2016 murder of an opponent of ex-president Yahya Jammeh, a rare instance of criminal accountability for Jammeh-era crimes

The country has observed a moratorium on the death penalty since 2018, so the sentences handed down by Gambia's high court will be converted to life imprisonment.

The court issued the sentences late on Wednesday against Yankuba Badjie, the former director-general of the National Intelligence Agency and four other senior NIA officials for the murder of Solo Sandeng. Two other defendants were acquitted. The defendants all denied wrongdoing.

Sandeng, an activist from the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), was arrested at a rally in April 2016, beaten to death and buried in an unmarked grave, witnesses said.

Adama Barrow, representing a coalition of opposition parties, defeated Jammeh in an election later that year. Jammeh tried to cling to power but eventually fled to Equatorial Guinea under threat of a regional military intervention.

Barrow's government has said it will prosecute Jammeh and others for killings, rapes and other crimes committed during his 1994 to 2017 rule in line with recommendations by a truth and reconciliation commission last year.

But Jammeh remains in exile, and victims groups have complained about how slow progress toward prosecutions has been.

The only other person convicted for abuses during the Jammeh era was a former minister, Yankuba Touray, who was sentenced to death last year for killing another minister.

Gambia's attorney general said in May that the government would work to implement the truth commission's recommendations on the basis of "clear timelines and measurable outcomes".

Jammeh has denied allegations of wrongdoing.

(Reporting by Pap Saine; Writing by Aaron Ross; Editing by Alison Williams)
The residence of Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, received a visit Thursday morning from a fleet of 52 yellow school buses in a mobile procession protesting gun violence.

Gun control advocacy organization Change the Ref led the mile-long convoy to Cruz's office, stopping first at Cruz's Houston home in the protest dubbed, "The NRA Children's Museum."

The buses contained 4,368 empty seats, according to a press release from Change the Ref, a reference to the number of children who were killed by gun violence in 2020.

Supporters of Change the Ref said they want Cruz to implement universal background check legislation for those who want to buy a gun, the release states.

Some of the buses featured an exhibit of artifacts, photos, videos, audio recordings, and personal memories of these children who have lost their lives to guns.

Michigan quadruple killing: Michigan family of 4 dead in apparent murder-suicide after judge denies protection order

Exclusive video: Video from inside Uvalde school shows officers' delayed response to mass shooting

Since 2020, firearms have overtaken car accidents to become the leading cause of death in children, taking over 4368 lives. This convoy of 52 school buses is confronting Ted Cruz today. Take action NOW. https://t.co/FP9bjFU00S pic.twitter.com/6cd2ACPp8n  Change the Ref (@ChangeTheRef) July 14, 2022

Video from the convoy shows some of the buses rolling down an interstate decorated with memorabilia including a jersey that belonged to Joaquin Oliver, who died in the 2018 Parkland mass school shooting.

The boy's parents, Manuel and Patricia Oliver co-founded Change the Ref.

"This morning we left you a letter that our son Joaquin wrote nine years ago," Manuel Oliver tweeted Thursday. "I wonder if you had chance to read it? I think its time for you to listen to our son and start prioritizing kids over the NRAs money."

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Manuel Oliver: Father of Parkland victim interrupts Biden at event on gun safety

.@SenTedCruz This morning we left you a letter that our son Joaquin wrote nine years ago. I wonder if you had chance to read it? I think its time for you to listen to our son and start prioritizing kids over the NRAs money. pic.twitter.com/ysrhudg7NN  Manuel Oliver (@manueloliver00) July 14, 2022

An aerial view of 52 empty school buses, which represent the number of schoolchildren killed by gun violence since 2020, parked to resemble an assault rifle in Houston on July 13, 2022.

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To commemorate this horrific historic moment, we are showing American voters the toll these politicians have taken on our children's lives with this all-too-real archive," Oliver said in the release.

A spokesperson for Cruz said in a statement to USA TODAY he the Senator is "committed" to enact policies to stop school shootings from happening.

"He introduced legislation to double the number of school resource officers, hire 15,000 school-based mental health professionals to ensure there is early intervention to identify and help at-risk kids, to provide significant resources for enhanced school safety, and to improve the gun background system and prosecute persons who try to illegally buy guns," the statement read.

Natalie Neysa Alund covers trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ted Cruz home visited by youth gun violence protest: 52 buses travel
(Reuters) - More than 40 people have been reported unaccounted for by loved ones after floodwaters swept a riverfront Appalachian community in southwestern Virginia on Wednesday, triggered by heavy rains in the area, local authorities said.

As many as 18 search-and-rescue teams, including swift-water rescue crews, were dispatched to the area in and around Whitewood, Virginia, early in the day, Buchanan County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Eric Breeding told reporters.

Well over 100 houses in the area have been damaged, and many roads and bridges had been washed out by mudslides and high water, a Virginia state emergency management official told the same news briefing, carried by local television station WCYB, based in Bristol, Virginia.

Breeding said there were no confirmed fatalities or serious injuries so far, and that the 44 people listed as unaccounted reflected the number of individuals whose loved ones have reported their whereabouts as unknown after floods struck.

They were not considered "missing" as yet, since many were likely to have been merely left unreachable because of telephone and electricity service disruptions in the region.

Still, Governor Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency in southwestern Virginia in order to hasten disaster assistance to the flood-stricken area.

The downpours blamed for the flooding were part of a larger storm system that struck the mid-Atlantic region Tuesday night and early Wednesday, with showers continuing into the morning hours.

"Heavy rainfall caused flash flooding in Buchanan County, along with power outages, impacts to roads and other infrastructure and significant resource and operational challenges," Youngkin said in his declaration.

Whitewood, an unincorporated Appalachian community of about 500 people, is located along the Dismal River in Buchanan County near the border of both West Virginia and Kentucky.

(Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Michael Perry)
(Bloomberg) -- Kuaishou Technologys former international business leader Tony Qiu has joined Chinese food delivery titan Meituan, making the switch between internet companies at a time of elevated regulatory and economic challenges for the sector.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Qiu has taken on a provisional role as assistant to Meituan founder and Chief Executive Officer Wang Xing while deciding which business unit of the company he will run, the former Bain Capital executive said in a text message. Its a common practice for senior officers in China to occupy assistant roles before being assigned a strategic position, such as Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. Chief Financial Officer Toby Xu, who assisted CEO Daniel Zhang before taking the reins of the e-commerce giants investment arm.

Qius hire, first reported by local media outlet Late Post, has fueled speculation about Beijing-based Meituans ambitions to expand into international markets. Growth in the domestic market has slowed for all of Chinas biggest consumer tech firms while nearby regions like Southeast Asia are getting millions of first-time internet users online and increasing demand for connected services.

Meituan could potentially leverage Tonys global expertise to explore opportunities overseas, given that he used to help Didi and Kuaishou with their respective international businesses, said Vey-Sern Ling, senior analyst with Union Bancaire Privee in Singapore.

A representative from Meituan didnt immediately respond to an inquiry seeking comment.

Qiu, who joined Kuaishou in August 2020 from Didi Global Inc., was charged with taking Chinas No. 2 short-video hub to the global stage. He led a seasoned team with experience at Alphabet Inc.s Google, Netflix Inc. and ByteDance Ltd.s TikTok in growing Kuaishous reach to markets like Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. In June 2021, Kuaishou reported 180 million monthly users outside China, up from 150 million in April, according to the most recent figures the company has disclosed. At Didi, Qiu also helped the Chinese ride-hailing firm build its presence in Brazil through the acquisition of local startup 99.

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Qiu quit Kuaishou earlier this year citing personal reasons, Bloomberg News reported in March.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

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An Aurora County sheriff's deputy has been terminated from his position after he was charged with multiple counts of possession of child pornography, according to a press release from the sheriffs office.

David Suarez was terminated from his position with the office as soon as it was learned he was being investigated, according to the release published on Wednesday by Sheriff Roman Briggs.

"Our officers will strive to maintain the public trust of the communities we serve. The Aurora County Sheriffs Office will continue to uphold the constitution and laws of the State of South Dakota with integrity and professionalism," Briggs wrote.

More: Gov. Kristi Noem agrees to only one debate with Jamie Smith ahead of November 2022 election

Suarez faces up to five counts of possession, manufacture and distribution of child pornography, according to court records filed in Davison County.

The citation was issued June 18, and he was arrested Thursday, according to court documents.

Suarez is scheduled to appear in a Davison County courtroom Thursday afternoon, according to court documents.

If found guilty, Suarez faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $25,000. He will be required to register as a sex offender.

More: Bullet fired into room with father, 3 children in Sioux Falls, police say

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: Former Aurora County Sheriff's deputy facing child porn charges: Docs
South Florida deputies responded to a 911 call early Thursday morning and discovered two bodies along with four children inside a home in Tamarac, according to authorities.

The children were found unharmed but a man and woman were pronounced dead on scene at a residence on the 5800 block of Hampton Hills Boulevard, the Broward Sheriffs Office said in a news release. Detectives believe that one adult killed the other before turning the gun on themselves, calling it an apparent murder-suicide.

The 911 call came in at 2:46 a.m., BSO said in an email.

Police didnt immediately release additional details.

This is a breaking story, and will be updated as more information becomes available.

If you are in distress or experiencing suicidal thoughts, call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988. While some areas may be currently able to connect to the Lifeline by dialing 988, this dialing code will be available to everyone across the United States starting on July 16.
Frances Grace Geyoro will be looking to build on the hat-trick she scored against Italy (Nick Potts/PA) (PA Wire)

France will look to book their place in the Euro 2022 quarter-finals when they meet Belgium at the New York Stadium.

Les Bleues put themselves in prime position in Group D with a statement 5-1 win over Italy on Sunday and victory over Belgium, who drew with Iceland in their opener, will seal their passage to the last eight.

Italy will have to come up with a response after that drubbing and face Iceland at Manchester City Academy Stadium.

Here, the PA news agency looks ahead to Thursdays games after another action-packed night on Wednesday saw the Netherlands register their first win.

The Italian job

Italys tournament could not have got off to a worse start after their battering from France in Sundays opener.

That has left Le Azzurre knowing they have to beat Iceland to take their fate to the final game  a defeat sees them eliminated.

Italy head coach Milena Bertolini told UEFA.com: We need to be angry, take the right approach and show a willingness to respond. Our tournament starts now.

Five-star France go again

France looked imperious as they blitzed Italy with five first-half goals in Rotherham and now they can secure their spot in the last eight if they get past Belgium.

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It would be a fitting treat for their country on Bastille Day and they will hope to send out another message of intent to the other contenders in the tournament.

Belgium will not be rabbits in the headlights but know they will have to improve from their opening draw with Iceland.

Netherlands up and running

  



 Van de Donk scores a stunning goal from outside the box to win the game for Netherlands #WEURO2022 | #NED | #POR  UEFA Women's EURO 2022 (@WEURO2022) July 13, 2022

Netherlands, who won the 2017 edition of the tournament, came through an enthralling battle with Portugal in Leigh to put themselves top of Group C. An emphatic night looked on the cards as they surged into a 2-0 first-half lead through Damaris Egurrola and Stefanie van der Gragt headers.

But Carole Costas penalty, which came after VAR intervention, before the break got Portugal back in it and then Diana Silva stunned the Dutch by levelling.

Van de Donk had the final say, though, scoring a goal that was fitting of winning an entertaining game as she curled into the top corner from the edge of the box. A point in their final game against Switzerland will guarantee progress while Portugal have to win against Sweden.

Post of the day

When you win the passing drill race! 



 @leahcwilliamson   Lionesses (@Lionesses) July 13, 2022

Picture of the day

The Netherlands Damaris Egurrola, left, and Portugals Ana Borges battle for the ball during their Group C match (Nick Potts/PA) (PA Wire)

Quote of the day

We need to be angry, take the right approach and show a willingness to respond. Our tournament starts now

Italy coach Milena Bertolini

Up next

July 14

Group D: Italy v Iceland (5pm, Manchester City Academy)Group D: France v Belgium (8pm, New York Stadium)
Manchester Uniteds Marcus Rashford is hoping for a better season (PA Archive)

Marcus Rashford is refreshed, refocused and relishing this fresh start under new Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag following a poor season.

It is a year and three days since the 24-year-old suffered the crushing disappointment of missing a penalty in Englands shoot-out defeat to Italy in the European Championship final at Wembley.

Post-tournament shoulder surgery meant Rashford did not feature for United until mid-October, when an initial flurry of goals quickly dried up during the forwards poorest campaign to date.

It was a bad season for everyone connected with the Old Trafford giants but the appointment of Ten Hag has brought new optimism to both club and player.

(PA Wire)

I think we can do a lot together, Rashford said. For me, its a fresh start and something I am looking forward to.

The first two and a half weeks of training have been good. Weve improved a lot, were a lot fitter than we were last season.

And also were making mistakes along the way, so we have a lot of room for improvement.

Im in a good place right now and Im just looking forward to getting more games under my belt and get ready for the season.

Rashford looked sharp during his 45 minute cameo in Tuesdays 4-0 friendly win against Liverpool in Thailand, with further action to come over Uniteds three matches in Australia.

The forward is enjoying the demanding work set by Ten Hag and his coaches after a rare summer break that he hopes will help him to regain form.

Its been a bit unnatural for me to have such a long break in the summer, Rashford said in Melbourne.

I think I had just under four weeks, so I had a long break physically and mentally as well so its an opportunity to refresh and get ready to go again.

Its always the case with a new season, whether you win or lose, so I just use that opportunity to do what Ive always done and just refocus.

This is my first year where I have been with the team from the beginning (of pre-season).

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And, to be honest, I already feel a lot better than usually when you go on internationals and you come back midway through the pre-season.

(PA Archive)

Its important for me to get a fresh start and I have been given that opportunity, so, yeah, I feel fresh and I feel ready.

Rashfords struggles have been well-documented and he admits it is a lot easier to come back and improve when you make mistakes in a winning team.

That was not the case last season but the England forward, who has not played for his country since the Euros final, knows they have to do more than that.

Its part of it but its not an excuse, he said. Its a big club that we play for and were expected to win, as we should do.

We just have to work really hard to improve and the first game of the season is the first opportunity that we have.

We do all this hard work now and try and win as many games as we can in pre-season, and then when it comes to the first game of the season were ready to give everything.
Arkansas firefighters saved a kitten who was trapped in an ATM earlier this month.

On July 7, the Fort Smith Fire Department responded to a call about a kitten stuck in a Regions Bank ATM, KFSM-TV reported. First responders opened the machine and later took the dehydrated, hungry kitten to Fort Smith Animal Haven.

Facebook users showed their gratitude to the firefighters and joked about how the kitten wound up in such a bizarre situation.

Wait, I can get cats out of an atm? what button do i push for that? Facebook user John Aary asked.

Why was the cat not arrested for attempted bank robbery? Fort Smith Police Department care to chime in here? Is the cat related to Pawciffer Fuzz and used his pull to get out of a charge? Facebook user Wesley Rester asked.

The kitten, a male gray tabby, has since received a name fitting for his unlikely adventures in the financial world: Cash.

Ashley Deane, a vet tech with the shelter, described Cash as a little spicy from the ordeal. He weighs less than 1 lb., according to KFSM-TV, but is on his way to recovery.

Generally, after a couple of days with our handlers caring for them, they become less spicy and just a little bit mild so they can come a little bit more workable, Deane said.

The shelter hopes to build up Cashs weight, give him required vaccinations and foster him before adoption.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

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A former child refugee from Cambodia who served 25 years in prison is now at risk of being deported back to a country he is barely familiar with.

Despite being deemed safe for early release by the San Quentin Prison parole board, 47-year-old Phoeun You was handed over to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in January after being pardoned.

Activists argue that You, whose family fled the Cambodian genocide, no longer poses a threat to society based on the parole boards decision.

The Asian Prisoner Support Committee and other advocates have since urged California Gov. Gavin Newsom to grant him a pardon and effectively stop his impending deportation.

More from NextShark: Anti-Asian Hate Crimes Act Passes With Overwhelming Bipartisan Vote

You was just a year old when his family fled Cambodia and eventually settled in Southern California.

Speaking from an ICE detention facility in Bakersfield, You shared that he joined a gang when he was 13 while living in Long Beach for protection. At age 20, he shot and killed a 17-year-old while retaliating against a gang attack on a young member of his family. He was convicted of first-degree murder by a jury trial and sentenced to 35 years to life.

While You has acknowledged the seriousness of the crime he committed as a young man, he said he has changed and is now ready to be with his family and give back to the community after decades of serving his sentence.

More from NextShark: Filipino American California Attorney General Rob Bonta Commits to Focusing on Hate Crimes

My parole officer approaches me and said, Hey look, you have an ICE hold, You was quoted as saying. Thats when I knew it was the end of my freedom. I knew there was another round of fight to do.

While in prison, You earned his associate of arts degree from Patten University and went on to become a journalist for the San Quentin News as well as a counselor and mentor to other inmates.

He also helped found the self-help program ROOTS (Restoring Our Original True Selves) with his peers. The initiative helps prisoners get better connected with their history and culture through education and other programs.

Story continues

More from NextShark: South Korean president elect retreats on anti-feminist pledge to abolish Ministry of Gender Equality

He shouldnt be deported because he had already served his time and being deported is basically another life sentence, said community advocate Somdeng Danny Thongsy. During my time at San Quentin, he actually mentored me a lot and he was one of my facilitators in the trauma therapy class which helped me explore my trauma. And because of that, I was able to heal from that.

Ive known him for 10 years. I first met him at the San Quentin Prison Buddhist group, and Ive seen firsthand his transformation and how much he helped others, Prison Art Projects art teacher Jun Hamamoto said.

However, being an immigrant and convicted of a violent crime means his efforts to change for the better likely wont prevent him from being deported.

More from NextShark: Vietnamese automaker Vinfast to build $2 billion electric vehicle factory in North Carolina

All Im thinking about is Wow, this is real. Im not going to get to say goodbye to friends. Im not going to get the chance to give back to my community. Im not going to get to say goodbye to my parents in person, said You.

Featured Image via Ear Hustle Podcast